INDEX 2, 3 QATAR 4 REGION 5, 6 ARAB WORLD INTERNATIONAL 7 – 17 COMMENT 18, 19 BUSINESS 1 – 12 CLASSIFIED SPORTS 7 1 – 12 BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 1 Qatar-backed fund close to $1bn bid for mining company Ramy Ashour wins thrilling third World Open squash title DOW JONES QE 17,805.95 13,846.01 76.50 +86.95 +0.49% -55.07 -0.40% +0.65 +0.86% NYMEX Latest Figures pu d he is A R 8 7 AT 19 Q since bl in GULF TIMES SATURDAY Vol. XXXV No. 9549 November 22, 2014 Moharram 29, 1436 AH www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals Qatar sets record with largest off-road SUV convoy In brief QATAR | Weather Rains likely on Monday, Tuesday Qatar is likely to receive scattered rain, mainly on Monday and Tuesday, the Meteorology Department at the Civil Aviation Authority has forecast. “Unstable weather is expected to affect the country in irregular days starting tomorrow (Sunday) until the end of the week,” the forecast said. The amount of low and medium clouds will increase and may cause scattered rain, mostly on Monday and Tuesday, when the maximum temperature is likely to hover between 25C and 27C and the minimum between 21C and 23C. The wind will be mostly northeasterly, light to moderate in speed, gathering strength in the offshore areas by Monday evening causing high seas. QATAR | Hygiene Municipality closes three restaurants Al Rayyan Municipality has ordered the closure of three eateries which sold food unfit for consumption, local Arabic daily Arrayah reported yesterday. While one restaurant each in Muaither South and Mamoura were closed for 10 days each, an eatery in the Umm Salal area was closed for 15 days. Arrayah also reported that four members of a family were affected by food poisoning after having a meal bought from a popular restaurant in the Airport Commercial Street. Qatar yesterday registered yet another entry in the Guinness World Records with the largest off-road SUV convoy in the world. The new record is 154 Toyota 4x4 SUVs, breaking the previous one of 153 SUVs in Dubai. The event was organised by Abdulla Abdulghani and Bros (AAB) Company, the exclusive dealer of Toyota and Lexus vehicles in Qatar. Participating vehicles were driven in a single file sand track of around 43km at the Endurance Village, Mesaieed. Though motorists turned up in over 400 Toyota SUVs, only 154 qualified for the count by the Guinness World Records team. The successful attempt was held under the motto “One nation one record” and the participants were all owners of Toyota SUVs. Takayuki Yoshitsugu, chief representative of Toyota at the Middle East and North Africa Representative office, who was present, stressed the Qatari market’s importance for the Toyota SUVs. PICTURE: Shaji Kayamkulam Dhow’s India trip to relive history Fateh Al Khair 2 will reportedly be the first dhow cruise to India in around 60 years A dhow will sail off soon from Qatar’s shores to India’s coasts, the organising committee of the fourth Traditional Dhow Festival announced yesterday. It will be the second trip undertaken by Qatar’s Fateh Al Khair dhow. “Preparations have started for the upcoming trip, as “Fateh Al Khair 2” is a long trip that will be carried out in the old, traditional way. That is the whole point of the journey, to allow the crew on board to relive our founding fathers’ experience with all of its details and nuances,” said Katara general manager Dr Khaled Ibrahim al-Sulaiti. Ahmed al-Hitmi, director of the organising committee, said that boats used to sail to and fro between the Arabian coast, including Qatar, and India in the past. “Today, from Katara’s beach, we announce the launch of the second Fateh Al Khair dhow trip in the near future, after the first voyage cruised around the Gulf ports. The festival’s guests bear witness to the beginning Visiting Philippine Labour Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz (second right) at the inauguration of the new POLO building at West Bay yesterday. She was joined by (from left) ambassador Relacion, De Jesus, Calzado and Cleofas. PICTURE: Joey Aguilar Philippine labour secretary to meet minister today By Joey Aguilar Staff Reporter V isiting Philippine Labour Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz will meet Qatar’s Minister of Labour and Social Welfare HE Abdullah Saleh Mubarak al-Khulaifi today to discuss issues affecting overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). Some of the topics that may be brought up include employer’s compliance with the Philippine government’s reform package for household service workers (HSWs) and cases of passportwithholding, Baldoz told reporters in Doha yesterday. The official explained that she had been receiving reports that there were also documented cases in which some OFWs ended up in trouble on their own and not because of their employers. However, she stressed that HSWs in Qatar were not within the jurisdiction of the Labour Ministry. “I will try to find out whether there will be an opportunity to talk about it.” The labour secretary reiterated that the reform package for HSWs was non-negotiable, vowing to impose necessary penalties against erring employers and recruitment agencies. Gulf Times reported recently, quoting ambassador Crescente Relacion, that this issue would be thoroughly discussed at the Qatar-Philippines Joint Labour Committee meeting, hoping it would convene before he left the country in March 2015. Baldoz was speaking at the inauguration of the new Philippine Overseas Labour Office (POLO) building yesterday. She was joined by Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) administrator Rebecca Calzado. Ambassador Relacion, labour attache Leopoldo De Jesus, OWWA officer Lenny Cleofas, embassy officials and heads of attached Philippine government agencies also attended the event. “This is a milestone in the history of our POLO office in Qatar,” said Baldoz. “This expresses our desire to really give the best service to our overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).” POLO’s new home, near the embassy in the Jelaiah area, West Bay, started operating since January and serves as a “one-stop-shop” for thousands of OFWs in Qatar. Baldoz is set to visit different POLOs in the GCC countries before heading to Kuwait for handing over the Abu Dhabi Dialogue chairmanship. Part of conference agenda is to deliberate two projects: the comprehensive labour education and mutual recognition of skills. The labour secretary will hold a meeting with members of the Filipino community in Qatar today. “Many of them are professionals and I am more interested to know how the licence in the Philippines issued by the Philippine Regulation Commission such as for engineers can be recognised here,” she pointed out. As a preparation for the Asean (Association of South East Asian Nations) integration in 2015, the Department of Labour and Employment is reviewing all process and training regulations to conform with international standards as basis for mutual recognition agreement. Baldoz wants to review the local requirements in Qatar to identify the deficiencies and then “compare it with what we will be having under the Asean integration 2015, then we can pursue bilateral negotiation with them”. She will also meet officials and representatives of various recruitment and manpower agencies (with Philippine counterparts), to discuss different issues, concerns and challenges in the industry tomorrow (Sunday). of our preparations for the trip, which will return to our shores, this time not with goods and gifts, but with tales and memories,” he added. Fateh Al Khair 2 will reportedly be the first dhow cruise to India in around 60 years. The first Fateh Al Khair trip was considered a historic voyage of the Arabian Gulf. The dhow cruised along the region’s ports, including the Abu Dhabi port in the UAE as well as the Musandam and Khasab ports in Oman, where it received an official welcome with popular songs and traditional features, before returning to Qatar, to participate in the country’s National Day celebrations. Meanwhile, the festival’s fine arts competition, held in association with the Qatar Fine Arts Society, continued to receive entries from participants. More than 30 people are participating from different countries and backgrounds. For the best photograph and painting competitions, November 30 is the last day to receive the artwork. The photographs delivered must not exceed six high-quality images in JPEG or TIFF format (300 DPI). Radical changes to photographs are not allowed while simple retouches are acceptable. Winners will be selected by an expert committee. The fourth Traditional Dhow Festival comes to an end today. The closing ceremony will feature the “Al Qafal” heritage festival, which embodies the return of the divers to their homeland. Al Qafal will celebrate the return of the 10 teams participating in the pearldiving competition to Katara’s seashore after three days of sailing off on Thursday. Page 3 2 Gulf Times Saturday, November 22, 2014 QATAR HMC joins campaign on preterm birth prevention T he Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has joined the worldwide observation of World Prematurity Day in light of reports that preterm birth causes more than 1mn deaths each year. Held on November 17 every year, World Prematurity Day raises awareness of preterm birth and addresses concerns about preterm babies from families worldwide. For its part, HMC aims to raise awareness of deaths and disabilities due to prematurity and the simple, proven, cost-effective measures for prevention. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), preterm birth is the world’s largest killer of newborns, 75% of which could be saved without expensive, high technology care. Babies born between 32 and less than 37 weeks of pregnancy make up 85% of the 15mn preterm babies born annually, totaling 12.6mn, the WHO said. “Prematurity occurs when babies are born before the normal term of 37 – 42 gestational weeks. So those babies born before 37 weeks are premature. There are grades of prematurity including: mild prematurity (3537 weeks gestation); moderate prematurity (28-34 weeks); and extreme prematurity (before 28 weeks),” said Dr Ahmed Farouk Eldakrouri, consultant at HMC’s Women’s Hospital. He said in many cases, the reasons why babies arrive early can- Dr Ahmed Farouk Eldakrouri: “Many premature babies require special care...” Dr Huda Saleh:“Premature labour is a very serious complication of pregnancy.” not be found but in some other cases the cause could be due to one of the following reasons: z When a mother is pregnant with more than one baby such as twins, triplets or quadruplets. This is increasing the prematurity rate in Qatar; z When some abnormalities exist in the mother’s uterus, especially in the cervix (the neck of the womb); z If the mother has diabetes, hypertension, and other chronic diseases; z If the mother is aged below 18 years or above 35 years of age; z If the mother has a history of prematurity; zIfthereisaninfectionrelatedto the urinary tract and/or affecting the amniotic membrane; z Excessive amniotic fluid; z Abnormalities related to the placenta’s position in the womb; z Some congenital malformations of the baby while in the womb; and z Some cases of a mismatch between the baby and mother’s blood groups. “The earlier a baby is born, the more severe his or her health problems are likely to be. Many premature babies require special care and spend weeks or months hospitalised in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Some of those who survive may face lifelong problems such as intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, breathing and respiratory problems, visual problems, including retinopathy of prematurity, hearing loss, and feeding and digestive problems,” Eldakrouri said. He added that the expertise and service available to premature babies at Women’s Hospital’s NICU follows international standards. “To ensure adequate care for the babies, we are working as a multi-disciplinary team comprising of physicians, nurses, physiotherapists, respiratory therapists, and other pediatric sub-specialties such as cardi- ology, nephrology, endocrinology, and surgery as well as social work. We are adopting patient and family-centred care to ensure all affected by the baby’s early birth are included in their care,” he added. Dr Huda Saleh, gynecologist at Women’s Hospital, said: “Premature labour is a very serious complication of pregnancy as it strikes quickly and silently in many pregnant women. Unfortunately, many women do not recognise the signs of premature labour.” She noted that the early detection of premature labour can help prevent premature birth and possibly enable the affected woman to carry her pregnancy to term, giving her baby a better chance of survival. “It’s important to seek care if a woman thinks she might be in preterm labuor because her doctor may be able to help both her and the baby,” Saleh stressed. According to Dr Saleh, warning signs of preterm labour could include: z Contractions (the abdomen tightens like a fist) every 10 minutes or more; z Changes in vaginal discharge (leaking fluid or bleeding); z Pelvic pressure - the feeling that the baby is pushing down; z Menstrual-like cramps in the lower abdomen that can come and go or remain constant; z Low, dull backache; z Cramps that feel like a menstrual period; and z Abdominal cramps with or without diarrhea. Saleh explained that there are precautions a woman can take to improve her health as well as lower the risk of having a premature baby. These include: z Stopping smoking and avoiding alcohol or drugs; • Seeing a healthcare provider for a medical checkup before getting pregnant; z Going for prenatal care as soon as pregnancy is suspected and throughout pregnancy; and z Talking to a healthcare provider about: • How to best control diseases such as high blood pressure or diabetes; z A healthy diet and prenatal vitamins. It is important to take 400 micrograms of folic acid daily before and during early pregnancy; z Concerns about pregnancy and any warning signs or symptoms of preterm labour that will need medical attention; and z Breastfeeding as breast milk is the best food for babies, whether they are born early or at term. Excellent maternity care services are available on referral at HMC’s Women’s Hospital, Al Khor Hospital, Al Wakra Hospital, and Cuban Hospital. All the hospitals also provide emergency maternity and gynecological services. Any woman who suspects they might have a gynecological problem should seek immediate medical attention or dial 999 for the ambulance. Bedaya workshop focuses on use of social media T he Bedaya Centre for Entrepreneurship and Career Development (Bedaya Centre) organised its monthly meeting with entrepreneurs at Katara - the Cultural Village through a workshop on Instagram, featuring trainer and social media expert Ammar Mohamed. Bedaya Centre is a joint initiative of Qatar Development Bank and Silatech. The meeting, held regularly on the second Sunday every month, seeks to offer Qatari youth access to training, guidance and support, enabling them to meet highly qualified experts to learn about their practical experiences and share valuable insights. This month, the get-together tackled the topic of how to promote a business through social media giant Instagram. “I’m delighted to be an active partner at Bedaya Centre’s monthly meetings. This month, we focused on business marketing through Instagram, which is currently one of the most important social media websites,” said Mohamed, who pointed out during the meeting that many people promote their businesses and products on Instagram, now boasting of 150mn monthly active users who upload 40mn pictures and videos every day. However, Mohamed added that what matters most is not quantity, but quality, and offered a deeper, more comprehensive insight into es- The workshop featured trainer and social media expert Ammar Mohamed. tablishing an online footprint and a unique brand. He also revealed to the audience how to define goals and plan to optimally leverage social media websites, suggesting ideas and steps that could be taken by the attentive audience when marketing their businesses and how they could spread ideas to increase their efficiency and influence. Yasmeen Hassan, entrepreneurship manager at Bedaya Centre, said: “We go all out in the centre to attract entrepreneurs to our monthly meetings. This month, the meeting has lifted the lid on how important Instagram is for businesses and how entrepreneurs can use it to promote their ideas, products and firms. Small and medium enterprises have consistently used Instagram to great effect and it has gained wide popularity across the Arab world.” Call for steps to check CMUQ holds first outreach water-related accidents programme for school pupils A child can drown in as little as 5cm of water in less than two minutes, a senior official has said, highlighting the need to spread awareness about water-related accidents and precautionary measures. Informative sessions on water safety around homes, pools and beaches drew huge crowds to the Kulluna for Health and Safety stand at the second Qatar International Boat Show (QIBS). The event was held at Mourjan Marinas in Lusail City from November 11 to 15. In the last two years, Kulluna has launched several campaigns that have addressed essential health and safety issues within the community. Tens of thousands of people living and working in Qatar have been positively impacted through these campaigns. Kulluna is a national, health and safety public awareness campaign founded by Hamad Medical Corporation’s Hamad International Training Centre (HITC) with ConocoPhillips Qatar as the founding sponsor. Last year, Kulluna launched a water safety campaign to tackle the issue of drowning in Qatar, especially among children. The campaign highlights the importance of maintaining adult supervision around children in order to curb such preventable deaths. Dr Khalid Abdulnoor Saifel- C A visitor to Kulluna’s stand during a checkup. deen, director of HITC, said: “Water-related accidents are unfortunate as they can be easily avoided. In less than two minutes, a child can drown in as little as 5cm of water. Spreading awareness about such facts and precautionary measures is the first step towards bringing the community together to create an accident-free environment.” Gary Sykes, president of ConocoPhillips Qatar, said: “As founding sponsor of Kulluna, we are pleased to be taking part in the Qatar International Boat Show for the second consecutive year and increase community awareness about water safety. “This campaign falls within our strategic pillars of health and safety and we are proud to be a part of all community and major events spreading awareness and equipping people with the right information and tools to keep Qatar’s children and families safe and healthy.” Kulluna’s stand at the QIBS also provided information on how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation in case of drowning, as the first few moments after the accident are the most crucial and chances of survival increase with quick resuscitation. In addition, Kulluna provided free health checkups for all visitors as part of its healthy heart campaign. The checkup included tests for blood cholesterol, blood sugar, height, weight, blood pressure and body mass index. arnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMUQ) recently held the first outreach programme of the 2014-2015 academic year: Ibtikar. The Ibtikar workshop, which focused on human-centred design and the impact of design and technology on the world, was the first in a series of three workshops designed to highlight the field of information systems to high school students in Qatar. Over the coming months, CMUQ will offer a variety of additional outreach workshops related to its programmes in biological sciences, business administration and computer science. The events will lead up to the university’s March 1 admissions deadline. Admissions figures show that outreach programmes have a significant impact on prospective student applications, with 44% of this year’s incoming students having participated in outreach programmes. Carnegie Mellon outreach programmes are tailor-made for Qatar and the region and aim to help students prepare for admission into selective universities like the ones in Education City. The outreach programmes at CMUQ introduce students to the programmes offered and offer insight into life at university through interactive activities and opportunities for prospective students to interact with CMUQ Students and faculty at the first Ibtikar programme. faculty and current students. The Biotechnology Explorer Programme took place on November 15 and invited secondary school students to experience a laboratory experiment and learn more about the biological sciences programme at CMUQ. CS4Qatar is a series of workshops designed to inspire Qatar’s youth to join the field of computer science and become creators of innovations that will make a real impact. To address the challenge of attracting women into science and technology, CMUQ launched CS4Qatar for Women, a programme that aims to broaden young women’s understanding of computer science. It will be held today, while CS4Qatar for Students - aimed at all prospective students - will take place on February 7, 2015. The Botball Education Robotics Programme is one of CMUQ’s most successful outreach events. The programme begins on January 30-31, 2015, with the final competition taking place on March 27. Botball is an internationally renowned hands-on learning experience in robotics designed to engage secondary school students in learning the practical applications of science, technol- ogy, engineering and math. The programme introduces students to the field of computer science and robotics. Tajer - Investment for Qatar is the latest edition to the outreach programmes offered by Carnegie Mellon. Tajer takes place on February 14, 2015, and targets students interested in pursuing business administration. Through this outreach programme, secondary school students are able to become traders for the day and learn about how financial markets work. The application deadline for Fall 2015 admission to Carnegie Mellon is March 1, 2015. Efforts under way to find viable outdoor cooling solution: official A Salah Nezar speaking at the District Cooling Summit in Doha. t the recently held Annual Middle East District Cooling Summit in Doha, QPM corporate sustainability director Salah Nezar addressed the fact that the HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning) industry in Qatar was searching for a scalable and affordable cooling solution to provide comfortable outdoor environments during the summer months (from April to October). Nezar highlighted the approach used by a team of researchers in mitigating engineering challenges related to a proposed solution co-authored by him in partnership with Dirk Krüger and Jürgen Dersch from the German Aerospace Centre (DLR). Nezar said: “The need for a comfortable outdoor environment is led by local community lifestyles and the business segment of the hospitality sector, where priorities include public areas such as walkways, playgrounds, seating/dining areas associated with coffee shops, restaurants and souqs, as well as the general outdoor sporting and leisure venues. “In a region where sedentary lifestyles are at the heart of acute public health issues such as obesity, diabetes, decline in fertility rates, vitamin-D deficiency and respiratory ailments such as asthma, a viable outdoor cooling solution will promote overall health, fitness and strength of the local community.” The components of the proposed solution include air and chilled water systems. A solar field and its ancillary components will power the thermally driven cooling machine and associated thermal storage tank to optimise the performance of the chilling system. The engineering efforts related to this part of the proposal were led by the team from the DLR with a focus on optimisation of the solar field, including the suitability of each type of the proposed solar collectors and level of energy performance expected. The second segment of this research effort was oriented towards integrating various com- ponents pertaining to the solar and cooling system into a single system capable of operating at the highest efficiency level and by upholding cutting-edge clean technologies. The air system part of the solution was handled by a local team in collaboration with an HVAC expert from California. The design approach is built on the “Sunken Garden” concept traditionally used in the Middle East to contain colder air. The accompanying air handling system is a two-stage evaporative cooling machine. Nezar said: “The economic and financial analysis of the proposed solution was performed by the DLR team in close collaboration with a local team. The cost of a conventional cooling system equals €0.12/kWh.” The findings showed that the initial design has a number of limitations from an engineering standpoint and also has low economic performance as the cost of cooling energy was found to be around €0.35/kWh. As part of the evolution of the project, a number of design modifications were introduced into the simulation process to improve the cost-effectiveness of the solution, including the decrease of the solar share ratio to 90%. Refined economic analysis showed that the cost of cooling energy could reach €0.2/kWh if the surplus heat energy produced by the solar field could be utilised or absorbed adequately by another system or facility at periods when it is not required by the cooling machine. Nezar and the team submitted a full paper for international peer review and it will be presented to an international panel of experts by the end of the November in Paris for proof of concept and economic viability. The team will soon embark on proving their findings through a reduced scale modular prototype. The realisation of the prototype was undertaken by a Saudi investor who pledged to invest in the development and commercialisation of the solution for various applications, including in the field of oil and gas. Gulf Times Saturday, November 22, 2014 3 QATAR Some of the participating teams in the competition. PICTURES: Nasar T K Craftsmen making a dhow at the venue. Team Al Khor tops in rowing contest By Joseph Varghese Staff Reporter T eam Al Khor won the third Annual Rowing Championship, �Shwalif’ organised yesterday by Qatar Olympic Committee as part of the fourth Traditional Dhow Festival, being held at Katara, the Cultural Village. The Traditional Dhow Festival is an effort to revive the Qatari marine heritage and folklore. Considered the most exceptional maritime heritage festival in the region and the world, it is characterised by participation from various GCC countries. The festival comes to a close today. A total of eight teams took part in the rowing competition. Team Al Khor won the championship by completing the race in 14.42 minutes. Team Al Wakrah came second in 15.32 minutes and Team Laffan came third with a timing of 16.18 minutes. All the winners were honoured at a special ceremony immediately after the competition. HE Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, secretary general and CEO of the Qatar Olympic Committee, and Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti, general man- ager of Katara, presented the trophies to the winners. Each team had 11 participants. Many were seen rowing the boats singing traditional folk songs. The competition was so close, that there was barely a minute’s gap each among the three teams that won the first three positions. One of the spectators at the competition said the dhows used for the competition were called Shahoof in Arabic, and were traditionally part of the daily life of the people in the region. Each dhow is about 16 to 40ft in length and six to 12ft in width, with their height ranging from three to five feet. These dhows were traditionally used for fishing and transportation of small goods. Each dhow can accommodate about 10 people. Another spectator said the festival and the accompanying competitions bring back a lot of memories about the past. “When we were children, these boats were an integral part of our life. Many of the people used to go to the sea using the dhows for fishing. They were also used for carrying several goods from one place to another or even to the neighbouring countries.” Members of the winning teams pose with officials. �Cycle in Aspire’ scheme grows in popularity By Joey Aguilar Staff Reporter T The Netherlands ambassador Yvette Burghgraef Van Eechoud has said her country has several technologies that can be helpful and suitable for Qatar in the field of horticulture. Netherlands �can offer Qatar expertise in horticulture’ By Joseph Varghese Staff Reporter T he Netherlands has several technologies that can be helpful and suitable for Qatar in the field of horticulture, ambassador Yvette Burghgraef Van Eechoud has said. “The Netherlands has the highest share of the flower market in Qatar,” the Dutch envoy told Gulf Times on the sidelines of the opening of the first edition of the Doha International Flowers and Garden Exhibition. “For example, Al Maktab Al Qatari Al Hollandi, an integrated distributor of imported floral products, is the biggest seller of flowers in Qatar with about 18 shops. They have more than 25 years of experience in Qatar.” The ambassador said that flowers are a part of diplomacy and international relations. “The tulip is closely related to the Dutch. A fascinating history of international relations, diplomacy and science explains how tulip became a symbol of the Netherlands even though it is not a Dutch flower by origin.” The Dutch envoy said the Netherlands has co-operation with Qatar in different research activities. “ We have some partnership in technology and research. These are mainly in en- ergy and water efficiency. We are hopeful of more partnership in other areas.” “A Dutch university is working out the details of a joint venture in agricultural production in a sustainable way. We have a lot of technologies to produce food in a more sustainable way. In the next 10 years, there will be a lot more co-operation between both the countries in this field.” Suleman Mohamed, executive manager, sales and purchase, Al Maktab Al Qatari Al Hollandi said the company sells different types of flowers and most of them are from Holland. “We sell more than 200,000 roses a week through our 18 outlets across Qatar,” he added. he �Cycle in Aspire’ rent-a-bike scheme at Aspire Zone is becoming popular with both children and adults, with a significant increase seen in the number of users since its launch in October. A supervisor told Gulf Times that from an average of 200, they now receive more than 300 bikers during the weekend, from 12pm to 9pm. While the number drops to an average of 50 during the weekdays, he said it is expected to rise in the coming days as the weather becomes cooler. “Cycling is safe and it’s a good exercise,” he said, adding that they always urge users to use helmets and other safety gear. Staff also teach and accompany beginners, especially children. “The only problem is that some children do not want to use helmets and when we insist, their parents get mad at us,” he explained. Besides wearing helmets, some of the safety reminders include checking the brakes and tyres first, giving way to pedestrians, sticking to designated areas open to cycling and avoiding areas used by vehicles, among others. The initiative has also attracted adults who often ride around the newly-opened 5km cycling lane at Aspire. The Cycle in Aspire area is located at the end of the road between Villaggio and Hyatt Plaza, near the children’s playground and outdoor football pitches. Although they intend to bring more bikes, the supervisor said the initial 120 units can service the existing number of users at the moment. “We also try to maintain the bicycles well to keep everyone safe and The �Cycle in Aspire’ rent-a-bike scheme is growing in popularity. PICTURE: Joey Aguilar away from injury,” he added. The operator of the rent-a-bike scheme charges QR20 per hour and an additional QR5 for every additional hour. A Filipino couple who regularly use the bikes at Aspire told Gulf Times that cy- cling is “an enjoyable way to prevent diabetes”. “People like us find this kind of hobby appealing because you can go to places while reaping the benefit of doing exercise,” said one of them. 4 Gulf Times Saturday, November 22, 2014 QATAR/REGION Kerry, Zarif extend talks in push for deal AFP Vienna I ran nuclear talks moved up a gear late yesterday as US Secretary of State John Kerry and Iran’s foreign minister stayed on in Vienna to try and break a deadlock days before a deadline. Kerry had been set to leave Vienna and sources had said Mohamed Javad Zarif was considering returning to Tehran, but both remained in the Austrian capital. “Kerry has delayed his departure (for Paris)... in order to continue consultations” with Zarif, Kerry’s spokesperson Jen Psaki said before the two men went into a meeting lasting over two hours. “We have not yet determined when we will depart, but will stay in Vienna overnight.” Zarif, whose possible trip back to Iran for “consultations” had suggested possible progress, said that world powers made “no significant propositions worth returning to Tehran with”. Iran and the six powers - the US, China, Russia, Britain, France plus Germany (P5+1) have been negotiating intensively since February to turn an interim accord reached with Iran a year ago into a lasting agreement by November 24. Such a deal, after 12 years of rising tensions, is aimed at easing fears that Tehran will develop nuclear weapons under the guise of its civilian activities—an ambition the Islamic Republic hotly denies. British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond left Vienna in the afternoon—saying there was still a “very significant gap”— but France’s Laurent Fabius was still in the Austrian capital after meeting Zarif for an hour and a half. “The prize for Iran is huge,” Hammond said. He called for more flexibility from the Iranians and said that “in return we’re prepared to show some flexibility on our side”. Fabius, seen as one of the most hardline among the P5+1, called on Iran to “seize this opportunity”. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, a crucial player, said from Moscow that “all the elements are already on the table” for a deal and that all that was missing was “political will”. Kerry later “updated Foreign Minister Lavrov on the state of negotiations” by phone, the US official said. Most analysts expect Iran and the six powers to decide to put more time on the clock - as they did with an earlier deadline of July 20 - possibly by agreeing a new interim deal. Hammond had said on Wednesday that he was “not optimistic” the deadline could be met, suggesting that the best hope was for another exten- sion—and only provided there was “significant movement”. But Kerry on Thursday insisted this was not on the table. “We are not discussing an extension. We are negotiating to have an agreement. It’s that simple,” Kerry said in Paris before he went to Vienna. Iran believes that the onus is on the world powers to compromise. Zarif and President Hassan Rohani both warned the P5+1 not to sink the talks with “excessive demands”. “We hope that the other side will behave in a rational manner... and won’t take the wrong path,” Iran’s speaker of parliament Ali Larijani said this week. Some areas under discussion appear provisionally settled in what would be a highly complex deal that would run for many years, even decades. But two key issues remain: enrichment—a process that renders uranium suitable for peaceful uses but also, at high purities, for a weapon; and the pace of the lifting of sanctions. Kelsey Davenport, an expert at the Arms Control Association, said there was “still a lot of time until Monday at midnight”. Comments indicating flexibility on both sides show that “both parties are coming into these final days willing to look at their positions and make some decisions about the remaining tough issues”, she said. Protesters raise signs rejecting the elections during a rally in Diraz village, north of Manama, yesterday. Bahrain ready for dialogue with opposition: minister AFP Manama B ahrain’s government said yesterday it was ready for dialogue with the opposition, which is boycotting today’s legislative and municipal polls, the first since a Shia-led uprising nearly four years ago. “The door to dialogue will never be shut, including with Al Wefaq,” Information Minister Samira Rajab said in an interview with AFP, referring to the main Shia opposition movement. Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets of the Shia village of Diraz yesterday pledging to boycott the polls, with police firing teargas to disperse them, witnesses said. “Boycott! Boycott!” the demonstrators chanted. Shia demonstrators frequently clash with security forces in villages outside the capital Manama and hundreds have been arrested and faced trial since the uprising. The political rivals have struggled to bury their differences through a so-called “national dialogue” that fell apart despite several rounds of negotiations. Al Wefaq chief Sheikh Ali Salman told AFP yesterday that the opposition could only resume talks with the government if it agreed to implement reforms in line with a strict timetable. The boycott stems from “the people’s demand for democratic reforms”, he said, predicting a maximum 30% turnout at the polls. The electorate of almost 350,000 will be called to choose 40 deputies. Al Wefaq was in October banned by a Bahraini court from carrying out any activities for three months for violating a law on associations. The movement engaged in several rounds of talks with the authorities but refused to resume discussions in September despite a new proposal announced by Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifah. The proposal had five core elements, including the redefinition of electoral districts and permission for parliament to question the premier and his ministers. The security forces would also be bound by new codes of conduct. At the time, Al Wefaq chief Salman said the proposal “ignores the legitimate demands of the people”. He said yesterday he did not expect the opposition to reach an agreement with the government, following protests which he said had cost “at least 100 lives” over the past three years. The information minister, for her part, insisted that Bahrain would not tolerate “chaos”. “Violence is not allowed. It is tantamount to terrorism,” Rajab said. She also denounced “foreign interference”, saying it fanned tensions and stood in the way of an agreement with the opposition. Bahrain has repeatedly accused Iran of backing the Shia opposition. Qatari minister visits US ;17ŏ4' +08+6'& Be a part of the new zing at ZĞĂĚ͕ ŝŶƚĞƌĂĐƚ ǁŝƚŚ ĂŶĚ ƐŚĂƌĞ ƚŚĞ ďĞƐƚ ĐŽŶƚĞŶƚ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ƌŝĐŚ ƐŽĐŝĂů ŵĞĚŝĂ ƉůĂƚĨŽƌŵ ŽĨ YĂƚĂƌ͛Ɛ ůĞĂĚŝŶŐ ŶŐůŝƐŚ ĚĂŝůLJ� sŝƐŝƚ ŽƵƌ ǁĞďƐŝƚĞ ĨŽƌ ŶĂƚŝŽŶĂů ĂŶĚ ŐůŽďĂů ŶĞǁƐ͕ ƉƌĞƐĞŶƚĞĚ ǁŝƚŚ ŝŶĨŽŐƌĂƉŚŝĐƐ ĂŶĚ ŐĂůůĞƌŝĞƐ� >ĞĂƌŶ ǁŚĂƚ͛Ɛ ŚĂƉƉĞŶŝŶŐ ŝŶ LJŽƵƌ ŽŚĂ ŶĞŝŐŚďŽƵƌŚŽŽĚ � &ŝŶĚ ƚŚĞ ďĞƐƚ ŝŶƚĞƌǀŝĞǁƐ ĂŶĚ ĨĞĂƚƵƌĞƐ ŽŶ ƐƉŽƌƚƐ͕ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ͕ ĞŶƚĞƌƚĂŝŶŵĞŶƚ͕ ĨĂƐŚŝŽŶ͕ ůŝĨĞƐƚLJůĞ͕ ƚĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐLJ͕ ĞŶǀŝƌŽŶŵĞŶƚ ĂŶĚ ŚĞĂůƚŚ Ăƚ ƚŚĞ ĐůŝĐŬ ŽĨ Ă ďƵƚƚŽŶ� >ŽŐ ŽŶƚŽ www.gulf-times.com &ĂĐĞŬ͕ dǁŝƚƚĞƌ͕ /ŶƐƚĂŐƌĂŵ US Secretary of Defence Chuck Hagel escorts HE Major General Hamad bin Ali al-Attiyah, Qatar’s Minister of State for Defence Affairs, during arrival ceremonies at the Pentagon in Washington yesterday. Al Qaeda warns Houthis will �pay dearly’ Reuters Dubai A l Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, reacting to the loss of its strongholds to Shia Houthi fighters, has accused its opponents of acting as a proxy for the United States and threatened renewed violence against them. In an audio message on militant websites, AQAP’s military commander Qassim al-Raymi called the Houthis “the new rented gun for the enemies of Islam”. “You have to know that the mosques of Muslims that you blew up along with their homes and schools, will not just pass unnoticed and you will pay the price dearly,” he said. The Houthis’ Ansarullah movement has become the main political force in Yemen since it captured the capital Sanaa in September and then pushed into the Sunni Muslim heartland of Al Bayda province, where Ansar al-Shariah, the local AQAP affiliate, has allied itself with tribes. Houthi fighters backed by government forces drove Ansar al-Shariah from one of its last strongholds in central Yemen last week. Raymi’s message signalled more violence between the militants and the Houthi fighters, whom AQAP view as heretics. “The account is long and it has not yet been opened. So be prepared to pay for it with your souls and selves. Do you think that your crimes will pass by without judgment or punishment?” He said that Al Bayda and Sanaa had been handed over to the Houthis under orders from the United States. Yemen has been in turmoil since 2011, to the dismay of neighbouring Saudi Arabia and Western powers. AQAP militants have launched attacks from there against the West. Washington regards Yemen as an important ally in its fight against Islamist militants and has used drones there. Separately, an AQAP official criticised the leader of the Islamic State group and rejected his self-declared caliphate, the SITE monitoring service said. Harith bin Ghazi al-Nadhari, AQAP’s top Shariah official, in a speech circulated on militant websites, also reaffirmed the group’s allegiance to Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri and Taliban chief Mullah Omar. 6 Gulf Times Saturday, November 22, 2014 ARAB WORLD Prepare to leave, Sudan tells UN Darfur mission Reuters Khartoum S udan has asked a joint UN-African Union peacekeeping mission in its western Darfur region to prepare plans to leave, a senior official said yesterday, amid a dispute between the United Nations and Khartoum over an alleged mass rape in the area. Sudan initially refused to let the UNAMID peacekeepers visit a village to investigate the rape allegations. They were later allowed in and found no evidence that Sudanese troops had raped about 200 women and girls there, but the UN complained of a heavy military presence during interviews. “Sudan formally requested - I formally requested - that UNAMID make an exit strategy. That does not mean it will pack up its things and say goodbye,” foreign minister under-secretary Abdallah al-Azraq told reporters, suggesting the mission’s departure would take a long time. Azraq gave no reason for the request but said it had first been submitted a few weeks ago, before the media reports of mass rape. Sudan has de- nied any wrongdoing by its soldiers in Darfur and says the rape allegations are part of an international plot to mar its image. A UNAMID spokesman contacted by Reuters could not say whether it had received the request to draw up an exit strategy. The UN peacekeeping office in New York said a Security Council resolution passed in August had mentioned an exit strategy as an option. It also said an assessment would be ready by the end of February for the UN Security Council, which will decide the mission’s eventual fate. UNAMID has been deployed in Sudan’s western Darfur region since 2007. Law and order had collapsed in many places after mainly African tribes took up arms in 2003 against the Arab-led government in Khartoum, accusing it of discrimination. Azraq said Sudan had rejected a fresh UN request to visit the village of Tabit, saying: “We look at this statement as an attempt to create an atmosphere for further escalation and decisions against Sudan.” Last month, an internal UN review said UNAMID had failed to provide UN headquarters in New York with full reports on attacks against civilians and peacekeepers. The review was ordered after media reports alleged that UNAMID had deliberately covered up details of deadly attacks. The conflict in Darfur has killed as many as 300,000 people and displaced 2mn, the United Nations says. Residents suffer in Egypt �war on terror’ AFP El Arish W ith soldiers firing warning shots to herald the nightly curfew and militants beheading informants, Sinai’s residents find themselves caught in the middle of Egypt’s “war on terror”. The Sinai Peninsula has become a hotbed of Islamist militancy after decades of neglect under former president Hosni Mubarak, and amid a security vacuum triggered by the army’s ouster last year of his successor Mohamed Mursi. Militant attacks remain commonplace almost two years since the military launched its “war on terrorism” in northern Sinai bordering Israel and the Palestinian Gaza Strip. A brazen suicide bombing on October 24 killed 30 soldiers near the North Sinai capital El Arish, sparking a state of emergency and a curfew being slapped on several areas of the province. The attack was claimed by Egypt’s deadliest jihadist organisation Ansar Beit al-Maqdis (Partisans of Jerusalem), which has since pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group that has captured swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq. Extra security including an overnight curfew, increased police and army patrols and additional checkpoints have left El Arish’s nearly 170,000 residents angry and questioning Cairo’s counter-terrorism strategy. “Why did the security forces take all this time? Why did they did not defuse the bomb or move it away before detonating it?” asked Wael, inspecting a large crater caused by police detonating a car bomb in a busy district last week. Residents said security forces took four hours to respond after locals alerted them about a suspicious vehicle. Police then set off a “controlled” blast of the booby-trapped car, wounding 10 people and damaging several houses. “If they can’t protect us, why did they come? They should leave and let the people deal with the terrorists themselves,” Wael said. Police stations and other security installations in El Arish are heavily guarded, with barbed wire and sandbags blocking access roads. At one police station on the city’s outskirts, a sign proclaims: “Do not approach or we will open fire.” A 5pm to 7am curfew has had a major impact on daily life. As the clock approaches 5pm, El Arish residents rush to their homes as soldiers fire warning shots. Mobile phone networks and Internet services are cut for most of the day, affecting business, and there is also an acute fuel shortage, with regular queues up to 4km long. El Arish residents are clearly unhappy. “I’m not sure how the army operates, but I doubt it has enough intelligence information,” said one merchant who lived under the Israeli occupation of the city between 1967 and 1979. “The Israelis used surgical strikes to eliminate their targets without touching those sitting next to them. Why does the Egyptian army not use similar tactics?” he asked, speaking on condition of anonymity. Despite the heightened security presence, residents are clearly afraid to co-operate with the army after several men were killed for being informants, the businessman said, referring to gruesome video footage of beheadings released by Ansar Beit al-Maqdis. The group has killed scores of security personnel since Mursi’s July 2013 ouster in retaliation for a bloody government crackdown on his Islamist supporters which has killed at least 1,400 people. But it is not only the residents of El Arish who are living in fear. The city’s security chiefs have restricted their movements and “set up beds in their offices”, indicated one local official, again speaking on condition of anonymity. Near the main highway, the scene of several militant attacks, hundreds of hectares of olive groves have been razed. Schoolgirls walk near a sign in Arabic reading “no passing, will open fire’’ in El Arish. With soldiers firing warning shots to herald the nightly curfew and militants beheading informants, Sinai’s residents find themselves caught in the middle of Egypt’s “war on terror”. Schools shut as army set to step up Sinai fight Security sources say the army is planning major operations in the coming days and does not want children caught in the crossfire Reuters Ismailia, Egypt E gypt has indefinitely shut schools in two border towns in northern Sinai as the army prepares to intensify a battle with Islamist militants that turned the daily trip to lessons into a “journey of death”. Local people say children’s education has fallen victim while the military stages air strikes against militants, who are targeting soldiers and police, and have started beheading army informers. “We are putting our lives at risk on a daily basis,” said Mohamed, a teacher who lives in the town of Sheikh Zuweid. “Sometimes there is fire between gunmen and the armed forces and sometimes stray bullets hit some of us.” Militancy has surged in the Sinai Peninsula, which borders Israel, Gaza and the Suez Canal, since the army ousted an elected Islamist president last summer. At least 33 security personnel were killed last month and one Sinai-based group has pledged its loyalty to Islamic State, which has overrun large areas of Syria and Iraq. Army checkpoints dot the main roads in northern Sinai which residents fear is turning into an all-out war zone. This made the daily school run arduous, and dangerous if militants targeted the troops manning them. “We’ve started calling the trip to and from school the journey of death,” said another teacher, declining to be named. Since the militant attacks on October 24, Egypt has imposed emergency rule in parts of Sinai, evicted hundreds of families and demolished their homes to create a buffer zone along the Gaza border about 350km northeast of Cairo. The government hopes that by clearing the 1km-deep area of residents, buildings and trees, it can stem the flow of arms via tunnels from Gaza to the Sinai-based militants. “The buffer zone is a principal part of the solution,” President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said in an interview with France 24 television on Thursday. “This should have been done years ago ... There was an understanding with the residents about the need for Egypt’s security.” Not everyone agrees with him, and the heavy-handed approach is breeding resentment among local residents who have long complained of neglect by Cairo. A night-time curfew has brought life to a near standstill while extended Internet and phone disruptions aimed at breaking the militants’ communications also cause problems. Local people say they cannot even call an ambulance to pick up casualties or inform police if they spot militants nearby. Ten civilians were killed in their home this week during clashes between the army and militants. Security sources said insurgent mortars hit the house but had earlier raised the possibility of an army air strike gone wrong. Egyptian officials say extraordinary measures such as the school shutdown are necessary for both national security and residents’ safety. Schools in Sheikh Zuweid and Rafah, both on the border with Gaza, would remain closed while the army secured the surrounding areas, North Sinai governor, General Abdel Fattah Harhour, told state news agency Mena on Thursday. An army spokesman declined to comment on the military’s plans or whether they were related to the school closures. However, security sources said the army was planning major operations in the coming days and did not want children caught in the crossfire. With neighbouring Libya in chaos and Islamic State trying to establish a cross-border “caliphate” in Iraq and Syria, Egypt is determined to regain full control of Sinai. But its battle is growing more complicated. Last week, five navy seamen were wounded and eight declared missing after what the army called a “terrorist incident” at sea. This was about 50km from Port Said, the Mediterranean entrance to the Suez Canal which is a major international shipping route and revenue earner for Egypt. A bomb in a Cairo suburb wounded six people around a police checkpoint on Thursday, security sources said. This was the latest in a string of attacks in the capital whose targets included the supreme court, foreign ministry and Cairo University. Militants from Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, Egypt’s most active jihadist group, have claimed responsibility for beheading a number of Egyptians in recent months they accused of being informants for Israeli intelligence. The group now may be able to boost its funding, recruiting and fighting abilities by vowing loyalty to Islamic State. Ansar released a slickly-produced video resembling those of Islamic State, appearing to claim responsibility for the October 24 suicide attacks that provoked the Sinai crackdown. This has left rubble where some homes in Rafah once stood. “Rafah has become a ghost town by night and military garrison by day,” said Salem al-Araishi, a resident. “All our memories are gone with our houses.” Tunisia artists, media fear curbs after election AFP Tunis T unisian rappers, comedians and journalists, fearful that next week’s presidential election could cement a return to power by partisans of the former dictatorship, are bracing themselves to defend the freedoms won since it was ousted in 2011. Under former president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, tough censorship sharply circumscribed freedom of expression in the media and performing arts. Journalists critical of the regime were harassed and sometimes arrested and jailed, but always on the pretext of an offence other than offending the powers that be. The government also demanded a pro-regime line from the media. A flattering piece on Ben Ali could always be found on the front page, and another at the top of the line-up on the television news. Performing artists, particularly comedians and actors, had to tip-toe around issues and personalities, although some braver souls deliberately overstepped the boundaries and were sometimes punished. Rappers, a particular bane of the old regime, are leading the way in warning against what they fear could be the effective return to power of Ben Ali’s RCD party in the shape of Nidaa Tounes, which already won parliamentary elections in October. Nidaa Tounes leader Beji Caid Essebsi is the hot favourite to win tomorrow’s election. Essebsi, 87, a pillar of the old guard, served as interior minister during the authoritarian regime of Tunisia’s “father of independence”, Habib Bourguiba, and as parliament speaker in the Presidential candidate Beji Caid Essebsi speaks during a campaign event in Sfax on Thursday. early 1990s under Ben Ali. “O RCDists... we thought we’d got rid of you but you’ve had the nerve to return,” rapper El General hammers home in a video clip featuring Nidaa Tounes politicians who were elected. Weld El 15, another rapper and a fierce critic of the moderate Islamist movement Ennahda that formed the country’s first postrevolution government, sees no cause to celebrate the rise of its Nidaa Tounes rivals. It “leaves the door wide open to Ben Ali cronies, experts in the art of censorship and repression”, he said. “Freedom of expression was the main achievement of the revolution, and we will never let anyone, whoever it is, take that away from us. We’re not scared of anyone!” he said. Comedian Lotfi Abdelli says that changing the target of his jibes from Ennahda to the secular Nidaa Tounes has also raised hackles. “For three years they used to tell me: �Go on, you’re good, you’re witty.’ Now that I’ve been attacking Nidaa Tounes a bit, I’ve become the guy who has no humour, no respect,” he says. Abdelli can’t resist coming up with an example: “Old Essebsi... can go to two meetings at the same time: he goes to one and he sends his dentures to the other.” Essebsi’s critics question his advanced age and argue that he does not represent Tunisia’s youth, who spearheaded the 2011 revolt. Formed only two years ago, Nidaa Tounes rapidly emerged as the principal opposition to Ennahda, which it accused of taking the country backwards. But while Nidaa Tounes does incorporate figures aligned with the old regime, it also includes businesspeople, intellectuals, trade unionists and even leftwing activists. Its defenders point out that while it won the most seats in parliament it did not gain enough to rule on its own. It needs to form a coalition and faces an Islamist opposition that made a strong showing. “Talk of a Nidaa Tounes domination of the political scene... is aimed at scaring the electorate,” said Faouzi Elloumi, a cofounder of the party. “I can understand people’s fears but they are unfounded. There are people out there trying to mislead them. Tunisia knows there is no risk of sliding back.” But the journalists’ union is on guard, pointing out that Ennahda and other parties with influence have also advocated putting caps on certain democratic principles. “The fight for freedom of expression is not over. We’ve learnt from experience that every new government tries to restrict this freedom,” said the union’s president, Neji Bghouri. “We are forever wary because we’re convinced the political class at large is only democratic in its speech.” Gulf Times Saturday, November 22, 2014 7 AFRICA Eritrea blames UNHCR for youths fleeing 11 lives lost in Zimbabwe church stampede: police AFP Nairobi AFP/Reuters Kwekwe, Zimbabwe E t least 11 people died and many more were injured in a stampede in Zimbabwe as thousands packed a stadium for a service by a celebrity preacher and self-styled miracle-worker, police said yesterday. Police said that around 15,000 people were crammed into the stadium in Kwekwe southwest of Harare on Thursday evening for an event held by Walter Magaya, a Pentecostal preacher who models himself on Nigeria’s controversial Pastor TB Joshua. When the service ended worshippers rushed to the only exit, with four dying in the crush, said Shadreck Mubaiwa, police spokesman for the area 280km from the capital. ritrea has said that the reason thousands of its youth are fleeing the hardline regime is because the UN refugee agency UNHCR and countries with “sinister” motives are tempting them to leave. Tens of thousands have now run away from the autocratic Horn of Africa country, escaping open-ended conscription and the iron-grip rule of President Issaias Afeworki, with many continuing northwards to brave the often harrowing journey towards Europe. Asmara’s ministry of foreign affairs said that the youth were fleeing the county because of “deliberate policies of certain governments and agencies” who have chosen to “encourage for sinister political purpose the youth to defect from the national military service through various inducements”. Eritreans are second only to Syria as the largest number of asylum seekers in Europe this year, totalling some 37,000 so far in 2014, according to the UNHCR, a three-fold rise from 2013. The vast majority are aged between 18 and 24. But Eritrea said that the UNHCR was “part of the problem” for automatically granting asylum to those who survived the escape out the country, and dismissed its warnings of rising numbers as “crocodile tears”. It said the reports that over 6,200 had arrived in Ethiopia in the past six weeks were part of a “smear campaign”. Hundreds cross the heavily fortified and dangerous border into arch-foe Ethiopia daily, with reports by rights groups saying people are struggling under Asmara’s repressive government. The entire national football team has defected twice. Asmara said that the labelling of its conscription that stretches for years as “slave or forced labour” was “slanderous”. It said the officially 18-month long service is “prolonged only because of Ethiopia’s occupation of sovereign Eritrea territories and its continued belligerence in breach of international law”. Eritrea won independence from Ethiopia in 1991 after three decades of war, but returned to battle in 1998-2000. They remain bitter enemies. A Seven others were declared dead on arrival in hospital. “Because of the pressure, some people fell resulting in the deaths and injuries,” Mubaiwa said. “Police tried to rescue people but they were overwhelmed by the crowds. It is unfortunate that people wanted to rush out, which made it difficult to contain the situation.” A witness who spoke on condition of anonymity told AFP: “Common sense did not prevail, especially on the security side.” Church authorities could not be reached for comment but state television quoted spokeswoman Catherine Nyangoni confirming the deaths and saying that the Pentecostal church was working with the police to establish the cause of the tragedy. Magaya was quoted by the online version of the state-owned Herald newspaper as saying that although the incident occurred after he left, he would take responsibility. “This was our event and as a church we have to take the blame for the tragedy,” he was quoted as saying. Speaking on local radio on Thursday night, Magaya – who counts current and former government ministers among his flock – said that he was “gutted” by the incident. “I rushed back to the venue and it was very sad, the saddest moment of my life,” he said. “It is still too early to say what caused the stampede but the fact that the stampede took place at the venue means that part of our system failed to function.” The government had yet to react. Magaya’s is among a number of emerging Pentecostal church- Shining symbol of hope 300km south of Abuja to celebrate All Souls Day. Pentecostal churches preaching prosperity are on the rise in Africa, with impoverished and desperate people travelling long distances to attend sermons, some seek healing from terminal diseases. Zimbabwe, hit by economic turmoil in recent years, has seen a rise in the number of “prosperity gospel” pastors, who preach that faith in Jesus Christ can lift people out of poverty. In a country where 80% of the working population are unemployed, thousands flock to Pentecostal churches to contribute a chunk of what little they have in return for the promise of miracles to enrich them. Walter Magaya started his church in the working class Harare suburb of Chitungwiza in 2011 with less than 40 people. AFP Geneva T A photo made available yesterday shows the art installation Sunstar by artist Christopher Swift on display on Signal Hill, above the city of Cape Town. The 24m eight-pointed star was constructed using steel from the original fence that once surrounded Robben Island where late former president Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for 27 years. As part of the Cape Town World Design Capital 2014, the project sponsored by Sun International celebrates 20 years of democracy and commemorates on the first anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s death. South African artist Swift hopes the work will act as a reminder of South Africa’s greatest story and a shining symbol of hope for the future. Reuters Lusaka Z Scott is shown listening as US President Barack Obama spoke at the first Leaders’ Session of the US-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington in this August 6 file photo. “The central committee of the PF has decided to suspend Dr Guy Scott as acting president of the party for unconstitutional conduct and for abrogating the party constitution,” PF central committee member Malozo Si- chone told a media briefing. State-owned ZNBC radio later quoted newly-promoted PF secretary general Bridget Atanga as saying that the suspension was invalid and illegal because only the acting president of the party has the power to convene a meeting of the central committee. The PF is split over the contest to replace Scott, with supporters of frontrunner and former secretary general Edgar Lungu saying that the 53-member central committee should pick the party’s candidate. Other aspirants, and Scott too, want a vote by a general conference, made up of thousands of delegates. Scott had been due to meet the central committee this week to decide on the selection process. Questions about political stability in Africa’s second-largest copper producer grew when Scott fired Lungu as PF secretary general on November 3 without explaining why. Scott reinstated him a day later after Lungu’s dismissal triggered street protests. Lungu has insisted that he remained party secretary general but has taken a “leave of absence” pending the election of the PF president. Sata, who was nicknamed “King Cobra” because of his sharp tongue, died in a London hospital from an undisclosed illness last month at the age of 77. He had been president of Zambia since 2011. Sata’s son Mulenga Sata, who is mayor of Lusaka, and his widow Christine Kaseba are among 10 candidates who have said they will run for the PF presidential ticket. Pistorius spends his 28th birthday behind bars Oscar Pistorius (pictured), serving a five-year jail sentence for killing his girlfriend, turns 28 today – his first birthday behind bars, and a world away from his former life. Like the other convicted criminals in South African jails, the double-amputee track star is unlikely to get any special treatment at Pretoria’s Kgosi Mampuru prison. “I think his privileges at the moment are still very limited because he just started,” said Piet du Plessis, a Johannesburg-based lawyer representing Radovan Krejcir, a notorious Czech fugitive being held in the same prison as Pistorius. Due to his physical disability, Pistorius is being held in the hospital ward of the prison, shielding him from the often brutal overcrowded cells, known for gang violence. According to the department of correctional services, he is allowed five one-hour-long visits per month, and may receive cards for special occasions. There is currently uncertainty over his prison term, as the state is appealing his conviction and “shockingly light” sentence. The fallen Paralympian gold medallist, who shot and killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at his upmarket home in Pretoria on the early hours of Valentine’s Day in 2013, had been accustomed to a life of luxury, beautiful women and fast cars. His athletic achievements made him a poster boy for disability sport, attracting lucrative endorsement deals. By 2013 the congregation had grown to 5,000 prompting him to move his church from a board room at a sports club to a more spacious shed that previously served as a warehouse in Harare’s industrial district. Prominent figures who attend his services include Tourism Minister Walter Mzembi, former information deputy minister Bright Matonga and former football association chief Henrietta Rushwaya. Magaya refuses to give his exact age save to say that he is in his early 30s. He was voted in a survey among the most influential Zimbabweans under 40. He courted controversy when a local businessman sued him for adultery. The businessman later withdrew charges and apologised to Magaya at a church service. Ebola death toll rises to 5,459, says WHO Zambia’s president suspended as party leader ambia’s ruling Patriotic Front (PF) said yesterday that it had suspended President Guy Scott as acting head of the party for “unconstitutional conduct”, in the latest twist of a bitter power struggle ahead of a January election. Underlining divisions within the PF, its new secretary general swiftly branded as null and void the party’s decision to suspend Scott, who became Africa’s first white head of state in 20 years when Michael Sata died last month. Scott remains a member of the PF and Zambia’s interim president. He is not eligible to stand in the January 20 presidential vote because his parents were British. es whose followers are drawn by promises of miracles. An event organised by his Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries in the capital two weeks ago was attended by around 200,000 people, according to local media. Magaya says he is a protégé of Nigeria’s TB Joshua, who made headlines worldwide in September following a fatal collapse at his Lagos megachurch in which 116 people died. In May 2013, four people were killed in a stampede at a church run by the Nigerian preacher. The incident occurred when the church began distributing free holy water, purported to cure illnesses and protect against evil forces. Just six months later, 28 died in another stampede in Nigeria when about 100,000 worshippers gathered at a church about He said he shot the 29-year-old model four times through a locked bathroom door because he thought she was an intruder. He was found guilty of culpable homicide, escaping a harsher murder conviction. Prosecutors are challenging Judge Thokozile Masipa’s interpretation of murder. The application for appeal is set for December 9. Congo outbreak declared ended Reuters Geneva T he World Health Organisation (WHO) declared yesterday that an outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was over after no people showed symptoms for two incubation periods since the last case. The outbreak, the seventh in the former Zaire since the virus was first identified there in 1976, was separate from the one spreading in West Africa, where more than 5,400 people have died. There were 49 deaths out of 66 people infected in the remote northwestern Equateur province during the three-month outbreak, Congolese authorities said last week. A WHO spokesman confirmed the figures. Two maximum incubation periods of 21 days each must pass with no new cases being detected before the United Nations health agency can declare that an outbreak is finished. “Having reached that 42-day mark, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is now considered free of Ebola transmission,” the WHO said in a statement. he World Health Organisation (WHO) said yesterday that 5,459 people had so far died of Ebola out of a total 15,351 cases of infection in eight countries since late December 2013. The earlier WHO toll on Wednesday gave a death toll of 5,420 and spoke of 15,145 cases. The WHO believes that the number of deaths is likely far higher, given that the fatality rate in the current outbreak is known to be around 70%. The deadliest Ebola outbreak ever continues to affect Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone the most. But it appears to be slowing in Liberia, allowing the hardest-hit country to lift its state of emergency. In its latest toll, the WHO said that through to November 18, a total 2,963 people had died in Liberia, out of 7,082 cases. In Sierra Leone, 1,267 people had died out of 6,190 cases, the WHO said. Guinea, where the outbreak began late last year, counted 1,214 deaths and 2,047 cases. Data from Mali, the latest country to be hit by Ebola, showed six cases of the virus which have all proved fatal. Data from Nigeria and Senegal remained unchanged, and both countries have been declared Ebola-free. Nigeria had eight deaths and 20 cases, while Senegal had one case and no deaths. There has been one case of infection in Spain, where an infected nurse has recovered. In the United States, four Ebola cases have been recorded and one person – a Liberian – had died from the virus. Ebola, one of the deadliest viruses known to man, is spread only through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person showing symptoms such as fever or vomiting. People caring for the sick or handling the bodies of people infected Ebola are especially exposed. The WHO said a total of 588 healthcare workers were known to have contracted the virus, and 337 of them had died. Ebola a wake-up call for Africa: Machel AFP Johannesburg N elson Mandela’s widow Graca Machel said yesterday that the Ebola epidemic should be a wake-up call for African leaders, saying it had exposed the “extreme weakness” of African institutions. In an address on the impact on business of an epidemic which has claimed more than 5,400 lives in west Africa, Machel said the heavy toll was “unacceptable”. “Ebola has exposed the extreme weaknesses of our institutions as governments, countries which are affected were found totally unprepared,” added the South African icon’s widow. “It’s time Africa began to give real value to human life, in other words African human lives,” she told health sector and business representatives. “Let’s take lessons from this outbreak,” she said of the epidemic ravaging Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. “Yesterday it was HIV/Aids, today it’s Ebola, tomorrow it can be something else.” “We can’t continue to be unprepared as we are,” she said. “We don’t seem to have learned from the HIV epidemic.” She insisted Ebola could be defeated with “proper and Machel: Let’s take lessons from this outbreak. strong health systems”. The African Union (AU), African Development Bank and regional business leaders earlier this month set up an Ebola crisis fund, almost a year after it was first detected in December last year. Although Machel called the AU’s reaction “too late and too little”, she commended it for eventually rallying the business community to help curb the spread of the virus. The fund saw African business leaders offer more than $28mn to help the response to the epidemic. Southern Africa has so far seen no cases of the virus. 