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Wednesday 2 January 2013 20 Safar 1434 - Volume 17 Number 5567 Price: QR2

Law to David Ferrer regulate PPP rallies past soon: Minister Brown

Business | 17 Sport | 28

www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 Real estate Saudi Air Force graduation bounces back after long lull Experts expect rise in rents

DOHA: The real estate sec- Market analysts expect the tor is witnessing a boom after a real estate sector to grow more prolonged lull, with transactions aggressively in 2013 with a likely almost doubling in 2012, and the influx of an additional over prices of land near existing and 600,000 foreign workers to engage planned development projects in the booming building activity in across the country galloping to the country. incredible highs. “Land prices already have The value of real estate deals increased by 50 percent in 2012, struck last year totalled a stag- and with a slew of development gering QR42bn ($11.5bn), up 59.1 projects lined up for launch this percent over 2011. The transac- year, more and more foreign tions averaged a record QR3.5bn companies are likely to enter a month or, QR175m a day. the Qatari market,” an analyst The onset of the boom bodes who didn’t want his name in well for the country which is host- print said. ing the coveted 2022 FIFA World With nearly 600,000 more Cup, but experts warn it could workers expected to arrive this lead to an escalation in house year, the demand for housing is rents that already are showing likely to go up considerably as signs of an upswing. the population would explode way The national office for sta- beyond two million. tistics, Qatar Statistics Office Currently, housing supplies (QSA), has though, recently said exceed demand but the situation Royal Saudi Air Force jets fly in formation during a graduation ceremony for Air Force officers at King Faisal Air Academy in Riyadh yesterday. while releasing consumer price might reverse by the year-end, See also page 7 indices the chances of a repeat of said the analyst. This means that the peaks home rentals witnessed house rents would begin spiral- during 2006-08 are remote. ing again. According to real estate reg- Market reports suggest there istration data provided by the has been a steady increase in Sponsorship review possible, says report Ministry of Justice, the first the prices of land, particu- quarter of 2012 saw transactions larly in Doha and its sprawling worth QR13.3bn, compared to suburbs. DOHA: A review of the spon- from the issue of labour condi- it to benefit the region,” Thawadi is attempting to address this per- QR5.3bn during the correspond- For instance, in Al Thumama, sorship system is possible as tions. In January last year, the said. Qatar already has reasonably ception and improve the condition ing period of 2011. which is close to the Doha the award of the 2022 FIFA secretary-general of the Qatar stringent regulations for labour, of workers, but contractors are The total value of the deals International Airport, the first World Cup has put Qatar in the 2022 Supreme Committee, Hassan but implementation and monitor- divided over the impact the 2022 during the next quarter of signs of infrastructure develop- international spotlight, says the Al Thawadi, said at a news con- ing has often been a problem, says event and the state’s commitment 2012 was QR10.2bn as against ment led to a 72.2 percent jump in Oxford Business Group in its ference here that major sporting The Report. According to a May to labour rights will have on the QR8.38bn during the same period land prices to QR310 per square latest report on Qatar. events shed a spotlight on condi- 2011 report by the International ground. The Report quotes a key of 2011. foot. Greater international exposure tions in the host countries. Trade Union Confederation official from Aljaber & Partners, The total in the third quar- It is likely that the announce- has created pressure (on Qatar) “There are labour issues here, (ITUC) on labour conditions in Ammar Ammar, as saying that ter stood at QR7.79bn compared ment of rail and metro station to abide by international norms but Qatar is committed to reform. Qatar and the UAE, “Even when he didn’t see labour or sponsor- to QR5.07bn in Q3 of 2011. The locations, as well as other govern- and practices. Nowhere is this We will require contractors to laws are changed to benefit the ship reform happening until 2018, fourth and the last quarter of ment projects, will have an even more evident than in the field impose a clause to ensure inter- workers, there are often short- and by then the bulk of the work 2012 saw transactions worth greater impact on land prices, of labour regulations, says ‘The national labour standards are met. falls in their implementation, and for the 2022 event will have been QR10bn as compared to QR7.6bn said the analyst. Report — Qatar 2012’. Sport, particularly football, is a migrants are frequently unaware completed. THE PENINSULA in Q4 of 2011. THE PENINSULA The organisers have not shied very powerful force. We can use of their rights”. The government Continued on page 4

Falconry festival Qatar’s population UAE won’t imprison expats rises by 7.5pc to over bounced cheques 1.83m in 2012 DUBAI: The United Arab Ministry of Presidential Affairs was DOHA: Qatar’s population has Emirates (UAE) will stop impris- quoted as saying. surged 7.5 percent in a year oning expatriates for writing In July, a British businessman and was more than 1.83 million cheques that bounce, Abu Dhabi who had been jailed for nearly as on December 31, 2012, the daily The National reported yes- three years in Dubai for writing bad National Office for Statistics terday, citing a senior official. cheques was released when his con- said yesterday. The UAE’s tough penalties for viction was overturned following a The data represent the number defaulting on loans, which is a seven-week hunger strike. The UAE of persons of all ages, both nation- criminal offence in the Gulf Arab has no bankruptcy laws to protect als and non-nationals, within the monarchy, were relaxed for Emirati debtors and many have called for boundaries of the country, Qatar citizens in October after a royal the decriminalisation of bounced News Agency (QNA) reported, decree. cheques. “Federal public prosecu- citing figures released by the “In line with the directives of tions in the country have, indeed, Qatar Statistics Authority (QSA). Sheikh Khalifa... and in the spirit released expatriate detainees as The figure does not include of fairness and equality, the courts has been the case of their Emirati citizens and expatriates who have stopped as of last month counterparts who were freed last were out of the country as on accepting collateral cheques pre- October,” The National quoted judge December 31, 2012. A disturbing sented as a criminal tool against Jassem Saif Buossaiba, head of the trend, though, is that the gap in Falconry enthusiasts registering names for the fourth International Falconry and Hunting Festival at expatriate debt defaulters,” Ali Judicial Inspection Department at male-female population has been Katara yesterday. Six cars and QR1m in prizes will be given away to winners of contests. Khalfan Al Dhaheri, head of the the Justice Ministry, as saying. yawning. Some 74 percent of the See also page 4 Legal Affairs Department at the REUTERS population was male and only 26 percent female. Meanwhile, a real estate expert and developer, Khalifa Al Rush for gun permits in Delhi Iran warns off spy planes Fatah celebrations in Gaza 60 killed in I Coast stampede Muslemani, believes an additional 600,000 foreign workers might NEW DELHI: Hundreds of women in DUBAI: Iran has warned off foreign GAZA CITY: The Gaza branch of ABIDJAN: At least 60 people died and arrive this year to work on new Delhi have applied for gun licences fol- surveillance planes that have tried to Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas’ dozens more were injured in Abidjan as projects that are being launched. lowing the gang rape and murder of a approach its forces during naval drills Fatah party has started celebrations of crowds that had gathered for celebratory He told Al Sharq he expected 23-year-old woman by six men in a bus in in the Strait of Hormuz, an Iranian its 48th anniversary in the Hamas-ruled New Year’s fireworks stampeded over- a slew of development projects to the city last month. The news underlines military spokesman said yesterday. The territory, a local leader said yesterday. night, Ivory Coast rescue workers said be launched this year which may the widespread sense of insecurity in the drills, which began on Friday, are aimed “Yesterday we lit the light starting the yesterday. Images broadcast by RTI tel- add some 600,000 new recruits to city, deep before the incident and deeper at showcasing Iran’s military capability anniversary of the revolution,” Atef Abu evision showed bodies stretched life- the workforce. now, and the lack of faith in law enforce- in the key shipping route. Seif said. less on the ground outside the city’s THE PENINSULA ment agencies. See also page 14 See also page 6 See also page 7 main stadium. See also page 10 WEDNESDAY 2 JANUARY 2013 02 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com HOME Qatar Airways New Year’s Eve hits out at Lindner claims LDI ‘badly defaulted’ on contract

DOHA: Qatar that LDI was adding Airways yester- insult to injury by day hit back at denying that its delay statements by caused huge damages German Emirati and that LDI should joint venture com- pay compensation for pany Lindner such damages. Depa Interiors “As the main user (LDI) that it of the new airport, had not delayed as the airport opera- the opening of tor and as an air- the New Doha line contracting the International services of many Airport (NDIA). companies to work The Doha-based at the airport, Qatar airline has been severely affected Airways has every legal right to by the delayed airport opening – pursue compensation claims for scheduled for last month – due the delayed opening of the New to LDI ‘badly defaulting’ on its Doha International Airport,” said People ushering in the New Year at Grand Hyatt Hotel in Doha on Monday night. (KAMMUTTY VP) contract. Al Baker. LDI had been awarded a $250m “We had always planned to contract to build 19 airport lounges, move to the new airport by the work which should have been com- end of 2012 give or take a few pleted six months ago. The contract months, but this is a serious CMC chief against more power for council was terminated due to LDI default- delay that has badly impacted our ing, delaying the airport opening by operations. up to 12 months, a Qatar Airways “Lindner Depa has seriously DOHA: Several experts and we didn’t understand the law “Many people think that CMC has the law to give more powers to release said. defaulted and must take responsi- academics have called for con- correctly and this had led to powers rather than giving recom- the CMC including executive Qatar Airways, the airport bility for their inactions and poor ferring executive powers to clashes with the Ministry of mendations, This is not the fact powers,” said Al Jefairi. operator and main airline user of approach to the project that has the Central Municipal Council Municipality of Urban Planning. since its role is only advisory and it Ahmed Al Khalaf, Qatari busi- the facility, and other subsidiaries had a terrible domino effect along (CMC) but a top CMC official Now in the fourth term, we have can only pass recommendations,” nessman said, CMC is not an and entities incurred additional the supply chain. This is not the has disagreed with this idea gained enough experience about said prominent Qatari lawyer Abdul executive or legislative body. construction costs and losses esti- first time that Lindner Depa has saying it could lead to more the law and our mandate. This Rahman Al Jefairi. “The CMC members should mated to amount to some $600m defaulted in Qatar using similar confusion. has helped us cooperate with the He said even the last amend- be aware of their role and should for lost revenue to the airline and excuses.” “I don’t support the idea of giv- Ministry in a better manner,” said ment of the CMC law didn’t not give too many promises to the its subsidiaries including Qatar The $15.5bn state-of-the-art ing executive powers to the CMC Al Hanzab. take the recommendations of people,” he said. Duty Free, and hampering expan- new airport is destined to be an because this would create over- Over the one and a half years the Council into account. All He felt that the current session sion plans as the current airport iconic world-class facility that is lapping of duties and more con- since the beginning of the fourth these recommendations had to of the CMC is better in terms of is bursting at the seams with little expected to set high standards in fusion,” CMC Chairperson Saud term, CMC passed 64 recom- pass through the Ministry of cooperation with the Ministry. room for growth. excellence. Phase One of New Doha Abdullah Al Hanzab was quoted mendations and most of them Municipality and Urban Planning Dr Yousuf Obaidan, profees- LDI claimed it had no rela- International Airport(NDIA) is as saying by an Arabic daily. were accepted by the authorities which has the right to accept or sor of Qatar University said that tionship nor contract with Qatar slated to handle over 28m pas- He said, the CMC which is now concerned and some of them are reject them. Otherwise they have the CMC has enriched the politi- Airways and that the airline’s sengers a year, with the capacity in its fourth term has matured currently under study, he added. take up the recommendations to cal culture in the country and claims were false and misleading. expected to more than double by enough to understand its role and Many experts on other hand have the Cabinet which has the power empowered Qatari women by But Qatar Airways Chief the time the airport is fully opera- its limitations. called for amending the CMC law to intervene in disputes between giving them the right to vote and Executive Officer Akbar Al tional in 2018. “I took part in all the CMC ses- giving it more powers, including the Ministry and the CMC, he contest in the elections. Baker (pictured) hit out saying THE PENINSULA sions. Due to lack of experience, the authority to execute decisions. added. “ It is important to review THE PENINSULA WEDNESDAY 2 JANUARY 2013 HOME www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 03 Doha Trade Fair expects 350,000 visitors this year QR1.25m spent on advertising BY RAYNALD C RIVERA venue for traditional entertain- ment, which provides additional DOHA: Apart from well laid attraction for visitors to the out plans, an extensive adver- fair. tising campaign has played a big “Traditional performers from role in maintaining the success different countries including of Doha Trade Fair through the Thailand, India, Yemen, Iran, years, say organisers. Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt and Qatar “We make sure we have are staging dances and songs every effective advertising campaign day,” he said. in all GCC countries, not only In addition acrobats, clowns in Qatar. We spent around and face painters are also in the QR1.25m just for advertisements tent besides food stalls and gifts for this edition of the fair,” Jaber and handcrafts shops. Al Mansoori, CEO of Maraya Most of the products available Public Relations company, who at the fair are fashion and acces- is organising the fair along with sories with 274 stalls, followed Qatar Tourism Authority, told by household products with 173 The Peninsula at the launch of stalls, perfumes and cosmetics 62 the event yesterday. and food 45. Mohammed bin Ahmed bin Towar Al Kuwari (third right), Vice-Chairman of Qatar Chamber cutting a ribbon to mark the opening of Doha Trade Al Mansoori said around “We were here during the Fair at Doha International Exhibition Centre yesterday. Below: Artists performing at the fair. (ABDUL BASIT) 250,000 visitors came to the ten- last edition of the fair and day fair during its last run in July there was great demand in our of their perfumes priced at only last year. products. We hope it would be QR25 per bottle. “We expect around 100,000 better this time,” said a shop- The fair considered the big- more visitors this time,” he keeper at Shimono, a company gest shopping festival in Qatar said, adding many companies from Singapore which manu- was opened by Mohammed bin expressed interest to join the factures a wide range of house- Ahmed bin Towar Al Kuwari, fair but they could not accom- hold products. Vice-Chairman of Qatar Chamber modate all because of limited Their best-seller is multi- along with the organisers and space. wrap dresses available in 20 col- other officials. “We have didn’t have enough ours. Produced in Taiwan, the Among the new features at space. We gave chance to new dresses made from nylon can be the fair this year include an companies as we always make worn in more than 50 ways, with interactive map for easy location sure to bring new companies the instructions contained in a of the stalls and porter service. with new selection of products CD given to each customer for Participating countries not found in the market,” said Al free. include Iran, Afganistan, Saudi Mansoori. Stalls selling perfumes also Arabia, India, Turkey, Jordan, The entire 15,000sqm usable witnessed more takers during Lebanon, Tunisia, Bahrain, space of the Doha Exhibition the first day such as Dubai-based Kuwait, Pakistan, China, Centre is fully occupied by 554 Yasmeen Al Sham whose products Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, stalls of over 400 companies, 25 are made in Syria. Kenya, Syria, Thailand, Egypt, percent of which are Qatari. “Our perfumes are in big Qatar, Malaysia, UAE, Oman The organisers had to set demand because of the afford- and Korea. up a 2,500sqm tent beside the able price,” said the shopkeeper THE PENINSULA QF to recruit over 70 nationals

DOHA: Qatar Foundation offer at Qatar Foundation,” said Qatar Career Fair in 2012 and for Education, Science and Hassan Al Hammadi, Executive those submitted through the Community Development is Director of the Human Resources Foundation’s website. seeking to recruit more than 70 Directorate. Qatar Foundation will invite the Qataris to various positions. “We invest heavily in our short-listed candidates to attend In line with the organisation’s human capital by providing its Recruitment Open Day, which commitment to training and hir- Qataris with professional train- will be held on January 28, 2013 at ing capable Qataris, the Human ing programmes to help them the Foundation’s Student Centre. Resources Directorate is looking progress in their chosen fields, During the day-long event, Qataris for qualified candidates to work in and contribute substantially to will be given a chance to meet with various fields, including informa- their country’s expanding knowl- employers and network with other tion technology, marketing, teach- edge economy.” key personnel. Representatives ing and engineering. Employment is open to from the education, science and The deadline to apply for the Qataris with varying skill sets, community development divisions jobs is today and Qatari nation- from entry-level graduates to will also be readily available to als should email their resumes to more experienced professionals. answer queries. [email protected]. Younger applicants have been Qualified applicants are likely “We are determined to build a urged to apply for internships and to receive full-time employment qualified workforce by recruiting entry-level positions in order to offers and will be given a pres- new talent, and we encourage both develop the necessary expertise entation to brief them about recent graduates and more skilled for the job market. The human Qatar Foundation’s numerous job seekers to consider the many resources department will also be initiatives. career opportunities that are on reviewing CVs submitted during THE PENINSULA

Participants of the workshop organised by Al Aween. Al Aween holds workshop on teens

DOHA: Social Rehabilitation Rehabilitation Centre. The project has been introduced Centre (Al Aween) recently Dr Mubayath said the aim of in 19 schools, and involves workshops organised a workshop to train the workshop was to improve the and training programmes for coun- teachers in dealing with teen- capacity and skills of psychiatrists sellors and teachers. agers and their behavioural and teachers, especially those deal- Abdul Aziz Al Haq, director problems. ing with teenagers, to deal with of media and public relations The workshop, titled ‘Teenagers: behavioural problems of students. at Social Rehabilitation Centre, Challenges and opportunities,’ Social Rehabilitation Centre emphasised the importance of was attended by several teachers, has also established ‘Al Aween interaction and creating aware- psychiatrists, school counsellors Schools Association’ as a part ness among students and teachers and social workers. It was con- of its ongoing school project, through extracurricular activities ducted by Dr Mamoon Mubayath, ‘Thawasul’ (keep in touch), to such as sports. director of programmes at Social help teachers and students. THE PENINSULA WEDNESDAY 2 JANUARY 2013 04 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com HOME

Emir and PM greet Arab meet to discuss energy potential Sudan president DOHA: The Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani Three-day meeting to discuss how to connect region’s renewable energy sources to public grid has sent a cable of greetings to President of Sudan Omar Al Bashir DOHA: The three-day General Essa ben Al Kuwari (pictured), sector, renewable energy and Electricity at the Ministry of on the occasion of his country’s Conference of Arab Union of President of Qatar General smart grids, and other parties Water and Electricity of Riyadh, National Day. The Heir Apparent Electricity, set to open here on Electricity & Water Corporation involved and interested in the Saudi Arabia; Saeed Mohammed H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad January 7, 2012, will discuss (Kahramaa), and the conference above areas. Al Tayer, Managing Director Al Thani has sent a cable of greet- the region’s renewable energy president said: “The conference Key speakers at the conference and CEO of Dubai Electricity ings to the Sudanese president on potential in detail. How to con- will see participation of high pro- will include H E Dr Mohamed and Water Authority (DEWA); the occasion. The Prime Minister nect the region’s renewable file Arab experts from the region’s ben Saleh Al Sada, Minister of Fahad Hamad Al Mohannadi, and Foreign Minister H E Sheikh energy sources to the public grid electricity and energy sector. We Energy and Industry of Qatar, General Manager of Qatar Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabor Al will be one of the key focuses of are looking forward to make it Essa ben HilalAl Kuwari, Dr Electricity and Water Company Thani slso sent a cable of greet- the discussion. a collective event at all levels in Mohammed bin Ibrahim (QEWC); Dr HishamKhatib, ings to the president of Sudan. Nuclear power for electric- which the issues of strengthening At-Twaijri, Assistant Secretary Vice-Chairman at the World ity generation and the poten- cooperation among all electricity General for Economic Affairs at Energy Council of Jordan, Global Greetings sent to tial projects; restructuring the and energy entities in the Arab the League of Arab States; Dr Energy award Laureate; Dr region’s electricity sector, invest- world, will be discussed.” Hassan Younes, Former Minister AbdelmajidMahjoub, Director Cuban president ment opportunities, setting up of The Doha conference comes of Electricity and Energy in the General of the Arab Atomic smart grids, demand side man- at a time of growing interest in are expected to attract wide Arab republic of Egypt; Mohamed Energy Agency (AAEA), Republic DOHA: The Emir H H Sheikh agement, and energy conservation the Arab countries in developing attendance from the public and Ridha Ben Mosbah, President of Tunisia; Ali Al Barrak, CEO Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani has are among the critical topics to be and upgrading the electricity sec- private sectors in the Arab world and CEO of STEG (Tunisian and President of Saudi Electricity sent a cable of greetings to the debated in the 4th edition of the tor. There has been an increasing and other countries led by Arab Company of Electricity and Gas) Company (SEC); GaberDesouki, President of Cuba on the occa- conference. interests in the application of lat- electricity ministers, who have and President of Arab Union of Chairman of the Egyptian sion of his country’s National The conference, the seminar est technologies in electric power confirmed their attendance, and Electricity, Sheikh Nawaf Bin Electricity Holding Company in Day. The Heir Apparent and the exhibition coincide with production, transmission and dis- including leading global manu- Ebrahim Al Khalifa, CEO of the the Arab Republic of Egypt, and H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad the celebration of the 25th anni- tribution, he added. facturers of electrical solutions Electricity and Water Authority Ahmed Ali Al Ebrahim, COO of Al Thani has sent a cable of con- versary of the establishment of The conference, the seminar and smart grids; experts and of Bahrain; Dr Saleh bin Hussein GCCIA,Bahrain. gratulations to the President of the Arab Union of Electricity. and the accompanying exhibition researchers in the electricity Al Awaji, Deputy Minister for THE PENINSULA Cuba on the occasion. The Prime Minister and Foreign Minister H E Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabor Al Thani has sent a cable of greetings to the President of Cuba on the same occasion. Registration for global Tenants of 72 falconry festival begins labour camps evicted DOHA: Registration for the Fourth number of participants will be more Qatar International Falconry and than that last year,” said Khatam Al DOHA: The municipal authori- Hunting Festival 2013 has begun. Muhshadi, head of the organising ties evicted tenants of 72 labour The registration will continue for committee. camps in Umm Salal over the past the next five days at Al Burqa Hall, “Some changes have been made in one year, since issuance of the law Al Gannas Society Building, Katara. the programme of the festival in this banning labour camps in residen- The organising committee is yet year. The Mazain Al Tuyur competi- tial areas. At least 11 landlords to decide on the dates of the festival, tion will be held in Katara in place of were notified and 32 warnings which is expected to be held between its old location so that the maximum were issued to shift the workers January 8 and 13. number of spectators can follow the from such accommodations, said Six cars and QR1m will be given most important competition of the the Ministry of Municipality and away in prizes to winners of various festival,” said Al Muhshadi. Urban Planning in reply to com- competitions to be held as part of the Registration is being done in a plaints from the public, Al Sharq festival. In addition, participants will bigger hall, Al Burqa, at Katara this reported yesterday. be awarded prizes in order to encour- year. Moreover, the participants Several residents of Umm Salal age them, Al Sharq reported. need not go to their respective com- have been complaining about the A large number of prospective mittees for registration. All com- mushrooming labour camps and participants turned up at Katara mittees have been authorized to do warehouses in the area. The to register their falcons for the registration for all competitions in Ministry is taking the necessary competition. order to provide better services to action to shift the remaining “Based on the first day of registra- the participants, said Al Muhshadi. labour camps from the locality, tions, we expect that this year the THE PENINSULA said the daily. ‘Labour situation ABOVE AND LEFT: Falconry enthusiasts with their birds on the first day of registration for the Fourth Qatar improving’ International Falconry and Hunting Festival yesterday. Continued from page 1 However, others believe that government pressure and the expo- sure that the bid win has brought have already had an impact. According to Atul Bharadwaj, sen- ior project manager at Al Balagh Trading and Contracting: “Labour regulation is becoming strict. We know there will be new visa rules in terms of sponsorship, and if you go to the Industrial Area, we have good quality labour accommoda- tion now”. The most contentious issue the government is seeking to address is the sponsorship or ‘kafala’ sys- tem, which mandates that foreign workers must have a sponsor in order to be employed in Qatar. In the above context, The Report cites Labour Ministry Undersecretary H E Hussain Yusuf Al Mulla as telling a local Arabic daily that the sponsorship system will be replaced with a contract signed by the two parties (the worker and his employer). “The contract will stipulate the rights and duties of each party and will impose specific matters that the foreigner has to respect,” Al Mulla said. Some of the falcons at the registration venue. THE PENINSULA/QNA Social responsibility report launched

DOHA: The Arab Encyclopedia of efforts in Qatar aimed at promot- Corporate Social Responsibility has ing regular monitoring in the social launched its social responsibility responsibility area.” report on Qatar 2012, outlining the The launch of the report in Qatar progress made in the area of social will facilitate access, exchange and responsibility in light of the Qatar analysis of data that can be used in National Vision 2030, and Sector the preparation of development plans, Strategy 2011-02016. he added. A press statement released by the The report has, according to the Arab Encyclopedia said Qatar played a statement, the support of the public leading role in promoting social respon- and private sectors in Qatar and is in sibility and has taken the lead in many partnership with the Qatar network relevant areas, adding that holding for social responsibility and Sougha the UN Climate Change Conference Advertising Company. (COP18) was a perfect example of the It is noteworthy that the launch international community’s confidence in of the encyclopedia was announced Qatar and its efforts to achieve sustain- in the First Arab Forum for able development. Social Responsibility held by the Report’s marketing manager in Arab Organisation for Business Qatar Khalifa Salman Al Mohannadi Administration Development, while said in a the statement: “We are the Arab corporate social responsibil- delighted that Qatar is the first Arab ity report was launched in the second country to launch the social respon- session of the forum held in the Saudi sibility report, and we hope that it capital Riyadh. becomes a supportive tool for national QNA WEDNESDAY 2 JANUARY 2013 MIDDLE EAST www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 05 Syria greets New Year with more violence Rebel raids force closure of airport

DAMASCUS: Syrians woke up He said the airport would be to air strikes near Damascus on closed for a “very short period New Year’s Day and the closure of time” while the army tries to of Aleppo airport due to rebel regain control of rebel-held areas attacks, hours after dozens of around it. people took to the streets of the The Observatory reported that capital calling for the regime’s the closure came after a blast, ouster. likely due to rebel shelling, hit The violence came a day after a civil airplane as it took off on activists reported finding dozens Saturday. of mutilated bodies, another sign Violence ravaged Syria into of the gruesome nature of the 2013, with the gruesome discov- 21-month conflict. ery on Monday of what activists Warplanes bombed the said were dozens of corpses in Damascus suburbs in a fresh bid Damascus. to push rebels further out, and The Observatory said 30 bod- troops attacked insurgent strong- ies were found in Barzeh district, holds on the Damascus airport while the Syrian Revolution road. General Commission said 50 bod- The Syrian Observatory for ies were found with their heads Human Rights said the raids “cut and disfigured to the point came amid fierce clashes along that it was no longer possible to the airport road, giving a toll of identify” them. 13 people killed in the Damascus And a video posted by activ- region, among 43 nationwide. ists showed a separate discov- Battles have raged for weeks ery of three young boys found outside Damascus, where insur- Monday in Jubar with their gents have rear bases. throats slit. Syrian refugees carry aid and rations at the Al Zaatari refugee camp in the Jordanian city of Mafraq, near the border with Syria, yesterday. Analysts say the army is The authenticity of the footage seeking to take total control of could not be verified. they shouted, in reference to the much a matter of social class as On the diplomatic front, affairs,” Halaqi told parliament. Damascus and environs to create On New Year’s Eve, dozens of father and predecessor of the of confession. Prime Minister Wael Al Halaqi UN-Arab League envoy conditions necessary for future women and men dressed in red president, whose family has ruled The higher-income districts said Monday the government Lakhdar Brahimi said Sunday he dialogue, which Prime Minister Santa hats and holding sparklers for more than four decades. that cross Damascus from north- was open to talks aimed at solv- had crafted a ceasefire plan based Wael Al Halaqi said the govern- took to the streets of the middle “May God protect the (rebel) west to southeast have largely ing the conflict that monitors on an agreement world powers ment is open to. class district of Salhiyeh to call Free Syrian Army” and “Victory eschewed the rebels or kept pro- say has now killed more then reached in Geneva in June. In northern Syria, where insur- for the fall of the regime. to the revolutionaries!” they opposition sentiments concealed, 46,000 people. The premier said the revolt gents hold huge swathes of terri- “A black year to you Bashar (Al chanted, holding signs demand- largely sparing them the violence “The government is work- must be resolved only by Syrians, tory, authorities announced the Assad), and a happy New Year to ing freedom for prisoners of that has ravaged other areas. ing to support the national adding that the country was on closure of Aleppo airport after Syria,” the crowd sang out in a conscience. The uprising began with peace- reconciliation project and will track to “declare victory over its rebel attacks. taunt at the Syrian president. Although the conflict is often ful protests in March 2011. Despite respond to any regional or enemies”. “There have been continued “God, Syria, freedom, that’s all!” seen as one between an opposi- the sharp rise in air strikes and international initiative that The opposition has already attempts by opposition militants they shouted, mocking regime tion led by the country’s Sunni shelling over the past year that would solve the current crisis rejected the Geneva accord, insist- to target civilian aircraft, which supporters whose slogan says majority and the minority has laid waste to neighbourhoods through dialogue and peace- ing that Assad must go before any could cause a humanitarian disas- “Bashar” instead of “freedom.” Alawite-dominated regime, the across the country, demonstrators ful means and prevent foreign dialogue can take place. ter,” an airport official said. “Curse your soul, O Hafez!” fault lines in the capital are as a continue to take to the streets. intervention in Syria’s internal AFP Iraq PM offers prisoner release as demonstrations continue BAGHDAD: Iraqi Premier terrorism-related offences and 23, sparked by the arrest of at Nouri Al Maliki looked to head could not be released. But, he said, least nine guards of Finance off protests in Sunni areas of the they would be transferred to pris- Minister Rafa Al Essawi, a Sunni country yesterday with a pris- ons in their home provinces. Arab and a leading member of the oner release even as he threat- The remaining detainees, con- secular Sunni-backed Iraqiya bloc ened to use state resources to victed on lower-level charges, which, while part of Maliki’s unity “intervene” to end the rallies. would be released, he said. He government, frequently criticises The move came as powerful did not give a timeframe for the him in public. Shiite cleric Moqtada Al Sadr process. Meanwhile, campaigners said voiced support for the demonstra- On Monday Maliki warned yesterday that a total of 4,471 tions and predicted an impending protesters blocking the high- civilians died in Iraq’s festering “Iraqi spring” as ongoing rallies way to Syria and Jordan that his “low-level war” with insurgents in blocked off a key trade route con- patience was running thin. 2012, the first annual climb in the necting Iraq to Syria and Jordan The demonstrators should death toll in three years. for a 10th successive day. “end their strike before the state The deaths, up from 4,059 in Maliki ordered the release of intervenes to end it,” he said in an 2011, showed militant fighters more than 700 female detainees, interview with the state broad- were still bent on carrying out a key demand of demonstrators, caster Iraqiya, in an apparent large-scale bomb attacks, said the official appointed to negotiate reference that he could order the rights group Iraq Body Count with protesters, said. use of military force. (IBC) in its annual report. “The prime minister will write Addressing the protesters he Tensions between Shia, Kurdish to the president to issue a special said: “I warn you against con- and Sunni factions in Iraq’s amnesty to release them,” Khaled tinuing (blocking the highway), power-sharing government have Al Mullah said. because this is against the Iraqi been on the rise this year and the Mullah said of 920 female constitution. “We have been very civil war in neighbouring Syria is prisoners in Iraqi jails, 210 had patient with you.” whipping up sectarian tension been accused or convicted of The rallies began on December across the region. AGENCIES WEDNESDAY 2 JANUARY 2013 06 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com MIDDLE EAST New party set to split Fire in Kuwait Souq Islamist vote in Egypt Salafists to enter poll alliance with Al Watan

