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London favourite West Indies destination for are Twenty20 Qatari investors champions

MONDAY 4 APRIL 2016 • 26 Jumada II 1437 • Volume 21 • Number 6756 thepeninsulaqatar @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatar

PM meets Saudi official Women-and-kids Al Nadeeb cuts only days at Al Khor Park extended down customs The Peninsula

DOHA: The recently-opened Al Khor Park has reserved one more clearance time day for women and children vis- itors. Previously only Tuesdays were reserved for women and children. Now they will have paperwork done and pay the cus- exclusive access to the park also toms duty. Now, it takes about five on Thursdays. The Al Khor and Clearing agents to 10 minutes to do that online,” said Dakhira Municipality has decided praise single-window an official of a customs clearance to increase the number of days for company. women and children after witness- system. All importers have a username ing huge rush on Tuesdays. and password to access the online Al Khor Park, which opened system, Al Nadeeb, introduced by after renovation in February, Qatar’s General Authority of Cus- receives hundreds of visitors eve- By Mobin Pandit and toms. The names of all customs ryday and on weekends it goes up Sanullah Ataullah clearance agencies figure on this to thousands. The Peninsula portal and the importer has to sim- It has turned into the most ply identify the agency of its choice Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani met in Doha sought after picnic spot for fam- to authorise it to act on his behalf. yesterday the Undersecretary of Interior Ministry for Civil Affairs of Saudi Arabia, Nasser bin Abdullah ilies on weekends. The park has a The agency concerned can then Al Abdulwahab. They reviewed bilateral ties and issues of common concern. mini zoo, with animals and birds DOHA: The online single-window access the portal and fill up details shifted from the Doha Zoo which customs clearance system, popu- online about the imported goods and is undergoing renovation. larly known as Al Nadeeb, is very pay the customs duty and fines, if handy and has cut down the clear- any. But before that the importer, the ing time to a few minutes from an agency’s customer, hands the agency earlier three to four hours, say cus- some papers and they include Com- toms clearing agents. mercial Invoice, Certificate of Origin, Minister reviews New Orbital project progress All an agency needs now is a Bill of Lading (a kind of bill of ship- Manifest, obtained online after fill- ment) and if the imported goods are ing up details, with which to visit the food items, an additional document progress in work on two segments Ashghal’s Expressway Department, lanes of contracts two and four will be port of entry and collect an imported is needed — health certification. By Mohamed Iqbal of the project — contract two and and Abdulla Al Attiyah, Technical open to traffic by the end of next year. consignment on behalf of its cus- The agency must also get a The Peninsula contract four. Office Manager at Ashghal. The Orbital Highway connects tomer—the importer. Delivery Order from the shipping Orbital is part of Ashghal’s The minister received a briefing the south and north of Qatar. The Customs clearance procedures company or its agents. These papers expressway projects linking areas on all four contracts of The Orbital project is located to the west, north at the seaport, especially, used to are required to fill up details online north and south of Qatar. Highway from the project’s consulting and south of Doha, and will see the be time-consuming earlier, officials to obtain the manifest. DOHA: Minister of Municipality The Minister was received by Eng and contracting representatives construction of around 200km of new from two agencies this newspaper The Commercial Invoice is and Environment H E Mohamed Nasser bin Ali Al Mawlawi, President as well as Ashghal. Following the dual carriageway from Mesaieed in spoke to yesterday said. provided to the importer by the bin Abdullah Al Rumaihi visited of the Public Works Authority meeting, the minister went on to the south to west of Al Khor in the “We are enjoying our work now. exporter. the construction site of the New (Ashghal), Eng Jalal Yousef Al Salhi, inspect the progress on contracts two north. Earlier, we had to spend three to Orbital Highway and Truck Route, Director of Infrastructure Affairs, Eng and four and the milestones achieved four hours at the port just to get the → Continued on page 6 called The Orbital, and reviewed the Nasser Ghaith Al Kuwari, Manager of so far in this vital project. The main → Continued on page 2

Car dealer forced to Plea for help refund QR200,000 OIC slams Armenia to customer over Azerbaijan The Peninsula

AFP that claimed some 30,000 lives, and DOHA: The Ministry of Econ- the foes have never signed a peace omy and Commerce has forced a deal despite a 1994 ceasefire. prominent car dealer to take back The region is still internationally a defective vehicle and refund the JEDDAH: A Saudi-based 57-member recognised as part of Azerbaijan and customer over QR200,000. Muslim body yesterday demanded the two sides frequently exchange The refund amount was Armenia’s “unconditional” with- fire, but the latest episode marked a decided after taking into account drawal from the Nagorny Karabakh surge in violence and sparked frantic depreciation of the car which was region after clashes with Azerbaijani appeals for peace from international used for a year. The Ministry took troops left 30 soldiers dead. powers. action following a complaint filed The Organisation of Islamic OIC Secretary General Iyad by the vehicle’s owner through one Cooperation (OIC), of which Azerba- Madani demanded “the immediate, of its communication channels ijan is a member, condemned “the unconditional, and complete with- regarding manufacturing defects. attack by Armenian forces on the drawal of Armenian forces from the The Ministry deputed its borders of occupied Azerbaijani ter- region and other occupied Azerbai- inspectors to investigate the ritories” and Yerevan’s “disrespect of jani territories.” complaint before notifying the the (unilateral) ceasefire” announced He called for increased inter- car dealer of the need to take the by Baku. national efforts, notably by the faulty car back and pay the cus- On Saturday, fierce clashes left so-called Minsk Group, to urgently tomer QR200,000 as per article 10 at least 18 Armenian and 12 Azerba- reach a political settlement that of law No. 8 of 2008 on Consumer ijani soldiers dead after both sides would “preserve” Azerbaijan’s Protection. The law stipulates that accused each other of attacking with territories. consumers are entitled to choose heavy weaponry across the volatile The Minsk Group, co-chaired whether to get repaired, exchange, frontline. by France, Russia and the United or return a defective product and A man holds his daughter at the port of Chios where refugees and migrants, who broke out from the Ethnic Armenian separatists States, leads efforts by the Organi- ask for a refund. The measure Vial detention centre, camp out yesterday in Greece. backed by Yerevan seized control zation for Security and Co-operation was part of the Ministry’s ongo- of the mountainous Nagorny Kara- in Europe (OSCE) to find a solution ing efforts to protect consumers bakh region in an early 1990s war to the conflict. and ensure that car dealers fol- low up on vehicles’ defects and repairs. The Ministry added that it will refer violations to authori- Yemeni president Hadi sacks PM; appoints new team ties for action to protect rights of consumers. The Ministry has urged peo- Reuters Khaled Bahah in a major shake-up countries in the Middle East. The president also appointed A Yemeni government official said ple to report violations through ahead of peace talks later this month. Yemen’s state television reported Ahmed Obeid bin Daghr, a former the shake-up could undermine UN- the following. Call Center: 16001; Yemen has been in a civil war that Hadi had appointed Ali Mohsen official in Saleh’s General People’s sponsored peace talks, scheduled to Email: [email protected]; Twitter: RIYADH: Yemeni President Abd- for more than a year between Hadi’s Al Ahmar, a politically powerful Congress party before joining Hadi’s start in Kuwait on April 18. @MEC_Qatar; Instagram: MEC_ rabuh Mansur Hadi appointed a new supporters and the Iran-allied Houthi army general who split violently camp, to become new prime minister. “Bahah was in favour of a politi- Qatar; Ministry of Economy and vice-president and prime minis- group that has drawn in a Saudi-led with former Yemeni president Ali Bahah, who held both posts before cal settlement and the appointment of Commerce mobile app for Android ter yesterday, pro-Hadi state media alliance and caused a major human- Abdullah Saleh in 2011, as the new he was sacked, had been named as an Ali Mohsen is a victory for the hard- and IOS: MEC_Qatar. reported, sacking prime minister itarian crisis in one of the poorest vice-president. adviser to Hadi. line wing,” the official said. 02 MONDAY 4 APRIL 2016 HOME

PM meets Sudan Doha Institute for Graduate President’s aide Studies awarded three The Peninsula & QNA research grants by QNRF

DOHA: Prime Minister and Inte- The Peninsula students’ aspirations and future rior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah orientations, including career bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani aspirations and beyond.” Another yesterday met Sudanese Pres- grant is titled ‘Transcultural ident’s Assistant Dr Ibrahim DOHA: Doha Institute for Gradu- identities: Solidaristic action Mahmoud Hamid and his delega- ate Studies has been awarded three and contemporary Arab social tion. They discussed cooperation research grants from Qatar National movements’ to explore the between the two countries, ways Research Fund (QNRF) to conduct development of socio-cultural of enhancing it and regional and research on topics pertaining to structures amid political international matters of mutual important educational and social transformations taking place in concern. issues in Qatar and the Arab world. the Arab world. The research is The grants were announced conducted by Dr Eid Mohammad, during Qatar Foundation’s Annual Associate Professor of Comparative Qatar welcomes Research Conference at Qatar Literature, in collaboration with the National Convention Centre. The institute’s researchers Dr Hamid arrival of Libya proposed budget for the grants totals Dabashi, Dr Aziz Douai, and Dr Minister of Municipality and Environment H E Mohamed bin Abdullah Al Rumaihi and other officials visit about $1.9m over three years. Ayman El Douskey, in addition to govt in Tripoli the construction site of the New Orbital Highway and Truck Route, called The Orbital. The Institute was awarded two support from Columbia University three-year grants through the ninth and George Mason University (both DOHA: Qatar yesterday welcomed cycle of National Priorities Research in the US). the arrival of the presidential Programme (NPRP). The first is for Dr Mohammad said, “We will council of Libyan national unity Orbital to provide better connectivity a project ‘School experience, edu- examine the interaction of political, government in capital Tripoli. cational aspirations and scholastic religious and cultural factors in the In a statement, the Foreign achievement’. It will be led by Dr development of an Arab identity at a Ministry said the arrival of the for most important industrial areas Nabil Khattab, Associate Professor challenging historical juncture fac- government, under the chairman- of Sociology at the institute, in col- ing the region. To accomplish it, our ship of Fayez Sarraj, to Tripoli was laboration with researchers from research will analyse contemporary an important step towards activat- Qatar University and Bristol Uni- works by Arab artists. We will pro- Continued from page 1 ing the political process. direction, the new highway and truck service infrastructure, including versity Kingston University (both in duce research outcomes in a book, It called on the Libyan Pres- route provides heavy vehicles with underpasses for camels, weighing the UK). Dr Khattab said: “We are academic journal entries and as an idential Council to communicate The Orbital road will include their separate roadways with two stations, side road parking bays, aware that there is no significant online database to document social with all parties involved to reach 22 main interchanges, including truck lanes in each direction, allow- green landscape and metal beam correlation between wealth and movements resulting from the Arab a bigger consensus on the political bridges and underpasses to connect ing smooth and safe traffic along guardrails along the road. Contract school performance of Qatari stu- Spring, which continue to influence process and help initiate national the Orbital to the main roads and main expressways. The Orbital is two starts at Salwa Road, passing dents as demonstrated by the results contemporary Arab culture.” dialogue. Such moves would help expressways of the East-West Cor- designed to manage up to 1500 heavy through Dukhan Highway and North of the Programme for International The third research grant was reach national reconciliation to ridor Project, Salwa Road, Dukhan good vehicles per hour in each direc- Road up to North Relief Road. Assessment. We will examine some from OSRA, a joint research fund regain Libya’s stability, the min- Highway and Al Shamal Road. tion; it can cater for general traffic It encompasses about 48km of important questions such as ‘Why do between Doha International Family istry said. When complete, the Orbital volumes at about 8,000 vehicles an a new dual carriageway consisting students in Qatar not perform well in Institute and QNRF in its first cycle. It also called on all parties will provide better connectivity for hour in each direction. of seven lanes in each direction and these international tests?; and ‘What The project, led by Dr Yousef Daoud, involved to continue dialogue to Qatar’s most important industrial Major infrastructure works of the includes eight two-level interchanges. explains the general underperform- Head of Development Economics reach a political agreement. It areas — Mesaieed, New Hamad Port, project include a storm water drain- Contract four consists of 42km ance of students in Qatar?’ Programme, is titled ‘Parenting, expressed Qatar’s commitment to Dukhan, Al Khor and Ras Laffan, age network, treated sewage effluent from Dukhan Road to west of Al Khor “Our study will examine the Social Preferences and Forward- the choices of the Libyan people without the need to travel through networks for irrigation, communi- City and includes five multi-level impact of family backgrounds, looking Behaviour in Arab Societies and expressed support to regaining the main residential communities of cations networks, street lighting and interchanges — Local Access Road, parents’ expectations and — an Experimental Study’. Research stability and security in the face Al Wakrah, Doha and Al Khor. Intelligent Transport System. Gharrafa Road, Al Mazroo’a Road, involvement, out-of-school and will be conducted in association with of the growing threat of terrorism. Consisting of seven lanes in each The project will also provide Al Khor Link Road and North Road. ex-curricular activities to develop Kings College in London.

Experts to discuss 5G at Partly cloudy weather Souq Waqif Festival 2016 wireless communications begins today conference today The Peninsula

QNA heterogeneous cellular, cognitive radio and wireless sensor networks, DOHA: Souq Waqif is holding a energy harvesting and energy effi- festival from today to coincide cient communications. with the spring break at schools. DOHA: Industry experts, academics The conference includes work- It has lined up entertainment and representatives from govern- shops, tutorials, keynote talks from and cultural events that will con- ment agencies will discuss the road industrial leaders and renowned tinue for 15 days. map for 5G, technology challenges academics, panel discussions, a large The souq is a popular destina- and the way forward at the 2016 exhibition as well as business and tion among tourists, citizens and IEEE Wireless Communications and industrial forums. Representatives expatriates. Networking Conference (WCNC16) from sponsors Ooredoo, National The events are being organised starting here today at Sheraton Instruments, Qatar Petrochemical by the Celebrations Committee to Grand Doha Resort and Conven- Co. (Qapco), Qatar National Research mark the second semester break tion Hotel. Fund and the US Office of Naval at schools. It is an opportunity The conference features a tech- Research Global and organisers for people to spend time enjoying nical agenda and sessions with Texas A&M at Qatar, Qatar University events during the festival. papers showcasing the latest tech- and Hamad Bin Khalifa University The festival include pro- nologies, applications and services. are also expected to attend. grammes for adults and children, Electronics and wireless com- This is the first time the confer- art work displays by Souq Waqif munications technocrats will also ence is being held in the Middle East Centre for Art. About 30 Qatari, discuss important topics, including and North Africa region. Arab and foreign artists will make paintings on the environment and The brief spell of unstable weather witnessed late last week has ended, though the weather was related issues front of people. partly cloudy yesterday. The Met Office said today day temperatures would vary between 26 and 30 The souq management said it is degrees C and night temperatures between 15 and 19. In Doha, the maximum temperature will be holding a longer festival this time Ooredoo extends QR1 Money 29 degrees and the minimum 19. Pic: Salim / The Peninsula as it expected huge crowds com- transfer fee promotion pared to last year.

The Peninsula Asian countries such as India, Nepal, HMC holds first forum on men’s health Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and most of the African countries. Ooredoo Mobile Money cus- DOHA: Ooredoo Mobile Money has tomers can also enjoy the QR1 fee The Peninsula announced that its popular QR1 promotion when making direct to Money transfer fee promotion has bank account transfer transactions been extended until April 30, as the to Bangladesh, Nepal, Indonesia, company continues to offer great Malaysia and Sri Lanka with the DOHA: Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) organ- value for customers. ‘Ooredoo Exchange’ service. ised a forum to discuss issues relating to men’s The money-saving offer has been All new and existing Mobile health, the first event of its kind in Qatar. extended as part of Ooredoo’s vision Money customers will be able to Participants included HMC specialists in renal of giving back to Qatar’s diverse send money home instantly with a surgery, urology, endocrinology, diabetes, cardiol- community of international resi- flat money transfer fee of QR1 dur- ogy, psychiatry, community medicine and tobacco dents. The promotion, launched in ing the promotion and users will also control as well as from other government minis- 2015, enables customers to send enjoy one of the best exchange rates tries and the private sector. money abroad instantly with a in Qatar. Dr Khalid Al Rumaihi, Senior Consultant and Officials at the forum. money transfer fee of QR1, one of Customers can deposit money Head, Department of Renal Surgery and Urol- the lowest in Qatar. into their Mobile Money Wallet at ogy, HMC, and President of the forum, said, “The Thanks to the low fee, customers any Ooredoo self-service machine event aimed to emphasise that men’s health means and the impact of obesity on male sex hormones. risk of heart clots. can send money quickly, easily and or Ooredoo shop, or by direct trans- helping them enjoy integrated health physically, The forum also addressed the impact of social He highlighted other factors that could lead to safely for collection at over 347,000 fer from a QNB account through QNB mentally and sexually from their adulthood until media on men’s health. heart disease and affect potency in men, including MoneyGram agents in 200 countries, Mobile Payment service. old age.” In his lecture, Dr Jassim Al Suwaidi, Senior Con- diabetes, high blood pressure, increased cholesterol all through the convenience of their For details on Ooredoo Mobile Lectures included examining the effect of sultant Cardiologist, HMC, said erectile dysfunction and smoking and said it is important to check heart mobile phone. Money and how to register, cus- androgens on men’s health, especially during the is an early indicator of diseases of the heart and health of any patient with erectile dysfunction to The QR1 offer is available for tomers can visit the Mobile Money advanced age, erectile dysfunction as an indicator arteries. begin the correct treatment early. customers transferring money page on the Ooredoo website at for heart disease, the impact of enlarged prostate on He referenced studies which indicate a direct It is likely the forum will be held annually and through MoneyGram to 200 coun- https://www.ooredoo.qa/portal/ men’s health, the relationship between smoking and correlation between intensity of infection with evolve into a men’s health club to serve as a med- tries, including the Philippines, GCC, OoredooQatar/omm impotency and the importance of proper nutrition erectile dysfunction and potential exposure to the ical outreach in the community. HOME MONDAY 4 APRIL 2016 03 QRCS monitors health campaign for Syria kids

several secondary and makeshift cen- two days when inspectors visit main Seminar focuses tres, at a cost of $48,321. centres to ensure the centres and Measles and rubella As an external observer, QRCS equipment are in place. on Qatar-China vaccination of kids contributed 42 supervisors to inspect During the campaign over six the preparedness of the centres, days, QRCS supervisors examine relations held in partnership validity of injections and vaccina- vaccine samples, storage conditions with Save the tions, performance of vaccinators, for inconveniences and accompany DOHA: The Diplomatic and safe delivery of vaccinations to vaccinator teams to assess their Institute at the Foreign Children. children. performance at health centres and Ministry hosted a seminar QRCS has a long experience in households and take notes. on Qatar-China relations the monitoring of child vaccination Then follows post-campaign and the leap it saw over campaigns. Its mission in Gaziantep, over two days when the results are the past years. The Peninsula Turkey, has held intensive training analysed for lessons learnt, to be con- It was attended by courses for more than 100 supervisor sidered in future campaigns. Arkin Amir Albek, Dep- at its premises and in Syria to improve Saleh bin Ali Al Mohannadi, Sec- uty Chairman, Permanent DOHA: Qatar Red Crescent Soci- their supervisory, planning, follow- retary-General, QRCS, said, “We Committee, State Council ety (QRCS) has completed external up, and assessment skills. have completed the monitoring of the of the People’s Repub- monitoring of measles and rubella QRCS has monitored eight polio campaign to immunise Syrian chil- lic of China and Head, vaccination of children in Syria, in vaccination campaigns in Syria, in dren against measles and rubella to Qatari-Chinese Friendship partnership with Save the Children. cooperation with United Nations improve the living conditions of our Society, and his delega- A trained QRCS team accompa- Children’s Fund (Unicef), World Syrian brothers in and outside their tion, Chinese Ambassador nied vaccination staff in Idlib City and Health Organisation (WHO) and country, cater for their basic needs, Li Chen, Assistant For- the countryside to monitor the vacci- other local and global humanitarian and protect the next generation eign Minister for Foreign nation process and ensure compliance organisations. against physical impairment. Affairs H E Sultan bin with international standards. The $10m campaigns have served “A few oral vaccine drops can Saad Al Meraiki and diplo- Conducted by Syria Immunisa- millions of children in Aleppo, Idlib, create a productive citizen capable mats and ministry staff. tion Task Force, the 10-day campaign Latakia, Hama and other Syrian of serving his or her homeland.” A child awaits to be vaccinated at one of the health centres. Albek told the par- covered 286,966 children aged six governorates. He stressed QRCS’s keenness to ticipants that relations months to five years. The process comprises three continue efforts to uphold the medical and alleviate severe health conditions children directly affected by the five- between both countries It was held at 10 main centres and phases — pre-campaign for over sector in Syria, improve public health, suffered by about 4.5 million Syrian year crisis in their country. made quantum leaps over the past years through the intensification of visits and trade exchange and ROTA vows innovation and youth social entrepreneurship network the attention the Qatari leadership gives to them. He said the visit of Emir H H Sheikh Tamim The Peninsula capacity-building and cooperation Management Representative, ROTA, Clubs took home prizes in as many and Bahrain. Omar Rabih, who has bin Hamad Al Thani to and creating a crowdfunding acad- said the conference hoped to encour- categories, presented at the awards seven years of experience working Beijing in 2014 gave a emy for the Arab region. age youth to become successful and ceremony on the final day of the in the social entrepreneurship field in strong boost to relations Held under the theme ‘Innovation profitable entrepreneurs, while giv- conference. Egypt, said: “The conference brought and upgraded them to DOHA: Reach Out To Asia (ROTA) in Youth Social Entrepreneurship’, the ing back to society. “The success of After moderating a panel discus- together participants from all around strategic partnership. has wrapped up the eighth edition conference brought together over 450 ROTA in organising the conference sion and presenting a workshop on the world, providing a platform for He said development of three-day EMPOWER 2016 con- bright and enthusiastic young minds reflects our strong commitment to ‘Operational Aspects of Innovation the exchange of ideas. I thank the of relations on the popu- ference with a pledge to establish from around the world to discuss support Qatar in its journey towards and Social Entrepreneurship’, Saudi organisers for efforts and answering lar level and cooperation a regional network responsible for opportunities and challenges facing promoting innovation and building a Firas Ragheb Al Jarrah, who holds our questions on an individual level.” between Qatars’ Advisory advancing innovation and youth entrepreneurship from a commu- knowledge-based economy as part of a master’s degree in social entre- Munira Abdul Qadir, a repre- Council and China’s State social entrepreneurship. nity-building perspective. It aimed the country’s efforts to diversify its preneurship, said: “While this is my sentative of Naqaa Sustainability Council will benefit both The network will be conducted in to encourage youth to contribute to economy,” he said. first experience as a moderator, and Solutions, one of the first social enter- countries. He also high- partnership with the United Nations United Nations Sustainable Devel- The first and second day of the despite the time constraints, I believe prises in Saudi Arabia said, “I heard lighted activities marking Development Programme (UNDP) opment Goals (SDGs) and Qatar event included 48 workshops and two it was an excellent opportunity to dis- about EMPOWER from an online post Qatari-Chinese Cultural and made up of young inventors and National Vision 2030 using the youth panel discussions on the concepts of cuss the definition and objectives of put up by a friend. I believe that the Year 2016 in both coun- social entrepreneurs who attended social entrepreneurship business crowdfunding, innovation in product social entrepreneurship.” objectives of this year’s event align tries and Qatari-Chinese the conference. methodology. creation, entrepreneurship and the The conference welcomed experts with Naqqa’s mission that involves Friendship Society. They will be responsible for estab- Mohammed Jassim Al Naama, power of social networking, among and participants from 34 countries, helping people make profit using lishing a regional mechanism for Acting Executive Director and Senior others. Six of ROTA’s Youth Service including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Oman environmentally-friendly solutions.” 04 MONDAY 4 APRIL 2016 HOME

QA’s 787 Dreamliner to Qatar Airways Cargo unveils serve Geneva from July 1 innovative new mobile app

The Peninsula Increasing passenger demand has led to DOHA: Qatar Airways Cargo, the the introduction world’s third largest international of a second daily cargo airline, has announced the Dreamliner route to launch of its first mobile app QR Cargo for Android and iOS devices the Swiss market via Google Play Store and Apple App from Doha. Store. The app aims to provide ease and convenience to QAC’s customers by having all important information The Peninsula at their fingertips on their mobile devices. In addition to getting detailed DOHA: Qatar Airways (QA) has The Boeing 787 Dreamliner will further enhance on board experience status of their shipments, customers announced a substantial aircraft for passengers. can now use the app for enquiries upgrade on the Doha-Geneva route such as QA passenger flight and from July 1 to become its second Akbar Al Baker, Chief Executive, QA combines the latest in aeronautic freighter schedules, office contact Dreamliner route to Switzerland Group. engineering with refined on board details, product descriptions and The new mobile app for Android and iOS devices provides more after Zürich. “The Boeing 787 Dreamliner hospitality in a spacious and light more. The route, operated by an Airbus represents one of the most modern environment. “The all new app is linked to our convenience and value to customers. A320 with 132 seats, will be served aircraft in the skies and we look for- Large electronically-dimma- in-house Cargo Reservations, Oper- by the state-of-the-art Boeing 787 ward to welcoming passengers on ble windows create dramatic views ations, Accounting and Management flight schedule search, recent search remember lengthy details such as Dreamliner, almost doubling capac- board.” and provide natural light, while full- Information System (CROAMIS), history, charter service request, the 11-digit airway bill numbers. ity on the direct daily service to 254 Passengers to Geneva from any spectrum LED lighting sets the mood which provides real-time data and location and navigation services to A comprehensive directory of seats. of QA’s over 150 destinations benefit and helps passengers adjust quickly updates for each logistic milestone QAC worldwide offices and more QAC’s offices is integrated within The introduction of the 787 from a smooth and efficient transfer to changing time zones. achieved, direct to our customers,” useful tools. the app for customers to navigate Dreamliner will further enhance at the airline’s home and hub Hamad A lower cabin pressure, improved said Ulrich Ogiermann, Chief Officer Besides requesting shipment to the offices using location maps on board experience for passengers International Airport. air quality and optimal humidity Cargo, QA. “We are excited about the bookings and charter services, in their mobile devices or calling the between the two cities and increase The airport houses one of the contribute to a refreshed feeling on launch of our first mobile app that customers can also easily track offices directly with a tap. Custom- capacity to 80 tonnes of cargo per world’s largest and most luxurious landing. Business Class is configured provides more convenience and each piece of their shipment with ers can download the app at http:// week carried to and from Geneva. Business Class lounges – Al Mour- in a 1–2–1 set-up with 22 seats and value to our customers, giving them a microscopic view of each stage of www.qrcargo.com/apps and fol- “QA is delighted that the high jan Business Lounge – and offers Economy has a 232 seating capacity the freedom to manage and access the process through the app. low links to the iPhone or Android level of demand for travel to Geneva over 40,000sqm of retail space and in a 3–3–3 layout. their global business anywhere and The recent search history smartphone app store. QAC has a from our worldwide network war- restaurants that includes more than Since January 2013, the Boeing anytime on their schedule.” option allows users to look for fre- fully-fledged homepage and mobile rants a higher-capacity aircraft 70 retail and 30 food and bever- 787 Dreamliner has operated the The app’s key features include quently searched shipments, routes website www.qrcargo.com, con- equipped with our award-winning age outlets, an airside hotel, spa and daily Doha-Zürich route and QA was instant shipment tracking, weekly or schedules without having to nected to its CROAMIS. on board premium product, which swimming pool. the first to introduce the aircraft to will be introduced on the route,” said The Boeing B787 Dreamliner the Swiss market. Ooredoo offering iPhone SE from April 12; HMC’s Medical customers can place orders from today Education Centre

The Peninsula longer battery life, camera innova- anticipating the iPhone SE. We’ve accredited by JCI tions including a 12-megapixel iSight designed Ooredoo Supernet to pro- camera, Live Photos, ability to record vide incredible coverage and speed in 4K and Touch ID with Apple Pay, for state-of-the-art devices like these DOHA: Ooredoo has announced iPhone SE is the perfect phone for so that people in Qatar can get the The Peninsula centres for practical that it will offer iPhone SE, the most everyone who wants a smaller phone. most out of this new wave of inno- reasons. Tertiary care powerful phone with a four-inch dis- The iPhone SE, which can be vation.” For details on pricing or teaching centres are play, from April 12 and customers can ordered from today via Ooredoo to order the iPhone SE today, visit geared towards deliver- place orders from today. eShop is available in space grey, sil- www.ooredoo.qa/portal/OoredooQ- DOHA: Hamad Medical ing more comprehensive The iPhone SE packs the power ver, gold and rose gold, and prices atar/iphonese. For details on iPhone, Corporation’s (HMC) Med- and effective care. This is of iPhone 6s in a beloved compact range from QR 1,699 for 16GB model please visit http://www.apple.com. ical Education Centre has particularly true for the aluminium design customers love, or QR2,099 for 64GB. Ooredoo is Qatar’s leading com- been recognised by Joint most complicated cases featuring a stunning four-inch Retina Fatima Sultan Al Kuwari, Direc- munications company, delivering Commission International that benefit from multi- display and four gorgeous metallic tor, Public & Community Relations, mobile, fixed, broadband Internet (JCI). disciplinary teams that finishes, including rose gold. Ooredoo, said: “Ooredoo is a proud and corporate managed services tai- HMC is the larg- include specialists, res- With the exceptional perform- partner of Apple and we know lored to the needs of consumers and iPhone SE is available in space grey, silver, gold and est Academic (teaching) idents and consultants ance of the advanced 64-bit A9 chip, that our customers are eagerly businesses. rose gold. Medical Centre (AMC) in who work alongside other Qatar and one of the larg- team members around the est in the region providing clock. secondary and tertiary HMC’s GME pro- medical care. gramme has been The international internationally rec- accreditation was the ognised with 14 of its result of meeting strin- residency programmes gent standards required accredited by ACGME- by two additional JCI I, the international arm chapters — Medical Pro- of Accreditation Coun- fessional Education and cil for Graduate Medical Human Subject Research. Education. Dr Abdullatif Al Khal, This organisation Deputy Chief Medical accredits hospitals and Officer and Director of medical centres to ensure Medical Education, HMC, training for doctors in said, “Our accredited their residency and fel- Graduate Medical Educa- lowship years is of the tion (GME) programme is highest quality. designed to deliver high- “Our training pro- quality training to our grammes are designed residents and ensure our to teach our young young doctors have high doctors in internation- competence levels that ally-approved clinical will help them take bet- environment where they ter care of their patients. also learn about the “Receiving AMC importance of best prac- accreditation and meeting tice in quality and patient exacting medical educa- safety initiatives,” said tion standards reflect that Dr Al Khal. “The accred- the training we deliver to itation signifies that our hundreds of young doc- training programmes tors and residents every meet the highest inter- year is of the highest national standards and international standards. will attract more high- It is important to have the calibre young doctors to right setting to provide complete their residency proper medical teaching training within HMC.” that ensures the safety Achieving the position of our patients and staff. as a globally recognised Being an approved teach- teaching institution was ing centre demonstrates a crucial element in HMC this support of the provi- receiving JCI Gold Seal of sion of better quality care.” Approval for accredita- International evi- tion under the Academic dence suggests that best Medical Centre Hospi- patient care is deliv- tal standards earlier this ered through academic month. HOME MONDAY 4 APRIL 2016 05 Katara’s Information Management System wins ISO 27001

and expectations of its customers. significantly contributes to safeguard- Katara implemented This was announced during a ing the information system. press conference jointly held by He said: “ISO 27001 information ISO 27001 as a Katara, Wall Street Consultancy and security and data protection brings global standard for InterTech Company in Qatar. supreme importance to data for Ahmad Al Sayed, Deputy Gen- organisations globally — businesses information security eral Manager, Katara, delivered a safeguarding their client and company management to speech on behalf of General Man- data against potential threats.” ger Dr Khlaid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti Jason Periera, Director, InterTech ensure commercial, and said: “Katara seeks to implement Co in Qatar, said: “The award is cen- contractual and legal systems and technical specifications tred on information management responsibilities and regarding services application par- system and security management. It ticularly related to database integrity is valuable to win the security man- give instant features. and information technology services, agement certificate as we have lots intellectual property and privacy of cybercrimes. I hope the IT Depart- protection to achieve maximum effi- ment at Katara will achieve further ciency and transparency.” development and progress.” The Peninsula He said Katara has implemented Katara has already won the cer- ISO 27001 as an international tificate of conformity of quality standard for information secu- specifications ISO 9001 version 2008 rity management, which provides a within cultural affairs scope form the DOHA: Cultural Village Foundation- framework that ensures commercial, company — Ms Certification — one of Katara has won ISO 27001 certificate contractual and legal responsibilities the internationally recognised firms in for information management system. and gives instant features to preserve the field of application of global and It reinforces Katara’s position Katara’s reputation in terms of the financial quality management stand- as a leading cultural institution of quality of services.” ards. Katara has also inked strategic excellence through the pursuit of a The CEO and director of Wall deals with entities to positively con- permanent development of its services Street Consultancy congratulated tribute to the artistic movement in Officials at the event. and quality to meet the requirements Katara for winning the certificate as it Qatar. 96 students from 12 schools to take part in engineering contest

The Peninsula The contest will be held in partner- country’s development and growth in ship with Losail International Circuit, line with the Human Development pil- with Qatar Petrochemical Company lar of Qatar National Vision 2030.” (Qapco) as gold sponsor and Dolphin Alistair Routledge, President and DOHA: Some 96 students from 12 Energy, ExxonMobil and Qatar Shell General Manager, ExxonMobil Qatar, Independent schools will participate as silver sponsors. Finalists will battle said: “We are proud to support pro- in the ‘Life is Engineering Project’ it out in the final race on April 25. The grammes such as Life is Engineering (LIEP) competition, the annual high- winning top three teams will receive that offer an engaging way to involve school initiative of Qatar University awards and other prizes. youth in activities that introduce them College of Engineering. Dr Khalifa Al Khalifa, Dean of to these important subjects.” Details were provided at the the college, said, “The project aims Hassan Al Emadi, General Man- launch of the seventh edition of to engage school students in scien- ager – Qatar, Dolphin Energy, said: the project, attended by Prof Elsa- tific and engineering projects and “We hope our participation helps dig Mahdi, Head, Mechanical and motivate them towards studies in inspire and provide opportunities Industrial Engineering Department, engineering to enable them to con- for young, talented Qataris to pursue The team from Tarek Bin Zeyad Secondary School. school students and supervisors. tribute to the labour market and the their dreams.” 06 MONDAY 4 APRIL 2016 HOME WISH conference to include RAF sends wheat flour for Syrians Autism Forum and report

The Peninsula Sixty trucks carrying 1,500 tonnes of flour will help DOHA: The World Innovation Summit provide bread to for Health (WISH) has announced that an internally-displaced Autism Forum and report will be presented during its 2016 conference, which is taking people in northern place here on November 29-30. Syria. The forum will outline the opportu- nities and hurdles facing the struggles around autism today, spanning the most recent developments across various sec- The Peninsula tors, including education, medicine, and policymaking. Dr Kerim Munir (pictured), Director, Centre for Autism and Related Disorders, that individuals with autism and their fam- DOHA: Sheikh Thani Bin Abdul- Boston Children’s Hospital, and Associate ilies can get the support they need.” lah Foundation for Humanitarian Professor of Psychiatry and Paediatrics, The report will recommend that inter- Services (RAF) has dispatched a Harvard Medical School, will chair the disciplinary training spans sectors, with convoy of 60 trucks carrying 1,500 Officials with some of the trucks. forum. providers, teachers, and families working tonnes of wheat flour at a cost of He said: “The Autism Forum will together to ensure best treatment for the QR650,000 to help provide bread present a global framework for action individual at the earliest stages possible. to internally-displaced people in people in violence-ravaged Syria donations from philanthropists in run by RAF to provide free bread through evidence-based policy innova- In the home, modifications can be northern parts of Syria. who are battling for survival. Qatar. The 60 trucks moved from to hundreds of thousands bene- tion, and promote the adoption of effective made with respect to services offered and Thousands of displaced fami- The convoy is part of an initia- the Turkish city of Al Rayhaniya ficiaries. The second convoy will health and education interventions that equipment requested, along with coun- lies having taken shelter in Aleppo, tive launched by RAF to send more on Friday in collaboration with be dispatched after a month, said emphasise inclusionary and family-ori- selling and education. It will underscore Hama, Idlib, Rif Lazqiya and in than 120 trucks with 3,200 tonnes local partner, Humanitarian Relief a RAF release. Beneficiaries will ented care.” the importance of financing research, some remote areas will benefit. of flour at a cost of QR3.5m. Foundation (IHH). Flour bags will include newly-displaced families, The Autism Forum will provide case services to provide training, universal Bread is literally a luxury for The money has come through be distributed to the bakeries being orphans and old men and women. studies and diagrams outlining actions health-coverage options, and the evalu- that must be taken across the health, ation of outcomes. In the education sector, education, and social sectors involved in finance for infrastructure and the cura- addressing the condition. tion of curricula will be discussed in detail. Egbert Schillings, CEO of WISH, said, The WISH 2016 Summit will feature QC implemented five projects for Syrians in Morocco last year “Autism is a big, messy, complicated sub- seven groundbreaking research forums ject, especially when you factor in the that highlight and address some of the panic that’s been unleashed by the spread world’s most pressing healthcare chal- The Peninsula Moroccan educational system. It also held edu- of false notions of a link between the con- lenges. In addition to Autism, the forums cational and entertaining activities for students. dition and childhood vaccines. While those will generate interdisciplinary, evidence- Applications were sent to the Ministry of debates continue to rage in certain circles, based reports on topics including Healthy DOHA: Qatar Charity (QC) implemented five National Education in Morocco for licence to those affected are dealing with a com- Populations, Precision Medicine, Economic relief projects for the Syrians in Morocco last set up a society to organise remedial course pletely different set of problems, which Benefits of Investing in Health, Cardio- year, covering social, medical, educational, self- and help integrate students in educational is that there are not enough services and vascular Disease, Accountable Care, and employment and legal fields. institutions. resources for autistic people and their Behavioural Insights. About 10,000 refugees, including hundreds Income-generating projects were financed families. For the first time, WISH will also report of families, benefited. Over 68 percent of the for families. It was agreed that QC would buy a The WISH Forum Report will out- on its ongoing impact locally and glo- projects were in Tangier, Casablanca, Rabat, laboratory oven for tooth-making and finance line concrete actions for policy makers to bally on issues previously highlighted at Oujda and Fes; the rest in other Moroccan cit- a shop for Syrian sweets. harness innovations in the field and adapt the summit, such as diabetes and patient ies as estimated by Office of the United Nations The Syrian refugees were offered assist- effective policies to their local context, so safety. High Commissioner for Refugees. It enabled QC ance in settling their legal conditions so that to offer aid in the field of social services and they would receive residence permits. provide food baskets and basic needs such as Another project aimed to protect the refu- clothes, covers and house equipment. gees from any negative behavioural changes, Ford Fusion 2010-11 models recalled The aid included renting houses for some create a sense of family between the Moroccans 36 needy families, distributing new clothes for Syrian students attending a class. and the refugees and reduce the ‘begging’ phe- Eid Al Fitr and financial aid so that the families nomenon which has spread in countries where The Peninsula The ministry said the recall is part of would buy clothes and covers and providing refugees are staying. its efforts to protect consumers and ensure water heaters. on the needy. QC helped students join the edu- QC implemented the projects through dealers follow up on vehicle defects and QC offered treatment and medications to the cational system and organised private lessons its executive partners, Basma for Social repairs. It urged customers to report any refugees and helped facilitate urgent surgeries for them so that they would cope with the Development. DOHA: The Ministry of Economy and violations to its Consumer Protection Commerce, in collaboration with Almana and Anti-Commercial Fraud Department Motors Company, dealer of Ford vehicles, through hotline: 16001; email: info@mec. has announced the recall of Ford Fusion gov.qa; Twitter: @MEC_Qatar; Instagram: models of 2010 and 2011 over a defect in MEC_Qatar; and the ministry’s mobile app Clearing ‘goods from seaport more cumbersome’ the fuel tank. for Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar. Continued from page 1 The Bill of Lading is issued by the car- and air services. After Manifest is obtained, the agency rier. The Manifest is needed for customs sends an official to the port of entry to collect the cargo. The importer must produce the clearance at all three ports of entry — land, In the case of Doha Port, agency officials said it was Commercial Invoice to show he is the con- airport and seaport. Agencies say clearing a challenge to look for the customer’s container or con- signment’s owner. The Certificate of Origin goods from the seaport is more cumber- tainers and spot them after paperwork and collecting the identifies the place where the consignment some since containers are involved so the Manifest. “It sometimes took hours to spot a container,” is made and being imported from. service is more expensive than for the land said an agency official. One container can sometimes carry goods of two or more importers. Once spotted, the container or containers are taken for scanning and customs check and transported as directed by the importer. Now, container handling is done by Milaha (Qatar Navigation) and a computerised system has apparently made the spotting and handling convenient. Fines are slapped if a container is not collected within three days of landing. The fourth day one must pay fine for the first three days at the rate of QR150 a day. From the fourth day the fine is doubled, said officials.