8 Gulf Times Saturday, November 22, 2014 AMERICA Lawsuit filed over Obamacare AFP/DPA Washington U S House Republicans filed a lawsuit against President Barack Obama’s administration over his signature healthcare law and unilateral actions they say amount to an abuse of executive authority. The suit, which Republicans have threatened for months, was filed in US District Court in Washington against the secretaries of the Treasury and the Health and Human Services Department and focuses on the administration’s “unconstitutional and unlawful” rewriting of segments of the law commonly referred to as Obamacare. The legal action addresses president’s unilateral move last year to defer the Affordable Care Act’s employer mandate, which requires that employers with 50 or more workers offer health coverage to their full-time staff or pay fines, until 2015. It also challenges what Republicans described as illegally transferring about $175bn to insurance companies under Obamacare over the next 10 years. Congress has not appropriated funds for the programme. While the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office reported that the administration will repay the cost-sharing subsidies, the lawsuit charges that the administration is unconstitutionally using funds from a separate Treasury account to pay the insurance companies. “Time after time, the president has chosen to ignore the will of the American people and re-write federal law on his own without a vote of Congress,” House Speaker John Boehner said in announcing the lawsuit. “The House has an obligation to stand up for the Constitution, and that is exactly why we are pursuing this course of action.” Republicans framed the lawsuit as a broader challenge to what they see is systematic executive overreach by the president. “What we’re dealing with here Obama gestures to reporters as he walks back to the White House in Washington, DC. Obama forgot to take his Blackberry and returned to pick it up before his departure to Las Vegas. is bigger than Obamacare, bigger than an executive action,” House Republican Mario DiazBalart told CNN. “It’s whether the president of the United States has the power to do whatever he or she wants to do regardless of whether the law allows him or her to do that.” Top House Democrat Nancy Pelosi dismissed the “meritless lawsuit” and said that it marks Republican leadership bowing to “impeachment-hungry extremists”. The suit is the latest attempt by the Republican-controlled House to undermine the Affordable Care Act. The House has voted dozens of times to repeal the law, but the Democratic-controlled Senate has blocked the repeal efforts. The lawyer representing the case, Jonathan Turley, said in a blog that the complaint focuses on the administration’s “usurpation” of the House’s legislative and budget authority Following elections earlier this month, Republicans will also hold a majority in the US Senate beginning in January, opening a new path to legislative repudiation of Obama’s signature legislative achievement. The New York Times reported that Speaker of the House John Boehner had trouble finding a lawyer to represent the case after two lawyers withdrew. Turley is a George Washington University professor and a wellknown legal commentator in the media. “After scouring Washington for months, Republicans have finally found a TV lawyer to file their meritless lawsuit,” Pelosi said in a statement yesterday. “The legislative branch cannot sue simply because they disagree with the way a law passed by a different Congress has been implemented,” she said. Boehner has charged that Obama tries to “make his own laws” and is violating the constitutional separation of powers. He also cites Obama’s use of executive action to accomplish things that they have blocked – the immigration relief programme Obama announced late on Thursday, for example, as well as actions to cut carbon emissions from coal plants. Democrats have charged that Republicans are choosing lawsuits over legislating such issues. The conservative party has refused to bring an immigration reform measure – already approved by the Senate – to a vote. Informed of House efforts to file a lawsuit against him before the July vote, Obama quipped: “So sue me.” Obama immigration plan riles Republicans, states Reuters/AFP New York T he morning after President Barack Obama announced his sweeping action to overhaul the US immigration system, conservative groups and states were already pulling together legal strategies to dismantle the plan. Opponents said there will likely be a three-pronged legal approach to stymie Obama’s moves: Congress could sue the president for constitutional overreach, states could file lawsuits arguing the action strains local finances, or individuals could try to prove they’ve been harmed by the order. Just hours after the speech, an Arizona sheriff filed suit arguing the reform is unconstitutional. “There is going to be massive litigation all over the place because there is tremendous legal confusion about what the administration is doing and what the states’ obligations will be,” said Dan Stein from the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), which calls for restrictions on immigration. While law scholars say the president is on strong legal footing, a flurry of lawsuits will cause headaches for the Obama administration in its final two years and may stir public opinion against a policy meant to be one of his signature triumphs. Obama’s healthcare plan, another major political victory for the President, has also been mired in legal challenges with opponents taking suits all the way to the Supreme Court. Just yesterday, Republicans in the US House of Representatives filed a long-anticipated lawsuit challenging Obamacare (see lead story). States are already lining up to sue over Obama’s immigration action, under which he plans to grant temporary legal status to some 4.4mn undocumented immigrants who are parents of US citizens and legal permanent residents. “With this action the president has chosen to deliberately sabotage any chance of enacting bipartisan reforms he claims to seek,” House Speaker John Boehner declared yesterday. “We are working with our members and looking at the options that are available to us. But I will say to you: the House will in fact act.” In a prime-time address, Obama said nearly a dozen commanders-in-chief before him have acted unilaterally over the past half century on some facet Flooding ahead for snowy New York Reuters Evans, New York Right: Demonstrators protest against Obama over immigration reform outside Del Sol High School in Las Vegas. of immigration reform. “There are actions I have the legal authority to take as president – the same kinds of actions taken by Democratic and Republican presidents before me – that will help make our immigration system more fair and more just,” Obama said in his speech. Republicans were not buying it. “The constitution does not grant the president the power to act as a one-man legislature by appealing to �tradition’,” Republican National Committee (RNC) chairman Reince Priebus fumed on Twitter. The RNC also urged opponents of the reform to contribute money to the party to help fight the order. Obama was quick to stress that the sweeping order “does not grant citizenship, or the right to stay here permanently, or offer the same benefits that citizens receive”. “Only Congress can do that,” he added. “All we’re saying is we’re not going to deport you.” Republicans are not buying it. Lawmakers should push back against Obama’s “illegal powergrab”, said Senator John McCain, a Republican who helped craft immigration legislation that passed the Senate but died in the Republican House. But he has warned against provoking another shutdown like the one in 2013 that was blamed on Republicans. “Congress must be creative in using all the tools in our toolbox – including mounting a legal challenge – to oppose the president’s action,” he said. Conservative Senator Ted Cruz urged fellow senators to block Obama’s choices for ambassadorial and administration posts, as well as judgeships. Republican governors Scott Walker of Wisconsin, Rick Perry T New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo speaks with the media after meeting with soldiers of the New York Army National Guard’s 152nd Engineer Company as they assist in snow removal efforts in Buffalo, New York, in this handout photo provided by the US Army National Guard. to six feet (152-183cm) of water, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said. To prepare, area residents said they were moving valuables out of their basements. Sections of the New York State Thruway will reopen to move vehicles and help remove snow, Cuomo said. Some 225 km of the thruway had been closed. So far, at least 13 deaths have been blamed on the weather. The most recent reported death was a person found buried in snow in a car in Cheektowaga, while two nursing home residents died in an evacuation of a Cheektowaga facility, officials said. Two people on Thursday died of exposure. Erie County officials said they had suffered mental illness and were found outside. Eight deaths were reported earlier in the week. Meanwhile, a Buffalo Bills home game scheduled for tomorrow against the New York Jets was moved to Monday in Detroit due to public safety concerns, the National Football League said. The National Hockey League postponed the Buffalo Sabres’ home game against the New York Rangers yesterday. of Texas and Pat McCrory of North Carolina have all voiced support for taking legal action without giving further details. Oklahoma Attorney-General Scott Pruitt also announced his intention to sue. Still, making a legal case will be an uphill battle. Presidents historically have had wide discretion to act alone on immigration and under a concept known as “prosecutorial discretion”, can decide to not enforce every violation of federal law when resources are limited. In a 33-page legal memo, the Department of Justice said the action falls within the bounds of the constitution and that Congress has supported favourable treatment of law-abiding immigrants with deep US ties. Tributes stream in for Graduate director Nichols, dead at 83 AFP Los Angeles W arm temperatures and rain were forecast for the weekend in the city of Buffalo and western New York, bringing the threat of widespread flooding to the region bound for days by deep snow. Areas where several feet of snow fell this week should brace for significant, widespread flooding, the National Weather Service (NWS) warned yesterday. Swept by lake effect storms, parts of western New York including Buffalo, received as much as 2m of snow, an amount equal to a year’s worth of accumulation for the region. Such storms occur when cold air moves across warmer Great Lake waters and can dump heavy snowfall when they hit land. Temperatures in western New York will stay above freezing through Tuesday night, with highs of nearly 10° Celsius (50° Fahrenheit) tomorrow and nearly 16° C on Monday, the NWS said. “The warming will bring melting. The melting will bring water. Water will bring floods,” New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said at a news conference. “We are preparing now for more flooding than we have seen in a long, long time. We’ve never had this much snow and this much melting of this much snow in a short period of time.” Some areas should expect five US-born Edith Valdez attends an immigration reform rally with her undocumented mother Margarita Valdez, at the Atlanta City Detention Centre. The rally was part of a national �Chant Down the Walls’ day of protest, according to organisers. ributes poured in yesterday for Oscar-winning director Mike Nichols, the creative force behind countless classic American films and plays including The Graduate, after his death aged 83. The legendary filmmaker directed nearly two dozen movies in all, among them the timeless Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and lighter fare with a contemporary edge like Working Girl. Nichols is one of the rare figures in American entertainment to have earned an “EGOT”, having been honoured with at least one Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award. “This is a seismic loss,” said fellow director Steven Spielberg. “Mike was a friend, a muse, a mentor, one of America’s alltime greatest film and stage directors, and one of the most generous people I have ever known.” Nichols was a member of American entertainment royalty, being married for many years to celebrated ABC television news Nichols and his wife, ABC news anchor Diane Sawyer, at the world premiere of Charlie Wilson’s War in Los Angeles in this 2007 file photo. presenter Diane Sawyer. ABC, which announced his death, said Nichols died of cardiac arrest late on Wednesday. Nichols – an immigrant whose work featured incisive takes on American society over several decades – won a best director Oscar in 1968 for The Graduate. He also was awarded seven Tony Awards, two Emmy Awards, and a Grammy in 1961 for Best Comedic Performance with his long-time artistic partner, Elaine May. Meryl Streep, who worked several times with Nichols, called him “an inspiration and joy to know ... a friend without whom, well, we can’t imagine our world, an indelible irreplaceable man”. Paul Simon, who wrote the song Mrs Robinson for The Graduate, said simply: “My dear friend of 47 years. I love and admire Mike Nichols”, while Art Garfunkel told Billboard: “To act for him on camera was to glide on a liquid film of intelligence.” Tom Hanks, who played the title role in the 2007 film Charlie Wilson’s War, cited one of the director’s own sayings in paying tribute to him. “Forward. We must always move forward. Otherwise what will become of us?” Hanks said, cited by industry journal Variety. ABC News said the Nichols family will hold a small, private service for him later this week, and a memorial service at a later date. Woman with gun arrested at White House: Secret Service A 23-year-old woman armed with a handgun was arrested outside the White House late on Thursday, US Secret Service officials said. The Secret Service identified her as April Lenhart of Mount Morris, Michigan. “Lenhart was participating in a demonstration along the north fence line of the White House complex when Secret Service personnel monitoring the demonstration observed a holstered handgun on Lenhart’s front hip,” said the agency. Lenhart was arrested and charged with possession of an unregistered firearm, possession of unregistered ammunition and carrying a pistol without a licence, the Secret Service said. Gulf Times Saturday, November 22, 2014 9 ASIA/AUSTRALASIA TRIAL POLICY TREMOR LEGAL CONSERVATION Uighur scholar’s appeal against life sentence rejected Martial law to stay in Thailand: minister 6.5-quake hits eastern Indonesia, no tsunami alert Malaysian diplomat denies sexual assault in NZ Sea Shepherd to fight for Patagonian toothfish A Chinese court yesterday rejected an appeal against a life sentence handed to a prominent scholar from the mostly-Muslim Uighur minority, as a 70-year-old journalist stood trial in a deepening crackdown on dissent. Rights groups have decried both cases as an effort to silence critics of the ruling Communist Party, which in recent years has stepped-up a campaign against activists, lawyers, academics and journalists who fail to toe the party line. Ilham Tohti, 45, had been an outspoken critic of China’s policies towards the Uighur minority in their homeland of Xinjiang, which has been hit by a wave of violence. Thailand’s martial law will not be lifted for the foreseeable future, the justice minister said yesterday, despite an earlier pledge to lift the law in some provinces to help the tourism industry which has struggled since a military coup in May. The announcement comes as Thailand prepares to enter its peak tourism season, over the Christmas and New Year period. The tourism sector accounts for nearly 10% of GDP. Thailand expects around 25mn tourists this year, down amn from 2013, the government said this month, thanks in part to protests in Bangkok that kept many visitors away. A 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Indonesian islands yesterday, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS), but no tsunami alert was issued. The undersea quake, at a depth of 38 kilometres (24 miles), struck the Molucca Sea between Sulawesi and the Maluku chain of islands. “The quake was felt strongly for five seconds, causing people to run from their homes,” the National Disaster Management Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said. The quake was initially measured at 6.9-magnitude and 48 kilometres in depth but was later revised by the USGS to 6.5 in strength and 10 kilometres shallower than earlier reported. A former Malaysian diplomat in New Zealand accused of sexual assault denied the charge and elected a trial by jury when he appeared in court yesterday. Mohamed Rizalman Ismail, 38, was extradited to New Zealand last month after leaving the country under diplomatic immunity when first charged in May. In his latest court hearing he denied charges of burglary and assault with intent to commit sexual violation and will reappear in court next February. Following an earlier court appearance, Rizalman is on bail at an undisclosed address but has had to surrender his passport and is under a nighttime curfew. The Sea Shepherd organisation is setting out to save the Patagonian toothfish from illegal fishers after years of fighting to save whales in remote southern oceans, a media report said yesterday. Japan is not hunting for whales in the Southern Ocean this year following years of protests and legal action, but up to six illegal fishing boats are catching the prized deep water toothfish which can sell for up to $100 a kilogram. Captain of the ship Bob Barker of the Sea Shepherd group, Peter Hammarstedt, told the Australian broadcaster ABC in Hobart yesterday they will leave on December 1 for a very remote part of the Southern Ocean to disrupt the illegal fishers. Japan PM seeks verdict on �Abenomics’ in snap poll Proud moment Doubts grow about “Abenomics” after data showed recession; Abe voter support at lowest since took office, 39 pct; Vote set for Dec 14 Reuters Tokyo P rime Minister Shinzo Abe dissolved parliament’s lower house yesterday for a snap election on Dec 14, seeking a fresh mandate for his struggling “Abenomics” revival strategy just two years after he returned to power promising that “Japan is Back”. Abe had vowed to revive the economy with a mix of hypereasy monetary policy, government spending and reforms, while moving ahead with plans to rein in Japan’s massive public debt. But doubts have grown about his strategy, especially after data showed this week that the economy had surprisingly slipped into recession in the third quarter after an initial rise in the sales tax to 8% from April. “This is an �Abenomics’ snap election. Will �Abenomics’ go forward, or stop in its tracks? That is the question in this election,” Abe told a news conference. “Are our economic policies a mistake, or are they correct? Is there really any other way? This is what we want to ask all the people.” Abe has said he would delay for 18 months a second tax hike to 10% that had been slated for October 2015. He pledged that the second increase, which advocates say is needed to fund the bulging so- Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks during a press conference at his official residence in Tokyo yesterday. cial security costs of a fast-ageing population, would go ahead in April 2017. No general election needed to be held until late 2016, and surveys show around two-thirds of voters are wondering why Abe is taking the plunge now. “The whole reason is a bit unclear, or a bit trivial,” said Yutaka Watanabe, a middle-aged tourist snapping a photo of the parliament building yesterday morning. But the prime minister hopes to cement his grip on power before his support ratings slip too far. Next year, he plans to tackle unpopular policies such as restarting reactors that went offline after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis. An Asahi newspaper poll published yesterday showed Abe’s support fell to 39% — the lowest since he took office in December 2012 — and just a bit more than the 40% who do not back him. Still, 37% said they would vote for Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in proportional representation districts, compared with 13% who planned to vote for the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ). About 30% were undecided. “Unfortunately, the DPJ has not recovered to a point where we can say to voters, �Entrust the government to us’,” DPJ Secretary General Yukio Edano told a news conference. The Democrats were trounced in 2012 after three years in power. Edano said the DPJ wanted to give voters a choice between Abe’s “trickle down” policies that critics say favour the rich and big firms, and the Democrats’ “bottom up” strategy that focuses on the middle class. Faced with a weak and di- vided opposition, the LDP and its junior partner, the Komeito party, are not expected to lose their majority in the lower house, where they held twothirds of the 480 seats. There will be 475 seats up for grabs this time after reforms to rebalance between sparsely populated rural districts and dense urban areas. Abe said he would resign if his coalition failed to win a majority, an outcome experts dismissed as almost impossible, though he could end up weakened if the LDP loses too many seats. one to ten. Song Siling, who is trying for a baby with his girlfriend, shut his eyes and grimaced as the needle on the electrode monitor inched forward with a beep. “It felt like my heart and lungs were being ripped apart,” said Song, who made it to level seven before frantically waving to the nurse to turn off the system. Others dropped out within minutes when they couldn’t take the pain. Despite their obvious discomfort, the on-duty nurse said the simulations could never match the torment of actual childbirth. “Still, if men can experience this pain, then they’ll be more loving and caring to their wives,” said Lou Dezhu. Wu Jianlong, who braved the pain right up to Aussie minister writes to Obama over concerns for reef DPA Sydney A ustralia’s foreign minister Julie Bishop said yesterday she had written to US President Barack Obama to stress efforts being made by the government to protect the Great Barrier Reef. “I thought it important that he actually had the facts and details of what we’re doing to support the preservation and conservation of the Great Barrier Reef...” The move comes after Obama said in a speech focusing on climate change in Brisbane during the G20 summit that he wanted his grandchildren to be able to see the Great Barrier Reef in 50 years time. Bishop told the Austral- ian broadcaster ABC Radio there was “an issue” regarding Obama’s statement and that he might have overlooked the Australian government’s commitment to conserving the reef. She said she sent a briefing note to the White House after Obama’s comments. “I thought it important that he actually had the facts and details of what we’re doing to support the preservation and conservation of the Great Barrier Reef, and we are committed to it.” Scientists have said warmer oceans will have a drastic effect on the coral, and there have been protests at government plans to expand coal shipping through the reef. Ove Hoegh-Guldberg of the University of Queensland Global Change Institute told the Sydney Morning Herald the reef had already shrunk by half in the past 30 years. HK activists protest outside British consulate AFP Hong Kong D Hospital gives men chance to experience pain of childbirth A hospital in eastern China is offering fathers-to-be a chance to experience the pain of childbirth after several new moms complained they got little sympathy from their partners. Free sessions are held twice a week at Aima maternity hospital in Shandong province and about 100 men have signed up to be tortured. Most are expectant dads but there are thrill seekers too among the volunteers for “taster sessions”. For the simulations, pads attached to a device are placed above the abdomen, giving electric shocks that induce pain. The test subjects writhe in agony for up to five minutes as a nurse gradually raises the intensity on a scale of Winner of the 2014 World Muslimah Awards Fatma Ben Guefrache of Tunis holds her trophy in Yogyakarta yesterday. An eclectic mix of women from around the world competed in the final of a pageant exclusively for Muslims in Indonesia, seen as a riposte to Western beauty contests. level 10, says the experience radically altered his views on childbirth. “Because all women have children and it usually takes quite a long time, I had thought of it as being something really natural, something really normal that they can get through,” he said. Wu, whose wife is three months pregnant, yelled in pain and clenched his fists before giving in and begging the nurse to stop -- he had reached the maximum limit by then. Unlike in the West, Chinese men are often not in the room when their partners or wives give birth. Some state-run hospitals do not allow expectant dads to enter, even if they want to. ozens of protesters gathered outside Hong Kong’s British consulate yesterday, accusing the former colonial power of failing to pressure China to grant free elections in the city and protect freedoms guaranteed in a joint treaty. The demonstration comes after the last UK governor of the territory Chris Patten urged Britain to emulate the US in offering more strident support to democracy protests that erupted nearly two months ago. Up to 100 people assembled outside the embassy, some waving the yellow umbrellas that have become the symbol of prodemocracy occupations that have paralysed parts of the city. “The UK is obligated to solve the problem... Britain bears half of the responsibility as it signed the joint declaration,” 21-yearold student organiser Daniel Ma told reporters. Britain and China are signatories of the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration, an agreement that enshrines rights and freedoms unavailable on the mainland. It also asserts that “the current social and economic systems in Hong Kong will remain unchanged” for the 50 years following the 1997 handover. Pro-democracy groups say Beijing has breached the agreement. China president targets strategic ties in Pacific AFP Suva C hinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Fiji yesterday on a whirlwind visit aimed at strengthening economic and strategic ties with Pacific island nations. Xi’s visit comes after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, head of the world’s largest democracy, stopped over in Fiji to also court regional leaders who form one of the largest voting blocs at the UN. Both leaders have targeted the Pacific as a vital stop on their way home from the recent Group of 20 summit in Australia. Xi, who has already established a rapport with Fiji after visiting four years ago as vice president of China, will hold talks with Fiji’s 2006 coup leader and recently elected prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama. Today, he will then meet a delegation of up to eight Pacific island leaders. “An important agenda of my New Zealand Prime Minister John Key (third right) and Minister for Primary Industries Nathan Guy (centre) introduce a cow called Goldwinshine to Chinese President Xi Jinping, an exhibit at the Karaka Agitech Event in Auckland yesterday. Xi later headed to Fiji to meet leaders from Pacific island nations. visit is to invite leaders of all Pacific island countries that have diplomatic ties with China to Fiji for discussions on ways to further grow China’s relations with these countries and jointly draw a blueprint for the bright future of our friendly exchanges and mutually beneficial co-operation,” Xi said in a statement released ahead of his arrival. “The friendly exchanges be- tween the people of China and Pacific Island countries date back to a long time ago. We feel a natural kinship with each other.” Countries involved in the talks along with Fiji include Samoa, Vanuatu, Niue, Tonga, Federated States of Micronesia, Cook Islands and Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, who missed Modi’s meeting, described China as a friend of the Pacific island states. “China believes that all countries are equal members of the international community irrespective of their size, wealth and strength,” he said. Sydney-based foreign policy think tank The Lowy Institute has estimated that from 200511 China handed out $600mn in so-called “soft loans” to Pacific countries such as Tonga, Samoa and Fiji. Fiji television showed live coverage of Xi’s plane landing at Nadi airport, having made the journey from New Zealand, a country with which China agreed to expand its burgeoning trade relationship. Among 17 new partnerships signed in New Zealand was one between Air New Zealand and Air China which paves the way for a strategic alliance on services between the countries. 10 Gulf Times Saturday, November 22, 2014 BRITAIN PEOPLE TWEET MEDICAL HEALTH CRIME Phone-hacking editor Coulson freed from prison Labour MP forced to quit over �snobbish’ tweet Rare tapeworm removed from man’s brain Another student suffering from meningitis Russia urged to shut down webcam spying site Andy Coulson, the former newspaper editor, was released from prison yesterday after serving his sentence for phone-hacking, the justice ministry said. Coulson served less than five months of the 18-month sentence handed down at the Old Bailey in July after he was found guilty of conspiring to intercept voice-mails at the now-defunct Sunday News of the World tabloid. Inmates in Britain can be released under home detention arrangements before they have served half of their term, the justice ministry said ahead of his release. Coulson left Hollesley Bay, an open prison in Suffolk, yesterday morning and said nothing to waiting reporters, the BBC reported. Labour MP Emily Thornberry complained she was a victim of “prejudices about Islington” before being forced to resign in a snobbery row. The Islington South and Finsbury MP denied “sneering” when she tweeted a picture of a Rochester house draped with England flags and with a white van parked outside the door. Appearing surprised that her tweet caused a furore, she said: “This was a house covered in the flag so you couldn’t see out of the windows and it was a striking image.” The MP’s suggestion that some critics were biased against a London borough synonymous with the chattering classes failed to convince other MPs. Labour MP John Mann said the tweet was “horrendous”. Scientists in Britain have removed a rare tapeworm that lived in a man’s brain for four years. The parasite travelled five centimetres from the right side of the brain to the left. The tapeworm causes sparganosis, an inflammation of body tissues that can cause seizures, memory loss and headaches. The patient is now “systemically well”, the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute said. It was the first time the tapeworm, Spirometra erinaceieuropaei, was reported in Britain. Only 300 cases have been reported since 1953. The tapeworm is thought to be caught by accidentally eating small infected crustaceans from lakes, eating raw amphibian or reptile meat. A second student has been confirmed as suffering from meningitis following the death of an 18-yearold woman earlier this month. The 18-year-old man lives in the same halls of residence as fellow student Alisha Bartolini, who collapsed and died from the infection after she returned to her accommodation following a Halloween night out. The Liverpool Hope University male student is said to be recovering well in hospital from the meningococcal infection, said Public Health England. Students who have lived in Austin Hall on the Hope Park Campus in Childwall since the start of term have been offered antibiotics as a precautionary measure. A Russian website offering thousands of live feeds peering into bedrooms and offices around the world by accessing poorly secured webcams should be taken down immediately, British officials said. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said the site was taking advantage of devices like CCTV cameras and remote-access baby monitors that lack security protection or have weak passwords. “I want the Russians to take this down straight away,” Christopher Graham, the information commissioner, told BBC radio. In Britain, the ICO said around 500 feeds had been targeted, including a gym in Manchester, a house in Birmingham, and an office in Leicester. Blow for PM as Ukip takes second seat in parliament Shortage of truckers likely to hit deliveries Reuters London A shortage of truckers on Britain’s roads could leave Christmas shoppers out in the cold as tough new rules for drivers kick in. Hauliers are getting creative training warehouse staff to drive, hiring truckers from abroad, even turning to the army - to minimise disruption from a Europe-wide licensing scheme that requires drivers to undergo extra training. The logistics industry in Britain, where more than 60% of goods move by road, is 60,000 drivers short as peak season begins, according to the UK Commission for Employment and Skills. The seasonal advice from Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin to Britons last week: Get your shopping done soon. New legislation demands that, from September 10, most commercial truck, bus and coach drivers hold a driver certificate of professional competence (CPC). At about £3,000 per HGV driver, the qualification doesn’t come cheap. That cost estimate, according to two trade bodies, includes 35 hours of mandatory government-approved training every five years - a cause of much grumbling among experienced hands in a country where most HGV drivers are in their mid-50s. “Some of the older drivers don’t really understand why they need to do this,” said Jamie Boyd, managing director of haulage firm Today Team and himself a former truck driver. The cost is also prohibitive for many drivers who work on shortterm contracts and those who come out of retirement in peak season. Peter Shakespeare, head of publications at the Road Haulage Association, a trade body, said some companies “can’t get the additional drivers they need”. Wincanton, whose customers include Tesco and J Sainsbury, employs more than 4,000 fulltime drivers. Contract workers typically boost this number by nearly a third around Christmas. AFP London U Mark Reckless, Ukip’s second member of parliament, is followed out of St Stephen’s entrance of the Houses of Parliament by Ukip’s first MP Douglas Carswell in Westminster, London, yesterday. Cable & Wireless �helped Britain spy on the world’ Reuters London T elecommunications firm Cable & Wireless helped Britain eavesdrop on millions of Internet users worldwide, Channel 4 reported, citing previously secret documents leaked by a fugitive former US National Security Agency contractor. Cable & Wireless, which was bought by Vodafone in 2012, provided British spies with traffic from rival foreign communications companies, the Channel 4 television said, citing documents stolen by Edward Snowden. Channel 4 said Cable & Wireless gave the GCHQ eavesdropping agency access by renting space on one of the arteries of global communications, a cable that runs to the southern English region of Cornwall. The Channel 4 report, which was impossible to immediately verify given the secrecy of the surveillance programmes, said Cable & Wireless carried out surveillance on Internet traffic through its networks on behalf of British spies. The documents cited in the report were not shown on Channel 4’s website. But previous disclosures by Snowden have illustrated the scale of US and British eavesdropping on everything from phone calls and e-mails to Internet and social media. Some telecommunications and Internet companies in Britain and the US were asked or forced to cooperate with the eavesdropping programmes, according to previous media reports. When asked for comment on the Channel 4 report, Vodafone said in a statement that it had examined the history of Cable & Wireless compliance and found no evidence that would substantiate the allegations. “We have found no indication whatsoever of unlawful activity within Vodafone or Cable & Wireless and we do not recognise any of the UK intelligence agency programmes identified,” it said in a statement. “Furthermore, Vodafone does not own or operate the cables referred to.” It added that national laws require it to disclose some information about its customers to law enforcement agencies or other government authorities when asked to do so. In the wake of the Snowden revelations, GCHQ was accused by privacy groups and some lawmakers of illegally monitoring electronic communications. Ministers denied any illegality and top spies dismissed suspicions of sinister intent, saying they sought only to defend the liberties of Western democracies. GCHQ declined to comment on the Channel 4 report. Andrew Parker, director general of MI5, Britain’s domestic security service, warned last year that the revelations from Snowden, who now lives in Moscow, were a gift to terrorists because they had exposed GCHQ’s ability to track, listen and watch plotters. “We have found no indication whatsoever of unlawful activity within Vodafone or Cable & Wireless and we do not recognise any of the UK intelligence agency programmes identified” K Independence Party (Ukip) celebrated winning its second parliament seat in a blow for the government that further fragments the political landscape ahead of next year’s general election. Mark Reckless was re-elected in Rochester and Strood in southeast England, after defecting from Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative Party to Ukip, which wants Britain to leave the European Union and put strict quotas on immigration. Furious campaigning by the Conservatives failed to stem the Ukip advance and their candidate lagged behind on 35% with Reckless at 42%. Cameron promised to “throw everything” at Thursday’s byelection battle and visited the constituency himself five times to campaign. Reacting to the defeat, the prime minister vowed he was “absolutely determined to win” the seat back in next year’s national vote, but Ukip leader Nigel Farage insisted he was “absolutely confident” his camp would hold it. In his acceptance speech, Reckless made an appeal to all voters to make Ukip the kingmaker at the general election in May 2015 in the increasingly likely outcome of a hung parliament in which no party has an overall majority. “Whatever constituency you live in, whatever your former party allegiance, think about what it would mean to have a bloc of Ukip MPs at Westminster Two killed in accident large enough to hold the balance of power,” Reckless said. “If you believe that the world is bigger than Europe, if you believe in an independent Britain, then come with us and we will give you back your country.” Farage hailed a “huge, huge victory”. “They (the Conservatives) threw the kitchen sink at it, but despite their boasts, we have beaten the ruling party of the day in this life and death struggle,” he told Sky News. It is the second seat snatched by Ukip after another Conservative defector, Douglas Carswell, won Ukip its first elected seat in the national parliament in a September by-election in Clacton. “If you believe that the world is bigger than Europe, if you believe in an independent Britain, then come with us and we will give you back your country” Speculation over further defections to Ukip swirled after Reckless suggested two more Conservative lawmakers could switch - an idea quickly dismissed by senior Conservative politicians. Cameron has already promised a referendum on Britain’s EU membership if his party wins next year’s general election and has taken a harder stance on immigration in a bid to reassure wavering voters. The opposition Labour Party has been forced to do the same as polls show rising pro-Ukip sentiment among disgruntled former supporters. Experts said the latest vote result could prove a key Give English MPs veto on English laws: govt Guardian News and Media London E A forensic officer photographs a cordoned off area at Cadogan Square in Chelsea, west London, yesterday. Two people died and several others were injured when a balcony collapsed, local media reported. moment in the history of British politics, proving Ukip can attract a broad range of voters. “Ukip was not supposed to win this by-election,” said Matthew Goodwin, politics professor at Nottingham University. The growing support for Ukip is likely to make it harder for either the centre-right Conservative Party or the centre-left Labour Party to win an outright majority in what is set to be closely-fought election in May. “All bets are off for the general election next year, literally anything could happen,” said Farage. But some commentators questioned whether Thursday’s by-election might be a protest vote that could wane as the general election approaches. “I think what you’re broadly seeing is the voters using by-elections as a means of expressing their discontent at all the mainstream parties,” said political commentator and columnist for the Daily Telegraph Dan Hodges. National opinion polls show Labour slightly ahead of the Conservatives, each with roughly a third of the vote, and Ukip’s support steadily rising. A YouGov poll for The Sun newspaper on Wednesday showed Ukip at 14%, the Liberal Democrats at seven percent and the Green party at six percent. The by-election results showed the two main parties that have dominated post-war politics are losing support to insurgent parties on the left and right, mirroring trends across Europe and leaving pollsters puzzled about the possible make-up of the next parliament, and who will form the government. nglish MPs should as a matter of principle be given a veto over legislation affecting only England, David Cameron has said. The prime minister also revealed he expected Northern Ireland to be given powers to set its own corporation tax - probably through an announcement in the autumn statement next month. He ruled out changes to the Barnett formula that distributes cash to Scotland, but said the mechanism’s importance will diminish as Holyrood is given more tax raising and borrowing powers. For the first time Cameron suggested he would be willing to see universal credit transferred to the Scottish parliament as part of a transfer of powers over welfare to Scotland, but said the basic state pension should remain the preserve of the UK. Cameron was facing the Commons liaison committee of senior select committee chairs, where he was cross-examined on devolution and the future of legislation affecting only England, or only England and Wales. He said the two issues of Scottish devolution and English votes for English laws were not linked. But if the Conservatives were re-elected voters would get both further devolution to Scotland and the principle of only English MPs voting on legislation affecting England, he added. Cameron also said it was mystifying and unsatisfactory that the Labour party would not engage with the issue of English votes for English laws. The issue is being studied in a cabinet committee chaired by the leader of the house, William Hague, but Labour has said it will not participate, arguing it should be part of a wider constitutional convention that would meet after the election. Cameron said: “Decision time is coming pretty soon because if we are going to have something available on a similar timetable to Scottish devolution then you need to set our proposals before the election in the early part of next year so each party can put in its manifesto about what they are going to do.” Gulf Times Saturday, November 22, 2014 11 EUROPE Dutch teen remanded after mum rescues her from IS AFP Maastricht A blonde, blue-eyed Dutch 19-year-old who was rescued by her mother after marrying an Islamic State fighter in Syria, was ordered yesterday to be detained pending possible terror charges. A convert to Islam who travelled to Syria in February to marry an IS fighter she saw as a Robin Hood figure, Aicha was arrested after landing back in the Netherlands with her mother Monique on Wednesday. The court in her southern hometown of Maastricht has ordered her continued detention on suspicion of “crimes threatening state security”. “Today the examining judge has reviewed the custody order of Aicha and concluded that it was lawful,” court spokesman Marc Bax told journalists after the hearing. Another hearing on Tuesday will decide if the young woman, known as Sterlina before she adopted an Arab name, should be held for another 14 days and possibly charged. Public prosecutor Martina Bijker said that if Aicha were found to have fought alongside IS she could face up to 30 years in prison. “Aicha is accused of joining a criminal organisation in Syria with the intent of joining criminals with terrorist activities,” Bijker said. “We are still not sure what happened and what the charge will ultimately be or if there will be a charge,” he added. As is routine in the preliminary stage of Dutch prosecutions, Aicha’s family name was not made public. European nations are increasingly concerned about returning jihadist fighters, but the question of what to do with women who travel to Iraq and Syria but do not fight is a thorny one. The authorities have barred Monique and Aicha’s lawyers from talking to the press because of the sensitivity of the case. However, Monique, 49, has previously spoken at length to Dutch media about her daughter, who “liked going out, playing the piano and listening to music”. She told Dutch television that her daughter first came home with the Bible, and then with the Qur’an. She converted to Islam and began wearing a face-covering niqab. The turning point came when Aicha saw an interview on Dutch television with a Dutch-Turkish jihadist fighter, Omar Yilmaz. Yilmaz, a former soldier in the Dutch army who also did national service in Turkey, is one of a group of Dutch jihadists who have travelled to Syria where he is training fighters for the IS group. “Look at that man, it’s so good what he’s doing,” Aicha allegedly told her mother, who said she saw him as a Robin Hood figure. Dutch authorities confiscated Aicha’s passport to prevent her travelling to Syria following warnings from a friend. But she managed to travel with a simple identity card – which is obligatory in the Netherlands. New Ukrainian govt declares Nato plans U ABove: Poroshenko listens as Biden makes a statement after their meeting yesterday. Left: A woman walks past a photo exhibition that marks the first anniversary of the Euromaidan Revolution in Kiev. Below: Tymoshenko with Prime Minister Yatseniuk (right), and Oleh Lyashko, head of Radical Party, at the coalition agreement signing in Kiev yesterday. ever-higher price over its policies in its western neighbour. Biden described as “unacceptable” the Kremlin’s role in the crisis in eastern Ukraine, but stopped short of offering lethal military supplies to Kiev forces battling rebels in a seven-month conflict which has killed 4,300 people. Hinting at possible new sanctions, he warned that Russia had failed to fulfil its commitments under a September peace plan, adding: “So long as that continues, Russia will face rising costs, greater isolation.” As Biden met Poroshenko and Yatseniuk, Kiev claimed that shelling was taking place from across the Russian border for the first time since a tattered ceasefire was signed in September. Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said that in the past day, artillery had been fired at a border post in the Luhansk area from the direction of Manotsky in Russia’s Rostov region. Ukraine’s government has for months urged the US to give it weapons and ammunition to fight pro-Moscow forces in the east. Ministers had hoped Biden would use his visit to announce further US assistance for its forces but his office announced only $23mn (€18mn) to support justice reforms and food rations. Before Biden’s visit, Russia warned the US against arming Ukrainian forces. The secretary of its national security council, Nikolai Patrushev, said the conflict in eastern Ukraine “will grow” if that happened. Earlier on Independence Square, Poroshenko was heckled by relatives of the dead shouting “Shame!” over the authorities’ failure to convict anyone over the deaths as he laid a candle at the shrines which surround the square. Some protesters spoke of their cynicism at the current political system and warned that they could be forced to launch fresh protests over the widespread corruption and lack of political reforms in Ukraine. “I have a sense of deja vu,” said Yulia Demchuk, a 36-year-old lawyer. “I have the feeling that I am still continuing the protest on Maidan but there is no inspi- ration now. There is disappointment as I can see that the authorities are not taking any steps to change anything.” Petro Runkiv, a 58-year-old civil engineer who took part in the protests, added: “Of course we are disappointed. Nothing changed. We need reforms and we are here to let our government know that we are ready for one more Maidan.” Meanwhile, the toll of dead and injured continued to rise in eastern Ukraine despite a ceasefire which has been repeatedly violated. Almost 1,000 people have died in fighting since September, according to the United Nations. Two Ukrainian soldiers and two civilians were killed in the region since Thursday, Ukrainian security officials said. French minister resigns over favouritism probe Spanish prosecutors take legal action against Catalan president AFP Barcelona S panish prosecutors launched a legal case yesterday against Catalan President Artur Mas for going ahead with a symbolic independence referendum in defiance of a court injunction. Mas, along with his deputy Joana Ortega and the Catalan government’s education minister, Irene Rigau, will be prosecuted for civil disobedience, abuse of power, usurpation of duties and embezzlement of public funds, the public prosecutor’s office said in a statement. Prosecutors said on Wednesday that they would take legal action against the three but did not specify for what crimes. If Mas is found guilty of civil disobedience or abuse of power it could mean that he would be banned from standing for public office for several years. Mas: disappointed. A sentence for embezzlement of public funds could lead to a jail term of between three and six years. Mas has said it is “very disappointing” that prosecutors will take legal action against him over the referendum which was run by grassroots pro-independence organisations. “It is sad to see that when the Catalan people want to express their opinion...the reaction of the state comes from the courts and prosecutors,” he said during a news conference on Thursday. The Catalan government says 2.3mn people took part in the vote on November 9 which Mas held after a legal block from the central government on his plans to hold an official, non-binding referendum on the issue that day. Roughly 80% of those who took part in the vote, or 1.86mn, favoured independence. A total of 5.4mn voters aged over 16 were authorised to cast ballots. Mas hailed the ballot as a “total success”, but Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy dismissed it as a “deep failure” since “two out of three Catalans paid no attention”. Demands for independence in Catalonia have grown over recent years, fanned by the economic crisis. Catalans complain that their region does not receive investments in proportion to the taxes it pays and that the central government meddles in its linguistic and education policy. A junior French minister resigned yesterday as a scandal implicating him in the awarding of lucrative public contracts to members of his family hit President Francois Hollande’s Socialist government with another bruising. Kader Arif, a junior minister for veteran affairs, became the latest member of Hollande’s government to step down under a cloud of suspicion in what has been a year of political and personal calamities for the most unpopular French president in modern history. An investigation was launched in September in the southwestern city of Toulouse into whether two event management companies run by Arif’s brother and nephew benefited from favouritism in the awarding of public contracts worth millions of euros. Arif “handed in his resignation in order to provide all the details necessary to establish the truth in the preliminary investigation by financial prosecutors in which he is implicated”, the presidency said in a statement. His resignation comes just over two months after trade minister Thomas Thevenoud was sacked for tax irregularities only two weeks after being appointed in a shock cabinet reshuffle following a party rebellion. niqab-wearing Monique crossed the border into Syria and travelled to the IS stronghold city of Raqa, but the Dutch prosecutor’s office said they had met at the Turkish-Syrian border. Roger Bos of the public prosecutor’s office in southern city Maastricht, told local television channel L1 that Aicha needed support. “Is she a victim or a suspect? Maybe she’s both,” he said. Around 130 Dutch jihadists have left to fight in Syria, with 30 already having returned and 14 others killed in the fighting, according to the country’s latest intelligence statistics. France grapples with reality of radicalised youth AFP Paris A AFP Kiev kraine’s new coalition government has made joining Nato a priority in a move likely to provoke fresh Russian anger as thousands gathered in Kiev to mark the first anniversary of protests which unleashed a year of turmoil. A crowd of several thousand gathered in Kiev’s Independence Square, known as Maidan, late yesterday to remember the more than 100 protesters who died in demonstrations that started on November 21 last year. Many mourners were draped in Ukrainian flags, while some cried and laid flowers in memory of the dead. On a hectic day of politicking, Ukraine’s leaders announced a new coalition following October elections which affirmed that joining the Nato military alliance would be a priority. It agreed to pass a law by the end of the year confirming this intention. Such a move threatens to further provoke Russia, which denies Western accusations that it is providing military support to pro-Moscow separatists in eastern Ukraine as part of a strategy to thwart the country’s proWestern course. The five-party parliamentary coalition – which will have a big enough majority to make constitutional changes – features the groupings of President Petro Poroshenko, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk and former premier Yulia Tymoshenko. Poroshenko confirmed that pro-Western Yatseniuk will keep his post to head the coalition government, which faces a mammoth task dealing with the gravest crisis in Ukraine’s postSoviet history. During a visit to Kiev yesterday, US Vice-President Joe Biden told Russia that it faced paying an In the interview with Dutch television, Yilmaz, a handsome, wiry man with shaved head and a beard, explained how he had come to train Islamic State recruits to shoot. “If Dutch forces would send a unit or fighters to Syria to help the people, I would be the first to sign up for the Dutch army. But nobody is doing anything,” he said. Aicha turned to her mother for help after her marriage to Yilmaz failed and she ended up with a Tunisian fighter, the Dutch tabloid daily Algemeen Dagblad reported. The paper reported that a horrified France was grappling this week with a new reality in which hundreds of its citizens are openly joining jihadist groups and directly calling for attacks on their homeland. A new video from the Islamic State group released on jihadist forums and Twitter on Wednesday showed three Kalashnikov-wielding Frenchmen burning their passports and calling on Muslims to join them or stage attacks in France. The new video explicitly calls for retaliation against France for launching air strikes against the Islamic State (IS) group, which has seized large parts of Syria and Iraq. It follows the appearance of a grisly IS execution video at the weekend that featured at least one French citizen – 22-yearold Maxime Hauchard. Defence Minister JeanYves Le Drian announced on Wednesday that France would step up its campaign against the jihadists, sending six Mirage fighter jets to Jordan in December. France currently has nine Rafale jets based in the more distant United Arab Emirates as part of a United States-led international campaign to provide air support to Iraqi and Kurdish forces fighting the group. Its most recent strikes, Le Drian said, targeted trenches used by IS fighters around the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk on Tuesday. But France is increasingly looking inwards as it reels from the news that over 1,000 people from a wide range of backgrounds have left to join the jihadists in Iraq and Syria, with 375 currently there. French prosecutors opened an investigation into the latest video on Thursday and intelligence sources told AFP they were working to identify the three Frenchmen. Prime Minister Manuel Valls said on Wednesday that “close to 50” French citizens or residents have been killed in the conflict zone. “Sadly, we are not surprised to learn that French citizens or residents of France are found at the heart of these cells and taking part in this barbarity,” said Valls. Figures published in Le Monde newspaper this week found almost a quarter of those who left to join the jihadists are converts to Islam, with many coming from jarringly everyday French backgrounds. One study from the Centre for Prevention Against Islamic Sectarianism recently found that 80% of parents reporting concerns about their child’s radicalisation described themselves as atheist. Hauchard, for instance, came from a small village in Normandy where he is remembered as a polite and amiable neighbour prior to adopting radical Islam in his teens. Prosecutors also identified a second suspected French citizen in the video – Mickael Dos Santos from the riverside town of Champigny-sur-Marne, who is known to have joined the Islamic State group. But experts have since suggested the prosecutors may have been mistaken, and a Twitter account claiming to belong to Dos Santos denied on Thursday that he had appeared in the video. United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon said on Wednesday that violent extremism had to be tackled “at the grassroots level”. “We must continue to think more deeply into the fundamental conditions that allow extremism to thrive. Looking at these challenges solely through a military lens has shown its limits,” he told a special Security Council meeting on counter-terrorism. France is far from alone in dealing with the problem. As a proportion of their populations, Belgium and Denmark are the biggest contributors to the jihad in Iraq and Syria, although France – which has Europe’s largest Muslim population – has sent the largest overall contingent. “France is particularly affected by this phenomenon in part because networks still exist that sent volunteers to fight against the Americans in Iraq after 2003,” said Louis Caprioli, a former head of counterterrorism for the French intelligence service. He also pointed towards the “Tabligh” movement of Islamic preachers that has been “very active in French towns and suburbs since the mid1990s” – providing a base from which some members of the community moved on to more radical off-shoots. “Its efforts to re-Islamise young people of second and third-generation immigrant communities is now bearing fruit,” said Caprioli. He said even the converts to Islam were often in close proximity to these immigrant communities, although he emphasised there were multiple explanations for the burgeoning numbers of radicalised youth, not least “the extraordinary quality of Islamic State communications, which perfectly exploit all the tools of the Internet”. Bird flu found on three more Netherlands farms AFP The Hague D utch officials have detected bird flu on three more farms, but cannot yet say if the strains are a contagious variety discovered earlier this week, officials said yesterday. The Dutch economic affairs ministry confirmed that a second bird flu outbreak detected on Thursday on a farm at Ter Aar, close to the first case east of The Hague, was the highly pathogenic H5N8 strain, previously detected only in Asia. Some strains of avian influenza are fatal for chickens, and pose a threat to humans. Dutch authorities have said human infection can only occur following “intense and direct contact” with infected birds. The latest outbreak was first reported on a small farm in Kamperveen, around 100km north of the first outbreaks, the economic affairs ministry said in a statement. “The bird flu virus has been detected on a farm with around 10,000 chickens,” it said. Later yesterday the ministry added that bird flu symptoms had also been detected on two other farms within a vicinity of 1km of the farm in Kamperveen. The birds on all three farms will be destroyed and the farms disinfected, the ministry said, with tests being carried out to establish if the strain is H5N8. 