ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED NEWSPAPER Monday 5 May 2014 6 Rajab 1435 - Volume 19 Number 6056 Price: QR2 Project Qatar Marc Marquez to draw huge extends global crowd MotoGP streak Business | 17 Sport | 28 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 Palestinian President arrives in Doha Industrial Area Gas flares and getting a major facelift DOHA: Some 220km of roads weather led to in the Industrial Area will see a major overhaul, under a QR8bn development project being imple- mented by the Public Works Authority (Ashghal). lingering smell The project has been imple- mented in six phases. Phase one, which is currently in progress, is Inquiry fails to cite figures expected to be completed by the end of next year, Al Sharq reported, DOHA: More gas generated at a news conference that on the quoting Saud Ali Al Tamimi, through industrial activity was day of the incident, the Ministry Director of Road Projects and burnt off in gas flares on March of Interior received 15 calls com- Infrastructure at Ashghal. This 21 and it could not be released plaining of gas smell, while the phase will see the renovation of into the atmosphere due to low Ministry of Environment, seven. Street 1 to Street 15 at an estimated pressure and clouds hanging Farida Al Obaidly wrote criti- cost of QR1.4bn approximately. low, and that caused a wide- cally in a column in a local Arabic The entire project is scheduled spread gas smell on that day. daily on March 25 and said that the to be completed by the end of 2018. This was disclosed yesterday local social media was abuzz with Once completed, it will serve 3,600 by a fact-finding committee that the talk of gas smell on March 21. commercial and industrial facilities was set up by the Prime Minister The members of the fact-find- in the area and a population of about and Interior Minister, H E Sheikh ing Committee included Ahmed 257,000. Under the project, all the Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Abdullah, Director of Weather roads in Industrial Area have been Al Thani. Bureau at the Civil Aviation redesigned with intersections and The Committee was set up Authority, Abdul Aziz Jassem Al traffic lights to increase capacity. after people complained of a foul Muftah, Director of Industrial THE PENINSULA gas smell in several areas of the City Affairs at Qatar Petroleum Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas being welcomed on arrival at Doha International Airport by the Minister Continued on page 4 country on March 21, a Friday. (QP), Ahmed Mohamed Al Sada, of Labour and Social Affairs H E Dr Abdullah Saleh Mubarak Al Khulaifi. According to the Committee, Assistant Undersecretary at the the smell hung in the air for about Ministry of Environment, and six-and-a-half hours, from 12 Colonel Abdullah Al Muftah, noon until 6.30 pm on March 21, Director of Public Relations at in areas that included Doha and the interior ministry. its outskirts. Ahmed Abdullah told reporters New sponsorship law ‘to make all happy’ The committee, though, said that on March 21 there was low there was no threat to public pressure and clouds were hanging DOHA: The much-anticipated of both the parties,” local Arabic World Cup. We go ahead with He said many people are health and the only problem was low and the movement of air was changes in country’s sponsor- daily Al Rayah quoted Al Sayed as our own programmes and plans approaching the Department foul gas smell. quite slow, which didn’t allow the ship law will come very soon saying in a report yesterday. He and don’t care much about their with different complaints because The Committee did admit that gas burnt off in gas flares to flow and will be good news for both added that the expected changes criticism.” it is more accessible and easy to air pollution levels were high up into the atmosphere. citizens and expatriates, a sen- will come “very soon” and will “lay He said there is a plan to open locate. Al Sayed said majority of that day but said that the levels The gas dispersed horizontally ior official of the Ministry of the basis for new aspirations.” an office of the Ministry of Labour the complaints were related to were not as high as to breach the and in wider areas due to the Interior has said. “The expected changes in the and Social Affairs at the Search delays in payment of salaries. National Safety Standard. But weather conditions causing smell. Brigadier Nasser Mohammed law will make everyone happy. If and Follow-Up Department to “There are some companies the Committee did not cite any Later, northwesterly wind blew Al Sayed, Director of the Search there is a necessity to cancel the address job-related complaints which