SPORT | Page 1
IQ posts QR6.3bn
net profit in 2014
Qatar
Total
Open
has six
appeal
INDEX
QATAR
10 – 12, 32, 33
REGION
ARAB WORLD
13
14, 15
INTERNATIONAL 16 – 29
30, 31
COMMENT
BUSINESS
1 – 6, 10 – 16
CLASSIFIED
7–9
SPORTS
1 – 12
Jordan’s King Abdullah yesterday
vowed a “relentless” war against
Islamic State on their own territory
in response to a video published
by the hardline group showing
a captured Jordanian air force
pilot being burned alive in a cage.
Jordan hanged two Iraqi militants,
one a woman, yesterday and vowed
to intensify military action against
Islamic State. Page 15
SRI LANKA | Politics
Sirisena urges
reconciliation
Sri Lanka’s main challenge
is reconciliation between
communities divided by the
country’s 26-year civil war,
President Maithripala Sirisena said
yesterday. It was Sirisena’s first
address as president at Sri Lanka’s
Independence Day celebrations.
Page 29
ASIA | Crash
25 die as plane
careens into river
A TransAsia Airways plane with
58 passengers and crew on board
careered into a river shortly after
taking off from a downtown Taipei
airport yesterday, killing 25 people
and leaving several others missing.
Page 19
Barca stars feature in new Qatar
Airways TV commercial
By Joe Koraith
Doha
B
arcelona stars Neymar and Gerard Pique are confident Qatar will
prove “great hosts” of the 2022
FIFA World Cup.
“It is a great pleasure for me to be here.
Qatar is always looking to develop sport.
So it will be a great pleasure to participate in the World Cup as part of the Brazilian team,” said Neymar, who was in
Doha yesterday for the launch of the new
Qatar Airways television commercial, in
which he and other Barca stars have been
featured.
Barcelona defender Pique added: “I
have only good words about Qatar. They
have recently successfully hosted the
handball world championship. I see that
they have all the resources, stadiums
and the will to do it. The most important thing is that the focus remains on
the player. To make them comfortable
to make it a successful event and I have
no doubt that Qatar will go all out to do
that.”
Starring Barcelona stars Lionel Messi,
Neymar, Pique, Andres Iniesta and Luis
Suarez, the new Qatar Airways commercial has the players visiting a number of
destinations within the airline’s extensive network, including Maldives, Dallas, Paris and Seoul. The spot which will
be aired in English, Arabic and Catalan
takes a humorous look at players participating in different activities at each
destination.
The launch was done in the presence
of Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar
al-Baker and Barcelona vice president
for economic and strategic affairs Javier
Haus along with Neymar and Pique.
“We are pleased to launch our new
campaign, featuring some of FCB stars
and football greats. We hope that our
passengers and football fans around the
world enjoy this heart-felt journey as the
players travel to a few of Qatar Airways’
destinations,” said al-Baker.
“The ad is a showcase of our partnership. This 60-second clip will run for
18 months in honour of the 18-month
partnership so far between Qatar Airways and Barcelona. Qatar Airways and
FC Barcelona share common goals. Barcelona is more than a club and we too are
more than an airline,” he added.
Barcelona were scheduled to play a
friendly match in Doha which got cancelled, and Faus explained the reason for
the cancellation.
“We will come to Qatar to play a
friendly. We will fulfil it before 2016. This
is the only free week that the players had
during this busy season. At the end of
the day we have to understand that this
sport is about the players. We were asked
strongly by the team and the coach to let
them rest this week,” said Faus.
“And that’s the only reason the friendly was cancelled. I want to express my
thanks to Qatar Airways for understanding our situation,” said Faus yesterday.
Faus also insisted that the Catalan
football giants had “zero problems” with
Qatar Airways and that the team wanted
to retain the sponsorship deal for “many,
many more years”.
The five-year, estimated 165mn euro
deal is set to expire in 2016. But Faus said
that he expected it to be extended.
Qatar Airways CEO Akbar al-Baker with Barcelona stars Neymar, Gerard Pique and
Barcelona FC Vice President Javier Haus posing in front of a still from the new TV
Commercial at a press conference in Doha yesterday.
Qatar’s level of foreign reserves ‘comfortable’
By Pratap John
Chief Business Reporter
Q
atar’s import cover stood at
8.1 months in December, well
above the IMF-recommended
level, a new report has shown.
The International Monetary Fund
(IMF) has recommended three months
import cover for Qatar for pegged exchange rates, according to QNB.
This denotes comfortable international reserves for Qatar, although
these have “fallen slightly” in December compared to the previous month.
Qatar’s international reserves stood
at $43.2bn in December, 2014 compared with $46.5bn in November, QNB
said in its monthly monitor.
More broadly, Qatar’s international
reserves have been “steadily rising”
over the years on large current account
surpluses.
Going forward, QNB expects international reserves to rise further on continued current account surpluses.
The report showed that Qatari oil
prices continued to decline on weaker
global demand although production
rose in December.
The stagnant eurozone economy, the
recession in Japan and the slowdown
in emerging markets, especially China,
are contributing to the weakness in hydrocarbon demand and a supply glut,
which is putting downward pressure on
oil prices.
Qatar’s crude oil production rose in
December 2014 and redevelopment
plans should stabilise output further.
“Qatar Petroleum (QP) is implementing a redevelopment programme
to steady production at its oil fields.
This heavy investment in existing oilfields should limit further declines in
oil production,” QNB said.
According to QNB, Qatar’s foreign
merchandise trade balance registered a
surplus of QR22.7bn in December compared with QR33.9bn in December.
This, it said was mainly a result of
lower international crude oil prices,
which reduced total exports by 21.7%.
At the same time, imports rose
strongly (18.3% year-on-year) reflect-
ing the growing population and large
investment spending.
Total exports in December stood at
QR33.8bn and imports at QR11.1bn.
Japan was the top export destination
in December, accounting for 25.6% of
Qatar’s exports, followed by South Korea (20.3%) and India (12.9%).
The US was the largest exporter to
Qatar in December (11.3%), followed by
China (10.7%) and Germany (7.5%).
The report highlighted the large influx of expatriates into the country
in view of the large ramp up in major
project infrastructure spending that
are part of Qatar’s long term development plans.
“In turn, this larger population is
feeding into higher economic growth
by boosting aggregate demand and
investment in housing and services,”
QNB said.
Qatar’s population grew by 10.3%
year-on-year in January 2015 to reach
2.22mn.
This equates to an increase in the
population of 208,000 over the last 12
months. Page 10
“We are extremely, extremely satisfied with Qatar Airways,” Faus said.
“I can assure you there are zero,
zero, zero problems with Qatar Airways, zero with Qatar and we definitely hope that this partnership lasts
many, many, more years,” he added.
Faus also went into details regarding why Barca had picked Qatar as
their main sponsor. “We started this
relationship in 2010. The sponsorship
deal was for six years. When we signed
with Qatar it was the first deal which
we had signed ever. It was the first
brand on our shirt. We were extremely
careful about our selection. We chose
Qatar for economic reasons. It is evident that we need money to keep the
competitive edge. We were looking for
a global partner and that we found in
Qatar Airways.”
Al-Baker said “political” statements
being made by some people regarding
the partnership should be ignored.
“You can see that we still have a
partnership, we are promoting Barcelona, Barcelona is promoting Qatar
Airways and we don’t get carried away
by comments of people who may say
something which really they don’t
mean,” he added.
When asked if Qatar Airways would
look into stadium naming rights as
part of any new sponsorship deal,
al-Baker replied: “Well, anything is
possible with Qatar Airways, we are
always full of surprises.”
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Qatar to be ‘great’
World Cup hosts,
say Neymar, Pique
DOW JONES
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BUSINESS | Page 1
THURSDAY
Vol. XXXV No. 9624
February 5, 2015
Rabia II 16, 1436 AH
www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals
Anniversary celebrations
HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, chairperson of Qatar Foundation, attended the
10th anniversary celebrations of Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) held
at the university’s campus yesterday. Several government officials, members of
the diplomatic community, visiting dignitaries, and special guests from Qatar
Foundation, Georgetown University and GU-Q faculty, alumni and students took
part in the event. As a token of appreciation of the efforts of HH Sheikha Moza in
establishing the branch campus in Qatar, the university presented her with two
special Georgetown publications. Dr John J DeGioia, president of Georgetown
University main campus in Washington DC, highlighted that close partnership and
collaboration between Qatar Foundation and Georgetown marked the success of
the university in Qatar. PICTURE: AR Al-Baker/HHOPL Page 12
Gunmen kill 12 at oilfield raid
G
unmen killed 12 people, among
them two Filipino and two Ghanaian nationals, after storming
a remote oilfield, a Libyan official said
yesterday.
“Most were beheaded or killed by
gunfire,” said Abdelhakim Maazab,
commander of a security force in
charge of protecting the al-Mabrook
oilfield, some 170km south of the Mediterranean city of Sirte.
A French diplomatic source in Paris
and another Libyan official said Islamic
State militants were behind the attack,
which took place on Tuesday night.
Page 14
10
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
QATAR
Draft law regulating
swimming in public
places approved
QNA
Doha
T
he weekly Cabinet meeting, chaired by HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet
Affairs Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid al-Mahmoud,
has approved a draft law identifying the places where
swimming is allowed.
The draft law also identifies the places where swimming
is prohibited, and the hours during which swimming is
prohibited in the places where it is allowed.
It stipulates that the Beaches and Islands Department at
the Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning, in coordination with the competent bodies, shall put up signs
and instructions that show the places where swimming is
allowed, and the places where it is prohibited. It will also
take measures to raise public awareness about the dangers of
swimming in prohibited areas.
The draft law also stipulates that all tourist facilities,
including clubs, resorts and private areas overlooking the
sea, are obligated to provide security requirements and
safety guidelines and illustrated signboard defined by the
department.
The Cabinet took the measures to issue a draft law amending some provisions of Law No 2 of 2011 concerning official
statistics, after the Cabinet was briefed on the recommendation of the Advisory Council on the draft law.
The draft law also identifies the places where
swimming is prohibited, and the hours during
which swimming is prohibited in the places
where it is allowed
The Cabinet then ratified the recommendations of the
committee to control diesel smuggling as follow:
1. Bring a legislation to classify smuggling of diesel as an
economic crime punishable by law.
2. Install surveillance cameras in the civil stations and
link them with the Ministry of Interior and Qatar Fuel
Company.
The Cabinet also approved the renewal of the membership of the Board of Directors of Qatar Financial Center
Regulatory Authority as of 3/8/2015.
Then the Cabinet approved to host the following meetings in Doha:
a- The second meeting for the ministers in charge for
tourism in the GCC countries and the preparatory meeting
for undersecretaries during October 2015.
b- The preparatory meeting for undersecretaries during
the second quarter of 2015.
The Cabinet agreed to host the first meeting of the Qatar-Cyprus joint committee for economic and technical
co-operation in Doha on March 2 and 3 of 2015.
The Cabinet also ratified a draft agreement on the avoidance of double taxation and prevention of fiscal evasion
with respect to taxes on income between the governments
of Qatar and Bangladesh.
Official
Qatar-Iran relations reviewed
Independence 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 Sri Lankan
President Maithripala Sirisena on
his country’s Independence Day.
HE the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Dr Abdullah Saleh Mubarak
al-Khulaifi holding talks with Mohamed Taghi Hosseini, Iranian Deputy Minister
of Labour, Co-operatives and Social Welfare in Doha yesterday. The meeting
discussed bilateral relations and ways of developing them in addition to issues of
common concern.
Strong winds likely
today and tomorrow
M
oderate to strong
n o r t h we s te r l y
winds are expected today and tomorrow across the country as
a ridge of high pressure
extending from the Saudi
Arabian peninsula is forming all over the region, Met
Office sources said yesterday.
The chances of strong
winds of 15-25 knots have
been forecast for offshore
areas.
The resultant conditions will lead to the waves
reaching up to 8 feet.
However, the pressure is
likely to fall in the morning
on Saturday and hence the
intensity of winds is likely
to drop as well, the office
said.
Chances are that by
early
Monday
there
could be another ridge
of high pressure extending from the southern
Iran coast forming over
the country along with
a trough of low pressure
across the Saudi Arabian
peninsula.
On account of the strong
southerly-south-easterly
winds, the mercury may
drop in the early hours. It
could cause the sea to rise
as well.
The winds are expected
to blow until next Fri-
Qatar population jumps
more than 10% in 2014
AFP
Doha
Q
atar’s
population
grew by more than
10% last year, fuelled
by the country’s massive
spending on infrastructure
projects, figures released
yesterday showed.
The Qatar National Bank
(QNB), in its monthly monitor report, said the number
of people moving to live in
the energy-rich Gulf state
rose by 10.1% during 2014.
The QNB said the growth
reflected the “large influx of
expatriate workers filling the
120,000 new jobs created in
Qatar each year”.
Around 2.2mn people live
in Qatar.
Last year’s was the highest growth rate since 2010,
when the population jumped
by more than 11%.
From 2011 to 2013, Qatar’s
population grew at an annual average rate of around 7%.
The tens of thousands of
new jobs being created each
year reflect the huge investment in infrastructure by
Qatar. This will not change
despite the recent fall in oil
prices.
HE the Finance Minister Ali Sherif al-Emadi
said recently that around
$200bn had been approved
for projects including developing the country’s railway network and building a
new port in the runup to the
football World Cup, which it
will host in 2022.
Regional business intelligence specialist, MEED, has
predicted that Qatar will see
$30bn worth of new infrastructure projects through
2015.
Al-Attiyah arrives in New Delhi
HE the President of the Administrative Control and
Transparency Authority Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah
arrived yesterday in New Delhi to participate in the 15th Delhi
Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS 2015), which begins
today.
day (February 13) and the
chances are that dusty
conditions will be experienced all over the country.
The Met Office has also
forecast poor visibility in
many places.
The maximum temperature may shoot up to 26 to
29 degrees on both Thursday (February 12) and Friday (February 13). Chances
of higher temperature in
the western areas of the
country are also on the
cards.
The minimum temperature during the two days
will be 15-18 degrees celsius.
Condolence
cables sent
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 Minister of Interior
Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin
Khalifa al-Thani have sent a cable
to Bulgarian President Rosen
Plevneliev condoling the death
of former Bulgarian president
Zhelyu Zhelev.
FM meets senior
US official
HE the Minister of Foreign Affairs
Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah
met US National Security Adviser
Susan Rice during his visit to
Washington.
HE Sheikh Mohamed bin Hamad
al-Thani and Qatar’s Ambassador
to the United States Mohamed
bin Jaham al-Kuwari also
attended the meeting.
Talks during the meeting covered
bilateral relations and ways of
enhancing them in all areas.
The two sides underlined the
importance of co-ordination and
communication between Qatar
and the United States.
They also discussed a number of
regional and international issues,
mainly the developments in Syria,
Iraq and Yemen.
Minister renews real estate
registration panel membership
QNA
Doha
H
E the Minister of
Justice Dr Hassan
Lahdan Saqr alMohannadi yesterday issued a decision renewing
the membership of the real
estate registration committee for three years under the
chairmanship of Judge Khalid Mohamed al-Mansouri.
The decision of the minister of justice stipulates that
the committee comprises
the same members it had.
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
11
QATAR
LuLu stall opens at Sports Zone
Qatar Olympic
Committee’s Assistant
Secretary General for
Administrative Support
Mish’aal Nasser Salim
al-Khalifa inaugurated
the LuLu Stall at the
Sports Zone yesterday.
LuLu regional director
Shaijan M O, Retail
Operations Manager
Keith Smith and other
officials from LuLu
Hypermarket Group
were among others
present. The stall is now
open for the general
public and will continue
to offer services until the
end of the National Sport
Day celebrations.
Good response for second
‘Desert Caravan Challenge’
Q
atar Tourism Authority (QTA)
is finalising its preparations to
send two groups of adventurers, each consisting of 15 people, on a
12km camel riding challenge on February 6 and 7.
The two caravans will kick off from
outside the historical mosque near
Bait Al Imam (House of the Imam) in
Zekreet, winding their way through the
scenic desert sand.
The caravans will stop for breaks at
locations near Richard Serra sculptures
at Ras Brouq.
More than 1,000 male and female
applicants from more than 25 nationalities had expressed interest to take
part in the challenge.
QTA selected 15 for the first day of
the challenge and another 15 for the
second day. Many of the participants
are residents of Qatar while some are
from other GCC countries.
The tour will last for four to five
hours before ending in the Zekreet village. Participants will have the chance
to experience the wonderful Qatari
hospitality in tents put up in the middle of the desert.QTA is organising this
challenge in co-operation with Qatar
Museum Authority, while Marsa Malaz
Kempinski Hotel, Souq Waqif boutique
hotels, Regency Travel and Tours as
well as Qatar International Adventures
are the event’s sponsors.
“We are delighted that the second
edition of the Desert Caravan Challenge has attracted huge response from
people of various nationalities, especially from Qatar and the GCC,” said
Hassan al-Ibrahim, chief tourism development officer at QTA.
“The organising team uses all its expertise and skills to develop the event
and make it more attractive year after
year.”
QTA also expects this year’s challenge to be more thrilling especially
with the participation of other adventurers from the GCC.
“It reflects the uniqueness of Qatar
as a world-class destination with deep
cultural roots,” said al-Ibrahim. “The
challenge is embodying citizens’ desire
to support tourism in Qatar and develop a modern and sustainable tourism
sector with deep cultural roots.”
The Desert Caravan Challenge intends to show the authentic Arab hospitality led by all its organisers, sponsors, as well as trainers and tour guides,
who are Qataris.
Located near Dukhan region on Qatar’s western coast, Zekreet contains
breathtaking natural views, historical
sites and ruins of ancient cities.
The 18th century Zekreet Fort has a
distinctive design allowing visitors to
observe and detect the two different
construction stages over which it had
been built.
The event is part of QTA’s efforts to
diversify tourism products in Qatar. It
also wants to shed light on Qatar as a
world tourism destination with deep
cultural roots and promote historical
landmarks such as Zekreet Fort and Al
Zubara Fort, an archaeological site and
a UNESCO world heritage site besides
showcasing the beauty of the Qatari
desert and nature.
12
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
QATAR
HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser with other dignitaries at the 10th anniversary celebrations of Georgetown University in Qatar yesterday. PICTURE: AR Al-Baker/HHOPL
Sheikha Moza attends 10th anniversary
celebrations of Georgetown University
By Joseph Varghese
Staff Reporter
H
HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser attending the 10th anniversary celebrations of Georgetown University in Qatar yesterday. PICTURE: AR Al-Baker/HHOPL
Two expats
acquitted of
forgery charge
H Sheikha Moza bint
Nasser, chairperson of
Qatar Foundation graced
the 10th anniversary celebrations of Georgetown University
in Qatar (GU-Q) held at the university’s campus yesterday.
Several government officials,
members of the diplomatic community, visiting dignitaries, and
special guests from Qatar Foundation, Georgetown University
and GU-Q faculty, alumni and
students took part in the event.
As a mark of respect and token
of appreciation of the efforts of
HH Sheikha Moza in establishing the branch campus in Qatar, the university presented her
with two special Georgetown
publications.
Dr John J DeGioia, president
of Georgetown University main
campus in Washington DC,
highlighted that close partnership and collaboration between
Qatar Foundation and Georgetown marked the success of the
university in Qatar.
“Qatar is a country that holds
on to the traditional values and
fuses with modern culture. So
the engagement between both
the organisations has opened a
new chapter in greater understanding and involvement between both the countries.”
“This milestone reflects the
strength of our partnerships
here in Qatar and the strong ties
that exist between our campuses in Washington, DC and
Education City. What we have
achieved here over the past ten
years demonstrates the possibil-
ities of engagement of partnership, and our continuing call, as
a university community, to seek,
through knowledge and understanding, the betterment of humankind,” he added.
Welcoming the gathering
GU-Q dean Gerd Nonneman,
highlighted how much the university has developed in such a
relatively short time. “Our 10Year anniversary is a celebration of teaching, learning, and
scholarship at the highest level,
and we are honoured that HH
Sheikha Moza and so many international guests have joined us
in recognising this milestone.”
“We started with 25 students
and 7 faculty members, and over
the course of ten years, with
the visionary support of Qatar
Foundation, we have grown into
a research and teaching powerhouse with 52 world-class
faculty members and 212 exceptional alumni working at all levels
across the spectrum of professional pursuits - from graduate
school to law, media, banking,
sports, the energy sector and beyond.”
The dean also shared other
highlights of the university, its
impact on education and research, as well as its role on the
local community. He highlighted
their library resources open to
the public, shared details on the
partnerships with various regional institutions.
Founding dean of GU- Q, Dr
James Reardon Anderson spoke
about the initial days of the university and how the university
evolved into the present stage.
Speakers at the event also included students, faculty and
alumni representatives.
Envoy presents credentials
A
Doha
Primary
Court has acquitted an Egyptian and
an Iranian of the charge
of forging official documents.
The Public Prosecution had previously referred the two accused for
criminal trial, charging
them with forging the signatures on two cheques.
The victim discovered the
forgery after receiving a
statement from the bank,
a report in the local Arabic
daily Arrayah said.
Delivering the judgment, the court stated
that the claim of forgery
cannot be proven without
evidence.
“There is no proof that
the cheques were actually signed by the accused,
who have also denied the
accusation.
The court stated that it
was not satisfied with the
arguments of the prosecution.
The Chief Executive of Macao Special Administrative Region of China Fernando Chui has
received the credentials of Sultan bin Ali al-Khater, Qatar’s non-resident Consul General
to Macao. The consul general conveyed the greetings of HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin
Hamad al-Thani to the Chief Executive of Macao. The Chief Executive reciprocated the
Emir’s greetings and wished the consul general success in his duties.
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
13
REGION
Rouhani
hits out
at nuclear
powers
‘Arabian Ark’
helps rescue
species at risk
of extinction
The reserve began as
an initiative by late UAE
founder Sheikh Zayed
bin Sultan al-Nahyan who
started bringing animals to
Sir Bani Yas in 1971
AFP
Abu Dhabi
O
ryx, giraffes and cheetahs roam an “Arabian
Ark” nature reserve on
an island where species once
facing extinction in the region
are making a comeback.
Since animals were first
brought to Sir Bani Yas off the
coast of Abu Dhabi more than
four decades ago, their total
population has soared to more
than 13,000.
Twenty-five species of mammals and 170 types of birds are
found in a nature reserve covering an area of 3,500 acres.
They include striped hyenas,
caracals—also known as the
desert lynx—and the Arabian
tahr, a small goat-like mammal
indigenous to the Hajar Mountains between the UAE and
Oman.
Some species are, or were,
endangered in the region, or
even extinct in the wild.
The reserve began as an
initiative by late UAE founder
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan alNahyan who started bringing
animals to Sir Bani Yas in 1971.
“He started developing the
island into a nature reserve and
the idea back then was to create
an Arabian Ark for his people,”
said Marius Prinsloo, general
manager of operations at the
island.
“We have been successful,”
he said of the conservation efforts.
Sir Bani Yas is now home to
about 500 Arabian Oryx—one
of the world’s largest herds.
Sameer Ghani, an independent conservation specialist, said the reserve’s Arabian
Oryx breeding programme was
showing “great results” after
the animal “went extinct in the
wild in the early 1970s”.
A type of antelope, they once
roamed most of the Arabian
Peninsula but rampant hunting
meant that for years they survived only in captivity.
Conservationists believe the
last remaining Arabian Oryx in
the wild was shot and killed in
the Omani desert in 1972.
They were bred and reintroduced in the UAE and other
countries, resulting in their re-
moval in 2011 from the global
list of endangered species by the
International Union for Conservation of Nature, which now
classifies them as vulnerable.
Sand and mountain gazelles
have also found a natural habitat on Sir Bani Yas.
In 2008, four cheetahs were
brought to the island to help
maintain a natural balance.
The cheetah—the world’s
fastest land animal—was indigenous to the region but believed
to have become extinct in the
wild in the Middle East in the
early 1970s.
Bred or raised in captivity,
the four cheetahs were taught
to survive and hunt for themselves, feeding mainly on sand
gazelles.
In 2010, the first cheetah cubs
were born on the island.
Ghani said the biggest challenge of the conservation programme was “re-wilding”—
educating animals raised in
captivity to survive on their
own.
The animals “eventually become part of the natural population of the island”.
Non-indigenous animals including the scimitar-horned
oryx, the reticulated giraffe and
blackbuck antelopes have also
AFP
Tehran
I
A heard of Axis deer (back) roam as Arabian Oryx rest on Sir Bani Yas Island.
been introduced in the park.
Every visitor to the island is
urged to plant a mangrove and
if they do not then the reserve
does it for them.
About 2.5mn trees have been
planted on Sir Bani Yas, which
after decades closed to the public was opened to tourists six
years ago offering African-style
safaris.
Sir Bani Yas is also home to
the remains of a pre-Islamic
monastery and other archaeological remains.
“In 1992, we began exploration and excavation works and
have since uncovered 36 archaeological sites, most importantly a Christian monastery
dating back to 600 AD,” said
Fatima Mutawaa of the Tourism Development & Investment
Company, which is developing
Sir Bani Yas.
The sites “reflect the diverse
cultures that have thrived on
this island”, said Mutawaa.
The monastery is believed to
have been built by a community of 30-40 monks who probably belonged to the Nestorian
Church. It is thought to have been
abandoned after about 750 AD.
While it has an airport and
three luxury resorts, Sir Bani
Yas has largely preserved its
natural character, in stark contrast to the glitzy shopping
malls and skyscrapers of Abu
Dhabi and Dubai.
“Sir Bani Yas offers an
amazing natural landscape of
wadis (valleys) and salt stones
and beaches,” said Mark Eletr,
director of four resorts on
the island run by Thai group
Anantara.
“People are experiencing this
now and enjoying a very raw
natural environment.”
ran’s President Hassan Rouhani berated the world’s nuclear powers yesterday, saying atomic weapons had not kept
them safe and reiterating that
his country was not seeking the
bomb.
Rouhani, in an unusually fiery
speech, avoided explicit mention of ongoing nuclear talks
between the West and Iran but
accused atomic-armed states of
hypocrisy.
“They tell us ‘we don’t want
Iran to make atomic bombs’, you
who have made atomic bombs,”
Rouhani said in Isfahan, a city
400km south of Tehran.
He then took aim at Israel,
which has never acknowledged that it has nuclear weapons, dubbing the Jewish state a
“criminal”.
“Have you managed to bring
about security for yourselves
with atomic bombs? Have you
managed to create security for
the usurper Israel?” Rouhani
said.
“We don’t need an atomic
bomb. We have a great, selfsacrificing and unified nation,”
he said, referring to Monday’s
launch of an observation satellite into space by Iran.
“Despite pressures and sanctions, this nation sent a new
satellite into space,” added Rouhani, who personally ordered the
launch—Iran’s first since 2012.
In another barb, Rouhani criticised the United States’ healthcare provision.
“You didn’t manage to cover
all your people for insurance...
but my government, which
serves the people, has covered
everyone for insurance,” he said.
14
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
ARAB WORLD
Four feared killed as gunmen seize Libya oilfield
Reuters
Tripoli
G
unmen possibly linked to
Islamist militants assaulted and seized control of a
Libyan oilfield, killing and kidnapping several workers, Libyan
and foreign officials said yesterday.
A French diplomatic source in
Paris said four local employees
were believed to have been killed
in the raid on the remote Al Mabrook oilfield south of Sirte on
Tuesday night.
The Philippines foreign ministry said three Filipinos were
among four foreign nationals who
were kidnapped.
France’s Total has a stake in the
site but it is contracted to a Libyan
company. The Filipinos worked
for an Italian company.Unknown
gunmen stormed the Mabrook
oilfield last night,” National Oil
Corp (NOC) spokesman Moham-
ed El Harari said, without providing details.
Ali al-Hassi, spokesman for an
oil guard force, blamed Islamists
for the attack.
“The field is outside of our
control,” he said. “Islamic State is
controlling it.”
Rival armed factions have been
fighting for almost two months
for control of Libya’s biggest oil
ports, Al Sidra and Ras Lanuf, on
the Mediterranean coast.
Four years after the overthrow
of leader Muammar Gaddafi, the
country is in turmoil with two rival
governments controlling different
areas, each with their own armies.
The recognised government of
Abdullah al-Thinni and the elected parliament have been forced to
work out of an eastern rump state
since a faction called Libya Dawn
seized the capital Tripoli in August, setting up its own administration and reinstating the old
assembly.
Al Mabrook closed following
clashes which shut Al Sidra in December. It used to pump 40,000
barrels a day.
Total said it had already withdrawn staff from the site in 2013
and had no personnel onshore
since July 2014. It was not clear
whether NOC had employed expatriate staff at the field.
The French diplomatic source
said no French citizens were
among the dead.
“There are possibly four dead
local people,” he said.
It was not immediately possible
to verify the assertion that Islamists were involved.
Militants claiming links to Islamic State (IS), which controls
parts of Syria and Iraq, claimed
an attack on the Corinthia luxury
hotel in Tripoli last week that
killed nine people, among them
five foreigners.
Officials of the government in
Tripoli denied the claim, blaming
“Gaddafi loyalists” for that assault.
Militants in Libya have claimed
loyalty to IS on social media but
facts are hard to get in a country
where officials often contradict
themselves.
Western powers and Libya’s
neighbours have been worried
about a spread of Islamist militants in the desert nation. Sirte
is home to members of the Ansar
al-Shariah Islamist group blamed
by Washington for an attack on
a US diplomatic compound in
Benghazi in 2012 in which the US
ambassador was killed.
230 Mubarak
opponents
sentenced to
life in prison
All the defendants are
convicted of taking part in
clashes with security forces
near Cairo’s Tahrir Square in
December 2011
AFP
Cairo
A
n Egyptian court yesterday
sentenced to life 230 secular activists from the 2011
revolt against long-time strongman Hosni Mubarak, including
leading campaigner Ahmed Douma, an official said.
Thirty-nine others, all minors,
were jailed for 10 years.
The verdict, which can be appealed, is the harshest delivered
so far against non-Islamist activists amid a government crackdown on opponents overseen by
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Hundreds of Islamist supporters of Mubarak’s successor,
Mohamed Mursi, have been sentenced to death after often speedy
trials described by the United Nations as “unprecedented in recent
history”.
At yesterday’s hearing, all 269
defendants were convicted of
taking part in clashes with security forces near Cairo’s Tahrir
Square in December 2011, said
the judicial official who spoke on
condition of anonymity.
They were also found guilty
of assaulting security forces and
setting alight government buildings, including a cultural centre
founded in 1798 by Napoleon Bonaparte that contained more than
200,000 books.
A life sentence in Egypt is 25
years.
Douma, 26, rose to prominence during the 2011 uprising
that drove Mubarak from power
and was also a key protest leader
against Mursi.
Yesterday, dressed in a prison
uniform, Douma was the sole de-
Douma listens to the verdict in
court yesterday in Cairo.
fendant present in a metal cage
inside the courtroom.
As the verdict was read out, the
activist clapped his hands, angering judge Mohamed Negi Shehata
who threatened to issue another
sentence against him for contempt of court.
Douma is already serving three
years for violating a law prohibiting unlicensed protests, and was
also given a three-year sentence
at a previous hearing of the current trial for insulting the judiciary.
Defence lawyer Sameh Samir
criticised yesterday’s ruling.
“The judge has been biased
against the defendants and their
lawyers since the start of the trial,” Samir said.
“He referred the defence lawyers to prosecution, he barred us
from attending the hearings and
now he has issued an unprecedented verdict in Egypt’s history.”
At a previous hearing, Shehata
had called for the prosecution to
investigate five defence lawyers
for insulting the judiciary.
Douma’s brother Mohamed
lashed out at the verdict.
“It’s an incredibly exaggerated
sentence. It’s a sentence against
the revolution and shows per-
sonal hatred of the judge against
the revolution and the activists,”
Mohamed said.
“This was expected of him.”
Shehata has presided over several trials of dissidents since then
army chief Sisi ousted Mursi in
July 2013.
On Monday, he confirmed
death sentences against 183 men
convicted of killing 13 policemen
in a town near Cairo, in a verdict
criticised by international rights
groups.
Shehata had also sentenced
three Al Jazeera journalists to between seven and 10 years in a trial
that prompted international outrage.
That verdict was overturned
and a retrial was ordered by an
appeals court in January.
One of the three journalists,
Australian Peter Greste, was freed
and deported on Sunday under a
presidential decree.
Rights groups and critics of
Sisi say authorities are using the
judiciary as an arm to repress any
form of dissent, including from
secularists like Douma.
Amnesty International’s Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui said Monday’s death sentences were “yet
another example of the bias of
the Egyptian criminal justice
system”.
The London-based rights
watchdog said the sentences were
passed at a time when “the case
against former president Hosni
Mubarak, involving the killing of
hundreds of protesters during the
uprising, has been dropped”.
In November a court dropped
murder charges against Mubarak.
If he walks free it would spur
accusations against Sisi that he is
reviving the Mubarak era.
Mubarak’s sons Alaa and
Gamal—symbols of corruption
during their father’s rule—have
also been released pending a retrial, four years after they were
arrest in the wake of the uprising.
Greste hugs his mother Lois and father Juris upon his return home at Brisbane International Airport.
Freed Al Jazeera reporter
‘ecstatic’ to be back home
AFP
Brisbane
A
l Jazeera journalist Peter
Greste arrived home in
Australia saying he had
dreamt of returning to his family on each of the 400 days of his
detention in Egypt.
“I can’t tell you how ecstatic
I am to be here,” said the awardwinning correspondent who was
deported on Sunday from Cairo,
where he was held for allegedly
aiding the blacklisted Muslim
Brotherhood.
“This is a moment that I’ve rehearsed in my mind at least 400
times over the past, well, 400
days and it feels absolutely awesome to be here,” the 49-yearold said, flashing the victory sign
and holding his arms aloft.
Greste also urged Egyptian au-
thorities to free fellow Al Jazeera
television colleagues CanadianEgyptian Mohamed Fahmy and
Baher Mohamed of Egypt.
Both men remain in an Egyptian prison, although Fahmy’s
family said on Tuesday he had
renounced his Egyptian citizenship hoping to pave the way for
his release.
“But of course this is all tempered... by a real worry for my
colleagues for Mohamed Fahmy,
for Baher Mohamed, for all the
other guys imprisoned alongside
us,” Greste told reporters at Brisbane airport.
“I think that Egypt now has an
opportunity to show that justice
doesn’t depend on your nationality.
“If it’s right for me to be free
it’s right for everyone else,” he
said.
After his plane landed, Greste
first held a private reunion with his
mother Lois, father Juris, brothers
Andrew and Mike and other relatives before meeting the press.
“My family have been the
bedrock throughout all of this,”
he said referring to a worldwide
campaign to free the Al Jazeera
team.
“My family have been absolutely awesome. I couldn’t have
done this without them.
“All I’ve done was sit in a cell,
write a couple of letters. To celebrate this with them has meant
the world.”
A group of supporters and old
friends greeted him at airport
arrivals, carrying signs saying ‘Welcome Home Peter’ and
‘Journalism is not a crime’.
A beaming Greste shook hands
and hugged them.
Since being released, he has
repeatedly voiced concern about
his Al Jazeera colleagues still behind bars in Cairo.
“Special thanks to all who’ve
supported us over the past year.
MUST NOT FORGET THOSE
STILL IN PRISON,” the Australian reporter wrote in a tweet before arriving in Brisbane.
He also posted a picture of
himself standing in the sea, giving the victory sign, writing:
“Free in Cyprus! Feels sweet.
Peter back online for first time in
400+ days.”
Australian Prime Minister Tony
Abbott said yesterday he had spoken to Egyptian President Abdel
Fattah al-Sisi and thanked him for
his efforts to release the journalist.
A statement from the prime
minister’s office said Abbott had
“expressed hope that Mr Greste’s
colleagues Mohamed Fahmy and
Baher Mohamed might be released soon”.
Jailed schoolgirl becomes Palestinian symbol
AFP
Ramallah
A
14-year-old
schoolgirl
jailed for trying to attack
Israeli soldiers has become
a symbol of Palestinian anger over
the arrests of children in the occupied territories.
The two-month sentence for
Malak al-Khatib, who was accused of stone-throwing and possession of a knife, has unleashed a
wave of solidarity and support
among Palestinians.
“My heart broke when I saw
her in court, cuffed and shackled,”
her mother Khawla al-Khatib told
AFP from her home in the town of
Beitin near Ramallah.
“I brought in a coat for her to
wear because it was cold, but the
judge refused to let her have it,”
the distressed 50-year-old said.
Israeli forces arrest about 1,000
children every year in the occupied West Bank, often on charges
Ali al-Khatib and his wife Khawla display a poster with a portrait of their daughter Malak.
of stone-throwing, according to
rights group Defence for Children
International Palestine (DCI Palestine).
But the case of Malak has
brought countless media organisations flocking to her family’s door and attracted more
public attention than most.
The difference—she is a girl.
The Palestinian Prisoners’ Club
estimates that 200 Palestinian
minors are held in Israeli prisons,
but only four are girls, and Malak
is the youngest.
Amani Sarahna, spokeswoman
for the Ramallah-based organisation, said it was the first time
in years that four female minors
were held in Israeli jails, out of the
6,500 Palestinians incarcerated.
Following Malak’s arrest, the
Palestinian leadership sent a letter
to the United Nations denounc-
ing the Israeli practice of “seizing
children in the dead of night”, detaining Palestinian children “for
extended periods of time” and
subjecting them to “psychological
and physical torture”.
A picture of Malak’s face
framed in black hair, her dark eyes
staring squarely into the camera,
has been circulating in social media and Palestinian newspapers.
“I don’t know why a state like
Israel, with the most powerful
weapons at its disposal, is pursuing my 14-year-old daughter,”
Malak’s father Ali al-Khatib said.
“They accused her of trying
to stab a soldier. Really? A child
against an armed and heavily
equipped solider, a grown man?”
he asked incredulously.
The father-of-eight said his
daughter was arrested on her way
home from school in Beitin on
December 31.
According to the indictment
served at a military court, Malak
had “picked up a stone” to throw
at cars on route 60, which is near
the village and serves Israeli settlers as well as Palestinians.
The indictment, citing five Israeli officials, said Malak was in
possession of a knife which she
intended to use to stab security
personnel in the case of her arrest.
As well as the jail term she was
fined $1,500.
In a report released in February
2013, the UN children’s agency
Unicef criticised Israel for its
treatment of arrested Palestinian
children, saying their interrogation mixes “intimidation, threats
and physical violence, with the
clear purpose of forcing the child
to confess.”
“Children have been threatened
with death, physical violence, solitary confinement and sexual assault, against themselves or a family member,” the report said.
After three weeks in custody
Malak was brought before an Israeli military court and sentenced
to prison.
“Every year, between 500 and
700 Palestinian children are tried
before Israeli military courts,” said
DCI Palestine’s Ayed Abu Qteish.
Qteish said Israeli military law
allows the prosecution of children
from as young as 12, which Unicef
says is unique to the Jewish state.
Israeli military courts normally
refuse bail and rely primarily on
the children’s confessions, Unicef
says.
An Israeli military spokeswoman said Malak was convicted after
a plea bargain.
“Rock throwing is an extremely dangerous crime, which has
maimed and killed Israeli civilians
in the past,” she added.
Malak’s father thinks his
daughter’s confession counts for
little.
“A 14-year-old girl surrounded
by Israeli soldiers will admit to
anything,” he said bitterly.
“She would admit to holding
a nuclear weapon if she were accused.”
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
15
ARAB WORLD
Iraqi children victims of horrific IS abuses: UN
Reuters
Geneva
I
slamic State militants are selling abducted Iraqi children at
markets as sex slaves, and killing other youth, including by crucifixion or burying them alive, a
UN watchdog said yesterday.
Iraqi boys aged under 18 are
increasingly being used by the
militant group as suicide bombers, bomb makers, informants
or human shields to protect facilities against US-led air strikes,
the UN Committee on the Rights
of the Child said.
“We are really deeply concerned at torture and murder of
those children, especially those
belonging to minorities, but not
only from minorities,” committee expert Renate Winter told a
news briefing. “The scope of the
problem is huge.”
Children from the Yazidi sect
or Christian communities, but
also Shias and Sunnis, have been
victims, she said.
“We have had reports of children, especially children who
are mentally challenged, who
have been used as suicide bombers, most probably without them
even understanding,” Winter
told Reuters. “There was a video
placed (online) that showed children at a very young age, approximately eight years of age and
younger, to be trained already to
become child soldiers.”
On Tuesday, the group, which
is also known as ISIL, released a
video showing a captured Jordanian pilot being burned alive.
The UN body, which reviewed
Iraq’s record for the first time since
1998, denounced “the systematic killing of children belonging
to religious and ethnic minorities
by the so-called ISIL, including
several cases of mass executions of
boys, as well as reports of beheadings, crucifixions of children and
burying children alive”.
A large number of children
have been killed or badly wounded during air strikes or shelling
by Iraqi security forces, while
others had died of “dehydration,
starvation and heat”, it said.
IS has committed “systematic
sexual violence”, including “the
abduction and sexual enslavement of children”, it said.
“Children of minorities have
been captured in many places...
sold in the market place with
tags, price tags on them, they
have been sold as slaves,” Winter
said, giving no details.
The 18 independent experts
who worked on the report called
on Iraqi authorities to take all
necessary measures to “rescue
children” under the control of IS
and to prosecute perpetrators of
crimes.
“There is a duty of a state to
protect all its children. The point
is just how are they going to do
that in such a situation?” Winter
said.
Islamic State
seeks to ‘up
ante’ with
horror video
AFP
Beirut
B
y burning a Jordanian pilot alive in its most savage
execution video yet, the
Islamic State (IS) group aims to
terrify its Arab and Western opponents into ending their antimilitant war.
Already infamous for beheading and stoning to death its victims, IS is trying to “up the ante”
with the latest execution, experts
said.
With the murder of an airman
participating in the US-led coalition fighting IS, the militants
hope to sow division and fear
among their opponents.
“It is a message for the coalition... your men will end up in
videos that are even more horrific and will do lasting damage
to public opinion in your countries,” said Romain Caillet, an
expert on militant movements.
No “head of state wants to see
a young soldier end up in one of
these videos”, he said.
Jordanian pilot Maaz alKassasbeh was captured by IS
in December when his fighter
plane crashed in Syria as he participated in the US-led campaign
against the group.
Amman said publicly that it
was willing to free an Iraqi female militant on death row in exchange for Kassasbeh and a Japanese journalist being held by IS.
But Jordanian state media said
on Tuesday that Kassasbeh appeared to have been killed on January 3, suggesting the group never
planned to exchange the pilot.
It preferred instead the shock
and propaganda value of killing him, said Hassan Hassan, an
expert at the Delma Institute,
a research centre based in Abu
Dhabi.
“It was a huge opportunity for
IS to inflict maximum pain on the
international coalition, especially to Muslim countries that took
part in it,” he said.
“The main purpose of this
video is to send a message that
retribution against fellow Muslims who assist the United States
in its fight against the group will
be unimaginable.”
Iraq-based security expert
Hisham Alhashimi agreed, saying the gruesome execution
method was intended to evoke
the maxim “an eye for an eye”.
“IS wants to terrorise the Jordanian air force and say that any
pilot who falls into their hands
will meet the same fate,” he said.
“As the pilot brought down fire
on the jihadists (with air strikes),
so they burned him according
to the law of an eye for eye,” Alhashimi said.
Thomas Pierret, a Syria specialist at the University of Edinburgh, said the group was being forced to “innovate” to gain
maximum effect.
“They are operating within the
logic of the news cycle, where the
public becomes used to everything and they have to ‘innovate’
to get attention,” he said.
“IS has used beheadings so
often that they have become almost banal. Burning a prisoner
alive is a way to get maximum
‘buzz’, as it were.”
The video, more than 22 minutes long, seeks to justify burning Kassasbeh alive by showing footage of the air strikes
launched by the US-led coalition
in Syria since September.
“Burning alive is a sort of response to the ‘fire from the sky’
that F-16 jets represent,” Pierret
said.
And online, jihadist sympathisers shared documents in
Arabic and other languages with
“proofs” that burning Kassasbeh
alive was religiously justified.
But Islamic scholars accused
the group of violating religious law
and cherry-picking from religious
verses to justify their brutality.
They pointed to militant references to a Qur’anic verse stating:
“If you punish (an enemy), punish them with the equivalent of
that with which you are harmed.”
The rest of the verse, which the
militants ignore, continues: “But
if you are patient, it is better”.
Others pointed to sayings of
Prophet Muhammad that prohibit torture and death by burning.
Safi, the father of Maaz al-Kassasbeh, is surrounded by family members and security forces during a mourning ceremony in the city of Karak yesterday.
Jordan king vows harsh
response to pilot murder
The kingdom is “more
determined than ever” to
fight the Islamic State militant
group, Jordan’s information
minister says
AFP
Amman
K
ing Abdullah II vowed Jordan will take tough action
after hanging two convicted militants yesterday in response to the burning alive of one
of its pilots by the Islamic State
group.
The gruesome murder of airman Maaz al-Kassasbeh triggered international condemnation and prompted Jordan to
execute two Iraqis on death row—
female would-be suicide bomber
Sajida al-Rishawi and Al Qaeda
operative Ziad al-Karboli.
Abdullah cut short a visit to
the United States and flew back to
Amman, where he was greeted by
large crowds at the airport before
meeting with his security chiefs.
“The blood of martyr Maaz alKassasbeh will not be in vain and
the response of Jordan and its army
Free Shia leader, UN
experts urge Bahrain
AFP
Geneva
U
N rights experts urged
Bahrain yesterday to free
Shia opposition leader
Sheikh Ali Salman, on trial for
allegedly trying to overthrow the
regime.
Salman, 49, was arrested on
December 28, shortly after he
was re-elected head of Bahrain’s
main opposition party Al Wefaq.
He was charged with trying to incite regime change by non-peaceful
means, and was denied bail when his
trial opened last week.
“The charges appear to stem
from the government’s dissatisfaction with opinions that
Sheikh Salman expressed in public speeches and televised interviews, in which he called for the
establishment of a democratic
regime and for government ac-
countability,” the five UN experts
said in a statement.
“If this is indeed the case, his arrest and prosecution would amount
to a breach of his fundamental human rights to freedom of expression, freedom of association and
freedom of religion or belief,” they
said, demanding that the government “clarify the situation”.
The UN’s top experts on those
freedoms and on arbitrary detention and the situation of human
rights defenders also cautioned
that Salman may not be getting
a fair trial, pointing out that his
lawyer was “allegedly not allowed to examine the evidence to
prepare for his defence”.
Salman’s arrest has sparked neardaily protests across the kingdom.
“Particularly worrying are recent reports that indicate that
peaceful demonstrations following
his arrest were disbanded by the
authorities, including through the
use of force,” the experts said, noting reports that at least 150 people
had been arrested and some 90
injured during the demonstrations
and in clashes with the police.
“We urge the government of
Bahrain to promptly release all
those who have been detained
for peaceful expression of their
views,” the UN experts said.
They also criticised Bahrain
for revoking the citizenship of 72
people, in a move they described
as “yet another attempt by the
government of Bahrain to clamp
down on opponents”.
Bahrain has been rocked by
unrest since a 2011 Shia-led uprising demanding a constitutional monarchy and more representative government.
At least 89 people have been
killed in clashes with security
forces since 2011, while hundreds
have been arrested and put on
trial, rights groups say.
after what happened to our dear
son will be severe,” he said afterwards, quoted by the royal court.
Information Minister Mohamed al-Momani said the kingdom was “more determined than
ever to fight the terrorist group
Daesh”, using an Arabic acronym
for IS.
The statements came after Jordan said it hanged Rishawi and
Karboli before dawn at a prison
south of the capital.
Amman had promised to begin
executing extremists in response
to the murder of Kassasbeh, the
26-year-old who was captured
by IS when his F-16 fighter plane
went down in Syria in December.
Islamic State (IS) had offered
to spare Kassasbeh’s life and free
Japanese journalist Kenji Goto—
who was later beheaded—in exchange for Rishawi’s release.
In a highly choreographed
22-minute video released on
Tuesday, Kassasbeh is seen
wearing an orange jumpsuit surrounded by armed and masked
militants before he appears inside a metal cage apparently
soaked in petrol.
One of the militants lights a
trail of flame that runs into the
cage and burns him alive.
The video—the most brutal yet
in a series of recorded killings of
hostages by IS—prompted global
revulsion and vows of unwavering international efforts to combat the extremists.
The killing sparked outrage in
Jordan and demonstrations in
Amman and the city of Karak, the
home of Kassasbeh’s influential
tribe.
Egypt’s Al Azhar, Sunni Islam’s
most prestigious seat of learning,
called for the “killing, crucifixion or chopping of the limbs” of
IS militants, expressing outrage
over their “cowardly act”.
The hangings came just weeks
after Jordan ended an eight-year
moratorium on the death penalty.
They were criticised by rights
campaigners, with Amnesty International saying executions
should not be used “as a tool for
revenge”.
Rishawi, 44, was sentenced to
death for her participation in triple hotel bombings in Amman in
2005 that killed 60 people.
She was closely linked to IS’s
predecessor organisation in Iraq
On the frontline
and seen as an important symbol
for the militants.
Karboli was sentenced to death
in 2007 on terrorism charges, including the killing of a Jordanian
in Iraq.
Jordan is one of several Arab
countries that have joined a USled coalition carrying out air
strikes against IS in Syria and Iraq.
US President Barack Obama,
who had hosted Abdullah in a
hastily organised meeting before
his return to Jordan, led condemnation of the airman’s killing,
decrying the “cowardice and depravity” of IS.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the brutality of IS
was “beyond comprehension”.
“It has nothing to do with our
religion.”
The Qatar-based International Union of Muslim Scholars,
headed by Yusuf al-Qaradawi,
described the murder as “a crime
contrary to Shariah”.
Kassasbeh was captured on
December 24 when his jet crashed
over northern Syria on a mission
that was part of the coalition air
campaign against the militants.
Jordanian state television sug-
UAE has suspended
air raids: US officials
Reuters
Washington
T
A rebel fighter takes position as he aims his weapon
behind piled cement blocks at Sheikh Najjar frontline
against forces loyal to Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad
in Aleppo yesterday.
gested he was killed on January 3,
before IS offered to spare his life
and free Goto in return for Rishawi’s release.
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman
called the killing “inhuman and
contrary to Islam”.
His country condemned the
“misguided ideology” behind
Kassasbeh’s murder and accused
groups like IS of seeking “to distort the values of Islam”.
The UAE said the actions of IS
“represent epidemics that must
be eradicated by civilised societies without delay”.
IS had previously beheaded
two US journalists, an American
aid worker and two British aid
workers in similar videos.
IS has seized swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq and last year
declared a “caliphate” in areas under its control, imposing its brutal
interpretation of Islam and committing widespread atrocities.
In the Syrian border town of
Kobane, Kurdish fighters who
recently drove out IS with help
from coalition air strikes held a
minute’s silence for Kassasbeh.
“He is one of Kobane’s martyrs,” said activist Mustafa Ebdi.
he United Arab Emirates
has withdrawn from flying
air strikes in the US-led
international coalition campaign
against Islamic State fighters,
who are occupying parts of Iraq
and Syria, US officials said yesterday.
The officials, who spoke on
condition of anonymity, said the
UAE had suspended its participation in the air campaign after
a Jordanian air force plane went
down over Syria in December.
The pilot was captured and subsequently killed.
