ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED NEWSPAPER

Friday 21 December 2012 8 Safar 1434 - Volume 17 Number 5555 Price: QR2

ICE to buy Wins for India, NYSE Euronext Pakistan in in $8.2bn deal Asian hockey

Business | 13 Sport | 21

www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780

A video camera in the sky Qatar to pour up to $265m a year into PSG

PARIS: Qatar will pour up to ¤200m ($265m) a year into Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) under an advertising contract designed to help the French club meet UEFA’s financial fair-play rules, according to French media. The deal, already submitted to French football’s controlling body (DNCG), has been struck with the Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) and will run until 2016, daily Le Parisien said yesterday. PSG have spent more than ¤250m in transfers since the Qatari fund QSI bought the club in June 2011 and must comply with new financial fair play regu- lations, which require clubs not to spend more than they earn. In a first in Qatar, a TV Channel has begun using remote-controlled flying video camera to cover camel racing. In races that began in Al Shahaniya yesterday, the camera was used. A jeep PSG are playing in the with the remote followed the racing camels on a driveway that runs parallel to the racing track. It was a four-km race yesterday. SYED OMAR Champions League for the first time since 2004 and broadcasting rights for the French top flight are the lowest in the top European leagues, so the club were looking for a new revenue source. According to Le Parisien, QTA will pay between ¤150m and ¤200m Doomsday tale a hoax: Astronomer a year to PSG for the club’s help in promoting the country abroad. QTA is linked to the Qatari state, as are the club’s owners QSI. Sheikh Salman bin Jabor Al Thani says some in Qatari community also believe prediction The deal is retroactive, mean- ing QTA will put the money in DOHA: The doomsday tale pre- when the world would end, why the threat was modified further “It’s a foolish talk,” said Sheikh do, and I think the problem with the club for 2012 to help PSG dicting the end of the world today couldn’t they predict the end of and suggestions were offered that Salamn of the Mayan doomsday them is more psychological than bear the cost of their latest sign- is a hoax, says a famed Qatari their own civilization? the ‘disaster’ would be restricted tale. According to him, in the Holy anything else,” Al Sayed said, ings, including striker Zlatan astronomer, as he tries to con- “Their generations perished and to certain countries. And that’s Books of Muslims, Christians as well putting the blame on the media, Ibrahimovic who is reportedly vince through media interviews they couldn’t foresee their own where people looking for chances as Jews, there is extensive mention which he believes has blasted the earning a net ¤14m a year. PSG some in his own community who end,” said Sheikh Salman, tongue of making money stepped in. of clear signs of the doomsday. “So, entire issue out of proportion. were not available for comment. believe the tale to be true. in cheek, talking of the Mayans’, Insurance companies took ben- believers aren’t going to lend their Today’s media are so strong REUTERS According to the ancient whose so-called calendar ends efit of the panic and made a kill- ears to talks predicting the end of that if anything happens in one Mayan calendar, the world ends today after a span of 5,125 years. ing, as people thought “let’s get the world today.” corner of the world, news about Qatar donates $20m today and it has triggered a hys- He said in remarks to The insured so if something happens Mohamed Yaqub Al Sayed, it reaches the other corner in no teria the world over with many Peninsula that the whole thing to us, our families would be finan- another educated Qatari, said time. And they (the media) also to Tunisian revolution people swayed by the tale. initially started with suggestions cially secure”. since their society is Muslim, a create hypes. Take the example Sheikh Salman bin Jabor Al that there would be total destruc- In Russia, some people began vast majority of the people do not of the turn of the last century, martyrs fund Thani, from the Qatar Scientific tion—the world would vanish. The accumulating food to prepare for believe in the Mayan doomsday said Al Sayed. “So much was said Club (QSC), says he wonders that speculations were modified later, ‘emergencies’, whereas in some speculations since the predic- about Y2K, but ultimately what TUNISIA: Tunisian Prime if the ancient Mayans were so and it was suggested that the other western societies people tions contradict Islamic teach- happened?...This time around Minister Hamadi Al Jebali has good at making predictions and destruction would be partial. jumped off bridges and ended ings and belief. also, nothing would happen.” received $20m as a donation coming up with calculations about And, then, still later, the talk of their lives in panic. “However, there are a few who THE PENINSULA from Qatar for the benefit of the fund of the Tunisian revolution martyrs, wounded persons and victims of tyranny in Tunisia. Winter storm The donation was handed Kuwait closes over by Qatar’s Ambassador Omanis to vote in civic to Tunisia Saad bin Nasser Al Hemaidi during a meeting with opposition-linked Al Jebali yesterday. election tomorrow The Ambassador said after television station the meeting that the donation, which comes under the direc- MUSCAT: Omanis vote in But the municipal polls appear KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait yes- tives of the Heir Apparent their first municipal election to be drawing scant attention terday closed private television H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad tomorrow, a modest opening among the native population of station Al Youm, which backs Al Thani, represents a contri- apparently designed to stem about two million. the opposition, on the grounds bution by Qatar to Tunisia to discontent about graft and Although Muscat’s normally it failed to meet administrative compensate the martyrs of the lack of jobs in what is normally staid streets have been plastered conditions, the government said. Tunisian revolution. He noted one of the Arab world’s quiet- with posters of candidates prom- The opposition blasted the that the donation is a first est corners. ising to fix roads or build park- decision as a means to silence amount that will be followed Stability in the small Gulf oil ing lots, many Omanis say the opponents, claiming the state by a second next year. producer and US ally is important local vote is meaningless because was increasingly becoming a Tunisian Minister for Human because it sits opposite Iran on municipal councils hold little or police state. Rights and Transitional Justice, the Strait of Hormuz, the conduit no power. “The information ministry has who attended the meeting, said for almost a fifth of petroleum “I don’t think these guys will scrapped the licence of a satel- that fund is a joint account traded worldwide. make any significant changes lite station for violating the terms raising donations from within One of the oldest Arab states because they will not be politi- of the licence and after failing to Tunisia and from abroad. and under absolute rule by H M cians and can’t make changes meet a deadline to rectify its sit- An automobile is damaged by a Mercedes-Benz dealership sign fol- He said the account was Sultan Qaboos bin Said for 42 where needed,” said Malik Al uation in line with the law,” the lowing a winter storm in Mobile, Alabama, yesterday. The first major opened a few months ago, not- years, Oman experienced unrest Malki, a civil servant. “They ministry said, quoted by the offi- winter storm of the year took aim at the US Midwest, triggering high ing that the Qatari donation inspired by Arab uprisings else- are not like the Shura Council cial KUNA news agency. was the first to be deposited in wind and blizzard warnings across a widespread area, and a threat of where early last year, with sev- members, who can make enough Al Youm Chairman Ahmad the fund’s account. QNA tornadoes in Gulf Coast states to the south. eral strikes and protests against noises to create jobs for our Al Jabr confirmed to AFP via unemployment and corruption. children.” an SMS text message that the The government swiftly The Shura Council has been channel had received orders to promised to create thousands elected regularly since 1991 by a shut, and the station went off of jobs, announced plans for limited pool of voters. Universal the air immediately. Mohammad municipal polls and granted suffrage was adopted in 2003. Al Daas, general manager of the Runaway workers, illegal vendors nabbed the sultanate’s only elected Of the 1,475 candidates vying channel, which was set up more body, the Shura Council, some for 192 municipal council seats, than a year ago, said it would DOHA: Law-enforcement agen- from the Search and Follow-Up illegal vending activity, Al Sharq legislative power. fewer than 50 are women, reflect- challenge the decision in court. cies rounded up a number of run- department of the Interior reported. According to government fig- ing a belief among some Omani “Al Youm channel has received a away workers and illegal vendors Ministry nabbed a number of Illegal vending is a common ures, Oman created more than women that men do not want to letter from the information minis- during a two-day drive that coin- workers who had escaped their practice with some low-income 52,000 public sector jobs between see them in public office. “Men ter scrapping the station’s licence cided with the National Day. sponsors. workers. They sell things like January and October this year, vote for themselves and ask their with immediate effect. The station The arrests were made on the The public security personnel cheap watches, pirated movie as well as at least 22,000 in the wives and daughters to vote for will seek recourse in court against streets as well as at and near the also launched a crackdown on and music CDs and DVDs, books, private sector. An official said the male candidates,” said Salha Al this unfair decision,” Daas said on venues where National Day cel- illegal vendors in different areas clothing and eatables like vegeta- number of registered unemployed Mudathir, a businesswoman who Twitter. The station has broadcast ebrations were held in different who, taking advantage of the holi- bles and fruits — the latter mostly fell to 17,230 at the end of October owns a chain of boutique shops. programmes sympathetic with the parts of the country. day and festive mood during the in the Industrial Area. 2012 from 68,007 a year earlier. REUTERS opposition. AFP During the campaign, sleuths National Day, were involved in THE PENINSULA FRIDAY 21 DECEMBER 2012 02 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com HOME

Water everywhere...

www.swiss-belhotel.com Tel Fax

Tel Fax A waterlogged Tabouk Street in Ras Abu Aboud Area of Doha. Some low-lying areas across the country continue to be waterlogged after incessant rains lashed Qatar on December 16. SALIM MATRAMKOT

Tel Fax

Tollfree Promoting saving habits Fax Georgetown University to introduce curriculum for migrant workers Tel BY FAZEENA SALEEM migrant worker has Fax good savings and DOHA: A curriculum to edu- goes back for good, cate migrant workers about he or she will not Tel saving habits is likely to be return. And migrant Fax introduced in Qatar soon. workers will not stay Georgetown University in for a longer period Qatar is preparing to develop as many of them such a curriculum and edu- come here for finan- Tel cate the workers through cial reasons. Fax workshops. “It would be ideal The initiative has been taken if the workers and www.doha.hilton.com following successful single finan- their families could cial education workshop which be educated before Tel +974 44233333 was able to make a group of leaving their coun- migrant workers from Kerala, try,” Dr Seshan said. Fax +974 44233000 India to send home the equiva- “Saving is not lent of an extra Rs20,000 in the about building a space of just over a year. The house, they can’t eat amount is almost two months it when they go back worth of household expenses. for good. Therefore “It was actually a wake up proper financial call for many workers,” Dr habits are impor- Ganesh Seshan, an Assistant tant,” he added. Professor at Georgetown The study begun Assistant Professor at Georgetown University-Qatar, Dr Ganesh Seshan. University-Qatar told The in 2010 on economic KAMMUTTY VP Tel Peninsula yesterday. and social aspects of “Basic financial education workers choose a group of 230 of non-resident Indians in the asked to make pledges to stop Fax would help them to develop sav- Keralites, as they are among Gulf for over a decade. smoking,” he said. ing habits, so we are looking for the highest migrant population The workshop has spoken to A follow-up survey was later developing a curriculum for the in the country. All of them were the workers on basic methods done with the same couples migrant workers,” he said. married and their wives live in of changing financial habits by between January and April Tel The curriculum would be India. The men and their wives changing attitudes. 2012, with the outcomes exam- Fax developed as the second phase were interviewed. “The first question we asked ined more than a year after the of the ‘Transnational Household The financial education them was, will their families be workshop concluded. Finances: A Field Experiment workshop was offered in late able to enjoy the same stand- The findings were interesting; on the Cross-Border Impact November 2010. A five hour ards of life if they have to return the workers have started man- Tel of Financial Education for workshop was conducted home today,” said Dr Seshan. aging finances, increased sav- Fax Migrant Workers’, by the by K V Shamshudeen based “Participants were told to ings and remittances to their Georgetown University in Qatar in the UAE. He is the chair save first and spend next.” families in India. They have also funded by the Qatar National of Pravasi Bandhu Welfare “The speaker advocated the started joint-financial decision Research Fund. Trust and has been working to importance of reducing unnec- making. Dr Seshan also explained if a improve the financial welfare essary spending. They even THE PENINSULA Tel Fax Trucks to get Tel Traffic diversion near Souq Waqif Fax dedicated DOHA: Public Works Mohamed Street. Traffic movement on Jassim Authority (Ashghal) has Similarly, a stretch of Jassim bin Mohamed Street shall be parking lots announced a traffic diversion Bin Mohammed Street north- restricted to one-way traf- at Msheireb zone near Souq bound toward Corniche Street fic northbound from Msheireb Tel Waqif effective from today. will be closed between Rayyan Street Roundabout, with provi- DOHA: Fax The Ministry of The diversion is in order Road – Souq Intersection and sion to head eastward toward Municipality and Urban to start the reconstruction southbound between Rayyan Souq and westbound toward Planning has allotted dedi- and upgrade works of Rayyan Road Intersection and Msheireb Rayyan road. THE PENINSULA cated parking areas for trucks Street and Jassim bin Mohamed Street Roundabout. in different parts of the coun- Street. try in a bid to reduce traffic Traffic will be diverted congestion in the city espe- partly by closing Rayyan cially in the peak hours. Road heading eastbound  The parking lots are spread from Al Diwan Street up North Tel over Al Shamal, Umm Qarn, to Rayyan Road – Souq Closed Road Fax Al Wakra road and Rowdat Al Intersection, reaching up Rashid. All the trucks com- to Asmakh Street and ing from Al Shamal to Doha traffic on this route will Open Road are required to park in Umm be diverted to southward Tel Qarn and those coming from (Al Diwan Street). Fax the south of Doha towards Al Commuters who need Wakra should park at the area to take a turn eastward dedicated along the Wakra road. on Msheireb Street www.renaissancedoha.com Trucks heading from the toward Souq Waqif and West towards Rowdat Al Rashid Grand Masjid should Tel +974 44195000 have been given parking space in proceed northbound on Fax +974 44195100 the area and they are not per- Jassim bin Mohamed mitted to park inside Doha. Street. Traffic along The Ministry is working on Rayyan Road will be more dedicated parking areas limited to one-way for trucks in other parts of the westbound and those country, in line with a Cabinet who need to go through directive, Al Sharq reported yes- Rayyan Road should terday. THE PENINSULA access it through Jassim FRIDAY 21 DECEMBER 2012 HOME www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 03

Emir congratulates Qatar can be hub for e-health: Expert South Korean president-elect South Korean minister leads 18-member delegation at medical industry forum in Doha DOHA: The Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa BY MOHAMMAD SHOEB business opportunities Korea Al Thani and the Heir and Qatar can work together for Apparent H H Sheikh DOHA: Qatar with its strate- mutual benefits,” he added. Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani gic location combined with the “We have already established have sent cables of congratu- existing healthcare and educa- our system. A lot of people go to lations to Park Geun-hye on tion facilities, can emerge as a Korea and Singapore from Qatar the occasion of her victory in hub of e-health and e-education and other Arab countries, travel- the South Korean presiden- in the Middle East and North ling long distances, to have plastic tial election. Africa (Mena), a senior official surgeries. There is no reason why The Prime Minister and of the Ministry of Knowledge we can’t develop a similar system Foreign Minister H E Sheikh Economy of the Republic of here.” Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabor Al Korea said yesterday. Kim is here with an 18-member Thani has also sent a similar He suggested that e-health and delegation comprising senior offi- cable to the new South Korean e-education services can easily be cials from public and private com- president. achieved by connecting existing panies. Korea Business Centre, a facilities with cutting-edge IT commercial arm of the Korean services. embassy, held a meeting on Emir sends cable “Korea and Qatar share strong “Korea-Qatar Medical Industry partnership in the field of energy; Cooperation Forum” yesterday. of condolences to and now it is time to diversify the The forum was co-organised by Mauritania president bilateral trade relations,” Chang Qatar Chamber, Korea Chamber Kyu Kim, Director General for of Commerce and Industry, Korea DOHA: The Emir H H Emerging Economies Cooperation Digital Hospital Export Agency, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa at the Ministry of Knowledge and Yonsei University Healthcare Al Thani and the Heir Economy, Commerce, Industry System, in their efforts to advance Apparent H H Sheikh Tamim and Energy, Republic of Korea and broaden cooperation in the bin Hamad Al Thani have told The Peninsula. medical field between the two sent cables of condolences Within a very short period of countries. They also held meet- and sympathy to President time, Korea has developed many ings with senior officials of the of the Islamic Republic of competitive industries such as Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health. Mauritania Mohamed Ould automobiles, shipping, electronics Connecting health and educa- Abdel Aziz on the death of (smartphone) and a well devel- tion through IT, Kim asserted, Ibtihaj Mohammed Al Ahmdani, Board Member of Qatar Chamber, presenting a memento to Chang K Kim, Director Former President Al Mustafa oped information technology (IT) can be another stage of new busi- General, Emerging Economies Cooperation, Ministry of Knowledge Economy, Commerce, Industry and Energy, Ould Mohamed Al Salek. industry. ness opportunities. The Prime Minister and Republic of Korea, at a function held in Doha yesterday. SALIM MATRAMKOT “I don’t think what we have “Take the example of the LCD Foreign Minister H E Sheikh achieved so far is enough. It has display industry. Just a decade Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabor not reached to the final stage. ago there was no such industry can revolutionise the healthcare industry, but now it is time to its companies such as Samsung, Al Thani has also sent a simi- We can do a lot in the field of in existence. Now we have flex- industry for diagnosing and treat- produce smart-cars. So we have LG, Hyundai, KIA and many oth- lar cable to the Mauritanian healthcare and education sector ible display facilities; and within ing patients from far away places. immense opportunities with great ers are rubbing shoulders with President. by sharing our state-of-the-art the next five years the industry is Eyeing at Qatar’s emerging challenges.” global giants, but many believe IT services with Qatar,” he added. going to witness a sea of change. business opportunities, Kim reit- Although, Korea has estab- that its experience of becoming a “With Qatar aspiring to So we have immense business erated: “We are good in IT, but lished itself as an emerging knowledge-economy has limited Heir Apparent become a diversified knowledge- opportunities waiting,” he said. just IT is not enough. We also knowledge economy powerhouse relevance for other countries. based society, there are host of He suggested that LCD devices have a well developed automobiles in a very short period of time; and THE PENINSULA receives call from King of Jordan DOHA: The Heir Apparent H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani yesterday Doha to host Middle East received a telephone call from King Abdullah II of Jordan. During the call the leaders water summit next year reviewed relations between the two countries and discussed DOHA: WaterWorld Middle conference tracks will include a range of topics of common East 2013 conference and exhi- presentations by Dr Corrado interest. bition will bring the global water Sommariva, president of the sector together at the Qatar International Desalination National Convention Centre Association, Khalil Atasi, chief Prime Minister from February 4 to 6 next year. executive officer of CDM-Arabia, Organised by PennWell in part- Prof Thomas Missmer from the receives message nership with Qatar’s Public Works King Abdullah University of from Kuwaiti Dy PM Authority (Ashghal) as platinum Science and Technology (KAUST) sponsor, WaterWorld Middle East and Dr Ilham Kadri, General DOHA: The Prime Minister 2013 will showcase Qatar and the Manager MEA, Dow Water and and Foreign Minister H E region’s biggest opportunities in Process Solutions, UAE. Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem the water sector. Key conference topics to bin Jabor Al Thani has The strategic and technical be discussed at WaterWorld’s received a written mes- conference will feature Nasser Al Middle East will include Utility sage from Kuwaiti Deputy Kuwari, Manager of the Drainage Management; Water Resource Prime Minister and Foreign Projects Department at Ashghal, Management; Wastewater Reuse; Minister, H E Sheikh Sabah delivering a presentation on Industrial Water Treatment; Khalid Al Hamad Al Sabah. Qatar’s Inner Doha Re-sewerage Technology Debate: Wastewater One of the mosques that was handed over to the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs by Ashghal. The message is on bilateral implementation strategy (IDRIS) Options. ties and other issues of com- programme. A panel debate on mon concern. The IDRIS programme is “Desalination’s Changing Ashghal hands over three mosques to Awqaf Ministry The message was received designed to provide new munici- Landscape – Thermal to RO”, will by Assistant Foreign Minister pal drainage and wastewater bring together representatives of DOHA: The Public Works construction styles, local tradi- project started in May last year for Foreign Affairs, H E Ali treatment for Doha south area thermal, membrane, hybrid and Authority (Ashghal) has tions and Islamic architecture. and was completed by November bin Fahad Al Hajiri, during a and is set for completion in 2019. forward osmosis desalination to handed over three new mosques The Juma Masjid at Industrial this year. The other two mosques meeting here with Kuwait’s Other event supporters will discuss the latest projects, results to the Ministry of Awqaf and Area was constructed with an are located in Al Wakra – Masjid Ambassador to Qatar, Ali include the Arab Countries Water and technologies in lively compar- Islamic Affairs after completion area of 3,328 sq m and the facili- No 9 has an area of 340 sq m and Salman Al Haifi. Utility Association (ACWUA) ative debate. of construction. ties include residence of Imam, Masjid No 11 occupies 420 sq m The meeting was attended and industry analysts, Frost Tom Freyberg, Conference All the three structures greenery and parking space, of area, with parking space for 37 by a number of officials at the & Sullivan, as the Knowledge Director of WaterWorld Middle represent a blend of modern among others. The QR12,687,185 cars. THE PENINSULA Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Partner. East, said: “A clear technology QNA The conference and exhibi- shift is being witnessed in the tion will see over 50 speakers conversion of seawater to pota- and eminent chairs and speak- ble, drinking water. For decades ers from 20 countries around the Qatar and other Middle Eastern world deliver presentations and nations heavily relied on giant Charity donates panel discussions in response to thermal desalination facilities. Food grade plastic: Public the opportunities and challenges Yet increasing water scarcity and food for the needy in water supply and sanitation in lower cost membranes are mean- the MENA region. ing large scale, plants are coming on National Day Top speakers across two online. THE PENINSULA asked to keep an eye on logo DOHA: The Sheikh Eid Charity Association marked DOHA: The Joint Food ensure the packaging of food. The committee held a meet- the National Day in a differ- Monitoring Committee Arabic and local bread ing with the representatives of ent way by distributing surplus at the Supreme Council in food grade bags which the local manufacturers produc- food collected from parties and of Health (SCH) has have the unified signs and ing plastic packaging for food and QOC to promote healthy lifestyle banquets held on the day to called on the public to codes, said the statement. also with bakeries’ owners. low-income expatriate workers report any violation of The municipalities They discussed the approval of with Schools Olympic Programme and needy families. the law that makes it will conduct tests on unified signs and codes for their The organisation distributed mandatory for bakeries International plastic samples from the products. DOHA: With the beginning years of success with an increase a total of 19,600 food packets and food outlets to use logo for food approved food companies A time limit has been given to of the current Olympic ses- of participation by 400 percent to 1,000 needy families and 700 “food grade” plastic for grade plastic twice a year to ensure all the food companies to accom- sion 2008-2012, the Qatar since its inception in 2007-2008. expatriate labourers. packaging hot food and their compliance with modate their conditions and Olympic Committee (QOC) and The programme began with 7,000 All the families who received beverages. the health regulations. to provide the approved plastic the Supreme Education coun- students and has so far reached food had been registered with In a statement issued on The committee has also urged material, said the statement. cil have launched the Schools 20,000 students from 370 schools. the charity and were receiv- Wednesday, the committee said all people to report immediately The committee has approved a Olympic Programme (SOP) to The current edition of the ing regular support from the that all the plastic wrappers must any violation to the municipali- number of local plastic companies encourage the community indi- Schools Olympic Programme is organisation. show the internationally approved ties concerned. The committee according to the lab results which viduals adopt healthy lifestyle. being held under the theme of The project was part of an logo of Food Grade (Fork and has set up a specialised team to have proved its compliance with The SOP is a pioneer idea “sport and investment” where innovative scheme launched by Cup) and a code for each com- study the approved plastic mate- the health standards and food that came in response to the participants compete in nine the organisation recently that pany. Those signs and codes will rials consistent with the scientific grade. Those companies have also prestigious initiative of the Heir sports including football, volley- aims to make use of surplus food facilitate the inspection process studies and adopted international been given dedicated codes along Apparent H H Sheikh Tamim ball, basketball, handball, table from wedding parties and ban- conducted by municipalities. standards. with certificate of compliance by bin Hamad Al Thani who is tennis, athletics, swimming, fenc- quets for the benefit of the needy. The municipalities have circu- Samples of all locally used the SCH. also President of the QOC in an ing, gymnastics, and tennis. The food distributed on the lated a list of the approved plas- plastic packaging material have The Joint Food Monitoring attempt to link sports activities The SOP also aims to engage National Day included rice, meat, tic companies and factories to been sent to international labs to Committee comprises representa- with others, beside encouraging the community in an active, chicken, vegetable and dates. all bakeries and food companies ensure their endurance to high tives from the SCH, Ministry of schoolchildren to practice sports healthy lifestyle and promote a People from more than 30 areas using plastic material for packag- temperatures in contact with Municipality and Urban Planning, as an integral part of their daily sports culture in Qatar, in line across Doha, Al Khor and Wakra ing food. food as well as its resistance to Ministry of Environment and the life. with the goals of Qatar’s National benefited from the project. Strict inspection procedures food acidity and fats without any Ministry of Business and Trade. The SOP has celebrated five Vision 2030. THE PENINSULA THE PENINSULA will be applied on all bakeries to impact on the safety of packaged THE PENINSULA FRIDAY 21 DECEMBER 2012 04 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com MIDDLE EAST Hollande Rebels fight for strategic town in Hama acknowledges Russia more concerned by Syria’s fate than Assad’s, says Putin brutal French rule in Algeria BEIRUT: Rebels began to push killed, 30 were wounded, and doz- into a strategic town in Syria’s ens of homes were destroyed, said ALGIERS: French President central Hama province yester- activist Safi Al Hamawi. Francois Hollande yesterday day and laid siege to at least one Hama is home to dozens of acknowledged France’s “brutal” town dominated by President Alawite and Christian villages colonial rule over the Algerian Bashar Al Assad’s minority among Sunni towns, and activ- people, without having to apolo- sect, activists said. ists said it may be necessary to lay gise, as he sought to launch a new The operation risks inflaming siege to many minority areas to era in ties on a two-day visit. already raw sectarian tensions as seize Morek. Rebels want to cap- “Over 132 years, Algeria was the 21-month-old revolt against ture Morek to cut off army supply subjected to a profoundly unjust four decades of Assad family lines into northern Idlib, a prov- and brutal system,” Hollande told rule - during which the presi- ince on the northern border with the Algerian parliament on the dent’s Alawite sect has dominated Turkey where rebels hold swathes final day of a landmark visit to leadership of the Sunni Muslim of territory. the North African country, to majority - rumbles on. From an offshoot of Shia, applause from MPs. Opposition sources said rebels Alawites have largely stood “This system has a name: it is had won some territory in the behind Assad, many out of fear colonialism and I recognise the strategic southern town of Morek of revenge attacks. Christians suffering that colonialism inflicted and were surrounding the Alawite and some other minorities have on the Algerian people,” he said. town of Al Tleisia. claimed neutrality, with a few In the audience were numerous They were also planning to take joining the rebels and a more mujahedeen veterans who fought the town of Maan, arguing that sizeable portion of them support- in the vicious 1954-1962 war of the army was present there and ing the government out of fear of independence from France that in al-Tleisia and was hindering hardline Islamism that has taken Buildings damaged by missiles fired by a Syrian Air Force fighter jet at Zamalka, near Damascus, yesterday. killed an estimated 1.5 million their advance on nearby Morek, root in some rebel groups. Algerians. The French president a town on the highway that runs Activists in Hama said rebels said activist Mousab Al Hamdee, said Syrians would ultimately don’t want) this to go on forever.” said after arriving in Algiers on from Damascus north to Aleppo, were also surrounding the speaking by Skype. decide their own fate and called The West and some Arab states Wednesday that he had not come Syria’s largest city and another Christian town of al-Suqeilabiya He said he was optimistic that for a negotiated transition period accuse Russia of shielding Assad to say sorry for the crimes com- battleground in the conflict. and might enter the city to take potential sectarian tensions with instead of attempts for military after Moscow blocked three UN mitted during the colonial period, “The rockets are being fired out army positions as well as those Christians could be resolved but victory. Security Council resolutions as some, including a dozen politi- from there, they are being fired of “shabbiha” - pro-Assad mili- that Sunni-Alawite strife may be “We are not concerned about intended to increase pressure cal parties, have demanded. from Maan and Al Tleisia, we tias, the bulk of whom are usu- harder to suppress. the fate of Assad’s regime. We on Damascus to end the violence But he stressed the importance have taken two checkpoints in ally Alawite but can also include Any solution to the conflict understand what is going on that has already killed more than of recognising what happened as the southern town of Morek. If we Christians and even Sunnis. in Syria must ensure President there and that the family has held 40,000 people. a way of beginning a new era in want to control it then we need to “We have been in touch with Bashar Al Assad’s forces and his power for 40 years,” Putin told a Moscow has been reluctant to bilateral relations, saying nothing take Maan,” said a rebel captain Christian opposition activists in opponents do not simply swap news conference. endorse the “Arab Spring” popu- would come from “forgetfulness in Hama rural area, who asked Al Suqeilabiya and we have told roles and fight on forever, Russian “We are worried about a differ- lar revolts of the last two years, or denial”. not to be named. them to stay downstairs or on the President Vladimir Putin said in ent thing - what next? We simply saying they have increased insta- Hollande referred to specific Activists said heavy army lowest floor of their building as Moscow yesterday. don’t want the current opposition, bility in the Middle East and cre- atrocities, notably the massacre shelling had targeted the town of possible, and not to go outside. In what appeared to be his first having become the authorities, to ated a risk of radical Islamists at Setif, where nationalist unrest Halfaya, captured by rebels two The rebels have promised not to direct comments on the possibil- start fighting the people who are seizing power. that broke out at the end of World days earlier. Seven people were hurt anyone who stays at home,” ity of a post-Assad Syria, Putin the current authorities ... and (we REUTERS War II was brutally suppressed by French forces, leaving thousands dead. “On May 8, 1945, when the world triumphed over brutality, France forgot its universal val- ues,” Hollande said. The truth should also be spo- Egyptian prosecutor retracts resignation ken about how Algeria gained its independence, “in this war whose name was not mentioned CAIRO: Egypt’s chief pub- than 1,000 members of his staff immediately announced they were expected next year. The opposi- against attempts by the Muslim in France for a long time.” “We lic prosecutor, forced to quit gathered at his office in Cairo suspending work and would stage tion, a coalition of liberals, leftists, Brotherhood, Mursi’s political have a duty to speak the truth this week after opposition pro- to demand that he step down. an open-ended protest outside Christians and secular Muslims, base, to dominate Egypt. about the violence, injustices, tests, retracted his resignation Mursi’s decision to appoint Ibrahim’s office. called for a “no” vote against a “For the sake of the future, massacres and torture,” he said, on Thursday, setting the stage Ibrahim, instead of leaving the Ibrahim’s about-face came 48 document it views as leaning too the masses of our people should adding that doing so strengthened for more turmoil as the nation appointment to judicial authori- hours before Egyptians vote in a far towards Islamism. The first strongly and firmly say ‘no’ French-Algerian ties. votes in a referendum on its ties, threatened the independence referendum on a divisive new con- day of voting on Dec. 15 resulted to injustice and ‘no’ to the political future. of the judiciary, the angered pros- stitution championed by Mursi as in a 57 percent majority in favour Brotherhood’s dominance,” the Prosecutor Talaat Ibrahim, ecutors said. a vital step in Egypt’s transition of the constitution. The second Front said in a statement. UAE shuts office appointed by President Mohamed Ibrahim described his removal to democracy almost two years stage on Saturday is expected to A senior Front member, Abdel Mursi when he assumed sweeping from office as “mysterious and after the fall of Hosni Mubarak. produce another “yes” vote as it Ghaffar Shokr, head of the of US research new powers last month, said he abnormal” and said it was now up The opposition, facing defeat covers regions seen as more con- Popular Socialist Coalition Party, had changed his mind because his to the justice minister to decide over the constitution, urged vot- servative and likely to back Mursi. said that if the constitution was resignation on Monday had been on his future, according to the ers to reject the Islamist-backed The National Salvation Front, approved, the opposition would go institute RAND offered under duress. state-run al-Ahram news website. charter and pledged to fight on the main opposition coalition, said on fighting to change it. Ibrahim had quit after more Several prosecutors to amend it during elections a “no” vote meant taking a stand REUTERS ABU DHABI: The United Arab Emirates has shut down the Abu Dhabi office of the RAND Corporation, the American policy research institute, in the latest of several closures of for- eign research institutions and think tanks in the Gulf Arab state this year. The UAE, a major oil exporter and regional business hub, has not seen the unrest that has ousted autocratic Arab rulers elsewhere, but analysts and diplomats say the US ally is anxious to prevent any instability spreading to its turf. In March, the UAE closed two international think-tanks promoting democracy overseas, Germany’s Konrad-Adenauer- Stiftung (KAS) and the U.S.- funded National Democratic Institute (NDI), citing licensing irregularities. “We were asked by the authorities in Abu Dhabi An Iraqi soldier stands guard during a ceremony to receive two American- built vessels in Iraq’s southern to close the office,” Jeffrey Hiday, province of Basra, yesterday. director at RAND’s office for media relations, told Reuters in an emailed statement. He declined to comment on the Britain pays out millions reason for the closure. No UAE official was available for comment. RAND has had a small repre- sentative office in Abu Dhabi since to torture victims in Iraq 2010, Hiday said, which “facili- tated evidence-based research LONDON: The British groups and lawyers represent- almost £70,000, including costs. and analysis by RAND experts Ministry of Defence (MoD) ing former prisoners say that The MoD says it is negotiating in such areas as education, public has paid out £14m in compen- the abuse was systemic, with payments concerning a further safety and environmental health”. sation and costs to hundreds military interrogators and 196 individuals. Lawyers repre- The clients for RAND research of Iraqis who complained that guards responsible for the mis- senting former prisoners of the were emirate- and federal-level they were illegally detained treatment acting in accordance British military say that more government institutions, he said. and tortured by British forces with both their training in the than 700 further individuals during the five-year occu- UK and orders issued in Iraq. are likely to make claims next pation of the south-east of The campaigners are call- year. Talabani in Germany the country. Hundreds more ing for a public inquiry into Most of those compensated claims are in the pipeline as the UK’s detention and inter- were male civilians who said for treatment Iraqis become aware that they rogation practices following they had been beaten, deprived are able to bring proceedings the 2003 invasion. An inquiry of sleep and threatened before BERLIN: Iraqi President Jalal against the UK authorities in would be a development the being interrogated by British Talabani, a key figure who the London courts. MoD would be eager to avoid. servicemen and women who had has long sought to bridge bit- The MoD says it is investigat- Payments totalling £8.3m detained them on suspicion of ter divides in his war-scarred ing every allegation of abuse that have been made to 162 Iraqis involvement in the insurgency country, arrived in Germany has been made, adding that the this year. There were payments against the occupation. Others yesterday for treatment after majority of British servicemen to 17 individuals last year and said that they suffered sexual he suffered a stroke. German and women deployed to Iraq 26 in the three years before humiliation and were forced into Foreign Minister Guido conducted themselves “with the that. The average payment to stress positions for prolonged Westerwelle said Talabani, 79, highest standards of integrity”. the 205 people who have made periods. was in the country for medical However, human rights successful claims has been GUARDIAN NEWS care. AGENCIES FRIDAY 21 DECEMBER 2012 ISLAM www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 05 The Quranic perspective of the world

