BUSINESS | Page 1
SPORT | Page 1
INDEX
QATAR
2 – 10, 34, 35
11
REGION
ARAB WORLD
12, 13
INTERNATIONAL 14 – 27
COMMENT
BUSINESS
32, 33
1 – 7, 14 – 16
CLASSIFIED
8 – 14
SPORTS
1 – 12
U
S President Barack Obama said
yesterday that deploying additional troops to Iraq signals
a “new phase” in the fight against the
Islamic State (IS) group, as Baghdad
investigated whether strikes killed the
militant group’s leader.
After earlier unveiling plans to send
up to 1,500 more US troops to Iraq to
advise and train the country’s forces,
Obama told CBS News yesterday that
the US-led effort to defeat IS was
moving to a new stage.
“Phase one was getting an Iraqi
government that was inclusive and
in
Obama calls American troop
increase in Iraq a �new phase’
REGION | Negotiations
Iran, the US and European
Union will hold an unscheduled
second day of talks today
on disagreements blocking
resolution of a dispute over
Tehran’s nuclear programme,
a US official and Iranian state
media said. With two weeks to
a deadline for a comprehensive
accord, Iranian Foreign Minister
Mohamed Javad Zarif, US
Secretary of State John Kerry
and EU envoy Catherine Ashton
met in Oman’s capital Muscat
yesterday to address a decadelong confrontation. Page 11
+0.74
+0.95%
d
HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani meeting with Darfur Regional
Authority chairman Dr Al-Tijani al-Sisi in Doha yesterday. Al-Sisi handed over to the Prime Minister a written message,
addressed to HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, from Sudan President Field Marshal Omar Hassan al-Bashir.
The message was related to bilateral relations and ways to enhance them.
credible - and we now have done
that,” Obama told CBS News.
“Rather than just try to halt (IS’s)
momentum, we’re now in a position
to start going on some offence,” the
president added, stressing the need
for Iraqi ground troops to start pushing back IS п¬Ѓghters.
“We will provide them close air
support once they are prepared to
start going on the offence against
(IS),” Obama said.
“But what we will not be doing is
having our troops do the fighting.”
Going on the offensive will be a
significant challenge for Iraq’s forces, which saw multiple divisions fall
apart in the early days of the militant
offensive.
+101.63
+0.75%
he
is A R 8
7
AT 19
Q since
Court jails three for
opium trafficking
AFP
Baghdad
78.65
+19.46
+0.11%
NYMEX
bl
QATAR | Crime
Nuclear talks to
continue in Oman
13,692.12
MONDAY
Vol. XXXV No. 9537
November 10, 2014
Moharram 17, 1436 AH
www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals
Highway
project
advancing
In brief
A criminal court in Qatar has
sentenced three people to jail for
five years and imposed a fine of
QR200,000 each after they have
been convicted of opium trade
and abuse, local Arabic daily
Arrayah has reported. The court
has also ordered their deportation
after the prison term. The three
accused have admitted to
possessing opium and tramadol
for use and trading. Medical
examination confirmed narcotics
abuse by them, the report
states. The Narcotics Combating
Department had arrested the
three in an operation after a tipoff from a source.
QE
17,573.97
Latest Figures
GULF TIMES
Message from Sudan president
DOW JONES
pu
Safe startup for
JBOG project
at Ras Laffan
Rosberg
wins in
Brazil ahead
of Hamilton
The additional troops announced
by Obama would roughly double the
number of American military personnel in the country to about 3,100,
marking a significant return of US
forces to Iraq by a president who has
hailed his role in their 2011 departure.
A US-led coalition has already been
carrying out air strikes against IS in Syria and Iraq, where the extremist group
has declared a “caliphate” in large areas
of the two countries under its control.
Some of those strikes targeted a
gathering of IS leaders near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul late on Friday,
the Pentagon said, and Iraqi authorities were seeking to determine if the
group’s chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
had been killed. Pages 11, 12
The nearly 200km highway
project, the construction of which
is already on, is being implemented
in four phases
By Ramesh Mathew
Staff Reporter
T
he Orbital Highway project, part
of Qatar’s ambitious Expressway
programme and aimed at linking the Mesaieed Industrial City (MIC)
and suburbs in the southern side with
Al Khor and Ras Laffan Industrial City
(RLIC) in the northern region, is expected to become a reality towards the
end of 2017.
The nearly 200km highway project,
the construction of which is already
on, is being implemented in four phases. Contracts of three of them have already been awarded at nearly QR14bn,
according to the annual report of the
Public Works Authority (Ashghal).
The last phase of 48km, connecting
Dukhan Highway with the Al Khor bypass, is to be awarded. The QR 3.60bn
phase 1 of the project involves 45km
of dual carriageways to connect the
Wakrah-Mesaieed highway and the
under-construction New Doha Port on
the southern side with the East West
Corridor in the north, Wakrah bypass
(on the east) and the Orbital Highway
on the east. There will be four junctions
in the п¬Ѓrst phase.
The project’s phase 2, which costs
QR4.30bn, involves the construction
of a 49km dual carriageway, connecting
Salwa Road with North Relief Road. The
new road will have п¬Ѓve main lanes on either side, separated by a central median
and with provisions for two additional
lanes. The project may also feature a
long-distance and freight rail, in addition
to dedicated cycle paths and walkways.
The phase will have eight junctions.
The 57km third phase, linking Mesaieed with Salwa Road, is not only the
project’s most important link but is also
the costliest road project undertaken in
the country. The work, featuring п¬Ѓve
junctions, is tendered for QR6.16bn.
The phase also consists of п¬Ѓve lanes
separated by a median and has provisions for two more lanes.
The highway, regarded as a vital
addition to Qatar’s road network, is
expected to ease traffic movement between northern and southern regions.
The dual carriageway, which includes 22 major intersections of bridges and tunnels, is expected to segregate
heavy-goods trucks from other vehicles through two dedicated lanes on
either direction. The road is expected
to improve safety by removing slowmoving trucks from the flow of faster
vehicles, said the report.
2
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
QATAR
Speaker meets envoy of Oman
Sale of heritage items begins
ahead of National Day celebration
T
HE the Speaker of the Advisory Council Mohamed bin Mubarak al-Khulaifi has received a message
from the Speaker of Oman’s Majlis Al-Shura (advisory council) Sheikh Khalid bin Hilal al-Mawali,
accepting the invitation to attend the 7th meeting of GCC Speakers which will be held in Doha
between November 30 and December 1. The message was handed over by Omani ambassador to
Qatar Mohamed bin Nasser bin Hamad al-Wahaibi when he met the Speaker al-Khulaifi yesterday.
hough the Qatar National
Day celebrations are more
than a month away, the
heritage cloth shops spread over
different locations in Doha have
started to display a large number
of goods, which have a bearing
on the event, local Arabic daily
Arrayah reported yesterday.
A large number of such traditional shops are located at Souq
Waqif, but other parts of the city
too have such shops.
Targeting the country’s citizens as well as other residents,
the outlets have on display such
things as different types of cloth
materials, including miniatures
of the National Flags, tote bags
for swords and weapons.
Different types of celebration
swords and guns used for “Al
Ardha” traditional dances are
also displayed. The shops are
also showcasing a host of “basht
“ (Abaya) and shawls.
Stiff competition between
the traders is also evident
from the prices at which
most materials are sold
Some of the shopkeepers have
said customers have already
started asking for materials and
in coming days there should be
more demand for most goods.
Stiff competition between the
traders is also evident from the
prices at which most materials
are sold.
Each of them claims that his
shop is selling the best materials, in particular dresses, swords,
daggers, and other accessories.
A city outlet owner specialised
in the making of Abayas and other heritage dresses has confirmed
there is a greater desire among
the citizens to wear the heritage
cloth and other items on the glorious occasion as they consider
this as an opportunity to demonstrate their loyalty towards the
national ancient heritage.
A trader said locally-made
swords are sold from QR1,300
onwards. However, the swords
made in Syria are much cheaper
and are available for prices between QR400 and QR750.
Inquiries found there are
shops that sell display rifles (not
original ones) to be carried during the National Day celebrations.
Qatar a key security partner of US: envoy
QNA
Washington
Q
atar’s ambassador to the
United States Mohamed
Jaham al-Kuwari has
stressed the importance of the
bilateral relations between Qatar
and the US, pointing to the special partnership between Washington and Doha, especially on
the security front.
Addressing a meeting organised by the Centre for the National Interest in Washington,
DC, Ambassador al-Kuwari focused on Qatar’s foreign policy
and its role in conflict resolution, saying that Doha follows
an independent policy in a very
complex area.
He referred to Qatar’s aspirations in achieving sustainable development in the Arab
world and strengthening the
issue of the Arab national unity,
pointing out that Qatar’s active membership in a number of
regional organisations such as
the Arab League, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and
the Organisation of the Islamic
Conference (OIC) is based on
this policy.
He spoke about Qatar’s vision
of the Arab League, saying that
the expansion of Arab co-operation through this body provides
a framework for securing the solution to the outstanding issues,
especially the recognition of an
independent state for the Palestinians with East Jerusalem as its
capital.
By working with the United
Nations and other international organisations, al-Kuwari
stressed Qatar’s commitment to
providing necessary assistance
to rebuild Gaza and help the Palestinian people in Gaza and the
West Bank without any political
goals.
Speaking about the bilateral
relations between Qatar and the
United States, the ambassador
pointed out that Qatar is an important security partner of the
United States and is seeking to
be a bridge between the East and
the West.
Ambassador al-Kuwari said
that Qatar’s initiatives qualify it
to play a mediating role and to
find solutions to the conflicts, in
order to ensure the interests of
all parties concerned, explaining
the purpose of the diplomacy of
the open communication channels in the region.
Al-Kuwari referred to the
changes that have occurred in
the regimes in Egypt, Tunisia,
Syria, Yemen and Libya in the
wake of the events of the “Arab
Spring”, stressing that the people of those countries were as-
Jaham al-Kuwari
piring to achieve the democratic
process.
He added that it was incumbent on the governments of
those countries to protect its
citizens. However, when this
was violated and the regimes
used violence against their people, Qatar stood with the people,
he said.
He also emphasised the need
to distinguish between illegal
Islamic parties and terrorist
groups, pointing out that Islamic parties like Ennahda in
Tunisia and the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt are compared
to the Christian Democratic
parties in Europe, stressing the
need not to isolate or marginalise these parties or exposing
its members to prison or exile
which will lead to the political
vacuum that allowed the rise
of groups such as the Islamic
State in Iraq and the Levant
(ISIS).
In this context, the ambassador said that Qatar considers the supporting of demo-
cratic Islamic parties a mean to
counter extremism, pointing
to the need for an integrated
strategy and comprehensive
dialogue to root out any terrorist ideologies in the future,
stressing that Qatar will not
tolerate terrorists or extremists who use violence.
About the international coalition led by the United States
against militants, al-Kuwari said
Qatar is committed to supporting international efforts in the
п¬Ѓght against terrorism.
Al-Kuwari also talked about
the requirements of the Qatari
society and the steps undertaken by the Qatari government in
the areas of combating poverty,
empowering women, promoting
education (especially towards
illiteracy eradication), supporting sport and providing a wider
range of opportunities for Arab
youth.
In brief
Emir, PM greet
Cambodian king
HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin
Hamad al-Thani and HE the
Prime Minister and Minister of
Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin
Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani have
sent cables of congratulations
to King Norodom Sihamoni of
Cambodia on the anniversary of
his country’s Independence Day.
Speaker meets
Hungarian envoy
Speaker of the Advisory
(Shura) Council HE Mohamed
bin Mubarak al-Khulaifi met
Hungarian Ambassador Istvan in
Doha yesterday. Talks during the
meeting dealt with the existing
parliamentary relations between
the two countries and means of
enhancing them. The meeting
was attended by the SecretaryGeneral of the Council, Fahd bin
Mubarak al-Khayareen.
Meeting held with
OIF ambassadors
HE the Minister of Culture, Arts
and Heritage Dr Hamad bin
Abdul Aziz al-Kuwari met the
ambassadors of International
Organisation of La Francophonie
(OIF) member states accredited
to Qatar.
The meeting focused on aspects
of co-operation between Qatar
and OIF as well as Qatar’s
participation in the OIF summit
which will be held in Senegal on
28-29 November.
The meeting also discussed the
arrangements of organising the
Francophone Cultural Week in
Doha in March next year on the
occasion of the International
Francophonie Day.
Qatar became an associate
member in October 2012.
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
3
QATAR
Some 120 cyclists participated in a race organised by QCR on Friday. PICTURE: Tarek Lagha.
Qatari roads �great
for cycling races’
By Joey Aguilar
Staff Reporter
T
he quality of road
surface in Qatar is
one of the best in the
world for cycling races, Qatar Chain Reaction (QCR)
founding member Ben
Keane told Gulf Times.
Keane, who rides with
Giant GMS racing team, was
commenting on the increasing popularity of cycling in
the country with the staging
of various races since last
year.
QCR had organised a series of competitions since
the start of September.
About 120 participants
joined the race on Friday at
Al Rafaa street (Cermonial
Road).
People from different nationalities in Qatar take part
in most of the races. Keane
said he allows beginners on
the roads only after they
have significantly improved.
“The roads in Qatar are
some of the best that I have
ridden and are great for cycling,” he noted. “It is not
any more dangerous than
riding in Europe and in saying that, you need to be on
guard constantly, both here
and at home”.
Keane said a velodrome is
needed to encourage young
Qataris to take up cycling.
An arena for track cycling,
he said that its temperature
controlled
environment
makes the velodrome a
“perfect venue” to train enthusiasts at an early age.
The recent announcement that Qatar will have
a Cycling School of Excellence soon will also help
make the sport become
more popular, Keane said.
“Cycling in Qatar is still
very much in its infancy at
a local level, but with the
School of Excellence, the
World Championships in
2016, the fantastic weather
here all year round I believe
cycling is about to explode,”
he said.
The group also works
closely with the local community, private sector and
individuals like Farhan
al-Sayed besides teaming
up with the Qatar Cycling
Federation (QCF) in holding
races and events.
Asked about inviting racers and teams from other
countries, Keane admitted
that QCR is not yet recognised by the Qatar Olympic
Committee.
This also prevents them
from
officially
seeking
sponsorship from big companies.
The absence of a licence
also makes it hard to attract
cyclists from other countries to take part in QCR’s
calendar of events.
But some racers such as
Jamie Lowden from Dubai,
who also rides for Giant
GMS team, had participated
in one of the races held in
Dukhan last year.
“In any major sporting event, sponsorship is a
major consideration. Any
and all of these events if
organised correctly and
safely, cost a lot of money,”
he said.
Keane praised the QCF
for its yearly Tour of Qatar
and Tour of Al Zubara, two
of its п¬Ѓrst class events which
attract many participants
from around the world.
He said QCF organises
local races and Crits in association with QCR. Other
cycling groups include
Velostar, Qatar Sandstormers, Pinoy Roadies Qatar,
Qatar Tri Club and A1 Pocket Qatar. The latest group
to set up in Doha is Carbon
Wheels.
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
4
QATAR
NHRC chairman meets Omani delegation
Chairman of the National
Human Rights Committee
(NHRC), Dr Ali bin Smaikh
al-Marri, held talks with a
delegation from the National
Human Rights Committee
of Oman (ONHRC) headed
by Saud bin Ali bin Abdullah
al-Jabri in Doha. ONHRC
Secretary General Dr Ubaid
bin Said al-Shaqsy also
attended the meeting.
Ajyal Youth Film Festival gets wide support
T
he
second
Ajyal
Youth Film Festival,
being organised by
Doha Film Institute (DFI)
from December 1 to 6 at Katara – the Cultural Village,
has received support from
various quarters - including government entities,
multinational and regional
entities, media houses and
educational organisations.
Fatma al-Remaihi, acting
chief executive officer of DFI
and director of Ajyal Youth
Film Festival, said: “We are
delighted by the response
from the business community
and other stakeholders to the
second edition of Ajyal Youth
Film Festival. This show of
solidarity by Doha-based, regional and international entities highlights the tremendous value that the festival
offers in bringing the community together to add to Doha’s
reputation as a cultural hub.
“The co-operation of
the various entities is a true
testament to the spirit of
public-private partnerships
fostered by Qatar in organising truly world-class events.
Quite significantly, several
of our partners are returning
sponsors, highlighting the
value that our partnership
has delivered in achieving
their marketing and com-
munity outreach goals. Their
support adds to the prestige
of the festival and we are
thankful for their support.”
Katara continues as the
Cultural Partner, while Occidental Petroleum renews
its support as the Principal
Partner.
The Contributing Sponsors are Fifty One East and
Sony (Official Electronics
Partner), Hilton Doha (Official Hotel Partner), Novo
Cinemas (Official Festival
Partner) and Qatar Airways
(Official Carrier), while joining on board as Friends of
the Festival are Aspire Katara
Hospitality, Franck Provost
(Official Hair Stylist), Giffoni
(Official Festival Partner),
Grand Hyatt Doha (Official
Hotel Partner), Mac Cosmetics (Official Make-Up
Sponsor), Ministry of Youth
& Sports, National Health
Insurance Company, Northwestern University in Qatar,
Rayyan Water (Official Water
Sponsor) and Uber.
The Gold Media Sponsors of the festival this year
are Al Rayyan TV and Qatar TV. In addition to their
partnership, they will bring
to Qatar residents the excitement at Ajyal Youth
Film Festival this year. Both
organisations are repeat
Gold Media Sponsors.
The Silver Media Sponsors are I Love Qatar, International New York Times,
Qatar Happening, Time Out
Doha and T Qatar - New
York Times style magazine
(Qatar edition). All of them
are returning partners.
The second Ajyal Youth
Film Festival consists of
daily public screenings
of local and international
п¬Ѓlms, family days, special
events and exhibitions, the
Sandbox interactive digital
playground, school screenings and the Doha Film Experience – Ajyal’s youth
jury, where hundreds of
young people aged between
eight and 21 years will watch
and discuss shorts and features and decide on the
winning п¬Ѓlms.
For more information,
visit www.dohafilminstitute.com
6
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
QATAR
Qatari professionals participate in QLC programme modules on leadership development.
QLC receiving online
applications from Qataris
Q
atar
Leadership
Centre (QLC) is currently accepting online applications from qualified Qatari professionals
for its three national programmes, for 2015-2016.
The Rising Leaders, Executive Leaders and Government Leaders programmes
are designed to foster leadership development among
Qataris working in managerial and executive positions
in diverse government institutions, public organisations and the private sector.
The centre has 67 alumni
and almost 100 active participants.
Applicants undergo a
merit-based
evaluation,
with assessment of their
educational qualifications,
professional
experience,
leadership potential and
other criteria. Qualified
Qataris are invited to apply by submitting an online
application on the centre’s
website, www.qlc.org.qa.
Applications will close on
December 4.
All programmes feature
modules delivered by QLC’s
world-class academic partners, including Harvard
University, the University of
Cambridge, the University
of Chicago Booth School of
Business, Duke CE and HEC
Paris.
Participants have the opportunity to interact with
prominent decision makers
from government and business during special policy
seminars and customised
visits.
International
study
trips are an integral component of the programmes
as well. Past destinations
have included the US, the
UK and China; this year’s
learning journeys include
visits to Silicon Valley,
Singapore and Korea.
QLC’s three programmes
take place for a few days
each month, for a period
of 12 to 16 months.
“Qatar Leadership Centre is a national platform for
leadership excellence, empowering Qataris to serve
their country in innovative
ways,” noted Dr Abdulla bin
Ali al-Thani, board member
and managing director.
“Our participants benefit
not only from the expertise
of our world-class partners
but also from shared collaboration with each other
over the course of the programme. I encourage qualified Qatari professionals to
consider applying for one
of the Centre’s customised
programmes.”
Participants are drawn
from diverse arenas, including government, oil and gas,
healthcare, education, the
military, п¬Ѓnance and tourism.
The Rising Leaders Programme enrols Qataris between the ages of 25 and 35
with at least three years of
professional
experience.
Candidates must have a
bachelor’s degree or above
and a sound command of
English and Arabic.
The Executive Leaders
Programme is designed for
Qataris between the ages
of 36 and 46 with at least
10 years of professional experience. Candidates must
have a bachelor’s degree or
above, hold a managerial
position in their workplace
and have a sound command
of English and Arabic.
The Government Leaders
Programme is conducted in
Arabic and is designed for
Qataris between the ages of
25 and 40. Candidates must
have a bachelor’s degree
or above and at least three
years of professional experience.
8
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
QATAR
27 GCC officials take part in
industrial security seminar
T
he Industrial Security Workshop for GCC officers
started at the Civil Defence Officers Club yesterday.
The workshop is being organised by General Directorate of Civil Defence in co-operation with the General Directorate of Industrial Security. Twenty seven officers from
GCC, mainly personnel from the security departments of
Ministry of Interior, including those from the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya) are attending the deliberations.
The inaugural ceremony was attended by Director General of Civil Defence Staff Brigadier Abdullah Mohamed
al-Suwaidi, International Co-operation Department Director Brigadier Abdul Aziz al-Ansari, General Directorate
of the Industrial Security Director Khalifa al-Nasr, Assistant Director General of Civil Defence Brigadier Aman Saad
al-Sulaiti and Operations Department Director Hamad alDuhaimi and many officers from Civil Defence and Industrial
Security.
Staff Brigadier Abdullah Mohamed al-Suwaidi highlighted
the importance of the workshop stressing that it would contribute a lot to raise the efficiency of the participants.
While hailing the participation of many senior officials
from other GCC States, Brigadier al-Sulaiti said it stood
testimony to the importance of exchange of ideas and ex-
Lumia 830 goes
on sale in Qatar
Microsoft Devices yesterday announced the availability of the
Lumia 830 in Qatar for QR1,499.
With a premium design,
superior PureView imaging and
integrated Microsoft services,
Lumia 830 makes high-end
innovation more affordable,
the company said in a statement.The 830 comes with
Lumia innovations such as
wireless charging, Optimised
Image Stabilisation as well as
personal wellness monitoring
features like SensorCore. It
has a 10-megapixel PureView
camera with Zeiss optics and
Rich Recording, in addition to
Living Images and Storyteller,
which can be used to share
information on social networks.
The phone also features the latest version of Windows Phone
8.1 with Lumia Denim. Microsoft
OneDrive and Microsoft Office
with Outlook, Word, Excel and
PowerPoint are available out of
the box for leading productivity on the go, the statement
added. The other highlights
of the 830 include a 5-inch
ClearBlack display and 15GB of
OneDrive storage.
“With PureView imaging, wireless charging and a wealth
of other great features, the
Lumia 830 delivers the best
innovations and experiences
from our flagship smartphones
at a more affordable price,
underscoring Microsoft’s commitment to offer a competitive
Windows Phone experience
for everyone,” said Jon French,
vice-president, Microsoft
Devices Middle East.
Brigadier Abdullah Mohamed al-Suwaidi (centre) speaks at the
start of the workshop yesterday.
perience. The Director of Civil Defence also said the course
was mainly aimed at focusing on industrial security and introducing its role in the security operations. He recalled the
success of the previous workshops and said the workshop
also included visits to oil п¬Ѓelds to receive adequate experience for the participants.
This will be a two-week workshop in which experts like
Ghani Hussain al Kubaisi, Ziauddin Haider, Jubair Abdul
Shafi, Taj Omar and Lyon from Industrial Security will give
their lectures on different topics, including general concepts
of security, with special attention on such issues as industrial safety and industrial security in Qatar among others.
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
9
QATAR
Engineering forum
discusses challenges
Lewis Affleck, Fawzi Ali al-Ajji and Dr Mark H Weichold at the Engineering Leaders
Conference yesterday. PICTURE: Jayan Orma
Stress on
training in
science
By Joseph Varghese
Staff Reporter
M
ore and more students are to be
pushed
towards
science studies and leadership programmes to meet
several challenges facing the
country, an official of Maersk
Oil suggested yesterday.
Speaking to Gulf Times
on the sidelines of the Engineering Leaders Conference
on Engineering Education,
Fawzi Ali al-Ajji, senior CSR
adviser management, Maersk Oil Qatar, quoted latest
statistics from Qatar University( QU), to point out that
only 12% of the students are
majoring in science subjects
while 88% are following humanities and other subjects.
“Qataris account for about
15% of the total population
of the country. We have a
number of programmes, to
get the pupils educated in
science and technical disciplines, such as STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
education,” he explained.
“We are preparing different programmes at senior
schools level so that all the
students interested to get the
right training in science and
leadership programmes. This
will enable more students
to take up science studies
as well as in leadership programmes at Hamad Bin Khalifa University ( HBKU) and
QU,” al-Ajji added.
Dr Mark H Weichold, dean
and CEO of Texas A&M at
Qatar (TAMUQ), said there
was a big gap between the
number of engineers graduating from the institutes
and the number of graduates
needed in the country.
“Together with Maersk
Oil,we are reaching out to
secondary schools and middle schools to do two things.
One is to get the young people excited about the science
and technology studies such
as engineering. The second
programme is to work with
teachers so that the students are opting for the right
courses that require the rigour to succeed in university
programmes.”
He highlighted that the
efforts are paying dividends.
“Through our combined efforts, TAMUQ has about 52%
Qatari students and 40% of
the rest of the students are
Qatar residents. All of them
are prepared to take on and
meet the needs and demands
from the industries in Qatar.”
“TAMUQ is always open to
the idea of expansion of the
programmes as there is the
need for more programmes.
We are also planning to work
out the expansion of the programmes through Hamad
Bin Khalifa University.”
Lewis Affleck, managing
director, Maersk Oil Qatar,
revealed that there are over
200 nationals among the
2,000 employees in his organisation in Qatar.
“More than half of the
nationals are in technical
disciplines. We might need
more nationals in hundreds
in technical areas alone in the
coming years. We believe that
the most important thing is
to get young people interested in science disciplines
as technical disciplines are
necessary for the future sustainability,” he added.
Ooredoo supports Salamtek
road safety smartphone apps
O
oredoo is working
with Qatar Mobility
Innovations Centre
(QMIC) to promote the use of
its range of Salamtek smartphone applications, which
aim to reduce the number of
accidents caused by drivers
distracted by mobile phones.
Through an MoU between
QMIC and Ooredoo, which
was signed by Sheikh Nasser
bin Hamad bin Nasser alThani, chief new business
officer for Ooredoo, the two
organisations are working
together to encourage use of
the mobile app across Qatar.
“Ooredoo recognises the
power and potential of mobile technology to enrich
people’s lives, and this initiative is an excellent example of using innovation to
address a real social issue in
Qatar. Working with QMIC,
we hope to promote a series
of new innovations in the
coming months that have a
direct impact on the lives of
people across the country,”
Sheikh Nasser said.
The Salamtek Mobile Solution for Distracted Driving,
which is the п¬Ѓrst in the region, is available for Android
devices in Arabic and English and works by blocking a
motorist’s phone calls, alerts
and messages while driving.
Available on the Google
App store, it has been designed to reduce the number
of road accidents in Qatar by
stopping people from taking their eyes off the road to
look at their mobile phones.
QMIC has plans to release a
version of Salamtek for the
iOS platform too.
Ooredoo
is
working
alongside a consortium of
organisations to promote
the service, led by QMIC
and includes the Ministry
of Municipality and Urban
Planning, Traffic Directorate
of the Ministry of Interior,
Qatar Insurance Company
and the Road Safety Studies
Centre of Qatar University.
Salamtek has a userfriendly design, enabling the
user to set the speed upon
which the application will
start blocking message and
seamlessly changing as required by the user. There are
currently three versions of
the app available – Salamtek
Personal, Enterprise and
Family.
Some of the products from the IKEA Paper shop.
Ikea unveils Paper shop in Qatar
S
wedish furniture retailer Ikea, part of the
Al-Futtaim group of
companies, has unveiled its
п¬Ѓrst Paper shop within Qatar.
Customers can now buy
stationery, decoration items
and gift wraps within the
store at Doha Festival City.
John Kersten, managing
director, Ikea Qatar, UAE,
Egypt and Oman, said: “Ikea
believes in constant innovation. We want to keep surprising our customers with
our ideas and the Paper shop
is our way of offering them
solutions to extend their
creativity.”
Set within a �candy shop’
environment, the Paper
shop at Ikea is stocked with
over 100 new products, with
more to be added every season.
Across the categories of
stationery, decoration and
gift wrap, the Paper shop
offers products as diverse as
party decorations and lamp
shades to gift bags, gift boxes, gift wraps, gift tags, ribbons, decorative tape, tissue
paper, adhesive labels, notebooks and notepads, stickers, cards and envelopes,
clipboards, paper-clips and
self-stick notes. Prices start
from QR3.
The Ikea Paper shop also
comes with its own mascot – the Paper shop family.
This includes Peter, Pamela,
their children Polly and Pat
and the family cat Parham.
Fun and friendly communication including quirky signage, and liberal use of the
mascots embellish the Paper
shop.
Q
atar will rely on strong leaders in engineering and science to address the nation’s
future energy and environmental
challenges, leading international
experts said yesterday during the
opening session of the Engineering
Leaders Conference on Engineering
Education organised by Texas A&M
University at Qatar (TAMUQ).
The three-day conference being
held at the Grand Hyatt Doha, has
brought together more than 100
speakers and presenters from 25
countries to discuss education of
engineers for the grand challenges
for engineering, a list of 14 global imperatives to be addressed by
engineering disciplines in the 21st
century.
Dr Mark H Weichold, dean and
CEO TAMUQ, said the conference
represents direct efforts to support
Qatar’s human and social development, which, through engineers
and scientists, will drive the country’s economic and environmental
development.
He also thanked Maersk Oil
Qatar, the conference’s exclusive
sponsor and industry partner, for
its visionary leadership in supporting the meeting of academics from
around the world.
“Here in Qatar, one of the biggest challenges is providing clean
water. Other regions will have different priorities, but none of those
challenges will be met unless high
school students are drawn into the
The plenary session of Engineering Leaders Conference on
Engineering Education.
STEM — science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields
and ultimately equipped to deal
with real human needs,” said Dr
John Lienhard, professor of Technology and Culture and professor
of mechanical engineering emeritus at the University of Houston.
“To prepare the next generation of engineers who will solve the
grand challenges of today and those
that develop in the future, we must
begin educating our engineering students to be out-of-the-box
thinkers who create rather than
incrementally design,” said Dr M
Katherine Banks, a member of the
National Academy of Engineering,
and vice chancellor and dean of engineering at Texas A&M University
in College Station, Texas.
Lewis Affleck, Maersk Oil Qatar managing director, said Maersk
Oil’s sponsorship of the conference
reflects the company’s strong commitment to supporting Qatar’s development of a knowledge-based
economy.
“Maersk Oil recognises the importance of nurturing and developing local talent and we are pleased
to work with Texas A&M University
at Qatar on the Engineering Leaders Conference 2014, which will
help to share good-practices in engineering education, and therefore
benefit educational institutions —
and future engineering students —
here in Qatar.”
ARC’14 to
discuss cyber
security
Q
atar Foundation’s Annual Research Conference (ARC’14), has
announced the ARC’14 agenda
to address Qatar’s Cyber Security Grand
Challenge, focusing on computing innovations to protect Qatar’s cyber infrastructure.
The conference, being held on November 18-19, will bring together expertise from Qatar and key entities of Qatar
Foundation Research and Development
(QF R&D), including Qatar Computing
Research Institute (QCRI), as well as international subject matter experts.
The delegates will discuss research
aimed at protecting Qatar’s cyber infrastructure against threats, as well as assessing how advancements in computing
technologies can be used for social good.
QCRI is focused on tackling large-scale
computing challenges that address national priorities for growth and development that help to build Qatar’s innovation
and technology capacity.
Dr Ahmed K Elmagarmid, executive
director of QCRI, said: “As leading international experts come together in Doha to
discuss the future of technology research
excellence, we are reminded of Qatar’s
rise in global prominence and expansive
international
network. Now
more than ever
before, Qatar
relies heavily
on computing
and networking
technologies to
stay connected
globally.”
Dr Ahmed Elmagarmid
10
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
QATAR
Qatar Shell is gold
sponsor for global
entrepreneurship
conference
T
Dr Nonneman and Brigadier al-Nesf flanked by Dr Barth and Dr Abbood at the MoU signing.
GU-Q pupils to promote
awareness about WMDs
G
eorgetown
University
in Qatar (GU-Q) students will soon be taking an increasingly active role
in raising awareness about the
international conventions prohibiting nuclear, biological, and
chemical weapons, with the
signing of a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) with the
National Committee for the Prohibition of Weapons (NCPW)
under the Qatar’s Ministry of
Defence.
Dr Gerd Nonneman, dean
of GU-Q, and Brigadier (Air)
Hassan Saleh al-Nesf, deputy,
chairman of NCPW, were the
signatories. Prof Dr Salwan
K J Abbood, radiation expert,
NCPW, and Dr Kai Henrik
Barth, senior assistant dean at
GU-Q, were present.
This collaboration seeks to
involve university students in
NCPW activities and events
related to the prohibition of
weapons of mass destruction
(WMDs) through an NCPW internship for up to two students,
and through a series of other
joint programmes between the
two organisations.
Dr Nonneman stated that both
GU-Q and the NCPW are in full
agreement that WMDs pose a
security risk locally, regionally,
and globally.
“We also agree that awareness about WMDs is crucial, and
through this MoU, we are committing to the responsibility of
raising this awareness in our
community.”
The study of international affairs and global security, which
provides the necessary backdrop
to understanding the key issues
surrounding these risks, are central to the curriculum offered at
GU-Q, he explained.
“This MoU provides for a wide
array of joint activities and programming we hope will further
impact our students’ awareness
of the effort to reduce proliferation and to lessen these risks,” he
added
Brigadier al-Nesf observed
that the MoU with GU-Q is an
advanced step towards equipping and enhancing awareness
among students on the dangers
of weapons of mass destruction
by involving them in Doha Regional Training Centre activities
related to weapons agreements.
“Students are also encouraged to conduct research and
theoretical studies while NCAE
provides them with expertise
in such a way that both parties
complement each other to cover
different aspects of the agreement. The aim is to contribute
to strengthening the role of Qatar in its ongoing quest to promote international peace and
security.”
Georgetown has previously
hosted the п¬Ѓrst and fourth NCPW
WMD Awareness Workshop
on their campus, and through
the MoU, will continue to host
the Workshop for university
students on a biyearly basis.
Beyond the student internship and hosting the workshop,
the agreement also includes
encouraging student research
projects related to WMD Conventions, and extending access
of the GU-Q Library and other
resources to NCPW staff.
In turn, NCPW agrees to extend invitations to GU-Q students and faculty to visit their
headquarters for workshops,
lectures, and meeting with experts to learn about the practical
aspects of international conventions. The initial period of time
for the agreement is three years,
after which there is an option for
renewal of the agreement.
he Board of Global Entrepreneurship WeekQatar (GEW-Qatar) has
announced that Qatar Shell
has joined as gold sponsor
for GEW 2014 to be held on
November 17-23.
This year’s event is the
third instalment of GEWQatar, which in 2013 included more than 60 separate
events, drawing almost 3,000
attendees.
Also, the event aims to build
on the ambition of the country’s youth by providing aspiring entrepreneurs with tools
and knowledge by linking
them with relevant organisations and mentors by convening recognised local entrepreneurs to discuss regulatory
and п¬Ѓnancial policies and by
fostering awareness of the
rewards of entrepreneurship
among the country’s youth.
This year, GEW-Qatar is being held under the patronage
of HE the Minister of Economy and Commerce Sheikh
Ahmed bin Jassim al-Thani.
In addition to sponsoring
GEW-Qatar, Qatar Shell, in
partnership with Bedaya Centre, launched the “Enterprise
Challenge Qatar” (ECQ) in
2012, a competition that promotes the spirit of entrepreneurship and business knowledge among young people.
More than 700 students
from nine universities and 15
schools across Qatar participated in the competition this
year. More than 100 volunteer
mentors, mostly Qataris, have
delivered the coaching sessions
for the student participants.
The winners of the com-
petition will be announced
at the GEW Gala Dinner on
November 16.
Wael Sawan, chairman and
managing director of Qatar
Shell companies said, “At Qatar Shell, we recognised that
cultivating entrepreneurship
begins with investing in young
minds. We are delighted to be
the Gold Sponsor of Global
Entrepreneurship Week for
the third consecutive year. ”
He added, “We are proud
to continue working closely
with our partner Bedaya to
widen the horizons of young
people to appreciate and consider the value of entrepreneurial endeavours. Seeking
to help nurture the business
leaders of the future, the
�Enterprise Challenge Qatar’ is part of our investment
in Qatar’s future and in a
sustainable economy.”
Silatech CEO Dr Tarik M
Yousef said, “Qatar Shell has
a strong history of supporting entrepreneurship in Qatar
and we are very happy to have
them on board as Gold Sponsor of GEW-Qatar this year.”
Qatar Development Bank
(QDB) is Entrepreneurship
Partner for GEW-2014, while
the Qatar Financial Centre
(QFC) Authority has been
named Growth Platform
Partner.
Silatech, a Qatar-based
social initiative focused on
youth employment and entrepreneurship, is the official
country host for GEW-Qatar.
I Love Qatar is the official online partner while The Edge is
the official business magazine
partner.
QC charts voluntary work course for youths
Q
atar Charity (QC)
yesterday
signed
three cooperation
and sponsorship agreements with three local educational and community
service institutes.
The agreements aim at
encouraging Qatari youth
to get engaged in voluntary
work and community service. The agreements were
signed with Lyan campaign
for the aid of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Edad Education Centre, and Rowad
Centre.
The agreements involve
implementation of various
development and cultural
projects and programmes
inside the country, besides
Representatives of QC and the three institutes at the signing ceremony yesterday.
aid campaigns for the vulnerable abroad.
Mohamed Mubarak alAdasni, director at QC, said
that these three agreements
are part of QC support for
Qatari youth initiatives.
They are also an integral
Vodafone offers mobile data
with new smartphones
Vodafone Qatar has
introduced two smartphones
in Qatar - Smart 4 Power and
Smart 4 Fun.
Available at all Vodafone
retail stores and the
company’s eShop via
www.vodafone.qa/
vodafonedevices, the
4G-enabled Smart 4 Power
and the 3G-enabled Smart 4
Fun are priced at QR699 and
QR199, respectively.
Customers choosing the
Vodafone Smart 4 Fun will get
to enjoy 1GB of free data on
prepaid and 6GB of free data
on postpaid for one month.
Those looking to buy the
Vodafone Smart 4 Power will
receive 6GB of free data for
90 days on prepaid and 15GB
per month of free data on
postpaid for three months.
“The Smart 4 Power and
Smart 4 Fun are the latest
entries in the Vodafone
Smart family with Vodafone
Smart 4 Power being the first
smart handset with access to
our 4G network at a highly
affordable price. Packed
with fantastic features, both
smartphones are designed
to provide our customers
with an outstanding data
experience. They also make
for great gifts to the youth.
Both products are quite
unique and are the best value
smart handsets in the market
with a brilliant range of apps
The Vodafone Smart 4
Power and Smart 4 Fun.
customers can download and
enjoy through Google Play
Store,” Vodafone Qatar said in
a statement.
The Smart 4 Fun runs the
Android operating system
and features a 3.5-inch
screen, a 2MP camera and a
1GHz dual core processor.
The Smart 4 Power is a
larger, modern smartphone
and boasts of a 5-inch QHD
display, a 5MP camera, HD
voice, a 3,000mAh battery
and a 1.3GHz quad-core
processor powering Android
4.4.2 KitKat. With Smart 4
Power, customers will get a
micro USB data cable with
wall charger, a hands-free
headset and two Vodafone
NFC tags.
Combined with a pre-loaded
app, these NFC tags will let
customers tap their phone to
change settings in an instant.
In addition, there are extras
like a powersaving mode and
lock screen text message
notifications.
part of QC charitable work
through direct involvement or partnership with
local and international
entities.
He added that such
agreements would be highly
instrumental through the
fruitful educational and entertainment programmes for
young Qataris.
QC has п¬Ѓnanced similar projects with QR1.5mn,
which aimed at enhancing
ethics and good conduct
within the society.
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
11
REGION
Comoros citizenship offer for Kuwait stateless
AFP
Kuwait City
T
ens of thousands of stateless people in Kuwait will
be offered citizenship of
the impoverished African nation
of Comoros to end their decadesold problem, the government said
yesterday.
The stateless people—known
as bidoons—would be granted
“special applications for Comoros’ economic citizenship”,
Kuwait’s interior ministry assistant undersecretary MajorGeneral Mazen al-Jarrah told Al
Jarida daily.
Those who accept the offer
would be given free residence
permits in Kuwait, in addition
to a series of incentives like free
education and healthcare and the
right to employment, Jarrah was
quoted as saying.
The process would start as
soon as an embassy for Comoros
is opened in Kuwait in the coming
months.
But lawmaker Faisal al-Duwaisan, a member of parliament’s
human rights committee, de-
scribed the move as “very grave”
and vowed to п¬Ѓle a motion to
question the prime minister if the
government implements its decision.
He said the announcement
means the government has been
providing false information to
lawmakers suggesting that stateless people hold nationalities of
other countries. “If this is true,
the government should deport
them to their home countries and
not to Comoros,” he said.
More than 110,000 stateless
people were born and raised in
Kuwait and claim the right to citizenship in the emirate.
The Kuwaiti government, which
describes them as illegal residents,
says only 34,000 qualify for consideration for citizenship.
The rest are considered natives
of other countries who either emigrated to Kuwait after the discovery of oil п¬Ѓve decades ago or were
born to these migrants.
In the past three years, bidoons have held demonstrations
to demand citizenship and other
basic rights, and police have dispersed them using force, arresting hundreds who are on trial for
illegal protests and assaulting
police.
A Kuwaiti lawmaker in April
proposed to send stateless people convicted of breaching public
security and protesting to a camp
he suggested should be built in the
desert.
Comoros is an archipelago state
located off eastern Africa and is a
member of the Arab League.
Obama warns
of �big gap’ as
US, Iran seek
nuclear deal
Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and members of the new government pose for a group picture in Sanaa yesterday.
Yemen cabinet sworn in
despite calls for boycott
AFP
Sanaa
Y
emen’s new cabinet was
sworn in yesterday despite calls by former autocratic president Ali Abdullah
Saleh and Shia militias allied to
him for it to be boycotted.
Twenty-nine ministers including members of Saleh’s
powerful General People’s Congress (GPC) and others seen as
close to the Shia Houthi insurgents attended the inauguration
at the presidential palace, participants said.
The line-up was sworn in before President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who succeeded Saleh
after he was forced to resign in
early 2012 following a year of
Arab Spring-inspired protests.
Saleh’s GPC had on Saturday
urged cabinet nominees from
the party to turn down their
ministries, as it rejected newly
imposed UN Security Council
sanctions against him.
The GPC has also sacked Hadi
from its leadership, apparently in
retaliation after accusations he
had solicited the sanctions announced on Friday against Saleh
and two Houthi commanders for
threatening peace.
Six ministers were absent from
yesterday’s swearing in ceremony, with Prime Minister Khalid
Bahah saying three of them were
abroad and three others turned
down their appointments.
The GPC on Saturday called
for members to turn down the
cabinet posts, while the Houthis
rejected the government and
demanded a reshuffle to dismiss
ministers they consider unqualified or corrupt.
The new 36-member cabinet was formed as part of a
UN-brokered peace deal under
which the Houthis, also known
as Ansarullah, are supposed to
withdraw from Sanaa, which
they seized on September 21.
On November 1, the main
parties signed an agreement
brokered by the UN envoy to
Yemen, Jamal Benomar, for the
formation of a government of
technocrats.
Rebel representatives and
their rivals, the Sunni Al Islah
(Reform) Islamic party, mandated Hadi to form a government
and committed to support it.
Bahah yesterday called for
political factions to “co-operate” with the new government
to help resolve the “dangerous”
crisis.
“The most serious challenge
we are facing now is how to
preserve the state” to prevent a
“conflict... with unpredictable
outcomes,” he said in a statement carried by the official Saba
news agency.
Yemen has been dogged by
instability since the uprising
forced Saleh from power in February 2012, with the Houthi militias and Al Qaeda seeking to п¬Ѓll
the power vacuum.
Since it overran Sanaa, Ansarullah has expanded its control to coastal areas and regions
south of the capital, where its
п¬Ѓghters have met п¬Ѓerce resistance from Sunni tribes and Al
Qaeda.
The rebels are thought to be
backed by forces loyal to Saleh.
The turmoil has raised fears
the nation, which lies on the key
shipping route from the Suez
Canal to the Gulf, may become a
failed state.
Bahrain drops case against opposition group
Reuters
Abu Dhabi
B
ahrain has dropped a case
п¬Ѓled four months ago to
suspend the activities of
an opposition political group,
the state news agency BNA said
yesterday, in a move that could
ease tensions ahead of general
elections.
The justice ministry in July
asked a court to suspend the
National Democratic Action
Society, known as Waad, and
two other groups, including the
main opposition group Al Wefaq, for three months.
The ministry told the court
it had based its decision to drop
the case against Waad on the
fact that the group had held its
annual general conference and
elected a new secretary general
according to the law, BNA said.
Bahrain quelled a popular
uprising in 2011 when Shias
led mass protests demanding
a greater role in running the
country, but low-level civil unrest has persisted.
Talks between the government and mostly-Shia opposition have failed to end a
political standoff. Many Shias
complain of political and economic discrimination, a charge
the authorities deny.
Bahrain is due to hold parliamentary elections on November 22. Al Wefaq and other
political associations, including Waad, have said they intend to boycott the poll to pro-
test what they described as a
vote where the results would
be “fully controlled by the ruling authority”.
A Bahraini court last month
ordered Al Wefaq’s activities
suspended for three months,
but the justice minister deferred implementation of the
decision to give the group time
to hold its annual general conference.
Al Wefaq has said it would
hold its annual meeting in December.
Iran and world powers are far
apart on what capabilities its
nuclear programme should
have
AFP
Muscat
T
he United States and Iran
held high-level talks in
Oman yesterday ahead
of a looming deadline for a nuclear deal, but President Barack
Obama warned that a “big gap”
remained.
US Secretary of State John
Kerry met Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohamed Javad Zarif, with
both sides facing political pressure at home over the long-running negotiations which have
appeared close to deadlock for
months.
Iran and world powers have
set November 24 as a deadline
to turn an interim agreement
into a long-term settlement,
but Obama warned it may not be
possible.
“Are we going to be able to
close this п¬Ѓnal gap so that (Iran)
can re-enter the international
community, sanctions can be
slowly reduced and we have
verifiable, lock-tight assurances
that they can’t develop a nuclear
weapon?” Obama said in a CBS
News interview broadcast yesterday.
“There’s still a big gap. We
may not be able to get there.”
Despite the deadline, Iran and
the P5+1 group—Britain, China,
France, Russia and the United
States plus Germany—are far
apart on what capabilities Iran’s
nuclear programme should have.
The West has as yet been unconvinced by Iran’s denials that
it has never sought a nuclear
weapon, while Tehran insists its
atomic activities are for peaceful, civilian energy purposes
only.
A deal, for the West, aims to
put a bomb forever beyond Iran’s
reach.
Kerry and Zarif met for three
hours in Muscat with former
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, the lead nego-
US Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad
Zarif shake hands as Omani Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs
Youssef bin Alawi and former EU top diplomat Catherine Ashton
watch in Muscat yesterday.
tiator in the talks, also present.
Both sides then broke for lunch
and separate private discussions
with aides.
No statements were made before the main talks resumed at
6pm.
At issue is the number of
uranium-enriching centrifuges
Iran should be allowed to keep
spinning in exchange for sanctions relief and rigorous inspections at its nuclear sites.
Iran wants “industrial grade
enrichment” beyond its current capabilities while the world
powers want a reduction.
The meeting follows the revelation that Obama reportedly
wrote to Iran’s Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to push
for a deal, arguing that the Islamic Republic and the West
have shared regional interests.
This apparent reference to
the п¬Ѓght against Islamic State
militants in Syria and Iraq was
played down by Kerry, however,
with the US diplomat saying in
Beijing on Saturday “there is no
linkage whatsoever” with the
nuclear talks.
Domestic politics are hanging
heavily over the process, given
the loss in mid-term elections
of the Senate by Obama’s Democrats to the Republican party,
members of which have consistently bridled at the White
House’s negotiations with Iran.
If talks go sour in the coming
weeks it is thought the US Congress may respond with fresh
sanctions on Iran.
Obama has the power to veto
them, but the prospect of new
penalties could disrupt an already protracted process and
push the negotiations toward
being untenable for the Iranian
government.
Zarif and President Hassan
Rohani are already under pressure from lawmakers sceptical
of the interim deal who have
also demanded that any п¬Ѓnal
agreement must be ratified by
parliament.
As if to drive that message
home yesterday, 200 Iranian
MPs signed a statement demanding that Zarif’s negotiating team “vigorously defend”
the country’s nuclear rights and
ensure a “total lifting of sanctions”.
Although officially supportive, hardliners in Tehran have
often been ambivalent about
the negotiations, which officially resumed last autumn after earlier secret talks in Oman
with US officials set the wheels
in motion.
12
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
ARAB WORLD
Iraq investigating IS chief’s fate after air strikes
AFP
Baghdad
I
raq was yesterday investigating whether Islamic State
chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
was killed in air strikes by USled coalition warplanes targeting
the group’s leaders.
The death of the elusive Baghdadi would be a major victory for
the coalition of countries carrying
out air strikes against IS and pro-
viding assistance to Iraqi forces
п¬Ѓghting to regain large areas of
Iraq that the militants have overrun.
The announcement of the
strikes came after President
Barack Obama unveiled plans to
send up to 1,500 more US troops to
Iraq to advise and train the country’s forces, deepening Washington’s commitment to the openended war against IS.
A senior Iraqi intelligence official said there was no “accurate
information” on whether Baghdadi was killed but that authorities were investigating.
“The information is from unofficial sources and was not confirmed until now, and we are
working on that,” the official said.
US Central Command, which
oversees American forces in the
Middle East, on Saturday said that
coalition aircraft conducted a “series of air strikes” against “a gathering of (IS) leaders near Mosul”.
“We cannot confirm if (IS)
leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was
among those present,” said Centcom spokesman Patrick Ryder.
The US-led strikes late Friday
were a further sign of “the pressure we continue to place on the
ISIL terrorist network”, he said,
using another acronym for Islamic
State.
The aim was to squeeze the
group and ensure it had “increasingly limited freedom to manoeuvre, communicate and command”.
“I can’t absolutely confirm that
Baghdadi has been killed,” General
Nicholas Houghton, the chief of
staff of the British armed forces,
told BBC television yesterday.
“Probably it will take some days to
have absolute confirmation.”
Washington has offered a
$10mn reward for his capture, and
some analysts say he is increasingly seen as more powerful than
Al Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahri.
The Iraqi government responded on Saturday to announcements
from the US and other countries
that trainers would be sent to the
country, saying in a statement
that: “This step is a little late, but
we welcome it.”
The government had requested
that members of the international
coalition help train and arm its
forces, the statement said.
“The coalition agreed on that
and four to п¬Ѓve Iraqi training
camps were selected, and building on that, they have now begun
sending the trainers,” it said.
The new troops announced
by Obama would roughly double
the number of American military
personnel in the country to about
3,100.
Multiple Iraqi army divisions
collapsed in the early days of the
militant offensive in northern
Iraq, leaving major units that need
to be reconstituted.
Obama had resisted keeping US
troops in Iraq earlier in his term,
vowing to end the American presence that began with the 2003 invasion and lasted until 2011.
Iraqi forces
advance in
bid to break
refinery siege
Security forces have used
helicopters to attack
Islamic State insurgents
surrounding the refinery
Reuters
Baghdad
I
raqi military forces reached
the centre of the northern
city of Baiji yesterday to try
to break an Islamic State siege
of the country’s biggest refinery nearby, triggering fierce
clashes with the militants, according to an army colonel and
a witness.
Islamic State insurgents
seized Baiji city in June during a lightning advance through
northern Iraq. Since then, they
have surrounded the refinery
and halted its production while
a detachment of government
troops has held out for months
under siege inside it.
The colonel said Iraqi troops
entered Baiji, a city of about
200,000 people, from the south
and west and took over the Al
Tamim neighbourhood and city
centre.
Islamic State had placed
bombs along roads in Baiji and
deployed snipers to keep government forces from advancing, tactics used in other cities
held by the ultra-hardline group,
which controls swathes of both
Iraq and Syria.
“There are IEDs (improvised
explosive devices) and snipers
that are slowing down the advance, but the presence of the air
force has facilitated the process
of dismantling the IEDs in order
to push forward,” said the colonel.
“The areas taken so far are
6km away from Baiji’s refinery,”
he added. He said 12 militants
had been killed.
Baiji resident Sultan al-Janabi
told Reuters by telephone from
his house that clashes had been
raging since the advance, the
п¬Ѓrst time security forces reached
the city centre since launching a
new encirclement strategy at the
end of last month.
“Violent confrontations are
taking place in Baiji right now.
I’ve been hearing continuous fire
and loud bangs,” said Janabi.
Islamic State has also dispatched suicide bombers to keep
security forces on the defensive.
On Friday night, a suicide
bomber rammed a truck packed
with explosives into a Humvee
transporting senior police commander General Faisal Malik,
one of the supervisors of the
campaign against Islamic State
militants surrounding the refinery. The general and two policemen were killed.
The truck used in the attack
was armoured, the army colonel and a provincial police command centre said, suggesting
Islamic State had seized it from
IS says British suicide
bomber killed officer
The Islamic State militant group
said yesterday that a British
national carried out a suicide
bombing that killed a senior
Iraqi police officer.
IS said in a statement posted
online that “Abu Sumayyah
al-Britani” detonated a truck carrying eight tonnes of explosives
on the outskirts of the northern
town of Baiji, killing Major General Faisal Malik.
It identified two more bombers
involved in attacks in the area
as “Abu Abdullah al-Turkistani”
and “Abu Abdullah al-Turki,”
indicating that they were from
Turkmenistan and Turkey,
respectively.
A podcast called “The ISIS Show,”
a reference to the IS’s former
name, interviewed a British militant identified as Abu Sumayyah
al-Britani earlier this year.
defeated Iraqi troops. Tanks and
anti-aircraft weapons have also
been taken.
The army colonel estimated
that Iraqi forces had taken about
40% of the city centre. That
could not be independently confirmed.
Iraqi security forces have used
helicopters to attack Islamic
State insurgents surrounding
the refinery.
But months of operations
have failed to rescue comrades
trapped inside and ensure the
strategic site will not fall into the
hands of Islamic State, who have
used oil and fuel to fund their
self-proclaimed caliphate.
Iraqi oil industry officials estimate Islamic State is making
multi-million dollar profits from
the illegal trade.
Late last month, Iraqi government forces tried a new approach. Backed by Shia militias
and helicopter gunships, they
circled Baiji from the west in order to retake the city and cut off
supply lines to insurgents surrounding the refinery a few kilometres away.
Government forces, including counter-terrorism units,
inside the compound have been
surviving on airdrops as military
forces outside tried to drive Islamic State militants away.
The Baiji refinery was producing around 175,000 barrels per day
before it was closed, a senior Iraqi
official said in June. Iraq’s domestic daily consumption is estimated
at 600,000-700,000 bpd.
If the siege of the Baiji refinery is broken, Iraq’s government
is likely to describe it as a major
victory over Islamic State. Iraqi
media portrayed the slain general, Malik, as a hero.
The country’s long-term
stability hinges on efforts to
dramatically improve the performance of the army, which
crumbled when Islamic State
swept through the north.
Rebel fighters target a government plane yesterday in Handarat, on the northern outskirts of the Syrian city of Aleppo.
Syrian rebels, Qaeda seize
key town in south: monitor
AFP
Beirut
S
yrian rebels and Al Qaeda
seized the southern town
of Nawa yesterday from
troops loyal to President Bashar
al-Assad after months of intense
fighting, the Syrian Observatory
for Human Rights said.
Both local rebel groups and Al
Qaeda affiliate Al Nusra Front
claimed credit for the opposition
advance.
Nawa is in Daraa province bordering Jordan, Damascus province and Quneitra, which has a
boundary on the Israeli-occupied
Golan Heights.
The rebel and Al Qaeda advance came a day after regime
air raids on a town held by the
militant Islamic State group in
northeastern Syria killed 21 civilians and wounded 100, the
Observatory said.
Syria’s military has increasingly resorted to using socalled barrel bombs, which
rights groups have condemned
as a particularly indiscriminate
weapon that often kills civilians.
“Al Nusra Front, Islamist
rebel brigades and (moderate)
rebel brigades took over the
whole of Nawa town,” the Brit-
ain-based monitor said.
“Regime warplanes then carried out more air strikes targeting
the town and its surroundings.”
Local rebel groups issued a
statement claiming that “now
Nawa has been completely liberated”.
Activists distributed amateur video showing rebel п¬Ѓghters
shooting in the air, riding tanks
and stamping on the Syrian flag
that they consider to represent
the regime they are п¬Ѓghting.
Al Nusra Front also distributed via the Internet photographs
showing their black and white
flag raised over Nawa.
While not openly admitting
that the army had withdrawn,
state news agency Sana said
troops were “redeploying and
reorganising in the Nawa area...
in order to prepare for upcoming
fighting”.
The development comes days
after deep rifts between Al Nusra
Front and moderate rebels in the
northwestern province of Idlib
led to the militant group expelling
their rivals from their positions.
Speaking via the Internet, an
activist in the southern province of Daraa said: “In the north,
there are ideological differences
between the (rebel) Free Syrian
Army and Al Nusra Front.
“Here in Daraa, tribal ties run
deep. There are no such rifts
here,” Diaa al-Hariri said.
While suffering consecutive
defeats at the hands of the army
elsewhere in Syria, the rebels and
Al Qaeda have been steadily advancing in Daraa province.
The Observatory says it was
able to confirm the deaths of two
rebels before the army’s withdrawal from Nawa yeserday, and
that there were unconfirmed reports of more dead.
Elsewhere in war-torn Syria,
the Observatory said two rebel
commanders and one from Al
Qaeda have been killed by unidentified gunmen in the northern
province of Aleppo over the past
three days.
In recent months, there has
been a wave of murders of rebel
leaders.
Syria’s conflict began in 2011 as
a peaceful revolt against Assad,
but morphed into a civil war that
has killed some 195,000 people in
less than four years.
Fighting began after Assad’s
regime unleashed a brutal crackdown on dissent. More than half
of the country’s people have been
forced to flee their homes.
More than 1,000 killed in Kobane: monitor
More than 1,000 people, mostly
militants, have been killed in
Kobane since the Islamic State
group launched an offensive
on the Syrian town nearly two
months ago, a monitor said
yesterday.
IS militants launched their
offensive for the town—also
known as Ain al-Arab—in midSeptember.
“At least 1,013 people have
been killed in fighting in Ain
al-Arab from the beginning of
the offensive till last night,” said
Syrian Observatory for Human
Rights director Rami Abdel
Rahman.
IS militants accounted for 609 of
those killed in the Kurdish town
on the Turkish border, he said.
Another 363 of those killed
were members of the Kurdish
People’s Protection Units (YPG),
16 were Kurdish volunteers,
and one was a Syrian Arab
fighter who had joined the
ranks of the Kurds.
There were 24 civilians among
the dead, Abdel Rahman said.
The toll for militants excludes
those killed in US-led strikes.
Aleppo girl is star of YouTube show on conflict
AFP
Beirut
A
nine-year-old girl has
become the star of a
YouTube comedy that
depicts with bittersweet humour
the harsh reality of everyday life
in rebel-held areas of Syria’s
Aleppo.
Rasha plays the role of “Umm
Abdo al-Halabiya”, a housewife
who must make do in a city devastated by more than three years of
violence, despite daily bombings
and severe shortages.
The 30-episode eponymous
show, shot on location in the city
which was once Syria’s economic
hub, stars only children playing
adult roles and has been viewed
by tens of thousands of Internet
users.
Umm Abdo rants against President Bashar al-Assad, takes swipes
at insurgents who have been trying
to oust him and also mocks Syria’s
often overbearing social norms.
Despite her young age, little Ra-
An image grab taken from a video uploaded to YouTube shows nine-year-old Rasha (right) in the
introductory scene of the YouTube show Umm Abdo al-Halabiya.
sha oozes irony, the trademark of
Syrian comedy, as she perfectly
imitates traditional Syrian women
who feed and thrive on gossip.
The chubby-faced, brown-
haired actress is cast with other
children who play п¬Ѓghters, housewives and neighbours caught up in a
conflict that has changed their lives.
The script is resolutely anti-re-
gime and the show is the п¬Ѓrst of its
kind to give a bold insight into life in
rebel-held areas of Aleppo.
In one episode, Umm Abdo,
wearing her traditional dishdasha
(robe) is chatting on the telephone
with her sister, who lives in a regime-held neighbourhood of Aleppo where water cuts have become a
fact of life.
“Do you also wash your clothes
by hand?” she asks, before adding:
“And I thought you loyalists were
spoiled!”
In another episode, she welcomes into her home two women
dressed in black niqabs, one of
whom is looking for a bride for her
son, a rebel п¬Ѓghter.
Umm Abdo is known in the
neighbourhood as one who
would marry off her daughters
only to “thuwar” - revolutionary
п¬Ѓghters.
In a voice beaming with pride she
tells her visitors “all my sons-inlaw are members of the (rebel) Free
Syrian Army”.
“Perfect,” says the mother of
the hopeful groom. “My son is an
ace at firing a douchka,” she adds,
referring to the Soviet-era machinegun that is widespread in
Syria.
But the deal is not done and the
women leave as Umm Abdo sets out
her demands—a dowry in dollars or
in gold.
Series director Bashar Hadi told
AFP he chose to make a comic
show about the tragic everyday
life in Aleppo because “humour
goes straight to the heart”.
The show, he said, “aims at
breaking our people’s sadness, and
to make people smile” despite a war
that has killed more than 180,000
people.
Aleppo has been divided into
government and rebel areas ever
since a major offensive by insurgents in July 2012.
Hadi, who is based in a rebelheld area of the city, said he decided to cast children to better illustrate the “suffering” of the Syrian
people to “rebels, loyalists, Arabs
and Europeans alike”.
Rasha, he said, “represents a
generation of children caught up in
war, but who have become a symbol
of resistance”.
Shooting the series was plagued
with danger.
“Several times, shells would fall
all around us, forcing us to postpone
our shoots,” Hadi said.
One scene tries to illustrate the
danger by showing a regime helicopter launch a barrel bomb attack—like real life attacks that have
killed thousands in less than a year.
The crew of semi-professionals
also had to rely on generators and
car batteries to charge their cameras
as they worked in areas of the city
long deprived of electricity.
The show became a hit during Ramadan, and the team is now
in talks to air it on Arab television
channels.
But the series is not all laughs and
there are some gripping moments,
particularly when Umm Abdo
walks through a cemetery for war
“martyrs”.
“I dream of a safe country, that
the children will return to, and that
we forget the word refugee,” she
says.
The moving monologue quickly
turns into a statement of militancy
as Umm Abdo vows to “avenge the
children who sacrificed their youth
to defeat oppression”.
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
13
ARAB WORLD
MONUMENT
UNREST
TRUCE
POLITICS
Egypt to open Sphinx
area to tourists again
Blast in eastern Libya
as PM meets UN envoy
South Sudan rebels �not
confident’ on peace deal
Minister resigns over
Netanyahu’s policies
A bomb exploded yesterday near government
headquarters in eastern Libya as the prime
minister met the UN envoy there, an official
said. There were no casualties. Prime Minister
Abdullah al-Thinni and his interim government
were meeting UN envoy Bernardino Leon
“when a small explosion took place” near the
building, said Hassan al-Sghaier, a foreign
affairs secretary of state, the official Lana
news agency reported. Sghaier described the
blast as a “terrorist incident”. He said no one
was hurt in the explosion in the far eastern
city of Shahat. Libya is awash with weapons
and powerful militias, and run by rival
governments and parliaments.
South Sudan’s rebels said yesterday they did
not expect the government to respect a truce
and agree to a peace plan, despite renewed
pledges to end an 11-month civil war. Archrivals President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Rief
Machar ended two days of talks in the Ethiopian
capital Addis Ababa on Saturday and vowed
an “unconditional, complete and immediate
end to all hostilities.” Hours later, however, the
rebels accused government forces of attacking
their positions near the oil-rich northern town
of Bentiu. “To be honest, I’m not confident,”
rebel military spokesman Lul Ruai Koang told
reporters when asked whether he believed the
government would respect the truce.
Israeli Environment Minister Amir Peretz resigned
yesterday after attacking Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu’s “radical right” policies on Palestinians
and Israeli social issues. Peretz is a member
of The Movement party. Justice Minister Tzipi
Livni, who leads The Movement, accepted his
resignation, Israeli Radio reported. In an interview
with Channel 2 television on Saturday, Peretz
said that he could no longer support Netanyahu’s
government because of the prime minister’s
response to recent Israeli-Palestinian unrest and
the lack of progress on peace talks. “There’s a
deep political crisis, economic crisis, social crisis.
Benjamin Netanyahu, to my regret, has become a
hostage of the radical right,” Peretz said.
Egypt will soon open to tourists the courtyard
in front of the Sphinx, the colossal monument
which has been under restoration for nearly
four years, officials said yesterday. “The Sphinx
courtyard will be opened for the first time since
the restoration” of the monument, Antiquities
Minister Mohamed al-Damati told reporters
on a tour of the site. However, a date for the
opening has not yet been set, said Mohamed
al-Saidi who supervised the restoration. This
mainly involved replacing some slabs on
the left side of the statue “where there were
cracks”, and refurbishing the chest and neck of
A picture taken yesterday shows the Sphinx in Giza, the monument with a new coating to prevent
further erosion, Saidi said.
on the outskirts of Cairo.
Fatah
cancels
Arafat
memorial
in Gaza
Arabs protest
across Israel
after shooting
of 22-year-old
Arab students protest
the Kafr Kana killing in
Jerusalem, the northern port
city of Haifa and in Beersheba
in southern Israel’s Negev
desert
AFP
Kfar Kana, Israel
A
ngry Arab-Israeli protesters took to the streets
across the country yesterday and police raised alert
levels nationwide amid shock
waves over the fatal shooting of
a young Arab-Israeli.
Shops, schools and businesses
were shuttered in Arab towns
and villages where a general
strike was observed over Saturday’s killing of a 22-year-old in
Kfar Kana near the northern city
of Nazareth.
In the town yesterday mounted police dispersed masked protesters who hurled stones and
п¬Ѓreworks, blocked streets with
burning tyres and waved Palestinian flags.
Police spokeswoman Luba
Samri said that 22 people were
arrested, among them minors.
Kheir Hamdan was shot after
he attacked a police vehicle with
a knife as officers tried to arrest
a relative.
Police say the officers п¬Ѓred
warning shots until they felt
their lives were threatened,
when they aimed directly at him.
Relatives say Hamdan was
killed “in cold blood”, with
CCTV images apparently contradicting the official version.
In the video he is seen banging on a police van window with
a knife before starting to run off.
Then a uniformed officer gets
out of the vehicle’s back door
and п¬Ѓres his handgun at Hamdan, who falls to the ground.
Officers then drag his body
into the vehicle by one arm.
Israel’s attorney general yesterday convened an emergency
meeting on the incident, hearing initial reports from the police
internal affairs division, a justice
ministry statement said, adding
that the inquiry would continue.
The incident came as Israel
struggled to cope with a wave of
unrest which has gripped annexed
East Jerusalem for more than four
months, with police facing off
against youths almost nightly.
Arab students protested the
Kafr Kana killing yesterday in
Jerusalem, the northern port
city of Haifa and in Beersheba in
southern Israel’s Negev desert.
In the northern Arab town of
Umm al-Fahm, about 250 people
rallied, among them п¬Ѓrebrand
cleric Raed Salah.
Stones were hurled at a bus
on the main Jerusalem-Tel Aviv
highway alongside the Arab village of Abu Ghosh, police said.
In strife-torn East Jerusalem,
clashes raged in Shuafat refugee camp for a п¬Ѓfth straight day
as masked youths held running
battles with Israeli border police.
Elsewhere in East Jerusalem,
masked Palestinians hurled petrol bombs at police in A-Tur and
threw stones in Issawiya, with
police responding with “riot
dispersal means” in both cases,
police statements said.
No injuries were reported.
Saturday’s shooting and the
outpouring of Arab anger dominated Israel’s main newspapers
yesterday.
“They killed him in cold blood
because he was an Arab,” Hamdan’s father Rauf told Maariv, his
words reflecting a widely held
belief that police are too quick
on the draw when an Arab is involved.
“If he had been a Jew, it
wouldn’t have ended that way.
They wouldn’t have shot him and
if they had, they would have shot
him in the leg and he wouldn’t be
dead,” Rauf Hamdan said.
Adalah, an NGO which п¬Ѓghts
for the rights of Israel’s Arab minority, called the shooting “an
execution”, dismissing the police’s
version about warning shots.
But Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that
anyone breaking the law would
be “punished severely”.
“We will not tolerate disturbances and riots,” he told the
weekly cabinet meeting.
He said he had instructed Internal Security Minister Yitzhak
Aharonovitch to look at “revoking the citizenship” of anyone
calling for Israel’s destruction, in
a threat clearly aimed at the Arab
minority of around 1.4mn—
some 20% of the population.
But several Arab and left-wing
parliamentarians blamed the
bloodshed on Aharonovitch who
said last week that any “terrorist” who harms civilians “should
be killed”.
“This sweeping statement by
the minister could be interpreted
as taking off the gloves to allow
the use of deadly force for reasons that are not justified and
against the law,” Israeli rights
group ACRI warned in a letter to
the attorney general.
“Lethal force can only be used
by police as a last resort,” it wrote.
Reuters
Gaza
P
A masked Arab-Israeli youth gestures during clashes with Israeli security forces in Kfar Kana yesterday.
10 years after death, Arafat still an icon
AFP
Ramallah
F
or decades, Yasser Arafat was the incarnation of
the Palestinian п¬Ѓght for
independence. Ten years after
his death, he remains a national
hero for a still stateless people.
When he died on November
11, 2004, he was the president
of a moribund Palestinian Authority, an interim body set up in
1994 which was to have handed
power to a permanent government by 1999.
His successor Mahmoud Abbas has managed to obtain the
UN rank of observer state, but
on the ground the Palestinians
still await their own state some
66 years after Israel was established.
“It was Arafat who was the
п¬Ѓrst to take the painful decision to recognise the 1967 lines
and abandon 78% of historic
Palestine and open the way to
co-existence,” said Xavier Abu
Eid, spokesman for the Palestine
Liberation Organisation (PLO)
which signed the 1993 Oslo
peace accords with Israel.
But when the interim period
ended without a permanent
Abbas arrives for the opening of a museum dedicated to Arafat in
Ramallah yesterday.
agreement in 1999 and the USled Camp David peace talks collapsed a year later, things went
from bad to worse with the outbreak of the second Intifada,
or Palestinian uprising (20002005).
As the situation deteriorated,
Israel depicted Arafat himself as
the main obstacle to peace, suggesting a new era was at hand
when he died.
“In 2004, Israel said the main
obstacle to peace was gone, and
said it would work with the new
elected president,” Abu Eid said.
“But a few months later, they
withdrew from Gaza, a unilateral decision taken without any
co-ordination with Mahmoud
Abbas,” he said of Israel’s withdrawal of all troops and settlers
from the Gaza Strip in August
2005.
Largely ignored by Israel, Abbas has struggled to assert his
authority among Palestinians,
he said.
Although Abbas took over
as head of both the PLO and
the Palestinian Authority, and
leader of the Fatah movement,
such organisations are “much
less imposing” than they used
to be under Arafat, said Nathan
Brown, non-resident senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in
Washington.
Popularly known as Abu Ammar, Arafat “exercised a personal
charisma but he didn’t know
how to delegate, to build institutions or plan for the future”, said
Karim Bitar of the Paris-based
Institute for International and
Strategic Relations.
