ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED NEWSPAPER Thursday 9 January 2014 8 Rabial I 1435 - Volume 18 Number 5939 Price: QR2 Private sector West Indies hiring up last draw series month in US with NZ Business | 17 Sport | 25 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 Real estate ‘Polar vortex’ eases up on eastern US NEW YORK: The arctic blast that brought record low temperatures to many deals in 2013 parts of the United States this week appeared to be loosening its grip yester- day, with meteorologists promising a far-reaching worth QR45bn thaw by the weekend. But experts warned many areas would remain below freezing yesterday despite Skyrocketing land prices hit growth the warm-up, and that travel delays from cancelled flights DOHA: Real estate deals in the In terms of numbers, 8,481 real and rail disruptions caused country last year were worth estate deals were struck in 2013 by the so-called polar vortex QR45.5bn ($12.49bn), but growth — 268 more than those concluded could still be expected. over the previous year was neg- the previous year — up just 3.26 Officials reported at least ligible, at barely three percent, percent. 21 deaths across the coun- due to skyrocketing land prices, In 2011, on the contrary, barely try since Sunday due to the says real estate company Roots. 2,360 transactions had taken place extreme cold. In terms of value, the growth — just 40 percent of the 2012 total. Temperatures in the 48 in real estate transactions in 2012 Giving municipality-wise statis- states that make up the (over 2011) was a record 72 per- tics for 2013, Oruqi said nearly half contiguous United States cent, the company said in a report. the deals were concluded in Doha, [not including Hawaii and The value of property deals con- which had a share of QR21.4bn in Alaska] dipped to an aver- cluded in 2012 was QR44.06bn as the total value. age of -11 degrees Celsius against just QR25.6bn in 2011. In Al Rayyan, 1,565 transac- overnight on Tuesday, affect- In 2012, the government tions took place in the year with ing an estimated 190 million announced a slew of mega devel- their total value being QR9.4bn, people, according to research opment projects and made huge followed by Al Wakra (1,644 deals The Chicago skyline is framed by icicles in Chicago, Illinois, yesterday. A deadly blast of arctic air shattered scientist Dr Ryan Maue of allocations for public spending in worth QR4.6bn). decades-old temperature records as it enveloped the eastern United States. See also page 11 weatherbell.com. the state budget. Al Dayeen ranked fourth with THE GUARDIAN This literally prompted inves- a share of 1,240 deals worth tors and developers to go on a land QR4.3bn in the year under review. buying spree since land prices were In Umm Salal, the number of low, said Roots General Manager real estate transactions struck Ahmed Al Oruqi. was 1,141 and their total value was “That was the reason for a QR3.7bn, while Al Khor witnessed Family courts to hear cases in camera massive growth in the value of 702 deals worth QR1.25bn. real estate deals in the country in Al Shamal saw some 348 trans- DOHA: The State Cabinet yes- those for appeals — take up cases standards that a court must fol- becomes fodder for gossip in the 2012.” actions worth QR645m concluded. terday approved a draft law of of divorce, claims for custody of low when adjudicating lawsuits. community. It was not that the local real THE PENINSULA procedures that, once put into children between divorced cou- At present, family courts in “Ours is a conservative society, estate market force, will ensure that fam- ples, claims for maintenance by the country conduct hearings in so such disputes must be heard was witnessing MUNICIPALITY WISE REAL ESTATE STATISTICS FOR 2013 ily courts conduct hearings in divorced women, and family dis- public, though the press is not in private. In-camera hearing a slump at the camera. putes over inheritance, the will allowed. of divorce cases will definitely time, but the 25 The courts will, however, be of members and endowments, The family courts are, how- help bring down the high rate of government’s 348 allowed to pronounce their ver- among other issues. ever, required to refer cases of divorce in our community,” said announcement dicts in public. The draft law was approved by divorce, in particular, to the lawyer Abdullah Taher. 