BY DR MUZAMMIL H SIDDIQI diversity that creates prejudices and divi- sions among peoples. So glory be to Allah when you reach Among His signs are the creation of the evening and when you arise in the morning. Heaven and Earth and diversity in your Praise belongs to Him throughout Heaven tongues and colours. In that are signs for and Earth, and during the night and when those who know. (Quran 30: 22) you are at your noon hour. He brings the liv- 5. Allah Almighty has also given us day ing from the dead and brings forth the dead and night for work and for rest. It is a from the living, and He revives the earth sign of Allah Almighty that we go to work after its death. Thus shall you all be brought and earn for ourselves, for our families forth... (Holy Quran 30: 17-27) but we are also able to take rest. In this are signs for those who hear. Those who very system whether religious hear the word of Allah Almighty they or secular has its worldview. know the proper ways of work and the The term “worldview” is taken proper ways of rest and relaxation. Efrom the German expression Among His signs are your sleeping at Weltanschauung (image of the world) night and by day, and your pursuit of His as was introduced by the famous phi- bounty. In that are signs for any folk who losopher Emmanuel Kant (d. 1804). listen. (Quran 30: 23) Worldview denotes “a set of implicit or 6. Allah also tells us that thunder and explicit beliefs or assumptions about the lightening should remind us about Allah’s origin of the universe and the nature of Power and Majesty. They have an ele- human life.” These beliefs or assumptions ment of fear but they also have a lot of affect people’s life and behavior. advantages for us. With proper use of Recently there is a debate going on our intellect and reason we can take full concerning the Intelligent Design versus advantage of these natural resources. the current theory of evolution. Some Among His signs is how He shows you people think that evolution is the scien- lightening for both fear and anticipation. He tific way to understand this universe and sends water down from the sky so He may any other belief about the origin of this revive the earth with it following its death. In world and especially human species is that are signs for folk who use their reason. mythological and unscientific. (30: 24) Serious students of this subject, how- 7. Finally we are reminded that we are ever, know that the current theory of not here forever. We shall die and Allah evolution itself is based on a certain will resurrect us on the Day of Judgment. worldview. This worldview is known With one call we shall all come out. Thus as “materialism.” Materialism is a phi- This world view makes human beings both humble and dignified. It we must remain conscious of Him and losophy that argues that matter is all His guidance in this life so that we can that there is. It denies God’s existence satisfies the heart and mind. It provides guidance and helps human find eternal bliss and salvation in the or does not give much attention to God. Hereafter. According to materialists, the universe beings to live morally and decently. It broadens the horizons of Among His sings is that the Heaven and is self-existent. They assume that every- human beings and gives them the sense of belonging to each Earth hold firm at His command. Then thing in the universe, including the life whenever He calls you forth, out of the earth, within it, is the product of blind, purpose- other. It fosters love, harmony and peace; it removes egotism and you shall all come forth. All those who in less forces of physics and chemistry. the Heavens and Earth belong to Him; all Authentic religion and proper scien- selfishness as well as racialism and rivalry. are subservient to Him. He is the One who tific inquiries work with each other with- starts out the creation; then He shall repeat out any problem or difficulty. If we carefully study the “signs of away life. All praise belongs to Him in 3. Allah created males and females it again. It is simple for Him to do. For Him Materialism denies the existence of Allah” in His Book and carefully inves- the Heaven and on Earth. All praise is with a proper proportion in nature and is the Supreme Example in Heaven and the human soul too. According to this tigate and analyse the nature we should for him in the morning, evening, noon in human species. He made them suitable Earth; He is All Powerful, All Wise. view, we are nothing but highly organized reach the same conclusion. In this way, time and at night. for each other. He created spouses and (30: 25-27) molecules, and our ideas, feelings, and Islamic position is that there is no inher- So glory be to Allah when you reach he also put love and mercy in the hearts This is the Islamic worldview and this emotions are simply chemical reactions ent contradiction between religion and evening and when you arise in the morning. of the spouses for each other. They have should affect our thought and action. inside our brain cells. The real issue is science. Authentic religion and proper Praise belongs to Him throughout Heaven physical attraction and they have spir- This worldview is reasonable, logical not whether some organisms have a com- scientific inquiries work with each other and Earth, and during the night and when itual links and thus they work with each and scientific. There is no myth in this mon ancestor or not. The real issue is without any problem or difficulty. The you are at your noon hour. other and take care of their children and worldview; it is simple and clear. This whether life is created by Allah Almighty difficulties come only when religion is He brings the living from the dead and other family members. Thus family is also worldview is comprehensive and uni- or evolved by itself. mixed up with mythology or when science brings forth the dead from the living, and He the creation of Allah. versal. It covers all the basic aspects of Whatever worldview people have, it transgresses its limits and boundaries. revives the earth after its death. Thus shall Among His signs is that He created human life: individual, family, economic affects their thought and action. Islam The Aayat from Surat Ar-Rum (30:17- you all be brought forth. (30: 17-19) spouses for you from among yourselves so and social. It answers all questions about also has its worldview. The Quran con- 27) give us a beautiful panorama of divine 2. Allah created human beings from that you dwell in tranquility with them. He where the life came from, where it will go tinuously draws our attention to the fact signs in this world. They are given to cre- dust. He gave them beautiful shape and has planted love and compassion between and what is the purpose of life. This view that this universe is created by a Powerful ate a worldview. Allah Almighty is call- form and scattered them all over this you; in that are signs for people who reflect. makes human beings both humble and and Knowledgeable Creator. ing us: earth. Allah created us as a special crea- ( 30: 21) dignified. It satisfies the heart and mind. (Al Zukhruf 43:9). 1. To glorify and praise Him (tasbih, tion. This is our honor. He, however, cre- 4. Human beings are many and diverse. It provides guidance and helps human There are many places in the Quran hamd), ated us from dust and this means that Same type of mouth, tongue and jaws, but beings to live morally and decently. It where Allah Almighty points towards the 2. To reflect on His creation (tafakkur), we must not be arrogant. Dust also indi- they have different voices and in different broadens the horizons of human beings creation as Aayat. As there are Aayat 3. To learn from observation and cates the elements of the earth and so in lands and cultures they speak different and gives them the sense of belonging to (signs) in the Book of Allah, the Quran, research (`ilm), our bodies we have the same substance languages and dialects. The varieties of each other. It fosters love, harmony and so there are also signs in the Book of 4. To listen to His words (sam`), as plants and animals. Our physiology colours are immense. No two people have peace; it removes egotism and selfishness Nature. The Aayat of the Quran are 5. And to use our reason (`aql). resembles other creatures; but our nature the same colour even within the same as well as racialism and rivalry. called wahy matluw (recited revela- There are seven important points is special and unique. family. Those who know this principle of I pray to Allah Almighty to help us tion) while the Aayat in the universe given in the verses as follows: Among His signs is that He created you variety learn how to live in peace, har- with this worldview and adopt it fully in are called wahy mashhud, that is, wit- 1. Allah is the Creator. He creates out from dust; then you are spread out as human mony and justice with each other. It is our thoughts and actions. Ameen. nessed revelation. of nothing. He gives life and He takes beings. (30: 20) not knowledge but the ignorance of this www.onislam.net Giving up sins: An easy prescription

here are many Muslim of wealth: the clothing, shelter, take part in reenacting the same doing’, will Inshallah result in brothers and sisters transport, food, drink, and so bad deeds. We will develop shame having our sicknesses are cured. throughout the world many other comforts. We use and modesty which will make it Twho, due to various them all, but do we keep in mind, easy to restrain from haraam TOGETHER WITH THIS: negative influences and bad the Generous Benefactor? Do we (forbidden) things. We should •Attend the talks of the elements, find themselves ‘de- give thanks for these bounties or also express gratitude on good learned Scholars of Islam when- railed’ from Deen (religion). show any appreciation to the deeds and make dua to Allah that ever possible, and/or listen to Many others sit on the fence, Giver? we continue to do take part in recordings of their talks and wanting to enjoy or benefit •Develop the conscious carrying out those actions. read their books to benefit from from both sides of the fence - awareness that Allah is always •Ponder over the fact that pious, righteous company. engaging in sins as well as being with us: He watches us, He the Angel of Death does not •Make the effort to pray practical on certain teachings hears us and He knows all and give respite. How would it be punctually. Men should make of Deen. However, deep in their everything about us. We can- if while one were obeying the every effort to make their Salaah hearts is the desire to get back not hide from Him and we can- nafs (self, ego) in sinful pleas- in Jamaat (congregation). on track, and once again become not conceal our actions from ure, the Angel of Death visits •Read good, Islamic litera- good, practical Muslims; to jump Him. Then should we not feel and makes the departure not ture. Abstain from magazines off the fence and enjoy the green ashamed that in His Presence, only a disgrace, but returns the or books that have filthy and pastures of Islam. we are disobeying Him? Are we human being to Allah at a time indecent contents and pictures. A standard prescription is as not showing ingratitude to the when He is extremely angry. • Major content in television follows. Alhamdulillah, many Benefactor, when engaging in May Allah protect us all from is forbidden. If a person offers who followed through with the sins in His very Presence? death in a state of transgression. a full glass of clean and pure prescription have found a whole •Ponder over the fact that •Death is inevitable - and often, water, and mentions that there new life - of peace, happiness, Allah has blessed us with the gift unexpected. No true Muslim is just one drop of urine, would blessings and mercy. Once a of sight, hearing, health, wealth, would want to be seized by the any sensible person, drink it? believer tastes the sweetness etc. However, what He gives, He Angel of Death when Allah is When the major content of tel- that comes with obedience, can also take away and stated displeased. So many things on evision is haraam, what should there is no desire to return to that ingratitude for His Gifts will the market are instant (instant then say? When the gaze, heart any form of disobedience. As draw very severe punishment. coffee, tea, noodles, etc.) very and mind are consuming and Muslims, we should: •Keep in mind that the much like death. So any sin is too digesting so much of haraam •Abstain from committing angels are also witnesses to all much of a risk in the face of the viewing, what else would be the sins, out of love for Allah. He our actions; that the earth is reality of death. The Hadith is end result except indulgence in has granted us so much - He recording our behaviour and it explicit: We will be resurrected the same haraam. has granted us everything and is documented in our books of on the Day of Judgment as we •Lower the gaze from the it is the nature of human beings deeds. On the Day of Judgment have died and we will die as we opposite sex. that we love whosoever is kind we will all be held accountable have lived. Would any Muslim •Dress as a Muslim should and generous to us. Then what of to Allah for the actions and want to rise up on the Day of - A person with this appear- Allah who has provided us with deeds that we have committed. Judgment in sin, for all of man- ance will think a hundred times everything? The sight, hear- •Muraqabah is meditating kind to witness what kind of life before engaging in an open sin, ing, speech, the organs that are on the actions that we have he led? when he is being recognised as functioning in such an amazing engaged in during the day: We Contemplating on the conse- someone who must be very pious. manner, the limbs - all in our should reflect over our deeds for quences of sinful behaviour and So this attire and appearance will service - for eating, drinking, the day and seek forgiveness for putting a little bit of Mujahada offer a protection, Inshallah. walking, sitting, etc. The gifts shortcomings and resolve not to (effort), which entails ‘not www.islamicbulletin.com FRIDAY 21 DECEMBER 2012 06 VIEWS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com

Editorial

ESTABLISHED IN 1996

CHAIRMAN: SHEIKH THANI BIN ABDULLAH AL THANI Gun control EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: KHALID AL SAYED E-MAIL: [email protected] President Obama deserves praise ACTING MANAGING EDITOR: HUSSAIN AHMAD E-MAIL: [email protected] for his determination to introduce EDITORIAL: TEL: 44557741 / 44557743 gun control measures. FAX: 44557746 / 44557758 P. O. BOX: 3488, DOHA, QATAR. E-MAIL: [email protected] S President Barack Obama has mustered enough courage and publishing a report that gets read and then pushed aside. He ADVERTISING: TEL: 44557837 / 780 FAX: 44557870 to take on the powerful gun lobby in the country to introduce called for quick action. Obama realizes that he wouldn’t get a more Unew control on firearms. The president said on Wednesday opportune occasion to move on this subject. There are two messages CLASSIFIED: 44557857 E-MAIL: [email protected] that he would submit broad, new gun control proposals to Congress no which are very encouraging. First, Obama has made it unequivocally later than January. The extent of the reforms is not known and will be clear that this time he means business and would commit the power of SUBSCRIPTION / HOME DELIVERY clear in the coming days, but the president will be creating history by his office to overcoming political opposition. Second, the National Rifle TEL: 44557809 /839 FAX: 44557819 embarking on these reforms which was considered unthinkable until Association (NRA), has signaled that it’s ready to bend and provide E-MAIL: [email protected] the Connecticut massacre last week which shocked the nation and meaningful contributions to prevent future massacres. the world, in which 28 people including 20 children were killed. The It is also said that the Democrats have grown less fearful of the SUBSCRIPTION RATES furry and the anguish which the massacre unleashed has given him National Rifle Association (NRA), the powerful gun lobby. The over- ANNUAL QR 675 the courage and but more importantly, it’s his personal determina- whelming horror of Newton shooting is one factor, and many rural 6 MONTHS QR 340 tion and willingness to challenge the powerful gun lobby that will be Democrats, who were supporting the NRA, are said to have lost their remembered more. Also, after the shooting, the president has raised seats in the past two congressional elections. Political battlegrounds the moral bar for himself and wouldn’t be able to retreat from that have also shifted away from those rural areas to the suburbs, where position. the NRA holds less control and there is call for curbs on guns. Obama fully understood the urgency of the issue and acted accord- Obama’s achievement is no small thing because, with an annual ingly. He announced a commission headed by Vice President Joe Biden budget of more than $200m and the ability to reach millions of people to drum up some wide-ranging recommendations. But commissions through various means, the NRA is one of the most fearful lobbies PUBLICATION are known to delay action and the president scotched any doubts in Washington. The president must show the same determination to sceptics might have about his intentions. He said it wasn’t a com- fulfill his other promises like closing the Guantanamo Bay and finding mission where folks are going to be studying an issue for six months a solution to Middle East conflict.

Over 132 years, Algeria was subjected to a profoundly unjust The other side and brutal system. This system has a name: it is colonialism and I recognise the suffering Quote of that colonialism inflicted on the the day Algerian people. Park makes history Francois Hollande n a closely contested presidential elec-tion held on Wednesday in French President the Republic of Korea, Park Geun-hye, the conservative ruling INew Frontier Party candidate, beat her liberal rival Moon Jae-in to make history as the country’s first female leader. How she will deliver her pre-election promises and create “a new era” for Asia’s fourth-largest economy will have far-reaching significance for the 29th-richest country in the world and beyond. As the daughter of former ROK president Park Chung-hee, Park’s victory is believed to have been aided by her fellow countrymen’s nostalgia for her father’s 18-year rule, which helped to lift the ROK from poverty to developed-nation status. Her efforts to play down her conservative stance and make her views different from those of current President Lee Myung-bak have also paid off. During Lee’s five years in office, the ROK’s export-driven economy has slowed down due to the global economic crisis. Social inequality and a high youth unemployment rate have made Lee increasingly unpopular. Apart from fixing these domestic woes, Park will also be tested over her policy toward the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. If she keeps her campaign promises and sets out to reduce enmity between Seoul and Pyongyang, it will greatly ease the tension between the two neighbors. Many people in the ROK believe Lee’s hardline stance toward the DPRK has backfired and pushed the two neighbors further apart in recent years. During his rule, Lee made a major departure from the “sunshine policy” of engagement with Pyongyang, as advocated by Lee’s two liberal predecessors Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun. Ties between Seoul and Pyongyang sank to their lowest level for years in 2010 due to disputes over the sinking of an ROK warship and the shelling of an island. The satellite launch by the DPRK last week further strained bilateral ties. Given that the situation on the peninsula has become increasingly fragile, a transfer of power in the ROK could present a good oppor- tunity for the parties concerned to renew their diplomatic efforts that could pave the way for ushering in lasting peace and stability on the peninsula. During the election campaign, Park proposed a “trust-building process” on the peninsula. She obviously understands that improving ties between Seoul and Pyongyang caters to the interests of the two and the region as a whole. It is hoped she will translate her words into action soon. CHINA DAILY Cartoon Arts International / The New York Times Syndicate Canada’s First Nations protest heralds a new alliance BY MARTIN LUKACS The Minister of Aboriginal of its prisons’ inmates. In the far more corrupt than non-native Chief Spence is starving herself to Canadians have often turned a Affairs John Duncan has dis- north, the rate of tuberculosis is municipalities. see upheld – signed by the British blind eye, having been taught to ANADA’S placid winter missed the escalating protest a stunning 137 times that of the Billions have indeed been spent Crown in the 1700 and 1800s, and see the rights of aboriginal peo- surface has been broken movement, saying “that’s social rest of the country. And the sui- – not on fixing housing, building the Canadian government until ples as a threat to their interests. Cby unprecedented protests media, so we’ll just have to see cide rate capital of the world? A schools or ending the country’s the early 1900s – mean the land’s Dare to restore sovereignty to the by its aboriginal peoples. In just where that goes.” He told inter- small reserve in Ontario, where two-tiered child aid services, but wealth should be shared, not original inhabitants, the story a few weeks, a small campaign national media that relations with a group of school-age girls once on a legal war against aboriginal pillaged. goes, and Canadians will be hus- launched against the Conservative First Nations are “very good”. If signed a pact to collectively take communities. Every year, the gov- Federal and provincial govern- tled out of their jobs and off the government’s budget bill by four only that were the truth. What their lives. ernment pours more than $100m ments have tried to claw back land. Or more absurdly, onto the aboriginal women has expanded remains unspeakable in main- Such realities have not stopped into court battles to curtail abo- these rights using every means first ships back to Europe. and transformed into a season of stream politics in Canada was politicians and pundits from riginal rights – and that figure at their disposal: unilateral leg- But here’s the good news. discontent: a cultural and political recently uttered, in a moment of prattling on about the sums sup- alone went to defeating a single islation and one-sided negotia- Amidst a hugely popular national resurgence. rare candour, by former Prime posedly lavished on aboriginal lawsuit launched by two Alberta tions, spying on and demonizing movement against tar sands tank- It has seen rallies in dozens of Minister Paul Martin: peoples. The myth that aborigi- First Nations trying to recover aboriginal activists, and, when all ers and pipelines that would cross cities, a disruption of legislature, “We have never admitted to nals freeload off the state serves oil royalties essentially stolen by else fails, shuttling troublesome aboriginal territories, Canadians blockades of major highways, ourselves that we were, and still to conceal the real scandal: that bureaucrats. leaders to jail. are starting a different narra- drumming flash mobs in malls, a are, a colonial power.” most money pays for a sprawling Despite such odds, the highest Parliament will soon debate a tive: allying with First Nations flurry of Twitter activity under The evidence – and source of government bureaucracy that courts of the land have ruled time bill that would break up reserves that have strong legal rights, and the hashtag #IdleNoMore and a the current anger and unrest – is keeps aboriginals poor, second- and again in favour of aboriginal – still, mostly, collectively held – a fierce attachment to their lands hunger strike by Chief Theresa hard to dispute. While Canada has class, and dependent. The wide- peoples. Over the last three dec- into individual private property and waters, may, in fact, offer the Spence, in a tepee minutes from the world’s largest supply of fresh spread notion that First Nations ades, they have recognized that that can be purchased by non- surest chance of protecting the Ottawa’s parliament. Into her water, more than 100 aboriginal mismanage and squander what aboriginal nations have hunting, native speculators. The unde- environment and climate. Get tenth day, Spence says she is communities have tapwater so funds they do receive is simple fishing and land rights, in some clared agenda of government behind aboriginal communities “willing to die for her people” to foul they are under continual prejudice: government reports cases even outright ownership, policy is the same as it was a that have vetoes over unwanted get the prime minister, chiefs and boil alert (pdf). Aboriginal peo- acknowledge that communities over vast areas of unceded ter- century ago: a grab for resource- development, and everyone wins. Queen to discuss respect for his- ples constitute 3% of Canada’s are buried under a mountain of ritory in British Columbia and rich lands, and the assimilation of THE GUARDIAN torical treaties. population; they make up 20% strict accounting; they are no elsewhere. And that the treaties aboriginal nations. FRIDAY 21 DECEMBER 2012 VIEWS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 07 Report debunks claims of Benghazi cover-up