“He was a revolutionary but
not a statesman, he was born for
action and communication, not
for strategic thinking,” he said.
“Palestine is (today) a prisoner
of agreements which were very
badly negotiated by Arafat.
“Exiled to Tunis, he wanted
to come back to Palestine so he
made huge concessions without
getting any guarantees over a
halt to settlement (building) or
an end of the occupation,” Bitar
said.
“He only got promises which
were never fulfilled.”
Deadlines laid out in the
Oslo Accords passing without
progress dented Arafat’s popularity, said Brown.
“His final decade saw him lose
much of his attraction in terms
of his failure to deliver a Palestinian state, tolerance of corruption, and so on,” he said.
Palestinians are still condemning Israeli settlement
building and trying to secure a
timetable for the creation of a
state within the 1967 lines.
This month, the Palestinian
leadership is to submit a draft
resolution to the UN Security
Council calling for an end to the
Israeli occupation within two
years, in a project likely to be vetoed by Washington.
As leader of Fatah which Arafat founded in the late 1950s,
Abbas also faces internal battles.
“Arafat embodied a secular
nationalism that has lost a lot of
ground as a result of the Islamisation of the Palestinian question,” Bitar said.
From the occupied West Bank
to Gaza, the same refrain can be
heard: “There would never have
been any Palestinian division
under Arafat.”
Palestinians are unanimous
in their belief he would not have
allowed the quasi civil war between Fatah and Hamas in 2007
which saw the Islamist movement ousting their rivals from
Gaza and the establishment of
two separate administrations.
In fact, said Brown: “Even
Hamas is respectful of his
memory.”
“Despite all his failings and
poor decisions, his message was
heard from refugee camps in
Lebanon to Palestinians living
in Chile, via Gaza and the West
Bank,” said Abu Eid.
Always dressed in his trademark fatigues and traditional
keffiyeh headscarf, Arafat “was
certainly leader of Fatah but he
was also a national symbol”, said
Brown.
“And he is viewed now as a
martyr for the cause.”
Arafat’s death still remains
a mystery with some research
indicating he may have been
poisoned by polonium, a theory
which is accepted by much of the
Palestinian street.
“Nobody has yet come up
with a dispassionate critique
of the Arafat era as he was so
closely identified with the Palestinian cause that this would
be potentially explosive,” Bitar
concluded.
alestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah movement said yesterday it had
cancelled a commemoration rally
planned in Gaza for its late leader
Yasser Arafat, in another setback
to a unity pact with the territory’s
Islamist Hamas rulers.
Two days after explosions
rocked houses of Fatah leaders in
Gaza, the group said it had to call
off tomorrow’s event after Hamas and security services loyal
to it said they would not be able
to secure the rally.
The cancellation was another
sign of tension between the two
movements, which agreed on
a unity pact in April in an effort to overcome deep political
rifts that led to a brief civil war
in 2007, when Hamas п¬Ѓghters
seized Gaza from Fatah.
Fatah official Zakaria al-Agha
said in a news conference the
notice given by the Gaza interior ministry that it would not
be able to provide security at the
rally contradicted the reconciliation agreement.
“We warn against possible
repercussions on the Palestinian internal situation because of
this position and we hold Hamas
responsible for any negative impact,” Agha said.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu
Zuhri said the group was surprised by Fatah’s decision to
cancel the event, calling it an
internal Fatah affair. Eyad alBozom, spokesman of the Gaza
interior ministry, said the newly
established Palestinian unity
government has ignored basic
needs of Gaza’s security forces.
The rally, on the 10th anniversary of Arafat’s mysterious
death, was expected to draw a
crowd of hundreds of thousands.
The official cause of Arafat’s
death, in a French hospital, was a
massive stroke, but doctors said
at the time they were unable to
determine the origin of his illness. Many Palestinians believe
Israel killed him.
Tension between Fatah and
Hamas has hampered efforts to
rebuild Gaza after a July-August
war with Israel in which more
than 2,100 Palestinians and
more than 70 Israelis were killed.
Jerusalem unrest
�stab wound’ to
peace: Jordan
The ongoing tension over
Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa mosque
compound is inflicting a “stab
wound” on the peace treaty
between Jordan and Israel, Prime
Minister Abdullah Nsur said
yesterday.
“Israel and Jordan are committed
to peace and to respect the peace
treaty, but this commitment is not
just applicable to one side, it is a
commitment by both,” Nsur told
reporters in Amman.
“What is happening is a stab
wound to the idea of peace,” Nsur
said in remarks just two weeks
after the 10th anniversary of the
peace treaty.
Nsur said Israel’s actions at the site
were the result of a “clear” policy
aimed at changing the decadeslong status quo at the site.
“The Jordanian government
condemns in the strongest
possible terms the events of
recent weeks in Jerusalem
which are not the result of
administrative errors or acts by a
few extremists but rather a clear
government plan to change the
realities at the holy places,” he
said.
14
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
AFRICA
Killings in
east Congo
prompt
anger at UN
Reuters
Beni, Democratic Republic of
Congo
R
Boko Haram fighters parading with a tank in an unidentified town.
�Islamist-controlled’
town shown in video
Boko Haram appears to be operating
unchecked in certain parts of Nigeria
AFP
Lagos
A
new Boko Haram video obtained
by AFP yesterday shows militants
on an armoured vehicle parading
down a road in an unidentified town they
apparently control and the group’s leader
Abubakar Shekau preaching to locals.
It was not possible to tell whether the
footage was staged for propaganda purposes, especially scenes of residents
cheering Islamist п¬Ѓghters.
The message appeared to be aimed at
reinforcing Shekau’s claim that he has created a caliphate within Nigeria.
In the 44-minute video, Boko Haram voices support for other so-called caliphates, including the one proclaimed in Iraq and Syria
by the Islamic State (IS) group.
Shekau, who is pictured in close-up
shots with rare clarity, again dismisses
government claims about ceasefire talks
and threatens to kill the man who has presented himself as Boko Haram’s negotiator.
The video, which was delivered through
the same channels as past messages, shows
armed men lined along a well-paved road,
with three pick-up trucks equipped with
heavy weapons also visible.
Black, crested flags associated with the
Islamist group are also shown.
Later, an armoured vehicle is driven
down the road lined with both п¬Ѓghters and
individuals who appear to be residents of
the town.
Abubakar Shekau preaching to locals in
an unidentified town.
Boko Haram has released a series of videos showing similar military hardware,
equipment it says was stolen from the Nigerian military. Such claims have been impossible to verify.
No women or girls are seen on the street
or anywhere else in the footage.
Most of the message is taken up by a sermon from Shekau, delivered indoors but
apparently played on a speaker to locals
assembled outside.
“We have indeed established an Islamic
caliphate,” he said, restating a call he first
made in August.
The images of the sermon include unusually clear close-ups of Shekau, who in
past videos has often been shown at a distance, sometimes in grainy footage.
Shekau has previously expressed solidarity with other jihadi groups and leaders, including IS militants.
In the latest video, he seemed to associate territory under his control with a
wider, global caliphate, but did not submit
to the authority of any other jihadi leader.
“To everyone living in Islamic Caliphate,
we convey our greetings,” he said, specifically mentioning “brethren” in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Shishan (an
Islamist term for Chechnya), Yemen, Somalia and “the Caliphate in Iraq and Syria”.
Nigeria’s military on Saturday released
125 people it said were arrested in an operation against Boko Haram but were later
found to not be part of the Islamist group.
The latest release came two days after
42 others were set free in similar circumstances.
Throughout Boko Haram’s five-year
uprising, Nigeria’s security services have
been criticised for carrying out mass arrests and holding alleged Islamist rebels
indefinitely with little or no evidence.
Rights groups have pressured Nigeria to
either charge in court or release the suspected militants it has in custody.
Northeast army spokesman Sani Usman
told journalists the 125 individuals were
picked up on September 23 in the town of
Biu in Borno state, Boko Haram’s stronghold.
A total of 254 people “were intercepted” in the military operation, and “quite
a number were confirmed to be hardcore
members of the terrorist group”, he said.
“However, the 125 people in front of you
today were found to have no link whatsoever with” Boko Haram, Usman told journalists in Borno’s capital Maiduguri.
Among those released was Ibrahim
Umar who said he was driving a truck
loaded with sheep on the outskirts of Biu
when the military pulled him over and detained him.
“I am sure my family would be shocked
to see me alive because nobody ever saw
me since the day I was arrested,” he said.
Borno’s Governor Kashim Shettima said
the decision to release those found to be
innocent “bolstered” the “image of the
army”.
Speaking following the release of the 42
people on Thursday, Shettima said that
group would receive 100,000 naira ($600)
“to enable them to start a new life”.
He also directed state officials to help
them п¬Ѓnd jobs.
It was not clear if the 125 detainees released Saturday would be given the same
benefits.
The military’s release of apparently innocent civilians caught up in operations
against Boko Haram may be welcomed by
rights groups who have condemned indiscriminate detentions.
But Nigeria’s security services were
again this week accused of major abuses.
Sixteen people in the northeast town of
Potiskum were dropped at a morgue with
bullet holes in their bodies after having
been arrested by soldiers.
Local leaders called for an immediate investigation and some described the
deaths as “cold-blooded murder.”
Meanwhile, Boko Haram attacks have
continued at a relentless pace, despite disputed government claims that ceasefire
talks are ongoing with insurgent leaders.
The uprising is estimated to have cost
more than 10,000 lives.
Burkina Faso talks edge forward
as Compaore blasts �plot’
AFP
Burkina Faso
B
urkina Faso’s political
parties and civil society
groups were yesterday due
to adopt a transition plan for
the west African country after
the ousting of veteran president
Blaise Compaore.
Talks on forming a transition
government began Saturday with
the army at п¬Ѓrst declining to join,
while Compaore—speaking for
the п¬Ѓrst time since his dramatic
fall—accused military and political opponents of jointly plotting
his overthrow.
Opposition leader Zephirin
Diabre, who chaired the meeting,
said “we are coming to the end”
of the drafting procedure, amid
expectations that the п¬Ѓnal version could be formally adopted
soon.
And in a sign of the shockwaves events in the country have
sent across west Africa, the leaders of Equatorial Guinea—ruled
since 1979 by President Teodoro
Obiang Nguema—have reportedly banned the media there from
mentioning the revolt.
Around 60 representatives of
Burkina Faso’s political parties
and civil society met in the capital Ouagadougou to hammer out
a handover plan, after Compaore
Burkinabe students on campus in Ouagadougou.
fled on October 31 following an
uprising against his bid to revise
the constitution and extend his
27-year rule.
The army, who named lieutenant colonel Isaac Zida to head the
west African country, had п¬Ѓrst
refused to take part in the talks.
They later sent a delegation led
by Zida’s right-hand man, colonel August Denise Barry, who
made a brief appearance at the
discussions.
Barry told the conference that
the army has no intention of
holding on to power, saying that
“things can no longer be like before”, alluding to the country’s
history of military coups, according to civilian delegates.
Earlier, Zida had told a delegation from the talks that members
of Compaore’s political party
should also be included in the
discussions, which the other
parties have so far refused to allow.
“For the purpose of reconciliation and reconstruction,
one cannot exclude a party of the
people,” Zida said, according to
one of the delegates.
The army’s power grab in the
landlocked west African country
has attracted international condemnation and threats of sanctions from the African Union unless it hands over power within
two weeks.
Bisa Williams, US Deputy
Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, reiterated calls for a
democratic transition after talks
Saturday with Zida in the capital.
“We’re counting on respect
for the (army’s) promise to put
in place a democratic transition
government which is led by a civilian,” said Williams.
Washington and Paris have
been pressuring the military to
quickly carry out elections.
The civilian groups have already agreed that the transition
should last one year and that it
should be led by a civilian before
presidential and legislative elections take place by November
2015.
But there has been no agreement on the person to head the
transition.
Transition plans were due to
be presented Monday to African
Union chief Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz when the Mauritanian
president visits Ouagadougou to
keep up pressure on the military
to hand over power.
From his exile in neighbouring
Ivory Coast, Compaore meanwhile accused the opposition of
plotting a coup with the army, in
an interview published Saturday.
“We knew for a long time that
part of the opposition was working with the army. Their aim: to
prepare a coup d’etat,” Compaore
told Jeune Afrique magazine.
“They wanted me to leave. I
left. History will tell us if they
were right,” said the 63-yearold, who first took power in a
1987 coup.
As for Zida, Compaore said the
lieutenant colonel was in a position that he would “not wish for
his worst enemy”.
And in Equatorial Guinea,
where Nguema is Africa’s second
longest serving leader after 35
years in power, a journalist at the
state broadcaster, who asked not
to be named, told AFP that staff
were ordered not to report the fall
of Compaore.
In Compaore’s hometown of
Ziniare, only about 40km from
the capital, sympathy for the
former leader lives on.
“He was our brother,” a young
bicycle seller told AFP, asking not
to be named.
The deposed president “treated his hometown like the others,
without favouritism”, said civil
servant Ousmane Lengane.
While some residents spoke
resentfully of the wealth and influence of members of the Compaore family, townspeople were
frightened when the president
fled.
They were afraid protesters in
the capital would come to destroy Ziniare, according to the
mayor.
ebecca Masika lives
within a kilometre of
two army bases and a
UN peacekeepers’ camp yet
assailants crept into her town
under cover of darkness last
month and hacked to death
two dozen people before melting away into the hills of eastern Congo.
Since last month, 120 people have been slaughtered in
a wave of mysterious overnight massacres near Masika’s
hometown of Eringeti, sowing
panic and shattering confidence that Congolese and UN
forces were making progress in
stabilising the region.
The 23,000-strong UN mission has spent years, and billions of dollars, trying to bring
peace to the east of this vast
central African nation, where
more than 5mn have died since
a 1998-2003 civil war.
Dozens of armed groups
prowl the region but the success of a tough new UN Intervention Brigade in helping the
Congolese army to rout the
largest of these, the Tutsi-led
M23 militia, had raised hopes
of an end to years of instability.
A year later, the killings in
Beni, a territory rich in timber
and minerals near the Ugandan
border, have stirred up anger
against the UN mission and
president Joseph Kabila. Violent protests have targeted UN
bases in Beni.
“We are right near these
military camps. How has this
happened?” Masika asked,
standing across the road from
where a UN helicopter had
touched down in an open п¬Ѓeld.
Authorities have blamed the
killings on the Allied Democratic Forces, a Ugandan Islamist group that has operated
in the rugged border region for
two decades. Yet the ADF has
not claimed responsibility and
there is scant evidence.
After the success against
M23, the Congolese army and
UN force had trained their
sights on ADF in an operation
named Sukola, or “cleanup” in
the local Lingala language.
The offensive was planned
by a charismatic young colonel, Mamadou Ndala, who
had helped lead the victorious campaign against the M23.
Ndala, however, was killed
in an ambush in January, two
weeks before Operation Sukola’s launch.
Led by another respected officer, general Lucien Bahuma,
the operation had by March
dislodged ADF from all its
known bases, prompting celebration in the region.
Eight months later, frightened residents wonder what
went wrong. Some blame a
letup in Operation Sukola following the death in August of
General Bahuma, reportedly of
a stroke.
“We dispersed the enemy
but we didn’t destroy it,” said
Teddy Kataliko, president of
the Civil Society of Beni Territory. He said ADF’s political
and economic networks, including the trade in illicit timber with Uganda, were intact.
Kabila is due to leave office
at the end of 2016 after almost
16 years in power. Speculation
is rife, however, that he will
seek to revise the constitution to stand for a third term,
or п¬Ѓnd a pretext to postpone
elections.
The killings have aroused
anger in Kabila’s eastern
heartland. He visited Beni last
week in a bid to reassure residents, but amid an outbreak of
violence that left another two
dozen dead, his stay only inflamed tensions.
Shortly after he left yesterday, protesters toppled Kabila’s statue and set fire to ruling
party flags.
Kataliko, like many locals,
criticised the UN mission. Residents in Beni accuse its troops
of failing to confront an enemy
that avoids the main routes
where the peacekeepers patrol.
Yet many believe the army
is ignoring the attacks. Bendera Undelema, a local chief in
Eringeti, questioned the loyalties of Bahuma’s replacement
at the helm of Operation Sukola, general Charles Akili Mohindo, accusing him of working with ADF.
“He’s playing both sides,”
said Undelema in his office,
beneath a poster honouring
the late Colonel Ndala.
Man dead in Kenya
after riots over killing
Reuters
Mombasa, Kenya
O
ne person was killed in
the Kenyan coastal city
of Mombasa yesterday
after youths rioted to protest
against the killing of an alleged
Islamist militant.
Unidentified gunmen shot
and killed Hassan Guti on Saturday as he was driving in the
city with his wife and niece.
Riots broke out yesterday after
his burial.
Police officially denied involvement in the killing, but
sources within the force said
Guti was slain by the elite Anti
Terrorism Police Unit.
Kenya’s coastal region, a
tourist hub where most of the
country’s Muslims live, has
suffered a series of bomb attacks in recent months blamed
on Islamists tied to Somalia’s
militant Shebaab group.
Police said Guti was linked
to the shooting of a senior
police officer in Mombasa in
August and he was also facing
a murder charge for a separate
incident.
Following Guti’s burial
youths started attacking people in the Majengo area but
police officers managed to
contain rioting there, said
Robert Kitur, Mombasa’s police chief.
“They stabbed four people
and one of them died. We have
arrested 20 youth so far and
will charge them in court tomorrow,” he said.
The attacks against residents appeared to be indiscriminate.
Police п¬Ѓred teargas to disperse the youths, who witnesses said attacked motorists
with stones and robbed businesses.
“They were throwing stones
at police and vehicles, and
looting from shops in Majengo. We had to close down our
shops quickly,” Islam Juma,
who runs a clothes shop in the
area, told Reuters.
Local rights groups condemned Guti’s killing.
“It is becoming normal for
people to be shot and killed in
Mombasa, and nobody is ever
arrested for this,” said Hussein
Khalid, director of Haki Africa,
a rights group. “What is wrong
with our security agents?”
On Tuesday pro-government Muslim cleric Sheikh
Salim Bakari Mwarangi was
shot and killed in the city by
unknown gunmen who escaped on motorbikes.
Sheikh Juma Ngao, chair of
the Kenya Muslims National
Advisory Council, said it had
become dangerous to be Muslim.
“If you are a radical Muslim
you are targeted by the government. If you are a moderate
one, the radical Muslims will
target you because they see you
as a traitor, so what do we do?”
he said.
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
15
AMERICAS
US president leaves for China, Myanmar, Australia tour
AFP
Washington
U
S
President
Barack
Obama departed for
China yesterday, on a
trip meant to help allay Washington’s sometimes tense relations with Beijing.
Obama left Washington in the
pre-dawn hours en route to an
air force base in Alaska, where
his plane refuelled before travelling on to Beijing.
The US leader was accompanied on his eight-day trip,
which also includes visits to
Myanmar and Australia, by his
national security adviser Susan
Rice and several other top aides.
The China leg of his trip
will be dominated by Obama’s
meeting with Chinese President
Xi Jinping in Beijing, where the
White House said it expects
“candid and in-depth conversations.”
The relationship between
the two superpowers, which US
Secretary of State John Kerry
has called the “most consequential” in the world today, has
been marred by tensions over the
South China Sea, cyberspying
and human rights issues.
Obama will also attend an
Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) summit in Beijing.
In Myanmar, Obama will
meet President Thein Sein and
opposition icon Aung San Suu
Kyi and attend a summit of
Asean nations in Naypyidaw.
Washington has raced to normalise ties with Myanmar following reforms there, removing
most US sanctions imposed on
the military junta.
But Suu Kyi warned this week
that the pace of change was
slowing, and that the US had
been “over-optimistic about
the reform process” at times.
The White House said it remained committed to democratic reform in Myanmar.
“We will underscore the US’
commitment to the protection
of human rights, tolerance and
pluralism, as well as sustaining
and deepening the democratic
transition,” Rice said.
When the president goes on
to a G20 summit in Brisbane,
Australia, the unrest in Ukraine
may also be a focus.
Obama could meet with his
Matthew Todd Miller (centre, facing camera) embraces a family member while
Kenneth Bae (left) hugs his mother Myung Hee Bae as they reunite after
landing aboard a US Air Force jet at McChord Field at Joint Base Lewis-McChord,
Washington on Saturday.
Russian counterpart Vladimir
Putin to discuss Ukraine.
No formal meetings have
been scheduled, but neither side
has ruled out the possibility of
informal discussions. The last
time the two leaders met face to
face was in June in France.
North Korea could also be on
the agenda, following the arrival
of two Americans in the US on
Saturday.
US citizens Kenneth Bae and
Matthew Miller marked their
п¬Ѓrst full day of freedom Sunday,
returning to the US after being
imprisoned in North Korea.
AFP
Joint Base Lewis-McChord
A
mericans Kenneth Bae
and Matthew Miller
marked their п¬Ѓrst full day
of freedom yesterday, returning
to the US after being imprisoned
in North Korea.
The two men arrived home
late Saturday following a secret
mission by US intelligence chief
James Clapper to secure their
freedom at Pyongyang’s initiative.
North Korea’s surprise release
of the men followed Pyongyang’s
equally unexpected decision last
month to free 56-year-old US
national Jeffrey Fowle.
The two men descended from
a US government jet with shaved
heads and carrying their luggage, then embraced loved ones
on the tarmac.
“It’s just (an) amazing blessing to see so many people being
on board, getting me released for
the last two years, not to mention the thousands of people
who prayed for me,” Bae told a
press conference.
“Thank you for... not forgetting me,” he said.
Miller opted not to make remarks upon his arrival.
Clapper had carried a brief
message from Obama to North
Korean leader Kim Jong-Un whom he never met during the
short trip - indicating he was
his personal envoy to bring the
Americans home, a US official
said.
Bae, a Korean-American missionary, had served two years
at a North Korea labour camp.
Miller had been held since April.
Nicholas Burns, a former State
Department top official and Asia
expert, said the American detainees’ surprise release marked
the latest somewhat mysterious
gambit by North Korea’s inscrutable leader Kim Jong-Un.
“He makes all the big decisions, so he obviously made
the decision to release the two
Americans this weekend and the
American last month,” Burns
told CNN yesterday. “It looks
like he’s looking for a conversation with the US.
But Burns said the move could
also be linked to this week’s travel by President Barack Obama
to China for meetings with his
Asian counterparts, including
Beijing’s leader Xi Jinping.
“The protector of North Korea
is China,” the former US diplomat said. “The Chinese over the
last year and a half or so have
become very frustrated with the
wild behavior of the North Koreans, the constant threats against
South Korea and the US.
“It may be that in his own
awkward, unsophisticated way,
Kim Jong-Un is trying to reassure the Chinese he’s not such a
bad guy after all,” Burns said.
North Korea has previously
expressed interest in reviving
six-party talks with the US and
others about its illicit nuclear
program, but Washington insists Pyongyang must п¬Ѓrst show
a tangible commitment to denuclearisation.
US officials have insisted the
release of Bae and Miller did not
reflect a shift in posture over the
mothballed nuclear negotiations.
As recently as last week,
North Korea was maintaining
its defiant stance, ruling out
dialogue with the US about its
nuclear programme and human
rights record and accusing the
US of trying to destroy its system.
Miller had been sentenced
to six years’ hard labor by the
North Korean Supreme Court
following his arrest in April, after he allegedly ripped up his visa
at immigration and demanded
asylum.
The California native, who US
media said is 25, had nurtured
“a foolish idea of spying on the
prison and human rights situation while experiencing �prison
life’,” the North’s Korean Central
News Agency (KCNA) said in a
September story.
Bae, 46, who marked the twoyear anniversary of his detention last week, was sentenced
to 15 years’ hard labor. His sister
Terri Chung expressed joy at her
brother’s release.
“We finally are here. My
brother is home. All of our hopes
and prayers for this moment
have finally come true,” she said,
speaking before Bae took to the
podium.
“We’re thankful that God
never abandoned us even though
the last years have been a journey that we wouldn’t wish on
anybody, even when it seemed
like there was no hope.”
ocrats suffered a severe blow
in midterm elections that saw
Republicans take control of the
Senate.
Obama will have to convince
international partners that he
can still assert his presence at
home when it comes to steering
foreign relations in his п¬Ѓnal two
years in the White House.
The US president will also
have to convince Asian partners
that he intends to re-balance
diplomatic ties in the region
- a pillar of his foreign policy
- amid ongoing crises in Iraq,
Syria and Ukraine.
Obama takes
responsibility
for Democrats’
election rout
AFP
Washington
Americans taste freedom after U
months of N Korea detention
Two Americans released
after being detained
by North Korea arrived
on US soil late Saturday
and reunited with family
members
Nicholas Burns, a former
undersecretary at the US State
Department, told CNN television on Sunday that while
Pyongyang might be on the
agenda “they can’t be trusted,”
he said.
“It’s an erratic regime. It’s a
dictatorship of one person and
one family, so the best thing I
think we can do... is contain the
problem, contain the regime,
sanction them, repudiate them
and hope that China helps in that
containment policy,” he added.
The trip follows a difficult
week for Obama, after the Dem-
S
President
Barack
Obama has taken responsibility for his party’s
crushing defeat in last week’s
midterm elections, he said in
comments broadcast yesterday.
The president had previously stopped short of explicitly
shouldering the blame for his
Democratic party’s drubbing at
the polls on November 4.
But in an interview with CBS
News, Obama acknowledged
that “the buck stops right here at
my desk,” echoing a refrain made
famous by late US president
Harry Truman.
“Whenever, as the head of
the party, it doesn’t do well, I’ve
got to take responsibility for it,”
Obama said.
The Republicans snatched
control of the Senate, tightened
their grip on the House of Rep-
resentatives and won key Democrat governorships in the midterms.
“The message that I took from
this election, and we’ve seen this
in a number of elections, successive elections, is people want to
see this city (Washington) work,”
Obama said.
“They feel as if it’s not working,” the US leader said, adding
that there had been a “failure of
politics” in America.
Obama also renewed his vow
to use his executive powers to
make changes to the immigration system -- unless Republicans approve legislation by the
end of the year.
“The minute they pass a bill
that addresses the problems
with immigration reform, I will
sign it, and it supersedes whatever actions I take,” Obama said.
John Boehner, the top Republican in Congress, and other party leaders, have warned Obama
against taking unilateral action
US President Barack Obama: takes responsibility for his party’s
crushing defeat in last week’s midterm elections.
on immigration.
Boehner said he’d told Obama
such a move would “poison the
well,” and that there was “no
chance” for immigration reform
happening in this Congress.
“When you play with matches, you take the risk of burning yourself,” Boehner said last
week. “He’s going to burn himself if he continues to go down
this path.”
The Senate passed historic,
bipartisan legislation on comprehensive immigration reform
in 2013 when Democrats were in
control but it foundered in the
House where conservative Republicans branded attempts to
bring illegal immigrants out of
the shadows as amnesty.
The CBS News show, Face
the Nation, also featured an
interview with former president George W Bush, who said
there was a “50-50” chance his
younger brother Jeb would run
for president in 2016.
“I know that he’s wrestling
with the decision,” said the
former president, who led the US
government from 2001 to 2009.
“He is not afraid to succeed
... he knows he could do the job.
And nor is he afraid to fail,” Bush,
who led the United States government from 2001 to 2009.
If Jeb Bush were to make a successful run for the presidency, he
would become the third member
of the Bush dynasty to take the
White House. The father, George
H. W. Bush, was in office from
1989 to 1993.
Among Democrats, former
п¬Ѓrst lady and ex-Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton is considered an early frontrunner
among contenders expected to
seek the party’s 2016 presidential nod.
From earphones to jet engines, 3D printing takes off
AFP
New York
M
any manufacturers are at
an early stage of discovering the benefits of 3D
printing, but one of the clearest
strengths is customisation.
At Normal, consumers can use
a mobile app to photograph their
ear, transmit the shots to the New
York startup’s 3D printing facility
and then receive customised earphones within 48 hours.
The process marries today’s
click-and-go speed with a madeto-order ethos that recalls the
days of visiting the tailor or the
cobbler.
The company’s motto: “Normal: one size fits none.”
After three decades in relative obscurity, 3D printing, which
employs lasers to “print” objects
from metals or plastics according
to a digital design, has suddenly
become one of the hottest areas of
technology.
Computer giant Hewlett-Packard is plunging into the business,
recently announcing it would put
its own ultra-fast 3D printer on
the market by 2016, “empowering people to create, interact and
inspire like never before”.
General Electric chief executive Jeff Immelt has said 3D printing can help make manufacturing
“sexy again”, and President Barack
Obama has praised it for having
“the potential to revolutionise the
way we make almost everything”.
“It’s a little bit confusing and
the excitement is very big,” said
David Reis, chief executive at Israeli-US 3D printer manufacturer
Stratasys.
“There’s a lot of venture capital
money coming into the market.”
But while enthusiasm for the
technology is widespread, some
companies see it as more of a
long-term prospect than a current
game changer.
Boeing does not expect to make
major metal parts with 3D printing for at least 20 years, though
Visitors look at a 3D printer printing an object, during “Inside 3D
Printing” conference and exhibition in New York, in this file photo.
After three decades in relative obscurity, 3D printing, which employs
lasers to “print” objects from metals or plastics according to a digital
design, has suddenly become one of the hottest areas of technology.
company officials say that time
frame could be accelerated.
3D printing “is definitely on the
radar screen,” said Dave Dietrich,
technical leader for additive metals at the aerospace giant.
“The systems need to become
larger, more repeatable, that sort
of thing,” he said. “We want to
make sure we have an appropriate
amount of testing and confidence
in that process”.
3D printing has its roots in the
1980s when inventor Chuck Hull
began experimenting with liquid
plastics that would harden when
they were exposed to ultraviolet
light.
Hull ultimately discovered that
thousands of these plastic sheets
could be layered, or “printed,” on
top of each other and shaped into
a three-dimensional object.
He co-founded 3D Systems,
with the company developing
software to do 3D printing from
computer images and building 3D
printers.
Even so, Hull in May told the
Quartz website that some of the
talk about 3D printing “is definitely hype and won’t happen”.
The recent surge in interest
follows the embrace of 3D printing technology by the “maker”
community - the new technology
do-it-yourself creative movement
- said Pete Basiliere, research vice
president at Gartner.
People can now buy their own
3D printers for less than $1,000,
and enterprise-sized machines
begin at an inexpensive $2,500.
Market researcher Gartner
forecasts that worldwide spending on 3D printing will rise from
$1.6bn in 2015 to around $13.4bn
in 2018.
Basiliere is especially bullish on
applications for medical devices
like hearing aids and prosthetics,
where the technology “has lifealtering potential”.
The impetus for Normal came
from founder Nikki Kaufman’s
frustration about poorly п¬Ѓtting
earphones and learning that a
custom-made set through conventional manufacturing could
cost $2,000 and take weeks to be
made.
Kaufman raised $5mn from investors and opened her combined
factory/store in New York City
in August. The space has 10 3D
printers but room for as many as
30. GE is among the large manufacturers active in 3D printing. It
has been using the technology to
make fuel nozzles for its LEAP jet
engines, which will go into service
in 2015.
GE uses a 200-watt laser to
melt together ultra-thin layers made from metal powders to
make the fuel nozzle. 3D printing
allows it to add cooling pathways
to prevent the build-up of carbon
deposits that mar conventionally made nozzles, making the 3D
pieces up to п¬Ѓve times more durable.
3D printing works especially
well for “highly sophisticated
parts that are very difficult to
make in a conventional way,” said
GE Aviation spokesman Rick
Kennedy.
GE is testing 3D printing for
other engine parts, with an eye
toward reducing material and
energy costs. But Kennedy said
adding more components to the
engine will be “very gradual” after
extensive testing.
16
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
ASEAN
Anniversary celebration
Recovering
Thai king
makes rare
public
appearance
AFP
Bangkok
T
Students hold up plastic flowers and portraits of Cambodia’s King Norodom Sihamoni during celebrations marking the 61st anniversary of the country’s independence from France, in central Phnom Penh yesterday.
Dengue’s spread flies under
the radar amid Ebola scare
AFP
Kuala Lumpur
O
ne of the most familiar
sounds in Malaysia’s
capital is the approaching drone of a fumigation fogger
spewing thick white plumes of
insecticide, part of so-far futile
efforts to arrest a spiralling dengue fever outbreak.
Malaysia is among several
countries across Asia and Latin
America grappling with a mosquito-borne virus that is proving tough to eradicate as it infects millions.
While the Ebola threat has
captured headlines, the World
Health Organisation (WHO)
warns that dengue — while far
less lethal — has become one
of the fastest-growing global
health threats, contracted by
50-100mn people each year.
“The increase in dengue incidence and severity of the outbreaks is a global phenomenon,
with a 30-fold increase over the
past five decades,” said Ahmed
Jamsheed Mohamed, a doctor in
the WHO’s Southeast Asia office, adding that eradication is
“not seen as feasible in the near
future”.
A man walks past a banner to promote the fight against dengue in
Ampang, in the suburbs of Kuala Lumpur.
The disease is transmitted
by the Aedes aegypti mosquito
and causes debilitating flu-like
symptoms, headaches, rashes
and severe muscle and joint
pains that earned its original
name “breakbone fever”.
In serious cases, internal
bleeding, organ damage and
death can occur.
While Ebola has killed nearly
5,000 people this year, mainly in
west Africa, with an estimated
13,000 infections, dengue kills
up to 20,000 annually, and 40%
of the world’s population live in
dengue-risk areas.
Endemic to warm, humid
zones, dengue’s range may also
be spreading as infected travellers transport the virus and
— scientists believe — as global
warming expands the Aedes aegypti’s range.
Japan this year experienced
its п¬Ѓrst domestic outbreak in
seven decades, while in the US
dengue remains rare but growing.
“Climate change may also
affect transmission, as dengue
mosquitoes reproduce more
quickly and bite more frequently at higher temperatures,”
Ahmed said. There is no vaccine
or specific treatment.
Dengue spreads via the bite
of an Aedes aegypti that previously bit an infected person,
making it difficult to control
in densely populated tropical
cities where standing water is
common.
Kuala Lumpur and its environs have been the epicentre of
a Malaysian outbreak that has
п¬Ѓlled some hospitals to capacity and become the top public
health concern, with residents
trading advice on home remedies — crab soup, coconut milk
and papaya leaf juice are currently in vogue.
Malaysian cases have topped
85,000 through the end of October, tripling compared to the
same period last year.
Deaths also have tripled to
around 150.
Hapless officials have faced
mounting pressure as the numbers climb despite campaigns to
eliminate standing-water mosquito breeding sites, and copious fumigation.
Elsewhere, Indonesia saw
121,000 cases in 2013, up 30%,
with 871 dead. The virus is
spreading from urban to rural
areas.
“This is a new trend we have
seen in the past five years,”
health ministry official Soewarta Kosen said, adding rural
health systems were unprepared.
Dengue also is up in southern
China, according to media reports there, and has reappeared
in Hong Kong after a few years’
absence.
Brazil leads Latin American
infections with 7mn since 2000.
Some 800 have died in the past
п¬Ѓve years.
Brazil, Vietnam, Indonesia
and Australia have released genetically engineered mosquitoes whose offspring are sterile in hopes of controlling the
Aedes aegypti, but the method’s
efficacy remains unconfirmed.
Malaysian officials shelved
their own such plans in recent
years amid public resistance to
the release of large numbers of
mosquitos, and questions over
the unknown ecological impact
of the modified insects.
Dengue has four strains, and
infection with a particular one
leaves patients immune to that
variety in future.
But it also is believed to make
some more susceptible to the
other three, including a fastgrowing strain with more severe
symptoms and higher death rate
that is gaining ground in Malaysia. Most dengue patients
are hospitalised on IV drips
and monitored as blood platelet counts drop, which can lead
to dangerous internal bleeding.
The majority recover within
two weeks, but symptoms can
persist.
“I stayed in hospital for about
a week, but even when I was discharged it took about a month to
feel normal again,” said Malaysian citizen Grace Chin.
Development of effective
drugs has been elusive, but after 20 years of research French
drugmaker Sanofi says it is
nearing completion of a vaccine
it hopes to make commercially
available late next year.
Health Minister S Subramaniam told Malaysian media this
week the government was following Sanofi’s vaccine “closely” and would “decide as soon
as possible” on whether to use
it.
A National University of
Singapore team, meanwhile, is
among those working on a possible drug to treat dengue. The
researchers say they have managed to isolate dengue antibodies, and hope to start clinical
trials in 2016.
hailand’s revered King
Bhumibol Adulyadej, the
world’s longest-serving
monarch, has made a rare public
appearance outside the Bangkok
hospital where he was admitted
last month.
The 86-year-old king, who
has suffered from a series of ailments in recent years, is treated
as a near-deity in Thailand and
his health is a subject of public
concern.
Bhumibol was briefly escorted
into the grounds of Siriraj hospital in a wheelchair by doctors,
nurses and officials Saturday
to sit on the bank of the Chao
Phraya river and pay homage to
a statue of his father Prince Mahidol.
The event was shown on public broadcaster Thai PBS.
Well-wishers bowed before
the monarch and chanted “Long
live the king” in what the broadcaster said was Bhumibol’s first
public appearance since he was
rushed to hospital in October
from his coastal palace in the
southern seaside resort of Hua
Hin.
The king underwent an operation to remove his gall bladder
after tests revealed it was swollen.
Last week he was suffering
from an inflamed colon, according to the Royal Household Bureau. He has remained in hospital since.
The bureau has not released
any further updates on the king’s
health.
Bhumibol had left the Siriraj in
September after a stay of almost
six weeks for a check-up, before
being sent back with the gall
bladder problem.
HEALTH
Aussie cleared
from quarantine
in Thailand
An Australian man suspected of
contracting the Ebola virus has
been cleared from quarantine in
Thailand as the World Health Organisation steps up media awareness programmes across Asia.
The 47-year-old was placed in
home quarantine after travelling
from the Democratic Republic of
Congo (DRC) on October 17, and
has now been cleared by Thai
health authorities, AAP reported.
The unnamed man, who had
been working in the DRC oil
industry, was kept under close
observation after recording an
elevated temperature upon arrival
at Bangkok international airport.
His quarantine clearance comes
amid a new WHO media education campaign and concerns over
travel restrictions by countries,
including Australia. The media
campaign, including workshops,
targets regional journalists in the
reporting of any outbreak.
Indonesia’s first family blaze a modest trail in SE Asia
AFP
Jakarta
W
ith a wife who eschews designer outfits
and a daughter happy
to queue at public health clinics, Indonesian President Joko
Widodo’s family are setting
a modest example in a region
where leaders’ relatives are better known for greed and corruption.
Southeast Asia’s ruling families have not generally espoused
austerity — from the controversial children of late Indonesian
dictator Suharto to the wife of
Malaysia’s premier, who is criticised as a spendthrift, and the
excesses of Brunei’s royals.
In contrast, the wife, daughter and two sons of Widodo,
known as Jokowi, appear humble
and down to earth, more representative of the country’s rapidly
emerging middle class than an
aloof elite.
“Even though Jokowi has been
elected president, they still want
to live like other ordinary peo-
ple,” said Anggit Noegroho, a
friend of Widodo’s who helped
him during numerous political
campaigns and has known the
family for a decade.
They present the same image
as 53-year-old Widodo himself,
Indonesia’s first president from
outside the political and military
elites, who rose from a modest background and has pledged
clean governance in one of the
world’s most corrupt countries.
However observers caution
that it could be tough going for
a family unused to intense public
scrutiny - and point out it is not
hard for them to look good, given
what went before.
The children of Widodo’s
predecessor, ex-general Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono, sometimes courted controversy, with
one of his sons having to fend off
accusations of corruption, but it
was the offspring of Suharto who
provoke the most anger in Indonesia.
His six children allegedly
amassed fortunes by enjoying
privileged access to lucrative
business deals during his three-
File photo shows Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo with First Lady Iriana Widodo (fourth left), son Gibran
Rakabuming (fifth left), daughter Kahiyang Ayu (left) and Kaesang Pangarep (second left) at their residence.
decade rule, which was marked
by massive corruption. He was
toppled in 1998 by the Asian п¬Ѓnancial crisis.
The most controversial is
youngest son Hutomo Mandala Putra, popularly known as
Tommy.
A playboy with a taste for
flashy cars, he served four years
of a 15-year prison term for hiring hitmen to murder a judge
who had sentenced him to jail
for corruption. He was released
in 2006.
When it comes to Widodo’s
family, his wife Iriana, 51, has
forgone the designer clothes and
fancy handbags beloved of many
п¬Ѓrst ladies, normally opting for
plain shirts and trousers.
His eldest son has set up a catering business in the family’s
hometown of Solo, on Java, and
drives a Mazda hatchback.
While his family spent several
days in Jakarta before Widodo’s
October 20 inauguration, the
27-year-old did not leave until
the day before due to his heavy
workload. “I will be able to leave
the city only once my catering
jobs are done,” he told the Jakarta Post newspaper.
When Widodo’s daughter,
Kahiyang Ayu, injured her hand,
the 23-year-old reportedly insisted on being taken to a community health centre instead of
an expensive private clinic and
waited to be seen by a doctor.
A blog by Widodo’s youngest
son, 17-year-old Kaesang Pangarep, has shone a light on the
first family’s private life, with
tales of his father playing practical jokes and worries about what
to wear to school adding to the
sense they are just normal, middle-class folk.
The family is not poor —
Widodo used to be a successful businessman — and one area
where they have splashed out is
the children’s education. The
two sons both attended high
school in Singapore, while the
eldest did business courses in
the city-state and Australia.
Even in wealthy Singapore
however, the youngest son said
that his parents did not spoil
him.
“I very rarely take the MRT
(subway) because it is more
expensive than a bus ride,” he
wrote on his blog during his time
in the city-state, adding that his
mother had refused to increase
his meagre pocket money allowance.
He said that his mother
told him: “Your pocket money
shouldn’t be a lot, so that you
know the misery of living in another country.”
While they have mostly been
praised by the public and media,
it is still early days for the family and there are already signs
that everything might not run
smoothly.
The eldest son faced criticism
recently for responding angrily
to reporters’ questions about
why he did not appear with his
father during the presidential
campaign.
“This man is too sensitive. He
is not like his father,” one Twitter
user commented.
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
17
AUSTRALASIA/EAST ASIA
Indonesian women attend a memorial for two
murder victims in Hong Kong.
MEMORIAL
COURSE OF ACTION
DIFFICULT TIES
Indonesia workers rally for
Hong Kong murder victims
Abe mulls tax hike delay,
snap election: media
Xi urges Beijing, Taipei
to set aside differences
PRAYER TIME!
Around 200 migrant workers yesterday held
a vigil to mourn the two Indonesian women
brutally slain in Hong Kong, allegedly by
British banker Rurik Jutting. Messages from
relatives and friends of the two victims - Sumarti
Ningsih and Seneng Mujiahsih - were read out
at the ceremony at Victoria Park. Participants
also made donations for the girls’ families in
Indonesia, and performed songs and prayers in
their memory. “I hope the killer will be punished
and feel what my cousin was suffering,” one
woman, who only gave her name as Jumiati and
said she was a relative of Ningsih, told those
gathered - reducing many in the crowd to tears.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is considering
dissolving the lower house of parliament and
calling a snap election if he decides to delay a
plan to raise the sales tax next year, the Yomiuri
newspaper reported yesterday. If Abe does
dissolve the lower house, an election could
be held on December 14 or December 21, the
Yomiuri reported, citing government and ruling
party sources. Abe has to decide by year’s end
whether to go through with a plan to raise the
sales tax to 10% from 8% in October 2015. Abe
could delay this plan by a year and a half if third
quarter gross domestic product struggles to
accelerate, the Yomiuri said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping yesterday met
Vincent Siew, Taiwan’s top envoy to the Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation forum in Beijing, and, in
a political breakthrough, also met Wang Yu-chi,
chairman of Taiwan’s policymaking Mainland
Affairs Council, the highest level government-togovernment contact between the two on Chinese
soil since 1949. Xi told Siew that “it was unavoidable
that the two sides would encounter difficulties
and resistance due to some differences”, Xinhua
reported. “(We) must respect each other’s choice
of development path and social system,” Xi said,
referring to Taiwan embracing capitalism and
democracy and China adhering to socialism.
Red paper lanterns cover the ceiling as a man
prays at the Taoist temple Chenghuang Miao
in Taipei.
Xi offers Chinese-driven
view of regional growth
AFP
Beijing
P
resident Xi Jinping yesterday offered the world a vision of a Chinese-driven “Asia-Pacific dream”,
as Beijing hosts a regional gathering that
underlines its growing global clout.
“We have the responsibility to create
and realise an Asia-Pacific dream for the
people of the region,” the Chinese Communist chief told a gathering of business
and political leaders that precedes the
annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) leaders’ gathering.
The 21-member Apec groups 40% of
the world’s population, almost half its
trade and more than half its GDP, and the
summit will be attended by leaders including US President Barack Obama, his
Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
It will see Beijing push its preferred
Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific
(FTAAP), while Washington is driving its own Trans-Pacific Partnership
(TPP).
The TPP is seen as the economic element of the much-touted US “rebalance” to Asia and so far brings together
12 Apec nations including Japan and
Australia - but not China.
Obama left Washington yesterday,
with the White House saying he was
expected to have “candid and in-depth
conversations” with Xi, after Secretary
of State John Kerry last week described
the two powers’ relationship as the
“most consequential” in the world.
“For the Asia-Pacific and the world
at large, China’s development will
generate huge opportunities and benefits and hold lasting and infinite promise,” Xi said.
He later welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin, with whom he
has a shared outlook on issues such as
trade, investment and geopolitical interests, including a wariness of the US.
It was “time to gather fruit” from
“the tree of Russian-Chinese rela-
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 2014 Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation CEO Summit in Beijing.
tions”, Xi told Putin, as the two sides
signed agreements stepping up their
multi-billion dollar energy and resources cooperation.
Xi told the business meeting his
“Asia-Pacific dream” was based on a
“shared destiny” of peace, development and mutual benefit in the region.
The comments have echoes of the
“Chinese dream” he regularly speaks
of, an unspecified but much-discussed
term with connotations of national resurgence.
Beijing - a veto-wielding permanent
member of the UN Security Council is leveraging the decades-long boom
that has made it the world’s secondlargest economy to increase its regional and global heft.
But it stresses a policy of non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs - a stance that has enabled it to do
business with leaders seen as pariahs
in the West.
Its relationship with the US has been
marred by tensions over trade disputes, cyberspying and human rights
issues, while Beijing is embroiled in
enduring disputes with Tokyo over islands in the East China Sea, and with
rival claimants in the South China Sea.
Under Xi, it has been asserting those
claims more firmly. “China wants to
live in harmony with all its neighbours,” he said yesterday.
Nonetheless, relations with Japan
have plunged in recent years with both
sides sending ships and aircraft to the
islands, which are controlled by Tokyo
and claimed by Beijing, raising fears of
clashes.
Hopes of an ice-breaking formal
meeting between Xi and Abe on the
sidelines of the summit have risen following statements by the two countries agreeing to try to improve ties.
But Japanese officials say the key
sentence in their statement was “very
carefully written” to avoid Tokyo formally acknowledging that there was
a dispute on sovereignty over the islands. “We did not give in to the Chinese demand,” one official said.
China’s decades-long economic
boom has seen it overtake Japan as the
world’s second-largest economy. But
its growth reached a п¬Ѓve-year low in
the third quarter.
Xi said the risks it faced were “not
that scary” and slower expansion was
expected as its economy matures.
China currently suffers from a deflating property bubble, a crackdown
on corruption blamed for curbing
some business, and weak demand from
Europe.
Even so it was expected to invest
more than $1.25tn abroad over the
next decade, Xi said, while outbound
Chinese tourists would exceed 500mn
over the next п¬Ѓve years.
As “China’s overall national strength
grows”, he told his audience, it would
be able and willing to offer “new initiatives and visions for enhancing regional cooperation”.
A draft summit communique seen
by AFP calls for a “strategic study”
on the Beijing-backed FTAAP. But
Michael Froman, the US Trade Representative, told reporters yesterday:
“It’s not the launch of a new organisation, it’s not the launch of a new FTA.”
FTAAP, he said, was a “longterm aspiration” to be achieved only
through other existing negotiations
such as TPP, which was “clearly” the
priority for the world’s biggest economy.
The communique refers to “the
eventual realisation” of the FTAAP.
But whether the leaders will endorse
the so-called “Beijing Roadmap” towards the FTAAP remained unclear.
G20 summit
will not be a
talkfest, says
Aussie PM
AFP
Canberra
A
ustralian Prime Minister Tony
Abbott yesterday vowed that
the G20 leaders’ summit this
week “won’t be a talkfest” as he hailed
the economic meeting as the most important ever held in his nation.
Abbott reiterated that the forum,
which will see the leaders from 20 of
the world’s biggest developed and
emerging economies gather in Brisbane on November 15 and 16, was resolute in its aim to lift growth.
“We have a very clear goal - to boost
global economic growth by two%
above what is currently expected over
the next five years,” Abbott said in a
statement Sunday.
“All the countries of the G20, including Australia, will be detailing
their growth strategies at this summit.
“It won’t be a talkfest. It’s an economic summit - so it will focus on
what can be done to create jobs, identify tax cheats and improve the world
economy.”
Australia has sought to make economic growth the G20’s top priority since it assumed the rotating
presidency, amid concerns the annual meeting has lost its way in recent
years after it was upgraded to a leaders’ summit in 2008 to tackle the fallout from the global financial crisis.
G20 п¬Ѓnance chiefs said after their
September meeting in Cairns that
they were set to achieve an extra combined 1.8% growth over the next п¬Ѓve
years under reforms agreed among
member nations, with further measures needed to reach the two% goal.
Abbott said three themes Australia had set for the meeting included
strengthening the private sector to
promote growth, making the world
economy more resilient to future
shocks, and shoring up global institutions.
“I am confident that the G20 summit will make a real difference to
the lives of people right around the
world,” he added.
HK protesters march to Beijing’s local office
AFP
Hong Kong
H
undreds of Hong Kong
pro-democracy protesters marched yesterday
to the Chinese government’s offices in the semi-autonomous
city, demanding direct talks with
Beijing officials after six weeks of
mass street rallies.
Demonstrators have been
camped out on three major road
junctions across the п¬Ѓnancial hub
since September 28, calling for
free leadership elections in 2017.
China insists that candidates
for the city’s top post must be vetted by a loyalist committee, which
protesters say will result in the
election of a pro-Beijing stooge.
Nearly
1,000
protesters
marched from a park in the central financial district to Beijing’s
liaison office several miles away,
some holding a banner reading:
“We demand dialogue with the
central government.”
Protest leaders have asked to
meet Beijing officials after talks
with the local government in
Hong Kong last month failed to
bear any fruit.
Local officials offered tentative
concessions to the protesters,
saying they would п¬Ѓle a report
to Beijing about recent events
and suggesting that both sides
set up a committee to discuss
further political reform beyond
2017. Neither idea met with much
enthusiasm from the demonstrators.
“Students were showing good
Pro-democracy protesters march to the Liaison Government Office in Hong Kong.
faith that if the Hong Kong government can’t handle this, why
don’t we get in touch with the
central authorities to discuss
whether or not we can narrow the
differences,” said Joshua Wong, a
teenage activist who has become
one of the most prominent faces
of the pro-democracy movement.
“But so far, we’ve been given
the cold shoulder.”
Protest leaders have been
mulling a trip to Beijing to press
Chinese officials more directly.
The Hong Kong Federation of
Students, which has been at the
vanguard of the protests, has
ruled out mooted plans to try to
gatecrash this week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec)
summit, which will see global
leaders including US President
Barack Obama gather in Beijing.
A later trip to Beijing is still
under consideration, although
it is not clear whether activists
would be allowed to travel there.
Hong Kong student group
Scholarism said on Friday that
one of its members had been
turned back trying to cross the
Chinese border, with officials saying he had taken part in “activities
that jeopardise national security”.
In Beijing yesterday, Chinese
President Xi Jinping voiced support for Hong Kong’s embattled
leader Leung Chun-ying and his
handling of the protests, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
China “fully affirms and supports” Leung’s efforts to safeguard the rule of law and main-
tain social order, Xi told Leung,
who is in Beijing to attend Apec.
Some protesters in Hong Kong
marched on Sunday holding yellow umbrellas, a symbol of the
democracy movement, while
others shouted: “I want true democracy!”
A line of police officers
watched from within the complex as the demonstrators tied
yellow ribbons to the gates of the
Chinese government office.
A British colony until 1997,
Hong Kong enjoys civil liberties
not seen on the communistruled mainland.
But fears have been growing
that these freedoms are being
eroded, while growing frustrations over the city’s huge wealth
gap have also fed the protests.
20
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
BRITAIN
Queen Elizabeth II lays a wreath at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday in London yesterday in honour of those who died in wars and conflicts.
Queen leads tribute to war dead
Reuters
London
Irish diplomat lays
Cenotaph wreath
Q
ueen Elizabeth II led Britain in paying silent tribute
to the Commonwealth
war dead on Remembrance Sunday, an annual event made particularly poignant this year on the
centenary of the start of World
War I.
The 88-year-old monarch,
senior royals and politicians including Prime Minister David
Cameron laid wreaths at the Cenotaph national war memorial in
London, as hundreds of veterans
from more than 70 years of conflicts looked on.
Security was tighter than normal amid heightened fears of the
risk of a terror attack, but there
was no change to the customary
programme of marches and military music.
A 13-pounder World War I gun
was п¬Ѓred at 1100GMT, marking
the start of two minute’s silence
observed by millions of people
across Britain and at British military bases across the world.
Remembrance Sunday is the
Sunday closest to Armistice Day
on November 11, the anniversary
of the 1918 signing of the peace
that ended п¬Ѓghting in World War
I.
More than 1mn people from the
British empire died in the fouryear conflict, but the day has become a time to remember all the
troops killed in wars since then.
It is thought there has been
only one year - 1968 - without a
British military fatality on active
service since the end of World War
II in 1945.
Cameron said the ceremonies
were “particularly poignant” as
Agencies
London
A
(Left to right) Leader of the Labour Party Ed Miliband, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Prime Minister David Cameron hold their
wreaths as they attend the Remembrance Sunday ceremony at the Cenotaph yesterday.
2014 is the centenary of the start
of World War I, as well as the 70th
anniversary of the D-Day landings and the end of Britain’s combat role in Afghanistan.
“Today we stand united to remember the courageous men
and women who have served our
country, defended our freedoms
and kept us safe,” he said ahead
of the event. “We remember all
those who have fallen and those
who have risked their lives to protect us.”
Security this year was “intensified” following fears the event
could be a target for attack, according to the head of Britain’s
armed forces, Chief of Defence
Staff General Nicholas Houghton.
Police arrested four men over-
night on Thursday on suspicion
of “Islamist-related terrorism”,
which media reports said concerned a plot intended for British
soil.
“Certainly the proximity of the
sense of threat for this weekend,
which has intensified the nature
of the security that’s attendant
on it, has contributed to quite
a different feel about this year,”
Houghton told BBC television.
The national terror level was
also raised in August to “severe”,
meaning an attack is “highly likely”, due to fears over the threat of
rebels п¬Ѓghting in Iraq and Syria.
Scotland Yard said it had an
“appropriate and proportionate”
policing plan in place for the London commemorations.
Speculation over Fergie’s
return to royal fold grows
London Evening Standard
London
T
he Duchess of York Sarah
Ferguson has supported
her ex-husband Prince
Andrew at an official engagement, in what is seen as a further sign of her return to the
royal fold.
She joined the Duke of York
and their daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, at St
James’s Palace for the Pitch@
Palace event to promote British
entrepreneurship.
It is bound to fuel growing
speculation about the closeness
of the relationship between Andrew and Sarah. They separated
in March 1992, six years after
their engagement, and divorced
in 1996.
The couple, who still live
under the same roof, have remained on good terms and have
brought up their daughters together.
Last month the Queen gave
the duchess permission to hold
a gala for her charity Children
in Crisis in the state apartments
at Windsor Castle. She has long
been said to have remained very
fond of her former daughterin-law.
Andrew, 54, hosted this week’s
event, in which start-up businesses had three minutes to pitch
to invited guests. He said: “I am
passionate about young entrepreneurs building their businesses.
“It is well known that the
duke and duchess enjoy
a continuing friendship
based on mutual respect,
love for their daughters
and a sense of fun”
“It is incredibly heartening to
hear this vision is shared by so
many of you. My vision is based
on hearing pleas for follow-up
activity to help business grow.”
The prince also helped the
duchess, 55, with the Children
in Crisis charity event at Windsor. A source close to the duke
said the duchess “popped in”
to the palace as she was attending an event with her daughters
that evening.
“She was not on the official
guest list but the duke was very
happy for her to come along,”
the senior source said. “The
duchess didn’t stay for the photographs but was happy to support the duke along with their
daughters.
“It would be wrong to give
the impression that this signals
that she will be supporting him
by attending his future engagements going forward.” A Buckingham Palace spokesman confirmed the duchess attended
the event and declined to comment further.
But a royal source said: “It is
well known that the duke and
duchess enjoy a continuing
friendship based on mutual respect, love for their daughters
and a sense of fun.
“It should come as no surprise that from time to time
they may wish to show support
for each other and for each
other’s work.” But another
well-placed source added: “It
should be clear there are absolutely no plans for them to
remarry.”
The Queen laid the п¬Ѓrst wreath
followed by her husband Prince
Philip, 93, her son and heir Prince
Charles and grandson Prince William, all of whom have served in
the military. Forty-six high commissioners from Commonwealth
countries then each laid a wreath.
And in a sign of the improved relations between Ireland and Britain,
the Irish ambassador laid a wreath
for the п¬Ѓrst time in honour of
thousands of Irishmen who died
in British uniform.
Meanwhile
Cameron
has
launched plans for a ВЈ1mn national memorial to the more than
220,000 troops who fought in Iraq
and Afghanistan since 2001, 632
of whom died.
Cameron wants the memo-
rial to be opened in 2016, a decade
after British troops п¬Ѓrst entered
Afghanistan’s troubled southern
Helmand province.
In the run-up to Remembrance
Sunday, many Britons wear a paper red poppy symbolising the
flowers which grew on French and
Belgian battlefields during World
War I.
This year, the moat of the Tower of London has been п¬Ѓlled with
888,246 ceramic poppies in a
striking art exhibit to mark every
single British soldier who died
during that conflict. An estimated
four million people will see the
installation, called “Blood Swept
Lands And Seas Of Red”, before it
is taken down at the end of November.
Exhibition
diplomat from the Irish
Republic has laid a laurel wreath at the London
Cenotaph for the п¬Ѓrst time in almost 70 years.
Irish ambassador to Britain,
Dan Mulhall, accepted the invitation to pay tribute to the fallen.
The wreath laying was the latest in a line of symbolic gestures
by both the UK and Ireland aimed
at putting their troubled history
behind them.
During the Queen’s historic
visit to the Irish Republic in 2011
she attended commemorations
for both the war dead and those
Irish who died п¬Ѓghting against
Britain for independence.
Some 200,000 Irish-born soldiers from north and south of the
island served in World War I, with
around 50,000 losing their lives.
But those that returned from
the war found a country riven by
its own conflict with Britain. The
Irish war of independence would
follow and by 1921 the island was
partitioned with the southern 26
counties becoming independent.
For decades the newly formed
state struggled with its people’s
role п¬Ѓghting for Britain in the war.
Returning soldiers were effectively ostracised and became scared
to admit they had participated in
the conflict.
Young killers �need
ID protection’
Agencies
London
J
A visitor looks at clothing on display at the “Women Fashion
Power exhibition at the Design Museum in London.
The climate of reconciliation
that has emerged since the end
of the Northern Ireland Troubles
has seen attitudes in the Republic change markedly, with a much
greater emphasis on acknowledging those Irish soldiers who
fought and died in the war.
Irish premier Taoiseach Enda
Kenny accepted an invite, for the
third year in a row, to attend yesterday morning’s Remembrance
Sunday event in Enniskillen in
Northern Ireland, the scene of the
IRA’s infamous 1987 poppy day
bombing, while the minister for
foreign affairs Charlie Flanagan
was present at the event in Belfast.
Mulhall’s attendance in London was not the first occasion
an Irish ambassador has been
present for the annual commemoration in recent years, but it is
the п¬Ѓrst time the state has been
invited to lay a wreath in honour
of Irish soldiers.
The last time a representative
of state made such a gesture was
in 1946, when Ireland was still a
member of the Commonwealth.
Kenny welcomed the Irish contribution to the ceremony in London.
“This is all part of the process
of uniting the people both east
and west and north and south,”
he said. “And that is very significant.” Northern Ireland Secretary
Theresa Villiers also praised the
gesture.
uvenile murderers and their
families need to have their
identities better protected by
the law, the barrister of teacher
killer Will Cornick has said.
Cornick was last week sentenced to life in prison with a
minimum of 20 years after he
killed teacher Ann Maguire at
Corpus Christi Catholic College
in Leeds.
Richard Wright QC, who represented the teenager, told The
Observer that the decision by
Justice Coulson to name him
has placed him and his siblings
at risk.
He said that decision had gone
against expert advice that said
he would be targeted by other
inmates in jail.
Cornick’s family would also
suffer, Wright said, and his
parents’ ability to support him
would be affected.
“Will Cornick has two siblings. Where is the protection
for them? They are just as much
victims and just as likely to suffer from being named,” he said.
The court’s decision to no
longer apply Section 39 of the
Children and Young Person’s
Act 1933 had allowed Cornick’s
identity to be revealed, but
Wright said even if it had been
enforced his name would still
have got out.
“Section 39 has limited effect
because of the way it’s drafted,”
he said.
“It was written before websites and bloggers, and therefore has no bite on the Internet.
The mere fact of naming him
on social media was not in contravention of the court’s (anonymity) order, and that’s obviously a problem.” He also called
for a debate to take place in the
country about the importance
of rehabilitation in the youth
justice system, while balancing it with the public outrage
against terrible offences such
as this.
The newspaper also quoted
Penelope Gibbs, chairwoman
of the Standing Committee for
Youth Justice, saying she believed Cornick should have kept
his anonymity as he was more
likely to be rehabilitated if not
named.
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
21
BRITAIN
PEOPLE
ATTACK
WARNING
OBITUARY
ACCIDENT
Dying woman gets bedside
farewell from her horse
Sleeping toddler bitten
by fox at home
Cycle superhighways �will
bring havoc to bus routes’
Politician Joe Walsh
dies aged 71
Probe launched
into ferry crash
A daughter told of how her dying mother bid farewell
to the horse she had raised from a foal and received in
return an affectionate nuzzle. Sheila Marsh died from
cancer at age 77 just hours after being wheeled in her
hospital bed for a final meeting with 25-year-old show
pony Bronwen in the car park of a hospital in Wigan.
“All the nurses, all the family, were in tears, and I think
the only one that didn’t cry was my mum because she
was so happy,” Tina Marsh told the BBC. “Mum could
hardly speak at that point - it took her so quick - but
she was strong enough to say Bronwen’s name and
ask her for a kiss, and Bronwen knew exactly what she
wanted,” Marsh said recalling the farewell.
A two-year-old boy was bitten by a fox as he slept
after the animal got into the family home through a
damaged cat-flap. The toddler needed hospital treatment after the attack in New Addington, Croydon.
The boy, who was asleep in bed, screamed as the
animal sank its teeth into his heel. His cries alerted his
parents, who ran upstairs where they found the fox
sitting at the end of the child’s bed. It ran into another
bedroom and hid under the bed until it was chased
out. The boy was taken to Croydon University Hospital for treatment. His grandmother Sharon Vaizey, 46,
said: “You see it in the news and read about it all the
time but you never think it’s going to happen to you.”
The mayor’s public transport watchdog has urged
him to abandon the “big bang” introduction of
cycle superhighways by March 2016, warning the
schemes could lead to bus chaos. London TravelWatch said many bus services would be “slower and
less reliable” as a result of the £50mn east-to-west
cycle route. The watchdog estimated that Transport
for London would face an annual ВЈ3.2mn bill from
bus companies for extra services along Whitehall
to make up for delays. Bus journey times along the
stretch between Trafalgar Square and Westminster
Bridge will double on four routes due to loss of priority to cyclists, and there will be further delays, it said.
Cross-party tributes have been paid to former
government agriculture minister Joe Walsh after
his death at the age of 71. The long-time Fianna Fail
representative for Cork South West died at Cork
University Hospital after an illness. He had two stints
as agriculture minister between 1992 and 2004.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny passed his sympathy to the
politician’s family. “I would like to send my deepest
sympathy to Joe’s wife, Marie, to his family and to the
Fianna Fail party,” he said. “I knew Joe well throughout his career in the Oireachtas. He was a dedicated
representative of the people of Cork South West and
a hard-working and committed minister.”
An investigation will look into how a ferry carrying
320 passengers hit a harbour wall as it made its
way into the English Channel. Four people were
taken to hospital with minor injuries after passengers and crew were evacuated from the Dover
Seaways ship which hit the dock as it left the
harbour for the 8am crossing to Dunkirk yesterday, Port of Dover officials confirmed. Passengers
posted pictures on Twitter and Facebook showing
upturned chairs and shop stock strewn across the
floor, a disabled woman was reportedly knocked
unconscious, while others likened the incident to
the sinking of the Titanic.
Journalist
guilty of
paying jail
officer for
stories
Film promo
SNP storms
back after
defeat in
referendum
Guardian News and Media
London
A
former News of the
World journalist has
been found guilty of
paying a prison officer for details about the life behind bars
of Jon Venables, one of the killers of James Bulger.
The journalist, who cannot
be named for legal reasons, was
convicted of conspiring with the
prison officer Scott Chapman
and his then-wife Lynn Gaffney
to commit misconduct in public
office.
A fourth defendant, Daily Star
Sunday journalist Tom Savage,
was cleared of the same charge
by the Old Bailey jury.
The verdicts were returned
on Wednesday but could only
be reported now after the judge,
Charles Wide QC, lifted interim
reporting restrictions.
The four-week trial heard
how Chapman, 42, made about
ВЈ40,000 selling stories to tabloid newspapers with some
payments channelled into
Gaffney’s bank account. The
court was told that Chapman
and Gaffney grossly abused
public trust and were motivated by “plain, naked greed”
in selling information about
Venables after he was returned
to prison in 2010 on charges
connected to indecent images
of children.
Opening the prosecution case,
Jonathan Rees QC said Chapman п¬Ѓrst sold stories to the Sun,
sending a picture of his prison
ID to a reporter to prove who
he was. Notes were read out in
court from the reporter, who was
not on trial and cannot be named
for legal reasons. They were
written during chats with Chapman in which the prison officer
describes Venables’ time in jail,
saying he had a personal shower,
a 36in TV and sole use of a large
former staff room.
A string of subsequent stories
provided by Chapman to the Sun
and other papers painted a similar picture, the prosecutor said:
“The agenda or slant seemed to
be, he’s getting it far too easy; it’s
far too cushy for him in jail.”
Reuters
London/Edinburgh
J
(Left to right) Cast members Julianne Moore, Liam Hemsworth, Jennifer Lawrence attend
the photocall for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, London, yesterday.
ust weeks after seeing their
dream of an independent
Scotland wiped out in an historic referendum defeat, Scottish nationalists have turned
failure into a revival which could
transform British politics at next
year’s UK general election.
The Scottish National Party
(SNP) may have failed to persuade voters to back independence from Britain, but appears
to be winning the argument that
it can do a better job п¬Ѓghting for
Scottish interests than Scottish
branches of London parties.
The result could be a wipe-out
for the Scottish chapter of Britain’s centre-left Labour Party,
which has dominated Scotland’s
delegation to the UK parliament
for generations, and a thumping
SNP victory that could make it
kingmakers in London.
According to a poll by IpsosMORI last week, the SNP which
now has just six seats in the House
of Commons in London, would
win 54 of the 59 Scottish seats in
the UK parliament next year.
That would potentially turn it
into the Britain’s third party, able
to pick which of the UK-wide
parties could form a government
to rule Britain, the country it
tried to leave.
Labour’s Scottish delegation,
meanwhile, would collapse from
41 Scottish seats to just four, according to the poll.
“It’s a bizarre situation,” Alan
Massie, a veteran Scottish commentator, wrote in The Scotsman.
“The party that was defeated in the
referendum and rejected over most
of Scotland is full of confidence and
behaving as if it had won.”
The SNP seemed to face an
T
he government is to examine whether a man reported to have murdered a
woman in an act of cannibalism
was properly managed following
his release from prison.
Cerys Marie Yemm, 22, died from
her injuries at Sirhowy Arms Hotel,
a homeless hostel in Argoed, Blackwood, south Wales, in the early
hours of Thursday morning.
Her attacker, Matthew Williams, 34, who had recently been
released from prison, also died at
the scene shortly after police discharged a 50,000-volt Taser and
arrested him.
South Wales Police launched
a murder investigation after the
deaths and the Independent Police
Complaints Commission (IPCC)
will also probe the incident.
Yesterday, a spokesman for the
ministry of justice confirmed a
serious further offence review
will take place to see if lessons
can be learned from the case.
Such reviews are immediately
launched if a serious offence is
alleged to have happened within
30 days of a person leaving prison
or is on licence.
The review will examine the
circumstances of Yemm’s death,
the management of Williams following his release and whether
steps can be taken to improve
public protection.
Welsh Assembly member William Graham has led calls for an
inquiry into reports Williams
was not monitored upon his release from prison.
“It is now clear that Williams
posed a risk to the public and I am
extremely concerned that monitoring appears to have been deemed
unnecessary,” Graham told the BBC.
“If true, a wider inquiry into
the circumstances surrounding
his release is urgently required.”
Thousands of people have
joined tribute sites to Yemm, a
shop worker, but some Facebook
pages have been hijacked by internet trolls.
One page, Cerys Marie Yemm,
listed as a “community”, directs mourners to a video with
the comment: “Video Tribute in
Memory of Cerys Yemm. Rest in
peace pretty girl.”
However, grieving friends who
click on the video are instead
taken to pornographic material,
with some complaining they are
being asked to pay ВЈ24 to view it.
The scam is repeated on another page, a “community”
named Cerys Yemm, which has
more than 3,000 “likes” by Facebook users.
Nicola
Chadwick
wrote:
“Whoever posted this video is as
sick as the man who committed
the hideous crime against this
beautiful young girl, I’ve reported this video.
“I hope you are found and
prosecuted. You should be
ashamed.”
Gwent Police said Williams
became unresponsive while under arrest and officers and paramedics administered п¬Ѓrst aid but
he was pronounced dead.
pendence. After months in which
the referendum was dismissed in
London as a no-hope case, Britain’s main parties had to scramble in
panic as polls showed a close result
in the п¬Ѓnal weeks of campaigning.
The SNP led the fight for independence against a “no” campaign that united Britain’s three
main parties: Labour and the
ruling coalition of Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservatives and the centrist Liberal
Democrats.
Labour spearheaded the defence of the Union, with speeches from ex-prime minister Gordon Brown, a Scot, rallying the
“no” cause in the final days.
But the battle helped the SNP
make the case that Labour are
too much like the Conservatives,
widely despised in Scotland. “The
role, hand-in-glove, shoulder-toshoulder with the Conservative
Party in the referendum campaign
is not going to be either forgotten or forgiven for a generation in
Scottish politics,” Salmond told
BBC TV in an interview.
In the п¬Ѓnal weeks before the
referendum all three mainstream
parties promised to swiftly grant
more self-rule powers for Scotland if it stayed in the UK.
But such changes look unlikely
to be delivered in time for the British general election in May, allowing the SNP to accuse the Londonbased parties of betrayal.
As soon as the referendum was
over, Cameron’s Conservatives
linked granting more powers to
Scotland with a call to strip Scottish parliamentarians in London of
the power to block measures applicable to England. Cameron has
since rowed back from the linkage.
But the row, real or imagined, has
given the SNP a strong pre-election platform: Vote for us to ensure
promises are kept.
