ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED NEWSPAPER Sunday 8 September 2013 2 Dhul-qa’da 1434 - Volume 18 Number 5816 Price: QR2 Greek PM Al Rayyan promises lift Sheikh recovery Jassim Cup Business | 19 Sport | 26 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 Steep fall in consumption of electricity Kahramaa campaign successful DOHA: In a welcome develop- reduction in the consumption ment, Qatar’s drive to ration- of electricity is the fact that the alise the consumption of green building concept is becom- electricity which, along with ing quite popular now. water, is free for citizens, has Also, the authorities are finally started showing results. encouraging the use of energy- Power consumption in the efficient electrical appliances like country was down 10.5 percent fluorescent bulbs and tubes and per capita in the first six months air-conditioners and washing of this year as compared to the machines. same period of 2012, utility dis- Kahramaa, in its statement, tributor Kahramaa said yesterday however, said that the demand for in a statement. water and electricity had, how- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (third right) celebrates with Tokyo 2020 delegation members after the Japanese capital won the bid to host the The decrease in per capita con- ever, gone up considerably during 2020 Summer Olympic Games yesterday. sumption was even more impres- the second quarter of this year. sive, at 16 percent, between the The peak load had soared as first quarter of this year and the much as 34 percent to 5,605 mega second. watts in the second quarter com- Kahramaa was, however, silent pared to 3,685 MW in the previ- Tokyo to host 2020 Olympic Games on the issue of water consump- ous quarter of January to March tion as rationalizing its use is also (But that is the time when the part of its awareness drive titled weather is pleasant and use of air- BUENOS AIRES: Tokyo Madrid, which had pitched a earlier flown in to the Argentine 18,000 people — had dogged the ‘Tarsheed’ (guidance). conditioners is quite low). was awarded the 2020 sum- safe, affordable, “sensible” bid capital from the G20 summit in bid in the final days but Abe suc- The corporation aims, through But the corporation said that mer Games yesterday, beat- had been earlier eliminated first St Petersburg, Russia, to reas- cessfully allayed IOC members’ the rationalization drive, to despite high load and a heavier ing Istanbul in a head-to-head in a secret vote by International sure nervous members about the fears. reduce power consumption by 20 increase in it, it succeeded in vote after Prime Minister Olympic Committee members on safety of the nuclear plant some The final result was 60 votes percent over the next five years maintaining a higher surplus. Shinzo Abe had addressed a head to head with Istanbul after 220km from the city and fears for Tokyo against 36 for Istanbul, and that of water, 35 percent. The corporation said water the International Olympic the two cities were tied in second about the leaking of contami- said the IOC. The drop in per capita elec- demand had risen in the second Committee in person to place after the initial vote. Their nated water. Tokyo — third in the vote for tricity consumption this year quarter and added that the distri- allay fears over the crippled attempt to host 2020 had been a He told delegates that the situ- the 2016 Games won by Rio de has been despite the fact that bution is perfect as leakages are Fukushima nuclear plant. third consecutive bid. ation was “under control”, adding: Janeiro — had been the frontrun- demand for electricity has risen nil. According to the corporation, The Japanese capital won The next summer Olympics “It has never done or will do any ners originally, as they promised a in the period. its call centres are working per- the right to stage the sporting will be hosted by Rio de Janeiro damage to Tokyo.” safe and financially secure Games From 284,306 electricity con- fectly and efficiently respond to extravaganza for the second time, in 2016. Fukushima operator the Tokyo in what they termed “uncertain sumers in the first three months consumer complaints. having hosted in 1964 when the Crowds gathered in Tokyo Electric Power Co also played times”. The decision means it will of this year, the number rose by Some 96 percent complaints are Games first went to Asia, after broke into wild cheers, despite down fears of a possible spread of be the fourth time that Japan more than 1,350 to 285,659 in the attended to with immediate effect two years of intense lobbying and the result coming in the early radiation in a separate message. plays host to the Olympics, hav- second quarter, that is, between and standby teams are rushed to tens of millions of