ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED NEWSPAPER Home | 6 Business | 21 Sport | 28 2014 was hotter Qatar banks’ loan New Zealand for Doha than book fall by 0.5pc outplayed the previous and deposits by England on third year. 0.2pc in April. day at Lord’s. SUNDAY 24 MAY 2015 • 6 Shaaban 1436 • Volume 20 Number 6440 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 Al Sadd win Emir Cup for football Christie’s denies Airlines raise Picasso sale to ex-Qatar PM DOHA: Christie’s has denied fares as peak ‘rumours’ circulating in a sec- tion of the Western media that a Picasso painting was sold to former prime minister H E Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim season arrives bin Jabor Al Thani at record price. Femmes d’ Alger was sold to an anonymous telephone bidder Budget carriers also cash in on demand for $179m, breaking all records for the most expensive artwork BY FAZEENA SALEEM especially Kerala, are fully booked. ever purchased at auction. “It’s more expensive and has New York Post’s page 6 on May DOHA: Expatriates planning a high demand when it comes to 20 reported that the painting summer vacation have been hit direct flights and immediate con- was bought by Sheikh Hamad. hard by a sharp rise in air fares, nections,” a travel executive told Several leading newspapers and which industry sources put at this daily yesterday. TV channels in the West carried an average of 10 percent higher “Although tickets are paid by similar reports. compared to the peak season employers for many passengers, Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani presents Emir Cup for football to Al Sadd players at Al Sadd Stadium Responding to the report, fares last year. there is a considerable number yesterday. The team defeated El Jaish 2-1. See also pages 31 and 32 Christie’s denied the identity Tickets to popular Asian des- of people forced to buy tickets on of the buyer and said what had tinations like Colombo, Manila, their own. been reported were rumours and Kathmandu, Dhaka and the “Even if it’s QR100, it matters assumptions. The British daily Indian cities of Calicut, Chennai to them, especially when they The Telegraph and the US-based and Mumbai have particularly purchase more than one ticket,” Leisure trips on loans decried CNBC channel also denied the become dearer. she added. rumours and said Sheikh Hamad The 10 percent increase is A return trip to Calicut DOHA: As the summer months in his last sermon. taking loans and getting into debt is “definitely not” the buyer. added to the usual hike during the would cost about QR4,000 and have begun prompting families He said rising indebtedness in traps was their problem. “This is THE PENINSULA peak season, which starts from to Mumbai QR3,900, which is to plan dream overseas vaca- the community is largely due to not true. Indebtedness concerns June, which could be 75 percent to between QR300 and QR500 tions for this year, clerics and bank loans taken to fund leisure entire society. It is a social evil.” 100 percent more than the normal higher than last year, said another community elders are join- trips. “Some 80 percent of prob- She said it was unfortunate Mosque bomber was fare, say travel industry sources. a travel consultant. ing forces to raise awareness lem and un-serviced loans are that the community was fast South Asians constitute the A return trip to Colombo against people funding leisure these loans,” he said in remarks becoming addicted to consumer- linked to IS: Saudi major chunk of the expatriate would cost about QR3,300 and to trips through bank loans. published by local Arabic daily ism as people tended to splurge populations in Qatar and large Chennai QR3,800 during the sea- The situation of families strug- Al Raya yesterday. And Al Watan money on unproductive things. RIYADH: Saudi Arabia yes- numbers of them prefer to spend son. A similar trip cost an average gling to repay loans splurged on quoted a businessman as saying “What should be encouraged terday identified the suicide the Eid and school holidays home. QR300 less last year. unproductive things like lux- that it would be wiser if people is productivity, not a consumer- bomber who killed 21 worship- The sources say tickets to The travel agents this daily ury foreign trips seems to have saved from their earnings regu- ist culture in our society.” pers in a Shi’a mosque and con- top Asian destinations like the spoke to could not give a satis- become so alarming that imams larly and spent it on foreign holi- Dr Rajab A Ismail, a Qatar firmed his link to the Islamic South Indian cities of Calicut, factory explanation for the sharp have begun talking against peo- days or to buy new cars. University professor, blamed State. Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and hike, but some said it is largely ple’s indebtedness in their Friday Mohamed Abdullah Al Obaidly banks for making promotions for “His name was Salih bin Chennai and Sri Lankan capital due to the fact that airlines sermons. said people should try to save at tour loan packages during the Abdulrahman Salih Al Ghishaami, Colombo would cost eight percent change fare structures based on A cleric last Friday said some least 10-20 percent of monthly summer and said they should a Saudi national,” the Interior to 14 percent more compared to demand. families spent about QR1m earnings and these savings could raise awareness against the social Ministry said in a statement. “He last year. Fares are subject to fluctuation ($275,000) on a foreign trip and be spent on overseas trips or new dangers of indebtedness. He said was wanted by security services Even budget airlines have and depend on the season and they, thus, get caught in vicious vehicles. “This would mean they people could save money by going for belonging to a terrorist cell jacked up fares, cashing in on travel dates, they said. and never-ending debt traps. would not have to take loans.” on overseas trips in groups and as receiving directions from Daesh the huge demand, and flights to Continued on page 10 “This is socially dangerous,” Hind Al Muftah told the daily part of packages. abroad,” it said, using the Arabic most south Asian destinations, THE PENINSULA warned Sheikh Abdullah Al Sada that people usually believed that THE PENINSULA acronym for IS. AFP HOME SUNDAY 24 MAY 2015 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 03 Fire in Al Wakra workshop A carpentry workshop behind Al Wakra Municipality Building caught fire yesterday morning. A Civil Defence team rushed to the site and put out the blaze before it could spread to adjoining facilities. There were no casualties. The cause of the fire could not be immediately ascertained. Hala India, Nigeria promotions extended DOHA: Due to popular until June 22. With the keys, cus- subscribe to India Key by send- demand, Ooredoo yesterday tomers can save up to 50 percent ing SMS ‘IND’ to 121. extended latest international on current rates to India and The keys were launched to help savings offers — Hala India and Nigeria. the expatriate community talk Hala Nigeria Keys — to enable Subscriptions will automati- more for less as they stay con- customers to call loved ones at cally renew every week so cus- nected with friends and family reduced rates for longer. tomers can continue to enjoy across the globe. At QR1 a week, Hala Nigeria benefits of subsidised interna- Ooredoo offers international Key offers the lowest rates in tional calling rates. calling saving options on Qatar’s Qatar for calls to Nigeria for 30 Customers wishing to subscribe bigger and faster network for dirhams per minute and has been to the service can activate Hala customers wanting to adapt extended until May 31. Nigeria Key for QR1/week by their Hala or Shahry services to Hala India Key, which offers sending SMS ‘NGA’ [English] and better suit their monthly needs. calling rates decreased to 10 ‘?’ [Arabic] to 121. Visit www.ooredoo.qa for details dirhams per minute, costs QR1 To take advantage of the low of service plans and international per week and has been extended rate, Hala customers need to call rates. THE PENINSULA Promotion valid only 24.05.2015, Purchase limit may apply. Offer valid till stocks last. QAR. 43.75 Egyptian Beef Bone-less 1kg QAR. 3.50 QAR. 24.75 Egyptian Mixed Pickles 1kg Egyptian Mild Roomy Cheese 1kg 390ltr QAR. 29.75 QAR. 8.50 QAR. 999 QAR. 14.75 The Berry Acai Berry Juice 1ltr X 1pc Lulu Calrose Rice 5kg Sea Bass 1kg Daewoo Refrigerator FR390S SUNDAY 24 MAY 2015 04 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com HOME Sudan president arriving today HMC to honour over 400 blood donors DOHA: Sudanese President DOHA: For the fifth consecu- under the patronage of Minister of the support of some of Qatar’s most Petrochemical Company as express gratitude to volun- Field Marshall Omar Hassan tive year, Blood Donor Centre has Public Health H E Abdulla bin Khalid high-profile companies and well-wish- silver sponsors. tary blood donors helping Al Bashir will arrive in Qatar achieved 100 percent voluntary Al Qahtani to honour the donors. It ers from the community. “Blood donation helps save the lives of patients today. Emir H H Sheikh blood donation rate, the highest will be held under the universal theme The event will be sponsored by save millions of lives every with life-threatening Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in the region, and over 400 donors this year ‘Thank You for Saving My Qatar Chemical Company as plati- year.