BUSINESS | Page 1 INDEX QATAR 2 – 12, 36 14 REGION 32, 33 COMMENT BUSINESS 1 – 8, 14 – 16 ARAB WORLD 15, 16 CLASSIFIED 9 – 13 INTERNATIONAL 17 – 31 SPORTS 1 – 12 Justin Rose to star in Commercial Bank Qatar Masters Oil up as US growth beats expectations US gross domestic product rose 5.0% in the third quarter, up from the 3.9% previously estimated and better than the 4.3% of leading analysts. The strong growth boosted expectations that US energy consumption will rise. Oil prices have fallen about 50% since June on mounting supplies due to increased production and lacklustre global economic growth. The drop in WTI to $55 a barrel last week "brought in some bottom-feeders," said John Kilduff, founding partner at Again Capital. “A lot of damage was done the last couple of weeks.” Business Page 2 Qatar’s international workforce, partners in a development saga By Darwish S Ahmed Editor-in-Chief E v e r since Qatar won the bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup , the international media spotlight has been on the “ small desert country” which was until recently known for its exploits in the natural gas field. Though a strong contender from the beginning, the 2022 bid “victory” proved to be a gamechanger and certain sources, including a section of the global media, found a special delight in tarnishing the image of Qatar by singling out unfortunate incidents and blowing them out of proportion to meet a particular agenda. While doing so, they have totally ignored the overall picture. Just consider this: Qatar, smaller in size than Connecticut – one of the smallest US states – is home to people from more than 180 countries. Of the total population of 2.26mn, only about 300,000 are locals, the rest coming to work or do business in the Arabian Gulf country from all corners of the world. Foreigners have lived in Qatar for decades and some of the young professionals working in Qatar today belong to the second and third generations of expatriates who arrived here in search of work in the ’40s and ’50s. That there is a clear plan to find fault with Qatar by any means is evident from the usage of data in a biased and totally unfair manner by a section of the international media. After configuring the magical number of 4,000 Nepalis “who would have to die to build the World Cup stadiums” they were quick to grab the death figures released earlier this year by the Indian embassy in Doha, which said 455 Indians have died in Qatar in two years (2012 and 2013). Without real- ising the fact that most of these deaths occurred due to natural causes the vilifiers were quick to trumpet the “large number of Indian casualties in Qatar” and tie it up with the 2022 World Cup’s “poor victims”. The campaign soon reached such a crescendo that the Indian embassy had to issue a statement trashing the claims of some of the rights and media organisations, stressing that the figure was normal given the presence of such a large number of Indians - more than 500,000 - in the country. Qatar has never denied that there had been no cases of violation of workers’ rights in the country. On the other hand, the government has shown its willing- EXCLUSIVE ness to correct any such behaviour by introducing new laws and implementing strictly the rules to protect workers from exploitation and abuse. Recently, the government has announced its intention to abolish the sponsorship system and reform the Labour Law to ensure that workers’ rights are protected in the country. It has also been announced to increase the number of labour inspectors to book violators. In 2013, the inspectors of the Labour Department made thousands of visits to worksites and labour camps to make sure that low-income workers, the most vulnerable segment of the workforce, are not exploited or mistreated. A large number of employers have been penalised and several blacklisted for not abiding by the rules. Irrespective of the best efforts, there are cases of violations as is the case with any society in the world. In Qatar, the logistics of looking after the interests of foreign workers present formidable challenges as the matter is of gigan- 56.21 -237.70 -1.91% +0.95 +1.72% in HH the Deputy Emir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani awarding outgoing Spanish Ambassador Maria Del Carmen De Labena the Sash of Merit in recognition of her role in boosting relations between Qatar and Spain. Page 9 W 12,183.52 +84.57 +0.47% d Essebsi says Tunisia has �turned the page’ orld oil prices rose yesterday as strong US economic data sparked a round of buying in the beaten-down commodity. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for February delivery rose $1.86 to $57.12 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. European benchmark Brent oil for February delivery advanced $1.58 to $61.69 a barrel in London. The Commerce Department said 18,044.01 he R is bl TA 978 A 1 Q since ARAB WORLD | Vote AFP New York NYMEX WEDNESDAY Vol. XXXV No. 9581 December 24, 2014 Rabia I 2, 1436 AH www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals Stricter rules urged to curb use of shisha In brief Tunisia’s new leader Beji Caid Essebsi said the country has turned the page on dictatorship after a presidential vote that European observers hailed yesterday as “credible and transparent”. But outgoing president Moncef Marzouki, who lost the election, said he was creating a new movement to prevent the North African nation sliding back into authoritarian rule after the victory by the veteran politician. Essebsi, an 88-year-old who served under previous Tunisian regimes, was on Monday declared the winner of a vote seen as a landmark for the birthplace of the Arab Spring. Page 16 QE Latest Figures GULF TIMES Sash of Merit DOW JONES pu QR6bn Doha Festival City eyes top position SPORT | Page 12 tic proportions. Qatar has about 1.5mn low- and middle-income workers who come from as diverse places as the highaltitude Himalayan mountains to the hot plains of Africa. They are hosted by a mix of employers ranging from excellent paymasters to a small number of abhorrent crooks. A few of the unsuspecting overseas workers have been unfortunate to end up with the wrong employers. There are hundreds of thousands of workers who put in a day’s honest work, are paid and looked after according to their contracts, enjoy their stay in the country and go home at the end of their tenure. For some, things can go wrong from the start of the recruiting process. After paying a huge amount (often procured from loan sharks) to the recruitment agent in their home countries and arriving in Qatar with great expectations, they may find they have been recruited for a job they are not qualified for or they have been promised pay and perks beyond the salary structure of the local company. Huge debts back home coupled with bloated expectations of family add pressure on the worker who finds it difficult to match the “demand and supply” equation on all fronts. For such folks the whole experience could be unsavoury and for some among them it may lead to grievous endings. Gulf Times in its role as a catalyst for all-round development in Qatar has sent journalists to learn the ground realities in four countries – Nepal, India, Sri Lanka and the Philippines – which send the largest numbers of workers to Qatar. In the coming days we will be publishing a series of reports comprising our findings in an effort to understand what bearing the situation in the sourcing countries has on the overall situation of expatriate workers in Qatar. In the meantime, Qatar continues to welcome and receive workers from all over the world as partners in materialising the massive infrastructure and development projects worth about $155bn scheduled for the coming years. By Joseph Varghese Staff Reporter U rgent steps to curb shisha smoking have to be taken to save precious lives from going up in smoke, experts and activists have said. The recent decision of Katara, the Cultural Village, to ban outdoor shisha smoking on its premises from January 1 has given the much-needed fillip to concerns raised from different quarters of the society to end the practice, which has become a trendy pursuit among various age groups who are mostly unaware of the illeffects. A recent study by Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), cited that shisha smoking was 10 times more harmful than cigarette smoking. But many people still consider shisha safe and continue with the practice. Dr Ahmed Abdul Kareem al-Mulla, senior consultant at HMC and the head of Smoking Cessation Clinic, told Gulf Times yesterday that more regulations should be introduced to control the use of shisha, while welcoming Katara’s move. “Some other places, such as leading coffee houses, restaurants as well as Smoking shisha in the open. Souq Waqif, have to implement such steps. These are places where a large number of people, including women and children, visit everyday. “We need to have more regulations and statutory warnings about the health hazards of shisha smoking. This will lead to more awareness among people and make them stop the practice. Unfortunately, people think that shisha is less harmful and the availability of different flavours, makes it more attractive.” Dr Abdul Rasheed, president of the Indian Anti-Smoking Society, described shisha smoking as a major social problem. “Many people fail to understand the adverse impacts of shisha smoking. Since several coffee houses and restaurants allow people to smoke shisha inside and outside their premises, many others also become passive smokers.” Dr Rasheed also warned that the chemicals mixed with tobacco to impart various flavours makes shisha smoking more dangerous. In the Middle East and Arab world, people smoke shisha as part of their culture and traditions. According to the British Heart Foundation, shisha tobacco contains nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide and heavy metals, such as arsenic and lead. As a result, shisha smokers are at risk of the same kinds of diseases as cigarette smokers, such as heart disease, cancer, respiratory disease and problems during pregnancy. “People smoke shisha for much longer periods of time than they smoke a cigarette, and in one puff of shisha you inhale the same amount of smoke as you’d get from smoking a whole cigarette. “The average shisha-smoking session lasts an hour and research has shown that in this time you can inhale the same amount of smoke as from more than 100 cigarettes,” a study by the foundation says. Page 36 2 Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 QATAR PM offers condolences to Kuwaiti Emir QNA Kuwait O n behalf of HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al -Thani, HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani has offered condolences and sympathy to the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah on the death of Sheikha Sheikha Sabah alNasser al-Sabah. The Prime Minister and the Minister of the Interior also offered condolences to Kuwait’s Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmed alJaber al-Sabah and Sheikh Jaber al-Mubarak al-Hamad al-Sabah. The Prime Minister and the Interior Minister also offered condolences and sym- HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani meeting the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah in Kuwait yesterday. pathy of HH the Deputy Emir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani to Emir of Ku- wait, Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Sabah, Sheikh Jaber Mubarak al-Hamad alSabah and the members of the ruling family. Qatar University honours top achievers A s many as 328 students named on the Honour Roll of Qatar University (QU) vice-president and chief academic officer were honoured on Monday at separate ceremonies for men and women. In all, 265 female and 63 male students across QU colleges were celebrated for achieving GPA 3.5 and above for the Fall and Spring semesters in the academic year 2013-14. Vice-president and chief academic officer Dr Mazen Hasna applauded the students’ achievement, and presented their certificates in the presence of their parents, members of QU leadership, deans, heads of departments, and faculty. The events also included Dr Hasna speaking at the event. Qatari writer al-Mahmoud signing a copy of his book. students’ meet-and-greet with guest of honour Qatari writer Abdul Aziz al-Mahmoud who signed copies of his books, including his new novel The Holy Sail. “It is a great honour to celebrate our students for their distinguished achievements, their hard work and dedication to succeed,” Dr Hasna said. “This event highlights Qatar University’s commitment to maximising its students’ potential, and giving them the opportunity to develop the skills and knowledge to become future leaders, and contribute to Qatar’s outstanding growth and development.” Al-Mahmoud expressed his pride in the students’ distinction, which he said allows them to accomplish their goals and aspirations, and contribute to building Qatar’s growth and a knowledge-based economy. “If we do not make our own history, somebody else will make it for us,” he observed. The Qatari writer also gave the students a brief about The Holy Sail, a fictional story which chronicles the medieval world of Lisbon, Cairo, Jeddah and Istanbul. The novel uses historical research methods while engaging readers in a tale of love and honour. He also noted the importance of reading which he said will serve to contribute to the country’s cultural development and growth. 6 Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 QATAR QOC to hold Fitness & Health Programme T he Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) will launch the “Fitness and Health Programme 2014” set on December 25 and 26 as part of its Qatar Active Campaign (QAC). Mohamed Issa al-Fadala, director of public relations and marketing, said that the event aims “to promote the culture of sport.” The programme will start on December 25 from 4pm to 8pm on the Doha Corniche near the Sheraton Park while the activities on the following day will be staged in Aspire Park. Al-Fadala, also the QAC director, stressed the importance of the role of sports in building and bringing up sound and healthy generations. “Enjoying a high level of fitness enables them to contribute to the development of their community and country,” he said. This year, the programme will see a wider co-operation from various parties in connection with health and fitness such as Weill Cornell University. It will present two new equipment measuring the heartbeat, as well as another innovative equipment for the measurement of the vital body functions. Also, there will be cooperation with the nutrition centre “About Nutrition” and Aspire, which will be hosting the activities. Tests and measurements will be conducted by health specialists. The programme includes physical measurements relating to fitness and aimed at highlighting their importance as indicators for the level of fitness and as an incentive to having a regular and moderate physical activity. Measurements are based on the correlation between height and weight, using the body mass indicator setting the overweight average. Other tests are related to the fist strength reflecting muscle strength; flexibility measuring the scope of movements and joints flexibility as well as breathing fitness; and a 1600m walking distance. All these add to the usual heartbeat, blood pressure and diabetes tests. The QOC Committee has urged residents to join and participate in the two-day sport programme. QAC also offers a number of programmes serving the community. The campaign will also launch health, environment and cultural initiatives within its mission and general policy. Some of these activities will include the Fun Day for women and girls, World Walking Day, the QOC Water Games contest, the Rowing Race of traditional boats (Al Shawaheef) and the Olympic Day. 8 Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 QATAR HMC doctor appointed as professor at WCMC-Q Defence Minister meets envoys H amad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Dr Ibrahim Janahi has been appointed to the position of professor of clinical paediatrics at Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar (WCMC-Q). Dr Ibrahim, who becomes the first Qatari to have a full professorial rank at WCMC-Q, will combine this new position with his current roles at HMC. He will play a leading role in the teaching and research programmes at the college, including supervising new research projects and working to develop research partnerships, locally and internationally. Hanan al-Kuwari, managing director of HMC said: “As the first Qatari to be appointed in this position, Dr Ibrahim is leading the way and setting an example for young Qatari clinicians.” Dr Ibrahim has been working at HMC since 1992 and holds a number of senior positions within HMC and other organisations. He is American Board Certified in Paediatric Pulmonology and Paediatrics and is a fellow at the United Kingdom’s Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. Dr Ibrahim said: “I’m honoured to have been appointed as professor of clinical paediatrics at WCMC-Q. I look forward to helping advance teaching and research programmes at WCMC-Q and ensuring the college continues to provide the finest education possible for medical students, as well as conducting cutting edge research.” Dr Javaid Sheikh, dean of WCMC-Q, said: “I would like to offer my sincerest congratulations to Dr Ibrahim. He has extensive clinical and research experience in paediatrics.” HE the Minister of State for Defence held separate meetings with the outgoing ambassador of Tunisia, and the ambassadors of Indonesia and Belgium - Mohamed Mundhir Zarif, Didi Saif al-Hadi and Christophe Payot, respectively, in Doha, yesterday. Talks covered issues of joint interest. Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 9 QATAR Deputy Emir receives outgoing envoys Inspectors register 26 commercial violations I HH the Deputy Emir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani met the Tunisian Ambassador Mohamed Mundhir Zarif, Ambassador of El Salvador Victor M Lagos and the Ambassador of Spain Maria Del Carmen De Labena in Doha yesterday. The Deputy Emir awarded the three outgoing ambassadors the Sash of Merit in recognition of their efforts in boosting relations between Qatar and their countries. The Deputy Emir also wished them success in their future postings and relations between Qatar and their countries further development. Date for submitting entries for State Award extended The date for submitting entries for the sixth round of the State Award for Children’s Literature has been extended to mid-January, the award committee secretariat has announced. Aisha Jassim al-Kuwari, the award secretary, said the decision to extend the date provides a further opportunity for Qatari and Arab participants to submit their entries. The main aim of the award is to enhance the quality of children’s literature and achieve greater diversity, it was observed. The award would be given in five areas: poetry and biography of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), educational story, novel and science fiction, children’s music and smartphone applications. Air travellers urged to fully charge electronic gadgets By Joey Aguilar Staff Reporter T ravel agencies are advising their clients to ensure that electronic gadgets they carry, when travelling out of Qatar through the Hamad International Airport (HIA), are fully charged. “HIA has issued a circular about the new security procedure, which came into effect from December 21,” a representative of a leading travel agency told Gulf Times yesterday. The circular says: “From December 21, 2014, you will also be required to remove all large electronic items (e.g. tablets, laptops etc.) from your carry-on baggage and place them in the tray at the security screening. “You may be asked to turn on any electrical or battery powered devices in front of security teams and/or demonstrate the item’s functionality, so it is advised that you bring your charging cables with you,” it added. Many airports around the world have already been implementing the new security procedure, it is learnt. The travel agency staff HIA has advised travellers to fully charge their electronic gadgets. pointed out that a gadget which fails to turn on will not be allowed onboard the aircraft. But, the agency does not have information if such gadgets will be returned to the owner when the person returns to Doha. An Asian female expatriate who travelled to Hong Kong in the early hours of yesterday from HIA told Gulf Times that she was not asked to switch on any of her three gadgets. “I had charged all my phones, tablets and laptop before leaving for the airport,” she said. “Maybe it was a random check, but what I observed is that there are state-of-the-art scanners at HIA.” This was also the observation of many Qatar residents who flew out of HIA Hamad Bin Khalifa Hospital treats villagers in Mauritania Hamad Bin Khalifa Hospital in Boutilimit, Mauritania, is providing its services to people in remote areas of the country. The hospital recently dispatched a multidisciplinary medical convoy to Matamoulana, a remote Mauritanian village located 180km south-east of capital Nouakchott. The convoy was part of the hospital’s efforts to deliver medical services to the largest possible number of local communities. Qatar Red Crescent (QRC), which takes the responsibility for operating and managing the hospital, said in a press release that the medical convoy was equipped with an ambulance, an ultrasound equipment as well as medicines for malaria, skin diseases, antibiotics and drugs for pregnant women. The programme treated 384 people of different ages. Of them 15% were men, 35% were women and 50% were children, the release said, adding that the general medicine clinic received 246 cases, and the gynaecology clinic treated 95 cases, while the ultrasound examination clinic received 43 cases. Hamad bin Khalifa Hospital was established in 2007 under the patronage of HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, through the Qatari-Mauritanian Social Development Foundation. The strategic goal of the hospital is to provide high-quality healthcare at affordable charges to the people in remote areas so that they do not have to travel to Nouakchott or abroad for treatment. yesterday, she added. One Filipino who sent a message on Viber after the security check said it was a usual airport security procedure. “They just asked us to put all our electronic gadgets in a tray which passed through a scanner along with our hand luggage,” she added. Some airlines such as Fly Dubai also referred to HIA’s circular to travel agencies. The HIA circular also reminded airline passengers to continue adhering to existing airport rules such as prohibiting the carrying of sharp items, firearms, weapons, explosives (including fireworks) and liquids over 100ml in volume. Personal items such as phones, wallets, watches, keys, belts, shoes, among others, should also be removed before walking through the metal detector. Any liquid containers of 100ml or less should be packed in a clear and resealable plastic bag (available at the airport prior to immigration) and placed in a tray at the security screening. nspectors from the Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC) recently detected some 26 commercial violations during a campaign conducted at local markets. Surprise inspections were carried out by MEC officers at commercial outlets located in places such as Wakrah, Wukair, Mamoura, Markhiya and Al Rayyan. Meanwhile, seven furniture shops were issued violation reports in Al Rayyan and Mansoura areas for not displaying proper price lists. Violations were also recorded against two fruit and vegetable shops in Wakrah and Wukair for not abiding by rates mentioned on the price list. Besides, a laundry and a beverage shop in the same area got violation reports for not displaying price lists. Other violations detected included the case of a shop issuing an invoice with the words “sold items could not be replaced or returned” mentioned on it. A number of gift shops around the country were issued violation reports for not following the displayed price tags. The penalty for such violations amounts to a fine of QR5,000-6,000. National Day greetings HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, HH the Deputy Emir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani and HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani have sent cables of congratulations to Emperor Akihito of Japan on his country’s National Day. 10 Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 QATAR Al Meera becomes Nojoom partner O oredoo has announced Al Meera, a prominent player in Qatar’s retail industry, as the newest Nojoom partner in an effort to continue bringing a wider variety of reward options to the multi-award winning programme. Members have the choice to earn Nojoom points on their purchases with Al Meera or redeem the points for vouchers starting at QR50 up to QR2,000. Al Meera outlets covered under the partnership include Mansoura, Azghawa, Airport Hypermarket, Hazm Al Markhiya, Wakrah, Bin Omran, Nuaija, Khalifa South, Al Merqab and Legtaifiya. A plan is in place to expand the Nojoom coverage to additional Al Meera outlets across Qatar in 2015. To commemorate the launch of the new partnership, Ooredoo and Al Meera are offering all members who earn or redeem points before January 21, a free entry to a raffle draw to win prizes including a QR10,000 gift voucher from Al Meera and 10 winners will receive 40,000 Nojoom points. Al-Kubaisi and Dr al-Qahtani shaking hands after signing an agreement. Yousuf Abdulla al-Kubaissi, chief executive officer, Ooredoo Global Services, said: “Partnerships that reward everyday events such as shopping at Al Meera help us truly give back to our customers.” Dr Mohamed Nasser alQahtani, deputy CEO, Al Meera, said: “We believe that our customers are at the forefront of everything we do.” Redemptions can be made following Nojoom’s redemption channels by logging into their account at www.ooredoo.qa/nojoom or by downloading the Ooredoo App. Every Ooredoo customer with a Qatar ID can enrol into Nojoom, which ena- bles members to earn Nojoom points each time they opt for an Ooredoo service or shop at selected earn partners. Points can be redeemed at over 150 local and international Nojoom partners. Ooredoo working to boost disaster management preparedness O oredoo is working with the GSMA and Souktel Mobile Solutions to develop new partnerships and enhance current strategies to manage disaster preparedness, following the first-ever Middle East Summit on Mobile Technology and Crisis Response. As countries across the Middle East face growing humanitarian crises, mobiles are playing a key part in regional aid efforts. When Iraqi refugees were asked about their urgent needs in a recent poll, mobile charging stations were the main form of help they requested after food and water. As a result, aid agencies rushed to include solar-powered mobile chargers in emergency relief packages. According to the GSMA mobile economy 2014 Arab states report, at the end of 2013, the Arab states of the Middle East and North Africa region accounted for 195mn of the 3.4bn unique mobile subscriptions worldwide – a 53% penetration rate. At the same time, it is estimated that global conflict had forced 33.3mn people to become internally displaced people (IDPs) and a further 17mn people to become refugees at the start of 2013. This crisis puts pressures not only on the displaced populations themselves, but on the host communities, local infrastructure and service providers. These were the issues that the Middle East Summit on Mobile Technology and Crisis Response sought to examine. Held in Amman, Jordan, the event brought together more than 30 leaders in the aid and telecoms sectors to build partnerships that will enable quicker, more effective service delivery in emergencies. Ooredoo Group has a long history of providing emergency aid via technology such as a recent Gaza SMS donation campaign by Wataniya Palestine. During the month-long drive, customers across Palestine could donate directly to relief efforts by pledging funds via text message, through their mobile accounts. These rapid donations helped get realtime assistance to families across the Gaza Strip. Most recently, Ooredoo Maldives has been in action to help tackle a water crisis, which left thousands of people in Male without fresh water after a fire broke out at the main water and sewage company. To help alleviate the crisis, Ooredoo Maldives provided a water tracking service on Ooredoo locate - a real-time vehicle tracking system - which enabled users to find nearest mobile water units across Male. In addition, Ooredoo Group made a significant donation to the relief fund and provided tonnes of water bottles airlifted to the Maldives by Qatar Airways. Dr Nasser Marafih, Group CEO, Ooredoo, said: “Being there to connect and care for people during emergency situations is one of Ooredoo’s core values – and one we are striving to support in every market that we operate in.” “Access to mobile network services can be a lifeline for those affected by crisis,” said Kyla Reid, head of disaster response, GSMA. Jacob Korenblum, CEO, Souktel Mobile Solutions, observed that partnerships are essential for achieving impact in humanitarian response work. The GSMA is an association of mobile operators and related companies devoted to supporting the standardising, deployment and promotion of the GSM mobile telephone system. Audi posts 46.7% growth in sales Q -Auto, the official dealer for Audi in Qatar, has announced a 46.7% growth in the year 2014 to date, the strongest for the brand in the region. The top achiever for Audi in Qatar so far has been the A5 Coupe with an increase of 71% compared to the previous year. Following closely is the A4 and the A8 saloon with an increment of 69% and 60%, respectively. Audi’s SUV models have also experienced year over year gains, with an overall growth of a 36% for the crossover Q7, 32% for the midsized Q5 and 35% for the Q3. “Audi Qatar foresees an even higher growth achievement next year, due to a number of exciting product launches and an all-new aftersales service centre set to open in the first quarter of 2015,” said Ala Makey, sales manager. The Audi Q7 Since Q-Auto became the official dealer of Audi, the brand has accomplished a number of achievements in the year 2014, he claimed. “This includes the pre- mium sedan and SUV packages being offered to customers as well as the recent introduction of the “Customer Delight” aftersales service programme,” the official added. Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 11 QATAR Al Khaliji hosts Open Day for job seekers at ministry A l Khalij Commercial Bank (Al Khaliji) has hosted an Open Day at the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs with the aim of recruiting Qatari nationals looking for opportunities to work in the banking sector. The event was held under the patronage of HE the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Dr Abdullah Saleh Mubarak alKhulaifi and in the presence of Hussain al-Mulla, undersecretary in the Ministry of Labour, and Al Khaliji’s Group CEO Fahad al-Khalifa. A team of Al Khaliji professionals was present to provide guidance to and conduct interviews with applicants looking to join the bank’s staff. Commenting on the occasion, al-Khalifa said: “This event comes in line with al khaliji’s Qatarisation strategy and reinforces the bank’s commit- Officials and dignitaries on the occasion. ment to Qatar National Vision 2030, in particular the human development pillar. Al Khaliji is always on the lookout to welcome, retain and nurture the most talented individuals as well as fresh graduates among Qatari nationals. “We are thankful to the Min- istry of Labour and Social Affairs for their support and continued co-operation to help us achieve our aim of select and empower the next generation of banking leaders through such opportunities.” Hamad al-Kubaisi, Group head of Human Resources at Al Khaliji, added: “In order to be the next-generation bank, we believe Al Khaliji’s employee base should be representative of the community in which we live and work. al khaliji’s growth relies on the extent of our commitment to being the employer of choice, particularly for Qataris. “We have recognised great talents among applicants and are set to offer them fantastic opportunities to tackle greater responsibilities within different roles, while gaining a wealth of experience to become Qatar’s future banking professionals.” Since its launch, al khaliji has focused on developing and growing Qatari nationals, according to a statement. The bank is committed to strengthening its Qatarisation programme by reaching out to qualified nationals and offering them career opportunities, it adds. Dr Mohamed al-Thani Asthma-friendly programme for schools launched The Supreme Council of Health (SCH) has launched the asthma-friendly schools programme for 2014-2015, which shall be implemented at 30 local independent schools for boys and girls. The schools were selected by SCH from among the health sustaining schools in collaboration with the Supreme Education Council, Hamad Medical Corporation, Primary Health Care Corporation, and Qatar Fuel Additives Co Ltd, the official sponsor of the programme. Sheikh Dr Mohamed bin Hamad al-Thani, director of the Department of Public Health, SCH, affirmed that the programme aims at providing the students suffering from asthma with a safe and supporting education environment at school and help them manage the disease successfully. The programme targets the students at the age category of 7-15 years old, document the development of the cases and ensure that they have easy access to the required medications. December 28 deadline for Volunteer Awards application T he Social Development Centre (SDC), a member of Qatar Foundation for Social Action, announced that the Volunteer Awards for year 2014/2015 is now open for applications and will be closing on December 28. The Volunteer Awards, first launched in 1999, was officially announced in 2004. Since then, SDC has regularly held the awards ceremony to honour the individuals, groups and institutions in Qatar for their volunteer work and humanitarian efforts. The Volunteer Awards also aims to raise awareness around the valuable role of volunteerism in the modern society and encourage the involvement in volunteer work; starting from the involvement of school students to major institutions in Qatar. The award consists of four categories. The first is the Hon- orary Volunteer Award, nominated by members from the executive committee and includes a number of the finest representatives of volunteers in the local community. The Individuals Volunteer Award is applicable for all citizens and residents of Qatar who are leading figures in volunteer work. The Project Award for Institutions especially acknowledges all volunteering projects from different institutions in Qatar. The Research Category is addressed to students in secondary and university level and applicants are required to submit their work on a specifically chosen topic to be considered for the award. Manar Rashid al-Dossari, marketing and public relations manager at the SDC, described the Volunteer Awards as an annual celebration to honour individuals and institutions for all the time and effort they put into their voluntary work to serve their community and nation as a whole. “So far, SDC has honoured a large number of active individual and institutional volunteers, and we look forward to receiving nominations for creative and unique initiatives that have brought about a positive change in our community and have the potential to achieve more success in the future.” During 2014, SDC has participated in many events, exhibitions and various educational institutions, which helped spread the word about SDC and the Volunteer Awards. Recently, SDC’s Kafu campaign, another initiative promoting volunteer work, took part in Qatar Community Expo held by College of the North Atlantic - Qatar, presenting samples of past applications and responding to inquiries on applying for the Volunteer Awards. The event also included a joint presentation on the Volunteer Awards by SDC and the Centre of Volunteerism and Civil responsibility at Qatar University. In addition, SDC participated in Hamad Medical Corporation’s Healthcare Exhibition at Qatar University, aiming to promote the Kafu campaign and the Volunteer Awards as well as recruiting new volunteers at SDC. 12 Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 QATAR Fishermen warned over violations Fishermen transgressing into restricted areas have been issued a stern warning by the Coast Guards. Even though fishing is banned within a 5km radius of some of the major oil platforms such as PS 1, PS 2 and PS 3 off Halul and its surroundings, violations have been reported at frequent intervals in these areas, it is understood. In view of repeated violations, representatives of fishermen were recently formally instructed by the Coast Guards to stay away from the area owing to its sensitive nature. When contacted by Gulf Times, some of fishermen said they have received strict orders from the Coast Guards against violations by some of their fellow workers and they have communicated it to the fishermen concerned. A fisherman said they stray into the restricted area because of likelihood of better catch. Significantly, the warning has come at a time when the fishing season is peaking. The warnings from the Coast Guards include cancellation of licence. The Coast Guards apparently installed new radars in the area, which help them trace violators in no time. Reacting to the warnings, some of the fishermen said the move will affect their catch harvesting marginally. Ashghal to follow iRAP road safety standards T he Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP). The signing took place during the annual general conference organised recently by the Automobile International Federation (FIA) and hosted in Doha by the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation. The MoU paves the way for following road safety standards that are implemented by iRAP to evaluate roads in Qatar. The standards aim to raise the safety levels on the high-risk roads to a three star minimum as per the standards approved by the programme. The Ashghal’s representative, Yousef alEmadi, manager, roads operations and maintenance department, signed the MoU with John Dawson, chairman of iRAP. Al-Emadi described the collaboration with iRAP as an important milestone towards providing safe roads for all those living in Qatar. “It is also an important contribution that will support the National Road Safety Strategy, and we are proud to be part of these efforts that will play a role in reducing road accidents and saving lives.” Saul Billingsley, director general, FIA, observed that the new partnership between Qatar and iRAP is an example of the innovative approach that leads to measurable results, and contributes to reducing road traffic fatalities and injuries in Qatar. MasterCard and QNB announce trip winners Q NB and MasterCard have announced the five winners of an all-expense paid trip to New York to help celebrate the festive season. The five QNB First members won the prize as part of QNB First and MasterCard’s “Spend and Win” campaign. All QNB First customers with valid QNB Life Rewards MasterCard World credit cards, who spent a minimum of QR1,500 during October qualified for the raffle. “The raffle was successfully conducted after the campaign’s end with the presence of a representative from the Ministry of Economy and Commerce,” QNB said in a statement. The five winners, who were allowed to bring a loved one, visited New York on December 11-14 and were awarded business class return flights from New York along with a four days and three nights stay at a five-star located near the famous Central Park. Upon arrival, the winners were greeted in a welcome reception at Tavern on the Green Al-Emadi and Dawson after signing an MoU. in Central Park. The next day they toured New York City and had dinner at A Voce in Time Warner Centre and concluded the night with the “Wicked Show” on Broadway. “QNB is fully committed to pursuing the best way to reward its QNB First members, opening before them an unparalleled world of privileges, rewards...” The winners were also rewarded a $2,000 prepaid card each to enjoy a private shopping experience followed by dinner at Marcus Samuelsson’s restaurant at Red Rooster. “QNB is fully committed to pursuing the best way to reward its QNB First members, opening before them an unparalleled world of privileges, rewards, and global recognition benefiting of their status as clients of Qatar’s leading financial institution and one of the world’s strongest banks,” QNB added. QM, Brazilian embassy working on �Legacy of the Year’ project By Joey Aguilar Staff Reporter Q atar Museums (QM) and the Brazilian embassy in Doha are designing the “Legacy of the Year” initiative, which will showcase the highlights of Qatar-Brazil 2014 Year of Culture, according to charge d’affaires Viviane Balbino. Terming the festival as “a very good moment for bilateral relations,” the Brazilian diplomat hopes that her country’s culture will occupy a special place in Doha’s cultural scene. Balbino said the project has been envisioned by HE Sheikha al-Mayassa bint Hamad alThani, chairperson of the QM’s Board of Trustees, who wants every Year of Culture to leave behind a legacy. “From the perspective of the embassy, Brazil of course was well-known among expatriates and nationals, but mainly because of football,” she said, adding: “The Year of Culture extended their view about our country, about our culture, and that is very good, very positive.” Also, most Brazilians and Qataris share the same passion – football, according to Balbino, who expressed optimism about the success of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The Qatar-Brazil Year of Culture concluded with a festival at the Museum of Islamic Art, which showcased numerous activities that attracted more than 30,000 visitors. The celebration also featured photography exhibitions, a joint concert featuring the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra and a Brazilian conductor, and a Brazilian cinema showcase. She recalled that a number of cultural activities and shows were held during the Qatari Week in Sao Paulo. Asked about any Arab influence in Brazil, Balbino said there is a huge Arab community in their country. “There are about 50mn people and they are Arab descendants, not necessarily Arabs who migrated to Brazil but they are de- scendants,” she pointed out. While Brazil is an open country for migration, she said a majority of nationals were Portuguese speakers. “It’s an interesting history of migration.” About bringing Brazilian performers to Doha, Balbino admitted they do not have concrete plans yet. But the embassy is considering cultural performances similar to Thailand. Viviane Balbino 14 Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 REGION/ARAB WORLD After the war, a bittersweet Xmas in Gaza In streets which still bear the scars of war, shops are spruced up with Christmas decorations AFP Gaza City A garland in hand, 11-yearold Sara decorates the family Christmas tree with her parents. But this year, the young Gazan will be spending the rest of the holiday alone. Her family applied for Israeli permits to leave the Gaza Strip and travel to the West Bank town of Bethlehem to celebrate Christmas. Although her parents received them, she and her older brother and sister did not. This year, Israel granted around 500 permits to Palestinian Christians, allowing them to travel from Gaza to the West Bank so they can visit Bethlehem’s Nativity church and attend the traditional midnight mass. “Christmas is a happy time but it’s also a bit sad because I didn’t get the permit to go with my parents,” Sara admits. Her mother, Abeer Mussad, spoke of a “joy tinged with sadness” as she and her husband celebrate Christmas Day in Bethlehem without their children who will tomorrow be “meeting Santa at church in Gaza”. “He will give us our presents,” says Sara who will stay with her older sister and celebrate Christmas at St Porphyrius Greek Orthodox church in Gaza City. In Gaza, the adults have done everything they can to ensure the holiday is not spoilt, but nobody can forget the deadly 50day summer war which killed nearly 2,200 Palestinians and left the densely populated territory in ruins. “We’re going to celebrate Christmas in order to forget the suffering of the war,” says 60-year-old Umm George, who lost her sister in the conflict and will be one of those travelling to Bethlehem. In streets which still bear the scars of war, shops are spruced up with Christmas decorations and ornamented trees covered in sweets take pride of place in front windows. For most of Gaza’s tiny community of some 3,500 Christians, 85% of whom are Greek Orthodox, they must make do with celebrating at home after failing to obtain the small slip of paper issued by Israel which would have allowed them to leave the enclave and travel the 70km to Bethlehem. Abdullah Jakhan is one of them. He and his fiancee Janet applied to celebrate Christmas in Bethlehem, but they were both turned down. Now they will have to make do in Gaza. Just four months after the end of the war, it would be inappropriate to engage in too much celebration, Jakhan says. “We want a joyful celebration, but the blood of the martyrs which flowed during the war is still fresh. Because of this we can’t be completely happy,” he says. “We will celebrate mass and have a small, simple party with family and friends in light of the circumstances in Gaza.” Tony al-Masri, 60, has also just put up a tree at home but his heart isn’t really in it. “Inside, I feel sad for my people who have suffered a war,” he says. “The war affected all of us here, Christians and Muslims, so today I am praying for peace and unity.” But other concerns also feature at the top of their prayer list. George, 38, who prefers not to give his family name, is praying for an end to extremism and attacks on Christians. “Even if there aren’t many of them, like those in the Islamic State movement, they don’t want us to celebrate our Christian feasts,” he says. “And they wouldn’t hesitate to attack us, as they have already done,” he adds, referring to an incident in February when unidentified attackers left an explosive device inside the compound of the Church of the Latin Convent in Gaza City. A woman, hoping to cross into Egypt, cries as she waits at the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the southern Gaza Strip yesterday. Factions call for protests over slow reconstruction Agencies Gaza City G aza has so far received only 2% of the $5.4bn pledged by foreign donors at an October conference in Cairo and reconstruction of the strip is going too slowly, Palestinian factions and NGOs warned yesterday. “The Gaza Strip is like a barrel of explosive powder and it may blow up any time, if the donors, the United Nations and Israel don’t speed up the process of reconstruction,” said the factions, which included the Islamist Hamas movement in de facto control of the strip, in a joint statement. They called for protests on Sunday all over the Gaza Strip “to send a message to the world that the continuation of the siege and blocking construction materials will lead to tragic and bad consequences”. They criticised the UN mechanism overseeing the construction as “humiliating”, slow and overly bureaucratic. The mechanism, an Israeli demand, includes surveillance cameras and UN supervision to ensure that raw materials such as cement and metal are used for civilian purposes only, and not by militants to build attack tunnels and rockets. Resurfacing tensions between Hamas and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, of the secular Fatah party, are also slowing down the process, observers say. Fifty days of fighting between Israel and Hamas in July and August left some 2,200 Palestinians killed and tens of thousands of families homeless, with an estimated 18,000 houses destroyed and many others damaged. Sixty-six Israeli soldiers and seven civilians were also killed. Egypt kept its Rafah border crossing with Gaza open for a third day yesterday, state media said, after nearly 2,000 people used the terminal in the first two days. The Rafah crossing, the only access point to the Gaza Strip not controlled by Israel, opened on Sunday for only the second time in two months to allow people stranded in Egypt to enter the Palestinian enclave. State news agency Mena said that 1,950 people had used the crossing since it was opened. It said that 1,137 people came from Gaza and 813 went to the territory from Egypt on Sunday and Monday. The United Nations said last month that more than 3,500 Palestinians had been stranded in Egypt since the crossing was closed following a suicide attack in North Sinai on October 24 that killed 30 soldiers. Many Palestinians who travel through Rafah are students heading to universities in Egypt or beyond, or people in need of medical treatment. During the first six months of the year, when the crossing was closed for a total of 22 days, an average of 6,400 people crossed each month, the UN said. People gather at the site of a bomb explosion in Sanaa yesterday. Several Shia militiamen killed in Yemen attacks AFP Sanaa S everal Shia militiamen were killed in two Yemeni cities yesterday in a series of bomb attacks and a drive-by shooting, a medic and witnesses said. Five small bombs hit the centre of the capital Sanaa, which has been mostly controlled by the Ansarullah militiamen since September, killing one and wounding two, a medic said. The first explosion went off in the old quarter of Sanaa when one of the militiamen, also known as Houthis, tried to defuse a bomb found underneath the car of a judge. He died later in hospital, the medic said. Another four devices planted in garbage containers in the same Bustan alSultan neighbourhood then exploded within intervals of about five minutes. The Houthis, who fought authorities for a decade in their northern stronghold, overran Sanaa on September 21 and have since expanded to coastal areas and southern regions. In a separate attack yesterday, a prominent Houthi figure, Faisal Sherif, was shot dead near the University of Sanaa by two gunmen on a motorbike, witnesses and a Huthi source said. Tribal sources in the central city of Rada said that an explosive device detonated underneath a vehicle carrying Houthi militiamen, killing several fighters. One source put the number of dead at five, but this toll could not be independently confirmed. Yemen has been wracked by unrest as the Houthi advance is met by fierce opposition from Sunni tribes backed by Yemen’s powerful Al Qaeda affiliate. The country is also facing continued violence in its restive south, where separatists are pushing for the restoration of independence. Police shot dead a southern separatist and wounded four more as security forces confronted protesters in Ataq, the provincial capital of Shabwa province, Southern Movement activists said. A security official confirmed the toll, adding that police tried to stop protesters from storming the local government offices. Businesses and schools in Ataq have been closed for two days, witnesses said. Every Monday, separatists in southern regions organise a day of civil disobedience. A senior separatist, Khaled al-Junaidi, was shot dead by security forces earlier this month during one such protest. South Yemen was independent from the end of British colonial rule in 1967 until 1990, when it joined the north. Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 15 ARAB WORLD US-led Syria strikes kill more than 1,100 militants Agencies Beirut U S-led air strikes in Syria have killed more than 1,000 jihadists in the past three months, nearly all of them from the Islamic State group, a monitoring group said yesterday. “At least 1,171 have been killed in the Arab and international air strikes (since September 23), including 1,119 jihadists of the Islamic State group and Al Nusra Front,” said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on a network of activists and medics across the war-ravaged country for its information. Among the dead were 1,046 members of IS, which has seized large chunks of Iraq and Syria and is the main target of the air campaign. Seventy-two of those killed were members of Al Qaeda’s branch in Syria, the Al Nusra Front, while another was a jihadist prisoner whose affiliation was unknown, an Observatory statement said. The remaining 52 were civilians. IS has declared a “caliphate” in the parts of Iraq and Syria that it has overrun, and its militants have been accused of widespread atrocities, including beheading Western hostages. The United States and its allies have significantly scaled down their air strikes in Syria since late September compared to the first month of the campaign. In total, the United States carried out 488 air strikes in Syria through December 15, according to US military data. The Observatory figures do not include casualties from air strikes on IS targets in Iraq. On another front, the Observatory reported the deaths of 29 civilians in regime air raids across Syria yesterday. Among them were nine children, it said. Syria’s war began as a peaceful pro-democracy revolt. It later morphed into a brutal civil war after the regime unleashed a massive crackdown against dissent. Thousands of people, most of them civilians, have been killed in air strikes since July 2012 when the regime’s air force was first deployed in the war. Iraqi victims of IS driven to suicide by sex slavery AFP Baghdad W omen and girls from Iraq’s Yazidi religious minority have told rights activists they were beaten and forced into sexual slavery by the Islamic State militant group, driving some to suicide. IS militants have overrun swathes of Iraq since June, declared a cross-border caliphate also encompassing parts of neighbouring Syria and carried out a litany of abuses in both countries. The group has targeted Yazidis and other minorities in northern Iraq in a campaign that rights group Amnesty International said in a report yesterday amounted to ethnic cleansing, murdering civilians and enslaving others for a fate that some captives consider worse than death. It said hundreds and possibly thousands of Yazidi women and girls had been forced to marry, sold or given to IS fighters or supporters. “Many of those held as sexual slaves are children—girls aged 14, 15 or even younger,” said Donatella Rovera, Amnesty’s senior crisis response adviser, who interviewed dozens of former captives. A 19-year-old named Jilan committed suicide out of fear she would be raped, according to the Amnesty report entitled “Escape from Hell: Torture and Sexual Slavery in Islamic State Captivity in Iraq”. “One day we were given clothes that looked like dance costumes and were told to bathe and wear those clothes. Jilan killed herself in the bathroom,” said a girl who was held with her but later escaped. “She cut her wrists and hanged herself. She was very beautiful; I think she knew she was going to be taken away by a man and that is why she killed herself.” Another former captive told the rights group that she and her sister tried to kill themselves to escape forced marriage, but were stopped from doing so. “The man who was holding us said that either we marry him and his brother or he would sell us,” said Wafa, 27. “At night we tried to strangle ourselves with our scarves. We tied the scarves around our necks and pulled away from each other as hard as we could, until I fainted,” she said, but two other captives stopped them. Sixteen-year-old Randa was abducted with her family, then beaten and raped by a man twice her age. Her male relatives were killed. The man “took me as his wife by force. I told him I did not want to and tried to resist but he beat me. My nose was bleeding, I could not do anything to stop him,” Randa said. “It is so painful what they did to me and to my family,” she said. Amnesty said that many of the perpetrators were IS fighters, but might also include supporters of the group. Some of the escaped victims said they were kept in family homes with wives, children, parents and siblings of the rapists. The abuse causes long-term damage even to those who manage to escape. “The physical and psychological toll of the horrifying sexual violence these women have endured is catastrophic,” Rovera said. “Many of them have been tortured and treated as chattel. Even those who have managed to escape remain deeply traumatised.” One man said that he fears his wife, who escaped captivity, may commit suicide, and makes sure someone is with her at all times. “My wife has panic attacks and can’t sleep. I can’t leave her alone because I’m afraid for her safety,” he said. This combination of handout pictures provided yesterday by UNOSAT shows close-ups of satellite-detected images of the historic heart of Aleppo on November 21, 2010 (left) and on October 22, 2014. War ravages 290 Syria heritage sites, says UN Detailed analysis of satellite images from several hundred sites unearths the full scale of the damage AFP Beirut N early 300 sites of incalculable value for Syria and human history have been destroyed, damaged or looted in almost four years of war, the UN said yesterday, citing “alarming” satellite evidence. From prehistoric settlements and ancient markets to worldfamous mosques and Crusader castles, Syria is home to countless treasures. But since the country’s brutal war erupted in 2011, heritage sites have been plundered by all sides— regime loyalists, anti-government rebels, jihadist fighters and even desperate residents. After a major survey, the United Nations said that detailed analysis of satellite images from several hundred sites had unearthed the full scale of the damage. Of the 290 sites, 24 had been destroyed, 104 severely damaged, 85 moderately damaged and 77 possibly damaged. The UN said the report was “alarming testimony of the ongoing damage that is happening to Syria’s vast cultural heritage”, and called for efforts to scale up their protection. The satellite images were put together by UNOSAT, a Genevabased UN institute. They focused on 18 areas, six of them listed as Unesco world heritage sites: the Old City of Aleppo, Bosra, Damascus, the Dead Cities of northern Syria, the Crac des Chevaliers castle and the GrecoRoman oasis of Palmyra. “It is very sad for Syria as well as the world that this is happening,” UNOSAT director Einar Bjorgo said. “Humankind is losing hundreds and thousands of years of heritage.” Aleppo, Syria’s former commercial hub where settlements date back 7,000 years, has been especially hard hit in fighting between rebels and forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad. The 11th century Great Mosque of Aleppo saw its minaret re- duced to rubble in fighting, and the famed Carlton Hotel has been pulverised, leaving behind a huge crater, the images show. “Every time the regime or the rebels would take the mosque, they would deploy a sniper in the minaret. In the end, it was hit by an air raid,” Cheikhmous Ali of the Association for the Protection of Syrian Archaeology (APSA) said. Ali added that Aleppo’s ancient souq, the largest market of its kind in the world, had been seriously damaged as well. The UN images also show serious damage to Palmyra, known for its spectacular Roman colonnade, with the Syrian army building a road that cuts through the necropolis, damaging several tombs. Ali said the road is used by tanks and that their firing is also weakening the site’s structures. In the city of Raqa, a bastion of the extremist Islamic State (IS) group, the Sufi Muslim Uwais al-Qarni Mosque and a shrine to Ammar ibn Yasir, one of the companions of Prophet Muhammad, have mostly been destroyed. Ali said IS has also destroyed ancient Assyrian statues in the Kobane areas shelled as Kurds advance Islamic State militants shelled south and south-eastern areas of Kobane in northern Syria yesterday where Kurdish rebels had advanced. “Both advancements by the Kurdish rebels were very key and I can tell you our fighters are gradually gaining important ground from the Islamic State,” said Idriss Nassan, a spokesman for the Kurdish fighters in Kobane. Idriss said most of Kobane is under the control of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), as the town enters the 100th day of a siege by IS. The YPG this week retook the cultural centre in the middle of the town, a symbolic victory against the extremists who have destroyed heritage sites and banned many of the arts. northwestern province of Hasakeh. In Dura-Europos, in the eastern province of Deir al-Zor, the UN said looting has rendered “unrecognisable” a site previously known as the “Pompeii of the desert”. Byzantine statues, pots and beads have been stolen from the site, APSA said. The magnificent Apamea site near Hama in central Syria—a Roman archaeological jewel—has also been largely looted. APSA has documented some 14,000 illegal excavation sites across Syria. In Homs province, the once rebel-held Crac des Chevaliers has lost some of its facade and roof after coming under regime bombardment. Rebels in the northwestern province of Idlib have also turned Ebla, seat of one of ancient Syria’s earliest kingdoms, into a training site. “The danger in Syria is even greater than in Iraq. Here, sites have been turned into military barracks and battlefields,” Ali said. “It’s a catastrophe, an immeasurable loss for humanity.” Iraqis seek holiday cheer amid sorrow AFP Baghdad Y People shop for Christmas decorations in Baghdad’s historic Shorjah market on Monday. aasub Ali stands inside his shop in Baghdad’s Shorjah market surrounded by nearly empty shelves cleared of decorations by Iraqis seeking holiday cheer after a year of relentless violence. In the narrow market, which dates to the Abbassid era more than 700 years ago, Iraqis peruse Christmas and New Year’s decorations ranging from wreaths and ornaments to redand-white Santa Claus outfits and figurines. Many of them are not members of Iraq’s dwindling Christian minority but Muslims who have embraced the end-of-theyear holiday season as an occasion to celebrate. Plastic Christmas trees are available in green and white, some boxed up and others on display, including one that sells for $200 and features built-in lights. The area is crowded with cus- tomers, and the workers carting boxes of decorations who pass every few minutes struggle to get through. “Demand was unusually high this year... this is the first time we sold this amount,” says Ali, who has worked in the shop for 10 years. “We did not expect this demand,” he says, pointing to shelves emptied of decorations except for Santa costumes and some ornaments. He speculates that there is heightened demand because “people are looking for an outlet”. They have ample reason to— Iraq has suffered through a year that saw the brutal Islamic State (IS) militant group overrun large parts of the country, displacing hundreds of thousands and leaving thousands dead. At another shop, Safa—who goes by the name “Abu Hadaya,” meaning “Father of Gifts”—says sales have been unprecedented. “I have sold gifts and decorations for 30 years and this is the first time I have witnessed (demand) to this extent. I sold all the Christmas and New Year’s decorations,” he says. Aside from a lone Christmas tree and a few Santa figurines, his shop is now stocked up for Valentine’s Day, the next major gift-buying holiday. “People want to rejoice this year because of the sadness caused by (IS),” Abu Hadaya says. “This year, I sold 10 times more than past years,” says Bassem Jarjis, a Christian shop owner in Shorjah. He too put the increased sales down to Iraqis wanting to celebrate to escape the difficult times. “We are looking for joy to forget the suffering,” Jarjis says. Ali Abdulzahra, a Shia from the shrine city of Najaf carrying two massive bags of decorations, agrees. “People need to celebrate more this year because many of them were harmed by what happened, and they love to get themselves out of sadness,” he says. 16 Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 ARAB WORLD Algeria kills militant chief behind tourist killing AFP Algiers T he Algerian army said yesterday it had killed the head of a militant group that beheaded a French tourist after it had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group. The body of Abdelmalek Gouri, who claimed responsibility for the beheading of Frenchman Herve Gourdel in September, was identified after an operation in the town of Isser “that allowed us to eliminate three terrorists”, the army said. An operation lasting three months had seen 3,000 Algerian troops mobilised to catch Gourdel’s killers. The confirmation of Gouri’s death came after the Nahar private television network said soldiers had killed him and two other militants late on Monday in Isser, about 60km east of Algiers. Jund al-Khilafa, or “Soldiers of the Caliphate”, beheaded Gourdel on September 24 in a gruesome video posted online after France rejected the group’s demand to halt anti-IS air strikes in Iraq. On Saturday, the army said it killed three other Islamist gunmen in a mountainous area near Sidi Daoud, and that one of them was a “dangerous criminal” wanted since 1995. Soldiers also seized a large quantity of guns, ammunition and explosives during the operation. On December 11, Justice Minister Tayeb Louh announced that soldiers had killed two Jund alKhilafa members implicated in Gourdel’s murder. An Algerian court has launched legal proceedings against 15 people, including Gouri, suspected of participating in the beheading. Gourdel, a 55-year-old mountain guide, was kidnapped in September while hiking in a national park that was once a draw for tourists but became a sanctuary for Islamists. He was later decapitated by Jund al-Khilafa, which was formed at the end of August after splintering from Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and pledging allegiance to IS. His killing followed calls by IS for Muslims to kill Western- ers whose nations have joined a campaign to battle the militants in Iraq and Syria. The defence ministry said in a statement it had received information that led to forces pursuing “a dangerous terrorist group travelling in a vehicle”, before killing Gouri and two others. A source familiar with the operation said the bodies of three suspected militants were taken to a local hospital, where Gouri’s death was confirmed by his father early yesterday. Violence involving Islamists has fallen considerably since the 1990s civil war, but groups linked to AQIM continue to launch attacks in the northeast, mostly on security forces. Gouri, alias Khaled Abou Souleimane, was the former right-hand man of AQIM leader Abdelmalek Droukdel, and is suspected of helping to organise suicide attacks on the government palace and against a UN contingent in Algiers in 2007. He is also thought to have masterminded an April attack that killed 11 soldiers in Iboudrarene, the same region where Gourdel was kidnapped. The town of Isser in the Kabylie area is home to a large officer training school that was targeted in a 2008 suicide attack that killed dozens. Gourdel’s body has yet to be found, despite a widespread search by the army which has already found a Jund al-Khilafa hideout and identified the location where a video was filmed in August showing the group pledge fealty to IS. Another two “dangerous terrorists” were killed yesterday in Akerrou, 120km southeast of Algiers, the army said. Essebsi says Tunisia has �turned page’ on despotism AFP Tunis T Libyan soldiers stand on a tank as heavy black smoke rises from Benghazi’s port after a fire broke out at a car tyre disposal plant during clashes yesterday. UN warns of war crimes as hundreds die in Libya The UN human rights agency warns that many of the abuses being committed across Libya “may amount to war crimes” AFP Geneva R ecent fighting in Libya has killed hundreds of civilians and forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes, the UN said yesterday, demanding justice for serious rights violations and possible “war crimes”. In a joint report, the UN human rights office and the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) warned of surging violence across the country since May and widespread human rights violations, including abductions of civilians, torture and executions. “Violations are continuing with impunity. There has been no effort to stop them,” Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman for the UN human rights agency, told reporters in Geneva. She warned that many of the abuses being committed across Libya “may amount to war crimes”. Three years after Muammar Gaddafi was toppled and killed in a Nato-backed revolt, Libya is awash with weapons and powerful militias, and run by rival governments and parliaments. Yesterday’s report pointed to an escalation in fighting since mid-October in Benghazi, where forces loyal to General Khalifa Haftar have been battling Islamist militiamen who have taken control of much of Libya’s second city. Some 450 people were killed Egypt satirist fined millions of dollars AFP Cairo A prominent Egyptian satirist has been fined millions of dollars over a dispute with a television channel which suspended his show after it lampooned military leaders, officials said yesterday. Bassem Youssef, often compared to US satirist Jon Stewart, moved Al Bernameg (The Programme) to Saudi-owned channel MBC last year after it was pulled by the private Egyptian broadcaster CBC. The Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration fined Youssef and his company, Q-Soft, 50mn Egyptian pounds ($6.5mn) each for “CBC’s financial and literary losses”, CBC owner Mohamed al-Amin said. The arbitration body said the weekly show was not “purposeful and constructive” but a platform for “smearing the country’s political direction”. It said that if Youssef’s company failed to pay its part of the fine then he would have to shoulder it all himself. CBC suspended Al Bernameg in November 2013 after an episode in which the satirist poked fun at military leaders including then army chief and now President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. The private channel said at the time that Youssef had “violated the editorial policies” of the channel. there in the two months leading up to mid-December, and some 90,000 people had fled, including more than 9,000 seeking shelter in schools, unfinished buildings and open spaces like parking lots, the report said. Clashes in Benghazi on Monday meanwhile killed another 16 people and wounded dozens, security sources and medics said. In the western Warshafana area, fighting between rival armed groups had killed some 100 people and injured 500 others between mid-August and mid-October, the report found. It warned of “a humanitarian crisis” with at least 120,000 people displaced in the area facing “severe shortages of food and medical supplies”. Fighting in the neighbouring Nafusa mountains had also left a reported 170 people dead, and displaced around 5,700 families, it said. People displaced by the fighting had told UNSMIL that hundreds of houses, farms and businesses had been looted, shelled, burned down, or destroyed by bulldozers. In the capital Tripoli the humanitarian situation had improved since late August, but activists, journalists and public figures continued to be abducted and threatened, the report found. “One prominent human rights defender received text messages from armed groups warning him to stop his advocacy work or else his children would be abducted and killed,” it said. Several journalists had been killed, including the October 5 killing of Al-Tayeb Isa, the founder of Tuareg Tumsat television, whose body was found riddled with bullets and his car set on fire. The report painted a horrifying picture of widespread abductions, torture and abuse, as well as reports of summary executions, including beheadings. A father and son detained at a checkpoint in Al Maya said they had been severely beaten before their captors poured petrol over them and threatened to burn them alive. In a statement, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein cautioned commanders and high-ranking officials that they were “criminally liable under international law” for any human rights abuses they commit or order. They could also be held accountable if they “fail to take reasonable and necessary measures to prevent or punish” war crimes or human rights violations taking place, he said. unisia’s new leader Beji Caid Essebsi said the country has turned the page on dictatorship after a presidential vote that European observers hailed yesterday as “credible and transparent”. Essebsi, an 88-year-old veteran of previous Tunisian regimes, was on Monday declared the winner of a vote seen as a landmark for the birthplace of the Arab Spring. The election rounded off Tunisia’s transition to democracy and has won praise from Western leaders including US President Barack Obama. European Union observers reported yesterday that Tunisians had voted “for the first time in a credible and transparent presidential election”. The head of the EU mission, Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck, said however that “private television channels had clearly favoured the candidate Essebsi”. That was in line with complaints from his opponent Moncef Marzouki during an often bitter and divisive campaign that has raised concerns that Essebsi’s victory marks the return of Tunisia’s old guard. But Essebsi insisted Tunisia would not turn back history. “I am for completely turning the page on the past, we must go beyond the past and look to the future,” Essebsi said in a nationally televised interview late on Monday. Marzouki, a long-exiled 69-year-old former rights activist, has conceded defeat and called for calm after hundreds of his supporters clashed with police on Sunday and Monday. On national television late Monday, Marzouki urged supporters to respect the result and return to their homes “in the name of national unity”. “These are the rules of the democratic process,” he said. Signing ceremony Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing yesterday. Sisi is on a state visit to China. Essebsi is now expected to begin forming a government, after his Nidaa Tounes party won parliamentary polls in October. The moderately Islamist Ennahda party, which was in power after the revolution and installed Marzouki as president, came second in the general election and has not ruled out joining in a governing coalition. The presidential vote - the first time Tunisians have freely elected their head of state since independence in 1956 was seen as a milestone for the country that sparked the Arab Spring with the 2011 ouster of long-time strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. The revolution that began in Tunisia spread to many parts of the Arab world, with mass protests in Egypt, Libya, Syria and Yemen. In every country except Tunisia the revolution was followed by violent turmoil or, as in Syria’s case, a devastating civil war. Obama congratulated Essebsi and hailed the vote as “a vital step toward the completion of Tunisia’s momentous transition to democracy”. President Francois Hollande of France, Tunisia’s former colonial ruler, also praised Tunisians for their “determination, sense of responsibility and spirit of compromise”. Tunisian newspapers yesterday underlined the difficulties ahead, with daily La Presse saying the new leader must deal with “a massive debt, weak growth, high unemployment, deteriorating competitiveness and highly threatened security”. Le Temps hailed Tunisia for emerging “victorious from a gruelling and painful ordeal”, adding that voters had not given Essebsi a “blank cheque” to do as he pleases. “No party is in a position to claim that it alone can solve the country’s problems,” the daily said. Sisi ratifies law on constituencies Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Monday ratified a law finalising the electoral constituencies, his office said, paving the way for much-awaited parliamentary elections. Electing a new parliament is a key step in a roadmap announced by the army after it ousted Mohamed Mursi on July 3, 2013. The new law divides the country into 237 constituencies for individual candidacy seats and another four for party list seats, the presidency said in a statement. “The law guarantees a fair representation of voters... from all governorates in the people’s assembly regardless of their population,” presidential spokesman Alaa Yousef said in the statement. The Supreme Electoral Commission had recently said the date for the parliamentary polls will be fixed after a law finalising the constituencies was issued. Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 17 AFRICA POLITICS ECONOMY CRIME CORRUPTION INVESTIGATION Former footballer has edge in senate race Burundi budget to rise 6.4% in 2015 Ivory smuggling �kingpin’ arrested Tanzania suspends senior energy official Gambia arrests 3 men over homosexual acts Liberia’s former football star George Weah held an overwhelming lead over the president’s son in one of the country’s senate races on the weekend, Radio Veritas reported yesterday. The contest between Weah and Robert Sirleaf, son of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, was the most high-profile race in the elections, which had been postponed twice since October out of fear that campaigning and voting might spread the Ebola virus. Weah - FIFA’s 1995 Player of the Year and founder of the Congress for Democratic Change opposition party - had nearly 80% of the vote in Monrovia’s Montserrado County, according to provisional results released late Monday. Aid-dependent Burundi aims to increase its budget by 6.4% in 2015, with more money set to go towards agriculture, energy and infrastructure projects. The landlocked East African country of nearly 10mn people projects its economy will grow by 5.4% in 2015 against an estimated 4.8% in 2014, largely thanks to big infrastructure projects. The International Monetary Fund last week projected growth of 4.7% next year. Just under half of Burundi’s planned 1.5tn franc ($970mn) budget for 2015 will be funded by international donors, according to a plan approved by parliament on Monday. The government expects to receive grants worth 679.8bn francs, down from 707.8bn francs it received this year. A suspected organised crime boss alleged to be a leading figure in the illegal ivory trade has been arrested by Interpol agents in Tanzania, officials said yesterday. The international police organisation last month put Kenyan national Feisal Ali Mohamed on a list of nine most wanted suspects linked to crimes against the environment. “Feisal Ali Mohamed was arrested by Interpol officers in Dar es Salaam. He was then booked in Musimbasi police station at 10.42pm last night,” Kenya’s director of public prosecutions said in a statement. It said he is facing charges in Kenya’s port city of Mombasa for “dealing and possession of elephant tusks.” Tanzanian President Jakaya Kiwete’s office suspended a senior energy ministry official yesterday, the third political casualty of a corruption scandal that has rocked the east African nation. Tanzania is estimated to have 53.2tn cubic feet (tcf) of gas reserves off its southern coast. But its energy sector has long been dogged by allegations of graft which have now led Western donors to delay aid and weakened Tanzania’s currency. Eliakim Maswi, permanent secretary in the ministry of energy and minerals, was suspended a day after Kikwete sacked a senior cabinet minister over the graft allegations. Maswi was among senior officials accused by parliament last month of fraudulently authorising the transfer of at least $122mn of public funds to a private company. Gambian authorities arrested three men and accused them of committing homosexual acts, which are punishable with a maximum sentence of life imprisonment under a law signed in October, state television said on Monday. The arrests followed a security operation and the men have confessed that they are gay, according to the TV report. Their nationalities were not named. “We go around in search of suspected individuals and in the course of the investigations we arrested the men and they have confessed that they have engaged in these inhuman acts,” the broadcast said. Gambia and President Yahya Jammeh face global condemnation over the country’s human rights record. Farmers reap little benefit from sharp fall in oil prices Reuters Buloba F rom the coffee plantations of Uganda to the maize fields of Zambia, the collapse in world oil prices has so far brought few benefits for African farmers, with stubbornly high pump prices and voracious middlemen maintaining a squeeze on margins. Only in South Africa, the continent’s most sophisticated economy and one of its top agricultural producers, have fuel prices - tightly regulated by the government - come down enough to make a difference. Elsewhere, many smallholders are unaware of the nearhalving of crude oil prices on world markets since July, and even the better informed doubt any savings will filter through the web of agents and brokers that dominates much of African farming. “If it’s true fuel prices are falling, it is possible these traders will increase what they’re paying us,” said 73-year-old Ugandan Gladys Kavuma, who has been farming two acres of coffee in Buloba, 15km west of Kampala, for four decades. “But I doubt prices will ever improve. They will simply come up with another reason to keep prices low,” she said, with a resigned shrug. A typical Ugandan smallholder who has brought up five children on the back of her meagre coffee earnings, Kavuma’s plight is replicated across sub-Saharan Africa, which relies on small farmers for 80% of its food. In essence, weak government regulation means fuel importers and distributors can raise pump prices as crude oil rises, but drag their feet when it drops. “We have heard and read that the cost of oil has dropped globally but unfortunately we are yet to feel the effects,” said Jack Kneppers, a Dutch florist who employs 500 people at his Maridadi farm in Naivasha, northwest of Nairobi, Kenya. “The price of fuel has dropped by a few shillings and this has very little if any effect on our cost of production.” In countries such as Zambia, Africa’s number two copper producer, oil’s dramatic decline has been offset by currency weakness as foreign investors have retreated from frontier market debt and stocks due to concerns about global growth. Furthermore, fuel imports are often paid for months in advance, meaning any benefit from the collapse in oil prices is delayed. In its first price adjustment since April, Zambia dropped pump prices by 2.5% at the end of November based on fuel shipments bought in August, when crude was only just beginning its slump. Over that time, the kwacha weakened 8%, eroding much of the impact of the oil price decline. “The drop in global oil prices has not been felt in Zambia. The reduction in prices has been extremely negligible and means nothing to the farming community,” said 62-year-old Request Muntanga, who owns a 500-hectare maize farm south of Lusaka. Only in South Africa, where fuel price changes filter through faster and the government is stricter about ensuring reductions are passed on, have farmers seen major savings. According to commercial farmers group AgriSA, for every 0.1 rand drop in the domestic fuel price, farmers nationwide save an annualised 100mn rand ($8.6mn). Economists forecast that petrol will fall to 11.44 rand a litre next month, its lowest since August 2012 and 20% below a record 14.39 rand in April. If sustained, such a decline means $250mn wiped off the annual fuel bill of South Africa’s commercial farmers. The knock-on effect is even greater as the price of chemical fertilizer, another hydrocarbon by-product, should also come down over time. “If fertilizer prices do come down it will have a huge effect,” AgriSA president Johannes Moller said. “Production will go up and food prices will at least start rising slower, or may even come down. It’s good news all round.” Christmas shoppers flock to a market despite concerns over Ebola in Monrovia, capital of Liberia, yesterday. Exhausted medics battle Ebola in the �red zone’ Of the three countries worst hit by the outbreak, Sierra Leone now has the most cases and the numbers are rising fastest; roughly half are in Freetown Reuters Hastings, Sierra Leone W hen Dr Sekou Kanneh goes to work at his Sierra Leonean Ebola clinic, he will probably be in the “red zone” for many hours, ignoring by necessity strict limits that govern foreign colleagues fighting the epidemic. Conditions at Kanneh’s treatment centre, the only Ebola unit in the country run by local staff, contrast to the purpose-built facilities where foreign volunteers who have flocked to Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia work. Kanneh has received no official training to treat the virus that has killed over 7,000 people in West Africa. Still, he works up to four-hour shifts in the stifling heat of the red zone, a ward where healthcare workers have direct contact with the highly contagious Ebola patients. “We don’t have time for surgery any more, and many of our surgeons are dead from Ebola,” he said, rubbing his brow in the dense heat, his green medical gown dark with sweat. Last week, US medics showed UN Secretary General Ban Kimoon around their air-conditioned treatment centre near the Liberian capital, explaining how every precaution is taken to protect workers. Highly-trained staff at the US unit may stay in the red zone for a maximum of two hours - for good reason. Less time there means less risk of exposure to Ebola and of making possibly fatal mistakes. Workers must also avoid suffering dehydration in their polyethylene protective suits, which even with air conditioning are extremely hot to wear. In the Sierra Leonean capital of Freetown, medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres limits the time local and international staff spend in the red zone of its facility to about one hour. Britain, France, Cuba and others have also sent doctors, and the foreign-run facilities are generally well funded. But things are different when Kanneh puts on his “PPE” - the personal protective equipment of a suit, gloves and mask - at his unit on the site of a former police academy. “If you tell me to remove my PPE after 45 minutes and I hear a patient saying �doctor, doctor I’m dying’, then I won’t leave,” Kanneh said at his clinic in Hastings, a community just outside Freetown. Reassurance is vital for those suffering symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea and bleeding from eyes and ears. “The patients can’t see faces because of the mask so the voice is really important,” he said. For Kanneh, who trained as a surgeon in Russia, the shifts are gruelling. One recent Sunday, he found himself working alone to supervise treatment of 27 patients as one colleague was at church and another is recovering from the virus. Of the three impoverished countries worst hit by the outbreak, Sierra Leone now has the most cases and the numbers are rising fastest; roughly half are in Freetown. Sierra Leone had only 136 doctors before the epidemic struck and 12 of them have become infected, mostly fatally, including the country’s leading doctor, Victor Willoughby. He died last week, a few hours after the arrival in Sierra Leone of an experimental drug that could have been used to treat him. Across the three countries, 358 healthcare workers have died from Ebola, according to World Health Organisation figures. But the loss of Willoughby, who mentored a generation of Sierra Leonean medical students, was a particularly heavy blow to morale. Willoughby had won great respect for staying throughout a civil war that lasted more than a decade until 2002, rather than taking a more lucrative post abroad. “We have lost too many in the battle,” Kanneh said. “I don’t want them to be forgotten. We remember them each time we go back into the red zone.” At the Hastings centre, gloved workers walk along its open-air corridors with buckets, while a clergyman consoles a handful of gaunt survivors. Kanneh, who has no medical insurance, stays on site in Blast at Nigeria market kills 7 Opposition challenges Kenyan security law Agencies Nairobi K enya’s opposition coalition filed a court challenge yesterday to overturn new anti-terrorism laws it says are hasty and undermine basic freedoms. The measures will allow suspects to be held without charge for 360 days, four times longer than before, compel landlords to provide information about their tenants, and punish media that print material “likely to cause fear or alarm.” President Uhuru Kenyatta, who championed the amendments, has faced pressure to boost security after a spate of deadly attacks over the past 18 months. Somali militant group Al Shebaab, which massacred 67 people in a Nairobi shopping mall last year, killed more than 60 in two attacks this month in northeastern Kenya. The government says the new rules compare favourably with US laws enacted after 9/11. Opposition leaders say they threaten civil liberties and free speech, and might unfairly target the minority Muslim population. It was not clear how long the High Court would take to consider their challenge. “Those who conceived these new laws and rushed them through the National Assembly did so in the hope that Kenyans would be too busy enjoying the (Christmas) season to notice the evil being plotted by their leaders,” Raila Odinga, an opposition leader and former prime minister, said in a statement. “But we love our country and our freedom more than the merry-making.” The measures were approved last week during several chaotic sessions of parliament, with rival lawmakers exchanging punches. “We are saying that this law is invalid, that the provisions are inconsistent with the Constitution. It is null and void,” lawyer and Senator James Orengo, representing the opposition Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD), told High Court Justice Isaac Lenaola. He also argued the law was a spartan room near the Ebola ward and is often on call overnight. Numbers of patients at Hastings have dropped since early December, thanks partly to six new facilities built by the British military. But with funding falling far short of that for the foreign facilities, staff at Hastings are exhausted and frustrated. A pharmacist showed a list of around 180 staff members out of a total of 257 who say they have not received their full government wages and risk allowance. “If you look at the risk allowance of white people, it’s much higher. I’m angry. This is risky work,” said Mohamed Marrah, who supervises workers as they don PPEs. Even in centres run by Western groups, the majority of staff are local. Medecins Sans Frontieres has around 30 foreign workers and 250 Sierra Leonians at its Prince of Wales facility. “It’s not unrealistic for Sierra Leone doctors to have the same conditions as Western ones but somebody has to be prepared to fund that,” said O B Sisay, director of the situation room at the National Ebola Response Centre. Kenya’s opposition leader Raila Odinga addresses journalists outside a courtroom after filing a case against the newly-signed security laws in Nairobi yesterday. passed in violation of parliamentary procedures, asking the court to “delay implementation of this unconstitutional law” pending a final decision on its legality. Nine foreign diplomatic missions, including the US, Britain, France, Germany, Canada and Australia, said in a statement that they supported plans to improve security, but human rights should also be respected. Over the weekend, a spokesman for Kenyatta singled out the US for siding with “the noisemakers” and said Kenya’s law was better than security legislation adopted by the US after the Al Qaeda attacks of September 11, 2001. “What is more, Kenya has no Guantanamo Bay!” Munyori Buku, senior director of public communication, said on the president’s website. A explosion at the main market in northeast Nigeria’s Bauchi city killed seven people and injured 25 in an area repeatedly attacked by Boko Haram, police said yesterday. The blast on Monday evening set much of the market on fire, including an area dominated by women traders, according to the Red Cross. “Seven persons were confirmed dead while 25 others sustained various degrees of injuries, out which six have been treated and discharged and 19 others are responding to treatment,” police spokesman Haruna Mohamed said. So far there has been no official confirmation that the explosion was caused by a bomb, but Nigeria’s Islamist insurgents have a long track record targeting markets during their five-year uprising. Mohamed said a number of people tried to rob shops in the market in the chaos that followed the blast and that seven of them had been arrested. Rescue workers and witnesses said reaching the victims immediately after the blast was impossible because of the raging inferno. 18 Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 AMERICAS Mayor’s plea to pause protests is rejected Protesters are unwilling to lose momentum in a crtical stage of the movement Reuters New York P rotesters who have rallied for weeks over excessive use of police force rejected New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plea to suspend demonstrations after the killing of two officers, vowing to march in the center of Manhattan. De Blasio and other politicians have called for a cooling of tensions after the officers were ambushed Saturday while sitting in their patrol car, shocking a city that had seen largely peaceful demonstrations over decisions by grand juries in New York and Missouri not to indict white police officers in the killings of unarmed black men. Since Saturday, some activists have woven in protests against the killings of officers Rafael Ramos, 40, and Wenjian Liu, 32, into their rallies and vigils. Answer Coalition, organisers of a march on 5th Avenue in midtown Manhattan said a “peaceful protest against police violence” would continue as planned. “The mayor’s call for a suspension of democracy and the exercise of free speech rights in the face of ongoing injustice is outrageous.” The point-blank shootings of Ramos and People protest in the rain outside the justice department in Washington, DC. The demonstrators from the Hands Up Coalition DC gave a list of demands during the rally. Liu electrified tensions between City Hall, the police department and the reformminded protesters who voted for de Blasio, a liberal Democrat, in large numbers last year to run the largest US city of 8mn people. Similar protests, some of them violent, have taken place across the United States, provoking a bitter debate about how American police forces treat nonwhite citizens that has drawn in President Barack Obama and his attorney general, Eric Holder. De Blasio on Monday called for a pause in protests until after the funerals of the two police officers. Saturday’s attack has left police forces around the United States on edge. Police in Chicopee, Massachusetts, on Tuesday said they would seek to bring criminal charges against a man for posting the words “put wings on pigs” on his Facebook page, a phrase similar to the one used by the man who shot the officers in New York. The gunman, Ismaaiyl Brinsley, who was black, in a social media posting linked his plans to the July chokehold death of Eric Garner, 43, in New York’s Staten Island borough and the August shooting of Michael Brown, 18, in Ferguson, Missouri. Brinsley shot himself to death after killing the officers. De Blasio, who campaigned on a promise of repairing relations between police and members of minority communities, has been harshly criticised by the city’s largest police union for being insufficiently supportive of police. But the mayor angrily rebutted those claims on Monday, saying there was no conflict between opposing police violence and supporting police officers. Emerald Garner, a daughter of Eric Garner, left a wreath at an impromptu roadside memorial swelling with flowers and candles that marks the spot where Ramos and Liu were killed. “My dad wasn’t a violent man, so to use his name to do something that’s violent is definitely not something that my father would want,” she told reporters. Liu had married only two months before his death. His widow, Pei Xia Chen, emerged from her Brooklyn home with relatives on Monday evening. “This is a difficult time for both of our families,” she said. “But we will stand together and get through this together.” Capitol Christmas tree Sony clears �limited’ release of Interview AFP Washington S ony said yesterday it will release madcap comedy The Interview in some US theaters on Christmas Day, after it cancelled the movie’s debut following threats blamed on North Korea. “We have never given up on releasing The Interview and we’re excited our movie will be in a number of theaters on Christmas Day,” said Michael Lynton, CEO of Sony Entertainment. He said the film would be released on more “platforms” and in more theaters in the future. Some US independent movie theatres are to show the comedy on Christmas Day as planned, despite threats blamed on North Korea’s erratic regime. The Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, Texas, and the Plaza Atlanta in Georgia were the first to say yesterday they would show the movie, which lampoons North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un. “We are making shows available within the hour. Victory,” said Alamo founder Tim League, in a tweet announcing that Sony had reversed a decision to cancel the film’s release. There was no immediate comment from Sony, but US media reported that the company was preparing to an- nounced a limited theatrical release of the movie along with online video-on-demand. Last week, Sony cancelled the December 25 release of The Interview, a madcap caper in which Seth Rogen and James Franco play television journalists recruited to assassinate Kim. The Hollywood giant had suffered a massive cyber attack on its internal computer network that US authorities now blame on Pyongyang, which has denounced the movie as a terrorist threat. Following the hack, which exposed humiliating company secrets and the personal data of employees, Sony received anonymous threats that cinemas showing the film would face violent attack. While denouncing the movie, North Korea has denied any role in the hacking. US President Barak Obama said it faces a “proportionate response” to what he called its “cyber vandalism.” North Korea’s already limited Internet links have been cutting in and out for two days, because of what experts said appeared to be a “denial of service” attack, but no one has claimed responsibility. Sony, meanwhile, was widely criticised—including by Obama himself—for backing down to the threats and cancelling the film. Oklahoma execution methods upheld AFP Oklahoma A The US Capitol looms behind the Capitol Christmas Tree December in Washington, DC. The white pine, approximately 88-feet tall, is a gift from the state of Minnesota and was harvested from the Chippewea National Forest in Cass Lake, Minnesota. The tree is decorated with approximately 10,000 handmade ornaments from Minnesota communities. �Canadian psycho’ found guilty of murdering Chinese student Reuters Montreal A Canadian man who killed and dismembered a Chinese student in Montreal in 2012 was found guilty of first-degree murder yesterday, with the jury delivering a verdict after more than a week of deliberating the gruesome case. Luka Magnotta, 32, had admitted to killing and dismembering engineering student Jun Lin, 33, but pleaded not guilty on grounds of mental illness. Magnotta was also found guilty of committing an indignity to a human body, publishing and mailing obscene material, and criminally harassing Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and other members of parliament. The prosecution had argued that Magnotta was “a man on a mission” and had carefully planned his acts. The verdict came on the 8th day of Luka Rocco Magnotta escorted by police upon arrival from Germany on June 18, 2012 at Mirabel Airport in Mirabel, Quebec, Canada. jury deliberations. Magnotta stood in the glassed-in, high-security prisoner’s dock as the verdicts were read out. The jury foreman answered “guilty” in a firm voice as the court clerk asked what the decision was on each of five charges. In a statement to the court afterward, the presiding judge, justice Guy Cournoyer, said the case “was by all standards unique”. He praised the jury for their dedication and patience. “We have asked a lot of you but you rose to the occasion and indeed proved that real and substantive justice is a reality,” he said. The jury was shown a video of Magnotta’s acts that he had posted online. The prosecution said that six months before the killing, Magnotta had emailed a British journalist to say he planned to kill a human and make a movie of it. “We had good evidence of premeditation and that the crime was planned and deliberate, so I thought that we had a good case on that,” Louis Bouthillier, the prosecutor, said: “There was never any doubt in my mind that the jury would find Mr Magnotta guilty of first-degree murder.” The jury heard that Magnotta, a gay escort, had sought psychiatric help about a month before Lin’s death. Magnotta’s father, who testified at the trial, also has a medical history of schizophrenia. The case gripped Canada in the spring of 2012 after Lin’s body parts were found in the trash behind a Montreal apartment building and in packages mailed to political parties in Ottawa and to schools in Vancouver. The mailed packages contained hands and feet wrapped in pink tissue paper as well as notes and poems. The victim’s father, Diran Lin, travelled from China to attend the trial. A lawyer representing him read the father’s statement to the court after the verdict. “The night Lin Jun died, parts of many other people died in one way or another. His mother, his sister and me, his friends ... in one night, we lost a lifetime of hope,” the statement said. “I had come to see your trial system to see justice done, and I leave satisfied that you have not let my son down.” US judge has refused to halt Oklahoma’s use of controversial execution drugs, rejecting defence lawyers’ arguments that the methods are “prolonged and agonising”. The decision comes after the botched execution of Clayton Lockett, a convicted murderer and rapist, who was put to death in April using an untested three-drug protocol in a process that took 43 minutes. This was well over the expected time of 10 minutes and officials said Lockett, who was seen writhing in pain, bucking off the gurney and mumbling unintelligibly, ultimately died of a massive heart attack. Lawyers filed a preliminary injunction last month arguing that some combinations of lethal injection drugs—including the controversial anesthetic Midazolam—cause “prolonged and agonising death” for inmates, who they said were not adequately informed about procedures. Attorneys argued against “using any drugs or combination of drugs that is experimental and being used on captive human subjects”, according to court documents. But US district judge Stephen Friot on Monday denied the request for a preliminary injunction, saying it was “without merit”. Death penalty opponents allege that recent lengthy executions—which at times left inmates suffering for more than an hour—amount to the “cruel and unusual” punishment forbidden by the US Constitution. Midazolam was used in three executions this year—in Ohio, Oklahoma and Arizona—that were criticised because the condemned took longer than usual to die and apparently suffered. Man shot, wounded on border bridge AFP Washington U S officers shot and wounded a Canadian man early Sunday as he crossed a border bridge into the United States while waving a handgun, officials said. US Customs and Border Protection said that the man, who was not identified, stopped his car around 3am (0800 GMT) near an inspection booth on the Ambassador Bridge that links Detroit, Michigan to the Canadian city of Windsor in Ontario province. “CBP officers ordered the man to drop his weapon to which he did not comply,” continuing to walk toward them, spokesman Kris Grogan said in a statement. “After pointing the weapon in the direction of the officers, CBP officers fired upon the individual, who fell to the ground.” The man was then treated at a local hospital, from which he was released. He is still under arrest. CTV television said the man, a Windsor native, has had previous run-ins with the law in Canada. Just minutes before the border incident, Windsor police had an encounter with the same man again holding a gun in the parking lot of a McDonald’s fast food restaurant, according to CTV. As he walked toward the McDonald’s, police ordered the man at gunpoint to drop his weapon. The suspect then turned toward the officers and pointed his firearm at them. “Why haven’t you shot me yet?” he asked, CTV said citing police. The man then entered his vehicle and drove over the sidewalk and curb. See Europe’s leading golfers compete Join the fun in the Public Village and Family Zone Enjoy the UB40 concert featuring Ali, Astro & Micky Hospitality packages available at www.qatar-masters.com www.qatar-masters.com Tickets on sale at Title Sponsor Preferred Hotel Gold Sponsor Tournament Insurers Family Zone Official Newspaper Official Car Hole In One Sponsor Private Driver Sanctioned by Preferred Card Owner Official Timekeeper Promoter 20 Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 ASEAN Panda conservation awareness drive Illegal Indonesian migrants deported from Malaysia AFP Subang M alaysia yesterday deported nearly 500 undocumented Indonesian workers, in what analysts said was part of a push to clamp down on illegal labour as the economy starts to slow. The workers were brought in shackles to Subang Airport west of Kuala Lumpur, where Indonesian officials said they would be loaded onto military C-130 aircraft to be flown to their native country. Another 200 will be deported today, Indonesia’s ambassador to Malaysia Herman Prayitno said, adding that more illegal workers may be sent back next year. Mohamed Arifuddin, who worked as a labourer in construction for four years in Malaysia before being arrested, said he hopes to return to seek legal employment. “I will try to get the legal documents and return to Ma- laysia to work,” the 36-yearold said. Malaysia draws migrants from across the region and even from South Asian nations such as India, Nepal and Bangladesh. More than 6mn foreign migrants, most of them illegals, are thought to work in factories, plantations, restaurants and in other jobs largely shunned by more affluent Malaysians. But Yeah Kim Leng, dean of Malaysia University of Science and Technolgy, said it looked like authorities were clamping down on illegal workers as growth has started to slow. “The Malaysian economy is softening. The deportation of the illegal migrants seems to coincide with the economic slowdown,” he said Kuala Lumpur in October forecast solid economic growth of between 5-6% next year, but the World Bank recently trimmed its forecast to 4.7%, citing lower exports and weaker commodity and oil prices. A general view shows part of the 1,600 paper pandas displayed in front of Malaysian Prime Minister’s Office building in Putrajaya yesterday. The paper pandas were created by French artist Paulo Grangeon, who crafted 1,600 pandas, to mark the number of the current living pandas left in the wild. The creations, which were made in six different shapes and sizes, will visit more than 15 iconic landmarks in Malaysia under the theme �Initiating the Culture of Creative Conservation’. The tour will run from December 21-January 25, 2015 to promote the message of panda conservation and sustainable development. Thai deputy PM tells US �polls in Feb 2016’ Reuters Bangkok A general election to return Thailand to democracy after a military coup in May will be held in February 2016 at the earliest, a deputy prime minister said yesterday, later than the military had initially indicated. The military government said last month an election planned for late 2015 would be delayed until 2016, giving more time for reforms which the military says should bring stability after a decade of factional rivalry. The May 22 coup followed months of establishmentbacked protests against a populist elected government and it damaged Thailand’s relations with some of its Western allies. Deputy Prime Minister Wisanu Krue-ngam gave the most clear indication of an election date after talks with a top US diplomat. “I told the US charge d’affaires today elections will take place at the earliest in February 2016,” Wisanu told reporters. “But if we have to have a referendum, polls could be delayed by a further three months,” he said, referring to a possible plebiscite on a new constitution. Thailand has been divided for nearly a decade between rival camps, one led by former telecommunications tycoon Thaskin Shinawatra, whose populist policies have won him and his parties every election since 2001. Opposed to him is the royalist and military establishment which sees Thaksin as a free-spending, opportunist who bought power by handing out taxpayers’ money in the voterich countryside. Thaksin’s supporters suspect the reforms the military government is overseeing are aimed at keeping the self-exiled, ousted former premier and his allies out of power for good, including changes to election laws. Thailand’s junta-appointed National Reform Council last week proposed stripping parliament of the power to appoint a prime minister and cabinet. A committee appointed to draft the new constitution rejected that recommendation on Tuesday. A senior Western diplomat said he was not optimistic about the possibility of an election in 2016, fearing Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, the army chef who launched the May coup, could come up with a justification to delay. “It is not inconceivable that Prayuth will stay in power for two to three years, despite his pledge to return Thailand to democracy as soon as possible,” said the diplomat, who declined to be identified. Questions over the return to democracy come at a time of extreme sensitivity surrounding the monarchy and in particular the issue of succession, which has formed part of the backdrop to the complex national crisis. King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 87, is in hospital recovering from gallbladder surgery. The king is regarded as almost divine by many Thais and is widely seen as a unifying figure through years of political unrest. Undocumented Indonesian worker Mohamed Arifuddin (front left) walks along with others before being deported back to Indonesia, at Subang Airport, outside Kuala Lumpur yesterday. Journalists beaten, driver arrested in Cambodian capital DPA Phnom Penh O ne man appeared in court in the Cambodian capital yesterday after being arrested over a violent confrontation with journalists following a traffic accident, police said. Journalists had been reporting from the scene of a traffic accident early Monday near the Wat Phnom temple in central Phnom Penh, when drivers involved in the accident attempted to grab their recording equipment. Srah Chak commune police chief Kann Vannak said seven local newspaper and television reporters were beaten during the fighting. There were no reported casualties from the accident itself, in which one car collided with several other vehicles. “We tried to run to follow them to take our property back ... Immediately, one man shot at us three times,” one of the television reporters, Ngov Dina, was quoted as saying by the Cambodia Daily. “Nobody was injured, but one video camera was broken,” Vannak said, adding that a driver had been sent to Phnom Penh court for allegedly causing the violence. Police see little hope of naming about 369 tsunami victims Reuters Takua Pa W ith the bodies of almost 400 victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami still unidentified a decade on, Thai police were holding out little hope of gleaning any new information from opening a cargo container packed with unclaimed personal items. Watches, chunky gold necklaces with Buddhist amulets, an Egyptian souvenir coin purse, and a wad of $1,800 in cash were pulled from tattered cardboard boxes and police evidence bags stashed in the container that has not been opened since 2011. The three metre by 12 metre container was passed to various Thai police agencies after the 2004 Boxing Day disaster that killed at least 226,000 people in 14 countries. It was handed over to Takua Pa district police in southern Thailand in 2011. But the Takua Pa police never looked inside until recently when, after requests from Reu- ters, they opened the container ahead of the 10-year anniversary of the Dec 26 tsunami when the items can, by official regulation, be put up for auction. They initially believed the container held the belongings of unidentified victims, but found some items were identification cards and credit cards and could be claimed by relatives. “I’m a bit surprised by the large number of valuables,” Lieutenant Colonel Voravit Yamaree from Takua Pa district said as his team surveyed the items on a long, white table. “I think back then everyone was so busy focusing on identifying the corpses they may have forgotten about this.” The tsunami left 5,395 dead and 2,932 missing in Thailand, including about 2,000 foreign tourists, when a wall of water several metres high ripped through resorts and fishing villages on the Andaman Sea coast in southern Thailand. In the aftermath of the tsunami, forensics experts from 39 countries convened in Phang Nga, where about 80% of the Policemen hold bags with personal possessions of 2004 tsunami victims before they are photographed outside a police station in Takua Pa, in Phang Nga province. victims in Thailand perished, to identify the bodies. The Thai Tsunami Victim Identification unit was considered one of the largest and most successful projects of its kind, putting names and faces to the thousands of tourists, Thais and migrant workers killed in the Boxing Day disaster. However, 10 years after the one of the most devastating hu- manitarian disasters in recorded history, about 400 unclaimed bodies — 369 of them still unidentified — rest in metal coffins, marked with coded numbers. In the past four years, just 24 bodies have been claimed, all but one Thai nationals, according to various reports. In Ban Nam Khem, a sleepy fishing village on the north end of Phang Nga, the tsunami left 661 dead and 765 missing. Ban Nam Khem resident Hin Chan-ngern lost five family members in the tsunami -- his wife, brother and three daughters. In the three years after the disaster, four of their bodies were found, but his eldest daughter remains among the missing. “We provided all of the information -- dental records, tissue and DNA samples ... but they still can’t find her. I don’t know what more I can do,” said Hin, sitting amid photos of his loved ones killed in the tsunami. The unidentified and unclaimed bodies are all in a cemetery in Bang Maruan village, just south of Takua Pa. The graveyard, with a metal plaque at the gate listing the nations involved in the project, is often overgrown with weeds. Of the bodies there, authorities have identified 26 Thais and 26 Burmese, but their families have not come to claim their bodies, according to Colonel Yuthaphong Intaraphone, the police superintendent overseeing the Police Forensic Science Office. “It would cost them (the relatives of Burmese migrant workers) a decade of life savings to come to Thailand and reclaim the bodies,” Yutaphong said in an interview at the Disaster Victim Identification Centre in Bangkok. What happens now to the personal possessions that have been stashed in the container for years remains unknown with the police headquarters in Bangkok to make that call. Even if the items in the container do not go up for auction, the chances of victims’ families claiming the possessions of their loved ones are narrowing as the boxes holding the contents deteriorate, said Voravit. “We have records with code numbers listed on each box, but it is rather difficult to check as the numbers are fading,” he said. Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 21 AUSTRALASIA/EAST ASIA Abbott warns of �terror chatter’ as memorials held for victims Reuters Sydney Reuters Sydney A ustralian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said yesterday security officials had intercepted a heightened level of “terrorist chatter” in the aftermath of the Sydney cafe siege. As memorial services were held for the two victims of the 16-hour siege a week ago, Abbott warned that the public needed to remain alert as the country headed into Christmas and New Year celebrations. “The national security agencies today indicated that there has been a heightened level of terrorist chatter in the aftermath of the Martin Place siege,” Abbott told reporters in Sydney. Man Haron Monis, a selfstyled sheikh, held hostages at gunpoint at the Lindt Chocolate Cafe in Martin Place, a central Sydney shopping and office precinct, from midmorning on Monday last week. Two hostages, cafe manager Tori Johnson and lawyer Katrina Dawson, were killed along with Monis when police stormed the cafe. An official investigation into the final moments of the siege and the deaths of all three is underway. “I’m alerting people to the fact that the terror level remains high and at this level an attack is likely,” Abbott said. Police have said they would be boosting their presence at prominent locations such as Sydney Harbour, home to the Opera House, over the Christmas period. A Members of an all-women funeral company carry the coffin of Tori Johnson, manager of the Lindt cafe, following his funeral at St Stephens Uniting Church in Sydney yesterday. Right: Mourners react as they leave the funeral of Tori Johnson. Several of the 17 hostages taken by Monis attended the funeral service for 34-yearold Johnson at a church just metres away from the cafe. New South Wales (NSW) state Premier Mike Baird and Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione also joined mourners, who included Johnson’s partner of 14 years. A quote from philosopher Rumi under a photo of Johnson graced the cover of the funeral booklet: “Outside the ideas of wrong-doing and right-doing, there is a field. I will meet you there.” Seoul steps up cyber security at nuclear plants Reuters Seoul S outh Korea boosted cyber security at the country’s nuclear power plants yesterday following what President Park Geun-hye described as a series “grave” data leaks, and prosecutors said they were investigating a new online threat. Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co Ltd (KHNP), which runs South Korea’s 23 nuclear power reactors, said on Monday its computer systems had been hacked, raising alarm in a country that is still technically at war with North Korea. Park ordered inspections of safeguards at national infrastructure facilities, including nuclear power plants, against what she called “cyber terrorism”. A government official said authorities had raised the cyber crisis alert by one level for all the state-run companies to Nod for record payout to wildfire victims “caution” from “attention”. The nuclear operator, part of state-run utility Korea Electric Power Corp, said only noncritical data had been stolen and operations of the nuclear plants were not at risk. South Korea’s law enforcement authorities are investigating the leaks. “Nuclear power plants are first-class security installations that directly impact the safety of the people,” Park said at a cabinet meeting, according to her office. “A grave situation that is unacceptable has developed when there should have been not a trace of lapse as a matter of national security,” she said. Within hours of Park’s comments, an online user who claimed to have hacked the nuclear operator posted a new threat and a fresh batch of data on the same Twitter account that was used for previous threats and leaks. “We are now looking at it ... We believe it was done by the same user,” an official at South Korean prosecutors’ office investigating the leaks told Reuters by telephone. An official at the nuclear operator said it was working to verify whether the data had been taken from its computers. Earlier, the investigation team official said Seoul had not ruled out the possibility that North Korea was involved in the cyberattack, although Park did not make any mention of it. The official added that South Korea had requested Washington’s help investigating the matter. In recent years South Korea has accused the North of a carrying out several cyberattacks on its banks and broadcasters. The incident at the nuclear operator came after the US accused North Korea of a serious cyberattack on Sony Pictures and vowed to respond proportionately. Anti-nuclear activists in South Korea have also protested against the use of nuclear power. More than 1,000 people attended a separate memorial service for 38-year-old Dawson at her alma mater, Sydney University. Her three children, aged four, six and eight, each chose a song for the service: Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Somewhere over the Rainbow, and The Gambler respectively. A huge carpet of thousands of bouquets of flowers in Martin Place was removed early yesterday as thunderstorms threatened to drench the city. The flowers will be crushed into mulch and scattered at a North Korea’s Internet collapses after Sony hack AFP Washington N orth Korea’s Internet went dark for several hours amid rumours of US retaliation over its alleged hacking of a Hollywood studio, just as the pariah state came under attack at the UN over its rights record. It was not clear who or what had shut down Pyongyang’s web connections, but cyber experts said the country’s already limited Internet went completely offline overnight from Monday to yesterday local time. Piling further pressure on Kim Jong-Un’s regime, UN members debated North Korea’s brutal treatment of its huge prison population after China, its only major ally, was rebuffed in a bid to shelve the issue. US-based Internet analysts Dyn Research said Pyongyang’s four online networks, all connected through Chinese telecom provider China Unicom, had been offline for nine hours and 31 minutes before services resumed yesterday morning. Dyn Research said Pyongyang’s very limited infrastructure could be vulnerable to power outages but the way it had collapsed “seems consistent with a fragile network under external attack”. US President Barack Obama and the FBI have accused North Korea of being behind the hacking of Sony Pictures, which decided to cancel the Christmas Day release of comedy film “The Interview”. Washington officials refused to comment on speculation that the North Korean Internet blackout was the first stage in what Obama has warned will be a “proportionate response” to the hack. North Korea has angrily insisted that it had nothing to Taiwan launches its largest ever missile ship AFP Suao T aiwan launched its largest ever missile ship yesterday as the island strives to modernise its armed forces in response to a perceived threat from China. The 500-tonne corvette named �Tuo Chiang’ — �Tuo River’ — is the first of its kind ever produced by Taiwan and was touted by defence minister Yen Ming as “the fastest and most powerful” in Asia. Armed with 16 missiles including eight supersonic Hsiung-feng III (Brave Wind) anti-ship missiles, it will boost Taiwan’s defence capabilities against its giant neighbour, which considers the island part of China’s territory awaiting to be reunited by force if necessary. “From now on, the navy’s combat capabilities will reach a crucial milestone, Yen said at a launch ceremony held in the port of Suao, in northeastern Yilan county. “The completion of the new generation of naval warship is expected to ensure Taiwan’s first domestically-produced missile corvette, the 500-tonne ship Tuo Chiang (Tuo River), is pictured during the vessel’s launch ceremony at the naval port at Suao yesterday. security in the Taiwan Strait and protect shipping lanes,” he added. Vice Admiral Wen Chen-kuo said that “the supersonic missile is very difficult to intercept” The sleek twin-hulled ship uses stealth site to be determined. Meanwhile, NSW state opposition leader John Robertson resigned after coming under pressure when it was revealed he signed a letter to support Monis gaining access to his children in a dispute with his second wife. n Australian court has approved a record payout of almost A$500mn ($406mn) to survivors and families of some of the 173 people killed in the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires, the country’s worst-ever natural disaster. A class action lawsuit by more than 5,000 people sued electricity provider AusNet Services and asset manager Utility Services Corp Ltd after a Royal Commission found that the Kinglake fire, the most deadly of the series of wildfires, was caused by an ageing AusNet power line. AusNet and Utility Services denied liability. The settlement, which includes the Victorian state government, excludes any admission of liability. On February 7, 2009, bushfires tore through much of the southern state of Victoria, killing 173 people. More than 1,000 people were injured and 1,172 homes were destroyed. “While we can never compensate people for what they’ve lost, particularly those who’ve lost loved ones, we have recovered in this proceeding A$494mn,” Rory Walsh from Maurice Blackburn Lawyers said after the ruling in the Victorian Supreme court. “We hope that that money can help people alleviate some of the hardships that they continue to experience today,” he said. AusNet will pay A$378.6mn, with Utility Services paying A$12.5mn and the Victorian government paying the remainder. technology to reduce the reflection of radar waves, making it harder to detect, with a maximum speed of 38 knots per hour and a range of 2,000 nautical miles (3,704 kilometres). It set sail briefly yesterday to show its capabilities to reporters before returning to the port again. The corvette is scheduled to be deployed in Taiwan waters after further tests and is the prototype of up to 11 others to be built by the navy. Its launch comes after the US Congress passed a bill last week authorising President Barack Obama to transfer up to four Perry-class guided missile frigates to Taipei. China slammed the deal, saying a diplomatic protest had been lodged with the US. “We are firmly opposed to arms sales to Taiwan by the US,” said Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang. Ties between Taiwan and China have eased markedly since Ma Ying-jeou of the China-friendly Kuomintang party came to power in 2008, ramping up trade and allowing in more Chinese tourists. But Beijing still refuses to renounce the use of force, even though Taiwan has been self-governing since the end of a civil war in 1949, prompting the island to continually modernise its armed forces. do with the theft and leaking of Sony company secrets nor threats against moviegoers, but it has also condemned Sony’s madcap movie, which features a fictional plot to kill Kim. Pyongyang has also vowed reprisals if the US brings in new sanctions such as restoring the country to a list of state sponsors of terrorism. China yesterday suggested Washington and Pyongyang hold talks over cyber hacking. US officials, however, have dismissed a North Korean proposal for a joint investigation into the Sony hack and instead called for the hermit state to compensate the film studio. Dyn Research said earlier Monday that Internet connectivity between North Korea and the outside world, never good at the best of times, had begun to show signs of instability over the weekend. “This is different from short duration outages we have seen in the past,” Earl Zmijewski, vice president of data analytics at Dyn, said. But Zmijewski stressed it was impossible to say what had caused the outage. “They could have elected to simply pull the plug or they could have suffered from some sort of failure or attack,” he said. The diplomatic row comes as China failed on Monday to block the first-ever UN Security Council meeting on North Korea’s dismal rights record after a strong majority of members voted in favor of it. US ambassador Samantha Power -- backed by envoys from Britain, Australia and France -said North Korean citizens experience a “living nightmare” of political repression. She recalled testimony from a starving prison camp survivor who picked kernels of corn from cattle dung to eat and of a former guard who said prison wardens routinely raped prisoners. China reviews execution after miscarriage ruling Reuters Beijing C hinese authorities are reviewing another execution carried out almost 20 years ago for possible miscarriage of justice after last week exonerating a teenager who was wrongly put to death for rape and murder, state media said yesterday. Nie Shubin, 21, was executed in 1995 for the rape and murder of a woman a year earlier in the northern city of Shijiazhuang. Five judges are reviewing Nie’s case because another man, Wang Shujin, insists that he is guilty, state news agency Xinhua reported. The case has set off a public outcry. Wang, 47, was arrested in 2005 for three uncon- nected rape and murder cases. During questioning he claimed that he was responsible for the murder of which Nie was convicted, the official Xinhua news agency said. The case is being reviewed by the high court in Shandong province, the report said, because the Hebei higher court that originally approved Nie’s execution refused to overturn its verdict last year. Last week, a court in Inner Mongolia found that 18-year-old Huugjilt was wrongly convicted in 1996 of raping and killing a woman in a public restroom. Many ethnic Mongols in China go by one name. While wrongful executions have often stirred public outrage, capital punishment itself has wide support in China. 22 Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 BRITAIN PEOPLE SENTENCED POLITICS LAW AND ORDER OFFBEAT Ex-footballer Carlisle struck by lorry Man jailed for bid to smuggle in migrants Clegg shrugs off Labour challenge Charity to fund bid to re-examine cyclist death Robin sets up home at Sainsbury’s branch Premier League footballers yesterday sent messages of support to former QPR defender Clarke Carlisle after he was seriously injured in a road accident. The 35-year-old, who was chairman of the Professional Footballers Association following his retirement, was airlifted to hospital after he was hit by a lorry while walking on the A64 near the village of Bishopthorpe, North Yorkshire, on Monday morning. QPR player Joey Barton, 32, wrote on Twitter: “My thoughts are with his friends and family.” Clarke’s wife Gemma yesterday thanked the public for their support saying she has been “overwhelmed”. The cause of the accident is under investigation. A man who attempted to smuggle a group of Afghan nationals into the UK on a small boat has been jailed for five years. Romanian Marion Badea, 30, was discovered on board the inflatable motor boat in the English Channel, near Dover, Kent, just before 10am in June this year after a lifeboat was sent to rescue it following engine failure, a Home Office spokesman said. Seven men, aged between 20 and 35, and a 16-year-old boy, from Afghanistan, were also found on the boat, trying to enter the country illegally, he added. The vessel was towed into Dover harbour by a Border Force cutter and Badea was arrested and charged with assisting unlawful entry into the UK. Nick Clegg has shrugged off suggestions that Labour is pumping resources into winning his Sheffield Hallam seat at the general election. The Liberal Democrat leader held the constituency with 53% of the vote in 2010, but opposition strategists reportedly believe he could be vulnerable after his U-turn on tuition fees and the cancellation of a government loan for a local firm. Tom Watson, Ed Miliband’s former election co-ordinator, told The Times. Labour’s candidate Oliver Coppard had built up a formidable group of volunteers. The Labour MP added, “I have never encountered such animosity on the doorstep against an incumbent MP - particularly one as high-profile.” A cycling charity is to fund an attempt to force the Metropolitan Police to reconsider its decision not to take action against a motorist over the death of a cyclist. The Cyclists’ Defence Fund has decided to back Anna Tatton-Brown’s bid to have the case of her father Michael Mason re-examined. The 70-year-old stand-in teacher died in hospital in March, three weeks after he was hit from behind in the West End by driver Gale Purcell. The CDF will also provide backing to consider whether there are grounds to bring a private prosecution if the Met refuses to reconsider. A robin has taken up residence among the festive displays in a London supermarket. The bird was first spotted two weeks ago at Sainsbury’s in Chiswick. Crowds have flocked to photograph him bobbing along the shelves and swinging on decorations — including a giant heart-shaped mobile of robins. Attempts to trap him safely and release him back outside have so far failed. Branch deputy manager Danny Riordan said: “We don’t want to harm the bird and would never kill it.” Rivals Tesco called in a marksman to shoot a pied wagtail living in a branch at Great Yarmouth this year but backed down amid public anger. Govt pledges £6bn to tackle potholes and improve roads Agencies London L ocal councils are to get a near-£6bn fund to fight potholes over the next six years. Awarded by the government, the fund will help English local authorities tackle potholes and improve local roads between 2015 and 2021. A succession of severe winters and the devastating floods earlier this year have left councils playing catch-up with road maintenance. Announcing the funding yesterday, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said the money would be enough to fix around 18mn potholes. Of the total package, just over £4.7bn will be shared between 115 English councils, while councils will be able to bid for a further £575mn in total available for the repair and maintenance of local highway infrastructure such as junctions, bridges and street lighting. McLoughlin also announced that £578mn had been set aside for an incentive fund scheme which will start in 2016 to reward councils who demonstrate they are delivering value for money in carrying out cost-effective improvements. McLoughlin said: “Roads play a significant part in everyday life. Poorly-maintained local roads, blighted by potholes, are a menace to all road users, particularly during the festive period as people travel to see family and friends. “It is vital we have good quality roads. This government has already taken strong action by spending £1bn more on local roads maintenance than was spent in the previous parliament.” He went on: “This £6bn funding will put an end to short-term fixes and will mean we have committed £10bn between 2010 and 2021. “This huge investment is part of our long-term economic plan to ensure we have a transport network fit for the 21st century.” Meanwhile, drivers will have to contend with disruption from next month due to work starting on improvement schemes on the link road between the southbound M6 at junction 8 and the M5 north of Birmingham and at the M6/A38(M) Gravelly Hill Interchange (Spaghetti Junction). The schemes will involve concrete repairs and associated drainage work and will mean lane closures, some full carriageway and sliproad closures, and temporary speed limits. The junction 8 work is due to start on January 5 and be completed by the end of May 2015. The Gravelly Hill work is due to begin on January 11 and be finished by the end of July 2015. RAC chief engineer David Bizley said funding for potholes was welcome but there were doubts whether this was “new money”. He went on: “We also question whether this really goes far enough. Recent estimates by the Asphalt Industry Alliance suggest a one-off investment of £12bn is needed in England to deal with the backlog in road maintenance, the majority of which is associated with those roads for which local authorities are responsible. “The government deserves credit for their bold actions to develop and fund an investment strategy for the strategic road network. But unless equally bold actions are taken on local roads, we risk a two-tier network with strategic roads capable of supporting economic growth but with a crumbling local road infrastructure.” Shadow transport secretary Michael Dugher said: “You can’t believe a single word ministers say. Local roads are in a desperate state under David Cameron. Over 2,220 miles more of our local roads now need maintenance work compared to 2010.” Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon looks at flowers near the scene where a refuse truck crashed into pedestrians in George Square, Glasgow, Scotland, yesterday. Glasgow mourns victims of lorry crash tragedy Ten people, including driver, injured as tributes to victims pour in; first minister says tragedy left �city with a broken heart’ Guardian News and Media Glasgow F ive of the Glasgow lorry crash victims are female and one is male, police have said. Ten people were injured in the tragedy, including the driver, and three members of the same family are feared to be among the dead. Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, said the city was waking up “with a broken heart”, as tributes poured in yesterday following Monday’s accident and residents struggled to come to terms with a second major tragedy in just over a year. Police Scotland said: “Seven casualties were taken to hospital by the ambulance service, two walked in to hospital and one was treated at the scene. Four have since been discharged. “There are currently six people in hospital being treated for their injuries. Two have been moved to the Intensive Therapy Unit for further monitoring. “The deceased includes one male and five females.” Guardian News and Media Edinburgh T he new leader of Scottish Labour, Jim Murphy, faces a daunting challenge to lift his party’s fortunes before next May’s general election as a poll shows support for Labour in Scotland is now half that for the SNP. A Survation poll for the Daily Record, the first to be released since Murphy’s election on December 13, found that 48% of Scottish voters plan to support the SNP in May, and 24% Labour. The swing implied by the figures suggests that as many 10 Labour seats could fall to the SNP. Support for the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats fell by one point each, to 16% and 5% respectively, while Ukip polled 4% and the Greens 1%. Reflecting the transformation of the political landscape in Scotland since the referendum, voting intentions for Westminster are now almost exactly aligned with those for Holyrood, where Labour polled 25% compared with the SNP’s 51%. John Curtice, professor of politics at Strathclyde University, said on his What Scotland Thinks blog that the poll had dispelled any hopes that Murphy’s election would prove to be a �magic bullet’ for the Scottish Labour party. Among those currently supporting Labour, only 29% said Murphy’s election had made it more likely they would vote for the party in May. Seventy-five percent of SNP supporters said that they would vote for the party with the best Scotland-wide policies or leader for Scotland, or for the party with the best approach to devolution and independence, while 68% of Labour supporters, in addition to 84% of Conservative and 73% of Liberal Democrat voters, said they would be voting for the party with the best UK-wide policies or leader. Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, said the SNP was taking nothing for granted but added: “This is a great early Christmas present for the SNP - our best ever Survation poll rating for a UK general election, as well as being over 50% for the Scottish parliament constituency vote for the first time.” In an interview last Friday , Jim Murphy told the Guardian that the scale of the challenge he faced was �vast’ but he still believed Labour could hold all its Westminster seats and win in Holyrood in 2016. “The (SNP) have got to work out how they deal with the argument we are going to make, which is you can protest against Cameron by voting for the Greens or the Nats, but you can only replace him with one party,” he said. witnesses in the police investigation. It is understood that the driver remained in hospital overnight. Speaking on BBC Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland yesterday, Sturgeon said: “As the city wakes up this morning, the sheer sense of horror and grief at what happened will be very raw. All our thoughts, first and foremost, are with those who are waking up as bereaved families this morning. It is almost impossible to imagine what they are going through. I know that everyone across the city, across Scotland, across the UK, will be thinking of them today. “I think all of us on our televisions were again struck by just how readily people run into a scene of potential danger to help those who have been injured, those who have been affected. There was a sense in the city on Monday night of everybody rallying around.” She added: “There is something quite incredible about the spirit in this city. Everybody knows it is a city with a big, big heart. This morning it is a city with a broken heart but it will get through this as it got through the Clutha tragedy.” In November 2013, 10 people lost their lives when a police helicopter crashed into the popular Clutha Vaults pub on the north bank of the river Clyde, not far from Monday’s carnage. Five simple changes �cut dementia risk’ Labour support in Scotland �half of SNP’ Survation poll finds 29% of Labour supporters say Murphy’s election as leader makes it more likely they will vote for party A formal identification process was carried out later. The accident happened at 2.30pm on Monday in George Square, which was teeming with last-minute Christmas shoppers and visitors to the ice rink and amusements in the square. Witnesses described a council bin lorry that had been travelling up Queen Street, which bounds the west side of George Square, mounting the pavement and scattering pedestrians “like pinballs”. It is thought that the driver may have fallen ill at the wheel. The BBC reported that the driver had two passengers in the truck with him at the time of the crash. They are likely to be key DPA London A Jim Murphy: tough task ahead ny one of five simple lifestyle changes could keep your brain healthier for longer. Not smoking, taking more exercise, losing weight, cutting down on alcohol and eating better food can reduce the risk of dementia by over a third, research shows. Men aged 45-59 who had a good score on at least four of those five lifestyle factors had a 36% lower risk of developing cognitive decline and a 36% lower risk of developing dementia than those with poor scores, a landmark British study carried out over 30 years found. Dementia affects one in three people over the age of 65. The research was commissioned by lobby group Age UK and carried out by Edinburgh University’s Ian Deary. His research is based on the Scottish Mental Survey, a test that measured the cognitive abilities of every 11-year-old in Scotland in June 1947. No other country had tested all children of a certain age and none has since - making the data collected hugely valuable to researchers. Professor Deary tested some of those 70,000 children who were tested in 1947 - now adults in their 70s - and compared the results with profiles of their lifestyle, health, genetics and biology. Age UK’s Caroline Abrahams described the research as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to understand how cognitive ability changes throughout life and during ageing itself.” Deary’s work highlighted the importance of physical exercise as the most effective way to ward off cognitive decline in healthy older people and reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Abrahams said: “While there’s still no cure or way to reverse dementia, this evidence shows there are simple and effective ways to reduce our risk of developing it to begin with.” Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 23 BRITAIN OBITUARY OPINION SOCIETY VERDICT DEMAND Writer Jeremy Lloyd dies aged 84 Cable warns against raising off-peak train fares Standard readers help cancer girl Money-laundering couple get 19 years jail term Travel watchdog calls for payouts to travellers Comedy writer Jeremy Lloyd, who created sitcoms including Are You Being Served? and �Allo �Allo!, has died aged 84. His agent said he died in a London hospital on Monday evening from pneumonia. Alexandra Cann said: “Jeremy was a great wit and always a mass of original ideas. He had a wonderfully original mind and will be greatly missed.” Lloyd, who was married three times including to Joanna Lumley, created a string of hit shows with his writing partner David Croft. He was given an OBE for services to comedy in 2012. Lloyd enjoyed a screen career of his own before devoting himself to providing the funny lines for others. Vince Cable yesterday accused Boris Johnson of worsening overcrowding on commuter trains by raising off-peak fares in the New Year. The business secretary pointed out that from Teddington in south-west London the cost of a one-day travel card will go up from £8.90 to £12, and that from neighbouring Twickenham, the off-peak capped fare, with an Oyster card, will rise from £7.70 to £10.90. “One unintended consequence is that the big increase will lead to no incentive for people to catch later trains in the morning, so contributing even further to overcrowding on our commuters,” said the senior Liberal Democrat. A three-year-old girl will receive potentially life-saving cancer treatment in America after the Evening Standard highlighted her plight. Chloe Balloqui’s family have raised the £100,000 needed in time for the deadline of January 10, meaning that they can enjoy Christmas knowing she will receive the pioneering drug therapy not available on the NHS. Yesterday, her mother Karen, 33, thanked Evening Standard readers. Kallaste, who lives in Pimlico with her partner Richard and son James, said: “It’s just fantastic news and the best present.” Chloe was diagnosed in October 2013 with a rare cancer of the nervous system which had spread throughout her body. A husband and wife have been jailed for a total of 19 years for laundering £145mn of dirty money through their bureaux de change. Moothathamby Sriskantharajah, 59, and his wife Thilageswary, 48, ran three sites across London. The couple, from Hounslow, took money from crime gangs and transferred it into euros, storing cash in safe deposit boxes at Harrods. Sisters Marlene and Lucia Cumbo, 53 and 54, from Islington, acted as their couriers. The gang were jailed for money laundering at Southwark crown court after being convicted last week. Sriskantharajah was sentenced to 12 years, his wife was jailed for seven and the Cumbos were given a total of five years. London’s travel watchdog demanded “significant” payouts for commuters who have endured a miserable service on the Thameslink rail service. Since Govia took over the Bedford to Brighton line in September the service has deteriorated with a shortage of drivers, cancellations and shorter trains. Last month only half its trains into St Pancras arrived on time, prompting passengers to petition the government for a better service. London Travelwatch said bosses must act immediately to win back the trust of “cynical” passengers who are a “captive market”. Payments should be made to passengers beyond the sums awarded for trains delayed by more than 30 minutes. N Ireland rivals seal deal on austerity Levitation stunt Mayor urges revellers not to misuse 999 service Reuters Belfast I rish nationalists and proBritish unionists in Northern Ireland struck a deal yesterday covering austerity spending and historic crimes, staving off a collapse of the power-sharing government set up in 1998 to end decades of sectarian violence. First Minister Peter Robinson said the deal, reached after months of talks and several missed deadlines, paved the way for the British province to acquire devolved powers to set its own corporation tax rate. It is something the parties in Belfast have long sought, offering Northern Ireland the chance to set a more competitive rate nearer the 12.5% of the adjacent Irish Republic rather than the 21% now shared with the rest of Britain. The breakthrough came after 27 hours of talks between Irish nationalists led by Sinn Fein, the Democratic Unionist Party and representatives of the governments of Britain and Ireland. The deal will see the Northern Irish government getting extra cash and borrowing powers of £2bn. It sets in motion the reduction of government departments at Stormont from 12 to nine and paves the way for an official opposition. “It has been a challenging and, at times, difficult process for all concerned,” said Irish Foreign Minister Charlie Flanagan. It also sets a framework for dealing with the “corrosive legacy of the past”, as Flanagan put it. This would include an oral history archive and a dedicated unit to investigate deaths during the Northern Irish conflict. The parties agreed in principle to transfer responsibility for handling the volatile issue of sectarian parades by nationalist Roman Catholics and pro-British Protestants from the British government in London to the Northern Irish parliament. But regional Justice Minister David Ford, a member of the nonsectarian Alliance Party, criticised that arrangement, saying it lacked detail and was “storing up problems for the future.” London Evening Standard London B A man dressed as Father Christmas appears to levitate by using a specially-designed prop and costume as he waves to people in Trafalgar Square in central London yesterday. Raspy-voiced soul singer Cocker dies AFP London L egendary singer Joe Cocker, whose intense, gritty voice won him wide acclaim that spanned both rock and blues, has died at age 70, his agent said. Cocker, who started off playing to small audiences in pubs in his native England, won fame when he jolted the 1969 Woodstock festival with his high-powered version of the Beatles’ “With a Little Help From My Friends” - one of rock’s most successful covers. Cocker - who on stage would flail his arms so wildly that uninitiated crowds wondered if he had neurological problems said in a 1971 movie about him, Mad Dogs and Englishmen, that music served as his release and mused that he could have been a murderer if he had not been a singer. But some of his biggest hits showed a gentler side, including the love ballad You Are So Beau- tiful and Up Where We Belong, a Grammy-winning 1982 duet with Jennifer Warnes that figured prominently in the movie An Officer and a Gentleman. “He was without doubt the greatest rock/soul voice ever to come out of Britain,” his agent, Barrie Marshall, said in a statement announcing his death. Paul McCartney mourned Cocker as a “lovely guy who brought so much to the world.” The former Beatle said that he found Cocker’s version of With a Little Help From My Friends to be “mind-blowing.” The cover “totally turned the song into a soul anthem and I was forever grateful for him for doing that,” McCartney said. Cocker’s label, Sony Music, said that he was suffering lung cancer. The Yorkshire Post, the singer’s hometown newspaper in England, said that he died in the US Rocky Mountain state of Colorado where Cocker and his wife settled in a small town two decades ago. Cocker had remained prolific, releasing his 22nd studio album in 2012. He moved to Colorado as he sobered up after a notoriously hard-partying youth, when his love for alcohol and drugs brought fears that he would be the latest rock star to die young. In 1972, Cocker and his bandmates were arrested in Australia for possession of marijuana and then ordered to leave the country due to a hotel brawl, triggering a debate in Australia about its drug laws. At Woodstock, despite it being a carnival of counter-culture, Cocker recalled that promoters thought that the then unknown singer’s arm movements were too strange and brought attractive women to the stage next to him to deflect attention. Another problem - he had flown in on a separate helicopter and did not know that his entire band was tripping on LSD, he later told the US rock DJ Redbeard. “I didn’t find out until later,” he said. “I thought they were all looking a bit frisky up there.” oris Johnson yesterday issued an urgent public appeal to Christmas revellers not to dial 999 for an ambulance except in a genuine emergency. The mayor urged people with minor fractures or sprains to take themselves to hospital in a taxi or ask relatives to drive them. His plea follows a big increase in pressure on the London Ambulance Service (LAS), which had its busiest week ever ending on December 14, when crews attended 11,008 Category A incidents — the most seriously ill and injured. The head of the LAS revealed that crews have been hampered by non-emergencies — including one call-out for a cat with a broken leg and a person with a tissue stuck in his ear. Johnson told the Standard: “The message is simple — celebrate responsibly and only call an ambulance in a genuine emergency.” City officials fear the service could be stretched to breaking point when millions of Londoners risk getting injured at alcohol-fuelled celebrations of Christmas and the New Year. The scale of the problem was laid out when the mayor chaired a London-wide resilience meeting attended by emergency services, Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe and Transport for London chief Sir Peter Hendy. It was told emergency call-outs are already 16% higher in London this month than last December. Some ambulances were held up waiting to offload ill patients at busy accident & emergency units. At the same time, members of the public were increasingly dialling 999 for help rather than waiting to see their GP or travelling to A&E under their own steam. Johnson said: “Over the festive period and winter I know the public will heed emergency services’ calls for restraint when it comes to calling an ambulance.” The LAS has already in- creased overtime and even asked for support by other regions. People with minor injuries or illnesses are being declined an ambulance and given phone advice or being referred to NHS 111. Its director of operations Jason Killens said: “Each year demand on our service rises. December has been especially busy and the last two weeks were our busiest ever for Category A patients. “In contrast to these lifethreatening incidents, we have also had calls for an emergency ambulance on blue lights for a cat with a broken leg and a person with a tissue in his ear.” A City Hall source said: “Of course LAS don’t and won’t skimp on genuine emergencies. But with practical stuff like a fractured wrist or badly sprained ankle, perhaps a lift with a relative or taking a taxi to A&E rather than calling an ambulance is the answer, leaving crews to deal with serious and life-threatening issues.” Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham said: “The LAS needs more help than this from senior Tories. This is a crisis of their making and it is no good trying to blame the public.” Woman �called 999 to report dead cat’ A woman dialled 999 to report a dead cat on the road, ambulance chiefs have revealed. Another caller rang the emergency services to ask for the number for directory inquiries. The calls are among those highlighted in a campaign called Keep the 999 Line Free For Me, by South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust. The trust said it often received 999 calls from people with minor injuries and even from those trying to get help for animals. The campaign is running throughout the winter and encourages people to question whether they need to ring 999 or instead call the NHS 111 service or seek advice from a pharmacist or GP. Hardhitting posters show people in real emergency situations who do need the 999 service. The trust, which covers Cornwall, Devon, Avon, Dorset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, is receiving 2,500 calls every 24 hours, which it says is an unprecedented number before the Christmas peak. Ed Balls warned over mansion tax plan London Evening Standard London E Ed Balls: levy plan attacked. d Balls was yesterday warned it would be a disaster to hit tens of thousands of Londoners with “mansion tax” bills just weeks before the mayoral election. The shadow chancellor has signalled that he wants to rake in revenue from the controversial levy in 2015-16 to inject £1.2bn more into the NHS. Owners of properties worth more than £2mn could have to declare on their tax return by January 31, 2016, into which of a series of bands above this figure their home’s value fell. They could then get bills of a couple of hundreds of pounds, or more if they live in very high-value homes, before the mayoral election in May 2016. But a senior Labour MP said: “That’s a disaster. The leadership has not thought through the impact on Londoners and the way in which there are people currently in properties (worth less than £2mn) who will fear the tax.” The tax will disproportionately be levied on Londoners given that property prices in the capital are so much higher than other regions of Britain. Polling by YouGov has shown while far more Londoners support the tax than oppose it, one in seven fears they will end up worse off as a result of it. Balls has made clear he believes the Treasury should be “gearing up” to swiftly bring in the levy if Labour wins power. He denied the move amounted to retrospective legislation to impose the tax in 2015-16, which would have started before the general election in May. As a “backstop,” Labour would legislate, if it wins power, for the mansion tax to start in 2016-17, Balls added. Several of Labour’s mayoral hopefuls have voiced concerns over the levy, though shadow London minister Sadiq Khan said it was “absolutely fair”. Bob Neill, Conservative vicechairman for local government and MP for Bromley and Chislehurst, said: “It would be bizarre for a Labour government to shoot itself in the foot by bringing in a tax which discriminates against London home owners just before the mayoral election.” 24 Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 EUROPE Anti-Islam party flayed by German business AFP Berlin A Ukrainians drum with the empty metal barrels during their rally in front of the Parliament as Ukrainian lawmakers discuss the state budget, in Kiev. Kiev takes historic step toward Nato Kiev is seeking Nato’s protective umbrella AFP Kiev U kraine took a historic step toward Nato yesterday in a parliamentary vote certain to stoke Russia’s anger ahead of talks on ending the ex-Soviet state’s separatist war. Lawmakers in the government-controlled chamber overwhelmingly adopted a bill dropping Ukraine’s non-aligned status—a classification given to states such as Switzerland which refuse to join military alliances and thus play no part in wars. President Petro Poroshenko had vowed to put Ukraine under Western military protection after winning an election called in the wake of the February ouster in Kiev of a Moscow-backed president. “Ukraine’s fight for its independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty has turned into a decisive factor in our relations with the world,” Poroshenko told foreign ambassadors in Kiev on Monday night. Ukraine assumed neutrality under strong Russian pressure in 2010. It had sought Nato membership in the early postSoviet era but—its once-mighty army in ruins and riven by corruption—was never viewed as a serious candidate. Last winter’s revolution in Kiev upset Russian president Vladimir Putin’s plans to enlist Ukraine in a new, Kremlin-led bloc that could rival both Nato and the European Union. And Moscow had set Kiev’s exclusion from all military blocs as a condition for any deal on ending the pro-Russian uprising that has killed 4,700 in the eastern Ukrainian rustbelt in the past eight months. Putin’s view of Nato as modern Russia’s biggest threat has only been reinforced by this year’s dramatic spike in East-West tensions over Ukraine. “In essence, an application for Nato membership will turn Ukraine into a potential military opponent for Russia,” Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev warned in a Facebook post Monday. He said that Ukraine’s rejection of neutrality and a new Russian sanctions law that US President Barack Obama signed on Friday “will both have very negative consequences.” “And our country will have to respond to them,” Medvedev added. Perhaps the most immediate threat will be to delicate peace talks this week in the Belarussian capital Minsk that Poroshenko announced on Monday. Poroshenko said the deal for Kiev and rebel negotiators to meet in the presence of Russian and European envoys on Wednesday and Friday was struck during a joint call with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande—the West’s top mediators on Ukraine. The last two rounds of Minsk consultations in September produced a truce and the outlines of a broader peace agreement that gave the two separatist regions partial self-rule for three years within a united Ukraine. But the deals were followed by more fighting that killed at least 1,300 people. The insurgents’ decision to stage their own leadership polls in violation of the Minsk rules effectively ended political talks between the two sides. A new meeting in Minsk had been hung up by Kiev’s refusal to discuss ending the suspension of social security and other benefit payments to the rebel-run districts, which Poroshenko announced last month. Ukraine’s leaders suspect the money is being stolen by militias in the Russianspeaking Lugansk and Donetsk regions and used to finance their war. Donetsk negotiator Denis Pushilin stressed that Kiev’s continuing refusal to budge on the issue could still prevent talks from going ahead. “We have no information about the date of any meeting in Minsk,” Pushilin told AFP by telephone. “We are ready to meet, or we could conduct a videoconference,” said the rebel envoy. “But only along the lines of the agenda that we discussed before,” he said in reference to the suspended payments. Ukraine’s finance minister has forecast the economy will shrink by 4.3% next year and warned of the huge challenge of getting state finances in order, as she presented a draft budget to parliament. France waves a discreet goodbye to super-tax Reuters Paris W hen president Francois Hollande unveiled a “super-tax” on the rich in 2012, some feared an exodus of business, sporting and artistic talent. One adviser warned it was a Socialist step too far that would turn France into “Cuba without sun”. Two years on, with the tax due to expire at the end of this month, the mass emigration has not happened. But the damage to France’s appeal as a home for top earners has been great, and the pickings from the levy paltry. “The reform clearly damaged France’s reputation and competitiveness,” said Jorg Stegemann, head of Kennedy Executive, an executive search firm based in France and Germany. “It clearly has become hard- er to attract international senior managers to come to France than it was,” he added. Hollande first floated the 75% super-tax on earnings over €1mn a year in his 2012 campaign to oust his conservative rival Nicolas Sarkozy. It fired up left-wing voters and helped him unseat the incumbent. Yet ever since, it has been a thorn in his side, helping little in France’s effort to bring its public deficit within European Union limits and mixing the message just as Hollande sought to promote a more probusiness image. The adviser who made the “Cuba” gag was Emmanuel Macron, the exbanker who is now his economy minister. The Finance Ministry estimates the proceeds from the tax amounted to €260mn in its first year and 160mn in the second. That’s broadly in line with expectations, but tiny compared with a budget deficit which had reached €84.7bn by the end of October. A first version of the tax payable by the earners themselves was thrown out by the Constitutional Court as punitive. A final version obliged companies to pay the levy instead. French soccer clubs briefly threatened to go on strike, and actor Gerard Depardieu took up Russian residency in a one-man protest against the French tax burden, among the highest in the world. Others were making more discreet arrangements. “A few went abroad—to Luxembourg, the UK,” said tax lawyer Jean-Philippe Delsol, author on a book on tax exiles called Why I Am Going To Leave France. “But in most cases, it was discussed with their company and agreed to limit salaries during the two years and come to an arrangement afterwards,” he told Reuters by telephone. Hollande and his govern- ment have since sought to relieve business of around 40bn euros of taxes and other charges, as unemployment at over 10% drives home the urgent need to attract investment to the sickly French economy. It was no accident that prime minister Manuel Valls— alongside Macron the main reformer in Hollande’s cabinet—chose a visit to London in October to confirm that the super tax would not be renewed: his British counterpart David Cameron famously offered to “roll out the red carpet” to French tax exiles. But Delsol said the saga had made his clients more nervous about investing their time and money in France and had only added to mistrust of a complex tax system which successive governments have failed to reform. “People have lost confidence,” he said. “That is not something you can restore overnight.” A year of revolution and war with pro-Russian separatists has pushed the hryvnia currency to record lows and crippled the economy, which was already near bankruptcy after years of corruption and economic mismanagement. Finance minister Natalia Yaresko said 30% of next year’s budget would be spent on defence and debt obligations and the deficit would be 3.7% of GDP. “A difficult year awaits us,” Yaresko told deputies, who are under pressure to approve a budget as soon as possible in order to get the next tranche of financial aid under a $17bn International Monetary Fund loan package. Yaresko highlighted the financial toll of the standoff with eastern rebels, saying the conflict cost the government 100mn hryvnia ($6.3mn) every day. “Without the help of foreign partners we won’t be able to overcome the crisis,” she said. Earlier this month Kiev said it needed the IMF to expand its bailout programme due to the worsened economic outlook, but the Fund and Ukraine’s other Western backers have made it clear any further financial assistance will hinge on Kiev implementing long-promised reforms. Prime minister Arseny Yatseniuk said the proposed budget was drafted based on a forecast average rate for the national hryvnia currency of 17 to the dollar. The average hryvnia rate at a daily central bank auction on Tuesday was 15.75. The currency has weakened nearly 50 percent since the start of the year. powerful German business leader slammed a growing anti-Islam movement in the country yesterday, saying Europe’s top economy needed more immigration to remain competitive and should take in more asylum seekers. The president of the German Federation of Industry, Ulrich Grillo, said the emergence of the group “Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident” or Pegida, which has been holding weekly marches, was undermining the country’s interests and values. “We have long been a land of immigration and we must remain so,” he told German news agency DPA. “As a prosperous country, and also out of Christian love for our fellow man, our country should take in more refugees.” Grillo blasted the Pegida protests, which organisers have billed as a grassroots movement, calling participants “neo-Nazis and xenophobes”. He said the group was trying to harness fears of Islamist terrorism “to smear a whole religion” which he called “unacceptable”. Grillo’s federation represents the political interests of more than 100,000 companies employing around 8mn people. He said Germany’s rapidly ageing population needed a strong influx of qualified newcomers to support the economy and the social welfare system. “Considering our demo- graphic development, immigration ensures growth and prosperity,” he said. He urged political leaders to do more to stand up to Pegida. “The political class has got to try harder to make citizens see the opportunities and diminish their fears,” he said. The government’s top official for integration, Aydan Ozoguz, agreed that Berlin could not afford to simply wait for Pegida to fade away. “We need to do more to educate people. That takes longer but has a longer-term impact,” she told AFP. Ozoguz attributed Pegida’s rise to everything from “personal fears of slipping living standards to the fear of becoming an ethnic minority to a vague fear of Islam”. A record 17,500 people joined a Pegida march against the “Islamisation” of Germany in the eastern city of Dresden late Monday in the 10th demonstration in as many weeks, with smaller clone groups rallying in three western cities. About 4,500 people marched in a counter demonstration under the slogan “Dresden Nazi-free”, warning that there was no room for racism and xenophobia in the country that perpetrated the Holocaust. Politicians from all major parties have been stunned by the emergence of the rightwing nationalists who vent their anger against what they consider a broken immigration and asylum system. Pegida said it would not hold a rally next Monday, between Christmas and New Year’s Day, in order to give police guarding the protests a break. Town hall wins in nativity wars Traditionalists won another victory yesterday in France’s annual nativity wars as a court allowed a town hall south of Paris to keep its display on the birth of Jesus Christ that has angered secularists. The administrative court in Melun went against the recommendations of the magistrate’s office which on Friday suggested the creche be removed as it was a religious symbol and more than just a tradition. Town mayor Gerard Millet hailed the decision, saying the nativity scene was not an act of provocation. “It is a cultural element which has its place among Christmas decorations,” he said. The decision comes after a court in the southern French city of Montpellier on Friday backed the far-right mayor of nearby Beziers and allowed his town hall to keep its nativity scene. The beloved Christian tradition of putting up an exhibition of the birth of Jesus Christ angers strict secularists in the country which in 1905 signed into law the separation between the church and the state. Authorities in Vendee, the traditional heartland of French Catholicism, are currently appealing a recent court ruling that ordered the removal of nativity scenes in the headquarters of the regional assembly. Doctors protest French doctors protest in Lyon against an upcoming health bill, prompting fears that hospitals already bracing for a busy Christmas period will be seriously overrun. Three unions have called on general practitioners to close shop in protest at certain aspects of the bill, which notably will allow pharmacists to vaccinate patients -- an act that is currently almost exclusively reserved for doctors. Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 25 EUROPE Greek PM still short in second round vote Reuters Athens G People visit the Christmas market in the western French city of Nantes yesterday, a day after a man rammed into shoppers with his car. France ups security after spate of attacks France has stepped up security to ease fears at a festive time AFP Paris F rench Prime Minister Manuel Valls stepped up security nationwide yesterday following three successive, apparently unrelated bloody attacks, in a bid to ease growing unease in the country. While the motives behind the incidents—a knife attack on police and two car rampages onto passers-by—remain unclear, the violence has jarred nerves after repeated jihadist calls for “lone wolf” action in France over its fight against Islamic extremism. Altogether, 26 people were injured in the attacks, one of whom was pronounced clinically dead yesterday. Valls stressed that the three incidents were “distinct”, urging the French to keep calm while stressing security would be heightened. “Two hundred to 300 extra soldiers will be deployed in the coming hours” on top of 780 forces already mobilised, he said live on television. Security patrols will also be increased in shopping areas, city centres, stations and on public transport, he added. The violence began on Saturday when a man was shot dead after attempting to enter a police station in the central town of Joue-les-Tours while shouting slogans and attacking three officers with a knife, two of whom were seriously injured. Then on Sunday evening, a driver ploughed into pedestrians in Dijon in the French soldiers patrol the Christmas market. east, injuring 13 people and also shouting the same Islamic phrase which has in the past been used by extremists when waging violent attacks. And on Monday night, another man rammed into a bustling Christmas market with his car in the western city of Nantes, injuring 10 people—one of whom is now clinically dead—before stabbing himself repeatedly and being arrested.The attacks both differ widely and present disturbing similarities, and Valls acknowledged there could be a copycat effect. “Unbalanced individuals can act. They can be receptive to or influenced by propaganda messages or the power of images,” he said. Authorities have for months been on tenterhooks over the threat of violence inspired by Islamic extremism. In September, the radical Islamic State group that controls swathes of Iraq and Syria urged Muslims around the world to kill “in any manner” those from countries involved in a coalition fighting its jihadists, singling out the French. Among instructions detailing how to kill civilians or military personnel was to “run him over with your car”. But while the probe into Saturday’s attack is veering towards extremism—the Burundian convert to Islam who assaulted police had posted an Islamic State flag on his Facebook page—the car rampages appear to have been committed by people with psychological problems. Both prosecutors in charge of probing these incidents insisted they were not “terrorist acts”. The assailant in Dijon, for instance, had been to psychiatric hospitals 157 times, local prosecutor Marie-Christine Tarrare told reporters. She said he told police that he ploughed into people due to a sudden “outburst of empathy for the children of Chechnya” and had shouted “Allahu Akbar” to give him courage. Interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve meanwhile said the attacker in Nantes also appeared to be “unbalanced” and not motivated by politics or religion. A source close to the investigation said that after slamming into shoppers, the driver stabbed himself in the chest “at least nine times”, causing himself serious injuries. “We must not panic, lump things together, give in to fear,” warned President Francois Hollande on a trip to overseas French territory Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon. Nevertheless, the government faced criticism that it was minimising the threat, at a time when more than 1,000 nationals are thought to be involved in jihad on home soil, or in Syria and Iraq. Saturday’s assailant Bertrand Nzohabonayo was not on a domestic intelligence watch-list but his brother Brice is well known for his radical views and was arrested in Burundi soon after the incident. Nzohabonayo’s mother had also told authorities that she was worried about Brice’s radicalisation and “the influence he could have on his brother Bertrand,” said Paris prosecutor Francois Molins, whose office is in charge of the probe. The assailant in Dijon, meanwhile, had taken an interest in religion and started wearing a djellaba—a long robe worn in Muslim countries—just a week ago, according to his mother. Under pressure over CIA jail, Poles send out mixed messages Reuters Warsaw T his month’s acknowledgment by Poland’s former president that he allowed the CIA to operate a secret interrogation centre throws the Polish government’s appeal against a European court ruling on the jail into disarray. In July, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that two inmates of the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay were held in a CIA jail run in a Polish forest in 2002 and 2003, had been subject to torture, and that Poland failed in its duty under human rights law to prevent that happening or investigate. The Polish appeal, contained in a letter reviewed by Reuters, said it was unproven a CIA jail operated in Poland and that if it had, officials might not have been aware. It was sent two months before ex-president Alexander Kwasniewski broke with years of blanket denials by Polish officials by saying he had agreed to let the CIA use a secret site but did not know prisoners were being tortured there. The mixed messages underscore the pressure US allies have come under with the release of details of the secret detention programme set up by the CIA in the wake of the September 2001 attacks on US cities, complicating future security ties. Kwasniewski’s acknowledgment of the existence of the jail for the first time was prompted by a US Senate report into the CIA programme. Poland’s appeal had said the European court admitted it did not have “any direct evidence that the applicants were in the territory of the Republic of Poland and that the respondent state was not in possession of such evidence”. Reuters asked the foreign ministry whether it had known, when it sent the letter to the Strasbourg-based court, that the jail existed with the consent of officials at the time. In a written response, the ministry said only that court procedure did not let it amend its appeal in the light of new infor- mation and that Poland was conducting its own investigation into allegations of a CIA jail. Helen Duffy, a lawyer for one of the plaintiffs in the European court case, Abu Zubaydah, said that after the Senate report and Kwasniewski’s comments, it was now more difficult for the government to argue there is insufficient evidence of its knowledge about the jail. “It is absurd to suggest that Poland agreed to house a secret CIA detention site but is not responsible as it turned a blind eye and didn’t know exactly what was happening there and to whom.” The European court ruled Poland had violated its human rights commitments by allowing the CIA to hold people on Polish soil without allowing them a court hearing or giving them access to lawyers. It has no direct implications for individual Polish officials, but its ruling that Poland had failed to properly investigate allegations about the case adds to pressure for the completion of a Polish inquiry into the jail launched in 2008. The foreign ministry said recent information would be taken into account in that inquiry, implying both the Senate report and Kwasniewski’s statement making clear Polish officials were aware of the site and concerned by US secrecy about what it was doing there. It did not say how it would be considered. “It is hoped that the material will help bring the investigation to a conclusive end,” its statement said, without elaborating. The rules of the European court mean it can only consider the existing case file when deciding whether to allow a rehearing. If a re-hearing is allowed, the new information can be considered. A spokeswoman for the court declined to comment. Dated October 23, the letter containing the appeal, which has not been previously reported, questions the standards of proof used by the court in determining that Abu Zubaydah and the second man, Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri were in Poland, describing the evidence cited by the court as mostly circumstantial. reek Pprime Minister Antonis Samaras failed to capture the support needed to elect a new president in a second round of voting yesterday and now needs another 12 votes in the final round next week to avert a snap general election. Samaras’ nominee, Stavros Dimas, the only candidate in the race, had not been expected to win the second round and the score of 168 votes was broadly in line with expectations. But it leaves the result of the decisive third round on December 29, when Samaras needs 180 votes, finely balanced. There were 131 blank votes yesterday, which count against the candidate, and one absentee. Parliament must elect a president or a general election would have to be held by early February, potentially bringing in the leftwing Syriza party which wants to renegotiate Greece’s international bailout and roll back the austerity policies of recent years. The second round vote followed an offer by Samaras at the weekend to bring proEuropean independents into his government and hold early elections late next year if Dimas is elected. Greek stocks trimmed losses in the minutes following the result, with the main Athens index trading 2.1 percent lower by 1052 GMT. Samaras must now concentrate on winning over independents and rebels from the smaller parties. Both the Democratic Left, which left the ruling coalition last year and Independent Greeks, a right-wing antibailout party, have said they would not vote for Dimas. But it is unclear how much discipline they can impose on their members and a furious round of lobbying and telephone calls is likely over Christmas. Two Democratic Left lawmakers announced they were leaving the party to sit as independents just minutes before the vote. Financial markets and Greece’s European partners have been watching the presidential election closely, although after the crisis measures of the past two years, most analysts believe there is now less risk of wider contagion, with most Greek debt held by official creditors. Syriza still leads in the opinion polls but its advantage has narrowed over recent weeks and a survey at the weekend gave it a lead of 3.4 points. The party has sounded a more moderate note lately, seeking to reassure Europe that it would be a responsible negotiating partner and would keep Greece in the euro. But a victory would signal a major shift in the politics of the euro zone, for the first time bringing in a government openly opposed to the Brussels consensus which has governed the bloc’s response to the wider crisis. Erdogan urged to respect due process Reuters Brussels D onald Tusk, president of the European Council of EU leaders, urged Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan yesterday to ensure fair treatment of recent detainees, a week after sharp exchanges between the bloc and its prospective Muslim member. In a statement couched in diplomatic language, the former Polish prime minister said he and Erdogan discussed in a telephone call how to improve relations. He said the European Union welcomed Turkey’s efforts to care for Syrian refugees. But referring to the arrests of journalists and others close to an opponent of Erdogan, Tusk added: “We also discussed developments in Turkey, including recent detentions and the importance of an impartial and transparent process in this regard. We agreed to remain in close contact and both looked forward to a meeting at the earliest possible opportunity.” A week ago, Erdogan effectively told the EU to mind its own business after its foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and its commissioner in charge of membership negotiations described the arrests as incompatible with the bloc’s democratic values. “We have no concern about what the EU might say, whether the EU accepts us as members or not, we have no such concern,” the Turkish leader had said. “Please keep your wisdom to yourself.” Mogherini had said she was especially surprised by the moves against allies of cleric Fethullah Gulen because they came just days after she led one of the highest-level EU visits to Turkey in years, aiming to revive a relationship that has been strained by European criticism of authoritarian tendencies in Ankara. The German government said Turkey should remove doubts over its “commitment to basic democratic principles” following the raids on December 14, in which 24 people including executives and former police chiefs were held. On December 19, an Istanbul court ordered the arrest of Gulen, who lives in the United States. Erdogan has accused Gulen, a former ally, of plotting to seize power. He has purged Gulen supporters from key positions. The statement by Tusk, who took office this month and hosted his first summit of EU leaders on Thursday, added to impressions that he plans to play a more visible role in diplomacy than his low-key Belgian predecessor Herman Van Rompuy. Turkey began negotiations to join the EU in 2005, 18 years after applying. But political obstacles, especially over the divided island of Cyprus, and resistance from powerful countries like Germany and France have slowed its progress towards membership. 26 Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 INDIA PEOPLE CRIME INSURGENCY AGREEMENT PEOPLE Veteran filmmaker Balachander dies Acid thrown at woman doctor Seven killed in Bodo attack in Assam Media training for Bahrainis Sonia discharged from hospital Popular Tamil filmmaker K Balachander, who was in a Chennai hospital for the last few days, died yesterday, his manager said. He was 84. Balachander, who was admitted to Cauvery Hospital last Monday, was suffering from urinary infection and other age-related ailments. “He was recovering well over the last few days but his condition deteriorated this morning,” the manager said. Balachander has over 150 films to his credit including Aval Ora Thodar Kathai, Avargal, Varumayin Niram Sigappu and 47 Natkal. Acid was thrown at a 30-year-old woman doctor at a crowded market in the national capital yesterday morning by two motorcycle-riding assailants, police said. Amrita Kaur, working at the Employees State Insurance (ESI) hospital, was attacked around 9.30am in west Delhi’s Rajouri Garden area. The unidentified attackers also snatched her bag before speeding away, police said. Kaur was heading towards the hospital in Bali Nagar area, barely a few kilometres from where she was attacked. According to the police official, Kaur received burn injuries on the right side of her face and head. She was rushed to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) where her condition is said to be out of danger. At least seven people were killed when Bodo militants fired indiscriminately in two villages in Assam yesterday evening, police said. The attacks by militants of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) faction opposed to peace talks took place in Saralpara village in Kokrajhar district and Santipur village in Sonitpur district, Inspector General of Police S N Singh said. Four people were killed in Saralpara, and three in Santipur. The militants attacked the villages as a response to intensified operation by the security forces, Singh said. The NDFB had on Monday triggered a grenade blast in Patgaon in Kokrajhar district, injuring three people. Bahrain has approved the signing of an agreement between the information ministries of India and Bahrain for training Bahrain’s media professionals. “Bahrainis would get a chance to learn from India’s experience in motion picture production, advance technology and publication,” said Information Affairs Minister and official government spokesman Isa al-Hammadi. “We will learn from India how to develop our media sector,” Gulf Daily News yesterday quoted Hammadi as saying during a media briefing. “The Indian media sector has already reached an advanced stage especially in motion pictures,” he said. “India is also a world leader in modern media technology and we will try to utilise this to the highest level possible.” Congress Party president Sonia Gandhi was discharged from hospital in New Delhi yesterday after five days’ of treatment for a respiratory tract infection, a hospital official said. Gandhi, 68, was admitted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital on Thursday with breathing difficulties. She had been discharged and her condition was stable, hospital official D S Rana said. “She has been advised rest and to continue her medications.” After two terms in power during her tenure, the Congress lost to the Bharatiya Janata Party of current Prime Minister Narendra Modi in general elections held in April and May. There have been concerns over Gandhi’s health since she went to the US for surgery in 2011 for an undisclosed illness. Dramatic fall in birth rate: study Concern over huge cut in healthcare expenditure AFP New Delhi I ndia’s birth rate declined dramatically in the last two decades due in part to rising female literacy, a new study shows, but experts warned against complacency in the country of 1.2bn. The Total Fertility Rate - the number of children the average woman will have in her lifetime based on current trends - fell to just 2.3 last year from 3.6 in 1991, according to official figures released on Monday. Improvements in female literacy were having “a direct impact on fertility,” said the report, called the Sample Registration Survey. India, which is set to become the world’s most populated country in the next decade, has been trying for decades to curb population growth. “The new data shows India does not need to panic,” said Poonam Muttreja, director of the Population Foundation of India, a non-profit advocacy and research group. “Even the poorest and most marginalised women want no more than two children, thanks to the country’s focus on family planning in recent years.” While the national government officially abandoned targets for family planning in 1996, local authorities still offer cash incentives to women who undergo sterilisation. Rights groups say this amounts to coercion. The problem was highlighted last month when 13 women died after a government-run mass sterilisation programme in the central state of Chhattisgarh. “We have to give the women a basket of choices. Investing in informed family planning choices prevents maternal and child mortality,” said Muttreja. “Also, population stabilisation and demographic dividend can only happen when our youngsters are educated and trained for employment.” Move could crimp efforts to control the spread of diseases, say experts Reuters New Delhi T A health official immunises newly-born babies inside the maternity ward of a government hospital in Agartala, the capital of the northeastern state of Tripura. India’s birth rate declined dramatically in the last two decades due in part to rising female literacy, a new study shows. he Indian government has ordered a cut of nearly 20% in its 2014/15 healthcare budget due to fiscal strains, putting at risk key disease control initiatives in a country whose public spending on health is already among the lowest in the world. Two health ministry officials said yesterday that more than Rs60bn, ($948mn), has been slashed from their budget allocation of around $5bn for the financial year ending on March 31. Despite rapid economic growth over the past two decades, successive governments have kept a tight rein on healthcare expenditure. India spends about 1% of its gross domestic product (GDP) on public health, compared to 3% in China and 8.3% in the US. But hopes were high that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was elected in May, would upgrade basic health infrastructure and make medical services more affordable for the poor. The UN estimates about onethird of the world’s 1.2bn poorest people live in India. “We were not expecting (budget cuts) this time because of the commitments they made in the manifesto,” one of the health ministry officials said, referring to Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). “No reason was given ... but there is shortage of funds. It is not rocket science.” The officials requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. The finance ministry, which ordered the spending reduction and overruled objections from the health ministry at a recent meeting, did not respond immediately to requests for comment. The move reflects the government’s struggle to achieve its 2014/15 fiscal deficit target of 4.1% of GDP. Dominated by private players, India’s healthcare industry is growing at an annual clip of around 15%, but public spending has remained low and resulted in a dilapidated network of government hospitals and clinics, especially in rural areas. One of the health ministry officials said the cut could crimp efforts to control the spread of diseases. More newborns die in India than in poorer neighbours such as Bangladesh, and preventable illnesses such as diarrhoea kill more than a million children every year. The retrenchment could also derail an ambitious universal healthcare programme that Modi wants to launch in April. The plan aims to provide all citizens with free drugs and diagnostic treatments, as well as insurance benefits. The cost of that programme over the next four years had been estimated at Rs1.6tn ($25bn). The health ministry officials had been expecting a jump in their budget for the coming year, in part to pay for this extra cost. “Even next year we don’t think we’ll get a huge amount of money,” said one official, adding that it was now unclear how the new programme would be funded. In addition to the healthcare budget, the finance ministry has also ordered a spending cut for India’s HIV/Aids programme by about 30% to Rs13bn ($205.4mn). India had the third-largest number of people living with HIV in the world at the end of 2013, according to the UNAids programme, and it accounts for more than half of all Aids-related deaths in the Asia-Pacific. In October, India was on the brink of running out of a critical medicine in its free HIV/ Aids drugs programme due to bureaucratic delays. A crisis was averted with the assistance of pharmaceutical companies and global health organisations. Still, health activists complain about dire shortages of several HIV/Aids diagnostic kits. “We are all in shock. That shows the kind of importance the government attaches to public health,” said Leena Menghaney, a New Delhi-based public health activist. “This will undermine the HIV programme in the long run.” An angry Mamata is squandering her opportunities F or more than three decades the communists were in power in West Bengal. It was, by a long shot, the world’s longest-serving leftist government in a democracy. Through a series of strikes, shut-downs and blockades in the name of governance, they managed to reduce Kolkata from a highly industrialised and culturally vibrant city to a povertystricken, crime-infested basket case. The Marxists would brook no opposition to their skewed socialist ideology and if anyone dared otherwise, a visit from the “comrades” would settle issue once and for all. A body bag would float in the Hooghly that same night. An independent report by noted economists Bibek Debroy and Laveesh Bhandari, after evaluating the state’s inexorable slide into miserable poverty, had described West Bengal under the CPM thus: “This is not a democracy. It is a kleistocracy, an aristocracy for the the party.” So, when Mamata Banerjee dared them in 2011 and came up with a thumping majority in the state assembly elections, the collective sigh of relief could be heard all the way up here in New Delhi. They danced on the streets of Kolkata. There was genuine jubilation that not only had the Bengali been rid of a poison that had affected him for a generation but had, in turn, managed to in- stall a true people’s leader who knew exactly what ailed the state and how to remedy the situation. Indeed Banerjee set off on the right note. One of her first decisions after becoming chief minister was to return nearly 400 acres to farmers of Singur, fertile agricultural land that was somewhat forcibly acquired by the Marxist government as part of a plan to establish a special economic zone for an Indonesian firm. Fresh regulations were brought in to help improve education and healthcare. A solution to the longstanding Gorkhaland issue was hammered out by establishing a new territorial administration. Considering how the Marxists had turned Kolkata into an unsafe city, law and order received special attention from the chief minister herself. Everything looked moving towards a resurgent West Bengal. Time magazine voted Banerjee as one of the top 100 most influential women in the world. And then something snapped. Or so it seems. Banerjee, or �Didi’ as she is affectionately called by fellow-Bengalis and much of her admirers outside the state, started seeing demons, as it were, in anything and everything that was critical of her or her party. Even the 2012 gang-rape of a 37-year-old Anglo-Indian woman in a moving taxi - which eventually came to be known as Delhi Diary A K B Krishnan the Park Street rape case - was, according to Banerjee, a conspiracy against her government whereas ultimately her own police force cracked the case after an year-long investigation and proved that there was no politics involved. The chief minister’s post is an august one. You expect standard-bearing sense of decorum, both in action and words, from the chief minister. OK, that’s a bit much in the present Indian context. But you don’t want your chief minister to use language that could send film censors on overdrive. But the �Didi’ could not be bothered about such niceties. Her by-now notorious “bamboo” profanity to describe what she felt of the CPM has got much of Bengal outraged. And rage has been the prime emotion on display in Banerjee’s interactions lately. Like her attack on the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for its actions against her minions in the multibillion rupee �Ponzi’ scam that is currently hogging the headlines. It reached such a state that she led a protest against herself, in a manner of speaking. She got Kolkata to shut down as she and her legion took to the streets last week to protest against the arrest of her transport minister Madan Mitra. Apart from the giant gridlock it caused on the streets of that crowded, crumbling city, �Didi’s’ effort resulted in the loss of a few million manhours, the economic impact of which, in the ultimate analysis, she herself would have to face up to. Crippling normal life in Kolkata was Banerjee’s way of protesting against New Delhi. The last time a state chief minister sat in protest in his own backyard you know what happened. No, Banerjee is in no danger of losing her grip over West Bengal in the near future, unlike what happened to Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi. But you will end up shooting yourself in the foot if you react emotionally to what is strictly a matter of law. The Supreme Court had entrusted the task of investigating the Saradha scam to the CBI. And although the court is not overseeing the day-to-day progress of the investigation, say, as in the 2G scam, it is well aware of what is going on. The case was assigned to the CBI as far back on May 9, 2013. That was more than a year before Narendra Modi became prime minister. But Banerjee would have us believe that Modi is behind everything that the CBI is doing. If the agency has arrested three of her close confidantes with what it claims to be incontrovertible proof of having their hands in the Saradha till, then it’s Modi who is getting it done. In its defence of the arrest of Mitra, the CBI had produced, among other things, several photos of the minister with Saradha boss Sudipta Sen. Mitra had also publicly exhorted Bengalis to deposit their savings in Saradha schemes. But Banerjee took it upon herself to harangue the prime minister saying she had photos of Modi with discredited Sahara India boss Subrato Roy, who is now in jail, and wanted to know why the prime minister should not be arrested! That’s the level of debate she has brought the issue to. It is OK if the matter is confined to allegations and counter-allegations. A rumbustious, disorderly democracy like India can, to a large extent, take such things in its stride. But it really hurts when the nation’s parliament is held hostage to the whim and fancy of a regional leader. Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress is leaving no stone unturned to disturb normal legislative business, especially in the upper house, under one pretext or the other. That fringe elements of the saffron brigade have been doing their best to add fuel to the fire should not diminish the fact that Modi himself had made it clear on the floor of parliament that his government’s focus on development will not be derailed. But small minds of Trinamool and its ilk have their own agendas. Reports say that Banerjee had asked her party’s MPs to attack the ruling BJP for what she calls “vendetta politics” and they have been doing a very faithful job of it. For more than ten days now all that the upper house has witnessed is shouting and adjournments. The Congress, for its part, found the situation especially to its liking and has joined the shouting match. At least one Congress member of Rajya Sabha had to be named by the Chairman and expelled from the house. Trinamool spokesman and Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brian has declared that his party would not let the house function. Of course it is primarily the ruling dispensation’s responsibility to make sure that parliament functions to the best of its ability and that legislative work is never disrupted. But an op- position bent on disruption can leave even the best intentions of the government of the day in disarray. Several key economic policy reforms were to have been tabled in the ongoing session of parliament but the chaos in the Rajya Sabha has set everything back. But national interest and greater common good are not on the agenda of parochialist political formations. Parties in Tamil Nadu are perhaps prime examples of this. If Banerjee has proof that charges against her partymen in the Saradha scam are baseless, she must defend them in court to the best of her ability and let the court decide one way or the other. (On the other hand, suspended Trinamool MP Kunal Ghosh has claimed he has evidence that even Banerjee is involved in the scam). Disrupting public life in Kolkata and obstructing informed debate in parliament are not the ways to defend alleged culprits in a Ponzi scam. Nor is it a path to progress. Getting rid of the communist yoke off the Bengali’s shoulders was a great achievement. But that was only half the battle won. The other half is to make sure that West Bengal becomes a healthy, educated and prosperous state. That’s still a work in progress. If Banerjee allows herself to deviate from this narrative then she will have only herself to blame. Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 27 INDIA BJP makes history in Kashmir, is to form govt in Jharkhand Modi’s party extends its grip on the country after a landslide general election victory in May Agencies New Delhi P rime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party made big electoral gains in Jammu and Kashmir and captured power in the eastern state of Jharkhand yesterday, underscoring the party’s dominance of the political landscape. The BJP made history by finishing a close second in a verdict that exposed the deep divide between the largely Muslim Kashmir Valley and Hindu-majority Jammu region. It won 25 of 87 seats, its best showing ever in the state, but still way short of a simple majority that it wanted to seize power. Modi himself campaigned heavily across Kashmir, a top priority for his party which wants closer integration of the revolt-torn state with the rest of the country. Still, it will remain a key player in the state where no single group attained a majority, raising the prospect of a coalition government led by the regional People’s Democratic Party (PDP) which won 28 seats. The PDP was part of a coalition that ruled the state during a period of relative peace between 2002 and 2008. Both the BJP and the PDP benefited from widespread public discontent over the state’s ruling National Conference party’s handling of devastating September floods that killed over 200 people in Kashmir. The National Conference of outgoing Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who got elected from Beerwah but lost in Sonwar, won 15 seats, disproving critics who felt it might be wiped out. Its estranged ally Congress finished with 12 seats - five less than last time. Seven seats went to smaller parties and independents including two bagged by the People’s Conference of Sajjad Lone, a former separatist leader. Yusuf Tarigami, a veteran Marxist, won again from Kashmir Valley. All BJP’s gains in the monthlong staggered polls came in Jammu. The PDP dominated in the Kashmir Valley, where the Hindu nationalists failed to win a single seat. Hina Bhat, a photogenic Muslim woman who became the face of the BJP during the elections, failed to win her seat in the state’s main city of Srinagar. The BJP had hoped to win 44 seats - enough to take power on its own in Kashmir. That did not happen. But a PDP-BJP coalition would give them the numbers to comfortably form a coalition government. PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti said it would take time to form a government to provide “good governance”. Her party spokesman Samir Kaul, however, said that “an alliance with the BJP is not ruled out.” Mehbooba added: “It is not a decisive mandate. It is not even according to our expectations. We could not get the kind of result we had expected.” She refused to say if her party would prefer to sail with the BJP or the Congress. “We are looking for a government which is based on an agenda... the agenda of good governance. “It will take time to find out what formulations can give good governance. We will take our time... We are not in a hurry.” Separatists rejected the election and militants stepped up attacks to disrupt the month-long vote. “In Jammu and Kashmir we have improved our position significantly. We are now a relevant party in Jammu and Kashmir,” BJP president Amit Shah told a press conference in New Delhi as the results came in. BJP supporters celebrate the party’s performance in the Kashmir assembly elections in Jammu, yesterday. “I believe that voters have endorsed Modi’s style of governance.” Although the final decision on forging an alliance would rest on Modi and Shah, BJP sources said opinion within was split on who the party should go with - the PDP or National Conference. The BJP did not field any senior leader or known face in the election. Instead, the party projected Modi as the answer to Kashmir’s long-standing problems. Modi visited the state six times to campaign and focused mainly on issues of development. He also spoke against corruption and dynastic rule. On his part, the outgoing chief minister said the best possible combination would be one involving the BJP and PDP and chided the Congress for making overtures to the PDP for the sake of tripping the BJP. “I have accepted the people’s verdict,” he said. “But those who thought we would do badly very badly have been proved wrong.” Riding on the Modi wave, the BJP won its 25 seats in the Jammu region, where only six Congress candidates won. But the BJP got only 2% of votes in the Kashmir Valley. The National Conference and PDP won two seats each in Jammu region and got the rest in the valley, the epicentre of a dragging separatist campaign. Three of the four seats in the Buddhist-dominated Ladakh region went to the Congress. The fourth seat was taken by an independent supported by the National Conference. Voters in the mineral-rich Jharkhand gave the BJP a clear majority, potentially making it easier for Modi’s government to kickstart mining projects urgently needed to 2014 has been unprecedented for party: Shah People have voted for stability, says Modi IANS Ranchi/New Delhi T he Bharatiya Janata Party yesterday emerged victorious and prepared to form its government in Jharkhand, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying the people have “voted for stability which is essential to realise the true potential of the state.” The BJP won 30 seats and were leading in eight seats, while its pre-poll alliance partner the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) got four seats and was leading in a fifth -- taking them comfortably past the magic halfway mark of 41 in the 81-member assembly. “People of Jharkhand have voted for stability which is essential to realise the true potential of the state. I congratulate them,” said Modi who had campaigned vigorously in Jharkhand, a state that is home to 3.2mn. The vote share of the BJP went up from last time’s 24% to 31%. The party also did remarkably well in the tribal Santhal Pargana region that has 18 assembly seg- ments. The BJP won seven seats in the tribal belt, a marked improvement from just two it held earlier. The ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) failed to improve its performance, winning 17 seats and leading in just one - a tally that was same as last time. “We are disappointed with our performance. We were expecting 30 plus seats... We are hopeful of getting more than 20 seats - two more than that in the previous polls,” Supriyo Bhattacharya, general secretary of the JMM, said. He added: “The alliance with Congress and RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) could have kept the BJP away from power. The Congress stand to part ways helped the BJP win in Jharkhand.” The Congress-RJD combine won three seats and a lead in four constituencies. Congress spokesman Kishore Shadeo said the results show that their organisation has improved and they have managed to snatch seats from the JMM. BJP cadres were ecstatic in Jharkhand as well as in Delhi. The celebrations began soon after trends indicated that the party was coasting home to victory. A beaming BJP chief Amit Shah said in Delhi: “It is for the first time that people of Jharkhand have given a clear mandate in an assembly election to the BJP. We will form a majority government.” Shah credited the victory in Jharkhand to the achievements of Modi’s six-month-old central government. “People’s love and respect for Modi has translated into this victory (in Jharkhand),” Shah said, referring to a state that has seen as many as nine chief ministers in the past 14 years. Jharkhand, which became a state in November 2000, has rich mineral resources including uranium. The state has a third of India’s coal reserves and a quarter of India’s copper reserves. BJP national vice president Raghbubar Das, who is a contender for the chief minister’s post and has won from East Jamshedpur constituency, said his party will form the government in the state. He said that the BJP parliamentary board will decide on reduce energy shortages. State elections determine the number of seats parties have in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of parliament where the BJP lacks a majority. The opposition blocked his plans to push through a legislation to increase foreign participation in the insurance sector in the session of parliament that ended yesterday. IANS New Delhi U BJP chief Amit Shah flashes a victory sign after results showed his party had performed well in Jharkhand and Kashmir polls, at the party office in New Delhi. who will be the chief minister. Arjun Munda, considered a strong contender for chief ministership, was defeated in Kharsawa constituency. The other former chief ministers who were electorally stung include Babulal Marandi and Madhu Koda. Marandi, the first chief minister of Jharkhand and president of the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha, lost the election from both the Dhanwar and Giridih constituencies. Jai Bharat Samanta Party candidate Koda lost the election from the Majhgao. Chief Minister Hemant Soren won from the Barhait but lost from Dumka. State BJP president Ravindra Kumar Rai said: “We were hoping to get a two-third majority but have fallen short of the 50 seats we were hoping to win.” The BJP, which contested the polls in alliance with the AJSU and the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), fielded candidates in 72 seats. The AJSU had put up candidates in eight places. The LJP had one candidate. The Congress contested 60 seats while its ally RJD fielded 19 candidates. The Communist Party of India and Communist Party of India (Marxist) fielded candidates respectively in 24 and 13 constituencies. pbeat about the Bharatiya Janata Party’s good show in the Jharkhand and Kashmir assembly elections, party chief Amit Shah yesterday said the year 2014 has been unprecedented for his party. Shah said the BJP first formed an absolute majority government at the Centre, and thereafter “there has been a good performance” in the states as well. Addressing reporters at the BJP headquarters here, Shah said all that was promised to the people of Jharkhand would be fulfilled. “The Congress and so-called Janata Parivar tried to stop us but they have failed in Jharkhand,” he said. Shah said they would meet the same fate when they fight against the BJP in Bihar next year. “The people of Jharkhand have destroyed their dreams,” he said, referring to the Congress and the Janata Parivar. The BJP chief said his party has considerably improved its past seat tally in all the states it has contested after the general elections earlier this year. Conversion row stalls passage of reforms agenda Agencies New Delhi P arliamentary obstruction scuppered Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s economic agenda in a month-long session that ended yesterday, and the prospect of further deadlock means he will find it hard to deliver quickly on promises of reform. Lawmakers left without vot- ing on a long-delayed bill to raise the cap on foreign investment in insurance companies to 49% from 26%, and another that would overhaul the troubled coal sector. Both bills were considered lowhanging fruit for Modi’s government, which came to power six months ago, as they enjoyed rare bipartisan support, but they fell victim to a political impasse over religious conversions. The government is now con- templating issuing an executive order to implement these measures, which would need to be approved by lawmakers within six weeks of the opening of the next session of parliament, scheduled for the beginning of February. India’s president would also need to agree. The dispute mainly disrupted proceedings in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house, where Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is in a minority and depends on oppo- sition support. The lower house Lok Sabha, where the BJP enjoys the biggest majority since 1984, continued to function. Opposition parties will retain a majority in the upper house at least through 2016, with the clout to hold up other reforms intended to quicken an economic recovery. “The BJP’s ascent has left most of these parties extremely jittery,” said Sandeep Shastri, professor of political science at Jain University. “You can expect them to employ similar tactics in the upcoming sessions.” Since Modi’s election triumph, the BJP has won an outright majority in three out of four state polls. If it keeps winning states at that rate, it could control the upper house as early as 2017, because state assemblies elect onethird of the house’s lawmakers every two years. Until then, it may find it hard to push through plans for a com- mon goods and services tax across the country and to make it easier for firms to acquire land. Portfolio investors have flocked to India this year on hopes that Modi’s victory would bring pro-growth reforms, putting Indian shares among the best performers globally. But so far, most of his measures have been incremental. Meanwhile, corporate investment remains stagnant, con- sumers are glum, and bad loans are rising. Economic growth slowed to 5.3% year-on-year in the quarter to end-September, from a 2-1/2-year high of 5.7%. Industrial output is down and exports growth is anaemic. The government is also set to miss its target of nearly $10bn in privatisations this year by a long way, and with it a plan to trim the fiscal deficit to a seven-year low unless it cuts public spending substantially. 