dollars spent. hours of the morning nearly a Concerns over Fukushima — ing also organised hosted winter April and June 2013. the spot to restore services. The For Istanbul it was a fifth dozen time zones away, television seriously damaged in the dev- Games in Nagano (1998) and According to observers, what average time taken is a few hours. unsuccessful bid to host a sum- pictures showed. astating 2011 earthquake and Sapporo (1972). AGENCIES might be contributing to the THE PENINSULA mer Olympics. Japan’s Prime Minister had tsunami that killed more than See also pages 27 & 28 Abbott elected US and France say support Australian PM growing for Syria strikes SYDNEY: Tony Abbott is PARIS: The US and France yesterday said that international back- Australia’s 28th prime min- ing was growing for military strikes to punish the Syrian regime ister after a decisive swing for an alleged chemical attack, after European Union nations called to his Liberal National party for a “strong” response. Coalition — while Kevin Rudd US Secretary of State John Kerry said the number of countries ready has stood aside as Labour to take military action was now in the “double digits”, after earlier leader, taking solace in a party attending a meeting where EU foreign ministers united to call for defeat that was not the rout action against Syrian President Bashar Al Assad’s regime. The EU did widely predicted. not explicitly back military action, but Kerry said he was “encouraged” Tony Abbott claimed victory by the “very powerful statement” made by the bloc. in front of ecstatic supporters at He said there was “a number of countries, in the double digits, who the Sydney Four Seasons hotel, are prepared to take military action. We have more countries prepared declaring: “Australia is under to take military action than we actually could use in the kind of mili- new management and Australia tary action being contemplated.” The US accuses the Assad regime of is once again open for business.” gassing more than 1,400 people to death in an August 21 attack. AFP He promised his government See also pages 6 & 10 would “be competent and trust- worthy”, would “purposefully and steadfastly and methodically … set about delivering on our com- Egypt launches air, ground mitments” and would govern for everyone. Rudd had emerged a lit- Members of the Qatari delegation parade yesterday in Nice, southeastern France, during the opening ceremony assault on Sinai militants tle earlier to concede defeat to of the VIIth Francophone Games. The sports and cultural event lasts until September 15. the Labour crowd at the Gabba CAIRO: At least 10 were killed as Egypt’s army launched an air and cricket ground in Brisbane – so ground assault on Sinai militants yesterday while foiling a railway buoyed by the audience’s cheer- bombing near the canal city of Suez, officials said. ing after a better-than-expected Qatar takes part in Francophone Games A prosecutor levelled new accusations, meanwhile, against Mohamed result that his first words were: Mursi, already facing trial on other charges, alleging the Islamist leader “Jeez, I thought we’d lost …” insulted the judiciary when he was president, state media said. He told them he would be NICE: The Francophone namely athletics, table tennis, Al Sulaiti, the head of Qatar Egypt has seen an uptick in bombings and shootings, mostly aimed stepping down as Labour leader. Games opened in its VIIth ver- wrestling and judo. Twenty-four Taekwondo and Judo Federation. at the security forces, since August 14 when hundreds were killed in “I gave it my all but it was not sion in the French city of Nice players, both male and female, will The Francophone Games com- clashes when police broke up two pro-Mursi protest camps in Cairo. The enough for us to win. … my yesterday with Qatar partici- represent Qatar at the games. petitions include seven sports — military has been facing an insurgency in north Sinai, a haven for Al responsibility has been to retain pating for the first time after its Zamel Sayyaf Al Shahrani, athletics, wrestling, basketball, Qaeda-inspired militants. The army carried out air strikes on suspected Labor as a fighting force for the accession into the International the president of Qatari and table tennis, football, judo and militant hideouts yesterday while armoured vehicles were deployed in future so we can unite behind the Organisation of la Francophonie Arab Associations for Wrestling athletics on wheelchairs for peo- the area and along the Rafah border with the Gaza Strip, officers said. next leader of our party. in October 2012. will lead Qatar’s delegation to ple with special needs, as well as Air attacks launched by Apache helicopters and ground operations THE GUARDIAN Qatar will participate in the the Games.