CAIRO: Leading members of came second to the Brotherhood’s that his mother had held US Egypt’s hardline Islamist move- Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) citizenship. Salafi Islamists had ment unveiled a new political in the last election. kept out of politics until the upris- party yesterday, pointing to The last parliament, in which ing that overthrew Mubarak, but new rivalries that could split the FJP and the Nour Party have emerged as a potent force the Islamist vote in an impend- together won some 70 percent of since his political demise. Their ing parliamentary election. the seats, was dissolved in June stated aim is the application of The creation of the Al Watan by a court ruling that found the Islamic law, or Shariah. (‘Homeland’) Party is part of a election law had been flawed. Meanwhile, President political landscape that was domi- One of Al Watan’s founders, Mohammed Mursi met here yes- nated by a variety of Islamist par- Emad Abdel Ghaffour, was Nour terday with a group of Egyptian ties in the last election a year ago, Party leader until he quit last week economy experts and business- but is still evolving. following internal disputes over the men. The Presidency Spokesman The polls, due to begin in role of clerics in decision-making Dr Yasser Ali said that the meeting about two months, will be and bickering over internal elec- addressed the current situation, defined by competition between tions. He unveiled the new party the challenges facing the economy the Islamists, many of them from yesterday at a news conference and solutions in addition to the the Muslim Brotherhood that alongside Hazem Salah Abu Ismail, problems of the business commu- propelled Mohammed Mursi a popular Salafi preacher who said nity in Egypt after the new consti- to the presidency, and secular- an Islamist party that he plans to tution enters into force. minded critics who have closed set up would enter an electoral alli- Work to create an appropri- ranks in opposition to him. ance with Al Watan. ate environment for attracting People inspect the site of a fire in Kuwait City’s Mubarakiya Market, yesterday. A major fire broke out in the Al Watan’s founders include the Abu Ismail was a front-run- foreign investments to the coun- morning hours at the ‘Souq Al Hareem’ (women’s market) side of the historical place, ravaging more than 35 former leader of the Nour Party, a ner for the presidency until he try also featured in the talks. shops and destroying an old four-storey building. hardline Salafi Islamist group that was disqualified on the grounds REUTERS/QNA

Satirist faces Iran warns off foreign planes during naval drill probe for DUBAI: Iran has warned off States has said it would not toler- quoted Rastegari as saying the by Iran’s English-language Press lanes open. Israel has threatened insulting Mursi foreign surveillance planes that ate any obstruction of commercial foreign planes kept away after TV that the Qader cruise missile to launch military strikes against have tried to approach its forces traffic through the strait. Iran issued warnings because they with a range of 200km had “suc- Iran’s nuclear programme which CAIRO: An Egyptian during naval drills in the Strait “So far about 30 warnings have were “afraid of being destroyed” cessfully and precisely hit and many in the West fear is aimed satirist who made fun of of Hormuz, an Iranian military been given to reconnaissance by Iranian forces. destroyed its mock enemy target”. at developing a nuclear weapons President Mohammed spokesman said yesterday. and surveillance planes of extra- Six days of drills are taking On Sunday, Iran said its special capability. Iran says it is only Mursi on television has The drills, which began on regional forces that wanted to place in an area of about 1 million forces and diving units had drilled interested in generating electric- been accused of undermin- Friday, are aimed at showcasing approach the area where the drills sq km in the Strait of Hormuz, defending ports and the coastline ity and other peaceful projects. ing his standing and will Iran’s military capability in the are taking place,” Commander the Gulf of Oman and northern against attack. Iran holds military exer- be investigated by pros- shipping route through which 40 Amir Rastegari told the semi- parts of the Indian Ocean. Iran held a similar 10-day drill cises several times a year and ecutors, a judicial source percent of the world’s sea-borne official Mehr news agency. State television reported that last December and sent a sub- regularly unveils advances in said yesterday. oil exports pass. He said the planes had been naval forces had successfully test marine and a destroyer into the domestically-produced military Bassem Youssef’s case Iran has threatened to block warned to keep out of Iranian air fired Qader (Capable) coast-to- Gulf four months ago just as US hardware. Defence analysts say will increase worries about the strait if it comes under mili- space and away from the site of sea and Nour (Light) surface-to- and allied navies were conduct- Iran often exaggerates its mili- freedom of speech in the tary attack over its disputed the exercises. surface missiles. ing exercises in the same waters tary strength. post-Hosni Mubarak era, nuclear programme. The United The official Irna news agency Rastegari was quoted as saying to practice keeping oil shipping REUTERS especially when the coun- try’s new constitution includes provisions criti- cised by rights activists for, Light and colour among other things, forbid- ding insults. Algeria army kills Youssef rose to fame Jewish population following the uprising 7 armed Islamists that swept Mubarak from ALGIERS: Algerian troops power in February 2011 passes six million killed seven armed Islamists with a satirical online early yesterday in a raid in the programme that was com- Boumerdes region east of the pared with Jon Stewart’s TEL AVIV: Israel’s Jewish pop- the Palestinian Central Bureau capital during which they also Daily Show. ulation has passed the symboli- of Statistics (CBS) predicts the seized arms and ammunition, He has since had his own cally significant 6 million mark number of Arabs in Israel and the defence ministry said. show on Egyptian televi- for the first time - equivalent to Palestine will equal the number The operation targeted mem- sion and mocked Mursi’s the number of Jews killed in the of Jews by 2016, and exceed it bers of a “dangerous” group in the repeated use of the word Holocaust. by 2020. There are 5.8 million Boulezazen region of Boumerdes “love” in his speeches by Figures released by the cen- Palestinians in the West Bank, some 50km (30 miles) from starting one of his pro- tral bureau of statistics this week Gaza, East Jerusalem and Israel, Algiers, the ministry said in a grammes with a love song, show the total population of Israel and 11.6 million worldwide, it said. statement carried by the APS holding a red pillow with at 7.98 million, 75.4 percent of The Palestinian birth rate was news agency. Earlier the agency the president’s face printed whom are Jewish. Just over 20 4.4 in 2009, down from 6.0 in 1997, quoting a security source saying on it. percent are Arab and 4 percent but higher than the Israeli Jewish six Islamists had been killed. The prosecutor general are defined as “other”. birth rate of about 3.0. The defence ministry said it ordered an investigation “It’s a great joy to know there This demographic trend is the was determined to track down into a formal complaint are more than 6 million Jews in chief argument put forward by “terrorists” born out of hard- against Youssef by an Israel,” said Dina Porat, chief Israeli Jews against a single bina- line groups that emerged during Islamist lawyer. historian of Yad Vashem, Israel’s tional state as a solution to the Algeria’s civil war in the 1990s, The complaint accuses Holocaust museum and head of Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The and eradicate their “criminal acts.” him of “insulting” Mursi, the Kantor centre for the study inevitable Arab majority in such a Members of Al Qaeda in the Islamic an Islamist backed by of contemporary European Jewry. state would mean the end of Israel Maghreb have remained active in the Muslim Brotherhood, “But worldwide we are still as a Jewish state, they say. Boumerdes and the neighbouring and “undermining his in the same place. Before the The Jewish population of province of Tizi Ouzou despite fre- standing”. Holocaust there were around 18 Israel has increased almost ten- quent raids by the army to curtail Human rights activists million Jews in the world; after it, fold since the state was declared their activities. say it is the latest in a series a bit more than 13 million. We are in May 1948, when there were The trial of the alleged mas- of criminal defamation cases still at a bit more than 13 million. about 660,000 Jewish citizens, termind of deadly attacks on that bode ill for free speech But now Israel’s Jewish popula- according to the Israeli CBS. At the Algerian government head- as Egypt reshapes its insti- tion is close to half the Jewish least 700,000 Palestinians - a big quarters and a police station in tutions after Mubarak was nation worldwide. It puts Israel majority of the Arab population 2007 was postponed on Monday toppled. in a very central place. We are of Palestine - fled or were forced because his defence team was not “The greatest threat to Fireworks illuminating the Burj Khalifa in Dubai early yesterday. almost the only Jewish commu- to leave their homes and land in present, state media said. freedom of expression over Explosions of colour shot out of the world’s tallest building, illuminat- nity that is growing.” the 1948 war. No date was given for the next the last four months has ing the Gulf city state’s sky as the huge expatriate and tourist hub Separate figures released by GUARDIAN NEWS hearing. AFP been this rise in criminal celebrated the New Year. defamation cases, whether it is on charges of defaming the president or the judi- ciary,” said Heba Morayef, Egypt director of the New Turkey, jailed Kurd leader discuss disarmament: Official York-based Human Rights Watch. “The problem now is we ANKARA: Turkey’s intelli- any dialogue to this end that since 1984, to lay down their was commuted to life in prison After a decade behind bars, are likely to see an increase gence services are in talks with could result in a halt to violence,” arms. It said Ocalan, who is being in 2002 after Ankara abolished Ocalan is still a respected fig- in this because criminal jailed Kurdish leader Abdullah Akdogan said. held in solitary confinement on a the death penalty. ure for a majority of Turkey’s defamation is now embed- Ocalan for disarming his PKK Ocalan remains “the main remote island prison off Istanbul, The fresh talks with Ocalan Kurds, although his influence in ded in the constitution,” group in a bid to bring an end actor” in efforts to resolve the demanded direct contact with the aim at laying down a timetable the hawkish wings of the PKK is she said. to the nearly three-decade Kurdish conflict, Akdogan said, PKK and improved detention under which a declaration on end- believed to have diminished. Rivals accuse Mursi, who old insurgency, officials said while casting doubt on his ability conditions. ing the insurgency will be issued The rebels initially sought won Egypt’s first freely con- yesterday. to influence some 2,000 militants Ankara initiated clandestine in the first months of 2013 and to secede the southeast of the tested leadership election in “The intelligence services are in fighting from rear bases in neigh- peace talks with prominent rebel the PKK will start disarming, country but have since shifted to June, of polarising society by talks with him,” Yalcin Akdogan, bouring Iraq. figures in 2009 but they failed. Hurriyet reported. demanding regional autonomy. foisting a divisive, Islamist- Prime Minister Recep Tayyip The Hurriyet newspaper The deadlock further increased Ocalan is allowed to have visits The army has continued to leaning constitution on the Erdogan’s top political adviser reported Monday that officials the bloodshed in Turkey, where from his family, which relays his fight the rebels despite the talks. country and using the auto- said in televised remarks. from the National Intelligence some 45,000 people, most of messages to the public, but his Akdogan said 10 rebels were cratic ways of his deposed “The goal is the disarmament Organisation (MIT) held a four- them Kurds, have been killed in lawyers have been denied visits killed Monday in Lice, a town predecessor. REUTERS of the PKK,” he said, referring to hour meeting with Ocalan on the conflict. Ocalan was charged for almost two years, as Ankara in southeastern Diyarbakir the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ December 23 to urge PKK mili- with treason and sentenced to accuses them of carrying mes- province. Party. “The government supports tants, who have been fighting hang in 1999, but the sentence sages to Kurdish rebel top brass. AFP WEDNESDAY 2 JANUARY 2013 MIDDLE EAST www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 07

Desert Hawks perform Hamas could oust Abbas from West Bank, says Netanyahu

TEL AVIV: The militant Hamas could wrest the West Bank from the western-backed rule of Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, just as it did in the Gaza Strip in 2007, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday. “Everyone knows that Hamas could take over the Palestinian Authority,” a statement from Netanyahu’s office quoted him as telling members of a Jewish bible study circle meeting at his Jerusalem residence. “It could happen after an (Israeli-Palestinian peace) agree- ment, it could happen before an agreement, like it happened in Gaza,” he said, three weeks before a general election in which he will seek to boost his support among Saudi Desert Hawks pilots perform during the graduation ceremony of the 83rd batch of King Faisal Air Academy (KFAA) air force cadets, at the Riyadh military airport, yesterday. RIGHT: religious-nationalist settlers and Crown Prince, Deputy Premier and Minister of Defence Salman bin Abdulaziz talks to a graduate as he gives him an award. their backers. “Therefore, as opposed to the voices that I have heard recently urging me to run forward, make concessions, withdraw, I think that the diplomatic process must be managed responsibly and saga- Crisis-hit Sudan opens bigger dam ciously and not in undue haste,” he added, an apparent retort to recent comments from dovish President Shimon Peres. President Bashir confident that the Blue Nile will be free of rebels soon Peres on Sunday urged Israel to resume peace talks with the ROSEIRES, SUDAN: A tor- report on Sudan. It said 64 per- Palestinians, saying Abbas was rent of water surged yesterday cent of Blue Nile’s rural popula- a willing partner with whom an into Sudan’s Blue Nile river tion live below the poverty line, agreement could be reached. as President Omar Hassan and the state’s children are born “There is not much time left,” Al Bashir inaugurated the at a severe disadvantage to most Peres warned. expanded Roseires dam, which other Sudanese youngsters. Talks between Israel and the officials say should help develop Since fighting began again last Palestinians have been on hold one of the country’s poorest, year 35,000 refugees from the since September 2010, with the insurgent-hit regions. state have fled to Ethiopia, while Palestinians insisting on a set- When Bashir arrived to open around 100,000 more have crossed tlement freeze before return- the Arab-funded, Chinese-built into South Sudan, the United ing to the negotiating table expansion before thousands of Nations says. A December report and the Israelis insisting on no dancing and flag-waving resi- from US-based Human Rights preconditions. dents, an arc of water poured Watch accused the government of On Monday Peres, whose con- through the flag-draped dam, indiscriminate bombing and shell- stitutional role is largely ceremo- sending spray into the air and ing and said those displaced in the nial and is supposed to put him rapids bubbling. state “had limited access to food, outside the political debate, said Military helicopters flew low water, and medicine and were sur- there was no fundamental reason overhead and troops were sta- viving on wild fruits and plants.” not to talk to Hamas if it were to tioned throughout the area, But Industry Minister renounce violence. about 550km southeast of the Abdulwahab Mohammed Osman “There is nothing wrong with capital Khartoum. Rebels from said on the sidelines of Tuesday’s talking with Hamas, if you get an the Sudan People’s Liberation ceremony that the $460m dam answer,” Peres told local Christian Movement-North (SPLM-N) - expansion will promote agricul- leaders at a New Year’s reception which Sudan says are backed by tural and industrial development in Jerusalem. Israel and much South Sudan - have been fighting to improve people’s lives. of the international community the government in Blue Nile state “This will let the government formally shun Hamas as a terror for more than a year. An aerial view of the expanded Roseires Dam in Sudan’s Blue Nile river, which was inaugurated by President and the rebels get closer to reach organisation. The main conflict zone is in Omar Hassan Al Bashir yesterday. an agreement,” he said. The so-called Quartet of Bau and Kurmuk districts, doz- The 66-year-old dam is already Middle East peacemakers -- the ens of kilometres south of the Mohamud, and water ministers against a backdrop of the dam. Residents near the 25-kilo- a major power generator for a European Union, Russia, the expanded dam which opened on from Ethiopia and Egypt. SPLM-N rebel spokesman metre dam live in huts made of Sudan struggling with inflation United Nations and the United the 57th anniversary of Sudan’s “The sons of Blue Nile are the Arnu Ngutulu Lodi dismissed thatch and mud brick. and a sinking currency since States -- demands that Hamas independence. ones who benefit most from this Bashir’s comments as “a kind of “Decades of civil war and years South Sudan separated last year recognise Israel, renounce vio- “God willing, Blue Nile will dam,” Bashir said as a machine political game.” “It’s going to ben- of conflict have devastated the with most of the country’s oil pro- lence and pledge to honour exist- be free of rebels,” Bashir told an sprayed tinsel strips over the efit only those in power,” he said. physical and social infrastruc- duction, which was the north’s ing Palestinian agreements with audience that included Somalia’s podium which looked out onto “The investment of the govern- ture” in Blue Nile, the UN chil- primary source of export earn- Israel if it wants to become a dip- President Hassan Sheikh billboards featuring his likeness ment is not on people.” dren’s fund (Unicef) said in a 2011 ings. AFP lomatic player. AFP

Egypt orders Fatah marks anniversary in 15-day detention Gaza for first time since 2007 for Israeli EL ARISH, EGYPT: GAZA CITY: The Gaza the two groups reached a anniversary in Hamas-ruled Gaza. Egyptian security offi- branch of Palestinian president unity agreement in April 2011, The anniversary commemo- cials say a former ser- Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party although it has so far not been rates the first operation against geant in the Israeli has started celebrations of its implemented. Israel claimed by its armed wing army has been ordered 48th anniversary in the Hamas- On Friday, Fatah announced then known as Al Assifa (The detained for 15 days ruled territory, a local leader it had reached an accord with Thunderstorm in Arabic) on for investigation into said yesterday. Hamas, enabling it to mark its January 1, 1965. AFP his illegal entry from “Yesterday we lit the light Israel into the Sinai starting the anniversary of the Peninsula. revolution,” Atef Abu Seif said. Dozens hurt in West Bank after The authorities say Several thousand support- the 24 year-old unarmed ers gathered on Monday night Israeli has been in cus- at the Saraya complex in Gaza Israeli commandos rumbled tody since Friday. They City, holding pictures of late announced the arrest on Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat NABLUS: Israeli troops wounded dozens of Palestinians in Monday. and Abbas and waving Fatah flags clashes in a West Bank village yesterday after the discov- The officials said yes- as fireworks went off, a corre- ery of a small commando force disguised as Arabs brought terday he is under inves- spondent said. a crowd of stone-throwing villagers onto the streets, tigation in the Red Sea Similar events took place Palestinians said. resort town of Sharm El throughout the entire Gaza Strip. Palestinian security sources said 30 people in Tamoun village were Sheikh for allegedly try- The main event will take place lightly injured by rubber bullets and one was moderately wounded ing to reach the Gaza Strip on Friday at the Saraya, the when a live round hit his hand, while dozens more suffered from through Sinai. former Fatah security headquar- tear gas inhalation. They have identified ters, and will be attended by sen- They said the troops arrested a local Islamic Jihad member and him as Andrew Yaacoub ior Fatah official Nabil Shaath, left with him after uniformed reinforcements arrived to cover their Cheteko. who will travel from the West exit. Known in Israel as Bank yesterday. The Israeli military spokesman’s office had no immediate com- Andre Pshenichnikov, the The last time that Fatah, ment but army radio said three soldiers were hit by stones. Jewish immigrant from which governs the West Bank, “A special forces squad went in on an arrest operation,” it reported. Tajikistan made head- held celebrations in the Gaza “It seems that family or local residents spotted the force and then lines last year when he Strip to mark its foundation was very big disturbances started... Three soldiers were very lightly announced he wanted to in 2007. injured from stones.” move to a West Bank refu- Hamas and Fatah have been Israeli security officials have noted a rise in the number of violent gee camp in solidarity with at loggerheads since the Islamist incidents in the West Bank since last month’s United Nations vote Palestinians there. movement seized control of Gaza to raise the Palestinians’ diplomatic standing and an Israeli truce The security officials in June 2007, following its victory with the militant Hamas which ended eight days of fighting in Gaza spoke on condition of in Palestinian parliamentary elec- and southern Israel. anonymity in line with tions the previous year. AFP regulations. Under Egyptian mediation, AFP WEDNESDAY 2 JANUARY 2013 08 VIEWS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com

Editorial

ESTABLISHED IN 1996

CHAIRMAN: SHEIKH THANI BIN ABDULLAH AL THANI French verdict EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: KHALID AL SAYED E-MAIL: [email protected] ACTING MANAGING EDITOR: HUSSAIN AHMAD President Francois Hollande must E-MAIL: [email protected] rethink his punishing 75 percent tax EDITORIAL: TEL: 44557741 / 44557743 FAX: 44557746 / 44557758 P. O. BOX: 3488, DOHA, QATAR. on the super rich. E-MAIL: [email protected] resident Francois Hollande must rethink his punishing 75 million wasn’t acceptable because it applied to individuals, when ADVERTISING: TEL: 44557837 / 780 FAX: 44557870 percent tax on the super-rich. French income taxes are generally based on household revenue. As P The verdict of the French constitutional court on December 29 a result, two households with the same total income could end up CLASSIFIED: 44557857 E-MAIL: [email protected] that President Francois Hollande’s 75 percent millionaire tax wasn’t paying different rates depending on how earnings are divided among SUBSCRIPTION / HOME DELIVERY acceptable has a dealt a severe blow to the president. The ruling shows their members, counter to the rule of equal tax treatment. The court’s the limits of his ability to tap high earners to boost the economy, and specific objection was that Hollande’s plan would have added extra TEL: 44557809 /839 FAX: 44557819 secondly, it comes as a major relief to the wealthy in France who have levies of 18 percent on individuals’ incomes of more than one mil- E-MAIL: [email protected] resented the high tax, a few of whom have even migrated to other lion euros, while the calculation of income taxes and a four percent European countries to escape the tax. exceptional contribution for high earners would have been based on SUBSCRIPTION RATES The tax was one of Hollande’s campaign promises and he said he household income. ANNUAL QR 675 was left with few options to revive the economy, facing the difficult task However, actor Gerard Depardieu, France’s highest-profile tax exile, 6 MONTHS QR 340 of cutting the public deficit to three percent of gross domestic product has said the ruling will not make much difference. Depardieu, who is this year from a projected 4.5 percent last year. But the decision was moving to the Belgian community of Nechin, just across the border, has controversial and became a focal point of discontent among entrepre- been engaged in a war of words with the government over his decision. neurs and other wealth creators. But it’s not only the rich and market Depardieu wrote that he is leaving “because you consider that success, experts who had opposed a tax of 75 percent on the super-rich, even creativity, talent, anything different, are grounds for sanction.” Bernard others were surprised at the move. Seventy-five percent is considered Arnault, chief executive officer of LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, too punishing and confiscatory, and will do more harm to the economy had filed an application for Belgian nationality in September, which PUBLICATION than good. Hollande could have settled for a smaller percentage, a more had invited fierce criticism from the president and his supporters. acceptable slab. Anyway, the court ruling has injected some sanity into Speaking to the nation on New Year’s eve, the president vowed to the whole process. tax the rich. But he is likely to water down the rate. There is nothing The court said that 75 percent band on incomes of more than one wrong with taxing the rich, as long as it’s not considered punishing.

An important issue in putting an end to the division of the The other side country and achieving its reunification is to remove Quote of confrontation between the north and the south. Time to change the approach the day Kim Jong-un HE National Development Council (NDC) may have been unduly North Korean Leader optimistic in paring the economy’s medium-term economic Tgrowth expectation to 8 percent. With growth in the first year of the Twelfth Plan at below 6 percent, the climb back to the 7.9 per- cent average growth of the Eleventh Plan will be steep: the economy will need to grow at upwards of 9 percent in the terminal two years of 2012-17. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh warned assembled chief ministers of this eventuality at the council’s meeting last month to approve the latest five-year plan. This is quite a climbdown from a year ago when Singh was seeking a wider consensus on a second genera- tion of reforms designed to keep the economy on a 9 percent growth path over the Twelfth Plan. These are changes in how the markets for energy and resources operate and in the political forces that don’t permit them to clear. Some of the India’s rapidly declining economic potential is captured by a Planning Commission working paper on diminishing productivity gains. Total factor productivity, which is driven among other things by technological change, the policy environment and infrastructure, peaked in 2006-07 and today contributes a percentage point less to overall growth. The economy is now relatively capital-scarce and there is little incentive to innovate and adopt new technologies at low lev- els of capital accumulation. A slowdown in the reforms momentum and increased policy uncertainties likewise discourage innovation and investments. The study concludes a business as usual approach will deliver 7 percent average growth over the Twelfth Plan, a considerable regression from the preceding five years when the global economy faced its fiercest turbulence since the Great Depression. This would be a pity. India needs 20 years of rapid growth to bring it to middle-income level. The country could have weighed in as a $4 trillion economy by 2017 with five years of 10 percent growth. That would have made it the fifth largest economy in the world trailing the US, China, Japan and Germany. Singh also delivered in his characteristic understated style an assessment of the biggest challenges confronting the economy: energy and water. The government cannot endlessly keep subsidising imported fuel; prices at home must, in phases, align with those across the world. And unless we watch how we use water, we could run short. Our policy-makers would be well advised to heed the prime minister’s caution on how we allocate natural resources. Deliberately obscured price signals have played havoc with the economy’s demand and supply responses. HINDUSTAN TIMES Cartoon Arts International / The New York Times Syndicate America goes to the brink, but millions already in poverty BY HEIDI MOORE can pick up some of the slack. of unemployment insurance. This The most obvious is that employ- and welfare benefits – which is a would not rise, but actually drop The Treasury Department is year, Congress cut that maximum ment and the economy are subject greater financial cost to govern- – actually drop – by 3.2 million NEMPLOYMENT is the finding room to avoid the debt down to 73 weeks and, with the to cycles: if you’re caught in a bad ment than unemployment benefits people that year. That rift in American crisis you hear ceiling. The Internal Revenue help of some states, put further cycle, just keep going until things alone. There are also other cuts expectations is the approximate Uabout; poverty is the one Service has said it will hold off barriers to unemployment insur- get better. They always do. In fact, embedded in the fiscal cliff that gap between lawmakers and the you don’t. And what the fiscal on imposing tax increases. The ance, including drug tests and there’s already evidence that the would hit the poor. Homelessness real world. cliff covers up is what will be the Defense Department has prom- national job search requirements. labor market is improving, albeit assistance would get cut by $156m, That is why the fiscal cliff is slow transition of the US unem- ised it will do what it can to delay This would make sense if at an excruciating pace. which would leave 146,000 people not just about taxes and govern- ployment problem into a serious cuts. unemployment insurance were The second problem is that the without a place to live, accord- ment spending. It’s about social poverty problem. But the unemployed have no taking money out of the pockets focus on unemployment benefits ing to National Center on Family conscience. The people who will The biggest failure of the one to protect their benefits. of other, worthier programs; but really covers up a bigger prob- Homelessness. Another 185,000 be asked to be pay more in taxes fiscal conscience is the dis- There is no agency to buy them it’s not. American taxpayers and lem: what happens when they low-income families would lose are, largely, gainfully employed. regard for those unemployed some time: they are at the mercy employers pay for unemployment run out. Unemployment benefits out on rental assistance. But there are still 4.8 million Americans. Some of those 2.1 mil- of congressional bickering. insurance through taxes imposed are one economic rung above one Domestic violence programs Americans who count as long- lion Americans who stand to lose Nothing new. For the unem- on every paycheck. When the of America’s economic plagues: will be cut, leaving over 100,000 term unemployed – that is, unem- their benefits tonight only started ployed, the fiscal cliff is the final economy is good, and few people growing poverty. This was an families without emergency ployed for more than 27 weeks collecting unemployment in July. boot on the neck of their pros- are unemployed, the government issue that briefly held the stage shelter services; another 170,000 – and their ranks are growing. Those who have been out of work pects, not the first time they’ve collects a surplus, because many during the protests of Occupy people won’t get help for sub- The fiscal cliff cuts were for more than six months make been knocked down by an aggres- people are paying the unemploy- Wall Street, but seems to have stance abuse. Over 400,000 people designed to be bad policy – so up 40 percent of all the unem- sive Congress. Congress has been ment tax but few are collecting it. faded under the force of the elec- would lose out on job training and bad that no rational lawmaker ployed people in America. chipping away at unemployment In that case, unemployment tion and the giddiness of a recov- employment services. would let them come to pass. The predicament of the long- benefits for well over a year. taxes reduce the deficit, and ering economy and strong holiday This would occur at a time of Unfortunately, in the petty term unemployed only has a pass- Lawmakers in Washington have no lawmakers complain. When shopping season. peak poverty in the United States: Washington game of score-set- ing relationship to the fiscal cliff. been pretending to pass “exten- economic times turn, however, The options for those without the US census bureau found that tling and oneupmanship, rational There happens to be no one in the sions” to unemployment benefits, Congress rounds on unemploy- unemployment benefits are grim: 49.7 million Americans live in lawmakers don’t seem to have government who can put their but what they have really been ment benefits as deficit-burning unless they have family to fall poverty. That number rose by much of a voice these days. hand up and protect the unem- doing is cutting them. From 2009 incentivization of laziness. back on, they have no money to 700,000 people between 2010 and That’s not great for the middle ployed. As Congress goes about to 2011, when nearly one-sixth of This congressional hostility pay their bills. They may immedi- 2011. Congress, always out of class, but it’s even worse for the wrecking confidence in the econ- the country was out of work, some towards unemployment benefits is ately fall into poverty. That makes touch, incorrectly estimated that growing ranks of the poor. omy, there are other agencies that Americans could receive 99 weeks misguided on a number of fronts. them eligible for food stamps the number of people in poverty THE GUARDIAN WEDNESDAY 2 JANUARY 2013 VIEWS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 09 It’s not too late to save Syria 2012: The year we did our best to abandon Despite the US government’s the natural world BY GEORGE MONBIOT be in steep decline. Far from it: warnings, Assad has the International Energy Agency t was the year of living reports that global use of the most reportedly taken steps dangerously. In 2012 gov- carbon-dense fossil fuel is climb- ernments turned their ing by about 200m tonnes a year. in recent weeks to Ibacks on the living planet, This helps to explain why global demonstrating that no chronic emissions are rising so fast. problem, however grave, will take Our leaders now treat climate prepare chemical priority over an immediate con- change as a guilty secret. Even cern, however trivial. I believe after the devastation of Hurricane there has been no worse year Sandy and the record droughts weapons for use for the natural world in the past and wildfires that savaged the US, half-century. the two main presidential con- against his people. Three weeks before the mini- tenders refused to mention the mum occurred, the melting of the subject, except for one throwaway BY JOHN MCCAIN, JOSEPH I Arctic’s sea ice broke the previous sentence each. Has an issue this LIEBERMAN AND LINDSEY O record. Remnants of the global big ever received as little atten- GRAHAM megafauna – such as rhinos and tion in a presidential race? bluefin tuna – were shoved vio- The same failures surround s 2012 draws to a close, Syria lently towards extinction. Novel the other forces of destruction. is descending into hell. At least tree diseases raged across conti- In 2012 European governments 40,000 people, and likely many nents. Bird and insect numbers flunked their proposed reform of more, have been killed, while continued to plummet, coral reefs the Common Agricultural Policy, millions have been forced to flee retreated, marine life dwindled. which is perfectly designed to Atheir homes. Over the past 12 months, Bashar And those charged with protect- maximise environmental damage. al-Assad has steadily unleashed ever-greater ing us and the world in which we In the UK in 2012, the van- military firepower in response to what began live pretended that none of it was dals were given the keys to the as peaceful protests by the Syrian people. happening. art gallery. Environmental policy Starting with tanks and heavy artillery in Their indifference was distilled is now in the hands of people – February, the Syrian regime escalated over into a great collective shrug at the such as George Osborne, Owen the summer to using attack helicopters and Earth Summit in June. The first Paterson, Richard Benyon and fighter jets. In recent weeks, it has begun firing summit, 20 years before, was sup- Eric Pickles – who have no more Scud missiles at its own population. posed to have heralded a new age feeling for the natural world The world has failed to stop this slaughter. of environmental responsibility. than the Puritans had for fine President Obama has declared that his “red During that time, thanks largely art. They are busy defacing the line” is Assad’s use of chemical weapons. Many to the empowerment of corpo- old masters and smashing the Syrians, however, have told us that they see rations and the ultra-rich, the ancient sculptures. the US red line as a green light for Assad square root of nothing has been George Osborne has done the to use all other weapons of war to massacre achieved. Far from mobilising to same thing to the UK’s climate them with impunity. Many of those weapons address this, in 2012 the leaders change policies. Though even the continue to be supplied directly by Iran. of some of the world’s most pow- big power companies oppose him, Despite the US government’s warnings, Free Syrian Army fighters transport ammunitions which were seized from government forces’ in Wadi erful governments – the US, the he is seeking to scrap or delay Assad has reportedly taken steps in recent UK, Germany and Russia – didn’t our targets for cutting carbon al-Daif military base at Maaret al-Numan, in the Idlib governorate in the northwest of Syria. weeks to prepare chemical weapons for use even bother to turn up. emissions and to ensure that we against his people. From everything we know But they did send their rep- remain hooked on natural gas as about Assad’s regime, and considering that he administration has emphasised the aid that battlefield setbacks suggest that Assad’s hold resentatives to sabotage it. The our primary source of power. The has methodically escalated this conflict using it has committed to the Syrian people. We fear, on power is deteriorating, this conflict could Obama administration even green investment bank which was nearly every other weapon in his inventory, however, that those efforts are also failing. grind on for some time, at an awful and esca- sought to reverse commit- supposed to have funded the tran- does anyone really believe that this man is According to US and European officials and lating cost to Syria’s people, its neighbors and ments made by George Bush Sr sition to new technologies is the incapable of using chemical weapons? experts, as much as 70 percent of the for- US interests and prestige. It is not too late to in 1992. The final declaration only state bank in Europe that is Syria’s descent into hell poses an increas- eign assistance being sent to Syria ends up avert a strategic and moral calamity in Syria, was a parody of inaction. While forbidden to borrow. It might as ing threat to its neighbors. Turkey, Lebanon, in regime-controlled areas. Recent visitors but doing so requires bold and decisive US the 190 countries that signed it well not be there at all. Iraq, Jordan and Israel all face rising risks to Aleppo have told us they saw no sign of US leadership that needs to come directly from expressed “deep concern” about If there is hope, it lies with the of instability. The longer this war grinds on, aid there, nor were local Syrians aware of any President Obama. the world’s escalating crises, they people. Opinion polls show that the greater the chance it could ignite a wider American assistance. As a result, people in the The United States must rally our allies to agreed no new targets, dates or voters do not support their gov- sectarian conflict. opposition-held north of Syria are starving, channel assistance to the newly established commitments, with one excep- ernments’ inaction. Even a major- For months we have argued that the United freezing and dying from disease because of Syrian opposition council for distribution in tion. Sixteen times they com- ity of Conservatives believe that States, together with our allies in Europe and shortages of food, fuel and medical supplies. the rebel-held areas. We must provide weap- mitted themselves to “sustained the UK should generate most of the Middle East, must do more to stop the kill- This failure to get American humanitarian ons and other lethal assistance to the opposi- growth”, a term they used inter- its electricity from renewables ing in Syria and to provide help to moderate assistance to the Syrian people has not only tion military command. And we must impose changeably with its polar oppo- by 2030. In the US, 80 percent of forces among the opposition. Specifically, we worsened the humanitarian crisis but has also a no-fly zone in some areas of Syria, to include site, “sustainability”. people polled now say that climate have advocated providing weapons directly to created opportunities for extremist groups to using the US Patriot missile batteries en route The climate meeting in Doha change will be a serious problem vetted rebel groups and establishing a no-fly provide relief services and thereby win even to Turkey, to protect people in northern Syria at the end of the year produced for their country if nothing is zone over part of Syria. Neither course would greater support from the Syrian people. To from Assad’s aerial attacks. a similar combination of inanity done about it: a substantial rise require putting US troops on the ground or many, these extremists appear to be the only If we remain on the current course, future and contradiction. Governments since 2009. acting alone. Key allies have made clear again ones stepping in to help Syrians in the fight. historians are likely to record the slaughter of have now begun to concede, with- To avoid another terrible year and again their hope for stronger American Meanwhile, moderates in the Syrian opposi- innocent Syrians, and the resulting harm done out evincing any great concern, like 2012, we must translate leadership and their frustration that the tion are being discredited and undercut by our to America’s national interests and moral that they will miss their target of these passive concerns into a United States has been sitting on the sidelines. lack of support — including the newly estab- standing, as a shameful failure of US leader- no more than 2C of global warm- mass mobilisation. Governments Most distressing of all are the swiftly dete- lished Syrian opposition coalition, whose for- ship and one of the darker chapters in our ing this century. Instead we’re care only as much as their citi- riorating humanitarian conditions in Syria. mation last month was made possible in part history. That should unsettle us all as we pray on track for between four and zens force them to care. Nothing While rejecting calls to provide weapons or by US diplomacy. for peace and goodwill this holiday season. six degrees. To prevent climate changes unless we change. establish a limited no-fly zone, the Obama While recent regime defections and WP-BLOOMBERG breakdown, coal burning should THE GUARDIAN The fight for women’s rights must go on in India

