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SATURDAY 2 JANUARY 2016 • 22 Rabia I 1437 • Volume 20 Number 6663 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 Nearly QR1bn Scare near French mosque spent on subsidised food High quality rice procurement tops list

DOHA: The government spent babies. In 11 months since Janu- nearly a billion riyals (QR927.33m) ary last year, 3,431 marriages took on providing subsidised food items place in the country. to citizens last year under its pop- As for traffic violations, about ular ‘Tamween’ scheme. 991,097 radar violations were More than half of the money recorded in the year. (QR516.76m) was spent on pro- Radar violations mostly refer to curing high quality rice alone, breach of speed limits prescribed figures show. Sugar procure- for various roads, mainly highways ment accounted for the lowest and arterial thoroughfares. amount (QR41.38m) while about And in the first 11 months of the QR210.6m was spent on buying year, more than 1.5 million traffic grains. violations were recorded. The procurements for In whole of the year, some 501 ‘Tamweeen’ are made by the Min- serious injuries were recorded in istry of Economy and Commerce traffic accidents while minor inju- through its supply department. ries totalled 4,610, suggest figures. ‘Tamween’ in Arabic means ‘sup- Jumping the red lights is a seri- A car is pictured in front of the mosque of Valence, southeastern France, yesterday. A soldier and an elderly Muslim man were slightly injured when a plies’. A total of QR63.26m was ous traffic violation and carries the man drove his car at troops protecting a mosque in Valence in southern France. spent on buying stocks of cooking maximum fine. In 2015, though, or edible oil for the scheme, while the number of this violation was milk purchase in bulk accounted a high of 18,853. for QR95.34m, according to figures A total of 5,340 real estate cited by Al Sharq. All these stocks transactions were recorded in the were bought by floating 13 tenders year but their exact value was not Dubai begins probe into hotel blaze and five of them were for rice. known. Observers though, believe Also, the ministry permitted the value may cross well over the DUBAI: Investigators were spreading along its whole facade. All victims have been dis- praised the response of fire and some 1,220 promotions last year QR50bn-mark. working yesterday to determine But the exact cause was not yet charged from hospital except emergency services, pointing to and 2,815 publicity campaigns by Last January, there were 14,866 the cause of a spectacular fire known. for a pregnant women and an the fact that there were no major various outlets to promote their beneficiaries (retirees from differ- that engulfed a 63-storey luxury Dubai government’s media elderly man who were said to be injuries, though some questioned products and services. ent services) of the state’s social hotel on New Year’s Eve. office issued a Civil Defence state- “well” but kept in “to ensure their whether New Year’s festivities In the financial year 2014-2015, a insurance scheme who were The blaze at the Address Down- ment, saying the process of cool- safety,” the Civil Defence said. should have gone ahead. total of 41,416 commercial licences given away pension to the tune of town Dubai Hotel erupted around ing the hotel down was “ongoing” Roads leading directly to the But Emirati State Minister for were issued by the ministry. This QR62.51m. However, in November 9pm on Thursday, sparking panic after firefighters spent the night hotel were closed but otherwise Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash was more than 8,500 commercial the figure dropped to 12,224 but but no reports of serious injuries. to extinguish the blaze. Dubai City Centre appeared nor- defended the decision as “coura- licences that were issued in the the pension distributed to them in Authorities went ahead with a Authorities said only 16 people mal, with passers-by stopping to geous” and “in favour of normal previous fiscal year 2013-14. The the month totalled QR73m, which dazzling fireworks display at the suffered, mostly minor injuries, take pictures of the building with life against fear and pessimism.” figure in that year was 32,541. was more than the January total. nearby Burj Khalifa — the world’s despite the presence of thousands their mobile phones. “The fire will not leave its print Other figures cited by the daily The daily did not cite the amount tallest skyscraper — despite the in the area to watch the celebra- UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh on 2016,” he tweeted. suggest that last year, a total of or the number of social insurance inferno. tions. At least 14 were slightly Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan The government said evacuated 22,867 births were recorded in the scheme beneficiaries for 2015. They said the fire is believed injured, one was moderately hurt praised the “professional” Civil guests were being offered alterna- country and they included Qatari to have erupted from outside the and one suffered a heart attack Defence response to the fire. tive accommodation. and non-Qatari male and female THE PENINSULA building on its 20th floor before during evacuation. Many Twitter users also AFP

QU among most beautiful varsities Yemen missiles kill in the world: Book DOHA: Qatar University (QU) three in Saudi; six has been chosen among the most beautiful in the world in a book Most Beautiful Universities in the die in Aden clashes World published recently. The book was written by Guil- laume de Laubier who said what RIYADH: Three civilians, of Mukalla, which has been under makes QU campus beautiful is its including two children, were their control since April. buildings including modern and killed in cross-border missile Yemen has been rocked since ancient Islamic architecture. attacks from Yemen on a residen- March by fighting between pro- It includes pictures of QU tial area in southwestern Saudi government forces and Iran- campus, library and auditoriums Arabia, civil defence authorities backed rebels, who seized the as well as campus like Bologna said yesterday. capital San’na in September 2014 founded in 1088, Sorbonne Uni- Eleven were wounded, includ- before expanding south. The con- versity in France and Cambridge ing nine children, when several flict has been exploited by jihadist University in the UK, among oth- missiles hit residential districts groups, who have made sweeping ers. QU buildings were designed in the Jazan region on Thursday, gains, particularly in southern by Architect Kamal Al Kafrawi civil defence spokesman Major regions. in the 1970s. Yehia Al Qahtani said in a state- The extremists are occupying THE PENINSULA ment. government buildings and fre- Saudi Arabia is leading a quently seen patrolling several A Syrian refugee cleans the mud as snow covers the ground outside tents supplied by the United Nations High military coalition battling Iran- districts of Aden. They have car- Saudi reopens Commissioner for Refugees for Syrian refugee families at the Tal Al Abyad camp, near the Lebanese city of Baalbek backed rebels in neighbouring ried out several deadly attacks, in the eastern Bekaa Valley yesterday. Yemen since March. The rebels assassinated government officials Baghdad mission intensified rocket attacks across and intimidated civilians. the Saudi border in recent days. The Saudis have deployed BAGHDAD: Saudi Arabia has In Aden, six people were killed Patriot missile batteries to coun- reopened its embassy in Bagh- Heavy snowfall in Lebanon, Turkey in a firefight between Yemeni pro- ter attacks and have recently dad, after a 25-year shutdown, government forces and Al Qaeda been intercepting missiles fired which will allow the two coun- BEIRUT: A snowstorm hit News Agency said. Roads were Authorities in 32 provinces, suspects travelling in a weapons- from Yemen on an almost-daily tries to cooperate more closely Lebanon yesterday, local media closed in some areas and many mostly in northern Turkey but laden vehicle towards the second basis. More than 80 people, against terrorism, Al Arabiya TV reported, stranding motorists vehicles trapped, it said. also extending into central Ana- city Aden, security officials said. mostly soldiers and border guards, reported yesterday. The kingdom and adding to the woes of tens More than half of Lebanon’s tolia, said schools had been shut Militiamen at a checkpoint have been killed in shelling and closed its embassy in Baghdad in of thousands of Syrian refugees one million Syrian refugees live and roads affected. in the southern Abyan province cross-border skirmishes in the 1990, after the Iraqi invasion of living in makeshift shelters. in tented settlements, garages or Turkish Airlines said over 200 stopped the suspected jihadists, kingdom’s south since coalition Kuwait. Its reopening will allow Emergency services deployed abandoned buildings. flights from Istanbul’s Ataturk prompting an argument that operations began in Yemen. both countries to cooperate on the bulldozers to try to clear roads in Meanwhile, heavy snow across and Sabiha Gokcen airports had sparked a gun battle, sources said. In Yemen, the conflict has left fight against extremism, Saudi mountainous inland areas in the Turkey caused the closure of been cancelled due to the bad Three Al Qaeda suspects and as nearly 6,000 people dead since Ambassador to Iraq Thamer Al north and south, but efforts were schools in more than a third of weather, Anadolu news agency many loyalists were killed, includ- March, according to UN figures. Sabhan said. hampered by continuing snow- the country’s 81 provinces, local reported. ing the head of a court set up by AFP fall later in the day, the National officials said. AGENCIES Al Qaeda in the southeastern city AGENCIES SATURDAY 2 JANUARY 2016 02 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com HOME Lanka mission opens at new chancery premises Helpline, emails facility among initiatives for community members to seek assistance for grievances

Sri Lankan Ambassador Dr W M Karunadasa, other embassy officials and guests at the opening of the mission at the new chancery premises. RIGHT: Children present a folk dance. BAHER AMIN

By Fazeena Saleem ditional flag-hoisting, followed Karunadasa told a large number sion through it and they will be complaints. are referred to authorities. by Sri Lankan traditions such of Sri Lankans gathered at the immediately assisted by embassy “I will look at emails and reply “When they (domestic work- DOHA: The Sri Lankan embassy as singing of the Jayamangala event. staff. and I hope this type of a commu- ers) come to us with problems, was yesterday opened at new Gatha, lighting an oil lamp, play- “On the new premises, we will “We will introduce the hel- nication will help the community we do our level best to solve their chancery premises in Al Mattar, ing drums and performing folk further enhance our services and pline soon and every Sri Lankan more effectively,” said Dr Karu- problems. introducing initiatives, including dances. aim to serve our citizens at our in need of assistance from the nadasa. “If they wish to go home, we a helpline for community mem- A new website of the mission best,” he added. embassy can contact us around A suggestion and complaint box give assistance and make arrange- bers to seek assistance for their was also officially launched by Dr The new two-storey chancery the clock,” said Dr Karunadasa. has been set up at the embassy. ments through concerned chan- grievances. Karunadasa. will provide a comfortable atmos- An email facility will also be The mission has designated a nels,” said Dr Karunadasa. The new premises which can “The mission has set many ini- phere and dedicated services to introduced through which Sri separate area with facilities for The new chancery premises is accommodate around 2,000 peo- tiatives to be implemented this visitors, Dr Karunadasa said. Lankans could directly write to female domestic workers who in Building No. 21, Street 860 (Al ple, was officially inaugurated by year. New initiatives including a the ambassador about their prob- come seeking help due to difficul- Raheeb Street), Zone 47 (Old Air- Ambassador Dr W M Karuna- “We look forward to receiving 24-hour helpline. Sri Lankans lems and seek solutions. ties faced at work. port Area). dasa. support from community mem- facing any problems or in need of Community members can also They are given lodging and The event was marked by tra- bers in achieving the goals,” Dr assistance could contact the mis- share suggestions, opinion or food by the embassy until they THE PENINSULA

Al Attiyah holds telephone talks Souq Waqif Art Centre displays students’ works

with Zarif on kidnapped Qataris By Raynald C Rivera DOHA: Foreign Minister H E Dr Khalid bin Mohamed Al Attiyah yesterday held telephone talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Moham- DOHA: Souq Waqif Art Centre closed 2015 med Javad Zarif and discussed latest developments in the kidnapping by opening a major exhibition of artworks of Qatari citizens in Iraq. created by students of various workshops it QNA organised throughout the year. The centre’s two galleries are full with hun- dreds of works made by more than 150 stu- dents using different media and styles at the exhibition which runs for two weeks. Each student produced up to five works, Strong winds, scattered some of the best of which are on display. The workshops included Arabic calligraphy, pottery, sculpture, painting ,cold porcelain and rains forecast for today painting on glass. They were conducted by artists Hamid Al Saadi, Laila Al Ani, Talal Al Qasimi, Nasser DOHA: The weather bureau has The wind speed may increase to Al Samarrai and Mohammed Al Douri. forecast strong winds at places 25 knots at places, the bureau said From still life to portrait to landscape, the across the country by noon today in its routine forecast for today. paintings deal with a wide variety of themes and said the day will be hazy to Offshore, the wind direction for art enthusiasts to enjoy. misty at places and could be will initially be southeasterly with The Arabic calligraphic artworks reveal partly cloudy to cloudy later. speed between 15 and 25 knots the beauty of Arabic scripts interpreted by There are also chances of light but by afternoon, the direction amateur artists and appreciated even by a to scattered rains in some parts will change to northwesterly and non-Arabic-speaking audience. of the country. speed to about 28 knots. Some of the major landmarks and iconic Visitors look at some of the Arabic calligraphy artworks at an exhibition at Souq Waqif Art Centre. Offshore, it will be cloudy, with Visibility will be some 3km at structures in Qatar are among the common chances of scattered rains. first, later improving to 4-8km. subjects of the sculptures displayed at the The centre is gearing up for the 2016 season centre to create art in front of a huge number The wind will be southwesterly The maximum and minimum expo. Participants’ creativity is very evident of workshops which starts in the middle of of enthusiasts who visit the centre daily. and move at less than 10 knots temperature forecast are 25 and as they experiment with hues on glass. next month. Apart from holding workshops, Being in the heart of Souq Waqif, a major but later it will turn into north- 16 degrees C, respectively. In Since its inception, the centre’s workshops, the centre plays an important role by support- tourist attraction, the centre enjoys a good westerly, meaning that it will be Doha, day temperature will be 24 which primarily aim to spread the culture of ing Qatar-based artists and providing them position as a major art hub which witnesses a coming in from the colder areas degrees and night temperature 18. art production among citizens and residents, with space to express and showcase their crea- large number of visitors year round. of Europe, and will move at speeds have received great response from various tivity. It is home to about 30 Qatari and 25 of between 10 and 18 knots. THE PENINSULA nationalities and ages. expatriate member artists who come to the THE PENINSULA

Kite fun ROTA education project benefits thousands of students in Pakistan

DOHA: Thousands of children in the Swat Valley in Pakistan have benefited from a Reach Out To Asia (ROTA) programme. The ‘Infrastructure Support and Professional Improvement to Revitalise Education (INSPIRE), which helps children towards the best future, has been extended for three years. The project has been imple- mented in collaboration with Care International Institution. It has contributed to providing quality education to students of 42 schools in the valley. Issa Al Mannai, Director, ROTA, said: “The project has achieved huge success, and we are proud to offer such educational facilities. “We offer education to children and have made it our priority,” he added. One of the schools Rota has rebuilt in the Swat Valley in Pakistan. Al Mannai added that Rota, A girl flies a kite on Doha corniche yesterday. KAMMUTTY VP with the help of volunteers and and rehabilitated 40 and imple- teachers. partners, also rebuilt two schools mented programmes to train THE PENINSULA SATURDAY 2 JANUARY 2016 GULF / MIDDLE EAST www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 03 Iraq forces rescue civilians in Ramadi Over 80 percent of the city destroyed

BAGHDAD: Iraqi forces yester- thousands of explosive devices on 80 percent of Ramadi, the pro- day pushed out of central Ramadi roads and in buildings to defend vincial capital of Anbar, has been to extend their grip on the city, the city. destroyed in the battles between sweeping neighbourhoods for Clearing operations are led by Iraq’s army — backed by US air pockets of militants to flush out Iraq’s elite counter-terrorism strikes — and the Islamic State of and trapped civilians to evacuate. service (CTS), along with army, Iraq and the Levant group. Federal forces declared vic- police and local tribal forces, as Amash, a spokesman for Anbar’s tory on Sunday in the battle for well as aerial backing from the provincial council, told the Kurdish Ramadi, which was months in the US-led anti-IS coalition. media network Rudaw that some making, but the Anbar provincial The militants are no longer in a districts of Ramadi had yet to be capital has not been fully secured position to fight back for Ramadi cleared of IS fighters. yet. but many managed to pull out of Militants laid thousands of “Our security forces launched last week’s main battle and rede- explosive devices across Ramadi an operation from Khaldiya, east ploy in eastern Ramadi or nearby as part of their defence strategy of Ramadi, and managed to lib- rural areas. against an offensive that was erate the College of Agriculture,” A colonel in CTS confirmed launched on December 22 by elite said Hamid Al Dulaimi, Ramadi that around 30 IS militants had Iraqi troops. district mayor. been arrested as they tried to slip Ibrahim Al Osej, a member of “They are clearing several out of Ramadi and described some the Ramadi district council, said other neighbourhoods,” he said. of them as senior local leaders. there was “extensive destruction Hadi Irzayij, the Anbar police “What we are doing now is sav- in the city as a result of terrorist chief, said the security forces ing the trapped families,” Majed activity and military operations”. detained 30 suspected Islamic Mohammed, a CTS major, said. “Preliminary estimates show State (IS) group fighters “who He said their task was compli- more than 3,000 homes have been were attempting to flee Ramadi cated by the high number of road- completely destroyed,” Osej said. by blending in with civilians.” side bombs laid by the jihadists He said that figure would grow He said they were detained on and the fact that IS was opening because assessments could not be Thursday and would be interro- fire on civilians trying to escape. immediately carried out in some gated. Months of fighting and the neighbourhoods that hadn’t been Civilians flee to a safe area with the help from Iraqi security forces in Ramadi city, yesterday. “We are following a plan put recent pitched battle to take cleared of land mines. together in a way that will pre- Iraq’s Ramadi from IS have lev- “All water, electricity, sewage Filanowski, a US operations ing Ramadi two years ago when 3.2 million people displaced by vent casualties in the ranks of the elled most of the key city as offi- and other infrastructure - such officer, said five bridges in Ram- IS started moving in and tensions fighting in Iraq since the start of security forces,” the police chief cials warned it was too soon for as bridges, government facili- adi — which lies on the Euphrates escalated. The exodus continued 2014, according to the Interna- said. civilians to return after it was ties, hospitals and schools - have and is 100km west of Baghdad until this week. tional Organization for Migration. IS, which took full control of recaptured. suffered some degree of dam- — have suffered various levels of Residents of Anbar account Ramadi in May 2015, had planted Local official Eid Amash said age,” Osej said. Major Michael destruction. Civilians began flee- for more than one third of the AGENCIES

Snow covers Lebanese valley Turk killed Palestinian dies in Somalia of wounds from shooting MOGADISHU: Unidentified gunmen yesterday shot dead a West Bank clashes man believed to be a Turkish national in the Somali capital Mogadishu, police and witnesses RAMALLAH: A Palestinian of Nablus on Thursday, following said. The assailants opened fire wounded in early December dur- an alleged car-ramming attack on a “foreign national” near a ing clashes with Israeli troops against soldiers. mosque in the northwestern dis- in the occupied West Bank has Witnesses told Palestinian trict of the city, said police official died of his injuries, the Pales- Wa fa news agency that the army Mohamed Abidrahman. tinian health ministry said yes- fired several bullets targeting a “We don’t have details but terday. Palestinian driver identified as the initial information we have Shadi Ghabish died overnight 22-year-old Hasan Bzoor, killing obtained indicates that a Turk- at his home near the Jalazon ref- him, after he allegedly rammed ish citizen was shot dead,” added ugee camp from complications his car into Israeli soldiers. the official. The Turkish embassy after undergoing two operations Meanwhile, Israeli army could not immediately be reached at a Ramallah hospital to remove started handing over the bodies for reaction. “Three light-skinned bullets from his body, the minis- of 23 Palestinians killed during men got out of a mosque after Snow covers the ground in the ancient Lebanese city of Baalbek in the eastern Bekaa Valley, yesterday. try said. recent attacks. performing Friday prayers when The 38-year-old was wounded Palestinian medical sources in they were attacked,” said witness on December 8 during clashes Hebron said 17 bodies to be bur- Abdukadir Ali. “One of them was between Israeli soldiers and a ied in the area had already been killed in the attack and the other group of youths from the Jalazon received. Six others were to be two have escaped,” Ali said. Saudi police arrest terrorist in Qatif camp, near the Jewish settlement handed over in the northern West “I have heard the victim was a of Beit El. Bank. Turkish engineer who was work- His death brings to 138 the Israel does not always immedi- ing with a Turkish company.” RIYADH: Saudi authorities have handgun, hashish and ampheta- region. The statement did not number of Palestinians killed ately return the bodies of Pales- No group immediately claimed arrested a man over a number of mine pills were found at the scene. clarify the victim was killed or since a wave of violence erupted tinians who killed during fighting. responsibility but Shebab extrem- attacks on police in the kingdom’s Omran was allegedly involved give reasons for the attack. at the start of October. The military spokeswoman said ists affiliated to Al Qaeda have Shia-populated east, including in the November 18 killing of two Qatif has been the scene of Twenty Israelis, an American that after Friday’s handovers the carried out such attacks in the one that killed two of them, the policemen in Qatif. periodic clashes involving security and an Eritrean have also been army would have returned a total past. The group, driven from the interior ministry announced yes- He is also thought to have been forces after demonstrations broke killed in the unrest. of 76 bodies and was still holding capital in 2011 and also from their terday. involved in another shooting that out almost five years ago alongside According to the United two. Police could also be hold- main central and southern fief- Mufeed bin Ahmed Hasan wounded two Indian passers-by a Shia-led protest movement in Nations 170 Palestinians and 26 ing more bodies, she said, from doms, still control extensive rural Omran was arrested in the Qatif and a policeman when officers neighbouring Bahrain. Israelis were killed since the start attacks in Israel and east Jeru- zones. From there, they launch district for his involvement in came under fire from a farming But clashes with police are also of the year until December 28 in salem. guerilla operations and suicide “terrorist attacks”, said a state- area in Qatif earlier the same sometimes linked to criminal attacks and clashes. Palestinian sources said the attacks as they target the frag- ment on state news agency SPA, month. activity including the drug trade, A Palestinian youth was shot Israelis were still holding a total ile government and the African without saying when or provid- And he was allegedly involved residents say. and killed by Israeli forces’ fire of 17 bodies. Union force shoring it up. ing details on him. A machinegun, in attacking a citizen in the same AFP near Beita junction to the south AFP 14 drown in Nile boat accident Six dead as Yemen CAIRO: At least 14 people loyalists, Qaeda UN Libya envoy in push for unity govt drowned when an unlicensed ferry capsized in Egypt’s Nile suspects clash SHAHAT, LIBYA: The UN envoy for Libya river north of Cairo overnight, arrived Thursday in the east of the restive the official Mena news agency ADEN: Six people were killed country in a bid to persuade the interna- reported yesterday. in a firefight yesterday between tionally recognised administration to join Rescue teams have recovered Yemeni pro-government forces a national unity government, state media 14 bodies and were searching for and Al Qaeda suspects who were reported. survivors in the Kafr Al Sheikh travelling in a weapons-laden Martin Kolber visited Shahat, a town close province north of Cairo, the vehicle toward second city Aden, to the temporary headquarters of Libya’s agency reported, adding that 17 security officials said. exiled legislature, and met with senior offi- people were believed to have been Militiamen at a checkpoint cials, including parliament head Aguila Saleh, on board. in the southern Abyan province the Lana news agency said. The diplomat was The provincial governor Al stopped the suspected jihadists, heckled upon his arrival, with one protester Sayed Nasr said that the boat, prompting an argument that calling for the UN to “let Libyans decide their which was not licensed to work sparked a gun battle, the sources destiny”, a photographer said. as a ferry, had been too small to said. Three Al Qaeda suspects Libya has been in chaos since the 2011 upris- accommodate the passengers. and the same number of loyalists ing that toppled dictator Moamer Kadhafi, The accident came months were killed. with armed factions battling for territory and after at least 36 Egyptians were Among the dead was the head control of its oil wealth. killed when a party boat collided of a court set up by Al Qaeda in The internationally recognised government with a cargo ship in the Nile. the southeastern city of Mukalla, fled Tripoli when the capital was seized in Following that accident in which has been under their con- August 2014 by Islamist-backed militias, who July, the government pledged trol since April, the sources said. are behind a rival government there. to “achieve discipline” on the Yemen has been rocked since On December 17, under UN guidance, UN Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, Martin Kobler waterway. It banned the use of March by deadly fighting between envoys from both sides and a number of inde- (left), with a member of General National Congress in Tripoli, yesterday. loud speakers on vessels hired pro-government forces and Iran- pendent political figures signed a deal to unify for private ceremonies and on backed rebels, who seized the the government. eral National Congress signed the deal. on the viability of a deal that would seek to ferries transporting people. The capital in September 2014 before Around 80 of 188 lawmakers from Libya’s It calls for a 17-member government, headed bring together two parliaments controlled by cabinet also decided not to build expanding south. internationally recognised parliament and 50 by businessman Fayez Al Sarraj as premier, hardliners. new berths along the river. AFP of 136 members of the rival Tripoli-based Gen- based in Tripoli. But analysts have cast doubt AFP AFP SATURDAY 2 JANUARY 2016 04 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com GULF / MIDDLE EAST

Iran has more Dubai probes hotel fire Iran-US tensions flare missiles than it can hide: over sanctions threat General TEHRAN: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have so many missiles White House delays plans of new sanctions: Report they don’t know where to hide them, a senior commander said at TEHRAN: Iran President Has- USS Harry S Truman aircraft use all its capabilities to come up Friday prayers, after the United san Rowhani has denounced carrier. with new plans to expand Iran’s States threatened to impose fresh possible new US sanctions on his The alleged incident in the missile capabilities,” he added. sanctions. country which could jeopardise strategic Strait of Hormuz on Tehran has always denied seek- “We lack enough space in our a hard-won nuclear deal due to December 26 drew denials from ing an atomic weapon and argues stockpiles to house our missiles,” be finally implemented within Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, who that its missiles would never be said General Hossein Salami, the weeks. are responsible for protecting designed to, nor ever carry, a Guards’ deputy, as a row with the In a letter to his defence min- Iranian interests in the strate- bomb. US over Iran’s ballistic missile ister, Rowhani said reports that gic waterway where much of the The nuclear deal was heralded programme deepened. the US Treasury Department world’s oil passes. by moderates such as Rouhani, “Hundreds of long tunnels are planned to blacklist companies Spokesman General Ramezan who staked his reputation on the full of missiles ready to fly to pro- and individuals with ties to Iran’s Sharif accused the US of fabri- negotiations, but hardliners in tect your integrity, independence ballistic missile programme con- cating the incident as part of a Tehran said it damaged national and freedom,” he told worshippers stituted “hostile and illegal inter- “psychological operation”. interests. in Tehran, promising to never ventions” that justified a response. The Wall Street Journal first Republican lawmakers in the “stop developing our defence The comments from Rowhani, reported on Wednesday that the US Congress poured scorn on the deterrent”. who said the military should US was preparing fresh sanc- agreement and tried to stop it. Iranian state television aired in intensify its development of mis- tions against companies and indi- Several Republicans candidates October unprecedented footage of siles, seemed to cause backtrack- viduals in Iran, Hong Kong and for the presidency have pledged such an underground missile base. ing in Washington with reports the United Arab Emirates over to rip it up if they are elected in The general’s comments came that the White House had put alleged links to Tehran’s ballistic November. after reports that the US had the intended sanctions on hold missile programme. Although Iran’s ultimate planned — but later shelved — to indefinitely. But on Thursday the newspa- authority, supreme leader Aya- unveil a fresh round of sanctions In the five months since the per said the measures had been tollah Ali Khamenei, explicitly following two recent missile tests nuclear deal was struck US offi- delayed — although they remain endorsed the nuclear accord in by the Islamic republic. cials say Iran has conducted two on the table — over fears the October, he warned that new The spectre of new penalties missile tests, one of which state nuclear deal could be derailed. sanctions, under any pretext, against Iran — the nuclear deal media reported at the time, on would constitute a violation. is due to lift existing sanctions October 11. Iran also recently WARNINGS OF REPRISALS The deal is due to come into that froze Iran out of the global aired television footage of an Were the Treasury to intro- effect on “Implementation Day”, financial system and crippled its underground missile base. duce the sanctions it would be a expected in January, or soon after, oil exports — brought worsening The actions angered the United major barrier to the nuclear deal’s when UN monitors sign off that relations to a head. States and a United Nations formal enactment, let alone its Iran has applied major curbs to A United Nations panel last panel found earlier this month durability. its nuclear programme. month said the two missile tests that the tests breached previous Rowhani, whose government Rowhani further criticised the breached previous resolutions resolutions aimed at stopping the negotiated the agreement with Treasury plans, stating that Iran’s aimed at stopping the Islamic Islamic republic from developing the United States and five other domestic defence had never been republic from developing projec- missiles capable of carrying a world powers, warned of reprisals. within the remit of the nuclear tiles capable of carrying a nuclear nuclear warhead. Should individuals and compa- talks. “Officials of the United warhead. Iran has always denied But the threat of new sanctions nies be added to “the previously States have also admitted this,” seeking an atomic weapon and — the nuclear deal is due to lift unjustified sanctions list, it is he said. argues that its missiles would past measures that froze Iran out necessary that the production of Iran’s Foreign Minister Moham- never be designed to, nor ever of the global financial system and various missiles required by the mad Javad Zarif, who negotiated carry, such a bomb. The nuclear crippled its oil exports — brought armed forces move forward with the deal with US Secretary of State deal is due to come into effect on already worsening relations to a increased speed and seriousness”, John Kerry and counterparts from “Implementation Day”, expected head. said his letter to Defence Minister Britain, China, France, Russia and later this month, or soon after, It also came after US officials Hossein Dehghan. Germany, alluded to the missile when UN monitors sign off that Plumes of smoke rise from the 63-storey Address Downtown Dubai said an Iranian vessel had test- “If such wrong and interven- row in a New Year message posted Iran has applied major curbs to hotel and residential block, a day after it caught fire on New Year’s Eve, fired several rockets near three tionist actions are repeated by the on Twitter. its atomic programme. in Dubai, yesterday. Dubai police said that the building was evacuated Western warships, including the US, the ministry of defence should AFP AFP and 14 people were lightly injured.