12 Gulf Times Saturday, November 22, 2014 INDIA COMMENT POLITICS PROBE WEATHER DECISION Strong defence imperative for peace, says president Civic polls in Rajasthan today �Tainted’ Kerala bureaucrat likely to be suspended Mullaperiyar dam water level touches 142 feet INS Vikrant being broken up Highlighting the importance of a strong defence to preserve harmony, President Pranab Mukherjee yesterday said though India is committed to peace, “we must be prepared to use our might to safeguard the sovereignty of our nation, if the need ever arise”. “To preserve peace, harmony and promote all round development, it is imperative for us to have an effective deterrence and a strong defence,” he said while awarding the President’s Standard to 26 Squadron and 115 Helicopter Unit of the Indian Air Force in Tezpur, Assam. Mukherjee also said that these flying units have a glorious past and a rich tradition of professional excellence. All arrangements are in place across Rajasthan where voting for 46 civic bodies, including the Jaipur Municipal Corporation, will be held today, officials said. “The counting of votes will take place on November 25,” a senior official of the state election commission said. Over 6.6mn voters, including over 2.9mn female voters, will exercise their franchise in these locallevel elections. The voting, through EVMs, will be held from 7am to 6pm at 6,135 polling booths. Besides Jaipur, the other municipal corporations where elections will be held include Jodhpur, Udaipur, Bikaner, Kota and Bharatpur. The vigilance raid conducted at the home of top Kerala bureaucrat T O Sooraj was based on a complaint and there is strong evidence against him, Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said yesterday. The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau earlier in the week conducted simultaneous raids on the home and offices of Sooraj, who is currently the secretary of the public works department, and seized documents and cash. Late yesterday Sooraj appeared before the vigilance probe team at Kochi and his statement was taken. Sources in the government indicate that there is every likelihood that the top bureaucrat would be suspended in the coming days. Water level at the Mullaperiyar dam touched 142 feet yesterday, following which the Tamil Nadu government alerted Kerala authorities that the dam shutters might be opened. Tamil Nadu has started drawing water towards the Vaigai dam to ensure the water level stays below 142 feet. According to the latest reports the water level has dropped to 141.9 feet. The Supreme Court in May had allowed Tamil Nadu to increase the water level from 136 feet to 142 feet. Theni district collector Palani Swamy yesterday called up his counterpart in Idukki, Ajith Patil, to alert him that the shutters of the dam might be opened and hence all arrangements must be made downstream. India’s first aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, which saw action during the 1971 India-Pakistan war but has now been decommissioned, is finally being broken up. The process, which started on Thursday with the first blow hammered on its front portion, is expected to be completed within seven-eight months, its owner said in Mumbai yesterday. The once-majestic aircraft carrier was bought in an e-auction by Mumbai-based IB Commercials, its director and now the ship’s owner Abdul Karim Jaka said. “A team of around 200 people has been deployed to dismantle and break down the ship after we completed all legal and technical formalities,” Jaka said. Fears grow about Hindu �Modi-fication’ of education Reuters New Delhi I ndians were flying aeroplanes, carrying out stem cell research and may even have been using cosmic weapons 5,000 years ago, according to the chairman of India’s leading historical organisation. Professor Y Sudershan Rao, the head of the Indian Council of Historical Research, has been criticised by fellow historians for comments that Hindu epics are adequate to understand the ancient world, rather than relying on evidence or research. The Hindu nationalist government appointed Rao to the prestigious academic post soon after winning the biggest landslide in three decades, fuelling concerns of a push to teach the superiority of Hindu values and mythology at the cost of academic rigour, and cutting against the grain of secularism that runs through multifaith modern India. “We have so many proofs that these events happened,” Rao, 69, said in an interview, describing events in the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, the ancient Hindu epics about love and war, truth and deceit, that feature characters using inextinguishable fire and weapons with the destructive power of a nuclear arsenal. Similar views have won support from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and in part reflect a belief that India’s history books are beholden to colonial powers, foreign invaders and Marxists. While there is debate over the exact age of the Hindu epics, historians say they were probably written at least two millennia ago. Rao says this in itself is proof the texts are factual because humans did not develop the art of fiction writing until a few centuries back. Many academics are horrified by such views, and describe his appointment as a blow for the history organisation set up four decades ago to guide research and hand out grants. They point to signs of a broader plan to bring more Hinduism to the classroom through changes to the curriculum. Two states run by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party have recruited controversial Hindu nationalist Dinanath Batra to advise on writing textbooks. In June, thousands of schools in Gujarat were given textbooks by Batra that claimed cars were invented in ancient India and told children to draw an enlarged nation to include countries including Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Teachers at Batra’s organisation say they want the books to be in every school. “The lessons from today’s history books are that Indians are nothing and good for nothing,” said Atul Kothari, secretary of Batra’s Shiksha Bachao Andolan Samiti, or Save the Education Movement. “The truth is that historically we have been a far superior race.” The last time the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party was in power a decade ago it began to rewrite school books in line with Hindu-nationalist orthodoxy. When the rival Congress party came back to power it rewrote the books again. Academics say the loser in all this are confused, and sometimes ill-informed, school children. Modi is the first prime minister to publicly back the view that texts show many discoveries of modern science were made by ancient Indians. He told an audience of doctors last month that a warrior the Mahabharata describes as born outside his mother’s womb was a testtube baby. “These claims ca n be interpreted as signs of an inferiority complex,” said Romila Thapar, a leading scholar on ancient India. “The most disturbing thing is that many people accept this without questioning it,” said Thapar, whose books one BJP leader has said should be burned. Yadav’s big fat birthday party Samajwadi Party workers in a festive mood on the eve of party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav’s birthday. A mammoth special fresh fruit cake flown in from London and flowers from the Netherlands will mark the 75th birth anniversary of Yadav. Hitherto known for his simple ways, this birthday marks a departure for its opulence for one who swears by socialism. Obama to be chief guest at Republic Day Reuters Washington U S President Barack Obama will travel to India in January for Republic Day celebrations, a sign of steadily expanding ties between the two countries that share concerns about China’s growing power in Asia. Obama was invited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and will be the first US president to attend a Republic Day celebration, the White House said yesterday. No court stay on Bukhari plan to name son deputy IANS New Delhi T he Delhi High Court yesterday refused to stay the anointment ceremony of Jama Masjid Shahi Imam’s son as the Naib Imam (deputy Imam) saying the ceremony had no legal sanctity. A division bench of chief justice G Rohini and justice R S Endlaw said the ceremony has no legal position, as informed by the Centre and the Delhi Waqf Board, and so the court could not stay the ceremony. The central government and the Waqf Board told the court that the anointment of Naib Imam was “illegal” and had no legal sanctity. “We are of the opinion that in the face of the contentions of the petitioners that Maulana Syed Ahmed Bukhari (Shahi Iman) has no right in law or otherwise to anoint his son as the Naib Imam and which is supported by the Delhi Waqf Board, the anointment ceremo- ny scheduled for November 22, 2014, even if not stayed, would not amount to anointment of the son of Bukhari as the Naib Imam of the Jama Masjid. We, therefore, do not feel any need to pass any interim order restraining the same,” the court said in its order. It also questioned as to why the Waqf Board has left the entire management of the Jama Masjid to Bukhari and why it has not supervised the mosque. It also asked the board why it had allowed Bukhari to appropriate all earnings from the masjid. The court also issued notice to the Centre, the Delhi Waqf Board and the Shahi Imam, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Delhi police and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and sought their response by January 28. The court made it clear that the anointment ceremony of the youngest son of Bukhari as the Naib Imam of the Jama Masjid shall be subject to further orders in this case. The court was hearing three public interest litigations (PILs) that said the Jama Masjid is the property of the Delhi Waqf Board and Bukhari as its employee cannot appoint his son as Naib imam. The ASI and central government have told the court that the Jama Masjid is a historical monument and it has to be decided how rule of primogeniture will apply on succession of imam or chief cleric. The PILs said Bukhari’s decision to anoint his 19-year-old son Shaban Bukhari as the Naib Imam was wrong as there was no provision under the Waqf Act for hereditary appointment of the imam. “Despite knowing that the imam is an employee of the Waqf Board and it is the board which has the right to appoint an imam, he (Bukhari) has declared his 19-year-old son to be a Naib Imam and is holding a ceremony for the purpose” the pleas said. It said Obama will meet with Modi and other Indian officials. Diplomats said Obama would be first US president to visit India twice while in office. He also went in 2010. In a Twitter message, Modi said Obama would be the chief guest at the celebrations and military parade on Republic Day, which marks the enactment of India’s constitution on January 26, 1950. “This Republic Day, we hope to have a friend over...invited President Obama to be the 1st US President to grace the occasion as chief guest,” Modi tweeted. India’s relations with Washington have flourished in the past decade. The two countries are developing a strategic partnership prompted by shared concerns about China’s increasingly assertive behaviour in the Asia Pacific region, although they have also had tussles over trade and other issues. Modi met Obama on a visit to the US in September and they have spoken on the telephone since. Modi and Obama also met on the sidelines of G20 summit in Brisbane on November Promo event 14. Their relationship is thought to have helped resolve a major trade spat in the World Trade Organisation. Obama had called Modi a “man of action.” Modi was denied entry into the US from 2005 until he was elected prime minister in May, after allegations he did too little to stop religious riots that killed at least 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, in Gujarat. Modi denies any wrongdoing and a Supreme Court inves- Arms seized from guru’s ashram IANS Chandigarh T Tennis player Sania Mirza attends a promotional event for the Pix School of Bonding in Mumbai. tigation did not find sufficient evidence to prosecute him. India traditionally invites a head of state to participate as chief guest for Republic Day celebrations, which culminates in a military parade including its nuclear capable missiles. Much of the hardware dates back to the Soviet era, when India had close ties with Moscow and relations with the US were marked by mistrust. More recent defence purchases include billions of dollars of USmade equipment. he Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Haryana Police, which conducted a search operation at controversial guru Rampal’s Satlok Ashram near Barwala town in Haryana, has seized a huge cache of arms and ammunition, a police spokesman said here yesterday. The search operation was carried out throughout yesterday. “A pregnancy test strip, petrol bombs, acid syringes and a chilly grenade were also found,” the spokesman said. Three people hiding in the premises were also taken into custody. Rampal remained in police custody and was questioned by police yesterday in Hisar. He is facing charges of murder, attempt to murder, sedition, rioting, illegal detention and others. He was arrested on Wednesday. “The search operation continues,” the police spokesman said. Among the arms recovered so far included three .32 bore re- volvers, 19 air guns, two doublebarrel .12 bore guns, two .315 bore rifles, and ammunition for these weapons. “The team also found acid syringes, helmets and sticks along with 20 pairs of black dresses and two tanks containing 800 litres of diesel,” the spokesman said. The pregnancy test strip was found in the room adjacent to Rampal’s room in the ashram, he added. Police also found petrol bombs, packets of chilly powder and other things used by Rampal’s private commandos and followers to prevent security forces from entering the ashram on Tuesday. “Police also found a woman lying unconscious and locked in a bathroom. She was admitted to the general hospital. She has been identified as Bijlesh, a resident of Ashok Nagar village in Madhya Pradesh,” the spokesman said. “A huge amount of eatables recovered during the search operation were being disposed off by the Food and Supplies Department in compliance with the orders of high court,” the spokesman said. Gulf Times Saturday, November 22, 2014 13 INDIA DETAINED Pakistani Maritime Security Agency yesterday arrested 61 Indian fishermen. The fishermen were arrested after allegedly straying into Pakistan territorial waters. Cop used stolen gun to extort Rs1mn, say police MILITANCY CRIME EDUCATION POLITICS Maoists fire at IAF chopper in Chhattisgarh Four men arrested for gang-rape in Bihar Move to drop German language challenged Ex-Aam Aadmi Party legislator joins BJP Leftist militants yesterday fired shots at a rescue chopper of the Indian Air Force (IAF) in a densely forested area in Sukma district in Chhattisgarh when it attempted to airlift five injured paramilitary troopers, officials said. “Rebels fired a few shots at IAF chopper Mi-17 in the violence-hit Chintagufa stretch when it tried to take off with five injured troopers,” Sukma superintendent of police D Shrawan said. He said flight gunner Mukesh Tiwari, who was wearing a bullet-proof vest, was hit in his leg. Shrawan said the chopper was called for evacuation as Maoists had injured five CRPF troopers in a fierce gun battle in Chintagufa. Four of the six men who gang-raped a young student in Bihta near the Bihar capital were arrested yesterday, police said. The higher secondary student and resident of Bhojpur district was gang-raped by the six in Bihta, about 30km from Patna, Patna senior superintendent of police Jitendra Rana said. Four of the six were arrested yesterday, and police teams were conducting raids to nab the other two, he said. According to local police officials, the incident took place when the girl met a friend near a bridge. The six men overpowered them and gang-raped her. The Supreme Court yesterday issued notices to the centre and Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan on replacing German with Sanskrit as a third language in the centrally run Kendriya Vidyalayas in the mid-session of the current academic year. The apex court bench issued notice on a plea by V S Ramanathan who had challenged the government decision to replace German with Sanskrit in the mid-session. The matter will be heard November 28. The government’s decision to drop German as a third language has created an uproar including queries from the German authorities. Former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator M S Dhir, who was denied a ticket by the party for the upcoming Delhi assembly polls, yesterday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in New Delhi. He was the speaker of the dissolved Delhi assembly. “I was unhappy with the AAP as they were given an opportunity by the people of Delhi to clean the system but they failed at their job. There is no democracy in the party,” Dhir told reporters. “I had joined the AAP because at that time I thought that they would do some good but over time the party has started to revolve around one man and he does whatever he wishes,” he added. Election campaign rally Mamata ouster sought as MP arrested over Saradha scam IANS Hyderabad T he policeman, who opened fire from a stolen AK-47 at a top executive of a pharma company here on Wednesday, had abducted “a person with luxury car” from the same area and extorted Rs1mn in February, police said. Police, however, has not named the victim. Constable P Obulesu, who stole the firearm in December last year from the armoury of anti-Maoist force Greyhounds at Gandipet here, took the victim to Kotthur, Mahaboobnagar district, and left him there along with the car. Hyderabad police commissioner Mahender Reddy yesterday said as there was no complaint in this case, police didn’t take any action. The extortion by the policeman came to light during questioning after his arrest in Kurnool town of Andhra Pradesh, following Wednesday’s sensational incident. The 37-year-old constable, a native of Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh, tried to kidnap K Nityananda Reddy, vice chairman of Aurobindo Pharma, when the latter returned to his car after a walk at KBR Park. The constable sat in his car, pointed the AK-47 at him, and ordered him to start the vehicle. The man caught the barrel of the gun and, in the scuffle, the constable pressed the trigger. Three rounds pierced through the car’s front screen. The victim escaped from the car and shouted for help. His brother Prasad Reddy, who rushed to the spot, caught the constable. In the process, the constable opened fire from the AK-47 and shot nearly 10 rounds. He bit Prasad Reddy’s hand and ran away, leaving behind the AK-47 and a bag. Police gathered clues and identified the suspect. Investigation revealed that the constable had got into an autorickshaw and later boarded a bus to Kurnool, where he was finally arrested. IANS Kolkata I Indian National Congress (INC) party president, Sonia Gandhi waves to supporters during an election campaign rally in Bandipoora, north of Srinagar yesterday. The five-phase elections for the 87 seats of the Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly begin on November 25 and concluded on December 20. Row over naming of Hyderabad airport IANS Hyderabad T he move by the civil aviation ministry to name the domestic terminal at the Rajiv Gandhi international airport here after former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N T Rama Rao has sparked a row, with the Telangana assembly yesterday passing a resolution to urge the centre to maintain status quo. The resolution moved by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao called upon the ministry to reconsider the decision as it was taken without consulting the state government. Terming the issue “sensitive”, KCR, as the chief minister is popularly known, said the centre’s unilateral action was an insult to Telangana. “The Telangana legislative assembly expresses its displeasure over the naming of the domestic terminal after NTR by dividing the existing Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Hyderabad. “The assembly objects to the manner in which the central government took the decision without even consulting the Telangana government,” the resolution said. “The assembly requests the central government to reconsider its decision and continue status quo,” said the resolution, which was passed with a voice vote amid a protest by the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and its ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Civil Aviation Minister P Ashok Gajapathi Raju, who belongs to the TDP, on Thursday said N T Rama Rao’s name has been restored for the domestic terminal while the airport will continue to be called Rajiv Gandhi international airport. NTR, as the TDP founder was popularly known, was the chief minister of united Andhra Pradesh between 1983 and 1989 and also during 1994-95. KCR moved the resolution after a meeting of floor leaders called by Speaker Madhusudana Chari on his suggestion. There was a heated debate when the main opposition Congress raised the issue and said the Centre’s move symbolised continuing dominance of Seemandhra people over Telangana. KCR said discussion in the house was not about naming the terminal after NTR but about naming it after a leader from a neighbouring state. “We have all the respect for NTR,” he said but felt that if at all the Centre wanted to name the domestic terminal, it should have named after a leader from Telangana like late former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao. The TDP and the BJP defended the move of the civil aviation ministry. TDP leader E Dayakar Rao said the central government has only restored the name of the domestic terminal. n a blow to West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) yesterday arrested its Rajya Sabha member Srinjoy Bose - the second party parliamentarian to be nabbed - in connection with the multi-crore rupee Saradha scam. Bose, editor of Trinamool mouthpiece Jago Bangla, was accused of �blackmail’ by purported scam kingpin and Saradha promoter Sudipta Sen and grilled by CBI officials for nearly six hours before his eventual arrest. “Bose has been arrested for his prima facie involvement in the Saradha scam on allegations of criminal conspiracy, misappropriation of funds and deriving undue financial benefits. He will be presented before a court today,” a CBI officer said. The opposition lost no time in pointing fingers at the Trinamool and demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who had earlier promised to step down if her party’s links with Saradha were proved. Bose - also the editor of Bengali daily Sambad Pratidin and assistant general secretary of city soccer giants Mohun Bagan - is the second Trinamool leader to be arrested by the CBI in the scam. The agency had earlier arrested party leader and former director general of armed police Rajat Majumdar. Another Trinamool Rajya Sabha member Kunal Ghosh, who headed Saradha’s media arm, was arrested by police be- Brand ambassador fore the Supreme Court directed the CBI to take up the probe. Besides the CBI, Bose has earlier been grilled by the enforcement directorate (ED) and the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) which too are probing the scam. Bose’s arrest came on a day when CBI sleuths grilled Textile Minister Shyamapada Mukherjee and Congress leader Somen Mitra. Transport Minister Madan Mitra was also summoned by the CBI but he skipped the questioning, citing ill health. He is undergoing treatment at the state-run SSKM Hospital. “Those people duped by the Saradha and other chit funds are not getting back their money. And the cases are being registered to find who all have duped Saradha” Bose was named by Sen in a letter he purportedly wrote to the CBI in April last year. In the letter, Sen claimed he entered the media business after the Bengali daily started attacking him. Sen, now under arrest along with his top aides, said that after he purchased a television channel, Bose along with Kunal Ghosh came to him and he had to make arrangements for paying Rs60 lakh per month to the newspaper for running the channel. Sen had also claimed that the duo promised to ensure a “smooth passage” for him and protect his business from the state and central governments and assured him “they have very close connection” with the chief minister. Cleric accused of bid to hush up rape case By Ashraf Padanna Thiruvananthapuram P Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan attends a signing event as the new brand ambassador for the DHFL housing finance company in Mumbai yesterday. Sen in his letter also alleged that over two years, the paper had taken Rs200mn from him for running the channel. Hours before the arrest, Banerjee lashed out at the course of the probe. “Those people duped by the Saradha and other chit funds are not getting back their money. And the cases are being registered to find who all have duped Saradha. This amounts to taking the side of thieves. Is this your jurisdiction?” she asked. State Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said Banerjee “should step down in the interest of the scam probe”, while BJP leader Siddharth Nath Singh asserted that Banerjee “should answer the 17 lakh people who were robbed by the scam”. Political analyst Biswanath Chakraborty said Bose’s arrest was a big blow for Banerjee and her Trinamool. “It may pave the way for more of its leaders getting arrested. Besides providing fodder to the opposition, it has weakened Banerjee’s position,” the Rabindra Bharati University professor said. The Saradha scandal came to light in April last year. The company closed shop across Bengal after being unable to pay back the depositors - mainly poor people who, lured by the promise of huge returns, parked their life’s savings with the firm. As the company went bust, there was a spate of suicides by agents and investors and protests across the state. Sen, many of his key aides and company officials are behind bars now. olice have begun investigation against a prominent Kerala cleric accused of trying to suppress reports of the rape of a four-year-old victim in a school under his management. An officer at Valayam police station in Kozhikode said Abdurahman Saqafi, manager of the Darul Guda English Medium School, was booked under provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act and Criminal Procedure Code. Police last week arrested two teenage inmates of the nearby orphanage under his management on charges of raping a kindergarten student of the English-medium school affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). The girl was allegedly raped by the seniors on October 30 and her parents had registered a complaint with Saqafi after a week when doctors found she was molested. Four days later, they registered a police complaint alleging cover-up by the school authorities. Police arrested Shamsudeen and Mubasheer, aged 18 and 19, whom the girl had identified during a parade. They allegedly took the girl to a room near the orphanage kitchen after offering her sweets. Both fled the scene when the girl started screaming. Meanwhile, a lengthy video clip of the cleric’s public speech abusing the child and their parents and claiming that the police had arrested two innocent orphans from his institution went viral on social media. The cleric, popularly known as “Perod Usthad”, also tried to divert the case by accusing a driver’s assistant whom the police arrested and released after questioning. Saqafi founded the Sirajul Huda Educational Complex in 1989 and it now runs 20 institutions, including eight Englishmedium schools affiliated to the CBSE and a women’s college, in the region with the backing of philanthropists. “We have just begun the investigation. He has also been booked for destroying evidence,” the officer. 14 Gulf Times Saturday, November 22, 2014 LATIN AMERICA PEOPLE CRIME STANCE VERDICT ENVIRONMENT �Bleak’ outlook for ex-dictator Noriega Colombian drug kingpin admits cocaine charges US not to ease Cuba sanctions Two jailed for torturing Bachelet’s father Destruction of Chile rock glaciers flayed The health of Panama’s imprisoned former dictator Manuel Noriega is deteriorating and his outlook is “bleak,” his physician said. Noriega, 80, who has suffered several strokes and has prostate cancer and heart disease, was briefly transferred from his prison to hospital for testing. Hospital screenings “reveal further deterioration of respiratory function and when respiratory function is impaired, this can affect other major organs like the heart,” doctor Eduardo Reyes said. “With his age, the illness and confinement, his prognosis is bleak and his health is on a razor’s edge.” After testing, Noriega returned to El Renacer prison, on the banks of the Panama Canal. For the second time in two months, a Colombian accused of being a drug kingpin and pursued for years by US authorities pleaded guilty to federal charges in a New York courtroom. Daniel Barrera, 47, faces life in prison after pleading guilty in Manhattan federal court to a charge that he conspired to manufacture and import cocaine knowing it would be imported into the US. He had pleaded guilty in October to conspiring to illegally launder tens of millions of dollars in cocaine trafficking profits in a separate related case in Brooklyn federal court. Barrera, also known as “Loco” (Crazy), was extradited in July 2013 to face those two indictments as well as a third in Miami. US President Barack Obama will not take measures to ease the embargo on Cuba unless the government in Havana makes significant progress in democratic and economic reforms, his deputy national security adviser Antony Blinken said. Blinken made the comment when senator Marco Rubio asked him about rumours that Obama was going to relax part of the economic embargo on Cuba. “Unless Cuba is able to demonstrate that it is taking meaningful steps to move forward, I don’t see how we can move forward,” Blinken said. He added the president had ideas to help move Cuba in a democratic direction, but it all depended on Cuba and its actions. A Chilean judge jailed two retired colonels yesterday for torturing President Michelle Bachelet’s father, who was arrested for opposing the country’s 1973 coup and died after repeated beatings and electrocutions. Ramon Caceres Jorqueda, 80, was sentenced to three years in prison for his role in General Alberto Bachelet’s death, while Edgar Cevallos Jones, 83, was sentenced to two years. General Bachelet, who opposed his army colleague Augusto Pinochet’s overthrow of socialist president Salvador Allende, was jailed at Chile’s War Academy in the aftermath of the coup. Mining operations are destroying rock glaciers in Chile’s central valley, already one of the world’s most battered glacier areas, Greenpeace said in a statement. “We need a glaciers law to prevent a repetition of this sad record,” the organisations representative in Chile, Matias Asun said. University of Chile glaciologist Francisco Ferrando, who led the survey expedition organised by Greenpeace, blamed the damage on the activity at Codelco’s Andina mine and Anglo-American’s Los Bronces facility. Not only white glaciers are important,” he said. “In this region there is an enormous presence of rock glaciers that make a significant contribution to water basins.” Handover of general kidnapped by Farc underway Bonus demand Long-delayed Nicaragua canal project work to begin AFP Bogota T he highly anticipated handover of a general and four other hostages captured by Farc guerrillas has got underway, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said, paving the way for the resumption of peace talks. “The procedure is underway,” said the president, referring to the release of General Ruben Alzate and four other army captives being held by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. Colombia had suspended peace talks with the rebels over Alzate’s capture. Officials provided few immediate details on the handover, saying only that a deal was reached to free the hostages “as soon as possible.” If the handover goes smoothly, Santos should be able to resume the two-year-old negotiations in Cuba on which he has staked his presidency. “I’m going to give instructions for negotiators to return to Havana and continue talks, hopefully at a good pace, so they can finish this process as quickly as possible,” Santos said. The Red Cross, which the government asked to intervene in the standoff, has a “green light” to oversee the hostages’ release, local spokeswoman Patricia Rey said. The Farc for its part called its decision to release the hostages “a great gesture” that would save the talks. “What we’re doing is a great gesture of peace, reconciliation, good will and commitment to the peace process,” said the guerrillas’ third in command, Jorge Torres Victoria, alias Pablo Catatumbo. He repeated the Farc’s demand for a bilateral ceasefire to stop further “incidents of war” from derailing the negotiations. The government has so far rejected calls for a ceasefire, which Santos argues would strengthen the rebels’ hand. Construction of infrastructure to build 173mile canal will start on 24 December, despite concerns over environmental impact Guardian News and Media Managua M Members of Argentina’s Central Workers’ Union (CTA) march towards Plaza de Mayo square in Buenos Aires during a demonstration demanding an year-end bonus. Top banker �not to be’ Brazil’s finance minister Reuters Brasilia/Sao Paulo T he chief executive of Brazilian bank Bradesco SA will not be the country’s next finance minister, a government official said, after two local newspapers reported he turned down the job in a major setback for recently re-elected President Dilma Rousseff. Luiz Carlos Trabuco is out of the running for the post, the official said on condition of anonymity. The official declined to confirm or deny that Trabuco had been offered the job. Since Rousseff won a runoff vote on October 26, she has yet to name a new finance minister for her second term. Brazil’s economy is struggling with slow growth, high inflation and fallout from a growing corruption scandal at state-run oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA. Trabuco, the CEO of the country’s second-largest pri- vate bank, was seen as a relatively market-friendly name who could have rebuilt ties with the private sector after years of frustration with Rousseff ’s leftist, interventionist policies. “I never confirmed anything. You guys always get it wrong” Two Brazilian newspapers reported that Trabuco was likely to turn down the invitation made by Rousseff due to his commitments with the bank. Rousseff dismissed reports that she had offered the job to Trabuco, but did not deny that she had made an offer. “I never confirmed anything. You guys always get it wrong,” Rousseff told local news agency Broadcast. Rousseff is again considering central bank chief Alexandre Tombini and former deputy finance minister Nelson Barbosa to the job, Folha de Sao Paulo reported citing a source close to the president. Both economists are close Rousseff aides and would represent a continuation of the leftist policies blamed for pushing Brazil into recession this year, analysts say. Joaquim Levy, the head of Bradesco’s investment arm, Bradesco Asset Management, has joined the race for the ministry, a government official said. Levy is a former Treasury chief who is respected by the market. A spokesman for the president said earlier that there would be no announcement of a new finance minister on Thursday because Rousseff would attend the funeral of a former justice minister. Brazil share prices rose this week on speculation that Rousseff would appoint Trabuco, 63, one of the few bankers who gets along with the president. During her re-election campaign, Rousseff lambasted rivals for having links to what she called greedy bankers who wanted to manage the economy for their benefit. ore than a century after it was first proposed, preparatory work on an interoceanic canal through Nicaragua will begin on December 24, according to a senior government official. Despite concerns among the scientific community that the canal could cause widespread environmental damage, Paul Oquist, a close adviser to the president, Daniel Ortega, said construction of roads and a wharf for the Chinese-run £32bn project would soon get under way. “The Nicaraguan people will get a big Christmas present,” he said in an interview with the Guardian. “It has always been pending and now it can happen.” Oquist predicted the canal would double the GDP of Latin America’s second poorest country and allow the Sandinista government to achieve a longheld goal of eradicating extreme poverty. “There is nothing else in Nicaragua that could achieve that within our lifetimes - and it is within grasp. It has never been closer than it is now.” The planned 173-mile route across the isthmus between the Atlantic and Pacific dwarfs the 48-mile Panama canal, which celebrated its 100th anniversary this year. In the first stage of the project, engineers will start con- Mexico protest struction in Brito of a wharf that can land giant trucks and excavators. Bill Wild, the chief project adviser for HKND, the Chinese company that has put up the core financing and will manage the construction and running of the canal, said: “In the first year we’ll build the infrastructure to build the project - the roads and other means of access. The biggest challenge is not the technical engineering. This has all been done before. It is the logistics.” There are serious concerns that the project lacks transparency and is being rushed through without sufficient regard for its impact on society and the environment. The canal goes through an indigenous reserve and several environmentally sensitive areas including Lake Nicaragua, the largest source of fresh water in Central America. The Academy of Sciences of Nicaragua recently expressed concerns and condemned the government and HKND for moving ahead without fully debating the implications with the scientific community. It called on the government to set up an independent committee to perform an impact assessment. Under the canal concession law passed in 2012, the Nicaraguan state handed responsibility for environmental assessment to HKND. It in turn contracted the London-based consultancy Environmental Resource Management to conduct studies of the canal’s likely impact on the lake, wetlands and other ecosystems. Wild said preliminary results would be announced this week. Critics say the report will serve only as a rubber stamp. Pena Nieto discloses $3mn in assets Reuters Mexico City F Demonstrators clash with police as a nationwide protest was held over the disappearance of 43 Mexican students, in Mexico City, Mexico. Three demonstrations took place in the Mexican capital, led by students and parents of the victims. The 43 students of the Normal Rural School of Ayotzinapa in the southern town of Iguala went missing on September 26 after police opened fire on them, killing six people, including three of the student, and wounding 25 others. Once the company has gained rights to build a canal, they’ll find a way to show that it is feasible. ERM is unfortunately just playing along with this game. I think they aren’t going to come out of this well,” said Jorge Huerte, head of the Academy of Sciences of Nicaragua. Oquist said extensive investigations had been carried out by ERM, McKinsey and others, citing a figure of $900mn for the feasibility studies. He said the start of preparatory building work was just a form of hedging so that the project could move forward rapidly once the green light is given. “I think there is a lot of confidence. One reason is that the very same firms did a lot of prefeasibility work,” he said. “No one makes a $900mn bet without information, so you think they must have pretty good information from the pre-feasibility studies that this is going to work out. The type of bet we are talking about to get things in place to be able to rock and roll as soon as you are in business is a much smaller bet, but it is a bet that hedges time.” He said time was a crucial consideration because the project funding relied heavily on billion-dollar loans. Any delay would mean extra interest repayments. HKND aims to complete the canal within five years, though this could prove ambitious. There has also been opposition from farmers and other landowners who fear they will lose out in expropriation arrangements because the canal concession law gives them no scope to negotiate. acing conflict of interest accusations over the Mexican first lady’s mansion, President Enrique Pena Nieto disclosed he owned nine separate real estate properties among his total personal assets worth at least 45.2mn pesos ($3.3mn). His assets also included financial investments, jewellery and works of art, a document posted on the president’s website showed. The president said his real estate holdings included four houses, one apartment, and four plots of land. Those assets were separate from a nearly $4mn Mexico City luxury home, occupied by the First Lady Angelica Rivera, and which she was acquiring from a government contractor bidding for a lucrative high-speed rail contract. Rivera, a former popular soap opera star, said she was paying for the property with her own earnings, but on Tuesday said she would give it up. The contractor, Mexican company Grupo Higa, was part of a Chinese-led consortium that won the $3.75bn highspeed rail contract. That deal was abruptly cancelled earlier this month. Rivera married Pena Nieto in 2010. Also on Tuesday, she said that in that year she was paid severance of 102.8mn pesos ($7.5mn) by broadcaster Televisa. That payout dwarfed other compensation packages paid out by Televisa that year. Televisa reported to the US Securities and Exchange commission that it paid 98.4mn pesos in 2010 for “retirement and termination benefits” across the entire company. Televisa said in an e-mailed statement that Rivera’s payout was filed in 2010 as an expense and was not included in the figure given to the SEC on termination benefits for other personnel. Rivera’s explanation and details of the payout spurred ridicule across social media on Wednesday. Gulf Times Saturday, November 22, 2014 15 PAKISTAN/AFGHANISTAN Court orders former PM charged in Musharraf case AFP Islamabad A Pakistani court trying former military ruler Pervez Musharraf for treason yesterday ordered the government to add a former prime minister, law minister and chief justice to the charge-sheet. The move will further prolong proceedings against Musharraf over his decision to suspend the constitution and impose emergency rule in 2007. The charges, first announced by the government a year ago, have raised hackles in the powerful military establishment, which is seen as reluctant to have one of its former chiefs tried by civilians. Musharraf, 71, returned to Pakistan last April vowing to run in the general election to “save” the country from Taliban militancy and economic ruin. But he was barred from standing in the May 2013 poll and hit with a series of criminal charges dating back to his 19992008 rule, including treason and murder. His lawyers had applied to have the charge sheet expanded to include around 600 other names. But the court ordered only three people to be added to the charges: Shaukat Aziz, who was prime minister at the time of the emergency order, then-law minister Zahid Hamid and judge Abdul Hameed Dogar, who was elevated to chief justice after the order. “Based on the material on record, the probability of their Pervez Musharraf Former PM Shaukat Aziz involvement as aiders and abettors cannot be ruled out,” the court said in its order signed by two of the three-judge bench hearing the case. “We are therefore of the view that joinder of the then prime minister and the then federal law minister is necessary to secure the ends of justice.” The third judge on the panel gave a dissenting view, dismissing the application to extend the charges. The hearing was ad- journed to December 9. The ruling forced Hamid to resign as minister for science and technology in the current government led by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The case suffered repeated delays earlier this year due to Musharraf’s health problems and security threats against him — the Taliban have threatened to kill him. Legal experts said the latest ruling means proceedings are unlikely to advance any time soon. “The government or any other co-accused who are to be included in the case can go to the Supreme Court and if this happens there will be long and time-consuming arguments there,” former deputy attorney general Raja Abdul Rehman said. The case against Musharraf relates to his decision to impose emergency rule shortly before the Supreme Court was due to decide on the legality of his reelection as president a month earlier, while he was still army chief. He had seized power in a bloodless coup in 1999, deposing Sharif — who was elected PM for a third time in May last year in a landslide victory. Some observers have suggested the government’s pursuit of Musharraf is partly motivated by Sharif’s personal grudge against the former general. Since the Musharraf was indicted in March there have been regular rumours of a backroom deal to allow him to leave Pakistan to avoid a destabilising confrontation between the government and the army. Motorbike bomb kills two soldiers AFP Peshawar A bomb planted on a motorbike killed two soldiers in Pakistan’s restive northwest yesterday, officials said, in an attack claimed by a breakaway faction of the Taliban. The incident happened in Mithra area on the outskirts of Peshawar, the capital of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. “A remote controlled bomb planted on a motorbike went off as an army vehicle passed by it, killing one soldier and wounding another who later succumbed to his injuries,” a senior security official said. A local police official also confirmed the incident and casualties. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (Jamat ul Ahrar), which split from the main Pakistani Taliban in September, claimed responsibility for the attack. In a telephone call to AFP, Ehsan Ullah Ehsan, spokesman of the group said the attack was revenge of one of their members who was killed in an operation by the army. “We will continue to target the Pakistani military in the future,” Ehsan said. Protest lodged with India over soldier’s death in firing Pakistan yesterday said it has lodged a protest through diplomatic channels with India over the killing of a soldier in the disputed Kashmir region. The military on Thursday said the soldier had died in fresh firing from Indian troops along the area’s de facto border in the evening. “Condemning the incident, Pakistan called upon India to restrain its security forces from unprovoked firing and shelling across the LoC (Line of Control) and the working boundary,” Pakistan’s foreign office said in a statement. Recent exchanges of fire across the de facto border between India and Pakistan in Kashmir, which both countries administer in part but claim in full, have killed at least 20 civilians and forced thousands to flee their homes. The nuclear-armed neighbours have traded blame for the upsurge in firing and shelling which started on October 6. India called off peace talks in August after Pakistan first consulted Kashmiri separatists, a move some saw as a sign of a tougher stance by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s new right-wing government. Meanwhile, the Pakistani military said it had killed 22 militants in strikes in Khyber tribal district. “Twenty-two terrorists were killed today in Khyber agency (a tribal district) in precise aerial strikes,” it said in a statement. Peshawar is the gateway to Pakistani tribal badlands that are strongholds of Taliban and Al Qaeda linked militants. Pakistan has been battling Islamist groups in the northwest and its semi-autonomous tribal belt since 2004, after its army entered the tribal region to search for Al Qaeda fighters who had fled across the border following the US-led invasion of Afghanistan. In June the army began a major offensive against militant hideouts in the North Waziristan tribal agency, a stronghold for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. On Thursday, a bomb hit a passenger train in the restive Baluchistan, derailing it and wounding three passengers. The bomb in the Dasht region hit the moving Bugti Express about 30km before its final destination of Quetta, the provincial capital of Baluchistan. The train was coming from the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore. Soldiers secure the site of a bomb blast in Peshawar yesterday. US drone strike kills six suspected militants A US drone strike killed six suspected militants in northwestern Pakistan, security officials said yesterday, as Al Qaeda said two members of the group had been killed in a previous strike. Two missiles struck a house in Mada Khel village of the North Waziristan tribal region near the Afghan border on Thursday night, said a security official based in the area. Six people were killed and three wounded, he said, citing intercepts of Taliban conversations. Local and foreign militants were among the casualties, he added. Another government official based in nearby Datta Khel town confirmed the death toll. The military says it has killed around 1,200 militants since beginning the operation in North Waziristan. Most of the civilian population - around 1mn people were ordered to leave their homes before the offensive began. Access to the area is tightly controlled. Also on Thursday, Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) spokesman Usama Mahmoud said two Al Qaeda men were killed in a drone strike last week. Mahmoud identified the two on Twitter on Thursday as Dr Sarbaland, also called Abu Khalid, and Sheikh Adil Abdul Qadus, a former Pakistani army major who owned the home where top Al Qaeda leader Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was arrested. Sarbaland’s two young sons were also killed, Mahmoud said, according to a translation of the message provided by the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadi communications. Both men were Pakistani nationals who belonged to AQIS, a new franchise of the militant group announced in September. Sarbaland used to treat wounded Taliban militants. He was in a house near the Afghan border when it was hit by a drone on November 11, they said. The men inside tried to flee, along with Sarbaland’s two sons, aged 12 and 13, but a second missile hit the truck they were travelling in, the militants said. Rights activist hopeful on blasphemy change AFP Lahore C ondemnations by Pakistan’s top clerics and Islamist parties against the misuse of blasphemy laws could help reverse a rising tide of mob killings, according to one of the country’s leading rights activists. A Christian couple accused of desecrating a Qur’an were beaten to death by a mob of 1,500 and their bodies thrown in a furnace this month in the latest in a spate of lynchings in Pakistan. A day later, a policeman hacked a man who had been accused of blasphemy to death with an axe while he was in custody. Pakistan’s tough blasphemy laws can include the death penalty for insulting the Prophet Muhammad, but critics say they are often used to settle personal disputes. While there have been no civilian executions for any crime since 2008, anyone convicted, or even accused, of insulting Islam risks a bloody death at the hands of vigilantes. Such incidents have been met with general condemnation in the past, but little action has been taken against either the perpetrators or instigators — a factor, say activists, driving a rise in such crimes. But for lawyer Asma Jahangir, recently given France’s highest civilian award and Sweden’s alternative to the Nobel Prize for her decades of rights work, the response to the Christian couple’s killing offers hope for change. “There is a positive development, that religious scholars and parties including Jamat-e-Islami went there and came forward against the incident, which is a good omen,” she said at her offices in the eastern city of Lahore. “I think it is a very big change and we should appreciate and welcome it.” Pakistan’s religious right has for decades used supposed threats to Islam to stoke up support in a country where 97% of the population are Muslims. But Jahangir said the mounting number of gruesome vigilante cases was now forcing even those who had traditionally been the law’s most vocal supporters to pause. The All Pakistan Ulema Council, a leading clerical Asma Jahangir gestures as she gives an interview to AFP in Lahore. body, has chastised the government for failing to act and pledged that in the case of the Christian couple, justice for the victims must be served. It may sound like wishful thinking, but few Pakistani rights activists have achieved the credibility of Jahangir, a lawyer and daughter of a leftwing politician. The former UN special rapporteur on religion has braved death threats, beatings and prison time to win landmark human rights cases and stand up to dictatorship. Pakistan still suffers terrible violence against women, discrimination against minorities and near-slavery for bonded labourers, but Jahangir in- sists human rights causes have made greater strides than it may appear. “There was a time that human rights were not even an issue in this country. Then prisoners’ rights became an issue,” she said. “Women’s rights were thought of as a Western concept. Now people do talk about women’s rights — political parties talk about it, even religious parties talk about it.” Jahangir can count a number of victories, from winning freedom for bonded labourers from their “owners” through pioneering litigation to a landmark court case that allowed women to marry of their own volition. She has also been an outspoken critic of the country’s powerful military establishment, including during her stint as the first ever female leader of Pakistan’s bar association. The 62-year-old was arrested in 2007 by the government of then military ruler Pervez Musharraf, and two years ago claimed her life was in danger from the country’s feared ISI spy agency. She recently engaged in a war of words with cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, whose anti-government protest movement she says is backed by the military — a claim his party has denied. Khan’s push to unseat Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has lost momentum since peaking in late August, but he plans a mass rally in Islamabad on November 30. Jahangir said it was clear that Khan and populist cleric Tahirul Qadri, who led a parallel protest, were being aided by the military. “I have lived in politics, I was born in a political house, it runs in my blood — so I know when certain faces are coming out, where they are coming from,” she said. Attacks on Afghan vice president foiled Afghan intelligence forces have arrested five people accused of plotting against the first vice president, General Abdul Rashid Dostum. “The terrorists were arrested in the cities of Kabul and Mazar-eSharif two days ago,” the National Directorate of Security (NDS) said yesterday. One of the suspects was believed to have been planning a suicide attack on the first vice president during his visit to the north provinces. The other four were arrested in Kabul. Dostum, who fought the Taliban in northern Afghanistan between 1996 and 2001, recently said his aim was to remove “the insurgents” from the country. “The arrested people have confessed they were trained outside the Afghan borders,” the NDS said. Incubator toll in Punjab hospital rises to 15 Three more babies died yesterday due to lack of oxygen in incubators in a hospital in eastern Pakistan, bringing the number of infant deaths to 15, an official source told Efe news agency. The deaths of the premature babies occurred over the last two days at the university hospital of Sargodha district, in Punjab province, where 10 other infants are under observation in critical condition, a doctor who requested anonymity said. He added that the hospital lacks the resources needed for the 60 to 70 admitted babies, many of whom are in need of special care due to their preterm birth. “The hospital admits any child in a critical state, but the children’s ward only has 26 incubators and 50 beds,” hospital administrator Ejaz Akram told Efe Wednesday, when eight infants died. According to the Express Tribune daily, four babies died on Thursday and three yesterday, including twins and a two-day-old. This is the second such tragedy in two months in the province, where seven newborns died in September at the Vihari District Hospital. Senior Afghan civil servants to be trained in India IANS New Delhi A fghan civil servants will now be trained at the Jindal University at Sonepat in Haryana state, near the capital New Delhi. The university will welcome the first batch of senior Afghan civil servants in the next few months, it said in a statement. These civil servants hold the ranks of director general to deputy directors in various Afghan government ministries. “These civil servants will be trained ... in topics like leadership, human resource management, law and justice, organisational change, good governance and post-conflict institution building,” it said. Ashraf Haidari, deputy chief of mission of the Afghan embassy in New Delhi, was quoted as saying that the current focus in Kabul was to strengthen civilian institutions. He said: “Although the international community has invested in reconstruction of Afghanistan, it has concentrated mostly on the military and security sectors. “Not enough has been done to build the civilian state structures, which are essential for a sustainable transition towards self-reliance and peace.” Haidari added: “With India, there is a cultural affinity. In India too there are problems, but there are also institutions that have succeeded. India is a democracy that learns from its mistakes and we want to learn from that.” 16 Gulf Times Saturday, November 22, 2014 PHILIPPINES Theme song for Pope visit to express hope for typhoon survivors By Robertzon F Ramirez Manila Times T he official local theme song for the visit of Pope Francis to Palo in Leyte will express the hope nurtured by survivors of super typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda). Fr Kim Margallo, director of the Archdiocese of Palo’s Commission on Youth, composed the song, Shepherd’s Love, and described it as “an unveiling of the sentiments of the Typhoon Yolanda survivors who long for God’s embrace with a hope of better days ahead.” Francis will be in Palo on January 17 to have an audience with families that lost their homes, livelihood and relatives when the super typhoon tore across Central Visayas on November 8, 2013. “The song should be an image of a child waiting for his father to arrive, a child who longs to tell his father everything that had happened to him. He is full of confidence that his father will come so soon to rescue and protect him, for he believes that his father is rich in mercy and full compassion,” Margallo said. The song was recorded by Elaine May Emping, Juliana Rose Estrera, seminarian Elfie Mercado and Paul de Pio. Running for 4.34 minutes, it is a combination of English, Waray and Cebuano languages. Margallo said they also came up with a music video featuring the animation of the song performed by members of the youth ministry of the Vicariate of Ormoc. He added that the music video also represents the survivors’ bright outlook despite the death and devastation from Yolanda.