roughshod over legal safeguards. The collective outrage can help In this light, the recent electoral triumph in Gujarat of the iconic make visible a wider spectrum strongman with prime ministerial aspirations, Narendra Modi, who stands accused of presiding over of sexual violence in India. murderous religious violence that involved the mass rape of Muslim BY PRIYAMVADA GOPAL matters by describing women women, is sobering. So is the reve- protesters as “dented-painted”, a lation that several wealthy elected he young woman who poem circulated by feminist cam- politicians in Gujarat face crimi- died on Saturday in paigners asks trenchantly: “What nal charges that include rape. a Singapore hospital, clothes – pulled from what rack / The frantic obsession with Trendered there by an Will prevent an attack?” After all, wealth accumulation in India, Indian government unnerved by many of us have been molested on often euphemised as “develop- her catalytic power, is unlikely Delhi buses while in saris. ment”, Modi’s selling point, has to have aspired to the multiple Even as residents of Delhi and also widened a dangerous eco- campaigning names bestowed other cities have come together in nomic gap between the middle upon her. “Nirbhaya” (Fearless), an unusual show of collective will and working classes. It is not “Jagruti” (Awakening), “Amanat” to demand a political response, the remotely to justify the recent (Entrusted) or “Damini” protests – gratuitously compared brutality, in which the accused (Lightning) mainly wanted, she by some to Tahrir Square – have come from the ranks of the said, “to live”. Being gang-raped raised difficult questions which working poor, to suggest that any and eviscerated on privatised and Indian feminists and democratic analysis of “rape culture” should poorly regulated mass transport rights activists will have to engage Indian Rapid Action Force personnel stand behind a barricade in New Delhi. include consideration of the ways is not how she would have envis- with in coming weeks. Some note in which growing class rage can aged the end of an evening with that beyond holding the state and that women’s rights are an elite the Indian north-east, Kashmir issue of women’s safety, significant get tragically displaced on to the a friend at the cinema. As she lay police to account, Indians have to issue, any long-term movement and Chhattisgarh. In 2011, medical fissures have also emerged. One bodies of women. Regarded as one dying, however, she became a ral- confront deeply entrenched patri- arising from this tragedy will also examinations indicated that Soni comes out of the demand, made the most dangerous places in the lying point for protests that have archal views as well as a popu- have to think seriously about how Sori, a schoolteacher accused of even before the case turned into world for women, even as rape erupted across urban India and lar culture which, as in western the outrage that was galvanised abetting Maoists, had had stones one of murder, that the rapists be culture pervades the globe, India generated undeniably powerful countries, continues to objectify by a brutal assault on a victim inserted into her vagina and rec- given the death penalty, which is is also home to a strong tradition collective outrage. Thousands of female sexuality, creating an envi- thought of as young and mid- tum while in state custody. The reserved in India for the rarest of of democratic struggles for wom- people, including young men, have ronment where harassment and dle-class can also be directed at public response to such reports rare cases. Progressive voices have en’s rights resulting in both pro- taken to the streets to demand violence are regularised as part of making more visible, and equally has been largely muted but the been quick to distance themselves gressive legislation and gradual gender justice and equality from the sexual game. Global misogyny unacceptable, a wider spectrum current moment may yet fos- from a lynch mob mentality. But social change in relation to dowry, a state that is all too often expe- invites global feminist solidarity of sexual violence. It encompasses ter a more widespread spirit of the division itself speaks to the criminal law, inheritance, health rienced as indifferent to or even without turning women’s rights domestic violence, the rape of poor agitation against sexual violence appeal, for much of the Indian and workplace rights. Such strug- complicit in misogynist violence. into a contest for cultural supe- women, “tribals” and Dalits, and everywhere. middle class, of strong leadership gles – and social justice – must While the president’s son, MP riority. Without pandering to the sexual assault deployed by police- While citizens of diverse affili- and, more selectively, for speedy now prevail. Abhijit Mukherjee, did not help predictable and false accusation men and soldiers in conflicts in ations have coalesced around the justice that could involve riding THE GUARDIAN WEDNESDAY 2 JANUARY 2013 10 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com INTERNATIONAL

Russian ban on Record 40,000 Dutch in New Year North Sea dip US adoptions

THE HAGUE: A record comes into force 40,000 people braved MOSCOW: Russia’s controver- icy temperatures on the sial ban on adoptions of Russian Netherlands’s North Sea children by American families coast yesterday to take a came into force yesterday, days cold plunge, setting a new after its signing by President record for the traditional Vladimir Putin sparked an New Year’s Day dip, organ- international outcry. isers said. “There were The ban is part of a law rushed around 10,000 swimmers in through parliament to hit back at Scheveningen and a record the United States over its pass- number of 40,000 across ing of a law sanctioning Russian the Netherlands,” spokes- officials implicated in the death woman Jiske Barten said. in jail of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky In the resort of in 2009. But opponents say it Scheveningen, a district of makes Russian orphans - many The Hague and the main spot with physical or mental difficul- among the 102 nationwide for ties - the blameless victims of the growing annual event, a diplomatic standoff between many of the bathers wore Washington and Moscow. Christmas hats and sported The law came into force as swimwear in the national expected after being signed by orange colour as they ran Putin on December 28, Russian into the sea, screaming and state media said. The blanket laughing despite the water ban brings to an end a process temperature of eight degrees that according to the US State Celsius (46 Fahrenheit). Department has seen US families “The outside temperature adopt more than 60,000 Russian is also around eight degrees children over the past 20 years. It Celsius, but with the wind also forbids US citizens who are chill the felt air tempera- deemed to have hurt the rights of ture is closer to zero,” Barten Russians from entering Russia, said. “It’s a bit crazy but it’s and allows the authorities to shut a tradition. If you’re Dutch, down NGOs funded by the United you have to do it at least once States. in your life,” said Sander The ban on adoptions caused an Veltahuizen, a 29-year-old unusual amount of dissent within who said he was taking the the political establishment, with New Year cold plunge for the Maurizio Palmulli of Italy dives into the Tiber River from the Cavour bridge, as part of traditional New Year celebrations. Four men dived the muddy waters of Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov 11th year running. AFP the Tiber from the Cavour bridge, continuing an annual tradition which dates back to 1946. indicating his discomfort and Deputy Prime Minister in charge of social policy Olga Golodets vehemently opposed. The anti-Putin opposition is trying to play on the splits within the elite by holding a mass rally against the law on January 13 in 60 dead in Ivory Coast central Moscow, which organis- ers hope will muster up to 20,000 people. New Year stampede 1,193 cars torched on New Year’s eve Tragedy after fireworks in capital Abidjan PARIS: A New Year’s Eve tra- dition for some in France of ABIDJAN: At least 60 peo- were evacuated” by rescue work- circumstances” of the tragedy torching empty, parked cars has ple died and dozens more were ers, Sako said, adding that other are “under investigation by the continued. injured in Abidjan as crowds injured victims had gone to hospi- security services”. Interior Minister Manuel Valls that had gathered for celebra- tal on their own. Another rescue Visibly shaken children said yesterday that 1,193 vehicles tor y New Yea r’s fi reworks stam- official said at least 200 people were among the roughly 40 were burned overnight around peded overnight, Ivory Coast had been wounded in all. wounded taken to a hospital the country, where the stunt rescue workers said yesterday. Sako said the flow of people at in the wealthy neighbourhood began in the 1990s. A journalist saw many injured the stadium had caused a “very of Cocody, in the north of the There was no way to compare children, while images broad- large crush” and that “in the economic capital. this figure to recent ones because cast by RTI television showed crush, people were walked over A mother named Zeinab who the conservative government of bodies stretched lifeless on the and suffocated by the crowd”. had taken two of her children to former President Nicolas Sarkozy ground outside the city’s main Officials said around 50,000 the stadium found one of them in stopped making the numbers pub- stadium. people had gathered for the the hospital, a small boy who lay lic while he was in office. But the Piles of abandoned shoes and fireworks. on a bed in a groggy state. rate of burned cars was appar- clothing could also be seen at Witnesses said the stampede Zeinab said she “hurt all over” Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara’s wife Dominique visits people wounded ently steady. On December 31, the stadium, where soldiers and had broken out after the fire- and showed a journalist the by a stampede, in Abidjan, yesterday. 2009, 1,147 vehicles were burned. police were deployed, along with works ended, though the cause scratches on her body. For some, the decision of UN peacekeepers. remains unclear. “I don’t know what happened that tore the country apart from Though the troubled west France’s current Socialist gov- “This is a real tragedy on It erupted near the stadium’s but I found myself lying on the December 2010 to April 2011, kill- African nation - the world’s top ernment to resume making pub- this New Year’s Day,” President main entrance, where security ground with people stepping on ing some 3,000 people. cocoa producer - is still recover- lic figures of New Year’s Eve’s Alassane Ouattara said at the had set up tree trunks as crowd me, pulling my hair or tearing my The unrest began after ing from the political and military torched cars is unwise. scene. control barriers. clothes,” she said. Ouattara’s long-time rival and crisis, Ouattara had struck a note Bruno Beschizza, a security “We are all in shock,” he added, According to a police source, She said she had been knocked former iron-fisted ruler Laurent of optimism in a New Year’s mes- chief for Sarkozy’s UMP party, saying a period of national mourn- the crush occurred when two unconscious and that a young Gbagbo refused to step down. sage on Monday evening. said on iTele TV that publishing ing would be held. streams of spectators going in man had pulled her from the He was later arrested by forces He said the former French col- the numbers motivates youths to The government said 60 people opposite directions crossed paths. crowd. loyal to Ouattara, with UN and ony had “possibilities like seldom commit such crimes. had died, with an average age of 18. A security source added that The New Year’s fireworks, French military backing, and before” ahead of it, promising it Earlier, the head of military res- rescue services “took some time the city’s second in two years, transferred to the International would soon reap the rewards of cue workers, Lieutenant Colonel to arrive”. had been touted as a symbol of Criminal Court in The Hague, economic growth and develop- Migrant found dead Issa Sako, told journalists that 61 Interior Minister Hamed national renewal under Ouattara where he is accused of crimes ment. had died. “Forty-nine wounded Bakayoko said the “exact after a violent post-election crisis against humanity. AFP after Italy boat landing ROME: An immigrant’s body washed up on a beach in Sicily yesterday after two boat land- ings from North Africa in two days, including one in which Fires leave 4,000 homeless in Cape Town Nigeria denies report of dozens of migrants were forced to swim ashore by the crew. The body was found near the CAPE TOWN: Several unre- massacre in northeast seaside village of Tre Fontane, lated fires ripped through infor- the same area where Italian bor- mal settlements in Cape Town der police said they had tracked killing at least three people and LAGOS: Nigeria’s emergency government council of Borno state down 48 undocumented migrants leaving at least 4,000 homeless agency yesterday denied a on Sunday,” the statement said. on Monday and yesterday after on New Year’s Day, officials report from one of its officials “Though some of the reports two separate landings. said. that 15 people were killed at a claimed a source from NEMA Many of the migrants were “The cause of these fires has church in the country’s volatile provided the information, the drenched and told police that not been established, however it is northeast, saying two were dead agency not only contacted the crew members had pushed them alleged that they were caused by in unclear circumstances. same officer who denied it in its into the sea to make their way to negligence by persons under the An official from the National entirety, it also assigned a special the shore even though many could influence of alcohol,” said city dis- Emergency Management Agency team to investigate and verify the not swim, Italian news agency aster management official Wilfred (NEMA) on Monday told journal- allegation which was later found Ansa reported. Solomons-Johannes. ists that attackers had killed 15 to be unsubstantiated and untrue. Authorities battled to put out people during a church service on “Meanwhile the team has also the blazes that ravaged homes Sunday in a remote village outside discovered that two people were Deadly clashes erupt in in the township of Du Noon and the town of Chibok. killed by unidentified gunmen Central African Republic various sections of the notorious The official who spoke is the around the area on Sunday and Khayelitsha slum late Monday agency’s coordinator for the whose bodies had been deposited BANGUI: The death of a and early Tuesday. northeast region, but the agency’s in a hospital. The victims were young Muslim man arrested Fire and rescue services -- headquarters issued a statement a security man and a bystander.” for alleged links to rebels in including a helicopter -- as well as People look through the remains of burnt homes after a fire raged through yesterday providing a drastically Police could not be reached the Central African Republic emergency medical services and the BM Informal Settlement, in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, yesterday. different version. The military for comment. Medical officials in sparked clashes yesterday in law enforcement agencies were meanwhile denied any incident the Chibok area also could not be the capital that killed a police- deployed to the scenes. made it challenging for fire- Cape Town authorities encour- occurred.The statement said the reached. man, a police source said. But they could not prevent the fighters to effect fire suppres- aged residents to take care with emergency agency had contacted Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa, The unrest erupted as countries blaze spreading and destroying sion,” said Solomons-Johannes. open flames and when using elec- the official quoted, Mohammed a spokesman for a military task in the region sent reinforcements hundreds of shacks and houses, Disaster management teams trical devices. Kanar, and that he had denied force in the region, which has to protect the capital Bangui from cutting electricity and forcing the supplied food parcels, blankets, The use of gas burners, can- giving the information. been hard hit by Islamist extrem- rebels who control much of the closure of major nearby roads. baby packs, clothing and building dles, lamps and paraffin stoves is NEMA “has denied a report ist group Boko Haram, said he country and are demanding the “The gusting wind... has fuelled material and trauma counselling common in poor areas throughout claiming that 15 worshippers were was not aware of any incident in departure of President Francois the spread of these fires that to victims. South Africa. AFP killed in an outskirt of Chibok local the area on Sunday. AFP Bozize. AGENCIES WEDNESDAY 2 JANUARY 2013 INTERNATIONAL www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 11 Fiscal cliff moves to House; outcome uncertain House Republican leaders unhappy with deal, weighing options; spending cuts delayed for two months

WASHINGTON: Washington’s deciding on a course of action. lawmakers had hoped to reach can take to lower their tax bill. scuttled an effort by Boehner to through the Senate measure, last-minute scramble to step “My recommendation would be a deal before yesterday, when Low temporary rates that have limit tax increases to those who addressed a closed-door meeting back from a recession-induc- not to take a package put together a broad range of automatic tax been in place for less affluent tax- earn more than $1m. He has faced of House Democrats seeking their ing “fiscal cliff” shifted to the by a bunch of sleep-deprived octo- increases and spending cuts would payers for the past decade would insurrections from his conserva- support to pass the bill. The con- Republican-controlled House of genarians on New Year’s Eve,” said begin to punch a $600bn hole in be made permanent, along with a tive wing in other budget show- servative Club for Growth urged a Representatives yesterday after Representative Steve LaTourette, the economy. range of targeted tax breaks put in downs over the past two years. “no” vote on the Senate measure, the Senate approved a biparti- a moderate Republican from Ohio Financial markets have avoided place by President Barack Obama Republicans had hoped to and warned that Republicans who san deal to avoid steep tax hikes who is a close ally of House Speaker a steep plunge on the assumption in the depths of the 2009 recession. include significant spending cuts support it could face a primary and spending cuts. John Boehner. that Washington would ultimately However, workers would see up in the deal to narrow trillion-dol- challenge when they run for re- In a rare late-night show of Republicans could face a back- avoid pushing the country off the to $2,000 more taken out of their lar budget deficits. Conservatives election in two years. unity, the Senate voted 89 to 8 to lash if they scuttle the deal. Income fiscal cliff into a recession. With paychecks annually as a tempo- were already looking forward to Liberal groups also have urged raise some taxes on the wealthy tax rates technically rose back to financial markets closed for the rary payroll tax cut was set to the next battle over the debt ceil- Democrats to reject the deal. while keeping income taxes low on 1990s levels for all Americans at New Year’s Day holiday, lawmakers expire. The bill would also delay ing, in late February, to extract Obama had originally sought to more moderate earners. midnight, and public opinion polls have one more day to close the deal. an across-the-board spending deficit reduction measures from raise taxes on households making The bill’s prospects were less show Republicans would shoulder “My district cannot afford to cut in domestic and military pro- the Democratic president. more than $250,000. Even with certain in the House, where a vote the blame if Congress fails to act. wait a few days and have the stock grams for two months, and extend The White House has floated the higher threshold, the White had not yet been scheduled. Many conservative Republicans market go down 300 points tomor- jobless benefits for 2 million long- $600bn worth of spending cuts in House said is getting 85 percent Republicans, unhappy that the have rejected tax increases on any row if we don’t get together and term unemployed people who oth- earlier negotiations, and Obama said of the revenue it wanted. bill contained over $600bn in tax Americans, no matter how wealthy. do something,” Representative erwise would see them run out. he would be willing to tackle deficit Republican Representative increases but only around $12bn Some liberal Democrats were also Steve Cohen, a Democrat from The bill would raise taxes on reduction over the coming months. Tom Cole said his House col- in spending cuts, said they may upset with the complex deal, which Tennessee, said on the House floor. less than 1 percent of the popula- “There’s more work to do to reduce leagues should pass the Senate change it more to their liking they thought gave away too much. The bill passed by the Senate at tion, according to the nonpartisan our deficits, and I’m willing to do it,” bill rather than try to change it. and send it back to the Senate. Lingering uncertainty over around 2am would raise income Tax Policy Centre. he said in a statement urging the “We ought to take this deal right Party leaders planned to take the US tax and spending policy has taxes on families earning more However, that may be too much House to pass the current bill. now, and we’ll live to fight another temperature of rank-and-file law- unnerved investors and depressed than $450,000 per year and limit for conservative Republicans Vice President Joe Biden, who day,” Cole said on MSNBC. makers over the afternoon before business activity for months, and the amount of deductions they in the House, who last month was instrumental in pushing REUTERS Clinton has blood clot close to her brain, say doctors NEW YORK: Top US diplomat They added: “In all other Barack Obama to replace her, is Hillary Clinton was in a New aspects of her recovery, the secre- confirmed by the Senate. York hospital yesterday because tary is making excellent progress Clinton first fell ill with the bad of a potentially dangerous blood and we are confident she will stomach bug on her return from clot near her brain, but doc- make a full recovery. She is in her trip, causing her to become tors said she should make a full good spirits, engaging with her dehydrated. She fainted and suf- recovery. doctors, her family, and her staff.” fered a concussion. Dr Neeraj Clinton, still in hospital early The globe-trotting diplomat Badjatia, chief of neurological on New Year’s Day, was admit- has not been seen in public critical care at the R Adams ted to the New York Presbyterian since succumbing to a stomach Cowley Shock and Trauma Center Hospital on Sunday following the virus on returning from a trip at the University of Maryland discovery, and is being treated to Europe on December 7, which Medical Centre, said that a clot with blood thinners to dissolve forced her to cancel a planned in the head was “not common,” the clot. Doctors said she will be visit to North Africa. stressing however he was not released once the medication dose It’s a rare absence for the most involved in Clinton’s treatment. has been established. popular member of President While Clinton’s doctors have A routine scan revealed “that Barack Obama’s cabinet, who said she has not suffered any a right transverse sinus venous has been a highly visible and loyal stroke or neurological damage, thrombosis had formed,” doc- supporter of his foreign policy Badjatia said “because it is a type tors Lisa Bardack, of Mount agenda, traveling almost a million of blockage of a blood vessel in Kisco Medical Group and miles in her four years in office. the brain, it is what we consider Gigi El-Bayoumi, of George A Gallup poll released on a type of stroke, and one of the A man walks past a mural of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in Caracas yesterday. Washington University, said. Monday showed Clinton again top- rarest types of stroke we have.” They described it as “a clot in ping an annual list of the woman “It’s a very unusual form, and... the vein that is situated in the most admired by Americans, win- it’s an unusual complication of a space between the brain and the ning support from 21 percent of mild head injury,” he explained, Condition of Chavez worsens skull behind the right ear.” But those surveyed. adding it was hard to estimate they were also quick to offer reas- But Clinton, 65, has made it the incidence of such clots as “it’s CARACAS: Backers of ubiquitous “Comandante,” the Venezuelans to gather at Plaza surances saying in their state- clear she intends to step down in found when you are looking for it Venezuelan President Hugo face of the Latin American left Bolivar to “pray with joy and ment that “it did not result in a the coming weeks, once Senator ... many times it’s diagnosed by Chavez prayed and called off and fierce critic of the United optimism” for Chavez. “I deeply stroke, or neurological damage.” John Kerry, tapped by President happenstance”. AFP New Year’s Eve festivities as the States who has led the oil-rich love him and would give my life cancer-stricken leftist leader nation for 14 years. for him. There should be millions took a turn for the worse, fueling Jorge Arreaza, Venezuela’s sci- like Chavez,” Haydee Dominguez, doubts about his political future. ence and technology minister as a 50-year-old secretary, said at Venezuelans prayed in church well as the president’s son in law, the gathering led by Villegas. US military and a downtown square after took to Twitter to try to tamp Others teared up at the San the government announced down rampant social media Francisco church while several braces for that Chavez suffered “new com- speculation that the end might ministers attended a special plications” from a respiratory be near, or had already come. mass for Chavez at the Miraflores budget cuts infection following his fourth can- “My fellow countrymen: Do not presidential palace at midday. At cer-related surgery on December believe ill-intentioned rumors. a meeting point for Chavez follow- WASHINGTON: The 11 in Cuba. President Chavez has spent the ers in Plaza Bolivar, “Chavistas” Pentagon is bracing for His vice president and politi- day calmly and stable, with his choked up as they contemplated deep spending cuts that cal heir, Nicolas Maduro, broke children at his side,” said Arreaza the health of their leader. will affect every facet of the news from Havana, saying who is in Cuba with other family “We are all praying for the the US military if law- the condition of the 58-year-old members. health of our comandante,” said makers fail to agree a deal leader was delicate and that he Back in Caracas, crews took Miriam, one of the people gath- to avert dramatic budget faced an uphill battle. Maduro down the stage of a downtown ered at the square. “There can’t reductions, officials said. decided to stay in Cuba for “the concert site while Information be any party here.” The Defence Department next few hours” to check on the Minister Ernesto Villegas invited AFP will be forced to scale back training for troops, reduce spending for spy agencies, cancel purchases of some weapons and issue furlough Pair arrested over notices to hundreds of thou- Rocky ride for Cameron seen sands of civilian workers, they said. bomb under LONDON: Britain’s newspa- the actual experience of auster- The defence cuts amount pers welcomed in the New Year ity,” it said. “Britain’s resolution to at least $52.3bn for 2013 N Ireland cop’s car yesterday with a warning for this New Year must be to get its -- or about 10 percent BELFAST: Two men were Prime Minister David Cameron stuttering economy started.” across all the armed serv- being held in custody in that he will have to lay a clear The Daily Telegraph said 2013 ices — under mandatory Northern Ireland yesterday path to economic growth and would be a year of challenges and federal spending reductions, after being arrested over the national renewal in 2013. it was unclear whether Britain’s which were designed to be attempted murder of a police Newspapers said Cameron leaders would rise to them. so drastic that Congress officer. The men, aged 34 and needed to reset Britain’s direction “Today we enter the fifth year would reach a compromise 25, were arrested on Monday in in the world at a time when the since the banking crash, and cri- to avoid heading over the the Belfast area, said a spokes- cuts in the budget deficit would sis management can, perhaps, give “fiscal cliff.” woman for the Police Service of really kick in. way to a more measured assess- But any prospect of Northern Ireland (PSNI). The Times asked how happy a ment of the longer-term ramifi- a grand bargain among The targeted officer found the New Year it was going to be, say- cations of this seismic event,” the political leaders that would viable device underneath his car ing the “suspended animation” of broadsheet said. In 2013 Britain address both tax increases in east Belfast on Sunday. Army British politics would break in 2013, can “think long and hard about the and spending cuts had dis- bomb disposal experts carried out when austerity spending reduc- kind of people we want to be, the solved by New Year’s Eve, a controlled explosion. A group tions will bite. It said Cameron kind of country we want to live in with the White House hop- calling itself the “New IRA” has to convince the country that and the kind of role we think we ing for a more modest deal (Irish Republican Army) claimed he had made “the correct economic should have in the world.” to avert tax hikes. responsibility for the attack. choices” and Britain was indeed on Britain’s EU membership is “in It was not clear whether “Detectives investigating the the right track. a state of flux”, while the with- a possible last-minute attempted murder of a police He also has to persuade the drawal of nearly 5,000 troops from deal would halt the mas- officer on the Upper Newtownards “malcontents” in his Conservative Afghanistan will give space to sive across-the-board Road in east Belfast on Sunday Party that he can deliver a new think about Britain’s future mili- automatic spending cuts, have arrested two males aged 25 settlement in Britain’s relations tary posture. And the UK’s survival postpone them to a later and 34,” a PSNI spokeswoman with the European Union that will come into focus when the bill date or whether lawmakers said. “These arrests were made will keep them satisfied. for a referendum on Scotland leav- could reinstate trimmed in the Belfast area. “Above all else, though, the poli- ing the union is published. spending retroactively. AFP tics of 2013 will be dominated by AFP AFP WEDNESDAY 2 JANUARY 2013 12 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com ASIA / PHILIPPINES Philippines set to quit Marcos wealth chase Cost of pursuit becomes prohibitive