White House, led by people like reported Fox’s Jennifer Griffin. The problems at UN Ambassador Susan Rice, was “When he and others heard the engaged in a massive cover-up. shots fired, they informed their Benghazi started This anger and panic added higher-ups at the annex to tell impetus to a study of the Benghazi them what they were hearing killings, conducted by the State and requested permission to go to months before Department’s Accountability the consulate and help out. They Review Board. The grimmest were told to ‘stand down,’ accord- the attack, not in tales, the fodder for outrage and ing to sources familiar with the fulmination, were debunked. In exchange. Soon after, they were fact, the problems at Benghazi again told to ‘stand down.’ “ a fit of on-the- started months before the The “stand down” line reso- attack, not in a fit of on-the-spot nated. On this year’s presidential spot cowardice. cowardice. campaign trail, Sen John McCain According to the report, the said he was hearing from “vet- BY DAVID WEIGEL incident began around 9:42 pm, erans all over the world” about after the day’s work was over. (To how the commander-in-chief uring the drive to one simplify matters, I’ve converted had left men behind. “Four brave of President Barack the military time in the report Americans lost their lives, and Obama’s final cam- to standard time.) There were they didn’t have to!” said McCain paign stops, navi- seven Americans at the consu- at an Oct 30 Ohio rally for Mitt gating the suburbs late, which consisted of several Romney. “Beginning, during, and Dof Columbus, Ohio, I found a buildings, and they were guarded ending that terrible period in dozen or so protesters standing by four members of the February Benghazi, the United States presi- where the media might see them. 17 Martyr’s Brigade. “Guarded” is dent was AWOL.” This made it They held up handmade posters, a lose term. A regional security sound like Obama, atop the chain demanding more questions and officer saw, via a security cam- of command, allowed yellow-bel- answers about the September 11 era, that “dozens of individuals” lied bureaucrats to let men die. attack on America’s consulate in were marching through the com- That’s not backed up by the US Senator Bob Corker (right), questions Deputy Secretary of State William Burns and Deputy Secretary of State Benghazi. One sign simply named pound’s main gate. The guards report. At 9:50 pm, the main for Management and Resources Thomas Nides during testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee the four Americans killed that had fled; a police car, which was American embassy in Tripoli yesterday on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. day, in letters too big to miss. The supposed to be outside, was gone. was talking to Stevens, who said others assigned blame: The official account continues: the consulate was under attack Obama Said “Stand Down” “Just prior to receiving the TDY “before the call was cut off.” The inhalation.” The report describes UN Ambassador Susan Rice in response to this report. That Ask About Benghazi RSO’s distress call shortly after Americans scrambled to send the start of the clash as a ram- probably talked her way out of was what investigators asked for, Tell the Truth Obama [9:42] local, the head of Annex a security team from Tripoli paging mob of “armed intruders” a promotion by sticking to talk- basically, blaming the circum- Media at the time conservative security heard multiple explosions to Benghazi. In the intervening who “used filled fuel cans that ing points on the event and say- stances in Benghazi on “senior media, especially were reporting coming from the north in the hours, Stevens was killed, pro- were stored next to new, unin- ing a “spontaneous” protest was State Department officials” who every possible turn, twist, and direction of the SMC. The Annex nounced dead at around 2 am stalled generators at the February hijacked by an armed “clusters of “demonstrated a lack of proactive revelation about the attacks. security head immediately began “by apparent smoke inhalation.” 17 living quarters near the C1 extremists.” McCain and other leadership and management abil- The “stand down” theory origi- to organise his team’s departure Three hours later, the security entrance to burn that building,” critics scoffed at the gullibility on ity.” They failed to provide secu- nated in an October 26 Fox News and notified his superiors, who team arrived, and “less than fif- and “lit on fire vehicles that were display. “Most people don’t bring rity before Sept 11. On Tuesday, EXCLUSIVE (capital letters in began to contact local security teen minutes later, the Annex parked nearby.” Stevens had been rocket-propelled grenades and describing the video he’d been the original), which reported that elements to request support. The came under mortar and RPG requesting more security, but on heavy weapons to a demonstra- able to watch of the attack, Sen the CIA “chain of command” had Annex response team departed attack, with five mortar rounds the ground, that day, things were tion,” said McCain on CBS News, Bob Corker told reporters that “told the CIA operators twice to its compound in two vehicles at impacting close together in under quiet until the mob arrived. speaking immediately after Rice. the compound was so wanly pro- ‘stand down’ rather than help” approximately [10:05] local.” 90 seconds. Three rounds hit the As Erik Wemple points out, The truth lay in between the tected that “you or I could have besieged Americans. A comple- The October 26 Fox News roof of an Annex building, killing this contradicts the other dam- talking points and the snark. The walked right in.” mentary theory, advanced by report doesn’t read this way. security officers Tyrone Woods aging accusation from the scan- mob that crashed the consulate That doesn’t suggest a real- the father of the murdered Navy “Former Navy SEAL Tyrone and Glen Doherty.” They weren’t dal known as “Benghazi-gate.” was attacking diplomats. But they time campaign of cowardice. It SEAL Tyrone Woods, suggested Woods was part of a small team denied help. The help came too The Obama administration’s first were able to kill our ambassador, doesn’t suggest a cover-up, either. that the White House had a who was at the CIA annex about a late. That doesn’t alter the trag- fumbling attempts to explain the and sow confusion, by setting It suggests that the neglected “live feed” of the attack and sat mile from the US consulate where edy, but it alters the context. killings put them in the context fires. The weapons came later. budget for embassy security needs shiva, doing nothing. Another Ambassador Chris Stevens and Back to the death of Stevens, of “protests” against a viral anti- So far, four State Department a harder look in 2013. theory, universally shared: The his team came under attack,” the murder committed by “smoke Muhammad movie. On Sept 16, officials have been disciplined WP-BLOOMBERG The last stand of Somalia’s Jihad High stakes for Cuba in BY JAMES VERINI Chavez’s cancer battle ncredibly, a small port city, BY MARC FRANK a study in ruin in a coun- exchanging thousands of medical try that is a parable of ruin, personnel for oil. Iboasts two airports. There s Venezuelan President One economist warned that if is the new airport, as it’s known, Hugo Chavez recov- a loss of Venezuela’s support were laughably to all who touch down ers in Havana from his to destabilise the Cuban economy there, which lies 10 miles inland Afourth cancer opera- and cause a new round of serious and consists of a couple of mostly tion, Cubans face renewed wor- shortages, there could be bouts of tarmacked runways and the ries about their economic future social unrest. carcass of a terminal. Kismayo if the country’s top ally dies or has “Take away the preferential International Airport, in blue to step down from office. terms for our oil and the billions block letters, is just barely visible Cuba has staked its economic of dollars for our services and above the building’s sun-bleached well-being on the success — and there is no doubt we would be cornice. Stencil-painted on the generosity — of Chavez’s self- in very serious trouble,” he said, wall below that, and more legible, declared socialist revolution, much requesting anonymity due to a is the flag of the Islamist insur- as it did with another former ben- ban on speaking with journalists. gent movement that until recently efactor: the Soviet Union. “I doubt many people would put controlled Kismayo, Harakat Al Cubans vividly remember the up with another crisis, even if it Shabab Al Mujahideen, or Al great depression of the 1990s that was only half as bad as the last. Shabab — a black rectangle over followed the demise of the Soviet There would be serious unrest.” white classical Somali script that Union, and they worry about the Chavez’s government offers reads “There Is No God But God.” communist-run island plunging economic help to allies around A half-hour drive away, hid- into similar economic hardship Latin America, but Cuba is the den among the sand dunes just if Chavez loses his struggle with biggest beneficiary, receiving 60 outside Kismayo, is the long-dor- cancer. percent of its energy needs on mant “old” airport. It offers one In the 1990s, they suffered preferential terms. dirt runway and, in the place of a Somali National Army soldiers are seen in Marka. Marka, a city approximately 70 km (43.5 miles) southwest of through severe shortages of food, Ahead of Chavez’s re-election, terminal, a half-century-old army Mogadishu, was liberated by AMISOM forces in August 2012. consumer goods and oil. Prolonged opposition candidate Henrique personnel carrier, rusted to the electricity blackouts made daily Capriles made clear that the dis- colour of primeval toast, left over life miserable in what the govern- tribution of oil to Cuba and other from the days when Kismayo was Operation Linda Nchi is the Union, printed on their doors. facing Kenya in Somalia. Hassan ment called the “special period”. countries at reduced prices or in part of Italian Somaliland. What first combat deployment ever A surveillance drone sits in the read them off. Commenting on “I remember those days. No barter deals would end if he won it lacks in infrastructure the old undertaken by the KDF; until hangar. a slide titled “Demography,” he lights, no transportation, no food. the presidency. airport makes up for in exclusive now it has been confined to sup- Nearby is the officers’ lounge, a pointed out that, in Somalia, Nothing of nothing. It drove you Capriles, who won 45 percent of coastal access. The beach nearby porting UN peacekeeping mis- thatched hut outfitted with ther- “Loyalty revolves around clan” crazy and it can’t happen again,” the vote in the October election, was once popular with European sions. The original aim of Linda moses of lemon tea and a television and “Clan is unifying and divi- said Havana handyman Domingo would likely be the opposition sunbathers, but after two dec- Nchi, which means “Protect the with satellite-dish service. In early sive factor.” Under “Challenges Garcia. candidate again if Chavez died or ades of civil war, it’s so deserted Nation” in Kiswahili, was to keep December, Colonel Adan Hassan, in Local Areas,” he listed “non- Recalled Marlen Perez, an oper- had to step down. one could walk along the Indian the Al Qaeda-affiliated Al Shabab commander of the 3rd Battalion, existent government structures” ator at the state telephone monop- While a change of government Ocean for days without encoun- out of Kenya. But the KDF has who oversees the airport, greeted and “vastness of sector.” oly: “I had to ride a bicycle to work in Venezuela would clearly be tering another person. now been in Somalia for over a me and three other reporters I asked Hassan how many and I’m too old for that now.” bad for Cuba, Capriles would be Both airports now belong to year. It has 2,500 troops here and there. A tall, stoop-shouldered Al Shabab fighters Kenya had The gravity of Chavez’s condi- unlikely to cut off all ties. the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), plans to deploy 2,000 more by next man, Hassan wore well-pressed killed or captured on its march tion became clear when, before “It is potentially a serious which swept into Kismayo in year. According to commanders, fatigues and wire-rim glasses. to Kismayo. “I don’t have the returning to Cuba to be operated blow, but it is unlikely that the early October with three mech- the new mission is to “mop up” By way of introduction, he told number at my fingertips, but I on last week, he named his vice entire relationship with Venezuela anised battalions, backed up by what is left of Al Shabab — that us that the area around us was assure you we degraded them,” he president and foreign minister, would end because the opposi- soldiers from the Somali National is, to end the Islamist insurgency still alive with Al Shabab hold- said. “When we entered this town, Nicolas Maduro, as his preferred tion has said it would continue to Army and a local militia called for good. outs. “They usually start firing it was deserted. Many people had successor if he cannot continue pay for Cuban medical person- Ras Kamboni; they are the poles The KDF soldiers have made in the evening. When they fire, fled. But now, you wouldn’t believe in office. nel,” Phil Peters, a Cuba analyst in the southern axis of Sector 2, a convincing show of going to don’t move; just look there,” he it. They are welcoming us. It’s Between bouts of cancer, at the Virginia-based Lexington as the KDF calls its new domain war. At headquarters, at the new said, pointing vaguely toward the because of the confidence we’ve Chavez won a new, six-year term Institute, said. in Somalia, which spans the coun- airport, they’ve dug hundreds of desert. He looked at the female given them, the security we’ve in October, but if he has to step “Even a steep drop in revenues try’s Lower Juba and Gedo prov- bunkers into the red earth and reporters. “For the ladies, you can given them.” down in the first four years of from Venezuela would not be as inces. The southern axis is one undergrowth and have set up sleep in the armoured personnel All the officers in the hut, I his new mandate, a new election severe as the loss of the Soviet of the more cinematic war zones tarp-roofed tents and makeshift carriers if you want.” noticed, including Hassan, wore must be held within 30 days. bloc support. Cuba is on a bet- Africa has to offer at the moment; showers. Artillery guns and tanks At the far end of the hut a bed- new white-and-green AU arm- In politically polarized ter international footing today,” aside from the airports, it includes sit among them in a manner that sheet was draped on the wall. A bands with gold trim. They were Venezuela, where Chavez’s oppo- he said. an encampment overlooking the suggests imminent battle; but the projector sat before it. A soldier at clearly fresh out of the box, nents do not hide their disdain Soon after Chavez won his first ocean and the Kismayo port, troops here haven’t seen action a laptop, his helmet strapped on meant to emphasise to us that for Cuba, their victory at the polls election in 1998, Fidel Castro which on most days calls to mind in months. Lots of green plastic tightly, a semiautomatic rifle lean- the Kenyan troops are part of the would have huge consequences anointed the young and vitriolic a Turner painting, with carved- sandbags are everywhere, as well ing against his chair, brought up a African Union Mission in Somalia for the heavily indebted island firebrand as his revolutionary wood barges tethered two deep to as trucks and armoured person- PowerPoint presentation. A series (AMISOM). which relies on lucrative barter successor in Latin America. its dock. nel carriers with AU, for African of slides outlined the obstacles WP-BLOOMBERG contracts with Venezuela, such as REUTERS FRIDAY 21 DECEMBER 2012 08 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com INTERNATIONAL

Putin backs BRIEFLY tit-for-tat More funerals response to held; gun law US rights law MOSCOW: Russian President Swiss surgeons Vladimir Putin backed a ban under review on Americans adopting Russian conduct multiple children yesterday in a feud over a US law that aims to pun- US firearms lobby to soften stance organ transplant ish Russians accused of violat- GENEVA: Surgeons in ing human rights. NEWTOWN, Connecticut: Nancy, his first victim, in Friday’s Zurich have carried out a In his first annual news con- Even as they buried more attack. complex, multi-organ trans- ference since he began a new victims of the second-dead- A funeral home outside plant, hospital officials said six-year term in May, the former liest school shooting in US his- Connecticut plans to claim her yesterday, claiming the les- KGB spy often struck a hawk- tory yesterday, residents of body, The New Haven Register sons learned would benefit ish tone, signalling support for Newtown, Connecticut, looked reported, citing Connecticut’s patients with tumours that tough retaliation against the for ways to pressure national chief medical examiner, Dr H attack multiple organs. “unfriendly” Magnitsky Act leaders to restrict access to Wayne Carver II. Lanza’s brother Two teams of surgeons at passed by Moscow’s former Cold weapons. is a retired police official from the Zurich University Hospital War enemy, which he said was Funerals were scheduled for New Hampshire. had carried out a live liver poisoning relations. half-dozen people, some as young Speaking at the town library transplant and simultaneously He also held up a court ruling as 6 years old, who were shot meeting, Connecticut Senator- transplanted large blood vessels that will free former oil tycoon and killed on Friday by a heav- elect Chris Murphy urged the and replaced part of the same Mikhail Khodorkovsky - a fierce ily armed 20-year-old man who participants to use the formerly patient’s heart with regener- critic of Putin’s rule - from jail attacked an elementary school quiet suburb’s time in the national ated tissue, the hospital said two years early in 2014 as evi- with an assault rifle. spotlight to pressure his future in a statement, describing the dence that he does not control The December 14 rampage, colleagues in Washington to act. operation as a “world first”. the courts. in which 28 people were killed “The most important thing is to The patient, a 22-year-old The 4-1/2-hour performance, including 20 children and the build a movement here, to build a whose name was not given, had broadcast live, was intended gunman, has sparked new dis- network,” Murphy told the group, been diagnosed in April with a to end speculation about the cussion on tightening the nation’s Newtown United. Both Murphy large tumour on her liver, meas- 60-year-old’s health and portray gun laws, a thorny political issue and Blumenthal are Democrats. uring 10cm in diameter. him as the guarantor of stabil- in the United States, which has a US lawmakers are already tak- ity in a country that was under strong culture of individual gun ing steps to restrict access to the Soviet communist rule two dec- ownership. Vice President Joe deadliest weapons. Democrats BBC radio producer ades ago. Biden was set to convene yes- in the House of Representatives “This is by no means the least terday the first meeting of a new on Wednesday began to push for denies allegations successful period in Russia’s his- White House task force charged a vote on a bill that would ban LONDON: A former BBC tory,” he said, adding: “Because I by President Barack Obama with high-capacity ammunition clips radio producer who worked love Russia.” drawing up a plan to tackle gun that allow a shooter wielding an for years with disgraced pre- “Without irony, I look forward violence in the United States. assault rifle to spray dozens of senter Jimmy Savile yester- to any future president being The powerful firearms lobby, bullets without pausing to reload. day denied involvement in sex more successful.” the National Rifle Association The backlash against guns has offences after he was arrested Sitting in an immaculate suit (NRA), which has long resisted not been limited to lawmakers. and quizzed by police. and tie behind a large desk in any effort to restrict gun owner- Retailers including Wal-Mart Ted Beston, whose work for front of 1,200 journalists in a ship, signalled this week it may Stores Inc took down an informa- BBC Radio 1 included produc- Moscow conference centre, Putin be ready to bend. It said it would tional website about Bushmaster ing shows hosted by Savile, calmly took questions, some of offer “meaningful contributions” rifles, the sort used in the attack. was held at his home in south them hostile, on issues from pen- to prevent future such massacres Dick’s Sporting Goods pulled London on Wednesday by sions to the crisis in Syria. at an event in Washington today. all guns from its store closest detectives investigating alle- Occasionally sipping tea as In Newtown, a few dozen resi- to the massacre in Newtown, gations made against the late journalists frantically waved their dents met at the town library about 130km northeast of New presenter and other figures arms in the hope of asking a ques- on Wednesday night to discuss York City. Private equity firm Earlier this month, police tion, he became most animated ways they could influence the Cerberus Capital Management LP said Savile was suspected of when asked about the legisla- national debate. Senator Richard this week said it would sell the carrying out an unprecedented tion signed by President Barack Blumenthal told the group it was Freedom Group, the largest US number of sex offences includ- Obama last week. time for a “seismic change” in gun manufacturer of firearms, which ing 31 rapes. The Magnitsky Act, drawn up policies. produced the Bushmaster AR-15- over concern about the death in “This horrific tragedy has type rifle used in the attack. a Russian prison of anti-corrup- changed America, in the way that Officials from states including German loses appeal tion lawyer Sergei Magnitsky in it is ready to stop the spread of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, A funeral procession makes its way down Church Hill Road toward the over teen’s killing 2009, will deny visas to Russians gun violence,” Blumenthal said. New York and California have internment ceremony following the funeral for six-year-old Catherine PARIS: accused of human rights abuses The shooter, Adam Lanza, used begun a review of their invest- Hubbard, a victim of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, at St A French court yes- and freeze their assets in the guns that were legally purchased ments in firearms manufacturers. Rose of Lima Church in Newtown, Connecticut, USA, yesterday. terday upheld a 15-year jail United States. REUTERS and registered to his mother REUTERS sentence for a German doc- tor convicted of killing his step-daughter and forcibly brought back to France by the girl’s biological father. Dieter Krombach was Monti, Berlusconi spar as poll looms appealing the sentence by a Paris court in October 2011 ROME: Italian Prime in deep and completely cure starting an operation that is which had convicted him of Minister Mario Monti sparred the illness,” said the former EU not for the weak of heart but “deliberate violence leading with Silvio Berlusconi yester- commissioner. we know that an Italy that is to involuntary death” of his day over the need for auster- “I think it would be irrespon- strong of heart can emerge,” step-daughter Kalinka at their ity, as local media reported sible to waste all the sacrifices he said. German home in 1982. the economics professor was that Italians made,” he said in In a radio interview, his preparing to take on the col- an apparent reference to recent predecessor Berlusconi warned ourful billionaire in a looming campaign talk from Berlusconi, Monti against joining the cam- Rwandan minister election campaign. who has promised to put an end paign and condemned his eco- “We are really only just to austerity and abolish a new nomic policies. jailed for genocide beginning,” Monti said in a property tax. “I do not think that it is in DAR ES SALAAM: speech at a Fiat car factory “This could plunge Italians Monti’s interests to become a Rwandan former minister in southern Italy in which he back into a state of nirvana small player in politics along Augustin Ngirabatware was defended the “bitter medicine” far from reality,” Monti said at with other small players,” he sentenced to 35 years in jail of the budget discipline he the event, which announced the said. Berlusconi, 76, said Monti’s by the UN war crimes tribu- has implemented and warned launch of two new Fiat mod- policies should be “completely nal yesterday for incitement against any attempt to turn els at a plant that has been hit changed”, adding: “The politics and involvement in the coun- back the clock. hard by plunging sales. of austerity leads to recession.” try’s 1994 genocide. “Italy had a high tempera- “What is happening here is Meanwhile, the Senate voted The International Criminal ture and we could not cure not magic but a symbol of a a budget for next year that will Tribunal for Rwanda said the it with a simple aspirin. We turnaround that is possible also now go before the lower house former Rwandan minister of needed a bitter medicine that for Italy. That is what I want for final approval expected planning instigated, planned, was not easy to digest but that for this country!” today at around 1800 GMT. aided and abetted attacks on was absolutely necessary to go “Today in Melfi we are AFP and killings of Tutsis during the genocide. AGENCIES Nigeria gunmen kidnap French national, kill 2 others KANO, NIGERIA: A group repeatedly attacked by Boko neighbourhood after arriving in which frequently claims gun of 30 gunmen stormed a resi- Haram Islamists who are a convoy of vehicles, and that and bomb attacks, has never dence in northern Nigeria blamed for killing hundreds in gunfire could be heard around acknowledged seizing a foreign where expatriate workers the region since 2009. the residence for 20 minutes national. were staying, kidnapping a But Katsina state police chief before the attackers fled. Following the abduction of French engineer and killing Abdullahi Magaji said that he The police chief said the a British and Italian in north- a security guard and a neigh- did not believe the Islamists French engineer had recently west Sokoto state last year, bour, police yesterday. were responsible for the returned from a trip abroad and Nigeria’s government sought to The gate outside the build- Frenchman’s abduction. that two other foreigners who blame Boko Haram. Residents ing that housed employees of “They opened fire killing a live in the building were cur- however ruled out the group’s the French company Vergnet security guard employed by the rently out of Nigeria. involvement, insisting it was the had several bullet holes after company and a neighbour of Katsina state, on the bor- work of local gangs. the raid late Wednesday in the house and badly injured a der with Niger, lies in a region The two Europeans were the northern state of Katsina, policeman guarding the house,” assailed by Boko Haram, but killed in March amid a rescue according to residents and he said. it has been spared from the operation jointly planned with police. “The gunmen later threw an Islamist group’s attacks. British authorities. In January, Vergnet said that the explosive device into the police The insurgents say they are unidentified gunmen kid- abducted engineer was a con- station on their way out (of) the fighting to create an Islamic napped German engineer Edgar tractor working for the firm, town to distract the police from state in Nigeria’s mainly Muslim Raupach in Kano state, which is which specialises in alternative pursuing them.” north. next to Katsina. energy and has a wind power A resident, who requested Security officials have blamed He was found dead in May project in Katsina. anonymity, said the gun- Boko Haram for previous simi- in a home described as a Boko Northern Nigeria has been men had “laid siege” to the lar abductions, but the group, Haram hideout. AFP FRIDAY 21 DECEMBER 2012 PHILIPPINES www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 09 Birth control bill ready to become law Senator says no possibility of abortion being allowed surreptitiously through the Reproductive Health bill

MANILA: The Reproductive had tried to block the measure this time. I’m pretty happy with through the RH bill would not law, Santiago said that she would during the bicameral conference Health (RH) bill is now ready when it was taken up on third it,” she added. happen. He said that there were be willing to help defend the committee were those on age- for President Benigno Aquino’s and final reading – Enrile, Sotto, Sotto said he was somewhat also no population control provi- measure herself. appropriate sex education, access signature, possibly before Aquilino Pimentel III, Senate happy with the outcome of the sions or appropriations for the Santiago welcomed the plan of of minors to family planning Christmas, after Congress rati- President Pro Tempore Jinggoy bicameral conference commit- implementation of the bill. the bishops, saying it would “give information and supplies, and the fied last night the bicameral Estrada and Gregorio Honasan. tee hearing because many of the While his amendments have the Supreme Court (SC) a chance role of the local government units report on the measure. At the House of Representatives, amendments he introduced were all been accepted, Sotto said that to elucidate it or explain further in the implementation of the law. The development followed a Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr led accepted. he still could not support the bill what is the meaning of the doc- On the issue of age-appropriate “pre-bicam” meeting last Tuesday 224 congressmen in ratifying the “That is the most important because of his convictions. trine of separation of church and sex education, Cayetano said that as well as a last-ditch effort by bicameral committee report. thing because it is the protection “The problem now is the imple- state.” the Senate version was adopted. Senate President Juan Ponce Pia Cayetano, the sponsor and that we want in place just in case mentation, if this will truly be “I am sure that although they The version states that RH edu- Enrile and Majority Leader co-author of the bill, said that she they are going to pass the meas- beneficial to our people. We will will try to argue that the state has cation would be given to adoles- Vicente Sotto III to block final was extremely happy with the ure. We can say that my appre- see in the next few years,” Sotto exceeded its powers, the solicitor cents or children between the discussions on the measure in the results of the bicameral confer- hensions were a bit reduced,” said. general on the other hand — who ages of 10 and 19. bicameral conference committee. ence committee hearing because Sotto said. Santiago again ruled out any will defend the RH bill — will also Cayetano also noted that the The Senate ratified the bicam- the Senate version was practically “But I have to give credit to the possibility of abortion being argue that the church is exceed- term “safe and satisfying sex” was eral conference report with a vote intact. pro-RH legislators because they allowed in the country. ing its own powers. So there will retained in the final version. of 11-5. Voting to ratify the report “On the Senate’s part, the anti- were very amenable to the protec- “Abortion, never. I am a very be at least a clarification of the Full access to RH services were Senators Pia Cayetano, RH representatives to the bicam I tion that we wanted to be placed avid supporter of RH, but I will doctrine which I look forward to,” would also be given to minors as Joker Arroyo, Edgardo Angara, think were extremely happy and on persons with their religious definitely fight to the death she said. long as they have the written con- Franklin Drilon, Miriam Defensor they thanked me for defending beliefs, the religious convictions against abortion as a lawyer, not The principal author of the bill sent of their parents. Santiago, Teofisto Guingona III, their position,” Cayetano said. of the people, the protection of necessarily as a religious person. I in the House, Albay Rep Edcel However, minors who are Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Sergio “It is not a perfect bill. There the Filipinos against the possible equate it properly with the crime Lagman, also expressed his con- already sexually active or are Osmeña III, Loren Legarda, are a lot of things I would still like amendment of the abortion law,” of murder,” Santiago said. fidence that the SC will rule in already mothers or who have suf- Panfilo Lacson, and Minority to achieve and the antis gave in to he added. On the threats of some Catholic their favour “because this is truly fered from a miscarriage would no Leader Alan Peter Cayetano. some provisions they did not like, Sotto said he made sure the pos- bishops to challenge the constitu- constitutional.” longer need to secure the written Those who voted against the so I’d like to believe that this is sibility of abortion being allowed tionality of the RH bill before the Among the provisions of the bill consent from their parents. report were the same ones who the best we could come up with at in the country surreptitiously Supreme Court once it becomes a that became the focus of debates THE PHILIPPINE STAR Holiday jam Aquino signs $48bn 2013 budget

MANILA: President Benigno accompany the 2013 May elec- This was the third consecu- Aquino signed yesterday the tions, it’s going to be a robust first tive year that the budget was $48bn budget for 2013 that aims semester,” Abad said. signed on time instead of getting to empower people through bet- He said the ban on spending re-enacted. ter social services and pump up will begin on March 29, but the Present during the signing the economy to sustain growth pre-procurement activities that were Senators Franklin Drilon before the ban on spending happened this year would give the and Edgardo Angara, House takes effect due to the elections administration time to complete Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr, in May. them. Executive Secretary Paquito Aquino said there were five “Many of these projects can Ochoa Jr, Budget Secretary guiding principles to be followed exceed or even be completed Abad, Deputy Speakers Pablo in the use of the budget to elimi- before the election ban. Many Garcia and Lorenzo Tanada III, nate leakages and adhere to the of the PPP projects are private, Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales administration’s “there are no non-government projects that can II and 1st District Negros poor if there are no corrupt” proceed and we should be able to Oriental Representative Jocelyn slogan. ask for exemption for some of the Limkaichong. Budget Secretary Florencio national infrastructure projects,” Aquino said the budget is a Abad said during the first week he said. fulfilment of his promise to use of the year, the government would The budget chief said they the national coffers to improve roll out the public-private part- could see a stronger fourth quar- the people’s lives. He thanked nership (PPP) projects and other ter growth because they had been Congress leaders, including infrastructure programs with able to deal with the bottlenecks Senate President Juan Ponce a total capital outlay of about and the stumbling blocks to Enrile, who was not present dur- P400bn (almost $10bn). project implementation. He said ing the ceremony, and Belmonte “With the start of the imple- the government was able to front- for the passage of the budget bill mentation of many PPPs and load projects for 2013 like roads, on time. the frantic spending that will tourism and flood control. THE PHILIPPINE STAR Traffic enforcer Ramiro Hinojas, wearing a Santa Claus costume, directs motorists on a street in Pasay City, Philippines, yesterday. Hinojas puts on a dance show to make traffic more bearable during the holiday season. Police donate Christmas fund Defence questions Philippines orders airlines to CCTV clip of former to typhoon-hit colleagues US marine’s mauling MANILA: The National after the welfare of the members MANILA: Public prosecutors Police Commission (Napolcom) of the PNP. enhance customer services yesterday presented in court a donated yesterday its P108,680 Escueta directed newly portion of a video clip taken by a ($2,590) Christmas party fund installed PNP chief, Director MANILA: Philippine authori- attached to low-cost tickets. compensated for by the carrier, closed circuit television security to members of the Philippine General Allan Purisima to ties ordered airlines yesterday “It came to the point that the it added. camera (CCTV) allegedly show- National Police who have been identify the beneficiaries of the to feed and fully reimburse government had to step in,” he In the case of sudden flight ing the fatal mauling of former affected by typhoon Bopha in Napolcom donation. passengers of delayed or can- said. cancellations for which it is to United States Marine George Mindanao. “All Napolcom regional direc- celled flights amid rising com- In the rules that take effect blame, the carrier must provide Anikow in the early hours of Napolcom Vice Chairman tors are likewise enjoined to plaints about budget carriers Friday, those buying plane tick- food, hotel rooms, and full reim- November 24 near a posh sub- Eduardo Escueta said the dona- follow suit and donate their that have driven robust avia- ets must get “full, fair and clear bursement or ticket rebooking division in Makati City. tion was in line with the order of Christmas party allowance to tion growth. disclosure of all the terms and for passengers already at the However, the credibility of the Interior and Local Government the police victims of typhoon The “bill of air passenger conditions” including policies on terminal. clip, shown during the resump- Secretary and Napolcom Bopha in Mindanao,” Escueta rights” sets out the minimum to refunds, rebooking and on delayed Passengers who suffer boarding tion of the trial for murder Chairman Mar Roxas for all DILG said. which passengers are entitled if and cancelled flights. delays lasting at least three hours against four young men accused line agencies to donate their funds Escueta said that the donated they are bumped off seats or if The explanation must be must be fed and are entitled to a of beating and stabbing Anikow intended for Christmas parties to amount represents the 2012 their plane fails to take off on printed on the plane ticket or rebooking or a refund. dead, was questioned by their the typhoon victims. Christmas celebration allowance time, said Civil Aeronautics Board boarding pass and also verbally Peredo said controversies began lawyers. This prompted Makati Escueta said Roxas suggested of 418 officials and employees secretary Eldric Peredo. explained to the buyer. as low-cost carriers took off in the Regional Trial Court Branch 59 that the Napolcom donation be and other personnel rendering Peredo also stated that the While the government recog- Philippines, which has seen dou- Judge Winlove Dumayas to ask given to police officers affected services to the Napolcom central regulator had been swamped by nised that overbooking is industry ble-digit passenger traffic growth the Rockwell Centre security that by Bopha to also show that the office in Makati City. complaints about the quality of practice, costs or inconvenience over the past five years. the original CCTV footage be sur- Commission is always looking THE PHILIPPINE STAR service and unpalatable conditions incurred by passengers must be AFP rendered to the court. Before the clip was shown in court, prosecu- tion lawyers presented Damasino Dosonan, Jr, the detachment com- mander of the Rockwell Centre to Two suspects in authenticate the video clip. Dosonan testified having mayor’s killing held Tugonon nearly gets Miss Universe crown received a letter from the Makati Police requesting for a copy of the LINGAYEN: Police arrested MANILA: Miss Philippines a strong mind, you have what it CCTV footage of the incident. on Tuesday two suspects in the Janine Tugonon nearly took the takes to be Miss Universe.” Assistant Chief Prosecutor killing of Infanta town Mayor 61st Miss Universe crown in In a poll in Philstar.com’s Hannah Arriola then asked the Ruperto Martinez and filed mur- Las Vegas yesterday. LIVE Blog of the pageant, major- court if the video clip could then der charges against them before Tugonon was named first run- ity of those who voted went for be shown. However, the motion the provincial prosecutor’s office. ner-up and the crown was given Tugonon’s answer. Filipino readers was quickly countered by Jacinto “As far as the police are con- to Miss USA Olivia Culpo. The who joined the LIVE Blog believe Ende, lawyer for Crispin de la Paz cerned, this is now a solved case other candidates who made it to that with Tugonon’s answer, the who questioned the clip’s authen- but it is not yet closed because the Top 5 were Irene Sofia Esser Philippines had better chances of ticity. Ende argued that what was we will not stop until the master- Quintero of Venezuela, Renae taking the crown, which has been about to be shown in court is just minds are identified and arrested,” Ayris of Australia and Gabriela elusive for the country in decades. a copy of the original CCTV secu- said Senior Superintendent Markus of Brazil. Two Philippine beauties — rity video. Lawyer Miguel Damaso, Mariano Luis Verzosa Jr, acting During the question and answer Shamcey Supsup and Venjus Raj counsel for accused Juan Alfonzo provincial police director. portion of the pageant, judge — were included in the top five in Abastillas, also argued that while Of the two arrested suspects, Nigel Barker asked Tugonon: “Do 2011 and 2010, respectively. the defence lawyers have the same witnesses tagged Richard Manuel you believe that speaking English The Philippines has been copy of the video footage, this does as the triggerman, while Ricardo should be a prerequisite to being able to get the Miss Universe not warrant its authenticity. Legarda drove the getaway motor- Miss Universe, why or why not?” crown twice. Gloria Diaz took Damaso then asked the court if cycle when they shot Martinez Tugonon replied: “It’s about the crown for the Philippines in they could be allowed to compare with a 45 calibre pistol in his house influence and inspiring people 1969 followed by Maria Margarita Miss Philippines Janine Tugonon (left), and Miss USA Olivia Culpo, await the CCTV footage with the one in last Saturday afternoon. and not about language... As long “Margie” Roxas Moran in 1973. the judges’ final decision during the Miss Universe Pageant in Las Vegas. their possession. THE PHILIPPINE STAR as you have a strong heart and THE PHILIPPINE STAR THE PHILIPPINE STAR FRIDAY 21 DECEMBER 2012 10 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com ASIA S Korea president-elect puts security first Park vows to work for regional stability as South Korea, China and Japan are engaged in territorial rows