“I can confirm that UAE suspended air strikes shortly after the
Jordanian pilot’s plane went down,
but let me be clear that UAE continues to be an important and valuable partner that is contributing
to the coalition,” one official said.
The United States has said
that the coalition includes more
than 60 countries, carrying out
various tasks, including military
attacks, humanitarian support,
propaganda and cracking down
on IS finances.
Along with the United States,
Washington says Saudi Arabia,
Qatar, Jordan and Bahrain have
also participated in or supported
air strikes in Syria. Australia,
Britain, Canada and France have
joined US operations against IS
targets in Iraq.
President Barack Obama has
sought to attract a broad coalition, drawing on as many regional countries as possible, to
avoid the appearance that the
campaign is just an endeavour
involving outside powers.
The US government has not
acknowledged that the UAE
has withdrawn from the flights.
State Department spokeswoman
Jen Psaki told a regular briefing
yesterday: “We are not going to
confirm any reports about other
countries and their military operations.”
16
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
AFRICA
ACCIDENT
MASTERMIND
COMPLICIT
DANGEROUS DELTA
OUTLAWED
Zimbabwe’s 90-year-old
president falls at airport
US missile strike kills
senior Shebaab leader
Burundi radio boss denied
bail in murder trial
Gunmen kidnap 4
oil workers in Nigeria
Gabon ends ban on
opposition party
Ninety-year-old Zimbabwean President Robert
Mugabe yesterday fell after addressing a crowd
at Harare’s airport. The incident, witnessed by a
DPA correspondent, increased concern about his
health, but his spokesman George Charamba said
the president had “just missed a step” when coming
down from the podium. Mugabe had just returned
from Addis Ababa, where he had assumed the
chairmanship of the African Union. He was quickly
helped to stand by his aides and escorted away.
Press photographers said security guards forced
them to delete pictures of the president lying on the
floor. Mugabe is due to hold his 91st birthday bash
February 28 in the resort town of Victoria Falls.
A US missile strike launched in Somalia last week
killed Islamist group Shebaab’s mastermind
behind attacks at home and abroad, the Somali
government said yesterday. The US said on
Tuesday it had launched the drone strike to
kill Yusef Dheeq, al Shabaab’s chief of external
operations and planning for intelligence and
security, adding that if it was successful it would
be a major blow to the group. Shebaab has not
commented on the attack. “Yusuf Dheeg was
the coordinator of guerrilla attacks inside and
outside Somalia,” Somalia’s national intelligence
and security agency said in a statement
announcing his death.
A Burundi court yesterday denied bail to a
radio station boss accused of complicity in the
murder of three Italian nuns, his lawyer said. The
arrest of Bob Rugurika, director of the popular
independent African Public Radio (RPA), has
sparked protests by civil rights activists and fellow
journalists, coming ahead of elections in May and
June. Rugurika was arrested in mid-January after
broadcasting the purported confession of a man
claiming he was one of the killers. Rugurika was
charged with complicity in the murders, “breach
of public solidarity” and disclosing confidential
information regarding a case. He faces up to 20
years in prison if convicted.
Gunmen riding in a speedboat kidnapped four
Nigerian oil workers in the crude-producing
Niger Delta, the military said yesterday, as
fears rise of growing unrest in the region 10
days before national polls. The hostages are
employees of the Nigerian Agip Oil Company
(NOAC), a subsidiary of the Italian major ENI, said
area military spokesman Isa Ado. There were
taken on Tuesday in the Southern Ijaw area of
Bayelsa state while they were travelling by boat
without a security escort, Ado said. “We have
started a rescue mission to secure their release
and also bring the captors to book,” he told
reporters.
Gabon yesterday lifted its ban on the main
opposition party National Union (UN), which
was outlawed after its leader declared himself
president of the oil-rich west African nation in 2011.
The party is “restored to favour and authorised
to engage in activities across the nation,” Interior
Minister Guy-Bertrand Mapangou wrote in a
statement. Approval from the government means
UN will be allowed to run a candidate in the
presidential election set for 2016. Gabon banned
the party when its head Andre Mba Obame left
Gabon in 2011 after declaring himself elected head
of state, refusing to recognise the election victory
of President Ali Bongo Ondimba in 2009.
Boko Haram rampage
after Chad offensive
Agencies
Maiduguri
N
igerian Boko Haram fighters
went on the rampage yesterday in the Cameroonian
border town of Fotokol, massacring
civilians and torching a mosque
before being repelled by regional
forces.
The onslaught came a day after
Chad sent troops across the border to flush the jihadists out of the
Nigerian town of Gamboru, which
lies some 500m from Fotokol on the
other side of a bridge.
Chad’s army said it had killed
more than 200 Boko Haram militants in the intervention - the first
by regional forces against Boko
Haram on its home ground.
But some of the insurgents escaped and slipped back across the
border into Fotokol at dawn to make
a fresh stand.
“Boko Haram inflicted so much
damage here this morning. They
have killed dozens of people,” Umar
Babakalli, a resident of Fotokol, told
AFP by telephone.
Several residents said civilians’
throats were slit and that the town’s
main mosque was torched.
“They burnt houses and killed
civilians as well as soldiers,” a
source close to security forces said.
Another resident who had fled
to another town told AFP he knew
of at least 10 people who had been
killed.
After several hours of clashes
Cameroonian troops, backed by
Chadian forces who scrambled
back from Nigeria to help guard the
town, managed to repel the assault.
“People are coming back little
by little to assess the damage. The
survivors among the attackers have
left the town,” a source close to the
Cameroonian security services said.
No official death toll was immediately available.
“The insurgents have been driven out. They tried to surprise us
because the Chadian troops who
were in Fotokol had crossed over to
Nigeria,” said Cameroonian Information Minister Issa Tchiroma.
On Tuesday, nine Chadian soldiers were killed and 21 were injured
in Gamboru after around 2,000
troops backed by armoured vehicles poured across the border to
take the fight to Boko Haram after
days of clashes.
The sound of automatic gunfire
could still be heard yesterday in
the town as the troops combed the
town for remaining rebel elements.
The intervention came days after
the African Union backed plans for
a 7,500-strong five-nation regional
force to take on the extremists, who
control vast swathes of northeast
Nigeria.
Nigeria’s military has drawn
fierce criticism for failing to rein in
the insurgents, who have stepped
up their campaign of terror in the
northeast in the run-up to presi-
A security official stands guard at a campaign rally for frontline contender and Lagos governorship candidate for the People’s Democratic Party
Jimi Agbaje, in the Ikeja district in Lagos.
Nigeria may delay deadline for vote card distribution: election body
Nigeria may extend a deadline for
the distribution of voter ID cards for
its upcoming presidential election
beyond next Sunday, an electoral
commissioner said yesterday, but
no consideration was being given to
delaying the election itself.
Distribution of the cards in Africa’s
most populous nation has lagged
ahead of the hotly contested poll on
February 14 that will pit President
Goodluck Jonathan of the ruling
People’s Democratic Party against
former military ruler Muhammadu
Buhari of the All Progressives
Congress.
Asked if whether the election
date might have to be delayed,
Amina Zachary, a commissioner for
the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC), said: “Let’s see
how the PVC (permanent voter card)
distribution goes by February 8, then
maybe.”
She later clarified her comment,
saying INEC was only considering
possible extension of the February 8
deadline for the distribution of voter
cards, not any potential postponement of the election itself.
“We are continuing with our
distribution. We are watching the
distribution. We may extend the
distribution but nobody talked about
extension of an election, a delay in
the election,” she said.
INEC extended its deadline for voters to collect their cards to February
8, but only 44mn out of 68.8mn have
been distributed so far, with just 10
days to go before the poll.
Foreign powers are closely
observing how elections will be held
in Africa’s biggest economy and have
voiced concerns over violence in the
aftermath, as was the case after the
2011 election, when 800 people died.
National Security Adviser Sambo
Dasuki caused outrage when he
called for a postponement in London
last month, citing concerns over the
slow distribution of voter cards.
The opposition and civil society
groups say a delay would bring the
credibility of the election into question and they say People’s Democratic Party wants a postponement
because it fears losing. But they are
also concerned about the slow collection of cards by voters.
dential and parliamentary elections
on February 14.
In recent months the group,
which aims to establish an Islamic caliphate, has also carried
out increasing cross-border raids,
threatening regional security.
In Gamboru, the offensive, which
was preceded by days of Chadian
air strikes, had left scenes of desolation, with bodies lying on the
ground, houses destroyed, shops
gutted and trucks charred.
“We have routed this band of
terrorists,” the commander of the
Chadian contingent Ahmat Dari
told AFP on Tuesday, vowing to
“hunt them down everywhere.”
Nigeria has reacted defensively
to the presence of foreign troops
on its soil. “Nigeria’s territorial
integrity remains intact,” defence
spokesman Chris Olukolade insisted, claiming national forces
had “planned and are driving the
present onslaught against terrorists from all fronts in Nigeria, not
the Chadian forces”.
Regional forces have gone into
action on several fronts.
Chadian troops and vehicles have
massed near Boko Haram-held
towns along Nigeria’s border with
Niger, pointing the way to another
possible cross-border operation on
that frontier.
“A contingent of about 400 vehicles and tanks is stationed between
Mamori and Bosso,” Niger’s private
radio Anfani reported, echoing witness accounts.
France is supporting the operations by carrying out reconnaissance flights over border areas of
Chad and Cameroon to provide
them with intelligence, defence officials in Paris said.
At least 13,000 people have been
Ebola-hit S Leone schools to reopen on March 30
AFP
Freetown
S
ierra Leone said yesterday it
would reopen the country’s
schools on March 30, after
a seven-month shutdown to limit
the spread of the Ebola virus.
Classrooms have been empty since
the government announced a state
of emergency in July in response to
an outbreak which has killed almost
9,000 people in the region, more
than 3,000 of them in Sierra Leone.
President Ernest Bai Koroma’s
office said he had granted permis-
sion for work to start on “water and
sanitation issues, Ebola screenings
and psychosocial support”, ahead
of the reopening.
“Thermometers will be made
available to all schools to deal with
any sudden attack before referral to a holding centre,” education
minister Minkailu Bah was quoted
as saying. “Isolation centres will be
set up in each school and all primary school pupils will be dewormed.”
The announcement clarifies a
commitment made by the government in January to have all schools
open by the end of March.
Sierra Leone is one of three west
African countries hit by the deadliest Ebola outbreak on record, together with Guinea and Liberia.
The rate of new infections has
slowed significantly in recent
weeks, paving the way for a gradual
return to normal.
More than a third of Sierra Leone’s population of 6mn are aged
between three and 17, although in
reality the secondary school attendance rate is less than 40% for
both boys and girls.
There was a mixed reaction to
Sierra Leone’s announcement in
the capital Freetown, where private
radio station African Young Voices
was deluged with critical calls.
“The decision will be a recipe for
danger and it would have been better for the authorities to wait a few
more months before making the
reopening,” one caller said.
But another listener welcomed
“a thoughtful decision for all” that
would halt a rise in teenage pregnancy seen since schools closed
and show the war against Ebola
was being won.
In a second announcement yesterday, Sierra Leone said it was
delaying a population census originally planned for April until December because of the crisis.
The main issue is the uneven distribution across the states as the total is already higher than the number
that voted in 2011, Zachary said.
Out of Nigeria’s 36 states and its
federal capital territory, Abuja, 11
have distributed less than 60% of
the cards while 4 of those are below
50%.
Lagos, the most populous state
and opposition stronghold, has
distributed fewer than 40% of its
voter cards.
“We’ve sometimes just had one
person at some distribution stations
... now we put two but the cost is very
high ... it has eaten up all the money
as we have to pay INEC staff extra for
staying late,” Zachary said, lamenting
a lack of volunteers.
killed and more than a million forced
from their homes since Boko Haram
launched an insurgency in 2009.
The group has stepped up its attacks in recent weeks, in a move believed to be aimed at disrupting the
elections. The rebels have tried, in
vain, to capture the strategic northeastern town of Maiduguri twice in
the past week.
In January the militants carried
out a massacre in a town on Lake
Chad that houses a regional military
base. Hundreds of civilians were reported killed in the attack, according to Amnesty International.
21 killed in Congo
machete attack
Reuters
Kinshasa
A
t least 14 men and seven women were killed
overnight in the town of Mayangose in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo by machete-wielding attackers who, unusually, spared their
children, a civil society leader said yesterday.
Ugandan militants from the Allied Democratic
Forces (ADF) that operates along the Congo border attacked between 9pm (1900 GMT) and 1am, Omar Kavota, a spokesman for the Civil Society of North Kivu
said from the nearby city of Beni.
“They surprised the villagers who were sleeping in
their houses,” Kavota said. “They killed 14 men and
seven women, but this time they spared the young
children.”
Local government officials were not available for
comment.
Martin Kobler, head of the UN peacekeeping mission to Congo, Monusco, said in a statement that tens
of people had been killed in the attack.
More than a decade after the end of the 1998-2003
war, dozens of armed groups still operate in the country’s east, a region with vast reserves of gold, tin and
tantalum. The ADF has not made its motivation or
goals known.
The attack comes days after a shooting in the town
of Aru, some 450km north of Beni, in which 15 people were killed. Between October and December, close
to 300 people were killed, most with machetes and
hatchets, in overnight attacks in the Beni area that the
government and Monusco blamed on the ADF.
A UN panel of experts said it believed other armed
groups were also involved in the attacks in which a
large number of children were killed.
The Congolese army and Monusco forces have conducted joint operations targeting the ADF in recent
months and say they have been reduced to a few hundred men.
Rival Mali militias
battle it out
F
resh violence erupted yesterday between rebels and
pro-government fighters in restive northern Mali,
army sources said, the latest clashes in more than
a month of bloodshed. The two sides exchanged fire near
Tabankort, a powder-keg town in the Ifoghas mountains
which straddle the border with Algeria, a source from
Minusma, the UN’ peacekeeping force, told AFP.
“Pro-government armed groups took control of
the town of Tabricha, 15km from Tabankort,” said the
source, without being able to reveal a toll of deaths
and injuries. Both sides confirmed yesterday’s clashes,
each claiming to have “taken the upper hand”.
Tabankort is part of a large swathe of desert which is
the cradle of a Tuareg separatist movement that wants
independence for the homeland it calls ‘Azawad’, and
from which several rebellions have been launched
since the 1960s.
The town, northwest of the rebel stronghold of Kidal, is controlled by pro-government militias, however, which have clashed over the last month with armed
rebels, leading to the deaths of fighters and civilians.
Around a dozen people were killed last week when
a pro-government armed group, including suicide
bombers, launched an attack on rebel fighters in
Tabankort.
A separate Minusma source said yesterday a Malian
army vehicle hit a landmine near the caravan city of
Timbuktu, again without being able to say if there had
been deaths or injuries.
“The terrorists crossed the Niger river by canoe.
They arrived in the area of Didi village and then rode
a few kilometres by motorbike before placing the mine
on which a Malian army vehicle drove,” the source said.
The Malian army confirmed one of its trucks had exploded on a mine, without giving further details.
Algeria and the UN, which are leading mediation
talks between the government and rebels, fear the violence in the north will jeopardise the peace process.
Looting spree!
A man drags a bed
he looted from
a shop believed
to be owned
by a foreigner,
during protests in
Mohlakeng, west
of Johannesburg.
Local media
reported that
violence broke out
yesterday morning
when locals
barricaded roads
and burnt tyres
during a service
delivery protest.
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
17
AMERICAS
Guantanamo ‘not on
table in Cuba talks’
Cuba has sought the return of
Guantanamo as part of a deal
Reuters
Washington
T
he US State Department
official leading negotiations with the Cuban
government said yesterday the
United States is not considering
returning the US naval base at
Guantanamo Bay to Havana as it
discusses improved ties.
“The issue of Guantanamo is
not on the table in these conversations,” Roberta Jacobson, the
assistant secretary of State for
the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, testified during a
house of representatives hearing.
Cuban president Raul Castro
said last week that Havana’s demands in talks with the United
States toward normalising diplomatic relations had included the
return of the base.
Lawmakers raised the Guantanamo issue repeatedly in
a hearing that occasionally
turned contentious. Republicans
and some of president Barack
Obama’s fellow Democrats questioned whether his shift to end
the US isolation of Cuba would
do enough to improve human
rights on the Communist-ruled
island.
Assistant secretary of state Roberta Jacobson testifies before the
house foreign affairs committee.
“The administration may have
given a 50-year-old failed regime
a new lease on life to continue
its repression at home and militant support for Marxist regimes
abroad,” said Republican representative Ed Royce, chairman of
the house foreign affairs committee.
“I might have been more favorably impressed by the policy
if it hadn’t been such a complete
shock and if Congress had been
involved,” said Democratic representative Brad Sherman of California, one of several lawmakers
- including some who support
the new policy - who criticised
the administration for not consulting Congress.
Jacobson also said there were
no plans to shut down the US
government-funded Radio and
TV Marti. The two media outlets
are directed by the Office of Cuba
Broadcasting agency and aimed
at supporting opposition to the
Cuban government.
The Havana government has
long opposed the media outlets,
but current moves toward normalising relations are unlikely
to be stopped by the differences
over the broadcasters or Guan-
tanamo. More bilateral talks are
scheduled later this month.
Republican and Democratic
lawmakers who back Obama’s
policy shift have introduced legislation seeking to repeal US restrictions on Americans’ travel to
Cuba, and are writing more that
they intend to introduce in the
coming weeks seeking to ease the
half-century-long embargo.
But stiff opposition in Congress, which must approve ending the embargo, make it unlikely
that such measures will come up
for votes in the House or the Senate any time soon
A US national security panel
has weighed whether a suspected al Qaeda fighter from
Yemen with a history of disciplinary problems should remain
at the Guantanamo Bay military
prison.
The Pentagon said the prisoner, Khalid Ahmed Qasim, 38,
may have fought for the Taliban
in Afghanistan and is suspected
of joining Al Qaeda. He has been
detained without charge at the
US naval base in Guantanamo
Bay, Cuba, since May 2002.
A profile said Qasim had
committed hundreds of disciplinary infractions, including attacking and threatening
guards. He also has taken part in
a hunger strike.
“Let’s face it, his disciplinary
record is not good,” his lawyer,
Clive Stafford Smith, said during the hearing before the Periodic Review Board.
Smith, of the London-based
charity Reprieve, said Qasim
should be transferred because
other Guantanamo Bay prisoners with disciplinary problems
had been resettled without becoming security threats to the
United States.
He said Qasim had learned
excellent English with fine
penmanship and was studying
Spanish with a view to a transfer to South America. Smith
also questioned the truthfulness of Qasim’s accusers.
The Pentagon profile said
that while being held, Qasim
had regularly communicated
with relatives who are involved
in or sympathetic to extremism.
They include a brother who was
implicated in the 2000 attack
on the USS Cole off Yemen, in
which 17 US sailors died, it said.
The Periodic Review Board
could take weeks or months to
decide whether Qasim should
continue to be held or be transferred to Yemen or another
country.
About 20 minutes of the
hearing was carried on closedcircuit television from Guantanamo Bay to a viewing site
near the Pentagon.
Congressional medal
Canadian
with links
to IS group
arrested
AFP
Toronto
F
ederal police dismantled
an Islamic State group
recruiting network in
Canada, by arresting a Canadian with ties to IS for allegedly helping others join the
jihadists, authorities have said.
International warrants were
also issued through Interpol
for the arrest of two other men,
including a Canadian reportedly killed in Syria, for joining
the banned terror group and
encouraging others to follow
suit.
“We were able to disrupt an
organised network associated
with IS,” said Royal Canadian
Mounted Police (RCMP) assistant commissioner James
Malizia.
“This network was involved
in recruiting individuals for
terrorism purposes and in
sending them into Syria and
Iraq for the benefit of this terrorist group,” he added.
Awso Peshdary, 25, is in custody in Ottawa.
He had been previously
arrested as part of another
terrorism-related investigation, but was released due
to a lack of evidence, RCMP
Chief Superintendent Jennifer Strachan told a press
conference.
He also has social ties to
twin brothers and a third man
arrested on terror charges
mid-January.
Khadar Khalib, 23, and John
Maguire, 24, were charged in
absentia with leaving Canada
to join the Islamic State group.
Both were active on social
media denouncing Canada and
its allies in their fight against
IS. Maguire was said to have
been killed in 2014 but police
said they have no proof of his
death.
“We continue to work actively with our domestic and
international partners to return Khalib and Maguire to
Canada to be prosecuted,” said
Strachan.
According to police, Maguire
traveled to Turkey in December 2012 and is now a member
of IS. Peshdary stayed in contact with him “and together
they entered into a conspiracy
to send other Canadians to
Syria to join IS,” said Strachan.
Chalib traveled to Syria at
the end of 2014 and joined IS.
In a six-minute video posted
online, John Maguire, originally from Ottawa, warned
Canada that it faces retaliation
for participating in US-led airstrikes against IS.
Calling himself Abu Anwar al-Canadi, Maguire urged
Muslims to follow the example
of a driver in a hit-and-run
killing of a soldier near Montreal and of a gunman who
killed an unarmed soldier in
Ottawa last October.
Or, he said, Canadian Muslims should travel to Syria to
join IS.
Little is known about Khalib.
Peshdary was briefly detained in 2010 as part of an
investigation into an Ottawabased terror group that resulted in the convictions of
two men for plotting to attack
a repatriation ceremony at a
Canadian military base usually
attended by the minister of defence and chief of the defence
staff.
A third man—a Canadian
doctor of Pakistani heritage
who once auditioned for a televised talent show—was acquitted at trial of terrorism in
that case.
Mexican contractor
tied to Pemex bribe
attempt: US
Reuters
Mexico City
A
US house speaker John Boehner gives the Congressional Gold Medal to First Special Service Force veterans Eugene Gutierrez (2nd L) and Charles Mann, of Canada, during
a ceremony honoring them and their fellow members of the First Special Service Force at the US Capitol in Washington The ”Devil’s Brigade” special operations unit was
comprised of 1,800 soldiers from the United States and Canada during World War II. Also pictured is US senate majority leader Mitch McConnell.
Internet service to be ‘public utility’
AFP
Washington
T
he top US telecom regulator proposed yesterday to
regulate broadband Internet service providers as “public
utility” carriers, in a renewed
effort to enforce “net neutrality”
rules.
Federal
Communications
Commission chairman Tom
Wheeler unveiled the plan which
aims to prevent Internet providers from playing favourites or
blocking some services or allowing others to pay for “fast lanes”.
The new proposal comes a
year after a federal court struck
down the FCC neutrality rules,
saying it lacked the authority
because Internet providers were
not “common carriers” under US
telecom law.
The plan, which is expected
to unleash a fresh legal and political battle, aims to resolve the
impasse by reclassifying Internet
service providers as regulated
entities under the 1934 Telecommunications Act.
“The Internet must be fast, fair
and open,” Wheeler said in an essay in Wired magazine.
“That is the message I’ve heard
from consumers and innovators
across this nation. That is the
principle that has enabled the
Internet to become an unprecedented platform for innovation
and human expression.”
Wheeler said his plan, to be
submitted to the five-member
commission for a vote later
this month, would call for “the
strongest open Internet protections ever proposed by the FCC”.
He would ban “paid prioritisation”, which would allow services
to pay for faster connections, as
well as “blocking and throttling
of lawful content and services”.
Wheeler said he would apply
the rules to the mobile Internet
for the first time as well.
“My proposal assures the
rights of Internet users to go
where they want, when they
want, and the rights of innovators to introduce new products
without asking anyone’s permission.”
Critics of the approach argue
that the 1930s-style regulation
would choke off investment in
the Internet and stifle innovation.
Wheeler said, however, that he
would use only portions of the
“Title II” regulation, “tailoring
it for the 21st century, in order
to provide returns necessary to
construct competitive networks”.
He pledged “no rate regulation” or tariffs and said his plans
“can encourage investment and
competition.”
“Heavily regulating the
Internet for the first
time is unnecessary and
counterproductive”
A senior FCC official said the
move represents a “light touch”
effort which uses only some segments of the 1934 law without
imposing fees or other types
regulation.
The “neutrality” rules aim
to ensure that all services have
equal access to the Internet, so
that a provider such as Verizon or
AT&T could not block a service
such as Netflix and favour a rival
like Hulu.
Reaction to the plan, speculation about which has been swirling for days, was swift.
Doug Brake at the Information Technology and Innovation
Foundation, a conservative think
tank, said the plan was “an unjustified, overblown response to
what has in actuality been a byand-large hypothetical concern”.
Brake said the plan represents
“a strong shift towards a European-style, precautionary regulation” and that it would “Balkanize the Internet into distinct
private networks and specialized
services”.
But the digital rights group
Access Now welcomed the move
as a win for Internet consumers.
“The FCC’s move will be felt
far beyond US borders,” said Access Now policy counsel Peter
Micek.
“Advocates around the world—
from Argentina to Turkey to
South Korea to the European Union—are fighting for many of the
same protections as those being proposed by Wheeler. Global
policymakers can now look to the
US for clues as to what will help
protect all Internet users.”
Nuala O’Connor of the Center
for Democracy and Technology said the Wheeler plan “has
protected the foundation of the
democratic Internet. This is an
important day for everyone who
enjoys the benefits of a fair and
open Internet.”
The new initiative comes after
the January 2014 ruling by a federal appeals court which struck
down the FCC’s 2010 rules on net
neutrality.
But even if the new proposal is
adopted, a fresh legal challenge is
likely.
Verizon, which filed the earlier
legal challenge, quickly criticized
the new Wheeler plan.
“Heavily regulating the Internet for the first time is unnecessary and counterproductive,” said Verizon vice president
Michael Glover.
“It is unnecessary because all
participants in the Internet ecosystem support an open Internet, and the FCC can address any
harmful behavior without taking
this radical step.”
jailed Mexican businessman serving time
for laundering money
and his son discussed bribing
an official at Mexico’s national
oil company, Pemex, to win
contracts, according to court
documents.
In 2013, Francisco Pancho
Colorado, the owner of Veracruz-based oil services company ADT Petroservicios, was
convicted in a US federal court
of laundering drug money for
the Zetas drug cartel by purchasing racehorses and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
On Monday, the US Western
District Court of Texas added
five years to his sentence on an
additional charge: conspiring
in 2013 with his son and a business associate while he was in
prison awaiting trial, to bribe
a US federal judge assigned to
his case.
On Saturday, Assistant US
Attorney Douglas Gardner
filed transcripts of telephone
calls Colorado made last
month from Bastrop County
Jail in Texas to his son, who is
living in Mexico after serving
a year sentence on the bribery
charge.
According to prosecutors,
Colorado admonished his son
for failing to follow his instructions to give money to
two senators from Mexico’s
ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party, Hector Yunes
and Jose Yunes, as well as a
Pemex official named Placido
Reyes. Colorado said his company lost a contract because
“my contacts were not tended
to”.
“Your job is more to focus
on the contacts than on the
... operations, OK? Do you get
it?” Colorado said, according
to a translated transcript of the
Spanish phone conversation
on Jan. 19.
The two senators and
the Pemex official were not
charged with any wrongdoing.
Jose Yunes and Pemex did not
respond to requests for comment.
Hector Yunes said he knew
Francisco Colorado as an important businessman from Veracruz and they were familiar
with each other from public
events, but they never had direct dealings and Colorado’s
son had never approached him.
“This (transcript) doesn’t
offend me. It doesn’t discredit
me. It doesn’t involve me in
anything irregular,” he added.
Colorado’s attorney, Chris
Flood, said the transcripts
were irrelevant to the charge
Colorado attempted to bribe
the judge. He also said they
were unsubstantiated, because
Gardner did not submit recordings of the calls.
Colorado is appealing the
five year sentence for the bribe
attempt as well as the original
money laundering charges at
the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. He says he was threatened and coerced into buying
horses for members of the Zetas cartel, and the purchases
were made with legitimate
profits from his business with
Pemex, not drug proceeds.
Last month, Reuters reported that, in 2009, Mexico’s
Public Administration Ministry had banned Colorado’s
company, ADT Petroservicios,
from receiving government
contracts on unrelated charges
of committing fraud in an oil
spill clean-up project. ADT
appealed and went on to win
$35mn in additional contracts
from Pemex before the ban was
implemented in 2011.
18
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
ASEAN
Aircraft skids off runway on holiday island
AFP
Jakarta
A
passenger jet skidded off
the runway as it landed
at a holiday island in central Indonesia, a spokesman said
yesterday, just weeks after the
deadly crash of an AirAsia jet in
the archipelago.
None of the 33 people on board
were hurt when the turboprop
jet belonging to Indonesian flag
carrier Garuda slid about 10 metres off the runway into the grass
at the airport on Lombok island,
said the spokesman.
The ATR 72-600 plane was
arriving from the neighbouring island of Bali, also a popular
holiday destination, when the
accident happened on Tuesday
evening. “All the people on board
— 29 passengers including a
baby, and four crew members —
are safe and unhurt,” spokesman
Ikhsan Rosan said. Everyone on
the plane was able to disembark
using the normal stairs, he said.
News website Detik reported
that the airport was closed after
the accident but reopened for
smaller aircraft yesterday.
It was the latest accident to hit
the aviation sector in Indonesia,
adding to concerns that safety
standards are failing to keep pace
as the vast archipelago’s skies
become increasingly crowded.
An AirAsia plane crashed into
the Java Sea on December 28
during what was supposed to
be a short flight from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore, killing all 162 people on
board.
The Garuda accident came
the day before a TransAsia Airways plane — also an ATR 72600 — clipped a road bridge and
plunged into a river outside Taiwan’s capital, leaving at least 11
feared dead.
A plane of Indonesia’s flag carrier Garuda Airlines lies off the runway at the airport on Lombok island yesterday.
Aussies on Indonesia death
row lose last-ditch legal bid
AFP
Denpasar
T
wo Australian drug traffickers facing imminent
execution in Indonesia
lost a legal bid to have their cases
reviewed yesterday, dashing
their final hope of avoiding the
firing squad.
Andrew Chan and Myuran
Sukumaran, ringleaders of the
so-called “Bali Nine” drugsmuggling gang, were arrested in
2005 and sentenced to death the
following year for attempting to
smuggle heroin out of Indonesia.
New President Joko Widodo,
who has been a vocal supporter
of capital punishment, recently
rejected their appeals for clemency, typically a death row convict’s final chance to avoid execution.
But their legal team sought
a fresh judicial review of their
convictions, saying the men, in
their early 30s, had been rehabilitated during their time in jail
on the resort island of Bali.
However, the attorney general
had already insisted no second
review would be permitted, and
said this week the pair would
be included in the next batch of
prisoners to be executed, after
Jakarta put six drug convicts to
death last month.
Yesterday, a court in the Balinese capital Denpasar said their
application for a new review had
been rejected.
“The application for a judicial review will not be accepted,”
Denpasar district court spokesman Hasoloan Sianturi told reporters.
He said that the applications
did not fulfil the requirements,
such as presenting new evidence.
Their lawyers had merely argued that the judges who undertook the first judicial review
-- carried out during the men’s
lengthy appeal process -- had
handed down the wrong decision, he added.
Australian Prime Minister
Tony Abbott has appealed for
Jakarta not to go ahead with the
executions but Widodo, known
as Jokowi, reiterated his tough
line yesterday that traffickers
would not be granted clemency.
“There are no more pardons
for drugs,” he told a meeting
of the country’s national antidrugs agency, adding the country was facing an “emergency”
due to the increasing use of narcotics.
Authorities have said they are
ready to execute seven foreign
drug offenders who recently lost
their appeals for presidential
clemency. As well as the Australians, these include convicts from
France and Brazil.
Getting ready for Lunar New Year celebrations
Thai premier
says poll
early next year
Reuters
Bangkok
T
hai Prime Minister and
coup leader Prayuth
Chan-ocha said yesterday that a roadmap to return
the country to democracy was
on schedule, confirming plans
for a general election in early
2016.
Prayuth’s comments came
amid renewed tensions in
Thailand, following twin
bomb blasts in Bangkok on
Sunday and last month’s decision to ban former Prime
Minister Yingluck Shinawatra
from politics.
“If everything goes according to our plan at the start of
next year there will be a new
general election,” Prayuth told
reporters in Bangkok, following a high-level meeting with
cabinet members, the military
and the country’s legislature.
“As far as I have heard from
all sides, the roadmap we have
planned is moving forward as
scheduled.”
Prayuth did not give an exact date, but deputies have
previously stated an election
would be held by February
2016 at the earliest.
Thailand has been divided
for nearly a decade between
rival camps: one led by former
Prime
Minister
Thaksin
Shinawatra, who like his sister Yingluck was deposed in
a coup, and the other by the
Bangkok-based royalist-military establishment.
Yingluck, Thailand’s first
female prime minister, came to
power in a landslide election in
2011, backed by voters mostly
in the north and northeast of
the country.
She was removed from office in May, after a court found
her guilty of abuse of power, days before the military
staged a coup after months
of street demonstrations in
Bangkok aimed at ousting her
government.
Myanmar condemns
UN official’s remark
Reuters
Yangon
M
A man decorating for the coming “Tet” Lunar New Year holidays, at his family workshop in the village of Phuc Am on the outskirts of Hanoi, Vietnam. Making votive paper
offerings is a flourishing business for villages around the Hanoi region, especially during “Tet” or the Lunar New Year holidays and following weeks of spring festivities in
northern Vietnam. Vietnamese, especially those from the northern part of the country, believe that by burning votive paper models in various shapes, such as horses,
clothing, houses or cars, their ancestors will have what they need in the afterlife. The 2015 Lunar New Year’s “Year of the Sheep” begins on February 19.
yanmar
yesterday
condemned a UN official for using the
term Rohingya to describe a
persecuted minority that the
government refers to as Bengali, which implies they are
illegal immigrants from neighbouring Bangladesh.
Most of Myanmar’s 1.1mn
ethnic Rohingya Muslims are
stateless and live in apartheid-
like conditions in Rakhine
state in the west of the predominantly Buddhist country.
The government is carrying
out a controversial citizenship
verification process, which
requires Rohingya to list their
identities as Bengali.
The UN Special Rapporteur
on Human Rights in Myanmar, Yanghee Lee, said conditions were “abysmal” in
camps where almost 140,000
Rohingya remain after being
displaced in clashes with ethnic Rakhine Buddhists in 2012.
CRIME
Advert urging
Malaysians to fire
maids angers Jakarta
Indonesia yesterday urged
Malaysia to ban an advertisement by a Malaysian company
selling robotic vacuum cleaners
that tells people to dismiss their
Indonesian maids.
The ad by Robovac Malaysia
sparked anger in Indonesia after
a picture of it was posted on the
Internet. “Fire your Indonesian
maid now,” said the ad, with the
word “Indonesian” underlined.
“The ad by the private company
Robovac is utterly insensitive and
demeaning to the people of Indonesia,” the Indonesian embassy
in Malaysia said.
“We urge Malaysian authorities to
ban the ad,” it said. The embassy
said it had consulted lawyers to
consider legal action.
“The use of the slogan shows the
product is shoddy because they
rely on bombastic language to
stir a controversy,” an Indonesian,
Danan Pradana, said on Twitter.
About 2mn Indonesians work
in Malaysia, mainly as domestic
help and menial labourers.
Anwar warns guilty ruling could backfire on govt
AFP
Kuala Lumpur
O
pposition leader Anwar
Ibrahim said yesterday
that any move to jail
him next week on controversial
sodomy charges could backfire
against the Malaysian government.
The nation’s highest court is
to deliver a final decision Tuesday on Anwar’s appeal against
a sodomy conviction and fiveyear jail term handed down last
year.
A guilty verdict could effectively end the 67-year-old’s
career, removing the key player
in a opposition coalition that
has one of the world’s longestruling governments on the run.
“That to my mind is for
sure,” Anwar said, when asked
whether jailing him would turn
him into a martyr and drive yet
more support to the opposition.
Malaysia’s opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim speaks to the media
ahead of the verdict in his final appeal against a conviction for
sodomy in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
“Throughout history, (persecuting political opponents)
has always backfired.”
“Will this lead to further
disgruntlement and therefore
a surge in support (for the op-
position)? I believe so,” he told
members of the Foreign Correspondents Club of Malaysia.
Anwar stopped short of calling on supporters to take to the
streets.
Anwar has long dismissed
the charge that he sodomised
a young male former aide. He
calls it part of a long-running
effort by the 58-year-old
government to kill his political career and decapitate the
opposition.
Anwar said he was “cautiously optimistic” about the
court decision, adding his
lawyers had thoroughly disproved the charge in appeal
hearings before the Federal
Court late last year.
He was convicted of sodomy last March for the second
time in his tumultuous political career.
In the 1990s, Anwar was
a rising star in the United
Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the main party
in the ruling coalition. But a
power struggle with thenpremier Mahathir Mohamed
ended in 1998 with Anwar
purged. He was later jailed for
six years on sodomy and corruption charges widely seen
as politically motivated.
That jailing triggered the
nation’s biggest-ever antigovernment protests.
The sodomy charge was
later dismissed.
Joining the opposition after his release, Anwar has led
it to unprecedented electoral
gains in the multiracial country with pledges to end corruption, civil liberties abuses
and UMNO’s racially divisive
politics.
A lower court initially acquitted Anwar of the second
sodomy charge in 2012. But
the government appealed and
won last year, a result that
the US State Department said
raised doubts about the rule
of law.
Man held over
faked report on
king’s health
Thai police yesterday said they
had detained a 25-year-old man for
suspected royal defamation after
he allegedly posted online a forged
report on the health of the country’s
ailing but revered monarch. The
statement, mocked-up to look like
an official palace notice, began circulating online late Monday, spreading quickly through social media
and messaging apps. It claimed
to give details about 87-year-old
King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s health,
prompting Thailand’s junta to issue
a swift denial of its veracity and
pledge to hunt down the author of
the fake report. Late on Tuesday authorities detained Krit Buddeejin, 25,
a musician from northeast Thailand,
without given further details.
“Police will investigate whether
he was involved in making the
statement or not,” national police
spokesman Prawut Thawornsiri
told reporters yesterday. “He was
detained by the military under martial
law and police will fast-track an arrest
warrant under article 112 and the
Computer Crime Act,” he added.
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
19
AUSTRALASIA/EAST ASIA
The TransAsia ATR 72-600 turboprop plane clipping an elevated motorway and hitting a taxi before crashing into the Keelung river. Right: Rescue personnel help passengers as they wait to be transported to land from the wreckage.
At least 25 dead as Taiwan
plane plunges into river
TransAsia’s safety record has
taken another hit
AFP
Taipei
A
t least 25 people were
killed yesterday when a
passenger plane operated
by TransAsia Airways clipped an
overpass soon after take-off and
plunged into a river in Taiwan,
the airline’s second crash in seven months.
As the rescue operation continued into the night, a crane lifted the rear and central sections
of the plane from the water, with
one body retrieved from inside.
The front part, where 17 people
are believed to be trapped, was
still in the water.
TransAsia said 16 survivors
had been pulled out of the wreckage after the turboprop plane
crashed with 58 people onboard.
Many of the passengers were
mainland Chinese tourists.
Cold weather, poor visibility and rising water levels were
hampering the rescue, officials
said, admitting they were now
“not optimistic” about finding
survivors.
Dramatic amateur video footage showed the TransAsia ATR
72-600 hit an elevated road as
it banked sidelong towards the
Keelung River, leaving a trail of
debris including a smashed taxi.
“I saw a taxi, probably just me-
tres ahead of me, being hit by one
wing of the plane. The plane was
huge and really close to me. I’m
still trembling,” one witness told
TVBS news channel.
An AFP reporter at the scene
saw bodies being pulled from the
wreckage into the early evening.
Desperate crew members
shouted “Mayday! Mayday! Engine flameout!” as the plane
plunged out of the sky, according
to a recording thought to be the
final message from the cockpit to
the control tower, played on local
television.
Aviation officials said they had
not released the cockpit recording, suggesting it may have come
from amateurs monitoring the
radio.
“An engine flameout refers
to the engine shutting down in
flight,” said Daniel Tsang, founder of Hong Kong-based aviation
consultancy Aspire Aviation.
“The engine stops producing
thrust and the combustion process fails and no longer generates
any forward propulsion to the
aeroplane.”
But Tsang told AFP that pilots
were “very well trained” to deal
with the failure of one engine and
the causes of the accident were
likely to be more complex.
It was the second fatal crash
involving a TransAsia Airways
plane within a few months. A
flight operated by the domestic
airline crashed in July during a
storm, killing 48 people.
Rescuers lift the wreckage of the TransAsia ATR 72-600 from the Keelung river at New Taipei City.
Yesterday’s accident happened
just before 11 am (0300 GMT),
shortly after Flight GE235 left
Songshan airport in northern
Taipei en route to the island of
Kinmen with 53 passengers and
five crew on board.
Six airline officials, including chief executive Peter Chen,
bowed in apology at a televised
press conference.
“We would like to convey our
apologies to the families (of the
victims) and we’d also like to
voice huge thanks to rescuers
Chinese to enforce
strict rules on Net
Agencies
Beijing
C
hina will ban from March 1 Internet accounts that impersonate people or organisations, and enforce the requirement that
people use real names when registering accounts
online, its Internet watchdog said yesterday.
China has repeatedly made attempts to require
Internet users to register for online accounts using their real names, although with mixed success.
The ban on impersonations includes accounts
that purport to be government bodies, such as
China’s anti-corruption agency and news organisations like the People’s Daily state newspaper, as well as accounts that impersonate foreign
leaders, such as US president Barack Obama and
Russia’s Vladimir Putin, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said on its website.
Many users of social media create parody accounts of prominent figures and institutions to
poke fun at them. The new regulations are part of
efforts to impose real-name registration requirements on Internet users and halt the spread of rumours online, CAC said.
The measure reflects China’s tightening control of the Internet, which has accelerated since
president Xi Jinping took power in early 2013.
Internet companies will have the responsibility
to enforce the rules, said the CAC. Among these
are Tencent Holdings Ltd , which runs hugely
popular instant messaging services WeChat and
QQ, and microblog operator Weibo Corp, as well
as several online forums.
Weibo strongly supports adoption of the regulations and will strengthen its management efforts, a spokesman said by e-mail. In the past
month, Weibo has removed 293 accounts with
“harmful names”, including those which are political, pornographic and related to public security, he said.
Tencent declined immediate comment.
China operates one of the world’s most sophisticated online censorship mechanisms, known as
the Great Firewall. Censors keep a tight grip on
what can be published online, particularly content seen as potentially undermining the ruling
Communist Party.
China’s military will toughen ideological background checks on its troops and strictly control
their internet and mobile phone use in an effort
to combat spying by “hostile forces”, state media
said yesterday.
The guideline issued by China’s powerful Central Military Commission and carried by the official People’s Liberation Army Daily said military personnel were forbidden from blogging and
using online chat programmes.“Some Western
countries have intensified plotting against our
country with ‘colour revolutions’, an online ‘cultural Cold War’ ... trying in vain to uproot the
spirit of our military officers and soldiers,” a commentary in the PLA Daily said.
China’s education minister said last week the
country must remove “Western values” from its
classrooms. In late December, President Xi Jinping called for greater ideological guidance in
universities and urged the study of Marxism.
Political and ideological education must be
implemented to improve the military, the guideline added. The armed forces must also toughen
measures to prevent the leaking of secrets, it
added. Toughening political examinations of
military personnel would prevent “sabotage by
hostile forces and corrosion by degenerate ideas
and culture,” the guideline added.
who have been racing against
time,” said Chen.
In a statement later, the airline
said that 25 were confirmed dead,
with 16 survivors.
Those missing are thought to
be trapped inside the submerged
front section of the plane.
“As it has been a while and the
weather is cold, things are not
optimistic, but rescuers will do
everything to find and rescue the
remaining missing people,” said
Lin Kuan-cheng from the National Fire Agency.
“Rising water levels and poor
visibility underwater has made
the work very difficult,” added
senior rescue official Wu Chunhung.
There has been no official
comment on the cause of the
crash, but the black boxes have
been retrieved from the Frenchmade aircraft.
France’s civil aviation body
said two of its investigators
and four from plane manufacturer ATR were being dispatched to assist Taiwanese
Beijing voices
concern about
US missiles in
S Korea
AFP
Beijing
C
hina expressed concern about the possible deployment of an advanced US
missile defence system in South Korea
during talks yesterday between their defence
chiefs, Seoul military officials said.
Washington is considering whether to install the politically sensitive THAAD (Terminal High-Altitude Area Defence) system in
the South, a close US ally which hosts 29,000
American troops.
US officials have tried to portray any THAAD
system based in South Korea as non-threatening. It is designed to shoot down ballistic missiles at a higher altitude with a “hit-to-kill” approach. At talks in Seoul with his South Korean
counterpart Han Min-Koo, Chinese defence
minister Chang Wanquan expressed “concern”
at the US move, Han’s office said.
In response, it said, Han clarified South Korea’s position that there have been no formal
discussions about the THAAD deployment. The
office declined to disclose details.
South Korea has been reluctant to take part
in a proposed US-led regional missile defence
system because China and Russia view it as a
threat to their security. It was the first time that
a ranking Chinese official had publicly raised
the THAAD issue with South Korea, according
to Yonhap news agency. The ministers agreed
to establish a hotline between them as soon
as possible, Yonhap said, adding related talks
would probably begin next week.
authorities with their enquiries.
Rescue boats remained in the
water late, where the remaining front section of the plane is
completely submerged.
Rescuers with flashlights
scoured through the rear and
central parts of the plane after
they were brought to shore by
crane.
Earlier in the day survivors
had been ferried to safety in
dinghies as rescuers tried to pull
people out with ropes.
China’s Xiamen Daily said on
its social media account that the
31 mainlanders on board were
part of two tour groups from the
eastern Chinese city.
One tour guide now confirmed dead, named as Wang
Qinghuo, had been due to marry
on Sunday, it added.
Xiamen is in Fujian province,
across the Taiwan Strait from
the island.
An employee of one of the
tour agencies, surnamed Wen,
told AFP that it had 15 clients
onboard, including three children under 10.
The rest of the passengers and
crew were Taiwanese, according
to the airline.
Aviation officials said the
plane crashed minutes after taking off from Songshan airport,
after losing contact with the
control tower.
Lin Chih-ming, head of Taiwan’s Civil Aeronautics Administration, said the ATR 72-600
was less than a year old and was
last serviced just over a week
ago. The pilot had 14,000 flying
hours and the co-pilot 4,000
hours, he added.
The airline said it had received
the plane in April last year and it
was the newest model of the ATR.
In last July’s crash, the 48
people were killed when another domestic TransAsia flight
crashed onto houses during a
storm on the Taiwanese island
of Penghu.
Australia’s leader
loses key support
Reuters
Sydney
E
mbattled Australian prime minister
Tony Abbott yesterday lost the unconditional support of a key political ally, renewing speculation he could be
pushed out by his own party.
Abbott has faced criticism over policies
ranging from his handling of the economy
to the award of an Australian knighthood
to Queen Elizabeth’s husband, prince
Philip.
Senator Arthur Sinodinos, a chief adviser to Abbott’s mentor, former prime minister John Howard, told Sky News television the speculation was “not just media
hype” and needed to be addressed.
“My support for him has been based on
his performance, his courage, his capacity
to make the right calls for the country in
opposition and in government,” Sinodinos
said. “But that support ongoing is not unconditional.”
Sinodinos is widely considered one of
the savviest political operators in Abbott’s
team, capable of reining in renegade party
members. A hiatus he took from politics
was partially blamed for Howard being
voted out in 2007.
Some parliamentarians in Abbott’s
Australian Liberal Party want to vote on
his removal as early as Feb 10, at the next
scheduled party meeting.
Abbott has dismissed talk of a challenge
as having been drummed up by a few malcontents within his party and the media.
Sinodinos’ comments follow a call by
another member of parliament, Dennis Jensen, to put Abbott’s leadership to a
vote.
Allies have spoken out in support of Abbott and it is unlikely enough detractors
now exist to oust him.
The minister of communications, Malcom Turnbull, has denied media reports
he was canvassing other party members
on their positions should he seek to replace Abbott.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, who had
told the cabinet she would not challenge
Abbott, declined on Wednesday to rule
out standing for prime minister if the job
became vacant.
Removing Abbott would need support
from more than 51 of the 102 members of
the federal Liberal party, to force a party
room vote.
To assuage critics, Abbott has agreed to
abandon some of his most controversial
and divisive plans, including additional
general services taxes and a paid parental
leave program.
He also retracted the prime minister’s
power to appoint knights and dames after
a storm of controversy when he knighted
Prince Philip.
“I accept that I probably overdid it on
awards ... I have listened, I have learned, I
have acted, and those particular captain’s
picks which people have found difficult
have been reversed,” Abbott told reporters.
A staunch monarchist with a strong allegiance to Britain, Abbott has rankled
indigenous Australians by claiming Australia was “unsettled” before the British
arrived.
20
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
BRITAIN
LEGAL
LEGAL
ART
PEOPLE
AVIATION
Archers settle
phone-hacking claims
Judge orders
runaway into care
Plea over tube
murals removal
Scherzinger and
Hamilton ‘split up’
Quick decision on London
airport expansion urged
Jeffrey and Mary Archer and their son James
have settled their phone-hacking claims
against News Group Newspapers (NGN). The
best-selling author, his scientist wife and
businessman son had decided to accept NGN’s
offer of substantial undisclosed damages, the
payment of their legal costs and an unqualified
apology, said Hugh Tomlinson QC at London’s
High Court. He told Justice Mann yesterday
that they had brought proceedings against
the publisher of the now-defunct News of
the World for misuse of private information,
breach of confidence and harassment. None of
the Archers were in court.
A teenage girl who ran away from home more
than 40 times in six months and became involved
in drugs and crime should be taken into local
authority care, a judge has ruled. Judge Sarah
Singleton was told that the youngster - now 16 - had
put herself at risk of sexual assault and exploitation
and had associated with men known to pose a
“sexual risk” to children. The youngster’s family
had been seriously concerned about her “conduct
and personality” since an early age, said the judge.
And her behaviour had become “markedly worse”
when she reached adolescence. Detail of the case
has emerged in a ruling by the judge following a
hearing at a family court in Lancaster.
Modern public art in London should be surveyed
for a national register, a leading conservation body
has urged. The plea from The Twentieth Century
Society follows public outcry at the decision
by transport bosses to remove colourful 1980s
mosaics at Tottenham Court Road station. Large
portions of the works by Sir Eduardo Paolozzi have
disappeared as part of £400mn works for Crossrail,
although Transport for London said they tried to
preserve as much as possible. More than 7,500
people have signed a petition calling for the mosaics
to stay. Henrietta Billings, of the society, said that had
they known the extent of the mosaic removal they
would have lobbied for them to be listed.
Former Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger has
split up with Formula One driver boyfriend
Lewis Hamilton, according to reports. The singer,
currently starring in Cats in the West End, is said to
have put the brakes on the relationship because
Hamilton would not commit to marriage. The pair,
who got together in 2007, are said to have split
up several times over the years. Speaking about
the relationship late last year, she said she had “no
idea” if the couple would stay together. She said: “
How in the world am I supposed to tell you that?
I don’t know - I take everything one moment at a
time and I count my blessings. But, right now, I’m
just focusing on the music.”
Sixty business leaders urged political leaders to
commit in their election manifestos to making
a swift decision on the controversial issue of
London airport expansion. Lawmakers have for
years agreed that Britain needs a new runway
to remain economically competitive, but
deciding where is a toxic political issue because
of the cost and impact on the environment. A
government-commissioned taskforce is due
to make a recommendation this summer. The
60 business leaders signed a letter asking
politicians campaigning for the May 7 general
election to promise to act swiftly on the
taskforce’s advice.