Illegal street vending

Doha Municipality inspectors, in collaboration with Al Fazaa and Public Hygiene Project, caught three vendors during a crackdown on illegal street vendors. A Public Monitoring Section official said campaigns will continue to catch illegal vendors and highlight civic laws. MIDDLE EAST MONDAY 4 APRIL 2016 07

Rallying support 400,000 in Sudan Erdogan hits out may need food at Obama over aid due to El Nino AFP

KHARTOUM: Some 400,000 peo- press remark ple in Sudan could need food aid because of poor rains caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon, a UN official said yesterday. “You cannot consider insults and El Nino saw rains in the 2015- threats press freedom or criticism,” 2016 agricultural season drop Turkish president Erdogan said. significantly in parts of Sudan in comes home after Turkey has seized control of comparison with the previous opposition newspapers and TV season. five-day trip to channels and cut the satellite feed “We got down to a net number Washington. of a pro-Kurdish channel, accus- of about 400,000 individuals that ing them of terrorism-related will be in need of food assistance” activities. because of the low rainfall in parts Erdogan has personally brought of Sudan, said Marco Cavalcante, more than 1,800 criminal suits head of programme for the UN’s Reuters against individuals, including jour- World Food Programme in Sudan. nalists and children, for insulting Sudanese president Omar Hassan Al Bashir (centre) waves to the crowd as he arrives for a visit to the Last month, the United Nations him since becoming president in town of Zalingei, capital of Central Darfur state, yesterday. Bashir started a tour of Darfur on April 1 issued a plan to respond to the ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep 2014. ahead of a referendum on whether to keep the conflict-torn western area as five states or to create effects of El Nino in Sudan, in Tayyip Erdogan accused US counter- The Committee to Protect Jour- one region. which it estimated that a total of part Barack Obama of going behind nalists said at least 13 journalists some 3.5 million Sudanese would his back for criticising Turkey’s are in jail for their coverage and be affected by El Nino. press freedom record and linked it described a “massive crackdown” to efforts to “divide” Turkey, media that includes self-censorship and reports said yesterday. harrassment of media-business Obama said on Friday after owners. Old dispute separates Western Sahara families meeting Erdogan on the sidelines Criticism of Turkey’s press record of a nuclear summit in Washington seeks to “divide, shatter and if they that he was troubled by curbs on could, swallow up Turkey,” he said. the press in Turkey and said he had “This is what I mean by mastermind. AFP broke out after Morocco annexed the a quarter century. A 1991 ceasefire day out of the Smara refugee camp urged Erdogan not to repress dem- A mastermind is playing games over vast desert territory in 1975 in a move ended one and a half decades of near the Moroccan border. His wife ocratic debate in his country. Turkey. that was not recognised by the inter- fighting between Morocco and the and three children were all born in Turkey has drawn international Erdogan and his supporters SMARA REFUGEE CAMP, ALGE- national community. pro-independence Polisario Front the same camp, near Tinouf around condemnation for charging two jour- occassionally refer to a shadowy RIA: Ergueibi Abdelahi was just nine Tens of thousands of Sahrawis backed by Algeria. 1,800km west of Algiers. It is named nalists with treason for publishing foreign “mastermind” that seeks to months old when his aunt scooped live as refugees in the west of Alge- But Rabat remains unwavering in after a town in Western Sahara. footage that purportedly showed destabilise Turkey, a Nato member him up and fled fighting in Western ria, while some of their relatives its insistence that Western Sahara is At least 90,000 Sahrawi refugees the intelligence agency shipping that shares borders with Syria, Iraq Sahara after Morocco sent troops into remained hundreds of kilometres an integral part of its kingdom. live off international aid in five camps truckloads of weapons to opposi- and Iran. the former Spanish colony, leaving his away in Western Sahara. Their future Larger than Britain but with a in the Tinouf area, according to the tion fighters in Syria in early 2014. Separately, Erdogan said the parents and brother behind. today looks even more uncertain after population of under one million UN. The Algerian government says the Can Dundar and Erdem Gul of Cum- US and Turkey had edged closer in Until he was 10, he thought his a diplomatic row broke out last month people, Western Sahara has lucra- number is closer to 165,000. huriyet face life in prison. their stances on Syrian Kurds, close aunt was his mother. when UN chief Ban Ki-moon referred tive phosphate reserves, rich fishing For decades, the two sides of “I was saddened to hear that US allies in the fight against Islamic “She (my mother) was at the mar- to Western Sahara’s “occupation” dur- grounds and potentially oil. Abdelahi’s family — one in Western statement made behind my back. State. Turkey sees the Syrian Kurdish ket on the day we ran,” Abdelahi says ing a visit to a refugee camp. Sahrawis are campaigning for Sahara, the other in the refugee camp During my talk with Obama, those YPG militia and its political arm, the of their escape in 1978 across the bor- A furious Morocco expelled doz- the right to self-determination, but — were unsure of each other’s exist- issues did not come up,” Erdogan PYD, as part of the outlawed Kurdis- der into Algeria. ens of UN personnel and demanded Morocco insists its sovereignty can- ence, he says. told reporters, according to Hurri- tan Workers Party (PKK), which has “From what I was told, people fled the United Nations close its military not be challenged. “Those who had fled thought yet daily. waged a three-decade insurgency the bombing barefoot. We arrived in liaison office in Western Sahara. Abdelahi is now almost 40 years those who stayed had been jailed He returned to Turkey after against Turkey. the refugee camp and never left.” The incident has stalled UN old and heads the editorial team at or had died, and those who stayed a five-day trip to Washington US officials have said they dis- Abdelahi’s family is just one of efforts to broker a settlement for Radio Smara, a small radio station under the occupation thought the yesterday. tinguish between the groups. thousands split up in the war that the area that have dragged on for that broadcasts for three hours a same about those who had escaped.” 08 MONDAY 4 APRIL 2016 MIDDLE EAST

High wire act Israel restores IS bastion near power to West Bank city after Thursday blackout Palmyra falls AFP

JERUSALEM: Israel’s state-run electricity company has restored to Syrian army full power supply to the Palestin- ian city of Jericho in the occupied West Bank after reducing it over an outstanding debt, officials said the army was still fighting the jihadists in yesterday. Syrian Observatory for the town. The cut on Thursday led to “Clashes are still ongoing in the east and blackouts, but full supply was Human Rights says fighting southeast of the town,” it said. restored later the same day, raging near town. The advance came after the Russian- according to Mansour Nassar of backed Syrian army dealt IS a major blow the Palestinian Jerusalem Dis- on March 27 by seizing the ancient city of trict Electricity Company (JDECO). Palmyra, known as the “Pearl of the desert”, The Israel Electric Corporation AFP from the jihadists. had reduced supply to Jericho over Al-Qaryatain is located some 120 kilo- a debt of 1.7 billion shekels ($450m) metres southwest of Palmyra. owed by the private JDECO and Its recapture will allow the army to Palestinian Authority. DAMASCUS: Syrian troops yesterday seized secure its grip over the ancient city, where An Israeli official said supply the key Islamic State group bastion of Al Qar- jihadists destroyed ancient temples and was reduced by half, while JDECO yatain, dealing the jihadists a new blow in the executed around 280 people during their said it had been cut by two-thirds. country’s centre a week after expelling them 10-month rule. The Israeli official said the IEC from Palmyra, state television said. Once Al-Qaryatain returns to government could at any point renew the cut. It The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights control, “of the whole of Homs province, IS was not clear why Israel decided monitoring group however said fighting was will only hold its bastion in Sukhna” northeast to restore power after the brief cut. still raging in the east and southeast of the of Palmyra, Observatory chief Rami Abdel Thursday’s cut had affected up town, which is located in the desert in Homs Rahman said. to 30,000 people of a total popu- province. “The recapture of Al-Qaryatain will also lation of around 50,000 in the city “The army with backing from support- allow the army to reclaim the whole of the and surrounding area, according to ing forces (pro-regime militia) brings back Syrian desert” spreading all the way south Jericho governor Majed Al Fityani. complete security and stability to the town of to the Iraqi border, Abdel Rahman added. The Palestinian Author- Al-Qaryatain, after crushing Daesh terrorists’ A ceasefire brokered by the United States People watch Lebanese Gino Traboulsi walk a tightrope over the valley of Afqa, ity is struggling financially and last remaining positions there,” state televi- and Russia but which does not apply to the northeast of the capital Beirut, yesterday. depends largely on foreign aid. It sion said, using an Arabic acronym for IS. fight against jihadists has enabled the Syr- relies heavily on Israel for electric- But the Britain-based Observatory said ian army to focus its efforts on IS. ity supplies, which also provides electricity to the Hamas-control- led Gaza Strip. Ongoing talks with the IEC and PA have so far not resolved the debt problem. In January 2015, the First wave of migrants set to arrive in Turkey town IEC cut power to Palestinian cities for a number of hours every day over a similar debt, only to renew AFP a major hub for migration to the EU. been condemned by rights groups — He said that since the start of 2016 countries. Syrians will be sent on to it a few weeks later. Under an eco- “We have prepared for 500 peo- Turkey will send one Syrian refugee alone, Turkey had detained some 1,715 refugee camps or other areas within nomic agreement signed with the ple to come today. We are making our to Europe in exchange for every one people smugglers and 351 of them had Turkey, he added. PA in 1994, Israel collects around ISTANBUL: Turkey has prepared plans and putting in place our capac- it takes back from Greece. been jailed. Turkey has angrily denied claims 600-700 million shekels each to take in up to 500 migrants from ities,” Interior Minister Efkan Ala was The plan aims to halt the flow of Meanwhile, some 65,000 illegal by Amnesty International that it had month in customs duties levied Greece today under a plan agreed quoted as saying by the Anatolia news illegal migration and break up the migrants had been caught and pre- been forcibly sending Syrians back on goods destined for Palestin- with the EU to reduce the flow of agency yesterday. lucrative people — smuggling racket vented from leaving Turkey since home and that it was not a safe coun- ian markets that transit through illegal migration, the Turkish inte- “We have been in touch with the after around one million migrants January 1, four and a half times more try for the return of the refugees. Israeli ports. rior minister said. Greek authorities and said we could crossed the Aegean Sea in 2015 from than in the same period last year, Ala said Turkey was now home to It transfers the money after Turkish media reports have said take 500 people and they have given Turkey in search of a better life in he said. 2.75 million Syrian refugees and had deducting approximately 100 the first wave of migrants sent back by us 400 names. Tomorrow it’s possi- the EU. Ala argued that the numbers Ala indicated that citizens of spent $10bn on looking after them. million shekels for expenses such Greece are set to arrive in the Turk- ble that this figure could change,” he crossing had already fallen substan- countries like Afghanistan, Iraq and Just a quarter of a million of these as Palestinian hospitalisations in ish resort town of Dikili which lies just added. tially in the last 10 days to just 300 Pakistan sent back by Greece would Syrians live in refugee camps and Israel, sewage treatment and cov- opposite the Greek island of Lesbos, Under the scheme — which has people a day. be returned by Turkey to their home the rest in towns and cities. ering part of the electricity debt. Rockets fired by Houthis Syrians brace for April 13 vote as war rages claim three civilians AFP

AFP September 2014. A government official in DAMASCUS: The streets of Damascus are Marib city said that rockets were fired by plastered with campaign posters and banners rebels from the Haylan mountains over- as President Bashar Al Assad’s regime pushes ADEN: Three civilians were killed in looking the provincial capital. ahead with parliamentary elections despite Syr- east Yemen yesterday when rockets fired He said the attack, which killed a doc- ia’s nearly five-year-old civil war. by Iran-backed rebels hit a government tor, took place during a visit to the city by The war is dominating the campaign for hospital, the facility’s director and a local a government delegation. the April 13 vote, which will see nearly 12,000 official said. The rebel advance on Sana’a forced candidates vying for seats in Syria’s 250-seat The attack wounded 17 other people, Yemen’s internationally-recognised gov- legislature. said the director of the Marib General Hos- ernment last year to declare main southern As with the 2012 parliamentary election pital Authority, Shawqi Al Sharjabi. city Aden a temporary capital. and a 2014 presidential vote, only Syrians liv- Pro-government forces, backed by a But President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi ing in government-held areas will be able to Saudi-led coalition battling the rebels for and many government officials spend most cast their ballots. more than a year, have retaken most of of their time in Riyadh as they struggle to “We stand for security,” reads one campaign the eastern Marib province from the Shia secure Aden and other parts of the country slogan. “For the sake of the children who were Houthi insurgents and their allies. where Sunni jihadists have gained ground. killed, we will continue,” vows another. However, the rebels still control Yesterday’s attack comes as the war- One candidate has branded himself as “the northern and western parts of the oil- ring parties prepare for a UN-brokered voice of the martyrs and the injured”, while rich province east of the capital Sana’a, ceasefire on April 10 intended to pave the another claims to represent “the martyrs of which has been held by the Houthis since way for peace talks in Kuwait a week later. our heroic army”. The upcoming vote is the second legislative election held by the Damascus regime since the outbreak of civil war in 2011. Syrians walk past campaign posters of candidates for the upcoming parliamentary A total of 11,341 candidates aged 25 and election in Damascus, yesterday. above are competing. While Assad has hailed the “unprecedented” number of candidates running for MP, Western “Together, let’s help the Syrian pound regain from Deir Ezzor, which borders Iraq. backers of the anti-regime revolt have lashed its former glory,” one banner reads. Another candidate from the same war- out at the elections. Over the past five years, the exchange rate ravaged province proclaims: “Victorious Syria French President Francois Hollande, for one, has soared from 50 pounds to the dollar to 500 votes.” has branded them “provocative” and “totally pounds. While parliamentary hopefuls are allowed unrealistic”. Another poster calls for “eradicating cor- to hold meetings, distribute brochures and put On March 10, the domestic opposition which ruption and building a new Syria”. up posters and banners, they are banned from is tolerated in Damascus called for a widespread Hisham Al Shaar, head of Syria’s electoral speaking to the press. boycott, accusing the government of using the committee, said “the elections will be held eve- “The aim is to ensure equality between vote to gain leverage in peace talks. rywhere except in Raqa and Idlib provinces,” wealthy candidates who can afford to pay for The High Negotiations Committee, the main both areas controlled by the jihadist Islamic advertising in newspapers and those who can’t,” exiled opposition body, has branded the vote State group and the Al Qaeda-affiliated Al Nusra Shaar said. “illegitimate”. Front. “I’m going to vote for Mohammad Sadeq Key Damascus backer Russian President Also excluded are “regions where there Dalawan because he’s a lawyer and he was Vladimir Putin, however, has shot back saying are security problems”, Shaar said, referring my teacher. I’ve met him several times and the planned vote “does not interfere with steps to rebel-held areas. I’ve spoken a lot with him,” said Rihaf Esber, to build the peace process”. Residents of the eastern province of Deir a 19-year-old student. The United Nations, for its part, has called Ezzor, much of which is controlled by IS, will be Mohammad Al Khouje however said he has for presidential and parliamentary elections able to cast ballots “in voting stations in Damas- no plans of voting. “Neither the candidates, nor within the next 18 months as part of the process. cus and its province, as well as in Hasakeh” in the former MPs, nor those who came before Syria’s war, which has left over 270,000 the northeast, he said. them have helped us. In the beginning they dead, has also had a devastating impact on “Together, hand in hand, we will rebuild promise us the moon, and then once they are in the economy. Syria,” pledges one banner put up by a candidate office they ignore us. No one deserves my vote.” ASIA / PHILIPPINES MONDAY 4 APRIL 2016 09 Thailand authorities seize 8,000 political red bowls

AFP group as absurd. The plastic scoops, Chiang Mai. The message printed on Thaksin urged the junta to focus on “When military courts try people elite. A similar attempt to quash the used for pouring water in Buddhist the side reads: “The situation may be more important matters. for sedition for posting photos with siblings’ enduring popularity was ceremonies during Thailand’s upcom- hot, but brothers and sisters may gain “I’ve done it (given out bowls) holiday gifts from deposed leaders, made earlier this year when author- ing new year, bear a note signed by coolness from the water inside this several times in the past and it never it’s clear that the end of repression is ities banned a calendar featuring the BANGKOK: Thai authorities have former prime minister Thaksin Shina- bucket.” posed a problem to national security,” nowhere in sight,” said Brad Adams, pair in an embrace. confiscated some 8,000 red bowls watra, whose political bloc has spent On Saturday police and soldiers he wrote, suggesting the junta spend HRW’s Asia director. After keeping quiet for much of bearing a message from an ousted the past decade vying for power with raided homes and offices of three its time tackling other issues such as The junta has outlawed all polit- the past two years, the family’s pow- ex-premier, police said yesterday, a military-backed elite. former MPs from the Shinawatras’ an ongoing drought and a simmering ical activities since its power grab, erful political machine has recently in the junta’s latest attempt to block Thaksin was ousted in a 2006 Puea Thai Party in the northern prov- Muslim insurgency in the far south. pledging to heal the kingdom’s bit- become more vocal as the country the resurgence of the political party coup and now lives in exile, while the ince of Nan to seize the bowls. The woman arrested last week ter divides. gears up for the junta’s promised elec- it toppled. government run by his sister Yingluck “If we allow these bowls to be dis- could be jailed for up to seven years But critics say the generals are tions in 2017. The raids followed the arrest last was toppled by the current junta in tributed, it could benefit some political if convicted of sedition. chiefly bent on crippling the Shina- But public criticism of the regime week of a woman seen posing with 2014. The bowls -- cast in the Shina- parties or result in losses to others,” Human Rights Watch called the watra clan, who are wildly popular has landed many Shinawatra allies one of the bowls in photos on social watra’s signature red colour -- were said officer Prayoon Chamnankong, case evidence that the junta’s “intoler- with their rural supporters in the in brief spells of military detention, media. She has been charged with first distributed at a temple fair last who led one of the raids. ance of dissent has reached the point north and northeast but hated by the which the army describes as “attitude sedition, a move slammed by a rights week in the northern province of In a social media post Sunday of absolute absurdity”. Bangkok-centric military and royalist adjustment” sessions. Japan warships Manila election campaign Abe orders in Philippines tighter security at airports near S China sea TOKYO: Following the recent terrorist attacks in Belgium, the Japa- Chinese-held shoal. nese government will step “The visit is a manifestation of up measures to tighten The visit is a a sustained promotion of regional security in airports and manifestation of a peace and stability and enhance- subways. ment of maritime cooperation The government is sustained promotion between neighbouring navies,” also working with other of regional peace Philippine Navy spokesman Com- countries to release a joint and stability and mander Lued Lincuna said. The statement that strongly Ariake was equipped with an anti- condemns terrorism dur- enhancement submarine helicopter, according to ing the Group of Seven of maritime an AFP photographer at the scene. foreign ministers’ meeting The port call came on the eve of war to be held in the city of cooperation between games between the United States Hiroshima from April 10, Philippine Senator Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos, vice-presidential candidate and son of late dictator neighbouring navies: and Filipino soldiers in the Philip- according to sources. pines, which is seen as a showcase Ferdinand Marcos, is greeted during a campaign visit ahead of the May 9 election in Manila, yesterday. Official of a long-standing military alliance that the Philippines is counting on to Sri Lanka detains deter China. Seriously outgunned by its much larger rival China, the Phil- 14 foreigners AFP ippines has turned to allies like the United States and Japan to upgrade Suspected MH370 debris found in COLOMBO: Sri Lanka has its armed forces in recent years. In detained 14 foreigners February, Japan agreed to supply the after seizing 110kg of her- PHILIPPINES: Two Japanese Philippines with military hardware, oin worth $7.5m from an destroyers and a submarine docked which may include anti-subma- Mauritius to be examined: Australia Iranian fishing trawler at a Philippine port yesterday near rine reconnaissance aircraft and in the country’s big- disputed South China Sea waters, radar technology. Tensions in the gest drug bust for nearly where Beijing’s increasingly asser- South China Sea -- through which Reuters was from the inside of a plane, with government is working with officials three years, police said tive behaviour has sparked global one-third of the world’s oil passes what he thought was a wallpaper from Mauritius to seek to take cus- yesterday. concern. -- have mounted in recent months “design”, which if confirmed, would tody of the debris and arrange for Ten Iranians, two Paki- Manila is seeking to strengthen since China transformed contested be the first piece of interior debris its examination,” Chester said in a stanis, one Indian and ties with Tokyo as tensions mount reefs into artificial islands capable of SYDNEY: Australia said that a piece from the plane yet to be found. statement. one Singaporean were over the disputed waterway, almost supporting military facilities. of suspected aeroplane debris found Australia has led the search for He did not say from what part remanded in custody all of which is claimed by China. .Japan and China are locked in a east of Africa on a Mauritian island the plane, which went missing in of the missing Boeing 777 the debris after appearing in a mag- Japanese submarine Oyashio separate dispute over an uninhab- will be examined to see if it is part of March 2014 with 239 people on board was suspected to have come. “...Until istrate’s court in Colombo and destroyers JS Ariake and JS ited island chain in the East Sea. Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which on a flight from the Malaysian cap- the debris has been examined by on Saturday. Acting on Setogiri docked in the Subic port The Philippines has asked a United went missing two years ago in one of ital, Kuala Lumpur, to Beijing, and experts, it is not possible to ascertain a tip-off, police and the yesterday for a routine visit at a Nations tribunal to declare China’s the world’s greatest aviation myster- Transport Minister Darren Chester its origin.” The Malaysian government navy boarded the trawler sprawling former US naval base just sea claims as illegal and the govern- ies. A hotel owner on the island who said the debris, found last week, was could not be immediately reached for off the south coast. 200 kilometres (125 miles) from a ment expects a decision this year. saw the debris said it looked like it an “item of interest”.“The Malaysian comment. All asylum children in Bangladesh Mainland freed: Sydney former PM to seek bail AFP Australian Prime Minister Mal- the Nauru camp, according to colm Turnbull told Sky News. the latest figures from Austral- “It’s always been a goal of ia’s immigration department, Reuters the immigration minister... to although the Pacific government SYDNEY: The last asylum- get kids out of detention.” said in October the asylum-seek- seeker children in Australian The announcement means ers there are free to roam around mainland detention have been the children have been moved the tiny nation. DHAKA: Bangladesh’s former Prime freed, the government said yes- to community detention, where The announcement came Minister and main opposition leader terday, although dozens of others asylum-seekers waiting for as refugee advocates said the Khaleda Zia is expected to appear in are still being held on the remote their refugee applications to be 267 asylum-seekers due to be court and seek bail after she was issued Pacific island of Nauru. processed live within the com- deported to Nauru following a with an arrest warrant over a deadly Under Canberra’s harsh munity. They are usually allowed court ruling in February were firebombing attack, her lawyer said yes- immigration policy, asy- to move around freely. Detention still in Australia in what they terday. lum-seekers who try to reach levels for asylum-seeker children claim as a success for their #Let- A court in Dhaka issued arrest war- Australia by boat are turned in immigration centres have ThemStay campaign. rants on Wednesday for Zia, 70, and 27 back or sent to Pacific camps in fallen from a record number of The asylum-seekers, includ- leaders and activists of her Bangladesh Nauru and Papua New Guinea almost 2,000 in June 2013. ing children, had been brought to Nationalist Party (BNP) in connection where they are held indefinitely “In 2007... there were no Australia from Nauru for medi- with a petrol bomb attack on a bus in while their refugee applications children in detention. So it’s cal treatment. January last year during a deadly anti- are processed. almost a decade since we’ve had There have been numerous government campaign. They are blocked from reset- no children in detention,” Immi- protests against the deportations “Most likely, Madam will appear tling in Australia even if found to gration Minister Peter Dutton under the #LetThemStay cam- before the court on April 5 and will be refugees. told reporters in Brisbane. paign, with Australian church seek bail,” Khaleda’s lawyer Sanaullah Canberra has been under “It’s been a significant leaders also vowing to defy Miah told reporters. The BNP called for a pressure from rights groups achievement.” Deputy Labor the government’s immigration countrywide protest on Monday against to release children from the opposition leader Tanya Plib- rules, offering sanctuary to the the arrest warrant, saying it was politi- centres, with doctors and ersek welcomed the news but asylum-seekers. cally motivated. whistleblowers saying the deten- said there had “been a massive Greens Senator Sarah Han- More than 120 people were killed tion of asylum-seekers has left expansion of time that people son-Young called on Dutton to and hundreds injured early last year some struggling with mental stay in detention in Australia”. take a step further and rule out in political violence during transport health problems. The average time for people sending children back to Nauru. blockades and strikes aimed at top- “We’ve succeeded since the being held in mainland detention “Peter Dutton should allow pling the government of Prime Minister change of government (in Sep- facilities is at its highest level -- these families and children Sheikh Hasina. Bangladeshi politics has tember 2013) not only in stopping 464 days -- since records were to apply for visas in Australia, been mired for years in rivalry between the boats but we’ve also suc- kept from January 2012, accord- so that they can get on with Hasina and Khaleda. Both women are ceeded... that there are now no ing to immigration department rebuilding their lives in safety,” related to former national leaders, and children who’d arrived unlaw- figures. Meanwhile, another 50 Hanson-Young said in a state- they have alternated as prime minister fully by boat in detention,” children were still being held at ment yesterday. for most of the past two decades. 10 MONDAY 4 APRIL 2016 VIEWS 13 years after Iraq war, ESTABLISHED IN 1996 chaos and a region on fire CHAIRMAN Bathist regime, descend into unim- “mismanagement.” But to put down in Egypt in July 2013, caused a SHEIKH THANI BIN ABDULLAH AL THANI aginable and uncontrollable chaos the crime that was committed and reversal in the drive for democracy and failure, it also saw the rise of the resulting disasters as merely and a cementing of authoritarian- EDITOR-IN-CHIEF previously unknown terrorism and an administrative error, would be ism throughout the region, based sectarianism which impacted the to compound offense upon humil- on the threatening warning issued DR. KHALID BIN MUBARAK AL-SHAFI region and the world far beyond iation. Horrifyingly, it also means by tyrannical regimes to their own [email protected] its borders, and continues to do so that the likelihood of a similar act people; “Do you want what hap- until this very day. of callousness is never an impos- pened to Iraq?!” Even the former British Prime sible scenario. The cycle that has befallen the ACTING MANAGING EDITOR Minister Tony Blair came to admit Yet, while the list of failures, entire region seems inevitable and in an interview on an U.S. network catastrophes and calamities suf- unbreakable. Invasion, leading to HUSSAIN AHMAD By Anas Altikriti last October that the decision to fered by the Iraqi people is long, occupation, resulting in an armed [email protected] Anatolia go to war in Iraq might have led it might be the impact of the inva- resistance, breeding extremist to the rise of Daesh. sion and occupation of Iraq on the and terrorist groups, cementing A constitution ill-drafted in region and how events unfolded the authority of despotic regimes, arlier this month, the Mer- record time to appease the sceptics throughout the Middle East that establishing the premise for crack- cer Index for the Quality and confront the growing criticism might signify the real implications downs on legitimate activists and of Living ranked Bagh- of the entire venture, laid the foun- of the invasion and occupation of dissent under the pretext of fighting EDITORIAL dad as the worst city bar dations for the broken, corrupt, Iraq. terrorism, giving further credibility Enone to live in throughout the entire divided and unworkable political With Syria long descending into to the terrorist groups, subsequently world, beating the likes of Damas- system that has become the hall- horrific crisis, the region being frag- allowing for foreign intervention. cus, Mogadishu and Haiti’s chaos mark of Iraq and the bane of every mented along sectarian and ethnic And so on. Elusive peace riddled capital Port-au-Prince. single Iraqi ever since. lines amid unprecedented violence With the demographical trans- This is Baghdad’s 5th year win- Along with a shoddy, badly and terrorist groups evolving from formation of many of Iraq’s major Syrian opposition leader’s criticism of America’s ning the infamous accolade, in stark equipped, poorly trained, unprofes- gang warfare to territory holders, regions and the impossibility for contrast with a past image that tells sional and largely sectarian driven it is a credible argument that all most Arab Sunnis to return to their ‘perceived ambiguity’ on the future of President of immense beauty, knowledge, armed forces, even the most ardent this started with the decision to homes that have been occupied, Bashar Al Assad is justifiable and just. Bassma culture, science and advancement. adversaries and enemies of the bypass international legitimacy ransacked and burned down either Kodmani, a member of the main opposition High As these words are being former regime could not help but and invade Iraq. by the thugs of Daesh or the thugs Negotiations Committee which attended last month’s penned, explosions are being heard speak of how much better off the What followed was a perpet- of Shia militias, and the systematic Apeace talks in Geneva, said that this ambiguity was worrying in a number of Iraq’s major towns country and the people were under uation of sectarian policies, built spilling in of hundreds of thou- and damaging and urged Washington to make it very clear and cities, such as Mosul, where the former dictator. on the premise created by a fabri- sands of people from Iran into Iraq that Assad would not be ‘rehabilitated’ in a future government. major air strikes target one of the With more than four million cated war narrative which falsely carrying no official documents or busiest central districts of the city, Iraqis displaced, either within or asserted that Iraq’s problems lied in papers indicating who they are, it Kodmani’s statement also highlights the ambiguity in US policy striking at its university and fac- outside Iraq, dozens of towns and the fact that minority Sunnis ruled is impossible to see how Iraq can on Syria which has only helped the continuation of the conflict. ulty buildings. However, despite cities falling under the control of the majority Shia. It is quite inter- return to a mutually acceptable President Barack Obama’s policy of non-intervention and the this major calamity to the residents Daesh, dozens killed weekly as esting how the West often resorts point of normalcy. deliberate unwillingness to initiate measures for a resolution and the occupants of the besieged a result of terrorism and state- to religion in order to wish away With the continuing demise of has been widely criticized in our region and even in the US, second-largest Iraqi city, it tragi- sponsored violence, endemic and the results of its own mistakes. the economy due to the collapse in with some experts saying that Washington is relinquishing cally remains a mere detail within systematic corruption eating at So the viciously secular Bathist global oil prices and the inability the construct of a major disaster what remains of a ransacked econ- regime under Saddam Hussein was of Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi its traditional role in our region. But Obama has remained that can be traced to precisely 13 omy, a society utterly fragmented conveniently labeled sectarian, to see through his undertaking of stubborn, and has justified his policies in recent interviews. years ago. and broken with the prospect for rather than a product of failed west- sweeping reforms amid the stand There is a contradiction in the US policy on Syria which arises When the international coali- national unity on par with an ern policies in a region where it of militias and former politicians from Washington’s reluctance to get involved. The White House tion, led by the United States and the impossible fantasy, sectarian holds substantial strategic interests. whom he cannot match for power last week said Assad should not feature in a transitional unity United Kingdom, began its attack Shia militias roaming the streets Once the invaders-cum-occupi- and brute force, the future is all government, with White House spokesman Josh Earnest calling on Iraq on March 20, 2003 under of Iraq and committing heinous ers began using the sectarian card, around extremely grim. his participation a ‘non-starter’ for Washington. But at the same the pretext of ridding the coun- crimes with absolute impunity there was no turning back. A country obliterated, and a try of alleged weapons of mass and more, Iraq today resembles Subsequently, Iran was granted nation decimated. But the price time, it’s not doing anything to make sure that its demand is met. destruction, a cycle of events was the worst post-apocalyptic sce- tacit permission to extend its reach, of the Bush/Blair war in 2003 is A negotiated settlement to the conflict looks highly unlikely triggered which, until this very day, nario imaginable. political and ideological, deep into certain to be paid by many more as Assad has gained an upper hand in the conflict. For example, continue to wreak havoc, death Worryingly though, it appears the Arab region from Iraq all the parties, some further afield than Syrian forces backed by Russian air and destruction upon the belea- that little has been learned and for way to the shores of the Mediter- the region left in flames. strikes drove Islamic State militants guered Iraqi people and arguably the sake of avoiding any future ranean and southward toward The writer is CEO and founder of out of the town of al-Qaryatain the people of the region as a whole. libel, officials in both Washing- the nether regions of the Arabian Not only did the subsequent ton D.C. and London, continue to Peninsula, heightening tensions London-based Cordoba Founda- It’s time for yesterday after encircling it over the months and years see Iraq, a once defend the essential idea of wag- and widening previously obscure tion, assesses how Iraq war has the allies past few days. Al-Qaryatain had been progressive nation on many levels ing the war, but put down the chasms. The anti-revolution trend, wreaked havoc both in Iraq and of Syrian held by the militant group since late despite being ruled by a tyrannical subsequent failures to a case of which began with the military coup the region. August. The latest victory has further opposition strengthened Assad’s position and the to unite opposition can win this conflict, or at before Assad least make some gains, only if it has the dictates the support of US and Arab countries. Assad’s ‘good deeds’ can’t go unpunished The opposition leader’s statement terms of a also points to the predicament the final deal. rebels are facing after the advances which, in better days, displayed a glory of recapturing the ancient or support, according to locals by the government troops. Their belt that was supposedly worn by city of Palmyra, and the next round and regime insiders. The con- influence on the ground is shrinking the Virgin Mary in a glass case. The of peace talks scheduled to start scripts were subsequently killed belt and its enclosure were no longer on April 11, Assad will predictably by Islamic State, and footage of and the presence of Islamist groups there, but I found about a dozen try to present himself as the “sec- these crimes was referenced by has only complicated the conflict and reduced the chances of the men furiously working with hand ular regime” that protects World Syrian TV announcers as evidence opposition forces which actually started this uprising. Kodmani tools to repair the minor damage Heritage sites from the wonton of the state’s own war on terror. has said that “Assad’s departure must be negotiated and the that the church had sustained in destruction of Islamic extremists. Assad has engaged in a cynical end of the regime must be a controlled, not a chaotic, transition battles. Two tall billboards flanked Syrian TV is already monopolising game of “tactical withdrawals” and operation.’ “The opposition’s position is clear -- negotiation the entrance to the church with a the airwaves with footage of the months of ignoring Islamic State will occur while Assad is still in power, but the transition cannot picture of Assad waving in the air “victory,” and Russia Today keeps as the terror group quickly swal- By Rasha Elass with his ironic re-election slogan; airing “exclusives” of the Syrian lowed one third of the country. happen with him.” Reuters “Together, we’ll rebuild.” army’s defeat of Islamic State in Before the rise of Islamic State, It’s time for the friends of Syrian opposition to unite and give The church patriarch quickly Palmyra. Assad released known jihadists and their unconditional support before Assad dictates the terms made rounds through the courtyard What is not mentioned is an criminals from his prisons under of a final deal. The Syrian regime has made it clear that their and into the parish, commenting explanation of why, exactly, did the guise of amnesty. He told the president’s ouster is a redline. With both sides determined in hen I went into Old Homs on progress to the men at work. Assad lose Palmyra to Islamic State international community that he their positions, chances of a negotiated settlement are receding. just days after Bashar al- Then the governor of Homs showed last May? His forces had all the was releasing political prisoners to Assad’s regime regained up with a small entourage — all of advantages from the air, after all. appease the demands of his oppo- But letting Assad continue in power will be a cruel joke on W it from the rebels in June of 2014, them in a hurry — and inspected One regime insider told me that sition. He knew the jihadists would millions of Syrians who have lost everything in this war. there was not a stray cat in the remolded corners and a patched up Assad badly wanted to convince wreak havoc and show him as the streets. The historic town was all but ceiling, as if to ensure it would all the U.S.-led coalition to bomb the only alternative. abandoned, though a few residents look good for the cameras. Indeed, Islamic State fighters who were vis- Assad is not the protector of reli- had returned to assess damage to these were preparations ahead ible for miles in the desert on their gious minorities, but rather he has their homes and shops. They could of Assad’s “surprise” visit — with march to Palmyra. It was intended held minorities hostage in the face be seen a man or two here, a cou- Syrian TV in tow — aimed at bol- to show that the regime was part- of an uprising he is willing to sac- Quote of the day ple there, this one scratching his stering Assad’s imminent reelection. nered with the West in the so-called rifice his nation to crush. Nor does head, the other sitting on a plastic (Assad did win, but the elections “War on Terror.” he embody a secular regime (even chair by the curb staring at what were widely dismissed as a ruse.) “After all, not only was ISIS if he and his wife happen to be sec- We have always been used to be his life before the upris- Posing in churches “recaptured marching toward a World Herit- ular individuals). Syria under his ing-turned-war. It appeared as if from terrorists” is the ultimate age Site, but it was also the gateway government has never allowed civil open to experts but nothing was moving, except for the prize for Assad, who has appointed to Homs and the coast, where ISIS marriage or the conducting of per- never to sending of dust devils. I covered my nose from himself as the protector of Syria’s would have threatened Syria’s sonal matters, such as inheritance peacekeeping troops in whatever stench that hung in the air, religious minorities. From day one, Christian and Alawite minori- and adoption, outside of church some mix of broken concrete and he has painted the country’s upris- ties,” he said, using an acronym or mosque rules. In fact, like most Burundi. A few UN police bodies that had long been buried. ing as an international conspiracy for Islamic State. Arab countries, Syria adheres to a could help stabilise the But in the distance something that will unleash terror onto the But the coalition forces took mix of religious law and the Napo- was happening. I could hear the region and abroad. He is in fact no such step, and neither did the leonic penal code. country. faint banging of a hammer and nail, on record repeatedly forewarning Syrian Air Force. Instead, top Syr- If there is one thing to Assad’s a noise that grew and multiplied that Europe and the world would ian Army commanders and their credit, it is the fact that he has not Alain Nyamitwe as I got closer to its source. It was reel from “an earthquake” of ter- Iranian advisers withdrew from wavered from his strategy, which Burundi’s Foreign Minister coming from the courtyard of the ror if he were to fall. Palmyra, leaving behind dozens his supporters sum up with the slo- historic church of the Belt of Marry, And now, with all the pomp and of conscripts without provisions gan: Assad, or we burn the country.

EDITORIAL TEL: 44557741 / 44557743 FAX: 44557746 / 44557758 P. O. BOX: 3488, DOHA, QATAR E-MAIL: [email protected] ADVERTISING TEL: 44557837 / 780 FAX: 44557870 CLASSIFIED: 44557857 E-MAIL: [email protected] SUBSCRIPTION / HOME DELIVERY TEL: 44557809 /839 FAX: 44557819 E-MAIL: [email protected] OPINION MONDAY 4 APRIL 2016 11 Is France xenophobic about its veiled Muslim women?

