ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED NEWSPAPER Tuesday 30 October 2012 14 Dhul-Hijja 1433 - Volume 17 Number 5503 Price: QR2 Ford workers Giants win fear being World laid off Series Business | 14 Sport | 20 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 Qataris in US safe as Sandy strikes Around 1,200 citizens in US, says diplomat; Qatar Airways cancels NY, Washington flights Police beg New Yorkers BY MOBIN PANDIT & in one house and they have stored AZMAT HAROON bread, water and other items to evacuate such as flashlights because of DOHA: There are an estimated the storm,” he said, adding that NEW YORK: Powerful 1,200 Qatari citizens in the US he fears he might not be able to winds buckled a crane on a and, thankfully, there were no get in touch with them during New York skyscraper, giv- reports of any threat to their power outages. ing an alarming warning of safety from Hurricane Sandy Most of the Qataris in the the danger from Hurricane until going to the press late last US are students, while some are Sandy as authorities tried night. patients who are receiving treat- desperately to persuade peo- Besides, there are countless ments in various parts of the ple in high-risk areas to get expatriates here who are either country. to safety. from the US or have near and Others are tourists and busi- With power cuts already dear ones based there. nessmen, a Qatari diplomat hitting as winds strengthened All Qatar Airways (QA) flights based at the country’s embassy and sea levels rose, police to and from New York and in Washington, said. toured flood-threatened dis- Washington were in meanwhile Prominent Qatari businessman, tricts of the New York region cancelled yesterday, but the air- Abdul Hadi Al Shahwani, is also almost begging people to clear line said its Houston flights were in the US. He told this newspaper out. But tens of thousands of on track. from Ohio that he was safe. hurricane refuseniks resisted. “QA has daily flights to and The Qatari diplomat told this With America’s biggest city from New York and Washington, newspaper on the phone late last at a near standstill ahead of which have been cancelled, but evening that there were also some a predicted storm surge of up Houston flights are on track,” an fellow citizens who were in the US to 11 feet (3.5 meters), police airline official told this newspaper. to attend conferences. went to several towns and dis- In Qatar, many people were According to him, some 50 to tricts with loud speakers and upset when they had to change 60 Qataris from different parts of special buses trying to per- their travel plans after interna- the US had called up the embassy suade people to move. tional flights to the US as well as yesterday after reading the hur- Authorities issued a man- domestic flights (within the US) ricane alert posted on its website. datory evacuation order for were cancelled. “They basically wanted more 375,000 people but the vast “I had to change my flight information about the storm,” majority decided to brave out from New York to San Francisco said the diplomat. Sandy, which some experts said because of the storm,” Mellissa The Qataris in the US are could be the most powerful Mitchel, a resident of Qatar for spread across the country, from Strong waves wash over people in Milford, Connecticut, as Hurricane Sandy approaches the area yesterday. storm in more than seven dec- the last 12 years, said. the east to the west. Asked if the ades. Only 3,000 people, with Many expatriates in Qatar are Qatari embassy was involved in adding that so far no request for family had contacted the embassy numbers of staff members and 73 pets, had moved into the 76 concerned for friends and family evacuating nationals trapped in assistance had been made by any for assistance for being repatri- diplomats were provided for emergency shelters opened for members who are in the US and some hurricane-affected areas, of the Qataris in the US. ated home. assistance. the storm, New York Mayor have been calling them up. the diplomat replied in the nega- People living in the coastal Travel and tour trade sources Social media here was also Michael Bloomberg said. “My brothers and sister are liv- tive and said: “We are sticking to areas are being evacuated. “In said that some Qatari individu- abuzz with talks of three Qatari Malcolm Smith, a ing in the Long Island area with the local plan. We have to follow inner city areas, there could be als and families had travelled to students reportedly saving seven Democratic member of the their families, and that area is one the local authorities.” power outages for a day or flood- the US for vacationing during the Emiratis during the hurricane, state senate, estimated that of the main targets of Hurricane “However, we are ready to ing, so