BBC Trust
chair warns
govt over
interference
Guardian News and Media
London
B
BC Trust chair Rona
Fairhead has warned
the government there is
no public appetite for political interference in the BBC in
a bid to avoid a repeat of the
“shotgun” licence fee deal of
2010 that ushered in a new era
of cuts at the corporation.
Fairhead told the Royal Television Society the “BBC should
be kept out of politics as far as
possible”.
She warned that the BBC
would face “vigorous attempts
to influence it” in the run-up to
the general election with “barbs
from all sides about the impartiality of the BBC’s coverage.
The BBC must withstand that”.
Fairhead’s speech, which
called for an unprecedented
degree of clarity about what
the BBC is for and how much it
should cost, will be seen as an
attempt to avert a repeat of the
quick fix licence fee settlement
of five years ago.
The hastily negotiated deal,
which followed frantic negotiations with the government and
saw the corporation take on a
range of new funding responsibilities including the World
Service, was compared by its
world affairs editor John Simpson to “waterboarding”.
Unveiling
BBC-commissioned research which said 55%
of people wanted the licence
fee set by an independent body,
against 23% who said it should
be the remit of government or
MPs, Fairhead said: “There was
very little support for any government intervention in the
BBC.
“People see a need for independent scrutiny and regulation, but they prefer this to be
done by a separate body representing licence fee payers, not
by government or MPs.
“Politicians need to understand that strength of feeling
about independence. The BBC
doesn’t belong to the state.”
With negotiations about the
BBC’s new royal charter and
licence fee set to begin in earnest after May’s general election, Fairhead said it “ought to
be crystal clear what the BBC
has agreed to do as part of its
public service remit” following
a “proper public debate”.
“That should include greater
clarity about the costs that
go with such purposes. If it
continues to provide a worldbeating World Service or World
News, that has significant cost.
We ought to be explicit about
the deal that is being struck in
any new charter and the financial consequences of it.”
Fairhead, currently in the
process of considering management’s proposals to close
the BBC3 TV channel , said
the majority of people saw the
£145.50 licence fee as value for
money but said there needed to
be “much better understanding
of the trade-offs that will have
to be made, what audiences expect of the BBC and what they
are willing to pay”.
Fairhead used the speech to
say the BBC should generate
more revenue from its content
through its commercial arm,
BBC Worldwide.
She said one of her “less
pleasant surprises” when assuming the role was how little
the BBC did to use data to understand its audiences and offer a more personal service to
licence fee payers. “The BBC is
a long way behind the competition,” she said.
Fairhead, the former chief
executive of the Financial Times
group who succeeded Lord Patten as head of the trust last year,
also said the BBC had to look
again at its role in education,
hinting at an expanded role for
the corporation.
Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, attend the British Asian Trust dinner in central London. Also seen are Indian child rights activist and 2014 Nobel Peace Prize
winner, Kailash Satyarthi (left), and Bollywood actress Rani Mukerjee.
I know limits of my
role as king: Charles
London Evening Standard
London
P
rince Charles yesterday hit
back over “ill-informed
speculation” on his attitude to becoming king and insisted he knows exactly what is
expected of him.
In an unprecedented move
his top aide, Sir William Nye,
issued a letter saying: “After
half a century in public life, few
could be better placed than the
prince to understand the necessary and proper limitations
Ed Balls gaffe adds
to Labour’s woes
Reuters
London
T
he man who will be Britain’s finance minister if
the opposition Labour
Party win an election on May
7 found himself the butt of
jokes yesterday after forgetting
during a live TV interview the
name of an important backer
from the ranks of business.
Ed Balls had been trying to defend Labour against accusations
by the ruling Conservatives and
by some business figures that it
is anti-business when his efforts
backfired.
Asked by a BBC interviewer
to name business figures who
supported Labour, Balls gave the
name “Bill”, then appeared at a
loss for words for a few seconds.
Pressed for Bill’s surname,
Balls said it had “gone from my
head, which is a bit annoying at
this time of night”.
He was in fact referring to Bill
Thomas, a former senior executive at Hewlett-Packard unit
EDS, who led a review of policy
on small business for Labour.
While not a major issue in
itself, the memory lapse is unhelpful to Labour because it
feeds into a Conservative campaign theme that the Labour
leadership don’t care about
business and can’t be trusted to
run the economy.
Balls’ interview came just
after Ed Miliband, the Labour
leader and potential prime
minister, clashed with the
boss of high street retailer
Boots, Stefano Pessina, who
said a Labour government
“would not be helpful for
business”.
Miliband accused Pessina of
tax avoidance and of protecting
powerful vested interests against
necessary reforms.
Balls, 47, tried to make light of
his awkward interview, writing
on Twitter: “It’s an age thing!”
But Conservative legislators
seized the opportunity to lampoon Balls, a veteran politician
who spent years working closely
with Labour’s former prime
minister Gordon Brown when
he was finance minister, and was
also a minister himself.
“Oh Ed, it’s so much more
than an age thing,” wrote Conservative member of parliament
Andrew Percy on Twitter.
“Ed Balls’ Newsnight interview shows that Labour (government) would collapse business confidence and cause the
job losses that inevitably result,”
wrote fellow Conservative legislator Graham Stuart.
Earlier Simon Woodroffe,
the founder of restaurant
chain Yo! Sushi and a former
Labour supporter, said he
was worried about the way Ed
Miliband had targeted business leaders.
In the latest criticism of Labour’s approach, Woodroffe
said Miliband was saying “look
at these fat cats making lots
of money, it should be for the
workers”.
He continued: “Actually, I
think the fat cats, generally,
sometimes it annoys me, but
they pay their taxes, you know”.
on the role of a constitutional
monarch.”
He added: “Should he be called
to the throne, the prince of Wales
will be inspired by the examples of
his mother and grandfather, while
drawing also on his own experience of a lifetime of service.”
The strongly worded letter to
The Times, the newspaper that
serialised journalist Catherine
Mayer’s controversial biography
Charles: The Heart Of A King, is
the closest the prince could come
to writing a response himself.
The move by Sir William,
Charles’s most senior courtier,
clearly shows how irritated the
heir to the throne is by the claims
made in the book.
Extracts published in The Times
have questioned the prince’s suitability as king and claimed the
Queen and palace aides fear Britain is not ready for his radical new
style of monarchy.
In the letter Sir William says
Prince Charles has “always preferred not to comment on matters
which relate to a future whose date
is unknown, and would arise only
after the death of his mother”.
Sir William, principal private secretary to Charles and the
Royal visit
Duchess of Cornwall, concludes
that if he becomes king the Prince
“will seek to continue his service to this country and the other
realms, to the Commonwealth
and to the wider world”.
Mayer, an American journalist
whose claims of close access to
the prince have been forthrightly
rejected, says in the book that
Charles intends to be a campaigning monarch.
She says the Queen, who will be
89 in April, and her courtiers feel
Britain is not ready for “shock of
the new”.
Mayer, a Time magazine
Hunt on for killer
as man shot dead
London Evening Standard
London
P
Prince Harry adjusts the hat of Demani Cowin-Jenkins during
a visit to the Full Effect Youth Project in Nottingham, central
England.
writer who met Charles while
researching her biography and
spoke to some of his closest
aides, also claims Prince Philip
is one of his son’s harshest
critics and thinks him guilty of
“selfish behaviour”.
Lawyers for the prince, 66,
will scrutinise the book when it is
published today after expressing
concern the author used “artistic licence” over her claims about
meetings with Charles.
His spokeswoman Kristina
Kyriacou has said: “It is not an
official book. The author did not
have the access she claimed.”
olice were yesterday
searching for a gunman
after a man was shot
dead in a “millionaires’ row”
in west London.
Armed officers were called
to Vine Lane in Uxbridge at
around 7pm on Tuesday night
after reports of gunshots.
Paramedics tried for an hour
to resuscitate the 38-year-old
victim in a tent erected in the
driveway of a detached house,
backing on to woodland.
The man, who is believed
to have lived on the street, is
said to have been shot multiple times at close range with a
handgun and was pronounced
dead at the scene.
The gunman was last seen
running down St Andrew’s
Road, past former airforce
base RAF Uxbridge.
Neighbours in the road
of detached million-pound
homes said they heard five or
six shots fired. Within minutes
armed police had sealed off the
road.
City worker Ching Shum,
46, said: “There were loads of
bangs in quick succession. We
thought it could not be gunshots but must have been fireworks but minutes later there
were blue lights everywhere.”
Stuart Nield, 46, said: “I
heard bangs and thought a car
had crashed but then when the
police and ambulances came I
realised that it was something
else altogether.”
A witness, who heard “five
or six pops” while watching
television, said: “I came out
and was stopped by police who
said a man had been shot and
the gunman was on the loose.”
He added: “Vine Lane is a
rich road with lots of big houses. This sort of thing doesn’t
happen around here.”
Police dogs were seen going
around gardens and hedges as
detectives launched a murder
investigation.
A Met Police spokesman
said: “Police are in the process of informing next-of-kin.
A post-mortem examination
will be held in due course. No
arrests have been made. Enquiries are ongoing.”
Gulf Times
Thursday, January 5, 2015
21
BRITAIN
PEOPLE
ART
SCANDAL
RESCUED
HEALTH
Cameron asked about tax
affairs of wife’s employer
Monet’s Grand Canal leads
record auction in London
Children see porn on
restaurant computer
Abandoned dog
finds new home
Canals used in
anti-obesity drive
Prime Minister David Cameron was asked in
parliament yesterday about the tax affairs of his
wife’s employer, as the opposition Labour Party
tried to embarrass him three months before a tight
election. Samantha Cameron has come under
the spotlight in recent days after newspapers
publicised the tax arrangements of her employer
— Smythson, a manufacturer of luxury leather
goods. The firm has its flagship store on Bond
Street, but public records show it is owned through
a parent company in Luxembourg and connected
to a trust in Guernsey. Cameron’s wife works as a
creative consultant for Smythson, and there is no
suggestion that it is doing anything illegal.
The sale of Claude Monet’s Grand Canal for
£23.7mn spearheaded a record £186.4mn
auction of impressionist and surrealist works by
Sotheby’s. Tuesday night’s sales of paintings by
artists including Matisse, Picasso and ToulouseLautrec set a new record for an art auction
in London, Sotheby’s said. Grand Canal was
among five Monet works auctioned for a total of
£55.7mn. The sale reflected strong demand from
international buyers, said Helena Newman, a
Sotheby’s expert. “We saw an all-time high of 35
countries participating in this field, and collectors
from Asia and Russia asserting themselves as a
continued force in the market,” Newman said.
Police were called to a family restaurant at
the O2 after hardcore pornography appeared
on a computer screen in front of diners. Jade
Miller and her children were preparing to leave
Jimmy’s World Grill at the venue in Greenwich
when her sons Alfie, nine, and Archie, six, ran
over to tell her they had “seen something funny”.
She went to investigate and found the gay
footage on the restaurant computer’s booking
screen. Miller went to complain to the manager
before calling the police at 10.30pm. The Met
said officers believe the material “was the result
of a pop-up received via the restaurant’s e-mail
booking system.”
A dog abandoned at a railway station has been
given a new home. Kai attracted worldwide
attention after he was dumped at Ayr station
last month, prompting offers from dog lovers
around the globe to take him in. He was rescued
by the Scottish SPCA, and the charity chose Ian
Russell, 52, from a list of hundreds to give the
shar pei-crossbeed a new start in life. Russell, a
self-employed hydraulic engineer from Newton
Mearns in East Renfrewshire, recently lost his pet
Dalmatian and said getting Kai was like winning
the lottery. Kai was discovered by railway staff on
January 2 tied to a railing and accompanied by a
case containing a pillow, toy, food and bowl.
A “canoe trail” stretching along 150 miles of canals
from coast to coast is being developed as part
of efforts to tackle obesity in young people. The
scheme by the Canal & River Trust, which looks
after 2,000 miles of historic waterways in England
and Wales, aims to involve more than 10,000
young people, including from some of England’s
most deprived areas. They will help develop
the canoe trail over the next five years, which
will stretch the length of the Leeds & Liverpool
Canal and the Aire and Calder Navigation, from
Merseyside to Humberside. It is hoped that
opening up the sport of canoeing on the canals will
help tackle the obesity crisis among young people.
Chilcot
defends
delay in
Iraq war
report
Bafta preparations
More than
100 homeless
people ‘living’
at Heathrow
Reuters
London
T
he head of Britain’s
long-delayed
official
investigation into the
Iraq war yesterday said it was
impossible to predict when its
report would be published, but
that delays had been unavoidable due to the inquiry’s complexity.
Announced in 2009, the report
delving into the US-led 2003 invasion of Iraq and its aftermath
was expected to take a year. But
last month John Chilcot, who
heads the inquiry and is a former
civil servant, said there was no
realistic prospect of delivering
conclusions before the May 7
general election.
The latest delay, to allow
those criticised in the report to
respond, has provoked an outcry from lawmakers and stirred
up fears of a whitewash among
some relatives of those killed in
the war.
“The scope of this inquiry is
unprecedented,” Chilcot told
lawmakers. “We are not concerned with a single incident and
its aftermath, rather we cover
decisions over a nine-year period and the consequences that
flowed from them.”
He said he had underestimated the amount of time it would
take to analyse the evidence it
had gathered, which he said had
come from over 150,000 government documents and 150 witnesses.
The publication has become
especially politically charged before what is expected to be a close
national election. Any criticism
of the opposition Labour party,
which was in power at the time
of the 2003 war, could damage
its electoral chances.
Chilcot rejected suggestions
from the parliamentary foreign
affairs committee that delays in
declassifying documents had
been deliberate, and intended
to slow the report down or keep
material secret.
London Evening Standard
London
T
Event employee Charlotte Martin positions place sticks for guests during preparations for
British Academy of Film and Television Awards (Bafta) ceremony at the Royal Opera House in
central London yesterday. The 2015 Bafta ceremony takes place in London on February 8.
Hodge bows out of
London mayoral battle
London Evening Standard
London
M
argaret Hodge yesterday
bowed out of the battle to become London
mayor, with a call for Boris Johnson’s successor to be someone
from the city’s black and minority ethnic community.
In an exclusive interview
Barking MP Hodge, chairman of
the Commons Public Accounts
Committee, signalled that she
will back either ex-minister
David Lammy or shadow London
minister Sadiq Khan.
Explaining her decision to quit
the race, she said she wanted
to build on her experience as a
combative PAC chairman — and
hinted she would like a role under a Labour government cutting
waste or hammering tax-avoiders.
“It is a positive decision that
I want to stay here,” she said in
her splendid Commons office. “I
have built up so much knowledge
and experience, particularly in
the last four or five years. I want
to use all of that. I have learned
so much about making public
bodies work better, and getting
good value for money, it would be
crazy not to build on it.”
Asked if she would throw her
weight behind another candidate
for mayor in 2016, Hodge, 70,
firmly said it was time London
had a mayor who reflected the
city’s diversity.
“I actually think the time is
right for us to have a non-white
mayor,” she said, effectively ruling out frontrunner Dame Tessa
Jowell. “London is a diverse city
but we are poor at representation. But let’s wait and see what
the candidates say they can do
for London.”
Hodge was candid in her assessment of Labour’s three black
or minority ethnic potential candidates for mayor.
She said Lammy was “a really
important symbol” of modern
London and had “an important
back-story to tell”. Khan, the
first Muslim to attend Cabinet,
was “an assertive fighter” who
also had “a good story to tell”.
She described Diane Abbott as
a “feisty woman, but I think she
is the most distant from my own
politics”. Of the other leading
candidates, Dame Tessa had been
“incredibly successful at delivering the Olympics” and would be
a “good consensual advocate for
London”.
But asked about transport
expert Christian Wolmar, the
outsider in the Labour selection
race, she replied mischievously:
“Who?” She would clearly love
to be a minister again, and said
she would be more effective with
what she had learned on the PAC.
Its famous public defenestration
of Amazon, Google and Starbucks for paying tiny amounts of
tax in the UK was, she said, “unfinished business”.
Did she see herself as a future
Treasury minister? “I do have an
understanding of public finances
that I didn’t have before when I
was a minister,” she said. But being mayor would mean “jet-setting around the world” and much
less time with her 10 grandchildren. She added: “I’m privileged
at my stage in life to have choices.
Don’t write me off yet.”
he hidden homeless crisis
at Heathrow was revealed
yesterday by official figures
showing that more than 100 rough
sleepers “live” at the airport during the winter.
The numbers using its terminals as a makeshift overnight hostel have more than doubled in the
past year and are now the highest
on record, according to new data
from the Greater London Authority (GLA).
Homeless charities said Heathrow attracted vulnerable people
struggling to support themselves
in London because it provided
shelter from the biting cold, security and late-night facilities such
as coffee shops.
Heathrow’s chief executive John
Holland-Kaye said: “The airport is
a warm and safe place, somewhere
people naturally migrate to.” The
increasing problem there underlines the importance of the capital’s homelessness challenge.
The GLA found 103 rough sleepers were recorded at the airport
between October and December,
compared with 45 in the quarter
before and 54 a year previously.
The authority uses figures from
CHAIN, the database it commissioned to provide an assessment of
rough sleeping in London.
Many of the homeless found
at Heathrow used it as a one-off
emergency shelter. However, 31
were classified as “intermittent”
rough sleepers and 22 as “new” but
“seen on several occasions”.
Portuguese national Jose Martins, 50, who arrived in Terminal
All gone
Two at 10pm on Tuesday night
to sleep, said: “I’ve slept on the
streets and didn’t like that. I like
it here. There aren’t many people
around.
“I haven’t been approached by
anyone telling me to leave. I don’t
speak to anyone, I have got my
phone and I go on Facebook.”
The stories of some of those
staying at Heathrow were reminiscent of the Stephen Spielberg
movie The Terminal, in which Tom
Hanks plays a stateless eastern European tourist who sets up home at
New York’s JFK airport.
“I haven’t been approached
by anyone telling me
to leave. I don’t speak
to anyone, I have got
my phone and I go on
Facebook”
One was a British national deported from Thailand when his
visa ran out and ended up sleeping
rough at Heathrow.
Holland-Kaye said the majority
go undetected and only come to
light during disruption to Heathrow’s normal operation. He added:
“About 18 months ago, when lots
of flights were cancelled, I went
around the airport at midnight.
“There was a very well-dressed
gentleman with a few suitcases
and I asked if we could put him up
in a hotel for a night and give him
a meal.
“He said, ‘No, I couldn’t do that,
I’m not actually travelling anywhere’. You wouldn’t have known
to look at him and he was very
proud. It took a long time till we
could persuade him to have somewhere warm to sleep and a meal.
He didn’t want to accept charity.”
New Zealand judge to
lead child abuse probe
AFP
London
T
Sumatran tiger cub triplets watch their mother Melati
as she walks past a present box to celebrate their first
birthday in their enclosure at London Zoo yesterday.
The zoo left gifts for the cubs in their enclosure, but
they were afraid to approach the boxes, leaving their
mother to enjoy their contents.
Mike Nicholas, of the housing charity Thames Reach, said
those sleeping rough were either
involved in casual labour near the
airport, deported from another
country and simply staying in the
airport as they have no money, or
were going to Heathrow when it
is particularly cold on the streets.
There was also a higher proportion of people with mental health
needs.
But he said the rough sleepers can be difficult to differentiate
from passengers, as they are skilled
at avoiding detection. They use
toilets to wash in and wear travel
clothes and carry rucksacks to
make it appear they are waiting for
a plane or have just flown in.
Nicholas said: “Heathrow has
many facilities attractive to homeless people. It is covered, has quality toilet and shower facilities,
plenty of seating areas with free
phone charging and is secure. It is
also fairly easy to be anonymous at
an airport and go unnoticed.”
“However, if they are identified
and refuse help of accommodation they could be kicked out by
the airport as it is technically private property. It does happen. But
if you evict them you simply push
the problem on elsewhere.
“We try to work with homeless
people as much as possible. We are
there to offer support.”
Richard Blakeway, deputy mayor of housing, land and property,
said: “Most people found sleeping rough at Heathrow are quickly
helped into services. However,
in addition to our work, it seems
right the airport authorities also
provide additional assistance and
we will seek a meeting to discuss
this.”
he government yesterday
appointed a New Zealand
judge to lead a troubled inquiry into historic child sex abuse
allegations, after the first two
nominees quit following criticism
of their establishment links.
High Court judge Lowell Goddard has been picked from 150
candidates to chair the mammoth probe, which includes investigating an alleged political
paedophile ring.
The departure of a second
head of the wide-ranging inquiry
had been a major embarrassment
for the government.
Prime Minister David Cameron announced the probe in
July last year following a string
of scandals involving the abuse
of children at hospitals and care
homes as well as churches and
schools.
Home Secretary Theresa
May yesterday said there would
be “no stone unturned” in the
probe, after she announced Goddard’s appointment.
“I am now more determined
than ever to expose the people
behind these despicable crimes
and the people in institutions
that knew about abuse but didn’t
act, that failed to help when it
was their duty, sometimes their
very purpose, to do so,” she said.
Retired judge Elizabeth Butler-Sloss quit as inquiry chief
less than a week in following
questions about how her brother
handled allegations of abuse by
politicians when he was attorney
general in the 1980s.
Her replacement, lawyer Fiona
Woolf, stepped down in similar
circumstances in October following complaints from victims’
groups.
The concerns revolved around
her social ties with Lord Leon
Brittan, who was home secretary
when an alleged file containing
claims about the political abuse
was submitted to his Home Office interior ministry in the
1980s.
He denied any wrongdoing
relating to the file, which seems
to have resulted in no action and
cannot be traced. Brittan died on
January 21.
Goddard previously conducted an inquiry into the police
handling of child abuse in New
Zealand.
22
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
EUROPE
PROTEST PARTY
IN THE DOCK
CUSTODIAL DEATH
NEW SEASON
CUTTING SUPPORT
Spain’s upstart Podemos
second in key opinion poll
French comedian on trial
for condoning terrorism
81-year-old pensioner dies
after ‘stealing butter’
Paris Opera cuts ticket
prices for young fans
Germany ponders law to
block jihadist recruitment
Spanish left-wing protest party Podemos has
leapt into second place in voting intentions ahead
of elections this year, closing in on the ruling
conservatives, a key poll showed yesterday.
Podemos has overtaken the mainstream
opposition Socialist Party with 23.9% of the vote,
according to the study by the CIS state research
institute. The governing conservative Popular
Party remain the most popular party with 27.3%
support with the Socialists in third place with 22%,
according to the survey. The study was carried
out in early January. The CIS poll was closely
watched ahead of local and regional elections due
in May and a general election due in November.
French comedian Dieudonne told a court
yesterday he condemned last month’s Paris
attacks “without any ambiguity” as he stood
trial on charges of condoning terrorism over
a comment suggesting he sympathised with
the gunmen. The polemicist was arrested
on January 14 after saying “I feel like Charlie
Coulibaly”, a mix of the slogan “Je suis Charlie”
that became a global rallying cry against
extremism and the name of one of the gunmen
who killed a policewoman and four Jews. “I feel
treated like a terrorist,” he said. Dieudonne faces
up to seven years in prison and a 100,000-euro
($114,000) fine if found guilty.
A Russian woman aged 81 died in a police
station, apparently from a heart attack, after
being detained at a supermarket on suspicion
of stealing butter. The woman died after
complaining of feeling unwell in a police
station in Kronstadt, a port town close to
Saint Petersburg, where she was detained on
suspicion of theft, the regional police service
said in a statement. A Kronstadt police duty
officer told AFP that the woman was suspected
of stealing butter, but declined to give further
details. RIA Novosti, citing the interior ministry,
reported that the woman was suspected of
stealing three packs of butter from the store.
The Paris Opera house yesterday unveiled its
line-up for its new season, offering cut-price
tickets to young fans as it seeks to attract a new
generation of opera buffs. The average age of
the Paris Opera’s 750,000 spectators per year
is 46, which is younger than the median age
for classical concerts in France that currently
stands at 61. But in a bid to attract even younger
spectators, the opera will put on 13 preview
showings (25,000 seats) at the reduced price
of 10 euros ($11) for opera-goers under the age
of 28. The season will be dominated by Verdi
with two new productions of ‘Rigoletto’ and ‘Il
Trovatore’.
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cabinet yesterday
approved a draft law aimed at preventing radical
German Muslims from travelling to Iraq and Syria
to fight for or train with groups like Islamic State. It
will also outlaw funding for recruits who try to travel
to join the jihadists, her spokesman Steffen Seibert
said. The bill, if approved by parliament, will make
Germany the second European Union member
state after France to implement “foreign fighters”
measures sought by the UN in a resolution last year,
Seibert added. About 600 Germans have joined IS
and similar groups in Syria and Iraq. Some returning
fighters have been put on trial and others have been
prosecuted for providing support.
Donetsk hospital shelled
as calls mount for truce
Reuters
Oslo
AFP
Kiev
N
S
helling at a hospital in east
Ukraine killed four people yesterday ahead of a visit to Kiev
by US Secretary of State John Kerry
that will see possible arms supplies
high on the agenda.
The latest deaths came as international pressure grew for an immediate halt to surging violence which
has seen hundreds of civilians killed
in recent weeks as pro-Russian
rebels pushed into government-held
territory.
An AFP journalist saw a body lying next to the crater from a mortar
blast that caused extensive damage
to the hospital in a western suburb
of the rebel stronghold Donetsk.
Two more dead civilians were
sprawled outside a nearby residential
building and a local resident said another elderly man was killed in his home.
Alexander, a 60-year-old miner,
and his wife were waiting for their
son when the shell hit as he came
out of the hospital after a check-up.
“The blast threw him against the
wall. The shrapnel killed him,” Alexander told AFP. “When we got to
him he was still breathing a little.”
Eight other civilians were killed in
clashes around the region over the
past 24 hours, rebel and government
officials said.
As the death toll ticked up EU foreign affairs head Federica Mogherini
called for an immediate ceasefire to
allow civilians to escape the fighting.
“The spiral of ever-increasing
violence in eastern Ukraine needs to
stop,” Mogherini said.
Observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation
in Europe have demanded a “local
temporary truce” around the battleground town of Debaltseve for the
next three days.
The strategic railway hub between
rebel centres Donetsk and Lugansk
has been the focus of the fiercest
fighting for a week as rebels battle to
encircle Ukrainian forces.
Officials say thousands of civilians have fled the beleaguered town
over recent days and those remaining behind are trapped in basements
without water or electricity.
A pro-Russia rebel walks in the hospital of Donetsk’s Tekstilshik district after it was hit by a shelling.
“The bombardment is incessant.
We are trying to bring in medication
and evacuate civilians under enemy fire,” Illya Kiva, an official from
Ukraine’s interior ministry, told AFP
from Debaltseve.
Ukraine’s military said rebels had
launched a fierce infantry attack towards the town overnight but had
been beaten back after a five-hour
battle.
Four Ukrainian soldiers were
killed and 25 wounded in fighting
across the region over the past 24
hours, the army said.
As fighting raged, US Secretary of
State John Kerry will jet into Ukraine
today with hopes growing among
Kiev’s pro-Western leaders that
long-standing demands for the US
to supply arms could be met.
President Barack Obama’s administration had previously ruled
out sending weapons to Ukraine’s
government but the failure of economic sanctions to force Russia to
halt alleged military support for the
separatists has prompted a second
look at the option.
Washington - fearful of becoming
embroiled in a proxy war with Russia - has so far provided non-lethal
assistance to Ukraine, including flak
jackets, medical supplies, radios and
night-vision goggles.
Ukraine though is thought to be
seeking weapons, including socalled “fire-and-forget” advanced
Turkey defers debate on
controversial security bill
AFP
Ankara
T
he Turkish parliament yesterday postponed until next week a
debate on a controversial security bill bolstering police powers that
critics claim could harshly restrict
freedom in the country.
The so-called “homeland security
reform” bill was submitted to parliament by the ruling Islamic-rooted
Justice and Development Party (AKP)
following deadly pro-Kurdish protests
in October.
But the AKP decided at the last
minute yesterday that debates should
now only begin next week, as parliament had not yet completed other
business, Turkish television reported.
The earliest the bill is now expected
to be debated is February 10.
It was not immediately clear if the
motive for the postponement was
entirely procedural or if there was another cause. Opposition parties had
threatened to block the work of parliament if the debates went ahead.
The bill gives police sweeping new
powers to search and detain suspects
on mere suspicion.
Police would be allowed to arrest,
and even fire on, those suspected of
possessing banned objects at a protest
including Molotov cocktails, stones
Norway set to
match EU on
climate goals,
allay oil fears
and other sharp objects.
Those in possession of such objects
at protests would face up to four years
in jail. It calls for stricter punishment
for offenders wearing masks to conceal
their identity.
Its introduction followed violent
protests in southeastern Turkey that
left scores of people dead in October
over Turkey’s Syria policy.
“We won’t accept this ‘fascism
package’ that totally disregards the judiciary, wipes out rights and freedom
and brings the society to its knees,”
Hasip Kaplan, an MP from the proKurdish People’s Democratic Party
(HDP), wrote on Twitter on Tuesday.
But Interior Minister Efkan Ala
claimed yesterday that the legislation
was supported by 80% of the Turkish
population.
“These measures assure the security of the lives and the assets of our
citizens,” he told the state Anatolia
news agency in an interview.
Parliament on December 2 had already passed separate legislation expanding police and court powers. Human Rights Watch accused the AKP in
its latest World Report of “eroding human rights and the rule of law.”
The heavy-handed tactics used by
Turkish police, who frequently resort
to tear gas and water cannon, have
long drawn widespread criticism from
rights groups.
anti-tank missiles, to counter the
heavy armour it says Moscow has
poured over the border.
“What we need is exactly modern
warfare, which we’ve been lacking all this time,” Ukraine’s Foreign
Minister Pavlo Klimkin told Western
journalists in Kiev.
While Kerry is not expected to
pledge any arms during his trip,
Klimkin said he hoped for “deliverables” from the visit and from another meeting between President Petro
Poroshenko and US Vice President
Joe Biden in Munich.
Poroshenko said on Tuesday he
had “no doubt” that the US and other Nato allies would eventually agree
to start arming Ukraine.
Fears are mounting of a sharp
escalation in the violence after
truce talks collapsed and rebels announced an ambitious mobilisation
to start next week aimed at bolstering their forces to 100,000 fighters.
Fighting since April has now
claimed over 5,358 lives, including some 220 in just the past three
weeks, according to the UN.
Ukraine and its Western allies accuse Moscow of sending thousands
of regular army troops and weapons
to support the rebels.
Moscow has repeatedly denied
the allegations but the rebels appear to be equipped with the heavy
and advanced weaponry of a regular
army.
orway will match a European Union goal
of cutting greenhouse gas emissions at
least 40% below 1990 levels by 2030 under a government plan announced yesterday, easing oil industry fears of tougher unilateral curbs.
Norway’s target will be part of a UN deal, due
to be agreed in December in Paris, to limit rising
temperatures that a UN panel of climate experts
says will stoke more heat waves, desertification,
floods and rising seas.
“We will negotiate with the EU about entering
... the EU system,” Prime Minister Erna Solberg
told a news conference, adding that the 40% goal
would stand even if a formal link-up did not work
out.
The minority right-wing government is guaranteed backing in parliament for the plan by two
small opposition parties.
Last year, the European Union set a 40% goal
for cuts in emissions, mainly from burning fossil
fuels, below 1990 levels by 2030.
“My first reaction is 40% is an amazingly demanding goal,” Eldar Saetre, appointed yesterday
as chief executive of state-controlled oil major
Statoil, told Reuters.
But he said he was happy Norway aimed to join
a wider EU system rather than set unilateral goals.
“It is incredibly important that competition is
equal,” he said.
The new goal is far less ambitious than when
Norway in 2008 aimed to be “carbon neutral” by
2030, cutting net emissions to zero. Oslo says that
plan lapsed because governments failed to agree a
strong climate deal at a UN summit in 2009.
Norway is already a member of the EU’s carbon
market, covering industrial emissions, but inclusion in wider EU goals would give it the flexibility to make cuts by buying emissions quotas from
other EU nations.
Norway’s emissions were 3.7% above 1990 levels in 2013, far worse than the EU’s performance,
reflecting oil and gas output and the difficulty in
cutting emissions when almost all Norway’s electricity already comes from clean hydro power.
Stig Schjølset, head of carbon analysis at
Thomson Reuters Point Carbon, said the EU link
would the dim risks of unilateral measures, such
as obliging more offshore oil platforms to lay cables to use electricity from the mainland.
“Now there is flexibility for Norway to buy
emissions rights from other EU countries,” he
said. That will mark a shift from current policy
which allows investments in UN carbon-cutting
projects in developing nations to offset domestic
emissions.
Rasmus Hansson, the lone member of parliament for Norway’s Green Party, denounced the
new plan as “a new way to shield the oil sector”.
Woman accused of treason returns from prison ‘hell’
AFP
Moscow
A
Russian mother of seven accused of treason for allegedly
informing Ukraine about possible troop movements told AFP yesterday she felt as if she had “returned
from hell” after two weeks in jail.
“Arrest, detention, the putting on of
handcuffs...I was in shock,” Svetlana
Davydova, who was released from custody on Tuesday, told AFP by phone
from her home in Vyazma, west of
Moscow.
“I felt as if I returned from hell.”
Davydova was accused of high treason after she called the Ukrainian embassy last April with information on
possible Russian troop movements.
She was arrested on January 21 by
a group of men in black uniform who
burst into her apartment.
The 36-year-old, who was still
breastfeeding a two-and-a-halfmonth-old daughter, was held in the
high-security Lefortovo jail in Moscow.
The harsh treatment of the woman
and her family sparked an outcry in
Moscow, where rights activists said
her prosecution marked a new low in a
campaign to stifle dissent.
Davydova was released Tuesday
night after more than 50,000 people,
including Oscar-nominated director Andrei Zvyagintsev and Natalya
Solzhenitsyna, widow of Nobel litera-
Russian activist Svetlana Davydova spends time with her children at her home in
Vyazma.
ture laureate Alexander Solzhenitsyn,
petitioned President Vladimir Putin to
let the woman return to her children.
But the charges have not been
dropped and she still faces up between
12 and 20 years in prison.
A slim, bespectacled woman, Davy-
dova said she does not know what lies
ahead. “Right now I am recuperating.
I am very tired. I am resting,” she said.
She added it was hard being away
from her family and not being able to
explain to her children who wondered
why she had not been in touch.
“I was isolated,” she said. “It was
only yesterday when I spoke with my
husband for the first time.”
But she did not resent her prison
guards who she said “just did their
job.”
And she even may miss some things
from prison. “Their fish soup was really tasty,” she laughed.
But she grew instantly serious when
asked whether she called the Ukrainian
embassy last year.
“I don’t want to talk about this,” she
said firmly.
Davydova phoned the Ukrainian
embassy in April 2014 to allegedly report that a military base located near
her residential building in Vyazma had
emptied, suggesting its soldiers might
have been deployed across the border.
She also purportedly informed embassy staff she had overheard a serviceman saying troops from the Russian
military intelligence service, the GRU,
would be sent on a mission - presumably to Ukraine.
Davydova’s lawyer told AFP she
should brace for what may be a long
fight against the FSB security service, successor to the feared Soviet-era
KGB.
“Svetlana’s case is just beginning,”
lawyer Ivan Pavlov said.
Davydova and her husband Anatoly
Gorlov profusely thanked activists and
media for helping publicise her case.
“She is just a small grain of sand that
the state machine would grind to dust,”
Gorlov said.
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
23
EUROPE
15-MONTH INVESTIGATION
CRACKDOWN
PUBLISHED ARTICLE
EXHAUSTED
CHILL PILL
Greek Golden Dawn
neo-Nazis to face trial
Turkey arrests ‘first
Turkish IS suspect’
N-scientist charged with
disclosing state secrets
Skier stuck in the snow for
48 hours before rescue
German officials to ‘cool
off’ before switching jobs
Greek judges are sending 72 members of neoNazi party Golden Dawn including its leaders to
trial for crimes including murder, a judicial source
said yesterday. “Seventy-two people, including
party leader Nikos Michaloliakos and all of Golden
Dawn’s lawmakers in the previous parliament
will be tried,” the source said. The move capped
a 15-month investigation launched after a Golden
Dawn supporter fatally stabbed a Greek rapper in
September 2013. The aggressive anti-immigration
party was later linked to the murder of a Pakistani
immigrant and beatings of political opponents.
The defendants face sentences of up to 20 years
in prison. The trial date has yet to be set.
Authorities in Turkey arrested a man suspected
of working for the Islamic State (IS), in what
local media said was the first arrest of a Turkish
citizen linked to the jihadist group. The man,
identified as Musa Goktas from Ankara, illegally
crossed into Syria in October with his 15-yearold twin sons to join the jihadist group, the
online newspaper Radikal said yesterday. He
was arrested on his way back to Ankara in late
January, during a police search of a bus in the
southeastern province of Gaziantep, near the
border with Syria. Radikal said Goktas was
returning home to sell his house and take his
wife with him back to Syria.
A Russian nuclear scientist has been charged
with disclosing state secrets and faces up to four
years in prison over an article he published in a
Czech journal, his lawyer said yesterday. Vladimir
Golubev, a former employee of the country’s top
nuclear weapons research and development
centre, is accused by the security services of
disclosing state secrets after publishing an article
about explosives in a Czech journal, his lawyer told
AFP. The article was based on a report he gave at
an international conference in the Czech Republic
in 2013. The scientist, who is under pledge not to
leave the central Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod
city, denies having committed a crime.
A US skier survived a 48-hour ordeal in the Swiss
Alps during which he was stuck in the snow up
to his waist, police in the canton of Vaude said
yesterday. The 19-year-old disappeared Sunday
while skiing off-piste in the Les Diablerets resort
in western Switzerland. He got lost on the
mountain, broke one of his bindings, continued
on one ski, was caught in a storm and finally
got bogged down in the deep snow. As he was
not carrying a mobile phone, an avalanche
transceiver or a shovel, he could not call for help
or dig himself out. After two nights, a mountain
rescue team located the hypothermic and
exhausted US student on Tuesday.
Senior German officials from the chancellor to
deputy ministers will have to observe a coolingoff period if they want to quit the government
for a job in business, according to a draft law
designed to avoid potential conflicts of interest.
“If members of the government want to take
up employment outside public service within
18 months of leaving office, they must notify
this,” Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman
Steffen Seibert told a news conference yesterday.
Officials can be blocked from taking up posts in
business for up to a year “if public interests are
affected”, said Seibert. They would be entitled to
an allowance during that cooling-off period.
Nice knife attack sparks
questions on security
AFP
Paris
F
rench investigators were yesterday interrogating a knife-wielding man who attacked three soldiers outside a Jewish centre in Nice,
as questions resurfaced over security
measures a month after the Paris attacks.
The attacker, identified as 30-yearold Moussa Coulibaly from the poor
western suburbs of Paris, was already
known to police who questioned him
just days before the attack, when he
was turned away from Turkey last
week.
Police arrested him immediately after he knifed the soldiers in broad daylight while they were patrolling outside
the Jewish centre as part of reinforced
security measures introduced after last
month’s jihadist attacks in Paris that
left 17 people dead.
Prime Minister Manuel Valls announced that the highest security
level, in place in the Paris region since
the attacks, would be extended to the
Alpes-Maritimes province where Nice
is located.
“This attempted murder targeted
soldiers because they were soldiers,”
Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian
said during a visit to the victims’ barracks.
Two of the troops received knife
wounds and a third managed to tackle
the assailant to the ground.
Anti-terrorist police were focusing
their investigation on whether Coulibaly had known the soldiers were protecting a Jewish centre, tucked away in
a courtyard in the French Riviera city,
and what his motives were.
A rabbi, Franck Teboul, visited the
Jewish centre yesterday and said: “It is
likely the centre was not targeted.”
Police were also questioning Coulibaly’s mother, sister and brother who
were taken in after a search of his home
in the Parisian suburb of Mantes-laJolie.
Since returning from France after
his expulsion from Turkey on January
29, Coulibaly was staying at a hotel
near Nice station, where investigators
found a handwritten document on religion as well as Turkish currency.
The knifeman has not been linked to
French soldiers and police officers patrol a street in Nice.
Amedy Coulibaly, who killed a policewoman and four Jewish shoppers in a
kosher supermarket during the Paris
attacks last month before being shot
dead by police.
The surname is extremely common
in west Africa.
Moussa Coulibaly had already been
fined and given suspended jail sentences in France for offences including
robbery and drug use.
He was picked up and questioned
in mid-December after “aggressively”
trying to spread his beliefs in a gym in
Mantes-la-Jolie, a source said.
French intelligence services were
then alerted to the fact that he was try-
ing to enter Turkey - a key entry point
for jihadists seeking to go to fight in
Syria - and asked the country to expel
him.
However he was released as there
was not enough evidence to press
charges.
“We can’t consider it a failure every
time that security forces mobilise over
individuals likely to radicalise... but
legal action is not taken due to lack of
proof,” said Interior Minister Bernard
Cazeneuve.
Coulibaly again fell foul of the law
shortly before the attack, when he was
fined for not having a ticket on a tram, and
a Chad-born Canadian seen with him was
Dramatic surge in Kosovars
crossing illegally into EU
Reuters
Pristina/Budapest
T
he European Union is experiencing a steep rise in
the number of Kosovo citizens smuggling themselves into
the affluent bloc, with 10,000 filing for asylum in Hungary in just
one month this year compared to
6,000 for the whole of 2013.
It follows a relaxation of travel
rules allowing Kosovars to reach
EU borders via Serbia and has
coincided with political turmoil and street unrest in Kosovo
fuelled by poverty, high unemployment and economically debilitating corruption.
The UN High Commissioner
for Refugees (UNHCR) said hundreds of Kosovars had slipped
into Hungary and asked for asylum in the first eight months of
last year, only for the number to
rocket to 21,000 between September and December.
Hungary’s State Office of Immigration and Nationality said
that of 14,000 foreigners who had
sought asylum since the turn of
the year, 10,000 were from Kosovo, a small, ethnic Albanianmajority state that declared inde-
pendence from Serbia in 2008.
Over the past few days, crowds
of people were seen boarding
night buses from the Kosovo
capital Pristina bound for Serbia’s capital Belgrade, more than
halfway to Hungary.
Among them, 18-year-old
student Vilson Beqiri said he
would take a second bus from
Belgrade to the northern Serbian
town of Subotica and then cross
the border into Hungary illegally.
“We’ll meet some other people there (in Subotica), pay them,
and they’ll lead us to Hungary,”
he said. “God willing I’ll be in
Germany by tomorrow evening.”
Kosovo education ministry official Azem Guri told Reuters the
ministry had “alarming” data
indicating 5,200 pupils had left
school and moved with their families to the EU since September.
The exodus appears to have been
abetted by an EU-encouraged easing of travel rules in Serbia, which
since 2012 has allowed Kosovars to
enter with Kosovo-issued documents that Belgrade previously rejected given that it does not recognise its former southern province
as independent.
It has also coincided with political turbulence and unrest in
Kosovo, which held an inconclusive election in June and only
formed a new government six
months later.
Rados Djurovic of the Asylum
Protection Centre NGO in Belgrade said people smugglers may
have found new routes to spirit
migrants from Serbia into Hungary - a well-trodden path for
Syrians, Afghans and others trying to reach western Europe.
Almost all asylum applications
are rejected as migrants cannot
show they are fleeing war or persecution, but applying staves off
immediate deportation while their
cases are being processed. In the
meantime, many will give overstretched immigration authorities the slip and push on westwards through the EU’s borderless
Schengen zone under the radar.
Kosovo Interior Minister
Skender Hyseni met EU ambassadors yesterday to discuss the
problem, and appealed to the
bloc to speed up procedures for
processing asylum requests to
discourage would-be migrants.
He pinned the blame on the
smugglers, saying: “There are
criminals who are profiting on
the misfortune of Kosovo’s citizens.”
taken into custody, although no formal link
has been made between the two men.
“We don’t know what was going
on in his head... he is normal,” a man
who introduced himself as Coulibaly’s
brother told journalists during the police search of his home on Tuesday.
The attack came after France beefed up
security to unprecedented levels around
the country - deploying some 15,000 police and troops to protect sensitive sites in
the wake of the Paris attacks.
Valls warned of the task facing security forces who have to monitor some
3,000 people with links to jihadists or
“terrorist networks” in Syria and Iraq.
The three men who carried out the
co-ordinated January 7-9 attacks in
Paris had also been known to police
and Valls admitted there had been security “failings”.
France is battling to curb the flow of
jihadists heading to fight alongside the
Islamic State group, fearing they will
carry out attacks on their return.
IS made fresh threats against France
on Tuesday, because of its involvement
in a US-led coalition carrying out air
strikes against the jihadist group.
A video widely shared online showed
a masked jihadist urging the French to
join their fight, and called on supporters to attack police and military targets
in France.
Bank linked
to Erdogan
foe seized
AFP
Ankara
T
urkey’s opposition yesterday denounced as a scandal the seizure
of an Islamic bank allied to USbased preacher Fethullah Gulen, the latest move in an intensifying crackdown
against the interests of President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan’s arch foe.
Bank Asya has suffered major
losses since last year after becoming
embroiled in a bitter feud between
Erdogan and his former ally Gulen,
whom the president accuses of seeking to overthrow him.
The state-run Savings Deposit
Insurance Fund (TMSF) seized 63%
of Bank Asya shortly after the banking watchdog, BDDK, ruled in favour
of its seizure and sacked the entire
existing management team, citing a
lack of transparency.
The BDDK said in a statement on its
website late on Tuesday that it seized
the bank “because the institution has
not presented a partnership structure
that is transparent and open enough
to allow for effective regulation.”
The 63% stake had been owned by
the bank’s management.
Bank Asya’s new management said
yesterday that the move would not
affect its operations.
Selin Sayek Boke, deputy chairman
of the main opposition Republican
Peoples’ Party (CHP), described the
takeover of the bank as a “scandal”
that would besmirch Turkey’s international reputation.
“The destruction of hard-worn institutional credibility for political goals
undermines the reputation, power and
future of Turkey’s economy,” Boke said
in a statement quoted by Turkish media.
A group of protesters gathered
yesterday outside Bank Asya’s headquarters in Umraniye on the Asian
side of Istanbul, waving Turkish flags,
reading the Qur’an and chanting slogans in support of the group under
the watchful eye of the police.
Around 200 people gathered outside the bank’s head offices in Ankara,
carrying banners that read: “These
people are here for you and ready to to
sacrifice themselves for you.”
The seizure of the bank is the latest crackdown against Gulen’s powerful movement known as “Hizmet”,
which brings together interests ranging from finance to schools to media.
Erdogan accuses Gulen and his followers of being behind the sweeping
corruption probe that rocked his government while he was prime minister.
‘Trojan’ protest
Demonstrators from grassroots environmental network Friends of the Earth Europe stage a protest in Brussels against the
Transatlantic Trade and Investment Pact.
24
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
INDIA
ANNIVERSARY
Staff of a government-run pharmaceutical college
light candles arranged in the formation of a
ribbon to promote cancer awareness and mark
World Cancer Day, in Bengaluru yesterday.
CRIME
PROBE
LAW AND ORDER
TRIAL
Music director, son
held over assault
One more arrested
in Burdwan blast case
Mamata calls for arrest
of youth’s killers
Uber cabbie denies
raping passenger
Acclaimed music director Ismail Darbar was
arrested in connection with an assault case and
later secured bail from a local court, the Mumbai
police said yesterday. Darbar’s son Zaid was also
arrested for allegedly assaulting an assistant
director over a monetary dispute and is now out
on bail. Darbar’s arrest came a day after his son
Zaid and two friends - Mohsin Khan and Nishant
Singh - were arrested in the same case involving an assault on an assistant director, Prashant
Choudhary, in suburban Oshiwara late Monday.
The arrests followed a complaint lodged by
Choudhary on Tuesday over a dispute relating to
some pending payments.
A madrassa teacher, said to be a close aide of
suspected Burdwan blast mastermind Sheikh
Rehmatullah alias Sajjid, has been arrested from
West Bengal’s Murshidabad district by the National Investigation Agency, officials said yesterday.
Mufazzil Haque was arrested from Mukimnagar
area on Tuesday night for his alleged involvement
in recruiting youths for militant group Jamaatul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). NIA personnel
came to know about Haque following the interrogation of four people arrested recently from
the state. The NIA has so far arrested 17 people,
mostly Bangladeshis, for the October 2 blast that
took place at a house in Khagragarh in Burdwan.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee yesterday visited the house of a college
student who died after being beaten up
for allegedly protesting the harassment of
women, and ordered police to arrest the
guilty. The 20-year-old youth, Arup Bhandari,
who slipped into coma after being beaten up
for protesting the harassment of women during an idol immersion procession in Howrah
district, succumbed to his injuries on Monday.
The incident led to an outcry by opposition
parties against the Banerjee government over
its law and order record and “patronage of
criminals”.
An Uber taxi driver accused of raping a passenger in the capital denied in a special court
attacking her, saying he had tried to calm her
after she started crying. Shiv Kumar Yadav, 32,
said the charges of raping the 25-year-old woman
in New Delhi in December were “false”, as his trial
in a fast-track court continued. “It is incorrect that
I misbehaved with the woman at the rear seat
of the car or that she tried to push me away and
tried to open the door or that she screamed after
which I slapped her several times,” he said, according to the Press Trust of India news agency.
Yadav has pleaded not guilty to charges of rape,
kidnap and criminal intimidation.
Chandy rules
out taking back
payment made
to Mohanlal
IANS
Thiruvananthapuram
P
utting an end to all speculation, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy yesterday said the state government
had no moral right to accept the
money they gave superstar Mohanlal for staging a performance.
The actor was paid for his musical band’s performance at the
opening ceremony of the 35th National Games, held here last week.
“The government had entered into an agreement with
Mohanlal for the conduct of his
programme. Even if he intends
to return the money, the Kerala
government has no moral right to
take back the cash,” Chandy said.
Since the event, which incidentally was the debut performance of Mohanlal’s newlyformed musical band Lalisom,
both the superstar and the government have come in for much
criticism over the poor quality of
the programme.
“Mohanlal is our pride and
please see the spirit with
which he came forward to
hold the event”
Snubbed by a massive social
media outcry targeting Mohanlal, the film star in an e-mail to
Kerala Sports Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan offered to return the Rs16.3mn he
had taken towards expenses incurred. Mohanlal also pointed
out that he had not charged any
fee for his appearance.
Sources close to the actor said
yesterday morning that he had
mailed a draft for Rs16.3mn to the
state government, thereby attempting to put a lid on the controversy.
Chandy, meanwhile, had to
face a barrage of questions on the
rationale behind the government
defending Mohanlal’s inferior
quality programme.
“I spoke to him when we fixed
his programme and he had made
it very clear that he had very little
time. Now after all that has happened, we feel sad that a great
artiste like Mohanlal had to face
such a controversy. We will not
accept the money which he has
said he will return,” the chief
minister insisted.
Chandy also claimed that
some vested interests have been
trying to sabotage the National
Games being held in the state.
“First they said the Games will
have to be postponed, then they
claimed the equipment would not
arrive. Once each and every venue
was completed in time, they went
after other things. The closing
ceremony also will be conducted
as planned and, mind you, the
budget for each programme was
fixed way back in 2011,” the Kerala
chief minister said.