By Dr Noureddine Miladi

he statement made on Thursday 31 March 2016 by France’s Families and Women’s Rights Minister, Laurence Rossignol, added fuel Tto the far right Islamophobic attacks against Muslims. It also provides further ammunition for the large part of French media which are already notorious for their negative portrayal of Muslims. It is a contradiction in terms for a minster who attacks the freedom of dress in democratic country like France to, at the same time, head the ministry whose raison d’être is essentially defending women’s rights. In the type of liberal democracy which the minister believes in, it seems that every form of freedom to choose one’s dress, including miniskirts or very tight leggings, which are both sexually explicit should be respected, except the liberty to choose to wear the Muslim woman’s dress. and freedom of Muslim women in France.” Republic. The Al-Jazeera.com reported By making the inflammatory remarks In a statement to Monte Carlo and BFM (CNN.Com) on Friday 1 April 2016 that the ‘UN and about women, the French minister, Ros- TV, while commenting on the increasing The minister, who has provoked rage French peacekeepers (were) accused of signol, aims to further alienate French trend of selling collections to Muslim and exasperation, claims that the hijab “… grim abuses in the restive African nation, Muslims. This leads to a widening in the women by famous brands such as Dolce promotes the shutting away of women’s including bestiality with children’. The news gap between communities and furthers the & Gabbana and H&M, she described bodies”. also reads that ‘A report by a US-based discourse of the ‘us’ and ‘them’. The debate Muslim veiled women as “slaves who While the minister has been concerned advocacy group said three girls in CAR told recalls the epoch of colonization and the prefer slavery”. about French women from the Muslim faith UN staff they were tied up and forced to post-colonial area which legitimated its Although this is out of a free choice she who choose freely to follow the Islamic dress have sex with a dog by a French military raison d’être in the colonies based on the went further by adding, “There are women codes, it is remarkable that we don’t hear commander in 2014’ (Aljazeera.com). “us” civilized and the ‘them’ backward; who choose to wear the hijab. There were a critical stance about the exploitation of Furthermore, we wish to hear a critical the “us” masters and the “them” as slaves. African Americans too who preferred to women’s body in advertising campaigns stance from the minister on how women’s The fear mongering media campaigns By making the be enslaved”!! (theguardian.com) for instance. The modern advertising bodies are disgustingly exposed and against Muslims in Europe are already lead- inflammatory remarks This is by all means a racist spat which industry capitalizes on the woman’s exploited in tens of sex magazines sold ing to a tense atmosphere of increasing by modern standards is intolerable. Will body as a marketing tool. Sophisticated all over France, available to youth and panic in which right-wing groups thrive. about women, the the minister dare to make the same ads display almost bare bodies in order to children. On Saturday 2 April 2016 a far-right activist French minister, inflammatory comments about Jewish sell a product such as an expensive car, We also wish to hear an echo of wisdom decided to run over a Muslim woman with a Rossignol, aims to women who abide by the codes of conduct a watch, perfume or an electronic devise from the minister about the exploitation car in Brussels Molenbeek. Such hate-driven described in Judaic scriptures? How about to name a few. Adverts which portray of women’s bodies as a sex object in the actions are expected to increase because further alienate French Christian sisters who abide by the teachings women in bikinis are actually selling two film industry. In France as well as many of the simmering and tense atmosphere. Muslims. This leads to of Jesus in terms of their dress codes? products. One is the merchandise, and the other parts of the world, scores of adult TV Will policy makers take pro- Do Jewish, Catholic, and Protestant second is women’s naked bodies as part channels can also be accessed by children active measures to deter the upsurge in a widening in the gap women “prefer slavery” too? In a similarly of a consumer culture. and youth. If any, the hundreds of explicit Islamophobia? between communities arrogant fashion Rossignol claims that Or maybe the French Families and sex films are appalling in the way they and furthers the these brands of Muslim women’s dress Women’s Rights minister should have a present graphic hard core sex acts; which are dangerous “…those same brands, with say on the alleged ‘sickening sex abuse’ are certainly not healthy for the morale The writer is Professor of Media and Com- discourse of the ‘us’ and such Islamic collections, give an image which a few French UN soldiers have been and psychological development of children munication. He can be reached via e-mail: ‘them’. of women that is dangerous for the rights recently accused of in the Central African and youth. [email protected]. A basic income is smarter than a minimum wage

with relatively low skills. wage size, have recently seen their A Finnish government working group less than the current minimum wage, It’s not happening yet, since the share of those ills. Germany, which only tasked with trying out the scheme pro- and on more flexible terms, if they’re ruling coalition is against govern- introduced a national minimum wage posed parameters for a pilot project on supplementing a guaranteed income, ment interference with the labour last year and then opened its doors Wednesday: Up to 10,000 people are not scrambling to avoid having to beg market’s workings, but it’s a logical wide to immigrants, is in the process to start receiving 550 euros ($627) per for food. There should be little incentive idea. Though Sweden’s unemployment of manufacturing a similar problem. month next year. Finland’s economy is not to work at all: The amount proposed rate, at 7.6 percent, is not alarmingly The International Monetary Fund struggling -- it’s still smaller than it was in Finland hardly provides a comfort- high, it’s not exactly comfortable for acknowledged this in a January paper: in 2008 -- but the government calculates able existence. And Finland’s ability to a country where only slightly more “While empirical evidence remains it can provide a basic, secure income earmark the money from existing pro- than 5 percent of the workforce was scarce, existing studies suggest that to its entire population by cutting up grams shows many critics’ fears that unemployed before the 2008 finan- immigrants’ employment rates and the current benefit system. universal basic income may require By Leonid Bershidsky cial crisis. Besides, Sweden has one of the quality of the jobs they hold are Other countries looking at the impossibly high taxes may be misplaced. Bloomberg the rich world’s biggest gaps between higher in countries with low entry level scheme include Canada, where the One problem with a universal native and immigrant employment wages, less employment protection, province of Ontario is starting a pilot basic income, of course, is that it will Minimum wage rates. Youth joblessness is 70 percent and a less dualistic labour market.” project this year, New Zealand, where make a country attractive to even higher among the foreign-born than The IMF backed the idea of tempo- the second biggest party in parliament more immigrants from poor coun- laws or strong ust as Britain raises its minimum among Swedes. Lowering the mini- rary exceptions from minimum wage is interested in adopting the idea as part tries where 550 euros a month looks unions that bargain wage and as Bernie Sanders’s mum wage could draw more of the laws for refugees, such as the German of its platform, and the Netherlands, like a princely amount. Keeping bor- Jdemands for a 50 percent increase new, mainly Middle Eastern popula- proposal that they be allowed to work where four cities are piloting basic ders open will hardly be an option. up wages are a in minimum pay keep winning him tion, into the workforce and reduce for less during the first six months after income programs. In June, Switzerland Yet even regardless of basic income problem in any votes in the US, some politicians in one social and ethnic tension. getting refugee status, but warned that will hold a referendum on universal schemes, European countries need to of the world’s most socialist countries, Minimum wage laws or strong “the benefits of these targeted inter- basic income, but the chances of suc- bring their immigration procedures country with big Sweden, are in favour of going in the unions that bargain up wages are a ventions should be carefully weighed cess there are rather slim. into line with increasing inflows, and immigrant inflows. opposite direction. They could be right, problem in any country with big immi- against the risk of creating labour mar- The idea is radical and it sounds they have already done a lot to reduce especially if nations can find a way to grant inflows. Newcomers are at a ket dualities that may be difficult to like money for nothing to many people, chaos compared with last year. And Newcomers are unhitch basic subsistence from work. disadvantage because of poor language unwind.” but it has more of a libertarian flavour with basic income, the immigrants at a disadvantage Sweden, along with some other skills and educational backgrounds The immigrant problem is just than a Communist one. By guaranteeing who have already arrived may inte- because of poor countries with big social safety nets that are often incompatible with the one illustration of why it may not be basic survival, a government provides grate faster than they are doing now, -- Denmark, Norway, Switzerland host countries’ labour market require- a good idea for governments to try to a service as necessary as, say, polic- because labour markets will be live- language skills -- doesn’t have a legally mandated mini- ments. No one wants to hire them at a regulate the labour market instead of ing the streets or fighting off foreign lier and less forbidding. and educational mum wage. Instead, the minimum salary high minimum wage, especially when pursuing their ultimate goal -- that of enemies. At the same time, once this It’s not the government’s business is collectively bargained. The country’s locals are readily available. Instead of making sure people aren’t “dying on the service is provided, the government to tell private companies how much backgrounds strong unions and socially responsible working for social justice, high min- street,” as Donald Trump likes to put can get out of trying to regulate the they should pay their workers. It is the that are often employers make sure that, at 20,000 imum wages create an extra barrier it. It’s dawning on politicians in some labour market: Its goal of keeping peo- government’s business, however, to kronor ($2,468) per month, it reaches for the integration of the least socially countries that tying basic subsistence ple fed and clothed is already achieved. help citizens feel less precarious and incompatible with about 64 percent of the average wage secure people into society. Such barri- to work through the minimum wage The Finnish government believes the more secure. Businesses and wealthy the host countries’ -- more than twice the US rate. Now, ers can result in ghettos, rioting and the is not the most logical way to achieve basic income scheme will encourage individuals may well be prepared to though, three opposition parties in the recruitment of disenfranchised immi- social justice. the currently unemployed to take part- trade the end of wage regulation and labour market Swedish parliament are in favour of leg- grant youths by terrorist groups. The These countries are experimenting time jobs, which they avoided for fear other rigid labour market rules for the requirements. islating to lower it as a way to adjust for UK, France and Belgium, all among the with a universal basic income that will of losing their benefits. higher taxes that may be necessary to the arrival of an army of immigrants top 10 European countries by minimum be paid to all, whether they work or not. Many people may agree to work for make basic income work.

All thoughts and views expressed in these columns are those of the writers, not of the newspaper. All correspondence regarding Views and Opinion pages should be mailed to the Editor-in-Chief. 12 MONDAY 4 APRIL 2016 ASIA / AFRICA Japan activates listening post in disputed island

Anatolia Col Daigo Shiomitsu, the unit’s com- manding officer, at the March 28 The new listening activation ceremony. The observa- post gives Tokyo tion unit is modeled on a similar one TOKYO: Japan’s ground force has at Chitose on the northern-most tip of activated its most remote outpost on the ability to Hokkaido, which keeps tabs on Rus- an island just 90km from Taiwan -- monitor all kinds of sian islands in the southern Kuriles, a region long-claimed by a country which are the object of another terri- Japan is in disagreement with over activity in the East torial dispute, this one with Moscow. ownership of a group of uninhab- China Sea, where Tokyo has been slowly rede- ited islands. ploying troops from northern Japan The new listening post gives Japan and China to the southwestern chain of islands Tokyo the ability to monitor all are embroiled in a stretching from Kyushu island, and kinds of activity in the East China protracted dispute including the large island of Okinawa, Sea, where Japan and China -- which as the perceived threat to the region sees Taiwan as a breakaway province over ownership of the has grown with the rise of China’s -- are embroiled in a protracted dis- assertiveness. The Yonaguni outpost Senkaku, or Daioyu South African President Jacob Zuma holding a wheel barrow water carrier while on a drought relief pute over ownership of the Senkaku, has been in the planning stages for or Daioyu islands. islands. several years, and was hardly a mili- programme visit to his home province of KwaZulu-Natal, Melmoth, South Africa, yesterday Until recently, Yonaguni -- the tary secret. Former defense minister southwestern-most inhabited terri- Itsunori Onadera presided over he tory in Japan -- was home to about The civilian inhabitants are ground-breaking ceremony in 2014 1,500 civilians, who made their liv- divided about hosting the soldiers, in order to give it publicity. South African parliament to debate ing growing sugar cane and catering with about half voicing concerns An unstated purpose of the 160- to scuba divers drawn to the myste- that the garrison might make them man garrison is also to stake out rious under water rock formations a target in any conflict with China, Japan’s claim to sovereignty over Zuma impeachment motion tomorrow off the coast. while the other half has welcomed these formerly unprotected islands But this week, approximately 160 them as a source of income. “Until in case Beijing develops claims to soldiers moved to Yonaguni, where recently, there was no coastal obser- islands other than the Senkaku. they are now permanently based to vation unit west of Okinawa. It was Japan plans to station troops on other Reuters Since Thursday’s ruling, oppo- party to mount a challenge. The operate and protect a radar station. a vacuum we needed to fill,” said Lt. islands in the Ryukyu chain. sition party leaders, ordinary South unanimous ruling by the 11-judge Africans and even an anti-apart- constitutional court also criticised heid activist jailed alongside Nelson parliament for passing a resolution JOHANNESBURG: South Africa’s Mandela have called on Zuma to step that purported to nullify Public Pro- parliament will debate tomorrow a down. tector Thuli Madonsela’s findings on Qingming festival motion to impeach President Jacob Mmusi Maimane, leader of the Zuma’s private residence. Zuma, National Assembly Speaker opposition party Democratic Alli- On Friday, 73-year-old Zuma Baleka Mbete said yesterday, after a ance, tabled the motion to have Zuma apologised and said he would pay top court ruled the president had vio- impeached, and Mbete told reporters back some of the money, as ordered. lated the constitution. “the debate on that motion has been He said that he never knowingly or South Africa’s constitutional scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.” deliberately set out to violate the court ruled on Thursday that Zuma The Africa National Congress constitution. had failed to uphold the constitution majority in parliament will almost The scandal is arguably the big- by ignoring orders from the public certainly give Zuma political cover gest yet to hit Zuma, who has fended protector that he repay some of the against the attempt to impeach him. off accusations of corruption, influ- $16 million in state funds spent to But the judicial rebuke may embolden ence peddling and rape since before renovate his residence at Nkandla. anti-Zuma factions within the ruling he took office in 2009. Maldives police arrest 16

independent journalists Three dead in A family burns incense and paper money a day before the annual “Qingming” festival, or Tomb Thailand Sweeping Day, next to a grave at a public cemetery in Shanghai, yesterday. AFP reporter who disappeared in mys- terious circumstances, and were denouncing a court decision to tem- train-bus crash porarily close a newspaper over an MALÉ: Maldives police arrested 16 ownership dispute. BANGKOK: Three Thais independent journalists yesterday Ongoing political unrest in the dead yesterday when a while breaking up a demonstration Maldives, a nation of 1,192 tiny coral train crashed into a dou- 6.9 magnitude quake hits off Vanuatu against an alleged crackdown on islands, has dented its image as a ble-decker bus carrying freedom of speech in the politically peaceful paradise for well-heeled holidaymakers as it was troubled nation, private media out- honeymooners and upmarket crossing the line, police lets reported. tourists. said. AFP capital Port Vila. The USGS said there anything (tsunami) impacting the Police used pepper spray and “The latest protest follows a The bus was taking a was a “low likelihood of casualties northern coast of that (Espiritu Santo) roughed up reporters who were stag- series of moves by the govern- group of workers from a and damage”. The Pacific Tsunami island at this stage, so that’s proba- ing a sit-in protest outside President ment and the judiciary to restrict nearby factory in Nakhon SYDNEY: A powerful 6.9-magnitude Warning Centre initially cautioned bly a good sign,” Bathgate told AFP. Abdulla Yameen’s office in the capi- free speech and media freedom in Pathom province west of earthquake struck off Vanuatu yes- that “hazardous tsunami waves” were He added that Port Vila residents tal Male, according to several outlets the archipelago,” a journalist from Bangkok to the southern terday, but a tsunami threat passed possible along the coasts of Vanuatu, would have “felt a shake but it prob- including the Maldives Independ- the Haveeru newspaper told AFP island of Koh Samui for a with no immediate reports of major but later updated its advice to say the ably wouldn’t be damaging at that ent website. on condition of anonymity, adding holiday trip, according to damage along the coasts of the threat had “mostly passed”. distance”. “Earthquakes such as this The protest was aimed at forc- that six of his colleagues had been local police officer Thana- Pacific archipelago. Jonathan Bathgate, senior seis- occur quite often in the area, so Van- ing the government to withdraw its detained. chot Shinwongsa. Video The quake, initially reported as mologist at government agency uatu experiences these earthquakes draft criminal defamation bill, which The Maldives Independent said footage of the accident 7.2 magnitude, struck at a depth of Geoscience Australia, said that while of similar magnitudes probably fairly protesters fear will be used against five of its journalists were arrested, in Nakhon Chaisri district 35km, 81km north-northwest of the Port Olry residents were likely to regularly,” Bathgate said. Vanuatu is private media as well as political while three taking part in the pro- showed the bus slowly town of Port Olry on Espiritu Santo have felt “very intense shaking”, “the part of the “Ring of Fire”, a zone of opponents of the government. test were pepper-sprayed at close crossing the railway when island in Vanuatu at 0823 GMT, the likelihood is relatively low in terms tectonic activity around the Pacific Demonstrators were also range and had to be taken to hospi- a train ploughed into it at United States Geological Survey of serious damage”. that is subject to frequent earth- attempting to pressure authorities tal. Private TV stations also said five full speed, whipping the said. It was 407 kilometres from the “I haven’t had confirmation of quakes and volcanic eruptions. to investigate the whereabouts of a of their reporters had been arrested. vehicle around. Sydney opposes Myanmar minister scolded over Agricultural training Trump’s Asia ‘anti Muslim’ comment nuclear policy SYDNEY: Australia opposes Donald Trump’s Anatolia Minister Thura Aung Ko said Islam in suggestion that Japan Myanmar is “a religion by the minor- and S Korea should ity associate citizens” who acquired develop nuclear weap- citizenship through the 1948 Union ons since this would “add MYANMAR: Muslim officials in Citizenship Law. considerably” to the risk Myanmar jumped to the defense of He went on to say that Buddhists of regional conflict, Prime Aung San Suu Kyi’s government yes- were full citizens, and described Minister Malcolm Turnbull terday after its new religious affairs Christianity as the country’s minor- said yesterday. minister appeared to make com- ity ethnic group. Buddhist nationalist The Republican ments detrimental to the country’s have long used such allegations to presidential front-run- Muslims. suggest that Rohingya are not the ner would withdraw US The National League for Democ- Myanmar citizens they claim to be, troops from both coun- racy (NLD) only took power Friday instead interlopers from neighbor- tries and allow them to after a landslide win in Decem- ing countries who have no right to develop their own nuclear ber elections. Many international be in Myanmar. arsenals. But Turnbull observers hope the change in rule Many Myanmar nationalists said regional power Aus- will lead to positive steps to improve refuse to even recognise the term tralia was “opposed to the plight of the country’s religious “Rohingya”, instead referring to the the further prolifera- minorities, in particular its perse- ethnic group as “Bengali” which tion of nuclear weapons”. Farmers attending a government-run workshop urging them to diversify their fields in Nonthaburi cuted Muslim Rohingya ethnicity. suggests they are from Bangladesh. Turnbull unveiled a new In an interview with Voice of The London-based Burmese Mus- province outside Bangkok. Thailand has long served as one of the globe’s biggest rice bowls, but a investment in Australia’s America radio on Saturday evening, lim Association issued a statement growing water shortage is now pushing the country to move away from the grain. defence capabilities. Religious Affairs and Culture strongly objecting taccordingly. PAKISTAN MONDAY 4 APRIL 2016 13 Call to provide legal cover to people imprisoned abroad

Internews 1,900 of our nationals were impris- teacher AbiraAshfaq said that when Forum chairman Mohammad Ali share the resources of each other’s oned, followed by India, Malaysia, she was practising law in the United Shah, when Pakistan issues a fishing waters. They could also issue special There is a need to Iran, etc. “There are some 500 Paki- States around the time of 9/11, she saw licence to a deep sea trawler from ID cards or licences for the fishermen send lawyers to our stanis locked up in India where it is many Pakistanis being locked up for China and if that accidentally vio- of both countries so that they could KARACHI: While around 8,000 most difficult to follow up cases due to little things as a result of the Patriot lates Indian waters, it is informed fish within the 50 nautical miles of Pakistanis are currently behind bars embassies to help our political situation with that coun- Act for registering and profiling of for- about its offence and allowed to turn each other’s’ territories. overseas, with most of them in the our people who have try. Iran, too, has a limited scope of eigners, especially those from Muslim back. Similarly, if a Korean or a Phil- Also present at the event was Mai jails of Saudi Arabia, followed by the had the misfortune human rights, and you can’t do much countries, there. ippine boat carrying a licence to fish Bhaagi, whose four family members, United Arab Emirates, India, Malay- there either,” he said. According to her, involving law from India finds itself in Pakistani all fishermen, were arrested at sea by sia and Iran, there is a need to send of getting arrested on “There is a need to send lawyers students could help such cases if waters, we are also lenient towards it. the Indian Coast Guard some 17 years lawyers to the Pakistani embassies in foreign soil: Official to our embassies to help our peo- the embassies couldn’t help. Exec- “But that, unfortunately, is not ago. She lately received word from these countries to provide legal assist- ple who have had the misfortune of utive director of Pakistan Institute of the case with poor fishermen of India that one of the four had died. ance to them. getting arrested on foreign soil,” he Labour and Education Research (Piler) both countries who are captured Though the men were all fishermen This was highlighted at a dialogue has a judicial commission in place added. Supreme Bar Council Secre- Zulfiqar Shah said that sadly whereas and locked up. This is even against who had unknowingly crossed over on ‘Pakistani citizens imprisoned but when the judges visit each oth- tary AsadManzoor Butt lamented that others who were in jails abroad might UN Convention on Law of the Seas’ to Indian waters, they have been kept overseas’ organised by the Pakistan er’s countries to meet the prisoners Pakistani embassies set up with our have been involved in some kind of a Article 73, which states that fisher- behind bars on charges of smuggling. Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) in collabora- they don’t do much other than see tax money had been failing Pakista- violation, the fishermen arrested at men anywhere in the world are not All were sentenced to life impris- tion with Lawyers Congress (LC) at a how they are doing.” nis abroad on many counts and those seas were not criminals. to be punished if they unknowingly onment, which after an amendment hotel, yesterday. About the Pakistanis imprisoned unfortunate enough to be in jail in “They are just victims of the two violate another country’s border at in Indian law is no longer 14 years, but “Being imprisoned in another abroad, he said around 2,800 of them another country were the worst hit. countries that don’t see eye to eye. sea,” he said. Since both India and for as long as a prisoner is alive. No country is like being buried alive,” were behind bars in Saudi Arabia on “Actually, we have laws that can We need institutional mechanisms Pakistan were in the same boat less tragic was the story of ShumailaY- said Lawyers Congress president charges of human trafficking, narcot- help them, we just lack the will to help to help them within the legal frame- regarding this fishermen issue, they ousuf who despite being on dialysis Zulfiqar Ali Jehangir at the event. He ics or because of overstaying and visa them,” he said. work,” he said. could work out a compromise where travelled from Hyderabad to Karachi said: “Ironically, India and Pakistan issues. Next in line is the UAE where Human rights activist and law According to Pakistan Fisherfolk small fishing boats be allowed to only to share her ordeal with media. 252 militants killed in last phase of operation Pakistan to raise extortion Internews 39 have been injured. Soldiers have networks issue made 150-kilometre-long tracks while conducting the operation, the PESHAWAR: The Apex statement said, adding that the ongo- Committee for Paki- ISLAMABAD: Since the last phase ing operation is being conducted stan’s northwest Khyber of Operation Zarb-i-Azb kicked off in extremely hostile terrain under Pakhtunkhwa province by Pakistan military in February, at harsh weather conditions. and Federally Adminis- least 252 militants have been killed “Operation is continuing in Sha- tered Tribal Areas (Fata), and 160 severely injured, while secu- wal heights which are fully covered which met here yesterday, rity forces have cleared 640 square in snow, and visibility is very poor discussed the growing kilometres of a so far uncontrolled on and inside mountains,” the state- incidents of extortion in area in Shawal Valley of northwest ment added. the provincial capital and tribal region of North Waziristan During the last phase of Zarb-i- decided to send a delega- Agency, the Inter-Services Public Azb, return of Temporarily Displaced tion to Kabul for seeking Relations, a mouth piece of army, Persons (TDPs) is progressing cooperation in curbing said yesterday. according to plan, as 37,012 fami- the use of Afghan mobile “Major terrorist hubs” in Mana, lies in North Waziristan Agency phone Sims in such cases. Flood waters rush through a Pakistani market area as vendors and residents scramble to save their Gurbaz, Lataka, Inzarkas and 36 per cent of TDPs have returned The issue of extortion Magrotai areas have been cleared to their homes, the statement said. possessions on the outskirts of Peshawar, yesterday. calls being made to peo- of militants. it added. Around 94 development projects ple of Peshawar from the “The battle to clear the last have been completed in the first and Pak-Afghan border region pocket close to the Pak-Afghan bor- second phases in North Waziristan came under discussion der continues,” the statement said, Agency, and 153 projects were kick- 42 people dead in torrential rains and it was decided that adding that all heights over 9,000 started in phase three, the ISPR said, all illegal communication feet have been cleared. adding that progress on the projects towers inside Pakistani “Terrorists’ hideouts were was reviewed by Army Chief General territory would be shut destroyed, a cache of arms and Raheel Sharif. Anatolia the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region to issue flood warnings for the Swat down. ammunition recovered and there Military operation Zarb-i-Azb on the border with China, Paki- Valley and the nearby Shangla, Chi- was virtually no communications was launched in North Waziristan stan’s national disaster management tral, Buner and Dir districts. infrastructure remaining in the Sha- nearly two years ago after a brazen authority said. Due to soaring water levels, the Call to take up wal area once the operation was militant attack on Karachi’s inter- KARACHI: A fresh spell of heavy Torrential rainfall and flashfloods local administration has moved launched in Feb this year,” the state- national airport and the failure of rainfall and flash-flooding -- the have caused landslides in several hundreds of people living along the RAW spy issue ment said. peace talks between the government second in less than a month -- has parts of KP and Gilgit-Baltistan, riverside to schools and other gov- Since the beginning of the oper- and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan killed at least 42 people in northern blocking roads and cutting remote ernment buildings elsewhere in their with India ation in June 2014, security forces negotiators. and northwestern Pakistan and cut villages off from main districts. respective districts. have cleared 4,304 sq km in North The number of attacks in Paki- several villages off from the rest of It is the second such rainy spell Local television channels have LAHORE: Opposition Waziristan and “restored writ of the stan has fallen around 70 per cent, the country, officials and local media in less than a month to hit the two broadcast footage showing fleeing leader of the Pakistan government in all areas, specially due to a combination of the military reported yesterday. regions, where scores of people were residents wading through knee-deep People’s Party in Senate in remote pockets of the Federally offensive against Taliban bases along Most of the deaths -- mainly due killed and injured in rain-related water in search of higher ground. Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan Administered Tribal Areas”, the the Afghan border and government to building collapses -- have been incidents in March. Water levels in Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has has demanded the Sharif ISPR said. Since February, eight initiatives to tackle militancy, recent reported from the northwestern Khy- the Swat River have risen danger- directed the authorities to accelerate government to strongly army men have been killed, while reports have revealed. ber Pakhtunkhawa (KP) province and ously, forcing KP’s local government rescue-and-relief operations. take up the RAW spy issue with India. The PPP senior leader also said that not the Supreme Court of Paki- ICRC orthopaedic project Religious parties announce stan but the PML-N government removed the name of former president anti-government movement Pervez Musharraf from the exit control list (ECL). He said the SC judgment Internews for withdrawing the cases against was quite clear and the those staging protests against the PML-N government was execution of MumtazQadri. The misleading the nation by conference termed the Wom- spreading false informa- LAHORE: Prominent religious en’s Protection Bill adopted by the tion about it. parties in Pakistan yesterday Punjab Assembly an attack on the announced launching a countrywide family system and resolved to bring movement against the government an alternative draft, saying the gov- 11 dead in over what they called the ‘secular- ernment would not be permitted to ising’ of the country at the alleged shake the family system. Afghanistan behest of Western powers. The declaration denounced the Accusing the government of efforts of a section of the media to traffic accident taking anti-Islam measures, lead- ridicule Islamic rites and promote ers belonging to various schools Indian culture, stressing that the ten- KABUL: At least 11 people of thought said during the Nizam- dency must be checked effectively. were killed and 6 others e-Mustafa Conference held at The conference strongly con- were injured in a deadly Mansoora that the movement would demned the Lahore terror attack and traffic incident in west of aim at protecting the Islamic charac- all forms terrorism and extremism, Afghanistan, local media ter of the Constitution and Pakistani while observing that these aimed said yesterday. society, the family system, seminar- at weakening the country’s ideol- According to the ies and mosques. They said their ogy, solidarity and economy. It also Khaama Press newspaper, struggle would continue till the condemned the Indian intelligence citing local residents and enforcement of Shariah in the coun- agency’s network and demanded eyewitnesses, a total of try and freeing it from the clutches that the RAW agents or spies taken 27 people were killed or of a corrupt ruling elite. into custody must not be treated with injured in the incident, in Chaired by Jamaat-e-Islami leniency and should be handed down which at least three vehi- chief Siraj-ul-Haq, the confer- exemplary punishment. The gather- cles collided. ence was addressed by JUI-F’s ing denounced the government for The incident took MaulanaFazl-ur-Rehman, Maula- its alleged propaganda against sem- place in the outskirts of naSamiulHaq of the JUI-S, inaries and accusations of them of Herat city after at least Senator Sajid Mir, JUP president being involved in terrorism, saying three vehicles collided An Afghan doctor checks the leg of a survivor of a landmine blast at one of the International Committee DrAbulKhairZubair and others. the practice should come to an end. head on as they were of the Red Cross hospitals for war victims and the disabled in Kabul, yesterday. The ICRC orthopaedic The joint declaration described It criticised the government for the travelling towards a recre- project was set up in 1988 in Kabul. any amendment in the blasphemy alleged efforts to sideline the Kash- ational area. law as unacceptable and called mir issue. 14 MONDAY 4 APRIL 2016 INDIA

PDP and BJP may India and Saudi to strengthen anti-terror ties axe important faces in new govt strengthen multilateral regimes to The two countries effectively address the challenges posed by terrorism,” the statement JAMMU: As officials at the Jammu agreed to enhance said. Both leaders totally rejected and Kashmir Raj Bhavan and the cooperation in “any attempt to link this universal civil secretariat skipped their Sun- phenomenon to any particular race, day holiday to address protocol counter-terrorism religion or culture”. and legal issues related to Mon- operations, “They called on all states to reject day’s swearing-in of an elected intelligence sharing the use of terrorism against other government, intense speculation countries; dismantle terrorism infra- did the rounds on who will get a and capacity-building structures where they happen to exist berth or will be axed in new coun- and to strengthen and to cut off any kind of support and cil of ministers. financing to the terrorists operating Governor N N Vohra formally cooperation in law and perpetrating terrorism from their invited Mehbooba Mufti, the Peo- enforcement, anti- territories against other states; and ples Democratic Party (PDP) chief, bring perpetrators of acts of terrorism on Saturday evening to be sworn- money laundering, to justice,” the statement said in as the new chief minister of the drug-trafficking and Both sides agreed to work state today. together towards the adoption of the Initial reports about the com- other transnational India-initiated Comprehensive Con- position of the council of ministers crimes. vention on International Terrorism said both the PDP and the ally (CCIT ) in the UN. Bharatiya Janata party would field The Indian side was also briefed the same faces for the 25-mem- on Saudi Arabia’s initiative in bring- ber council of ministers which was ing together an Islamic alliance of 34 headed by the then chief minister IANS countries against terrorism . Mufti Muhammad Sayeed. Acknowledging the strong bilat- Political circles were abuzz eral security cooperation, the two with speculations on Sunday that leaders agreed to enhance coopera- Mehbooba, who arrived in Jammu, RIYADH: India and Saudi Arabia yes- tion in counter-terrorism operations, The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud with Prime Minister Narendra has decided to drop some of the terday agreed to further strengthen intelligence sharing and capac- Modi in Riyadh, yesterday. senior leaders who held impor- cooperation in the fight against terror ity-building and to strengthen tant portfolios during her father’s and called upon all states to reject the cooperation in law enforcement, anti- 10-month chief ministerial tenure. use of terrorism against other coun- money laundering, drug-trafficking cyber security, including prevention of engagement, with the two countries for Modi’s remarkable vision for Sayeed passed away in New Delhi tries. and other transnational crimes. use of cyber space for terrorism, rad- being among the top trading partners the future of the country. “He on January 7 following multi-organ “The two leaders agreed to further Modi and King Salman discussed icalisation and for disturbing social for each other, the two leaders agreed commended Prime Minister Modi’s failure. strengthen cooperation in combating regional and international issues of harmony. upon the need to further strengthen worthy initiatives of ‘Startup India’, “At least four senior PDP terrorism, both at the bilateral level mutual interest, including the secu- In the field of energy cooperation, these ties, particularly through ‘Make in India’, ‘Smart City’, and leaders are on the ‘hit list’ of Meh- and within the multilateral system of rity situation in West Asia, Middle East both leaders agreed to transform the diversifying non-oil trade,” the ‘Clean India’, noting their strong boobaji... They held important the UN,” said a joint statement issued and South Asia, in the light of their current buyer-seller relationship to statement said. potential to provide Indian economy assignments in the council of after delegation-level talks here led common interest in the regional and one of deeper partnership focusing “Both leaders expressed a positive thrust for growth,” the ministers of her father,” a top PDP by visiting Indian Prime Minister global peace, security and stability. on investment and joint ventures satisfaction at the growing presence statement said. The Indian side source said here. Narendra Modi and the Custodian of “The two leaders agreed to in petrochemical complexes, and of Indian and Saudi companies in also highlighted the key initiatives “None among the previous the Two Holy Mosques King Salman enhance cooperation to strengthen cooperation in joint exploration each other’s market and agreed to taken to improve the ease of doing lot of PDP ministers has so far bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia. maritime security in the Gulf and in India, Saudi Arabia and in third further encourage trade promotion business in the country and its key received a formal word from her Yesterday was the second and the Indian Ocean regions, vital for countries, according to the statement. measures and participation in fairs efforts to simplify and rationalise to be in readiness for tomorrow’s final day of Prime Minister Modi’s the security and prosperity of both On bilateral trade, Modi and King and exhibitions,” it stated. existing rules and relax the foreign oath taking ceremony as a minis- visit to the Gulf kingdom. countries,” the joint statement said. Salman expressed satisfaction at the King Salman also lauded the direct investment norms in key areas, ter,” the source added on Sunday. “The two leaders called upon Modi and King Salman also $39bn trade in 2014-15. “Taking note strong growth shown by the Indian including railways, defence and “But she is holding a meeting the international community to agreed to promote cooperation in of the excellent trade and economic economy and expressed appreciation insurance. here at 4.30pm today and things will become clear after that,” the source said. Similarly, three senior BJP PM to launch ministers who held important 65 Assam constituencies go to polls today portfolios in the last council of start-up scheme ministers are also likely to be dropped and new faces brought for SCs/STs in to replace them. IANS Brahmaputra river and in Barak Val- 12,190 polling stations, 7,629 have candidates in the electoral fray for “Out of these three likely to ley of Assam. The Bharatiya Janata been identified as sensitive, 3,663 the first phase of polls followed by be axed, at least two are defi- NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Party (BJP) has pitted Lok Sabha are identified as hyper sensitive and 65 others, representing some lesser nitely being dropped,” revealed a Narendra Modi, now on a visit MP and tea tribe leader Kamakhya 1,910 are marked as critical. known or unregistered parties. BJP source. to Saudi Arabia, will tomorrow GUWAHATI: Assam will hold the first Prasad Tasha against the Gogoi. In the first phase, the state’s ruling While most of the constituen- The new council of minis- launch a scheme to promote entre- phase of assembly polls today for 65 Similarly, BJP’s chief ministerial Congress party will contest in all the cies will see straight electoral battles ters headed by Mehbooba will be preneurship among the Scheduled constituencies to decide the fate of candidate Sarbananda Sonowal will 65 constituencies while the Bharatiya between the ruling Congress in Assam sworn-in at the state’s Raj Bhavan Castes/Scheduled Tribes and 539 candidates. Assam Chief Minister seek a mandate from Majuli constit- Janata Party (BJP) has put up candi- and candidates put up by the BJP, AGP in Jammu city at 11.30am today. women with loans in the range of Tarun Gogoi is seeking a mandate for uency in Assam. The Congress has dates in 54 constituencies. and Bodoland Peoples’ Front (BPF) The oath taking ceremony is Rs1m to Rs10m, official sources the fifth term in Titabar constituency. fielded sitting legislator from the Rajib The All India United Democratic alliance in Upper Assam and in north to be a low-key affair. said here. A total of 96,11,732 people are eli- Lochan Pegu constituency. Front (AIUDF), led by perfume baron bank of river Brahmaputra, the con- Previously, it was said union Named the “Stand up India gible to vote in the elections across According to the Chief Electoral Moulana Badruddin Ajmal, is con- stituencies in Barak Valleys are likely Home Minister Rajnath Singh Scheme”, the prime minister will 12,190 polling stations in the 65 Officer (CEO) office in Assam, all testing in 27 seats while the regional to see a three-cornered fight between would attend the function, but launch it and a web portal for it on constituencies. necessary arrangements have been party Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) is the Congress, the BJP-led alliance and now union Law and Parliamentary Tuesday in suburban Noida. The constituencies mainly include made in the polling stations to ensure contesting in only 11 seats. AIUDF. Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu The function will be also those in Upper Assam, north bank of smooth conduct of the polls. Of the There are 280 Independent will attend the function. attended by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, union Minister for Culture and Tourism Mahesh Sharma and union Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha, among others, and Clearing flyover debris Congress agrees to Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik. “The scheme is expected to benefit large number of entrepre- Chandy’s demands neurs, as it is intended to facilitate at least two such projects per bank branch of scheduled commercial IANS persuaded both party vice president banks on an average, one for each Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi to category of entrepreneur,” an offi- allow Chandy the freedom. cial said. NEW DELHI/THIRUVANAN- Sudheeran, before returning to The scheme will also facili- THAPURAM: The Congress high Kerala yesterday, told reporters in tate refinance window through command yesterday agreed to the Delhi that he has assured the party Small Industries Development demands of Kerala Chief Minister high command that he will not put Bank of India (SIDBI) with an ini- Oommen Chandy and gave its nod pressure on it for the selection of tial amount of Rs100bn, the official to five candidates for the assem- candidates. announcement said. bly polls though their selection was “I have assured the high com- The overall intent of the opposed tooth and nail by state party mand, I will not stand in the way proposal is to leverage the insti- chief V M Sudheeran. of whatever decisions they take. It tutional credit structure to reach The party high command agreed was not with any personal grudge, out to these under-served sectors to the five names after almost a week that I opposed a few names,” said of the population by facilitating of numerous rounds of talks at var- Sudheeran. bank loans in the non-farm sec- ious levels. Chandy also left for Kerala tor, sources said. Since the time the state’s top yesterday. The prime minister on August leadership reached Delhi on March Asked by the media if he was People gather while National Disaster Response Force personnel work at the site of the collapsed 15, 2014, launched the Pradhan 27, Sudheeran had been strongly happy that he was able to “pressu- flyover, in Kolkata. Emergency teams are still clearing debris from the site of the collapsed under- Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) opposing the re-nomination of rise” the party high command, he for Banking for the Unbanked construction flyover. Excise Minister K Babu, who is facing said: “All what you are hearing in the scheme. allegations in the bar scam, Reve- news is baseless.” nue Minister Adoor Prakash, who is “No one can ever get the better embroiled in a row over land trans- of our high command. All what you fer, Culture Minister K C Joseph, who hear is not true. We all said what has been a legislator since 1982, we had to say and the final decision NIA officer’s killing pre-planned: Police Benny Behanan for allegedly having would be that of the high command,” links with solar panel scam accused, Chandy told reporters in Puthupally. and five-time legislator and former The three top leaders of the party minister Dominic Presentation. from Kerala — Chandy, Sudheeran IANS assailants post-midnight on Saturday. Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2010. undergoing treatment at Fortis Hos- Even after two rounds of talks and state Home Minister Ramesh The shooting in Uttar Pradesh’s “The assailants came on motorbikes pital in Noida. with party president Sonia Gandhi, Chennithala — have been in Delhi Bijnor district took place when the and opened fire from a close range “Nothing can be ruled out now Chandy stood his ground and said for over a week to finalise the list of officer was returning from a wed- on Ahmad near Sahaspur town,” NIA until and unless we get absolute con- if any of the five is dropped, he will candidates for the 82 constituencies NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh police ding with his wife and children. His spokesperson Sanjeev Kumar told crete evidence. We have to work on all not contest the polls. the party is contesting. are working “on all angles” to find out wife Farzana got four bullet injuries, reporters here earlier Sunday. “He angles. We have to see it from all the Sources said former defence According to sources, the high the motive behind the killing of NIA but his children were unharmed. was inspector with NIA but back with sides and work out the case,” Daljit minister A K Antony, who is also command wanted to please both officer Tanzil Ahmad, who was shot Ahmad, 48, known for under- BSF he was assistant commandant.” Chowdhary, additional director gen- a former chief minister of Kerala, Chandy and Sudheeran, but the chief 21 times in an attack by unidentified cover operations, joined the National Tanzil Ahmad’s wife is eral of police, Uttar Pradesh, said. stepped in on Sunday morning and minister stuck to his stand. EUROPE / UK MONDAY 4 APRIL 2016 15