Miliband warns over
premier’s EU gamble
�Cannibal’ prison release
case to be reviewed
Agencies
London
existential crisis after it lost the
September 18 referendum by a 10
point margin. The next day, a subdued party leader Alex Salmond
announced he was stepping down
although he said his dream of independence would never die.
Yet just seven weeks later, SNP
membership has tripled.
Salmond’s successor Nicola
Sturgeon, taking over as party
leader and head of the administration that runs Scotland’s
health, education and other domestic policies, sounds invigorated. So complete has been the
SNP’s comeback that it has even
started hinting that another independence referendum may
be needed in the next few years,
particularly if Britain’s relations
with the EU change.
“The tectonic plates of Scottish politics truly are shifting,” Sturgeon said a few days
ago. Scotland would send a
“strengthened team” to London’s parliament next year, “who
will put Scotland first, and ensure that we cannot be ignored.”
Meanwhile, Scottish Labour,
which led the successful joint
campaign by Britain’s three main
UK-wide parties to oppose independence in the referendum, has
slid into despair.
Leader Johann Lamont quit
last week with a scathing attack
on the parent party, which she
accused of treating its Scottish
chapter as a “branch office”. Current and former senior Labour
members in Scotland say the
party is in meltdown.
Whereas Salmond passed
the SNP leadership to Sturgeon
without a murmur of discontent,
Scottish Labour faces a bitter
leadership п¬Ѓght.
Despite losing the referendum,
the SNP persuaded 45% of Scotland’s 4.3mn voters to back inde-
Reuters
London
O
Miliband: looking to refocus attention.
pposition leader Ed Miliband will today attack
Prime Minister David
Cameron’s plans to hold a European Union membership referendum, seeking to shift the
political agenda away from questions over his own future.
In a speech to business leaders,
Miliband will warn that political
rivals who “flirt” with pulling Britain out of the European Union are
putting millions of jobs at risk by
generating uncertainty among
business and deterring investment.
The speech will come after a
poll by YouGov showed backing
for Miliband’s leadership had fallen sharply among Labour voters.
Miliband will be looking to refocus attention away from speculation that some members of his party
are readying a bid to oust him, and
onto the issue of Europe - an area
which is seen as a major headache
for Conservative Prime Minister
David Cameron six months away
from a national election.
Cameron has promised a referendum by 2017 in a bid to combat
discontent among rebellious Conservative lawmakers and win back
Eurosceptic voters who have defected to the anti-EU UK Independence Party (Ukip). Miliband will call
that policy a “false solution”.
“Giving succour to the argument that the real answer is leaving the EU, or contemplating it,
simply drags us closer to exit,”
Miliband will say, according to
advance extracts of his speech
released by his office.
“Every nod and wink to those
who want to leave sends a message
to potential investors in our country
that we are not open for business.”
Miliband’s comments are also
aimed at addressing the growing
threat that Ukip, who advocate an
immediate withdrawal from the
28-country bloc, pose to his own
chances of becoming prime minister. Right-leaning Ukip emerged
as a serious contender in centreleft Labour’s northern heartlands
last month when they won a surprisingly high 39% of the vote in
a special election to replace a deceased Labour lawmaker.
22
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
EUROPE
Dreams can come true: Merkel
AFP
Berlin
G
Gorbachev releases a balloon during a Street Party organised by
German government to mark the 25th anniversary of the fall of the
Berlin Wall, in front of the Brandenburg Gate.
erman Chancellor Angela
Merkel said yesterday that
the fall of the Berlin Wall
25 years ago was a message to a
conflict-torn world that “dreams
can come true”.
She spoke as Germany celebrated the milestone on November 9, 1989, that ended its Cold
War division by throwing a huge
open-air party at Berlin’s iconic
Brandenburg Gate.
More than a million people
were expected in the reunited
capital, many flocking to see rock
stars and anti-communist dissidents on stage amid п¬Ѓreworks to
recall the peaceful breach of the
despised barrier.
Merkel, 60, who grew up in
the East, said: “The Berlin Wall,
this symbol of state abuse cast in
concrete, took millions of people
to the limits of what is tolerable,
and all too many beyond it. It
broke them.
“Little wonder that after the
border opened, people took apart
the hated structure with hammers and chisels.”
In an unusually emotional
speech at a memorial for Wall
victims, Merkel said: “We can
change things for the better –
that is the message of the fall of
the Berlin Wall.”
This is true for Germany and
“for the people in Ukraine, Syria,
Iraq and in many, many other regions of the world where liberty
and human rights are threatened
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit (right) leave after putting roses in a
preserved segment of the Berlin Wall, during the commemorations to mark the 25th anniversary of the
fall of the Wall at the Berlin Wall Memorial in the Bernauer Strasse, yesterday.
or being trampled”, she said.
Merkel said that the events
inspired hope that the world can
tear down “walls of dictatorship,
violence, ideology and hostility”.
“Too good to be true? A daydream that will burst like a bubble? No, the fall of the Wall has
shown us that dreams can come
true,” she said.
The ugly scar the Wall once cut
through Berlin has been marked
by an art installation, a string of
nearly 7,000 illuminated white
balloons tethered along a 15km
stretch of its former 155km path.
To symbolise the tumultuous day the barrier п¬Ѓrst cracked
open, the balloons will float into
the sky in the evening to the stirring strains of Beethoven’s Ode to
Joy, the anthem of the European
Union.
Later the unofficial Wall anthem Heroes, which David Bowie
recorded in a studio near the
barrier in then-West Berlin, will
be performed by British singer-
Germans recount vivid memories
of �pure joy’ on 25th anniversary
AFP
Berlin
G
ermans flocked to their
reunified capital yesterday to toast the 25th anniversary of the Berlin Wall’s fall
and swap memories of a night of
“pure joy”.
Huddled in wintry weather
for a giant street party at the
Brandenburg Gate, visitors prepared for the evening’s highlight
of nearly 7,000 illuminated white
balloons along the Wall’s former
route ascending into the night
sky.
One visitor who walked along
the Wall light installation – called
Lichtgrenze (or light frontier/
border) – at sunrise yesterday
was Benjamin Nemerofsky, 41, a
Canadian artist who has lived in
the city since 2001.
“The fall of the Wall changed
many things in Europe, in Germany and in Berlin,” he said.
“This is a city where you can
see 20th century history at every
corner. That’s fascinating,” he
told AFP, describing himself as
“bewitched” by Berlin.
A couple from the former
West Berlin, Gunnar and Uschi
Schultz, who visited the memorial early yesterday, recalled how
they spent the entire historic
night a quarter-century ago at
the Brandenburg Gate, which
marked the tense frontier for
28 years and has since become a
symbol of German unity.
“It was wonderful, obviously,
wonderful, but at the same time,
strange,” said medical researcher
Uschi, 50, about the night when
citizens from both sides found
the courage to cross into the
heavily guarded no-man’s land.
“The police were very hesitant.
It’s a miracle that no shot was
fired.”
Sigrid Weiss from the eastern town of Fuerstenwalde, and
Joachim Behrendt, who grew
up East Berlin, now live in west
Germany and said that they were
pleased to see East Germans’
courage during 28 dark years of
division honoured.
“We were always people who
loved freedom,” said Weiss, who
is 62. “It’s not that our lives were
so terrible, but it was a golden
cage.”
Behrendt, 64, worked in the
so-called German Democratic
Republic (GDR) organising circus
tours abroad.
“I was able to send world-class
trapeze artists to France and Japan but I couldn’t even leave East
Germany,” he said.
He called it “the bad luck of
history” that he lived just 100m
from where the Wall was built
and ended up on the wrong side,
Above: Historical photographs are projected onto Brandenburg Gate
during the citizens’ festival in Berlin to mark the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Left: Der Rufer (The Caller), a bronze sculpture of a barefooted man
in a robe with hands to his mouth and dedicated to all torture victims
and survivors throughout the world by Gerhard Marcks, is seen
among the thousands gathered at the 17th June avenue during an
open air street party in front of Brandenburg Gate.
while most of his family lived in
the west.
The couple, who met as teenagers in 1970, applied for permission to defect in 1986.
Weiss spent six months in official custody while the regime
tried to convince her to withdraw
her request.
“But I was never one to buckle,” she said with a smile.
Weiss and Behrendt were
eventually able to leave in 1987,
two years before the Wall fell.
“I had such mixed feelings that
night,” Behrendt said. “We had
sacrificed so much and suddenly
everyone could go to the West.”
But Weiss said that ambivalence soon gave way to “pure joy”
and the couple travelled to Berlin where they “joined in taking
pickaxes to the Wall”.
Astrid and Reinhard Gregor,
west Germans from outside the
Volkswagen headquarters city
of Wolfsburg, travelled the more
than 200km to Berlin to join in
the anniversary celebrations.
Standing outside the Adlon
Hotel opposite the Brandenburg
Gate, they led a spontaneous
round of applause and choruses
of “Gorbi, Gorbi” among onlookers as former Soviet leader
Mikhail Gorbachev, who is in
town for the festivities, entered
the building.
The hotel set up a slab of the
Wall with his visage at the entrance, in honour of the man
revered in Germany for helping
pave the way to the Iron Curtain’s
peaceful fall.
Astrid, 58, a retired teacher,
said that her son Lars, who was
eight years old when the Wall
fell, used to dream of how people
from the East could escape imprisonment in their own country.
“He used to ask me whether
they could just use a balloon to
fly over the Wall,” she said.
She said she remembered vividly when the п¬Ѓrst East Germans
weeks later were able to drive to
Wolfsburg in their spluttering
Trabant cars.
“I thought my newborn would
suffocate!” she said with a laugh,
remembering the clouds of engine fumes.
Her husband Reinhard, 61, a
retired п¬Ѓreman, said that he and
his colleagues spent the day in
bitterly cold weather greeting
East Germans with hot tea.
“My only regret is that we
weren’t here in Berlin on the
night of November 9,” Reinhard
said.
Frank Marschner, a 56-yearold forester from the east German town of Neustadt, said that
November 9 marked the beginning of a new chapter in his life.
“The freedom to travel is
the freedom we’ve enjoyed the
most,” he said, flanked by his
wife Pia, 54. “It started with a
jaunt to West Berlin and it’s since
taken us to Canada, Greece, Cape
Verde – all over the world. Places
we could never even dream of in
the GDR.”
songwriter Peter Gabriel.
The celebrations started on
a sombre note with a church
service and ceremonies for the
at least 389 victims of the border, who were shot, blown up by
mines or otherwise killed as they
tried to escape the East.
Unlike for the 20th anniversary, when foreign heads of state
and government flocked to Berlin, this time the festivities are
mainly a people’s celebration in
a city that has blossomed into a
cultural hub and major European
tourist destination.
Entertainment will range from
the Berlin State Orchestra under
the baton of Daniel Barenboim
to performances by East German
rock band Silly and techno musician Paul Kalkbrenner.
Also on stage will be veteran
German rock singer Udo Lindenberg, whose 1983 hit Sonderzug
nach Pankow (Special Train to
Pankow) mocked East German
leader Erich Honecker for denying him permission to perform.
The only foreign dignitaries
are veterans of the era, chiefly the
last Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, 83, whose “glasnost” and
“perestroika” reforms kicked off
the series of historic events.
Gorbachev – who remains
highly popular in Germany, a
reunited country since 1990 –
warned on Saturday that the
world was on the “brink of a new
Cold War”, amid East-West tensions over Ukraine.
Also at the festivities will be
Polish freedom icon Lech Walesa, 71, Hungarian former prime
minister Miklos Nemeth, 66,
and German President Joachim
Gauck, 74, a former Christian
pastor and rights activist in the
East.
Pope Francis also spoke about
the events of 25 years ago and
called for “a culture of encounters that can bring down all the
walls that still divide the world,
so that never again the innocent
are persecuted and sometimes
killed for their beliefs or religion.
We need bridges, not walls”.
Key dates in German reunification
Within a matter of weeks and without bloodshed, the feared East
German regime was swept aside by demonstrators in 1989 and the
Berlin Wall torn down, leading to Germany’s reunification less than a
year later. Here are some key dates:
1989
В„ May 2: Hungary began dismantling the Iron Curtain that had defined
its border with Austria since 1966. East Germans were quick to take
advantage and head west.
В„ October 6-7: Unprecedented protests disrupted ceremonies marking
the 40th anniversary of East Germany’s (GDR) communist regime.
Then Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev warned East German officials not
to be too rigid as the reform movement swept across Eastern Europe.
В„ October 9: Police and the army stood by as some 70,000 people in
Leipzig participated in a candlelight march to demand political reforms
and more freedom.
„ October 18: Egon Krenz, the Politburo’s youngest member, became
communist party general secretary after Erich Honecker was forced to
resign. On October 24 Krenz also replaced Honecker as GDR president.
В„ November 4: Nationwide demonstrations began in the GDR. More
than 1mn gathered in East Berlin to demand greater freedom.
В„ November 9: Communist border guards opened the Berlin Wall,
which was built in 1961, after the regime granted long-denied freedom
to travel to the West.
Over the subsequent weekend, 3mn East Germans visited West Berlin
or other parts of West Germany.
В„ November 13: Communist reformer Hans Modrow was elected head
of the GDR government, one-third of which was non-communist.
В„ December 21-22: Modrow and then-West German chancellor Helmut
Kohl officiated over the reopening of Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, the
symbol of German division.
1990
В„ January 30: Gorbachev accepted German reunification in principle.
В„ March 18: The GDR held its first free elections and conservatives
pushing for a rapid reunification won a large victory.
В„ July 1: The West German Deutschmark became the official currency
of the GDR.
В„ October 3: After being divided for more than 40 years, Germany was
reunited and regained its full sovereignty.
The Berlin Wall in quotes
World leaders commemorated the fall of the Berlin Wall. Here are some
key quotes.
“We can change things for the better – that is the message of the Berlin
Wall. The fall of the Wall has shown: Dreams can come true. Nothing has
to be left as it is.” – German Chancellor Angela Merkel
“The world is on the brink of a new Cold War. Some say it has already
begun.” – Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev
“Europe must once again become a thing of the heart. It was with
passion and courage that the people tore down that which divided
them, in search of peace, freedom, unity, democracy and prosperity.” –
EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker
“We need bridges, not walls.” – Pope Francis
“In Europe and beyond – wherever citizens seek to determine their
own destiny – we will be guided by the lessons of Berlin. Walls and
oppressive regimes may endure for a time, but in the end they cannot
withstand the desire for liberty and human dignity that burns in every
human heart.” – US President Barack Obama
“We bow before the victims of the wall, and before the many people
who were made to suffer immense pain under the communist
dictatorship of East Germany and all the countries of the Eastern bloc.”
– Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit
The Berlin Wall in numbers
The Berlin Wall was erected on August 13, 1961 and
for 28 years was a symbol of German division and a
focal point in the Cold War.
В„ The Inner Border: The heavily-fortified inner
German border that separated the German
Democratic Republic, or East Germany, from the
Federal Republic of Germany, or West Germany,
spanned nearly 1,400km, from the Baltic Sea to the
former Czechoslovakia.
В„ The Wall: The Berlin Wall encompassed the
entirety of West Berlin and stretched 155km around
the city. Of that, 43km cut through the centre of
Berlin. The Wall blocked 193 streets and resulted in
the closure of 12 stations used by the city’s two rapid-
transport networks, the S-Bahn and U-Bahn.
В„ Security: Some 11,500 East German border guards
were employed to secure the Wall.
An electrified signal fence running 127km set off an
alarm when touched.
Anti-vehicles trenches that totaled 105km in
length prevented escape by car. There were 302
watchtowers and 259 dog runs to monitor for
defectors.
В„ Escape And Death: From 1961 until 1989, more
than 100,000 citizens of East Germany attempted
to escape. About 600 of them were killed. Of that
number, 136 were East Berliners trying to flee to West
Berlin.
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
23
EUROPE
Volunteers labour to make breakaway vote count
AFP
Barcelona
W
ith see-through ballot
boxes and dozens of
electoral workers milling around, the Maristas school
in Barcelona is a polling station
like any other, with one difference: this vote is forbidden.
In other respects, the volunteers at this school near the city’s
iconic Sagrada Familia Cathedral – along with 40,000 others across the region – are doing
things by the book.
Spain’s government mounted
legal challenges to Catalonia’s
independence vote yesterday,
putting the volunteers running
the 6,700 polling stations in a
delicate spot.
That didn’t put off Lluis Peiro,
a 51-year-old engineer, who wove
around supervising among dozens of voters at the polling station in this working class district.
Even though “they tried to put
a thousand and one obstacles in
our way”, he says, he dutifully
turned up to help carry out the
vote as credibly as possible.
The vote may only be a symbolic one, expected to draw only
those favouring independence,
but the organisation is meticulous.
Peiro is one of 33 volunteers –
three for each ballot box – running this polling station, overseen by four co-ordinators who
in turn answer to two higher officials.
Spanish authorities warned
the Catalan regional government
it would be breaking the law if it
defied court injunctions banning
it from organising a vote.
However, it has stood by the
volunteers, sending out a laptop
computer to each polling station
for them to log voters, along with
the ballot boxes and the voting
slips.
Those turning up to cast their
votes, after п¬Ѓnding their local
polling station via a special website, have their names noted by
hand on arriving and also entered
into the computer.
“Once you have voted here,
you cannot vote anywhere else,”
Peiro said.
Organisers planned to have
the premises all clear of voting
material once voting ended in
the evening, so as not to disrupt
school the next day.
At the Maristas school, Fernando Brea, a regional government
official, dropped by on a tour of
polling stations.
“It is all going calmly,” he told
AFP. “As in any election, there
are incidents – a volunteer miss-
ing here or a ballot box there.”
State prosecutors said that
they were gathering evidence to
see whether Catalan authorities
had breached court injunctions
by opening polling stations and
mailing campaign material.
“The police are nowhere to be
seen. All you can see are citizens,
which is the main thing,” said
Brea, however. “The most important thing is the turnout.”
Like a regular vote, Catalonia’s also boasts of having international observers: a delegation
of eight members of parliament
from European countries who
arrived on Saturday.
Hundreds of leaflets urging
Catalans to vote were distributed
in the past few days and lists of
voting stations were posted on
the doors of public buildings in
central Barcelona.
In rural areas, buses were laid
on to take the elderly to cast their
votes, said the Catalan National
Assembly, the leading pro-independence lobby.
In one of the few incidents reported, police arrested п¬Ѓve people for damaging ballot boxes and
causing unspecified injuries after
bursting into a polling station in
the northern Catalan district of
Girona.
In one demonstration against
the vote, protesters in Barcelona
set fire to a Catalan independence flag.
In Madrid, a few dozen waved
Spanish and Catalan flags and
sang patriotic songs.
At most polling stations, a jovial atmosphere reigned.
Groups of voters posed for
photographs as they dropped
their ballots into the box.
Some of them wore the traditional red Catalan berets called
barratinas.
“I am here because I am Catalan, full stop,” said Encarna Garcia Pron, a retired nurse, who
turned up to vote leaning on a
walking frame. “We have to make
ourselves a homeland.”
Hopes high
as Catalans
take part in
�illegal’ vote
Reuters
Barcelona
H
undreds of thousands of
Catalans voted yesterday
in a symbolic referendum
on independence from Spain that
supporters hope will propel the
issue further despite opposition
from Madrid.
The “consultation of citizens”
in the wealthy northeastern region follows a legal block by the
central government against a
more formal, albeit still nonbinding ballot which regional
leaders had been pushing for.
“We have earned the right to
a referendum,” said Artur Mas,
head of the regional government,
as he cast his ballot surrounded
by cheering supporters. “We are
doing a great thing in Catalonia
by defending our right to free expression and steering the political future of this country.”
However, the head of Spain’s
ruling party in Catalonia, Alicia Sanchez-Camacho, said that
the vote was a sham because it
offered no democratic or legal
guarantees and did not have the
blessing of the central government.
The ballot comes after two
years of escalating tension between the central and the regional government over the issue.
The government argues that
Catalonia, which makes up about
16% of Spain’s population, cannot decide something which affects Spain as a whole on constitutional grounds.
Polls show that Catalans overwhelmingly support holding a
proper referendum, regardless of
their views on sovereignty.
The regional government said
that at 1200 GMT, more than
1mn of the 5.4mn people eligible
to vote had done so.
“If they don’t understand us,
they should respect us and each
of us go on their separate way,”
said Angels Costa, a 52-year-old
shopkeeper who voted in Barcelona. “We would have liked to
have been a federal state but that
is no longer possible. They’ve
trampled on us too much.”
Pro-independence organisations have campaigned vigorously for a big turnout from the
wealthy region’s 7.5mn people,
and more than 40,000 volunteers were helping set up informal voting stations yesterday.
Pro-secession
politicians
hope a high level of support will
prompt central government to sit
down with them and negotiate
more tax and political autonomy,
or even convince Madrid to accept a full-blown independence
referendum in the future.
Officials from Catalonia’s two
main parties, including Mas’
centre-right Convergencia i Union (CiU), have suggested that
backing from more than 1.5mn
citizens would help build momentum for their cause.
The vote has raised hackles in a
country in which the memory of
Francisco Franco’s 1939 to 1975
dictatorship and the suppression
of the Catalan and Basque cultures are still vivid.
Centralist
party
Union,
Progress and Democracy has
called for charges to be pressed
against Artur Mas for purportedly ignoring an order to suspend
the vote, although the vote is being run by grassroots campaigners.
“The ideal scenario is the more
people the better,” Oriol Junqueras, head of left-wing opposition
party Esquerra Republicana de
Catalunya (ERC), said in an interview.
“It’s clear that this consultation ... does not give us the democratic mandate we would have in
an election, but what’s important
is that it is a fresh demonstration
of the fact people want to vote,
that they are keen to voice their
opinion.”
However those who are not in
favour of separation are not expected to take part.
One such is Roberto Ruiz, a 30
year old out jogging.
“No, I’m not voting. This will
not make any difference and I’m
against (independence) anyway.
I’m Catalan but I’m Spanish too,”
he said.
Opinion polls show that as
Catalan President Artur Mas
holds up his ballot before casting
it during the symbolic
independence vote in Barcelona.
Right: A Spanish unionist takes
part in a protest in Madrid
against the vote in Catalonia.
many as 80% of Catalans back
voting on the issue of Catalonia’s
status, with about 50% in favour
of full independence.
A long-standing breakaway
movement in Catalonia, which
accounts for one-fifth of Spain’s
economic output and has its own
distinct culture and language,
grew in strength during the recent years of deep recession.
In early September – buoyed
by a Scottish independence campaign which ultimately lost out
in a referendum – hundreds of
thousands of Catalans dressed
in the yellow and red of their regional flag packed the streets of
Barcelona, forming a huge “V” to
demand the right to vote.
Officially suspended by Spain’s
Constitutional Court after the
Spanish government sought to
stop this poll, yesterday’s vote is
nonetheless expected to pass off
peacefully.
Analysts say the poll results
should be viewed cautiously,
because opponents are likely to
shun it.
“While we expect the vote to
have a symbolic impact (more
than 1mn people will likely participate) it will not carry significant political implications,” Antonio Roldan, Europe analyst at
the Eurasia Group consultancy
said in a note.
Bus crash in Spain kills at least 13
DPA/AFP
Madrid
A
t least 13 people were
killed and 42 injured when
the bus they were travelling in plunged 15m down an embankment in southeastern Spain,
officials said yesterday.
The bus, which had been chartered by a parish group and was
carrying mostly young people,
went off the road late on Saturday
near the town of Venta de Olivia
in the Murcia region.
The prefecture originally estimated the death toll to be 14, but
later revised the number to 13.
The cause of the crash was unknown.
Police said drug and alcohol
tests performed on the driver,
whom survived, were negative.
The driver said the brakes
failed, according to media reports, but the bus company said
the vehicle had been inspected
just days earlier.
Ten of the victims were pronounced dead at the scene and
four others died at hospital.
The 36-year-old parish priest
who organised the trip was
Emergency services personnel are seen at the site of the bus crash in Murcia.
among the dead, rescue services
said.
The bus was returning from a
religious event in Madrid to hon-
our a nun who died 40 years ago.
The accident took place about
60km from its destination, the
village of Bullas.
The bishop of Cartagena, Jose
Manuel Lorca planes, said the
church was shocked by the accident.
The bus driver was charged
with homicide and negligence,
the prefect of the region, Joaquin
Bascunana, told the media, adding that it was thought the bus
was travelling too fast.
Spanish media cited passengers saying that the driver had
shouted before the crash that the
coach’s brakes were not working
properly.
The mayor of Bullas, Pedro
Chico, said that some residents
of the town had lost several family members in the crash.
The regional authorities decreed three days of mourning.
Spain’s royal palace said King
Felipe VI and Queen Letizia
would attend the funerals for the
victims today.
It was the worst coach accident in Spain since 2001, when
19 retirees died in a crash near
Huelva in the southwest.
Spanish
authorities
have
cracked down on road safety in
recent years by increasing п¬Ѓnes
and launching shock road safety
campaigns in the media.
The number of deaths on
Spain’s roads plunged by 72%
between 2003 and 2013, the interior ministry said in January.
Protest over presidential vote
Some 10,000 people protested in Romania late on Saturday,
accusing the government of limiting voting from citizens living
abroad in last weekend’s presidential polls.
Thousands of Romanians living abroad were allegedly unable to
vote in the November 2 first-round presidential election due to an
insufficient number of open polling stations in countries including
France, Germany and Britain.
Prime Minister Victor Ponta finished first in the vote with 40% of
the ballots, while his conservative rival Klaus Iohannis took 30%.
However, Iohannis won 46% of the vote among Romanians living
abroad, while Ponta had 18%.
The second round is set for November 16.
Nearly 7,000 people gathered in Cluj in the northwest while
another 1,500 protested in the western city of Timisoara, where
the anti-communist uprising that led to the fall of dictator Nicolae
Ceausescu began in 1989.
Protesters in Timisoara called for Ponta to resign, while hundreds of
people also demonstrated in Bucharest, Oradea and Constanra.
“We came out in the streets to see to it that what happened last
Sunday does not happen again on November 16,” said one of the
protesters in Bucharest, Alexandru Alexe.
Outgoing President Traian Basescu on Saturday called on Foreign
Minister Titus Corlatean to resign, while the minister has pledged
improved organisation for the second round vote.
The vote is seen as a crucial test for the former communist
country at a time when democracy has suffered setbacks in some
neighbouring states such as Hungary, and as the Ukraine crisis has
shaken relations between the European Union and Russia.
Whoever takes over the presidency will face pressing issues
including recession and persistent accusations of corruption.
Eight-year-old suspected of arson
French police were investigating yesterday whether an eight-yearold boy who was caught red-handed about to torch a parked car
was also responsible for arson attacks on four other vehicles.
Authorities apprehended the boy on Saturday morning as he was in
the process of setting fire to a stationary car in the Mediterranean
town of Herault near Montpellier.
“We are taking this matter very seriously. An investigation has been
launched and will continue next week to see if this eight-year-old
child is also responsible for four burned cars in the same area,” said
the head of the town’s public safety body.
Police said that since the boy had been caught, there had been no
further attacks.
24
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
EUROPE
Italian president may resign �early’
Reuters
Rome
I
taly’s President Giorgio Napolitano, who reluctantly
agreed to a second term in
2013 at a time of political crisis,
may step down in January, п¬Ѓve
years before the end of his term,
political commentators said yesterday.
Napolitano, 89, could announce his decision in his traditional year-end address on
December 31 and leave office several weeks later, commentators in
major newspapers said.
The presidential palace said
in a statement it would “neither
confirm nor deny” the reports,
adding that Naptolitano would
explain his decision when he
makes it.
Napolitano, who said from the
outset that he would not stay for
the entire seven-year mandate,
has confided to friends that he
suffers from a series of age-related ailments that were making it
difficult for him to carry on in the
job, according to a report in Corriere della Sera newspaper.
La
Repubblica
quoted
Emanuele Macaluso, a retired
politician and close friend of Napolitano’s, as saying that the decision to step down was “a closed
question,” and that the country
could not ask Napolitano “to
make any more sacrifices”.
In April 2013, Napolitano
yielded to pleas from squabbling
politicians and agreed to an unprecedented second term to try
to end a chaotic stalemate left by
deadlocked elections in February
of that year.
After his election, he brought
some relative political stability to
Italy by appointing Enrico Letta
of the centre-left Democratic
Party to form a government with
a broad coalition.
Letta resigned in February
after losing a leadership battle
within the Democratic Party to
current Prime Minister Matteo
Renzi.
Napolitano said at the time
that he would step down once
he felt that the eurozone’s thirdlargest economy was on the road
to institutional reforms, such as
a new electoral law currently in
parliament that would guarantee
more political stability.
The palace statement said the
president always considered his
term “an extraordinary extension”.
The Italian head of state, who
is elected by parliament, has
broad political powers. He can
appoint prime ministers, dissolve
parliament and call early elections.
Potential candidates to succeed Napolitano include Romano
Prodi, the former prime minister
and European Commission president, and former prime minister
Giuliano Amato.
Both have been candidates for
the presidency in the past.
Napolitano: always considered his term �an extraordinary extension’.
A former communist, Napolitano was п¬Ѓrst elected to parliament in 1953 and has been a politician most of his life.
Donetsk sees heaviest
shelling since October
Reuters
Donetsk
E
ast Ukraine’s rebel stronghold Donetsk was pummelled yesterday by the
heaviest shelling in a month, and
the OSCE said it spotted an armoured column of troops without insignia in rebel territory
that Kiev said proved Moscow
had sent reinforcements.
A two-month-old ceasefire to
end a war that has killed 4,000
people has appeared shakier
than ever in the past few days,
with both sides accusing the
other of having violated the
terms of the peace plan.
Reuters journalists inside
Donetsk, who have been there
throughout the п¬Ѓghting, said
that the shelling sounded more
intense than at any time since
early October, a period when a
playground was struck killing at
least 10 people.
Yesterday’s strikes appeared
to come from territory held
by both government and rebel
forces.
Ukraine’s military said its
stand-off with the Russianbacked separatists in the east
had intensified in the past week,
which saw the rebels swear in
new leaders after elections the
government says violated the
terms of the truce pact.
Ukraine has accused Russia
of sending a column of 32 tanks
and truckloads of troops into
the country’s east to support
the pro-Russian rebels in recent
days.
Moscow has long denied its
troops operate in east Ukraine,
although many have died there.
The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe
(OSCE), which includes Russia
and Ukraine as well as the United
States and Nato countries, operates in east Ukraine with the
blessing of all sides and is widely
seen as neutral.
Its statement that it spotted an unidentified armoured
column in rebel territory helps
support Kiev’s position that
Moscow has been sending in
reinforcements to protect separatist enclaves the Kremlin now
refers to as “New Russia”.
In one 40-vehicle convoy, “19
were large trucks – Kamaz type,
covered, and without markings
or number plates – each towing a 122mm howitzer and containing personnel in dark green
uniforms without insignia”, the
watchdog said in statement.
Ukraine said it had no doubt
the new troops were Russians.
“Although the OSCE did not
specify to whom the equipment and soldiers belonged, the
Ukrainian military has no doubt
of their identity,” said military
spokesman Andriy Lysenko.
“The past week was characterised by an increase in the intensity of shelling and the transfer
of additional force: ammunition, equipment and personnel,
to terrorist groups.”
Reuters reporters in rebel-
A destroyed car is seen through a shrapnel hole in Donetsk yesterday.
held Donetsk said intense shelling by heavy artillery continued
throughout the night and into
the early hours, and then picked
up again later yesterday morning.
The shelling could be heard
in the centre of the city, which
had a pre-conflict population of
more than 1mn.
“There have been rumours
for a while that one of the sides
is getting ready to break the
ceasefire and go on the offensive,” local businessman Enrique
Menendez said, describing Saturday’s shelling as a “night of
wrath”.
Large clouds of black smoke
could be seen over the ruins of
the airport, which is still under
government control but which
the separatists are seeking to
seize.
Lysenko said three Ukrainian
soldiers had been killed in the
past 24 hours and a further 13
injured.
The media service for the military operation said two police
officers and one civilian had died
in shelling yesterday.
OSCE chairman Didier Burkhalter said on Saturday that
he was “very concerned about
a resurgence of violence in the
eastern regions of Ukraine and
about activities leading to more
fragility instead of further stabilisation of the situation”.
He urged both sides to stick
to the agreements reached in a
12-point ceasefire deal on September 5.
Lysenko said Ukraine’s mili-
tary believes Russia could stir
up tension to provide grounds
to “send in so-called Russian
peace-keeping units”.
The United States and European Union have imposed economic sanctions on Moscow
over Ukraine since March, when
Russia seized Ukraine’s Crimea
peninsula.
Moscow has since backed
separatists who rose up in east
Ukraine, while denying the
presence of its own troops.
The sanctions have hurt Russia’s economy, already facing a
fall in the price for its oil exports,
and have helped drive a crash in
the value of the Russian rouble.
US Secretary of State John
Kerry said on Saturday that the
United States and Russia had
agreed to exchange information
about the situation on the Russia-Ukraine border due to some
“some disagreements about
some of the facts on the ground”.
Although Russia blames the
crisis on Kiev and the West, Nato
has said it has overwhelming evidence that Russia has aided the
rebels militarily in the conflict.
On Saturday, investigative
journalists published a report on
the downing of a Malaysian airplane over rebel territory in July
in which 298 people died.
The Bellingcat report said
there was “strong evidence indicating that the Russian military
provided separatists in eastern
Ukraine with the Buk missile”
believed to have shot down the
plane.
French opposition in turmoil amid �plot’ against Sarkozy
AFP
Paris
F
rance’s former prime minister Francois Fillon has
complained of a “plot”
against him, amid media revelations he sought to interfere in
legal procedures against Nicolas
Sarkozy, a rival in the right-wing
opposition.
Leading daily Le Monde
claimed that Fillon had in June
urged President Francois Hollande’s chief of staff to push
along the several legal complaints against Sarkozy.
“Hit him quickly, hit him
quickly ... you know if you don’t
hit him quickly, you’ll see him
come back, so do it,” Fillon is
alleged to have told Jean-Pierre
Jouyet, Hollande’s right-hand
man at the Elysee Palace.
Fillon has denied this.
The former prime minister
under Sarkozy’s presidency, who
has hopes of running as the candidate of the right-wing UMP in
the 2017 presidential election,
hit out at the allegation in the
Journal du Dimanche weekly.
“I can only see in these incredible attacks an attempt at
destabilisation and a plot,” complained Fillon.
He has said he will sue for defamation against two Le Monde
reporters, who made the claims
in a book, as well as the daily itself.
Fillon, Sarkozy and former
PM Alain Juppe are the three
main UMP candidates likely to
run against the embattled Hollande and the high-flying farright candidate Marine Le Pen
in 2017.
The three men used to work
closely together.
During Sarkozy’s presidency,
Fillon was prime minister and
Juppe was foreign minister.
Jouyet, meanwhile, straddles
the two camps. Chief of staff
to Socialist Hollande, he was a
junior minister in Fillon’s UMP
government.
In a statement to AFP, Jouyet
acknowledged that Fillon had
shared with him his “serious
Le Pen: political infighting playing into her hands.
worries” about the so-called
Pygmalion affair, which relates
to the financing of Sarkozy’s
2012 campaign.
Jouyet told AFP he had
stressed to Fillon that the presidency would not make “any intervention” in a legal case.
Hollande’s chief of staff had
on Thursday denied that Fillon
had mentioned Sarkozy’s legal
woes.
Sarkozy, who announced his
comeback to frontline French
politics amid much fanfare in
September, is mired in a host of
legal woes, notably over the п¬Ѓnancing of his 2012 presidential
campaign.
The energetic 59-year-old
has criss-crossed France in a
bid to drum up support for his
bid to win the UMP presidency
– which he intends to use as a
springboard for the 2017 election – but polls show he has
failed to inspire voters.
The turmoil in the French opposition has also failed to benefit
Hollande, who is the most unpopular president in French history, according to polls.
High unemployment, stagnant growth and unseemly political infighting is playing into
the hands of Le Pen, who would
likely win through to a second
round of a presidential election if it were held now, surveys
show.
Le Pen took aim at Jouyet and
the French political class saying:
“They’re all the same ... they are
all working together. These men
have made politics what it is today.”
And this latest “affair” may
not leave Hollande unscathed,
as his chief of staff Jouyet is im-
Jouyet: straddles two camps.
Sarkozy: polls show he has failed to inspire voters.
Juppe: foreign minister during Sarkozy’s presidency.
plicated in the story.
In July, Hollande forcefully
denied meddling in the legal
battles facing his old adversary
Sarkozy.
“I not only did not do it (influence the justice system) but
I couldn’t even have thought
about it as it goes so against the
Fillon: plans to sue for defamation.
concept of democracy and also
the spirit of my responsibility,”
he said in a television interview
on France’s national day.
Fillon does not deny having
lunch with Jouyet at a restaurant
close to the Elysee Palace, but
told Le Journal du Dimanche that
he was “disgusted” by the story,
which he said “discredits our
democracy”.
The two journalists in question say they have a “concrete”
recording of a September 20
interview, which bears out their
version of events and they will
“hand it over to justice officials
if they ask for it”.
Napolitano was speaker of the
lower house of parliament and
has also served as interior minister.
Workers
prefer
their own
office:
survey
AFP
Paris
D
espite a general move towards more open plan
work areas, employees
are happier when they have a
private office, according to a European research study released
on Tuesday.
Research
agencies
l’Observatoire Actineo and
CSA surveyed employees in п¬Ѓve
countries – Britain, Sweden, the
Netherlands, Spain, and Germany – about their work environments, and what they believe to
be the most important elements
of their office.
The Netherlands, seen as a
sort of “El Dorado” in the European work world, has the most
content employees of the п¬Ѓve
countries included, with around
91% responding as satisfied,
with 27% of those saying they
were “very satisfied”.
Overall, employees are happier when they have their own
space.
About 97% of Dutch respondents said they were satisfied in
a private office, and 88% when
they were in a communal office
(of more than four people).
The French were the least
satisfied with their work environments, with around 78% of
respondents expressing satisfaction.
In France, 88% of respondents
in private offices said they were
satisfied, versus 67% in open,
communal ones. The French
survey dated from 2013.
The study of 2,500 people,
conducted between June 24 and
July 1, analyses the satisfaction
of workers based on criteria like
office arrangement, temperature, and interest in the work
that one is assigned.
Across the board, one of the
most important elements was
inter-office relations. In all п¬Ѓve
countries, a majority of respondents (64-81%) said that
relations with colleagues was the
most important factor for quality of life at work.
But according to the survey,
not everyone wants to work
around their colleagues’ chatter.
The French care the most about
noise, and consider human chatter a nuisance.
“Clearly, for French respondents, the source of office noise
that caused the most problems
was human noise,” said Alain
d’Iribarne, senior fellow at a
social research centre in France,
at a presentation of the study
in Paris yesterday. “This could
open a discussion about whether
or not employees in places like
Britain are more social, but for
the moment we haven’t made
that analysis.”
As far as social spaces, most
employees in the п¬Ѓve countries
had access to private conference rooms, cafes and coffee
machines, but the importance of
such spaces differed.
For example, a majority of
Dutch and Swedes surveyed
used informal social spaces and
break rooms, whereas in France,
only 27% of respondents had an
informal social space they could
use.
But d’Iribarne said quality of
work life can be measured differently by different individuals.
“It’s important to note that
quality of life is subjective in
these countries, and could mean
different things to different people,” said d’Iribarne.
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
25
INDIA
Tamil Nadu
Roundup
By Umaima Shafiq
Women robbed
at gunpoint at
Chennai home
Police are on the lookout for
two men who allegedly robbed
a doctor’s wife and mother at
gunpoint at their home in Anna
Nagar in Chennai last week.
The men tied up the women
and a maid before forcing them
to open an iron safe. They
took away 100 sovereigns
of gold jewels, silver vessels
and diamond jewellery and
Rs500,000 in cash. The incident
occurred in the evening. The
women were freed only after the
doctor returned home.
However police identified the two
men from a surveillance camera
in the house and also arrested
the maid Meera on finding a
photo of the suspect on her cell
phone screen. She admitted that
the two suspects, one whom is
her husband, had escaped to
their native Kolkata city. Police
have sent a team to Kolkata and
collected details of the robbery
from Meera. They also criticised
the doctor couple for hiring
Meera without proper reference
or submitting her credentials at
the nearest police station.
In another incident, Sumathi,
a 24-year-old beautician, was
arrested for stealing jewels from
women living alone in suburban
Chennai. Sumathi would visit the
women’s homes, ask them to
remove their jewels, apply face
packs and close their eyes with
cucumber slices. She would escape
before the session was over.
She was caught by police who
confiscated about 25 sovereigns
from her.
In a third incident, a father and
two sons were arrested for
burgling locked houses in Tamil
Nadu and Puducherry.
Mohideen and his sons had
resumed robbery after their
recent release from prison. They
had committed a dozen robberies
before police tracked them
through security camera footage.
Veteran Communist leader Raghavan dies
By Ashraf Padanna
Thiruvananthapuram
M
V Raghavan, the п¬Ѓrebrand
Communist
leader,
institution
builder and two-time Kerala
minister, died of cardiac arrest
in the northern Kerala town of
Kannur aged 81, his family said
yesterday.
Raghavan was ailing for almost two years and was admitted to hospital attached to the
Pariyaram Medical College, India’s first medical school in the
co-operative sector that he es-
tablished two decades back.
Scores of mourners, including
leaders of the opposition Communist Party of India-Marxist
(CPM) that expelled him for
presenting an “alternative document” in 1986, advocating an
alliance with parties п¬Ѓghting for
minority rights, paid their last
respects at the hospital.
He will be cremated at the
Payyambalam beach at 11am today with full state honours, his
son M V Rajesh Kumar said.
Chief Minister Oommen
Chandy and senior cabinet colleagues will attend the funeral.
Chandy described him as
Raghavan: institution builder
an able administrator and institution builder while V S
Achuthanandan, the Leader of
the Opposition, said he was an
Sikhs demand justice
Kamal Hasaan
celebrates his
60th birthday
Award winning actor Kamal
Haasan celebrated his 60th
birthday on November 7
with several social welfare
programmes in Chennai.
Kamal along with fans and
volunteers began to clean
the Madambakkam lake in
Tambaram as part of Prime
Minister Narendra Modi’s clean
India campaign. However he had
to leave halfway due to unruly
mobs. He also celebrated with a
party later that evening.
Kamal debuted in Malayalam
film Kannum Karalum (1963) and
went on to become a successful
screenwriter, director, producer,
playback singer, choreographer
and lyricist primarily in the Tamil
film industry.
Ex-minister’s
daughter
gets bail
The Madurai bench of the Madras
High Court has granted bail
to Indira, daughter of ex-DMK
minister I Periasamy, accused
in the September 8 murder of
realtor Jamal Mohamed.
Indira and her associate were
asked to report daily to the
Central Bureau of Investigation
(CBI) in Chennai.
a key role in conceiving and promoting the idea of a mother port
at Vizhinjam in the state capital.
“These establishments will
remain as his memorials forever,” Chandy added.
CPM leaders claimed that
Raghvan, who floated the Communist Marxist Party (CMP) after he was expelled, was inching
closer to his parent party in the
twilight of his life.
He was mentor to many top
CPM leaders of today, including
its secretary Pinarayi Vijayan
and politburo member Kodiyeri
Balakrishnan, the former home
minister of the state.
“His life was a brave episode in one of the phases of
Communist party’s history in
the state,” Vijayan said while
expressing his party’s condolence to the grieving family.
“He also played a dedicated
role for social changes in the
state.”
Raghavan, who was suffering
from Parkinson’s disease and
other age-related ailments, attended a public function at the
Ayurveda College on Saturday
after being confined at home for
more than a year. He was soon
shifted to the hospital and the
end came in the morning.
Jaitley vows
to push ahead
with land and
tax reforms
Government will amend
land act even without
consensus, say minister
Agencies
New Delhi
I
Teenager raped
near Salem
railway station
An 18-year-old factory worker
was allegedly raped by a drunken
man on a Bangalore-bound train
at Kondalampatti about 10km
from the Salem railway junction.
Police said the girl’s handbag fell
out of the window and as the train
had slowed down, she climbed
out to retrieve it. However the
train picked speed and moved
ahead. Hearing her cries for
help, 24-year-old Harish from an
adjacent compartment jumped
off the train. He convinced her to
walk with him to the station.
The girl agreed though Harish
was drunk. Sometime later her
suspicion came true, when
Harish raped her at a lonely spot.
Local people heard her cries and
caught Harish. Meanwhile her
mother who was on the train
alerted the railway police who
arrested Harish.
organiser beyond comparison.
Prakash Karat, the CPM’s general secretary, also expressed
grief over his death.
“He was a brave politician.
He played a very important role
in strengthening the (Congressled) UDF (coalition) and also
stood п¬Ѓrm in his stand even in
times of adverse political situations,” the chief minister said in
a condolence message.
Chandy said Raghavan, besides establishing the medical
college, AKG Hospital, Ayurveda Medical College and hospital
and a snake park and snakebite
treatment centre, he also played
A man holds a poster during the �Slavery Awareness March’, organised by the Sikh Youth
Front on the occasion of 30th anniversary of anti-Sikh riots of November 1984 in Delhi and
elsewhere, in Amritsar, yesterday. Thousands of Sikhs were killed by mobs following the
assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards in 1984. Since
then the struggle has been going on to bring to justice people responsible for the riots.
ndia will push ahead with
tough land acquisition and
tax reforms aimed at boosting investment and kickstarting
the economy, Finance Minister
Arun Jaitley said yesterday.
He added that changes were
needed to existing legislation to
speed up the process of buying
land for industrial use, a contentious issue in India which
has long delayed projects.
“Some changes may be necessary (to the Land Acquisition
Act),” Jaitley said at an economic forum in New Delhi.
“We will first try to reach
a consensus and if that is not
possible we will go ahead and
take the decision,” he said.
Although the new Bharatiya
Janata Party government has
introduced smaller initiatives
since taking power in May, critics say it has lacked the boldness needed to eliminate regulatory hurdles to doing business
as it seeks to attract crucial investment.
The comments came as Prime
Minister Narendra Modi expanded his government yesterday, appointing 21 new ministers, in a bid to step up the pace
of promised economic reforms.
Jaitley, who suffers from ill
health, is expected to lose the
defence portfolio, allowing him
to concentrate on the tougher
reforms.
The Indian economy expanded last year by a near-decade
low of 4.7% - half the scorching
pace seen during the country’s
boom a few years back.
Land acquisition is a politically charged issue, which has
delayed many projects, sometimes for years, including construction of a $12bn plant by
South Korean steel giant Posco
in eastern India.
Jaitley: “I’m in the last
stages of my discussion
with the states on the eve
of parliament session”
The law, passed last year by
the previous Congress government, seeks to compensate
farmers and tribals who sell
their land for industrial projects,
but business claims it has made
the task more difficult.
Any changes will have to
go through parliament where
the ruling BJP lacks a majority
in the Rajya Sabha, the upper
house, and must rely on support from allies. Many states
have criticised the new Land
Acquisition Act, saying it has
hurt the process of acquiring
land for infrastructure projects.
The п¬Ѓnance minister in his
maiden budget proposed allo-
cation of Rs70bn during this п¬Ѓnancial year for developing 100
smart cities in the country.
Earlier in the week, Jaitley
said the government is considering changes to some “illogical
provisions” of the new law.
“There are some illogical
provisions like land cannot be
used or acquired under this law
for private educational institutions, private hospitals and
hotels. There are some factors
in it, which certainly require a
relook,” Jaitley had said.
“By this, a new capital of
Andhra Pradesh, or the 100
smart cities proposed cannot
have private universities and
schools, private hospitals or
hotels,” he had said.
In another move likely to
boost business sentiment, Jaitley said talks with stakeholders on a long-awaited national
goods and services tax (GST) to
ramp up inter-state commerce
were in advanced stages.
A single tax regime, which
would scrap the multiple levies
paid by companies at state and
federal level, would also require
legislation passed through parliament.
“I’m in the last stages of my
discussion with the states on
the eve of parliament session,
before introducing the amendments to the GST law in parliament,” Jaitley said.
Seeking support from opposition parties in passing the
key legislation, Jaitley said they
should realise that the “merits
of some of these actions have
positive attitude towards them.”
Ayurveda can acquire
global recognition: PM
IANS
New Delhi
P
rime Minister Narendra
Modi yesterday said that
ayurveda can acquire
global recognition, like yoga, if
it is presented in the right spirit
and as a way of life.
“Yoga had acquired global
recognition for people who
wanted a stress-free life and
are moving towards holistic
healthcare. Similarly, if ayurveda is presented in the right
spirit as a way of life, it too can
acquire acceptance,” he said in
his address at the valedictory
session of the sixth World Ayurveda Congress here.
Modi said the biggest challenge to ayurveda comes from
people who have dedicated
their life to it as “they too do
not trust it fully.”
“The biggest challenge for
ayurveda is posed by the people
associated with it. It is hard to
п¬Ѓnd physicians who are 100%
committed to ayurveda. Unless
the practitioners believe in it
fully they cannot convince patients,” he said.
The prime minister said instead of projecting ayurveda
and allopathy as competing
streams of medical science, ayurveda should be described as a
way of life.
A disease can be cured by allopathy, but if a person adopts
ayurveda, he can ensure that
he remains healthy and free of
disease, Modi said, and called
on ayurveda practitioners to be
dedicated to the stream not just
as a profession, but as a service
to mankind.
The prime minister said it is
essential for ayurveda to reach
people in a simple, effective
way, and for this, the modes of
treatment should also be better
packaged.
“Space has to be created in
international medical and science publications, for articles
on ayurveda. But the effort for
this has to come from the prac-
titioners and researchers of ayurveda,” he added.
Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said despite having a rich
heritage in alternate systems of
medicine, India is behind China in this п¬Ѓeld.
“China has used its potential and created a lot of potential for employment,” he said
adding that the government
has now decided to pump in
around Rs50bn in the Ayush
mission.
The World Ayurveda Congress (WAC) and Arogya Expo is
being held to integrate ayurveda with the mainstream public
health system and propagate
it globally as a safe and costefficient healthcare alternative.
The event was is being organised by the AYUSH (ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy, unani, siddha and homoeopathy)
department under the health
and family welfare ministry, in
collaboration with the World
Ayurveda Foundation (WAF)
and the Delhi government.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi discusses a point with Health Minister Harsh Vardhan during the World
Ayurveda Congress in New Delhi yesterday.
26
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
INDIA
�Sluggish’ BJP
candidates
may not be
renominated
IANS
New Delhi
I
n no mood to lose ground to
the Aam Aadmi Party ahead
of Delhi assembly elections,
the Bharatiya Janata Party is
likely to replace around 10 of
its “non-performing” candidates who had won the December 2013 poll but who lagged in
spending their constituency
development funds.
According to a party source,
an internal report on the performance of the 29 legislators, including the lone Akali
Dal candidate, who had won
last year’s election, has been
submitted to the BJP’s central
leadership.
Each Delhi legislator annually gets Rs40mn (MLALAD
Fund) to spend in their constituencies on various infrastructure works which include
speed-breakers,
security
gates, toilets, roads in unauthorised colonies and slums
clusters to installing closedcircuit cameras.
“The internal report is based
on MLALAD funds spent by
each BJP MLA. The report
has found there are some who
have been sluggish in doing
works out of the fund,” said
the source, not wishing to be
identified.
“A few senior party leaders
have studied the report in detail and around 8 to 10 candidates who have not performed
in the last 10 months are set to
lose their tickets,” the source,
close to a senior central BJP
leader, said.
The BJP had won 31 of the 70
seats in the assembly elections
held in December 2013, which
threw up a fractured mandate.
It also has the support of an
Akali Dal legislator.
Three of the BJP legislators
were elected to the Lok Sabha in
the April-May general election,
reducing the BJP’s tally to 28.
According
to
another
source, the party is treading
cautiously in Delhi due to the
threat of the AAP which came
a close second in last year’s
poll, winning 28 seats.
“The AAP too would have
been closely scrutinising the
performance of all our MLAs
in the city. We know that
they are doing it. Therefore,
the weak links need to be removed,” the source said.
The BJP and the Congress
have traditionally held sway in
Delhi. This changed last year
when the AAP contested the
assembly elections and pulled
off a stunning performance. In
comparison to the BJP’s 31 seats,
the Congress got just eight.
This year, the BJP won all
the seven Lok Sabha seats in
the capital. The AAP п¬Ѓnished
second in all seven constituencies. The Congress either
п¬Ѓnished third or fourth.
In the recently concluded
state polls in Haryana and Maharashtra too, the party again
registered impressive victories
and hence wants to stretch its
winning streak in Delhi where
it has remained out of power
for 16 years.
“There was a reason that
elections were delayed for so
long in Delhi. Every aspect was
being looked into by the central leadership - from the right
candidates to issues that will
fetch the maximum votes. A
lot of planning has been done,”
the source said.
Three arrested over murder
Police have arrested three
men over the murder of an
Australian grandmother
who disappeared more
than two months ago while
undertaking charity work in
Andhra Pradesh, an officer
said yesterday. Toni Anne
Ludgate, 75, went missing in
late August in the holy town
of Puttaparthi where she was
working at an ashram of Sai
Baba. The security guard at
the apartment building where
she was living and two others
appeared in court on Saturday
on initial charges of strangling
her for several hundred dollars
and burying her body in fields.
“The watchman has confessed
to the crime,” deputy police
superintendent P Srinivas said.
“He has even showed us the
place where he and his friends
buried the body,” Srinivas
said. Ludgate’s remains
were exhumed on Saturday
by police, before she was
cremated in a traditional Hindu
ceremony at the request of her
family, local media reported.
She had given the security
guard Rs30,000 as rent but he
only passed on Rs10,000 to
the landlord. When she asked
for the money back a few days
later, the guard and his friends
killed her, the reports said.
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and his son Aditya arrive for a party meeting in Mumbai yesterday.
Shiv Sena threatens
to snap ties with BJP
Party recalls ministerial
nominee, vows to oppose BJP
if it takes NCP’s help
IANS
Mumbai
M
aharashtra plunged into
a political crisis yesterday with the Shiv
Sena declaring it would sit in
the opposition if the minority
Bharatiya Janata Party government of Chief Minister Devendra
Fadnavis took the Nationalist
Congress Party’s help to win the
trust vote on November 12.
Shiv Sena president Uddhav
Thackeray made the announcement at a packed news conference yesterday evening where
he hinted that the party - which
recalled its nominee for Prime
Minister Narendra Modi ministry’s first cabinet expansion would also rethink its stand on
continuing with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.
“We are in no hurry to join the
government... If they (BJP) keep
insulting and slighting us, why
should we support them? We can
work for the people irrespective
of whether we are part of the
government or outside,” Thackeray said.
The announcement came
amid loud cheers and applause
by several party leaders soon after a meeting of all the party MPs
and legislators was held at Shiv
Sena Bhavan to elect Eknath
Shinde as the new legislative
party leader.
The development capped a
hectic day in which the party
boycotted the п¬Ѓrst cabinet expansion by Modi and even withdrew its nominee Anil Y Desai
who was scheduled to take oath
as a central minister yesterday
afternoon in New Delhi, recalling him from the airport itself.
“The BJP must first clear its
stand within the next couple of
days. There are no compulsions
on us, nor are we hankering for
power. If the BJP takes NCP’s
support, then we shall sit in the
opposition and vote against the
government... we shall not tolerate any more humiliation,”
Thackeray asserted.
The Sena chief also denied
that any party leaders or legislators had met NCP leaders
with a proposal to change the
state political equations before
the three-day special session of
the legislative assembly starting
here today.
NCP president Sharad Pawar
had claimed on Saturday that
some Shiv Sena leaders had reportedly met him a couple of
times, but did not make any
“proposal”, embarrassing the
Sena on the eve of the crucial
session.
Thackeray hit out at Pawar,
saying he was responsible for the
downfall of the 13-day government of then prime minister Atal
Bihari Vajpayee and now the BJP
is seeking the NCP chief’s support for propping up its government in Maharashtra.
“The BJP must clarify the
picture before the vote of confidence, failing which we will sit in
the opposition. We will also reconsider our participation at the
Centre,” he warned.
He reiterated his oft-repeated
stance that the Sena was keen to
see a stable government in Maharashtra despite the fractured
verdict in last month’s elections.
“However, they cannot keep
on doing anything they want
and expect us to go on supporting them,” Thackeray said of
the 25-year-old ally BJP which
snapped ties with the Sena on
September 25, three weeks before the assembly elections.
Chief
Minister
Fadnavis
termed the Sena’s decision as
“regretful.”
“We are pained and regret
the Sena’s decision. After getting an invitation from Modi to
join the central cabinet, they
should have honoured it and
expressed confidence in the
prime minister’s leadership,”
Fadnavis said.
He added that if the Sena’s
nominee had joined the central
cabinet, it would have displayed
faith that all other aspects of
power-sharing would be amicably settled.
The two parties have been engaged in a tug of war over the last
two months, п¬Ѓrst on the issue of
seat-sharing for the October 15
elections, and later п¬Ѓghting the
elections separately, followed by
a move to form a joint government in view of the fractured
mandate.
The past three weeks have
seen the two parties squabble
over various issues like giving
Sena the post of deputy chief
minister, the number of cabinet and ministers of state, and
the choice of portfolios, besides
other things.
A couple of days ago, a ray of
hope appeared in the form of the
BJP inviting the Sena to nominate two names for Modi’s cabinet expansion yesterday.
The Sena was, however, in for
a shock when the BJP unilaterally picked up former minister
Suresh P Prabhu for a cabinet
berth while the party’s nominee
Anil Desai was reportedly to get
a junior berth in the central cabinet.
Frantic efforts by the Sena to
sort out the issue failed, and a
peeved Thackeray recalled Desai
minutes before the swearing-in
ceremony started at Rashtrapati
Bhavan. Page 27
India’s fallen WWI soldiers ignored at home 100 years on
AFP
New Delhi
A
s Britain and her allies
prepare to mark the end
of World War I, former
colony India will largely ignore
commemorations despite losing
tens of thousands of soldiers in
the conflict.
Everyone from world leaders
to school children are expected
to take part in ceremonies tomorrow to remember the armistice for the Great War, whose
centenary this year gives the occasion extra significance.
But the date will be largely
overlooked in India where, for
many, the war is an embarrassing reminder of the bloody sacrifices made for its formal colonial master.
“You can’t call it sacrifice, it
was surely not patriotism that
made them fight,” war expert
Mridula Mukherjee said of the
70,000 Indian soldiers who died
on the battlefields of Europe.
“It was mostly them looking
for employment,” Mukherjee,
chief historian at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University, said.
Mukherjee said 1.2mn Indian
soldiers were also motivated to
sign up for the war because of
Britain’s promises at the time of
a greater role in the running of
their own country if they fought.
Leading political п¬Ѓgures in India, including Mahatma Gandhi,
then backed the effort, believing it would bolster the colony’s
claims for self-government.
Indian soldiers arrived on the
Western Front in late September of 1914, equipped with just
two machine guns per battalion
and dressed in thin cotton uniforms that offered no protection against the bitter European
winter.
At a ceremony in New Delhi
recently, British defence minister Michael Fallon, flanked by
top military brass and politicians
from both countries, paid tribute
to India’s soldiers.
“We must not and we will not
ever forget the enormous service
rendered by India’s heroes,” Fallon said after laying a wreath at
the India Gate memorial, during
a one-day visit to the country.
“Their courage is all the more
remarkable for being entirely
voluntary. Not a single Indian
was conscripted.”
Far from acknowledging their
contribution, however, many in
India, a British colony for 200
years, have chosen to ignore the
past. Some are ashamed its soldiers volunteered to п¬Ѓght for a
country that had long kept them
in servitude, experts say.
“In those days, it was not considered heroic to be fighting for
your �masters’,” said Vedica Kant
who has written a book called
The Indian Heroes of WWI.
“Hence, many of those soldiers’ voices went unheard, their
The main inscription on the India Gate monument in New Delhi reads: “To the dead of the Indian armies who fell honoured in France and
Flanders Mesopotamia and Persia East Africa Gallipoli and elsewhere in the near and the far-east and in sacred memory also of those whose
names are recorded and who fell in India or the north-west frontier and during the Third Afgan War.”
stories unwritten,” the Londonbased Kant said in Delhi last
month.
Indian soldiers became the
largest volunteer force in history when 2.5mn also fought for
Britain during World War II, ac-
cording to official п¬Ѓgures, before
the country п¬Ѓnally gained independence in 1947.
Tomorrow, India’s army is
not planning anything special to
commemorate the day, preferring to hold п¬Ѓre for Republic Day
and Armed Forces Day. “There
may be some ceremonies here or
there, but nothing that I know of,”
spokesman Rohan Anand said.
The giant India Gate memorial
in the capital is one of the few
stark reminders of the country’s
world war past. The Britishbuilt sandstone arch is a notable
landmark, drawing thousands of
visitors every year.
But few snapping selfies at the
monument recently could accurately describe its significance.
“Gandhi made it when we got
independence from the British
in 1947?” suggested 19-yearold Saksham Jain. Hawker Babu
Ahmed, 35, who has been selling
tea at the monument for 12 years,
shrugged and said “who cares as
long as you get visitors.”
During the recent ceremony
in Delhi, relatives of fallen soldiers beamed with pride as British embassy officials gifted them
digitised war diaries of Indian
troops who fought in France and
Belgium’s Flanders.
But some wondered why the
soldiers had never been honoured in such a way by their own
governments.
“Finally after 100 years a foreign country has recognised
my grandfather’s contribution
to WWI, something the Indian
government could never do,”
said 75-year-old Baljit Singh, a
retired colonel.
“My grandfather and his fellow
men sacrificed their lives in the
hope of early independence from
the British, but nobody saw that.
“No recognition, no books,
nothing - only the families who
sent their own know what they
went through and for what.”
World leaders commemorated the 100th anniversary of
the start of WWI on August 4
when they warned of lessons to
be learned in the face of today’s
many crises. The four-year conflict left some 10mn dead and
20mn injured.
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
27
INDIA
PM inducts 21 new ministers
Swearing-in ceremony
marred by Shiv Sena’s refusal
to join the ministry
Agencies
New Delhi
P
rime Minister Narendra
Modi strengthened his
government yesterday, appointing 21 new ministers in an
attempt to speed up promised
economic reforms after storming
to power п¬Ѓve months ago.
Four of them were sworn
into the cabinet, which is now
27-strong, during a ceremony at
the presidential palace, while the
number of junior ministers in the
Bharatiya Janata Party government has risen by 17 to 39.
The total strength of the council
of ministers now goes up to 66.
The much-anticipated п¬Ѓrst
ministry expansion was marred
with BJP’s ally Shiv Sena calling off
participation in the government at
the last minute, exacerbating their
already strained ties.
Former Shiv Sena leader Suresh
Prabhu was sworn in as a cabinet minister after he quit the Shiv
Sena. Prabhu, who is the prime
minister’s interlocutor for the
G20, has joined the BJP and is expected to become a Rajya Sabha
member.
In Mumbai, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray described Prabhu’s decision to join the BJP as
“unfortunate” but indicated that
Anant Geete, the party’s representative in the Modi government,
will continue for the time being.
“This expansion was on the cards
from some time. It has emerged as
a good blend of youth and experience,” a spokesman for the ruling
party told the NDTV network.
“Regional representation has
been kept in mind,” Aman Sinha
added of the reshuffle, the п¬Ѓrst
since Modi’s party won a landslide
election victory in May.
Newcomer Manohar Parrikar, a
sauve BJP leader who quit as Goa
chief minister a day earlier, was
tipped to become the new defence
minister when the portfolios are
formally announced.
Parrikar’s likely appointment
would ease the burden on Arun
Jaitley, who has been juggling both
the defence and п¬Ѓnance ministries
while battling ill-health.
The move would allow Jaitley to
focus on steering through difficult
reforms pledged during the election
to revive the faltering economy.
“(The) economy was, and is, in
a challenging situation and one of
the primary challenges is to restore
confidence in the economy,” Jaitley said at an economic forum in
New Delhi before the swearing in.
The new ministers were drawn
almost entirely from the ranks of
the BJP and include controversial MP Giriraj Singh and Jayant
Sinha, the Harvard-educated son
of former BJP п¬Ѓnance minister
Yashwant Sinha.
Singh, from the eastern state
of Bihar, came under п¬Ѓre during
the election campaign for saying
that “those who oppose Narendra
Modi should go to Pakistan.”
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, a popular Muslim face in the party, was
appointed a minister of state minister, along with only one additional woman - Hindu hardliner
Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti.
This took the total number of
women in government to eight.
BJP general secretary J P Nadda,
who is known to be close to Modi
and party chief Amit Shah, and
Birender Singh, who left the Congress ahead of the recent Haryana
assembly elections to join the BJP,
were among the new ministers.
The new ministry has most
people in their 50s, with the oldest
being Bandaru Dattatreya, at 68.
The youngest is well-known
singer Babul Supriyo Baral, the
only face in the ministry from
West Bengal. The Asansol MP is
43, while Olympian shooter Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore is 44.
The only National Democratic
Alliance (NDA) ally to get a berth
in the expansion was Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Rajya Sabha MP,
Y S Chowdary.
Among those who were widely
tipped to get a berth and were inducted are Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Ram
Kirpal Yadav, a former Lalu Prasad
Yadav aide who quit the Rashtriya
Janata Dal, and Vijay Sampla, BJP
Hoshiarpur MP.
Uttar Pradesh, a state crucial
for the BJP, got four new berths Mahesh Sharma, a doctor who is
an MP from Gautam Buddh Nagar (Noida); Naqvi, who is a Rajya Sabha member; Ram Shankar
Katheria, Agra MP; and Sadhvi
Niranjan Jyoti.
Apart from Prabhu, the BJP
inducted party MP Hansraj Ahir
from Maharashtra.
Gujarat got new faces - Haribhai
Parthibhai Chaudhary, and Mohanbhai Kalyanjibhai Kundarya.
Rathore and Sanwar Lal Jat were
inducted from Rajasthan.
Congress boycotts ceremony
Senior Congress leaders,
including party president Sonia
Gandhi and former prime
minister Manmohan Singh,
did not attend the oath-taking
ceremony of 21 new ministers
in Prime Minister Narendra
Modi’s council of ministers
yesterday. An official at Singh’s
residence said they got the
invitation in the morning but
the former prime minister
could not attend the ceremony
as he had other engagements.
Another official said Gandhi
had also been invited for the
function. Former law minister
M Veerappa Moily said he had
been invited for the ceremony
but he was in Karnataka.
“There was no instruction not
to attend (the ceremony),”
Moily said. Samajwadi Party
leader Ram Gopal Yadav was
present at the ceremony at the
Rashtrapati Bhavan.
President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi pose with new cabinet ministers after a swearing-in ceremony yesterday.
Technocrats, singer among the new faces
IANS
New Delhi
T
he 21 new ministers who
joined Prime Minister
Narendra Modi’s team
yesterday represent different regions, states, communities - and
professions, including two technocrats, a Bollywood singer and
a pilot.
The variety of professionals
among newly inducted ministers
includes a well-known singer, an
Olympic medallist and former
army officer, two IIT-ians (one
also from Harvard), a chartered
accountant, a pilot, a doctor,
businessmen and industrialists.
Manohar Parrikar, who quit
as Goa chief minister on Saturday, was the п¬Ѓrst to be inducted
as a cabinet minister. With an
IIT background, Parrikar is well
known for his hands-down approach to governance and simplistic demeanour.
Suresh Prabhu, who made it to
the cabinet from Maharashtra, is
a chartered accountant by profession and former federal power
minister known for his actionoriented approach.
Jagat Prakash Nadda, the
trusted lieutenant of Modi and
Bharatiya Janata Party president
Amit Shah, has been made a
cabinet minister. He is among the
most senior general secretaries in
the BJP. He comes from Himachal Pradesh, which did not have
any representation in the Modi
government.
Jat community leader Birender Singh, who has been
termed as a political “tragedy
king” for failing to make it to
be Haryana’s chief minister or
a central minister, has finally
made it to Modi’s cabinet. He
quit the Congress, with which
he was actively involved for 42
years, to join the BJP in August
this year. He is the third union
minister from Haryana in the
Modi government.
The three ministers of state
(independent charge) include BJP
leader from Telengana Bandaru
Dattatreya, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, a
pilot and senior politician from
Bihar, and BJP MP from Gautam Budh Nagar (Noida) Mahesh
Sharma, a doctor.
Bihar got three ministers in yesterday’s induction. Besides Rudy,
others are Ram Kripal Yadav, who
left the Rashtriya Janata Dal to join
the BJP before the Lok Sabha polls,
and п¬Ѓrebrand BJP MP Giriraj Singh
(both MoS), who has courted controversies for his statements. They
all are from Bihar.
Not upset at being
overlooked : Swamy
IANS
Bhubaneswar
B
haratiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy
has said he is not upset
at not being inducted in Prime
Minister Narendra Modi’s council of ministers, which was expanded yesterday.
“Am I looking sad that I am
not part of the government?
Don’t feel sad for me, feel sad for
yourself,” Swamy said when a reporter asked about his omission
in the cabinet.
He claimed to be in a much
better position than any minister
in the Modi government.
“You people have all been
brainwashed by the Englishman
who can only think of posts. The
original ancient India thing is,
Brahmins never held any post, all
the learned had no posts, yet the
king had to listen to them,” said
Swamy.
“I am in a position today
that if I decide to say something, the government will
listen to me. That’s a much
better position to be in than
being in the government in
one ministry,” he said.
Swamy also dismissed the erstwhile Janata Parivar, which is seemingly regrouping to counter the
Modi wave and ruled out joining it.
“Why have they suddenly
started thinking of Janata
Parivar? It is these people who
broke it. They have lost their
credibility and are unmatchable to Modi. I was the last surviving Janata Parivar member
and I had to merge with my old
party, the Jan Sangh, whose
later avatar was the BJP. Now,
the real Janata Parivar is BJP,”
he said.
Swamy said he would urge
Prime Minister Narendra Modi to
introduce a central legislation on
the ban of cow slaughter.
“I just want to tell the chief
minister (Naveen Patnaik) to be
aware. This is something sacred
to the Hindus. Please don’t be lax
on this issue,” he said.
Asked whether he would extend his support to unearthing
the mining scam in Odisha, he
said his hands are with full of
cases.
“I have the Aircel-Maxis deal
to send P Chidambaram to jail...
I have the Sunanda Pushkar case
to send Shashi Tharoor to jail,” he
claimed.
He also said he is 100% sure
of sending Congress president
Sonia Gandhi to jail in the National Herald case, which comes
up again for hearing in the Delhi
High Court on December 2.
Uttar Pradesh, which gave 71
Lok Sabha seats to the BJP, got
three new ministers. These aree
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi (BJP’s
Muslim face), Ram Shankar
Katheriya (a Dalit face and BJP’s
Agra MP), and Sadhvi Niranjan
Jyoti, a п¬Ѓrst time MP from Fatehpur.
Modi’s home state Gujarat too
got two ministers with Haribhai
Parthibhai Chaudhary and Mohanbhai Kondariya (п¬Ѓrst-time
MP from Rajkot) being included.
Rajasthan, which had only
one minister in the union government, got two ministers this
time.
Sanwar Lal Jat (MP from
Ajmer), who defeated Congress
leader and former union minister Sachin Pilot in the Lok
Sabha polls, was inducted as an
MoS.
First-time MP (Jaipur-rural)
and Olympics silver medallist
Rathore also comes from Rajasthan. A former army officer and
international shooter, Rathore is
among the fresh faces given ministerial responsibility.
BJP MP from Maharashtra
Hansraj Ahir, who played a key
role in exposing the multi-million rupee coal scam, was inducted. He is the second minister
from Maharashtra (along with
Suresh Prabhu) to be included in
the government.
Telegu Desam Party (TDP)
MP from Andhra Pradesh Y S
Chaudhary, an industrialist, was
inducted from among the NDA
allies.
Former
п¬Ѓnance
minister
Yashwant Sinha’s son, Jayant Sinha, who has an IIT and
Harvard Business School background, is an MP from Jharkhand.