SEOUL: Incoming president Lee Myung-Bak who suspended lifeline, congratulated Park on a margin of 51.6 percent to 48.0 Park Geun-Hye, basking in her major humanitarian aid to the her election and pushed for an percent, reflected the polarised election as South Korea’s first North. improvement in Seoul’s ties with nature of the electorate. female leader, promised yester- Park had promised a dual Pyongyang. Park is the daughter of the day to stand tough on national policy of greater engagement “We hope the North and South former military ruler Park security despite seeking engage- and “robust deterrence”, and of the Korean peninsula can Chung-Hee -- a deeply divisive ment with North Korea. had not ruled out a summit with resolve their problems through figure in modern Korean history. In her first policy address since the North’s young leader Kim peaceful means and realise a last- His 1961-79 rule was grounded her historic win on Wednesday, Jong-Un, who came to power a ing peace,” said foreign ministry in two objectives -- defending the Park stressed the “grave” secu- year ago. spokeswoman Hua Chunying. country against the North and rity threat posed by the North as Analysts say she will be Park promised to work on economic development. He deliv- underscored by last week’s rocket restricted by hawks in her ruling building trust in Northeast Asia ered on both but only through the launch. conservative New Frontier Party, but, in an aside clearly aimed at ruthless suppression of dissent. She also pledged to work for as well as an international com- Japan, stressed that stability had Park’s legacy loomed large over regional stability in Northeast munity intent on punishing the to be based on “a correct histori- his daughter’s campaign and, in Asia where South Korea, China North for what it saw as a dis- cal perception”. an apparent effort at reconcili- and Japan are engaged in a series guised ballistic missile test. Seoul and Tokyo are embroiled ation, she publicly acknowledged of bitter territorial disputes. “Given her basic stance towards in a sovereignty row over a tiny abuses under his regime and apol- “The launch of North Korea’s Pyongyang and the rocket launch, group of South Korea-controlled ogised to families of the victims. long-range missile symbolically she is unlikely to be the first islands in the Sea of Japan. Japan Yesterday morning she paid her showed how grave the security mover in improving relations with is mired in a separate but similar respects at her father’s grave, and situation facing us is,” Park said. the North,” said Hong Hyun-Ik of dispute with China. also at the grave of one of his bit- “I will keep the promise I the Sejong Institute think-tank. There are concerns in South terest critics and political rivals, made to you to open a new era “But she won’t object if the sec- Korea, where bitter memories lin- former president Kim Dae-Jung. on the Korean peninsula, based on ond Obama administration moves ger of Japanese colonial rule from “I will try to break the vicious strong security and trust-based to engage the North in dialogue 1910 to 1945, about rising nation- circle which has caused such diplomacy,” she added. after the dust over the rocket alism in Japan under incoming extreme division and discord in During her campaign, Park had launch has settled,” Hong said. prime minister Shinzo Abe. the last half-century,” she said distanced herself from the hard- China, North Korea’s only Park’s election victory over afterwards. South Korea's president-elect Park Geun-Hye. line policy of outgoing President major ally and main economic her liberal rival Moon Jae-In, by AFP

US to open military ties China arrests nearly 1,000 doomsday ‘cult’ members

BEIJING: China has arrested the southwestern province of film “2012”, which was inspired cracked down on religious groups with Myanmar: Official nearly 1,000 people in a crack- Guizhou, while in the northwest- by the supposed Mayan prophecy. that refuse to toe the party line, down on a Christian sect that ern province of Qinghai more Chinese state-run media have including the Buddhist-inspired WASHINGTON: The United advancing overall reform efforts spread doomsday rumours and than 400 were held for “gather- condemned the group in lurid Falun Gong, which was banned States is poised to take “nascent in Burma,” the official said. targeted communist rule, state ing unlawfully”, the Beijing Times detail, with the China Youth in the late 1990s. steps” to open up military ties “The bottom line is we’re inter- media said yesterday ahead of reported. Daily reporting that Almighty Authorities were shocked when with Myanmar as a way of bol- ested, we’re looking at ways to the supposedly Mayan-foretold Smaller numbers have been God “even uses ‘sex communica- Falun Gong was able to quietly stering political reforms under- move forward and I think you’ll apocalypse. held in other areas across the tion’, calling on female members mass thousands of silent pro- taken by the former pariah see appropriately calibrated steps The Christian-inspired group country. to use their sex appeal to seduce testers at key symbolic locations state, a senior US defence offi- in the near future,” he said. “Almighty God” has been accused Almighty God predicts that single men”. including Beijing’s Tiananmen cial said on Wednesday. Relations between the two of spreading doomsday rumours three days of darkness will begin The sect was founded in the Square and the central leader- The Pentagon said the coop- countries have undergone a sea apparently linked to the ancient today, and has called on its mem- early 1990s, but has remained ship compound of Zhongnanhai. eration likely would take the change since Myanmar’s ruling Mayan Long Count calendar and bers to overthrow China’s ruling secretive in the face of govern- China has a long history of form of “non-lethal” training for military ceded power last year. urging followers to slay the “red Communist Party, which it refers ment intolerance of non-official religiously-inspired anti-govern- Myanmar officers focusing on US President Barack Obama’s dragon” of communism, state to as “the big red dragon”, the religious groups. ment movements, most notably humanitarian assistance, military historic visit last month to media reports said. state-run Global Times reported. Group members use pseu- the nineteenth century “Taiping medicine and defence “reform,” Yangon underscored the transfor- Close to 1,000 followers of the It has also told believers that donyms such as “Little White Heavenly Kingdom”, led by a the official, who spoke on condi- mation, as both Washington and sect, which state-run media labels a new era presided over by a Rabbit” or “Doggy” to conceal Christian convert who gathered tion of anonymity, told reporters. Myanmar see benefits to bolster- an “evil cult” -- the same descrip- “female Jesus” has arrived and their identities, and are often millions of followers in an attempt “We’re looking at nascent steps ing diplomatic and security ties. tion it applies to the banned Falun that tsunamis and earthquakes not allowed to carry mobile to overthrow the emperor. on the US-Burmese military- Obama, seeking a shift to Asia Gong group -- have been held in will rock the world, the Global phones or other communication Earlier this week CCTV quoted military relationship. We gener- Pacific to counter Beijing’s role, a nationwide crackdown that Times said. devices,China Business View mag- police in Qinghai as saying their ally support the proposition that is keen to expand its influence in began last week, state-run CCTV The apocalypse predictions azine reported. investigation into the Almighty carefully calibrated, appropriately a country where China has had reported. have received widespread cover- China’s Communist Party God sect was related to stability targeted and scoped military-to- almost unchallenged dominance. Police detained more than age in China, thanks in part to the does not tolerate challenges to maintenance. military contact is effective in AFP 350 Almighty God members in success of the Hollywood disaster its authority and has brutally AFP

Festive cleaning 25 dead, 36 missing Group calls for release of in Sri Lanka floods COLOMBO: Flash floods have activist missing in Laos killed at least 25 people in Sri Lanka and left more than a BANGKOK: Laos should “The Lao government needs quarter of a million marooned release a prominent rights to immediately reveal Sombath’s in their homes, disaster officials activist who went missing this location and release him,” said said yesterday. month, an international human Brad Adams, the group’s Asia Heavy rains, which have bat- rights group said yesterday, director. tered the island for much of the although authorities there have The United States has also week, were still being reported said they do not know where he voiced concern about the dis- in 14 of Sri Lanka’s 25 adminis- is or who was responsible for his appearance of Sombath, who trative districts, with the central disappearance. received the Ramon Magsaysay highlands — one of the world’s Sombath Somphone, 60, dis- Award for community leadership key tea producing regions — the appeared on December 15 in the in 2005 and worked to promote worst hit. Lao capital, Vientiane, after being education and development in Sarath Lal Kumara, the dep- stopped by police while driving his poverty-stricken Laos. The award uty director of the Disaster jeep from the development agency is often described as Asia’s equiv- Management Centre, said that 25 he founded, human rights groups alent of the Nobel Prize. people were now known to have said. The landlocked Communist died and a further 36 remained “Circumstances surrounding country has little tolerance for missing. the case including security cam- dissent and this month expelled Most of the deaths were due to era footage, indicate Lao authori- the director of a Swiss develop- landslides engulfing homes. ties took him into custody, raising ment organisation for criticising The disaster management cen- concerns for his safety,” New the country’s one-party regime in tre said more than 265,000 people Clad in Santa Claus costumes, workers clean windows some 55 metres above the ground outside a hotel York-based Human Rights Watch a letter to donors. had been cut off in their homes in Tokyo yesterday. The hotel organised the event to enliven the Yaesu business district near Tokyo Station said in a statement. REUTERS by the floods and thousands more ahead of Christmas. had either sought refuge with relatives and friends or else been given emergency shelter. “We have housed some 18,845 people from over 5,000 families Indonesian prosecutors seek Taiwan’s ex-leader, wife get new jail terms in 102 relief camps”, Kumara told the reporters. 15 years for Briton over drugs TAIPEI: Taiwan’s former pres- But prosecutor Chen Hung-ta including corruption and perjury, Many of the evacuations took ident Chen Shui-bian, already said the latest conviction was still was also convicted and sentenced place in the central district of DENPASAR: Indonesian pros- prosecutor Lie Putra Setiawan serving a long prison term for meaningful because legal authori- to eight years in jail for graft. Matale after authorities declared ecutors recommended a 15-year told the Denpasar district court. corruption, was yesterday con- ties would be able to ask the Swiss Wu, 59, who is paralysed from it a danger zone over landslide prison term yesterday for a The same court jailed Briton victed and sentenced to another government to return the $13m the waist down and confined to a fears. British grandmother accused Rachel Dougall yesterday for 12 10 years in another graft case. which the Chen family deposited wheelchair, has been spared from Bhadra Kamaladasa, the direc- of trafficking in cocaine on the months for failing to report a Chen was sentenced yester- in a Swiss bank. serving her sentence due to poor tor general of irrigation, told resort island of Bali. crime. day for taking bribes from a local The court said the money was health. reporters that around half of the Lindsay June Sandiford, 56, was On Wednesday the court sen- financial group during a high- paid to Chen as a bribe by the Chen was arrested in November country’s 71 main reservoirs were arrested at Denpasar airport in tenced Briton Paul Beales, 40, to profile merger case, the supreme financial group involved in the 2008, less than six months after overflowing. May with 4.79 kilograms (10.6 four years for possession of 3.6 court said in a statement scandal. The sum has been fro- he left office, on corruption claims In the west coastal town of pounds) of cocaine stashed in the grams of hashish at his house, The 62-year-old is already serv- zen by Swiss authorities since the stemming from his two terms as Chilaw at least five fishermen had lining of her suitcase. clearing him of more serious ing an 18 1/2-year term for cor- scandal broke in 2008. president between 2000 and 2008. gone missing. The main motorway She helped police net three charges of drug trafficking and ruption and money-laundering. Swiss authorities have already He and family members have and the town were under six feet Britons and an Indian in connec- sale. Under Taiwanese law, an indi- returned to Taiwan about 20m been accused of laundering mil- of flood water, police said. tion with the case. The fourth Briton, Julian vidual can serve only a maxi- dollars in deposits held by Chen lions of US dollars by sending The Railway Department Prosecutors recommended Ponder, is on trial for trafficking mum 20 years in prison unless following his money-laundering political donations and secret announced the disruption of sev- judges sentence her to 15 years and possession and his sentence a life term is imposed. A court conviction. diplomatic funds abroad, and eral key services as the tracks after finding here “legitimately recommendation is scheduled for will announce early next year Chen’s wife Wu Shu-chen, taking kickbacks on government remained submerged. and convincingly guilty of com- January 3. how much Chen’s jail term will already sentenced to 19 years and contracts. AFP mitting a narcotics crime”, AFP be extended following the ruling. two months on four convictions AFP FRIDAY 21 DECEMBER 2012 PAKISTAN / AFGHANISTAN www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 11 Afghan talks in France bolster hopes for peace process

PARIS: Representatives of confirmed the closed-door talks country look like a colossal waste with the government. Karzai’s head of the Taliban’s Supreme roll back the advances made in Afghanistan’s warring factions had got under way at an undis- of human life and hundreds of bil- roadmap envisages these tak- Court who had to be granted a terms of democracy, human rights met here yesterday for two closed location near Paris but lions of dollars. ing place in Saudi Arabia next UN special exemption to come and the rights of women over the days of landmark talks that would not divulge the agenda or Karzai’s government has year with both Pakistani and US to France because he is usually last decade. diplomats hope will bolster a other details for fear of compro- drawn up a roadmap for peace involvement. subject to a travel ban under As well as offering assurances fledgling peace process in the mising a potentially significant which involves persuading the To date the Taliban has international sanctions on the on these issues, the Taliban, war-torn country. confidence-building exercise. Taliban and other insurgent refused to negotiate with the organisation. which ran Afghanistan as an For the first time since a The talks come against a back- groups to agree a ceasefire as government, which it regards as Karzai’s roadmap for peace Islamic Emirate from 1996-2001, US-led bombing campaign drove ground of accelerating efforts a prelude to becoming peaceful a puppet of the United States, explicitly envisages Taliban lead- would be expected to definitively the Taliban from power in 2001, to draw the Taliban and other players in the country’s nascent and initial discussions with ers being brought into a power- sever ties any lingering ties to Al senior figures in the Islamist opponents of President Hamid democracy. American officials were sus- sharing government and/or being Qaeda. movement sat down with officials Karzai into negotiations on how As a first step in that direction, pended in March. appointed to posts such as pro- It was the presence in from the government and other Afghanistan will be run after Karzai’s administration has been But the presence here of sen- vincial governors in their ethnic Afghanistan of Al Qaeda’s late opposition forces for a round table Western troops withdraw at the attempting to secure the release ior figures Shahabuddin Dilawar Pashtun strongholds in the south leader, Osama bin Laden, that discussion on the country’s future end of 2014. of top Taliban prisoners held by and Naeem Wardak has been seen and east of the country. triggered Western intervention that was brokered by a French The alternative, diplomats fear, neighbouring Pakistan. as a sign that the Islamist group Such steps would be fraught in the country in reaction to think tank. is a multi-sided civil war that Progress on the prisoner issue is contemplating going beyond with difficulty given inevitable the September 11 attacks on the The organisers, the Foundation will make more than a decade is seen as vital if the Taliban is to exploratory discussions. concern that Taliban control of United States. for Strategic Research (FRS), of Western intervention in the be drawn into direct negotiations Dilawar is a former deputy huge swathes of the country would AFP

Burnt narcotics Karzai welcomes British troop pullout Kabul ready to take charge, says president

KABUL: President Hamid in “insider attacks” on foreign forces and the Afghan National Karzai yesterday welcomed the troops by Afghans in uniform. Security Forces”. announcement that Britain will Karzai said the decision was There are currently more pull thousands of troops out of “well-timed” and insisted his war- than 9,000 British troops serv- Afghanistan next year, saying scarred nation was ready to take ing in Afghanistan with the nato his country was ready to take charge of its own security. force -- the second largest force over security responsibilities. “The president... welcoming in the country after the United British Prime Minister David the announcement said: ‘the States. Cameron on Wednesday said that Afghan national forces are ready Britain has lost 438 troops in he will withdraw almost half of to provide the security and defend Afghanistan since the operation the country’s 9,000 troops from their country,” a statement from to topple the Taliban began in Afghanistan next year as Nato Karzai’s office said. October 2001 following the 9/11 hands over to Afghan forces. “The decision by Britain is a attacks. The announcement comes as well-timed decision.” Most British troops are sta- Nato prepares for a full secu- Cameron said the withdrawal tioned in southern Helmand rity handover at the end of 2014, of around 3,800 British troops province, one of the toughest bat- despite fears that a civil war by the end of 2013 was possible tlegrounds against the Taliban. could follow, and amid a spike “because of the success of our AFP An Afghan policeman stands guard as a pile of narcotics is burnt by officials on the outskirts of Jalalabad, in Nangarhar province. Bomb kills seven Move to boost voting by women in Pakistan polls Islamabad urged in Nimroz province ISLAMABAD: A countrywide recommended procedures for perpetrated in women’s polling excluded from the compilation of to allocate more HERAT: A roadside bomb tar- coalition of 30 Pakistani civil counting and recording the booths in particular. the official results or re-polling geting a police pickup truck society organisations, working number of ballots at the polling The report proposed that all should take place in those stations. funds for welfare killed two policemen and five together to promote electoral booths. polling stations should be com- It also recommended that the civilians in southwestern and democratic accountability The report suggested that spe- bined (male and female) stations, relevant laws should be amended of children Afghanistan yesterday, the pro- in Pakistan, has recommended cial efforts should be made for rather than all-female or all-male to bar candidates from running vincial authorities said. that no election result should be recruitment, advancement and stations. for office in more than one con- ISLAMABAD: Child Rights The vehicle was blown up in announced in any constituency training of all female staff. Female It claimed that Fafen’s recom- stituency. It wanted enforcement Movement (CRM), a coalition the city of Zaranj, the capital where women are prevented polling staff should be deployed mendations are based on the sta- of ban on openly partisan activi- of over 100 NGOs working for of Nimroz province, acting pro- from voting in any polling sta- at all female polling booths to tistically valid data gathered by ties of government officials at all promotion and protection of vincial police chief Mohammad tion or booth. facilitate women voters. More its more than 18,000 observers levels, mass transfers of personnel child rights in Pakistan, yes- Rahim Chakhansori told In a report, consolidating women, ideally 50 percent, should nationwide between May 2007 and and initiation of new development terday urged the government to journalists. recommendations for electoral be posted as presiding officers at March 2008, the period related to schemes after the announcement increase budgetary allocations Provincial governor Sarwar reforms, the Fair and Free polling stations. the last general elections. of the elections calendar. for child welfare. Sobat confirmed the death Election Network (Fafen) has It recommended that extra The report further suggested a The report said that in 49 of Speaking during a report toll, saying a policewoman was proposed that vote counts from steps should be taken to ensure ban on announcement of results 194 constituencies, 25 percent, launch entitled ‘National and wounded in the attack. such polling stations should be that female polling booths remain for constituencies with more than one or more polling stations in its Provincial Budget Analysis from Afghan forces are often the excluded from the compilation of open and safe during the full 100 percent voter turnout in any sample had voters’ turnout rates a Child Rights Perspective’, civil victims of attacks by Taliban the official result and re-polling period on the Election Day and polling station (where votes polled equal to or exceeding 100 per- society representatives showed insurgents as they increasingly should take place there. that voter identification fraud, exceed registered electorate) or cent of the number of registered their concerns over poor budget- take control of security before the It said that sex-segregated assisting voters behind secrecy where women are prevented from voters published by the Election ary allocations for children’s edu- withdrawal of Nato troops from voters’ turnout should be com- screens, marking extra ballots voting in any polling station. Commission of Pakistan (ECP) cation, health and social welfare. the country by 2014. piled for each constituency and and ballot box stuffing and other Either the vote counts from the week preceding the election. The report reveals that AFP officially released following the election malfeasance are not those polling stations should be INTERNEWS Pakistan spent only 2.37 percent on education and 2.20 percent on health as a percentage of GDP in 2010-11 which is lower than what most South Asian Countries had allocated. Clerics to protest against killing of health workers While in 2012-13 Pakistan allocated 0.622 percent of GNP (Gross National Product) for ISLAMABAD: An alliance of suspended it in some parts of the fatwas, or decrees, in support of child focused education, 0.107 Pakistani clerics will hold dem- country. the polio campaign. Muslim coun- percent on child focused health onstrations across the coun- “The killers of these girls tries like Saudi Arabia encourage and 0.02 percent on child focused try against the killings of polio are not worthy of being called vaccinations against polio, which social welfare. eradication campaign workers, Muslims or human beings,” said can kill or paralyse within hours The sum of all allocations for leaders said yesterday, as the Maulana Asadullah Farooq, of the of infection. child focused health, education death toll from attacks this Jamia Manzur Islamia, one of the The disagreement between and social welfare is 0.75 percent week rose to nine. biggest madrassas, or religious some clerics and militants may of the total GNP which indicates Tahir Ashrafi, who heads schools, in the city of Lahore. be indicative of a wider drop in that low priority has been given the moderate Pakistan Ulema “We have held special prayers support for militancy in Pakistan, to children and their schemes, Council, said that 24,000 mosques for the martyrs at our mosque said Mansur Khan Mahsud, direc- programmes and projects. associated with his organisation and will hold more prayers after tor of research at the Islamabad- The report also reflects that would preach against the killings Friday prayers tomorrow. We based think-tank the FATA the country allocated 2.23 percent of health workers during Friday also ask other mosques to come Research Center. of GNP for Defence and 2.44 per- prayers. forward and pray for the souls of Opinion polls the centre carried cent of GNP for subsidies which is “Neither Pakistani customs nor these brave martyrs.” out in ethnic Pashtun lands on greater than the total allocations Islam would allow or endorse this. It is not clear who is behind the the Afghan border, known as the made for children in Pakistan 0.75 Far from doing something wrong, killings. Federally Administered Tribal percent of GNP. these girls are martyrs for Islam Pakistani Taliban militants Areas (FATA), showed support During launch of the report, because they were doing a service have repeatedly threatened anti- for the Taliban dropping from 50 CRM members urged government to humanity and Islam,” he said. polio workers, saying the vacci- percent 2010 to about 20 percent to allocate sufficient resources Ashrafi’s words are a clear sig- nation drive is a Muslim plot to in May 2012. as per Concluding Observations nal that some of Pakistan’s power- sterilise Muslims or spy on them. Mahsud said many people had Pakistani polio vaccination workers shout slogans against the killing of their and Recommendations of UN ful clergy are willing to challenge But they have denied responsibil- welcomed the Taliban because colleagues during a protest in Multan yesterday. Committee on the rights of the violent militants. ity for this week’s shootings. they believed Islamic law would child made during considering Gunmen on motorbikes have Suspicion of the campaign help address corruption and 3rd and 4th State Party Report killed nine anti-polio campaign surged last year after revelations injustice. But as the Taliban began survived and the wave of condem- “You think they went out to of Pakistan. workers this week, including a that the CIA had used the cover executing and kidnapping people, nation that followed the attack administer the drops despite the The civil society representa- man who died of his wounds yes- of a fake vaccination campaign some turned against them. prompted the Taliban to release threats and risked their lives for tives also called for expedition for terday. Some of the dead were to try to gather intelligence on In a widely publicised incident statements justifying their action. 200 rupees ($2) a day? They were implementation of Article 25-A teenage girls. Osama bin Laden before he was in October, Taliban gunman shot a The killings of the health work- there because of their essential allocating adequate resources Following the violence, the killed in his hideout in a Pakistani 15-year-old schoolgirl campaigner ers struck a similar nerve, Ashrafi goodness,” he said. to ensure Free and Compulsory United Nations pulled back all town. for girls’ education in the head and said. The girls got a small stipend “Imagine what the families are education for children aged 5-16 staff involved in the vaccination But many of Pakistan’s most wounded two of her classmates. for their work but were motivated going through.” across the country. campaign and Pakistani officials important clerics have issued Schoolgirl Malala Yousufzai to try to help children, he said. AFP INTERNEWS FRIDAY 21 DECEMBER 2012 12 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com INDIA Hat-trick win for Modi; Cong bags Himachal BJP gets 115 seats in Gujarat, two short of its 117 tally in 2007

AHMEDABAD/SHIMLA: The Congress win in Himachal the country’s top post. Chief Minister Narendra Modi was equally emphatic. In the hill Modi, who used innovations returned to power with a sweep- state, the BJP’s Prem Kumar like 3-D technology to reach out ing and politically significant Dhumal government conceded in this election, visited his mother electoral win in Gujarat but the defeat to the Congress that won to get her blessings and even rival Congress easily ousted the BJP a comfortable 36 seats in the Keshubhai Patel after the results in Himachal Pradesh. 68-member assembly. The BJP, were out. As political pundits tried to which had got 41 seats in 2007, As he spoke at his victory decipher the meaning behind plunged to 26. One all perhaps, rally in Maninagar, Ahmedabad, the election hat-trick, Modi used but not really even stevens. thousands of supporters began to his victory speech to raise the The win in Gujarat, which chorus “PM, PM, PM, PM... Modi national pitch saying the Gujarat sends 26 MPs to the Lok Sabha pointedly ignored the cries. verdict was a victory for “Mother against Himachal’s four, domi- “I seek your forgiveness if there India”. nated the political space, with the has been drawbacks, mistakes in Even as the results began pour- BJP exulting and the Congress my administration,” said Modi, ing in, there was intense specula- looking for ways to explain its who came to power in Gujarat in tion on whether Modi would now loss. late 2001 and whose early reign take to national centrestage to BJP veteran Arun Jaitley was marked by the 2002 commu- pitch for the prime ministerial’s termed the Gujarat win as nal carnage. post ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha “emphatic” and its loss in “Give me your blessings so election. Himachal “disappointing”. that we don’t make any mistake BJP leader and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi speaks at a victory rally in Ahmedabad yesterday. In Gujarat, which Modi has “Our victory in Gujarat is the again,” he said in speech delivered ruled since 2001, the BJP bagged fifth in a row (since 1995) and in Hindi. And he added: “Even by all democracies, will continue to The Congress, however, wel- Shimla, adding that “he has full 115 seats, two short of its 117 tally the third in a row with Narendra mistake, we should not do any fight,” Hashmi said. comed the “thumping victory” faith in the high command”. of 2007. A bruised Congress took Modi at the helm,” he said. wrong to anyone.” The Congress, which leaned on in Himachal, where its veteran The party will decide on 61 seats, two more than what it Like most of his party col- For Ahmedabad-based activist party president Sonia Gandhi and leader Virbhadra Singh steered its leader when the Congress got five years ago. The Gujarat leagues, Jaitley was evasive when Shabnam Hashmi, the “victory her son Rahul Gandhi to inject it to power. Legislative Party meets in two to Parivartan Party of Modi baiter asked about a bigger role for was frankly very surprising”. life into its campaign in Gujarat, “I have left it on Soniaji three days - 28 of 36 elected leg- Keshubhai Patel was humbled Modi. His Rajya Sabha colleague “Social activists who stand by failed to derail Modi but had the (Congress president) to decide islators owe alliance to Virbhadra - it got just two seats including Smriti Irani was amongst the few principles of democracies, who satisfaction of winning two seats who will be the next chief min- Singh. his own. to say Modi would be her pick for believe that Modi has finished more than in 2007. ister,” the 78-year-old said in IANS

Rape victim stable; Court allows Italian marines to go home for Christmas accused show no

KOCHI: A court yesterday “The (Italian) ambassador has prosecution of the case, we have remorse allowed two Italian marines given an assurance... that the gov- no legal remedy to bring them NEW DELHI: The 23-year-old awaiting trial for shooting ernment would ensure the return back,” he said. physiotherapist, who was tor- two fishermen to go home for of the accused.” Italian defence minister tured and raped here by a gang Christmas, despite prosecution Rome has repeatedly called the Giampaolo Di Paolo visited the of men four days ago, is stable fears that they will not return. case against the two men ille- two marines last Sunday and but doctors warned of infection The marines shot dead the fish- gal and has appealed to India’s made a public appeal for the setting in, while Delhi Chief ermen off India’s southwestern Supreme Court to quash it. men to be allowed home to spend Minister Sheila Dikshit said coast near the port city of Kochi Italy insists the marines should Christmas with their families. she could be taken abroad, if in February while guarding an be prosecuted in their home coun- The marines’ fate has attracted required. Italian oil tanker, but they deny try because the shootings involved widespread interest in Italy, and “Her condition is very criti- murder on the grounds that they an Italian-flagged vessel in inter- also caused a stir at the Indian cal, she has a lot of injuries but if mistook their victims for pirates. national waters, but India says Grand Prix near Delhi in October. there is a need to take her abroad Judge P Bhavadasan of the they took place in waters under Ferrari was forced to deny that to treat her and save her life, we Kerala state high court relaxed its jurisdiction. its decision to put Italian naval will not hesitate,” she said. the bail conditions and said the Lawyer T Asif Ali, who repre- flags on its cars for the race was But as angry protests contin- Italian marines Massimiliano Latorre (right) and Salvatore Girone come out marines should “pledge a bank sented the Kerala state govern- a political gesture or a sign of sup- ued for the third day yesterday in from the police commissioner’s office in Kochi yesterday. guarantee for `60m ($1.1m) and ment, called for the marines’ bail port for the marines. the national capital and in other should return to Kochi on or request to be rejected, arguing Since being granted bail in cities, investigators doubled their before January 10”. Salvatore Girone would return “Italy has no intention to med- that the two men may not return May, the two marines have been efforts to nab the two accused still Italy’s ambassador gave the to India to face trial in a case dle with the Indian judicial sys- to India for their trial. living in Kochi under court orders at large. Teams have fanned out court an undertaking that that has caused a diplomatic row tem,” lawyer P Udhayabhanu, who “If the government of Italy not to leave the town. in six states. Four men, who were Massimiliano Latorre and between the two countries. represented the marines, said. withholds them for further AFP arrested earlier for the horrific crime that shook the nation, have, however, not shown any remorse, investigators said. “They behave like hardened criminals. They have not shown any remorse for the beastly way they behaved with the woman,” a policeman questioning the four men, said. The savage rape and torture occurred on Sunday night when the woman and her male friend boarded a private bus, used for ferrying school children, in south Delhi after watching a movie.Her friend yesterday iden- tified one of the accused Mukesh, younger brother of main accused Ram Singh, as one of the men involved in the gruesome attack. The woman, however, contin- ued to be critical although doc- tors in the Safdarjung Hospital said her condition has stabilised Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (second left) with the Prime Minister of Cambodia Hun Sen (left), and that she was conscious. “She Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Waddaulah (second right), and the President of Indonesia Susilo continues to be in stable condi- Bambang Yudhoyono during the Asean-India Commemorative Summit in New Delhi yesterday. tion. She is alert, conscious,” B D Athani, medical superintendent of Safdarjung Hospital, told reporters. “But there is still a danger of her India, Asean upgrade ties catching infection,” he cautioned.