Grenade thrown Cops hunt ‘Wimbledon Prowler’ for heist before Serbian leader’s poll AFP and cash, detective inspector Dan From the scant evidence, The Crime Prevention Website, the O’Sullivan told reporters. police believe the crook is a man largest open-source online resource The prolific burglar is The intruder’s high-profile targets aged around 35, of medium height of its kind in Europe. rally in Kosovo suspected of carrying have included German tennis legend and is described as athletic, agile, “This guy is clearly very cautious, LONDON: Cunning gentleman Boris Becker and French former Real organised, disciplined and likely is security-aware and spends time thieves have seduced romantics from out hundreds of Madrid and Arsenal footballer Nico- knowledgeable about police inves- making observations, minimising his Reuters the days of Robin Hood through to break-ins around las Anelka, who chased the burglar tigation techniques. chances of being seen and detected,” Hollywood’s heyday—and now Lon- one of London’s from his house. “When you look back at the his- he told AFP, advising Wimbledon resi- don is transfixed by the real-life antics His biggest single trophy is tory of the last 10 years, that is what dents to review their security systems. PRISTINA: An attacker threw of the “Wimbledon Prowler”. most exclusive believed to be a 1955 Rolex Sub- he seems to do,” O’Sullivan said. O’Sullivan believes that the felon a hand grenade and fired shots The prolific burglar is suspected neighbourhoods, mariner watch valued at around “He seems to smash 20 to 30 jobs is motivated by more than just money, outside a sports hall in northern of carrying out hundreds of break-ins £500,000. “In the UK there is no over a couple of months and then he saying he was probably seduced by Kosovo early yesterday, hours around one of London’s most exclu- making off with one that gets close to him, in terms seems to go to ground.” the “kick, the thrill of doing it”. before Serbian Prime Minister sive neighbourhoods, making off with assets worth more of the period of time that he’s been The thief leaves no evidence None of the burglaries have led to Aleksandar Vucic was due to hold assets worth more than £10m ($14m) . offending and the financial gain,” said behind such as fingerprints and is physical harm, with one victim say- an election rally there, police said. The quaint, upscale neighbour- than £10m ($14m) . O’Sullivan. aware of the location of surveillance ing : “He comes and goes, but so far The sports hall is in the small hood of Wimbledon Village in British “The law of averages says that cameras, hiding his face with his there’s never been any evidence of town of Zubin Potok, close to the capital’s southwest is sheltered from you’re going to make a mistake one hand. O’Sullivan did not rule out the any violence.” ethnically-divided city of Mitro- hustle of city life, and known for day, but we’ve never actually got close possibility that the hunted man could “We don’t think he’s life-threat- vica, a frequent flashpoint between famous tennis tournament and multi- British press. to him, which indicates he’s very be a former soldier, given his self-con- ening, we don’t lose sleep but we Serbs and ethnic Albanians since million pound mansions. In a decade of deception, the thief good. He’s disciplined.” trol and attention to detail. hope that he’ll be caught,” the vic- Kosovo’s 1998-99 war. But fear now stalks the leafy has committed more than 200 bur- That the crook remains at large is “This individual seems to be one tim added—but that may be a while Vucic was touring the area streets in the form of the “Wimble- glaries, making mockeries of locks, not for the lack of trying, with media of the 10 percent of burglars who in coming. as part of his campaign for the don Prowler”, as the light-fingered alarms and security camera systems reporting that police have even hid- plan a crime,” said retired policeman “He’s now gone to ground,” April 24 Serbian general election, criminal has been nicknamed by the to pilfer luxury watches, jewellery den in trees to catch him in the act. Calvin Beckford, who now operates explained O’Sullivan. in which he is expected to retain power. Although Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, Serbs living there can vote Fire at Russian defence ministry building in Serbian parliamentary elections. Italy oppn seeks to “A hand grenade exploded out- side the sports hall but there are no injuries,” Besim Hoti, a Kosovo police commander in the area, said. bring down govt Hoti said shots were fired at the same place, apparently by same person who threw grenade. AFP threat to his government. The attacker had not been identi- “And so they present the ump- fied and there had been no arrests. teenth no-confidence motion. We Vucic said the attacker had will go to parliament, I hope as soon thrown an M-75 hand grenade and ROME: Italy’s main opposition as possible,” he said. fired shots from an automatic rifle. parties threw down the gauntlet The opposition’s move followed “He could have killed who to Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s the resignation of Economic Devel- knows how many people, because government, with a no-confidence opment Minister Federica Guidi at that time there were 10 people motion over a sleaze scandal which over allegations she tweaked the working on setting up the stage,” has seen a top minister resign. country’s 2015 budget to suit her Vucic told reporters during a visit The centre-right Forza Italia businessman boyfriend. to the Serbian Orthodox monas- party, led by former prime minister Guidi stepped down after it tery at Banjska. Silvio Berlusconi, joined forces with emerged that her partner is under The Kosovo government has the anti-immigrant Northern League investigation for abusing his connec- little authority in the volatile north to draw up the motion of no-confi- tion to government in a suspected where some 50,000 ethnic Serbs dence for both the upper and lower bid to help his company win con- oppose Kosovo’s secession from houses of parliament to consider. tracts with French oil giant Total. Serbia eight years ago. “Game over for Renzi,” said Ren- In a wiretap recording leaked to The Pristina government said ato Brunetta, head of Forza Italia in the press, Guidi is heard telling him it had permitted Vucic’s cam- the lower house. The anti-estab- that an amendment to the budget law paign visit. Based on the Kosovo lishment Five Star movement (M5S) streamlining the approval process constitution, all Serbs can vote is also preparing its own motion, for new oilfields would be approved. both for the Pristina and Belgrade according to media reports. “Guidi’s immediate willingness parliament. “We all have to show we want to to resign threw the various opposi- Though Serbia does not recog- send Renzi packing. We will vote for tion parties into panic, so much so nise Kosovo as sovereign, it signed no-confidence,” said Five Star mem- that—not knowing what to do—they Fire brigade personnel douse a blaze at the Russian Defence Ministry at Znamenka Street in Moscow, an accord in 2013 to settle relations ber Luigi di Mario, deputy head of began shouting for the resignation of yesterday. Around 50 people were evacuated from the administrative building, which dates from the as a condition for Belgrade’s fur- the lower house of parliament. the whole government, guilty of who end of the 18th century. Nobody was hurt. ther progress towards European A defiant Renzi played down any knows what,” Renzi said. Union membership. Aerospace and defence industry support EU vote Flights resume at Brussels airport under tight security Agencies for aerospace, defence, security and including major oil firms Shell and BP was carried out in February and space companies in Britain, said that and its largest telecoms group BT who March, ADS said. 70 percent of its members believe it warned in February that leaving the Planemaker Airbus, which AFP called a “symbolic” reopening of would be better for their business if EU would put jobs and investments employs 16,000 people in Britain the airport. The same three planes LONDON: The majority of British the country stayed in the EU. at risk. building wings for its aeroplanes were to return to Brussels with pas- aerospace, defence, security and “Our members recognise the Some companies do, however, amongst other activities, said in sengers later. space companies believe that the benefits of the UK remaining part favour an exit from the EU. The cam- February that its British operations BRUSSELS: Brussels Airport The restart of the airport has country should stay in the European of the EU; access to integrated Euro- paign for Britain to leave the EU has would be less competitive if the coun- reopened yesterday with three “sym- been hailed as the beginning of Union, the latest business group to pean supply chain; R&D funding been backed by 250 business leaders try voted to leave the EU. bolic” flights and strict additional a return to normal for a trauma- come out in favour of staying in the which enables the UK to compete including the former chief executive However, another opinion poll checks for passengers, marking a tised country, but the shadow of the bloc. globally, and the ability to influence of HSBC, the Vote Leave group said released yesterday said, young peo- new high-security era for air travel attacks loomed large. The economic impact of a ‘Brexit’ and shape EU regulation,” ADS Chief in March. ple could be the deciding factor in in Belgium after attacks by Islamic Two big white tents were serv- is one of the key issues for voters Executive Paul Everitt said. Members of the ADS group whether Britain stays in the EU, State suicide bombers. ing as temporary check-in facilities ahead of a referendum on Britain’s The industry’s view echoed the employ 310,000 people in Britain according to the opinion poll released A Brussels Airlines plane bound to replace the blast-hit departure EU membership on June 23. comments of bosses at more than a and generate 31 billion pounds in yesterday, which put the Leave cam- for the Portuguese city of Faro hall, and passengers were asked to ADS Group, the industry body third of Britain’s biggest companies exports for the country. The survey paign in the lead. became the first to take off from the come three hours before departure reopened airport. to allow time for tight new security Tearful employees and govern- checks. The first travellers to arrive ment officials marked the 1140 GMT were met by heavily armed police Centenarian departure with a minute’s silence and soldiers on the access roads to Volcanic cave and a round of applause, while on the airport. offered place in the tarmac fire engines and police There was strong security pres- vehicles formed a guard of honour. ence inside the tents where travellers “We’re back,” Brussels Airport walked through metal detectors nursery school chief executive Arnaud Feist said after and had their bags screened before watching the plane take to the skies. checking in and being allowed to STOCKHOLM: Four years after cel- Two further flights, to Athens enter the main building. Psychol- ebrating her centenary, a woman in and Turin in Italy, were also sched- ogists were on hand to assist any western Sweden was offered a place uled for departure in what Feist passengers overcome with emotion. in a local kindergarten. “It’s fantastic! I must be the only 104-year-old in Hylte to be offered a place in a creche,” Maja Bergstrom said. Her response came after local authorities wrote to her daugh- ter Birgitta, 78, who was wrongly thought to be the mother of a tot rather than the daughter of a cen- tenarian. Stigert Pettersson, the official of school registrations, explained that letters should have gone out offering places in creche for children born in 2011, 2012 and 2013. “Apparently, the computer made a mistake and people born Tourists visit the Cueva de Los Verdes, a volcanic cave created due to eruption of La Corona that flows 100 years earlier were contacted. The first plane takes off from Brussels Airport, which partially into the sea, on the Spanish Canary island of El Lanzarote. It’s embarrassing -- but also a lit- tle charming,” said Pettersson. re-opened yesterday. 16 MONDAY 4 APRIL 2016 EUROPE

Czech Republic to Final touches return Iraqis who tried to move to to sending Germany Reuters

PRAGUE: The Czech Republic will migrants back send back to Iraq a group of Iraqis who tried to move on to Germany instead of staying in the country, preparations to receive 500 peo- Interior Minister Milan Chovanec ple today, and that the Greeks had said yesterday. The operation is set given the names of 400. A group of 25 Iraqis took a bus to begin is Lesbos “We have been in touch with the on Saturday to Germany, where where there are Greek authorities and said we could they were stopped immediately take 500 people and they have given after crossing the border, CTK over 3,300 migrants us 400 names. Tomorrow it’s pos- news agency reported. German including refugees. sible that this figure could change,” police then asked the Czechs to Ala was quoted as saying by the take the people back and that was Anatolia news agency. agreed, CTK said. The mobilisation could involve Refugees and migrants including children who left the Chios registration camp, shout slogans and hold Refugees from Iraq who have AFP other Aegean islands with major placards reading “’No Turkey” during a protest yesterday. fled areas controlled by Islamic refugee and migrant populations State. So far, only 89 have arrived. such as Chios, where agents of EU Chovanec said that the 25 Ira- border agency Frontex were seen qis had abused Czech generosity LESBOS, GREECE: Greek and EU arriving yesterday, an eyewitness Crisis may have peaked: German minister and should go back home soon. authorities were putting the final said. Police imposed a deadline of a touches to an operation that could Greek state news agency ANA, week for them to leave. send hundreds of migrants back in a report that has not been denied Reuters He said the number of migrants start crossing from Libya to Italy. “The seven-day deadline, to Turkey today, launching a land- by the government, has said the arriving in Germany from Austria “If people come via this route which the Iraqis got, is meant for mark deal that has been slammed first wave could entail some 750 — the main entry point for refugees, again, we will need to find similar them to be able to arrange the by rights watchdogs. migrants, who would be sent back many fleeing war and deprivation in solutions like we did with Turkey and return home,” Chovanec said. The operation is set to begin on between today and Wednesday. BERLIN: On the eve of the first expul- Syria — had fallen to about 140 a day also start talks with North African “This time cannot be used to the Greek island of Lesbos where They would be sent from Lesbos sions of refugees from Greece to in March, compared to thousands just countries,” de Maiziere said. break laws or to move to another there are over 3,300 migrants, a to the Turkish port of Dikili, add- Turkey under a deal to slow the influx a few months ago. He said reception centres in north- Schengen country. I asked the term that includes refugees. ing that Frontex had chartered two of migrants to western Europe, Ger- However, this is largely due to ern Africa for migrants who have been Czech police to use all legal means But details of how the opera- Turkish leisure vessels for the oper- many’s interior minister expressed tighter border controls imposed by returned to Italy might be a possi- so that these people are returned tion will proceed—and who and ation, it said. cautious optimism that the crisis had countries along the Balkan route, bility in exchange for humanitarian to Iraq.” how many migrants will be trans- Police sources in Lesbos yester- peaked. including Austria. Merkel is banking programmes. About 40 migrants are Thirty-seven Christian fami- ferred—are sketchy and Greek day said there had been a flurry of “It is with great caution that I say on the success of the EU-Turkey deal. . expected to arrive in Germany today, an lies are supposed to come to the officials yesterday were tight-lipped. last-minute asylum applications by the high point of the migrant crisis is Many believe, however, that num- interior ministry spokesman said. Ger- Czech Republic from Kurdish-con- Turkish Interior Minister Efkan refugees and migrants seeking to behind us,” Thomas de Maiziere told bers will rise again once new routes man media reported they will land at trolled northern Iraq and refugee Ala said his country had made avoid expulsion. Germany’s Tagesspeigel yesterday. open up, for example when migrants Hanover airport, in northern Germany. camps in Lebanon

Spanish coast on orange alert Three dead in Verdict on Balkan ‘gang’ shooting in France wars sparks anger

AFP AFP non-Serb civilians by being alleg- edly a member of a “joint criminal enterprise” along with the late Ser- MARSEILLE: Three men were bian president Slobodan Milosevic. killed in a suspected gang shoot- THE HAGUE: Legal experts and his- But, the judges found that Seselj ing in southern France, sources torians have reacted with outrage to was a politician who ardently sup- said, taking to eight the number the controversial war crimes acquit- ported his vision of a Greater Serbia, who have died in gang violence tal of firebrand Serb Vojislav Seselj, but was not a criminal. in the city this year. Three others saying it overturns international law The judges also tossed aside dec- were also injured in the gunfight, and rewrites the history of the Bal- ades of international law by saying which broke out in Marseilles. kans conflict. “the crimes happened in an atmos- Police commissioner and “The decision of the majority phere of war, and this justifies them,” investigators were on the scene (judges) is divorced from the reality Balkans expert Eric Gordy told AFP. at the foot of a four-storey build- of what was happening in Croatia “This is simply in conflict with ing where the killings took place. and Bosnia,” former top US diplo- the law,” added Gordy, a senior lec- At least eight people have been mat on war crimes issues, Stephen turer on Southeast European politics shot dead on the streets of Mar- Rapp, told reporters. at University College London. seilles since the beginning of the No stranger to complex cases, Chief ICTY prosecutor Serge year, part of a growing number of having led the prosecution of Brammertz is studying the judge- gang-related murders in the city. ex-Liberian president Charles ment to see if there are grounds for “It’s dramatic and desperate,” Taylor, Rapp said he was very appeal, and said many of the judges’ Samia Ghali, mayor of the eighth “disappointed” that Seselj was on arguments were “absolutely not in district of the city, said. Thursday found not guilty of nine line with the factual reality.” “It does not give much hope for charges of war crimes and crimes Dissenting judge Flavia Lat- Big waves seen at the Ponzos beach in Ferrol, northwestern Spain, yesterday. Galicia’s coast is on future generations. There is real against humanity. tanzi, in an unusually strong orange alert due to 5 and 7 metre-high waves. work that needs to be done.” The majority ruling by a three- opinion, said her two colleagues French Interior Minis- judge panel at the International had used “insufficient reasoning, or ter Bernard Cazeneuve said an Criminal Tribunal for the former no reasoning at all” to support their investigation had been opened, Yugoslavia (ICTY) departed “from acquittal of Seselj, “in contravention” reiterating “the government’s established law and accepted prac- of the court’s rules. Polish govt should absolute determination to eradi- tises of fact-finding,” said Rapp, Read by French judge Jean-Claude Schulz flays Erdogan cate organised crime”. now an expert with the Hague Glo- Antonetti, the judgement acquitted back down on At least 19 people were mur- bal Institute for Justice, a think tank. Seselj of any wrongdoing during the dered in and around Marseilles Seselj had been charged with period of the indictment between court reform: Tusk over satire protest last year, compared to 18 in 2014. murder, persecution and torture of August 1991 and September 1993.

Reuters Reuters we have democracy in our country. That’s the end of it ... politicians must Ukraine soldier’s funeral live with satire, even the Turkish president,” Schulz, a Social Demo- WARSAW: Poland’s ruling con- BERLIN: The head of the Euro- crat, told Bild am Sonntag. “Dear Mr servatives should take a step pean Parliament sharply criticised Erdogan, you have gone one step too back in their attempted reform Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan far. You can’t do this. Satire is a basic of the country’s top court, Euro- yesterday for protesting against a element of democratic culture.” pean Council President Donald satirical song on German television German newspapers have in the Tusk said yesterday as the coun- that mocked the president just as last week castigated Erdogan for try- try suffers its worst constitutional the EU needs Ankara to help solve ing to muzzle the media here. crisis in decades. its migrant crisis. Under the headline “The dread- Tusk’s comments marked The broadcast and Turkey’s ful friend”, Der Spiegel weekly ran a rare intervention in Poland’s response has morphed into a diplo- a cover illustration of a red-faced domestic politics. He resigned as matic incident with Germany, France Erdogan shaking his fist with a Polish prime minister in 2014 to and the EU rejecting Ankara’s pro- newspaper folded into a paper take up the job in Brussels and tests, which included Germany’s airplane in his back pocket. Mer- has largely shied away from local ambassador being to Turkish for- kel, carrying a suitcase of EU cash, affairs since then. eign ministry. The two-minute song, stands at his feet with her head in The Law and Justice party shown on “extra 3” last month, poked her hand. has scrapped previous nomina- fun at Erdogan for his authoritarian Schulz denied accusations it tions to the constitutional court, treatment of journalists. makes the EU too reliant on Turkey, and amended the legislation which In unusually strong language, a candidate for EU membership. “The regulates its proceedings. Critics European Parliament President Mar- EU is not dependent on Turkey,” he say, the changes would make it tin Schulz said it was “not acceptable told Bild am Sonntag. impossible for the court to review that the president of another coun- Erdogan has dominated Turkish and rule on new legislation. “I have try demanded Germany limits politics for more than a decade and no doubt it’s the government who democratic rights because he felt has been president since 2014. Popu- People attend a funeral of Ukrainian serviceman Dmytro Godzenko, who was killed in the fighting in should take a step here, and it caricatured”. lar at home, his critics accuse him of eastern Ukraine, at the Independence Square in central Kiev April yesterday. should be a step back,” Tusk said, “We must make clear to Erdogan: becoming increasingly authoritarian. AMERICAS MONDAY 4 APRIL 2016 17 Two dead as derailment hits train movements

said Travis Thomas, fire commis- “Initial reports are that some pas- sioner for Chester, Pennsylvania, at sengers are being treated for injuries,” According to reports a press briefing. Amtrak said. the train from New “There were two deceased, but “Local emergency responders are they were not passengers on the on the scene and an investigation is York to Savannah, train,” Thomas said. ongoing,” it added. Georgia, struck a He declined to provide addi- Thomas said later that 35 people tional details about the accident or received hospital treatment for “non- backhoe on the the victims. However, news reports life-threatening” injuries. tracks and the two said the train, the Palmetto, en route “People are being re-routed back from New York to Savannah, Geor- to Philadelphia to be reunited with fatalities were gia, struck a backhoe on the tracks their luggage,” he added. construction workers. and that the two fatalities were con- One passenger, 15-year old Wilson struction workers. Holmes, was wrapping up a weekend An Amtrak spokesman, Stephen visit with his mom and heading back Gardner, told reporters that officials to school in North Carolina, where he AFP from the National Transportation lives with his father, when the acci- Safety Board were en route to the dent occurred. scene of the disaster for investigation. “We were on the train and eve- “The NTSB will provide all addi- rything was going smoothly,” he told WASHINGTON: Two people were tional information about the crash,” reporters. killed when a train carrying some said Gardner, who added that work- “We got off track and then there 350 passengers and crew derailed ers would try to bring rail service back was a big explosion. Then there was early yesterday near Philadelphia, on line “as soon as possible.” a fire. The windows burst out. Some prompting officials to shut down Train service along 50km stretch people were cut up... and then people service along a busy stretch of the from Philadelphia south to Wilming- started running,” he said. northeast corridor. ton, Delaware was suspended, said His mother, Monica Holmes, had Emergency personnel investigate the crash site of Amtrak Palmetto train 89 in Chester, Pennsylvania, Dozens of people were injured in Amtrak officials who did not give any dropped him off a half hour before the the accident, which took place in the indication as to when service would accident and sped back to the station yesterday. town of Chester, Pennsylvania shortly resume. The accident caused the lead when he called to tell her that there before 8am (1200 GMT). engine to derail on the train which had been an accident. she said. was a construction worker.’ My heart OK, and I pray for the other families The accident occurred after “a was carrying 341 passengers and “I dropped him off at 7:30 think- “He called and told me ‘Mom, just dropped,” she said. that suffered the loss. I can’t imag- vehicle was struck on the tracks,” seven crew members. ing he was on his way to his father,” someone was killed on the train. It “I’m just thanking God that he’s ine it.” Putin’s military focus slowed nuclear arms cuts: Obama Thousands of Colombians

Reuters Obama told reporters. Obama said he has not seen the progress in future years on arms stage anti-govt protest Notably, Putin boycotted the progress he would have liked from reductions with Russia remains as two-day summit on nuclear security, Putin “because of the vision that he’s both countries continue to abided attended by dozens of world leadersat been pursuing of emphasising mili- by the START agreement. But reduc- WASHINGTON: US President Barack a time of increased tensions between tary might over development,” and tions during Obama’s remaining less AFP more impunity!” were among the Obama said that Russian President Moscow and Washington. economic diversification. than 10 months in office are unlikely, banners on show as large crowds Vladimir Putin’s focus on building After the United States and Russia Putin said last June that Russia he said. swarmed through city centers. up the military at the expense of signed the Strategic Arms Reduc- would add more than 40 interconti- Countries with nuclear arms have “This protest is a general dissent economic development has slowed tion Treaty II (START) in 2010 that nental ballistic missiles to its nuclear to ensure they are “up to snuff” and BOGOTA: Tens of thousands of peo- against the government of President progress on a next phase of nuclear went into force a year later, Obama’s arsenal to modernise its programme not vulnerable to cyber attacks given ple protested in more than 20 cities Santos. We do not want impunity in arms reductions. administration approached Russia and overcome anti-missile defense technology changes since command across Colombia against President the peace processes. We are tired “My preference would be to bring to consider a next phase for arms systems near its border. and control systems were designed Juan Manuel Santos and his govern- of so many lies and bad economic down further our nuclear arsenal,” reductions. Obama said the possibility of decades ago, Obama said. ment’s peace process with the FARC management, taxes and inflation,” guerrillas. Francisco Santos, a former vice pres- The demonstrations come just ident, told reporters. days after Bogota launched peace The biggest turnouts were in the Lula hopes to talks with the country’s second-big- capital Bogota and Medellin, Uribe’s Reusable rocket launched gest guerrilla group, the National hometown, where he led the oppo- Liberation Army (ELN), setting its sition march. enter Brazil govt sights on a total end to a bloody half- Police said there was no trouble. century conflict. Despite domestic opposition, the by Thursday Large crowds ignored heavy rain peace talks with the Revolutionary in some cities as they took to the Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) streets. Many demonstrators were appear to be reaching a successful AFP decked out in the yellow, blue and conclusion after more than three red colors of the Colombian flag. years of negotiations. The protests were called by the Accords bringing in the gov- RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazil’s ex- Democratic Center party of the con- ernment and the FARC and ELN president Luiz Inacio Lula da servative former president Alvaro would establish peace between Silva, a key player in the political Uribe, who has voiced consistent the main remaining players in a storm engulfing Latin America’s opposition to negotiations with the conflict which over five decades biggest country, said he hopes Marxist FARC. has drawn in right- and left-wing the Supreme Court will approve The 62 year-old Uribe remains guerrillas, government troops and his entry into the government by popular and powerful opposition fig- drug trafficking gangs. Thursday. ure. His 2002-2010 presidency was Starting as a peasant uprising President Dilma Rousseff marked by a tough crackdown on in the 1960s, the conflict has killed named Lula her chief of staff in a the leftist rebels, as well as charges more than 260,000 people, uprooted bid to stiffen her desperate cam- that he favored right-wing paramil- 6.6 million people and left a further paign to avoid impeachment in itary groups. 45,000 missing. Congress. However, the appoint- In late February Uribe’s young- Venezuela Foreign Minister ment was temporarily blocked in est brother Santiago was arrested on Delcy Rodriguez, hosting the talks, the Supreme Court after an opposi- homicide charges linked to a par- had said it was “a historic step that tion outcry that Lula was scheming The reusable New Shepard space vehicle ascending through clear skies near Van Horn, Texas. American amilitary hit squad known as the will cause happiness for Colom- to gain ministerial immunity so space firm Blue Origin successfully completed the third launch and vertical landing of its reusable Twelve Apostles. The ex-president bia, Venezuela, the region and the that he could avoid arrest in a fed- New Shepard rocket, company founder and Internet entrepreneur Jeff Bezos said. The unmanned claims that Santiago is a “political international community.” South eral corruption probe. crew capsule also landed safely, using parachutes. prisoner.” American regional bloc UNASUR “On Thursday I will take up President Santos, who was said the new negotiations were the my post as chief of staff, if the Uribe’s defence minister, currently “missing piece” of the peace drive. Supreme Court approves, so that suffers from low approval ratings. Official sources in Colombia said I can help President Dilma,” Lula Writing on Twitter, Uribe the government and ELN had agreed told a rally in the north-eastern blasted the role of the leftist “dic- to let six other countries act as guar- city of Fortaleza. Plane crash leaves 1 dead on freeway tatorship in Venezuela” in helping antors of the peace process: Brazil, “We have to guarantee Dil- mediate talks with the ELN. Chile, Cuba, Ecuador, Norway and ma’s ability to govern,” he said in “Traitor resign now!” and “No Venezuela. a speech, quoted by the website of his Workers’ Party. where it once landed safely Lula’s struggle to enter the government is one of the many subplots of a political upheaval AP on the shoulder of the road in San busy I-15 when the engine quit on its paralysing Brazil as it sinks into Diego County near Fallbrook. The second flight on February 18, 2000. its worst recession in a generation. driver of the car had pulled over to Nokes guided the high-perform- The court’s ruling will come synchronise the Bluetooth device on ance $500,000 plane to a smooth just as the impeachment fight LOS ANGELES: A small plane that his phone, Parent said. landing and safely taxied off the road approaches a new peak. made headlines when it landed The impact crumpled the back of without injuries. Nokes went on to Rousseff, accused of illegal safely on a Southern California free- the car, fatally crushing Antoinette fly the plane every day for five years government accounting prac- way years ago crashed on the same Isbelle, 38, of San Diego in the back without incident before selling it. He tices, will wrap up her defence at stretch of road, slamming into a car seat and injuring three others in the said it had been rebuilt several times a congresional impeachment com- and killing a woman in the vehicle. vehicle, authorities said. since he sold it. mission today. The commission Five others, including the pilot “The plane went completely “It was crazy,” Nokes said. “Eve- will deliberate before issuing its and his passenger, were injured in into the trunk and pushed the rear rything worked out so beautifully. It recommendation on about April 11. the crash on a stretch of Interstate bumper almost into the rear pas- was almost a humorous thing. Unfor- The full lower house of Con- 15 that has been the scene of several senger seat,” said John Buchanan, tunately, it doesn’t always turn out gress will then vote within emergency landings. spokesman for the North County Fire that way.” days whether or not to send the The single-engine plane had Protection District. When Nokes heard about the impeachment case for a trial in the problems before it banked and came Pilot Dennis Hogge, 62, and his crash, he unsuccessfully tried to Senate. Rousseff is frantically try- down, California Highway Patrol female passenger suffered major reach Hogge. He didn’t realise Hogge ing to find enough votes to prevent Officer Chris Parent said. One man injuries, Parent said. The driver suf- had been injured. He described the two-thirds majority required said he didn’t hear the plane’s engine fered moderate injuries, and his other Hogge as a good man, an outstand- in the lower house to trigger a trial. as it passed overhead. two passengers were expected to sur- ing pilot and a master plane builder. That became harder last week The Lancair IV landed on its belly vive their injuries. “It’s just horrible to hear about,” Colombia's former President Alvaro Uribe (centre) walks surrounded when the main coalition partner and skidded about 250 feet before The plane was once owned by said Nokes who spent 11 years in the by security personnel as he greets supporters during a protest march to her Workers’ Party switched to striking the rear of a black Nis- major league catcher Matt Nokes, majors, mostly with the Detroit Tigers against Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos and the Colombian the opposition. san Altima sedan that was stopped who made a noteworthy landing on and New York Yankees. peace process, in Medellin, Colombia.

AMERICAS MONDAY 4 APRIL 2016 1917

Hillary and Hillary and Sanders tussle for Democratic Trump gear up nomination for fresh test Reuters MILWAUKEE: Democratic presiden- tial candidates Hillary Clinton and the course of the overall nominat- Bernie Sanders are tussling in Wis- ing contest, but it could serve as an consin over who would best represent With polls for indicator of the race’s current sta- the Democratic Party against Repub- the Wisconsin tus ahead of the New York primary lican front-runner Donald Trump. on April 19, where polls show both The competition was in full force Republican primary in the lead. It’s been a bumpy period at the Wisconsin Democratic Party’s showing the for Trump, the Republican billion- “Founders Day Gala,” a chance for ultraconservative aire from New York. both Cliinton and Sanders to make Although his campaign has their closing arguments before the Cruz holding a seemed bulletproof up until now, state’s primary vote on Tuesday. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump greets guests during a campaign stop at Memorial High 10-point lead, Trump his latest controversies—including Clinton, as the Democratic front- abortion, opponent Ted Cruz’s wife School in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. runner, is more and more taking aim has launched a series and a journalist who said she was at both Trump and US Senator Ted of events to rally roughed up by Trump’s campaign Campaigning in Wisconsin accom- Currently, Trump has 739, Cruz But she comes into the contest Cruz of Texas, who is leading Wis- manager—have alienated women panied by Sarah Palin, Trump attacked 460 and Kasich 145. To win the Repub- having lost five of the last six states to consin polls of Republican voters. support. voters further, polls indicate. Cruz for failing to report a loan from lican nomination outright, a candidate Bernie Sanders, and polls show him Trump, in response to the threat His divisive style is also under Goldman Sachs, his wife’s employer. needs 1,237. finishing on top in Wisconsin. of Islamic militants, has proposed a scrutiny, and the real estate magnate “They want me to act presidential, they In North Dakota, Republican Sanders has already notched vic- temporary ban on Muslims enter- had a surprise meeting with Repub- don’t want me to call him Lyin’ Ted, activists gather at a state convention to tories in Minnesota and Michigan, and ing the United States and Cruz has AFP lican party chief Reince Priebus in okay? Lyin’ Ted,” he told supporters select 25 of the state’s 28 delegates, but his popularity is undeniable in Wis- called for police patrols of Muslim Washington amid rumblings that the in Racine, to cheers. unlike those from most other states, consin cities like Madison, which have neighborhoods. party would fracture if he were to “No, my wife actually said: No, they won’t be bound to a particular a high concentration of university stu- “That does not make Trump and win the nomination. you’re with Sarah today, you have to candidate at the party’s convention dents. Sanders, is trying to dispel the Cruz sound strong,” said Clinton to WASHINGTON: US presidential pri- With polls for the Wisconsin act very presidential.” in July. notion that Clinton is a better candi- the crowd of 1,400. “It makes them maries spark back to life tomorrow Republican primary showing the The winner of Tuesday’s Republi- The other three are RNC members date for defeating Trump in the general sound in over their heads... You know after an eventful 10-day break with ultraconservative Cruz holding a can primary will take most of the 42 who are automatic delegates. election in November. loose cannons tend to misfire, and in clear frontrunners Donald Trump 10-point lead, Trump has launched delegates on offer. If Cruz wins, he will For Clinton, a loss in Wisconsin “In the last national CNN poll we a dangerous world that is a gamble and Hillary Clinton both facing the a series of events in the heartland certainly claim it as a turning point in would be more symbolic than any- beat Trump by 20 points and that’s we cannot afford.” real possibility of losing in Wisconsin. state to rally support. Moderate John the race, but mathematically speaking thing else, as the state distributes before we really begin to expose what Sanders told the crowd he would Defeat in the north-central state Kasich, the Ohio governor, is polling he will struggle to overcome his over- delegates proportionally according a nutcase he really is,” Sanders told be a better opponent against Trump isn’t likely to immediately change third and last. all delegate deficit. to the primary results. supporters Friday in Sheboygan. than Clinton. Haiti protest demands justice for 3 slain deaf women Cuban migrants to

AP for deaf people and their families. are being held for questioning. victims was known by members of “These murders are an act of Joel said that one of the female the family who attacked the deaf absolute barbarism and we must have suspects told investigators that her women. “They only came to this US on the rise justice,” Jean said. husband killed the deaf women house late at night and asked for shel- PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI: Hun- The three women were killed as because he feared they were “lou- ter because one of the victims knew dreds of protesters marched in Haiti’s they were trying to return home by gawou,” a Haitian Creole word for them,” she said. AP homemade rafts. Three years ago, capital to demand justice follow- foot late at night because a bridge had vicious supernatural creatures who Phillips, an attorney with the the communist government did away ing the brutal killings of three deaf collapsed, preventing public trans- fly at night. Institute for Justice and Democracy with a hated exit permit, allowing women who were tortured, stoned port from Haiti’s capital. They all But Nicole Phillips, a lawyer in Haiti, is hopeful that the case can many Cubans to travel to countries and left in a gully by attackers. worked as street vendors and went representing the victims’ families, shine a spotlight on the vulnerability HAVANA: Nearly twice as many such as Ecuador and then make a Mickelson Jean, leader of a Hai- into Port-au-Prince that day to stock believes that story is “a false defence of disabled Haitians and the obstacles Cuban migrants reached the US by long, often dangerous, trek through tian association for the deaf, was one up on supplies. to try and justify a heinous crime.” to justice they face. foot and sea in the last three months Central America to the US border of roughly 300 people who marched Jentullon Joel, the police com- Mob violence is common in Haiti and “It’s a case that’s emblematic of of 2015 as in the same period the with Texas. Ecuador began requir- in Port-au-Prince to call attention to missioner in Cabaret near where the experts say there is a widespread violence that occurs against deaf year earlier, the northbound exo- ing visas for Cubans late last year, the recent slayings. The women lived killings took place two weeks ago, acceptance of the killing of perceived people, particularly women who dus swelling after the restoration of effectively blocking the route to most in the coastal village of Leveque said arrest warrants have since been evil-doers. can’t scream if they are attacked,” diplomatic relations and amid fears would-be migrants. where scores of homes are reserved issued for two men, and three women Phillips alleged that one of the she said. of the loss of migration privileges. Nicaragua began refusing pas- Department of Homeland Secu- sage to Cuban migrants in November, rity figures show about 17,000 leaving about 8,000 migrants stuck Cubans reached the United States in Costa Rica. In March, the last from October through December. direct flight carrying the stranded US tech giants Concern for elephants Slightly more than 9,200 Cuban migrants from Costa Rica arrived in migrants arrived during the same Mexico. The latest statistics would back ‘Clean months in 2014. not yet reflect whether the migration The surge has been driven in has decreased in response to efforts part by Cubans’ fears that warmer to clamp down on it. Power’ plan ties between the governments, Andy Gomez, a retired Univer- announced in December 2014, mean sity of Miami Cuba scholar, said AFP they could lose privileges that now he expects the number of Cuban let them stay in the United States if migrants arriving through Central they reach American soil — a policy America to decline in the months SAN FRANCISCO: US tech giants originally based on the assumption ahead, though he speculated those Google, Apple, Microsoft and those fleeing Cuba were largely with family in the US will continue Amazon expressed support for political refugees. to find ways to get there. President Barack Obama’s pro- The Obama administration says He said repeal of the Cuban gramme to fight climate change, it doesn’t plan to change US-Cuba Adjustment Act that gives Cuban which was put on hold in February immigration policy, but some law- migrants privileges from other by the US Supreme Court. makers want to end the privileges nations remains unlikely. The Environmental Protection for migrants from the island. “They cannot deal with the Agency’s “Clean Power Plan” calls Most of the Cuban migrants are Cuban Adjustment Act without deal- for a 32 percent reduction in CO2 arriving at US border checkpoints in ing with immigration reform, and emissions by electric power plants Texas after traveling by plane, bus nobody wants to touch it,” he said. by 2030 from 2005 levels. and foot through Central America. Despite renewed US-Cuba A group of 25 US states, most of More than 43,000 Cubans arrived in relations and economic reforms them led by Republican governors, the US in the 2015 fiscal year ending permitting certain small businesses, challenged the programme before in September. Cuba has struggled to stem a tide the Supreme Court which by a 5-4 Alex Blount of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals PETA stands next to “Ellie”, a life-like, Hundreds of thousands of of doctors professionals and oth- vote put it on hold until an appeals mechanical elephant as he hands out leaflets outside the Ringling Bros. Circus, in downtown Cubans have fled the island since ers. Lazaro Borges, 26, a nurse who court can rule on the arguments. Washington DC. PETA is protesting the use of elephants in their circus acts, claiming suffering and the 1959 revolution, largely by said he earns about $20 a month, Google, Apple, Microsoft and inhumane treatment. plane through family reunification said he’s working on plans to leave Amazon filed a brief with the DC programmes but also on perilous, the island. Circuit court in support of the pro- gramme, noting that collectively they are among the biggest US consumers of electricity. The plan “will help address cli- In war on Zika mosquitoes, Puerto Rico starting at ‘square one’ mate change by reinforcing current trends that are making renewable energy supplies more robust, reli- Reuters that is experiencing a major local Puerto Rico is beset with prob- virus has been linked to the typically Rican health department said there able and affordable,” the brief said. outbreak, but the virus is expected lems hampering response: abundant rare autoimmune disorder, Guillain- are now 350 confirmed cases of They said the programme to reach southern US states within mosquitoes, high levels of insecticide Barre syndrome. Zika infection, including 40 preg- would help them “power their weeks with warmer temperatures resistance and economic woes that Fighting Zika in Puerto Rico is nant women. operations in ways consistent SAN JUAN: The United States faces and rising mosquito populations. have left vector control in shambles. complicated by the toll of a decade- “We have a very serious combina- with their environmental com- its first real challenge with the Zika Health officials from across “We don’t have good surveillance” long recession. Nearly half of its 3.5 tion of problems,” said Dr. Alberto de mitments and business needs.” virus on the island territory of Puerto the United States are gathered at here, Frieden said in an interview at million residents live in poverty, and la Vega, an obstetrician specializing “With the plan in place, growth in Rico, a part of the nation that is per- the headquarters of the Centers for the Puerto Rican health department mosquitoes are an accepted nuisance. in high-risk pregnancies at San Juan’s renewable energy will continue, haps least prepared to cope with what Disease Control and Prevention in in San Juan during his tour. “We don’t Puerto Rico has seen repeated out- University Hospital at the Puerto Rico as electricity generators and sell- is expected to be its worst outbreak. Atlanta to outline a national strategy have good control measures.” breaks of dengue and more recently, Medical Centre. ers will have even more reasons to Zika is spreading rapidly in Puerto for combating Zika. In a measure of First detected in Brazil last year, chikungunya. Both viruses are carried “If you don’t have access to money work with significant purchasers... Rico and is expected to peak in late the concern surrounding the out- the Zika outbreak is spreading by Aedes aegypti, the same species of to buy repellent, to sleep with an air to develop new approaches that summer and early fall. By year’s end, break in Puerto Rico, CDC director through the Americas. The World mosquito that carries Zika. conditioner on so mosquitoes won’t support renewable energy,” it said. public health officials estimate, hun- Tom Frieden toured the island, meet- Health Organisation declared a global “In Puerto Rico, we’re really start- bite you, to have mosquito nets around They noted their own efforts dreds of thousands of people will have ing with top health officials and local health emergency last month because ing from square one,” said Audrey you and you live in areas where to limit the impact of their activi- been infected. experts last month to assess the situ- of growing evidence that Zika can Lenhart, a CDC vector control expert. . there’s more stagnant water, obvi- ties on the environment. It is the only part of the country ation first-hand. cause microcephaly. In adults, the In its latest report, the Puerto ously you have higher risks,” he said.