“We have not changed any officials from the games committee, even though it was formed
before our government assumed
office,” said Chandy, adding that
once the games ended on February 14, he would take a call on all
the allegations that have been
raised.
Meanwhile, Malayalam superstar Mammootty came forward
to defend his beleaguered colleague.
Mammootty has asked for
support from all to end the
hounding of Mohanlal. At a hurriedly called press meet here,
Mammootty urged all to support
Mohanlal.
“An artiste takes a lot of pain
in organising events. Mohanlal is
our pride and please see the spirit
with which he came forward to
hold the event. One should see
his good intentions,” said Mammootty, adding that he had come
forward in support of Mohanlal
as a colleague, friend and artiste.
Mammootty, however, left the
venue without taking any questions from the media
Picturesque Kashmir
A man rows a small boat on the waters of Dal Lake on a sunny day in Srinagar.
Top official sacked for
scam probe interference
IANS
New Delhi
H
ome Secretary Anil Goswami yesterday resigned
after he was told by the
government to put in his papers
over his alleged role in trying to
stall the arrest of former Congress minister Matang Sinh in
the multi-crore-rupee Saradha
scam.
Official sources said Goswami
handed over his resignation to
Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
“The home secretary has resigned. He met the home minister and submitted his resignation,” said an official who did not
want to be identified.
Goswami is the third senior official who had to resign or
Controversial video taken
down from YouTube
IANS
Mumbai
T
he controversial AIB Roast
video has been taken
down from video sharing
website YouTube two days after
the Maharashtra government
initiated a probe into allegations
of “abusive and filthy” language
used by Bollywood personalities
in it.
The video, which went viral
on the online video sharing platform since being posted January
28, was pulled out Tuesday night.
The official Twitter handle
of the comic group AIB posted:
“Have taken down AIB Knockout
for now. We will speak soon.”
The Roast, organised by a
group of stand-up comedians,
poked fun at the roastees -- Bollywood actors Ranveer Singh and
Arjun Kapoor, and was hosted by
filmmaker Karan Johar.
Following complaints on the
below-the-belt content of the
programme, Education and Culture Minister Vinod Tawade ordered a probe on Monday evening.
“The culture department officials will examine the videos’
content and if found vulgar, action would be initiated,” Tawade
said.
Also, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena on Tuesday demanded
an apology from all the persons
involved in the AIB Roast, and
said that it would not allow Johar,
Arjun and Ranveer’s movies to be
screened if they do not apologise.
AIB Roast is a charity event
which took place here in December 2014. A collection of over
Rs4mn was raised via the twohour comedy event, the edited
version of which was posted on
AIB’s YouTube page on January
28.
The negative reactions to the
AIB Roast’s humour has left a
majority of Hindi film celebrities upset, and they have taken
to Twitter to laugh off the matter.
Actress
Sandhya
Mridul
wrote: “Chalo #AIBRoast off You
tube. Now let’s start scrutinising and punishing all those who
use abusive words. EVERYONE.
ANYWHERE. ANYTIME.”
Screenwriter Milap Zaveri
supported the group and posted:
“Corruption, poverty, illiteracy,
there r enough serious issues
to tackle. Why target laughter?
#AIBRoast we stand by you.”
Another actress, Shruti Seth
questioned “if the organisers of
#AIBRoast flouted any rules, how
were they allowed to perform.”
“So the authorities were complicit in this ‘vulgar’ act? Don’t
let the moral police win. Next
they’ll come after our thoughts.
#AIBRoast must be allowed back
on YouTube (sic),” Shruti shared
with her fans on the micro-blogging website.
Writer Chetan Bhagat argued
if the event can be probed for
abusive language, then the government “will also need to probe
every college hostel in this country”.
Filmmaker Hansal Mehta,
who did not find the programme
amusing, still supported the
group’s freedom of speech, and
tweeted: “Watched AIB knockout and did not find it funny. So
what? It is their prerogative to
poke fun at each other and to put
it on public domain.”
whose services were curtailed
by the government over the past
few weeks.
Sujatha Singh was removed as
foreign secretary last week while
the term of Avinash Chander as
chief of the Defence Research
and Development Organisation (DRDO) was curtailed last
month.
K Durga Prasad was apparently removed as chief of the
Special Protection Group (SPG)
during Prime Minister Narendra
Modi’s visit to Nepal and he has
now been posted in the Central
Reserve Police Force.
Sources said Goswami was
summoned by Rajnath Singh
earlier in the day. He is learnt to
have explained his position following the controversy over his
calls to Central Bureau of Inves-
tigation (CBI) officials dealing
with the Saradha chit fund scam
case.
The sources said there have
been top-level consultations in
the government over the issue.
Rajnath Singh is also learnt to
have spoken to CBI director Anil
Sinha.
Goswami, an IAS officer of
Jammu and Kashmir cadre, was
appointed home secretary during the term of the previous
United Progressive Alliance government.
There were reports that he
had spoken to CBI officers following their decision to arrest
Matang Sinh.
Matang Sinh, who was minister of state in the P V Narasimha
Rao government in the 1990s,
was arrested on January 31 by
Literary event
the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Kolkata on charges
of criminal conspiracy, cheating
and misappropriation of funds
in the Saradha scam.
Meanwhile a Kolkata court
yesterday granted conditional
bail to Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Srinjoy Bose,
who was arrested in November
2014 by the CBI probing the
scam.
Passing the order, South 24
Parganas district and sessions
judge Samaresh Prasad Chowdhury directed Bose not to go
abroad without permission from
the court and to co-operate with
the CBI in matters related to the
probe.
He was also told not to make
any effort to influence the probe.
After hearing the bail petition
US technology eyed to
boost naval strength
Reuters
New Delhi
T
Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor attends the launch of the
Ek Maheena Nazmon Ka poetry compilation authored by
Bollywood songwriter Irshad Kamil in Mumbai.
moved by Bose’s counsel, the
judge asked him to submit two
bonds of Rs50,000 each.
Bose’s lawyers had sought
bail arguing that he had already
spent 75 days in police and judicial custody and was co-operating in the probe.
They said Bose should be
granted bail as the CBI was yet
to file a chargesheet against him
under Section 420 of the Indian
Penal Code, under which he was
arrested, while the maximum
detention time under the section
was 75 days.
The counsel for the CBI did
not oppose the defence lawyer’s
argument about the statutory
period, but prayed to the court
that Bose not be given bail as
the case was sensitive and had a
bearing on the society.
he government wants to
use state-of-the-art US
technology to boost the
range and potency of a planned
aircraft carrier, defence sources
said, in a move that would tie
their arms programmes closer
together and counter China’s
military influence in the region.
The proposal, referred to only
obliquely in a joint statement
at the end of President Barack
Obama’s recent visit to New Delhi, is the clearest signal yet that
Washington is ready to help India
strengthen its navy.
Although the aircraft carrier in
question would not be ready for
at least another decade, such cooperation could act as a balance
against China’s expanding presence in the Indian Ocean.
It would also represent a shift
away from India’s traditional reliance on Russian military hardware,
particularly if, as some experts expect, it leads to knock-on orders for
US aircraft in the longer term.
After years of neglect, India’s
navy is in the midst of acceler-
ated modernisation under Prime
Minister Narendra Modi.
It inducted an old aircraft carrier from Russia in 2014 to add to
an ageing British vessel likely to
be decommissioned in 2018. Last
year, soon after taking office,
Modi cleared funds to ensure
another carrier being built domestically was ready for service
in 2018.
He also endorsed navy plans
for a further carrier which would
be its biggest, and it is this one
that may be built with US technology, a defence ministry
source and two former navy vice
admirals with ties to the naval
establishment said.
The joint statement by Obama
and Modi spoke of a “working
group to explore aircraft carrier
technology sharing and design”
as part of the Defence Trade and
Technology Initiative.
Defence officials said this could
lead to direct US participation in
building the 65,000-tonne INS
Vishal carrier.
“The US navy is the only one
that operates large carriers today,
so we are looking at what they
can offer, what is possible,” the
defence source said.
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
25
INDIA
ASSUARANCE
PROBE
LAW AND ORDER
PLAN
OUTBREAK
EVMs can’t be tampered
with: election panel
Police to quiz Indigo crew
over woman’s molestation
Violence in prison after
inmate found dead
Karnataka keen to tap
China investment
H1N1 toll in Telangana
mounts to 36
The Election Commission yesterday allayed
fears about tampering of electronic voting
machines (EVMs) in the February 7 Delhi
assembly polls, saying it has put in place
elaborate administrative measures. “The
commission has put in place elaborate
administrative measures and procedural
checks and balances aimed at prevention of
any possible misuse of procedural lapses,” the
commission said in a statement. “The EC has
full confidence in the non-tamperability of ECIEVMs and assures all electors of the country
that EVMs used by the commission in elections
are non-tamperable.”
The Odisha Police will quiz crew members of an
Indigo flight aboard which a 32-year-old woman
was allegedly molested by an NRI businessman
on January 27. R K Jhunjhunwala, 60, landed in
trouble after a video went viral in social media
in which he allegedly misbehaved with a woman
aboard the Mumbai-Bhubaneswar flight. A case
had been registered under the Indian Penal
Code for making physical contact and advances
involving unwelcome sexual overtures. Police
have arrested the businessman based on a
complaint lodged by the woman. However, he
was allowed to go home after the police served
notice on him.
Violence broke out in a Uttar Pradesh jail as
prisoners attacked officials after an inmate was
found dead, police said yesterday. The incident
took place in Kannauj around midnight. Police
resorted to cane charge and the situation was
said to be tense. The body of Hari Om, who was
serving a life sentence in a dowry death case,
was found hanged in a toilet. Om’s father is also
serving a sentence in the same jail while his
elder brother was recently released. As the news
spread, inmates attacked the prison guards.
They climbed on the roof top and shouted antipolice slogans alleging that the jail authorities
had murdered the inmate.
Karnataka yesterday invited Chinese enterprises
to invest in infrastructure projects in the state. “As
Karnataka needs to build strong infrastructure,
China could be the best bet. With a view to taking
bilateral ties to a new high, we favour expansion
and deepening of exchanges and co-operation
in all areas and settle questions left over by
history,” Chief Minister Siddaramaiah told Chinese
Ambassador to India Le Yucheng in Bengaluru.
Noting that China had $3.8tn worth reserves,
which were enough to meet India’s capital needs,
the chief minister reminded Le that his country
had earlier expressed a desire to finance India’s
infrastructure projects to the tune of $300bn.
Two more people died of H1N1 virus in Telangana
since Tuesday, taking the toll to 36. Governmentrun Gandhi Hospital, which is the state nodal centre
for the disease, reported two more deaths. The
dead include an eight-month-old child. According
to the health department, 71 samples were tested
for H1N1 virus on Tuesday and out of them 18 were
found positive. The authorities screened 2,047
samples since January 1 and out of them 686 were
found positive. The health department, however,
claimed that due to a rise in temperature, the
number of cases is declining. Officials said enough
stocks of medicines have been made available at
all teaching, district and area hospitals.
Jaitley,
Kejriwal
trade blows
in run-up
to elections
PM sorry for
‘immigrant’
goof-up as
row grows
IANS
New Delhi
I
t was yet another day of political slugfest between the
AAP (Aam Aadmi Party)
and the BJP in the run-up to the
February 7 Delhi assembly polls
with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley yesterday calling the former a
“brilliant propagandist” which
wears the “label of honesty” on
its sleeve.
However, former Delhi chief
minister Arvind Kejriwal, whose
party has been accused of receiving dubious funds, dared
Jaitley to arrest him if he had
done anything wrong.
Meanwhile, a public interest
litigation (PIL) was filed yesterday in the Delhi High Court,
seeking a CBI probe into foreign
funds the AAP received in the
past and now allegedly in violation of law.
In an acerbic post on the
Bharatiya Janata Party’s website, Jaitley said “Kejriwal is not
a stranger to the tax laws” and
“knew what his party was doing”.
Jaitley was referring to the
Rs20mn funding the AAP allegedly received from bogus companies. A breakaway group of the
AAP has levelled these charges.
“If Kejriwal were still a revenue service officer and a case of
such money conversion through
sham companies resulting in donations to a political party had
landed on his table, what would
he have done?,” Jaitley asked.
“Would he have asked the assessee to write a letter to the
chief justice of the Supreme
Court of India or allowed him to
argue that a payment by cheque
to political parties forgives all
sins of black money conversion?
“Would he have arrested the
fraudulent assessee under the
Indian Penal Code rather than
proceeding under the Income
Tax Act?
“He should be honest enough
to tell the people what ‘Arvind
Kejriwal, IRS (India Revenue
Service Officer)’ would have
done under these circumstances,” Jaitley wrote.
Kejriwal once again refuted
the charges, asserting that his
party only took money through
cheques.
“If I have done wrong, tell the
finance minister to arrest me. I
am ready for a probe, these are
false allegations,” Kejriwal said.
Meanwhile, the Election
Commission cleared Kejriwal of
charges of his name being incorrectly enrolled in the electoral
list in his New Delhi constituency.
The poll panel’s lawyer told a
court that Kejriwal’s inclusion
in the electoral rolls was correct.
The pleas against Kejriwal
were filed by Congress leader
and his poll opponent Kiran
Walia and NGO Maulik Bharat
Trust,
IANS
New Delhi
A
Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Delhi chief ministerial candidate
Kiran Bedi during a public rally in New Delhi yesterday.
day after the BJP drew flak
over a “typographical error” of referring to people
from the northeast as “immigrants” in its Vision Document,
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
defended his party and decried
attempts to rake up the issue for
political mileage.
“Attempts are being made to
provoke people from the northeast... a mistake was made and
the party accepted it,” Modi said
addressing an election rally in
Ambedkar Nagar in south Delhi.
“No one should play with the
unity of the country for political
benefits,” he said.
Modi said he has visited the
northeastern states many times
and the Bharatiya Janata Partyled central government would
develop the region “more than
what has happened in the past 60
years”.
The prime minister’s comments came as the BJP termed the
issue an “inadvertent mistake”
and regretted it.
“Due to an inadvertent mistake
the word immigrant was used in
the Vision Document. The par-
Modi pitted Natarajan against me: Rahul
Congress vice president Rahul
Gandhi yesterday vowed to fight
for the poor and tribals till his last
breath and said former environment
minister Jayanthi Natarajan was
pitted against him over the issue
after he spoke about Prime Minister
Narendra Modi.
Addressing a rally at Jahangirpuri
in north Delhi, Gandhi made a slew
of election promises including
property rights to people in two
years, ending the contractual system
of appointment within a week of the
Congress party assuming office in
Delhi and providing permanent
jobs, reducing power tariff to
Rs1.50 per unit in six months and
bringing down water tariff.
Gandhi attacked Modi several
times during his nearly
25-minute speech.
He accused Modi of being
pro-rich, wearing imported
clothes and working for a
few “business friends”.
Without naming the Bharatiya Janata
Party, Gandhi said efforts were being
made to polarise voters before the
elections for political gains.
Gandhi later held a roadshow in
parts of Old Delhi during which he
was enthusiastically greeted by
Congress supporters.
In his speech, Gandhi said he had
said something against Modi a
few days back and the next day,
Natarajan was “propped up” against
him.
“I want to say I have fought the
battle of the poor and tribals.
I had told Natarajan that we
should look into the welfare
of the environment, poor
and the tribals,” Gandhi
said.
The Congress vice
president said he
was not afraid. “Till
my last breath, I
will fight for the poor. I am not here
to do politics for the rich. I am not
here for four-five industrialists. I am
here to do politics for the poor. I will
stand for them.”
This was the first time Gandhi
spoke about Natrajan’s outburst.
Natarajan was virtually forced out of
the Congress-led government and
resigned from the party last week.
Gandhi targeted Modi over the ‘Make
in India’ campaign and claimed
that not a single youth had got
employment.
“Crores of rupees were invested in
marketing for ‘Make in India’. He
(Modi) wears suit worth Rs1mn,
media people say even that is not
made in India, it is made in UK,”
Gandhi said.
During US President Barack Obama’s
visit, Modi wore a pinstriped suit
that had his full name - Narendra
Damodardas Modi - monogrammed
in the fabric.
TV shows inspire woman to plot double murder
IANS
Panaji
W
atching crime shows on TV
inspired a woman in Goa to
drug, murder and rob her
in-laws, police claimed yesterday after having solved a sensational double-murder case which had dominated the headlines for the last few days.
Inspector General of Police
(IGP) Sunil Garg told reporters that
32-year-old Pratima Naik had also
play-acted like a professional, faking
a burglary attempt, and even stab-
bing herself to create a smokescreen
to confuse police, minutes after murdering her in-laws on January 30 in
the port town of Vasco.
“She said it was inspired by the
serials she had watched on TV. The
entire (murder) plan was done quite
professionally,” Garg said.
The double murder triggered social as well as political ripples in Goa,
with the opposition lambasting the
BJP-led government over the deteriorating law and order in the state.
Garg, however, stopped short of
naming the TV crime shows.
The police official said Pratima,
driven by greed for gold, and allegedly
smarting under the rough treatment
by her in-laws, drugged her 56-yearold mother-in-law Usha Naik, and
26-year-old sister-in-law Neha Naik
with sleeping pills, strangulated the
former and smothered the latter with
a pillow after they passed out.
“She then bundled gold ornaments
worth Rs1mn and threw it out to an accomplice waiting outside and concocted a very elaborate story,” Garg said.
The accused woman smeared chilli
powder on her face, and even stabbed
herself and went to the neighbours to
complain of a robbery.
“She also said she was hit on the
head with a stick by a burglar after
which she passed out, but we saw
through her story,” Garg said.
The spouses of both Pratima and
Neha are employed abroad.
Pratima, who was in an intensive
care unit for two days since the murders were reported, was arrested late
Tuesday and sent to 14 days in police
custody yesterday.
Garg said watching dramatised
crime shows on television was alright
as long as one picks the right values
from it. “Opt for the right lesson when
you watch these shows on TV,” he said.
ty regrets this,” BJP leader Ravi
Shankar Prasad said yesterday.
“The word ‘immigrant’ was
used in the heading, but the paragraph ahead used the word migrant,” he said at a press conference.
“Our brothers and sisters from
the northeast are proud citizens
of India wherever they are. The
BJP walks an extra mile to ensure
their safety and this mistake is regretted,” said Prasad, who is also
the communication and information technology minister.
BJP spokesperson M J Akbar also
expressed regret over the error.
“We regret deeply and I want
to reassure all our brothers and
sisters of the northeast that everyone from there in Delhi is as
valuable, as important to the BJP
as any other citizen of Delhi,” Akbar said.
On Tuesday, the BJP released
its Vision Document for the February 7 assembly election where a
section said: “North eastern immigrants to be protected.”
The Congress demanded that
the BJP apologise to the people of
the northeast.
BJP leader and Commerce
Minister Nirmala Sitharaman,
addressing a press conference,
clarified that it was a “typograph-
ical error”, but said the BJP was
the only party to mention creation of a separate northeast cell in
its Vision Document.
She hit out at the Congress and
the Aam Aadmi Party, saying that
while the two parties were criticising the BJP for the error, the
parties had no provision for the
northeast people in their manifestos.
The reference to people from
the northeast in the Vision Document found mention as there
have been many attacks on people
from the region in Delhi.
An edited version of the Vision
Document was published on the
BJP website yesterday with the
word “immigrants” removed as
well as the reference to “migrants”
in the subsequent elaboration.
The heading was changed to
“People from the North East in
Delhi to be protected”.
“Special cells in all police
stations and special 24-hour
helpline numbers to be set up
for the protection of the north
eastern people living in Delhi,” the
edited version said.
“To safeguard the students of
N.E. (northeast) origin, special
guardianships will be arranged
with local families for them,” it
added.
26
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
LATIN AMERICA
Prosecutor planned
to arrest Kirchner
The investigating officer clarified
after an initial denial that Nisman had
prepared papers against president
Kirchner
Reuters
Buenos Aires
A
n Argentine prosecutor found dead
in mysterious circumstances last
month had drafted a request that
President Cristina Fernandez be arrested
for conspiring to derail his probe into the
deadly bombing of a Jewish centre, the investigator into his death said.
The papers were found in the trash at
Alberto Nisman’s apartment while his
property was being scoured for clues over
whether the father-of-two committed
suicide or was murdered.
He was found in a pool of blood with a
single bullet to the head on January 18.
“The drafts are in the file,” Viviana Fein,
the lead investigator into Nisman’s death,
told a local radio station.
The request for Fernandez’s arrest,
which the prominent pro-opposition daily
newspaper Clarin said Nisman drafted in
June, was not included in his final 350page submission to the judiciary delivered
days before his death. Instead Nisman
called for Fernandez to face questions in
court.
On Monday, Fein’s office had denied
the existence of the document containing the arrest request and the government
denounced a Clarin story about it as “garbage”.
Cabinet chief Jorge Capitanich even
dramatically tore up a copy of the paper
in his daily news briefing. But on Tuesday,
Fein backtracked, saying there had been
a misunderstanding between her and her
office, and the documents did exist.
“They are properly incorporated into
the case file, nothing is missing,” Fein said
of the papers on Tuesday.
Nisman spent almost a decade building
up a case that Iran was behind the 1994
attack on the Argentine Israelite Mutual
Association (AMIA) that killed 85 people.
Iran’s government has repeatedly denied
the allegation.
Nisman had been due the day after his
death to answer questions in Congress
about his allegations that Fernandez
sought to cover up Iran’s involvement in
return for Iranian oil. Fernandez has called
the claim “absurd”.
Argentine judges are proving reluctant
to take on a case some are calling a “judicial hot potato”. Two judges turned down
hearing the case on Monday, including
one who is already presiding over separate
charges of attempts to derail the investigation into the 1994 bombing.
The other cover-up charges involve
ex-president Carlos Menem, who
ruled the South American country
from 1989 to 1999.
Fernandez, who had come under fierce
criticism for her handling of Nisman’s
death, is currently on a trip to China.
Argentine lawmakers Tuesday began
debating president Cristina Kirchner’s
order to disband the intelligence service,
mired in scandal after the suspicious death
of a prosecutor who was probing the 1994
bombing of a Jewish center.
Kirchner has ordered the overhaul of
the Intelligence Secretariat, known as
the SI, and the creation of a new Federal Intelligence Agency that would have
reduced wiretapping powers and would
wield less influence on certain political
cases.
The government is hoping the measure
will garner broad support and win approval in both houses within a month.
Tuesday saw two Senate commissions
discussing the order. The leadership of the
new agency will be chosen by the president, but subject to Senate approval.
SI chief Oscar Parrilli, whom the
presiednt named in December, defended
the planned changes and slammed opposition members for walking out to show
their disagreement.
The FIA will address “complex federal
crimes such as terror ism, drug trafficking, people trafficking” without engaging
in domestic intelligence work “unless national security is endangered”.
Prosecutor Alberto Nisman, 51, was
found in his Buenos Aires home with a
gunshot to the head on January 18, the day
before he was to go before a congressional
hearing to accuse Kirchner of obstructing
his investigation into the unsolved bombing of the Argentine-Jewish Mutual Association that left 85 people dead.
Nisman had accused Kirchner and her
foreign minister Hector Timerman of
shielding Iranian officials implicated in the
bombing.
After his death, Kirchner suggested
Nisman had been manipulated by former
intelligence agents who then killed him
to smear her. Kirchner has offered no evidence to support her theory, and did not
say who she thought was behind Nisman’s
death.
Investigators have said Nisman’s death
appeared to be suicide, but it has been
classified as a suspicious death, and homicide or an “induced suicide” have not been
ruled out.
Kirchner has said intelligence reform
is a “debt to democracy” and that the SI
agency was still operating with agents and
methods dating back to the 1976-1983
dictatorship.
The Center for Legal and Social Studies,
a non-governmental human rights group,
supports the reform to strip intelligence
agents of some of their powers, but warned
that it did not go far enough to overhaul
the “promiscuous” relationship with federal courts.
Brazil drought
Argentina’s
Fernandez
in gaffe on
China trip
Reuters
Buenos Aires
A
rgentine
president
Cristina
Fernandez,
on a tour of China to
strengthen ties as the economy
teeters on the brink of a recession, appeared to commit a
diplomatic blunder yesterday
by poking fun at how the Chinese speak.
While Fernandez’s remark
on Twitter that the Chinese
pronounce the letter ‘r’ as an ‘l’
will be taken by her supporters
as a light-hearted joke typical of her folksy style on social
media, she may have offended
her hosts.
In her message, Fernandez
suggested that the Chinese
struggled to pronounce “rice”,
“petroleum” and “Campora,”
the Spanish name given to the
youth wing of her political
party.
“More than 1,000 participants at the event ... Are they
all from the Campola and in it
only for the lice and petloleum?” Fernandez tweeted.
Argentina has turned to
China for loans to bolster its
thin foreign reserves and financing for energy and rail
projects as it grapples with another debt default and a stagnating economy.
There was no immediate reaction from Beijing.
Within minutes of her comments, ‘#Campola’ was trending on Twitter in Argentina,
with many voicing dismay and
heaping scorn on the president.
“@CFKArgentina Without a
doubt, she’s gone to pasture,”
tweeted one user.
A survey by pollster Carlos
Fara and Associates published
yesterday showed the twoterm leader’s approval rating
falling 7 percentage points to
39 since November in the capital Buenos Aires and neighboring Buenos Aires province.
Argentines vote for a new
leader in October. Fernandez
is barred constitutionally from
running.
“She makes a joke, as would
any citizen,” said Fara. “Beyond
whether you think they’re appropriate for a president, they
won’t have much impact at
home or abroad.”
Kirchner is hoping to keep
the focus on a string of deals
with China during the visit.
Kirchner met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and
signed 15 agreements, the pair
discussed at length a series
of projects the two countries
are collaborating on including dams, railways and nuclear
plants.
“We believe in Argentina
we’ll have an unbeatable opportunity to learn from their
scientists, technicians,” Kirchner said, referring to a deal on
space technology.
This is the second time the
two leaders have met in the
past year after Xi visited Argentina during a trip to Latin
America last summer designed
to boost China’s economic ties
with the continent.
China has a total of $23 billion invested in Argentina,
mostly in energy, mining, the
financial sector and agriculture.
Kirchner said she had been
determined to make the trip,
despite being advised not to
travel by doctors as she was
still recovering from breaking
her ankle.
Blast death toll rises to four
A nurse who was injured while saving several babies after a gas
explosion destroyed a Mexican maternity hospital last week has
died, raising the death toll to four, officials said yesterday. The
35-year-old nurse, Monica Orta Ramirez, died late Tuesday, five
days after rescuing babies from the rubble of the Maternity and
Children’s Hospital in southwest Mexico City, the mayor’s office said.
“Regrettably, she did not respond to all the treatments that her case
needed. The exact causes (of death) have yet to be determined,” the
city government said in a statement. Another nurse and two babies
died last Thursday when a gas truck leak caused a huge explosion
outside the hospital. More than 70 people were injured. Nine
newborns and 11 adults were still in hospitals on Tuesday.
Nine dead in clashes in Mexico
View of a dead tree — normally underwater — at Funil Hydroelectric Plant reservoir, in Resende, about 160km from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A severe drought — the worst in
the country since 1930 — has hit Brazil’s three most populous states: Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais.
Nine suspected criminals died Tuesday in clashes with police
and a rival gang in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, the local
government said. The state bordering the US is among those
hardest hit by drug related violence in Mexico. Eight of the fatalities
came in direct clashes with federal forces. The other death came in
a fight between rival crime gangs, a statement from the Tamaulipas
government said. Tamaulipas, the main gateway from Mexico into
the US, is enduring a wave of violence that has seen days in which
more than a dozen people have been killed. The fighting has been
blamed on clashes between the Gulf and Zetas drug cartels, which
were allies until 2010.
Mexico president vows probe of home purchases
Reuters
Mexico City
M
exican President Enrique Pena
Nieto has ordered an investigation of home purchases by
himself, his wife and his finance minister from government contractors but he
fell short of demands for an independent probe into possible corruption.
Pena Nieto named a former election
official to head the public administration ministry (SFP) and investigate
whether he and finance minister Luis
Videgaray had steered big government
contracts toward businessmen who had
sold them homes.
The post had been empty since Pena
Nieto took office over two years ago,
when he proposed replacing the SFP
with a more independent anti-corruption body that has yet to take shape.
“I am conscious that these accusations have created the appearance of
something improper, something that
really did not happen,” Pena Nieto said.
However, the man named to lead the
probe, Virgilio Andrade, said minutes
after Pena Nieto’s announcement that
he would only be looking into the contractors’ deals with the federal government rather than the house purchases,
which began before the president took
office.
Mexico’s government has struggled
to mount convincing investigations of
corruption allegations in the past.
A Reuters report last month detailed
how investigators at state oil company
Pemex, in probes managed by SFP officials, disregarded more than 200
cases in which congressional auditors
recommended punishment for alleged
contract irregularities.
A scandal erupted late last year when
it emerged that Pena Nieto’s wife was
acquiring a multimillion dollar home in
Mexico City from a subsidiary of Grupo
Higa, which was part of a Chinese-led
consortium that won a $3.75bn rail
contract, which has since been shelved.
Videgaray also bought a home and
received a loan from the same company
and it emerged that Pena Nieto himself
bought a home from a different government contractor.
Both Pena Nieto and Videgaray say
they did nothing wrong under Mexican
law.
Mexico’s President Enrique Pena Nieto
Andrade said on Tuesday that neither Pena Nieto nor Videgaray were
directly involved in awarding any contracts and that his investigation will be
limited in scope.
“It will not review the purchases of
the houses, but the group of contracts
agreed between private individuals and
the federal government,” he told local
radio.
Andrade’s brief includes overseeing
ethical guidelines for public servants
and establishing protocols governing
the relationship between contractors
and public servants.
The economy ministry, where Andrade worked previously, said the president’s office was handling requests for
interviews with him.
Opposition lawmakers and experts
have long argued that Mexico needs to
establish independent prosecutors to
deal with deeply ingrained corruption.
The scandal has stoked Pena Nieto’s
deepest crisis since he took office in late
2012.
He was already grappling with the
fallout of the abduction and almost
certain massacre of 43 trainee teachers
in southwest Mexico last year amid spiraling drug gang violence.
Pena Nieto made light of the pressure
on Tuesday when his announcement
was met with silence from assembled
journalists.
“I know they don’t clap,” he said to
his spokesman as he left the podium.
Within minutes, his words had gone viral on Twitter as the top trending topic
in Mexico, #YaSeQueNoAplauden.
Analysts say the housing scandal
could further undermine implementation of major economic reforms seen
as key to helping stem a slide in do-
mestic oil output and bolster economic
growth.
“There is a sensation of distrust
around tenders in which Grupo Higa
is immersed, and there are also serious
worries and doubts about the president
and finance minister with certain players,” said Eduardo Bohorquez, director
of the Mexican unit of Transparency
International.
Earlier on Tuesday, Videgaray said
he would have declared a housing loan
from a government contractor if the law
required it, and acknowledged he paid
less than half the market interest rate
on the loan.
He told the Milenio TV channel in
comments published in its newspaper on Tuesday that he had an interest
rate of 5.31% on a loan he received from
Grupo Higa to buy a home built by the
contractor.
The average home loan rate was
around 12% in 2012, the central bank’s
website shows.
Pena Nieto also announced on Tuesday a series of measures to address
possible conflicts of interest in the government, including new reporting responsibilities for federal officials.
He said Mexico needed a new framework to address issues of conflict of interest and appointed Andrade to lead efforts.
Mexico’s embattled President Enrique Pena Nieto has sparked a social
media storm over an off-the-cuff remark he made about not getting applauded after announcing new antigraft measures.
“I already know you’re not applauding,” Pena Nieto said Tuesday at the
end of a televised speech to announce
his anti-corruption policy and an investigation into his family’s purchase
of luxurious homes from government
contractors.
It was unclear whether his comment
was made in jest or a complaint at the
assembled media, but it became a top
trending topic on Twitter in Mexico
with the hashtag #YaSeQueNoAplauden—Spanish for his controversial
phrase.
Memes appeared online of Pena Nieto clamoring for applause. An editorial cartoon in the newspaper Reforma
showed the public service minister
designated to investigate Pena Nieto’s
home purchase holding an “applause”
sign next to the president.
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
27
PAKISTAN/AFGHANISTAN
COMMERCE
POLITICS
FINANCE
ASSISTANCE
OBITUARY
WB approves five projects
in Pakistan’s energy sector
Former PM of Kashmir
set to join Imran’s party
Healthy returns expected
from stocks this year
Obama seeks over $1bn
from Congress for Pakistan
Classical singer Ustad
Shaggan passes away at 85
In a major development, the Board of Executive
Directors of the World Bank (WB) has approved
five projects pertaining to Pakistan including
International Finance Corporation (IFC)’s
Investment in Gul Ahmed Wind Power Limited,
Tenaga Generasi Limited (wind power) and
Gulpur Hydro Project, Sindh Public Sector
Reform Project and Acceleration of Tarbela IV
Extension Project.Officials of the Ministry of
Finance and Economic Affairs Division said that
by far this is the largest number of projects
approved by the Board in one month for any
country. They said the major thrust was on the
reforms in the energy sector.
Barrister Sultan Mahmood, a former prime
minister of Pakistan administered Jammu and
Kashmir, is set to end his political affiliation with
the PPP and join Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), it
was learnt yesterday. The leader, who had long
been voicing concerns about the performance
of Chaudhry Abdul Majeed-led government in
AJK, would unveil his decision to join PTI today
- the day when the nation marks solidarity with
the people of India-held Kashmir. “On Thursday,
Mahmood will attend a Solidarity Day function
under the aegis of the PTI, in Islamabad and
announce his decision to join the PTI in the
presence of Khan,” a PTI member confirmed.
For the fourth year in succession, investors
in stocks are expecting the market to provide
healthy returns in 2015. The investors’
enthusiasm is supported by what many believe
to be the economy stirring into life. “The current
year’s ample liquidity and declining interest rates
are forecast to propel benchmark KSE-100 Index
to 38,000 points, generating return of 18 per
cent,” analysts at brokerage Topline Securities
stated in their ‘Economic Outlook’ report
released yesterday.
Analysts stated that being net importer of oil,
the country could save $5bn (2% of GDP) due to
sharp fall in oil prices.
The Obama administration has asked the US
Congress to provide more than $1bn in civilian
and military aid to Pakistan, including a six-fold
increase in foreign military financing. The budget
proposal describes Pakistan as a “strategically
important nation” and says that the proposed US
assistance will strengthen its military in the fight
against extremism, will increase safety of nuclear
installations and will accelerate economic
development.
It also says that continued US engagement with
Pakistan will help bring stability to Afghanistan
and will promote better relations between
Islamabad and New Delhi.
Pakistan’s famous classical singer Ustad Ghulam
Hassan Shaggan passed away at the age of
85 in Lahore. Shaggan’s son Qadir Shaggan
said that his father was a heart patient whose
condition abruptly deteriorated. He was taken
to the Punjab Institute of Cardiology, where he
was pronounced dead, said Qadir. Shaggan,
who belonged to the famous Gawaliar Gharana,
was born in Amritsar in 1928. His father Bhai Lal
Mohamed also was a known classical singer.
The family moved to Pakistan during the
partition and settled in Lahore. Radio Pakistan’s
Lahore station gave many jewels to the world of
classical singing and Shaggan was one of them.
Gunmen kill 5 customs
officials in Pakistan
The gunmen attacked the
customs officials overnight
in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
province and fled on foot
U
A Pakistani policeman inspects a bullet-riddled vehicle of customs officials following an attack by gunmen in Kohat city, some 80km southwest
of Peshawar yesterday.
ficials, including polio vaccination workers, are often targeted
by Islamist militants who want
to overthrow the government.
Customs officials, meanwhile,
sometimes come under attack by
criminal gangs.
Pakistan has strengthened its
anti-terror strategy in the wake
of a December 16 attack on an
army-run school in Peshawar
that killed 153 people, 134 of
them children.
Its troops have been engaged
in a full-scale offensive against
Taliban and other militants in
North Waziristan and Khyber
tribal districts since earlier last
year.
Attacks in general have decreased since the offensive and
a red alert against terrorism in
the country overall, but security forces still face challenges
from scattered and targeted
attempted assaults on sensitive military and civil installations.
1,999 people arrested under counter-terror initiative
Internews
Lahore
W
hile the National Action Plan (NAP) of Pakistan is being implemented across the country since
December 17, 2014, the capital
city police in Lahore, in association with law enforcement agen-
AFP
Islamabad
P
AFP
Islamabad
nidentified
gunmen
shot dead five customs officials patrolling
overnight in Pakistan’s restive northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, authorities said yesterday.
The gunmen attacked the duty
officers at around midnight in
Kohat city, some 80km southwest of Peshawar, capital of the
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
“Three gunmen fired at the
customs team indiscriminately.
Four officials died on the spot
and another succumbed to his
injuries in hospital later,” Sohaib
Ashraf, district police chief in
Kohat, said.
“We are unaware of the identity of the attackers but it’s an
act of terrorism,” he said.
Another police official in the
area, Iqbal Mohmand said the
attackers escaped on foot under
cover of darkness.
A customs department official
also confirmed the incident.
“It was a terrorist attack on
our team. All five members of the
team were killed in this attack.
They hailed from local areas of
Kohat and Karak districts,” he
said.
Uniformed government of-
Pakistan wants
result-oriented
talks with India
cies, have so far arrested 1,999
people and booked them in 1,610
cases in connection with four recently promulgated ordinances.
However, 1,163 cases in four
categories are pending with the
courts.
Police conducted 744 joint
search (combing) operations in
1,050 localities, registered cases
against 91 people and quizzed
93,421 others from Dec 17, 2014
to Feb 2, 2015. Fifty-two cases
have been registered under Foreign Act, Arms Act and Control
of Narcotic Substance Act during the period.
Official statistics further
show police arrested 688 people and registered 555 cases
against them under the Punjab
Sound Systems (Regulation)
Ordinance 2015 with 458 cases
pending with courts; held 865
people in 601 cases under the
Punjab Information of Temporary Resident Ordinance
2015 with 471 cases pending
with courts; and apprehended
446 people in 449 cases under
the Punjab Arms (Amendments) Ordinance 2015 from
Jan 9 to Feb 2 with 244 cases
pending with courts.
Police are yet to arrest any
accused in five cases registered under the Punjab Prohibition of Expressing Matters on Walls (Amendment)
Ordinance 2015. There was no
case or arrest under the Punjab Security of Vulnerable Establishments Ordinance 2015
during the period.
akistan Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif’s key adviser Sartaj Aziz yesterday said that Pakistan wants
a meaningful and result-oriented dialogue with India for
resolution of all outstanding
issues.
Aziz told the National Assembly during question hour
that the onus of resuming the
dialogue lies with India as it
had suspended the foreign
secretary-level talks over the
issue of the Pakistani high
commissioner meeting Kashmiri separatists in New Delhi,
the Daily Times reported.
He added that the dialogue
process without the Kashmir
issue would be futile and not
acceptable to Pakistan.
Aziz said there were reports that US President Barack
Obama, during his visit to India last month, tried to persuade New Delhi to resume
talks with Islamabad. However, Pakistan has not received
any indication from the other
side in this regard.
He said that Pakistan was
working with other countries
to impress upon India the necessity for uninterrupted dialogue for regional peace, stability and development.
He said that Pakistan on its
part was striving to reduce
tension with India on the border.
Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry accused the Indian government
of turning Kashmir’s Muslim
majority into a minority by dividing the population on ethnic, religious and communal
lines, Dawn reported.
“No elections in Indianheld Kashmir could be a substitute to the plebiscite under the auspices of the UN,”
Chaudhry told ambassadors
posted in Pakistan of countries of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation (OIC).
Briefing the envoys on the
eve of “Kashmir Day”, the foreign secretary referred to the
actions taken by Indian security forces to suppress what he
called the indigenous Kashmiri
movement against Indian rule.
He stressed that peace in the
region would remain elusive
without the resolution of the
Kashmir dispute in accordance with UN resolutions that
call for a free and fair election
to determine the wishes of the
people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The foreign secretary emphasised that the OIC, a
body of 57 countries with the
world’s one-fifth population,
could influence India to fulfill
its “obligations” under UN
resolutions and de-militarise
Kashmir.
Cop guarding polio team shot dead in Pakistan
Gunmen yesterday killed
a policeman guarding a
polio vaccination team in
Pakistan’s southwest, police
said, the latest blow to efforts
to wipe out the crippling
virus.
The two attackers
on a motorbike shot
the policeman in the
Pashtunabad area on the
outskirts of Quetta, the
capital of oil and gas rich
Baluchistan province, before
fleeing, senior local police
official Aitzaz Goraya said.
He said the policeman, who
was guarding a four-member
polio vaccination team, was
shot as he came out of a
mosque after saying prayers
during the lunch break.
“The policeman succumbed
to his wounds on his way to
hospital,” he said.
The vaccination drive
remained unaffected by the
shooting, he added.
The city police chief Shafqat
Cheema confirmed the
incident and casualty.
Pakistan is one of only
three countries where polio
remains endemic.
Anxiety grows over Afghanistan’s ‘unity government’
AFP
Kabul
F
our months after President
Ashraf Ghani was sworn in
Afghanistan is still struggling to form a government,
damaging the economy and miring the country in uncertainty as
the Taliban insurgency continues.
The months of bitter fighting
between Ghani and his poll rival
Abdullah Abdullah that plagued
much of 2014 were meant to have
ended with the agreement in
September to create a “national
unity government”.
But parliament’s rejection last
week of most of Ghani’s cabinet
nominees has cast his administration into uncertainty once
again and is fuelling fears of
fresh turmoil, analysts say.
MPs turned down all but eight
of Ghani’s 25 picks for a range of
reasons — from dual-citizenship
to problems with educational
documents and at least one
nominee whose name was found
to be on an Interpol wanted list.
With parliament now on its
winter break, Ghani must wait
until late March before he can
introduce new candidates to the
legislators, dealing a blow to his
pledges of reform.
It means Afghanistan must get
by for nearly two months with no
permanent minister in several
key posts, including defence.
“This is very troubling for
Afghanistan, to not have a complete government at this critical
time,” said Abdul Waheed Wafa,
analyst and director of the Afghanistan Center at Kabul University.
“People were hoping to see a
strong and unified government,
but with the delay and then rejection of most of the cabinet
and its leaders in conflict with
themselves, we know that is not
going to fully realise anytime
soon.”
Afghanistan faces an array
of daunting problems, including a fierce and resilient Taliban
insurgency, widespread corruption, poverty and growing unemployment among the
country’s 30mn population,
most of whom are young.
The economy suffered during
the months of deadlock that followed last year’s disputed presidential election.
According to finance ministry
In this file photograph taken on September 25, 2014, then-Afghan
election contender and now the nation’s CEO, Abdullah Abdullah,
talks during a gathering at the loya jirga hall in Kabul.
data, income in 2014 fell short of
predictions by around 25% because the disruption caused by
the lengthy election process reduced trade and investment.
In an interview with the BBC,
former finance minister Mohamed Omar Zakhilwal said the
deadlock had cost the Afghan
economy around $5 billion,
while the World Bank said GDP
growth fell from 4.9% in 2013 to
just 1.5% in 2014.
Some observers fear that
without permanent ministers,
there may be delays to international aid and development payments — on which the Afghan
economy is heavily dependent.
Following the end of the USled Nato combat mission in late
December, Afghan forces are
also facing tough times against
the still-resilient Taliban, toppled from power in 2001.
The concern is that the ongoing political strife could weaken
the 350,000 security personnel
In this file photograph taken on January 20, 2015, Afghan President
Ashraf Ghani speaks as he introduces his cabinet nominees to
parliament in Kabul.
who last year repeatedly fought
off Taliban attempts to gain territory — at a heavy cost of casualties.
“The successes and gains of
the Afghan armed forces are dependent upon two factors,” said
Haroon Mir, analyst and founder
of Afghanistan’s Centre for Research and Policy Studies.
“First, continued and sustainable support from Nato and
other international allies and
second, good governance to re-
form security institutions, reduce corruption and eliminate
political influence.
“Without these, it is difficult to imagine Afghan security
forces can maintain its strategic
gains in the long run.”
The insurgents have continued attacks in the bitter Afghan
winter. Last week they killed
three US contractors at Kabul
airport and at least nine people
in a suicide bombing at a funeral
in the east of the country.
Violence is likely to surge in
April or May as better weather
heralds the start of the traditional
Afghan summer “fighting season”.
In public, Ghani and Abdullah repeatedly talk confidently
about the future of the new Afghan government and its ability
to improve lives in the war-ravaged country.
Nazifullah Salarzai, Ghani’s
chief spokesman, admitted said
that the cabinet rejection was a
setback, but insisted the president would deliver on promises
to fight corruption and enact
reform.
“This year may not be a easy
year for Afghans... But we have
identified the problems and have
strong will and determination to
bring reform and ease suffering,”
he said.
But many Afghans remain
sceptical. Nourullah, a student
at Kabul University, points to the
months it took Ghani and Abdullah to resolve their differences.
“I am worried that we will
have a government weakened
with infighting between the
president and the CEO, while we
know the Taliban and other terrorists are waiting at the corner
to strike,” he said.
28
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
PHILIPPINES
Recriminations as government
investigates slaughter of police
The policemen were
attacked by at least two
rebel groups, including one
that signed a peace treaty
with Manila last year, during
a January 25 mission to
capture or kill Zulkifli bin
Hir, one of the world’s most
wanted militants
Reuters
Washington
D
AFP
Manila
T
he Philippine military
and police defended their
actions yesterday as an
angry nation demanded answers following the slaughter of
44 police commandos in a chaotic anti-terror operation.
The policemen were attacked
by at least two rebel groups, including one that signed a peace
treaty with Manila last year,
during a January 25 mission to
capture or kill Zulkifli bin Hir,
one of the world’s most wanted
militants.
Giving his first public account, military chief of staff
General Gregorio Catapang
said troops could not respond
in time to save the police unit
that raided Zulkifli’s hideout on
remote and swampy farmland
in the southern island of Mindanao.
“We did not know the exact
place where the (police) forces
had to be extricated.... they
were not telling us their exact location so it was difficult,”
Catapang told a news conference.
Catapang, disclosing a summary of a military report of
the incident to be submitted to
President Benigno Aquino, said
troops completed the rescue of
the remnants of the force nearly
A nun lights candles and offers prayers outside the police camp in Quezon City as mourners observe the ninth day since 44 police commandos were massacred in Maguindanao.
18 hours later. Aquino and the
military have been savagely
criticised by the general public
for failing to prevent the largest loss of military or police
life in recent memory, with
some calling for the president’s resignation.
Aquino has ordered a highlevel inquiry into the bloodbath, which has also thrown
in doubt a peace deal his
government signed with the
10,000-member Moro Islamic
Liberation Front.
Decades of rebellion in parts
of Mindanao had claimed
more than 120,000 lives.
Police say Zulkifli was killed
in the raid, but the report has
yet to be independently verified.
Catapang said the military
was not involved in the police planning of the operation,
with local military command-
ers only asked to provide support in December without
being given the timetable or
specifics. “When you go to
war it takes time to prepare for
this. This is not a party where
you say, ‘Pal, let’s party tonight. Bring red wine’,” Catapang said.
Getulio Napenas, who directed the police unit that
conducted the raid, disputed
Catapang’s account and said
Govt says Chinese ship rammed
fishing boats in Scarborough Shoal
Reuters
Manila
T
he Philippines said yesterday that a Chinese
coast guard ship had
rammed three Philippine fishing boats in the disputed Scarborough Shoal area of the South
China Sea last week and Manila
had protested to Beijing over
the incident.
China seized control of
the area after a three-month
stand-off with the Philippine
coast guard in 2012. Beijing
lays claim the entire South
China Sea, which is believed
to be rich in oil and natural
gas deposits. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam
and Taiwan also claim areas of
the sea where about $5tn shipborne trade passes every year.
All states except Brunei have
a military presence in the disputed areas.
“The Philippines strongly
protested China’s continuing
actions to harass and prevent
Filipino fishermen from legitimately pursuing their livelihood in that area,” the foreign
ministry said in a statement
yesterday.
The Manila government
handed over two protest
notes to the Chinese Embassy
in Manila, foreign ministry
Panama vessel with
21 Filipinos detained
By Bernice Camille V Bauzon
Manila Times
A
Panamanian–registered bulk carrier
has been grounded
by Australian authorities
and its 21 Filipino crew have
been made to stay on the ship
over alleged non-compliance
with the Maritime Labour
Convention (MLC).
Reports said the Filipino
sailors have been “suffering”
under unfavourable conditions aboard Bulk Brasil.
According to a report on
maritime news website IHS
Maritime 360, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) stopped the ship
at Porta Kembla, New South
Wales, on January 28.
The report noted that the
Filipino crew were “short of
provisions” and have not received their paychecks for four
months. AMSA told IHS Maritime that the bulk carrier’s
violation of the MLC was discovered during an inspection
last Thursday.
Japanese company KeyMax
Maritime, the vessel’s operator, reportedly tried to rectify
the situation by sending most
of the Filipino seamen’s wages
to their families and placed orders for provisions last Friday, a
separate report in Illawara Mercury said.
Transport union International Transport Workers’ Federation said in the report that
it will be “keeping a watch” on
the company even after the ship
departs Australia.
UNREST
Govt working ‘to free captive workers’
The Philippines is working to
free three Filipinos taken captive
when rebels raided an oilfield in
Libya, the foreign minister said
yesterday. “The Foreign Ministry
and the Philippine Embassy in
Libya are monitoring the situation and co-ordinating closely
FBI says
wanted
militant
possibly
killed
with the ... employer of the
Filipinos, in ensuring their wellbeing and safe return,” Albert
del Rosario told Reuters in a text
message. The three Filipinos
were among four foreign nationals kidnapped in the raid on the
remote al-Mabrook oilfield.
spokesman Charles Jose said.
Calls to the Chinese Embassy
seeking comment on the protests went unanswered.
“The Philippines strongly
protested China’s
continuing actions to
harass and prevent
Filipino fishermen from
legitimately pursuing their
livelihood in that area”
Jose said the first protest
was over the “intentional”
ramming of three local fishing
boats by a Chinese coast guard
ship on Thursday, which had
damaged the vessels and put
the lives of fishermen at risk.
Manila had also protested
over the collection of giant
clams in the lagoon of Scarborough Shoal by 24 Chinese
utility boats on Jan 22, Jose
said.
“The Philippines strongly
protested this destructive and
illegal activity,” he said, as a
violation of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity
and Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and
Flora (CITES).
Philippines coast guard officials said this was the most
serious incident involving
Chinese ships and local fishing boats.
the commandos’ detailed call
for help was relayed promptly
to the military.
“The board of inquiry will
show that I had passed on
the grid co-ordinates” of the
trapped commandos, Napenas
told a separate news conference. Napenas, who was relieved from his post after the
bungled raid, also said the top
military and civilian officials
were properly updated on the
progress of the operation.
“They were there to execute
a law enforcement operation
but unfortunately they ran
into the MILF and the BIFF
(Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom
Fighters),” Catapang said.
“It was really a difficult situation and we just had to manage
it. Unfortunately their plan to
exfiltrate (pull out) before being
seen by the various forces there
failed.”
NA tests indicate one of
the US’ “most wanted
terrorists,” Zulkifli bin
Hir, also known as Marwan, was
possibly killed in a raid by police
in the Philippines last week, the
FBI said yesterday.
The results of the tests conducted by the FBI “do not provide absolute identification,”
said David Bowdich, assistant
director for the FBI’s Los Angeles field office.