“Yolanda was not a curse, but it is also a blessing to all and did not only bring destruction but also inspiration,” Margallo said. “Shepherd’s Love is festive at the start, has sadness because of the tragedy, excitement in expectation of somebody important, horror so that those who will listen to it will have the experience of what I call the wailing of the wind, the monstrous surge and the lamentation of the victims, and lastly, the feeling of hope amidst hopelessness,” he added. Fr Chris Militante, information officer of the Palo archdiocese, said they will carry three theme songs for the Papal visit including singer Jamie Rivera’s We Are All God’s Children, the official theme song of Pope Francis’ visit to the Philippines on January 15-19 next year. The third is Mercy by British band Ooberfuse, which also performed the official theme song of World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, last year.Militante said the song was composed by the band’s vocalist Cherrie Anderson, whose mother is from Tacloban City (Leyte’s capital), specifically for Yolanda survivors. Shepherd’s Love will be launched during the closing of the Year of the Laity and opening of the Year of the Poor at the Palo Cathedral on November 29. Japanese plane makes emergency landing at Manila airport AFP Manila A Japan-bound All Nippon Airways jet returned to Manila airport and made an emergency landing yesterday after pilots reported smoke in the cockpit, Philippine authorities said. There were no reported injuries and all 175 passengers and 10 crew safely disembarked from the Boeing 767, said Manila International Airport Au- thority public affairs officer Ariel Arcilla. “The plane safely landed and there was no panic. It appears the pilot just followed safety protocols,” Arcilla said. Investigators are looking into the cause of the cockpit smoke, which the pilots noticed shortly after take-off from Manila, he added. The jet, bound for Tokyo’s Narita airport, was airborne for 35 minutes before making a successful emergency landing, Arcilla said. Wealth of the sea Fisherman Estelito Marijuan, 58, arranges dried fish at Manila Bay yesterday. World Fisheries Day is commemorated every November 21 and was established to draw attention to overfishing, habitat destruction and other serious threats to the sustainability of marine and freshwater resources. Five years after massacre, anger over pace of justice AFP Manila F ive years after 58 people were killed in the Philippines’ worst political massacre, anger among victims’ relatives is building, with no one yet convicted and the alleged masterminds still enjoying power. Nine leaders of a clan accused of orchestrating the slaughter are among dozens on trial, but there are deep concerns the proceedings could take many more years and that witnesses are being killed or intimidated. “Sometimes we feel hopeless, that this is all going nowhere,” Noemi Parcon, whose husband was among 32 journalists killed in the massacre, said as she attended the trial in Manila this week. “We’d be happy even if only the principals are convicted.” The leaders of the Ampatuan family, who ruled the impoverished southern province of Maguindanao, are accused of organising the killings on November 23, 2009, in a bid to quash an election challenge from a rival clan. Thirty-two media workers were among those killed, making the attack one of the dead- Students and members of the press participate in a torch parade condemning the slow paced trial of the Maguindanao Massacre in Manila yesterday, ahead of the fifth anniversary of the worst political massacre of the country. liest ever recorded globally against journalists. Andal Ampatuan Sr had ruled Maguindanao as governor for about a decade under the patronage of then-president Gloria Arroyo, who had funded a private army for the clan as a buffer against separatist rebels. Ampatuan’s son and namesake is accused of leading the militia in stopping a convoy that was carrying his political foe’s wife, relatives, lawyers and the journalists, then gunning them down on a grassy hill. The victims’ bodies were found almost immediately afterwards in roadside pits that were dug using a governmentowned excavator. Father and son, plus seven other Ampatuans, are among 111 people detained in Manila while on trial. They deny carrying out the murders. However the government said 79 suspects, including nine Ampatuans, remain at large. In the Philippines, even a simple trial involving one accused person typically takes many years to complete. Amid fears the Maguindanao massacre trial could take decades, the Supreme Court last year took steps to speed up proceedings, including the scheduling of twice-weekly hearings instead of once a week. President Benigno Aquino has also said he wants verdicts against the Ampatuan leaders announced by the time he stands down in mid-2016. Harry Roque, a private prosecutor representing the families of 13 victims, said he expected verdicts against the main defendants next year. But the chief prosecutor Archie Manabat said he could not give any timeframe. “We want to finish this as soon as possible, but there are many constraints,” Manabat said this week on the sidelines of the trial. The court is currently focused on petitions for bail by the Ampatuan leaders and Human Rights Watch said in a statement to mark the five-year anniversary that the case was in “effective judicial limbo”. “Bail petitions and testimony challenges by the defence lawyers... have overwhelmed the court,” Human Rights Watch’s deputy director for Asia Phelim Kine said in the statement. Meanwhile, human rights groups and victims’ relatives say witnesses are being killed or intimidated in a bid to sabotage the case. Four people who had already given testimony or were scheduled to, as well as three relatives of potential witnesses, have been murdered over the past few years. A Maguindanao man who police said had agreed to testify at the trial was on Tuesday the latest to be killed. A second would-be witness was wounded in the attack, a roadside ambush by a group of gunmen. “The attack clearly aims to cow the other witnesses into submission,” the Philippines’ National Press Club said in a statement. Adding to the fears, the Ampatuan family continues to wield huge influence over Maguindanao province, despite the clan’s leaders being detained 900 kilometres away in Manila. The wives of three detained Ampatuan defendants were elected as town mayors in Maguindanao last year.Sixteen other Ampatuans were elected to local government posts. Local rights groups and election monitors said at the time the Ampatuans’ election wins were not a surprise, citing the clan power structure in Maguindanao and other Muslim-dominated southern provinces. Transgender murder highlights struggle for rights AFP Manila T File photo shows students displaying placards during a protest inside the state university campus in Manila, against the killing of a Filipino transgender allegedly by a US marine. he murder of a Filipino transgender, allegedly by a US Marine, has stoked nationalist outrage in the Philippines but activists say the spotlight should also be shone on “hate crimes” by locals targeting minority groups. The case of 26-year-old Jennifer Laude, also known as Jeffrey, found dead in a hotel bathroom in the red-light district of the northern port city of Olongapo in October risks harming Philippine-US defence relations. A US serviceman on a port call is the main suspect in a crime that has been used by leftist and nationalist groups to assail the American military’s role in the former US colony. But while the Laude case made headlines, the murders of four gay people at around the same time, in suspected Filipino-on-Filipino “hate crimes”, garnered far less media attention, according to Clara Padilla, executive director of EnGendeRights. “It is clear we have a strong prevalence of homophobia and transphobia in the Philippines,” said Padilla, whose organisation supports lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. Most of the victims were attacked while they were alone and stabbed repeatedly, in one case as many as 33 times, Padilla said, adding that the ferocity suggested they were hate crimes and the victims targetted because of their sexual orientation. Although the Philippines is considered more tolerant than other developing nations, the LGBT community says it still faces heavy discrimination in the largely conservative Catholic country. Bills barring discrimination against homosexual and transgender people have stalled for years in Congress and some institutions like schools and workplaces are open in their lack of tolerance, Padilla said. An online survey of almost 500 LGBT Filipinos taken this year by advocacy group TLF Share found that one in 10 had been attacked or threatened with violence due to their sexuality in the last five years. Almost 76% of those people said the aggressors had been their own parents or siblings. “My mother attacked me inside our house when (she) found out I had a girlfriend,” one respondent was quoted as saying. “She slapped, punched and even kicked me.” Bemz Benedito, a transgender woman who manages a prominent charity, said she and many like her face discrimination or harassment when looking for regular jobs. Many end up in the sex industry as a result. “Why are they driven to this kind of work? Because they are discriminated against and opportunities are not really open to them in this country,” she said. “A lot of people have said we are a gayfriendly country but we are actually a �gayamused’ country,” said Eric Manalastas, a psychology professor specialising in LGBT issues at the University of the Philippines. “When you scratch the surface you see people’s true feelings,” he said, citing the many harsh remarks posted about Laude in social media that blamed her for her own death. While many have expressed outrage over the killing, Manalastas said this is largely because the suspect is a US serviceman. “If a fellow Filipino was the prime suspect, I suspect we would not be reading about it or talking about it,” he said. Street protests over the killing have been dominated by leftist groups who are mainly concerned with cutting defence ties with the US rather than supporting LGBT issues. “We feel we don’t have the mike. We don’t have a platform,” said Nicky Castillo, managing director of Rainbow Rights Philippines. However Danton Remoto, chairman of Ladlad, a political party representing LGBT communities, said that some progress is being made. He cited the huge success last year of a serious TV drama, My Husband’s Lover, that dealt with a married man and his boyfriend. Ladlad was barred from taking part in the 2010 elections on grounds of “immorality” before the Supreme Court later reversed this decision. However the party still failed to get enough votes to win a single seat in Congress. “Only in the recent past have the Philippine National Police been more co-operative. Before, if someone gay is beaten, they would just laugh at them,” Remoto said. Gulf Times Saturday, November 22, 2014 17 SRI LANKA/BANGLADESH/NEPAL Lanka minister defects to challenge president at polls Top ruling party leader crosses over to the opposition to run for president in election set for January 8 AFP Colombo A senior minister quit Sri Lanka’s ruling party yesterday to stand as the main opposition’s candidate in January elections, accusing President Mahinda Rajapakse of being a corrupt dictator. As organisers confirmed the election would be on January 8, Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena said he was confident of toppling his boss in an announcement that earned him the sack from his other post as general secretary of the president’s Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). Underlining the scale of the threat facing Rajapakse, Sirisena was joined at his defection announcement by former president Chandrika Kumaratunga who also said she was leaving the SLFP. The defection by Sirisena to the main opposition United National Party (UNP) appears to have taken Rajapakse by surprise and represents a major challenge to the authority of the region’s longest-serving ruler. “I thank the UNP for choosing me as the common opposition candidate,” Sirisena told reporters in Colombo. “We will definitely win.” Rajapakse declared on Thursday that he will seek an unprecedented third term as president — a move that was only made possible after he pushed through changes to the constitution. While Rajapakse remains generally popular with major- Elections on Jan 8 Sri Lanka’s election commission yesterday scheduled the presidential election for January 8, a day after President Mahinda Rajapakse declared his intention to seek an unprecedented third term. Rajapaksa, 69, came to power in 2005 and won a second six-year term in 2010 on a wave of popularity after the military defeated Tamil Tiger separatists, ending a 26-year civil war. His poll ratings have fallen sharply since. ity Sinhalese voters after overseeing the end of a 37-year war against Tamil separatists in 2009, critics say he has become increasingly authoritarian. “The country is heading towards a dictatorship,” said 63-year-old Sirisena, who also accused the president of nepotism and corruption. “The entire economy and every aspect of society is controlled by one family.” The president’s brothers include the speaker of parliament Chamal Rajapakse, the economic development minister Basil Rajapakse and the powerful defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse. His eldest son Namal is a lawmaker and heads the SLFP’s youth wing. “Corruption is rampant, there is no rule of law,” added Sirisena who promised to reverse the constitutional amendments brought in under Rajapakse which have increased the powers of the president. “I urge you to support me to scrap the executive presidency. I will scrap this executive within 100 days.” Maithripala Sirisena, right, addressing journalists while former president Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga gestures during a press conference in Colombo yesterday, shortly after Sirisena defected from the ruling party and declared himself as the common opposition candidate to challenge President Mahinda Rajapakse in the upcoming January election. His endorsement by the former president Kumaratunga, who is the daughter of two former prime ministers, is seen as a major boost to Sirisena’s electoral fortunes. “After nine years I am ending my silence. I have decided to re-enter active politics to help bring down a corrupt regime,” said Kumaratunga who has kept a low profile since handing over the leadership of the SLFP to Rajapakse in 2005. “The question is whether we allow one family to destroy the country or restore decency in politics.” Kumaratunga, who served as president from 19942005, told reporters. “It will be a betrayal of the nation if I do not help this group.” Three other ministers appeared alongside Sirisena to declare that they were also defecting. Officials close to Rajapakse said that the president only realised that Sirisena was about to jump ship a couple of days ago. Rajapakse had believed the UNP would field its own leader and former premier Ranil Wickremesinghe in the contest. Soon after Sirisena’s announcement, chief commissioner of elections Mahinda Deshapriya confirmed that the elections would be on January 8, exactly one month after the close of nominations for candidates. It means that the elections will be held only days before a scheduled visit by Pope Fran- cis from January 13 to 15, with the Church warning that parties should not use the trip for political advantage. The contest is taking place against a backdrop of growing international pressure over the Rajapakse administration’s human rights record. The 69-year-old also faces accusations that his administration has silenced dissenting voices, including the media and judiciary after he sacked the chief justice last year. 50 Bangladeshis on death row abroad Fifty Bangladeshi workers are currently awaiting execution of their death penalties while serving in prisons across the globe. Among them, the verdict for 29 death row inmates have been put on halt through negotiations held between the Bangladeshi embassies and the governments of the respective countries. Such negotiations mainly focus on compensating the victim’s families. The numbers were revealed through a written statement by Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain in the parliament. All of the death row inmates were convicted for committing murders. Among the death sentence awardees, 12 Bangladeshi migrants are in Saudi Arabia, 23 in Dubai, 12 in Kuwait, one in Bahrain, one in Singapore and one in Abu Dhabi. The wage earners’ welfare board under the ministry of expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment, is now active enough in order to free the convicts from the trial in the respective countries, said the minister. He informed the parliament that an �understanding’ has been reached through negotiations with the concerned countries to cancel the death penalty for 29 Bangladeshi expatriate workers. Letters seeking mercy have already been sent to the Bangladeshi missions in those countries, according to the statement by the minister. Besides, 35 more are facing trials in different countries on murder charges – 15 in Dubai, 10 in Saudi Arabia, three in Oman, three in Qatar, one each in Kuwait, Egypt and Bahrain. Khandker also highlighted that 2,759,541 people from Bangladesh got jobs in different countries across the world between January 2009 and September 2014. “The number was 137,088 during the BNP-Jamaat regime from 2001 to 2006,” he said. The ministry had undertaken construction work of nearly 400 centres for providing technical trainings at the sub-district levels, said the minister. Bangladesh, Nepal town shuts down over India plan cancellation of Modi’s visit raids against militants A IANS Kathmandu Agencies Dhaka I ndian and Bangladeshi security forces are planning to carry out simultaneous raids against Islamist militants along the porous border and the two countries have exchanged lists of terror operatives active on both sides of the frontier, officials have said. “It’s important to conduct simultaneous drives so that the militants don’t find hideouts to escape arrest,” said a senior Bangladeshi police official preferring anonymity as a four-member delegation of India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) wrapped up a four-day visit to Dhaka as part of probe into last month’s Burdwan blast in West Bengal state, allegedly carried out by Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) militants, India’s PTI reported. The official added that the militants have found safe havens in Bangladesh-India border areas due to intensified security operations in both countries. NIA and Bangladesh’s elite anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) exchanged lists of JMB operatives and Islamist militants believed to be hiding in the two countries as the visiting NIA delegation held meetings with senior home ministry officials and security agencies in Dhaka. Officials said NIA team, led by its director general Sharad Kumar, handed over a list of 11 suspects of the Burdwan blast, 11 being “top wanted Indian nationals” in connection to the Burdwan blast. RAB, on the other hand, gave a list of 51 fugitive Bangladeshis, 10 of them said to be JMB activists and several others being members of Harkatul Jihad al Islami (HuJI) alongside some gangsters as the two sides exchanged intelligence on cross-border militancy and other crimes. “It’s important to conduct simultaneous drives so that the militants don’t find hideouts to escape arrest” Bangladesh recently constituted a six-member team to work on militancy and extend support to NIA in its investigation. A police spokesman earlier said there were some common names of JMB operatives in the two lists but they needed to verify the lists as the militants often use different names to evade detection. Police, however, suspect the number of fugitive militants is 260 who are hiding in the border areas and are active. According to newspaper reports, India’s “wanted” list contains names of Kausar, Yusuf Sheikh, Borhan Sheikh, Rezaul Karim, Talha Sheikh, Amjad Ali Sheikh, Abul Kalam, Shahnur Alam, Habibur Rahman Sheikh, Zahirul Sheikh and �Nasirullah’. Bangladesh had said it would share its intelligence on JMB, which is allegedly responsible for the October 2 blast in Burdwan. shutdown affected normal life in Janakpur in Nepal yesterday after 22 political parties announced a strike protesting against the cancellation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the town. Life was thrown out of gear due to the strike called by the parties demanding that Modi visit Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, as well as Janakpur as he had announced in August. On Thursday, the Nepal government announced the cancellation of Modi’s visit to Lumbini, Janakpur and Muktinath, saying he would only attend the November 26-27 Saarc Summit in Kathmandu. The protesters said they also wanted Modi to attend a civic reception at Barha Bigha and address a mass gathering as originally scheduled for November 25. According to information reaching in Kathmandu, the protesters burnt the effigy of Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and Home Minister Bamdve Gautam, holding them responsible for the axing of the visit. Foreign Minister Mahendra Bahadur Pandey told the media that India had conveyed that Modi would show up only at the Saarc Summit due to his involvement in various political meetings. India’s ambassador to Nepal, Ranjit Rae, however, said yesterday that “no official communication has been made regarding the cancellation of the visit” to the three places. On Thursday, cabinet minister Bimalendra Nidhi, who was to have received Modi at Janakpur, announced the cancellation after being told to do PHOTOJOURNALISTS PROTEST: Nepalese photojournalists put down their accreditation as they stage a symbolic protest in Kathmandu yesterday. They staged a protest against the government decision to bar photojournalists from private media houses and wire agencies at the venue of a regional summit. The 18th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation summit is scheduled from November 22 to 27 in Kathmandu. Heads of state from Nepal, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Afghanistan, and Maldives will attend the main summit. so by the Nepal government. Amid the ambiguity, preparations continued yesterday at Janakpur to host the Indian leader. Home secretary Surya Prasad Silwal, who is in Janakpur to oversee security and other logistic factors, told the local media that he had not got any official communication from Kathman- du cancelling Modi’s trip. He claimed that Modi’s civic reception, welcome programme and public address would take place as scheduled at Janakpur. “Since Thursday we have working on a war footing,” Silwal said. “I am here with the chiefs of security agencies to prepare for the Modi visit.” However, the Nepal foreign ministry yesterday said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visits to religious sites in Nepal were still in place, a day after they were announced cancelled for security reasons. Foreign Minister Mahendra Bahadur Pandey retracted the earlier cancellation announcement during a press conference in Kathmandu, and said that Modi’s itinerary would proceed as scheduled. Modi is scheduled to visit Janakpur district on November 25, on the sidelines of a meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc). He is also set to visit the birthplace of Lord Buddha in Lumbini and the Muktinath temple in Jomsom after the summit. 18 Gulf Times Saturday, November 22, 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 Japan PM seeks to secure support as troubles mount Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe yesterday dissolved the powerful lower house of parliament halfway through his four-year term for snap elections in December to seek public support for his economic policies dubbed “Abenomics”. This week, official data showed Japan’s economy, the world’s third-largest, unexpectedly fell into recession amid sluggish consumer demand following a controversial hike in the sales tax on April 1 to 8% from 5%. Abe says he has decided to call early elections because he wants to see how Japanese people will respond to his economic policies A survey conducted by the Kyodo News agency shows 63.1% those polled do not support Abe’s decision to hold fresh polls, while 30.5% favour the move. Analysts believe Abe seeks to head the government longer term, and wants to solidify the power base before he is expected to face a series of difficulties next year. The premier’s economic policies rest on fiscal stimulus, monetary easing and structural reforms. Japanese exporters have been taken advantage of a falling yen, but the depreciation of the currency has driven up import costs, which hurts consumers along with the sales tax hike. A government report shows household income has declined 6% from a year earlier in September for the 12th consecutive month of fall, while the benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average has gained about 72% since Abe took office. The premier will also face some unpopular events in 2015. One of them is the restart of nuclear reactors near an active volcano in southern Japan amid strong public opposition. As Japan marks the 70th anniversary of its surrender in World War II next year, historical tensions with neighbouring countries such as China and South Korea may reignite. Seoul has already urged Tokyo to resolve the issue of the Japanese military’s wartime sexual slavery in connection with the occasion. Many of the victims were Korean women. Abe has not held a one-on-one meeting with South Korean President Park Geun Hye since both took office amid tensions over a territorial spat and differing views of wartime history, including the sexual slavery issue. Abe, however, was able to hold his first official talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping for 25 minutes on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Beijing earlier this month. “I don’t think Abe would be able to take a tough stance any longer against China especially after seeing warmer ties between China and the US,” Japan’s important ally, though he has gained power by harshly criticising Beijing, Seoul and Pyongyang, according to Minoru Morita, a Tokyo-based analyst. Little progress has been seen in the issue of North Korea’s abduction of Japanese citizens though Pyongyang promised six months ago to reinvestigate the fate of more than a dozen Japanese nationals abducted in the 1970s and 1980s. The premier “has come to realise there has been a fall in Japan’s international status, so he wants a fresh mandate to gain respect from the international community”, Morita believes. Economic growth bolsters China’s geopolitical clout Like the US after World War II, China is putting real money on the table to build strong economic and infrastructure links with countries around the world By Jeffrey D Sachs New York T he biggest economic news of the year came almost without notice: China has overtaken the US as the world’s largest economy, according to the scorekeepers at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). And, while China’s geopolitical status is rising rapidly, alongside its economic might, the US continues to squander its global leadership, owing to the unchecked greed of its political and economic elites and the self-made trap of perpetual war in the Middle East. According to the IMF, China’s GDP will be $17.6tn in 2014, outstripping US output of $17.4tn. Of course, because China’s population is more than four times larger, its per capita GDP, at $12,900, is still less than a quarter of the $54,700 recorded in the US, which highlights America’s much higher living standards. China’s rise is momentous but it also signifies a return. After all, China has been the world’s most populous country since it became a unified state more than 2,000 years ago, so it makes sense that it would also be the world’s largest economy. And, indeed, the evidence suggests that China was larger (in terms of purchasing power parity) than any other economy in the world until around 1889, when the US eclipsed it. Now, 125 years later, the rankings have reversed again, following decades of rapid economic development in China. With rising economic power has come growing geopolitical clout. Chinese leaders are feted around the world. Many European countries are looking to China as the key to stronger domestic growth. African leaders view China as their countries’ new indispensable growth partner, particularly in infrastructure and business development. Similarly, economic strategists and business leaders in Latin America now look to China at least as much as they look to the US. China and Japan seem to be taking steps toward better relations, after a period of high tensions. Even Russia has recently “tilted” toward China, establishing stronger connections on many fronts, including energy and transport. Like the US after World War II, China is putting real money on the table – a lot of it – to build strong economic and infrastructure links with countries around the world. This will enable other countries to boost their own growth, while cementing China’s global economic and geopolitical leadership. The number of Chinese initiatives is staggering. In just the past year, China has launched four major projects that promise to give it a greatly expanded role in global trade and finance. China joined Russia, Brazil, India and South Africa in establishing the New Development Bank, to be based in Shanghai. A new Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, to be based in Beijing, will help to fund infrastructure projects (roads, power, and rail, among others) throughout the region. The New Silk Road land belt seeks to connect China with the economies of East Asia, South Asia, Central Asia and Europe through an expanded grid of rail, highways, power, fibre and other networks. And the new 21st Century Maritime Silk Road is aimed at boosting oceanbased trade in East Asia and the Indian Ocean. All told, these various initiatives are likely to leverage hundreds of billions of dollars in investment over the coming decade, speeding growth in the counterpart countries while deepening their production, trade, and financial linkages with China. The number of Chinese initiatives is staggering There is no guarantee that all of this will succeed or proceed smoothly. China faces huge internal challenges, including high and rising income inequality, massive air and water pollution, the need to move to a lowcarbon economy and the same risks of financial-market instabilities that bedevil the US and Europe. And if China becomes too aggressive toward its neighbours – for example, by demanding rights to offshore oil or territory in disputed waters – it will generate a serious diplomatic backlash. No one should assume smooth sailing for China (or for any other part of the world, for that matter) in the years ahead. Still, it is striking that just as China is rising economically and geopolitically, the US seems to be doing everything possible to waste its own economic, technological and geopolitical advantages. The US political system has been captured by the greed of its wealthy elites, whose narrow goals are to cut corporate and personal tax rates, maximise their vast personal fortunes, and curtail constructive US leadership in global economic development. They so scorn US foreign assistance that they have thrown open the doors to China’s new global leadership in development financing. Even worse, as China flexes its geopolitical muscles, the only foreign policy that the US systematically pursues is unceasing and fruitless war in the Middle East. The US endlessly drains its resources and energy in Syria and Iraq in the same way that it once did in Vietnam. China, meanwhile, has avoided becoming enmeshed in overseas military debacles, emphasising win-win economic initiatives instead. China’s economic rise can contribute to global wellbeing if its leaders emphasise investment in infrastructure, clean energy, public health and other international priorities. Still, the world would be better off if the US also continued to lead constructively, alongside China. The recent announcement by Presidents Barack Obama and Xi Jinping of bilateral agreements on climate change and clean energy show the best of what’s possible. America’s perpetual war-making in the Middle East shows the worst. - Project Syndicate zJeffrey D Sachs is professor of sustainable development, professor of health policy and management, and director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University. He is also special adviser to the UN secretary-general on the Millennium Development Goals. Analysts believe Abe wants to solidify the power base To Advertise advr@gulf-times.com Display Telephone 44466621 Fax 44418811 Classified Telephone 44466609 Fax 44418811 Subscription circulation@gulf-times.com 2014 Gulf Times. All rights reserved Meet Mr Suffering from Congo! By Habibou Bangre Kinshasa N igeria holds the prize for an eccentric presidential name but move over Goodluck Jonathan, you can also meet Suffering or chat with Chinese in the heart of Africa. The Democratic Republic of Congo abounds in quirky names coined by mixing common nouns, adjectives and religious fervour into a fresh shortened moniker. Christian first names have long been used in this francophone country and continued after independence from Belgium in 1960. In the 1970s, the custom carried on undercover even after former dictator Mobutu Sese Seko (1965 to 1997) launched a drive to restore African names. As elsewhere in Africa, the Congolese sometimes name their offspring after presidents or their employers often hoping to gain favour - or even their profession. Nouns like Budget, Verdict, Jeunesse (Youth) and Plante (Plant) as well as adjectives, often of the superlative kind, are also big. Therese, a 34-year-old housewife, had no doubt about what to name her twin boys when they were born three years ago. “They’re called Precious and Sublime. They are precious for me and Chinois (Chinese) Mbelechi Msoshi, a freelance journalist, looking at a magazine in the Congalese capital, Kinshasa. The Democratic Republic of Congo abounds in quirky names coined by mixing common nouns, adjectives and religious fervour into a fresh shortened moniker. I hope they will also be precious to society,” she said. Regional variations have also been noticed, including one specific to the east of the country where for the last 20 years conflict has erupted among armed groups from local areas or nearby countries over ethnic, economic or border disputes. “Your name can cause you problems or save your life,” said Justin Paluku, a doctor at the Heal Africa hospital in Goma, capital of the strife-torn Nord Kivu province. “People have gotten used to no longer using tribal names to hide the real identity of their child,” he said. According to the law, names have to bear a “link to Congolese cultural heritage, cannot be contrary to good morals or be in any way insulting, humiliating or provocative”. Many are named in the local language after powerful animals, such as Lion or Leopard, but other variants include the tamer Pigeon and Poodle. Some names, people believe, mark the fate of individuals for life. Ferdinand, a resident of the eastern city of Goma, cites the case of a man named Mateso or Suffering in Swahili. “According to those close to him, his name has been the root of all the misfortunes that have befallen his family,” the 29-year-old Ferdinand said. These include his unwed daughters’ pregnancies, his good-for-nothing sons, his rocky employment history and the fact that his house was burnt to the ground. If it proves unduly troublesome, people can change their registered names “but often reverence for one’s parents prevents them from doing so”, said Richard Bondo, a lawyer in Kinshasa. For 28-year-old Chinois, or Chinese in French, an unusual name has become a source of pride. Named thus because his family found he bore a resemblance to Chinese workers building a bridge near his native village, the journalist now based in Kinshasa - was renamed Bienvenu or “Welcome” in French by a local radio station on the grounds that his real name would sound bizarre on the airwaves. But he is unfazed by the jokes and the snide remarks that often follow whenever he is introduced to people. “I show them my voter’s card and say - I am the sole Chinese in the Democratic Republic of Congo!” he said. Gulf Times Saturday, November 22, 2014 19 COMMENT Signs of Ukraine vanish in rebel east One year after the first demonstrations began on Kiev’s iconic Independence Square, there are few signs that Donetsk was ever a part of Ukraine AFP Donetsk T he symbols of Ukraine have been hidden somewhere in the school in the country’s war-torn east - but the headmistress will not say exactly where. One year after the start of protests in Kiev that toppled a pro-Russian government and set in motion a chain of events that set off a bloody proRussian rebellion, at school Number 33 in insurgent-held Donetsk, all signs of Ukraine have been assiduously removed. “They have not been removed because we don’t respect Ukraine but because of what this government has done to the people here,” said Tatyana Denisenko, the veteran school director. In late August, the school was partially destroyed by fierce shelling between government forces and fighters from the rebel, self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, one of two breakaway statelets in the east that have declared independence. “Since then, Ukraine has done nothing for us,” Denisenko said caustically. The separatist authorities, on the other hand, have pledged to rebuild the school using materials brought in from Russia. Dressed immaculately in a leopardprint blouse, the former high school Pro-Russian rebels standing guard at a checkpoint near the destroyed airport in the Kievskiy district of the eastern Ukraine city of Donetsk. teacher insists that the children at the school will not be taught to hate Kiev. “But our main direction now is Russia,” she said, adding that she is waiting for recommendations from the rebel authorities on a new history curriculum. One year after the first demonstrations began on Kiev’s iconic Independence Square - dividing the country between those who wanted closer ties with the West and those who looked to Russia - there are few signs that Donetsk was ever a part of Ukraine. From every official building flutters the black, blue and red flag of the self-declared republic, which began to emerge in April when pro-Russian crowds stormed government buildings around the region. Inside are propaganda posters hostile to Kiev and the European Union. Portraits of Russian President Vladimir Putin - the man Ukraine accuses of masterminding the brutal insurgency in the Russian-speaking east after he sent in troops to seize the Crimea peninsula in March - can also be seen. The Ukrainian language, however, is nowhere to be heard. “It is difficult for me to speak of Ukraine as an enemy but the Ukrainian flag has become a fascist flag,” said Valery Skorokhodov, who was elected a rebel lawmaker at a vote rejected by Kiev earlier this month. The burly 30-year-old, who carried his Makarov pistol with him wherever he goes, says he too went to the protests in Kiev to begin with. “But outside forces then appropriated the movement,” he said. Now, as seven months of bloody fighting that has killed over 4,300 people rumbles on, the industrial Donbass region in the east will never return to Ukraine, he claimed. “That train has left,” he added. Market stalls in Donetsk over the past few weeks have started doing a good trade in a new line of products: miniature flags, key chains and passport covers all in the colours of the Donetsk People’s Republic. One of the salesmen, ruddycheeked Andrei, said he makes everything at home and can charge a bit more for the sought-after items. “It’s very popular,” said the 21-yearold entrepreneur. Following popular demand, his latest line of products is now being stamped with the word “Russia”, he said. At checkpoints, on the uniforms of rebels and on civilian cars, the colours of Russia are never far away. Even as shelling continue to rumble on the edge of the city, Donetsk earlier this month opened its first Russian film festival, showing three films in two days. “We have to show something to the people of Donbass,” said Anatoly Teslya, the festival’s head. He swore that he does not get involved in politics but it has been over a year since he last showed a Ukrainian film in his cinema. At the checkpoint of Uspenka, on a stretch of the Russian border under rebel control, the Ukrainian colours can still be seen painted on the guard posts. Some 15 insurgent officials check passports quickly before sending cars on their way across the open frontier with their vast eastern neighbour. “Everything is about to change here, at least the colours,” said Alexei, who has swapped his Ukrainian customs official uniform for rebel fatigues. Weather report LEGAL HELPLINE Three-day forecast TODAY Employees covered by special laws High: 29 C Low: 20 C Hazy and moderate temperature during day with some clouds SUNDAY Article 3 of the Labour Law excludes various government entities from its provisions and regulation By Nizar Kochery Doha QUESTION: I am working with an affiliated company of Qatar Petroleum. Does Qatar Labour Law applicable to employees of such companies? We have employment contracts but no law is referred to in the contract. If there is conflict, will Qatar Labour Law prevail over the contract? AR, Doha ANSWER: Article 3 of the Qatar Labour Law excludes various individuals and entities, including, but not limited to, individuals employed by ministries and other governmental organisations, public institutions and companies which have been established by Qatar Petroleum and domestic and casual employees from its provisions and regulation. The employment affairs of workers of the ministries and other governmental organs, public institutions, Corps and companies which are established by Qatar Petroleum by itself or with others, are regulated by special laws. The provision of Labour Law has been further expanded by an amendment early this year by Law No 3 of 2014. As per the amendment, Qatar Labour Law – Law No 14 of 2004 shall not apply to companies which have been incorporated by the government, companies in which the government has participated in the inCorp; and which work in the petroleum sector in relation to marketing and selling of petroleum products, chemicals and petrochemicals; companies which have been incorporated by Qatar Petroleum in whole or in part; companies in which Qatar Petroleum owns a stake; companies involved in exploration and production sharing agreements, field development agreements and production sharing; and joint venture agreements in the petroleum sector and petrochemical industries; and those whose employment affairs are regulated by special laws. The employment agreement executed with the employer will be sufficient enough to establish employment rights. Internet law violations ties, or involvement in identity theft or stealing movable property using the Internet are also offences under the law. Q: How strong is the Internet Law in Qatar? UT, Doha A: Qatar issued Cybercrime Prevention Law No 14 of 2014, imposing many sanctions and several penalties for offences committed through the cyberspace such as the Internet, IT networks, computers, etc. The law stipulates a 10-year imprisonment and a fine of up to QR200,000 for forging any official e-document. In case if the document forged is unofficial, a threeyear term or a fine of a maximum of QR100,000 shall be imposed. A jail term of up to three years and a fine of up to QR200,000 are the punishment for unauthorised possession or use of e-card, whether it is an ATM or credit card, or stealing numbers or forging e-cards. Laws impose a jail term of up to three years and a fine of up to QR500,000 for the breach of intellectual property rights by using the Internet. Publication of false news, impersonation of individuals or enti- Court sessions usually in public Q: I would like to know more about the legal system in Qatar. There was a case against one of our staff, who is alleged to have committed forgery. He says that if we go to the court, the judge will call us to his office and decide the matter privately. Is this true? JT, Doha A: According to Article 59 of Law No 13 of the year 1990, court sessions shall be in public, unless the court perceives of its own initiative, or upon request of one of the adversaries, making it in-camera with a view to maintain the public order, or in deference to manners or the inviolability of the family. However, pronouncement of the judgment shall, in all circumstances, be public. Transfer of sponsorship High: 29 C Low : 21 C P Cloudy Q: I have been working with a company for seven years. I would like to change the company now. How can I do that? I don’t have any job offer yet. Can I get a noobjection certificate (NOC) from my employer without a job offer from another establishment? If I resign, how much gratuity will I receive? OK, Doha A: Transfer of sponsorship and grant of the NOC are at the discretion of the current employer and subject to the approval of the immigration authorities. According to Article 4 of Entry and Exit Laws, except with the written consent of the previous sponsor, grant of entry visa for work prior to the completion of two years is prohibited. Under Article 54, a worker having a minimum service of one continuous year will be entitled for gratuity payment minimum at the rate of days/year. MONDAY High: 28 C Low : 22 C Clear Fishermen’s forecast OFFSHORE DOHA Wind: NW-NE 03-12/15 KT Waves: 1-3/4 Feet INSHORE DOHA Wind: SW-SE 03-12/ KT Waves: 1-2/ Feet Around the region Abu Dhabi Baghdad Dubai Kuwait City Manama Muscat Riyadh Tehran Weather today Clear M Cloudy Clear Clear Clear Clear P Cloudy P Cloudy Max/min 28/22 23/12 28/19 25/16 26/21 32/23 24/18 12/03 Weather tomorrow Clear Clear Clear P Cloudy Clear Clear P Cloudy Clear Max/min 28/22 25/13 29/18 23/17 26/21 30/22 27/18 13/04 Weather tomorrow Clear Rain Clear P Cloudy P Cloudy P Cloudy T Storms P Cloudy P Cloudy C Showers C Storms Clear C Rain M Cloudy Clear P Cloudy P Cloudy P Cloudy C Showers P Cloudy T Storms Clear Cloudy Max/min 16/10 21/16 34/23 06/03 23/15 23/15 30/24 29/17 24/19 12/09 34/26 32/18 11/11 31/24 -2/-7 26/11 03/-3 13/08 31/21 16/07 31/26 33/18 17/11 zPlease send your questions by e-mail to: leges@qatar.net.qa LEGAL SYSTEM IN QATAR Article 1100 stipulates that when an application is made for the sale of a property, the formalities laid down for compulsory expropriation must be followed. The sale shall take place at the request of either the applicant or of the third party holder, whoever shall have more interest in expediting the sale. The applicant must mention in the notices of sale the price at which he has valued the property. If the sale of the property is not applied for within the period and in accordance with the procedure laid down, the ownership, or if the sale is applied for but no higher price than that offered by the third party holder, the ownership of the property shall be vested finally in the third party holder if he deposits the sum at which he has valued the property in the court’s Treasury. The abandonment of the mortgaged property is made by a declaration submitted to the execution judge by the third party holder. He must, within five days from the date of the declaration, notify the abandonment to the creditor who is conducting the proceedings of expropriation by a registered letter accompanied by an acknowledgement slip. The party who has most interest to expedite the sale may apply to the judge of the summary court for the nomination of a receiver against whom the proceedings of expropriation may be taken. The third party holder, if he applies, will be appointed receiver. If the third party holder does not opt for payment of the inscribed debts, the purge of the property or the abandonment of the property, the mortgagee can only take expropriation proceedings against him after he has summoned him to pay the debt accrued due or to abandon the prop- erty. The third party holder may take part in the auction on condition that he does not offer a price lower than the sum that he still owes on the price of the property which is being sold. If the mortgaged property is expropriated, even after proceedings for purge or abandonment have been taken and the third party holder acquires the property at the auction, he will be deemed to be the owner of the property by virtue of his original title deed and the property will be purged of all inscriptions if he pays the price for which he acquired the property at the auction. If, in the preceding cases, a person other than the third party holder acquires the property at the auction, he will hold his right by virtue of the judgement of adjudication from the third party holder. Under Article 1108, if the price at which the property is sold by auction exceeds the total of the sums due to the inscribed creditors, the difference in excess belongs to the third party holder, and the mortgagee creditors of the third party holder may be paid out of this excess. Servitudes and other real rights that the third party holder had on the property before he acquired the property are re-vested in him. Around the world Athens Beirut Bangkok Berlin Cairo Cape Town Colombo Dhaka Hong Kong Istanbul Jakarta Karachi London Manila Moscow New Delhi New York Paris Sao Paulo Seoul Singapore Sydney Tokyo Weather today Clear Clear P Cloudy Cloudy P Cloudy P Cloudy T Storms P Cloudy Clear Rain T Storms Clear Cloudy M Cloudy Clear P Cloudy P Cloudy Cloudy C Storms P Cloudy T Storms P Cloudy Clear Max/min 18/11 25/18 33/22 06/04 25/15 21/14 30/24 29/18 23/20 14/09 34/26 32/20 10/08 30/24 -2/-7 27/12 06/-4 11/07 29/19 12/05 31/25 31/20 14/08 UNEXPECTED STEP | Page 3 RUPEE GAINS | Page 11 China cuts interest rate to spur growth Indian shares soar to new record high Saturday, November 22, 2014 Moharram 29, 1436 AH UNFAIR ALLOCATIONS ALLEGED : Page 12 GULF TIMES Foreign firms challenge Poland over access to mine concessions BUSINESS Qatar-backed QKR close to $1bn bid for Nevsun Nevsun owns 60% of the Bisha gold, copper and zinc mine in Eritrea; QKR is funded by Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund and Poland’s richest man Jan Kulczyk; it purchased AngloGold Ashanti’s Navachab mine in Namibia for $110mn in July Bloomberg London Q KR Corp, a mining fund headed by former JPMorgan Chase & Co banker Lloyd Pengilly, is close to making a bid of about $1bn for Canada’s Nevsun Resources Ltd, according to people with knowledge of the situation. Negotiations are ongoing between QKR and Vancouver-based Nevsun, which owns 60% of the Bisha gold, copper and zinc mine in Eritrea in East Africa. There’s no guarantee an agreement will be reached, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the talks are private. “Nevsun has recently received from various parties expressions of interest on a potential corporate transaction,” the company said in a statement yesterday. “Any discussions are at a preliminary stage and there is no certainty that any transaction will be completed. Management is not aware of a bid for the company.” Bisha would be the second acquisition by QKR, funded by Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund and Poland’s richest man Jan Kulczyk, after its $110mn purchase of AngloGold Ashanti Ltd’s Navachab mine in Namibia in July. It’s seeking assets close to production or from companies struggling to fund them. Nevsun jumped as much as 25% before the company issued its statement and traded 11% higher at C$4.72 at 4pm in Toronto. “Nevsun has one of the highestgrade, highest-margin open pit mines in the world with abundant exploration potential,” Adam Low, an analyst at Raymond James Financial, said over the phone yesterday. “Given that they’ve got a significant amount of their market value in cash on the balance sheet without any debt, to a degree the company is almost a partially self-funded takeo- The Nevsun-owned Bisha plans to produce 80,000 tonnes to 90,000 tonnes of copper this year and seeks zinc production at the beginning of 2016 at the mine, located 150km west of Eritrea’s capital, Asmara. ver target while the rest of the assets are very attractive.” A representative of QKR declined to comment. Nevsun said in a statement it doesn’t comment on market speculation. Private equity funds, including those led by former Xstrata chief executive officer Mick Davis and ex-Barrick Gold Corp CEO Aaron Regent, are hunting for assets as the world’s largest mining companies from BHP Billiton to Rio Opec panel reviews oil outlook ahead of talks Reuters London/Dubai A panel of national representatives reviewed Opec’s oil market outlook for 2015 this week, Opec sources said, preparing the ground for a policy-setting meeting next week that will decide how to address a looming oversupply of crude. The Economic Commission Board concluded a two-day meeting in Vienna yesterday ahead of the gathering of the group’s oil ministers on November 27. It does not recommend policy to the ministers. The panel reviewed the supply and demand forecasts published in the oil exporter group’s monthly market report, which predicted lower demand for Opec crude in 2015 and oversupply in the market if Opec maintains its current output. “It was a general discussion on the 2015 outlook,” one of the Opec sources said. Oil prices have fallen by 30% since June to around $80 a barrel, alarming some Opec members. But an agreement on a cut in the group’s output at next week’s meeting is by no means certain, not least because top exporter Saudi Arabia has yet to say whether it supports one. Delegates expect a difficult meeting, and analysts are split over the outcome. “This meeting will be probably one of the toughest ever,” one delegate said. Opec’s latest oil market report, published on November 12, forecast that demand for Opec crude next year would fall far below its current output because of the US shale boom. It pointed to a supply surplus of 1.8mn barrels per day (bpd) in the first half of 2015 if Opec keeps output at the October rate of 30.25mn bpd. It estimated demand for Opec crude averaging 28.45mn bpd. Two Opec officials, Libya’s Opec governor and another delegate who declined to be named, earlier told Reuters the 2015 outlook indicates Opec needs to cut output, giving figures between 500,000 bpd and 1mn bpd. Tinto Group divest operations to cut costs and smaller producers struggle to fund expansion. Nevsun’s stock closed on Thursday at C$4.24, valuing the company at C$846.5mn ($749mn), about 35% below its February 2012 valuation, when it cut its gold production forecast by almost half for that year to a range of 190,000 ounces to 210,000 ounces. Nevsun last month reported $416.3mn of sales and $71.5mn of profit for the first nine months of the year. It produced 65,100 tonnes of copper in concentrate in the period and had working capital of $519mn, including $380mn of cash and $113mn in current receivables, it said on October 30. It stopped gold output last year. The company seeks to generate a free cash flow of $120mn this year after tax and capital expenditure, chief executive officer Cliff Davis said on a conference call October 31. The Bisha deposit consists of a layer of gold oxide above layers of copper and zinc. The mine produced only gold until last year, after which it began to expand into copper and zinc. It plans to produce 80,000 tonnes to 90,000 tonnes of copper this year and seeks zinc production at the beginning of 2016 at the mine, located 150km west of Eritrea’s capital, Asmara. Bank Asya cuts staff as feud hits deposits Bloomberg Istanbul Asya Katilim Bankasi, the lender embroiled in a feud between Turkey’s president and a Muslim cleric accused of trying to bring down the government, is cutting staff and shutting branches after deposits slumped. The closure of 80 branches and cuts to as much as a third of staff are related to a contraction in the bank’s balance sheet, Cengiz Onder, its head of investor relations, said by phone from Istanbul yesterday. Deposits fell by almost half to 10.1bn liras ($4.54bn) in the 12 months ended September 30 after a series of high-profile withdrawals by state-owned companies. “We are adjusting to the new situation,” Onder said. The bank has about 3,300 employees, down from 5,182 a year ago and the figure may drop further to 3,000 he said. Bank Asya’s expansion plans have been disrupted by political turmoil stemming from conflict between President Recep Erdogan and the cleric, Fethullah Gulen. A series of dawn raids and detentions on December 17 dragged the bank into the centre of a bitter quarrel, as Erdogan accused Gulen, whose allies founded Bank Asya, of being behind the arrests. The raids stemmed from corruption charges levelled at ministers, state bankers and pro-government businessmen. Erdogan, who was prime minister at the time of the raids and who became president in August, blamed the investigations on followers of Gulen, who has been in self-imposed exile in the US for more than a decade. Erdogan called the arrests a coup attempt, while Gulen has denied any involvement. Bank Asya executives have highlighted that the bank has the largest proportion of public ownership of any lender traded on the Istanbul stock exchange, with a free float exceeding 50%. Airlines eye tech partners to tap customer data Reuters Antwerp, Belgium A irlines are seeking to work more closely with travel technology companies to mine customer data for ways to generate more revenue beyond ticket sales, emulating other industries already using such methods. While retailers have implemented ever more ingenious ways to make better use of customer data, both online and offline, many airlines have been slower off the mark, only recently looking to harvest more profitably the wealth of information provided by their frequent-flyer loyalty schemes. “Revenue from the ticket is barely covering costs these days,” Uwe Klenovsky, Commercial Director of Thomas Cook Airlines, said at the CAPA World Aviation Summit in Antwerp. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) forecasts that global airlines will achieve a net profit margin of only 2.4% this year, higher than 2013 but a long way from the 10% margins in the 1960s. A historically tense relationship with global distribution service (GDS) companies could take a back seat as airlines recognise the potential goldmine of information that the tech know-how of such businesses can provide. Sabre Corp, the travel software and data company can store customer transactions for three years, equating to about 1,000 pieces of data per customer, but says airlines have also been requesting information on customers’ social media profiles and activity Airlines have been reluctant to publish all fares on all distribution channels, often keeping the lowest prices on their own websites, rather than eroding margins further by paying their GDS partners such as Amadeus, Travelport and Sabre Corp to market them. Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary once vowed never to work with them but has signed GDS deals this year to target higher-spending corporate customers as part of a wider strategy to increase customer numbers to 114mn passengers by 2019, from 82mn last year. Like others in the industry, he wants to be able to send out targeted offers de- pending on a passenger’s travel habits, such as discounts on particular routes and days, rather than the blanket advertising e-mails sent out in the past. While traditional retailers are able to glean information from consumers who shop weekly, or even daily, airlines need help to gain a fuller picture of the habits and spending of customers for whom air travel is a relatively infrequent activity. Sabre can store customer transactions for three years, equating to about 1,000 pieces of data per customer, but says that airlines have also been requesting information on customers’ social media profiles and activity. “We have to help them extract that and use it,” said Stan Boyer, of Sabre Airline Solutions. Amadeus, which powers flight search systems for many airlines and comparison sites, sees an opportunity to expand into hotel bookings and intelligence on travel shopping, which can help airlines to maximise customer spending. For Ethiopian Airlines, better use of customer data will allow the company to track higher-spending customers more closely and encourage them to spend more. “We want to identify the high-value customers, not only on the ground but in the air,” chief executive Tewolde Gebremariam told Reuters on the sidelines of the Antwerp summit. Data show that airline customers are often concerned only with price when booking tickets but are more inclined to spend freely once they reach the airport and board their flights, said Amadeus’s Head of Distribution Marketing, Decius Valmorbida, offering the chance of targeted marketing of anything from food and drink to consumer products. Part of the problem is that they have too long thought in terms of cost and revenue per seat, rather than per customer. “To manage on a per customer basis will be a huge challenge,” Air China executive Zhihang Chi said. “Anyone who can help me provide a good experience for the customer is welcome.” 2 Gulf Times Saturday, November 22, 2014 BUSINESS China commits $45.6bn fund for economic corridor with Pakistan Reuters Islamabad The Chinese government and banks will finance Chinese companies to build $45.6bn worth of energy and infrastructure projects in Pakistan over the next six years, according to new details of the deal seen by Reuters yesterday. The Chinese companies will be able to operate the projects as profit-making entities, according to the deal signed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during a visit to China earlier this month. At the time, officials provided few details of the projects or the financing for the deal, dubbed the China-Pak Economic Corridor (CPEC). The deal further cements ties between Pakistan and China at a time when Pakistan is nervous about waning US support as troops pull out of Afghanistan. Pakistan and China, both nucleararmed nations, consider each other close friends. Their ties are underpinned by common wariness of India and a desire to hedge against US influence in South Asia. Documents seen by Reuters show that China has promised to invest around $33.8bn in various energy projects and $11.8bn in infrastructure projects. Two members of Pakistan’s planning commission, the focal ministry for the CPEC, and a senior official at the ministry of water and power shared the details of the projects. The deal says the Chinese government and banks, including China Development Bank, and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd (ICBC), one of China’s �Big Four’ stateowned commercial banks, will loan funds to Chinese companies, who will invest in the projects as commercial ventures. “Pakistan will not be taking on any more debt through these projects,” said Pakistan’s minister for water and power Khawaja Asif. Major Chinese companies investing in Pakistan’s energy sector will include China’s Three Gorges Corp, which built the world’s biggest hydro power scheme, and China Power International Development Ltd. Sharif signed more than 20 agreements during his trip to China earlier this month, including $622mn for projects related to the deepwater, strategically important Gwadar port, which China is developing. The port is close to the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil shipping lane. It could open up an energy and trade corridor from the Gulf across Pakistan to western China that could be used by the Chinese Navy – potentially upsetting rival India. Pakistan sees the latest round of Chinese investments as key to its efforts to solve power shortages that have crippled its economy. Blackouts lasting more than half a day in some areas have sparked violent protests and undermined an economy already beset by high unemployment, widespread poverty, crime and sectarian and insurgent violence. Under the CPEC agreement, $15.5bn worth of coal, wind, solar and hydro energy projects will come online by Long �to do’ list for Indian PM Modi as clock ticks on reform Reuters New Delhi I ndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a long list of pro-growth measures to implement over the next four months, but time may have already run out to breathe enough life into the economy to meet the tough 2014/15 fiscal deficit target without cuts. Modi’s election victory in May unleashed a rush of money from foreign portfolios betting the reformist prime minister would drive a quick recovery. That has yet to materialise, with both factory utilisation and capital spending low. Parliament convenes on Monday for a month-long session in which the government is confident of passing legislation to allow more foreign investment in the insurance industry, despite hostile opposition parties. Other bills, including labour and land reform, will face stiff opposition. After the session ends on December 23, focus will turn to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s second budget, due in February and seen as a chance for the government to address criticism it has not moved quickly or boldly enough on the economy. “They are quite aware of the urgency, that this cannot just be an incremental budget,” said author and commentator Gurcharan Das, a former CEO of Proctor and Gamble India. “They think of this as a transformative budget.” Jaitley set a tough fiscal deficit target of 4.1% of GDP in his maiden budget. Slack tax revenues and the challenge of Modi: Committed to meeting the tough 2014-15 fiscal deficit target without cuts. raising a record $9.5bn target from asset sales could force him to cut spending, risking a fragile economic recovery. Jaitley acknowledged yesterday that it will be hard to hit tax revenue targets this financial year, saying the lack of pick-up in manufacturing was affect- ing indirect tax receipts. “India looks set to miss its fiscal target this year, even in the optimistic case that the government fully delivers on its plans to sell stakes in state-owned companies,” Capital Economics’ Shilan Shah said in a research note. Shah said missing the target would not be such a bad thing, given that looser fiscal policy could help the economic revival. After moving slowly on economic policy, including the asset sales, in his first six months in office, Modi has now picked up the pace. Last week the government announced it would auction dozens of coalfields by February as well as allow foreign firms to mine coal for the first time. Asset sales should begin with the sale of a stake in oil firm ONGC in early December. Even if such moves were implemented straight away, one senior government source said, their impact would take months to be felt. GDP data due on November 28 will give a clearer picture of how the economy fared in the quarter to September, but with factories running nearly 30% below capacity, few expect a big rebound from the worst slowdown since the 1980s. One finance ministry source said yesterday that 2014/15 economic growth was likely to be at the lower end of the 5.4-5.9% forecast factored into the current budget, while tax receipts may fall short by Rs700bn ($11bn). Opposition parties have not so far not agreed to support even the relatively uncontroversial insurance bill, or a constitutional amendment needed for a goods and services tax, raising concerns of a log jam in the upper house of parliament, where Modi’s party is in minority. Recognising that the investment and economic recovery has “yet to materialise”, and that tax receipts are well below budget estimates, the government has turned to excise measures such as a fuel tax to claw back revenue. One proposal under discussion was to place a duty on imports of crude oil, three government sources said. The proposal is opposed by India’s oil refiners. Other revenues could come from planned auctions of mobile telephone and FM radio spectrum early next year. Jaitley vows to make progress on reforms AFP New Delhi India’s Finance Minister Arun Jaitley promised yesterday to make progress during the upcoming parliamentary session on a string of economic reforms, including a national tax to create a single internal market. The right-wing government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was elected in May with the biggest parliamentary mandate in three decades on a pledge to take tough action to revive India’s stumbling economy. Jaitley has declared the government wants to pass the goods-and-services tax (GST) by next April, one of the reforms cited by economists as key to cutting the cost of doing business and boosting India’s sluggish growth. Jaitley said he was “almost ready” with the GST proposal to end India’s Jaitley: Ready for action. patchwork of state taxes and confident a constitutional amendment bill to change the tax law will be introduced in the next session starting on Monday. The tax change is one of the most complicated reforms to achieve, requiring a constitutional amendment involving consent of a majority of India’s states – some of which object to ceding their right to levy taxes – as well as approval by both houses. While the government holds a majority in the lower house, it is still in a minority in the upper house. But Jaitley said he did not expect legislators to hold back the GST once he wins state approval for the tax change. “I am quite sure once the state governments across political parties agree, we should be able to push this (GST),” he said. Jaitley also said the government is aiming for passage of a long-pending insurance bill that involves hiking the foreign direct investment (FDI) cap in the insurance sector to 49% from 26%. The higher ceiling is seen as paving the way for billions of dollars to flow into the insurance sector that is starved for funds in the country of 1.2bn people who are badly under-insured. “We are on the verge of opening the sector a little more,” Jaitley said in a speech at a conference in New Delhi. The minister also said he would seek to target India’s massive food and fuel subsidies better to ensure only those in financial need benefited. India’s subsidy bill increased fivefold under the previous left-leaning Congress government which implemented policies to buy agricultural produce at guaranteed prices and distribute cheap grains to the poor. Modi’s government has held back from dismantling many populist schemes. But the government last month lifted diesel price controls in a move to reduce India’s energy bill. 2017 and add 10,400 megawatts of energy to the national grid, officials said. An additional 6,120 megawatts will be added to the national grid at a cost of $18.2bn by 2021. “In total we will add 16,000 MW of electricity through coal, wind, solar and hydel plants in the next seven years and reduce power shortage by 4,000 to 7,000 megawatts,” said Asif. “This will take care of a growing demand for power by a growing economy.” The CPEC deal also includes $5.9bn for road projects and $3.7bn for railway projects, all to be developed by 2017. A $44mn optical fibre cable between China and Pakistan is due to be built. Japan attempts to put brakes on yen’s slide Dow Jones Tokyo J apan’s Finance Minister moved yesterday for the first time to get the yen’s rapid fall under control, the clearest sign yet that a weak currency is beginning to complicate the country’s aggressive experiment to restore growth. In a break from his practice of not commenting on exchange rates, Taro Aso told a news conference the speed of the yen’s recent decline was “too fast.” He added, “There is no doubt about that.” The yen quickly jumped on his comments. But later in the day it lost much of its gains, suggesting verbal intervention may have difficult overcoming the fundamental reason the Japanese currency has gotten so weak. That reason is the divergence between US and Japanese monetary policy. The Federal Reserve is looking to tighten next year, while the Bank of Japan on October 31 announced new steps to flood the financial system with yen, sending the currency on a downward slide. At one point Thursday, a dollar was changing hands at around Yen119, the weakest level for the yen in more than seven years and a 9% fall in just three weeks. After yesterday’s gyrations, the dollar stood at around Yen117.80 in late Asia trading. The yen’s weakness has become a major topic of global debate, raising tensions between Japan and its major trading partners. Asian companies and government officials fear that Japanese exporters could grab market share through the falling currency, which allows them to lower prices and inflates their earnings because the dollars they bring in are worth more in yen terms. Fed staffers have cut their medium-term US growth projections partly on a rising dollar, according to minutes of the Fed’s October 28-29 meeting. In Japan too, the weak yen is divisive. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s policy of reviving inflation-largely carried out through the central bank’s monetary easing-has played a key role in driving down the country’s currency. Indian billionaires fret on debt as coal auctions loom Bloomberg New Delhi I ndian billionaires seeking to regain lost coal mining permits face rising debt at their companies when they take part in auctions the government plans to hold early next year. Aggressive bidding may increase acquisition costs, while staying away isn’t an option as that would wreck projects, according to Hindalco Industries, Jindal Steel & Power and Monnet Ispat & Energy. India’s top court in September cancelled almost all of the 218 coal mining permits given since 1993, terming the allocations arbitrary and illegal. “We are keen on participating,” Ku- mar Mangalam Birla, the billionaire chairman of Hindalco, the world’s largest maker of rolled aluminium, said in an interview. “The cost of acquiring will go up. The cost of aluminium production has gone up, and debt reduction will get delayed.” Indian metal makers, utilities and cement producers are among those hurt most by the Supreme Court decision that came amid cooling demand and the slowest pace of economic growth in a decade. The companies are looking to get the assets back to protect earnings as the government, according to the coal ministry, plans to auction 74 coal mines by March 31, including 40 operational ones. The nation’s top court rescinded the licenses tainted by graft allegations after the state’s auditor in 2012 found that giving away the mines without an auction may have cost the exchequer Rs1.86tn ($30bn). India changed its law in 2010 to adopt a policy of auctions for granting coal mining permits to companies for their own use. No mine has so far been awarded through bids. The court’s decision threatened to deal a blow to the $1.9tn economy already contending with coal shortages caused by inadequate output growth at monopoly producer Coal India Ltd Supply bottlenecks led to idling of some power plants, while severely hampering supplies to some others. The cancellation also put at risk at least $47bn in investments ranging from power plants to aluminium smelters, according to Ashok Khurana, director general of the Association of Power Producers. “The impact of the auctions will be two-pronged,” said K. Rajagopal, chief financial officer at New Delhi-based Jindal Steel, which is controlled by billionaire Savitri Jindal’s family. “One is on our debt levels and the other is on our capex plans.” Jindal Steel has reduced its investment plans to Rs50bn for the year to March 31 from Rs60bn, Rajagopal said in a phone interview. Further plans for next year will depend on the “resource scenario,” he said. The company’s debt may rise 14% to Rs400bn by March 2015 from earlier estimates, he said. It more than doubled in two years to Rs363.7bn as of March 2014, while Hindalco’s rose 58% to Rs647bn in the same period. “Whatever price we pay, we will need to go to the banks,” said Ajay Bhat, group chief financial officer at Monnet Ispat, a New Delhi-based steel and electricity producer. “We don’t have much cash. While the coal mines will be a long-term positive, in the immediate term, our balance sheet will be stretched.” Birla’s Hindalco lost two blocks that were originally allocated to feed its smelters in Odisha and Madhya Pradesh, while Jindal Steel lost 10. They will have to ward off competition from rivals such as Sesa Sterlite and JSW Steel, which didn’t have any operating mines, said Alex Mathews, head of research at brokerage Geojit BNP Paribas Financial Services. “There will be stiff competition,” Mumbai-based Mathews said. “These are capital intensive sectors and big players would be interested in large coal mines while smaller companies may bid for blocks with lower reserve price.” Although the court order has come as a shock, the new competitive bidding process may provide policy certainty, Birla said in the November 10 interview in his office in Mumbai. “These are bids on mines that have been the backbone on the basis of which we have put up certain projects,” Birla said. “It seems to me that the government has thought through this process of auctioning thoroughly, and we might land up in a situation that is actually better than what we had envisaged.” Gulf Times Saturday, November 22, 2014 3 BUSINESS China lowers interest rate to spur econo mic growth Reuters Beijing C hina cut interest rates unexpectedly yesterday, stepping up efforts to support the world’s second-biggest economy as it heads towards its slowest expansion in nearly a quarter of a century. The cut, the first in over two years, came as factory growth has stalled and the property market, long a pillar of growth, has remained weak, dragging on broader activity and curbing demand for everything from furniture to cement and steel. “It comes right after China’s disappointing PMI figures showing that manufacturing activity is getting dangerously close to contraction,” said Alexandre Baradez, chief market analyst at IG in Paris, referring to a private factory survey this week which added to worries about slowing global growth. “China’s central bank is now following the path of the Fed, the ECB and the BoJ. Central banks are really driving markets,” he said. Just a few weeks ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping had assured global business leaders that the risks faced by China’s economy were “not so scary” and the government was confident it could head off the dangers. In a speech to chief executives at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) CEO Summit, Xi said even if China’s economy were to grow 7%, that would still rank it at the forefront of the world’s economies. The People’s Bank of China said it was cutting one-year benchmark lending rates by 40 basis points to 5.6%. It A pedestrian walks past the People’s Bank Of China headquarters in the financial district of Beijing. China’s central bank yesterday said it was cutting one-year benchmark lending rates by 40 basis points to 5.6% and lowered one-year benchmark deposit rates by 25 basis points. lowered one-year benchmark deposit rates by less – just 25 basis points. The changes take effect from today. “The problem of difficult financing, costly financing remains glaring in the real economy,” the PBoC said. The central bank also took a step to free up deposit rates, allowing banks to pay depositors 1.2 times the benchmark level, up from 1.1 times previously. “They are cutting rates and liberalising rates at the same time so that the stimulus won’t be so damaging,” said Li Huiyong, an economist at Shenyin and Wanguo Securities. Recent data showed bank lending tumbled in October and money supply growth cooled, raising fears of a sharper economic slowdown and prompting calls for more stimulus measures, including cutting interest rates. But many analysts had expected the central bank to hold off on cutting interest rates for now, as authorities have opted instead for measures like more fiscal spending, as they also try to balance the need to reform the economy. Chinese leaders have also repeatedly stressed they would tolerate somewhat slower growth as long as the jobs market remained resilient. More recently, the central bank injected cash into the system in the form of short-term loans to banks in an attempt to keep down borrowing costs and encourage more lending even as bad loans increase. But a growing number of economists said those moves were not translating into either lower financing costs or more credit for cash-starved Chinese companies. Analysts expressed doubts over whether the impact of the rate cut would find its way into the real economy, either, as the cooling economy makes lenders more risk-averse. Some predicted multiple cuts would be needed well into next year. Hurt by the cooling property sector, erratic export demand and slackening domestic investment growth, China’s economy is seen posting its weakest annual growth in 24 years this year at 7.4%. China’s rate move comes after the Bank of Japan sprang a surprise on October 31 by dramatically increasing the pace of its money creation, while European Central Bank President Mario Draghi shifted gear yesterday and threw the door wide open to quantitative easing in the eurozone. “There is definitely more concern around about the state of the global economy than there was a few months ago, you see that not just when you talk about Europe,” British finance minister George Osborne told an audience of business leaders in London yesterday. Malaysia to cut fuel subsidies to shore up finances Reuters Kuala Lumpur M A Petronas gas station in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia will abolish subsidies for petrol and diesel from December 1, the government said yesterday. Aberdeen to avoid riskier bets: official A berdeen Asset Management will avoid riskier bets and stay conservative in its Asia picks despite a drop in earnings growth at its portfolios and fund outflows, the money manager’s Asia chief said yesterday. “Typically, a characteristic of our portfolios is that they are pretty conservative. We tend not to play at the Alibaba end of the spectrum,” Hugh Young, Aberdeen’s global head of equities and managing director of its Asian business, told the Reuters Global Investment Outlook Summit. E-commerce giant Alibaba, which made a record-breaking $25bn listing in New York earlier this year, has attracted a whole host of top global institutional investors to its shares. “There aren’t many changes in our portfolio today compared to where it was 2-3 years ago. Many of our top stocks are ones we have held for 10 or more years,” Young said. Young said Aberdeen’s Asian funds had in 2014 recouped some of the heavy losses they suffered last year, after former US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s talk of policy tightening triggered a selloff in emerging markets. alaysia will abolish subsidies for petrol and diesel from December 1, the government said yesterday, taking a bold step that could potentially save the government some 20bn ringgit ($5.97bn) annually. Malaysia joins Indonesia and India in cutting fuel subsidies amid a sharp decline in oil prices, ending decades-long policies of cheap fuel that have contributed to fiscal deficits. Prime Minister Najib Razak has pledged to beef up Malaysia’s public finances by cutting expenditure and subsidies, as well as expanding the tax base by implementing a 6% goods and services tax from April next year. The price of the widely used RON95 grade of petrol and diesel will be fixed according to an automatic managed float – a system that adjusts prices according to the market rate, the same mechanism as for the price of premium petrol RON97, the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Hasan Malek said yesterday. Economists have said a window has opened up for Southeast Asia to consider dismantling generous subsidies as global crude prices sink to multi-year lows. “It’s very positive for the (Malaysian) budget,” Edward Lee, Standard Chartered’s Regional Head of Research for Southeast Asia, told Reuters. “Then the fiscal deficit will fall to 1% of gross domestic product in 2015, from 3%. And that’s quite impressive.” In recent years, Malaysia has shielded its citizens from the full brunt of surging crude oil prices with fuel subsidies of around 24bn ringgit ($7.34bn) annually. That had exacerbated the government’s budget deficit, one of the region’s biggest as a proportion of gross domestic product. The Malaysian currency climbed 0.37% against the US dollar yesterday, the highest among Asian currencies. The benchmark stock index ended 0.72% lower. Economists said the government’s decision could drive up inflation next month but this would likely be capped due to the slump in global oil prices. “Inflation might pick up in December but gains are likely to be transient,” ANZ said in a note. “The collapse in crude oil prices to around levels of domestic fuel prices means that the upside impact will be mitigated to a huge extent,” ANZ said, adding that RON95 and diesel prices account for slightly less than 8% weight in the consumer price index (CPI) basket. Malaysia narrowed the fiscal deficit to 3.9% of gross domestic product in 2013, and Najib wants to further trim the gap to 3.5% this year and 3% in 2015, heading toward a balanced budget by 2020. “Overall, it is undeniably a positive move from the government that will put the fiscal position on a more even keel,” said OCBC Bank economist Wellian Wiranto. “It is a window of opportunity that no one really knows whether will remain in the coming months, depending on your view of global oil price.” Neighbour and Southeast Asia’s biggest economy Indonesia cut subsidies and raised fuel prices by more than 30% this week, a move that is expected to save the government of Southeast Asia’s biggest economy more than $8bn next year. Japanese buyers may keep Iran crude volumes steady Reuters Tokyo S ome Japanese buyers of Iranian crude are set to keep volumes bought under term contracts steady next year even if Tehran reaches an agreement with world powers over its nuclear programme, industry sources familiar with the matter said. An interim agreement between Iran and world powers last year allowed Iran to keep exports at the level of about 1mn barrels per day, but Japan has been cutting its purchases sharply since 2012 under pressure from US and EU sanctions. The deadline for resolving the nuclear dispute looms on Monday but it may be extended until March because of sharp disagreements. The West says Iran’s programme is a cover to develop weapons; Tehran denies this. Japanese buyers have been rebuffing Iranian requests to buy more because their purchases are being capped by the government, sources said Even if an agreement is finally struck, JX Nippon Oil and Cosmo Oil are set to keep Iranian volumes steady next year, industry sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. “Next year we will not increase or decrease term volumes. We will keep the volumes,” a source from one of those companies said, declining to be identified. “We would buy spot depending on the market, on top of contracted amounts, if the agreement was reached.” If there was an agreement and sanctions ended, Iran would double its oil exports within two months, Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh was quoted as saying on Thursday. Japanese buyers have been rebuffing Iranian requests to buy more because their purchases are being capped by the government, sources said. JX Nippon Oil has been buying 53,000 barrels per day of Iranian crude this year, while Cosmo was lifting a little below 15,000 bpd, sources say. Still, if a final agreement was reached, one or more Japanese buyers might opt to increase term volumes despite shrinking domestic demand in Japan, sources said. “If there was an agreement in November, Idemitsu and Showa Shell would likely increase volumes,” said one industry source familiar with the matter. The head of Japan’s oil refining industry, Yasushi Kimura, who is also chairman of JX Holdings, said yesterday the industry was prepared to follow the Japanese government’s guidance on crude purchases from Iran. For the year through September, Japan’s imports of Iranian crude fell 10.5% from a year before to 174,395 bpd. China rate cut: market euphoria now, but will it work? Dow Jones Beijing China’s stepped up to the plate. Yesterday, the country’s central bank cut lending rates for the first time in more than two years, acknowledging that its piecemeal efforts to bolster its flagging growth have failed. The market reaction was sharp, with oil, gold, copper, stocks and commodity currencies surging the world over. But will this be enough? Here’s a first roundup of reaction from across the street: Philip Shaw, economist at Investec in London: “We were very surprised by the people’s bank move. Of course we have seen a slowdown in the pace of activity, but we still thought that growth would remain in an acceptable range and that the bank wouldn’t have to act in the way it did. Markets have reacted sharply, firstly because it was so unexpected, but also because investors are taking confidence from China stepping up to the plate so boldly. The first market move is certainly one of euphoria but going forward we’ll need robust data to support those moves and prove that the action has worked.” Luis Costa, strategist at Citigroup: “This is particularly positive for currency risk, and may help the likes of South African rand, Brazilian real and Chilean peso. In essence the PBOC reaction suggests there are ongoing concerns with growth dynamics positive for fixed income, but the PBOC remains reluctant to act aggressively, in our view. Our overweight position in SAGBs looks very timely right now.” Daniel Briesemann, a commodities analyst at Commerzbank: China’s “completely unexpected interest rate cut” was likely prompted by the recent swathe of negative economic data out of the country, said Commerzbank. “This might have prompted them to act right now. In general, this is a step in their gradual shift to normal monetary policy - or at least that’s the interpretation of our economists. In the longer term, it’s clearly a good thing, but timing-wise (it was) completely unexpected.” Benoit Anne, strategist at Societe Generale : “The PBoC signal [will] boost appetite for risky assets. To the extent that it will fuel anticipation of more action. In other words, today is important in terms of policy expectations, but not in terms of actual policy move.” Marc Ostwald, strategist at ADM Investor Services: “The timing of this move looks to be as much about the sharp appreciation of the renminbi against the yen as the fact China’s economy experiencing “period of pain’, as per the vice finance minister last weekend. One can certainly also expect a response from South Korea and others in SE Asia and a rate cut from India’s RBI (with WPI falling sharply on the back of the falling crude prices) also seems likely.” Thierry Wizman, strategist and trader at Macquarie Bank: “Coming after various signals that policymakers would not resort to new sweeping easing measures and be rather judicious in their application of new liquidity measures, today’s cut in interest rates is a significant signal, which is taking take many market participants by surprise. The greatest beneficiaries will be the commodity currencies.” Julian Chillingworth, chief investment officer at Rathbones, which manages GBP26.3bn ($41.2bn) in assets: “The Chinese rate cut demonstrates the PBoC’s willingness to use the tools at their disposal to stimulate the economy.” Along with the ECB’s easing plans, “this underlines that as an investors you need to make sure you have a big enough allocation to risk assets, because they’re being buoyed up by central banks’ actions,” Chillingworth said. 4 Gulf Times Saturday, November 22, 2014 BUSINESS Japan inflation seen easing in Oct; boding ill for BoJ target Core CPI slowing below 1%, keeping BoJ under pressure to act; factory output slipping again, weighed by pile of inventory; household spending down for 7 months, reeling from April tax hike; weak data may sow doubts over Abenomics as Abe calls December 14 poll Reuters Tokyo Reuters Tokyo J apan’s annual core consumer inflation probably eased for a third straight month in October reflecting falling oil prices, a Reuters poll showed, likely keeping the Bank of Japan under pressure to act again in order to achieve its inflation target. Highlighting the pain from April’s sales tax hike that helped tipped the economy into recession, factory output probably slipped in October and household spending continued to slide, the poll showed. A run of soft indicators due on November 28 could raise doubts about Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s reflationary policy mix dubbed “Abenomics”, ahead of a December 14 general election Abe called to cement his grip on power after delaying a planned tax hike. The internal affairs ministry will release CPI and household spending data on November 28. Industrial output data will be released by the trade ministry on November 28. A Reuters poll of about 20 economists showed the core consumer price index (CPI), which excludes volatile fresh food but includes oil products, likely rose 2.9% year-on-year in October, slowing for a third consecutive month. Stripping out the effects of April’s tax hike, consumer inflation was estimated at 0.9%, less than half of the central bank’s 2% target, a level which investors see as virtually impossible to meet. Analysts remain sceptical about the BoJ’s view that a tighter labour market and improving output gap will accelerate inflation to 2% around the fiscal year from April 2015. BoJ Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said on November 19 inflation could slow below 1% due to falling oil and commodity prices, Shoppers at a supermarket in Tokyo. Japan’s inflation probably eased for a third straight month in October reflecting falling oil prices, a Reuters poll showed yesterday. altering his earlier view that it would stay above 1%. “The core consumer inflation is expected to slow further to around 0.5% in March 2015,” said Junichi Makino, chief economist at SMBC Nikko Secu- Korea’s chaebols feel the heat as shareholders scrap Samsung merger Reuters Seoul Investors are challenging the unilateral decisions made by South Korea’s biggest familyrun firms, putting pressure on the chaebols that form the backbone of Asia’s fourthlargest economy to take their interests into consideration. This week, investor backlash led Samsung Heavy Industries and Samsung Engineering, affiliates of Samsung Group, to abandon a $2.5bn merger. Investor anger at a $10bn property purchase by a consortium led by Hyundai Motor also triggered a rare share buyback by the automaker and its affiliate Kia Motors this month. Investors have long complained that chaebols often put the interests of their founding families, who only hold small stakes in affiliates, before their own. Now these majority shareholders are fighting back. “Korean chaebols haven’t been very sensitive to shareholders but they are learning the hard way,” said Kim Sang-jo, head of activist group Solidarity for Economic Reform that uses its minority stakes in major firms Blackstone to buy GE’s property assets in Japan for over $1.6bn to push for better governance. “They were confident they could do things their way but now they have to be more cautious,” he told Reuters. The chaebols’ apparent disregard for shareholder value is among the reasons Seoullisted stocks trade at a discount to peers abroad, and investors are fed up, analysts say. In the case of the Samsung units, shareholders said they saw little value in the deal. Analysts said the merger was aimed at streamlining Samsung Group to make it easier for the heirs of ailing and elderly chief Lee Kun-hee to split the business. “Korean chaebols should put themselves in the shoes of shareholders,” said Park Yoo-kyung, a director for Netherlands-based APG Asset Management which owns shares in Samsung units. “They can’t sacrifice investors for the sake of the deal.” Hyundai Motor Group recently faced similar investor backlash after affiliates bid three times the appraised price for a Seoul property to house its headquarters. After their stocks plunged, Hyundai and Kia announced buybacks. Samsung headquarters in Seoul. Investors are challenging the unilateral decisions made by South Korea’s biggest family-run firms to scrap the merger of Samsung Group units. rities. “As such we expect that the BoJ will be forced into additional easing by April next year.” The yen’s weakening, triggered by the BOJ’s shock expansion of its quantitative easing on October 31, will push up prices but with a lag of six to eight months, he added. Boding ill for the BoJ’s scenario of a positive cycle between income gains and expenditure at firms and households, factory output likely fell 0.6% month-on-month in October. Manu- facturers are saddled with a pile of inventories of unsold goods as demand weakened after April’s tax rise. Household spending likely fell 5.1% year-onyear in October, down for seven months in a row, the poll showed. Blackstone Group LP, the world’s largest private equity investor in real estate, said it will buy residential assets in Japan from General Electric Co (GE)’s property unit in a deal worth more than ¥190bn ($1.6bn), Japan’s largest property deal this year. Blackstone will buy more than 10,000 apartment units in 200 properties in Japan’s largest cities including Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya, the buyout fund said in a statement. The deal comes as GE Capital Real Estate is retreating from its property investments globally as it shifts its focus to property lend “This transaction supports our global strategy to reduce our equity book as we continue to build our global debt operations,” Francois Trausch, Chief Executive, Asia-Pacific at GE Capital Real Estate, said in a statement. Blackstone earlier this year bought warehouses and development land in the US from GE Real Estate. Last year Blackstone bought apartment buildings containing about 30,000 units located in the US in a deal worth more than $2bn. Blackstone’s latest transaction is the largest property acquisition this year in Japan, topping Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC Pte’s purchase of an office tower in the prime business district in Tokyo for about ¥170bn. The number of large property transactions has increased this year as Japan’s market is accelerating its recovery. In August, Japanese property developer Mori Trust bought Meguro Gajoen, a complex of office, retail and hotel facilities for ¥130bn from US buyout firm Lone Star Funds. Thailand to up infrastructure spending Bloomberg Bangkok T hailand’s military-run government will accelerate spending on mass transit, railways and roads to counter falling exports and boost economic growth, the deputy transport minister said. The ministry will speed up bidding for the construction of mass transit systems in the capital and upgrading railway networks nationwide, Arkhom Termpittayapaisith said in an interview in Bangkok yesterday. The projects are part of a planned 3tn baht ($91.5bn) investment in the nation’s transport infrastructure between 2015 and 2022, he said. Southeast Asia’s second-biggest economy expanded 0.6% in the three months through September from a year earlier, data showed this week, slower than analysts’ estimates. The government has unveiled a stimulus package of about $11bn and has pledged to quicken budget spending to boost domestic consumption. “The government’s investments will be the only hope to kick-start growth again, as private consumption and investments remain very weak,” said Arkhom, who is also head of the National Economic and Social Development Board. “Exports will take some time to return to strong growth because of the slowdown in Europe, China and Japan.” The SET Construction Services Index, a gauge of construction companies, rose 2.5%, the most since Sept. 3 and the biggest gainer among 28 industry groups on the benchmark. Italian-Thai Development Pcl, the biggest construction firm, jumped 8% to the highest close since June 2013. Thailand’s economy is forecast to grow this year at the slowest pace since 2011, when thousands of factories were inundated by the worst floods in 70 years. The NESDB, which also studies the feasibility of large infrastructure projects, has said export value this year will probably be flat, and that it expects GDP growth of 1% in 2014. The monetary authority kept its policy interest rate unchanged at 2% earlier this month. Governor Prasarn Trairatvorakul said that while the current rate is accommodative for growth, it can be eased further if the economy fails to recover. Foreign direct investment applications approved from January to October fell 38% from a year earlier, according to government data. Finance Minister Sommai Phasee said this week that an increase in value added tax, or VAT, is being considered, and that a crackdown on tax evasion will also help boost revenue and fund infrastructure spending. The government will move quickly on a proposed high-speed railway linking Thailand with Laos, said Arkhom. Prayuth will discuss co-operation on the project with China during his visit to the North Asian nation later this year, he said, without giving more details. India says timeline to end coal mining monopoly to be clearer by March ’15 Bloomberg New Delhi I ndia’s time-frame for ending a fourdecade-old state monopoly on mining and selling coal will be clearer by March, Coal Secretary Anil Swarup said. That’s when a forthcoming auction of coal blocks is due to be completed, Swarup said in an interview in New Delhi on November 19. The auction is being held after the Supreme Court in September cancelled coal mine permits awarded since 1993 for captive use. The government also made a provision for commercial mining by private companies in an ordinance last month. “The timing of opening up the sector for commercial mining will depend on how this auction goes,” Swarup said. “Once we have successfully completed these auctions by March 31, we will then see how we can extend it to commercial mining.” Allowing private companies into commercial mining may help raise output of coal to achieve Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s goal of ending blackouts. The state monopoly Coal India Ltd, which produces about 80% of the nation’s coal, has missed all its output targets since at least its initial public offering in 2010. That’s prompted record imports to meet demand. “Private competition can nudge Coal India to perform to its potential,” said Deven Choksey, managing director at Mumbai-based KR Choksey Shares & Securities Pvt. “It’s a change that India needs and if communicated well, there shouldn’t be a problem in achieving it.” All companies registered in India, including global companies, can apply for commercial mining permits when the law is enacted, Swarup said. Coal India’s trade unions are planning a day’s strike on November 24 to protest the government’s plans to sell a 10% stake in the company. “It’s the beginning of a long battle,” said Jibon Roy, secretary general at the All India Coal Workers Federation, which consists of the five leading trade unions in the company. “The government it seems has decided to liquidate Coal India. They India plans to award 74 coal blocks through a mix of auctions and government allocations by March 16, 2015 are planning to surround the company with competition.” Spurring competition is at the heart of the government’s plans to open up the sector, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told the NDTV 24x7 television channel last month. “Coal India is playing and will continue to play a dominant role in the supply of coal in India, but we also believe that it’s not sufficient,” Swarup said. “Because there will be a demand for coal, it has to be met both through Coal India and through other segments.” India plans to award 74 coal blocks through a mix of auctions and government allocations by March 16, he said. Gulf Times Saturday, November 22, 2014 5 BUSINESS DJIA WORLD INDICES Company Name Exxon Mobil Corp Microsoft Corp Johnson & Johnson Wal-Mart Stores Inc General Electric Co Procter & Gamble Co/The Jpmorgan Chase & Co Chevron Corp Verizon Communications Inc Coca-Cola Co/The Pfizer Inc At&T Inc Intel Corp Merck & Co. Inc. Intl Business Machines Corp Visa Inc-Class A Shares Walt Disney Co/The Cisco Systems Inc Home Depot Inc 3M Co United Technologies Corp Mcdonald’s Corp Boeing Co/The American Express Co Unitedhealth Group Inc Goldman Sachs Group Inc Nike Inc -Cl B Du Pont (E.I.) De Nemours Caterpillar Inc Travelers Cos Inc/The Lt Price 96.43 48.33 107.85 84.95 26.92 89.12 60.84 118.15 50.08 44.37 30.46 35.27 36.01 59.84 161.67 253.52 89.00 26.91 98.20 160.34 110.53 96.83 132.97 91.16 97.48 190.54 97.41 72.66 106.24 104.08 % Chg 0.64 -0.76 -0.30 0.44 0.26 0.73 1.20 0.72 -0.22 0.27 0.07 -0.03 0.17 0.77 0.64 0.73 0.11 0.38 0.65 0.61 1.57 0.20 0.96 0.59 0.65 0.42 0.11 1.72 4.07 0.60 4,746,116 15,169,187 3,319,020 2,170,497 14,901,720 3,224,783 4,989,542 2,915,147 6,651,076 5,663,133 7,584,798 9,225,302 27,564,004 3,208,270 1,616,983 1,332,327 2,765,794 12,668,522 2,326,003 942,117 1,512,335 1,920,385 1,674,717 1,328,153 1,664,865 1,225,671 1,545,694 1,266,303 4,596,111 535,008 FTSE 100 Company Name Wpp Plc Wolseley Plc Wm Morrison Supermarkets Whitbread Plc Weir Group Plc/The Vodafone Group Plc United Utilities Group Plc Unilever Plc Tullow Oil Plc Tui Travel Plc Travis Perkins Plc Tesco Plc Standard Life Plc Standard Chartered Plc St James’s Place Plc Sse Plc Sports Direct International Smiths Group Plc Smith & Nephew Plc Shire Plc Severn Trent Plc Schroders Plc Sainsbury (J) Plc Sage Group Plc/The Sabmiller Plc Rsa Insurance Group Plc Royal Mail Plc Royal Dutch Shell Plc-B Shs Royal Dutch Shell Plc-A Shs Royal Bank Of Scotland Group Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc Rio Tinto Plc Reed Elsevier Plc Reckitt Benckiser Group Plc Randgold Resources Ltd Prudential Plc Petrofac Ltd Persimmon Plc Pearson Plc Old Mutual Plc Next Plc National Grid Plc Mondi Plc Meggitt Plc Marks & Spencer Group Plc London Stock Exchange Group Lloyds Banking Group Plc Legal & General Group Plc Land Securities Group Plc Kingfisher Plc Johnson Matthey Plc Itv Plc Intu Properties Plc Intl Consolidated Airline-Di Intertek Group Plc Intercontinental Hotels Grou Imperial Tobacco Group Plc Imi Plc Hsbc Holdings Plc Hargreaves Lansdown Plc Hammerson Plc Glencore Plc Glaxosmithkline Plc Gkn Plc G4s Plc Friends Life Group Ltd Fresnillo Plc Experian Plc Easyjet Plc Dixons Carphone Plc Direct Line Insurance Group Diageo Plc Crh Plc Compass Group Plc Coca-Cola Hbc Ag-Cdi Centrica Plc Carnival Plc Capita Plc Burberry Group Plc Bunzl Plc Bt Group Plc British Sky Broadcasting Gro British Land Co Plc British American Tobacco Plc Bp Plc Bhp Billiton Plc Bg Group Plc Barclays Plc Bae Systems Plc Babcock Intl Group Plc Aviva Plc Astrazeneca Plc Associated British Foods Plc Ashtead Group Plc Arm Holdings Plc Antofagasta Plc Anglo American Plc Aggreko Plc Admiral Group Plc Aberdeen Asset Mgmt Plc 3I Group Plc #N/A Invalid Security Lt Price 1,315.00 3,537.00 186.30 4,413.00 2,111.00 228.20 909.50 2,654.00 505.00 424.20 1,756.00 194.30 415.70 940.10 767.00 1,594.00 635.00 1,185.00 1,090.00 4,483.00 2,062.00 2,635.00 259.30 398.70 3,469.50 464.90 431.20 2,394.50 2,289.00 377.20 853.00 3,048.50 1,057.00 5,155.00 4,492.00 1,504.00 1,193.00 1,495.00 1,223.00 201.50 6,725.00 932.00 1,093.00 487.30 474.20 2,102.00 78.59 245.90 1,158.00 305.30 3,331.00 202.00 347.80 433.60 2,431.00 2,616.00 2,879.00 1,214.00 632.20 1,013.00 614.00 337.20 1,481.00 333.90 270.40 348.10 763.50 994.50 1,553.00 419.40 284.00 1,920.50 1,466.00 1,064.00 1,455.00 291.70 2,620.00 1,063.00 1,623.00 1,756.00 380.40 893.50 747.50 3,698.50 449.20 1,668.50 1,070.00 236.45 465.30 1,196.00 540.00 4,750.00 3,121.00 1,053.00 900.50 730.00 1,378.50 1,602.00 1,228.00 455.60 428.70 0.00 % Chg 1.23 0.91 1.64 -0.18 3.99 0.60 -0.05 0.49 5.80 -0.68 0.86 0.73 0.39 3.40 0.85 -0.19 -0.47 0.17 0.28 0.31 -0.19 0.57 0.46 1.50 0.57 0.22 0.35 1.76 1.55 -0.89 1.07 6.40 -0.09 -0.67 3.62 -0.17 1.27 0.20 0.25 1.41 0.60 -0.43 2.34 1.04 0.02 0.86 0.60 0.37 0.00 1.06 -0.30 0.00 0.78 0.58 0.83 1.16 -1.54 2.02 1.10 3.47 0.08 4.25 0.27 2.17 0.19 1.40 5.31 0.35 -0.77 -0.76 -0.53 1.59 3.31 -0.09 2.25 -0.75 -0.68 0.57 1.82 -0.23 1.28 -0.39 0.27 -0.04 1.78 5.43 2.29 1.05 1.15 1.01 1.41 0.83 0.06 2.23 0.84 4.73 6.57 1.78 0.99 2.06 1.30 0.00 Volume 2,910,591 936,862 13,413,233 262,369 828,650 46,972,724 1,553,962 2,007,409 5,603,422 2,255,780 558,109 19,352,068 2,739,792 10,755,084 804,053 1,360,039 1,448,461 2,282,162 3,802,609 1,078,831 402,894 246,686 4,931,668 1,725,550 2,182,945 2,319,450 3,957,913 3,487,509 3,593,063 19,190,155 3,903,353 9,705,956 2,276,504 1,155,976 744,694 2,454,186 1,682,564 962,738 1,757,323 13,603,362 391,049 6,813,112 1,275,467 2,165,161 3,837,263 387,053 94,646,978 9,988,064 1,647,822 10,338,760 590,696 5,415,097 1,399,960 5,859,751 405,079 476,282 1,342,233 762,514 15,805,460 876,225 1,415,324 51,968,791 7,218,777 3,149,698 2,125,571 4,750,614 1,701,227 1,128,639 1,515,949 2,052,346 1,823,008 4,152,332 2,313,794 1,929,766 524,971 14,932,038 931,954 909,389 907,807 461,246 11,016,973 1,725,286 2,475,445 2,575,240 21,807,340 14,380,865 7,013,001 36,474,592 5,156,389 2,199,823 4,619,080 1,416,546 540,186 1,323,535 3,050,905 2,471,197 9,561,846 456,279 647,049 2,207,341 1,119,840 - TOKYO Company Name Inpex Corp Daiwa House Industry Co Ltd Sekisui House Ltd Kirin Holdings Co Ltd Japan Tobacco Inc Seven & I Holdings Co Ltd Toray Industries Inc Asahi Kasei Corp Sumitomo Chemical Co Ltd Shin-Etsu Chemical Co Ltd Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Kao Corp Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd Astellas Pharma Inc Eisai Co Ltd Daiichi Sankyo Co Ltd Fujifilm Holdings Corp Shiseido Co Ltd Jx Holdings Inc Lt Price 1,414.50 2,246.00 1,580.00 1,495.50 3,935.00 4,482.00 920.50 1,007.50 424.00 7,878.00 587.60 4,505.00 4,973.50 1,762.00 4,297.00 1,752.50 4,029.50 1,744.50 453.80 % Chg 2.24 -0.47 0.35 0.61 0.88 -0.40 -1.02 -0.44 0.24 1.35 -0.15 0.91 0.15 -1.04 -0.83 0.66 0.31 -0.57 2.90 Indices Volume Volume 7,176,000 1,919,400 4,238,800 3,282,000 5,142,000 2,676,400 24,959,000 7,651,000 8,582,000 1,473,200 6,651,900 2,102,200 2,213,500 8,937,000 1,651,400 3,364,300 4,468,900 2,066,300 18,195,100 Lt Price Change Dow Jones Indus. Avg S&P 500 Index Nasdaq Composite Index S&P/Tsx Composite Index Mexico Bolsa Index Brazil Bovespa Stock Idx Ftse 100 Index Cac 40 Index Dax Index Ibex 35 Tr 17,828.37 2,066.28 4,722.68 15,132.41 44,902.63 54,508.48 6,755.74 4,349.96 9,732.47 10,533.10 +109.37 +13.53 +20.81 +57.23 +693.21 +1,105.67 +76.84 +115.75 +248.50 +323.90 Nikkei 225 Japan Topix Hang Seng Index All Ordinaries Indx Nzx All Index Bse Sensex 30 Index Nse S&P Cnx Nifty Index Straits Times Index Karachi All Share Index Jakarta Composite Index 17,357.51 1,400.18 23,437.12 5,292.08 1,110.96 28,334.63 8,477.35 3,345.32 23,138.74 5,112.05 +56.65 +2.54 +87.48 -10.37 -5.62 +267.07 +75.45 +29.72 +217.66 +18.48 TOKYO Company Name Bridgestone Corp Asahi Glass Co Ltd Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Meta Sumitomo Metal Industries Kobe Steel Ltd Jfe Holdings Inc Sumitomo Metal Mining Co Ltd Sumitomo Electric Industries Smc Corp Komatsu Ltd Kubota Corp Daikin Industries Ltd Hitachi Ltd Toshiba Corp Mitsubishi Electric Corp Nidec Corp Nec Corp Fujitsu Ltd Panasonic Corp Sharp Corp Sony Corp Tdk Corp Keyence Corp Denso Corp Fanuc Corp Rohm Co Ltd Kyocera Corp Murata Manufacturing Co Ltd Nitto Denko Corp Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Nissan Motor Co Ltd Toyota Motor Corp Honda Motor Co Ltd Suzuki Motor Corp Nikon Corp Hoya Corp Canon Inc Ricoh Co Ltd Dai Nippon Printing Co Ltd Nintendo Co Ltd Itochu Corp Marubeni Corp Mitsui & Co Ltd Tokyo Electron Ltd Sumitomo Corp Mitsubishi Corp Aeon Co Ltd Mitsubishi Ufj Financial Gro Resona Holdings Inc Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdin Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Gr Bank Of Yokohama Ltd/The Mizuho Financial Group Inc Orix Corp Daiwa Securities Group Inc Nomura Holdings Inc Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Holdin Ms&Ad Insurance Group Holdin Dai-Ichi Life Insurance Tokio Marine Holdings Inc T&D Holdings Inc Mitsui Fudosan Co Ltd Mitsubishi Estate Co Ltd Sumitomo Realty & Developmen East Japan Railway Co West Japan Railway Co Central Japan Railway Co Ana Holdings Inc Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Kddi Corp Ntt Docomo Inc Tokyo Electric Power Co Inc Chubu Electric Power Co Inc Kansai Electric Power Co Inc Tohoku Electric Power Co Inc Kyushu Electric Power Co Inc Tokyo Gas Co Ltd Secom Co Ltd Yamada Denki Co Ltd Fast Retailing Co Ltd Softbank Corp Lt Price 3,917.50 571.00 308.70 0.00 182.00 2,445.50 1,746.00 1,501.00 31,850.00 2,703.50 1,813.50 7,180.00 888.40 504.80 1,401.50 7,545.00 360.00 678.10 1,468.50 293.00 2,433.50 7,000.00 55,540.00 5,531.00 20,160.00 7,570.00 5,690.00 12,895.00 6,248.00 675.60 1,076.50 7,089.00 3,690.00 3,690.00 1,696.00 4,263.50 3,711.50 1,249.50 1,056.50 12,970.00 1,325.00 726.60 1,620.50 7,734.00 1,258.50 2,266.50 1,182.00 671.00 641.80 486.10 4,482.00 673.50 204.20 1,540.50 955.30 717.00 2,885.50 2,599.00 1,703.50 3,827.50 1,415.00 3,558.50 2,779.50 4,400.50 8,935.00 5,721.00 17,530.00 274.70 6,395.00 7,687.00 1,847.00 444.00 1,399.50 1,218.00 1,444.00 1,252.00 640.30 6,840.00 399.00 43,100.00 7,790.00 % Chg 0.17 0.00 0.78 0.00 1.68 2.86 0.58 -1.73 0.24 -0.28 0.06 0.01 -0.59 0.34 -1.51 -0.20 0.28 0.82 -0.44 -1.68 0.95 -0.71 -0.20 0.09 1.31 0.00 0.58 -1.49 0.14 -0.92 -1.10 -0.13 0.37 -0.27 2.98 0.28 0.97 0.12 -0.33 0.35 -1.08 0.04 -0.43 0.82 0.76 -1.13 -0.76 0.12 0.69 1.14 0.29 0.40 -0.24 0.20 0.95 0.00 -0.40 0.50 -0.21 1.28 -0.35 0.48 0.78 -0.28 0.62 -0.12 -0.09 0.22 -0.71 -0.26 -1.73 -0.22 0.94 1.33 0.07 0.64 0.20 -0.13 2.31 0.60 0.52 Volume 2,781,800 5,495,000 42,293,000 35,316,000 5,373,700 4,303,000 6,313,800 233,900 5,199,500 4,520,000 1,264,200 17,826,000 24,500,000 9,503,000 911,300 19,095,000 18,692,000 9,233,800 33,790,000 9,956,800 1,218,500 99,700 1,934,400 1,090,900 493,200 1,397,900 1,269,300 1,330,700 20,914,000 12,386,100 11,989,400 7,129,100 1,946,900 7,537,800 1,274,800 5,283,800 3,773,400 2,135,000 419,200 13,646,300 12,003,700 10,048,000 810,000 5,988,000 9,145,800 6,003,300 54,133,800 13,540,000 22,414,000 6,204,400 3,647,000 114,023,100 7,622,200 9,172,000 16,846,700 1,526,400 2,601,300 3,576,500 3,118,300 2,604,100 4,887,000 5,531,000 3,380,000 771,400 802,200 481,100 16,855,000 2,632,800 2,689,300 9,342,600 34,592,200 2,490,800 2,238,200 1,526,900 1,770,700 7,073,000 830,300 10,467,300 661,900 9,667,400 SENSEX Company Name Zee Entertainment Enterprise Wipro Ltd Ultratech Cement Ltd Tech Mahindra Ltd Tata Steel Ltd Tata Power Co Ltd Tata Motors Ltd Tata Consultancy Svcs Ltd Sun Pharmaceutical Indus State Bank Of India Sesa Sterlite Ltd Reliance Industries Ltd Punjab National Bank Power Grid Corp Of India Ltd Oil & Natural Gas Corp Ltd Ntpc Ltd Nmdc Ltd Maruti Suzuki India Ltd Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd Lupin Ltd Larsen & Toubro Ltd Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd Jindal Steel & Power Ltd Itc Ltd Infosys Ltd Indusind Bank Ltd Idfc Ltd Icici Bank Ltd Housing Development Finance Hindustan Unilever Ltd Hindalco Industries Ltd Hero Motocorp Ltd Hdfc Bank Limited Hcl Technologies Ltd Grasim Industries Ltd Gail India Ltd Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Dlf Ltd Coal India Ltd Cipla Ltd Cairn India Ltd Bharti Airtel Ltd Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd Bharat Heavy Electricals Bank Of Baroda Bajaj Auto Ltd Axis Bank Ltd Asian Paints Ltd Ambuja Cements Ltd Acc Ltd Lt Price 375.10 572.10 2,490.70 2,676.35 462.90 88.10 531.00 2,622.15 841.00 305.50 237.60 997.70 977.30 146.55 383.30 142.65 146.10 3,355.05 1,246.70 1,463.25 1,666.30 1,199.15 142.95 376.15 4,146.15 714.30 157.35 1,730.70 1,134.40 753.00 160.30 3,028.35 932.85 1,642.65 3,542.60 475.75 3,530.80 140.40 346.90 627.05 270.55 401.55 724.45 252.25 1,038.65 2,673.45 476.95 692.15 225.95 1,464.95 % Chg -0.01 0.03 0.99 -1.08 -0.79 -1.45 1.19 0.64 -1.18 2.83 1.28 1.73 2.60 0.27 -0.64 0.11 0.90 0.59 1.53 -0.36 1.30 3.67 -2.26 1.65 -1.88 1.00 0.10 2.53 1.07 -1.08 2.76 1.09 1.60 -0.39 0.38 0.25 0.06 1.30 0.04 1.38 1.60 0.96 0.65 2.62 1.28 0.68 2.21 0.23 1.94 1.29 Volume 3,728,223 1,982,994 354,233 902,066 4,614,580 2,732,408 4,495,911 1,062,083 1,986,731 23,859,254 3,224,455 3,014,171 1,480,049 3,508,819 3,690,976 5,863,720 1,707,144 292,515 2,442,784 389,489 1,465,369 6,907,991 6,408,397 4,713,560 1,362,706 949,290 5,526,890 3,452,521 1,687,540 721,890 9,805,681 565,895 2,367,550 579,334 27,613 1,554,139 128,270 6,076,054 2,623,258 3,177,995 3,364,469 2,995,197 745,544 3,719,942 1,191,796 483,681 5,178,523 1,297,803 1,481,428 338,441 Traders work at their desks in front of the German share price index DAX board at the Frankfurt Stock Exchange yesterday. The DAX 30 rose 2.62% to 9.732.55 in yesterday’s trading. ECB, China light stimulus fire under European stocks AFP London E uropean shares shot up yesterday after the ECB signalled it is ready to act quickly to deter deflation and China cut interest rates for the first time in more than two years. London’s benchmark FTSE 100 index climbed 1.08% to close at 6,750.76 points, while the DAX 30 in Frankfurt rose 2.62% to 9.732.55 and Paris’s CAC 40 gained 2.67% to 4,347.23. Madrid shot up 3.05%, Milan 3.88% and Athens 3.67%. However, the euro slumped on the prospect of more easy money being injected into the eurozone, falling to $1.2405 from $1.2540 late on Thursday. “Markets in Europe took a double dose of stimulus in early trading on Friday which set the tone for the entire day,” said analyst Jasper Lawler at CMC Markets UK. “Mario Draghi again implied the ECB is moving towards full quantita- tive easing and shortly afterwards China cut interest rates for the first time in two years sending commodities and risky assets flying,” he said. The euro retreated “sharply on the back of Draghi’s comments as he once again sets the stage for a potential” announcement on stimulus, said Kathleen Brooks, analyst at Forex.com trading group. It also fell against the pound, dropping to 79.12 pence from 79.90 late on Thursday. The pound slid to $1.576 from $1.5694 Meanwhile, the yen pulled off multi-year lows, clawing back some of its losses over the past week. The dollar bought ¥117.63 compared to 118.22 late on Thursday, while the euro bought ¥145.91, down from 148.25. In Beijing, the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) cut its one-year deposit rate by 0.25 of a percentage point to 2.75% and reduced the one-year lending rate by 0.40 of a percentage point to 5.6%. Shares in mining companies that HONG KONG HONG KONG Company Name Aluminum Corp Of China Ltd-H Bank Of East Asia Bank Of China Ltd-H Bank Of Communications Co-H Belle International Holdings Boc Hong Kong Holdings Ltd Cathay Pacific Airways Cheung Kong Holdings Ltd China Coal Energy Co-H China Construction Bank-H China Life Insurance Co-H China Merchants Hldgs Intl China Mobile Ltd China Overseas Land & Invest China Petroleum & Chemical-H China Resources Enterprise China Resources Land Ltd China Resources Power Holdin China Shenhua Energy Co-H China Unicom Hong Kong Ltd Citic Ltd Clp Holdings Ltd Cnooc Ltd Cosco Pacific Ltd Esprit Holdings Ltd Fih Mobile Ltd Hang Lung Properties Ltd Hang Seng Bank Ltd Henderson Land Development supply Chinese factories with raw materials surged on the news. In London, Anglo American soared 6.7% 1,380 pence, Rio Tinto jumped 6.2% to 3,042 pence and BHP Billiton gained 5.0% to 1,662 pence. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.64% to 17,832.03 points in midday trading. The broad-based S&P 500 gained 0.57% to 2,064.46, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index rose 0.46% to 4,723.54. Elsewhere on Friday, shares in French firm Bouygues rallied 3.9% to €29.97 after Altice, the parent company of cable operator Numericable, showed interest in its telecoms subsidiary, signalling another possible tie-up in France’s mobile phone market. Shares in French supermarket group Carrefour climbed 3.1% to €25.30 after it got regulatory approval to acquire the 800 stores in the troubled French unit of Spanish discount supermarket group Dia. Lt Price 3.33 32.05 3.73 5.69 9.45 26.80 15.38 138.10 4.72 5.60 23.00 25.65 94.85 20.40 6.31 15.98 17.38 20.40 20.35 11.38 12.86 66.35 11.88 10.52 10.04 4.04 22.50 128.30 51.20 % Chg 1.22 -0.47 0.54 -0.52 -0.74 0.75 1.32 0.22 0.64 0.36 0.88 0.39 1.17 0.25 1.28 2.57 3.58 -0.24 1.24 0.71 -0.16 0.30 3.48 0.00 0.20 -0.25 0.00 -0.54 0.00 Volume 9,932,094 1,082,299 217,408,017 63,576,361 50,779,242 7,342,860 3,460,359 1,436,721 32,170,639 158,406,430 36,990,509 1,741,188 14,535,916 42,693,596 60,652,857 3,162,162 21,415,180 14,861,135 23,169,682 44,389,783 10,795,256 1,626,151 112,900,960 3,053,785 1,405,909 3,870,996 3,197,489 989,794 1,578,185 Company Name Hong Kong & China Gas Hong Kong Exchanges & Clear Hsbc Holdings Plc Hutchison Whampoa Ltd Ind & Comm Bk Of China-H Li & Fung Ltd Mtr Corp New World Development Petrochina Co Ltd-H Ping An Insurance Group Co-H Power Assets Holdings Ltd Sino Land Co Sun Hung Kai Properties Swire Pacific Ltd-A Tencent Holdings Ltd Wharf Holdings Ltd Lt Price 18.74 167.10 76.50 97.75 4.96 8.74 31.05 9.23 8.70 58.75 72.20 12.58 112.80 102.90 124.20 55.15 % Chg 2.18 0.78 -0.46 -0.41 0.40 -0.34 -0.32 -3.35 1.87 0.95 -0.48 0.64 0.36 0.29 -1.19 0.27 Volume 8,642,744 12,762,402 17,422,983 3,659,600 203,030,689 15,001,381 1,331,696 9,598,059 125,022,540 14,465,257 3,000,183 4,353,308 2,516,452 1,205,652 17,908,966 1,826,524 GCC INDICES Indices Doha Securities Market Saudi Tadawul Kuwait Stocks Exchange Bahrain Stock Exchage Oman Stock Market Abudhabi Stock Market Dubai Financial Market Lt Price 13,846.01 9,408.83 6,985.89 1,441.24 7,078.72 4,957.79 4,563.39 Change -55.07 +25.05 -39.47 -7.34 +32.68 +21.61 +11.90 “Information contained herein is believed to be reliable and had been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. The accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed. This publication is for providing information only and is not intended as an offer or solicitation for a purchase or sale of any of the financial instruments mentioned. Gulf Times and Doha Bank or any of their employees shall not be held accountable and will not accept any losses or liabilities for actions based on this data.” CURRENCIES DOLLAR QATAR RIYAL SAUDI RIYAL UAE DIRHAMS BAHRAINI DINAR KUWAITI DINAR 6 Gulf Times Saturday, November 22, 2014 BUSINESS/LEISURE Adam Pooch Cafe Shoppers on Oxford Street in London. A survey commissioned by Barclays found that 65% of Britain’s multi-channel retailers plan Black Friday promotions this year on November 28. UK retailers look to Black Friday for Christmas lift-off Reuters London N ext week’s “Black Friday”, a traditional discount day for US retailers, looks set to be the biggest ever for British shops as more join in the promotional event to kickstart Christmas sales. The Friday following the Thanksgiving Day holiday was named Black Friday because spending would surge and it would indicate the point at which American retailers began to turn a profit for the year, or go “into the black”. A survey commissioned by Barclays found that 65% of Britain’s multi-channel retailers plan Black Friday promotions this year on November 28. Amazon introduced Black Friday discounts to Britain in 2010 and last year major UK store groups such as John Lewis, Dixons and Asda joined in. Sales updates published in Janu- Garfield Bound And Gagged Mall Cinema (1): Happy Ending (Hindi) 2.30 & 9pm; �71 (2D) 5 & 11.30pm; The Signal (2D) 7pm. Mall Cinema (2): Big Hero 6 (3D) 3pm; Catch Hell (2D) 5pm; The Hunger Games: MockingjayPart 1 (2D) 7 & 9.15pm; The Signal (2D) 11.30pm. Mall Cinema (3): The Hunger Games: MockingjayPart 1 (2D) 2.30pm; Hassalna Al Roab (Arabic) 4.45pm; The Babadook (2D) 6.45 & 11.30pm; Al Jazeera 2 (Arabic) 8.30pm. Cinema Land Mark (1): �71 (2D) 2.30 & 11.30pm; Catch Hell (2D) 4.30pm; Vanmam (Tamil) 6.15 & 8.45pm. Cinema Land Mark (2): Big Hero 6 Cryptic Clues Sudoku Sudoku is a puzzle based on a 9x9 grid. The grid is also divided into nine (3x3) boxes. You are given a selection of values and to complete the puzzle, you must fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9 and none is repeated. Weekly’s Solutions ACROSS 1. Supports the defenders (5) 4. Perceive that Cinders is going out (7) 8. Possibly reddens the china (7) 9. Reg carries six back for the donor (5) 10. Press club (4) 11. They’re used by those that dry up - there’s a lot in train (8) 13. Got back small clothes (4) 14. A man from a hot island (4) 16. Not sure about coatings (8) 17. Sage going out for a long time (4) 20. Courage never changes (5) 21. Scene of gold being put on the furniture item (7) 22. Walker who isn’t a good story-teller (7) 23. A number going to church for fish (5) ary showed it had a significant impact on Christmas trading. John Lewis reported an early peak in sales last year, which it said was driven by Black Friday, followed by a surge in the last 10 days. Visa Europe forecasts that £518mn ($810mn) will be spent online on Visa cards on November 28, making it the biggest day ever for e-commerce in the UK. It expects a further 500mn pounds will be spent on the following Monday, December 1 — dubbed Mega Monday as prior to the rise of Black Friday it was the busiest online shopping day of the year as people spent their November pay packets. “Following a jump last year, retailers are making a bigger Friday push this time round,” said Visa Europe’s UK MD Kevin Jenkins. Last year Tesco, Britain’s biggest retailer, had Black Friday promotions online. This year it will extend the event to selected stores. Asda’s Black Friday event last year proved popular but was marred by fights breaking out among shoppers chasing limited stock in some crowded stores. Sainsbury’s, Britain’s No 3 supermarket, plans to take part this year for the first time, with discounted prices on 13 product lines, including TVs, tablets, audio products and kitchen electricals in 485 stores. “It’s a competitive market, so it felt right to be part of the mix this year,” said Sainsbury’s retail director Roger Burnley. Official data published on Thursday showed spending by British consumers is growing less strongly than earlier this year. Whether embracing Black Friday makes commercial sense for UK retailers remains open to debate. Analysts say it can delay autumn sales, pull forward Christmas sales that store groups would otherwise have made at full price, can blunt sales in subsequent weeks and also leaves consumers expecting more preChristmas promotions. 