Singer Babul Supriyo, 43, who
is a п¬Ѓrst-time BJP MP from West
Bengal, has made it as an MoS. His
inclusion is being seen as a move
by the BJP to make inroads in West
Bengal. He is the youngest of the
ministers inducted yesterday.
First-time MP from Punjab,
Vijay Sampla is from the Dalit
community. A businessman by
profession, he has a strong RSS
background.
List of new ministers in Modi government:
Cabinet Ministers
1. Manohar Parrikar (Goa, BJP)
2. Suresh Prabhu (Maharashtra,
BJP)
3. J P Nadda (Himachal Pradesh,
BJP)
4. Birender Singh (Haryana, BJP)
Minister of State (Independent Charge)
1. Bandaru Dattatreya (Telangana, BJP)
2. Rajiv Pratap Rudy (Bihar, BJP)
3. Mahesh Sharma (Uttar
Pradesh, BJP)
Minister of State
1. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi (Uttar
Pradesh, BJP)
2. Ram Kripal Yadav (Bihar, BJP)
3. Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary (Gujarat, BJP)
4. Sanwar Lal Jat (Rajasthan,
BJP)
5. Mohanbhai Kalyanjibhai
Kundariya (Gujarat, BJP)
6. Giriraj Singh (Bihar, BJP)
7. Hansraj Gangaram Ahir (Maharashtra, BJP)
8. Ram Shankar Katheria (Uttar
Pradesh, BJP)
9. Y S Chowdary (Andhra
Pradesh, TDP)
10. Jayant Sinha (Jharkhand,
BJP)
11. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore
(Rajasthan, BJP)
12. Babul Supriyo (West Bengal,
BJP)
13. Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti (Uttar
Pradesh, BJP)
14. Vijay Sampla (Punjab, BJP)
Modi again shows his word
is law by inducting Prabhu
By Amulya Ganguli/ IANS
New Delhi
B
BJP leader Subramanian Swamy addresses a press conference in
Bhubaneswar yesterday.
ut for the drama of the
Shiv Sena’s boycott of the
swearing-in
ceremony
of Narendra Modi’s expanded
council of ministers, the occasion
- the п¬Ѓrst expansion of his п¬Ѓvemonth-old government - passed
off as a routine event.
However, the fact that the Sena’s nominee, Anil Desai, took the
morning flight from Mumbai to
Delhi to attend the ceremony, and
then immediately flew back, suggests that the gulf between the
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and
its currently estranged former ally
centres on relatively petty matters
- such as a nominee’s position in
the council of ministers or the ties
between the two parties in Maharashtra - rather than on any substantive issue.
Clearly, it is inflated assumptions and hurt egos which are behind the Sena’s tantrums. There
is little doubt that the scrappy regional outfit is finding it difficult to
accept Modi’s authoritative style
of governance where the prime
minister’s word is law and virtually
all other matters of party and government are concerned.
Modi’s assertion of his unquestionable prerogatives as the
PM was also emphasised by his
choice of Suresh Prabhu, who
quit the Sena just hours before he
was sworn in. But, since he is also
known as a favourite of the prime
minister, largely because of his
expertise in certain issues of global importance, he has been inducted as one of the four cabinet
ministers, even if the elevation is
regarded as a snub to his former
party.
Analysis
His appointment puts at rest
the speculation that he will be
the head of the new body which
will replace the old Planning
Commission. But, Modi obviously felt that he needed the
technical skills of Prabhu, more
in a government which is not
overly burdened with capable
people than in a planning body
whose functional parameters are
yet to be determined.
Of the other three cabinet
ministers, former Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar’s choice
was a foregone conclusion ever
since he was expected to relieve
п¬Ѓnance minister Arun Jaitley of
the latter’s additional burden of
defence. That Parrikar was the
п¬Ѓrst to take the oath as a cabinet
minister - followed by Prabhu underlined his importance in the
scheme of things.
While the old faithful J P
Nadda’s nomination as a cabinet minister might be seen as a
recognition of his long service to
the BJP and the efforts which he
successfully made along with BJP
chief Amit Shah to improve the
party’s position in Uttar Pradesh,
it will be wrong to read former
Congressman Birender Singh’s
inclusion in the cabinet as a concession to Jats after the BJP had
nominated a non-Jat, Manohar
Lal Khattar, as the Haryana chief
minister.
Of the other choices, the appointments of Girijaj Singh and
Ram Kripal Yadav as ministers
of state are patently aimed at
strengthening the BJP’s position in Bihar which will go to the
polls next year. However, in the
context of Girijaj Singh’s offensive comments before the general
election, when he advised Modi’s
critics to go to Pakistan, and the
discovery of unaccounted money
from his home, his appointment
cannot but raise a few eyebrows.
28
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
LATIN AMERICA
US-raised
�Dreamers’
building new
lives in Mexico
MCT Information Services
Mexico City
F
or so long, Nancy Landa
kept secrets. Growing up
in south Los Angeles, she
never told friends that her parents had brought her illegally
from Mexico when she was nine.
Years later, after she had been
elected the п¬Ѓrst-ever Latina student body president at Cal State
Northridge and then gone on
to work for a California assemblyman, she didn’t tell her colleagues about the deportation
order п¬Ѓled against her.
The immigration agents came
one morning in 2009 while she
was turning onto the freeway to go
to work. They dropped her off that
night in Tijuana, where she had to
start over with zero connections.
Landa told nobody why she
was back, knowing that deportation carries a stigma in Mexico, where people assume the
only people kicked out of the
US are criminals. (Landa, whose
family was ordered to leave after
their application for asylum was
rejected, has no criminal record.)
“It felt like I was a nobody,” said
Landa, 34. “It was hard to think
about what my life would now be.”
Then Landa found out about
a fledgling social movement of
people like her who came of age
in the US and then were deported or made the difficult decision
to return to Mexico.
With them, she would rediscover the plucky п¬Ѓghter inside her
- and begin to demand changes to
both Mexican and US laws.
With them, she no longer had
to keep secrets.
They call themselves “Los Otros
Dreamers” - the other Dreamers a reference to young immigrants
living in the US who would benefit
from the Dream Act, a congressional bill that would provide a
path to citizenship for some immigrants who were brought to
America illegally as children.
Unlike their counterparts
north of the border, Los Otros
Dreamers would not benefit
from any broader amnesty legislation. Many left the US before
President Barack Obama announced his Deferred Action for
Childhood Arrivals programme,
which granted half a million immigrants in the country illegally
a temporary stay of deportation.
Others, including those who
had been convicted of certain
crimes, wouldn’t have qualified.
And yet many still have
friends and family members in
the US and claim strong ties to
American culture.
The activists say the Mexican
government has been slow to
meet the needs of the more than
1.4mn people who have returned
from the US, either by choice or
because of deportation, since
2005, a п¬Ѓgure that includes hundreds of thousands of young
people who spent their formative years in America.
Some returning immigrants
describe being teased for their
imperfect Spanish and for not
knowing the basics of Mexican
culture and history. Others п¬Ѓnd
themselves isolated in the rural communities their parents
came from, struggling to make
connections with family members whose lives have taken very
different tracks. Many run into
bureaucratic obstacles when it
comes to п¬Ѓnding work or continuing their education.
In Tijuana, Landa spent more
than a month trying to obtain
the Mexican identification card
required to work. It took her several more months to land a job.
ELanda decided she wanted
to apply for a master’s program,
but no Mexican university would
accept her Cal State Northridge
transcript. It was a huge blow.
Now, it seemed as though
all of that hard work to elevate
herself and her family - her dad
worked as a construction worker, her mom cleaned houses didn’t matter. “It felt like all of
my potential as a person wasn’t
really acknowledged.”
Last year, Landa saw a message Anderson had posted online, asking for returnees to
Mexico to share their stories.
Around the same time she was
interviewed by a journalist writing a book about Dreamers on
both sides of the border who put
her in touch with others like her.
Soon she was communicating
with dozens of them, including
Daniel Arenas, 25, who returned to
Monterrey for college because his
immigration status in the US limited his ability to obtain a driver’s
licence, legally work and attend
North Carolina’s public universities. She met Maru Ponce, 30,
who was raised in the Bronx but
returned to her native Puebla because she thought she would never be able to get a good job in the
US without legal documentation.
At п¬Ѓrst, their conversations
were purely cathartic, Landa said,
as members of the group tearfully
swapped stories of their struggles. Over time, inspired by the
dramatic protests - and results
- of the Dreamers in the US, the
returnees started talking about
policy changes that would make
life easier for returning migrants.
In meetings with Mexican
officials, they have petitioned
the government to speed up
the process for returnees seeking local IDs and have called on
universities to change higher
education standards so that US
transcripts are recognised.
People lie in a circle pretending to be dead near the ceremonial palace of Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto during a protest denouncing the apparent massacre of 43
trainee teachers in Mexico City.
Protesters try to storm
Mexico’s National Palace
AFP
Mexico City
P
rotesters angry at the
suspected massacre of 43
students tried to break
into Mexico City’s National Palace while others torched several
trucks in the south of the country.
Thousands
of
people
marched in the capital in the
latest demonstration over a case
that has repulsed the nation and
triggered the biggest crisis of
President Enrique Pena Nieto’s
administration.
The violent protests came a
day after authorities said suspected gang hitmen confessed
to killing the 43 students and
incinerating their bodies in the
southern state of Guerrero. A
small group of protesters used
metal barricades as battering
rams in a failed attempt to break
open the door of the palace,
which is known for its majestic
Diego Rivera mural.
They tossed Molotov cocktails at the door, which sparked
a brief п¬Ѓre, and spray-painted
the words “we want them back
alive” on the 16th-century
building.
Security forces later took
back control of the door.
Pena Nieto uses the palace for
ceremonies and he lives in the
War vet hoping to trace
family of soldier he killed
AFP
London
B
ritish soldier Gordon Hoggan still has horrifying
nightmares about killing
an Argentinian marine with his
bayonet during the Falklands
War.
But he hopes to п¬Ѓnd peace by
discovering the man’s identity
and giving his family back his
helmet.
In a п¬Ѓerce and bloody sevenhour battle before dawn on June
14, 1982, the Scots Guards took
Mount Tumbledown, the п¬Ѓnal
hill before the Falklands’ capital
Stanley, which was liberated by
British troops later that day.
Hoggan was in the thick of
the assault when he saw the Argentinian soldier. “I killed him
with a bayonet. There was two
of them in a cave. We sneaked up
to the cave, and when we went
into the cave it sort of alerted
them and they jumped up and I
fired my rifle,” Hoggan said. “I
got a stoppage and I didn’t have
time to take the magazine off and
clear it, so I lunged forward with
my bayonet, stabbed him in the
neck and he never had a chance
to fire. It was him or me.”
“I killed him with a
bayonet. There was two
of them in a cave. We
sneaked up to the cave,
and when we went into the
cave it sort of alerted them
and they jumped up and I
fired my rifle”
From Kirkcaldy, north of Edinburgh, Hoggan is now 55, divorced and with two daughters.
He lives in Derby, central England, in a house found for him by
a charity.
On returning from the Falklands, he was part of the guard
outside Buckingham Palace,
Windsor Castle and the Tower of
London wearing the famous red
tunics and black bearskin hat.
But he had a nervous breakdown
in 2001 after splitting up with
his wife, leading to a move from
Scotland to London. “I ended
up living rough in the streets
of London for 18 months. Beg-
ging. At the time I didn’t know,
but I realised later that it had
something to do with what had
happened”—the events of 1982
in the South Atlantic. “I would
wake up screaming just remembering what I’d done to this Argentinian soldier. It took a lot of
years to come out.”
Through a charity for soldiers suffering mental health
problems, he got off the streets
and received treatment for
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
(PTSD).
Now he wants to close the circle fully at last by giving the helmet of the Argentinian soldier he
killed to his family. “I think I’d
be doing the right thing,” said
Hoggan. “They may not want it.
They’d probably hate me. I killed
their son, or brother or father.
“But it was a war situation;
it wasn’t a fight in the street. It
was him or me. There was no
choice. If I hadn’t have killed
him, he’d have killed me. “I
don’t think apology’s the right
word because it was a battle.
But I would like to explain to
them why it happened.”
Los Pinos residence in another
part of the capital.
An AFP correspondent saw
two injured people and two protesters being detained.
During another march, protesters loudly counted from
one to 43 while holding candles. Some chanted “Pena Nieto out!” and “the people don’t
want you!”
“We are tired of the government. We live with fear, injustice, death and pain,” said Frida
Vega, 18.
Hours earlier in Guerrero’s
capital Chilpancingo, more
than 300 students threw rocks
and п¬Ѓrebombs at the regional
government headquarters. They
also burned around 10 vehicles,
including trucks and a federal police vehicle, and chanted
“they took them alive, we want
them back alive” outside the
building, which was partially
torched in a protest over the
case last month.
Despite the unrest, Pena
Nieto left yesterday to attend
major summits in China and
Australia, though he shortened
the trip due to the crisis. Ganglinked police attacked busloads
of students in the Guerrero city
of Iguala on September 26, in
a night of violence that left six
people dead and the 43 missing.
Attorney
General
Jesus
Murillo Karam said on Friday
that three Guerreros Unidos
gang members confessed to receiving the students from the
police before killing them.
The confessions appeared to
bring a tragic end to the mystery. But relatives of the missing and fellow students at their
teacher-training college near
Chilpancingo refuse to believe
the authorities until they get
DNA results from independent
Argentine forensic experts.
“It appears that the federal
government, with great irresponsibility, is interested in
closing this matter because it’s
all based on testimony. There
is nothing definitive,” said
Meliton Ortega, uncle of a missing student.
The students had travelled
to Iguala to raise funds but hijacked four buses to return
home, a common practice
among the young men from a
school known as a bastion of
left-wing activism. Prosecutors say the city’s mayor, worried that they would interrupt a
speech by his wife, ordered the
police to confront them. The
officers shot at several buses,
leaving three students and three
bystanders dead.
Authorities have arrested 74
people, including the ousted
mayor, Jose Luis Abarca, his
wife Maria de los Angeles
Pineda, 36 police officers and
Art exhibition
several Guerreros Unidos operatives.
If the confessions are true,
the mass murder would rank
among the worst massacres in
a drug war that has killed more
than 80,000 people and left
22,000 others missing since
2006.
The Iguala case has undermined Pena Nieto’s assurances
that authorities were п¬Ѓnally
reducing the cycle of murders
plaguing the country. Mexicans
fed up with the unrelenting violence rallied behind the Twitter
trending topic .YaMeCanse, or
.IAmTired, after Murillo Karam
was heard uttering the words at
the end of his hour-long press
conference on Friday.
Massacre taints leader’s �Saving Mexico’ image
Mexican President Enrique
Pena Nieto’s trip to China and
Australia is another chance
for him to flaunt ambitious
economic reforms that
have won him international
praise. He graced the cover
of Time magazine this year
with the headline �Saving
Mexico.’ Visiting heads of
state applauded his sweeping
reforms. Investors cheered
the breakup of a 75-year-old
state oil monopoly. However,
the suspected mass murder
undermines Pena Nieto’s
assurances that violence is
down and overshadows his
attempts to focus Mexico’s
image on its economic
transformation. “It affects
him negatively because
Mexico had become very
attractive for investors thanks
to the reforms, especially in
energy,” National Autonomous
University politics and security
expert Javier Oliva said. “This
obviously gives an image of
instability,” he said,
Mexico scrapping of
rail deal �surprising’
Reuters
Beijing
C
A painting of Simon Bolivar by Peruvian artist Jose Gil de
Castro is exhibited at the Art Museum of Lima. Lima’s Art
Museum is hosting the first retrospective of Gil de Castro,
painter of the heroes of the independence of Peru, Chile and
Argentina and master portraitist of the colonial transition to
the republic 200 years ago.
Murillo Karam stopped short
of declaring all the students
dead. He said an Austrian university would help identify the
remains but warned that evidence indicated it was them.
Parents of the missing say they
will not accept they are dead
until independent Argentine
forensic experts deliver DNA
results.
Last month, two hitmen had
already confessed to killing 17
of the students and dumping
them in a mass grave near Iguala. But officials later said none
of the students were among
the bodies. “It hurts to imagine that what they are saying is
true,” said a mother of a student
named Antonio.
hina yesterday expressed surprise at
Mexico’s decision to
revoke a $3.75bn high-speed
rail contract from a China-led
consortium, saying the Chinese
company involved had strictly
followed the bidding procedure.
After the contract to build the
link was awarded on Monday,
Mexican opposition politicians
accused the government of favouring the group led by China
Railway Construction Corporation Ltd , the sole bidder.
Mexico’s communications
and transport ministry, which
has defended the bidding
process, said on Friday it expects to re-run the tender in
late November under the same
terms, and would keep it open
for six months to enable all interested parties to participate.
China’s official Xinhua news
agency, citing an unnamed
spokesman from powerful
economic planner the National Development and Reform
Commission, said Mexico’s
decision was “because of domestic factors”. “It had nothing
to do with the Chinese enterprise, and the Chinese government hopes that the case could
be settled properly as soon as
possible,” the spokesman said.
“It is surprising to hear
Mexico decided to scrap the rail
deal as the Chinese enterprise
has been strictly following the
public bidding procedures and
requirements, and the bidding
content complies with the requirements of the Mexican
government,” he added.
“The Chinese government
encourages enterprises to participate in infrastructure construction in Mexico in a mutually beneficial way, and hopes
the Mexican government could
create a fair competition environment for these enterprises.”
China Railway Construction
is “exceptionally shocked” by
the decision, and may take legal steps to protect its rights,
state news agency Xinhua
cited the company as saying
later yesterday. The company
said that it had respected the
bidding process “from start to
finish”, Xinhua added.
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
29
PAKISTAN/AFGHANISTAN
DEFENCE
EMPLOYMENT
SECURITY
ELECTIONS
Chief of National Counter
Terrorism Authority named
Govt plan to protect
minimum wages payment
FIA to regulate human
traffic at Torkham border
Ban sought on displaying
animals in poll campaigns
Sources in the Interior Ministry have revealed
that the prime minister has approved the
name of Hamid Ali Khan, a BS-22 officer of the
Pakistan Administrative Service, for appointment
as National Co-ordinator National Counter
Terrorism Authority (Nacta). The appointment is
being seen as another step by the government
to reinvigorate the Nacta, by designating a full
time chief to the country’s premier counterterrorism authority, says a press release.
Hamid Ali Khan is widely regarded as a
professional officer with wide-ranging
experience, having held key positions in the
bureaucracy.
The PML-N government’s plan to bring a
legislation to protect minimum wages instead of
merely fixing an amount in budget has worked
out and many organisations have increased
wages of their lower staff to Rs12,000 ($120)
per month though still there are many who are
considering government non- serious. In an
appreciable move, the government not just relied
on fixing minimum wages in the budget but also
planned to introduce a legislation to declare
payment of at least $120 per month to any
employee hired for any job, by any organisation
or individual, a legal requirement. The salary of
lower staff is as low as $50 per month.
The federal government of Pakistan is likely to
task the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) with
regulating human traffic at Torkham border
crossing in the Federally Administered Tribal
Areas of the country at the Pak-Afghan border.
The relevant officials said yesterday that the Civil
Secretariat Fata would soon request the federal
government to extend the relevant sections of
the Federal Investigation Agency Act, 1974 for
permanent deployment of staff in Torkham town to
regulate human traffic between the two countries.
They said the FIA laws were being extended to
facilitate the establishment of terminal at Torkham
that will cost around Rs300mn.
A wildlife commission established by the
Lahore High Court has recommended a ban on
exhibition of wild animals in election campaign
by any political party. Justice Syed Mansoor
Ali Shah had constituted the commission to
investigate issues related to import or keeping
of wild animals and formulate a code of conduct
for political parties and candidates displaying
any beast as their electoral symbol. The judge
decided to form the commission hearing a writ
petition moved by a socialite, Faryal Ali Gohar,
about protection of wildlife after display of a
white female tiger by PML-N candidates during
their campaign ahead of 2013 election.
Kabul police chief
escapes suicide blast
Captain Matthew Clark, the senior Royal Navy
officer in Afghanistan, Deputy Commander Joint
Force Support (Afghanistan), Brigadier Darrell
Amison Commander JFSp and Group Captain
Andy Martin Commanding Officer 904, lay
wreaths during a Remembrance Sunday service
at Kandahar Air Base in Afghanistan yesterday.
Pakistan air
strikes kill
13 militants
AFP
Islamabad
The suicide bomb attack
took place inside the offices
of Kabul’s police chief; The
attacker evaded several
checkpoints before he
entered the building
P
akistan’s military said
yesterday it killed 13
militants including an
important rebel commander
in air attacks in a troubled
tribal district near the Afghan
border.
The strikes were mounted
in Khyber district where the
Taliban and another banned
militant group the Lashkare-Islam have taken refuge, the
military said in a statement.
It said 10 militant hideouts
and an ammunition depot
were also destroyed.
The military said the commander who was killed was
known for his training of suicide
bombers, but it did not disclose
his name or nationality.
Two suicide bombers were
also among those killed, it
said.
The military launched a
large-scale offensive in the
North Waziristan tribal dis-
AFP
Kabul
A
suicide bomber walked
into the offices of Kabul’s
police chief yesterday and
detonated his explosives, killing
a senior aide in an attack that
highlighted poor security in the
Afghan capital.
City police chief Zahir Zahir, who was at work when the
blast erupted, said the attacker
had evaded several checkpoints
at the force’s heavily-guarded
headquarters.
“I’m fine, but one of my best
officers, my chief of staff Yassin
Khan, was killed and six were
wounded,” Zahir said, speaking
just an hour after surviving the
apparent assassination attempt.
Zahir said closed-circuit cameras showed that the attacker,
who was dressed as a civilian, carried papers under his arm and did
not use the building’s main gate.
He was only stopped when he
tried to enter the police chief’s
room.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.
“This morning at around 9am,
a martyrdom attack was carried
out against the enemy which
killed a lot of them,” Zabiullah
Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman,
said on his Twitter account.
“The attack was carried out...
inside Kabul police HQ while
foreign advisers and police were
meeting.”
There were no reports of foreign casualties, and the Taliban
often exaggerate death tolls after
attacks.
Kabul is regularly hit by Taliban bombings, with the military,
REMEMBRANCE DAY
Women’s Film Festival
ghan army bus.
Afghan soldiers and police
have taken on the lead role in
thwarting the Taliban, but national stability could be at risk as
US-led Nato troops pull out.
This year alone more than
4,600 Afghan soldiers and police have been killed in п¬Ѓghting,
according to recent US п¬Ѓgures.
The Nato troops end their 13year combat mission in Afghanistan next month, with about
12,500 soldiers due to stay on
into next year on a new training
and support mission.
President Ashraf Ghani, who
came to power in September, has
said that Afghan forces are ready
to impose security.
This summer the Taliban
launched several offensives during a prolonged political deadlock in Kabul as Ghani and his
rival Abdullah Abdullah both
claimed to have won the fraudmired presidential election.
The two men eventually
signed a power-sharing agreement, with Abdullah appointed
to the new position of “chief executive”, a role similar to that of
The strikes were mounted
in Khyber district where
the Taliban and another
banned militant group
the Lashkar-e-Islam have
taken refuge
Militants have taken sanctuary in Khyber after fleeing
strongholds in North Waziristan, and troops began a military operation in Khyber in
October. More than 150,000
people have fled the district
since then.
The army says it has killed
more than 1,100 militants and
lost around 100 soldiers since
the start of the June operation.
But the toll and identity
of those killed is difficult to
verify because journalists do
not have regular access to the
conflict zones.
Sharif to visit Germany
for security, trade talks
An Afghan policeman keeps watch at the gates of the police headquarters in Kabul yesterday.
police and government officials
among those targeted despite
heightened security with multiple checkpoints, blast walls and
armed guards.
Another Taliban bomb exploded earlier yesterday in Kabul, causing no casualties.
In the last major blast in the
capital, four Afghan soldiers
were killed and around a dozen
people wounded when a roadside bomb planted by the insurgents exploded on October 21.
That blast was a remote-controlled bomb targeting an Af-
trict in June in response to a
bloody raid by insurgents on
Karachi Airport, an attack
which ended faltering peace
talks between the government
and the Taliban.
prime minister.
Efforts to start peace talks
with the Taliban collapsed acrimoniously last year, though the
new administration may make
fresh moves to open negotiations
and bring the war to an end.
Ghani used his inauguration
speech in late September to call
for insurgents to join peace talks.
“Any problems that they have,
they should tell us, we will п¬Ѓnd a
solution,” he said.
Nato troop numbers peaked at
130,000 in 2010, but now stand
at less than 34,000.
DPA
Islamabad
P
akistani Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif arrives in
Berlin today for a threeday visit focused on security
and trade ties, officials said.
Sharif is scheduled to hold
meetings with German leaders
including Chancellor Angela
Merkel, the prime minister’s
political secretary Asif Kirmani said.
Another official said Sharif
would seek German investment in Pakistan’s infrastructure, power and coal-mining
projects.
Kirmani said Sharif would
also discuss with Merkel ways
to enhance bilateral trade between the two countries.
Security in both Pakistan
and Afghanistan, as well as Islamabad’s military campaign
against Islamist militants,
would also be part of the discussions, Kirmani said.
IS widening network in Pakistan: report
Internews
Karachi
T
he Balochistan government has sent a report to
the federal government
and law-enforcement agencies
about “growing footprint in Pakistan” of the Islamic State (IS)
group, also referred to as �Daish’.
The confidential report is
dated October 31 and says that IS
claims to have recruited between
10,000 and 12,000 people from
Hangu and Kurram Agency.
“It has been reliably learnt
that Daish has offered some elements of Lashkar-i-Jhangvi (LJ)
and Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat
(ASWJ) to join hands (with it) in
Pakistan. Daish has also formed
a ten-member Strategic Planning Wing,” the report issued
by the provincial government’s
Home and Tribal Affairs Department says.
The report says the IS plans to
attack military installations and
government buildings in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in retaliation
for the Zarb-i-Azb military op-
eration in North Waziristan and
also plans to target members of
the Shia community.
The report calls for better
vigilance and improved security
measures in Balochistan and
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to prevent
and pre-empt such attacks.
It has also called for sensitising law-enforcement agencies
about the issue and underlined
the need for increased monitoring of LJ members.
The warning has come soon
after six commanders of the
outlawed
Tehreek-i-Taliban
Pakistan (TTP), including its
former spokesman Shahidullah
Shahid, announced their allegiance to IS.
A security expert, Dr Ejaz
Hussain, believes that Pakistan
faces a “perceived threat” from
IS which can mature into a “real
threat” if the group succeeds in
aligning it with splinter groups
of mainstream militants groups,
including the TTP.
“If the Pakistan security apparatus fails to check their footprint, it could be a setback for
them in future.
It appears that the IS wants
to focus on Pakistan and Afghanistan, particularly at a time
when US forces have begun to
withdraw from Afghanistan. If
not checked, IS will pose a major threat to South Asia and the
Persian Gulf,” Hussain said.
Led by Abubakar al-Baghdadi
and based in Iraq and Syria, IS
has taken over large swathes of
territory in the two countries. It
is accused of killing thousands
of Muslims and some American
and British citizens, including
journalists and aid workers.
Tougher laws for MPs who conceal wealth
Internews
Islamabad
E
A view of the historical Citadel, the venue of 2nd International
Women’s Film Festival in Herat, Afghanistan, yesterday. The
festival aiming to highlight the role of women in the filmmaking
process runs until today.
lection authorities of Pakistan are seriously pursuing plans to tighten the
noose around lawmakers who
hide their real wealth and resort
to a �cosmetic exercise’ when
they п¬Ѓle their statements on
their assets and liabilities each
year.
Under section 42 of the Representation of Peoples Act, every member of the Senate, Na-
tional Assembly and provincial
assemblies has to п¬Ѓle the details
of his or her assets by September 30 every year.
However, the law is flouted
by many lawmakers at will as
existing provisions prescribe
no mechanism to take concrete
action against those who fail to
comply.
The only action prescribed in
the law is to have the Election
Commission of Pakistan (ECP)
inform the speakers of respective assemblies and ask them to
stop members who did not п¬Ѓle
their asset details from taking
part in proceedings. This bar
is lifted immediately once the
member п¬Ѓles the statement at
any time.
Over 200 members of assemblies had not п¬Ѓled their asset
details when the ECP issued a
notification on October 15. As of
November 8 (Sunday), 19 lawmakers – three members of the
National Assembly and eight
each of the Punjab and Sindh
assemblies – still have to file
their statements on assets.
ECP officials said lawmakers
have never taken the existing
law seriously due to loopholes.
“When we issue suspension
notifications, many legislators
ask us for a copy of asset statements they п¬Ѓled the previous
year, make minor changes in the
new form, and submit that to
us,” one official in the relevant
ECP department said.
According to the officials,
ECP’s proposed reforms package includes several amendments in existing laws and
contains a separate portion on
�political finance’ to improve
the mechanism.
The package is currently being reviewed by the parliamentary committee on electoral reforms.
One of the changes to existing laws proposed by the ECP
will see any lawmaker who fails
to п¬Ѓle a statement on assets by
September 30 suspended for at
least two months October 1 onwards. Such an assembly member will not be allowed to function as a lawmaker and take part
in voting during the period of
suspension.
30
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
PHILIPPINES
All-out offensive �will
not solve rebel crisis’
By Al Jacinto
Manila Times
A
Kris Aquino: smooth transition
Kris makes smooth
transition to food
business �empress’
By Sheila Manalac
Manila Times
T
outed as the “Queen of all
Media,” Kris Aquino continues to thrive in the entertainment industry as she juggles multiple projects in hosting,
acting, and endorsements.
On top of all these, she always
insists that she is п¬Ѓrst a mother
to her two sons, Josh and Bimby.
Often quoted as saying she
works hard for the future of her
children, Kris also knows that a
showbiz career is not forever.
At the launch of her latest endorsement with Filipino-owned
fast food chain Chowking, the
celebrity revealed that in one of
her recent conversations with
perennial co-host and good
friend, Boy Abunda (who survived a life-threatening liver infection in August), they agreed
they have to prepare for that
eventuality.
“Our investment is our body,
and if we don’t show up for work,
we won’t get paid,” Kris said.
And so with the stress and demands of her career, the single
mother is now bent on preparing
for her children’s future in a way
that does not solely depend on
her showbiz projects.
Known for her gift of gab and
her ability to turn everything
she touches into gold, Kris has
set off a whole new endeavour
business. Besides being an endorser for the Chinese fast food
chain, the president’s sister has
also ventured into a Chowking
franchise.
Scheduled to open on November 28, the store is located on the
ground floor of Ali Mall in Cubao, Quezon City.
The details were revealed at
Kris’ endorsement launch by no
less than the brand’s franchisees’
association president Robby Sison, who said the celebrity’s restaurant was Chowking’s 411th
outlet.
“If Chowking is the �king,’ it is
Kris Aquino who is now crowned
as the �empress’ of business in
this new partnership,” Sison
said.
Ever eager to share her personal thoughts and experiences,
Kris said she was thoroughly impressed when she shot the fast
food’s two-part commercial,
featuring the brand’s Chinesestyle Fried Chicken and signature Chunky Asado Siopao.
“When I went to shoot the
commercial in February, I was
impressed with the �hands-on’
care of Chowking management.
In all the commercials that I’ve
done, I felt that they were really
happy to have me,” Kris shared.
“When I was consuming the
chicken, I really had to ask if
the food stylist was the one who
prepared it or if it was original
recipe they served in their outlets. In the 72 times that I ate
the chicken, I have never had
to use the spit bucket because
their chicken is so good.”
As a businesswoman, she
went on to reveal that she hopes
to open several other branches
of the chain up north, starting
off in her family’s province in
Tarlac.
Moreover, in recognising
that a huge part of her success
is due to the support of the Filipino people, she believes that
she can give back to them in a
small way through franchising,
which will create jobs, provide
quality food, and on a bigger scale, reinvest in a Filipino
company.
n influential Catholic
bishop has expressed
strong opposition to the
government’s launch of an allout war against the Abu Sayyaf
in Basilan.
Basilan Bishop Martin Jumoad said a full-scale military
offensive is not the solution and
could even attract more recruits
to the group, which has thrived
on kidnapping and is believed to
have received hefty ransoms.
President Benigno Aquino
has ordered the military to hunt
down the Abu Sayyaf right after
it released two elderly German
captives in Sulu last month.
The pursuit intensified after the
group killed six soldiers in an
ambush in Sumisip, Basilan on
November 2.
In a recent interview over
Radyo Veritas, Jumoad said a
solution that emphasises force
will not earn the government
the trust and confidence of the
rebels.
“Those perpetrators or lawless elements, we can’t do
anything about them, run after them…Finishing them all?
I think that is not the solution
because that will just add more
problems. I think the government must act like a mother
that will look for aid in order to
win their trust and confidence
to the calls of law,” he said.
Extreme poverty from which
most people in Mindanao suffer is at the root of the conflict,
he said.
“I have been in Basilan. It’s
a vicious cycle. I think the approach should really be no
longer through guns. I ask the
government to really give more
Armed Forces chief General Gregorio Catapang and Western Mindanao Command Chief General Rustico Guerrero discuss about the conflict in
Mindanao with Governor Mujiv Hataman and some of the Basilan municipal mayors during a closed-door meeting in Zamboanga City recently.
educational and livelihood programmes to those areas, especially in Sumisip,” Jumoad said.
The bishop said instead of
an armed response, government officials should п¬Ѓnd ways
to assure the rebels that Mindanaoans are not second-class
citizens, and that they get education and have the means to
support themselves and their
children.Mujiv Hataman, the
governor of the Autonomous
Region in Muslim Mindanao,
earlier recommended an all-out
war against the Abu Sayyaf.
Mayors in Basilan, who are
allies of Hataman, supported
his call, but Basilan Gov. Jum
Akbar, the head of the peace and
order council, was silent about
the proposed all-out military
offensive.
Hataman and the mayors met
recently with Armed Forces
chief General Gregorio Catapang and senior military commanders at the Western Mindanao Command headquarters
where they discussed the offensive against the Abu Sayyaf.
Human rights group Suara
Bangsamoro also warned that a
full military assault could lead
to civilian abuses, destruction
of property, and massive displacement of people.
Amira Lidasan, the group’s
leader, has cautioned Hataman —whose elder brother
Hadjiman Hataman-Salliman
is the congressman of Basilan
— against endorsing an all-out
war against the Abu Sayyaf.
“Such policy is prone to abuse
of power by the authorities and
would lead to more cases of human rights violations,” Lidasan
said.
She said previous offensives
against the Abu Sayyaf had
driven out scores of civilians
from their homes. In 2000, the
government ordered a massive
military assault, backed by US
military forces, against the Abu
Sayyaf and the biggest casualties were civilians, while the
Abu Sayyaf continued its criminal activities.
Lidasan also accused Hataman of contradicting himself
when two years ago he and the
Typhoon-hit п¬Ѓshing community receives 30,000 boats
By James Konstantin Galvez
Manila Times
T
he Bureau of Fisheries and
Aquatic Resources (BFAR)
yesterday said the AHON!
Rehabilitation Initiative has surpassed its target of distributing п¬Ѓshing boats to coastal communities
affected by super typhoon Haiyan
(Yolanda).
BFAR director Asis Perez said over
30,000 units of newly-built and repaired boats and material benefited
п¬Ѓshermen in Eastern, Central and
Western Visayas and Palawan.
“AHON! worked because a lot
of people supported this initiative.
From private individuals, Corps,
government, non-governmental organisations to the survivors themselves, each one contributed to the
success of AHON!” said Perez, also
Agriculture Undersecretary for
Fisheries.
He said more than 5,000 п¬Ѓbreglass boats are still being constructed for Eastern Visayas п¬Ѓsherfolk.
The boats which AHON! built and
distributed were to replace those
destroyed by the typhoon based on
the agency’s ground assessment.
Perez said that aside from boats,
AHON! also covered post-harvest
equipment particularly chest freez-
ers, which were turned over to women п¬Ѓsherfolk associations.
So far, BFAR has distributed
18,000 units of 5.5 horsepower (hp),
7.5 hp, and 12 hp marine engines,
50,557 units of line gears and 35,224
units of gill nets for both motorised
and non-motorised п¬Ѓshing boats.
A total of P178mn was used for
the rehabilitation of seaweed farms
which were also damaged by the typhoon.
Distributed to farmers were
13,840 rolls of 1,000-metre polyethylene ropes, 3,460 units of plastic twines, 356,750 pieces of plastic
floaters and 865 metric tonnes of
seaweed seedlings.
More than 30,000 boats from the AHON! Rehabilitation
Initiative has been distributed to the fishing community
in typhoon-hit areas.
HEALTH
Peacekeepers test
negative for Ebola,
still face quarantine
More than 100 Filipino peacekeepers in Liberia tested negative for Ebola but would still be
kept in isolation for 21 days after
they return home next week, the
Philippine military said yesterday. “They are 100% medically
and physically fit,” said Colonel
Roberto Ancan, chief of the military’s Peacekeeping Operations
Centre.
“There was no risk. They were
not in contact with people infected with Ebola.” Despite passing
the Ebola screening test, the 108
soldiers will still be quarantined
in an island south-west of Manila
after they arrive tomorrow. The
soldiers would also not be allowed to have physical contact
with their families, Ancan said.
“That is just a precautionary
measure,” he added.
“We will observe a protocol. The
protocol is no handshake and
there will be a 1-metre distance
during conversations.” Four
Filipino soldiers were staying
behind in Liberia to oversee the
transport of equipment and supplies, Ancan said. The Philippines
recalled the soldiers amid the
outbreak in Liberia, where 6,535
people have been infected by
the virus, killing 2,413 of them,
according to data from the
World Health Organisation. More
than 13,500 people have been infected in eight affected countries
since the start of the outbreak
last year, with 4,951 deaths
reported, mostly in Liberia, Sierra
Leone and Guinea, it said.
other governors in the autonomous region said “never again”
to all-out war in dealing with
rebels.
She reminded Hataman
that in the previous operations against the Abu Sayyaf,
there were reports of military
clashes with Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels,
who are also in the mountains
of Basilan.Rep. Francisco Ashley Acedillo also rejected Hataman’s proposal.
“The government should go
after the group to arrest, charge
and jail them, but I do not favour an all-out war,” Acedillo
said.
“The civilians will eventually
end up as the losers,” he said.
ASSURANCE
Aquino set to woo investors
at Apec and Asean summits
By Joel M Sy Egco
Manila Times
P
resident Benigno Aquino
flew to Beijing, China
yesterday to attend the
Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) Leaders’ Summit there, amid a bitter squabble over some islands in the
disputed West Philippine Sea
(South China Sea).
But while Aquino promised
to bring home the bacon in
terms of investments and diplomatic relations with other
Apec members, Malacanang
could not confirm if he will discuss the sea disputes with his
Chinese counterpart in a bid to
ease tensions.
“No information on that
yet,” Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr said in a text message.
Aquino left yesterday morning for the п¬Ѓrst leg of his twonation Asian trip. After the
Apec summit, he will fly to
Nay Pyi Taw in Myanmar on
November 11 for the 25th Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (Asean) Summit to be
held there.
Besides Asean member-
President Benigno Aquino speaks as he takes part in a summit
dialogue at the Apec CEO Summit at the China National Convention
Centre (CNCC) in Beijing yesterday, part of the Asia-Pacific Economic
Co-operation (Apec) Summit.
nations, Japan, India, China
and South Korea and delegates
from the UN will also be there.
Asean countries that have
claims over territories in the
Spratlys in the South China Sea
have been pushing for a Code
of Conduct in the disputed
region to foster joint use and
benefits.
The Philippines п¬Ѓled early
this year a memorial or protest
before the International Tribunal on the Laws of the Sea
questioning China’s nine-dash
rule in asserting sovereignty
over some disputed islands and
shoals.
“We will present to them
the opportunities in the Philippines, and we will convince
them to increase their investments by expanding their businesses here,” the president said
in his departure speech. He
made no mention of the sea
row.
The Apec summit will tackle
issues such as disaster preparedness and response; developing small, medium and micro
enterprises and advancement
of good governance.
The president is set to meet
with business leaders from
participating Apec countries.
In Myanmar, the agenda
includes strengthening trade
relations, migrant workers
welfare, fighting human trafficking, climate change and
preparedness against the Ebola
virus.
“We will try to talk other
Asean leaders into strengthening ties between them and the
Philippines. We will put on the
table our sentiments about issues and challenges we are acing, including steps that could
preserve stability in the region,” the president said.
Through these dialogues,
Aquino added, he hopes to
bring in more investments that
will further boost the country’s
economic growth.
The government allotted
P24mn for the president’s two
trips.
Citing a report by Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa
Jr, Coloma said the amount
earmarked for the trip covers
expenses for transportation,
accommodation, food, equipment and other requirements
of the president and his delegation.
Aquino will be accompanied by Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario, Trade
Secretary Gregory Domingo,
Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Socio-Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, Presidential Management
Staff chief Julia Andrea Abad
and Presidential Protocol chief
Celia Anna Feria.
Presidential spokesperson
Edwin Lacierda and Social Secretary Susan Arnaiz will also
join the president in China,
while Cabinet Secretary Jose
Rene Almendras and Coloma
will be part of the delegation to
Myanmar.
Government plays
down claims
of being �ruthless’
Malacanang yesterday downplayed claims that President
Benigno Aquino’s administration “ruthlessly cut down its
enemies.”
Fr. Ranhilio Aquino-Callangan,
dean of the San Beda College’s
Graduate School of Law, has deplored the administration’s “less
than nice way” it treats its political enemies. “We do not agree
because from the start, the
government has allowed free expression of opinions even if the
view espoused may be against
that of the government,” said
Presidential Communications
Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr,
in an interview with dzRB Radyo
ng Bayan. Coloma stressed
that the Aquino administration
argues with reason, Manila Times
reported. “We use concrete data
to explain the position of the
government. And at all times we
are ready to exchange views in
a proper way and in accordance
with the spirit of democracy,” he
added. Callangan earlier said that
the Aquino administration ousted
many appointees of former
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
and had “caused Ombudsman
(Merceditas Gutierrez) to resign.”
“It impeached a Chief Justice by
buying the votes of senators. It
has caused the prosecution and
detention of senators not on the
Yellow Side,” he said. The dean
also claimed that at the same
time, Aquino has been soft on his
allies who have gotten their share
of controversy.
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
31
SRI LANKA/BANGLADESH/NEPAL
Monks warn Rajapakse
to reform or lose support
AFP
Colombo
S
ri Lanka’s main party of
Buddhist monks warned
President Mahinda Rajapakse yesterday it would withdraw support if he refused to
loosen his grip on power before a
snap election.
The JHU, or National Heritage
Party, said it wanted Rajapakse
to honour a promise to rewrite
the constitution and allow civil
servants, judges, police and
the elections chief to function
independently.
“If the next election is held
without carrying out the promised reforms, we will do our
best to defeat President Mahinda Rajapakse,” JHU legislator
and Buddhist monk Athuraliye
Ratana told reporters.
Rajapakse came to power in
2005 promising to revert to a
Westminster-style parliamen-
tary democracy. But he secured a
second term in 2010 and rewrote
the constitution, removing the
two-term limit on the top job.
Government ministers have
said the president will seek election for a third term in January,
two years ahead of schedule —
attempting to secure another
term before his party’s faltering
popularity falls further.
The JHU has just three seats in
the 225-member parliament but
is considered influential among
the country’s majority Buddhist
community.
The party said it would drum
up support for constitutional reforms by holding a public rally in
Colombo on Wednesday.
“If the president sees a lot of
public support for us, he may
change the idea of a snap election,” Ratana said. “Our objective is to get him to deliver on the
reforms he himself promised.”
The monk said his talks with
Rajapakse’s Sri Lanka Freedom
Party to remain in the ruling
coalition ended in failure and
the JHU had no option but to
press for reforms through public
meetings.
Rajapakse’s rivals have also
raised doubts about whether he
can legally seek a third term, arguing the amended constitution
only applies to new presidents
and cannot be used retroactively.
Rajapakse won popularity
among Sri Lanka’s majority Sinhalese community in 2009 by
crushing rebels who had waged a
37-year war for a separate homeland for ethnic minority Tamils.
But his party’s vote share
plummeted at local elections in
September, suffering its worst
performance since Rajapakse п¬Ѓrst
came to power nine years ago.
The president is also under
intense international pressure to
probe allegations that his troops
killed up to 40,000 Tamil civilians while battling Tamil rebels
in the п¬Ѓnal stages of the war.
IANS
Dhaka
A
Mahinda Rajapakse ... under attack from ally
Blast mastermind sent to
custody of India’s NIA
IANS
Kolkata
Nepalese PM Sushil Koirala
Nepal to
deliver
charter
on time,
says PM
IANS
Kathmandu
N
epal’s Prime Minister Sushil Koirala has
urged people not to
doubt their ability to launch
a new constitution, saying
the country will formulate
a new constitution before
January 22, 2015.
The January 22, 2015 is the
deadline set by Nepal’s political parties to deliver the new
constitution institutionalising
the country as a federal democratic republic country, Xinhua
reported.
While attending the celebration ceremony of the 20th
convocation day of Kathmandu University in Dhulikhel,
about 30km east of capital
Kathmandu, Koirala said his
party Nepali Congress (NC)
has proposed just seven provinces in the new federal setup
considering п¬Ѓnancial burden
to be caused by creation of “too
many” provinces.
“We were for even less than
seven provinces,” he said, “But,
we had to settle down on seven
in the course of compromising
with other political parties.”
CPN-UML, Nepal’s second largest party, has also
agreed on the NC’s proposal. But, the UCPN (Maoist),
which spearheaded a decade- long war against the
state, has stood against the
joint proposal by the NC and
the CPN-UML.
The UCPN (Maoist), which
is now leading an alliance of
22 fringe parties, is of the view
that there should be more
provinces to liberate the oppressed and marginalised
communities.
Koirala, also chancellor of
Kathmandu University, congratulated fresh graduates of
the university and urged them
to play constructive role on
national development.
A
Kolkata court yesterday
remanded Jamaat-ulMujahideen Bangladesh
(JMB) commander Sajid, said to
be the mastermind of the October 2 blast in Burdwan town
of India’s West Bengal state, in
NIA custody till November 20.
Sajid alias Sheikh Rahamatulla, described as the chief
of the Burdwan module, was
nabbed on Saturday from near
Kolkata airport by the West
Bengal police and was subsequently handed over to the
federal National Investigation
Agency (NIA) which is probing
the case.
He was produced before
the court of chief metropolitan magistrate Mohammad
Mumtaz Khan who remanded him to NIA custody till
November 20.
“Sajid, the mastermind in the
Burdwan blast, admitted before
the court that he served several
years in Bangladesh jails and
fled to India earlier in the year.
Investigations have revealed he
used to taught in madarsas and
impart jihadi ideology,” said
NIA prosecutor S K Ghosh.
Ghosh also said that Sajid
from whom several fake voter
identity cards and driving li-
Security officials escorting Bangladesh national Sheikh Rahmatulla alias Sajid, centre, from the police
van to a special court in Kolkata yesterday.
cences were recovered, wanted
to live in India as a citizen.
“We have secured his custody and his interrogation
will help us unravel the entire
conspiracy,” he added.
The 33-year-old was staying near Lalgola madarsa in
Mukimnagar of Murshidabad
district, ahead of the October 2
Bangladeshis
laud China’s
Silk Road
fund pledge
blast inside a house at Khagragarh of Burdwan town, around
100km from Kolkata.
Sajid was nabbed a day after
his close associate and key �jihadi motivator’ Zia-ul-Haque
was arrested by the NIA from
Malda district of the state in
connection with the blast.
The accidental bomb explo-
Celebration time
sion in a house in Khagragarh
left two suspected JMB militants dead and another injured
and broke the lead on the most
sensational jihadi terrorist conspiracy in the state in recent
times.
Several people, including
two women, are behind bars in
connection with the explosion.
number of Bangladeshi
experts have highly
commented on Chinese
President Xi Jinping’s pledge
to grant a $40bn Silk Road
Fund for Eurasian infrastructure, saying this could alter
the economic landscape of a
vast area stretching from Asia
to Europe.
Xi made the vow on Saturday when making a п¬Ѓve-point
proposal aimed at promoting
interconnected development
in the Asia-Pacific region as
he met with leaders of Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Pakistan and
Tajikistan, Xinhua reported.
Ashfaqur Rahman, former
Bangladesh ambassador to
China, said: “We welcome
the Chinese decision to create
$40bn Silk Road Fund.”
He said there is no doubt to
say that China’s initiatives of
reviving the ancient Silk Road
will boost co-operation between China and various regional blocs.
Revival of the ancient Silk
Road will also help to further
deepen ancient ties with countries in the region, including
Bangladesh, he said.
“We well understand the
importance of such mega
project and cost involved in
process to implement it. No
doubt to say that Chinese contribution will make things easy
for the participating countries
across the world.”
It will also pave the way for
bolstering economic ties between China and the countries
in the region as many ancient
seaports will regain their lost
glory, he said.
China’s initiatives to build
a Silk Road Economic Belt
and a 21st Century Maritime
Silk Road were put forward by
Chinese President Xi Jinping
during two separate visits to
Central Asia and Southeast
Asia in 2013.
Xi’s proposed “Silk Road
economic belt” revival project
could involve over 40 Asian
and European countries and
regions with a combined
population of 3bn.
The ancient Silk Road will
contribute immensely for easy
exchange of knowledge and
ideas among extraordinarily
diverse groups of people and
create many more opportunities as what Rahman called
“New Life”.
He said China, which built a
multibillion dollar railway line
from the province of Qinghai
to Lhasa, the capital of Tibet,
only in 2006, has now approved the building of a second rail line, this time from
Lhasa to Nyingchi to the east,
parallel to India’s Arunachal
Pradesh.
In 2008, China announced
that in time it would extend
the railway line to Khasa in the
Nepalese border.
The career diplomat, however, suggested that China
may consider connecting this
line to Indian and Bangladeshi
railway networks as part of
Maritime Silk Road that would
surely be a welcome project of
the future.
Abdul Awal Mintoo, a noted Bangladeshi businessman
who held many key positions
at numerous business enterprises in home and abroad,
said he highly welcome and
appreciate China’s decision.
“I am fully convinced and
now we can hope that this Silk
Road will a reality in the future which most of the Asian
countries have been hoping,”
said Mintoo, former president
of Bangladesh’s apex trade
body, Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce
and Industry.
The Silk Roads and Maritime Silk Routes would connect the 21st century growth
zones of Eurasia and East Asia
through energy-rich Middle
East, rising South Asia and
well developed South East
Asia to the wealthy North Europe, Australia and America, encompassing Africa,
he said.
It will be a big boost to
the globalisation process,
apart from facilitation of international trade and tourism, said Mintoo, chairman
and chief executing officer of
Multimode Group.
“The architects of the Silk
Road Economic Belt and the
21st Century Maritime Silk
Road aside from revisiting a
historical fact will also have
the unique opportunity in
challenging the traditional
notion of connectivity using
today’s advances in technology and engineering,” Rashed
Al Mahmud Titumir, chairman, Unnayan Onneshan, a
leading local think tank, had
earlier said.
He said if the undertaking is
done, this could result in a new
form of global cooperation in
economic, п¬Ѓnancial and technological aspects and could
usher in an interdependence
of humankind and its rich diversity setting aside fears of
clashes among ideologies,
cultural beliefs and traditions.
Deposition deferred
in Zia’s graft cases
IANS
Dhaka
A
A Bangladeshi transgender or hijra, left, applying henna on a woman’s hand as a part of the first
ever nationwide programme to observe �Hijra Day’ on November 10, in Dhaka yesterday. On
November 10, 2013, the Bangladesh government officially recognised hijras as a separate
gender in order to secure their rights, enabling them to identify their gender as �hijra’ on all
government documents, including passports.
court yesterday set a new date for deposition by witnesses in two graft cases
against former prime minister Khaleda
Zia and accepted her plea for more time.
A testimony hearing the Zia Orphanage Trust
and Zia Charitable Trust cases п¬Ѓled by the anti-corruption commission was scheduled for
yesterday, bdnews24 reported.
Anti-corruption commission (ACC) deputy
director Harun-ur-Rashid, plaintiff in the cases against Zia, who is also the chairman of the
Bangladesh National Party (BNP), was present
to depose but the latest order has shifted his
testimony to November 24.
Basudev Roy of Dhaka’s Third Metropolitan Special Judges Court gave the order in Zia’s
presence.
Zia, accused of embezzling over 50mn taka
(about $64,600), arrived at the temporarily
set up court on the field next to Bakshibazar’s
government Aliya Madrasa.
Her lawyers cited two �leave to appeal’ petitions awaiting hearings in the high court and
sought more time before witnesses were heard.
The judge accepted the plea. Zia last appeared
in court on September 3.
On September 22, the court rejected her plea
Khaleda Zia: gets a new date for deposition.
for more time and began hearing witnesses in her
absence.
Judge Basudev Roy had indicted Zia in both the
cases on March 19.
In 2008, the ACC п¬Ѓled the Zia Orphanage
Trust graft case against six people, including the
former prime minister and her son Tarique Rahman, accusing them of siphoning off 21mn taka
(about $271,600) from funds meant for the trust,
which came from a foreign bank.
In 2011, the ACC sued the BNP chief
and three others for pocketing 31.5mn taka
(about $407,300) of the Zia Charitable Trust.
32
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
COMMENT
Chairman: Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah
Editor-in-Chief : Darwish S Ahmed
Production Editor: C P Ravindran
P.O.Box 2888
Doha, Qatar
editor@gulf-times.com
Telephone 44350478 (news),
44466404 (sport), 44466636 (home delivery)
Fax 44350474
GULF TIMES
Need to endorse
efforts to counter
mileage fraud
The announcement by the Arab Council of Touring
and Automobile Clubs (ACTAC) that it is launching
a major effort to counter the problem of mileage
fraud which affects up to 40% of used cars and costs
consumers in the region billions of dollars each year
ought to be welcomed and endorsed by the authorities
concerned in Qatar.
Proposals, which include urging all Arab countries to
take stronger legislative action against the widespread
practice of illegally lowering the mileage of a car, went
before the ACTAC General Assembly in Vienna last
week.
Discussions centred on a mileage fraud policy guide
by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile
(FIA), of which ACTAC is a sub-region, and which will
be circulated to all 24 FIA member clubs in the 18 Arab
speaking countries, including the Qatar Automobile
and Touring Club (QATC).
ACTAC chairman and FIA vice president Mohamed
Ben Sulayem was quoted as saying that artificially
lowering the mileage of a car today is a simple, cheap
manipulation, which allows for the inflation of a
vehicle’s value, in
most cases by several
thousand dollars.
He explained that
countries go about
addressing the issue in
many different ways,
allowing fraudsters to
exploit the situation.
In the EU, national
approaches of single
member states have
shown that setting
up national mileage
databases merely shifts
the problem to neighbouring countries.
ACTAC, therefore, believes that further action
should be pursued at a Pan Arab level, in a region with
more than 300mn people and 1.7mn new car sales
every year.
ACTAC says a co-ordinated international effort
is needed to implement a series of measures. All
Arab states should be encouraged to consider the
manipulation or tampering of an odometer as an
offence and effectively enforce their legislation.
An ideal action is to set up a Pan Arab electronic
platform to exchange mileage data – in compliance
with data protection legislation – making mileage
data broadly available to Arab citizens buying motor
vehicles, in particular cross border.
ACTAC says awareness campaigns should drive
home to consumers the message that up to 40% of
used cars have tampered odometers. Studies have
shown that most tampering occurs when vehicles
are still fairly new, largely before their п¬Ѓrst periodical
technical inspection.
Currently, the mileage history of used cars is almost
untraceable and prosecution for mileage fraud is
extremely rare, especially when crossing national
borders.
The Arab consumer pays the price, facing unforeseen
and accelerated depreciation on cars with tampered
odometers. They also face higher maintenance and
repair costs.
The ACTAC announcement ought to be considered a
call to action, especially since the used car market is a
flourishing sector in the region, just like it is anywhere
else in the world.
All Arab states
should be
encouraged to
consider the
manipulation or
tampering of an
odometer as an
offence
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The Gulf region’s population is expected to grow by 40% between 2010 and 2030 and demand for food is projected to increase by 50% over the next 20 years.
Why Qatar should work with
world to protect crop diversity
As Gulf countries import
most of their food, they are
fundamentally reliant on
crop diversity found and
used elsewhere in the world
By Dr Geoffrey Hawtin
Bonn
A
griculture is
facing its biggest challenge in
13,000 years of history.
With less land available for
food production, less water, uncertain
energy supplies, and harsher weather
conditions, the Gulf countries, as well
as the rest of the world, now need to
feed more people than ever before
with fewer natural resources to do so.
The region is becoming ever more
reliant on imported food, and there is
a growing awareness amongst political
leaders of the challenge at hand.
Earlier this year, UAE Minister of
Environment and Water Dr Rashid
Ahmed bin Fahd declared that “food
security is an immediate priority.
Development and execution of a core
food security strategy is essential
to provide a sustainable growth
platform”.
More recently, the third secretary of
Kuwait’s Permanent UN delegation,
Osama Al-Jassar, urged the
international community to come
together to develop more sustainable
solutions to hunger and food security.
Urgent steps such as these do need
to be taken, but there is a simple and
straightforward measure that can be
adopted immediately, though it is
often overlooked: the conservation
of crop diversity and its use to
develop new varieties that are more
productive, nutritious and better able
to withstand the ravages of pests,
diseases and environmental threats.
As Gulf countries import most of
their food, they are fundamentally
reliant on crop diversity found and
used elsewhere in the world. In order
to secure its food supply, it is critical
that the Gulf nations support the
safeguarding of the raw materials
for the development of tomorrow’s
climate-ready seeds. Supporting the
work of the Global Crop Diversity
Trust can help make this happen – to
benefit the region, and the world.
Currently, billions of dollars are
invested to acquire land outside of the
region through bilateral agreements
(mainly in Africa, but more recently
in Europe and the US) in order to
have some control over food supply
chains, and expand farming sectors.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE combined
already hold around 2.8mn hectares of
overseas land.
In the short term, Middle East
resource wealth mitigates the risk
of food price spikes. However, this
investment method is risky, and only
a partial long-term solution, relying
as it does on the complexities of
international trade regimes and legal
systems.
This challenge is only going
to become tougher. The region’s
population is expected to grow by
40% between 2010 and 2030, demand
for food is projected to increase by
50% over the next 20 years and prices
are rising.
So what needs to be done? We must
go back to the basic building blocks of
agriculture and work systematically
on crop adaptation and nutritional
value. Breeding programmes around
the world are developing higher
yielding, more drought resistant, more
nutritious varieties of crops.
But they need sources of those
traits. Those sources are mainly to
be found in the heirloom varieties
and wild relatives of crops kept in
genebanks.
The ancient Middle East’s legacy to
the global food supply is enormous.
Some of the world’s most important
cereal and legume crops, such as
wheat, barley, chickpea and lentils,
originated here, from their wild
ancestors.
These crop wild relatives have
continued to evolve over millennia
to survive in some of the most
challenging conditions on the planet.
If these traits can be transferred to
our food crops through breeding
programmes, they could help provide
us with a continuing, resilient and
diverse food supply.
The ancient Middle
East’s legacy to the
global food supply is
enormous
This is where the Middle East can
make a key contribution – by drawing
on the treasure of its own, unique
plant heritage. But only an urgent,
concerted effort by the countries of
the region to protect and conserve
crop diversity both in the wild and on
farm will prevent its disappearance.
In practice, this means greatly
strengthening the global system of
local, regional and international plant
genebanks, where seeds and their
invaluable genetic information is
stored in perpetuity, setting up nature
reserves where crop wild relatives can
grow safely, and supporting farmers
to conserve and use traditional crop
varieties.
In order to secure its food supply, it is
critical that the Gulf nations support
the safeguarding of the raw materials
for the development of tomorrow’s
climate-ready seeds.
Breeding programmes around the world are developing higher yielding, more
drought resistant, more nutritious varieties of crops.
Such conservation efforts must
also be coupled with more concerted
and coherent support for plant
breeding by both the public and
private sectors. These various
approaches complement each other in
defending our food supply and natural
ecosystems.
The Global Crop Diversity Trust is
leading a worldwide response to this
issue, and is working to guarantee the
conservation of crop diversity, forever.
We do so in association with, and with
the support of the International Treaty
on Plant Genetic Resources for Food
and Agriculture, adhered to by 132
countries worldwide.
Working in partnership with
agricultural research centres
around the world, the Crop Trust is
spearheading the conservation of crop
diversity in genebanks.
To give an indication of the breadth
of this diversity, the collection of
barley, chickpea, faba bean, forages,
lentil and wheat at the International
Centre for Agricultural Research in
the Dry Areas (ICARDA) genebank
in Syria, with which I was heavily
involved in the 1970s and 1980’s,
conserves a staggering 135,000
varieties from over 110 countries.
The safety and sustainability of this
collection is invaluable for the region’s
food security.
The Crop Trust has already raised
over $180mn from governments,
foundations, companies and individuals
around the world. In order to preserve
crop diversity forever, we are working
to increase that sum to $500mn by
the time of our international pledging
conference in early 2016.
The seminar on the Role of Plant
Genetic Resources for Food Security
and Sustainable Agriculture hosted by
the International Center for Biosaline
Agriculture in collaboration with the
Global Crop Diversity Trust, provides
a clarion call for action to secure the
genetic diversity needed to underpin
the region’s – and the world’s – future
food supplies.
And key to this action is securing
the necessary п¬Ѓnancial resources to
sustain the work, not least through
support for our endowment fund.
Let’s consider how we can adapt
agriculture to overcome the many
local regional and global challenges
it faces today. We must act to build a
sustainable, resilient food production
system that overcomes the battle
against hunger and ensures nutritional
security for all.
To build such a system we must
be able to draw upon crop diversity,
across the region and wider world, to
our own immediate benefit and that of
generations as yet unborn.
zDr Geoffrey Hawtin is a senior
advisor and co-founder of the
Global Crop Diversity Trust, the
sole international organisation
devoted to ensuring the conservation
and availability of crop diversity
worldwide. As a world-renowned
authority in the conservation and
use of plant genetic resources, he
has worked for the International
Development Research Centre (IDRC)
as a plant breeder, based in Lebanon
and Egypt, and was the deputy director
general of the International Centre for
Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas
(ICARDA), in Syria. He is currently
also senior technical advisor to the
International Treaty on Plant Genetic
Resources for Food and Agriculture.
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
33
COMMENT
All aboard the USS George H W Bush
At seven stories high, the
only way to navigate your
way around these 90,000
tonnes of floating US national
sovereignty is to master the
near-vertical stairways that
connect the belly of the ship
to the flight deck
By Becky Anderson
CNN
E
ngage your
core, Becky.”
With the
familiar
voice of my п¬Ѓtness
instructor urging
me on I reminded myself to breathe,
engaged my abdominal muscles,
concentrated again and willed myself
on.
To those of you who practise
a Pilates regime, this may sound
familiar. I’m talking a total body
workout here. But this was no keepfit class in the comfort of the gym in
Abu Dhabi – the city I now call home.
And there was no real life instructor to
keep me focused.
I was steeling myself to take on a
steep, narrow stairwell – for what
felt like the hundredth time that day
- carrying my share of the 100kg of
travelling CNN broadcast kit on my
back.
We were aboard the USS George
H W Bush, an aircraft carrier in
the Arabian Gulf. At seven stories
high, the only way to navigate your
way around these 90,000 tonnes of
floating US national sovereignty is to
master the near-vertical stairways
that connect the belly of the ship to
the flight deck. Nothing for it but to
push on, I told myself.
This was one of those assignments
I’d always had on my professional
bucket list. What’s known in media
circles as an “embed” with the men
and women of the US Navy. We were
there to report on the reality of daily
life for the crew supporting Operation
Inherent Resolve in Syria and Iraq.
From the outset, there was nothing
conventional about this trip. But then
rarely is my job as a CNN journalist a
normal one.
We’d flown from our programming
hub in the UAE to a neighbouring Gulf
country, where we were instructed to
present ourselves at a US airbase for
the transfer to the ship. We were met
by Petty Officer Seth Neighbor from
Texas, who took us through the safety
briefing for the COD (Carrier Onboard
Delivery) military aircraft that would
deliver us to the aircraft carrier.
“You’ll see something that looks like
smoke from the floor of the aircraft.
Don’t worry, that’s just air con,” said
Neighbor. Really, I thought. How
alarming. “And if you are going to
be sick please let a crew member
know. Please do not use your cranials
(helmets),” he said. This doesn’t
sound good, I mused.
Our team of three, along with the
other dozen or so passengers, geared
up in said cranials, along with goggles
and vests, and were frog marched
across the tarmac - in single п¬Ѓle - to
the “plane” (very oddly shaped but
“reliable” Seth told us).
It’s 108 degrees on the tarmac. It’s
even hotter in the belly of the COD,
and it’s a decidedly odd feeling flying
backwards in the semi darkness.
Twenty minutes in and the familiar:
“Good afternoon from the cockpit
everybody: this is your captain
speaking. We are cruising at 12,000
feet. Sit back, relax and enjoy the rest
of your flight.”
“And a reminder that if you are
going to be sick please let a crew
member know. Please do not use your
cranials.” Yes, yes, we got it.
“I remind you because just minutes
from now you will be experiencing
All set to board the USS George H W Bush, an aircraft carrier in the Arabian Gulf.
what’s known as an arrested landing,”
the captain said. And then: “Here
we go, here we go,” screamed the
crew. “Feet on the ground, head and
back against the seat.” With that we
streaked onto the flight deck of one of
the world’s largest nuclear-powered
aircraft carriers, at a speed of 120
knots.
Two seconds later we are at a dead
stop. 120 to 0 knots, in two seconds.
That is what is known as an arrested
landing.
“For those of you who are still with
us, Welcome aboard the USS George H
W Bush, and God Bless America.”
To land on one of the world’s largest
warships is one thing. To understand
the enormity of the task of the man at
the helm, just consider this: four and
a half acres in size, this extraordinary
vessel is powered by two nuclear
reactors, which means she can operate
for more than 20 years without
refuelling.
Life on board for the more than
5,000 sailors – average age 19 years old
– is akin to that of a small city. There
are recreation rooms, and galley areas
serving food around the clock.
Conditions are for the most part
cramped, crew quarters are tight,
and there is very little personal space
despite the aircraft carrier’s size.
But at least conditions below deck
are, for the most part cool. Not so
up on the flight deck. The apron is as
long as the Empire State building is
wide. Temperatures in the summer
months regularly reach 50 degrees
centigrade and the humidity makes
that feel to me at least more like 150
degrees.
Josh is typical of the crew toiling in
the heat working a 12-hour shift. He
is in his mid-twenties and oversees a
team loading munitions onto the F/A
18 Hornet and Super Hornet п¬Ѓghter
jets conducting airstrikes on positions
of the Islamic State (IS).
Josh told me it’s always a very
fast pace and there is never a slow
moment. They are constantly on the
move, checking out the ordnance in
the sweltering heat.
During our 36-hour embed there
were periods when the planes were
taking off and landing at 55-second
intervals. As the planes are catapulted
off the deck the heat from the exhaust
is searing.
The thrust of the jets is enough
to throw you sideways if you are
not hanging onto something п¬Ѓxed
down. You have to be п¬Ѓt to cope with
all of this, and Josh told me that his
downtime is spent in the gym. “You
have to stay fit. It’s a Navy standard,”
he told me.
Given the congested conditions,
you would be forgiven for thinking
the crew must get a bit testy at
times. But what we witnessed was
a highly disciplined, professional
and incredibly hard working crew,
completely dedicated to the task at
hand.
That’s not to say Josh doesn’t
miss home. Just before I re-engaged
my core and readied myself to once
again negotiate the now familiar steel
stairwell that I need to climb to get to
the aircraft to take me home, I asked
him why, in spite of the gruelling
work, he did what he did. “It’s to
protect the country,” he said.
Back in August 2014, pilots in strike
jets launched from this very ship
dropped the п¬Ѓrst bombs on Iraq in the
п¬Ѓght against ISIS, also known as IS.
As you read this, Josh and the team
aboard the USS George H W Bush are
scheduled to be heading home, after
what has been a nine-month long
deployment. The п¬Ѓght against IS,
however, looks set to continue for a
long time to come.
zBecky Anderson is based in CNN’s
Abu Dhabi bureau
Weather report
Letters
Three-day forecast
Driven by
disappointment
Dear Sir,
I am a 22-year-old Indian and have
been living in Doha since birth. I have
been fascinated by driving even as a
child. With my parents having driving
licences, I was determined to have one
when eligible.
And п¬Ѓnally this June I applied for my
licence and joined a course at a driving
school. After clearing my signals test
I was excited to start training on roads
and never ever missed a day’s classes.
It was then I started hearing the
news that rules had been made stricter
for issuing new licences in Qatar. As a
woman, I feared that the rules would
be still harder for me.
It is said that the licence issue rules
have been made tougher to reduce
the number of vehicles on the road.
But how can one really control the
number of vehicles on the road by
being unreasonably strict in issuing
new licences? What about those who
already have one? Won’t they buy
additional cars at all?
But I didn’t allow these reports
to discourage me from my pursuit.
I continued my driving lessons and
I passed my parking test in my п¬Ѓrst
attempt itself. So far, so good.
Now there was only one more
hurdle: the п¬Ѓnal road test. I practised
hard for it and was asked to appear
for the test on October 26. I was
asked to start from the school for the
test venue. Along with me there were
two other Arab nationals who were
having their second and third chances
whereas it was my п¬Ѓrst.
The policewoman at the venue
asked me whether it’s my first turn
and I had a bad feeling then. I believe I
drove much better than the other two
but I was told that I had failed in the
test. But the other two got through.
That shook my confidence.
After a few days, I had my second
chance but this time also success
eluded me. The second time there was
an Arab girl and another Indian with
me. The other Indian and me both
didn’t make it but the Arab girl got
through. I’m disappointed and upset,
especially since I have only two more
chances now. Will my dream to have a
driving licence ever come true?
MJ
(Full name and address supplied)
A city of posters
and hoardings
Dear Sir,
I was in Chennai, the capital of
Tamil Nadu, during my visit to South
India last month. Chennai seemed
swamped with posters and hoardings
of various п¬Ѓlms and politicians. It
shocked and saddened me at the same
time. Not a single wall or pole in the
city was left bare.
India’s Prime Minister, Narendra
Modi, is leading a cleanliness
campaign. All Indians should show
responsibility and do their bit to make
the cleanliness drive successful.
TODAY
I hope all politicians and rich п¬Ѓlm
stars of India will come forward and
set an example. A beautiful city like
Chennai should not be allowed to turn
into a forest of hoardings and posters.
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Rajesh Kumar
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Bin Mahmoud
Doha
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The slow decline of fast food in America
By Luc Olinga
New York/AFP
T
he hospitals of the Truman
Medical Centers (TMC) in
Kansas City, Missouri no
longer serve fast food in their
cafeterias, after ending a contract with
McDonald’s in 2012 - two years ahead
of schedule.
In Kentucky, Kosair Children’s
Hospital signed up to serve Big Macs
and Chicken McNuggets to its patients
when it opened in 1986. But it has now
followed in TMC’s footsteps.
The reversals by hospital chains that
once embraced McDonald’s reflect a
waning love affair with fast food in the
US, as consumers become increasingly
aware of the benefits of eating better.
“Fast foods have their place, but I
am not so sure their place is inside the
hospital,” recalled John Bluford, the
former TMC chief executive.
“We thought that we needed to
change the game a little bit and start
creating a culture of health,” Bluford
told AFP.
“It was a health-concerned decision
and a mission-driven decision, given
our mission to improve the health of
our community.”
Sales of McDonald’s in the US
fell 3.3% in the last quarter. The
consumption of sodas fell last year to
1995 levels, according to the industry
specialist Beverage Digest.
Americans drank on the average 51
gallons (nearly 200 liters) of soda per
person in 1998; last year, it was 44
gallons.