Two killed, seven wounded in US-backed force advances against IS in Syria

Tel Aviv shooting BEIRUT: A US-backed alliance militia, which has been the most of Syrian Kurdish and Arab effective partner on the ground TEL AVIV: Two people were fighters advanced against Islam- for US-led air strikes. killed and at least seven wounded ist insurgents in the north of the Kurdish gains around Azaz, yesterday when a gunman opened country yesterday, capturing at which is near the Turkish bor- fire on a cafe in central Tel Aviv, least one village in Aleppo prov- der, are also likely to increase but the motive was not immedi- ince, a spokesman and a monitor- concern in Turkey about growing ately clear. ing group said. Kurdish sway near the frontier. The shooting came amid a Fighters from the Democratic Ankara is fighting an insurgency recent wave of Palestinian attacks Forces of Syria seized the village against Kurdish PKK fighters in on Israelis and days after the of Tanab near the town of Azaz its southeast. leader of the Islamic State (IS) after heavy clashes with the al Washington’s strategy in Syria group threatened the Jewish state Qaeda-linked Nusra Front and shifted in 2015 from trying to with violence. However, police the powerful Ahrar Al Sham, train thousands of fighters out- stressed they were investigating spokesman Talal Selo said. side the country to supplying in “all directions.” “We liberated Tanab,” he said. groups headed by US-vetted com- CCTV footage from a nearby Britain-based monitoring manders. grocery store shows a bespec- group the Syrian Observatory The US military estimates the tacled young man with a back- for Human Rights said the Dem- Democratic Forces of Syria has pack calmly pretending to shop ocratic Forces of Syria had also captured around 1,000 square kil- before going to the exit, plac- captured the village of Tat Mrash. ometers of terrain in the past six ing the backpack atop a trolley, Selo said he could not yet confirm weeks or so, bolstered by coalition removing what looks like a sub- its capture. air strikes. machine gun and opening fire in It came just days after the alli- French warplanes bombed the street. ance seized a dam from Islamic Islamic State group oil installa- Medics said they took nine peo- State further east, cutting one of A Syrian man rides his motorbike past a damaged building covered with snow, in the central Syrian town of tions close to its Syrian strong- ple to hospitals in Tel Aviv, with its main supply routes across the Talbisseh in the Homs province, yesterday. hold of Raqa on Friday, as police saying two of them had Euphrates. France’s defence minister visited died. One of the fatalities was Since the US-backed alliance offensives against Islamic State separately been fighting in recent gents in northern Aleppo prov- the Jordanian air base where the identified by his father as Alon was formed last October, its fight- with the ultimate goal of cap- weeks against Nusra Front, ince. The Democratic Forces of jets took off. Bakal, a law and business student ers have opened several major turing Raqqa. The alliance has Ahrar al Sham and other insur- Syria includes the Kurdish YPG REUTERS was a manager at Simta, the pub targeted. A reporter at the scene said patrons there and at a nearby cafe Refugee woes had been shot at, and that the sidewalk was strewn with chairs Two Turkish police officers and broken glass as police forensic officers examined the scene. Witnesses said people had killed in Kurdish southeast braved the chilly weather to sit outside on terraces, located on ISTANBUL: Two police officers have been killed in Turkey’s predomi- Dizengoff Street, a central thor- nantly Kurdish southeast during operations to push back Kurdistan oughfare of cafes and shops. Workers Party (PKK) militants, the Dogan news agency said. “Police units searching Tel Aviv The first policeman was killed in the district of Cizre late on Thurs- area for suspect who carried out day when he and a group of colleagues came under rocket attack as shooting. All injured taken to Tel they tried to break down barricades set up by PKK fighters, Dogan said. Aviv hospitals,” spokesman Micky The second was killed yesterday by a remote-controlled bomb in Rosenfeld wrote on Twitter. the district of Sur, where the local authorities have imposed a ban on Hundreds of police were scour- demonstrations, Dogan said. ing the area, entering buildings in Southeastern Turkey has plunged back into some of its worst vio- the vicinity and northward, where lence since the 1990s after a two-year ceasefire between the PKK and the assailant was believed to have the state collapsed in July. fled, and police helicopters buzzed The PKK first took up arms in 1984 to push for greater autonomy overhead. Later, police said a man in the southeast and some 40,000 people have since been killed in the was pronounced dead after being violence. It is designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States found in north Tel Aviv, appar- and European Union. ently as a result of gunfire. He President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday there would be no let-up was identified as an Arab resident in a military campaign which he said had killed more than 3,000 mili- of Ramle, south of Tel Aviv. A refugee tries to stand up after falling into the sea as Syrian and Iraqi refugees arrive on a raft on a beach on tants this year in some of the heaviest fighting since their insurgency the Greek island of Lesbos, yesterday. began three decades ago. AFP REUTERS SATURDAY 2 JANUARY 2016 ASIA / AFRICA www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 05 Kim Jong-Un vows to raise living standards North Korean leader warns foreign ‘provocateurs’ in low-key annual New Year’s address

SEOUL: North Korean leader “If aggressors and provocateurs sile programme that has made Kim had said he was determined Kim Jong-Un said raising living touch us even slightly, we will not the North the target of multiple that North Koreans would “never standards was his top priority hesitate to respond with a mer- international sanctions over the have to tighten their belts again”. in a low-key annual New Year’s ciless sacred war for justice and years, although Kim did stress He has relaxed some controls address yesterday that avoided any national reunification,” he said. the need to “develop more varied on farmers and state-run firms, explicit reference to the country’s His speech came a day after the means of military strikes”. and set up more than a dozen nuclear weapons programme. state funeral of North Korea’s top “The overall tone was quite special economic zones. And a The 30-minute televised speech official in charge of relations with low-key, and the emphasis was closely monitored but tolerated was not without the normal bel- South Korea, Kim Yang-Gon, who clearly on the economy, rather grassroots capitalism, born out licose rhetoric—threatening a state media reported as having than political or military issues,” of a spirit of survivalist self-suf- “sacred war” if provoked and died in a car accident on Tuesday. said Yang Moo-Jin, a professor at ficiency that got many through stressing the need to develop Kim had long been the North’s the University of North Korean the catastrophic failure of the “varied” military strike options— point man on cross-border affairs, Studies in Seoul. state distribution system in the but the clear thrust was economic and his death was seen as a fur- “Possibly he wanted to avoid famine years of the mid-to-late development in the isolated, cash- ther setback to efforts to improve irritating China and others in the 1990s, has given rise to a growing strapped state. the always volatile relations region ahead of the crucial party entrepreneurial class. “The Workers Party of Korea between Seoul and Pyongyang. congress in May,” Yang said. While North Korea does not gives top priority to the issue of Kim Jong-Un, wearing black- The Workers’ Party congress release official economic data, improving people’s living stand- rimmed glasses and his trade- will be the first of its kind for 35 South Korea’s central bank esti- ards among millions of other mark black Mao suit, delivered his years, and is expected to offer mated its economy expanded 1.0 national tasks,” Kim said. “We speech from behind a lectern in a some clarity on the current lead- percent in 2014. must create a turnaround in eco- wood-panelled room in the ruling ership’s policy direction. But the North remains a deeply A woman watches a televised broadcast of North Korean leader Kim Jong- nomic development,” he added. Workers’ Party Central Commit- Since taking over power follow- impoverished country with a Kim has issued similar calls Un’s New Year speech, at a railroad station in Seoul yesterday. tee Office Building in Pyongyang. ing the death of his father Kim gross national income estimated in his three previous New Year No audience was shown although Jong-Il in late 2011, Kim has pri- at just 2.3 percent of the South’s. addresses and, as on those occa- Kim said he was open to talks but In particular, he stressed the the address was regularly inter- oritised economic development And there is a stark urban-rural sions, yesterday’s speech offered warned Seoul against any activity provocative dangers inherent in rupted by what appeared to be in a way that his father, with his divide in living standards, with little in terms of specific policy for that might threaten a tentative the South’s annual joint military canned applause. “military first” policy, never did. malnutrition still a serious prob- achieving his economic objectives. cross-border agreement reached exercises with the US — a peren- There was no mention of the In his very first public address, lem in the countryside. On relations with South Korea, in August to reduce tensions. nial thorn in North-South ties. nuclear arsenal or ballistic mis- at a military parade in April 2012, AFP

Bullets, firecrackers Congo’s Kabila pardons nine kill 2 in Philippines separatists

MANILA: Stray bullets and clothes and furniture while men, in unity bid exploding firecrackers have killed many of whom were drunk from two and injured hundreds in a night of merrymaking, desper- KINSHASA: Democratic the Philippines, authorities said ately tried to put out the fire with Republic of Congo President yesterday, amid the country’s buckets of water, an AFP photog- Joseph Kabila has pardoned nine traditional riotous New Year rapher at the scene saw. members of a separatist move- celebrations. A 65-year-old woman died from ment as he pursues a policy of A drunk man died after he a heart attack as she watched her national dialogue ahead of elec- embraced a giant firecracker, house burn, Yu said. tions later this year, according to called “Goodbye Philippines”, as it Many Filipino civilians keep state television. was about to explode, health sec- licensed guns in their homes to The nine members of the retary Janet Garin told reporters. protect themselves in a high- Bundu Dia Kongo (BDK) group “His jaw was shattered. He crime society and most firecrack- have received “full remission” was so intoxicated he hugged the ers are legal and easily available. from what remains of their life Goodbye Philippines,” Garin said, The 384 injuries recorded so far terms,” according to a statement adding the man was pronounced for 2015 are up from 354 in 2014. broadcast overnight on Thursday. dead at the hospital. Meanwhile, more than 1,500 BDK, which means Kingdom Eighty percent of the country’s people protested in Hong Kong of the Congo in the kikongo lan- 100 million people are Catholic on New Year’s day calling for the guage, is a separatist movement but Filipino superstition dictates city’s leader to resign and air- with followers concentrated in the making ear-shattering noises ing grievances over issues from south west of the country. during New Year’s Eve to ward expensive construction projects to The group backs the resto- off bad luck. Revellers set off fire- internet freedoms. ration of the former Congolese crackers and shoot guns into the A procession of yellow umbrel- kingdom inside pre-colonial air to celebrate the December fes- las — the symbol of the city’s boundaries, which would also tive season. democracy movement — moved Visitors gather on a beach in the city of Gangneung, South Korea, to view the New Year’s first sunrise. RIGHT: A comprise parts of Angola, Congo The health department listed through the city’s downtown with mother and child walk through a lucky ring at a Shinto shrine in Isumi city, Chiba prefecture, Japan. It is a custom and Gabon. The nine BDK mem- 380 injuries due to fireworks and protesters carrying signs reading in Japan to welcome the New Year by visiting Shinto shrines. BELOW: Mary Anne Mansilla, 27, holds her baby bers were jailed for life in 2009 four others due to stray bullets. “fight for the freedom of the next named Kashmir who was born at exactly 12:01 on New Year’s Day at the Dr Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital, the after violent clashes between the In many hospitals across the generation” and demanding the National Maternity Hospital, in Manila, yesterday. group and police in which 27 peo- country, firecracker victims resignation of officials who “sold ple were killed according to the rushed into emergency rooms out” the city. government. grimacing in pain as they held Leading the protest was a large UN and civilian sources put their bloodied limbs. replica of a white elephant with a the death toll from the violence An eight-year-old boy in the model of the city’s unpopular leader at nearer 100. As well as pardon- northern farming province of Leung Chun-ying riding it, symbol- ing the BDK members, Kabila Nueva Vizcaya had three of his ising expensive public projects. “We also handed down a presidential fingers amputated after a fire- want universal pension, step down pardon to prisoners “aged 70 and cracker exploded in his hands, Leung Chun-ying, we are against above” with no mention either of Garin said. At least nine children white elephant projects,” protesters how many people had benefited or had their fingers amputated due repeatedly shouted. their identities. to firecracker injuries, she said. Police said that 1,600 people AFP In a Manila shantytown, a lit joined the protest at its peak, firecracker started a slum inferno, while organisers estimate the which quickly spread, fire bureau crowd at more than 3,000. Abe pledges to spokesman Renato Marcial said. Negative sentiment remains The blaze destroyed a cramped high against authorities after keep Japan maze of wood and cardboard huts mass pro-democracy rallies call- in the early hours, leaving 3,000 ing for free leadership elections out of war people homeless, city disaster in 2014 brought no concessions on officer Johnny Yu said. political reform from Beijing and TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minis- Panicked and weeping residents Hong Kong authorities. ter Shinzo Abe yesterday promised fled their burning homes carrying AFP he will keep his nation out of war following the introduction of con- tentious new security legislation, a day after China announced it is building its second aircraft carrier. In September parliament in the officially pacifist nation passed Another Hong Kong bookseller goes missing security bills opening the door for Japanese troops to engage in combat overseas for the first time HONG KONG: A Hong Kong day at the publisher’s warehouse, “It is a very difficult time for ers disappeared last autumn Lee pearing in southern China in since the end of World War II. employee of a publishing firm which he is in charge of. me... I’m not sure what has hap- had said he was a shareholder in October. The legislation was met with known for producing books crit- Lee’s wife Sophie Choi also said pened, these are not things that the Mighty Current publishing Rights groups had expressed strong public resistance at home ical of the Chinese government he was in Hong Kong Wednesday normal people know about,” Choi company. concern at the previous disap- with tens of thousands taking has gone missing, his wife said but went missing that night. said. The source said that Lee was “I think (it has happened) pearances, with Human Rights part in street protests. yesterday, following the earlier “I started looking for him last seen in the publisher’s ware- probably because of publish- Watch saying there was a “con- Critics have warned that the apparent disappearance of four when he didn’t come home for house in Hong Kong at 5pm on ing matters... political books certed effort” by the mainland to changes could see Japanese troops colleagues. dinner that night at around 7 December 30. banned on the mainland,” he prevent Chinese political books dragged into far-flung foreign It is the latest incident to fuel pm,” Choi said. “He called me “Apparently he met somebody said at the time. travelling from Hong Kong to conflicts similar to the US inva- growing unease in Hong Kong at that night at around 10pm to and subsequently disappeared. The other men who went China. sions of Iraq or Afghanistan. the erosion of freedoms in the tell me that everything was all This is very shocking if it is true.” missing are Gui Minhai, a Swed- Hong Kong publisher Yao “Under the new legislation semi-autonomous Chinese city, right,” Choi said. Hong Kong was handed back ish national and co-owner of the Wentian, who was due to release for peace and security, we will with fears that the five men may But she said the number from to China by Britain in 1997 under Mighty Current publishing com- a dissident’s book about Chi- prevent war by taking all pos- have been detained by Chinese which Li was calling her did not a “One Country, Two Systems” pany. Local media said he failed to nese President Xi Jinping, was sible preparations for any cir- authorities. belong to him and originated from arrangement. return from a holiday in Thailand reported to have been detained cumstances,” Abe said in a New Lee Bo, the chief editor of a the neighbouring mainland Chi- It enjoys liberties not seen on in October. for almost three months in Janu- Year’s message. “We have suc- publisher which produces books nese city of Shenzhen. the mainland, including free- The publishing company’s gen- ary 2014. In May 2014 Yao, then cessfully built a foundation for on Chinese politics, was a col- Choi said she reported the case dom of the press and publica- eral manager Lui Bo, an employee 73, was sentenced by a Chinese handing down a peaceful Japan league of the four others. to Hong Kong police yesterday. tion, but there are fears these Cheung Jiping and bookstore court to 10 years in jail for smug- to the generations of our children A source said Lee, 65, was last Police said the incident had been are under threat. manager Lam Wing-kei are also gling. and grandchildren.” seen in Hong Kong on Wednes- listed as a “missing persons” case. When the four other publish- reportedly missing after disap- AFP AFP SATURDAY 2 JANUARY 2016 06 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com

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Editorial Missile threat

HE thaw in relations between the United States and Iran resulting from the nuclear deal signed by Tehran with the Western powers is under Political engagement Tstrain due to a row over Iran’s missile programme. Washington has threatened to impose new sanctions even as the majority of sanctions it had imposed earlier are due to be lifted under the nuclear deal. Both sides are unlikely to precipitate a crisis that will undo the gains of years of blossoming online in Russia hard work, but the current dispute exposes Iran’s fickleness By Andrei Soldatov controlled media and through local early 2000s. True, so far the Kremlin and unreliability. and Irina Borogan Iran says its missile capabilities have never been the party cells. has outsmarted the protest movements During the Cold War, the state also by manipulating the newly mobilised subject of negotiations with the Americans and would n late November, the number of clearly understood the threat posed public. never be, while the US disagrees. Ratcheting up tension, an websites being blocked in Russia by communications technology, which While the opposition mumbled about official of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards has said the country reached one million, according could allow citizens to spread informa- fighting corruption, Putin offered a has so many missiles “they don’t know where to hide to Roskomsvoboda, the country’s tion on their own. In 1954, the first Rus- resurgence of national pride, first with them”. “We lack enough space in our stockpiles to house independent Internet censorship sian photocopy machine was smashed to the Sochi Olympics and annexation of Iwatchdog. This did not surprise the pieces when the secret police realised Crimea, now with Syria. His message our missiles. Hundreds of long tunnels are full of missiles Russian online community, which is its potential. The automatic system of appeals to many Russians who resent ready to fly to protect your integrity, independence and used to bad news. The Kremlin’s offen- international telephone communica- the West, which they blame for failing freedom,” General Hossein Salami, the Guards’ deputy, told sive against Internet freedom has inten- tions that was launched in Moscow for to bring prosperity in the 1990s. Putin’s Friday worshippers in Tehran and promised to never “stop sified dramatically over the past three the 1980 Olympics was cut off mere success in this respect is hardly surpris- developing our defence deterrent”. years, including the creation of website months after the games to stop ordinary ing, given 15 years of decline in Russian Such comments pose a huge challenge to Barack Obama blacklists, the updating of an advanced people from making calls abroad with- political debate. national system of online surveillance out first going through KGB-monitored Nonetheless, the centuries-old model as the US and European Union plan to dismantle nearly all and increased pressure on international operators. of rulers governing a politically passive international sanctions against Iran under the agreement Internet companies to share data with The result was a Soviet people politi- population has come to an end in Rus- reached in July. Iran has abided by the main terms of the Russian security services. cally passive and ignorant of how gov- sia. Russian society may be divided, but nuclear agreement, such as giving up The failure of the 2011-13 Moscow ernment operated — though, to be sure, it is no longer apathetic. Increasingly, material that could be used to make protests, Russia’s version of a “Twit- KGB-inspired fear helped to keep them people discuss topics such as Ukraine, an atomic weapon. But it has been ter Revolution,” that way. Syria, terrorism and the hypocrisy of Our region to ease Vladimir After the brief thaw of the 1990s, the West. Many of them may have been stubborn on its missile programme, Putin’s grip on Putin sought to refashion this system brainwashed by propaganda, but the can only look and in an act of defiance, test-fired the country, for a new era. Employing a combination fact that they are now talking about with concern a missile in October. According to along with all the of old and new tactics based on coer- political news — not just their cars or Washington, the missile is capable During the depressing news cion and intimidation, he accomplished apartments — is important. For the first at Iran’s of carrying a nuclear payload and Cold War, from the Mid- many of his goals by the mid-2000s. But time in a long while, there is political dle East, has led Putin’s regime relied on the population’s engagement. And much of it is occur- therefore violates a 2010 UN Security expanding Russia clearly many to ques- passivity; few wished to protest, but ring online. missile Council resolution which is still in understood the tion the idea that even fewer wished to actively support The Kremlin is trying its best to place. Tehran does not accept that the online technology Putin. intervene in this conversation, but programme. UN resolution bars it from testing threat posed by can be used to This all changed when the Mos- Russia’s Internet community is push- missiles because it has no nuclear communications facilitate political cow protests erupted in 2011. The ing back. weapons to place on them. US is change. ideas circulating among the protest- Last month Russian Internet users, technology, But is it correct ers may have been strikingly naive — worried about Kremlin pressure on glo- saying they can respond by imposing which could that the protests they wanted to form a party of honest bal Internet companies to move their new sanctions against individuals and businesses linked to achieved nothing politicians, to ensure fair elections servers into the country, launched a the missile programme while Iran maintains new sanctions allow citizens in Russia? without destabilising the system, and petition on Change.org pleading with the will scupper the nuclear deal. According to a Wall Street to spread Some argue so on. Simply wielding the white-blue tech giants: “Don’t move personal data Journal report, an announcement of new US sanctions was that those who flag of Facebook does not automati- to Russia.” The petition has amassed planned for this week but delayed for an unspecified period. information on maintain their cally make protesters harbingers of more than 40,000 signatures. faith in the democratic practices and principles. This is a direct result of the digital The row has become a new thorn for leaders in US and their own. power of technol- But one thing was clear: Thousands of revolution, which is something entirely Iran who are eager to move forward after the nuclear deal. ogy overlook long outraged Muscovites shed their passiv- new in our history. While the Russian It is unlikely to snowball into a situation that would torpedo historical experi- ity, and platforms such as Facebook and authorities, so comfortable in dealing the nuclear deal. Tehran will have to move cautiously on the ence. Well, Russia’s historical experi- Twitter facilitated widespread debate with hierarchies, have never hesitated missile programme because Obama will face stiff opposition ence tells the story of a country that about issues that had not been publicly to intimidate editors or the bosses of the for centuries was defined by hierarchy discussed in years. Internet companies, the Kremlin has from Republican lawmakers who control both houses of the and vertical power. During the Soviet Social media are difficult to con- been hesitant to outlaw the Tor network US Congress. period, the people were kept at maxi- trol. Because these new networks are and other circumvention tools. Doing Meanwhile, our region can only look with concern at mum distance from decision-makers horizontal in nature and content is so would mean dealing directly with Iran’s missile programme, especially at a time when a — it was for mysterious party bosses to generated by real users, the Russian ordinary users, who are a potentially resurgent Iran is plotting a bigger role in the geopolitical decide their fates, while the population government cannot impose its agenda unstoppable force. affairs was left to wait until the party line on them as it did so successfully with . was disseminated over government- traditional media organizations in the THE WASHINGTON POST The other side Quote of The coming challenges the day WENTY FIFTEEN was the year well-being of its people. executions, have been made. On the an uneven year. Relations with Afghani- that demonstrated how much But the desperately needed resolve political front, it was a good year for stan and India are in yet another critical can change in 365 days — and came with a darker side. The political the democratic project. The anti-dem- period, and on both fronts 2015 was how much can stay the same. and military leadership appeared to ocratic challenges of 2014 receded and beset with problems, though it ended TA year that began in the shadow of stoke the flames of revenge, casting the focus turned to a spate of elections on an undeniably positive note. If sta- You have asked me the attack on the Army Public School, the need to defeat the militants in the — by-elections and LG polls — which bility and peace are ever to be realised Peshawar, was one in which at long language of vengeance. underlined the reality of continuing and in South and West Asia, Afghanistan- to lead the country last the political leadership, the military Disturbingly and shamefully, the deep support for democracy among Pakistan and India-Pakistan relations and the people of the country spoke Constitution itself was amended to the people. Seven years since Paki- will need to improve immeasurably. after 2017. Given with one voice: Pakistan must be rid effectively dismantle the edifice of stan’s return to democracy, two general On the positive side, 2015 demon- of terrorism, militancy and extremism. fundamental rights, in order to allow elections and a full set of LG elections strated that all sides, domestic and for- the importance After a decade of fear and vacilla- for civilians — albeit those accused of later, it is surely the case that the demo- eign, appear to have recognised that you ascribe to this tion, it appeared that state and society grave terrorism-related crimes — to cratic choice is becoming the people’s reality. If in 2015, stability and hope were ready to reclaim Pakistan and be tried in newly set-up military courts. unquestioned preference. State institu- reasserted themselves in Pakistan, matter, I can only reassert its founding principles as a Pakistan may be on the road to recov- tions must recognise and accept that 2016 should be a year of consolidation. constitutional democracy that protects ery, but already unacceptable com- evolving reality. accept. Paul Kagame and advances the safety, security and promises, including the resumption of Finally, on the external front, it was DAWN Rwandan President SATURDAY 2 JANUARY 2016 OPINION www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 07 Xi tells grumbling party cadres: Don’t talk back By Simon Denyer