4.45pm; Vanmam (Tamil) 6.45pm; �71 (2D) 9.30pm. Royal Plaza Cinema Palace (2): (3D) 2.30pm; The Signal (2D) 4.30 & Happy Ending (Hindi) 2.30 & 9pm; �71 11.30pm; The Hunger Games: Mock(2D) 5pm; The Signal (2D) 7 & 11.30pm. ingjay Part 1 (2D) 6.15pm; Al Jazeera 2 Royal Plaza Cinema Palace (3): Has(Arabic) 8.30pm. salna Al Roab (2D) 2pm; Pocket Listing Cinema Land Mark (3): The Hunger (2D) 4 & 8pm; The Hunger Games: Games: MockingjayPart 1 (2D) 2.45pm; Mockingjay Part 1 (2D) 5.45pm; The Hassalna Al Roab (Arabic) 5pm; Babadook (2D) 9.45 & 11.30pm. The Babadook (2D) 7 & 11.15pm; The Global Cinemas, West End Park (1): Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 (2D) Vellimoonga (Malayalam) 2.30, 5.30, 9pm. 8.30 & 11.30pm. Royal Plaza Cinema Palace (1): Global Cinemas, West End Park (2): The Hunger Games: MockingjayPart Varsham (Malayalam) 2.45, 5.45, 8.45 & 1 (2D) 2.30 & 11.30pm; Catch Hell (2D) 11.45pm. Quick Clues DOWN 1. Special skill Reds in BMA need, perhaps (7,6) 2. Prayer of communist in the company (5) 3. A team dies out (4) 4. Peril in digging up the garden (6) 5. Story London, for example, has written with wisdom (8) 6. Jealous of endless souvenir exchange (7) 7. Points to the Cockney’s mouth (5,3,5) 12. Paint where the bird came from (8) 13. Turn Tam out in a fit of rage (7) 15. Somehow merits a title (6) 18. Gather there’s a different angle (5) 19. Encourage in crime for a wager (4) ACROSS 1. Creek (5) 4. Momentum (7) 8. Winding (7) 9. About (5) 10. Lose colour (4) 11. Deep (8) 13. Scoff (4) 14. Island (4) 16. Kind (8) 17. Cute (4) 20. Make (5) 21. Scaffold (7) 22. Chose (7) 23. Inexperienced (5) DOWN 1. Tireless (13) 2. Irate (5) 3. Jog (4) 4. Put in (6) 5. Peace-lover (8) 6. Agony (7) 7. Be obvious (5,2,6) 12. Assign (8) 13. Worldly (7) 15. Bombastic (6) 18. Complete (5) 19. Whip (4) Weekly’s Solutions QUICK Across: 3 Cheerless; 8 Even; 9 Composite; 10 Result; 11 Plied; 14 Split; 15 Near; 16 Harsh; 18 Mass; 20 Aloud; 21 Stray; 24 Detail; 25 Desertion; 26 Beat; 27 Frustrate. Down: 1 Wearisome; 2 Ceaseless; 4 Hoot; 5 Expel; 6 Lessen; 7 Site; 9 Cloth; 11 Party; 12 Desolated; 13 Credulity; 17 Haven; 19 Stress; 22 Alter; 23 Dear; 24 Dolt. CRYPTIC Across: 3 Prescribe; 8 Rare; 9 Assailant; 10 Single; 11 Sever; 14 Waive; 15 Rent; 16 Norma; 18 Road; 20 Clear; 21 Least; 24 Stalin; 25 Denigrate; 26 Lots; 27 Unceasing. Down: 1 Crossword; 2 Principal; 4 Rose; 5 State; 6 Roller; 7 Bunk; 9 Alien; 11 Sprat; 12 Rebellion; 13 Sternness; 17 Acute; 19 Defile; 22 Sorts; 23 Lean; 24 Stun. 8 Gulf Times Saturday, November 22, 2014 BUSINESS Europe telecom firms see brighter 2015 after years of pain Reuters Barcelona T op executives at Europe’s telecoms firms dared to suggest this week that they might at last be turning a corner after years of declining revenues, as demand rises for 4G mobile broadband, regulatory pressures ease and the industry consolidates. For the network operators a comparative recovery on revenue next year will come in part simply because the price cuts imposed by regulators on roaming charges and the termination fees operators charge for carrying each other’s traffic is now behind them. But they are also starting to see the benefit of the billions they spent on the 4G networks that enable people on the move to watch TV and surf the web. “The music seems good, but let’s see how it plays out. The question remains on if we can monetise 4G as more people get the phones in their hands,” Vodafone’s chief executive Vittorio Colao told investors and industry executives at the annual Morgan Stanley Technology, Media, and Colao: Focus on 4G shift. Telecoms conference in Barcelona. Colao said he was confident that operating trends would improve as the group got more of its customers to use 4G, which tended to increase data traffic and hopefully monthly charges. The world’s second-largest wireless carrier would not just shift customers to 4G for free, in- stead moving them to higher tariffs for the faster service, he said. Meanwhile, Spain’s Telefonica, which saw a 15% drop in revenue in its home market last year, is seeing its strategy of selling bundled fixed and mobile broadband and TV services is beginning to bear fruit. “The third quarter was significantly better than the second,” chief operating officer Jose Maria Alvarez-Pallete told the conference. “In 2015, we should go into positive revenue territory,” he added. At the same time merger deals such as those already seen in Austria, Germany, Ireland and Spain are reducing the number of operators in national markets, meshing fixed line and mobile networks together as services converge and cutting costs. Some mergers have also simply taken the immediate heat out of the competition to lifted the pressure on prices. In Austria prices have increased by about 20% since the number of mobile network operators was cut from four to three last year with the takeover of Orange Austria by Hutchison Whampoa’s local rival Drei, according to the local regulator. The newfound optimism has already buoyed the Stoxx Europe 600 European telecoms sector index, which is up 8.2% this year against a 5.6% rise in the overall market index, and led to several analysts upgrading the sector. In third-quarter results 21 out of 24 west European telecoms companies beat expectations, according to Kepler Cheveureux Se- curities analyst Javier Borrachero, a trend which he says in a research note is “totally unprecedented in the last four years.” Deutsche Telekom, Telenor, Swisscom and Telefonica all actually increased revenues in the quarter while declines at Orange, Vodafone and KPN were shallower than previously. Morgan Stanley analyst Emmet Kelly now predicts that European mobile service revenues could be flat or even up by a couple of percents next year. They fell by 9% in 2013, with declines tapering to 4-5% in the third quarter. Kelly said it was an open question how quickly the top-line would return to actual growth. “A lot will depend on whether there are benefits from in-market consolidation deals,” he said. And the markets in France, Spain, Italy, and Denmark are all now ripe for deal making, said executives at the Barcelona conference. On Friday shares in Bouygues jumped 4% after a Numericable director told the conference it would be interested in acquiring Bouygues Telecom, which would reduce the number of mobile network operators in France to three from four. Telecom Italia close to $1bn masts deal Reuters Barcelona/Milan Telecom Italia is set to sell mobile phone masts owned by its Brazilian unit for almost €900mn ($1.1bn), sources said yesterday, as it considers possible acquisitions in the Latin American country. Brazil’s telecom market is in the process of consolidating as growth in mobile telephony slows and operators bulk up to fund hefty investment in broadband networks. Telecom Italia, which owns 66.5% of TIM Participacoes, was holding a board meeting later yesterday to review its options in Brazil, which could include acquisitions and network investments. Two sources familiar with the matter said Telecom Italia was likely to sell its Brazilian mobile phone masts, also known as towers, to wireless infrastructure firm American Tower Corp for almost the full targeted amount of €900mn. According to one of the sources, a deal had already been worked out and could be announced at the board meeting. Any agreement would have to be approved by the local competition watchdog which could take several months. Telecom Italia declined to comment while American Tower executive vice-president Hal Hess, speaking on the sidelines of a conference in Barcelona, said the company had no comment. Telecom Italia chief executive Marco Patuano put the Brazilian masts up for sale a year ago when he unveiled a €4bn business plan to cut debt and help fund much-needed investments. After failing to complete a sale of its Telecom Argentina unit and delaying the disposal of its mobile masts in Italy, the Brazilian deal would be a step forward. Sources said Patuano would tell the board on Friday the best option for the company’s Brazilian mobile business would be to pursue an acquisition of rival Oi. Any tie-up with Oi would not involve a capital increase at Telecom Italia but TIM could raise as much as €2bn to fund the deal, one of the sources said. Asati, a group of small Telecom Italia investors, said yesterday it wanted to see management given a mandate to strike an agreement with Oi. “A mandate without the understanding a small capital increase would be required would be merely words in the wind,” it said in a letter to the Telecom Italia board. Telecom Italia was expected to release a statement after the board meeting. Gulf Times Saturday, November 22, 2014 9 BUSINESS Dollar rally sparks record hedge demand in ETF boon Bloomberg New York Bloomberg Moscow R A s strategists forecast the dollar’s world-beating rally to extend through 2015, US investors are pouring record amounts of cash into funds that protect them against the losing side of the trade. Assets invested in US exchangetraded funds that hedge currency risk grew 18% since September to $21.2bn, data compiled by Bloomberg show. That’s the biggest quarterly increase since mid-2013. The funds are proving their worth. While the $4bn WisdomTree Europe Hedged Equity Fund returned 3.1% this year, the $7.4bn iShares MSCI EMU ETF – an unhedged fund that also invests in European stocks – lost 7.7%. “The dollar is in the beginning of a multi-year strengthening pattern,” Dodd Kittsley, the New York-based head of ETF national accounts and strategy at Deutsche Bank AG’s Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management unit, said in a November 17 phone interview. “Investors are seeing that if you pick the right market but ignore the currency implications, you can still lose.” The greenback has benefited from a US economy that’s strengthened enough for the Federal Reserve to end its dollar- debasing bond-purchase program and consider the timing of its first interest-rate increase since 2006. That contrasts with Japan and the euro region, where officials are battling deflation with further stimulus policies amid record-low borrowing costs. The dollar has strengthened at least 3% against its 16 major peers since the end of June. It climbed more than 9% to trade at $1.2436 per euro as of 7:42 am in New York, and jumped 14% to ¥117.90, after touching a seven-year high of ¥118.98 on Thursday. Deutsche Bank’s Kittsley predicts the dollar will advance to $1.15 per euro in 2015, $1.05 in 2016 and 95 cents by 2017, a level not seen since 2002. Median forecasts of strategists surveyed by Bloomberg anticipate the dollar appreciating to $1.20 per euro and ¥120 by the end of next year. “With rates so low, the cost of hedging in the developed world is very low, and the benefits have been very positive,” said Jeremy Schwartz, the New York-based director of research at WisdomTree Investments, which manages Russia retail sales growth stalls as rouble plunge chokes demand A money changer counts US dollar bills at a currency exchange in Manila. Assets invested in the US exchange-traded funds that hedge currency risk grew 18% since September to $21.2bn, according to data. 12 currency-hedged ETFs with $16.7bn in assets. “As the risk from currency swings increase, it will trip up even the most sophisticated investors. And these offer reprieve.” The number of US-based exchangetraded funds that guard against currency swings when investing abroad has grown to 36 in 2014 from 13 at the start of last year, while assets rose by 42%, or $8.9bn. Hedged funds buy stocks, bonds or other assets in another country and then, using forward contracts, take a short position in the local currency when it’s forecast to weaken versus the dollar. Positions are reset monthly to match up with the assets under management within the respective funds. In Japan, where the benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average has risen to a seven-year high even as the yen has tumbled to a seven-year low, the WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund – the largest currency hedged fund at $12.6bn – has returned 8.6% in 2014. That compares with the $15.4bn iShares MSCI Japan unhedged ETF’s loss of 4.2%. “It used to be that, if you were betting on a country’s stocks, it meant you also thought the currency was going to gain,” said Michael Jones, chief investment officer in Richmond, Virginia, at RiverFront Investment Group, which manages $4.9bn. “But now, monetary policy – the thing that is catalysing the stocks in these markets to go higher – is also putting pressure on the currencies, making hedging essential.” RiverFront started buying Japanese hedged ETFs early in 2012, in anticipation of a stronger stock market and weaker yen, Jones said. Since the start of 2012, the yen has fallen 35% versus the dollar, while the WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund has returned more than 80%. Just as ignoring rate swings has proven perilous, hedging strategies may backfire when exchange rates don’t move as forecast. To David Woo, head of global rates and currencies at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in New York, the market’s assuming too fast a pace of dollar appreciation, and the shortage of skeptical bets on the currency leaves investors “very vulnerable to any bad news.” “The market is too optimistic about the US, when there are still hurdles that have to be climbed,” Woo said. “The US has been stronger than the rest of the world, but the data hasn’t been that great. A lot of the good news has already been priced in.” That hasn’t stopped hedge funds and other large speculators from boosting futures bets on dollar strength versus eight major peers to a record. The difference in the number of wagers on a gain compared with those on a drop – net longs – was 372,558 on November 11, up from 366,737 a week earlier, according to data from the Washington-based Commodity Futures Trading Commission. “The path of least resistance is up for the dollar,” said Jennifer Vail, the head of fixed-income research at Minneapolis- based US Bank Wealth Management, which oversees $112bn. Tired of risk, investors turn again to steady stocks Reuters London The big story of recent stock market investment has been volatility, and the opportunities that sharp price swings can bring for those with strong nerves. But good news is emerging now for those who prefer safer strategies: some of the best returns this year have come from stable stocks like billionaire Warren Buffett’s holding company Berkshire Hathaway or Swiss toilet maker Geberit . A basket of the two least volatile stocks in each STOXX Europe 600 sector index, as compiled by Thomson Reuters, up 8% year to date, or almost twice as much as the STOXX Europe 600 overall. (Here volatility is defined by the size of price moves in either direction.) Though that high performance might seem odd – particularly looking at double-digit returns yielded by other European stocks that see-sawed at the prospect of a US interest rate hike recently – in fact it demonstrates that low-volatility stocks are often stronger companies with healthier earnings power. That distinction really matters when European companies’ earnings recovery is still vulnerable and it’s one that more people are waking up to. “Investors are ready to invest on the equity market but under the condition that they are not too exposed to risk and that’s one argument for investing in the least volatile stocks,” said Laurent Lagarde, head of quant equity management at investment firm THEAM, a unit of BNP Paribas. The Reuters basket included traditionally defensive stocks like drugmaker Novartis, up 29%, but also benefited from similar gains by cyclical companies – those whose profits and share prices track the pace of the economy. Among those were Givaudan, the world’s biggest maker of flavours and fragrances, or media group Reed Elsevier. Stocks from Switzerland – home to reliable earners such as Geberit – accounted for 13 out of 38 components. The strategy also worked globally: BNP Paribas’ World Low volatility strategy returned 15% in the first 10 months of the year, helped by a rally of nearly 20% in the shares of Berkshire Hathaway, among others. A Lipper basket of 53 exchange traded funds which tracked stocks with low volatility returned 8% year to date. That compares to a 6% return for the MSCI World Index, Datastream data showed. And the trend continues to pick up steam. As last month’s volatility gripped financial markets, assets under management at low volatility stock funds attracted net inflows of over $1bn even as other stock funds lost money, Markit data shows. This reflects investors’ weariness with jumpy markets. After a rollercoaster October more jitters are expected as the US shuts off the flow of cheap money that has been buoying its banks and businesses, and economies from the euro zone to China struggle to grow. Fund manager Ossiam’s head of business development Isabelle Bourcier said interest in its low volatility ETFs had grown. “Expectations from clients that there will be volatility is helping us,” she said. Assets in low volatility ETFs have grown to $16bn currently from $15mn when the financial crisis hit in 2008, Markit data showed. ussian retail sales growth stagnated after the rouble had its worst month in more than two years and joblessness rose to the highest since April. Retail sales advanced 1.7% from a year earlier in October, the same rate as in September, the Federal Statistics Service in Moscow said yesterday in a statement. Unemployment rose to 5.1% from 4.9%, matching the median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of 16 economists. The rouble’s plunge to record lows and inflation at the fastest since July 2011 are eating into consumers’ finances. That’s plaguing domestic demand already burdened by higher interest rates, capital flight and tit-for-tat sanctions over the conflict in neighbouring Ukraine. “We are about to slip into recession,” Vladimir Osakovskiy, chief economist for Russia at Bank of America Corp in Moscow, said by phone before the data release. “The underlying growth drivers like investment and consumer spending are slowing.” There’s a 70% chance of a recession in the next 12 months, according to the median estimate of 27 economists in a Bloomberg Survey, published October 30. The gauge is at the highest since Bloomberg started tracking the measure two years ago. Fixed-capital investment shrank 2.9% after a 2.8% decline in September and wages adjusted for inflation increased 0.3%. The median estimates of economists surveyed by Bloomberg were for investment to contract 3.5% and real wages to drop 0.9%. The central bank cut its forecast for Russia’s economic growth forecast last week after the price of oil, Russia’s main export earner, dropped to a fouryear low. The US and the European Union imposed sanctions against Russia after President Vladimir Putin annexed Crimea from Ukraine in March and a separatist insurrection flared in two regions. That’s stoked capital outflow and undercut the rouble. The rouble has lost more than 20% against the dollar in the past three months, the worst performer among more than 170 world currencies tracked by Bloomberg, while Russians still put faith in their currency. The economy is set to expand 0.3% this year and stagnate in 2015, according to the central bank’s base-case scenario, which assumes oil prices averaging at $95 next year and sanctions remaining in place until the end of 2017. “One of the most striking aspects of the recent slowdown in the Russian economy is that the previously resilient consumer sector has weakened sharply,” Liza Ermolenko, an economist at London-based Capital Economics, said in a note. Goldman Sachs rejects commodity manipulation Reuters Washington G The headquarters of Goldman Sachs in lower Manhattan. Goldman on Thursday took the lead in rejecting allegations by a US Senate subcommittee that Wall Street banks were exploiting physical commodity markets to manipulate prices and gain unfair trading advantages. oldman Sachs Group on Thursday took the lead in rejecting allegations by a US Senate subcommittee that Wall Street banks were exploiting physical commodity markets to manipulate prices and gain unfair trading advantages. In an often heated hearing before the Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Senator Carl Levin pressed bankers and executives on whether the company had inflated physical prices and curbed supplies of aluminum, adding billions of dollars in costs for consumers such as the US Navy and beverage can makers. Chris Wibbelman, president and chief executive of Metro International Trade Services, the metals warehousing firm Goldman bought in 2010, defended his company’s actions, saying it plays by the rules and contributes jobs to the Detroit area. Levin, who chairs the subcommittee, directed many of his questions to Wibbelman and appeared frustrated at his testimony. “Let me refresh your recollection,” Levin said to Wibbelman in reference to a question about a business contract. After the Michigan Democrat read the document, he turned to the Metro CEO, raising his voice and said: “Does that help your recollection?” The five-hour hearing followed the release on Wednesday of a detailed 403-page report that criticised how banks purchased and exploited huge commodity stockpiles. The public airing of concerns about bank ownership of physical commodities and assets from pipelines to warehouses has renewed scrutiny of Wall Street’s role in the market. “This is clearly another case of putting banks on the defensive ...,” said Michael Philipp, attorney and partner at Morgan Lewis’s Investment Management and Securities Industry Practice in Chicago. “I think this potentially puts pressure on the Federal Reserve, who has the power to permit banks to engage in physical commodities.” The session continues with officials from the Federal Reserve and US power market regulators. Experts agreed that the sessions may not have much impact in the long term. The Federal Reserve has already signalled its intent to pursue regulation of banks and commodities. JPMorgan Chase & Co and Morgan Stanley, which also testified on Thursday, have both made major moves to get out of physical commodities. Goldman was under particular scrutiny because it has maintained that commodity trading is core to its business, though it is in the process of selling Metro. The hearing room was packed with bankers, lawyers and journalists. Star lawyer Abbe Lowell was there as well, retained by Goldman to assist with the two days of testimony, a spokesman for the bank said. The hearing and report stem from a two-year investigation by the subcommittee into banks and their influence on commodities that shed light on two areas: the Fed’s concerns about weakness of banks’ ability to withstand a major catastrophe and Metro’s multimillion-dollar payments to maintain long wait times and bolster income. “If you like what Wall Street did for the housing market, you’ll love what Wall Street is doing for commodities,” Levin said in his opening remarks. Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona, a member of the subcommittee, said Wall Street banks have taken “excessive risk, raised suspicions of market manipulation and gained unfair trading advantages” through their expansion into physical commodities trading. Aluminum warehousing was in the spotlight after the report, based on 90,000 pages of bank and regulatory documents as well as 78 interviews and briefings, detailed six so-called “merry-go-round” deals that Levin said caused bottlenecks at Metro’s Detroit warehouses. Levin said longer queues led to rising physical premiums: “There’s no doubt these six deals that you welcomed as a warehouse and Goldman approved had a direct influence on the length of queue,” he said. In questioning, Wibbelman said he was offering deals to customers according to the business climate. 10 Gulf Times Saturday, November 22, 2014 BUSINESS Corporate bond record in sight as global sales near $4tn Bloomberg New York Global corporate bond issuance has surpassed all of 2013, with the annual record now in sight as investors reap the biggest gains since 2002. Led by Apple and Verizon Communications, companies have fuelled debt sales worldwide of $3.8tn this year, which is about $174bn away from the peak in 2012 and on pace to exceed $4tn for the first time, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Alibaba Group Holding, Asia’s largest Internet company to sell as much as $8bn in bonds. Corporate bonds are defying predictions made at the beginning of the year that higher borrowing costs would curb debt offerings as the Federal Reserve pulled back from its unprecedented stimulus. Yields instead tumbled to a record last month as the central bank maintains its policy of keeping benchmark inter- est rates near zero. “The surprise was 100% the decline in interest rates,” Hans Mikkelsen, head of US investment-grade credit strategy at Bank of America Corp in New York, said in a telephone interview. “It was such a perfect combination of a window of opportunity to issue and responsive investor demand,” said Mikkelsen, whose firm is the largest underwriter of the debt after No 1 JPMorgan Chase & Co. Yields on 10-year US Treasuries, a benchmark for corporate borrowing, fell below 2% on October 17, from about 3% at the start of the year. Back then, the median estimate of more than 60 economists and strategists was for the measure to rise to 3.44% by the end of 2014. Average gains of 6.4% this year on debt from the most creditworthy governments to the riskiest corporate borrowers worldwide are the best since an advance of 8.9% in 2002, according to the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Broad Market Index. Yields on corporate and high-yield bonds globally have risen 21 basis points to 3.41% from a one-year low of 3.2% on August 29, according to the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Corporate and High Yield Bond Index. A basis point is 0.01 percentage point. Globally, bonds yielded 193 basis points more than similar- maturity Treasuries yesterday, index data shows. That’s a 37- basis point increase from 156 basis points on June 24, the lowest level since the end of 2007. In the US, home to the largest corporate bond market, investment-grade borrowers have sold $1.1tn of the securities, up from $1.08tn in the same period in 2013. Sales of junk bonds, those rated below BBB- by Standard & Poor’s and Baa3 at Moody’s Investors Service, have risen to $336.2bn from $314.5bn. Dollar-denominated debt makes up 38.2% of global issuance. Apple sold $12bn of notes in April as the iPhone maker sought to reward shareholders by locking in borrowings that are a cheaper alternative than using overseas cash that’s subject to repatriation taxes. In a sign of high demand, the deal included $2.5bn of 3.45%, 10-year notes that paid 77 basis points more than similar-maturity Treasuries, 13 basis points less than what was originally proposed, Bloomberg data show. Alibaba’s Deal Verizon borrowed $14.8bn this year to help refinance some of its $23bn of debt coming due in the next four years. In its latest offering, the largest US wireless carrier, sold $6.5bn in bonds last month, Bloomberg data show. More deals are on the way. Alibaba is making its debut in the bond markets, planning to sell debt, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. The HangzhouChina based e-commerce company may offer the notes in seven parts, said the person, who isn’t authorized to speak publicly and asked not to be identified. “The calendar still looks deep and heavy for the end of the year,” said Steven Kellner, Newark, New Jersey-based head of credit portfolios for Prudential Fixed In- come. Issuance of company bonds is also booming in Europe, with sales of €816.5bn ($1tn) this year on track to be the most since 2010, Bloomberg data show. That compares with €761.7bn for all of 2013. Revising Forecasts Rising bond sales have banks revising their predictions. Bank of America, which forecasted investment-grade issuance in the US to fall 16%, has raised its estimate. Barclays boosted its forecasts to $1.12tn, while JPMorgan in August lifted its estimate of high-grade bond sales to $975bn from $900bn. Along with the boom in borrowing is concern that investor protections are deteriorating, with one such measure for junk bonds falling to a new low, according to a November 12 Moody’s report. The average covenant score, in which 1 is the highest and 5 the weakest, climbed to a record 4.36 in October from 4.25 in September. The riskiest corporate debtors in the US aren’t growing fast enough to pay down their borrowings, increasing the risk for bond investors, according to November 7 report from Deutsche Bank strategists Oleg Melentyev and Daniel Sorid. “We passed on a lot of transactions,” Mark Vaselkiv, a high-yield money manager at T Rowe Price, said in an interview at a media event in New York. “Our analysts were completely fried” by the amount of new issuance this year. Stimulus measures taken by the European Central Bank and Japan are boosting demand for higheryielding assets on signs that the central banks will continue to support global economies even as the Fed announced plans to ends its quantitative easing and moves toward raising interest rates. “The consensus is that we’ll see a rate rise in mid-2015,” Rob Smalley, head of the credit desk analyst group at UBS in New York, said in a telephone interview. “If that is conventional wisdom, then it makes sense that companies that need to do financing might do it at the end of 2014 and early 2015.” Pemex’s $15bn debt plan proves drag on bonds Bloomberg Mexico City W ith oil prices plunging to a four-year low, Petroleos Mexicanos’s (Pemex) plan to take on a record amount of debt to bolster production is fuelling concern among its bondholders. The state-owned company, whose debt load reached an all-time high of $74bn at the end of September, said this week it will boost net borrowings next year by $15bn. Pemex’s $2.1bn of bonds due in 2023 have fallen since the announcement, pushing up yields by 0.33 percentage point this week and reached an almost two-month high of 4.05%. The slump in crude prices comes as Pemex tries to reverse a decade-long decline in output and prepares to face overseas competition after the government ended its seven-decade monopoly this year. The company also said this week that it will increase bond sales next year to as much as $15bn, the most since at least 1999, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. “Any time that a major issuer announces that there’s going to be a lot of paper flooding the market, people dump it,” Luis Maizel, who helps manage $5.5bn of fixed-income securities including Pemex debt at LM Capital Group in San Diego, said in a telephone interview. “As more competition comes in and as more opportunity happens, in Mexico, they’ll need more liquidity.” Pemex’s press office declined to comment on the company’s bond performance and financing plans. The oil producer may sell as much as $8bn of bonds locally and $7bn overseas in 2015, according to an investor presentation posted on the company’s website. It said the debt will help finance an investment plan of $27.3bn next year. Pemex has the fourth-largest net debt load among major global oil and gas companies at $66.8bn, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Pemex is trying to “sustain current output levels, while holding on to stra- A support vessel sails away from the Petroleos Mexicanos Pol-A platform complex, located on the continental shelf in the Gulf of Mexico. Pemex’s plan to take on a record amount of debt to bolster production is fuelling concern among its bondholders. tegic exploratory prospects to facilitate organic growth in the future,” the company said in the presentation. The company has lost about 150bn pesos ($11bn) this year as output fell and as about half its revenue went to the government in taxes. Oil production averaged 2.4mn bpd in the third quarter, 4.3% less than a year ago. Pemex, which has posted losses for eight straight quarters, funds about a third of the federal budget. Mexico’s mix of crude oil has plummeted 31% from its 2014 high on June 20 through November 19, dropping to a four-year low of $70.20 a barrel.“Their revenue is falling due to low oil prices, and they need to make investments, especially with the reforms, so they’re using debt as a complement for financing,” Carlos Legaspy, a money manager at InSight Securities, which holds Pemex debt among its $350mn in emerging-market securities, said in a telephone interview from Miami. “These investments should lead to greater production in future years, but if we don’t see oil prices turn around, you could see more of a negative impact on the bonds.” President Enrique Pena Nieto says the legal changes to let foreign companies pump crude in Mexico for the first time since the 1930s will help reduce Pemex’s tax burden and attract $250bn in foreign direct investment by 2018. The peso climbed 0.4% to 13.6024 per dollar at 9:33am in New York. Alberto Bernal, head of research at Bulltick Capital Markets, said Pemex’s growing indebtedness won’t hurt demand for the company’s bonds since the funds are aimed at financing investments to stem output declines. “The bet investors are making is the Dong Energy banks on larger offshore turbines Reuters Paris D ong Energy, Europe’s largest offshore wind farm developer, plans to make the switch to giant wind turbines in a move that could signal a breakthrough for a new generation of products. The mega-machines, double the size of the current standard, had not been a commercial success, but that could be changing after Danish utility Dong signed an order in August for 32 of them developed by Denmark’s Vestas and Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Dong’s decision to favour the new 8 megawatt (MW) offshore turbines is the consequence of a relentless drive to cut costs which it says is essential to the survival of an industry that relies on subsidies. Dong is putting pressure on suppliers to cut offshore wind costs to 100 euros per megawatt/hour for investments from 2020, from about 125 euros now. The August deal was for the relatively small British 256 MW Burbo Bank farm, which Dong hopes to start building in 2016. However, its choice of turbine for three larger British farms could set the tone for the industry - the 580 MW Race Bank, 660 MW Walney Extension and 1200 MW Horn- Dong Energy’s decision to favour the new 8 megawatt offshore turbines is the consequence of a relentless drive to cut costs sea farm, which will be world’s largest. “We prefer bigger turbines, 5 megawatts or more, going forward as they are a big lever in reducing costs,” Samuel Leupold, CEO of Dong Energy’s wind division, told Reuters. Dong has not yet chosen the turbines for the three projects, but it is unlikely to go back to the 3.6 MW Siemens turbines it operates in most of its wind farms. On two farms under construction, Westermost Rough and Gode Wind in Germany, Dong is installing 6 MW Siemens turbines, but with several manufacturers now developing even bigger machines, Dong is ready to diversify. “Siemens was first with a good offshore product, but, in the future we do not want to rely on one supplier,” Leupold said. The jumbo turbines - the 8 MW Vestas has a 164-metre rotor diameter - are cheaper as they need only one foundation and one subsea cable for the same power as two mediumsize turbines. Siemens, Vestas, Suzlon and others offer 5 MW-plus turbines, but few have been installed, as many utilities chose models with proven reliability. The average offshore turbine built in 2013 was 4 MW, similar to 2012, European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) data show. “Investors don’t necessarily want to be first to put their money on a new technology,” EWEA’s Oliver Joy said. German E.ON for instance has not decided on turbine size for its 400 MW Arkona and Rampion projects. “We’ll see whether we will do those with the 3 MW generation or move to the 5 MW class,” said E.ON board member Mike Winkel. France’s drive to develop offshore wind will bring two more mega-turbines into play, Alstom’s 6 MW Haliade and the 8 MW Areva-Gamesa model . EWEA expects that as installed offshore capacity triples to 25,000 megawatt by 2020, Siemens may lose some of its 60% market share, but not volumes. country will be able to reverse the decline in oil production,” Bernal, who recommends buying Pemex bonds, said in a telephone interview from Bogota. “If you have an increase in output, nobody cares about the debt load.” Pemex has sold about $14.4bn in debt this year, accounting for more than onethird of all Mexican offerings, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. “Debt issuance is increasing because capital expenditures are increasing,” Cathy Hepworth, a money manager at Prudential Financial in Newark, New Jersey, said in an e-mail. Statoil takes $350mn hit on Angola exploration halt Reuters Oslo N orway’s Statoil said yesterday it was halting exploration in Angola after poor drilling results, retreating from an offshore area it had high hopes for and capping a poor year for exploration. Statoil said it was cancelling a three-year contract with Stena Drilling, handing back a drilling ship two years early and taking a $350mn charge in the fourth quarter related to the contract, the drilling and the value of the Angolan blocks. Statoil had high hopes for Angola’s offshore pre-salt blocks 38 and 39 because the geology is similar to Brazil’s, where major oil discoveries have been made in similar rocks. “Statoil’s first well results from the area have been disappointing and although the company still sees remaining prospects in the basin and on the Statoil acreage, more time is needed to evaluate the well results and mature new prospects before deciding on future activities,” it said in a statement. The firm still has commitments to participate in several more wells in Angola, but only as a partner and not an operator. “This will add to an already bad quarter for them as oil prices have dropped from the third quarter,” said Christian Yggeseth, an analysts at Arctic Securities. “We might be facing another negative quarter, at least in the upstream international division.” Statoil is cutting capital expenditure and delaying or cancelling projects to save cash after a 10-year spending spree and a nearly 30% fall in crude prices since June. It has cancelled or suspended several rig contracts in 2014 – just a year after paying near record rates to secure drilling capacity – because costs have become too high and as it company ran out of prospects to drill. Ophir Energy offers to buy Salamander in SE Asia push Reuters London British oil and gas explorer Ophir Energy offered to buy Salamander Energy for £267mn ($419mn) to expand in southeast Asia. Ophir could be getting a bargain, analysts said, after a possible rival in the bidding process walked away. But shareholders might be less happy about taking on Salamander’s $250mn debt, as well as the all-stock nature of the deal. “We expect arbitrage between the two to weigh heavily on Ophir’s share price,” Societe Generale analysts said in a note. Salamander’s shares rose as much as 5.8% to 96.0 pence. Ophir’s stock fell as much as 7.1% to 167.4 pence, also hit by disappointing drill results in Tanzania. The recent drop in oil prices has renewed appetite for deals, posing a dilemma for oil companies keen to pick up bargains but under pressure to cut costs. A consortium led by Spain’s Compania Espanola de Petroleos (CEPSA) had been considering making an offer of 121 pence in cash and one contingent value right of up to 24 pence per share for Salamander. CEPSA said on Monday the consortium had decided not to proceed - leaving the way clear for Ophir. BMO Capital Markets analyst David Round said the offer was “slightly disappointing”. While making strategic sense for both companies, he said it fell “a long way short of previous expressions of interest”. Ophir’s offer of 0.5719 shares for every Salamander share values Salamander at 266.9mn pounds, based on Ophir’s closing price of 180.1 pence on Thursday. Salamander has 259.13mn shares outstanding, according to Thomson Reuters data. The acquisition would give Ophir an oilfield already in production off Thailand’s coast and a gas development in Indonesia. The offer is conditional on Salamander cancelling its deal with Malaysia’s Sona Petroleum Bhd to sell 40% of two oil and gas blocks in the Gulf of Thailand. Though almost all of Ophir’s assets are scattered throughout African waters, the company has recently acquired acreage in Myanmar and Indonesia. “They have to inject some sort of fresh momentum into what is a lacklustre story,” FirstEnergy Capital analyst Gerry Donnelly said. “Africa itself, for Ophir, is getting just too expensive.” Gulf Times Saturday, November 22, 2014 11 BUSINESS Asian markets end higher on bargain-buying AFP Tokyo A People walk past the Bombay Stock Exchange building in Mumbai. The Sensex closed 0.95% higher yesterday, coming off a life high of 28,360.66 hit earlier in the session. Sensex soars to record high; rupee recovers from nine-month low Reuters Mumbai I ndian shares soared to record highs yesterday as lenders surged after Kotak Mahindra Bank’s acquisition of ING Vysya sparked hopes for further consolidation in the sector, while expectations of more reforms ahead of the winter session of parliament also helped. NSE’s bank index surged 2.4% to hit a record high of its own, helping the benchmark indexes mark their fifth consecutive weekly gains. Investors were also hopeful Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government would push for reforms such as the goods and services tax, disinvestment, and changes in land acquisition laws in the winter session of parliament scheduled to begin next week. Markets are also waiting for the Reserve Bank of India’s policy review on December 2 amid hopes that easing consumer inflation will lead the central bank to ease monetary policy earlier than expected. “Markets and even RBI’s decision will depend on the government’s actions on the fiscal front in the winter session and on rupee’s behaviour,” said Deven Chok- sey, managing director at KR Choksey Securities. The benchmark BSE index closed 0.95% higher, coming off a life high of 28,360.66 hit earlier in the session. The broader NSE index ended up 0.9% after surging to an all-time high of 8,489.80. Both the indexes also gained 1% each to mark their biggest weekly gain in three. Banks were the top gainers in all broad indexes after Kotak Mahindra Bank agreed to buy ING Vysya in an all-share deal, valuing its smaller rival at $2.4bn. The deal raised hopes for more mergers in the sector amid rate-cut hopes that will boost the earnings and valuation outlook for the sector. Kotak Mahindra Bank rose 3.7% after earlier marking a record high of Rs1,264.70 for the second straight day, while State Bank of India gained 2.8%. Banks that markets see as potential acquisition candidates surged. Karnataka Bank rose 5.2%, Karur Vysya Bank gained 1%, while City Union Bank rose 3.3%. Potential suitors also rose. ICICI Bank rose 2.9% and Axis Bank ended up 2%. Yes Bank shares also gained 4.1% after the central bank said on Thursday that restrictions placed on the purchase of its Bill Gross of Janus to manage $500mn for Soros fund Reuters New York B ill Gross just got a huge vote of confidence from legendary investor George Soros. Soros Fund Management, which Soros chairs, has invested $500mn in an account run by Gross at Janus Capital Group, the Denver-based firm said on its website on Thursday. The money will be managed through a private investment vehicle named Quantum Partners and invested in a separate account, Janus said. The portfolio will follow the strategy that Gross is employing in his Janus Global Unconstrained Bond fund, which has $443mn in assets under management. Soros Fund Management approached Gross after he resigned from Pimco in late September, a person familiar with the situation said. Gross co-founded Pimco in 1971 and built it into one of the largest investment firms in the world, managing $2tn of pension, endowment and retirement money. “We are honored to be man- aging a new unconstrained strategic account for Soros Fund Management,” Gross tweeted. “I & my team will manage your new unconstrained strategic acct. 24h/ day. An honor to be chosen & an honor to be earned as well.” Soros Fund Management’s chief investment officer Scott Bessent met with Gross, the source said, adding that the fund considers Gross a legend. Soros Fund Management, founded in 1969 by George Soros, was reported to be one of the most profitable firms in the hedge fund industry in 2010, averaging a 20% annual rate of return over four decades. Janus Capital Group posted $1.1bn in net inflows in October, the largest net deposits this year, after hiring Gross, one of the bond market’s most renowned investors. The Janus Global Unconstrained portfolio, which Gross started managing in October, has attracted an estimated $364mn in client deposits in the first full month since Gross’ arrival, bringing assets to $442.9mn through October 31, according to Morningstar data on Monday. shares by foreign investors were withdrawn. Spicejet shares surged 15%, marking their biggest daily gain since April 2014, after news channel CNBC TV18 reported its parent group may have finalised an investor for the airline, citing sources. “While the company is exploring various options to further capitalise, we are unable to comment on specifics at this stage,” a spokesperson for SpiceJet said. Among losers, exporters fell after the rupee strengthened from a nine-month low on Thursday. Software exporter Infosys fell 1.9%, while Sun Pharmaceutical Industries lost 1.2%. Meanwhile the rupee gained yesterday, recovering from its nine-month low hit in the previous session as sentiment improved after China cut interest rates and as domestic shares soared to record highs ahead of the start of the winter session of parliament. Still, the rupee fell 0.1% against the dollar this week, its fourth consecutive fall, on the back of a global rally in the greenback. Sentiment improved somewhat yesterday after China unexpectedly cut benchmark interest rates, stepping up a cam- paign to prop up economic growth in the world’s second-largest economy. Traders also cited hopes the government would push through reforms in the winter session of parliament due to start on Monday, which helped push domestic indexes to record highs. But, analysts do not expect wide moves in the rupee next week. “I expect the rupee to be in rangebound trade,” said Vikas Babu Chittiprolu, a senior foreign exchange dealer with Andhra Bank, who expects the local currency to trade in a range of 61.60/62.20 next week. The partially convertible rupee closed at 61.7625/7725 per dollar versus its previous close of 61.94/95. On Thursday, it had touched a low of 62.22, its weakest level since February 20. Intraday, there was some dollar demand from state-owned banks as India is soon due to pay a third tranche of $400mn to Iran ahead of a November 24 deadline to an interim deal with six world powers that allows Tehran to recover part of its overseas frozen oil revenues. In the offshore non-deliverable forwards, the one-month contract was at 61.98/62.08, while the three-month was at 62.52/62. sian markets mostly rose on bargain-buying yesterday, at the end of a disappointing week that saw Japan plunge into recession and a trumpeted Hong Kong Shanghai exchange link-up fall flat. The yen made some inroads against the dollar and euro after hitting multi-year lows, but with eyes on the general election expected next month in Japan, analysts expect it to resume its downtrend. Tokyo reversed early losses to end 0.33% higher, adding 56.65 points to 17,357.51, while Seoul rose 0.35%, or 6.80 points, to 1,964.84. Hong Kong ended a four-day losing streak to rise 0.37%, or 87.48 points, to 23,437.12 and Shanghai climbed 1.39%, or 34.13 points, to 2,486.79. But Sydney fell 0.22%, or 11.9 points, to close at 5,304.3. In other markets, Taipei edged up 0.14%, or 12.66 points, to 9,091.53; Acer rose 3.32% to Tw$20.25 while Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co fell 0.36% to Tw$138.5. Wellington slipped 0.56%, or 31.14 points, to 5,495.81; Spark fell 1.24% to NZ$3.19 and Fletcher Building was down 0.47% at NZ$8.40. Manila ended up 0.10% up, adding 7.23 points to 7,276.18; Philippine Long Distance Telephone closed 0.40% lower at 2,982 pesos, Bloombery Resorts was unchanged at 13.58 pesos and Southeast Asia Cement gained 0.42% to 2.40 pesos. Bangkok closed up 0.67%, or 10.52 points, to 1,579.20; Airports of Thailand gained 3.53% to 264baht, while Krung Thai Bank rose 3.90% to 24baht. Kuala Lumpur fell 0.72%, or 13.16 points, to 1,809.13; Telekom Malaysia fell 0.97% to 7.18 ringgit while UMW Holdings gained 0.18% to 11.26 ringgit. Jakarta ended up 0.36%, or 18.48 points, at 5,112.05; tin miner Timah gained 3.35% to 1,235 rupiah, while paper manufacturer Indah Kiat Pulp & Paper slipped 2.18% to 1,120 rupiah. Singapore closed 0.90%, or 29.72 points, higher at 3,345.32; Singapore Telecom rose 0.51% to finish at Sg$3.92 and casino operator Genting Singapore ended 1.81% higher at Sg$1.13. US shares provided another record-breaking lead Thursday on the back of more positive economic indicators. A regional manufacturing index from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia surged unexpectedly, while the Conference Board’s Leading Economic Index, an amalgamation of several key economic indicators, also improved. Also, US existing-home sales gained in October for the second straight month. The figures are the latest showing the US is well on a strong recovery track, despite weaknesses in the Chinese, Japanese and eurozone economies. The Dow climbed 0.19% and the S&P 500 gained 0.20%— both hitting new peaks—while the Nasdaq added 0.56%. Regional investors started the week on the back foot with the release of data showing Japan had slipped back into recession after a sales tax hike in April put the clamps on consumer spending. The news led Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to put off another hike planned for next year and call a snap election for December. The news also fuelled speculation the Bank of Japan will unveil fresh monetary easing measures – just weeks after it ramped up its already vast bond-buying scheme on October 31 – sending the yen diving. However, in Tokyo trade yesterday the Japanese unit picked up after hitting a more than seven-year low against the dollar and six-year low against the euro. The greenback bought ¥117.64 against ¥118.22 in New York Thursday, while the euro bought ¥147.58 compared with ¥148.25. The Japanese unit got some support after finance minister Taro Aso told a regular news briefing that the pace of the decline in the past week has been “too fast”. However, Yuji Saito, foreign exchange director at Credit Agricole in Tokyo, cautioned: “He is only saying that the yen’s rapid fall is not a welcome thing. But it does not mean that he wants to cap the move at this level. “The (downward) trend will remain the same.” The euro was also at $1.2544 from $1.2540. Traders in Hong Kong and Shanghai largely brushed off the start this week of the Connect dealing tie-up that for the first time opened the mainland’s markets to the international community, albeit on a limited scale. On the launch day Hong Kong investors had exhausted their daily allowance of Shanghai shares two hours before the close, but mainlanders were less keen—using up less than a fifth of their quota by the end of trade. Metal warehousing games in spotlight on LME Reuters New York Complex deals employed by Goldman Sachs’ metals storage unit to build vast stockpiles and then maintain queues test the spirit of the London Metal Exchange operating code, shocking many traders and confirming others’ suspicions. But the intricate transactions that saw Metro International Trade Services shell out millions of dollars to customers to join exit queues to bolster rental income was within the rules, according to two senior warehousing executives and two veteran traders. An explosive US Senate report released on Wednesday revealed the “imaginative” methods used to lure millions of tonnes of aluminum into Detroit, Metro’s headquarters, and then keep it there over the past four years. A fiery hearing of the Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations on Thursday offered the clearest insight yet into the deals that metal users say created bottlenecks, leading to two-year long queues and pushing physical prices to record highs even as oversupply grew. For Nick Madden, Senior Vice President and Supply Chain Officer of Novelis, the world’s biggest aluminum user, the report confirmed his “worst fears”, he told the subcommittee Traders stand outside the open outcry pit following a trading session at the London Metal Exchange. Complex deals employed by Goldman Sachs’ metals storage unit to build vast stockpiles and then maintain queues test the spirit of the LME operating code, shocking many traders and confirming others’ suspicions. hearing led by Democrat Senator Carl Levin. It also explained the “strange” things going on in the opaque market over the past four years, he said. Madden has been one of the most fiercest critics of the LME and the warehouses, which he has blamed for years-long queues and inflated premiums, costing consumers billions of dollars in added costs. While the detailed report was critical of how the bank has exploited huge commodity stockpiles, it did not contain any smoking guns. One warehousing source, who is familiar with these transactions, said what he read in the report was “immoral, but not illegal”. Chris Wibbelman, Metro president and chief executive, rejected the report’s findings in testimony to lawmakers on Thursday, saying the business has played by the rules. Still, the details reignited a years-long debate on how the ownership of warehouses has transformed the metals market. Madden has repeatedly called on regulators to ban trading houses, like Glencore and Trafigura, and banks from owning storage sheds. Massive 100,000-tonne cancellations of warrants in Detroit and Vlissingen in the Netherlands, where Pacorini Metals, Glencore’s storage business, has the majority of its sheds, have roiled the market since 2010. The first alarms were sounded within Metro as early as December 2010 when Mark Askew, then vice president of marketing, said he was worried about rumours that a big cancellation of warrants was aimed at blocking other customers in the queues, the report showed. That was just months after the first of six such merry-go-round deals that saw the wait time balloon to as long as two years, with millions of tonnes stuck in queues. “I remain concerned, as I have expressed from start, regarding �Q management’ etc” he wrote in an e-mail to Wibbelman. He quit in April 2013. Wibbelman told the subcommittee in closed-door meetings that Askew “had never liked the idea” of offering financial incentives to existing Metro customers, the report said. He denied that it was designed to help put a queue in place to block other clients from leaving. What’s not clear is whether the report and the public airing of concerns about the deals by the Senate subcommittee may exert pressure on the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and other regulators. Under new owners, the LME has tried to introduce sweeping new warehousing rules, but has faced legal challenges from Rusal. Aluminum producers benefit from the high premiums, particularly when LME prices were below the cost of production. Saturday, November 22, 2014 BUSINESS GULF TIMES Thailand’s medical tourism rebounds; hospital stocks skyrocket By Arno Maierbrugger Gulf Times Correspondent Bangkok Political unrest and the subsequent military coup in Thailand this year have certainly put pressure on the country’s economy, but one sector — despite a few temporary setbacks — has shown remarkable resilience so far: Medical tourism to the kingdom, and with it the private healthcare industry. While in May shortly after the coup d’etat — in the wake of sliding tourism arrivals — the hospital sector was also hit and reported temporarily dropping foreign patient inflow, it has since shown a remarkable recovery. Numbers of international patients, among them a large part from the Middle East, have picked up again, and the main private hospitals catering to foreign patients have announced plans to expand their services and open another bunch of referral offices abroad. Bangkok Dusit Medical Services, owner of the Bangkok Hospital chain popular with foreigners, said it will spend $130mn over the coming three years to build four more hospitals of which one will mainly be catering to Middle East patients. Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok, Southeast Asia’s largest private medical centre, said it aims to raise revenue by more than 10% in 2015 due to increasing numbers of patients, among them many from “core markets” in the Middle East. Overall, Thailand welcomed some 1.8mn medical tourists (together with those who just came for spa and wellness services the number sums up to 2.5mn) from overseas in 2013, earning around $4.7bn in the period, a continuation of the average growth of 15% a year over the past decade. The forecast for this year is a bit more conservative, but in 2015 the sector is expected to return to the usual growth rate after “a small hiccup in the short term”, as Chatree Duangnet, CEO of Bangkok Dusit Medical Services, puts it, referring to the military coup. Indeed, while the country is still under martial law, everyday hospital life is not affected. The flashy lounges of both Bangkok Hospital and Bumrungrad are teeming with patients, as an on-site inspection last week showed, and an estimated 40% are seemingly Middle Easterners judged by their clothing and Arabic language they converse. The obviously regained buoyancy of the medical business makes a look at the stock price development of private Thai hospital groups worthwhile, of which 15 are listed at the Stock Exchange of Thailand. Bloomberg data shows that they made an average jump of a whopping 54% year-to-date, probably enough for many patients to recover their medical expenses would they have added some of the best performing companies to their stock portfolio. Bangkok Dusit Medical Services, the company with the highest trading volume among its peers, showed a one-year return of 42.46% as of November 21 and even pays a dividend that currently yields 1.11%. Bumrungrad Hospital’s shares climbed 51.67% in the same period, and the current dividend yield stands at 1.4%. Samitivej, another big healthcare group, saw its shares advance 66.18% over the past 12 months and pays out dividends that currently yield a respectable 3.4%. The latest addition to Bangkok’s listed hospital groups, Srivichai Vejvivat, which operates three hospitals in the country and went public in 2012, shows a skyrocketing 141.69% advance over the past year. Local analysts say that hospital stocks remain their top picks even after this rally, adding positive sentiment to further growth expectations of the entire Thai healthcare industry. VW unveils multi-billion investments through next 5 years Reuters Frankfurt V olkswagen is to invest €85.6bn ($106bn) in its automotive operations over the next five years to push foreign expansion, new models and technology to back its quest for global leadership. Volkswagen said the bulk of the cash will flow into developing more efficient vehicles and production methods, taking its capital expenditure to between 6 and 7% of revenue in the period from 2015 to 2019, which analysts said amounts to a slight hike in investment spending. Analysts at investment banking advisory firm Evercore ISI said, “As expected, VW’s five-year capex planning has not become a victim of the company’s efficiency program which is, among other things, aiming at €5bn of efficiency gains at the VW brand by 2018.” Volkswagen shares rose 1%, to €176.10 at 1140 GMT, while the DAX blue chip index was trading up 2%. A worker counts copper cathode sheets at the KGHM copper smelting factory in Glogow, Poland. Two foreign-owned mining firms have challenged the Polish government over what they see as the unfair allocation of copper and potash extraction permits to state-controlled miner KGHM. Foreign firms challenge Poland over access to mine concessions Canadian, British firms lost bids for permits to KGHM; state-controlled KGHM is one of Poland’s biggest companies; it denies trying to push aside competition Reuters Warsaw T wo foreign-owned mining firms have challenged the Polish government over what they see as the unfair allocation of copper and potash extraction permits to state-controlled miner KGHM. Poland’s environment ministry, which allocates concessions, denied it gave preferential treatment to KGHM over Canadian Miedzi Copper, which has filed a lawsuit, or British firm Darley Energy, which has submitted an appeal. KGHM, Europe’s second-largest copper producer and an industrial champion for Poland, is 31.8% owned by the state. It said it did not limit competition. Whatever the outcome, the row could rattle foreign investors at a time when Poland’s resource sector, struggling with low prices on the world market, badly needs investment. The government is also anxious to bring investors into shale gas, which it hopes will reduce its reliance on imported Russian gas. But a number of firms have pulled out, citing difficult geology and unclear regulations. The founders of Darley also control 3Legs Resources, which earlier this year sold its Polish shale gas business in which it was partnered with ConocoPhilips. Miedzi Copper told Reuters it had filed a case with a local court after two copper concessions were awarded to it and then withdrawn following a challenge from KGHM. The ministry said the bidding would be rerun as bidders had insufficient information. KGHM said the permit granted to Miedzi Copper was part of a deposit it had previously invested in. “The only other place where I had such a negative experience was Russia,” Ross Beaty, the main shareholder in Miedzi Copper, told Reuters. “I’ll never go back to Russia and I’m afraid that I’m starting to feel the same with Poland right now.” Darley Energy told Reuters separately that it had submitted an appeal to the ministry over the decision to deny it a permit to mine for fertiliser ingredient potash, in favour of KGHM. It said it had also instructed lawyers to prepare to lodge a complaint with the European Commission. In the Darley case, the ministry said KGHM won because its bid was stronger, and denied manipulation. It is expected to reply to Darley’s appeal by December 12. KGHM declined to comment on Darley’s allegations of irregularities. Darley bid for a potash mining concession in the Baltic coast town of Puck in 2012 and says it should have been granted access by May last year. It was initially the only bidder. But it said the process was delayed beyond the timetable set out under Polish rules, which allowed KGHM to enter the race later and win. The environment ministry spokesman said an offer from KGHM was picked because it envisaged a wider scope as KGHM planned to mine copper, silver and salt in Puck, in addition to potash. It declined to comment on Darley’s allegations of irregularities about the timing of the bidding process. On Miedzi Copper, KGHM said it was down to the environment ministry to explain why Miedzi was given access to a concession where KGHM had already done work. “It came to be accepted in this sector that grown-up mining organisations do not cross each other’s paths,” Artur Tarnowski, head of KGHM’s investor relations, said. “Competition is welcome in our opinion. But let it work on a healthy basis.” Environment ministry spokesman Pawel Mikusek said the bidding process was invalidated because companies taking part were not given necessary details about what the state required. He said KGHM often loses out to rivals in bidding for concessions, proving it was not being given preferential treatment. “When we award each concession, we treat all entities equally,” said Mikusek. KGHM bought Canadian miner Quadra almost three years ago, hoping to boost production with projects like Sierra Gorda in Chile — but it has also sought to lift output at home. The bulk of the cash will flow into developing more efficient vehicles and production methods, taking its capital expenditure to between 6 and 7% of revenue in the period from 2015 to 2019 Around €41.3bn of the investment plan will go toward developing a range of sports utility vehicles, modernising part of the light commercial vehicle portfolio and toward developing hybrid and electric drives. At the same time, investments are also planned in new vehicles and successor models in almost all vehicle classes, which will be based on modular toolkit technology and related components, the company said in a statement. Volkswagen Group chief executive Martin Winterkorn said the investment plan will help it become “the leading automotive group in both ecological and economic terms with the best and most sustainable products.” Around €23bn will be spent on expanding capacity at its plant in Poland where it builds Crafter vans, and the new Audi plant in Mexico, as well as on paint shops and a production facility to make vehicle parts. Poised to meet its annual sales target of 10mn vehicles four years early in 2014, Europe’s largest carmaker has also sought to embark on an efficiency drive to save €5bn across its multi-brand group which includes luxury division Audi and Czech car maker Skoda. But squeezing budgets appears to be tough as VW faces costly commitments to develop fuel-efficient power trains to meet carbon dioxide emission targets, and to beef up its troubled operations in the US while expanding in China, its biggest market. Volkswagen’s Chinese joint ventures will invest €22bn in new production facilities and products by 2019, the company said. QSE WEEKLY REVIEW Bourse surpasses 13,800 psychological mark despite slippery crude By Santhosh V Perumal Business Reporter The Qatar Stock Exchange kept up its upward path, gaining more than 116 points to surpass the 13,800 psychological mark, despite slippery crude that touched a 28-month low during the week. Stronger buying interests — especially in banks and consumer goods — led the market gain 0.85% during the week that saw a Deloitte report which said Qatar plans direct intervention in the construction sector as part of efforts to stem the rising inflationary expectations build up in the wake of fast paced infrastructure development in the country. In comparison, Kuwait (2.99%), Saudi Arabia plunged 2.82% and Dubai (2.02%); even as Muscat, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi fell 0.93%, 0.76% and 0.09% respectively during the week that saw Prime Minister HE Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani assert that Qatar’s economy will grow by 6% this year. Qatar’s bourse has gained 33.4% yearto-date against Dubai’s 35.42%, Abu Dhabi (15.56%), Bahrain (15.4%), Saudi Arabia (10.23%) and Muscat (3.57%); whereas Kuwait fell 2.47%. Micro, large and mid stocks emerged buying favourites during the week that saw foreign institutions to be bullish but with lesser vigour. Consumer goods stocks appreciated 4.09%, banks and financial services (2.18%), insurance (0.96%) and telecom (0.24%); whereas transport, industrials and real estate shrank 0.75%, 0.2% and 0.09% respectively during the week that saw Mannai Corporation aim at making further inroads in facility management services in Qatar. The index that tracks Shariah-principled stocks was seen gaining faster than the other indices during the week that saw realty, banks and consumer goods together account for about 70% of the total trade volume. The 20-stock Total Return Index rose 0.85%, All Share Index (comprising wider constituents) by 1.01% and Al Rayan Islamic Index by 1.29% during the week, which saw Barwa and Gulf Warehousing dominate the trading ring in terms of both volume and value. Of the 43 stocks, 24 advanced; while 19 declined during the week that saw Brent crude fall on greater North American production as well as lower demand from China and Europe. Seven of the 12 banks and financial services; five each of the eight consumer Market capitalisation swelled 1.11% or goods and the nine industrials; three of more than QR8bn to QR750.67bn during the five insurers; two of the four realty; the week. Micro, large and mid cap equiand one each of the two telecom and the ties were seen gaining 1.91%, 1.76% and three transport stocks closed higher dur1.6% respectively; while small caps were ing the week. down 0.26%. Micro, small, mid and large About 56% of the stock extended gains cap equities are up 53.46%, 35.96%, 32.41% with major movers being QNB, Comand 28.79% respectively year-to-date. mercial Bank, Doha Bank, International Foreign institutions’ net buying fell Islamic, al khaliji, Masraf Al Rayan, Barwa, to QR131.35mn against QR153.75mn the Al Khaleej Takaful, Gulf Warehousing and previous week. United DevelopThe transport segment recorded Local retail investors’ net ment Company. 6.15mn shares valued at QR348.6mnbuying sunk to QR5.36mn However, Machange hands across 2,520 transac- compared to QR21.51mn the zaya Qatar, Ezdan, tions. week ended November 13. Vodafone Qatar, A total of 2.52mn insurance equi- Domestic institutions’ Ooredoo and Nanet profit booking eased ties valued at QR149.19mn trade kilat were among across 1,527 transactions. to QR121.97mn against those bucked the In the debt market, there was no QR169.68mn the previous trend during the trading of treasury bills and govern- week. week. Non-Qatari individual ment bonds during the week. investors’ net selling rose to QR14.74mn compared to QR5.18mn the week ended November 13. A total of 67.74mn shares valued at QR4.47bn changed hands across 40,173 transactions. The real estate sector saw a total of 24.95mn equities worth QR875.04mn trade across 8,215 deals. As many as 15mn banks and financial services stocks valued at QR1.35bn changed hands across 11,162 transactions. A total of 7.21mn consumer goods stocks valued at QR891.75mn trade across 5,366 deals. The industrial sector saw as many as 6.92mn shares worth QR724.46mn change hands across 9,633 transactions. The telecom sector saw 4.98mn equities worth QR128.95mn trade in 1,750 deals. CRICKET | Page 3 FOOTBALL | Page 5 Pakistan salvage draw after Taylor’s century Arsenal, United in duel looking to avoid further slip ups Saturday, November 22, 2014 Moharram 29, 1436 AH BOXING GULF TIMES Pacquiao, a street kid who conquered the world SPORT Page 10 PSA WORLD SQUASH CHAMPIONSHIP, DOHA A fairy tale comeback, a thrilling final… And Ramy Ashour is your champion �Even a month back I was not sure whether I would be able to make it in time for Worlds. I have been through a lot the last six months, so I was desperate to fight, fight for each point, I was determined never to give up’ By Satya Rath Doha T Egypt’s Ramy Ashour celebrates after defeating compatriot and world no. 1 Mohamed Elshorbagy to win the PSA World Squash Championship yesterday at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex. PICTURES: Jayan Orma wo years ago, at the same venue, on the old glass court, cheered on wildly by the fervent crowd in the packed-tothe-brim stands, two Egyptians enacted a squash epic. The grand finale lived up to its billing — five tense sets, 90 minutes of edge-of-the-seat action, between a seasoned professional - Ramy Ashour - just returning from injury and Mohamed Elshorbagy – a 21-year old just graduating into the senior ranks. Experience had the last say in the end and Ashour won the 2012 world title, his second after 2008. It was a repeat show yesterday in the final of the PSA World Squash Championship. Barring the brand new glass court and Doha’s fast-changing skyline, the scenario was uncannily similar. This time too, Ashour was just returning from a career-threatening injury, the Worlds being his first tournament in six months. The only modification in the script, if one could call it that, was that Ashour’s opponent, Elshorbagy, was no longer the �junior’. He was now the world number one, and was coming into the final with a 23-match unbeaten streak. The duo enacted another epic final, this one perhaps even better than the earlier one. Another five-setter, and yes, it lasted exactly 90 minutes, again! The Friday crowd won’t be able to forget this thriller in a hurry, so intense was the edge-of-the-seat performance by the lead actors. Someone had to win in the end, and the best man won. Ramy Ashour, take a bow! The final score read 13-11, 7-11, 5-11, 11-5, 14-12, and that tells the tale of the intense level of competition between the two warriors. Tempers flared, there were errors galore, eyebrows raised at some of the calls from the referee but it was top-class stuff from two of the finest players in the game today. The first game set the tone. Elshorbagy seized the early initiative, racing to a 8-3 lead, as Ashour took his own sweet time to settle down. But once the senior pro was in his groove, there was no looking back. From 3-8 it soon became 8-8, then 10-10. With neither willing to cede an inch, it was down to who will blink first, and Elshorbagy obliged, banging the tin twice to end the 16-minute set (13-11). He made amends for those errors immediately, taking the next two games 11-7, 11-5, but should thank Ashour for making it too easy for him by targeting the tin all too frequently. The fourth game too looked going Elshorbagy’s way when he led 5-2, again courtesy some inexplicable unforced errors from Ashour’s racquet. The script had undergone a swift change. Were we going to see a new world champion in Doha? But then, the Qatari capital always seems to get the best out of Ashour, “All credit to Mohamed, he played great, but it was my day perhaps. It was such an intense match, back and forth, back and forth… Both of us were desperate to win, this would have been his first world title so I feel sorry…” and with the crowd egging him on, he fought back - volleying brutally, diving at anything and everything, drawing out all his experience to take nine points on the trot and force a decider. Ashour was the one calling the shots in the final game, leading 9-5, then on match ball on 10-6, when Elshorbagy showed why he’s at the peak of world squash in such a short time. He staged a last-ditch fightback, taking the next four points to force a tie-break. The slugfest continued, 11-11, then match ball for Elshorbagy at 12-11. An infringement at that point prompted the referee to award a stroke to Ashour, and it was 12-12 now. Luck favours the brave, they say, and Ashour perhaps needed a stroke of luck at that crucial stage. He wrong-footed Elshorbagy - first with a delectable drop and then with a brutal volley - to take the next two points for his third world title after 2012 and 2008 and the winner’s cheque of $45,600. It was Elshorbagy’s second final appearance at the Worlds, after Doha 2012. He will take home $28,500. “All credit to Mohamed, he played great, but it was my day perhaps. It was such an intense match, back and forth, back and forth… Both of us were desperate to win, this would have been his first world title so I feel sorry… I think yesterday’s (semifinal) win over Greg (Gaultier) set me up perfectly for the final, it gave me such a boost in confidence,” a visibly drained Ashour said. “I feel so happy to have won. Even a month back I was not sure whether I would be able to make it in time for Worlds. I have been through a lot the last six months, so I was desperate to fight, fight for each point, I was determined never to give up. “It’s all in the head, you know. In such matches, you lose your head, you lose everything. “I kept myself to stay calm, even when he (Elshorbagy) was on match ball in the fifth game (12-11). I want to thank the crowd for their support. The Doha crowd has always been amazing, and they really carried me through,” added Ashour. Final Score: Ramy Ashour bt Mohamed Elshorbagy 3-2 (13-11, 7-11, 5-11, 11-5, 14-12) Ashour (right) consoles Elshorbagy after the final. 