NEW DELHI: Unveiling of India and Asean countries at comprehensive and elevate it to Both Houses the vision of a resurgent and the end of the plenary session of a Strategic Partnership for the integrated Asia, India and the India-Asean commemora- next decade and beyond.” adjourned sine die the 10-nation Asean yester- tive summit. The leaders agreed The focus was clearly on day declared the conclusion to work towards “the full, effec- scaling up economic ties to new NEW DELHI: As many as of negotiations on a FTA in tive and timely implementation heights, with the leaders air- seven bills were introduced services and investments and of the Asean-India dialogue ing their collective confidence and seven were passed in the upgraded their ties to a stra- relations across the whole spec- to achieve $100bn bilateral month-long winter session tegic partnership that includes trum of political and security, trade by 2015. Currently, trade from November 22-December closer cooperation in political, economic, social and develop- between India and Asean is 20, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira economic and security areas. ment cooperation.” around $80bn. The showpiece of Kumar said while adjourning Prime Minister Manmohan Placing the strategic part- the summit was the formal dec- the Lok Sabha (Lower House) Singh held wide-ranging talks nership in context, Manmohan laration of the successful con- sine die yesterday. The Rajya with leaders of 10 Association Singh said: “This is a time of clusion of negotiations on a Free Sabha (Upper House) was of Southeast Asian Nations great flux and transition, with Trade Agreement in services also adjourned sine die after it (Asean) that included intensifi- several unsettled questions and and investments. Addressing the too passed the Banking Laws cation of trade and investments, unresolved issues in our region. plenary of the Commemorative (Amendment) Bill, 2012. closer security cooperation and Our responsibility to work for Summit here, Manmohan Singh Among the important bills enhanced physical and cultural peace has increased and become said: “It gives me great pleas- passed were the Banking Laws connectivity. “We declare that more urgent.” ure, therefore, to see that our (Amendment) Bill, 2012, the the Asean-India partnership “Our shared values, con- Commemorative Summit today Companies Bill, 2012, and the stands elevated to a strategic vergent world views and simi- coincides with the conclusion Constitution (One Hundred- partnership,” said the vision larities in approaches to the of negotiations for the FTA in Eighteenth Amendment) Bill, document which was unani- region should help us make the Services and Investments.” 2012 (Insertion of new article mously adopted by the leaders India-Asean relationship more IANS 371J), said the speaker. IANS FRIDAY 21 DECEMBER 2012 BUSINESS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 13

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

390,694 8.36 1,384,343 25.90 309,547 155.40310,219 15.24 32,080 76.00 136,873 27.55 301,324 22.90 128,513 71.40 4,809 51.90 ICE to buy NYSE Euronext $8.2bn deal would create the world’s biggest market operator

PARIS: US commodi- another and not competitive to the statement added. In midday US trading, ICE ties and derivatives market one another,” Sprecher added. Euronext operates the main shares showed a loss of 1.87 per- InterContinentalExchange (ICE) If the takeover is completed, stock exchanges in Paris, Brussels, cent at $125.91, while the S&P 500 has agreed to buy its transat- the New York Stock Exchange’s Amsterdam and Lisbon. NYSE index on which they are listed was lantic peer NYSE Euronext for nearly 200-year existence as an Euronext includes the New York up by 0.13 percent overall. $8.2bn (¤6.2bn) in a deal that independent financial market will Stock Exchange and the European NYSE Euronext shares up would create the world’s biggest come to an end, while Atlanta- derivatives market Liffe. by 31.6 percent at $31.66 on the QE snaps six-week market operator, the two compa- based ICE will substantially ICE runs a specialist market on Nasdaq index, which showed a nies said yesterday. expand its profile. which raw materials are traded, gain of 0.07 percent. The deal, which is expected to be The deal would also put both along with financial products The two market operators esti- losing streak; market finalised in the second half of next companies in a position to ben- linked to foreign exchange and mate cost savings from the tie-up year subject to regulatory approv- efit from an expected equities interest rates. of $450m in the second full year of als, was unanimously approved by market recovery, they said, espe- Under the terms of the deal, combined operations. An increase the boards of both market opera- cially if interest rates rise, which ICE is offering $33.12 for each in earnings of more than 15 percent capitalisation rises tors, a joint statement said. could boost trading on a London share in NYSE Euronext, a pre- is forecast in the first full year. ICE chief executive Jeffrey futures market owned by NYSE mium of 37.7 percent over its clos- ICE plans to maintain two DOHA: Snapping a six -week The banking and financial serv- Sprecher told a conference call Euronext. ing price on Wednesday of $24.05. headquarters, in Atlanta and bearish run, Qatar Exchange ices sector also led the trading that he and Duncan Niederauer The combined group is pre- ICE shares are to account for in the iconic New York Stock gained 111.37 points last week number of transactions account- of the NYSE had met with sev- paring a plan to sell shares in 67 percent of the transaction, Exchange building on Wall Street, amid interests from foreign ing for 38.41 percent, followed eral regulators, particularly in stock market unit Euronext, “as with the rest to be paid in cash. the statement said. institutional buyers. The bourse by the industrials sector which Europe, and said the plan had a Continental European-based NYSE Euronext shareholders ICE founder Sprecher is to gained 1.34 percent to close at accounted for 26.72 percent. The been “well received”. “You can see entity”, if there is support for are thus expected to own around continue as chairman and chief 8,442.51 points last week. consumer goods and services sec- on its face that the businesses we such an operation from European 36 percent of ICE’s equity once executive of the combined com- All the indices ended green tor and the transportation sector have are complementary to one policymakers and the markets, the deal has been completed. pany, while Niederauer would be zone last week with telecoms on accounted for 12.12 percent and the president of the parent group, top of the chart gaining 3.47 per- 8.28 percent respectively. and chief executive of the NYSE cent. While the industrial sec- Of the 42 listed companies, 32 unit. tor advanced 1.90 percent, the ended this week higher, while Sprecher said the deal came in transportation index edged 1.58 seven fell and three remained response “to the evolution of mar- percent. unchanged. Industries Qatar led ket infrastructure today and offers Market capitalisation rose by trading value during the week, a range of growth opportunities, 1.24 percent to reach QR462.8bn followed by QNB and Masraf Al while enhancing competition in US as compared to QR457.1bn at the Rayyan. and European markets.” end of previous week. For the day, QE advanced over He added that the tie-up would Trading value decreased by 35 points or 0.42 percent to close broaden “our ability to address 9.30 percent to reach QR668m at 8,442.51 points. All the indi- new markets and offer innovative last week compared to QR736m ces, except Consumer Goods & products and services on a global the previous week. Trading vol- Services ended on positive ter- platform.” ume decreased by 3.88 percent ritory. The telecom sector per- In addition, “With a track to reach over 13 million shares, formed best, surging 1.96 percent. record of growth and returns, as against 13.61m shares, while Among the top gainers were clearing and M&A (mergers and the number of transactions fell Qatar German Company for acquisition) integration, we are by 15.18 percent, to reach 9,133 as Medical Devices that topped well positioned to transform our compared to 10,768 transactions. the chart advancing 8.08 per- combined companies into a pre- The banking and financial cent. Qatar National Bank was mier global exchange operator services sector led trading value up 0.61 percent to QR131.40, that remains a leader in market last week, accounting for 46.06 Qatar Telecom rose 1.76 percent evolution,” Sprecher said. percent of the total value. It was to QR103.90, Vodafone Qatar In early 2012, a plan to combine followed by the industrial sec- gained 3.07 percent to QR8.73 NYSE Euronext with the German tor accounting for 34.91 percent. and Barwa was up by 0.72 per- market operator Deutsche Boerse The consumer goods and services cent to QR27.90. The banking and was rejected by the European sector ranked third, accounting financial sector index was up 11.91 Commission on competition for 8.05 percent followed by the points while the consumer goods grounds, since the combined com- transportation sector. and services sector index dropped pany would have had a massive The banking and financial serv- 4.37 points. The industrial sector presence in the trading of finan- ices sector led the trading volume gained 5.31 points while the insur- cial derivatives in Europe. last week. Of the total volume, ance sector rose 1.34 points. Qatar In 2011, ICE joined forces with the sector traded 45.19 percent Company for Meat Livestock the high-tech Nasdaq market followed by the industrial sector Trading topped the loser’s chart operator to try and buy part of which accounted for 20.93 percent. shedding 1.46 percent. The volume Traders at the New York Stock Exchange in New York yesterday. IntercontinentalExchange has agreed a $8.2bn NYSE Euronext, but that deal fell The consumer goods and services of the shares traded increased 17 deal to buy New York Stock Exchange owner NYSE Euronext, propelling the commodities player into the big through under pressure from US sector ranked third accounting for percent to 4.63m compared to league of European derivatives and helping it to take on arch rival CME Group. justice officials. 9.77 percent followed by the trans- Wednesday. AFP portation sector. THE PENINSULA Oil to drift lower in 2013, HSBC no longer Qantas-Emirates alliance crash unlikely: Analysts bookrunner on LONDON: Slow economic Analysts expect oil demand to Asiacell float growth and ample supplies are improve modestly in the second wins conditional approval expected to keep a lid on oil half of 2013, but say higher supply DUBAI: HSBC Holdings has next year with crude prices will limit any price rises. ceased to be a bookrunner on SYDNEY: Australia’s compe- capacity on routes between The deal goes beyond code- gradually slipping lower. Forecasters projecting higher Asiacell’s planned share sale, tition watchdog yesterday gave Australia and New Zealand under sharing to include coordinated But analysts polled by Reuters prices pin their hopes on improved raising new questions about the its preliminary approval to a the partnership, which could pricing, sales and scheduling say a price crash is unlikely and economic conditions in China and Iraqi telecom operator’s ability global alliance between strug- result in higher airfares. and a benefit-sharing model, geopolitical concerns should help the United States. First Energy float 25 percent of the company gling carrier Qantas and Dubai- It was for this reason that the although neither airline will take support the market. had the highest Brent price fore- to mainly local investors. based Emirates, but only for five ACCC only gave an initial five- equity in the other. Reuters monthly survey of cast in the poll with $130.50 per The London-listed bank’s exit years initially. year approval, half the 10 years “We put a strong case to the 26 analysts forecast North Sea barrel for 2013, while Raymond follows that of Morgan Stanley The Australian Competition requested by the airlines. The ACCC that outlined the benefits Brent crude oil will average $108 James had the lowest with $80 per Inc in September, and a statement and Consumer Commission decision would then be reviewed. of this partnership, both for trav- per barrel in 2013, down from an barrel for the year. from Asiacell yesterday showed (ACCC) said the benefits, which Under the alliance, Qantas ellers and for Australian tourism, average of $111.71 so far this year. US light crude oil is seen aver- Baghdad-based broker Rabee will see the airlines coordinate will shift its hub for European “ Qantas chief Alan Joyce said. Brent prices are projected aging $93.90 in 2013, down from Securities as “sole distributor and ticket prices and flight schedules, flights to Dubai from Singapore “Our customer research has to fall further to an average of $94.70 in last month’s poll. While selling agent” for its initial public would likely outweigh reduced in a bid to stem losses after this shown very strong support for the $105.90 in 2014, the poll showed. the poll shows a drop in prices offering (IPO) of shares. competition on certain routes. year posting its first annual deficit Qantas and Emirates partnership, “While geopolitical concerns in next year, most analysts argue Asiacell, a unit of Qatar A final decision will be made since privatisation in 1995. particularly in terms of increasing the Middle East still remain at the probability of a price crash Telecommunications (Qtel), by March. It also means an end to Qantas’s one-stop access to Europe, cutting the forefront, concerns about the is very low. declined to comment further, and “The ACCC considers that the partnership with British Airways travel time and offering frequent United States going over the ‘fiscal “An oil price crash remains a HSBC also declined to comment. alliance is likely to result in mate- on the so-called kangaroo route flyer benefits.” cliff’ and the euro area potentially low probability event, with Saudi Asiacell and its two rivals in the rial, although not substantial, to London, which has spanned Emirates president Tim Clark slipping back into recession could Arabia able to balance the mar- market, Zain Iraq and Korek, benefits to Australian consumers,” nearly two decades. said his customers had also have more dire consequences for ket by reducing its own produc- have to raise funds through IPOs ACCC chairman Rod Sims said Once final approval is granted, broadly welcomed the hook-up crude oil demand for the first half tion,” Natixis analyst Abhishek as a condition of their $1.25bn in a statement to the Australian Qantas will fly daily A380 serv- since it was first announced in of 2013,” Gain Capital Group ana- Deshpande said. operating licenses. All three com- Stock Exchange. ices from Sydney and Melbourne September, which “reinforces lyst Chris Tevere said. Mark Pervan, ANZ’s global panies missed an earlier deadline “The main benefit arising from to London via Dubai, meaning what a strong match the two Four analysts forecast Brent head of commodity strategy of August 2011. Asiacell is to be the alliance is an improved prod- that between the two airlines brands are for each other”. would average more than $115 argued that Brent prices would first to float on the Iraqi bourse. uct and service offering by the there will be 98 weekly serv- Since announcing the part- next year, compared with three continue to be supported by “The absence of global and two airlines to their customers. ices between Australia and the nership, the carriers have begun in last month’s poll. Three ana- geopolitical supply risks in the regional banks providing cus- “This includes increased cus- Emirates hub. initial preparations, including lysts saw Brent at below $100 in Middle East. “If prices do crash, tody and brokerage services/ tomer access to each others’ As a consequence, Qantas connecting IT systems and estab- 2013, compared with five ana- it will only be temporary, with access products make it difficult flights, destinations and frequent flights to Singapore and Hong lishing an operational base for lysts last month. Opec likely to respond by tight- to pitch the IPO to international flyer programmes.” Kong will terminate in those cit- Qantas in Dubai. “With US oil production reach- ening supplies,” Pervan said. investors, so it will be mainly Sims added that the alliance, ies and be rescheduled to ena- Transport Minister Anthony ing its highest levels in well over a Julian Jessop, head of com- targeted at local investors,” said seen as pivotal to the future of ble more same-day connections Albanese said the tie-up was good decade, combined with this poten- modities research at Capital Marc Hammoud, Deutsche Bank Qantas, would lessen competition across Asia. for passengers and provided “the tial economic slowdown, it may Economics, said there could be a telecoms analyst. on some international routes, but For Emirates customers, opportunity for Qantas to invest continue to be a major headwind significant fall in oil prices in the Asiacell claims to have a 43 competition from other airlines the alliance opens up Qantas’s in additional aircraft capacity and for oil prices,” said Gain Capital’s event of a global financial shock percent revenue market share should mitigate the impact. Australian domestic network of international services, especially Tevere, who forecast 2013 Brent such as the break-up of the euro. and 9.9 million subscribers. However, he said Qantas and more than 50 destinations and to meet the growth in Asia”. prices averaging $95. REUTERS REUTERS Emirates could reduce or limit nearly 5,000 flights per week. AFP FRIDAY 21 DECEMBER 2012 14 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com BUSINESS

Spain opens case against former IMF chief Iran sidesteps sanctions to export fuel oil Sales help recoup lost crude revenues

DUBAI/GENEVA: Iran is becom- revenues since July. Salar Moradi, ing increasingly creative in dodg- oil analyst at FACTS Global Energy, ing Western sanctions, managing said Iran fuel oil exports have risen to sell a rising volume of fuel oil to from lows of around 400,000 tonnes generate revenue equal to up to a a month this summer. third of its crude exports, which “The National Iranian Oil Company People hold placards reading “We want our money back” during a demonstration against Bankia bank and former IMF chief Rodrigo Rato have been badly hit by restrictions. has been very successful in finding new in front of Spain’s National Court in Madrid yesterday. Rato faces charges linked to the collapse of Bankia, a dramatic fall from grace for a Compared with the first half of the strategies to circumvent sanctions and high-flier once touted as a future prime minister. Rato has been called to testify at Spain’s National Court, which opened a case against him year, Iran has on average exported sold its fuel oil to Asia in August and and 32 other officials from the bailed-out bank, now a symbol of calamity in the financial system. more fuel oil per month since July, September. Now we think Middle when European Union oil and ship- Eastern buyers of Iranian fuel oil have ping insurance sanctions came into reappeared,” he said. effect and more than halved its crude Using ship-to-ship transfers, dis- exports. charging and loading at remote ports EU sanctions prohibit the import, and blending the Iranian fuel oil with Exports, govt spending buoy US growth purchase and transport of Iranian other fuels to disguise the origin have petroleum products in an attempt to become popular tactics for the Gulf- WASHINGTON: The US economy grew “The pace of hiring is still disappoint- point to GDP growth. The drop in imports curb revenues that might be chan- based middlemen and helped keep faster than previously estimated in the ing with firms concerned about the is a sign of weak domestic demand. nelled into a nuclear programme sales steady, several trading sources third quarter as exports and government impact of the fiscal cliff on demand,” said Government spending was revised to a that Iran says is for peaceful pur- familiar with the region said. spending provided a lift, but that boost is Tanweer Akram, a senior economist at ING 3.9 percent growth rate from 3.5 percent, poses but the West fears is to enable Data from the firm tracking Iran likely to be lost amid slowing global demand Investment Management in Atlanta, adding boosted by a rebound in state and local gov- it to make weapons. shipments showed sharp fluctua- and a move towards tighter fiscal policy. that the pace of GDP growth in the current ernment outlays. It added three quarters of Even for companies with no link to tions in fuel oil flows, which sources A second report yesterday suggested that quarter “remains quite soft.” a percentage point to GDP growth in the the EU, sanctions on financing and said could be attributed to ship- job growth remained modest, with first- The so-called fiscal cliff refers to $600bn third quarter. While growth in consumer shipping insurance discourage would- ping delays and tanker availability. time applications for state unemployment in automatic government spending cuts and spending, which accounts for about 70 per- be customers. Iran uses fuel oil for Exports dived to zero in July and benefits rising last week. However, they higher taxes that could be drained from the cent of US economic activity, was raised by electricity generation and to power then jumped to 1.389 million tonnes were in the low end of their range before economy early next year unless an agreement 0.2 percentage point to a 1.6 percent rate, ships, but unlike other more valuable in August, with a third of the sales Superstorm Sandy struck in late October. is reached on a less punitive plan to reduce that was mostly due to increased spending refined products such as diesel or gaso- going to the Middle East. Iran’s fuel Gross domestic product expanded at a budget deficits. Tighter fiscal policy and a on health care. line, it has a surplus to export from the oil exports stayed above 1.1 million 3.1 percent annual rate, the Commerce cooling global economy could weigh on the Business inventories were trimmed to 70,000 tonnes a day it produces. tonnes in September, and the Middle Department said, a step-up from the 2.7 domestic economy in the coming quarters. $60.3bn from $61.3bn. Restocking by busi- The July sanctions slashed the East received nearly 900,000 tonnes percent pace it reported last month. It Job gains so far this year have averaged nesses contributed 0.73 percentage point to Opec member’s fuel oil sales initially, of this. In October, exports plunged was the fastest growth since late 2011 and 151,000 per month, a pattern that is likely to GDP growth. Given the sluggish spending traders and analysts say, as term cus- to about 35,000 tonnes. also reflected a slightly better pace of con- hold through December. The sluggish labour pace, some of the inventory accumulation tomers cancelled contracts, but sales Reuters data for Iranian fuel oil sumer spending than previously estimated. market is constraining spending. might have been unplanned, suggesting have since rebounded thanks to the flows to East Asia showed a new Economists had expected GDP growth Growth in the third quarter was revised businesses will need to liquidate stocks this innovative methods of Gulf-based record of around 1.4 million tonnes would be raised to a 2.8 percent pace. higher to show a much faster pace of export quarter because of weak demand. middlemen and Iran’s market-savvy in September and 1.1 million tonnes In a separate report the Labour growth and the first decline in imports in Excluding inventories, GDP rose at a oil officials. in October. Requests for comment Department said initial claims for jobless more than three years. revised 2.4 percent rate. Final sales of goods The Islamic Republic sold an aver- from officials at the NIOC were not benefits increased 17,000 to a seasonally Exports grew at a 1.9 percent rate, rather and services produced in the United States age 648,000 tonnes of fuel oil monthly answered. adjusted 361,000. The data covered the sur- than 1.1 percent, helping to narrow the trade had been previously estimated to have from July to October, up from 636,000 Several Middle Eastern traders vey period for December nonfarm payrolls. deficit. Trade contributed 0.38 percentage increased at a 1.9 percent pace. REUTERS tonnes for January to June, according said they had been approached by to data from a company that tracks small UAE-based companies offer- Iran’s oil shipments. ing a type of fuel oil dubbed in the QATARI MARKET That brought in an average of market as “Iraqi special blend” that Bond Coupon Maturity Currency Mid Price Yield Moodys S&P $410m per month. August income was included a combination of different European stocks tread Qatar Govt 5.15% 4/9/2014 USD 105.50 0.84% Aa2 AA more than double that figure, helping fuel oil blends from the Middle East, Iran to recoup a portion of the $3.8bn or with an origin described as Iraqi. Qatar Govt 3.125% 1/20/2017 USD 105.63 1.69% Aa2 AA it has lost in monthly crude export REUTERS water; euro edges up Qatar Govt 6.55% 4/9/2019 USD 125.88 2.13% Aa2 AA Qatar Govt 5.25% 1/20/2020 USD 119.50 2.25% Aa2 AA LONDON: Europe’s main stock markets treaded water yes- Qatar Govt 4.5% 1/20/2022 USD 115.13 2.62% Aa2 AA terday, with investors nervous that US leaders have still not Qatar Govt 9.75% 6/15/2030 USD 182.00 3.46% Aa2 AA agreed a deal to avert the fiscal cliff, dealers said. London’s FTSE 100 index of leading companies slipped 0.05 Qatar Govt 6.4% 1/20/2040 USD 140.00 3.97% Aa2 AA percent to 5,958.34 points, while in Frankfurt the DAX 30 edged Qatar Govt 5.75% 1/20/2042 USD 130.50 3.97% Aa2 AA up 0.05 percent to 7,672.1 points and in Paris the CAC 40 added Qatari Diar 3.5% 7/21/2015 USD 105.13 1.46% Aa2 AA 0.06 percent to reach its highest close of the year at 3,666.73 points. Qatari Diar 5% 7/21/2020 USD 117.13 2.50% Aa2 AA The Milan market added 0.41 percent and Madrid shares were flat. Comqat 5% 11/18/2014 USD 106.00 1.76% A1 A- In foreign exchange deals, the euro edged up to $1.3227, from $1.3226 late in New York on Wednesday, when it had struck an Comqat 3.375% 4/11/2017 USD 104.50 2.27% A1 A- 8.5-month peak at $1.3308. Gold prices slid to $1,650.50 an ounce QIB 3.856% 10/7/2015 USD 104.63 2.13% NR NR on the London Bullion Market, from $1,665. QNB 3.125% 11/16/2015 USD 103.75 1.79% Aa3 A+ Wall Street stocks were also mixed in midday trade, as trad- QNB 3.375% 2/22/2017 USD 104.88 2.14% Aa3 A+ ers shrugged off an upward revision in US economic growth Doha Bank 3.5% 3/14/2017 USD 104.00 2.49% A2 A- and focused on concerns about the fiscal cliff. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 0.06 percent to 13,244.11 points. The Qtel 3.375% 10/14/2016 USD 105.00 2.00% A2 A broad-market S&P 500 added 0.06 percent to 1,436.65 points, Qtel 7.875% 6/10/2019 USD 131.00 2.62% A2 A while the Nasdaq Composite shed 0.09 percent to 3,041.53 points. Qtel 4.75% 2/16/2021 USD 113.25 2.91% A2 A Asian markets traded mixed following big gains in the previ- Qtel 5% 10/19/2025 USD 113.75 3.65% A2 A ous session. The yen slipped against the euro and dollar after Rasgas 5.5% 9/30/2014 USD 108.00 0.91% Aa3 A Japan’s central bank unveiled more huge monetary easing but it held on to earlier gains as traders had mostly expected the new Rasgas 5.832% 9/30/2016 USD 110.13 2.97% Aa3 A measures. Tokyo fell 1.19 percent on profit-taking after surging Rasgas 5.298% 9/30/2020 USD 112.88 3.40% Aa3 A to an eight-month high on Wednesday. SOVEREIGNS But Seoul closed 0.32 percent higher, with the election of con- servative Park Geun-Hye seeming to have little effect, although Bond PDA* Maturity Currency Mid Price Yield Moodys S&P dealers were broadly happy as she favours stability over big change. Abu Dhabi Govt 5.5% 4/8/2014 USD 106.50 0.42% Aa2 AA Shanghai gained 0.28 percent, Sydney was up 0.35 percent and Abu Dhabi Govt 6.75% 4/8/2019 USD 128.38 1.93% Aa2 AA Hong Kong staged a late rally to end 0.16 percent higher. AFP Dubai Govt 6.7% 10/5/2015 USD 111.00 2.57% NR NR Dubai Govt 4.9% 5/2/2017 USD 107.63 3.02% NR NR Dubai Govt 7.75% 10/5/2020 USD 126.88 3.73% NR NR Dubai Govt 6.45% 5/2/2022 USD 117.00 4.23% NR NR BNP to divest Egyptian assets Qatar Govt 4% 1/20/2015 USD 105.50 1.29% Aa2 AA Bahrain Govt 6.273% 11/22/2018 USD 114.38 3.55% NR BBB Bahrain Govt 5.5% 3/31/2020 USD 107.88 4.23% NR BBB DUBAI: BNP Paribas SA, France’s largest bank, agreed to sell its Egyptian arm to Dubai lender Emirates NBD for Egypt Govt 5.75% 4/29/2020 USD 99.25 5.88% B2 B $500m as French lenders divest operations in the North Morocco Govt 4.5% 10/5/2020 EUR 102.13 4.17% NR BBB-

African country to shore up their capital bases. BNP, like *Periodic Distribution Amount other French and European banks, has spent the past year IMPORTANT NOTE: cutting assets and staff to better withstand the euro zone’s Published by HSBC Bank Middle East Limited, P O Box 57, Doha, Qatar which debt crisis and tougher global Basel III rules on risk-taking. is licensed and regulated by Qatar Central Bank and Jersey Financial Services For ENBD, majority-owned by the government, the deal offers Commission. Information quoted is from publicly available sources or proprietary an opportunity to expand its Dubai-centric business, having been data and subject to change. HSBC accepts no liability for any loss or damage arising hit in recent quarters by its exposure to debt-laden, state-linked out of the use of all or part of this material. This information is general and does not take into account individual circumstances, objectives or needs. The price of bonds entities in Dubai that have been forced to restructure billions can and does fluctuate. The secondary market for bonds may not provide significant of dollars of obligations. liquidity or may trade based on prevailing market conditions. Past performance is not “This deal represents an excellent opportunity for Emirates a reliable indicator of future performance. You should consider these matters and NBD to enter the promising Egyptian market and achieve our consult your financial advisor prior to making any investment decisions. strategic aspiration of expanding regionally,” the bank’s chair- man, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, said. ENBD, majority-owned by the Dubai government, will buy BNP’s 95.2 percent stake in its Egyptian arm and make an offer to minority shareholders for the remaining 4.8 percent, it said in a bourse statement yesterday. REUTERS FRIDAY 21 DECEMBER 2012 MARKET www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 15

QE Indices Summary WORLD STOCK INDICES GOLD & SILVER EXCHANGE QE Index 8,442.51 35.41 QE Total Return Index 11,425.76 47.92 RATE QE All Share Index 2,030.1 10.51 INDEX Day’s Close Pt Chg % Chg Year High Year Low QE All Share Banks & Financial Services 1,982.74 11.91 GOLD Buying Selling QE All Share Industrials 2,626.45 5.31 All Ordinaries 4646.627 13.38 0.29 4646.627 4033.4 QR195.7538 US$ ...... QR 3.6305 QR 3.6500 QE All Share Transportation 1,358.94 6.40 Cac 40 Index/D 3667.7 3.11 0.08 3670.2 2922.26 QE All Share Real Estate 1,606.6 9.00 SILVER UK ...... QR 5.8919 QR 5.9744 QE All Share Insurance 1,911.97 1.34 Dj Indu Average 13251.97 -98.99 -0.74 13661.87 11768.83 QR 3.6547 Euro ...... QR 4.8019 QR 4.8690 QE All Share Telecoms 1,071.34 20.63 CA$ ...... QR 3.6505 QR 3.7217 QE All Share Consumer Goods & 4,679 4.37 Egypt Cma Gn Idx 1026.29 32.57 3.28 999.95 312.38 Services Swiss Fr ...... QR 3.9754 QR 4.0321 Hang Seng Inde/D 22659.78 36.41 0.16 22683.72 18056.4 Yen ...... QR 0.0429 QR 0.0437 QE Market Summary Comparison Aus$ ...... QR 3.7865 QR 3.8614 Iseq Overall/D 3394.13 6.52 0.19 3387.61 2882.71 CRUDE OIL Today Previous day Ind Re ...... QR 0.0658 QR 0.0671 20-12-2012 19-12-2012 Karachi 100 In/D 16908.02 38.19 0.23 16913.84 10771.13 Index 8,442.51 8,407.10 BRENT Pak Re ...... QR 0.0371 QR 0.0378 Change 35.41 56.36 Nikkei 225 Index 10039.33 -121.07 -1.19 10255.15 8238.96 Peso ...... QR 0.0878 QR 0.0896 % 0.42 0.6 $ 109.87 SL Re ...... QR 0.0282 QR 0.0289 YTD% 3.83 4.24 S&P 500 Index/D 1435.81 -10.98 -0.76 1474.51 1205.72 DUBAI Taka ...... QR 0.0445 QR 0.0459 Volume 4,630,506 3,957,589 Straits Times/D 3175.52 16.95 0.54 3177.1 2657.77 Nep Re ...... QR 0.0413 QR 0.0421 Value (QAR) 198,930,682.19 210,467,542.70 $ 104.62 Trades 2,781 2,542 SA Rand ...... QR 0.4239 QR 0.4323 Straits Times/D 2989.31 24.69 0.83 3035.78 2657.77 Up 27 | Down 04 | Unchanged 08