areless talk could cost you your job. Especially if you bad- Conservatives and hard-liners feel mouth the boss. Chinese President emboldened, because they believe XiC Jinping has carried out the most far-reaching anti-corrup- they are fulfilling the leader’s tion campaign in Communist Party history — at the same time wishes, while moderates censor as the harshest crackdown on free speech in decades. themselves and swallow their Now he is tightening the screws further, outlawing internal dis- concerns. sent within the party through new disciplinary rules that have led to an academic, a newspaper editor and a senior police officer while opposing in their hearts” and senior party leaders were getting fired for “improper discus- and undermining the leadership killed or persecuted for daring sion” of government policy. through insubordination. to raise their concerns — or even The purge is an attempt to Almost exactly a year later, the just telling Mao the truth about silence rising dissent within the party issued new disciplinary reg- what was happening in the coun- party, experts say, and is a reflec- ulations outlawing any “improper tryside. tion of Xi’s obsession with control, discussion.” “Xi is conceited and refuses as well as the dramatic centralisa- Last month, the editor-in-chief to listen to second opinions,” He tion of power he has engineered of Xinjiang Daily, Zhao Xinwei, Weifang said. “He has chosen in the past two years. became the first influential party to live in an isolated space, sur- To his supporters, it is another member to be fired for making rounded by flatterers. He has no attempt to restore discipline and public comments critical of gov- idea what is going on in the real ideological purity to a party rid- ernment policy in the troubled world.” dled with corruption and cyni- Muslim-majority Xinjiang region. He describes this as the worst cism. Top officials caught up in cor- time since he entered academia To his critics, the move carries ruption investigations have also in 1985, with “no space to speak disturbing echoes of the dark days been accused of making pub- out.” From a legal perspective, he The closing session of the third session of the 12th National People’s Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the of Mao Zedong. lic comments “that go against adds, the regulations fail to make People in Beijing in March. Xi, they say, has surrounded the spirit” of the party’s central clear what is “improper,” and who himself with sycophants who committee, while Liang Xinsheng, is to judge. mented in the most effective way,” nymity because of the sensitivity the people, “for the most terrify- can only deliver good news. He is the deputy head of the English Diplomats say foreign minis- he said. “Deepening reform of the of the subject, one foreign policy ing thing of all is utter silence.” undermining the ideas of collec- department at Lingnan Normal try officials plead with them to system needs party members to expert in Beijing said it had always The opportunities for internal tive leadership and “intraparty University in Zhanjiang, was fired shield Xi from criticism when be more united.” carried far less political risk to debate radically narrowed after democracy” that the Party had last month for having expressed foreign leaders visit. At a lower He Weifang, he argued, was zealously defend China’s maritime the 1989 Tiananmen Square mas- adopted — and trumpeted — after “radical opinions” - years before - level, the absurdity of a system calling into question the legiti- sovereignty claims than appear sacre, but the party prided itself Mao’s death, and replacing them on social media that had damaged in which only good news can be macy of Communist Party rule. conciliatory, but this tendency has on a collaborative, considered and with a return to one-man rule. the party’s image and been a bad transmitted upwards — exactly “That’s the target of the new dis- intensified under Xi, who is seen as consistent approach to decision “He is scared, but he is comfort- influence on society. The deputy what happened during the Great cipline,” he said. “Other academ- more nationalist and bolder. making, something that suppos- ing himself by ignoring problems police chief in an eastern city was Leap Forward — was illustrated ics like us still have the chance to “Hard-liners speak out with- edly produced superior results to and criticism,” said Zhang Lifan, a dismissed for posting comments by an anecdote described in the raise opposite opinions.” out care, while moderates self- Western democracies. party historian and political com- on social media critical of the one People’s Daily this month. Not long after the rules were censor,” the expert said. “Policy Some analysts argue that mentator. “That is very danger- country-two systems policy under Xi has vowed to lift China’s announced, the People’s Daily analysis is often an exercise in the collaborative approach had ous for a head of state, because which Hong Kong is administered, remaining 70 million poor peo- made a similar case, arguing ‘interpreting the emperor’s will’ reached the limits of its efficacy it could lead to more mistakes.” state media reported Friday. ple out of poverty by 2020. But in that the new rule does not dam- and proving its brilliance.” As a under Xi’s predecessor Hu Jintao, At the same time, conservatives Zhang says Xi sees mounting one district, local officials were age “intraparty democracy,” nor result, he said, voices of caution with vested interests standing in and hard-liners feel emboldened, anger on all sides: party members so keen to show their visiting amount to “further restrictions tend to be hushed. the way of the reforms China’s because they believe they are ful- unhappy about the anti-corrup- superiors they were following on normal suggestions made That, the expert said, led to economy needed. In other words, filling the leader’s wishes, while tion drive, the military threatened the president’s instructions, the through legitimate channels and China’s clumsy declaration of an it was time for a strongman. moderates censor themselves and by Xi’s reforms there, entrepre- paper reported, that they dressed methods.” air defense identification zone But many in the diplomatic swallow their concerns. This has neurs suffering from a slowing children in white plastic fertilizer But David Bandurski at Hong in the East China Sea in 2012, a and foreign business communities led to rash policy steps, critics economy and academics angry bags “to stand on a hill and appear Kong University’s China Media move that encouraged Japan to here believe that Xi is more inter- argue, that have angered Asian at the tightening of ideological like sheep,” to give the impression Project (CMP) said the fact that increase defense spending and ested in politics than economics. neighbours and alarmed foreign controls. Willy Wo-lap Lam, an the area was prospering. the article had to be published change its constitution to give its They point to a recent plan to businesses. adjunct professor at the Chinese Cheng Enfu, director of the “suggests the ban itself has cre- military more freedom to support reform state-owned enterprises China’s president has taken University of Hong Kong, says Institute of Marxism at the Chi- ated some concern within the allies. that proved to be a huge disap- personal control of policymak- Xi is facing “passive resistance” nese Academy of Social Sciences, party ranks.” A CMP analysis It led to an equally counterpro- pointment, and a new national ing in a way no leader has since from inside the party by those said many academics had come to shows the term “improper dis- ductive decision in 2014 to posi- security law that makes foreign the time of Mao, and seems to who dare not oppose him publicly him after the rule was announced cussion” was extremely rare in tion an oil rig in waters claimed investors think that they are vul- be popular among the Chinese but “in terms of execution, just go to ask what “improper discus- the People’s Daily until this year, by Vietnam in the South China nerable. people. But his anti-corruption through the motions.” sion” meant, but he told them but has appeared more than 3,000 Sea, which has radically under- Critics point to a Chinese prov- campaign has riled a proportion Both Zhang and Lam, as well it wouldn’t affect their ability to times on state media websites mined Hanoi’s trust in Beijing erb that warns a dammed river of the Communist Party’s 88 mil- as law professor He Weifang in “provide suggestions to the party.” since the new rules were issued and pushed it toward the United will eventually overflow and flood. lion members. Beijing, hear echoes of the atmos- Xi, he said, is determined to in October. States. “Sealing off people’s mouths is Speaking at a gathering of phere that prevailed during Mao’s strengthen party discipline and In foreign policy, some experts In the 1980s, the CMP notes, more harmful than stopping the the party’s leadership in Octo- disastrous Great Leap Forward only wants to ban criticism of the see a growing weakness in deci- Deng Xiaoping, the father of free flow of a river,” the proverb ber 2014, Xi criticized some offi- and Cultural Revolution. party’s fundamental principles. sion making under Xi that has China’s economic reforms, had says. cials for “doing things their own Tens of millions of people died “He is like a military man who alienated Asian neighbors. argued that the party should not way, making a show of complying in famine and political purges, wants his policies to be imple- Speaking on condition of ano- be scared of hearing the voice of THE WASHINGTON POST GoP scrambles to pick up Graham supporters in S Carolina

By Michael C Bender ing the next president. Graham Graham, but about half of Repub- scheduled, according to a media- and Margaret Newkirk dropped out on December 21, and lican voters in South Carolina buyer who requested anonym- the state since has seen a wave are still persuadable, said Katon ity to share competitive reports. side from the One Eared of attention from candidates, With the Iowa caucuses typically Dawson, a former state Republi- Bush’s campaign has planned Cow Glass gallery and a including a rally that drew 2,400 can chairman who hasn’t chosen about $1m on television in South Ashuttered Grice’s fruit to Hilton Head on Wednesday for favouring more hard-line a candidate since former Texas Carolina, while Rubio’s campaign basket shop, there is little in a the party’s front-runner, Donald Governor Rick Perry dropped out. has ordered more than four times half-mile stretch of South Caroli- Trump. conservatives, and New Hampshire “The race if fluid, and it will as much.Bush’s Move na’s capital city that separates the The state’s February 20 Repub- remain fluid all the way to South Bush has moved quickly to sign state headquarters of Republican lican presidential primary will be often leans toward more moderate, Carolina,” Dawson said. up Graham supporters, claiming presidential rivals Marco Rubio the third stop in the nominating Karen Martin is a tea party a total of 18 of the senator’s back- and Jeb Bush. contest, after Iowa’s February 1 South Carolina views itself as most organiser from Spartanburg and ers by Wednesday. Those include On a rainy Wednesday, the lat- caucuses and New Hampshire’s is employed now by one of the veterans of the campaigns of his est in a water-logged winter for February 9 primary. representative among the super-political action commit- brother and father, the last two the home of the American South’s “With Lindsey getting out, it tees backing the presidential bid Republican presidents, who never premier presidential primary, a really feels like the wild, wild early-voting states. of Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, said lost a primary in South Carolina. trio of staffers manned each of the West,” said Phyllis Henderson, a Graham’s backers were from the Bush’s Florida supporters and offices: Rubio’s a 12,000-square- Republican state lawmaker back- business world who believed it family, including his son, Texas foot, open plan formerly occupied ing Carly Fiorina’s presidential bid. would be a “benefit if they cast Land Commissioner George P by the Columbia Flag & Banner “Everyone was immediately out “Senator Graham’s departure near Bob Jones University; pock- their lot with him.” Bush, will be deployed to South company; Bush’s a former floor- calling and rounding up support, frees up grassroots activists, polit- ets of wealth in the suburbs south At the moment, it’s Trump and Carolina next month-along with ing store about half the size. At and that’s still going on now. All ical operative and donors,” said of Charlotte, North Carolina and Cruz who are topping the polls in former staffers for Bush’s father Rubio’s shop, rain dripped from of the campaigns are trying to get Matt Moore, the state Republi- along the Atlantic Coast; and an South Carolina. and brother, former presidents the vaulted ceiling into lined trash some of those folks on their team.” can chairman. “Those people are influential military presence with Glenn McCall, South Carolina’s George H W Bush and George W cans; at Bush’s, the damp contrib- While Graham’s presidential especially important in a state a swath of bases in the central Republican national committee- Bush —as part of a push to get a uted to a minor mold outbreak. campaign had barely registered like South Carolina. It’s a very and southern areas of the state. man, said Trump may be too far “few hundred” volunteers into the The similarities continue: The in the national polls that have close-knit state where everyone Since 1980, when legendary ahead in the state for anyone to four early primary states start- two candidates-who were allies defined the Republican race for knows each other.” Republican operative Lee Atwater catch. “Trump seems to have solid ing next month, Bush spokes- when Rubio served in the Florida the past year, it was a dominat- Now that their state’s favour- helped establish South Carolina’s support in the state,” McCall said. “I woman Kristy Campbell said. The legislature and Bush occupied the ing factor in South Carolina. Gra- ite-son candidate is out of the first-in-the-south status, the win- don’t know if anyone out there who campaign is increasing it South governor’s mansion, and who live ham, an elected official for nearly race, South Carolina’s Republican ner of the state’s primary went on would endorse would sway those Carolina staff from 7 to 17 in the only a few miles from each other a quarter of a century, was polling establishment is scrambling to to become the eventual nominee voters that are already committed coming days as part of changes in Miami-both scheduled vis- poorly in the race back home, too, restore its “firewall” status in the every time, except once. The out- or leaning to other candidates. I’ve announced Wednesday, which its to South Carolina this week. but his candidacy froze much of Republican nominating contest. lier was the last contest, in 2012, never seen it this way. Trump has also included reducing the cam- Each planned stops at Hudson’s the state’s financial network and With the Iowa caucuses typi- when a pair of break-out debate truly tapped into the sentiments of paign’s TV budget in Iowa and Smokehouse outside of Columbia consultancy class-men and women cally favouring more hard-line performances just before the pri- a lot of grassroots folks, and folks New Hampshire. as part of their swings. loyal to Graham, whose current conservatives, and New Hamp- mary lifted Newt Gingrich to the who vote in the primary.” “We have a super-PAC that is Both also are desperate to pick Senate term doesn’t expire until shire often leans toward more top in South Carolina. Bush’s super-PAC, Right to advertising on television at a rate up the pieces in South Carolina 2021, ensuring that his clout would moderate, pro-business Republi- But South Carolina is also a Rise, has plans to spend about that is comparable to the other from the aborted presidential outlast any presidential campaign. cans, South Carolina views itself hotbed of the tea party insurgency, $4.7m advertising on TV, while campaigns, if not more,” Bush campaign of Senator Lindsey Richard Quinn, a longtime adviser as most representative among the a factor that could be decisive this Conservative Solutions PAC and told reporters in South Carolina Graham, one of the most influ- for Graham, said the senator early-voting states. There is an year. Trump, for example, contin- Conservative Solutions Project, a on Wednesday about the changes. ential Republicans in a state that will decide early in the new year active base of evangelical voters in ues to dominate polls in the state super-PAC and non-profit back- plays an outsised role in choos- whether to endorse a candidate. the northwest section of the state despite repeated criticism from ing Rubio, have about $4.2m BLOOMBURG SATURDAY 2 JANUARY 2016 08 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com ASIA / PAKISTAN

Ushering in 2016

Pakistanis celebrate New Year’s Day along a street (left) and set off fireworks, in Lahore, yesterday. 1.7m cases pending in Pakistan Taliban suicide attack Speedy, inexpensive justice remains a distant dream for many targets French

ISLAMABAD: Last year, like special court’s order of November six years in jail. The prosecution ing a Mehfil-e-Milad organised by those before, did not bring any 21, 2014 and ordered a reinves- failed to convince the courts to the district and high court bar restaurant in Kabul revolutionary change in the tigation. Aside from charges of reject his bail plea. In addition, associations on IHC grounds. judicial system. The delivery of treason, Musharraf also stands the IHC ordered for the imple- While one cannot deny the occa- KABUL: A Taliban suicide car a comprehensive roadmap for speedy and inexpensive justice trial in the murder of Lal Mas- mentation in three months of a sional success, the judicial system bomber hit a French restaurant peace, officials in Kabul said. to the public remains a distant jid’s cleric Abdul Rasheed, as judicial commission’s recommen- still seems a ‘legal wasteland’. The popular with foreigners here yes- Pakistan — the Taliban’s his- dream, and the perennial twin- well as the judges’ detention case. dations in the Bhoja Air crash judicial system’s focus seems more terday, in a New Year’s day attack toric backers — hosted a mile- problems of ‘backlog’ and ‘delays’ Throughout the year, the former case, in which 127 passengers and on protecting the powerful and that marks the latest in a series stone first round of talks in in the administration of justice general’s counsels continued to crew lost their lives. influential, rather than putting of brazen insurgent assaults. July but the negotiations stalled still persist. There are currently seek exemptions on medical and The IHC got its first Islamabad- laws into action keeping the weak- At least four people were when the insurgents belatedly 1.7 million cases pending before security grounds, and the cases based judge since its establishment est citizens in mind. wounded in the attack on Le confirmed the death of longtime various courts in the country. linger on. in 2011. In June, the IHC’s Justice It was observed throughout the Jardin, an Afghan-owned eat- leader Mullah Omar. The most important cases In Qadri’s case, the IHC had Athar Minallah caught a fake court year that courts frequently sum- ery, which caused a piercingly Afghanistan sees the support courts in the capital dealt with last upheld his death sentence for kill- order with his name and bogus sig- moned and reprimanded police loud explosion and left a build- of Pakistan as vital to bring the year included those of Mumtaz ing former Punjab governor Sal- nature, proving that while justice officials for defective investiga- ing engulfed in flames. The attack Taliban to the negotiating table. Qadri, Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, maan Taseer, but struck out the may be blind, judges are not. tions in various cases, but to no comes a day after Afghanistan But despite the growing bonhomie former presidents Pervez Mush- terrorism conviction against the In August, Dr Shahnaz Riaz, a avail. Further, it is still unclear announced four-way talks in with Islamabad, analysts caution arraf and Asif Ali Zardari, former former member of Taseer’s per- top official at the Federal Direc- why dozens of cases are fixed Pakistan on January 11, aimed at that any substantive talks are still premiers Yousuf Raza Gilani and sonal guard. The Supreme Court torate Education, was briefly before a court when it is humanly jump-starting peace negotiations a long way off. Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Imran Khan, however, declared the IHC’s deci- arrested from a courtroom for impossible for a judge to deal with with the resurgent Taliban. On Monday, just a day after model Ayyan Ali, cleric Maulana sion of annulling the death sen- contemptuous attitude and using them all in a single day. Perhaps it “We can confirm a suicide Sharif’s visit, a Taliban bomber Abdul Aziz, Shafqat Hussain and tence under the Anti-Terrorism ‘inappropriate language’. is time to adopt a new approach; car bomb attack on Le Jardin,” detonated an explosives-packed Imran Farooq. Act null and void. Finally, the year ended with an otherwise adjournments will con- Fraidoon Obaidi, the head of vehicle near Kabul airport, killing In the treason case pending Lakhvi, the alleged master- address to the bench and bar of tinue to delay justice in 2016. Kabul’s Criminal Investigation one civilian in an attack targeting against Musharraf, the Islama- mind of the 2008 Mumbai terror the IHC by Jamat-ud-Dawa’s Prof Department, said. “We are busy a Nato convoy. bad High Court (IHC) nullified a attack, walked free after spending Hafiz Abdul Rehman Makki, dur- INTERNEWS extinguishing the fire at the Afghan forces are currently scene,” he added. battling to push back Taliban The information was corrobo- insurgents who seized large rated by a Western official in swathes of the key opium-rich Kabul. Security forces cordoned district of Sangin in the southern off the area and firefighters and province of Helmand. Observers China’s new two-child China creates ambulances were seen rushing to say the intensifying insurgency the restaurant, which sports a highlights a push by the Taliban large garden festooned with rose to make more military gains to law takes effect three new bushes and is a popular hangout try to achieve greater concessions for foreigners. during talks. BEIJING: Married couples in China will now be military units Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Yesterday’s attack evoked allowed to have two children, after concerns over an Mujahid on Twitter claimed sev- memories of an attack on another ageing population and shrinking workforce ushered in BEIJING: China has created eral foreigners had been killed and restaurant popular with expatri- an end to the country’s controversial one-child policy. three new military units and wounded in the suicide attack. ates, the Taverna du Liban, in The change, which was announced in October by will update equipment as well as The Afghan health ministry January 2014, which left 21 people the ruling Communist Party, took effect yesterday, modernising its command struc- said four people were wounded dead, including 13 foreigners. the Xinhua news agency reported over the weekend. ture, state media said yesterday, and taken to hospital for treat- Desperate customers tried to The “one child policy”, instituted in the late 1970s, as part of a major overhaul of the ment, without confirming their hide under tables as one attacker restricted most couples to only a single offspring armed forces announced by Pres- nationality. It rejected local media detonated his suicide vest at the through a system of fines for violators and even ident Xi Jinping in November. reports claiming that a 10-year- fortified entrance to the eatery forced abortions. For years, authorities argued that Xi’s push to reform the military old child had been killed. and two other militants stormed it was a key contributor to China’s economic boom coincides with China becoming The attack comes just days inside and opened fire. and had prevented 400 million births. more assertive in its territorial after Pakistan’s powerful army In December that year a sui- Rural families were allowed two children if the first disputes in the East and South chief General Raheel Sharif vis- cide bomber blew himself up was a girl, while ethnic minorities were allowed an China Seas. ited Kabul to try to prepare the near a crowd attending a play at extra offspring, leading some to dub it a “one-and-a- China’s navy is investing in ground for fresh peace talks with a French cultural centre, in the half child” policy. Under the new law, married couples submarines and aircraft carri- the resurgent Taliban. complex of the French-run Este- are now allowed to have a second child, but the legisla- ers and its air force is developing Both sides agreed to hold a qlal high school, killing at least tion maintains limits on additional births. A couple and a child wait in the street of Beijing stealth fighters. first round of dialogue between two people and injuring more AFP yesterday. At a ceremony on Thursday, Xi Afghanistan, Pakistan, US and than 20. inaugurated a new general com- China on January 11 to lay out AFP mand unit for the army, a mis- sile force and a strategic support force for People’s Liberation Army (PLA), Xinhua said. State television showed Xi Pakistan army courts sentence handing over a large red flag to Li Zuocheng, the new head of the land command force. Li was nine militants to death previously commander of the key Chengdu military region, which ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s mili- a garrison mosque in Rawalpindi homegrown Islamist insurgency for includes restless and strategically tary courts have sentenced nine which killed 38 people and injured over a decade following its decision vital Tibet. men to death for terrorism- 57 in December 2009. Also sen- to side with the US-led coalition The missile force is taking over related offences or attacks on tenced were Harkatul Jehad-e- against the Taliban in Afghanistan. from the Second Artillery Corps minority Shias, the army said Islam activist Abdul Qayyum, who Its troops have been engaged in a to control the country’s nuclear yesterday. was linked to a car bomb suicide full-scale offensive against Tali- arsenal but keeping the same com- Pakistan has hanged more than attack on the Inter Services Intel- ban and other militants in North mander, Wei Fenghe. 300 people since lifting a mora- ligence headquarters in the cen- Waziristan and Khyber tribal dis- Xinhua said Xi urged the new torium on the death penalty in tral city of Multan which killed tricts since June 2014. unit to “enhance nuclear deter- December 2014, many of them seven people and wounded 72 in The fight gained renewed rence and counter-strike capacity, convicted in closed military courts December 2009. impetus following a massacre at medium- and long-range precision which critics say fail to meet fair Two others were linked to a Peshawar school in December strike ability, as well as strategic trial standards. attacks on soldiers, while five 2014 in which 134 children were check-and-balance capacity to “Today, (the) Chief of Army were said to be members of the killed. After the school attack build a strong and modern Rocket Staff confirmed death sentences Sunni sectarian outfit Sipah-e- the government ended a six-year Force”. (were) awarded to another nine Sahaba Pakistan who had killed moratorium on executions — ini- His reforms include establishing hardcore terrorists, who were five Shias in of Lahore. tially only for people convicted of a joint operational command struc- involved in committing heinous Their trials took place behind terrorism but later for all capital ture by 2020 and rejigging existing offences relating to terrorism,” an closed doors, with no information offences. Pakistan also amended military regions, as well as cutting army statement said. on where or when they were held, its constitution to allow military troop numbers by 300,000, a sur- They include Muhammad how proceedings unfolded and courts to try terror suspects for prise announcement he made in Ghauri, a Pakistani Taliban scant details about their crimes. a two-year period. September. Flames and smoke rise at the site of a suicide car bomb attack at a French member linked to an attack on Pakistan has been battling a AFP REUTERS restaurant — Le Jardin, in Kabul, yesterday. SATURDAY 2 JANUARY 2016 ASIA / INDIA www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 09 Delhiites support odd-even plan, share ride Several government officers and workers thrilled to share vehicle to reach their workplace

NEW DELHI: A number of Del- was fun to travel with my col- employee S.B. Shashank said: “My hiites willingly opted to share leagues chatting,” said Janaki office is just half a kilometre from their car, cab ride yesterday, the Ram, another office-goer who my house, so I might as well cycle first day of the Delhi govern- travels to Connaught Place for to office tomorrow.” ment’s implementation of odd- work. However, Anil Arora of Ganga even traffic regulation scheme to A senior official of the Cen- Ram Hospital said doctors should curb rising pollution. tral Public Works Department be exempted from this policy. A number of commute said (CPWD) said, “My car is odd Doctors often have to attend to that they happily shared their numbered, so today I drove the emergencies and cannot wait for ride. According to the odd-even vehicle with a few other col- odd and even numbered cars to scheme, odd- and even-numbered leagues. But I will make alter- take them. four-wheelers will ply on Delhi’s native arrangements on even “Doctors should be exempted road on alternate dates. numbered dates.” because during emergencies we A commuter, Vanaja S, said “It is a bit exhausting, but I have to reach on time and there that, “I shared an auto with two think we can manage to comply could be a medico-legal case if of my colleagues to work from by the rules for two weeks,” the we reach late,” he said. Dwarka. To my surprise, Delhi official said. Lawyer Rajiv Khosla too roads were traffic free.” Gyanendra, a dentist at wanted lawyers to be exempted. “Many of us are thrilled to Maulana Azad Institute of Medi- He said that despite appealing share a vehicle and come to the cal Sciences, said: “I think it is to Chief Minister Arvind Kejri- office even if it’s just for 15 days,” a good step to check pollution in wal thrice to exempt lawyers she added. Delhi. We should not term the ini- from the odd-even car policy, The response was similar in tiative unsuccessful even before they have not been provided any several government officers and it starts.” relief. many workers were thrilled to People opted for different Delhi Transport Minister A civil defence volunteer distributes roses and urges a commuter not to drive an even numbered car on the first share a vehicle with their col- modes of transport such as Metro Gopal Rai said the number of day of the implementation of the odd-even scheme in New Delhi yesterday. leagues to reach their workplace. and/or buses to reach their des- violators was “negligible” “It was a bit like a picnic as it tination. Central government IANS

Injured Nepal Kejriwal points fingers at Modi, PMO Madhesi leader NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Min- suspended after auto-permit The PMO is getting the mass should leave Delhi,” he added. ernance, the chief minister said: ister Arvind Kejriwal yesterday- scam,” Kejriwal said. casual leave done. It is master- Kejriwal urged Modi to allow “Bureaucrats don’t have the flown to Delhi targeted Narendra Modi and the “Two officers refused to agree minded by Nripendra Mishra his government to function in expertise in a lot of things. Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to a few cabinet decisions. We on the directions of the prime 2016. “The PMO declares all my Governance is becoming very NEW DELHI: A top Madhesi for allegedly masterminding the suspended them. The officers minister. All directions are com- orders null and void. He targets technical. Bureaucracy cannot leader who suffered injuries in mass casual leave taken by IAS called a meeting when Lieuten- ing from the PMO. Who ordered me unfairly. The Centre wanted give solutions. The Delhi gov- a clash between the agitating officers here and the CBI raid at ant Governor Najeeb Jung was raid at my office? It was done by to foil the odd-even scheme by ernment will hire a consultant Madhesi Morcha and the police the Delhi Secretariat. in Goa. He participated in the Narendra Modi.” making senior officers go on to advise us about the fields for at the Biratnagar-Jogbani border “The Delhi, Andaman and meeting through speaker phone. The Delhi chief minister strike. I just want to request which we need experts from out- last Saturday, was being flown to Nicobar Islands Civil Service In that meeting, it was decided asserted that the cabinet was Modi-ji to allow us to work.” side. Delhi Transport Minister New Delhi yesterday for further (DANICS) Association is work- that the officers will go on mass supreme and no “hooliganism” by Asked if he ever tried to get in Gopal Rai thanked Delhi Police treatment, a party official said. ing as a B-team of the Bharatiya casual leave,” he added. bureaucrats would be tolerated. touch with Modi, Kejriwal said: and civil defence volunteers for Sadbhawana Party chairman Janata Party. I suspended three Kejriwal said: “The LG said he “IAS officers played politics... we “I tried to talk to him during doing a good job on the first day Rajendra Mahto is one of the key officers after they failed to pro- was in touch with the PMO, (PM’s will not tolerate this goondaism. Diwali, but he snubbed me.” of theodd-even vehicular scheme. leaders heading the over four- vide relief material after a demo- Principal Secretary) Nripendra All those IAS officers who have As for hiring experts instead month-old agitation in Nepal’s lition drive. Three officers were Mishra and the home secretary. problem with our government of bureaucrats for better gov- IANS southern plains by Madhesi politi- cal parties and ethnic groups of the Nepal Terai demanding amendments in the new Consti- tution which they deem discrimi- natory and ignoring their rights. New Year celebrations According to Manish Suman, the party’s general secretary, Mahto was taken from Nepal’s Dharan city, where he was being claim five in Telangana treated for his injuries, and flown to Kathmandu on Friday after- HYDERABAD: At least five and one was injured when a car hit noon. He was scheduled to leave people were killed in road acci- their vehicle. for New Delhi on an Indian Air- dents during New Year celebra- The accident occurred after lines flight later yesterday. tions in Telangana and Andhra midnight near Undi. The cele- Mahto received injuries on his Pradesh, police said on yesterday. brations passed off peacefully in head, hand and leg. Two fingers of Three youth were killed and Hyderabad. With police impos- his left hand were broken in the two injured when two motorbikes ing traffic restrictions on several clash. Attending doctors said that they were riding collided in Telan- key routes, no untoward incident though he has marginally recov- gana’s Mahabubnagar district in was reported in Hyderabad and ered from his injuries, he is now the early hours yesterday. Cyberabad police commissionerate suffering from high level of blood The accident occurred in Van- limits. Cyberabad Police Commis- sugar and blood pressure. He will guru mandal in Mahabubnagar sioner C V Anand said the celebra- be taken to Medanta in Gurgaon district when the revelers were tions were peaceful. He said 7,000 for treatmen. returning home after New Year personnel were deployed at various IANS celebrations. A motorbike on places for vehicle checking. which three people were riding All roads around Hussain Sagar collided head-on with another lake in Hyderabad, Outer Ring motorbike coming from the oppo- Road, PVNR Expressway and all Four precious site direction with two riders. flyovers in the two commissioner- Tragedy also marred New Year ates were closed for traffic from celebrations in West Godavari dis- Thursday night to early hours of idols stolen People hold balloons outside a church in Ahmedabad as part of New Year celebrations yesterday. trict of Andhra Pradesh when two yesterday. people on a motorbike were killed IANS in Bihar PATNA: Four precious idols of Hindu deities were stolen early yesterday morning from a temple in Bihar’s Vaishali district, police Punjab border area on alert after Kargil shivers as winter bites said. All the four idols — of Ram, SRINAGAR: At minus 15 In the Jammu region, the min- Janaki, Hanuman and Laksh- degrees Celsius, Jammu and imum temperature was 8.3 in man — were made of “ashtad- police officer’s abduction Kashmir’s Kargil town recorded Jammu city, 10.0 in Mata Vaishno hatu” — an alloy of gold, silver, the lowest night temperature in Devi base camp town of Katra, copper, zinc, lead, tin, iron and CHANDIGARH: Security Innova driver was found in a the body of an unidentified man, the state yesterday. 5.3 in Batote, 3.2 in Bannihal, mercury. They were stolen from forces were put on high alert nearby area, the sources said. believed to be the driver of an According to the weather office, 2.6 degrees Celsius in Bhader- a temple in Imatpur village in in Pathankot in Punjab’s fron- The officer was being ques- Innova car, about 30km from the minimum temperature was wah and 5.6 in Udhampur town. the district. tier district Gurdaspur yester- tioned by intelligence agencies Pathankot. Police sources said minus 0.7 here, minus 2.4 in The weather office has a fore- “A suspect, who is the relative day after a senior police officer and other police officers. Tal- investigations were being done Pahalgam, minus 5.6 in Gulmarg, cast cloudy, but dry weather till of the temple priest, was detained said he and his associates were winder Singh told the police that to know if the same men who minus 13.3 in Leh town and minus tomorrow. and is being interrogated,” a police seized by five armed men in army the five men forcibly got into his abducted the officer and his com- 15.0 in Kargil town of Ladakh IANS official said. fatigues. vehicle and started beating him panions had killed the driver too. region. Ancient idols of Hindu dei- Talwinder Singh, a superin- and his two companions. Terrorists from Pakistan ties such as Mahavira and Bud- tendent of police, said he and He claimed that one of the men launched a terror attack on dha have become a soft target of his associates were going in his took charge of the vehicle, which Dinanagar town in Punjab’s Gur- antique smugglers in Bihar with multi-utility vehicle to a religious had a blue beacon on its roof, and daspur district on July 27, leav- nearly 200 idols stolen in the state shrine on Thursday night when drove towards Pathankot. After ing seven people dead, including in the last five years. they were signalled to stop by the some distance, the officer was a senior police officer. According to police officials, five men. pushed out of the vehicle. The On Wednesday, the Border many cases of thefts were never The incident took place near other two companions were also Security Force (BSF) caught a reported due to lack of knowledge Dinanagar town, where three ter- pushed out later, one after the Pakistan national at the Hussaini- about their value in the interna- rorists from Pakistan launched other. wala border in Ferozepur. He was tional market. an attack in July last year. It lies One of the two, Rajesh Kumar, identified as Shah Hussain (25) Such thefts have been reported about 280 km from Chandigarh. was allegedly attacked by the but he was not ready to reveal his from Gaya, Bhagalpur, Kis- Punjab Police sources said the armed men and his throat was address in Pakistan. He was later hanganj, Vaishali, Begusarai, entire area, not far from the slit. He has been admitted to a sent to police custody for three Saran, Samastipur, Jamui, border with Pakistan and which hospital in Pathankot. days and further investigation is Nalanda, Rohtas, Sitamarhi and adjoins Jammu and Kashmir, was The abandoned XUV was on going on. The security measures Patna districts. Except in a few being searched. Friday morning recovered by across the boarder and across the cases, police have been unable to Intelligence agencies were also police near Akalgarh village near region has also been beefed up. A young Kashmiri walks near frozen tree branches covered with icicles in recover the stolen idols. trying to verify the incident and Pathankot. Srinagar. another in which the body of an Police yesterday recovered AGENCIES IANS SATURDAY 2 JANUARY 2016 10 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com ASIA / INDIA BJP’s stance blocked Devotion at its peak GST bill: Chidambaram Govt failed to understand opposition views on bill

NEW DELHI: Former finance tions and made no recommenda- government -- more jobs, greater minister P Chidambaram yes- tion on the third,” Chidambaram investment and quicker infrastruc- terday said the Bharatiya Janata added. ture development -- were premised Party-led central government “Yet, the government has not on a high growth of GDP,” the sen- was too stubborn to accommo- been able to find a way to accom- ior Congress leader said. date views of the opposition with modate the views of the Opposi- “I am afraid none of the prom- regard to the GST bill. tion and pass the GST Bill. I am ises has materialized. On the con- “Many important legislations afraid the government has only to trary, 2015 has ended on a sombre remain stalled in Parliament. The blame itself and its stubborn and and subdued note,” he added. “For Congress and some other parties unbending attitude,” he added. the whole of 2015-16, GDP growth had objected to some provisions He said that the government at is not likely to be higher than 7 to of the GST bill on weighty and the Centre failed to deliver on its 7.3 percent, which means that it well-reasoned grounds,” he said. promises on all counts. will be the same as, or lower than, “The government was outright “The government had confi- in 2014-15. The economy is stuck dismissive, until the chief eco- dently predicted that the economy in a groove,” Chidambaram said. nomic adviser virtually endorsed will grow at 8.1 to 8.5 percent in two of the three principal objec- 2015-16. Many promises of the IANS A Sikh devotee pays respects on the first day of the year at the Golden Temple in Amritsar yesterday.

