ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED NEWSPAPER Monday 2 September 2013 26 Shawwal 1434 - Volume 18 Number 5810 Price: QR2 Boost for loan Jorge Lorenzo books of wins British Qatari banks Grand Prix Business | 17 Sport | 28 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 RP stickers on passports may be scrapped E-link to ease GCC visa procedures DOHA: The system of putting of visas to expatriates visiting residence permit (RP) stick- other GCC countries and facili- ers on passports of expatriate ties provided to them. Details of workers during issuance and the discussions were not disclosed renewal of RPs could go, if a yesterday. GCC proposal in this regard A proposal submitted by Qatar is approved by the authorities on a training programme for concerned. GCC immigration employees and The 28th meeting of GCC granting them a diploma on suc- immigration directors which cessful completion of the course began here yesterday discussed was also discussed in the meeting. this issue, among a series of other The three-day meeting at Ritz important issues. The meeting Carlton will conclude tomorrow. The Foreign Minister H E Dr Khalid bin Mohamed Al Attiyah attends a meeting of the Arab League with foreign ministers of Arab countries on Syria discussed a proposal to use ID The Qatari delegation is yesterday at the organisation’s Cairo headquarters. cards instead of the paper stick- headed by Director General of ers on the passports and store all General Directorate of Border vital information about residents Passports and Expatriate Affairs on these cards. (GDBPEA) Brigadier Abdulla Qatar currently uses ID cards Salim Al Ali. Syria opposition, Saudi plead for strikes as a vital tool of personal identi- Assistant Director General fication but has not yet abolished of GDBPEA Brig Mohammed CAIRO: Saudi Arabia and the “I am here before you today League meeting. “It is time to ask of people and Secretary of State the sticker system. Introduction Ahmed Al Ateeq, Director of head of the Syrian opposition to appeal to your brotherly and the international community to John Kerry said on Sunday that of smart ID cards for citizens and Search and Follow up Department National Coalition yesterday humanitian sentiments and ask assume its responsibilities and to Washington had proof the Syrian expatriates allow the card hold- Brig Nasser Mohammed Al Sayed, made appeals for US-led strikes you to back the international take deterrent measures” against regime used sarin gas. ers to avail of various Ministry of Director of Border Passports Dept on Syria, urging Arab nations to operation against the destruc- the Syrian regime, he added. The US has pointed to the Interior services online including Col Nasser Abdullah Al Thani, back them. tive war machine” of the Syrian Arab League foreign ministers Arab League as a potential ally renewal of residence permits of Assistant Director of Nationality The calls were delivered in sep- regime, Jarba told the Cairo had initially planned to meet on for military action against Syria people under personal or company and Travel Documents Dept arate speeches by Saudi Foreign meeting. Tuesday to discuss an imminent but several member states of the sponsorship. The procedure may Col Hamad Abdul Wahab Al Minister Saud Al Faisal and The Saudi foreign minister US-led punitive strike on Syria Cairo-based organisation are become simpler and faster, if the Mutawwa and Assistant Director Coalition chief Ahmad Al Jarba at told his colleagues in the pan- for allegedly gassing civilians on opposed to a strike. sticker system is abolished. of Information Systems Dept Col a meeting of Arab League foreign Arab body, which is divided over August 21 in Damascus suburbs. Saudi Arabia and Qatar, major The high-level meeting stressed Abdul Rahman Ali Al Maliki are ministers in Cairo. the conflict, that opposing mili- The meeting was brought for- backers of rebels fighting to top- the importance of working on an also part of the Qatari team. The final resolution passed at tary intervention in Syria would ward to Sunday as US President ple Syrian President Bashar Al electronic link to simplify the pro- Brig Yousuf bin Ahmed Al meeting in Cairo urged the UN encourage the Damascus regime Barack Obama said he was Assad, want firm action while cedures for issuance of visas and Ghatm, assistant undersecretary and international community to to “pursue its crimes”. determined to launch a strike on other Arab states such as Syria residence permits between the of Borders and Search and Follow “take the deterrent and necessary “Opposition to international Syrian regime targets and would neighbours Iraq, Lebanon and GCC states. up in Bahrain chaired the sessions measures against the culprits of action only encourages the seek congressional approval for Jordan have ruled out joining any The meeting also discussed yesterday. THE