sign contracts for projects figures of air pollution on March and swept the gas off towards the and Follow-Up Department at the sponsorship or exit permit system from workers. but don’t get the funds in time. 21 nor did it say what the limits coasts. Ministry, said that the proposed and replace it with another sys- “Many workers don’t know whom This is causing delays in payment of National Safety Standard were. The Committee took help from changes will be in the interest of tem, we will not hesitate (to do to complaint and here we are receiv- of salaries,” he said. The high-profile committee experts and based its findings on both the segments. that) and very soon people will see ing different types of complaints, Another common violation is appointed by the Premier should readings from the 19 air quality “Regarding cancellation of spon- the change,” said Al Sayed. including those concerning the keeping the workers’ passports have actually cited some figures monitoring stations across the sorship and exit permit system, I Asked about the recent criti- Ministry of Labour. So very soon we with sponsors. Many workers due to the sensitivity of the issue, country that work round-the-clock. can say that soon there will be good cism of the Amnesty International will open an office of the Ministry for don’t know that this is a viola- say observers. THE PENINSULA news for all citizens and expatri- against Qatar, Al Sayed said: “The receiving complaints. It will be open tion of the law, he added. Members of the Committee said Continued on page 4 ates and it will be for the benefit focus on Qatar is because of the 24 hours,” said Al Sayed. THE PENINSULA Solidarity with journalists Discord over new premier in Libya TRIPOLI: Businessman continue ruling the major oil Ahmed Maiteeq was sworn in producer. as Libya’s new prime minister “Ahmed Omar Maiteeq failed yesterday after chaotic voting to reach the quorum of 120 votes but parliament’s deputy speaker necessary according to the law hours later declared the vote to elect a new prime minister,” invalid as a power struggle Awami wrote in a letter to Thinni erupted in the assembly. posted on the cabinet website. The divisions in the assembly There was no immediate reac- showcase growing turmoil in the tion from Maiteeq, Makhzoun and North African country where lawmakers who had supported the government and parliament are election of the businessman. unable to assert authority in a Analysts expect Maiteeq, if country awash with arms and confirmed, to struggle to make militias from the 2011 ouster of headway as the government is Muammar Gaddafi. unable to control militias who Officials gave contradicting ver- helped topple Gaddafi but now Participants at a World Press Freedom Day event organised by the Doha Centre for Media Freedom expressing solidarity with detained Al Jazeera sions of the parliamentary elec- defy state authority. journalists, at The Ritz-Carlton yesterday. See also page 4 ABDUL BASIT tion outcome, with First Deputy The premier’s post became Speaker Ezzedin Al Awami ini- vacant after Thinni resigned, cit- tially saying Maiteeq had failed to ing an attack by gunmen on his obtain the necessary quorum even family just a month into his term. through he emerged as frontrun- Parliament began voting on 411 cases of MERS in Saudi ner in prior votes. his successor yesterday, but that Assad to face two candidates in vote However, second deputy speaker session was postponed after gun- RIYADH: One person was declared dead Saleh Makhzoun later said he had men linked to a defeated candi- DAMASCUS: President Bashar Al Assad is that has been mocked by the opposition and after being infected with coronavirus while won the necessary support and date stormed the building and to face two challengers in Syria’s June 3 pres- the West as a “farce”. Both Hajjar and Nuri 14 people were infected with the virus in asked him to form a new govern- wounded several people. idential election, which he is assured of win- are largely unknown to the Syrian public. the past 24 hours in different areas of Saudi ment within two weeks. Lawmakers resumed voting in ning, the constitutional court said yesterday. Candidates whose bids were rejected have Arabia, the Health Ministry said yesterday, “Ahmed Maiteeq is officially the a frequently interrupted session, “The supreme constitutional court until May 7 to appeal the court’s decision, said reported the Kuwaiti news agency KUNA. new prime minister,” Makhzoun marked by confusion over the announces... the acceptance of candidacy Majed Al Khadra of the constitutional court. The new figures, added the ministry in a told a televised session inter- number of votes cast for Maiteeq.