Wi-Fi service Shyam Benegal to head panel for CBFC revamp at two Delhi NEW DELHI: The government wherein “artistic creativity and journalist Bhawana Somaaya , recommend broad guidelines and yesterday announced the for- freedom do not get stifled or cur- National Film Development Cor- procedures under the provisions mation of a committee, headed tailed and the people tasked with poration managing director Nina of the Cinematograph Act/ Rules stations by acclaimed filmmaker Shyam the work of certification under- Lath Gupta, and the joint secre- for the benefit of the chairper- Benegal, to suggest a fresh stand these nuances”. tary (Films) in the information son and other members of the NEW DELHI: The Delhi Metro mechanism for film censorship “The recommendations of this and broadcasting ministry as the Screening Committee. Rail Corporation (DMRC) yes- to ensure that artistic creativity committee are expected to pro- Member Convenor. The staffing pattern of Cen- terday started Wi-Fi services at and freedom are not curtailed. vide a holistic framework and The committee has been asked tral Board of Film Certification two of its major stations -- Rajiv The committee has been con- enable those tasked with the to submit its recommendations (CBFC), currently chaired by Chowk and Kashmere Gate, an stituted for “holistic interpre- work of certification of films to within two months. filmmaker Pahlaj Nihalani, would official statement said. tation” of the provisions of the discharge their responsibilities The team would be expected to also be looked into in an effort Under the new initiative, pas- Cinematograph Act/ Rules, an keeping in view this framework.,” take note of the best practices in to recommend a framework sengers can access the free for the official statement said. the statement added. various parts of the world, espe- which would provide efficient first 30 minutes. Browsing beyond The decision has been taken in The other members of the cially where the film industry and transparent user-friendly this will be chargeable as per the sync with Prime Minister Naren- committee include filmmaker is given sufficient and adequate services. The move was termed rates of the service provider. dra Modi’s vision to suggest the Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, ad space for creative and aesthetic positive by the public. The Wi-Fi services are pro- Shyam Benegal paradign to ensure a milieu, guru Piyush Pandey, veteran film expression. The committee would IANS vided as part of an MoU signed by DMRC with the Rail Tel Cor- poration of India in May 2015. According to DMRC, initially Munnar tea gardens five stations were identified for the setting up of Wi-Fi services. Huge drug Cooking gas for all in “The other three stations where Wi-Fi will be available soon are Vishwavidyalaya, Central Secre- haul in Delhi, tariat and Hauz Khas,” the state- three years: Minister ment added. two arrested IANS NEW DELHI: Declaring 2016 as number 1906 for India’s cooking NEW DELHI: Two people have the “Year of LPG Consumers”, the gas consumers. been arrested here for carrying government yesterday announced In the meantime, the state India, Pakistan 5kg charas and 100 LSD (Lysergic its plans to make clean cooking run-Indian Oil Corp (IOC) hiked acid Diethylamide) paper stamps fuel available to all households by prices of non-subsidised LPG, or exchange lists worth over Rs.80 lakh, police said 2018-end. It also announced an cooking gas, cylinders by around yesterday. online bill payment facility. Rs.50, effective from yesterday. Khem Singh, 34, and Hem Raj, “The 2016 will be Year of LPG Allowing for local levies, the of prisoners 35, both the residents of Mandi in Consumers. We will work to market price of a non-subsidised Himachal Pradesh, were arrested increase accessibility and avail- liquefied petroleum gas cylinder of NEW DELHI: India and here on December 24. ability of the cooking fuel in the 14.4 kg is now Rs657.50 in Delhi, Pakistan yesterday said they Police said the arrested drug country,” said Minister of State Rs686.50 in Kolkata, Rs.671 in exchanged on the first day of traffickers were initially addicted for Petroleum and Natural Gas Mumbai and Rs671.50 in Chennai. 2016 lists of nationals lodged in to charas but later they became Dharmendra Pradhan. This is the second such succes- the jails of each other’s country. peddlers. “In coming three calender years sive hike in less than two months. “India and Pakistan today (Fri- “Hem Raj is associated with 2016, 2017 and 2018, we will set an Prices were last raised in Decem- day) exchanged, through diplo- international racket of drug traf- ambitious target to provide clean ber by nearly Rs60 a cylinder. IOC matic channels simultaneously A worker harvesting tea plant leaves at Munnar Valley in Kerala. Tea ficking and used to take LSD from cooking fuel to entire population,” also announced cuts in transport at New Delhi and Islamabad, the foreigners in Kasol and Kullu in is one of the main crops in this valley of around 5,400 hectares. It is Pradhan said here, while launch- fuel prices. lists of nationals (including civil Himachal Pradesh,” Joint Com- exported all over the world and is the second largest producer in India ing an LPG emergency helpline IANS prisoners and fishermen) of each missioner of Police (Crime after Darjeeling. country lodged in the jails of the Branch) Ravindra Yadav said. other country consistent with the Yadav said Hem Raj would provisions of the Agreement on buy LSD at a low price in lieu of Consular Access between India charas through the barter system and Pakistan,” an external affairs prevailing there. “Later he sold Jaitley shouldn’t get scared of DDCA probe: Kejriwal ministry statement said. it in Delhi, Mumbai and Pune to According to the agreement, young boys and girls for rave par- signed on May 31, 2008, a com- ties or festivals,” Yadav said. NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Min- “DDCA made payments to ing them to withdraw the cases had come to take the DDCA files,” prehensive list of nationals of The officer said the demand for ister Arvind Kejriwal yesterday many fake companies based against the corrupt as they were he added. each country lodged in the other these drugs is high in India. asserted that Finance Minister on fake bills. Contracts were all innocent,” he added. The AAP has alleged that country’s jails has to be exchanged “Hem Raj exchanged about Arun Jaitley shouldn’t be scared awarded for the renovation of Kejriwal said: “If that is so, the cricket body under Jaitley twice every year, on January 1 and three kg charas for 250 LSD of the Delhi and District Cricket the Feroze Shah Kotla stadium then let there be probe. I am not has been involved in large-scale July 1. It was also exchanged lists paper stamps with a foreigner Association (DDCA) probe if he without tenders and finally there scared of any raid be it CBI raid financial irregularities. Jaitley on of nationals lodged in the jails of called Osama. A part of the is innocent. are irregularities in the selection or anything. Let them conduct his part has termed the allega- each other’s country. recovered contraband was also “DDCA is a private company. of players,” he said. Enforcement Directorate (ED) tions baseless. The spokesper- IANS to be dispatched to Thailand,” Jaitley-ji was the president of “Jaitley-ji was informed about raid, or CBI raid against all my son of AAP alleged that Jaitley the officer said. The officer said DDCA for 14-15 years. There are all these scams. But there were ministers. I am not scared of it. misused his constitutional post the arrested men procured charas charges of corruption against the attempts to protect the corrupt. Why is Jaitley ji scared of probe?” and only a transparent probe can 10 killed in from Guddu, Mehru and Puran. association, there is also evidence Jaitley had also written letters “When they conducted raid bring out all the truths in it. against it,” said Kejriwal during to the police commissioner and at my office, the CBI was look- IANS an interview to CNN IBN. the special commissioner ask- ing into the DDCA files. The CBI IANS Jammu fire

JAMMU: Ten people were killed in an overnight fire in Ramban district of Jammu region, police said yesterday. The fire broke out in Chan- SGPC dismisses four chiefs from key posts derkote camp where construc- tion workers were staying and they died due to asphyxia- AMRITSAR: In a move likely on Thursday. The SGPC said the The ‘Panj Piaras’ were sched- do so after their dismissal. Their called for the removal of the Sikh tion and burn injuries, Senior to aggravate the religious crisis four could not henceforth take uled to hold a meeting here today work was to do ‘dharam prachar’ high priests after they pardoned Superintendent of Police Randip in the Sikh community, the Shi- any decision related to the Sikh to decide on the removal of the (spreading religion). But they controversial Dera Sacha Sauda Kumar said. romani Gurdwara Parbandhak high priests. Sikh high priests. went beyond that,” Makkar said. chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh “We have identified five bodies Committee (SGPC) yesterday SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar said today’s meeting, if Reacting to the developments, in September 2015. so far. The dead includes earth dismissed four of the ‘Panj Piaras’ Makkar, who chaired the meet- held, would be illegal as the serv- the ‘Panj Piaras’ said yesterday The ‘pardon’ order was later mover operators, helpers and (five chosen ones of the Gurus) ing, later confirmed to the media ices of the four ‘Panj Piaras’ have that they will discuss the issue withdrawn in October, follow- labourers from Punjab, Himachal from their posts. that the services of the four ‘Panj been terminated. and respond today. ing pressure from various Sikh Pradesh and different places of The decision to dismiss Satnam Piaras’ have been terminated. “They violated service rules and The SGPC, with an annual organisations and the commu- Jammu and Kashmir,” Kumar Singh Khanda, Satnam Singh The dismissal came on the day defied orders. They tried to dam- budget of nearly Rs.1,000 crore, nity. said. “The exact cause of fire is Jajianwali, Tarlok Singh and (January 1) set as the deadline by age the Sikh institutions, includ- manages the Sikh shrines in After the ‘Panj Piaras’ sought being ascertained. I reached the Mangal Singh was taken at an the ‘Panj Piaras’ for the removal ing the Akal Takht,” Makkar said, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, the removal of the high priests, spot immediately after receiving emergency meeting of the SGPC, of Akal Takht Jathedar Gurbh- justifying the dismissal orders. including the holiest of Sikh the SGPC transferred them but reports about the incident and the the mini-parliament of the Sikhs, achan Singh and chiefs of four “They will not be allowed to hold shrines Harmandar Sahib or the two of them refused to obey fire was brought under control,” in Amritsar yesterday. The fifth other ‘Takhts’ (religious seats) the meeting. There is no question Golden Temple in Amritsar. orders. he added. ‘Panj Piara’, Major Singh, retired of the Sikhs. of the meeting since they can’t The ‘Panj Piaras’ recently IANS IANS SATURDAY 2 JANUARY 2016 EUROPE www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 11

Cameron to Germany lifts strive hard for solving EU attack alert relations tangle

LONDON: Prime Minister David Cameron pledged yesterday to fight hard in 2016 to resolve in Munich “annoying” features of Britain’s relationship with the EU ahead of a planned referendum that could Vigilance urged; stations reopen come this year. Cameron said aspects of being MUNICH: German police yes- names of some of the “five to in the European Union were the terday lifted an alert of an seven” suspects allegedly planning cause of “so much frustration” in imminent attack in Munich, to blow themselves up at locations Britain — but ultimately voters hours after evacuating two key including Munich’s main rail hub would decide whether the country train stations over fears jihadists and Pasing station in the western remains in the bloc. were planning a New Year suicide part of the city, he said, but have He is attempting to renegotiate bomb assault. not yet found any evidence. the terms of Britain’s member- Officials had said they were “We have examined data relat- ship, ahead of an in-or-out refer- Police officers patrol at the main station in Munich, yesterday, after an attack alert was sounded in the city. tipped off about a plot by the ing to these names, but, we do not endum which must happen by the Islamic State group to strike at know if these names are correct, end of 2017. No date has been set the southern German city shortly whether these people exist and he said. ties, it said. respective capitals, with Brussels for the vote, though newspapers before midnight as Europe pre- where they are,” he said, adding Just over an hour before the The alert brought an eerie saying it had information about and political commentators have pared to ring in the New Year in that the suspects were allegedly New Year, police ordered the silence to Munich’s busy rail an alleged jihadist plot to attack speculated that it could well come an atmosphere of unprecedented from Iraq and Syria. evacuation of the two stations hub, which over the summer “emblematic sites” over holiday. in 2016. security. A large deployment of 550 over a possible “terror attack”, made headlines for the massive Ahead of the celebrations, Bel- “It’s a New Year, and Britain European capitals have been on officers overnight has now been issuing alerts via Twitter in sev- turn-out of volunteers welcom- gian police carried out several begins it with renewed strength. high alert since November when reduced to 100, and Andrae urged eral languages. ing record numbers of refugees raids in Brussels and the eastern With a lower deficit and enter- IS jihadists slaughtered 130 peo- the public to “live as you did Rail services at both stations to Germany. city of Liege in connection with prise flourishing, our economy is ple in a series of attacks in Paris, before”. The police chief refuted were immediately suspended and Police, including some in riot the alleged plot, with five people becoming more secure by the day,” stoking fears they could stage fur- speculation that the threat was a police urged the public to avoid gear, were stationed overnight at still in custody yesterday morn- Cameron said. ther attacks over the Christmas false alarm, saying that “if there is large gatherings. Both stations the entrances to the station. Rev- ing. All five deny the allegations. “I am negotiating hard to fix and New Year holidays. such information, we have to act”. later reopened at around 3:30am, ellers seeking to access the site Several days after the Novem- things that most annoy British But German investigators, act- Interior Minister Thomas but police called for vigilance. were turned away. ber 13 Paris attacks, German people about our relationship with ing on information from a foreign de Maiziere thanked Bavar- Regional broadcaster Bayer- Meanwhile across Europe, police called off an interna- the EU,” he said in his New Year intelligence service, said they have ian authorities for their action, ischer Rundfunk said the sus- public celebrations went ahead tional football match at the last message to the country. so far failed to substantiate the warning in a statement that the pects were seven Iraqis living in as planned but under the watch- minute, evacuating thousands “It is a difficult negotiation with threat. “Overall I would say that security situation in Europe and Munich who were allegedly plan- ful eye of thousands of police and of fans from the stadium over a 27 other countries. But through- the situation for Munich is as it Germany “remains serious in the ning to work in pairs and blow security forces. “serious” bomb threat. out we are driven by one consid- was before this threat of attack,” New Year”. themselves up at the two stations With fears of a fresh attack Although an investigation was eration: what is best for Britain’s Munich police chief Hubertus “Security agencies continue to as well in other parts of the city. high, both France and Belgium opened, no explosives were found economic and national security. Andrae told journalists yesterday. expect a high threat stemming Germany had been tipped off by scrapped the traditional New nor arrests made. “In the end, you will decide Investigators had in hand the from international terrorism,” both US and the French authori- Year fireworks displays in their AFP whether we are stronger and bet- ter off with our European neigh- bours as part of the European Union, or on our own.” Cameron said he thought Brit- ain was in the middle of a “great reforming decade”, a “turna- Dark days ahead for media in China: French reporter round” period where a revived economy could spur “real social PARIS: A French reporter Speaking from her Beijing a half of madness,” she said at who become radicalised, there are renewal. We remain on the long forced to leave Beijing after she home before departing, Gauth- Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. roots to it,” she added. walk to a Greater Britain. We criticised government policy in ier said the future looked bleak “We must not expel a journalist The French foreign ministry won’t get there overnight. But violence-racked Xinjiang arrived for journalists in China. “What who was just doing her job, who had urged Chinese authorities “to during 2016, we will make some home yesterday after warning of happened with this small article just wrote an article, who knows re-examine Gauthier’s request so of our most significant strides dark days ahead for journalists about Xinjiang could happen with the situation,” she said. she can return to carry out her yet,” he said. working in China. anything else,” she said. In her story for L’Obs, Gauth- mission in China”. A poll in The Times newspaper Beijing accused Ursula Gauth- “This could be really dangerous ier questioned China’s motives Gauthier said she views her found that 42 percent wanted to ier (pictured), the China corre- in the future.” France and Europe in expressing sympathy for the treatment as an attempt “to leave the EU, while 41 percent spondent for France’s L’Obs news should be “concerned, not only victims of the November 13 Paris intimidate foreign correspondents wanted to stay. magazine, of supporting terror- because of the freedom of press, attacks, writing that they were in China, particularly on issues However, 55 percent said they ism after she wrote an article but also because it is about China calculated to tie Beijing’s harsh concerning minorities. expected Britain would vote to questioning official comparisons and what it is doing to its minori- policies in Xinjiang into the fight of government policies. Chinese media and officials stay, while 27 percent expected between global Islamist violence ties, and even its majority, the against global terrorism. “I didn’t write that I supported criticised her article, with the Britain would vote to leave. Only and unrest in the homeland of problem is the same,” she added. Gauthier, who spent six years terrorism, I never supported ter- Communist Party-affiliated Glo- nine percent expect Cameron’s the mainly Muslim Uighur eth- After landing in France, in China, suggested that violence rorism in my article,” she said. bal Times saying it “severely dis- renegotiation efforts to produce nic minority. Gauthier vowed to continue writ- by Uighurs against civilians in “I was explaining that the torted the reality in Xinjiang” and significant change. The YouGov It then refused to renew her ing about China and condemned the region — where clashes have Uighurs’ anger came from some- represented a “double standard” poll was conducted on December credentials, obliging her to leave Beijing over her expulsion. killed hundreds in recent years — where, just like we can explain the on terrorism. 17 and 18. yesterday when her visa expired. “This has been a month and was in part driven by resentment origin of the anger of young Arabs AFP AFP

Shakespeare, Defiant revellers throng Battle of Hastings to appear on key Paris streets

British coins PARIS: Parisians bid goodbye A few hundred metres away, to a year of unprecedented ter- Walid Abdelhamid, a 28-year-old LONDON: William Shake- ror attacks when clocks chimed trader, said he hopes “the mood speare, the Great Fire of London midnight yesterday, as thousands will improve,” and that “people and the Battle of Hastings will of defiant revellers thronged the will stop and think when it comes appear on British coins this year, Champs-Elysees for New Year’s to questions about religion”. marking major anniversaries in Eve celebrations. “When the religious question is the country’s history, The Royal While the traditional fireworks settled, everything will be settled, Mint announced yesterday. display was cancelled this year even the economic problems,” The centenary of First World over fears of a terrorist attack, Walid said, predicting that many War and Beatrix Potter will also crowds still filled the iconic boul- French will remember 2015 as a be commemorated on special coins evard lined with trees donning “crappy year”. marking “key moments, organisa- sparkling garlands to welcome Ten minutes before midnight tions and people that have shaped 2016. “It’s New Year. We wanted on the Champs-Elysees, the Arc the nation,” the mint said. to have fun as usual, in spite of de Triomphe was illuminated in Three different £2 coins will everything, so we came on the the French flag’s colours of red, mark 400 years of Shakespeare’s Champs as this is the perfect white and blue, while the national literary legacy since his death in place for it,” said Joy along with anthem rang out to applause from 1616. her friend Rebecca, in their 20s, the crowds. A giant video screen The coins celebrate his trage- who came for the celebrations. then showed people smiling with dies, comedies and histories with “I’m not particularly scared,” images of famous Parisian land- a designs featuring a skull, a jest- said Joy. “An attack can happen marks, finishing with a virtual er’s hat and a crown and dagger Fireworks over Big Ben and The Houses of Parliament mark the New Year in Central London, Britain, yesterday. anywhere at any time. But that firework display. “It’s a shame respectively. A £2 coin marks the can’t stop us from living.” they cancelled the fireworks, it 350th anniversary of the Great The festivities are the larg- almost like giving in to the ter- Fire of London. The role of the est public gathering since jihad- rorists,” said Oceane, 14, standing army in World War I is commem- Britain welcomes 2016 with fireworks ists killed 130 people in Paris in near one of the many screens lin- orated as part of a £2 coin series November in a wave of gun and ing the avenue. running through the centenary of LONDON: Britain welcomed in Eye ferris wheel. That kicked off Meanwhile in Edinburgh, suicide bombings claimed by the The diminished revelry took the 1914-1918 conflict. 2016 yesterday with giant fire- an 11-minute salvo set to music 75,000 people saw in the New Year Islamic State group. place under the watchful eye of The design recalls the Pals bat- works shows in London and Edin- from the likes of David Bowie and at the Scottish capital’s Hogma- “After what our city has lived some 1,600 police and security talions, in which people from the burgh as hundreds of thousands Lenny Kravitz. nay street party, which draws through, we have to send a signal officers deployed around the same towns served together. The of revellers hit the streets to see The smoke from the fireworks revellers from around the world. to the world,” said Paris mayor Champs-Elysees where all visi- bi-metallic, round £2 coins are in the New Year. drifted downstream, engulfing Fireworks lit up the skies at Anne Hidalgo, promising a “som- tors’ bags were searched. the biggest in regular circulation Some 12,000 fireworks filled landmarks like Tower Bridge, midnight over Edinburgh Castle, bre and dignified show”. And while an estimated 600,000 in Britain. the clear night sky in London, Saint Paul’s Cathedral, and The with rock bands like Biffy Clyro, In the Place de la Republique people gathered for the celebra- Meanwhile, the 950th anniver- watched by 113,000 ticket-hold- Shard, Western Europe’s tallest Maximo Park and Idlewild enter- square in Paris, visitors flocked to tions, the crowd seemed smaller sary of the 1066 Battle of Hast- ers lining the banks of the River tower. Boats on the river honked taining the crowds, the culmina- an open air shrine for the victims than the previous year. “I didn’t ings and the Norman Conquest Thames and thousands of others their horns and smaller, back tion of three days of partying. of November 13 attacks. want to stay at home alone with is marked on the seven-sided 50 craning for a view from vantage garden fireworks parties could “This is a unique atmosphere Lila Rehane, a 49-year-old my daughter,” said Oceane’s pence piece. The design shows points around the city. be seen all across the city. and we like to say we invented from the southern French city of mother Sandrine. “So we came Harold being shot in the eye As Big Ben in the Houses of On the main BBC television not New Year celebrations,” said Marseilles who came to pay hom- here, with the families in mourn- with an arrow, as depicted on the Parliament’s clock tower chimed channel, the fireworks show was Edinburgh Hogmanay director age at the site, said she wanted to ing (after the attacks) in our Bayeux Tapestry. in the New Year, fireworks bracketed by a live concert from Pete Irvine. see peace return in 2016 after a thoughts.” AFP exploded around the London Canadian rocker Bryan Adams. AFP year of “anguish”. AFP SATURDAY 2 JANUARY 2016 12 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com AMERICAS Southern US states face flood threats Water recedes in Missouri, Illinois

MISSOURI: Overflowing riv- United States in recent days has ers receded in Missouri and been Missouri, which has suffered Illinois yesterday after flood- historic flooding. ing swamped communities and Close to St. Louis yesterday, forced the towns to evacuate, but the Mississippi River, the sec- forecasters warned rain-swollen ond-longest river in the United waterways could menace South- States, was falling after reaching ern states downstream. near-record heights, the National Rare winter floods have killed Weather Service (NWS) said. at least 28 people in the US Mid- The Meramec River, which west since last weekend, most meanders near St. Louis and emp- of them when they drove into ties into the Mississippi River, flooded areas after days of down- broke height records on Thursday, pours. Midwest floods typically sending a deluge of water over its occur in the spring as snowmelt banks and forcing the closure of swells rivers. two major highways. Dozens have died in US storms, Interstate 55 reopened early which also brought unusual win- yesterday, but interstate 44 ter tornadoes and were part of a remained closed like many other wild worldwide weather system roads in the St. Louis area, state over the Christmas holiday period officials said, causing extreme that also saw severe flooding in traffic congestion. Britain. Thousands of people evacuated More than 100,000 people were from their homes earlier in the Missouri Department of Transportation workers work along Interstate 55 yesterday in Arnold, Missouri. The highway has been closed since Wednesday forced to evacuate their homes in week were waiting to return to due to flood. areas bordering Paraguay, Uru- their communities and begin the guay, Brazil and Argentina after process of cleaning up. Hundreds Towns farther down the Mis- stage over the weekend. in effect yesterday for parts of “All that water’s coming south floods due to heavy summer rains of structures have been damaged sissippi hoped their levees would “We’re moving things up high Texas, South Carolina, Alabama and we have to be ready for it,” caused by El Niño, authorities or destroyed, local officials said. take the strain. Southern states and we’ve got our generators out and Kentucky, the NWS said, Lieutenant Governor-Elect Billy have said. The Mississippi River is including Louisiana and Missis- and got some extra water,” said while major flooding was occur- Nungesser said. Weather is dominating conver- expected to crest at Thebes, in sippi are expected to be affected Dotty Kirkendoll, a clerk at Riv- ring on the Arkansas River and “It’s a serious concern. It’s early sation on social media over the southern Illinois, at 47.5 feet (14 in the coming days, the NWS said. erside Park Marina on McKellar its tributaries in that state. in the season. We usually don’t see holiday season after the interna- meters) tomorrow, more than Workers in Tennessee were Lake, which feeds off the Missis- Louisiana Governor Bobby Jin- this until much later.” tional climate deal in Paris. 1-1/2 feet above the 1995 record, preparing for the Mississippi sippi River. dal declared a state of emergency Particularly hard hit in the the NWS forecast. River in Memphis to reach flood Flood warnings were also to prepare for flooding. REUTERS