QATAR EXCHANGE | DAILY TRADING REPORT | 20-12-2012

INTERNATIONAL MARKETS A List of Shares from the world

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

A B G Infra-B/D 120.75 -4 4297 City Union Bk-/D 55.55 -1.2 82757 Hind.Petrol-A/D 282.45 -1.75 43446 Klg Systel-B/D 19.65 -0.75 9113 Patspin India-/D 7.99 0 3697 Hsbc Holdings/D 652.622 -0.3 6541330 A C C-A/D 1402.25 -12.9 28792 Colgate-A/D 1491.65 51.15 44325 Hindalco-A/D 132.7 3.35 1631022 Kopran-B/D 22.7 0.7 95635 Punjab Chem.-B/D 53.25 1.7 3811 Imperial Tobac/D 2406 9 482310 Aarti Drugs-T/D 202.1 2.65 1019 Dai-Bichi Kar-/D 44.9 0.05 1930 Hous Dev Fin-A/D 831.45 0.7 128215 Lakshmi Mach-B/D 2254.65 41.65 4455 Radico Khait-B/D 144.9 1.3 11400 Kingfisher/D 280.3 1.8 874559 Aban Offs-B/D 385.1 -3.9 61214 Dcm Financia-B/D 1.64 0.02 2403 I F C I-A/D 35.95 0.05 2181784 Lloyd Metal-B/D 15.6 0.5 2300 Rallis India-B/D 153.5 0.85 96375 Land Secs Grou/D 819 0 317835 Ador Welding-B/D 136.35 0.45 1009 Dhampur Sugar-/D 54.65 0.3 5449 Idbi-A/D 112.25 1.4 281048 Lloyd Steel-B/D 12.55 0.45 240389 Reliance Indus/D 454.6 -7.9 95676 Legal & Genera/D 147.5 1.4 3775594 Aegis Logis-B/D 187 1.4 17720 Dr. Reddy-A/D 1845.6 -7.75 8503 Ifb Ind.Ltd.-B/D 108.25 -0.75 6571 Lloydsfin.-B/D 0.74 -0.01 2423 Ruchi Soya-B/D 65.8 -0.95 8818 Lloyds Bnk Grp/D 49.114 -0.08 39290037 Alembic-B/D 16.55 0.05 6035 E I H-B/D 70.65 0.7 30194 India Cement-B/D 87.75 -0.6 1584751 Lok.Hous&Con-B/D 15.19 0.07 9143 S Bk Bikaner-B/D 441 -4.9 18773 Marks & Sp./D 398.5 -0.3 760619 Alkyl Amines-B/D 155 -1.45 1316 E.I.D Parry-B/D 216.05 -2.5 9459 India Glycol-B/D 177.9 -2.8 12478 Lumax Ind-B/D 379.45 0.25 10567 Salora Inter-B/D 20.3 0.1 10804 Next/D 3769 -1 70666 Alok Indus-B/D 11.57 -0.28 4000646 Eicher Motor-A/D 2738.3 36.55 6393 Indian Card-B/D 124.3 -1.2 3115 Lupin-A/D 613.75 -4.05 65131 Saur.Cem-B/D 29 -1.1 2230 Pearson/D 1194.9 -4 591894 Andhra Paper-B/D 285.7 -3.65 12297 Electrosteel-B/D 26.25 0.55 632093 Indian Hotel-A/D 65.3 0.6 126217 Lyka Labs-B/D 10.61 -0.42 7089 Savita Oil-B/D 544.55 19.65 3672 Prudential/D 894.625 5 1026026 Apollo Tyre-A/D 87.95 -0.6 295614 Emco-B/D 29.1 0 18504 Indo-Tcount-T/D 13.8 0.3 6403 Mafatlal Ind-T/D 134 -3.95 8159 Thirumalai-B/D 118.8 -2.75 18858 Rank Group/D 145.0383 -3.9 2719 Asahi I Glass-/D 54.85 -1.45 10627 Escorts Fin-B/D 4.23 0.17 3003 Indusind-A/D 431.5 -1.5 28032 Mah.Seamless-B/D 276.05 0.65 1921 Timexgroup-B/D 18.3 -0.3 31790 Rentokil Initi/D 96 -0.15 591276 Ashok Leyland-/D 27.3 -0.5 539519 Escorts-B/D 68.4 1.95 935780 J.B.Chemical-B/D 87.4 2.15 27218 Maha Scooter-B/D 523.05 -3.45 2036 Tinplate-B/D 54.75 1.85 89665 Rolls Royce Pl/D 881.938 -2 787958 Bajaj Hold-A/D 982.95 -17.95 6439 Essar Oil-A/D 71.5 -0.35 779631 Jagson Phar-B/D 13.7 0.03 1414 Mangalam Cem-B/D 178.95 1.1 7637 Ub Engineer-B/D 38.85 0.25 17887 Rsa Insrance G/D 126.9 0.1 2400806 Ballarpur In-B/D 22.75 -0.4 37005 Eveready Indu-/D 22.6 -0.15 45235 Jbf Indu-B/D 125.05 -1.15 17558 Maral Overs-B/D 15.74 -0.07 2193 Ucal Fuel-B/D 69.6 -0.65 994 Sainsbury(J)/D 353.3 0.1 771674 Bata India-A/D 882.8 -6.6 7727 F D C-B/D 88.45 -0.1 11740 Jct Elect P -B/D 0.62 -0.01 52044 Mastek-B/D 139.6 0.7 9411 Ultramarine-B/D 51 1 5930 Schroders/D 1692 -9 44923 Bayer Crop-A/D 1225.25 -11.55 2799 Federal Bank-A/D 521.85 -5.05 77033 Jct Ltd-B/D 1.49 0 31347 Max India L-A/D 236.55 -2.25 19620 Unitech P -A/D 34.1 -0.65 5097216 Severn Trent/D 1566 -10 106662 Beml Ltd-B/D 281.05 -4.95 20806 Ferro Alloys-B/D 6.99 0.04 19841 Jenson&Nich.-B/D 3.71 -0.03 13773 Mrpl-A/D 61.35 0.35 55266 Univcable-B/D 45.7 -0.3 2411 Smith&Nephew/D 680 -5.5 338813 Bhartiya Int-T/D 179.9 -0.05 1970 Finolex-B/D 62.25 -0.7 35410 Jik Indust-B/D 3.42 -0.33 185930 Nagreeka Ex-B/D 17.45 0 27038 Uppergsugar-B/D 48.7 1.25 2322 Smiths Group/D 1182 -2 289659 Bhel-A/D 232 -1.45 236509 Forbes-B/D 690.2 6.2 1362 Jindal Drill-B/D 266.15 2.1 1184 Nahar Spg.-B/D 68.05 -0.45 10281 Standrd Chart /D 1576 8 1788122 Bhuwalka Stl-B/D 17 0.2 405 Gail-A/D 350.6 0.4 40999 Jktyre&Ind-B/D 124.95 -1.1 26924 Nath Seeds-B/D 7.38 -0.06 2563 LONDON Tate & Lyle/D 775.184 2 180031 Bom.Burmah-B/D 119.9 0.8 5871 Gammon India-B/D 38.15 -0.75 41050 Jmc Projects-B/D 129.55 18.05 110157 Nation Alum -A/D 48.65 -0.25 49128 Tesco/D 338.5 -1.75 5286779 Bombay Dyeing-/D 134.25 4.75 438129 Gangotri Tex-B/D 2.8 0.01 11211 Kabra Extr-B/D 33 -0.5 2643 Navneet Pub.-B/D 67 -0.75 98512 3i Group/D 219.7 -0.4 166581 Unilever/D 2433.125 8 896441 Cable Corp.-B/D 23.15 0.15 1712 Garden P -B/D 60 1.45 2883 Kajaria Cer-B/D 232.6 -4.1 252977 Nepc India-B/D 2.63 0.02 24382 Assoc.Br.Foods/D 1563 -4 239977 United Util Gr/D 675.6763 -12 1104133 Canfin Homes-T/D 153.1 -0.35 5517 Goodricke-B/D 155 0.85 7697 Kakatiya Cem-B/D 82.95 -0.05 1782 Neuland Lab-B/D 146.2 -7.65 23866 B Sky B/D 775 3 701896 Vodafone Group/D 155.6 -1.05 20662586 Castrol Ind-A/D 293.55 4.15 39649 Goodyear I -B/D 340.1 0.1 17964 Kalpat Power-B/D 91.3 0.65 62695 Nrb Bearings-B/D 36 0.1 1293 Barclays/D 266.244 -0.35 12242670 Whitbread/D 2495 13 72722 Century Enka-B/D 130.3 -0.8 5818 Hcl Infosys-B/D 38 -0.25 41729 Kalyani Stel-B/D 61 3.2 515255 O N G C-A/D 265.05 0.7 159699 Bg Group/D 1012 -11 2477158 Century Text-A/D 421.45 -3.55 69499 Him.Fut.Comm-B/D 10.16 -0.01 423784 Kanoria Chem-B/D 39 0.35 19653 Oil Country-B/D 51.2 -0.6 2405 Bp/D 429.35 -1.95 4497870 Chambal Fert-B/D 68.45 -0.75 203348 Himat Seide-B/D 41.75 -0.95 55869 Kg Denim-T/D 14.6 0.35 17114 Orchid Chem-B/D 103.8 1.8 289615 Brit Am Tobacc/D 3139 44 1135747 Chola Invest-B/D 280.2 0.75 8946 Hind Unilever-/D 529.45 6.55 417472 Kilburnengg-B/D 21.3 0.35 6010 Orient Hotel-B/D 23.4 -0.3 2096 Bt Group/D 241.5 0.4 3910931 Chowgule St-B/D 18.9 -0.3 2345 Hind Motors-B/D 9.91 -0.13 74033 Kin.Motor-B/D 9.69 0.28 32587 Orient.Carb.-B/D 129.3 2 5055 Centrica/D 339 -1.1 1563713 Cipla-A/D 424.55 4.75 453788 Hind Org Chem-/D 19.25 0.2 33588 Kinetic Eng-B/D 75.85 5.6 3102 Oudh Sugar-B/D 25.8 -0.5 1904 Gkn/D 230.3 3.2 2198896 FRIDAY 21 DECEMBER 2012 CLASSIFIEDS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 17

SERVICES

ACCOUNTING SOFTWARES CARPET MOBILE PHONES & ERP SOFTWARE ENHANCEMENTS ARTECH KASHMIR HANDICRAFT EMPORIUM Sage Accounting, Peachtree, QuickBooks, Dynacom, AL HAWAL GROUP Handmade Cartpets, Handicrafts & Furniture. Al Mirgab Job Card, Job Order, Job Bill, Project Costing, Sales, Inventory, DacEasy, Tally, POS, Bar Code, Fixed Assets Software’s. Street, Al Naser. Tel: 44432761 GSM: 55553407 Tel: +974 44375654 E-mail: [email protected] Purchase, Sales, Payroll & Accounts, Only QR.2,500. Tel: 44311705 GSM: 55231633 ADVERTISING OVERSEAS CCTV SECURITY SOLUTIONS NEWSPAPER FLORIST ANAN SECURITY SYSTEMS GEM ADVERTISING & PUBLICATIONS CCTV - Remote Monitoring Security Solutions for Industrial, (Overseas Newspaper Advertisements) Commercial & Residential Security. Contact: 33216343 QATAR INTERNATIONAL NURSERY Tel: 44442001 GSM: 55783303 Email: [email protected] Garden Services, Irrigation Systems, Soft & Hard Landscaping, Indoor & Outdoor Plants, Water Fountains, Fresh Cut Flowers & Garden Maintenance. Tel: 44212630 Fax: 44213619 www.qinagriqatar.com E-mail: [email protected] ADVENTURE IN QATAR COMPUTER TRAINING CENTRE

QATAR INTERNATIONAL ADVENTURES FAMILY COMPUTER CENTRE FURNITURE Tel: 44553954, 44677406 GSM: 55527225 Al Rayyan Complex, Rayyan Road. E-mail: [email protected] - Website: www.qia-qatar.com Tel: 44435361/44370779 Fax: 44449130 APOLLO FURNITURE Salwa Road. Tel: 44689522 (3 Lines) ATTESTATION COMPUTERS & NETWORKING www.apollofurnitureonline.com ARTIFACTS OF ARABIA Solid Wood Furniture, Antiques, Art & Decor. Call David: 55614573 - www.artifactsofarabia.com

GLASS COATING METAL REPAIRS APOLLO ENTERPRISES Crystal Bond Glass Coating Against The Sun’s Harmful Rays, APOLLO ENTERPRISES Heat Resistance. Salwa Road. Tel: 44426664 Belzona Polymerics - Tel: 44426664 GSM: 55830870/33599574 E-mail: [email protected] GSM: 55871914/55524897 E-mail: [email protected] [email protected]

GIFTS MOVERS HELPLINE GROUP OF COMPANIES Certificate attestation from India, UK, USA, Australia, Gulf Countries and NATIONAL COMPUTER CENTER ARTIFACTS OF ARABIA PARAGON SHIPPING & LOGISTIC W.L.L. Canada. We have 15 years experience & approved Agency. Desktops, Laptops, Printers, Scanners, UPS, Softwares, ERP, Arabian Style Gifts and Souvenirs See. Also Corporate For International/Local Relocation. Doha - Qatar. GSM: 77711129 Tel: 44351974/44919213 - www.helplinegroups.com Accessories, Networking & Cabling Contracts and Tenders. www.artifactsofarabia.com Mobile: 55803404 Tel: 44299555 Tel: 44351200 Fax: 44315058 - [email protected] GSM: 55614573 - David E2E GLOBAL PACKERS & MOVERS W.L.L. EXPAND DOCUMENT CLEARANCE Professional’s in Int’l & Domestic Relocations & Removals Affordable Rate. Certicate Attestation in 7 Indian Working Days. Attestation from CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE HOME CONTROL SYSTEM Office Shifting & Industrial Packing. E: [email protected] India/UK/USA/Australia & GCC. Tracking Facility. Free Pick-Up & Delivery. Tel: 4451 6688, Mobile: 5599 0644, Fax: 4468 8631 GSM: 55540420/3009244 Tel: 44430824 - www.attestation.qa AL MUTWASSIT CLEANING & PEST CONTROL Kharaba Street, Behind White Mosque, A/C MAINTENANCE & Tel: 44367555 Fax: 44367999 GSM: 55875920/55860432 MONEY EXCHANGE SERVICES CAPITAL CLEANING COMPANY W.L.L. QATAR-UAE EXCHANGE Complete General Cleaning Services for Old and New Villas Service is our Currency. Al Sadd Street. Tel: 44445558 Tel: 44582257/44582546 Fax: 44582529 Mobile: 33189899/ City Center. Tel: 44115959 55565328 E-mail: [email protected] Clock Roundabout (Near Gold Souq). Tel: 44368222

PRESTIGE GENERAL SERVICES General Cleaning for Villas, Flats, Sofa, Carpets, Floor Tiles, Marble Polish. Daily, MASSAGE Weekly, Monthly & Yearly Contracts. GSM: 66752291 Tel: 44323040 Fax: 44131012 E-mail: [email protected] - www.prestigegeneralservices.com THAI LADY MASSAGE & BEAUTY SALON For Ladies. Thai Massage, Oil Massage, Steam Bath FIDELITY SERVICES COMPANY Home Visit. Villa No.4, Al Kinana St., Al Sadd Road. Part-Time Maid Service. Reliable maids for cleaning and INVEST IN QATAR Tel: 44350143 generalhousekeeping duties. Flexible packages at low rates For booking : 66144629, 44186738 LEADER MIDDLE EAST W.L.L. KOTTAKKAL AYURVEDIC MASSAGE CENTRE For fast & reliable BUSINESS SET-UP, LOCAL SPONSORS, Trade Oil Massage, Hotel & Home Visit. CITYSCAPES AIRCONDITIONING AL SADEQ TRAD. & MAINTENANCE CO. Licences, Joint Ventures, Public Relations, Visas & Real Estate Services. Opposite Hamad Hospital. Al Rayyan Street. Installation, Maintenance and Servicing of all kinds of Split, General Cleaning for Villa, Flat, Building, Carpet Shampooing, Sofa Sets, Marble Polish, Manpower Supply & Tel: +974 55745147/55201189 E-mail: [email protected] Tel.: 44360061 GSM: 33453697 Window and Package of Type A/C. GSM: 33709599/ Pest Control - Daily, Weekly, Monthly & Yearly Contracts (24 Hours Service). GSM: 33020107/33020108 55175012/ 33414781 E-mail: [email protected] Tel: 4436068 Fax: 44353336 E-mail: [email protected] [email protected] HELPLINE GROUP OF COMPANIES INTERNATIONAL MASSAGE CENTER (AYURVEDIC) We provide A to Z support for the Company Formation, Commercial Rejuvanation, Back & Joints Pain, Paralysis, Rheumatic BURHA TRADING Registration, PRO Services & Real Estate Services. Call Now: Diseases. Home Services. Opposite: Al Jazeera TV, Bin All kinds of A/C Maintenance & Services CURTAIN & UPHOLSTERY 77711129/44351974/44919213 - www.helplinegroups.com Omran. Tel.: 44218166 GSM: 77702421 A/C Tech. from Philippines. Waranty after maintenance Something different at moderate prices. Tel: 33202138 / 77619899 iRest Massage Chair CASA BLU COMPANY IT SOLUTION Buy Online www.qbuy.qa Tel: 44694020/90 Fax: 44694010 2nd Floor, Quality Hyper Market FIDELITY SERVICES COMPANY [email protected] - www.casabluinteriors.com A/C. Maintenance, Cleaning, Relocation, Repair for all types of GSM: 55684777 AC’s 7/7 - Office: 44186738, GSM: 66144629 Software Lab Qatar P.O. Box : 31400, Doha, Qatar MEDIHERB DENTAL Separate Section for Gents & Ladies. Back, Neck & Joint Care, Indian

Software Labs Tel: +974 44622703, 44622705 GSM: 66836037 Ayurvedic Massage, Holistic Rejuvenating Massage. Fareej Al Nasar, Near BLINDS E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.softlabqatar.com AL MASA DENTAL COMPLEX Midmac R/A.Tel.: 44690363 GSM: 66167700 www.mediherbqatar.com AL SHARK EXHIBITION DR. Saeed Mohammed Abdelkhalek, MS, Prosthodontics. HR MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Vertical-Venitian Blinds. Opposite Villagio. Tel: 44513289 Fax: 44693086 (DEVELOPED SPECIFICALLY FOR QATAR) Bin Mehmoud. Tel./Fax: 44422906 • Document Management System • Inventory Management System • Plant Management System MUSIC AL MASA DENTAL COMPLEX Expertise and capability to develop any kind of Software to suit your specific business needs!!! DR. Sami Khalil Elmorsi Elsharoud, MS, Restorative Dentisty & MUSIC HOUSE Endodontics. Opposite Villagio. Tel: 44513289 Fax: 44693086 AL JAWHAR CURTAINS & FURNITURE Courses Offered: Guitar, Drums, Keyboard, Violin, Voice, Piano, Piano Vertical-Venitian Blinds. INTN’L TRDG. & TECHNICAL SVCS. CO. (INTER-TECH) Hardware, Software, Networking, ERP, Cabling, Servers, UPS, Tuning + Rentals, Band Rehearsal Studio. Call: 44550203/ Salwa Road, Qatar Decoration R/A. AL MASA DENTAL COMPLEX 77469047/66022769 - E-mail: [email protected] Tel: 44689897 Network Operation, Maintenance, etc. DR. Mohammed Naveed Yawar Tel: 44416556 Fax: 44416410 - [email protected] GB, General Scope Dentist (Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences). Opposite Villagio. Tel: 44513289 Fax: 44693086 MANPOWER SUPPLY BLASTING AND PAINTING IMMIGRATION SERVICES

M. PALLONJI QATAR ELECTRONICS REPAIRING ‘WE GET THE JOB DONE’ P.O. BOX: 23933. E-mail: [email protected] Tel: 44606822 Fax: 44606977 GSM:55879234 Specialised in Governmental work, Work Visa, Family Visa, EASY SOULTION ELECTRONICS Resident Permits and many more. Email: [email protected] We repair all kinds of electronics equipment (TV, LCD, LED, Tel: 44675502, Fax: 4467-5503 Website: deltaqatar.com BICYCLES & WATER SPORTS Plasma, Car Stereo, Amp), Vaacum Cleaner, Motor, Dish + Antenna. GSM: 33807561 Tel: 44322332 LIVE, WORK & STUDY IN CANADA/AUSTRALIA SKATE SHACK Work Permit Visas for: Hotel Staff, Administrators, Sales Associates, Al Ain # 3, Salwa Road, Male & Female Cooks, Light & Heavy Drivers + Mechanics and more.. For Direction call: Tel: 446-92532 ENTERPRISE TELEPHONY AND E-mail: [email protected] - www.dubaimcs.com GSM: 552-47885/779-36152 - www.skate-shack.com SECURITY SOLUTIONS

IMPORT SERVICES CURTAINS IMPORT FROM CHINA/INDIA AL SHARK EXHIBITION Building Materials/Industrial Items/Steel/Aluminium Sections/ Bin Mehmoud - Panels, etc. 18 year old Indian Company having China Office. NURSERY Tel./Fax: 44422906 GSM: 33391248, [email protected] THE LITTLE HANDS NURSERY AL JAWHAR CURTAINS & FURNITURE Age group 2 months to 4 years. Separate classes for babies, toddlers & students Salwa Road, Qatar Decoration Roundabout. JEWELLERY with spacious play area. British Management & Camera Protection. Location: New Tel: 44689897 Salata, 137 Al Maahed Street, (at the back of Birla Public School) GSM: 55312803 INTN’L TRDG. & TECHNICAL SVCS. CO. (INTER-TECH) CANARA JEWELLERY For advertisements, call: Planning, Design, Engineering, Supply, Installation, Testing, Commissioning, Multi System Al Mansoura, Bin Dirham Street. HELLO BABY NURSERY (ABU HAMOUR & KHARTIYAT) Integration, Maintenance in Telecommunication, Electronics, Power, Security & Cabling. Tel: 44422071, 44357283 E-mail: [email protected] We start registration for September 2012. 44557857 Tel: 44416556 Fax: 44416410 - [email protected] [email protected] - www.4422071.com We follow English Curriculum. Abu Hamour: 77759789 Al Khartiyat: 33000819 FRIDAY 21 DECEMBER 2012 18 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com CLASSIFIEDS

SERVICES FOR RENT SITUATIONS VACANT

OPTICS RENT A CAR APOLLO REAL ESTATE REQUIRED Doha’s leading Real Estate Agency can offer you a wide selection of available Looking for a MODERN GULF OPTICS properties. Apartment to compounds and office space. Give us your requirements and let us find Please visit for all types of Eye Glasses, Sun Glasses, Contact you a place that fits. With over 30 years experience in Doha, we know the market. Lenses, Eye Test for Driving License and Industrial Safety Biology Tutor Glasses. Near Crazy Signal. Tel: 44310768 Qatar’s first Real Estate Company under British Management Call: Office: 44689522, Maureen 55864352 for GCSE Level OFFICE INTERIORS/FIT-OUT Abubakar 55850815, Peter 55506803, Dexter 55872145 Please contact: CONTRACTOR www.apollopropertiesonline.com Mobile: 55199550 OFFICE EXPERTS FOR RENT A cost effective office service provider: Office Interior, Office Stationery & Supplies, Office Space, Office Services - An FOR SALE initiative of Sama Group W.L.L. T: 44447705 - F: 44447709 - E: fi[email protected] W: www.samagroup.me Stores Different Sizes available in Al Saliya PORTABLE/CHEMICAL TOILETS E2E FLEETS Please contact: 15/26/30/55/60/65 Seated Buses with or without Driver CATS FOR SALE BEAM CONSTRUCTION Excellent Service & Competitive rates - Tel: 4460 5291 Mobile: 55524170 Near Al Saliya Sports Stadium. Tel: 44901760 Fax: 44901566 Email: fl[email protected] - Mobile: 3307 4056 GSM: 33138018 E-mail: [email protected] Please contact: GO RENT A CAR ANNOUNCEMENTS PARTY ITEMS & Competitive Rates for Car Rental & Leasing. GSM: 55941500 - 66832864 BALLOON DECORATION Tel: 44325500 Fax: 44375753 GSM: 33697075/66983107 E-mail: [email protected] PARTY KINGDOM BUYING Near Jaidah Flyover, Nasrallah Centre. SITUATION WANTED Tel: 44353501/ 44366431 AL DAR CAR RENTAL We buy all kinds of used household E-mail: [email protected] 24 Hours. Bin Omran, Ahmed Bin Ali St., PO Box 24816 Tel: 44877789 GSM: 55599972/55732070, Fax: 44866637 items. Office Furniture, Electric and [email protected] electronics items.. Fridge, A/Cs, A FILIPINO MALE, PEST CONTROL & CLEANING Freezer, TV & Computers. PRODUCTS REGENCY FLEETS (A Regency Group Co.) With more than 4 years of solid background as Safety and Security Officer, is looking for a suitable job. Special Corporate leasing and Rental rates. Price includes Comprehensive Insurance, Call: 55505773 TRADE CHEM LTD. Maintenance, Replacement Vehicle etc. Driven by Values. E-mail: info@regencyfleets. Please contact: GSM: 66541989 P O Box: 21748 - Tel: +974 44278006 Fax: +974 44278007 com Tel: 44433822/44554046 Fax: 44554047 Branches: Airport - Tel.: 44153086 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Beverly Hills - Tel.: 44122131 Movenpick Tower & Suites: Tel.: 44966107/30122300 SERVICES A FILIPINO, PEST CONTROL & CLEANING COUNTRY RENT A CAR - BARWA AL WAKRA 34 years old with 7 years experience in computer trouble A car has a choice of vehicles to suit your needs. Special cost provide nice service to our customer. What’s more? Comprehensive, Maintenances & Replacement Vehicle. Come to you at affordable shooting, computer hardware servicing and installation, DOHA PEST CONTROL & CLEANING CO. W.L.L. WATER TANK CLEANING is looking for a job. For Pest Control & Cleaning Services - Fax: 44360838. rates, etc. Tel.: 44154467 GSM: 55440424 E-mail: [email protected] Email: [email protected] GSM: 55513862/55814832/ Please contact: GSM: 66122529 55514709 Tel:44360901/902 Web: www.dohapest.com STATIONERY & OFFICE AL MUTWASSIT CLEANING & PEST CONTROL E-mail: [email protected] SUPPLIES Kharaba st, Behind white Mosque. Fax: 443679 99 GSM. 55875920/55860432 QATAR PEST CONTROL COMPANY W.L.L. OFFICE EXPERTS A FILIPINA, Email: [email protected] A cost effective office service provider: Office Stationery & 33 years old, with more than 10 years experience as web: www.qatarpest.com GSM: 55517254/66590617 CAPITAL CLEANING COMPANY Supplies, Office Interior, Office Space, Office Services - An Administrative Staff and a graduate of Computer Secretarial Tel: 44222888 Fax: 44368727 Cleaning Water Tanks & Pest Control. Fax: 44582529 initiative of Sama Group W.L.L. T: 44447705 - F: 44447709 - GSM: 55565328/33189899 Tel: 44582257/44582546 with extensive trainings in MS Office(MS Word, Excel & Power E: [email protected] W: www.samagroup.me E-mail: [email protected]/[email protected] Point), is looking for a job. REAL ESTATE Please contact: GSM: 33737211 TRIOS - OFFICE & PROJECT SUPPLIES E-mail: [email protected] Stationary, Computer Supplies, Gift Items, Cad Plotting & YOGA SERVICES AL MUFTAH SERVICES & RENT A CAR WLL Digital Printing. Tel: 44919114-15 Fax: 44919116 C Ring Road Main Office Tel: 44328100/44442003, E-mail: [email protected] - www.triosqatar.com YOGASHA Fax: 44414339 - Musherib Branch Office: Tel: 44326840/ 44426649, NOTICE Fax: 44312899 E Mail: [email protected] Website: www.racqatar.com First time in Qatar. Counselling and Yoga Services. SCAFFOLDING Almajaz Builiding Office 3, Al Kharatiat. Tel: 44422052 GSM: 55264002 - www.yogasha.com MR. IDEMUDIAEDDIE ERO ADAM REAL ESTATE COMPANY Al Kuwari Blgd., 8th Floor, Al Sadd, Near Sebstain Rest. APOLLO ENTERPRISES SCAFFOLDING DIVISION NIGERIAN NATIONAL Tel: 44366932 Fax: 44366931 GSM: 55500789 / 55803731 Contract/Hire/Sale - Salwa Road. Tel: 44693334 QATAR ID NO. 28056600281 Fax: 44416274 GSM: 55521089/55560246/55536285 The above said person is leaving Qatar for vaca- www.apollo-qatar.net - E-mail: [email protected] APOLLO REAL ESTATE Pen.Mag tion. Anybody who has any claim against him Salwa Road. GSM: 55864352/55506803/ 55872145 should contact us on the following numbers Tel: 44689522 www.apollopropertiesonline.com COSMOS TOOLS & INDUSTRIAL SUPPLIES CO. W.L.L E-mail: [email protected] Scaffolding & Ladders. Tel: 44151824 (3 Lines), 44315500 Fax: 44151825/ Tel: 44557857 within 3 days from the date of this advertise- 44214809 GSM: 55898593 E-mail: [email protected] ment. We will not be responsible for any claim Main Showroom: Beside Doha Stadium, near to Clock R/A. Branch: Barwa Village, Bldg. No.2, Shop 8 & 10 whatsoever after the above said date. RENT A CAR Fax: 44557870 TOURS IN QATAR GSM: 77860687/77402617 AVIS RENT A CAR Main Office at Daihatsu Showroom Complex on QATAR INTERNATIONAL TOURS ‘C’ Ring Road. Tel: 44667744 / 44622180 Fax: 44657626 Tel: 44551141/44552242 GSM: 55010137/55864568 Fax: 44653461 E-mail: [email protected] - Website: www.qittour.com BUDGET RENT A CAR The Best Car Rental Service in Qatar. TRANSLATION SERVICES Head Office - 44310411 Airport Arrival - 44153048 Airport Departure - 44622678/55808638 (24 Hrs)

AL MUFTAH RENT A CAR WLL HO, D’ Ring Road -Tel: 44328100, 44634444 - Branches: Airport 44634433, C’ Ring Road -Tel: 44442003, Grand Hamad Avenue - 44326840, Ras Lafffan: Tel.: 44748840 E Mail: [email protected] Website: www.rentacardoha.com

AL SULAIMAN RENT A CAR Main Office D’ Ring Road. Tel: 44911711/44911710 Fax: 44911699. E-mail: [email protected] Musherib: 44355477/44440702/44315616 Fax: 44355466. Al Wakra: 44646775/44649153 Fax: 44646773 Al Khor: 44796677/44725378 Fax: 44796633

EUROPCAR You rent A lot more than a car. Opp. Al Sharq Bldg., D-Ring Road. WEBSITE Tel: 44660677 Fax: 44662677 Airport: 44621188

BASE RENT A CAR Cars that fits your Needs & Budget. We Deliver & Pickup. Call for a quote 24 Hours @ 55206569

OASiS RENT A CAR AND TRANSPORTATION YOU RENT MORE THAN A CAR WITH OASiS. Fax: 44130033 Tel: 44130011/44130022 GSM: 55157587 (Rental)/ 55129615 (Transportation) [email protected] - OasisCars.com

NICE RENT A CAR Solution for Transport & Leasing all types of vehicle & Heavy Equiment. Tel: 44413392 GSM: 55514223 Fax: 44317896 Website: niceqatar.com E-mail: [email protected]/ [email protected] AL HAWAL GROUP THE OWNERS RENT A CAR + LIMOUSINE SERVICE Website Designing, Statics & Dynamic, Web Portal, Online Store Online Booking, Online Appointment, Starting only 24 Hrs Service! QR.1,000. Tel: 44311705 GSM: 55231633 Tel: 44515515 GSM: 55149555 Fax: 44515155 Contact Mr. Anjum Malik E-mail: [email protected]