Bowdich said a sample of biological matter gathered from
the scene of the Jan 25 raid and
analysed by the FBI resembles
bin Hir’s DNA.
Further tests are being carried out to fully verify the identity of the sample.
The FBI had offered $5mn for
the arrest of bin Hir, a Malaysian member of the Al Qaedalinked Jemaah Islamiah militant group behind numerous
bombing attacks in the Philippines.
The raid to arrest bin Hir and
another militant went awry,
and 44 police were killed.
The FBI said it had no prior
knowledge of the raid. The
clash shattered a three-year
ceasefire between Philippines
police and rebels in the south
of the country.
It also dealt a temporary
setback to peace talks, Manila’s chief peace negotiator
said on Saturday, appealing
for renewed efforts to keep the
process on track.
Australian held over
teenage girl’s murder
AFP
Manila
P
hilippine police have arrested an Australian man
over the “brutal” murder
of a Filipina teenager he met on
the Internet after her body was
found in a motel room, officials
said yesterday.
The remains of 17-year-old
Alona Alvarez were found by
employees at a motel in the
southern city of Dipolog on January 30.
Tourist Ali Ali, 42, confessed
to killing the teenager “in self-
defence”, saying his “mind went
blank”, police said.
The pair had met in Dipolog
for the first time just two days
before the murder after talking
online. Police said Ali flew to the
Philippines purposely to meet
Alvarez.
“Her face was so unrecognisable and horribly disfigured,
the mortician had a hard time,”
police
investigator
Ronald
Dingas said. Alvarez had deep
head wounds, had lost most of
her teeth, and suffered a brain
haemorrhage which ultimately
led to her death by acute respiratory failure, Dingas said, citing a
police autopsy. She was naked,
and investigators also found sex
toys and marijuana in the room.
Motel staff told police the Australian had checked into the room
with Alvarez two days earlier, Dingas said. Ali was arrested Sunday
in the city of Dumaguete, Dumaguete police chief Superintendent James Gofoth said.
The suspect, his knuckles
heavily bruised, told police he attacked Alvarez after the victim
hurt him when asked to perform
oral sex, Gofoth added. He faces
a 40-year prison term if found
guilty. A court appearance has not
been scheduled.
Two dead, 11 injured in Taguig building collapse
By Fernan Marasigan
Manila Times
T
he Trade Union Congress
of the Philippines-Nagkaisa (TUCP-Nagkaisa)
has blamed the Department of
Labour and Employment (DOLE)
for the collapse of a building at
the Bonifacio Global City (BGC)
in Taguig City (Metro Manila)
that killed two construction
workers and injured 11 others
yesterday.
The Bureau of Fire Protection identified the dead as Ruben Racraquiam and Renato dela
Cruz.
They were crushed by debris
from the collapsed portion of
The Suite Hotel, located on 5th
Avenue and 28th Street. The hotel is under construction.
Taken to the St Luke’s Hospital Global City were Sandy
Vargas, Jaymar Carberta, Regan Labmutin, Larry Magguray,
Wendil Behim, Aldrin Gahuman,
Roberto Lorca, Darwin Avara,
Bernard Tugade, Jonathan Agoso
and Delinger Abara.
DOLE representatives and
building inspectors from the
Taguig city government are conducting separate investigations,
to determine liability of the contractors.
But the TUCP said the accident could have been prevented
Rescuers retrieve one of the body of two workers who died when a floor collapsed at a construction site for The Suites, an office and residential
condominium in suburban Manila yesterday.
if inspections were conducted
regularly before and after construction permits were issued.
“It was obvious that authorities overseeing building construction were napping,” Alan
Tanjusay, spokesperson for
TUCP, said.
He added that government
officials must ensure that building owners and contractors are
aware of rules and protocols in
the construction of high-rise
buildings. Tanjusay said building owners and contractors must
also comply with the DOLE
Rule 1414 on Scaffoldings of the
1989 Occupational Health and
Safety Standards, which put the
responsibility of the erection,
installation and dismantling
of scaffolds to a highly trained
competent person called scaffold erector.
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
29
SRI LANKA/BANGLADESH/NEPAL
Lankan president
vows reconciliation
AFP
Colombo
N
ew President Maithripala Sirisena vowed yesterday to end Sri Lanka’s
pariah status by working with
the UN and promised national
reconciliation, six years after the
island’s ethnic war ended.
In an address to the nation to
mark Sri Lanka’s 67th anniversary of independence, Sirisena
and his ministers also pledged
never again to allow the “land to
be traumatised by the shedding
of blood of innocents”.
In a major sign of rapprochement, the country’s main minority political party, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), attended
the national day celebrations for
the first time in decades.
“We have not participated in
national day events in the recent
past. There is a change of attitude and approach of the new
government,” TNA lawmaker M
A Sumanthiran said.
“We recognise that and we
want to reciprocate.”
The new president shed the
usual display of weapons and fly
past by the air force and settled
for a military parade involving
four officers and 96 soldiers at
a simple ceremony outside the
national parliament.
In last month’s election
Sirisena defeated long-time
strongman Mahinda Rajapakse,
who fell out with the West over
allegations of wartime rights
abuses by the security forces.
“We have to address our foreign policy problems. We will
follow the UN charter and abide
by the UN values,” Sirisena said
in a nationally televised address.
The US and the Commonwealth have already welcomed
the new government’s approach
to work with the international
community, a departure from
the previous confrontationist
stance.
Sirisena to visit India
on February 16
Maithripala Sirisena will visit India
on February 16, his first state visit
abroad, a government official said
yesterday, part of efforts to repair
relations with New Delhi which
soured under the previous government.
“In considering the past, we make a
clear commitment towards following a foreign policy of the middle
path, in friendship with all nations,”
Sirisena said during a speech marking Independence Day.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra
Modi tweeted he was looking
forward “to welcoming President
Sirisena later this month.” Modi is
scheduled to make a reciprocal trip
in the second week of March, according to Sri Lankan government
officials.
Sirisena’s trip will last two days,
the official said, declining to be
identified.
Sirisena’s visit to India will mark the
changing attitudes of both nations,
said P Sahadevan, a professor at
Jawaharlal Nehru University in
New Delhi.
“Earlier, though it was not displayed
openly, there was quite a bit of
antipathy from India toward the
Rajapakse regime,” Sahadevan said.
“That’s gone.”
“The United States looks forward to partnering with the Sri
Lankan people to address the
challenges and help Sri Lanka
realise its true potential,” US
Assistant Secretary of State Nisha Biswal said in a statement
yesterday at the end of a visit to
Colombo.
Commonwealth
Secretary
General Kamalesh Sharma, who
concluded a three-day visit to
Colombo on Tuesday, offered
help to improve Sri Lanka’s human rights record and noted
positive developments after
Sirisena took over.
Rajapakse enjoyed huge sup-
port among majority Sinhalese
voters after overseeing the end
of a separatist war by ethnic
Tamil rebels in 2009, but critics say he failed to bring about
reconciliation in the years that
followed.
Troops under Rajapakse demolished war cemeteries of the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
(LTTE) and banned Tamils from
commemorating their war dead.
In contrast, Sirisena’s government used the national day
to pay respects to all victims of
the decades long separatist war
which the UN says had claimed
at least 100,000 lives between
1972 and 2009.
Rajapakse had also refused to
co-operate with a UN-mandated investigation into allegations
that government forces killed up
to 40,000 Tamil civilians while
defeating the separatists.
“In 2009, we ended the war
because LTTE guns were silenced by the guns of our troops,”
Sirisena said.
“But, since then, we have
failed to heal the wounds of war
and win the hearts of all our
people.”
“Reconciliation will be a priority for my government. We
want to ensure a new political culture to place our nation
among the important members
of the international community.”
“We must unite the (Tamil)
north and the (Sinhala) south,”
Sirisena said, referring to the
Tamil-dominated
Northern
Province which suffered an economic embargo and travel restrictions even after the end of
the war.
Sirisena has lifted both the
economic embargo and travel
restrictions on the north since
coming to power. He has also
offered to return Tamil-owned
land taken over by the military
to set up businesses run by the
security forces.
Shortly before his speech,
Sirisena and his ministers took a
pledge to ensure the country did
not return to war.
“We pledge our collective
commitment to ensure that never again will we allow this land to
be traumatised by the shedding
of blood of innocents,” according
to the pledge which was read out
on stage by three schoolchildren
in Sinhala, Tamil and English.
Sirisena’s new government has
already agreed to establish a domestic probe into the war crimes
allegations. The previous administration had resisted such a move,
insisting not a single civilian
was killed by its troops.
Maithripala Sirisena addressing the nation during the country’s 67th Independence Day celebrations in
Colombo yesterday.
Sri Lankan women sailors marching past during the country’s 67th Independence Day celebrations in Colombo yesterday.
Nepal’s Dalit child brides: Zia charged over
kidnapped, married at 13 bus firebombing
AFP
Kathmandu
O
n a freezing night three
years ago, 13-year-old
Susmita Kami sneaked
out of her husband’s house and
didn’t stop running until she
reached her parent’s doorstep in
Nepal’s remote northwest.
Her escape from a forced marriage — a tradition many teenage girls from the Himalayan
nation’s Dalit community are
expected to uphold — was soon
under threat.
But Susmita’s parents resisted
demands from her in-laws to
send her back, deciding to stand
by their pleading daughter who
desperately wanted a better life.
“I told them I never wanted to
get married and I wasn’t going
back. I ran away because I wanted to stay in school,” Susmita,
now 16, said.
Although Nepal banned child
marriage in 1963, four out of 10
girls are married before they turn
18, according to Unicef.
The figures are even higher
among the country’s impoverished Dalits or “untouchables”
who live in remote communities shunned by the mainstream,
meaning their customs go largely
unchallenged.
Three out of four Dalits marry
during their teens or earlier, according to a 2012 survey by Plan
International, Save the Children
and World Vision. Girls are often
abducted by prospective grooms
in a cultural practice few families
object to.
Susmita was kidnapped while
collecting firewood, and forcibly
married four days later — an ordeal also endured by her mother,
Jadane Kami, when she was a
teenager.
“This is our culture. People
worry that otherwise our girls
will elope or marry into other
communities,” said Kami, who
initially did not oppose her
daughter’s forced marriage.
Susmita Kami, left, 16, walks from school with a friend in Simikot, the
headquarters of Humla district, some 430km northwest of Kathmandu.
The tradition has survived
a 10-year civil war, the end of
royal rule and Nepal’s transition
to democratic politics.
In Simikot, headquarters of
remote Humla district that borders the Tibetan plateau, Dalits
live in segregated settlements.
“Dalits have struggled due to their
low caste status. For centuries, they
were not allowed to mix with others
at all,” Humla’s deputy district chief,
Bam Bahadur KC, said.
“Naturally, this has left them
very isolated, they are still fol-
lowing old customs and change
has been slow to come,” he said.
Dalit families also labour under huge financial strain, officials say, with children pushed to
leave school and start work while
their parents eke out a living as
subsistence farmers.
The oldest of seven children,
Dana Sunar, now 18, had been
the last Dalit girl in her class.
While the others had dropped
out, Sunar dreamed of graduating and becoming a schoolteacher.
But she was taken at 14 and
forced to marry an 18-year-old
farmer earning $50 a month.
“I cried and cried. It was like a
door had closed before me, any
dreams I had were gone,” Sunar
said.
Her in-laws pressured her to
drop out of school and focus on
farming and housework. Now a
mother to six-month-old twins,
Sunar described her new life as
“a daily struggle”.
“We never have enough money - sometimes we eat only once
a day. I don’t know how I am going to bring up these children,”
she said.
Experts say the consequences of marrying so young are
devastating.
“Adolescents have children
early, they are unable to focus on education ... and both
mothers and babies end up
with health problems,” said
Kunga Sanduk Lama, a government official who works on
child rights.
Laws are ineffective, he said,
citing a lack of evidence — documents, photos or witness testimonies — needed to prove a
marriage occurred so punitive
action can be pursued.
Instead, campaigners focus on
raising awareness through radio
shows, street plays and afterschool clubs for children.
Those who have fallen victim
to the tradition need no convincing. Susmita, now in ninth
grade, said she wanted to see an
end to “this terrible custom”.
Her father, a cobbler who
earns $80 a month, said sending her to school was a struggle.
The cost of her uniform alone is a
staggering $45. But for now, her
family will do whatever they can
to keep her in class.
“I want my daughter to have a
chance to stand on her own feet,”
her mother said.
“I think she did the right thing
by running away. She is more
brave than me - I never felt like I
had a choice in the matter.”
AFP
Dhaka
B
angladesh police yesterday charged opposition
leader Khaleda Zia with
“instigating” a deadly bus firebombing as four more people
were killed — allegedly by security forces — amid spiralling
political unrest.
Police laid initial charges
against the former two-time
premier over Tuesday’s attack
which killed seven people in
the eastern town of Chauddagram, the deadliest since the
month-long protests started.
“She has been named as
an instigator of the attack. At
least 56 other people were also
charged in the case,” district
police chief Tutul Chakrabarty
said.
Police also arrested around
a dozen protesters, accusing
them of carrying out the attack as part of an opposition-
led
nationwide
transport
blockade.
The charges are the latest for
69-year-old Zia. Police said
last week she was under investigation for “abetting” and
“instigating” other recent firebombings.
There was no immediate comment from Zia or her
Bangladesh Nationalist Party
(BNP), which has condemned
Tuesday’s attack and denied its
supporters were responsible.
Authorities have stepped up
pressure on Zia, who has been
holed up in her office since January 3, to try to halt the violence.
Four more people were killed
— two suspected saboteurs
were shot dead by an elite force
in Dhaka and two young BNP
activists died — as the unrest
worsened.
Police said the two activists
were crushed under a moving
truck as they tried to firebomb
the vehicle on Tuesday. Relatives said the two were arrested
by police a day before and were
tortured to death.
At least 58 people have now
been killed — mostly victims
of firebombings of buses, cars
and lorries — as activists try to
enforce the blockade of roads,
railways and waterways.
Zia called the protests early
last month to try to force Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina to call a
fresh general election. The BNP
and its allies boycotted the January 2014 poll as they believed
the result would be rigged.
Security
forces
have
launched a nationwide crackdown, arresting more than
10,000 opposition activists
since the blockade began.
Hasina has accused Zia of
trying to trigger “anarchy” and
ordered security agencies to
hunt down protesters.
The EU, the nation’s biggest
export destination, has urged
the government and opposition to hold talks to resolve the
crisis.
The wreckage of the bus burnt in firebombing that killed seven people in Bangladesh’s Comilla
district on Tuesday.
30
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
COMMENT
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GULF TIMES
An Indian businessman accused of molesting female passenger on an aircraft.
The former Korean Air executive arrested and shamed after the “nut rage”
incident in New York last month.
Case settled, McIlroy
can now focus
on the Masters
Korean air ‘nut rage’ executive
brings to light power of abuse
The dispute between Rory McIlroy and Horizon
Sports Management will prove but a footnote in the
golfer’s career. The money paid out by the world’s No1
golfer to settle a case that had dragged on for almost
two years will represent pocket change by the time
McIlroy’s years on the fairways are over. If it doesn’t
already.
For a while there was an alternative, potentially
damaging narrative at play. That’s why it was perfectly
understandable for those close to McIlroy to explain
that he had now headed to his adopted home of
Florida, where preparation for the Masters will begin
in earnest, as a happy young man.
McIlroy’s involvement in this dispute had ended
in a quiet room of Dublin’s Four Courts around 9pm
on Tuesday. That day was supposed to have marked
the start of an eight-week trial, but finished with a
settlement.
The deal was reached after hours of negotiation,
sparing McIlroy not only one of the highest-profile
witness box appearances in sporting history but the
kind of time commitment he could well have done
without, directly
before a trip to Augusta
National during which
he is seeking to etch
his name into golfing
folklore by completing
a clean sweep of major
titles before his 26th
birthday.
McIlroy wasn’t even
on the court benches
to hear confirmation
that this argument need
be taken no further.
When his senior counsel, Paul Gallagher, informed
Mr Justice Brian Cregan that the contractual scrap
had been resolved, the judge’s response was to offer
congratulations.
McIlroy later posted an Instagram photo of his berth
on a private jet at Dublin airport; most likely as much
of a dig at Horizon’s founder Conor Ridge as a message
of a good life in the fast lane going on.
Tellingly, there was no apology from McIlroy over
the moves which saw him terminate his contract with
Horizon four years before it was due to expire. There
was no concession in relation to his reputation or
character. Hard cash, which it was always accepted
would stem by the tune of several millions from
McIlroy to Horizon rather than vice versa, proved the
be all and end all.
Focus now returns to more routine business for the
Northern Irishman. It was hardly coincidence that one
leading bookmaker slashed his Masters odds to just 3 1
as the courtroom news emerged. He was the favourite
to prevail in Georgia anyway, but the removal of a key
off-course issue cannot be deemed anything other
than a boost to his cause.
McIlroy is expected to compete in the Honda
Classic, Cadillac Championship, and Arnold Palmer
Invitational before the Masters. He can now look
forward to that schedule, as Phil Mickelson and
Tiger Woods desperately try to kick-start their ailing
fortunes at the Farmers Insurance Open. McIlroy has
surpassed that duo as golf’s man of the moment; not
even an off-course situation which threatened to turn
messy indeed could alter that dynamic. Perhaps we
should have known that all along.
All around the world, we are
seeing instances of
naming and shaming those
who abuse their positions of
power feeling confident they
cannot be touched because
they are superior than most
McIlroy’s
involvement in
this dispute had
ended in a quiet
room of Dublin’s
Four Courts
around 9pm on
Tuesday
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By Updesh Kapur
Doha
T
he case of the Korean Air “nut
rage” senior executive being
shamed in public has yet
again brought to light how
misdeeds by those in power cannot
escape punishment. Airline heiress
Cho Hyun-ah is facing trial in Seoul
for an incident that not only outraged
Koreans, but caused embarrassment to
her airline and indeed her country.
Cho is accused of breaking aviation
laws and conspiring with other
company executives to force crew
members to lie about an incident four
weeks ago that has gripped the nation
and indeed the world of aviation.
She had taken exception to being
served macademia nuts in a bag
instead of a bowl by cabin crew in
her first class seat shortly before
her departure from New York to the
Korean capital.
She forced the aircraft captain to
return to the departure gate after
insisting the chief steward on the
flight leaves the plane for “poor levels
of service”. Showing no remorse for
delaying a packed flight and acting as
a spoilt brat, the 40-year-old former
airline vice-president in charge of
inflight services and daughter of
the company’s chairman and chief
executive, is also said to have forced
the senior cabin attendant to kneel
down and apologise to her.
“I don’t think Cho showed an ounce
of conscience, treating powerless
people like myself like feudal slaves,
forcing us to sacrifice and treating it as
if it was the natural thing to do,” said
the steward Park Chang-jin Park.
The executive now faces a 10-year
jail sentence, if convicted, of air safety
violations. She also faces a further five
years on charges of interfering with
witnesses to give false statements.
She has profusely apologised, bowing
in front of TV cameras seeking
forgiveness for her actions.
Described as the notorious
“nut rage” incident, it is seen as
characteristic of a generation of spoilt
and arrogant offspring of owners
of family-run conglomerates, or
chaebols, that dominate the Korean
economy.
People power
can make a real
difference
The story has stirred, and rightly so,
national sentiment and also highlights
a problem that is increasingly coming
to the fore around the world thanks
largely to a discerning public and
the advent of social media that is
capturing incidents from which no
one can escape possible punishment
for wrongdoings.
In essence, power and money
cannot always buy success and
respect. All around the world, we
are seeing instances of naming and
shaming those who abuse their
positions of power feeling confident
they cannot be touched because they
are superior than most.
This week, a friend highlighted a
video posted on social media that has
gone viral.
It shows a male passenger on
a domestic flight in India being
humiliated for his despicable actions
moments earlier.
He had allegedly molested a female
passenger repeatedly during the
flight from Mumbai to Bhubaneswar.
Infuriated at being poked from behind
Korean Air chief steward Park
Chang-Jin, who was forced off a plane
by airline heiress Cho Hyun-ah in the
“nut rage” incident.
several times by the male passenger
through the gap between seats, the
brave young woman stood up for
herself and went about taking the law
into her own hands.
Not one to accept, forgive and
forget, the female traveller turned on
him, taking a video from her mobile
and showered enough words to cause
him embarrassment in full view of
fellow passengers.
The victim posted the video along
with a detailed account of what
happened on her Facebook page.
In the video, the furious woman
zooms in on the man as he tries to
conceal his face from the camera
and shouts: “You are asking for
forgiveness? Why? Because I’m a
girl and you have the right to touch
me anytime, anywhere you want
to? What forgiveness are you asking
for? Did you do it only once? Was
it by mistake?” With nowhere to
go, confined in the aircraft, the
middle-aged businessman, married
with a daughter, desperately tried
to shield his identity. He admitted
his misedemeanours, begging for
forgiveness.
The second half of the video taken
on arrival at Bhubaneswar Airport,
the man says: “I made a mistake. I
made a mistake. I made a mistake,
madam, I made a mistake. Everybody
makes mistakes in life. I made a
mistake. It’s a big mistake,” pleading
with the woman to stop filming,
arguing he was already punished by
the humiliation and was prepared to
give her a written apology.
But the unnerved woman went on
bravely: “You decided the action; I will
decide the reaction.” The victim said:
“I was very shocked for sometime to
react. The moment the flight touched
down, I got up, saw his hand was
again on the side ready to take up any
opportunity to touch me. I created
such a scene, humiliated him in front
of the whole flight. He thought (that
as) usual girls will keep quiet and he
can get away with this.
“He is a very rich man of
Bhubaneswar and is now very
humiliated in front of the people
who know him. I clicked his pictures
and made videos, shouted so loud
that the entire plane came forward to
see him. And I made sure I humiliate
him as much as possible because I
know the law will do nothing,” she
went on.
The story has gathered momentum
around the world, creating awareness
of what can be done to rid such evils
and bring perpetrators to justice. Hats
off to the lady. The man in question
has been arrested and faces criminal
charges. The cases above show two
very different elements of air rage that
we so often hear about – passengers
involved in fights or cabin crew
facing physical or verbal abuse. Most
times these involve less high-profile
travellers, but in some cases highprofile celebrities who often advocate
their unflinching attitude “Do you
know who I am” to avoid being facing
any action.
But as highlighted, people power
can make a real difference.
In a nutshell, naming, shaming and
humiliating is a tactic that can, and
should be, used to fight such evils.
zUpdesh Kapur is a PR &
communications professional,
columnist, aviation, hospitality
and travel analyst, social and
entertainment writer. He can be
followed on twitter @updeshkapur
Leaders to discuss upsurge in global crises
By Frank Zeller
Berlin
T
he Ukraine conflict, Islamic
State group militants and
the wider “collapse of the
global order” will occupy
the world’s security community at
an annual meeting in Germany from
Friday.
Also on the agenda of the three-day
Munich Security Conference (MSC)
will be Iran’s nuclear talks, the Syrian
war and mass refugee crisis, West
Africa’s Ebola outbreak and cyber
terrorism.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel
is among 20 heads of government
and state on the guest list, along with
60-odd foreign and defence ministers
including US Secretary of State John
Kerry and Russia’s top diplomat Sergei
Lavrov.
Ukraine’s President Petro
Poroshenko and US Vice President
Joe Biden will also join the 51st MSC,
a gathering launched at the height of
the Cold War that is expected to focus
heavily on the new East-West standoff
over Ukraine.
The event’s organiser, veteran
German diplomat Wolfgang Ischinger,
said the meeting would discuss what
he called an unprecedented upsurge
in global crises over the past year,
and the inability of the international
community to tackle them.
“The international order is
collapsing right now,” he warned.
“We live in the age of the collapse
German Chancellor Angela Merkel: she is among 20 heads of government and
state on the guest list at the three-day Munich Security Conference.
of order. In this vacuum everyone is
testing how far he can go...
“There is a massive need for ‘global
governance’. Really the UN Security
Council should be resolving a crisis a
week - Iraq, Syria... Instead the council
is blocked and so is any will to reform.”
The International Crisis Group
(ICG), a think-tank, has also warned
that “on a global level, increasing
geopolitical competition appears, for
the moment at least, to be leading to a
less controlled, less predictable world”.
The ICG pointed to some “bright
spots” over the past year, including
the fact the Iranian talks continue,
the formation of an Afghanistan
government, Colombian peace talks
and the start of a US-Cuban thaw.
“But for the most part, it has been
a dispiriting year,” it said. “Conflict is
again on the rise after a major decrease
following the end of the Cold War.
Today’s wars kill and displace more
people and are harder to end than in
years past.”
As presidents, premiers and
generals head for the southern German
city of Munich, more than 3,000
police will be on guard to safeguard
the luxury hotel that hosts the event in
the Bavarian state capital.
Among the 400 guests are Iraqi
Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi,
Nato’s secretary general Jens
Stoltenberg, EU foreign policy chief
Federica Mogherini and the presidents
of Finland, Lithuania and Estonia.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohamed
Javad Zarif is also scheduled to attend
and may meet his counterparts from
international powers over the Islamic
republic’s nuclear programme.
Also there will be former UN
secretary general Kofi Annan, various
corporate CEOs and representatives of
non-governmental organisations such
as Amnesty International, Human
Rights Watch and Greenpeace.
Merkel is expected to speak on
Ukraine, and perhaps to touch on her
country’s growing desire to match
its economic might with diplomatic
muscle and greater engagement on the
world stage.
After decades of treading softly
in international affairs, haunted by
memories of World War II, Germany
sent troops to Afghanistan and
haltingly started to help contain other
trouble spots, though it is still more
likely to send arms or aid than soldiers.
Merkel has led European diplomatic
efforts, fruitless so far, to engage
Russia to end the Ukraine conflict that
has claimed over 5,000 lives, and in
which Washington is now weighing
sending weapons to Kiev forces.
Last year President Joachim Gauck
told the conference that Germany
would engage abroad “earlier, more
determinedly and more substantially”.
However, the German people have
been less enthusiastic, according to
a poll conducted by TNS Infratest for
the MSC. Only 34% said they favour
stronger engagement, while 62%
believed Germany should continue to
exercise restraint.
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
31
COMMENT
What does Putin really want in Ukraine?
Short of accepting
Crimea’s annexation, the
West, regardless of what it
thinks about Putin, must
continue to meet him at the
negotiating table
By Nina Khrushcheva
Reuters
C
onfusion, confusion,
confusion! This is how
Russian President Vladimir
Putin, increasingly isolated
from Western conversations, keeps the
world on its toes. Because only he has
any answers.
The conflict in eastern Ukraine is
ever more fierce. Russian-supported
rebels in the occupied cities of
Donetsk and Luhansk now use
sophisticated weapons to capture
more land and ports. Yet Putin
continues to insist that Moscow
has nothing to do with it, despite
abundant proof from intelligence
reports and satellite imagery.
He has no influence, Putin declares,
over the rebel bands battling for
independence from a Kiev government
that the CIA installed.
The growing recession is forcing
the Russian public to pay a high price
for the annexation of Crimea. Putin
seems to be counting on the West’s
sanctions to make it the patriotic duty
of all Russians to stand by him. As they
are doing now - his approval rating is
more than 80%.
Though some of his aides might
occasionally slip up and suggest the
rebel troops in eastern Ukraine are
Russian surrogates, Putin always
stays on point. It looks as if he
always will.
He has built his image on strength,
resolve and total control over his
country’s actions. Putin’s militancy
might subside, but only if the West
accepts Russia’s March annexation of
Crimea.
Western approval is highly unlikely,
however. Moscow’s seizure of Crimea
betrayed all international norms. But
being the victim of the West serves
Putin’s interests just as well.
Last week, he was conspicuously
absent from the 70th anniversary of
the liberation of Auschwitz, the Nazi
death camp, one of the Red Army’s
triumphs in 1945. Snubbed by world
leaders, Putin held his own celebration
in Moscow, to the loud cheering of the
public - united in denunciation of the
European lack of gratitude for Russia’s
sacrifices.
Putin also skipped last month’s
World Economic Forum in Davos,
Switzerland. He sent his cabinet
officials instead, whose job seemed
to have been to stir up yet more
confusion. One appeared to be
granting concessions, while others
defended the mighty Russian
president.
Arkady Dvorkovich, a deputy prime
minister, talked about a positive
“turning point” in West-Russia
relations because of Moscow’s interest
“in stabilising the situation globally
and in Ukraine in particular”.
At the same meeting, however,
another deputy prime minister,
Igor Shuvalov, accused the West
of imposing sanctions on Russia
to topple Putin. Shuvalov insisted
Russians are ready for sacrifices economic and military - to support
their president.
There is yet more confusion. The
Kremlin is talking about international
negotiations to de-escalate the
conflict and make both Ukrainians and
the rebel separatists pull back up to
9,000 troops and 500 tanks. But the
round of talks that began last week
in the Belarussian capital Minsk was
quickly derailed by the rebels. Their
leaders have withdrawn from any
peace negotiations and have begun a
massive offensive in Debaltseve, an
President Putin: he has built his image on strength, resolve and total control over his country’s actions.
important railroad hub, and in and
around Mariupol, a strategic port city
whose capture could give Moscow
overland access to the Crimean
Peninsula.
Despite Putin’s denials, it is highly
unlikely that the rebels would have
initiated this major geopolitical
reshuffling on their own.
Some political analysts assert
that Putin is all about asymmetrical
retaliation: every time he feels his
power is disrespected, he lashes
out. Troop deployment, hyped-up
anti-Western rhetoric and attacks
on Mariupol were Putin’s response
to German Chancellor Angela
Merkel’s accusation that Russia has
undermined Ukraine’s sovereignty.
According to this theory, Putin
wants Europe and the US to feel
threatened by a possibility of a larger
war with Russia - in order to push
them into continuing talks with him.
If the talks fail, Putin might want the
West to believe, Russia will have no
choice but to expand militarily.
Other analysts suggest that
what Putin really cares about is the
negotiations, not the war. By pushing
the rebels to take more territory in
eastern Ukraine, the Kremlin is trying
to create new facts on the ground
that Putin can use as leverage in the
impending talks.
In this case, both the Kremlin’s
denial and the rebels’ offensive serve
to strengthen Russia’s diplomatic
hand. To avoid further rebel
expansion, Kiev might also have to
agree to federalisation of the nation. It
has already called for a ceasefire with
the rebels. It may have to ultimately
cease its efforts to join the North
Atlantic Treaty Organisation.
Short of accepting Crimea’s
annexation, the West, regardless
of what it thinks about Putin,
must continue to meet him at the
negotiating table. It is possible that he
could follow through on his decision
to play a positive role in global
affairs, as Dvorkovich, the deputy
prime minister who is talking peace,
suggested.
Not only because it will help Putin
avoid additional sanctions, but also
because the Russian economy might
not survive additional shocks. There
have already been mass layoffs, and the
public’s growing unhappiness could
threaten the existence of Putin’s rule.
The so-called Donetsk People’s
Republic in eastern Ukraine may
have served the Kremlin’s purpose
of destabilising that country. But the
level of dismay these insurgents have
brought with their actions - from the
downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight
MH17 that killed 298 people in July, to
the dozens of civilians killed around
Mariupol in recent weeks - is creating
unease across Russia.
So having Russian officials speaking
from the different sides of their
leader’s mouth is a tactic to keep
everyone confused. It only further
enhances Putin’s image as a leader
who holds all the answers.
zNina Khrushcheva is professor of
international affairs at the New School
University in New York. She is author
of The Lost Khrushchev: A Journey
into the Gulag of the Russian Mind.
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How to be
creative
Dear Sir,
The purpose of our life is to be
creative, to express ourselves to our
highest potential and to communicate
with those around us. Denying the
fact that you are a creative person is
denying to be human being. We are all
limitless in creative spirit; it just takes
a little self-realisation to find that.
Often we are brought up in a society
that feeds off conformity, with people
who all think alike, which are the
enemies of creativity.
Creativity doesn’t mean creating
something new or just to do the same
things again and again in different
ways. If we do that the result remains
the same as the fundamentals don’t
change. So you need to creatively use
all resources available to you.
Whenever you seem to be going
round and round in circles, you need
to check how creatively you are using
the resources that are available to you.
Then make extra efforts to think of
something that you have never tried
before.
There are times when our crowded
lives and minds do not allow space
for creativity to emerge. For creativity
to flow naturally, find quiet time for
yourself regularly, to clear and refresh
your mind. Do nothing other than sit
back, relax and let your mind float
freely.
The more you access the deep
levels of yourself then contact
the source, the easier it is to find
inspiration in yourself whenever
you need it. You will realise then
that the only limitation you have
to your creativity is your own selfdoubts.
Ali al-Aradi
(e-mail address supplied)
TODAY
Schools must
expand facilities
Dear Sir,
The letter, “Help school to find new
premises” (Gulf Times , Feb 4) is timely.
It is a struggle for many newlyarrived expatriate parents to get
admission for their children in schools
in Qatar as the seats are limited. It is
not just MES, other schools also need
to expand their facilities to take in more
students. It is good that the Supreme
Education Council (SEC) is not allowing
schools to admit more students than
they can cope with now. Overcrowded
classes are not a solution to the
admission problem. Schools must find
extra room and enlarge their facilities to
accommodate more students.
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Can my child’s peanut allergy be cured?
By Dr Luisa Dillner
London
W
ho wouldn’t want
to get rid of their
child’s peanut
allergy? Headlines
last week of the “key to a cure” were
compelling reading for those who live
in constant fear of a life-threatening
reaction. Reports on the latest
research from the Murdoch Children’s
Research Institute in Melbourne do
further the scientific debate.
The study, a randomised controlled
trial of 60 children with peanut
allergy, showed that receiving a fixed
dose of a probiotic, Lactobacillus
rhamnosus, together with a peanut
protein in increasing amounts, led to
80% of those given the oral treatment
being able to tolerate 2g of peanut
protein daily (a whole peanut is equal
to 240mg of peanut protein).
Only 4% of those given a placebo
treatment could tolerate peanuts
within two to five weeks of the
trial. Last year, a Lancet study showed
that children given increasing doses of
peanut flour on its own over six
months became desensitised, and able
to tolerate up to five peanuts. But then,
as now, the message is clear, just in
case there is any doubt: NEVER, ever,
try this at home.
Peanut allergy can be lifethreatening and both studies were
carried out under close clinical
supervision and with doses different
Researchers think they may have found a key to a cure for this potentially
life-threatening condition. For now, though, it’s imperative that parents continue
to follow recommended guidelines.
from those available outside a trial.
During the Melbourne trial, some
children had serious allergic reactions
that needed treatment. There is
currently no cure for peanut allergy,
a condition that affects just over one
in 100 children (some estimates are
higher, at three in 100) in the Western
world.
Professor Mimi Tang, lead author
of the Melbourne paper, says that
more trials are needed. She would
like parents to register children with
peanut allergy for trials because it took
her two and half years to get the 60
she needed for her study. She thinks
probiotics might help to reduce the
allergy because they interact with
the gut’s immune system to promote
tolerance.
To reduce the risk of children
getting peanut allergy (thought to
be due to genetic predisposition
and environmental factors), Tang
recommends introducing peanuts
when children are aged between four
and six months onwards. “The slow
introduction of allergenic foods,
such as peanut paste (not peanuts
themselves), eggs and milk at this
time may reduce risk of allergies
because there seems to be a window
of opportunity for tolerance,” she
says.
The World Health Organisation
disagrees, saying children should
be solely breastfed for six months,
while NHS Choices says peanut butter
should not be eaten before six months.
An ongoing clinical trial, the Leap
study – which has recruited enough
children to at least ask when the right
time to introduce peanuts is – should
be reporting soon.
Meanwhile, children – and adults,
of course – with peanut allergies
should be vigilant about what they
eat, especially in takeaways and food
prepared by other people. - Guardian
News and Media
zDr Luisa Dillner, a writer and
doctor, heads BMJ Group Research and
Development
Riyadh
Tehran
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32
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
QATAR
Metro ‘rail
will help
reduce road
accidents’
By Joseph Varghese
Staff Reporter
Q
atar, which has a high rate
of road traffic accidents,
will be able to improve
its rating significantly when the
country’s eagerly- awaited Metro
rail service is launched in a few
years from now.
The benefits of a Metro rail
service are beyond the imagination of ordinary people,
particularly in major crowded
cities, an expert in the field has
said.
To give a general idea, he said
Delhi Metro saved Rs10,364
crores (QR6.12bn) last year in
terms of money saved on account of fuel, pollution, health,
accidents and time saved. It
has helped keep thousands of
cars off the roads every day.
Qatar is now in the process
of building a massive rail network, including a Metro.
Jitendra Tyagi, director of
works, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), said Metro rail
was safer, cheaper and faster.
Citing examples from his long
association with Delhi Metro
rail, Tyagi said Metro rail can
reduce the number of road accidents in Qatar and ensure
passenger safety.
He encouraged the public to
use Metro rail as the primary
mode of transport when it is
operational as it will have multifaceted benefits for the country. He noted that the Doha
Metro can solve most of the
traffic problems that the country was facing at present.
Tyagi said: “In 2014 Delhi
Metro completed 12 years. Delhi Metro has greatly impacted
the accident figures in the city
and brought them down significantly. The annual reduction in fatal accidents was 125
in 2014 as against the previous year. The annual reduction
in terms of the total number
of accidents was 937 the
same year.”
He added: “As a result of
the expansion of Delhi Metro,
the accident rate has further
come down. Again, it was instrumental in keeping nearly
390,000 vehicles off roads in
2014. It has also helped reduce air pollution and provide
speedy transportation.”
The official also pointed out
that the money saved from
time and fuel due to decongestion as a result of Delhi Metro
was Rs491 crore in 2014. Similarly, savings from reduction
in pollution was Rs489 crore.
In fact, the total saving from
all these benefits was Rs10,364
crore in 2014. All the figures are
based on a daily ridership of
2.7mn people.
Tyagi pointed out that convenience, safety and affordability were the major advantages of a Metro rail system.
“People can get connected to
different places in the city at a
cheaper cost. It is faster than
road transport in cities which
witness heavy traffic. Moreover, it is very safe compared to
road transport.”
Tyagi also highlighted that
Metro rail in Doha will lead to
the development of different
regions of the country. “As Qatar is a small country, the Metro
can connect most parts of the
city and its outskirts which
will result in huge development
of the whole country in many
ways,” he added.
Tyagi recently visited Doha
to speak at a technical seminar conducted by, an Indian
expatriate organisation.
Akbar al-Baker announcing the launching of Qatar Airways’ second marketing campaign.
Qatar Airways launches
new marketing campaign
Q
atar Airways has officially launched a new
marketing
campaign
supporting its three-year partnership with FC Barcelona.
The launching of the second
campaign yesterday follows the
success of the first TV spot, “The
Land of FC Barcelona,” depicting
the imaginary world of FC Barcelona where Lionel Messi taught football skills and Iniesta was an artist.
During the event, Qatar Airways Group chief executive Akbar al-Baker was joined by FC
Barcelona vice president (economic and strategic area) Javier
Faus, FCB’s First Team players
Gerard Piqué and Neymar da Silva, and FC Barcelona vice president (media area) Manel Arroyo.
Starring FC Barcelona icons
Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr, Gerard Piqué, Andrés Iniesta, and
Luis Suárez, Qatar Airways’ new
commercial shows the players
visiting a number of destinations within the airline’s network including, the Maldives,
Dallas, Paris, and Seoul.
The spot, which will be aired
in English, Arabic, and Catalan, takes a humourous look at
the players participating in a
number of different activities at
each destination.
“We are pleased to launch our
new campaign, featuring some
of the FCB stars and football
greats. We hope that our passengers and football fans around the
world enjoy this heart-felt journey as the players travel to a few
of Qatar Airways’ destinations,”
al-Baker said.
Since the start of the partnership, Qatar Airways has launched
the “The Land of FCB” campaign, which was officially sponsored the FC Barcelona Asia tour.
The airlines also introduced
the FC Barcelona custom-designed Boeing 777 and launched
tour and match packages for
fans looking to visit Barcelona
through the Qatar Airways Holidays Division.
The airline also recently
launched the “Join the Club”
social media contest, which celebrates the first anniversary of
the partnership, while giving the
opportunity to millions of fans
to win prizes, including Qatar
Airways flights to attend an FCB
match in Barcelona.
Qatar Airways recently announced plans to increase
Doha-Barcelona flights to a
double-daily service, bringing
the frequency up from 10 to 14
flights per week.
Workshop on 13th UN
Congress concludes
T
he four-day workshop on
holding the 13th UN Congress on Crime Prevention
and Criminal Justice concluded
in Doha yesterday.
The workshop was attended
by a number of delegates from
different departments, including
preparatory committee members and officers from the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice,
Public Prosecution and General Secretariat of the Council of
Ministers.
The workshop discussed topics related to the conference.
Maj Gen Abdullah Yusuf alMal, adviser to the Minister of
Interior, honoured the lecturers
and distributed certificates to
the participants at the closing
ceremony.
Maj Gen al-Mal is also the
chairman of the preparatory
committee of the 13th UN
Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice to
be held from April 12-19 in
Doha.
A participant receiving a certificate at the closing ceremony.
Katara lines up 98 activities Qatar Mega
for National Sport Day
Marathon 2015
K
set for March 27
atara - the Cultural Village will host more than
98 sport activities on its
beach esplanade on National
Sport Day, adopting the motto
“Live sport”.
The activities are set to start at
7am on February 10, with various games and activities targeting all segments of the society.
Last year, Katara hosted 83 activities with the participation of
38 entities.
Katara will also organise
various sports activities and
competitions, aiming to raise
awareness among visitors on
the importance of engaging in
sports, and its health and moral
benefits.
Ahmed al-Sayed, head of the
organising committee of National Sports Day activities at
Katara, said that Katara is one
of the main destinations of both
public and private entities on
National Sport Day. Besides, it is
considered as a centre for sports,
tourism and entertainment as
well as culture.
“We have provided an adequate number of parking lots to
accommodate for the expected
huge numbers of visitors. We
have also allocated a six-storey
building for the parking of visitors besides the already existing
ground parking lots that could
By Joey Aguilar
Staff Reporter
Q
Al-Sayed, right, with Al-Tamimi at a press conference yesterday.
accommodate more than 2,000
vehicles,” said al-Sayid yesterday.
He said that there will be several help desks at Katara to help
visitors and answer their inquiries, regarding the timing and locations of the activities scheduled for the day.
Similarly, Abdulrahman alTamimi, assistant head of the organising committee, said Katara
will conduct wave surfing activities on Sport Day in addition to
dancing carnival in the evening,
besides the other scheduled activities.
Various sports federations and
a large number of sports centres,
companies and foundations will
participate at the Sport Day activities at Katara, including Qatar Swimming Association, Qatar Basketball Federation, Qatar
Bodybuilding Federation, Qatar
Boxing Federation, Qatar Tennis
and Squash Federation, Handball Association, Golf Association, Qatar Shooting and Archery
Association, Qatar Badminton
Association, Qatar Sailing and
Rowing Federation, Qatar Volleyball Association, Qatar Table
Tennis Federation, Qatar Cycling
Federation, Qatar Wrestling Fed-
eration, Qatar Chess Association, and Qatar Football Association, among other entities.
In the meantime, the Central
Municipal Council (CMC) is set
to mark National Sport Day at
Katara with all CMC members
and staff. They would start their
day with a walk alongside the
Corniche, then they will go to
Katara to take part in games.
CMC chairman Saud alHinzab stressed the importance
of the occasion in the country
and considered it as day that
everybody should take an active
part.
atar Mega Marathon
2015, originally set
for February 6, has
been rescheduled for March
27, at National Day Centennial Road, Al Sadd Sports
Club general secretary Jassim
al-Rumaihi has said.
Under the patronage of HH
Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa
al-Thani, he said the marathon
expects more than 45,000 participants led by well-known
international runners.
In a press statement, alRumaihi said the size of participation in the event is huge,
requiring adequate and exceptional preparations by the
organising committee.
“This sporting event will be
the first event to be held in Qatar and the Arab World that targets all segments and all ages of
the Qatari society,” he stressed.
“The marathon is open to all
individuals and groups in the
country.”
AZF to roll out ‘family cycling’ scheme
A
spire Zone Foundation (AZF) is launching
its new scheme “family cycling” that can accommodate four to six members on
four-six seat bikes on National
Sport Day.
The new programme is in addition to the activities offered by
the Aspire Zone to the various
segments of society on National
Sport Day this year to encourage
them to practise physical activity in a distinctive recreational
atmosphere.
Nasser Abdullah al-Hajri, a
member of the National Sport
Day organising committee at
Aspire Zone, said: “I would like
to thank HE Salah bin Ghanim
al-Ali, Minister of Youth
and Sports, for his patronage and participation in this
event at the inauguration on
February 10.
“We are pleased to offer a
variety of activities during National Sport Day, and provide
the community a renewed opportunity to ride bicycles as cycling is not only a great way to
improve fitness, but also a very
enjoyable activity, especially
when shared with family members and friends. This initiative
is a continuation of the various
programmes offered by Aspire
Zone Foundation to deliver its
message to the community, and
provide all the enabling requirements for various hobbies that
encourage exercise and physical activity as part of a healthy
lifestyle.”
Cycle hire service is available
from Sunday to Thursday, from
4 pm -8 pm, and on Fridays and
Saturdays from 12noon to 8pm.
Earlier this year, Aspire Zone
launched “learn to ride” programme in cooperation with
Qatari schools to help children
learn how to ride bikes, and
“cycle in Aspire” is the extension of this programme to encourage more people to ride
bicycles.
Aspire Zone Foundation is
home to some of the world’s
finest sport stadia and venues
offering a stimulating combination of sport, sports medicine and research, and sport
education.
New four-six seat bikes at AZF.
Al-Rumaihi noted that they
want to break the world record
with the most runners in a
marathon based on the number
of participants.
He said organising such a
huge sporting event shows Al
Sadd Sports Club’s commitment to the vision of HH the
Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and to the Qatar
National Vision 2030.
The marathon aims to promote a healthy and active
lifestyle especially among the
youth, said al-Rumaihi.
The organising committee
also vowed to continue working hard for the preparations,
physical arrangements and
other technicalities to make
the event successful.
“Through Qatar Mega
Marathon 2015, we are sending a message to the world
presenting Qatar’s ability to challenge and create
miracles,” he said, adding:
“Our goal doesn’t stop at
breaking the world record,
it is to convey the true spirit
of sport, which holds respect of winning and los-
ing, durability, patience and
challenge.”
If the event fails to break the
record, he stressed that “the
honour of the attempt will be
enough.” However, organisers said they will continue to
repeat the attempt.
“I am inviting everyone, all
individuals, national enterprises and government institutions to participate in this huge
sporting event and to run with
Qatar,” he added.
The marathon also aims
to encourage participation
of young runners and people
with special needs to highlight their role in building a
healthy and prosperous future
for the country.
Organisers said they want to
instill the spirit of sharing and
volunteering among residents
of Qatar.
The start and finish lines
will be determined in accordance with the concerned
authorities.
Representatives from Guinness World Records are coming to watch and monitor the
marathon.
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
33
QATAR
Ashghal signs pact to
offer staff scholarships
T
he Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has signed
a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Supreme Education Council (SEC)
on educational scholarships for
Ashghal staff.
Ashghal president Nasser bin
Ali al-Mawlawi and SEC’s director of Higher Education Institute Dr Khaled al-Hor signed
the MoU.
The agreement aims at promoting cooperation between
the two organisations in organising scholarships and opening new horizons for learning
and qualification of technical
staff capable of achieving Qatar
National Vision 2030.
The collaboration will provide an opportunity for Ashghal
employees to get university degrees in accordance with the
scholarship law of Qatar.
Al-Mawlawi said: “There is a
continuous collaborative partnership between Ashghal and
the SEC at many levels, and
this agreement represents one
of the most important aspects
of co-operation as it is related
to human development, one of
the key pillars of Qatar National
Vision.”
As a follow-up step, the SEC
will outline the scholarship pro-
H
Nasser Ali al-Mawlawi (third right) and Dr Khaled al-Hor (third left) and others at the signing ceremony.
gramme that will be implemented and both parties will exchange
expertise to provide academic
guidance for employees wishing
to apply to the programme.
Ashghal adopts the scholarship programme for Qatari
students to study engineering
programmes in Qatar and at universities abroad that are accred-
ited by the SEC. Soon there will
be an opportunity for employees
to undergo studies as per the
Qatarisation strategy.
Ashghal also sponsors employees willing to continue
their education and get higher
degrees.
The total number of students
on scholarships, including stu-
dents and employees in Qatar and
abroad, has reached 36 so far, including 14 students in the UK, and
two in the US studying civil, electrical and mechanical engineering.
As for scholarship students
in Qatar, currently there are 13
students studying civil, architecture, mechanical and chemical
engineering in Qatar University.
Six Ashghal employees are on
scholarships in Qatar studying
different disciplines including
media, management, economy,
information systems, business
administration, health
and
environmental safety.
One Ashghal employee is on
scholarship studying accounting
in the UK.
Kahramaa invites entries for ‘conserving building’ contest
Q
atar General Electricity
and Water Corporation
(Kahramaa) has invited
entries for its annual ‘conserving building competition’ being
held as part of the National Programme for Conservation and
Energy Efficiency - Tarsheed.
The third edition of the competition launched by the Conservation and Energy Efficiency
Department under the slogan,
“Make a difference. Walk the
Green carpet”, is open to all
buildings comprising industri-
Expert: Do not
ignore chronic
headache in
young children
al, governmental, commercial,
residential sectors and sports
venues. This year a new sector
–tourism - has been listed in the
competition.
The potential contestants can
enter the competition via Kahramaa website - www.km.com.
qa/tarsheed, where they can
view the terms and conditions
for participating in the contest
and fill up the form. The entry
will continue till March 1.
The contest started with four
sectors - commercial, govern-
ment, residential and industrial
- in its first year in 2012. The
sports venues sector was added
last year.
Only existing buildings are
eligible to enter the competition,
excluding proposed or under
construction buildings and villas with conventional window
air-conditioners and villas with
flood irrigation systems.
The entries will be evaluated
based on the specific parameters
set by the team of experts to test
efficient design of mechanical
electrical and plumbing (MEP)
systems in all buildings which
in turn includes HVAC system,
lighting, plumbing fixtures,
building automation, sustainability measures, specific energy/
water consumption, building envelope for roof and façade, landscape and operational measures.
The objectives of the competition are to create awareness
about the building conservation
concept in all segments of the society, create public awareness on
the benefits of building conser-
vation practices (energy, water),
motivate consumers to adopt
building conservation practices
in the local construction market
and to mobilise people and encourage them to embrace energy
conservation strategies.
Conserving buildings are
buildings that reduce electricity
and water consumption, carbon
emissions, and provide better
living for residents Qatar.
Winners will be announced
at Tarsheed third annual
celebration slated for April 22.
amad Medical Corporation (HMC) has
launched an awareness programme on the occasion of World Cancer Day
yesterday.
The theme for this year’s
World Cancer Day 2015 is ‘Not
beyond us’, and looks at early
detection of cancers.
As part of the campaign,
HMC is carrying out a programme through which the
medical authorities are raising awareness of the signs
and symptoms of cancer. If
diagnosed earlier the dreaded
disease is treatable, an HMC
statement said yesterday.
HMC is advising parents to
watch out for persistent and
unexplained headaches in very
young children, especially
those below five years. It could
be nothing but it is important
to rule out any more serious
conditions, such as a brain
tumour, which is the second
most common childhood cancer worldwide, it said.
