ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED NEWSPAPER Tuesday 5 February 2013 24 Rabial I 1434 - Volume 17 Number 5601 Price: QR2 Tasweeq, Barshim soars ENOC sign to new high in supply deal Moscow Business | 17 Sport | 28 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 PM at GIS conference At least 22 workers killed in UAE crash Unofficial DUBAI: At least 22 people were killed when a truck laden with gravel collided with a bus car- rying 46 Asian migrant work- ers in the oasis town of Al-Ain remittances in the United Arab Emirates, police said yesterday. The truck driver lost control of his vehicle, causing it to land on top of the bus and trap its pas- sengers under the cargo of gravel, on the rise police said of Sunday’s incident. Twenty-four people were injured, at least five critically, Runaway workers use the system officials from two hospitals in Al-Ain said. The police did not DOHA: Runaway and low- well as low-income workers whose disclose the nationalities of the income workers who do not ID cards have expired and could dead, but Dubai-based Gulf News have identity (ID) cards because not be renewed, or those who come daily reported they were mostly their residency permits are not from countries where the dollar from Bangladesh. renewed, and expatriates from sells on a premium on the black The per capita death toll on countries facing economic and market due to economic and cur- UAE roads is among the highest currency crises are using unof- rency crises. in the world, according to World ficial remittance channels to Naturally, the foreign exchange Health Organisation data. transfer money home. black marketers offer attractive These shady and illegal money rates for almost any currency transfer businesses are run by (mostly African and Asian) and Global football expatriates, most of whom are that is another reason why many suspected to be local traders who low-income workers who could betting scam might be buying goods from a even use the official remittance THE HAGUE: nearby regional trading hub and channels rely on them. And The Prime Minister and Foreign Minister H E Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabor Al Thani is briefed by an Hundreds of exporting to their business agents money reaches the beneficiary in official at the Second World Conference of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in Doha, yesterday. Earlier, football matches have been fixed in their home countries. a matter of minutes. All one must the Prime Minister opened the three-day event at the Qatar National Convention Centre. (IBRAHIM R O) in a global betting scam run The illegal money transfer do is provide the contact number See also page 3 from Singapore, police said yes- businesses are run here purely of the beneficiary in a country terday, in a blow to the image on mutual trust and by opera- concerned and the latter can get of the world’s most popular tors who cater only to people from the cash in no time, the daily said. sport and a multi-billion dollar their own nationalities. “It’s a fool-proof remittance industry. Bankers and foreign exchange system and although illegal and New food law in the offing About 680 suspicious officials say they are aware of undesirable, it is thriving here,” matches including qualify- such shady remittance operations the daily said. Some operators in DOHA: With a high preva- The purpose of the law is to pro- Al Anoud said the proposed law ing games for the World Cup going on here but have no idea of the shady businesses are trad- lence of obesity, diabetes and tect Qatari society from food that will organise all aspects of healthy and European Championships, their extent, or cannot even esti- ers and they pool in the money other lifestyle diseases, Qatar can lead to diseases like cancer food and impose restrictions on and the Champions League for mate the volume of money being thus collected for remittance is working on a “food law” that and diabetes,” Dr Sheikha Al the import of certain types of food top European club sides, have routed overseas illegally. to buy goods for export to their may impose restrictions on the Anoud Al Thani, director of the containing high percentage of fat been identified in an inquiry Juma Al Medadi, from Al Dar home countries where either import and sale of certain types Health Promotion and Non com- and sugar. by European police forces, the Exchange, told local Arabic daily their agents or relatives run of food that increases the risk of municable diseases section at The proposed law will sup- European anti-crime agency Al Arab yesterday: “We have been businesses and sell these goods. developing such diseases. SCH told the Qatar News Agency plement an ongoing project of Europol, and national prosecutors. hearing more of such shady oper- According to Qatar Central A senior official of the Supreme yesterday. the SCH to issue guidelines on “This is a sad day for European ations recently. This is having a Bank (QCB) figures, an incred- Council of Health ( SCH) hinted She was speaking on the side- healthy food for use of the public. football,” said Rob Wainwright, disastrous effect on our national ible QR47.5bn ($13bn) was routed yesterday that the proposed law lines of an event held at the SCH Al Anoud said that the guidelines director of Europol. economy”. The money transferred overseas in 2011 with India top- will also specify the permitted premises yesterday to mark the will be ready by February next “This is now an integrity issue abroad through unofficial channels ping the list of 10 largest recipi- levels of colours, preservatives World Cancer Day. year. The SCH recently held a for football. Those responsible for is not accounted for in the GDP ent countries. Experts, however, and other ingredients in several The announcement assumes workshop involving international running the games should hear estimates. This is a parallel and declined to speculate as to how food items. importance in the context of experts in heath and nutrition as the warnings.” disastrous remittance route, he much money should be flowing “The government will soon recent calls by the Central part of this project. The project The world’s most popular said. The daily said most of those out of the country through the issue a food law that will spec- Municipal Council (CMC) to force is being implemented with the sport, soccer is played on every using the unofficial remittance unofficial remittance channels. ify the types of healthy food and eateries to mention the calories in support of the World Health continent. channels are runaway workers as THE PENINSULA those that cause health hazards. their menu cards. Organisation. THE PENINSULA Full report on page 28 Egypt funeral Syria opposition chief seeks talks Courts last option in marital rows with Assad’s deputy DOHA: Considering an increas- be resolved amicably is a case to employees of the Center are ing number of marital and fam- be referred back to the court to interested in solving the cases DAMASCUS: Syria’s oppo- ily disputes in the country, an begin trial. referred by the court compared sition chief urged President apex judicial body has ruled that A record 3,000 court cases of to those submitted directly to the Bashar Al Assad yesterday to the court should open trial in marital disputes were referred Center because they believe such respond positively to a call for a case only after state family for rapprochement to the Family cases referred by the courts are dialogue and to delegate his counselors have failed to resolve Counseling Centre (FCC) last more challenging for settlements, deputy to end 22 months of it amicably. year which was successful in Said Al Bariki. warfare that has cost tens of In other words, it is under- resolving 47 percent of them. FCC signed an agreement with thousands of lives. stood that all marital and family Head of the Family Reforms the Supreme Judicial Council to “The ball is now in the regime’s disputes are to be first referred Section at the FCC, Dr Hasan refer the family disputes without court. They will either say yes or by the courts to state-backed bin Salem Al Bariki, told Al opening the trials, if FCC failed no,” Ahmed Moaz Al Khatib told Family Counseling Centre Arab that the Centre amicably to resolve it amicably the court Aljazeera, following up on his sur- (FCC). resolved 80 percent of family starts the hearing, he added, Al prise announcement last week Mourners at the funeral of killed Egyptian activists Amro Saad and And only after it is con- disputes that were brought to Arab reported yesterday. that he was ready for talks with Mohammed Al Guindi outside Omar Makram Mosque in Cairo’s Tahrir firmed that the dispute cannot it directly for settlement. The THE PENINSULA the Damascus regime — subject to Square, yesterday. Report on page 8 conditions, including the release of 160,000 detainees. He later elaborated, telling Al-Arabiya news channel he was ready to meet Assad’s deputy, Vice President Faruq Al Sharaa. Thanks to glitch, thousands get free Mowasalat bus rides “Since the start of the crisis, BY RAYNALD C RIVERA Mr Sharaa has seen that things route said the technical fault providing free bus rides to smart company considering the thou- the manual ticketing system, are not going in the right direc- occurred around 2pm on Sunday card holders. sands of commuters who took because they can save on the fare tion,” said Khatib.