evacuation is not being long Eid Al Adha holidays. though this could not be inde- 80 percent of inhabitants of Sandy,” Sameer Ahmed, a provide any kind of assistance resorted to,” said the diplomat. In the meantime, the Qatar pendently confirmed. Rockaway Beach had decided Pakistani expatriate said. needed, including basic necessities He replied in the negative when embassy in US remained closed THE PENINSULA to stay put. AFP They have all gotten together like food and blankets,” he said, asked if any Qatari individual or yesterday, but emergency access See also page 9 All that remains Qatar Holding gets nod for Instant e-visas for delegates buying stake in of UN climate meet in Doha Harrods Bank DOHA: Delegates for the forth- channels, are expected to con- in January, February, June and BY SATISH KANADY coming UN Climate change verge in the country next month September to prepare for the conference (COP 18/CMP8) to for the conference. COP 18/ CMP8 and these mis- DOHA: The UK’s regulatory be held in Doha will get visas “Delegates will be able to obtain sions have permanently stationed body has given approval to for Qatar within seconds with a visas after they enter personal in Qatar, Al Khalf said. Qatar Holding for buying a con- new e-visa system in place, an details such as name, date of birth, He said that the UN experts trolling stake in Harrods Bank, official of the organising com- passport number, nationality, type appreciated the e-visa system the private banking arm of the mittee has said. of participation — and they will developed by Qatar and recom- luxury department store. “The new system, developed by be able to get visas within two mended it to the next participat- The investment fund of Qatar the IT committee in collabora- seconds,” Al Khalf told the daily. ing country. has appointed a new board for tion with officials of the Ministry Delegates, however, would need “We are going to monitor this the bank’s expansion plans, the of Interior (MoI), can issue as approval from the United Nations system and its deficiencies and see British newspaper Daily Mail many as 5,000 to 10,000 visas (UN) database before they get if we can use it for Fifa 2022,” he reported. online daily,” Hassan Al Khalf, Qatari visas. added. Qatar Holding’s acquisition is Deputy Director General of the “We faced problems when we The 18th session of the expected to unwind a trust struc- organising committee and head of tried to link our system with Conference of the Parties to the ture set up under the previous IT committee of COP 18/ CMP8 that of the UN because it was UNFCCC and the 8th session owner, reportedly under pressure was quoted as saying by Al Sharq outdated,” Al Khalf said, adding of the Conference of the Parties from the Bank of England follow- yesterday. that Qatar sent IT teams to the serving as the Meeting of the ing concerns over former owner’s Around 17,000 to 20,000 people UN headquarters to match the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol is ability to run a bank. Free Syrian Army fighters and residents near a building damaged from 194 countries, in addition to systems. to take place from November 26 “The Qatari owners of Harrods after a Syrian Air Force fighter jet loyal to President Bashar Al Assad more than 7,000 representatives The United Nations Framework to December 7, 2012 at the Qatar are poised to take full control fired missiles at Marat Al Numan near the northern province of Idlib of the civil society organisations, Convention on Climate Change National Convention Centre of the luxury store’s private 1,500 journalists, including 100 TV (UNFCCC) sent four missions in Doha. THE PENINSULA yesterday. See also page 4 banking arm, unwinding a trust structure set up under previous owner. The Qataris are hoping to expand the bank, which racked up a £1.7m loss in the year to Doha Bank may sell shares Kuwait arrests former MP 3.1 million perform Haj Ministers visit Pakistani girl the end of January 2012 after losses on one bad loan”, the daily DUBAI: Doha Bank, Qatar’s fifth-larg- KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait secret serv- MAKKAH: Muslim pilgrims completed LONDON: Pakistan’s interior minis- reported. est bank by market value, is consider- ice officers yesterday arrested promi- their final Haj rituals in the Saudi city ter and the foreign ministers of Britain A spokeswoman for the bank ing selling shares in London as part of nent opposition leader and former MP of Makkah yesterday as the annual pil- and the UAE visited the English hos- said it was ‘delighted’ with the a plan to boost capital by up to $1.6bn Mussallam Al Barrak for publicly criticis- grimage came to a close without any pital treating shot Pakistani schoolgirl Financial Services Authority’s in 2013, four banking sources said.