World Cancer Day 2015 is
an opportunity to raise awareness that there is much that
can be done at different levels,
through taking a positive and
proactive approach against
cancer. The day also highlights
solutions that exist across the
cancer continuum that are
within the world’s reach.
Dr Shadwa El Sayed Kishk,
specialist at HMC’s paediatric
hematology and oncology department, said it is unusual for
young children to complain of
headaches, and especially of
persistent headaches, happening almost virtually on a daily
basis. “If a child is having such
symptoms they should be assessed by a qualified healthcare professional as it could be
a symptom of something more
serious. Persistent and unexplained headaches are one of the
main symptoms of brain cancer.”
Children in the below five
age group may be unable to
describe how they feel, so parents are advised to be vigilant
for other signs, such as when
an infant holds her head or
neck, presses on her temples
or tries to keep her head very
still and seems withdrawn or
agitated. In addition, the child
may experience vomiting, difficulty standing or walking,
poor coordination, confusion
or disorientation, seizures,
weakness and slurred speech.
Among babies, a rapidly enlarging head could also be a
symptom of a brain tumor.
“If a child tries to hit his
head against a wall or other
object, this may be because his
head hurts and not because of
temper tantrums. This needs
closer observation especially
if there is also vomiting, double vision or decreased ability
to see clearly, and weakness
or numbness,” explained Dr
Kishk.
While headaches among
very young children could be
due to other conditions, such
as impairment of vision or
hearing, anemia or even a cold,
parents should also be aware
of the possibility of a brain tumor. “Parents should urgently
seek professional medical advice if their child is woken up
from the sleep by headaches or
if there is unexplained vomiting while they are awake.”
The site, type, grade and
spread of the tumor when diagnosed will determine the
patient’s prognosis. “Treatment for patients with a brain
tumor includes multiple forms
of therapy provided by multidisciplinary
professionals
through our neuro-oncology
programme. This collaborative work is important in decreasing deaths and disability
as well as improving quality of
life among people living with
the effects of a brain tumor,”
she said.
Children learn how to manage
diabetes at Al Bawasil camp
M
Dr al-Hamaq speaking at the opening of the camp.
Kids and officials at the opening ceremony.
ore than 50 children
from 14 countries
are participating in a
range of fun-filled educational
activities at the 15th Al Bawasil
International Spring Camp for
children with diabetes at the
Aspire Academy for Sports
Excellence.
Organised by Qatar Diabetes
Association (QDA), a member
of Qatar Foundation, Al Bawasil has brought together 52
children between the ages of
7 and 11 for a weeklong programme of education, activities and entertainment to help
them live with diabetes.
The camp is part of a variety
of initiatives supported by Qatar Foundation that promote
healthcare and wellbeing in
Qatar through education and
awareness of prevalent health
problems, in addition to providing effective ways to deal
with them.
Al Bawasil also supports
Qatar Foundation on its mission to be a catalyst for change
by leveraging its experiences,
knowledge and capabilities.
“The objective of the camp
is to create a safe and loving environment for children
with diabetes, teach them how
to control diabetes and avoid
complications in order to reach
their full potential,” said Dr
Abdulla al-Hamaq, executive director, QDA. “The camp
will enable the participants
to exchange views and share
experiences.”
The camp, organised by QDA
in collaboration with Aspire
Academy, Al Jaish Sports Club,
Action on Diabetes and Ooredoo, ends today.
The boys and girls from Qatar, Sudan, Afghanistan, Morocco, Pakistan, Bangladesh,
Lebanon, Iran, Kuwait, Palestine, Egypt, Bahrain, Yemen
and Saudi Arabia have been
divided into four teams. Children in each team attend various workshops and training
sessions, supervised by a group
of experts in education, health
and nutrition.
The intensive programme
is designed to create a spirit of
cooperation and affinity among
the
participants
through
education, physical exercise
and morale-building social
activities and entertainment.
Main scoreboard at Lusail Multipurpose Hall.
Darwish Technology
supplies audio-visual
equipment to hall
D
arwish Technology, a
subsidiary of Darwish
Holding, has supplied
Lusail Multipurpose Hall with
state-of-the-art audio-visual
equipment, including the main
scoreboards and LED ribbons in
the main arena.
Bader Abdullah al-Darwish,
chairman and managing director, Darwish Holding, said: “We
are committed to our country
and its success, and will continue to be the best technology
provider in Qatar by bringing the
latest and most sophisticated
technologies that meet Qatar’s
vision and aspirations.
“Our company has grown extensively and is capable of handling any project in the audiovisual field. We congratulate
Qatar Olympic Committee for
delivering this flagship venue
for the World Men’s Handball
Championship and future international sports events as
well.”
Ziad Asmar, executive director, Darwish Technology, said:
“Lusail Multipurpose Hall uses
the most advanced technologies in the world and it was a real
challenge for our team to execute
this flagship project in a very
short time.”
He added: “We succeeded
in delivering to all spectators a
unique visual and sound experience in this venue. We are very
happy with the end result delivered to Lusail Multipurpose Hall
and we are proud to have been
a part of this one-of-a-kind
project.”
BANK DIRECTIVE | Page 11
AUSTERITY WOES | Page 15
China cuts its
reserve ratio to
lift economy
Greece seeks
ECB funds to
support banks
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Rabia II 16, 1436 AH
HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE: Page 16
GULF TIMES
QBIC to launch
‘3rd LeanStartup
Programme’ for
entrepreneurs
BUSINESS
Industries Qatar posts
QR6.3bn profit in 2014
L
ower sales, extensive planned preventive maintenance and warranty shutdowns, weak urea prices and heightened operating costs in petrochemical and
steel sectors culminated in Industries Qatar
(IQ) reporting a 21% year-on-year drop in
net profit to QR6.3bn in 2014.
However, IQ - the holding entity of Qatar Petrochemicals (Qapco), Qatar Fertiliser
(Qafco), Qatar Steel and Qatar Fuel Additives (Qafac) - said net profit overshot the
budgeted target by 12% and declared 70% or
QR7 per share (with face value of QR10) cash
dividend, which will have to be approved by
shareholders at the annual general assembly.
Earnings in 2014 were supported by the
launch and subsequent ramp-up of Qatar
Steel’s EF-5 facility in the first quarter and
Qafac’s CDR (carbon dioxide recovery) plant
in the third quarter, as well as by strong full
year average key petrochemical product
prices, an IQ spokesman said.
The planned and unplanned shutdowns
and challenging market conditions experienced were largely expected and accounted
for in the group’s 2014 budget, and are normal features of the industries the group operates within; furthermore, full year results
were ahead of the group’s 2014 budget.
Results in the second half of the year
showed a significant improvement over the
first, with the return to normal operations
following the extensive maintenance downtime experienced across all segments: consolidated net profit improved 23.5%, with
the petrochemical and fertiliser segments
expanding 48.7% and 31.9% respectively.
“Second half earnings were also on par
with the second half of 2013, clearly showing the group’s ability to generate robust
profits and cash flow even during the difficult international market conditions experienced during the latter part of this year,” the
spokesman said.
The reported revenue for the year ended
December 31, 2014 was QR6bn, showing a
marginal increase of 2.5% over the previous
year.
QFC 1st in world
to allow cash
reimbursement
for tax losses
In a first of its kind in the world, the
Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) has allowed
cash reimbursement for tax losses.
“The decision entitles QFC-licensed
firms that launched operations after
January 1, 2015 to receive cash payments
for tax losses incurred in the first two
accounting periods of operation,” a QFC
spokesman said.
“The QFC has set a global precedent
by amending tax law in 2014 to allow
ground-breaking cash reimbursement
for tax losses,” he said.
Firms eligible for cash reimbursements
will receive a payment within six months
of their claim submission to the QFC tax
department.
The tax credit is calculated at a rate
of 8% on eligible losses and a QFC
firm can claim up to a cumulative
maximum payment of QR200,000. Only
expenses incurred in Qatar (excluding
depreciation and interest costs) are
eligible for tax credits.
In order to be eligible for cash
reimbursement, the QFC entity should
be a limited liability company and must
have carried on permitted activity in or
from the QFC. Moreover, it should have
three full time employees and should
not have been elected to benefit from
exempt status or to be taxed at the 0%
concessionary tax rate.
With effect from January 2, 2010, the
QFC applied a 10% tax on all business
profits incurred by QFC-licensed entities
operating within the QFC.
An aerial view of Qapco facilities in Mesaieed. IQ, the holding entity of Qatar Petrochemicals (Qapco), Qatar Fertiliser (Qafco), Qatar Steel
and Qatar Fuel Additives (Qafac), said the 2014 net profit overshot the budgeted target by 12% and declared 70% or QR7 per share (with face
value of QR10) cash dividend.
The petrochemical segment closed the
year with revenue of QR6.8bn. Full year
weighted average key petrochemical product prices, particularly LDPE (low density
polyethylene) and LLDPE (linear LDPE)
were up year-on-year, largely compensating the impact of the extensive, planned
and unplanned shut-downs across all plants
within the segment, particularly during the
first six months of 2014.
The fertiliser segment saw its revenue
drop 11% to QR5.5bn in 2014 owing to significant sales volume reductions from planned
and warranty shut-downs across several fertiliser trains, and moderately weak
weighted average urea prices.
Revenue in the steel segment rose by a
moderate 3% to QR6bn. The benefit to the
group’s steel business of the launch and
ramp-up of the new EF-5 facility in the first
quarter of 2014 was partially offset by moderate re-bar price decline, reduced operat-
ing days due to planned and unplanned disruption, and strong prior year comparatives.
The consolidated EBITDA (earnings before interest taxes depreciation and amortisation) fell more than 19% to QR6.6bn in
2014. “The group (IQ) looks forward to 2015
with a firm belief in its competitive advantages and the knowledge that Industries
Qatar is in a financially-sound position and
is well-equipped for the future,” the spokesman said.
Mideast carriers
see strongest air
cargo growth of
11% in 2014: IATA
Middle Eastern carriers enjoyed the “strongest” air cargo growth of any region, expanding 11.3% in December
and 11% for 2014 as a whole, IATA’s latest figures show.
Airlines in the region have extended their networks and
grown capacity by 11.1% to make the Middle East a hub
for freight traffic. In fact they have been responsible for
over 37% of the total increase in global freight capacity
in 2014.
The International Air Transport Association’s full-year
air cargo data for 2014 shows 4.5% demand growth
compared to 2013 measured by freight tonne kilometres (FTKs). That is a significant acceleration from the
1.4% recorded in 2013 over 2012.
Air cargo market expansion gathered momentum
as 2014 progressed. The year finished on a positive
note, with growth in December accelerating to 4.9%,
compared to December 2013. The vast majority of the
growth in 2014, however, was in the Asia-Pacific and
Middle East regions, which respectively contributed
46% and 29% of the expansion in FTKs. Growth was
recorded in all other regions, but was particularly weak
in Latin America.
“After several years of stagnation, the air cargo business is growing again. This is largely being driven by
the uptick in world trade over the second half of 2014.
Recent concerns over the health of the global economy
and a corresponding fall in business confidence have
not yet impacted air cargo. But it is a downside risk that
will need to be watched carefully as we move through
2015,” said Tony Tyler, IATA’s director general and CEO.
“Despite the improving growth trend, big challenges remain. Yields declined for the third straight year in 2014,
with no immediate prospect of improvement. Cargo
revenues remained basically unchanged at $62bn,
some $5bn below their 2011 peak. To move forward,
the industry is focusing on providing a stronger value
proposition to meet evolving customer needs. That’s
what is driving efforts such as cutting shipping times,
ensuring high-quality handling of temperature-sensitive
goods, or benchmarking quality to improve customer
transparency. It’s all about delivering value as a supply
chain with a strong vision of the future,” said Tyler.
This focus on value is delivering change. For example,
in 2014 electronic air waybill penetration reached 22%
and airlines are targeting 45% penetration by the end
of 2015. An initiative to encourage further industry
innovations will take centre stage at the World Cargo
Symposium in Shanghai from March 10 to 12 with the
launch of the Air Cargo Innovation Awards.
“If you have a stake in air cargo, the World Cargo
Symposium is the place to be in March as we lay the
foundations to energise the sector, recapture market
share and grow revenues,” said Tyler.
‘Qatar retail market growth to top Gulf’
By Pratap John
Chief Business Reporter
Q
atari retail market is expected to
grow at a compound annual growth
rate (CAGR) of 9.8% in five years up
to 2018, the fastest in the GCC region, a new
study has shown.
According to Alpen Capital, the GCC (Gulf
Cooperation Council) retail sales are expected to grow at a 7.3% CAGR between 2013 and
2018 to reach $284.5bn.
“While retails sales growth across all the
GCC countries is expected to remain positive
between 2013 and 2018, the outlook for Qatar is the most optimistic during the period,”
Alpen Capital said in its ‘GCC retail industry
report’.
“While Qatar’s retail market is expected to
register a CAGR of 9.8%, the other five GCC
countries are seen registering an annual average growth rate of 6%-7% during the period,”
Alpen said.
Based on the moderate growth scenario
for Alpen’s supply-side estimates, occupied
modern retail sales area in the GCC is projected to reach 6.6mn sq m in 2018, while expected growth in the supply of modern retail
sales area over the forecast period is partially
lower than the demand-side CAGR estimate
for retail sales. The supply of new modern retail sales area is expected to adequately meet
the increasing demand for retail space over
the next five years.
The population base of the GCC region is
one of the fastest growing, with 41% of its
population in the age group between 15 and
34, having a strong preference towards international brands. The region also has one of the
most attractive corporate tax regimes, which
works as an “attraction” to retailers.
Over the years, the region has emerged as an
international tourist hub, enjoying popularity
among leisure travellers, international shoppers and pilgrims. A high influx of tourists
presents an environment conducive for the
growth of the retail industry.
The region’s economy has emerged as
one of the richest and fastest growing in the
world, largely on the back of its proven crude
oil reserves. The region is comparable to some
of the strongest developed economies of the
world, supported by its cash-rich governments, healthy credit ratings and strong currency reserves.
Dubai’s successful bid to host the World
Expo 2020 paves the way for further growth of
its non-oil sector, lending momentum to the
construction, tourism and hospitality sectors.
Qatar’s non-oil sector increased by more
than 10% in 2014, stimulated by its major infrastructure projects such as the Doha Metro
and the Hamad International Airport. Some
countries in the region are, however, yet to
reduce their dependence on the hydrocarbon
sector to a meaningful degree.
Among other key driving factors of the industry are the increase of retail sales area,
growing e-commerce segment, easy availability of credit and interest payment plans,
increasing consumer confidence and government initiatives to promote infrastructure,
hospitality and tourism sectors, Alpen said.
Alpen Capital managing director Sameena
Ahmad said the retail industry continued to
maintain a positive momentum attributed to
key factors influencing the market like robust
economic growth, rising purchasing power,
growing population comprising a large proportion of expatriates, changing consumption patterns and increasing penetration of
international retail players. The Gulf is also
gearing to host events such as the World Expo
2020 and FIFA 2022, leading to a growing influx of tourists and creating immense opportunities for existing and new retailers in the
region.”
Mahboob Murshed, Alpen Capital managing director said, “Socio-political stability coupled with the government initiatives
directed at increasing economic diversification is creating a positive environment for investors in the GCC. The M&A activity in the
sector has picked up pace in recent times. In
recent years, several deals have taken place in
the sector that involved some of the region’s
leading retailers including the Savola Group,
Damas International, LuLu Group and Al
Meera Consumer Goods Company.”
2
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
BUSINESS
Pakistan seeks deal with Etisalat in $800mn dispute
Reuters
Dubai
P
akistan estimates 34 properties due to Etisalat are
worth $92mn, a government official said, meaning the
telecom operator could still owe
the government $708mn in a
near-decade long dispute that is
slowly being resolved.
Recovering this amount,
equivalent to 71.61bn rupees,
and close to Pakistan’s combined federal budget for education (64bn rupees) and healthcare (10bn rupees) in 2014-15,
would be a welcome boost to the
cash-strapped administration.
An Etisalat-led consortium
in 2005 agreed to pay $2.6bn for
26% of Pakistan Telecommunication Co (PTCL), but the Abu
Dhabi-listed operator has withheld $800mn because the government did not transfer title of
some properties to PTCL as per
the deal terms.
Of the 3,500 properties destined for PTCL, all but 34 have
now been handed over to the
former telecom monopoly,
Azeem Qadir, a consultant for
Pakistan’s Ministry of Privatisation, told Reuters.
The remaining 34 cannot be
signed over due to ownership
complications and so the value
of these properties will be deducted from the amount Etisalat
owes.
The government and Etisalat
have each hired independent
firms to assess the properties on
their behalf and submit a valuation to HSBC, the holder of an
escrow account relating to the
disputed properties, Qadir said.
Pakistan did so in January,
valuing them at $92mn and is
now awaiting Etisalat’s valuation, he said.
The higher of the two estimates will then be used to calcu-
late a final settlement, although
the government could go to arbitration if Etisalat suggests a
markedly higher price, Qadir
added.
Etisalat, which did not respond to requests for comment
on the matter, paid an initial
$1.8bn for the PTCL stake and
was due to pay the remaining
$800mn in six twice-yearly in-
Turkey takes over management
control of embattled Bank Asya
Reuters
Istanbul
T
urkey has taken control of Bank
Asya, the Islamic lender caught
up in a feud between President
Tayyip Erdogan and US-based cleric
Fethullah Gulen.
The action by Turkey’s banking
regulators follows a run on deposits at
Bank Asya last year when the lender
became embroiled in the power struggle between Erdogan and Gulen, whose
followers had set up the bank.
“I think what is necessary has been
done,” Economy Minister Nihat Zeybeki told reporters. “For financial markets this has ended speculation and
brought about a safer environment.”
Turkey’s Savings Deposit Insurance
Fund, which has powers to deal with
troubled banks, said the move was designed “to protect the bank’s shareholders, clients, the banking sector and
Turkish economy and prevent a new
failed bank.”
But Turkey’s move to seize control
has prompted accusations of political meddling that could also hurt the
country’s reputation with international
investors.
Outside Bank Asya’s headquarters in
Istanbul a group of around 100 people
gathered behind police barriers to protest against the regulator’s action, including women in headscarves.
“This is an operation with purely
political motives,” said media sector worker Muhammed Agcagozu, 26,
who like many Bank Asya customers
has come out to support it against what
they say is a government-orchestrated
bid to scuttle it.
Turkey’s Banking Regulation and
Supervision Agency cited insufficient
transparency to allow for proper regulation of the bank as the reason for its
decision to take control.
Bank Asya said yesterday that its operations would not be affected. It also
named a new nine-member management board in a separate statement to
the Istanbul stock exchange.
Islamic lenders’ association general
secretary Osman Akyuz told Reuters
the action would not create systemic
risk in the banking market.
But Selin Sayek Boke, deputy chairman of the main opposition CHP party,
Credit Suisse-Qatar
venture names
Oueijan frontier
markets head
Aventicum Capital Management, the asset-management
joint venture of Credit Suisse
Group and Qatar Holding, appointed Habib Oueijan head of
Aventicum MENA and Frontier
Markets, Bloomberg said.
Oueijan will develop the asset
manager’s frontier business,
focused on the Middle East
and North Africa and countries including Turkey, the
company said in an e-mailed
statement on Tuesday.
Oueijan previously worked
at Olayan Saudi Investments
Co as head of public equities
and held positions with Union
Bancaire Privée, Majid Al
Futtaim and Shuaa Capital in
Dubai, Aventicum said in its
statement.
Qatar and Credit Suisse are
deepening collaboration after
the gas-rich nation acquired
a 6% stake in the bank and
bought its London headquarters. Switzerland’s secondlargest lender and Qatar
Holding, a unit of the country’s sovereign wealth fund,
formed the asset manager
to expand emerging-market
investments.
Based in Qatar, Aventicum
MENA and Frontier Markets
is part of Aventicum Capital
Management. It offers a range
of investment products that
include the MENA Fund and
the MENA Frontiers Fund.
Women waving Turkish flags take part in a protest against the seizure of the Islamic Bank Asya, in front of a Bank Asya branch in downtown Ankara yesterday. The action
by Turkey’s banking regulators follows a run on deposits at Bank Asya last year.
said the move was a “scandal.” “The
destruction of hard-won institutional
respectability and credibility for political goals is wrecking the reputation,
power and future of Turkey’s economy,” she said in a statement.
Shares in other companies linked to
Gulen’s followers fell initially after the
regulator’s move, but then rebounded.
Gold miner Koza Alt’n rose 0.3%, mining company Koza Madencilik fell 1.8%
and energy firm Ipek Dogal Enerji fell
1.3%.
The main Istanbul share index fell
1.29%, with banks down 2.49%, also
pressured by the central bank’s deci-
sion on Tuesday not to hold an early
policy meeting to cut rates.
Investment analysts expressed concern about the impact of the regulator’s
action on investors’ view of Turkey.
“This operation is very much linked
to a personal grudge and it goes down
very badly with investor communities.
Once this perception is spread, you
can’t change it,” Global Source Partners
economist Atilla Yesilada said.
Bank Asya depositors, including
state-owned firms and institutions,
last year withdrew 4bn lira ($1.7bn), or
some 20% of its deposits, according to
media reports.
Shares in Bank Asya, of which around
54% are publicly traded, were moved to
the stock exchange’s watchlist market
in September, where companies are
kept under surveillance.
The shares trade for a limited time
each day.
They fell 1.64% to 0.60 lira on the
watchlist companies market yesterday. They were at 1.24 lira when they
were suspended from the main Istanbul
market last August.
A 2023 dollar bond issued by Bank
Asya jumped 10 cents in price to its
highest level since mid-Sept 2014.
“The government intervention into
Bank Asya is constructive for its sukuks
(Islamic bonds) if negative for the share
price, by removing uncertainty about
plans for it,” Jefferies analyst Richard
Segal said. “The drain on its operations
may now be reversed.”
In November, Bank Asya cut a third
of its workforce and more than a quarter of its branches in a turnaround attempt.
Turkish media reported on Tuesday that Turkey had cancelled Gulen’s
passport in a further escalation of Erdogan’s campaign against the cleric
who has lived in self-imposed exile in
Pennsylvania since 1999.
stalments of $133mn. The UAE
operator owned 90% of the acquiring consortium, giving it a
23.4% stake in PTCL.
The consortium’s bid was
$1.2bn more than the next highest offer and in 2012 Etisalat
took an impairment of $645mn
on PTCL, whose current market
value is $953mn, Reuters data
shows.
Erdogan bemoans
independence of
central bank; sends
lira currency lower
Turkish President Tayyip
Erdogan made fresh criticism
of the central bank’s policies
yesterday, fuelling worries over
the bank’s independence and
sending the lira lower against
the dollar.
The lira dropped as low as
2.4410 against the dollar from
2.4210 earlier after Erdogan’s
comments over the monetary
policy committee’s performance were perceived as a
potential threat to the bank’s
independence.
“It is called an independent
board, but this is where we end
up...We have to be at a better
place, we have to succeed in
this,” Erdogan said in a speech,
where he also reiterated his
view that inflation would fall
when rates cut. “Interest rates
are what shape inflation. If you
keep the rates high, the inflation
will be high too but if you cut it,
inflation will also fall. There are
still people who don’t understand this,” he said.
By 1417 GMT, the lira traded
at 2.4379, within sight of a
record low of 2.4483 seen on
Friday. Bankers said Erdogan’s
comments over independence
fuelled investor worries and the
lira could see further volatility.
“Erdogan and his government
are becoming increasingly
detached from the economic
reality,” said Lars Christensen,
head of emerging markets at
Danske Bank.
“Obviously this continued talk
is putting pressure on (Central
Bank governor Erdem) Basci
and the Turkish central bank...
With this continued gradual
centralisation of power and
increasingly disregarding economic realities you are going to
add more volatility,” he added.
Erdogan, a long-time advocate
of loose monetary policy, has
repeatedly criticised the central
bank for not cutting rates more
sharply and quickly, and is looking to boost economic growth
ahead of a parliamentary election in June.
The central bank cut its main
rate by 50 basis points last
month and had said that if
January inflation fell more than
1 percentage point, it could hold
an interim policy meeting to assess a further rate reduction.
However, Tuesday’s inflation
data showed a smaller than
expected fall, forcing it to shelve
that plan.
Kingdom Holding sells 5.6% stake in News Corp
Reuters
Dubai
S
A man walks by News Corp offices in New York in this April 6, 2004 file photo. The sale of a 5.6% stake in News Corp generated
705mn riyals ($188mn) of cash for Kingdom and leaves it with a 1% holding, according to a bourse statement.
audi Arabia’s Kingdom Holding, the investment firm
owned by billionaire Prince
Alwaleed bin Talal, sold most of its
stake in media giant News Corp as
part of a portfolio review, it said yesterday.
The sale of a 5.6% stake in
News Corp generated 705mn riyals ($188mn) of cash for Kingdom
and leaves it with a 1% holding, according to a bourse statement. The
amount of profit or loss booked on
the investment was not disclosed.
Kingdom has held a stake in
Rupert Murdoch’s media conglomerate since 1997, according to its
website.
It has been a turbulent few years
for the media company, after it
emerged in 2011 that one of its British tabloid newspapers, the nowdefunct News of the World, had been
hacking phones and bribing public
officials.
News Corp said on Tuesday it
would face no charges in the US over
the matter, although it still faces
multiple investigations and court
cases in Britain.
“We remain firm believers in
News Corp’s competent management, led by chief executive Robert
Thomson, and are fully supportive
of Rupert Murdoch and his family,”
Alwaleed said in a separate e-mailed
statement. The action would not
impact on Kingdom’s 6.6% holding
of Twenty-First Century Fox, the
emailed statement added.
Both News Corp and TwentyFirst Century Fox were part of the
same company until they were spun
off into separate listed entities in
June 2013, representing the previous
firm’s publishing and broadcasting
businesses respectively.
The sale of shares by Kingdom was
“predominantly executed” in the
first half of 2014 and finalised by the
end of the year, the statement said.
News Corp hit its highest level
since the stock was split on March
5, 2014, when it traded intraday at
$18.53, and was as high as $18.29
on July 24 before slipping to an
intraday low of $14.28 on October
16, according to Thomson Reuters
data.
The media firm, which is due to
report second-quarter earnings on
Friday, closed on Tuesday at $15.61.
Kingdom’s stake decreased from
13.18mn class B shares, representing approximately 6.6% ownership,
to 2mn class B shares, representing
around 1% ownership.
The funds generated from the sale
will be reinvested elsewhere, the
English-language bourse statement
said.
However, in an Arabic-language
statement on the bourse website,
Kingdom also said part of the proceeds will be used to reduce some of
the company’s debts.
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
3
BUSINESS
Realty, telecom and
industrials help lift
QSE above 12,400
By Santhosh V Perumal
Business Reporter
T
he Qatar Stock Exchange yesterday crossed the 12,400 mark,
mainly lifted by real estate, telecom and industrials stocks.
Mid and micro-cap equities were seen
most sought after as the 20-stock Qatar
Index (based on price data) gained 1.11%
to 12,415.93 points as trade volumes also
increased, buoyed by mild optimism in
the global oil market.
Islamic stocks were seen gaining faster
in the bourse, which is up 1.06% yearto-date.
Institutional investors were seen bullish in the market, where realty, telecom,
banking and industrials stocks cornered
about 93% of the total trading volume.
Market capitalisation expanded 1.25%,
or more than QR8bn, to QR672.07bn
with mid, micro and small cap equities
gaining 1.36%, 1.23% and 0.79% respectively; while large caps fell 0.18%.
The Total Return Index rose 1.11% to
18,635.9 points, the All Share Index by
1.34% to 3,207.15 points and the Al Rayan
MPHC suggests 11% cash dividend
Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding Company has suggested a 11% (QR1.1 a share)
cash dividend, and not 110%, as reported
by this newspaper on the Monday (February 2) edition. The company has reported
QR1.8bn net profit for the year ended
December 31, 2014.
Mid and micro-cap equities were seen most sought after on the QSE yesterday as
the 20-stock Qatar Index gained 1.11% to 12,415.93 points amid rise in trade volumes.
PICTURE: Noushad Thekkayil
Islamic Index by 1.9% to 4,314.68 points.
Real estate stocks appreciated 5.97%,
telecom (1.84%), industrials (1.41%), insurance (1.23%), transport (0.88%) and
consumer goods (0.41%); while banks
and financial services lost 0.2%.
More than 79% of the stocks extended
gains with major movers being Ezdan
Real Estate, Mazaya Qatar, Barwa, United
Development Company, Vodafone Qatar, Aamal Company, Gulf International
Services, Qatari Investors Group, Gulf
Warehousing, International Islamic,
Dlala and Islamic Holding Group; even as
Qatar Islamic Bank, QNB and Industries
Qatar bucked the trend.
Foreign institutions’ net buying sunk
to QR11.45mn compared to QR66mn the
previous day.
Domestic institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR32.63mn against net
sellers of QR40.49mn on February 3.
Qatari retail investors’ net selling rose
to QR27.63mn compared to QR22.86mn
on Tuesday.
Non-Qatari individual investors’ net
profit-booking soared to QR16.56mn
against QR2.73mn the previous day.
Gulf states to deposit $10bn
in Egypt before conference
Reuters
Cairo
S
audi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE
will deposit $10bn in Egypt before the country holds an investment conference in March, the news
website Al-Youm Al-Sabea reported.
Egypt hopes the conference in the
resort Sharm el-Sheikh will generate ventures worth billions of dollars,
helping to boost its economy, which
has just started to recover from political turmoil triggered by the 2011 Arab
Spring uprising.
Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE
gave Egypt more than $12bn in aid,
deposits for the central bank and petroleum products since the army toppled former president Mohamed Mursi
in 2013 after mass protests against his
rule.
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has
focused on trying to repair Egypt’s
economy, enacting reforms to try and
win over foreign investors and announcing mega-projects such as a second Suez Canal to create jobs.
Egypt can expect economic growth
“easily north of 4%” in fiscal year
2014-15, which ends in June, boosted
by rising confidence and a windfall
from lower oil prices, its finance minister said last month.
Separately, Egypt’s pound held
steady at 7.53 per dollar at yesterday’s central bank auction, remaining unchanged for the first time since
the bank began allowing the pound to
weaken on January 18.
The bank offered $40mn and sold
38.5mn at a cut-off price of 7.5301
pounds per dollar, the central bank
said, the same price at the previous
sale on Monday.
The central bank has let the official
pound exchange rate weaken steadily since January 18, as authorities
tried to wipe out the black market as
part of economic reforms designed to
reinforce a nascent recovery and burnish the country’s image ahead of an
investment conference in mid-March.
Saudi supermarket
chain Al Raya
put up for sale
A controlling stake in
Saudi Arabian supermarket chain Al Raya for
Foodstuff Co has been
put up for sale by its
private equity owners
Levant Capital and The
Rohatyn Group (TRG),
sources aware of the
matter told Reuters
yesterday.
The transaction joins a
growing list of deals for
consumer-focused firms
in the Gulf region, which
have drawn buyers’ attention for their exposure to
an increasingly wealthy
and predominantly
young population.
Dubai-based Levant
Capital and Citi Venture
Capital International,
an emerging marketfocused investment
firm which was acquired
by TRG 14 months ago,
originally bought the
stake in Al Raya in 2012
for $100mn.
Levant Capital and TRG
declined to comment.
The sources spoke on
condition of anonymity
as the information isn’t
public.
A financial advisor to the
selling shareholders was
close to being appointed,
said one of the sources, a
Saudi-based banker.
Total trade volume rose 78% to
28.69mn shares, value by 23% to
QR962.57mn and transactions by 33% to
10,798.
The consumer goods sector’s trade
volume more than tripled to 1.03mn
stocks and value more than doubled to
QR56.7mn on more than doubled deals
to 740.
The telecom sector’s trade volume
more than doubled to 5.84mn equities
and value also more than doubled to
QR108.09mn on a 57% jump in transactions to 1,378.
The real estate sector saw its trade
volume more than doubled to 12.59mn
shares, value surge 39% to QR291.13mn
and deals by 62% to 3,187.
The banks and financial services reported a 37% expansion in trade volume 4.92mn stocks, 16% in value to
QR244.83mn and 26% in transactions to
2,863.
The industrials sector’s trade volume
soared 22% to 3.33mn equities but value
fell 15% to QR195.99mn and deals by 1%
to 2,047.
The transport sector’s trade volume
rose 2% to 0.56mn shares, value by 80%
to QR35.26mn and transactions by 52%
to 310.
The insurance sector’s trade volume
was down 2% to 0.43mn stocks whereas there was a 2% decline in value to
QR30.56mn and 23% in deals to 273.
In the debt market, a total of 20,000
treasury bills valued at QR199.24mn
changed hands across two transactions;
while there was no trading of government bonds.
Saudi, Dubai retreat as
oil drops; Egypt strong
Reuters
Dubai
Stock markets in Saudi Arabia
and Dubai pulled back yesterday
as oil prices fell after gaining
strongly earlier in the week, while
technicals and dividend bets
supported other Gulf bourses.
Brent crude dropped more than
2% yesterday after a new build
in US crude stockpile levels put a
global glut back in focus, cutting
short a rally that had pushed up
prices by about 19% over the past
four sessions.
Saudi Arabia’s equities index
edged down 0.6% to 9,169 points
as most stocks pulled back,
including some petrochemicals
such as Yanbu National
Petrochemical Co and National
Industrialisation Co (Tasnee),
down 2.9 and 1.5% respectively.
Investment firm Kingdom Holding
edged down 0.4% after it said it
had sold most of its stake in media
giant News Corp.
The Saudi stock index approached
but then pulled back from
technical resistance on its 100-day
average, now at 9,379 points, as
trading volume remained active
but fell by about a third from the
previous day.
Dubai’s index, which had also
rallied along with oil this week,
fell 1.1% as Dubai Islamic Bank
slid 1.7% and Dubai Investments
dropped 2.7%.
Shares in investment bank Shuaa
Capital tumbled 4.9% after rating
agency Moody’s on Tuesday
withdrew its ratings, citing its
“own business reasons” without
elaborating. Shuaa said yesterday
it had decided not to renew the
rating contract because it had no
public debt.
But property developer DAMAC
once again surged its daily
15% limit. The stock, which had
previously traded only in London
and cross-listed in Dubai on
January 12, had plunged 36% last
month on the emirate’s bourse. It
started recovering this week after
the firm’s subsidiary DAMAC Real
Estate Development Ltd reported
a 46% surge in 2014 profit; the
stock has now recouped most of
its losses.
Abu Dhabi’s benchmark, which
had lagged Dubai’s rebound,
climbed 1.3% to 4,649 points
after breaking above technical
resistance at 4,606 points, its
late December high. The break
triggered a bullish right triangle
formed by the highs and lows
since that high, and pointing up to
around 4,900 points.
Egypt’s market extended gains,
rising 0.9% as Al-Youm Al-Sabea
news website reported that
Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE
would provide Cairo with $10bn
in deposits before an investment
conference in March.
Saudi Arabia’s main
equities index yesterday
edged down 0.6% to 9,169
points as most stocks
pulled back
Commercial International Bank
(CIB) was the main support,
gaining 0.5%. The bank is
expected to publish its fourthquarter earnings next week and
Naeem Brokerage yesterday
forecast its profit would rise 26%.
“Fundamentally, CIB continues to
remain a strong pick, maintaining
its position as the top private
sector bank in Egypt and a key
beneficiary from the expected
growth in banking activities (both
retail and institutional) in Egypt,”
the brokerage said in a note.
Shares in Juhayna Food Industries
jumped 3.6% after Goldman Sachs
on Tuesday raised the stock to
“buy” from “neutral” and added it
to its Central and Eastern Europe,
Middle East and Africa focus list.
Elsewhere in the Gulf, Kuwait’s
index edged up 0.2% to 6,708
points; Oman’s measure climbed
1.1% to 6,724 points, while
Bahrain’s index edged up 0.6% to
1,433 points.
4
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
BUSINESS
Iran’s fuel oil exports
trade skirts sanctions
Reuters
Dubai
I
ran is sidestepping Western sanctions and managing to sell hundreds of thousands of tonnes of fuel
oil every month through companies
based in the UAE, trading sources told
Reuters.
The US and EU sanctions that came
into force in 2012 prohibit the import,
purchase and transport of Iranian petroleum products to pressure Tehran to
halt its disputed nuclear programme.
Washington has also pressed its allies
around the world to clamp down on the
shipping of Iranian oil products.
But Tehran has been using innovative methods to circumvent the restrictions, several Middle East-based trading sources said.
They include tankers switching off
their tracking systems, ship-to-ship
transfers, discharging and loading at
remote ports, blending Iranian products with fuels from another source
to alter the shipment’s physical
specification and selling them with
Iraqi-origin documents, the sources
said.
The Iranian fuel oil is mainly offered
from the UAE port and bunkering hub
of Fujairah, through trading firms acting as middlemen for buyers who may
not know the cargo is from Iran, the
sources said.
The middlemen are small firms who buy the products at below-market prices, for a bigger profit margin
- rather than larger traders who would
not run the risk of falling foul of US authorities and threatening their international operations.
Requests for comment from officials
at the state-owned National Iranian Oil
Co and the UAE’s Fujairah port were
not immediately answered.
Iran is keen for any extra income as
sanctions have halved its crude exports
- its main source of revenue - to just
over 1mn bpd, dealing a major blow to
its economy.
Along with low oil prices, this has
prompted Tehran to sweeten the terms
it offers on oil development contracts
to draw the interest of foreign investors.
Iran uses fuel oil for electricity generation and to power ships, but unlike
other more refined products such as
diesel or gasoline, it has a surplus to
export.
The trading sources estimated Iranian fuel oil exports at around 200,000400,000 tonnes per month in recent
months. That compares with 600650,000 tonnes in 2011, before sanctions.
Reuters data corroborates the estimate of the sources, and also shows
sharp fluctuations in fuel oil flows,
which traders said was likely due to
A view of the petrochemical complex in Assaluyeh seaport on Iran’s Gulf coast is seen in this May 28, 2006 file photo. Tehran has been using innovative methods to
circumvent the US and EU sanctions that came into force in 2012 to prohibit the import, purchase and transport of Iranian petroleum products, several Middle
East-based trading sources said.
stockpiling by Iran late last year to
avoid winter shortages.
Fuel oil exports from the Opec member were 200,000 tonnes in October,
down from 400,000 tonnes in September and last year’s high of 540,000
tonnes in June, the data shows.
The sanctions target the financing
and shipping insurance needed to buy
and transport Iranian cargoes, making
it more difficult for would-be customers to trade with Iran.
But one trading source said Iranian
fuel oil was still flowing to the UAE:
“Iranian fuel oil has been in the market
in the UAE and everybody knows about
it.”
“People still get fuel oil and
gasoil from Iran and ship gasoline to
Iran,” the source added, estimating
monthly exports of around 80,000100,000 tonnes of Iranian high-sulphur gasoil.
US Treasury spokeswoman Hagar
Chemali said: “We do not comment
on specific cases, but investigate and
pursue sanctions evasion vigorously,
including through work with foreign
authorities.”
“We work closely with the Emirati
authorities to uphold and enforce Iran
sanctions and we convey our concerns
when we have them,” she said.
The US blacklisted some companies
in 2012 due to their business links with
Iran, including UAE-based Fal Oil and
Singapore’s Kuo-Oil, once lifters of
Iranian fuel oil.
Last August, they blacklisted two
companies and three people, including UAE-based firm Faylaca Petroleum,
saying they worked on behalf of Iran to
market crude oil and obscure the origins of Iranian gas condensate.
An analysis by Thomson Reuters Oil
Research and Forecasts indicates Iranian fuel oil exports had ceased for 2-3
months, due to increased domestic demand and stockpiling, but resumed in
January.
February fuel oil flows from the UAE
to Asia are pegged at 480,000 tonnes
as a direct result of higher Iranian inflows into the Fujairah hub, according
to the analysis. That figure is double
November’s volumes and well-above
last year’s monthly average of 358,000
tonnes.
Last month, shipping insurer West of
England warned that oil cargoes loaded
ship-to-ship at the Khor Fakkan port
may contain Iranian crude disguised as
Iraqi barrels.
But another Middle East-based
trader said it was hard to fool refineries and pass Iranian crude oil off as
Iraqi in this way without blending. “It
is easier to play with the oil products
specifications,” the trader said, adding he has been approached before by a
Gulf-based oil trading company trying
to pass a fuel oil shipment as of Iraqi
origin.
Close examination of the specification of the shipment showed it was
most likely 280-cst fuel oil exported
from Iran’s Bandar Mahshahr port, the
trader said.
An Iraqi origin certificate of quality for a cargo, obtained by Reuters,
showed the density of the 280-cst vis-
Yasref refinery in
Saudi Arabia to load
first gasoline cargoes
Reuters
London
S
audi Arabia’s Yasref refinery, a joint venture between
Saudi Aramco and China’s Sinopec, will load its first
gasoline cargoes this week, according to traders and
shipping fixtures.
On February 6, the 400,000-bpd refinery, which has
already shipped its first diesel cargoes, will load a 60,000
tonne cargo of gasoline on the Serengeti, a panamax tanker
booked by Total’s shipping arm.
The cargo will go to Fujairah, UAE, rather than Asia, as
some traders originally expected.
Total has nominated the panamax Constantinos for another 60,000 tonne gasoline cargo to load at Yanbu on February 10. This is also likely to stay in the Middle East, according to the fixture’s destination.
“I think they want to keep some of the barrels within
Saudi so will move it from Yanbu to other ports such as Ras
Tanura. It’s a long way to go and it’s easier than trucking it,”
one trader said.
At least three new middle distillates shipments have also
been fixed to Europe, according to traders and shipping fixtures. Unipec has fixed the STI Broadway to load 80,000
tonnes on February 11, ENI has chosen the Alpine Mystery
to load 40,000 tonnes on February 5 and ST Shipping has
chosen the Ocean Crown to load 80,000 tonnes of diesel on
February 8. European-based traders and refiners are monitoring exports from the Yasref refinery as the new capacity
will erode their market share.
Mediterranean refiners in particular are thought likely to
be vulnerable to a ramp-up in exports from the Middle East.
“It would eventually put pressure on the Med as we export
from Europe to the Red Sea,” a trader said.
The refinery is expected to reach full capacity in midFebruary. A source close to the company said most of the
middle distillates volumes coming out of Yasref would be
heading to Europe for now as the East-West spread is currently favourable.
cosity fuel oil to be 0.964.6 kg a litre
- a density that traders say is consistent with Iranian products, rather than
Iraqi.
The documents also stated the loading of the cargo was completed on May
19, from Iraq’s Khor al-Zubair port. But
AIS Live ship tracking data showed the
ship - called PAGAS - was at the port
of Bandar Imam Khomeini, also known
as Bandar Mahshahr, near Iran’s largest
refinery Abadan, on that same day.
On June 6 it was anchored at Fujairah, the tracking data showed.
Reuters contacted the company that
chartered the tanker, according to the
shipping documents, but it denied any
links to PAGAS.
Another indication that so-called
Iraqi origin fuel oil may be Iranian is the
cheap price being offered, said the first
trading source.
“If you deal with fuel oil and bunker
business in the UAE, most likely you
have to touch Iranian fuel oil because
otherwise the economics just don’t
work.”
Abu Dhabi
cuts oil
prices to
6-year lows
amid rout
Bloomberg
Dubai
Abu Dhabi, the emirate holding
about 6% of the world’s oil, cut
export prices for its crude for
the seventh consecutive month
and to the lowest since 2009
amid a global price slump.
Murban crude, its main grade, sold
in January for $46.40 a barrel, or
23% below December’s level, according to an e-mailed statement
from Abu Dhabi National Oil Co.
Murban hasn’t sold for less since
February 2009, data compiled by
Bloomberg show.
Oil has fallen 46% in the last
six months as swelling supply,
mainly from North American
shale deposits, has outpaced
demand. The Organisation of
Petroleum Exporting Countries
decided to maintain its output
target on November 27, fanning
speculation that Saudi Arabia
and other group members are
seeking to preserve market
share and make non-Opec producers bear some of the burden
of reducing the supply glut.
“The price cuts show Abu Dhabi
is concerned about market
share,” said Ole Hansen, head
commodities analyst at Saxo
Bank in Copenhagen. “Lower
prices would spur demand
for their crude but potentially
reduce it from others.”
Brent crude, a global benchmark, fell to an almost six-year
low last month.
State-owned Saudi Arabian Oil
Co, poised to announce its official pricing for March today at
the latest, will probably widen
discounts for buyers in Asia for
its main crude grades, according to a Bloomberg survey of 13
refiners and traders. Arab Light
crude may be set at the widest
discount in at least 14 years,
according to the survey.
Qatar cut its January price for
Marine crude by 26% from
December to $43.25 a barrel
and reduced Land crude 24%
to $45.95 a barrel, state-run
Qatar News Agency reported
yesterday.
Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Abu
Dhabi, the capital of the UAE,
sell most of their crude under
long-term contracts to refiners.
The majority of Abu Dhabi’s oil
is purchased by refiners in Asia.
Abu Dhabi has capacity to
produce 1.6mn barrels a day
of Murban crude out of a daily
combined output 3mn barrels
for all grades. Adnoc cut the
price for its Das crude blend,
pumped from offshore fields
in the Arabian Gulf, to $45.90 a
barrel for January from $59.80
in December.