MANILA: The Philippines is have so far been successfully pros- to wind down a near-30-year ecuted, while high-powered lawyers hunt for the embezzled wealth have been used to tie up the judicial of late dictator Ferdinand process for years on end. Marcos, with more than half Long-term chronic mishandling the supposed $10bn fortune still of the commission led to an unman- missing, the man in charge of ageable paper trail and evidence the search said. went missing that led to bitter losses With Marcos’ widow and chil- in litigation, Bautista said. dren back in positions of politi- “These accusations (against cal power, and the government the commission officials) are not tightening its belt, the cost of the without basis. They were the ones pursuit has become prohibitive, in charge of guarding the chicken said Andres Bautista, head of the coop and some of them helped Presidential Commission on Good themselves to the eggs,” he said, Government. refusing to name names. “It has become a law of dimin- The president’s late mother and ishing returns at this point,” democracy icon, Corazon Aquino, Bautista said in an interview at replaced Marcos after a blood- the commission’s offices, a now less people power revolt ended his rundown building where Marcos’ 20-year regime in 1986 and sent oldest daughter Imee used to hold him and his family into US exile. office. She made it her first priority “It’s been 26 years and people to create the commission, tasked Revellers set off firecrackers to usher in New Year’s Day in Manila early yesterday. you are after are back in power. with recovering all of Marcos’s At some point, you just have to wealth. Conservative estimates say, ‘We’ve done our best’, and put the worth of assets and funds Boy killed, over 400 hurt in New Year revelry that’s that. It is really difficult. looted from government coffers “In order now to be able to get at $10bn. these monies back, you need to But before she left office she MANILA: Celebratory gun- were drunk,” he said over DZBB hospital. “We hope the numbers yesterday, as part of a government spend a lot.” allowed Marcos’s flamboyant widow, fire killed a four-year-old boy radio. will not rise but we are expecting bid to boost finances. Bautista, 48, left a high-paying Imelda — known for her thousands and more than 400 others were Espina said policemen found more to arrive within the day,” Many stores started selling corporate job two years ago to of pairs of shoes — and their son and injured by powerful firecrack- to have fired their guns to usher Alfonso Nunez, one of the doc- tobacco and drink at inflated answer a call to help the gov- two daughters to return home. ers in typically rowdy New Year in the New Year would also be tors at the hospital who worked prices before midnight, ahead ernment of President Benigno And over the past two decades celebrations in the Philippines, disciplined. through the night, told reporters. of the official implementation of Aquino, who promised to end the Marcoses have regained and officials said yesterday. Health Secretary Enrique A photographer saw two men the tax hikes on January 1, hitting corruption and uplift the lives of consolidated their political base. A bullet hit the boy in the Ona said 404 people nationwide in their 50s in hospital with partygoers in the pocket. millions of poor Filipinos. Marcos’s son and namesake, back as he was playing out- were either burned or maimed by burns to the eyes and face due to Tax on cigarettes will gradually He and like-minded young law- Ferdinand Marcos Junior, is a side his home in Manila’s sub- firecrackers, about half of them firecrackers. be raised to 30 pesos ($0.72) per yers who joined the agency soon senator who has hinted at con- urban Mandaluyong district, young children. “Some of the inju- The capital’s fire department pack by 2017, roughly doubling the found out that reforming the testing the presidency in the 2016 said the city’s police chief Chief ries were serious and could lead to said 12 blazes were reported over- current price to around 52 pesos. under-funded commission — itself elections. Superintendent Leonardo Espina. lifelong disabilities,” he said. night, including a school that Duty on alcohol will also prone to corruption — while at Imelda is expected to run for He said police are trying to Among them was a teenage boy caught fire due to fireworks near increase gradually until 2017, the same time going after power- a second term in the House of trace the gun owner but admit- whose hand had to be amputated. a sprawling slum area. No one was increasing the price of a bottle of ful people, was no easy task. Representatives in May 2013, ted it may take time in a country “He picked up what he thought injured although dozens of fami- beer by 23.50 pesos, with varying Despite numerous criminal and while her daughter Imee, gover- where unlicensed firearms are was an unlit firecracker left on lies were left homeless. levels for other drinks including civil cases being filed against them, nor of the family’s Ilocos Norte widespread. the road. It exploded in his hand,” Meanwhile, a “sin tax” on ciga- wine and spirits. It will be further none of the Marcos heirs or their provincial bailiwick, is also widely “We caught 10 people firing the boy’s mother, Mariel Lou rettes and alcohol dampened the increased by four percent each cronies, who have been accused of thought to want a second term. indiscriminately, most of them Pateno, said at the packed trauma New Year party spirit when it year thereafter. plundering government coffers, AFP were private security guards who section of one Manila government was introduced in the Philippines AGENCIES

Japan PM tells Tens of thousands march against Hong Kong’s leader envoy to improve HONG KONG: Tens of thou- ability and credibility to handle also staged a pro-government sands in Hong Kong protested even his own personal scandals. New Year rally. ties with yesterday against the city’s How can he lead Hong Kong in a China’s senior leaders including leader Leung Chun-ying as proper way with political and eco- premier Wen Jiabao have warned pressure mounts against the nomic development?” said protest of Hong Kong’s “deep rooted con- South Korea Beijing-backed politician who organiser Jackie Hung. flicts” in the past, though Beijing has been embroiled in an illegal Leung said last month he had has so far publicly endorsed TOKYO: Japan’s new Prime construction scandal since tak- been negligent and apologised for Leung’s administration when he Minister Shinzo Abe yesterday ing office in July. how he handled questions over made a duty visit in December. told his special envoy to Seoul Thronging the streets on New his illegally built basement. Such In a stormy half year since to work to improve ties with Year’s Day, crowds of people, some work is common to maximise liv- taking office, Leung has also had South Korea, describing it as dressed in black with colourful ing space in space-starved Hong to contend with a raft of policy Tokyo’s most important neigh- banners and wearing long-nosed Kong, but similar minor violations challenges including an unpopular bour, media reports said. Pinocchio masks, chanted “Leung have ensnared several prominent pro-Beijing education curriculum Abe plans to dispatch veteran Chun-ying step down” in a rally officials over the past year. that was later shelved, high hous- lawmaker and former finance that snaked several kilometres By the evening, organisers put ing prices, and a massive influx of minister Fukushiro Nukaga towards government headquarters. the turnout at the protest at around mainland Chinese visitors. to Seoul to see president-elect While Hong Kong is a largely 130,000, though police said 17,000 Leung, sometimes dubbed the Park Geun-Hye on Friday in an stable financial hub with a strong had showed up. The demonstration “wolf” for his perceived abrasive attempt to improve relations rule of law, the political heat has was largely peaceful, though police style and close ties to the Communist soured by a rumbling row over risen over Leung’s failure to ade- maintained a heavy presence after Party, has a chance to assuage some disputed islands. quately explain seemingly innocu- two journalists were roughed up by public discontent in a policy address Abe, who took office last ous building work on his home, pro-government supporters at a in mid-January, though populist week, met Nukaga at his pri- corroding public trust and raising rival rally on Sunday. measures aimed at cooling a red-hot vate house and instructed him suspicions he may have covered In a statement, Leung said the property sector and alleviating pov- to convey his message that he Demonstrators sit on a main road running through the central business up the scandal last year as he government would “humbly” lis- erty have so far had only a limited wants to make a good start as district during a sit-in protest against the city’s leader Leung Chun-ying in campaigned for the leadership. ten to the public’s views. Several impact on the public mood. the two countries launch new Hong Kong yesterday. “CY Leung does not have the thousand of Leung’s supporters REUTERS governments, Jiji and Kyodo news agencies said. “South Korea is most impor- tant among neighbouring coun- tries that share democracy and other values with us,” Jiji quoted Myanmar president Abe as telling Nukaga. The territorial row flared again last year following a sur- calls for mutual trust prise visit by South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak to the Dokdo islands, known by Japan YANGON: Myanmar President in 2011, said the world had as Takeshima. Thein Sein yesterday called for been “amazed” by the nation’s It quickly degenerated into “mutual trust” between the rul- progress last year in the former a familiar confrontation over ing regime and the people in his junta-ruled country. attitudes to shared history, with first New Year address since Western sanctions against the Seoul accusing its former colo- taking power and ushering in former pariah state began to be nial ruler Tokyo of not being sweeping reforms. dismantled in 2012 in response contrite enough for its wartime He pledged a new drive to com- to reforms, including the release behaviour. municate more directly with the of hundreds of political prisoners Abe’s planned dispatch of a spe- nation in a radio speech he said and the election of democracy cial envoy raised hopes for a fresh aimed to “bridge the gap” between champion Aung San Suu Kyi to start under almost simultaneous the authorities and the public. parliament. leadership transfers, and as North “The most important ingredi- But the former general warned Korea’s successful rocker launch ent for the success of Myanmar’s that the swift pace of change last month renews regional secu- democratic transition is the should not encourage unrealistic rity concerns. mutual trust between the gov- expectations from a public eager Japan is engaged in a separate ernment and the people,” he said. for further opening up after dec- dispute with China over disputed Thein Sein, who took the ades of military rule. islands in the East China Sea. helm of a quasi-civilian regime AFP Demonstrators hold a poster during a protest against civil war in the country, in Yangon, Myanmar, yesterday. AFP WEDNESDAY 2 JANUARY 2013 PAKISTAN / AFGHANISTAN www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 13 Seven charity workers shot dead in Pakistan Motorcycle bomb kills four near venue of rally in Karachi

PESHAWAR: Six women and motorbikes. They attacked their threatened in the recent past. a man working for a health van, a Toyota Hiace. They opened Several government schools had education charity in northwest fire to the right and left of the been bombed in the last several Pakistan were shot dead on van and fled,” said Abdul Rashid months,” said Rooh ul-Amin, who their way home from a commu- Khan, Swabi police chief. heads an umbrella organisation of nity centre yesterday, officials “Six women and a man have charities in Swabi. said. In the southern port city died. The driver is injured,” he He said eight months ago the of Karachi, a motorcycle bomb added. guest house where he receives exploded near the venue of a Police said the women were visitors was bombed and another major political rally, killing four aged 20 to 35 and the male health bomb was found near his office people and injuring 42 others. technician was 52. four months ago. Idrees Kamal, the Police said they were investi- Doctor Mohammad Sheerin coordinator of Pakhtunkhwa Civil gating whether there was any link at the local Bacha Khan medical Society Network, demanded that to the Taliban or other Islamist complex said one man had been the killers by arrested, and called militants, who have been blamed critically wounded and evacu- for protection and compensation. for past attacks on charity work- ated to the northwestern city of “PCSN demands that the pro- ers and on health education Peshawar. There was no immedi- vincial government arrests the projects in particular. ate claim of responsibility for the killers of the welfare workers and The attack on the charity attack, near a junction for the compensation for the deceased. workers took place about 65 kilo- motorway which connects the PCSN will formulate a joint strat- metres from the capital in the northwestern city of Peshawar egy to tackle the matter,” he said Swabi district. The victims were to the eastern city of Lahore. in a statement. Last month nine all Pakistanis and worked for local Police said the motive was under polio vaccination workers were An injured driver who survived a shooting by unidentified gunmen in Swabi receives treatment at the Lady Reading charity Ujalla, which runs health investigation. shot dead in a string of attacks in Hospital in Peshawar yesterday. education classes and employed “A wave of terrorism is contin- Karachi and northwest Pakistan. health visitors. uing in (the northwestern prov- Those killings prompted the UN Five of the women were teach- ince of) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, children’s agency and the World Qaumi Movement (MQM), which the earlier toll of two dead and 25 capital, said the motorcycle was ers, the sixth was a health worker so we are investigating whether Health Organisation to suspend organised the rally attended by injured. parked in a congested neighbour- and the man worked as a health it’s a part of the same wave or work on polio campaigns in the thousands of people. “The bomb was planted in a hood near the venue of the rally. technician, officials said. there were any other motives,” country. “The latest report we have col- motorcycle,” said Asif Ijaz, a senior “Bomb disposal experts are They were being driven home said Khan. The Karachi bombing appeared lected from hospitals said that four police official. investigating but preliminary from a village community centre Charity workers condemned the to be targeted at buses carrying people have been killed and 42 are Imran Shokat, a police spokes- reports said it was a remote-con- when they were attacked. attack and called for protection. supporters of the city’s dominant injured,” provincial health minis- man in the southern Sindh prov- trolled bomb,” Shokat said. “Four men came on two “Schools and NGOs have been political party, the Muttahida ter Saghir Ahmad said, updating ince of which Karachi is the AFP

Top Afghan negotiator optimistic over peace prospects Pakistan suffers ‘record’ child KABUL: A top Afghan peace Members of the Afghan gov- were followed by devastating civil in order to pacify the Taliban that al Qaeda and have been blamed negotiator said he was cau- ernment, the Taliban and some of war and the rise of the Taliban, could hurt efforts to improve for a number of high-profile measles deaths tiously optimistic about pros- their old enemies in the Northern who ruled from 1996 to 2001. women’s rights. attacks on Western and Afghan pects for reconciliation with the Alliance, which fought the Taliban Stanekzai stressed that in Stanekzai said Afghan secu- targets in Kabul, are regarded as KARACHI: More than 300 Taliban and that all sides now for years, discussed ways of easing order to bring long-term stabil- rity forces had made progress a possible spoiler. Pakistani children died of realised a military solution to the conflict during a recent meet- ity, reconciliation efforts should but acknowledged that more But Stanekzai did not seem too measles last year, a stagger- the war was not possible. ing in France. aim to bring the Taliban and work was needed to ensure they concerned about the group. ing increase on the previous 12 Mohammad Masoom Stanekzai “I think one consensus was other insurgents into Afghan would be ready to take over “When you go to a market you months and a result of three said that the Kabul government that everybody acknowledged politics. when the US combat mission always use a brand name and then consecutive years of flooding, hoped to transform the Afghan that nobody will win by military “The purpose of the peace ends in 2014. you sell your very low-quality officials said yesterday. Taliban, who have proved resilient (means),” said Stanekzai, who process is we want all Afghans to He also believes a free and fair product under that brand name,” The United Nations’ World after more than a decade of war was badly wounded in a 2011 be part of the political system,” presidential election in April 2014 he said. Health Organisation said 306 against US led Nato and Afghan Taliban suicide bombing attack. said Stanekzai, who studied at are essential to prevent any fur- “We enter a negotiation with children died of the highly infec- troops, into a political movement. “Everybody acknowledged that we Cambridge and was in charge ther conflict. The last vote was the Taliban which is the brand tious illness last year, 210 of them He predicted the highly lethal have to enter into a meaningful of disarmament in Afghanistan plagued by allegations of wide- marketable name. The rest is in the southern province of Sindh, Haqqani militant network, the negotiation.” before becoming a senior member spread fraud. easy.” where the worst floods occurred most experienced at guerrilla Pakistan, long accused of sup- of the High Peace Council. “This is the time where we have Asked if he thought there in 2010, 2011 and 2012. warfare, would join the peace porting Afghan insurgents such “This peace process should not to enter in negotiations to make would be a major breakthrough in The WHO said 64 children died process if the Afghan Taliban as the Taliban, has sent the just be a deal between a few peo- sure that does not happen. But, as peace efforts this year, Stanekzai of measles in Pakistan in 2011, started formal talks. Signs are strongest signals yet that it will ple or between the government you know, politicians are always said conditions had been estab- 28 of them in Sindh. It was not emerging that the Afghan govern- deliver on promises of helping the and the Taliban, but everybody politicians. They are always in a lished to make that possible. But immediately able to provide sta- ment is gaining momentum in its Kabul government and the United should benefit from the peace power game.” he noted that Afghanistan was tistics for earlier years. drive to persuade the Taliban to States bring stability to its neigh- process, and everybody should see Stanekzai warned that rec- highly unpredictable. “Most of the affected children lay down their arms before most bour. Pakistan is seen as critical a peaceful prospect for themselves onciliation was complex, with “Anything can happen. You died due to post-measles com- Nato combat troops pull out by to the process after three decades for the future.” many moving parts having to be don’t know which direction these plications such as pneumonia, the end of 2014, a timeline that of upheaval in Afghanistan. Some activists fear that the synchronised. different actors will take,” he said. post-measles encephalitis and makes many Afghans nervous. Ten years of Soviet occupation government will make concessions The Haqqanis, who are close to REUTERS diarrhoea,” said WHO spokes- woman Maryam Yunus. The UN body said most of the March for peace cases occurred between October and December in northern dis- tricts of Sindh, but was unable to provide a breakdown. Over 2,000 killed in “Most of (the) children who have died because of suspected measles are reported from the Karachi in 2012 districts affected by the floods for (the) last three years,” said Yunus. KARACHI: Pakistan’s busi- threats, also kept the south and She said WHO investigations ness hub and southern coastal west city districts on edge with a had shown that malnourishment city of Karachi went through number of improvised explosive was a major reason for such a one of its worst 12 months in device explosions across Karachi. high number of deaths of children recent years as in 2012 more “I think this year the Taliban in Sindh. than 2,000 people lost their factor made its presence felt in “Floods, displacements and food lives to violent incidents, the city,” said Zohra Yusuf, the shortages have played a major role including targeted attacks on chairperson of the Human Rights behind these deaths,” she added. political, ethnic and sectar- Commission of Pakistan, which A Pakistani health minis- ian grounds, with a stagger- counted 54 people killed on sec- try official said more than half ing increase in militancy that tarian grounds only till October the deaths in Sindh occurred spewed an unprecedented rise 2012 with 692 and 313 people in the last three months of the in grenade and cracker attacks, killed due to their political associ- year, with 50 children dying in also targeting Karachi’s Bohri ation and other targeted attacks, December alone. community. respectively, during the first 10 The official, who did not wish to Though the police data kept months of the year. be named, said that the number the number of victims killed on “I agree that all murders were of deaths in 2012 was “a record ethnic, political and sectarian not due to targeted attacks but high”. grounds at 423 of the total 2,303 they definitely were because of Children under nine months people murdered in 2012, crit- some kind of violence. Our police are not eligible for the vaccine. ics, security experts and human force is inadequate for a city like Women shout slogans during a peace rally organised by South Asia Partnership Pakistan to condemn last AFP rights activists said the number Karachi and needs to be used for week’s explosions in Pakistan, in Lahore, yesterday. was much higher. law-enforcement instead of per- “A total of 423 people were forming VIP or protocol duties.” killed in targeted attacks,” said a With threats ranging from spokesman for the Sindh police. militancy to targeted killings “More than 1,600 people were and street crime to kidnapping Afghanistan welcomes release of Taliban prisoners murdered due to personal enmity. for ransom, the city was seen bat- Similarly, more than 100 police- tling against organised criminal KABUL: Afghan peace nego- regime, is seen as crucial to “It shows the Pakistani author- directly with the Afghan govern- men lost their lives in Karachi gangs for its more than 18 mil- tiators yesterday welcomed the peace in Afghanistan after Nato’s ities have opened a new chapter ment of President Hamid Karzai, while performing duties.” lion inhabitants with mere 30,000 release of eight Taliban pris- departure. for positive cooperation with which it regards as a “puppet Violence returned to the city policemen, half of whom either oners who had been held in Former Taliban justice minis- Afghanistan. administration” of the United mainly in the second quarter of protected influential individuals Pakistan, hailing the move as ter Nooruddin Turabi was among “Pakistan can play an impor- States. 2012 with frequent killings and or were deployed at several for- a significant boost to efforts to the eight freed on Monday, adding tant role in bringing peace to The most senior Taliban fig- targeted attacks just months eign missions, or were engaged end 11 years of war. to 18 others released in November Afghanistan. We welcome this ure detained in Pakistan, former after Karachi started limping with administrative job within the The High Peace Council, set up after appeals from Kabul. move and hope those freed will deputy leader Abdul Ghani back to normality in August last department or serving its special- to conduct negotiations with the Afghan officials believe Taliban become peace messengers,” he Baradar, has also not yet been year after the Supreme Court ised units. Taliban, said the releases under- leaders released from Pakistani said. released. took suo motu notice of killings Experts believe that the force lined that neighbouring Pakistan jails could help bring militants to But analysts say the freed men “So far none of those released but this year mostly on sectarian available for policing is so politi- was supporting talks as US-led the negotiating table. have little influence over cur- have done anything significant,” grounds. cised and under several influ- Nato combat troops withdraw “It is a practical step in the rent Taliban leaders and doubt said Waheed Mujda, a former The random and scattered ences that it cannot perform from Afghanistan. right direction,” said Ismail whether they will even encourage civil servant in the Taliban hand-grenade attacks, which effectively. Support from Pakistan, which Qasimyar, head of international them to open peace talks. government. were often seen as extortion INTERNEWS backed the 1996-2001 Taliban relations for the peace council. The Taliban refuse to talk AFP WEDNESDAY 2 JANUARY 2013 14 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com INDIA

Jaya advocates castration and death for rapists Rush for guns after bus rape

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Delhi police receive 274 requests for licences and 1,200 inquiries from women since December 18 Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa yesterday advocated harsh NEW DELHI: Hundreds of best-known English-language tel- punishment like chemical cas- women in Delhi have applied for evision presenters asked viewers tration and death for rapists. gun licences following the gang who had experienced abuse from The Tamil Nadu government rape and murder of a 23-year- a family member to contact her. would “request the centre to old woman by six men in a bus The rush for firearms will cause amend laws to ensure maxi- in the city last month. concern however. Police in Delhi mum punishment of death pen- The news underlines the wide- have received 274 requests for alty and chemical castration for spread sense of insecurity in the licences and 1,200 inquiries from those responsible for rape,” she city, deep before the incident and women since 18 December, two said in a statement here. deeper now, and the lack of faith days after the woman and a male Her call came in the wake of in law enforcement agencies. friend were attacked in a bus the death of the Delhi gang-rape The case has provoked an cruising on busy roads between victim that has sparked nation- unprecedented debate about 9pm and 10pm. wide protests and demand for endemic sexual harassment and “Lots of women have been con- stringent punishment for crimes violence in India. Tens of thou- tacting us asking for information against women. Jayalalithaa said sands have protested across the about how to obtain licences Any her government would implement country, calling for harsher laws, woman has a threat against her. several measures for women’s better policing and a change It’s not surprising. There are fear- safety and prevent sexual harass- in culture. Politicians, initially less predators out there,” said ment. The steps include changes caught off-guard, have now prom- Abhijeet Singh of the campaign in the Goondas Act, establish- ised new legislation to bring in group Guns For India. ment of fast-track courts in all fast-track courts and harsher Delhi police received around 32 districts of the state to deal punishments for sexual assault. 500 applications for the whole with sexual assault cases, deploy- The six men accused of the attack of 2011, up from 320 the previ- ment of police personnel in plain- are to be formally charged with ous year. Hundreds of women clothes at market places and murder later this week and had come in person to the police women’s colleges, funding entire potentially face execution. licensing department in the city, medical expenses of women who Indian media are currently the Times of India reported. suffer sexual assault and pro- reporting incidents of sexual There are estimated to be 40m grammes for their rehabilitation. violence that would rarely gain guns in India, the second high- attention previously. In the last est number in the world after the 24 hours these have included a US. Licences are hard to obtain Task force formed teenager fleeing repeated abuse and most are illegal weapons, by her brother, who was alleg- many manufactured in back- for women’s safety edly assaulted on a bus by a con- street workshops. Official own- ductor, a 15-year-old held for 15 ership levels remain low - three NEW DELHI: The central days by three men in a village in guns for every 100 people - but government has set up a task Uttar Pradesh and repeatedly in recent years, the number of force headed by the union assaulted, an 11-year-old alleg- women holding arms has risen. home secretary to look into the edly raped by three teenagers in Most are wealthy and worried safety of women in Delhi and to the northeastern city of Guwahati about theft or assault. There are restore “social order”. Other vil- southern Bihar’s Aurangabad dis- corrupting traditional values,” review the functioning of Delhi and two cases of rape in the city fears the attack will lead to fur- lages nearby are planning similar trict - the region from where one the local village council head Police, an official release said of Amritsar. ther restrictions on women in bans, locals said. of the Delhi gang rape accused, Sushma Singh said. Protesters yesterday. One case reported yesterday India, who already suffer signifi- One member of parliament Akshay Thakur, comes from. The were angered by the news. “Our The task force has been set involved a woman, also in a vil- cant constraints. in Rajasthan, the northwestern order was issued after a formal sister will have died in vain if all after the assurance given by lage in Uttar Pradesh, who suf- Elders in Matapa, in the pov- state, also called for a ban on meeting with villagers, council that is happening after is our fear Home Minister Sushilkumar fered 90 percent burns after being erty-stricken Indian state of skirts for schoolgirls to keep them officials and school teachers on is greater and ladies are more Shinde to parliament last month doused in kerosene, allegedly by Bihar, banned the use of mobile away from “men’s lustful gazes’’. Sunday. “Almost every villager unfree,” said Deepti Anand, a following an uproar over the bru- a man who had been stalking her phones for teenage girls and Banwari Lal Singhal said private pressed us to ban the mobile 21-year-old student in Delhi who tal gang-rape of a young woman for months. There were signs warned them against wearing schools allowing students to wear phones use by the schoolgirls has attended demonstrations in a moving bus in the capital on that a further taboo was about “sexy” clothes. They claim the skirts explained increased sexual saying they are proving quite most days in recent weeks. December 16. The woman died in to be broken when one of India’s move will check rape cases and harassment locally. Matapa is in dangerous for the society and GUARDIAN NEWS a Singapore hospital last week. The task force will also con- sider suggestions by members of parliament made during the Name new anti-rape law after debate on the issue of women’s safety in the winter session of parliament and continuously gang rape victim: Tharoor review actions taken by Delhi Police and the Delhi government. NEW DELHI: Minister of State for Human Resource The release said that the task Development Shashi Tharoor yesterday suggested that a revised force will include the chief sec- anti-rape law be named after the 23-year-old Delhi gang-rape retary of Delhi, the Delhi Police victim who died on Saturday. commissioner, special com- In a comment on micro-blogging site Twitter, Tharoor said her missioner police (traffic) and name should be used and she should be honoured, if her parents did special commissioner police not object to it. “Wondering what interest is served by continuing (law and order). It will also anonymity of #DelhGangRape victim. Why not name & honour her include the chairperson of the as a real person w/own identity?” Tharoor tweeted. Delhi Commission for Women, “Unless her parents object, she should be honoured & the revised the chairperson of New Delhi anti-rape law named after her. She was a human being w/a name, Municipal Council, the transport not just a symbol,” he said. commissioner and other govern- As per law, names of victims of rape or molestation are not ment officials. revealed. The 23-year-old woman, who was raped and brutally The government has already assaulted on December 16, 2012, has been given several pseudo names instituted a commission of by media and protesters including ‘Damini’, ‘Nirbhaya’ and ‘Amanat’. inquiry to probe the December 16 Activists and politicians have demanded amendment to anti- gang-rape and any police lapses rape law to ensure speedy justice and tougher punishment for and suggest ways to make the city criminals. safer for women. It has also set up a panel headed by Justice (retd) J S Verma, former chief justice of Victim’s ashes immersed in Ganga India, to review the existing laws to provide for speedier justice and LUCKNOW: The ashes of the Delhi gang-rape victim were enhanced punishment in cases of immersed in the Ganga at Bharauli ghat in Ballia in Uttar aggravated sexual assault against Pradesh yesterday. women. Her ashes were carried in an urn by her father, accompanied by her family. The entire village joined the procession from her ances- tral home to the ghat. 24-hour helpline The procession, which began at 8 am, was joined by mourners from nearby villages. The woman’s ashes were flown to Babatpur for tourists soon Airport in Varanasi from New Delhi on Monday, from where the family drove down to their village in a taxi. NEW DELHI: A 24-hour IANS toll-free helpline for tourists Residents gather to pray for gang rape victim during a silent protest in New Delhi, yesterday. is being launched this year. Tourism Minister K Chiranjeevi “approved the setting up of a Minor allegedly raped multi-lingual helpline to pro- vide general information and Rapper caught in gang rape backlash in Bangalore suburb assistance to tourists”, an offi- cial statement said. BANGALORE: A seven-year- The Indian Association of Tour NEW DELHI: A chart-top- “express my grief for the unfor- good evidence... a magistrate has old was allegedly raped on Operators (IATO), the apex body ping Indian rapper known for tunate girl”. recorded the victim’s dying dec- Monday by an unidentified per- of the tourism industry, proposed his sexually explicit lyrics was The furore over the rap star laration and we have a prime wit- son at D J Halli in the northeast setting up of a helpline during a caught in a backlash yesterday comes as the country comes to ness, the girl’s friend, who has suburb of the city, a police offi- meeting with the tourism minis- against sexism and misogyny terms with the Delhi gang-rape in identified the rapists,” Shinde cial said yesterday. try on Monday. “The helpline will after a deadly gang-rape that which a 23-year-old medical stu- told The Economic Times newspa- “We have formed three special be in the languages of the impor- shocked the nation. dent was repeatedly assaulted and per yesterday. teams to look out for the accused tant source countries besides Yo Yo Honey Singh (pictured), violated with an iron bar while The victim’s boyfriend, whom as the girl does not know him Hindi and English. The minister whose hits include “My home being driven around in a bus for friends said she intended to and is unable give details. In has directed that the toll free hel- my village”, saw his New Year’s 40 minutes. marry, tried to prevent the rape the absence of clear evidence, pline should be accessible from Eve concert in New Delhi can- Extreme sexual violence and and is likely to give crucial evi- we are waiting for the medical everywhere in India and should celled following an online cam- gang-rapes are commonplace dence during what is expected to report to ascertain if she was start functioning in the new cal- paign highlighting lyrics that in India, but the case brought be a fast-tracked trial. raped or only an attempt was endar year,” the statement said. incite violence against women. simmering anger - particularly Police are to file charges and made,” Bangalore east Deputy “The primary objective of the His 2007 track evoked much among young urban women - to present their evidence against the Commissioner of Police (DCP) proposed helpline would be to controversy. the boil and led to violent protests suspects - five men and a minor - Krishna Bhat said. provide tourism related informa- Amid low-key New Year’s cel- in the capital. Home Minister on Thursday. On a complaint by the girl and tion free to independent trave- ebrations following the shocking Sushilkumar Shinde said six Delhi police have said their her father, the DJ Halli police sta- lers,” it said. The IATO, while gang-rape on December 16, the suspects arrested after the crime probe is almost complete, pending tion registered a case against the condemning the “shameful and upmarket Bristol Hotel in a sub- in Bollywood films last year and risked the death penalty if found the arrival of an autopsy report unknown accused and rushed the tragic” gang rape, said the inci- urb of New Delhi cancelled the has several top 10 hits, told the guilty and the case against them from doctors in Singapore and the victim to the nearby state-rum dent “has brought a very bad show, an employee said. Hindustan Times he himself had appeared very strong. conclusions of forensic experts. Ambedkar hospital for medical name to India”. IANS The popular star, who sang called off the performance to “We have a solid case with very AFP examination. IANS WEDNESDAY 2 JANUARY 2013 INDIA www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 15