Republican Carson’s campaign manager, 20 others quit

NEW YORK: US Republican candidate do,” Bennett said. tator who holds no official role runner, real estate mogul Donald actually operating and doing Ben Carson’s 2016 presidential Things had “boiled over” with with the campaign, said he was Trump, in the autumn. things to get elected,” Robinson bid was thrown into chaos when Williams, Bennett said. “For the “shocked” by Bennett’s criticism. With the attacks in Paris and said. In spite of the poll numbers, his campaign manager and some past seven weeks, I’ve been doing “They’re giving me a lot more San Bernardino, California, ele- Carson’s campaign on Wednesday 20 other staff members quit amid nothing but putting out Arm- credit than I deserve,” he said. . vating national security concerns announced a fourth-quarter fun- infighting, dropping poll numbers strong Williams-started fires,” He said Bennett and Watts among voters, Carson has been draising haul of about $23m, and and negative media coverage. Bennett said. left the campaign rather than be criticised by rivals for his lack of Bennett said Carson remained in Barry Bennett, who oversaw He also charged Williams was fired. “Right now, they’re upset foreign policy experience. He has a strong position. Carson’s rapid rise to the top tier behind a story in The New York and they need a scapegoat, and never held elected office. “He’s got millions of dollars on of Republican contenders and his Times that suggested Carson was I’m the scapegoat,” Williams said. Craig Robinson, former politi- hand,” Bennett said. “He should be later fall, said he quit over differ- out of his depth on foreign policy. Support for Carson has fallen cal director for Iowa’s Republican able to do something with that.” Singer Natalie ences with another top adviser to Carson’s communications ahead of the first contest — on Party, said Carson’s lack of vis- Carson’s campaign announced Bob Carson, Armstrong Williams. director, Doug Watts, also February 1 in the state of Iowa — ibility in Iowa damaged him even Dees, a retired Army major gen- Specifically, Bennett blamed resigned due to differences with for the Republican nomination in though he had the chance to capi- eral, would be the campaign chair- Cole dies at 65 Williams for an interview Carson Williams, Bennett said. Some 20 the November 8 election. talise on his much-touted status man while Ed Brookover, formerly gave last week to The Washington staff in total left, he said. Among The retired neurosurgeon now as a political outsider. a senior strategist, would serve as NEW YORK: Singer Natalie Post suggesting that the campaign them was deputy campaign man- places fourth in many national “All along, I’ve never really campaign manager. Cole (pictured), the daughter was in disarray. “It’s one of the ager Lisa Coen. opinion polls after surging into thought this was a serious presi- of jazz legend Nat “King” Cole stupidest things I’ve ever seen a Williams, a political commen- the second slot behind the front- dential campaign in that it is REUTERS who overcame substance abuse to find success in her own right, has died at age 65, her family said yesterday. Cole, who had longstanding health issues including complica- tions from a kidney transplant, Obama resolves to died on New Year’s Eve at a Los Angeles hospital. “Natalie fought a fierce, cou- rageous battle, dying how she fight gun violence lived — with dignity, strength and honor,” her family said. WASHINGTON: President across the nation. Quoting her most identifiable Barack Obama, in a New Year’s Obama reiterated his frustra- song, the family said: “Our beloved address to the nation, made fight- tion at the lack of action by Con- mother and sister will be greatly ing gun violence a resolution for gress to curb gun violence. missed and remain UNFORGET- 2016, calling it a major piece of “All across America, survivors TABLE in our hearts forever.” “unfinished business” in his time of gun violence and those who lost Tributes quickly came in. The at the White House. a child, a parent, a spouse to gun civil rights leader Jesse Jackson As he marks the start of his violence are forced to mark such mourned Cole on Twitter as a final year in the White House, awful anniversaries every single “sister beloved... of substance Obama expressed regret at the day, and yet Congress still hasn’t and sound. May her soul rest in little progress made in the past done anything to prevent what peace.” In contrast to the rags- seven years towards remedying happened to them from happen- to-riches stories of many other America’s gun “epidemic.” ing to other families,” the presi- artists of her generation, Cole was “My New Year’s resolution is dent said. raised in relative affluence in Los to move forward on our unfin- “Three years ago, a bipartisan, Angeles. Her career was inextri- ished business as much as I can,” commonsense bill would have cably linked to that of her father. Revellers celebrate during New Year’s celebrations at Times Square, New York, yesterday. he said. “That’s especially true required background checks for She had her first break per- for one piece of unfinished busi- virtually everyone who buys a forming in clubs as the daughter ness, that’s our epidemic of gun gun,” the president said, saying of Nat “King” Cole, but struggled A million welcome 2016 at Times Square violence.” such a measure would have had to find her niche singing more Obama announced he would the support of the vast majority modern R&B numbers. NEW YORK: More than a mil- But the event, broadcast live more than last year, patrolled the meet with Attorney General of the American public, including After delving into R&B, soul and lion people in New York’s Times on national television, went off area, with the force bolstered by Loretta Lynch on Monday, his those who were gun owners. pop, Cole achieved greatest success Square hailed the arrival of 2016 without a hint of trouble, as a fes- mounted patrols, bomb-sniffing first day back at work after the “But the gun lobby mobilised in 1991 by returning to some of the early yesterday with cheers and tive mood prevailed despite — or dogs, radiation detectors and New Year’s break, “to discuss our against it. And the Senate blocked classics sung by her father. a measure of relief as America’s perhaps because of — the heavy hundreds of surveillance cameras. options” in reducing the deaths it,” Obama said. “Since then, tens Her album, “Unforgettable... biggest New Year’s Eve celebra- police presence. There were no reports of trou- and injuries caused by firearms. of thousands of our fellow Ameri- With Love,” won the Grammy for tion unfolded without a hitch “This is the centre of the world ble at the event or any arrests, “Last month, we remembered cans have been mowed down by Album of the Year and has sold under a blanket of huge security. on New Year’s Eve,” said Rick according to New York City Police the third anniversary of New- gun violence. Tens of thousands.” more than seven million copies The transition to the new year Milley, 60, who travelled from Department spokesman, Sergeant town,” the president said, refer- According to CNN, Obama is in the United States. was marked by the descent of Boston with his wife, Debbie, 59, Brendan Ryan. ring to a December 2012 mass expected to announce new execu- Cole later pursued a career the traditional lighted crystal to ring in the new year. For the first time on a New shooting at a Connecticut ele- tive action before his State of the in acting, appearing in several ball from atop a skyscraper amid “This was on our bucket list,” Year’s Eve, the city deployed its mentary school that left 20 young Union address on January 12, with prime-time US series. But her fireworks and a blizzard of con- Debbie Milley said as the couple new Critical Response Com- children and six adults dead. the goal of expanding background life was marred by personal woes fetti at the centre of the famed took pictures of themselves using mand, which includes more “Now, I’ll be thinking about my checks on gun sales. including drug use and three Manhattan crossroads, the climax a selfie stick. heavily armed officers. The unit friend Gabby Giffords, five years In his New Year’s address, the divorces. In a 2000 autobiogra- of an annual rite of winter dating The pair have spent the holi- is trained to detect and respond into her recovery from the shoot- president said measures to be dis- phy, “Angel on My Shoulder,” Cole back to 1904. day in New York before but never to attacks, such those in Paris or ing in Tucson,” he said, speaking cussed with Lynch will focus on related how she struggled with With memories of the deadly before at Times Square, a year- the rampage in San Bernardino, of a former US Congresswoman “keeping an irresponsible, danger- depression after the deaths of her attacks in Paris and California round tourist draw. California, in which 14 were slain. and victim of yet another of the ous few from inflicting harm on a father and her son. still fresh, police took extraordi- About 6,000 uniformed and spasms of gun violence that have massive scale.” AFP nary measures to ensure security. undercover police officers, 500 REUTERS killed and injured thousands AFP SATURDAY 2 JANUARY 2016 AMERICAS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 13 Extent of killings by Venezuela celebrations US cops revealed Independent studies by two newspapers to fuel outrage

WASHINGTON: Two inde- improve data collecting for use- and when they should use a pendent studies have for the of-force incidents involving police, gun,” Emanuel said, after cutting first time laid bare how many calling it “vital for transparency short his vacation and returning civilians died at the hands of US and accountability.” to the city. police over the course of a year: According to The Counted, the The shootings come with Chi- About three a day. Guardian’s site, 1,130 people had cago’s police already under federal The tallies, carried out by The as of Thursday been killed by investigation over a video that Washington Post and the Guardian police in 2015 — more than three shows a white police officer, Jason newspapers, are likely to fuel sim- a day on average. The Post, which Van Dyke, shooting a black teen 16 mering outrage in many US com- only counted people killed by gun- times, with most of the gunshots munities that feel police officers shot, put the number at 979. fired as the boy was lying motion- are too quick to use deadly force. The Post found most of those less on the ground. Van Dyke has America has in recent years were either armed, had mental pleaded not guilty to murder. been shaken by a series of troubles or were fleeing officers The shooting of 17-year old fatal police shootings that have who had told them to stop. Laquan McDonald, which took prompted calls for reforms of law In the bulk of cases where offic- place in 2014, has triggered a enforcement tactics. ers killed an armed suspect, the federal civil rights probe into the Some of the highest-profile individual was white, the newspa- police and calls in some corners People release sky lanterns during New Year celebrations at France Square in Caracas, Venezuela, yesterday. incidents have involved white per notes, adding that 36 officers for the resignation of Emanuel — officers killing unarmed black have been shot and killed in 2015. a former top White House aide to men or youths, with many of the However, when it comes to President Barack Obama. deaths caught on video camera. unarmed suspects, black men are In the rare cases where police The shootings have galvanised disproportionately impacted. are charged with wrongdoing in the Black Lives Matter national The Post found that though shootings, they are often cleared, New year brings minimum wage movement, which has helped raise black men make up only six per- as they only need to show they felt awareness around the dispropor- cent of the US population, they their lives were in danger at the tionate rate at which unarmed made up 40 percent of the cases time of the incident. black men are killed by police. in which police killed an unarmed Because so many people in hikes for Americans in 14 states Because the Federal Bureau man in 2015. America have guns, officers are of Investigation only tallies “jus- Yet another high-profile case trained to assume every suspect CHICAGO: As the United States across the 14 affected states rises increase, Krueger said, while oth- tifiable homicides” of felons by unfolded on Saturday in Chicago, could be armed. marks more than six years with- from $8.50 an hour to just over $9. ers may find hikes allow them police officers, and not the over- when police fatally shot Bettie In a recent study in the Pub- out an increase in the federal Several cities are going even to fill job vacancies and reduce all number killed, the US edition Jones, 55, a mother of five, and lic Library of Science (PLOS), minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, higher. Seattle is setting a sliding turnover, lifting employment but of the Guardian and the Post set Quintonio LeGrier, a 19-year-old researchers from Harvard Uni- 14 states and several cities are hourly minimum between $10.50 lowering profits. In recent years, about keeping their own counts. engineering student. versity urged better national moving forward with their own and $13, and Los Angeles and San an increasing number of states The FBI’s official tally of justi- Both died after police came to counting of police killings. increases, with most taking effect Francisco are enacting similar and municipalities have enacted fiable homicides in 2014 was 444 a private residence in response to “Law-enforcement-related yesterday. increases in July, en route to $15 their own wage floor policies. Cur- (2015 is not yet available.) a domestic violence call. deaths, of both persons killed by California and Massachusetts an hour phased in over six years. rently, 29 states plus the District The agency’s national tally is The city’s mayor, Rahm law enforcement agents and also are highest among the states, Backers say a higher minimum of Columbia and about two dozen also incomplete because report- Emanuel, said more police should law enforcement agents killed both increasing from $9 to $10 wage helps combat poverty, but cities and counties have their ing is voluntary, and not all police be armed with Taser stun guns in the line of duty, are a public an hour, according to an analy- opponents worry about the poten- minimum wage at levels higher departments submit data. and given additional training. health concern,” the study notes. sis by the National Conference of tial impact on employment and than the federal minimum. US Attorney General Loretta “There’s a difference between State Legislatures. At the low end company profits. Many are now in the midst of Lynch has announced plans to whether someone can use a gun AFP is Arkansas, where the minimum In 2014, a Democratic-backed multi-year phase-in plans that wage is increasing from $7.50 to congressional proposal to increase will take them to between $10 $8. The smallest increase, a nickel, the federal minimum wage for the and $15 an hour. The 14 states comes in South Dakota, where the first time since 2009 to $10.10 where increases took effect yes- hourly minimum is now $8.55. stalled, as have subsequent efforts terday are: Alaska, Arkansas, The increases come in the wake by US President Barack Obama. California, Colorado, Connecticut, of a series of “living wage” pro- More recent proposals by some Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michi- tests across the country, including lawmakers call for a federal mini- gan, Nebraska, New York, Rhode a November campaign in which mum wage of up to $15 an hour. Island, South Dakota, Vermont thousands of protesters in 270 Alan Krueger, an economics and West Virginia. cities marched in support of a professor at Princeton University The non-partisan Congressional $15-an-hour minimum wage and and former chairman of Obama’s Budget Office estimated 2014 fed- union rights for fast food workers. Council of Economic Advisers, eral proposal would have raised Food service workers make up the said a federal minimum wage of the wages of 16.5 million Ameri- largest group of minimum-wage up to $12 an hour, phased in over cans and lifted 900,000 of them out earners, according to the Bureau five years or so, “would not have a of poverty but would have cost as of Labour Statistics. noticeable effect on employment.” many as 1 million jobs. Police gather to escort protesters as they prepare to march on Michigan Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, late on Friday. With yesterday’s increases, Some employers may cut jobs the new average minimum wage in response to a minimum-wage REUTERS US ‘affluenza’ teen to remain in Mexico for now, mom charged MEXICO CITY: A fugitive US teenager appeal for him — but not his mother — chologist testifying on his behalf claimed a party taking part in a drinking game, City in a van that arrived early on Thurs- known for using an “affluenza” defence in in Mexico on Wednesday. The judge had he suffered from “affluenza”. The term, which violated the terms of his probation. day. The wealthy young American will a deadly Texas drunk-driving case will 72 hours to decide whether to take up coined from affluence and influenza, This led to a manhunt that ended when share an open room with three other spend weeks or months in a Mexican the case. “The injunction was ratified. He implied that financial privilege made him Mexican authorities caught Ethan and migrants at a facility known as Las Agu- migrant detention facility while a court will be here for the time that is neces- unable to understand the consequences Tonya Couch on Monday night on a street jas, the migration official said. reviews his deportation case. sary” for the deportation case to close, of his actions. in Puerto Vallarta, a popular beach resort Couch will get three meals per day, A judge agreed to hear the case of the migration official said on condition of Couch pleaded guilty to intoxication in western Jalisco state. including a special one for New Year’s Ethan Cohen, 18, who was detained on anonymity, adding that the process could manslaughter. Prosecutors had sought Mexican and US officials say the two Eve. The facility has a basketball court Monday with his mother in a Pacific take weeks or months. a 20-year prison term, but the court illegally entered the country in a pickup and a common room with television. resort city, a National Migration Insti- In 2013, the teen crashed his pickup handed him a surprise sentence of mental truck and were unable to show proper Cellphones are prohibited, but he can tute official said. While her son faces an into a group of pedestrians in Texas and health treatment and a decade of proba- documentation when they were detained. use the facility’s phones. Couch is staying indefinite stay at the facility in an impov- another vehicle, leaving four dead and sev- tion. The leniency caused outrage among Ethan Couch had dyed his blond hair in the men’s section of the 500-capac- erished Mexico City neighbourhood, eral seriously injured. Couch, who was 16 at many Americans. Couch disappeared ear- black. His mother faces US charges of ity centre. “It’s like a shelter where all Tonya Couch was flown to Los Angeles the time, had a blood-alcohol level nearly lier this month after he missed a manda- hindering his apprehension. the foreigners who will be deported are on Wednesday and promptly taken into three times the legal limit for an adult. tory meeting with his probation officer. The son, who had been held with her taken,” the official said. “There’s no spe- custody by the US Marshals Service. The son of millionaire parents made He apparently vanished after the at a migration facility in Jalisco’s capital, cial treatment.” Lawyers for Ethan Cohen had filed an headlines during his trial when a psy- emergence of a video showing Couch at Guadalajara, was transferred to Mexico AFP

Paraguayans heap sandbags amid flood alert

ALBERDI, PARAGUAY: Resi- longer. We have to evacuate.” waves caused by big container across the river to the Argentine dents of a Paraguayan village that Experts say the tropical extreme boats that are constantly pass- city of Formosa. “We have not had risks being submerged in flood- weather phenomenon known as ing along the river. All of that is a good Christmas,” she said. “We water were defying authorities’ El Nino and unseasonably hard putting pressure on the dike.” have children. They are playing in calls to evacuate as a nearby dike rain are to blame for widespread One resident, shopkeeper the mud. There are mosquitoes. threatened to burst, officials said. flooding in South America in Gabriela Gonzalez, reckoned It’s not safe to drink the water so The Paraguay River bordering recent weeks. however that “the authorities are they are getting sick,” she said. Argentina has broken its banks Floods have displaced 170,000 exaggerating.” “I’m afraid there’ll be a flood in at various points in recent rain- people overall in Paraguay, neigh- Disembarking from a boat in the night while we are sleeping.” storms, forcing 130,000 people boring Brazil and Argentina, and Alberdi with bags of merchandise, Roa said that if the river kept ris- from their homes. Uruguay, officials say. At least 12 she said the water will not burst ing, he would “be obliged to apply to But in the southeastern village people have been killed by flooding through the dike. state prosecutors to order the use of Alberdi, many of the 10,000 in Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina. One of the soldiers helping of force” to evacuate residents. “If locals were hunkering down Despite the risks, Alberdi’s evacuate villagers, Lieutenant the dike breaks during the night, rather than shipping out. Flood- mayor, Federico Centurion, said Colonel Catalino Benitez, said there will be a tragedy.” water has transformed the village about 50 families were not heed- they were meeting resistance El Nino strikes every few years, into an island. ing his calls for them to evacuate. among locals. “They tell us, ‘What associated with a sustained period “The dike is leaking. Water is Instead of fleeing, residents happened in such-and-such a year of warming in the central and gushing out of it and our experts were piling up sandbags to pro- was worse. That is their consola- eastern tropical Pacific. Last say there is a big risk that it will tect their homes. tion,” he said. month, the UN’s World Meteoro- burst open like a tsunami,” the “The inhabitants of Alberdi do “They don’t even like us to be logical Organisation warned the country’s emergencies minister not want to believe that the dike here, although we have come to current El Nino was the worst in Joaquin Roa said. can collapse,” Centurion said. help.” Among those who did heed more than 15 years, and one of the People travel by canoe in the flooded neighbourhood of Botanico in “There is a wall of water head- “The speed of the water is the warnings was Juana Vargas, strongest since 1950. Asuncion, Paraguay. ing south. We cannot wait any striking. Added to that are the who agreed to flee with her family AFP SATURDAY 2 JANUARY 2016 14 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com BUSINESS

Oil ends 2015 down 35pc on global supply glut Oil began falling in mid-2014 as surging output from Opec, Russia and US shale producers outpaced demand

NEW YORK: Oil prices fell as 40-year ban on US crude exports ies and pipelines from Illinois to China’s once-inexorable growth much as 35 percent for the year to countries outside Canada, Louisiana, potentially swelling the and energy demand boom. after a race to pump by Mid- acknowledging the industry’s glut of domestic crude at a time The downturn in oil has caused dle East crude producers and growth. when stockpiles were already at pain across the energy supply US shale oil drillers created an “You do have to tip your hat to record highs. chain, including to shippers, pri- unprecedented global glut that the US shale industry and their A mild winter so far in the vate oil drillers and oil-dependent may take through 2016 to clear. ongoing ability to drive down costs Northern Hemisphere due to the countries from Venezuela and Global oil benchmark Brent and hang in there, albeit by their El Niño weather phenomenon has Russia to the Middle East. and US crude’s West Texas fingernails,” said John Kilduff, also slashed demand for heating Analysts estimate global crude Intermediate (WTI) futures rose a partner at Again Capital, an oil. US heating oil prices fell 40 production exceeds demand any- between 1 and 2 percent on the energy hedge fund in New York. percent for a second year in a row. where between half a million and day on short-covering and buying Brent crude settled up 82 cents “We have brimming oil inven- 2 million barrels a day. support in a thinly traded market at $37.28 a barrel, rebounding tories in Europe,” Bjarne Schiel- This means even the most ahead of the New Year holiday. from a near 11-year low of $36.10 drop, chief commodity analyst at aggressive estimates of expected But for 2015, both benchmarks hit earlier in the session. For the SEB in Oslo, said. “And our pre- US production cuts of 500,000 fell double-digits for a second month, it was down 16 percent dictions are that oil inventories bpd for 2016 would be unlikely to straight year as Saudi Arabia and and for the year, it fell 35 percent. in Asia are going to get closer to fully rebalance the market. other members of the once-pow- In 2014, Brent lost 48 percent. saturation in the first quarter.” Oil began falling in mid-2014 as erful Organization of the Petro- WTI rose 44 cents to $37.04 Morgan Stanley said in its out- surging output from Opec, Russia leum Exporting Countries (Opec) a barrel. It slid 11 percent in look for next year that “headwinds and US shale producers outpaced again failed to boost oil prices. December and 30 percent for the (are) growing for 2016 oil.” The demand. The downturn acceler- The US shale industry, mean- year, after a 46 percent loss in bank cited ongoing increases in ated at the end of 2014 after a while, surprised the world again 2014. The immediate outlook for available global supplies, despite Saudi-led OPEC decision to keep An oil pump is seen in Varadero, Matanzas province, Cuba. with its ability to survive rock- oil prices remains bleak. some cuts by US shale drillers. production high to defend global bottom crude prices, churning out Goldman Sachs has said prices “The hope for a rebalancing in market share rather than cut out- more supply than expected, even as low as $20 per barrel might be 2016 continues to suffer serious put to support prices. The group share, as the world braces for the ing traders, hedge fund managers as the sell-off in oil slashed by necessary to push enough produc- setbacks,” it said. has pumped more than 30 million return of Iranian crude exports and other speculators to establish two-thirds the number of drilling tion out of business and allow a Brent prices briefly hit a barrels a day for 19 months. to the market after the lifting record high active short positions rigs in the country from a year rebalancing of the market. 2004 bottom below $36 a barrel OPEC failed to agree on any of Western sanctions against in the market that would profit ago. Adding to oil’s woes, floods last week, effectively wiping out production targets at its Decem- Tehran. from further crude price falls. The United States also took across the Midwestern United gains from a decade-long com- ber 4 meeting in Vienna, cement- Russia is also showing no signs a historic move in repealing a States were threatening refiner- modity super-cycle sparked by ing its decision to protect market of reining in production, prompt- REUTERS

Airbus seals deal with All Dow and S&P 500 in red for First US crude oil export leaves Nippon for three A380s 2015, worst year since 2008 Texas port TOKYO: Airbus Group won an smaller twin-aisle planes, includ- agreement from ANA Holdings ing Airbus’s A350 and Boeing’s NEW YORK: The Dow Jones on the worst year for the Dow and often spurring equity selling. CHICAGO: The first US ship- Inc, Japan’s largest airline, to buy 777. While the order is only for Industrial Average and the S&P S&P 500 since 2008, after both Energy stocks were by far the ment of crude oil to an overseas three of its A380 superjumbos, three planes, enough to serve one 500 racked up their worst annual repeatedly had punched through laggard among industrial sectors, buyer departed a Texas port on said a person familiar with the route, success on that route could performance in seven years record highs during the year, left falling nearly 24 percent for the Thursday, just weeks after a plan, giving the European plane- lead to further orders. Thursday after a sell-off in the a sense of an end to the seven- year, according to preliminary fig- 40-year ban on most such exports maker a welcome vote of confi- Airbus spokesman Justin final Wall Street session of 2015. year bull run since the financial ures from S&P Capital IQ. was lifted. dence for an aircraft that hadn’t Dubon said the manufacturer had The S&P 500 fell 0.9 percent crisis. Sectors with gains included The Theo T tanker has left won a new airline customer in no comment. ANA spokesman to 2,043.94, leaving the broad- Jack Ablin, chief investment consumer discretionary, up 8.4 NuStar Energy LP’s dockside three years. Ryosei Nomura said by phone: based gauge of US stocks down officer at BMO Global Asset Man- percent, and health care, up 5.2 facility in Corpus Christi, Texas, The parent of All Nippon Air- “We are currently formulating 0.7 percent for the year, its first agement, said he was “hopeful” percent after a wave of merger along the western shore of the ways will take delivery of the the next medium-term manage- loss since 2011. about 2016, but listed a litany of announcements, it said. Gulf of Mexico, Mary Rose planes from 2018, with plans to ment strategy and considering The blue-chip Dow dropped 1.0 possible problems, ranging from The flashiest gains came from Brown, a spokeswoman for NuS- use them on its Tokyo to Hawaii various options for planes.” He percent in the session to 17,425.03, low commodity prices to still- technology companies like Netf- tar, said in an e-mail. The ship route, a popular destination for declined to comment specifically taking its annual loss to 2.2 per- high equity valuations and the lix and Amazon, with respec- is carrying a cargo of oil and Japanese tourists, another person on the A380. Nikkei reported the cent. But the tech-rich Nasdaq Federal Reserve’s move to lift tive jumps of 134 percent and 118 condensate from ConocoPhil- said. The order will form just a deal earlier. Composite Index proved a bright interest rates. “There are risks percent as they posted strong lips’s wells in south Texas that piece of a larger strategic plan, Any order for Airbus in Japan spot, ending 2015 with a gain of out there and the problem is the growth. That contrasted sharply was sold to Swiss trading house to be unveiled at the end of this is a special victory given that 5.7 percent despite dropping 1.2 market isn’t cheap, so it’s going with older companies like Procter Vitol Group. A campaign by oil month, calling for fleet renewal. the market for decades has been percent to 5,007.41 in the last day to take bad news hard if we get & Gamble, Caterpillar and Macy’s explorers including Continental The people asked not to be identi- heavily dominated by Boeing. of trade. it,” he said. that saw revenues drop. Resources Inc, Chevron Corp fied because an announcement is Since 2000 when it started mar- Analysts said the declines in Wall Street appeared heading “2015 was a year where rev- and Exxon Mobil Corp to lift the planned for later this month. keting the A380, Airbus has said Thursday’s session should be for another year of gains through enues were evasive and investors 1970s-era export prohibition cul- Airbus has suffered a dearth of Tokyo would be a key airport for taken with a grain of salt due to August when a stretch of turbu- were attracted to companies that minated in a December 18 con- orders for its largest plane, whose the plane. Airlines including Air light trading volume ahead of the lence in Chinese equity markets were able to grow their top line,” gressional decision to end the ban. list price is $428m and typically France SA, Deutsche Lufthansa market’s closure yesterday for the ignited a global sell-off, pushing Ablin said. “That’s the problem: Vitol has a second cargo of US- seats about 525 passengers, but AG and Emirates have all flown New Year holiday and the incen- the S&P 500 below 1,900. for every Amazon, there’s prob- sourced crude scheduled to depart can carry over 800 depending on their A380s into Tokyo. tive to sell stocks at the end of the Stocks subsequently steadied, ably a half dozen Macy’s that are a Houston port within days. the configuration, as many air- year to book losses for tax pur- but trade was choppy in Decem- down dramatically.” lines have favoured somewhat BLOOMBERG poses. But the closing of the books ber, with weakness in oil prices AFP BLOOMBERG