JABRCO RENT A CAR Pen.Mag We have many vehicles like 2009, 2010 & 2011 models for rent with a comfortable price on daily/weekly and monthly. Main office: 44663933 GSM: 33131241 - Branch Tel: 44557857 Fax: 44557870 Barwa Village: 44152020 GSM: 33640652 E-mail: [email protected] FRIDAY 21 DECEMBER 2012 BREAK TIME www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 19 CINEMA LISTINGS TV LISTINGS Dabangg 2 (2D) (Hindi) SHOWING AT VILLAGGIO & CITY CENTER – 2.30 & 8.30pm TEL: 444933989 444517001 1 My Boss (2D) (Malayalam) 15:05 Auction 14:15 Bondi Vet GULF – 5.30 & 11.00pm Hunters 14:45 Animal Cops 15:30 Ultimate South Africa CINEMA My Boss (2D) (Malayalam) Survival 15:40 Daniel And Our – 2.30 & 8.30pm 2 16:25 Overhaulin’ Cats Dabangg 2 (2D) (Hindi) 17:20 River Monsters 17:00 The Really Wild – 5.30 & 11.30pm 18:15 Mythbusters Show 19:10 How Stuff’s 17:30 Bad Dog Mr. & Mrs. Ewyes (Arabic) Made 18:25 Baby Planet (2D) – 2.30pm 19:40 How It’s Made 19:20 Cats 101 1 The Hobbit: An Expected Journey 20:05 Border Security 20:15 Monkey Life (Fantasy)– 4.30, 7.30 & 10.30pm 20:35 GI Dough 20:40 Bondi Vet 21:00 Auction 21:10 Call Of The The Impossible (2D) (Action) – Hunters Wildman 2.30, 9.00 & 11.15pm 21:30 American 21:35 Cheetah MALL The Reef 2 (3D) (Animation) – Chopper Kingdom 2 22:25 American 22:05 Saba And The CINEMA 5.00pm Chopper Rhino’s Secret Jack Reacher (2D) (Action) – 23:20 Wheeler 23:00 Shark Fight 6.45pm The Reef 2 (3D) (Animation) – 2.30 & 6.45pm 3 Jack Reacher (2D) (Action) 13:00 Great Migrations 18:25 The Amazing – 4.15, 8.30 & 11.00pm 14:00 Kingdom of The World Of The Reef 2 (3D) (Animation) – Oceans Gumball 2.30, 4.00, 5.30 & 7.15pm 17:00 World’s Deadliest 18:50 Johnny Test 1 GPU 19:25 The Powerpuff The Impossible (2D) (Action) – 18:00 Crimes Against Girls 9.00 & 11.15pm Nature 19:40 Regular Show ROYAL 19:00 Great Migrations 20:05 Green Lantern: Vamps (Comedy) – 2.30pm PLAZA 20:00 Animal The Animated 2 Intervention Series Jack Reacher (2D) (Action) 0730 Rugby Heineken 7:00 News 21:00 Bonecrusher 20:30 Ben 10: – 4.00, 6.30, 9.00 & 11.15pm Cup Castres V 7:30 The Stream Queens Omniverse My Boss (2D) (Malayalam) Glasgow 8:00 News 22:00 Jaguar: Catching 20:55 Generator Rex 3 – 2.30, 5.15, 8.00 & 10.45pm 0930 Omni Sport 8:30 News the Cat (aka 21:20 Cartoon Network 1000 Rugby Heineken 9:00 Al Jazeera World Hunt for the Dance Club The Reef 2 (3D) (Animation) Cup Leinster V 10:30 Inside Story Shadow 21:30 Batman – 2.30, 4.15 & 6.00pm Clermont Auvergne 11:00 News The Impossible (2D) (Action) – 1145 Uefa Champions 11:30 The Stream 1 8.00pm League Draw 12:30 101 East 1300 Total Italian Football 13:00 NEWSHOUR The Hobbit: An Expected Journey 1330 Magazine Tba 14:00 News (Fantasy) – 10.30pm 1400 English Sports News 14:30 Inside Story 04:00 The Hitchhiker’s 11:45 Alpha And 1415 Basketball Nba 15:00 Cold Peace Guide To The Omega-PG15 Jack Reacher (2D) (Action) Miami @ Dallas 16:00 NEWSHOUR Galaxy-PG 13:15 Rainbow Valley 2 LANDMARK – 3.00, 5.30, 8.15 & 11.00pm 1615 Capital 1 Cup Leeds 17:00 News 06:00 Prom-PG15 Heroes-FAM V Chelsea 17:30 The Stream 08:00 Little Shop Of 15:00 Teo: The Rise of the Guardians (3D) 1815 Liga World 18:00 NEWSHOUR Horrors-PG15 Intergalactic Animation – 2.30 & 4.15pm 1915 Spanish League Real 19:00 News 10:00 Good Boy!-PG Hunter-PG Sociedad V Sevilla 19:30 Fault Lines 12:00 The Hitchhiker’s 16:15 Horrid Henry-PG The Impossible (2D) (Action) – 2100 Total Italian Football 20:00 News Guide To The 18:00 The Search For 3 6.15 & 11.30pm 2130 Uefa Champions 20:30 Inside Story Galaxy-PG Santa Paws-PG League Magazine 21:00 NEWSHOUR 16:00 Good Boy!-PG 20:00 Looney Tunes: The Hobbit: An Expected Journey 2200 The Global Game 22:00 News 18:00 Happy Gilmore- Back In Action- (3D) (Fantasy) – 8.30pm 2300 Football Asia 22:30 South2North 20:00 The Extra Man- 22:00 Horrid Henry-PG 2330 Magazine Tba 23:00 The Frost Interview 22:00 Old School-18 23:30 Rainbow Valley

HYPER C RSO S W O RD

12345 6789101112 1314151617 116 TV pitchman David 46 Greed, for one

18 19 20 117 *Just one or two pups, say 48 Inner personalities, in 118 Flies across sub-Saharan psychology 21 22 23 Africa? 51 Slips 24 25 26 27 28 119 Hornets’ homes 53 Photographer Richard 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 55 Muslim spirit

36 37 38 39 DOWN 56 Register 1 Drops back, as in a horse race 59 Leading in a race 40 41 42 43 44 45 2 Circus site 61 Strikingly, as in dress 46 47 48 49 50 51 3 *Edberg enjoying a sports 64 Some afternoon fare 52 53 54 55 56 57 match 67 Teed off 4 ___ booster 58 59 60 61 68 *Oven, at times 5 1989 Michael Moore 69 What you may need to do to 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 documentary get a hand 70 71 72 73 74 6 Like Schoenberg’s Chamber 71 Broken in, say Symphony No. 1 75 76 77 78 79 72 Shade of white 7 The Missouri R. runs through it 80 81 82 83 84 85 73 Lock site 8 Carpenter’s standard 74 *Small-claims court Yesterday’s answer 86 87 88 89 90 91 9 Hugh M. ___ First 75 1981 Mel Gibson film Amendment Award How to play Hyper Sudoku: 92 93 94 95 76 Exam constraint 10 Stiff collars A Hyper Sudoku Puzzle is solved by filling the numbers from 1 to 9 into the blank cells. A Hyper 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 78 Tries to impress, as in 11 *Knock again conversation Sudoku has unlike Sudoku 13 regions (four regions overlap with the nine standard regions). In all 103 104 105 106 107 108 regions the numbers from 1 to 9 can appear only once. Otherwise, a Hyper Sudoku is solved like 12 Morse code sound 80 *Lorry in a ditch a normal Sudoku. 109 110 111 112 113 13 Paper bundle 81 Make unconscious 114 115 116 14 *Nectarine grove 84 Legislature 15 Confirms 117 118 119 88 Put one’s foot down How to play Kakuro: 16 Strip sight 91 Change the locks? The kakuro grid, unlike in sudoku, can be of any 17 Only defenseman to have 94 Alpine domicile ACROSS 62 Latin being won the N.H.L. scoring title size. It has rows and columns, and dark cells 95 Things between shoulders 1 *Winning dad in a race 63 Aboriginal food source 19 Crosswise, at sea like in a crossword. And, just like in a crossword, 97 *Vlasic employee 6 *Like Enron 64 “My dear man” 20 Dairy section some of the dark cells will contain numbers. Some 98 Volcano that devastated cells will contain two numbers. 13 Joe of “NCIS” 65 ___ Friday’s 26 *Stupid show from a cable Martinique in 1902 TV giant However, in a crossword the numbers reference 18 “All systems ___!” 66 Medieval chest 100 Diamond complements 28 Pain, so to speak clues. In a kakuro, the numbers are all you get! 19 Only person to be named Driver of the 70 Extent 101 Decree Year in three different decades 30 OB/___ (medical specialist) They denote the total of the digits in the row or 73 *“You’re not that sorry!” 102 Punches 20 *Whispers heard during an in-class test 31 Telephone answerer: Abbr. column referenced by the number. 75 Old Pontiacs 104 Salon job 21 Dashboard choice 33 Start of some sequel titles Within each 77 Zebra’s home 105 *Where Robert Burns and collection of cells 22 ___ Sea, north of Alaska 79 “This’ll cost you” 35 Have special privileges kin are buried - called a run - any 23 Ajax’s opponent 80 *One who apprentices woodworkers 37 Talked incessantly 106 Popeye’s ___’ Pea of the numbers 1 24 Grandmother of Spain’s Juan Carlos 82 Get (to it) 38 Brother of Rebekah 109 One answering to a to 9 may be used 25 When Paris is burning? 83 Excepting 40 Einsteins they aren’t 45-Across: Abbr. but, like sudoku, 27 “South Park” boy 85 Squeeze (out) 41 “Laugh-In” announcer Gary 110 Presidential inits. each number may 28 Comparatively dull female 86 Einstein’s birthplace 43 *Orthodontist, at times 111 Coast Guard rank: Abbr. only be used once. 29 Wine drinks 87 Discourages 44 Neural network 113 Pitchblende, for one 32 “___ Miz” 89 Month after avril Yesterday’s 33 Snorkeling spot 90 *Bozo, for one SL IPUP FLUFF answer 34 Camera inits. 92 The Indians, on a scoreboard CARUSO L I VEACT 36 Kvetch 93 Say grace, say 38 Minus 94 Speed FETTLED AGENTRY 39 Aunt, in Andalucía 96 3,281 ft. UNE LOS WHASSUP Sherman’s Lagoon by Jim Toomey 40 “What if this present were the world’s 97 Pointed implement MARG I N BET TODO last night?” poet 98 The nth degree? BRIAN MUDPIE 42 LeBron James, beginning in ’03 99 Solvents often found in antiknock L I ST FOR ERROR 43 *Serving tray left next to the frying pan additives ESE OUT INK HEM 45 ___ Snorkel 103 Like the down and out 46 108-Across, e.g. 105 *Singer Britney succeeds at the high TRAWL IVS SISI 47 ___ Johnson, a k a the Rock jump REMEDY IHOPS 49 Aladdin’s kleptomaniac sidekick 107 PC key THAT INS ONESEC 50 Foam turbulently 108 Altar words REDDENS ATV TCU 52 Edison, notably 109 DC ___ I LLEGAL RE I GATE 54 Junkers 110 Caused to be depressed? PL ICATE CREATE 57 Brisk pace 112 Kind of column 58 *Revival meeting 114 Xylophone sounds BONER HOWLER 60 Tennis’s Capriati 115 Becomes more inclined ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE FRIDAY 21 DECEMBER 2012 20 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com SPORT Johnson Barca get AC Milan date; named interim Scotland United to play Real Madrid coach LONDON: Australian Scott UEFA Champions League draw: Ronaldo set to return to Old Trafford Johnson has been appointed Scotland head coach on a tem- porary basis for the Six Nations NYON, SWITZERLAND: “Everyone wanted to keep this and next year’s tour of South Barcelona versus AC Milan and for later in the competition but, Africa, Scottish Rugby Union Manchester United against Real out of several stand-out ties, (SRU) announced yesterday. Madrid were the pick of the ties I think this is the one,” he told A UEFA staff Johnson had been working as an in the Champions League last 16 British television channel Sky member carries assistant coach to Andy Robinson, draw yesterday, as the knock- Sports News. who resigned last month in the the Champions out phase of this year’s competi- “If history has anything in our wake of a 21-15 loss to Tonga after League trophy tion took shape. favour, our one victory against three and a half years in charge. Perennial favourites Barcelona, Real Madrid in this competition following the “Scott has a wealth of expe- champions in 2009 and 2011, are was in the season when we won draw of UEFA rience of international rugby, currently nine points clear in the final at Wembley (in 1968).” Champions which was instrumental in his La Liga but received a hammer Former Madrid player and club League appointment earlier this year as blow on Wednesday when it was director Emilio Butragueno said: 2012/13 Round our senior assistant coach,” said revealed coach Tito Vilanova “I’m sure it’s going to be a special of 16 soccer SRU chief executive Mark Dodson must undergo surgery after can- game for Ronaldo. matches at yesterday. cer returned to his salivary gland. “He’s a great professional so I’m the UEFA “He has coached with Australia, His assistant, Jordi Roura, has sure he’s going to do his best to headquarters Wales and the USA and knows been placed in temporary charge. help Real Madrid qualify for the in Nyon, what it is to prepare teams to win Barcelona and Milan locked next round, but going back there Switzerland, on the international battleground. horns four times in last season’s will be special for him.” yesterday. “Scott knows our players and competition, with Barca finish- Arsenal were drawn against coaches well and is determined ing above Massimiliano Allegri’s last season’s beaten finalists, to hit the ground running with side in the group phase and then Bayern Munich, who have con- a successful RBS 6 Nations prevailing 3-1 on aggregate when structed a nine-point lead in the Championship.” they met again in the last eight. Bundesliga after a storming start Dodson also confirmed that the United’s tie with Madrid will to the season. SRU will continue to seek a long- see Portugal skipper Cristiano “We know Arsenal well,” said Champions League last 16 schedule term successor to Robinson. Ronaldo face his former club for Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz NYON, SWITZERLAND: Dates for matches in the last 16 of the Champions League, after the Johnson described the appoint- the first time since leaving Old Rummenigge. draw was made at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, yesterday: ment as “an honour” and pledged Trafford for the Spanish capital “That’s fortunate and we can be to do his best to get the most of February 12 in 2009. happy about the draw. The game the players. The sides last met in 2003, when won’t be a foregone conclusion Celtic (SCO) v Juventus (ITA) The loss to Tonga on November a famous hat-trick in Manchester and we should not under-estimate Valencia (ESP) v Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) 25 was Scotland’s 10th defeat in by Ronaldo -- Cristiano Ronaldo’s Arsenal.” their last 13 Tests and saw them February 13 Brazilian predecessor and name- Meanwhile, Celtic’s reward for slump to 12th in the International sake -- gave Madrid a 6-5 aggre- reaching the knockout phase for Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR) v Borussia Dortmund (GER) Rugby Board (IRB) global gate quarter-final win. the first time since 2007-08 is a Real Madrid (ESP) v Manchester United (ENG) ranking. Madrid coach Jose Mourinho rendezvous with Italian champi- Johnson, who was once care- has only lost two of his 14 previous ons Juventus. February 19 taker coach of Wales, was encounters with Alex Ferguson’s “In terms of glamour, it is FC Porto (POR) v Malaga (ESP) appointed as an assistant coach as side, and United club secretary great,” Celtic coach Neil Lennon Arsenal (ENG) v Bayern Munich (GER) part of an overhaul that followed John Alexander admitted the club told Sky Sports News. “In terms Scotland’s dismal performance at would have preferred a more gen- of qualification it is going to be February 20 this year’s Six Nations, in which tle draw. very tough. But we will take it as Galatasaray (TUR) v Schalke 04 (GER) they lost all five games. it comes and our supporters will AC Milan (ITA) v Barcelona (ESP) The 50-year-old played a part be looking forward to this match.” in the successful tour of Australia, Champions League Big-spending French club March 5 Fiji and Samoa, in June this year Paris Saint-Germain will take on Manchester United v Real Madrid before losses to New Zealand, Valencia, with German champi- South Africa and Tonga in last 16 draw Borussia Dortmund v Shakhtar Donetsk Galatasaray (TUR) v Schalke 04 (GER) ons Borussia Dortmund slated to November. face their Ukrainian counterparts March 6 Scotland open their Six Nations Celtic (SCO) v Juventus (ITA) Shakhtar Donetsk. Paris Saint-Germain v Valencia campaign against England at Arsenal (ENG) v Bayern Munich (GER) In the remaining ties, com- Twickenham on February 2. Juventus v Celtic Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR) v Borussia petition debutants Malaga Dortmund (GER) tackle Porto and Turkish outfit March 12 UEFA Champions League final ambassador Galatasaray meet German side French rugby AC Milan (ITA) v Barcelona (ESP) Schalke 04 v Galatasaray Steve McManaman draws a card showing Schalke. The first-leg matches Real Madrid (ESP) v Manchester United Barcelona v AC Milan Manchester United’s name during the will be played on dates between draw of UEFA Champions League 2012/13 chief confident (ENG) February 12-13 and February March 13 Round of 16 soccer matches in Nyon, 19-20, and the return legs between Valencia (ESP) v Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) Malaga v FC Porto Switzerland. about European FC Porto (POR) v Malaga (ESP). March 5-6 and March 12-13. REUTERS Bayern Munich v Arsenal future C oach’s surgery PARIS: Paul Goze, the presi- Five-star Chelsea rout dent of the France’s domestic went well, says rugby union leagues, said yes- terday that he had no concerns Barcelona’s Puyol Leeds to boost Benitez about the future of European competitions, despite talks on a BARCELONA: Barcelona LEEDS: Chelsea eased the pressure on Rafael Benitez and sealed new format having stalled. coach Tito Vilanova’s can- their place in the League Cup semi-finals thanks to an emphatic 5-1 “In the negotiations for the cer surgery yesterday went victory over old rivals Leeds at Elland Road on Wednesday. European Cups, there are always “very well”, his captain Carles Leeds, currently mid-table in the Championship, sensed a quarter- difficult moments and barri- Puyol said, after an unexpected final shock when they took a 38th-minute lead thanks to a 15th goal ers,” the National Rugby League relapse shocked the Spanish of the season from Argentinian striker Luciano Becchio, who slid the (LNR) boss said in an interview. league leaders. ball home from 12 yards as he met a Jerome Thomas cross to round- “However everybody in Vilanova, 44, has led Barcelona off a length of the field move. European rugby, the Scottish, to their best league start ever but But defender Tom Lees missed a great chance to double the advan- Irish, Welsh, English, Italians and the club said he will be in hospital tage in first-half stoppage-time, heading over from an El Hadji-Diouf us (French) need the European for four days and then need up to cross as the Yorkshire club attempted to emulate their neighbours Cups. six weeks of chemotherapy and Bradford City, who booked their semi-final place with a stunning upset “We cannot forsee that these radiotherapy. over Arsenal. barriers will continue. “The first message I have Chelsea refused to go the same way as their Premier League rivals, “The negotiations will be dif- received is that the operation has moving through the gears to score five second-half goals to make it ficult as always but I am not gone very well,” Puyol told a news Chelsea’s Fernando Torres (centre) celebrates his goal with team-mates through to the last four in January in some style. worried about the long-term out- conference after surgeons oper- during their English League Cup quarter-final match against Leeds United “The team was quite good in the first half and the reaction of the come,” Goze said. ated on Vilanova yesterday, just in Leeds, northern England, on Wednesday night. team in the second half was fantastic after coming back from Japan “All parties will be able to agree over a year after he underwent a with jet lag and changing some players,” interim manager Benitez said. before the deadline to ensure similar operation on his salivary “The reaction was amazing. We were looking for character and we that after 2014 the competition gland. talked about it at half-time.” will continue to be one of rugby’s “It is very tough news, a very Bayern’s Ribery slapped Leeds boss Neil Warnock added: “If Tom Lees’ header had gone in forces. hard blow,” Puyol said. when the score was 1-0 it would have been a different game. But if you “We have taken ideas forward Sports media quoted Vilanova concede so early in the second half, you will be in trouble. They took and the positions are on the table. as assuring players “I will be back with two-match cup ban over and we could not cope. I have no complaints.” In all negotiations there can be soon,” the evening before his sur- They were level 60 seconds after the re-start when Leeds goalkeeper small alterations that can unblock gery, which media said was at BERLIN: Bayern Munich’s French winger Franck Ribery was Jamie Ashdown allowed Juan Mata’s weak 20-yard shot under his grasp the situation.” Barcelona’s Vall d’Hebron hos- banned for two German Cup matches yesterday after being sent off on the greasy surface, the ball finding the bottom corner. French and English teams are pital, where there is a specialist against Augsburg and will miss the quarter-final at home to holders Two goals in as many minutes midway through the half sealed vic- pushing for a system that includes oncology unit. Borussia Dortmund. tory in Chelsea’s eighth game in 24 days, a little over 48 hours after between 20 to 24 clubs with a Surgery on Barcelona coach Ribery was shown a straight red card on Tuesday for an altercation their return from defeat against the Brazilians Corinthians in the Club qualifying system that relates to Tito Vilanova’s saliva glands went with Augsburg’s South Korea midfielder Koo Ja-Cheol early in the World Cup final in Japan. the respective league standings to plan on Thursday, the La Liga second-half of Bayern’s 2-0 win. Branislav Ivanovic stole in at the near post to head home a corner on (top six qualify). club said, as assistant Jordi Roura The sports court of the German Football Federation (DFB) has 64 minutes to give the visitors a lead they wouldn’t relinquish as they But teams from the Republic oversaw his first training session banned the French star for the quarter-final against Dortmund at moved a step closer to claiming their first silverware under Benitez. of Ireland, Scotland and Wales since taking charge on a tempo- Munich’s Allianz Arena on February 26 or 27, as well as April’s semi- The win will give the Spaniard further ammunition in his battle to could be hit most if the new deal rary basis. final, should Bayern advance. win over a large section of Chelsea support who have been vocal in goes ahead while the French also “We will have to try to go on as “We do not see a solution to avoid the minimum sentence of a two- their protest at the sacking of Roberto Di Matteo, and the choice of want to adjust the European cal- normally as possible but there will match suspension for such a gesture,” said Bayern boss, Karl-Heinz the former Liverpool manager as his replacement. endar and finish the campaign by not be total normality because Rummenigge on the club’s website after Ribery made contact with Man-of-the-match Victor Moses made it three after 66 minutes, the end of April in order for their Tito is the coach and now for a Koo’s face during the incident. rounding-off a neat three man move with Fernando Torres and Mata teams to be able to concentrate on few weeks he will not be there,” “The club and the player have decided to accept the DFB’s decision. to fire past Ashdown from 20 yards. Chelsea waited until the final 10 the final phase of their premier the club’s president Sandro Rosell We regret that Franck will not be available for us.” minutes to assert their authority with two further goals as Leeds tired domestic competition the Top 14. said late on Wednesday. Rummenigge had previously defended Ribery, calling for the DFB and left gaps in a failed attempt to find a way back into the contest. The next round of meetings are “Tito is very strong and we are to review the incident and was hoping for the red card to be reversed, Substitute Eden Hazard made it four with a calm finish beyond a set for February 6, 2013, officials convinced he will come back to us as had happened to Dortmund defender Marcel Schmelzer earlier this stranded Ashdown inside the box after latching onto a superb 40-yard confirmed yesterday. soon,” he said. AGENCIES month. REUTERS through-ball from David Luiz. REUTERS AGENCIES FRIDAY 21 DECEMBER 2012 SPORT www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 21

NBA: Clippers remove Hornets Emphatic wins for India, sting to maintain streak

LOS ANGELES: A high-spir- ited Los Angeles Clippers soared Pakistan in Asian hockey to a franchise record-tying 11th straight victory with a comfort- able 93-77 triumph over the slumping New Orleans Hornets Abbasi scores four goals for Pakistan: Malaysia trounce Japan 4-1 yesterday. Roared on by a raucous home crowd, the surging Clippers tied DOHA: Defending champions which defeated Pakistan to win a winning streak dating back India and top-ranked Pakistan the last edition of the tournament to 1974 when the franchise was began their campaign in the held in China, avenged their 2006 known as the Buffalo Braves. Asian Champions Trophy Doha Asian Games loss to China The present incarnation of hockey on a winning note at the in their fluent win. the Clippers (19-6) last lost on Al Rayyan Stadium yesterday. Yesterday, the Indian coached November 26 against the same Eight-time Olympic champi- by Michael Nobbs of Australia Hornets so the victory also served ons India had a smooth sailing in struck twice in each half to get as an ideal way to dish out some their opening match trouncing full points in the round-robin revenge in the rematch at the 2006 Asian Games silver medal championship, where the top Staples Center. winners China 4-0. two will contest in the final on “We were really motivated to In the last match, of the three December 27. play better,” Los Angeles center played yesterday, four-time World Drag-flicker VR Raghunath DeAndre Jordan told reporters. Cup winners Pakistan struggled struck in the 17th and the 52nd “We’re just playing great basket- in the initial stages of the match minute converting two of the ball and that’s what’s winning us but bounced back to trounce three penalty corners India won. games.” Oman 8-3. India, which also lost to China The Clippers eased to victory The four-time World Cup win- in the 2010 Asian Games in China, on the back of another balanced ners appeared complacent as the opened the scoring through SV effort as Blake Griffin scored 18 start against Oman, the lowest Sunil in the 13th minute and points and Jamal Crawford led the ranked team in the competition, thereafter dominated play with reserves with 17, the home play- with the half time score tied at China making an occasional move. ers sharing high-fives and smiling two-all. India completed the tally in the throughout the contest. But the world number five team 53rd with a long hit from Rupinder While points arrived often and got into their groove in the second Singh deflecting into the goal of a from a number of sources, the half. Pakistan who were one stage Chinese defender’s stick. Los Angeles defence stifled the trailing 2-1 pumped in six more “It was a solid effort. I’m happy struggling Hornets (5-20), who goals in the second half against with the team effort. The boys appeared jaded in their second a helpless Oman, the only GCC played upto the mark. Everyone game in as many nights as they country taking part in the top did what was expected of them slipped to a ninth consecutive Asian tournament. and the scoreline wasn’t that defeat. Shakeel Abbasi scored four important,” said Nobbs. Robin Lopez amassed 22 points goals while Mohammad Rizwan, In the first match, Malaysia and nine rebounds for New Waqas Mohammad, Mohammad won 4-1 against Japan. Orleans while top overall draft Imran and Abdul Khan scored In today’s matches, India pick Anthony Davis added 16, but one goal apiece for Pakistan. take on Japan at 3.00pm, while the visitors shot just 38 percent Rajab Basim (2 goals) and Pakistan face China at 5.00pm. as they put up meek resistance Jandal Bait reduced the margin Malaysia and Oman will see action Indian defender and drag-flick specialist VR Raghunath in action against China in the Asian Champions Trophy against an in-form opponent. for Oman in the last match at 7.00pm. hockey match at Al Rayyan Stadium yesterday. Raghunath scored two gaols in India’s 4-0 win over China. Chris Paul brought the Los In the second match, India THE PENINSULA PICTURES BY: SALIM MATRAMKOT Angeles crowd to its feet in the second quarter when the 27-year- Asian Champions Trophy old point guard became the fifth Today’s Results fastest player to reach 5,000 Malaysia 4 Japan 1 career assists. India 4 China 0 Paul’s milestone was flashed Pakistan 8 Oman 3 across the scoreboard and the Schedule crowd gave him a standing ova- Today’s Matches tion even as he did not initially India vs Japan, 3.00pm know what was happening around Pakistan vs China, 5.00pm him. REUTERS Malaysia vs Oman, 7.00pm December 23 Japan vs China, 3.00pm NBA Results India vs Oman, 5.00pm Toronto 97 Detroit 91 Pakistan vs Malaysia, 7.00pm NY Knicks 100 Brooklyn 86 December 24 Orlando 90 Washington 83 Japan vs Oman, 3.00pm Indiana 104 Utah 84 China vs Malaysia, 5.00pm Boston 103 Cleveland 91 Pakistan vs India, 7.00pm December 26 Oklahoma City 100 Atlanta 92 China vs Oman, 3.00pm Houston 125 Philadelphia 103 Pakistan vs Japan, 5.00pm Phoenix 121 Charlotte 104 Malaysia vs India, 7.00pm Memphis 90 Milwaukee 80 December 27 Sacramento 131 Golden State 127 Fifth-placed team vs Sixth-placed team, 3.00pm LA Clippers 93 New Orleans 77 Fourth-placed team vs Third-placed team, 5.00pm Second-placed team vs Baseball: Ichiro First-placed team (Final), 7.00pm Indian player Danish Mujtaba celebrates his birthday with fans at Al Rayyan Stadium yesterday. RIGHT: The scoreboard shows Oman leading 2-1 in Venue: Al Rayyan Stadium their match against Pakistan. Pakistan bounced back to win 8-3. PICTURES BY: SALIM MATRAMKOT inks 2-year deal with the NY Yankees

Cudlin gets set to defend QIRRC title NEW YORK: Ichiro Suzuki signed a two-year contract with DOHA: Australia’s Alex Cudlin champion Cudlin will try to get Australian the New York Yankees yester- will launch his title defence the title for third time in a row. rider Alex day, giving the Japanese out- at round one of the Qatar This championship has fielder a chance to crack 3,000 Cudlin seen International Road Racing attracted more riders compared career Major League Baseball taking a Championship (QIRRC) which to last year’s championship. hits while wearing Yankee kicks off tomorrow. Germany’s Nina Prinz - the bend during pinstripes. The seven-leg series will kick- only female rider - will also join one of the The deal, worth a reported off with warm-ups and qualify- this championship and will try to many races $13m, allows the Yankees to keep ing to be held today at Losail improve her fourth position in the in the Qatar a 39-year-old standout who has International Circuit. last championship. International been a 10-time All-Star in 12 sea- A total of 33 riders have reg- The first round of the cars Road Racing sons since coming from Japan. He istered including the defendant championship will be held on Championship was obtained by the Yankees from at Losail the Seattle Mariners last July. 2012 / 2013 Season - Official Time Table Round 1 International “The Yankees are the kind of Circuit. The team that I always envisioned Day 1 - Friday - Bikes 2012-13 being a part of,” Suzuki said. 07:30 - 09:00 BIKES Administrative Verifications Pit Box 0 season starts “Everyone in the world of com- petition has a strong desire to 07:30 - 09:30 BIKES Technical Verifications Pit Box 0 today. win, but the Yankees also have an 10:15 - 10:45 Riders Briefing (Press Conference Room) atmosphere where losing is not A file photo 13:00 - 13:45 BIKES Free practice (45 mins) January 11 and 12, Qatar Motor an option. and Motorcycle Federation of Alex “These two observations may 14:45 - 15:15 BIKES Qualifying Practice (30 mins) (QMMF) said. Cudlin being sound similar, but I believe it is Day 2 - Saturday - Bikes Qatari riders Saeed Al Sulaiti, congratulated a rarity to find both coexisting in Nasser Al Malki, Abdulrehman the same organization. 09:00 - 09:20 BIKES Warm Up (20 mins) by Nasser Al Mannai, Ahmed Adel Al bin Khalifa “I believe the Yankees organi- 11:00 - 11:05 Pit lane open/close BIKES Race 1 Naimi, Rayad Al Emadi, Sultan Al Attiyah, zation appreciates that there is a 11:05 - 11:20 Grid Al Kuwari, Abdulla Khalid Al President of difference between a 39-year-old Muraikhi, Mashel Al Naimi, who has played relying only on 11:20 Bikes Race 1 (15 Laps) Qatar Motor Fahid Al Sowaidi, Fawaz Ahmed and Motorcycle talent, and a 39-year-old who has Podium Al Hichan and Khalid Al Remaihi Federation prepared, practiced, and thought will also be seen during this week’s thoroughly through many experi- 14:00 - 14:05 Pit lane open/close BIKES Race 2 (QMMF) at action. Riders from Britain, ences for their craft. at Losail 14:05 - 14:20 Grid Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, “I am very thankful and I will International 14:20 Bikes Race 2 (15 Laps) the UAE,, India and Lithuania do my best to deliver on their will also take part in the first Circuit. expectations,” he said. Podium & Press Conferences Bikes round. THE PENINSULA REUTERS FRIDAY 21 DECEMBER 2012 22 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com SPORT India beat England in Pune First T20 international: Hosts rely on bold batting to crush the visitors