Bangladeshi spy arrested Cold grips north; flights, trains delayed in Meghalaya Temperature dips to four degrees Celsius, the season’s lowest SHILLONG: A Bangladeshi spy was arrested in Meghalaya’s NEW DELHI: Most parts of below the freezing point yester- severe cold conditions last week. degrees was nine degrees below but colder nights, and said cold West Garo Hills district when north India reeled under bit- day and the weather office fore- “Dense fog would continue in normal in the past 24 hours. wave was likely to return in the he sneaked into India, an official ter cold conditions on the New cast a further dip in the night the state during early mornings. Chandigarh witnessed a high of coming days. Flights were also said yesterday. Year’s day, temperatures dip- temperatures during the com- After January 2-3, the cold wave 11.2 degrees, nine degrees below disrupted due to fog. “Gorango Hajong, an agent ping below freezing point in ing days. “The minimum tem- may return,” Sen said. Chapra normal. This was the lowest high Himachal Pradesh continued to of the Directorate General of Jammu and Kashmir and fog perature was minus 2.5 degrees was the coldest place in Bihar on the last day of the year in the reel under a cold wave with the Forces Intelligence (DGFI) was delaying flights and trains in Celsius in Srinagar, minus 5.4 in with the minimum temperature past eight years. In Punjab, the higher reaches experiencing tem- arrested on Monday night from several states. The national cap- Pahalgam and minus 8.2 degrees at five degrees Celsius. Purnia and Sikh holy city of Amritsar saw a peratures well below the freezing Nokchi in West Garo Hills bor- ital was fogged in the morning. in Gulmarg,” Sonam Lotus, direc- Gaya recorded a minimum of six high of 10 degrees, nine degrees point. Keylong, the headquarters dering Bangladesh,” said Border In New Delhi, 37 flights and tor of the local Met office, said degrees. below normal. of Lahaul and Spiti, was the cold- Security Force (BSF) spokesman 13 trains were cancelled due to here. “Night temperatures are State capital Patna recorded a Most places across both states est in the state with a low of 6.5 Ravi Gandhi. heavy morning fog, leaving pas- likely to fall further.” minimum of eight degree Celsius witnessed fog, affecting road, rail degrees below the freezing point. Hajong, a resident of Jenaighati sengers stranded. Another 24 Clear skies and bright sun- yesterday, a Met official said. and air traffic. Flights from the The town saw minus 9.3 degrees area in Bangladesh’s Sherpur dis- trains coming in to Delhi were shine greeted people in Bihar Temperatures also plummetted Chandigarh airport were affected the previous day (Monday). trict, is also a linkman of the out- delayed by hours. The mini- on the first day of the New Year across Punjab and Haryana. Met due to poor visibility. Kalpa, 250km from here, lawed United Liberation Front of mum temperature dipped to four yesterday. officials said yesterday that the In Lucknow, dense fog on the recorded a minimum tempera- Asom (ULFA), the BSF official degrees Celsius, the season’s low- “There has been a respite from maximum temperatures at most outskirts delayed a dozen trains ture of 1.4 degrees Celsius, while said. “Hajong is a prized catch for est. The maximum temperature cold wave conditions in Bihar places were eight to 10 degrees and led to cancellation of five it was one degree in Manali and us and we are still interrogating was 15.3 degrees, five notches for the last four days. Sunny Celsius below normal in the past yesterday. Many trains continue 5.6 degrees in Dharamsala. The him to find out his plans and his below average. weather may continue for next 24 hours. to run several hours behind the Met office at Shimla has forecast other activities in the region,” Jammu and Kashmir shivered two days,” A K Sen, director of Karnal in Haryana had a high schedule. mainly dry weather in the state Gandhi said. Gandhi said Hajong with the minimum temperature India Meteorological Department of 10.4 degrees, 10 degrees below A Met Department official fore- till January 5. has confessed that he was work- across the valley staying much at Patna, said. Bihar reeled under normal. Ambala city at 10.3 cast warmer day temperatures IANS ing with the ULFA and facilitat- ing the trans-border movements of ULFA cadres. Meghalaya shares a 443km New Year celebrations border with Bangladesh, part of which is porous, hilly, unfenced Nine killed and prone to frequent infiltration. S A Ibrahim takes BSF troopers seized Yaba during New Year tablets (chemical drugs) worth `30,000 and a mobile phone with celebrations two Bangladeshi SIM cards from charge as IB chief HYDERABAD: Hajong’s possession. The New Year began on a tragic note with nine NEW DELHI: Indian Police soft-spoken person with talent for people, including revellers, get- Bihar panchayat Service officer Syed Asif information-gathering. ting killed in four separate road Ibrahim yesterday took over as A former Research and accidents in Andhra Pradesh. bans mobile chief of the Intelligence Bureau Analysis Wing (RAW) chief said Two youngsters celebrating (IB), becoming the first from Ibrahim was “one of the finest the New Year were killed in the phones in school the country’s main minority officers”. upmarket Jubliee Hills here when community to hold the post. Another former police officer, a speeding car hit their motorcy- PATNA: A panchayat in Bihar Home ministry sources said who has worked with Ibrahim in cle. Police said the accident took has banned the use of mobile Ibrahim took over as IB direc- the IB, described him as a “soft place around 1.30 am. Two youth phones by school students and tor yesterday. Ibrahim, an IPS spoken, very balanced person”. were injured in another accident told girl students not to wear officer of the Madhya Pradesh “He will make a very good DIB,” in the city when they fell from “provocative dresses”. cadre, has taken over the charge the officer, who spoke on the con- their motorcycle. “Both decisions were taken by from Nehchal Sandhu who retired dition of anonymity, said. Despite police shutting down panchayat members in view of on December 31. He will hold the The officer said Ibrahim had all flyovers and imposing traf- increasing cases of rape,” pancha- post for two years. Ibrahim was handled security in IB and his fic restrictions on Tank Bund yat head Sushma Singh of Matpa appointed officer on special duty “heavy charter” included internal and other key roads surrounding in Aurangabad district said. in IB last month after the govern- and industrial security. Hussain Sagar lake in the city, Teachers of government- ment decided to elevate him as Officials said Ibrahim had influ- hundreds of revellers came on the schools have been asked to strictly the head of the organisation. He enced thinking on terrorism and streets to celebrate the New Year. implement both orders, she said. was serving as special director in suggested that agencies need to Many of them were riding tri- According to her, students from the IB earlier. pay greater thrust to outfits hav- ple on their two-wheelers while Class 6 to 12 have been banned from Sources said Ibrahim has direct ing base in the country. cars were being driven at high taking mobile phones to schools. experience in anti-terror opera- They said that during his work speed. Police booked cases against “The mobile phone is the cause tions and has handled responsi- in Jammu and Kashmir, Ibrahim dozens of revellers who were of all evils in our society, including bilites ranging from the Kashmir laid emphasis on engagement driving vehicles in an inebriated increasing love affairs and inci- desk to cyber security cell. with civil society for effectiveness condition. In another tragedy dur- dents of elopement,” she said. The In his initial career, Ibrahim of intelligence work. ing New Year celebrations, two panchayat has asked school girls had field postings in Madhya Ibrahim’s appointment comes youngsters were killed in Kadapa not to wear “provocative dresses”. Pradesh and had encounters with at a politically crucial juncture as district. The students of Class 10 A local official said the panchayat dacoits of Chambal ravines. he will be head of IB during the Christians and revellers gather to release balloons to welcome the New were carrying a cake when they orders had no legal basis. Officials who have worked with next Lok Sabha polls scheduled Year, at the Maninagar Methodist Church in Ahmedabad, yesterday. fell from their two-wheeler. Ibrahim describe him as a gentle, for 2014. IANS IANS 13-year-old Indian held over bomb threat in Singapore India, Pakistan exchange SINGAPORE: A 13-year-old boy, believed to be from India but attending school in Singapore, was arrested here after he alleg- list of nuclear facilities edly threatened to plant bombs in a local casino resort, a media report said yesterday. NEW DELHI: India and Against Nuclear Installations of each country lodged in oth- The boy said in a Facebook post Pakistan yesterday exchanged and Facilities between the two ers’ jails, consistent with the that the day he leaves Singapore, a list of their nuclear facilities countries. provisions of the Agreement he is going to take “a big big and their nationals lodged in The agreement was signed on on Consular Access between revenge” and “spit everywhere” each others’ jails. December 31, 1988 and entered India and Pakistan,” the state- and “plant bombs on Marina Bay This is the 22nd consecu- into force on January 27, 1991. It ment said. Sands”, Xinhua quoted the Straits tive year of exchange of lists provides, inter alia, that the two The agreement which was Times as saying. of nuclear facilities and was countries inform each other signed May 21, 2008 provides Police said they were in touch held simultaneously here and of nuclear installations and that a comprehensive list of with the school the student listed at Islamabad, a statement facilities to be covered under nationals of each country on his Facebook page. The boy, from the ministry of external the agreement on the first of lodged in others’ jails has to be who cannot be named as he is a affairs here said. The lists are January of every calendar year. exchanged twice each year, on minor, is believed to have posted covered under the Agreement The two countries also January 1 and July 1. the threat last week. The offence on the Prohibition of Attack exchanged a list of nationals IANS is punishable with a fine of 100,000 Singapore dollars ($80,000) or imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years, or both. Sikhs pay homage Over 800 booked in Mumbai for drunken driving

MUMBAI: Over 800 motor- ists were booked in Mumbai for drunken driving on the New Year’s eve and early yester- day, police said. According to a traffic police official, as many as 840 revellers were fined and detained for driving under the influence of alcohol while ring- ing in the New Year. “Those charged face a punish- ment of up to six months in jail or `2,000 as penalty or both,” he said. “Even as the celebrations went off peacefully, this year saw nearly 100 more revellers being fined for drunken driving. Last year we had Sikhs wait for their turn to pay homage at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, yesterday. Thousands of fined 749 revellers,” the official believers from across the country and abroad visited the temple on the occasion of New Year. said. IANS WEDNESDAY 2 JANUARY 2013 16 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com MORNING BREAK

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www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 44557741 | Advertising: 44557837 / 44557780 Law to regulate Apple store robbed in Paris public-private partnership soon Minister for market-driven economy

DOHA: Qatar hopes to soon that Qataris in the large pub- have a law in place to regu- lic sector workforce are try- late public-private partnership ing to engage in private sector (PPP) which would allow the enterprise. private sector to participate About price control meas- in key infrastructure projects ures, he said Qatar is striving to more readily. achieve a balance between credit The Minister of Business and growth and inflation. When Trade, H E Sheikh Jassim bin the equilibrium is lost, inflation Abdulaziz Al Thani, hinted the hurts consumers and makes the move is part of long-term plans market less competitive, slowing aimed at accelerating the tran- the growth rate of the overall sition from public sector-led economy. development to a market-driven To begin a discussion of price economy. controls, one has to acknowl- He told the Oxford Business edge that there are other factors Group’s ‘The Report (Qatar affecting the prices of products 2012)’ in an interview: “We are than simply market supply or currently working on a public-pri- demand and consumer income. vate partnership (PPP) law that “As part of our efforts to con- will permit the private sector to trol the prices of products and An Apple logo of the Opera Apple Store in Paris, France, yesterday. Reports state that four armed robbers took part in an organised raid on the Opera participate in key infrastructure services, the consumer protec- Apple Store on Monday, making off with an estimated €1m of goods. projects more readily”. tion department (CPD) prepares Qatar already has a success- a monthly report in which it ful track record of partnerships examines the prices of prod- between the private and public ucts and services to track their sectors. Citing an example, the stability.” Minister said over two-thirds of To increase transparency, the Qtel to buy further 15pc stake in Tunisiana Qatar’s power generating capacity department statistically analy- was installed through PPPs. ses the market and reports on DOHA: Qatar Telecom (Qtel) retain a 10 percent holding in company which we believe will The government now aims to the effects that its supervision has reached agreement with the Tunisiana with a view to a public continue to deliver long term repeat this success elsewhere. The efforts are having on the market. Tunisian Government to acquire offering in the future. value for our shareholders. private sector plays an increas- One objective of the department a further 15 percent stake in This agreement underlines “We also look forward to con- ingly important role in the devel- is to protect the lifestyles of con- Tunisiana S A (Tunisiana) for a the strong bonds that link Qatar tinuing our partnership with the opment of the economy. sumers, insulating them from total consideration of $360m. with Tunisia, and demonstrates Tunisian authorities as Tunisiana The government recognises dramatic price fluctuations. National Mobile Telecommu- the ongoing and evolving oppor- enters into a new phase of its that the future of the economy Price control measures are nications Company KSC tunities for joint investment and development with the continu- hinges upon the growth of the pri- thus vital to both the public (“Wataniya” or “NMTC”), a 92.1 development. ing expansion of 3G services and vate sector, and thus it endeav- interest and the nation’s mac- percent subsidiary of Qtel already, Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohamed the launch of fixed line services ours to create real opportunities roeconomic stability, and such has a direct holding of 75 percent in bin Saud Al Thani (pictured), in 2013. We are convinced that for entrepreneurship and innova- measures may require further Tunisiana. Following completion of Chairman of Qtel Group, said: these new services will enhance tion between the public and pri- regulation. However, they are the transaction, Qtel and its’ sub- “We are pleased to have been the experience of Tunisiana’s vate sectors. necessary to the maintenance sidiaries total holding in Tunisiana offered the opportunity to fur- customers and will contribute to To speed up the transition, the of healthy growth. will increase to 90 percent. ther increase our shareholding growth in Tunisia’s economy.” government needs to recognise THE PENINSULA The Tunisian government will in Tunisiana, an outstanding THE PENINSULA

British PM urges bold G8 PetroRabigh action on global economy refinery halted

LONDON: British Prime between them. With ambition on for 20 days Minister David Cameron called this scale, I am convinced that on his fellow G8 leaders yester- success depends on us starting a JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s day to start work now on agree- debate on these changes now.” PetroRabigh refining and petro- ing “bold steps” to help boost Cameron said the G8 nations chemicals complex will carry out global economic growth, ahead could offer leadership to ease trade maintenance for 20 days after of a summit he will host in June. negotiations, adding that the start a power cut on Saturday forced In a letter marking the start of of talks on a deal between the it to halt operations, it said in a Britain’s presidency of the Group European Union and the United bourse statement yesterday. of Eight richest nations, Cameron States would be “perhaps the single The joint venture, owned laid out his three priorities for the biggest prize of all”. by Saudi Aramco and Japan’s year: to extend free trade, tackle The G8 could also “galvanise Sumitomo Chemical, said on tax evasion and combat corruption. collective international action” Saturday in a bourse statement Writing to the leaders of Canada, to tackle tax evasion and avoid- that supplies of power and steam France, Germany, Italy, Japan, ance by sharing information and had been interrupted from pro- Russia and the United States, looking at whether global stand- vider Rabigh Arabian Water and Cameron said: “It is clear that in ards need to be extended and Electricity Co (RAWEC). A Toyota Fortuner seen inside a car showroom in Mumbai in this November 2012 file picture. 2013 the world will continue to face tightened, he said. And the prime “In order to ensure the reliabil- grave economic uncertainty.” minister urged the G8 to “put a ity of the facilities, the firm is cur- While each country would new and practical emphasis on rently examining and performing India’s car makers show mixed sales trend rightly focus on their own chal- transparency, accountability and the necessary maintenance on lenges, he said, “the ambitious open government” in its relations all facilities, which is expected to MUMBAI: Some of India’s But Ford’s India sales grew costlier auto loans and high fuel standards we set and the bold with less developed and emerging take around 20 days,” the state- auto giants reported yesterday nine percent to 6,517 vehicles in costs. steps we take by working together economies, including by improv- ment said. PetroRabigh said the a modest increase and some December while exports more The Society of Indian through the G8 can make a tangi- ing the way aid is spent. maintenance will not have a sig- a drop in sales of new cars for than doubled to a record 4,382 Automobile Manufacturers last ble difference by firing up econo- Cameron added that he was nificant impact on the company’s the month of December, despite cars from a year earlier. year slashed its car sales growth mies and driving prosperity, not reviewing why UK had not yet signed earnings. recent festive discounts and India’s largest passenger car forecast, for the financial year to just in our own countries, but all up to the Extractive Industries PetroRabigh has annual output new models launched. maker, Maruti Suzuki, has yet to March 2013, to between one and over the world”. Transparency Initiative, which is capacity of 18 million tonnes of Tata Motors, India’s leading report sales data for December. three percent from an earlier nine But he warned that if the G8 designed to shed light on who earns refined products and 2.4 million vehicle maker, showed a 51 per- India has been one of the to 11 percent forecast. is to see progress in these areas, what from the exploitation of natu- tonnes of petrochemicals. cent year-on-year drop in sales at world’s fastest-growing car mar- India’s economic growth eased leaders meeting in Northern ral resources. The United States In May, Saudi Aramco and 14,185 units, compared to 28,916 kets in recent years and global to 5.3 percent year-on-year in Ireland in June need to do more was the only G8 country to have Sumitomo Chemical Co said the same time last year. auto makers raced to set up fac- the July to September quarter, than “whip out a chequebook at joined, he said, adding: “We need they planned to go ahead with a The Indian unit of Hyundai tories to supply local demand. extending a prolonged downturn, the 11th hour, pledge some money to change that. We cannot call on $7bn expansion of the complex on Motor, the country’s second- But purchases slowed sharply while interest rates remain high and call it a success”. “What we other countries to live up to these the Red Sea cost. The Rabigh II largest car maker, said its sales in 2012 as consumers grew wary as the central bank seeks to tame are talking about are long-term high standards if we are not pre- project, now under construction, in December slid 2.5 percent to of committing to big-ticket items stubbornly high inflation. changes in our countries and the pared to do so ourselves.” is due to start operating in 2016. 47,833 cars from a year earlier. due to the economic slowdown, AFP rules that govern the relationships AFP REUTERS WEDNESDAY 2 JANUARY 2013 18 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com BUSINESS BRIC dominance fades for a record third year State meddling curbs equity returns; trend will probably persist this year too, says expert

HONG KONG: Stocks in the points in the eight years after sure it’s enough.” develop long term,” Urbina, the India’s government “is taking 5.9 times profits, the lowest level biggest developing markets are Goldman Sachs coined the term The drop in stock trading Chicago-based money manager the issues head on to stimulate among gauges for 45 emerging lagging behind global equities in 2001, as their economies grew makes it harder for governments whose $958 million William Blair growth and get back investor and developed markets, data com- for a record third year as faster more than threefold. Gross to revive growth. Brazil may face Emerging Markets Growth Fund confidence,” said Soren Beck- piled by Bloomberg show. economic growth proves no lure domestic product is now expand- an “equity gap” of more than $1 has outperformed 90 percent of Petersen, a London-based Shares of Moscow-based for investors amid concerns ing at the slowest rate compared trillion this decade as companies’ peers tracked by Bloomberg dur- director at HSBC Global Asset Gazprom dropped 16 percent this over government interference to the rest of the world since financing needs outstrip investor ing the past three years, said. Management, whose $1.3bn BRIC year even as analysts estimated the in markets. 1998. The International Monetary demand for shares, according to India has taken steps that equity fund has increased its company will earn about $38bn in The MSCI BRIC Index of Fund sees average growth in the the McKinsey Global Institute. make it the most promising of Indian holdings this year. 2012, making it the world’s most shares in Brazil, Russia, India four countries of 4.5 percent this Russian Prime Minister Dmitry the four countries in terms of In China, where the Shanghai profitable energy producer. The and China rose 11 percent last year, down from 8.1 percent in Medvedev has said a growing long-term stock gains, said Jim Composite Index has climbed state-run gas-export monopoly is year through December 28, trail- 2010, compared with 3.3 percent securities industry will help the O’Neill, who created the term 1.5 percent this year, the worst using its cash to finance the indus- ing the MSCI All-Country World for the world economy. nation diversify its economy BRIC for economies his colleagues performance among the BRICs, try’s largest capital expenditure Index by 1.6 percentage points. While the BRIC gauge away from oil. Chinese compa- projected would join the world’s the government cut trading fees program, part of which goes to The trend will probably persist increased this year, the value of nies need funding sources outside biggest by 2050 and now over- and dividend taxes for long-term fund projects favored by President in 2013, according to John-Paul shares traded on local bourses the banking system, according to sees about $716bn as the chair- investors while more than dou- Vladimir Putin. Smith, a Deutsche Bank strate- fell to a three-year low and the Jeff Urbina, an emerging mar- man of Goldman Sachs Asset bling the amount of shares over- Investors also are punishing gist. Mutual funds that invest in measure is still 36 percent below ket money manager at William Management in London. seas money managers can own stocks in Brazil, where President BRIC nations have posted $1.65bn its October 2007 peak. The out- Blair & Co. India relies on for- Prime Minister Manmohan to restore confidence as trading Dilma Rousseff and her ruling of outflows as Brazilian politicians lier is India, where the bench- eign inflows to fund its current- Singh’s administration removed volumes sank to a four-year low Workers’ Party have focused on intervened to cut utility rates, mark BSE India Sensitive Index account deficit. barriers this year on foreign invest- last month. Trading has since improving infrastructure, boost- China maintained control of its surged 26 percent as the govern- ment in the retail and aviation increased by about 14 percent, ing consumers’ spending power biggest companies and Russian ment responded to the threat of INVESTORS WARY industries, opened the stock mar- data compiled by Bloomberg show. and reducing costs for domes- businesses spent shareholder a credit-rating downgrade with Many investors in BRIC com- ket to individual investors abroad Russia joined the World Trade tic manufacturers as economic money on projects favored by the its biggest push in a decade to panies prefer to buy shares on and cut fuel subsidies. Palaniappan Organisation and upgraded its growth weakened to 0.6 percent government. open up the economy to foreign overseas exchanges. Brazil’s Chidambaram, India’s finance min- financial trading systems this in the third quarter from the pre- “This whole revolution of going investment. state-run Petroleo Brasileiro ister, is also seeking to open up the year. Finance Minister Anton vious three months. from a socialistic mentality to a “Governments typically only and Russia’s Gazprom are more insurance and pension industries Siluanov told reporters in Sochi Rousseff announced plans this market economy mentality is carry out reforms when they have actively traded abroad than on to overseas capital. that the government is committed year to cut utility rates by as much not complete,” Mark Mobius, their back to the wall,” Ruchir local bourses, according to data “The measures we have to improving access to the market as 28 percent, called on banks to who oversees about $40bn as the Sharma, the New York-based compiled by Bloomberg. The 30- announced are important to bring for foreigners. “We are going to reduce borrowing costs to lev- executive chairman of Templeton head of emerging-market equi- day average value of trades in back growth in the economy,” the continue this work,” he said. els that would leave them with Emerging Markets Group and ties and global macro at Morgan 10 Russian companies including finance minister told reporters Investors are more concerned “civil” profits and approved new has invested in developing coun- Stanley Investment Management, Gazprom is 62 percent higher in in New Delhi on December 12. about a lack of corporate govern- phone industry rules designed to tries for more than 25 years, said. which oversees about $330 billion, London than the same compa- International investors bought a ance in Russia than how they increase competition. Economists “We’re still in the middle of that said in a Nov. 29 phone interview. nies’ Moscow-listed shares, the net $24bn of the nation’s shares access local markets, said William surveyed by Brazil’s central bank and have a long way to go.” “It’s moving in the right direction data show. in 2012, the second-most among Blair’s Urbina. predicted GDP will increase 3.3 Stocks of BRIC companies beat in some of these countries, but the “You need good publicly traded 10 Asian markets tracked by The Micex index, which rose percent next year. global equities by 403 percentage task is so enormous that I’m not markets if you’re really going to Bloomberg after Japan. 5.2 percent in 2012, is valued at WP-BLOOMBERG

Plan B for business in India’s stock market third Beirut to avoid bust best performer BEIRUT: As civil war rages said Violette Balaa, an economic in neighbouring Syria and with analyst and strategy manager at globally in ’12 tourism from the Gulf non- First Protocol, an event planning existent, hardened Lebanese agency. MUMBAI: After a dismal merchants are surviving on “On the surface, this decision show a year ago, the Indian a mixed bag of individual ini- was security-related, because of stock market emerged as the tiative, well-off Syrian tourists fears of instability or kidnappings, third best performer globally and help from expats. but it is political and aimed at in 2012, with a return of over Sitting in her lifestyle boutique, punishing Lebanon for its posi- 25 percent for a key index on with evening gowns displayed tion on the Syrian issue,” she the back of $24bn foreign fund opposite a fully stocked bar, said. There has been a dramatic inflows and robust buying by Sophie Salame says the Lebanese slump in tourism, which normally domestic investors. “always have a plan B”. “We have accounts for 22 percent of GDP The 30-share Sensitive Index had tough times, but I cut costs but has dropped as low as 10 per- (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock and by the end of the year came cent, Balaa said. Exchange (BSE) ranked third in up with better results,” she said. The decline in tourists from the terms of returns after the yields Her strategy included early Gulf did not stop Salame from fly- of the 50-scrip Thailand Set sales and personally emailing ing in a designer from London to Index and Germany’s 30-share Arab clients whose governments create her dazzling window dis- Deutscher Aktien IndeX. she wishes had not issued travel plays. “It cost me a small fortune. The benchmark Indian index warnings. “The Arabs are boy- But I could not let Christmas pass ended the year at 19,426.71 points, cotting us. They want to take a without it,” she said. “Lebanese 25.70 percent or 3,971.79 points stand on the government’s posi- love life and they love to spend higher than the previous year’s tion on Syria,” she said, adding money, even in tough times.” close at 15,454.92 points. This that a holiday influx of expatri- The luxury Beirut Souks shop- is the best performance of the ates and an exodus of upper class ping centre is still packed, but benchmark index since 2009. Syrians has been a saving grace. according to Balegh, who works A Lebanese man looks at a shop window in ‘Souqs’ shopping district in Beirut. The Sensex recorded a high “There are two kinds of refugees,” in a fashion store, most people of 19,612.18 points and a low of she said. were “cruising and not buying.” Sales are far lower than in pre- luxury boutique Aishti, said money we spend here we could 15,358.02 points in 2012, data Since the 21-month revolt Business nosedived after the vious years, she said — “not only retailers must put their best foot go to many places in Europe or available with the bourse showed. erupted, hundreds of thousands assassination last October of in this souk, all over the country.” forward. “If you take away the Asia, but we come here to help “Markets gained globally. But of less fortunate Syrians have fled intelligence chief Wissam al-Has- In one sign of hard times, the tra- window displays, the fireworks, the economy,” he said. Indian market outperformed oth- to Lebanon, where a weak and san, which was widely blamed on ditional New Year fireworks dis- the advertising, people are going Not all foreign tourists have ers because of the reform push divided government has adopted the Syrian regime by Lebanon’s play sponsored by construction to think it’s over, that Beirut is no been scared off. In mid-afternoon that came after September,” said a policy of “disassociation” from pro-revolt opposition, he said. giant Solidere was cancelled. longer a destination. And that’s two Jordanians rushed out of the Vaibhav Agrawal, vice president, the bloody conflict. Joanna, in a lingerie shop, said Tony Eid, founder of the mer- not the case.” “It’s easy with a Souks, crisp bags from Aishti and research, Angel Broking. Over the summer, the Gulf customers are buying only the chants’ association in central recession to cut down on every- chocolatier Patchi in hand. “Just Agrawal said the government states urged their citizens to basics and constantly bargain- Beirut, expressed regret, but thing but in the medium term it a teeny bit of holiday shopping,” decision to cut subsidies on petro- avoid Lebanon after Syria-linked hunting. “We mostly count on added: “In times of crisis, every- will hurt us.” beamed the well-heeled young leum products and liberalise over- clashes and kidnappings rocked tourists, but there are no tourists one has to double his efforts in Francois, 49, works in Saudi woman as her friend hurried her seas investment norms for the the long-time shopping and night- in Lebanon now,” she said. Most order to gain the most... or lose Arabia and brings his family back along to catch their flight home sectors like retail, aviation, insur- life hub. This badly affected tour- of her customers are Lebanese or the least.” for 10-15 days every holiday sea- to Amman. ance and banking sent a positive ism and the economy in general, Syrians. Tony Salame of Lebanese son out of patriotism. “With the AFP signal to the market. Data with the regulator, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), showed that foreign funds pumped in $24bn into the Indian markets. In contrast, for- Bailout candidate Cyprus slams eurozone austerity pill eign funds had divested $357.8bn from Indian equities and invested $8.65bn in the debt markets in 2011, NICOSIA: Cyprus President Demetris 7.25 percent of gross domestic product. in June when its two largest Greek-exposed from Russia, on top of ¤2.5bn it already bor- while in 2010, their investment in Christofias hit out on Monday against Parliament has approved public sector sal- banks asked for assistance after failing to rowed last year, but agreement never came. these two segments amounted to the harsh austerity measures being ary cuts, a freeze on index-linked wages until meet EU capital buffer criteria. Christofias was making his last address to $29.36bn and $10.11bn, respectively. meted out against struggling eurozone 2016, extended emergency salary contribu- It has been negotiating the terms with the nation as he will not be standing for Among the individual scrips members as the Mediterranean island tions in the public and private sectors, and the so-called troika of the European re-election in February, becoming the first that comprise the 30-share faces a bleak New Year. increases in duty on cigarettes and petrol. Central Bank, the European Union and Cyprus president not to do so. Sensex basket, the best performer The communist head of state, who tried But eurogroup finance ministers are the International Monetary Fund. He always said he would step down if he in 2012 was Tata Motors, which repeatedly to avoid the inevitable pun- not expected to take a final decision until The money needed by Cyprus has been failed to make progress towards ending the surged almost 75 percent on the ishing terms of an EU bailout by seeking January 21 on a draft agreement with widely reported to total ¤17.5bn ($23.1bn) island’s nearly four-decade division. back of strong performance of its credit from Russia, said that the policies international lenders for a bailout report- -- ¤10bn for the banks, ¤6bn for maturing In his speech, he charged that stalemated luxury car division Jaguar Land imposed by the bloc’s richer members had edly totalling ¤17.5bn ($23.1bn). state debt and ¤1.5bn for public finances. UN-backed reunification talks had been Rover. been counter-productive. Christofias said the picture painted The country’s entire GDP in 2011 was undermined by Turkey, which occupied the The country’s largest lender “It must be admitted that policies imple- by many European countries in trouble ¤17.97bn and, according to 2013 budget island’s northern third in 1974 following a ICICI Bank jumped 66 percent, mented on a pan-European level have not does “not honour” the European Union. projections, it is expected to shrink 2.4 Greek Cypriot coup seeking union with Greece. Maruti Suzuki soared 63 percent succeeded in providing a solution to the “The future of a United Europe cannot be percent this year. Christofias conceded Christofias said launching the search for and engineering and construction economic problems created by the crisis,” poverty, deprivation, unemployment and he had hoped to secure a loan from else- offshore oil and gas — over the protests firm Larsen & Toubro gained 61 Christofias said in a televised New Year’s homelessness.” Christofias said the EU’s where rather than enter the EU’s support of Turkey—had been his biggest achieve- percent in 2012. message. “On the contrary, they have recy- “one-sided” approach has failed to achieve mechanism because it would involve “pain- ment in office. “Finding natural gas is the The worst performer in this cled and worsened economic and social growth in those recession-hit countries it ful sacrifice”. most important economic, political and segment was the country’s second injustice,” he added. has tried to help. “Even before the initial agreement with social event since Cyprus independence largest software exporter Infosys, Resort island Cyprus has already pushed “A different approach is needed which the troika, we made great efforts to find (in 1960),” he said. “I have no doubt that which slumped 16.5 percent. Gail through tough austerity measures to meet will emphasise development, social cohesion funding from other sources, precisely this five-year period will remain in history India fell 8 percent, Bharti Airtel the demands of eurozone creditors for more and true solidarity within the Union. It is because we at least, were under no illusion as the period when the prospect of natural declined 7 percent and BHEL lost than ¤1bn in cuts and savings. The four- with sadness that we observe the absence of about the problems we were going to face.” gas materialised and created hope for us, 4.5 percent in 2012. year adjustment programme represents such policies.” Nicosia requested a bailout Cyprus had hoped to secure a ¤5bn loan our children and grandchildren.” AFP IANS WEDNESDAY 2 JANUARY 2013 BUSINESS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 19 IT industry in India faces challenges Slowdown in growth seen this year