2 Gulf Times Saturday, November 22, 2014 FORMULA 1 SPOTLIGHT DENIAL Advantage Lewis after first practice in Abu Dhabi �I’ve just got to drive the way I usually do and what will be will be. I feel good in the car. Undoubtedly, there is more time to find so I’ve got to chip away at it tonight’ Mercedes reject Vettel’s �boring’ quip Red Bull Formula One driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany. Reuters Abu Dhabi M ercedes hit back at Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel yesterday after the most dominant driver of recent years quipped that the team had made the Formula One season boring with their success. “Is there anybody out there who believes that it was a boring season? Not one single soul,” motorsport head Toto Wolff told the official Formula One website ahead of Sunday’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. “It was an incredibly exciting season, despite our record. Our drivers were battling each other to the limit and I am sure that the fans appreciate that.” Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg have between them won a record-equalling 15 of the 18 races so far, with a record 11 one-two finishes, but the title outcome is far from decided. Hamilton, the 2008 champi- on, leads his German teammate by 17 points but with double points and 50 for the winner on Sunday. Vettel wrapped up last year’s title, his fourth in a row, with three races to spare and ended the year with nine successive wins. But this season he has been little more than an onlooker. The German has not won a race and has been overshadowed even within his own team by Australian Daniel Ricciardo. “I think Mercedes made it very boring this year,” the 27-year-old told reporters with some irony on Thursday, while admitting that the season-long duel between the two team mates had been good to watch. “They had great races, battling for the lead, which is obviously the most interesting position in the race for the people to watch,” said Vettel. “Remembering races like Bahrain, I think they put on a great show for the fans and took it to the last race, so I think both of them deserve to win after such a great season.” HARSH Grosjean handed 20-place penalty Reuters Abu Dhabi Mercedes-AMG’s British driver Lewis Hamilton drives during the second practice session at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi yesterday. Reuters Abu Dhabi L ewis Hamilton claimed an early advantage over Mercedes teammate and title rival Nico Rosberg yesterday with the fastest lap in practice for Formula One’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The Briton, chasing his second title, was quickest in the afternoon and afterdark floodlit sessions at the glittering Yas Marina circuit that hosts Sunday’s decisive �duel in the desert’. The bragging rights were limited, however, by the slender margin between the two with Hamilton 0.133 faster in the first session and a mere 0.083 in the cooler evening conditions. He produced his best lap of one minute 42.113 after nightfall. “I’ve just got to drive the way I usually do and what will be will be,” said Hamilton. “I feel good in the car. Undoubtedly, there is more time to find so I’ve got to go and chip away at it tonight.” The other drivers waged a familiar battle to be best of the also-rans, but with an even greater gap than usual. Spaniard Fernando Alonso, preparing for his last race with Ferrari, was third quickest in the opening session but a massive 1.7 seconds off Hamilton’s pace. Hamilton leads Rosberg by 17 points but, with double on offer for the first time, the spectre of mechanical failure hangs over Sunday’s race. The 2008 champion need only finish second, however, to be champion even if Rosberg wins. Mercedes are also on course for a record 16 wins in a season, having already notched up an unprecedented 11 one-twos. McLaren’s Kevin Magnussen filled third spot in the second session, when Alonso stopped on track without setting a time, but was still 0.782 off the pace Quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel, last year’s race winner, was fourth fastest in both sessions as he geared up for a farewell to Red Bull before replacing I won’t take stupid risks, Hamilton says ahead of showdown Formula One championship leader Lewis Hamilton said yesterday that he will not take unnecessary risks at the decisive Abu Dhabi Grand Prix tomorrow. “Going into the race, people should just know I am an out-and-out racer and I am going to be going into it to win,” Hamilton wrote in his column for the BBC. “I will not give up until I am past the chequered flag. “But I am certainly not going to take any stupid risks, because I don’t need to.” The 29-year-old Hamilton has a 17-point advantage over Mercedes teammate Alonso at Ferrari. Britain’s Jenson Button, maybe facing his last race in Formula One, improved to eighth for McLaren after a troubled first session. Mercedes-powered Williams, who stopped their cars in the first session after they shed bodywork on track, had a Nico Rosberg going into the final race of the season and second place tomorrow will secure him the championship. Though Hamilton already has one world title, won with McLaren in 2008, he says performance this season has eclipsed that, regardless of what happens tomorrow. “But out of all my years in F1 so far, this is the one I am most proud of, in terms of my efforts, focus, precision and drive, the way I have performed, the small number of mistakes I’ve made,” Hamilton wrote. normal second stint with Finland’s Valtteri Botttas fifth. The first session also saw some less familiar names in action, with Britain’s Will Stevens slowest as he prepared for a race debut with administrator-run Caterham. Hong Kong Chinese racer Adderley Fong gained some experience at Sauber. L otus Formula One driver Romain Grosjean could consider himself lucky that only the points will be doubled in this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after collecting a 20-place grid penalty yesterday. The Frenchman was handed the sanction for exceeding his allocation of power unit components for the season. With only 20 cars taking part in today’s qualifying for the season-ending race, Grosjean is sure to start at the back of the field at Yas Marina but that will not be the end of the matter. Race stewards said in a statement that any remaining positions beyond that will be replaced with time, drivethrough or stop and go penalties applied depending on where he qualified. So if Grosjean were to qualify 15th, he would drop five places and also have to serve a drivethrough penalty. INQUIRY Caterham running to be investigated BOTTOMLINE Rosberg warns Hamilton to keep it clean in championship decider Caterham F1 Team team chief Finbarr O’Connell. The Guardian London T he tension between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg was obvious when they exchanged an uneasy handshake on Thursday. The Mercedes teammates and Formula One world championship rivals appeared alongside each other at a press conference but the body language between once close friends was cold enough to chill the warm desert air. The pair have clashed a number of times in a season in which Hamilton has built a 17-point advantage going into Abu Dhabi Grand Prix where, controversially, double points will be awarded. The winner of Sunday’s race will collect 50 points. File picture of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton (right) on the podium after winning the Japan GP with teammate Nico Rosberg looking on. When asked if they would speak to each other before the race to ensure there would be no argy-bargy, Hamilton said: “We don’t need to, its been discussed at the beginning of the season and several times during the season and particularly after Spa, so there’s no need to revisit it. We are not children we should know what is wrong and what is right.” When the question moved to Rosberg he had a dig at Hamilton. “Lewis can do something to keep it clean, which is drive cleanly himself. So it’s not like he can’t do anything,” the German said He added: “It’s an intense weekend. I wouldn’t use the word pressure. Lewis is a great competitor and it will hopefully be a great end to the season. I’m here to try to win the race and I need a bit of help from Lewis that he doesn’t finish second. There are many scenarios and I’m optimistic. In Brazil he made a mistake and I need to do what I can to keep the pressure on.” Hamilton needs to finish in the top two to make sure of a second world title six years after winning his first. He has won 10 grands prix this season to Rosberg’s five, though the British driver has been outscored 10-7 in pole positions. Without double points, Hamilton would have had to finish sixth to take the title. He said: “I come into the weekend trying to win the race, like always. So nothing changes. In terms of the pressure, I don’t really feel anything. I have been racing for 20 years to prepare for it.” The two major flashpoints between the pair came at Monaco and Spa. At Monaco in May Rosberg went up the escape road on his final run and prevented Hamilton from potentially setting pole. The view of most experts was that what Rosberg did was intentional. Rosberg was at fault at the Belgian Grand Prix when he collided with Hamilton, forcing him to retire. Reuters Abu Dhabi C aterham’s former management will be investigated by administrators once the stricken Formula One team’s fate is decided in the next few weeks, administrator and acting team principal Finbarr O’Connell said yesterday. O’Connell, speaking at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, told reporters he had a duty to probe how Caterham was run before he was called in last month. “I’m clearly trying to sell the business, but another thing I have to do is investigate how the business was run, and anybody who has run it improperly or who owes it money, I have a duty to investigate them,” he said. “If I think they’ve been guilty of an offence ... then I am supposed to pursue them and get money back for the creditors. “I’m just getting all the papers and documents together and my lawyers and accounting team are going through those. “So that is a different phase, but a number of people have said to me they really believe things have gone on here that need to be investigated.” Replacing his usual business suit with team uniform for the first grand prix he has ever attended, O’Connell said 50 approaches had been whittled down to four serious ones. “(For) some of them it makes complete sense, if it ever makes sense for anybody to buy a Formula One team,” said the 54-year-old from County Leitrim, who is more a fan of rugby and cycling than motorsport. Gulf Times Saturday, November 22, 2014 3 CRICKET SECOND TEST Srinivasan pushes court for India board comeback Pakistan salvage draw after Taylor’s century World cricket chief Narayanaswami Srinivasan filed a petition yesterday before India’s Supreme Court to allow him to be reinstated as president of the country’s board since he had been cleared of corruption. The petition by Srinivasan and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will be taken up on Monday when the apex court is due to resume hearings over a corruption scandal around the Indian Premier League. The court-appointed panel probing the scandal had in its report released last Monday exonerated Srinivasan of match-fixing and also absolved him of trying to scuttle investigations into match-fixing. However the court has said it wants Srinivasan to reply to the panel’s charges that he did not act against an unnamed player despite knowing that he had violated the players’ code of conduct during the 2013 edition of the annual Twenty20 tournament. The BCCI petition denied the charge against Srinivasan, saying the player, identified only as �individual 3’ in the panel’s report, had been “orally reprimanded” by concerned officials. The court has not disclosed the nature of the code violation nor when it took place. The court had barred Srinivasan from carrying out his duties as BCCI president in March until it had delivered its final verdict, although it did not stop him from heading the International Cricket Council. The Chennai-based cement tycoon took over as the ICC chairman in June but he is keen to return to the helm of the BCCI and he is expected to seek a second three-year term as board president in elections due on December 17. The panel has accused Srinivasan’s son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan of being involved in betting activities during the IPL while he was the team principal of one of the tournament’s teams, the Chennai Super Kings. The franchise is owned by India Cements, whose managing director is Srinivasan while the team is captained by India skipper Mahendra Dhoni. �I’m a little bit disappointed because had we taken our chances we could have had a better result’ Masood was shaping well during his 95-ball knock, hitting two sixes and a boundary. Earlier, Taylor anchored the New Zealand innings. Taylor, who had just 31 runs in three previous innings this series, batted with authority during a 200-minute stay at the crease studded with 12 boundaries. New Zealand, resuming on 167 for six, looked for quick runs which came once Taylor reached his hundred with a single off seamer Ehsan Adil. It took him 129 balls to reach the three-figure mark. Leg-spinner Yasir Shah, who finished with his first fivewicket haul for figures of five for 79, removed Taylor and Craig (34) in the same over. Craig holed out in the deep, while Taylor was beaten by a sharp turning delivery and was smartly stumped by Sarfraz. Southee hit Zulfiqar Babar (four for 96) for three towering sixes before he was caught in the covers ahead of McCullum’s declaration. The third and final Test starts in Sharjah on November 26. AFP Dubai P akistan salvaged a draw in the second Test against New Zealand in Dubai yesterday after being set a challenging target of 261 off 72 overs on the back of a brilliant hundred by Ross Taylor. The early loss of four Pakistani wickets meant all results were possible come tea but in the end Pakistan finished 65 runs short of victory when bad light ended play five overs before the scheduled close. Asad Shafiq scored 41 not out and Sarfraz Ahmed an unbeaten 24 as Pakistan finished on 196 for five, with the draw preserving their 1-0 lead in the threematch series following last week’s 248-run win Abu Dhabi. It was an exciting finish before an 8,000 holiday crowd who anticipated a Pakistan win after New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum had sportingly declared his side’s second innings on 250 for nine. That was made possible after Taylor notched a brilliant 104 for his 12th Test century. “Credit to New Zealand,” said Pakistan captain Misbah-ulHaq. “They showed a lot of improvement after the first game. “I’m a little bit disappointed because had we taken our chances we could have had a better result. “We had planned the chase, to bat normally in the first 40 overs and then step up, but we lost three quick wickets and then Younis (Khan) got out so it became tough.” McCullum praised New Zealand’s resolve, saying: “Obviously it was a very very good Test match. t was a great effort and I think the toss was really important and we managed to put on a good total (403 after he elected to bat) and that really lifted us. I am proud of the boys.” Precarious position Younis (44) and Shafiq lifted Pakistan from a precarious 75 Scoreboard Pakistani cricket captain Misbah-ul-Haq (left) shakes hands with his New Zealand counterpart Brendon McCullum at the end of the fifth and final day of the second Test match at Dubai International Stadium in Dubai yesterday. for four after Trent Boult had dismissed Shan Masood (40) and skipper Misbah-ul Haq (nought) in his successive overs. Pakistan, needing 130 in the last 20 overs, picked up the tempo with Shafiq hitting two boundaries off Mark Craig but the off-spinner derailed the chase when he dismissed Younis with a turning, rising delivery that took the edge and was well held at slip by Taylor. Younis hit three sixes and two boundaries in his 84-ball knock. Boult finished with miserly figures figures of two for 12 in 10 overs while Craig took two for 66 in 17. Pakistan had lost opener Taufeeq Umar for four in the second over to Tim Southee before Masood and Azhar Ali (24) ONE-DAY INTERNATIONAL FIRST ONE-DAYER Smith stars with ton as Australia down South Africa to take series AFP Melbourne S teve Smith hit a thrilling century to propel Australia to a three-wicket victory over South Africa to clinch the five-game one-day international series in Melbourne yesterday. Man-of-the-match Smith cracked 104 off 112 balls as Australia stormed home to overhaul Scoreboard South Africa Innings Q. de Kock c and b Maxwell .......................................17 H. Amla c Cummins b Coulter-Nile ....................18 F. du Plessis c Wade b Cummins........................28 A.B. de Villiers c Smith b Cummins ..................91 D. Miller c Smith b Faulkner ...................................... 45 F. Behardien run out (Warner) ................................22 R. McLaren c Wade b Starc .........................................13 R. Peterson b Faulkner........................................................11 W. Parnell not out ......................................................................3 D. Steyn not out .........................................................................0 Extras: (b5, lb5, w9) ............................................................19 Total: (8 wickets; 50 overs) ..................................267 Fall of wickets: 1-28, 2-70, 3-77, 4-199, 5-230, 6-246, 7-261, 8-262 Bowling: Starc 10-0-40-1 (3w), CoulterNile 3-0-16-1 (1w), Cummins 10-0-61-2 (5w), Maxwell 9-0-43-1, Watson 5-0-25-0, Faulkner 10-0-45-2, Smith 3-0-27-0. Australia Innings A. Finch a du Plessis b Parnell.................................22 D. Warner lbw b Abbott .....................................................4 S. Watson c de Kock b McLaren ...........................19 S. Smith b Peterson ........................................................ 104 G. Bailey c de Kock b Steyn ........................................16 G. Maxwell c Amla b Steyn...........................................2 M. Wade c McLaren b Parnell..................................52 J. Faulkner not out.............................................................. 34 P. Cummins not out..................................................................1 Extras: (b5, lb2, w6, nb1)................................................14 Total: (7 wickets; 49 overs) .................................. 268 Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-43, 3-48, 4-86, 5-98, 6-219, 7-267 Bowling: Steyn 9-0-47-2, Abbott 10-0-43-1, McLaren 10-0-62-1 (1w), Parnell 9-0-52-2 (1nb, 3w), Peterson 8-0-44-1 (1w), Behardien 3-0-13-0 (1w) South Africa’s 267 for eight to win with an over to spare. The victory wrapped up the ODI series 3-1 over the Proteas ahead of Sunday’s final game in Sydney. The Proteas looked in control for most of Australia’s innings, reducing the home side to 98 for five in the 25th over, before Smith turned the tide with a ground record 121-run sixthwicket stand with wicketkeeper Matt Wade. As Smith and Wade accelerated the scoring rate the South African bowling and fielding became ragged under pressure and in the end the Australians were an irresistible force surging to victory. When Wade was brilliantly caught in the outfield by a diving Ryan McLaren for 52 off 94 balls, James Faulkner came in and took up where Wade left off slamming an unbeaten 34 off 31 balls with six fours. Smith has proved the thorn for the Proteas in this series, hitting an unbeaten 73 to help the Australians win in the third ODI in Canberra on Wednesday. He was annoyed to be bowled by Robin Peterson as he attempted to go after the winning run, but the damage had been done for South Africa. “I was lucky enough to have some good partners out there,” Smith said, in praising the contributions of Wade and Faulkner. put on a solid 62 for the second wicket. Ali then hit a Craig full toss straight into the hands of covers before Boult trapped Masood leg-before and had Misbah caught behind off a beautiful delivery. New Zealand 1st innings 403 Pakistan 1st innings 393 New Zealand 2nd innings (overnight 167-6) T. Latham c Shafiq b Shah ............................................9 B. McCullum lbw b Babar .......................................... 45 K. Williamson c Umar b Babar .................................11 R. Taylor st Ahmed b Shah .................................... 104 C. Anderson b Shah ............................................................0 J. Neesham b Babar .............................................................11 BJ Watling c Shafiq b Shah ..........................................11 M. Craig c Rahat b Shah .............................................. 34 T. Southee c Ali b Babar ...............................................20 I. Sodhi not out ........................................................................... 2 Extras: (lb3) 3 Total: (for nine wkts dec; 64.5 overs) .....250 Fall of wickets: 1-42, 2-63, 3-78, 4-79, 5-125, 6-166, 7-226, 8-228, 9-250 Bowling: Rahat 8-0-39-0, Adil 8-1-33-0, Babar 27.5-5-96-4, Shah 21-1-79-5 Pakistan 2nd innings Shan Masood lbw b Boult ........................................ 40 Taufeeq Umar c Watling b Southee ..................4 Azhar Ali c Neesham b Craig .................................24 Younis Khan c Watling b Craig ............................44 Misbah-ul Haq c Watling b Boult ..........................0 Asad Shafiq not out ............................................................41 Sarfraz Ahmed not out ..................................................24 Extras: (b15, lb2, nb1, w1) ..............................................19 Total: (for five wkts; 67 overs) ...........................196 Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-70, 3-73, 4-75, 5-149 Bowling: Boult 10-6-12-2, Southee 11-3-21-1, Craig 17-3-66-2, Sodhi 21-5-63-0, Anderson 3-1-4-0 (1w), Neesham 2-1-1-0, McCullum 3-0-12-0 Steve Smith of Australia raises his bat after scoring a century during the fourth one-day international against South Africa at the MCG in Melbourne yesterday. “It made it a lot easier. I feel like I’m hitting the ball really well ... I’m playing each ball on its merits. “It’s another series win for us, which is great.” The match finished on a video umpire’s adjudication after Pat Cummins appeared to be caught by a diving David Miller, only for the decision to be reversed when replays showed the ball had bounced before Miller’s hands. That proved to be the winning run as Cummins and Faulkner crossed for the Australians to celebrate a psychological series victory ahead of next year’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. “We didn’t finish well,” South Africa coach Russell Domingo said, reflecting on a lamentable final 10 overs of each innings. “We fell short at the back end with both bat and ball.” Compounding South Africa’s woes was an apparent rib injury for skipper AB de Villiers, who suffered the injury while fielding and looked in discomfort. De Villiers hit a masterful 91 before South Africa’s innings stalled and finished at 267 for eight batting first after winning the toss. International one-day cricket’s leading batsman was in typical free-flowing form, hitting six fours in his 88-ball knock. But after de Villiers departed in the 43rd over with the score at 230 for five, the South Africans only mustered another 37 runs in the remaining seven overs. De Villiers looked set for his 19th ODI century before paceman Cummins lured him into a hurried shot with a slower, wider delivery which he top-edged and was caught by Smith. With him went the South Africans’ momentum as bowlers Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Faulkner strangled their scoring and restricted the Proteas’ total. All-round Shakib leads Bangladesh to crushing win AFP Chittagong S hakib Al Hasan starred with bat and ball to lead Bangladesh to a crushing 87-run victory in their first one-day international against Zimbabwe in Chittagong yesterday. Shakib scored 101 off 99 balls to lead the team to 281-7 and then grabbed 4-41 as the home side dismissed Zimbabwe for 194 in 42.1 overs to take 1-0 lead in the five-match series. Shakib shared 148-runs in a record fifth-wicket partnership with Mushfiqur Rahim to help Bangladesh recover from 4-70 to a competitive score after they were put in to bat first. Shakib, who also had a hand in Bangladesh’s previous highest fifth-wicket stand of 119 runs, against South Africa in Dhaka in 2008, struck 10 fours. Rahim made 65 off 72 balls with the help of two fours and as many sixes. Debutant Sabbir Rahman provided a late sparkle hitting an unbeaten 44 off 25 balls, which included three fours and three sixes. Tinashe Panyangara claimed highest three wickets for Zimbabwe at the expense of 66 runs. Zimbabwe started their chase positively, reaching 46 runs in the first seven overs, before Shakib put a brake on their innings with two wickets in his second over. Fellow spinners Arafat Sunny (2-22) and Mahmudullah (2-40) and paceman Mashrafe Mortaza (2-33) gave him ample support making regular breakthroughs. Brendan Taylor made highest 54 runs for Zimbabwe before he became the victim of a spectacular catch by Rahim off Mortaza. Scoreboard Bangladesh Innings Tamim Iqbal b Panyangara .................................................... 5 Anamul Haque c Chigumbura b Chatara ............. 12 Mominul Haque b Nyumbu ...................................................31 Mahmudullah c Kamungozi b Chatara .......................1 S Al Hasan c Panyangara b Kamungozi .............. 101 Mushfiqur Rahim c Mire b Panyangara .................65 Sabbir Rahman not out ............................................................ 44 Mashrafe Mortaza b Panyangara .......................................1 Arafat Sunny not out..........................................................................1 Extras: (lb1, w17, nb2) ..................................................................20 Total: (for seven wickets, 50 overs) .........................281 Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Tamim), 2-26( Anamul), 3-31 (Mahmudullah), 4-70 (Mominul), 5-218 (Shakib), 6-246( Rahim), 7-264 (Mashrafe) Bowling: Panyangara 10-1-66-3 (w2), Chatara 101-48-2 (w3), Chigumbura 8-0-37-0 (w4, nb1), Mire 4-0-22-0 (w3), Nyumbu 7-0-40-1(w3), Masakadza 1-0-8-0, Kamungozi 8-0-40-1(nb1), Raza 2-0-19-0 Zimbabwe Innings H Masakadza lbw b Mahmudullah ..............................42 S. Raza c Rahim b Shakib ......................................................... 15 V. Sibanda c Rubel b Shakib ....................................................0 B. Taylor c Rahim b Mortaza................................................54 R. Chakabva b Mahmudullah ................................................9 E. Chigumbura c Sabbir b Mortaza .............................. 15 S. Mire b Shakib ......................................................................................11 T. Panyangara b Sunny ..................................................................7 J. Nyumbu c Mahmudullah b Shakib ...........................4 T. Chatara b Sunny ...........................................................................10 T. Kamungozi not out.................................................................... 12 Extras: (lb 6, w-9) 15 Total: (all out ; 42.1 overs) 194 Fall of wickets: 1-47 (Raza), 2-47 (Sibanda), 3-92 (Masakadza), 4-124 ( Chakabva), 5-146 ( Taylor), 6-153 (Chigumbura), 7-168 ( Mire), 8-170 ( Panyangara), 9-180 (Nyumbu), 10-194 ( Chatara) Bowling: Mortaza 6-1-33-2 (w1), Al-Amin 2-0-210(w2), Sunny 9.1-2-22-2, Shakib 10-0-41-4, Mominul 1-0-11-0, Rubel 3-0-14-0 (w2), Mahmudullah 10-040-2, Sabbir 1-0-6-0 4 Gulf Times Saturday, November 22, 2014 FOOTBALL LA LIGA SPOTLIGHT Messi may leave Spain over tax jail threat Barcelona star last year was accused of concealing €4.1mn earned from image rights By Stephen Burgen The Guardian L ionel Messi, hailed by many as the greatest footballer of all time, may leave Spain after continuing to fall foul of the tax authorities, sources have said. The player, who earlier this year agreed a new €50mn (£40mn) salary with Barcelona, has complained that he is being singled out for special treatment compared with other elite sports players in Spain with disputed tax affairs. Messi had his first run-in over tax last year when he was accused of concealing €4.1mn earned from image rights in shell companies in Belize and Uruguay. Under Spanish law, anyone who has more than €120,000 in undeclared income automatically faces a jail sentence, but this is generally waived if the offender agrees to pay. Messi paid an agreed €5mn in settlement but the authorities have decided to force the Argentinian-born player to stand trial, with the possibility of going to prison. Sources close to Messi told the newspaper El Confidencial: “… there are other elite sportspeople who have tax problems and they’ve all been settled administratively, as was the case with Real Madrid players Xabi Alonso and Iker Casillas and tennis star Rafa Nadal. Messi is the only one who faces legal proceedings that could end with him going to jail. He’s fed up with Spain and that’s why he wants to leave.” The sources said that in a single year Messi had paid €52mn in income tax and fines “and that should be that”. They said Messi appeared to be a victim of double standards. “They started with his image rights, then his signing fee – who knows where it will end.” In the current atmosphere of hostility between Catalonia and the Spanish government, the fact that the Real Madrid players settled out of court while Barcelona’s star faces criminal proceedings is seen as further evidence of an anti-Catalan conspiracy. The four-times winner of football’s top award, the FIFA World Player (renamed the Ballon d’Or in 2010), hinted in an interview with an Argentinian sports paper earlier this week that he may consider leaving Barcelona, the club that has nurtured his talent since he moved there at the age of 13. Now 27, Messi said he would like to end his career at Barcelona but the situation was difficult and “sometimes things don’t work out as you planned”. A comment by his teammate Xavi Hernández that “Messi would be an even better player in the English premier league because it’s not so defensive” did nothing to dispel rumours that he might be leaving. Messi has won six Spanish league titles and three champions leagues with Barcelona and led Argentina to the finals of the World Cup this year. Madrid enter land of Eibar’s little people AFP Madrid R FIXTURES eal Madrid’s superstars, flying high at the top of La Liga, enter the land of Spanish football’s little people today when they take on humble Eibar in the Basque country. Unlike Real’s cavernous, fabled Bernabeu with its 85,000-capacity, Eibar’s Ipurua stadium has room for just 5,000 fans—they have had to build temporary seating to accommodate fans wanting to see Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale. The contrast between the two adversaries is also highlighted by their respective budgets — 10-time European champions Real are worth 500 million euros. Eibar, promoted last season, survive on 30 times less. Despite the gulf in class and finance, Eibar have not been intimidated in La Liga where they sit comfortably in mid-table. “At the Ipurua, we can cause trouble for anybody,” said Eibar midfielder Saul Berjon. However, Real are expected to keep rolling on as they start the weekend with a two-point lead over Barcelona. They are undefeated in 13 matches in all competitions, scoring 52 goals and conceding just eight, although their planning for the trip to Eibar hasn’t been helped by a thigh injury to influential midfielder Luka Modric. He will be out for around three months after picking up the injury while on international duty with Croatia. Barcelona host Sevilla, who are just two points behind Today:Atletico Madrid v Malaga, Eibar v Real Madrid, Barcelona v Sevilla, Deportivo La Coruna v Real Sociedad Tomorrow: Rayo Vallecano v Celta Vigo, Levante v Valencia, Elche v Cordoba, Villarreal v Getafe Monday: Granada v Almeria them, facing a potential crisis of confidence having seen a six-point lead over Real disappear over the autumn. Luis Enrique’s team face a testing stretch of games—after Sevilla, they travel to Apoel Nicosia in the Champions League, go to Valencia, face a derby against Espanyol before completing their European duties against Paris Saint Germain. That game is likely to decide top spot in Group F and a seeded spot in the knockout round in the new year. “We must get back to rediscovering beautiful football which characterises the team,” said Enrique, whose gamble on signing Luis Suarez has yet to pay dividends with the controversial Uruguayan striker still seeking a first league goal. Superstar Lionel Messi is without a goal in three matches in La Liga but on Saturday he once again gets a chance to go past Telmo Zarra’s record of 251 goals to become the leading all-time scorer in the history of the league. Meanwhile, seven months after being sacked by Manchester United, David Moyes returns to the dugout as coach of Real Sociedad with a trip to Deoprtivo La Coruna in store for the Scot. Tax authorities have decided to force Lionel Messi to stand trial, with the possibility of going to prison. (EPA) Coach Enrique convinced Messi is happy at Barca Barcelona: Barcelona coach Luis Enrique is convinced Lionel Messi is happy at the club despite the Argentine hinting this week that he could be open to a move away from the Nou Camp. The comments sparked speculation over whether Barca would be prepared to cash in on their most prized asset and who would be able to pay the transfer fee and his salary which is over 20 million euros a season. “I’ve only heard Leo saying that he is delighted at Barca and that there is no problem at all,” Luis Enrique told a news conference ahead of Barca’s la Liga clash with Sevilla today. “I am not interested in the speculation and the opinions. I just hear the message from him that he is happy and proud to play for Barca.” Messi, now 27, has not been playing football with the same look of enjoyment which characterised his play in his early years at the Catalan club. Barca have made a stuttering start to the season in Luis Enrique’s first campaign in charge and are two points adrift of leaders Real Madrid. They responded to back-to-back defeats in the La Liga with a win at Almeria before the international break but Messi again failed to score and equal the league record of 251 goals netted by Athletic Bilbao striker Telmo Zarra. He has not found the back of the net since Barca played Eibar over a month ago. The return of Luis Suarez following his biting ban has also caused Messi to be played on the right of attack rather than through the centre which he prefers. “What we are looking for is equilibrium with the three forwards and depending on the space it determines where they play,” Luis Enrique said. “The idea is to have Leo involved as much as possible in the play so that he can do most damage.” Real Madrid's (from left) Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and James Rodriguez during training. (EPA) FEATURE Ox: say the name of Little Woodlouse Legs quietly By Barney Ronay The Guardian T here was a slightly weird moment during England’s friendly victory against Scotland in Glasgow this week. Clive Tyldesley – who doesn’t make a habit of this kind of thing – got the name of England’s opening goalscorer wrong during his ITV commentary. “ROONEY!!” Tyldesley shouted as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain headed home a lovely pass yawned in between the Scottish centrebacks by Jack Wilshere. There were a few odd things about this. For a start Rooney was standing close by, very obviously not in the process of scoring a goal. More than this, while there are similarities between the two men – both have the kind of physique that might have led football magazines of the 1970s to employ phrases like “the chunky schemer” or “the bulky ace” or “the power-packed England raider” – there are obvious differences too. Not least skin tone, hair, shirt numbers and, crucially, not really looking like each other very much at all. In spite of this the same mistake – GOAL! ROONEY! – appeared simultaneously on the official England Twitter feed. Even odder, Oxlade-Chamberlain was also involved in the most notable case of mistaken identity of recent times when his handball at Stamford Bridge in March led to Kieran Gibbs being sent off in his place. Which makes in total three separate incidents of mistaken identity in the past eight months. All involving the same player. And all in a sport where mix-ups among these lavishly marketed household-name athletes (“Nicknamed The “OX” because of his surname, physique and power!” – not my words; the words of Lucozade Sport) are pretty much unheard of. It does perhaps make some kind of sense, though. In its own way this is all very OxladeChamberlain, a fitting case of high-profile semi-visibility for a young English player who is right now that rarest of things, neither particularly underrated nor overrated. Who is very talented, but not so talented as to induce the familiar shrieks and blurts of misplaced hope and strangled desire. And who may just end up doing something unusual. I don’t want to build him up too much. But perhaps English football might even have found a young, talented player with the freedom to be simply OK. Useful. Up to it. Decent. Par. Welcome to the age of the Ox, of the unbellowed name. Welcome to the age of quite good. Maybe. It is a point worth making, though, if only because being young, English and talented has so often been such an upsetting business for everyone concerned. Rooney was very good very young. Wilshere was quite good quite young. Both have been forced since to fight a kind of rearguard against debilitating expectation, stalked by the parallel Wayne, the ghost Jack, the player who never grew old but remained forever all fearless potential energy. In less angst-ridden football nations, players are often allowed to be young and high profile and no more than just quite good. A good Italy team will always have its share of redoubtable soldier ants: hard-working, quite-fast, quiteskilful players with nicknames like “The Little Woodlouse” or “Tiny Marching Legs”, who scurry and link and score the odd important goal and end up celebrating tearfully in their underpants when, bolstered by a core of genuinely dreamy talent – and Italy has its own long-standing issues with those operatically beaten and battered No10s – they end up winning a trophy. England and Arsenal stiker Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (left). (Reuters) Perhaps the Ox could end up in time being England’s own tiny marching woodlouse legs, a high-end component part who, by exploring the limits of his quite good abilities – Look! He dribbles! Sometimes! He can do slightly awkward glancing headers! – might become the kind of quality filler all promising teams feed on. He does at least present an entirely sensible model. Not so much the Young Rooney-style magic bullet player, portrayed even by some very experienced coaches as a kind of foundlinggenius, discovered ready-made crawling out of some urban dustbin. But a type the system might reasonably hope to reproduce on a wider scale: athletic, technically good enough, tactically versatile. If he has an extreme quality it is simply that concussive, rugby league-ish dribbling style, an updated note of English physicality. Indeed the junior pitches down below academy level already seem to be fairly well-stocked with skilful, scrawny (as the Ox was once) young players being taught to play on small pitches in small-sided goals, to value the ball but also to play with energy and speed. So much so it seems reasonable to assume the Oxlade model may just be the default young English footballer of the future: well-drilled athletes with a shared technical competence and an eminently sensible base from which to build. There has already been some hand-wringing over the perceived lack of ragged edges, the absence of something more untamed in the modern academy-schooled player. But there is even here an element of that old personality obsession, the over-celebration of individuals and “leaders”, the urge to shout “ROOOONEYY!!” or “SHEAR-AAARGH!!!” where once a terse “one-nil!” seemed fair enough. Martin Keown, an excellent player whose words now carry some extra weight as a consequence of being delivered with the haunted, sandpapery intensity of a disillusioned military hostage negotiator called out, wearily, for one last job, has suggested Oxlade-Chamberlain doesn’t defend enough or cover his flank effectively, a flaw that in fairness to Little Scurrying Woodlouse Legs is exposed more by Arsenal’s papier mache central midfield. There are also some who say Oxlade-Chamberlain hasn’t made a real statement yes, or had his “breakout moment”. But perhaps he’s simply not going to break out. Perhaps such complaints are still part of the tyranny of overheated expectation, of spikes of doomed individualism. Plus Oxlade-Chamberlain is above all a team player, and a very likeable one. At the end of England’s victory in Glasgow there was a nice moment. Walking back from applauding the travelling fans, Oxlade-Chamberlain – semivisible as ever – bumped into Gary Neville, who proceeded to pat and cosset him, mussing his hair, squeezing his shoulders, petting him like you would an eager, friendly cartoon horse. This seems to be the correct response. Don’t shout his name. Burden him with no unreasonable expectations. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain: he’s quite good, you know. Gulf Times Saturday, November 22, 2014 5 FOOTBALL EPL Arsenal, Man United in duel to stay in touch Arsenal host United for a match that will see both teams attempt to avoid conceding further ground AFP London A rsenal striker Danny Welbeck’s reunion with former club Manchester United supplies one of the sub-plots as the Premier League resumes this weekend following the international break. Arsenal welcome United to the Emirates Stadium today evening for a match that will see both teams attempt to avoid conceding further ground to early-season pace-setters Chelsea. Beaten 2-1 at Swansea City on their last outing, Arsenal approach the weekend in sixth place, 12 points behind leaders Chelsea and a point above United, who edged Crystal Palace 1-0 in their most recent encounter. Welbeck has excelled at centreforward for both Arsenal and England since leaving United on transfer deadline day in a £16 million ($25.1 million) transfer. The Manchester-born striker, 23, came through the youth ranks at Old Trafford and his departure prompted former assistant coach Mike Phelan to declare that United’s identity had been “broken”. Welbeck was withdrawn as a precaution during England’s 3-1 friendly win over Scotland in Glasgow on Tuesday after complaining of tightness in his hamstring, but he is expected to face United. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has also been boosted by the news that France striker Olivier Giroud is ready to return to action after making a speedy recovery from a broken leg. United received a blow during the international break when Dutch midfielder Daley Blind sustained a knee ligament injury likely to sideline him for several weeks. But although they face ongoing injury problems in defence, goalkeeper David de Gea and midfielders Michael FIXTURES (1500 GMT unless otherwise stated): Today: Arsenal v Manchester United (1730 GMT), Chelsea v West Bromwich Albion, Everton v West Ham United, Leicester City v Sunderland, Manchester City v Swansea City, Newcastle United v Queens Park Rangers, Stoke City v Burnley Tomorrow: Crystal Palace v Liverpool (1330 GMT), Hull City v Tottenham Hotspur (1600 GMT) Monday: Aston Villa v Southampton (2000 GMT) Danny Welbeck (left) has excelled at centre-forward for both Arsenal and England since leaving United on transfer deadline day in a £16 million transfer. Carrick and Angel di Maria should all be fit to face Arsenal despite sustaining knocks on international duty. “Di Maria has trained today normally, so I don’t think that is a question mark, but (Luke) Shaw is,” United manager Louis van Gaal revealed on Thursday. “De Gea is good, no problem. I think I have to wait for the reaction in training with Carrick, but I also expect he’s ready to play.” The season may be only 11 games old, but complacency and rank misfortune already seem the only factors capable of preventing Chelsea from romping to a first league title since 2010. A 2-1 win at Liverpool enabled Jose Mourinho’s side to open up an eight-point lead over reigning champions Manchester City prior to the international window, and Arsenal, United and Liverpool are even further back. “The win at Anfield was really important because it was a really difficult game and we knew it was important for the future,” said Chelsea left-back Filipe Luis during a fan event at Stamford Bridge this week. Chelsea host West Bromwich Albion today and will hope to see top scorer Diego Costa firing on all cylinders after he was left out of the Spain squad to rest his troublesome hamstrings. The only team who have threatened to keep pace with Chelsea are Southampton, who trail the leaders by four points ahead of their trip to Aston Villa in the Monday night game. Champions City will look to drag themselves out of a damaging rut when they host Swansea today, having won only one of their last six matches in all competitions. Manuel Pellegrini’s side are on the brink of elimination in the Champions League ahead of Tuesday’s home game with Bayern Munich, but have at least been able to rely on the form of Sergio Aguero. The Argentine sharp-shooter scored his 11th and 12th league goals of the season in City’s 2-2 draw at Queens Park Rangers a fortnight ago and appears to have overcome the injury problems that bedevilled him last term. Another team in desperate need of an upturn in fortunes are Liverpool, who lie in 11th place, 15 points behind Chelsea, after three games without a victory. Tomorrow, Brendan Rodgers’s side play Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, scene of their crushing late-season capitulation last May, when they effectively gifted City the title by letting a 3-0 lead slip to draw 3-3. Liverpool’s woes have been compounded by the news that striker Daniel Sturridge could be out until the new year after aggravating a thigh injury. SERIE A London: Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has no regrets about selling Danny Welbeck to Arsenal, he said as the England striker prepares to face his former club today. Welbeck, 23, has scored 10 goals in 20 appearances for club and country since being allowed to leave Old Trafford for £16 million ($25.1 million, 20 million euros) on transfer deadline day in September. The Manchester-born forward will come up against his old team-mates for the first time when United visit the Emirates Stadium for the stand-out Premier League clash of the weekend. Dutchman Van Gaal attributes Welbeck’s success at Arsenal to being a regular in their first team, after he was made to wait for opportunities during his time at United. “I think that a player who is playing mostly fixed in the team, he develops and always will,” Van Gaal said. “He takes all the benefit from playing every week. That was a question mark with Manchester United. It’s good to see he’s doing what I thought.” Van Gaal accepted that Welbeck would enjoy scoring against his old club, much like United’s ex-Arsenal forward Robin van Persie has when he has found the net against the team he left in 2012. “This is the football world,” Van Gaal said. “Van Persie has scored already three goals against Arsenal as a United player. That’s life, believe me.” United will have goalkeeper David de Gea available at the Emirates, despite suffering a dislocated finger while on international duty with Spain. Angel di Maria and Michael Carrick have also recovered from minor injuries, but left-back Luke Shaw is a doubt after being hurt during England’s 3-1 friendly win over Scotland. Van Gaal last faced Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal in 1999, when he was manager of Barcelona. The teams drew 1-1 at Camp Nou before the Catalan club won 4-2 at Wembley Stadium—Arsenal’s adopted home in Europe that season—in the Champions League group stage. Van Gaal, 63, says he is aware of the rivalry between his current club and Arsenal. “I have faced them when I was with Barcelona, then Wenger was on the bench.” FOCUS Inter derby test awaits Mancini AFP Milan T he first Milan derby of the season provides Roberto Mancini with his first test on his return to Inter while Lazio host leaders Juventus looking for the win that could boost the title chances of city rivals Roma. The black and blue half of Milan is abuzz following Mancini’s return to the club he led to a record three consecutive league titles, two Cups and two Super Cups in his previous spell in charge from 2004-2008. Despite leading Inter into an enticing San Siro clash barely a week after succeeding sacked Walter Mazzarri, some believe the former Manchester City and Galatasaray handler has the edge over Milan coach Filippo Inzaghi. “Mancini has the edge on Inzaghi,” wily veteran Zdenek Zeman, whose mercurial Cagliari are away to a Napoli side who sit third, only seven points adrift of Juventus and four behind Roma, told Mediaset. “Inzaghi used to coach Milan’s youth side, but that doesn’t necessarily tell us whether or not he’s ready for Serie A.” Milan have failed to win their last four games, taking a total of only four points to drop to seventh at 11 points behind Juve and four behind Napoli in the third and last Champions League spot. With Inter sitting in ninth a point further adrift, Mancini is expected to deploy a 4-3-1-2 formation designed to plug holes in the defence as well as optimise an attacking line that failed to spark in Mazzarri’s 3-5-2. Former Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic knows Mancini only too well, having finished second best to City in 2012 when the Italian led them to their first league title in 44 years. Van Gaal relaxed ahead of Welbeck reunion Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini (left) puts striker Mauro Icardi through his paces during a training session on Thursday. Now the Inter defender is ready to embrace switching to a back four and has hailed Mancini’s pragmatic approach to training in his first week back at the club. “It’s the formation I played in before so I’m used to it,” said the former Serbia international. “A new coach always comes in with his own ideas. Mancini has shown us what he wants and what he expects, which is great and also good fun.” Milan will be without Nigel De Jong after the Dutchman picked up an injury while on international duty last week. But while Milan wait on their own former Premier League player, Fernando Torres, to spark amid an underwhelming start to the campaign for the Spaniard, Stephan El Shaarawy has shown plenty of promise on his recent return to the fray. Rossoneri midfielder Sulley Muntari, meanwhile, played down the effect of Mancini’s return. “Mancini is a great coach who has had success everywhere he has gone. He’ll be influential, but he won’t be playing on the pitch. It will be down to the players,” said the Ghanaian. Ahead of tomorrow night’s clash, Roma have the chance to close their three-point gap to leaders Juve away to an Atalanta side sitting two points above the drop zone. However Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri has heaped the pressure on Rudi Garcia’s men following repeated Giallorossi claims that this season’s title will be theirs. “Roma are strong and have come off the back of a great season in which they finished runners-up,” Allegri said. “But the fact is, they can’t hide now. The pressure will be on them as well because another second place won’t be enough. It would be a big disappointment, a kind of small failure.” Juventus, however, face a tough trip to a Lazio side that has taken 16 from a possible 21 points in their past seven games. In an interview with Rome’s Il Messaggero newspaper, Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio warned against taking Lazio too lightly following an international break. “It can be tricky when you come back from international duty,” said Marchisio. “Lazio will give us problems. It will be a testing environment against a team who are tough, competitive, welltrained and are currently in a rich vein of form.” FIXTURES Today: Atalanta v Roma (1700), Lazio v Juventus Tomorrow: Torino v Sassuolo (1130), Cesena v Sampdoria, Verona v Fiorentina, Napoli v Cagliari, Parma v Empoli, Udinese v Chievo (all 1400), Milan v Inter (1945) Monday: Genoa v Palermo (1945) FA investigating Wigan owner Whelan’s remarks Reuters London T he English FA is looking into remarks made by Wigan Athletic owner Dave Whelan despite his apology for apparently insulting Jewish and Chinese people in a newspaper interview. The FA has also confirmed its inquiry into offensive remarks made by Malky Mackay, who Whelan has just appointed as Wigan manager, is ongoing. The FA has not yet opened a file on Whelan and is looking to establish exactly what the 77-year-old millionaire boss of the Championship (second tier) club said. “We are writing to Dave Whelan today and asking him for his observations and he has three days in which to reply before we decide, what action, if any, to take,” an FA spokesman said yesterday. The FA also confirmed in a statement on its website that the case against former Cardiff City manager Mackay and Iain Moody, the Welsh club’s former head of recruitment, was continuing. Texts between Mackay and Moody, some of which were sexist, racist and homophobic in nature, were made public in August. Whelan gave a newspaper interview after hiring Mackay and was accused of antiSemitism and condoning racism for referring to Chinese people as “chinks” and saying Jewish people “chase money”. Whelan later apologised during an interview with Sky Sports but his comments have been widely condemned. Chinese community leader Jenny Wong told the Guardian that the Wigan owner was condoning racism while Anti-discrimination group Kick It Out questioned whether he was “a fit and proper person who should be running a professional football club”. The Board of Deputies of British Jews said the apology was not good enough. “Whelan’s bigoted and racist comments about Jews are outrageous and offensive, and bring the club and the game in to disrepute,” the Board’s vice president Jonathan Arkush said yesterday. 