Gold loses lustre in worst slump since 1984 Gas caps first monthly

SINGAPORE: Gold’s image as a among banks that see four. Bul- haven asset has taken a battering lion will drop to $950 by the end of gain since June with the metal capping its long- next year, according to Barnabas est slump in more than 30 years Gan, an economist at Oversea- NEW YORK: New Yorkers who ida in the Northeast for the entire as investors sold from bullion- Chinese Banking Corp who’s the basked in Florida-like weather winter, and obviously that’s not backed funds. top-ranked precious- metals fore- this month are going to have to going to be the case. Once that Bullion futures fell for a sixth- caster. dig out winter gear next week. hit, prices rebounded.” straight quarter, the longest Money managers have been That prospect stoked a record Gas for February delivery slump since 1984, and lost 10 betting on more price declines year-end rally in US natural climbed 12.3 cents, or 5.6 percent, percent this year. Prices, which since November, US Commod- gas to cap the first monthly gain to $2.337 per million British ther- were little changed on Thursday, ity Futures Trading Commission since June. mal units on the Nymex. Prices plunged about 45 percent since data show. Earlier this month, Gas futures surged 28 percent advanced 15 percent this week, reaching a record high in 2011. they held the biggest net-short since mid-December, the biggest the most since February 2014. The metal booked its third position since at least 2006. rebound for the period in New The futures, which gained 4.6 per- annual loss, the longest run since “The CFTC data is showing York Mercantile Exchange data cent in December, narrowed the 1998, as the dollar surged on the very low net-long speculative going back to 1990. They extended year’s loss by half to 19 percent. back of tighter monetary policy in positions, indicating that specu- gains after a government report The market was closed yesterday the US joining a collapse in prices lators aren’t nearly as bullish as showed the biggest supply drop in in observance of New Year’s Day. of commodities from iron ore to they’ve been in a very long time,” three weeks. Overnight weather models now oil. Holdings in gold exchange- Greg King, the chief executive Prices fell to a 16-year low ear- show two to three colder- lean- traded products have declined officer of REX Shares LLC, said lier this month because of unusu- ing weeks “due to a slight hiatus 10 times in the last 13 sessions in a telephone interview. ally warm weather in the Midwest in warm El Nino,” Matt Rogers, to 1,466.4 metric tonnes, near the Gold jewellery is seen displayed at a shop in Basra, southeast of Baghdad. Silver futures also fell for a and Northeast, the biggest con- president of Commodity Weather lowest in more than six years. third year, dropping 12 percent to sumers of the heating fuel, and Group LLC in Bethesda, Mary- “Gold is suffering from the gold’s safe-haven status has suf- end of the year as the dollar and $13.803 an ounce on the Comex in record stockpiles. Forecasts have land, said in an e-mail. general exodus out of commod- fered.” Gold futures for Febru- bond yields retreat, Hansen said. 2015. Palladium slumped 30 per- since turned colder, with Manhat- There will be a stronger cold ity investments,” Ole Hansen, ary delivery added less than 0.1 The Federal Reserve raised cent, the most since 2008, while tan’s low temperature on January push on the East Coast early next head of commodity strategy at percent to settle at $1,060.20 an borrowing costs for the first time platinum lost 26 percent. The 4 sliding to 21 degrees Fahrenheit week than previously anticipated. Saxo Bank A/S in Copenhagen, ounce at 1:44pm on the Comex in in almost a decade this month, two metals dropped this year as (minus 6 Celsius), 6 below normal, Inventories contracted by 58 bil- said by e-mail. “Being one of New York. and traders are now focusing on China’s slowdown helped reduce said AccuWeather Inc. lion cubic feet last week to 3.756 the most- traded commodities The metal reached a five-year the pace of further rate increases. demand and mine output from “These are wild days,” said John trillion, said the US Energy Infor- through ETFs, the selling pres- low earlier this month. Prices may While HSBC Holdings Plc pre- South Africa increased. Kilduff, partner at Again Capital mation Administration. sure from paper investors has approach $1,000 in 2016, before dicts just two moves next year, LLC in New York. “We got prices been felt particularly hard and recovering toward $1,200 by the Goldman Sachs Group Inc is BLOOMBERG so low like it was going to be Flor- BLOOMBERG SATURDAY 2 JANUARY 2016 BUSINESS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 15 Investors look to January effect at start of ’16 Stocks could get a boost from next week, January’s trading to predict the course of new year

NEW YORK : As Wall Street wraps up its There are six distinct stages to a secular bull may be muted due to the recent hike by the flattest year since 2011, investors will have to market and we are nowhere near euphoria, Fed and its intention to continue raising at a deal with many of the same issues next year nowhere close, unless you own the FANGs,” gradual pace. as they attempt to gauge market direction. said Saut. “The Fed knows it needs to be careful and While many market participants have a host Despite the flat performance to finish they are going to be careful,” said Scott Wren, of worries heading into 2016 that could hurt out the year, stocks grappled with volatility senior global equity strategist at Wells Fargo stocks and keep volatility high, they remain throughout 2015. The S&P has moved at least Investment Institute in St. Louis. optimistic for gains in 2016 and a strong start 1 percent on a daily basis in either direction The dollar outperformed all of its 16 major to the year could boost that case. 72 times, the most since 2011, according to peers in 2015 after the Federal Reserve began According to the Stock Trader’s Almanac, Standard & Poor’s data. its first interest-rate-raising cycle in almost the direction of January’s trading predicts the The S&P 500 notched a record high of a decade. A gauge of the US currency posted course for the year 75 percent of the time. 2,130.82 on May 21 as middling economic data a third year of gains after central bank policy Stocks could get a boost next week from eased expectations for a rate hike from the US makers deemed the economy strong enough the so-called “January effect,” when stocks Federal Reserve. to merit boosting rates from virtually zero. that were sold off in December for year-end But three months later, the benchmark The yen had a record fourth annual decline, tax harvesting rally back in the next month as had fallen into correction territory, a drop of while the euro slumped a second year, as stim- investors scoop them back up at lower prices. 10 percent from its high, when signs China’s ulus in Japan and the euro area widened the Of the S&P 500 components, 301 were down economy may be slowing faster than expected gap between monetary policy in those regions 10 percent or more from their 52-week highs unnerved investors and a Fed rate hike drew and the US. and 175 were off by at least 20 percent through closer. Crude futures plunged 32 percent this year, Dec. 30, according to Ryan Detrick, market “It turned into a big nothing. We are essen- a second annual loss that exceeds the magni- strategist at Kimble Charting Solutions in tially where we started the year. We had a tude of the slump during the Asian economic Cincinnati. lot of volatility in between,” said Ken Polcari, crisis from 1997 to 1998. There were few signs That broad decline was offset by the narrow Director of the NYSE floor division at O’Neil of an end to the supply glut that pushed prices leadership of the “FANG” stocks - Facebook, Securities in New York. below $40 a barrel. Amazon, Netflix and Alphabet. Combined, “In retrospect, actually, it could have been Natural gas futures that staged the biggest they comprise more than 5 percent of the a disaster and it really ended up kind of flat, year-end rally on record might continue to weighting in the S&P 500 and have all risen so I count that as a win, once you add in divi- climb after the new year as a blast of frigid at least 35 percent for the year. dends.” weather sweeps into the Northeast. Gas prices While the overall breadth of the S&P is not Along with the return of many investors jumped 34 percent since settling at a 16-year promising, that may leave a broader swath of next week after the holidays, the economic low on December 17 as weather forecasts stocks that could see a rebound next month, calendar is more active, culminating with Fri- showed chillier weather will hit the East next according to Jeff Saut, chief investment day’s payrolls report. week after an unusually mild end to 2015 that strategist at Raymond James Financial in St. But while recent jobs reports have been bloated a supply glut. Petersburg, Florida. closely monitored for signs the Fed will begin “The individual investor is in hibernation. to raise rates, the influence of the report REUTERS/BLOOMBERG The Wall Street sign is seen outside the New York Stock Exchange.

Year of the dollar ends China home Winter sales face pressure prices up for NEW YORK: Apparel retailers saw a boost of no more than $200 on a high as monetary fifth month million in sales from cold weather just before the new year, and with product markdowns above 50 policy wins out BEIJING: China’s new home percent, it will be very difficult prices increased in December to make up margins in the com- NEW YORK: The dollar outper- franc. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot for the fifth straight month, a ing months, industry researchers formed all of its 16 major peers in Index, which tracks the US cur- survey showed yesterday, follow- said. 2015 after the Federal Reserve rency against 10 major peers, has ing a series of stimulus measures Shoppers came out to spend began its first interest-rate-rais- advanced 9 percent this year, and aimed at boosting lending. on winter apparel in the last ing cycle in almost a decade. traded at 1,232.59 as of 5 p.m. in The gains come as authorities two weeks of December as cold A gauge of the US currency New York. have vowed to stabilise China’s weather finally rolled in after an posted a third year of gains The yen weakened 0.4 per- property market -- a key pil- unseasonably warm run-up to the after central bank policy mak- cent this year to 120.22 per dol- lar of the world’s second-largest holiday. ers deemed the economy strong lar, set for its longest streak of economy. Holiday sales are a major influ- enough to merit boosting rates annual losses in data compiled by The average price of a new ence on retailers’ financial health, from virtually zero. The yen had Bloomberg from 1971, while the home in China’s 100 major cit- and department stores like a record fourth annual decline, 19-nation euro tumbled 10.2 per- ies rose 0.74 percent month-on- JCPenney and Macy’s are some while the euro slumped a second cent versus the greenback in 2015. month in December to 10,980 of the most affected from warm year, as stimulus in Japan and Japanese financial markets were yuan ($1,686) per square metre, weather slowing apparel sales, A man in short sleeves carries shopping bags near Herald Square during the euro area widened the gap shut Thursday for a public holiday. the China Index Academy (CIA) according to consultants. unseasonably warm weather in the Manhattan borough of New York. between monetary policy in those More Fed rate increases are said in a report, marking a pick- Winter storms in the Midwest regions and the US forecast in 2016, with futures up from November’s 0.46 percent and Northeastern United States, end bump was good for outerwear stuffy inventories that have built Divergence was the name of showing about two and the cen- rise. On a year-on-year basis, some bringing more than a foot sales, it is too little to save “an up since October said Planalyt- the game for currency traders in tral bank projecting four. That prices increased 4.15 percent. (30 cm) of snow, boosted spend- otherwise sorry season.” ics, a firm that determines how 2015 as US policy makers inched should give the dollar another China’s property sector has ing on apparel by about $200m, Despite some retailers’ apparel weather is affecting consumer toward tighter monetary condi- leg up, with the currency forecast come under pressure in the past contributing around 0.1 of a per- sales troubles, the athletic lei- demand. tions, while central banks else- to appreciate versus seven of 10 two years as new buyers were centage point to this season’s 3.4 sure players including company But with heavy coats and other where eased. That sent the dollar major peers. priced out of the market. Home percent growth over last year, Lululemon Athletica fared well winter accessories at 40 and 50 flying higher during the first “We are looking for a stronger sales fell 7.8 percent in value in calculated Craig Johnson, presi- in the third quarter according to percent off on average, and sweat- three months of the year, before dollar in the New Year, with the 2014.The economy grew at its dent of retail consulting firm filings and consultants. ers at upwards of 60 percent off, disappointing economic data and assumption that the Fed hikes slowest pace for 24 years in 2014 Consumer Growth Partners. There could be some relief for deep discounts will pressure profit dovish talk from the Fed stalled rates more than the market and has eased further this year. “Let’s just say it’s better than others as the winter chill seeps margins for retailers said John- the rally. Incremental gains fol- currently expects,” said John The country logged its worst a sharp stick in the eye,” Johnson into 2016 and shoppers stock up son. lowed as the Fed finally delivered Hardy, Saxo Bank A/S’ Hellerup, economic performance since the said, adding that while the year- on warmer clothing, helping move REUTERS higher rates. Denmark-based head of foreign- global financial crisis in the third “The story for most of the year exchange strategy. quarter, with growth of just 6.9 was weakness in foreign curren- The euro will tumble to 95 US percent. In the 12 months the cies against the dollar rather than cents by the end of next year, he central bank cut interest rates six dollar strength, in the sense that said -- a level last reached in 2002. times. At a policy conference last Fed tightening expectations kept A combination of Bank of Japan month the government pledged to being pushed back,” said Vassili stimulus and higher US rates encourage property developers to Euro, pound sag on year-end Serebriakov, a New York-based will send the Japanese currency “moderately cut housing prices” foreign- exchange strategist down another 4 percent next year, and ordered local authorities to NEW YORK: The euro and ing analyst predictions that the two cents higher than the year’s at BNP Paribas SA. “2015 was according to the median estimate “revoke obsolete restrictive meas- pound sagged on the final day of US currency will strengthen fur- low struck in April. mostly about the foreign leg and in a Bloomberg survey. ures”. the year Thursday ahead of a long ther in early 2016. Markets are “looking ahead to 2016 should be more about the US “Policy divergence trades still The CIA said it expected poli- holiday weekend and next week’s The euro also slipped 0.8 per- 2016 when the Federal Reserve leg” of divergence, he said. have legs in 2016,” said Lee Hard- cies generated by the conference gush of US economic data. After cent on the yen to 130.59 yen. The has penciled in a series of dollar- The dollar advanced versus all man, a foreign-exchange strate- to “effectively adjust market sup- holding steady against the green- pound, will begin tightening mon- bolstering interest rate rises,” said 16 of its major peers in 2015, with gist at Bank of Tokyo- Mitsubishi ply and demand and further ease back for more than a week, the etary policy in the near future, lost Joe Manimbo of Western Union gains ranging from 49 percent UFJ Ltd. in London. pressure on inventory”. euro lost 0.6 percent at $1.0855 another 0.5 percent at $1.4737. Business Solutions. against Brazil’s real to less than 1 around 2200 GMT, amid mount- That nevertheless was still nearly AFP percent versus the yen and Swiss BLOOMBERG AFP

China factory activity contracts for 5th month, PMI stands at 49.7

BEIJING: Activity in China’s ber, in line with expectations of survey showed. Some China watchers, how- has taken longer than usual Index(PMI) rose to 54.4, from manufacturing sector con- economists polled by Reuters But export orders shrank for ever, believe real growth levels to respond to a year-long November’s 53.6, according to tracted for a fifth straight and up only fractionally from the 15th straight month, albeit a realready much weaker than blitz of easing measures and the NBS. month in December, an official November. at a less severe pace. The sub- official data suggest. stimulus,suggesting it is facing The services sector has survey showed yesterday, rein- A reading below 50 points sug- index inched up to 47.5 fromNo- Top leaders last week out- more deep-rooted cyclical and accounted for the bigger part of forcing fears the world’s second- gests a contraction in activity, vember’s 46.4. lined the main economic targets structural weaknesses than in China’s economic output for at largest economy may be stuck in while a reading above indicates The National Bureau of Sta- for2016, saying the government past downturns. least two years, with its share a protracted slowdown despite a an expansion on a monthly basis. tistics (NBS) said although oil- will push forward “supply-side A similar official survey on the rising to 48.2 percent in 2014, flurry of stimulus measures. Persistently soft demand from prices were very low at present, reform” to help generate new services sector showed activity compared with the 42.6 percent While China’s services sector at home and abroad has weighe- cash at the end of the year growth engines as rust-belt quickened in December. contribution from manufactur- ended 2015 on a strong note, the don China’s factories, leaving wastight for factories, putting industries such as steelmaking The services sector has been ing and construction. economy still looked set to grow many with idle capacity andforc- relatively large pressure onman- suffer. the lone bright spot in the A private gauge of Chinese at its slowest pace in a quar- ing them to slash selling prices, ufacturers. Some analysts expect Beijing economy in the last few years, manufacturing Caixin/Markit ter of a century, suggesting the eating into their profitsand add- China’s economic growth is will roll out more easing meas- helping to offset prolongedweak- PMI, which focuses more on government will have to step up ing to deflationary pressures in expected to cool from 7.3 percen- ures in the first quarter of 2016, ness in the vast manufacturing small-to-medium-sized private support in 2016 to revive activ- the broader economy. tin 2014 to 6.9 percent in 2015, including further cuts in inter- sector, though financialmarkets firms, will be released on Jan.4. ity. Total new orders - a proxy for the central bank said in a recent est rates and banks’ reserve tend to focus more closely on China is set to release fourth The official manufacturing both domestic and foreignde- work paper, its slowest pace 25 requirement ratios to help re- factory readings. quarter and full-year GDP data Purchasing Managers’ Index mand - rose to 50.2 in December years. It said growthcould ease energise activity. The official non-manufac- on January 19. (PMI)stood at 49.7 in Decem- from November’s 49.8, the PMI further to 6.8 percent in 2016. But the economy already turing Purchasing Managers’ REUTERS SATURDAY 2 JANUARY 2016 16 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com BUSINESS VIEWS

Dollar rally may halt in Wind and solar power 2016: Money managers

By Netty Ismail

ONEY managers for Asia’s wealthiest families say soar amid cheap fuels they’ll be looking elsewhere for returns after chasing the US dollar’s gains in the past three years. M UBS Group, the world’s largest private bank, is tell- By Joby Warrick struction from China and India because of steadily falling costs, momentum appear in surpris- ing clients there’s “little room for further dollar appreciation,” said to Texas, which now far outpaces recent regulatory and financial ing places. In China, the world’s James Purcell, cross-asset strategist at its wealth management N normal times, a months- California as the nation’s leading decisions have set the stage for leader in both coal consumption business in Hong Kong. Stephen Diggle, who runs a family office long slide in energy prices wind-power state. In December, continued growth for years to and greenhouse-gas emissions, in Singapore called Vulpes Investment Management, said US rate would be enough to rattle the United States crossed the come, according to Reicher and demand for coal is down for increases aren’t enough “to chase a strong dollar.” Stamford Man- a man who makes wind 70-gigawatt threshold in wind- other energy experts. the second straight year, while agement, which oversees $250 million for Asia’s rich, will review turbines for a living. Yet generated electricity, with 50,000 In the United States, these investment in solar and wind its outlook for greenback gains after expected advances in the Iamid a worldwide glut of cheap spinning turbines producing include the Obama administra- is soaring, according to figures first quarter, said Jason Wang, its chief executive officer in the city. fossil fuels, business is blowing enough power to light up 19 mil- tion’s Clean Power Plan, which released in December by the Strategists also predict the dollar’s gains will slow in coming strong for Vestas Wind Systems lion homes. requires states to reduce emis- International Energy Agency. months after the Federal Reserve committed to a gradual pace of and its CEO, Anders Runevad. Energy analysts say the sions from power plants, and China is expected to double its tightening. The currency will appreciate about 5 percent to $1.05 The company posted record boom is being spurred in part the latest congressional budget wind-power capacity to nearly per euro by the third quarter of 2016, according to a Bloomberg gains in 2015 and inked major by improved technology, which compromise, which extended 350 gigawatts over the next survey, after surging 10 percent this year. Its advance versus the deals to build wind farms in the has made wind and solar more tax credits for wind and solar decade, more than any other Japanese currency will be limited to less than 4 percent to 125 yen, United States, Europe, Africa competitive with fossil fuels in energy. Also key was last country. Officials also intend to after gains slowed to about 0.6 percent in 2015, from more than 10 and Asia. That boom in turbine many regions. month’sclimate accord in Paris, generate 200 gigawatts of solar percent in each of the previous three years. sales was part of a global surge But equally important, experts where more than 190 countries by 2020. “Our clients will likely see the increase in US interest rates as for wind and solar energy, which say, are new government poli- approved a plan to reduce pol- India recently unveiled plans an opportunity to earn higher yields on the their assets by shifting occurred despite oil, coal and cies here and abroad that favor lution from fossil-fuel burning to install 175 gigawatts of renew- into dollars,” said Purcell, who is based in Hong Kong. “We need natural gas selling at bargain investment in renewables, as worldwide. able energy by 2022, and African to remind them that financial markets move on surprises, not rates. well as a growing willingness by “The policy base for renewa- nations have committed them- absolutes. The increase in rates was extremely well telegraphed “We’re seeing very good Wall Street to pour billions of bles has strengthened, both on selves to adding 300 gigawatts of and the rate-divergence story well known.” momentum across the board dollars into projects once con- the incentives side and through clean-energy capacity by 2030. The yen may be a better cross to express a strong dollar view globally,” said Runevad, a soft- sidered financially risky. mandates,” Reicher said. “At A gigawatt-literally a billion than the euro, Purcell said. UBS expects the dollar to be little spoken Swede whose firm is now “Renewables have turned a the same time, the financing of watts-is roughly the amount of changed at $1.08 per euro in six months and to rise to 127 yen, he the world’s biggest producer of corner in a fundamental way,” renewable-energy projects has energy needed to power 700,000 said. European Central Bank President Mario Draghi sparked the wind turbines. “We’re seeing said Dan Reicher, a former become a mainstream business typical American households. By euro’s biggest rally since 2009 by unveiling a smaller-than- antici- growth in every region.” Energy Department assistant for Wall Street. The early-stage comparison, the current capacity pated stimulus package this month. By contrast, analysts surveyed Vestas’ performance is secretary who is now executive investments from Silicon Val- of the entire U.S. electric grid is by Bloomberg are almost evenly split on whether the Bank of Japan emblematic of the changing for- director of Stanford University’s ley for clean energy were small just under 1,100 gigawatts. Still, will add to its asset-purchase program or not. tunes for renewable energy, an Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy potatoes compared to the mas- the industry is experiencing The dollar’s gains are already losing steam in parts of Asia, with industry that achieved a number Policy and Finance. sive investments Wall Street is rapid growth across the country. the Indonesian rupiah rallying 7.3 percent in the fourth quarter, of milestones last year. Massive While solar and wind power making. It truly is a global busi- the Malaysian ringgit 2.3 percent and the Singapore dollar 1.1 per- new projects are under con- have been expanding for years ness.” Signs of the industry’s THE WASHINGTON POST cent. A gauge of the greenback is heading for 1.2 percent advance this quarter and an 8.6 percent gain this year, after an 11 percent surge in 2014. Fed Chair Janet Yellen signaled in December that the central bank is in no rush to raise rates again following its first move in almost a decade. Russ Koesterich, chief investment strategist at BlackRock, the world’s biggest asset manager, wrote in a commentary this month that long-term investors willing to withstand short- term volatility Facebook’s free mobile internet should consider Asian emerging stocks and bonds because prices are attractive. Singapore has developed into a wealth management hub, with Facebook’s Free Basics program offers pared-down web services on mobile phone, along with access total assets managed by asset managers based there of S$2.4 tril- to the company's own social network and messaging services without charge. lion at the end of last year, according to the Monetary Authority of Singapore. COUNTRIES WITH FREE BASICS ACCESS in 2015 Diggle’s family office has refrained from betting on currencies, except for a position that seeks to profit from a decline in the New Zealand dollar. That’s more of a hedge on its acquisition of an avocado orchard in the South Pacific nation last year, said Diggle, an Oxford University graduate who worked at Lehman Brothers Holdings before co-founding a hedge fund that made $2.7 billion in 2007 and 2008. Mongolia Vulpes, set up by Diggle in 2011, seeks to cover the short kiwi position should the currency slide below 60 US cents in 2016 from Pakistan around 68 now, he said. The family office made money last year Iraq from the US currency’s advance against the euro, yen and Aus- Bangladesh tralian dollar, Diggle said. Family offices are typically tailored to Thailand Mauritania Ghana both investment and personal needs, including estate planning, Mexico Cambodia Niger philanthropy and maintaining homes. Guatemala Senegal DR Congo Philippines “We still don’t like the dollar as much as most people, but don’t India Colombia Guinea Benin Rwanda want to bet against it either; the US is raising rates and most other Panama Maldives Liberia Kenya major economies won’t be any time soon,” Diggle said. “We would Gabon Seychelles Vanuatu be surprised if the Fed can tighten three times next year without Angola Tanzania a broad improvement in global trade, which would be welcome, but Peru Malawi Indonesia Timor Leste wouldn’t necessarily be dollar positive.” Mozambique Stamford Management expects the greenback to strengthen Bolivia Zambia about 7 percent next year to S$1.50 versus Singapore dollar, a level not seen since April 2009, said Wang. The Singapore-based family South Africa office, which started switching its assets into the greenback from the local dollar more than two years ago, will review its position should the currency pair reach its target, he said. “We could see an easy 5-to-10 percent appreciation of the US dol- lar versus other risk or emerging-market currencies,” Wang said. Source: Facebook “That, to me, is relatively easy money. Thereafter, we’ll review it in late first quarter.” BLOOMBERG Falling markets: Easy money hard to find in 2015

By Jeremy Herron ending sideways, but you always 8.4 percent. Markets are closed 100 index fell 4.9 percent. Greece’s since 1984. Prices, which were course to raise interest rates sev- try to pick up your marbles and tomorrow for the New Year holi- ASE index plunged 24 percent. little changed on Thursday, have eral times next year, potentially ITTLE went right and keep investing.” day. “This is the most poetic way Crude futures plunged 32 per- plunged about 45 percent since lowering the value of the debt. plenty went wrong, Global equities snapped a you could end the year,” said Jeff cent this year, a second annual loss reaching a record in 2011. Germany’s bond market are including losses in global three-year rally as a slowdown in Clark, an analyst at Stansberry & that exceeds the magnitude of the Industrial metals fell, capping closed until January 4, while UK Lstocks, commodities and the Chinese economy fueled the Associates in San Francisco. “The slump during the Asian economic the worst year since 2008, as pro- market is scheduled to close early currencies. The small gains in biggest retreat in raw materi- market has basically done nothing. crisis from 1997 to 1998. There duction cuts and signs of improv- ahead of the New Year holiday. US bonds were wiped out when infla- als prices since 2008 just as the We’ve had some attempts to rally were few signs of an end to the ing demand in China came too late bonds futures close at 1pm., and tion is considered. While pockets Federal Reserve ended its zero and some attempts to drop, but it’s supply glut that pushed prices to counter falling consumption cash an hour later. of strength were found in places interest-rate policy. The Standard been a pretty frustrating year for below $40 a barrel. and excess supplies. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot such as the dollar, South Afri- & Poor’s 500 index ended in nega- trading. The momentum is in the Natural gas futures that staged Aluminum, copper, zinc, tin, index, which tracks the green- can stocks, Ukrainian bonds and tive territory and the Dow Jones bearish camp right now.” the biggest year-end rally on nickel and lead capped annual back against its 10 most-traded some soft agricultural commodi- Industrial Average had its worst The market’s torpor is likely to record might continue to climb losses, with nickel dropping 42 peers, climbed 8.9 percent in ties like sugar and cocoa, it just year since 2008. be broken next week as investors after the new year as a blast of percent, the worst performer 2015, a third straight gain. The wasn’t enough to focus attention The Bloomberg Commodity will return from the holiday to a frigid weather sweeps into the on the London Metal Exchange yen had a record fourth annual away from the malaise that settled index sank 25 percent, the most swath of data, including gauges on Northeast. Gas prices jumped 34 LMEX index. The gauge fell 24 decline, while the euro slumped a into markets. since the financial crisis, as crude the manufacturing and services percent since settling at a 16-year percent this year. second year, as stimulus in Japan “It was a year when the rather capped its first back-to- back industries, the monthly jobs report low on December 17 as weather The Global Broad Market index and the euro area widened the gap mainstream investments didn’t slump since 1998. Emerging-mar- and minutes from the Fed meet- forecasts showed chillier weather of bonds from Bank of America between monetary policy in those work -- stocks, bonds, commodi- ket equities plunged 17 percent, ing that ended with the first rate will hit the East next week after Merrill Lynch has returned 0.85 regions and the US Commodity ties -- and a lot of that obviously while commodity currencies tum- increase since 2006. an unusually mild end to 2015 that percent this year, down from a producers’ currencies have led comes from the very, very low oil bled. Bonds gained for a second The Stoxx Europe 600 fell 5.1 bloated a supply glut. gain of 7.8 percent in 2014. declines against the dollar in 2015 prices,” said Richard Sichel, chief year, outperforming stocks glo- percent in December, trimming its Gold fell 10 percent for a third US Treasuries were little as tumbling prices for everything investment officer at Philadelphia bally, on haven demand. The yen rally for the year to 6.8 percent, straight annual decline, the long- changed with 10-year notes yield- from oil to iron ore, copper and Trust Co., which oversees $2 bil- had a record fourth annual loss. the most since 2013. Germany’s est retreat in 15 years, as the surge ing 2.29 percent, 11 basis points milk collided with expectations for lion. “It will be a relief to turn The S&P 500 fell 1 percent at 4 DAX index climbed 9.6 percent in in the dollar following the Fed’s more than at the end of 2014. The higher US interest rates. the page. It has been a frustrat- p.m. in New York, leaving it lower 2015, with strategists seeing more monetary-policy tightening com- Treasury’s final three auctions of The MSCI Emerging-Markets ing year, there were fairly nice by 0.7 percent in 2015. The Dow gains for 2016. Italy’s FTSE MIB pounded the broader collapse in coupon-bearing notes this year index plunged 17 percent in 2015, gains in the middle of the year Jones Industrial Average lost 2.2 index was among the best per- commodity prices. Bullion futures drew some of the lowest investor the biggest annual loss since 2011. and you see it go away. We spent percent this year, while the Nas- formers in western Europe, ral- also capped the sixth straight demand since the financial cri- the year going up and down and daq 100 index outperformed, rising lying 13 percent. The UK’s FTSE quarterly loss, the longest slump sis with the Federal Reserve on BLOOMBERG SATURDAY 2 JANUARY 2016 CLASSIFIEDS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 17