HYDERABAD: The infor- and to focus on public-private mation technology industry in partnership. India has a challenging and an With severe electricity short- uncertain year ahead, feel the age impacting the sector in business leaders in the sector in Andhra Pradesh, Suman Reddy this technology hub. underlined the need for steps to However, they believe the IT improve the situation and also for companies could use this uncer- widening the roads at key junc- tain period as an opportunity to tions in Hyderabad and for easier make investments to increase government interfaces. their competitiveness. According to the IT and ITeS “Such periods of uncertainly (information technology-enabled in the past have provided a great services) Industry Association platform for organisations to of Andhra Pradesh, the sector refine strategy and execute ini- in Andhra Pradesh achieved a tiates that increase competitive turnover of Rs53,246 crore in advantage and accelerate growth,” 2012, crossing the Rs50,000-crore said B V R Mohan Reddy, chair- mark for the first time. The conical drilling unit Kulluk, southeast of Kodiak, Alaska. Response crew have been fighting severe weather in the Gulf of Alaska while working with man and managing director, Andhra Pradesh is the fourth- the Kulluk and its tow vessel Aiviq. The Kulluk broke away from one of its tow lines and was driven to rocks just off Kodiak Island, where it grounded at Infotech Enterprises Ltd, a glo- largest IT exporter in the country, about 9pm Alaska time, officials said. bal technology solutions provider. accounting for 12 percent of India’s As a sector emblematic of glo- total IT exports. balisation and international trade, Ramesh Loganathan, vice-pres- the Indian IT industry will also ident, Progress Software India, Drifting Shell drill ship grounds off Alaska see a slowdown in growth, he hoped that during 2013 the indus- noted. The Indian IT industry’s try would continue to improve its ANCHORAGE: A large drill reports of damage yet, but the The Kulluk’s woes began on heavy steel,” she told the news estimated export growth will be efficiencies and move up the value ship belonging to oil major Kulluk has about 155,000 gallons Friday, when the Shell ship towing conference. approximately 11 percent, down chain. “Initiatives triggered by the Shell ran aground off Alaska on of fuel on board, Montoya said. it south experienced a mechanical Shell is waiting for weather from 16 percent a year ago. start of recession in 2009 are now Monday night after drifting in The grounding of the Kulluk, failure and lost its connection to to moderate “to begin a com- Mohan Reddy believes that the continuing to be relevant with stormy weather, company and a conical, Arctic-class drill ship the drill vessel. plete assessment of the Kulluk,” IT companies will look at expand- pricing pressures and reducing government officials said. weighing nearly 28,000 gross That ship, the Aivik, was reat- she said. “We hope to ulti- ing the delivery capability beyond cost arbitrage with wage increases The ship, the Kulluk, broke tonnes, is a blow to Shell’s $4.5bn tached to the Kulluk early on mately recover the Kulluk with India to leverage the global exper- and reduced growth. away from one of its tow lines offshore programme in Alaska. Monday morning, as was a tug minimal or no damage to the tise, invest in creation of intel- “The modest 11 percent growth on Monday afternoon and was Shell’s plan to convert the area sent to the scene by the opera- environment.” lectual property and continue to projected by Naascom notwith- driven, within hours, to rocks in to a major new oil frontier has tor of the Trans Alaska Pipeline The Kulluk was built in improve the talent pool in the standing, the efforts to improve just off Kodiak Island, where it alarmed environmentalists and System. But the Aivik lost its link 1983 and had been slated to be country. profitability and to increase high grounded at about 9pm. Alaska many Alaska Natives but excited Monday afternoon, and the tug’s scrapped before Shell bought it Suman Reddy, vice-presi- value services and IP creation are time, officials said. industry supporters. crew could only try to guide the in 2005. The company has spent dent and managing director, actively underway, especially in The 18-member crew had been Environmentalists and Native drill ship to a position where, if it $292m since then to upgrade the Pegasystems Worldwide India Hyderabad,” he said. evacuated by the Coast Guard late opponents say the drilling pro- grounded, “it would have the least vessel. Pvt. Ltd, is of the opinion that the Pointing out that while on Saturday because of risks from gram threatens a fragile region amount of impact to the environ- Shell’s Arctic campaign recovery of the global economy will Hyderabad is way better than the ongoing storm. that is already being battered by ment,” Montoya said. has been bedevilled by prob- have a positive impact on the IT other cities like Bangalore, with With winds reported at up rapid climate change. The Kulluk was used by Shell lems. A second drill ship, the sector globally as well as in India. a better planned growth and good to 60 miles an hour and Gulf “Shell and its contractors are in September and October to drill Discoverer, was briefly detained “Moreover, the Indian IT core infrastructure, he called for of Alaska seas of up to 35 feet, no match for Alaska’s weather a prospect in the Beaufort Sea. in December by the Coast Guard industry is witnessing a growth in improving the public transport. responders were unable to keep and sea conditions either dur- It was being taken to Seattle for in Seward, Alaska, because of niche sectors such as healthcare V Laxmikanth, managing the ship from grounding, said ing drilling operations or during the off-season when the problems safety concerns. and insurance. With the health- director, Broadridge Financial Coast Guard Commander Shane transit,” Lois Epstein, Arctic pro- began on Friday. A mandatory oil-containment care reforms by the US to bring Solutions India Pvt Ltd, believes Montoya, the leader of the inci- gram director for The Wilderness Susan Childs, emergency inci- barge, the Arctic Challenger, a new dimension to the Indian IT that India’s growth story is here dent command team. Society, said in an email. “Shell’s dent commander for Shell, held failed for months to meet Coast industry, we expect to see a lot to stay. “From the IT industry “We are now entering into the costly drilling experiment in the out hope that a significant spill Guard requirements for sea- more innovation and growth in perspective, I see that it can be a salvage and possible spill-response Arctic Ocean needs to be stopped from the drill ship was unlikely. worthiness and a ship mishap the coming year,” he said. great leveler and transform lives. phase of this event,” Montoya told by the federal government or by “The unique design of the resulted in damage to a critical He wants the government to The key is to make growth inclu- a news conference late on Monday Shell itself given the unacceptably Kulluk means the diesel fuel piece of equipment intended to create tax reforms to encourage sive,” he said. night in Anchorage. high risks it poses to both humans tanks are isolated in the center cap a blown well. start-ups and smaller companies IANS There is no known spill and no and the environment.” in the vessel and encased in very REUTERS

Sharp planning Oman budget raises Housing, software fuel jobs $1.15bn public rebound in western US offering: Report spending by 30pc MUSCAT: Oman’s 2013 budget raised spending nearly 30 percent over NEW YORK: Robert Thomson searched for a solution to break outlook, and forecasts gains of 3 TOKYO: Embattled Japanese its 2012 plan to 12.9bn rials ($33.5bn) yesterday as state boosts outlay on got a 20 percent raise after the fiscal impasse. percent annually by 2015. electronics firm Sharp is con- social benefits it promised after Arab Spring protests in 2011. starting last month at Richmond Among metropolitan areas with Homebuilders such as Toll sidering making a public share Spending on education, health, housing and social welfare has been American Homes in Salt Lake employment of 1 million or more Brothers Inc and Beazer Homes offering worth more than 100bn boosted by 22 percent for this year’s plan, Finance Minister Darwish City, eight months after landing workers, those in the West led in job USA Inc are both benefiting from yen ($1.15bn) early this year, a Al Balushi said in a statement carried by state media. He said last a job at another builder. A year growth in the 12 months through and helping to fuel the employ- report said yesterday. year’s actual spending was around 13bn rials, 30 percent higher than ago, he was unemployed. “I feel November, said Lee McPheters, ment increases. Revenue doubled The public offering could take planned, due to new projects. He did not give estimated actual figures much better than I did,” said research professor and director of to $167.7m in its five-state west- place in the spring with the for 2012 revenue, which was budgeted at 8.8bn rials. Thomson, 33. “There’s a lot of the JPMorgan Chase Economic ern region for the three months firm hoping to use the funds Although the 2013 plan envisages income of 11.2bn rials, actual rev- construction, just a lot of things Outlook Center at the W P Carey ended October, Toll Brothers said. to strengthen its mainstay liq- enue is likely to be higher because the budget is based on a conservative going on.” School of Business at Arizona State The four-state western market uid crystal display business and oil price of $85 a barrel, with average output of 930,000 barrels a day. Hiring by homebuilders and University in Tempe. Houston for Atlanta-based Beazer Homes, improve its creditworthiness, the On Monday, benchmark Brent crude futures traded at $111.11 a barrel. software and mobile application topped the list followed by Phoenix, rose 58 percent to $141.1m in the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper said. On Sunday, Omani Finance Ministry figures showed the country developers is helping the west- Denver, Seattle and San Francisco. quarter ended September 30 from Sharp has started talks with had run a surplus of $7.3bn from January to October despite issuing a ern third of the United States “We view the West as the the same period in 2011. major creditor banks and wants to budget plan that envisaged a deficit of 1.2bn rials. Last year’s budget lead the nation in employment nation’s most dynamic growth The housing snapback has include the capital increase scheme was based on an average oil price of $75 a barrel. growth, according to Moody’s region,” McPheters said in an bolstered Arizona’s job market. in a mid-term business plan to be Protests in Oman in February 2011 led to at least two deaths. They Analytics Inc and IHS Global email. In 2013, Arizona, Utah, The Phoenix area added 50,700 announced as early as February, demanded jobs, better pay, more democracy and an end to corruption. H Insight Inc. That’s a contrast Texas, Washington, Colorado and jobs in the year ended November, the mass-circulation daily said M Sultan Qaboos bin Said responded by granting more social benefits, for the region, which has had California will be the strongest almost 11 percent in construc- without naming its sources. sacking some ministers and giving more legislative powers to Oman’s the highest unemployment rates in the region in job growth and tion, according to the Labor The cash-strapped company only elected national body. REUTERS following the collapse of the US in the top 10 nationally, he said. Department. Job hunters in said in December it had struck housing bubble in 2006, with Over the next five years, Texas California and Washington have a 9.9bn yen capital injection prices plunging in Las Vegas, and California will add more than also found opportunities in mobile deal with US-based chipmaker southern California and Arizona. 1 million jobs each, more than any technology, social networking and Qualcomm as it moves to repair Nevada’s unemployment fell other state, he said. electronic commerce. its tattered balance sheet. 2.4 percentage points in the Other assessments buttress “Tech certainly is a driver for The Qualcomm deal will see year ended November 2012, the the strengthening outlook for the California,” said Gary Schlossberg, the pair jointly develop energy- • Bullion - Mumbai most of any state, to 10.8 per- region. “The West has been out- a San Francisco-based sen- efficient LCD panels for smart- Gold (10 gm) Standard Rs. 30625 cent, though it’s still the high- pacing the rest of the US,” said ior economist at Wells Capital phones using the Japanese firm’s Silver (1 kg) Rs. 57820 est in the US, according to the Eduardo J Martinez, senior econo- Management Inc., which oversees technology, with the US company • Indian Rupees QR1 = 14.93 Labour Department. Joblessness mist at Moody’s Analytics in West $331 billion, noting in particular initially getting about 2.64 per- • Sensex in Arizona, California, Hawaii and Chester. “Labour markets crashed the mobile application industry cent of Sharp’s stock. Idaho are all down by at least 1 when the housing market crashed. in San Francisco. “It’s one of the Japan’s battered electronics BSE 19580.81 percentage point in the same Now we are seeing signs of housing most dynamic areas,” he said. sector has suffered from a myriad NSE 5950.85 period. prices and permit issuance swing “Just look at the rents, and the of problems including a high yen, • LIC (International) launches New Gold Investment Plan ‘GOLD PLUS’ – The national unemployment from neutral to positive.” restaurants at night, it’s all being slowing demand in key export which provides an opportunity to invest in GOLD ETF & GOLD SPOT, PAN rate held at a four-year-low of Employment in the 13 most driven by tech growth and the markets, fierce overseas compe- Card/Demat Account not required. 7.7 percent in December, accord- western states, including Alaska spillover from that.” tition and strategic mistakes that • Short-term investment plan from LIC International upto 6.4 percent return ing to the median projection in and Hawaii and excluding Texas, Las Vegas is becoming an left its finances in ruins. p.a. (in dollar) a Bloomberg survey before the will rise 1.8 percent in 2013 and emerging market for e-commerce Sharp has suffered a series • Housing loan from HDFC LTD Labour Department’s January 4 2 percent in 2014, according to with the relocation of shoe and of credit rating downgrades figures. Employers added posi- IHS Global Insight. That’s fast- apparel site Zappos Inc and its and warned it expects to lose • Mutual Fund: Buy & Sell: SBI MF, HDFC MF, UTI MF, Birla Sun Life MF, tions at about the same pace as est among U.S. regions both years. 1,400 employees downtown from about $5.6bn in the fiscal year Tata MF, Reliance MF etc. in the prior month, showing the Moody’s Analytics also said the the suburbs. to March 2013. Contact: Investec, Tel: 44325060/44365060 email: [email protected] job market held up as lawmakers area has the most favorable job WP-BLOOMBERG AFP WEDNESDAY 2 JANUARY 2013 20 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com BUSINESS VIEWS

Japan’s rebuke to G-20 may US economy to dodge bullet signal moves to weaken yen

BY EUNKYUNG SEO & MASAKI KONDO for now under fiscal deal BY JASON LANGE APANESE purchases of foreign bonds to weaken the yen Analysts say financial AUSTERITY’S BITE may become more likely as the nation rejects trading Like the consensus of economists from partners’ rights to criticise its currency policies. “Foreign DEAL worked out by U.S. markets are likely to Wall Street and beyond, Deutsche Bank has countries have no right to lecture us,” Finance Minister Senate leaders to avoid the been forecasting enough fiscal drag to hold Taro Aso told reporters at a briefing in Tokyo last week. “fiscal cliff” was far from remain on tenterhooks back growth to roughly 1.9 percent in 2013. JHe said that the United States should have a stronger dollar any “grand bargain” of Ryan said the details of the deal appeared and questioned whether major Group of 20 nations had stuck to deficit reduction measures. until Congress raises the to support that forecast. pledges from 2009 to avoid competitive currency devaluations. But if approved by the US That would be much better than the Japan’s new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe may accept trade AHouse of Representatives, it could help the nation’s $16.4 trillion 0.5 percent contraction predicted by the friction as a cost of spurring growth and countering deflation country steer clear of recession, although Congressional Budget Office if the entirety through a looser monetary policy and weaker yen. The currency enough austerity would remain in place debt ceiling, which the US of the fiscal cliff took hold, but it would fall is set to complete its biggest annual decline in seven years after to likely keep the economy growing at a Treasury confirmed had short of what is needed to quickly heal the Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party secured a landslide victory in lackluster pace. labor market, which is still smarting from this month’s lower-house election. During his campaign, Abe said The Senate approved a last-minute deal been reached on Monday. the 2007-09 recession. “We continue to foreign-bond purchases were a possible monetary tool. early Tuesday morning to scale back $600bn anticipate a significant economic slowdown “The LDP wants to boost stock prices before the upper- house in scheduled tax hikes and government at the start of the year in response to fiscal election in July next year, and the easiest option for them is to spending cuts that economists widely agree New York. That is in line with what many drag and a contentious fiscal debate,” econo- weaken the currency,” said Satoshi Okagawa, a senior global- would tip the economy into recession. financial firms on Wall Street and around mists at Nomura said in a research note. markets analyst in Singapore at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp, a The deal would hike taxes permanently the world have been expecting, suggesting In particular, analysts say financial mar- unit of Japan’s second-biggest bank by market value. “The explicit for household incomes over $450,000 a year, forecasts for economic growth of around 1.9 kets are likely to remain on tenterhooks policy to weaken the yen is likely to upset the US and China.” but keep existing lower rates in force for percent for 2013 would likely hold. until Congress raises the nation’s $16.4 tril- The yen has dropped more than 10 percent versus the green- everyone else. At midnight on Monday, low tax rates lion debt ceiling, which the US Treasury back since the end of 2011, set to complete the biggest annual It would make permanent the alternative enacted under then-president George W confirmed had been reached on Monday. slump since 2005. At the same time, the yen remains about 30 minimum tax “patch” that was set to expire, Bush in 2001 and 2003 expired. If the While the Bush tax cuts would be made percent higher than it was five years ago. protecting middle-income Americans from House agrees with the Senate - and there permanent for many Americans under the In his December 28 comments, Aso, a former prime minister, being taxed as if they were rich. remained considerable doubt on that budget deal, a two-year-long payroll tax hol- said that Japan and other countries made “a promise not to resort Scheduled cuts in defence and non- score - the new rates would be extended iday enacted to give the economy an extra to competitive currency devaluations” at a G-20 meeting in 2009. defence spending were simply postponed retroactively. boost would expire. The Tax Policy Center “How many countries have kept the promise? The US should for two months. Otherwise, together with other planned estimates this could push the average house- have a stronger dollar. What about the euro?” he asked. “Foreign Economists said that if the emerging tax hikes, the average household would pay hold tax bill up by about $700 next year. countries have no right to lecture us” as Japan is the only major package were to become law, it would rep- an estimated $3,500 more in taxes, accord- The suspension of spending cuts sets up economy to keep the pledge, Aso said. resent at least a temporary reprieve for the ing to the Tax Policy Centre, a Washington a smaller fiscal cliff later in the year which The US criticised Japan for undertaking unilateral sales of economy. “This keeps us out of recession for think tank. Budget experts expect the econ- still could be enough to send the economy the yen in August and October last year, after Group of Seven now,” said Menzie Chinn, an economist at omy would take a hit as families cut back into recession, said Chinn. He warned that economies earlier jointly intervened to weaken the currency in the University of Wisconsin-Madison. on spending. ongoing worries about the possibility of the aftermath of an earthquake and tsunami. The contours of the deal suggest that Provisions in the Senate bill would avoid recession could keep businesses from invest- “Rather than reacting to domestic ‘strong yen’ concerns by roughly one-third of the scheduled fiscal scheduled cuts to jobless benefits and to ing, which would hinder economic growth. intervening to try to influence the exchange rate, Japan should tightening could still take place, said Brett payments to doctors under a federal health “You retain the uncertainty,” Chinn said. take fundamental and thoroughgoing steps to increase the dyna- Ryan, an economist at Deutsche Bank in insurance programme. REUTERS mism of the domestic economy,” the Treasury Department said in a report in December last year. The Liberal Democratic Party faces the task of reviving growth after the economy contracted for the past two quarters, meet- ing the textbook definition of a recession. The nation’s industrial output tumbled more than forecast in November to the lowest level since the aftermath of last year’s record quake. At the same time, stock prices are climbing, with Toyota at a more than two- year high, as a weaker yen and prospects for central-bank easing brighten the outlook for exporters. Such improvements may cause concern for some of Japan’s Asian neighbours. “South Korea is one of the countries most vulnerable to the weak yen policy as many export items are in direct competition, such as cars and electronic goods,” said Lee Sang-jae, a Seoul-based economist at Hyundai Securities Co. “Japan will try whatever it can to stop the deflation and to weaken the yen for export growth.” After a December 28 call with US Treasury Secretary Timothy F Geithner, Aso said he had told Geithner that the yen was making some corrections from one-sided moves and Aso would keep moni- toring changes in the currency. Bank of Japan Governor Masaaki Shirakawa, whose five-year term ends in April, has rejected sugges- tions that the bank buy foreign bonds and called for respect for the BOJ’s independence. Such a policy would amount to currency inter- vention, which is the responsibility of the finance minister, he says. At the same time, the Nikkei newspaper on December 29 cited Shirakawa as saying that central bank and government must work together to overcome deflation. Abe is pressing for the Bank of Japan to adopt a 2 percent inflation target, compared with a cur- rent goal of 1 percent. Consumer prices excluding fresh food fell 0.1 percent in November from a year earlier, showing the central bank is struggling to fulfil even the lesser ambition. The LDP proposed in its campaign manifesto establishing a joint BOJ, Ministry of Finance and private sector fund to buy foreign bonds. Takatoshi Ito, a former finance ministry official and a possible contender to become central-bank governor, said in a December 6 interview that the BOJ “can and should buy foreign bonds,” adding that such a move is possible if the finance minister publicly declares support for it. In a note this month, Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. said that foreign bond purchases are contrary to the legislation governing the BOJ. At the same time, it’s possible that the government may cajole the central bank into putting money into a proposed private-public vehicle for investment in foreign ass- sets, the lender said. WP-BLOOMBERG Cartoon Arts International / The New York Times Syndicate

Skittish investors may be ready for more risk this year BY STEVEN C JOHNSON Cash may not be an option That’s quite different from the European shares returned calls the “global gorillas”—large continued turmoil in the Middle either. Savings accounts yield vir- doomsday thinking that domi- nearly 13 percent, while the companies with a global footprint East could trigger a spike in oil HE INVESTMENT land- tually nothing and money markets nated markets in 2012, when at Barclays Global High Yield Bond that have exposure to emerging prices and a global slump. scape won’t be much dif- only marginally more. Returns on times it seemed the euro would Index was up 19.6 percent year- markets, which should grow more “It’s still a market where you ferent in 2013 than it has both are well below the rate of collapse, the bottom would fall to-date. Even Greek government swiftly than developed ones. have to be nimble,” Darst said. Tbeen this year, but the inflation, which when stripped out of China’s economy and the bonds rallied once it became Dividend-paying stocks from “You still have to drive with both investors might be. After spend- of volatile food and energy costs United States would lurch back clear the country would not be Taiwan, Mexico, Brazil and hands on the wheel.” That’s espe- ing most of 2012 in a defensive stood just shy of 2 percent in the into a recession. “Those kinds leaving the eurozone, with the elsewhere also present a good cially true in fixed income, where crouch, cowed by past crises and year to November. of distractions have hounded 10-year yield falling from around opportunity to pick up yield, said strategists warn against pouring on guard against any future ones, That panorama, investment investors all year, this idea that 40 percent in March to 12 per- Michael Fredericks, lead manager too much money into bond funds more investors seem willing to take managers say, should enhance the there was always a disaster just cent at year end. Returns were of the BlackRock Multi-Asset with interest rates at record lows. risks in 2013 in hopes of a greater appeal of assets such as stocks, around the corner,” said Steven much more modest on bench- Income Fund, especially if US Even a modest rise in bond reward, money managers say. high-yielding “junk” bonds, float- Englander, head of global G10 mark German bund; yields fell dividend taxes rise next year as a yields could do immense dam- “Managing money with one eye ing-rate loans and mortgage- currency strategy at Citigroup. from 2 percent to 1.3 percent in result of a deficit reduction deal. age to bond portfolios, said Rick on the rear-view mirror is no fun,” backed securities. As a result, many anxious that time period. Fredericks said the most prom- Rieder, BlackRock’s chief invest- said Alan Wilde, head of fixed investors sought shelter in low- Northern Trust said it would ising stocks tend to be those of ment officer for fundamental income and currency strategy at TOO CONSERVATIVE yielding bond funds, which took enter 2013 with “a tactical over- companies that rely on domes- fixed income. BlackRock expects Baring Asset Management, which Of course, the uncertainty in in $297.3bn this year, accord- weight to risk,” though McDonald tic demand rather than the big 10-year US Treasury yields to rise oversees $50bn. With investors Washington has had a paralyzing ing to Lipper data. Stock funds warned that the slight increase exporters that dominate many to 2.25 percent next year from a bit less skittish but still starved effect. As of late December, talks attracted just $13.56bn in new in investor optimism will make emerging market mutual funds. around 1.70 percent currently. for yield, Wilde said he expects between the White House and cash despite double-digit gains for returns more modest. “If you really want to get at the That, he said, means bond a “small increase in optimism” Congress had yet to yield a plan to the S&P 500. But those who did local, organic growth taking place investors will have to “take a little to encourage investors to chase avert a looming US budget crisis. take risks in 2012 did remarkably REACHING FOR YIELD in emerging markets, you have to bit of credit quality risk” in 2013 higher returns. Economists fear failure to pre- well, noted Jim McDonald, chief This year looks like it could get more direct exposure to that and to consider taking on some Doing so will require creativity vent some $600bn of automatic investment strategist at Northern be another solid one for equities. growth than you would by buy- higher-yielding but less liquid as conditions around the world spending cuts and tax increases Trust, which oversees more than Even with 2012’s gains, Northern ing a big exporter whose business securities. — advanced economies in particu- from taking effect as planned in $700bn. Trust says earnings yields still depends on US and European “We still like high yield, U.S. lar — are not conducive to rapid January could thrust the economy The total return, including look attractive, and continued consumers,” he said. municipal bonds, bridge loans growth. With debt levels and job- back into recession. dividends, of the benchmark central bank stimulus should pro- Of course, investing next year and structured collateralized less rates high and inflation sub- While stock markets have wob- S&P 500 through December 27 vide fuel for further gains. will not be risk-free. Europe’s loan obligations (CLOs), which dued, most major central banks bled in recent days, investors still was 15.3 percent, while financial David Darst, chief investment debt crisis could worsen again, the give you income without a lot of are committed to holding interest seem reasonably confident a deal stocks rose 29 percent after tum- strategist at Morgan Stanley US economy could tumble over duration,” he said. rates near zero for years to come. will eventually get done. bling 24 percent in 2011. Smith Barney, favors what he the fiscal cliff and into recession, REUTERS WEDNESDAY 2 JANUARY 2013 BUSINESS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 21 Shale gas find spurs wave of new US steel plants While global steel output has grown by 14 percent since 2008, US production has shrunk 3.4 percent