6 Gulf Times Saturday, November 22, 2014 FOOTBALL QATAR GEAR UP FOR GULF CUP SEMI-FINAL Qatar players share a light moment with tournament’s mascot during a training session ahead of their Gulf Cup semi-final against Oman. Qatar qualified for the semis in second spot from Group A after finishing on three points from as many matches. In another semis, UAE will play hosts and Group A winners Saudi Arabia. The semi-finals will be played tomorrow, while the final is slated for November 26. BUNDESLIGA FOCUS Leaders Bayern adjust to life without Lahm Bayern are unbeaten in their last 15 league matches and are four points clear at the top Nimes president resigns over fixing probe AFP Paris P resident of French second division club Nimes, Jean-Marc Conrad resigned yesterday saying he would fight corruption accusations. Conrad was one of six people charged with match-fixing on Thursday, along with Nimes’s major shareholder Serge Kasparian and Caen president Jean-Francois Fortin. The charges relate to second division matches from last season that are suspected to have been fixed to ensure that Nimes avoided relegation and Caen would be promoted. “I have taken the decision to resign from my functions as president of Nimes Olympique. This decision, which I wasn’t forced to take, is only intended to protect the interests of my club,” said Conrad in a statement sent by his lawyer. “From now on, I will dedicate all my strength and energy on defending myself against these accusations that are as unfair as they are unfounded.” The other three charged were named by sources as businessman Michel Moulin, Franck Toutoundjian, the president of amateur side AS Ararat Issy-les-Moulineaux and Caen’s security chief Kaddour Mokkedel. All six men were released on bail on condition that Bayern Munich captain Philipp Lahm (centre) has been ruled out for the next three months after fracturing his ankle in training AFP Munich R FIXTURES unaway Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich need to adjust to life without captain Philipp Lahm when they host Hoffenheim today ahead of next week’s Champions League match at Manchester City. The 31-year-old Lahm has been ruled out for the next three months after fracturing his ankle in training, depriving coach Pep Guardiola of one of his key assets, either at right-back or in the defensive midfield. Bayern are unbeaten in their last 15 league matches and are four points clear at the top of the table, and Hoffenheim will serve as a dress rehearsal for Tuesday’s European clash in Manchester. The Bavarians are already through to the Champions League knock-out stage and are confirmed group winners with two matches to spare. (all times 1430 GMT unless stated) Today: Bayern Munich v Hoffenheim, Schalke v Wolfsburg, Borussia Moenchengladbach v Eintracht Frankfurt, Mainz v Freiburg, Hanover 96 v Bayer Leverkusen, Paderborn v Borussia Dortmund, Cologne v Hertha Berlin (1730) Tomorrow: Hamburg v Werder Bremen, VfB Stuttgart v Augsburg (1630) Guardiola will need to reshuffle his defensive midfield alongside Xabi Alonso, but there are rumours Germany star Bastian Schweinsteiger could make his return from the knee injury which has kept him out since the World Cup final. Bayern will have goalkeeper Manuel Neuer available after he missed Germany’s 1-0 friendly win over Spain on Tuesday with a knee strain. Hoffenheim forced a 3-3 draw on their last league visit to the Allianz Arena in March and are fifth in the table. But coach Markus Gisdol reads little into Bayern’s injury list with Javi Martinez, Thiago Alcantara, Holger Badstuber, plus both wing backs Lahm and David Alaba all injured. “Bayern have the sort of squad where it doesn’t matter who plays,” said Gisdol. “If you lose 4-0, 5-0 or even 6-0 in Munich, that is completely normal.” Hoffenheim are looking to bounce back after losing their last two games, but have Brazil’s latest star in their ranks, forward Roberto Firmino, who scored the winner in a 2-1 friendly win over Austria on Tuesday. Bayern’s nearest rivals, second-placed Wolfsburg, are chasing a sixth consecutive victory at Schalke 04 today. Belgium winger Kevin de Bruyne is in outstanding form, creating four goals in their last two matches. Schalke are down to 11th in the table after some erratic form this season, but Wolfsburg coach Dieter Hecking, who has seen all of their last three games live, is taking nothing for granted. “I measure Schalke not on their 14 points and 11th ranking in the table, but on what they can achieve,” he said. At the other end of the table, 15th-placed Borussia Dortmund are set to welcome back Germany winger Marco Reus after an ankle injury as they attempt to pull clear of the relegation places against Paderborn. Reus missed Germany’s recent internationals, but should return as Dortmund look to prove their 1-0 win over third-placed Borussia Moenchengladbach, which broke their five-match losing streak, was no fluke. “We know about the difficulty of the game, but we also see the chances that it possesses for us,” said Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp. He is without injured midfielders Nuri Sahin, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Oliver Kirch in Paderborn, while Sokratis Papastathopoulos is suspended and fellow centre-back Mats Hummels is also on the injury list. SPOTLIGHT Zidane wins appeal against coaching ban AFP Madrid A Spanish sports court yesterday backed Zinedine Zidane’s appeal against a three month ban from coaching Real Madrid’s reserve team over his disputed qualifications. Spain’s football federation imposed the ban at the end of Oc- tober, arguing the former France midfielder did not have the right licence to coach in Spain. Real appealed and the three-time World Footballer of the Year was allowed to continue coaching while the Court of Arbitration for Sport considered the case. Zidane’s assistant Santiago Sanchez, who was also sanctioned by the Spanish federation, the RFEF, was also cleared to continue his duties while the case was considered. Real Madrid initially went to the RFEF appeal committee but when that was rejected, the 10-time European champions turned to the Court of Arbitration. Real insist that Zidane has the proper qualifications to coach their reserve team, although he needs a UEFA �A’ licence level three badge to do so and he only holds a level two. Spanish coaching school Cenafe complained to the Spanish federation, alleging that Real were using Sanchez’s name on teamsheets as coach to get around regulations preventing Zidane from running the reserve team, Real Madrid Castilla. But Real said Zidane “has been authorised by the French Football Federation to work as a head coach” for Real Madrid Castilla and its league. Although Zidane has not completed the full quota of practice hours with the French Football Federation (FFF) to gain promotion to level three, the FFF supported Real’s case, arguing UEFA regulations allow a coach who is being trained to work. Zidane spent five seasons with Real as a player after joining from Italian side Juventus in 2001. He scored the winner in the 2002 Champions League final. He handed his eldest son Enzo, 19, a debut for the Real Madrid reserve team tomorrow. they do not contact one another. Several matches, including a 1-1 draw between Caen and Nimes on May 13, are being looked into by investigators. Recordings of telephone conversations between leading figures of several clubs form a key part of the evidence. Magistrates have been trying to establish if pressure was exerted by Nimes on other Ligue 2 teams as the club battled against relegation. The Canard Enchaine weekly on Wednesday released a transcript of a telephone conversation between Fortin and Conrad which it said was made by police. In the recording, Fortin says: “You need a point as well?” Conrad replied “Yes, we need a point too, there it is.” The Caen president then says: “Well, if we are not too stupid?” The weekly said that 24 boxes of wine, 288 bottles, were left outside the Caen dressing room after the game. In a separate investigation, a number of club officials at French Ligue 1 leaders Marseille, including president Vincent Labrune, were released without charge on Thursday having been detained earlier in the week. That investigation relates to transfer fraud and several deals involving the French giants, including that which brought top scorer Pierre-Andre Gignac to the club in 2010, are being analysed. Crisis-hit Italian football set for reforms in 2016 Milan: Serie A chiefs have welcomed a new package of reforms by the Italian football federation (FIGC) that will see squads limited to 25 players in a move designed to boost the flagging Italian game. The crisis-hit Italian top flight has become a target for top players, coaches and critics in recent months, while Italy suffered their second consecutive first-round exit from a World Cup in Brazil. National team coach Antonio Conte complained the archetypal Italian player who could once strike fear into opponents is now “dying out”. At a FIGC meeting on Thursday new laws were voted that will see squads limited to 25 players. Four of those players must have been born in Italy while another four must come through the club’s own youth system. The reforms are set to be introduced in 2016 and have been welcomed by Serie A president Maurizio Beretta, who said: “These reforms are very important because they will enhance Italian football, our youth players and our grass roots system. “They have been in the air for many years. But we need time to put them in place and make them work. You can’t expect results from one day to the next.” Last month former Juventus striker Fabio Quagliarella complained Serie A had too many “useless” foreign players that were taking the place of Italian second and third division players who were just as good. The FIGC reforms, which formed part of Carlo Tavecchio’s platform during his successful campaign for the body’s presidency last summer, will also see new limits on the number of nonEU players in Serie A. Although no sweeping changes will be made, new limits have been set. Upon a first registration with a professional club, a young player must already be a resident in Italy, to have come to the country with his parents for non-sporting reasons and completed four years of schooling. A limit on the number of non-EU players allowed in each squad already exists but from 2016 a new non-EU player can only be brought in to replace another if he has already held a professional contract for at least three years. Gulf Times Saturday, November 22, 2014 7 GOLF DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP Donald’s swagger returns in Dubai birdie splurge Stenson surges into lead as McIlroy falters DUBAI: Luke Donald said successive early birdies helped him recapture some of his long-lost confidence as the former world number one went on to shoot a six-under 66 in the second round of the DP World Tour Championship yesterday. The Englishman, 36, is adrift of the leaders following a first round 76 that gives him a two-under aggregate of 142, but he was upbeat with 36 holes to play at Dubai’s Earth Course. “I felt a lot better today,” Donald told Reuters. “Yesterday, I made a couple early bogeys and had that kind of �here we go again’ attitude. Today, I was determined to let every shot be what it was and try my best on the next one. I was a bit better mentally. That related into my physical game and I was able to hole a few more putts.” Donald birdied the first two holes, bogeyed three and four and then sunk six more birdies including five on the back nine. “My game can’t be too far away. It’s nice to see some numbers in the 60s, it’s been a bit of a run for me shooting loads of 70s,” said Donald. In 2011, he became the first golfer to top the US and European Tour money lists in the same season. Donald, however, has struggled to recapture anything like that form of late. He had cut back on his work with long-term coach Pat Goss in favour of renowned swing guru Chuck Cook. Goss had helped put Donald among golf’s best short-game players, but the slightly-built Briton felt he needed to add more distance to challenge at the majors and so recruited Cook. That switch failed to arrest Donald’s slide down the rankings. He is currently at 39, a five-year low, and has now reunited with Goss. “He’s always been a mentor to me,” said Donald. “I was still with him last season, it wasn’t a complete breakaway. It was more difficult having two coaches, but Goss has always been really good at understanding how to get the most out of me physically and mentally.” Donald has a solitary top-10 finish in Europe in 2014 - joint-third at May’s BMW PGA Championship—although he fared better in the US, with three top-10 places on the PGA circuit. �I just came in knowing that I have got a good game plan to play this golf course’ AFP Dubai H enrik Stenson continued his amazing dominance at the Earth course of Jumeirah Golf Estates as his 11th consecutive round in the 60s gave him a two-shot lead halfway through the $8mn DP World Tour Championship yesterday. The Swede, who is also a brand ambassador for the golf course, shot a six-under par 66 round in the second round and is now 10-under par after 36 holes. Overnight joint leader and world number one Rory McIlroy was among three players at eight-under par 136. The Northern Irishman struggled a bit and then hit his tee shot into the water hazard on the 18th hole in his round of two-under par 70. Also at 136 were Scotland’s Rishi Ramsay (69) and England’s Danny Willett (67). Spain’s Rafael Cabrera-Bello shot the lowest round of the day - an eight-under par 64 - to join Ireland’s Shane Lowry (71), the overnight leader alongside McIlroy, England’s Justin Rose (66), Sweden’s Kristoffer Broberg (67) and Denmark’s Olesen (70) at tied fifth place at 137. Defending champion Stenson, who won the tournament last year with a record tally of 25-under par, made just one mistake early in his round, when he dropped a shot on the long par-3 fourth hole, but putted beautifully to make amends with seven birdies, including a brilliant two-putt birdie from 80-feet on the final hole. The 38-year-old has played 18 rounds in the tournament so far (he did not qualify in 2011) and has 17 sub-par rounds. His worst score is a 73 in the final round of the 2010 edition. And Stenson said: “I just came in knowing that I have got a good game plan to play this golf course and I’m trying to stick to that one. So far, so good. Henrik Stenson of Sweden tees off during the second round of the World Tour Championship at the Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai, United Arab Emirates yesterday. I am not making any changes really and hopefully I keep on producing birdies. “I was hitting it all right, but I was good on the greens today. Made some nice putts all day long and that really helps. The one I made on 16 and the one on 18, were nine. It was a pretty solid round of golf, but more than anything, it was made up on the greens.” McIlroy started with a birdie, but then did not make another until the 14th hole. In between, on the par-5 seventh hole, he hit an embarrassing second shot with a five-wood - a fat, ugly duckhook. “I guess I wasn’t really hitting it close enough and then when I did give myself some opportunities, I didn’t make them. I just found it hard to sort of get any AUSTRALIAN MASTERS momentum going out there,” said McIlroy. “The birdies on 14 and 15 were really nice, and then to give them away easily with a three?putt on 16 was frustrating. To bounce back on 17 was good, and it would have been nice to birdie the last, but after where I hit my tee shot, I’ll settle for a par.” Willett also hit his tee shot into the water on the 18th, but then made an up-and-down from 250 yards for a birdie and a round of 67. And the Englishman, who finished tied fourth last week in Turkey said: “Obviously, Saturdays and Sundays always feel that little bit more difficult when you’re up there. I have just got to keep playing good golf and staying patient, that’s the main thing, really.” Ramsay was pleased with his effort, which included an eagle on the 14th hole. “Really pleasing...69 is a good score. Nice little eagle on 14 kept me going,” said the Scotsman. “But the most important thing, second day in a row, the attitude was really good. I am really pleased with that.” ROUND-UP Surprise leader Wright Fast finishing Mamat keeps pace in Manila steals the spotlight Reuters Melbourne Reuters Manila U ingaporean Mardan Mamat birdied five of his closing six holes to remain in a share of the lead at the halfway stage of the Asian Tour’s $1mn Manila Masters yesterday. The 47-year-old, seeking a strong week to boost his chances of retaining his playing privileges on Tour next season, followed up his opening round seven-under-par 65 with a 68 to sit level with South Korean Wang Jeunghun (65) at 11-under 133. Last year’s Asian Tour Order of Merit winner Kiradech Aphibarnrat was two shots back in third after the Thai hit a 69, with England’s Steve Lewton (66) and Malaysian Danny Chia (71) in a share for fourth at seven-under. Mamat, a three times winner on the Asian Tour, began his second round with 10 straight pars after starting on the 10th at the Jack Nicklaus designed Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club. He made a bogey at the par four second before picking up his first shot of the day at the fourth and then finishing in style with four straight birdies. “I couldn’t get my momentum right on my front nine. I told myself to stay patient and I nheralded Queenslander Michael Wright broke clear of a logjam atop the Australian Masters leaderboard to take a two-shot lead after the second round yesterday, while double defending champion Adam Scott battled hard to keep in touch. Scott shot a four-under 68 on a glorious afternoon at Melbourne’s Metropolitan Golf Club, but the world number two remained six strokes off the pace and behind a lengthy list of local tour grafters. At the top was 771st-ranked Wright, one of a quartet of overnight leaders, who showed impressive poise in a 68 of his own to snatch the lead. Wright, whose biggest triumphs have been three statelevel PGA titles Down Under, was candid about his long battle to control nerves after his opening 67 on Thursday. “I felt very comfortable out there today. I’m looking forward to trying to feel comfortable over the next couple of days,” said Wright, who bogeyed his first hole in the tournament but has not dropped a shot since. “There were a few (thoughts) but I managed to really keep- S Michael Wright in action during the second round of the Australian Masters at Melbourne’s Metropolitan yesterday. them under wraps today. I felt a lot more relaxed in my body. “It’s when I get busy in the mind and start tightening things up I get into trouble.” Wright said he would try not to look over his shoulder over the weekend, with Scott expected to push hard. Scott roared up the leaderboard early and was five-under for the day after 10 holes, but the magic deserted his putter thereafter and a bogey on the par-four 16th further applied the brakes. “The course was really there to be had and I got off to a nice start through 10 holes and I was feeling really good, but unfortunately it slowed up on the back nine and a couple of random wedge shots cost me dearly,” Scott, bidding for a record third straight Australian Masters title, told reporters. “I’m within shouting distance, at least. Thirty-six holes, there’s a lot of golf to be played, and if I play a good 36 I think I can be in with a chance.” Wright held a two-shot lead over South Australian Paul Spargo (67), with local amateur Todd Sinnott and Richard Green a further shot back. Former US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy remains in striking distance, five off the pace after carding a 71, with American Boo Weekley nine adrift after a second round of even par. managed to finish well. I knew I had to keep to my pace to stay in contention and I managed to do it,” said Mamat, who is 74th position on the Order of Merit and needs to finish in the top 60 to save his Tour card. “I hit good iron shots and my putting got better on the back nine. My longest putt was on the seventh hole from about 20 feet. “The birdie on sixth actually got my momentum going. I hit a four iron to about two feet and I regained my confidence from there,” he said. Japan’s Daisuke Kataoka, who shared the overnight lead with the Singaporean, fell down the field to tied for sixth at six-under after a one-over second round of 73. Granada grabs early lead at Tour Championship Paraguay golfer Julieta Granada fired a first-round, six-under 66 on Thursday for a two-shot lead at the season-ending LPGA Tour Championship. The 28-year-old Granada, who has not won on the LPGA Tour since capturing the 2006 ADT Championship, posted her lowest opening-round score of the year. “It was a fun day today,” said Granada, who finished tied for fifth at this year’s Women’s British Open. “I hit a lot of greens and I had plenty of birdie chanc- es. My stroke was on and I was making lots of putts, so that’s fun.” Sandra Gal is alone in second place at four-under 68 at Tiburon Golf Club at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort. World number two Stacy Lewis, who narrowly leads world number one Park In-Bee in both the player of the year standings, used a late eagle to jump up the leaderboard and she is tied for third at three-under 69 with Belen Mozo and Caroline Hedwall. Ryu So-Yeon, Marina Alex, Carlota Ciganda, Sarah Jane Smith, Angela Stanford, Haeji Kang and Park Hee-Young are all tied for sixth at two-under 70. South Korea’s Park and 17-year-old Lydia Ko, of New Zealand, shot one-under 71s and they are tied for 13th with seven others. Lewis, Park and Ko can take home the season-ending $1mn Tour bonus with an outright win this week. Granada drained back-toback birdies yet again on the parfour 13th and the par-five 14th to jump up to five under. Granada finished strong with three birdies on 15, 16 and 18 to go along with a gain on the par-five 17th. “I actually love playing in the wind,” said Granada. “I do really well at the British Open so I love to control my ball flight in the wind. I take pride in that so every time it’s windy I’m looking forward to it.” 8 Gulf Times Saturday, November 22, 2014 SPORT NBA NHL Hot Clippers ice Heat behind Paul and Griffin �We’re starting to find our way. It’s a pretty complete game’ DPA Los Angeles T he Los Angeles Clippers are beginning to find their form after a mediocre start. Chris Paul had 26 points with 12 assists, Blake Griffin also scored 26 and the Clippers cruised to a 110-93 victory over the Miami Heat on Thursday. “We’re doing what we’re supposed to do,” Paul said. The Clippers blew out the Heat much the same way they did their Florida neighbours Orlando Magic, 114-90, just 24 hours earlier to kick off a seven-game road trip. “We’re starting to find our way,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. “It’s a pretty complete game.” JJ Redick hit four triples en route to 14 points, DeAndre Jordan had 12 points with 11 rebounds for the Clippers (7-4), who shot a sizzling 56 per cent from the field and had 31 assists on 35 baskets en route to the wire-to-wire beat-down. “We carried it over from last game with our defence and ball movement,” Clippers forward Matt Barnes said. “When we move the ball and don’t play one-on-one, we’re a hard team to stop.” Added Barnes: “This road trip is going to bring us together. It’s what we need right now.” The Clippers put the game away early with crisp passing that led to easy layups, dunks and wide-open three-pointers to take a 39-15 lead after the opening quarter. “The ball movement in the first quarter was beautiful,” Rivers said. But Rivers pointed out it was the defence that triggered the offensive explosion. “We kept getting defensive stops and it allowed us to play the way we like to play,” said Rivers referring to the up-tempo style. Comfortably ahead, 58-40 at the break, the Clippers opened up a 26-point cushion after intermission and coasted home with their first win in the last six visits to Miami since March 10, 2008. “We caught a team without (Dwyane) Wade and did what we should have done,” Rivers said. “Now we have five more (games) on this trip. We know what we need to do. We just have to play consistent.” Chris Bosh scored 28 points and rookie guard Shabazz Napier added a seasonbest 17 for struggling Miami (6-6), losers in four of its last five contests. Wade sat out his fourth straight game with a left hamstring strain. “Not a whole lot to say,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said afterward. “That was a blitz in that first quarter. They abso- Miami Heat’s Chris Bosh (left) shoots over LA Clippers’ DeAndre Jordan during their NBA game on Thursday. (USA TODAY Sports) lutely knocked us on our heels and we just could never gain our footing after that. “They got into an incredible rhythm where they were able to get everything. I think we just ran into a buzz-saw.” „ Sacramento Kings 103, Chicago Bulls 88: DeMarcus Cousins collected 22 points with 14 rebounds and the Kings sent the short-handed Bulls to their first road loss of the season after opening with six straight wins. Rudy Gay netted 20 points while Darren Collison had 17 with 12 assists for Sacramento (7-5), which won for just the second time in the last six outings. Jimmy Butler scored a game-high 23 points for Chicago (8-4), playing again without injured stars Derrick Rose (left hamstring strain) and Spaniard Pau Gasol (left calf strain). Raiders stun Chiefs, earn first win in a year T he Oakland Raiders earned their first win in more than a year on Thursday as rookie quarterback Derek Carr rallied the team with a late scoring drive to stun division rivals Kansas City 24-20. With the Raiders (1-10) trailing 20-17 in the fourth quarter, Carr marched the team 80 yards downfield in a drive that took seven minutes off the clock and culminated with a nine-yard touchdown pass to James Jones. Kansas City had little time to recover and could only make it to their own 48 yard line with their last possession, which ended with Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith throwing an incompletion on fourth down. It was Oakland’s first win since beating Houston on Nov. 17 2013 and snapped a 16-game losing streak. “I don’t even know how to explain the feeling,” Oakland linebacker Sio Moore told reporters. “I’m just happy to see that on both sides of the ball, we finished it.” The defeat halted the Chiefs’ (74) five-game win streak and saw them drop out of a tie for first place Agencies New York J ames van Riemsdyk scored two goals as the Toronto Maple Leafs snapped a three-game losing streak with a victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Maple Leafs left winger scored twice in a span of 2:44 as Toronto scored three unanswered goals in the second period after the first ended 1-1. Center Alex Killorn and center Steven Stamkos scored for the Lightning. „ Max Pacioretty scored twice to lead the Montreal Canadiens to a win over the St. Louis Blues. Goalie Carey Price made 31 saves for the Canadiens, who beat St. Louis for the first time since Nov. 16, 2008. „ Defenseman Adam Clendening scored just four minutes into his debut and the Blackhawks scratched out a victory over Calgary. Patrick Kane scored the gamewinner at the 9:12 mark of the third period for the Blackhawks. „ A second-period goal by Ottawa defenseman Jared Cowen stood as the winner in the Senators’ victory over the Nashville Predators. Senators goalie Robin Lehner made 33 saves to pick up his first victory since Oct. 28. „ Detroit center Tomas Tatar scored two goals, including the game-winner late in the third period, and the Red Wings pulled off a scrappy, come-from-behind victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Tatar broke a 3-3 tie with his eighth goal of the season at 15:10 in the third where the Red Wings scored two unanswered goals to win. „ Jason Zucker scored a tie- NFL Reuters Oakland Riemsdyk stars as Leafs snap losing streak in the AFC West. The only sour note for the Raiders was the loss of running back Latavius Murray, who had dominated the first half with 112 yards and two touchdowns but exited with a concussion in the second quarter. Murray had just recently begun seeing more playing time for Oakland, and he needed only four carries to leave his mark in a performance that included a 90-yard touchdown scamper. “He did a great job and gave us a spark taking the ball 90 yards,” said Raiders running back Darren McFadden. “We finally came out and put the game together and finished the way we’re supposed to.” The Raiders led 14-3 at halftime and moved ahead 17-3 in the third quarter. The Chiefs began to seize the momentum when Smith threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Fasano late in the third. Jamaal Charles tied the score at 17-17 on a sparkling 30-yard touchdown reception with 12:20 remaining, and Cairo Santos kicked a 25yard field goal a few minutes later to put the Chiefs up 20-17. Charles finished with 80 yards rushing and 42 yards receiving for the Chiefs, who have a big divisional matchup with the first-place Denver Broncos on Nov. 30. Toronto Maple Leafs’ James van Riemsdyk (right) pounces on a rebound before scoring a goal past Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Ben Bishop during their NHL game on Thursday. (USA TODAY Sports) SWIMMING Australia opposed to late-night finals at Rio 2016 Reuters Sydney A Oakland Raiders running back Latavius Murray celebrates with fans after scoring in the first quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday. (USA TODAY Sports) breaking goal with 45.4 seconds left in the game to lift the Minnesota Wild to a win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Nino Niederreiter and defenseman Marco Scandella also scored goals and goaltender Darcy Kuemper made 37 saves to help the Wild win their fourth successive game. Claude Giroux scored the tying goal with 3:30 left and defenseman Mark Streit also had a goal for the Flyers, who lost their fourth consecutive game. „ Alex Ovechkin scored at 14:04 of the third period as the Washington Capitals beat the Colorado Avalanche. Nicklas Backstrom had a goal and an assist and left winger also scored for the Capitals. Goaltender Braden Holtby stopped 27 shots for Washington. „ Dallas center Cody Eakin scored one of two goals in the third period as they defeated the Arizona Coyotes. „ Jakob Silfverberg and Corey Perry scored in the shootout as the Anaheim Ducks defeated the Vancouver Canucks. Anaheim’s Matt Beleskey tied the game at 3-3 to force overtime when he scored at 11:52 of the third. Anaheim improved their Western Conference-leading record to 12-4-5 for 30 points, while the Canucks dropped to 13-6-1 for 27 points. „ Tanner Pearson scored the go-ahead goal in the second period, and the Los Angeles Kings held off the Carolina Hurricanes for a 3-2 victory. Kings goalie Jonathan Quick stopped 25 of the 27 shots he faced, allowing Los Angeles (115-4) to capture their third consecutive win. Hurricanes goaltender Cam Ward saved 36 of 39 shots as Carolina (6-10-3) lost for the fourth time in five games. ustralian Olympic officials say they will oppose plans to stage the 2016 Rio Olympics swimming finals late at night. Although the final schedule for the Rio Games has not been completed, reports that the swimming finals could start at 10pm local time to fit in with American television have been criticised in Australia. Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) President John Coates told reporters yesterday that it was unreasonable to start the finals so late because some events would not be finished until around midnight. He said talks were already underway to change the draft schedule, parts of which were released this week, and Australia would be pushing hard to have the finals brought forward. “It’s a matter that the AOC will now take up with the international swimming body FINA and with the IOC (International Olympic Committee),” said Coates, who is also vice president of the IOC and a member of the co-ordination commission for Rio. “It’s just an unreasonable demand on the athletes to be com- peting at that time of night.” This is not the first time that the timing of the swimming finals at the Olympics has been criticised. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the finals were switched to the morning to coincide with primetime viewing in the United States despite complaints from some swimmers. Meanwhile, the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) has already announced that it would be changing its schedule for Rio, introducing morning finals for the first time since 1988. While the bulk of the track and field finals will still be held in the usual night slot, the IAAF said it would conduct 13 finals—both marathons, the three race walks and eight events in the main athletics stadium—during the day. “Staging finals in the morning was done at the request of the Rio LOC (Local Organising Committee) and the Olympic Broadcasting Service, supported by the International Olympic Committee,” IAAF Competitions Director Paul Hardy said in a statement. “Having finals in the morning will also ensure that we receive maximum visibility for athletics at the Olympics across all time zones.” Gulf Times Saturday, November 22, 2014 9 SPORT BADMINTON Lee hopes for �good results’ from BWF panel Reuters Bangkok B adminton world number one Lee Chong Wei is confident his name will be cleared following his provisional suspension by the sport’s governing body (BWF) for an anti-doping violation. Speaking to reporters in Bangkok yesterday, Lee said he was not at fault and would wait for a BWF panel decision next month. “I am very confident that this case is not my fault,” Lee told reporters at a news conference for an upcoming exhibition match in Thailand. “I must stay strong. Everybody has been messaging me to stay strong. “I’m waiting to hear good results next month.” Super boost could make Japan a knockout, says Jones Japan coach Eddie Jones yesterday said the inclusion of a Tokyo-based team in Super Rugby will give the Asian champions a massive boost before the country hosts the 2019 World Cup. Jones told AFP that the erstwhile World Cup pushovers, with just one win in the tournament so far, would improve by “60 to 100%” with Super Rugby experience. “It’s fantastic,” said the former Australia coach, after Tokyo and Buenos Aires were formally granted franchises in the world’s premier international club competition. “It gives Japan the chance to become a leading rugby nation in the world. “Having a new tier of rugby come in which is essentially for the development of Test rugby players is just ideal for Japanese rugby.” His sentiments were echoed by Japan Rugby Football Union (JRFU) chairman Tatsuzo Yabe. “We believe that such a positive development will be a driving force for Japan rugby to move forward on the world stage,” said Yabe. “We will continue to make every endeavour to be successful at this level as we look toward Super Rugby in 2016, the 2019 Rugby World Cup and beyond.” Jones promised Japan’s “Brave Blossoms” would make dramatic progress following the decision by Super Rugby organisers SANZAR to include a Tokyo team from 2016. “Definitely now you can have players going into that 2019 World Cup with 40 or 50 Super caps on top of 40 or 50 Test caps,” he said. “Then you’ve got really experienced players and that’s key going forward. “You’re looking at doubling the experience of players having played top-level rugby so the difference is anywhere from 60 to 100%. “We’ve got guys now coming out of university or (Japan’s) Top League and playing Test match rugby. The jump for those guys is unbelievably big.” “To have Super Rugby in between will mean they’ll come in much more prepared to play Test rugby,” added Jones, whose Japanese side broke into the world’s top 10 for the first time earlier this year and won their 11th successive Test match against Romania last week. “It gives Japan’s top players the opportunity to play consistent top-level rugby, which will hone their skills far greater than playing 10 Test matches a year and Top League. It’s just a wonderful opportunity for players to develop.” “At the moment we’ve got a group of players who have accumulated Test caps but don’t have the base of Super Rugby—and that just adds to their playing experience, knowledge and hardiness to play rugby at a top level consistently,” he said. “It is a real opportunity to change Japanese rugby.” Jones has targeted a place in the quarter-finals at next year’s World Cup, even though Japan have won just once at rugby’s showcase event, beating minnows Zimbabwe in 1991. Lee, who won silver medals at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, faces a two-year ban should he fail with his appeal. The Malaysian would also be stripped of the silver medal he won at the world championships in August in Copenhagen, the location of the failed test. Earlier this month the BWF said in a statement: “The world governing body has imposed this suspension due to an Adverse Analytical Finding of a sample taken at the BWF World Championships in August”. Lee, whose 55 global titles and Olympic silver medals have made him Malaysia’s leading sportsman, was found to have traces of the banned anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone in his system during the world championships in Denmark. Hidayat fires warning over Lee dope case Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei speaks to the media during a news conference in Bangkok yesterday. BANGKOK: Former Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat warned other badminton players to take extra care over their diet and supplements after a positive drugs test rocked world number one Lee Chong Wei. The retired Indonesian said Malaysia’s Lee probably took the banned anti-inflammatory dexamethasone by mistake, but that he should still have been aware of what was going into his body. “I just can’t believe it until now. I’m not sure that he did it in purpose. Maybe there was a mistake when he was still receiving medication for his injury,” Taufik said, according to the Jakarta Globe. “A world-class player like Chong Wei should have known what he consumed, what went into his body. And BAM (Badminton Association of Malaysia) is a professional body that carefully looks after its players.” Lee, 32, is temporarily barred from competition after testing positive during the world championships. He could face an eventual suspension of up to two years. “Athletes must be aware of many things, not only their daily training. They should know what they eat, what they drink,” said Hidayat, who quit the sport last year. “They should know everything going into their bodies. Because athletes have only two real enemies: themselves and doping. “Once athletes take doping, there goes their name and achievements. Their years of hard work will vanish. Just look at what happened to Lance Armstrong.” He added: “This case is a disgrace to world badminton. It’s just too bad if it’s true.” RUGBY All Blacks in quest to continue domination �We know and expect Wales to come out and chuck everything at us’ Defence key against Springboks - Italy coach AFP Cardiff N ew Zealand will seek to stretch an impressive winning streak when they face Wales at Cardiff ’s Millennium Stadium today. The All Blacks, who will be captained for a record 100th time by iconic flanker Richie McCaw in his 137th Test, last lost to the Welsh in 1953. Of the 29 matches between the two sides, New Zealand have won 26, their two other losses to Wales coming in 1935 and 1905, racking up 882 points against 291 for the Welsh. “There’s a lot of history between the two teams,” said All Blacks coach Steve Hansen, a former coach of Wales between 2002-4. The game against Wales, Hansen added, was “the most important game of the year because it’s the next one”, expecting “our team to play very well and the Welsh to come and be very passionate and very physical”. “Just reading the newspaper clippings, they seem to think we’re there for the taking. “They obviously have a lot of self-belief and when a team’s like that you expect them to play well. Saturday will tell us if we’re there for the taking.” However, Hansen added: “Probably they feel like they have to say that. Sometimes we find our inner belief by talking. “Every time we go out to play, we know we have to be at our best because the teams we’re New Zealand’s Beauden Barrett kicks on in training in Cardiff, Wales, yesterday. playing are getting up to play us, regardless of who they are and what their previous form is. “We know and expect Wales to come out and chuck everything at us. “We know we’re a good side and we know that if we prepare well, genuinely and honestly, we’ve got a good chance of getting the job done. If not, �c’est la vie’, that’s sport.” Hansen has named Beau- den Barrett at fly-half in place of “rusty” Dan Carter after an experimental young side struggled to a 24-16 win over Scotland last weekend after seeing off England 24-21 seven days earlier. Only three starters from the Scotland match were retained as the likes of Sonny Bill Williams, Julian Savea, Jerome Kaino and Brodie Retallick returned. For Wales, Warren Gat- land has brought back centre Jonathan Davies after a shoulder injury in a side showing nine changes from the team that struggled to see off Fiji 1713 last weekend. Davies, who has been out of action for three weeks, resumes his centre partnership with Jamie Roberts, in the only personnel change to the team beaten 33-28 by Australia in Cardiff a fortnight ago. Italy coach Jacques Brunel is calling on the Azzurri defence to limit the expected damage against an “extremely efficient” South Africa when the sides meet in the hosts’ final November Test in Padua today. South Africa ended New Zealand’s 22-game unbeaten run last month and are on the rise having made amends for a 29-15 defeat to Ireland in their opening Test with a 31-28 victory over England last week. Although Springboks coach Heyneke Meyer has made four changes to the side that stunned England in front of more than 80,000 fans at Twickenham, Brunel expects South Africa to be at their formidable best. “The Springboks are without doubt the form team of this November series. They had a great summer and also brought the All Blacks’ long winning streak to an end,” said Brunel. “They’re a great squad, equipped with the tools to play an extremely efficient brand of rugby. “We need the same tight defence we’ve adopted since the start of the season, and to try and impose some of our own game. “It’s the tail end of South Africa’s season, while we’re only starting ours, and that could be a relevant factor. They showed their mettle after the defeat to Ireland by going to Twickenham and beating England.” On paper, Italy look to have little chance of ending their 11game losing streak to Meyer’s finely-tuned side, who at Twick- enham claimed their 11th win from their past 12 games against next year’s World Cup hosts. Ahead of meeting Italy for the 12th time, Meyer will, for the first time, test the full-back potential of Metro Racing fly-half Johan Goosen, who replaces Willie Le Roux. Meyer’s decision was in part inspired by the desire to limit the influence of New Zealandborn Kelly Haimona, whose skill with the boot also saw him kick 29 points for the Azzurri in their previous two Tests against Samoa and Argentina. “I believe Johan can become a world-class full-back, and that he will still offer a good option at (number) 10,” said Meyer. “This will be a big test for Johan. The Italy fly-half kicks tactically well, and so his positional play will need to be good.” In the pack, Teboho Mohoje replaces Schalk Burger, Coenie Ooosthuizen comes in for the injured Jannie du Plessis while Trevor Nykane will start his first Test for the Springboks at loosehead prop when he replaces Tendai Mtawarira. Meyer also made five changes on the bench, with Nizaam Carr and Julian Redelinghuys included in a Test match 23 for the first time. “I’m excited to see what these guys can do on Saturday in what will be a stern test against a fired-up Italy,” said Meyer. “They are a passionate nation with a very experienced coach in Jacques Brunel and a worldclass captain in Sergio Parisse. The Italian pack is always formidable and their backs are not scared of taking chances.” PREVIEW Lancaster tells England to prepare for Samoa struggle AFP London E George Ford dodges past Owen Farrell in England training at Pennyhill Park, on Tuesday. ngland coach Stuart Lancaster has warned the 2015 World Cup hosts to expect a firedup Samoa side playing their “cup final” at Twickenham today. The third of England’s four November internationals, the clash with the Pacific Islanders always looked the most �winnable’ of a Twickenham series that has already featured contests against world champions New Zealand and South Africa and culminates with next weekend’s clash against World Cup pool rivals Australia. But successive defeats by the All Blacks (24-21) and the Springboks (31-28) have turned today’s match into a �must-win’ fixture for an England side bidding to end a run of five straight defeats, albeit four have been at the hands of New Zealand. What will be England’s seventh international against Samoa—the Red Rose brigade have won all six previous encounters—was imperilled when the visitors considered boycotting the match in protest at their treatment by the Samoa Rugby Union. Although the strike threat has been withdrawn, the underlying tensions that caused the Samoa team to contemplate such drastic action remain. Not that Lancaster is expecting the controversy to in any way lessen the on-field impact of the traditionally tough-tackling Samoans. “We’re expecting physicality, pride and passion from Samoa,” said Lancaster. “This game is their cup final. It’s a great opportunity for them and they’ll be hugely motivated.” And for all England’s success against Samoa in the past, Lancaster insisted this weekend’s clash had the potential to trip up his side if they were not completely on their game. “I watched them beat Wales in Cardiff a couple of years ago (2916 in November 2012) in a similar fixture. They are very difficult opposition, so we need to be at our best. “Just look at the Wales v Fiji game last weekend...Fiji al- most won it (losing 17-13). “We know it’s not a game we can take lightly whatsoever because they’ll be putting us under pressure.” Lancaster has made five changes and a positional switch to his side. Under-performing fly-half Owen Farrell has been moved to inside centre, with Lancaster giving a first Test to Bath standoff George Ford, all of whose four previous caps have come off the bench. Lancaster has also dropped scrum-half Danny Care and recalled Ben Youngs. Ford and Farrell have been friends since their schooldays and have previously enjoyed success with England youth sides. 10 Gulf Times Saturday, November 22, 2014 BOXING RAGS TO BRAGS...AND RICHES SPOTLIGHT Pacquiao , the street kid who has the world at his feet Mayweather doubtful, Garcia next for Pacman, says trainer Roach The Filipino icon is paying for two Airbus A320s emblazoned with his face to fly his 300-plus entourage from the Philippines to Macau for the fight AFP Macau AFP Macau I n 1992, a 14-year-old boy dropped out of school in General Santos City in the southern Philippines because of extreme poverty. With his single mother was unable to support him and his five siblings, he made his way to Manila and ended up living on the streets. When someone suggested to the young Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao that he divert his energies to a local boxing gym, it turned out to be a shrewd piece of advice. “I kept winning and almost became a boxer without knowing,” said the man who would go on to make history as the only winner of world titles in eight weight divisions. He soon caught the attention of national amateur selectors and made the Philippines team. With lodging and subsistence provided, it proved the beginning of one of the most glittering careers the fight game has ever known. �Manny’ (as he became known) Pacquiao’s natural talent and speed, coupled with a fearsome work ethic, saw him work his way up to being lauded as “the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world”. T rainer Freddie Roach played down hopes of a Manny Pacquiao showdown with Floyd Mayweather and said unbeaten twobelt world champion Danny Garcia could be next for “Pacman” after he fights Chris Algieri tomorrow. The drop to light welterweight (140lb) would be a further blow to prospects of a $1 billion megafight with the unbeaten Mayweather, whose last three contests have been at light middleweight (154lb). Roach instead is targeting the impressive Garcia (29-0, 17 KOs) who holds both the World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association belts at light welterweight. “I’ve been waiting three-anda-half years for this (Mayweather) fight. I don’t think it’s going to happen,” Roach told reporters yesterday at the Venetian Macau. “(Promoter Bob) Arum says it might happen but can they deliver Mayweather? I don’t think so,” added the Hall of Fame trainer, who has guided “Pacman” since 2002. “You know, if it was going to happen I think it would have happened by now. I want it to happen as badly as you guys.” Pacquiao defends his World Boxing Organization welterweight (147lb) crown on tomorrow morning (Saturday night US time) against American Algieri Manny Pacquiao now and (bottom) as a teen working out in a ramshackle Manila gym When someone suggested to the young Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao that he divert his energies to a local boxing gym, it turned out to be a shrewd piece of advice Pacquiao (56-5-2) will command a payday in excess of $20mn dollars when he fights Chris Algieri at the Venetian Macau, one of the world’s largest and grandest casino resorts, tomorrow morning—a far cry from his desperate beginnings. It is perhaps memories of his younger impoverished days that prompt Pacquiao never to refuse requests from family and friends. His philanthropy and generosity are well known, and resulted in the Filipino icon paying for two Airbus A320s emblazoned with his face to fly his 300-plus entourage the two hours from General Santos to Macau for the fight. His fame and fortune in the ring also enabled him to study and finally pass his high school exams in 2007 at the age of 28. A college degree followed in 2009 and a further qualification in legislation and governance paved the way for him to be elected with 66 percent of the vote in May 2013 as a congressman in his wife Jinkee’s home province of Sarangani. He was re-elected unopposed in 2013. Now just two weeks away from his 36th birthday he shows no little sign of slowing down his hectic life. Boxing and politics aside, he is also a singer, actor, church minister, army reservist and player-coach for Kia Motors in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), playing seven minutes of their season opener last month to the dismay of his long-time Hall of Fame trainer at an agreed catchweight limit of 144lb. “If Manny feels good in this fight at 144 then I think his next fight will be at 140 because he makes 140 very easily,” said Roach. “First fight back? Danny Garcia. That’s my personal opinion.” The fear is that tomorrow’s clash with the largely unknown WBO light welterweight champion Algieri will not attract the lucrative pay-per-view figures in the United States of previous Pacquiao contests. There is a dearth of truly world-class opponents in the 147lb division, making the explosive Garcia—who has recorded fourth-round knockouts against both Britain’s former world champion Amir Khan and Mexican great Erik Morales—the most attractive alternative to the elusive Mayweather. “Danny Garcia at 140, we’ll go there,” added Roach. “There are options out there. Mayweather’s not everything. “I think Manny’s a better fighter at 140. He’s faster and more explosive—I think the knockouts will come back.” Roach hinted that Pacquiao could drop further, maybe back to lightweight (135lb) if the right opportunity came up. “Yes he could make 135. He’s been in the 130s a couple of times during training camp already,” Roach revealed. “When he gets a little too low in weight I send him home and tell him to have a good steak.” Mickey Rourke to return to boxing ring at 62 in Moscow Freddie Roach. Pacquiao won his first world title at flyweight in 1998 and added a super bantamweight title a year later, but it wasn’t until he teamed up with Roach in 2001 that his career really took off as they forged one of the most successful partnerships in boxing history. Pacquiao went on to win multiple world titles, sweeping aside the world’s best. Marc Antonio Barrera, Oscar de la Hoya, Juan Manuel Marquez, Erik Morales, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto were all demolished by the Filipino. Two defeats in 2012 — a devastating knockout against Marquez and a controversial points decision against Timothy Bradley—led some to think Pacquiao’s star was fading. But a year ago in Macau he regained his pomp with a comprehensive win against Brandon Rios, and then took Bradley apart in their rematch. There remains just one thing missing on his considerable CV—a megafight with the unbeaten American great Floyd Mayweather. The signs are that if Pacquiao beats Algieri as expected Sunday, the pair will finally touch gloves next year in the richest event in the history of sport—it will generate an estimated $1 billion. Whoever suggested that a scrawny Manila street kid should go to the gym could never have imagined where it would lead. Mickey Rourke will revive his boxing career at the age of 62 and take to the ring with a US professional boxer in Moscow this month, Sovetsky Sport sports website reported, citing the promoters. The American actor was quoted as saying by promoters: “Boxing is a serious part of my life. It taught me respect and determination, patience and concentration. I always dreamed of fighting a match in Russia.” Rourke is set to fight 29-year-old Elliot Seymour on November 28. They will take to the ring ahead of a match between Russia’s Ruslan Provodnikov and Jose Luis Castillo of Mexico, Sovetsky Sport reported. The actor was an amateur boxer before his Hollywood career took off and he became a sex symbol star in films such as 9 ½ Weeks. He returned to boxing as a professional for eight matches in the 1990s, causing damage to his face that necessitated surgery and changed his appearance. In 2008 he starred in The Wrestler about a washed-up fighter making a comeback, winning a Golden Globe for best actor. Rourke is a frequent visitor to Russia and has been romantically linked to a Russian-born model, Anastassija Makarenko. BOTTOMLINE Rapid rise of Chris Algieri, the �real-life Rocky’ AFP Macau A merican Chris Algieri will complete a rags to riches “real-life Rocky” story against Filipino star Manny Pacquiao tomorrow—just a year after he almost quit the sport. The date was November 2, 2013 and the would-be doctor from Long Island, New York, had just watched heavyweight Magomed Abdusalamov almost die in the Madison Square Garden ring against Mike Perez. Russian Abdusalamov went a gruelling 10 rounds against slugger Perez, suffering fractures to his cheekbones and hands. The next day he would be in a coma after emergency surgery to remove a blood clot on the brain. He finally left hospital just two months ago in a wheelchair, unable to speak. “A year ago, I was ready to quit,” Algieri said at the Venetian Macau, venue for his multi-million dollar billtopping battle against the legendary eight-weight world champion Pacquiao. Algieri felt his career was flatlining —his small town fights were not even being televised—and what he had witnessed in New York City that night shook him to the core. “The Russian kid who almost died, we had the same record. He was 17-0. The guy was undefeated and one fight and he was in a coma,” said Algieri, who at the time was heavily in poststudent debt after completing a degree in health science and a master’s in clinical nutrition. “I went to my promoter Joe DeGuar- dia and said, �Listen, that guy (almost) died. I’m done’.” DeGuardia convinced him to take another fight and suddenly Algieri, whose biggest purse to that point had been less than $10,000, made a breakthrough. In February he outpointed Emmanuel Taylor, at the time ranked number four light welterweight by the International Boxing Federation. A world ranking and a title shot followed. Few gave the little-known Algieri any hope in June against the fearsome Russian WBO light welterweight champion Ruslan Provodnikov. That feeling intensified when Algieri was knocked down twice in the first round. But Algieri hadn’t read the script. Just like Rocky in the movie, he bravely got up and, despite his right eye being swollen shut for the rest of the fight, he boxed clever and won a split decision. Against Taylor he had picked up the biggest purse of his career to date, $15,000. That increased to $115,000 for beating Provodnikov, which Algieri wisely used to clear his student loans. And just nine months on from the Taylor fight his reward, win or lose come tomrorow, will be in seven figures, albeit dwarfed by Pacquiao’s reported $20 million pay day. His remarkable, rapid rise from complete unknown to an undefeated (20-0) world champion, taking on one of the greatest fighters of his generation in Pacquiao, prompted promoter Bob Arum to dub Algieri the “real-life Rocky” in Macau this week. It is clear that the 82-year-old Arum is impressed by the clean-cut Algieri, who is a promoter’s dream: intelligent, good-looking, smartly dressed and eloquent. “This kid is wonderful,” Top Rank’s Arum told AFP. “I mean, this story is incredible. He really is like a real-life Rocky.” Algieri’s first million-dollar-plus payday this weekend will comfortably fund him when he chooses to go back to his medical studies, but the 30-yearold of Italian/Argentine descent says becoming a doctor can wait. “We’ll see how long this career lasts, or how long I want to do it for,” Algieri said.“I want to do it now as much as I can, and as much as I want to. It’s all about passion for me. If I ever lose my passion, I’m out.” Unlike a year ago, he doesn’t intend that to be any time soon. If the result against Pacquiao is a heavy defeat, it may just change his mind.” Gulf Times Saturday, November 22, 2014 11 SPORT DAVIS CUP FOCUS Monfils downs Federer to level Davis Cup final Wawrinka had given the Swiss a winning start against the French 2022 — a strong message to the world, says Saha F ormer France striker Louis Saha (pictured) has said that taking FIFA World Cup to new regions will benefit the development of the game around the world. Part of the France squad that reached the final of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany, Saha was a player at what was widely regarded as one of the most successful tournaments in history. The former Manchester United, Fulham, and Everton striker told www.sc.qa: “Every country should be allowed to host a big competition because it brings in value, economic benefits, and simply because every continent should be given the chance. I think it will be a politically strong message to bring the World Cup to Qatar because it’s a universal sport. I’m very pleased to see that Qatar will host the World Cup because it’s a massive event.” The striker, who after retiring opened his own sports consultancy group, added that a compact tournament would only add to Qatar’s appeal as a host. “It’s one of the advantages. The World Cup is a beautiful moment for every country. Everyone will be watching, and the host country needs it to remain a beautiful event. I’m pretty sure the country (Qatar) will be able to do that. There’s so much support from all over the world and I’m sure that come 2022 others will want to help make it a beautiful World Cup,” he said. Although not a first time visitor to Qatar, it was the first time the quick-footed forward had been to Aspire Academy. “When you see pictures you think this could be an interesting place, but once you’re here and see it with your own eyes I can say it’s one of the best centres I’ve ever seen. ASPETAR sports hospital was also very impressive,” said Saha. The Frenchman’s new initiative, AXIS 10, is a sports consultancy group which he founded together with former 1.FC Köln defender Dieter Prestin earlier this year. “Sometimes it can be very competitive in the football world. You must be really aware that you’re getting the best advice at that stage and that’s what AXIS is doing. It includes all the right people,” he added, mentioning the likes of other footballing greats such as Didier Drogba, Phil Neville and Robert Pires who are all supporting Saha’s new project. San Francisco to submit bid for 2024 Olympics France’s Gael Monfils celebrates his win over Switzerland’s Roger Federer in the second rubber of the Davis Cup final in Villeneuve d’Ascq, near Lille, yesterday. (Reuters) AFP Lille, France G ael Monfils stunned Roger Federer in straight sets to leave France and Switzerland level 1-1 after the first day of the Davis Cup final in Lille yesterday. The flamboyant Frenchman clobbered a below-far Federer 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 in just 1 hour 46 minutes. It was just the second time that Federer had lost a Davis Cup singles rubber in straight sets—the other coming in his 1999 debut against Gianluca Pozzi of Italy. Earlier, Stan Wawrinka had given the Swiss favourites a 1-0 lead by outplaying French number one Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. Federer took a 8-2 winning head-to head record against Monfils into the rubber. But his preparations for his first ever Davis Cup final took a hit last Saturday when he injured his back playing, ironically against Wawrinka, in the last four of the ATP World Tour finals in London. He subsequently pulled out of the final against Novak Djokovic and was unable to practice on the indoor claycourt at Lille football stadium until Wednesday evening. The French, who had no players qualified for London, had two weeks training on clay in Bordeaux and it showed as Monfils opened with an ace and had Federer on the back foot from the start. A superb backhand passing shot brought up break point for Monfils in the fourth game and he then forced a backhand return into the next to move 3-1 up. Federer looked slow and uncomfortable, especially on the backhand flank, and he surrendered his serve again two games later as the first set slipped away from him in just 32 minutes. The rubber was unwinding at breakneck speed and it was a poor Federer forehand into the bottom of the net that gave Monfils the first break of the second set. The way the Parisian was serving, with nine aces up to that point, made it a steep hill to climb for Federer and he made no further inroads as he dropped the second set 6-4. The Swiss star, 37-7 in Davis Cup singles, desperately needed to get his nose in front to try and put some pressure on the Monfils serve. He did manage to hold his first two serves in the third set, but Monfils held firm and then the Frenchman struck what proved to be a fatal blow in the fifth game. A typically sliding backhand passing shot set up break point, which was promptly secured when a dispirited looking Federer slapped a forehand well wide. There was no way back for the 17-time Grand Slam title winner, who is playing in his first Davis Cup final at he age of 33. Monfils clinched a famous and surprisingly easy win with a typically flashy backhand drive down the line from well behind the baseline. It was the first time that Monfils had beaten Federer on clay and it could not have come at a more opportune moment. Today’s doubles sees the French pair of Julien Benneteau and Richard Gasquet go up against Marco Chiudinelli and Michael Lammer, with the reverse singles tomorrow. Given the low-key showing he produced yesterday, the doubts will persist that Federer may not be able to complete the tie which would leave the Swiss in all sorts of trouble. San Francisco: A group of San Francisco Bay Area business, sports and civic leaders will bid to host the 2024 Olympics and is putting together a proposal for the United States Olympic Committee, officials said on Thursday. Should the USOC decide to bid for the Games and the Paralympics, the cities challenging San Francisco are Boston, Los Angeles and Washington. San Francisco Giants president and chief executive Larry Baer is leading the bid committee, along with venture capitalist Steve Strandberg and 1960 Olympian Anne Warner Cribbs. “We believe a San Francisco Bay Area Olympic and Paralympic Games would be an enormous success, and would benefit the region, the nation and the Games themselves, well beyond 2024,” Baer said in a statement. “Our region is renowned for connecting the world in new ways every day and we are ready to put that spirit and ingenuity to work for the Games.” The group is proposing to build a $350 million temporary stadium for the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as for track and field events. After the Games, the stadium parts would be recycled and the area turned into a park, officials said. “We have the opportunity to put our unique stamp on the Games and inspire a new generation of American youth to pursue sports and fitness,” said Cribbs, a swimmer in the 1960 Olympics. The proposal calls for the beach volleyball court to be set up in front of San Francisco City Hall, while table tennis would be located in Chinatown. The USOC said it will wait to make a decision on a US bid until after the International Olympic Committee meets in December. The IOC will select the host of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2017. Jaffar wins Losail MX round two WRC2 champion Nasser al-Attiyah arrives in Doha Kuwaiti rider Mohamed Jaffar (second from left) won both the MX1 races in the second round of the Losail MX Championship at the Losail MX Track yesterday. Kuwait’s Meshari About Shaibah (left) and Emirati rider Mohamed al-Balooshi were second and third respectively in both the races. In MX2, Barak al-Jasmi won the race 1 while Moaath al-Ansari won the second race. Qatar’s Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah (centre) arrives in Doha after being crowned the WRC2 champion with a sixth place finish in Wales Rally. Al-Attiyah also recently announced that he will be driving with a X-Raid Mini at the 2015 Dakar Rally in January. Saturday, November 22, 2014 SPORT GULF TIMES ORYX CUP UIM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Shane, Kelly leave National High Points battle for final day Stunning return to race action for Theoret in 96 Spirit of Qatar, wins Heat 1B in the draw for the second heats and lined up alongside Zimmerman and Warren. Robertson failed to make the start and Thompson also missed the heat, as an oil fire on the 11 boat forced a delay as it was removed from the course. Warren was not able to fire up the 100 Sahara Pizza boat for the restart and Kelly was never troubled in a two-boat face-off with Zimmerman and duly collected his second haul of 400 points. The final heat of the day again pitched Shane against Theoret, with Phipps, Villwock and Webster adding spice to the cocktail. Each of the boats made a clean start and Shane used the inside line to his advantage to pull clear of Theoret and Phipps, with Villwock slowing and eventually retiring after his engine appeared to ingest water. This handed fourth place to Webster. Today, teams will compete in the third and fourth pairs of race heats from 11:00hrs and the six that amass the most points from the heats and qualifying will go through to the 2014 Oryx Cup UIM World Championship final from 15:00hrs on Doha Bay. By Sports Reporter Doha J immy Shane and J. Michael Kelly ensured that the battle for the National High Points title in the 2014 H1 Unlimited series will go down to the final day of the season after the first set of race heats at the Oryx Cup in Doha Bay yesterday. Shane made up for the disappointment of starting his opening heat prematurely and led from the start of 2B to maintain his push for the National High Points title. Theoret was an impressive second and Cal Phipps finished third. Heat 2A was rescheduled to run after 2B following a fire onboard the 11 Peters & May boat of Tom Thompson. Kelly was never troubled by Zimmerman and recorded his second set of 400 maximum points to take the title challenge into the final two pairs of heats and the Oryx Cup today. The performance of the day came from Qatar’s Theoret, however. The 96 Spirit of Qatar driver belied his fiveyear absence from the sport by winning one race heat and finishing second in the other. “I had a good feeling from the start and couldn’t really of asked for a better day, a first and a second, 700 points and a good foundation to build on for tomorrow,” said Theoret. The 12 Miss DiJulio crew received their turbine engine from Qatari customs yesterday morning and faced a race against time to prepare the boat for Jesse Robertson to use in the afternoon heats. He scored points for third in heat 1B. In heat 1A, J. Michael Kelly lined up alongside Dave Villwock, David Warren, Tom Thompson and Mike Webster in searing heat and a slight breeze for the first of the 2014 Oryx Cup heats. Predictably, after the form he has shown this season, Kelly stormed into the lead after a legal start and began to pull away from the chasing quartet. There was no stopping the 1 Graham Trucking driver and he sailed through the chequered flag to win the opening heat. Villwock was a distant second and Webster, Thompson and Warren filled the minor placings in a processional and clean heat, although Webster stayed on Villwock’s rooster tail for a short time and then suffered the ignominy of being disqualified after the heat for a fuel violation. On paper, heat 2B looked set to be a cracker with Shane, Jon Zimmerman, ORYX CUP H1 UNLIMITED HEATS 1A 1. J. Michael Kelly (Graham Trucking) 400 pts 2. Dave Villwock (Miss Seattle) 300 3. Tom Thompson (Peters & May) 225 4. David Warren (Sahara Pizza) 169 5. Mike Webster (Webster Racing) DSQ 1B 1. Jean Theoret (Spirit of Qatar) 400 pts 2. Cal Phipps (Graham Trucking II) 300 3. Jesse Robertson (Miss DiJulio) 225 4. Jon Zimmerman (Team Red Dot/Les Schwab Tires) 169 5. Jimmy Shane (Oberto Beef Jerky) 127 2A 1. J. Michael Kelly (Graham Trucking) 400 2. Jon Zimmerman (Team Red Dot/Les Schwab Tires) 300 2B 1. Jimmy Shane (Oberto Beef Jerky) 400 2. Jean Theoret (Spirit of Qatar) 300 3. Cal Phipps (Graham Trucking II) 225 4. Mike Webster (Webster Racing) 169 96 Spirit of Qatar’s Jean Theoret celebrates winning heat 1B on his return to H1 racing. Cal Phipps and Jesse Robertson lining up on the inside of Theoret for the three-lap heat. Shane crawled round the start straight on the inside line but he and Zimmerman were deemed to have jumped the start, despite the fact they held off a charging Theoret down the back straight. Shane began to edge away from the pair, but it didn’t matter because both he and the 9 Team Red Dot boat were going to have to run a penalty lap. Theoret, therefore, cruised across the finish line to take a superb heat win for the Spirit of Qatar Team – his first since 2009 - and Phipps crossed in second place. Shane almost caught and lapped a struggling Robertson down the straight but missed out on third place by metres and Zimmerman was fifth. It meant that Kelly had already gained 231 points in the battle with Shane for the National High Points title. Kelly managed to avoid Shane again TODAY’S SCHEDULE 08.00-09.00: Unlimited testing 11.00: Heat 3A 11.20: Heat 3B 12.45: Heat 4A 13.05: Heat 4B 15.00: Oryx Cup UIM World C’ship UIM F1 H2O WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Torrente finishes second, Carella fifth in Abu Dhabi Qatari drivers on the podium. Rigby now trails Mike Szymura by just 25 points with 40 at stake at the final race meeting in Sharjah. “I am very happy for them. This is a superb result with the new boats and the new propellers,” added al-Kuwari. “They have been getting faster at each race and they deserve this result today. I am sure the first win is only a matter of time.” GP of Abu Dhabi results (top five) 1. Philippe Chiappe (China CTIC) 2. Shaun Torrente (Qatar Team) 3. Ahmed al-Hameli (Abu Dhabi) 4. Sami Selio (Mad-Croc Baba) 5. Alex Carella (Qatar Team) Overall standings (top five) 1. Philippe Chiappe (China CTIC) 2. Alex Carella (Qatar Team) 3. Shaun Torrente (Qatar Team) 4. Sami Selio (Mad-Croc Baba) 5. Erik Stark (Nautica) +6.57sec +29.50 +32.50 +34.80 50 pts 47 44 24 23 World champion Alex Carella of Qatar Team in action at UIM F1 H20 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi yesterday. (Top right) Khalid bin Arhama al-Kuwari, head of formula racing at the Qatar Marine Sports Federation. Agencies Abu Dhabi Q atar Team’s Shaun Torrente and Alex Carella finished second and fifth in Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi, the penultimate round of the 2014 UIM F1 H2O World Championship, at the Abu Dhabi Breakwater yesterday afternoon. Frenchman Philippe Chiappe produced a stunning performance from his first ever career pole position to stay marginally ahead of Torrente from the start and seal a second career win and the outright championship lead - on his birthday of all days. Torrente closed to within a second of the Frenchman on a couple of occasions, but Chiappe had the measure of the Qatar boat on the day by an eventual 6.57 seconds and the result means that the CTIC China team driver takes a three-point advantage to what promises to a thrilling three-way showdown for the title in Sharjah on December 19. Carella was wedged in fifth place throughout the race and slips to second in the title race, a mere three points in front of his teammate Torrente and three behind Chiappe. “That is racing,” reflected Khalid bin Arhama al-Kuwari, head of formula racing at the Qatar Marine Sports Federation (QMSF). “It was not our day today. The course was tough. I told the guys that. We could see that from free practice. We tried our best. Now we have to go away, regroup and come back and finish first and second in Sharjah. If Alex wins in Sharjah, he is World Champion again. It will be an exciting race, for sure.” Khalid Abdullah al-Kuwari and Mohamed alObaidly qualified second and third respectively behind Australian rookie Briney Rigby in the second UIM F-4S Trophy race. Rigby led from start-to-finish to record her second win of the weekend, but it was a superb race for the Qatar Team with al-Kuwari reaching the chequered flag 6.30 seconds behind the youngster to claim second place and al-Obaidly shadowing him to the finish to put two ecstatic F-4S Trophy Race 2 result (top five) 1. Briney Rigby (Sweden) 2. Khalid A al-Kuwari (Qatar Team) 3. Mohamed al-Obaidly (Qatar Team) 4. Mike Szymura (F1 GC Atlantic) 5. Jan A Landsnes (Motorglass) +6.30sec +11.46 +25.88 +32.13 Overall standings (top five) 1. Mike Szymura (F1 GC Atlantic) 2. Briney Rigby (Sweden) 3. Jan A Landsnes (Motorglass) 4. Mohamed Al-Obaidly (Qatar Team) 4. Khalid A Al-Kuwari (Qatar Team) 119 pts 94 64 48 48
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