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EASY SUDOKU CROSSWORD 123 456789 10111213 ITEM BAJA OBAMA

14 15 16 NALA AT I E ROBIN TH I RDDEGREEBURN 17 18 19 RIM ELL ING TEA 20 21 22 23 ONA LOU ANAS INDIANPLANTAIN 24 25 26 NUANCE ORMAN 27 28 CL IP SHAWN ESME

29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 DENIM CRAVAT SIGNOFTHETIMES 37 38 39 40 GLUE T I S LET 41 42 43 44 45 OWL D J S C V I B A H WHERE I STHETHEME 46 47 48 49 NIGER IBET BEAR 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 STOPS ESSO ORNE Yesterday’s answer 57 58 59 ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE 60 61 62 63 DOWN 34 Cause of some 911 calls 35 Vehicle that may roll over, 64 65 66 1 Not ready Easy Sudoku Puzzles: Place a digit from 1 to for short 9 in each empty cell so every row, every column 2 South Pacific island nation and every 3x3 box contains all the digits 1 to 9. 67 68 69 that’s only 8.1 square miles 36 Stipple 3 Place for two tablets? 39 Surgeon’s clamp 42 Unoriginal work ACROSS 40 Returning in the opposite 4 N.T. book after Galatians 44 “Boy, ___!” 1 Connections direction 5 Crookneck, e.g. 45 Petty officer 4 Quick wit 41 Get tiresome 6 Walking tall 10 Lump 43 One making waves 7 Source of zest 47 Do some forest work HYPER 14 French narrative poem 46 Transport 8 Having four sharps 48 D.J.’s invitation SUDOKU 15 Pet name? 49 Jersey delivery? 9 Swift, in music 50 School spirit raiser 16 Bit 50 Eight in a V8 10 Army terror? 51 Song title words after “The 17 School bully’s demand 53 Sickening 11 2013 Grammy winner for Woman” and “I Believe” 19 Dance and drama 57 Cabinet department “Royals” 20 Figs. always expressed to two 58 Latin diphthongs 12 Web-footed mammal 52 Southern city with a woman’s name decimal places 59 Russia’s ___ Airlines 13 Army locales 53 Classic fruity sodas 21 Nasty campaign charges 60 Nabors title role of 1960s TV 18 Benjamin 54 Certain cetaceans 22 Borrower 61 Prompt … or a hint to entering 23 Poetic conjunction five answers in this puzzle 55 ___ Loa 24 Produced laugh lines? 25 Smallest Can. province 64 “Brave New World” drug 56 Whitman’s 26 Sherpas, e.g. 26 Group given stars, maybe 65 Wind-borne “O Captain! My Captain!,” 27 Anthem shortening 28 Hogwarts professor 28 Affliction for Job, in the Bible 66 Director Lee e.g. 29 Jabber 29 Tosses 67 Leg muscle, informally 58 Check out 30 Oct. 31, e.g. 33 Pounds 68 Challenges for knights 62 Payment option that’s not 31 Samovar contents 37 Columbus in N.Y.C. or S.F. 69 For instance always accepted 32 Boots 38 Put down 63 Run-___

Yesterday’s answer

How to play Hyper Sudoku: A Hyper Sudoku Puzzle is solved by filling the numbers from 1 to 9 into the blank cells. A Hyper Sudoku has unlike Sudoku 13 regions (four regions overlap with the nine standard regions). In all regions the numbers from 1 to 9 can appear only once. Otherwise, a Hyper Sudoku is solved like a normal Sudoku. BABY BLUES BABY

NOVO How to play Kakuro: SCREEN 1 Star Wars: The Force Awakens (3D/Action) 10:00am, 3:20 & 8:45pm SHOWING AT KAKURO The kakuro grid, unlike in sudoku, can be of any 2D 12:40, 6:00 & 11:30pm VILLAGGIO & CITY CENTER size. It has rows and columns, and dark cells SCREEN 2 Extraction (2D/Thriller) 10:00am, 12:00noon, 2:00, 4:00, 6:00, 8:00, 10:00 & 11:55pm TEL: 444933989 / 444517001 like in a crossword. And, just like in a crossword, SCREEN 3 Point Break (3D/Action) 11:00am, 4:00 & 9:00pm 2D 1:30, 6:30 & 11:30pm some of the dark cells will contain numbers. Some SCREEN 4 Joy (2D/Comedy) 10:30am, 1:00, 3:30, 6:00, 8:30 & 11:00pm cells will contain two numbers. SCREEN 5 Savva: Heart of The Warrior (2D/Animation) 10:00, 11:50am, 1:40 & 3:30pm However, in a crossword the numbers reference Bone Tomahawk (Adventure) 5:20, 8:00 &10:45pm clues. In a kakuro, the numbers are all you get! SCREEN 6 Snowtime (2D/Animation) 10:15am, 12:10, 2:00, 3:50 & 5:40pm They denote the total of the digits in the row or The Good, The Bad And The Dead (2D/Action) 7:35, 9:30 & 11:30pm column referenced by the number. SCREEN 7 The Peanuts Movie (2D/Animation) 10:00, 11:50am, 1:40 & 3:30pm Bleeding Heart (2D/Drama) Within each 5:20, 7:10, 9:00 & 11:00pm SCREEN 8 Santa Claws (2D/Family) 10:10am, 12:00noon, 1:50 & 3:40pm collection of cells Dilwale (2D/Hindi) 5:30, 8:30 & 11:30pm - called a run - any SCREEN 9 Star Wars: The Force Awakens (3D IMAX/Action) 10:15am, 12:45, 3:30, 6:15, of the numbers 1 9:00 & 11:45pm to 9 may be used SCREEN 10 Extraction (2D/Thriller) 10:30am, 3:00, 7:30 & 11:55pm but, like sudoku, Point Break (3D/Action) 12:30, 5:00 & 9:30pm each number may MALL only be used once. SCREEN 1 Santa Claws (2D/Family) 2:30pm The Big Short (2D/Drama) 4:30pm Yesterday’s Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens (2D/Action) 6:45pm Extraction answer (2D/Thriller) 9:00pm Ho Mann Jahaan (2D/Pakistani) 10:30pm Cartoon Arts International / The New York Times Syndicate SCREEN 2 Snowtime (2D/Animation) 3:00pm The Good Dinosaur (2D/Animation) 4:45pm Joy (2D/Comedy) 6:30pm The Big Short (2D/Drama) 8:45pm Bone Tomahawk (2D/Adventure) 11:15pm SCREEN 3 The Peanuts Movie (2D/Animation) 2:30pm Savva, Heart of The Warrior (2D/Comedy) 4:15pm ALL IN THE MIND Bleeding Heart (2D/Drama) 5:45pm The Good, The Bad And The Dead (2D/Drama) 7:15pm Su Sudhi Vatmeekam (2D/Malayalam) Can you find the hidden words? They may be horizontal, 9:00pm Extraction (2D/Thriller) 11:30pm vertical, diagonal, forwards or backwards. LANDMARK

SCREEN 1 Joy (2D/Comedy) 2:30 & 9:15pm Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens (2D/Action) 4:45pm The Big Short (2D/Drama) 7:00pm The Good, The Bad And The Dead (2D/Drama) 11:30pm SCREEN 2 The Peanuts Movie (2D/Animation) 3:00pm Savva, Heart of The Warrior (2D/Comedy) 5:00pm Extraction (2D/Thriller) 7:00 & 11:15pm Bone Tomahawk (2D/Adventure) 9:00pm SCREEN 3 The Good Dinosaur (2D/Animation) 2:15pm Hoy en la Historia Snowtime (2D/Animation) 3:45pm Santa Claws (2D/Family) 5:15pm Bleeding Heart (2D/Drama) 7:00pm Su Sudhi Vatmeekam January 2, 1492 (2D/Malayalam) 8:45pm The Big Short (2D/Drama) 11:15pm Catholic monarchs Ferdinand ROYAL PLAZA and Isabella ruling jointly and having united most of Spain, SCREEN 1 Santa Claws (2D/Family) 2:00pm recaptured Granada the last Snowtime (2D/Animation) 3:45pm Extraction (2D/Thriller) 5:15pm Muslim-controlled city in Spain The Big Short (2D/Drama) 7:00 & 11:30pm Bone Tomahawk (2D/Adventure) 9:15pm 1959:        SCREEN 2 Savva, Heart of The Warrior (2D/Comedy) 2:30pm        The Good Dinosaur (2D/Animation) 4:15pm          The Good, The Bad And The Dead (2D/Drama) 6:00pm 1974: The U.S. lowered its top speed Joy (2D/Comedy) 7:45pm Extraction (2D/Thriller) 10:00pm limit to 55mph in order to conserve Bleeding Heart (2D/Drama) 11:30pm ABSENCE, AMUSEMENT, BREAK, CAPER, CAREFREE, gasoline during an OPEC embargo ASIAN TOWN DIVERSION, ENJOYMENT, ENTERTAINMENT, ESCAPADE, 1992:       Dilwale (Hindi) 4:00pm ESCAPISM, EXCURSION, FESTIVITY, FIELD DAY, FREE   !  Pasanga 2 (Tamil) 12:45, 3:15, 5:45 & 10:45pm TIME, FREEWHEELING, FROLIC, HOBBY, HOLIDAY,   Thanga Magan (2D/Tamil) 1:30 & 8:15pm HONEYMOON, JAUNT, JUNKET, LEAVE, LEISURE, 2011: Thousands of refugees fled the Bajirao Mastani (2D/Hindi) 3:15 & 6:15pm Su Sudhi Vatmeekam (2D/Malayalam) PASTIME, PICNIC, PLAY, PLEASURE TRIP, RECREATION, Ivory Coast as battle raged between 12:45, 3:15, 5:45, 7:00 & 8:15pm Su Sudhi Vatmeekam (2D/Malayalam) 9:15 & 10:45pm RELAXATION, RESPITE, REST, SPARE TIME, TIME OUT, supporters of two rival presidents UNWORRIED, VACATION   "  '$%&'()* SATURDAY 2 JANUARY 2016 20 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com SPORT

Cavaliers fan Thompson shines in Warriors’ victory with ‘2015 NBA Scores 38 points as defending champs ground Rockets 114-110 to rebound from loss at Dallas Champs’ tattoo updates it to 2016 HOUSTON: Klay Thompson scored a game-high 38 points NBA RESULTS CLEVELAND: Before the start and keyed a decisive surge late in Milwaukee 120 Indiana 116 of the 2015 NBA Finals, one the fourth quarter as the Golden Detroit 115 Minnesota 90 Cleveland Cavaliers fan believed State Warriors overcame the Golden State 114 Houseton 110 in his team so much that he got absence of Stephen Curry and LA Clippers 95 New Orleans 89 a tattoo (pictured) of the Larry rebounded from their worst loss Oklohoma City 110 Phoenix 106 O’Brien trophy and the team’s on the season with a 114-110 road logo along with the words “2015 Utah 109 Portland 96 victory over the Houston Rockets NBA Champs.” on Thursday. left, lifting Los Angeles to a vic- It looks foolish now but the Thompson drilled a pair of pull- tory over New Orleans. Cavs had just swept the Atlanta up jumpers off penetration, the Paul was just 2-for-17 from the Hawks in the Eastern Conference second capping an 8-0 run that floor when he canned the jumper Finals and matched up quite well gave the Warriors (30-2) a 113- over Alonzo Gee to put the Clip- with the Golden State Warriors. 102 lead. pers on top 90-87. Paul finished But as we now know, injuries, lack Golden State lost at Dallas on 3-for-18 for nine points, but he of depth and Stephen Curry being Wednesday without four rotation had 12 assists. J.J. Redick led Los Steph Curry prevented the Cavs players, including guard Curry, Angeles with 26 points. from winning their first title in who was sidelined for a second The Pelicans got 17 points franchise history. However, the consecutive game. from Ryan Anderson, 15 from fan has no regrets about his tattoo Bucks 120, Pacers 116 Norris Cole and 14 points and 15 and he had the tattoo updated so Guard Khris Middleton scored rebounds from Anthony Davis. now it says “2016 NBA Champs.” a game-high 33 points, including Thunder 110, Suns 106 It looked like he also had Cleve- two clinching free throws with 6.4 Russell Westbrook scored 36 land’s skyline added to his tattoo seconds remaining, and the Mil- points and handed out 12 assists, which shows his pride for the city, waukee Bucks held on for a 120- leading Oklahoma City over not just the Cavs. The Cavs seem 116 road victory over the Indiana Phoenix. Westbrook shot 12-for- poised to make a return trip the Pacers. 19 from the field, collected five Finals, so his tattoo could possibly Center Greg Monroe added 23 steals and had only two turnovers. be true when the season ends in points for the Bucks (13-21). Kevin Durant posted 23 points on June. However if the Cavs don’t Indiana (18-14), which closed 9-of-21 shooting. win a championship this season, within two points before Middle- T.J. Warren paced the Suns it may be asking a lot from his ton’s big free throws, trailed by as with 29 points and nine rebounds. tattoo artist to turn a six into a many as 16 points in the fourth P.J. Tucker added 22 points for seven for Cleveland’s title chase quarter, losing for a second con- Phoenix. in 2017. secutive night. Jazz 109, Trail Blazers 96 AGENCIES Pistons 115, Timberwolves 90 Trey Burke scored a season- Andre Drummond powered for high 27 points, and forward Gor- 23 points and 18 rebounds and the don Hayward added 23 points and Detroit Pistons snapped a three- 10 rebounds to power Utah to a game losing streak with a 115-90 victory over Portland. victory over the Minnesota Tim- Rodney Hood chipped in 18 berwolves on Thursday at The points, seven rebounds and six Palace. assists for Utah, which evened the Point guard Reggie Jackson season series with Portland after had 19 points and nine assists for shooting 45 percent (15-of-33) the Pistons (18-15) and backcourt from 3-point range. CJ McCollum partner Kentavious Caldwell- scored 32 points to lead the Blaz- Pope tossed in 22 points, including ers, who saw a three-game win- 19 in the second half. ning streak end. Meyers Leonard Clippers 95, Pelicans 89 added 17 points, and Allen Crabbe Chris Paul shook off a misera- chipped in 15 points. Klay Thompson (right) of the Golden State Warriors shoots over the outstretched arm of Dwight Howard of ble shooting night to nail a 17-foot the Houston Rockets in the second half of their NBA game at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas on Thursday. fadeaway jumper with a minute AGENCIES

Hurricanes end Capitals’ winning streak Colts’ head coach Pagano RALEIGH: Centre Eric Staal’s dins also had goals. Scott Darling likely to be dismissed goal 51 seconds into the third stopped 27 shots as the Black- period broke a tie and the Caro- hawks ended a four-game skid to lina Hurricanes went on to end the Avalanche. Carl Soderberg, INDIANAPOLIS: Unless Indi- land’s final game of the season. the Washington Capitals’ nine- Cody McLeod and Erik Johnson anapolis get a playoff berth, the Manziel is still going through game winning streak with a 4-2 had goals for the Avalanche and Colts plan to dismiss head coach the NFL concussion protocol, home victory on Thursday. Semyon Varlamov finished with Chuck Pagano after the season, and coach Mike Pettine said Left wingers Phillip Di 39 saves. ESPN.com reported on Thursday, on Thursday it is unrealistic to Giuseppe and Jeff Skinner also Stars 5, Predators 1 based on league sources. believe Manziel could play this scored for Carolina (16-17-5), Jason Spezza had two assists General manager Ryan Grig- week. which avenged a 2-1 loss from 10 and Tyler Seguin had two goals, son would assist in the search The Browns also signed Pat days earlier in this building. and Antti Niemi stopped 33 of the for a new coach, according to Devlin to be Austin’s backup. Dev- Washington (28-7-2) has an 34 shots he faced in Dallas’ vic- the report. However, it is uncer- lin has never played in a regular- NHL-high 28 victories, but the tory against Nashville at Ameri- tain whether Grigson would be season NFL game. Chip Kelly was Capitals were unable to match the can Airlines Centre. After the retained as general manager next a good coach. He was also a dicta- franchise record for consecutive Predators took a 1-0 lead midway season. tor. Philadelphia Eagles offensive road wins. That streak ended at through the second period when Owner Jim Irsay released a tackle Lane Johnson described six games. Craig Smith scored off a back- statement later Thursday, which Kelly in those terms, summariz- Penguins 5, Red Wings 2 hand, the Stars got five unan- read: “As of today, no decision has ing with equal parts praise and Centres Sidney Crosby and swered goals from Jamie Benn, been made with respect to any criticism exactly how players felt Evgeni Malkin scored 34 seconds Mattias Janmark, Patrick Eaves structural changes within the about their coach the past three apart in the third period to break and two from Seguin. Colts organisation for 2016 and seasons. a tie and send the Pittsburgh Pen- Pekka Rinne stopped 27 of 32 beyond.” “Maybe the ego got in the way,” guins to a 5-2 come-from-behind shots in the loss. The Colts (7-8) are unlikely to Johnson said. “Too much power. road win against the Detroit Red Coyotes 4, Jets 2 get into the playoffs. They would Control. Not being human about Wings. The Penguins trailed 2-0 New Year’s Eve felt like Shane need to beat the Tennessee Titans things; not working together, with early in the second period before Doan appreciation night at Gila Washington Capitals’ forward Alex Ovechkin (left) checks off the puck tomorrow and get help from eight the team, instead of being a dic- scoring five unanswered goals. River Arena. The Arizona Coyo- by Carolina Hurricanes defencemen John-Michael Liles during the third other teams to win the AFC tator.” Malkin also had two assists, tes captain repaid his fans in full period at PNC Arena. The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Washington South and get a playoff berth. Owner Jeffrey Lurie fired Kelly defenseman Kris Letang had with a record-breaking perform- Capitals 4-2. The firing of Pagano would not on Tuesday. The New York Giants two goals and an assist and right ance against the Winnipeg Jets. come as a big surprise. He turned placed linebacker J T Thomas winger Patric Hornqvist a goal Doan had two goals, two big down a contract extension, the and long-snapper Danny Aiken and two assists for Pittsburgh. hits and a critical screen on Oliver Colts have a losing record after on injured reserve and signed Islanders 2, Sabres 1 Ekman-Larsson’s fifth game-win- NHL assess $2,000 fine on being considered a Super Bowl linebacker Nico Johnson and Centre Frans Nielsen and left ning goal of the season in Arizo- contender in preseason, and long-snapper Tyler Ott from the winger Nikolay Kulemin scored, na’s 4-2 win over the Winnipeg Pagano and Grigson reportedly practice squad. Thomas is side- leading the New York Islanders to Jets. Vancouver Canucks’ Hansen do not have a good relationship. lined with an ankle injury and a 2-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Kings 4, Flames 1 Meanwhile, Quarterback Aiken suffered a thumb injury Goalie Thomas Greiss made 42 The Los Angeles Kings fin- VA NCOU V ER: The National Gropp was selected by the Johnny Manziel will not play for during Thursday’s practice, bring- saves for the Islanders (21-12-5). ished off 2015 in style by beating Hockey League (NHL) fined Van- Rangers in the second round, 41st the Browns against the Pitts- ing to 21 the number of Giants Center Ryan O’Reilly scored the Calgary Flames 4-1 for their couver Canucks forward Jannik overall, of the 2015 NHL Entry burgh Steelers tomorrow, which players on injured reserve. for the Sabres (15-19-4). fourth straight win, all on the Hansen $2,000 as supplementary Draft. means Austin Davis will be the Wild 3, Blues 1 road. Kings goaltender Jonathan discipline for embellishment, the Meanwhile, the Washington starting quarterback in Cleve- AGENCIES Erik Haula’s goal midway Quick, who stopped 23 of 24 shots league announced. Capitals added to their injury through the third period snapped he faced, got some help from left Players first get a warning, problems when right wing Jay a tie to send Minnesota over St winger Milan Lucic to record his then they are assessed a $2,000 Beagle was placed on injured Louis. 21st win of the season. fine for the next offense. reserve on Thursday with an Nino Niederreiter and Thomas Late in the second period, Lucic Hansen was issued a warning upper-body injury. Vanek also scored for the Wild, reached behind him to deflect a for an incident on November 4. He Beagle, who has six goals and Dodgers to sign Japanese recorded just their second regu- shot taken by Flames defenseman was then fined for an incident in six assists in 36 games this season, lation win in 16 regular-season TJ Brodie wide of the Kings’ net the third period of a game against was injured Wednesday. He will games in St Louis dating back to with the blade of his stick. Tampa Bay on December 22. require surgery and is expected pitcher Maeda 2007. Right winger Marian Gaborik, Alexander Khokhlachev was to be sidelined for “an extended Kevin Shattenkirk scored the Lucic, and left wingers Andy recalled by the Boston Bruins period of time”, according to LOS ANGELES: The Los Ange- going 97-67 with a 2.39 earned- Blues’ lone goal. Andreoff and Tanner Pearson also from Providence. The team has coach Barry Trotz. les Dodgers are set to sign Japa- run-average. He went 15-8 last Blackhawks 4, Avalanche 3 scored for the Kings (24-11-2). assigned defenseman Colin Miller Defenseman John Carlson has a nese pitcher Kenta Maeda, media season with a 2.09 ERA and 175 (OT) Ducks 1, Oilers 0 to Providence. lower-body injury and he will miss reported on Thursday. strikeouts in 206 1/3 innings, Jonathan Toews scored a Two days after beating the Khokhlachev has skated in four “a few games”, Trotz said. The 27-year-old right-hander earning his second Sawamura power-play goal at 3:29 of over- Flames 1-0 in Calgary, the Ana- games with the Bruins this sea- The Capitals recalled defense- was posted by his Japanese club Award as top pitcher. The Ari- time to lift Chicago over Colorado. heim Ducks rolled into Rexall son. man Aaron Ness from the Her- the Hiroshima Carp, who will zona Diamondbacks, Seattle Mar- Patrick Kane also had a power- Place and beat the Edmonton Oil- The New York Rangers reached shey Bears of the AHL to replace be due a posting fee of up to $20 iners, New York Yankees, Chicago play goal and added two assists ers by the same score on Thurs- agreement with forward Ryan Carlson on the roster. million by any Major League Cubs and Dodgers were all said to for the Blackhawks, and Artem day night. Gropp on an entry-level contract, Club that signs him. Maeda has be interested him. Anisimov and Andrew Desjar- AGENCIES the team announced. AGENCIES pitched for Hiroshima since 2008, AFP SATURDAY 2 JANUARY 2016 SPORT www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 21 Graeme Smith called Rabada to replace injured pacer Steyn

CAPE TOWN: South Africa up to help Proteas fast bowler Dale Steyn will miss the second Test against England, which starts at Newlands today, Ex-skipper to advise struggling World Number One team after failing to recover from a shoulder injury, captain Hashim CAPE TOWN: Former Proteas ing as a specialist batsman. Plessis) or JP (Duminy) because Amla said. captain Graeme Smith has linked England, meanwhile, have these have been integral guys in He will be replaced by 20-year- up with the South African team added James Anderson to the our team for many years.” old rookie paceman Kagiso Rab- as an adviser ahead of the sec- eleven who won in Durban. The Fast bowler Kyle Abbott will ada while Quinton de Kock is ond Test against England which fast bowler missed the first Test undergo a fitness test ahead of likely to return as wicketkeeper, starts at Newlands today. because of a calf strain. “It’s the match after feeling tightness having been dropped for the last “Graeme was a wonderful an interesting call because the in his left hamstring at the end of five Tests, Amla added but said cricketer for South Africa and a number of overs he has bowled the first Test. If Abbott does not a final decision had still to be to wonderful captain,” said current on this tour isn’t great and with play, he will be replaced by either be taken. captain Hashim Amla. Smith will the heat here it’s going to be a Chris Morris or Hardus Viljoen, England won the opening Test be with the team for the rest of tough Test match,” said captain who are both uncapped. by 241 runs at Kingsmead in Dur- the four-match series. Alastair Cook. Viljoen, 26, was called up as ban on Wednesday. Amla said Smith’s experience “You want your best players cover for Abbott. He took 20 De Kock’s return would take could be important for South playing,” said Cook. “If he’s fit wickets in the first two matches pressure off AB de Villiers, who Africa’s batsmen, who have man- and he’s ready and he’s confident of the current season’s first-class returned behind the stumps for aged just three totals of more he’ll be opening the bowling but campaign for the Lions franchise. the Durban Test but looked pres- than 200 in their most recent 10 we’ve got to make sure he’s right. Amla said he was not concerned sured with the burden of extra completed innings. We don’t want to hinder ourselves that Smith, who captained South work. South Africa will make at least and have an injury that we could Africa in 108 Test matches before Kyle Abbott, who reported two changes following a crushing have prevented.” retiring two years ago, had made stiffness in his hamstring on 241-run defeat in the first Test Amla said De Kock’s inclusion some strong criticisms of South Wednesday, must face a fitness in Durban. depended on the selectors. But he Africa’s batting and selections in Test to determine whether he Amla announced that Kagiso added: “If Quinny does come in he his capacity as a television com- stays in the side or is replaced by Kagiso Rabada Rabada will replace the injured will take a load off AB and he has mentator during the first Test. Chris Morris or Hardus Viljoen, Dale Steyn. He also dropped a also been in very good form with South Africa have not won a neither of whom have played Test Rabada only made his debut in strong hint that Quinton de Kock the bat. If he does play, the selec- Test since last year’s New Year cricket. November in India and in three would come in as a wicketkeeper tors will have to decide who they fixture against the West Indies Former South Africa Steyn hurt his shoulder in the Tests took two wickets for 111 and batsman, with AB de Villiers will leave out. It will be a tough at the same venue. captain Graeme Smith first Test and could bowl only runs. relinquishing the gloves and play- decision, whether it is Faf (Du AFP 22 balls in the second innings. REUTERS Paceman Anderson poised for return