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
5
BUSINESS
SAUDI ARABIA
Company Name
QATAR
Company Name
Zad Holding Co
Widam Food Co
Vodafone Qatar
United Development Co
Salam International Investme
Qatar & Oman Investment Co
Qatar Navigation
Qatar National Cement Co
Qatar National Bank
Qatar Islamic Insurance
Qatar Industrial Manufactur
Qatar International Islamic
Qatari Investors Group
Qatar Islamic Bank
Qatar Gas Transport(Nakilat)
Qatar General Insurance & Re
Qatar German Co For Medical
Qatar Fuel Co
Qatar Electricity & Water Co
Qatar Cinema & Film Distrib
Qatar Insurance Co
Ooredoo Qsc
National Leasing
Mazaya Qatar Real Estate Dev
Mesaieed Petrochemical Holdi
Al Meera Consumer Goods Co
Medicare Group
Mannai Corporation Qsc
Masraf Al Rayan
Al Khalij Commercial Bank
Industries Qatar
Islamic Holding Group
Gulf Warehousing Company
Gulf International Services
Ezdan Holding Group
Doha Insurance Co
Doha Bank Qsc
Dlala Holding
Commercial Bank Of Qatar Qsc
Barwa Real Estate Co
Al Khaleej Takaful Group
Aamal Co
Lt Price
85.30
61.00
17.08
25.25
16.40
15.92
102.40
141.00
193.10
84.00
46.65
84.10
40.95
108.00
24.31
59.00
9.98
217.00
196.50
47.00
88.80
113.60
20.45
21.02
30.45
211.10
128.60
107.50
49.30
21.65
153.10
124.90
59.50
110.50
16.22
27.00
58.30
44.60
69.30
47.90
53.10
15.95
% Chg
-2.18
0.83
7.29
1.08
1.42
2.05
-0.49
0.71
-0.72
0.36
0.32
0.60
3.15
-0.92
0.91
2.08
3.42
0.00
0.67
7.55
1.25
0.18
0.15
1.55
7.98
2.23
0.08
1.61
0.61
0.23
-0.97
5.40
6.25
0.36
9.97
0.37
0.17
3.24
0.00
1.16
0.00
10.00
Volume
7,175
90,656
5,745,639
464,347
604,394
1,591,965
145,999
25,810
122,519
58,746
13,971
348,671
479,657
100,037
114,905
501
111,272
73,015
80,591
1,996
178,098
93,531
659,810
2,289,420
1,783,136
59,774
86,419
28,657
544,987
18,195
202,704
516,943
298,344
602,210
7,550,062
8,000
269,970
628,449
115,102
2,283,638
181,954
110,457
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 Travel Group
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 Province Cement Co
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
Mouwasat Medical Services Co
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
45.70
16.85
13.50
64.42
27.30
23.21
24.15
20.05
38.54
15.68
77.25
10.47
39.05
48.88
23.28
56.46
111.33
22.71
52.57
68.14
33.48
44.43
81.44
24.30
17.57
142.10
15.79
32.54
115.88
21.17
49.63
45.02
78.26
33.61
92.87
39.43
36.17
52.96
28.96
38.69
37.85
69.75
28.76
34.64
78.06
168.80
42.40
197.89
13.59
23.00
61.25
7.89
38.50
14.80
30.21
101.00
32.00
55.69
42.03
28.60
31.15
16.65
20.30
90.50
25.04
115.24
46.32
200.75
57.28
15.99
12.59
20.31
18.96
37.29
34.44
83.89
54.44
24.73
12.55
126.81
39.09
31.10
13.53
29.10
32.93
27.66
37.15
37.96
25.34
20.22
13.88
93.82
42.06
19.48
17.77
59.15
14.45
% Chg
-1.32
-1.17
0.00
2.29
0.15
-0.60
0.84
2.04
1.18
-0.19
-9.91
0.29
0.05
-1.67
0.65
-3.17
2.48
-0.53
0.42
1.35
-1.70
0.09
-2.33
0.00
-1.35
-0.97
-0.13
0.25
0.16
-0.56
-0.76
-0.88
-2.33
-1.15
0.55
0.13
0.25
-2.13
-1.16
-0.46
-0.13
0.00
0.56
-1.03
0.52
0.45
1.65
1.58
-1.24
-1.79
-0.31
1.94
-1.58
-1.92
-0.10
-1.20
0.00
-0.25
-0.80
0.00
-2.07
-0.60
1.81
-2.67
-3.25
-1.18
-0.98
-1.69
-0.45
-1.66
-0.71
-2.26
-0.63
-1.64
2.59
-0.24
-0.24
-0.76
0.00
-0.87
-2.62
0.29
0.45
-2.32
-0.03
-1.64
1.17
-0.03
-1.90
-1.56
-1.63
-0.19
-2.07
-1.62
-1.06
-1.66
-0.55
Volume
55,128
5,282,421
792,591
1,873,769
913,508
1,012,068
1,844,115
362,197
1,185,841
472,917
96,535,245
834,691
386,703
852,890
689,848
775,297
31,050,510
373,163
339,737
1,879,495
353,823
351,209
512,541
243,815
972,482
1,330,310
165,036
1,321,417
1,078,159
213,955
479,255
282,436
2,928,224
1,964,727
4,394,877
994,645
890,356
1,000,960
293,399
5,898,356
264,562
94,104
107,036
241,440
61,190
2,486,778
1,580,682
95,044
4,797,715
5,453,223
2,229,475
1,563,995
93,722
670
1,011,811
1,114,295
12
709,064
1,154,240
1,853,550
23,328
911,516
28,552
177,800
113,533
585,106
3,954,359
17,126,206
3,965,755
591,417
5,251,432
10,458,320
52,588
3,007,129
3,247,275
72,654
2,088,230
571,646
7,064,765
737,244
61,146
2,169,512
3,112,048
750,276
539,833
5,990,554
1,012,352
49,385
266,614
582,032
998,723
4,234,502
2,451,353
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
54.75
35.84
96.16
99.20
28.02
121.12
153.62
31.45
22.34
44.31
31.13
46.06
15.23
26.46
68.24
29.10
10.20
79.91
10.36
63.98
116.00
16.05
30.31
75.65
33.86
44.18
27.81
17.00
53.64
% Chg
-1.58
-1.32
-0.19
-0.35
-1.09
0.07
-0.29
-0.76
-0.98
-0.76
-0.57
-0.50
0.00
-0.49
0.29
0.00
-0.97
-3.16
-1.43
3.54
-0.43
-0.50
-0.62
-1.98
-0.44
3.03
-0.18
-2.47
6.47
Volume
121,274
596,727
4,288,394
123,472
444,510
38,560
68,200
1,293,648
1,637,692
479,139
250,903
888,448
836,783
733,678
25
2,608,937
519,279
865,289
1,006,460
517,087
1,759,357
1,021,810
128,256
178,282
1,283,296
592,224
1,931,283
2,557,269
KUWAIT
Company Name
Securities Group Co
Viva Kuwait Telecom 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
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
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
Dar Al Thuraya Real Estate C
Lt Price
118.00
790.00
94.00
315.00
114.00
210.00
560.00
69.00
198.00
34.00
85.00
590.00
400.00
650.00
900.00
600.00
270.00
305.00
76.00
46.50
75.00
0.00
99.00
35.00
1.54
134.00
23.00
93.00
1,020.00
470.00
67.00
170.00
13.00
0.00
39.50
152.00
65.00
760.00
0.00
34.00
61.00
110.00
89.00
0.00
134.00
24.50
112.00
206.00
248.00
0.00
34.00
0.00
92.00
495.00
55.00
138.00
0.00
74.00
450.00
144.00
184.00
172.00
93.00
154.00
128.00
152.00
76.00
174.00
260.00
0.00
32.50
0.00
0.00
71.00
310.00
100.00
790.00
40.50
80.00
130.00
39.00
198.00
110.00
110.00
180.00
77.00
158.00
0.00
540.00
24.00
450.00
108.00
390.00
91.00
1,380.00
150.00
0.00
51.00
144.00
460.00
680.00
31.00
290.00
75.00
40.50
0.00
35.50
67.00
200.00
62.00
61.00
90.00
72.00
30.50
62.00
49.00
236.00
49.50
37.50
65.00
36.00
0.00
134.00
33.00
0.00
% Chg
7.27
5.33
2.17
0.00
0.00
1.94
0.00
0.00
-2.94
7.94
-2.30
0.00
0.00
0.00
1.12
-1.64
0.00
0.00
-1.30
2.20
-1.32
0.00
-1.00
1.45
0.00
1.52
2.22
0.00
3.03
2.17
1.52
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
6.25
-1.61
-1.79
1.14
0.00
0.00
-2.00
-1.75
0.00
0.00
0.00
-2.86
0.00
0.00
0.00
-1.79
1.47
0.00
1.37
0.00
2.86
0.00
0.00
0.00
6.94
-1.54
-2.56
-1.30
-5.43
1.96
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
2.90
0.00
0.00
1.28
0.00
1.27
0.00
0.00
0.00
5.77
-5.17
0.00
1.32
1.28
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
-1.82
4.00
1.11
1.47
0.00
0.00
0.00
1.41
0.00
1.49
-1.59
0.00
2.74
0.00
0.00
-1.39
1.52
0.00
1.64
3.39
5.88
7.46
-7.58
0.00
-1.01
0.00
1.02
-1.32
8.33
0.00
0.00
0.00
1.54
0.00
Volume
2,960
8,649,563
54,838
137,000
100,000
1,000
500
449,600
1,038
8,201
963,889
118,412
183,375
54,795
1,645,062
948,420
1,918,502
1,293,867
91,500
1,238,551
962,451
1,558,750
5,114,600
950,136
2,646,645
4,700,200
1,238,867
10,000
19,850
500
1,082,064
5
10
50,100
3,500
2,678,880
2,000
5,372,736
6,990
10
58,715,567
723,000
2,449
10,000
5,492,701
2,109
10
96,500
3,629,193
2,296,083
6,739
134,790
50,000
1,000
122,539
425,539
30,000
148,415
362,187
6,448
250,000
5,282,596
6,967,763
50
24,980
272,386
24,301
121,550
7,580
110,860
2,172,992
30,050
3,203
20,100
1,780,280
49,972
4,999,879
3,642,650
26,233
10,500
40,000
573,563
2,950
71
161,217
264,550
583,461
925,273
1,086,898
118,799
868,409
1,986,990
6,003,810
10,009,909
10,000
2,782,484
5,207,312
200
1,206,490
43,116
1,500
10,078,827
46,072
11,551
6,630,809
10
436,100
23,440
15,813,279
-
Company Name
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
Gulf North Africa Holding Co
OMAN
Lt Price
25.00
106.00
910.00
100.00
10.00
76.00
62.00
475.00
234.00
53.00
0.00
198.00
910.00
46.50
840.00
32.00
300.00
99.00
610.00
80.00
124.00
200.00
64.00
455.00
425.00
87.00
55.00
75.00
1,420.00
0.00
150.00
0.00
68.00
192.00
83.00
138.00
51.00
69.00
57.00
440.00
480.00
93.00
122.00
67.00
36.50
92.00
136.00
340.00
144.00
23.00
1,020.00
84.00
400.00
72.00
370.00
660.00
118.00
770.00
39.00
% Chg
-3.85
3.92
1.11
0.00
-4.76
-6.17
0.00
4.40
0.86
-8.62
0.00
2.06
0.00
1.09
0.00
-1.54
-4.76
0.00
0.00
0.00
-1.59
0.00
3.23
0.00
0.00
0.00
5.77
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
3.03
0.00
-1.19
7.81
-1.92
-1.43
0.00
0.00
1.05
-1.06
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
1.49
-2.86
4.35
-2.13
-1.92
-1.18
0.00
0.00
-1.33
-1.49
0.00
0.00
1.30
Volume
5,660,972
1,081,550
9,000
126,695
725,800
5,120,755
1,872,445
5,219,743
251,000
6,100
416,237
1,500
177,925
45,000
218,904
42,314
37,990
2,000
2,561,243
10,969
500
3,190,218
110
6,099
31,300
464,309
363,307
20,227
50
2,710,767
3,992
570,655
500
6,828,241
2,158,123
923,442
230
1,326,531
1,279,303
85,000
1,195,800
157,250
373,290
5,601
459
3,755,044
6,821,000
13,500
1,602,972
29,619
1,311,040
6,000
75,994
13,500
1,020,811
1,170,267
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
0.41
0.15
1.82
1.00
0.00
0.15
0.65
0.78
0.21
2.00
1.05
0.66
1.04
0.20
0.37
1.38
1.49
2.45
0.49
1.86
0.32
0.48
0.34
0.27
1.77
1.35
0.15
2.45
0.26
2.22
0.25
0.42
0.30
0.00
0.45
0.00
0.45
0.52
0.26
0.00
0.23
0.00
5.51
0.58
0.00
0.07
0.14
0.15
0.00
1.00
0.51
0.56
3.64
2.02
1.45
0.00
0.17
0.52
0.00
0.10
0.00
0.06
2.05
0.59
0.15
0.70
0.00
0.38
3.75
0.00
0.34
0.16
0.00
0.00
1.86
0.00
2.18
0.83
0.24
0.15
0.31
0.00
1.25
0.13
0.08
0.43
0.16
0.18
0.21
10.50
0.12
0.18
0.43
0.17
0.00
% Chg
0.98
-1.96
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
3.59
-1.60
0.00
0.00
0.00
2.51
0.00
-1.23
0.00
3.68
0.00
0.28
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
6.60
0.00
0.00
3.70
0.00
0.00
0.00
4.47
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
-4.05
0.00
8.82
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
1.08
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.93
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
4.80
0.00
0.00
6.00
7.74
1.49
0.00
-1.71
1.69
0.00
0.61
0.00
Volume
27,358
1,114,077
136
4,571
2,745,311
8,480
257,220
76,614
16,000
2,438,047
274,220
3,500
1,831,612
30,000
2,745,673
1,000
262,800
7,096,121
104,250
18,308
161
766,755
37,100
1,169,523
78,000
11,424,421
759,880
1,308,494
748,816
14,000
-
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
0.23
1.47
0.00
0.00
1.28
0.18
0.20
0.26
0.25
0.04
0.00
0.00
0.24
0.64
0.37
1.13
0.50
5.51
0.35
0.00
0.82
0.33
0.00
0.39
0.36
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
-0.49
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
1.72
1.91
1.67
0.00
0.00
0.00
2.91
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
4.00
0.00
0.00
0.44
0.00
0.00
Volume
734
1,889,381
105,052
956,389
1,644,560
408,572
563,227
17,000
10
191,423
1,083,177
-
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
#N/A Invalid Security
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 Pjsc
Arkan Building Materials Co
Aldar Properties Pjsc
Al Ain Ahlia Ins. Co.
Al Khazna Insurance Co
Agthia Group Pjsc
Al Fujairah National Insuran
Abu Dhabi Ship Building Co
Abu Dhabi National Insurance
Abu Dhabi National Hotels
Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank
Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank
Abu Dhabi Aviation
Lt Price
0.82
3.17
1.19
5.75
2.00
1.30
7.00
7.24
0.80
0.00
0.00
3.85
1.10
1.27
1.50
0.78
3.80
2.95
0.98
8.15
143.50
1.23
1.17
6.90
6.30
1.80
3.50
4.85
13.70
0.74
0.00
3.00
3.00
1.00
2.00
2.70
0.72
1.10
4.00
3.45
18.55
1.35
1.45
11.10
0.79
7.00
5.00
7.70
0.49
1.75
1.90
0.78
5.35
7.48
1.07
2.56
60.00
0.36
6.01
300.00
1.90
6.08
3.75
5.22
7.10
3.00
% Chg
0.00
0.63
0.00
-0.17
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
-2.44
0.00
0.00
0.00
-8.33
0.00
0.00
-2.50
0.00
0.00
0.00
1.24
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
-2.17
0.00
0.00
0.74
-5.13
0.00
0.67
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
4.80
0.00
0.00
0.00
-3.66
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
2.15
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
-2.29
0.00
0.00
-0.17
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
-1.51
-0.98
0.00
Volume
10,684,006
797,150
1,687
2,998
100,000
22,287,782
509,000
247,470
24,706
726,792
1,087,232
1,041,558
24,653
7,198,469
1,704,129
47,936,306
2,500
42,000
97,683
38,233,570
80,518
1,345,995
3,498,968
-
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
#N/A Invalid Security
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 Kpsc
Gulf Finance House Ec
Bahrain Family Leisure Co
Esterad Investment Co B.S.C.
Bahrain Duty Free Complex
Bahrain Car Park Co
Bahrain Cinema Co
Bahrain Tourism Co
Bahraini Saudi Bank/The
Bahrain National Holding
Bankmuscat Saog
Bmmi Bsc
Bmb Investment Bank
Bahrain Kuwait Insurance
Bahrain Islamic Bank
Gulf Hotel Group B.S.C
Bahrain Flour Mills Co
Bahrain Commercial Facilitie
Bbk Bsc
Bahrain Telecom Co
Bahrain Ship Repair & Engin
Albaraka Banking Group
Banader Hotels Co
Ahli United Bank B.S.C
Lt Price
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.22
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.19
0.00
0.14
0.00
0.00
0.85
0.18
0.05
0.17
451.60
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.12
0.20
0.88
`
1.54
0.25
0.00
0.48
0.00
0.88
0.00
0.00
0.15
0.85
0.40
0.00
0.00
0.33
0.00
0.81
0.00
0.81
% 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
0.59
0.00
2.17
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
-6.48
0.00
0.00
0.00
2.50
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
0.63
Volume
25,097
54,950
430,000
7,000
45,910
131,261
185,000
100
14,860
6,000
102,460
20,000
5,200
82,534
12,033
1,882
6,352
68,121
18,295
1,415,000
LATEST MARKET CLOSING FIGURES
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
6
BUSINESS
DJIA
WORLD INDICES
Company Name
Exxon Mobil Corp
Microsoft Corp
Johnson & Johnson
Wal-Mart Stores Inc
General Electric Co
Procter & Gamble Co/The
Jpmorgan Chase & Co
Chevron Corp
Pfizer Inc
Verizon Communications Inc
Coca-Cola Co/The
At&T Inc
Merck & Co. Inc.
Intel Corp
Walt Disney Co/The
Visa Inc-Class A Shares
Intl Business Machines Corp
Home Depot Inc
Cisco Systems Inc
United Technologies Corp
3M Co
Boeing Co/The
Unitedhealth Group Inc
Mcdonald’s Corp
American Express Co
Goldman Sachs Group Inc
Nike Inc -Cl B
Du Pont (E.I.) De Nemours
Caterpillar Inc
Travelers Cos Inc/The
Lt Price
91.73
41.65
101.90
86.59
24.31
86.45
56.51
108.39
32.22
48.19
42.02
34.55
58.98
33.55
101.31
265.81
158.04
108.00
26.95
118.55
165.35
147.78
108.25
94.34
84.41
180.25
92.75
73.79
82.63
106.79
% Chg
-0.56
0.13
-0.55
0.46
-0.67
0.58
-0.37
-1.04
0.62
0.74
0.92
0.61
-3.34
-0.45
7.66
2.32
-0.27
0.71
-0.65
-0.29
-0.36
0.30
0.41
0.45
0.81
0.01
-0.64
0.63
-1.54
0.71
6,706,365
13,829,320
3,004,542
3,060,327
11,005,587
3,234,042
4,706,520
4,250,737
14,961,657
7,746,303
5,454,460
11,729,177
8,301,586
10,326,159
18,925,790
1,574,951
1,348,422
2,354,058
8,625,414
1,097,811
801,281
1,963,143
1,515,381
2,385,915
2,625,147
1,181,898
935,291
1,534,807
3,392,633
662,142
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 Ag-New
Tui Ag-Di
Travis Perkins Plc
Tesco Plc
Taylor Wimpey Plc
Standard Life Plc
Standard Chartered Plc
St James’s Place Plc
Sse Plc
Sports Direct International
Smiths Group Plc
Smith & Nephew Plc
Sky 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
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
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 Land Co Plc
British American Tobacco Plc
Bp Plc
Bhp Billiton Plc
Bg Group Plc
Barratt Developments 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
Lt Price
1,477.00
3,888.00
181.50
4,969.00
1,810.00
236.50
1,002.00
2,884.00
395.90
1,126.00
1,155.00
1,949.00
229.55
137.00
403.60
919.20
890.00
1,620.00
716.50
1,171.00
1,168.00
955.50
4,901.00
2,115.00
2,943.00
266.70
484.40
3,528.50
449.20
442.70
2,245.50
2,157.00
380.80
899.50
3,053.50
1,179.00
5,620.00
5,525.00
1,627.50
1,609.00
1,370.00
212.90
7,115.00
923.20
1,205.00
547.00
480.40
2,382.00
74.55
270.50
1,295.00
329.70
3,242.00
230.60
372.00
542.00
2,398.00
2,618.00
3,080.00
615.60
966.00
700.00
267.00
1,476.00
375.10
281.20
397.60
888.00
1,185.00
1,778.00
431.00
318.30
1,925.00
1,779.00
1,146.00
1,100.00
293.40
2,921.00
1,125.00
1,796.00
1,905.00
423.00
843.00
3,735.50
445.35
1,527.00
932.00
470.00
248.75
527.50
1,034.00
528.00
4,688.00
3,042.00
1,079.00
1,069.00
697.50
1,150.00
1,596.00
1,473.00
426.20
475.00
% Chg
0.00
1.94
-2.42
0.20
-1.09
-0.17
0.75
-0.48
-5.15
-0.53
-0.52
-1.17
-1.08
1.33
-0.91
0.46
-0.56
-0.55
0.07
-0.34
-0.60
1.33
0.02
0.09
-0.54
-2.16
0.83
-1.27
-0.84
-1.05
-1.01
-1.06
1.38
0.62
-0.73
1.29
0.36
-0.18
-0.25
1.19
0.96
-0.37
0.28
-0.73
-0.41
0.37
0.69
-0.04
-0.56
-0.29
0.78
-0.69
0.09
3.64
0.00
1.40
-1.28
1.12
-0.16
-0.31
-7.56
-0.71
-0.87
1.58
-0.13
-0.28
-1.05
0.91
0.00
2.72
0.47
0.47
-0.05
1.89
0.09
-0.09
-0.78
-0.44
0.45
1.41
0.42
0.43
0.36
-0.47
-1.00
-2.02
-1.38
1.78
0.12
1.34
0.00
-0.94
1.00
-1.20
1.41
3.09
-1.20
-1.71
-1.85
0.34
0.28
-0.34
Volume
3,182,529
884,646
15,918,171
726,406
1,239,111
76,455,544
2,260,785
4,224,144
10,073,236
2,879,967
1,331,609
742,838
26,952,077
14,784,188
4,325,129
9,972,757
1,433,609
2,813,313
1,268,454
1,538,692
2,532,979
13,257,904
1,556,473
721,099
338,436
10,172,431
3,203,968
3,554,533
4,059,902
1,805,589
5,262,279
10,245,718
12,194,211
6,536,408
5,494,991
3,900,521
1,746,781
653,454
4,748,567
1,540,915
3,158,335
11,050,214
414,926
11,252,854
1,156,555
1,341,454
5,233,978
542,741
105,560,327
12,511,453
2,430,429
8,547,190
842,069
17,384,130
2,293,705
11,359,196
822,787
1,012,586
2,256,656
19,899,507
3,385,573
3,287,695
54,852,386
16,923,189
4,386,633
3,413,872
10,592,034
1,281,887
2,120,545
2,159,638
3,613,799
3,830,694
5,667,790
4,261,266
5,243,892
718,727
15,556,011
996,122
1,117,227
1,685,211
481,222
13,734,088
2,785,998
3,379,699
40,920,223
13,584,407
11,279,024
3,095,560
45,664,491
6,564,225
1,457,536
9,722,210
3,264,786
821,037
2,056,818
4,309,600
4,370,175
7,234,564
931,462
764,412
5,042,339
1,256,920
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
1,417.00
2,192.50
1,502.50
1,585.00
3,350.00
4,427.50
1,011.50
1,166.50
514.00
7,879.00
643.30
4,939.00
5,894.00
1,828.00
5,995.00
1,781.50
3,969.00
1,860.00
457.40
% Chg
2.57
2.96
0.91
1.57
4.83
2.04
1.51
0.82
3.01
2.70
6.12
-2.16
2.04
-0.92
1.35
1.25
2.53
3.30
1.15
Indices
Volume
Volume
10,969,100
1,498,600
3,125,600
5,724,200
8,384,000
3,532,600
11,051,000
6,606,000
15,912,000
1,107,800
13,249,800
3,631,200
3,359,600
9,567,600
2,234,800
4,645,200
2,810,200
3,138,500
20,258,400
Lt Price
Change
Dow Jones Indus. Avg
S&P 500 Index
Nasdaq Composite Index
S&P/Tsx Composite Index
Mexico Bolsa Index
Brazil Bovespa Stock Idx
Ftse 100 Index
Cac 40 Index
Dax Index
Ibex 35 Tr
17,721.50
2,051.53
4,731.73
15,036.35
41,970.86
49,426.97
6,860.02
4,696.30
10,911.32
10,577.80
+55.10
+1.50
+3.99
-26.53
+398.62
+463.31
-11.78
+18.40
+20.37
-20.40
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
17,678.74
1,417.00
24,679.76
5,733.71
1,161.12
28,883.11
8,723.70
3,417.57
24,924.33
5,315.28
+342.89
+24.61
+124.98
+67.50
-0.49
-117.03
-32.85
+9.55
-106.79
+23.57
Royal Dutch Shell’s A share lost 1.06% to 2,157 pence yesterday as a drop in oil prices weighed on energy stocks.
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
4,551.50
634.00
287.60
0.00
207.00
2,591.50
1,765.00
1,472.50
31,770.00
2,430.50
1,764.00
8,171.00
866.60
475.80
1,340.00
8,010.00
323.00
720.20
1,330.50
234.00
2,769.00
7,790.00
57,150.00
5,465.00
20,295.00
7,460.00
5,318.00
12,930.00
7,451.00
632.40
1,029.00
7,728.00
3,689.00
3,717.00
1,528.00
4,544.00
3,708.50
1,113.50
1,071.00
11,340.00
1,239.50
684.30
1,581.50
8,341.00
1,237.50
2,216.00
1,277.50
654.10
594.80
419.40
4,018.50
646.50
193.40
1,402.50
844.50
630.40
3,319.00
2,956.50
1,668.00
4,189.50
1,401.00
3,030.00
2,364.00
3,836.50
9,408.00
6,473.00
20,140.00
318.50
7,022.00
7,820.00
1,970.00
476.00
1,462.00
1,059.00
1,486.00
1,077.00
724.50
7,007.00
441.00
43,850.00
7,032.00
% Chg
1.58
2.26
2.90
0.00
3.50
4.54
3.61
-3.06
1.81
2.57
3.46
0.55
0.20
1.86
0.60
1.96
0.62
3.95
-1.99
-4.49
2.65
2.10
-0.49
4.08
3.02
-2.36
3.24
2.70
1.89
-2.57
1.88
2.36
2.66
2.67
0.53
1.43
1.06
-0.76
1.61
1.02
3.33
3.29
1.64
3.68
4.39
4.82
2.69
5.16
2.75
3.22
2.71
0.67
1.26
6.86
1.38
1.19
2.34
3.76
6.82
5.00
6.06
2.19
1.46
2.79
3.04
2.93
2.08
0.95
1.28
-0.01
-0.10
0.21
1.53
1.10
1.16
0.56
1.53
2.29
0.00
3.95
1.08
Volume
3,925,200
6,154,000
49,582,000
27,247,000
4,101,400
3,639,000
9,278,000
216,300
7,496,600
4,459,000
1,356,200
21,301,000
21,558,000
12,135,000
1,170,900
27,128,000
29,727,000
15,298,900
36,753,000
11,792,100
1,123,600
191,600
3,783,000
1,143,100
978,300
1,586,000
1,167,500
1,714,800
41,298,000
11,811,300
9,562,600
6,546,200
1,769,700
3,348,700
2,120,100
4,770,300
9,735,500
1,803,000
619,600
13,192,300
19,603,300
21,649,700
875,100
11,206,000
11,902,700
5,224,300
118,064,400
16,742,800
39,305,000
12,300,400
5,570,000
193,831,600
18,614,500
11,109,000
27,756,800
2,348,200
2,230,600
9,820,400
3,993,200
6,046,200
4,949,000
6,310,000
3,066,000
1,247,400
914,000
477,200
18,734,000
2,734,000
2,571,200
7,105,800
12,694,400
2,975,500
3,574,900
1,868,500
2,002,900
10,065,000
973,900
5,718,300
636,800
6,378,300
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
365.20
619.20
3,096.90
2,852.25
389.20
90.10
591.40
2,514.30
958.95
293.05
216.60
928.80
177.10
146.25
368.55
142.80
140.00
3,557.55
1,210.95
1,579.65
1,688.40
1,291.50
153.80
367.60
2,142.85
863.30
170.50
344.65
1,232.45
899.90
152.40
2,829.50
1,067.70
1,900.35
3,897.15
431.70
3,096.90
173.35
366.05
678.00
253.85
368.95
721.00
285.00
184.90
2,245.30
558.60
803.85
248.75
1,495.85
% Chg
-2.12
-0.38
-0.34
-2.29
2.13
3.15
-1.97
-1.72
1.88
-2.41
2.80
-0.94
0.14
-0.65
2.53
-0.83
-1.03
-1.39
0.98
2.15
-1.98
-1.13
1.12
0.42
1.03
0.23
-1.59
-0.56
0.19
-1.20
4.06
0.61
0.34
0.01
0.24
-0.55
0.32
1.91
2.64
0.09
3.46
-0.70
-0.88
-4.07
-0.08
-0.68
-4.77
-1.33
1.51
-0.85
Volume
1,991,204
1,765,818
225,293
485,344
5,079,418
9,760,800
3,638,434
1,170,928
2,960,413
24,465,214
8,782,633
3,616,299
7,904,600
1,071,959
9,066,512
3,890,311
2,409,732
226,606
967,081
501,597
1,378,188
1,237,212
10,337,641
4,058,447
1,344,540
1,019,444
5,671,299
15,468,096
3,335,787
1,278,408
9,327,377
972,394
1,663,362
1,279,702
106,937
1,778,734
235,512
14,418,672
17,529,310
1,508,130
7,733,745
5,240,640
2,008,745
3,826,998
5,598,805
418,327
11,945,424
1,147,888
2,380,753
353,988
Europe stocks wobble on
Greek talks and oil prices
AFP
London
E
urope’s main stock markets wobbled yesterday as traders tracked
Greece’s efforts to renegotiate
its vast international bailout deal and
crude oil prices.
After spending most of the day in the
red, Frankfurt’s DAX 30 index advanced
to a 0.19% gain to a record high close of
10,911.32 points, and in Paris the CAC
40 rose 0.39% to 4,696.30 points.
However London’s FTSE 100 slid
0.17% to 6,860.02 points as a drop in oil
prices weighed on energy stocks.
Madrid slid 0.19% and Milan 0.33%
on profit-taking.
“Oil prices continue to dominate equity markets as Tuesday’s oil-inspired
rally gets flipped on its head the next day
with an oil-motivated fall,” said analyst
Jasper Lawler at CMC Markets UK.
After rising Tuesday on signs of falling production, oil prices fell back after
US crude inventories hit a new record
high since 1930 at 413.1mn barrels at the
end of last week.
US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for delivery in March tumbled $2.92 to $50.13 a barrel compared
with Tuesday’s close.
Brent North Sea crude for March
shed $2.05 a barrel to trade at $55.87 in
London afternoon trade.
Investors also tracked efforts by
Greece’s new government to drum up
support for a renegotiation of the country’s €240bn ($270bn) international
rescue.
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras
met European Commission president
Jean-Claude Juncker and French President Francois Hollande.
A Greek government source said
Tsipras and Juncker had discussed plans
to “jointly” create a four-year reform
plan for Greece.
Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis
held talks with European Central Bank
president Mario Draghi in Frankfurt,
but it was unclear whether the ECB
will continue its exceptional support
for Greek banks or agree to any of the
measures sought by Athens to ease its
budgetary strain.
Varoufakis said he had held a “very
fruitful discussion and exchange” with
Draghi, “which gives me a great deal of
encouragement for the future”.
In the run-up to the meetings, a report in the Financial Times had suggested that Draghi would take a tough line
with Varoufakis and could even block a
key element in Athens’ plans to renegotiate its bailout.
“The euro came under renewed pressure to retest 1.14 against the dollar as
investors remained cautious regarding
the ongoing discussions of Greek prime
minister with the other European leaders and the ECB,” said analyst Myrto
Sokou at Sucden Research.
The euro declined to $1.1423 at 1700
GMT from $1.1479 late in New York on
Tuesday.
Back in Athens, the new Greek government held its first bond auction
since taking office, raising 812.5mn
euros in six-month treasury bills on a
higher rate than last month.
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
The rate was 2.75%, compared with
2.30% secured on comparable bonds issued on January 7.
The sale, which was watched closely
as an indication of investor confidence
in the new government, attracted less
interest than previously.
But Greek stocks still managed a
0.89% gain yesterday after having
soared over 11% on Tuesday.
On the corporate front, European
pay-TV broadcasting giant Sky saw its
share price climb 1.33% to 955.50 pence
after posting soaring half-year profits.
The biggest loser was brokerage Hargreaves Lansdown, which slid 7.56% to
966 pence on falling interim earnings.
Energy stocks were also punished.
Tullow Oil fell 5.15% to 395.9 pence,
Royal Dutch Shell’s A share lost 1.06%
to 2,157 pence and BP shed 1.0% to
445.35 pence.
In Paris, shares in LVMH shot up
8.13% to €156.25 after the luxury group
saw sales rise 6% last year to €30.6bn.
Investors looked past the fact that if
exceptional items were excluded, the
company that makes Louis Vuitton
handbags and Moet & Chandon champagne saw net and operational profit
fall.
US stocks were trying to push firmly
upwards in midday trading yesterday.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.32% to 17,722.56 points,
helped by positive earnings by General
Motors and Disney.
But the broader S&P 500 slipped
0.01% to 2,049.82, while the tech-rich
Nasdaq Composite Index edged up
0.05% to 4,730.09.
Lt Price
3.52
32.35
4.33
6.56
8.82
27.30
17.38
147.40
4.29
6.27
30.75
28.10
105.60
23.45
6.28
16.66
19.72
21.35
21.40
12.46
13.24
68.25
11.10
11.10
8.65
3.50
22.60
143.50
54.95
% Chg
1.73
1.41
0.23
0.92
1.85
0.37
0.35
-0.94
2.39
0.48
-1.60
0.36
2.52
0.86
1.62
0.24
0.61
-0.23
0.94
4.36
0.15
0.00
4.32
0.54
-1.03
-0.28
0.44
5.21
-0.99
Volume
23,014,454
1,482,637
202,400,935
37,998,982
13,984,363
22,102,563
2,640,186
4,063,865
26,220,862
221,898,815
36,281,750
1,833,799
23,477,055
18,474,732
168,231,793
4,520,596
16,817,855
5,188,520
15,912,442
60,533,463
5,805,987
3,735,861
191,271,966
8,604,040
3,039,934
3,371,651
4,966,724
9,181,372
3,005,519
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
17.62
178.30
72.40
103.00
5.57
7.50
34.20
9.35
8.76
83.00
82.00
12.68
124.60
104.30
133.90
61.70
% Chg
-0.23
-0.22
1.26
-1.06
-0.18
0.67
0.00
-0.11
1.86
-0.48
0.00
-0.47
-0.32
0.48
-0.89
0.73
Volume
12,949,655
2,507,849
12,576,825
4,406,262
237,529,634
14,767,604
3,720,806
29,221,037
130,585,333
18,682,194
2,102,909
5,104,445
5,244,941
1,250,439
9,499,394
3,492,764
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
12,415.93
9,169.20
6,708.40
1,433.10
6,724.10
4,648.95
3,849.44
Change
+136.56
-58.16
+13.10
+8.31
+75.26
+57.22
-44.21
“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
10
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
BUSINESS
Alibaba deploys drones to deliver tea in China
AFP
Beijing
Echoing US online retailer Amazon,
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba
yesterday tested its first drone delivery
service, promising to whisk ginger tea
to customers within an hour despite
tight controls on airspace.
Alibaba’s flagship consumer-toconsumer marketplace Taobao,
estimated to hold more than 90%
of the Chinese market for such
transactions, showed off a photo of a
black and silver drone with helicopterlike propellers carrying a white box to
launch the service.
But the option is confined to just
three days and a few areas of three
Chinese mega-cities – the capital
Beijing, commercial hub Shanghai and
Guangzhou in the south – and applies
only to one brand of tea from one
particular vendor, with a limit of 450
deliveries in total.
“For consumers... such a cool
consumption experience will give
them more surprises,” Taobao said in a
statement on its microblog.
Airspace in China is strictly controlled,
with the majority used by the military.
The government allows limited use of
civil drones for activities ranging from
rescue to observation, and operators
are required to apply for permission
beforehand. Alibaba said in a statement
the logistical arrangements were
being handled by courier company
YTO Express, which had received the
necessary regulatory approvals for the
trial service.
In 2013, a Shanghai bakery was forced
to scrap plans to deliver cakes by drone
after a test flight sparked concerns
over public safety and attracted the
scrutiny of police, state media have
reported. Regulatory issues have
hampered plans by Amazon to offer
drone deliveries in the US.
Company founder Jeff Bezos said last
year he hopes to move forward, but
added the services could be delayed
by red tape as US authorities were still
considering proposals for commercial
drone use.
Amazon has announced plans to
develop a drone-based delivery system
which would dispatch small packages
in under 30 minutes.
Alibaba’s drone launch comes after it
last week locked horns with a powerful
government regulator, which delivered
an unusual dressing down of the
company and accused it of allowing
“illegal” actions on its e-commerce
platforms, including sales of fake
goods.
Taobao has pledged to crack down
on counterfeit goods in response and
Alibaba founder Jack Ma met with
SAIC director Zhang Mao last week,
which could signal a de-escalation of
the dispute. Alibaba, founded by Ma in
1999, is China’s biggest e-commerce
company. It listed on the New York
Stock Exchange last year in the world’s
largest public offering to date.
Micromax
overtakes
Samsung
in India
BoJ in a bind as tumbling oil
makes for slippery price goal
Bloomberg
Mumbai
Reuters
Tokyo
S
T
amsung Electronics surrendered the top spot
in India’s burgeoning
smartphone market to low-cost
devices from Micromax Informatics that offer 21 local languages.
Micromax accounted for 22%
of smartphones shipped in the
final quarter of last year, compared with Samsung’s 20%,
according to researcher Canalys. In the previous quarter,
the New Delhi-based company
claimed 21% of the local market, while South Korea’s Samsung had 22%.
Closely
held
Micromax
gained by attracting first-time
buyers in a country where most
carriers don’t subsidise devices
and more than a fifth of smartphones sell for less than $100.
Samsung, which was also
outsold in China by Apple Inc
in the December quarter, released a $92 smartphone in India last month in bid to fend off
Micromax and China’s Xiaomi
Corp. “Catering to local market preferences will become increasingly important,” Canalys
analyst Rushabh Doshi said in a
statement on Tuesday. “Micromax has been quicker than its
competitors to improve the appeal of devices.” In the second
quarter of last year, Micromax
also unseated Samsung in overall mobile phone sales.
Samsung cited competing
research showing it had 34%
of India’s smartphone market
during the quarter. The company declined to release the full
report, saying the data was proprietary.
“In the entire year 2014, we
continued to lead the market
with innovative and exciting offerings,” Asim Warsi, a
vice president for marketing of
Samsung’s mobile business in
India, said in an e-mailed statement.
Samsung fell 0.5% to
1,359,000 won in Seoul trading
yesterday. The shares have risen
2.4% this year.
India’s smartphone market –
the world’s third largest – grew
90% year on year to 21.6mn last
quarter, according to Canalys.
Vendors are flooding into the
country with low-cost models
as growth slows elsewhere in
the world.
One of Micromax’s best-selling devices, the Unite 2, comes
preloaded with English and
20 Indian languages and sells
for Rs6,394 ($103) on Flipkart.
com.
Samsung’s new Z1 runs on
its own homegrown Tizen
software rather than Google
Inc’s Android operating system
and retails for Rs5,700. The Z1
comes loaded with 14 Indian
languages.
After Micromax and Samsung, the next top phone vendors in India were New Delhibased Karbonn Mobiles Private
Ltd and Lava International Ltd,
according to Canalys.
Xiaomi, which counts India
as its largest market outside of
China, ranked sixth, with less
than 4% of the market, Canalys
analyst Jessica Kwee said. The
company brought its featurerich low-cost smartphones to
India in July and had sold 1mn
phones as of December, it said.
Xiaomi plans to start its own
research-and-development
centre in Bengaluru, the city
formerly known as Bangalore,
to customise software for Indian consumers. The company
will sell in the country from its
own website by the end of this
year, it said on January 28.
he Bank of Japan is caught in a
bind, nearly two years into its
stimulus experiment, as it further qualifies its inflation goals in response to tumbling oil prices, a move
that could prove self-defeating by
tempering price expectations.
In April 2013, the BoJ pledged to
achieve its 2% inflation target in
“about two years” under Governor
Haruhiko Kuroda’s monetary easing
policy, a campaign to print money at
an unprecedented scale in Japan.
The bold, simple pronouncement
with a clear time-frame drove down
the yen and boosted stocks, reinforcing the initial impact of the easing
programme, which is aimed at lifting
Japan clear from two decades of crippling deflation.
Though the timeframe remains official policy, in practice it has been
slipping over the horizon, and now
officials are adding another layer of
atmospheric haze with a more convoluted assessment of what kind of inflation they are measuring.
The shifting of goalposts is a recognition that several factors, most recently the collapsing price of oil, are
pulling inflation away from the BoJ’s
target, forcing it to keep adding footnotes to complicate – and some would
say obscure – what had been a simple,
clear policy commitment.
After all, two years have nearly
passed, and core consumer inflation,
the BoJ’s key price gauge, is only a
quarter of the bank’s target, and is expected to slow further in the coming
months.
In the first year of the easing campaign, known as QQE, the presentation panels Kuroda used in public appearances marked in bold the magic
number “2”, to demonstrate his determination to hit the two-year, 2% target
and nudge people into spending.
“QQE aims to show the BoJ’s strong,
clear commitment to end deflation to
wipe out people’s deflationary mindset,” Kuroda told a speech in September 2013. “We therefore ... set a clear
deadline to hit the target, which is
roughly two years.”
A year later, in the face of a weakening economy, the BoJ fudged the time
goal to “around fiscal 2015”, which effectively opened the window to at least
March 2016.
Kuroda stopped mentioning the
two-year timeframe in public from
around September last year, when oil
price falls were in full swing. The simple became yet more complex when the
BoJ expanded QQE in October, blaming
oil for slowing inflation, only to stand
pat in January when oil prices kept
falling.
With many in the board strongly
against further easing, the BoJ is quiet-
ly laying the ground to justify holding
pat even as inflation is seen grinding to
a halt in the coming months. Its new
communication strategy is to stick to
its timeframe, but make it as ambiguous as possible, analysts say.
BoJ officials concede that depending
on oil moves, Japan may not see infla-
tion hit 2% until the middle of next
year, or even later.
“Nobody could predict oil prices
would fall so much,” said one source on
condition of anonymity. “I doubt the
BoJ will come under fire for failing to
hit the target strictly in two years.”
Deputy Governor Kikuo Iwata, who
was once a strong advocate of the
timeframe, said yesterday it would
take longer than he expected for Japan
to hit 2%.
But officials are also beginning to
stress that they do not look just at core
CPI but a broad range of price indicators including core-core CPI, which
strips out the effect of energy costs.
The BoJ, which never disclosed the
market estimates on which it bases its
inflation forecasts, also said in January
that oil price falls would push down inflation by 0.7 percentage point.
Some analysts say it is an attempt by
the BoJ to argue that it is on track to hit
the price target because when excluding the effect of oil, core consumer
inflation will hit 1.7% next fiscal year,
close to its 2% target.
“What’s important is to look not just
at price moves of individual goods, but
at the medium- and long-term trend
of prices,” Kuroda told parliament last
week.
Last month Kuroda said the timing
for meeting his target may stretch into
fiscal 2016.
“Our board never said we will hit 2%
inflation strictly in two years,” he told
parliament last week.
The BoJ’s struggle underlines the
challenge central banks face in balancing clear communication and policy
flexibility, and how to affect psychology with its stimulus.
Surveys of Japanese households and
corporate inflation expectations show
they have barely heightened since QQE
was put in place. A market measurement of inflation expectations has also
fallen, to the dismay of the BoJ.
Hideo Kumano, a former BoJ official
who is now chief economist at Dai-ichi
Life Research Institute, believes the
BoJ will eventually have to reconsider
its two-year timeframe.
“In real life, unpredictable things
happen. It’s unrealistic for policymakers to persist on too rigid a timeframe,”
he said.
US must accept strong dollar as Fed normalises: RBI chief
Bloomberg
Mumbai
Rajan: Warns Indian firms against borrowing
in dollars.
India’s central bank chief said the US will have to
accept a stronger exchange rate as the Federal
Reserve turns toward raising interest rates for the
first time since 2006.
“The Fed will have to start at some point
normalising interest rates,” Raghuram Rajan said
in an interview with Bloomberg TV India at the
Reserve Bank of India headquarters in Mumbai.
“Unless the Fed starts doing it, others aren’t going
to follow suit. And the Fed, when it does that, will
have to accept some appreciation of the dollar
simply because it’s the first one out of the box.”
He also warned Indian firms against borrowing in
dollars, likening it to “Russian roulette.”
The remarks yesterday were among the most
explicit yet among Group of 20 policy makers
laying out expectations for the US to resign itself
to a stronger dollar. Appreciation in the currency,
spurred by the US economy outperforming
most of its industrialised counterparts, already
has damaged earnings at American companies
including DuPont Co and Procter & Gamble Co
Speaking days before G-20 finance chiefs meet in
Istanbul on Monday and Tuesday, Rajan said that
there has been “noise” about exports not being as
strong because of a stronger dollar.
The Fed’s policy-setting Open Market Committee
in its January 28 statement said: “International
developments” would contribute to deciding how
long to keep the benchmark rate near zero.
Jack Lew, who is in charge of currency policy as US
Treasury secretary, has refrained from expressing
concern at the competitiveness hit from a stronger
dollar. He said last month in Davos, Switzerland:
“I’m going to repeat what I and all my predecessors
have always said, which is a strong dollar is good
for America.” The Fed’s trade-weighted broad
dollar index climbed 13% in the six months through
January, and ended the month less than 1% from
its high reached during the global financial crisis,
in 2009.
American policy makers need not overly worry
about the strengthening currency, Rob Carnell,
chief international economist at ING Groep NV,
wrote in a report yesterday.
“The net effect of the stronger dollar, together
with lower oil prices, is still likely a very positive
one,” he said. It “should not prevent the Fed from
hiking rates later this year.” Rajan is among at least
ten central bankers who have cut rates this year
as plunging oil prices lead to slowing inflation.
China yesterday was the latest G-20 nation to
ease monetary policy, furthering the appeal of the
dollar.
Three weeks after his unscheduled move, Rajan
on Tuesday left the benchmark rate unchanged
in a signal that he wants to see Prime Minister
Narendra Modi’s full-year budget before easing
further.
The former International Monetary Fund chief
economist reiterated his criticism of unorthodox
monetary expansion implemented by some
developed-nation counterparts. Recent exchange
rate depreciations have not translated into greater
domestic activity, he said.
“If you’re not increasing domestic activity but
depreciating your exchange rate you’re essentially
drawing demand from the rest of the world,” he
said. “It’s a beggar- thy-neighbour strategy.”
Already in the first 34 days of 2015, Australia,
Canada, Russia, India, Peru, Pakistan, Turkey and
Egypt all cut interest rates, while the European
Central Bank produced a bigger-than-expected
asset-purchase programme.
Rajan also urged Indian companies to take
precautions when borrowing in dollars, saying the
central bank focuses on fighting volatility, not on
keeping the rupee at a certain level.
“They may find they are at the wrong end of the
level given the global risks around, so they should
hedge,” he said.
“Borrowing in dollars is like playing Russian
roulette, especially if you’re borrowing relatively
short term.” The rupee has surged about 11.5%
from an all-time low in August 2013, when Morgan
Stanley dubbed the currencies of India, South
Africa, Brazil, Indonesia and Turkey as the “fragile
five” because of their difficulties in drawing capital
to finance deficits.
Rajan said one of his concerns is that “in this
environment of search for yield as everybody
is trying to go to extremely accommodative
monetary policies, we get investors who haven’t
thought enough about the kinds of investment
they’re making because they know they have very
easy exit,” Rajan said.
“I would like to see investors moving to the long
rate.”
Indian 10-year bonds yield 598 basis points more
than similar-maturity US debt. Tightening by
the Fed risks damping this return for overseas
investors, who bought a record $26bn of the notes
last year.
“What leads to crises is a big liquidity call when
your creditor comes and says give me my money
now,” said Bhanu Baweja, London-based head of
emerging-markets cross-asset strategy at UBS
Group AG. “That typically happens when you
have short-term maturities.” Rajan yesterday
said foreign investors can now only buy Indian
corporate bonds maturing in at least three years.
They’d sold $8bn of rupee-denominated debt in
2013 when the Fed had first signalled it would start
reducing its bond purchases, forcing Rajan to offer
banks dollar swaps at discounted rates to help
bridge the current-account deficit.
“We have a lot of money sitting at the very short
end,” Rajan said, referring to investors who hold
debt that will mature soon. “This worries us.”
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
11
BUSINESS
China cuts bank reserve
ratio to boost economy
AFP
Beijing
C
hina’s central bank said yesterday it would make an acrossthe-board cut in the percentage
of funds banks must hold in reserve,
the first such cut in nearly three years
as the world’s second-largest economy
falters.
The People’s Bank of China said in a
statement the reserve requirement ratio
would fall by 0.50 percentage points,
effective from today.
The last time the central bank implemented an across-the-board cut in
reserve requirements was May 2012,
according to previous statements.
The measure, intended to free up
bank lending, followed the announcement last month that gross domestic
product rose an annual 7.4% in 2014 – a
24-year low.
The central bank said it would “promote the healthy and stable operation
of the economy”.
Before the move, the level for major banks stood at 20%, while that for
small and medium-sized banks was
16.5%, the official Xinhua news agency
reported.
There would be an additional 0.50
percentage point cut for some banks
lending to areas favoured by government policy, including agriculture and
hydropower projects, the statement
said. The Agricultural Development
Bank of China, an institution set up to
support government policy, will enjoy
an additional cut of four percentage
points, it said.
In November the central bank slashed
benchmark interest rates for the first
time in over two years, and analysts
had expected further monetary easing
as the economy showed more signs of
distress. “Today’s announcement isn’t
a surprise,” said Mark Williams, chief
Asia economist for Capital Economics.
“It is consistent with the more accommodative stance being taken since
the benchmark interest rate cut in November,” he said in a research note, estimating the move would pump 600bn
yuan ($96bn) into the banking system.
A survey at the weekend showed China’s manufacturing activity contracting
A pedestrian walks past the People’s Bank of China. China’s central bank said yesterday it would make an across-the-board cut in the percentage of funds banks must
hold in reserve.
for the first time in more than two years,
signalling further downward pressure
on the economy.
The Purchasing Managers’ Index
Japan wages
rise in Dec
Reuters
Tokyo
J
apanese wage earners’ cash earnings rose in December and declines in real wages slowed for a
second month, a positive sign for policymakers’
plan to re-charge a recession-hit economy though
doubts remain about the prospect for sustained
growth in wages.
Reflecting improved corporate earnings even as the
broader economy has struggled, special payments,
predominantly including bonuses, rose 2.6% in the
year to December, labour ministry data showed yesterday.
Winter bonuses likely grew for a second straight
year, helping boost overall wages, a ministry official
said. The total cash earnings grew 1.6% in the year
to December, up for the 10th straight month. Real
wages adjusted for inflation fell 1.4% year-on-year in
December – down for the 18th straight month – but
the pace of falls slowed from the prior month’s 2.7%
drop.
“Real wages will likely continue to improve in the
coming months as inflation slows due to cheaper oil
prices. That will be a welcome news for Abe as it supports consumer spending,” said Koya Miyamae, senior economist at SMBC Nikko Securities.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has urged companies to
raise base salaries through spring labour-employer
negotiations – key to his aim of generating a virtuous cycle of higher wages and consumption to reflate
the economy and break a two decade cycle of tepid
growth and deflation. In a sign that Abe’s stimulus policies have gained some traction, a Reuters poll
showed last month 42% of firms said they plan to
raise wages as least as much as last year. Still, many
are cautious with 44% undecided.
“I expect the spring negotiations will result in
pretty much the same rate of wage hikes as last year.
Companies are still in no mood to boost base salaries
due partly to murky outlook,” Miyamae said.
Regular pay, or base salaries which determine the
trend of broader wages, rose 0.3%, up for the first
time in two months, reflecting a growing number of
low-wage part timers. This suggests companies remain cautious about substantially increasing fixed
personnel costs, although a tighter labour market is
expected to push up wages gradually, with the jobless
rate at 17-year low and the job availability at 22-year
high.
Overtime pay, a barometer of strength in corporate activity, rose 0.5% in the year to December, up
21 months in a row. For 2014, monthly average cash
earnings rose 0.8%, up for the first time in four years.
Real wages slid 2.5%, down for a third straight year.
(PMI) released by the government’s National Bureau of Statistics came in at
49.8 last month. A figure above 50 signals expansion, while anything below
indicates contraction. “January PMI
was weaker than expected and there are
signs of capital outflows. If the central
bank doesn’t lower reserve require-
ments, corporate financing costs would
become an issue,” Liu Ligang, Hong
Kong-based economist for ANZ Bank,
said.
Chinese
provinces
plan $2.4tn
investment
Reuters
Shanghai
Fourteen Chinese provinces
plan to invest a combined 15tn
yuan ($2.4tn) in infrastructure
and other projects starting
this year as part of their effort
to help set a bottom on a
slowdown in the economy,
an official newspaper said
yesterday.
The southwestern province of
Sichuan, the most populous of
the 14, was the latest when it
announced its investment plan
on Monday, aiming to spend
2.99tn yuan to boost industrial
and other expansion, the
Shanghai Securities News said.
The southern province of
Fujian would invest 3tn yuan
on infrastructure projects,
including environmental
protection, making it the
biggest spender among the 14,
the newspaper said.
Others major spenders
included the provinces of
Hubei, which plans to invest
2.9tn yuan, Henan 1.5tn yuan
and Hunan 1tn yuan.
While spending will begin in
2015, not all funds dedicated
to the projects will be spent
in the first year. Sichuan, for
example, plans to invest only
418.8bn yuan of the total 2.99tn
package in 2015.
China’s economy grew at
its slowest pace in 24 years
in 2014 as property prices
cooled and companies and
local governments struggled
under heavy debt burdens,
keeping pressure on Beijing to
take steps to avoid a sharper
downturn. Beijing has admitted
the economy will continue to
feel pressure in 2015. It has
pledged no dramatic central
governmental investment
support, but has offered
“targeted easing” aimed at
specific sectors and regions.
The government is attempting
to stimulate growth without
setting off another round of
poorly planned investment as
it did in 2009, which saddled
China with a massive debt
overhang the system is still
trying to digest.
Graft probes have China executives
‘leaving for personal reasons’
Bloomberg
Beijing
C
hinese companies struggling with
how to disclose the departure of
top executives amid a nationwide
crackdown on corruption are adopting the
favoured euphemism of US Corporations:
personal reasons.
On Saturday, China Minsheng Banking
Corp cited “personal reasons” for the resignation of its president as mainland media
reported he was under investigation by authorities. A month earlier, developer Kaisa
Group Holdings said its chairman was quitting for “health reasons,” triggering a default on one of its loans. The company is
being probed for links to a former Shenzhen security chief under investigation for
alleged graft, two people familiar with the
matter have said.
President Xi Jinping is waging the broadest crackdown on corruption in decades,
leaving publicly traded companies scrambling for precedents in what and how they
should disclose.
More than 70 top executives at stateowned enterprises were busted last year,
according to the People’s Daily, including
some with listings in Hong Kong.
“Companies are seldom forthcoming
about the reasons that a director or chief
executive has quit,” David Webb, shareholder activist and founder of Webb-site.
com, said in an interview.
“It is quite comical because a whole
group of them simultaneously or in quick
succession resigns for the same reason.”
Minsheng said the resignation of its president wouldn’t affect the company’s operations. A spokesman for Kaisa declined to
comment.
Webb offers a handful of other examples
from recent years: Samling Global’s company secretary left in 2011 for “personal
reasons” that resulted in a 12-year prison
sentence for fraud and money laundering.
VST Holdings’ chairman left for “personal
reasons” in 2012 that led to a six-month jail
sentence for stock-price rigging.
In 2012, China Glass Holdings said an
independent director quit due to “health
conditions and other personal reasons,”
which turned out to be a corruption charge
relating to another company. He was acquitted last year.
This isn’t a new problem. In May 2007,
the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and the
Hong Kong Institute of Directors called on
listed companies to be more forthcoming.
“Detainment by the police or other authorities,” doesn’t qualify as personal, they
said.
Just a month later, the Chinese stateowned oil refiner China Petroleum &
Chemical Corp more commonly known as
Sinopec, said then-chairman of the board
Chen Tonghai was leaving for “personal
reasons.” State media reports said he was
being probed for corruption and he was
later given a suspended death sentence for
taking 196mn yuan ($31mn) in bribes.