PENINSULA this crime that the Syrian regime regime to pursue its crimes,” it. Washington says the alleged attack. AGENCIES measures related to issuance Picture on page 3 bears responsibility for”. Prince Saud told the Arab chemical attack killed hundreds See also pages 5, 8 & 10 Car-stone art in Saudi Mursi faces trial for ‘inciting murder’ Curbs on licence take CAIRO: Ousted Egyptian president Mohammed Mursi is toll on driving schools to stand trial for “incitement to murder”, state television DOHA: About one-and-a-half as licence seekers about the cat- reported yesterday without giv- months after implementing egories included in the ban. ing a date for the trial. the government ban on issu- “This problem has almost It said he will stand trial in ing driver’s licences to certain been solved after the Traffic a criminal court along with 14 segments of expatriate work- Department issued a full list of other suspects in his Muslim ers, driving schools say that the job categories,” said Adil. Brotherhood movement on the decision has hit them hard, A source from another driv- charges of “incitement to murder causing a major decline in the ing school said, the list, in Arabic and violence” in December 2012 number of their customers. is vague on some categories but when seven people were killed in Some schools say that the a representative of the Traffic clashes between his supporters number of trainees has dropped Department is available in every and opponents. See also page 8 by 30 to 40 percent while some school to clarify on such issues others put it at 15 to 20 percent. and decide on the applications. The decision apparently has The source claimed that the Egypt expels three Al resulted in shorter waiting lists in impact of the decision on new driving schools and faster enrol- enrolments was not as severe as Jazeera journalists ment for admission-seekers who was initially expected. He, how- are eligible for a licence. ever, admitted that waiting time CAIRO: Egypt deported three Given the significant drop in for new admission-seekers has Al Jazeera journalists yester- the number of applicants, driv- significantly come down after the day, days after the channel car- ing school officials believe that new decision. ried appeals from leaders of Youths mount their cars on stones in the Saudi city of Duba. This new art-form trending in Saudi Arabia is the ban could have a positive role A senior official of the Gulf ousted President Mohammed called ‘Tahjir’ or ‘Stoning’, in which cars are raised atop stacked piles of rocks and bricks. in reducing traffic congestions in Driving School said the deci- Mursi’s Muslim Brotherhood Doha and other cities. sion had caused a decline in the to stage protests against the The ban applies to more than number of trainees by 15 to 20 army-backed government. 160 categories of expatriate work- percent. He was, however, hope- Al Jazeera’s offices in Cairo ers, most of whom belong to the ful that the government would have been closed since July 3, NSA spied on Al Jazeera: Report blue-collar segment. The list also review the decision once major when they were raided by secu- includes categories such as typ- construction works in the country rity forces hours after Mursi was ists, translators and some sec- are completed. toppled, although the channel, FRANKFURT: The US the ministry itself by accessing so- monitors in UN offices. Yesterday’s tions of salesmen. “We have seen Some industry insiders have broadcast from Qatar, can still National Security Agency called virtual private networks, a revelations are also believed to a drop in the number of train- expressed the view that the deci- be seen in Egypt. (NSA) spied on the internal tool that generally offers a secure originate from Snowden. ees by 30 to 40 percent since the sion will have a negative impact Security officials at Cairo communications of France’s for- Internet connection to users. Al Jazeera was another NSA decision was implemented. This is on companies that have employed airport, declining to be named, eign ministry and diplomats and The “top secret” NSA docu- target, the magazine said, with natural because labourers form a a large number of labourers. said Wayne Hay, Adil Bradlow those of Al Jazeera, a German ment seen by the magazine and its internal communications sys- major segment of our students,” “The new decision could force and Russ Finn had been put on magazine said yesterday. dated June 2010 said French dip- tem successfully hacked due to its Adil Saleem, manager of Al Raya companies to change the profes- an Egyptian plane headed for Der Spiegel reported that in lomatic offices in New York and “high potential as sources of intel- driving school told this daily sions of some segments of their London, after being forced to 2010 the NSA monitored the Washington had bugs installed ligence,” according to a March yesterday.