PRAYER TIMINGS WEATHER Minimum: 19o C Maximum: 29o C

FAJR 04.06 am ZUHR 11.37 am MAGHRIB 05.53 pm HIGH TIDE 02:15 - 14:45 Partly cloudy. SHOROOK 05.23 am ASR 03.06 pm ISHA 07.23 pm LOW TIDE 09:30 - 20:15

20 MONDAY 4 APRIL 2016 MORNING BREAK

ONLINE CHART BUST Simple methods Kite festival www.thepeninsulaqatar.com to prevent heart attacks and MOST READ stroke found Maldives police arrest 16 1 independent journalists QNA Battle in Syria kills several 2 Hezbollah fighters HAMILTON: Three simple solutions to Qatar Airways Cargo launches prevent heart attacks and stroke world- 3 innovative new mobile App wide have been proven effective by an international team led by Hamilton med- ical researchers. The research team from the Popu- TWEET OF THE DAY lation Health Research Institute (PHRI) of McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences studied more than 12,000 patients from 21 countries to evaluate drugs that can prevent cardiovascular diseases (CVD). These diseases lead to 18 million deaths and about 50 million heart attacks and strokes globally every year. "These are incredibly important find- ings with potential for significant global impact," said Dr. Salim Yusuf, princi- pal investigator and executive director A girl runs with her dragon kite on the Mall near the Washington Monument in Washington, DC during of PHRI. "If just 10 percent of the world's the annual Blossom Kite Festival. population at intermediate risk of CVD is impacted, we're talking about 20 to 30 million people who could be helped by these drugs." The three methods examined included two forms of therapy: Statins, a group of cholesterol-lowering drugs, and antihy- Traditional Baloch music contest held pertensives, a class of drugs used to treat INSTAGRAM OF THE DAY high blood pressure. In addition, a com- bination of statins and antihypertensives Internews chief guest, said it was commenda- an initiative to promote ‘Suroz’ as a was reviewed. ble that Suroz was being promoted in symbol of peace, love and progress Three studies on the methods were the federal capital. and to make it an instrument of youth The Porsche published in the New England Journal of “We will support every initiative where they learn it as an expression 911 R car made Medicine. Under the name of HOPE-3, or ISLAMABAD: The National Institute that can lead to national harmony of love for their heritage and creativ- of Lego bricks Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation-3, of Folk and Traditional Heritage (Lok- and integration,” he said. ity for their future. on display at the studies involved 228 centers looking Virsa) organised a Suroz (traditional Executive director LokVirsaDr- Three cash awards and two con- the Poznan at the effects of the three treatments in Baloch music) competition during Fouzia Saeed said LokVirsa was a solation prizes were granted to the International people at intermediate risk of, but with- its ongoing folk festival (LokMela) at national institution established for best performers on the decision of a Motor Show out, clinical heart disease. Shakarparian, yesterday. the promotion and preservation of jury, comprising UstadSachu Khan 2016 in Poznan, Statins proved to significantly and Speaking on the occasion, Pakistan’s folk and traditional her- from Sui, musicologist and author Poland. EPA safely reduce CVD events by 25 per cent in former chief minister of Balochistan itage. “It includes folklore of every from Karachi S.M. Shahid and Sarangi patients at intermediate risk without CVD. Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, who was the province and region. We undertook player Taimoor Khan. ‘Ranger’s Apprentice’ film, now Batman v Superman brought to you by China picks up $52.4m

Reuters The major problem facing the stu- low-budget smash. The picture cent- hit’s domestic total to $ million. In its AFP Dick Cook was replaced as dio is it doesn’t just need “Batman v ers on a school teacher (Melissa Joan second weekend, Universal’s “My chairman of Walt Disney Stu- Superman” to be a hit, it needs it to be Hart, of “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch” Big Fat Greek Wedding 2” showed dios in 2009 after decades with so fervently embraced that fans will fame) who gets embroiled in a legal some endurance, racking up $11.1m, the company. Dick Cook Studios' LOS ANGELES: “Batman v Super- show up to see sequels and spin-offs controversy after bringing up Jesus a slender 38% drop from its opening SHANGHAI: A former Disney exec- first project will be a film based on man: Dawn of Justice” appears to for years to come. in class. weekend. utive's new film company that plans "Ranger's Apprentice", an interna- be losing steam as it ends its second The film is intended to kick off an The film wasn’t as warmly The romantic comedy sequel to bring the "Ranger's Apprentice" tional bestselling series of 12 books weekend in theaters. interconnected cinematic universe of embraced as its predecessor, pulling has earned $36.5m after two weeks young adult fantasy novels to the big by Australian author John Flanagan, The critically loathed superhero DC Comics characters that Warner in $8.1m for a fourth place finish, and of release. Sony’s “Miracles From screen has secured financing from which begins with a story of a teen- movie topped the box office, picking Bros. hopes will rival what Marvel trailing the original’s $9.2m launch, Heaven” rounded out the top five, China reportedly worth $500m. ager serving the shadowy Ranger up $52.4m. However, that represented has achieved with the Avengers films. despite opening on 2,318 theaters, grossing approximately $7.5m and Film Carnival, based in the east- warriors. Chinese companies are a steep 68% fall from its $166m debut. There wasn’t much in the way of more than double the number of loca- pushing its total to $46.8m. ern Chinese city of Hangzhou, said ramping up investment in the foreign It suggests that “Batman v Superman” competition. Most studios steered tions as the first “God’s Not Dead.” Among indie films, Bleecker it will provide funding to Dick Cook entertainment industry, as the coun- will be a front-loaded blockbuster clear of the Dark Knight and the Man The weekend’s other new release, Street expanded the drone thriller Studios in a statement on its website. try seeks to boost its "soft power". along the lines of “The Twilight Saga: of Steel’s on screen scuffle, preferring Freestyle Releasing’s “Meet the “Eye in the Sky” from 123 theaters to It gave no value for the deal, but And foreign studios are keen to New Moon” or “X-Men Origins: to hold their fire. Blacks,” fared even worse. A parody 1,029, picking up $4m. industry publication Variety put it expand into China's fast-growing Wolverine,” both of which earned The next big-budget studio of the film “The Purge,” the film did The film has earned $6.1m in four at $500m. cinema market. a disproportionate share of their rev- release to hit theaters is Disney’s a tepid $4.1m after debuting on 1,011 weeks of release. Sony Pictures Clas- enues in their initial weekends and “The Jungle Book” on April 15. In the screens. sics debuted the Miles Davis biopic suffered similar drop-offs. interim, Pure Flix tried to engage Among holdovers, Disney’s “Miles Ahead” in four theaters, where Domestically, the Warner Bros. faith-based audiences with “God’s “Zootopia” took second place, with it grossed $122,751, for a per screen Cat show release has picked up a hefty $261.4m. Not Dead 2,” a follow-up to the 2014 roughly $19.8m, pushing the animated average of $30,688. Singer Donovan hits the road

AFP The sixties ended nearly half battling polio. "There's a secret," a century ago but its utopian said Donovan with an impish dreams of a better world burn twinkle in his eye. That secret is on in the man who penned such the transcendental meditation and PARIS: The folk singer Donovan psychedelic hits as "Mellow Yel- other Eastern spiritual techniques (pictured) has a secret plan for low" and "Sunshine Superman". Donovan learned in India at the world peace. It involves ukule- At nearly 70, Donovan is on feet of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. les, meditation and his old friends the road again, playing to audi- It was Donovan who intro- Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. ences across Europe in what he duced The Beatles and the Beach "We are helping a great guy calls his "Retrospective" tour. Boys to the guru. And like the sur- who is getting Israeli and Pales- Sitting on stage crossed legged viving Beatles, he is still a believer. tinian children together to play on a pile of sheepskins with just During that famous 1968 trip ukuleles for peace," he said on a his acoustic guitar, it is as if flower to the Maharishi's ashram with visit to the French capital. power had never ended. the actress Mia Farrow, John "Imagine if we could get them "After the concerts people say, Lennon wrote "Dear Prudence" to meditate together too. That is 'But he's 70. How can he sit for for her younger sister, and Dono- A child has her face painted as a cat during the Mediterranean our secret weapon for peace. We two hours like that?'" It is all the van taught him and McCartney his Winner 2016 cat show in Rome, Italy, yesterday. are already doing it with Catho- more remarkable when you con- finger-picking and clawhammer lic and Protestant kids in Belfast." sider that he spent his childhood guitar styles. www.thepeninsulaqatar.com PAGE | 23 QE 10,251.97 -124.30 PTS PAGE | 24 DOW 17,685.09 +107.66 PTS Well-designed indices UK won’t rule out FTSE100 6,172.91 -1.99 PTS key for shaping brief nationalisation investor behaviour BRENT $36.63 -$1.55 of Tata Steel

MONDAY 4 APRIL 2016 • 26 Jumada II 1437 thepeninsulaqatar @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatar

London favourite destination for Qatari investors

By Mohammad Shoeb UK, Switzerland and Iran. However, it was not all capital In the Middle East Chestertons has The Peninsula London was the most attrac- outflow from the region, Chester- grown from a single Abu Dhabi office Qatari investors tive market for Chestertons’ Mena tons’ Dubai office sold properties in 2008, to a network of locations that accounted for investors, with more than AED265m worth almost AED232m in the UAE, includes the existing Dubai headquar- 10 percent of invested into the UK capital’s real with almost 40 percent of the total ters, Qatar and presence in three key DOHA: London’s property mar- estate market. This represented over sales value coming from Middle East- Saudi Arabian hubs Riyadh, Jeddah ket is increasingly consolidating its the total London 70 percent of their total sales of nearly ern investors. and Al Khobar. position as one of the favourite des- property deals AED379m. Emirati investors topped the “Due to increased investor appe- tinations for Qatari investors. Qatari “London has long been a favoured nationality breakdown accounting tite, our focus moving forward is to investors accounted for 10 percent closed through a destination for investors from the for around 25 percent of investment, enlarge our regional footprint in key of the total London property deals leading international Middle East region, it is a mature, well with single digit percentage contribu- locations across the Gulf, starting with closed through a leading interna- regulated market with a solid track tions from investors in Saudi Arabia, the addition of a third Dubai office, tional property agency ‘Chestertons’. property agency record for capital appreciation and Jordan and Lebanon. located in the Al Barsha area and one Chestertons inked deals worth about ‘Chestertons’. many Middle East investors are famil- Indian and UK nationals were also in Ajman,” added McNaughton. $166m (AED610m) for property sales iar with London, visiting on a regular prominent nationalities contributing The company’s new Al Barsha to investors from the Middle East basis,” said Declan McNaughton, approximately 15 percent and 10 per- office will be staffed by a 50-strong region in 2015. Managing Director UAE, Chester- cent respectively. team of RERA-approved property and Middle East investors account of total London sales through Ches- tons Mena. “Our nationality breakdown for valuations experts, swelling Chester- for over 70 percent of total London tertons, followed by Saudi Arabia (17 Based in its Dubai office, Chester- Declan McNaughton UAE sales is more or less in line with tons’ in-house expertise to a total of property sales through Chestertons. percent), UAE (10 percent) and Bah- tons has a dedicated team of London the Dubai Land Department’s (DLD) 130 seasoned real estate profession- Investors from Kuwait topped the rain (7 percent). The balance of other property experts, who provide pro- market insight and a comprehensive nationality breakdown,” added als to manage a property portfolio of GCC list, accounting for 21 percent buyers was made up of nationals from spective investors with up-to-date database of investment opportunities. McNaughton. up to AED185m.

Volkswagen bus meeting GCC records 14 percent growth in M&A transactions in Q4, 2015

The Peninsula of the total number of transactions during Q4, 2015. Each of the GCC acquirers seemed to have a different appetite in regards to M&A DOHA: The GCC region witnessed a 14 per- transactions during Q4, 15. Kuwait, Saudi and cent year-on-year increase in the total Omani acquirers preferred investing in the number of closed M&A transactions during GCC, while UAE and Bahraini acquirers pre- Q4, 2015. Qatar closed four key deals during ferred investing outside the GCC region. the first half of 2015, including two in Q4, 15. Q4, 15 witnessed a 60 percent increase in Two of the top transactions of Qatar in Q4, the number of transactions compared to Q3, 15 2015 involved Nebras Power and Al Meera and a 14 percent increase compared to Q4, 2014. Holding Company. Nebras acquired 9.75 The final quarter of 2015 witnessed a total of percent of Phoenix Power Company and 15 16 announced pipeline transactions. percent of Phoenix Operation and Mainte- The UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait together nance c Company in Oman. The deal value make up 82 percent of the total announced was $39m, the Kuwait Financial Centre’s transactions. Qatar, Oman and Bahrain (Markaz) Q4, 2015 GCC M&A report noted. make up the remaining 18 percent of the total The UAE had the highest number of closed announced transactions. transactions among its GCC counterparts The top reported deal value during Q4, 2015 throughout Q4, 15. During the period, they was $3.2bn. UAE and Saudi were the most prev- accounted for 50 percent of the transactions, alent target countries among the top deals. the highest, while Qatar accounted for 7 per- In terms of foreign buyers’ deals in GCC, cent. Bahrain did not engage in any closed Q4, 2015 witnessed a 29 percent increase in the transactions. Saudi Arabia and the UAE were number of transactions compared to Q4,14. In the most prevalent target countries among the comparison to Q3, 2015, the number of trans- top deals. actions rose by 80 percent. UAE attracted the GCC acquires accounted for 63 percent of highest number of foreign buyers among its the total closed transactions during Q4, 15. The GCC counterparts while Bahrain, Kuwait, and Visitors inspect a Volkswagen Type 2 (T1) Kombi bus during a VW bus meeting in Hanover, Germany, yesterday. Industrials, Consumer Discretionary, and Con- Saudi Arabia failed to attract any. sumer staples sectors witnessed the highest Four of the top five transactions by foreign number of transactions, collectively accounting companies included targets from UAE. Major- for 51 percent of the total transactions. ity of the top five transactions were for stakes The education, financials, healthcare and less than 50 percent. Three of the top trans- FBI trick for breaking into iPhone likely to leak materials sectors each accounted for 9 percent actions were closed during the final quarter.

Reuters out of public view. The Federal Bureau of defense attorneys will cross-examine the Investigation last week dropped its court- experts involved. room quest to force Apple to hack into the Although each lawyer would mainly be iPhone of one of the San Bernardino shoot- interested in whether evidence-tampering SAN FRANCISCO: The FBI’s method for ers, saying an unidentified party provided may have occurred, the process would likely breaking into a locked iPhone 5c is unlikely a method for getting around the deceased reveal enough about the method for Apple to stay secret for long, according to senior killer’s unknown passcode. to block it in future versions of its phones, Apple Inc engineers and outside experts. If the government pursues a similar an Apple employee said. Once it is exposed, Apple should be case seeking Apple’s help in New York, “The FBI would need to resign itself to able to plug the encryption hole, comfort- the court could make the FBI disclose its the fact that such an exploit would only ing iPhone users worried that losing physical new trick. be viable for a few months, if released to possession of their devices will leave them But even if the government walks away other departments,” said Jonathan Zdziar- vulnerable to hackers. from that battle, the growing number of ski, an independent forensics expert who When Apple does fix the flaw, it is state and local authorities seeking the has helped police get into many devices. “It expected to announce it to customers and FBI’s help with locked phones in criminal would be a temporary Vegas jackpot that thereby extend the rare public battle over probes increases the likelihood that the FBI would quickly get squandered on the case security holes, a debate that typically rages will have to provide it. When that happens, backlog.” 22 MONDAY 4 APRIL 2016 BUSINESS Region’s technology startup SPE Qatar holds meeting sector grows by over 10-fold on high definition surveys The Peninsula

for investments. At the moment, we see The trend is allowing funding in the middle of the chain at the micro-VC, VC and Private Equity DOHA: The Society of Petroleum for more and better levels,” Dany added. “More needs to be Engineers (SPE), Qatar Section, which quality investments done at the angel, incubator and accel- is chaired by Sheikh Faisal Al Thani, erator level, and entrepreneurs must deputy managing director of Maersk in promising startups, lead this revolution. We ought to ensure Oil Qatar, held its technical meeting says BECO Capital, that there is enough support for inno- at the Sheraton Hotel on March 22, a regional venture vation in startups. We are feeders in 2016. the ecosystem and entrepreneurs are The meeting topic was entitled capital firm focused the drivers.” “High Definition Surveys – Better on technology He further stressed that unless Understanding of the Reservoir”, the full investment cycle matures and was presented by Ali Al Bunni, investments in the the seed stage. We saw our deal flow in the Mena tech startup sector, the Drilling Survey Specialist for Schlum- GCC countries. grow exponentially year-on-year for business cycle for SMEs will suffer. berger Qatar. the past four years, so we scaled our However, when it does, the entire Al Bunni has a Bachelor Degree raising and deployment in parallel value chain will grow to a size where from Damascus University and with the growth in startup activity. institutional investors and Sover- started his career as a Meas- The same needs to happen at the eign Wealth Funds (SWFs) can start urement While Drilling (MWD) The Peninsula angel investment stage so the whole deploying to the VC asset class. engineer, before specialising in value chain is working together to be He also believes that all sub- Directional Drilling (DD) and appropriately funded, otherwise it sectors in the value chain need to wellbore surveying. He joined will reach a bottleneck,” said Dany be invested in at the same pace and the Schlumberger Qatar team in DOHA: With governments’ efforts to Farha (pictured), Co-founder and move together. “They are inter-con- 2010 and is currently responsible transforming their economies into CEO of BECO Capital, while speaking nected and the growth of every part for all wellbore surveying matters knowledge-based societies, the tech at ‘STEP Conference 2016’ yesterday. of the value chain should be going at for Schlumberger’s clients in Qatar entrepreneur sector in the GCC and The two-day event, which kicked the same pace as the rest and pass and Pakistan. broader Mena region has grown by off yesterday in Dubai, is one of the through to the next level,” he said. Ali stated that wellbore sur- over ten-fold since the nascent Ven- largest interactive gathering in the At the VC level, there is still veying is a critical topic, which ture Capital (VC) industry emerged Middle East. Over 4,000 like-minded enough dry powder waiting to be has very high value, but that it does four years ago. folks from all over the globe are deployed and more funds are cur- not always receive the attention The trend is allowing for more discussing opportunities and chal- rently being raised for additional that it deserves. His presentation and better quality investments in lenges at the conference on various investments. Today, each of the big described surveying best practices, Ali Al Bunni, Drilling Survey Specialist for Schlumberger Qatar, with promising startups, said BECO Cap- topics, including Tech, Digital and VC companies is looking at an aver- and various surveying methods. ital, a regional venture capital firm Entertainment. age of 1,000 potential investments, He highlighted that wellbore sur- another official. focused on technology investments “We are at a stage where addi- and will typically invest in less than veys are usually used during drilling in the GCC countries. tional regional pre-Venture Capital one percent of those. “So each one of for well target sizing and for well- with the latest Logging While Drill- recovery from oil and gas fields. “We waited four years for the money should enter into the space the main VC players can now make bore collision avoidance, but showed ing (LWD) technology for Reservoir The meeting was attended and VC ecosystem to mature in quality and a diverse pool of entrepreneurs close to ten investments a year in examples of how high definition sur- Mapping While Drilling (RMWD). concluded with a large number of and quantity to enable us to make have to come forward with quality early stage companies. This will start veys can be used to improve reservoir Ultimately, this technology reduces questions from the audience of SPE a higher number of investments at innovation and problem-solving ideas creating the impact we dream of.” mapping, particularly when used uncertainty and leads to increased members. UK’s last woollen mill IIA seminar on forensic technology

The Peninsula

DOHA: The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) Qatar recently held a seminar titled “Forensic Technology for Newbies” at Oryx Rotana Hotel. The objective was to introduce how forensic technology supports inves- tigations, reviews, fact finding exercises, disputes, arbitration and litigation. Forensic technology can be used to expose the data, evidence, insights and what is hidden in the electronic information held by com- panies who have suffered loss or who are exposed to legal action or regu- latory breaches. The presenter, Rick Barker, is a Principal Director in Deloitte’s The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) Qatar officials during the seminar. Forensic & Disputes MENA prac- tice, based in Dubai. He is an in-house IT staff or themselves Cyber investigation is all about bring further challenges. Due to the ex-computer crime squad detec- accessing the data directly, equating reporting independent account of multinational nature of the popula- tive who since 2006 has provided it to the cyber equivalent of con- data’s story by digging deeper as tion, investigations often had to cater forensic technology services to cor- taminating a crime scene. He also digital detective” stated Sundaresan for a wide variety of languages with porate clients from across the globe. suggested that if in doubt, they Rajeswar, IIA Board member demand for automated language Rick described both the technical should be preserving more elec- “There is risk of firms allowing identification, review and translation. challenges faced by investigators tronic evidence than less. “Simply staff members to use their own PCs, Many companies lacked document (including internal auditors, foren- secure and store PCs, mobile phones mobile phones and email accounts management and retention systems sic accountants and lawyers) and or backup tapes since it may be for company business though BYOD and often were unable to locate the solutions available by way of needed in investigation” Rick said. (Bring Your Own Device) is becoming the documents that they needed in Dyed wool produced by Abraham Moon and Sons woollen mill forensic data collection, email and “Forensic technology is still nas- popular. Not only did it raise IT secu- a time of crisis. As a result, tools to is on display at the factory shop in Guiseley, northern England, document processing and review cent and investigators are novice to rity and confidentiality issues but it search entire networks to identify and yesterday. Abraham Moon which was founded in 1837, runs the systems, cyber investigations, its usage for reporting evidences. The will severely hamper investigations if recover lost electronic evidence will last remaining vertical woollen mill in England, with the dyeing, investigation analytics, fraud and session brought awareness about the company didn’t have a clear legal have to be developed. blending, carding, spinning, weaving and finishing processes all corruption analytics and financial the right skills set to be credible by right or policy that allowed access to Christian Adonis welcomed the taking place on site. services analytics. combining analytics, IT, scientific their own data and critical evidence” gathering and Girish Jain introduced Rick cautioned against using principles and forensic procedures. Rick stated The regional differences the speaker. UCA completes Luca Medda appointed GM of Centro Capital Doha training programme The Peninsula Doha, which will fill this gap, superior class accommodation while continuing to provide and hospitality. With its smart The Peninsula world-class service and com- and stylish hotel brand, Rotana fort to guests,” said Mohammad hopes to meet the demands of the DOHA: Rotana, one of the Haj Hassan, Area Vice President, new generation of travellers who leading hotel management Rotana. “We are very proud to seek both finesse and function- DOHA: United Cars Almana (UCA) success- Employees of United Cars Almana (UCA) companies, has appointed Luca have Medda on board as GM for ality at reasonable rates. Young fully completed the FCA Employee Training with their certificates. Medda (pictured), as General Centro Capital Doha, which will and fresh in its approach, Centro Programme 2015. Manager of Centro Capital Doha, witness its soft opening in April is a contemporary concept that “Our mission is to meet customers’ expecta- the new hotel which is scheduled 2016. His joining is in line with our is original in its presentation yet tions and provide total satisfaction in every way added. Abdallah Meher, Director Aftersales for soft opening in April 2016. efforts to appoint highly qualified dynamic in its offerings. and every time therefore we are very proud FCA Middleeast, handed over the certificates Medda has significant personnel. Having eight years of Luca Medda said: “It is a to announce the successful completion of the to the employees. experience in the hospital- experience with Rotana, makes great honour to work with Management and Technical trainings con- UCA is well positioned to achieve con- ity industry, with 26 years in Centro Capital Doha. Medda the perfect person for the Rotana, I joined the group in ducted by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA),” tinued growth in the automotive sector the field working for 14 hotels “Qatar’s hospitality sector job, and we are confident that he 2007, and today I continue this Gurdeep GM of UCA said. through its innovative and impressive range in 8 different countries. Hav- is one of the most vibrant and will lead the hotel forward and amazing journey with a special “We are very proud of our employee’s of cars. Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and RAM are ing worked in countries like evolving sectors in the region make it a desirable destination team of professionals at Centro achievement in completing the FCA train- some of the most illustrious American vehi- Qatar, the United Arab Emir- and we are committed to play- for businessmen in Qatar,” added Capital Doha. I am looking for- ing and we will always ensure to offer them cles in the world. UCA was established in ates and Egypt, he possesses a ing a key role in supporting Mohammad Haj Hassan. ward to opening Centro Capital the opportunity to upgrade their skills and 1990 and, through the years, the company great understanding of the Mid- this growth. With the need for Centro, Rotana’s lifestyle Doha and delivering excellent knowledge. Our aim is to be the leader in has enjoyed a high level of customer loyalty dle Eastern market, which will affordable business hotels in affordable hotel brand, rede- hospitality services, especially the Automotive market and this will be done having earned a distinguished status in the enable him to raise the level of town, we are extremely happy fines the conventional concept with the newly introduced brand through our regularemployees’training,” he automotive business. services provided to guests at to introduce Centro Capital of economical comfort by offering in the local market.” BUSINESS MONDAY 4 APRIL 2016 23 Increased cyber security key Well-designed indices key for to defend GCC-wide attacks shaping investor behaviour

the old adage, is only as strong as its Macnish, Teaching Fellow and Con- hen Qatar and conventional banking and con- GCC countries weakest link. “Regardless of what- sultant at the University of Leeds in the UAE were ventional insurance (as opposed ever steps have been taken to secure the UK, and another speaker at Infra- included in MARKET TALK to Sharia-compliant). A financial endowed with critical infrastructure, the threats sec, said more investment is needed MSCI’s Emerg- screen is applied next to exclude energy-related and challenges, and therefore tac- in infrastructure security across the ing Market index companies with relatively high tics to undo protection measures, are Gulf, highlighting the cyber security Win June 2014, it is estimated for- levels of borrowing from conven- natural resources, dynamic, not static,” said Rosner, a threat in the wake of recent attacks eign investors were net buyers of tional banks or bonds, relatively need to assess headline speaker at the upcoming in the past. more than $3bn in the two coun- high receivables or significant Infrastructure Security Conference “Cyber security is becoming a tries. Qatar will be added to FTSE’s investments in listed stocks. whether they are (Infrasec) in Bahrain. greater concern, especially in the Emerging Market index in two Effectively, Sharia-screening is adequately protecting “As the former director of the FBI wake of the Stuxnet attack in Iran,” stages, in September 2016 and a formalised risk management assets which they said with regards to cyber security said Dr Macnish, who will speak March 2017. Local stocks could framework which prevents a fund back in 2012, ‘I am convinced that about the meaning and purpose of see more than QR 1.5bn of for- manager from investing in com- consider central to there are only two types of compa- ethical security at Infrasec. “The eign buying this September alone. panies that may be potentially state interests, says nies: those that have been hacked and ability to attack and bring down crit- A stock market index is the very risky. those that will be.’ The same can be ical assets from a distance without most widely used performance By Akber Khan Given the above, it is perhaps expert. said for countries with vital, crit- recourse to missiles or aeroplanes is measure for a country’s stock unsurprising that Qatar’s Islamic ical and largely visible energy and easier now than ever before. “Fur- exchange. Be it in Qatar, the index has significantly outper- resource related infrastructure,” thermore, there are hackers who will United States or across emerg- to track the Qatari market, some formed its conventional peers. added Rosner. do this for a fee so that one doesn’t ing markets, there is frequent managed by the Qatar Stock Over the last 3, 5 and 7 years the The Peninsula Dr Rosner will deliver a presenta- need the resources of the state to reference to indices such as the Exchange (QSE) and others by QE Al Rayan Islamic index has tion about Asymmetric Warfare and bring about a successful attack. One QE Index, the S&P 500, or MSCI global index providers. Within outperformed the conventional Critical Energy Infrastructure Protec- can invest all the money in the world Emerging Markets. QSE’s index suite the main QE All Share Index by 24%, 58% tion at Infrasec, which takes place at on physical security and still experi- Indices have become increas- DOHA: Increased investment and the Bahraini capital Manama from ence a significant attack if computer ingly important in shaping QE Al Rayan QE All-Share Outperformance of awareness in cyber security meas- 18-20 April 2016 at The Gulf Hotel. systems are not subject to similar lev- investor behaviour as they are a Islamic Index Index Islamic Index ures are key for Gulf Cooperation He said regional governments, els of security,” he added. guide for asset allocation deci- 3 years Council (GCC) decision-makers to particularly those near conflict zones Organised by Messe Frankfurt sions for tens of thousands of +56% +32% +24% (April 2013 – March 2016) defend against potential attacks should analyse the importance of Middle East, and held under the fund managers. Trillions of dol- 5 years on critical energy infrastructure, their critical energy infrastructure patronage of Dr Abdul Hussain bin Ali lars of investments follow indices, +117% +59% +58% advised security experts. Accord- to their own national security on a Mirza, Bahrain’s Minister of Energy, so if an index provider includes (April 2011 – March 2016) ing to experts, more investment is node-by-node basis. Infrasec is expected to attract more shares of a country in a regional 7 years +329% +203% +126% needed in infrastructure security “There needs to be a recognition than 150 regional energy infrastruc- index, fund managers who refer- (April 2009 – March 2016) across the Gulf. that ‘threats’ to infrastructure have ture security professionals, and will ence that index will likely invest 9 years +358% +207% +151% Dr Kevin Rosner, Senior Fel- a multitude of causes, each of which feature a power-packed line-up of in that country. (April 2007 – March 2016) low with the Institute for Analysis of have to be analysed for their own risk over 20 expert speakers. If a stock market index Global Security, said GCC countries probability and costs associated with The one-day pre-conference is designed well, it can be an endowed with energy-related natu- preventative actions on multiple lev- workshop and two-day conference effective gauge of an economy benchmarks are the QE Index and and 126% respectively. The longer ral resources, need to assess whether els,” added Rosner. is supported by Intersec, the world’s and a useful leading indicator the QE Al Rayan Islamic Index. the period, the more impressive they are adequately protecting assets “Information gathering, attention largest trade show for safety, secu- of economic health. Factors to The QE Index is a conventional the outperformance. which they consider central to state to detail, and an inclusive consid- rity and fire protection; Bahrain’s consider when constructing an index of the 20 largest and most To allow investors to capture interests. “Decision makers should be eration of all options that could National Oil and Gas Authority; and index include the extent of sector liquid stocks while the QE Al this stellar performance, Masraf reminded that energy infrastructure debilitate infrastructure is a good Bahrain National Gas Company diversification within an index, Rayan Islamic Index is a Shari’a- Al Rayan will soon list a stock is part of a supply chain which, to use place to start,” he said. Dr Kevin (Banagas). the number of constituents, as compliant index of Qatari on the Qatar Stock Exchange well as their individual index companies with attention given whose performance will track the weights. As an example, in MSCI’s to sector diversification, index performance of the Islamic Index. 13-stock Qatar index, the weight concentration of individual names This stock will be an Exchange of the three largest stocks makes and stock liquidity. Traded Fund (ETF); a mutual Silver jewellery collection up almost half the index while What is a ‘Shariah-compliant’ fund that is listed, and traded, banking stocks are more than 45% company? In Qatar, all 43 com- on a stock exchange. Buying and of the index. As an index, MSCI panies listed on the exchange selling is therefore possible at any Qatar does not offer a particularly are taken as a starting point time during stock exchange hours. good representation of the Qatari and those whose operations are The holdings of this fund will be economy. not Shariah-compliant are first the stocks in the Islamic index. In There are a number of indices excluded. These activities include the case of the Al Rayan ETF, by simply buying one stock, investors will get the performance of the eighteen stock index. This simplicity, flexibility and cost efficiency has helped ETFs surge to $2 trillion glo- bally. In the coming months, Al Rayan will offer investors in the local exchange an opportunity to also participate in this booming industry.

(The author is Senior Director - Asset Management at Al Rayan Investment. The column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Peninsula)

Palestinian woman Nadeya Abu Ghattas displays silver jewellery made in the shape of olive leaves at her workshop in the West Bank city of Beit Jala, near Bethlehem, yesterday.

Russian oil output rises to ITC shuts cigarette units in protest record as freeze in doubt

Bloomberg “This is only a bargaining game,” MOSCOW: Russia’s oil output set a post-Soviet high in March as the success Chokkalingam G., managing director of a proposed crude production freeze between OPEC members and other at Equinomics Research & Advi- major producers appeared to be in doubt. sory Pvt. in Mumbai, said in a phone Russian production of crude and a light oil called condensate climbed 2.1 KOLKATA: ITC Ltd., Asia’s second- interview. “Having invested so much percent in March from a year earlier to 10.912 million barrels a day, accord- largest cigarette maker by market money in the business and employing ing to the Energy Ministry’s CDU-TEK unit. That narrowly beat the previous value, shut its cigarette factories in so many people, they can’t just shut high of 10.910 million barrels in January. protest against a new government it permanently. The company is in a With most of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries mem- rule mandating bigger health warn- better position at bargaining because bers, Russia and some others outside the group scheduled to meet in Doha this ings on its packs. cigarettes remain one of the major month to discuss an accord on capping output, Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin ITC, part-owned by British sources of taxes for any government.” Salman signaled in an interview with Bloomberg that if any country raises American Tobacco Plc, said it was In a separate statement on April output, the kingdom will also boost sales. Prices on Friday sank more than compelled to close the plants as of 1, The Tobacco Institute of India, an 4 percent after the comments. Iran previously said it plans to boost produc- Friday because it didn’t have enough industry body, said its members will tion after the lifting of sanctions following a deal to curb its nuclear program. time to implement necessary changes halt production of cigarettes. The Saudi Arabia, Russia, Venezuela and Qatar in February first proposed amid legal challenges and potential move will result in a loss of Rs3.5bn an accord to cap oil output to reduce a worldwide surplus and boost prices. modifications recommended by a ($53m) per day for the industry, it said. Brent prices in London have gained nearly 40 percent from the 12-year low parliamentary committee. Calls made to the offices of God- as a public health measure. relies on tobacco for earnings. ITC’s reached in January. Russian oil exports rose 5.1 percent from a year earlier to The Kolkata-based company is frey Phillips India Ltd., the local In December, a panel headed by profit, which has been little changed in 5.59 million barrels a day for March, according to the Energy Ministry data. requesting clarification on what it unit of Phillip Morris International chief economic adviser Arvind Subra- the previous two quarters, is estimated called the “current uncertain state” Inc., VST Industries Ltd. and Golden manian recommended a “sin, demerit to climb 16 percent in the March quar- of the rules, according to a statement Tobacco Ltd. outside business hours rate” of 40 percent on luxury cars and ter, data compiled by Bloomberg show. Renewable Energy Conference today to the stock exchange. were unanswered. Manisha Verma, a tobacco products as part of a pro- The government’s move for a India’s tobacco industry and the spokeswoman for India’s Health Min- posed national sales tax intended to larger pictorial warning will hurt KUWAIT: The sixth Middle East and North Africa Renewable Energy Con- government are tussling over the reg- istry, declined to comment. unify a patchwork of local state taxes. tobacco farmers, “further penalize” ference (MENAREC-6) will open in Kuwait today, amid wide international ulations, which require that health Taxes constitute as much as 60 ITC, whose brands include Gold the cigarette industry and boost ille- participation. warnings cover 85 percent of a pack’s percent of the selling price of cig- Flake and India Kings, has tried to gal trade in cigarettes in the country, The three-day event, to be hosted by the Kuwait Institute for Scientific surface, up from 40 percent of just arettes in India, making tobacco reduce its reliance on cigarettes the Tobacco Institute statement said. Research (KISR), will bring together up to 400 specialists and experts from the front panel. The government has companies sensitive to levies. Local over the past decade, diversifying The Tobacco Institute of India’s the Mena region, head of the MENAREC-6 Preparatory Committee Dr. Saad Al also raised taxes and barred smoking administrations have been planning into other consumer products such members account for more than 98 Jandal said in a statement on Saturday carried by Kuwait News Agency (Kuna). scenes in films as it seeks to reduce additional regulations, such as ban- as soaps and snacks. While it has percent of the country’s domestic Participants will discuss the scientific and practical means to develop tobacco use and fight related illnesses ning sales of loose cigarette sticks. emerged as the nation’s second-big- sales of duty-paid cigarettes, accord- research in energy sources, and supporting services aiming to achieve the that kill one million Indians annually. The government typically raises taxes gest consumer-goods maker, it still ing to its website. aspired goals, Al Jandal said. 24 MONDAY 4 APRIL 2016 BUSINESS UK won’t rule out brief nationalisation of Tata Steel