The fall is more marked for light
sodas, which fell 6% amid concerns
sparked by studies suggesting some
synthetic sweeteners were carcinogenic.
“There’s a shift away from the
perception of food that is massproduced towards food that is
perceived to be more homemade or
artisanal or sustainably produced,”
said Keith-Thomas Ayoob, associate
clinical professor at Albert Einstein
College of Medicine in New York.
“Consumers want to feel that
they’re doing healthier things and
eating a healthier diet.”
More and more Americans are
making the link between fast food and
sodas, and life-long health problems
like obesity and diabetes, said Sriram
Madhusoodanan, an organiser of the
anti-fast-food campaign “Value (the)
Meal” at Corporate Accountability
International.
Campaigns like theirs are scoring
gains against the powerful industry.
In December 2011, San Francisco
required fast food chains to add more
low-sugar, low-salt foods like fruit
and vegetables for children.
And those campaigns are also
showing results.
The US Centers for Disease Control
said in February that there had been a
43% fall in obesity among two- to п¬Ѓveyear-olds over the previous decade.
Much more needs to be done,
according to the organisation Trust
for America’s Health. More than
two-thirds of adult Americans remain
overweight, it says.
Christopher Gindlesperger,
spokesman for the American Beverage
Association, downplayed the role
sodas play in the health problem.
Because of the greater popularity of
low-sugar sodas, he said, the amount
of sugar consumed from sodas has
fallen 40% in the last 10 years.
Sugar-related diseases “are very
serious and very complex,” he said.
“If you look at the government data,
you see that calories in the American
diet from sodas are just a small piece
of the overall (total)... We empower
our customers to make the choices
that are right for them.”
The success of the restaurant chain
Chipotle Mexican Grill symbolises the
new face of the American diet.
Launched in 1993, Chipotle
advertises that it uses hormonefree meat and locally-raised organic
vegetables.
“From the very beginning, Chipotle
has used really high-quality fresh
ingredients, and prepares all the foods
we serve,” company spokesman Chris
Arnold told AFP.
“So from the beginning, we were
doing something which is pretty
different than what was happening in
traditional American fast food.”
Fast food chains are reacting to
the new social and market pressure.
McDonald’s has eliminated some of its
controls on franchises to allow them to
adapt menus to customers’ tastes.
Last year, Taco Bell phased out its
children’s menu. And drink companies
like Coca-Cola and Pepsi are
expanding their beverage lines with
lower-sugar options.
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34
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
QATAR
Doctors to get a
skills �upgrade’
in diabetes п¬Ѓght
By Joey Aguilar
Staff Reporter
G
Dr al-Dosari ... eye to the future
Orthopaedic Research Day
seeks modern-day answers
T
he Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC)’s Orthopaedic
Surgery Department recently
held its п¬Ѓrst Qatar Orthopedic Research Day featuring Professor Mohit
Bhandari, a distinguished international orthopaedic surgery expert
from McMaster University, Canada.
“This event is a scientific platform
for research and training aimed at developing suitable infrastructure for
research in the п¬Ѓeld of bone and joint
diseases across the country,” said Dr
Mohamed al-Ateeq al-Dosari, head
of the Orthopaedic Surgery Department and director of the Bone and
Joint Centre at HMC.
He said the event demonstrated the
department’s commitment to adopting modern medical approaches in
orthopaedic surgery that are based on
the early detection and prevention of
disease as well as on scientific research,
utilisation of state-of-the-art technology and electronic clinical information systems. “We look forward to seeing a new generation of researchers and
their findings,” al-Dosari said.
Dr Ghaleb Ahmad, the research
day’s programme manager, said:
“The Orthopaedic Research Day was
held as part of the Medical Continuing Education programme at HMC
and aims to foster greater involvement of our residents in specialised
scientific research projects. We always seek to develop our physicians’
research skills because the main goal
of any medical research is to improve
patient care.”
Dr AbdulAziz al-Kuwari, consultant spine surgeon at HMC, said the
programme was particularly important to support medical research efforts in Qatar and at the HMC. He
noted that Prof Bhandari is consid-
ered one of the founders of modern medical research methodology.
“Much of Prof Bhandari’s research
is currently being taught in leading
universities around the world. His
presence among us will definitely
support the development of scientific
research in Qatar.”
Dr al-Kuwari mentioned plans to
co-operate with Prof Bhandari in the
development and management of
medical research projects across all
medical specialties in Qatar.
During the programme, Dr Jassim
al-Saie, orthopaedic surgery resident, presented his research on the
treatment of bone fractures in children, arguing that if such operations
were conducted in specialised operating rooms, it would reduce operating times leading to the availability
of more bed space in the operating
theatre.
eneral practitioners (GPs) in Qatar are expected to benefit from a
three-year programme that aims
to further upgrade their skills in treating
diabetes.
The European Association for the
Study of Diabetes (EASD) and the Gulf
Group for the Study of Diabetes (GGSD)
had renewed another agreement to provide a post graduate continued education for doctors across the GCC.
Qatar Diabetes Association (QDA)
executive director Dr Abdullah al-Hasmaq told Gulf Times that they want all
GPs at health centres to be equipped
with the new methodology in the management of diabetes.
“We don’t want to be a burden to
Hamad Medical Corporation and other
hospitals,” he stressed. “We want GPs in
every health centre to have this knowledge so that each can treat the disease.”
He said the programme started in
Dubai before being expanded, п¬Ѓrst to
Oman and now continuing in Qatar.
EASD, a world renowned diabetes
medical association with 8000 members from across Europe, will work
closely with the GGSD to develop a
post-graduate training course for regional doctors treating diabetes.
In collaboration with a national institute in Canada, QDA has also launched
a programme earlier to educate and
upgrade the skills of nurses through a
separate online course, according to alHasmaq. Upon completion of the ninemonth training and workshop, he said
nurses become certified diabetic health
educators.
While hundreds have п¬Ѓnished the
course, the doctor hopes to have the
third batch of nurses early next year.
“A workshop is conducted on the first
day and nine months of online training,
then the exam. If they passed, they will
become certified educators,” he said.
After the two programmes in Dubai
and Oman, the QDA official believes
many GPs have gained more knowledge
in dealing with a disease that has affected 34.6 mn people in the Middle East
and North Africa. Diabetes has cost regional governments $13bn in 2013.
Al-Hasmaq also stressed the importance of private initiatives in complementing government efforts to provide
the best education to patients and doctors.
“Diabetes is an evolving disease that
requires the medical community to
keep up with the new п¬Ѓndings, research
outcomes and innovative solutions,” he
pointed out.
The course has reached more than
300 doctors from across the GCC in
the last 3 years. Al-Hasmaq said it will
continue to attract more than 100 every
year.
Asked about breakthroughs in the
treatment of Diabetes, he noted that a
new drug approved in the US and Europe is expected to be available in Qatar
next year.
Course researches the latest research methods
Professor Abou-Samra
The Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC)
and the Weill Cornell Medical College in
Qatar (WCMC-Q) recently held a 12-day
course on “Concepts in Biomedical Research Methods and Clinical Research”.
More than 300 participants, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists
and allied healthcare professionals
attended the course organised by HMC’s
Academic Health System at the Hajar
Auditorium.
Professor Abdul-Badi Abou-Samra,
senior consultant, endocrinology and
diabetes, and chairman of the Internal
Medicine Department at HMC, delivered
a lecture that showcased the various
methodologies of conducting biomedical and clinical research and explained
how researchers could organise their
studies into a translational scientific plan
for HMC.
He explained that the first step in
carrying out research was to select a research topic and study literature already
published in the field. “It is preferable to
always choose a new idea for a research
study. The questions it raises should not
have been answered in previous studies,” he said.
Professor Abou-Samra encouraged
participants to conduct more research
for Qatar and specifically the HMC, noting
that the scope of such research could include investigating diseases prevalent in
Qatar to ensure that more people benefit
from their research study findings.
“If a researcher in Qatar chooses to
study a rare disease, this can lead to
healthcare centres outside Qatar getting
involved to ensure a suitable sample
size. The researcher should select the
study sample on a scientific basis,
backed by appropriate statistics, to save
time and money and ensure adequate
scientific outcomes,” he suggested.
Further, he said researchers, particularly in the field of clinical research,
should be part of an integrated research
team made up of physicians, nurses,
co-ordinators and statisticians. He added
that patients benefit from such clinical
research as it can lead to innovation with
the discovery of new medications and
more effective clinical practices.
The mobile diabetes unit.
QDA, Oxy Qatar join hands to raise awareness
T
he Qatar Diabetes Association
(QDA) partnered with Occidental
Petroleum of Qatar Limited (Oxy
Qatar) for the second time this year, to
make use of its Diabetes Education Mobile Unit in an effort to spread diabetes
awareness and enhance diabetes care
and prevention in the country.
Recently, a QDA team visited Oxy Qatar’s facilities in Ras Laffan to conduct a
half-day diabetes awareness initiative
for their employees and contractors.
The QDA medical team provided
health education about diabetes for
Oxy’s staff and contractors at Ras Laffan. The mobile unit is run and supervised by physicians and professional
diabetes educators, and consists of
three rooms: an education and blood
sugar testing room, an eye examination
room with a retinal camera, and a foot
care room.
Several tests were offered for people
with diabetes, including a foot checkup and a retinal examination to check
eye health. QDA also provided blood
sugar testing and dietary counselling,
which were open to all.
Oxy Qatar has been a long-standing
supporter of QDA and helped to set up
the mobile unit with its state-of-theart medical equipment in 2012.
During this visit, 84 employees had
their blood sugar, blood pressure and
cholesterol checked. The people with
high blood pressure and high cholesterol saw the dietician for healthy eating
advice.
Dr. Abdulla Al Hamaq, QDA executive
director, said: “QDA strives to deliver
programmes and services to our target
audiences in remote and industrial areas and share with them the latest information on diabetes. We believe that
this kind of support will help us achieve
the vision of the association to raise the
quality of life in Qatar through raising
awareness of healthy lifestyles, management and prevention of diabetes”
Stephen Kelly, president and general
manager,Oxy Qatar, said: “At Oxy Qatar, we promote healthy lifestyles for
employees and their families. We would
like to thank QDA for travelling to Ras
Laffan to provide these check-ups to
our employees and contractors. The information provided is very educational
and will help our people make better
choices to help prevent the onset of diabetes.”
HMC hosts annual breast cancer conference
T
he Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) recently
hosted the annual Breast
Cancer Conference 2014 to raise
awareness about breast cancer
prevention, its early diagnosis,
detection and management.
The focus of the conference
this year was hereditary breast
and ovarian cancer (HBOC),
an inherited genetic condition
through which a potential cancer
risk is passed down the generations.
According to international
guidelines, two genes, BRCA1 and
BRCA2, are associated with the
majority of hereditary breast and
ovarian cancers. An alteration
in these genes can give women a
higher risk of developing these
types of cancer. Between 5% and
10 % of all breast and ovarian
cancers have a hereditary link.
Dr Salha Bujassoum al-Bader, senior consultant medical
oncologist at HMC’s National
Center for Cancer Care and Research (NCCCR) and director of
the Breast Cancer Screening Program, said: “If you have a family
history of breast cancer, it is extremely important to have your
personal risk assessed by a medical professional.”
She explained that tests and
screening should be carried out
to find out an individual’s risk of
developing HBOC in cases where
Delegates at one of the presentations.
multiple cases of early onset of
breast or ovarian cancers have
occurred in the same family,
breast and ovarian cancers have
occurred in the same woman, or
male breast cancer runs in the
family.”
Dr. al-Bader stressed that the
risk of developing HBOC can
be reduced with different kinds
of strategies such as lifestyle
changes and chemo-prevention.
Regular surveillance is also important.
“There are preventative measures that can be put in place to reduce the risk of hereditary cancer
developing, for example surgery
and some other therapies. These
measures can reduce the risk of
breast and ovarian cancer by up
to 90 %. The risk of developing
hereditary breast or ovarian cancer is highest among women under the age of 45.”
HMC operates a specialized
High Risk Clinic at the NCCCR,
which is dedicated to evaluating and managing the risk of
cancer for both individuals and
their families. The clinic was established in March 2013 and incorporates a multi-disciplinary
approach with the presence of
different sub-specialists. Women
with any of the HBOC risk factors
can receive medical assessment
and investigation at the clinic.
Between March 2013 and April
2014, 346 patients were referred
to the clinic, and 253 have been
reported to carry a high risk of
developing hereditary breast or
ovarian cancer.
As part of the clinic, HMC also
offers genetic counseling to highrisk patients to assess the possibility of the disease.
Among other topics covered
during the conference were: genetics and molecular science of
HBOC, the role of a genetic counselor in the prevention and early
diagnosis of the disease, international updates in breast prophylactic surgery, Qatar’s experience
in breast prophylactic surgery,
radiological surveillance and updates in the systematic management of hereditary breast cancer.
The conference provided an
opportunity for more than 300
participants, including medical
oncologists, surgeons, nurses,
and other healthcare professionals, to review advances in the
genetics and molecular science
of HBOC. Delegates were able to
identify early diagnostic strategies for individuals at risk of hereditary breast cancer and learn
about new approaches to the surgical management of individuals
with inherited cancer.
Dr. Moustafa Hamdy, head of
the Department of Plastic and
Reconstructive Surgery at Brussels University Hospital in Belgium, said: “This is a great opportunity for us to come together
and talk about breast cancer; not
only among healthcare professionals but also with the public.
Breast cancer is not just a disease; it is much more than that. It
affects the family unit as a whole.
This is why we need to deal with
it together as a society.”
He advised people to learn
to openly communicate about
breast cancer. “Many people are
silent about it or they try to ignore it - like it is taboo. We need
to realize that ignoring it will not
solve the problem. It is much
better to discuss the risks and
manage them, rather than wait
for a cancer to progress, making
it much more complicated and
more difficult to treat.”
HMC experts at the conference included Dr. Al-Bader; Dr.
Ussama Al Homsi, Senior Consultant and Head of Hematology
and Oncology Department, NCCCR; Dr. Habib Al Basti, Senior
Consultant of Plastic Surgery;
Dr. Amal Al Obaidli, Senior Consultant, Radiology, Chief Radiologist, Women’s Hospital (WH)
and Head of Breast Imaging, Hamad General Hospital; Dr. Vijay
Ahuja, Senior Consultant Obstetrics and Gynecology, WH; Dr.
Dominique Marcus-Soekarman,
HMC Clinical Scientist.
International speakers included Dr. Hamdy, and Professor Firouz Darroudi, Professor of
Radiation Genetics and Chemical Mutagenesis, Senior Research
Consultant, Department of Toxicogenetics, Leiden University
Medical Center.
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
35
QATAR
Museum conference opens in Doha
T
he CiMAM 2014 Annual Conference
opened yesterday at Mathaf: Arab
Museum of Modern Art in Doha.
CiMAM is an international committee of the International Council of Museums. This is the п¬Ѓrst time the event is
being held in Qatar.
CiMAM board members and leading п¬Ѓgures from museums and institutions around the world are attending the
three-day event, described as the most
important forum for communication,
co-operation and information exchange
between museums, professionals, visual
arts workers and artists within modern
and contemporary art practice.
HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad
bin Khalifa al-Thani, chairperson of Qatar Museums, opened the conference.
Speaking on the occasion, she welcomed
the participants and said the different
perspectives being deliberated upon at
the event would ultimately widen “our
horizons in thinking about contemporary
art and what it represents”.
“Qatar Museums is – like Qatar itself –
a young institution with great ambition.
Culture and art supports the realisation
of our National Vision. It nurtures the
transformation of a hydrocarbon nation
to one based on diversity by supporting
and establishing creative networks. Culture connects people of all walks of life; it
has no passport and establishes a tolerant
platform for dialogue.
“We are proud that as a relative youngster – Mathaf itself is four years old – we
are graduating to the company of museums
and institutions in the global arts world
from as far afield as Chicago, Tokyo and
San Francisco… as well as other important
museums from across the Arab world.
“Key to our vision for arts and creativity in Qatar is the need to balance progress
and heritage. Our languages and cultures
may be different, but we share a common
vision with CiMAM, that �modern and
contemporary art museums have been
built as institutional tools that share
knowledge and education with society’.”
“At Mathaf, we place art from the Arab
world as a core mission to our programmes;
we also focus on education as a key mission of our exhibitions. We champion the
work of artists from this region and through
our local partnerships with Katara and the
Ministry of Culture, support their development. We also bring art from all around the
world to inspire,influence and equip aspiring
artists from the region and educate
Masraf Al Rayan joins
Qatar International
Boat Show 2014
M
HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and other dignitaries at the CiMAM 2014 Annual Conference yesterday.
Bartomeu Mari (president of CiMAM, director of MACBA, Barcelona), Frances Morris (board member of CiMAM, head of Collections,
International Art of Tate, UK), Anne-Catherine Robert–Hauglustaine (general director, iCOM, Paris), Sheikh Hassan bin Mohamed bin Ali
al-Thani (vice-chairman of Qatar Museums and founder of Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art), Abdellah Karroum (director of Mathaf)
and Mami Kataoka (board member of CiMAM, chief curator of Mori Art Museum, Tokyo) at the opening of the conference yesterday.
our communities about international art.”
HE Sheikha Al Mayassa recalled that
Mathaf’s collection began when Qatar
Foundation acquired the collection of
Sheikh Hassan bin Mohamed bin Ali al-
Thani. His collection formed the starting
point of the national collection of Modern and Contemporary Arab art.
“Mathaf is also moving into its next
phase of expansion as we prepare to ex-
pand our building to support our ongoing
activities. Through our diverse exhibition programmes, we are initiating networks both within and across our region
and the rest of the world.”
asraf Al Rayan has
announced its participation in the second
edition of the Qatar International Boat Show (QIBS), to be
held from tomorrow until November 15 at Mourjan Marinas in
Lusail City.
“The bank takes great pride in
supporting local activities that
resonate with its own values,
continually looking for opportunities to harness resources for
the good of local and regional
development, and thus to establish partnerships with organisations and events to reflect the
very best of Qatar to the world,”
said Mohamed I al-Emadi, unit
head (government and semigovernment institutions), Masraf Al Rayan.
“As part of our long-term
strategy, we continually look for
business opportunities to allocate
our resources in order to generate
and add value to our shareholders
and customers,” he added.
QIBS 2014 is expected to attract 75 boats on display and a
large number of international
exhibitors representing many of
the top names in the maritime
industry together with a larger
number of repeat exhibitors.
“Masraf Al Rayan will launch
a unique boats and yachts п¬Ѓnancing product especially
packaged for the event in line
with the principles of Shariah
during the show on November
11 and specially offered at competitive п¬Ѓnancing rates to meet
the different needs of buyers,
being salary or business income
customers with highly-competitive profit rates and much
more,” al-Emadi noted.
He added that the bank will be
setting out a new business outlook to support an industry that
is gaining momentum within
Qatar and the region as part of
the industry’s new trend to look
into new markets in Asia and the
Masraf Al Rayan is Official Bank
Sponsor of the event, which will
be held from November 11 to 15.
Middle East due to positive economic development and growth.
Snow Conceptual Communications vice-president Faysal Mikati said, “The support
of Masraf Al Rayan as Official
Bank Sponsor has strengthened
our list of sponsors and further
strengthened the sense of local
credibility to this widely-received international event.
“The newly-announced Al
Rayan Boats and Yachts п¬Ѓnancing product is projected to add
value by increasing the total
sales at QIBS this year.”
Snow Conceptual Communications & Events, Masraf Al Rayan’s partner and organiser of the
show, has recently been admitted as the п¬Ѓrst candidate member of the International Federation of Boat Show Organisers.
GLOBAL CLOUT | Page 4
BESPOKE DESIGN | Page 16
China-driven
�dream’ of
Asia-Pacific
BMW 6, 7 Pearl
reintroduced
in Middle East
Monday, November 10, 2014
Moharram 17, 1436 AH
GULF TIMES
INVESTMENT DESTINATIONS: Page 3
BUSINESS
Higher MSCI index
weights reflect
surging liquidity in
Qatar, UAE markets
Safe startup for JBOG project
T
he $1bn Jetty Boil-off Gas Recovery (JBOG) Project has had
a safe startup at Ras Laffan, Qatargas said yesterday.
The key pro-environment project
has been designed to eliminate flaring
at the LNG terminals.
The main shareholders of the JBOG
Project are Qatar Petroleum, ExxonMobil, Total, ConocoPhillips and
Shell, while the facilities are operated
by Qatargas and RasGas, the two largest LNG producers in the world.
The JBOG facilities started up successfully during the п¬Ѓrst week of October, and have been performing safely
and reliably. Around 100mn standard
cubic feet per day of natural gas, which
used to be burnt and wasted during
LNG ship loading is now being recovered and utilised in the LNG production plants as fuel. Over a period of 30
years, the JBOG Project will save nearly
1tn cu ft of gas for Qatar.
The operation of these facilities reduces the greenhouse gas emissions
to the atmosphere, and helps in maintaining a clean environment for Qatari
residents.
Qatar Petroleum managing director
Saad Sherida al-Kaabi, also Qatargas
chairman, highlighted the significance
of the project as not only one of the
largest environmental investments but
also the largest LNG boil-off recovery
project in the world.
He said, “The development of the
Jetty Boil-off Gas Recovery Project
was initiated by Qatar Petroleum
nearly a decade ago. JBOG is set to
become a landmark project for Qatar,
underlining the country’s commitment to balance industrial development with care for the environment.
This huge investment by Qatar Petroleum and its partners will reduce the
carbon footprint of the 77mn tonnes
per year of LNG production facilities
to the minimum practically possible
contributing to the environmental
development pillar of the Qatar National Vision 2030.”
Qatargas chief executive officer
The JBOG facilities started up successfully during the first week of October, and have been performing safely and reliably. Around 100mn standard cubic feet per day of gas, which used to be burnt and wasted
during LNG ship loading, is now being utilised in the LNG production plants as fuel. Over a period of 30 years, the JBOG Project will save nearly 1tn cu ft of gas for Qatar.
Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa al-Thani
expressed delight at the safe startup
of the JBOG facilities, and said, “The
completion and operation of the JBOG
Project is a great achievement by the
JBOG Project Management Team, its
contractors and Qatargas Operating Company. The excellent result
achieved by everyone associated with
this environmental project is a matter
of great pride for Qatar and its people.”
The engineering, procurement and
construction management (EPCM)
contract for the project was awarded to
the US-based Fluor in February 2010.
The detailed design and procurement
services were carried out at Fluor’s
offices in Sugar Land, Texas, and New
Delhi, India. The main equipment on
the project was supplied by General
Electric, Emerson and ABB.
The construction of the project
started in Ras Laffan City in mid-2011,
with the bulk of the site work executed
by some of the leading construction
contractors in Qatar, namely Ammico,
STFA, Qcon, Qatar Kentz and Medgulf.
The work site saw a peak of around
LNG prices may recover on rising
winter heating demand: BOAML
By Pratap John
Chief Business Reporter
Liquefied natural gas prices may recover
this winter as heating demand gains in many
countries including Japan boost demand for
LNG spot purchases, Bank of America Merrill
Lynch (BOAML) has said in a report.
“Japanese nukes will mostly be offline this
heating season and LNG burn may exceed
last year’s when the weather was mild. As
heating demand rises, so will spot purchases in
Asia,” Bank of America Merrill Lynch said in its
weekly global energy report.
“The risk to spot LNG prices near term is also
skewed to the upside if oil prices find support
on an Opec cut and a slowdown in US shale oil
output, as we expect,” BOAML said.
In a move entirely out of sync with the seasonal
norm where demand and prices strengthen into
winter, Asian LNG spot prices sold off in October
to $13/MMBtu (million British thermal unit),
opening an astonishing $5 gap to where prices
traded last year. Clearly, the collapse in oil prices
is reverberating across the energy complex,
and is now filtering through to LNG prices.
“Yet, we still expect LNG prices to recover this
winter,” BOAML said.
Nonetheless, any seasonal price recovery may
be muted with the PNG project producing at full
capacity, demand looking weak in Asia Pacific,
especially China, and major LNG consumers
well stocked.
PNG LNG is an integrated development that is
commercialising the gas resources of Papua
New Guinea. Gas will be exported as LNG to
customers around the world. The project will
produce 6.9mn tonnes of LNG a year.
“We doubt LNG prices can trade above $18 /
MMBtu this winter as the balance is significantly
weaker than last year, barring an unusually cold
winter. After that, the combination of Japanese
and Korean nuke restarts, which coincide with
the start-up of new LNG supplies in Australia,
will result in considerably weaker balances from
Q2, 2015 onwards, earlier than we previously
expected.
“In our view, this may lead to another big
seasonal summer price plunge next summer.
The lumpiness of new LNG supply next year
implies a more volatile environment,” BOAML
said.
Looking further ahead, BOAML sees large
ramp-ups of Australian projects currently
under construction until 2017. After that, the
Australian supply growth tails off to make
room for lower cost US projects.
“We still see 68mn tonnes per year (9.1 billion
cubic feet a day) of US LNG exports by 2020,
starting with the Sabine Pass terminal starting
up in late 2015. Strong US supply growth will
likely put downward pressure on LNG prices
over the next few years, though long term
we still see price support for Asian LNG at
the Australian total cost breakeven of $13-14/
MMBtu,” BOAML said.
Any seasonal price recovery may be
muted with the PNG project producing
at full capacity, demand looking weak
in Asia Pacific, especially China, and
major LNG consumers well stocked
3,000 people working hard to п¬Ѓnish
the project.
Qatargas chief operating officer (engineering and ventures) Sheikh Khalid
bin Abdulla al-Thani thanked the people who made this project a reality, and
was especially happy about the safety
record of the project.
Sheikh Khalid said, “Qatargas prides
itself on its high safety standards. It is
a matter of immense satisfaction for us
that the JBOG Project Team completed
the project with zero lost time incident
(LTI). Considering that the project
�Qatar fund
may up bid
for Canary
Wharf owner
Songbird’
Reuters
London
T
he Qatar Investment Authority (QIA)
and Brookfield Property Partners
may increase their ВЈ2.2bn ($3.5bn)
takeover offer for Songbird Estates, majority owner of London’s Canary Wharf, the
Sunday Times reported.
Songbird rejected an initial approach on
Friday, saying the 295-pence a share offer
significantly undervalued the company.
Sovereign wealth fund QIA, advised by
Barclays and Citigroup, and Brookfield,
advised by HSBC, have been preparing another approach this weekend, the Sunday
Times said.
The QIA already owns 28.6% of Songbird, which in turn owns 69% of Canary
Wharf Group, the owner of the estate,
which rivals the City of London as a п¬Ѓnancial services centre.
US-listed Brookfield, which operates and
invests in office and industrial property, has
a 22% stake in Canary Wharf Group.
Other top shareholders in Songbird include New York-based investor Simon
Glick, China Investment Corp and Morgan
Stanley Investment Management.
The QIA and Brookfield would be willing
to open the bidding consortium to another
shareholder, such as CIC, the Sunday Times
said.
spent three years in construction and
spent over 22mn man-hours, the zero
LTI is a fantastic record. I would also
like to congratulate the JBOG Project
Team, Qatargas Operations Development Department and all the relevant
contractors for producing a facility, which has started up safely and
smoothly”.
The project design is based on the
collection of the LNG boil-off gas
from the LNG carriers and the transfer
of this gas to a Central Compression
Area via large diameter stainless steel
pipelines. At the Central Compression
Area, the gas is compressed and sent to
the LNG trains for use as fuel gas or for
conversion into LNG.
A significant part of the JBOG
Project was devoted to upgrading
nearly 85 LNG carrier ships to make
them ready for recovering the boil-off
gas. Ships ranging from Qmax, Qflex,
conventional Membrane and Moss
type were covered successfully. This
complicated work is largely complete,
resulting in the achievement of the gas
recovery target of 90%.
2
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
BUSINESS
Djibouti wants to become
the �Singapore of Africa’
By Arno Maierbrugger
Gulf Times Correspondent
Bangkok
T
he wealthy city state of Singapore
has become Djibouti’s role model for
development over the coming two
decades, according to Youssouf Moussa Dawaleh, president of the Djibouti Chamber of
Commerce, who commented on the country’s new “Djibouti Vision 2035”, a roadmap
that has been drafted with the assistance of
the World Bank.
The small country at the Horn of Africa
with approximately 873,000 people likens itself to Singapore because it occupies
a similar strategic position along one of
the world’s busiest shipping lanes and now
wants to transform itself into an important
maritime port and establish the foundations
for a burgeoning commercial hub for the region. A $5bn plan includes the construction
of new ports, as well as LNG and crude oil
terminals.
Furthermore, Djibouti wants to develop
rail links, oil pipelines and other infrastructure as it seeks to become a middle-income
country by 2035. The economy is forecast to
grow 6% this year and 6.5% in 2015.
But will this really make it the Singapore
of Africa? Let’s take a look at where Singapore stood in the past. In 2004, Lee Hsien
Loong, the eldest son of Lee Kuan Yew, the
as founding father of modern Singapore, became the country’s third Prime Minister and
inherited an economy that had 40 years to
grow after independence from the British, in
a combination of foreign direct investment
and a state-led drive for industrialisation.
Singapore took advantage of its strategic location and quickly grew to Southeast Asia’s
most important seaport and trading hub, but
it also diversified its economy quickly into
other sectors such as electronics, chemicals,
п¬Ѓnance and tourism.
It invited foreign skilled workers to relocate to Singapore with generous incentives
with the result that roughly 44% of the Singaporean workforce is now made up of nonnatives. It also invested heavily in education
and healthcare. Nominal GDP per capita
grew from around $510 prior to independence to $55,182 in 2013 as per World Bank
п¬Ѓgures.
The whole system worked only with a tight
grip of the government on the economy and
its people, with state-controlled media, not
really competitive elections, strict regulations and laws for almost everything and
harsh penalties for many, even minor offenses.
The result is that Singapore today is
among the least corrupt countries worldwide with one of the best ranks in global
competitiveness, but the economic upswing
and social stability has been bought at a high
price by suppressing individuality and certain freedoms.
Compare that to Djibouti: The country
became independent 12 years later than Singapore, in 1977, but its economy is still far
from being diversified. Some 80% of GDP
comes from the service sector - mainly from
port operations and trade -, the small rest is
industry and agriculture. Tourism development is complicated by exorbitantly high
visa fees and hotel prices. Urban unemployment is 60% and poverty is prevalent.
Today’s nominal GDP per capita is around
$1,600. The adult literacy rate stands at just
70%.
Processes for foreign investors are reportedly opaque: The п¬Ѓnance ministry will issue
a licence only if an investor possesses an approved investor visa, while the interior ministry will only approve an investor visa to a
licensed business, expats complain, a situation that opens all avenues to corruption.
Singapore ranks 2 in the latest Global
Competitiveness Index by the World Economic Forum, while Djibouti is not even
included in this index. That means there is
a lot of work ahead for Djibouti to reach Singapore’s level unless the chamber president’s
statement is just a political slogan.
Djibouti’s $5bn development plan includes the construction of new ports, LNG and crude oil terminals. It also
wants to develop rail links, oil pipelines and other infrastructure to become a middle-income country by 2035.
Barclays,
BofA said
to advise
billionaire
Sawiris on
UAE listing
Bloomberg
London/Dubai
OCI NV hired Barclays and Bank
of America Corp to advise on
the listing of its construction
business in the UAE and Egypt,
according to two people with
knowledge of the matter.
The company, controlled by
billionaire Nassef Sawiris, also
hired Egyptian investment
bank EFG-Hermes Holding
SAE to assist, the people said,
asking not to be identified as
the information is private. The
company is considering a listing on Nasdaq Dubai exchange,
the people said.
Orascom Construction Ltd, as
the new entity will be known,
will include all OCI’s construction assets, as well as its 50%
stake in BESIX Group. The
listings are targeted for the first
quarter, the company said last
Thursday.
Sawiris relocated Orascom
Construction Industries to
the Netherlands from Egypt
last year through a buyout by
OCI, an entity he helped set
up amid a tax dispute with the
Islamist-led former Egyptian
government. OCI’s fertiliser and
chemicals business will still be
listed in Amsterdam, it said.
An Egyptian court overturned a
7bn-Egyptian pound ($979mn)
settlement between OCI’s local
unit and the government on
charges of tax evasion, the
company said last week.
Spokesmen for OCI and Nasdaq
Dubai declined to comment.
Barclays, Bank of America and
EFG-Hermes also declined to
comment.
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
3
BUSINESS
Dubai Limitless to pledge revenues to get $1.2bn debt deal
Reuters
Dubai
Dubai’s Limitless will pledge its future
revenues to service debt repayments
as it attempts a second restructuring
of a $1.2bn Islamic loan which banking
sources said should be completed
ahead of a December deadline.
The state-owned property firm is on
track to restructure the debt by the
end of the year, when a payment
worth a third of the total comes due,
two sources familiar with the matter
said yesterday.
Despite a recovery in the local
economy which has helped many of
the other restructured firms meet their
new repayment schedules, Limitless
is still struggling to turn its fortunes
around.
Chairman Ali Rashid Lootah has
held discussions on the terms of the
restructuring with a co-ordinating
committee of creditor banks led by
lenders including Emirates NBD, Dubai
Islamic Bank and Mashreq, the sources
said.
“The whole thing will be restructured
and finished towards the end of
December. Term sheets are under
discussion,” said one of the sources,
who spoke on condition of anonymity
as the matter is private.
“It is likely to be a cash flow-backed
restructuring,” the source added. This
would see future revenue generated
by the company pledged to repay its
debts, as opposed to just pushing out
the maturity date to give Limitless
more time to pay.
A spokeswoman for Limitless
yesterday said private discussions
surrounding the restructuring
continued but declined to elaborate
further.
The company is one of a number of
state-owned entities in the emirate
who were forced into restructuring
debt at the turn of the decade as they
couldn’t manage obligations taken on
during a boom period once the global
financial crisis and a local real estate
crash hit.
A former property arm of Dubai World,
Limitless restructured the Shariahcompliant debt facility in October 2012
after several maturity extensions by a
syndicate of lenders.
Under that deal, the company, whose
ownership was transferred to the
Dubai government as part of Dubai
World’s own debt restructuring plan,
was given an initial grace period
before scheduled repayments
between 2014 and 2016.
Chief executive Mohammed Rashed
told Reuters in September that the
company had held positive talks with
creditors and hoped to announce the
outcome of the talks soon.
The Burj Khalifa (right) is seen from the Dubai port Mina Rashid (file). Dubai’s state-owned property firm Limitless is on track
to restructure the debt by the end of the year, when a payment worth a third of the total comes due, two sources familiar
with the matter said yesterday.
Higher MSCI index weights
reflect surging liquidity in
Qatar, UAE stock markets
0.5 adjustment factor removed for
most stocks in index; passive flows
into UAE, Qatar may total $1bn;
change to Qatar foreign ceiling
calculation was key; huge jump in
turnover eases MSCI concern about
liquidity; foreigners still not close
to hitting ceilings
Reuters
Dubai
A
decision by equity index compiler MSCI to raise the weightings of key stocks in the UAE
and Qatar reflects growing liquidity in
those markets and sets the seal on their
emergence as mainstream investment
destinations.
In May this year, MSCI upgraded
the UAE and Qatar to emerging market
from frontier market status. But it also
diluted the impact of the upgrade by
applying an “adjustment factor” of 0.5
to eight stocks there, citing “accessibility issues to international institutional
investors”.
In a semi-annual review published at
the end of last week, MSCI removed the
adjustment factor for most, though not
all, of the eight stocks - indicating that
it believes obstacles to foreign investment in the markets are diminishing.
The adjustment factor was abolished,
with effect at the end of this month, for
Emaar Properties, Dubai Islamic Bank,
QNB, Industries Qatar, Doha Bank and
Commercial Bank of Qatar. MSCI also
raised the index weighting of First Gulf
Bank through other means.
The 0.5 adjustment factor remains
in place for Arabtec Holding and Dana
Gas.
According to brokerage EFG Hermes,
the weighting increase will result in
combined net inflows of “passive”
funds - those which base their investment decisions entirely on the makeup of equity indexes - of $1bn into the
two countries.
That is not much compared to their
national market capitalisations of
around $200bn, but it is enough to
stimulate trade in the short term.
“We estimate that the changes highlighted above will increase Qatar’s
Qatar decided this year to calculate foreign ownership limits as proportions of total shares outstanding, not as proportions
of freely floating shares. The move has effectively doubled the room for foreign investment in companies such as QNB and
Industries Qatar. PICTURE: Nasar TK
weight in the MSCI EM index from
0.63% to 0.92%, and UAE’s weight
from 0.54% to 0.72%,” EFG said in a research note.
The adjustment factor was originally
imposed because of issues such as companies’ ceilings on total foreign investment in their shares, small free floats
of tradable shares, and low liquidity in
stocks, which makes it difficult for investors to get into and out of equities.
These problems have not disap-
peared, but both countries are moving
to resolve them. One major step in that
direction was Qatar’s decision this year
to calculate foreign ownership limits as
proportions of total shares outstanding, not as proportions of freely floating shares.
That move effectively doubled the
room for foreign investment in names
such as QNB and Industries Qatar.
Major UAE companies had mostly
decided to increase their foreign ownership limits even before the upgrade in
May.
Despite this, concern about liquidity and the possibility that foreign investors would bump up against limited
free floats prompted MSCI to apply its
0.5 adjustment factor.
“They did it because they were not
sure there was enough headroom for
foreign investors,” said Akber Khan, director of asset management at Al Rayan
Investment in Doha.
A jump in trading volumes on both
countries’ markets this year appears to
have eased MSCI’s concerns.
Dubai Financial Market, the emirate’s bourse operator, said last month
that the value of stocks traded in the
п¬Ѓrst nine months of this year nearly tripled from a year ago to 315.5bn dirhams
($85.9bn).
According to data from Qatar’s
bourse, traded value there also nearly
tripled in the same period to 153.2bn
riyals ($42.1bn). Abu Dhabi’s ninemonth traded value more than doubled
to 124.3bn dirhams.
The markets are considering steps
to increase turnover further; for example, Qatar may slash the par value of its
shares by a factor of 10 to 1 riyal in order
to make them easier to trade.
Also, the markets’ experience since
May suggests inflows of foreign money
- Dubai’s bourse has reported net inflows of 4bn dirhams this year - have
been broadly distributed enough to
avoid pushing foreign holdings up to
ownership ceilings.
Foreign investors from outside the
Gulf Co-operation Council still hold
only 23.6% of Emaar, for instance, less
than half of the 49% quota. In QNB,
foreigners hold just over a quarter of
the allowed 25% quota. Page 16
Cut in Turkish lira sales to the least
since 2003 to benefit bondholders
Bloomberg
Istanbul
T
urkish government plans to
cut debt sales to the least
in 12 years are set to benefit
bondholders already enjoying the
best returns in emerging markets.
Turkish bonds returned 6.4%
in dollar terms in the past month,
the most among 31 countries, according to the Bloomberg Emerging Market Local Sovereign Index.
The yield on two-year lira notes
fell 116 basis points in the period as
the currency outperformed peers
other than the Chilean peso.
While oil’s slump to a four-year
low has powered the rally as helps
reduce Turkey’s current-account
deficit, the Treasury has announced plans to trim domestic
borrowing next year by 46% to
88bn liras ($39bn). That is the least
since 2003, when it started publishing debt statistics on its website.
“Low supply is surely positive
for bond prices,” Yarkin Cebeci,
an Istanbul-based economist at
JPMorgan Chase & Co, wrote in emailed comments last week. “The
price of everything which has a low
supply goes up.”
A little more than a year ago,
Turkey was ranked by Morgan
Stanley as among the п¬Ѓve econo-
mies most susceptible to deteriorating global markets because of
its indebtedness and high currentaccount deficit. The government
curbed Turkey’s vulnerability by
reducing the amount of shortdated debt.
The result has been an increase
in the average maturity of Turkey’s
domestic debt to more than 5 1/2
years, from about 3 1/2 years in
2011, according to the government
data. Poland’s average maturity is
little over four years.
The Ankara-based Treasury
can afford to reduce borrowing as
its debt repayments will drop 32%
to 107bn liras in 2015, the п¬Ѓnancing programme published October
31 showed. The cut has eased the
sensitivity of Turkey’s finances to
swings in exchange rates, interest
costs and investor appetite for risk,
according to the document.
“This is the result of a prudent debt-management policy,”
Simon Quijano-Evans, the head
of emerging-market research
at Commerzbank AG, said in emailed comments from London
last week.
Turkey will hold just one debt
auction next month, selling a oneyear, zero-coupon note on December 16, according to the Treasury. It
will seek to raise 1.2bn liras, down
from 5.5bn liras in November.
“The improvement reflects
lower interest rates and more importantly an increase in the tenure
of new borrowing in recent years,”
JPMorgan’s Cebeci said.
Even so, foreign investors sold
$213mn more bonds than they
bought from Turkey in the week
ended October 31, according to
central bank data published yesterday.
Any positive effect on bonds
from reduced borrowing may be
“limited” as the market is driven
more by “global events, foreign
exchange and inflation,” Michel
Danechi, who helps oversee $1.2bn
at Armajaro Asset Management
LLP, said in e-mailed comments
from London last week.
Burgan
Bank to open
$353mn
rights issue
next Sunday
Reuters
Dubai
B
urgan Bank will open subscription for a 102.6mn
dinars ($352.5mn) rights
issue next Sunday as it looks to
fund growth plans and boost its
capital base to meet upcoming
regulatory changes.
The price of shares under the
rights issue, which will run from
November 16 until December
14, will be 0.475 dinars each, a
statement from the bank - Kuwait’s third-largest lender by
assets - said yesterday.
This would be a 10.4% discount to the current share price,
according to Reuters calculations. Shares in Burgan Bank
closed at 0.530 dinars yesterday.
The capital increase will see
216mn new shares issued, with
the subsequent increase to paidup capital worth 21.6mn dinars,
it said.
Burgan has already
enhanced its capital base
once this year
Burgan’s rights issue will be
available to existing shareholders as of November 13 on a proportional basis, while the excess
will be available for general subscription, Burgan said.
“Burgan Bank aims with its
capital optimisation plan at adjusting its capital base to comply
with Basel III and to further support growth plans,” Majed Essa
Al Ajeel, Burgan’s chairman said
in a statement yesterday.
The lender’s chief executive,
Eduardo Eguren, said earlier this
year the bank would need to raise
its capital by 20%-30% to meet
the Basel III global banking industry regulations.
Burgan has already enhanced
its capital base once this year.
In September, it completed a
$500mn bond which boosted its
Tier 1 - or core - capital ratio.
4
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
BUSINESS
Chinese president offers new
vision of �Asia-Pacific dream’
AFP
Beijing
P
resident Xi Jinping offered the
world a vision of a Chinese-driven
“Asia-Pacific dream” yesterday,
as Beijing hosts a regional gathering that
underlines its growing global clout.
“We have the responsibility to create
and realise an Asia-Pacific dream for the
people of the region,” the Chinese Communist chief told a gathering of business
and political leaders that precedes the
annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) leaders’ gathering.
The 21-member Apec groups 40% of
the world’s population, almost half its
trade and more than half its GDP, and
the summit will be attended by leaders
including US President Barack Obama,
his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo
Abe.
It will see Beijing push its preferred
Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific
(FTAAP), while Washington is driving its own Trans-Pacific Partnership
(TPP).
The TPP is seen as the economic element of the much-touted US “rebalance” to Asia and so far brings together
12 Apec nations including Japan and
Australia—but not China.
Obama left Washington yesterday,
with the White House saying he was
expected to have “candid and in-depth
conversations” with Xi, after Secretary
of State John Kerry last week described
the two powers’ relationship as the
“most consequential” in the world.
“For the Asia-Pacific and the world
at large, China’s development will generate huge opportunities and benefits
and hold lasting and infinite promise,”
Xi said.
His Asia-Pacific dream, he added,
was based on a “shared destiny” of
peace, development and mutual benefit
for the region.
Xi’s “Asia-Pacific dream” comments
have echoes of the “Chinese dream” he
has regularly spoken of, an unspecified
but much-discussed term with connotations of national resurgence.
Beijing—a veto-wielding permanent
member of the UN Security Council—is
Chinese President Xi Jinping presides over a Dialogue on Strengthening Connectivity Partnership during Apec ministerial meetings in Beijing. Xi offered the world a vision
of a Chinese-driven “Asia-Pacific dream” yesterday.
leveraging the decades-long boom that
has made it the world’s second-largest
economy to increase its regional and
global heft.
But it stresses a policy of non-interference in other countries’ internal
affairs—a stance that has enabled it to
do business with leaders seen as pariahs in West. Its relationship with the US
has been marred by tensions over trade
disputes, cyberspying and human rights
issues, while Beijing is embroiled in enduring disputes with Tokyo over islands
in the East China Sea, and with rival
claimants in the South China Sea.
Under Xi, it has been asserting its
claims more п¬Ѓrmly in both areas.
“China wants to live in harmony with
all its neighbours,” he said yesterday.
Nonetheless relations with Japan
have plunged in recent years with both
sides sending ships and aircraft to the
islands, which are controlled by Tokyo
and claimed by Beijing, raising fears of
clashes.
Hopes of a formal meeting between
Xi and Abe on the sidelines of the summit have risen following statements by
the two countries agreeing to try to improve ties.
But Japanese officials say that the key
sentence in their statement was “very
carefully written” to avoid Tokyo formally acknowledging that there was a
dispute on sovereignty over the islands.
“We did not give in to the Chinese demand,” one official said.
�Not that scary’ -China’s decadeslong economic boom has seen it overtake Japan as the world’s second-largest
economy behind the US.
While growth is slowing—it reached
a five-year low in the third quarter—Xi
said the risks it faced were “not that
scary” and a slower expansion was expected as its economy matures.
China is a key driver of global growth,
but is currently suffering from a deflating property bubble, a crackdown on
corruption blamed for curbing some
business, and weak demand from Eu-
rope. Even so, China was expected to invest more than $1.25tn abroad over the
next decade, Xi said, while outbound
Chinese tourists would exceed 500mn
over the next п¬Ѓve years.
As “China’s overall national strength
grows”, he told his audience, it would be
able and willing to offer “new initiatives
and visions for enhancing regional cooperation”.
A draft summit communique seen by
AFP calls for a “strategic study” on the
Beijing-backed FTAAP. But Michael
Froman, the US Trade Representative,
told reporters yesterday: “It’s not the
launch of a new organisation, it’s not the
launch of a new FTA.”
�Economic
slowdown
risks aren’t
scary’
Bloomberg
Beijing
President Xi Jinping signalled
China is ready to accept a
lower rate of growth, assuring
executives that the economy
is more resilient than ever and
his government can safely
guide the country through any
slowdown.
“Even a growth rate of about
7% will put China among the
top performers in the world
in terms of both speed and
size,” Xi told the Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation CEO
Summit in Beijing.
“Some worry whether China’s
growth rate will slow down
further, or whether China can
overcome the obstacles - risks
are indeed there but they’re not
that scary.”
Calling a slowdown part of the
new normal in China, Xi offered
a primer of his government’s effort to wean the economy from
a dependence on exports and
infrastructure and make domestic consumption the key growth
engine. Xi’s mention of the 7%
figure may signal the government’s expectations for 2015.
China’s economy is targeted to
grow at about 7.5% this year, the
slowest since 1990.
“The 7% looks like the consensus for growth target next
year,” said Shen Jianguang,
Hong Kong-based chief Asia
economist at Mizuho Securities Asia Ltd “A further signal
that Chinese policy makers are
willing to tolerate lower growth
to pursue structural reform.
I think a lower bottom line of
growth of 6.7% should be also
acceptable.”The summit and
an Apec ministers’ meeting
that ended yesterday saw Xi
put his vision for Asian regional
co-operation on the agenda,
with the proposed Free Trade
Area of the Asia-Pacific agreement featuring in discussions
and winning support from Chile
president Michelle Bachelet.
The US is pushing for a separate
regional trade agreement, the
Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Wal-Mart to focus on food safety in China Minsheng announces nation’s
Reuters
Beijing
W
al-Mart Stores is focusing on food safety as the
world’s largest retailer
aims to boost profitability of its
more than 400 stores in China,
Wal-Mart Asia chief executive
Scott Price told Reuters.
Food safety is a highly emotive issue in China where there have been
numerous scandals from photos of
food oil being scooped from drains
to tales of phoney eggs and melamine-tainted milk powder.
“We play an important role in
China delivering food safety and
quality products to our customers,”
Price said on the sidelines of the
Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
(Apec) CEO Summit. “It’s a differentiator.”
Wal-Mart came under п¬Ѓre in Chi-
nese media earlier in the year after a
supplier’s donkey meat product was
found to contain fox meat.
In 2011 Chinese authorities accused Wal-Mart of selling expired
duck meat, and it was forced to shut
down stores in Chongqing after
they were accused of labelling nonorganic pork as organic and selling it
at a higher price.
Price was named on Tuesday
the head of the retailer’s Asia Pacific business, in a move aimed
at reviving Wal-Mart’s slowing
growth amid stiff competition in
the region.
In Japan, the company said in October it would close 30 underperforming stores to scale back.
In India, Wal-Mart last year
ended a six-year partnership with
Bharti Enterprises Pvt and started
to run wholesale stores instead of its
common retail ones.
In China, Price said Wal-Mart has
experienced “a few bumps along the
road”. China was the only market of
Wal-Mart’s five largest ones that
saw falling same-store sales in the
second quarter, down 1.6% from the
year-earlier period.
In Wal-Mart’s global markets,
Wal-Mart reported for the six
months ended July 31, pre-tax income outside the US down three%
to $11.83bn from a year-earlier, according to the company’s filings.
In October, Wal-Mart lowered its
earnings forecast for this п¬Ѓscal year,
blaming a tough economy for the
company’s low-income customers.
The retailer said to expect annual
sales to grow in the range of two
to three%, two percentage points
down from its earlier guidance.
Price said the company would
“continue to invest very aggressively” with a focus on food quality
and safety to push up traffic to WalMart’s Chinese stores.
Wal-Mart said in June it would
increase its spending on food safety
in China to 300mn yuan ($49mn) in
2013, 2014 and 2015, up from a previously-announced 100mn yuan.
“The �fresh’ experience is an area
where we can differentiate. We are
the only retailer in China that has
100% of our �fresh’ going through
distribution centres,” he said.
“China is a big part of the future
game,” Price added. Last year in October, Wal-Mart announced plans
to open up to 110 new facilities in
China between 2014 and 2016.
Price will continue to help run
strategy and international development as an executive vice president
based in Bentonville, Arkansas.
He had held the role for п¬Ѓve years
until June when returning to the US
to run the company’s global strategy.
Wal-Mart will report its third
quarter earnings on November 13.
Formosa Group
to invest
$2bn in US
Taiwan’s petrochemical
giant Formosa Plastics
Group plans to pour
another $2bn into its US
investment projects as
part of efforts to profit
from North America’s
shale energy revolution,
local media said.
The investment was
spurred by cheap
supplies of natural gas,
Wang Wen-yuan, director of the group, said
at the group’s annual
sports day event on Saturday, according to the
Economic Daily News
and Apple Daily.
The ethylene produced
from shale gas costs
only around $300 per
tonne, compared with
$900 per tonne from oil,
he was cited as saying.
Ethylene is an organic
compound widely used
in chemical industry.
Plants will be set up to
produce ethylene glycol,
used in the production
of polyester fibres.
п¬Ѓrst bank stock incentives
Bloomberg
New York
C
hina Minsheng Banking Corp announced plans to sell shares to employees at less than market price, the
first of the nation’s lenders to offer the type
of motivational reward system common at
global п¬Ѓnancial companies.
Minsheng, China’s first privately owned
bank, will sell as many as 1.4bn new shares
to employees at a 10% discount to the closing price of its A-shares in Shanghai yesterday, a п¬Ѓling to the Hong Kong stock exchange
shows. Chinese banks pledged to improve
their ownership patterns to meet a central
government call for п¬Ѓnancial restructuring.
More domestic lenders will echo Minsheng’s plan, which means a long-term boost
for their shares, Ma Kunpeng, an analyst
with Sinolink Securities Co, said in a note.
“It is an epoch-making scheme,” Ma said.
The announcement means regulators may
soon lift the ban on bank employees’ stock
ownership, he said. While the government
released a trial plan in 2006 to let listed
state-owned enterprises issue stock incen-
tives to employees, the п¬Ѓnance ministry in
2008 banned listed state- owned п¬Ѓnancial
companies from doing so.
Bank of Communications Co, the Chinese bank part-owned by HSBC Holdings,
said in August that it wants to offer stock
incentives for management. Proceeds from
the sales, estimated to be no more than 8bn
yuan ($1.3bn), will be used to replenish core
tier-1 capital, the bank said.
Minsheng didn’t disclose the number of
participants in the programme, which Sinolink’s Ma estimates at 4,000 to 5,000. Minsheng shares fell 0.5% to close at HK$7.63 in
Hong Kong before the announcement yesterday, trimming this year’s gain to 6.3%.
The city’s benchmark Hang Seng Index has climbed 1% this year. The A-shares
closed 0.2% higher in Shanghai at 6.34 yuan.
Capital Raising Beijing-based Minsheng
plans to further bolster capital by raising as
much as 30bn yuan through sales of preferred shares, according to a separate statement yesterday.
The bank will sell as many as 200mn
shares in China, raising as much as 20bn
yuan, according to a Hong Kong stock exchange п¬Ѓling.
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
5
BUSINESS
BoJ policy easing to head off
damaging inflation forecast
Hong Kong,
Shanghai
stock link
date �soon’,
says Leung
Reuters
Tokyo
Reuters
Hong Kong
T
C
he Bank of Japan Governor not
only surprised the markets with
his latest splurge of monetary
easing. He sprang it on his own board
members just two days earlier, jolted
into action to stop them making a lowball forecast that might have sunk his
flagship inflation target.
To achieve maximum effect for the
shock decision, Haruhiko Kuroda and
right-hand man Masayoshi Amamiya
kept only a handful of elite central bank
bureaucrats in the loop as they laid
the ground for the expansion of their
quantitative and qualitative easing
(QQE) programme.
They didn’t even give the usual forewarning to senior bureaucrats at the
Ministry of Finance, according to interviews with nearly a dozen insiders
and government sources with knowledge of the bank’s deliberations.
No leaks reached the media, and the
announcement at the October 31 policy
meeting pushed the Nikkei stock average to seven-year highs and the yen to
seven-year lows against the dollar.
The market reaction will have been
welcome news to Kuroda, but the impact he wanted above all was to alter
inflation expectations in a country that
has struggled with crippling deflation
for two decades.
Timing was critical - and not of his
choosing. At the policy meeting the
board would also issue a new consumer
inflation forecast for the next fiscal
year, based on the median estimate
from the nine members. But two days
before publication, the preliminary estimate was only around 1.5%, three of
the sources said.
That was well below the 1.9% forecast made in July, and if published
could have been fatal to his key goal of
hitting 2% from April next year. Since
price expectations play a key role in the
consumer behaviours that ultimately
determine prices, doubts about the target could be self-fulfilling.
There were other triggers for action,
including October’s plunge in oil prices
and the fact that an easing burst would
have more market impact in the week
the US Federal Reserve decided to turn
Kuroda: All-out efforts to fight deflation.
its own liquidity taps off. But it was
the inflation forecast that convinced
Kuroda and his aides to go for another
burst of stimulus, three sources said.
Board members would then have to revisit their estimates in light of the new
action.
It worked. They revised their forecasts to take account of the QQE injection, bringing the п¬Ѓgure up to 1.7%,
enough to keep Kuroda’s target within
sight and perhaps drain the growing
pool of doubters.
Annual core consumer inflation
was down at only 1% in September,
prompting many to charge Kuroda with
unfounded optimism. A Reuters poll of
economists had forecast only 1.1% for
the year to come.
Though Kuroda won the vote, which
will boost the BoJ’s government debt
purchases by $260bn a year and triple
its buying of risky assets, he also paid
a price for the manner and haste of the
decision: a board split almost down the
middle.
Because policy board members are
barred from discussing policy without
a quorum in a formal meeting, Kuroda
sent BoJ bureaucrats as his emissaries
to corral a majority for his easing plan,
sources said.
He knew he had the votes of his two
deputies, and that there was no hope of
winning over the board’s two market
economists who have long expressed
public doubts about QQE, especially
Takahide Kiuchi, who wants the pro-
gramme terminated in two years. So
fierce lobbying focused on the board’s
two former businessmen, Koji Ishida
and Yoshihisa Morimoto.
Despite frantic efforts, he failed to
win them over. Worse, though they had
rarely voiced open doubts about QQE
before, their opposition would now become public.
The sources said the swing voter was
the hard-to-predict former academic
Ryuzo Miyao, who took a long time to
convince. One suggested Kuroda had
let a genie of dissent out of the bottle,
which could make future easing decisions more difficult to achieve.
“Those who dissented this time may
be inclined to dissent again if the BoJ
were to ease further,” said the source.
Takeshi Minami, chief economist at
Norinchukin Research Institute and
one of just four of the 19 economists
who had correctly forecast the Halloween surprise in a Reuters poll, expects
the bank will want to ease again in mid2015.
If so, Kuroda, whose determination
to stay the course is unflagging, could
well need Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
to stack the BoJ board with reliable reflationists when Miyao’s term ends in
March and Morimoto’s in June.
“In order to completely overcome
the chronic disease of deflation, you
need to take all your medicine,” Kuroda said on Wednesday. “Half-baked
medical treatment will only worsen the
symptoms.”
Nigeria to defend naira despite fall in oil prices
Reuters
Lagos
N
igeria’s central bank has
vowed to defend the
naira, despite a drop in
oil prices which has unnerved
foreign investors and sent its
stock and bond markets into a
tailspin, Deputy Governor Sarah Alade told Reuters.
Alade said the naira, which
has dropped around 4% so far,
has been trading outside its
preferred band for some time,
but the bank will continue to
defend it. The bank sold dollars
as part of that defence on Friday, she said.
The currency closed at
165.90 naira following the cen-
tral bank’s intervention, after
weakening to 173.05 naira intraday against the dollar. It closed
at 169.90 naira on Thursday.
“We would continue to defend the currency, we have always said that,” Alade told Reuters by telephone, adding that
the bank was comfortable with
level of the country’s foreign reserves of around $38bn.
The currency has come under
pressure in the past two months
from falling oil prices, which
have weakened appetites for assets in Africa’s biggest economy
and chief oil exporter.
Nigeria’s main stock index
fell 11.52% in one week to 33,225
points as naira worries and
oil-price risk spooked foreign
investors, the major buyers of
The Naira has come under pressure in the past two months from
falling oil prices, which have weakened appetites for assets in
Africa’s biggest economy and chief oil exporter.
local shares. Foreign investors have continued to pulled
money out of the local stock
and bond market since oil pric-
es steadied at less than $83 a
barrel, after dropping to a new
four-year low below $82 a barrel on Wednesday.
Bond yields have also suffered. But domestic pension
funds stepped in on Friday to
pick up the slack and piled back
into the most liquid 3-year government bond, driving down
the yield 64 basis points to
11.70%.
“The central bank cannot afford to keep intervening in the
FX market, to defend the official
target exchange rate ... at the
rate it has been doing in recent
weeks ... especially in a depressed oil price environment,”
said Yvonne Mhango, an economist at Renaissance Capital.
Analysts expect a 10 to 15%
devaluation of the currency,
around half the scale of what the
central bank did six years ago,
when oil prices also plunged.
The naira has touched new
intraday lows nearly every trading session on strong dollar
demand, partly from foreign
investors and partly from domestic importers worried about
the risk of a currency devaluation.
Alade said the bank was willing to defend the naira and
would be guided by the dictates
of the market to do that, adding that the last time the currency was devalued, in 2008, oil
prices were lower than they are
now, even though the price is
declining.
“At the last time when did
that (devalued), we didn’t have
the kind of oil prices that we
have now, so we are still comfortable,” Alade said.
hina will soon announce
the date of a muchawaited initiative to
connect the stock markets of
Shanghai and Hong Kong, Hong
Kong’s leader said yesterday,
easing concerns the landmark
scheme might have been shelved
after losing Beijing’s backing.
“The central government
(China) places great importance in the Shanghai-Hong
Kong stock connect scheme and
supports it very much,” Leung
Chun-ying, the chief executive
of Hong Kong, said after a meeting with Chinese President Xi
Jinping in Beijing’s Great Hall of
the People.”
The relevant departments
will in the short term announce
details of its formal launch date,”
he told reporters.
Some observers speculated
that Hong Kong’s pro-democracy “Occupy Central” protests
that have blockaded key roads in
the city for over six weeks since
late September, may have been a
reason for the delay.
The student led civil disobedience campaign pushing
for full democracy, has been
a thorny political challenge
for China’s Communist Party
leaders and has posed the gravest governance challenge for
Hong Kong since the city reverted from British to Chinese
rule in 1997.
Xi’s direct comments expressing support for the scheme,
however, represent the most
concrete sign so far that Beijing
remains committed to this landmark move that could substantially expand the growth prospects for the two bourses.
“I have long expressed to the
central government that the
sooner the Shanghai-Hong
Kong Stock connect is launched,
it will benefit both Hong Kong
... and the mainland’s financial
sector development,” Leung said
after his п¬Ѓrst formal face-toface meeting with Xi since the
political turmoil erupted in the
city.
Chinese state news agency
Xinhua cited Xi as expressing his
support for Leung and his government’s efforts to “safeguard
the rule of law and maintain social order in Hong Kong”.
“The rule of law is a key foundation for Hong Kong’s longterm stability and prosperity,”
Xi said.
Beijing will “firmly support
Hong Kong in developing democracy in line with law”, he
added.
“The central government expects all circles in Hong Kong
can ... seize the historic opportunity to realise universal suffrage according to the law and
keep a stable, peaceful social environment for its citizens.”
China has ruled Hong Kong
since 1997 through a “one country, two systems” formula which
allows wide-ranging autonomy
and freedoms not enjoyed on the
mainland.
Sinking iron ore and the dangers of living by the sword
By Andy Home
London
The price of spot iron ore has sunk to
$75.50 per tonne last week, its lowest
level since 2009.
The scale of the price collapse has been
breath-taking. Iron ore has dropped by
over 35% since the start of the year, a
significantly worse performance than
any other industrial metal.
But what’s really shocking is that the
price is now at a level that until recently
was collectively deemed impossibly
low.
It was only in April that JosГ© Carlos
Martins, executive officer of ferrous
and strategy at Vale, the world’s largest
producer of iron ore, told analysts that
“one thing is for sure, the price will not
go below $110 on a sustainable basis”.
This was not irrational producer
exuberance. Martins was only voicing
the prevailing consensus view when he
went on to argue that “we have many
times seen the price going below this
level but recovering very fast”.
Well, here we are with the price trading
not just below $110 but a lot lower still.
And sustainably so. That tells you that
something has gone very wrong with
the iron ore narrative. This market is in
a place it was not supposed to be.
And while big producers such as Vale,
Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton are sticking
to that narrative, they are now facing
the unpredictable consequences of a
pricing war they collectively started.
The “big three”, which have some of the
lowest-cost operations in the world, are
bringing an unprecedented amount of
new supply to the market.
Between them they lifted production by
almost 12% over the first nine months
of this year, and the ramp-ups and
expansions are continuing.
They all knew that there would be an
impact on price, but the theory, as
expounded back in April by Vale, was
that it would be limited.
After all, they could argue, the market
for iron ore will still expand for many
more years as the world’s biggest
buyer, China, pumps out ever more
steel to build infrastructure and new
houses.
And lower-cost production from Brazil
and Australia’s Pilbara will displace
higher-cost production, not least in
China itself. Or as Sam Walsh, chief
executive at Rio expressed it, “now is
the time for others to really feel the
consequences of the price against their
operating costs and for them to make
decisions”.
There’s plenty of anecdotal evidence
that small higher-cost iron ore
mines in China are indeed closing en
masse, even if corroboration from its
notoriously unreliable iron ore statistics
is still sadly lacking.
As Australia’s share of China’s imports
inexorably rises, it is clear that other
marginal suppliers must be suffering
too. But the price still “shouldn’t” be as
low as it is. So what’s gone wrong?
Quite a lot, it seems.
Firstly, cost-curve arguments are just
fine in theory, but reality often turns out
to be a messier affair.
Commodity prices have an annoying
habit in periods of oversupply of not
only falling below the consensus
equilibrium price but also staying there
longer than expected.
Iron ore is proving no exception.
A host of small, unmechanised, lowgrade mines in China may well have
exited the marketplace, just as they
have done in the past during periods of
price weakness.
The scale of the current supply surge,
however, means that cost-curve
displacement must move well beyond
such easy targets.
And others may be in no mood to
surrender so easily. Chinese producers
are no different from those anywhere
else. Faced with low prices, they will try
to cut costs.
Macquarie Bank’s annual commodities
conference in China heard how the
whole Chinese iron ore sector is now
lowering strip ratios, trimming labour
costs and seeking tax reductions in a
collective effort to move down the cost
curve. (“China commodities conference:
“Blessed is he who expects nothing...’”;
November 5.)
Some will soldier on even if they’re
losing money, a counterintuitive but
ultimately rational producer response,
according to analysts at Goldman
Sachs. (“Rocks and Ores”, September,
10, 2014). Closures cost money too and
come with a loss of option value.
Supply, in other words, can take a lot
longer to adjust than the theory says.
Secondly and much more surprisingly,
it turns out that Chinese demand
growth is not the given it was assumed
to be.
Its steel juggernaut has shuddered to a
standstill. Official figures show year-onyear production growth of exactly zero
in September. Alternative figures from
the China Iron and Steel Association
show its members’ output actually fell
over the last couple of months.
Analysts will hotly contest the accuracy
of both data series, but the trend is a
more reliable friend when it comes to
Chinese steel sector statistics, and the
trend is flat to down.
The big iron ore producers still talk of
peak Chinese steel production coming
only in the next decade, but the really
uncomfortable truth is that a mini-peak
has already arrived.
Not exactly the best backdrop against
which to be engaged in a pricing war.
“War does not determine who is right,
only who is left,” British philosopher
Bertrand Russell said.
Which pretty much sums up the
attitude of the world’s big three iron ore
producers.
They may have already been proved
wrong in their assumptions about how
the market would absorb their extra
supply. At issue now is whether they
have bet correctly that they will be the
last men standing, however low the
price gets. The problem with wars is
that they tend to take unpredictable
turns.
One such turn was Glencore’s approach
to Rio Tinto to see if it might be
interested in “some form of merger”,
a word that seems to have a different
meaning for the Swiss commodities
giant than for the rest of us, judging by
its previous “merger of equals” with
Xstrata. The approach was quickly and
entirely predictably rebuffed.
But Glencore’s chief executive, Ivan
Glasenberg, a man with strong views
on producers’ past failures to recognise
market realities, has thrown down a far
marker.
Rio may well be able to keep producing
iron ore at a price below the pain
threshold of most others, but at what
cost to its own margins and its own
shareholders? The company, with over
90% of profits coming from the sector,
has turned itself into a play on the iron
ore price.
Which is now trading at a level no-one
predicted even a few months ago.
Well, at least it can’t go any lower, right?
That would be ... well ... impossible.
Andy Home is a columnist for Reuters.
The opinions expressed are his own.
6
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
BUSINESS
US companies turn to bond market to fund expansions
Bloomberg
New York
US companies are turning more to the
bond market to fund expansions than at
any time since 2008, a sign businesses
are finally showing some confidence in
the economy after hoarding cash for
the past five years.
Of the $1.27tn of investment-grade
bonds issued in the first nine months of
the year, companies such as American
Transmission Systems Co and CF
Industries Holdings earmarked as much
as 16% for capital spending, according
to data compiled by Moody’s Analytics
and Bloomberg. That compares with 9%
during the same period in 2013.
Companies have invested $900bn
in their businesses this year, a 52%
increase from 2009, Moody’s data
show.
Corporate executives are providing
one of the most bullish signals yet that
growth in the world’s biggest economy
can be sustained. That’s in contrast to
the first years after the financial crisis,
when the vast majority of offerings
went to refinance existing obligations
as the Federal Reserve’s unprecedented
stimulus efforts pushed borrowing
costs to record lows.
“Animal spirits are finally coming
back to life,” said Mark Zandi, chief
economist for Moody’s Analytics.
“Businesses have been reticent to take
a chance.”
For the second straight quarter, nonfinancial companies in the US are
spending more on new projects than
they’re generating from earnings,
according to Standard & Poor’s. That
leaves them funding the gap by tapping
debt markets, S&P analyst Diane Vazza
wrote in an October 30 report.
“Our dialogue with corporate clients
around capex is as robust as it’s
ever been,” said Amery Dunn, the
New York-based managing director
of US debt capital markets at Royal
Bank of Canada. “There’s an uptick in
confidence and companies are feeling
better as we get further and further
away from the crisis.”
An index that Zandi created to gauge
the morale of company executives
is close to the highest level since the
start of 2003. Manufacturing growth
based on the Institute for Supply
Management’s factory index expanded
at a faster pace last month to match
August as the highest since March 2011,
the Tempe, Arizona-based ISM said in
a report.
American Transmission Systems,
which said in a 2014 report that it
expects to make as much as $3.9bn
of improvements to its electrical
grid during the next 10 years, issued
$400mn of bonds last month for capital
expenditures, Bloomberg data show.
Anne Spaltholz, a spokeswoman for the
Pewaukee, Wisconsin-based company,
didn’t immediately respond to telephone
messages seeking comment.
CF Industries, a 68-year-old company
that uses natural gas to create nitrogen
plant fertilizers, doubled its debt load by
issuing $1.5bn of bonds in March to help
fund its biggest expansion ever.
With natural-gas prices declining during
the last several years amid the US shale
boom, the Deerfield, Illinois-based
company embarked on a $3.8bn plan to
expand fertilizer production, including a
$1.7bn plant in Iowa, said Dennis Kelleher,
the company’s chief financial officer.
“We can run those plants flat out” with
natural gas prices so low, Kelleher said
in a telephone interview. While the
company doesn’t have plans for more
debt offerings in the near future, “it
wouldn’t be surprising if we took a look
at debt capacity” once earnings start
to climb, he said. US companies are
coming into this shift with some of the
strongest balance sheets in decades.
Companies in the S&P 500 Index
have about the lowest net debt to
earnings ratio in at least 24 years and
record earnings per share, Bloomberg
data show. They are headed this year
toward the fastest average monthly
job creation since 1999, a recovery that
stands in contrast to Europe and Asia.
Even as investment-grade companies
are increasing their borrowing for
capital projects, speculative-rated firms
have kept their share of bond deals for
capital expenditures steady at about
15%, according to Moody’s Analytics
data.
Instead, they’ve largely been pursuing
shareholder friendly activities funded
by debt, according to a October 28
Moody’s Investors Service report.
“It’s not clear at this point if this is a
meaningful inflection point yet,” Ward
McCarthy, chief financial economist
Sweden grapples with
massive household
debt as rates hit zero
Reuters
Stockholm
S
weden’s new centre-left government and its financial authorities
are under huge pressure when they
meet on Tuesday to tackle a mountain
of household debt that is casting a long
shadow over one of Europe’s few economic bright spots.
Having slashed rates to zero to п¬Ѓght
the risk of deflation, top Swedish officials
are now in a quandary over how to rein
in borrowing and house price rises without sending the real estate market into a
downward spiral.
The country’s AAA-rated economy is
still one of Europe’s strongest, with low
public debt, sound state п¬Ѓnances and
banks among the best capitalised and
most profitable in Europe.
But consumers, barely touched by the
п¬Ѓnancial crisis, have loaded up on cheap
mortgages and caused Swedish property prices to triple over the last 20 years,
prompting a warning from the IMF that
the market is 20% overvalued.
Adding to the problem: Sweden has
built too few houses for the last 20 years
and its capital Stockholm is one of Europe’s fastest growing cities.
Critics say the former centre-right
government added fuel to the п¬Ѓre by
slashing real estate taxes and leaving 30%
mortgage tax relief untouched.
Meanwhile, Sweden’s household debtto-income ratio has risen to above 170%
- among Europe’s highest.
