ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED NEWSPAPER Wednesday 27 November 2013 23 Moharram 1435 - Volume 18 Number 5896 Price: QR2 Easing Iran Qatar maintain curbs won’t winning streak affect Qatar in volleyball Business | 21 Sport | 31 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 Emir meets Palestine Premier Blatter backs Money is a Qatar, says attacks unfair major cause KUALA LUMPUR: FIFA President Sepp Blatter played the popularity card yesterday by defending under-fire 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar over of divorces what he called unfair European media attacks. The issue of Qatar staging soc- A third of break-ups due to debt cer’s biggest showpiece has been a thorny issue for the 77-year-old DOHA: In an increasingly con- programme has had on marriages. Swiss who said last Wednesday sumerist Qatari community, He said the FCC is entrusted with that the labour rights situation in rifts over money matters among the task of helping bring down the the Gulf state was “unacceptable” married couples are a major divorce rate in the Qatari commu- amid a wave of negative headlines. cause of divorce. nity by 40 percent as per the goals International players’ union Excessive reliance by couples set by the National Development FIFPro have asked Blatter to act on bank loans and financial wor- Strategy (2011-16). for a French footballer, who says ries caused by repayment cycles The rate of divorce is also high he is being prevented from leav- are to blame for the break-up of among couples who enter into ing Qatar over a contract dispute over a third of marriages in the marital contract but their mar- with his club, while attempts to community, says a family coun- riage has not consummated. In the The Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani with Palestinian Prime Minister Dr Rami Al Hamdallah at Al move the event from the tradi- selling centre. Statistics suggest Qatari community, this is called Bahr Palace yesterday. Talks focused on bilateral relations and latest developments in Palestine. tional European summer months some 30 to 40 percent divorces pre-marriage divorce. to winter have not been warmly among Qatari couples take place Hani El Shami, a psychologist received. solely due to arguments over bank with the FCC, said close relatives Blatter backed Qatar when he debt, says the Family Counselling of newly-married couples (brides gave a speech to Asian Football Center (FCC). and grooms) also play a major role Confederation members in Money has come to play a very in marriage break-ups as they SEC to act on school fee hikes Malaysia at the AFC awards yes- significant role in the lives of incite discord between the bride terday. “It is not fair when the Qatari individuals as well as fami- and groom instead of working to DOHA: The Supreme developing a proposal for speci- link the fees with the quality of international media, and espe- lies so it becomes a major cause of help resolve rifts.The FCC held Education Council (SEC) has fying tuition fees and other addi- education provided by the school cially European media, are taking marital discord. the press briefing to announce told the Central Municipal tional fees of private schools. concerned, it added. up the focus of an Arab country ... FCC officials told reporters the date of a fresh pre-marriage Council (CMC) that it is work- Requests from schools seeking The issue was first raised by by attacking, attacking, criticising yesterday that combating a high counselling session that is to be ing on a “satisfactory policy” to fee hike are handled by a special CMC member Ali bin Shaheen this country. We are defending it,” divorce rate in the community was held from December 1 to 5. curb the frequent hikes in pri- committee at the Private Schools Al Kuwari, who drew attention Blatter told delegates. REUTERS one of their key priorities. El Shami said more women (59 vate school fees. Office and requests from schools to the wide disparities in the Addressing a news conference, percent on average) than men (41 Responding to complaints that fail to give genuine rea- fees charged by different private Mohamed Abul Ala said the FCC’s percent) attend these sessions as raised by the CMC about the sons for the hike have not been schools. The civic body also raised main priority was to combat a the latter feel shy. The sessions prohibitory fees charged by many approved, said the SEC. concern over commercialisation of Worker, firm asked high divorce rate in the commu- are held separately for men and private schools here, the SEC said Since 2009, different private education in the country arguing nity. A pre-marriage counselling women. The Centre once held a the issue has been referred to a schools were allowed to raise their that many private schools have to pay blood money programme exclusively targeting joint session that lasted five days special committee to develop a fees by five to 20 percent, said degenerated into money-making Qataris lays much emphasis on but later decided against it. future strategy, according to Al the SEC, adding that the average institutions. The CMC expressed DOHA: A lower criminal court money management, aside from The Centre has 47 experts who Sharq. increase didn’t go beyond five per surprise over the fact that school has sentenced a sewer-clean- stressing the importance of family provide counselling at these ses- The daily said the CMC had cent during this period. fees in Qatar are higher than the ing worker to three months in as a basic unit of society. sions and of whom, 28 are men received a letter from the SEC in The SEC said there is a con- university fees. jail and fined the contracting Abul Ala said their pre-mar- while the remaining 19 are women. which it said that the regulatory sensus that school fees should be The CMC had also raised many company that employed him riage counselling programme The pre-marriage counselling ses- body is working “to develop a sat- controlled based on the princi- other issues related to education, QR20,000 after they were held began a decade ago and has so far sions are held twice a year and on isfactory policy to curb increases ple of transparency and in a way but the SEC response was limited responsible for the death of a covered 3,000 individuals. He, how- average attract 70 women and 50 in school fees in the coming years.” that responds to all needs of the to the fee issue, said the daily. girl child who had fallen in a ever, didn’t say what impact the men. THE PENINSULA The SEC said it is also students. There is a proposal to THE PENINSULA sewer manhole in Al Wakra early this year. The court has also asked the worker and his company to organise QR200,000 to be paid as Basel sink Chelsea; blood money to the family of the Cargo operations at new deceased. Ajax stun Barcelona The court ruled that the worker left the manhole open BASEL/AMSTERDAM: airport from December 1 carelessly and did not pay atten- Mohamed Salah scored a tion that anyone could fall into it, breakaway goal in the 87th and thus became the cause of the minute as Basel beat Chelsea DOHA: The new airport Minister of Transport H E Jassem child’s death. 1-0 to complete an unlikely (Hamad International) will open Saif Al Sulaiti said here yesterday. The public prosecution had said Champions League double over only partially in January 2014 Asked about the announcement of that there was enough evidence to the Londoners while Ajax gave while its cargo terminal is set to next opening date for the already prove that the girl died because their chances of qualifying for begin operating from December delayed Hamad International of the ignorance of the worker. the Champions League last 1, the transport minister said Airport (HIA), he did not give any He carried out the clean-up and 16 a huge boost as they beat yesterday. specific date. put the lid back on the manhole Barcelona 2-1, yesterday. More details about the ambi- He said: “The airport will par- without realising that a child had Goalkeeper Petr Cech produced tious project, including the formal tially open in January 2014 and fallen into it. The prosecution also a string of outstanding saves in opening date of the HIA's other some test flights will take place said that the contracting com- the first half to keep the domi- facilities, will be announced on during the same period.” pany had to also be held respon- Chelsea’s Fernando Torres (right) and Basel’s Kay Voser in action during nant Swiss team at bay. December 16 in a press meeting to THE PENINSULA sible according to Qatari law. their Champions League Group E soccer match in Basel yesterday. AGENCIES be held at the new building of HIA, Continued on page 6 THE PENINSULA WEDNESDAY 27 NOVEMBER 2013 04 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com HOME Doha International Book Fair a literature festival this year Guest of Honour UK to share its literature with writers, poets and artists DOHA: The Doha the publishing industry. International Book Fair is set “The British Council and to be held as a literature fes- Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation tival this year and will bring Publishing, in partnership with more books and publishers, the British Centre for Literary the Minister of Culture, Arts Translation will host the and Heritage, H E Dr Hamad Literary Translation Summit, bin Abdulaziz Al Kuwari said bringing together 36 writers yesterday.