CAPE TOWN: England’s how he pulls up,” Bayliss told because the number of overs do that again? Can we have leading all-time wicket- reporters. he’s bowled on this tour so far an Edgbaston-Trent Bridge taker James Anderson is set “My thought is you’d prob- are not a huge amount and fortnight again in Durban to return to their attack for ably go with him, so fingers the heat out there means the and Cape Town?” he asked, the second test against South crossed he comes to us and test conditions will be tough evoking memories of Eng- Africa starting today after says his body’s feeling good. for all of us.” land’s dramatic wins in the recovering from a calf injury. “He’ll know his body and Anderson played only in third and fourth test of the Anderson, 33, was hardly what he’s capable of.” England’s first warm-up Ashes in July and August that missed in Durban as England Captain Alastair Cook said match in Potchefstroom in secured the series against bowled out South Africa for Anderson was “desperate” to mid-December against an Australia. 214 and 174 en route to a 241- play but England had to care- Invitation XI and bowled just “We have to be careful run victory but is set to return fully consider changing a win- five overs. not to get carried away. It in place of Chris Woakes for ning team. Cook said 2015 had been an took a lot out of us to win in the Cape Town test. “It’s fair to say the 11 who “up-and-down year” for Eng- Durban, we had to get out Anderson has gone through played in Durban did a pretty land and he wanted consist- of some tight situations but a lengthy session in the nets good job but when you’ve got ency to be the key word this we managed to drag it back with no adverse results and someone like him and his year. through absolute determina- England’s bowler James Anderson. The 33-year old paceman is England’s leading coach Trevor Bayliss said “the wickets, then if he is fit to go “It was great to finish with tion. It’s just whether we have all-time wicket-taker in Tests with 426 scalps and is set to strengthen their bowling signs look good.” he’ll play,” Cook said at a news a performance like that in the same hunger is us to do attack for the second test against South Africa starting today. “He’s been working hard conference yesterday. a match that was relentless it again.” but we have to wait and see “It’s an interesting call from ball one. But can we REUTERS Pakistan pick Fourth ODI: Nelson wicket has paceman Amir for New New Zealand, Sri Lanka in a spin NELSON: New Zealand were a recall for Matt Henry who took team that best suits the condi- paying close attention to the four wickets in each of the first tions. Naturally they (spinners) Zealand tour Saxton Oval wicket on New two matches. will come into a chance to play in LAHORE: Fast bowler Moham- Year’s Day amid suggestions it But consideration is also being the next one.” mad Amir was named in the could offer spin for today’s cru- given to dropping one of the quick Williamson was not impressed Pakistan squads yesterday for the cial fourth one-dayer against Sri bowlers in favour of pairing the with the way Southee, Adam limited over New Zealand tour, Lanka. leg-break option of Ish Sodhi Milne and Doug Bracewell set marking a return to the national Another win to Sri Lanka with the left-arm spin of Mitch- about defending New Zealand’s team after serving a five-year ban would level the series at two wins ell Santner. 276 total. for spot-fixing. apiece and turn the fifth and final Santner, who went for a wick- Tillakaratne Dilshan and His presence in the Lahore game into the decider. etless 59 off his 10 overs in Nelson, Danushka Gunathilaka cracked preparatory camp had met with A key piece of intelligence said the pitch flattened out during 83 off the first 10 overs with objections from some quarters, New Zealand took from the third the day with a suggestion of spin. Dilshan going on to make 91 and with one-day skipper Azhar match at Nelson’s Saxton Oval on “It’s starting to turn a little bit Gunathilaka 65. Ali offering to resign. The PCB Thursday was a sign the pitch is so the spinners might get more of Lahiru Thirimanne was not out rejected Azhar’s resignation. starting to take turn. a crack,” he said, but added: “It’s 87 when Sri Lanka reached their Mohammad Hafeez, another They were thoroughly out- still going to be a good batting target with 22 balls to spare. senior player who expressed played in that match with Sri surface so pushing that 300 mark Thursday was not a good day reservations about playing with Lanka bettering their 276-run could be a competitive score.” for Williamson as he watched his Amir, is part of both the ODI and total for the loss of only two Kane Williamson, standing in side crumble in the face of a reju- Twenty20 teams. A spot-fixing wickets against New Zealand’s as captain while Brendon McCul- venated Sri Lankan unit he also scandal resulted in bans and jail predominantly pace attack. lum recovers from a sore back, lost his place at the head of the sentences for him, former test The New Zealand bowling line- confirmed the two-spinner option world Test batting rankings to captain Salman Butt and fast up is already destined for a shake- was under discussion. Australian skipper Steve Smith. bowler Mohammad Asif. up with Tim Southee ruled out “You assess the wicket and you with an injured left foot, earning look at the squad and pick the AFP REUTERS PAKISTAN SQUADS ODI squad: Azhar Ali (captain), Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Aussies mull two spinners Malik, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Sohaib Maqsood, Zafar Gohar, Imad Wasim, Anwar Ali, Sarfraz Ahmed, Wahab Raiz, Rahat Ali, Mohammad for final West Indies Test Irfan, Mohammad Rizwan, Moham- mad Amir. SYDNEY: Australia are con- over paceman Peter Siddle and season has captured 36 wickets T20 squad: Shahid Afridi (captain), templating bowling two spin- the SCG pitch has a reputation in five Sheffield Shield matches. Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, ners for the first time in 10 years for taking turn. Team coach Dar- Sohaib Maqsood, Shoaib Malik, with Stephen O’Keefe in line to ren Lehmann has foreshadowed AFP Umar Akmal, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Amir in action during a practice session. partner Nathan Lyon against the O’Keefe’s likely recall after his Wasim, Anwar Ali, Aamer Yamin, Sar- Amir was named in the Pakistan squads yesterday for the limited over West Indies in tomorrow’s final sole four-wicket Test appearance SQUADS fraz Ahmed, Wahab Riaz, Umar Gul, New Zealand tour, marking a return to the national team after serving Test in Sydney. against Pakistan in Dubai over a Mohammad Rizwan, Saad Nasim, Australia (from): David Warner, Joe a five-year ban for spot-fixing. Not since Stuart MacGill part- year ago. Mohammad Amir. nered with Shane Warne against “In the games we’ve been Burns, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith South Africa at the Sydney watching it’s been spinning. So I (capt), Adam Voges, Mitch Marsh, Cricket Ground in 2006 have the would say more than likely it’ll be Peter Nevill, Peter Siddle, Josh Hazle- Amir promises wickets and love on comeback home side played with two recog- two spinners. We’ll have to sum wood, James Pattinson, Nathan Lyon, nised spinners and circumstances the weather up probably closer Stephen O’Keefe, Scott Boland LAHORE: Paceman Mohammad land. The 23-year-old left-armer, “I am sure fans will love me,” he are tilting in O’Keefe’s favour. to day one and we’ve got to wait West Indies (from): Kraigg Brathwaite, Amir, who served a prison term who is set to make his interna- said. “But even if there are taunts Steve Smith’s Australians have for all the fitness on the quicks as Rajendra Chandrika, Darren Bravo, for spot-fixing, said he was ready tional comeback less than four and harsh remarks I am ready for already wrapped up the three- well,” Lehmann said. Marlon Samuels, Jermaine Blackwood, to respond to his critics with months after completing a five- that and will do my best to reply Test series with thumping wins O’Keefe has taken 191 wickets Denesh Ramdin, Jason Holder (capt), wickets - and love - after being year ban, remains a polarising to them with love and by taking over the out-gunned Caribbean for New South Wales at an aver- Carlos Brathwaite, Kemar Roach, Jer- selected yesterday for Pakistan’s figure for Pakistan’s cricket-mad wickets.” tourists in Hobart and Melbourne. age of less than 25 in the decade ome Taylor, Devendra Bishoo, Jomel limited-overs tour of New Zea- public and even some team-mates. AFP There are injury concerns since his Shield debut and this Warrican. SATURDAY 2 JANUARY 2016 22 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com SPORT Turkish delight as Cortani storms to Doha win Al Rayyan International Show Jumping Championship: Karaveli takes top honour as Qatari rider grabs 2nd spot

By Rizwan Rehmat tion goes until March 6. I am still leading and hope I can continue FIXTURES DOHA: Turkish rider Omer with this. Today Karaveli yesterday produced a “That’s why I came here so that superb ride with Cortani to win I want my nine-year-old to see if Competition No (4) the feature event on the first day he is ready. Two Phases of the 2016 Al Rayyan Interna- “The level is really high in Article (274.5.3) tional Show Jumping Champion- Doha. Very good horses and rid- Fences: Height 120 cm ship. ers are here. This is a good place Speed: 350 m/m Cortani clocked a time of 30.45 to see your level. (One Horse per Rider) seconds to win the 145cm class “I have some more events to Competition No (5) at Qatar Equestrian Federation’s take care of,” Karaveli said. (QEF) Outdoor Arena. Earlier in competition two, Table (A) Against the Clock With J. Off. Whitaker, ridden by Qatar’s Ali Al Khorafi emerged an easy Article (238.2.2) Hamad Ali Al Attiyah, finished in winner with Ungarin 4 clocking Fences: Height 120 cm second spot while Apolo, who had a time of 27.97 seconds in a flaw- Speed: 350 m/m Ales Optarny of Czech Republic in less routine at the outdoor arena. (Two Horses per Rider) the saddle, grabbed the third spot. Al Khorafi bagged the top prize Competition No (6) Whitaker clocked a time of of QR 2812. Table (A) Against the Clock With J. Off. 31.61 seconds while Apolo finished Derin Demirsoy of Turkey Article (238.2.2) in a time of 33.14 seconds. finished second with Bosphorus Fences: Height 135 cm Cha Cha Cha 7 (4th, Ramzy (29.23 seconds). Demirsoy picked Speed: 350 m/m Al Duhami) and Beltone Partner up the second prize of QR 2250. (Two Horses per Rider) (5th, Mohamed Talaat) completed In another flawless ride, Rakan the top five riders in the feature Al Hasawi secured the third spot Competition No (7) event. Karaveli picked up the top with Dennis (30.24 seconds). Qualifying competition for the FEI World prize of QR 30,525 and said the Cover Girl G (4th, Bader Cup win had come as a surprise. Alfard) and Annalita (5th, Noora Table (A) Against the Clock Article (238.2.1) “Frankly speaking, I was not Al Qaoud), completed the top rid- No J. Off. expecting to win here but I am ers in the 130/135cm class. Jassim Mohammad Al Emadi, representing AlHazm of Al Emadi Enterprises presenting the trophy to Turkey’s Fences: Height 145 cm glad I came here. I have this great In competition one, Jessico 4 Omer Karaveli who won the feature event on the first day of Al Rayyan International Show Jumping Championship Speed: 350 m/m young horse who is nine years stepped out of the starting blocks at Qatar Equestrian Federation’s (QEF) Outdoor Arena yesterday. BELOW: Karaveli in action as a good number (Two Horses per Rider)) old,” Karaveli. in emphatic fashion as Qatar’s of show jumping fans watch the proceedings on the opening day. “I am very, very happy,” he said. Nasser Al Qadi eased to an easy Tomorrow “I did not expect to win. My horse win ahead of 42 other riders. Competition No (8) had very good rounds last week. Jessico 4 clocked a time of 26.69 spot whereas Qatar’s Hamad Table (A) Against the Clock He’s hasn’t done big shows but he seconds as Al Qadi pocketed the Towaim Al Marri finished in fifth Article (238.2.1) No J. Off. is getting better,” he said. top prize of QR 1,687 in the 120cm spot (Senna Van De Helle). Fences: Height 120 cm “I know he is getting better,” class. This is the second major com- Speed: 350 m/m the Turkish rider said. Chantico B, ridden by HRH petition for the home riders who (Two Horses per Rider) Karaveli added he was eying a Prince Mansour Al Saud of Saudi also featured at the Qatar Inter- berth at the Olympic Games this Arabia, finished second in a time national Show Jumping Cham- Competition No (9) year. of 28.21 seconds. The second prize pionship held at the same venue Table (A) Against the Clock Article (238.2.1) “This year I hope I can go to was worth QR 1350. last week. No J. Off. the Olympic Games. I hope I can Saudi rider Abdulrehman Last week’s Grand Prix class Fences: Height 130-135 cm take Turkey to the Games after Albaldi guided Anufleur M to was won by Qatar’s Bassam Has- Speed: 350 m/m 56 years. That’s the only goal for the third spot in a time of 29.10 san Mohammed with The Toy- ( Two Horses per Rider) me,” he said. seconds. maker. Competition No (10) “I am in the lead still, There’s a Kuwait’s Sheikh Yousuf Al A total of 89 riders and 164 30-point gap. It all depends how Sabah - astride Van Schijndel’s horses taking part in this pres- Mini Grand Prix I ride my other horses. Qualifica- Wamberto - finished in fourth tigious 4-star event, the second One Round + Winning Round of its kind in a week organised Article (276.2.1, 2.3) by QEF. Fences: Height 145 cm 2016 AL RAYYAN CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS The three-day FEI-approved Speed: 375 m/m Read under as horse, rider, time and Bosphorus, Derin Demirsoy, 29.23 event features a Grand Prix Class (Two Horses per Rider) prize money: seconds, QR 2,250 of 160cm high fences within the Competition No (11) (Comp. 1) Two Phases, Art. 274.5.3 - Dennis, Rakan Al Hasawi, 30.24 seconds, QR 1,687 Arab League qualifications of rid- 120 CM FEI World CupTM Competition – Arab Cover Girl G, Bader Alfard, 30.62 seconds, ers and horses for the 2016 World Jessico 4, Saeed Nasser Al Qadi, 26.69 QR 1,125 League seconds, QR 1,687 Cup Finals. Annalita, Noora Al Qaoud, 31.32 seconds, There are 11 classes in total of Qualifier for OG RIO 2016 (certificates Chantico B, Hrh. Prince Mansour Alsaud, QR 787 capability) 28.21 seconds QR 1,350 (Comp. 3) Special Two Phases, Art. which 3 were contested yester- Anufleur, M Abdulrahman Albladi, 29.10 274.5.6 - 145 CM day while 4 each are lined up for Open to the 30 top riders from competition seconds QR 1,012 Cortani, Omer Karaevli, 30.45 seconds, today and tomorrow respectively, 7 QR 30,525 Van Schijndel’s Wamberto, Sheikh Yousuf officials said. Two different Rounds with the Second Al Sabah, 29.11 seconds, QR 675 Whitaker, Hamad Ali Al Attiyah, 31.61 Round Against the clock seconds, QR 24,420 The action continues today Senna Van De Helle, Hamad Towaim Al Article (273.3.3. 2 +4.3 + Annex VIII Art.6) Marri, 30.48 seconds, QR 472 Apolo, Ales Opatrny, 33.14 seconds, QR with the first one starting at 18,315 Table A (Comp. 2) Two Phases, Art. 274.5.3 - 11:30am. The last competition of Cha Cha Cha 7, Ramzy Al Duhami, 33.57 Fences: Height 140 - 160 cm 130/135 CM seconds, QR 12,210 the day will start at 6:00pm. Speed: 375 m/m Ungarin 4, Ali Al Khorafi, 27.97 seconds, Beltone Partner, Mohamed Talaat, 36.79 QR 2,812 seconds, QR 8,547 THE PENINSULA (One Horse per Rider)

Atletico sign United fans are Celta midfielder Clubs braced for risky January window the best, says PARIS: The start of the new summer from Sevilla and Atletico Fernandez year means the opening of the Madrid respectively. In Italy, the Van Gaal January transfer window and an window also opens on Monday, opportunity for English Premier while in Germany clubs can start MADRID: Atletico Madrid have League clubs to once again flex doing business as early as New LONDON: Much-travelled Louis boosted their La Liga title chal- their financial muscle. Year’s Day and Eintracht Frank- van Gaal has coached some of the lenge with the signing of Argen- The window opens in England furt have already announced the biggest clubs in world football but tine international midfielder today and clubs in Europe’s rich- signing of the Hungarian Szabolcs Manchester United’s fans are Augusto Fernandez from Celta est league are likely to once again Huszti, who returns to the Bun- the best he has come across, the Vigo for an undisclosed fee. be the busiest in the market, but desliga after a spell in China. Dutch veteran said yesterday. “Fernandez passed a medical January is rarely the best time to German sides will be braced for The 64-year-old former Bar- on Thursday and has signed his do business. moves from England, with Liver- celona, Bayern Munich and Ajax contract with our club on January A year ago the biggest moves pool manager Jurgen Klopp being Amsterdam supremo has been 1 for the remainder of the season saw Manchester City sign the tipped to return to his homeland the target of strong media criti- plus three more,” Atletico said Ivory Coast striker Wilfried Bony as he tries to strengthen his squad cism following United’s run of in a statement on their website from Swansea City for £28m and Schalke director of sport and eight matches without a victory yesterday. ($41.3m) and Chelsea bring in communications Horst Heldt in all competitions. The 29-year-old enjoyed a suc- Colombia winger Juan Cuadrado insisting Sane does not want to Van Gaal, however, hailed the cessful three-and-a-half year spell from Fiorentina for £26.1m. go and will not be leaving. “fantastic” reaction of the United at Celta, scoring 10 goals in 122 Fast forward 12 months and One man who is more likely to supporters. appearances, and helping to guide Bony has struggled to settle as leave Schalke in January is Joel “I’ve had bad periods at all them to fifth in the table so far a back-up to Sergio Aguero to Matip, the Cameroon interna- my clubs and I have to say the this season. City while Cuadrado has already tional defender who has also been best fans are here at Manchester His arrival is expected to cover returned to Italy, joining Juven- linked with a move to the Premier United,” he told reporters ahead for the absence of the injured tus on loan. Making signings in League. of today’s home game with Swan- Tiago, who will be out until March the January window, which closes French clubs have become used sea City. with a broken leg. on February 1, may be a risk, but to approaches from wealthy Pre- “In such a difficult period, they “He is a player with veritable the new broadcasting deal due Manchester City’s Wilfried Bony reacts after his side’s defeat to Burnley mier League sides and they are were applauding the performance experience in La Liga, who will to come into effect next season at Turf Moor in Burnley in this March 2015 file photo. City signed Bony bracing themselves for more of of the players and that’s fantas- offer quality and competition to a means just finishing last in the in the biggest move last year. the same with Marseille goal- tic.” great central midfield like ours,” Premier League in 2016-17 will be keeper and captain Steve Man- United have slipped to sixth in said Atletico sporting director worth £99m ($145.9m). danda -- out of contract in the the Premier League, nine points Jose Luis Perez Caminero. That means clubs battling to already one month ago we are being strongly linked with Ever- summer -- among those being behind joint leaders Arsenal and “His incorporation will help us avoid relegation from England’s a bit short to deal with all the ton’s Scotland forward Steven targeted. Leicester City, and Van Gaal is with the demands of challenging top flight, or competing for pro- competitions we face, especially Naismith. Paris Saint-Germain coach aware his team have an urgent in three competitions in the com- motion and the associated riches, in midfield. We will be busy, yes,” Elsewhere, transfer activity is Laurent Blanc has already admit- need to arrest their slide. ing months.” will be ready to spend big in the said Arsenal manager Arsene likely to be modest, although the ted that “not much” will happen “We have to get points other- Atletico are joint top of La winter window, while teams at the Wenger on Wednesday. giants of the Spanish game may at his club in a window that he wise the gap is too big,” said the Liga with Barcelona, albeit hav- top of the table could be ready to Meanwhile, Aston Villa and make some moves when the win- says is “not a good thing.” Dutchman. “We have to work, ing played a game more than the spend even more than usual. other strugglers have their cheque dow in La Liga opens on Monday, Other French sides would prepare the game, perform and European champions. While Manchester City are books at the ready in a desper- January 4. agree, with Angers, who lie third then evaluate the game again. Fernandez already has title being linked in the English press ate attempt to strengthen their Barcelona can finally register at the season’s halfway stage, “That is, of course, much more winning experience under with a move for Schalke 04’s tal- squads and beat the drop. players again as a year-long FIFA- having already lost goalkeeper difficult when you don’t win than Atletico coach Diego Simeone as ented young Germany winger “We are looking to add to the imposed transfer ban comes to an Ludovic Butelle to Belgian side when you win. We need to win they won the Argentine Clausura Leroy Sane, Arsenal will look to squad but I will not go into details end. That means the defending Club Brugge and prepared for because we want to be at the top title together when at River Plate spend to improve their chances of with specific clubs or players,” was European champions can hand bids for other key players in the of the league, not the middle,” he in 2008. a first title since 2004. all Norwich City manager Alex debuts to Aleix Vidal and Arda coming weeks. said. AFP “I’m already busy and I said Neil would reveal, although he is Turan, who were signed in the AFP REUTERS 23 SATURDAY 2 JANUARY 2016 Sport www.thepeninsulaqatar.com Rally legend Al Attiyah eyes another Dakar crown Defending champion wants to emulate last year’s performance, Loeb looks to challenge ace Qatari driver

BUENOS AIRES: Nine-time “Peugeot have some really good world rally champion Sebastien names in the team and especially Loeb will add some extra spice to some very good drivers, but I this year’s Dakar Rally in which still think that the car is com- Qatari Nasser Al Attiyah will bid pletely new and will take time to to defend his title in Argentina develop,” Al Attiyah told redbull. and Bolivia. com. The Frenchman will seek to “It will be a good car one day, follow in the footsteps of Ari but maybe now is a bit soon to Vatanen, who won the Dakar in win. However, the team has really his first attempt in 1987, back looked like it’s going in the right when it was raced in Africa. direction and we’ll see at the next After Peru pulled out as one of Dakar. Obviously I hope I can beat the hosts of this edition in August, them.” citing concerns over the El Nino Al Attiyah was clear about his weather phenomenon, the rally race tactics, saying he aimed to will be raced in Argentina and mirror last year’s efforts when he Bolivia, an 11km prologue kick- took the lead on the second leg ing off proceedings today. and ceded nothing. Loeb has been racing in the “If you look at the last Dakar, World Touring Car Champion- there is actually a reason why we ship since effectively retiring from picked up a time penalty on the WRC rallying after the last of his first day. That was so we could nine consecutive world titles in start seventh on day two. From 2012. Nasser Al Attiyah (right) of Qatar, and his navigator Michel Perin of this starting point we could get a The 41-year-old, who has made France, arrive at the departure ceremony of the Dakar Rally 2015 in really good time. the odd appearance in rallies front of the Casa Rosada Presidential Palace in Buenos Aires, in this “We improved every day with- since quitting the WRC world January 2015 file photo. out any mistakes and by the fin- championship circuit – even win- ish we were leading by more than ning in Monte Carlo and Argen- half-an-hour. It was a good plan tina in 2013 – will race a Peugeot in January.” Loeb added that he tion with more than 35 minutes to and we’d like to do something 2008 DKR, having raced almost had been impressed by the Peu- spare over the closest competitor. similar at this Dakar, but every exclusively for another French geot car and will be accompanied That winning form has contin- race is a different one.” manufacturer, Citroen. by long-time co-driver Daniel ued, Al Attiyah dominating the Al Attiyah will also face fero- Team Peugeot will enter three Elena, who is also a rally-raid world of rally raids by claiming cious competition from within other cars, Loeb joining Stephane novice. victory in the rallies of Qatar, Mini itself: 2014 winner Nani Peterhansel (11th in 2015), Carlos “When I test drove the Peugeot Egypt and Morocco, as well as Roma and ambitious Orly Ter- Sainz (DNF) and Cyril Despres in June, it impressed me straight the Hungary, Italy and Poland ranova (5th in 2013 and 2014) (34th). away. And it has evolved tremen- Bajas, easily winning the sport’s pose the greatest danger among “The Dakar is very different dously since then,” the French- World Cup, and taking new titles the record-breaking 13 crews from the type of racing I am con- man said. in WRC 2 and the Middle East fielded by X-Raid, including Guer- centrating on these days,” admit- The man to beat is Al Attiyah, Championship. lain Chicherit’s “Zebra” buggy. ted Loeb. the two-time Dakar champion While a clear favourite, there Toyota Gazoo features other “It will be very long, more than (2011 and 2015) who will start are no certainties in the gruel- pretenders to the crown, espe- two weeks! And I will need endur- the race in Buenos Aires as the ling Dakar, where the race can cially 2009 champion and last Nasser Al Attiyah of Qatar, winner of the 2015 Dakar Rally auto category, ance to manage the car over such favourite for the 2016 edition, in be turned on its head any second year’s runner-up Giniel de Vil- holds the country’s flag while celebrating his title in Buenos Aires in this a distance. It is another approach which he will be driving a Mini. even for the best car in the Dakar liers. January 2015 file photo. to racing. I will learn all about it The Qatari won the 2015 edi- rally. AFP

Lekhwiya look to extend winning streak Al Gharafa seek fresh with Qatar SC scalp as QSL resumes start under new coach DOHA: Former champions Al the moment. And we want to start DOHA: Defending champi- my team elsewhere. As for my Gharafa will look to the future with confidence. That’s the first ons Lekhwiya will go into their team, I am please what I have. I instead of dwelling on disappoint- step. The team has the potential round of 15 clash against Qatar might look to change 1-2 players ing past results, new coach Pedro and the will to change the course Sports Club with aims of winning in key positions. But I am okay if Caixinha said on Thursday. of events. And we believe that we their seventh successive game as I have to play the second part of Al Gharafa roped in Caixinha will express that on the pitch. “I the Qatar Stars League (QSL) the season with the same squad. last week to make an impres- totally trust in the structure of resumes today after a short win- I have total trust in my players,” sion in the second phase of Qatar the club. I believe in the manage- ter break. he said. Stars League (QSL). ment. This is a game where the Third-placed Lekhwiya play Qatar SC coach Sebastiao Bottom-placed Mesaimeer players take centre stage. They Qatar SC today at Al Gharafa Lazaroni urged his players to are the rivals for 10th-placed Al are the main actors in this act. Stadium. build on the momentum gained Gharafa today at Al Wakrah Sta- I believe in their work and I do “If you want to beat us, you in December when his side picked dium. believe in my work too which is will have to do something special up a few points. “We know that what belongs the main connection. against us,” coach Djamel Belmadi “The second part of the league to the past stays in the past. We “This is the start of a new cycle said on Thursday in a pre-match is going to be very important. are not worried about the past. for the team. I am looking at our press conference. We know that Lekhwiya have We start a new cycle now. And season having just 12 matches. “Every day, in every single been very strong in their last few the best possible way will be to This means that we are playing training session, I can see my matches. For that we have had start with getting three points,” for a championship with just 36 players are focussed and they also an intense preparation for this Caixinha said at his maiden press points on offer. And the main have this regret about the results match,” Lazaroni said. conference on challenge for us that we had in the beginning of “We have worked on the tech- Thursday. QSL FIXTURES is to finish in the season, about the points that nical and tactical aspects. We are “We are Today’s matches the top 4 within we have missed,” Belmadi said. looking to continue the progress focussed on our Al Khor vs Al Arabi at Al Khor Stadium (16:15) such a small “That’s something that we are that the team has shown recently. team. We have Qatar SC vs Lekhwiya at Al Gharafa Stadium time. That is our not happy about. We have lost We are much better than before started work- (16:15) target,” Caixinha enough points already. So we will - physically and tactically. Now ing yesterday said. Al Rayyan vs Al Kharaitiyat at Al Gharafa Sta- not lack motivation going into is the moment for us to get the and we believe “I fully trust dium (18:45) any game. I am not saying we are Lekhwiya’s Youssef Msakni and Yasin Chikhaoui (right) of Al Gharafa vie results. But for that the team has in the quality of the players. I going to win every game. But we to play the best we can,” the Bra- our players. We Mesaimeer vs Al Gharafa at Al Wakrah Sta- have the same for the ball possession during their Qatar Stars League (QSL) match at dium (18:45) will not go into any match lack- Al Ahli Stadium, in this December 22, 2015 file photo. zilian said. believe in the his- belief in them as ing motivation or concentration,” “In our last game, our oppo- tory and philoso- Tomorrow’s matches they have in me,” he added. nent had four shots at goal and phy of our club Umm Salal vs Al Sadd at Al Ahli Stadium he added. Belmadi, who has helped difficult start of the season. In the winning but know that it will not they won 3-2. Of course we are and hope that (16:15) There will be Lekhwiya camp behind points last 2-3 games they are in better be easy. We have to be careful and talking about a different quality the team will play Al Ahli vs Al Wakrah at Al Ahli Stadium (18:45) a total of four leaders Al Rayyan and El Jaish shape, have better results,” Bel- focussed for this last game. We when it comes to Lekhwiya. They with confidence Al Sailiya vs El Jaish at Al Gharafa Stadium matches in round after six consecutive wins, is not madi said. don’t want to go into the holiday have special players. But we have and to the poten- (18:45) 15 today. under-estimating Qatar SC. “They have good individual mood before the game. We want to do the maximum that we can,” tial that we pos- In the 16:15 “They are a team that had a players too. We want to continue to get a positive result in this Lazaroni said. ses and do everything to get the kick-off Al Khor entertain Al game and have a good break after Lazaroni said his wants total three points so that we can start Arabi at Al Khor stadium. The that,” the Algerian added. commitment on the pitch from this phase well,”Caixinha said. Knights have a good record “We are pleased about our pre- his players. “Doing an analysis of our oppo- against the top sides in the QSL vious results. It was not perfect “Each Qatar SC player must nent is one of the tests that we do this season, and our unbeaten but there were a lot of positive give his best. We should focus on before every match. But right now in the last two matches in the things. The most important thing not giving Lekhwiya players any we are focussing only on our team. league. Whilst in the other 16:15 is the results. We want to con- space and create trouble for them “We need to know our oppo- kick-off QSC will face Lekhwiya. tinue but there’s a break after with combinations and individual nent and we will do some research The Kings are currently strug- this match,” Belmadi said. action. In these kind of matches, today and tomorrow but for the gling in the QSL relegation zone, “The break is important for we will have to focus more than moment we are focussing on our and will be hoping for a big result everybody. Lekhwiya started early Lekhwiya. If we can show qual- identity and our style of play against Lekhwiya who have sta- this season because of the Asian ity in our finishing and not make rather than the opponents,” Caix- bilized after a bad run of form. Champions League quarterfinals. mistakes then we have a chance,” inha said. Lekhwiya have won their last six We will have a good break where Lazaroni said. “I believe in having a strong QSL matches, including com- we will prepare ourselves well. “The actual break will come relationship between the top and prehensive 4-0 victories over Al We are working with the admin- only after this game. It will be the bottom. I have worked in this Gharafa and Al Ahli. The Red istration to see what we can do good for us. refresh the players. to region before and Al Gharafa is Knights are very much in the Top - whether to stay in Doha or go have more energy for the second a team that everybody always 4 picture, and will hope that rivals somewhere else. part of the league,” he said. speaks about. So we are talking Al Rayyan can slip up further so Lekhwiya coach Djamel Belmadi (right) during a pre-match press confer- “Many big clubs are coming to The game begins at 16:15pm. about a big club. Let’s however they can get into the title race. ence in Doha on Thursday. Doha for their training camps, so not dwell on the past.” it will be strange for me to take THE PENINSULA “Football is all about being in THE PENINSULA