28 Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 LATIN AMERICA Mexico mourns missing students as new graft claims emerge DPA Mexico City A t a special service at a school in the southern Mexican town of Ayotzinapa, Vatican envoy Archbishop Christophe Pierre found himself speaking to empty chairs. Some 43 seats were unoccupied, save for the photos of students who had once sat in them. The service, held during Christmas week for the families of the missing students, took place nearly three months since the students’ disappearance. The students were taken while on a school trip near Iguala. According to testimonies by three surviving members of the group, they were abducted by municipal police who handed them over to the Guerreros Unidos cartel after being mistaken for Cuba dissidents shaken by US rapprochement, seek new tactics Reuters Havana P resident Barack Obama’s decision to end five decades of enmity with Cuba has shaken the island’s political dissidents, dividing their ranks and forcing them to rethink tactics. Throughout the Cold War and beyond, the US relied on the small dissident movement to lead domestic opposition to Cuba’s communist government and keep track of human rights abuses. So after Obama last week tore up the tough, decades-old policy aimed at crippling Cuba, some dissidents feel betrayed and unsure of their movement, which infuriates the government and has limited public support. The US will still encourage Cubans to push for more political rights but it now has its own direct channel to President Raul Castro’s government, raising uncertainty about the dissidents’ future value to the Americans. While some dissident leaders welcomed the policy shift for stripping Cuba’s government of excuses for economic shortages and strict political control, others complained the deal was negotiated without their knowledge and against their will. “President Obama has made a mistake,” said Berta Soler, leader of the Ladies in White, a largely Roman Catholic group that has protest marches each Sunday. “This is going to benefit the Cuban government, strengthening and equipping its repressive machine.” While her group was marching on the streets, enduring harassment and detention, the US government was engaged in secret talks with Havana over the past 18 months. Guillermo Farinas, who was detained like clockwork at 38 consecutive weekly protests outside his home this year in the city of Santa Clara, was even more blunt. “I feel betrayed,” said Farinas, who was bothered by the secrecy of the talks and said the views of dissidents were discounted. “I know some people are offended by that word, but I use it on purpose.” Farinas was in the minority during a landmark meeting of 29 dissidents from across Cuba who gathered for 10 hours on Monday at the office of 14ymedio, the news and opinion website of prominent blogger Yoani Sanchez. Soler did not attend. Other senior dissident leaders either welcomed Obama’s policy shift or accepted it as a reality beyond their control. In a joint statement, they applauded the prisoner swap that allowed the release of US foreign aid worker Alan Gross and more than 50 unidentified Cuban prisoners. A US official described the freed Cubans as political prisoners, but the dissidents have yet to confirm any of their people were released, leaving them wondering who exactly the US fought to get free. Participants in the meeting said they aired their differences inside but then agreed to present a united front. Reporters and diplomats were banned and all 29 dissidents placed their cell phones in a basket for the entire 10 hours. Veteran leader Elizardo Sanchez declined to define the sharpest points of disagreement, but said they all recognised that Obama’s move required a new approach to pressuring the government and seeking popular support. “With this change, the discourse of the government has to change, and so does ours ... Now is the time for us to readjust our tactics due to the changing political scene,” Sanchez said. They have only just started thinking about what those tactics might be. Cuba’s government routinely accuses dissidents of being “mercenaries” of the US government and many Cubans are skeptical about their motives, believing they are driven by the modest economic aid afforded by foreign groups. members of rival gang The Reds. Authorities have since found multiple human remains in a dumpster in nearby Cocula, as well as a river. But only one student’s remains have thus far been identified, confirmed at a laboratory in Innsbruck, Austria. The incident prompted multiple protests across the country against what people see as a corrupt and ineffective criminal justice system, which frequently collaborates with drug cartels rather than represent the interests of ordinary Mexicans. On Monday, new reports added to the growing cache of evidence documenting atrocities by the police, as newly released information gathered by the country’s federal prosecutor implicated them in the murder of 72 Central American migrants near the northern city of San Fernando in 2010. The mass grave, discovered af- ter a shootout, was one of the largest massacres recorded during the violence that has engulfed Mexico. Reports at the time cited one surviving migrant saying his companions were killed for refusing to work for powerful Zetas cartel. The documents outline how police in the northern state of Tamaulipas collaborate with the Zetas, which control major drug-trafficking corridors. While it’s difficult to know ex- T he United States helped a Cuban spy imprisoned in California artificially inseminate his wife back in Cuba, a goodwill gesture while Washington and Havana were engaged in secret talks on restoring diplomatic ties, US officials said. Now Gerardo Hernandez and his wife, Adriana Perez, are expecting his baby in two weeks, even though he was locked up for 16 years without conjugal visits. It will be a girl called Gema, Cuban official media said. Hernandez was serving a double-life sentence at the US federal penitentiary in Victorville until his release on Wednesday as part of a prisoner swap, which was completed the same day the US and Cuba announced they would restore diplomatic ties after more than 50 years. The US freed Hernandez and two other Cuban agents in ex- change for US foreign aid worker Alan Gross, a Cuban who had been spying for Washington, and 53 unidentified prisoners. Hernandez was serving a double-life sentence at the US federal penitentiary in Victorville until his release on Wednesday “We can confirm the US facilitated Adriana Hernandez’s request to have a baby with her husband. The request was passed along by senator (Patrick) Leahy, who was seeking to improve the conditions for Gross while he was imprisoned in Cuba,” the US justice department said in a statement. Leahy, a Democrat from Vermont, had long been active in attempting to free Gross, who was arrested in 2009 for bringing banned telecommunications technology into Cuba for the US Agency for International Development. Hernandez, 49, was one of five Cuban agents captured 16 to (the municipal jail), they deliver them to the Zetas.” He added that top police officials are paid by the cartels for their collaboration. The memo, acquired by the National Security Archive and published late Monday by Mexican magazine Proceso, is one of the few documents released by the prosecutor, who often declines to hand over information at the risk of jeopardising ongoing investigations. Anger at Grand Canal construction Demonstrators block the Panamerican highway to protest against the Grand Canal construction in Managua. Nicaragua on Monday announced the start of work on a $50bn shipping canal, an infrastructure project backed by China that aims to rival Panama’s waterway and revitalise the economy of the second-poorest country in the Americas. Argentina loses US appeal over creditors’ subpoenas Reuters New York A US appeals court yesterday rejected Argentina’s bid to reverse a decision requiring the country and various banks to provide holdout creditors with information about the country’s assets, including military equipment and diplomatic property. The 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in New York affirmed the 2013 ruling, which ordered the banks and Argentina to comply with subpoenas and information requests served by bondholders suing for full payment of debts after Argentina’s $100bn default in 2002. The holdouts are creditors that declined to accept the terms of 2005 and 2010 Argentina debt restructurings, in which it swapped about 92% of its bonds for new obligations. While the court upheld US district judge Thomas Griesa’s ruling, the three-judge panel stressed “that Argentina - like all foreign sovereigns - is entitled to a degree of grace and comity.” Saying those concerns were of “particular weight” when it came to a country’s diplomatic and sovereign affairs, the 2nd Circuit urged Griesa to prioritise the production of documents “unlikely to prove invasive of sovereign dignity”. Neither a US lawyer for Argentina nor a representative for a lead hold bondholder, Elliott Management’s NML Capital, responded to requests for comment. Argentina defaulted in July of this year after refusing to honour orders barring it from paying holders of its restructured bonds without also paying $1.33bn plus interest to holdout creditors including NML. Argentina’s latest default Cuban spy, wife to soon be parents with US help Reuters Havana actly how many migrants have gone missing - they are often travelling without documentation in hopes of crossing the border into Texas - mass graves and cannisters with remains of hundreds of people have been found. Mexico’s general prosecutor cited the testimony of one police detainee in Tamaulipas, who said, “I know that police in San Fernando help the Zetas, because instead of bringing them years ago and given long prison terms, all of them hailed as “anti-terrorist heroes” in Cuba for infiltrating Cuban exile groups at a time when anti-Castro extremists were bombing Cuban hotels. When the so-called Cuban Five were honoured in a ceremony at Cuba’s National Assembly on Saturday, Perez appeared alongside Hernandez with an obvious baby bump, raising questions about how she became pregnant. Hernandez patted her belly and smiled, a signal of harmony within the marriage. Later that day, Hernandez told Cuban television she became pregnant through “remote control” but gave no details. CNN first reported on Sunday it was done by artificial insemination. The New York Times on Monday reported that Cuban officials collected the sperm sample and transported it through Panama. Perez, 44, became pregnant on the second such attempt, the Times said. came after it refused to obey Griesa’s order on paying the holdouts. Griesa held Argentina in contempt in September. Argentina has said it cannot pay the holdouts until the December 31 expiration of a clause that prevents it from paying them on better terms than it pays holders of restructured debt. The appeal that the 2nd Circuit ruled on yesterday concerned an order compelling Argentina and 29 banks to comply with subpoenas and information requests by the holdouts aimed at finding assets outside the country to fulfil unpaid judgments. Argentina contended the order would effectively allow an inventory of military and diplomatic assets that were protected from seizure by US law and various treaties. But the 2nd Circuit said that insofar as the information demands reached diplomatic or consular property immune from being pursued by the creditors, Argentina should object when the bondholders seek to execute on such property. Argentina may also present certain other objections regarding producing the documents to Griesa on privilege and treaty grounds, the appeals court said. US state department Gitmo envoy resigns Reuters Washington T Gerardo Hernandez , 49, accompanied by his wife Adriana Perez, 44, during a session of the National People’s Power Assembly in Havana, Cuba. he state department envoy responsible for negotiating prisoner transfers from the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is resigning, officials said yesterday, even as President Barack Obama is promising a stepped-up push to close the facility. The surprise announcement of Clifford Sloan’s departure followed a flurry of detainee repatriations and resettlements, though officials at the state department and White House had made clear their frustration with the slow handling of such moves by outgoing Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel. Sloan assumed the post in July 2013 and the state department said he was stepping down and returning to his Washington law practice after finishing an 18-month commitment. A senior US official said another factor in Sloan’s decision was that the Pentagon “cer- tainly hasn’t been as helpful as they could have been” in speeding up the process of sending prisoners home or resettling them in other countries. Still, Secretary of State John Kerry said in a statement Sloan’s “skilful negotiating” led to the transfer of 34 detainees and “with more on the way.” With the detainee population whittled down to 132, several more are expected to be transferred by year-end and that figure could reach low “double digits” as further moves involving “various nationalities” take place in following weeks, the senior official said. Sloan’s resignation, which takes effect on December 31, is not likely to affect transfers already in the pipeline, but it remains to be seen what kind of impact it will have beyond that. “I’m going to be doing everything I can to close it,” Obama told CNN in an interview broadcast on Sunday, renewing a pledge he made to shut the internationally condemned prison when he took office nearly six years ago. Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 29 PAKISTAN/AFGHANISTAN No difference between terrorists and abettors: Sharif IANS Islamabad P akistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif yesterday said there was no difference between terrorists and their abettors. Chairing a special anti-terrorism meeting of the country’s civilian and military leadership, Prime Minister Sharif stressed the need to eliminate the mindset associated with terrorism and militancy, The News International reported. It was agreed upon in the meeting that Operation Zarbe-Azb would continue till the elimination of the last terrorist. Army Chief General Raheel Sharif, Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt General Rizwan Akhtar, and Federal Ministers Chaudhry Nisar and Ishaq Dar attended the meeting. In an earlier meeting, Prime Minister Sharif said that people could not be left at the mercy of terrorists. The prime minister pointed out that extraordinary times called for extraordinary measures. He emphasised that citizens from all ethnicities and religious beliefs would be protected. He added that atrocities com- mitted by terrorists would not be forgotten or forgiven. Sharif has summoned a meeting on parliamentary leaders today. The meeting will finalise the National Action Plan to counter terrorism. Earlier, Pakistan’s General Raheel Sharif met Chief of General Staff of the Afghan National Army (ANA) General Sher Mohamed Karimi and commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) General John Campbell at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. According to an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement, the visiting digni- taries expressed their grief over the Peshawar school carnage in which more than 140 students and teachers were massacred. While appreciating the recently commenced operations by Afghan forces against the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) in areas close to the Pakistan-Afghanistan Border, General Sharif said he would extend full support to General Karimi and General Campbell in all spheres, including intelligence sharing as well as co-ordinated operations by both sides. The trilateral meeting discussed the overall security situation in the region, matters relating to co-ordination on the Extremist leader to be released Lashkar-e-Jhangvi leader Malik Ishaq is expected to be released tomorrow after the Punjab government withdrew a request to extend his detention AFP Islamabad T he leader of a banned Pakistani sectarian militant group is set to walk free from jail, officials said yesterday, even as the government considers “radical changes” to tackle militancy after a Taliban school massacre. Malik Ishaq, the head of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) which is dedicated to killing minority Shias, is expected to be released tomorrow after the Punjab provincial government withdrew a request to extend his detention under public order laws. The announcement comes less than 24 hours after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif pledged to eradicate the “cancer” of sectarianism, and will add to concerns about the effectiveness of the government response to the school killings. LeJ has claimed responsibility for numerous bloody attacks, including two bombings targeting Shias in the southwestern city of Quetta in 2013 that killed a total of nearly 200 people. A senior legal official told AFP the decision not to seek an extension of Ishaq’s detention was made by a three-judge review panel at Lahore High Court on Monday. Ishaq, named a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” by the US, has been implicated in numerous murder cases and was accused of masterminding a 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore which killed eight people. An anti-terror court in May cleared him of inciting violence This photograph taken on December 22, 2014, shows Pakistani police escorting the head of banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) Malik Ishaq as he arrives at the high court in Lahore. and of making speeches which fomented hate but he was held under maintenance of public order laws. Pakistan has ramped up its anti-terror strategy since the December 16 attack on an armyrun school in Peshawar. The death toll rose Tuesday to 150 including 134 children after one of the injured — a 17-yearold student — passed away in hospital. Six convicts have been hanged after Sharif lifted a moratorium on executions in terror cases, and the military has stepped up operations against insurgent bases in the tribal northwest. Officials said on Monday that Pakistan plans to execute around 500 militants in coming weeks. An official in Sharif’s office said yesterday the prime minister had cleared his diary to discuss “radical changes/reforms” with ministers, legal advisers and military top brass. Heavily armed gunmen stormed the school in Pakistan’s deadliest ever terror attack, claimed by the Tehreek-eTaliban Pakistan as revenge for the killing of their families in the army offensive. Sharif hinted the military operation could be extended against “the enemy who is hidden in our cities and villages”, in a statement late on Monday. “Terrorism and sectarianism is like a cancer for Pakistan and now is high time we got rid of this menace,” he said. Sectarian violence, mainly targeting Shias who make up around one in five of the population, has been on the rise in recent years. But it is relatively rare for a top politician to address the issue specifically by name in such frank terms. The government’s announcement of a wave of executions has sparked protests from international human rights groups and the United Nations. Some have criticised the lifting of the moratorium as politically motivated, aiming to capitalise on public outrage over Peshawar, and have said it will do little to stem terror. Farzana Bari, a Pakistani human rights activist, condemned the government’s move as a “knee-jerk response”, saying the problem of extremism begins in mosques and seminaries. “We have to look at our mosques where hate speeches and this kind of mindset has been created,” she told AFP. But there was support for hangings among more than a dozen ordinary Pakistanis interviewed by AFP around the country yesterday, though several said executions alone would not solve the problem. “Terrorism will not finish with executions as it is a longstanding problem, but definitely death penalty will be helpful in reducing terrorism,” said office worker Atiq Zafar, 42, in Lahore. In Karachi, student Sikander Afaq said he believed executing terror convicts would send a clear message to other fighters. Pakistan-Afghanistan border and protocols placed to improve border control. Meanwhile, a working group of parliamentary parties in Pakistan yesterday suggested measures ranging from formation of military courts to anti-terrorism council as part of the nation’s efforts to combat the scourge of terrorism which has devoured the lives of more than 50,000 people in the country. The working group came up with 21 recommendations, The News International reported. The group proposed formation of the anti-terrorism council to be chaired by the prime minister and represented by interior ministry, the army, the Inter-Services Intelligence, Intelligence Bureau and other organisations. It stressed the need to strengthen the National Counter-Terrorism Authority and formation of a special task force to eliminate terrorism. The working group recommended that militants included in schedule four of the anti-terror act be arrested and a ban should be imposed on the militant organisations and their leaders. It also called for a ban on hate speech and literature and underscored the need for reforms in the religious seminaries. The working group suggested action through monitoring Internet activities of terrorists by the Federal Investigation Agency. It also asked the government to protect religious minorities and cancel all licences for explosive materials. The working group urged the government to strengthen the provincial government of Balochistan for political reconciliation and take the ongoing Karachi operation to a logical end. The experts also recommended that the act of praising terrorists through electronic and print media should be considered as a crime. Special security measures at Pakistan schools IANS Islamabad I n the drive to eliminate terrorism from the country after the December 16 Peshawar school carnage, the authorities in Pakistan are taking all possible measures to stop educational institutions from becoming targets of militant attacks. The superintendents of police of all the four zones in Islamabad - City, Saddar, Rural and Industrial Area -- have been asked to hold meetings with the school administrations in their respective areas and brief them on the security arrangements, Dawn online reported. In some of the schools, guards were already deployed but now it has been made mandatory for all institutions to hire armed security personnel. Walk-through gates should also be installed at the entry points of the schools and guards should be deployed with metal detectors. The administrations would also be asked to install CCTV cameras for surveillance of the buildings. The height of the boundary walls of all schools, colleges and universities should be raised and barbed wires fixed. The digging of trenches has also been proposed around school buildings. A police officer told Dawn on condition of anonymity that schools would also be asked to carry out evacuation drills to check their preparedness in case of any emergency. The educational institutions have also been asked to arrange reflectors to check vehicles for magnetic explosive devices. The officer said there were intelligence reports shared by the interior ministry’s National Crisis Management Cell (NCMC) that suicide jackets and bombers had been moved towards Punjab, especially Rawalpindi and Islamabad, by the outlawed Pakistani Taliban. He said the terrorists might target any school or college vehicle with an improvised explosive device (IED) through a time device. He also said the police officers and station house officers concerned have been asked to ensure that each educational institution had implemented the standard operating procedure (SOP). As of now, winter vacations have started in the schools and majority of the universities. Earlier, law enforcement agencies identified 1,159 educational institutes in the Pakistani capital as soft targets for terrorists. Colleges to reopen only if they are secure The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Higher Education Department has asked government colleges and universities across Pakistan’s northwest province not to reopen campuses at the end of the ongoing winter vacation until proper security checks are in place. The higher educational institutions were also told to consult their respective district police officers and deputy commissioners before reopening the campuses, official sources said yesterday. The security guidelines were issued in light of the December 16 Taliban attack on Army Public School and College, Peshawar, which left 149 people, including 132 children, dead. Imran Khan PTI to hold rally on Jan 17 IANS Islamabad T he Pakistan Tehreek-iInsaf (PTI) yesterday decided to hold a rally in Islamabad on January 17. The PTI’s strategic committee made the decision during a meeting, held at D-Chowk in the federal capital, Dawn online reported citing sources. However, the purpose of the rally was not mentioned. On Dec 17, the PTI had announced its decision to suspend countrywide protests, in the aftermath of a terrorist attack on a Peshawar school that killed more than 140 students and teachers. Imran Khan had announced the party’s decision to suspend their protest movement saying that the country was in need of unity. The PTI, along with Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT), had launched a campaign against the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in August, demanding that he resign over alleged rigging in last year’s polls. Afghan troops kill 151 Taliban militants DPA Kabul School attack puts spotlight on role of clerics A By Subel Bhandari and Zia Khan, DPA Islamabad F or a long time, controversial hardline cleric Maulvi Abdul Aziz, and his like, were untouchable in Pakistan. They were a forceful clique with a large public support base, mostly made up of conservative Sunni Muslims, and got political protection from figures in the powerful military establishment. Aziz heads the Lal Masjid or Red Mosque, infamous for a 10day siege in 2007 by the military that killed more than 100 people. His hardline followers tried to impose Shariah on the Islamabad streets, with protests against “immorality,” and forced some people to follow Islamic rituals, abducted alleged prostitutes, and burned down DVD shops. It triggered the military government to take action, which led to the clashes, siege and the crackdown. That incident was seen as a turning point for the Pakistani Taliban in raising a unified banner against the state, and unleashing a wave of terrorist attacks across the country. He has promoted radical Islam openly in the heart of the capital, voiced public support for Afghan and Taliban jihad, and called for the establishment of a Shariah state on national television. The mosque and its madrasas or seminaries have been accused of housing hardline Islamists with militant links. This year, the mosque named a library at one of its seminaries after former Al Qaeda chief, Osama bin Laden. But since last week clerics like Aziz have been on the defensive. A couple of hundred angry young professionals gathered outside the mosque to protest, which was unthinkable until recently, after Aziz refused to condemn the Peshawar school attack, in which 135 children were murdered by seven Taliban insurgents. During Friday’s sermon, Aziz said the Taliban attack was un- derstandable, given the Pakistani military’s summer offensive against the insurgent hideouts in the tribal region that severely weakened the militants. Protesters said clerics like Aziz are at the fault - for promoting extremist ideas and by not condemning the incident that has deeply traumatised the nation. “I am a resident of Peshawar. I have lived my life there. Maulvi Aziz is a cleric, a scholar. He, not condemning [the massacre], is very disturbing for me. He has hurt our sentiments, as Muslims,” said Jabbar Khan, 33. “I cannot pick up the gun against Maulvi Aziz. But I can raise my voice. And I will do that,” he said at the protest. Insults were howled, slogans chanted and placards waved, alongside the candlelight vigil for the victims. A group of protesters even went to a nearby police station to file a complaint against Aziz, who allegedly threatened them. Jibran Nasir, an organiser of the protest, said radical clerics were “as dangerous as the Taliban who killed innocent children.” “We want to take back the mosque. This is my Allah’s house. This is where my Qur’an is being taught. It is my place of worship,” he said. The protest seemed to have gained some momentum, in social media as well, where the organisers started “#reclaimyourmosque” campaign. “I am a resident of Peshawar. I have lived my life there. Maulvi Aziz is a cleric, a scholar. He, not condemning [the massacre], is very disturbing for me. He has hurt our sentiments, as Muslims” “We can no longer allow anyone to stand and preach hatred. We will no longer stand by and watch people like Abdul Aziz use the name of our Holy Prophet and our religion to perpetuate violence,” Nasir said. On Monday, Nasir said he received a call from Ehsanullah Ehsan, the spokesman for a Taliban faction, telling him “not to bother Maulvi.” “We are not protesting to shed blood, or to throw stones. We are here because we want to send a simple and clear message: �We are not afraid anymore’,” he said. Since 2004, more than 50,000 civilians and over 15,000 security forces personnel have been killed in insurgent attacks across Pakistan. Pakistan is currently involved in a multiple, parallel conflicts, from deadly sectarian violence, to extremist Islamist militancy. “These are the people who teach wrong interpretations of our religion, and train jihad, and protect the murderers of the children,” Nasir said of the radical clerics. Political analyst Raza Rumi said politicians have “failed to build a coherent narrative against Islamic extremism.” “In part, they want to appease the religious lobbies and view religious references as a means of popular support.” He said thousands of madra- sas teach that “jihad is the sublime purpose of human existence.” “The unregulated mosque sermons each week air sectarian hatred, bigotry, thus influencing millions of minds.” One diplomat in Islamabad said that keeping radical Islamists as allies, by the political and military establishment, makes the “terrorism policy of the country a faulty one.” And clerics like Aziz still enjoy the backing of a large number of people. One of the students at his seminary said the protest was a conspiracy hatched by the enemies of Islam “to make Muslims fight each other.” “Maulvi [Abdul Aziz] didn’t condemn the killing of students and he was right,” Mohamed Ismail, 22, said. “Why should he condemn only one incident that was done by one party to the conflict [the Taliban] and not condemn what the other side is doing [the Pakistani state]?” said the student at the Jamia Fradia madrasa, run by the Red Mosque. fghan security forces killed 151 Taliban militants in 12 days of fighting in the east of the country bordering Pakistan, a provincial police chief confirmed yesterday. “Some 151 insurgents, including 17 foreigners, were killed and 107 others were injured in the cross fighting with national security forces,” said Abdul Habib Sayedkheli, the police chief of eastern Kunar province. Kunar borders Pakistan’s tribal regions, from where Taliban militants are believed to enter the country to attack Afghan security forces. About 12 days back, hundreds of insurgents attacked Kunar’s Dangam district, forcing civilians to take up arms in an uprising and eventually asking the government for help. “The national security forces launched the operation from different directions on the insurgents in the district,” said Sayedkheli, of an operation that was launched on Monday and was ongoing. Six Afghan soldiers were killed in that operation, he said, while 18 soldiers and one civilian were wounded. 30 Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 PHILIPPINES Binay’s camp braces for more attacks after survey By Llanesca T Panti & Fernan Marasigan Manila Times DPA Manila P hilippine President Benigno Aquino yesterday signed a 2.6tn-peso ($59bn) national budget for 2015, which he said further limits opportunities for corruption. Aquino said the budget includes specific targets for government departments to achieve with the money allocated for them. T he worst may not be over for Vice President Jejomar Binay even if recent surveys by two pollsters showed that he is likely to succeed President Benigno Aquino. Navotas City (Metro Manila) representative Tobias Tiangco, the interim president of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), yesterday said Binay’s camp is bracing for more vicious attacks despite the results of the surveys conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) and Pulse Asia showing that Binay remains the top choice of Filipinos among several presidential candidates in 2016. “I can’t tell if the worst is over. Of course, the goal of the other side is to bring the vice president down, so we expect their attacks to be more vicious,” Tiangco told Manila Times in a phone interview. He said they expect Binay’s critics to come out with more allegations when the Senate blue ribbon sub-committee resumes its investigation on January 22, 2015. “You can expect them to peddle more lies there in the hearing, just like in the previous 12 hearings where they have failed to prove anything. The sad part here is that they are supposed to be after the truth, but they even encourage the witnesses to lie,” the lawmaker said. Former Makati City Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado had accused Binay of benefiting from the construction of the Makati City Hall Building 2 when the vice president was the thenMakati mayor. On Monday, the SWS said their survey held from November 27 to December 1 showed that the vice president was the top choice among the possi- Aquino signs $59bn budget for 2015 “Now, all heads of agencies must also comply with a requirement to report about their budget” Vice President Jejomar Binay hands over a cheque to a beneficiary association, as part of the Community Mortgage Programme of the Social Housing Finance Corp. ble candidates for president in 2016, with 37% saying he is the best leader to succeed Aquino. Sen. Grace Poe, the second placer, got 21% while Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas got 19%.A survey conducted by Pulse Asia also showed similar results. Valenzuela City (Metro Manila) representative Sherwin Gatchalian said Binay’s comfortable lead in the surveys is a vindication that the vice president did not do anything wrong. “Filipinos are convinced that the allegations against the vice president are devoid of truth and politically motivated,” Gatchalian, a stalwart of the Nationalist People’s Coalition, said. But Binay said his survey ratings would be higher if not for the political attacks against him. “You know one of the rea- sons (why our ratings went down although) we still maintained the leadership was the perception that was created by our opponents. It came to a point (that the people realised that the accusations against me) are all lies and are politically motivated, so (the num- bers came back to us),” the vice president explained. Still, Binay admitted that the attacks against him are not over. He, however, said he will not confront his accusers but will instead find ways to explain the truth to the people. “The targets are clear,” he said. “For example, the Department of Public Works and Highways aims to complete the repairs of national roads by 2016, including 4,219 kilometres of road to be rehabilitated in 2015.” “We cleaned and clarified the process to reduce the space for corruption,” he added. “Now, all heads of agencies must also comply with a requirement to report about their budget; those who fail to comply will face sanctions.” The budget includes a 10bnpeso allocation for rehabilitation of areas devastated by typhoon Haiyan, the world’s strongest cyclone that hit the Philippines in 2013. Most of that money or 7.99bn pesos has been allotted for the construction of permanent housing for more than 4mn people left homeless by Haiyan. “The houses will be built under the build-back-better principle,” Aquino said. “We will move them away from hazardous areas, the infrastructure are designed to be more robust against storms and the people will have alternative livelihoods.” The 2015 budget is up 15% from the 2.26tn pesos allocated in 2014. ACCIDENT Traffic cop hit by car dies in hospital The traffic enforcer who was hit and dragged by a motorist he had accosted, died yesterday afternoon, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Francis Tolentino said. Tolentino rushed to the St Luke’s Medical Centre upon hearing of the death of Sonny Acosta, Manila Times reported. The MMDA chief assured Acosta’s family that the agency will provide legal assistance and will pay all the hospital expenses. Acosta had been in critical condition since he sustained severe head injuries after being hit by the driver of an Isuzu Sportivo. The traffic policeman had flagged down the driver for being in the lane designated for provincial buses in Cubao, Quezon City on December 19. Acosta asked for the motorist’s licence, but the driver, identified as Mark Ian Libunao, sped off even though Acosta’s hand was still in the car’s window and was thus dragged. The Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office has filed charges of reckless imprudence resulting in serious physical injuries and driving with an expired licence against Libunao. Festive celebration Pope Francis’ visit to be public holiday in Manila DPA Manila T Spectators watch the Festival of Lights displays along a financial district in Makati city, Metro Manila. Filipinos are known for celebrating Christmas the longest by playing yuletide songs on local radio stations and at malls as early as November until the observance of the Three Kings during the first week of January. he Philippines will have a public holiday in the capital during Pope Francis’ visit in January, the president’s office said yesterday. The Pope will be visiting Manila and the eastern city of Tacloban from January 15-19. The president’s Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa said January 15, 16 and 19 are to be non-working days for the 12mn people of metropolitan Manila. Pope Francis will meet with leaders from the Catholic Church and other religions, youth representatives, government officials and Philippine families in Manila. In Tacloban, the Pope is scheduled to have lunch with survivors of typhoon Haiyan and other calamities in 2013, as well as inaugurate a centre for poor. Pope Francis will be visiting Manila and the eastern city of Tacloban from January 15-19. Lawmaker slams �unfair’ water rate hike for consumers By Llanesca T Panti Manila Times T he approved increases in water rates by concessionaires, Maynilad and Manila Water should be voided for being unfair to consumers, according to House Minority leader Neri Colmenares of Bayan Muna party-list. He made the call yesterday in light of the rate adjustments, which the concessionaires said resulted from implementation of an increase in foreign currency differential adjustment (FCDA). FCDA is a mechanism that allows Maynilad and Manila Water to cover foreign exchange fluctuations that also affect their payments on foreign currency-denominated loans for expansion and service improvement. Under the increases that will take effect in January 2015, those consuming 20 cubic metres a month will have to pay an additional P4.45 and those consuming 30 cubic metres, P9.12 more. Manila Water will be posting a price hike of 0.36 per cubic me- tre by January, while Maynilad will increase its price by 0.38 per cubic metre. This means an additional P1.19 in the bill of Maynilad’s lifetime consumers, or those that consume 10 cubic metres and below per month. The hike will add P4.45 to the bill of those that consume 20 cubic metres a month, and P9.12 for 30 cubic metres. According to Manila Water and Maynilad, the increase comes in line with foreign currency differential adjustment, or the change of the value of the peso against other currencies. Maynilad serves Metro Manila’s West Zone including Manila, some areas in Quezon City, Caloocan, Navotas, Malabon,Valenzuela, Pasay, Las Piñas, Paranaque and Muntinlupa and Cavite City, Bacoor, Imus, Kawit, Noveleta and Rosario in Cavite province. Manila Water primarily serves the East Zone which covers parts of Quezon City, Makati, Taguig, Pateros, Marikina, Pasig, San Juan, Mandaluyong and Rizal province. Colmenares said the conces- sionaires must first refund billions of pesos that they had collected from the public for still unimplemented water projects before they could raise water charges. Among these projects involve Angat dam (P5.4bn) and Laiban dam (P45.3bn). “These water concessionaires are raking in billions by fooling us. They borrow from foreign creditors without any qualms knowing that they are insulated from the risks ordinary borrowers take because they’re allowed to pass on their foreign exchange losses to their consumers,” Colmenares, a lawyer, pointed out. “They want their cake and eat it too. Can you believe this? They want us to pay for their tax dues. Government has to stop this practice of making the people shoulder all the risks and losses of public utilities and awarding contracts to companies whose main interest is profit-secured business instead of public service,” he said. Colmenares slammed Maynilad and Manila water for passing their income, valueadded, documentary-stamp and other taxes to consumers. According to the non-government Water for the People Network, such taxes charged to the consumers have amounted to P15bn. “This (passing on of charges to consumers) is highly questionable. This is detrimental to the interest of the government and the people and thus, must be voided. The Manila Waterworks and Sewerage System Regulatory Office should act now to end this practice and have the water concessionaires refund this to consumers,” the lawmaker said. Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 31 SRI LANKA/BANGLADESH/NEPAL Three get death penalty for murder Lanka president pledges fresh war crimes probe AFP Colombo S ri Lanka’s president, under pressure from his main opponent in upcoming elections, yesterday promised a judicial inquiry into allegations that his troops killed thousands of Tamil civilians at the end of the civil war. But President Mahinda Rajapakse reiterated that he would not cooperate with a UN-mandated investigation into the government’s 2009 crushing of the Tamil Tiger rebellion. “If any rights have been violated (during the war), justice will be ensured through a transparent domestic judicial mechanism,” Rajapakse said in his election manifesto. It did not say how this would differ from an inquiry he ordered in July, following intense foreign pressure to account for the 2009 killing of Tamil civilians. A 2011 United Nations report cited estimates from “credible sources” that up to 40,000 civilians may have been killed in the final months of the war. Rajapakse is credited with crushing the Tamil Tiger rebels who at the height of their power between 1990 and 1995 controlled a third of Sri Lanka’s territory. But he is also accused of rights abuses and is perceived by some as an increasingly authoritarian ruler. Maithripala Sirisena, his main opponent in the January 8 presidential election, has already promised a similar investigation. Rajapakse was seen as the favourite when he called the snap election in November, two years ahead of schedule. But Sirisena has emerged as a formidable opponent after securing the support of all the main opposition groups, including the tacit support of minority Tamils. The New York-based political risk analysis firm Eurasia Group said the opposition’s Sirisena was likely to “narrowly win,” but that a desperate Rajapakse could still use security forces to discourage opposition supporters from voting. “Fresh defections from President Rajapakse’s ruling coalition suggest that opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena will narrowly win the presidency when votes are counted on 8 January,” Eurasia’s Sasha Riser-Kositsky said in a report released Monday night. He was referring to industry and commerce minister Rishad Bathiudeen who quit the coalition government on Monday and withdrew the support of his All Ceylon Makkal (People’s) Congress. The Brussels-based International Crisis Group warned two weeks ago that Rajapakse could try to remain in power by using security forces, a suggestion discounted by both the military and the opposition. Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe told business leaders in Colombo yesterday that a majority in the armed forces were sympathetic to the opposition and he expected a peaceful transition. Wickremesinghe said they will hold no grudges, but ensure rule of law which he said had been undermined by Rajapakse who is also accused of suppressing dissent despite the end of the separatist war. The United Nations has estimated that at least 100,000 people were killed in Sri Lanka’s separatist war between 1972 and 2009, when security forces declared victory over the rebels who fought for independence for minority Tamils. Tamils account for about 15% of the population and usually vote together. They will be kingmakers if, as seems likely, the majority Sinhalese community is split down the middle between Rajapakse and Sirisena. Wickremesinghe said they would ensure a South African-style truth commission if Sirisena was elected in January. “We need some sort of a truth-seeking mechanism where there will be apologies and forgiving,” Wickremesinghe said. Rajapakse had also toyed with the idea of a truth commission, whereby perpetrators confess to their crimes but are not prosecuted. However, he did not pursue it. Instead, in July he asked a Commission of Inquiry already investigating the disappearance of nearly 20,000 people during the war to include other alleged abuses in its investigation. IANS Dhaka A Dhaka court yesterday awarded the death penalty to three persons for the 2010 beheading of a mechanic, Rubel, in Old Dhaka. Judge Rezaul Islam of Dhaka’s Fifth Special Court pronounced the verdict in the presence of the convicts yesterday, bdnews24.com reported. The convicts are Barisal area’s Rubel, 25, Rony Biswas, 24, and Mymensingh’s Roman. Each of them was fined 25,000 taka ($320), failing to pay which they will be penalised with a year’s jail term, said prosecution lawyer Shawkat Alam. He said the convicts murdered and beheaded Rubel on the ground floor of Hotel Shah Kamal in Old Dhaka on June 6, 2010. The hotel manager later informed the police. One of the assailants, Roman, was arrested with the severed head. The other two eventually confessed to the murder following their arrest. The body was recovered from the ground floor of Hotel Shah Kamal. The victim’s elder brother Maran Mia filed a complaint at Sutrapur police station. Sutrapur police sub-inspector Ashiqur Rahman filed a chargesheet against the three in the court on December 29, 2010. The court indicted the three assailants on September 21, 2011. Defence lawyer Morsheda Begum Lucky expressed dissatisfaction over the verdict. “We will file an appeal in the High Court,” she said. Mahinda Rajapakse speaking at the inaugural presidential poll rally for his third term at the public grounds in Anuradhapura, 208kms north of Colombo, last week. Former minister �Anti-women’ citizenship sentenced to death bill sparks fury in Nepal for war crimes AFP Kathmandu Reuters Dhaka A former junior minister in a Bangladeshi military government was sentenced to death yesterday after a war crimes tribunal found him guilty of atrocities during the country’s war of independence from Pakistan more than four decades ago. Syed Mohammad Qaisar, 73, was found guilty of 14 out of 16 charges including genocide, rape, extortion, arson and torture committed during the 1971 war, prosecutors said. Bangladesh became part of Pakistan at the end of British rule in 1947 but broke away after a war between Bangladeshi nationalists, backed by India, and Pakistani forces. Pakistani-backed fighters were accused of numerous abuses during the war. About 3mn people were killed, according to official figures, and thousands of women were raped. “Wounds of rape are greater than wounds of bullets,” state prosecutor Tureen Afroz told reporters outside the closely guarded court, after the verdict. Qaisar denied the charges. He did not make any comment but his lawyer, Syed Mohammad Shahjahan, told reporters his client would appeal: “We didn’t get proper judgment.” The tribunal began hearing cases in 2010 with the support of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Her opponents say she is using the tribunal against the two biggest opposition parties - her arch rival Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its Islamist ally Jamaat-eIslami. International human rights groups have said the tribunal falls short of international standards. The government denies that. The tribunal has convicted 15 people and sentenced 13 of them to death. One person has been executed. In September, the Supreme Court commuted to life imprisonment a death sentence for a top Islamist leader, Delawar Hossain Sayedee, convicted on similar charges. More than 200 people have been killed in violent protests against the tribunal and its decisions, most of them Islamist party activists and members of the security forces. Some factions in Bangladesh, including the Jamaat, opposed the break with Pakistan, but the party denies accusations that its leaders committed atrocities. N epalese single mother Deepti Gurung has spent years trying and failing to register her two teenage daughters as citizens of their country. Although her children were both born in Nepal, the 40-yearold has struggled to secure their legal right to citizenship in the absence of their father, who left when they were small. For now at least the law is on her side. But Nepal’s parliament is proposing to bar all single parents from passing on their citizenship to their children in a new national constitution, sparking outrage among rights activists. “It is like being a refugee in your own country,” said Gurung. “All they do is interrogate, torture and harass women, demanding the father’s documents … when a father applies for his children’s citizenship, no questions are asked.” Activists say the move could leave a million people stateless and will disproportionately affect women, who account for the vast majority of single parents in Nepal. The draft bill says both parents must be Nepalese for their child to acquire citizenship, which is needed to get anything from a driving licence to a bank account. It will overturn a 2006 act that says children are eligible for citizenship as long as one parent is Nepalese. The Forum for Women, Law and Development (FWLD), a Nepalese pressure group, says the move will impact a million children, with more than 90% of those affected living with single mothers. Nepalese activists participate in a march demanding equal citizenship rights for men and women, in Kathmandu. “On paper the law looks restrictive to both men and women,” said Subin Mulmi of the FWLD. “But conservative bureaucrats have room to exploit the clauses to discriminate against single mothers.” The bill provides for exceptions in some cases where the child’s father is unknown, such as rape, but Mulmi said the burden of proof would still rest with mothers. And even though women have been allowed to confer citizenship on their children since 2006, only a handful have managed to do so. Arjun Kumar Sah was born in Nepal to a Nepalese mother and an Indian father, making him theoretically eligible for citizenship. But the 25-year-old is still waiting for his papers and in the meantime has had to turn down work because of his status. “I was born here, I grew up here, I am a Nepali … (but) I am still waiting for papers that prove it,” said Sah, who is from Nepal’s historically marginalised Madhesi ethnic minority. Despite a Maoist insurgency that overthrew the monarchy, Nepal’s political establishment remains dominated by highcaste Hindu men — and many believe they want to keep it that way. “The political forces in power right now are not supportive of change and inclusiveness, they want to maintain the status quo,” said Dipendra Jha, a lawyer working on Sah’s case. Nepal’s parliament is due to vote next year on the longawaited constitution, which was intended to draw a line under centuries of inequality. Lawmakers were tasked with drafting the charter after a decade-long insurgency ignited by deep-rooted social, political and economic inequalities. But activists say the current draft — which also makes it easier for Nepalese man to confer citizenship on his foreign spouse than a Nepalese woman — will only entrench existing prejudices. “This bill is the result of the flawed patriarchal attitude ingrained in our society,” said lawmaker Krishna Bhakta Pokharel, who sat on the constitution drafting committee but opposes the citizenship changes. Campaigners have fought back with demonstrations in the capital and an online petition on the social action website, Change. org, which has secured more than 1,500 signatures in over a week. Meanwhile, single mothers like Gurung say they are furious at the prospect of the bill becoming law and forever closing the door on her right to confer citizenship. “Sometimes it feels like women are not even human here … like we do not have any identity,” she said. Nepal opposition parties announce new protest programmes Nepal’s opposition alliance has announced new protest plans ahead of the January 22 deadline for drafting a new constitution, officials said yesterday. The Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M)-led 19-party alliance decided to intensify street protests stating that ruling parties Syed Mohammad Qaisar is taken into a van following his verdict at a special court in Dhaka yesterday. were not ready to promulgate a new constitution with consensus among parties, Xinhua reported. There are just 30 days to meet the January 22 deadline of the constitution drafting process but mistrust among the parties is escalating. According to officials, because of differences on federalism, form of government, judiciary and electoral system, chances of a new constitution are fading out. The opposition parties will hold protests in 75 districts in January. They will go on a general strike in various parts January 9-13 and a nationwide strike on January 19, three days before the statute deadline. Though the series of talks between ruling and opposition parties has not yielded any positive result in the constitution drafting process, the opposition parties, however, would continue dialogue with the government, the opposition leaders said. 32 Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 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 Wait-and-see approach could gauge the bottom of global oil prices Amid contrasting comments from influential players, the oil market has now narrowed down to one pertinent question: Has the price hit the bottom? Supply glut, demand concerns and a stronger US dollar have pushed oil prices down nearly 50% since June to around $60 a barrel. But Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter which accounted for about 13% of global output last year, is confident that prices will rebound with global growth boosting demand. “The oil market will recover,” Saudi Oil Minister Ali alNaimi told a conference in Abu Dhabi last week. “Fossil fuel will remain the main source of energy for decades to come.” “We are now in a provisional, correctional period,” Qatar’s Minister of Energy and Industry HE Dr Mohamed bin Saleh al-Sada said at the same conference. “Markets have stabilisation mechanisms that will bring stability.” Echoing similar arguments, Patrick Pouyanné, Total’s global CEO, said in a recent interview with Gulf Times that Global oil price will rebound to $100 a barrel in the medium term as global demand grows. Despite surging unconventional oil supplies from the US, satisfying the medium and long-term demand would be “extremely challenging,” he said. The slump in oil is also spurring the most bullish bet by hedge funds in four months, according to Bloomberg. “People are starting to feel that we not only hit the bottom but we are turning around,” Michael Lynch, president of Strategic Energy & Economic Research in Winchester, Massachusetts, said. But “the fundamentals haven’t really changed.” Is recovery in oil prices such straightforward an equation? Conflicting market dynamics could still make the direction of oil prices highly unpredictable. If Opec is indeed looking to drive new producers with higher costs - particularly US shale players - out of the market, how long the effort will continue is uncertain. “We have to wait and see if tight (shale) oil can continue,” said al-Naimi, whose country pumps close to a third of Opec’s 30mn bpd output. “Things could need one year, two years or three.” The International Energy Agency on December 12 cut the forecast for global demand next year, also upgrading the estimate for non-Opec supplies. US output, already at a three-decade high, will continue to rise, the IEA said. Going forward, the next 12-18 months are seen crucial for the global energy market. While weak demand in China is likely to continue, the continued weakness of the global economy along with potential output gains of around 3mn bpd if Libya, Iran and Iraq manage to stabilise production can also delay a recovery in oil prices. Global oil prices have plunged around 23% since November 26, the day before the 12-nation Opec decided to maintain its output level. The wait for a quick rebound could drag on as global consumption growth slowed to the least since 2009, US companies pumped more than they have since the 1980s and major Opec producers are discounting their crudes to preserve market share. Opec is apparently letting the market to arrive at the most sustainable price levels. Longer term, it may also be in the best interest of investors to adopt a wait-andsee approach. “Fossil fuel will remain the main source of energy for decades to come” 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 Off duty, black cops feel threat from fellow police Within the thin blue line of the NYPD, there is another divide - between black and white officers By Michelle Conlin/Reuters New York F rom the dingy donut shops of Manhattan to the cloistered police watering holes in Brooklyn, a number of black NYPD officers say they have experienced the same racial profiling that cost Eric Garner his life. Garner, a 43-year-old black man suspected of illegally peddling loose cigarettes, died in July after a white officer put him in a chokehold. His death, and that of an unarmed black teenager in Ferguson, Missouri, has sparked a slew of nationwide protests against police tactics. On Saturday, those tensions escalated after a black gunman, who wrote of avenging the black deaths on social media, shot dead two New York policemen. The protests and the ambush of the uniformed officers pose a major challenge for New York Mayor Bill De Blasio. The mayor must try to ease damaged relations with a police force that feels he hasn’t fully supported them, while at the same time bridging a chasm with communities who say the police unfairly target them. What’s emerging now is that, within the thin blue line of the NYPD, there is another divide - between black and white officers. Reuters interviewed 25 African American male officers on the NYPD, 15 of whom are retired and 10 of whom are still serving. All but one said that, when off duty and out of uniform, they had been victims of racial profiling, which refers to using race or ethnicity as grounds for suspecting someone of having committed a crime. The officers said this included being pulled over for no reason, having their heads slammed against their cars, getting guns brandished in their faces, being thrown into prison vans and experiencing stop and frisks while shopping. The majority of the officers said they had been pulled over multiple times while driving. Five had had guns pulled on them. Desmond Blaize, who retired two years ago as a sergeant in the 41st Precinct in the Bronx, said he once got stopped while taking a jog through Brooklyn’s upmarket Prospect Park. “I had my ID on me so it didn’t escalate,” said Blaize, who has sued the department alleging he was racially harassed on the job. “But what’s suspicious about a jogger? In jogging clothes?” The NYPD and the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, the police officers’ union, declined requests for comment. However, defenders of the NYPD credit its policing methods with transforming New York from the former murder capital of the world into the safest big city in the US. “It makes good headlines to say this is occurring, but I don’t think you can validate it until you look into the circumstances they were stopped in,” said Bernard Parks, the former chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, who is African American. New York City Police officers visit a makeshift memorial at the site where two police officers were fatally shot in Brooklyn yesterday. NYPD officers, Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos were shot and killed as they sat in a marked squad car in Brooklyn on Saturday afternoon. “Now if you want to get into the essence of why certain groups are stopped more than others, then you only need to go to the crime reports and see which ethnic groups are listed more as suspects. That’s the crime data the officers are living with.” Blacks made up 73% of the shooting perpetrators in New York in 2011 and were 23% of the population. A number of academics believe those statistics are potentially skewed because police over-focus on black communities, while ignoring crime in other areas. They also note that being stopped as a suspect does not automatically equate to criminality. Nearly 90% of blacks stopped by the NYPD, for example, are found not to be engaged in any crime. The black officers interviewed said they had been racially profiled by white officers exclusively, and about one third said they made some form of complaint to a supervisor. All but one said their supervisors either dismissed the complaints or retaliated against them by denying them overtime, choice assignments, or promotions. The remaining officers who made no complaints said they refrained from doing so either because they feared retribution or because they saw racial profiling as part of the system. In declining to comment to Reuters, the NYPD did not respond to a specific request for data showing the racial breakdown of officers who made complaints and how such cases were handled. White officers were not the only ones accused of wrongdoing. Civilian complaints against police officers are in direct proportion to their demographic makeup on the force, according to the NYPD’s Civilian Complaint Review Board. Indeed, some of the officers Reuters interviewed acknowledged that they themselves had been defendants in lawsuits, with allegations ranging from making a false arrest to use of excessive force. Such claims against police are not uncommon in New York, say veterans. Still, social psychologists from Stanford and Yale universities and John Jay College of Criminal Justice have conducted research - including the 2004 study “Seeing Black: Race, Crime and Visual Processing” - showing there is an implicit racial bias in the American psyche that correlates black maleness with crime. John Jay professor Delores JonesBrown cited a 2010 New York State Task Force report on police-on-police shootings - the first such inquiry of its kind - that found that in the previous 15 years, officers of colour had suffered the highest fatalities in encounters with police officers who mistook them for criminals. There’s evidence that aggressive policing in the NYPD is intensifying, according to data from the New York City Comptroller. Police misconduct claims - including lawsuits against police for using the kind of excessive force that killed Garner - have risen 214% since 2000, while the amount the city paid out has risen 75% in the same period, to $64.4mn in fiscal year 2012, the last year for which data is available. People who have taken part in the marches against Garner’s death - and that of Ferguson teenager Michael Brown - say they are protesting against the indignity of being stopped by police for little or no reason as much as for the deaths themselves. “There’s no real outlet to report the abuse,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, a former NYPD captain who said he was stigmatised and retaliated against throughout his 22-year career for speaking out against racial profiling and police brutality. Officers make complaints to the NYPD’s investigative arm, the Internal Affairs Bureau, only to later have their identities leaked, said Adams. One of the better-known cases of alleged racial profiling of a black policeman concerns Harold Thomas, a decorated detective who retired this year after 30 years of service, including in New York’s elite Joint Terrorism Task Force. Shortly before 1am one night in August 2012, Thomas was leaving a birthday party at a trendy New York nightclub. Wearing flashy jewellery, green sweatpants and a white t-shirt, Thomas walked toward his brandnew white Escalade when two white police officers approached him. What happened next is in dispute, but an altercation ensued, culminating in Thomas getting his head smashed against the hood of his car and then spun to the ground and put in handcuffs. “If I was white, it wouldn’t have happened,” said Thomas, who has filed a lawsuit against the city over the incident. The New York City Corp Counsel said it could not comment on pending litigation. At an ale house in Williamsburg, Brooklyn last week, a group of black police officers from across the city gathered for the beer and chicken wing special. They discussed how the officers involved in the Garner incident could have tried harder to talk down an upset Garner, or sprayed mace in his face, or forced him to the ground without using a chokehold. They all agreed his death was avoidable. Said one officer from the 106th Precinct in Queens, “That could have been any one of us.” Essebsi, 88, seen as old face of old regime DPA Tunis S hortly after the election commission announced victory for Beji Caid Essebsi as Tunisia’s first democratically elected president, angry residents took to the streets of towns across the country condemning his victory. For many Tunisians, the 88-yearold is an extension of the regime of longtime autocrat Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who was deposed in a 2011 uprising. Essebsi was parliament speaker in the Ben Ali era. He won Sunday’s presidential run-off with 55.68% of the vote. His rival, outgoing president and rights activist Moncef Marzouki won 44.32%. The election completed the democratic transition in Tunisia, the birthplace of the Arab Spring revolts. Essebsi’s secularist Nida Tounes party took the lead in October’s parliamentary elections, upstaging the once-dominant Islamist Ennahada movement. This, along with his presidential victory, has raised fears that Essebsi will be the new dictator. “The key issue for Tunisia’s future is the composition of the future Beji Caid Essebsi faces an uphill task as Tunisia’s next president, with rising concerns over a return to authoritarianism, a weak economy and tackling an Islamist insurgency among the key challenges he faces. government,” said Geoffrey Howard, a Tunisia-expert for the global risk consultancy Control Risks. “Nida Tounes and Essebsi will dominate the political landscape. Ennahda is still powerful in the assembly and it still has a significant support base,” Howard said. If Nida Tounes excludes Ennahda from the political process, the situation will be very critical, according to Howard. “Divisions between Islamists and secularists might deepen which could encourage radical Islamist groups to more extreme violence.” In a televised address following his victory, Essebsi pledged to be a “president for all Tunisians.” “Tunisia’s future is based on consensus. Tunisia needs its entire people without exclusion or discrimination,” he said. His critics remain sceptical. “When a single party holds all powers, there are justified fears of authoritarianism,” said Azad Badi, a member of the pro-Marzouki Wafa Party. “We are worried about the future of rights and freedoms, especially as Nida Tounes comprises former figures from the Ben Ali regime.” Also of concern are the country’s economic problems. The unemployment rate currently stands at 15%, compared to the preuprising rate of 13%. Last year, Tunisia’s economic growth slowed to 2.6%, according to the World Bank. Essebsi has not elaborated on how he plans to revitalise the economy. “It is unlikely that the new government will make substantial reforms, which would improve the socio-economic conditions,” Howard of Control Risks said. “For example: If the main areas were tackled, like subsidies and wages in the public sector, it could risk destabilising the country quite badly.” Essebsi has pledged to bring stability to Tunisia, where Islamist insurgents have in recent months stepped up attacks targeting mainly security forces. Neighbouring Libya is meanwhile experiencing its worst inter-militia violence since Muammar Gaddafi’s ouster, forcing thousands to flee into Tunisia. “In view of all these security and economic challenges, I think Essebsi is the best president for this crucial stage in Tunisia,” said Nasser Ben Sultana, a Tunisian researcher. “He has the experience to develop Tunisia’s relations with the outside world and attract investment to the country,” Ben Sultana said. “Essebsi can boost regional cooperation against terrorism. Furthermore, he is able to unite Tunisians rather than divide them.” Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 33 COMMENT What price low-carbon future? As 2014 draws to an end, falling oil, gas, and coal prices threaten to undermine investment in green energy and stimulate wasteful consumption By Adair Turner London W ith just days left to go, 2014 seems certain to be the warmest year on record, or at least the runner-up. International agreement on robust action to limit global warming remains inadequate: the just-completed Lima climatechange conference delivered some progress, but no breakthrough. Away from the diplomatic circuit, however, technological advances make it certain that we can build low-carbon economies at minimal cost and great benefit to human welfare. Solar energy reaching the earth’s surface provides 5,000 times humanity’s energy needs. The technology to capture it cost effectively and cleanly is available. Indeed, photovoltaic module prices have fallen 80% since 2008 and the best utility-scale solar projects can now produce electricity for less than $0.10 per kilowatt-hour. Optimists say that solar energy will become economical without subsidies later this decade, while pessimists put the breakeven point in the 2020s. The question is when – not whether – this will occur. Though progress on energy-storage technologies has been less dramatic, it has been sufficient to make green transport feasible. The price of lithium-ion battery packs has fallen from around $800 per kilowatt-hour in 2009 to $600 in 2014, and will likely be below $300 by 2020 and $150 by the late 2020s. Once the price is below $250, the total cost of owning and running an electric car will be less than for one with an internal combustion engine (assuming gasoline prices of $3.50 per US gallon). Of course, the precise pace of progress is uncertain. But a future in which carbon-free transport is possible is assured. And our cities will be cleaner, quieter, and more pleasant places to live as a result. Progress on other technologies is also essential. Hydrogen or biofuels will probably be needed to power those applications – particularly aviation – that require high energyto-weight ratios. And building a low-carbon economy will entail huge investments in power capacity and transmission, energy-efficient buildings, mass-transit systems, and electrical charging networks. The New Climate Economy report, launched by the UN in September, estimates that the investment required over the next 15 years will total $14tn. But the incremental capital costs relative to a high-carbon economy are a smaller $4tn, less than a third of 1% of global GDP over that period. And the maximum sacrifice of future income per capita will be no more than 1-4% of global GDP. That means that the world might have to wait, say, until December 2051 to reach the income and prosperity level that it would otherwise have achieved the preceding January. So we do not need fossil fuels to support prosperous economies. If some extra-terrestrial thief came in the night and stole two-thirds of the planet’s coal, gas, and oil reserves, all of humanity could still enjoy the household appliances, informationtechnology products and services, heating, lighting, and mobility that define the modern world. But no such thief exists, and fossil fuels are in dangerous abundance. Some environmentalists claim that we will As 2014 draws to an end, falling oil, gas, and coal prices threaten to undermine investment in green energy and stimulate wasteful consumption. In the US, sport and crossover utility vehicles – the largest of which are 5m long and weigh 2.6 tonnes – are the automobile market’s fastest growing sector. The human-welfare benefit of these behemoths is unclear to those who, like me recently, are allocated one for a trip to the airport from midtown Manhattan. The legroom is no longer, the headroom no taller, and the seats no more comfortable than in a mid-size saloon car. One and a half tonnes of unnecessary steel are simply hitching a ride. The biggest threat to a prosperous low-carbon future is not a lack of technological options, but the waste that low fossil-fuel prices encourage. To believers in rational economic choice, of course, there is no waste. If people choose to drive enormous cars, they must derive some benefit from it; and if switching to green energy makes that choice uneconomic, human welfare must suffer. But economic theory based on real-world experience tells us that consumer preferences are neither given nor absolute. Rather, they are stimulated in a self-reinforcing fashion by group norms, trends, and advertising, and some increases in consumption deliver no permanent increase in life satisfaction. A world in which 2.6-tonne vehicles were prohibitively expensive for singlepassenger use would entail no sacrifice of human welfare. Whatever the scenario, we should commit to leaving most fossil fuels forever in the ground. - Project Syndicate soon reach “peak fossil fuels,” making green energy essential not only for the climate, but also for continued growth. Sadly, that is not the case. Total gas and coal reserves could support current demand for more than a hundred years, and technological progress – for example, hydraulic fracturing, which has unlocked shale energy – makes an ever growing Climate change faces hard choices By James K Boyce Los Angeles A t the latest round of international climate talks this month in Lima, Peru, melting glaciers in the Andes and recent droughts provided a fitting backdrop for the negotiators’ recognition that it is too late to prevent climate change, no matter how fast we ultimately act to limit it. They now confront an issue that many had hoped to avoid: adaptation. Adapting to climate change will carry a high price tag. Sea walls are needed to protect coastal areas against floods, such as those in the New York area when Superstorm Sandy struck in 2012. We need early-warning and evacuation systems to protect against human tragedies, such as those caused by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines in 2013 and by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans in 2005. Cooling centres and emergency services must be created to cope with heat waves, such as the one that killed 70,000 in Europe in 2003. Water projects are needed to protect farmers and herders from extreme droughts, such as the one that gripped the Horn of Africa in 2011. Large-scale replanting of forests with new species will be needed to keep pace as temperature gradients shift toward the poles. Because adaptation won’t come cheap, we must decide which investments are worth the cost. A thought experiment illustrates the choices we face. Imagine that without major new investments in adaptation, climate change will cause world incomes to fall in the next two decades by 25% across the board, with everyone’s income going down, from the poorest farmworker in Bangladesh to the wealthiest real estate baron in Manhattan. Adaptation can cushion some but not all of these losses. What should be our priority: reduce losses for the farmworker or the baron? For the farmworker, and a billion others in the world who live on about $1 a day, this 25% income loss will be a disaster, perhaps the difference between life and death. Yet in dollars, the loss is just 25 cents a day. For the land baron and other “onepercenters” in the US with average incomes of about $2,000 a day, the 25% income loss would be a matter of regret, not survival. He’ll find a way to get by on $1,500 a day. In human terms, the baron’s loss pales compared with that of the farmworker. But in dollar terms, it’s 2,000 times larger. Conventional economic models would prescribe spending more to protect the barons than the farmworkers of the world. The rationale was set forth with brutal clarity in a memorandum leaked in 1992 that was signed by Lawrence Summers, then chief economist of the World Bank. The memo asked whether the bank should encourage more migration of dirty industries to developing countries and concluded that “the economic logic of dumping a load of toxic waste in the lowest-wage country is impeccable and we should face up to that.” Climate change is just a new kind of toxic waste. The “economic logic” of the Summers memo - later said to have been penned tongue-in-cheek to provoke debate, which it certainly did - rests on a doctrine of “efficiency” that counts all dollars equally. Whether it goes to a starving child or a millionaire, a dollar is a dollar. The task of economists, in this view, is to maximise the size of the total dollar pie. How it’s sliced is not their problem. A different way to set adaptation priorities is to count each person equally, not each dollar. This approach rests on the ethical principle that a healthy environment is a human right, not a commodity to be distributed on the basis of purchasing power, or a privilege to be distributed on the basis of political power. This equity principle is widely embraced around the world, from the affirmation in the US Declaration of Independence that people have an inalienable right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” to the guarantee in the South African Constitution that everyone has the right “to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being.” It puts safeguarding the lives of the poor ahead of safeguarding the property of the rich. In the years ahead, climate change will confront the world with hard choices: whether to protect as many dollars as possible, or to protect as many people as we can. – Tribune News Service share of these reserves economically attractive. Oil production may peak within the next few decades, but gasoline equivalents can be synthesised from gas or coal. zAidar Turner is a senior fellow at the Institute for New Economic Thinking and at the Center for Financial Studies in Frankfurt. Weather report Three-day forecast TODAY High: 23 C Low: 17 C Strong wind and high seas THURSDAY High: 22 C Low : 16 C Clear FRIDAY High: 23 C Low : 16 C P Cloudy Fishermen’s forecast OFFSHORE DOHA Wind: NW 15-25/30 KT Waves: 5-8/10 Feet INSHORE DOHA Wind: NW-N 10-20/25 KT Waves: 1-3/4 Feet Around the region Abu Dhabi Baghdad Dubai Kuwait City Manama Muscat Riyadh Tehran Weather today Clear Clear Clear Clear Clear Clear Clear P Cloudy Max/min 25/18 12/04 25/19 18/06 22/15 29/21 20/09 07/-2 Weather tomorrow Clear P Cloudy Clear Clear P Cloudy Clear P Cloudy Clear Max/min 24/17 14/04 24/16 18/05 21/15 27/18 19/09 09/-2 Weather tomorrow Clear Clear P Cloudy C Showers Clear C Rain C Storms Clear C Rain Clear C Storms Clear C Showers M Cloudy Snow Clear C Showers P Cloudy T Storms Clear T Storms C Storms Clear Max/min 17/10 19/12 34/25 06/01 22/09 24/16 26/21 25/14 19/14 13/08 31/26 08/-1 29/24 29/24 -6/-13 19/10 12/02 09/02 25/20 00/-7 29/26 29/20 12/02 Live issue Researchers read, write brain activity with light By Mo Costandi London A team of neuroscientists at University College London has developed a new way of simultaneously recording and manipulating the activity of multiple cells in the brains of live animals using pulses of light. The technique, described today in the journal Nature Methods, combines two existing state-of-the-art neurotechnologies. It may eventually allow researchers to do away with the cumbersome microelectrodes they traditionally used to probe neuronal activity, and to interrogate the brain’s workings at the cellular level in real time and with unprecedented detail. One of them is optogenetics. This involves creating genetically engineered mice expressing algal proteins called Channelrhodopsins in specified groups of neurons. This renders the cells sensitive to light, allowing researchers to switch the cells on or off, depending on which Channelrhodopsin protein they express, and which wavelength of light is used. This can be done on a millisecond-by-millisecond timescale, using pulses of laser light delivered into the animals’ brains via an optical fibre. The other is calcium imaging. Calcium signals are crucial for just about every aspect of neuronal function, and nerve cells exhibit a sudden increase in calcium ion concentration when they begin to fire off nervous impulses. Using dyes that gives off green fluorescence in response to increases in calcium concentration, combined with two-photon microscopy, researchers can detect this signature to see which cells are activated. In this way, they can effectively �read’ the activity of entire cell populations in brain tissue slices or live brains. Calcium-sensitive dyes are injectable, so targeting them with precision is difficult, and more recently, researchers have developed genetically-encoded calcium sensors to overcome this limitation. Mice can be genetically engineered to express these calciumsensitive proteins in specific groups of cells; like the dyes before them, they, too, fluoresce in response to increases in calcium ion concentrations in the cells expressing them. Each of these methods is extremely powerful when used alone. Earlier this year, for example, researchers at MIT used optogenetics to label and then manipulate the neuronal populations encoding memories in the mouse brain, while a team at Janelia Farm used calcium imaging to visualise the firing of every single neuron in the embryonic zebrafish brain. Adam Packer and his colleagues created a strain of mice expressing the Channelrhodopsin protein and an ultrasensitive calcium-binding protein in neurons in the barrel cortex, the part of the brain that receives sensory information from the whiskers. In this way, they could optogenetically activate specific cells while also using high-speed calcium imaging to visualise how they and other cells in the population react to stimulation, through transparent �windows’ scraped into the animals’ skulls. The combination of methods enabled the researchers to determine which neurons contribute to a particular function, and then target them very precisely. To demonstrate the precision of the technique, they used a programmable device called a spatial light modulator that splits the light beam into a hologram consisting of smaller �beamlets’, and then simultaneously activated six neurons arranged in the shape of a smiley face. There are other ways of simultaneously reading and writing neuronal activity, but they have drawbacks. Microelectrodes alone can be used to stimulate some cells and record from others, or stimulating electrodes can be combined with an imaging technique. This produces interference between the input and output channels, however, that can affect the results. With the new approach, the frequency of light used to stimulate neurons does not overlap with that emitted by the calcium sensor, so there is minimal interference between the two channels, and the holographic light beam stimulates neurons with a �fast scanning’ procedure lasting just 2 femtoseconds (billionths of a second) further reduces the interference. The experiments show that the new all-optical method can indeed be used to simultaneously record and interfere with the activity of neuronal populations. They also show that it can be used continuously over several weeks, or even months, in awake, behaving animals. The researchers will undoubtedly continue to develop and improve upon the method, in order to learn more about the link between brain and behaviour and decipher the corresponding neural codes. “We’re excited about this,” says senior author Michael Häusser. “It unites two revolutions in neuroscience and heralds a new era in which we can abandon electrodes and use light alone to probe neural circuits during behaviour.” - Guardian News & Media 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 C Rain Clear P Cloudy T Storms Clear P Cloudy Clear T Storms C Rain P Cloudy C Rain Cloudy P Cloudy T Storms C Rain Rain Clear C Storms Rain Clear Max/min 18/12 18/12 33/24 09/04 21/10 25/17 29/24 26/15 22/18 12/09 31/26 27/13 12/04 30/24 -4/-9 19/08 13/11 11/05 20/18 01/-8 31/26 23/18 12/02 36 Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 QATAR Concerns over shisha smoking in public (From left) People smoking shisha in the open at a popular joint in Doha yesterday. Experts and activists have stressed that urgent steps to curb shisha smoking need to be taken to save lives. A recent decision of Katara to ban outdoor shisha smoking from January 1 has given a fillip to concerns raised by different quarters to end the practice. RasGas, Kogas team up for CSR project in Korean city A s part of an ongoing corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme, RasGas and Korea Gas Corporation (Kogas) have held a special event to mark the opening of Moonlight Children’s Park in Dong-gu district of Daegu Metropolitan City, South Korea, following the renovation of park facilities. The renovation of Moonlight Children’s Park included a relaxation area for senior citizens, installing sports equipment for residents and upgrading children’s playground facilities. “RasGas has a long-standing partnership with Kogas to meet the energy requirements of South Korea. On behalf of RasGas chief executive officer Hamad Rashid al-Mohannadi, RasGas is very proud and honoured to take such partnership even further by jointly launching this CSR campaign with Kogas for the residents and children of Daegu city, the new home of Kogas headquarters offices,” said Ali Khalaf al-Kaabi, RasGas Marketing manager (long-term sales) and LNG Marketing Committee secretary. “This pioneering international CSR initiative demonstrates RasGas’s commitment to positive and proactive corporate citizenship and our dedication to Kogas, the people of South Korea and the Daegu city community,” al-Kaabi added. Mayor of Dong-gu district Daesik Kang said, “Today is a very significant day as this CSR campaign marks the first collaboration between public and private organisations from two friendly countries, Qatar and Korea. I would like to express a special thanks to RasGas and Kogas.” Kogas vice-president Kim added, “This event should be regarded as important as this is the first collaborative CSR event in Korea between Kogas as a customer and RasGas as a supplier. Kogas and RasGas will try to find more meaningful CSR events in Daegu city in the future.” This joint CSR campaign by RasGas and Kogas will bring tangible benefits to the local community in Daegu city. The renovation of Moonlight Children’s Park is one aspect of the CSR campaign that was signed on August 1 at Daegu City Hall between Daegu Metropolitan City, Kogas, RasGas, Kyungbok National University Hospital and the Community Chest of Korea, Daegu branch, to promote sharing of culture and welfare in Daegu city by supporting a healthy lifestyle. In addition to the renovation of the park and as part of this CSR campaign, RasGas and Kogas are also supporting a children’s library at Kyung-bok University Hospital as well as orphanages. The new showroom of Jaidah Automotive on Doha’s Salwa Road. New showroom of Jaidah Automotive opens on Salwa Road J aidah Automotive, the exclusive dealers of Chevrolet vehicles in Qatar, has announced the opening of a new showroom on Salwa Road. The new location comes as part of the ongoing expansion strategy, providing customers with an array of accessible, fully equipped centres. The new showroom will be open for extended hours from 7am to 11pm, Saturday to Thursday. “Our expansion plans are pitched at not only bringing Jaidah Automotive to the forefront of the automotive industry by offering the best service to customers, but also at contributing positively to the economic growth of Qatar,” said group executive director Mohamed Jaidah. A Chevrolet Quick Service centre is also scheduled to open soon near the new showroom, announced Jaidah Automotive’s director of operations Khalid Samir. RasGas and Kogas officials are seen with a group of children at Moonlight Children’s Park. The showroom will be open from 7am to 11pm, Saturday to Thursday. The showroom and Chevrolet Quick Service centre will be located by the Qatar Decoration intersection on Salwa road, beside Teyseer Petrol Station. The showroom will display a number of Chevrolet models, including the all- new Tahoe 2015, Silverado, Traverse, Impala, Malibu and Cruze. “We are thrilled about the opening of the new showroom on Salwa Road as it is a key location in Doha,” he explained. As with other Chevrolet Quick Service centres, the new Salwa Road branch will employ specialist General Motors technicians to provide dedicated support to Chevrolet owners. Qatargas programme hosts student leaders Q atargas recently hosted students from Al Khor International School (AKIS) on a three-day residential programme as part of its Cadre Leadership Development Programme, which targets the company’s high-potential leaders. Held for the second year in a row, the event brought together 15 Qatargas cadre leaders and 28 AKIS student leaders. The programme provided an opportunity for the Qatargas leaders to work closely with the student leaders to further develop their leadership skills and share their expertise in this area. As part of phase one of the programme, the Qatargas cadre leaders completed three modules – Leading Self, Leading Others and Leading in Action. The event’s participants with officials. The student leaders from AKIS were involved in the third module, Leading in Action, a practical workshop encouraging the Qatargas cadre leaders to experiment and put into action the content, tools and skills covered on the programme to date. The Qatargas cadre leaders designed and facilitated their own workshops for the students, in which they passed on some of the lessons and insights gained throughout the year. The students were divided into groups and given the task of preparing and delivering a special event, with the support of the Qatargas cadre leaders, at the closing ceremony of the programme on day three. The Qatargas leaders supported, guided and led the students, sharing with them their own leadership lessons in the process. During the ceremony, the students delivered presentations outlining their vision for the Student Council in 2015 while the Qatargas leaders presented their learning from their collaboration with the students. Adnan al-Shaibi, Qatargas Learning and Development manager, said: “We were very pleased to host the students for the programme again this year. I am sure that as much as the students benefited from the experience, our cadre leaders also took away some valuable learning from guiding and supporting them and effectively applying the skills they have acquired from the leadership development programme.” The closing event was attended by parents, senior Qatargas managers as well as AKIS students and staff. ROUBLE SWAP | Page 6 SPENDING LIFT | Page 16 China testing IMF as lender of last resort US economy accelerates sharply in Q3 Wednesday, December 24, 2014 Rabia I 2, 1436 AH GULF TIMES EVEN $20 NOT TO SWAY OPEC: Page 2 Arab Opec producers see oil back above $70 a barrel by end-2015 BUSINESS QFCRA unveils new prudential framework for authorised firms The luxury component would be a key feature in the Doha Festival City, but it will also cater to wide demographics and attract market from all sorts of price points QR6bn Doha Festival City eyes top Middle East L&E position The project is being envisaged as a complete destination with such unique L&E concepts as snow park, bungee cages, rapid river ride - all first in Qatar By Santhosh V Perumal Business Reporter T he QR6bn Doha Festival City (DhFC), which is home to Ikea and will see the opening of the country’s largest mall next year as well as a 300-room five-star hotel by 2017, is keen to expand its retail side and strengthen leisure and entertainment (L&E) components to make it one of the largest L&E destinations in the Middle East, according to the developer. The developer Bawabat AlShamal Real Estate Company (Basrec) has also initiated talks with the Qatar Rail on festival city station in the Green Line of Doha Metro, a move that will enhance connectivity to DhFC, which has carefully selected the strategic locale of the country for its project with a gross leasable area of 250,000sq m. Recently, the developer awarded Gulf Contracting Company in joint venture with ALEC Qatar a QR1.65bn contract for the main works on its mall, which will feature over 550 shops and stores through a carefully balanced selection of global and local brands, including more than 85 restaurants and cafes. Rather than being a mere retail landscape, the project - whose promoters comprise the UAE-based Al-Futtaim Real Estate Services, Qatar Islamic Bank, Aqar Real Estate Investment Company and a private Qatari investor - is being developed to be a complete destination with unique L&E concepts such as snow park, bungee cages, rapid river ride, Shamma: Allowances for inflation. all first in Qatar. “We have a strong combination of internal and external L&E. The uniqueness of L&E area alone will differentiate us from the other malls,” Basrec CEO Kareem Shamma told Gulf Times when asked how DhFC will be a value addition to Qatar’s retail landscape in view of a total of 13 operational malls at present and another 27 in the offing. Shamma said the luxury component would be a key feature in the festival city but, it will also cater to wide demographics and attract market from all sort of price points. Although DhFC is open to having alliances with international amusement brands, Shamma said at present, its unique selling points put the project in good stead to leverage itself rather than being dependent on foreign brands. The development - which is located just north of downtown Doha on Al Shamal Road, one of the main arterial routes to the city - is aiming a premium price positioning in the retail landscape and has already made enough provisioning towards project cost inflation. “We have certainly made allowances for inflation. There are sev- eral ways to mitigate, one of which is advanced purchasing,” Shamma said, when asked about a report by EC Harris, which said Qatar’s project inflation may peak by 2016 or 2017. Rather “inflation may even have a positive twist to the project. Rental rates will be in line with demand. It could well be commercially a blessing in disguise for us”, Shamma said, adding that the second phase of the mall and the appurtenant L&E are expected to be up and running by September 2016. About hospitality, he said Basrec was close to finalising a deal with a globally renowned hotel group and by the first quarter of 2015, it will be made public. The project will not have any residential component although Al Futtaim brand positioning has housing units in Dubai and Cairo festival cities. The Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority (QFCRA) has introduced several enhancements to its prudential framework for QFC authorised firms undertaking banking, investment management or advisory business. The changes are included in two new sets of prudential rules - Banking Business Prudential Rules (BBPR) 2014 and the Investment Management and Advisory Rules (IMAR) 2014. The new rules come into force on January 1, 2015. “The strengthening of the prudential framework for QFC authorised firms undertaking banking, investment management and advisory business in the QFC is closely aligned with the significant improvements in international regulatory standards in recent years,” QFCRA CEO Michael Ryan said. “It reinforces the ability of our firms to operate with a strong capital base and sound risk management practices as their business activities increase and expand.” The new BBPR 2014 contain the framework for authorised firms that undertake banking business - accepting deposits, providing credit, dealing in investments as principal, or undertaking Islamic financial management. They are designed to align with the banking principles established by the Basel Core Principles for effective banking supervision and Basel accord frameworks which aim to provide a more resilient global banking system in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis. The enhancements are on areas such as internal capital adequacy assessment process, capital adequacy and capital requirements, credit risk, market risk, interest rate risk in the banking book, liquidity risk, group risk, prudential reporting and Islamic financial management firms. The new IMAR 2014 contains enhancements particularly focused on such areas as minimum paid-up share capital and liquid assets requirement, risk management, professional indemnity insurance and client money and asset protection. Both the new rules replace the framework for banking business firms contained in the Investment and Banking Business Rules 2005 to be repealed at the end of 2014. The QFCRA also introduced a number of improvements to its framework for approving individuals to perform certain key positions in QFC authorised firms. The new framework - which is contained in the Individuals (Assessment, Training and Competency) Rules 2014 - amend the existing approved individual regime by placing clearer accountability and responsibility on the board and senior management for the appointment of competent, fit and proper staff; removing the requirement for the QFCRA to approve individuals performing the customer facing function; and making certain enhancements to the knowledge competency requirements. Tanzania PM eyes food, tourism investments from Qatar By Peter Alagos Business Reporter T anzanian Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda has met with members and officials of Qatar Chamber (QC) to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral ties with Qatar, particularly in areas of food security and tourism. Pinda, who was in Qatar for a three-day trade visit, hosted QC vice chairman Mohamed bin Ahmed bin Tawar al-Kuwari and a group of Qatari businessmen in a meeting held at the Sheraton Hotel on Monday. During the meeting, the prime minister emphasised the opportunities that could be exploited; from the proximity between Qatar and the United Republic of Tanzania, as well as other neighbouring countries “in order to advance our economies.” Pinda said Tanzania is the largest country in East Africa and sits between six other landlocked countries: Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, and Malawi, which he described as “a substantial market.” He said the presence of three deep water ports, namely Dar es Salaam, Tanga, and Mtwara and the country’s membership with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) widen Tanzania’s trade opportunities as it serves as an export hub for the 15 countries under the SADC. Pinda also invited Qatar to explore possible investments in Tanzania’s agricultural and livestock development, sugar cultivation, rice crop growing, and horticulture sector, as well as in fisheries, forestry, and beekeeping. The prime minister added that other investment areas include the education, health, insurance and security services, construction, water and sanitation, and integrated waste management sectors. Juliet R Kairuki, executive director of Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC), told Gulf Times TIC held talks with the Qatar Investment Authority’s (QIA) Hassad Foods yesterday to explore initiatives on food security. Kairuki added that TIC will be inviting Hassad Foods to visit Tanzania to identify potential areas of investments in the agriculture and livestock sector. The date of the visit, however, has not yet been finalised, she said. Al-Kuwari said Qatar will be joining other Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries to attend a conference in Tanzania next year. He added that the event would be an opportunity to bring Hassad Foods, including a Qatari business delegation, to continue discussions on food security and tourismrelated initiatives. “There is much desire from the chamber and local business owners to explore the investment climate and opportunities in the Tanzanian market, especially in the fields of mining and agriculture because we are serious about developing Qatar’s food security,” al-Kuwari said. Pinda also said Tanzania is looking at Qatar to help it develop the country’s oil and gas industry. There have been several gas discoveries on the coastal shore of the Indian Ocean at Songosongo, Mnazi Bay, and Mkuranga. Pinda said these discoveries “are catalysts of natural gas developments in Tanzania.” “Your expertise in the hydrocarbon sector can help us. We need knowledgeable people to help us in our oil and gas industry considering that you already have a lot of experience in this area,” Pinda said. Al-Kuwari hands over a token of appreciation to Pinda after the business meeting held in Doha. PICTURE: Shemeer Rasheed. 2 Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 BUSINESS Opec won’t cut output even at $20 a barrel, says Saudi AFP Riyadh Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi (second left) speaks with an unidentified official as he walks with Kuwaiti Oil Minister Ali Saleh al-Omair (second right) and UAE Energy Minister Suhail bin Mohamed al-Mazroui (right) during the opening session of the 10th Arab Energy Conference in Abu Dhabi last Sunday. Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest exporter - and other leading Gulf producers within Opec - say it’s time for others, whether that is countries like major exporter Russia or US shale drillers, to slow down on oil output. Arab Opec sources see oil back above $70 by end-’15 Opec hopes economic recovery will spur fresh demand; $100 seen as encouraging non-Opec output; prospects for any output cut look remote Reuters Abu Dhabi A rab Opec producers expect global oil prices to rebound to between $70 and $80 a barrel by the end of next year as a global economic recovery revives demand, Opec delegates said this week in the first indication of where the group expects oil markets to stabilise in the medium term. The delegates, some of which are from core Gulf Opec producing countries, said they may not see - and some may not even welcome now - a return to $100 any time soon. Once deemed a “fair” price by many major producers, $100 a barrel crude is encouraging too much new production from high cost producers outside the exporting group, some sources say. But they believe that once the breakneck growth of high cost producers such as US shale patch slows and lower prices begin to stimulate demand, oil prices could begin finding a new equilibrium by the end of 2015 - even in the absence of any production cuts by Opec, something that has been repeatedly ruled out. “The general thinking is that prices can’t collapse, prices can touch $60 or a bit lower for some months then come back to an acceptable level which is $80 a barrel, but probably after eight months to a year,” one Gulf oil source told Reuters. A separate Gulf Opec source said: “We have to wait and see. We don’t see $100 for next year, unless there is a sudden supply disruption. But average of $70-$80 for next year - yes.” The comments are among the first to indicate how big producers see oil markets playing out next year, after the current slump that has almost halved prices since June. Global benchmark Brent closed at around $60 a barrel on Monday. Their internal view on the market outlook will provide welcome insight to oil company executives, analysts and traders, who were caught out by what was seen by some as a shift in Saudi policy two months ago and have struggled since then to understand how and when the market will find its feet. For the past several months, Saudi officials have been making clear that the Kingdom’s oft-repeated mantra that $100 a barrel crude is a “fair” price for crude had been set aside, at least for the foreseeable future. At the weekend, Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi was blunt when asked if the world would ever again see triple-digit oil prices: “We may not.” Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest exporter - and other leading Gulf producers within the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) - say it’s time for others, whether that is countries like major exporter Russia or US shale drillers, to slow down; Opec can no longer slash output, ceding market share, to spare them a downturn. As al-Naimi told the Middle East Economic Survey (MEES) in an interview this weekend: “It is not in the Iraq’s draft 2015 budget envisions 23tn dinar deficit Reuters Baghdad I raq’s cabinet yesterday approved a draft 2015 budget worth 123tn dinars ($103bn at the free market rate) which was made possible by better ties between Baghdad and the autonomous Kurdish region, but was constrained by plunging oil prices. The budget, which envisions a deficit of 23tn dinars, will be presented to parliament after a committee headed by Prime Minister Haider alAbadi fine-tunes some of the language at a meeting expected today, Finance Minister Hoshiyar Zebari told Reuters. Iraq did not have a budget for 2014; the government of former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki failed to pass one following the deterioration of relations with Sunnis and Kurds. By contrast, the 2015 budget is a symbol of growing goodwill between Baghdad and the Kurdish region as they both fight Islamic State militants, also known as ISIS. “This is a breakthrough,” the prime minister’s spokesman Rafid Jaboori said of the spending plan. Zebari said no figure was available yet for actual spending in 2014, but it was expected to be higher than the 123tn dinars of the 2015 budget - implying Baghdad has been forced into taking substantial austerity measures by the slide of global oil prices in recent months. “Our economy suffered two major shocks in 2014: the rise of ISIS, which resulted in military confrontations, the loss of agriculture and displacement. The second shock was the drop in oil prices,” he said. The budget seals a financial arrangement between Baghdad and the Kurdish region that will see the Kurds export 300,000 bpd of oil from Kirkuk and 250,000 bpd from their own fields in return for a 17% share of the budget. Unlike previous budgets approved under the Maliki government, the 2015 plan does not list punitive measures to reduce the Kurds’ share if they do not meet their export quotas for oil. The budget was delayed from last month as oil prices continued to slide; it originally assumed an average oil price of $70 a barrel next year, but lowered that to $60. Brent crude is trading just above $60, down from $115 in June. “We have a really difficult financial and economic situation,” Zebari said. “The strategy was to present a real budget - to engineer our budget according to our actual revenues so that we will be able to meet our top priorities.” Zebari listed those as defence, oil, electricity and Iraq’s internally displaced population, with more than 2mn people who have lost their homes. interest of Opec producers to cut their production, whatever the price is.” Without Opec to defend prices, oil entered a free-fall, but most of Opec’s members are holding fast. At this point, intervening in the market would simply invite new rivals to carry on pumping crude, eroding Opec’s market share without any guarantee of a sustained price recovery, another Arab oil source told Reuters on the sidelines of a meeting in Abu Dhabi of the Organisation of the Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OApec). “Every time prices fall, we would be asked to cut,” the source said. The second Gulf Opec source reiterated that Opec would not cut alone. Non-Opec producers such as Russia, Mexico, Kazakhstan and “anyone producing more than 1mn bpd” should also cut or at least freeze their output if they wanted a stable market and better prices, the Gulf Opec source said. To be sure, there is no suggestion that Opec is targeting a specific price, or would want to do so. The group hasn’t had a formal price goal in about a decade, and Saudi Arabia has long maintained that it is only seeking price stability, not a set level. Asked about market signals Opec is looking for to decide on whether the market is stabilising or not, irrespective of the price, al-Naimi said: “The signals need time, one year, two years, three years. There is not one signal that we look to and say that’s it... but for sure those who are the most efficient producers are the one who would rule the market in the future.” Iraqi oil minister Adel Abdel Mehdi told Reuters in an interview on Monday he thought prices would stabilise now at about $60 a barrel but could rise to over $70 by mid-next year. “I believe that market has started to stabilise itself now,” Falah al-Amiri, head of Iraq state oil marketing SOMO told Reuters in Abu Dhabi. “The future for next year, I don’t think there would be much optimism in the market that the price would go to $80 or above. But I don’t even think prices would reach $80,” said Amiri, citing a resilient shale oil production to current prices. Opec will not cut oil production even if the price drops to $20 a barrel and it is unfair to expect the group to reduce output if non-members do not, Saudi Arabia said. “Whether it goes down to $20 a barrel, $40, $50, $60, it is irrelevant,” the kingdom’s Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said in an interview with the Middle East Economic Survey (Mees), an industry weekly. In unusually detailed comments, al-Naimi defended a decision by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, whose lead producer is Saudi Arabia, last month to maintain a production ceiling of 30mn bpd. The decision sent global crude prices tumbling, worsening a price drop that has seen them fall by around 50% since June. Slower demand growth and a stronger dollar have also contributed to the slump. Saudi Arabia has traditionally acted to balance demand and supply in the global oil market because it is the only country with substantial spare production capacity, according to the International Monetary Fund. The kingdom pumps about 9.6mn bpd but al-Naimi said it is “crooked logic” to expect his country to cut and then lose business to other major producers outside Opec. The increasingly competitive global oil market has seen daily US output rise by more than 40% since 2006, but at a production cost which can be three or four times that of extracting Middle Eastern oil. “Is it reasonable for a highly efficient producer to reduce output, while the producer of poor efficiency continues to produce?” al-Naimi asked during the interview conducted with Mees on Sunday. “If I reduce, what happens to my market share? The price will go up and the Russians, the Brazilians, US shale oil producers will take my share.” Al-Naimi added it is “unfair” for Opec to reduce output because it is not pumping most of the world’s oil. “We produce less than 40% of global output. We are the most efficient producer. It is unbelievable after the analysis we carried out for us to cut,” he said. Opec tried to seek market stability through a common front between members and non-members “but there was no way,” he said. Oil prices were above $100 a barrel earlier this year, a level which al-Naimi said “we may not” see again. Repeating comments he has made elsewhere, al-Naimi told Mees that oil prices will, however, improve. “The timing is difficult to know,” he said, but international oil companies have reduced their future capital expenditures, “which means there is no exploration”. That, in turn, signals they will not have additional production, he added. The minister said Opec was not surprised by the extent of the price drop. “No, we knew the price would go down because there are investors and speculators whose job it is to push it up or down to make money,” he told Mees. Bank Leumi to pay $400mn in US, NY tax probes The Bank Leumi Le-Israel Ltd headquarters is seen in Tel Aviv, Israel (file). Bank Leumi has agreed to pay $400mn and admit it helped American clients evade taxes for a decade, in a case showing that US prosecutors and New York regulators are extending their probes of offshore tax evasion beyond Switzerland. The Justice Department filed a conspiracy charge yesterday against Bank Leumi, Israel’s second-largest lender, and four units. The US agreed to defer prosecution for two years, and the bank admitted it unlawfully helped clients hide assets from the Internal Revenue Service, according to court documents. The company will pay $130mn to New York’s Department of Financial Services, fire the head of its trust subsidiary and improve its compliance programme. Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 3 BUSINESS ICT spending in MEA seen crossing $270bn next year Spending on ICT products and services in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) will cross the $270bn mark in 2015 with the IT market expected to grow 9% year on year next year, a new report by International Data Corporation (IDC) said. This makes MEA the second-fastest growing market worldwide, with the SaaS (Software as a service) segment set to perform particularly strongly, expanding 29% year on year to total. SaaS is a software licensing and delivery model in which software is licensed on a subscription basis and is centrally hosted. Converged systems will be another key area of growth as more organisations look to leverage the agility, productivity, flexibility, and cost-saving benefits presented by such solutions. “Converged systems will gain prominence in 2015 and serve as the building blocks to software-defined environments across the MEA region in 2016 and beyond,” said Megha Kumar, research manager for software at IDC Middle East, Turkey, and Africa. “In the Middle East, demand will be particularly strong from smart city initiatives and the implementation of large-scale transportation projects, while in Africa the lack of legacy systems will enable organisations to leapfrog to the latest converged technologies as they strive to ease the pressures of ongoing skills shortages.” IDC expects SaaS uptake to be focused on non-critical workloads such as sales, marketing, CRM, and talent management, with public cloud adoption growing in the region. However, private cloud will continue to be used for critical apps and to provision shared services. “Analytics uptake will also rise in 2015, since organisations consider it easier to comprehend than �Big Data’, both in terms of technology and the value derived from the solution,” said Kumar. “Big Data will predominantly remain an opportunistic buy in 2015 for a select band of large enterprises, and vendors will need to increase their focus on educating end users and showcasing the value gained from successful deployments if they wish this scenario to change.” “The year 2015 is also expected to see the rise of the executive buyer, with the MEA region set to follow the worldwide trend of growing line-of-business (LoB) influence over IT spending,” said Jyoti Lalchandani, group vice president and regional MD at IDC Middle East, Turkey, and Africa. “Globally, 60% of enterprises plan to structure their IT initiatives into core IT projects and LoB IT projects.” “The CIO will remain in control of the purse strings for the former, but the latter will be at the mercy of the relevant departmental heads. This presents a whole new target audience for the region’s vendor community and raises the prospect of even more shadow IT projects taking place, particularly around the 3rd Platform technologies of cloud, big data, mobility, and social.” MEA is the second-fastest growing market worldwide, with the SaaS (Software as a service) segment set to perform particularly strongly, expanding 29% year on year to total CSR central to Qatar bourse initiatives; Ezdan honoured T he Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) has attached utmost importance to corporate social responsibility (CSR) as it is integral to the country’s economic growth and social development, according to its top official. The bourse was yesterday recognised for its contribution to the CSR forum and the publication of the second edition of White Book on CSR practices in Qatar. The forum was held under the patronage of Qatar Central Bank Gov- ernor HE Sheikh Abdulla bin Saud alThani, and Chairman of Sport, Social and Culture Fund; and opened by HE Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali, Minister of Youth and Sports and vice chairman of the fund. The White Book, which is an annual platform for companies to publish their CSR reports, included several pages on QSE’s development stages, its vision, mission and strategic objectives; its role in Qatar’s national economy; its achievements and leading projects; and the CSR efforts undertaken to achieve the sustainable development objectives. Rashid bin Ali al-Mansoori, CEO of QSE, emphasised the importance of the role played by it in supporting the society and consolidating the CSR practices through the implementation of several initiatives integrating economic, social, educational, sports and health aspects of community development. Over the past few years, the bourse has implemented a number of initiatives aimed at promoting knowledge and investment awareness among the public on the one hand and enhancing health and physical wellness for its staff and their families on the other hand, in addition to participating in many sporting events and blood donation campaigns. “These efforts indicate the QSE’s contribution to achieve sustainable development in the context of Qatar’s National Vision 2030,” al-Mansoori said. Ezdan Group was awarded for its social responsibility brochure that includes several social initiatives it has conducted. Receiving the award, Ezdan Holding Group CEO Ali al-Obaidli said the group believes in being an integral part and parcel of the Qatari society in all its components and has adopted several initiatives over its long career in all sectors, including social, health, educational, cultural, sports and environment. Qatar realty deals valued at QR1.3bn in 2nd week of December R eal estate deals in Qatar were valued at QR1.3bn in the second week of December across 191 deals, Ezdan Holding Group has said in a report. The value was, however, down 64% in the second week, Ezdan said. But the company said it was on account of an “exceptional deal” concluded in the previous week for a land (worth QR2.6bn). “If we exclude this deal, the transactions in the second week would have been higher by at least 30%,” Ezdan said. The week saw diversified activities in the country’s real estate sector including the sale of some 34 villas, 13 houses, one hotel, one mansion, one residential compound, and four residential buildings. Doha Municipality topped the transaction value with QR783mn and accounted for nearly 61% of the total value of real estate deals registered in the country. But the largest number of transactions was seen in Al Rayyan Municipality (78 deals) followed by Doha and Al Daayen Municipalities (32). Given the growing demand for residential and commercial units consequent on Qatar’s economic boom, Ezdan expects to see more property transactions in the coming weeks. Saudi budget spend boost seen marginal Saudi Arabia’s 2015 state budget is expected to raise spending marginally from this year’s original plan while covering a deficit due to sliding oil prices with the kingdom’s huge fiscal reserves, a local newspaper has reported. Al-Mansoori receiving the recognition from HE al-Ali. RIght: Al-Obaidli receiving the CSR award from HE al-Ali. Gulf markets rebound Bank, realty sell pressure stalls as oil pulls back leads to QSE correction Reuters Dubai M ost Gulf stock markets fell yesterday, ending a rally of several days, after the Brent oil price pulled back to near $60 a barrel, dampening sentiment among retail investors. The bourses have been closely correlated to oil over the last several months because of concern that lower oil export revenues could cause Gulf governments to cut back spending, particularly in the countries with relatively weak state finances, Bahrain and Oman. Major spending cuts look unlikely in big economies such as Saudi Arabia. The kingdom’s Al-Medina newspaper, quoting unnamed sources, reported that the 2015 Saudi budget - set to be announced this week - was expected to rise marginally from the 2014 plan to a record 860bn riyals ($229bn), with the government using its huge fiscal reserves to cover a deficit. Nevertheless, oil has a psychological impact on the markets, and the main Saudi stock index closed flat yesterday at 8,547 points after rising 17% over the four previous trading days. Trading volume fell back to a moderate level. The index has still not turned technically bullish despite its rebound; it faces technical resistance around 8,700 points, where its downtrend line from September now comes in. Nevertheless, oil has a psychological impact on the markets, and the main Saudi stock index closed flat yesterday at 8,547 points The most heavily traded stock, real estate developer Dar Al Aran, ended flat at 8.85 riyals. Much trade focused on beaten-down secondor third-tier stocks such as insurers, with Solidarity climbing 6.5%. Saudi Telecom rose 1.5% after saying it would book a 621mn riyal gain in the fourth quarter of this year due to expropriation of some of its land holdings by the government - though it added that it thought the amount of compensation was too small, and it would appeal for more money. Dubai’s index fell 3.4% after bouncing 27% over the three previous trading days. Trade focused on real estate developers, with Dear dropping 1.1% after a strong rise in early trade, and the biggest developer Ear tumbling 5.9%. Abu Dhabi’s market, usually much less volatile than Dubai’s, edged down 0.2%. Kuwait edged up 0.02% as recently listed telecommunications firm Viva Kuwait rose 1.9% and Bayar Real Estate Development gained 2.9%. Bayar said construction at a major project in Dubai was in the final stages and that all residential units of the tower had been sold. Egypt edged up 0.1% as Global Telecom surged 4.1% to 3.59 Egyptian pounds, triggering a bullish right triangle formed by the highs and lows of the past week and pointing up to about 4 pounds. Elsewhere in the Gulf, Oman’s index edged up 0.02% to 6,221 points; Kuwait’s index edged up 0.02% to 6,504 points, while Bahrain’s measure fell 0.3% to 1,402 points. By Santhosh V Perumal Business Reporter T he Qatar Stock Exchange yesterday witnessed corrections, after making huge gains for two consecutive days, to plunge 238 points, mainly due to severe selling in the banking and real estate stocks. Local retail investors increasingly booked profits to drag the 20-stock Qatar Index (based on price data) by 1.91% to 12,183.52 points, discounting the positive influence of strengthening oil prices. Weak buying among foreign institutions was also a factor for the bearish sentiments in the bourse, which is, however, up 17.38% years-to-date. Market capitalisation fell 1.86%, or about QR13bn, to QR665.21bn with large, small, mid and micro cap equities melting 2.34%, 1.98%, 0.57% and 0.13% respectively. The index that tracks Shariah-principled stocks was seem melting slower than the other indices in the market, where trade was highly skewed towards realty, which alone accounted for more than 53% of the total trade volume. The Total Return Index shed 1.91% to 18,171.6 points, the All Share Index by 1.79% to 3,097.13 points and the Al Rayan Islamic Index by 1.39% to 4,043.33 points. Banks and financial services stocks tanked 2.38%, followed by realty (2.24%), industrials (1.74%), insurance (1.24%) and telecom (0.71%); whereas transport rose 0.31% and consumer goods was unchanged. About 73% of the stocks were in the red with major shakers being QNB, Industries Qatar, Gulf International Services, Vodafone Qatar, Masraf Al Rayan, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Barwa, Ezdan, Mazaya Qatar, gulf Warehousing and Islamic Holding Group. However, Nakilat and Doha Bank bucked the trend. Qatari retail investors’ net profitbooking surged to QR106.1mn against QR74.74mn the previous day. Foreign institutions’ net buying sunk to QR43.18mn compared to QR75.84mn December 22. However, non-Qatari individual investors turned net buyers to the extent of QR12.88mn against net sellers of QR16.68mn on Monday. Domestic institutions’ net buying strengthened to QR49.97mn compared to QR15.67mn the previous day. Total trade volume fell 34% to 16.26mn shares, value by 30% to QR707.81mn and transactions by 29% to 7,778. The transport sector saw its trade volume plummet 56% to 0.44mn equities, value by 56% to QR19.93mn and deals by 42% to 269. The consumer goods sector’s trade volume plunged 50% to 0.54mn stocks, value by 59% to QR34.47mn and transactions by 46% to 453. There was a 49% decline in the industrials sector’s trade volume to 1.5mn shares, 46% in value to QR120.45mn and 33% in deals to 1,516. The telecom sector’s trade volume tanked 49% to 1.69mn equities, value by 51% to QR36.05mn and transactions by 39% to 821. The banks and financial services sector reported a 29% shrinkage in trade volume to 3mn stocks, 28% in value to QR207.83mn and 35% in deals to 1,787. The real estate sector’s trade volume shrank 28% to 8.63mn shares, value by 5% to QR258.66mn and transactions by 11% to 2,717. However, the insurance sector’s trade volume grew 70% to 0.46mn equities and value by 69% to QR30.42mn but deals were down 2% to 215. 4 Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 BUSINESS Derivatives exchanges prove resistant to regulatory change Reuters New York In December 2013, Hanmag Securities Corp, a small South Korean brokerage firm, lost 46bn won ($42mn) in a day after a stock option trading algorithm went bad. It was a fatal blow for a company that had just 15bn won of capital – Hanmag went bust. What happened next rattled regulators around the world: Hanmag defaulted on its obligations, forcing the Korea Exchange’s clearinghouse to tap its emergency funds. Clearinghouses are a critical part of regulators’ efforts to fix the financial system after the crisis, and they have grown much larger in recent years. Seen as a way to ensure that banks are not too connected to fail, clearinghouses can guarantee that if one party in a derivatives trade can’t meet its obligations, other banks it trades with will still get the money they are owed. During the financial crisis, regulators were reluctant to let wobbly traders such as Bear Stearns go bust, fearing that a failing bank would default on derivatives trades with other market players, which in turn would default on obligations with others, potentially spiralling into a systemic meltdown. For clearinghouses to work, they need to be rock solid when the world is crashing around them. If they aren’t, they may make any unfolding financial crisis much worse, by spreading panic instead of tamping it down. While regulators have recently talked about efforts to make clearinghouses stronger, they are finding it’s not easy, according to bankers and former regulators who are working with global rulemakers on this issue. Clearinghouses force banks to post collateral to support their trades, but it is hard to be sure that parties have always posted enough, in part because during crises the value of collateral may drop. The derivatives contracts that banks trade may also behave unpredictably, potentially leaving the clearinghouse with too little collateral. There are by one measure about $700tn of derivatives that trade off exchanges, which are the types of products regulators are most concerned about, though that number is far bigger than the actual potential losses from these contracts. Figuring how much capital different parties should pony up when a failing bank doesn’t have enough collateral is also difficult. Forcing other banks or the clearinghouse itself, for example, to put up a lot of cash when a member has failed could further destabilise the financial system. To be sure, clearinghouse failures are rare – four have happened in the last 40 years. Still, regulators have been late to design risk management standards for clearinghouses, given how big they are, said Darrell Duffie, a finance professor at Stanford University who has consulted with regulators on the matter. For example, clearinghouses handle more than two-thirds of over-the-counter interest-rate derivatives, which are the most common type of derivatives that trade off exchanges, according to an analysis of data by clearinghouse operator LCH.Clearnet. That’s about four times as much as before the financial crisis. LCH.Clearnet’s SwapClear, one of the biggest clearinghouses in the market, has cleared some $400tn of outstanding interest-rate derivatives known as swaps. The actual market risk from those swaps is much lower, but even so some bankers complain that most clearinghouses have low levels of their own capital available to absorb losses. SwapClear has just €44.6mn ($55.45mn) of capital on the line as of October 31. At SwapClear, if a bank fails, its collateral is applied to losses, and next comes the money the bank had put into the clearinghouse’s safety fund. After that comes SwapClear’s capital, and then finally a safety fund with £3.09bn ($4.85bn) paid in by all its members. Beyond that, banks would face additional assessments. However, once a clearinghouse burns through its own capital, banks can lose confidence in it and clear new contracts elsewhere, leading the clearinghouse to either wither away or collapse. Many of the biggest clearinghouses now are for-profit companies, which may encourage them to hold as little capital as regulators will let them get away with to maximize profits. A majority of Londonbased LCH.Clearnet was bought last year by the publicly-traded London Stock Exchange Group. CME Clearing is operated by Chicago-based CME Group and Intercontinental Exchange runs clearinghouses. LCH and other clearinghouses have said they have enough capital and business reasons to manage their risk appropriately. If clearinghouses put up more capital themselves, then members would feel emboldened to take more risk, they have said. Crafting good rules for clearinghouses could take years, said Stanford’s Duffie, because of their complexity and the number of regulators involved. In the US alone, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and the Federal Reserve all make rules for clearinghouses. Regulators have done some work on clearinghouses already – in 2012, they agreed on 24 principles for how clearinghouses should operate. One of those is a sort of capital standard for clearinghouses, namely that the companies must be able to cover possible losses from defaults by its two biggest customers. But regulators are not yet consistently checking clearinghouses’ calculations. Rulemakers see the work done so far as only a start, people who have spoken to them told Reuters. An international panel of rulemakers is now crafting standardised “stress tests” for clearinghouses to ensure the companies can weather tough market conditions. But the regulators have not figured out how those tests will work, or how much of the results will be disclosed to customers and the public. There are no approved plans in place globally to replace clearinghouses and the market services they provide if they should go broke. Informal capital curbs lift Russia’s sliding currency AFP Moscow M Reuters Moscow R ussia’s rouble hit its highest levels in two weeks yesterday, shored up by informal capital control measures designed to head off a repeat of the inflation and protests that marked Russia’s 1998 financial crisis. The government set limits on net foreign exchange assets for state-owned exporters yesterday, while officials and banking sources said the central bank had installed supervisors at the currency trading desks of top state banks. Early in the day, the rouble hit 52.88 to the dollar, its strongest since December 8. It fell back later but was still was up 0.8% at 55.34. Economists said the measures were effectively a softer version of capital controls, but that President Vladimir Putin, who has drawn much of his popularity from financial stability and rising prosperity, would keep his pledge not to resort to full-fledged controls. “They have already forced government exporters to sell their dollars, and same will happen for banks I guess, so in a sense, capital controls are already in place,” said Sergei Guriev, an exiled economist who fled Russia after criticising the Kremlin. Russians have followed hard currency movements closely ever since hyperinflation destroyed their savings after the collapse of the Soviet Union, before Putin came to power. The rouble plunged to an all-time low in mid-December on the back of lower oil prices and Western sanctions, which make it almost impossible for Russian firms to borrow from the West. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said yesterday that Russia risks deep recession. Before the recent rebound, the rouble fell as low as 80 per dollar, from the average of 30-35 seen in 2014’s first half. Yesterday, the Russian government told large state exporting companies that by March 1 they must bring their net foreign exchange assets back to the levels of October 1 and report to the central bank on weekly basis. “Of course, the companies are free to hold on to the hard currency, they Moscow set to subsidise struggling airlines Five thousand Russian rouble notes pass through a money counting machine at a store in Moscow. The rouble hit its highest levels in two weeks yesterday, shored up by informal capital control measures designed to head off a repeat of the inflation and protests that marked Russia’s 1998 financial crisis. are also free to get involved in speculative operations. But then we reserve the right not to help them if and when they hit tough times,” said one government source. He said companies that needed to repay large foreign debts could continue to accumulate hard currency. “If exporters are told not to increase their hard currency positions, it can be viewed as an unofficial reintroduction of capital controls,” said Vladimir Osakovskiy from Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Limiting money flows, once considered a damaging constraint on open markets, has been more accepted in the aftermath of the 2008-2009 financial crisis as a tool sometimes needed to manage financial stability. But in Russia, the issue has political resonance. Capital movements were liberalised only 10 years ago and restrictions bring back memories of the chaotic post-Soviet financial turbulence which Putin, now in his 15th year as Russia’s leader, made it his mission to banish. “(Full capital controls) would be a huge immediate blow to the economy,” Mikhail Zadornov, chairman of the board of VTB-24 bank, told the news- paper Vedomosti yesterday. “It would intensify capital outflows and cause a complete loss of confidence in the country among both domestic and foreign investors.” Instead, Russian authorities are being pragmatic. Four banking sources and sources close to the government said that the central bank had last week begun sending supervisors to monitor currency trading at major Russian banks. “There was panic,” said a source close to the government. “Something had to be done and we took some measures.” The central bank expects net capital outflows to hit $130bn this year and Russia can ill afford to lose any more, with economists forecasting that an already slowing economy will shrink 3.6% next year. “Yes, we have to report all of our activities to them, they are very meticulous,” said a source at one of Russia’s top five banks. Another source at a large bank said: “As of Monday (December 16), currency comptrollers have been sitting in and monitoring our currency positions, checking who bought foreign currency.” oscow is to set to step in to support troubled Russian airlines badly hit by the collapse of the rouble and falling passenger numbers. Deputy Prime Minister Arkadi Dvorkovitch said he was considering credit guarantees and subsidies worth up to €28mn ($34mn) to support struggling airlines. He told the business daily Vedomosti that two of the top three domestic airlines, Transaero and UTair, were already in difficulty. “Firstly (we are looking at giving) companies credit guarantees which are very powerful because they give banks an interest in resolving the problem,” he said. “Second comes subsidies for domestic flights. We are ready to widen the number of subsidised routes to make connections viable,” he added. The newspaper said Transaero will begin to benefit from credit guarantees this week. Airlines have been among the first hit by the currency crisis because of the international nature of their business and the landing charges they must pay in foreign currency. The price of air tickets has jumped twice by 12% and then 14% as the ruble has tumbled against the euro and the dollar. With rising prices, passenger numbers have dropped back sharply in recent months. On Sunday the TASS official news agency said Transaero, the country’s second airline, had asked for state help claiming there was “a risk of flights being suspended before the end of the year because the company did not have the money to pay its sub-contractors.” The company denied it was about to cut flights, claiming there was a campaign to “discredit” it, but admitted that as during the crisis of 2008-2009, public help was needed. US financial firms raise most money in IPOs since crisis Bloomberg New York F Pedestrians pass in front of a Citizens Financial Group bank branch in Boston, the US. Citizens Financial and LendingClub Corp are among banks and consumer finance companies that have raised a combined $16.8bn, fuelling the best year for all IPOs since 2000. inancial firms raised the most money this year in US initial public offerings since 2008, as investors shook off doubts from the credit crisis and bet that a new breed of lenders is poised to wrest business from big banks. Citizens Financial Group and LendingClub Corp are among banks and consumer-finance companies that have raised a combined $16.8bn, fueling the best year for all IPOs since 2000. Four of the five largest US debuts involved financial- services firms, with the industry accounting for about 19% of capital amassed in all sales. Financial IPOs are making a comeback as a strengthening US economy has boosted equity markets and prospects for consumer lending. While deals involving large banks are slowing, smaller firms that use technology to make borrowing cheaper and easier are poised to stoke a new round of offerings next year, according to bankers, investors and analysts. “For some of the biggest deals, the IPO was about putting the financial crisis in the rearview mirror,” said Jeff Davis, managing director for the financial-institutions group at Mercer Capital in Nashville, Tennessee. “If the stock market stays robust and consumer credit remains in good shape, next year will be another great year for financial-service IPOs.” Forty-two financial firms, including banks, asset managers and specialty consumer-insurance companies, had initial offerings through December 19, the most since 2005, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. While 2014’s biggest IPO was Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding’s record $25bn sale, rounding out the top five were Citizens Financial, Synchrony Financial, Ally Financial and Santander Consumer USA Holdings. Even as banks helped drive a record year for initial offerings, they’ve underperformed all IPOs. Financialservices firms that went public this year gained 8.4% on average through December 19, compared with a 16% increase for all US debuts, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Among the worst performers is Santander Consumer, the US autolending unit of Banco Santander, Spain’s largest bank. The shares have declined 17% since its January IPO as regulators increase scrutiny of subprime car loans. Investment bank Moelis & Co has turned in one of the best performances, gaining 37% since its April debut amid a surge in US mergers and acquisitions. Some of the biggest initial offerings were fuelled by larger banks looking to divest businesses and meet regulatory demands. Royal Bank of Scotland Group spun off Citizens, its US subsidiary, amid pressure from the British government to boost profitability and return some of the £45.5bn ($71bn) it received in a bailout five years ago. RBS raised $3.46bn, including an overallotment, in the biggest bank IPO since Goldman Sachs Group in 1999. Providence, Rhode Island-based Citizens has gained 16% since its September debut. Ally Financial, the bank bailed out by taxpayers in 2008, raised $2.56bn for the US Treasury in an IPO that was more than three years in the making. The Detroit-based auto lender, which has declined 10% since its April offering, had put plans to go public on hold as it worked to clean up its mortgage unit. Many banks “had been looking to do something for a long time, and more happened to come together in the same year,” said Andy Sanford, head of equity capital markets for Wells Fargo & Co. Companies looking to go public took advantage of surging US equity markets and signs the country’s economic recovery is gaining steam. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index and Dow Jones Industrial Average both climbed to record levels this month. Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 5 BUSINESS Beijing private sector suitors to drive Asian M&A deals Reuters Hong Kong C hina’s private sector suitors are set to drive another strong year of Asian mergers and acquisitions in 2015 after deals hit a record this year, with consumer retail, financial services and technology seen as the most active sectors for dealmaking. Non-state companies from China, including Fosun International and Haitong Securities, have sealed a series of outbound deals this year, a marked change from past years when stateowned enterprises (SOEs) dominated China’s mergers and acquisitions. Bankers are expecting that trend to accelerate next year, mirroring private firms’ increased role in equity capital markets as Beijing’s reforms aim to make the world’s second largest economy more responsive to market forces. It would be a boon to merger advisers that already experienced strong growth in fees in 2014. “What we are seeing is (Chinese) companies that haven’t been on the radar screen showing interest in specific targets,” said John Kim, head of M&A, Asia ex-Japan at Goldman Sachs. Dealmaking in Asia ex-Japan jumped 48% this year to an all-time high $802.2bn, according to preliminary Thomson Reuters data through December 19. Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Citigroup took the top three positions in the region’s league table rankings. China was the most active market in 2014, accounting for about $353bn worth of deals, the data showed. Fosun’s takeover battle for Club Mediterranee and its latest offer that values the French holiday operator at $1.15bn give an indication of things to come next year, bankers say. “We are now seeing China come of age in terms of the broadbased nature of outbound acquirers,” said Rohit Chatterji, head of Asia ex-Japan M&A at JP Morgan. “In the past natural resources had dominated outbound interest, whereas the distribution has been more balanced this year.” Investment banks are also betting on reforms in China’s SOEs and privatisations in Australia - where the New South Wales and Victoria state governments are likely to sell an estimated A$26bn ($21.2bn) worth of power assets next year – to pump up M&A volumes next year. Private equity firms, both homegrown and global, sitting on $130bn worth of unused capital are also seen deploying more cash next year to scoop up targets, bankers say. Yet another source of deals would be depressed oil and metal prices, which are expected to tempt Asian companies to buy distressed firms, giving M&A and financing opportunities to banks. “There are a lot of leveraged balance sheets in the (commodities) sector. As well, many companies that have committed to capex can no longer follow through without equity support. These will present opportunities,” JP Morgan’s Chatterji added. China’s shadow banking sector adapts and grows despite rules tightening AFP Hong Kong Reuters Beijing C N ew players in China’s shadow banking sector are growing rapidly despite attempts to clamp down on opaque lending, taking advantage of a regulatory anomaly to prosper but also raising the risks of a build-up of debt in the slowing economy. Authorities have sought to rein in the riskiest elements of less-regulated lending after a series of defaults, including a 4bn yuan ($640mn) credit product backed by Evergrowing Bank in September, because of the danger such debts could pose to the health of the world’s second-largest economy. And a government measure created in 2011 to capture shadow banking, total social financing (TSF), shows some success, with shadow banking contracting in the second half of 2014 to roughly 21.9tn yuan ($3.5tn), according to a Reuters’ analysis of central bank data. But that fails to capture as much as 16tn yuan ($2.6tn) of financing mostly created in the past two years by firms overseen by the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) rather than the banking regulator, according to a Reuters calculation based on third-party statistics. When including that financing, shadow banking is roughly equivalent to more than 45% of loans in the conventional banking system. “We can observe this, but we don’t have concrete statistics, so we’re unclear on the scope,” said Zeng Gang, director of the banking department at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, a think tank that advises the central government. Shadow banking is therefore harder to regulate, he said. Indeed, the State Council called on the central bank last December to develop new statistics to measure shadow banking.In shadow banking’s new incarnation, brokerages and fund management companies can pool retail investor funds or invest funds already gathered by a bank, acting as an intermediary rather than the actual investor. “China’s credit landscape is just simply evolving too quickly, so TSF doesn’t provide as comprehensive a picture as it used to do,” said Donna Kwok, an economist at UBS. Shadow banking, defined as non-bank credit and off-balance sheet bank lending, is an important part of banking systems around the world. In China, it has Dalian Wanda stocks drop in Hong Kong trading debut helped smaller, private companies access credit and offered investors better returns than bank deposits. The central bank has said the benefits of the sector are undeniable. But it can also fund risky or unproductive investments, building up risks in the banking system. This is what authorities are trying to tackle. As the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) clamped down on trust companies and off-balance sheet lending, the sector adapted to capitalise on CSRC rules from 2008 that allowed brokerages to launch asset management subsidiaries. Investment consultancy Z-Ben Advisers said these units had more than tripled assets under management from 1.89tn yuan in 2012 to 6.82tn at the end of June. Fund management firms followed suit, growing from 100bn yuan in 2012, the first year they were allowed, to 2tn at the end of June. More than 95% of those funds qualify as shadow banking, according to How- how Zhang, head of research at Z-Ben. “There was next to nothing three years ago and now you have 5, 10tn yuan from platforms with little experience in managing this kind of business,” Zhang said. The funds raised often back the same projects that have been the bread and butter of shadow banking: real estate, infrastructure and others that can raise risk flags for conventional banks. Lending by trust companies - shadow banking’s old guard - may still be underestimated by 7tn yuan, as financing is often labelled as an “investment” which is not captured in TSF, but nevertheless that sector’s rapid growth is over under the CBRC’s stricter regime, analysts said. The variance between the two regulators can mean different treatment for financial companies with the same parent firm. Some of the larger brokerages selling investment products are parts of larger groups that also own banks, such as Everbright Securities and Everbright Bank , and CITIC Securities and China CITIC Bank. A CITIC spokesperson did not comment for this story, and calls to the Everbright Group were not answered. Banks are limited to offering depositors a maximum 3.3% annual rate, whereas brokerages, trust funds, fund management firms and other non-bank financial institutions can offer products with higher returns. Banks can use “wealth management products” to offer higher returns, but face more restriction than non-bank counterparts. Should the CSRC tighten rules on shadow banking, financing may just shift to emerging areas such as peer-to-peer lending. But perhaps the biggest threat for now to shadow banking is not regulators but the mainland stock market, where the Shanghai Composite Index has gained more than 30% since November 21, making shadow financing returns look paltry. “Nowadays the stock market is very good, so we just focus on trading,” a brokerage sales associate said. hinese shopping mall developer Dalian Wanda finished lower after its trading debut in Hong Kong yesterday, following an initial public offering that broke records despite concerns about China’s cooling property market. Shares in the Beijing-based company ended down at HK$46.75 ($6.03) by the close of trade, 2.6% lower than the HK$48 offering price, following the biggest IPO in the world by a real estate firm which raised $3.7bn. Analysts said the price drop was not surprising, given the stuttering performance of the property sector. “This is a property stock and the outlook for property in China is not good. Basically it is oversupplied,” Geo Securities CEO Francis Lun told AFP. “It (the price drop) is not unexpected because the pricing is at the higher end of the range.” Owned by the property arm of Dalian Wanda Group and controlled by Chinese billionaire Wang Jianlin, the company is one of the world’s largest developers of shopping malls, owning dozens across China. “Today is a historic day for Wanda and also an important milestone for the business development of Wanda,” said Wang before striking the gong at the Hong Kong exchange to mark the listing. Wang raised a glass of champagne with bourse officials and gave a double thumbs up before trading began. The listing comes after China cut interest rates in November to spur the mainland property market, which remains under pressure from a hefty inventory of unsold newlybuilt homes. House prices fell on a monthly basis for the seventh straight month in November, according to the independent China Index Academy. Wanda slashed its IPO fundraising target by about a third from the original goal, possibly to attract investors concerned by the slowing real estate market. Analysts also pointed to the company’s high debt levels. Dalian Wanda Commercial Properties says it is the secondlargest commercial property owner and operator in the world, with 175 property projects across China, including 71 Wanda Plazas, each made up of a combination of shopping centres, luxury hotels, and office and residential towers, according to the bourse filing. Wang topped the Forbes China Rich List in 2013 with an estimated net worth of $14.1bn, but was displaced this year after charismatic Internet entrepreneur Jack Ma floated his e-commerce powerhouse Alibaba Group in the world’s biggest ever IPO. Ma’s fortune is now estimated at nearly $20bn. Wang may find himself on top again after the Dalian Wanda listing. “To be on the rich list is not my goal, my goal is to have my company become diversified and comprehensive,” Wang told reporters Tuesday. “When I was the richest man I didn’t feel pain nor did I feel especially happy,” said Wang. The Wanda Group bought US cinema chain AMC Entertainment Holdings two years ago and has also branched out into film production, theme parks, print media and art investment. Wang has said he wants the company to rival world leading brands like Google, IBM and Walmart. His firm is the latest in a string of Chinese companies tapping in to international investors through Hong Kong’s bourse. The city’s stock exchange has now climbed to second in the world in terms of IPO fund raising activities, according to Dow Jones Newswires. Shares in China General Nuclear Power (CGN), the nation’s largest nuclear power producer, surged almost 20% on their debut last week after it raised more than $3bn in its IPO. South Korea cuts growth forecasts but sees improvement Reuters Sejong, South Korea South Korea cut its bullish growth forecasts for both this year and next but its revised projections were still seen as too optimistic, supporting expectations of an interest rate cut early next year. The Ministry of Strategy and Finance forecast the economy will grow by 3.4% this year, down from 3.7% projected in July, with private investment and sentiment turning out weaker than the government had expected. It also downgraded its 2015 growth forecast to 3.8% from 4.0%. “(An estimate of) 3.8% seems a bit too high. Growth next year should be similar to this year around 3.5% while we still see a rate cut sometime early 2015,” said Kim Doo-un, an economist at Hana Daetoo Securities. Lee Chan-woo, director-general at the ministry, said sentiment among businesses and households had been weakened by uncertainties over future economic conditions, pulling down the previous forecasts. “Third-quarter growth was mainly propped up by government stimulus measures,” Lee told a briefing, referring to a raft of legal revisions and new policies launched under Finance Minister Choi Kyung-hwan, dubbed “Choinomics”. Expecting things to improve next year, the finance ministry sees domestic consumption rising 3.0% on an annual basis, which would be the fastest since the 3.7% growth seen in secondquarter 2011. A supplementary budget is likely to be in the works as well, economists believe, while the ministry is scheduled to soon announce structural reforms in the labour market aimed at bringing more stability to temporary jobs. “We think that if the Korean government feels the need for a supplementary budget, it will likely be announced in first-half 2015,” said Ronald Man, an economist at HSBC Hong Kong. Man sees two rate cuts pending next year, and further expects the government’s forecasts to be revised down throughout the year. Spending at home is expected to get a fillip from falling oil prices, a boost in welfare payments, and government plans to increase household income. The government calculates consumption will swell inflation to 2.0% next year, from 1.3% this year, with a 0.6% point boost coming from a hike in cigarette prices. Inflation has remained low for the past year in South Korea on low commodity and agricultural product prices, prompting worries about the economy falling into deflation, but the ministry is confident the economy will improve enough to restore price growth. Meanwhile the South Korean government said it has lodged an appeal with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) against a US move to slap anti-dumping duties on imports of steel pipes from the Asian nation. South Korea’s trade ministry said in a statement that the high US tariffs on Korean steel pipes – over $100mn annually – put them at a price disadvantage compared with imports from India and other countries. A ministry official said the appeal has sought a withdrawal of the duties. The US International Trade Commission ruled in August that “oil country tubular goods” (OCTG) imports from South Korea, India, Taiwan, Turkey, Ukraine and Vietnam would be subject to duties. Steel pipes are high-margin products used in the energy sector and have been a bright spot in the sluggish steel industry, benefiting from a boom in the US shale oil and gas industry. “We believe that the US commerce department potentially violated WTO rules when it investigated the antidumping case, including calculating dumping margins,” the South Korean trade ministry statement said. “If our government wins the case, the US has the obligation to correct its action to levy anti-dumping duties.” US steel companies had lodged a complaint against cheap imports in 2013, saying OCTG imports sold cheaply using government subsidies had harmed their business, dragged prices down and triggered job cuts. The US commerce department, which determines whether dumping exists, said in July that imports from South Korea’s Hyundai Hysco would be subject to duties of 15.75%, those from Nexteel to 9.89%, and all other South Korean producers including Seah Steel Corp and Husteel will have a duty of 12.82%. South Korea’s OCTG exports to the US were worth $818mn in 2013, more than the combined imports of the other countries involved in the case. South Korea was hit with the secondhighest duties after Vietnam, which attracted duties in the range of 24.22%111.47%. India steel pipe imports faced tariffs of 2.05% to 9.91%. 6 Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 BUSINESS Emerging stocks snap 4-day rally Reuters London W eak sentiment in China halted a fourday rally in emerging market stocks yesterday, though there was no stopping the resurgent rouble as steadier oil and central bank muscle-flexing lifted it to a two-week high. The MSCI emerging stocks benchmark was down 0.5% after falls of as much as 4% in bank and infrastructure firms’ shares had seen Chinese bourses post their biggest daily drop in two weeks. In Europe, trading was heavily reduced ahead of the Christmas break but there was continued focus on a rebound in Russian assets, hammered in recent weeks by the plunge in oil prices and tensions with the West over Ukraine. With oil holding above $60 a barrel and Russian banks and exporters said to be selling hard currency on the orders of the central bank, the rouble was up 2.8% against the dollar in its fourth rise in five days. Dollar-denominated stocks also climbed 1.7% as they took their gain over the last week to a staggering 45%, and Russian bond markets rose too as their outperformance continued. “It is difficult to get of sense of what has happened over the last week; it went from a crazy sell-off to flattening off in a day and now coming back again,” said Regis Chatellier, Director EM Sovereign Credit Strategy at Societe Generale. “What it important in my view is that oil has stopped falling, and that has an important psychological impact for emerging markets.” Greece, which is now part of the main emerging market indices, was also in the spotlight as its parliament failed to elect a new president at the second time of asking. If it fails again in the final round of voting next week, it will trigger a general election in February. That could bring the antiIMF/EU bailout Syriza party to power and revive fears about Greece’s future in the euro. Greek bond yields rose back above 8.1% while Athens’ main stock market tumbled 1.5%, hovering near a 1-1/2 year low. Elsewhere, the steadying of oil prices at around $60 a barrel helped keep the main Middle Eastern stock markets in tight ranges, though emerging market currencies were broadly a touch lower against the dollar. In eastern Europe, the Polish zloty edged back towards 15-month lows after data showed a surprise fall in retail sales and slightly higher-than-expected unemployment in November. Most central banks in the region have cut interest rates to record lows and some analysts are pencilling in more, especially if the ECB begins a QE programme. Hungary’s central bank has pledged to keep its record-low 2.1% base rate unchanged until the end of next year as growth in central Europe’s most indebted economy is set to slow. Rouble swap shows China challenging IMF as emergency lender Bloomberg New York C hina is stepping up its role as the lender of last resort to some of the world’s most financially strapped countries. Chinese officials signalled on the weekend they are willing to expand a $24bn currency swap programme to help Russia weather the worst economic crisis since the 1998 default. China has provided $2.3bn in funds to Argentina since October as part of a currency swap, and last month it lent $4bn to Venezuela, whose reserves cover just two years of debt payments. By lending to nations shut out of overseas capital markets, Chinese President Xi Jinping is bolstering the country’s influence in the global economy and cutting into the International Monetary Fund’s status as the go-to financier for governments in financial distress. While the IMF tends to demand reforms aimed at stabilising a country’s economy in exchange for loans, analysts speculate that China’s terms are more focused on securing its interests in the resource-rich countries. “It’s always good to have IOUs in the back of your pocket,” Morten Bugge, the chief investment officer at Kolding, Denmark-based Global Evolution who helps manage about $2bn of emerging-market debt, said by phone. “These are China’s fellow friends and comrades, and to secure long-term energy could be one of the motivations.” The rouble jumped 4.9% to 55.8 per dollar in Moscow on Monday after Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV cited China’s Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng as saying that expanding the currency swap between the two nations would help Russia. The rouble has gained 10% over the past two days, paring a selloff that’s made it the world’s worst performing currency over the past six months. Unlike Ukraine, where the pro-west government received a $17bn IMF-led bailout this year, Russia, Argentina and Venezuela are often at odds with the US and its allies, essentially keeping them out of the reach of the Washington- based institution. At $3.89tn, China holds the world’s largest foreign-exchange reserves, allowing it to fill the void. China and Russia signed a threeyear currency-swap line of 150bn yuan The People’s Bank Of China headquarters (right) is seen in Beijing. The PBoC has signed currency-swap agreements with 28 other central banks around the world making the yuan an alternative to the dollar for global trade and finance. ($24bn) in October, a contract that allows Russia to borrow the yuan and lend the rouble. While the offer won’t relieve the main sources of pressure on the rouble - which has lost 41% this year amid plunging oil prices and sanctions linked to Russia’s annexation of Crimea - it could bolster investors’ confidence in the country and help stem capital outflows. Two phone calls to China’s central bank seeking comment on the terms of its currency swaps weren’t returned. Russia isn’t in talks with China about any financial aid, Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for President Vladimir Putin, said on December 20. Funding from China has helped raise Argentina’s foreign reserves to a 13-month high of $30.9bn, a boost for a country that has been kept out of international capital markets since defaulting on foreign obligations in 2001. Argentina received $1bn worth of yuan earlier this month as part of the threeyear currency-swap agreement with China, a central bank official in the South American country, who asked not to be identified because he isn’t authorised to speak publicly, said. That extended the funds transferred to Argentina to $2.3bn since October. The swap is for a maximum of $11bn over three years. In Venezuela, President Nicolas Maduro last month added $4bn he borrowed from China to the country’s reserves after they fell to an 11-year low. The country now has about $21bn in its coffers, equal to the amount of debt it has coming due in 2015 and 2016. Venezuela, which was already plagued by shortages of everything from toilet paper to toothpaste, is also suffering from the drop in oil, its biggest export. Traders are betting that there’s an 89% probability that Venezuela won’t be able to make good on its debts over the next five years, according to credit-default swaps data compiled by Bloomberg. “I don’t think this is a broad policy to support any country that asks for Chinese help,” Steffen Reichold, an economist at Stone Harbor Investment Partners in New York, said in an e-mail. “Several countries are currently in a tight spot and the Chinese are offering to help. That buys them some goodwill and influence, and promotes the use of the yuan.” The People’s Bank of China has signed Sensex rises for fourth day; rupee falls on month-end dollar demand Reuters Mumbai I ndian shares rose for a fourth consecutive session to head towards their highest close in two weeks after early poll results indicated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party gaining in the elections of Jharkhand as well as Jammu and Kashmir. Wins in either of the two states would give the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government a stronger presence in the upper house of parliament, smoothening the legislative fate of a slew of pending reforms including the rollout of a nationwide tax. Modi has been considering using an executive order to push through laws overhauling the insurance and coal sectors, due to the increasingly fractious upper house of the parliament, two government officials said on Friday. But trading could turn volatile today given the expiry of monthly equity derivatives contracts. “These trends indicate BJP tally would increase in Rajya Sabha in the coming years. So expect more push on reforms,” said G Chokkalingam, founder of Equinomics, a research and fund advisory firm. The NSE index rose 0.22% to 8,242.80, while the benchmark BSE index gained 0.23% to 27,435.13, heading towards their highest close since December 8. The gains came after early results from the Election Commission of India showed the BJP leading in the vote count in Jharkhand as well as Jammu and Kashmir. Banks led gainers, helped as well by continued hopes the Reserve Bank of India would cut interest rates in early 2015. State Bank of India rose 0.7%, while Axis Bank gained 0.6%. Housing Development Finance Corp A stock trader monitors share prices on his terminal at a brokerage house in Mumbai. The benchmark BSE index gained 0.23% at 27,435.13 points yesterday. rose 1.5% on its plan to sell up to 0.95% stake in life insurance unit to Azim Premji Trust. Meanwhile the rupee weakened yesterday on the back of month-end dollar demand from importers and a fall in domestic shares, but bonds gained, tracking a fall in global crude oil prices in a session marked by low trading volumes. Movement in foreign fund flows is likely to be a key determinant of market direction in the near-term as most foreign funds stay light on investments towards the end of the year. “There is good support for the USD/ INR at 63 levels, while 63.90 should be a strong resistance, keeping the pair within that range until the year-end,” said Paresh Nayar, head of fixed income and foreign exchange trading at First Rand Bank. The partially convertible rupee closed at 63.28/29 per dollar, weaker than Monday’s 63.24/25. The benchmark 10-year bond yield closed 4 basis points lower at 7.92%. Shares snapped their three-day winning streak as blue-chips such as ICICI Bank fell on risk aversion after Chinese stocks posted their biggest daily drop in two weeks, while caution prevailed a day ahead of the monthly derivatives expiry. But traders said dollar sales by state- run banks and exporters helped the rupee recover from its session low of 63.50, offsetting greenback purchases from importers. Bonds, however, gained as Brent crude steadied around $60 a barrel yesterday, under pressure from a supply glut but supported by forecasts of stronger economic data from the US. Bonds were also helped by strong demand from foreign investors for the unutilised debt investment limits. NewsRise Financial reported that India attracted Rs56.53bn ($893.6mn) in bids for Rs26.74bn of limits on offer. The cutoff was 74 bps. currency-swap agreements with 28 other central banks around the world, including those in the U.K. and Australia, making the yuan an alternative to the dollar for global trade and finance. By promoting the use of its currency, China acts in its own interests as it challenges the dominance of the US in the global economy. Two months after Russia annexed Crimea in March, China signed a three-decade, $400bn deal to buy Russian gas. Oil imports from Russia hit an all-time high in November, according to China’s General Administration of Customs. While the rouble’s depreciation affected Chinese exports to Russia and made it difficult for the two countries to implement joint projects, the challenges shouldn’t be exaggerated, according to a commentary published in the official People’s Daily newspaper yesterday. China has made $47bn in loans to Venezuela since 2007, making it the country’s largest creditor, according to Eurasia Group, a political consulting firm. Venezuela, which holds the world’s largest oil reserves, repays the loans by shipping crude to China. China leads slump in Asian markets AFP Tokyo China led a slump in Asian markets yesterday, with Shanghai registering one of its biggest percentage falls of the year and banks among the biggest losers there. Dealers said a recent run-up following a surprise Chinese interest rate cut had created room for a market correction. Shanghai dropped 3.03%, or 94.84 points, to finish at 3,032.61. The Shenzhen Composite Index, which tracks stocks on China’s second exchange, fell 1.39%, or 19.68 points, to 1,392.62. Hong Kong ended down 0.32% or 74.88 points at 23,333.69. Sydney dropped 61.1 points, or 1.12%, to close at 5,380.9, and Seoul slipped 0.21, or 4.10 points to end at 1,939.02. Tokyo was closed for a public holiday. In other markets, Manila rose 0.66%, or 47.05 points, to 7,186.32; Victorias Milling Company Inc gained 4.22% to 4.69 pesos. Taipei edged up 2.71 points, or 0.03% to 9,097.71; Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co was 0.72% lower at Tw$137.5, while Hon Hai Precision Industry fell 0.80% to close at Tw$87.3. Wellington rose 0.19% or 10.36 points to 5,552.10; Fletcher Building was up 0.36% at NZ$8.28 and Trade Me rose 1.97% to NZ$3.63. “The (Shanghai) market climbed too fast in such a short time after the November interest rate cut, which has caused some structural problems in the market,” Shenyin & Wanguo Securities analyst Gui Haoming told AFP. The market had jumped more than 20% since the cut to interest rates last month—rising above the 3,000 mark on December 16 for the first time in three and a half years. Industrial and Commercial Bank of China lost 4.88% to 4.48 yuan while China Construction Bank fell 5.01% to 6.26 yuan. The slide in Asia came despite a positive lead Monday from Wall Street, which remained buoyed by a Federal Reserve meeting last week. There were also high hopes of more good news from a heavy day of economic data releases yesterday. Last Wednesday the Fed kept interest rates low and left in place expectations that it may wait until mid-2015 before raising them. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and broad-based S&P 500 hit new highs late Monday. The Dow jumped 154.64 (0.87%) to 17,959.44, almost a point above the previous record. The S&P 500 advanced 7.89 points (0.38%) to 2,078.54, about three points above the previous high on December 5. The tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index rose 0.34%. “Money is flowing to the US right now because it’s definitely in the healthiest position,” Aaron Jett, vice president of global equity research at Bel Air Investment Advisors, told Dow Jones Newswires. Economists surveyed by the Wall Street Journal expect the agency to say the US economy grew at a seasonally adjusted 4.3% in the July-September quarter, up from its previous estimate of 3.9%. The US dollar was at ¥120.14 in Singapore trade, up slightly from ¥120.07 in New York on Monday. Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 7 BUSINESS SAUDI ARABIA Company Name QATAR Company Name Zad Holding Co Widam Food Co Vodafone Qatar United Development Co Salam International Investme Qatar & Oman Investment Co Qatar Navigation Qatar National Cement Co Qatar National Bank Qatar Islamic Insurance Qatar Industrial Manufactur Qatar International Islamic Qatari Investors Group Qatar Islamic Bank Qatar Gas Transport(Nakilat) Qatar General Insurance & Re Qatar German Co For Medical Qatar Fuel Co Qatar Electricity & Water Co Qatar Cinema & Film Distrib Qatar Insurance Co Ooredoo Qsc National Leasing Mazaya Qatar Real Estate Dev Mesaieed Petrochemical Holdi Al Meera Consumer Goods Co Medicare Group Mannai Corporation Qsc Masraf Al Rayan Al Khalij Commercial Bank Industries Qatar Islamic Holding Group Gulf Warehousing Company Gulf International Services Ezdan Holding Group Doha Insurance Co Doha Bank Qsc Dlala Holding Commercial Bank Of Qatar Qsc Barwa Real Estate Co Al Khaleej Takaful Group Aamal Co Lt Price 82.00 62.00 15.50 23.26 14.65 13.00 95.00 131.90 207.00 78.90 43.90 81.70 40.40 102.90 22.67 49.70 9.50 201.20 187.00 41.10 88.20 119.00 18.90 17.70 27.90 189.90 119.00 104.90 46.50 22.10 173.00 108.90 51.50 90.10 14.82 29.95 56.60 40.80 66.40 41.70 49.80 11.15 % Chg 1.86 0.00 -3.13 -1.02 -2.27 -0.69 0.21 -0.83 -4.17 1.54 -2.01 0.12 -3.12 -0.77 1.02 0.00 -2.06 -0.89 0.05 0.00 -1.78 0.00 -2.22 -2.75 -1.24 -0.05 4.66 -1.04 -3.13 0.23 -0.86 -10.00 -2.83 -6.24 -2.18 -1.32 0.89 -1.57 -0.30 -2.91 -0.40 -1.76 Volume 1,850 24,499 1,600,215 916,169 271,538 195,362 82,960 2,514 210,029 65,447 5,858 107,902 30,761 259,711 217,033 64,435 40,433 39,206 147,614 93,900 76,343 1,945,578 266,822 50,672 88,988 10,038 903,514 156,178 127,079 304,340 139,825 847,190 1,683,340 750 312,595 150,040 323,055 4,084,580 243,207 166,288 SAUDI ARABIA Company Name Saudi Hollandi Bank Al-Ahsa Development Co. Al-Baha Development & Invest Ace Arabia Cooperative Insur Allied Cooperative Insurance Arriyadh Development Company Fitaihi Holding Group Arabia Insurance Cooperative Al Abdullatif Industrial Inv Al-Ahlia Cooperative Insuran Al Alamiya Cooperative Insur Dar Al Arkan Real Estate Dev Al Babtain Power & Telecommu Bank Albilad Alujain Corporation (Alco) Aldrees Petroleum And Transp Fawaz Abdulaziz Alhokair & C Alinma Bank Alinma Tokio Marine Al Khaleej Training And Educ Abdullah A.M. Al-Khodari Son Allianz Saudi Fransi Coopera Almarai Co Saudi Integrated Telecom Co Alsorayai Group Al Tayyar Amana Cooperative Insurance Anaam International Holding Abdullah Al Othaim Markets Arabian Pipes Co Advanced Petrochemicals Co Al Rajhi Co For Co-Operative Arabian Cement Arab National Bank Ash-Sharqiyah Development Co United Wire Factories Compan Astra Industrial Group Alahli Takaful Co Aseer Axa Cooperative Insurance Basic Chemical Industries Bishah Agriculture Bank Al-Jazira Banque Saudi Fransi United International Transpo Bupa Arabia For Cooperative Buruj Cooperative Insurance Saudi Airlines Catering Co Methanol Chemicals Co City Cement Co Eastern Cement Etihad Atheeb Telecommunicat Etihad Etisalat Co Emaar Economic City Saudi Enaya Cooperative Insu United Electronics Co Falcom Saudi Equity Etf Filing & Packing Materials M Wafrah For Industry And Deve Falcom Petrochemical Etf Gulf General Cooperative Ins Jazan Development Co Gulf Union Cooperative Insur Halwani Bros Co Hail Cement Herfy Food Services Co Al Jouf Agriculture Developm Jarir Marketing Co Jabal Omar Development Co Al Jouf Cement Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Co Knowledge Economic City Kingdom Holding Co Saudi Arabian Mining Co Malath Cooperative & Reinsur Makkah Construction & Devepl Mediterranean & Gulf Insuran Middle East Specialized Cabl Mohammad Al Mojil Group Co Al Mouwasat Medical Services The National Agriculture Dev Najran Cement Co Nama Chemicals Co National Gypsum National Gas & Industrializa National Industrialization C Maadaniyah National Shipping Co Of/The National Petrochemical Co Rabigh Refining And Petroche Al Qassim Agricultural Co Qassim Cement/The Red Sea Housing Services Co Saudi Research And Marketing Riyad Bank Al Rajhi Bank Saudi Arabian Amiantit Co Lt Price 47.60 16.01 13.50 52.71 23.05 19.81 22.04 18.01 34.81 14.22 107.97 8.81 28.25 48.93 17.09 52.02 102.20 21.03 41.40 60.67 38.48 37.33 76.51 24.30 16.83 116.98 11.42 30.75 109.59 19.22 43.85 41.80 78.42 29.97 78.75 36.37 32.15 43.13 24.88 33.12 29.54 69.75 29.01 31.60 73.27 176.29 35.77 189.50 12.23 23.61 55.52 6.85 46.53 13.00 28.07 91.00 28.30 47.87 36.10 25.60 28.00 14.28 19.02 87.62 21.85 101.21 43.08 185.79 56.05 16.36 11.71 17.01 18.71 28.34 29.00 79.30 42.50 20.18 12.55 122.04 30.67 29.08 10.84 25.81 33.15 25.59 30.43 32.50 22.40 18.49 12.40 93.88 37.96 14.70 17.19 53.52 13.29 % Chg 0.21 -0.56 0.00 2.93 7.16 0.56 1.15 4.53 0.26 1.86 0.18 -0.45 0.89 2.17 2.27 0.62 -1.06 -0.05 9.96 -1.40 7.34 2.75 -0.07 0.00 1.51 -3.07 2.79 3.19 -1.11 1.69 -1.77 4.06 -2.17 2.95 9.82 0.14 -1.56 1.17 -1.35 4.31 2.46 0.00 -0.48 -0.28 -2.48 0.66 3.20 -0.79 -0.73 0.81 -0.41 0.29 3.75 -0.23 2.52 0.05 0.00 3.64 9.76 0.00 4.95 3.63 3.09 6.46 2.49 -2.51 0.54 0.64 -1.15 0.12 -1.84 0.29 0.27 1.21 9.89 -0.88 9.82 0.55 0.00 -1.24 2.54 -1.62 -1.45 -0.85 0.18 -1.80 4.11 0.34 -1.93 -1.54 3.33 0.14 1.06 1.03 -0.46 -1.69 0.61 Volume 32,887 911,290 314,028 1,434,390 866,924 225,533 1,113,942 238,932 1,879,202 95,536 30,309,781 488,195 690,026 977,207 462,984 342,088 23,265,421 422,795 586,454 3,553,080 713,053 296,952 334,913 372,745 1,362,774 752,998 57,023 2,344,046 758,642 849,168 282,453 621,316 2,277,839 231,876 1,763,951 901,568 912,123 1,163,676 555,345 1,956,251 308,800 119,782 99,704 355,930 121,148 1,129,375 557,274 175,895 3,670,555 11,734,163 2,466,610 2,974,544 39,280 10 1,119,358 1,805,069 10 1,302,736 2,274,414 1,342,005 204,604 813,647 54,213 408,499 50,656 1,469,137 4,591,610 10,181,551 1,269,299 1,113,621 4,903,843 6,500,914 69,866 274,531 2,626,920 89,369 498,276 299,326 1,669,098 551,615 193,831 1,586,158 1,703,651 1,330,885 167,916 1,763,298 2,609,654 90,442 215,873 222,239 427,461 2,843,455 1,510,406 Saudi British Bank Sabb Takaful Saudi Basic Industries Corp Saudi Cement Sasco Saudi Dairy & Foodstuff Co Saudi Arabian Fertilizer Co Al Sagr Co-Operative Insuran Saudi Advanced Industries Saudi Arabian Coop Ins Co Salama Cooperative Insurance Samba Financial Group Sanad Cooperative Insurance Saudi Public Transport Co Saudi Arabia Refineries Co Hsbc Amanah Saudi 20 Etf Saudi Re For Cooperative Rei Savola Saudi Cable Co Saudi Chemical Company Saudi Ceramic Saudi Electricity Co Saudi Fisheries Al-Hassan G.I. Shaker Co Dur Hospitality Co Arabian Shield Cooperative Saudi Investment Bank/The Saudi Industrial Development Saudi Industrial Export Co KUWAIT Lt Price 52.25 31.51 90.61 102.00 24.82 125.40 144.72 30.85 20.21 36.16 25.59 39.33 15.23 22.74 54.30 29.10 9.54 77.44 9.59 59.78 110.30 15.58 31.51 70.00 28.43 40.20 26.20 15.52 41.79 % Chg -1.79 2.97 -1.80 1.44 0.81 -2.84 -2.39 3.01 1.56 6.67 3.14 -0.30 0.00 7.06 5.25 0.00 0.95 0.64 -0.62 2.71 1.17 -0.13 2.11 -0.54 1.14 0.55 0.00 1.11 2.65 Volume 238,486 1,634,647 6,236,917 91,804 1,017,686 64,577 184,621 1,483,549 1,522,130 1,164,570 507,036 535,282 4,870,171 694,255 10 7,527,198 352,650 1,077,664 89,907 218,357 1,588,541 1,229,776 152,281 320,096 986,600 192,196 2,472,031 837,265 KUWAIT Company Name Securities Group Co Sultan Center Food Products Kuwait Foundry Co Sak Kuwait Financial Centre Sak Ajial Real Estate Entmt Gulf Glass Manuf Co -Kscc Kuwait Finance & Investment National Industries Co Kuwait Real Estate Holding C Securities House/The Boubyan Petrochemicals Co Al Ahli Bank Of Kuwait Ahli United Bank (Almutahed) National Bank Of Kuwait Commercial Bank Of Kuwait Kuwait International Bank Gulf Bank Al-Massaleh Real Estate Co Al Arabiya Real Estate Co Kuwait Remal Real Estate Co Alkout Industrial Projects C A’ayan Real Estate Co Investors Holding Group Co.K Markaz Real Estate Fund Al-Mazaya Holding Co Al-Madar Finance & Invt Co Gulf Petroleum Investment Mabanee Co Sakc City Group Inovest Co Bsc Kuwait Gypsum Manufacturing Al-Deera Holding Co Alshamel International Hold United Industries Co Mena Real Estate Co National Slaughter House Amar Finance & Leasing Co United Projects Group Kscc National Consumer Holding Co Amwal International Investme Jeeran Holdings Equipment Holding Co K.S.C.C Nafais Holding Safwan Trading & Contracting Arkan Al Kuwait Real Estate Gulf Finance House Ec Energy House Holding Co Kscc Kuwait Slaughter House Co Kuwait Co For Process Plant Al Maidan Dental Clinic Co K National Ranges Company Kuwait Pipes Indus & Oil Ser Al-Themar Real International Al Ahleia Insurance Co Sak Wethaq Takaful Insurance Co Salbookh Trading Co K.S.C.C Aqar Real Estate Investments Hayat Communications Kuwait Packing Materials Mfg Soor Fuel Marketing Co Ksc Alargan International Real Burgan Co For Well Drilling Kuwait Resorts Co Kscc Oula Fuel Marketing Co Palms Agro Production Co Ikarus Petroleum Industries Mubarrad Transport Co Al Mowasat Health Care Co Shuaiba Industrial Co Kuwait Invest Co Holding Hits Telecom Holding First Takaful Insurance Co Kuwaiti Syrian Holding Co National Cleaning Company Eyas For High & Technical Ed United Real Estate Company Agility Kuwait & Middle East Fin Inv Fujairah Cement Industries Livestock Transport & Tradng International Resorts Co National Industries Grp Hold Marine Services Co Pearl Of Kuwait Real Estate Warba Insurance Co Kuwait United Poultry Co First Dubai Real Estate Deve Al Arabi Group Holding Co Kuwait Hotels Co Mobile Telecommunications Co Al Safat Real Estate Co Tamdeen Real Estate Co Ksc Al Mudon Intl Real Estate Co Kuwait Cement Co Ksc Sharjah Cement & Indus Devel Kuwait Portland Cement Co Educational Holding Group Bahrain Kuwait Insurance Kuwait China Investment Co Kuwait Investment Co Burgan Bank Kuwait Projects Co Holdings Al Madina For Finance And In Kuwait Insurance Co Al Masaken Intl Real Estate Intl Financial Advisors First Investment Co Kscc Al Mal Investment Company Bayan Investment Co Kscc Egypt Kuwait Holding Co Sae Coast Investment Development Privatization Holding Compan Kuwait Medical Services Co Injazzat Real State Company Kuwait Cable Vision Sak Sanam Real Estate Co Kscc Ithmaar Bank Bsc Aviation Lease And Finance C Arzan Financial Group For Fi Ajwan Gulf Real Estate Co Manafae Investment Co Kuwait Business Town Real Es Future Kid Entertainment And Specialities Group Holding C Abyaar Real Eastate Developm Lt Price 110.00 92.00 315.00 118.00 218.00 465.00 61.00 212.00 40.00 81.00 640.00 410.00 640.00 900.00 610.00 260.00 290.00 69.00 42.00 54.00 0.00 92.00 28.50 1.52 122.00 32.50 87.00 970.00 405.00 67.00 0.00 13.50 0.00 110.00 41.00 150.00 60.00 770.00 79.00 35.00 69.00 118.00 86.00 0.00 110.00 27.00 90.00 0.00 250.00 0.00 28.50 0.00 90.00 485.00 58.00 81.00 90.00 66.00 405.00 142.00 176.00 208.00 87.00 140.00 100.00 152.00 63.00 184.00 240.00 0.00 30.50 0.00 14.50 65.00 310.00 100.00 760.00 46.50 72.00 136.00 41.00 184.00 112.00 14.00 116.00 178.00 62.00 158.00 150.00 560.00 23.00 460.00 67.00 380.00 93.00 1,340.00 164.00 0.00 53.00 144.00 485.00 700.00 28.00 290.00 65.00 40.50 0.00 32.00 62.00 210.00 60.00 51.00 0.00 67.00 35.00 58.00 46.50 250.00 49.00 37.50 55.00 34.00 114.00 130.00 35.00 % Chg -5.17 1.10 0.00 -1.67 -0.91 0.00 1.67 0.00 0.00 -2.41 -1.54 -1.20 -1.54 0.00 0.00 -1.89 -1.69 -2.82 1.20 -3.57 0.00 1.10 9.62 0.00 1.67 -7.14 4.82 4.30 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -1.28 0.00 -1.41 1.47 5.36 1.18 0.00 -8.33 -1.82 1.12 0.00 2.46 0.00 1.79 0.00 0.00 2.11 0.00 0.00 0.00 -5.71 0.00 1.43 0.00 0.00 3.57 1.45 0.00 -5.00 1.61 0.00 0.00 0.00 -1.61 0.00 0.00 1.56 0.00 2.04 1.33 0.00 -4.00 -6.85 6.49 1.10 1.82 0.00 -1.69 0.00 0.00 -1.25 0.00 1.82 0.00 0.00 0.00 4.11 -1.06 1.52 0.00 0.00 1.92 -1.37 -2.02 0.00 0.00 0.00 -1.52 2.53 0.00 0.00 0.00 16.67 0.00 6.25 0.00 -1.47 0.00 -3.33 0.00 -1.96 3.16 -5.06 0.00 -2.86 0.00 0.00 2.94 Volume 104,075 75,521 201,900 24,096 110,469 5,500 237,801 14,888 1,500 1,034,273 180,938 2,484 4,492 1,093,212 410,520 1,051,705 259,650 3,020 3,051,398 1,934,088 3,350 5,214,272 1,093,750 256,500 3,954,679 601,188 222 126,000 26,866,737 236,629 25,000 13,001 30,000 2,000 4,000 1,056,302 250 605,592 271,500 24,214 40,366,826 59,151 7,049 15,426,375 973,333 5,000 125,900 415,599 15,000 1,349,491 1 179,724 1,200 4,989 585,772 253,431 10 398,927 2,599,347 10,000 4,000 6,121,633 1,167,743 2,549,634 19,950 1,359,941 2,122,901 405 3,164,261 85,000 444,404 2,230,203 38,619 2,500 2,290 3,000 2,367,269 7,875 11,000 3,345,656 10,112,056 412,720 4,039,549 70,904 100,200 12,000 5,000 251,178 387,500 3,120,490 960,162 5,099,231 5,880 106,150 7,175,222 3,246,571 6,794,240 799,012 10,875,083 5,778,504 51,820 1,200 94,416 2,831,670 709,240 820,514 42,071 280,000 4,222,709 500 30,250 17,968,896 Company Name Dar Al Thuraya Real Estate C Al-Dar National Real Estate Kgl Logistics Company Kscc Combined Group Contracting Zima Holding Co Ksc Qurain Holding Co Boubyan Intl Industries Hold Gulf Investment House Boubyan Bank K.S.C Ahli United Bank B.S.C Al-Safat Tec Holding Co Al-Eid Food Co Al-Qurain Petrochemicals Co Advanced Technology Co Ekttitab Holding Co S.A.K.C Kout Food Group Ksc Real Estate Trade Centers Co Acico Industries Co Kscc Kipco Asset Management Co National Petroleum Services Alimtiaz Investment Co Kscc Ras Al Khaimah White Cement Kuwait Reinsurance Co Ksc Kuwait & Gulf Link Transport Human Soft Holding Co Ksc Automated Systems Co Metal & Recycling Co Gulf Franchising Holding Co Al-Enma’a Real Estate Co National Mobile Telecommuni Al Bareeq Holding Co Kscc Union Real Estate Co Housing Finance Co Sak Al Salam Group Holding Co United Foodstuff Industries Al Aman Investment Company Mashaer Holdings Co Ksc Manazel Holding Mushrif Trading & Contractin Tijara And Real Estate Inves Kuwait Building Materials Jazeera Airways Commercial Real Estate Co Future Communications Co National International Co Taameer Real Estate Invest C Gulf Cement Co Heavy Engineering And Ship B Refrigeration Industries & S National Real Estate Co Al Safat Energy Holding Comp Kuwait National Cinema Co Danah Alsafat Foodstuff Co Independent Petroleum Group Kuwait Real Estate Co Ksc Salhia Real Estate Co Ksc Gulf Cable & Electrical Ind Al Nawadi Holding Co Ksc Kuwait Finance House OMAN Lt Price 0.00 23.50 99.00 890.00 120.00 16.50 69.00 50.00 425.00 234.00 60.00 0.00 192.00 0.00 42.50 840.00 31.50 300.00 95.00 0.00 55.00 126.00 200.00 57.00 385.00 405.00 90.00 55.00 78.00 1,360.00 0.00 150.00 17.50 59.00 242.00 78.00 158.00 44.50 61.00 59.00 0.00 435.00 93.00 128.00 55.00 35.00 99.00 140.00 340.00 140.00 23.50 1,400.00 78.00 410.00 72.00 370.00 670.00 130.00 750.00 % Chg 0.00 -2.08 1.02 0.00 0.00 -8.33 0.00 5.26 -2.30 0.00 0.00 0.00 -1.03 0.00 0.00 0.00 -5.97 0.00 0.00 0.00 -1.79 0.00 0.00 3.64 -4.94 0.00 0.00 -8.33 1.30 3.03 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -1.27 0.00 -1.11 -1.61 -1.67 0.00 2.35 2.20 0.00 -1.79 -1.41 0.00 0.00 -2.86 0.00 2.17 -6.67 0.00 0.00 2.86 0.00 0.00 3.17 1.35 Volume 17,828,688 123,100 1,000 15,569 2,548,147 7,652 2,308,889 3,342,519 112,000 550,100 116,626 2,892,893 50,000 920,354 20,000 5,000 1,142,630 77,132 750 1,224,642 13,943 2,770 10,100 92,500 352,486 7,381 22,993 4,680,763 5,073,881 5,000 852,823 5,010 5,691,456 34,485 1,148,050 37,418 247,121 31,600 299,700 1,170,650 52,010 35,048 19,590 242,283 25,874,837 249 2,237,522 14,500 6,797,066 106,020 95,150 70,000 2,686,739 OMAN Company Name Voltamp Energy Saog United Finance Co United Power Co United Power/Energy Co- Pref Al Madina Investment Co Taageer Finance Salalah Port Services A’saffa Foods Saog Sohar Poultry Shell Oman Marketing Shell Oman Marketing - Pref Smn Power Holding Saog Al Shurooq Inv Ser Al Sharqiya Invest Holding Sohar Power Co Salalah Beach Resort Saog Salalah Mills Co Sahara Hospitality Renaissance Services Saog Raysut Cement Co Port Service Corporation Packaging Co Ltd Oman United Insurance Co Oman Textile Holding Co Saog Oman Telecommunications Co Sweets Of Oman Oman Orix Leasing Co. Oman Refreshment Co Oman Packaging Oman Oil Marketing Company 0Man Oil Marketing Co-Pref Oman National Investment Co Oman National Engineering An Oman National Dairy Products Ominvest Oman Medical Projects Oman Ceramic Com Oman Intl Marketing Oman Investment & Finance Hsbc Bank Oman Oman Hotels & Tourism Co Oman Holding International Oman Fiber Optics Oman Flour Mills Oman Filters Industry Oman Fisheries Co Oman Education & Training In Oman & Emirates Inv(Om)50% Oman & Emirates Inv(Emir)50% Oman Europe Foods Industries Oman Cement Co Oman Chlorine Oman Chromite Oman Cables Industry Oman Agricultural Dev Omani Qatari Telecommunicati National Securities Oman Foods International Soa National Pharmaceutical-Rts National Pharmaceutical National Packaging Fac National Mineral Water National Hospitality Institu National Gas Co National Finance Co National Detergents/The National Carpet Factory National Bank Of Oman Saog National Biscuit Industries National Real Estate Develop Natl Aluminium Products Muscat Thread Mills Co Muscat Insurance Company Modern Poultry Farms Muscat National Holding Musandam Marketing & Invest Al Maha Petroleum Products M Muscat Gases Company Saog Majan Glass Company Muscat Finance Al Kamil Power Co Interior Hotels Hotels Management Co Interna Al-Hassan Engineering Co Gulf Stone Gulf Mushroom Company Gulf Invest. Serv. Pref-Shar Gulf Investments Services Gulf International Chemicals Gulf Hotels (Oman) Co Ltd Global Fin Investment Galfar Engineering&Contract Galfar Engineering -Prefer Financial Services Co. Flexible Ind Packages Lt Price 0.37 0.13 1.17 1.00 0.00 0.15 0.65 0.70 0.21 2.00 1.05 0.63 1.04 0.12 0.34 1.38 1.49 2.45 0.45 1.48 0.35 0.48 0.30 0.29 1.72 1.35 0.15 2.45 0.26 2.24 0.25 0.30 0.31 0.00 0.41 0.00 0.45 0.52 0.18 0.00 0.23 0.00 5.51 0.59 0.02 0.07 0.14 0.13 0.00 1.00 0.50 0.56 3.64 1.84 1.45 0.00 0.16 0.52 0.00 0.10 0.00 0.06 2.05 0.54 0.14 0.70 0.00 0.32 3.75 0.00 0.31 0.16 0.00 0.00 1.86 0.00 2.30 0.83 0.24 0.15 0.31 0.00 1.25 0.11 0.08 0.43 0.15 0.14 0.15 10.50 0.11 0.13 0.43 0.16 0.00 % Chg 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 6.06 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -6.87 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -2.16 2.78 0.00 0.00 0.33 0.00 -1.15 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -5.66 0.00 0.00 -0.49 0.00 0.00 0.00 -1.09 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -4.58 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -3.24 0.00 0.00 0.00 -1.24 0.00 0.00 -3.13 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.32 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -3.64 0.00 0.00 0.00 -1.46 7.09 0.00 -6.96 -1.47 0.00 0.00 0.00 Volume 259,664 10,000 6,073 5,310 5,000 307,371 456,962 77,458 474,400 200 301,326 160,000 12,450 1,159,364 55,791 1,646,083 333,760 38,000 6,900 487,599 56,500 26,360 172,728 2,651,796 170,400 341,566 110,779 - Company Name Financial Corp/The Dhofar Tourism Dhofar Poultry Aloula Co Dhofar Intl Development Dhofar Insurance Dhofar University Dhofar Power Co Dhofar Power Co-Pfd Dhofar Fisheries & Food Indu Dhofar Cattlefeed Al Batinah Dev & Inv Dhofar Beverages Co Computer Stationery Inds Construction Materials Ind Cement & Gypsum Pro Marine Bander Al-Rowdha Bank Sohar Bankmuscat Saog Bank Dhofar Saog Al Batinah Hotels Majan College Areej Vegetable Oils Al Jazeera Steel Products Co Al Sallan Food Industry Acwa Power Barka Saog Al-Omaniya Financial Service Taghleef Industries Saog Gulf Plastic Industries Co Al Jazeera Services Al Jazerah Services -Pfd Al-Fajar Al-Alamia Co Ahli Bank Abrasives Manufacturing Co S Al-Batinah Intl Saog Lt Price 0.13 0.49 0.18 0.53 0.53 0.20 1.47 0.00 0.00 1.28 0.18 0.13 0.26 0.25 0.04 0.00 0.00 0.23 0.61 0.31 1.13 0.51 5.51 0.36 0.00 0.82 0.33 0.00 0.39 0.32 0.55 0.75 0.23 0.05 0.00 % Chg 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -3.03 0.00 0.00 -2.63 0.00 0.00 2.68 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 5.29 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -0.62 0.00 0.00 0.88 0.00 0.00 Volume 14,462 15,842 99,000 209,870 797,983 339,503 13,600 30,000 477,063 - UAE Company Name National Takaful Company Waha Capital Pjsc Union Insurance Co Union National Bank/Abu Dhab United Insurance Company Union Cement Co United Arab Bank Abu Dhabi National Takaful C Abu Dhabi National Energy Co Sudan Telecommunications Co$ Sorouh Real Estate Company Sharjah Insurance Company Sharjah Cement & Indus Devel Ras Al Khaima Poultry Ras Al Khaimah White Cement Rak Properties Ras Al-Khaimah National Insu Ras Al Khaimah Ceramics Ras Al Khaimah Cement Co National Bank Of Ras Al-Khai Ooredoo Qsc Umm Al Qaiwain Cement Indust Oman & Emirates Inv(Emir)50% National Marine Dredging Co National Corp Tourism & Hote Sharjah Islamic Bank National Bank Of Umm Al Qaiw National Bank Of Fujairah National Bank Of Abu Dhabi Methaq Takaful Insurance #N/A Invalid Security Gulf Pharmaceutical Ind-Julp Invest Bank Insurance House Gulf Medical Projects Gulf Livestock Co Green Crescent Insurance Co Gulf Cement Co Foodco Holding Finance House First Gulf Bank Fujairah Cement Industries Fujairah Building Industries Emirates Telecom Corporation Eshraq Properties Co Pjsc Emirates Insurance Co. (Psc) Emirates Driving Company Al Dhafra Insurance Co. P.S. Dana Gas Commercial Bank Internationa Bank Of Sharjah Abu Dhabi Natl Co For Buildi Al Wathba National Insurance Intl Fish Farming Co-Asmak Arkan Building Materials Co Aldar Properties Pjsc Al Ain Ahlia Ins. Co. Al Khazna Insurance Co Agthia Group Pjsc Al Fujairah National Insuran Abu Dhabi Ship Building Co Abu Dhabi National Insurance Abu Dhabi National Hotels Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank Abu Dhabi Aviation Lt Price 1.02 2.79 1.12 5.90 2.00 1.16 6.51 6.30 0.83 0.63 0.00 3.90 1.08 1.27 1.50 0.73 3.78 2.90 0.97 8.70 125.00 1.40 1.17 6.90 4.97 1.80 3.60 4.25 13.25 0.73 0.00 2.85 2.40 1.00 2.00 2.70 0.77 1.32 3.60 3.89 16.70 1.35 1.45 11.10 0.76 6.80 5.00 7.70 0.49 1.75 1.95 0.79 5.35 5.37 1.19 2.62 50.00 0.48 5.10 300.00 1.79 6.05 3.69 5.46 7.20 3.00 % Chg 0.00 -3.13 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 6.41 -5.97 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -3.95 0.00 -6.75 -1.02 2.35 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -2.17 0.00 0.00 -1.49 0.00 0.00 0.00 -4.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 2.67 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.21 0.00 0.00 -0.45 -1.30 0.00 0.00 0.00 -2.00 0.00 4.84 -1.25 0.00 -4.11 -5.56 -4.03 0.00 0.00 -9.73 0.00 5.29 0.00 -1.60 0.55 1.41 0.00 Volume 3,426,976 303,173 60,996 611,195 41,034,412 344,028 362,900 780,157 84,292 34,229 3,580,248 186,000 2,000 1,258,801 1,828,001 211,071,260 32,279,763 19,359,416 368,349 23,609 106,000 30,898,952 459,211 51,500 24,666 2,438,487 1,178,086 - BAHRAIN Company Name United Paper Industries Bsc United Gulf Investment Corp United Gulf Bank United Finance Co Trafco Group Bsc Takaful International Co Taib Bank -$Us Securities & Investment Co Seef Properties Sudan Telecommunications Co$ Al-Salam Bank Delmon Poultry Co National Hotels Co National Bank Of Bahrain Nass Corp Bsc Khaleeji Commercial Bank Ithmaar Bank Bsc Investcorp Bank -$Us Inovest Co Bsc Intl Investment Group-Kuwait Gulf Monetary Group Global Investment House Kscc Gulf Finance House Ec Bahrain Family Leisure Co Esterad Investment Co B.S.C. Bahrain Duty Free Complex Bahrain Car Park Co Bahrain Cinema Co Bahrain Tourism Co Bahraini Saudi Bank/The Bahrain National Holding Bankmuscat Saog Bmmi Bsc Bmb Investment Bank Bahrain Kuwait Insurance Bahrain Islamic Bank Gulf Hotel Group B.S.C Bahrain Flour Mills Co Bahrain Commercial Facilitie Bbk Bsc Bahrain Telecom Co Bahrain Ship Repair & Engin Albaraka Banking Group Banader Hotels Co Ahli United Bank B.S.C Lt Price 0.00 0.00 0.39 0.00 0.22 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.19 0.00 0.12 0.00 0.00 0.88 0.17 0.04 0.15 0.00 0.21 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.20 0.87 ` 1.55 0.22 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.83 0.00 0.00 0.15 0.84 0.40 0.00 0.45 0.33 0.00 0.74 0.00 0.79 % Chg 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.20 0.00 0.00 0.89 -0.61 0.00 -7.50 0.00 0.00 Volume 10,742 30,000 50,000 299,900 11,650 118,812 80,000 30,000 30,000 9,087 5,000 2,911 50,000 20,000 70,169 45,537 4,851 9,000 72,308 20,131 758,000 LATEST MARKET CLOSING FIGURES Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 8 BUSINESS DJIA WORLD INDICES Company Name Exxon Mobil Corp Microsoft Corp Johnson & Johnson General Electric Co Wal-Mart Stores Inc Chevron Corp Procter & Gamble Co/The Jpmorgan Chase & Co Verizon Communications Inc Intl Business Machines Corp Pfizer Inc Coca-Cola Co/The At&T Inc Merck & Co. Inc. Intel Corp Walt Disney Co/The Visa Inc-Class A Shares Cisco Systems Inc Home Depot Inc United Technologies Corp Mcdonald’s Corp Boeing Co/The American Express Co 3M Co Goldman Sachs Group Inc Unitedhealth Group Inc Nike Inc -Cl B Du Pont (E.I.) De Nemours Caterpillar Inc Travelers Cos Inc/The Lt Price 94.26 48.73 104.82 25.92 86.91 113.90 93.29 62.55 47.77 162.33 31.33 42.77 34.13 57.34 37.51 94.50 265.12 28.47 103.71 117.69 94.29 130.56 94.00 167.37 195.42 102.96 96.13 75.57 93.65 106.64 % Chg 1.00 1.56 -1.80 0.80 0.61 1.67 0.75 0.98 0.55 0.55 -2.37 0.99 0.81 -2.75 0.81 0.32 0.34 0.89 0.20 0.47 0.43 1.83 0.41 0.06 0.50 -0.08 0.21 1.93 1.44 0.31 4,515,584 9,473,867 2,828,498 12,066,672 1,425,544 2,586,067 1,889,953 4,796,203 3,543,729 1,115,571 15,615,789 3,627,174 5,775,752 5,423,249 7,712,693 1,435,147 415,857 7,872,741 1,479,847 731,511 1,278,705 1,482,461 803,632 747,975 438,962 972,613 976,228 1,590,681 1,284,885 282,875 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 1,358.00 3,707.00 180.10 4,767.00 1,911.00 224.35 932.00 2,669.00 419.40 437.60 1,848.00 184.60 408.60 950.30 815.00 1,625.00 711.50 1,106.00 1,085.00 4,518.00 2,037.00 2,707.00 244.00 461.60 3,369.50 445.30 422.00 2,260.50 2,189.00 390.40 874.00 2,889.50 1,096.00 5,200.00 4,240.00 1,523.00 721.50 1,564.00 1,185.00 191.20 6,535.00 916.10 1,067.00 519.00 484.40 2,234.00 76.83 248.40 1,175.00 332.70 3,422.00 213.90 337.70 472.90 2,389.00 2,618.00 2,856.00 1,282.00 612.00 1,008.00 612.50 299.90 1,382.50 347.90 279.30 371.80 726.00 1,101.00 1,665.00 462.10 290.40 1,857.50 1,554.00 1,108.00 1,252.00 281.90 2,839.00 1,092.00 1,644.00 1,784.00 413.20 0.00 775.50 3,515.00 414.40 1,381.50 878.30 242.65 473.00 1,069.00 492.30 4,500.50 3,203.00 1,166.00 995.50 744.00 1,180.00 1,525.00 1,341.00 435.60 450.30 0.00 % Chg 1.19 0.73 2.33 0.70 1.97 -0.38 0.16 0.68 3.05 0.00 0.05 1.99 -0.29 0.77 0.68 0.37 2.23 2.22 -2.08 -3.13 -0.05 -0.22 1.84 0.13 -0.35 0.02 1.47 0.67 0.55 0.64 0.06 0.94 0.00 0.19 2.17 -0.23 2.41 -1.82 0.34 0.68 0.38 -0.04 0.66 0.87 0.75 -0.58 0.34 1.35 0.17 0.79 0.35 0.66 -0.21 0.28 1.70 0.50 -0.63 2.48 0.00 -0.10 -0.24 0.91 -0.54 0.55 0.18 0.13 1.68 0.64 0.42 0.26 -0.45 0.43 2.78 0.09 0.56 1.66 0.57 0.00 0.24 0.34 0.54 0.00 -0.45 -0.48 0.18 0.99 -0.88 0.96 0.36 0.00 0.00 -2.23 -0.44 -0.77 2.05 0.74 0.55 -1.04 0.15 0.14 -0.04 0.00 Volume 1,605,049 188,242 4,950,889 229,277 566,255 16,259,792 1,054,657 960,812 4,076,067 274,293 12,863,555 1,509,201 2,001,921 597,824 1,062,582 929,862 586,989 1,190,116 837,017 171,926 141,322 4,318,150 955,517 1,578,904 1,301,854 1,105,568 2,477,511 6,083,417 2,690,384 2,002,015 1,792,046 854,947 854,618 391,826 887,106 1,538,132 401,898 1,019,973 3,887,786 187,915 3,750,756 675,818 532,394 1,747,578 172,969 47,213,808 6,234,504 728,542 2,544,903 129,733 2,737,047 1,290,959 4,048,563 457,756 255,023 736,125 457,973 6,697,599 398,273 654,537 10,267,959 4,053,217 2,378,738 1,676,642 2,248,821 793,330 1,587,193 521,330 1,333,460 1,152,661 1,415,331 1,106,083 954,864 264,278 7,798,995 1,053,621 543,470 602,676 255,769 5,854,137 1,266,278 865,156 20,105,058 3,724,672 5,962,538 16,958,650 3,777,418 873,093 2,759,819 944,775 226,764 528,768 3,798,955 946,792 2,103,783 553,972 292,705 1,445,425 461,315 - 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 1,387.00 2,290.50 1,588.50 1,537.50 3,405.50 4,351.50 937.50 1,090.50 477.00 7,896.00 599.20 4,707.00 5,059.00 1,707.50 4,734.00 1,686.50 3,625.50 1,698.50 480.50 % Chg 5.16 0.39 -0.19 1.69 -0.13 -0.97 0.59 1.11 0.00 -0.75 -0.63 0.81 1.16 0.29 1.15 -0.18 0.39 0.86 6.45 Indices Volume Volume 8,274,500 1,326,300 2,588,100 2,690,300 7,406,600 2,496,400 7,488,000 4,934,000 6,410,000 1,101,300 7,917,700 1,906,900 2,078,500 4,636,500 1,851,200 2,846,900 3,097,300 3,052,900 36,496,300 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 18,042.43 2,083.63 4,777.74 14,571.16 43,004.27 50,229.50 6,586.12 4,308.04 9,907.37 10,464.80 +82.99 +5.09 -3.69 +138.78 +131.26 +108.64 +9.38 +53.61 +41.61 +93.80 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 17,635.14 1,413.05 23,333.69 5,356.41 1,119.02 27,506.46 8,267.00 3,332.51 23,110.68 5,139.07 +13.74 +3.44 -74.88 -57.69 +1.64 -195.33 -57.00 +1.55 +220.08 +13.30 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 4,281.50 604.00 310.10 0.00 208.00 2,700.00 1,828.50 1,532.00 31,875.00 2,758.50 1,800.00 7,902.00 907.50 509.10 1,453.50 8,071.00 357.00 665.00 1,439.00 266.00 2,470.00 7,380.00 54,060.00 5,678.00 20,100.00 7,680.00 5,613.00 12,990.00 6,706.00 681.90 1,056.50 7,535.00 3,581.00 3,656.50 1,694.00 4,174.50 3,989.50 1,242.00 1,101.00 12,655.00 1,272.50 715.70 1,600.00 9,086.00 1,230.00 2,180.00 1,181.50 669.80 607.80 466.00 4,328.00 659.10 202.50 1,551.50 974.30 712.00 3,091.00 2,879.50 1,883.00 3,893.50 1,476.50 3,323.50 2,581.50 4,227.50 9,032.00 5,682.00 17,920.00 297.70 6,289.00 7,930.00 1,799.50 457.00 1,412.00 1,206.00 1,425.00 1,256.00 640.50 7,020.00 386.00 44,525.00 7,427.00 % Chg -1.01 1.00 0.55 0.00 1.46 0.71 0.63 0.62 0.46 -0.24 2.21 -0.63 0.28 1.05 0.03 -1.14 0.28 -0.09 -0.24 1.14 0.96 0.41 0.35 -0.28 -1.45 -0.90 -1.04 0.70 0.37 -0.47 0.71 -0.36 0.01 -0.80 -0.18 3.23 1.82 -0.12 1.19 0.12 1.64 3.44 3.39 -0.33 1.74 1.61 0.00 -0.98 -1.27 0.45 0.08 -0.57 0.20 0.94 0.15 0.69 2.22 0.77 1.18 -0.56 0.03 2.10 0.58 1.74 -0.20 -0.84 -0.42 -0.20 0.03 -0.20 1.35 -0.44 -0.67 0.00 -0.42 -0.08 -0.53 0.47 2.39 -0.46 0.76 Volume 3,050,100 4,446,000 32,227,000 31,829,000 2,548,200 3,458,000 2,974,500 131,000 3,257,500 4,231,000 793,800 14,378,000 21,808,000 5,860,000 1,342,300 14,117,000 10,930,000 6,262,000 23,538,000 5,434,200 1,134,500 112,800 1,509,800 971,700 395,700 1,082,000 934,000 1,236,500 14,819,000 9,899,400 9,169,100 4,146,600 1,295,800 2,929,900 1,983,500 4,745,300 2,534,800 2,738,000 520,900 5,367,900 14,588,100 13,532,500 503,300 5,709,800 5,282,200 4,746,100 43,324,300 10,471,800 15,383,000 5,387,300 3,547,000 128,185,700 5,958,200 9,157,000 17,064,200 2,177,500 1,639,900 4,813,100 2,857,100 2,749,400 6,733,000 5,466,000 3,688,000 909,500 702,300 358,200 16,027,000 1,733,600 2,133,200 6,195,000 22,017,700 1,708,000 5,069,800 1,353,500 2,246,600 7,032,000 696,400 8,209,600 418,400 6,592,000 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 378.85 552.40 2,544.50 2,572.75 394.80 81.35 488.15 2,516.70 813.30 307.20 204.25 893.75 222.60 139.05 352.05 142.95 145.10 3,398.70 1,268.45 1,437.80 1,497.80 1,244.50 145.85 374.65 1,971.65 786.40 155.70 353.00 1,124.35 766.10 153.10 3,137.45 959.75 1,537.35 3,467.80 447.35 3,206.35 133.50 383.65 630.10 246.30 355.20 650.80 261.60 1,059.25 2,519.25 493.80 739.25 227.45 1,381.60 % Chg 0.24 -0.50 1.09 -0.84 -2.29 -3.33 -1.32 0.13 -0.15 -0.16 -3.13 -1.23 -0.34 1.61 -1.54 2.84 -0.27 0.15 0.24 -0.24 -1.73 -1.07 0.24 0.15 -1.40 1.09 -0.92 -1.73 -1.91 -0.23 -1.73 0.74 -0.41 -3.22 1.45 0.10 -0.97 -0.11 -1.72 1.92 -0.97 1.83 -0.68 -1.64 0.36 1.69 -0.90 -0.85 -0.61 -0.14 Volume 1,385,637 1,400,280 121,879 268,268 4,363,149 3,253,326 4,324,608 664,378 1,676,234 14,626,168 3,381,334 2,695,252 3,760,011 3,983,999 2,225,406 7,780,214 1,950,295 219,280 467,145 417,927 1,307,429 725,565 8,934,851 4,111,291 2,117,574 607,145 3,250,915 7,842,422 2,514,807 1,317,282 7,998,874 266,959 2,045,072 1,062,986 87,802 1,478,972 290,849 16,247,638 2,663,138 1,538,753 1,693,420 4,840,629 689,821 4,623,134 1,219,006 181,005 4,082,615 751,838 1,811,573 563,178 Traders work at the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The DAX 30 climbed 0.57% at 9,922.11 points yesterday in its last trading day before the Christmas holiday. Europe markets climb on Wall Street’s coattails AFP London E uropean equities climbed on Wall Street’s coattails yesterday as the Dow shot above 18,000 points for the first time on stellar US growth figures, while the euro slumped. London’s benchmark FTSE 100 index rose 0.14% to close at 6,585.93 points and in Paris the CAC 40 jumped 1.42% to 4,314.97 points. Meanwhile Frankfurt’s DAX 30 climbed 0.57% to 9,922.11 points in its last trading day before the Christmas holiday. Early in the day European investors were cheered by US stock indices having hit new records on Monday as the markets still reacted to a likely reprieve from US interest rate hikes until mid2015. Then the release of data in the afternoon showing that US growth surged to its highest level in 11 years in the third quarter helped bolster trading. Gross domestic product increased 5% between July and September in the Commerce Department’s third estimate for the period, up from the 3.9% previously estimated. Analysts had expected GDP growth of 4.3%. That propelled the Dow Jones Industrial Average above the 18,000 level for the first time when Wall Street opened. The Dow stood at 18,041.30 points nearing midday, a gain of 0.46% from Monday’s record close. The broad-based S&P 500 also pushed further into record territory, gaining 0.25% to 2,083.78 points, but the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite index dipped 0.11% to 4,776.20 points. “Christmas Day isn’t until Thursday, but no one told the USA as impressive GDP figures led to an early influx of presents for the US markets,” said analyst Connor Campbell at Spreadex. But CMC Markets analyst Michael Hewson noted that the strong growth figures might lead to a return of concerns that the US Federal Reserve will raise interest rates early in 2015, which had sent markets tumbling earlier this month. “What this data does do is raise expectations that the Fed might find it much more difficult to resist calls for tighter policy as we head into 2015 irrespective of the deflationary effects of the recent falls in the oil price,” Hewson said. Surging US growth also pushed the dollar higher, with the euro slumping to a new two-year low of $1.2165. The euro later stood at $1.2179, down 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 from $1.2226 late on Monday. In London Bullion Market, gold fell to $1,175.75 per ounce from $1,195.25 on Monday. Trading was thin in Europe yesterday with many investors away for an extended festive break for Christmas and New Year holidays. London and Paris hold shortened trading sessions on Wednesday while Frankfurt is closed. All three reopen for business on Monday. In Asia equity trading China led a slump yesterday, with Shanghai registering one of its biggest percentage falls of the year and banks among the biggest losers there. Dealers said a recent run-up following a surprise Chinese interest rate cut had created room for a market correction. Shanghai dived 3.03% and the Shenzhen Composite Index, which tracks stocks on China’s second exchange, fell 1.39%. Hong Kong ended down 0.32%, Sydney dropped 61.1 points and Seoul slipped 0.21%. Tokyo was closed for a public holiday. “The (Shanghai) market climbed too fast in such a short time after the November interest rate cut, which has caused some structural problems in the market,” Shenyin & Wanguo Securities analyst Gui Haoming told AFP. Lt Price 3.54 30.35 4.24 7.02 8.58 25.60 16.66 129.90 4.99 6.22 28.40 25.50 91.70 21.30 6.24 15.92 19.44 20.20 23.05 10.56 13.10 66.40 10.46 10.92 8.73 3.46 21.35 127.70 52.55 % Chg -2.48 -0.16 -2.08 -0.14 -0.46 0.20 -1.07 0.15 0.20 -1.74 0.35 -2.11 -0.27 -0.70 -0.95 -1.12 0.41 -0.98 -1.71 0.96 -1.21 -0.15 -1.51 -0.18 -0.23 -1.14 -0.93 -0.47 0.29 Volume 12,703,826 2,314,177 452,115,316 55,484,762 10,146,304 4,895,441 2,680,517 1,664,074 17,757,885 311,845,551 67,442,740 2,206,349 11,461,815 16,194,655 89,667,208 2,155,535 5,308,640 5,522,880 12,528,652 24,904,339 8,370,589 1,709,163 59,776,892 4,068,319 4,087,628 8,165,744 5,979,541 649,428 2,168,427 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 17.26 171.50 74.25 90.85 5.53 7.15 31.60 8.77 8.59 76.10 73.55 12.22 116.60 99.20 112.80 55.35 % Chg -0.80 -0.29 0.20 0.55 -0.36 0.14 -0.32 -0.34 -1.49 -1.17 -0.68 0.33 0.69 -0.75 -0.18 0.09 Volume 5,273,704 2,904,692 5,670,212 4,187,336 322,932,253 18,498,536 2,343,221 11,160,188 64,354,944 30,342,381 1,581,808 4,501,934 4,985,549 817,168 20,692,794 2,055,010 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 12,183.52 8,546.70 6,504.20 1,401.92 6,220.77 4,470.15 3,719.44 Change -237.70 -0.18 +1.22 -3.86 +1.49 -8.33 -132.43 “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 14 Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 BUSINESS Happy New Year? Global growth forecasts may be raised for once Bloomberg Paris H ere’s an early Christmas present for the economists of Wall Street. 2015 may be the first year in five in which they get to raise forecasts for global economic growth rather than cut them. That may be fanciful thinking as the year ends with Russia in crisis, investors rediscovering volatility and central banks returning to the monetary pumps. Other potential risks include more geopolitical flare-ups, elections from Greece to the UK, a hard landing in China, a premature exit from Federal Reserve stimulus and a slide towards deflation in Europe and Japan. Recent history is on the side of the pessimists. A year ago, the median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News was for growth of 3.5% in 2014. It has since been scaled back to 3.2%. Cuts were also made in 2011, 2012 and 2013. Trying to explain this year’s miss, economists at JPMorgan Chase & Co blamed bigger-than-anticipated slowdowns in emerging markets and a failure by the euro area to gain traction. Still, in the holiday spirit, here are some grounds for optimism that the forecast of the Bloomberg News survey of 3.5% expansion in 2015 will, for once, prove too low. Oil’s 40% slide of 2014 will boost the spending power of consumers and companies. The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday estimated the decline could add as much as 0.7% to global gross domestic product next year. Oil consumers have a higher propensity to spend than producers and helped power growth accelerations in the late 1980s and 1990s. Markets are “underestimating the upside risk to growth,” said Torsten Slok, chief international economist at Deutsche Bank AG, who estimates the Group of Seven could grow faster than 3% as a result. Central banks are set to ease monetary policy even further. The Bank of Japan recently ramped up its buying of bonds and may soon be followed by the European Central Bank, while China and other emerging markets are cut- ting interest rates. Even if the Fed raises rates for the first time since 2006, it’s unlikely to do so before mid-year and says it will act gradually and wait to unwind its balance sheet. Same for the Bank of England. Credit Suisse Group estimates the balance sheets of the four major central banks will grow 13% next year, or $1.3tn, after this year’s 5% expansion. The US is set for its fastest growth in a decade amid a firming job market and falling fuel costs. Unemployment is at a six-year low of 5.8%, homebuilder confidence is near a nine-year high, manufacturing is accelerating and, having deleveraged, consumers are more confident than at any time since the last recession. Economists are eyeing a 3% expansion. At hedge fund SLJ Macro Partners in London, co-founder Stephen Jen talks of a “converge up” scenario in which the US leads the world rather than a “converge down” environment in which it’s dragged back by events overseas. The euro area may not be so bad. A weaker currency should support exports, banks may lend more after being stress tested, the ECB is turning more aggressive and governments are less austere. Investor and business confidence is climbing in Germany, the region’s lynchpin. The crisis economies of Ireland, Greece, Spain and Portugal are now growing faster than the region, a payoff for “tough love” reforms they were forced to deploy, according to Berenberg Bank’s Holger Schmieding, who predicts euro-area growth of 1% next year. Spain’s economy grew 0.6% this quarter, according to the country’s central bank, capping its best year since 2008. Financial conditions remain supportive. The MSCI World Index of stocks is up almost 6% from a year ago after 2013’s 24% jump. The US 10-year Treasury yield is lower than where it began the year at just over 2%, while the equivalent German bund ducked below 1% in August and stayed there. Banks are more willing to lend. A JPMorgan Chase gauge of lending standards in the major economies is approaching its easiest since 2006 and demand for cash is accelerating too. “This shift out of both the credit demand and supply curves signals ac- currency will pinch those who borrowed in it, especially emerging market companies, its ascent will also offer some relief by fanning weak inflation abroad and encouraging Americans to ramp up exports. Emerging markets. While Brazil, China and Russia have slowed, low oil is a boon for Turkey, India and South Korea, and the resulting low inflation allows some central banks to focus on supporting growth. Bill Street, head of investments for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at State Street Global Advisors, says investors should remember “reformers are performers,” pointing to potential in India and Indonesia. China is slowing, but Capital Economics notes that given its size, 7% growth means demand is potentially as big as in the last decade when growth averaged 10%. A shift toward consumption could also help reduce China’s trade surplus, boosting activity elsewhere. “Given the momentum we have we could even be on the conservative side,” Street said of his forecast for 4% global growth next year. celeration in overall credit creation and a pickup in economy-wide demand growth,” said chief economist Bruce Kasman. Wages are starting to accelerate in the US, Japan, the UK and Germany. Although the pay hikes aren’t big and workers have a long way to regain ground lost since the global recession, the salary boosts may still be enough to support consumer demand. “Job growth is fueling higher incomes, which if fueling more revenue for businesses, spurring more hiring and faster wage growth, which in turn produces more business spending,” said Bill Adams, senior international economist at PNC Financial Services Group. Fiscal policy is no longer as restrictive. In the US, three years of budget tightening has ended and policy is now neutral, according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch. There is also no fiscal drag likely in Europe, while Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has postponed a second increase in the consumption tax and is considering an extra budget of as much as ¥3tn. The dollar’s surge. While a rising US UK households drive economy; current account deeper in red Reuters Madrid S Third-quarter GDP growth confirmed at +0.7% qtr/qtr; yearly growth figure revised down to +2.6% from +3.0%; households drive growth despite weak income; current account deficit matches all-time high Reuters London B ritain’s economy relied more heavily on spending by households for growth in the third quarter despite a fall in take-home incomes, underscoring the challenges of getting the recovery onto a sounder footing. In another disappointing sign for policymakers, business investment was weaker than in an earlier reading of how Britain’s economy fared from July to September. Official data also showed Britain’s current account deficit matched a record high in the third quarter, hurt in large part by lower returns on foreign investment, sending sterling lower. Samuel Tombs, an economist with consultancy Capital Economics, said the numbers left Britain’s recovery looking even more unbalanced, but the economy was still likely to grow about 3% next year. “Despite this somewhat bleaker assessment of the UK’s recent economic performance, there remain plenty of reasons to be optimistic on the outlook for 2015,” he said, citing the fall in oil prices and more recent signs that pay growth is picking up. Britain’s yearly growth rate in the third quarter was revised to 2.6% from a previous estimate of 3.0%, hurt by downward revisions to growth in each of the previous five quarters and by lower investment and higher imports. Quarterly growth was confirmed at 0.7% between July and September, slowing slightly from the second quarter. Britain struggled to grow in the years after the financial crisis and despite a strong recovery since early BBVA sells stake in HK bank A mannequin of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth is displayed by a sale sign in a shop window, in the run-up to Christmas, in central London yesterday. UK consumers dug into their savings and household spending picked up speed, rising 0.9% from the April-June period and making it the main driver of growth. 2013, the economy is only 2.9% larger than its pre-crisis peak, the ONS said, a worse performance than previously thought. Pay growth has failed to rise much, spurring households to dip into their savings. The ONS said household disposable income, after tax and inflation, fell 0.1% on the quarter and was up only 1.0% on the year. Nevertheless, consumers dug into their savings and household spending picked up speed, rising 0.9% from the April-June period and making it the main driver of growth. Weak earnings have also put living standards at the centre of campaigning for Britain’s national elections in May. To the relief of Prime Minister David Cameron, earnings have recently shown some signs of picking up. The ONS also said Britain’s deficit with the rest of the world via its current account rose to £27.0bn in the third quarter, equivalent to 6.0% of GDP, matching the biggest deficit on record. Income from investments held abroad fell while payments to foreign investors in Britain rose, the ONS said. Simon Wells, an economist at HSBC, said the size of the deficit did not seem to be a problem for now but underscored how much Britain relied on foreign investors to buy its debt. “If the UK falls out of favour with international investors for any reason, the economy might be forced to rebalance the hard way, i.e. with a combination of currency depreciation to make exports more competitive and lower domestic demand to suck in fewer imports,” he said. panish lender BBVA said it was reducing its exposure to China by selling its stake in a Hong Kong bank at a loss as Spain’s second-largest bank looks to shore up its balance sheet. BBVA said it has agreed to sell its near 30% stake in CIFH, an unlisted Hong Kong-based unit of China’s CITIC Bank Corp, back to the listed parent for around €845mn ($1bn). BBVA said the deal would generate €700mn in capital, although it will also hit profit by €25mn. Last year, BBVA had already cut its stake in CITIC to just under 10%, for a cash loss of up to €120mn. Tougher global rules on banks’ capital ratios and their ownership of financial institutions have forced BBVA and others to set aside more cash or sell holdings in foreign lenders. Foreign banks, which are allowed to enter the country’s banking system through partnerships with local lenders, have come up against a system that is showing signs of stress, with bad loans picking up as economic growth slows. BBVA’s profit in Eurasia, which combines its operations in China and Turkey, was up 13% in the January-September period from a year ago. When BBVA cut the CITIC stake last year by selling a 5.1% chunk to state-owned parent CITIC Ltd, management had stressed an interest in keeping up the CITIC link. The bank declined to comment further on Tuesday. BBVA shares were slightly down 0.2% at 0910 GMT, to €7.892 per share. It said the sale would add 20 basis points to its “fully-loaded” core capital ratio. This tougher measure of capital stood at 10.1% at the end of September. Commerzbank recovery takes hold but targets out of reach Reuters Frankfurt Commerzbank boss Martin Blessing has restored the German lender to health but it is unlikely to meet ambitious 2016 turnaround targets as it faces tough competition at home and a stagnating European economy. CEO Blessing is half-way through a four-year, post-crisis recovery plan for Germany’s second-biggest bank. He has cut costs, reduced its balance sheet by about €40bn and is in the middle of laying off 5,200 staff. But the lender’s target of reaching a 10% return on equity (RoE) — a key measure of a bank’s profitability — by 2016 appears out of reach. Since the lofty goal was set, the euro crisis has dragged on, depressing demand for financial services and forcing the European Central Bank to keep interest rates at record lows, hurting banks’ ability to make money from lending. “When Commerzbank set out its 2016 targets in 2012, no one could have predicted the development of the interest- Commerzbank is half-way through a four-year, post-crisis recovery plan, but the lender’s target of reaching a 10% return on equity by 2016 appears out of reach. rate environment,” said a person close to the thinking of Commerzbank’s management board. “The 10% target has become much harder to achieve.” The result is that Commerzbank, a household name that finances over a third of Germany’s exports and competes with Deutsche Bank, will need to cut costs deeper, push restructuring harder, and sell assets faster — and even then, it may need lower its target. Failing to meet turnaround goals could also deter potential buyers for the bank, which has been the focus of takeover speculation for decades as some industry players regard it as too small to succeed. Commerzbank posted an RoE after taxes of 5.7% in the first nine months of 2014 in its core bank, which excludes the €88bn portfolio of unwanted assets — or “bad bank”. That’s better than Deutsche Bank at 4.9% but below its RoE target and its cost of capital, which it also estimates at 10%. And that places Commerzbank at just over half-way down its reform path, with the steepest part left to climb. “Commerzbank has made very good progress with its restructuring,” one of the bank’s top 10 investors said. “The turnaround seems to be a success.” A Commerzbank spokesman declined to comment. Commerzbank’s equity stood at €27.6bn as of September 30, of which €20.2bn resided in its core bank. To achieve a 10% return based on that, its core bank would need to earn at least €2bn in 2016, much more than the €1.4bn net profit forecast by Thomson Reuters Starmine. That target will only get tougher as Commerzbank builds equity to meet rising regulatory demands and shifts assets from the bad bank to other divisions. “Since 1991, Commerzbank has always targeted an RoE after taxes of 10-15% but has on average achieved only 3.5%,” said Kepler Cheuvreux analyst Dirk Becker. “Given this history, nobody believes Commerzbank will reach its 2016 target.” He expects the lender’s core bank to post an RoE of 7% in 2016. Rather than resort to swingeing cuts, Commerzbank is likely to look for smaller opportunities to adjust activities and trim costs, said the person close to management thinking. The investment bank is one of the divisions in line for more cutbacks, he said, putting Commerzbank on par with other banks trimming their markets activities due to stagnant demand. By contrast, retail banking has grown by leaps and bounds, adding around half a million net new clients in the past two years without increasing costs. But the bad bank continues to drag, with an operating RoE of minus 10.4%, even though Commerzbank is ahead of schedule in cutting unwanted assets. It contains investments from an expansion drive that backfired, requiring the government to spend around €18bn on a bailout in the financial crisis. How far Blessing — a University of Chicago graduate and former McKinsey consultant — goes with reforms will help determine the appeal of the lender, which is still 17% owned by the German government, to potential buyers. A quick stake sale to the likes of BNP Paribas, Societe Generale or UBS is unlikely. Regulators do not want bigger banks threatening the stability of the financial system and all those lenders have said they are not interested. More important to the government than maximising proceeds from the sale of its stake would be finding a secure home in case Commerzbank needs a partner to achieve the critical mass needed to survive, a person close to the government said. “In Germany, there are a lot of banks, with the result that most of them do have economically meaningful market share,” said SEB fund manager Juergen Meyer. “Foreign banks would have the problem that even with an acquisition of Commerzbank they would still only have a small market share in Germany.” Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 15 BUSINESS Multiethnic Santas, �Frozen’ help stores ward off Amazon Bloomberg New York It’s 5pm at Nordstrom Inc’s flagship store in downtown Seattle, and there’s a 2 1/2hour wait to see Santa Claus. This isn’t a scene from “Miracle on 34th Street.” Customers get text-message alerts about their spot in line, and they can consult the schedule if they’re seeking a black, Asian or sign-language Santa. At Macy’s in New York’s Herald Square, visitors can register online for their visit to the 13,000-square-foot (1,200-square-metre) Santaland. Other retail centres have spruced up their Santa villages with interactive “Frozen” and “Shrek” landscapes. In 2014, retailers are relying more heavily on the jolly old elf to drive customers into stores, and they’re using increasingly sophisticated tools to make him as enticing as possible. Even as the economy rebounds, shopping-mall foot traffic declined last month. That’s putting pressure on stores to offer in-person experiences. After all, Santa’s lap is one thing that can’t be ordered on Amazon.com. “Santa is more important,” said Jan Kniffen, chief executive officer of J Rogers Kniffen Worldwide Enterprises, a consulting and equity-research firm in New York. “Anything you can do to get that person to show up.” Santa’s retail career began in the 1860s when Rowland H Macy brought him in to help hawk dry goods at his New York shop. The Macy’s Santaland was born in 1902, and it grew to attract about 300,000 visitors a year to the 34th Street store in Manhattan. The concept caught on with retailers, and Saint Nick is now a fixture everywhere from Wal-Mart to Bass Pro Shops — with kids waiting in long lines to share their gift lists. A gun range in Georgia even lets patrons take Santa pictures with a selection of firearms. Across the country, 850,000 kids visited Santa over the post-Thanksgiving weekend alone this year, according to an estimate by the International Council of Shopping Centers, a trade group. With Christmas just days away, retailers are counting on the visits to drum up gift purchases and impulse buys. About 70% of shoppers planned to do some holiday shopping while they were at the mall to see Santa, an ICSC survey found. “It’s a pure traffic driver, and anyone with kids is looking for things to do,” said Ani Collum, a partner at Boston-based consulting firm Retail Concepts. The Santa experience has changed with the times. In the age of the selfie, many malls and retailers now allow parents to snap pictures with their phones — rather than using a traditional photographer. Some places are encouraging people to bring their pets. The Santa business has spawned training programs, such as the Professional Santa Claus School in Denver. Susen Mesco, the school’s founder, estimates that there are now as many as 5,000 pro- fessionally trained Santas in the US. That’s providing stores with a talent supply, she said. A mall Santa earns an average of $17 to $22 hourly, Mesco said. She knows of Kris Kringles in New York who have made as much as $500 an hour. “It’s becoming more of a tradition because they’re more available,” she said. In the Santa arms race, some malls are adding kids’ favourite movie characters. Mall developer Taubman Centers Inc erected 30-foot-tall “Frozen” ice palaces at 10 of its shopping centres across the country, pairing the display with a Santa’s village. It includes clips from the Walt Disney Co film, falling snow and a light show. Families visiting the spectacle have waited in line for up to five hours, said William Taubman, chief operating officer of Taubman Centers. DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc, meanwhile, has teamed up with shopping malls to put Shrek characters together with Saint Nick. Parents have to schedule their visits online, helping eliminate long lines. Hidden cameras take candid pictures that parents can buy. “Now you really need to up the ante,” Collum said. Even as technology helps enhance the experience, it could eventually undermine it. A growing number of online services let kids video-chat with Santa. Mesco has placed 300 students from her school with Talk to Santa, a website that sells live video calls with Santa for $19.95. Online alternatives are adding to pressure to make in-store events as thrilling as possible. At the DreamWorks installations, there’s a virtual sleigh trip to the North Pole led by Shrek. The Macy’s in New York still considers itself the authority on Mr Claus, and its display is highly orchestrated. Employees dressed as elves stand sentry along the route to Santa, sporting red-andwhite stocking caps and walkie-talkies. Sponsorships help defray the costs: There are Aflac-branded ducks, Build-A- Bear Workshop animatronic reindeer and giant Domino Sugar gingerbread men overseeing cookie baking. The online reservations reduce hassles, providing an express lane to customers who plan ahead. That helps both the retailer and consumers, since time spent in line is time that could be spent shopping. The elves also can accommodate requests: Customers seeking a black Santa, for instance, are shepherded to the right place. At Macy’s, Santa never breaks character — even when he’s being interviewed by a reporter. While jazzy holiday music played in the background, he said the most popular request this year from kids was for “Frozen” toys, along with more cars, trains and video games. One 3-year-old girl asked for a poker set and $10. “Children don’t change — the wishes change,” Santa said. “I believe in children. As long as they believe in me, I’ll believe in them.” US businesses face a game of catch-up if Cuba curbs are cut Reuters Havana/Miami I nternational rivals have a clear head start in Cuba but US companies could catch up quickly if the economic embargo that has kept them away is dismantled in a new era of co-operation between Washington and Havana. Cuba’s inhospitable regulatory environment under communist rule has made doing business difficult and costly for foreign businesses, limiting investment. The domestic economy is also small with low salaries severely limiting retail businesses and inefficient state-run companies a drag on productivity and growth. Nevertheless, hotel companies such as Spain’s Melia Hotels International and France’s Accor, Canadian miner Sherritt International Corp, Britain’s Imperial Tobacco and French beverage giant Pernod Ricard have survived and profited. “We’ve found it to be quite a stable and good place to do business and have had a lot of success there,” said David Pathe, the chief executive at Sherritt, which has been in Cuba for 20 years and has joint ventures with the government in nickel, oil, gas production and electricity generation. He, like others, declined to comment on the problems facing investors, saying only that “there’s always been some noise around Cuba because of the US-Cuban relationship.” Experts say the restoration of diplomatic relations with the US and a gradual dismantling of the US economic embargo could open opportunities in areas from financial services and telecommunications to agriculture and oil. “The interest is pretty widespread, pretty much every multinational,” said Jodi Bond, vice-president for the Americas at the US Chamber of Commerce, whose top executives made an exploratory trip to Cuba in May, their first in 15 years. A foreign investment law passed earlier this year lowers taxes and promises an improved regulatory system, leading some potential investors to propose new projects to the Cubans. When Obama announced the dramatic policy shift last week, US Corps were quick to respond. Within minutes, the phones started ringing at Miami law firms from clients seeking guidance on business opportunities. “We had 10 very significant clients ... Fortune 50 entities, call since Wednesday to start a Cuba conversation at a much more detailed and profound level,” said Pedro Freyre, the head of the Cuba practice at Akerman, a large Miami-based law firm. Those clients work in telecoms, construction, food, light manufacturing, and pharmaceuticals, and all asked about the legal implications of Obama’s move, potential resistance in the US Congress — and in Cuba — and logistical challenges. “They want to know can foreigners own land in Cuba, how do you get landing rights, how do you Tourists walk beside Melia Cohiba Hotel in Havana. Experts say Cuba’s restoration of diplomatic relations with the US and a gradual dismantling of the US economic embargo could open opportunities in areas from financial services and telecommunications to agriculture and oil. get docking rights, what is the power and water supply like, what are the work force rules?” Freyre said. “Companies want to know what are the rules of the game? It’s more strategic thinking than specific proposals.” There could be plenty of opportunities for US firms if Cuba’s government is ready to open up the economy. The pace of change, however, is unclear. President Raul Castro is already implementing market-style economic reforms but is moving gradually and warns that Cuba will stick to its socialist principles. As part of the talks between Havana and Washington, Obama said Cuba decided to give its citizens more access to the Internet. Its government has been reluctant to expand access in the past and it is not clear how much it is prepared to do now, but there is clearly a potential market. Cuba has one of the lowest Internet penetration rates in the world, barely 5%, and highly restricted Telstra buys Pacnet for $697mn Bloomberg Melbourne broadband Internet access and WiFi. “With all of the pent up demand in Cuba, I think companies would line up around the block to get in to provide service in Cuba,” said Doug Madory, director of Internet analysis at Dyn Research in New Hampshire who monitors Cuba. “Mobile operators with experience fielding a network in the developing world would be a good fit. They will bring the equipment they need.” There might also be opportunities in Cuba’s 74,000 square mile Exclusive Economic Zone that runs along its northwestern coast and then outward to within 45 miles of Florida. Both the US and Cuba agree there is plenty of oil below the zone’s deep waters, yet just six of 59 blocks are leased because other foreign companies decided before the recent slide in oil prices that the embargo made exploration too costly. Two international construction companies are already active in Cuba — French firm Bouygues builds hotels and Brazil’s Odebrecht is working on ports and modernising airports. But Cuba plans over the next 10 years to build many more hotels, condominium complexes, more than a dozen joint venture golf courses and amusement parks as well as upgrade its ports, rails, roads and bridges. All of those are possible business opportunities for US companies. An end to sanctions would help ease Cuba’s strained public finances, for example by cutting shipping costs as it purchases goods closer to home, opening up a possibility that it join the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, and sending millions of US tourists to its shores. The US tourism industry, from travel agencies and transportation to cruise lines and hotels, has much to gain if travel restrictions are lifted. Spanish, Canadian and other hotel chains are already well placed along beaches and in colonial cities but there is still plenty of beach front and prime real estate available, most hotel ventures are run under short-term management deals and Cuban law allows US firms to buy out foreign owners. Cuba is only now opening its agriculture, including sugar and livestock, to foreign investment, where there are currently only a few minor ventures. Plunged into crisis by the collapse of the Soviet Union, Cuba signed deals in the 1990s giving exclusive distribution rights for its famed cigars and rum to Imperial Tobacco and Pernod Ricard, but it recently said there would be no more exclusive agreements and that current ones expire in the next few years. A look at what happened in 2000 when the US allowed agricultural sales to Cuba for cash says much about future export potential. Within three years, sales reached $800mn a year at the expense of Canadian and European companies and the US ranked fifth among Cuba’s trading partners although sales have since declined to $400mn a year because Cuba prefers to buy on credit. T elstra Corp will acquire Pacnet Ltd, which operates undersea cables through Asia and across the Pacific Ocean, as Australia’s largest phone company seeks to expand in the region. The $697mn transaction, which includes gross debt of about $400mn, will be completed by mid-2015, subject to regulatory and Pacnet financier approvals, Melbourne-based Telstra said in a statement. Singapore and Hong Kong-based Pacnet will give Telstra an expanded data centre network, more submarine cables and major customers across the region, it said. The Australian operator has sold $2.8bn of assets in the past year, including Hong Kong wireless carrier CSL New World Mobility and a domestic directory business, data compiled by Bloomberg show. Buying Pacnet also gives Telstra ownership of more than 46,000km (29,000 miles) of submarine cable from Asia to the US “Asia is an important part of our growth strategy,” Telstra Chief Executive Officer David Thodey said in the statement yesterday. “This acquisition will help us become a leading provider of enterprise services to multinational companies and carriers in the region.” Pacnet’s owners were seeking a valuation of about $1bn including debt, people with knowledge of the sale process said in June. In the year ended December 2013, Pacnet revenue was $472mn and earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization were $111mn. The acquisition appears cheap and boosts Telstra’s presence in the Asian region, Deutsche Bank’s Sydney-based analyst James Freeman said in an investor note today. “That said there are a number of lingering questions regarding the strategic rationale for the purchase,” Freeman said. Telstra shares traded at A$5.96 at 1:41pm in Sydney, down 0.7% from yesterday when they closed at the highest since June 2001. Alstom bribed to buy influence in Egypt, Saudi, Taiwan and Bahamas Bloomberg Washington Alstom executives won several billions of dollars’ worth of business in Saudi Arabia a decade ago by making at least $49mn in illegal payments in part through middlemen the company called “Mr Paris” and “Quiet Man.” The bribes were among those the French power company made in five countries over more than 10 years, prosecutors in Washington said. Alstom pleaded guilty to those charges yesterday and agreed to pay $772mn to end the investigation, representing the largest criminal penalty paid to the Justice Department under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The prosecutors’ statements, laid out in dozens of pages of charging documents, contained new details about Alstom’s attempts to buy influence in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan and the Bahamas, including one executive’s effort to quiet an employee who questioned the payments. The documents also covered bribery in Indonesia, which had already served as a basis of criminal charges against former Alstom executives and business partner in federal court in Connecticut. The US corruption case is one of several against Alstom, which General Electric Co is buying in its biggest acquisition ever. The Fairfield, Connecticut-based manufacturer agreed in June to buy most of the assets for €12.4bn ($15.2bn), and the purchase should close next year. Earlier on Monday, Alstom’s Londonbased power unit and two of its employees were charged by the UK’s Serious Fraud Office for alleged bribe payments in Lithuania. Lawyers for the men declined to comment at the hearing. Alstom is also facing a corruption investigation in Brazil. The documents released by the Justice Department outlined how Alstom paid more than $75mn in bribes between 2000 and 2011 to win $4bn in projects from state-owned companies, relying on consultants who prosecutors said funnelled payments to officials in five countries. “Alstom’s corruption scheme was sustained over more than a decade and across several continents. It was astounding in its breadth, its brazenness and its worldwide consequences,” US Deputy Attorney General James Cole told reporters in Washington. “There were a number of problems in the past and we deeply regret that,” Patrick Kron, Alstom’s chief executive officer, said in a statement. The LevalloisPerret-based company has changed its compliance practices, he added. In Saudi Arabia, where Alstom was seeking $3bn in contracts, company executives spread bribe money among a half a dozen consultants around the turn of the millennium, prosecutors wrote. These people were identified, in company documents, by code names that also included “Mr Geneva” and “Old Friend.” Alstom collected details on officials of the country’s state-owned electric company to improve its chances of securing business, prosecutors wrote. They cited a January 2000 “action plan” for an upcoming bid that identified Alstom’s perceptions of decision-makers at departments, as well as the “most important concerns” for dealing with each. “Honest reputation,” the action plan read, referring to one official who it said had a majority voice in awarding contracts. “Son has been known to deal.” To ensure the official’s support, Alstom turned to one of his close relatives — who internal company documents referred to as Mr Paris — who was paid $4mn to bribe the executive, prosecutors said. Alstom made $2.2mn in donations to a US-based religious education foundation associated with the Saudi official, prosecutors said. They didn’t identify the official. Several countries have opened probes into Alstom since 2004, when auditors for the Swiss Federal Banking Commission unearthed documents they said showed possible corrupt payments. Since then, the company has paid more than $53mn over claims its employees bribed officials. The US fine, which eclipsed the $450mn paid by Siemens in 2008, would bring Alstom’s tab to above $800mn. Kron said on December 19 that the company will pay the fines connected to its energy businesses as its shareholders voted in favour of their sale to GE. The US investigation, led by Daniel Kahn of the fraud section and Assistant US Attorney David Novick in Connecticut, included at least 49 hours of recordings made by government co-operators about allegations of bribery in Indonesia, according to federal court records in Connecticut. Investigators initially had to build their case using informants and charges against former Alstom executives when the company refused to co-operate, prosecutors said. The Connecticut prosecution centred on a $118mn contract to provide boiler services at a power plant in Tarahan, on the southern coast of Sumatra. Alstom executives, together with Marubeni Corp, a Japanese commodity-trading company, used middlemen to funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars to a member of Indonesia’s parliament and officials at Perusahaan Listrik Negara PT, a statecontrolled electricity company known as PLN, according to court papers filed by the Justice Department in related cases. Marubeni pleaded guilty to bribery violations in March and paid an $88mn fine. On Monday in the Connecticut federal court, Alstom pleaded guilty to two charges related to their activities in the five countries — one for violating bribery laws by falsifying records and the other for failing to have adequate controls. Alstom’s Swiss subsidiary pleaded guilty to conspiracy. Two US subsidiaries entered into deferred prosecution agreements. The documents released Monday also pointed to internal conflicts over payments, as Alstom executives allegedly attempted to hide transactions related to the company’s bids for power contracts in Egypt. In December 2003, an Alstom finance employee said by e-mail that she was rejecting an invoice from one of the company’s consultants in Egypt because there weren’t enough details to justify the payment, according to the documents released Monday. The finance employee received a phone call from a US-based project manager, who told the official that if she “wanted to have several people put in jail,” she should continue to send e-mail messages questioning payments, according to the prosecutors’ documents. The project manager ordered the finance official to delete all e-mails about the consultant, prosecutors wrote. Wednesday, December 24, 2014 BUSINESS GULF TIMES Low oil prices help Asian nations top up their defence budgets By Arno Maierbrugger Gulf Times Correspondent Bangkok With record-low oil prices, oil-importing countries in East and Southeast Asia are not only expecting positive net effects on their economy, but are now also able to top up their military and defence budgets at a faster pace than originally planned. In particular, key markets in the region such as China, Indonesia, Malaysia and South Korea are all seen to positively adjust their defence spending to the windfall of saved money from hydrocarbon imports, according to USbased industry data analyst firm IHS. This development comes on top of already strong defence expenses over the past years. In April 2014, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said in its annual global military spending report that military expenditures in Southeast Asia (with the exception of Cambodia. Laos, Myanmar and Brunei) have climbed steadily, from $14.4bn in 2004 to $35.5bn in 2013, a 147% increase within a decade, and between 2012 and 2013 alone, regional military expenditures increased by 10%. SIPRI estimated that expenditures are likely to surpass $40bn by 2016. As for China, military expenditure has increased from $40bn in 2004 to $188bn in 2013, a five-fold increase in a decade. Drivers of the spending spree are, one the one hand, the region’s aim to decrease their dependence on foreign military support from the US or Europe and to modernise outdated military equipment. But the enhancement of military capacity is also rooted in increasing regional tensions such as the South China Sea conflict, as well as combined security goals of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). Conflict potential is also inherent in the frequent Thai-Cambodian border clashes and in the occasional intrusions of southern Philippine insurgents in eastern Malaysia. Lately, the region has seen a number of large-scale military equipment purchases as defence manufacturers from the US, Europe and Russia are eager to sell to the region while other markets such as the Middle East or Latin America are turning sluggish. Vietnam just bought a couple of brand new submarines from Russia, Indonesia purchased German tanks and Boeing Apache attack helicopters, and Thailand’s government has just approved a plan to acquire new light attack aircraft to replace its aging Czech-made Albatros fighter jet fleet, just to quote a few examples. The countries are also increasingly turning to Asian-made weaponry and army equipment, such as Japanese attack helicopters, South Korean-made aircraft carriers and various equipment from China, a country which just earlier in December has impressively shown that it is already at a technological level to manufacture stealth fighters that could even be sold to Iran and Pakistan. Consultancy McKinsey & Company in its Southeast Asia Defence Report 2014 released earlier this year shows that Southeast Asia already makes up the second largest defence import market behind India, with Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia being the top buyers. “Warships, maritime patrol aircraft, radar systems and combat planes, along with submarines and naval defence systems, were high on procurement lists,” the study says. Up until 2020, Southeast Asia and the wider Asia-Pacific region “is expected to solidify its role as the key driver of growth in the defence sector,” says Fenella McGerty, senior defence budgets analyst at IHS Aerospace & Defence, while she asserts that oil-exporting Middle Eastern countries will have to trim their military expenditure — after a period of strong growth — in accordance with their constrained budgets that are impacted by declining returns from the hydrocarbon sector. US economy accelerates sharply in Q3; consumer spending rises Third-quarter growth raised to 5.0% pace; consumer, business spending account for bulk of revision; durable goods orders unexpectedly weak in November; consumer spending rises solidly last month Reuters Washington T he US economy grew at its quickest pace in 11 years in the third quarter, the strongest sign yet that growth has decisively shifted into higher gear. The economy appears to have sustained some of the momentum in the fourth quarter. Other data yesterday showed consumer spending rose solidly in November, which could offset an unexpected weakness in durable goods orders. “After four years of rocky recovery the US economy is now hitting its stride ... and growth should remain good next year, with lower gasoline prices a big plus for consumers,” said Gus Faucher, a senior economist at PNC Financial Services in Pittsburgh. The Commerce Department revised up its gross domestic product growth estimate to a 5.0% annual pace, citing stronger consumer and business spending than it had previously assumed. It was the fastest growth pace since the third quarter of 2003. The economy was previously reported to have expanded at a 3.9% rate. GDP growth has now been revised up by a total of 1.5 percentage points since the first estimate was published in October. Big revisions are not unusual as the government does not have full information when it makes its initial estimates. A sales assistant distributes shoes in Macy’s during Black Friday sales in New York on November 27. The Commerce Department revised up its GDP growth estimate to a 5% annual pace, citing stronger consumer and business spending than it had previously assumed. The economy was previously reported to have expanded at a 3.9% rate. US stocks rallied on the data, with the Dow Jones Industrials breaking through 18,000 points for the first time. Prices for US Treasury debt fell, while the dollar rose to a fresh eightyear high against a basket of currencies. The economy expanded at a 4.6% rate in the second quarter, meaning it has now experienced the two strongest back-to-back quarters of growth since 2003. Economists polled by Reuters had expected growth would be raised to a 4.3% pace in the third quarter. But the pace of growth likely slowed in the fourth quarter. In a second report, the Commerce Department said non-defense capi- tal goods orders excluding aircraft, a closely watched proxy for business spending plans, was unchanged in November after declining 1.9% in October. The continued weakness in the socalled capital goods orders is at odds with industrial production data, which has shown strong momentum in the manufacturing sector. In a third report, the Commerce Department said consumer spending, which accounts for more than twothirds of US economic activity, rose 0.6% in November after gaining 0.3% in October. A rapidly strengthening labor market and lower gasoline prices are boosting consumer spending, which should help to cushion the economy from slowing growth in China and the eurozone, as well as a recession in Japan. That should provide the economy with sufficient momentum in 2015 and keep the Federal Reserve on course to start raising interest rates by the middle of next year. Underscoring the economy’s firming fundamentals, growth in domestic demand was revised up to a 4.1% pace in the third quarter instead of the previously reported 3.2% pace. It was the fastest pace since the second quarter of 2010. In the GDP report, consumer spending grew at a 3.2% pace, the fastest since the fourth quarter of 2013, instead of the previously reported 2.2% rate. Growth in business investment was raised to an 8.9% pace from a 7.1% rate, with a stronger pace of spending than previously thought on equipment, intellectual property products and nonresidential structures accounting for the revision. Inventories were also revised higher, with restocking now being neutral to GDP growth instead of being a mild drag. That also helped to offset downward revisions to export growth. But inventories could undercut output in the fourth quarter. Spending on residential construction was also revised higher, as were government outlays. While export growth was trimmed, trade still contributed to GDP growth. FBI searches Doral Bank offices in Puerto Rico Reuters San Juan T he Federal Bureau of Investigation is searching the offices of Doral Bank, a San Juan, Puerto Rico-based lender, as part of an ongoing investigation, an FBI special agent said. “We are executing a search warrant at Doral Bank,” Special Agent Moises Quinones told Reuters. “It is about an ongoing investigation that the FBI is conducting here in this office.” “Today, personnel from the Federal Bureau of Investigation have pursued the collection of certain information at the main offices of our institution,” Doral said in a statement. The company said it was cooperating with the authorities. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp last week asked the troubled lender, which is controlled by Doral Financial Corp, to resubmit its capital restoration plan after it was listed as “significantly undercapitalised.” The bank recently won a key legal victory after a Puerto Rican court ordered the government to pay $229mn in tax refund. Puerto Rico’s treasury department said it would appeal the ruling. Last May, the department voided a 2012 agreement that set the tax refund for Doral resulting from a restatement of inflated earnings during a six-year period from 1998 to 2004. Doral asked for the payment after US regulators said earlier this year the company could no longer include the money as cash on its balance sheet. US airlines confront cheap oil’s flip side: costly hedges Reuters New York S ome major US airlines including Delta and Southwest are rushing to finance losing bets on oil and revamp fuel hedges as tumbling crude prices leave them with billions of dollars in losses, according to people familiar with the hedging schemes. In theory, airlines are among the top beneficiaries of a six-month slump that halved crude prices to five-year lows. Oil is the biggest variable cost for airlines, often representing a third or more of their total operating expenses. But now, carriers such as Delta Air Lines and even Southwest Airlines, known for a successful hedging programme that locked in cheap fuel prices before they rose a decade ago, see some of the benefits of cheap fuel eaten away by hedging costs. That is largely because they have used common but risky hedging strategies, among them a “costless collar”: selling financial options that pay off when oil prices fall and using the proceeds to buy protection against soaring costs when prices climb, according to three people familiar with the programmes. The two carriers have been moving quickly to strategise how to meet demands from brokers and banks for additional collateral to cover potential losses from a strategy that made perfect sense just six months ago, those people said. The airlines have also held a series of meetings that included airline executives, brokers and consultants, according to the people, who declined to be named because of the sensitive nature of the discussions. With oil prices tumbling faster and further than anyone had anticipated, the collar hedges left the airlines with insurance against high costs they no longer need and on the hook for protection they sold against a further slide, with potential liabilities on the rise. Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz said the meetings were part of a routine, although a rapidly changing market called for close attention. “We continue to benefit from declining fuel prices,” Mainz said in an email. “Obviously we’re going to move faster when the price drops in the 40% range. (Our fuel team) have been very busy actively managing our portfolio to respond to the changes we are seeing in the market.” Delta spokesman Trebor Banstetter said the Atlanta-based carrier was not surprised by the slide, having been prepared to meet its financial obligations if needed. Southwest, Delta and other carriers that sources declined to name, will benefit from the drop in oil prices because they hedge only a portion of the fuel they Carriers such as Delta Air Lines and even Southwest Airlines, known for a successful hedging programme that locked in cheap fuel prices before they rose a decade ago, see some of the benefits of cheap fuel eaten away by hedging costs. buy. Southwest, for example, expects to cover only 20% of its fuel consumption with hedge contracts this quarter. Delta expects a $1.7bn gain from lower fuel prices in 2015, despite $1.2bn in estimated hedge losses. Yet rival American Airlines, which has not entered any hedge contracts since late 2013, are set to see a greater boost to their bottom lines. Industry consultants say hedged airlines have a few choices to deal with the price slide, including selling forward positions on crude oil or jet fuel, changing the prices at which they hedge or selling assets, such as planes. What airlines exactly plan to do remains unclear, people familiar with the discussions said. A lack of disclosure requirements makes it almost impossible to tell how or when airlines have hedged, and none would discuss details of their strategies. Collar transactions looked well suited to the market when prices hovered around $100 per barrel for most of the past four years, allowing airlines to cap their fuel costs at little or no cost, analysts said. “(Costless) collars are an effective strategy that works best when prices stay within a range,” said John Saucer, vice president of research and analysis, at Mobius Risk Group. “But it becomes a very different animal when the market goes against that.” In their October quarterly filings, Southwest and Delta said they used a mix of options and fixed-price swaps. Southwest also explained that collar trades “carry more risk than purchased call options” because of possibly greater liability when the contracts expire. The world’s biggest low-cost carrier said that a 25% decline of crude prices from Sept. 30 would probably force it to pay $615mn in cash collateral, aircraft collateral and letters of credit. Delta said it would pay $800mn to counterparties if oil fell 20% between October 1, 2014 and December 31, 2015. Brent already has tumbled 36% since then to trade at about $60 a barrel on Monday. These hedges weigh on the costs of their future fuel consumption, too. At current prices, Southwest says it expects to keep only about 80¢ of savings for every $1 in oil price decline, while Delta puts this figure at about 65¢. American instead will reap the full benefit of cheap fuel. And every cent counts. Delta has said that one cent change in the price per barrel of oil is worth $40mn to the carrier. CRICKET | Page 2 NBA | Page 8 Haddin backs �brave’ call to elevate Smith as captain James Harden pours in 44 as Rockets blitz Trail Blazers Wednesday, December 24, 2014 Rabia I 02, 1436 AH FOOTBALL Chelsea sink Stoke to secure top spot going into the break GULF TIMES SPORT Page 3 SPOTLIGHT �Save the Dream’ promotes importance of purity of sport at Supercoppa in Doha By Sports Reporter Doha T he importance of protecting the dream of pure, fair and clean sport took centre-stage as Save the Dream used the global platform of the Supercoppa Final in Doha to promote sport values and issue a call to safeguard sport against the threat of violence, discrimination and misconduct in all its forms. While Juventus and Napoli played out an enthralling match, Save the Dream made their presence felt by undertaking several match day activities in co-operation with Aspire Academy, Qatar Football Association and Lega Serie A. Children wearing Save the Dream colours escorted the players on to the pitch while banners and short films displayed in the stadium prior to kickoff and during half-time helped to promote the message of pure sport to a global audience. Players, coaches and prominent guests also expressed their solidarity by wearing Save the Dream badges, pins, caps and scarves in support of the campaign. Save the Dream presented a specially-curated exhibition of the Magnum Photos with Save the Dream project at the Al Sadd stadium. The selected images form part of the collection “Noites do Brasil”; which includes over 100 stunning images taken by Magnum photographers in the streets of Brazil around the twelve 2014 FIFA World Cup host cities capturing the universal emotion, spirit and passion for sport. The impetus for “Noites do Brasil” was sparked by an important initiative launched during the 2014 FIFA World Juventus players with children wearing Save the Dream colours before kick off. Cup by Save the Dream, in partnership with Unicef and Brazilian child protection authorities including the Secretariat for Human Rights. Titled �It’s in your hands to protect’, the initiative encompassed a widespread outreach campaign designed to mobilise peo- ple on the fundamental right of every child to be protected from violence and discrimination in the context of major sporting events. Mohammed Hanzab, President of the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) said: “It is crucial to en- gage and inspire the next generation of young athletes and fans to share with them how important it is to safeguard sport against the threat of violence, discrimination and misconduct. “With the Supercoppa final taking place in Doha for the very first time, this was an ideal platform to promote the positive ideals and values that sport can teach young people and to share this important message around the world. “I would like to thank the QFA, Aspire Academy and Lega Serie A for helping to promote the values of sport and call on other organisations around the world to do the same.” Save the Dream is a joint programme of the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) and Qatar Olympic Committee that promotes and protects the core values of sport for young people at a global level. Save the Dream has enjoyed a close co-operation with Lega Serie A. During the 2013-14 season, a campaign designed to promote the awareness of sport integrity among young people, was launched in 10 stadia across Italy. ABOUT SAVE THE DREAM Save the Dream has been conceived by the International Centre for Sport Security and the Qatar Olympic Committee to promote and protect the core values of sport for young people at a global level. Save the Dream works to empower youth and inspire societies towards a sport free from corruption, violence, discrimination and any other misconduct.In pursuit of these aims, several projects have been undertaken including educational workshops in schools across Qatar as part of the Schools Olympic Program. 2 Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 CRICKET SUSPECT ACTION FOCUS Haddin backs �brave’ call to elevate Smith as Australia captain �I think the decision was an outstanding one. He’s got a good core of senior players to help him out if he needs it. But things are going well, he’s a good thinker about the game and he still wants to learn’ Waller banned from bowling Zimbabwe all-rounder Malcolm Waller has been suspended from bowling just seven weeks out from the World Cup, the International Cricket Council said yesterday. The off-spinner was reported after the second Test against Bangladesh in Khulna last month and analysis performed by the ICC’s accredited team of Human Movement Specialists at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria. “The analysis revealed that all of his off-spin deliveries exceeded the 15 degrees level of tolerance permitted under the regulations,” the ICC said in a statement. Waller, 30, will have the opportunity for re-assessment but faces a race against time with the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand starting on Feb 14. The middle-order batsman has been used as a bowling option more often in the last 12 months, and in his last one-day international against South Africa in September bowled a full compliment of 10 overs. REPLACEMEBT WI lose Roach, call up Peters West Indies have lost their most accomplished fast bowler after Kemar Roach was ruled out of the final two matches of the Test series in South Africa and replaced by uncapped Kenroy Peters, the country’s cricket board announced yesterday. Roach injured his right ankle while bowling on the first day of the first Test in Pretoria that ended in an innings and 220-run defeat for the tourists and will return home to continue his rehabilitation. Peters, a 32-yearold left-arm fast bowler, was the leading bowler in the domestic four-day competition in 2014. He has yet to represent the West Indies at senior level in any form of the game but has an impressive first-class record with 190 wickets at an average of 20.21. The second Test starts in Port Elizabeth on Friday with the final match in Cape Town from January 2. NOBLE GESTURE Reuters Melbourne B rad Haddin (pictured above) has backed the elevation of Steve Smith (right) to the Australian Test captaincy in place of the injured Michael Clarke for the remainder of the India series, despite being overlooked for the caretaker role himself. As vice-captain, the 37-year-old wicketkeeper would have been first cab off the rank for the position once it became clear that Clarke required surgery on the latest in a string of hamstring injuries. Instead, after Haddin took charge for the last couple of hours of the 48-run victory in Adelaide, Cricket Australia turned to 25-year-old Smith, who led the team to a four-wicket victory in Brisbane last weekend. “I think they’ve made a very brave and good decision in making Steve the captain. I think it’s the perfect time for him,” Haddin told reporters at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) ahead of this week’s third test. “He’s a good leader, he’s only young but he’s going to get better and better at it. I think the decision was an outstanding one. “He’s got a good core of senior players to help him out if he needs it. But things are going well, he’s a good thinker about the game and he still wants to learn. I’d much rather you remember the last two hours at Adelaide than do it full time.” While Smith has been enjoying a purple patch with the bat, scoring 375 runs at an average of 187.5 in the series so far, Haddin has been struggling with that aspect of his game and has only 92 Bouncer blow forces Watson to leave training session midway Reuters Melbourne A ustralian all-rounder Shane Watson was forced to cut short his training session in the Melbourne Cricket Ground nets after being hit on the helmet by a bouncer yesterday, three days before the start of the third Test against India. Watson, under pressure for his place at number three in the batting order, was knocked to the ground when a short ball from James Pattinson hit him flush on the helmet. “Shane Watson shaken up, but OK, after helmet blow,” Cricket Australia tweeted. Pattinson was also shaken up by the incident, which came less than a month after former Australia batsman Phillip Hughes was killed by injuries sustained when he was hit by a short ball in a domestic match in Sydney. Left-arm paceman Mitchell Starc also left the session early after being hit on the knee by a ball but his likely replacement in the side, Ryan Harris, was apparently untroubled by the thigh injury that ruled him out of the second Test. The hosts, who take a 2-0 lead into the Boxing Day Test, already had injury concerns over David Warner, who skipped the session to nurse a thumb injury he sustained on the final day of the four-wicket victory in Brisbane on Saturday. The aggressive opener, one of Australia’s best NZ team donate prize money for Peshawar victims in the last seven Tests. “I’m not concerned about it, all my preparation and everything is okay, I’ve just been out of runs,” Haddin said. “I’m not stressed about it or worried about it, the game will turn my way, the runs will come and it will be my turn soon. I’ve been in these situations before, that’s cricket. I’m comfortable where my game’s at, everything’s going in the right direction, I’d just like to get more runs.” Haddin, who was undone by a short ball in Brisbane, is expecting India’s pace bowlers to come out firing on all cylinders in the third test, which begins on Friday. “The Indians showed their hand in Brisbane, that they’re going to be quite aggressive,” he said. “We’ve got an Indian team playing some quite good cricket but we want to wrap up the series in Melbourne.” performers with the bat this year, had little doubt in his own mind that he would be ready to go by Friday. “I will definitely be playing, I will be doing everything I can,” he told reporters when the team arrived in Melbourne on Monday. “Obviously it’s a bit painful, it’s the one I broke before, but I’m not missing a Boxing Day test, that’s for sure.” Uncapped batsman Joe Burns was brought into the squad on Sunday to cover for injured all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, while captain Michael Clarke will miss the rest of the series after surgery on a hamstring problem. The New Zealand cricket team has donated their prize money and match fees earned after beating Pakistan in the recent ODI series to the victims of the Peshawar massacre, where more than 140 Army school children and teachers were killed. The Kane Williamson-led New Zealand side defeated Pakistan 3-2 in the fivematch ODI series held in the UAE. Pacer Adam Milne donated his $500 prize for bowling the fastest ball of the series. “New Zealand players and officials have handed over some donations and kit bags,” Younis Khan was quoted as saying by The Nation yesterday. SPOTLIGHT Cook takes to the oche after World Cup snub AFP London A lastair Cook tried to take his mind off his shock World Cup snub as the deposed England captain stepped onto the oche at the World Darts Championships on Monday. Two days after the heartache of being sacked as England’s one-day captain and dropped from the squad for next year’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, Cook made his return to the public eye in a light-hearted darts contest with international teammate James Anderson at London’s Alexandra Palace. Cook took part in a one-leg shootout with Anderson ahead of the fifth day’s play in the World Championships and his bruised ego may have been soothed a little after he won with a double-11 checkout. Performing under the nickname �Bed and Breakfast’, Cook looked in good spirits on stage and got into the swing of things in amongst the raucous fans. The pair then headed into the commentary box to do a stint alongside former world champion Eric Bristow, and Cook, who remains England’s Test captain, admitted he was struggling to take in what the last 48 hours had served him. “It’s been an interesting couple of days,” he said on Sky Sports Darts. “I’m frustrated and disappointed not to be joining Jimmy on the plane. Sometimes these things happen; I take it on the chin and get a couple of weeks away. “It’s gutting and frustrating, but that’s the way of the world and you have to get over it and I wish the guys well.” Cook is now looking forward to spending some time on his farm and then throwing himself into a 2015 campaign which involves Test series against the West Indies, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. “It’s hard to talk about it at the moment (the World Cup) because of the way I feel, but there are Tests next year, two real marquee series (against Australia and South Africa) and hopefully I can get back scoring some runs,” he added. Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 3 FOOTBALL EPL SPOTLIGHT Chelsea sink Stoke, get secure top spot at Xmas �The three point lead we have is a little advantage, it is a little pillow we have to protect us’ AFP London C helsea ensured they will spend Christmas Day on top of the Premier League as goals from John Terry and Cesc Fabregas gave the leaders a gritty 2-0 victory at Stoke on Monday. It was not the most fluent performance from Jose Mourinho’s side but, at a venue where Arsenal recently lost 3-2, it was the result and not the performance which mattered most and the Blues now sit three points clear of second placed Manchester City heading into the hectic festive programme. City’s win over Crystal Palace on Saturday had drawn them level on points with Chelsea, but this was an emphatic response from the west Londoners as they bid to wrestle the title from the Eastlands outfit. The only concern for Chelsea was a late injury to Belgium playmaker Eden, Hazard, who was replaced after getting a kick to his foot following a challenge by Jon Walters. “These victories mean more than three points, to win and get three points the players need the right spirit and mentality,” Mourinho said. “To win here they must be a really very good team with the capacity to adapt to Stoke’s style of play. “The three point lead we have is a little advantage, it is a little pillow we have to protect us. “We go home happy and pleased with what we did.” Chelsea could not have got off to a better start as they took the lead inside the opening 90 seconds when Terry rose highest above Geoff Cameron to head a Fabregas corner past Asmir Begovic. It was the former England captain’s first league goal of the season and a 12th assist of the season for Spain midfielder Fabregas. Mourinho’s men coped better with the blustery conditions at the Britannia Stadium and came close to a second as Diego Costa dragged a shot wide of the post. Stoke defender Phil Bardsley was only booked for a late challenge on Hazard on the touchline, a decision that prompted Mourinho to protest from outside the technical area. And that incident seemed to spur on Stoke, who went close within seconds as Steven N’Zonzi’s deflected shot was pushed behind by Thibaut Courtois. But it should have been 2-0 on the half hour as a Fabregas pass breached the Stoke offside trap and Costa ran through before dragging his tame shot wide. Chelsea steel Stoke created brief moments of optimism at the start of the second half with Peter Crouch heading over from Bardsley’s cross from the right. The Blues carved out another Diouf as Stoke boss Mark Hughes looked for a way back into the contest. Marco Arnautovic then saw an effort deflected wide for a corner but Stoke’s set pieces were proving to be unthreatening. Charlie Adam was brought on to improve Stoke’s quality in possession. And immediately Walters came close to getting on the end of an Adam deliv- Reuters Stockholm F ans of Swedish club AIK got an early Christmas present when Nigeria international and former Manchester City, Fulham and Sunderland midfielder Dickson Etuhu signed for the Stockholm side yesterday. The 32-year-old, who moves to Sweden following an injuryhit two years at Blackburn Rovers, told Reuters he had no regrets about leaving England but that he cannot wait to get started at his new club. “I’m excited, I’ve got this feeling inside me that I’ve just never had,” he said. “A lot of people said to me �stay in England’. I’ve played in England all my career. I wanted something different.” Etuhu had offers from clubs in England and abroad but wanted a change, moving to an AIK side who finished third in last season’s Swedish championship. “(In England) I’m going to play some games, win some games, but I’m never going to win a title. I want to come here and test myself, a different language, different style, different players and real fans,” he said. A regular visitor to Sweden with former Fulham and Blackburn team mate Danny Murphy, Etuhu said winning the title with AIK was the most important thing on his mind. “That’s why I’m here - if it was for the money I wouldn’t be here, would I?” he said. “I feel like I’m as fit as the younger ones. I want to feel like I enjoy football and make an impact.” The tough-tackling midfielder has been training at Fulham, for whom he played in the 2010 Europa League final. Capped 20 times by Nigeria, Etuhu has also played under Swedish coach Lars Lagerback, who led the side at the 2010 World Cup, as well as current England boss Roy Hodgson, who is revered in Sweden following his spell as manager at Malmo. Etuhu will return to London to celebrate Christmas but is looking forward to getting started in his more chilly surroundings. “I just want to find somewhere to stay here and get into training,” he said. Chelsea’s Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas celebrates scoring their second goal during the English Premier League match against Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium in Stoke-on-Trent, central England, on Monday. Chelsea won the game 2-0. (AFP) opening as Hazard crossed for Fabregas whose near-post flick failed to overly trouble Begovic. Chelsea were not at their free-flowing best, but the steely visitors were still the most likely to get a second goal and Brazilian winger Willian saw a free kick deflect wide for a corner. Crouch had endured a frustrating evening and he was replaced by Mame Etuhu snubs English offers to join AIK ery, while the Scottish midfielder also drilled a left-footed shot wide from the edge of the area from N’Zonzi’s lay-off. But Fabregas settled the contest 12 minutes from time, taking Hazard’s pass before scuffing his shot past Begovic from close-range. It may have been a fortunate strike but the Spaniard joyously celebrated his fourth goal for the club he joined from Barcelona in the close-season. Chelsea could have added a third late on, with substitute Andre Schuerrle setting up Costa who was denied by Begovic. Stoke refused to give up and Oussama Assaidi was foiled by Courtois after finding space down the left and Adam fired just over in stoppage-time. FOCUS Arsenal’s injury woes confirmed by study Reuters London A rsenal and injuries have gone hand in hand over the last decade when the Gunners have had more players spending lengthy spells on the sidelines than many of their Premier League rivals, a study has shown. Premier Injuries Ltd has produced a database of comparative Premier League injuries over the past decade which was published in the Daily Telegraph yesterday. From the 2003-04 season to 201314, Arsenal suffered 312 significant injuries which led to players being out for 10 days or more. That is exactly 100 more than Chelsea, while Arsenal’s total number of injuries was above the Premier League average in 10 of the 11 campaigns, including each of the last seven completed seasons. This term is proving to be no different. Arsenal have racked up 25 injuries since August, more than any other Premier League club. While the Gunners trail Newcastle United and Manchester United in terms of significant injuries this season, it is hardly surprising they are sixth in the Premier League table with 27 points from 17 matches -- 15 behind leaders Chelsea. Arsenal’s treatment room is bursting at the seams with Laurent Koscielny, Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey, Mikel Arteta and Jack Wilshere all sidelined. Other first-team regulars, including Theo Walcott, Olivier Giroud, Mathieu Debuchy, Kieran Gibbs and Nacho Monreal, have also paid regular visits to the club’s doctors this season. “It is frustrating for everyone that the run of injuries we have sustained in the first third of the season has meant we have only seen flashes of this talented squad’s true potential,” Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis wrote in his quarterly update to shareholders. “We continue to work hard to improve our prevention of injuries and to accelerate recovery but it is clear there is no single contributing factor.” In attempting to ease their injury woes, Arsenal are working on a new athletic development centre within their London Colney training base, while construction work on new medical and educational facilities and a gym will take place at the club’s Hale End Youth Academy. Arsenal won their last Premier League title in 2004 when Arsene Wenger’s “Invincibles” went unbeaten—the season when they also had their fewest injuries. Inter Milan’s Rodrigo Wenger upbeat as injured Gunners return Sebastian Palacio (R) vies Arsene Wenger is upbeat about a strong second half of the season showing from an Arsenal side set to capitalise on the return of injured players like Mesut Ozil and Mikel Arteta. Wenger expects Ozil and Arteta to return to action in January, while Theo Walcott, Aaron Ramsey and Laurent Koscielny are due back imminently to help reignite the Gunners’ quest for a top-four finish in the Premier League. The Christmas schedule features fixtures against QPR, West Ham and Southampton and Wenger believes Arsenal, who occupy sixth place in the table, will soon be in a position to realise their potential. “To give absolutely everything in every single game until the end of the season,” replied Wenger when asked to outline his aspirations for his team heading into the festive period yesterday. “I believe that with the injuries coming back we will have a much stronger squad than we had for the past two months. “I believe 2015 can be very exciting if we manage to get our injured players back and have a good run. “Finishing in the top four is always the minimum required here. We have the Champions League and we have the FA Cup and we want to come back in a much stronger position in the Premier League, and I think we will. “Our Christmas is not an easy schedule - it’s a tough schedule. There are three games in a very short period of time and we can make up points. “It’s a period where you have an opportunity to make points. Our opponents will think that as well, but let’s just put the performances in and capitalise on it.” Ozil and Arteta are on target for January comebacks for the with from knee and calf ball injuries andLazio’s although Ramsey and Felipe during Koscielny may missAnderson the Boxing Day showdown with Serie A match incould Milan hamstring the and calf problems, they both be in on Sunday. (EPA) action against Southampton on New Year’s Day. “Ozil will be back at the beginning of January. His rehab has gone well but it took time. He works very hard. He is very focused. Fitness-wise, he is there,” Wenger said. “Arteta is progressing well. He had a little setback with an ankle problem but it should be very quick now. He will not play before January. “Ramsey has a chance to be fit for Southampton. The closest at the moment is Koscielny. I believe he’s a bit short for QPR, maybe has a chance for West Ham on Sunday.” Arsenal are four points adrift of fourth place West Ham and lost further ground on Champions League qualification after conceding an equaliser deep into stoppage time of Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool. Per Mertesacker’s defending for Martin Skrtel’s header has been criticised, but Wenger refuses to single out his Germany World Cup winner for blame. “I don’t want to go into any individual assessment. I believe Mertesacker gives his best and that on the corner we conceded it was a more organisational and collective problem because no one talks,” Wenger said. “It is difficult for the players who played at the World Cup. I said many times you don’t see them really before November and that is the case. “It’s very difficult for them to get the hunger straight away to go Stoke and win. It takes time to settle and to come back to normal life.” 4 Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 FOOTBALL FOCUS ANNOUNCEMENT Brazil crowds up but stadium usage still problematic �We’re more certain than ever that some of these stadiums will be white elephants’ Reuters Sao Paulo RECIFE STADIUM T he average attendance at Brazil’s new arenas in the five months since the World Cup was higher than the league mean but stadiums in cities without major clubs are in danger of becoming white elephants, studies and experts said. The average attendance at all games in the 12 stadiums was 18,300, just above the 16,562 recorded over the season in Brazil’s Serie A, statistics compiled by the Folha de S.Paulo and Lance! newspapers showed. Although the attendance at first division games in new arenas is twice that in older stadiums, only three of the new venues, in Sao Paulo, Belo Horizonte and Manaus, were consistently more than half full. In others without a strong soccer tradition, crowds were as low as 354 and grounds in Salvador, Recife and Natal regularly played host to less than 10,000 spectators. “We’re more certain than ever that some of these stadiums will be white elephants,” said Fernando Ferreira, head of Pluri, a sports marketing firm that tracks football finances. “The number of people going to games has increased, that is undeniable. The big question is over the future. Are they going to bring in enough money to pay for themselves? Everything indicates that the answer is �no’.” Brazil built or refurbished 12 stadiums at a cost of 8.44 billion reais ($3.17 billion), around 50 percent more than originally planned. The average attendance during the World Cup was 53,592, the second highest in tournament history. Since then, Cruzeiro and Corinthians have packed them in, with both clubs averaging crowds of more than 30,000, even though they charged the highest ticket prices in the league, said a recent report from consultancy firm BDO Brazil. WHITE ELEPHANTS The average attendance in Manaus was also high, at 27,759. Although no big clubs play in the city, teams such as Botafogo, Flamengo and Vasco da Gama have all shifted home games to the Amazonian arena in a bid to attract crowds. Five of the World Cup sta- SALVADOR STADIUM China name 23-man squad for Asian Cup AFP Beijing C hina yesterday announced its 23-man squad for the 2015 Asian Cup to be held in Australia in January. The 2013 Asian player of the year Zheng Zhi, who plays for club giants Guangzhou Evergrande, will bolster the midfield. Zheng was a hit with fans during nearly three seasons at Charlton Athletic and a year with Scottish giants Celtic before returning to China to join Guangzhou Evergrande in 2010. Also bringing an international flavour is midfielder Hao Junmin, who made 14 league appearances for Germany’s Schalke 04 in 2010 and 2011. The roster also includes Guangzhou Evergrande striker Gao Lin and his midfield teammate Zhang Linpeng, whose red carding this year damaged their teams bid for the AFC Champions League title. He is joined at the front by Yang Xu, who plays for Shandong Luneng at home and scored in China’s build-up for the Cup in a 3-0 over Thailand in October. Young midfielder Liu Binbin will make his cup debut after a strong domestic season. Former Lyon boss Alain Perrin is China’s coach following a lengthy search to replace Spaniard Jose Antonio Camacho, sacked after a humiliating 5-1 defeat by Thailand last June. China survived an almighty scare before scraping into the Asian Cup on goal difference thanks to a late penalty in their 3-1 defeat to Iraq in March. The 3-1 defeat to Iraq made for a chastening start for the newly hired Perrin, whose team barely avoided missing out on the Asian Cup for the first time since the 1970s. Despite wealthy Guangzhou’s emergence as kings of Asian club soccer, China have a woeful record at national level. China, who won only two of their six qualifiers, will have their work cut out at next year’s tournament in Australia with heavyduty competition in the form of the hosts, defending champions Japan and South Korea. THE SQUAD Goalkeepers - Wang Dalei (Shandong Luneng), Zeng Cheng (Guangzhou Evergrande), Yan Junling (Shanghai SIPG) Defenders - Zhang Linpeng (Guangzhou Evergrande), Ren Hang (Jiangsu GuoxinSainty), Zhang Chengdong (Beijing Guoan), Jiang Zhipeng (Guangzhou R&F), Mei Fang (Guangzhou Evergrande), Ji Xiang (Jiangsu Guoxin-Sainty), Li Ang (Jiangsu Guoxin-Sainty) Midfielders - Zheng Zhi (Guangzhou Evergrande), Wu Xi (Jiangsu Guoxin-Sainty), Hao Junmin (Shandong Luneng), Yu Hanchao (Guangzhou Evergrande), Wu Lei (Shanghai SIPG), Yu Hai (Guizhou Renhe), Sun Ke (Jiangsu Guoxin-Sainty), Liu Jianye (Jiangsu Guoxin-Sainty), Liu Binbin (Shandong Luneng), Liao Lisheng (Guangzhou Evergrande), Cai Huikang (Shanghai SIPG) Forwards Gao Lin (Guangzhou Evergrande), Yang Xu (Shandong Luneng) USA defender Yedlin to join Spurs in January diums were built in cities like Manaus, that have no first division clubs. Authorities vowed they would ensure those stadiums did not fall into disrepair or were left idle for local authorities to foot the bill. “There is no chance that these stadiums will become white elephants,” Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo told reporters last year. “They will be much more than football fields. They will be multi-purposes spaces that the cities have lacked before and now will have to use for several different purposes.” Although stadiums have hosted everything from trade fairs to mass weddings, some of them have struggled to attract soccer fans and many have seen more small events than games. At least two of the publicly owned stadiums recently announced plans to lease the are- nas to private consortiums, tacitly acknowledging their struggle. “The administration understands that this is the best solution for the management of a concern as complex as the Pantanal arena,” the owners of the Cuiaba stadium said in an emailed response to questions. United States defender DeAndre Yedlin is joining Tottenham in January, the north London club announced yesterday. The 21-year-old signed a four-year deal with Spurs in August with his move to White Hart Lane from the Seattle Sounders delayed until the end of the Major League Soccer season. “We are pleased to confirm that DeAndre Yedlin will be joining the Club in January,” a statement on the Premier League club’s website read. Yedlin ended his MLS stint in style, helping the Sounders win the Western Conference title and Supporter’s Shield before losing to the Los Angeles Galaxy in the Conference Finals, and big things are expected from him by Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino. “DeAndre is a young player with great potential who has already achieved a lot in Major League Soccer, Pochettino said. “It is important for his development that he is given the time to adapt to his new surroundings both on and off the pitch and we believe that by coming to us in January it will give him the best opportunity to do so.” Yedlin, who has 10 international caps, made three appearances for the USA at the World Cup, in group games against Portugal and Germany and in their last-16 defeat to Belgium. Yedlin’s arrival comes after Spurs brought in Ben Davies, Michel Vorm, Eric Dier, Benjamin Stambouli and Federico Fazio during the close season. Meanwhile Portugal international Nelson Oliveira is the man Swansea City have turned to solve their striking problem in the New Year. Oliveira, 23, will join the Swans on loan until the end of the season on January 1, the club announced yesterday. His arrival solves a problem for manager Garry Monk who will lose top scorer Wilfried Bony to the African Nations Cup next month. ASIA CUP Australia’s evolution reflected in squad Reuters Melbourne S occeroos coach Ange Postecoglou has included just seven of the squad that reached the final of the 2011 Asian Cup in his 23man party for Australia’s third assault on the continental title on home soil in January. Postecoglou has overhauled his playing group since taking over from Holger Osieck in October last year and there were never going to be many surprises in the squad he named yesterday given the number of players he has used since. “I’m pretty pleased with the squad we’ve put together,” the coach told a news conference. “There’s enough experience in there but there’s also a little bit of an eye to the future with some younger players who I believe can be exciting prospects.” Liverpool goalkeeper Brad Jones was not included but the main marquee names playing abroad, such as Tim Cahill, likely skipper Mile Jedinak and Robbie Kruse, will all assemble for a pretournament training camp in Melbourne on December 27. “The last six months has been about making sure we had cover in the right areas,” Postecoglou added. “We will never compromise the path we started 12 months ago that the majority of this team fits into the next four-year cycle and what we are trying achieve.” Seven players in the squad are playing in the domestic A-League, including Wellington Phoenix striker Nathan Burns who forced his way back into the reckoning with 10 goals in 11 games this season. “Form’s one thing but there’s always the question of whether they fit in with the football that we want to play and fit into the evolution of this team,” the coach said. “(But) if you are a striker and scoring goals that’s a pretty compelling argument for getting you in the team.” Cahill, Kruse and Burns were among five forwards selected along with World Cup standout Matthew Leckie and Tomi Juric, whose goals helped Western Sydney Wanderers win the Asian Champions League. “We specifically picked more attacking options because of the nature of this tournament,” Postecoglou said. “If you look at games of football, they are usu- ally won in the last part of the game and if you can throw some attacking options on it can help.” Australia open their campaign against Kuwait in Melbourne on Jan 9 before taking on Oman and South Korea. THE SQUAD Goalkeepers - Mathew Ryan (Club Bruges), Mitchell Langerak (Borussia Dortmund), Eugene Galekovic (Adelaide United) Defenders - Matthew Spiranovic (Western Sydney Wanderers), Trent Sainsbury (PEC Zwolle), Alex Wilkinson (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors), Chris Herd (Aston Villa), Izaz Behich (Bursaspor), Jason Davidson (West Bromwich Albion), Ivan Franjic (Torpedo Moscow). Midfielders - Mark Milligan (Melbourne Victory), Mile Jedinak (Crystal Palace), Mark Bresciano (Al Gharafa), Tommy Oar (Utrecht), Massimo Luongo (Swindon Town), Terry Antonis (Sydney FC), James Troisi (Zulte Waregem), Matt McKay (Brisbane Roar) Forwards - Tim Cahill (New York Red Bulls), Matthew Leckie (FC Ingolstadt), Robbie Kruse (Bayer Leverkusen), Tomi Juric (Western Sydney Wanderers), Nathan Burns (Wellington Phoenix). ANGE POSTECOGLOU Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 5 FOOTBALL FOCUS Early 2015 crucial for Sociedad’s goal: Moyes Reuters Madrid R eal Sociedad will know early in the New Year whether their goal of securing a lucrative berth in Europe for next season is viable, according to coach David Moyes. The Basque club, who have been weakened by a need to cash in on a number of their best players in recent years, had a poor start to their La Liga campaign before stabilising under Moyes after he replaced the sacked Jagoba Arrasate last month. When they return after the two-week winter break they host second-placed Barcelona at their Anoeta stadium in San Sebastian and the Scot said their first five or six matches in 2015 would be crucial to their chances of moving up the table from their current position of 14th. Sociedad finished fourth in 2012-13 and qualified for the Champions League group stage, where they finished bottom of their pool. Last season, they were seventh and secured a place in Europa League qualifying but were eliminated by Russian side FK Krasnodar. “It is going to be difficult to get back into Europe, we all have to be clear about that,” Moyes said in an interview published in As sports daily yesterday. “Right now I am focused, and this is my obsession, on winning all the games we can so that we can make sure of avoiding relegation as soon as possible,” the former Manchester United and Everton manager added. “If we get some good results at the start of the year we can start to look up at the places above us.” Moyes said he was enjoying living in Spain and his biggest challenge was learning the language. “I am learning words mainly to do with football which are helping me with my relationships with the players,” he added. “I have given myself time to get to know the players better, the club and everything around it, and my picture is already more complete. “Everything we want to change in the future has to be done gradually and not in a drastic way. “We will change things but in a logical way. In any case, the only thing that matters to me is that the team moves up the table step by step.” SPOTLIGHT HONOUR Van Gaal keen to repay Fergie’s faith �When you come to United, because I know Sir Alex, you hope that he will support you’ AFP London LOUIS VAN GAAL L ouis van Gaal has revealed he feels under pressure to succeed at Manchester United to repay the generous support of Old Trafford legend Alex Ferguson. Ferguson has given his backing to van Gaal in recent interviews, claiming the United manager can restore the team to the lofty levels which Ferguson himself attained in his 27 years as boss. Certainly, van Gaal’s efforts in leading United into a top three position as the Premier League enters the Christmas period have been impressive and generated an air of optimism at the club not felt since Ferguson retired in 2013. However, that backing has come at a cost, according to van Gaal. “It’s fantastic,” said van Gaal yesterday. “When you come to Manchester United, because I know Sir Alex, you hope that he will support you. “And when he is supporting you, he is doing that not only this week but in other conferences he gave. “He showed a lot of confidence and belief in me and you need that as a trainer-coach, as manager of Manchester United. “You need that belief and support of managers like Sir Alex. I am very happy with that because then you can work more easily. “But it’s also pressure because he believes in you and that gives you that pressure that you have to get results. It’s not so easy to win Premier League matches.” z Fortress Old Trafford -United, unbeaten in seven games, open their festive fixture list with a home clash against Newcastle on Friday and van Gaal insists he has already succeeded in one of his primary aims - making Old Trafford a venue where other teams fear to play. Since losing at home to Swansea on the opening day of the season, in his first competitive match in charge, United have won seven and drawn one of their eight games. “I have said after the first loss against Swansea that it’s a pity we came back from the United States and won everything and then lost our first match in the Navas, Wambach win CONCACAF Players of Year awards Reuters Miami C osta Rica’s World Cup goalkeeper Keylor Navas and United States women’s team striker Abby Wambach were named CONCACAF’s Players of the Year for 2014 yesterday. The governing body for the sport in North and Central America and the Caribbean also named Jorge Luis Pinto Coach of the Year after he led Costa Rica to the last eight at the World Cup for the first time. Navas, 28, produced some outstanding displays for Costa Rica in the World Cup with three clean sheets from five matches and winning three Man of the Match Awards. Following the World Cup, Navas completed a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid. Wambach, the 34-yearold striker, who has scored more goals in international football than any male or female with 177 in 228 games, had another fine season including scoring four goals in the final of the CONCACAF Women’s Championship in 2014 in which the United States beat Costa Rica 6-0. Pinto was rewarded for Costa Rica’s memorable World Cup campaign where they finished top of their group ahead of Uruguay, Italy and England and then beat Greece on penalties before losing to the Netherlands in a shootout after a goalless draw. Pinto became head coach of the Honduran national team earlier this month. United States and Everton keeper Tim Howard won CONCACAF Goalkeeper of the year for the second year while Costa Rica’s Bryan Ruiz’s strike against Italy in the World Cup was voted Goal of the Year. American Mark Geiger was voted Referee of the Year. The awards are voted on by three constituencies—national team coaches and captains, media and fans. Deila wants �sleeping bear’ Celtic to wake up Manager Ronny Deila wants his “sleeping bear” of a Celtic side to wake up, the Norwegian giving only a six out of 10 at best for the year-ending report card. The Hoops are four points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership despite losing their first league game in nine against Dundee United at Tannadice on Sunday. Celtic are still in the Scottish Cup where they travel to Dundee in the fifth-round and they look forward to a League Cup semi-final against Rangers at Hampden Park in February. And after passing up on two chances to get into the Champions League the Parkhead side battled through to second place in their Europa League group and face Inter Milan in the last-32 tie later in the same month. Ahead of the visit of Ross County in the league on Saturday, the Norwegian summed up the first six months of his tenure as Celtic boss. “The results are good but I see so much possibilities there,” he said. “When I see the possession and pressure we have and how we are controlling games, it is about getting possession into goal chances. “With the potential we have, I would give us a five, six maybe. “We have a long way to go but it is quite good also. “This club is a sleeping bear. It is a huge club, we have so many talented players and good staff “We have just have to have the energy to work and progress, want to learn and get better. “If you have that you can reach your goals.” Premier League,” said van Gaal. “We want to build a fortress at Old Trafford and we have made that already because we have won a lot. “I’m happy with that but then we have to continue because seven (wins) is too few I think. “So we have to continue and that’s the most difficult point because it’s not easy to win games in the Premier League.” Meanwhile, van Gaal has paid tribute to captain Wayne Rooney’s versatility, but insists he still remains an important attacking threat. The England forward played in a deep midfield role in last weekend’s 1-1 draw at Aston Villa but van Gaal does not accept that Rooney’s days as a goal threat are behind him. “Wayne is a player who can play in different positions and I like that because I like multifunctional players, that’s why I can use him as a midfielder, also as a striker and an attacking midfielder,” he said. “The last game he was more defensive midfielder. I like that he is also coming into the 18 yard box because he can score goals. “He has the ability to run from box to box and that is also a little bit that he has to �feel’ in a match - read the match - and he can do this. “But that’s a matter of time and he can do that. I like him closer to their area than our own goal.” 6 Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 SPORT SPOTLIGHT GOLF Willett secures Masters berth via world ranking Reuters London E nglishman Danny Willett will be a big winner in the final world rankings of the year, to be issued next week, by narrowly punching his ticket to the 2015 Masters. Willett is among a dozen players not previously exempt for the season’s opening major who will lock up invitations to Augusta National next April by finishing 2014 in the top 50. However, Willett cut it ever so close in earning his first invitation to the Masters and made his move by winning the Nedbank Challenge in South Africa on December 7. Though he was ranked 51st last week after not competing, he will climb to 50th in the year-end rankings with no tournaments scheduled for this week and because points are reduced at differing rates in the world ranking formula. Among the other players gaining Mas- ters exemptions via the top 50 are Britons Jamie Donaldson, Ian Poulter and Stephen Gallacher, all of them members of Europe’s triumphant 2014 Ryder Cup team. American Kevin Streelman will drop from 50th to 52nd in the final rankings of the year, but he is already in the Masters field because he won the PGA Tour’s 2014 Hartford tournament. There will be further opportunities for players to qualify for the April 9-12 Masters, including an updated top-50 world ranking heading into the week of the tournament. Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy will end 2014 as the world number one after assuming the top spot on August 2. McIlroy deposed Australian Adam Scott, who was the game’s leading player for 11 weeks and will end the year ranked third. American Tiger Woods started 2014 at the top of the world rankings and stayed there until May 17. Woods, who played in only nine tournaments in 2014 due to a back injury that required surgery, will end the year in 32nd spot. FOCUS FORMULA ONE Christmas has a different feel at Ferrari this time New Ferrari chairman Sergio Marchionne has plenty to get his teeth into after a dismal 2014 season for Formula One’s oldest, most glamorous and successful team Lost Freeman Olympic body suit recovered? By Reuters Sydney T he lycra body suit that Cathy Freeman wore to light the cauldron at the Sydney Olympics may have been returned 14 years after it went missing from her dressing room, the Australian Olympic Committee said yesterday. Freeman, an Aboriginal athlete who went on to win gold in the 400 metres at the Games, wore the suit at the climax of the opening ceremony in 2000, a moment seen by many as a statement of reconciliation with indigenous Australians. The item of clothing is in the possession of police after being handed in anonymously at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCC), which houses the Na- tional Sports Museum. “On that night, Cathy was soaked while standing under a waterfall after a mechanical fault delayed the lighting of the cauldron,” said an AOC statement released yesterday. “She removed the suit after the ceremony and it has not been seen since. “What happened to the suit has been the subject of much debate over the years as it is a major part of Australia’s Olympic history. “We are hoping the item of clothing handed to the MCC Museum is authentic and the mystery is finally solved.” Local media reports in 2010 quoted a Games volunteer as saying the suit, which was white with blue detail, had been destroyed to save the embarrassment of organisers as the Olympic rings had been printed upside down on it. TENNIS Stepanek latest to pull out of Hopman Cup DPA Perth C Reuters Maranello, Italy T he winds of change have swept through Ferrari and even Christmas has a different feel now. Media invited to the team’s Fiorano test track to attend the traditional seasonal lunch in a building next to Enzo Ferrari’s old house knew what to expect when former chairman Luca di Montezemolo was in charge. Like a Medici prince of old, sitting in the middle of a long table, the elegant Italian would hold court and pronounce on anything and everything that vexed or pleased him. At last year’s gathering, his last such occasion, the impeccably dressed 67-year-old merely toyed with a salad as the steaming tortellini in brodo and sliced cotechino con lenticchie (pork sausage with lentils) were served. Over the course of the meal, Montezemolo would lay into the sport’s over-complex rules, with particular scorn for any that he considered disadvantageous for Ferrari, and emphasise the need to improve the show. ADMINISTRATORS REMAIN HOPEFUL THAT CATERHAM F1 CAN RACE IN 2015 London: Administrators have not given up hope that the Caterham team will be able to compete at the start of the next Formula One season in March, Sky TV reported yesterday. “We remain hopeful that the Caterham Formula 1 team can be saved and be on the grid in Melbourne for the first race of 2015,” joint administrator Henry Shinners told the broadcaster. Shinners said administrators were in talks with interested parties and thanked “creditors for their endorsement of our There was much to displease him at the end of 2013, with a new V6 turbo hybrid engine formula in the offing, and he did not hold back. The menu was unchanged when the media returned to Fiorano on Monday, and new Ferrari chairman Sergio Marchionne also had plenty to get his teeth into after a dismal season for Formula One’s oldest, strategy and work” at a meeting on Monday which allows talks to continue with potential new owners into 2015. Caterham and Marussia went into administration late last season and didn’t compete in the races in the US and Brazil. Marussia folded while Caterham returned for the season-ender in Abu Dhabi with fresh income from a crowdfunding scheme. Pre-season testing starts on February 1 and the opener in Australia is on March 15. So far nine teams led by world champions Mercedes are registered for 2015. most glamorous and successful team. But the style, two months after Montezemolo’s departure and with double world champion Fernando Alonso also gone along with a host of others, was different. His helicopter’s arrival delayed by fog in Turin, the Fiat Chrysler chief executive showed he meant business—even if he prefers a wool sweater to a business suit— by addressing the media at a formal news conference with new principal Maurizio Arrivabene alongside. Questions about the auto industry, flotations and the wider world of finance were declared off limits as Marchionne focused on Formula One. In a rhetorical flourish that Montezemolo would have approved of, he said the rules appeared to have been written by a bunch of bar room drunkards. But otherwise his message avoided hyperbole. Whereas Montezemolo liked to invoke the spirit of Ferrari, and spoke passionately about the magic of Maranello, Marchionne was more matter of fact. This year was best forgotten, he said, and next season will be still hard. But the right people are now in place for future success. With that, he and Arrivabene—who has joined from sponsor Philip Morris and bears a passing resemblance to the Marlboro man with cigarette in hand—retired to lunch. On their own table. The time for speeches was over. zech tennis star Radek Stepanek is the latest player to pull out of the Hopman Cup mixed team event, forcing the Cup to scramble to replace the 36-yearold with an ATP outsider. With competition starting on January 4, Stepanek, who is suffering from leg muscle problems that also forced him to withdraw from the Australian Open, was replaced by Adam Pavlasek. Lucie Safarova makes up the women’s half of the Czech side. Stepanek is the second man to exit the field at the eight-nation mixed team event. Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga pulled out claiming an arm injury suffered in the autumn but later entered the four-day Australian Open exhibition tuneup at Kooyong Club, Melbourne. American Jack Sock also pulled the plug after surgery, and was substituted in the field by John Isner as partner to Serena Williams. Benoit Pair will play in place of Tsonga alongside Alize Cornet, who won the title a year ago with Tsonga. Stepanek explained his injury problem to Czech media: “My right leg stopped working as it should, due to atrophied muscles. My weak leg is only working at 50 per cent. “To play would be a huge risk. This unfortunately means I must miss both the Hopman Cup and the Open.” The event also features Andy Murray, Eugenie Bouchard, Nick Kyrgios and Casey Dellacqua. Poland, runner-up last January to the French, will be represented by Anieszka Radwanska and Jerzy Janowicz, while Flavia Pennetta and Fabio Fognini will represent Italy. Already announced: Britain with Murray and Heather Watson, and Canada, with Bouchard, the women’s Wimbledon finalist, and Vasek Pospisil. Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 FEATURE YEARENDER Formula One drivers Sebastian Vettel, Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen stand behing a banner in tribute to late fellow world champion Australian Jack Brabham on the grid of the Monaco in May this year. (AFP) Of those who left behind a legacy and the world AMERICAN FOOTBALL Ralph Wilson O wner of the Buffalo Bills since founding them in 1960 and a driving force behind what became the Super Bowl died aged 95 on March 25. Bought the Bills for $25000 in 1959, they were valued by Forbes magazine last year at $870 million. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009. His greatest impact was in bringing together the flashy upstart AFL and the NFL to create the Super Bowl and usher in the modern gridiron era, helping guide the league’s rise into America’s most popular sports league. Sadly for him his vision was not rewarded with the trophy itself despite his hugely-talented but temperamentally suspect Bills reaching four successive Super Bowls in the 1990’s and losing on every occasion—the only team ever to do so on both counts. ATHLETICS Chris Chataway B ritish athletics great best known for being one of the pacemakers for Roger Bannister’s landmark four-minute mile run in 1954, died aged 82 on January 19. Chataway, who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to the aviation industry, had a stellar year in 1954 when he also broke the 5,000 metres world record. For that achievement and for his role in Bannister’s remarkable effort it was he and not Bannister who was named the first-ever BBC Sports Personality of the Year. Later became successful journalist and was also a Conservative MP and achieved ministerial office twice. Mbulaeni Mulaudzi O utstanding South African 800 metres runner whose crowning glory came with the world outdoor title in Berlin in 2009. Died in a car crash aged 34 on October 24. Described as a true hero by South African president Jacob Zuma among many other medals he won Olympic silver in 2004 where he was also given the honour of being the flagbearer. He had barely had time to enjoy retirement having hung up his spikes in 2013. “Just lost a brother, a friend, a very good friend,” tweeted Caster Semenya, who completed a double for South Africa in the 800m in Berlin by winning the women’s title. “May your soul rest in peace. I love you man, will always love you CHAMP.” as he took six wickets for 14 runs in the semi-final victory over England and then five for 48 in the final against the victors West Indies. Never the healthiest of men he had a liver transplant in 2005. Also lost a son Clint to a brain tumour aged just 33. “He was at the front of the queue when they were handing out talent, but unfortunately he was right at the back of the queue when they handed out health and good luck,” said his captain Ian Chappell, who led the fundraising for the liver transplant, after his death. Phillip Hughes A ustralian batsman who died on November 27 just days away from his 26th birthday and provoked an outpouring of grief in a country where those who earn the right to wear the green baggy cap are idolised. Hughes died from a head injury inflicted when a bouncer by Sean Abbott struck him in the neck. In all he played 26 tests with his most memorable his second against South Africa in 2009 scoring a century in each innings to become at the age of 20 years and 96 days the youngest player to achieve such a feat. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott led the many tributes. “Phillip Hughes was a young man living out his dreams. His death is a very sad day for cricket and a heartbreaking day for his family. What happened has touched millions of Australians. For a young life to be cut short playing our national game seems a shocking aberration.” FOOTBALL R eal Madrid legend considered one of the greatest footballers ever, died aged 88 on July 7 after lapsing into a coma following a heart attack. Nicknamed the �Blonde Arrow’ he played for both his native Argentina and then his adopted country Spain but like another superstar George Best never got to play on the biggest global stage the World Cup finals. However, on the club front it was a different matter playing for Real Madrid for 11 seasons between 1953 and 1964, winning five European Cups and being named European player of the year on two occasions (1957 and �59). “Alfredo Di Stefano changed the history of this club and he changed the history of football,” said Real’s chairman Florentino Perez. Albert Ebosse A urprise Czechoslovakian winner of the women’s high jump Olympic gold in 1968 died at the age of 64 on October 19. She also won European gold in 1969, and married her coach Rudolf Hubner a year later. Rezkova, also declined a marriage proposal from a Greek millionaire, who offered her an island in the Aegean Sea as a wedding present. CRICKET Eusebio Gary Gilmour P S C olourful character nicknamed �Gus’ enjoyed a limited international cricket career for Australia despite being a very talented all rounder. Died aged 62 on June 10. Played 15 tests—though Don Bradman remarked to him �that if I was a selector you’d never play for Australia. You eat too many potatoes’—and five one day internationals. The 1975 World Cup was his finest moment stepped down at the end of the 2011/12 season and presided over the best first half of a league season in the club’s history. However, he had to then take two months out undergoing chemotherapy in New York but Barca held on to win the title with a record 100 points. He had wanted to stay on after that but the cancer returned. “To lose is not a drama. What has happened to Tito Vilanova is,” said Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal in tribute. Tom Finney FORMULA ONE dashing player for Preston North End and England and regarded as the equal of his contemporary, Stanley Matthews died aged 91 on February 14. Nicknamed the �Preston Plumber’ because his father insisted he finish his apprenticeship, he served in World War II in the Desert and Italy. On returning from duty he scored 210 goals in 473 appearances for Preston. He also represented his country on 76 occasions, including at three World Cup finals, scoring 30 goals. Apart from a Second Division (now the Championship) title, Finney never won one of football’s major honours, ending up on the losing side in an FA Cup final and twice runners-up in the First Division (now the Premier League). The late Bill Shankly, the legendary Liverpool manager who played with Finney at Preston, said of him: “Tom Finney would have been great in any team, in any match and in any age... even if he had been wearing an overcoat.” A Jack Brabham Klas Ingesson Jean Beliveau R L Alfredo di Stefano lgeria-based Cameroon striker died aged 24 on August 23 as result of injuries received during or after a game for his club JC Kabylie for whom he was leading scorer the preceding season. While the official Algerian version is that he died from being struck on the head by a piece of slate thrown from the stands a Cameroon pathologist, paid for by the family, has alleged he died as a result of a beating he took in the changing rooms. Miloslava Rezkova Real Madrid in the European Cup final and in 1965 he was awarded the Ballon d’Or. “I was the best player in the world, top scorer in the world and Europe. I did everything, except win a World Cup,” Eusebio said in 2011, recalling his tears after Portugal’s loss in the 1966 World Cup semi-final to England. Tens of thousands of Portuguese lined the streets of Lisbon despite the driving rain to watch his funeral cortege pass by while it was also broadcast live on television. ortugal’s greatest player and an inspiration to many including Cristiano Ronaldo. Died aged 71 from cardio-pulmonary arrest on January 5. Revered as the �Black Panther’ for his remarkable skills he was born into poverty in the then Portuguese colony of Mozambique and went on to score 733 goals in 745 matches. It was at Portuguese giants Benfica he established his reputation. In 1962 he scored the crucial goals in a 5-3 victory over obust former Swedish international midfielder died aged just 46 on October 29 after a five year battle with multiple myeloma, a cancer of the white blood cells. Most memorable moment came when Sweden surprised many and reached the 1994 World Cup semi-finals where his physical ballwinning skills were pivotal to their success. In all he played 57 times for the national side, scoring 13 goals, and numbered PSV Eindhoven, Bologna, Marseille and Sheffield Wednesday among his clubs. Senzo Meyiwa S outh African and Orlando captain and goalkeeper aged 27 shot dead by intruders at his pop singer girlfriend’s house in a township near Johannesburg on October 26. Irvin Khoza, the chairman of the Orlando Pirates, for whom Meyiwa played, said: “This is a sad loss to Senzo’s family especially his children, to Orlando Pirates & the nation.” Meyiwa had been in outstanding form for club and country, starring for the latter in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers where he kept four successive clean sheets to set up Bafana Bafana nicely to eventually qualify after his death. Replacement goalkeeper Darren Keet sported a moving, handwritten quote from The Bible on his gloves for the qualification-clinching victory over Sudan in Durban: “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friend.” O nly man to win world title driving a car he built himself died of cancer aged 88 on May 19. The Australian won three world titles in all (1959, 60 with Cooper Racing and 1966 in his own Brabham car) after serving in the Royal Australian Air Force in World War II. Nicknamed �Black Jack’—for the colour of his hair and his propensity for maintaining a shadowy silence—in 1959 he famously ran out of fuel at the United States Grand Prix and pushed his car across the finish line to take fourth place and become Australia’s first Formula One world champion. “I eventually stopped about 100 yards from the finishing line, and I started pushing. If anybody assisted me, I’d be disqualified,” he said. First driver to be knighted for his services to motorsport, the trophy for the Australian Grand Prix has been named in his honour. ICE HOCKEY egendary player who won 10 Stanley Cups died aged 83 after a long illness on December 2. Played for 20 seasons with the Montreal Canadiens accruing all his titles with them and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1972 a year after retiring. His haul of Stanley Cups is one short of the record held by former team-mate Henri Richard. Another legend, four time Stanley Cup winner Wayne Gretzky summed up the awe with which Beliveau was held in the foreword to the latter’s autobiography: “I don’t think there can be any other figure in the history of professional team sports who better exemplifies the word �winner.” RACING Toby Balding E bullient trainer died aged 78 on September 25. Became the youngest trainer in Britain when he took over his late father’s stables aged just 20. Went on to train the winner of the Grand National and Champion Hurdle twice and the �blue riband’ of steeplechasing the Cheltenham Gold Cup once. Was also adept at spotting riding talent principally 19-times champion jumps jockey Tony McCoy who he lured from Ireland at a young age. “I cried when I heard the news my old boss and friend Toby Balding had died. We had great times together, he was my ultimate mentor,” said the normally unemotional McCoy. Terry Biddlecombe Tito Vilanova F ormer Barcelona coach and assistant to Pep Guardiola where they amassed 14 trophies in four seasons. Died after a three year battle with cancer aged 45 on April 25. Vilanova succeeded Guardiola when he T hree-time British National Hunt champion jockey nicknamed the �Blonde Bomber’ died aged 72 on January 5. Lived life to the full both on and off the course his favourite tipple being brandy mixed with babycham. He won the 1967 Cheltenham Gold Cup on Woodland Victory, only able to ride thanks to a painkilling injection because he had badly injured knee ligaments the day before. Conquered alcoholism and then with his third wife trainer Henrietta Knight combined brilliantly to produce triple Gold Cup winner Best Mate (2002/03/04). Dessie Hughes T op Irish jockey and a leading trainer who both rode and subsequently trained a winner of the Champion Hurdle died aged 71 on November 16. After an inauspicious start to his riding career, he was disqualified and placed last, he rode Davy Lad to victory in the 1977 Cheltenham Gold Cup and then Monksfield to the 1979 Champion Hurdle. Trained Hardy Eustace to win the 2004 and 2005 Champion Hurdles. Father of British champion jockey Richard and his daughter Sandra who took on his licence and trained her first winner a few weeks after he died. “There’s gentlemen and then there was Dessie Hughes,” commented Hardy Eustace’s rider Conor O’Dwyer. RUGBY UNION Jackie Kyle O utstanding fly-half who in 1948 inspired Ireland to their only ever Five Nations Grand Slam died aged 88 on November 27. Capped 46 times, he also played six times for the British and Irish Lions, the Ulster legend was voted in 2002 Ireland’s greatest ever rugby player, though, this was before Brian O’Driscoll reached his peak. Was present in Cardiff when O’Driscoll led Ireland to the Six Nations Grand Slam in 2009. A modest man despite his achievements after retiring he devoted 30 years working as a surgeon in Zambia before returning to live in Northern Ireland. “I was with Jack at a dinner when he was named as the best player ever produced by Ireland and he felt embarrassed by it, he felt humbled by it— but that was the nature of the man,” recalled another Irish legend Mike Gibson. TENNIS Elena Baltacha F ormer British women’s tennis number one died of liver cancer aged 30 on May 4. Born in Ukraine—her father was Soviet Union international footballer Sergei who played in the 1988 European Championships final—and brought up in Scotland, she was ranked a career high 49 and won 11 titles despite being diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis, a chronic liver condition which compromises the immune system, aged 19. The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) paid tribute to a “tireless fighter”. Dorothy “Dodo” Cheney T he first American woman to win what is now known as the Australian Open, died aged 98 on November 23. Cheney won the 1938 Australian Championships and reached the semi-finals of the other three Grand Slam events in her career, Wimbledon and the French Open in 1946 and the US Open semi-finals in 1937, 1938, 1943 and 1944. She played tennis into her 90’s and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004, joining her mother May Sutton Bundy in the sporting shrine, and introduced at the induction ceremony by fellow Hall of Famer John McEnroe. 7 8 Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 SPORT NBA NFL Patriots clinch top seed in AFC playoffs Harden pours in 44, Rockets blitz Trail Blazers �I was being aggressive, my team was doing a great job of playing fast and finding me’ DPA Los Angeles H ot-shot James Harden was on fire and the Portland Trail Blazers got smoked. The league’s top scorer, Harden exploded for a season-high-tying 44 points Monday, and the Houston Rockets snapped the short-handed Trail Blazers’ five-game winning streak 11095. “James really had it going tonight,” Rockets coach Kevin McHale said of his superstar. “They were giving him the three and when they made a mistake he was turning the corner and getting downhill.” Hardin eclipsed the 40-point mark for a league-best third time this season, connecting on 14-of-26 field goals and four 3-pointers but fell two points shy of matching his career-high. “I was being aggressive, my team was doing a great job of playing fast and finding me,” said Harden, who added seven assists and five steals. Harden took advantage of the absence of visiting Portland’s top scorer and rebounder LaMarcus Aldridge (upper respiratory illness) and centre Robin Lopez (broken hand) to shred the Trail Blazers’ interior early and often. The All-Star guard dropped in 19 firstquarter points and 31 by halftime as the Rockets took a commanding 73-53 cushion at the break. “It was a scoring fest in the first half,” Harden said. Harden added 11 points, including three 3-pointers in the third quarter. He checked back into the game midway through the final frame, knocked down a jumper and headed for the bench with four minutes remaining, as the Rockets snapped a modest two-game slide. Dwight Howard had 16 points and 13 rebounds while Corey Brewer added 12 with four rebounds, four assists and five steals in his Rockets’ debut after being acquired from Minnesota on Friday. “James was attacking,” Howard said. “When he plays like that he’s tough to guard and it’s tough for teams to run against us.” Damian Lillard scored 18 and CJ McCollum had 17 off the bench for Portland (19-8) which committed a season-high 23 turnovers, leading to 24 Houston points. “Defensively we didn’t give much resistance in the first half and they took advantage of that,” Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. “Offensively, we turned the ball over too much and really weren’t able to mount any kind of legitimate comeback.” Elsewhere Chicago Bulls 129, Toronto Raptors 120: Derrick Rose returned from a twogame illness absence with 15 of his 29 team’s franchise-record 49 fourth-quarter points, Jimmy Butler added 27 with 11 rebounds, and the Bulls (18-9) ended the visiting Raptors’ six-game winning streak. Kyle Lowry topped East-best To- Cincinnati Bengals’ Domata Peko celebrates with fans after beating Denver Broncos 37-28 in their NFL game on Monday. (UPI) By Adam Kurkjian Boston Herald (TNS) W Chicago Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic (left) in action with Toronto Raptors forward James Johnson during the second half of their NBA game in Chicago on Monday night. (USA TODAY Sports) ronto (22-7) with 18 of his game-high 34 points in the final frame. Atlanta Hawks 105, Dallas Mavericks 102: Germany’s Dennis Schroder poured in a career-high 22 points to lead a balanced attack, and the Hawks (20-7) held off the Mavericks after building a 24-point cushion for their 13th victory in the last 14 games. Monta Ellis netted 18 points and German juggernaut Dirk Nowitzki added 16 for Dallas (20-9) which fell short despite a 39-23 fourth quarter. Utah Jazz 97, Memphis Grizzlies 91: Alec Burks scored 13 of his 23 points in the final quarter, Gordon Hayward added 21, and the visiting Jazz (9-20) sent the suddenly-slumping Grizzlies to a season-high third straight setback. Mike Conley had 28 points, Spaniard Marc Gasol added 24 with 12 rebounds for the Grizzlies (21-7), playing again without their top rebounder Zach Randolph (sore right knee) and defensive ace Tony Allen (scratched right eye). San Antonio Spurs 125, LA Clippers 118: Frenchman Tony Parker returned from a five-game absence due to a left hamstring strain with 26 points, Tim Duncan added 21 with 12 rebounds, and the Spurs (18-11) shot a sizzling 64 per cent to snap a four-game slide after holding off the visiting Clippers. Chris Paul tossed in 25 points while Blake Griffin added 22 for the Clippers (19-9), who stormed from 17 down to knot the game at 102 apiece but faded down the stretch. Golden State Warriors 128, Sacramento Kings 108: Klay Thompson fired in 25 points, Stephen Curry added 12 with 11 assists, and the league-best Warriors (23-3) coasted past the visiting Kings. Golden State got back starting forward David Lee, who had six points and seven rebounds, in his first action since suffering a left hamstring strain on November 6. DeMarcus Cousins tallied 22 points for Sacramento (12-16), losers in 11 of its last 14 games. Charlotte Hornets 110, Denver Nuggets 82: Al Jefferson scored 22 points, Kemba Walker added 18 with nine assists, and the Hornets (9-19) rolled the visiting Nuggets (12-16) for their season-high third straight victory. ith the Denver Broncos’ 37-28 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night, the Patriots officially clinched home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs, enjoying a bye for a record-setting fifth consecutive season. With a 12-3 record, the Patriots hold a one-game lead on the 11-4 Broncos. Even if the Patriots lose to the Bills on Sunday and the Broncos win their finale against Oakland, the Patriots will earn the No. 1 seed by virtue of their win against Denver on Nov 2. The Patriots’ next game will be either January 10 or 11 at Gillette Stadium. They will play the lowest seed remaining after the two AFC wild card games. Of course, owning the top seed doesn’t guarantee anything. Over the last 10 years, a team that goes into the playoffs with the No. 1 spot makes the Super Bowl only 45 percent of the time. Forty percent of the time, the top seed is bounced in the divisional round. Only two teams -- 2010 Saints and 2014 Seahawks -with home-field advantage during the playoffs went on to win the Lombardi Trophy. In both instances, the Super Bowl loser was the No. 1 seed coming out of its respective conference. In the AFC alone, five of the last nine teams with guaranteed home-field advantage throughout were eliminated in the divisional round. The Patriots have earned the distinction three times over that span and lost twice in the Super Bowl and were defeated in the divisional round by the Jets in the 2010 season. In other words, while it’s all well and good to play at home in the postseason, it essentially guarantees nothing once kickoff rolls around. Pats running back Brandon Bolden brushed off the idea that having a bye week makes a difference. “There’s advantage of kind of getting fresh legs, getting your wind under you,” he said when asked if being the top seed matters. “Guys who are a little banged up get a chance to rest and stuff, but other than that, no.” Coach Bill Belichick said, “Our approach is going to continue to be prepare and try to improve our level of performance all the way across the board: coaching, playing, running game, passing game, kicking game, everything. Just keep trying to work to get better. I think we’ll need to play our best football, it will need to be ahead of us. That’s what we’ll try to prepare to do; to play well and continue to work on things that we need to work on so we can play better.” There is no rhyme or reason to the theory that teams playing well down the stretch go on to win the Super Bowl. Of the last 10 NFL champs, none were unbeaten over their last five regular-season games. Three Super Bowl winners finished 4-1, while the rest went either 2-3 or 3-2. The 2011 Giants famously went 3-5 over their final eight regularseason games only to catch fire in the playoffs and beat the Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI, 21-17. NHL Panthers down Penguins in shootout in front of season-high crowd By Harvey Fialkov Sun Sentinel (TNS) A lthough the mumps-ridden Penguins were down to 10 forwards at one point, when a team has superstars Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby on the ice, they’re never out of a game. The Panthers feel the same way about goaltender Roberto Luongo. Although the Panthers blew a two-goal lead in the final five minutes of regulation, Luongo blanked all seven Penguins in the shootout, including Malkin and Crosby. Panthers teenage center Aleksander Barkov tallied the only goal necessary to earn a thrilling 4-3 victory over the Eastern Conference leaders Monday in front of a season-high 15,447 at the BB&T Center. Panthers forward Sean Bergenheim’s crushing hit on rookie pest Bobby Farnham led to the tying goal at the tail end of the second period. He then set up two goals by Jimmy Hayes early in the third to give the Panthers a seemingly secure 3-1 lead. However, the potent Penguins tied it with two goals within 1:42 of each other. First, Nick Spaling deflected a long shot by Derrick Pouliot at 15:08. Then Malkin took over and drove the net for a couple of whacks before scoring his 16th goal to make it 3-3 with 3:10 left in regulation. After a wide-open scoreless overtime that had the mostly partisan Penguins crowd gasping, Luongo and Marc-Andre Fleury took over in a mano y mano display of goaltending. The Panthers are now 5-4 in shootouts, with three wins in the last six days that took a record 20 rounds, six and seven respectively. “They’re two of the best players in the league but at that point I just want to make a save,” said Luongo, who had 31 saves. “I’m not going through progressions of what I think they can do or what their moves are. I want to make sure I don’t make the first move.” He made a sensational glove save on Chris Kunitz in Round 4 to save the extra point. “We like the way we’re playing as a team,” Luongo added. “We’re finding ways to win against good teams. We’re in the hunt, which is exciting this time of year.” The Panthers needed just two days to avenge Saturday’s chippy 3-1 loss to Pittsburgh and are 6-2-2 in their last 10 games. They’re just two points out of the final wild-card berth as most Panthers will happily head home for the fourday holiday break. The Penguins had 10 starters out with injuries or mumps -- including two more sent back to Pittsburgh on Monday to be tested for the fastspreading disease. Penguins coach Mike John- ston started eight players who started in the AHL this season. Bergenheim’s hit seemed to fire the Panthers up after a lethargic start in the first period. Just 34 seconds later, defenseman Simon Despres was whistled for slashing and three seconds after the power play expired, center Dave Bolland found Jussi Jokinen in the slot for a one-timer to tie it with 37 seconds left to forge a 1-1 tie after two. Jokinen, who spent the last year and a half notching points on the Penguins’ power play, scored his fourth goal. Just 22 seconds after the opening faceoff of the third, Bergenheim fed Hayes for a snap shot that trickled through Fleury’s pads. Then at 4:57, Bergenheim’s shot bounced to Hayes, who poked it in for his first multiple-goal game of his career. “Whenever you get scratched you want to bounce back with a solid game,” said Hayes, who has nine goals but was scratched Saturday. “We proved we can beat good teams when we play a simple north-south game.” The shorthanded Penguins seemed inspired out of the gate and checked the Panthers all over the ice until right wing Patric Hornqvist deflected a long shot past Luongo at 4:39 of the first. “I think this team has proven that they can compete with just about anyone,’’ Panthers coach Gerard Gallant said. “But they deserve this break.” Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Blake Comeau (left) checks Florida Panthers centre Jonathan Huberdeau during their NHL game in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Monday. (USA TODAY Sports) Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 9 SPORT SAILING Major League Baseball roundup Qatar Optimist Cup to kick off on December 27 Qatar is one of four countries to field sailors in both the boys and girls categories By Sports Reporter Doha S ailors from eleven countries will be vying for honours at the Qatar Optimist Cup 2014 which will kick off on December 27 at Katara Cultural Village. The six-day event, which ends on January 2, will see 32 sailors competing in 12 races. The first day has been reserved for practice. The event is open for competitors born in or after 1999 and is organised by Qatar Sailing and Rowing Federation (QSRF) in co-operation with Doha Sailing Club. Besides hosts Qatar, sailors from Algeria, Belgium, Bulgaria, China, Denmark, Germany, India, Netherlands, Switzerland and Turkey will be seen in action at the championship. Qatar is one of the four countries which will field sailors in both the boys and girls categories. Turkey, India and Netherlands will have one girl competitor each in the event. QSRF executive director Fahad alJaber said all the arrangements have been complete for the hosting of the championship. “Three races will be held per day, depending on the weather conditions. The first day is reserved for practice and the opening ceremony will be held in the evening. One day is reserve for team.” Al-Jaber informed that one day has been set aside as a spare day, while the final three races will be held on January 2, followed by the closing ceremony. “Most of the sailors will be reaching Doha by Wednesday,” added Jaber. Meanwhile, Rashid al-Suwaidi, manager of the Qatar team, informed that the hosts will field 13 sailors at the event. “The Qatar team has been training for the last two weeks for the event in a close camp,” said al-Suwaidi. “Most of the sailors, part of the Qatar Open Sailing Cup, took part in the Asian Games in Incheon South Korea. We have high hopes and the preparations have been on the right track,” added the team official. The Qatari squad includes Khairadin Bu Shama, Zeyad al-Awalma, Yasin Benzarti, Ali al-Sharshani, Abdullah al-Sharshani, Moshin al-Sharshani, Mohammad al-Sharshani, Ali al-Marhoun, Rashid al- Awalma, Abdulrahman al-Nasr, Ghanim al-Sulaiti and Rashid Talfat. The Qatar event will be an ideal event for sailors from the host country ahead of next month GCC championship which takes place in Oman, said al-Suwaidi. “The Doha championship will serve as a good preparation for our sailors for the GCC championship. It will also help them to make the necessary improvements and gain valuable international experience competing against sailors from different countries.” Meanwhile, the Organising Committee, chaired by QSRF president Khalifa al-Suwaidi, have been holding coordination meeting with different committees to discuss organisational issues and to form working committees for hosting the championship. QSRF executive director Fahad al-Jaber; (below) Rashid al-Suwaidi, manager of the Qatar team. Phil Hughes (right) with Twins GM Terry Ryan. (MCT) T he Minnesota Twins agreed to terms with starting right-handed pitcher Phil Hughes on a new five-year contract extension Monday. Hughes, who originally signed a three-year contract last winter which would have paid him $8 million in both 2015 and 2016, will now earn $9.2 million in 2015, $9.2 million in 2016, $13.2 million in 2017, $13.2 million in 2018 and $13.2 million in 2019 in the restructured deal. Hughes, 28, had a 16-10 record and 3.52 ERA over 209 2/3 innings with 16 walks and 186 strikeouts in 32 starts in his first season in Minnesota last season. He set a major league record for highest strikeout-to-walk ratio at 11.63. He fell one out short in his final start to earn a $500,000 incentive bonus that he would have reached for pitching 210 innings. The Twins offered to let Hughes pitch in relief during the season’s final weekend to earn the bonus, but he turned down the offer. Hughes’ first seven seasons in the majors were with the New York Yankees. He has a career record of 72-60 and 4.32 ERA over 990 1/3 innings with 261 walks, 842 strikeouts and three complete games in 214 games (164 starts). T he Pittsburgh Pirates won the rights to negotiate with South Korean shortstop Jung-Ho Kang with the high bid of about $5 million. The bid was accepted by the Nexen Heroes, Kang’s Korean Baseball Organization Club. Pursuant to the United States-Korean Player Contract Agreement, the Pirates have 30 days to sign the 27-year-old Kang to a contract. The Yonhap News Agency reported that the winning bid was $5,002,015. Kang hit .354 with 39 homers last season for the Nexen Heroes while being named the MVP of the Korean Baseball Organization. T he San Diego Padres reportedly are set to sign right-handed pitcher Josh Johnson to a one-year contract that could be worth $7.25 million. Johnson, 31 next month, will receive a $1 million base salary and could earn $6.25 million based on the number of starts he makes, Yahoo Sports reported. Johnson missed the 2014 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in April—the second such surgery of his career. After spending his first eight seasons with the Florida/Miami Marlins, Johnson was 2-8 with a 6.20 ERA in 16 starts with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2013. Josh Johnson. (MCT) Gharafa beat Rayyan in a Qatar Basketball League thriller; Sadd win against Arabi Samuel Monroe Jr of Al Gharafa (centre) prepares to score past Al Rayyan’s Nana Harding Ngueyep (right) during the Qatar Basketball League match at Al Gharafa Sports Club. Monroe Jr scored match-high 26 points in Gharafa’s narrow 75-74 win. PICTURES: Jayaram Al Sadd’s Rashad Woods (foreground) in action against Al Arabi during the Qatar Basketball League game yesterday. Rashad scored 39 points in Sadd’s 87-73 win. 10 Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 POSTER Sergio GARCIA SPANISH GOLFER | DEFENDING QATAR MASTERS CHAMPION | YET TO WIN A MAJOR Gulf Times Wednesday, December 24, 2014 11 SPORT QATAR STARS LEAGUE Laudrup best coach, Sadd’s al-Haydoos MVP for December Lekhwiya Coach Michael Laudrup was awarded the best coach in QSL for December for having achieved four wins and one draw to gain 13 points out of the 15 available By Sports Reporter Doha L ekhwiya Danish Head Coach Michael Laudrup was awarded the best coach in Qatar Stars League for December 2014 for his team’s performance during the recent five games played during this month, as he achieved 4 victories and one draw to gain 13 points out of 15. QSL Competition & Development Department granted him this award based on Prozon statistics which monitors everything related to the team individuals and collective performance. The statistics indicated that the team had a high ball possession of 632 during the five games, the highest of which was against Al Shahania with total of 741 passes, to exceed the aim set by QSLM which is 500 passes. Also the team had an average of 502 passes per game during December, out of which 431 passes to the front of the field with average of 219 passes. While the total number of successful one touch passes reached 111 which reflects the direct approach of the team that is an indicator to the team’s offensive ability with hightempo from one touch. The team also showed high ability of penetrating the opponents’ areas with an average of 58 times per game, out of which an average of 32 times to penetrate the goal area per match, which is equal to highest criteria required by QSL. The highest number was achieved during their match against Al Khor as they won 4-2with the highest shooting number of 14 shots towards the goal. More statistics assures the offensive way of playing with the use of through passes because the team owns distinguished players on the wings such as Ismail Ali and Vladimir Weis, Hence the team head coach asks the team to focus on through passes as an offensive option as well as the penetration from the depth of the opponents’ defense by player Sebastian Sorya. The average number of through passes was 10 per match, with more than half from the right wing by player Ismail Ali with an average of 6.2 while the average of left wing was 3.8 by player Vladimir Weis. Noting that the highest number of through passes was against Al Khor and reached 15 times. For the sake of completion of Lekhwiya team’s excellence during their recent five games during December 2014, we would like to point out that the team scored 16 goals and conceived 6. The team players created 16 goal-scoring opportunities per match, not to forget that the physical fitness level of performance was high with an average of 110555 metres of the total distances covered by the whole team. President of Qatar Stars League Management meets with the head coaches of the teams participating in AFC Champions League 2015 HE Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed al-Thani, President of Qatar stars League Management (right) with El Jaish Head Coach Abdel Kader al-Megheseib during the meeting. HE Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed al-Thani, President of Qatar stars League Management, met with the three head coaches of the teams participating in AFC Champions League; Lekhwiya, Al Sadd and El Jaish, wishing them all the luck in their matches with good performance to honour the Qatari football. His Excellency granted the three of them Qatar National Team jersey for representing Qatar in AFC Champions League. QSL Competitions & Football Development Department convened a meeting with the three head coaches to discuss the 2015 match calendar and the facilities QSL going to provide for Lekhwiya, Al Sadd and El Jaish during their participation in AFC Champions League. Ahmed al-Harami – CEO of QSL Competitions & Football Development Department – attended the meeting, along with Lekhwiya Danish Head Coach Michael Laudrop, Al Sadd Moroccan Head Coach Hussain Amouta and El Jaish Head Coach Abdel Kader al-Megheseib. It is worth mentioning that this meeting was convened after meeting with the national teams’ technical staffs. On the other hand, next Tuesday a meeting to be held between the Sports Directors of these three teams, QSLM and QFA for the co-ordination regarding QSL, Qatargas League and Youth League schedules. Qatar Stars League announces six new Football Rewards partners, amazing discounts on offer Lekhwiya Danish Head Coach Michael Laudrup was awarded the best coach in Qatar Stars League for December 2014. (Below) Al Sadd star Al-Haydoos is the most valuable player for the same month. AL SADD STAR AL-HAYDOOS IS THE MOST VALUABLE PLAYER FOR DECEMBER 2014 QSL Competition & Football Development Department awarded Al Sadd striker Hassan al-Haydoos the most valuable player for December 2014 in view of the statistics introduced by Prozon Company during the recent five games, during which the team gained 11 points out of 15with performance grades reached 92.2. Al-Haydoos did well with his team who achieved 3 wins and one draw and one defeat during December. The player continued his excellence, which was also demonstrated with Qatar National Team during the Gulf Cup as Al Annabi gained its title. Al-Haydoos introduced himself as one of the key playmakers with Al Sadd according to the technical and tactical and physical indicators submitted by Prozon Company. His ball possession reached 54 passes, with 36 passes per match, among which were 30 correct passes and he received the same number of passes. The average touches per game were 3 and he dispossessed the ball from the opponent 4 times per game. It is clear the major role of al-Haydoos within the head coach Hussain Amouta team formation as he is a key player whether in offense or defense with four fouls committed against him and seven tackles to dispossess the ball from him. The rest of Prozon statistics support the importance of this player especially in his offensive role as he scored three goals, with three goal assists during De- cember. He entered the opponents’ areas, in particular the final third of the pitch, four times per match. He imposes huge risk on the opponents’ defense with entering their goal areas five times in addition to the large number of through passes from the left and right wings as well as the goal shooting tries. Regarding the physical fitness level, Hassan al-Haydoos demonstrated a very good level of physical fitness performance, which helped him achieve all the technical elements set by Prozon, while he exceeded the QSL criteria and the international criteria. The number of sprints he made during the five matches was 468 with an average of 1550 metres. The average number of sprints per match reached 67 while the recovery rest time was 29.8 seconds. These are high ratios which reveal to us what this player is capable of during the game with high speed, noting that the distance covered by al-Haydoos was 2000 metres per match, among which was 1081.6 metres with high velocity. GCC BEACH VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP Qatar Stars League is delighted to announce six new Football Rewards partners – Supplement House, a leading sports-supplement brand; The Veterinary Surgery, the oldest animal hospital in Doha; Galaxy Sport, a multi-brand sportswear concept; Reebok, an international sportswear brand; Titanium Protection Films, an automotive window films business and RAW Middle East, Qatar’s first premium cold pressed juices and nutritional detox cleanses, providing healthy solutions. The six partners will be offering Football Rewards’ members amazing discounts. Supplement House For all Tiers: 20% discount on all items in store The Veterinary Surgery For Standard and Bronze Tiers: 5% discount on food and 10% discount on services For Silver and Gold Tiers: 10% discount on food and 20% discount on services Galaxy Sport For all Tiers: 15% discount on new collection. Discounted items are not included Reebok For all Tiers: 15% discount on new collection. Discounted items are not included Titanium Protection Films For Standard Tier: 10% discount on clear shield (vehicle paint protection film), 10% discount on all type of window films, 20% discount on Titanium Auto Services (30 detailing services) For Bronze Tier: 10% discount on clear shield (vehicle paint protection film), 15% discount on all type of window films, 20% discount on Titanium Auto Services (30 detailing services) For Silver Tier: 15% discount on clear shield (vehicle paint protection film), 20% discount on all type of window films, 25% discount on Titanium Auto Services (30 detailing services) For Gold Tier: 20% discount on clear shield (vehicle paint protection film), 25% discount on all type of window films, 30% discount on Titanium Auto Services (30 detailing services) RAW Middle East For all Tiers: 15% discount in all products and plans offered Members will need to show their Football Rewards membership card and their valid Qatar ID at the outlets. New members can click here to register and choose to receive their membership card instantly via e-mail or collect a plastic card from QSL offices. Qatar Mega Marathon launched Qatar face Saudi Arabia in championship opener By Sports Reporter Doha Q atar A comprised of Mahmoud Issa and Jefferson Pereira will meet Saudi Arabia A in Group A match of the 16th GCC Beach Volleyball Championship today at Qatar Beach Volleyball Academy (QBVA) courts at Al Gharafa stadium. The draw of the championship was held yesterday. In the other matches on the opening day Oman A will take on Qatar D, while Bahrain A will take on Kuwait in a Group B match. The semi-finals and final will be played on Saturday. Qatari B comprised of Tiago Santos and Jefferson Pereira defeated Oman A 2-0 (21-15, 216) to win the last edition of the championship held in Salalah, Muscat, in August 2013. Qatar A won the third place after beating Oman B 2-0 (21-15 21-16). Injured Santos is not part of any Qatar team this year. QATAR TEAMS A: Mahmoud Issa and Jefferson Pereira B: Tamer Abdelrasoul and Abdelaziz Khallouf D: Sherif Younouss and Ahmed Tijan Schedule TODAY: 3:00pm: Qatar D vs Bahrain B, Kuwait vs Oman B 3:40pm: Qatar A vs Saudi Arabia A, Qatar B vs Saudi Arabia B 4:20pm: Oman A vs Qatar D, Bahrain A vs Kuwait 5:00pm: Saudi Arabia A vs Bahrain B, Saudi Arabia B vs Oman B 5:40pm: Qatar A vs Oman A, Qatar B vs Bahrain A TOMORROW: 3:00pm: Saudi Arabia A vs Qatar D, Saudi Arabia B vs Kuwait 3:40pm: Oman A vs Saudi Arabia A, Bahrain A vs Saudi Arabia B 4:20pm: Qatar A vs Bahrain B, Qatar B vs Oman B 5:00pm: Bahrain B vs Oman A, Oman B vs Bahrain A 5:40pm: Qatar D vs Qatar A, Qatar B vs Kuwait SATURDAY Semi-finals and Final Jassim al-Rumaihi, Secretary General, Al Sadd, and chairman of the Organizing Committee of Qatar Mega Marathon, at yesterday’s press conference announcing the launch of the global race. The marathon, which will be run on February 6 next year to coincide with the National Sport Day celebrations, aims to become the largest marathon in the world in terms of participation and make it to the Guinness Book of World Records. Also present at the press conference were Fahad al-Kuwari, member of the Board of Directors of Al Sadd Club, Rashid al-Ansari of Qatar Athletics Federation, and Pravin Patel, adjudicator from Guinness Book of World Records. PICTURE: Anas al-Samaraee Wednesday, December 24, 2014 SPORT GULF TIMES SPOTLIGHT Ryder Cup star Justin Rose to play in 18th Commercial Bank Qatar Masters Rose joins Stenson and Garcia, as three of world’s top six commit to European Tour spectacular at Doha Golf Club By Sports Reporter Doha W orld No 6 Justin Rose will compete in the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters for the second time in three years as the 2013 US Open Champion joins Ryder Cup teammates Henrik Stenson and defending champion Sergio Garcia in an increasingly strong line-up in Doha. Rose, 34, recently finished third in The Race to Dubai – behind Rory McIlroy and Stenson, currently World No. 1 and 2 respectively – after a strong finish to the season, having already won his seventh European Tour title at the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open in July. In November, Rose finished fourth at the BMW Masters in Shanghai and two weeks later was runner-up at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai for the second time in three years. The Englishman – who will be making his sixth appearance in Doha – is now determined to continue that form into the 18th Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, which will be held at Doha Golf Club from January 21-24. “I finished the season playing really well and I want to build on that in Doha. I enjoyed myself at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters a couple of years ago and I’m looking forward to returning. I felt increasingly comfortable on the course and want to really have another go at it this time,” said Rose, who tied for 16th on his last visit when he memorably met Wayne Rooney on a tee-box as Manchester United stars watched the action. “It looks like it’s already shaping up into a strong field. I know Sergio played well last year to win and he played great when I last competed in 2013, so he will be a favourite. Henrik beat us all in Dubai, so he’ll be another strong contender, especially as I know he plays in Doha every year. It’ll be tough, but I’m confident I’ll be in with a shout this time.” Rose and Stenson proved an unstoppable pairing in September’s Ryder Cup, as the duo won all three of their matches against the USA to help Eu- rope retain the trophy. Their three wins included a Ryder Cup record of 12 birdies in 16 holes to beat Matt Kuchar and Bubba Watson 3&2 in the fourballs. Rose said: “Henrik and I had an incredible time at The Ryder Cup. It’s always an amazing event, but it was a real privilege to team up with Henrik and play so well. We really fed off each other. I much prefer playing with him than against him, but I’m looking forward to meeting up with him and Sergio and other guys from the team in Doha.” Rose has also continued to shine in the USA and won his sixth PGA Tour title in June to continue his run of lifting at least trophy on the Tour each season from 2010. Hassan al-Nuaimi, President of the Qatar Golf Association, said the addition of Rose to a field that already featured Stenson and Garcia, currently World No 5, boded well for an all-star field in January. “Justin Rose is a true Ryder Cup hero and we welcome him back to the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters after his brilliant display for Europe, just like when he competed here two years ago. We were also delighted to see him win the US Open last year just a few months after he competed here in Doha,” al-Nuaimi said. “Justin is one of the true gentlemen in golf and always popular wherever he goes. He has spent most of the past three years in the top 10 and much of that in the top five, so we’re proud to welcome one of golf’s great players to a star-studded line-up.” Abdullah Saleh al-Raisi, CEO of Commercial Bank, which is title sponsoring the event for the 10th straight year, added: “Commercial Bank is proud to work with the Qatar Golf Association each year to attract a strong line-up of players for the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters. “With Justin Rose joining Henrik Stenson and Sergio Garcia, I strongly believe we’re on track for one of the tournament’s best-ever fields. All of these players are hugely popular when they compete in Doha and we’re delighted to continually deliver one of the strongest line-ups on The European Tour.” Commercial Bank is marking its 10th Justin Rose on the 10th hole during the 2013 edition of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters. year as title sponsor of the event, during which time champions have included Garcia, Stenson (2006), fellow Ryder Cup representatives Thomas Bjørn, Paul Lawrie and Robert Karlsson, former World No 1 Adam Scott and two-time US Open Champion Retief Goosen. Many of the world’s top golfers compete each year at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, which has been held at Doha Golf Club since its inauguration in 1998. The club’s desert-type Championship Course is one of the longest par 72 courses on The European Tour. Commercial Bank Qatar Masters tickets are available to purchase now at Virgin Megastores (in stores in Doha and online), Doha Golf Club, and the Doha Rugby F C. Each ticket purchased entitles the holder to one free return drive to the event at Doha Golf Club by event partner UBER. Commercial Bank Qatar Masters tickets for adults are priced as follows: Wednesday 21 January – QAR 150 Thursday 22 January – QAR 150 Friday 23 January – QAR 250 (includes evening entertainment – UB40 featuring Ali Campbell, Astro and Mickey) Saturday 24 January – QAR 200 Season Pass – QAR 450 (includes event entry on all four days and evening entertainment) Entry is free for children under 14 years of age. For those looking for an extra-special experience, hospitality packages are available through the official website, qatarmasters.com. BOTTOMLINE Goodwood Racecourse announces biggest sponsorship in British racing with Qatar By Our Correspondent London G oodwood Racecourse is delighted to announce a new 10-year partnership with Qatar, which is the single biggest sponsorship deal ever done for the benefit of British racing. Commencing in 2015, this makes the Qatar Goodwood Festival one of the most significant and valuable meetings in the world. The partnership results in over £2 million being invested into prize money for eight key races during the Qatar Goodwood Festival 2015 as well as a commitment to increase this year-onyear. Total prize money on offer for the week now totals £4.5 million, with Qatar once again demonstrating their passion and support for British racing. The Group 1 Qatar Sussex Stakes, scheduled for Wednesday, 29th July, has a total prize fund of £1 million cementing its position as one of the most valuable mile races in the world. The Group 1 Qatar Nassau Stakes, the feature race on the Saturday of the Qatar Goodwood Festival is now worth £600,000, making it the most significant mid-summer race for fillies. Each Group 2 feature race, The Qatar Lennox Stakes (Tuesday), The Qatar Goodwood Cup (Thursday) and The Qatar King George Stakes (Friday) are now worth £300,000, recognising their recent records for attracting some of the best horses at their respective distances. In addition, Qatar has President of Qatar Equestrian Federation, Hamad bin Abdulrahman al-Attiyah (right) with Lord March, owner of Goodwood during the signing ceremony. guaranteed that if any current Group 2 race achieves Group 1 status, the prize money will rise to at least £500,000. Other races to benefit from increased prize money are the two Group 2 races for two-year-olds, The Qatar Vintage Stakes and The Qatar Richmond Stakes, each of which will run for £200,000, supporting their status as the proving grounds for future champions. The Qatar Stewards’ Cup is the headline handicap of the week with prize money now totalling £250,000 and, as part of this uplift, the consolation race rises to £75,000. This is a perfect example of how strongly Goodwood and Qatar feel about supporting racing at all levels. The inaugural Qatar Goodwood Festival will take place from Tuesday, 28th July to Saturday, 1st August 2015. There will two races at the Qatar Goodwood Festival for Arabian horses, with one being the first leg of the Arabian Triple Crown. The second leg will take place on Arc day in France and the final one at Doha in Qatar. Lord March, Owner of Goodwood, said: “I am delighted that Qatar have decided to play a significant part in Goodwood’s position as one of the finest racing experiences in the world. Goodwood has, for more than 200 years, been about the best racing in the most English of settings, accessible to everyone. Our partnership with Qatar will make an enormous contribution to horseracing in the UK. Hamad bin Abdulrahman al-Attiyah, President of the Qatar Equestrian Federation, said: “Thanks to the wise guidance of His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, Qatar supports sport all over the world. “Goodwood is already one of the most iconic sporting festivals of the British summer season and we are delighted to be the title sponsor over the five days. The sponsorship demonstrates Qatar’s further commitment to British racing and, with such huge prize-money on offer, we hope it will help to attract international runners from all over the world as well as continuing to see the best in Britain, France and Ireland. “We look forward to working with Lord March and the team at Goodwood and taking the racing festival to a world class racing platform.” Adam Waterworth, Managing Director of Goodwood Racecourse, added: “I think Arabian Racing will be a great addition. There is a bit of a history of Arabian horses racing at Goodwood and for us this is another part of what the Qatar Goodwood Festival will become. We hope to build other equestrian disciplines and sports around the week.” WHAT THEY SAID Sheikh Fahad bin Abdullah al-Tha- RACE VALUE COMPARISON 2014/2015 RACE TITLE The Qatar Lennox Stakes, Group 2, 7f The Qatar Vintage Stakes, Group 2,7f The Qatar Sussex Stakes, Group 1, 1m The Qatar Richmond Stakes, Group 2, 6f The Qatar Goodwood Cup, Group 2, 2m The Qatar King George Stakes, Group 2, 5f The Qatar Nassau Stakes, Group 1, 1m2f The Qatar Stewards’ Cup (Handicap), 6f ni, Director of QIPCO Holding: “It has been a privilege for QIPCO to be associated with the last four runnings of the Sussex Stakes with winners of the calibre of Frankel, twice, Toronado and Kingman. “Our support of British Champions Series is about promoting the best of British Flat racing. The investment Qatar is making to Goodwood is a boost for the sport and with that in mind, QIPCO is very happy that Qatar’s partnership with Goodwood and support for British racing will include sponsorship of the Sussex Stakes. With three of the top races from the Goodwood Festival remaining part of the QIPCO British Champions Series we continue to benefit from an association with the fixture.” Chris McFadden, Chairman of British Champions Series Limited, commented: “This new and significant investment in the Sussex Stakes is an extremely positive development for the British Champions Series. One of the 2014 VALUE £150,000 £80,000 £300,000 £80,000 £120,000 £100,000 £200,000 £100,000 2015 VALUE £300,000 £200,000 £1,000,000 £200,000 £300,000 £300,000 £600,000 £250,000 reasons the Series was created was to increase the value of British Horseracing’s major races. Since the Series was launched in 2011, Newmarket, Epsom, Ascot, Newbury and now Goodwood have entered into long-term commercial deals that enable the racecourses to build prize money and maintain Britain’s important reputation as home of the best racing in the world. We congratulate Qatar and Goodwood on this landmark sponsorship.” Frankie Dettori: “I have always found Goodwood one of the most exciting courses to ride at and for me it makes it even more special that Qatar will be sponsors of the Goodwood Festival. The hospitality and racing at Goodwood is world class and this should be the icing on the cake.” John Gosden: “Both a timely and magnificent sponsorship arrangement for Goodwood which puts their Festival meeting on a true international standing.”
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