PUNE: India defeated England by five wickets in the first of Scoreboard the two Twenty20 internation- ENGLAND INDIA als at the Subrata Roy Sahara M J Lumb lbw Ashwin ...... 1 G Gambhir c Hales b Bresnan ...... 16 Stadium here yesterday. A D Hales b Yuvraj Singh ...... 56 A M Rahane c Patel b Bresnan ...... 19 India achieved the target of 158 with five wickets in hand and 13 L J Wright c Rahane b Yuvraj Singh ...... 34 V Kohli b Meaker ...... 21 balls to spare. E J G Morgan c Rahane b Yuvraj Singh ...... 5 Yuvraj Singh c Meaker b Wright ...... 38 Thumb injury Yuvraj Singh was the top scorer S R Patel c Rahane b Dinda ...... 24 S K Raina (run out-Morgan) ...... 26 with 38 while Suresh Raina made J C Buttler (not out) ...... 33 M S Dhoni (not out) ...... 24 rules Southee 26. T T Bresnan c Kohli b Dinda ...... 0 R A Jadeja (not out) ...... 0 After the humiliation in the J C Tredwell (not out) ...... 1 Extras (LB-4, W-10) ...... 14 India’s out of South Test series, Indian team saw a Extras (LB-2, W-1) ...... 3 Total (for 5 wkts in 17.5 overs) ...... 158 Yuvraj Singh change in fortune in the shortest Total (for 6 wkts in 20 overs) ...... 157 Did not bat: R Ashwin, PP Chawla, AB Dinda, P format to take a 1-0 lead in the hooks during Africa tour Did not bat: SC Meaker, DR Briggs, JW Dern- Awana. his knock of two-match series. bach. Fall of wickets: 1-42, 2-44, 3-93, 4-110, The turning point during 38 against CAPE TOWN: Fast bowler Fall of wickets: 1-21, 2-89, 3-99, 4-100, 5-148 India’s chase was the eighth over England Tim Southee (pictured) has 5-138, 6-139 Bowling: JW Dernbach 3-0-27-0; TT Bresnan when Yuvraj launched into inex- during the been ruled out of New Zealand’s Bowling: perienced left-arm spinner Danny AB Dinda 3-0-18-2; R Ashwin 4-1- 3-0-26-2; SC Meaker 3.5-0-28-1; JC Tredwell first T20 tour of South Africa due to a Briggs hitting him for 18 runs 33-1; P Awana 2-0-29-0; RA Jadeja 3-0-22-0; 4-0-31-0; DR Briggs 1-0-18-0; LJ Wright 3-0 international thumb injury which is expected which included two huge sixes PP Chawla 3-0-24-0; V Kohli 1-0-10-0; Yuvraj -24-1. in Pune to keep him off the field for up over the deep mid-wicket region Singh 4-0-19-3. Man-of-the-match: Yuvraj Singh (India) yesterday. to two months, the country’s and a boundary. cricket board said yesterday. Yuvraj also got another six in Southee, who was the most the 10th over bowled by Luke hit Stuart Meaker for successive hit two sixes in his 19. Although impressive bowler for New Wright before being dismissed boundaries and then took a double they didn’t score many but they Zealand during their drawn test trying to hit a fourth six. to finish with flourish. set the momentum. series in Sri Lanka, suffered the Such was the impact of Yuvraj’s Credit should also be given to The second and final T20 injury while diving in the field innings, the other Indian batsmen openers Gautam Gambhir and International will be played during a domestic match. didn’t need to do anything special Ajinkya Rahane as they helped tomorrow. “Tim Southee has unfortu- in order to reach the target. the hosts race to 41 within the England, captained by Eoin nately been ruled out of the test Skipper Mahendra Singh first four overs taking full advan- Morgan, made a blazing start series against South Africa,” a Dhoni and Suresh Raina chipped tage of the Powerplay. with new opener Alex Hales mak- New Zealand Cricket (NZC) in with useful contributions of 24 While Gambhir hit three ing a whirlwind 56 in 35 balls with statement quoted physiothera- not out and 26 respectively. Dhoni boundaries in his 16 while Rahane 7 fours and 2 sixes. AGENCIES pist Paul Close as saying ahead of today’s opening Twenty20 game in Durban. “He landed heavily on his thumb while fielding, with scans Aussies cautious ahead of second Test indicating the ligament has fully ruptured and retracted. HOBART: Australia have put their the domestic Twenty20 league when they Sheffield Shield cricket this season but the world this year, has been the mainstay “After consultation with NZC squad into “quarantine” before next were called up to the test squad. Arthur indicated he was likely to be the of Australia’s team but Arthur said that medical staff and a hand specialist week’s second Test against Sri Lanka “That’s always going to be a conundrum fast bowler to miss out, with Michell Starc if he was not fit, Khawaja had earned his it was decided the best course of to make absolutely certain there are for us, who do we play? Who don’t we and Peter Siddle certain starters after tak- right to a recall. action is for him to have surgery.” no additions to their already lengthy play?” Arthur told reporters. ing five-wicket hauls in the opener. “I don’t think we would have picked him The right-arm paceman, 24, casualty list, according to coach Mickey “We feel the Test match on Boxing Day “We’ve got a week to freshen up, which is if we didn’t think he was showing that con- took eight wickets in the second Arthur. is massively important, we want to quar- important,” he said. “And then to have the tinued improvement that we wanted from test in Sri Lanka which New Captain Michael Clarke and pace bowler antine the 13 players. We’re sitting with quality of Mitchell Johnson back. He was him,” he said. Zealand won to level the two-Test Ben Hilfenhaus were injured in the first enough injuries as it is. perhaps unfortunate to miss out here, it “Uzzy’s done well, it’s no coincidence that series 1-1. of the three matches against the tour- “We just think it’s in the best interests was touch and go whether he played or not. Phil Hughes and Usman Khawaja are one New Zealand have not yet ists, which Australia won by 137 runs in a of those 13 players to get ready for Boxing “And then we get an opportunity to have and two in the amount of Shield runs. decided on a replacement for dramatic climax at the Bellerive Oval on Day.” a look at a new face, and that’s always excit- “They’ve thoroughly deserved their Southee for the tour, where the Tuesday. Hilfenhaus joins young quick bowlers ing. It brings a freshness and really looking chance to come back after losing their place visitors will play two Tests, three Clarke and Arthur are confident the cap- Pat Cummins, James Pattinson and John forward to catching up with Jackson and in the side here a year ago.” one-day internationals and three tain will recover from his hamstring injury Hazlewood in the treatment room, result- seeing what he can offer. Australia would be facing a very different Twenty20 matches. for the Melbourne Test. ing in Tasmanian paceman Jackson Bird “I haven’t seen enough of him play ... but run-up to the second test had they failed “He will commence rehabilita- The Boxing Day Test begins on December getting his first call-up to the Australia if he’s bowling consistently at 140 (kph) to take six wickets in the final session and tion immediately following the 26, but Tasmanian Hilfenhaus’s side strain squad. then he’s got huge potential.” take a 1-0 lead in the series. procedure, with a view to him means he will miss out. “All I can say is we’ve had a list of bowl- More good news for Arthur was that his “You really want to win close games, we returning to cricket during the Mitchell Johnson, who should replace ers leading into our summer, and we’re well top order looked solid in Hobart with Phil thought we played really good cricket over home summer,” Close added. Hilfenhaus in the starting line-up, and down the list at the moment,” Arthur said Hughes returning after a year in the wil- the five days so to finally get the reward “The procedure is likely to Usman Khawaja, brought in as backup for when Hilfenhaus was first injured. derness to hit a solid 86 in the first innings. was massive for the side,” Arthur said. keep him out of the game for 6-8 Clarke, were withdrawn from matches in Bird is the highest wicket-taker in Clarke, the most prolific run-maker in REUTERS weeks.” REUTERS Shakib the top pick at BPL auction in Dhaka

DHAKA: Shakib Al Hasan has been the most expen- sive buy in this year’s Bangladesh Premier League auc- tion. He was bought for $365,000 by Dhaka, after six teams showed interest in the all-rounder yesterday. Among the overseas players, names from Pakistan com- manded top prices. Imran Nazir, who was bought for $280,000 by Chittagong, became the most-expensive overseas buy, a report on www.cricinfo.com revealed yesterday. Dhaka forked out $275,000 for Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi making him the second most expensive overseas buy. Pakistan’s ace spinner Saeed Ajmal also raked in a good price tag, winning a contract worth $115,000.

Foreign category golden Shahid Afridi - $275,000 - Dhaka Saeed Ajmal - (available till Jan 20) - $115,000 - Barisal Imran Nazir - $280,000 - Chittagong Luke Wright - (likely to leave early) $75,000 - Dhaka Owais Shah (after BBL) - $75,000 - Dhaka Tino Best - Sylhet - $75,000 Sunil Narine - (Jan 22-24) - $75,000 - Barisal Dwayne Bravo - $115,000 - Chittagong Andre Russell - $115,000 - Sylhet Fidel Edwards - $75,000 - Rangpur Brad Hodge - $125,000 - Barisal Tillakaratne Dilshan (After Jan 30) - $75,000 - Dhaka Marlon Samuels - $115,000 - Rajshahi Shoaib Malik - $85,000 - Khulna Azhar Mahmood - $206,000 - Barisal Local category golden Mahmudullah - $125,000 - Chittagong Shakib - $365,000 - Dhaka Mushfiqur Rahim - $205,000 - Sylhet Tamim Iqbal - $165,000 - Rajshahi Foreigner category A Umar Gul (till January 20) - $60,000 - Barisal Abdul Razzaq - $91,000 - Rajshahi Wahab Riaz - $60,000 - Chittagong Kamran Akmal - $75,000 - Barisal Umar Akmal - $60,000 - Khulna Ravi Bopara - $125,000 - Chittagong Phil Mustard - $50,000 - Barisal Dwayne Smith - $70,000 - Sylhet Ryan ten Doeschate - (From Jan 19th) - $100,000 - Chittagong Jacob Oram - $111,000 - Chittagong AGENCIES FRIDAY 21 DECEMBER 2012 SPORT www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 23

Tennis: Australian Open prize Qatar drawn with Oman, money raised to record levels SYDNEY: Australian Open organisers increased prize money for the early losers at the opening Grand Slam of the season to record levels yesterday, a move which is likely to quell player unrest and end talk of a strike. The Australian Open will now pay more prize money per round Australia for Doha event than any other tournament, with increases also coming in doubles and qualifying matches, but mixed doubles saw a money freeze. The biggest increases were for first round losers in the men’s and women’s singles, who will now receive A$27,600 ($29,000), representing Katara to host FIFA beach soccer qualifying tournament a 32.7 percent boost from 2012, with those exiting in the second round taking home $45,500, up 36.6 percent. The move is likely to appease the players council, led by 17-times DOHA: Qatar yesterday were Grand Slam champion Roger Federer, who had been calling for more handed a tough draw to reach Joan Cusco, revenue from the four elite tournaments to be passed down to those the 2013 FIFA Beach Soccer the FIFA Beach hitting the shots. World Cup to be held in Tahiti Soccer CEO, is “Our motivation is to make a major contribution toward helping next year. seen with Qatar ensure professional tennis players can make a decent living,” Craig Qatar, hosting the event for 2022 Supreme Tiley, the Australian Open tournament director, said in a statement. the first time, were drawn along- Committee’s “As we have said in the past, it is a real issue and needs to be urgently side Oman and Australia in the Nasser Al Khater at addressed throughout the sport.” 16-team Asian Zone qualify- the draw ceremony In October, Tiley’s team announced that the players would be vying ing tournament to be held on of the Asian Zone for a share of a record A$30m for the January 14-27 event without the beach front of Katara from qualifying event giving the breakdown of how that money would be divided. January 22 to 26. of the 2013 FIFA Serbia’s Novak Djokovic and Victoria Azarenka of Belarus pocketed The draw ceremony for the Beach Soccer A$2.3m each for their singles successes and a repeat next month in Asian Zone qualifiers was pre- Melbourne would give them A$2.43m. World Cup. Hamad sided by Joan Cusco, the FIFA While the multi millionaires at the top of the game will appreciate Al Mannai, Vice Beach Soccer CEO. the extra rewards, the players scrambling to make the top 100 of the Qatar 2022 Supreme Chairman of Futsal men’s and women’s rankings and those who mainly compete in doubles Committee official Nasser Al and Beach Soccer, will be happier. Khater and Hamad Al Mannai Qatar Football At the 2012 event, Israeli doubles veterans Jonathan Erlich and were also present. Association (QFA), Andy Ram shared A$9,500 for their first-round loss to the American Al Mannai is Tournament was also present. Bryan brothers, offering little in the way of winnings once expenses Director and Vice Chairman of had been taken into account. Futsal and Beach Soccer, Qatar A similar result next month will see the pair collect A$12,500. Football Association (QFA), while “That is why the biggest increases are in the earlier rounds, qualify- Al Khater is Communications and FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup ing and doubles which in effect rewards a lot of the lower-ranked play- Marketing Director for the Qatar ers for their achievements which, by the way, should not be undersold,” 2022 Supreme Committee. 2013 – AFC Qualifiers Draw “To just reach the main draw of a Slam, a professional tennis player The fourth teams in Group A, A file has to be among the top 100 in what is one of, if not the most, competi- B and D are yet to be decided, picture Group A tive professional sport in the world,” Tiley added. of Carlos Cusco said. Qatar, Oman, Australia * Fourth slot vacant “At the same time, we also still want to continue to recognise the Alberto, In Group B, Japan were drawn Group B incredible drawing power and contribution of the top players.” with Bahrain and Lebanon while the Qatar On Monday, the men’s governing body, the ATP, gave a lukewarm the UAE have the company of beach Japan, Bahrain, Lebanon * Fourth slot vacant response to the US Open increasing prize money for the 2013 edition Uzbekistan, Palestine and Saudi soccer Group C by $4m to a record $29.5m. Arabia in Group C. Iran, Iraq and coach,in “The ATP remains committed to continuing discussions on this issue, UAE, Uzbekistan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia China form Group D. Doha. with the objective of ensuring that the players’ share of the revenues Cusco said three Asian coun- Group D at the US Open truly reflects the value that they generate for the tries from the qualifying event Iran, China, Iraq * Fourth slot vacant event,” the body said. in Doha will qualify for the finals Tiley said his team had been in full discussion with the players and ** Vacant slots to be filled in the next 10 days to be held in Tahiti in September tours before announcing their increases with more likely to come next year. The top sides in each group facilities are more or less the of this month,” he said. “The camp beach soccer gala in Doha next in Doha will qualify for the same as we see in Qatar,” the in UAE will last 10 days. We will month, Cusco said. Florida-based Levine drops US to semi-finals. Brazilian added. commence next week,” he said. “Qatar wanted to involve all the The two finalists in Doha secure “We want to try and qualify for “Currently we are training at six main partners of FIFA. This represent native Canada berths at the finals in Tahiti while the finals so that we can take the Al Gharafa Stadium. There’s a shows they are considering this the third spot will be given to the game forward in Qatar,” Alberto nice place there. We have 14 play- as a very important event,” Cusco MONTREAL: Jesse Levine, ranked 104th on the ATP Tour, will winner of the 3rd-4th place play- said. ers in our squad. We are facing said. represent his native Canada and no longer compete for the United off winner, Cusco said. “We have knowledge about pressure because we are the home Cusco said the Doha organis- States, Tennis Canada announced yesterday. Carlos Alberto, the Qatar beach Oman as we have played them team. We will use that pressure ers had received the maximum The 25-year-old left-hander was born in Ottawa and spent the first soccer coach, admitted his team recently. The other countries, we to raise our game,” Alberto said. number of requests from national 13 years of his life growing up in Canada’s capital city before moving faced a tough draw. have to respect them. Australia “Six or seven Asian sides are federations outside Europe qual- with his family to Florida. “It is very difficult to qualify as are a surprise team for us. We very strong. We are working and ifying event which features 28 Levine reached a career-high of 69th in the rankings last October only one team goes to the next have to prepare well,” the coach planning and once we get more sides. and has won 25 ATP matches, seven of them in Grand Slam events. stage,” Alberto said. “(But) we are added. experience, we will improve. This “That’s why we have three slots His lone ATP final came in doubles with Ryan Sweeting in 2009 on working hard to qualify. We are “We will play a few friendlies,” group is not bad (difficult). We vacant in this draw. We will be clay at Houston. hoping we can do well. he said. “We are in contact with could have a chance to qualify (for able to give you the names of the “We are pleased that Jesse has decided to play for Canada,” Tennis “We will continue our prepa- national teams like China. They finals in Tahiti),” he said. remaining three participating Canada president Michael Downey said. “We believe he can strengthen ration in the UAE where the might come here. We want to play FIFA’s six chief sponsors will countries in the next 10 days,” our Davis Cup team and add depth to our roster when he is eligible to weather conditions and playing at least two friendlies by the end also be involved with the five-day Cusco said. THE PENINSULA play.” REUTERS Squash: David marches into world semis GRAND CAYMAN, CAYMAN ISLANDS: Six- times champion Nicol David’s slight hiccup en route to the World Open semi-finals only served to high- light how extraordinary has been her dominance of the women’s tour. The superbly consistent Malaysian’s dropped game during a 11-3, 11-7, 9-11, 11-3 victory over Ireland’s Madeline Perry on Wednesday was only the second that she has allowed to get away from her in four years and 18 matches at this venue. Hurtling into the fourth game, she ramped up her intensity, stemmed a trickle of errors on the backhand side, and closed out the match with a whirl. “I know that Madeline can come back from two-love down and I had to do something about it,” she said. “I didn’t want that to happen. So I had to adjust my shots in the fourth and I’m pleased with that.” Perry may take comfort in having suddenly made a match of it, engineering a brief but passionate recovery during which she once hurled her racket away in frustra- tion, a misdemeanour bringing mild admonishment from the referee. To reach the final David now has to win a repeat of last year’s final in Rotterdam. That is because Jenny Duncalf upset the seedings with her best win of the year, by 7-11,17-19, 11-5, 11-4, 11-9 against her English compatriot Alison Waters. Duncalf was behind for almost all the match, failing with three game balls in a monster second game and somehow taking strength from the setback. The other semi-final will be between David’s two closest rivals, Laura Massaro of England who beat her twice last year, and Raneem El Weleily of Egypt. Massaro gradually got on top against another Malaysian, Low Wee Wern, during an 8-11, 11-4, 11-5, 11-5 win. El Weleily posted a 11-9, 11-9, 11-7 win over Natalie Grinham, the four times a former World Open finalist from The Netherlands. REUTERS Women’s World Open Results GRAND CAYMAN, Cayman Islands: Women’s World Open results: Jenny Duncalf (ENGx6) bt Alison Waters (ENGx4) 7-11,17-19, 11-5, 11-4, 11-9 Laura Massaro (ENGx3) bt Low Wee Wern (MASx7) 8-11, 11-4, 11-5, 11-5 Raneem El Weleily (EGYx2) bt Natalie Grinham (NEDx11) 11-9, 11-9, 11-7 Nicol David (MASx1) bt Madeline Perry (IREx10) 11-3, 11-7, 9-11, 11-3 FRIDAY 21 DECEMBER 2012 24 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com MORNING BREAK

PRAYER TIME ‘Safest place’

Fajr (Dawn) 4:53 Shorook (Sunrise) 6:15 Zuhr (Noon) 11:32 Asr (Afternoon) 2:29 Maghrib (Sunset) 4:50 Isha (Night) 6:20

WEATHER

Today Saturday Sunday Weather Conditions: Mostly sunny Mostly sunny Mostly sunny Misty at first becoming fine High: 25° High: 27° High: 26° and partly Low: 19° Low: 20° Low: 20° cloudy with chance of scattered light rain.

DOHA - SUN & SEA

SUN TIDE SEA SUNRISE | SUNSET HIGH | LOW WIND 06:15 16:49 00:15 & 10:15 03:45 & 18:15 10 KT

THE REGION TODAY TOMORROW

HI/LO WEATHER HI/LO WEATHER

MUSCAT 26/21 Mostly sunny 27/21 Mostly sunny MAKKAH 30/21 Mostly sunny 31/21 Mostly sunny KUWAIT 24/16 Chance of storms 20/14 Mostly sunny A plane flies over a snow-capped, pyramid-shaped peak Siljak, in the Serbian mountain of Rtanj, some 200km southeast from capital Belgrade, BAHRAIN 25/20 Clear 24/19 Clear yesterday. Rtanj is selling itself as the best place to survive the looming apocalypse, according to mystics whose calculations depend on the end- SANAA 25/07 Clear 24/08 Mostly sunny ing of an era in the 5,125-year-old Mayan calendar. All the hotels around the Rtanj mountain in southeastern Serbia have been booked up ahead RIYADH 24/14 Clear 24/13 Clear of “doomsday”. DUBAI 27/19 Clear 28/19 Mostly sunny BAGHDAD 19/08 Chance of rain 18/08 Mostly sunny

THE WORLD TODAY TOMORROW Deadly snakes found HI/LO WEATHER HI/LO WEATHER in kid’s wardrobe 2013 forecast to be the

ATHENS 11/10 Chance of rain 11/09 Chance of rain LONDON: A mother in WASHINGTON 11/02 Chance of Showers 07/01 Mostly sunny Australia was stunned SYDNEY 25/20 Chance of rain 25/20 Mostly sunny when she discovered a box LONDON 11/09 Partly sunny 14/11 Chance of rain containing seven deadly warmest on record PARIS 11/07 Partly sunny 15/12 Chance of rain snakes in the wardrobe of ISTANBUL 05/03 Rain 07/03 Rain her three-year-old son. It all LONDON: Global tempera- emissions, Dave Britton, Met several examples of extreme MANILA 31/24 Mostly sunny 33/25 Mostly sunny happened after the boy, Kyle tures are forecast to be 0.57 Office forecaster, said. weather events, such as super- DHAKA 24/14 Clear 24/14 Clear Cumming, had found the degrees above the long-term A warmer global average tem- storm Sandy which hit the east DELHI 21/06 Clear 20/08 Clear snake eggs in his garden in average next year, making 2013 perature does not necessarily coast of the United States in ISLAMABAD 20/04 Clear 20/05 Mostly sunny Queensland’s Townsville city one of the warmest years on mean every region of the world October. and was given a takeaway record, Britain’s Met Office said will get hotter, as regional cli- Parts of the United States also container to put them in. yesterday. mate variability produces differ- experienced their worst drought Several weeks later his “It is very likely that 2013 will ent effects in different parts of the in more than half a century this mother Donna Sim was be one of the warmest 10 years world, he added. summer. Vatican takes first spot in shocked when she opened the in the record which goes back to Eleven of the 12 hottest Britain had been suffering bedroom wardrobe to dis- 1850, and it is likely to be warmer years on record have occurred a drought before a record wet cover the box full of recently than 2012,” the Met Office said in since 2001, according to data spring and early summer. Internet domain name draw hatched eastern brown snakes its annual forecast for the com- from the World Meteorological Last week, a leaked draft report “the world’s second deadliest ing year. Organisation. from the Intergovernmental PARIS: The Vatican has come out in first place in a long-awaited species”, Daily Mail reported. Next year was expected to be Last year is ranked the warm- Panel on Climate Change showed draw to expand the Internet address system with new domain “I was pretty shocked, par- between 0.43 and 0.71 degrees est on record, having been 0.54 global average temperatures could names that go beyond the usual .com, .org or .net endings. ticularly because I don’t like Celsius warmer than the long- degrees above the long-term be more than 2 degrees above ICANN, the corporation that oversees the Internet address system, snakes,” she said. According to term global average of 14 degrees average, while 2012 is ranked the average by 2100 and may reach announced this week the domain name .catholic written in Chinese wildlife carers, Kyle was very (1961-1990), with a best estimate ninth warmest, with a rise of 0.45 4.8 degrees. characters will be the first bid it considers in a drive to expand and fortunate as his mother discov- of around 0.57, it said. degree Celsius. Low-lying island states and reorganise sites on the World Wide Web. ered the eastern brown snake Its forecast is based on its own Many scientists blame increas- other countries vulnerable to The same extension in Arabic letters ranked 25th in the random babies before he took them out research as well as data from the ing temperatures on man-made rising sea levels, floods and hur- draw and the Vatican’s application for a version in Cyrillic for Russian to play or before the hatchlings University of East Anglia, the greenhouse gas emissions from ricanes have been putting pres- and other Slavic languages came in 96th. Ranking high means the had grown strong enough to NASA Goddard Institute of Space burning fossil fuels and say they sure on developed countries to applicant could get approval early next year to operate the new domain push open the lid themselves. Studies and the US National can lead to rising sea levels and curb greenhouse gas emissions and approve addresses using it. In the Vatican’s case, Rome could then “He is extremely lucky that Oceanic and Atmospheric extreme weather events. and keep the rise in temperatures ensure only genuine Roman Catholic institutions get to use that domain his mother found them before Administration. Global carbon dioxide emissions to within a limit of 2 degrees this name. “This is a way to give a coherence and authentication to our he opened up the container Rising temperatures could be hit a record high in 2011, led by century. A UN conference aimed presence in the digital arena,” said Monsignor Paul Tighe, secretary and played with them,” said a due to the natural variability of China, the International Energy at curbing emissions ended this of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. Wildlife Care official. IANS the climate and global warming Agency said in May. month with little progress. “Anyone looking online will recognise the site belongs to an insti- from increasing greenhouse gas This year has already seen REUTERS tution that belongs to the Catholic Church,” he said, adding the new, so-called top level domain names (|TLDs) could also help speed online searches. For online retailers such as Amazon, whose application for .store in Japanese came in second, early approval could mean a com- petitive advantage and prompt a quick introduction of the new name. Piranha tops T Rex in But the Vatican did not enter the draw for commercial reasons and would not rush to launch its TLDs, Tighe said. In addition, the main TLD it seeks - .catholic in Latin letters - ended up in 1,366th place the bite league: Study and may take months before it is approved. Website owners are now restricted to a few dozen TLDs such as .com PARIS: Outsized jaw mus- from the United States, Egypt and country code domains such as .co.uk or .fr. Many of the 1,930 appli- cles allow the black piranha and Brazil. cations for new TLDs came from companies, including Internet giants to exert bite force equivalent This was the first live meas- such as Amazon and Google. Several other faith-based groups applied to 30 times its bodyweight, a urement of bite force taken from for other TLDs such as .bible or .islam. The extension .mormon was feat unmatched in the natural the black piranha (Serrasalmus the next-highest religious application drawn, coming in at 118th place. world, according to results of a rhombeus), the largest of the REUTERS finger-risking study published notoriously carnivorous species. yesterday. Such undertakings are “rare, Miss Universe Other animals like the great dangerous and difficult to per- white shark, the hyena and the form,” wrote the research team. alligator can deliver more forceful “While anecdotes of piranha- bites, but their crunching power infested waters skeletonising becomes much less impressive hapless victims are generally when viewed in relation to their hyperbole, the effectiveness of A file picture shows a Red-Bellied piranha inside the aquarium of the overall size and weight, it said. their bite is not,” the scientists Dubai Mall. In fact, relative to their added. size, piranhas outperform They pointed to “docu- the team. In fact, the muscle 400 kilos (880 pounds),” said the even prehistoric monsters like mented cases of S rhombeus complex makes more than two report. And though their diet Tyrannosaurus rex and the biting off and consuming human percent of the black piranha’s remains a secret of history, the whale-chomping megalodon, a phalanges” - the bones found in total body mass. monster fish would have been massive shark that preceded the fingers and toes. The team also used the data able to crush turtles, armoured great white, said the study. The measured bite force of they gathered to estimate the bite catfish and even larger terres- Published in the journal the black piranha, at 320 new- force of the extinct Megapiranha trial animals. Scientific Reports, the research ton (N), was nearly three times paranensis to have been between “If our fossil reconstructions saw scientists catch 15 black greater than that exerted by an 1,240 and 4,749 N. and simulations are correct, then piranhas in Brazil’s Amazon American alligator of compara- The fish from the Miocene Megapiranha paranensis was River basin and risk their dig- tive size, said the study. period, which ended about five indeed a ferocious bone-crushing its by teasing a customised force One newton is the force million years ago, would have mega-predator of the Miocene gauge between their serrated required to move a kilogramme been about 70 centimetres long epoch,” just like its modern-day jaws. (2.2 pounds) of mass at one metre and weighed about 10 kilo- relative, said the report. The fish, ranging from about (3.25 feet) per second squared. grammes (22 pounds), they said. “Our results for living and Miss USA, Olivia Culpo (left), being crowned Miss Universe 2012 by 20 to 37 centimetres (eight to 15 How does the tiny fish do it? “Our analysis predicts extinct species validate the fear- Miss Universe 2011, Leila Lopes (centre) as Miss Teen USA 2012, Logan inches) in length, “readily per- It has jaw muscles of an Megapiranha’s bite was equiva- some predatory reputations of West watches during the competition at PH Live in Las Vegas, Nevada, formed multiple defensive bites” “extraordinary” size and a highly lent to the anterior bite force of a piranhas.” USA, yesterday. on the gadget, wrote the team modified jaw-closing lever, said great white shark weighing over AFP