20 702 gave it a big The idea behind a closed-door the Cabinet at its regular weekly Family Counseling Center, and An educationist, Mariam boost, said Al 1141 trial in cases of divorce, inherit- meeting yesterday that was pre- only if the Center tells the court Mohamed Abdullah, while lauding 15 Oruqi. QR21.4bn ance and other family matters is sided over by the Prime Minister, that it has tried its best to resolve the draft law of procedures, said In 2013, on 1240 to protect the privacy of families. H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser a case amicably and failed, that the move to protect the privacy the other hand, 10 QR9.4bn Legal experts say in camera Al Thani, who also holds the the court takes up the matter for of families would help safeguard land became 1644 hearings, particularly in divorce Interior Affairs portfolio. hearing and summons the couples women’s rights. extremely cases, could provide ample scope The draft is to be referred to in the dispute. “A fighting couple wouldn’t Number of transactions QR4.6bn 5 QR4.3bn 1565 expensive, and QR3.7bn for rapprochement between the the Advisory Council for review. According to lawyers, many a wash their dirty linen in public,” that kept inves- QR1.25bn. litigant couples. The Council, after it has studied time, if the hearing of a divorce she said. “That is a welcome move. QR645m 1841 tors and devel- 0 “This is important because the the draft, is required to refer it case is conducted in a public I am sure the rate of divorce in opers away from rate of divorce in our community back to the Cabinet with its rec- courtroom, the chances of rap- our community will come down as large-scale land DOHA is very high. We must try every ommendations for changes in the prochement are dimmed because there would be enough scope for purchases since AL KHOR possible way to save a troubled draft, if any. the husband might say some- rapprochement when a dispute is AL DAYEEN AL RAYYAN AL SHAMAL AL WAKRAH their profitabil- UMM SALAL marriage,” a lawyer said. A law of procedures is the thing hurtful or private about heard in private.” ity would be hit. The family courts — lower and one that sets out the rules and his wife, and vice-versa, that THE PENINSULA Cairo clashes E-service Al Qaeda affiliate loses at malls headquarters in Aleppo DOHA: The Ministry of DAMASCUS: Syrian rebels moderate and Islamist rebels Economy and Commerce is overran the Aleppo headquar- in clashes that first erupted on installing electronic services ters of the jihadist Islamic State Friday and have killed at least 385 machines at a number of shop- of Iraq and the Levant yester- people, including 56 civilians. ping complexes across the coun- day, as claims emerged that ISIL’s headquarters in a hos- try so consumers can key in ISIL had massacred prisoners pital in Aleppo’s Qadi Askar complaints and comments. there in cold blood. neighbourhood was overrun by A screen in the machine will They were reportedly also opposition fighters, who report- display guidelines for consumers, pressing ISIL in Raqa, the only edly freed dozens of prisoners. understandably in English and provincial capital lost by the But a video posted online yes- Arabic, to make them aware of regime of President Bashar Al terday claimed ISIL had pre- their rights. The machine might Assad and a stronghold of the viously executed at least nine also display warnings, a list of group. prisoners after handcuffing, banned items and possibly price The operation in Aleppo came blindfolding and shooting them lists of some items of daily use. a day after ISIL’S spokesman in the head. The ministry said the idea was threatened to “crush” opposition The Coalition denounced to cut down on paperwork and Smoke rises as a police vehicle collides with a car set aflame by protesters during clashes in Nasr City district fighters who have attacked the “these acts, which perpetuate establish direct communication in Cairo yesterday. See also pages 3 & 7 group in several provinces. the regime’s methods to kill free with consumers, Qatar News “There are hardly any ISIL voice, suppress liberty and vio- Agency (QNA) reported yesterday. members left in the city of late... fundamental human rights.” The e-services machines would Aleppo,” the Syrian Observatory Late on Tuesday, ISIL spokes- replace complaint boxes at vari- for Human Rights said. man Abu Mohammed Al Adnani ous malls, hypermarkets and other India tells US to close embassy club Elsewhere, a diplomat issued a defiant message, urg- outlets, installed by the Consumer announced two Swedish reporters ing fighters to “crush them (the Protection Department (CPD), NEW DELHI/ Furious at the arrest, hand- and lying on a visa application, missing in Syria since November rebels) totally and kill the con- which operates under the ministry. WASHINGTON: India ordered cuffing and strip search of its Nearly a month on, the row has had been freed.