NEW YORK: The US shale- have struggled to stay profitable at Macquarie Capital USA Inc. have more than doubled since ExxonMobil are among energy or “reduced” in steel industry gas revolution, which has revi- amid sluggish domestic demand, in New York. Nucor agreed last it emerged from bankruptcy in companies seeking export permits. terminology. talised chemicals companies depressed prices and competition month to pay Canadian energy 2010. The company is now among At the same time, there’s no For steel makers, the process and prompted talk of domes- from Chinese imports. While glo- company Encana Corp $3bn over chemical producers planning bil- guarantee that steel demand in typically occurs in a blast furnace, tic energy self-sufficiency, is bal steel output has grown by 14 two decades for a joint venture lions of dollars of plants around the US will improve. Domestic in which coal heats and reduces attracting a wave of investment percent since 2008, US produc- that will develop gas wells to sup- the Gulf of Mexico to capitalize on steel-industry capacity utilization iron ore. That method accounts that may revive profits in the tion has shrunk 3.4 percent. ply its DRI capacity. cheaper gas. Fertilizer companies is at 74 percent, according to data for 94 percent of global iron out- steel industry. The newest group of steel No one at BlueScope and Essar including CF Industries Holdings from the American Iron and Steel put, according to the World Steel Austrian steelmaker Voestalpine projects are so-called direct- responded to messages seeking also are planning to construct Institute. Utilisation was 91 per- Association. said that it may construct a ¤500m reduced iron plants, which comment on the DRI projects. gas- fueled plants. cent in August 2008, the month While Nucor will use DRI iron ($661m) factory in the United account for the first stage of Lisa Clemens, a Cargill spokes- “Other companies from around before the bankruptcy of Lehman in Louisiana at its electric arc States to benefit from cheap gas. steelmaking. DRI technology woman, declined to comment the world that consume gas may Brothers Holdings. furnaces, the final stage of its Nucor Corp, the most valuable produces iron for about $324 a about any iron-making expan- be attracted to move their facili- Steel makers’ earnings haven’t steelmaking process, the com- US steelmaker, plans to start up tonne, Nucor said in a November sion at the company’s North ties to the US market, which recovered. Nucor will post a pany will still get most of its raw a $750m Louisiana project in mid- presentation. That’s $82 a tonne, Star BlueScope joint venture. would then provide even more $504m net income for this year, material from scrap steel. The 2013. They’re among at least five or 20 percent, cheaper than using Katherine Miller, a Nucor spokes- steel consumption and manufac- according to the average of seven DRI iron doesn’t just provide a US plants under consideration a conventional blast furnace, the woman, declined to comment turing capacity,” said Macquarie’s analysts’ estimates compiled by cost advantage: It also helps to or being built that would use gas Charlotte, North Carolina-based about a possible second DRI plant. Mazzaferro. “It could result in a Bloomberg. That’s less than a make smoother, blemish-free steel instead of coal to purify iron ore, steelmaker said. Hydraulic fracturing of shale re-industrialisation of the US.” third of what the company earned that’s stronger and more ductile. the main ingredient in steel. Foreign competitors are now fol- rock formations from Texas to Still, gas may not get much in 2008. US Steel Corp, the coun- Recycling steel is vulnerable to “That technology has been lowing Nucor’s lead. A joint ven- West Virginia has boosted sup- cheaper from here. Prices are up try’s biggest producer by volume, swings in scrap supply and quality. around 30 years, but for 29 years ture between Australia’s Bluescope plies of gas and sent prices plung- 82 percent from their April low is expected to post a fourth con- “The future is unknown when gas prices in the US were so high Steel and commodity trader Cargill ing by as much as half in the past and will average $3.70 per mil- secutive annual loss. it comes to raw materials,” Nucor that the technology was not eco- plans to build a DRI plant in Ohio, two years. Gas futures reached a lion British thermal units next The price of hot-rolled steel Chairman and Chief Executive nomical,” said Michelle Applebaum, Biliana Pehlivanova and Shiyang decade low of $1.91 per million year, or about 31 percent more coil, a benchmark product, has Officer Dan DiMicco said in a managing partner at consulting Wang, analysts at Barclays in British thermal units in April in than in 2012, according to the averaged $646 a tonne this year, Nov. 13 interview. DiMicco is due firm Steel Market Intelligence in New York, said in a report. India’s New York trading. median of 21 estimates compiled compared with $693 a tonne in to stand down as CEO tomor- Chicago. “This is how steel will be Essar Global Ltd. plans one for “The shale revolution is trig- by Bloomberg. 2011, according to data from Steel row after 12 years in the job and built moving forward.” Minnesota, Barclays said. gering an avalanche of indus- That price trend may continue Business Briefing. become executive chairman, with The new capacity may signal Nucor may announce a sec- trial expansion plans,” Barclays’ if the US starts exports. A study Iron is the largest component John J Ferriola taking over as a turnaround for an industry ond DRI plant soon, bringing Pehlivanova and Wang said. by NERA Economic Consulting of steel. While it’s the fourth most CEO. “We said, ‘Hey we should that has suffered from overca- the company’s domestic iron- There’s been a reversal of for- found that the country would abundant element in the earth’s take advantage of this to gener- pacity since the financial crisis making capacity to 5 million tune for US chemical producers benefit more from shipping lique- crust, iron is rarely found in its ate long-term stability,’” DiMicco and collapse in commodity prices tonnes per year, according to after years of decline. Shares fied natural gas than using it all elemental form and must instead said, referring to DRI. four years ago. US steelmakers Aldo Mazzaferro, a steel analyst of LyondellBasell Industries domestically. Sempra Energy and be separated from other minerals, WP-BLOOMBERG

Extracting marbles Luxury firms pin hopes on China to boost sales

BEIJING: Clad in a black and French luxury icon Louis orange Prada winter coat with Vuitton launched its first China a diamond-shaped pattern she Maison in July, a four-storey snapped up during a trip to megastore selling jewellery, Milan, Jennifer Ren embodies leather goods, clothing and other China’s nouveau riche. products in the commercial hub of For the 27-year-old exhibi- Shanghai—its biggest anywhere. tion planner, accessories such as In November New York-based Dior handbags, Chanel perfume Coach unveiled a China-language and necklaces by French jewel- version of its official Internet lery house Van Cleef & Arpels are store to ride the country’s online daily fashion essentials. shopping wave. “Luxury goods have become a PPR, the French owner of necessary part of my life,” said brands including Gucci and Yves Ren, who earns about $960 a Saint Laurent, announced this month in salary but gets virtually month that it had acquired a unlimited financial backup from majority stake in rising Chinese her wealthy mother, a successful luxury jewellery brand Qeelin for businesswoman. “Once you start an undisclosed amount. buying them, it would be hard to Part of a machine used to extract marble is seen at a mine near the village of Astrazub in southwest Kosovo. Mining is seen as a potential driver of step down to lower-end products,” WARNINGS growth in Kosovo, a small country blessed with mineral deposits, but shackled with a damaging reputation for gangsters and graft. she said. Easing domestic luxury sales Free-spending Chinese con- this year has prompted warnings sumers such as Ren have so far that the lightning growth rates proven a blessing to big name of previous years are unlikely to labels trying to buck global woes. be sustainable given China’s eco- Sales of personal luxury goods nomic slowdown and as the mar- in mainland China surged a spec- ket matures. India’s mountain of coal problems tacular 56 percent last year to Over the past three-and-a-half $19bn, after a 35 percent climb decades China has grown nearly in 2010, data from CLSA Asia- 10 percent a year, but Beijing has BASUNDHARA, INDIA: the nation’s economic ambitions stations that depend on expen- out with flags, Coal India took the Pacific Markets showed. In com- cut its target to 7.0 percent annu- Across India, thermal power and its plans to create tens of mil- sive imported coal cannot get it lot and paid her only for an acre, parison the world economy grew ally for the five years through stations are running below lions of jobs for its fast-growing delivered, and plans to build a she said. The compensation has just 2.7 percent in 2011. 2015 as it tries to reduce reliance capacity because they can’t get young workforce through rapid dedicated national freight net- long since run out, leaving her The investment group expects on exports and have domestic enough coal, and factories are industrialization. work are years behind schedule. with a daughter and a widowed China’s luxury market growth to consumers play a bigger role. running on expensive diesel At the mine, 1,400 trucks a day But the biggest challenge, daughter-in-law to support, along slow in the rest of this decade, “Luxury consumers do not see generators because they can’t choke the road that wends its according to the chairman of with two small grandchildren. but still predicts it to average an the future of their economy as get enough power. way from the mine through for- Coal India, S Narsingh Rao, is For Coal India, the resettlement impressive 20 percent a year over ‘cloudless’ as it was a few years But here at one of India’s larg- ests and villages to the rail yard, getting villagers to agree to give policy has left the company with the period. ago,” said Elan Shou, China man- est mines, millions of tons of coal belching diesel fumes and coating up land that needs to be acquired another headache — an army of Chinese consumers are now aging director of Ruder Finn are stockpiled because they can’t plants in black dust. But even that for mining, something he says has unskilled and often unmotivated the world’s biggest buyers of Public Relations. be transported quickly to the is not nearly enough. become “significantly more com- workers. Officials say that four- luxury merchandise, according As visa restrictions ease, more nearest rail yard. Plans to expand Animesh Nandan Sahay, chair- plex” in the past five years. fifths of the company’s 370,000 to a report last week by man- mainland Chinese consumers are production further have been put man of a subsidiary of the state- Under the watchful eye of workers were hired only because agement consultancy McKinsey, also making their luxury acquisi- on hold because a branch line to run Coal India, said the absence India’s vibrant media, egged on they had surrendered their land while another consulting firm, tions overseas to take advantage the mine, already three years of a railway line stands in the by activists and vote-hungry poli- and that it is difficult to fire even Bain and Company, found they of cheaper prices, lower purchase behind schedule, is still less than way of a plan to “quickly ramp ticians, farmers can no longer be under-performers under India’s account for a quarter of all such taxes and China’s strengthening half built. And the sorry state of up” production at Basundhara to bullied or swindled out of their stringent labor laws. purchases globally. yuan currency. India’s railway network is only 80 million tonnes a year, from less land as easily as in the past. Coal-fired plants generate This year growth has been But Chinese households with part of the story. than 12 now. Many people are reluctant to roughly 70 percent of India’s restricted by slowing expansion annual post-tax income of At a time when the country’s It is a situation that is unim- move, even though Coal India power needs, but with the pub- in the Chinese economy and $16,000-$34,000 are expected to energy needs are growing at a aginable in neighbouring China, offers resettlement packages lic-sector mining industry fail- repressed gift-giving among and grow 12-fold in just a decade, from staggering pace, India depends where coal production has been that include jobs for families ing to keep up with demand, between officials and business- fewer than 14 million in 2010 to heavily on coal, drawing on the aggressively expanded in the past who lose their land. And in a coal imports have more than men — a key element of building 167 million by 2020, according to fifth-largest reserves in the two decades to feed the maw of country where land records are quadrupled since 2001. Imports relationships, even at middle and a previous report by McKinsey. world. But mining has consist- industry, where farmers, the envi- hopelessly inadequate, verifying accounted for 14 percent of total lower levels. The habit remains “There is a lot of room for opti- ently fallen below target, imports ronment and safety standards who is entitled to compensation consumption in 2010, up from six widespread, but has been affected mism because the fundamentals are rising fast and the problems have been brushed aside in pur- can be a complex and time-con- percent in 2001. by mounting scrutiny of corrup- of rising affluence remain in in the largely state-run industry suit of economic growth. suming task. An attempt to involve the pri- tion and stepped-up government place,” Claudia D’Arpizio, a part- may have even more far-reaching Here in India, the world’s larg- The village of Balinga sits vate sector in mining has done crackdowns, along with political ner with Bain & Company, implications. est democracy, decision-making beside an open cast mine, in the little to turn the trends around. uncertainties linked to the coun- said. And as Chinese consumers’ “It is essentially a combina- is less simple. Coal India has been shadow of a huge mound of shale When tracts of coal-rich land try’s once-a-decade leadership tastes diversify, the market is tion of mis-governance, apathy tied down by a snarly regulations and earth. When the area was were allocated to private compa- transition. likely to become more nuanced. and neglect of the entire sector,” and political populism, as well as first earmarked for mining 12 nies at knock-down prices, allega- But global luxury brands Kevin Liu, a 25-year-old mar- Ashok Sreenivas of the Prayas by concerns about the environ- years ago, the land was acquired tions of corruption soon surfaced. still see plenty of long-term keting executive in Beijing, said Energy Group, a nonprofit think ment and the rights of displaced and compensation paid. But many The government’s independ- potential in the world’s second- he only buys less pricey niche tank, said of the industry and its farmers. The ministries of envi- villagers stayed in their homes. ent auditor concluded that the largest economy, pinning their products for himself. But when it troubles. “It has been allowed to ronment and coal square off more Now that the time has come to process lacked transparency and hopes on China’s rising middle comes to friends’ weddings, goods deteriorate out of the public eye.” like adversaries than partners, actually start excavations, many objectivity, and said the govern- class as Europe slogs through like Gucci purses are de rigueur. The problems at the while the ministry of power is its are refusing to move. ment had foregone more than its debt crisis, US growth “I think that is a rational spend- Basundhara mine in eastern India own independent fiefdom. Ashtami Ahinda said her fam- $30bn in revenue by virtually giv- remains weak and Japan’s econ- ing pattern,” he said. offer an example of the difficul- The railway network is so ily owned 10 acres of fertile paddy ing the land away. omy fails to gain traction. AFP ties that threaten to undermine inadequate that even power field. Even though she marked it WP-BLOOMBERG WEDNESDAY 2 JANUARY 2013 24 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com SPORT NBA: Pacers surge past Grizzlies James, Wade shine as Heat edge Magic; Bobcats beat Bulls to halt 18-game slide

NEW YORK: A furious fourth 3-for-10 performance from the quarter from the Indiana Pacers NBA Results free-throw line to finish with 21 sparked an 88-83 comeback Indiana 88 Memphis 83 points. win over the visiting Memphis Charlotte 91 Chicago 81 With less than 10 seconds to Grizzlies yesterday. Miami 112 Orlando 110 play in overtime he intercepted an The Grizzlies, the NBA’s top inbounds pass from Orlando’s J.J. Houston 123 Atlanta 104 defensive team, led by 11 late Redick and jammed home a dunk. in the third quarter before the San Antonio 104 Brooklyn 73 The Heat clawed back from an Pacers charged back. Oklahoma City 116 Phoenix 96 11-point third-quarter deficit, and Ben Hansbrough spurred overcame a monster night from the charge with two consecu- making. Gay made just 3 of 17 the Magic’s Nikola Vucevic, who tive three-pointers to open the shots on the day. scored 20 points and grabbed a fourth, propelling the Pacers to a “We got a little selfish in the club-record 29 rebounds. 14-4 run that gave them the lead fourth quarter,” said Grizzlies Shaquille O’Neal had held the for good. point guard Mike Conley. “We Magic’s record for most rebounds “That’s a really good team win made a lot of bad turnovers and in a game at 28. for our guys,” Pacers coach Frank didn’t continue to play our transi- Despite his efforts, the Magic Vogel told reporters. tion game.” lost their sixth straight, their “I’m proud of the effort and grit Memphis (19-9) have lost three longest losing streak since a six- to beat a really good basketball of their last four to fall further game slide in 2006 team.” behind first-place San Antonio in The Charlotte Bobcats got their Jeremy Lin (left) of Paul George scored 21 points the Southwest Division. first win in more than a month the Houston Rockets to lead Indiana (18-13), who out- In Florida, LeBron James yesterday, beating the Chicago dribbles past John scored Memphis 28-16 in the final delivered the go-ahead basket in Bulls 91-81 to halt their woeful Jenkins of the Atlanta quarter. overtime and Dwyane Wade fol- run of 18 consecutive losses. Hawks at the Toyota Grizzlies big man Zach lowed with a steal and a dunk Coming into Monday’s game Center in Houston, Randolph had 21 points and 15 to seal a 112-110 victory for the in Chicago, Charlotte (8-23) last Texas, yesterday. rebounds with Rudy Gay adding NBA champion Miami Heat over picked up a win on November 24 11 points but missing a potential Orlando. against Washington. tying three-pointer with five sec- James’s 36 points included a Kemba Walker scored 18 points onds remaining. slashing layup that broke a 106- and Gerald Henderson added 16 Indiana made six straight free 106 tie with 1:07 remaining in for the Bobcats, who set a team throws in the final 30 seconds overtime. record of 23 consecutive defeats to seal the win, their fifth in six He also added 11 assists, while last season. contests. Chris Bosh added 22 points for a The all-time record is 26 DJ Augustin helped wrap up Heat team that rebounded from straight losses by Cleveland in the win and finished with 17 back-to-back losses at Detroit the 2010-2011 campaign. points after being pushed into the and Milwaukee. Charlotte made the break- starting line-up because of a thigh “We haven’t been playing par- through in the final quarter, injury to George Hill. ticularly well on the road so maybe where they broke free from a Augustin’s three-pointer with this will change the dynamic and 65-65 tie with a 10-0 run that 2:07 left gave the home team an hopefully we’ll have a paradigm made the difference. 82-76 edge. shift in 2013 and we’ll take off and “We just wanted to fight more While Indiana came to life with start playing the way we’re capa- than anything,” Henderson told 50 second-half points, Memphis ble of on the road,” Heat coach reporters. fell apart in the fourth behind Erik Spoelstra said. “We were a desperate team.” poor shooting and decision Wade shrugged off a poor AGENCIES Players present counteroffer I’m not retiring in bid to end NHL lockout any time soon, NEW YORK: National Hockey League (NHL) officials and locked out players returned to says Ferguson the bargaining table in New York yesterday with the union presenting a counteroffer to the LONDON: Alex Ferguson has where they are going to be in two league’s latest proposal for solv- quashed retirement talk by or three years’ time.” ing their bitter labour dispute. revealing he has no plans to step Meanwhile, Celtic captain Scott The NHL is expected to down as Manchester United Brown says the club will look to respond to the union offer today manager in the near future. head into the Scottish Premier as both sides bid to end a dispute Ferguson, who turned 71 on League winter break with a vic- which has already wiped out more Monday, has been forced to deal tory against Motherwell today. than half the season. with questions about his retire- The Parkhead side’s five-game “Their response was a compre- ment plans since the time he winning run came to an abrupt hensive one, dealing with the full reversed his decision to leave the end on Saturday when Hibernian slate of issues that we raised in club in 2002. defeated Neil Lennon’s side 1-0 at the proposals we put forth,” NHL With Pep Guardiola due to end Easter Road. The Hoops had been Commissioner Gary Bettman told his post-Barcelona sabbatical in a in good form before the loss to the reporters. few months, Jose Mourinho tipped Edinburgh side and still hold a six “We’re in the process of review- to leave Real Madrid and David point lead - with a game in hand - ing their response. We will do Moyes’ Everton contract close to at the top of the SPL table. that tonight and our expecta- expiring, three of the main candi- Brown hopes the defeat was tion is that we will contact them dates to replace Ferguson could be just a minor blip which they morning to arrange to get back available at the end of the season, can rectify when third-placed together.” prompting a new round of specu- Motherwell visit Parkhead. Bettman also confirmed the lation about the Scot’s future. “Hibs stopped our unbeaten “puck needs to drop” by Jan. 19 But Ferguson, who has been in record but we need to get the for the NHL to play a 48-game charge at Old Trafford since 1986, mentality of winning back schedule this season. marked the new year by making when we play at Celtic Park on NHL Players’ Association it clear he won’t be leaving United Wednesday,” the Scotland mid- executive director Donald Fehr for some while. fielder said. declined to discuss details of the “I’m hoping to stay on for a “Hopefully it will get our confi- union’s counteroffer, saying it cov- bit of time,” he said in an inter- dence back up - we played really ered a range of subjects included view with the Abu Dhabi Sports well against Hibs, we just didn’t in the NHL proposal. channel. have the quality in the last third. “The purpose of (Monday’s) NHL commissioner Gary Bettman (left), and Bill Daly, deputy commissioner and chief legal officer, following col- It is widely accepted few will “They scored an early goal and discussions was for us to respond lective bargaining talks in Toronto in this file photo of August 14, 2012. get to know when Ferguson is that killed us off. But we had (to the NHL proposal) and for ready to call it a day, with chief about 75 per cent of the posses- them to ask a couple of questions proposal was reported to include and permit one buyout for each through Janaury 14, more than executive David Gill the man sion in the second half, and had and for us to explain a number of extending the limit of player con- team before the 2013-14 season 50 percent of the regular season tasked with advising the Glazer our chances, we just couldn’t the points we made,” Fehr said. tracts to six years from their pre- that would not count against the which was scheduled to start in family about a replacement. finish.” The bargaining session was the vious offer of five. team’s salary cap. October. And, though Guardiola, Today’s visitors have only lost first since December 13. They were also prepared to Players have been locked At stake is how to divide $3.3bn Mourinho and Moyes are bound once in their past nine matches NHL officials want a 10-year adjust yearly salary variance to out since mid-September and in annual revenue the league gen- to be at the top of the list if they on their charge up the table to agreement and their latest 10 per cent from five per cent the league has cancelled games erates. REUTERS are available, Ferguson knows third. plenty of other candidates are And after tasting defeat to likely to have emerged by the time fourth-placed Hibs, Brown knows he finally quits. his side will need to be wary of “It’s very difficult,” Ferguson Stuart McCall’s side. said. “Over the years, names have “They’re doing really well,” he Kitajima engaged to Japanese pop star been bandied about but football is said. “They started their season such a precarious industry. really well then had a dip, but TOKYO: Japan’s four-time Chisa is the vocalist with the the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing “But you could be talking about they’re going well again so we Olympic swimming champion Girl Next Door trio. Her fam- Olympics. He reportedly proposed one of the potentially exciting know it will be a tough game. Kosuke Kitajima (pictured) has ily name has not been publicly to his bride-to-be before the young managers in the game, but “They’ve got good young play- announced his engagement to a disclosed. London Olympics last summer. is he going to be here in two or ers, Jamie Murphy is a great 27-year-old pop singer. In a separate statement on the Chisa visited London during three years’ time? player with all the tricks in the Kitajima, 30, said in a state- band’s website yesterday, Chisa the Olympics, where Kitajima “The sack race is horrendous. world, so we’re definitely going ment he had been going out with called for her fans’ continuing failed to defend his titles. Sometimes a manager can only to have to be on the lookout for Chisa for two years and “was support and said she would con- He finished fifth in the 100m survive four games if he doesn’t him. It will be hard but hopefully able to devote myself to my com- tinue her singing career. and fourth in the 200m, but man- win a match. there will be a big crowd and we petitive career because of her Kitajima won gold in the 100 aged to win the silver medal in the “Top managers will always been can get back to winning ways.” support”. metres and 200m breaststroke at 400m medley relay. AFP in demand but nobody knows AGENCIES WEDNESDAY 2 JANUARY 2013 SPORT www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 25 Sri Lanka chase redemption in Sydney Test

SYDNEY: Australia are eyeing a series sweep over battered Sri Lanka in a poignant third Test starting in Sydney tomorrow over- shadowed by the death of Tony Greig and marking the end of Mike Hussey’s prolific career. Michael Clarke’s Australians swept Sri Lanka aside by an innings and 201 runs to win the second Test inside three days in Melbourne and seal the series after a comprehensive win in the first Test. The Lions have lost talismanic batsman Kumar Sangakkara with a fractured finger and have other injury issues, adding to an uphill task as Sri Lanka chase their first ever Test win Down Under at the 13th attempt. Given the gulf between the third-ranked Australians and Sri Lanka, ranked number six, the chances of an against-the-odds win appear remote as Australia build towards their tour of India, starting next month. Sri Lanka’s efforts for redemption come as the cricket world mourns the death of former England captain and broadcaster Greig from a heart attack at the age of 66 in Sydney on Saturday. Sangakkara said Greig had been a champion of Sri Lankan cricket. “Tony Greig in Sri Lanka will be very fondly remembered for embracing Sri Lankan players and the Sri Lankan people from 1995 onwards, and getting behind us and promoting us positively across the world,” Sangakkara said. “He’s been a very good friend of the Sri Lankan cricket team. He has been a great non-Sri Lankan ambassador. Everyone in Sri Lanka feels sad.” Both teams will observe a minute’s silence before the start of the Test and will wear black armbands in his honour. The match also marks the final Test appearance of veteran batting Australian cricketer Mike Hussey (centre) poses for photographers with his children Jasmin (left) and Molly at an afternoon tea hosted by Australia’s mainstay Hussey, who announced at the weekend that he wanted to Prime Minister Julia Gillard at Kirribilli House in Sydney, yesterday. spend more time with his four young children. Hussey, 37, holds the record for most Test centuries against Sri Lanka, with five tons among his 19 hundreds in 78 Tests at 51.52. “I feel like I can come into this last Test match with no pressure whatsoever,” said Hussey. “I can just really go out there and enjoy it.” Depending on pitch and weather conditions there could be a Test debut for allrounder Glenn Maxwell, who has come into the Australian squad as a replacement for injured Shane Watson, while left-armer South Africa seek to Mitchell Starc will return. Experienced batsman Thilan Samaraweera said his Sri Lankan team-mates were desperate to put the Melbourne debacle behind them. “It was really hard to digest that defeat, but that’s the past now,” Samaraweera said, adding the team could make history by winning their first Test in Australia. “That is the kind of attitude we are taking into the New Year’s build on top spot Test,” he said. Skipper Mahela Jayawardene will be under extra pressure to per- form in the absence of Sangakkara who, like his skipper, has 10,000 Hosts will not take New Zealand for granted: Kirsten Test runs under his belt. Jayawardene has struggled for runs away from home in recent years and has gone 26 innings in away Tests without making a half-century. CAPE TOWN: South Africa year. The New Zealand series will Williamson their key batsmen. world-class performers such as AFP will seek to consolidate their top be an important stepping stone Guptill made a century in a captain Graeme Smith, Hashim place on the world Test rankings to that. Twenty20 international against Amla, Jacques Kallis and AB de when they play New Zealand in “The success of our team South Africa, while all three Villiers. a two-match series starting at in 2012 was the fact that we made half-centuries in their Squads Newlands today. remained humble in our play, we side’s three-day warm-up match South Africa: Graeme Smith The series shapes up as a mis- never took any situation or any against a South African Invitation (capt), Alviro Petersen, Hashim match, with eighth-ranked New team for granted. We made sure XI in Paarl. Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Zealand hit by injuries and the that our preparation was spot on Williamson made New Villiers (wkt), Faf du Plessis, withdrawal of former captain and that, when we got into Test Zealand’s only century when the Dean Elgar, Jacques Rudolph, and star batsman Ross Taylor, match time, we set up solid foun- teams met in three Tests in New Robin Peterson, Vernon Philander, but coach Gary Kirsten said the dations to give ourselves the best Zealand earlier this year. South Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Rory South Africans would not take chance of success. We will treat Africa won the series 1-0. Kleinveldt victory for granted. this series no differently.” Left-arm opening bowler Trent New Zealand: Brendon Kirsten said South Africa Nothing less than a 2-0 series Boult and the experienced Chris McCullum (capt), Martin Guptill, wanted to start a busy year of win will be necessary for South Martin will be New Zealand’s Kane Williamson, Daniel Flynn, Test cricket on a strong note after Africa to improve their rank- bowling spearheads in the absence Dean Brownlie, BJ Watling (wkt), capturing and then retaining the ing points - and even then they of the injured Tim Southee and James Franklin, Colin Munro, number one spot with successive will only gain one point. If they Daniel Vettori. Doug Bracewell, Neil Wagner, away series wins against England win the series 1-0 they will lose a South Africa have an injury Trent Boult, Jeetan Patel, Bruce and Australia. point, while if they lose the series concern over new ball bowler Martin, Chris Martin, Mitchell “We had a good meeting around 1-0 they will shed seven points Vernon Philander, who is recov- McClenaghan the year ahead,” said Kirsten. and lose their top spot to England. ering from a hamstring strain Fixtures Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard (second left) speaks with Australian Jan 2-6: “We’re likely to have ten Test New Zealand are likely to rely but can call on two of the world’s First Test, Cape Town captain Michael Clarke (right) and Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene Jan 11-15: matches in 2013, and what we do on a handful of top players, with leading fast bowlers in Dale Second Test, Port (left) as Australian cricketer Mike Hussey (second right) looks on during an as a team is set our goals about captain Brendon McCullum, Steyn and Morne Morkel, while Elizabeth afternoon tea at Kirribilli House in Sydney yesterday. what we want to achieve for the Martin Guptill and Kane their batting bulges with proven AFP Pakistan calls Bangladesh decision ‘inappropriate’

KARACHI: Pakistan yesterday situation was not conducive is in the tournament, with all- wicket assisting stroke-play for criticised Bangladesh’s decision inappropriate because their own rounder Shahid Afridi fetching the batsmen. There will be bounce to abandon a planned cricket delegation was satisfied with the $700,000 in an auction of stars for the pacers and spinners will Sachin’s ODI retirement tour over security fears and arrangements.” -- the highest amount bid. More get purchase in the later stages of threatened to bar its own players Ashraf said the Pakistani gov- than 50 Pakistanis have already the game,” said Mukherjee. from playing in a Bangladeshi ernment had promised top-level been bought at an auction for the Mukherjee had courted contro- surprises Sadiq league. security. second edition. versy after slamming India skip- The two nations were sched- “We had promised the best “Now for the 2013 edition of per Mahendra Singh Dhoni over KOLKATA: Expressing dis- mediapersons at the iconic venue uled to play a Twenty20 and a security arrangements and were BPL, we have to see the engage- his demand for a square turner in appointment at the retire- which will tommorrow host the one-day international in Lahore hosting matches in Lahore, which ments of our players before the Test match against England ment of batting maestro second game of the three-match this month, albeit pending secu- is very safe,” said Ashraf. “An releasing them for the tourna- last month. Sachin Tendulkar from one- One-Day International series. rity clearance. international eleven last year ment,” the statement said. Down a game in the three- dayers, former Pakistan Reminiscing the swansong But on Monday Bangladesh played matches in Karachi and Bangladesh was also due to match series, India will meet batsman Sadiq Mohammad match of his former captain Asif shelved what would have been the there were no problems.” tour Pakistan last April, but the Pakistan for the second game at yesterday wished the bat- Iqbal who was given a standing first international cricket tour of Pakistan hosted two limited- tour was blocked by the Dhaka the Eden here tomorrow. ting great had played his last ovation by 85,000 spectators at Pakistan since militants wounded overs matches in Karachi with high court on security grounds. “It will be the same pitch which match at the Eden Gardens the Eden in 1980, Mohammad seven members of the Sri Lankan players from South Africa, Sri Anti-Pakistan sentiment still was used for the Test match for an apt farewell. said: “I was here watching the team and their assistant coach in Lanka and the West Indies in runs strong in the country, which against England, but it will be a “It is a great disappointment game. It was a great sight. Every Lahore in 2009. October 2012. was part of Pakistan until 1971 typical one-day wicket with lot of that I won’t get to see Sachin player of Asif’s calibre deserves Bangladesh Cricket Board In a statement, the PCB said when it won independence after runs,” said Mukherjee. bat again in one-dayers. I am a send-off of that kind.” (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan it “would only be proper” for the a nine-month war. The veteran also said that dew surprised at his retirement,” Sadiq said the buzz of the sta- said the decision had been taken BCB president to read the report will not be an important factor as said Sadiq, who is in the coun- dium packed to the hilt still plays over fears for players’ safety, fol- from his security delegation India, Pakistan ODI it is a day-and-night match. try as a goodwill ambassador in his mind. lowing protests by Bangladeshis before commenting on Pakistan’s “During this time of the year for the India-Pakistan bilateral “I played here in 1979 and per- and a Facebook campaign against current situation. clash tomorrow you get some dew but with the series. forming before a crowd of 93,000 the tour. It warned that it may now bar availability of dew-fighting equip- “It would have been great had is a big pressure, especially when But Pakistan Cricket Board Pakistani players from the second KOLKATA: Veteran curator ment, I do not think dew would be Sachin played this game and you are an opening batsman. The (PCB) chairman Zaka Ashraf edition of the Bangladesh Premier Prabir Mukherjee yesterday a factor,” added Mukherjee. bowed out before the magnificent feeling I had while entering the said that the decision was League, starting January 17. said the Eden Gardens pitch Meanwhile, the Pakistan team, crowd here. That would have ground to open the innings is “inappropriate”. The BPL is the Bangladeshi for the India-Pakistan One-Day which arrived in the city Monday, been an apt farewell for him. still fresh in my mind,” he said. “The decision to tour was up to answer to the Indian Premier International (ODI) tomor- practised hard at the nets yester- Usually great players announce The Pakistani also hoped that the BCB,” Ashraf said from New League -- the hugely popular row would be a “proper one- day. The Indian team is slated to their final game. Eden would more bilateral series’ would be Delhi. Twenty20 tournament which has day wicket” with something for arrive later in the day and have an have been the ideal place to bow played in future between the two “We never forced Bangladesh, fused cricket with showbusiness. everybody. optional practice session. out of the game,” Sadiq told neighbours. IANS but to say that the security In 2012 20 Pakistanis featured “It will be a proper one-day AGENCIES WEDNESDAY 2 JANUARY 2013 26 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com SPORT