Conservative Party before the June The British 23 in-or-out referendum on European Union membership. government is Prime Minister David Cameron seeking to combat a has said there was no guarantee of a buyer for Britain’s biggest steel pro- crisis in its domestic ducer, which has been hit by high steel industry after costs and Chinese competition, and India’s Tata said a state takeover was not the answer. Under its support measures, the on March 29 it’s government will create an approved considering the sale supplier list for steel companies want- ing to bid for public sector projects, of its loss-making UK such as Britain’s £55m ($78.25m) high- division. speed rail link, which will need two million tonnes of steel. “By changing the procurement rules on these major infrastructure Britain’s Business Secretary Sajid projects we are backing the future Javid speaking on the BBC show Bloomberg & Reuters of UK steel — opening up signifi- in London, yesterday. cant opportunities for UK suppliers and allowing them to compete more effectively with international compa- to buy all of Tata’s UK operations, its LONDON: Business Secretary Sajid nies,” Business Secretary Sajid Javid executive Chairman Sanjeev Gupta Javid declined to rule out a tempo- said in a statement. was quoted as saying by the Sunday rary nationalisation of Tata Steel’s UK The introduction of measures to Telegraph. operations, while reiterating the gov- ensure British steelmakers are consid- Javid told the BBC he would not ernment would prefer not to do so. ered for government contracts could talk about specific offers but said he “I don’t think nationalisation is take six to nine months, a spokes- wanted to find a buyer for the whole A view of Tata Steel plant in Scunthorpe, northern England. a solution for this,” Javid told BBC woman for Javid’s department said. business and the government would Television’s “Andrew Marr Show” The government has faced crit- engage with any willing and serious Cheap Chinese imports have the opposition Labour Party backs a all of Tata’s UK business. yesterday. “I also think it wouldn’t be icism over its response to Tata’s buyer. hit Britain’s steel industry. Britain state takeover of the steelworks if Tata is in talks to sell its long prod- prudent to rule anything out.” decision to sell its UK plant in south He said the government was look- imported 826,000 tonnes of Chi- that’s needed to keep it open while a ucts steel division, which employs The British government is seek- Wales, which employs 15,000, with ing at how it could help with issues nese steel in 2015, up from 361,000 buyer is lined up. more than 3,300 people, to Grey- ing to combat a crisis in its domestic opposition politicians saying it was such as Tata’s pension burden and two years earlier, according to the “We needed an industrial strategy bull Capital, a Tata spokesman said steel industry after India’s Tata said on “asleep at the wheel.” costly energy supplies. International Steel Statistic bureau. that encourages buyers to come for- on Saturday. March 29 it’s considering the sale of its The government has said it is “These are the kind of things we Cameron has said he wants Brit- ward,” said McDonnell. “If we need The Indian company’s decision loss-making UK division. That jeop- working to broker a deal with poten- have already thought of, we have ain and China to work together to to nationalise in the short term, fine.” on the UK division followed several ardises 40,000 jobs, including 6,500 tial buyers after Tata’s decision to pull already started working on and what tackle overcapacity in steel. Last Liberty House founder Sanjeev quarters of losses and £2bn ($2.8bn) at a plant in South Wales, as well as out of its almost decade-long venture I hope is that you will have the offer week, however, China imposed anti- Gupta told the Sunday Telegraph of writedowns that left the unit with the UK’s ability to produce the metal. in Britain. document from Tata, overlay on top dumping duties of up to 46 percent on newspaper he’s ready to open talks an asset value of almost zero. With It comes at a sensitive time Liberty House Group, which pro- of that the help the British govern- specialist steel products from Japan, with the government on a rescue plan. steel prices at their lowest in a decade, for the government, with Welsh duces steel in Britain, has begun talks ment can provide and then you have South Korea and the European Union. Any deal would require a “proper higher UK wages and energy costs left Assembly elections a month away with the government over a poten- the makings of a successful deal,” Shadow Chancellor of the Excheq- partnership,” said Gupta, who added the business exposed to competition and deepening rifts in the ruling tial partnership but does not want he said. uer John McDonnell told the BBC that he hasn’t made a proposition to buy from cheap Chinese imports. Saudi miner Libya’s NOC backs Producer coordination would starts output unity government at gold mine stabilise oil prices: Kuwait AFP Reuters AFP & QNA The United Arab Emirates, non- finished at $38.67 a barrel in Lon- Opec Oman and Bahrain, Nigeria, don, down $1.66 (4.1 percent). TRIPOLI: Libya’s National Oil Corporation has thrown its support behind a UN- Algeria, Venezuela, Indonesia and All 13 Opec members in addition DUBAI: Saudi Arabian Mining Co. backed unity government, a key pledge to a cabinet rejected by rival forces who Ecuador will also attend. to major non-OPEC producers have (Ma’aden) said yesterday com- seek to control the country’s oil wealth. KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait said yes- The Kuwaiti minister said last been invited to the talks. mercial output had begun at the Founded in 1970, the NOC is based in the capital Tripoli where Libya’s Cen- terday that an agreement on month that Kuwait would not agree Oil prices have plummeted Ad Duwayhi gold mine in western tral Bank -- the depositor of the country’s oil wealth — also has its headquarters. coordination between major Opec to a freeze in production unless all more than 60 percent since Saudi Arabia. Both institutions have remained neutral and continued to operate inde- and non-Opec oil producers at a major producers, including Iran, mid-2014 partly because of The mine has an estimated pendently despite the chaos that engulfed Libya since the 2011 uprising that meeting in Doha in mid-April would accept the output cap. oversupply. average annual production capac- toppled and killed dictator Moamer Kadhafi. help stabilise crude prices. Kuwait, which sits on around 7.0 Price of Kuwait crude oil went ity of 180,000 ounces over the life Libya has had two governments since the Libya Dawn militia alliance over- “When there is coordination percent of global crude reserves, is up 88 cents on Friday to USD 33.28 expectancy of the mine, the com- ran Tripoli in mid-August 2014 and set up its own administration which is not between major producers in Opec currently pumping 3.0 million bar- per barrel against USD 32.40 pb on pany said in a statement. Output recognised by the international community. and non-Opec countries, it will rels per day. Thursday, Kuwait Petroleum Cor- will reach 100 percent by the end The Tripoli government is refusing to cede power to the unity cabinet of certainly help to stabilise prices,” Iran has so far rejected attempts poration said. of 2016, it said, and the financial prime minister-designate Fayez al-Sarraj, who arrived Wednesday in the capital. acting oil minister Anas Al Saleh to freeze production and demanded In international markets, oil effect of the output would be begin “We have been working with Prime Minister Sarraj and the Presidency told reporters. an exemption to allow it to boost prices decreased on Friday due to appear in second-quarter finan- Council to put this period of divisions and rivalry behind us,” NOC chairman “We believe that a common exports after the lifting of sanctions to the US dollar recovery after cial results. Mustafa Sanalla said in a statement. “We have been looking to the future, and agreement on a positive stand will under its nuclear deal with world falling in previous sessions, in The mine, which is owned by now we have a clear international legal framework in place,” he added in the serve (oil) market stability,” the powers. addition to decline of the Ameri- Ma’aden Gold and Base Metals statement published Saturday on the NOC website. Oil is Libya’s main natural minister said. Oil prices tumbled Friday after can crude output by 52,000 barrel Co, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabian resource, with reserves estimated at 48 billion barrels, the largest in Africa. Saleh said Kuwait, Opec’s Saudi Arabia’s deputy crown prince per day reaching 9.1 million bpd Mining, had reserves of 1.9 mil- The North African nation had an output capacity of about 1.6 million bar- fourth-largest producer, would Mohamed bin Salman said the king- in January. lion ounces of gold at the end of rels per day before the uprising, but production has slumped amid violence as attend the highly anticipated meet- dom, the world’s top exporter, would In March, the crude oil prices December 2015, it said. rival forces battled for control of oil terminals. ing in Qatar, where major producers only freeze output if Iran and other rose to the highest level since mid- In a separate statement, Control of the oil industry is essential for the new government, which not are to discuss freezing oil produc- major producers did the same. dle of the past year. American Ma’aden said commercial opera- only needs to unite the divided country but also shore up its battered economy. tion to address a supply glut that has US benchmark West Texas contracts also climbed 14 per- tions had been delayed from the On Friday, guards in charge of securing installations in Libya’s so-called driven down prices. Intermediate for delivery in May cent in March and four percent in first quarter of 2016 at Jabal Sayed eastern “oil crescent” said oil terminals under their jurisdiction were now placed Qatar has said that 12 coun- slid $1.55 (4.0 percent) to $36.79 a Q1 2016. mine, which was run by its affiliate under the authority of Sarraj’s government. Sanalla welcomed that develop- tries have so far agreed to attend barrel on the New York Mercantile Contracts of the Brent Blend Ma’aden Barrick Copper Com- ment and hailed a UN Security Council resolution passed Thursday which says the April 17 meeting, including the Exchange. posted the best performance since pany. Operation will commence oil exports from Libya must be placed under the authority of Sarraj’s Govern- world’s top crude producers Russia Brent North Sea crude for June April 2015, rising by six percent in at a later date to be announced ment of National Accord. and Saudi Arabia. delivery, the global benchmark, the Q1 2016. by the company at the “appropri- ate” time, it said. Ma’aden Barrick Copper Company is jointly owned by Ma’aden and Barrick Gold Corporation. PSA Peugeot to reveal new plan Iran oil exports surpass Saudi’s Bahri secures SR1.43bn 2 million b/d: Minister Islamic loan AFP programme. It has moved ahead DUBAI: National Shipping Com- with an increase in exports despite pany of Saudi Arabia said on global concerns over a supply glut Sunday it had signed a murabaha that has pushed oil prices to below facility with Riyad Bank valued at TEHRAN: Iran’s oil exports have $40 a barrel, from more than $100 SR1.425bn ($380m) to finance the surpassed 2 million barrels per day a barrel in mid-2014. construction cost of five very large following the lifting of sanctions Top exporter Saudi Arabia crude carriers. under its nuclear deal with world has said it is willing to consider The facility lasts for a period powers, Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh an output freeze to help shore up of 10 years and six months, and said yesterday. prices. includes a maximum two-year “Iran’s oil and gas condensate But in an interview published on grace period, the firm known exports are now at more than 2 mil- Friday, Saudi deputy crown prince as Bahri said in the bourse lion barrels per day” after rising by Mohammed bin Salman reiterated statement. 250,000 b/d since March 1, the min- Riyadh’s position that other major A murabaha is a cost-plus- istry’s Shana news service quoted producers, including Iran, would profit arrangement which complies Zanganeh as saying. Iran has dou- need to do the same. with Islamic finance standards. Carlos Tavares, chairperson of the managing board of French carmaker PSA Peugeot Citroen, presents bled exports since its nuclear accord His remarks drove down oil The exclusive oil-shipper for the name of the new group’s strategic plan, “Push to Pass”, during the group’s 2015 results presentation took effect on January 16. prices, with US benchmark West Saudi Aramco last year signed at PSA headquarters in Paris. After being close to bankruptcy, PSA Peugeot Citroen will reveal tomorrow Iran, an Opec member, has the Texas Intermediate for delivery in a deal to buy five very large its medium-term new plan whose principle will be the “profitable growth”. world’s fourth-largest oil reserves May sliding $1.55 (4.0 percent) to crude tankers from ship builders but its exports were long ham- $36.79 a barrel on the New York Mer- Hyundai Heavy Industries. pered by sanctions over its nuclear cantile Exchange. BUSINESS MONDAY 4 APRIL 2016 25

Robot bird Alaska Air nears Australia mining leases for deal to buy Virgin America India-backed coal project for over $2bn

REUTERS contain 11bn tonnes of coal. listening to the needs of the people,” Adani welcomed the announce- the foundation’s chief executive Kelly The awarding of ment, saying the leases gave the O’Shanassy said in a statement. NEW YORK: Alaska Air Group Inc the leases came Indian conglomerate certainty and Researchers say the reef is is nearing a deal to acquire Vir- the firm had the “clear aim of com- currently experiencing the worst gin America Inc, the ninth-largest two months after mencing construction in calendar bleaching on record in its pristine US airline by passenger traffic, for state authorities year 2017” pending the finalisation north, with few corals escaping more than $2bn, having outbid Jet- of some second-tier approvals. damage. The biodiverse site is also Blue Airways Corp, people familiar gave the project But the company slammed legal threatened by climate change, which with the matter said. environmental challenges by conservationists, which conservationists said causes the The acquisition would herald approval subject to along with the need for state and fed- bleaching, as well as farming run- the first US commercial airline eral consent, has seen the approvals off, development and the coral-eating merger since US Airways and some 140 conditions. process stretched to some six years. crown-of-thorns starfish. American Airlines combined in “(The) conclusion of second tier A research paper published Sat- 2013 to form the world’s largest approvals and resolution of politi- urday warned authorities’ efforts carrier. It would boost the size cally-motivated legal challenges is to reduce the discharge of land- of Alaska Air’s home market by AFP the company’s principal focus, prior based pollutants into the reef were allowing it to expand into lucra- to a final investment decision being “unlikely to be sufficient to protect tive hubs such as San Francisco made,” an Adani spokesman said. the GBR ecosystems from declin- and Los Angeles. “Having previously sought to ing water quality within the aspired Alaska Air is set to pay SYDNEY: A controversial India- progress to the construction phase time frames”. between $56 and $58 per share to backed giant coal project near in 2015, Adani is keenly aware of the Canberra in March last year acquire Virgin America, the people Australia’s Great Barrier Reef was risks of proceeding on major works unveiled the “Reef 2050” plan to save said. A deal could be announced as yesterday awarded mining leases, in advance of the conclusion of these the major tourist attraction ahead of early as today, the people added, but developer Adani said it would not matters.” a United Nations decision in July that asking not to be identified because commit to a final investment deci- The awarding of the leases came kept the reef off its endangered list. the agreement had not yet been sion until legal challenges against it two months after state authori- The government was required to finalised. Alaska Air, Virgin Amer- were resolved. ties gave the project environmental report back to the UN on its progress ica and JetBlue did not respond to The Queensland state govern- approval subject to some 140 condi- in implementing the plan by Decem- requests for comment. ment said the Aus$21.7bn ($16.7bn) tions. Conservationists have argued ber 1 this year. But the new paper’s Burlingame, California-based project to build one of the world’s the mega-mine would threaten the co-author, principal research sci- Virgin America went public in the biggest mines was awarded three heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef, the entist Frederieke Kroon of the US stock market in 2014 as an leases. “This is a major step forward world’s biggest coral reef ecosystem. government’s Australian Institute of offshoot of billionaire Richard for this project after extensive gov- Adani faces two legal challenges Marine Science, said water quality Branson’s London-based Virgin ernment and community scrutiny,” — one from an indigenous group and targets might be missed. Group. Launched as a low-cost Queensland Premier Annastascia another mounted by an environmen- “Our review finds that current U.S. airline, it became famous Palaszczuk said. tal organisation. The organisation, efforts are not sufficient to achieve for its mood lighting, comforta- “Stringent conditions will con- the Australian Conservation Founda- the water quality targets set in the ble leather seats and media-rich The Dutch robot bird Robird made by the company Clear Flight tinue to protect the environment, tion, slammed the decision and said Reef 2050 plan,” Kroon told the Aus- inflight entertainment system. landholders’ and traditional own- its case in the Federal Court would tralian Broadcasting Corporation Solutions, a spin off of the University of Twente, is pictured in Based in Seattle, Alaska Air ers’ interests, and our iconic Great be heard next month. yesterday. “Land-based pollution Nijverdal. The robot has been voted the best European robotic and its partner regional airlines Barrier Reef.” “By granting a licence for this including sediments, nutrients and innovation at the European Robotics Forum 2016 as it scares serve more than 100 cities in the The state government added that massive coal mine the Palaszc- pesticides from agricultural land uses birds at airports and waste processors, so that people can work United States, Canada, Costa Rica the mining leases at Carmichael in zuk government is bowing to the remain one of the major threats to the undisturbed. and Mexico. It has a market capi- the Galilee Basin were estimated to demands of big polluters, not Great Barrier Reef.” talisation of $10.2bn. Virgin America accounts for about 1.5 percent of US domes- tic flight capacity, while Alaska Air and its subsidiary Horizon Air account for 5 percent, Deutsche MUFG on hunt for M&A deals in US and Indonesia Bank analyst Michael Linenberg wrote in a recent research note. JetBlue accounts for 6 percent, Reuters on potential new acquisitions. April 1. Long been seen as heir appar- 2008. In Asia, the bank acquired a deposit volume growing faster than according to the note. “In terms of growth potential and ent to Nobuyuki Hirano in the top job majority stake in Thailand’s Bank of loan volume. Oyamada said it would be “It’s inevitable that we would see demographic characteristics, (the next at BTMU, the veteran insider is widely Ayudhya Pcl in 2013 for over $5bn. Last “very difficult” to pass the cost of nega- some form of combination (among target) is Indonesia. We are looking expected to also eventually become week it completed a deal to buy a fifth tive interest rates on to retail depositors, smaller airlines) as they strive to find TOKYO: Japan’s biggest bank, Mit- for acquisition opportunities there,” MUFG’s overall president, the post of mid-sized Philippine lender Secu- given the potential for a public backlash a way to compete with the larger subishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), Oyamada said, without specifying Hirano now occupies. rity Bank Corp for $790m. among consumers. carriers,” said travel industry ana- is on the lookout for acquisition any targets. Relatively unscathed by the glo- At home, Oyamada - a member For large corporate clients, there lyst Henry Harteveldt. opportunities in the United States Assets up for grabs in Indonesia bal financial crisis in 2008, MUFG has of his college’s Aikido martial art could be ways to make up for costs Government regulators are and Indonesia as it pursues its goal include Australia and New Zealand been aggressively building up over- team as a student - now faces the without directly charging fees on expected to scrutinize the deal of becoming a global financial pow- Banking Group Ltd’s 39 percent stake seas operations. Total assets have challenge of managing commercial their deposits, he said, such as coax- between Alaska Air and Virgin erhouse, the head of its core unit said. in PT Bank Pan Indonesia Tbk. Singa- grown 40 percent in the past five banking business at a time when ing clients to buy other fee-generating America for potential overlap in “As a global commercial bank, pore state investor Temasek Holdings years to reach nearly 300 trillion yen profitability has been undermined services. For financial institutions, routes and airport slots. the United States and Asia are our has already tried to sell its stake in ($2.67 trillion). by the Bank of Japan’s adoption of however, he said it is “within the Mega-mergers in the past base,” said Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Indonesia’s Bank Danamon. MUFG’s biggest deal in the United negative interest rates. realm of possibility” that the bank decade have reduced the US UFJ (BTMU) President Takashi Oya- “We are not thinking about buy- States so far was its $9bn acquisition of Lenders are now charged for would charge fees on deposits, though industry to four top players that mada, said in an interview. He didn’t ing a commercial bank in Europe,” over 20 percent stake in Morgan Stanley excess reserves they park at the central he stressed there is no specific plan control more than 80 percent of say how much the bank plans to spend said Oyamada, 60, who took office on at the height of the financial crisis in bank, making it costly for them to have to do so at this moment. the market.

Vintage car event Lenders eye start of Greek debt relief talks at IMF meetings

Reuters condition for any debt relief talks to did not happen,” a second euro zone start and a deal on debt relief is also official said. a condition for the IMF to participate “If there is an important agree- in the bailout program for Greece. ment achieved by then on the package BRUSSELS: Eurozone finance minis- “If the Greeks want to ...have a of reforms, then the only remaining ters are likely to start discussing debt disbursement well before July, there topic to conclude the review of Greek relief for Greece on the sidelines of needs to be agreement on policies by reforms and bring the IMF in would be the IMF’s spring meetings in mid- around mid-April - and on 12 April to discuss the debt relief, and it would April, if there is a deal by then with everybody goes to Washington, so be an appropriate setting to do that,” Athens on a reform package, euro- best before that,” one senior euro the second official said. zone officials said. zone official said. Senior IMF officials said in a tran- Representatives of Greece’s offi- “Only then can one start discuss- script of a teleconference from March cial lenders are to resume talks with ing debt issues in earnest, and that will 19, released on Saturday by Internet the Greek government from today on take some time. And then at the end whistle-blowing site Wikileaks, that how to tackle non-performing loans everything has to come together simul- they expected talks on debt relief to A 1930 Aston Martin 1.5 International (front), 1935 Singer Nine Le Man (centre), 1931 Ford Model A in the banking system and pension taneously,” the official said. “For now start in Washington in mid-April after (right) and other vintage cars are displayed near the Nihombashi bridge during the Japan Classic and income tax reforms. Negotiations everybody is working towards this — preparatory talks by deputy euro zone Automobile 2016 event in Tokyo yesterday. A total of 32 vintage cars participated in the event. on these reforms have been dragging but the decisive factor is if the Greeks finance ministers in the Eurogroup on for months because they are polit- can pull their act together politically, Working Group (EWG) next week. ically very difficult for the left-wing there is no technically difficult issue “We can report progress on that government of Alexis Tsipras, elected anywhere,” the official said. EWG and basically we need to have on promises to end austerity. Many eurozone finance min- this debt discussion that prepares the Yet these measures are crucial isters will participate in the spring ministers for the following week, when China’s ZTE executives to step down for Greece to reach a sizeable pri- meetings of the IMF in Washington they are thinking about April 15 or 16, mary surplus in 2018, when lenders on April 15-17, including all the big- on the sidelines of our Spring meet- hope it will be able to manage its own gest euro zone members, as well as ings,” the transcript of the purported AFP Washington slapped restrictions on in place since 2010, and executive finances and borrow from the mar- top representatives of all the key euro conversation between Poul Thomsen, ZTE and three linked companies last vice presidents Tian Wenguo and Qiu ket at sustainable rates. zone institutions. head of the IMF’s Europe department, month for illicitly re-exporting con- Weizhao are expected to step down, Without an agreement on the Euro zone officials said it was and Delia Velculescu, leader of the IMF trolled items from the United States pending approval from the ZTE board, measures, Athens cannot get the next very likely that there would be a team in Greece read. BEIJING: Chinese telecommunica- to sanctioned countries, including the Wall Street Journal said. tranche of loans from the euro zone meeting of the ministers in Washing- Talks on debt relief for Greece are tions giant ZTE will replace three top Iran. The curbs require ZTE to have The board is scheduled to meet bailout fund. It needs the money to ton to discuss the Greek debt issue, likely to focus on extending maturi- executives, the WSJ reported, in an specific licences before shipping US- tomorrow and on Wednesday to pay back ¤3.5bn ($4bn) to the Inter- as well as bilateral talks with Greek ties of existing loans from the euro apparent bid to see US restrictions on made items to the parent company or green light the management changes, national Monetary Fund and the Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos zone, lengthening grace periods and its business lifted after it was accused the other three named firms. and also discuss the company’s European Central Bank in July. and euro zone institutions. some minor interest rate adjustments, of violating sanctions against Iran. ZTE’s Chief Executive Shi Lirong, financial results for 2015. An agreement is also a crucial “I would find it very strange if it euro zone officials have said. 26 MONDAY 4 APRIL 2016 BUSINESS

QE INDICES SUMMARY QATAR STOCK EXCHANGE QE Index 10,251.97 1.20 % QE Total Return Index 16,520.96 1.20 % QE Al Rayan Islamic Index 4,044.34 0.43 % QE All Share Index 2,855.73 0.91 % QE All Share Banks & Financial Services 2,753.58 1.43 % QE All Share Industrials 3,208.77 0.33 % QE All Share Transportation 2,514.26 1.74 % QE All Share Real Estate 2,491.62 1.34 % QE All Share Insurance 4,447.14 0.72 % QE All Share Telecoms 1,198.1 1.30 % QE All Share Consumer Goods & Services 6,642.94 0.55 %

QE MARKET SUMMARY COMPARISON 03-04-2016 Today 31-03-2016 Previous day Index 10,251.97 10,376.20 Change 124.23 63.32 % 1.20 0.61 YTD% 1.7 0.51 Volume 7,162,041 10,856,451 Value (QAR) 287,406,865.50 493,386,319.98 Trades 4,508 6,722 Up 08 | Down 31 | Unchanged 02

WORLD STOCK INDICES Index Day’s Close Pt Chg % Chg Year High Year Low All Ordinaries 5204.312 -26.473 -0.51 5379.6 4762.1 Cac 40 Index/D 4451.66 19.69 0.44 4586.11 3892.46 Dj Indu Average 17582.57 -41.3 -0.23 18351.4 15370.3 Hang Seng Inde/D 20615.23 -51.52 -0.25 21794.84 18278.8 Iseq Overall/D 6206.86 27.91 0.45 6791.68 5611.89 Karachi 100 In/D 32928.3 -94.57 -0.29 33304.4 29785 Nikkei 225 Index 17000.98 -47.57 -0.28 18951.12 14865.77 S&P 500 Index/D 0 0 0 2134.72 1810.1

EXCHANGE RATE Currency Buying Selling US$ QR 3.6305 QR 3.6500 UK QR 5.1508 QR 5.2262 Euro QR 4.1101 QR 4.1932 CA$ QR 2.7732 QR 2.8364 Gulf markets retreat as oil tumbles again Swiss Fr QR 3.7649 QR 3.8603 Yen QR 0.0322 QR 0.0331 Aus$ QR 2.7606 QR 2.8306 Reuters to SR20bn ($5.33bn). said it had signed a murabaha, or Islamic the lowest volumes since the devalua- Ind Re QR 0.0542 QR 0.0554 There is also uncertainty over eco- finance, facility with Riyad Bank worth tion of the Egyptian pound on March 14. Pak Re QR 0.0349 QR 0.0348 nomic policy. Deputy crown prince SR1.425bn ($380m) to finance construction Real estate investment firm Amer Group Peso QR 0.0776 QR 0.0801 Mohammed bin Salman told Bloomberg of five very large crude carriers. declined 2.3 percent. SL Re QR 0.0245 QR 0.0253 DUBAI: Gulf stock markets retreated yes- at the weekend that the Public Invest- Dubai’s index fell 1.6 percent in mod- But investment firm Qalaa Hold- terday after Brent crude oil pulled back ment Fund would eventually control est volume to 3,303 points, retreating from ings, the most heavily traded stock on the Taka QR 0.0469 QR 0.0468 below $39 a barrel, while Egypt’s bourse more than $2 trillion, partly by taking technical resistance on the March peaks bourse, rose 3.7 percent; it had jumped 8.5 Nep Re QR 0.0348 QR 0.0343 erased early gains. over shares in national oil giant Saudi Ara- of 3,397-3,421 points. Shares that have percent in record volume on Thursday. The SA Rand QR 0.2362 QR 0.2408 Brent fell 3 percent last week, although mco, gaining more financial clout to make recently witnessed a rally of more than shares are up 29.7 percent since the deval- it finished the first quarter up 6 percent. further investments and earnings for the 10 percent from their mid-January lows uation of the pound. In response, Riyadh’s stock index fell 1.6 government. were sold off, with Arabtec and developer GOLD AND SILVER percent to a five-week low of 6,126 points, There is unease over how this process Dubai Parks and Resorts dropping 1.8 per- HIGHLIGHTS breaking technical support at its mid- would be managed and the effect on the cent and 2.3 percent respectively. SAUDI ARABIA: The index dropped 1.6 per- GOLD QR144.3135 per gramme March low of 6,202 points. stock market. “It seems that retail inves- Energy-related stocks were the main cent to 6,126 points. SILVER QR1.8191 per gramme The Saudi market started trading at tors want to sit on some cash for the time drag on Abu Dhabi’s index, which slid DUBAI: The index fell 1.6 percent to 3,303 10am local time (0700 GMT), an hour ear- being until there is more clarity regarding 0.7 percent. Abu Dhabi National Energy points. lier than previously, and closed at 4pm the National Transformation Plan,” said a Co (Taqa) dropped 6.1 percent, erasing ABU DHABI: The index slipped 0.7 percent local time, half an hour earlier, as part of Jeddah-based analyst. most of a 6.5 percent gain which it posted to 4,360 points. efforts to develop the market and link trad- The insurance sector, favoured by on Thursday after reporting a narrower QATAR: The index retreated 1.2 percent to ing with other regional bourses. speculative day traders, tumbled 3.9 per- fourth-quarter loss of Dh1.22bn ($332.2m) 10,252 points. Nasdaq readies The petrochemical sector fell 2.2 per- cent. But Saudi Arabian Mining (Ma’aden) versus a net loss of Dh3.63bn a year ago. EGYPT: The index edged down 0.1 percent cent. With first-quarter financial results added 3.5 percent after it said commercial Qatar’s benchmark fell 1.2 percent in to 7,521 points. ‘Ocean’ dark pool for due in a few weeks, analysts anticipate a output had begun at the Ad Duwayhi gold the lowest volume since January 12 as most KUWAIT: The index fell 0.4 percent to further profit squeeze in the sector after mine in western Saudi Arabia. The impact blue chips were sold. Barwa Real Estate 5,208 points. the government, to save money, cut gas would begin to appear in second-quarter and Vodafone Qatar each dropped more OMAN: The index added 0.4 percent to banks and brokerages feedstock subsidies at the end of last year. financial results. than 1.5 percent. 5,489 points. Riyadh-based NCB Capital expects the sec- National Shipping Company (Bahri) Cairo’s main index failed to hold onto BAHRAIN: The index dropped 0.4 percent Reuters tor’s net income for 2016 to fall 9.7 percent added 1.9 percent after the oil transporter early session gains and fell 0.1 percent in to 1,126 points.

NEW YORK: Nasdaq Inc is in negotiations with sev- eral brokers to host and run their private stock trading venues, or dark pools, within its data centre, two of the exchange operator’s executives said. Truce in ‘currency There are nearly 40 of the broker-run alterna- tive trading systems (ATS) in the United States that compete with 12 public exchanges, including Nas- daq and Intercontinental Exchange Inc’s New York Stock Exchange. war’, but will it last? Dark pools have had less of a regulatory burden than public exchanges, but in recent years they have come under increasing regulatory pressure, driving up AFP the eurozone economy. “Central banks legal, compliance, and technology costs for the firms innovate and adjust narrative,” noted econ- that run them. omists at Barclays bank. Nasdaq has created a hosted dark pool, referred The ECB turned its “emphasis to credit to inside the company as “Ocean,” that uses Nasdaq’s LONDON: A truce appears to have easing and stimulating domestic demand technology, operations, and compliance monitoring, emerged in the undeclared global “cur- away” from an implicit strategy to weaken Tom Wittman, Nasdaq’s global head of equities, said. rency war”, but analysts question whether the euro while in a speech this past week Ocean will be a part of Nasdaq’s market technology central banks have really given up manip- US Federal Reserve chief Janet Yellen “also business, which provides technology to other exchanges ulating exchange rates to prop up their surprised markets, albeit in a different way.” and brokers, and will not need regulatory approval to economies. Instead of emphasising the strength get up and running, Adena Friedman, Nasdaq’s presi- “The currency war is in reality a war of the recovery of the US economy, Yellen dent and chief operating officer, said. between central banks who are battling to highlighted global economic and finan- “We have been in negotiations and discussions with support their own interests and taken into cial risks, with the dollar falling in value several clients and it’s just a matter of time before that account what their rival central banks are as fewer hikes in interest rates are now will happen,” she said of the new offering. doing,” said Sylvain Loganadin, an analyst likely this year. A man drinks coffee as he stands near a currency exchange office in Kiev. Dark pools do not have to provide trading informa- at online foreign exchange broker FXCM. Barclays economists went as far as say- tion, such as trade sizes and prices, to the public prior Meanwhile analysts at HSBC bank said ing that the ECB and Fed moves, following to trades taking place, with the aim of getting large they believe “a truce has broken out in the the turbulent start of the year, “could suggest publicly of other risks to the global econ- Loganadin noted that result wouldn’t orders done with minimal price movement. Nearly global currency war”. a potential ‘implicit accord’ between core omy, and that a verbal intervention might be desirable. “If currencies weren’t control- every major bank has a dark pool. “Exhausted by the battle, it seems the policymakers” was made at the Group of 20 have been enough to bring the dollar down. led any longer by central banks, we’d have But a spate of recent enforcement actions has led ECB has given up the fight to continually meeting in Shanghai at the end of February. Moreover, coordination is compli- market movements similar to those with to new rule proposals to increase transparency in the engineer higher inflation through a weaker For HSBC, the narrow range of the cated by signs that the interests of central Bitcoin with periods of intense speculation trading venues. exchange rate. The Bank of Japan has also movement of the euro against the dollar banks are not aligned as the BoJ, ECB and followed by burst bubbles, which would In late January, Barclays and Credit Suisse agreed come to realise the limits of currency war means that some market participants now Fed each would like to see their currency have a dramatic effect on the real economy to pay more than $150m combined to the US Securities following the failure of a shift to negative see greater coordination of central bank weaken against its counterparts. with alternating periods of hyperinflation and Exchange Commission and the New York Attorney rates to foster (yen) weakness.” policy. But if there is such an accord, “why “The aim of devaluing the currency is and deflation,” said Loganadin. General to settle allegations that they deceived inves- The European Central Bank seems to should it be secret”, asked Capital Econom- to boost exports to make up for flagging But the prospect for any truce is at the tors in their dark pools. have thrown in the sponge at its March 10 ics economist Julian Jessop. growth and boost inflation by increasing mercy of China, which still controls its cur- The SEC also reached a $20.3m settlement last monetary policy meeting. “If policymakers genuinely thought the price of imports,” said market analyst rency. China’s central bank “has a tendency August with Investment Technology Group on charges With global financial markets roiled that exchange rates had moved dan- Jasper Lawler at CMC Markets. to go it alone and adopt surprise meas- the brokerage ran a secret trading desk that prof- by volatility in the first two months of gerously out of line with (economic) And given that influencing the ures” that have effects on the United States ited from confidential customer information within the year, the ECB seemed to give up tar- fundamentals and that the strength of the exchange rate is an easy means for central and Europe, noted Loganadin. That unpre- its dark pool. That followed a $14.4m fine for UBS in geting a lower level for the euro, instead dollar was becoming a major problem, why banks to achieve their policy objectives, it dictability from the world’s second largest January 2015 for allegedly favoring some customers announcing new measures to ease access not say so?” will be difficult for policymakers to abstain economy is a source of concern for cur- over others in its ATS. to credit in order to support recovery of He noted policymakers have talked from using it. rency traders. BUSINESS VIEWS MONDAY 4 APRIL 2016 27

Singapore’s reign Central bank arsenals in as IPO destination focus as headwinds linger coming to an end

By Jonathan Burgos The Indonesia Stock Exchange and Andrea Tan is trying to persuade local com- Bloomberg panies listed in Singapore as well as foreign natural resources firms operating in its country to list in Jakarta. The push is part of an INGAPORE’S reign as effort to become Southeast Asia’s the premier destination biggest stock exchange within for initial public offer- five years, CEO Tito Sulistio said ings in Southeast Asia has in February. He is also asking for Scome to an end. The city-state’s rule changes to enable IPOs for exchange had the smallest haul real estate trusts and more state- of new share sales among the owned enterprises. region’s four largest stock mar- The Philippine Stock kets in 2015. Listings this year on Exchange has been pitching to Southeast Asia’s biggest bourse multinational companies with have totaled $34m, lagging Thai- operations in the country, accord- land and Malaysia. ing to PSE President Hans Sicat. Singapore’s slide down the Phoenix Semiconductor Phil- IPO rankings reflects not so much ippines Corp, a unit of South its own failings, but the growing Korea’s STS Semiconductor & Tel- ability of rivals from Jakarta to ecommunications Co, debuted in Bangkok to convince local issuers Manila in 2014. to stay at home instead of flock- Malaysian companies includ- ing to the regional hub. Indonesia, ing palm oil producer Felda Global which has Southeast Asia’s biggest Ventures Holdings Bhd, billion- population and largest econ- aire T Ananda Krishnan’s Astro omy, plans to start an exchange Malaysia Holdings Bhd and IHH dedicated to young technology Healthcare Bhd, Asia’s biggest companies, while Thailand’s hospital operator, chose to list at premier has highlighted the home in recent years, said Bursa By Sarah White “We see scope for the account to sig- importance of the country’s cap- Malaysia Bhd. CEO Tajuddin Atan. Reuters nal a bit more openness to the prospect of ital markets. It’s not just the big local com- rate cuts than indicated in comments (at “The smaller Southeast Asian panies that Malaysia is attracting. the March meeting),” economists at BNP exchanges have been promoting Bursa Malaysia in July tweaked Paribas said in a note. themselves as a listing venue,” its listing rules to boost its attrac- T THE end of a tough quarter, “A key reason would be to avoid add- said Pankaj Goel, co-head of tiveness and cut compliance the fraught debate over how ing upward pressure on the currency,” they Southeast Asia investment bank- costs, said Tajuddin. In Thai- policymakers should tackle added, referring to a rising euro in recent A strong US jobs report ing at Credit Suisse Group AG. land, local companies raised the the world’s economic woes gets weeks that has stumped analysts. The ECB’s Singapore’s decline in new most in Southeast Asia in the another airing in the coming chief economist and several executive board for March, which along listings adds to the challenges past three years after its stock week as central banks on both members are scheduled to appear at events with a rebound in faced by Boon Chye Loh, who exchange introduced rules for Asides of the Atlantic publish minutes. across Europe in the coming days. wages underscored became chief executive officer listing infrastructure funds, said Solid growth in US employment and an Euro area annualised inflation picked up of the city’s exchange in July and Santi Keranand, head of the unexpected manufacturing uptick in China slightly in March, to -0.1 percent from -0.2 the economy’s has been trying to restore confi- issuer marketing division at the in March will have provided some comfort percent a month earlier, though it remains resilience, did little to dence in a market where turnover Stock Exchange of Thailand. Such on Friday, but headwinds — Japan’s factory well off the ECB’s target of nearly 2 percent, hasn’t recovered from a mystery projects accounted for about 45 sector disappointed last month and euro raising pressure on the central bank to leave revive projections the penny-stock crash in 2013. percent of the amount raised from zone inflation was anaemic — invariably the door open to further stimulus. Fed might consider Companies that listed last IPOs since 2013, he said. lurk nearby. Cue more rumblings over bank- Manufacturing activity in the year in Singapore raised $366m, Vietnam’s Hanoi Stock ers’ ability to respond. eurozone remained weak in March, mean- accelerating interest according to data compiled by Exchange touts its regulated over- Federal Reserve minutes, released on while. Surveys on the services sector across rate cuts. Bloomberg, its worst performance the-counter market UpCom for Wednesday and coming days after chair the 19-nation currency bloc, expected since 2001. The amount was less companies not ready to list on Janet Yellen set a dovish tone, are likely tomorrow, should add to the picture. than 10 percent of funds raised the main exchange, said Nguyen to provide fodder for those expecting it to A strong US jobs report for March, which from Thailand’s IPOs, just a third Anh Phong, the bourse’s deputy remain cautious, though speeches from along with a rebound in wages underscored of Malaysia’s and half of Indone- CEO. The number of companies six more Fed officials, the economy’s resilience, did little to revive sia’s, the data show. on UpCom is expected to increase including two rate- projections the Fed might consider acceler- changes, with rate decisions scheduled Of the 13 IPOs in Singapore by 12 percent to 300 by the end of setters with hawkish ating interest rate cuts. for the coming days. The first two are in 2015, four were from foreign the year, he said. reputations, could shift “Following the reassurance ... that the expected to keep rates steady at record firms — two Malaysians, one Chi- Singapore will continue to the tone. Fed will tread cautiously, hopefully the lows, while India is seen cutting them at its nese and one Israeli. In 2010, 10 be relevant as a listing destina- Across the pond, cen- markets can enjoy these numbers with- policy review tomorrow as inflation falls. foreign companies from China, tion, said Michael Wu, an analyst tral bank watchers are out panicking about a rate rise,” Robert In China, an update on foreign Indonesia, Malaysia and Norway at Morningstar in Hong Kong. likely to zone in on the Craig, a private client investment man- exchange reserves, expected on Thursday, were among the 31 listing debuts “The growth of Southeast Asian European Central Bank’s ager at MB Capital in London said in should show a moderation in the declines in the city state. bourses is positive as it benefits margin for manoeuvre emailed comments. noted in recent months when the central Globally, companies have the region, making us collectively Federal Reserve after it unveiled further Yellen’s recent comments that slowing bank stepped up efforts to prop up the raised $14.5bn from IPOs in 2016, a more vibrant capital market,” minutes, released stimulus in March with world growth and weak oil prices posed a yuan and dump the dollar to stem cap- a 67 percent plunge from the said Chew Sutat, head of equities deeper rate cuts and a downside risk for the US economy further ital outflows. same period last year, according and fixed income at SGX. Chew on Wednesday and boost to its monthly asset cooled any projections the central bank “The enforcement of current capital to data compiled by Bloomberg. pointed to the $115bn in debt coming days after buys. could hike rates again as soon as June. controls and a more dovish tone from the “The competition is not so raised by companies on the Sin- The more detailed The Fed raised rates in December for the (Fed) on the tightening cycle will improve much between one exchange gapore bourse last year and a new chair Janet Yellen account of the ECB’s last first time in nearly a decade, but officials last China’s capital-flow dynamics and further and another but ensuring that initiative to help firms not ready set a dovish tone, meeting due on Thurs- month downgraded their economic growth slow the pace of decline in FX reserves in there are enough listing-ready for an IPO secure funds. Foreign day should send investors expectations and forecast only two more the near term,” analysts at Standard Char- candidates,” said Lee Suet Fern, issuers accounted for 83 percent are likely to provide scouring for clues over rate hikes for 2016. tered said in a note. managing partner at law firm of the debt raised in 2015, accord- fodder for those its willingness to go fur- Yellen is due to take part in a discus- They forecast a $10bn fall in the Morgan Lewis Stamford LLC. ing to the Singapore Exchange. ther, after its president sion with former Fed Chair Ben Bernanke reserves to $3.192 trillion euros at the end expecting it to Mario Draghi’s sugges- on Thursday. For now it will be up to other of March, after signs the Chinese central remain cautious. tion interest rates had hit central banks — among them Australia’s, bank was already scaling back its inter- the bottom. Poland’s and India’s — to consider policy ventions in February. Port Talbot closure would tear hole in UK manufacturing supply chain

By Andy Bruce and Costas Pitas the domestic market, the firm said in 2014. construction firms, followed by China, Spain, Nissan, which operates Britain’s biggest sin- Reuters “It would be entirely undesirable from Belgium and the Netherlands, the ISSB said. gle car plant in northern England, buys 45 my point of view,” said Tony Mullins, execu- The government maintains that the main percent from there. tive chairman of QRL Radiators Group, a Tata problem is the collapse in the price of steel. Showing the cost constraints within the Steel customer that makes heating radiators China has flooded European markets with rel- industry, John Leech, who heads up the auto- HE closure of Tata Steel’s operations near the Welsh town of Newport, employing atively cheap steel as a result of its own falling motive team at KPMG and works with some in Britain would leave a hole in man- around 150 staff. demand. Britain imported 826,000 tonnes of of the country’s biggest carmakers, said JLR ufacturers’ supply chains, dealing a Looking abroad for steel would leave Chinese steel in 2015, up from 361,000 two could not afford to give preferential treatment blow to thousands of smaller firms firms like QRL that use British steel exposed years earlier, according to industry data. to a more expensive product even though it Tacross the country and creating a logistical to swings in the currency exchange rate and According to the ISSB, China has pro- is owned by Tata Motors - part of the same headache for the car industry. higher transportation costs. It might also need duced more steel in the last three years than family of companies as Tata Steel. India’s Tata Steel, Britain’s biggest pro- to hold more stock if it is buying from the Britain has since the industrial revolution. For many of the workers leaving the ducer, put all of its operations up for sale, other side of the world, having an impact on Those British steelmakers that remain Port Talbot plant at the end of their shift this including the country’s largest steelworks at working capital. “We have to be competitive, have been kept going by local manufacturers, week the news has come as a shock, given Germany is the Port Talbot which is losing $1.4m a day due to we have to produce quality products, and his- a resurgent car industry and foreign demand. the investment made under Tata’s ownership. depressed steel prices and high costs. torically with Tata that has been possible for “Hot-rolled coil is produced (at Port Tal- “Tata certainly have influenced training biggest foreign As the government searches for a new us,” Mullins said. bot) and that predominately goes into the more than the old regime...” said Dave Bow- supplier of steel to buyer, some of Tata’s customers are already Britain, the birthplace of the modern automotive sector ... that’s the bodywork,” yer, 59, a steelworker for 40 years and Unite looking for new sources of steel which is steel industry, has been struggling to com- Dominic King, head of policy and represen- union representative, whose ancestors were British manufacturers used in everything from car roofs to Heinz pete since its post-war heyday and has shed tation at industry group UK Steel, said. Five steelworkers. and construction baked bean cans, cladding on Ikea build- thousands of jobs in recent years. Since 2001 carmakers built almost 99 percent of Britain’s UK Steel’s King said there were many ings and some of the country’s coins. While imported supplies have met more than half of 1.6 million cars last year and all source steel advantages to the British product which firms, followed by bigger names have the luxury of a global sup- its domestic demand, according to the Inter- from Port Talbot, with some already looking continue to attract buyers. “One is customer China, Spain, Belgium ply chain to fall back on, smaller companies national Steel Statistics Bureau (ISSB), as local for alternatives should the site shut. service, that you have that close link with the and the Netherlands, — which account for around 95 percent of producers struggled with high energy costs, The country’s biggest carmaker Jaguar manufacturer... you know in the UK that they British manufacturing firms — face a tougher green taxes and fierce competition. Land Rover (JLR) , which made just under a are going to be meeting the energy targets, the ISSB said. task if Port Talbot in south Wales closes. Germany is the biggest foreign sup- third of national output last year, gets around the environmental targets that are out there Tata sells around half of its products into plier of steel to British manufacturers and 30 percent of its steel from the site while (and) that engineering skill,” he said. 28 MONDAY 4 APRIL 2016 BUSINESS