The worry is that private consumption,
nearly half of GDP, would suffer if rates
rose or property prices fell.
“The longer we wait, the bigger the imbalances are,” said Bengt Hansson, analyst
at the Swedish National Board of Housing
Planning and Building. “We already have
a bubble, but we will avoid an even bigger
bubble.” It will be hard to dissuade bullish
Swedish consumers.
In Stockholm’s frenzied housing market, buyers make multi-million crown
offers to snap up flats they may only have
seen in photographs. And cranes and scaffolding are common sights in suburbia as
householders take advantage of gener-
The headquarters of the Swedish central bank in Stockholm. Having slashed rates to zero to fight the risk of deflation, top Swedish
officials are now in a quandary over how to rein in borrowing and house price rises without sending the real estate market into a
downward spiral.
ous tax breaks for home improvements.
“We don’t think it will crash badly,” said
Peter, a 47 year-old investment advisor,
who with his wife Maria has just bought
a house in Stockholm for around 12mn
Swedish crowns ($1.62mn).
“It might stop going up for a while, but
over the longer term we expect it to go up,”
he added, suggesting the lack of housing and population growth in Stockholm
would support prices.
Attempts by regulators so far to slow
credit growth – squeezing banks by making them put aside more capital and draw
up voluntary mortgage pay-down plans
- have not worked because interest rates
have continued to fall.
Last week the central bank cut rates to
zero in an attempt to answer criticism that
it is not doing enough to tackle another
economic risk - deflation - even while it
acknowledged the problem that would
create in containing household debt.
“There is a fairly large consensus that
household debt is a concern,” Swedish
central bank chairman Stefan Ingves said
after the cut. “If households continue to
borrow, we could end up with very big
problems later on, and this is what we
want to avoid.”
Sweden knows all too well the damage that a property bubble can do when
it bursts: Deregulation in the 1980s led
to a commercial property boom that bust
in 1992 after which those properties lost
nearly two-thirds of their value and Sweden had to nationalise two banks.
But since then borrowing has swelled
again. By 2013, mortgages comprised 47%
of the Swedish banks’ total lending from
30% in 2001. Another risk: those banks
are largely п¬Ѓnanced with international
market funding rather than deposits.
Many economists say the obvious action to take – lowering mortgage tax relief or reimposing real estate taxes - is
politically difficult. “We are not prepared
to take measures that make it difficult for
households to meet their housing costs or,
in a worst case scenario, be forced to move
out of their homes,” Financial Markets
Minister Per Bolund said.
Central bank governor Ingves favours
tightening rules on mortgage repayments
because currently only four in ten mortgage borrowers pay off their debt compared to nine in ten in the mid-1990s.
Lowering the borrowing ceiling of 85%
of the value of a property is another option, but would hit п¬Ѓrst-time buyers.
The Swedish Bankers’ Association has
suggested voluntary rules to make Swedes
pay down the п¬Ѓrst 50% of loans in order
that “households pay off debts when interest rates are extremely low in order to
be better prepared when...we have higher
interest rates,” Annika Falkengren, chairman of the association and CEO of Swedish bank SEB, said.
at Jefferies LLC, said in a telephone
interview.
Quasar Energy Group, a closely held
company in Cleveland that builds and
operates projects that reduce the cost
of waste disposal, is boosting its direct
investment to about $250mn through
2020 from about $70mn on projects to
date, predicting it will win about $1bn of
work during the period.
Municipalities had stopped investing in
wastewater upgrades and expansions
during the recession, creating “a market
that is crying out for help,” said Chief
Financial Officer Steve Smith.
Quasar uses microorganisms to break
down waste while producing biogas
that’s turned into energy.
“The rubber is starting to hit the road,”
Atul Lele, chief investment officer of
Deltec Bank & Trust, said in a telephone
interview. “This is the single most
bullish part of the US economy over the
next year.”
US funds eye major
oil stocks amid
volatile trading
Reuters
Boston
W
elcome back “Big
Oil.” US stock funds
with big bets on the
stars of the American shaleenergy boom have taken a
beating recently amid plunging oil prices. In response,
portfolio managers say they
are turning an eye back toward big, integrated oil stocks,
which have weathered the energy sector sell-off better for
the most part.
The strong balance sheets
and diversified global operations of majors like Exxon Mobil Corp, Chevron Corp and BP,
have sheltered index funds and
some active portfolio managers
from the worst of a volatile ride
on energy markets, where oil
prices have plunged 21% since
early August.
The $33bn Ivy Asset Strategy Fund added 2.6mn Exxon
shares during the six months
that ended Sept. 30, while
many other funds saw their
exposure to Exxon increase
because its stock outperformed smaller energy peers.
“You don’t always want to
be driving 100 miles an hour,”
said John Dowd, co-manager
of the $2.4bn Fidelity Select
Energy Portfolio, referring to
jumping into high-growth energy stocks.
Dowd’s fund is a case in
point. While it’s down 10.95%
over the past three months,
it’s still beating 73% of its
peers, boosted by holdings
such as Exxon, which has fallen only 1.5% during a rough
three-month stretch for many
US energy-related stocks, according to Morningstar. He
declined to comment on his
fund’s upcoming plans.
A benchmark heavyweight,
Exxon’s biggest mutual fund
investors are index funds, such
as the $100bn-plus Vanguard
Total Stock Market Index
Fund. With oil prices down,
Exxon is seen as a defensive
play because its refining plants
and chemicals manufacturing
can benefit from lower input
costs and offset profit declines
related to crude oil produc-
tion. In the past three months,
other big, diversified oil stocks
have fared better than smaller
energy companies.
Shares of Chevron Corp are
down 5% and the American
depositary receipts of BP plc
are off 11%.
It’s a downturn, to be sure.
But in contrast, drilling
company Nabors Industries
Ltd is down 33% during the
past three months, the worst
performer on the S&P 500 Index, followed by a 29% decline
in shares of oil and gas company Denbury Resources.
US energy п¬Ѓrm EOG Resources Inc, which has become the No 1 oil producer in
the continental US, is down
5% over the same period. Its
shares have recovered about
12% over the past week after
EOG’s profit beat Wall Street
expectations.
Thanks to fracking innovations and a leading position
in the Bakken and Eagle Ford
shale formations, EOG’s market capitalization has surged
to $50bn in recent years.
That is a fraction of global
giant Exxon’s $404bn, but the
rapid growth is enough to have
made EOG a posterchild of the
American energy-production
boom and a favorite of several
of the largest actively managed stock funds.
Shale oil may have fuelled
much of the boom, but it’s extraction is more costly, leaving the industry more vulnerable when prices fall and some
funds that bet on shale are
now feeling the sting.
The $141bn Growth Fund of
America and Fidelity’s $110bn
Contrafund are the two largest
EOG shareholders in the mutual fund industry with $2.2bn
and $1.2bn worth of stock, respectively, as of Septemebr 30,
fund disclosures show.
Neither held any Exxon Mobil, or any significant stakes
in global diversified energy
stocks.
Each fund is lagging the
11.79% total return on the
benchmark S&P 500 Index by
about 3 percentage points this
year, partly because of their
bets on high-growth energy
stocks.
AT&T spreading wings in Mexico with $2.5bn Iusacell buy
Bloomberg
New York
A
T&T, the second-largest US
mobile-phone carrier, agreed to
buy Grupo Iusacell SA from billionaire Ricardo Salinas for $2.5bn to
expand further into Latin America.
AT&T is gaining 8.6mn subscribers with the purchase of closely held
Iusacell, the third-largest wireless operator in Mexico that has struggled to
compete against Carlos Slim’s America
Movil SAB. The price includes $800mn
in debt. The acquisition will take place
after Salinas closes a deal to buy the
50% of Iusacell owned by Grupo Televisa SAB, AT&T said in a statement.
AT&T is expanding into Mexico after agreeing earlier this year to pay
$48.5bn for DirecTV, which provides
satellite- TV service in the US and
Latin America. Four months ago,
President Enrique Pena Nieto signed a
telecommunications overhaul into law
that promotes competition and reinforces oversight of the telecommunications industry.
“Our acquisition of Iusacell is a direct result of the reforms put in place
by President Pena Nieto to encourage
more competition and more investment in Mexico,” AT&T Chief Executive Officer Randall Stephenson said
in the statement. “Those reforms together with the country’s strong economic outlook, growing population
and growing middle class make Mexico
an attractive place to invest.”
Dallas-based AT&T has been on the
prowl specifically for deals in Latin
America and MexiCo In September,
AT&T Chief Strategy Officer John
Stankey said that Mexico was poised
for investment and that he sees a lot
of options, both near-term and longterm, in Latin America.
“If we weren’t looking at Mexico
and Latin America more broadly and
A pedestrian looks at a mobile phone while walking past an AT&T store in
Washington. AT&T is gaining 8.6mn subscribers with the purchase of Iusacell.
thinking about what opportunities
there were to further shareholder returns down there, and begin to diversify our revenue sources, I think we’d
be asleep at the wheel,” Stankey said
at an investor conference at the time.
He met with Mexican telecommunications regulators that month to discuss
the market and the new laws designed
to ignite investment.
While the transaction is subject to
review by Mexico’s telecom regulator,
AT&T said it expects to complete the
deal in the п¬Ѓrst quarter, according to
the statement.
The May agreement to buy DirecTV
- a deal that’s still awaiting regulatory
approval - marked AT&T’s first push
outside the US in more than a decade
as it tries to counter slowing growth in
its home market.
“We feel, as we have said, that we
can get the DirecTV deal done early
next year,” John Stephens, AT&T’s
chief п¬Ѓnancial officer, said yesterday
in an interview. “Sometimes opportunities come up and we make decisions
and act accordingly.”
AT&T was among the companies
that America Movil contacted about
buying $17.5bn of Mexican wireless
and landline businesses, people with
knowledge of the matter said in September. America Movil has said the
buyer needs to be new to the Mexican
market to create more competition.
“It’s surprising that this comes before DirecTV is closed,” Walt Piecyk,
an analyst with BTIG LLC, said yesterday in an interview. “It could be
that Salinas was ready and they had
to go. They’ve been looking at Latin
America and this deal may be an early
sign that AT&T has an interest in the
assets of its former partner America
Movil.”
As part of yesterday’s deal, Salinas
is keeping the company’s fiber-optic
unit, Totalplay, which has more than
130,000 Internet, landline and payTV users in Mexico City, Guadalajara,
Cuernavaca and Toluca.
Totalplay plans to expand to 7.5mn
households across 24 Mexican cities
over the next п¬Ѓve years, from 1.5mn
households currently.
AT&T said it plans to expand Iusacell’s wireless network beyond the 70%
of Mexico’s population that it currently reaches.
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
7
BUSINESS
SAUDI ARABIA
Company Name
QATAR
Company Name
Zad Holding Co
Widam Food Co
Vodafone Qatar
United Development Co
Salam International Investme
Qatar & Oman Investment Co
Qatar Navigation
Qatar National Cement Co
Qatar National Bank
Qatar Islamic Insurance
Qatar Industrial Manufactur
Qatar International Islamic
Qatari Investors Group
Qatar Islamic Bank
Qatar Gas Transport(Nakilat)
Qatar General Insurance & Re
Qatar German Co For Medical
Qatar Fuel Co
Qatar Electricity & Water Co
Qatar Cinema & Film Distrib
Qatar Insurance Co
Ooredoo Qsc
National Leasing
Mazaya Qatar Real Estate Dev
Mesaieed Petrochemical Holdi
Al Meera Consumer Goods Co
Medicare Group
Mannai Corporation Qsc
Masraf Al Rayan
Al Khalij Commercial Bank
Industries Qatar
Islamic Holding Group
Gulf Warehousing Company
Gulf International Services
Ezdan Holding Group
Doha Insurance Co
Doha Bank Qsc
Dlala Holding
Commercial Bank Of Qatar Qsc
Barwa Real Estate Co
Al Khaleej Takaful Group
Aamal Co
Lt Price
85.00
65.50
19.20
25.55
18.38
17.18
101.80
133.90
221.90
85.80
46.05
85.40
48.30
109.90
24.30
45.50
12.14
217.00
186.00
42.00
97.00
120.00
26.40
23.50
31.95
194.40
126.90
111.80
50.30
21.70
196.80
177.00
55.50
127.10
19.28
34.00
59.40
56.00
73.90
48.40
50.80
14.75
% Chg
0.00
3.31
-3.18
-0.58
1.55
0.17
1.80
1.29
1.74
-2.61
-0.75
0.00
-1.13
0.64
-0.12
-1.73
0.33
0.00
-0.11
0.00
-1.02
0.76
1.15
-1.05
-0.47
1.36
1.52
0.18
0.20
0.00
1.44
1.72
-1.07
1.92
-2.08
0.00
1.19
-3.11
0.68
7.56
4.96
0.14
Volume
384,971
1,966,492
925,070
481,954
358,551
125,467
23,543
243,322
71,019
10,316
105,383
85,444
50,240
265,641
5,392
65,230
39,632
32,514
38,176
29,593
125,112
496,200
274,800
123,071
22,893
6,063
911,898
26,912
329,005
386,587
29,657
691,518
2,155,702
241,879
48,701
119,897
4,956,119
497,866
9,795
SAUDI ARABIA
Company Name
Saudi Hollandi Bank
Al-Ahsa Development Co.
Al-Baha Development & Invest
Ace Arabia Cooperative Insur
Allied Cooperative Insurance
Arriyadh Development Company
Fitaihi Holding Group
Arabia Insurance Cooperative
Al Abdullatif Industrial Inv
Al-Ahlia Cooperative Insuran
Al Alamiya Cooperative Insur
Dar Al Arkan Real Estate Dev
Al Babtain Power & Telecommu
Bank Albilad
Alujain Corporation (Alco)
Aldrees Petroleum And Transp
Fawaz Abdulaziz Alhokair & C
Alinma Bank
Alinma Tokio Marine
Al Khaleej Training And Educ
Abdullah A.M. Al-Khodari Son
Allianz Saudi Fransi Coopera
Almarai Co
Saudi Integrated Telecom Co
Alsorayai Group
Al Tayyar
Amana Cooperative Insurance
Anaam International Holding
Abdullah Al Othaim Markets
Arabian Pipes Co
Advanced Petrochemicals Co
Al Rajhi Co For Co-Operative
Arabian Cement
Arab National Bank
Ash-Sharqiyah Development Co
United Wire Factories Compan
Astra Industrial Group
Alahli Takaful Co
Aseer
Axa Cooperative Insurance
Basic Chemical Industries
Bishah Agriculture
Bank Al-Jazira
Banque Saudi Fransi
United International Transpo
Bupa Arabia For Cooperative
Buruj Cooperative Insurance
Saudi Airlines Catering Co
Methanol Chemicals Co
City Cement Co
Eastern Cement
Etihad Atheeb Telecommunicat
Etihad Etisalat Co
Emaar Economic City
Saudi Enaya Cooperative Insu
United Electronics Co
Falcom Saudi Equity Etf
Filing & Packing Materials M
Wafrah For Industry And Deve
Falcom Petrochemical Etf
Gulf General Cooperative Ins
Jazan Development Co
Gulf Union Cooperative Insur
Halwani Bros Co
Hail Cement
Herfy Food Services Co
Al Jouf Agriculture Developm
Jarir Marketing Co
Jabal Omar Development Co
Al Jouf Cement
Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Co
Knowledge Economic City
Kingdom Holding Co
Saudi Arabian Mining Co
Malath Cooperative & Reinsur
Makkah Construction & Devepl
Mediterranean & Gulf Insuran
Middle East Specialized Cabl
Mohammad Al Mojil Group Co
Al Mouwasat Medical Services
The National Agriculture Dev
Najran Cement Co
Nama Chemicals Co
National Gypsum
National Gas & Industrializa
National Industrialization C
Maadaniyah
National Shipping Co Of/The
National Petrochemical Co
Rabigh Refining And Petroche
Al Qassim Agricultural Co
Qassim Cement/The
Red Sea Housing Services Co
Saudi Research And Marketing
Riyad Bank
Al Rajhi Bank
Saudi Arabian Amiantit Co
Lt Price
48.30
18.50
13.50
66.27
25.00
21.90
22.63
24.27
41.19
18.45
114.19
11.99
40.32
54.50
23.73
57.67
109.79
23.10
57.32
64.39
69.88
53.33
75.45
24.30
21.50
136.67
22.90
34.80
106.57
26.44
53.00
51.31
83.24
31.36
104.71
43.14
44.93
59.22
29.93
47.77
38.48
69.75
31.22
34.99
71.25
167.16
48.12
189.73
15.69
26.96
59.43
9.53
60.63
16.47
36.49
108.25
33.00
61.05
49.43
33.50
40.46
18.46
24.80
77.82
26.20
104.72
49.96
187.52
50.99
21.62
14.09
20.20
18.86
36.00
25.89
79.75
73.21
21.28
12.55
128.99
39.32
33.05
13.80
34.16
32.63
29.33
46.88
33.60
31.93
25.98
15.04
96.81
53.95
19.08
18.77
64.49
15.95
% Chg
-1.45
1.76
0.00
-0.96
0.24
-0.64
0.71
7.68
0.46
-0.22
-1.17
-0.91
-1.08
-0.55
-0.67
5.33
1.86
-0.82
-0.76
-1.50
1.45
-0.86
0.82
0.00
0.14
1.38
3.62
1.58
0.17
0.53
-0.93
-0.70
1.07
1.29
0.21
0.37
1.17
0.61
2.50
-1.30
-0.98
0.00
0.84
-0.85
-0.24
3.55
-0.50
0.92
0.32
0.90
-0.70
0.42
3.64
0.92
-0.11
0.00
0.00
2.11
0.75
0.00
-0.49
1.10
-0.28
1.95
1.43
2.06
0.50
0.95
0.89
0.37
-0.56
0.45
-1.20
-0.41
4.35
0.31
-1.03
0.38
0.00
-0.93
2.74
3.93
0.00
-1.10
1.59
0.07
-0.04
1.63
1.46
-0.12
-0.20
1.37
1.31
0.16
0.37
0.37
1.59
Volume
17,549
2,094,199
90,935
238,310
667,611
294,089
2,080,423
103,769
746,628
92,935
9,638,482
259,663
474,520
181,832
558,494
281,607
20,292,434
138,663
77,970
1,626,733
239,274
953,503
288,171
158,594
3,131,041
446,054
31,716
329,759
181,744
169,318
67,129
240,929
544,236
57,288
146,802
185,154
680,440
963,136
1,209,140
1,195,448
163,452
145,961
430,092
163,675
35,931
314,931
400,694
249,513
5,080,282
73,358,356
587,245
553,618
19,375
20
436,399
792,337
247,303
510,111
391,005
20,790
230,436
86,300
30,507
78,178
841,996
1,019,740
5,509,289
539,081
651,500
2,240,413
2,856,122
50,127
300,509
3,780,827
17,590
433,168
141,775
1,091,134
314,515
96,662
2,453,995
1,326,987
974,194
115,161
1,083,345
849,096
32,668
89,664
59,173
1,561,907
2,443,088
1,753,475
Saudi British Bank
Sabb Takaful
Saudi Basic Industries Corp
Saudi Cement
Sasco
Saudi Dairy & Foodstuff Co
Saudi Arabian Fertilizer Co
Al Sagr Co-Operative Insuran
Saudi Advanced Industries
Saudi Arabian Coop Ins Co
Salama Cooperative Insurance
Samba Financial Group
Sanad Cooperative Insurance
Saudi Public Transport Co
Saudi Arabia Refineries Co
Hsbc Amanah Saudi 20 Etf
Saudi Re For Cooperative Rei
Savola
Saudi Cable Co
Saudi Chemical Company
Saudi Ceramic
Saudi Electricity Co
Saudi Fisheries
Al-Hassan G.I. Shaker Co
Saudi Hotels & Resort
Arabian Shield Cooperative
Saudi Investment Bank/The
Saudi Industrial Development
Saudi Industrial Export Co
KUWAIT
Lt Price
56.93
41.28
104.63
109.25
30.80
122.00
156.75
41.39
25.42
56.22
34.06
46.28
15.23
30.64
71.90
33.20
11.45
82.00
11.59
67.84
136.46
16.61
33.01
85.38
34.54
47.22
27.59
20.46
58.44
% Chg
-0.12
0.22
-0.31
-0.78
7.32
1.46
0.49
3.55
2.05
-0.92
-0.18
2.89
0.00
-0.55
1.60
0.00
-0.87
-0.13
-0.09
6.08
-0.41
-0.42
-1.55
1.55
-0.37
-0.15
-0.65
2.40
1.71
Volume
127,779
408,674
2,246,733
20,567
990,570
18,156
85,785
559,771
1,375,924
658,584
259,239
548,610
712,760
171,558
275
1,557,038
325,936
485,606
458,148
18,831
2,056,862
862,924
59,420
320,775
124,684
449,276
1,450,781
649,792
KUWAIT
Company Name
Securities Group Co
Sultan Center Food Products
Kuwait Foundry Co
Kuwait Financial Centre
Ajial Real Estate Entmt
Gulf Glass Manuf Co -Kscc
Kuwait Finance & Investment
National Industries Co
Kuwait Real Estate Holding C
Securities House/The
Boubyan Petrochemicals Co
Al Ahli Bank Of Kuwait
Ahli United Bank (Almutahed)
National Bank Of Kuwait
Commercial Bank Of Kuwait
Kuwait International Bank
Gulf Bank
Al-Massaleh Real Estate Co
Al Arabiya Real Estate Co
Kuwait Remal Real Estate Co
Alkout Industrial Projects C
A’ayan Real Estate Co
Investors Holding Group Co.K
Markaz Real Estate Fund
Al-Mazaya Holding Co
Al-Madar Finance & Invt Co
Gulf Petroleum Investment
Mabanee Co Sakc
City Group
Inovest Co Bsc
Kuwait Gypsum Manufacturing
Al-Deera Holding Co
Alshamel International Hold
United Industries Co
Mena Real Estate Co
National Slaughter House
Amar Finance & Leasing Co
United Projects Group Kscc
National Consumer Holding Co
Amwal International Investme
Jeeran Holdings
Equipment Holding Co K.S.C.C
Nafais Holding
Safwan Trading & Contracting
Arkan Al Kuwait Real Estate
Gulf Finance House Ec
Energy House Holding Co Kscc
Kuwait Slaughter House Co
Kuwait Co For Process Plant
Al Maidan Dental Clinic Co K
National Ranges Company
Kuwait Pipes Indus & Oil Ser
Al-Themar Real International
Al-Ahleia Insurance Co
Wethaq Takaful Insurance Co
Salbookh Trading Co K.S.C.C
Aqar Real Estate Investments
Hayat Communications
Kuwait Packing Materials Mfg
Soor Fuel Marketing Co Ksc
Alargan International Real
Burgan Co For Well Drilling
Kuwait Resorts Co Kscc
Oula Fuel Marketing Co
Palms Agro Production Co
Ikarus Petroleum Industries
Mubarrad Transport Co
Al Mowasat Health Care Co
Shuaiba Industrial Co
Kuwait Invest Co Holding
Hits Telecom Holding
First Takaful Insurance Co
Kuwaiti Syrian Holding Co
National Cleaning Company
Eyas For High & Technical Ed
United Real Estate Company
Agility
Kuwait & Middle East Fin Inv
Fujairah Cement Industries
Livestock Transport & Tradng
International Resorts Co
National Industries Grp Hold
Marine Services Co
Pearl Of Kuwait Real Estate
Warba Insurance Co
Kuwait United Poultry Co
First Dubai Real Estate Deve
Al Arabi Group Holding Co
Kuwait Hotels Co
Mobile Telecommunications Co
Al Safat Real Estate Co
Tamdeen Real Estate Co Kscc
Al Mudon Intl Real Estate Co
Kuwait Cement Co Ksc
Sharjah Cement & Indus Devel
Kuwait Portland Cement Co
Educational Holding Group
Bahrain Kuwait Insurance
Kuwait China Investment Co
Kuwait Investment Co
Burgan Bank
Kuwait Projects Co Holdings
Al Madina For Finance And In
Kuwait Insurance Co
Al Masaken Intl Real Estate
Intl Financial Advisors
First Investment Co Kscc
Al Mal Investment Company
Bayan Investment Co Kscc
Egypt Kuwait Holding Co Sae
Coast Investment Development
Privatization Holding Compan
Kuwait Medical Services Co
Injazzat Real State Company
Kuwait Cable Vision Sak
Sanam Real Estate Co Kscc
Ithmaar Bank Bsc
Aviation Lease And Finance C
Arzan Financial Group For Fi
Ajwan Gulf Real Estate Co
Manafae Investment Co
Kuwait Business Town Real Es
Future Kid Entertainment And
Specialities Group Holding C
Abyaar Real Eastate Developm
Lt Price
118.00
102.00
335.00
142.00
226.00
690.00
66.00
214.00
38.00
89.00
720.00
440.00
650.00
970.00
670.00
300.00
330.00
69.00
49.00
75.00
520.00
97.00
0.00
1.52
128.00
43.00
87.00
1,020.00
420.00
72.00
0.00
16.00
0.00
112.00
42.50
160.00
60.00
780.00
81.00
45.00
68.00
124.00
88.00
405.00
118.00
31.00
99.00
0.00
265.00
0.00
43.00
0.00
95.00
460.00
60.00
86.00
86.00
82.00
630.00
150.00
176.00
0.00
104.00
154.00
124.00
170.00
85.00
0.00
242.00
0.00
43.00
0.00
24.50
98.00
315.00
102.00
860.00
46.50
83.00
190.00
51.00
206.00
130.00
15.00
130.00
180.00
92.00
168.00
100.00
620.00
26.50
440.00
87.00
430.00
95.00
1,360.00
168.00
0.00
58.00
156.00
530.00
700.00
38.00
310.00
69.00
53.00
106.00
45.50
82.00
280.00
67.00
61.00
0.00
73.00
48.00
58.00
50.00
246.00
60.00
65.00
0.00
44.00
106.00
158.00
41.50
% Chg
7.27
0.00
0.00
1.43
-0.88
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
1.14
0.00
1.15
0.00
0.00
-1.47
1.69
1.54
6.15
2.08
-1.32
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
1.59
2.38
1.16
2.00
0.00
1.41
0.00
10.34
0.00
3.70
-1.16
0.00
-4.76
0.00
0.00
1.12
-5.56
-3.13
-2.22
0.00
0.00
0.00
-1.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
1.18
0.00
-1.20
0.00
2.74
0.00
0.00
1.96
0.00
0.00
-2.30
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
1.18
0.00
4.26
0.00
0.00
2.00
0.00
0.00
1.22
5.56
4.08
1.98
0.00
7.14
0.00
3.45
0.00
0.00
0.00
1.64
-1.85
0.00
4.82
0.00
-1.04
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
2.63
0.00
0.00
-1.30
0.00
0.00
1.92
3.92
1.11
1.23
0.00
3.08
1.67
0.00
-1.35
0.00
1.75
1.01
0.00
1.69
0.00
0.00
3.53
0.00
0.00
1.22
Volume
2,643
497,807
135,931
1
42,585
1
840
10,000
7,511
1,095,649
55,383
142,244
110,000
3,518,167
2,567
148,527
694,560
6,950
274,758
173,324
1,000
61,500
1,887,500
23,844
2,036,015
192,939
6
751,500
12,227,963
209,240
500
5,000
500
5,000
580
72,200
2,100
16,000
33,500
1
128,430
12,691,900
450,000
50,100
1,684,074
10,145,311
96
25,200
218,443
3,000
239,855
910
11,348
15,000
288,100
4,135
600
138,760
76,214
10,000
1,013,376
1,497,184
19,500
50
191,571
126,220
37,142
167,990
50
254,296
393,413
9,841
70,000
495
100
64,120
20,260
3,000
641,974
5,866,025
20,000
207,100
98,933
10,000
1,792
20
158,377
8,259
3,211,754
1,471,682
5,764,362
16,025
344,000
1,191,605
695,100
4,675,774
2,104,722
15
6,587,686
593,485
21,142
500
30,000
1,316,752
475,000
181,181
17,729
2,472,000
15,100
750
4,706,791
Company Name
Dar Al Thuraya Real Estate C
Al-Dar National Real Estate
Kgl Logistics Company Kscc
Combined Group Contracting
Zima Holding Co Ksc
Qurain Holding Co
Boubyan Intl Industries Hold
Gulf Investment House
Boubyan Bank K.S.C
Ahli United Bank B.S.C
Al-Safat Tec Holding Co
Al-Eid Food Co
Al-Qurain Petrochemicals Co
Advanced Technology Co
Ekttitab Holding Co S.A.K.C
Kout Food Group
Real Estate Trade Centers Co
Acico Industries Co Kscc
Kipco Asset Management Co
National Petroleum Services
Alimtiaz Investment Co Kscc
Ras Al Khaimah Co
Kuwait Reinsurance Co Ksc
Kuwait & Gulf Link Transport
Human Soft Holding Co
Automated Systems Co
Metal & Recycling Co
Gulf Franchising Holding Co
Al-Enma’a Real Estate Co
National Mobile Telecommuni
Al Bareeq Holding Co Kscc
Union Real Estate Co
Housing Finance Co Sak
Al Salam Group Holding Co
United Foodstuff Industries
Al Aman Investment Company
Mashaer Holdings
Manazel Holding
Mushrif Trading & Contractin
Tijara And Real Estate Inves
Kuwait Building Materials
Jazeera Airways
Commercial Real Estate Co
Future Communications Co
National International Co
Taameer Real Estate Invest C
Gulf Cement Co
Heavy Engineering And Ship B
Refrigeration Industries & S
National Real Estate Co
Al Safat Energy Holding Comp
Kuwait National Cinema Co
Danah Alsafat Foodstuff Co
Independent Petroleum Group
Kuwait Real Estate Co
Salhia Real Estate Co Ksc
Gulf Cable & Electrical Ind
Al-Nawadi Holding Co K.S.C
Kuwait Finance House
OMAN
Lt Price
146.00
24.50
120.00
810.00
168.00
30.00
81.00
67.00
510.00
234.00
64.00
0.00
226.00
930.00
53.00
880.00
42.00
320.00
106.00
570.00
69.00
130.00
188.00
75.00
375.00
375.00
108.00
70.00
82.00
1,540.00
0.00
160.00
22.50
87.00
0.00
85.00
156.00
54.00
81.00
64.00
445.00
430.00
95.00
128.00
65.00
41.00
110.00
148.00
350.00
156.00
25.50
1,000.00
82.00
445.00
79.00
375.00
770.00
148.00
760.00
% Chg
0.00
2.08
3.45
1.25
0.00
0.00
-2.41
-1.47
2.00
0.00
1.59
0.00
4.63
0.00
8.16
0.00
0.00
4.92
1.92
0.00
2.99
0.00
0.00
1.35
8.70
0.00
0.00
0.00
1.23
0.00
0.00
6.67
12.50
2.35
0.00
3.66
5.41
-1.82
-1.22
0.00
0.00
-1.15
2.15
0.00
3.17
2.50
5.77
2.78
-1.41
0.00
0.00
0.00
3.80
-3.26
3.95
1.35
1.32
0.00
0.00
Volume
10
3,691,698
105,807
23,500
2
2,238,550
35,000
2,803,225
71,422
245,870
500
1,117,111
70
5,934,410
10,000
63,150
17,686
5,005
270
201,483
158,000
310
41,583
4,300
4,940
1,160
26,376
206,500
21,470
10
3,415,502
803,177
1,449,944
10,000
1,365,001
282,347
688,397
200
22,518
234,265
70,205
111,480
140,100
431,850
1,130
40,000
144,032
9,963,050
2
595,900
743
4,050,224
1,247
21,000
100
831,173
OMAN
Company Name
Voltamp Energy Saog
United Finance Co
United Power Co
United Power/Energy Co- Pref
Al Madina Investment Co
Taageer Finance
Salalah Port Services
A’saffa Foods Saog
Sohar Poultry
Shell Oman Marketing
Shell Oman Marketing - Pref
Smn Power Holding Saog
Al Shurooq Inv Ser
Al Sharqiya Invest Holding
Sohar Power Co
Salalah Beach Resort Saog
Salalah Mills Co
Sahara Hospitality
Renaissance Services Saog
Raysut Cement Co
Port Service Corporation
Packaging Co Ltd
Oman United Insurance Co
Oman Textile Holding Co Saog
Oman Telecommunications Co
Sweets Of Oman
Oman Orix Leasing Co.
Oman Refreshment Co
Oman Packaging
Oman Oil Marketing Company
0Man Oil Marketing Co-Pref
Oman National Investment Co
Oman National Engineering An
Oman National Dairy Products
Ominvest
Oman Medical Projects
Oman Ceramic Com
Oman Intl Marketing
Oman Investment & Finance
Hsbc Bank Oman
Oman Hotels & Tourism Co
Oman Holding International
Oman Fiber Optics
Oman Flour Mills
Oman Filters Industry
Oman Fisheries Co
Oman Education & Training In
Oman & Emirates Inv(Om)50%
Oman & Emirates Inv(Emir)50%
Oman Europe Foods Industries
Oman Cement Co
Oman Chlorine
Oman Chromite
Oman Cables Industry
Oman Agricultural Dev
Omani Qatari Telecommunicati
National Securities
Oman Foods International Soa
National Pharmaceutical-Rts
National Pharmaceutical
National Packaging Fac
National Mineral Water
National Hospitality Institu
National Gas Co
National Finance Co
National Detergents/The
National Carpet Factory
National Bank Of Oman Saog
National Biscuit Industries
National Real Estate Develop
Natl Aluminium Products
Muscat Thread Mills Co
Muscat Insurance Company
Modern Poultry Farms
Muscat National Holding
Musandam Marketing & Invest
Al Maha Petroleum Products M
Muscat Gases Company Saog
Majan Glass Company
Muscat Finance
Al Kamil Power Co
Interior Hotels
Hotels Management Co Interna
Al-Hassan Engineering Co
Gulf Stone
Gulf Mushroom Company
Gulf Invest. Serv. Pref-Shar
Gulf Investments Services
Gulf International Chemicals
Gulf Hotels (Oman) Co Ltd
Global Fin Investment
Galfar Engineering&Contract
Galfar Engineering -Prefer
Financial Services Co.
Flexible Ind Packages
Lt Price
0.43
0.14
1.23
1.00
0.00
0.15
0.65
0.91
0.21
2.03
1.05
0.64
1.04
0.18
0.37
1.38
1.49
2.45
0.57
2.10
0.40
0.48
0.41
0.29
1.66
1.35
0.15
2.45
0.26
2.23
0.25
0.38
0.31
0.00
0.42
0.00
0.45
0.52
0.21
0.00
0.23
0.00
5.51
0.63
0.02
0.07
0.13
0.17
0.00
1.00
0.72
0.56
3.64
2.38
1.45
0.66
0.16
0.52
0.00
0.10
0.00
0.07
2.05
0.62
0.15
0.70
0.00
0.36
3.75
0.00
0.30
0.16
0.00
0.00
1.65
0.00
2.41
0.83
0.29
0.15
0.31
0.00
1.25
0.12
0.08
0.42
0.15
0.19
0.19
10.50
0.12
0.16
0.43
0.16
0.06
% Chg
-3.15
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
-0.67
0.00
-1.55
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
-0.47
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
-1.35
0.00
-1.14
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
-1.04
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
-0.65
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.42
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
-1.64
0.00
0.00
0.00
-4.04
-9.52
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
Volume
26,185
31,200
30
1,000
49,792
25,000
265,422
8,200
37,000
118,842
1,144,363
29,450
427,305
281,838
41,267
62,000
25,364
375,000
7,500
35,879
122,801
221,877
310,101
6,000
122,858
-
Company Name
Financial Corp/The
Dhofar Tourism
Dhofar Poultry
Aloula Co
Dhofar Intl Development
Dhofar Insurance
Dhofar University
Dhofar Power Co
Dhofar Power Co-Pfd
Dhofar Fisheries & Food Indu
Dhofar Cattlefeed
Al Batinah Dev & Inv
Dhofar Beverages Co
Computer Stationery Inds
Construction Materials Ind
Cement & Gypsum Pro
Marine Bander Al-Rowdha
Bank Sohar
Bankmuscat Saog
Bank Dhofar Saog
Al Batinah Hotels
Majan College
Areej Vegetable Oils
Al Jazeera Steel Products Co
Al Sallan Food Industry
Acwa Power Barka Saog
Al-Omaniya Financial Service
Taghleef Industries Saog
Gulf Plastic Industries Co
Al Jazeera Services
Al Jazerah Services -Pfd
Al-Fajar Al-Alamia Co
Ahli Bank
Abrasives Manufacturing Co S
Al-Batinah Intl Saog
Lt Price
0.13
1.00
0.18
0.53
0.53
0.20
1.47
0.00
0.00
1.28
0.18
0.16
0.26
0.25
0.05
0.00
0.00
0.22
0.70
0.36
1.13
0.50
5.50
0.46
0.00
0.74
0.33
0.00
0.39
0.35
0.55
0.75
0.21
0.05
0.00
% Chg
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
-0.57
-6.86
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
-0.57
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
-0.47
0.00
0.00
Volume
20,000
30,800
100
418,865
1,513,299
108,070
3,000
500,164
-
UAE
Company Name
National Takaful Company
Waha Capital Pjsc
Union Insurance Co
Union National Bank/Abu Dhab
United Insurance Company
Union Cement Co
United Arab Bank
Abu Dhabi National Takaful C
Abu Dhabi National Energy Co
Sudan Telecommunications Co$
Sorouh Real Estate Company
Sharjah Insurance Company
Sharjah Cement & Indus Devel
Ras Al Khaima Poultry
Ras Al Khaimah Co
Rak Properties
Ras Al-Khaimah National Insu
Ras Al Khaimah Ceramics
Ras Al Khaimah Cement Co
National Bank Of Ras Al-Khai
Ooredoo Qsc
Umm Al Qaiwain Cement Indust
Oman & Emirates Inv(Emir)50%
National Marine Dredging Co
National Corp Tourism & Hote
Sharjah Islamic Bank
National Bank Of Umm Al Qaiw
National Bank Of Fujairah
National Bank Of Abu Dhabi
Methaq Takaful Insurance
#N/A Invalid Security
Gulf Pharmaceutical Ind-Julp
Invest Bank
Insurance House
Gulf Medical Projects
Gulf Livestock Co
Green Crescent Insurance Co
Gulf Cement Co
Foodco Holding
Finance House
First Gulf Bank
Fujairah Cement Industries
Fujairah Building Industries
Emirates Telecom Corporation
Eshraq Properties Co Pjsc
Emirates Insurance Co. (Psc)
Emirates Driving Company
Al Dhafra Insurance Co. P.S.
Dana Gas
Commercial Bank Internationa
Bank Of Sharjah
Abu Dhabi Natl Co For Buildi
Al Wathba National Insurance
Intl Fish Farming Co-Asmak
Arkan Building Materials Co
Aldar Properties Pjsc
Al Ain Ahlia Ins. Co.
Al Khazna Insurance Co
Agthia Group Pjsc
Al Fujairah National Insuran
Abu Dhabi Ship Building Co
Abu Dhabi National Insurance
Abu Dhabi National Hotels
Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank
Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank
Abu Dhabi Aviation
Lt Price
0.95
2.92
1.10
6.45
2.00
1.40
7.00
5.85
0.98
0.90
0.00
3.90
1.14
1.27
1.66
0.80
3.80
3.21
1.02
8.70
130.00
1.22
1.17
6.90
6.00
1.88
3.35
4.25
13.30
1.00
0.00
3.05
2.76
1.20
2.54
3.00
0.94
1.30
3.99
4.14
18.75
1.35
1.45
11.40
1.08
7.11
4.30
7.70
0.59
1.71
1.80
0.92
5.35
6.10
1.62
3.17
44.55
0.65
6.66
300.00
2.32
6.80
3.50
6.47
7.71
3.50
% Chg
0.00
6.96
0.00
-5.15
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
2.08
3.45
0.00
0.00
-8.06
0.00
0.00
2.56
0.00
-1.23
2.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
2.73
0.00
0.00
0.00
1.01
0.00
-5.86
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
5.34
0.00
0.00
0.00
1.89
0.00
0.00
0.00
-1.67
-2.29
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
5.88
0.32
0.00
0.00
-2.63
0.00
1.31
0.00
0.00
2.05
-0.52
0.00
Volume
11,819,428
1,138,813
1,061
192,431
102,000
160,000
1,588,723
13,000
39,620
540,944
14,546
198,000
203,487
343,950
133,834
1,984,782
2,368,601
40,295,248
2,639,171
24,586
250,000
10,000
7,155,688
26,854
500
349,963
813,573
-
BAHRAIN
Company Name
United Paper Industries Bsc
United Gulf Investment Corp
United Gulf Bank
United Finance Co
Trafco Group Bsc
Takaful International Co
Taib Bank -$Us
Securities & Investment Co
Seef Properties
Sudan Telecommunications Co$
Al-Salam Bank
Delmon Poultry Co
National Hotels Co
National Bank Of Bahrain
Nass Corp Bsc
Khaleeji Commercial Bank
Ithmaar Bank Bsc
Investcorp Bank -$Us
Inovest Co Bsc
Intl Investment Group-Kuwait
Gulf Monetary Group
Global Investment House Kscc
Gulf Finance House Ec
Bahrain Family Leisure Co
Esterad Investment Co B.S.C.
Bahrain Duty Free Complex
Bahrain Car Park Co
Bahrain Cinema Co
Bahrain Tourism Co
Bahraini Saudi Bank/The
Bahrain National Holding
Bankmuscat Saog
Bmmi Bsc
Bmb Investment Bank
Bahrain Kuwait Insurance
Bahrain Islamic Bank
Gulf Hotel Group B.S.C
Bahrain Flour Mills Co
Bahrain Commercial Facilitie
Bbk Bsc
Bahrain Telecom Co
Bahrain Ship Repair & Engin
Albaraka Banking Group
Banader Hotels Co
Ahli United Bank B.S.C
Lt Price
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.40
0.23
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.21
0.00
0.19
0.32
0.30
0.86
0.18
0.05
0.17
501.75
0.26
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.23
0.86
`
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.82
0.00
0.66
0.15
0.88
0.00
0.68
0.47
0.35
2.20
0.84
0.06
0.82
% Chg
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.60
0.00
0.00
Volume
14,345
175,000
13,700
12,600
5,000
2,300
204,000
200,000
71,760
500
62,970
45,090
2,000
15,000
43,000
23,226
10,000
4,500
5,000
24,900
6,224
1,965
5,880
201,223
300,000
LATEST MARKET CLOSING FIGURES
14
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
BUSINESS
Nokia assails Apple victory over
VirnetX in US patent schism
Bloomberg
Washington
S
martphone maker Nokia Oyj has
become both a friend and a foe
to one-time nemesis Apple Inc
when it comes to patents.
Nokia, once the world’s largest
smartphone maker, says US courts are
going too far in rolling back intellectual
property rights. In one case, it supports
Apple’s right to block the sale of products that infringe patents. In another, it
contends an appeals court was wrong
to throw out a $368mn damage award
against the iPhone maker.
The company’s recent court filings
underscore the split among technology
companies over how to curb abusive
lawsuits — some use the pejorative term
“patent trolls” to describe litigants —
without undermining rights to inventions that have been linked to more
than $763bn in US sales every year.
“You’re seeing push-back that
things are going too far, too fast,” said
patent lawyer Paul Berghoff of McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff in
Chicago. “The general drumbeat in the
press about patents is the patent system
is broken, patents are too easy to get.”
Nokia, based in Espoo, Finland, sold
its mobile phone business while retaining the patents. The company’s position on patent rights contrasts with
some Silicon Valley companies, including Google, maker of the Android
operating system that runs most of the
mobile phones in the world. Google and
networking company Cisco Systems
are among companies that want more
done to lessen the number of expensive
patent suits.
They have the ear of Republicans in
Congress, who have pledged to pass
legislation next year when they will
control both houses.
Nokia said it wasn’t trying to take
sides in either of Apple’s underlying
disputes. The two companies have their
own legal history — in 2011, Apple and
Nokia’s recent court filings underscore the split among technology companies over how to curb abusive lawsuits without
undermining rights to inventions that have been linked to more than $763bn in US sales every year.
Nokia settled a two-year battle over
patent royalties for mobile phones.
“We believe that in some areas the
pendulum appears to be swinging too
far in one direction,” Mark Durrant, a
Nokia spokesman, said in an e-mail.
On September 16, a three-judge
panel of the US Court of Appeals for the
Federal Circuit ordered a review of how
much Apple should pay for infringing
VirnetX Holding Corp’s patents covering networks to allow remote access to
computers. In a п¬Ѓling November 6, Nokia urged the court to take the unusual
step of having the case heard before all
active judges.
Nokia in a filing said the Federal Circuit had come up with an “unworkable”
standard on how to determine the value
of a single feature in a complex electronic device.
In October, Nokia sided with Apple
in a different case, calling for a halt in
sales of some Samsung Electronics Co
products a jury said violated Apple patents.
Nokia said in an October 31 п¬Ѓling that
the ruling could set a standard leading
to compulsory licensing of patented
ideas to all competitors.
The rules for patent litigation have
been in flux for about a decade, with
limits placed on what types of inventions qualify for legal protection, and
new ways to challenge patents outside
the courts.
Apple is part of a group that supports some limited legislative changes
while warning that too much could
hurt the US economy. Other members
include Microsoft, Pfizer and General
Electric Co.
“The details differ as the decades
roll by, but there is no perfect balance
point,” said Berghoff. “Somebody’s
�strong patent rights are spurring innovation’ is someone else’s �strong patents are causing litigation.’”
Driving much of the change is a desire to make it less lucrative for companies that buy up patents on the cheap
and then п¬Ѓle suits in hopes of a big
payday. Such companies, called nonpracticing entities, are often derided as
“trolls” who milk the assets from those
who produce products.
The debate isn’t just limited to the
computer and electronics industries.
The Medical Device Manufacturers
Association, a lobbying group with executives from Boston Scientific Corp
and Zoll Medical Corp on its board, is
backing a petition by patent-licensing
entity Vringo asking the Federal Circuit
to reinstate a jury verdict it won against
Google.
A three-judge panel threw out the
verdict in August, and the medical device companies are backing Vringo’s
petition for the case to be heard before
the entire court.
The decision will “deter the significant investment of time, resources,
and money needed to ensure further
advances in technology upon which
progress depends,” the group said in an
October 31 п¬Ѓling with the court.
Google, in its own п¬Ѓling November 3,
said Vringo’s complaint isn’t with the
law, but with the results that invalidated its patents.
Nokia has not п¬Ѓled a brief in the
Vringo case, a sign it doesn’t see an issue that would effect the Finnish company.
“We continue to advocate for fair and
balanced laws and court rulings,” Durrant said.
Solvay said
to explore
sale of $2bn
fibre unit
Bloomberg
London
Solvay, the world’s largest
producer of soda ash, is exploring the sale of its fibre business
valued at an estimated €1.4bn
($2bn), according to people with
knowledge of the matter.
Goldman Sachs Group and Credit Suisse Group have been hired
to help advise on the possible
sale of Acetow, which supplies
the material for cigarette filters,
said the people, who asked not
to be identified because details
of the proposal are private.
Chief executive officer JeanPierre Clamadieu is partway
through his planned transformation of the 150-year-old
Belgian chemical maker. He’s
already sought an alliance
with Ineos Group Holdings for
polyvinyl chloride operations as
a means to later exit an industry
that’s struggled against high
energy prices and increased
capacity from low-cost producers in Asia and the US.
Clamadieu’s strategy is focused
on shifting away from the
commodities that are the
heritage of the Brussels-based
business. He’s used acquisitions,
including the $1.3bn purchase
of Chemlogics of the US, to
expand in high-performance
chemicals and additives for the
oil-and-gas industry, including
shale operations.
The sale of Acetow may be a
prelude for further disposals
at a later stage as Clamadieu
progresses with his transformation, said two people.
Solvay doesn’t comment on
stories based on speculation,
head of media relations Lamia
Narcisse said. A spokesman for
Goldman Sachs couldn’t immediately comment and representatives for Credit Suisse couldn’t
be immediately reached outside
of regular business hours.
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
15
BUSINESS
ECB door remains
open to QE despite
doubts over impact
Draghi kept door for QE
open after November policy
meeting; poll sees 50%
chance of QE, most likely in
H1 2015; but effect likely to be
different than in US, Japan;
QE likely to work mainly
through currency channel
Reuters
Frankfurt
T
he European Central
Bank’s drip-feed stimulus is taking it closer to
large-scale government bond
purchases with new money but
its weapon of last resort may not
be the silver bullet markets are
hoping for.
After a policy meeting on
Thursday, ECB President Mario
Draghi said the ground was being
prepared for “further measures
to be implemented, if needed”.
Sources close to the ECB have
told Reuters that its current plan
to buy private-sector assets may
fall short and pressure is likely to
build for bolder action early next
year, п¬Ѓrstly moving into the corporate bond market.
While some euro central
bankers are opposed in principle to taking the ultimate step
— quantitative easing — others
are hesitant because there is no
guarantee it will revive the eurozone economy.
“We call it peeling the QE onion,” said Andrew Bosomworth, a
senior portfolio manager at Pimco, the world’s largest bond investor. “It makes a few members
of the Governing Council cry.
“The ECB is trying all these
different tools to prevent deflation, but if they fail, what’s left
is only one tool — sovereign QE.”
The hurdles to such a step remain high.
There is a minority on the
Council of at least seven, possibly up to 10 of the 24 members
opposing such a step at least for
now, central bank sources told
Reuters.
Japan accelerated its government bond purchase programme
last month on a 5-4 vote. That
may work for a single state, but
would be fraught in the 18 soon
19 member currency union.
The euro logo is seen in front of the European Central Bank in Frankfurt/Main. The ECB’s current plan to
buy private-sector assets may fall short and pressure is likely to build for bolder action early next year,
firstly moving into the corporate bond market, sources say.
“Given the opposition in Germany, Mario Draghi would want
a strong majority on the Governing Council to announce a large
and credible QE programme,”
said Greg Fuzesi, economist at JP
Morgan.
Money market traders gave
a median 50% chance of ECB
sovereign debt purchases, with a
majority of those saying it would
most likely happen in the п¬Ѓrst
half of 2015.
The ECB would be the last of
the major central banks — after
the Federal Reserve, Bank of Japan and Bank of England — to
turn to QE and there are reasons
why it may be less effective, not
least because it would be a programme for many countries not
one.
It is expected that the ECB
would have to purchase bonds
according to its capital key —
buying in proportion to the size
of member states’ economies.
As a result, Germany, the
country that least needs help,
would get the most. Furthermore, with the exception of
Greece, government borrowing
costs are already low across the
eurozone.
The Fed’s massive asset purchases pushed down long-term
interest rates, easing refinancing conditions for companies
Coldest November since year 2000
turning natural gas traders bullish
Bloomberg
New York
Hedge funds almost tripled bullish bets on natural
gas as forecasts for frigid weather east of the
Rocky Mountains signalled a surge in demand for
the heating fuel.
Speculator net-long position across four
benchmark contracts rebounded from the lowest
level since March 2012, US Commodity Futures
Trading Commission data show. Short positions,
or bets on falling prices, fell by the most in more
than nine months in the report covering the week
ended November 4.
Gas futures have rallied 24% from an 11-month
low on October 27 as forecasts turned frigid. A
cold front from Canada will sweep across most
of the lower 48 states over the next two weeks,
according to Commodity Weather Group in
Bethesda, Maryland, which predicts the coldest
November since 2000. As demand picks up,
inventories will start the peak winter season at a
deficit to five-year average levels for the first time
in at least 10 years.
“That weather report a week or so ago really
caught people off guard,” John Woods, president
of JJ Woods Associates and a Nymex floor trader,
said by phone on Friday. “There weren’t a lot of
people in the market and all of the sudden you
have new blood coming in. This rally is screaming
at the gate.”
Natural gas advanced 48Вў, or 13%, to $4.129 per
million British thermal units on the New York
Mercantile Exchange during the period covered
by the report. Prices settled at $4.412 on Friday,
the highest since July 1 and capping the biggest
weekly increase since February.
The price gains accelerated after pushing
through technical resistance levels of $4.25 and
$4.40, Woods said.
The cold blast will be most intense in the
Midwest, East and South, Matt Rogers, president
of Commodity Weather, said in an e-mail on
Friday. Nationwide, the number of heating degree
days in November may total 633, up 4.8% from
a year earlier and the most for the month since
November 2000, he said. Heating degree days
are used as a proxy for weather-driven energy
demand.
The low temperature in Minneapolis on
November 14 may fall to 9 degrees Fahrenheit
(minus 13 Celsius), 18 below normal, AccuWeather
said on its website. Dallas may drop to 36
degrees, 11 below average.
About 49% of US households use gas for heating,
led by the Midwest and Northeast, US Energy
Information Administration data show.
“This is obviously a cold-weather forecast that
was delivered for November and people hint at
a colder December,” Breanne Dougherty, natural
gas analyst for Societe General in New York, said
by phone Nov. 6.
Gas inventories totalled 3.571tn cubic feet as of
October 31, 6.8% lower than the five-year average,
the EIA said. There was a stockpile surplus of 1.5%
at the start of last winter and a 55% deficit when
it ended.
Net-long positions on four US natural gas
contracts rose by 37,831 futures equivalents to a
three-week high of 57,517. The measure includes
an index of four contracts adjusted to futures
equivalents: Nymex natural gas futures, Nymex
Henry Hub Swap Futures, Nymex ClearPort
Henry Hub Penultimate Swaps and the ICE
Futures US Henry Hub contract. Henry Hub in
Erath, Louisiana is the delivery point for New
York futures. short positions slid 7.3% to 302,905.
December $5 calls were the most actively traded
options on the Nymex yesterday, rising 1.6Вў to
4.7 cents on volume of 2,950 contracts. Calls
accounted for 63% of volume. Implied volatility
for at-the-money options expiring in December
rose to 53.9%, the most for a front-month contract
since February 24.
“The market momentum was an absolute
transition from bearish sentiment to bullish
sentiment and once that transition happened
that momentum moved prices up very quickly,”
Dougherty said.
and allowing homeowners to
refinance their mortgages, while
higher stock prices boosted
spending as people felt richer.
But most European companies rely on bank funding rather
than the markets and European
stocks are already trading at high
valuations.
European shares are trading at 13 times their estimated
12-month forward earnings.
When the Fed launched its п¬Ѓrst
round of QE in late 2008, US
stocks traded at just below 10
times.
Even if the ECB were to buy
billions of euros worth of government debt from banks, some
are still repairing their balance
sheets and all face tougher capital rules, limiting their ability to
lend to businesses and households which may feel too gloomy
to want more credit anyway.
“The fact that Draghi has been
so successful in supporting markets to date with other methods
(means that) the incremental benefit from large-scale QE is probably more muted,” said Simon
Smiles, Chief Investment Officer
at UBS Wealth Management.
“We can’t just take the same
template we saw in the US and
Japan.”
Similar to Japan, the main
channel through which QE
would work in the eurozone
would be the currency.
The euro is down more than
11% against the dollar since May
and analysts expect it to fall further as the US economy is now
strong enough to be taken off the
Fed’s life-support measures.
“It may take QE to get the euro
down sufficiently to support
growth in the eurozone,” said
Mark Zandi, chief economist at
Moody’s Analytics.
But there is concern among
some eurozone central bankers that pushing the euro down
too hard may cause discomfort
across the Atlantic.
So far, Washington seems
more concerned about the eurozone slipping into deflation
and has urged the ECB to take
more aggressive steps to revive
the economy. That may change
if a too strong euro devaluation
hampers its own recovery.
A lower euro should push up
inflation through higher import costs and a rise in exports,
though the former will be constrained by the ability of companies to pass on higher input costs
to their customers and the latter
may suffer from a slowdown in
China, one of the eurozone’s top
three trading partners.
The recent surprise move by
the Bank of Japan also pushed
the yen down against the euro,
making it harder for eurozone
companies to compete with their
Japanese peers.
Even Draghi acknowledges
that QE in the eurozone would
be a unique situation.
Pricey Norway’s unlikely
budget airline champion
AFP
Oslo
“Norway” and “cheap” are two
words that rarely go together,
yet this oil-rich Scandinavian
country is where Europe’s
third-largest budget airline
first spread its wings.
Over the past decade,
Norwegian Air Shuttle has
brought budget travel into the
Nordic mainstream, pushing
Scandinavian legacy carrier
SAS to the brink.
Its latest mission is to
compete on long-haul routes,
a market where budget
airlines have tried to gain a
foothold without success,
and comes at a time when
all European airlines face
stiff competition from statebacked Gulf rivals.
Founded as a regional airline
before turning itself into a
low-cost operator in 2002,
Norwegian launched into a
depressed market suffering
from the impact of the 9/11
attacks. “In order to survive
we had to go for costs... And
in order to get the costs low
enough we had to grow,”
said Bjoern Kjos, the fighter
pilot-turned-lawyer who is the
company’s chief executive.
At the heart of Norwegian’s
success has been a large and
modern fleet that consumes
less fuel than those of its rivals.
It also focuses on large
population areas to ensure
flights are never half empty.
By contrast, traditional
European carriers use
connecting flights to fill
their planes, meaning the
aircraft spend more time in
the airport. “The aircraft isn’t
earning any money sitting on
the ground,” Kjos told AFP.
Norwegian’s red and white
aircraft have an average
turnaround time — the time an
aircraft must remain parked at
the gate — of just 20 minutes
in the country’s airports.
In 2012, the group placed the
largest order in European
aviation history as it agreed
to buy 222 Boeing 737s and
Airbus A320neos for a list
price of €16.6bn ($21.6bn).
As it begins to take delivery of
the new generation aircraft in
2016, the company will save
up to 15% on fuel.
From its headquarters —
which once belonged to
arch-rival SAS before they had
to downsize — outside of Oslo
the group oversees an everexpanding route network.
It has opened bases in the
other Nordic capitals, several
Spanish cities and, most
recently, in London.
The set-up allows it to hire
staff locally on lower salaries
than in Norway. For every
€100 in revenue, Norwegian
pays €17.4 in labour costs
compared with €32.1 at SAS,
which is 50% owned by the
governments of the three
Scandinavian nations.
This is partly why the
low-cost carrier has been
profitable since 2006 while
troubled SAS, despite several
restructuring plans, has only
turned a yearly profit once
since 2007.
Since last year, Norwegian
has offered long-haul flights
from Scandinavia to a handful
of US destinations and to
Bangkok, and since last
summer between London’s
Gatwick and North America.
“The challenge on the Atlantic
is that 87% of the traffic has
been... controlled by the three
alliances and of course they
don’t like any competitors,
at least they don’t like a new
low-cost entrant,” Kjos said.
Amid outrage from his rivals,
trade unions and some US
politicians, the company is
still waiting for Washington
to grant a license to its
Ireland-registered long-haul
subsidiary, Norwegian Air
International (NAI).
The advantages of an
Irish licence include using
cheaper non-European staff
on transatlantic routes,
prompting accusations of
social dumping.
“The airline won’t even
be flying into or out of
Ireland. It’s just to avoid
the application of strong
Norwegian labour and social
laws,” said Ed Wytkind,
president of the AFL-CIO, the
largest federation of trade
unions in the US.
On the federation’s website,
he lashed out at “a Wal-Martstyle race to the bottom for
cheap labour”.
The long-distance routes
have also been hit by the
teething problems of the 787
Dreamliner, the eighth of
which it will receive next year.
Technical problems with
the planes have caused
disruptions for passengers on
affected flights and delays in
delivery of Dreamliners has
forced Norwegian to resort to
expensive leased aircraft.
Along with expansion
costs, this has weighed
on Norwegian’s bottom
line and dented its image.
The company is facing
prosecution in Sweden
and Norway, and the term
“Kjosfast” (“grounded
because of Kjos”) has entered
the language.
“They lack aircraft for the
time being,” said Kenneth
Sivertsen, an analyst at Arctic
Securities, adding that “it’s
likely that they will make
money or at least break
even next year” on long-haul
flights. “It will have taken
them two years. This is quite
acceptable,” he said.
Shale drillers idle rigs from Texas
to Utah as oil prices rout deepens
Bloomberg
San Francisco
T
he shale-oil drilling boom in the US is
showing early signs of cracking.
Rigs targeting oil sank by 14 to 1,568
this week, the lowest since August 22, Baker
Hughes said on Friday. The Eagle Ford shale
formation in south Texas lost the most,
dropping nine to 197. The nation’s oil rig
count is down from a peak of 1,609 on October 10.
Drillers are slowing down as crude prices
tumbled 24% in the past four months. Transocean Ltd said yesterday that its earnings
would take a hit by a drop in fees and demand
for its rigs.
The slide threatens to curb a production boom in US shale formations that has
helped bring prices at the pump below $3
a gallon for the п¬Ѓrst time since 2010 and
shrink the nation’s dependence on foreign
oil imports.
“We are officially seeing the slowdown
in oil drilling,” James Williams, president
of energy consulting company WTRG Economics, said by telephone from London, Arkansas, on Friday. “There’s no doubt about
it now. We’re already down 49 rigs since
the peak in October. It’ll have fallen by more
than 100 rigs by the end of year.”
US benchmark West Texas Intermediate
crude for December delivery rose 74Вў to settle at $78.65 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange on Friday. Prices are down
17% in the past year.
Executives at several large US shale producers, including Chesapeake Energy Corp
and EOG Resources, have vowed to maintain
or even raise production as they reported
earnings this week. They say their success
in bringing down costs means they can make
money even if prices slump further.
The oil rig count will drop to 1,325 by the
middle of next year amid lower prices, Genscape, an energy data company based in
Louisville, Kentucky, said in a report November 6.
Drillers from Apache Corp to Continental Resources Inc have said this week that
they’re laying down rigs in some oil plays.
The slide threatens to curb a
production boom in US shale
formations that has helped bring
prices at the pump below $3 a gallon
for the first time since 2010 and shrink
the nation’s dependence on foreign oil
imports
Transocean, owner of the biggest fleet of
deep-water drilling rigs, is delaying the release of its third-quarter results after saying its earnings would be hit by $2.76bn
in charges from a decline in the value of its
contracts drilling business and a drop in riguse fees. The company had been scheduled
to report earnings on Friday.
Transocean’s competitors will probably
have to take similar measures as “this is going to be an industry wide phenomenon,”
Goldman Sachs Group said in a research note
on Friday.
While the drop in oil prices limits spending in shale plays, production will continue
to boom next year and North America may
become self-sufficient in oil by 2016, Per
Magnus Nysveen, head of analysis for Oslobased consulting company Rystad Energy,
said by e-mail on Friday. Liquid output from
North American shale will rise to 6.5mn bar-
rels a day in December and to 12mn barrels by
2020, he said.
US oil production climbed 2,000 barrels a day in the week ended October 31 to
8.972mn, the highest level in at least three
decades, Energy Information Administration data show.
WTI futures are still a “long way off ” from
rebounding, said Mike Wittner, the head of
oil market research at Societe Generale.
“The market needs to see much more
significant reductions in the rig count on a
steady, sustained basis for it to have any impact on production and prices,” he said by
telephone from New York on Friday. “Growth
is so strong now that it’s going to take a long
time and many months for it to actually peter out and turn into negative growth.”
Halliburton, the second-largest oil and
gas services company by market value, was
told by its US customers that they won’t be
changing frac activities for the п¬Ѓrst or second quarters of next year, UBS analysts including Angie Sedita in New York said in an
e-mailed research note November 6. Customers said they would start cutting back in
the second half of 2015 should oil prices remain low, she said.
Gas rigs were up 10 at 356, Baker Hughes
said in data posted on the Houston-based
field services company’s website.
US gas stockpiles rose 91bn cubic feet last
week to 3.571tn, according to the EIA. Supplies were 6.8% below the п¬Ѓve-year average
and 6.3% under year-earlier inventories.
Natural gas for December delivery gained
0.8Вў to $4.412 permn British thermal units
yesterday on the Nymex, up 25% in the past
year.
“The gas rig count is responding to prices
a little higher,” Williams said.
Monday, November 10, 2014
BUSINESS
GULF TIMES
Lack of monetary flexibility a ratings constraint for Mena sovereigns: S&P
Lack of monetary flexibility is a
ratings constraint for sovereigns in
the Middle East and North Africa
(Mena), Standard & Poor’s has said
in a report.
In its report published yesterday
S&P said financial systems in Mena
appeared relatively large by some
measures, as a percentage of GDP,
for example.
However, in S&P view, most
finance in the region was extended
by banks, which often held concentrated loan and credit exposures
EmiratesLNG
import terminal
tender result due
by early 2015
Reuters
Abu Dhabi
T
he result of a tender to
build a liquefied natural
gas (LNG) import facility
at the busy oil port of Fujairah
will be announced in late 2014 or
early 2015, the UAE energy minister said yesterday.
In an interview with state
news agency WAM, Suhail bin
Mohammed al-Mazroui said the
project would have a capacity of
9mn tonnes a year.
EmiratesLNG, a joint venture
between state-controlled International Petroleum Investment
Co (IPIC) and Mubadala Petroleum, won approval for the venture in November 2013.
The company has said the new
terminal will be able to accommodate the largest LNG tankers,
with most of the gas destined for
the UAE’S power sector. Frontend engineering design (FEED)
has been done by France’s Technip.
Dubai already imports LNG
through ports in the Gulf, and
the UAE gets Qatari gas by pipeline, which helps feed power and
desalination plants at Fujairah.
Building an LNG import terminal outside the Strait of Hormuz reduces the risk that the
UAE’s supplies could be affected
by problems in the vital oil and
gas shipping lane, which neighbouring Iran threatened to block
two years ago.
EmiratesLNG has said the
new terminal will be able to
accommodate the largest
LNG tankers, with most of
the gas destined for the
UAE’S power sector
to government-related entities and
to individual companies. Equity
markets are fairly sizable in some
countries at first glance, but data
on turnover indicates that they are
for the most part illiquid.
“Across the board, debt capital
markets lag behind financial intermediation and equity markets as a
source of private-sector financing,” said Standard & Poor’s credit
analyst Trevor Cullinan.
Standard & Poor’s Ratings
Services’ view of the depth and
diversification of domestic financial
systems and capital markets is a
key consideration in its assessment
of monetary flexibility, one of the
five key factors that form the foundation of sovereign credit analysis.
“We currently see monetary
flexibility as a ratings constraint
because of the prevalence of managed exchange rates or conventional pegs fixed to the dollar or
to a basket of currencies with a
heavy US dollar weighting. We do
acknowledge in our ratings analysis
that pegged exchange rate regimes
in member countries of the Gulf
Cooperation Council are to a large
degree consistent with the reliance
of their economies on dollar-based
oil revenues.
“With managed or pegged
exchange rates, a country that does
not control its own currency has
very limited or no monetary flexibility to affect domestic economic
conditions, in our view. If factors
outside the control of the domestic
monetary authorities mostly deter-
mine monetary conditions, there
may be little buffer against domestic
financial stress,” Cullinan said.
“Our sovereign monetary flexibility assessment also considers
monetary policy credibility and
effectiveness. The development
of the financial system and debt
markets is particularly important for
our monetary assessment because
these are the channels through
which monetary policy decisions are
transmitted to the real economy.”
S&P thinks the development of
capital markets can play a supporting role in the process of inclusive
economic development and thus
social stability.
Developing fixed-income markets should lead to more resilient
and stable financial sectors, and
more diversified funding structures,” Cullinan said.
Stable and diversified financial
markets are more efficient in channelling resources into productive
investment, which in turn, is a
precondition for economic and
private-sector employment growth-a key structural challenge for many
Mena societies.
Large-scale government projects
could obtain alternate sources of
funding other than bank loans. In
so doing, banks would then be able
to increasingly turn to financing
small and midsize enterprises. A
deeper capital market with regular
issuances and benchmarks along
the yield curve would also facilitate
the sterilisation of capital flows,
supporting monetary policy.
BMW reintroduces 6, 7
Series Pearl in Mideast
B
MW Group Middle East has reintroduced its �Individual Pearl’
cars in response to customer demand. These unique models are part of
the BMW Individual programme, which
enables customers to tailor their vehicle
to a bespoke design that suits their individual style, using a range of premium
materials, paints and interior trims.
The shallow and warm waters of the
Gulf region are famous for creating
the world’s most precious pearls — the
source of inspiration for creating the
BMW Individual Pearl. A homage to
the rich heritage of pearls in the Middle
East, the BMW Individual Pearl models
are exclusive to the region.
BMW Individual designers transferred the mystery, elegance and beauty
of pearl to produce a total of 45 BMW 7
Series and 6 Series Gran CoupГ© models.
On the reintroduction of these
editions, Alexander Eftimov, director (Sales & Marketing), BMW Group
Middle East, said, “When we initially
launched these editions last year, we
hadn’t anticipated how popular they
would be so it is with great pleasure
that we can announce that they will be
available yet again for our discerning
Middle East customers.
“Our BMW Individual programme is
designed specifically for customers who
want the added levels of personalisation in their vehicles. Moreover, we deliver on our customer needs by providing them with a top-of-the range BMW
that includes a selection of unique and
very premium materials, exterior paint
finishes and interior trims options.”
The BMW Individual Pearl edition
comes in three exclusive colours across
the BMW 6 Series Gran CoupГ© and 7
Series models — pure metal silver, metropolitan blue and frozen black matt
— each representing the “unique shimmer” of the finest Arabian pearls.
The BMW Pearl Silver edition comes
with 21” and 20” wheel options.
Both the leather merino caramel and
amaro brown interiors feature burled
walnut trims with inlays in sycamore
red brown. Additional features include
the striking bicolour leather steering
wheel and contrast piping floor mats in
caramel and amaro brown.
When the BMW Pearl Blue edition is
selected, passengers can enjoy the rich
Metropolitan Blue paint option, which
BMW 6 Series Pearl Metropolitan Blue.
BMW 6 Series Pearl interior.
BMW 7 Series Pearl Pure Metal Silver.
is complemented by leather merino
opal white interior options featuring
satin walnut, honey brown and sycamore trim with contrast piping floor
mats in Opal White.
The п¬Ѓnal edition of the BMW Individual BMW 6 and 7 Series colour options is the stunning pearl black option.
Features include the striking Leather
Merino Sakhir Orange interior with Piano Black trim.
The M Sport versions of both models
take advantage of chrome dark п¬Ѓnishes
with contrast floor mats in Sakhir orange complementing the paintwork.
UAE climbs after MSCI raises index weights
Reuters
Dubai
Stock markets in the UAE outperformed the
region yesterday after index compiler MSCI raised
the country’s and Qatar’s weights in its emerging
markets index in a move promising fresh foreign
fund inflows.
In a semi-annual review, published at the end
of last week and taking effect at the end of this
month, MSCI removed a 0.5 “adjustment factor”
for a number of stocks which it had introduced in
May because of accessibility problems for foreign
investors.
It also increased the “foreign inclusion factor”
for the UAE’s First Gulf Bank (FGB), doubling its
weight, and added Qatar’s Gulf International
Services to the emerging markets benchmark.
Abu Dhabi’s index rose 1.6%, largely on the back
of FGB, which jumped 5.3%. Shares in investment
firm Waha Capital surged 7.0% to Dh2.92 after the
company said its third-quarter profit more than
doubled.
Waha’s shares broke technical resistance at
Dh2.85, the late October peak, triggering a bullish
right triangle formed by the highs and lows since
mid-October and pointing up to Dh3.16.
Meanwhile, shares in Union National Bank dropped
5.2%; investors had hoped it would also become
part of the MSCI index following the November
review, but MSCI chose not to include the stock.
Dubai’s benchmark rose 1.1%. Heavyweights
Emaar Properties and Dubai Islamic Bank added
2.0 and 0.3% respectively after MSCI increased
their weights.
Real estate developers Deyaar and Union
Properties added 1.9 and 1.8%, while construction
firm Drake & Scull rose 0.9%. MSCI added the
three names to its UAE small-cap index.