Brazil’s Lucas Moura (centre), the latest recruit for French club Paris Saint Germain (PSG), arrives with club President Nasser Al Khelaifi and Sporting Director Leonardo (left) at the Museum of Islamic Art Conference Centre in Doha, yesterday. CENTRE: Lucas (centre), Al Khelaifi (right) and Leonardo arrive to attend a press conference. RIGHT: Lucas gives a thumbs up before the press conference. Leonardo played key role in my PSG move: Lucas The Brazilian midfielder officially unveiled in Doha

BY DENZIL PINTO Al Khelaifi. “I want to thank is my life and I will do everything 2012 Games, where they finished Leonardo who has done a very to achieve our goal and please the runners-up. DOHA: Paris Saint Germain’s good job by signing this player supporters,” said the Brazilian Al Khelaifi said the club were (PSG) latest recruit Lucas (Lucas),” said Al Khelaifi. in front of many journalists not planning to make more sign- Al Khelaifi addresses the journalists at the beginning of the press Moura has revealed that “Without him we would never yesterday. ings during this transfer window, conference. BOTTOM: Lucas (left), Al Khelaifi (centre) and Sporting the club’s Sporting Director had signed Lucas. I also want to “I’m trying to evolve my best but added that ‘anything could Director Leonardo listen to journalists’ questions during a press Leonardo influenced his deci- thank the club’s management with my new club after having happen’. conference. sion to move to the French club. because it really was not easy to given everything with Sao Paulo,” “We’ve got a great team with At a press conference at the obtain the signature of Lucas,” said the Brazilian who has scored some great players. I don’t think Museum of Islamic Art, where added Al Khelaifi, whose club three goals in 22 appearances for we need to recruit,” he said. Lucas was officially unveiled, the beat Manchester United and the national team. “We’ve got a month ahead of Brazilian said: “This is a big chal- Real Madrid to the signature of When asked on what goals us. For the moment, we’re not lenge for me. PSG are in full evo- the Brazilian. he has set himself following his planning on recruiting anyone lution. Leonardo helped me a lot “I am very happy to have him move to PSG, he replied: “I want but I don’t know, there could be to take this decision to sign when (Lucas) with us. Lucas is one to win titles with the club. I want injuries, anything can happen,” Al I could have continued with my of the best young players in the to become one of the best play- Khelaifi added. former team (Sao Paulo) until the world,” he added. ers in the world with my club as With the French club spend- season ends.” With the transfer costing well with the national team. The ing huge amounts of money on “There were so many possi- reportedly €45m, the 20-year- most important thing is that PSG transfers since Qatar Authority bilities for me but Leonardo was old is unfazed by the pressure of wins.” Investment bought PSG, includ- decisive,” said the Brazilian, who his huge price tag and is pleased “All Brazilian players have ing $18m on Swedish striker has signed a four-and-a-half-year that PSG coach Carlo Ancelotti is this dream of being the best in Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Brazilian deal with the French giants. counting on him. the world and this is also mine. defender Thiago Silva, for a fee The Brazilian’s opinion was “I’m glad to know that the I’m playing against great clubs reportedly €37m, both from AC echoed by PSG President Nasser coach is counting on me. Football and great players. I will fight Milan, the French government to achieve this goal, said Lucas, has criticised PSG’s spending, who joined his team-mates having most notably on Ibrahimovic’s arrived in Doha on Sunday. signature. The attacking midfielder also However, Al Khelaifi said that said he will give his best when the club had to spend money to playing in PSG colours on the achieve their objectives and goals. field. “PSG built a club that will be “I’m not afraid of anyone and among the best in Europe and I always give the best of myself in the world. We have to spend to defend the shirt I’m wearing,” money to create this club. If we said the Brazilian who was told to did not, we would not have been at learn French quickly by former this level where we are at today. PSG player and idol Ronadinho. We would not be part of the best The attacking midfielder who clubs in Europe,” he said. could make his debut in today’s “There are many accusations friendly match against Qatari and jealousy but it’s normal. We champions Lekhwiya cites fellow hope we will satisfy the fans and Brazilian Ronaldo and French European authorities.” legend Zinedine Zidane as his The 39-year-old also said that idols. the club’s recruitment policy is Having made his internatio- not based on nationality. anal debut against Scotland in “Many players are very good March 2011, he had to wait six in that area of the world (Latin months later to register his first America). Brazil has some of the Lucas (centre) holds his PSG shirt with Leonardo (right) after the press goal for Brazil against arch rivals best players in the world. But conference. Al Khelaifi is also seen. BOTTOM: Lucas (third left), walks Lucas listens to a question from a journalist during a press conference, Argentina in September. it is not based on nationality to with his mother Fatima (second left), his agent and his family, after the yesterday. PICTURES BY: KAMMUTTY VP/AFP/REUTERS Lucas was also part of the recruit,” he said. press conference. Olympic team at the London THE PENINSULA Lucas’ Fact Box Lekhwiya set to face Full name Lucas Rodrigues Moura da Silva

Date of birth August 13, 1992 (age 20) PSG in friendly today Height 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) Youth career DOHA: Qatar Stars League 1999 - 2002: Juventus-SP (QSL) champions Lekhwiya will face Paris Saint Germain (PSG) 2002 - 2005: Corinthians in a friendly match at Al Sadd Stadium today. 2005 - 2010: São Paulo PSG, who are on a week-long Senior career training camp in Doha could include new signing Lucas Moura, 2010 - 2012: São Paulo who was officially unveilled yes- (74 appearances, 19 goals) terday at the Musuem of Islamic Art. PSG coach 2013 - Present: Paris Saint Germain Later, the Brazilian joined Carlo Ancelotti International Goals his team-mates in yesterday’s talks with Lucas evening training session at Aspire (right) during a vs Argentina on September 28, 2011 Academy. training session Lekhwiya, who will be without at the Aspire vs China on September 10, 2012 the Qatar national team players Academy, due to the Gulf Cup competi- vs Iraq on October 11, 2012 yesterday tion that begins on Saturday, can evening. In the U-20 South American Championship count on former Villarreal striker in Febraury 2011, Lucas scored a hat-trick Nilmar of Al Rayyan and Al in the 6-0 win over Uruguay in the final Sadd’s Nadir Belhadj, after their respective clubs agreed that the Lucas was named in Brazil’s 2011 Copa two players could play for the QSL America squad. champions. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is among Lucas was part of Brazil’s Olympic team at the the squad members who are London 2012 Games. He appeared in three matches as substitutes including the final. here in Doha and could play in Lucas (right) poses with his mother overlooking the skyline after the the friendly match that begins at press conference. 5:30pm today. THE PENINSULA WEDNESDAY 2 JANUARY 2013 SPORT www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 27

Hopman Cup PERTH, Australia: Results from the mixed teams Hopman Cup at Perth Arena yesterday. Venus leads US fightback Group B United States bt France 2-1 Men’s singles: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) bt Tsonga makes perfect start to the New Year by demolishing Isner John Isner (USA) 6-3, 6-2 Women’s singles: Venus Williams (USA) bt Mathilde Johansson (FRA) 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 PERTH: Venus Williams lifted troubled by injuries and illness in Mixed doubles: Williams/Isner (USA) bt the United States to victory in recent years, dismissed any sug- Johansson/Tsonga (FRA) 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, their Hopman Cup tie against gestion she was off colour during 10-8 (match tiebreak France yesterday. the match against Johansson. WTA Shenzhen Open The US pairing of Williams However, Williams admitted BEIJING: Results from the WTA Shenzhen and John Isner beat the French even she thought the match had Open yesterday (x denotes seedings): team of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and slipped away. Singles 1st round Mathilde Johansson 2-1 to remain “I was thinking that if I am Li Na (CHN x1) bt unbeaten in the mixed teams going to lose this match, let me Mandy Minella (LUX) 6-4, 6-0 tournament, but only after a at least try to work on my game Zhou Yi Miao (CHN) bt remarkable comeback led by with the Australian Open coming Jessica Pegula (USA) 6-4, 6-2 Williams when the Americans up,” she said of the second set. twice appeared on the brink of “Mathilde is a good player and 2nd round defeat. she was determined to seal the Bojana Jovanovski (SRB x8) bt After Tsonga beat an out- win for her team. Duan Ying Ying (CHN) 6-3, 6-1 of-form Isner in straight sets, “She was playing well and not Peng Shuai (CHN x6) bt Williams looked down and out making a lot of errors.” Ayumi Morita (JPN) 6-1, 6-1 when she dropped the first set to The eighth-ranked Tsonga Monica Niculescu (ROU) by Johannson and trailed 4-1 in the made a perfect start to the new Laura Robson (GBR x7) 6-2, 6-3 second. year by demolishing world number Klara Zakopalova (CZE x5) bt The seven-time Grand Slam 14 Isner in under an hour, 6-3, 6-2. Elina Svitolina 6-4, 6-3 champion was all at sea against Tsonga easily blunted the power Doubles 1st round the 87th-ranked Johansson, serving of the lanky American to Chan Hao-Ching (TPE)/Chan Jing-Yan (TPE) appearing restricted in her move- win in just 55 minutes. (x1) bt Alexandra Cadantu (ROU)/Anne ment and lacking the usual power Isner had strapping on his right Keothavong (GBR) 6-0, 6-1 in her game. knee and didn’t always appear to Quarter finals But just when the cause looked be moving totally freely, but later Chang Kai-Chen (TPE)/Yan Zi (CHN) bt Nina lost, the world number 24 climbed said he only had some lingering Bratchikova (RUS)/Janette Husarova (SVK) off the canvas to win in three sets, soreness in the knee and that it (x2) 7-6, 6-4, 10-6 3-6, 7-5, 6-4. didn’t affect his game. Johansson was breaking the Tsonga, now coached by Brisbane International Williams serve almost at will for Australian Roger Rasheed, went BRISBANE, Australia: Results of matches at most of the first two sets, but the into the match with just one win the Brisbane International tennis tournament American found her service range in his four previous clashes with yesterday (x denotes seeding): just in the nick of time and turned the American. Men First round the match on its head. The Frenchman said he was John Millman (AUS) bt The Americans then claimed reaping the early rewards of Tatsuma Ito (JPN) 6-4, 6-1 the tie with a come-from-behind working hard on improving his Denis Istomin (UZB) bt 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 10-8 win in a match mobility during the off-season Martin Klizan (SVK x8) 6-1, 6-2 tiebreak in the deciding mixed ahead of the year’s first Grand Alejandro Falla (COL) bt doubles, where Williams again Slam, with the Australian Open Jesse Levine (USA) 6-1, 7-6 (10/8) lifted them to victory as Isner starting on January 14. Jurgen Melzer (AUT x7) bt continued to struggle with his “I was a bit quicker on court Venus Williams of the US hits a return against Mathilde Johansson of France during their sixth session women’s Denis Kudla (USA) 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 game. than before,” he said. singles match on day two of the Hopman Cup in Perth yesterday. Williams won the match 3-6, 7-5, 6-4. Tommy Robredo (ESP) bt Williams, who has been AFP Ryan Harrison (USA) 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) David Goffin (BEL) bt Matthew Ebden (AUS) 6-2, 6-2 Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) bt Serena imposes authority Taiwan’s Lu out Brian Baker (USA) 6-3, 7-6 (10/8) Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) bt I gor Kunitsyn (RUS) 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 Women Second round Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) bt Sara Errani with crushing victory of Chennai Open (ITA x5) 4-6, 6-1, 7-5 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) bt Petra Kvitova (CZE x6) 6-4, 7-5 BRISBANE, Australia: winners to four including six aces. much hit any serves or any- CHENNAI, India: Seventh Ksenia Pervak (KAZ) bt Urszula Radwanska Serena Williams stamped her One in the second set was clocked thing over my head, I’ve just seed Lu Yen-hsun of Taiwan Results (POL) 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (8/6) authority on the Brisbane at 200 kmh (125 mph). been practising groundstrokes. began the new year on the wrong Matthias Bachinger (GER) bt Lu Yen-hsun International yesterday when The third-seeded American So I just kind of ran out of time foot as he crashed to a first- (TPE x7) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 Serena Williams (USA x3) bt Alize Cornet she crushed Frenchwoman Alize stepped up a gear from her open- here,” she said. It is the second round defeat in the $430,000 Cedrik-Marcel Stebe (GER) bt Igor Sijsling (FRA) 6-2, 6-2 Cornet 6-2, 6-2. ing-round win over fellow coun- year in a row that Sharapova has ATP Chennai Open yesterday. (NED) 6-4, 6-4 Auckland Classic On a day that saw second seed trywoman Varvara Lepchenko. withdrawn from the tournament Lu, the 29-year-old veteran Prakash Amritraj (IND) bt Results from the Auckland Classic Women’s Maria Sharapova withdraw with “She’s (Cornet) a former top without playing a shot. In 2012 ranked 59th in the world, failed Guillaume Rufin (FRA) 6-7 (4/7), 6-2, 6-3 Singles first round matches yesterday an injured collarbone and fifth 15 player and we’ve had a tough she skipped Brisbane because of to shrug off the rustiness of the Benoit Paire (FRA x5) bt 2-Julia Goerges (Germany) bt Anastasija and sixth seeds Sara Errani three-set match before so I knew an ankle injury and went straight off-season to lose to number 123 Flavio Cipolla (ITA) 6-3, 6-4 Sevastova (Latvia) 6-3 6-4 and Petra Kvitova bundled out, I had to play really well,” she said. to Melbourne to prepare for the Matthias Bachinger of Germany Roberto Agut (ESP) bt Marina Erakovic (New Zealand) bt Stephanie Williams was all business as she “I tried to be more aggressive Australian Open, where she 6-4, 3-6, 6-4. Blaz Kavcic (SLO) 7-6 (8/6), 6-2 Dubois (Canada) 6-2 6-1 disposed of Cornet in exactly one and tried to be more consistent.” finished runner-up to Victoria The big-built Bachinger next Somdev Devvarman (IND) bt 1-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) bt Greta hour. Sharapova was earlier forced to Azarenka. Sharapova said she plays Roberto Agut of Spain, who Jan Hajek (CZE) 6-3, 6-3 Arn (Hungary) 6-2 6-2 The 15-times Grand Slam win- withdraw with a right collarbone would do the same this year, pass- beat Blaz Kavcic of Slovenia 7-6 Dudi Sela (ISR) bt 8-Mona Barthel (Germany) bt Grace Min ner broke Cornet in the first game injury. ing up the opportunity of playing (8/6), 6-2. There was no early (US) 6-1 6-3 of the match and was never trou- The Russian world number two in Sydney next week to make sure trouble for fifth-seeded Benoit Rajeev Ram (USA) 6-4, 6-1 6-Yaroslava Shvedova (Kazakhstan) bt Lara bled after that, as she broke the sent scans of her injury to her she is fit for Melbourne. Paire of France, who brushed Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR) bt Ruben Arruabarrena Vecino (Spain) 6-3 6-2 Frenchwoman once more in the doctor in New York, who advised Former Wimbledon cham- aside Italian Flavio Cipolla 6-3, 6-4 Bemelmans (BEL) 7-6 (9/7), 7-6 (7/5) Romina Oprandi (Switzerland) bt Nudnida first set and twice in the second her not to do any overhead train- pion Kvitova, who won in in an hour and 18 minutes. Indian Luangnam (Thailand) 6-0 6-2 for a comprehensive victory. ing for at least a week. Brisbane in 2011, went down wildcard Somdev Devvarman, fit rankings, beat number 106 Jan Williams had far too much “So to be fair I haven’t really 6-4, 7-5 to Russia’s Anastasia again after an injury-prone year Hajek of the Czech Republic 6-3, Heather Watson (Britain) bt 5-Sorana firepower for Cornet, hitting 25 given myself a chance to pretty Pavlyuchenkova. AFP that saw him slip to 663 in the 6-3. AFP Cirstea (Romania) 6-3 (Cirstea retired) Bayern Munich camp in Pakistan Cricket Academy accords farewell to Dr Rizvi Doha begins from today

DOHA: Bundesliga leaders Gustavo and Rafinha will be half of the season, we want to Bayern Munich will begin their coming directly from Brazil and continue where we left off in seven-day winter training camp will be joined by Arjen Robben, December,” commented Karl- here from today. Manuel Neuer, Mario Gomez and Heinz Rummenigge, chairman of It is for the third year in a row Tom Starke. the club. that Germany’s biggest club will The camp also marks a return The chairman and everyone be in Qatar for their mid-season to action for Robben, Gustavo and involved understand that the training programme. Emre Can, all sidelined by injury seven days in Doha are crucial to Jupp Heynckes and his men before Christmas. the club ending a trophy drought will benefit from pleasant tem- “All three will resume the squad lasting two seasons. peratures of approximately 20° C programme in Qatar,” Heynckes “We can take nothing for and the superb training facilities reported. granted,” Rummenigge warned. provided by the Aspire Academy. However, the coach is prepared “From the very first match “Conditions there are perfect for any or all of the trio not to after the holidays, we must play – the climate, the hotel, the food, complete the full schedule. focused, motivated and deter- the practice ground. It couldn’t be The squad in Doha will be aug- mined football if we’re to hit our better,” Heynckes has been quoted mented by a handful of players target of becoming champions of by the official website of the club from the reserves and youths, Germany,” he added. fcbayern.de. namely keeper Leopold Zingerle, At the midpoint of the domestic “Normally I wouldn’t be happy defender Daniel Wein, midfielder season, Bayern comfortably lead to fly five or six hours to a train- Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, and junior the Bundesliga by nine points ing camp, but Qatar is well worth pro Patrick Weihrauch. from Bayer Leverkusen, with the trip,” he added. The schedule for the seven- champions Dortmund a further The Bundesliga is having a win- day stay includes two workouts three points back. ter break from December 16 to per day, and friendly matches Germany coach Joachim Löw January 18 for the Christmas and against reigning Qatari cham- cannot see the men from Munich New Year season. pions Lekhwiya Sports Club on falling short of their target: “I The Pakistan Cricket Academy (PCA) accorded a farewell to Dr Mansoor Abbas Rizvi, Community Welfare The Bayern stars have had 14 January 5, and Bundesliga rivals can’t imagine Bayern will let it Attaché and CEO of PCA, in Doha recently. Shahid Iqbal Chaudhary, President of PCA, presented a memento days for rest and recuperation Schalke on January 8. slip now. They’re very dominant to Rizvi. Executives of PCA and guest of honour Muhammad Sarfraz A Khanzada, Pakistan Ambassador to during the holidays. “We have hard work ahead this season.” Qatar, were also present on the occasion. The likes of Dante, Luiz of us, because in the second THE PENINSULA Wednesday 2 January 2013 20 Safar 1434 Volume 17 Number 5567 Sport Price: QR2 LATEST NEWS UPDATES IN TAMIL FILIPINO LANGUAGE DAILY NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED FROM QATAR! NBA: Pacers Sri Lanka seek TAMIL TIMES WEEKLY NEWSPAPER Middle East Edition AVAILABLE beat Grizzlies redemption in AT ALL LEADING BOOK STORES / SUPERMARKETS at home Sydney Available every Wednesdays in all leading IN QATAR supermarkets and shops in Qatar & Bahrain Tel. : +974 44557622 / 44557623 FOR ADVERTISEMENTS CONTACT: Fax. : +974 44557759 DAR AL SHARQ TEL: 4455 7623 EMAIL: [email protected] Sport | 24 Sport | 25 email: [email protected]

www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 44557741 | Advertising: 44557837 / 44557780 Ferrer rallies past Brown; Gasquet cruises through Qatar ExxonMobil: Brands stuns fifth seed Chardy

DOHA: World number five Today’s Order of Play David Ferrer was made to work hard for a place in the second Centre Court round after he defeated qual- Matches Start At: 3:30 pm ifter Dustin Brown 5-7, 6-3, Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) [4] vs 6-2, yesterday at the Qatar Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) ExxonMobil Open. followed by Coming off a career-best sea- son in which he led the ATP Gael Monfils (FRA) vs World Tour with seven titles and Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) [3] Manchester United’s Robin Van Persie (right) celebrates after scoring 76 match wins, the top seed won followed by against Wigan Athletic during their English Premier League match at the in two hours and 34 minutes. Grega Zemlja (SLO) vs DW Stadium in Wigan, northern England, yesterday. The match was stopped in the Richard Gasquet (FRA) [2] second set, due to a hole in the followed by court, which resulted in a lengthy David Ferrer (ESP) [1] vs delay. [Q] Tobias Kamke (GER) Speaking of the incident, Van Persie shines as Ferrer said: “There was a hole in Court 1 the court. It never happens like Matches Start At: 3:30 pm his but it was bad luck.” Paolo LORENZI (ITA) vs The top seed admitted he did United march on Lukas ROSOL (CZE) not serve well in the first set, Court 2 which he lost 7-5. LONDON: Manchester United a deserved advantage but Paul “He played a very good game. David Ferrer of Spain returning a ball to Dustin Brown of Germany Matches Start At: 3:30 pm striker Robin van Persie bagged Lambert’s young Villa team sum- He served very good. In the first during their match at the Qatar ExxonMobil 2013 played at the Khalifa [Q] Daniel Brands (GER) vs a contrasting double in a 4-0 moned some fighting spirit after a set it was five-all. I didn’t serve International Tennis Complex yesterday. PICTURE BY: SALIM MATRAMKOT [WC] Mohamed Safwat (EGY) win at Wigan Athletic yester- difficult few weeks and Austrian so good, and he (Brown) played day to hand Roberto Mancini Andreas Weimann netted just better than me. I tried to fight another painful reminder of before the interval. every point and finally I won,” he tournament for two months. The to have beaten Rafael Nadal why he looks the difference in Christian Benteke then coolly said after yesterday’s victory. first five games were difficult for and Roger Federer in the same Qatar Open Men's the title race. converted an 84th-minute penalty Elsewhere, Mikhail Youzhny me,” he said. tournament, has a new year’s Singles Results Mancini’s Manchester City did after Nathan Dyer’s foul but 16th- recorded his 400th career ATP German qualifier Daniel Brands resolution of making a last bid to their job by winning 3-0 at home placed Villa’s victory hopes were 1-David Ferrer (Spain) bt Dustin Brown World Tour-level singles match knocked out fifth seed Jeremy return the world’s top 20 before to Stoke City but the Premier denied by a stoppage-time leveller (Germany) 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 win. Chardy of France 6-4, 6-4 in 69 retirement. League champions remain seven from Danny Graham. The fourth seed withstood 12 minutes. Czech Lukas Rosol beat “I tell everyone from my fam- Tobias Kamke (Germany) bt Ruben Ramirez points behind rivals United fol- Spurs moved back up to third, aces to beat Benjamin Becker of eighth-seeded Spaniard Pablo ily I will push myself - I want to Hidalgo (Spain) 6-1, 6-2 lowing Van Persie’s masterclass, pending Chelsea’s home game Germany 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-1 in two Andujar 6-2, 7-6(2) in just over (win) again,” said Davydenko, 2-Richard Gasquet (France) bt Jan Hernych with Tottenham Hotspur up to against bottom club Queens hours and 19 minutes to become 90 minutes. whose greatest triumph involved (Czech Republic) 6-3, 6-4 third after a 3-1 win over Reading. Park Rangers today, despite going the ninth active player to accom- Frenchman Gael Monfils, another win over Federer the Gael Monfils (France) bt Mousa Shanan Dutchman Van Persie was pin- behind early to second bottom plish the milestone. the 2006 and 2012 runner-up, 2009 ATP World Tour finals. Zayed (Qatar) 6-0, 6-3 pointed by Mancini in the pre- Reading at White Hart Lane. He is the fourth Russian to improved to 14-5 in Doha after And so the 31-year-old asserts Daniel Brands (Germany) bt 5-Jeremy match buildup as the reason why Pavel Pogrebnyak netted after reach the 400 Match Wins Club, he beat local wild card Mousa that he is “practising concentra- Chardy (France) 6-4, 6-4 United may snatch back their title four minutes after reacting quick- joining Yevgeny Kafelnikov (609), Shanan Zayed 6-0, 6-3 in 48 min- tion” because he is “already not Mohamed Safwat (Egypt) bt Jabor Al and the former est when Ian Nikolay Davydenko (455) and utes. “I think it was a good start,” so young” and “maybe has two Mutawa (Qatar) 6-0, 6-0 Arsenal hotshot Harte’s free kick Marat Safin (422). said Monfils. more years, but maybe only this 4-Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) bt Benjamin continued 2013 English Premier came back off the Second seed Richard Gasquet “I think my opponent was a year left”. Becker (Germany) 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-1 where he left off woodwork. said he was “happy to win the first bit nervous today, and then it’s Davydenko concluded: “If I in 2012, curling League results Michael Lukas Lacko (Slovakia) bt Guillermo Garcia- match of the year”, after he beat always tough for a young player have no more injuries and really in a beauty just Man City 3 Stoke 0 Dawson quickly Lopez (Spain) 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 qualifier Jan Hernych 6-3, 6-4 to play at his home tournament.” concentrate for matches and for before the break. Swansea 2 Aston Villa 2 equalised with Lukas Rosol (Czech Republic) bt 8-Pablo in 76 minutes. “It’s never easy, Meanwhile, Nikolay Davydenko, practice, I can maybe be top 20 A late tap-in Tottenham 3 Reading 1 a header from always tense. I didn’t play in a one of only a handful of players again.” AGENCIES Andujar (Spain) 6-2, 7-6(2) took Van Persie’s a corner before West Brom 1 Fulham 2 total to 16 league Emmanuel West Ham 2 Norwich 1 goals this season Adebayor leapt as the leaders Wigan 0 Man Utd 4 to head in his powered on to Southampton 1 Arsenal 1 first league goal 52 points from of the season Doha ready to host Handball event in 2015 21 games, their best tally at this and Clint Dempsey added a late stage in six years. deflected third. BASEL, SWITZERLAND: Doha ready to host the Handball Arch poacher Javier Hernandez, Fulham winger Alex Kacaniklic The Chairman of the Organising World Championship, it reflects who had one effort ruled out for secured a 2-1 win at high-flying Committee of the 2015 Handball Qatar’s interest in organising offside, gave United the lead at West Bromwich Albion to end World Championships, Sheikh and hosting an outstanding and lowly north west rivals Wigan a sorry run of results for the Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani unprecedented event. when he slotted the ball in after Londoners who had gone in front has said that Doha is ready to The organising committee Patrice Evra’s effort was saved in through Dimitar Berbatov after organise the Handball World will also be aiming to learn from the 35th minute. 39 minutes. Championship which would be the upcoming championship in The Mexican then grabbed his West Brom improved mark- the best in the championship Spain that takes place from 11 second after 63 minutes to under- edly after the break and on-loan history. to January 27 this year, in what line his abilities as an able deputy Belgium forward Romelu Lukaku During a meeting with would be the 23rd edition of the to the injured Wayne Rooney. is likely to see increased media President of the International prestigious Handball competition. The New Year brought a rare speculation about a possible recall Handball Federation (IHF) During the 2013 competition, goal for City defender Pablo by parent club Chelsea this month Dr. Hassan Moustafa, Sheikh Qatar will also be competing, hav- Zabaleta before in-form Edin after capping a superb display Joaan said that the Doha 2015 ing been grouped with Algeria, Dzeko doubled the lead after the with a 49th-minute tap-in. Championship will be organised Tunisia and South Korea. break to show Mancini that his The hosts then hit the post to a top level and stressed that all Qatar qualified for the event strikers are still top class despite twice but 13th-placed Fulham the stadiums and matters related having been a finalist in the 2012 the failure to sign Van Persie from would not be denied and Swedish to the championship will be ready Asian Championship. Arsenal in August. winger Kacaniklic expertly spun ahead of schedule. Qatar was awarded the rights of Sergio Aguero, who later on the edge of the area before The meeting, held at the hosting the 2015 World Handball limped off, squeezed in a pen- stroking the ball home 13 minutes IHF headquarters in Basel, Championship following stiff com- alty to make it 3-0 after Steven into the second half. Switzerland recently, was petition from three European N’zonzi had clipped the heels of Mid-table West Ham United attended by the Secretary- nations - France, Norway and David Silva - possibly outside the eased to a 2-1 home win over stut- General of the Qatar Olympic Poland. area. tering Norwich City. Committee (QOC), Sheikh Saoud The Chairman of the Organising Committee Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Qatar won the vote that took “Today we did a good perform- Meanwhile, Arsenal were pre- bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who Thani (left) and International Handball Federation (IHF) President Dr. Hassan place during the last World ance,” Mancini told Sky Sports. vented from making ground on is also the Deputy Chairman of Moustafa pose for a picture at the IHF headquarters in Basel, Switzerland. Handball Championship in An usually fragile Stoke were the top four after their four-game the Organising Committee. Sweden in 2011. completely outgunned by City winning run came to an end in a The President of Qatar Since 2010, Qatar have hosted for most of the first half, much 1-1 draw at Southampton that left Handball Federation (QHF) and Federation headquarters in This included the action plan the club version of the IHF Super as Aston Villa were at Swansea Arsene Wenger’s side four points the Championship Executive Switzerland. and the recent preparations made Globe, which is contested by City as their run of three defeats below Chelsea. Director Ahmed Mohammed Al During the meeting, Sheikh by the committee which high- champion clubs from continental while conceding 15 goals and scor- Gaston Ramirez exploited Shaabi, QHF Secretary-General Joaan presented an outline detail- lighted the sports facilities and federations. ing none looked set to continue some calamitous defending to put Mohammad Jaber and several ing the organising committee’s stadiums that will host the event Atletico Madrid won last year’s before they sealed a 2-2 draw. Southampton ahead but a Guly do officials also attended the meet- vision to Dr Moutsfa and mem- in 2015. competition beating THW Kiel Wayne Routledge rounded the Prado own goal meant the visitors ing at the International Handball bers of the executive office. Sheikh Joaan added that with 28-23. QNA/THE PENINSULA goalkeeper to give the Welsh side were level before half-time. AFP