BACK TO BUSINESS sight Death by overwork on rise among Top China firm says global steel industry Japan’s vulnerable workers entering ‘ice age’

By Stanley White re-enter the workforce after child- Reuters birth often feel it would be difficult Bloomberg and spurring the government to get a foothold elsewhere. to step up efforts to force the Emiko Teranishi, head of the industry to shut overcapac- Families Dealing with Karoshi sup- ity and shift workers to other APAN is witnessing a record port group, said she hears lots of HE crisis engulfing the jobs. While reinforcement bar number of compensation claims complaints about hiring tactics, with global steel industry is has rebounded since November, related to death from overwork, some companies telling new hires so severe that one of Daniel Hynes, senior commodi- or “karoshi”, a phenomenon that their salary includes 80 hours China’s top producers ties strategist at Australia & New previously associated with the of overtime, and they must reimburse Thas warned a new Ice Age has Zealand Banking Group Ltd, Jlong-suffering “salary man” that is the company if they work less. set in as mills confront overca- forecasts the rally may not last. increasingly afflicting young and “Some people don’t even make pacity and rising competition “The short-term rally we’ve female employees. minimum wage under this system,” that threaten their survival. seen in steel prices will give way Labour demand, with 1.28 jobs said Teranishi, whose own husband “In 2015, China experienced to the longer-term dynamic of per applicant, is the highest since committed suicide after working long a slowdown in economic growth weaker steel consumption in 1991, which should help Prime Min- hours. Such abuses have become so and excess steel capacity, which China,” Hynes said. “I suppose ister Shinzo Abe draw more people common in the past 10 years that such caused the domestic and over- the positive thing is that maybe into the workforce to counter the companies have been dubbed “black” seas steel industry to enter into the restructuring we’re seeing effect of a shrinking population, but companies in the media. an ‘Ice Age’,” Angang Steel Co in the steel industry will speed lax enforcement of labour laws means Hirokazu Ouchi, a professor at said after posting a net loss of up the rationalisation of the some businesses are simply squeez- Chukyo University, wrote a book last $710m for last year. There are market.” ing more out of employees, sometimes year about such companies when he severe challenges, fierce com- Other results from China with tragic consequences. realised some of his students were petition and difficult survival showed the extent of the down- Claims for compensation for being treated illegally at their part-time conditions, it said. turn. Baoshan Iron & Steel Co, karoshi rose to a record high of jobs. Ouchi said their hiring practices Steel demand in China is China’s second-biggest pro- Road workers prepare a construction site at night in central Tokyo. 1,456 in the year to end-March 2015, typically follow a similar pattern. shrinking for the first time in ducer, posted an 83 percent according to labour ministry data, “Companies will hire someone for a generation as growth slows slide in net income last year, with cases concentrated in health- Japan has no legal limits on — regular employees, and those on two to three years, but they have no and policy makers seek to steer and Chongqing Iron & Steel Co care, social services, shipping and working hours, but the labour min- temporary or non-standard contracts, intention of investing the time or the the economy toward consump- swung to a net loss of 5.99bn construction, which are all facing istry recognises two types of karoshi: frequently women and younger people. money to nurture that employee,” said tion. Faced with declining sales yuan from a profit a year earlier. chronic worker shortages. death from cardiovascular illness In 2015 non-regular employees Ouchi. He added that the labour min- at home, mills in the top pro- As China’s steel demand Hiroshi Kawahito, secretary gen- linked to overwork, and suicide fol- made up 38 percent of the workforce, istry lacked the manpower to follow ducer — which accounts for half dropped and prices sank in 2015, eral of the National Defense Counsel lowing work-related mental stress. up from 20 percent in 1990, and 68 up on complaints. of global supply — have shipped mills in the country churned out for Victims of karoshi, said the real A cardiovascular death is likely to percent of them were women. A ministry official working in cor- record volumes overseas, height- less for the first time since 1981. number was probably 10 times higher, be considered karoshi if an employee Lawyers and academic say porate surveillance acknowledged ening competition from Europe to Crude-steel production fell 2.3 as the government is reluctant to rec- worked 100 hours of overtime in the unscrupulous employees operate a that his department was somewhat the US. Tata Steel Ltd in India said percent to 804 million tons last ognise such incidents. month beforehand, or 80 hours of “bait-and-switch” policy, advertising short-staffed but the government was last week it’s planning to sell off year, official data show. Output “The government hosts a lot of overtime in two or more consecu- a full-time position with reasonable taking steps to recruit more every its loss-making UK plants. may drop to about 783 million symposiums and makes posters about tive months in the previous six. working hours, but later offering the year. He declined to give his name The steel industry is set for tons this year, Li Xinchuang, the problem, but this is propaganda,” A suicide could qualify if it follows successful applicant a non-regular as he is not authorised to speak to a “severe winter,” Angang said, deputy secretary-general of the he said. “The real problem is reducing an individual’s working 160 hours or contract with longer hours, some- the media. describing the market that it and China Iron & Steel Association, working hours, and the government more of overtime in one month or times overnight or weekends, with Japan’s working-age population others faced as complex. Output has forecast. is not doing enough.” more than 100 hours of overtime for no overtime pay. has been falling since the mid-1990s, of steel by the country’s fourth- “On the whole, the steel The labour ministry did not three consecutive months. Refusing overtime pay and break which would normally lead compa- biggest producer contracted 4.4 sector is still a sunset industry,” respond to requests for comment. Work-related suicides are up 45 time are illegal, and the applicant nies to improve working conditions to percent last year, and the com- said Zhao Chaoyue, an analyst Kawahito, a lawyer who has been percent in the past four years among could refuse the job, but activists attract workers, but Ouchi said it was pany is seeking to reduce costs at China Merchants Futures Co. dealing with karoshi since the 1980s, those 29 and younger, and up 39 per- say companies tell them they will not happening because they can get and boost efficiency, it said. in Shenzhen, adding that it was said 95 percent of his cases used to cent among women, labour ministry be given regular contracts after six away with bending the rules. “This is Benchmark steel prices appropriate to use the Ice Age be middle-aged men in white-col- data show. The problem has become months or so. They say young appli- a way for companies to keep labour sank 31 percent in China last term as the entire industry lost lar jobs, but now about 20 percent more acute as Japan’s workforce has cants often accept due to lack of costs down, but it is also a path that year, pummeling mills’ margins money last year. are women. divided into two distinct categories experience, while women trying to leads to death by overwork,” he said.

What is left now is to diversify investments. So within Capital 20 years, we will be an economy or state that doesn’t Saudi Arabia’s depend mainly on oil. IPOing Aramco will technically Deputy Crown Prince Comment make investments the source of revenue, not oil. Mohammed Bin Salman

TOP TWEETS BLOGS AND VIEWS Market Talk Dealogic @Dealogic Wealth Adviser #Healthcare M&A ($59.6bn) fell 56% in NAME IN THE MARKET: SIZE OF BANK FAILURES 1Q, the biggest YoY drop within the top 10 Advisers should remind sectors globally #Tech #finance clients that stocks deliver positive returns Gulf Intelligence @ in most years—and gulf_intel often slide 5% to 20% #Kuwait hopes for OPEC, non-OPEC oil at some point in an up coordination to sta- year. bilise market

Argaam Plus @ CFO Journal ArgaamPlus Saudi #banks’ #Treasury bond holdings up SAR 11.9 bln in Feb As business models continue to change due to fast-evolving technology, Moody›s InvestorsSvc @ finance chiefs are MoodysInvSvc introducing new ways to There was a rise in loan measure their companies’ restructuring across most of the Moody’s-rated financial performance Indonesian banks in 2015 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com PAGE | 30 PAGE | 32 Azarenka defeats Rosberg maintains Kuznetsova for perfect start Miami crown in Bahrain

MONDAY 4 APRIL 2016 • 26 Jumada II 1437 thepeninsulaqatar @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatar

W ORLD TWENTY20 FINAL HOW TWITTER SAW IT

#“England 23/3 in 4.4 overs.. come on make a match.. we want to win a match worth calling finals not like this.” - @vCricketWI, independent news site

#“170 max please boys!! Could be less but not more begging.” - West Indies legend @BrianLara seeing England bat.

#“Arise Sir @root66 ....” - Former England skipper @Michael- Vaughan

#“Brilliant effort by the WI & they will fancy this. England need to come up with something very special to win or for the WI to self destruct.” - Former Australian spin wizard @Shane- Warne

#“NOOOOOOOOOO!!! Gayle c Stokes b Root 4. #WI 5-2 (1.3).” - West Indies players union @wiplayers

#“Yorkshire on top against the #WI - always rely on the Yorkies to pull you through. Wow.” West Indies men and women cricketers celebrate after winning the World T20 cricket tournament final against - English county champions @YorkshireCCC England at the Eden Gardens Cricket Stadium in Kolkata yesterday. #“Ooh game on here! Who you going with?” - Former Zimbabwe skipper @Brendan- Taylor86

#“Can someone tell the commentators West Indies are T20 champions that the reason rashid is bowling googlies all the time is a grip issue because the ball is wet with dew.” on the third delivery when Chris Gayle - Former England spinner Graeme Swann departed. @Swannyg66 Brathwaite hits four Gayle tried an ambitious slog after consecutive sixes hitting a first-ball boundary but could # “Warnie will explain it I’m sure. The to help Windies only find the fielder at long-on to trig- leggie requires way more grip on the ball ger wild celebrations in the English than a wrong un and is therefore far riskier.” reach seemingly camp. - Swann impossible target in Willey then got semi-final star Lendl Simmons out leg before wicket #“It’s #WI 104 for #Yorkshire 5 - what the last over as Eden for nought to leave the Windies totter- Gardens witnesses ing at 11 for three. a #WT20Final#ENGvWI.” Samuels counter-attacked by hit- - @YorkshireCCC sensational final ting Chris Jordan for three boundaries in the sixth and last over of the power- #“Wowzers #T20WorldCupfinal” play that cost England 16 runs. - Former South Africa captain Graeme Samuels, who was given an early Smith @GraemeSmith49 AFP life after wicketkeeper Jos Buttler grassed a caught behind, stitched a #“OMG.... !!!!” 75-run partnership with Dwayne Bravo - India tennis star Mahesh Bhupathi @Ma- (25) to help the Windies rebuild. heshbhupathi KOLKATA: Carlos Brathwaite hit four Willey turned up for his second consecutive sixes in the last over as the spell with a double strike to hurt Win- #“That is ridiculous....” West Indies stunned England to lift the dies’ hopes of reviving their chase as - Australian T20 star Glenn Maxwell @ World Twenty20 title in Kolkata yes- the asking-rate kept growing, but new Gmaxi_32 terday. man Brathwaite had other ideas. The Windies went into the last over Brathwaite managed an unbeaten #“Unbelievable game !brathwaite you needing 19 to win and with expert 54-run stand with man-of-the-match beauty congratulations West Indies world death bowler Ben Stokes handed the Samuels to stun England. ball, it looked like England would see Earlier West Indies’ bowlers justi- champions ! Feel bad for stokes England out the win. fied captain Darren Sammy’s decision outstanding throughout.” West Indies batsmen Carlos Brathwaite (left) and Marlon Samuels celebrate after Brathwaite hit four But Brathwaite held his nerve to to field first as Samuel Badree and - India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh @YU- fire the Windies to an unlikely four- Andre Russell put England on the back- back-to-back sixes in the last over to win the T20 Cricket World Cup against England at the Eden Gardens VSTRONG12 wicket win with two balls to spare, foot at only 23 for three in 4.4 overs. Cricket Stadium in Kolkata yesterday. leaving Stokes devastated on the field. Opening the attack for the Wind- Marlon Samuels anchored the ies, leg-spinner Badree got Jason Roy West Indies’ run chase of 156 with an clean out for a second ball duck and SCOREBOARD unbeaten 85, including nine bounda- also accounted for struggling English Windies women end Aussie ries and two sixes, after England had skipper Eoin Morgan (5) in his third ENGLAND WEST INDIES posted 155-9 in their 20 overs. over. J Roy b Badree 0 J Charles c Stokes b Root 1 After being reduced to 11 for three, Root (54), who struck his third half- A Hales c Badree b Russell 1 C Gayle c Stokes b Root 4 World T20 hegemony Samuels single-handedly kept the century of the tournament, and Buttler J Root c Benn b Brathwaite 54 Caribbean team in the hunt with his (36) then came up with a fine re-build- M Samuels (not out) 85 66-ball blitz. ing act to manage a 61-run fourth E Morgan c Gayle b Badree 5 L Simmons lbw Willey 0 Reuters in World Twenty20. Deandra Dot- Brathwaite finished on 34 not out wicket partnership. J Buttler c Bravo b Brathwaite 36 D Bravo c Root b Rashid 25 tin, who took two wickets for 33, off just 10 balls as the 2012 champions Medium-pacer Brathwaite got But- B Stokes c Simmons b Bravo 13 A Russell c Stokes b Willey 1 remained unbeaten on 18 to see West completed a hat-trick of titles after the tler against the run of play when Bravo M Ali c Ramdin b Bravo 0 D Sammy c Hales b Willey 2 Indies through and spark wild cele- women’s clinched their maiden trophy took a good catch at deep mid-wicket KOLKATA: Fifties from Hayley Mat- brations among her team mates who

C Jordan (not out) 12 C Brathwaite (not out) 34 earlier yesterday. before celebrating with his customary thews and Stafanie Taylor powered were joined by several members of The Under-19 team had already ‘Champions’ dance. D Willey c Charles b Brathwaite 21 Extras (LB-3, W-6) 9 West Indies to their first women’s the men’s side in a celebratory dance. lifted the youth World Cup in February. Sammy soon cashed in on Bravo’s L Plunkett c Badree b Bravo 4 Total (for 6 wkts in 19.4 overs) 161 World Twenty20 title yesterday, their Stafanie Taylor was named The Windies also became the first catch to bring him on to bowl and the A Rashid (not out) 4 Did not bat: D Ramdin, S Badree, S Benn. eight-wicket win at Eden Gardens player of the tournament, told team to lift the World T20 twice. medium-pacer obliged with two wick- Extras (LB-4, W-1) 5 Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-5, 3-11, 4-86, 5-104, ending three-time defending cham- reporters. England’s batting hero Joe Root had ets in his second over. pions Australia’s dominance in the Australia’s Elyse Villani and cap- Total (for 9 wkts in 20 overs) 155 6-107. hit Windies hard with a double strike England’s batting soon crum- tournament. tain Meg Lanning had both hit 52 and when he shared the new ball with bled after Brathwaite got dangerman Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-8, 3-23, 4-84, 5-110, Bowling: Willey 4-0-20-3; Root 1-0-9-2; Matthews (66) and captain Tay- added 77 for the second wicket to take David Willey to get the West Indies’ Root trudging back as a scoop shot 6-110, 7-111, 8-136, 9-142. Jordan 4-0-36-0; Plunkett 4-0-29-0; Rashid lor (59) added 120 for their opening their side to 148 for five after they won openers trudging back to the dug out. turned out to be the in-form bats- Bowling: Badree 4-1-16-2; Russell 4-021-1; 4-0-23-1; Stokes 2.4-0-41-0. stand as West Indies chased down the toss and opted to bat. Dottin gave Root struck on his first ball as man’s undoing. Benn 3-0-40-0; Bravo 4-0-37-3; Brathwaite Result: West Indies won by four wickets. a 148-run target with three balls away just one run in the final over Johnson Charles skied a catch to mid- Braithwaite and Bravo shared three 4-0-23-3; Sammy 1-0-14-0. Player of the match: MN Samuels (WI) to spare for their first win against which according to Lanning was a wicket but the really big wicket came wickets apiece to hit England hard. the Southern Stars in nine attempts crucial moment in the match. 30 MONDAY 4 APRIL 2016 SPORT

Qatar in a clean sweep at Arabian Gulf 3x3 Championships

The Peninsula

DOHA: Qatar made a clean-sweep at the Arabian Gulf 3x3 Basketball Championships by winning both the senior and junior crowns at Al Gharafa Club Indoor Hall on Saturday. Qatar seniors team outplayed Saudi Ara- bia ‘B’ team in a thrilling finale which saw the hosts winning 21 points to 19. The Qatari senior men’s team had the services of Tanguy Ngombo, Abdulrahman Mohamed Saad, Erfan Ali Saeed and Boney Watson who were too good for the visiting teams. On their way to the final, Qatar ‘A’ beat Malek Seleem Abdulla, Mohamed Amin, Emir Mujkic and Omar Salem of Qatar ‘B’ 21-14 in the semi-final. Qatar ‘B’ however had some consolation when they finished third against Saudi Arabia ‘A’, win- ning by 21-17. The under-18 boys final saw an all-Qatari affair when Qatar ‘A’ and ‘B’ battled for the top honours. Qatar A, featuring Alen Hadzibegovic, Nedim Qatar men’s 3x3 basketball team skipper holds the champions trophy after winning the Arabian Gulf 3x3 Basketball Championships ta Al Gharafa Club Indoor Hall on Muslic, Faris Sadikovic and Ndoye Elhadj Seydou, outclassed Qatar ‘B’ 17-9. Saturday. RIGHT: Qatar ‘A’ and Saudi Arabia ‘B’ players in action during the final of the senior men’s category. Azarenka defeats Kuznetsova for Miami crown

Former world number one and two-time Japan’s Nara Australian Open Nick Kyrgios of champion bags her Australia plays a semi- third title of the year final match against flies to wrong Kei Nishikori of Japan during the Miami Charleston Open at Crandon Park on April 1. for match AFP

AFP MIAMI: Two-time Australian Open Kyrgios jumps into champion Victoria Azarenka, who missed much of the past two sea- sons with injuries, is making up for CHARLESTON: Japanese tennis lost time, winning her third title of top 20 and Djokovic player Kurumi Nara (pictured) the year at the WTA Miami Open yes- was wildly off target on Satur- terday. day after attempting to fly to The former world number one Charleston, South Carolina for a from Belarus beat two-time Grand takes quick notice tournament, only to land at Char- Slam champion Svetlana Kuznets- leston, West Virginia - 400 miles ova of Russia 6-3, 6-2 for her third to the north. Miami hardcourt crown. AFP perform his best in the big matches To her horror, the pint-sized “I have so many great memories lately. He has got the firepower from Nara realised the blunder when here,” said Azarenka. “It’s always a more or less every corner. He has got her coach let out a yelp while they pleasure to come.” one of the best serves. I think he’s were in the air. Azarenka, who also took the tro- MIAMI: Nick Kyrgios would prefer to picking his spots very efficiently. His “You wouldn’t believe what phy in 2009 and 2011, won her 20th remain an international man of mys- second serve is very impressive in happened,” the player wrote on her career title and added to a 2016 tro- tery, but word is leaking out -- the tough moments.” blog. “My coach Natsuki (Harada) phy haul that includes Brisbane and 20-year-old Australian is the fastest Kyrgios won his first ATP title in screamed: ‘What?! I think we Indian Wells, where she beat top- rising young star in tennis. February at Marseille, becoming the might be flying to the wrong city!’ ranked Serena Williams in the final Known as much for emotional youngest active player to win a tour It’s so annoying they have two air- two weeks ago. outbursts as great shot-making in crown, not dropping his serve once ports with the same name, it really “I definitely had difficulties his teen years, Kyrgios has found his and ousting top-10 rivals Richard is!” getting back with my motivation place on the ATP Tour without losing Gasquet and Tomas Berdych along Nara, the world number 78, mentally but I never had any doubt his sense of self along the journey. the way. By reaching the 2014 Wim- had been flying from Osprey, about my abilities,” Azarenka said. “I feel like nobody knows the real bledon and 2015 Australian Open Florida, where she played in a ITF “The most important was to get my me,” Kyrgios said. “But to be honest, quarter-finals, Kyrgios became the Challenger tournament last week, body healthy and to go out and get to I would prefer to keep it that way.” first teen in the last eight at multi- to Charleston via Atlanta. where I am today.” Kyrgios will jump from 26th to ple Grand Slam events since Roger But she was able to see the Azarenka became only the third 20th in Monday’s world rankings, Federer in 2001. funny side - eventually. woman to sweep the Miami-Indian becoming the youngest player in He beat then-world number one “I really shouldn’t laugh but it Wells double in the same season, the top 20 since Marin Cilic in 2009 Rafael Nadal in the fourth round of did make us laugh,” said Nara, who after Steffi Graf in 1994 and 1996 and after a Miami Open semi-final run, his Wimbledon run, becoming the produced a stunning upset over Kim Clijsters in 2005. his deepest at an ATP Masters event. first player since 1992 rated outside Victoria Azarenka of Belarus kisses the Butch Buchholz Trophy after Venus Williams in Indian Wells “It’s a lot of work to be able to stay “It’s pretty cool,” Kyrgios said. the top 100 to defeat the top man. last month. in the present each day and not be defeating Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia during the women’s singles “But there are 19 guys in front of me.” “These last few years on the “After a run of bad luck, good distracted,” Azarenka said of her 12-0 final match at the Miami Open tennis tournament on Key Biscayne in Kyrgios has found his biggest tour, they have been a bit of a roller things are supposed to happen. US run. Azarenka, 26, will jump from Miami, Florida, USA on Saturday. success after deciding not to take coaster, but I have learned a lot,” We’ll buy another ticket and go eighth to fifth in the world rankings the sport so seriously. Kyrgios said. back to Atlanta and try again.” on Monday, her first time in the top the opening set. balls at times in their first-set frustra- “At the end of the day it’s just ten- “I’ve really learned how to She added: “I’ll make sure I’m five since March 2014. Kuznetsova, “For me it was trying to find how tion. “We both came to the final tired, nis,” he said. “Things are happening return this year and I’m moving in the best shape possible and try 30, will rise from 19th to 13th. I was going to turn it around and to a little bit worked out,” Kuznetsova every day that are more important.” really well so I’m giving myself more and win my next match.” Azarenka won her fourth meet- be brave and accept those double said. “I don’t think it was unbelieva- But Kyrgios is making the tennis opportunities. Nara is not the first player to ing in a row over Kuznetsova without faults,” Azarenka said. “It was a lot ble tennis. I did what I could. Vika had world take notice, including world “I feel as if I’m a lot stronger, suffer such an embarrassment. dropping a set to seize a 5-4 lead in of missed serves. Once I focused on a confident game. She went for the number one Novak Djokovic, who a lot fitter and I’ve just got more Serbian star Bojana Jovanovski the career rivalry. what I needed to do to make it bet- shots. I think she knew if she didn’t has yet to face the prodigy from Can- experience.” was even further wide of the mark Azarenka broke five times in the ter, it started to get better.” go I’d get better in the rallies.” berra but likes what he sees. Djokovic likens Kyrgios’ serve in in 2011 when she thought she was first set, including the final game Kuznetsova, while hitting 75 per- In the second set, Azarenka broke “He’s definitely a very intrigu- big moments to that of 2001 Wim- flying to Carlsbad, California but when Kuznetsova sent a forehand cent of her first serves in the match, at love for a 3-1 edge and denied ing player to watch,” Djokovic said. bledon champion Goran Ivanisevic. managed to jet into Carlsbad, New wide to surrender the set after 40 won only 45 percent of those points Kuznetsova on a break point in the “He does have a personality and he’s “High-risk second serve. But it’s Mexico instead. minutes. Broken three times her- and just 14 percent off her second seventh game with her only ace of very unique. I think it’s interesting working,” Djokovic said. “He has that Flustered and red-faced, she self but crucially able to hold serve serve. the match. She then broke for a sev- for tennis fans to have Kyrgios, def- great technique, great motion. Ten- only made it to the correct venue in the second game, Azarenka had “I don’t think we played a great enth time on a backhand winner, her initely, as somebody that competes nis-wise, he definitely has skills. He half an hour before her first-round five double faults and connected on game, both of us,” Kuznetsova said. 23rd against only eight by Kuznets- at a high level. has the quality. He’s a big guy but he match and was promptly beaten by only 48 percent of her first serves in Both struggling players kicked ova, to end matters after 77 minutes. “He’s young but he’s managing to moves well.” SPORT MONDAY 4 APRIL 2016 31 Leicester down Southampton to extend lead

the Premier League and who had been Manchester United rated as 5,000/1 rank outsiders for the title before this season started. beat Everton 1-0 to “We saw the (Tottenham) game maintain their bid for yesterday was a draw and wanted to make the most of our opportunity. We a top-four finish really wanted it today,” Morgan told Sky Sports. Meanwhile Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri urged his players to AFP keep their feet on the ground during the run-in. “Everyone is expecting something more for us and we are in the cloud, LONDON: Premier League leaders but we have to keep concentrating,” Leicester City went seven points clear said the Italian. “There is a chance for at the top of the table after skipper us to be champions this season, but Wes Morgan scored in a 1-0 win at we have to be professional.” home to Southampton yesterday as In yesterday’s other top-flight Manchester United beat Everton by match, United striker Anthony Mar- the same scoreline to maintain their tial’s goal was good enough to give bid for a top-four finish. his side all three points on a day Morgan’s 38th-minute header at when Old Trafford’s south stand the King Power Stadium, his first goal was renamed in honour of club great in nearly a year, was good enough to Bobby Charlton. secure Leicester’s fifth 1-0 victory The win moved United up into and extend the East Midlands club’s fifth place, just a point behind local advantage over second-placed Tot- rivals Manchester City, who currently tenham Hotspur, held to a 1-1 draw occupy the fourth and final Champi- by Liverpool on Saturday. ons League spot on offer to English Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy (left) vies with Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk during the English Premier League match at King Power Now Leicester need just 12 points clubs. Both Manchester teams have from their final six games to claim the seven league games left to play this Stadium in Leicester, central England, yesterday. RIGHT: Sir Bobby Charlton with Manchester United mascot Fred the Red as the newly renamed first top-flight title in the club’s 132- season. South Stand “Sir Bobby Charlton stand” is unveiled to commemorate the 60-year anniversary of his debut for Manchester United. year history. It looked like being a frustrat- Jamaica centre-back Morgan ing day for United until French Jagielka headed against the crossbar drugs treated their players. Leices- All three clubs strongly denied the doctor without a licence who contin- scored the only goal of the game forward Martial struck from close from a corner with United goalkeeper ter, defending champions Chelsea and allegations as it emerged the Omniya ues to carry out the privileged duties when he got on the end of a Chris- range when he swept in a ball from David de Gea beaten. Arsenal were cited in a Sunday Times clinic in London, where the 38-year- of a doctor is committing a serious tian Fuchs cross. substitute Timothy Fosu-Mensah as Top English football clubs, includ- report in which London-based pri- old doctor rented consulting rooms, breach of our guidance, and poten- The joyous scenes at full time told the hosts exploited some lax Ever- ing Premier League leaders Leicester vate doctor Mark Bonar was secretly had ended his professional services tially a criminal offence,” said Niall the story of just how much this latest ton defending. City, have all angrily denied a news- filmed talking about providing pro- agreement on Friday after learning Dickson, the chief executive of the win meant to a Leicester side who this Everton were almost level barely paper report that a doctor who fessional athletes with banned he does not have a current licence to General Medical Council, which reg- time last year were battling to stay in a minute later when defender Phil prescribed performance-enhancing substances. practise medicine in the UK. “Any ulates doctors in Britain.

Grandstand finish helps Thompson to Day heads stellar cast to head leaderboard set up a Masters special AFP

LOS ANGELES: Lexi Thompson Reuters all good champions, a few of them are said after following his victory at the conjured up a scintillating finish Masters champions.“You want your Arnold Palmer Invitational with fur- to open up a one-shot third-round game rounding into form and playing ther success at the elite WGC-Dell lead in the ANA Inspiration on Sat- to the best of your abilities this time Match Play in Texas on Sunday. urday, setting up what promises to AUGUSTA, Georgia: If a standout of year. I feel like I’m close. “But I can’t get comfortable with be a thrilling final round battle for movie is guaranteed by a stellar cast, “I’m probably not quite where how I’m playing right now, I can’t get the first major of the season. then the Masters is shaping up as one they are, and I haven’t had the con- lazy, because I’ve got to understand The 21-year-old American star of the best in recent memory with all fidence of getting a win this year, but that what I’m doing is working. -- aiming to repeat her victory in of the game’s leading players having I feel like it’s close.” “So I’ve got to keep working on the event in 2014 -- produced produced superb form over the past Aged just 26, McIlroy has already the things that have caused me to win back-to-back birdies on the 15th three months. claimed four major titles and next over the last two weeks, keep doing and 16th to move within one shot World number three Rory McIl- week he will be bidding for his first that and then stay focused and hope- of the lead at Rancho Mirage’s Mis- roy is the only player ranked in the Green Jacket at the picturesque fully put on the Green Jacket.” sion Hills Country Club. top six who has not claimed at least ‘Cathedral of Pines’ in Georgia, to Short game wizardry and the But Thompson saved her one tournament win so far this year, complete a career grand slam of golf’s ability to minimise three-putts best for last on the par-five 18th, though he came close with a tie for four blue riband events. are musts for any would-be Mas- reaching the green in two with a third at the WGC-Cadillac Champi- And he likes his progression at ters champion at an iconic venue superlative shot from the fairway onship in Miami last month. the Masters where he tied for eighth renowned for its lightning-fast, which left her with a 15-foot eagle Second-ranked American Jordan in 2014 before finishing a career-best severely contoured greens. putt which she duly drained. Spieth, the reigning Masters cham- fourth last year. A comfort factor at Augusta That gave Thompson a three- pion, triumphed at the Hyundai “I’m very positive and optimistic National is another significant fac- under-par 69, putting her on Tournament of Champions in Janu- going back to Augusta because the tor so expect defending champion 10-under 206 for the tournament, ary while red-hot Australians Jason last few years I’ve improved my per- Spieth, 2013 winner Scott and left- one clear of a pack of three players Day and Adam Scott have each formance there,” said McIlroy. hander Watson, who wound up with led by world number one Lydia Ko, landed two PGA Tour titles over “Last year, I played the golf the coveted Green Jacket in 2012 and Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn and the past five weeks.World number course pretty much the way I wanted 2014, to flourish next week. South Korea’s Chun In-Gee. four Bubba Watson, a double win- to. Had a good weekend. Played the “No disrespect to any other event, “To finish like that really turns ner at Augusta National, clinched the par-fives very well ... it worked out but I absolutely love that golf course,” around my confidence. I feel really Northern Trust Open in February and pretty well.” Spieth, 22, said of Augusta National good going into tomorrow,” said his good friend, fifth-ranked fellow World number one Day is the where he triumphed by four shots Thompson, who battled through American Rickie Fowler, won the game’s hottest player, having won last year after matching Tiger Woods’ a shaky spell earlier in her round European Tour’s Abu Dhabi Cham- six times in his last 13 starts, and the tournament record low of 18-under which saw her bogey the par-three pionship in January. long-hitting Australian will be dif- 270 for 72 holes. eighth and the par-four 10th. “Everyone is running in good ficult to beat at Augusta National “It is my favourite golf course in “This is probably the best I’ve form,” Northern Irishman McIlroy where he tied for second in 2011 and the world, it’s just an easy week. The Lexi Thompson high fives fans as she walks to the 18th green during hit it this season,” added Thompson. said while preparing for the April 7-10 placed third in 2013.“It’s been good roars, the echoes, the memories, the New Zealand prodigy Ko, her round during the 2016 ANA Inspiration Championship at the Mission Masters, the first of the year’s four momentum for me, confidence- history from watching it growing up, meanwhile, hit a solid if unspec- Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California, yesterday. major championships. “And they’re wise, over the last two weeks,” Day being on the same golf course. tacular round comprising three birdies and 15 pars as she chases the second major of her career fol- lowing last year’s win at the Evian Championship. The 18-year-old attributed her Herman, Lovemark share Houston Open lead 69 to a more aggressive approach to her putting as well as her unerr- ing accuracy off the tee. “I felt like I struck the ball a lot AFP six-under 66 that left him tied for struggled to a two-over 74 to head a a hole-out from a bunker at the Houston Open Scores better today and I hit a few more third on 206 alongside Dustin John- group on 208 that also included Kyle seventh. 205 Jim Herman 69-69-67, Jamie fairways,” Ko said. son (70) and Russell Henley (68). Reifers and Chez Reavie. “But I’m playing really, really solid Lovemark 67-68-70 Thailand’s Ariya meanwhile Stenson’s seven birdies included World number two Jordan Spieth, golf,” Spieth added. “It just has yet to 206 Henrik Stenson (SWE) 69-71-66, fired a five-under-par 67 to remain LOS ANGELES: Jim Herman, seeking putts of 22 and 26 feet on the back tuning up for his Masters title defence come through in a score of six- or Russell Henley 70-68-68, Dustin firmly in contention on nine under. a first US PGA Tour title and a berth nine in a round capped by a 41-footer next week, carded a two-under 70 to seven-under. Johnson 65-71-70 The 20-year-old from Bangkok in next week’s Masters, fired a bogey- from the fringe to save par at the last. lie five off the pace. “Hopefully that means we’re 207 Roberto Castro 65-72-70 -- who made worldwide head- free five-under-par 67 on Saturday to “That definitely makes a big dif- “I felt like I played well,” said Spi- saving them for tomorrow and next 208 Kyle Reifers 70-70-68, Charley lines in 2007 when she became seize a share of the third-round lead ference,” Stenson said of his solid eth, who had five birdies, a bogey and week.” Hoffman 64-70-74, Chez Reavie the youngest ever player to qualify at the Houston Open. putting. a double-bogey. While Spieth is warming up for 66-70-72 for an LPGA Tour event at the age Herman had five birdies at the “The first two days I hit the ball “We had just some unreal wind the Masters, Herman and Lovemark 209 Kyle Stanley 69-72-68, Kim of 11 -- carded five birdies and no Golf Club of Houston and was joined quite nicely, but I haven’t been putting flips on the first six, seven holes -- will each be trying to punch his ticket Si-Woo (KOR) 69-71-69, Kim bogeys in a flawless third round. on 11-under-par 205 by fellow Amer- well. I worked again yesterday after- it was flipping back and forth, we to the first major of the year with a Whee (KOR) 67-73-69, Rickie Chun, who began the day one ican Jamie Lovemark, who had four noon on my putting and I got it going were on the wrong end of about six first tour win on Sunday. Fowler 69-70-70 off the pace, appeared to be deter- birdies and two bogeys in a two- a bit better -- made a couple of beau- in a row. Lovemark, a 28-year-old former 210 Sean O’Hair 68-73-69, David mined to take sole possession of under-par 70. ties out there.” “It’s really tough to stay patient US collegiate champion whose pro Toms 70-70-70, Jordan Spieth the leaderboard after making a Sweden’s Henrik Stenson posted American Roberto Castro was through that because I was putting career was disrupted by back surgery, 67-73-70, Charles Howell 69-69- flying start with birdies on her first the best score of the day, defying alone sixth after a 70 for 207. Sec- good swings on it,” said the 22-year- made three of his four birdies at the 72, Will MacKenzie 69-68-73 three holes to move to nine-under. difficult windy conditions with a ond-round leader Charley Hoffman old Texan, whose birdies included second, third and fourth holes. 32 MONDAY 4 APRIL 2016 SPORT

F1 bosses fail to reach agreement on qualifying

AFP

MANAMA: Formula One bosses met for 90 minutes on Sunday but were unable to reach agreement on a future format for qualifying. Veteran commercial ring-mas- ter Bernie Ecclestone (pictured) left the talks without any imme- diate comment after they were locked in stalemate over calls for Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team’s German driver Nico Rosberg takes the lead during the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix at the Sakhir Circuit in Manama yesterday. a return to the previously success- ful structure after the failure of the new ‘elimination’ system. Mercedes motorsport chief Toto Wolff said that several options for the future had been proposed, but without gaining the necessary Rosberg maintains perfect start unanimous support. “We haven’t reach a conclusion on how we want to continue yet,” start and then controlled the 57-lap Sebastian Vettel’s Bahrain hopes he explained. “We have agreed to German romps to race. ended in a cloud of smoke as his discuss matters internally and then It was his second win this season car’s engine packed up on the warm- talk again next week.” second win of the after Melbourne, his fifth in suc- up lap. The four-time former world All the teams were represented season and ends cession and the 16th of his career, champion was well placed in third on at the enabling him to double his points tally the grid to mount a serious challenge meeting team-mate Hamilton’s this season to 50. to Mercedes on the front row. attended hopes of a third “It is just awesome for me to get Hamilton, who was 30 seconds also by another win,” said Rosberg. “A great behind in third, is now second in the Eccle- successive Bahrain job by the whole team. The key, for title race with 33 points ahead of Dan- stone, the Grand Prix victory me, was the start...” iel Ricciardo on 24. president Pole-sitter Hamilton, who had a The Briton, reflecting on his first of the rul- slow start and then another Turn One lap misfortune, said: “That’s twice its ing body, collision, fought back from eighth on happened, but this had nothing to do the Inter- AFP the opening lap to finish third, sep- with Melbourne. national arated from his team-mate by Kimi “Two separate incidents... But Motoring Raikkonen. equally painful. I am just thankful to Federation It was the eighth time the Finn, finish and score some points.” (FIA), Jean MANAMA: Nico Rosberg consolidated who finished second for Ferrari, Ricciardo finished fourth for Red Todt and tyres suppliers Pirelli. his lead in this year’s embryonic driv- 10.2 seconds adrift of Rosberg, had Bull, for the second race in succession, The teams have agreed that ers world championship in emphatic claimed a podium finish at the Bah- ahead of Frenchman Romain Gros- they want to see a reversion to the fashion yesterday when he seized a rain International Circuit. jean, who secured a fine fifth for the previously successful qualifying as well-judged victory for Mercedes in “Not too bad,” said Raikkonen. new American Haas team, and sixth used until the end of last season, a dramatic Bahrain Grand Prix. “I had a bad start and then we placed Dutch teenager Max Verstap- but there is opposition to this plan. Making the most of his team-mate did what we could. We’ll take sec- pen of Toro Rosso. Saturday’s qualifying session and defending champion Lewis Ham- ond today.” Daniil Kvyat finished seventh in foryesterday’s Bahraian Grand Prix ilton’s misfortunes, the 30-year-old Raikkonen was left to fly the the second Red Bull ahead of Felipe was run using the ‘new’ progres- German grabbed the advantage at the flag for Ferrari after his teammate Massa of Williams, Valtteri Bot- sive elimination qualifying system tas in the second Williams who had introduced without success at the Bahrain Grand Prix Results smashed into Hamilton, and Belgian Australian Grand Prix. debutant Stoffel Vandoorne who took It produced another unsatis- 1. Nico Rosberg (GER/Mercedes) 1hr 33min 34.696sec, 2. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN/Ferrari) a point in his first race with McLaren, factory session with long periods at 10.282sec, 3. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 30.148, 4. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/Red filling in for Fernando Alonso. of inactivity. The teams again Bull) 1:02.494, 5. Romain Grosjean (FRA/Haas) 1:18.299, 6. Max Verstappen (NED/Toro Hamilton, who had broken the called for the system to be ditched Rosso) 1:20.929, 7. Daniil Kvyat (RUS/Red Bull) 1 lap, 8. Felipe Massa (BRA/Williams) track record in claiming his 51st pole, and hoped this would be achieved 1 lap, 9. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Williams) 1 lap, 10. Stoffel Vandoorne (BEL/McLaren- arrived at the circuit in full traditional on Sunday. Honda) 1 lap, 11. Kevin Magnussen (DEN/Renault) 1 lap, 12. Marcus Ericsson (SWE/ Arab dress, attracting a swarm of Instead, all involved have Sauber) 1 lap, 13. Pascal Wehrlein (GER/Manor) 1 lap, 14. Felipe Nasr (BRA/Sauber) 1 cameras as the sport’s power-bro- agreed to talk again on Thursday lap, 15. Nico Hülkenberg (GER/Force India) 1 lap, 16. Sergio Perez (MEX/Force India) 1 Formula One driver Nico Rosberg of Mercedes AMG GP celebrates on lap, 17. Rio Haryanto (INA/Manor) 1 lap kers debated the future shape of after evaluating more complex qualifying. the podium after winning the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix at the proposals put forward by Todt. Retirements Their 90 minutes’ meeting ended Sakhir Circuit yesterday. He and Ecclestone are reluctant Sebastian Vettel (GER/Ferrari): warm up lap; Jolyon Palmer (GBR/Renault): 1st lap; in deadlock with a variety of pro- to dump the new system. Jenson Button (GBR/McLaren-Honda): 7th lap; Esteban Gutierrez (MEX/Haas): 10th posals for the future on the table, but turned in, Bottas attempted to pass Hamilton had bodywork damage, Wolff said: “We discussed the lap; Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP/Toro Rosso): 30th lap; World championship standings Hamilton was in no such mood and on the inside. but continued. On lap eight, Jenson various qualifying formats and Drivers oozed confidence ahead of the twi- Hamilton’s Mercedes was dam- Button, the 2009 champion, pulled what the FIA and the Commer- 1. Nico Rosberg (GER) 50 pts, 2. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) 33, 3. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) light race. It began with drama and aged and half-spun in the pack, into the McLaren garage, to retire fol- cial Rights Holders would want 24, 4. Kimi Räikkönen (FIN) 18, 5. Romain Grosjean (FRA) 18, 6. Sebastian Vettel it remained dramatic as night fell - dropping down the order. It was a lowed by Esteban Gutierrez of Haas. to propose. “It’s various new for- (GER) 15, 7. Felipe Massa (BRA) 14, 8. Max Verstappen (NED) 9, 9. Nico Hülkenberg with Vettel suffering his first DNS in repeat of his misfortune in Melbourne After a series of pit stops Hamil- mats -- or staying with the current (GER) 6, 10. Daniil Kvyat (RUS) 6, 11. Valtteri Bottas (FIN) 6, 12. Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP) 159-races. and, again, he had to recover and fight ton for a brief period lapped a second format.” 2, 13. Stoffel Vandoorne (BEL) 1 When the lights went out, Hamil- back from eighth. faster than the other leaders, but it The sport requires unani- Constructors ton was beaten off the line by Rosberg. Bottas’ actions appeared to be was not enough to make an impact on mous support from teams, the 1. Mercedes 83 pts, 2. Ferrari 33, 3. Red Bull 30, 4. Williams 20, 5. Haas 18, 6. Toro The champion tucked in behind him impetuous and the stewards hit the order. Rosberg remained in charge FIA, Ecclestone and other parties Rosso 11, 7. Force India 6, 8. McLaren 1 on the run to Turn One where, as he him with a drive-through penalty. with Raikkonen chasing in vain. to make a change to the rules. Marquez on pole for third straight year in Argentina