Analysts estimate the UAE and Qatar could each
attract around $1bn in total of additional foreign
funds because of the latest MSCI decision —
not much compared to their national market
capitalisations of around $200bn, but enough to
stimulate trade in the short term.
Saudi Arabia’s index edged up 0.4% as
telecommunications operator Mobily rose 3.9%,
rebounding after tumbling by its 10% daily limit
for three sessions in a row.
In a semi-annual review, published at the
end of last week and taking effect at the
end of this month, MSCI removed a 0.5
“adjustment factor” for a number of stocks
Last Monday, Mobily cut its profits for 2013 and
the first half of 2014 by a combined 1.43bn riyals
($381.2mn), citing accounting errors, and also
reported a 71% plunge in third-quarter profit.
Mobily’s actions prompted the bourse regulator
to launch a probe.
Egypt’s benchmark edged down 0.5% as most
blue chips pulled back. Shares in Commercial
International Bank fell 0.4% and brokerage EFG
Hermes was down 1.7%.
Shares in Palm Hills, Egypt’s second-largest listed
real estate developer, fell 2.3% even though the
company reported a 152% jump in third-quarter
net profit yesterday. The company also said Abu
Dhabi state fund Aabar Investments had acquired
a 5.1% stake in it.
Elsewhere, the Kuwait index rose 0.7% to 7,183
points, the Oman index slipped 0.2% to 6,905
points and the Bahrain index edged up 0.1% to
1,443 points.
Established in 1991, BMW Individual
was the п¬Ѓrst of its kind in the premium
automotive industry. The programme
launched with the aim of leading the
trend towards more individuality by
concentrating on customers looking for
made-to-measure solutions and making tougher demands on their BMW in
terms of distinction design and function.
The BMW Individual Pearl models
are the embodiment of luxury and style
and are available from BMW Group importers in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar.
BMW 7 Series Pearl interior.
QSE starts week stronger on
banks and industrials support
By Santhosh V Perumal
Business Reporter
T
he Qatar Stock Exchange yesterday
opened the week on a stronger note,
gaining 102 points to inch near the
13,700 mark, triggered by banks and industrials.
Domestic and foreign institutions’ net
buying support lifted the 20-stock Qatar
Index (based on price data) for the second
straight session by 0.75% to 13,692.12 points.
Large caps, particularly, kept up the bullish
momentum in the market, which is up 31.91%
year-to-date.
The index that tracks Shariah-principled
stock was seen gaining faster than the other
indices in the bourse, where trading volume
was largely skewed towards realty, banking
and telecom stocks.
The Total Return Index rose 0.75% to
20,421.66 points, All Share Index by 0.67% to
3,459.03 points and Al Rayan Islamic Index by
0.94% to 4,573.01 points.
Market capitalisation gained 0.72% or
more than QR5bn to QR739.14bn with large,
mid, small and micro cap equities adding 1%,
0.73%, 0.66% and 0.51% respectively.
Banks and п¬Ѓnancial services stocks surged
0.96%, industrials (0.92%), consumer goods
(0.62%), transport (0.54%) and real estate
(0.35%); while insurance and telecom shrank
0.87% and 0.29% respectively.
Major movers included QNB, Doha Bank,
Commercial Bank, Industries Qatar, Barwa,
Al Khaleej Takaful, Gulf International Services, Milaha and Salam International Investment.
However, Vodafone Qatar, Ezdan, Nakilat, Mazaya Qatar, Mesaieed Petrochemical
Holding, Dlala and Qatari Investors Group
bucked the trend.
Foreign institutions’ net buying surged to
QR31.35mn against QR13.07mn last Thursday.
Domestic institutions turned net buyers
to the tune of QR7.27mn compared with net
sellers of QR7.64mn on November 6.
Qatari retail investors turned net profit
takers to the extent of QR22.42mn against net
buyers of QR17.18mn the previous day.
Non-Qatari individual investors’ net selling sunk to QR16.2mn compared to QR22.5mn
last Thursday.
Total trade volume grew 59% to 16.76mn
shares, value by 66% to QR875.6mn and
transactions by 32% to 8,729.
The insurance sector’s trade volume almost
tripled to 0.61mn equities and value more
than doubled to QR34.76mn on more than
doubled deals to 345.
The telecom sector’s trade volume more
than doubled to 2mn stocks, value surged
67% to QR41.5mn and transactions by 50%
to 504.
The market witnessed 80% appreciation
in the real estate sector’s trade volume to
8.53mn shares on more than doubled value to
QR313.98mn. Deals rose 70% to 2,157.
There was 62% surge in the industrials
sector’s trade volume to 1.46mn equities and
81% in value to QR176.51mn. Transactions
more than doubled to 2,307.
The transport sector’s trade volume expanded 45% to 0.42mn stocks and value by 57% to
QR20.81mn whereas deals fell 12% to 251.
The banks and п¬Ѓnancial services sector reported 25% uptick in trade volume to 2.62mn
stocks, 25% in value to QR218.12mn and 35%
in transactions to 2,602.
However, the consumer goods sector’s
trade volume plunged 21% to 1.12mn equities
while value rose 9% to QR69.91mn and deals
by 10% to 563.
In the debt market, there was no trading of
treasury bills and government bonds.
In a separate communiquГ©, the bourse announced that effective from January next
year, it will start daily disclosure of major
shareholders who own, directly, or with minor children or subsidiaries, 5% or more of
the listed company’s capital.
CRICKET | Page 6
NBA | Page 8
Shehzad ton,
Hafeez’s 96
put Pakistan
on top
Curry drops
in 34, Warriors
hand Rockets
first loss
Monday, November 10, 2014
Moharram 17, 1436 AH
TENNIS
GULF TIMES
Petra Kvitova
leads the Czechs
to Fed Cup title
SPORT
Page 7
HANDBALL
FORMULA 1
Qatar 2015 proud
supporter of
Educate A Child
Rosberg wins in
Brazil ahead of
Hamilton, keeps
title race alive
All funds raised from ticket sales will be donated
Mercedes’ German driver Nico Rosberg (right) celebrates his Brazilian Grand
Prix win next to his teammate and championship leader Lewis Hamilton at the
Interlagos racetrack in Sao Paulo yesterday. (AFP)
AFP
Sao Paulo
N
Qatar 2015 director general Dr Thani Abdulrahman al-Kuwari and Education Above All CEO Marcio Barbosa at a press conference yesterday.
By Sports Reporter
Doha
T
he Qatar 2015 Organising
Committee has announced
that it is a proud supporter
of Educate A Child, a global programme of Education Above
All (EAA). It has pledged to donate
all funds raised from ticket sales and
related activities of the 24th Men’s
Handball World Championship to the
programme.
EAA is a global initiative founded
by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint
Nasser in Qatar. It brings together
programmes that provide educational
opportunities, with a special commitment to communities facing poverty and crisis. Educate A Child, a programme of EAA, aims to increase the
numbers of children worldwide who
can claim their right to education. Educate A Child is working with a range
of international and national partners
to bring new life chances and real hope
and opportunities to poor and marginalised children, youth and women
in the developing world.
In donating the funds raised
through this п¬Ѓrst-of-its-kind agreement, Qatar 2015 aims to demonstrate
the incredible impact that sport can
have on society, and ensure a longlasting legacy for the Championship,
which begins on 15 January 2015.
Dr Thani Abdulrahman al-Kuwari,
Director General, Qatar 2015, said:
“Under the leadership of HE Sheikh
Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani, President
of the Organising Committee, we are
honoured to have the opportunity
to make a real contribution that will
change the lives of children and give
them a better future. The championship is not just a tournament but a
means to make a contribution to Qatar’s National Vision 2030 through
social, human, economic and environmental development.”
Marcio Barbosa, CEO of Education
Above All, said: “Education Above All
will work with the Organising Committee to ensure that funds raised will
help transform the lives of children
around the world via the Educate A
Child programme. We invite and encourage everyone in Qatar to come
and see the matches, knowing that as
well as enjoying an incredible sporting experience, they will also be funding children’s education around the
world. One hundred per cent of funds
raised through this partnership will go
towards enrolling out of school children in educational programmes.”
Educate A Child is active in more
than 30 countries, working with strategic and implementing partners including UNRWA, Unesco and Unicef,
as well as local organisations to help
President of the Organising Committee HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani.
break though barriers that have been
identified to hinder access to education. EAC has commitments in place
to provide access to education for
more than 5 million children, contributing to closing the out of school children gap worldwide.
Proceeds from ticket sales at the
24th Men’s Handball World Championship will further its mission to reach
more children and create awareness
among members of society and governments about the universal responsibility that can be upheld and worked
towards through the achievement of
education for all.
ico Rosberg kept alive his
world title hopes when he
won yesterday’s Brazilian
Grand Prix ahead of his Mercedes teammate and championship
leader Lewis Hamilton.
Rosberg’s triumph ended Hamilton’s
run of п¬Ѓve straight wins and reduced
the Briton’s lead in the championship
from 24 points to 17 with one race remaining, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on
November 23.
Hamilton knows that even with double points to the winner on offer in Abu
Dhabi he will be champion if he can
п¬Ѓnish second, no matter what Rosberg
achieves.
The 29-year-old German, who had
dominated every practice session at
Interlagos and started from his 10th
pole of the season, came home 1.457
seconds ahead of Hamilton.
The result gave Rosberg his п¬Ѓrst win
and podium п¬Ѓnish in Brazil, his п¬Ѓrst in
eight races since victory on home soil in
Germany in July, the п¬Ѓfth of his season
and the eighth of his career.
“I am happy with the whole weekend,” said Rosberg.
“I was able to attack and to control
the gap to Lewis in the race and it all
worked out so that is great for me and
the support for us all has been excellent.”
Hamilton said: “It was an amazing
race. I had a great time. I made a big
mistake in the middle of the race but
otherwise the car was superb and everyone did a great job.
“It was great to race Nico and it is
brilliant to see Felipe up here on the podium. There is now everything to play
for in the final race in Abu Dhabi.”
For Mercedes, it was their record 11th
one-two п¬Ѓnish this year, beating the
previous record held by McLaren who
had scored 10 one-twos in their triumphant 1988 season with Frenchman
Alain Prost and Brazilian Ayrton Senna.
Local favourite Felipe Massa came
home third for Williams ahead of Jenson Button in what may have been his
penultimate race for McLaren and
four-time champion Sebastian Vettel
of Red Bull.
Fernando Alonso п¬Ѓnished sixth for
Ferrari after a tense battle ahead of his
teammate Kimi Raikkonen who was
seventh.
Nico Hulkenberg was eighth for
Force India, Kevin Magnussen ninth in
the second McLaren and Valtteri Bottas
10th in the second Williams.
Knowing only three of the last 14
pole-sitters at Interlagos had won,
Rosberg was utter concentration as he
drove flawlessly through the opening
laps.
By lap п¬Ѓve, he led by 3.3 seconds
before the early pit-stops began with
Massa.
To the dismay of his fans, Massa was
given a stop-go penalty for speeding in
the pit-lane, a mere delay he undertook
at his next stop as he raced with ferocious pace.
Two laps later, Rosberg came in and
Hamilton pushed to take advantage,
pitting one lap later. When he emerged,
he was just behind his teammate in a
new order led by Hulkenberg, Kvyat,
Vergne and Grosjean.
It took the two McLarens until lap 18
to regain ascendancy at the front.
By lap 20, Rosberg was complaining
of under-steer and led by 2.1 seconds.
Hamilton had a blister on his front
right tyre, but that did little to stop him
building up speed for an attack.
By lap 22, he had reduced the gap to
1.8 seconds to put Rosberg under pressure. The German locked-up on lap 25
and, with severely blistered tyres, pitted again at the end of lap 26.
Encouraged, Hamilton clocked a
fastest lap and stayed out to create a
passing opportunity, but on lap 28 he,
too, locked up and spun off.
He recovered and pitted, but rejoined
seven seconds behind Rosberg.
Disappointed, Hamilton rose to the
challenge again.
Hamilton reduced the lead to 1.8 by
lap 47 before their third and п¬Ѓnal stops
after laps 50 and 51 respectively. On resumption, Hamilton was on Rosberg’s
tail again, the gap cut to 0.8 seconds.
Massa, in a hapless moment, pulled
into the McLaren pit garage for his third
stop and, amid much waving, realised
and drove forward to п¬Ѓnd his Williams
men waiting. It left him with another
scrap as he battled to stay third, ahead
of Button.
BRAZILIAN GP RESULTS (TOP TEN)
1. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) 1:30:02.555
2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) +1.457sec
3. Felipe Massa (Williams)
+41.031
4. Jenson Button (McLaren)
+48.658
5. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
+51.420
6. Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) +1:01.906
7. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
+1:03.730
8. Nico HГјlkenberg (Force India) +1:03.934
9. Kevin Magnussen (McLaren) +1:10.085
10. Valtteri Bottas (Williams)
1 lap
Drivers standings (top three)
1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 334.0pts
2. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes)
317.0
3. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull)
214.0
Constructors standings (top three)
1. Mercedes
651.0pts – champions
2. Red Bull
373.0
3. Williams
254.0
2
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
FOOTBALL
EPL
SPOTLIGHT
North London
horror as Arsenal
and Spurs lose
Gylfi Sigurdsson and Bafetimbi Gomis strike to hand Arsene Wenger’s team
their second Premier League defeat of the season
�Sinking Spurs must
find a solution’
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino
Reuters
London
T
ottenham
Hotspur
manager Mauricio Pochettino knows he must
п¬Ѓnd a solution to his
side’s poor form after they fell to
a 2-1 Premier League defeat by
Stoke City at White Hart Lane
yesterday.
Spurs striker Harry Kane,
making his п¬Ѓrst league start of the
season, had an early header saved
but it was one-way traffic after
that as п¬Ѓrst-half goals from Bojan
Krkic and Jonathan Walters put
Stoke in control.
Nacer Chadli pulled a goal back
for Spurs with an exquisite second-half volley, but Pochettino’s
side failed to п¬Ѓnd an equaliser and
have now suffered three defeats in
four league games to drop to 12th
in the table with 14 points from 11
matches.
“It was disappointing and frustrating,” Pochettino told the BBC.
“It is a shame because we started
the game great.
“But once we conceded the first
goal it all changed, we took rash
decisions and looked uncomfortable on the ball and made a lot of
mistakes.
“We were more comfortable
in the second half but then 2-0
down it is difficult.
“We scored but in the end it
was a very disappointing result
and in the next few days we will
try to п¬Ѓnd a solution and change
our mentality.”
Spurs, who beat Asteras Tripolis in the Europa League on
Thursday, are six points worse off
than they were at this stage last
season and Pochettino said they
must improve quickly.
“When you are up in a game
your motivation is full and maybe we are very disappointed and
frustrated and our players feel
that frustration,” he said.
“We need to look forward, work
hard, change and п¬Ѓnd the solution. That is my job.
“It is clear if you see the result
we need to improve a lot. In football you need time but you never
get a long time.”
A second away win of the season lifted Stoke to ninth with 15
points and manager Mark Hughes
could celebrate a job well done.
OPTIMISM
Van Gaal feels
United on course
for top four spot
Bafetimbi Gomis of Swansea scores the winner against Arsenal at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea yesterday.
Reuters
London
S
wansea City came from behind to
beat Arsenal 2-1 and Tottenham
Hotspur’s misery continued with
a 2-1 home defeat by Stoke City,
making it a nightmare Sunday for north
London.
Alexis Sanchez struck his sixth league
goal in four games to give Arsenal the
lead at Swansea but Gylfi Sigurdsson and
Bafetimbi Gomis replied to hand Arsene
Wenger’s team their second Premier
League defeat of the season.
Tottenham slipped to their fourth
home defeat of the campaign while resurgent Newcastle United recorded their
fourth successive league win with a 2-0
victory at West Bromwich Albion. Everton drew 1-1 at Sunderland in Sunday’s
other match.
A drab game at the rain-soaked Liberty Stadium sprung into life in the
second half when Danny Welbeck cut
inside and showed excellent composure
to lay the ball off to Sanchez with the
goal begging.
The Chile forward slotted his 12th Arsenal goal in all competitions this season
to give the visitors the lead with 63 minutes gone. The lead lasted 12 minutes as
Sigurdsson powered a sublime free kick
into the top corner of the net to spark a
Swansea comeback.
Three minutes later, with the home
crowd roaring the Swans on, substitute
Gomis gave the hosts the lead with one of
his first touches, rising high to nod in Jefferson Montero’s cross.
Victory for Garry Monk’s side catapulted them to fifth in the league with
18 points from 11 games, one place above
Arsenal (17 points).
Having won at Asteras Tripolis in the
Europa League three days earlier, the rigours of juggling continental and domestic competition again proved too much
for Spurs against a Stoke side who had
previously won just once on the road this
season.
A drab game at the rain-soaked
Liberty Stadium sprung into life
in the second half when Danny
Welbeck cut inside and showed
excellent composure to lay the
ball off to Sanchez with the goal
begging
Former Barcelona forward Bojan Krkic
scored his п¬Ѓrst Premier League goal with
a brilliant solo effort to give Stoke the
lead at White Hart Lane after six minutes.
Things went from bad to worse for
Mauricio Pochettino’s side when Jonathan Walters tapped in Mame Biram Diouf’s
pass 12 minutes before the interval.
Spurs desperately tried to mount a
comeback in the second half and Nacer
Chadli’s powerful drive made it 2-1 with
13 minutes left but it was too little too late
for the home team.
The defeat piled more pressure on Pochettino with Spurs lying 12th in the table on 14 points. Stoke climbed to ninth
with 15 points. Goals from Ayoze Perez
and Fabricio Coloccini ensured Newcastle’s recent revival continued at the Hawthorns.
Perez scored his third goal in three
games with a sublime backheel from a
Daryl Janmaat cross to put the visitors
ahead on the stroke of halftime.
Netherlands right back Janmaat then
crossed for defender Coloccini to double
the lead after 62 minutes with a closerange header.
“It was a very disciplined, strong performance highlighted by an outstanding
goal from Ayoze Perez,” manager Alan
Pardew told the BBC.
“You need special moments like that in
the Premier League.”
Newcastle are now eighth on 16 points,
a remarkable turnaround for a team that
only recorded their п¬Ѓrst win of the season
last month. “We are up the league where
a club of this size should be,” Pardew
added.
Despite dominating possession, Everton fell behind at Sunderland to a stunning 25-metre free kick from midfielder
Seb Larsson in the 67th minute.
England defender Leighton Baines
equalised with a penalty 14 minutes from
time but Everton had James McCarthy to
Results/Standings
Sunderland ............................... 1 Everton ................................1
Tottenham Hotspur......... 1 Stoke City .........................2
West Bromwich Albion0 Newcastle ........................2
Swansea City .........................2 Arsenal .................................1
P W D L F A
Pts
Chelsea
11 9 2 0 28 11
29
Southampton 11 8
1 2 23 5
25
Manchester City 11 6 3 2 22 12
21
West Ham Utd 11 5 3 3 19 14
18
Swansea City 11 5 3 3 15 11
18
Arsenal
11 4 5 2 19 13
17
Manchester Utd11 4 4 3 17 14
16
Newcastle
11 4 4 3 13 15
16
Stoke City
11 4 3 4 12 13
15
Everton
11 3 5 3 20 18
14
Liverpool
11 4 2 5 14 15
14
Totten Hotspur 11 4 2 5 14 16
14
W Brom Albion 11 3 4 4 13 15
13
Sunderland
11 2 6 3 12 19
12
Hull City
11 2 5 4 13 15
11
Aston Villa
11 3 2 6 5 16
11
Crystal Palace 11 2 3 6 14 20
9
Leicester City 11 2 3 6 11 18
9
Q Park Rangers 11 2 2 7 11 22
8
Burnley
11 1 4 6 6 19
7
thank for the point after the midfielder
cleared Wes Brown’s stoppage-time
header off the line.
The draw left Everton 10th on 14 points
while Gus Poyet’s Sunderland jumped a
place to 14th, three points above the relegation zone.
BOTTOMLINE
Chelsea not invincible: Jose
AFP
London
C
helsea manager Jose
Mourinho refused to entertain talk of an unbeaten season after seeing
his side strengthen their position
at the Premier League summit by
winning 2-1 at Liverpool.
Diego Costa’s 67th-minute
goal gave Chelsea victory at Anfield on Saturday, helping his
side extend an unbeaten league
run stretching back to March and
fuelling comparisons with Arsenal’s 2003-04 �Invincibles’.
But Mourinho believes that
suggestions his team could emulate that Arsenal side by going
through an entire season without
losing a game are fanciful.
“No chance,” he said when
asked about his side’s prospects
of avoiding defeat between now
and May 24.
“It’s possible to be champions.
We want to play for that, but in
modern football I don’t believe in
going unbeaten all season.
“One day we will lose, but the
next game we will win again. We
will play badly, but we will recover our game because we are a
strong team.
“We a stable team, but I have
been in the game so long I know
the defeat will arrive and the bad
moment will arrive. We will be
ready for that. we believe in everyone. We are a happy camp. We
believe in the players.”
Victory moved Chelsea 15
points above Liverpool, who п¬Ѓnished runners-up in the league
last season and had appeared
likely to win the title before los-
ing this corresponding п¬Ѓxture
late in the campaign.
However, Mourinho is not
ready to discount the threat
posed by Brendan Rodgers’s club
or claim that the title race will be
a comfortable one.
“If this was the Spanish league
or German league or Portuguese
league, when you have two teams
trying to become champions,
then you are almost there with 15
points,” he said.
“But this is England. Every
match is difficult. In England,
you can lose points in every game.
It’s not (just) about Liverpool; it’s
Man City, Man United, Arsenal,
it’s about Tottenham, it’s about
Southampton.
“We are in a good situation.
We have played the four games
in Manchester and Liverpool—at
Everton, Liverpool, City, United.
Four very hard matches. But it’s
only the start of November.”
Mourinho saw Gary Cahill
cancel out Emre Can’s opening
goal before Costa slammed home
the winner and he paid special
tribute to midfielders Ramires
and Cesc Fabregas, both of whom
played through injury.
Rodgers, whose side failed
with a strong late penalty claim
against Cahill for handball, has
endured a difficult week that also
featured a league loss at Newcastle United and Champions
League defeat at Real Madrid.
He was widely criticised for
resting key players in the game at
Madrid with a view to the Chelsea encounter, but he insisted he
would do the same thing again if
the situation arose.
“I’d hopefully win all three
games,” said Rodgers when asked
if he would do anything differently if given the chance. “But
we plan the players and the team
the best we can, so I wouldn’t do
anything differently at all.
“We just didn’t get the results.
Hopefully, this will be an experience for us and we will use that to
be better going forward.”
Rodgers was also booed by
large sections of the Anfield
crowd when he replaced the
popular Philippe Coutinho in
the second half, in a rare sign of
disapproval by home supporters
towards their manager.
“I didn’t feel we were creating
enough and had to change the
momentum,” he explained.
“The supporters here are a
big part of what we’re doing. Of
course they will be frustrated.
They have seen us lose three
games this week.”
AFP
Manchester
M
anager Louis van
Gaal believes Manchester
United’s
chances of п¬Ѓnishing
in the Premier League top four
remain in their own hands after
they returned to winning ways
against Crystal Palace.
United recorded a victory for
the п¬Ѓrst time in four attempts,
but they made hard work of their
1-0 triumph against a spirited
but limited Crystal Palace at Old
Trafford on Saturday.
“I am happy with the three
points and we stay in the race to
end in the places that we want to
be in,” Van Gaal said. “We stay
two points behind fourth place.
It’s in our hands and that’s important.” Juan Mata scored the
decisive goal in the 67th minute,
four minutes after being introduced as a substitute.
The Spanish midfielder’s shot
from 22 yards was п¬Ѓerce and a
slight deflection meant Palace
goalkeeper Julian Speroni could
not keep it out. It was Mata’s
third goal in a campaign of limited opportunities, and the former
Chelsea playmaker came close to
adding to his tally when he hit the
post with three minutes left.
With Marcus Rojo, Rafael, Phil
Jones and Jonny Evans all injured
and Chris Smalling suspended,
Van Gaal was again forced to п¬Ѓeld
an unfamiliar defence.
Paddy McNair and Daley Blind
were chosen as central defensive
partners and they helped United
keep a п¬Ѓrst clean sheet since the
4-0 win over Queens Park Rang-
ers on September 14.
Van Gaal said the improvement
was not only due to the defence.
“It’s not a matter of defence,
it’s a matter of organisation when
we don’t have the ball,” said the
Dutchman. “It means that it’s the
whole team who have to defend.
Today (Saturday), we were better
in that shape.
“In spite of that, before halftime there was a misunderstanding between McNair and Blind
and it could be 0-1 and maybe I
sit here differently. That’s football
also.
“We had patience, but we need
more speed and more switches.
We had a lot of time on the ball,
created big chances and possibilities. We could have scored in the
п¬Ѓrst half.
“I think we played better in
the matches before because we
kept patient. After Mata scored, I
think we created more big chances because then they have to come
forward.
“We have to finish these chances because they were big chances.
I was pleased because the team
was deciding to kill the game and
I say that several times—when we
are ahead, then you have to kill the
game.” Palace are now without a
win in п¬Ѓve matches. They came
to Old Trafford with an apparent
plan to frustrate their hosts by
defending in numbers and relying on counter-attacks to pose a
threat, and it almost worked.
Indeed, the London club could
have taken the lead п¬Ѓve minutes
before half-time when hesitation
between McNair and Daley allowed Joel Ward’s long ball from
the back to reach Fraizer Campbell.
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
3
FOOTBALL
BUNDESLIGA
SPL
Wolves
trim
Bayern’s
lead
Hoops on
top after
van Dijk
winner
AFP
Munich
AFP
Glasgow
V
fL Wolfsburg’s exChelsea winger Kevin
de Bruyne produced
another top-class performance in yesterday 2-0 win
over strugglers Hamburg to trim
Bayern Munich’s lead to four
points in the Bundesliga.
The 23-year-old Belgium international provided superb
passes for veteran striker Ivica
Olic and attacking midfielder
Aaron Hunt to score either side
of half-time as Wolfsburg earned
their eighth straight win in all
competitions.
Pep Guardiola’s Bayern had
opened a seven-point gap after
Saturday’s 4-0 win at Eintracht
Frankfurt, but second-placed
Wolfsburg kept up the pressure
on the Bavarian giants.
This was another impressive
display from De Bruyne, who
also created two goals in Thursday’s Europa League win at home
to Russsia’s Krasnodar and last
week’s 4-0 league win at VfB
Stuttgart.
The Belgian has provided assists for nine league goals this
season since joining Wolves from
Stamford Bridge after a season
on loan at Werder Bremen.
“I am very pleased. When we
can dominate Hamburg, so soon
after a difficult European match,
that is very good,” said Wolves
coach Dieter Hecking.
“We kept our shape for nearly
the whole 90 minutes. Now it’s
time to recharge the batteries.”
Later on Sunday, last season’s
runners-up
Borussia
Dortmund need three points at
home to third-placed Borussia
Moenchengladbach to get off the
bottom of the league table after
п¬Ѓve straight defeats.
Dortmund booked their place
in the Champions League’s
last 16 with two games to spare
in Tuesday’s 4-1 win over
Galatasaray, but Jurgen Klopp’s
side are enduring their worst
start to a league season in the
club’s history.
After Freiburg and Werder
Bremen both picked up wins on
Saturday, Dortmund dropped
to last place for the п¬Ѓrst time in
seven years having picked up just
seven points in their opening 10
league п¬Ѓxtures.
On Saturday, Bayern romped
to victory at Frankfurt as Germany winger Thomas Mueller
claimed a hat-trick.
Germany defender Jerome
Boateng also set a new Bundesliga record of 50 games unbeaten in matches in which he
has played for Munich, eclipsing
team-mate Franck Ribery’s previous record by a single match.
Having been rested for
Wednesday’s 2-0 home win over
Roma, which confirmed Bayern’s
place in the Champions League
last 16 as group winners, Mueller
opened the scoring from a Ribery
pass at the second attempt on 23
minutes.
Juventus players celebrate their victory at the end of their Italian Serie A match against Parma FC at Juventus Stadium in Turin yesterday.
C
SERIE A
Magnificent Juve
put 7 past Parma
�IT’S ALL DOWN TO HOW WE INTERPRET SYSTEMS, NOT JUST THE LINE-UP’
AFP
Rome
F
ernando Llorente, Carlos Tevez
and Alvaro Morata scored a
brace apiece as a rejigged Juventus crushed sorry Parma 7-0 on
Sunday to stretch their Serie A lead over
Roma to six points.
It was the Old Lady of Turin’s biggest
win in 31 years since a 7-0 success over
Ascoli.
Injuries to Patrice Evra, Kwadwo
Asamoah and Angelo Ogbonna in recent
weeks have forced Bianconeri coach
Massimiliano Allegri to ditch his tried
and trusted 3-5-2 formation.
And days after his makeshift side potentially saved their Champions League
campaign with a crucial 3-2 win over
Olympiakos, Allegri again had reason
to be rethinking his tactical strategy for
the rest of the season.
The Juve coach, however, told Sky
Sport: “That system won three consecutive Scudetti (league titles), and we
used it well at the start of the season as
well.
“It’s all down to how you interpret
systems, not just the line-up.”
Juve lined up in a 4-3-1-2 formation with Roberto Pereyra playing just
behind Llorente and Tevez, with Swiss
wingback Stephan Lichsteiner dropping
to right back on the opposite flank from
Simone Padoin.
Allegri rested midfield linchpin Andrea Pirlo, with Claudio Marchisio stepping into the midfield role flanked by
Paul Pogba and Romulo.
Parma claimed only their second win
of the season two weeks ago but hopes
of putting up any kind of resistance
quickly faded.
By the end, they dropped to rock bottom leaving coach Roberto Donadoni
stunned.
“The game is easy to explain: we faced
a great Juve side and we simply didn’t
show up,” Donadoni told Radio Rai.
“All you’re left with is a feeling of
impotence and embarrassment after
a game like that.”Juve’s rout began in
the 23rd minute when a poor headed
clearance fell to Pogba, whose shot
from outside the area was parried by
Mirante into the path of Llorente, who
chipped over the keeper and inside the
far post.
Parma midfielder Jose Mauri forced
Gianluigi Buffon to get down low at full
stretch with a drive from 18 yards but
it was a rare occasion and Parma were
soon back playing on the defensive.
Another blunder gave Tevez the
chance to cross for Lichsteiner to п¬Ѓre a
shot with the outside of his right boot
that spun just inside the right post with
Mirante at full stretch.
Llorente scored his second seven
minutes later when Lichsteiner, who
had time and space to shoot, unselfishly
squared the ball for the Spaniard to beat
Mirante with a low volley at the back
post.
Tevez scored his brace inside eight
second-half minutes before making way
for rarely-used French forward Kingsley
Coman on the hour.
The Argentinian lay claim to arguably
the goal of the game when he slalomed
through the entire Parma defence—Andrea Costa, Alessandro Lucarelli and
Felipe—on his way to slotting the ball
easily past Mirante.
Allegri later commented it was an
“extraordinary goal. It’s the best way to
celebrate his deserved call-up for Argentina.”
Eight minutes later another Pogba missile
was spilled by Mirante and Tevez stepped in
to slot the ball home. It was his eighth goal of
the campaign and he is now level with topscorer Jose Callejon of Napoli.
It was already Juve’s biggest league
winning margin since a 6-1 drubbing of
Pescara in December 2012, but more was
to come.Llorente made way for Morata
on 71 minutes and the Spaniard was
soon on the scoresheet.
Coman sighted Morata in space and
sent a delightful chip into his path to
beat Mirante with a low angled strike at
the keeper’s far post.
Morata notched his double two minutes from time when he was left in space
in front of goal to bundle a volley past
Mirante from Lichsteiner’s cross on the
right.
Elsewhere, Lazio’s six-game unbeat-
Results/Standings
Cagliari........................ 1
Chievo Verona...2
FC Empoli ...............2
Juventus ..................7
Palermo ..................... 1
Genoa ...........................1
AC Cesena................1
Lazio ...............................1
Parma ..........................0
Udinese .......................1
P W D L F A Pts
Juventus
11 9 1 1 25 4 28
Roma
10 7 1 2 16 6 22
Sampdoria 11 5 5 1 14 8 20
Lazio
11 6 1 4 21 13 19
Genoa
11 5 4 2 15 11 19
Napoli
10 5 3 2 19 12 18
AC Milan
11 4 5 2 20 16 17
Udinese
11 5 2 4 14 14 17
Inter Milan 10 4 3 3 15 12 15
Fiorentina 10 3 4 3 10 9 13
Hellas Verona10 3 4 3 11 16 13
Palermo
11 3 4 4 12 18 13
Torino
10 3 3 4 7 9 12
Sassuolo
11 2 6 3 10 15 12
Cagliari
11 2 4 5 17 17 10
FC Empoli 11 2 4 5 12 19 10
Atalanta
11 2 4 5 4 11 10
Chievo Verona11 2 2 7 8 16 8
AC Cesena 11 1 4 6 8 18 7
Parma
11 2 0 9 14 28 6
en run ended in a shock 2-1 reverse at
Empoli, Palermo were held 1-1 by visitors Udinese and Chievo grabbed a precious 2-1 home win over Cesena thanks
to Sergio Pellissier’s brace, including a
late winner.
LA LIGA
Sevilla held by Levante, Espanyol draw Villarreal
DPA
Madrid
S
evilla were held to a 1-1 draw by defiant Levante in the Spanish Liga yesterday.
Sevilla made a bright start and went ahead
in the 31st minute when striker Vitolo headed
in a perfect centre from right winger Gerard Deulofeu, who finally seems to be fulfilling the expectations he raised as a teenager.
Lowly Levante gradually came out of their defen-
sive shell in the second half and Victor Casadesus
made it 1-1 ten minutes from the end when Sevilla
keeper Beto failed to punch away a centre properly.
“We are annoyed because we have let two important points escape. This is a poor result for us,” said
Vitolo. The Sevilla forward also criticised Levante
for being excessively physical, saying: “Everyone
knows how they just how hard are. They always push
things to the limit. There are three teammates who
almost need to go to hospital after that.”
Levante boss Lucas Alcaraz said: “We worked very
hard for this point ... I am quite pleased with this,
this is a step forward for us.”
The draw left Levante third from bottom, but now
three points above bottom teams Cordoba and Real
Sociedad.
Sevilla are fifth, level on 23 points with Valencia
and Atletico Madrid who can move up to joint second - one behind leaders Real Madrid - if they beat
Basque sides Athletic Bilbao and Sociedad later Sunday.
Elsewhere, mid-table sides Espanyol and Villarreal drew 1-1. Mario Gaspar gave Villarreal the lead,
Diego Colotto levelled for Espanyol in injury time.
eltic moved top of the
Scottish
Premiership
after Virgil van Dijk
grabbed a last minute
winner as the ten-man Hoops
came from behind to seal a 2-1
win with Aberdeen at Pittodrie
yesterday.
The Hoops knew a win against
the Dons would see them top the
table for the п¬Ѓrst time this season but found their hopes dented
in the 27th minute when Adam
Rooney п¬Ѓred the home side in
front.
Stefan Johansen took advantage of some dithering defending to sneak home a 38th minute
equaliser.
Aberdeen had the best of the
second half chances with Niall McGinn coming close with a
shot that smashed the base of the
post before Celtic skipper Scott
Brown was sent off in the 82nd
minute for a second bookable offence.
However, the ten men of Celtic
conquered up a winner in the
90th minute as van Dijk showed
great skill to convert a Johansen
corner past Aberdeen keeper
Scott Brown.
The result moves Celtic top on
goal difference of Inverness Caledonian Thistle, who defeated
Hamilton 4-2 on Saturday, albeit
the Hoops have a game in hand.
Celtic’s midweek European
exertions meant manager Ronny
Deila made a host of changes.
Strike partners Anthony Stokes
and John Guidetti returned, п¬Ѓtagain James Forrest came in for
his п¬Ѓrst start since August while
Lukasz Zaluska took the place of
the injured Craig Gordon in goal.
Aberdeen had an early penalty
claim when Peter Pawlett went
down in the box after tangling
with Hoops skipper Scott Brown
but referee Alan Muir ignored
their pleas.
A free-flowing move involving
Forrest, Guidetti, Johansen and
Stokes had the Aberdeen defence
chasing shadows and ended with
the Irish striker sending a п¬Ѓrsttime shot inches wide of the post.
Substitute Barry Robson and
McGinn both had efforts blocked
before the Dons took the lead in
the 27th minute through Rooney.
Considine’s long throw-in
caused consternations in the
box and the ball eventually broke
back to the defender inside the
box. His initial shot was saved
by Zaluska but the Celtic ’keeper spilled the ball into Rooney’s
path and his effort took a slight
deflection off van Dijk on its way
into the bottom corner of the net.
Celtic grabbed an equaliser
in the 38th minute through Johansen. The Norwegian’s first
touch on a lovely pass from
Stokes looked heavy but Ryan
Reynolds dithering in defence allowed the Norwegian to sneak in
and lift the ball over Dons �keeper
Scott Brown from a difficult angle.
BOTTOMLINE
Hodgson: Rooney can still make his mark
By Owen Gibson
The Observer
E
ven now, a decade on from Euro 2004
and those thrilling eviscerations of
Switzerland and Croatia , it can’t help
but jar when Roy Hodgson describes his
captain as a “senior citizen”.
The memories of Wayne Rooney fearlessly
bursting on to the international scene remain
burned into the collective consciousness, partly because he and England have had so little to
cheer since.
But having just turned 29, and on the eve of
his 100th appearance for England, Rooney has
more than twice as many caps as anyone else in
the squad to face Slovenia.
Despite the fact Rooney has been a п¬Ѓrst-team
regular since the age of 17, Hodgson sees no reason why the Manchester United striker should
not go on into his mid-thirties, as Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard did.
“He is just 29, so, to be honest, players can
play so much longer than in the past if they look
after themselves,” the England coach said before their European Championships qualifier at
Wembley against Slovenia and the friendly that
will follow against Scotland at Celtic Park.
“Players do go on a bit longer these days, they
get so much better treatment, any injuries which
come up, they get looked after and scanned immediately,” added Hodgson.
As long as he remains injury-free, Rooney
should overtake David Beckham’s total of 115
caps and is a good bet to overhaul Peter Shilton’s
record of 125 appearances. With 43 goals for his
country, he stands just seven short of beating
Bobby Charlton’s record. As Hodgson points
out, if he had been England’s regular penalty
taker over that period he would probably have
topped it already.
Yet for all that, a nagging feeling of unfulfilment underscores Rooney’s England career. And
as Hodgson is endlessly keen to stress, particularly when it comes to his personal bete noire of
“shots on target”, statistics rarely tell the whole
story.
Firmly re-established as a п¬Ѓrst choice for club
and country and captain of both, Rooney is arguably entering the defining phase of his England career.
After Hodgson likened his striker, before the
World Cup, to a Hollywood п¬Ѓlm star looking to
deliver a career-defining, Oscar-winning performance, Rooney – along with almost all his
supporting cast – badly fluffed his lines .
They never discussed it afterwards, says
Hodgson, preferring to look forward, not back.
Rooney was one of the п¬Ѓrst players that Hodgson went to see after being given the job, while
he was still doubling up as West Bromwich Albion manager. He was intrigued, he says, to see
how much Rooney still wanted it.
“I met a man who was burning to play, and
that is the way he has been all along. Since he
has been made captain, I think he has taken a
further step, both at Manchester United and
with us.”
But that failure to shine on the biggest stage
still rankles. While he has delivered consistently
in qualifying, since Euro 2004 Rooney has repeatedly failed to hit the heights in major tournaments due to injury or indifferent form.
“As one of the senior citizens in our team he
must obviously see time running out vis-a-vis
a Raheem Sterling, a Luke Shaw or a Calum
Chambers, who are just starting their journey,”
says Hodgson. “I’m sure that does go through
his mind but it’s not something we discuss or
talk about.”
Hodgson describes Rooney as being in a “very
good place”, pointing to the seriousness with
which he has taken his additional responsibilities – approaching Gerrard for advice, acting as
mentor to younger members of the squad and
poring over statistics with assistant manager
Ray Lewington and Gary Neville.
If anything, Hodgson fears that the responsibility may weigh so heavily that it will blunt his
effectiveness as a player.
“As one of the few seniors left in the team who
is absolutely guaranteed a place in the team, the
same at Manchester United, I worry the sense of
responsibility is going to weigh him down,” says
Hodgson.
During England’s travails in Germany, South
Africa, Ukraine and Brazil, a surefire harbinger
of the wheels coming off was the sight of Rooney
dropping ever deeper to retrieve the ball.
But Hodgson has deep respect for that work-
rate and for the resilience that Rooney, attracting headlines for the right and wrong reasons
since the age of 16, has shown. “I would defy
anyone to fault his work-rate, his desire, if they
watch the game carefully and study what he
does.”
During the Manchester derby , with United a
goal down and reduced to 10 men, Rooney could
be seen taking instruction from Louis van Gaal
and frantically reorganising his team.
“Several times I saw him back in his own penalty box making challenges. That’s the danger –
sometimes when players take on responsibility,
they take on too much and it’s to the detriment
of their own game.”
For all the pride he will feel at reaching triple п¬Ѓgures in caps, Rooney would surely swap
whatever trinkets he accrues next weekend for
leading England to the latter stages of France
2016 and hope springs eternal for England’s
long-suffering fans with, extraordinarily, just
7,000 tickets remaining for the Slovenia game at
Wembley.
Hodgson is convinced that his much-discussed captain will still go to bed full of the same
dreams he nurtured as an 18-year-old in Lisbon.
“I’m not certain Wayne Rooney is a person who
goes to bed at night dreaming of a record,” he
said. “I don’t believe he does that. I believe he
just wants to keep playing and do the best job he
can for England for as long as possible.”
4
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
FOOTBALL
ENGLAND SPOTLIGHT
EBOLA CRISIS
Prejudice still
hampers minority
opportunities
�The numbers point to a problem that any right-minded individual would be shocked at’
African Nations
Cup in jeopardy as
Morocco stands firm
Reuters
Johannesburg
A
late replacement must
be found to host the
2015 African Nations
Cup or the continent’s
showpiece soccer tournament
faces being called off after Morocco rejected an ultimatum to
go ahead with the event in January.
Fears over the spread of the
Ebola virus saw Morocco reiterate its stance that the 16-team
tournament, due to be played
from Jan. 17-Feb. 8, should be
postponed.
The Confederation of African
Football (CAF) refused to entertain a change of dates and must
now п¬Ѓnd an alternate host as
quickly as possible or face annulling the event at great п¬Ѓnancial
cost.
CAF have approached other
African countries to step in as an
emergency replacement but have
so far received no public expressions of support.
A meeting of African football’s
governing body in Cairo tomorrow now faces the prospect of
having to cancel their gala event,
unless they have a solution in
their back pocket.
“We will not be making any
statements until after the meeting makes a final decision,” CAF
media director Junior Binyam
told Reuters.
A risky gamble to call Morocco’s bluff looked to have backfired on Saturday as the country’s
sport minister repeated a fear the
tournament could spread Ebola.
“This decision is motivated
mainly by the medical risks that
would put this virus on the health
of our fellow Africans,” Mohamed Ouzzine said in a statement.
In addition to health concerns,
the statement said, Morocco’s
decision was also “motivated by
humanitarian reasons since it is
our responsibility to welcome
all guests and supporters in the
best conditions in accordance
with the culture and hospitality
of Moroccan traditions”.
Morocco is concerned that
supporters from west Africa
converging on the country for
the tournament could bring with
them the deadly virus and put at
risk their important tourist industry.
Global health authorities are
struggling to contain the world’s
worst Ebola epidemic since the
disease was identified in 1976
and cases have reached as far as
the United States and Spain.
Morocco also insisted they
could host the tournament later,
highlighting that CAF had backto-back Nations Cups in 2012
and 2013 when it switched from
hosting the event in even to odd
years and could reverse the process in 2016 and 2017.
CAF, who garner the majority
of their revenue from the tournament’s television and marketing
rights, have cited a packed calendar for their refusal to consider a
June date or a move to early 2016.
They also characterised Morocco’s concerns as alarmist,
pointing out that Nations Cup
tournaments do not attract large
travelling support because few
African fans had the resources to
follow their teams.
The impasse looks likely to
deprive Africa of a much-anticipated event that is regularly
able to capture the imagination
of millions.
POINT OF VIEW
Bayern lack real
rivals in Germany,
says Heynckes
Chris Hughton of Norwich City is the only black manager in the five top divisions of English football.
By Anna Kessel
The Observer
T
hree years ago English football
was rocked when John Terry and
Luis SuГЎrez were found guilty
of racially abusing opponents
on the pitch. The fallout was debated in
dressing rooms up and down the country. Social media became the forum to
galvanise an often disparate community
across club and league divides, focusing
their energies on a single subject. It was
the п¬Ѓrst time, says Jason Roberts, that
footballers had come together to discuss
a critical issue – and discovered a collective voice.
Now that voice has established a legacy in the form of the Sports People’s
Think Tank (SPTT), an organisation being launched at the Houses of Parliament today with the aim of empowering
sports professionals and helping them
drive change. Founded by a group of exPremier League footballers – the former
Blackburn forward Roberts, recently
appointed the West Bromwich Albion
Under-21s development coach, Darren
Moore, and the former Birmingham City
defender Michael Johnson – the organisation will today publish its inaugural
report with the sport described as being
dogged by “institutional discrimination”.
With two black managers at 92 English
professional league clubs and few leadership positions п¬Ѓlled by Black, Asian and
minority ethnic (BAME or BME) п¬Ѓgures,
the research is damning in its depiction
of the ingrained cultural and racial prejudice that haunts the game. “Football has
failed to complete the promise of true
equality,” says Roberts. “The numbers
point to a problem that any right-minded individual would be shocked at. Most
disappointing is the overall game’s refusal, up to this point, to engage in some
dialogue which challenges the decisionmakers and leadership of the game, rather than focusing on the victims of these
practises – prospective BME coaches and
managers.”
Roberts believes the Terry and SuГЎrez
incidents sparked the questioning of the
status quo among footballers, black and
white. “You realised lots of people were
thinking the same thing and had the
same frustrations. There was a sense that
people felt we weren’t where we thought
we were. All the good and high-profile
anti-racism work aside, underneath that,
how much had the game really moved on
since the 1970s and 80s?
“The SPTT was born out of discussions between various footballers and
other disciplines of sport trying to п¬Ѓnd
a way to be involved in the industry conversation – but independently. It was:
Here’s a problem, what can we do about
it?”
The concept, backed by Gordon Taylor,
the Professional Footballers’ Association
chief executive, is to provide a platform
to investigate a variety of issues affecting
professional sportsmen and women on
topics as diverse as women returning to a
sports career after having a baby, to concussion on the п¬Ѓeld of play.
For Dr Steven Bradbury, a leading
sports and sociology academic at Loughborough University and author of the report, the attitudes of the 1970s and 80s
continue to hamper the progress of black
players beyond the pitch. “Black players have a lifespan of 35 years. Once your
body is worn out, as a black player, foot-
ball is done with you. Whereas if you are
a white player there are opportunities beyond your playing career,” he says.
Bradbury spent three years interviewing BAME coaches and former players
between the ages of 25 and 55, as well as
analysing data supplied by the Football
Association for the Football Against Racism in Europe-funded report.
It analyses some of the historical factors resulting in a lack of black managers,
including the “captain to coach” pathway, which automatically excluded many
black players over the past three decades.
Even today, the report reveals that black
players remain on the outside of a network of “key powerbrokers at clubs” –
directors, chairmen and senior administrators – preventing them from accessing
a football employment cycle so heavily
dependent on “personal preference, patronage and sponsored mobility”.
Bradbury’s interviews with black
coaches and former players give an insight into the attitudinal barriers facing
BAME п¬Ѓgures in the game. He describes
conversations between players and decision-makers where casual prejudice frequently reared its head. “They might say
things like: �We didn’t think black players were interested in becoming coaches’
… and there was a broader perception
that black players had bad attitudes and
couldn’t be coaches.”
Bradbury describes those in power
privately revealing their concerns about
the capacity of a black manager to lead a
white dressing room, for example. “There
were fears over whether – given the attitudes of some overseas white players – a
black manager would be respected in a
position of authority.”
An overriding theme, says Bradbury,
was for “a black coach always to be seen
in his racial self, not in terms of his professional identity as a qualified coach,
whereas white coaches were never defined by their whiteness.”
The effect was to create an environment where black coaches were seen as
the risky choice, whereas a white coach
was the comfortable option the fallback position – of “let’s go with what
we know”. He says this has contributed
to the merry-go-round of white coaches
who lose jobs and are swiftly reappointed
elsewhere, leading to “a strong feeling
amongst some BME coaches that they
have to work twice as hard for fewer opportunities and are less likely to be offered second chances to become coaches
at other clubs.”
The report makes clear it is “highly unlikely that any one BME coach has experienced all or none of the above practices
of unequal treatment. What is much more
likely is that many BME coaches have
experienced at least some of the above
incidences of exclusion across different
football settings and at different stages of
their professional coaching careers.”
It concludes: “It is the contention of
this report that the processes of conscious and unconscious racial bias referred to above constitute a form of institutional discrimination which has had
clear negative impacts for BME coaches.”
Roberts hopes the report will be the
п¬Ѓrst of many commissioned by the SPTT
on a wide range of subjects. “Ultimately,
this thinktank can be proactive in addressing the issues sports people feel
needs urgent attention. Our п¬Ѓrst report
reflects this – and we envisage future
work around issues that may not even be
on the radar at the moment.”
FRANCE SCENE
Lyon continue march with fifth straight victory
AFP
Paris
L
yon were not convincing in yesterday’s 3-1 win over Guingamp
but did register a п¬Ѓfth straight
victory that, provisionally, moved
them up to second in Ligue 1.
Paris Saint-Germain could retake second place by beating leaders Marseille in
the evening match at the Parc des Princes
in the capital.
Although Lyon lost their way after
half an hour, they remain the form team
of the moment and have recovered from
a poor start to the season that had seen
them languishing in the bottom half after
just three wins from their opening eight
matches.
In fact, Lyon are now unbeaten in nine
league matches having opened the current campaign with a win and three defeats.
Alexandre Lacazette went top of the
Ligue 1 scoring charts with 11 goals as he
opened the scoring in the eighth minute
with a back post header from Nabil Fekir’s
cross.
Fekir doubled the lead on 20 minutes
after converting on the slide a low cross
from Christophe Jallet.
Lyon’s French midfielder Nabil Fekir (R)
vies with Guingamp’s Malian forward
Mustapha Yatabare in Lyon yesterday.
At that point Lyon seemed in cruise
control but they needed Fekir’s second
goal, three minutes from time, to п¬Ѓnally
steady their nerves after Guingamp’s
п¬Ѓghtback.
The Cup holders pulled a goal back on
the stroke of halftime as Sylvain Marveaux’s free-kick came back off the bar
and hit Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes
before going in.
Although Steed Malbranque hit the
post for Lyon on 55 minutes, Guingamp
came close to equalising just past the
hour mark when Lopes had to make a
smart save to deny Jeremy Pied.
They continued to exert pressure until
Fekir’s decisive late contribution.
AFP
Munich
J
upp Heynckes, who
steered Bayern Munich
to the 2013 Champions
League title, says Pep
Guardiola’s unbeaten Bavarian
giants have no real competition
for this season’s Bundesliga title.
The 69-year-old Heynckes
coached Bayern to their п¬Ѓfth European title in May 2013 when
they enjoyed a 2-1 win over
Borussia Dortmund at Wembley
and went on to become the п¬Ѓrst
German team to win the treble
of league, cup and Champions
League titles.
Guardiola took over from Heynckes for the start of the 2013/14
season, winning the Bundesliga
title with a record seven matches
remaining.
Before yesterday’s matches,
Bayern opened a seven-point
lead at the top of the table with
a 4-0 win at Eintracht Frankfurt
on Saturday.
Heynckes says the Bavarians
are peerless in Germany as nearest rivals Borussia Moenchengladbach and Wolfsburg lack the
experience to launch a serious
challenge.
“Gladbach and Wolfsburg are
simply not ready, they don’t have
the self-confidence or assurance
and quality so say �we can be
champions’,” Heynckes, who was
voted world coach of the year in
2013, told German broadcaster
Sport1.
“Above all, I don’t see any serious competition for Bayern.”
Heynckes, who won the 1974
World Cup and 1972 European
Championship with West Germany, said former club Gladbach
have the potential to be a force
to be reckoned with under Swiss
coach Lucien Favre.
“(Gladbach) have developed
very well, they have a very good
playing culture and are tactically
very sound, which is all down to
their coach,” he added.
Hugo Sanchez’s son found dead in Mexico City
Mexico: The son of Mexico and
Real Madrid football legend
Hugo Sanchez was found dead
from apparent gas poisoning
on Saturday along with another
man in a Mexico City apartment.
The body of 30-year-old Hugo
Sanchez Portugal was found
by his wife when she arrived in
the apartment in the morning,
Mexico City public security
chief Jesus Rodriguez Almeida
told reporters.
“Everything indicates that the
death was due to hydrocarbon
intoxication, but this must be
corroborated by an autopsy,”
the city prosecutor’s office said
in a statement.
Investigators did not see
any signs of struggle, it said.
Sanchez Portugal was lying in
the living room while the other
35-year-old man, who was not
identified, was found in the
bathroom.
His famous father arrived in
Mexico City from the California
city of San Diego after being
told about the death, local
media said.
A mobile crime lab of the
prosecutor’s office was parked
in front of his son’s building
located on a busy street of the
upper-class Polanco neighbourhood. Sanchez Portugal was
born in Madrid to the football
player and his first wife.
He had been sports director of
the Miguel Hidalgo borough
since October 2012, which
includes Polanco.
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
5
CRICKET
FOCUS
Root takes World Cup positives from
England’s uncertain one-day state
By Richard Gibson
The Guardian
N
ot a single Englishman made a composite world one-day XI this week,
the past six series have culminated
in п¬Ѓve defeats and the selectors have
ripped up the team sheet with the World Cup
just three months away. The facts hardly instil confidence. No wonder Sachin Tendulkar
was dismissive of England’s credentials when
quizzed on the subject.
However, speaking 200 miles up the M1 at his
home ground of Headingley, Joe Root offered
a rare, sustained counter-attack from an England batsman, arguing that out of uncertainty a
competitive beast can be born, and that operating under the radar could be advantageous for
Alastair Cook’s men.
Their chance to put the theory to the test
comes on a seven-match ODI tour of Sri Lanka,
for which they depart in 10 days’ time.
While other countries are п¬Ѓne-tuning, England begin their winter diet of 50-over cricket
entrenched in experimental phase: despite
positive noises there are no long-term п¬Ѓtness
guarantees over either of their injured pace pair
James Anderson and Stuart Broad while the
batting remains a work-in-progress.
In terms of experience, opener Alex Hales has
just one series—September’s 3-1 defeat to India—while two other international greenhorns,
James Taylor and Moeen Ali, boast seven caps
between them.
“That means there’s not an expectation for
us to do well, which could work out for us,” said
Root. “We know we have the squad of players to
do really good things and a lot of young exciting players. Not a lot of people have seen what
they can do yet. Again that could play into our
hands because you can’t do as much homework
on them and you don’t know their games as well
as the other guys.
“We’re very capable. The big thing for us now
is we have this massive period of just playing
one-day cricket and we’ll have opportunities
to п¬Ѓnd our best formula, our best side, and get
used to playing together.
“A lot of successful sides are very consistent
and play pretty much the same side every game.
We’ve not done that. If we can get ourselves some
of that consistency, a regular side and everyone
fitting into their role, we’ll be a really tough side.
“We know we’ve not been good enough for
the last six months and this period now is about
getting it right and making sure we’re in the
best shape possible for February 14.”
That is the date England open their World
Cup campaign against hosts Australia in front
of an anticipated 80,000 crowd at the MCG.
For some, including Root, the experience of
such an occasion will evoke painful memories, although the Yorkshireman suggests
they will be better mentally prepared to combat such a hostile environment after confessing it spooked him during the 2013-14 Ashes
debacle.
“More than anything it was the atmosphere
that is created out there—and the crowds which
are bigger than they are here,” Root, who spent
the early part of this week with his international
teammates undergoing п¬Ѓtness tests at Loughborough, said.
“It kind of caught me off guard a little. Having experienced it now [we need to] make sure
that everyone who has not played out there has
an indication of what that was like. The thing
about games like that is that they are the ones
you want to play in. It is just about making sure
you are ready for it.”
3RD ODI/ INDIA vs SRI LANKA
SPOTLIGHT
Dhawan, Kohli
steer India to series
win over Lanka
India chase down Lanka’s 243-run target with 6 wickets to spare to clinch series
IANS
Hyderabad
Indian captain Virat Kohli
blows a kiss to the crowd
after crossing 6000 ODI
runs during his knock of 53
in the third ODI against Sri
Lanka yesterday. (BCCI)
A
superb all-round performance helped India
cruise to a six-wicket win in the third OneDay International (ODI) against Sri Lanka
and clinch the п¬Ѓve-match series 3-0 at the
Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium here yesterday.
Set a target of 243 runs, India coasted to victory
in 44.1 overs, winning with 35 balls to spare. Opener Shikhar Dhawan played a stellar knock (91) and
forged useful partnerships with Ajinkya Rahane
(31) and Ambati Rayadu (35) to lead India to victory.
Skipper Virat Kohli also contributed with a solid
53, in the process becoming the quickest batsman
to reach 6,000 ODI runs, taking only 136 innings to
reach the feat. Pacer Umesh Yadav (4/53) wrecked
Sri Lanka’s top order earlier in the day to help set
up the triumph.
India approached their run chase in the right
spirit, giving nothing away despite chasing a small
target against a mediocre attack.
Dhawan was in hot form, hitting the ball superbly and dictating the proceedings. He was ably supported by Rahane and Rayudu. Kohli carried on the
momentum after their departure to smoothen the
road to victory.
Dhawan called upon his wide range of shots to
give the opponents no ray of hope, becoming the
fastest Indian and п¬Ѓfth fastest to reach 2,000 ODI
runs, in just 48 innings.
But just when victory was in sight, п¬Ѓrst Dhawan
and then Kohli fell. But that could do nothing to
change the outcome of the match.
In the afternoon session, Sri Lanka rode on the
back of a brilliant century from veteran Mahela
Jayawardene to put up a total of 242.
Jayawardene, who struck his 17th century, was
well supported by Tillakaratne Dilshan (53) at the
start but, after the latter got out, no other batsman
gave much support to Jayawardene. In the end, the
visitors, who elected to bat, were bowled out for
242 in 48.2 overs.
Sri Lanka got off to a poor start after opener
Kusal Perera (4) was caught behind on the sixth ball
of the innings. Another veteran Kumar Sangakkara
perished for a duck two runs later, leaving his team
tottering at 7/2.
However, the 37-year-old Jayawardene showed
his hunger for runs to score a well-planned 118 to
bring up his 12,000 runs in ODI cricket. He caressed
12 boundaries and hit one six in his 125-ball innings.
Though opening batsman Dilshan was slow, he
gave good support to Jayawardene to take his team
out of trouble and strike a solid 105-run third wicket partnership which was eventually broken when
Dilshan was caught off Ambati Rayudu.
Thereon, the tables turned for the visitors who
could not forge big partnerships as Jayawardene
kept running out of partners. The right hander, in
order to accelerate the scoring, was stumped by India wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha with the team
total at 225.
Seekkuge Prasanna contributed 29 runs lower
down the order to take the visitors’ total to 242 before Sri Lanka were bowled out.
Pacer Umesh Yadav and left arm spinner Axar
Patel were the pick of the Indian bowlers picking
up four and three wickets, respectively.
SCOREBOARD
Sri Lanka
M Perera c Saha b Yadav .............................. 4
T Dilshan c Rahane b Rayudu .................... 53
K Sangakkara c Ashwin b Yadav .............. 0
M Jayawardene st Saha b Ashwin ........... 118
A Mathews c Kohli b Patel ........................... 10
S Priyanjan c Yadav b Patel ......................... 2
P de Silva c Dhawan b Patel ........................ 2
T Perera c sub (Binny) b Yadav.................. 1
S Prasanna b Yadav ......................................... 29
N Kulasekara c Rahane b Kulkarni .......... 7
P Gamage (not out)......................................... 0
Extras (lb-3, w-11, nb-2) .................................. 16
Total (all out, 48.2 overs) ............................. 242
Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-7, 3-112, 4-144, 5-148,
6-154, 7-158, 8-225, 9-238
Bowling: U Yadav 9-0-53-4; D Kulkarni 9.20-58-1; I Sharma 4-1-14-0; A Patel 10-1-40-3;
R Ashwin 10-0-43-1; S Raina 3-0-15-0; A
Rayudu 3-0-16-1
India
A Rahane c Jayawardene b Perera.......... 31
S Dhawan c Sangakkara b Kulasekara .. 91
A Rayudu (run out).......................................... 35
V Kohli c Gamage b Dilshan........................ 53
S Raina (not out) ............................................... 18
W Saha (not out)............................................... 6
Extras (lb-2, w-8, nb-1) ................................... 11
Total (4 wickets; 44.1 overs) ........................ 245
Fall of wickets: 1-62, 2-131, 3-201, 4-236
Bowling: Kulasekara 8-0-37-1; Gamage 6-050-0; S Prasanna 9-0-43-0; Perera 7-0-33-1;
De Silva 5-0-45-0; A Mathews 3-0-17-0; T
Dilshan 4-0-10-1; Priyanjan 2.1-1-8-0
Windies pullout
from India tour
damaging for
cricket, says ICC
Agencies
Dubai
C
ricket’s
governing
body yesterday vowed
to take steps to prevent a repeat of the
damaging West Indies cancellation of their tour of India last
month.
The West Indies team left
India four matches into a п¬Ѓvegame one-day series after a
pay dispute between players
and the Board, with a Twenty20 international and three
Tests to play.
As a result The Board of
Control for Cricket in India
(BCCI) are demanding $42
million in compensation and
damages. “It was undoubtedly
a sad chapter in our sport,” said
International Cricket Council
(ICC) chairman Narayanaswami Srinivasan.
“It damaged cricket’s integrity and reputation, as well as
affecting confidence within the
cricket community, especially
that of the fans,” added Srinivasan after the crisis was discussed during the ICC’s twoday board meeting in Dubai.
“The ICC and all of its Member Boards noted with deep
disappointment the recent decision of the West Indies players to abandon an international tour without fulfilling the
contractually agreed playing
obligations between the West
Indies Cricket Board (WICB)
and the Board of Control for
Cricket in India (BCCI),” an
ICC statement said.
“Putting aside the legitimacy or otherwise of any
grievances of parties involved
(and which are now the subject of a domestic Task Force
probe), the ICC and all Member Boards noted that players abandoning tours have the
potential to cause irrevocable
damage to the sport.
“It can also damage in the
jurisdiction of the relevant
Member Board concerned, as
well as enormous п¬Ѓnancial
damage, which might adversely affect the п¬Ѓnancial viability
of the sport itself.
“With that in mind, and in a
show of solidarity, all Member
Boards collectively expressed
the view that they consider such
player action to be extremely
disruptive, damaging and unacceptable,” the ICC said.
The ICC said that players
would be penalised if there was
similar action in the future.
“Players who behave in a
similar manner in the future
will not only risk breaching the
disciplinary rules of the relevant Member Board and being
sanctioned accordingly, but
may also put in jeopardy their
ability to conclude future contractual arrangements with
domestic franchises or clubs in
other jurisdictions.”
India, who are scheduled to
tour the Caribbean in March
2016, also announced all tours
to the West Indies would be
suspended while the WICB
sought a mutual agreement.
The ICC Board will also discuss and п¬Ѓnalise a change in
its anti-corruption code on
Monday, which will allow all
banned players to resume domestic cricket a few months
before their bans expire.
The revised code is likely
to benefit Pakistan paceman
Mohammad Aamer who was
banned for п¬Ѓve years after a
spot-п¬Ѓxing scandal in England
in 2101.
World Cup worries force Duminy
to rest his troublesome knee
JP Duminy has been withdrawn from South Africa’s one-day international squad for the five-match series in Australia starting
in Perth on Friday to protect a long-standing knee problem that
has threatened his participation in next year’s World Cup.
Duminy, who captained the side in their 2-1 Twenty20 series
loss to the Australians that was completed yesterday, will
be replaced in the squad by middle-order batsman Farhaan
Behardien.
“This is the same injury that plagued him during the Triseries in Zimbabwe and caused him to miss the Champions
League T20,” Proteas team manager Mohammed Moosajee
said in a statement released by Cricket South Africa on Sunday.
“The recommendation from the medical committee is that
he returns back to South Africa for a six-week period of rest
and rehabilitation, particularly ahead of a busy season at home
and the ICC World Cup in three months.”
The 31-year-old Behardien, who has played 11 ODI matches,
the last against Sri Lanka in July 2013, will link up with the rest
of the 50-over squad on Monday when sleading players such
as captain AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis, Dale
Steyn and Morne Morkel return.
Marchant de Lange has also been added to the squad to
bolster the pace-bowling department.
The World Cup will be played in Australia and New Zealand
in February and March next year.
6
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
CRICKET
1ST TEST/ PAKISTAN vs NEW ZEALAND
TWENTY20/ AUSTRALIA vs SOUTH AFRICA
Shehzad century,
Hafeez’s 96 put
Pakistan on top
�I love to prove myself in Test cricket which is the real test of a player’s skill’
Pakistan opener Ahmed Shahzad plays a shot en route to his century during the opening day’s play of the first Test against New Zealand at the Zayed International Cricket
Stadium in Abu Dhabi yesterday. Shehzad was unbeaten on 136 as Pakistan reached 269-1 at close. (AFP)
AFP
Abu Dhabi
O
pener Ahmed Shehzad hit a
brilliant hundred to steer Pakistan to 269-1 at close on the
opening day of the п¬Ѓrst Test
against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi yesterday.
Shehzad was 126 not out for his third
Test hundred—all made this year—but
fellow opener Mohamed Hafeez missed
his by four runs as New Zealand’s pacecum-spin attack toiled hard on an unresponsive pitch at Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh
Zayed Stadium.
Azhar Ali was unbeaten on 46, having
added 91 for the unbroken second wicket
stand with Shehzad.
It was another batting domination by
Pakistan after Brendon McCullum called
wrongly at the toss and his counterpart Misbah-ul Haq took no time in opting to bat, as
he did in the 356-run mauling of Australia in
the second Test at the same venue last week.
Shehzad ensured he did not miss the
three-п¬Ѓgure mark, taking a single off
seamer Jimmy Neesham to reach his
hundred off 221 balls with 12 boundaries.
In all Shehzad hit 14 boundaries during
his 290-ball stay and even a second new
ball after 80 overs could not waver his
concentration.
Hafeez and Shehzad put on Pakistan’s
best stand of 178 against New Zealand in
all Tests, beating the 172-run partnership
between Ramiz Raja and Shoaib Mohammad in the Karachi Test in 1990.
Shehzad hit п¬Ѓve boundaries off legspinner Ish Sodhi in the second session
while Hafeez entered his nineties with
three fours.
“I have worked hard on my batting,”
said 22-year-old Shehzad. “I love to
prove myself in Test cricket which is the
real test of a player’s skill and I am happy
that I have done that.”
Ali, who scored twin hundreds against
Australia last week, has so far hit three
boundaries in his patient knock.
Hafeez though failed to reach his
sixth hundred when he gave a return
catch to Corey Anderson. He hit ten
boundaries during his 212-minute stay
at the crease.
New Zealand were unlucky in the
first session as they missed two good
chances.
Off-spinner Mark Craig almost succeeded but wicket-keeper B.J. Watling
missed a stumping chance with Shehzad
yards out of his crease after his forward
push failed to connect. He was on 16 at
the time.
Hafeez, on 35, was also lucky to survive
when his tentative push off Sodhi was
caught by Ross Taylor in slip—but after
one bounce.
Watling also dropped Azhar on 31 off a
luckless Craig who failed to get a wicket
in his 17 overs.
Anderson has п¬Ѓgures of 1-31.
Ross Taylor admitted it was hard toil for
bowlers. “We expected the pitch to be flat,”
said Taylor. “We toiled hard but Hafeez and
Shehzad batted patiently and comfortably
and its going to be another tough day for us
White guides
Aussies home in
series decider
AFP
Sydney
A
ustralia won a thrilling п¬Ѓnal Twenty20
international against
South Africa by two
wickets with one ball to spare
to take the series in Sydney
yesterday.
Cameron White steered the
Australians home with an unbeaten 41 off 31 balls to pip the
Proteas in a tense decider at
Sydney’s Olympic Stadium.
The Australians had restricted the South Africans to
145 for six off their 20 overs after winning the toss, but needed 19.5 overs to get the winning
run off White.
Australia took the series 2-1
after losing the opening game
in Adelaide by seven wickets
then claiming the next in Melbourne by seven wickets and
winning in Sydney.
White’s composed knock
got the Australians over the
line after South Africa’s five
bowlers had threatened to pull
off a gritty victory as wickets
tumbled.
“Credit to our bowlers
again, chasing 140-odd on
that wicket you would be pretty comfortable most times so
I’m just glad we got over the
line at the end,” said man-ofthe-match White.
“I thought we bowled well
at the back end of their innings
and it’s nice to be making runs
so that’s my job and keep doing
it hopefully.”
Giant all-rounder David
Wiese captured three for 21
and spinner Robin Peterson
took three for 28 to lead the
South African attack.
Skipper JP Duminy said after South Africa’s good start
his team could have reached a
total of around 160.
“I think to defend as well
as we have done in that game,
I was pretty happy with that
bowling performance,” Duminy said.
“Here and there, we let it
leak a little bit, but all in all I
was pretty happy with the way
we fought. We never gave up.”
The
Australians
began
briskly, with skipper Aaron
Finch clubbing two sixes in his
33 off 25 balls and Glenn Maxwell hitting a typical improvised 23 off 15 balls.
But the wickets kept falling
and giving the South Africans
a sniff of victory.
The Australians needed 41
runs off the last 36 balls as
White masterfully shepherded
the strike to keep the scoring
rate ticking over.
Duminy declined to bowl
his off-spinners and relied on
his contingent of п¬Ѓve main
bowlers, but paceman Wayne
Parnell proved particularly expensive and went wicketless
for 43 runs from his four overs.
Kyle Abbott claimed the
wicket of Sean Abbott leg before wicket with the third-last
ball and incoming batsman
Cameron Boyce almost ran out
White when he scampered for
a single off his п¬Ѓrst ball.
Peterson’s
throw
from
backward square leg narrowly
missed the stumps with White
well out of his ground.
White then chopped away
Abbott’s next delivery to go
through for the winning run.
Australia’s bowlers earlier
fought back to restrict South
Africa to 145 for six after winning the toss and sending the
Proteas into bat.
South Africa were well
placed at 75 without loss after
8.3 overs with openers Reeza
Hendricks (49 off 48) and
Quinton de Kock (48 off 27
balls) breezing along.
However, Australia clawed
their way back. James Faulkner (3-28) was effective in
the closing overs, smashing
through the South African
middle order.
Faulkner subsequently was
named man of the series.
David Miller remained unbeaten on 34 off 26 balls and
was the only Proteas batsman
to make an impact in the closing overs.
Then two nations now meet
in a п¬Ѓve-match one-day series
starting in Perth on Friday.
Australia and South Africa
will now meet in a п¬Ѓve-match
one-day series, starting in
Perth on Friday.
Brief scores
South Africa 145-6 in
20 overs (Q de Kock 48,
R Hendricks 49, D Miller
34*; Faulkner 3/28) lost to
Australia 146-8 in 19.5 overs
(A Finch 33, G Maxwell 23, C
White 41*; Wiese 3/21, Peterson
3/28) by 2 wickets
SCOREBOARD
Pakistan (1st innings)
M Hafeez c&b Anderson ....................96
A Shehzad (batting) .............................126
Azhar Ali (batting) ................................46
Extras (nb-1) ............................................1
Total (1 wicket, 90 overs)..................269
Fall of wicket: 1-178
Bowling: T Boult 16-4-38-0; T Southee 15-2-47-0 (nb-1); M Craig 17-1-59-0;
I Sodhi 23-5-68-0; C Anderson 7-1-31-1;
J Neesham 7-0-20-0; B McCullum
5-1-6-0
tomorrow but we will try to get wickets.”