Reuters Grand Prix of Argentina Termas de Río Hondo, Argentina: Grand Prix of Argentina qualifying times, the sec- ond round of the 2016 world championship: TERMAS DE RÍO HONDO, Argen- MotoGP: tina: Spaniard Marc Marquez put Marc Marquez (ESP/Honda) 1:39.411, Valentino Rossi (ITA/Yamaha) 0.375, Jorge Honda on pole position for the Argen- Lorenzo (ESP/Yamaha) 0.533, Dani Pedrosa (ESP/Honda) 0.600, Andrea Dovizioso tine MotoGP on Saturday after a (ITA/Ducati) 0.787, Andrea Iannone (ITA/Ducati) 0.861, Maverick Vinales (ESP/Suzuki) dramatic day which resulted in the 0.964, Hector Barbera (ESP/Ducati Avintia) 1.113, Cal Crutchlow (GBR/Honda LCR) replacement of the rear tyres avail- 1.117, Pol Espargaro (ESP/Yamaha Tech3) 1.243, Aleix Espargaro (ESP/Suzuki) 1.297, able to the riders. Bradley Smith (GBR/Yamaha Tech3) 1.482 Yamaha’s Italian great Valen- Moto2: tino Rossi and world champion Jorge Sam Lowes (GBR) 1:43.347, Johann Zarco (FRA) 0.119, Jonas Folger (GER) 0.290, Takaaki Lorenzo will also line up on the front Nakagami (JPN) 0.362, Franco Morbidelli (ITA) 0.386, Thomas Luthi (SWI) 0.466 row but will be forced to use unfa- Moto3: miliar rear tyres after an incident 1. Brad Binder (RSA/KTM) 1:49.767, 2. Romano Fenati (ITA/KTM) 0324, 3. Jorge involving Britain’s Scott Redding. Navarro (ESP/Honda) 0.367, 4. Nicolo Bulega (ITA/KTM) 0.511, 5. Joan Mir (ESP/ The fourth free practice session KTM) 0.575, 6. Enea Bastianini (ITA/Honda) 0.625 had to be red-flagged and restarted twice after Redding suffered a prob- the weekend on safety grounds and priority. “Tomorrow the race will lem with his Michelin rear tyre that replaced by four “special” rear tyres. be extremely difficult,” the Span- damaged his Ducati. “Michelin’s new rear tyre to iard said. “I felt some chattering with the be introduced from Sunday is of a “We’ll have to start from zero but rear tyre then something hit me. I saw harder construction, and will cope at least this is the same for all rid- pieces of the bike fly everywhere. I better with the hard strains and tem- ers. Let’s see how it goes tomorrow thought the tyre had exploded and I peratures put through it -- albeit at morning.” was getting ready for a nasty crash,” the expense of lap times,” read a The pole was Marquez’s third in said the rider. statement. a row at the Termas de Rio Hondo “I managed to run off the track “To help teams and riders adapt Circuit. without falling and I feel lucky to be to this complicated situation, race The 23-year-old double world standing here to talk about it.” direction has decided to add an addi- champion set his best lap of one Race organisers later said that tional 30-minute warm up session minute 39.411 seconds early in the because Redding’s tyre was still being for MotoGP to the morning schedule.” session and then suffered a minor examined, both the hard and soft Lorenzo said it was a “strange” crash without injury three minutes Spain’s biker Marc Marquez, on Honda, falls during the MotoGP qualifying session of the Argentina Grand Prix rear tyres available to riders would situation that he had never encoun- from the end that prevented him be withdrawn for the remainder of tered but that safety had to be the improving the time. at Termas de Rio Hondo Circuit, in Santiago del Estero, Argentina on Saturday. SPORT MONDAY 4 APRIL 2016 33 Wizards fume Pistons edge out Bulls to as NBA play-off chances dwindle boost play-off hopes closer to zero

NBA: HIGHLIGHTS OF Jackson and SATURDAY’S GAMES Washington Post Last season, they allowed Harris top score in 120-plus points in four games. tight game while One ended in overtime. 5:10 left, but Detroit responded Another required two Portland continue by taking its biggest lead, 37-33, SACRAMENTO: John Wall overtimes. their drive for the on Anthony Tolliver’s 3 with 8:36 was plenty clear before his Coach Randy Wittman fifth play-off spot left in the second. Washington Wizards stepped attributed the ball security Trail Blazers 110, Heat 93 onto the floor at Sleep Train and leaky defense, which fea- Portland continued its drive Arena on Wednesday night: tured a litany of breakdowns, for the fifth playoff spot in the They needed to win the to a lack of discipline. Beal Agencies Western Conference and had remaining three games on pointed to a lack of account- no regard for Miami, racing to a their West Coast road trip, ability and intelligence. 17-point win on Saturday. starting against the Sacra- “We bark too much,” Beal Portland began pulling away mento Kings, for any shot at said. CHICAGO: Reggie Jackson had in the second quarter and led by a playoff berth. “We say what we need to 22 points and Tobias Harris had as many as 28 points in the third “We just need to handle do. We scream at one another. 21 to lead the Detroit Pistons, to gain its fourth win in a row business like we’re supposed We can even try to blame who got double-figures scoring and seventh straight victory at to,” Wall said. Witt if we want to, but at the from all five starters, to a 94-90 home. Instead, the Wizards’ end of the day we’re still the win against the Chicago Bulls CJ McCollum (24 points), season, once bubbling with ones playing and we still beat on Saturday night at the United Damian Lillard (18) and Gerald immense promise and high ourselves. We do dumb stuff Center. Henderson (17) and center Mason expectations, likely took a on the floor. Just not hav- Harris’ put-back with 49.5 Plumlee (17) paced the Blazers in fatal blow with a hapless per- ing a man in transition or seconds left in the fourth quarter scoring. Moe Harkless added 14. formance in a 120-111 loss to not knowing where a guy is put the Pistons up 88-83. Jackson Pacers 115, 76ers 102 the Kings, the NBA leaders in half court or not knowing hit two clutch free-throws with C J Miles scored 25 points in dysfunction. Sensing the personnel. We just do dumb 20.4 seconds left to help Detroit off the bench, including the go- magnitude of the defeat, frus- mental lapses that just messes (41-36) secure its third win in four ahead 3-pointer with 3:39 left, tration simmered afterward up your game and ends up games against Chicago (38-38) as Indiana rallied to beat short- in the aged arena’s cramped hurting us in the long run.” this season. handed Philadelphia. visitors’ locker room. Not everyone agreed Jimmy Butler led all scorers Paul George added 20 points, “To me, it felt like we gave with Beal’s assessments, at with 28 points and recorded the eight rebounds and seven assists up,” Wizards guard Bradley least publicly. Asked whether first triple-double of his career for Indiana, the eighth seed in Beal said. he believed the team quit with career-highs in rebounds the Eastern Conference. Already bleak before Wednesday, Wall said no. On (17) and assists (12). The Pistons Isaiah Canaan had 24 for Wednesday’s debilitating Thursday, Wizards center stayed a half-game ahead of the Philadelphia (9-68), which needs result, the Wizards’ chances Marcin Gortat indicated on Indiana Pacers (40-36), who one victory in its remaining five to make the NBA play-offs Twitter that he didn’t appreci- defeated the Philadelphia 76ers to games to avoid matching the are now minuscule. ate Beal’s harsh public stance. keep their hold of the final playoff 1972-73 Sixers for the worst full- They entered Thursday But Beal wasn’t alone in spot in the Eastern Conference. season record in NBA history. 3 1/2 games behind Indiana questioning the team’s desire Chicago, which played without Kings 115, Nuggets 106 for the final Eastern Con- Wednesday. Wizards backup starters Derrick Rose and Taj Gib- Rudy Gay scored 25 points ference play-off spot, with center Nene, who recorded 15 son, trails Indiana by two games and grabbed nine rebounds, the Pacers owning the tie- points and six rebounds in the and the Pistons by 2 1/2 games. Ben McLemore had eight of his breaker between the two loss, indicated the team has Harris also finished with 14 in a decisive run in the fourth teams because of their one- continuously played without seven rebounds and four assists quarter, and shorthanded Sacra- point win in Washington last a sense of urgency. for Detroit, which got double- mento beat Denver. month. Washington (36-39) “You got to prepare your- figures scoring from Marcus Seth Curry scored 17 off the has seven games remaining. self,” Nene said. “You can’t Morris (16 points), Kentavious bench and Darren Collison and Indiana (39-35) hosts Orlando go to battle without know- Caldwell-Pope (13 points) and Willie Cauley-Stein had 14 each on Thursday night. ing how the enemy is going Andre Drummond (11 points for the Kings. The Kings played According to the statisti- to play. And you got to take and 11 rebounds). Pau Gasol had without DeMarcus Cousins and cal website FiveThirtyEight, it more seriously. You got to 16 points and 14 rebounds for the Rajon Rondo, who stayed in the Wizards have a 7 per- take it seriously. If you don’t Bulls, who got 14 points off the Sacramento. Denver was glad cent chance of advancing to play hard, they’re going to bench from Aaron Brooks. Chi- Cousins did not travel after he the postseason. ESPN’s BPI play hard and they’re going to cago and Detroit each have six averaged 38 points, 14.5 rebounds metric pegs the chance at 3 embarrass you. That’s what’s games remaining. and three blocks in the first two percent. Basketball-Refer- been happening to us.” The game was tightly- games between the teams. ence.com calculates it at 2.2 Next up for Washington contested from start to finish. percent. Basically, a miracu- are the 20-55 Phoenix Suns. It Neither team held a double- lous stretch must unfold over will be Markieff Morris’s first digit lead, there were 15 lead NBA RESULTS the next two weeks for the game there since his rocky changes and 13 ties. Detroit led Indiana 115 Philadelphia 102 Wizards to clinch a third con- tenure with the Suns ended Tobias Harris of the Detroit Pistons goes to the 46-45 at halftime, after a first Detroit 94 Chicago 90 secutive playoff appearance. with the Wizards acquiring half in which neither team led San Antonio 102 Toronto 95 basket against the Chicago Bulls during their Washington committed him on trade deadline day in by more than six. The Bulls went Sacramento 115 Denver 106 NBA game on Saturday at the United Center 20 turnovers Wednesday and exchange for a top-nine-pro- up 20-14 in the first quarter on Portland 110 Miami 93 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. dropped to 1-7 when allowing tected first-round pick (which E’Twaun Moore’s 3-pointer with at least 120 points this season. will likely go to the Suns). Murray posts first career shutout as Pittsburgh annihilate Islanders

Agencies All three of the Flyers’ tallies were Jeff Skinner scored for the Hur- with a man advantage. The Flyers ricanes, whose bid for a spot in the entered the afternoon 18th in the league postseason took a damaging blow. Goalie on the power play (18.1 percent) but were Eddie Lack made 22 saves for Carolina. NEW YORK: Goaltender Matthew Mur- able to capitalize on all but one Senators’ Sabres 4, Rangers 3 ray posted his first career shutout as the penalty on Saturday afternoon. Centre Ryan O’Reilly scored twice Pittsburgh blanked the Islanders on Sat- Flyers goalie Steve Mason stopped 33 as Buffalo prevented New York Rangers urday. of 35 shots for his 22nd win of the season. from clinching a playoff spot. Fellow rookie Oskar Sundqvist Stars 3, Kings 2 The Rangers have lost three straight scored his first NHL goal and the Pen- Jordie Benn and Patrick Eaves scored while the Sabres have won two in a row. guins became the second Eastern third-period goals as Dallas rallied past Zemgus Girgensons and Matt Moulson Conference team to clinch a play-off Los Angeles at Staples Center. also scored for the Sabres, who received berth. Dallas extended its Central Divi- 33 saves from ex-Ranger goaltender In clinching a postseason spot for the sion lead over St. Louis to four points Chad Johnson. 10th straight year, the Penguins moved and avoided a sweep of the three-game Kevin Hayes, Derek Stepan and J.T. closer to avoiding a quarterfinal matchup season series against Los Angeles. Coach Miller scored goals for the Rangers. with one of the East’s top two seeds. Lindy Ruff posted his 700th career NHL Backup goaltender Antti Raanta made Pittsburgh is in second place in victory, becoming only the fifth coach 14 saves on 15 shots in relief of starting the Metropolitan Division, five points to do so. goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. ahead of the fourth-place Islanders. The Kings continue to lead the The second- and third-place teams in Pacific Division despite the loss, hold- each division face each other in the first ing a one-point lead over the Anaheim NHL RESULTS round. Ducks with the Ducks holding one game Murray, making just his ninth NHL in hand. Pittsburgh 5 NY Islanders 0 start, recorded 24 saves after being Benn gave the Stars their only lead Philadelphia 3 Ottawa 2 pressed into duty for Marc-Andre Fleury with his second goal of the season at Dallas 3 Los Angeles 2 who was diagnosed with a concussion 15:02 of the third period. His slap shot Detroit 3 Toronto 2 on Friday. from the right point beat Kings goalie Tampa Bay 3 New Jersey 1 Oskar Sundqvist, Patric Hornqvist, Jonathan Quick. Florida 4 Montreal 3 Matt Cullen, Phil Kessel and Tom Kuh- Blue Jackets 5, Hurricanes 1 Buffalo 4 NY Rangers 3 nhackl scored for Pittsburgh, and Sidney Brandon Saad produced his first hat Columbus 5 Carolina 1 Crosby got his 600th NHL assist. trick as Columbus upended Carolina. Flyers 3, Senators 2 Boone Jenner also scored for the Blue San Jose 3 Nashville 2 (SO) Philadelphia kept up its late-season Jackets, reaching 30 goals for the sea- Calgary 5 Edmonton 0 Goaltender Matthew Murray of the Pittsburgh Penguins makes the second period save on Anders momentum, getting two power-play son, during the second period. Oliver Arizona 3 Washington 0 goals from Wayne Simmonds to pave Bjorkstrand scored for Columbus, which Lee (left) of the New York Islanders at the Barclays Center on Saturday in the Brooklyn Borough of the way to a victory over Ottawa. snapped a four-game losing streak. New York City during their NHL Game. 34 MONDAY 4 APRIL 2016 SPORT Ronaldo’s goal seals El Clasico win

Depleted Real bounce back for 2-1 victory as Barca’s 39-game unbeaten run at home ends

AFP

BARCELONA: Cristiano Ronaldo struck the winner as 10-man Real Madrid came from behind to end Barcelona’s 39-game unbeaten run 2-1 in El Clasico at the Camp Nou on Saturday. Gerard Pique’s towering header put the hosts in front on the night they honoured legendary former player and coach Johan Cruyff. Yet, Karim Benzema quickly lev- elled before Ronaldo fired home five minutes from time after Madrid cap- tain Sergio Ramos had seen the 21st red card of his career. Real Madrid’s Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo scores the winning goal during the Spanish league “El Clasico” against FC Barcelona at the Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona on Saturday. Victory reduces Barca’s lead over third-placed Madrid to seven points RIGHT: Football supporters hold-up coloured rectangular posters to form a giant mosaic reading, “Thank you Johan”, in tribute to late Dutch football player Johan Cruyff before the with seven games remaining. match. Atletico Madrid closed the gap on the leaders to six points with a a Barca jersey with the number 14 the only an incredible miss by Luis Suarez threatened the Barca goal when penalised for a push on Jordi Alba as 5-1 thrashing of Real Betis earlier on Dutch great adorned during his play- let Madrid off the hook on 10 minutes. Ronaldo’s shot was beaten away by LEGENDARY CRUYFF he headed in. Saturday. ing career. Neymar unselfishly squared for Claudio Bravo before Gareth Bale HONOURED Ronaldo then fired against the “I liked everything from my play- Yet, it was a sad end to a spectac- his Uruguayan strike partner, but blazed a volley over from a narrow bar and Bravo saved a one-on-one ers both defensively and offensively ular run for the European champions Suarez failed to make any connec- angle. with Bale as Madrid’s pace on the against a great team with very good as they tasted defeat for the first time tion from his low cross with the goal Barca started on the front foot break began to tear a tired-looking players,” said Madrid boss Zinedine since losing at Sevilla in October. at his mercy. again after the break and Navas home Toni Kroos’s deflected cross into Barca apart. The visitors’ hopes of a Zidane after a successful first Clasico “Their first goal damaged us and The hosts were enraged midway made a brilliant save to prevent Mes- the bottom corner. famous win looked to have gone when in charge. disorientated us and caught us out through the half when Lionel Messi si’s cheeky chipped effort floating in Bale had the chance to turn the Ramos was finally given his march- “When I see the team like this, of position,” said Barca coach Luis looked to have been brought down by at the far post. game on its head, but his tame effort ing orders for a second booking after fighting for their teammates, it is the Enrique. Ramos right on the edge of the area, But that save only momentarily on his favoured left foot was easily chopping down Suarez seven minutes best thing for a coach.” “One day it had to happen and it but referee Alejandro Jose Hernandez denied Barca as Pique rose highest held by Bravo as Madrid again threat- from time. There was an emotive homage happened today. Now we have to pre- waved play on with Ramos already to power home Rakitic’s corner on 56 ened on the counter-attack. However, just two minutes later to Cruyff before kick-off with over pare for the Champions League, rest having been booked. minutes. The Welshman did have the ball Ronaldo struck the winner as he 90,000 fans holding up a display and keep going.” Madrid grew into the game as The lead lasted just six minutes, in the net nine minutes from time, controlled Bale’s cross to the far post reading “Thank you Johan” alongside Barca started by far the better and the first half progressed and finally though, as Benzema swivelled to blast but was incredibly unfortunate to be before slotting under Bravo.

THINGS WE Real can win title after LEARNED FROM REAL WIN comeback victory: Bale Barca are beatable % It has been 40 games and six months since Barca tasted defeat, AFP earlier in the season. Gerard Pique’s but their defensive liabilities when towering header early in the second faced with pace on the counter-attack half put Barca in front, but Karim were exposed as Madrid could have Benzema quickly levelled as Madrid scored five times in the final half hour BARCELONA: Real Madrid star tore the hosts apart on the counter- after weathering a first-half storm Gareth Bale believes his side can attack after the break. from the European champions. still win La Liga after coming from And despite going down to 10 Ronaldo silences doubters behind to inflict Barcelona’s first men when captain Sergio Ramos % Cristiano Ronaldo extended his Real Madrid coach Zinedine defeat in 40 games with a 2-1 vic- was sent off seven minutes from lead as La Liga’s top scorer with his Zidane (left) gestures as tory in El Clasico. time, Bale crossed for Cristiano Ron- 43rd goal of the season and in the Madrid still trail Barca by seven aldo to strike the winner moments process silenced suggestions that he Barcelona coach Luis Enrique points with seven league games to later to spark belief Madrid can end hasn’t contributed enough in the big- looks on during El Clasico at play, but Bale also highlighted the a difficult season on a high. gest games so far this season. Camp Nou in Barcelona on importance of the victory to Madrid’s Real were embarrassingly %The Portuguese showed remark- Saturday. confidence ahead of their return to thrown out the Copa del Rey in able composure to take down Gareth Champions League action against December for fielding an ineligi- Bale’s cross five minutes from time Wolfsburg in the quarter-finals on ble player, but Bale believes having before slotting past Claudio Bravo for Wednesday. played a competition less than Barca his 16th goal against Barca. “If we wanted to win the league has allowed them to arrive fresher to Tiredness could cost Barca this was a game we had to win,” said the business end of the season. ‘Super Zidane’ the winner in another treble the Welshman. “Maybe being out of the Copa del % It was no coincidence that a “You never know, football does Rey helps a little bit, we’ve had less rare off night for Barca’s star front funny things to teams when you lose games. We’re feeling strong, confi- three of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and you never know what could dent now, and it’s one final push until Cruyff-tinged El Clasico and Neymar came days after all happen. All they need is a few bad the end of the season. three returned from South America results, we need a few good ones and “Tonight really does put us men- on World Cup qualifying duties for AFP we’re right back in it. tally in a strong position, we can beat their respective countries. three outgunned Barca’s star trium- Zidane’s savvy and willingness to “The most important thing today anyone on our day and we showed virate of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez take big decisions. % The difference between Bar- was to get the win to build confi- that. Barcelona have been saying and Neymar. Since losing 1-0 to local rivals ca’s dominance before the break and dence for the rest of the season. they’re the best team and we beat BARCELONA: A night that began Ronaldo’s winner five minutes Atletico Madrid last month after Madrid’s physical power in the sec- “There’s still the Champions them in their own back yard tonight. ond-half was striking. with a colourful homage to a leg- from time silenced critics of the which he questioned his side’s work- League as well, which we’re really “We had a game plan, we know endary Barcelona player turned three-time World Player of the Year rate and mental strength, two players % looking forward to.” we’ve got speed on the coun- Barca have already played 13 coach in Johan Cruyff, ended with that despite his 42 goals this season, of similar characteristics to Zidane The win was a huge turnaround ter-attack so we used that to our more games than Madrid this sea- Real Madrid’s own version of a one- he hadn’t produced enough in the big the player in James Rodriguez and son and whilst they should still have for Madrid in Zinedine Zidane’s first advantage. We know obviously if time playing great in Zinedine Zidane games. Isco have been sidelined for the more enough of an advantage to seal the Clasico in charge after suffering a you attack them they’re not the best celebrating his first big victory in Yet, it was Zidane who exited the defensive-minded Casemiro, who league title, fatigue could ultimately 4-0 thrashing at home to Barca defensive team in the world.” management. Camp Nou with his credibility most shone in midfield. end their quest to become the first side to retain the Champions League. Zidane’s men swept aside a tiring enhanced after his first Clasico since To his cost Rafael Benitez Barca in the closing stages of Satur- taking his first senior managerial role dropped the Brazilian in favour of Zidane proves his coaching day’s 2-1 El Clasico win at the Camp back in January. Rodriguez as Barca ran riot to win credentials Nou to bring a remarkable 39-game “Super Zidane” ran the front page 4-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu ear- % On a night when Barca paid unbeaten run by the European cham- of French sports paper L’Equipe back lier in the season. homage to the man with the rare pions stretching back six months to in his homeland. This time round Madrid defended ability to replicate his world class an end. Madrid’s hope in easing Zidane deep and rode their luck early playing ability as a coach in Johan Moreover, they did so hav- through the stages of assistant man- on before exploiting Barca with Cruyff, Zinedine Zidane showed the ing come from behind after Gerard ager and then youth team coach was their exhilarating speed on the first signs of having the tactical nous Pique’s towering header gave Barca based in hoping he could be their Pep counter-attack. to do likewise. an early second-half lead, and Guardiola. Despite defeat, Barca remain %Madrid were embarrassed 4-0 despite finishing with 10 men as cap- An ardent disciple of Cruyff, heavy favourites to win La Liga by Barca earlier in the season, but tain Sergio Ramos was sent off for the Guardiola superseded the Dutch great as they hold a six-point lead over were far more balanced as Zidane 21st time in his career. as Barca’s most successful ever coach Atletico Madrid with Real a further made the brave decision to leave the “Madrid needed a prestigious with 14 trophies in a glorious four- point back in third with seven games more flamboyant James Rodriguez victory and a performance of the year spell between 2008 and 2012. remaining. and Isco on the bench for the more highest quality,” said Madrid sports Madrid’s performance at the However, ever since Zidane’s defensive Casemiro in midfield. daily Marca yesterday. Camp Nou was far from the virtues appointment, Madrid have had one %Moreover, his decision to defend Karim Benzema and Cristiano of beautiful football extolled by Cru- eye on salvaging their season in deep and hit on the counter reaped Ronaldo got the goals, whilst Gareth yff and Guardiola, or even Zidane in the Champions League, where they Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale (right) in action during the “El Clasico” huge rewards in both the visitors’ Bale had another wrongly ruled out his playing days. meet Wolfsburg in the first leg of their against FC Barcelona at Camp Nou in Barcelona on Saturday. goals. on a night when Madrid’s ‘BBC’ front However, it demonstrated quarter-final on Wednesday. SPORT MONDAY 4 APRIL 2016 35

10th National Show Jumping Championship EL Jaish off for AFC clash in Uzbekistan

The Peninsula

DOHA: El Jaish have headed to Uzbekistan ahead of their AFC Champions League clash with Nasaf. The delegation is being headed by Secretary-General Khamis Al Kuwari . The side will be also joined by Uzbeki winger Sar- dor Rashidov who was given a few days rest by the club. Jaish trained ahead of their trip at Qatar University, and will have a full strength squad to choose from following their 1-1 draw with relegation threatened Qatar SC in Round 24. Sabri Lamouchi’s side are currently unbeaten in the AFC Action from the 120/125cm event at 10th National Show Jumping Championship at the Qatar Equestrian Federation (QEF) Club Main Arena. RIGHT: Hussain Saeed Hidan astride champions League this season, World Traveller receiving his trophy after winning the 125cm competition. Meanwhile, Khalid Hamad Al Atteya riding Viking D wasictorious v in 135sm event while Jaber Rashed and will be looking to continue Al Amri claimed win in 115cm after a fine run show by What a Lady. that good form when they take on Nasaf tomorrow. Nathan, Haroon back Unbeaten Camels 1 enter final for Al Rayyan DOHA: QSL champions Al Rayyan will have defen- sive duo Nathan and Mousa Title-favourites QATAR RUGBY SEVENS Haroon back for their round 25 Qatari Clasico match against stand on top with 14 Al Sadd next week. wins from as many Both defenders were game and skills. Very physical, we absent from Al Rayyan’s matches, likely to have some very sore bodies. Not quite 2-1 defeat at the hands of Al meet Hurricanes for happy with our performance, we have Gharafa on Friday evening. a lot of work on for next weekend but One player who will not be the Cup it feels great to have secured second available for Jorge Fossati will spot at the end of the regular season”. be defender Gonzalo Viera. In their only match of the evening The Uruguayan defender Camels 2 managed to block out Al picked up his fouth yellow Khor 22- 0. card of the season against The Peninsula The win for Camels 2 means they Gharafa and will sit out the easily retain third place (42) fourteen Clasico. In other team news, points ahead of Al Khor (28) and the the Rayyan squad trained on Lions (28). Best players for Camels 2, Saturday evening under the DOHA: Unbeaten Camels 1 advanced Rakan Mutawaa, Mubarak Al Malik, watchful eye of Jorge Fossati to the final as the last round of the Omer Bahamed and Maciej Lenar- and his team. Al Rayyan will Qatar Rugby Sevens was wrapped up towicz who also won the Copthorne be eager to get back to win- at the Aspire warm up and purpose Hotel’s man of the match. ning ways over bitter rivals El built rugby track on Saturday. Camels 2 captain Talal Mujalli Jaish, following defeats to El Camels 1 automatically advanced later said: “We are disappointed we Jaish and Al Gharafa. to the first ever Rugby Sevens Cup did not get outright second. We lost to finals after winning all their matches. the Hurricanes a few weeks back and The Camels registered fourteen since then we haven’t been playing too Lekhwiya straight wins from as many matches well. Hopefully that will change next to also take the minor premiership week as we will be at full strength. prepare for title. They stand first on 56 compe- Despite injuries to key players we are tition points and comfortably await supported strongly by Mutawaa and QRF President Yousef Al Kuwari and General-Secretary Ali Al Malki with Copthorne’s Man-of-the-Match Issac Al Nassr tie the outcome of the preliminary finals Mubarak. Our bench has also been a Banks of Hurricanes at Aspire warm up and purpose built rugby track on Saturday. to know who will challenge them for strong lending hand”. DOHA: Lekhwiya have started the Cup. Al Khor had a mixed night of preparations ahead of their The likely challenger to the Cam- emotions, however, captain Allen must-win AFC Champions els is the Hurricanes who although not O’Halloran remained upbeat and with too many dropped balls and with Al Khor however, the Lions bet- The 10.30am conference will offer League clash against Al Nassr. at their best managed to win two from played tribute to his team for their forced errors. The boys from the bay ter averages relegates Al Khor to fifth an end of season wrap to the Qatar The Red Knights are cur- two to claim out right second place. performances. capitalized on the Lions mistakes placing. Rugby Sevens with captains express- rently bottom of group B with They easily beat the Lions 29-0 Al Khor’s outstanding players converting them into points. The final In the other match played CNAQ ing their views on the championship four games played. The squad and accounted for Al Khor 29–12. The included Oskar O’Halloran, Matt score 33-10. beat the Blue Falcons 15-7. Both teams and the finals series. trained under the watchful eye Hurricanes were best represented by Davis, Tom Cartwright and Copthorne The Lions, however, bounced back will play in the Bowls finals when they The Qatar Rugby Sevens finals of head coach Djamel Belmardi Samuel Higgs, Thomas Ayling and Hotel’s man of the match, Thomas from their losses to overcome a very meet next Saturday night at Aspire. will be played on April 9 at the Aspire on Saturday evening. A host captain Issac Banks who won the Obrien. determined and spirited CNAQ 25 – The Qatar Rugby Federation sup- Warm Up and purpose built rugby of first team stars trained fol- Copthorne Hotel match award. The Lions riding high from last 7 and received a 35 point walk over ported by Qatar Olympic Committee track. The Quarter finals will start lowing their shock 2-0 defeat “After the match Banks said “We week won two and lost two. After from Al Khor. The two victories pro- will hold a press media conference 6.00pm, followed by the semis finals at the hands of Al Wakrah in had two very tough games tonight. leading early on in the opening match moted the Lions to fourth position on for the top five team captains today and finals. The event is free and open round 24 of the QSL. Lions and Al Khor have lifted their against Al Khor, the Lions collapsed the competition standings (28) equal at the QOC headquarters. to the general public. Workers Cup: Aalco make early exit

The Peninsula MedGulf pushed hard for an equaliser, 6-0, who have bowed out of the Group F by winning all three games in their dominance eventually tolled tournament with 3 losses in as many their group, Gulf Contracting Co once on the 27th minute when Emanuel games. Shapoorji took the lead after again cleared any doubts to position grabbed a goal, the first half ended just 5 minutes, scoring an easy tap-in. themselves as strong contenders for DOHA: Aalco crashed out of the 1-1. It was Outlook who grabbed the Shapoorji’s attacking intent was fur- the championship. The dramatic 6-0 Workers Cup after suffering a 2-0 loss decisive goal with just six minutes ther rewarded with three goals before loss to GCC, means that Byrne were to Larson & Toubro on Sunday as the left on the clock. Striker Amir picked half time courtesy of finishes from relegated to last place in Group F and football tournament which is under up the ball in his own half, a burst Mamuda (2) and Kwadwo making it have been knocked out of the tour- way heads into Round 3. of pace allowed the striker plenty of 4-0 at the break. nament on goal difference. Aalco’s defense was well drilled time to slot in the winner. Outlook Taleb Group 1 vs Al G4S 1 Nakheel Landscapes 0 vs Gal- but they could not prevent the first finishes at the top of the group with 9 Plenty of action in this evenly far Al Misnad (L&T) 0 goal by Arafat of L&T resulting in a points from their 3 winning matches. contested game that witnessed some Needing only a draw to progress shot that was intercepted by the goal- Dulsco Qatar 5 vs BOTC 0 determined effort by both teams to to last 16, Nakheel Landscapes got on keeper, but unfortunately the rebound Dulsco displayed a much secure a win to finish on top of Group the field with a clear game plan and went in, 1-0 for L&T. L&T pushed hard improved performance thrashing E. held their nerve to a goalless game in the second half and their efforts BOTC 5-0. Dulsco desperately need- Both teams kept their composure, against the technically sound Galfar where duly rewarded as they finished ing a decisive win to stay alive in the worked hard and maintained disci- Misnad, effectively knocking their with a 2-0 win. tournament, and had the upper hand pline on the field with tight defense. opponents out of the tournament. Outlook Trading & Contracting in the match. However, it was Raju of G4S who Dico-Tech Qatar 1 vs Midmac 2 vs Medgulf Construction 1 Dulsco exploited the well-known broke through in the 11th minute Contracting Co. 13 Both teams have qualified for the BOTC weaknesses and scored in the giving a much needed boost to the Midmac scored 13 goals against last 16 regardless of the result, how- first minute of the game intercepting otherwise struggling G4S attack. the in-experienced Dico-tech and ever they both battled it out to show a back pass to the giving John Baptist Taleb grabbed an equaliser in the narrowly secured their place in the Action from a Workers Cup their supremacy on the field. an easy tap in. Dulsco’s dominance second half thanks to the talented last 16. match in Doha on Saturday. Outlook pressure finally paid off continued, grabbing a further 4 goals, Abdelrahman, who leveled the scores Three of the top-rated teams are in the 13th minute attacker Arjun was with no reply from BOTC. at 1-1 in the 79th minute. in Group B and Midmac’s previous 2 too fast for the onrushing defenders Shapoorji Pallonji Qatar 6 vs Byrne Equipment Rental 0 vs losses to Outlook and MedGulf put and with a well-placed shot with his Trags 0 Gulf Contracting Co. (GCC) 6 Midmac in a rather uncomfortable right foot, found the back of the net. Shapoorji brushed aside Trags Maintaining their dominance of situation. 36 MONDAY 4 APRIL 2016

Two-time US Masters champion and the golf course’s designer, Jose Maria Olazabal (centre), plants first green along with young golfers at Qatar International Golf Club yesterday.

Olazabal plants first green at QIGC

It is truly rewarding for me to see how the golf course is coming to life and how our design ideas are taking shape in Qatar, says two-time US Masters champion

The Peninsula

DOHA: Qatar International Golf Club (QIGC) has reached a new milestone in its develop- ment as the first green was grassed yesterday, signifying the project’s first complete hole of the 18-hole championship course. To mark the occasion, two-time US Mas- ters champion and the golf course’s designer, Jose Maria Olazabal, was on-site to plant the first green. Olazabal was joined by the golf course project team as well as students and teach- ers from schools that are taking part in the golf club’s Pearl Coaching Programme. Launched in 2015, the Pearl Coaching Pro- gramme aims to make golf more accessible to young people, and, so far, it has introduced the game to more than 2,000 children in Qatar. Two-time US Masters champion and the golf course’s designer, Jose Maria Olazabal giving tips to a young golfer at Qatar International Golf Club (QIGC) yesterday. RIGHT: Olazabal commented: “I have had the Olazabal (centre) poses with officials. pleasure of visiting Doha six times since we started working on the Qatar International QIGC will comprise of an 18-hole champion- his design team has been instrumental, and championship course. We are aiming to sup- member of society regardless of age or abil- Golf Club Project. It is truly rewarding for me ship course as well as a 6-hole and a 9-hole for everyone involved in the project it is hugely port and encourage more people in Qatar to ity – from complete beginners to the world’s to see how the golf course is coming to life and course. Alongside a state-of-the-art learn- exciting to see the golf club’s vision taking take up golf. As such, we are eager to open our leading professionals – and focusses on acces- how our design ideas are taking shape. Our ing facility and family-friendly short forms of shape. We are confident that the championship doors in the coming months and the grassing sibility and enjoyment. whole team is obviously thrilled that grass- the game, QIGC aims to encourage everyone, course will offer a truly world class golfing of the first green is an important step towards It is working to become one of the most ing of the greens has begun.” regardless of age and ability, to experience experience. It is also great to see the local that,” Al Naimi added. sustainability-led golf developments in the “We are, however, even more excited that the sport. community engaged in this event and shows QIGC is a landmark project for Qatar and world as it aims to become a GEO Certified® the Pearl Coaching Programme is proving to Mohammed Al Naimi, Deputy General the progress we are making in our vision to the world of golf, offering a revolutionary and Development. be a success, with several thousand children Manager of QIGC, said: “Today marks an grow the game of golf in Qatar.” holistic approach to growing the game of golf. The unrivalled combination of a premium across schools in Doha being given the oppor- important stage of development as we start “The QIGC project is not just about provid- The innovative facility, which will be located golfing, leisure and sports education facility tunity to learn more about the game,” he said. the final stages of construction - the grass- ing a unique experience for advanced golfers. in Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, in one location, Qatar International Golf Club, “It is wonderful news for the region, and ing of the greens.” Our facilities range from family friendly short and Community Development’s (QF) Educa- is set to be truly unique to the region and the for golf itself,” the legendary golfer concluded. “The support of José Maria Olazabal and formats of the game right up to the 18-hole tion City, has been designed to support every world. Al Kharaitiyat snatch a point at Al Khor

The Peninsula QATAR STARS LEAGUE

DOHA: Al Kharaitiyat yesterday snatched a point in their Qatar Stars woods with just two more rounds to League (QSL) clash against Al Khor go in the QSL season. Al Kharaitiyat when striker Yahia Kebe fired in late have 23 points from 24 matches. Al goal in a 1-1 draw. Kharaitiyat have now shared points Battling relegation fears, 12th- in 6 drawn matches this season. placed Al Kharaitiyat owed it to Eleventh-placed Al Khor have a Kebe’s 88th minute at Al Khor Sta- tally of 29 points from 24 matches. dium where the hosts had taken the Al Khor, coached by Frenchman Jean lead through South Korean Heedo Fernandez, have drawn 5 matches. Park in the 29th minute. QSL title race has already been Kebe produced a low header from decided with Al Rayyan claiming the inside the Al Khor box for his team’s win early last month. only goal in the had-fought clash. Al Rayyan (61 points), Al Sadd (45), Earlier, Park fired a bullet from El jaish (44) and Lekhwiya (41) are the the edge of the Al Kharaitiyat box for top four sides in QSL this season. his team’s only goal in the first half. Only Qatar SC (23 points) and Al Kharaitiyat and Al Khor players during their Qatar Stars League (QSL) Action from the QSL match between Al Kharaitiyat and Al Khor at Al Coached by Amar Osim, Al Mesaimeer (23) are below Al Khor Khor Sadium yesterday. match at Al Khor Stadium yesterday. Kharaitiyat are still not out of the and Al Khraitiyat.