Pakistan kept the same side which
won the second Test against Australia for
their 2-0 win last week while New Zealand entered the Test with two seamers
and as many spinners.
The remaining Tests will be played
in Dubai (November 17-21) and Sharjah
(November 26-30).
Australian players celebrate their 2-1 win in the three-match
Twenty20 series against South Africa, in Sydney yesterday. (AFP)
BOTTOMLINE
Empty stands fuel fears for Test cricket’s future
AFP
Abu Dhabi
P
akistan’s stunning series win
over Australia may have had
fans applauding from afar, but
it was played out against a familiar backdrop of empty stands, stoking fears that interest in Test cricket is
dying out.
Ahead of next year’s ODI World Cup
in Australia and New Zealand, a flurry
of tours have been organised devoid of
any Test matches while those that are
being played have drawn scant interest
from spectators or TV viewers.
“I have to admit that I become more
and more concerned about the plight
of Test cricket every year,” former England skipper Andrew Strauss told the
Cricinfo website recently.
“Watching a Test match in an empty
stadium with no more than a hand-
ful of spectators in attendance sends
out warning signals. Seeing that the
viewing п¬Ѓgures for a county Twenty20
game rival those for a Test match adds
to the growing perception that Test
cricket is in crisis,” he added.
It is barely a decade since Twenty20
cricket burst onto the scene, delighting administrators as crowds flocked to
even domestic matches.
But critics say T20’s success has
been at the expense of Test cricket,
with players no longer developing the
skills and concentration needed to
succeed in the п¬Ѓve-day game.
“These are the signs of our time
where mediocrity rules in every
sphere,” former Indian captain, coach
and spinner Bishan Bedi said, adding
he was disgusted at the way the importance of Tests was being diminished.
“Cricket is a highly intellectual game
which requires a lot of intensity in
mind and body. But the emphasis these
days is on the Twenty20 nonsense that
suits mediocre players and onlookers.”
India was meant to have hosted three
Tests against the West Indies in October and November before the tourists
suddenly flew back to the Caribbean
over a pay dispute.
While Sri Lanka stepped in to п¬Ѓll the
void, the sides are only playing oneday matches.
The West Indies, which dominated
Test cricket in the 1980s, now struggle
to persuade some of its top players such
as Chris Gayle and Sunil Narine to pull
on white shirts and forsake the bigger
cash on offer playing in the proliferation of domestic T20 competitions.
England, the only country to still get
regular sell-outs at Tests, will only play
ODIs when they tour Sri Lanka next
month. South Africa have just wrapped
up a tour of New Zealand without playing a single Test.
Pakistan, meanwhile, has not hosted
a Test since a 2009 attack by gunmen on a bus carrying the Sri Lankan
team in Lahore, and are forced to host
matches in far-flung neutral venues.
“Cricket is a highly intellectual
game which requires a lot of
intensity in mind and body.
But the emphasis these days
is on the Twenty20 nonsense
that suits mediocre players
and onlookers”
Skipper Misbah-ul Haq, who
matched Viv Richards’ fastest Test
century off 56 balls against Australia in
Abu Dhabi last weekend, said the 2-0
series victory would have been sweeter
if it had been in front of fans in Lahore
or Karachi, instead of a smattering of
spectators in the Gulf.
“It would have been so different and
exciting back home, the win would be
an inspiration for young players,” Mis-
bah said after the series. “Everyone
wants to play in front of huge crowds.”
While Pakistan often attract full
houses for ODIs and T20s in the Gulf,
the number of paying spectators rarely
passes three п¬Ѓgures in Tests.
New Zealand are next up for Pakistan, with the п¬Ѓrst Test beginning in
Abu Dhabi on Sunday, but organisers
are not expected to open more than a
handful of turnstiles.
At least, Pakistan Cricket Board’s
coffers will be boosted by TV rights.
The ongoing three-Test series between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe has
not interested even Indian broadcasters, who usually п¬Ѓght among themselves for the rights to domestic T20
tournaments around the world.
A proposed World Test Championship in 2017 has already been put off
due to lack of interest from television
companies. In a further blow, Test
cricket has lost some of its leading
batting luminaries in the recent past
like record-breaker Sachin Tendulkar,
Kevin Pietersen, Jacques Kallis and
Mahela Jayawardene.
Former Australian captain Ian
Chappell says the sport’s governing
body, the International Cricket Council, must act to save the longer format.
“Instead of bickering over power and
how the money will be split, it would
be more productive if the ICC initiated
a think-tank on Test cricket,” Chappell
wrote on Cricinfo. “Test cricket has to
be nurtured and fostered, not just left
to tread water while the officials concentrate on short-term choices designed to fill the coffers.”
Bedi, who began his Test career before the advent of ODIs, rubbished
calls for the introduction of day-night
Tests to bring in more crowds.
“Test cricket is a day game and
should stay that way,” he said. “There
are better things to do at night.”
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
7
SPORT
SPOTLIGHT
Bubba captivates and inspires in Shanghai
By Ewan Murray
The Guardian
T
he assessment of Bubba
Watson as a golfer who will
win events simply by overpowering courses may now
require alteration. Any assertion that,
love him or loathe him, the bold Bubba
offers captivating viewing was merely
confirmed with his maiden victory
outside of the US.
Watson, a two-time Masters champion, now has a WGC title to his name.
The latest honour arrived in one of the
most astonishing climaxes to an event
in this golfing year.
Rory McIlroy may be the undisputed
best player on this planet but Watson
is the sport’s marketing—and television—dream in many ways. Golf would
be a poorer, and duller, place without
him, despite routine whispers pointing
towards a lack of popularity.
First, yesterday’s bad stuff. Two
holes from home in the WGC-HSBC
Champions tournament in Shanghai,
Watson was his negatively ranting
self after blaming external noise for a
poor tee shot. He was to double bogey
the 17th, apparently putting an end to
his quest to upstage Martin Kaymer,
Rickie Fowler, Graeme McDowell and
Hiroshi Iwata.
The mistake would have been in taking your eyes off what happened next.
Watson’s poor 4-iron approach to the
last found a greenside bunker. Ted
Scott, Watson’s caddie, turned to his
boss with a message, surely delivered
more in vain hope than expectation:
“This is how legends are made.”
He was to hole out from that sand
trap, 30 yards from the hole, for an eagle; a stunning moment that suddenly
catapulted Watson back to the summit
of the leaderboard.
This was the kind of moment any
golfing great would have been proud
to be a part of. Fowler, who is a Watson
fan, laughed at his playing partner’s
brilliance when the natural reaction
might have involved a golf club flying
through the air.
Fowler failed to match Watson’s
11-under tally. Kaymer could have
done but flew an approach shot to
the 18th with just a wedge right into
a water hazard. McDowell’s birdie
putt, which would have placed him in
a play-off, slid by. So, too, did that of
the hitherto unknown Japanese player
Hiroshi Iawta.
Tim Clark, who is the golfing antith-
esis to Watson, was the man alongside
the left-hander in the sudden-death
format, which in itself belies the theory
that Watson’s level of distance automatically sets him aside from the rest. In the
п¬Ѓrst hole of that play-off between the
quiet man and the extrovert, after com-
pletely different strategies, both players
had putts for birdie. It was Watson, from
25 feet, who holed out in therefore completing a remarkable recovery.
Watson has always maintained
growing the game of golf is one of his
key aspirations. It is somehow п¬Ѓtting
that China was the scene of his latest success. Asia is regarded as the key
market for golfing growth in the medium term; it naturally follows that
heroes are required.
“Holing out of the bunker, me getting excited, the crowd getting excited;
I think if a junior golfer is watching
that here in China or around the world
that might inspire them,” Watson said.
“They want to do that. It’s kind of like
basketball, you want to hit that last
game-winning shot.
“In terms of my own gratification,
it was great to win outside of the US.
That is a big thing for me. I have always dreamed of winning at least one
outside of the US. Another goal of mine
has always been to get 10 wins. Now I
have seven.”
He inevitably will not stop there. To
his credit, Watson has recently added
TENNIS
GOLF
Kvitova leads the
Czechs to Fed title
�I am very proud of Petra that she fought unbelievably, she showed how good she is’
Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova (centre) celebrates with team members after her win over Germany’s Angelique Kerber in the Fed Cup final in Prague yesterday. (Reuters)
AFP
Prague
P
etra Kvitova led the
Czech Republic to a third
Fed Cup title in four years
after beating Angelique
Kerber in the п¬Ѓnal yesterday to
hand her country an unbeatable
3-0 lead over Germany.
Kvitova,
the
Wimbledon
champion and world number
four, beat 10th-ranked Kerber in
a three-set thriller 7-6 (7/5), 4-6,
6-4 in two hours and 57 minutes.
The Czechs have won their
third trophy after lifting the
cup in 2011 and 2012, following
п¬Ѓve titles earned by the former
Czechoslovakia in 1975-1988.
Germany last won the Fed Cup
in 1992.
“Angie played so well and I’m
just glad that I did it, it was really about one point and then
she could take it,” said a jubilant
Kvitova. “It was really up and
down from the beginning of the
match and there was always a big
п¬Ѓght for every single point. I was
lucky in the end maybe.”
The п¬Ѓrst set turned into a
76-minute thriller with both
left-handers at their most aggressive on the superfast hardcourt of Prague’s O2 Arena
packed with 13,000 fans.
Kvitova squandered four break
points in game two while Kerber
needed a single one to break her
in the п¬Ѓfth game before doing it
again for a 5-2 lead.
But Kvitova showed why
Czech fans and media call her
“Lioness” and broke her rival
back twice to come level at 5-5.
Kerber went on an attacking
spree to earn another break and
grab a 6-5 lead, before the drama
peaked in game 12.
the kind of consistency to his game
that was lacking at the time of his п¬Ѓrst
Masters success.
In the PGA Tour’s wraparound 2014
season, Watson made 18 cuts from 21
events, secured eight top-10 п¬Ѓnishes
and had a scoring average of under 70.
There are tournaments it would seem
impossible for Watson to win, the
Open Championship for example, but
he is far from alone in that regard.
Of those Watson successfully chased
down in Shanghai, McDowell was the
most realistic. The Northern Irishman
led the п¬Ѓeld after 18, 36 and 54 holes
but never looked at his fluent best, a
matter that caught up with him over
the closing stretch.
“I didn’t play well this week,” McDowell conceded. “I have to be brutally
honest about that. To п¬Ѓnish third in the
style I did, I am disappointed. To п¬Ѓnish
third playing the way I did, I am pretty
happy. The pins were evil at times, so
you really had to be on with your iron
play to access them. I didn’t play well
enough, simple as that. To tie third in
this type of п¬Ѓeld, not playing my best,
I have to count myself fairly fortunate.”
Kerber had п¬Ѓve set points in
that game but Kvitova managed
to tame her before converting
her п¬Ѓfth break point of the game
to take the set to a tie-break.
In the tie-break, Kvitova rallied to a 4-1 lead, allowed Kerber to come level but п¬Ѓnally took
the tie-break 7-5 with a roaring
forehand down the line.
Kvitova had 31 winners but
30 unforced errors in that set,
against 12 winners and 16 unforced errors for Kerber.
The crestfallen Kerber lost
momentum early into the second set and let Kvitova take a
3-0 lead after winning the п¬Ѓrst
two games to love.
But she was quick to recover as
she broke Kvitova’s serve twice
to make it 3-3.
Combining ferocious shots with
slices and stop volleys, Kerber and
Kvitova held onto their serves until
Kerber earned two break points at
5-4 and converted the second one
as Kvitova п¬Ѓred wide to take the set
after 46 minutes.
In high spirits, Kerber broke
Kvitova early into the third set
as the Czech kept piling up unforced errors.
But Kvitova fought back once
again, broke Kerber’s serve twice
and closed the rubber out on her
fourth match point as Kerber
netted a backhand shot.
“It was outstanding, whoever
was down just came back and it
was like that the whole match,”
said Czech captain Petr Pala.
“I’m very proud of Petra that she
fought unbelievably, she showed
how good she is as a true champion but many respects to Angelique today.”
On Saturday, Kvitova overcame Andrea Petkovic 6-2, 6-4
and Lucie Safarova beat Kerber
6-4, 6-4.
NISHIKORI DOWNS MURRAY
IN ATP TOUR FINALS OPENER
London: Kei Nishikori made a dream start to his
ATP Tour Finals debut as the Japanese star clinched
a surprise 6-4, 6-4 victory over Andy Murray yesterday. Nishikori is the first Asian singles player to
qualify for the prestigious season-ending tournament at London’s O2 Arena and he rose to the occasion with his first-ever victory over former Wimbledon champion Murray at the fourth attempt.
The 24-year-old had failed to win even a single
set in those losses to Murray, but the last came over
two years ago and he has improved greatly since
then. He took the game to Murray right from the
start and hit 20 winners in a 95-minute triumph that
gives him a good chance of qualifying for the semifinals from a group that also features Roger Federer
and Milos Raonic, who meet later on Sunday.
“Maybe in the beginning I was a little bit tight,
but I started feeling better and the second set was
almost perfect,” Nishikori said. “I knew I had to be
more aggressive than usual and that’s how I won.
It’s my goal to go to the semi-final and final.”
It was the latest memorable moment in a breakthrough year for Nishikori, who reached his first
Grand Slam final at the US Open in September and
became the first Asian man to finish in the world’s
top 10 since 1973 thanks to a personal best 52
match wins this season.
Although he lost the final in New York to Marin
Cilic, Nishikori has continued to shine in the closing
weeks of the season, winning tournaments in Kuala
Lumper and Tokyo to climb to fifth in the world,
making him the highest ranked Asian male ever.
In contrast, Murray had spent the last two
months jetting across the globe on a gruelling
schedule of six consecutive tournaments in a successful bid to qualify for the Finals after he fell out
of the top 10 for the first time in six years.
The Scot chalked up titles in Shenzhen, Vienna
and Valencia and claimed he had played his way
back into form.
Murray, who had won 20 of his last 23 matches,
looked like extending his impressive run when he
broke for a 3-2 lead in the first set.
But Nishikori hit straight back, breaking Murray
to love in the next game as the Scot smacked his
forehead in frustration after delivering an untimely
double-fault. Nishikori was beginning to flourish
into his new surroundings and a superb return of
serve down the line brought up two set points,
with the second proving decisive when Murray’s
miscued drop-shot fluttered into the net.
Andy Murray of Britain reacts after losing to Kei
Nishikori of Japan in the ATP World Tour Finals in
London yesterday. (Reuters)
Chowrasia clinches
Panasonic Open title
AFP
New Delhi
S
hiv Chowrasia of India clinched his third
Asian Tour title when
he defeated compatriot Rahil Gangjee and Mithun
Perera of Sri Lanka in the playoff to win the Panasonic Open
yesterday.
Chowrasia, who began
the п¬Ѓnal round п¬Ѓve shots off
the lead, made a remarkable
comeback by rolling in a 15foot birdie in the play-off to
win the $300,000 event at the
Delhi Golf Club.
The 36-year-old, whose п¬Ѓnal-round score of six-underpar 66 included eight birdies,
said he was delighted to win a
Tour title after three years.
“I worked very hard for this
win because I wanted to boost
my confidence,” Chowrasia
said. “It is three years since I
last won and I will take a lot of
positives from the win.
“I’ve lost in two play-offs
before but that never crossed
my mind. I was focused on
making the birdie putt in the
play-off. I always had the belief that I could win on the
Asian Tour again and I did.”
Gangjee, who п¬Ѓnished with
a 71 in the п¬Ѓnal round, rued
his inability to win his second
Asian Tour title after leading
for the п¬Ѓrst three days.
“I knew the momentum
would swing through the п¬Ѓnal
day and I told myself to play
normally and not to worry too
much about the leaderboard,”
Gangjee said.
“I missed out on a couple of
chances towards the end and
that just took the game away
from me. It was a tough contest in the end but SSP (Chowrasia) played the best golf to
come through.”
Perera squandered a chance
to become the п¬Ѓrst Sri Lankan
to win on the Tour when he
narrowly missed a 10-foot
birdie in the play-off. “Everybody had a chance to win
today,” the 27-year-old Perera
said. “I did good but Chowrasia
played better than all of us. But
I now believe I can do something on the Tour. I will try and
get one trophy this year.”
South Korean Mi-Hyang
wins Mizuno Classic
South Korea’s Lee MiHyang won a nail-biting playoff to triumph in the Mizuno
Classic yesterday, birdying the
п¬Ѓfth extra hole to claim her
п¬Ѓrst LPGA title.
The 21-year-old beat compatriot Lee Il-Hee and Japan’s
Kotona Kozuma after all three
women п¬Ѓnished tied at 11-under 205 in Japan on the п¬Ѓnal
stop of the tour’s Asian swing.
The victorious Lee and Kozuma both carded п¬Ѓnal rounds
of 69 while Lee Il-Hee returned a 70 to set up a marathon three-way playoff.
“It was my first playoff ever,
so before it began I was very
nervous,” the champion said
after tapping in to bring the
drama to a close. “I just kept
playing and made the pars and
birdies. It was really exciting
when the last putt fell.”
Lee, who made her LPGA
debut in 2012, pocketed a top
prize of $180,000 after becoming the seventh South
Korean to win on the tour this
season and following world
number one Inbee Park’s victory in Taiwan last weekend.
Britain’s Laura Davies, who
held a share of the lead after the second round and was
bidding to become the oldest
winner in LPGA history at 51,
п¬Ѓred a 71 to п¬Ѓnish one stroke
behind the leading trio.
Rollins move two ahead
John Rollins moved a step
closer to his п¬Ѓrst PGA Tour
victory in п¬Ѓve years by seizing
a two-shot lead after the third
round of the $4 million Sanderson Farms Championship in
Jackson, Mississippi, on Saturday. The 39-year-old American, who is playing out of the
past champion category after
failing to record a top-10 п¬Ѓnish on the 2013-14 PGA Tour,
п¬Ѓred a four-under-par 68 at
the Country Club of Jackson.
Rollins, who has not won
on the US circuit since the
2009 Reno-Tahoe Open, made
timely birdies at the 14th and
16th to keep his closest challengers at bay before ending
his round with a 14-under total of 202.
John Rollins reacts after his birdie putt on the 16th hole during
Round 3 of the Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson. (AFP)
8
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
SPORT
NBA
FOCUS
Curry drops in 34,
Warriors hand
Rockets first loss
�We have this guy named Steph Curry, he’s pretty good. Steph just took over’
DPA
Los Angeles
S
tephen Curry dropped in 14 of his
34 points in the п¬Ѓnal quarter, and
the visiting Golden State Warriors
improved to a perfect 5-0 start,
after dealing the short-handed Houston
Rockets their п¬Ѓrst loss of the season, 9887 on Saturday.
“It was a character win to dig down
deep, get over the turnovers an ugly п¬Ѓrst
half and get the win,” said Curry, who
buried six triples and grabbed 10 rebounds in the come-from-behind win.
The Warriors became the NBA’s only
undefeated team left after the Milwaukee
Bucks handed the visiting Memphis Grizzlies their п¬Ѓrst loss of the season after six
wins, 93-92.
The Warriors dominated the inside
without Rockets centre Dwight Howard,
who was scratched before gametime with
flu-like symptoms.
“They’re obviously a different team
without Dwight,” Warriors rookie coach
Steve Kerr said. “When Dwight is out
there he’s running to the rim and getting
lob dunks. It changes everything.”
Curry changed everything after intermission, when the All-Star guard lit up
the Rockets for 23 points, and the visitors
outscored their hosts, 50-31.
“We have this guy named Steph Curry,
he’s pretty good,” Kerr said with a smile.
“Steph just took over.”
Australian Andrew Bogut grabbed
18 rebounds, Andre Iguodala netted 15
points, Draymond Green had 14 while
Klay Thompson 11 for the Warriors, who
are off to their best start in 20 years.
Bogut was delighted the Warriors remain
perfect despite another uneven victory.
“We’re not there yet that’s the scary
thing,” he said. “We haven’t played well
and to pull out victories is a great sign. We
have a lot more work to do and our ceiling
is not even close.”
James Harden had 22 points while
Isaiah Canaan added a career-high 21 for
the Rockets (6-1), who hit just 10-of-47
shots from behind the arc.
“We were stagnant. We didn’t move,”
Houston coach Kevin McHale said.
“We had too many turnovers, and we
just ran out of gas.”
Trailing by eight after a sluggish п¬Ѓrst
half, the Warriors went on a 22-4 tear
behind nine points apiece by Curry and
Thompson. The run was part of 28-13
third-quarter blitz that limited the Rockets to frosty 5-of-27 п¬Ѓeld goal shooting.
“We finally starting moving the ball in
the second half better and that got us going a little bit,” Kerr said. “But it was really our defence and intensity that turned
the game around.”
Golden State carried a 76-69 advantage into the п¬Ѓnal 12 minutes but the
Rockets rallied to knot it at 82 on Trevor
AFP
Los Angeles
N
BA star Steve Nash
(pictured) has п¬Ѓred
back at his critics who
are seeking to make him
a lightning rod for the troubles
that beset the winless LA Lakers
this season.
Disgruntled Lakers fans have
levelled their guns at the injured
guard after the two-time NBA
MVP recently posted a video on
social media of himself swinging
a golf club.
Nash responded on his Facebook page saying that golfing is
very different than the physical
pounding you take playing an
NBA basketball game.
“This may be hard for people to understand unless you’ve
played NBA basketball, but there
is an incredible difference between this game and swinging a
golf club,” Nash said.
Canada’s Nash said he suffers
from a long list of health ailments, including sciatica and has
three bulging discs in his back.
“I often can’t sit in the car on
the drive home ... Most nights
I’m bothered by severe cramping in both calves while I sleep,
a result of the same damn nerve
routes and the list goes on some-
what comically. That’s what you
deserve for playing over 1,300
NBA games. I understand the
fans are disappointed. I wish
desperately it was different.”
The 40-year-old has likely
played his last game after he announced last month he was sitting out the 2014-15 season.
On Friday, he reiterated that
the Lakers would be the last team
he plays for.
“The past two years I’ve
worked like a dog to not only
overcome these setbacks but to
п¬Ѓnd the form that could lift up
and inspire the fans in LA as my
last chapter,” said Nash, who was
born in Johannesburg, South Africa but grew up in Victoria, British Columbia.
Injuries to superstar Kobe Bryant, a revolving door on the head
coaches’ office and poor management and ownership decisions have left the winless Lakers
with a 0-5 record this season.
They are off to their worst start
since the 1957-58 season when
they began 0-7.
The Lakers, who have won 16
NBA titles, were scheduled to
face Charlotte (3-3) later yesterday and if they lose that game
they could equal their worst start
in franchise history with a loss to
red-hot Memphis (6-0) tomorrow night.
Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (left) scored 34 points, including 14 in the last quarter against Houston Rockets. (MCT)
Ariza’s jumper with 6 minutes 48 seconds left to play.
Curry took over with 12 points, including a pair of triples, and the Warriors
pulled away for just their second win in
last 13 trips to Houston.
Elsewhere
В„ Milwaukee Bucks 93, Memphis Grizzlies 92: Giannis Antetokounmpo scored
18 points, Brandon Knight converted a
three-point play with 1.1 seconds left,
and the Bucks handed the visiting Grizzlies (6-1) their п¬Ѓrst loss of the season.
Zach Randolph led Memphis with 22
points and 14 rebounds.
В„ New Orleans Pelicans 100, San Antonio Spurs 99: Anthony Davis hit the
game-winning layup with 6.6 seconds
left to cap a 27-point, 11-rebound effort,
lifting the visiting Pelicans to their п¬Ѓrst
win in the last six outings over the Spurs.
Frenchman Tony Parker scored 28 points
and Argentine Manu Ginobili added 17 to
pace the reigning NBA Champs.
В„ LA Clippers 106, Portland Trail Blazers
102: J.J. Redick poured in 30 points, Blake
Griffin had 23 while Chris Paul contributed
22 with 11 assists, as the Clippers shaded
the visiting Trail Blazers. Damian Lillard topped Portland with 25 points while
LaMarcus Aldridge had 21 and 10 rebounds.
В„
Miami Heat 102, Minnesota Timberwolves 92: Dwyane Wade scored 25
points, Chris Bosh added 24, and the Heat
snapped a modest two-game slide, after
trimming the visiting Timberwolves minus Ricky Rubio. Montenegro’s Nikola
Pekovic had 19 points with 11 rebounds
for the Timberwolves, who learned hours
earlier, that Spanish point guard Rubio
will be sidelined indefinitely because of a
left ankle sprain.
В„ Boston Celtics 106, Chicago Bulls 101:
Evan Turner tossed in 19 points, Kelly
Olynk had 18 with 11 rebounds, and the
visiting Celtics stopped the Bulls, playing
for the fourth time in the last п¬Ѓve games
without All-Star guard Derrick Rose because of both ankle sprains. Aaron Brooks
topped Chicago with 26 points and Spanish star Pau Gasol added 19.
В„
Washington Wizards 97, Indiana
Pacers 90: John Wall tallied 18 points,
Brazilian Nene added 17, and the visiting
Wizards held off the Pacers. Solomon Hill
wasted a career-high 28 points for Indiana, which lost centre Roy Hibbert to a
bruised left knee in the п¬Ѓrst quarter.
В„ Atlanta Hawks 103, New York Knicks
96: Kyle Korver scored 27 points, Jeff
Trague added 19, and the Hawks rallied
from 15 down in the third quarter to hand
the visiting Knicks their fourth straight
loss. Carmelo Anthony led New York with
20 points.
NHL
Kings keep it going against Canucks
By Lisa Dillman
Los Angeles Times (MCT)
H
e spoke recently about needing
to get his hands and feet working together on the same page.
Kings forward Marian Gaborik did just that, and those hands
pulled his linemate, centre Anze Kopitar,
right along for the ride and kick-started
the Kings as they beat the Vancouver Canucks, 5-1, on Saturday night at Staples
Center. Kings defenseman Alec Martinez
had a career-high three assists.
“I don’t care about points,” Martinez said. “I’m more worried about two
points, as a team.”
Gaborik got it all going, scoring his п¬Ѓrst
goal of the season, added an assist, and
Kopitar added a goal and an assist, his
п¬Ѓrst points since Oct. 23.
The Tanner Pearson-Jeff Carter-Tyler
Toffoli line flickered back to life, combining for six points, and defenseman Jake
Muzzin had his п¬Ѓrst multi-point performance of the season with one goal and
one assist.
Muzzin’s offensive contribution came
in the п¬Ѓrst period as the Kings got off to
a 3-0 lead. His goal, a long-range wrist
shot, was framed by goals by Gaborik and
Kopitar. They added another, by Toffoli,
in the second, and the Canucks brought
in Eddie Lack for the third period, replacing starter Ryan Miller. Carter’s goal, in
Injured Lakers
star Nash defends
golfing video
Los Angeles Kings center Tyler Toffoli (second from left) scores a goal against the
Vancouver Canucks during their NHL game in Los Angeles. (USA TODAY Sports)
the third, was his п¬Ѓrst in seven games, and
he added a second-period assist.
The offensive outburst came on a day
when defense had been a major concern.
The Kings were without veteran defenseman Robyn Regehr and had to play with
п¬Ѓve defensemen, instead of the usual six.
That meant significant minutes for
defensemen Drew Doughty, Muzzin and
Martinez. Doughty played 29 minutes
46 seconds, Muzzin 25:36 and Martinez
25:30, a season high.
“I thought we had the start we wanted,”
Martinez said. “Obviously, you’re down a
D-man the whole game, everyone is going
to get more minutes.
“We’ve all played with each other in
practice. The rotation in practice, you
end up playing with everybody. It was
a good team win. Everyone stepped up.
Throughout the year, you’re going to
face adversity whether it be injury, or in
this instance, cap space. I’ve never come
across anything like this before.
“It’s the hand you are dealt, and I think
we did a good job.”
Regehr (lower-body injury) is out with
an unspecified injury and is day-to-day.
The ongoing cap issues -- mostly due
to defenseman Slava Voynov’s indefinite suspension -- forced the Kings to
play short a player, at Philadelphia, last
month. They went with п¬Ѓve defensemen
and 13 forwards on Saturday, but the extra
forward, Jordan Nolan, played only 1:19.
Kings senior vice president Jeff Solomon, the team’s salary-cap guru, said they
would be able to afford a minimum recall
yesterday. They could not on Saturday because the salary-cap space changes daily.
However, it appears unlikely they
would make a recall from the minors, and
there is no game until Wednesday.
“We’ve gone over myriad scenarios on
what we’ve got to do in terms of keeping
healthy and when we can recall players,”
Solomon said. “But we didn’t anticipate
we’d have a player [Voynov] in salary-cap
purgatory. Or that we would be in salarycap purgatory.
“Again, the big part of that is injuries,
but we’ve got $4.1 million in salary-cap
purgatory. How do you get out of that?
That’s really beyond our control.”
National Football League roundup
В„ The Kansas City Chiefs activated linebacker Joe Mays from
injured reserve Saturday and waived linebacker Jerry Franklin.
Mays has played 61 NFL games in six seasons with the Houston
Texans (2013), Denver Broncos (2010-12) and Philadelphia Eagles
(2008-09). He joined the Chiefs as a free agent in March and was
placed on injured reserve Sept. 2 with a designation to return. His
career numbers include 194 tackles (141 solo), 18 tackles for loss
and 1.5 sacks.
В„ New York Giants starting running back Rashad Jennings did
not make the team’s trip to Seattle for Sunday’s game against the
Seahawks.
Jennings has been out for a month with a knee injury. Rookie
Andre Williams will continue to fill in for Jennings.
В„ The Seahawks activated cornerback Jeremy Lane from the
injured reserve/designated for return list, making him eligible to
play against the Giants.
Lane was placed on injured reserve with the designation to
return following the season opener against Green Bay when he
sustained a groin injury.
To make room for Lane on the roster, center Stephen Schilling
(knee) was placed on injured reserve.
В„ The Green Bay Packers downgraded safety Morgan Burnett
from probable to questionable for Sunday’s game against the
Chicago Bears.
The Packers did not say if or when Burnett aggravated his calf
injury. After starting the first seven games of the season, Burnett
missed the Packers’ last game against the New Orleans Saints.
The Packers signed offensive tackle Jamon Meredith to the active
roster and placed wide receiver Kevin Dorsey on injured reserve.
В„ The Baltimore Ravens signed cornerback Rashaan Melvin off
the Miami Dolphins’ practice squad.
To make room for Melvin, the Ravens placed cornerback Jimmy
Smith on injured reserve. Smith had season-ending foot surgery.
В„ Former New York Jets wide receiver Braylon Edwards told
radio station WPEN-FM that the team “babied” quarterback Mark
Sanchez, who is making his first start with the Philadelphia Eagles
on Monday night against the Carolina Panthers.
After leading the Jets to consecutive AFC championship games
in 2009 and �10, Sanchez fell out of favor with the Jets and he
signed with the Eagles in March.
Edwards, a teammate of Sanchez during the Jets’ playoff runs,
said the team protected the quarterback by emphasizing a runheavy offense.
“You have to remember Mark was 20 years old when he was
drafted. He was a kid,” Edwards said. “They babied him and never
really allowed him to man-up in the NFL.”
В„ Houston Texans linebackers coach Mike Vrabel wrote on
Twitter that his three Super Bowl rings were stolen from his
home. Vrabel won the rings as a linebacker for the New England
Patriots.
“To all the Houston area pawn shops: 3 super bowl rings are
headed your way. Courtesy of the (expletives) who smashed our
back door in,” Vrabel tweeted.
В„ The San Francisco 49ers promoted linebacker Chase Thomas
from the practice squad to the active roster.
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
9
SPORT
FORMULA ONE
Hamilton would be the better champion: Ecclestone
Reuters
Sao Paulo
B
ernie Ecclestone reckons Lewis
Hamilton would be a better
champion for Formula One than
Mercedes teammate and title rival Nico Rosberg.
The championship will be decided in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 23 with
the Mercedes drivers the only two in
contention and everything to play for
with double points awarded for the
first time in the sport’s history.
Ecclestone told the official formula1.com website, in an interview
carried out at the US Grand Prix last
weekend but published yesterday,
that at the start of the season he had
expected Rosberg to be the winner.
“I thought that would probably
suit the team better. And in my position I thought it would be better for
Formula One to have a world champion who can speak several languages,”
said the sport’s commercial supremo.
“I thought that if there was going
to be any help, which I am certain
that there hasn’t been, then maybe
there would be a bit more support
forthcoming from a German team
for a German driver. So yes, I was
sure that Nico would do it.
“Privately I thought that Lewis
would be a good champion. He is
more widely known around the world
than Nico. Consequently, he would be
the better champion for the sport.”
Ecclestone, who recently turned 84
and has run the sport for decades,
said he was sure 2008 world champion Hamilton had far more recognition around the world than Rosberg.
“Most people haven’t heard of Nico.
Therefore, Lewis would be the better
champion as far as this sport is concerned,” said the Briton.
Hamilton has won 10 races to
Rosberg’s four ahead of Sunday’s
Brazilian Grand Prix, the penultimate round of the championship.
Rosberg has been better in qualifying, however, his 10 poles for the
season securing him the sport’s
inaugural pole position trophy at
Interlagos.
British driver Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes poses with a fan at the Interlagos circuit in Sao Paulo, Brazil, yesterday. (EPA)
MOTOGP
SPOTLIGHT
Marquez breaks
season record with
13th win in Valencia
�During the race at times I was thinking of my brother and thought I had to do well’
AFP
Valencia
M
otoGP world champion Marc Marquez
claimed a record 13th
win of the season at
the Valencia Grand Prix yesterday ahead of Valentino Rossi and
teammate Dani Pedrosa.
Marquez’s victory lifted him
past the previous record mark
held by Australian rider Mick
Doohan of 12 victories in 17 races in 1997.
Victory for the 21-year-old
in the 18th and п¬Ѓnal race of the
season also ensured he and Pedrosa delivered back-to-back
constructors titles for Honda.
Rossi’s second place ensured
he п¬Ѓnished second overall in
the championship standings
with Yamaha teammate Jorge
Lorenzo, who retired from the
race with п¬Ѓve laps remaining,
back in third.
It was a special Sunday all
round for the Marquez family
as Alex Marquez followed in his
older brother’s footsteps earlier
in the day by becoming Moto3
world champion to ensure a
clean sweep of world titles for
Spanish riders in 2014.
“The truth is am very, very
happy. During the race at times I
was thinking of my brother and
thought I had to do well,” said
Marquez.
Marquez started п¬Ѓfth on the
grid after a crash in qualifying
on Saturday, but quickly moved
up to third behind Rossi and
Andrea Iannone.
He then had to bide his time
before passing Rossi on lap 10
and Iannone a lap later.
And in a п¬Ѓtting end to a sensational season he sped away
from the competition to seal
a comfortable victory despite
some intermittent spells of rain.
“When it started to rain I didn’t
know what to do, I just had to
concentrate and then I was out
on my own. I was enjoying it a
lot and I thought I would risk it, I
didn’t have anything to lose.
World Champions Moto GP Repsol Honda’s Spanish rider Marc Marquez (R) and his brother Moto 3 Estrella Galicia 0,0’s Spanish rider Alex
Marquez pose after winning the championship at the Ricardo Tormo racetrack in Cheste near Valencia yesterday. (AFP)
“It went well and now I have
to celebrate.”
Second place in the overall
standings was Rossi’s best
finish since he won the last
of his seven premier class
world titles in 2009, but the
35-year-old admitted it is
going to be hard to get back
on top of the world with Marquez around in the final years
of his career.
“With Marquez there is it going to be very difficult,” said the
Italian. “I am very happy because it has been a very positive
season for me.
“I was on the podium many
times, won two races and got
a pole position yesterday.”
Pedrosa, however, wasn’t as
satisfied with his end to the season as the rain affected his pursuit of Rossi for second place.
“It wasn’t very easy to see
when it was raining because it
was raining more at the end of
the track than the beginning, so
the whole race I was pushing a
little more, then a little less.
“It was difficult to calculate
the risk and the moment when it
was raining hardest was when I
lost most time on Valentino, but
to end the season with a podium
isn’t bad.”
VALENCIA GRAND PRIX RESULTS
1. Marc Marquez (ESP/Honda) 46min
39.627sec, 2. Valentino Rossi (ITA/
Yamaha) at 3.516, 3. Dani Pedrosa (ESP/
Honda) 14.040, 4. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA/
Ducati) 16.705, 5. Cal Crutchlow (GBR/
Ducati) 16.773, 6. Pol Espargaro (ESP/
Yamaha) 37.884, 7. Aleix Espargaro (ESP/
Yamaha Forward) 38.168, 8. Stefan Bradl
(GER/Honda) 41.803, 9. Michele Pirro (ITA/
Ducati) 45.710, 10. Scott Redding (GBR/
Honda) 51.191
Final world championship standings
(after 18 of 18 races)
1. Marc Marquez (ESP/Honda) 362, 2.
Valentino Rossi (ITA/Yamaha) 295, 3.
Jorge Lorenzo (ESP/Yamaha) 263, 4. Dani
Pedrosa (ESP/Honda) 246, 5. Andrea
Dovizioso (ITA/Ducati) 187, 6. Pol Espargaro (ESP/Yamaha Tech3) 136, 7. Aleix
Espargaro (ESP/Forward Yamaha) 126, 8.
Bradley Smith (GBR/Yamaha Tech3) 121,
9. Stefan Bradl (GER/Honda-LCR) 117, 10.
Andrea Iannone (ITA/Ducati Pramac) 102
Moto2
1. Thomas Luthi (SUI/Suter) 43min
08.366sec, 2. Esteve Rabat (ESP/Kalex)
at 0.133, 3. Johann Zarco (FRA/Caterham
Suter) 10.728, 4. Luis Salom (ESP/Kalex)
13.014, 5. Xavier Simeon (BEL/Suter) 13.689,
6. Dominique Aegerter (SUI/Suter) 14.706,
7. Sam Lowes (GBR/Speed Up) 18.825, 8.
Marcel Schrotter (GER/Tech 3) 30.185, 9.
Anthony West (AUS/Speed Up) 30.227, 10.
Lorenzo Baldassarri (ITA/Suter) 30.604
Final world championship standings
(after 18 of 18 races)
1. Esteve Rabat (ESP/Kalex) 346, 2. Mika
Kallio (FIN/Kalex) 289, 3. Maverick Vinales
(ESP/Kalex) 274, 4. Thomas Luthi (SUI/
Suter) 194, 5. Dominique Aegerter (SUI/
Suter) 172, 6. Johann Zarco (FRA/Caterham Suter) 146, 7. Simone Corsi (ITA/Kalex) 100, 8. Luis Salom (ESP/Kalex) 85, 9.
Sandro Cortese (GER/Kalex) 85, 10. Marcel
Schrotter (GER/Tech 3) 80
Moto3
1. Jack Miller (AUS/KTM) 40min 10.983sec,
2. Isaac Vinales (ESP/Calvo KTM) at 0.155,
3. Alex Marquez (ESP/Honda) 0.955, 4.
Danny Kent (GBR/Husqvarna) 1.572, 5.
Alex Rins (ESP/Honda) 2.251, 6. Efren
Vazquez (ESP/Honda) 2.508, 7. Niccolo
Antonelli (ITA/KTM) 3.620, 8. Miguel
Oliveira (POR/Mahindra) 4.216, 9. Brad
Binder (RSA/Mahindra) 4.248, 10. Karel
Hanika (CZE/KTM) 4.363
Final world championship standings
(after 18 of 18 races)
1. Alex Marquez (ESP/Honda) 278, 2. Jack
Miller (AUS/KTM) 276, 3. Alex Rins (ESP/
Honda) 237, 4. Efren Vazquez (ESP/Honda)
222, 5. Romano Fenati (ITA/KTM) 176, 6.
Alexis Masbou (FRA/Honda) 164, 7. Isaac
Vinales (ESP/Calvo KTM) 141, 8. Danny
Kent (GBR/Husqvarna) 129, 9. Enea Bastianini (ITA/KTM) 127, 10. Miguel Oliveira
(POR/Mahindra) 110
Wall’s fall was
dream come
true for
Bayern boss
AFP
Berlin
B
ayern Munich boss and
ex-East Germany international Matthias Sammer says the fall of the
Berlin Wall, 25 years ago, meant
he could realise his dream of
Bundesliga football.
The opening of borders in
Germany’s capital on November
9 1989 heralded the collapse of
the communist German Democratic Republic (GDR).
It ultimately led to reunification in October 1990, changing the lives of millions of East
Germans, like Sammer, who had
been trapped behind the iron
curtain.
The 47-year-old is currently
Bayern’s director of sport, helping steer the Bavarian giants
to the 2013 Champions League
triumph and Pep Guardiolacoached Munich are unbeaten
this season at the top of the Bundesliga.
During his playing career,
Sammer made 23 appearances
for East Germany, then played
51 times for Germany after reunification in 1990 and was
part of the team which won the
1996 European Championship
in England. The defensive midfielder won the 1997 Champions
League title with Borussia Dortmund and was voted European
player of the year in 1996.
But in 1989, Dresden-born
Sammer was a 22-year-old international for the former GDR
playing for Dynamo Dresden in
the East German Premier league
with any thoughts of West Germany’s Bundesliga strictly out of
bounds.
“We were preparing in Leipzig
for a World Cup qualifier against
Austria (when we heard the
news), but at that moment, everything was up in the air, not just
football,” Sammer told German
daily Bild about his memories of
November 9 1989.
“At the back of your mind was
the thought that perhaps the
dream may come true to eventually play in the Bundesliga.
“It was the dream of many
MATTHIAS SAMMER
East German players, but was
something you could never
openly talk about.”
Sammer even fell offside with
East German officials, shortly
before the Berlin Wall fell, just
for talking to Stuttgart’s then
coach Arie Haan in a Dresden
hotel in the late 80s.
It was a chance meeting he
had to later report to the Stasi,
the GDR’s secret police.
“I met him (Haan) by accident
at a Dresden hotel and with his
Dutch charm, he told me I could
play for any Bundesliga team,”
said Sammer.
“But I was already thinking,
�what if there is a bug under the
table?’
“I had to report the meeting to
the Stasi and explain what it was
all about with Haan.”
Sammer said several Dresden
teammates had been forced to
end their careers just because
they kept up contact with family in the west and he constantly
had to watch what he said.
“There were taboo subjects,
for example, not to discuss a
grandmother or aunt (in the
west) and never talk about the
Bundesliga.
“Your image didn’t play a role,
you were either a good player or
not.
“Players who have a good image today, wouldn’t have been
automatically considered good
in those days.”
Sammer joined West German
side VfB Stuttgart in July 1990,
eight months after the Berlin
Wall fell, scoring 11 goals in his
п¬Ѓrst Bundesliga season.
He helped his new club become the first champions of reunified Germany in 1991-92.
Sammer says reunified Germany has come along way in the
quarter of a century since the
Berlin Wall fell.
“I can only say what I feel:
thank god we are one country again,” he said. “It’s not as
though we don’t still have problems, but we can be very proud.
“For example, when you see
how my hometown of Dresden
has been rebuilt, it is unbelievable what this country and the
people have achieved.”
10
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
SPORT
BADMINTON
FOCUS
Lee vows to clear
his name after
failed drug tests
�I have never cheated not even made any attempt to cheat thus this was like a bolt of lightning’
AFP
Kuala Lumpur
LEE CHONG WEI
B
adminton world number one Lee Chong Wei
has said he �never cheated’ and will fight to
clear his name, as he п¬Ѓnally broke his silence
on positive drugs tests that have shocked the
sport.
Reports that the Malaysian star tested positive for
the banned anti-inflammatory dexamethasone at the
world championships in Copenhagen in August have
been circulating for weeks, although officials refused
to identify Lee.
But the shuttler wrote on Twitter late Saturday that
he hoped to clear his name, posting a link to an interview in which he describes himself as �devastated’ by
the allegations.
“Thank u for having faith in me. I never cheated nor
will I ever rely on banned substances,” the 32-year-old
wrote in the Twitter post.
“There are so many unanswered questions, and I
hope to clear my name soon.”
In the interview, he tells friend and sports blogger
Satwant Singh Dhaliwal: “I saw my entire life flash by
me, the whole last 15 years just going up in smoke. I was
devastated and just did not know what to do.
“I have never cheated not even made any attempt to
cheat thus this was like a bolt of lightning, destroying
everything I had worked so hard for.”
Fans have been shocked by the allegations against
Lee, a hero in Malaysia who is known for his humility
and diligence.
The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) said
Saturday the shuttler had been temporarily suspended
after a second test on his urine sample—conducted in
Norway this week and witnessed by Lee—came back
positive, like the first test. Lee—who is facing a suspension of up to two years, which could mean the end of
his career—is now awaiting a hearing by the Badminton
World Federation. No date has been set as yet.
REACTION
Springboks must show character
and bounce back, says Meyer
S
outh Africa must learn
from their 29-15 defeat to Ireland and
show character when
they play England in the second of their November tests
next weekend, said Springboks
coach Heyneke Meyer.
Meyer, who was tasting
defeat for the first time to a
northern hemisphere side and
which was South Africa’s first
against a northern team since
losing to Scotland four years
ago, conceded Ireland had deserved Saturday’s victory at
Lansdowne Road.
It came only weeks after
the Springboks had brought
to an end world champions
New Zealand’s 22-match winning run. “Every single defeat
hurts,” said the 47-year-old
Meyer, who took over the post
in 2012. “However, I’d rather
lose one now and see where
we’re at for the World Cup next
year than it to happen then because now I can see where we
can adapt and improve.
“We have to take this on the
chin and show some character against England, who are
a quality side too. We have to
look ourselves in the mirror
and reflect on what happened
out there. “However, let us
not kid ourselves—we played
a world class side who nearly
beat the All Blacks last year.”
Meyer, who was experiencing just his eighth defeat in 34
tests, said that the yellow card
for replacement hooker Adriaan Strauss 14 minutes from
the end had halted any momentum they had managed to
build having trailed the Irish
throughout the game.
“The referee is always right,
we’re not allowed to say otherwise,” said Meyer.
“However, there are no excuses. We could use that as
one if we wished to but Ireland
were the better side. They outplayed us and outkicked us.”
Meyer, who has experi-
Reuters
Singapore
continued to flow and he claimed
the number one ranking for the
п¬Ѓrst time in 2006.
L
IN RIVALRY
Often reluctant to take risks,
Lee’s retrieving ability, incredible reflexes and agility made
him almost impossible to beat
for most players but he lacked
a killer punch against the very
best, particularly arch rival and
nemesis Lin Dan.
While the pair would claim a
similar number of victories at
national opens around the globe
over the next eight years, China’s
Lin, who is a year younger than
Lee, could always п¬Ѓnd that little extra when they met on the
grandest of stages.
They п¬Ѓrst crossed swords in an
Olympic п¬Ѓnal in Beijing six years
ago with Lin storming away in
the second game to claim a victory he would repeat in London
in 2012, although Lee let slip an
18-16 lead in the decider of a
classic encounter.
Lee was also foiled by the same
opponent over three tight sets in
the 2011 and 2013 world championship finals and when the Malaysian reached a third title showdown earlier this year in Lin’s
absence, Chinese second seed
Chen Long emerged victorious.
Nearing the end of their glittering careers, both Lee and Lin
put off retirement to target one
last Olympics with the Malaysian hoping to end on the high
of a п¬Ѓrst gold with Lin targeting
an unprecedented third straight
title.
Sadly, the prospect of witnessing the rivals battling it out
like a pair of aging prize-п¬Ѓghters
for one п¬Ѓnal grudge match is no
longer a possibility after Lee’s
positive test.
His previous achievements
will guarantee the Malaysian a
prestigious place in badminton’s
history books but the cause of
his premature retirement will
always be indicated by an unwelcome asterisk.
ee Chong Wei has dominated the world rankings
without ever capturing
one of badminton’s biggest prizes and now the Malaysian’s hopes of a last shot at glory
appear likely to have ended in an
Oslo laboratory.
The 32-year-old Lee has
spent almost 300 weeks ranked
number one in the world but after losing the last two Olympic
and three world championship
п¬Ѓnals he will no longer have a
chance to cap his stellar career
with a �dream’ Rio gold in 2016.
Lee’s 55 global titles have made
him Malaysia’s leading sportsman but his legacy of a perfect
role model and father will now
surely be tarnished after traces
of the banned anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone were
discovered in his system during
the August world championships in Denmark.
After a follow-up test in Norway this week, witnessed by the
player and Malaysian badminton
officials, confirmed the positive
test, the likely two-year ban represents a sad way for Lee to end
his affiliation with a sport he did
so much to promote.
Although Malaysian authorities may discover that the drug
was taken inadvertently as part
of medical treatment, Lee, who
received stem cell injections in
July for a thigh injury, will still
be expected to serve the full twoyear term.
Born in the small town of Bagan Serai in northern Peninsula
Malaysia, Lee’s first love was
basketball but his family pushed
him to take up badminton and his
supreme footwork and defensive
skills had earned a call up to the
national squad at 17.
He won his п¬Ѓrst major title in
2003 on home soil and as he added more deceptive shots to his
repertoire, the tournament wins
Kangaroos too strong for Samoa
to reach Four Nations final
Positive results �a mystery’
BAM and other officials have defended Lee, saying
the drug was not performance-enhancing. They are
probing if it may stem from treatment of a thigh injury
in July, when Lee received stem cell injections.
Lee said he was informed that the drug was last
injected into him on July 18 but he passed an out-ofcompetition test on August 15. “So it is indeed a mystery why this substance was found in my system on
August 30,” Lee told Satwant.
“At the moment I am confined to my house and have
not even thought of returning to the courts yet.”
Many Malaysians have rallied behind Lee, the country’s most prominent male athlete. “I will always support you & you r not a cheater. You r Malaysian hero,” one
Twitter user wrote yesterday. Lee has been at or near
the top of the rankings since 2008 though he has never
won a world or Olympic title, often losing to his nemesis, the Chinese star Lin Dan, at the last moment. In the
world championships in Denmark, where the random
test took place, he lost to China’s Chen Long in the |
п¬Ѓnal.
Badminton has seen few doping scandals, with previous controversies mainly stemming from judging inconsistencies and attempts to throw matches.
AFP
Johannesburg
Positive test could
spell the end for Lee
Heyneke Meyer
ence of English rugby having
coached the Leicester Tigers
from 2008 to 2009, equated
playing the Irish to that of an
arm wrestler.
“We have to adapt to different styles of game. You can’t
play Championship (southern
hemisphere
championship)
rugby in the ones we had today
and we haven’t really played
well in the wet ball conditions
like that all year,” said Meyer.
“Although we’ve evolved
in every game we’ve played
against Ireland it is an arm
wrestling exercise where you
have to wait your moment to
open them up.”
Springbok captain Jean de
Villiers, who along with centre
partner Jan Serfontein failed to
dominate the rookie duo opposite them in debutant Jared
Payne and 21-year-old Robbie
Henshaw, said that the players
should bear the brunt of the
blame. “We were fine at tactical kicking and in the scrum
but we just couldn’t hang onto
the ball, which you do at grade
one rugby,” said the 33-yearold, who was winning his
103rd cap.
“It is not we played badly
but we couldn’t hold on to the
passes and that is not down to
coaching. We as players have
to take the responsibility because how we played was not
good enough for the Springbok
jersey.
Saint-Andre delighted with
debutants’ impact
France coach Philippe SaintAndre was savouring a rare un-
mitigated success after his side
dismantled Fiji 40-15 despite
seven players making their debuts.
Teddy Thomas scored a hattrick of tries—only the second
French debutant to do so following Rodolphe Modin against
Zimbabwe in 1987 — while
South African born Scott Spedding set up two of those.
Thomas’s
Racing-Metro
teammate Alexandre Dumoulin was a powerful runner in
midfield while those that came
off the bench had little chance
to shine—although prop Uini
Atonio made a couple of handling errors, one that cost his
side a try.
“The priority was the win.
Five tries today (Saturday) plus
seven new caps, it’s a long time
since that has happened,” said
Saint-Andre.
“The fans were superb in
Marseille and got behind us for
80 minutes, so we’ll take lots of
positives tonight before tomorrow (Sunday) thinking about
preparing for Australia.”
Australia’s Kangaroos eased into the Four Nations rugby league final
with a convincing 44-18 win over Samoa in Wollongong yesterday.
The Kangaroos, in danger of missing their first major tournament
final in 60 years after losing 30-12 to New Zealand in the opening
game, will have another crack at the Kiwis in the decider in Wellington next Saturday.
The Australians posted eight tries to Samoa’s three and were in
control at halftime with a 28-6 lead. Team mainstays Greg Inglis and
Cooper Cronk both scored two tries, while skipper Cameron Smith
landed four goals from six attempts.
The Samoans, who pushed England and New Zealand to the brink
in their first two games, put in their worst defensive effort of the
tournament to concede five tries in a sloppy first half.
Man—of-the-match Inglis was in outstanding form, scoring off a
Corey Parker pass and then slicing through a weak Tim Lafai tackle
to score his second try in the 26th minute. Inglis has now scored
27 Test tries to be just one behind the late great Kangaroo centre
Reg Gasnier. Daly Cherry-Evans burnt off the Samoan defence in a
70-metre sprint to the line and young Bulldogs prop David Klemmer
scored his first international try just minutes before the break.
Samoa outscored the Kangaroos for a time in the second half, getting back to 32-18 with 11 minutes to go. But the home side finished
strongly with further tries to Josh Papalii and Josh Mansour to wrap
up a conclusive victory.
Cherry-Evans finished off a lively match, kicking both conversions.
The Australians will now bid for their third Four Nations title against
fierce trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand, who beat them 16-12 in the
2010 tournament in Brisbane.
Smith said the Kangaroos, fielding 11 rookies in their injury-hit 24man squad, have gelled considerably in the wins over England and
Samoa, since their first-up loss to New Zealand.
“We have grown a bit more patient as a football side over the last
two weeks,” Smith said. “In that first match, given we had five
debutants we went looking for cheap points when we were in an
arm-wrestle match against the Kiwis.
“Last week against England and particularly this week at times,
when we could have thrown the ball around a lot more we stuck to
our game plan and the points came.
“But there is no doubt we need to improve on our performance this
week against Samoa because we were comprehensively outplayed
last time we met the Kiwis.”
New Zealand will have home ground advantage for next weekend’s
final and remained unbeaten in this year’s tournament with a 16-14
win to end England’s hopes in Dunedin on Saturday.
Coach Matt Parish bemoaned a run of penalties which Samoa conceded early, allowing Australia to march upfield.
However Parish said Samoa’s efforts over the last three weeks had
given the Pacific islanders important impetus in international rugby
league.
“We are obviously disappointed with the result but in the big picture
we have made big inroads,” he said.
David Klemmer of Australia celebrates scoring a try against
Samoa with his teammates.
Gulf Times
Monday, November 10, 2014
11
SPORT
BOXING / LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
BOXING / SUPERMIDDLEWEIGHT
Hopkins shows
age in lopsided
loss to Kovalev
Stieglitz,
Abraham
to meet for
fourth time
�He’s a great in the boxing world. But I wanted to show my fans I could box and I did’
German boxers Felix Sturm (right) and Robert Stieglitz exchange
punches during their supermiddleweight elimination fight in
Stuttgart, Germany, on Saturday. (AFP)
AFP
Stuttgart, Germany
G
Russia’s Sergey Kovalev (left) knocks down Bernard Hopkins of the US during their IBF, WBA and WBO light heavyweight title bout in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Saturday. (AFP)
AFP
Atlantic City, New Jersey
S
ergey Kovalev punished 49-yearold ring legend Bernard Hopkins
over 12 rounds on Saturday, unifying three light heavyweight
world titles with a lopsided unanimous
decision.
Hopkins, the ageless “alien,” was
brought to earth with a thud when Kovalev knocked him down in the п¬Ѓrst round.
The hard-hitting Russian powered on
from there, never troubled as he added
Hopkins’ World Boxing Association and
International Boxing Federation titles to
his own World Boxing Organization belt.
Two judges scored the bout 120-107 for
Kovalev, while a third saw it 120-106 for the
31-year-old Russian, who had never been
past the eighth round in 26 prior п¬Ѓghts.
Kovalev improved to 26-0 with one
drawn and 23 knockouts.
Hopkins, who will turn 50 in January,
fell to 55-7-2, enduring the most lopsided
decision of his career.
Already the oldest п¬Ѓghter to capture a
major world title, Hopkins insisted the
defeat wouldn’t automatically spell the
end of his ring career.
“I would not disclose anything now,”
he said. “It’s 50-50, what I’m going to do,
but I’ve done more than anybody expected me to do in my whole career. I’m fine. I
will think about it.”
Hopkins, who will turn 50 in January, fell to 55-7-2, enduring the most lopsided decision
of his career. (AFP)
Kovalev said he thought Hopkins
“needs to stop his career,” if only to “give
younger guys a chance to be champions.”
That said, Kovalev added that he
thought Hopkins could beat World Boxing Council light heavyweight champ
Adonis Stevenson—although whether
Hopkins will now pursue that bout remains to be seen.
HOPKINS A BOXING GREAT
Certainly Kovalev showed he didn’t need
Hopkins to step aside, imposing his will
from the opening bell.
“Bernard is a tough opponent and
very good at keeping the distance,” Kovalev said. “He’s a great in the boxing
world. But I wanted to show my fans I
could box and I did. He touched me with
some good punches, he has some good
form.”
Despite encouraging chants of “BHop! B-Hop!” from the crowd of 8,545 at
Boardwalk Hall, Hopkins had no answer
for Kovalev’s power and the Russian’s
disciplined plan of attack.
“The better man was Kovalev,” Hopkins said. “He fought a great technical
п¬Ѓght. He used his reach and he used his
distance and that was the key.”
After sending Hopkins to the canvas
with a right to the face in the п¬Ѓrst, Kovalev
staggered Hopkins with another right in
the eighth, although the veteran—whose
only concession to age is the gray stubble
on his chin—stayed on his feet.
Finally in the 12th, Hopkins seemed
to realise he’d need to produce a knockout, but Kovalev seemed just as intent—
landing 38 of his 89 punches in the п¬Ѓnal
round.
“I’m crazy,” Hopkins laughed when
asked about going toe-to-toe with Kovalev in the 12th, but then added: “I’m kidding. It’s what the fans want to see. They
want to see good п¬Ѓghts. I was engaging, I
knew if I could get a good shot in I could
turn things around.”
That didn’t happen, and Hopkins gave
Kovalev his due.
“He stuck to his game plan and he’s going to be around for a long time,” Hopkins
said. “I’ve got respect for a guy that comes
to fight and wants to fight everybody.”
ermany’s Robert Stieglitz will face world
champion Arthur Abraham for the fourth time
next year for another crack at the
WBO super middleweight title
after Stieglitz’s draw with Felix
Sturm this weekend.
The п¬Ѓght had been a decider
to see whether Stieglitz or Sturm
will challenge Abraham for the
world title, but Stieglitz remains
the WBO’s mandatory challenger
after the result against compatriot Sturm in Stuttgart on Saturday night.
The judges failed to separate
the п¬Ѓghters on the scorecards
after 12 action-packed rounds
as Sturm stepped up a division,
having lost the IBF middleweight
title to Australia’s Sam Soliman
on points in May.
“They both gave absolutely
everything, it was a war,” said
Abraham, who was ringside in
Stuttgart for the Stieglitz-Sturm
bout.
“For me, Felix was the winner.”
Stieglitz is ready for a rematch,
but п¬Ѓrst he has the right to try
and regain the WBO super middleweight title from Abraham he
п¬Ѓrst won in 2009 and has held
twice.
Germany’s Abraham will fight
Stieglitz in the п¬Ѓrst few months
of 2015, while a rematch between
Stieglitz and Sturm is unlikely to
happen until late next year.
The 33-year-old Stieglitz last
lost to Abraham in March in their
third meeting after originally
losing on points to the world
champion in August 2012, then
won the rematch in March 2013
when swelling forced Abraham’s
left eye shut and Stieglitz earned
a fourth-round technical knockout.
Referee Juergen Langos (centre) lifts up the arms of German boxers
Felix Sturm (right) and Robert Stieglitz after their supermiddleweight
elimination fight ended in a draw. (AFP)
SHOWJUMPING
Top show jumping horses fly Qatar Airways to Doha
By Sports Reporter
Doha
A
total of 67 world-class showjumping
horses flew Qatar Airways from Liege,
Belgium, to Doha, Qatar, ahead of the
nail-biting п¬Ѓnal round of the 2014
Longines Global Champions Tour season (13-15
November).
The horses flew in special �air stables’ and
received a �business class’ experience to ensure
they remained comfortable and happy throughout
their journey to one of the biggest events in the
equestrian calendar. The п¬Ѓnal Grand Prix of
this year’s series takes place at Al Shaqab, one of
the most spectacular equestrian venues in the
world, providing a fabulous international stage
for the crowning of the overall Longines Global
Champions Tour champion.
For this, the dramatic conclusion to a rollercoaster ride of a season, the stars of the sport
are all out in force for the п¬Ѓnal showdown, but
it’s now a three-horse race to the Championship
title between World No1 Scott Brash (GBR),
four-time Olympic Gold medallist and World
No2 Ludger Beerbaum (GER), and two-time
Olympic Silver medallist Rolf-Göran Bengtsson
(SWE).
The CSI5* Doha п¬Ѓnale offers some of the
biggest prize money in the sport, and this year
over €1.7million is on the table, including the
record €1million end of season bonus of which
the lion’s share goes to the 2014 Championship
winner.
Grand Prix highlights will be broadcast on
Eurosport on Saturday, November 15, with live
coverage shown from Saturday 3:15pm CET
on beIN Sports, Horse&Country TV, GCT TV,
Equidia Life and ClassHorseTV.
Monday, November 10, 2014
FOOTBALL
GULF TIMES
FOCUS
SPOTLIGHT
Mind over matter –
Paddy Upton style
Developing athletes
comes with great
responsibility, says
QAF president
�My role is to create a healthy environment, that eliminates the mental problems’
T
By Sports Reporter
Doha
he �Youth Athletics
Coaching Conference’,
a two-day-long event
hosted by Aspire Academy in co-operation with Qatar Athletics Federation (QAF),
started yesterday and brought
270 registered people including
coaches from all over the world
to Aspire Academy.
Participants and speakers
were officially welcomed in the
morning by Ivan Bravo, Director General of Aspire Academy
and Dahlan al-Hamad, President of the Qatar Athletics
Federation, in the auditorium
of the Academy.
“It’s a great pleasure to have
a gathering like this here at
Aspire Academy and I want
to thank the QAF for making things like this possible.
Coming together and sharing
knowledge is a fantastic opportunity and I am sure that
you have two great days ahead
of you,” said Ivan Bravo.
“Thank you all for coming
and a special thanks to Aspire
Academy. Earlier parents of
athletes were very concerned
about the education of their
children. But with Aspire
Academy they have the perfect
opportunity to combine both
training and education and
that also benefits our federation,” said Dahlan al-Hamad,
who stressed the importance
of the role of coaches for the
athletes and sport in general.
“Developing athletes comes
with great responsibility, but
you also have the chance to
change the life the future generation. This conference is an
important stage for all of you
and a great chance to exchange
experiences and I am sure you
will benefit a lot from being
here.”
Before the start of the
break-out session that included popular names such as John
Godina, a four-times World
Champion in shot put and CEO
of the �World Athletics Centre’,
Kevin Tyler, the former Head
of Coaching at UK Athletics or
Qatar Middle Distance Coach
Jama Aden, world class cricket-coach Paddy Upton took
the stage to give the keynote
speech and the South African
explained his idea about the
role of a coach and what kind
of environment a coach should
build up that athletes are able
to perform the best way they
can.
He concluded stressing to
“Focus on good things and solutions rather than problems.”
Aspire becomes �IAAF
Accredited Training
Centre’
In course of the “Youth Athletics Coaching Congress” it
was announced that Aspire
Academy was recognized by the
“International Association of
Athletics Federations” (IAAF)
as “Accredited Training Centre”.
The official announcement
was made by IAAF VicePresident and President of the
Qatar Athletics Federation,
Dahlan Al-Hamad, and Malek
El Hebil, Director of Development at IAAF. Chris Earle, Director of Sport at Aspire Academy, thanked them and IAAF
for this special recognition.
“This will build the framework for a stronger partnership between Aspire Academy
and IAAF and we are looking
forward to welcoming more
coaches and athletes from all
over the world to our facilities
in the future”, said Earle.
Paddy Upton delivering a keynote speech at the Youth Athletics Coaching Conference at Aspire Academy yesterday.
Sahan Bidappa
Doha
P
addy Upton has perhaps
broken the barriers of
how a coach should go
about his role in cricket.
The South African is considered a
�mental conditioning’ coach.
A few years back not many
would have related it to cricket,
but Upton’s success with various teams has made him one of
the most sought-after coaches
in world cricket.
Having assisted his close
friend and countryman Gary
Kirsten with India and South
Africa teams successfully, Upton has been involved with Rajasthan Royals in the Indian
Premier League for the last two
years and will also coach Sydney
Thunder this season in Australia’s Big Bash League.
Upton started his career as
South Africa’s biokineticist and
п¬Ѓtness trainer in the mid-to-late
1990s, and a п¬Ѓtness trainer with
the team from 1994 to 1998. He
then graduated to mental conditioning coach, where in he looks
at maximising an individual’s
contribution.
His relationship with the players, which is similar to a doctorpatient relationship, has worked
wonders and it was no surprise to
see Upton hog the limelight at the
Youth Athletics Coaching Conference, as he shared his wisdom
with other coaches and athletes.
The two-day event hosted by
Aspire Academy in cooperation
with Qatar Athletics Federation
started yesterday with Upton delivering the keynote speech. He
then explained about the role of a
coach and what kind of environment a coach should create for athletes to perform to their potential.
“I met Chris Earle, the Director of Sport Aspire Academy, at
the IPL last year and he invited
me here. It has been interesting
coming here and telling a cricket story, where there isn’t any
cricket played. But then again
the philosophies and principles
that I apply, it applies to humans,
performance and leadership. So
it translates to whatever sport
and into parenting, business and
life. It was a wonderful experience being at Aspire and the facilities too are of high class,” Upton told Gulf Times.
Shedding more light on his
coaching philosophies, the
46-year-old said: “Coaching
and leadership terrain is fast
changing in sports. The change is
very necessary, but it is happening more slowly than it should be
happening. I think the changes
that I am recommending, the
athletes are going to benefit a lot
from it.”
Upton’s
forward-thinking
coaching style places emphasis
on mental preparation and that
is why Sydney Thunder, who
п¬Ѓnished bottom in the last three
years of Big Bash League, have
turned to the South African.
But having become the head
coach of Sydney, Upton will have
to oversee lot of things, than his
usual mental conditioning role
involves. But Upton is ready for
the challenge, saying the basic
thing is to create an ideal environment for the team to perform.
“In sport, most people say the
mental side is probably a very
important aspect. And I think the
head coach and the captain and
the leadership of the team have
far more influence on the mindset
of the players. They are influencing a player maybe 20-30 hours a
week, while the mental conditioning coach is sitting with the player
one hour or once a week.
“So I believe the environment
within the team has greatest influence on players mind then
mental conditioning coach. So
I am actually doing my mental
conditioning coaching, while I
am being in charge of the team
environment as the head coach.
My role is to create a healthy environment, that eliminates the
mental problems, which would
have existed due to poor leadership,” Upton said.
The South African is looking
forward to building a partnership with Sydney’s skipper Mike
Hussey. “With Rajasthan I had
Rahul Dravid as captain to work
with, and anyone who knows the
cricket world, Dravid is the probably the highest quality individual one wishes to come across. It
was a privilege and pleasure to
work with man of such quality,
which made my work lot easier.
“And with Sydney Thunder,
the process would be very much
the same, with Michael Hussey
at the helm. Hussey is probably the Australia’s equivalent of
Dravid. In fact, I wouldn’t have
taken the job had there been a
more disruptive or difficult individual that I need to work with,”
Upton said.
BOTTOMLINE
Doha set to host hundreds of
future swimming stars
By Sports Reporter
Doha
T
he Youth Programme
for the 12th FINA World
Swimming Championships (25m) has attracted
interest from 250 future stars of
the swimming world and almost
150 of their coaches. Developed
by Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC), under the patronage
of secretary general HE Sheikh
Saoud bin Abdulrahman alThani, the Youth Programme is
the п¬Ѓrst of its kind and will run
in parallel with the FINA World
Swimming Championships in
Doha, December 3-7.
Part of Qatar’s commitment as
host nation to help develop the
sport of swimming globally, the
Youth Programme has been created with the goal of inspiring
and motivating the future world
champions, record holders and
Olympians of swimming. Young
athletes who have already proven
Hamad Aquatic Centre to play host to swimming stars of tomorrow
at Youth Programme.
to be stand out talent from their
country will experience the World
Championships п¬Ѓrst hand, gaining real insight into international
competition. Under the expert
guidance of renowned leading
coaches, they will learn the latest
trends and techniques in training,
meet and share their experiences
with fellow young swimmers, and
have the opportunity to talk with
their swimming idols.
“This is a special year for swimming in Qatar as we stage a number
of key international events in the
world of aquatic sports, alongside
our partners at Qatar Swimming
Association and FINA. It is up to
us to use our status as host nation and the power of those events
to inspire the next generation of
swimmers not just in Qatar but
around the world. That is what
the Youth Programme is all about
and we are very proud to be bringing this vision to reality,” Sheikh
Saoud said.
Qatar Swimming Association
president and Doha 2014 executive director Khaleel al-Jabir said:
“We have some of the best facilities for aquatic sports in the
region here in Qatar, proven not
least by the fact that this year we
become the п¬Ѓrst country in FINA
history to host both a World Cup
and a World Championships. To
be able to open up those facilities
to promising young talent from all
over the world is something quite
special and we hope that what
they learn and experience in Doha
in December will motivate them
to continue to pursue their sporting dreams.”
Youth Programme participants
will not only be given a memorable
sporting experience, but also be
given a chance to explore and learn
about the rich cultural heritage
and future ambitions of this year’s
host country, Qatar. An emerging young nation with a vibrant
and multicultural society, Doha
is the perfect location for a youth
programme that shares many of
the characteristics of the youthful
participants, connected by a desire to be truly world-class. This is
a great opportunity for swimmers
to gain exposure to major international events and familiarise
themselves with a competition
week format, as well as learn from
the most talented coaches and star
athletes in the sport today.
Don’t miss the opportunity to
witness the excitement of the 12th
FINA Swimming World Championship, December 3–7, 2014.
Five days of thrilling competition
will the world’s best swimmers
compete for the ultimate World
Champion title in 46 medal events
with morning heats starting at
09:30am and the п¬Ѓnals starting
at 6pm. Tickets start at just QAR
10 and are available from Virgin
Megastores and online at tickets.
virginmegastore.me
President of the Qatar Athletics Federation Dahlan al-Hamad
speaking on the opening day of Youth Athletics Coaching
Conference at Aspire Academy yesterday.
Qatar Chess Masters
from November 25
Qatar Chess Association announced yesterday that it will hold
the first Qatar Chess Masters in Crowne Plaza Hotel from November 25-December 4.
General Secretary of Qatar Chess Federation Mohammed alModiahki said the competition will host several Grand Masters
from 40 countries. Al Modiahki, who was holding a press
conference to announce details of the competition, said that
former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik will play in this year’s
competition.
Some 20 of the players who will feature this year are from the
top 50 players in the world. Al Modiahki said that Arab presence
in the competition was very weak compared to Asia which has
14 players from China and 22 from India alone.
The total prizes are $110,000. The first place winner will get
$25,000. First place for ladies will win $5,000. Abdullah AbdulGhani Co. will be the main sponsor of the event.
Vladimir Kramnik

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