In 2008, Gome Electrical Appliances –
then China’s biggest electronics retailer
– initially denied reports that billionaire
founder Huang Guangyu was under investigation by authorities. Even after Beijing
police confirmed that China’s richest man
at the time was being investigated for “economic crimes,” a company spokesman insisted “you should take information on the
stock exchange as the correct information.”
Huang was sentenced to 14 years in prison
in 2010 for bribery and insider trading.
Opaque resignations have “been a sore
point for Hong Kong- listed issuers,”
Michael Cheng of the Hong Kong-based
Asian Corporate Governance Association
said in an e-mail. “This is certainly something that the Hong Kong regulators should
take another good look at.” In 2012, the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong
Kong got the power to levy civil sanctions
for failure to disclose price-sensitive information in a timely manner. The commission declined further comment.
The situation isn’t always clear cut,
Cheng said.
Corruption investigations are often done
in secret or covered by statutory secrecy,
as in the case of Hong Kong’s graft-busting agency, the Independent Commission
Against Corruption.
Hong Kong’s overlap with China creates
a potential loophole. If an investigation is
happening in mainland China by Chinese
authorities, Hong Kong executives and
regulators may not have been notified – or
even aware of what’s going on.
Some firms are trapped in a Catch-22,
Cheng said, where they’re forced to suspend trading because they can’t disclose
confidential investigations. “Without such
disclosure the stock exchange does not allow them to resume trading,” Cheng said.
Beijing jails former Agricultural Bank vice president
Reuters
Shanghai
Yang: Paying the price.
A Chinese court jailed the former
vice president of Agricultural Bank
of China for life for accepting more
than 30mn yuan ($4.80mn) in bribes,
including works of art and gold
bars, the latest casualty in an anticorruption drive that is now targeting
the finance sector.
The sentence comes after China
Minsheng Banking Corp’s president,
Mao Xiaofeng, resigned on Saturday
for personal reasons following reports
in Chinese media that he was being
investigated by the country’s graft
watchdog.
A Nanjing court stripped former party
member Yang Kun of his political
privileges and confiscated all his
personal property, according to a
statement posted yesterday to the
official Weibo site of the Jiangsu High
People’s Court.
Yang Kun “used his position for his
own benefit”, the statement said.
Between 2005 and 2012, Yang used
his positions of power, including
authority over loan approvals,
management and IT, to take bribes
in US dollars, HK dollars, gold bars,
rosewood furniture and paintings by
famous artists, the court said, adding
that his wife’s brother was involved.
The statement did not say when the
judgment was passed.
The bank was not immediately
available for comment.
Yang, who resigned in July 2012,
joined the country’s third-largest
listed lender in 2002.
President Xi Jinping’s push to counter
graft has ensnared a series of senior
financiers, with investigations
implicating the board director of Bank
of Beijing Co for disciplinary violations
on Tuesday and the chairman of China
Guangfa Bank Co in September.
The probes into the financial
sector come as part of Xi’s broader
campaign to root out corruption at
major state-run conglomerates, and
within government ranks, including
in the military and domestic security
forces.
12
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
BUSINESS
Wizz Air
resurrects
plan to
list on LSE
Hopes for Greek deal
bolster Asia markets
Reuters
London
E
astern European-focused
budget airline Wizz Air
has resurrected plans to
list on the London Stock Exchange, seeking to raise €150mn
($172mn) to help compete with
larger rival Ryanair.
Hungary-based Wizz, whose
rivals also include EasyJet,
pulled a plan for an initial public offering (IPO) last June, citing
market volatility in the airline
sector.
Wizz said the sale proceeds
would help strengthen the company’s balance sheet, giving it
access to cheaper capital and
boosting its ability to be more
competitive on fares.
That would mean it could
continue to compete with its
biggest rival Ryanair, which has
been on a stellar run after traffic surged, leading it to lift profit
forecasts for its financial year by
more than 30%.
“We’ve been a formidable competitive force and we
will remain a formidable competitive force,” Chief Executive
Jozsef Varadi said.
Wizz said it was confident of
further growth as more people in
Central and Eastern Europe use
planes, noting that budget airline penetration was lower than
in Western Europe.
Redburn
analyst
Donal
O’Neill said Wizz’s target market capitalisation on the IPO was
€1bn, which looked cheap compared to the company’s metrics, but he was cautious on the
sector.
“Sentiment towards airlines,
given cheap oil, will likely support the IPO but must raise
questions about the potential
over-optimism in the industry,”
he wrote in a note.
Wizz said it aimed to complete the listing in the first quarter. Varadi said the IPO would
consist of new shares and shares
sold by existing investors, but
did not give precise details.
“We are expecting to float
around 20% of the business,”
he said in a telephone interview
yesterday.
The €150mn sought by Wizz
is below the €200mn it was
aiming for last year before the
IPO was pulled.
AFP
Tokyo
A
A woman passes before a share prices board in Tokyo. Japan’s share prices rose 342.89
points to close at 17,678.74 points yesterday.
sia extended a global stocks rally yesterday while
the euro held on to healthy gains as hopes grow
that Greece will be able to hammer out a debt deal
with its European partners.
Traders followed the lead from across Europe and the
US after Greece’s new leadership impressed with their
charm offensive aimed at getting backing for a renegotiation of its bailout.
Oil prices were slightly lower after surging to their
highest levels since the turn of the year on news of a cut
in the number of rigs drilling and energy giants slashing
budgets.
Tokyo surged 1.98%, or 342.89 points to 17,678.74 and
Sydney rose for a 10th successive session, adding 1.23%,
or 69.9 points, to end at 5,777.34 – a day after the central
bank cut its official cash rate to a record low on Tuesday.
Seoul ended 0.55% higher, putting on 10.83 points to
1,962.79, while Hong Kong was 0.51% higher, adding
124.98 points to 24,679.76.
However, profit-taking hit Shanghai, with the benchmark index closing 0.96%, or 30.78 points, lower at
3,174.13. It jumped 2.45 2% on Tuesday.
Anti-austerity Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras
and Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis have been touring
European countries ramping up support for their plan to
restructure their debt repayments.
Varoufakis is pushing the idea of debt swaps that
would avoid the need for creditors to accept losses on the
country’s €315bn ($361bn) foreign debt, while easing the
monthly financing burden on Athens.
While being given a sympathetic ear so far the leadership’s toughest test will come later this week when
it must convince European paymaster Germany of its
plans.
However, reassurances by Varoufakis and Tsipras to
creditors and allies that a default – and possible Greek
exit from the single currency area – is not on the cards
boosted markets, with Athens surging more than 11%.
The surge in confidence filtered through to currency
markets, where the euro rocketed one point to as high as
$1.1512 before settling back.
In Tokyo trade the single currency bought $1.1470
and 135yen, compared with $1.1479 and 134.96 yen late
in New York and sharply up from the $1.13 and 132 yen
levels seen in Tokyo earlier Tuesday.
The dollar was at 117.50 yen yesterday compared with
117.57 yen in US trade.
“The driver appears to be increased market optimism
that a solution may be found and indeed is beginning to
be worked out between Greece and its creditors,” National Australia Bank said in a note.
But it warned “there is a long way to go yet to cement a
deal on Greece and doubtless there will be further market ructions”.
Oil prices retreated after shooting up over the past few
days on hopes of rebounding global energy demand and
reduced crude production.
US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for March
delivery fell 74 cents to $52.31 while Brent crude for
March lost 13 cents to $57.78.
Earlier Tuesday Brent had struck $57.23 and WTI
touched $51.56. “With oil having rallied for four days and
reached a one-month high, there’s a growing sense that
it has bottomed out,” Hiroichi Nishi, an equities manager at SMBC Nikko Securities Inc in Tokyo, said by phone.
“Chances today are quite high for a rebound.”
Gold fetched $1,267.80 an ounce, against $1,281.71 on
Tuesday.
In other markets; Kuala Lumpur gained 1.22%, or
21.76 points, to close at 1,803.02; Bangkok sliped 0.17%,
or 2.73 points, to close at 1,599.81; Jakarta ended up
0.45%, or 23.57 points, at 5,315.28; Singapore finished
up 0.28%, or 9.55 points, to 3,417.57; Taipei rose 0.69%,
or 65.19 points, to 9,513.92; Wellington ended marginally higher, edging up 3.37 points to 5,785.32 and Manila
jumped 1.35%, or 102.91 points, to 7,716.06.
Sensex down 117 points; rupee snaps rally
IANS
Mumbai
A
day after the Reserve Bank of
India (RBI) decided to keep
key lending rates unchanged,
a benchmark index of Indian equities markets closed yesterday’s trade
down 117 points or 0.40%.
Selling pressure was observed in
interest-sensitive stocks like capital
goods, banks, automobiles, consumer
durables and fast-moving consumer
goods (FMCG). However, healthy
buying took place in metal, healthcare, oil and gas and realty stocks.
The 30-scrip Sensitive Index
(Sensex) of the S&P Mumbai Stock
Exchange (BSE), which opened at
29,129.85 points, closed the day’s
trade at 28,883.11 points, down 117.03
points or 0.40% from the previous
day’s close at 29,000.14 points.
The Sensex touched a high of
29,133.62 points and a low of 28,824.68
points in the intra-day trade.
“Since RBI turned out to be a nonevent, we have seen higher volatility in
the market due to loss booking among
financials. Also, Q3 results have turned
out to be quite poor. This doesn’t bode
well amidst concerns over high market
valuation,” said Vinod Nair, head-fundamental research, Geojit BNP Paribas
Financial Services.
Sector-wise, S&P BSE capital goods
index was down 325.30 points, bank
index was lower by 273.28 points, automobile index dropped 218.27 points,
consumer durables index lost 121.48
points and FMCG index slipped 41.84
points.
However, S&P BSE metal index
was up 214.82 points, followed by
healthcare index which gained 144.79
points, oil and gas index was higher
by 28.05 points, and realty index rose
17.39 points.
The wider 50-scrip Nifty of the
National Stock Exchange (NSE) too
closed in the negative territory. It
was down 32.85 points or 0.38% at
8,723.70 points.
Meanwhile, snapping its two-day
gaining streak, the rupee closed down
by 8 paise at 61.75 per dollar on fresh
demand for the US currency from
banks amid fall in stock markets.
A strong dollar in overseas markets
Tsipras proves bullish surprise
as stock markets reveal no panic
also affected the rupee value against
the dollar, a forex dealer said.
The rupee opened steady at 61.67
per dollar at the Interbank Foreign
Exchange Market and firmed up to
61.56 per dollar on initial selling of
dollars following overnight weakness
of dollar in the US market.
However, the domestic currency
dropped to 61.8550 per dollar on fresh
demand from banks and importers before ending at 61.75 per dollar,
showing a loss of 8 paise, or 0.13%.
It had gained 19 paise or 0.31% in the
last two days.
Banks pin hopes on
Brazil IPO revival
on Levy’s success
Reuters
Sao Paulo
Bloomberg
Athens
T
raders who got attached to bets that
Greek financial markets will unravel
are getting a lesson in politics.
Spurred by signs the new government
is softening its stance on debt payments,
Greece’s ASE Index is heading for its best
week since 2008 after its biggest twoday jump since 1990. Even after rising
0.1 percentage point at 1:48 pm in Athens, the yield on 10-year bonds is down
1.56 percentage points since Friday and
ended at 9.52% on Tuesday, almost 35
percentage points below highs reached
before the nation held the biggest-ever
reorganisation of sovereign debt in 2012.
An exchange-traded fund tracking Greek
equities has received about $45mn in
fresh cash this year.
The reversal shows the dangers of committing to bearish trades in Greece, where
newly empowered leaders are showing
signs of compromise after pledging to
loosen austerity measures imposed two
years ago. While the ASE has fallen 30%
in five months, it’s posted seven separate
rallies of 4% or more along the way, including an 11% surge on Tuesday.
“It’s difficult to predict anything,”
said Veronika Pechlaner, an investment
manager at Ashburton Ltd in Jersey, the
Channel Islands. “It’s all about politics.
The real deadline will be when the bailout
programme ends, or possibly a bit later
than that. The base case for most people
is still that these negotiations will go reasonably well.” Shares are proving resilient
in a country where the economy is growing for the first time in seven years – rebounding 0.9% in 2014 from the worst
recession on record – and is forecast to
expand 1.9% in 2015 and 2.5% in 2016,
according to the median estimate of 22
economists surveyed by Bloomberg.
A man looks at the general index and a stock ticker inside the Athens Stock Exchange. Spurred by signs the new government is
softening its stance on debt payments, Greece’s ASE Index is heading for its best week since 2008 after its biggest two-day jump
since 1990.
A plunge in bank shares sent the ASE to
its lowest level since September 2012 last
week after Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras’s
pledge to seek a writedown of Greek debt
helped him win the January 25 vote. Since
former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras
announced presidential elections in December, intraday stock swings for the ASE
have doubled from their one-year average,
data compiled by Bloomberg show.
Nobel Prize-winning economist Robert Shiller said investors may have overreacted. The price of Greek stocks doesn’t
reflect their earnings potential, he said
last week. While the nation’s bonds had
the worst three-month returns of 34 sovereign securities tracked by Bloomberg’s
World Bond Index, the selloff was much
milder than in 2012, when Greece’s membership in the euro area was at stake. That
year, private investors forgave more than
€100bn ($115bn) of debt, opening the way
for a new rescue package as the country’s
debt reached 171% of its 2011 GDP. Greek
stocks and bonds rallied on Tuesday after
Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis outlined
plans to swap some debt for new securities.
“The political rhetoric is more constructive than most feared,” said Espen Furnes, who helps oversee $85bn at
Storebrand Asset Management in Oslo.
While international investors owning
Greek stocks would face losses should
Greece leave the euro, “these risks have
somewhat abated,” he said.
Resolution of the debt issue is far from
a done deal. Germany expects negotiations will drag on until April or May,
when Greece approaches a cash crunch,
a person familiar with the matter said.
Gianluca Ziglio, executive director of
fixed-income research at Sunrise Brokers
LLP in London, said the European Central Bank probably won’t accept Greece’s
bond-swap proposal.
Any revival in initial public
offerings in Brazil seems to
hinge on whether new Finance
Minister Joaquim Levy can
clean up public finances and
get the country’s economy
back on track.
Strengthening the market
for new listings depends
increasingly on how much
leeway President Dilma
Rousseff will give the
University of Chicago-trained
economist to cut Brazil’s record
budget gap and reverse the
interventionist policies that
marred her first term.
Stung by dozens of deals that
failed to deliver the promised
returns in recent years, money
managers have become
cautious about Brazilian
offerings. In 2014, only one
company went public on the
Sao Paulo Stock Exchange,
the worst performance for
domestic IPOs in 11 years.
Local pension funds such as
Fundacao Cesp and global
investors like BlackRock Inc
have reason to remain wary
of Brazilian IPOs. Only a third
of the 146 debut offerings that
priced in Sao Paulo since 2005
have generated gains above
the benchmark interbank CDI
interest rate.
But while Levy’s plans for
higher taxes and less public
spending risk pushing Brazil
back into recession this year,
institutional investors believe
these moves are necessary to
pave the way for a sustained
rebound. Investors are waiting
to see whether Rousseff, a
leftist known for her active
role in economic policy, can
stomach a downturn while
Levy takes unpopular austerity
measures to get public
accounts back in order.
Without a stable economic
backdrop and a renewed
commitment to fiscal discipline,
institutional investors will
remain reluctant to buy into
Brazilian companies without
much of a track record or
earnings visibility.
“There is no room for IPOs for
now,” said Jorge Simino, who
manages 23bn reais ($8.5bn)
as chief investment officer for
Fundacao Cesp, Brazil’s No. 4
pension fund. “The outlook
determines activity, and the
outlook doesn’t look good.”
Some of Brazil’s top
underwriters, like Grupo BTG
Pactual SA, Credit Suisse Group
AG and Goldman Sachs Group
Inc, expect market activity
to resume in the second half
of 2015. Deals could even
materialize earlier if Levy can
stabilise the economy and
reignite confidence among
foreign investors, traditionally
the largest buyers of Brazilian
IPOs.
“These will be tough months for
sellers and buyers, who want
to see if policies work and will
wait to see who makes the first
move,” said Jose Pedro Leite da
Costa, Goldman’s head of Latin
America equity capital markets.
“If the policy programme gains
strength and starts to yield
results, foreign investors will
certainly not want to wait.”
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
13
BUSINESS
CORPORATE RESULTS
GM posts higher-than-expected profit despite recall costs
In a bid to withstand the brutal fall of the rouble and the Ukrainian
hryvnia, Syngenta raised prices, allowing it to make back around
half of its losses in those currencies.
“With emerging markets now accounting for over 50% of our
sales, managing more volatile conditions has become an integral
part of our business,” company chief Mike Mack said in the earnings statement.
Hargreaves
Hargreaves Lansdown reported lower-than-expected profit and
slower net fund inflows in the last six months of 2014, sending its
shares down by five%.
The British investment platform administered £49.1bn($74.48bn)
in assets at the end of December, up from £43.4bn from a year
ago period and a record.
However, that failed to translate into higher profits as a new fees
regime weighed on results.
Profit before tax totalled £101.9mn in the six months to the end of
December, down from 104.1mn in the correspoding period a year
ago. Analysts had expected the firm to report a pretax profit of
£104.5mn.
Operating margin declined by about 2 percentage points to
70.7%, reflecting in part the impact of the retail distribution
review (RDR) reforms enforced by Britain’s Financial Services
Authority since January 2013.
The RDR aims to ensure advisers are better trained and that fees
for financial advice are more transparent.
The lower profit combined with slower net inflows and fewer new
client additions raised questions about the firm’s rich valuation
of 26.6 times its forward 12-month earnings, significantly above
its peers 14.5 times. Rivals such as Rathbone Brothers and Brewin
Dolphin Holdings trade at 18.6 times and 14.5 times respectively.
General Motors Co yesterday posted fourth-quarter earnings far
above analysts’ expectations as strong sales of high-margin SUVs
and trucks in North America helped offset record recall costs
there, and its shares rose 3%.
Chief Financial Officer Chuck Stevens told reporters that profitability would improve in all geographic markets in 2015 and that
the company was “very much on the path to 10% margins (in
North America) in 2016.”
North American profit margins for 2014 were 6.5%. Excluding the
additional costs for a record vehicle recall, they would have been
8.9%, GM said.
GM said it planned to raise its dividend by 20%, a move many
shareholders have been pushing the company to do.
Stevens told Reuters that further return of capital to investors
could happen later this year, as soon as the company resolves legal issues involving the recall of a defective ignition switch linked
to at least 51 deaths.
Excluding special items, the largest US automaker earned $1.19
per share in the quarter, compared with the analysts’ average
estimate of 83 cents, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Net income rose to $1.1bn, or 66 cents a share, from $900mn, or
57 cents a share, a year earlier.
Without the recall costs, 2014 operating profit of $6.5bn would
have been $2.8bn higher and net income per share of $1.65 would
have been $1.07 higher, GM said.
Once again, North America accounted for almost all of quarterly
earnings, which Stevens credited to increased sales of full-sized
SUVs and pickup trucks. Profit on these larger vehicles dwarf
those of smaller cars.
Operating profit was $2.2bn for North America, compared with
$2.4bn companywide.
GM will pay annual bonuses of up to $9,000 to each of its USbased United Auto Workers union employees, up from $7,500
a year ago. The 2014 bonus is the highest ever given by the
company.
Fourth-quarter revenue fell to $39.6bn from $40.5bn and missed
analysts’ estimates of $40.12bn.
quarter core operating profit was €209mn ($239mn), higher than
€190mn expected by the analysts, but including some one-off
gains.
Stora proposed an annual dividend of €0.30 per share, unchanged from a year ago and in line with market forecasts.
Shares in the company fell 5.7% to €8.09 by 1415 GMT, though
were still 9% higher than at the start of the year.
“I would argue that the numbers were actually in line with market
expectations,” Cheuvreux analyst Mikael Jafs said.
Rival UPM-Kymmene earlier this week proposed a bigger-than-expected dividend, which somewhat lifted expectations for Stora’s
dividend too, Jafs added.
Whirlpool
Whirlpool Corp yesterday said its fourth-quarter profit fell due
to costs from recent acquisitions, but excluding those costs, the
results beat market expectations.
The world’s largest maker of home appliances reiterated its 2015
earnings outlook and said it expected robust sales growth in
North America.
Whirlpool reported a net profit of $81mn, or $1.02 a share, down
more than 55% from $181mn, or $2.26 a share, a year earlier.
Excluding acquisition and other costs, Whirlpool said earnings
per share for ongoing operations came to $3.52. Analysts on average had expected $3.19, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Last July Whirlpool acquired a majority stake in Italian appliance
maker Indesit for $1bn. The company has been integrating its
acquisition of Chinese appliance maker Hefei Rongshida Sanyo
Electric Co Ltd, which it announced it would acquire in late 2013
for $552mn.
“Our integration activities remain on track to drive synergies,”
Chief Executive Officer Jeff Fettig said in a statement.
Revenue rose to $6bn from $5.1bn. Analysts had expected $5.8bn.
Whirlpool said the strong dollar, which diminishes the value of
overseas sales, had acted as a drag on its revenue for the quarter.
BBVA
Spain’s BBVA signalled yesterday it would sell out of China’s CITIC
Bank after a disappointing venture in the country and will focus
more on its recovering domestic market.
BBVA posted better-than-expected revenues from lending in the
fourth quarter, powered by its Mexican business—still its biggest
market—and a turnaround in Spain, where the economy is picking
up after a prolonged downturn.
It is reshaping its international strategy and said it would sell out
of China’s CITIC Bank when the market conditions were right.
BBVA had already trimmed its holding, which at one stage
reached around 15%, in sales that helped bolster its capital levels.
It now only has a 4.7% stake in the bank, an investment which has
a valuation of around $2.1bn.
Like bigger rival Santander, BBVA weathered woes in Spain
thanks to overseas revenue, especially from Latin America.
Its push into China, which dates back to 2006, lasted longer than
attempts by many other international banks to break into the
world’s second-biggest economy. But the venture still proved difficult, echoing operational problems seen by some rivals.
“It’s true we did not meet the expectations we had,” Chairman
Francisco Gonzalez told a news conference, adding that some
planned joint ventures had not materialised.
BBVA is not entirely abandoning China. Chief Executive Angel
Cano said it would retain branches in the country.
BBVA said it wanted to keep expanding elsewhere, including in
Turkey, where it recently agreed to raise its stake in local lender
Garanti to around 40%.
BBVA is also counting on a Spanish recovery as credit demand
picks up and losses on soured debts fade. It beat domestic rivals
last year to buy nationalised Catalunya Banc and capture customers in the wealthy Catalonia region.
Ralph Lauren
Luxury fashion house Ralph Lauren Corp cut its full-year revenue
growth forecast for the second time in less than four months,
blaming a strong dollar and weak consumer spending.
Shares of the company, which also reported lower-than-expected
quarterly revenue and profit, fell as much as 12% in early trading.
Ralph Lauren, whose brands include Polo Ralph Lauren, Club
Monaco, American Living and Chaps, said it expected revenue to
grow at about 4% on a constant currency basis in the year ending
March.
The company had cut its full-year revenue growth forecast in
October to 5-7% from 6-8%.
“Foreign exchange and global consumer spending remain unpredictable, and we are planning our business accordingly,” Chief
Operating Officer Jacki Nemerov said in a statement yesterday.
Ralph Lauren had about 11,450 points-of-sale as of March 29, of
which about 5,000 were in Europe and Asia.
After hitting a six-and-a-half-month low in May, the dollar has
surged about 20% against a basket of major currencies.
Ralph Lauren, which also makes accessories and fragrances,
reported a 2% fall in same-store sales in the third quarter ended
December 27.
The company’s net income fell 9.3% to $215mn, or $2.41 per share.
Ralph Lauren said promotional environment in the US, coupled
with increased investments in store openings and its e-commerce
business, hurt profit in the holiday quarter.
Stora Enso
Finnish pulp and paper maker Stora Enso broadly met forecasts
with a 38% rise in quarterly profit on the back of cost cutting,
leading its shares to hand back some of their recent strong gains.
The world’s second-biggest producer of graphic papers such as
newsprint, magazine and office papers, said yesterday its fourth-
Handelsbanken
Sweden’s second-largest bank, Handelsbanken, announced
record annual profits yesterday driven by strong growth in private lending and continued overseas expansion.
The Swedish group’s net profit grew by 6.0% to 15.8bn kronor
($1.92bn, €1.6bn), the biggest in the bank’s history, helped by
higher revenues from Britain and The Netherlands.
The bank—which makes most of its profits in Sweden but has
been bulking up its business abroad—reported strong growth
in private banking customers as well as increased lending in
Sweden and overseas.
“Operating profit in Britain rose by 41% to 1.6bn kronor, chiefly
due to higher net interest income and improved net fee and commission income,” the group reported.
Income from loans grew by one-third in Britain and by almost a
quarter (23%) in The Netherlands but fell 3.0% in Sweden.
Overall household lending grew by 8.0% to 860bn kronor compared with corporate loans, which increased by 1.0% to 886bn
kronor.
Lenovo
Shares in China’s Lenovo jumped 5% yesterday, a day after it announced better-than-expected third-quarter net profits, boosted
by a strong performance in its smartphone unit following the
purchase of Motorola last year.
The world’s biggest PC maker said it earned $253mn in the final
three months of 2014, 5% less than the previous year but better
than the average $182.4mn forecast by analysts in a Bloomberg
News survey.
The result sent its shares jumping 4.95% to HK$11.46 at the close
in Hong Kong yesterday.
While growth in the PC market is softening, the firm said its revenue increased 31% year-on-year to $14.09bn, thanks to a more
than doubling of mobile phone sales to $3.39bn.
Global mobile phone shipments surged 78% to 24.7mn units in
the quarter, boosted by the $2.9bn purchase of Motorola from
Google in October, according to a company filing with the Hong
Kong exchange.
That buyout came soon after the Chinese giant paid $2.3bn for
IBM’s low-end server business as it looks to diversify beyond PCs.
“Lenovo continued to deliver solid performance along with
smooth integration of two major mergers and acquisitions
transactions,” it said in the filing. “Lenovo has now become a truly
global smartphone player.”
CEO Yang Yuanqing told Bloomberg News: “We are very fortunate
that both of the acquired businesses performed pretty well.
Echo
Sky
Strong demand for pay TV in Britain and a record jump in German
customers helped Sky post better-than-expected first-half profit
yesterday in its first results as a European group.
Sky, which formed from the combination of Britain’s BSkyB, Sky
Deutschland and Sky Italia to serve 20mn customers in Europe,
said it had also seen a significant decline in the number of people
leaving the platform.
The firm’s shares rose 3% on the back of a 16% rise in first-half
adjusted operating profit, which puts it in a strong position ahead
of a key auction of English Premier League live soccer broadcast
rights, which starts later this week.
“Alongside our continued strength in the UK and Ireland, the acquisition of Sky Italia and Sky Deutschland gives us an expanded
opportunity for growth,” Chief Executive Jeremy Darroch said.
“Both businesses had a strong quarter.”
Having seen off a string of challengers to now dominate its home
market, BSkyB in June embarked on a plan to enter Germany,
Austria and Italy by buying Rupert Murdoch’s assets in those markets, countries where pay TV is not yet as popular, or profitable.
The first set of results as a combined company showed the group
may have got its timing right.
Finance Director Andrew Griffith said Germany was the fastest
growing pay-TV market in Europe as customers started to accept
the merits of paying for programmes instead of just taking freeto-air channels.
Sky added 204,000 new customers in Britain and Ireland in the
second quarter, its highest growth in nine years. In Germany, it
signed up 214,000 customers, 55% more than a year earlier and
taking the German retail customer base past the 4mn mark. Italy
had its best growth in 12 quarters, helped by fewer customers
leaving the platform.
Syngenta
Leading agrochemicals group Syngenta yesterday posted a 2.0%
drop in net profit, pointing to restructuring costs and pressure on
currencies in emerging markets.
In 2014, the Swiss company raked in a net profit of $1.6bn (€1.4bn),
on sales that were up three% at $15.1bn.
The result narrowly beat the expectations of analysts polled by
the AWP financial news agency, who had anticipated a net profit
of $1.5bn on sales of $15bn.
The company, which specialises in insecticides to protect crops
and competes with US giant Monsanto, said that not counting restructuring costs and impairments, its earnings per share inched
up one% to $19.42.
Syngenta last year launched a massive restructuring programme,
which the company said would lead to the termination or relocation of some 1,800 jobs in 2015.
The company, which makes more than half of its sales in emerging markets, meanwhile saw currency fluctuations take a heavy
toll, draining $90mn out of its operating margin.
Year-on-year profit fell to €239mn ($273mn) in 2014, down 18%
from €293mn a year earlier, the company based in The Hague
said in a statement.
Turnover dipped by 4.6% to €8.0bn over the same period.
“The size of the business market continued to decline”, said KPN,
as many Dutch companies implement their own cost-cutting
measures including slashing jobs, which reduces communications requirements.
KPN said it now planned to cut between 2,000 and 2,500 jobs by
2016 under its “simplification” programme.
Last year it said it planned between 1,500 and 2,000 layoffs.
The programme will save an estimated €400mn by 2016, KPN
said.
Despite losses, KPN said it managed to broaden its customer base
last year, driven by its high investment in networks including 4G,
now boasting more than two million users.
“We will continue to build on solid fundamentals through strong
customer focus, strengthening capacity of our networks and the
simplification programme,” KPN chief executive Eelco Blok said.
Record bets by Asian high rollers helped Echo Entertainment
Group lift first-half net profit to a three-year high, but the Australian casino firm said the surge was tempered by the amount it
paid to the junkets behind these VIP gamblers.
Echo yesetrday said turnover from VIP gamblers at its Australia
casinos nearly doubled to an all-time high of A$23bn ($17.96bn) as
net profit for the period surged 78% to A$112.6mn ($87.59mn).
Chief Executive Officer Matt Bekier, however, blamed junket
operators for eating into margins during the six months to December 31, as VIP revenues grew to account for nearly a third of
the group’s overall revenue from just 18% a year ago.
“Margins in this half are particularly under pressure because a lot
of these junkets operated under profit-share agreements,” Bekier
said, without disclosing a specific ratio.
“We’re now looking at about 84% of VIP turnover being booked
through junkets.”
Like casino operators in South Korea, Philippines and increasingly
Australia, Sydney-based Echo has benefited from the exodus of
wealthy Chinese from the world’s biggest gambling hub Macau
amid the Beijing government’s crackdown on conspicuous spending and corruption. Macau’s gaming revenues last year plunged
to their lowest level since 2001.
KPN
Dutch telecoms firm KPN yesterday reported a full-year drop in
net profit of €54mn partly blamed on a decline in the Dutch business sector, as it announced further job cuts.
Sony
Japan’s Sony Corp said its net annual loss will likely be smaller
than previously forecast after cost cuts and strong sales of its
image sensors and PlayStation video game consoles helped its
third-quarter profit beat estimates.
The consumer electronics and entertainment group, which has
reported five net losses in the past six years, is in the midst of a
restructuring that has so far seen it shrink its struggling smartphone and TV divisions and exit PCs.
Chief Financial Officer Kenichiro Yoshida, appointed in April 2014
to help turn the company around, said the latest earnings showed
the restructuring efforts were bearing fruit.
“We said that we will carry through structural reforms, that there
would be no sacred cows. It is taking time, but I think we may be
starting to see results,” he told an earnings briefing.
Sony said yesterday preliminary results showed its operating
profit doubled to ¥178.3bn ($1.52bn) in the October-December
quarter, while sales rose 6% to ¥2.56tn.
That was well ahead of the operating profit of 96.6bn yen, on
sales of ¥2.38tn, expected by analysts, according to Thomson
Reuters data.
It also forecast a preliminary full-year net loss of ¥170bn, narrower than a previous forecast for a loss of ¥230bn. The current
financial year ends on March 31.
The third-quarter numbers were not official as Sony could not
yet compile accurate figures for its Hollywood studio following a
massive hacking of its computer systems. Sony said the incident
did not have a material impact on its finances.
Sony has struggled to gain market share in high-end smartphones, lagging far behind Apple and Samsung Electronics Co.
Some investors have urged Chief Executive Kazuo Hirai to
eventually exit such unprofitable units and intensify Sony’s focus
on its successful gaming and sensor businesses. Hirai is due to
announce a new strategy on February 18, the company said.
Disney
Walt Disney Co’s quarterly profit topped Wall Street’s estimates as
its blockbuster animated film “Frozen” heated up home entertainment and toy sales, and visitors flocked to the company’s US
theme parks.
Disney shares rose 4.4% to $98.23 in after-hours trading on Tuesday. The stock reached record highs in recent months on strong
performances across its TV networks, theme parks and movie
studio. Each of its five divisions reported higher operating income
for the quarter, ended December 27.
At Disney’s parks unit, operating income rose 20% to $805mn
as more people visited its US parks and increased spending on
tickets, merchandise, food and drinks.
Chief Executive Bob Iger told CNBC that there had been no
discernable impact on parks from a measles outbreak that health
officials have said began at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, in
December.
Disney now plans to open its Shanghai Disneyland theme park in
the spring of 2016, Iger told analysts. The company had earlier set
a target of a late 2015 opening but decided to add attractions to
the park, a $5.5bn joint venture with China’s state-owned Shanghai Shendi Group.
“Frozen” toys sold particularly well during the holiday shopping
quarter, helping Disney’s consumer products unit earn a $626mn
profit, up 46% from a year earlier.
Disney will fuel the franchise with “Frozen Fever” a seven-minute
film that features a new song and will be shown in theatres ahead
of its live action “Cinderella” movie, to be released on March 13.
“We actually believe it’s going to generate some more buzz for
‘Frozen,’ and that should generate more buying in terms of consumer products,” Iger said.
Disney’s movie studio recorded a 33% jump in profit, driven by
home entertainment sales of “Frozen,” Marvel’s “Guardians of the
Galaxy” and “Maleficent.”
14
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
BUSINESS
Credit guarantees look to widen Islamic finance landscape
Reuters
London
Credit guarantees are gaining traction
in Islamic finance, helping a wider
range of firms to tap the market for
Shariah-compliant debt, which remains
stubbornly reliant on sovereign and
quasi-sovereign issuers.
A growing number of guarantors are
developing expertise in this area,
aiming to facilitate Islamic transactions
both large and small.
Among them is Britain’s export credit
agency, UK Export Finance, which plans
this year to guarantee an Islamic bond
(sukuk) issue for the first time under a
capital market guarantee product that it
launched in 2010, a UKEF spokesperson
said. This would facilitate a deal for a
Gulf-based customer of Airbus, whose
identity has not been disclosed.
Demand is also growing for guarantees
in markets where credit and political
risks pose a greater challenge.
In December, Export Development
Canada helped secure $78mn for a deal
involving the lease of four Bombardier
planes to Ethiopian Airlines, the first
Shariah-compliant transaction in
Africa’s aviation sector.
Last month, GuarantCo, a specialised
guarantor indirectly owned by the
development agencies of Britain,
Switzerland, Sweden and the
Netherlands, provided a partial credit
guarantee for sukuk from Pakistan
Mobile Communications.
“There is significant potential to
combine the use of guarantees with
Islamic finance,” said Chris Vermont,
head of GuarantCo, which is managed
on a commercial basis by Londonbased Frontier Markets Fund Managers.
“It is certainly our wish that our
guarantees widen the universe of
issuers who can tap Islamic sources.”
GuarantCo is currently in discussions
on potential transactions in the power
sectors in Nigeria and Pakistan.
Such efforts could help to break the
global sukuk market’s longstanding
dependence on sovereign and
quasi-sovereign issuers, which last
year provided a combined 82% of
total issuance, according to Zawya, a
Thomson Reuters company.
Last year, sukuk issuance reached
a total $115.6bn through 806 deals
globally, up from $110.4bn through 839
deals a year earlier. The vast majority of
corporate sukuk came in the Malaysian
market.
Shariah-compliant guarantees have
been rare because of the profit- and
risk-sharing nature of Islamic finance;
some Shariah scholars view the
charging of fees for guarantees as
impermissible, on the ground that the
practice should be benevolent.
In recent years, however, a growing
number of scholars have argued that
guarantees provide a service by making
transactions more widely appealing,
justifying fees. Also, issuers and
investors have become more familiar
with the mechanics of sukuk, making it
easier to design guarantees.
In the case of Mobilink, its sukuk issue
was structured on the basis of investors
acquiring prepaid cards from Mobilink
at a discount, which would replace
the interest and principal due on a
conventional bond.
Mobilink then sold the cards to
customers at face value with the
resulting profit shared with investors.
The guarantee had to reflect the fact
that it was covering a share of profits
rather than interest.
GuarantCo was able to price the
transaction with similar terms to a
traditional guarantee, Vermont said.
Meanwhile, a sukuk guarantee to help
sovereign issuers tap the market has
been developed by the Jeddah-based
Islamic Corp for the Insurance of
Investment & Export Credit, although
no government has used it to date.
ICIEC is working on Islamic export
credit guarantees for deals in Egypt as
well as other countries in the Middle
East and Africa, a spokeswoman said.
This week, ICIEC extended $80mn
worth of Islamic reinsurance to cover
political risk for the oil and gas projects
of Apache Corp in Egypt.
Other firms which offer Islamic
guarantees are also widening their
reach, such as Malaysia’s Danajamin
Nasional, set up in 2009 to help
develop the domestic bond and sukuk
markets.
In September, it signed a collaboration
agreement with the Credit Guarantee
and Investment Facility, a trust fund
of the Asian Development Bank, to
promote capital markets in southeast
Asia, including sukuk.
Rosneft is raising money as
$7bn debt payment looms
LVMH shares
hit record high
after Louis
Vuitton growth
Reuters
London
VMH shares hit a record
high yesterday after sales
rose more than expected,
helped by the revitalisation of
the luxury group’s flagship Louis
Vuitton brand under star designer Nicolas Ghesquiere.
LVMH founder and Chief Executive Bernard Arnault said on
Tuesday after reporting fourthquarter sales there had been an
“excellent response” to Ghesquiere’s work and Louis Vuitton’s margins were exceptionally
high.
LVMH shares jumped more
than 7% to €155. By 1039 GMT,
the shares were up 5.3% at 152.10
euros, valuing the fourth-biggest company in the French CAC
40 blue-chip index at €77.2bn
($88.5bn).
LVMH also said it received a
boost from the US which was its
strongest region in the fourth
quarter for growth in cognac and
fashion sales, helping compensate for weakness in China, and
Hong Kong in particular.
Louis Vuitton is more than
twice the size of Kering’s Gucci
but it reacted faster than its Italian peer to growing disaffection
with brands that did not regularly surprise customers with
new styles and unexpected creative impulses.
In 2011, Arnault decided to
change Louis Vuitton’s top managers after he sensed it needed to
regain its waning exclusivity after years of breakneck expansion
which saw the brand open shops
in far-flung places such as Ulan
Bator.
Arnault replaced Vuitton’s
charismatic leader Yves Carcelle
with little-known Jordi Constans.
He became ill and was replaced by Michael Burke, a
trusted LVMH veteran.
In 2013, Arnault appointed his
daughter Delphine as Burke’s
No. 2 and Ghesquiere took over
from Marc Jacobs as creative director.
Ghesquiere rejuvenated Louis
Vuitton by creating a new logo,
a golden V embossed on belts,
dresses and handbags.
L
R
osneft is raising money from
Swiss trader Trafigura days before it must repay a $7bn debt,
industry sources said, seeking new
funding options after the Russian central bank said its borrowing via the domestic bond market had added to pressure on the struggling rouble.
The Kremlin-controlled firm’s ability to raise funds overseas has been severely curbed by sanctions imposed by
Western powers which condemn Russia’s annexation of Crimea and accuse
it of orchestrating a rebellion in eastern
Ukraine – a charge denied by Moscow.
The rapid devaluation of the rouble at the end of 2014, as the Russian
economy struggled to cope with sanctions and the collapse of oil prices,
compounded the financial squeeze on
Rosneft.
But the Russian central bank has said
the oil major actually added to the pressure on the currency when - in the runup to the repayment of another $7bn
loan to Western banks in December – it
raised over 600bn roubles ($9bn) by issuing rouble-denominated bonds.
Bank governor Elvira Nabiullina said
the market was mistakenly expecting the company to buy dollars with
the roubles raised, creating volatility.
Rosneft, however, has denied any link
between its bond issue and rouble volatility.
Now the Feb. 13 deadline for the repayment of another $7bn loan to banks
is nearing, and Rosneft is exploring
alternative funding options including short-term financing, according to
trading and oil industry sources.
Sanctions ban long-term financing of Rosneft – a measure that has
prompted all Western companies to
pull out of any such deals with the oil
major – but allow short-term financing
for a period of up to 30 days.
Under an existing five-year financing
agreement with Trafigura which began
in mid-2013, Rosneft sells 150,000200,000 tonnes of oil a month to the
trader – a deal which is allowed to
continue because it was struck before
sanctions were imposed.
Now Rosneft has committed to sell
around 500,000 tonnes of oil to the
Swiss trading house in February to raise
Reuters
Paris
Rosneft logo is seen at the company’s headquarters behind the Kremlin wall in central Moscow. Rosneft is seeking new funding options after the Russian central bank
said its borrowing via the domestic bond market had added to pressure on the struggling rouble.
money to help repay its debt, three
trading sources told Reuters.
Rosneft and Trafigura declined to
comment.
It was unclear how much money the
financing deal would involve, or how it
would be structured.
The delivery of 500,000 tonnes of oil
would represent an increase of 300,000350,000 tonnes – worth about $150mn
at current prices – on Rosneft’s usual
monthly allocation to Trafigura.
“It is clearly a new deal,” said one
trader, who does not work for Rosneft
or Trafigura, but heard about the details of the agreement. He declined to
be named because he works for a rival
trading desk to Trafigura.
As a result of the deal with Trafigura,
other trading houses and companies
– which have long-term deals and in
some cases have already made a prepayment to Rosneft for their volumes
– will receive lower-than-expected
volumes in February or not get crude
on the days they expected it to arrive.
“Traders (at rivals) are massively disappointed,” one of the buyers said.
Rosneft has pre-payment and longterm supply deals with Vitol, Glencore,
Shell, Total, Eni , BP and Trafigura itself.
Long-term deals usually define
several months upfront how much
oil each buyer is due to receive every
month, and changing those volumes
is a rather unusual move as it could
force Rosneft’s buyers to look elsewhere for supplies.
Igor Sechin, Rosneft’s chief executive
and a close ally of President Vladimir
Putin, has said the company does not
need to borrow money as it is able to
service its debt from its own cash flows.
Central bank governor Nabiullina
described Rosneft’s December bond
deal as “non-transparent, unclear to
the market and ... an additional factor
of volatility in the market. But not the
main one”.
“...the deal raised expectations that
the roubles raised would reach the forex
market... These fears had no ground...
But still, there was this misunderstanding on the market which was a
factor which played against the rouble,”
she told the Russian edition of Forbes
magazine.
Days after issuing its bond, Rosneft
said it would not use the funds raised to
buy foreign currency.
On December 16, the day after Rosneft’s disclaimer, the central bank in-
creased its benchmark interest rate by
650 basis points to 17%, citing the need
to curb increased devaluation and inflationary risks. Hours later the rouble
fell to an all-time low.
On January 26, Rosneft raised 400bn
roubles in the domestic bond market,
also saying it would not use the funds
to buy foreign currency.
Rosneft’s loan maturing in February is part of a larger $11.9bn, two-year
bridge loan that was signed in February
2013 that backed Rosneft’s acquisition
of oil company TNK-BP.
Lenders included BNP Paribas,
Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Bank
of Tokyo Mitsubishi, Barclays Bank,
Citigroup, Credit Agricole CIB, ING,
Intesa Sanpaolo, JP Morgan, Mizuho
Bank, Natixis, Societe Generale and
UniCredit.
Eastern Canadian LNG export plans face supply quandary
Reuters
Portland, Maine
E
astern Canada has joined a race
to export North America’s vast
natural gas riches to energyhungry markets overseas, with four
projects betting the far-flung Atlantic
provinces will be the easiest route to
Europe and India.
But firms behind those proposals,
such as Spanish oil giant Repsol and
Australia’s Liquefied Natural Gas have
one major hurdle to clear: huge investments are needed to expand regional
pipeline capacity to feed them, and it is
unclear who will pay.
“They have come at a rush over the
last four or five months,” said analyst
Mark Pinney, of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers. “But
these plants will need to get their act
together quickly, both at the supply
and demand end.”
The stakes are high. If successful,
the projects would provide a muchneeded economic boost in Canada’s
Atlantic provinces, broaden the market for plentiful North American gas,
and shore up energy security in parts of
Europe. It effectively means, however,
tapping US gas deposits that would
require investing billions of dollars in
pipelines crossing New England – a
gas-starved US northeast with a history of blocking such investments on
environmental grounds.
“The interstate pipeline companies
are not going to construct facilities
unless they have firm commitments,”
said Thomas Kiley, president of the
Massachusetts-based Northeast Gas
Association.
Together, the four projects proposed
for New Brunswick and Nova Scotia
would take an estimated 1.5tn cubic
feet of gas per year – the equivalent of
three weeks’ worth of US consumption
– liquefy it, and ship it abroad in tankers from Canada’s rocky coast.
The geography makes sense. The
voyage from Eastern Canada to Europe
is about four days shorter than from
the US Gulf Coast, where a cluster of
competing terminals has been proposed, and is also quicker than from US
East Coast ports.
“Our advantage is location and wide
community acceptance,” said Mark
Brown, project director with privately-owned Pieridae Energy, which has
secured environmental permits for its
proposed $10bn terminal in Nova Scotia.
Slumping energy prices made shipping North America’s LNG to Asia
unprofitable in recent months, but
projects targeting Europe look still viable, in part because of uncertainty
about supplies from Russia because of
the Ukraine crisis.
Pieridae, for example, said it has
signed a 20-year contract to sell 5mn
tons of gas per year to Germany’s E.ON
, the largest of many European utilities
looking to cut dependence on Russia.
The problem is a lack of local supply.
Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador,
and Nova Scotia have all imposed various forms of moratoriums on hydraulic
fracturing - a process required to access shale gas deposits - over concerns
about the potential impact on ground
water. New Brunswick, which has one
of the thickest shale gas reservoirs in
North America, is poised to do the
same.
With Nova Scotia’s offshore fields in
decline, that leaves the vast Marcellus
shale gas deposit beneath Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia as the next
most viable source. That, however,
would require expanding or building
new pipelines going through New England states that have opposed new energy infrastructure in the past.
“From a Canadian perspective, we
look at it, and we think, ‘Hmm, where’s
the gas going to come from to fill all
these plants?’” says Pinney.
Officials at the companies have declined to detail their plans for securing supply, with Repsol – the company
pushing the largest project – saying
the question is still under review.
Spectra Energy’s Maritimes and
Northeast pipeline is Atlantic Canada’s main connection to Marcellus gas.
The 889-mile pipe now runs north to
south with a capacity of 304bn cubic
feet of gas per year and the company
has announced plans to start pumping
the other way and add capacity.
But natural gas fuels half the electricity generated in New England, and
any export would vie for precious space
in its already constrained pipeline network. “I wouldn’t say it’s a slam dunk,”
said Spectra spokesman Steve Rankin.
New England’s pipeline capacity
shortfalls sometimes climb to 1-2bn
cubic feet on the coldest winter days,
triggering spikes in electricity costs
and factory shutdowns.
The four new eastern Canadian
plants would require nearly twice the
region’s current annual consumption
of natural gas.
“It just doesn’t make sense to build
over-sized infrastructure, potentially
at a cost to ratepayers, only to have
some portion of that exported,” said
Greg Cunningham, an attorney with
the Boston-based Conservation Law
Foundation.
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
15
BUSINESS
Greece seeks debt relief talks
with its eurozone partners
Reuters
Frankfurt/Brussels
G
reece’s new leftist government
appealed to the European Central Bank yesterday to keep its
banks afloat as it seeks to negotiate
debt relief with its eurozone partners,
but Germany rejected any roll-back of
agreed austerity policies.
Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis
said after meeting ECB President Mario
Draghi in Frankfurt he believed Athens
could count on central bank support
during the short period it would take to
conclude talks with international lenders.
Banking sources told Reuters that two
Greek banks have begun to tap emergency liquidity assistance from the Bank
of Greece after an outflow of deposits
accelerated after the victory of the hard
left Syriza party in a general election on
January 25.
The Greek government wants that
funding to continue because if the ECB
were to halt it, Greek banks could collapse, forcing the country out of the eurozone.
Promising to end five years of austerity, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and
Varoufakis are meeting senior officials
across Europe to seek support for a new
debt agreement.
However a document prepared by
Germany for a meeting of EU finance
officials today made clear Berlin wants
Athens to go back on promises to raise
the minimum wage, halt unpopular
sales of national assets, rehire fired
public sector workers and reinstate a
Christmas bonus for poor pensioners.
“The Eurogroup needs a clear and
front-loaded commitment by Greece
to ensure full implementation of key
reform measures necessary to keep the
programme on track,” the document,
seen by Reuters, said in reference to eurozone finance ministers.
“The aim is the perpetuation of the
agreed reform agenda (no roll back of
measures), covering major areas as the
revenue administration, taxation, public financial management, privatisation,
public administration, health care, pensions, social welfare, education and the
fight against corruption.”
The new Greek leaders have had a
cautious reception so far, even in leftleaning countries such as France and
Italy which Athens had hoped would
support its case for debt relief.
French President Francois Hollande
said the eurozone’s rules applied to everyone.
European Council President Donald Tusk said after meeting Tsipras in
Brussels that any solution must be acceptable to all member states, a veiled
reference to Germany, Greece’s biggest
creditor which takes the hardest line on
fiscal discipline.
Tsipras, 40, said after talks with European Commission President Jean-
French President Francois Hollande (rear right) talks with Greece’s Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras (front centre) as French Finance Minister Michel Sapin (rear centre) looks
on during their meeting at the Elysee presidential palace yesterday in Paris. Tsipras discussed plans to “jointly” create a four-year reform plan for Greece during talks with
European Commission chief in Brussels.
Claude Juncker that Greece respected
European Union rules and would find a
solution to its economic problems within the framework of EU law.
There was no agreement yet, but talks
were going in the right direction, he
said.
After meeting Draghi, Varoufakis told
Reuters: “The ECB is the central bank
of Greece ... The ECB will do whatever
it takes to support the member states in
the euro zone.”
“I have no doubt that we can conclude
our discussions with our European
partners, as well as with the IMF and the
ECB, in a very short space of time so that
we can kick-start the Greek economy,”
he added.
Without the support of its creditors
and the ECB, Greece would soon find
itself back in an acute financial crisis.
Unable to tap the markets because of
sky-high borrowing costs, the government has enough cash to meet its fund-
British banks struggle to put
costliest scandal behind them
Bloomberg
London
Britain’s biggest banks are poised
to set aside as much as £1.2bn
($1.8bn) more in the fourth
quarter to compensate customers
sold insurance they didn’t want or
need, with Lloyds Banking Group
hit hardest.
Lloyds, the country’s largest
mortgage lender, will make a
£500mn provision, according
to the median estimate of five
analysts surveyed by Bloomberg
News. The latest charges would
bring the total bill for wrongly sold
payment-protection insurance to
more than £23bn over the past
four years, making it the costliest
of all scandals to hit the UK industry since the financial crisis.
“The rate of claims in 2014
is definitely down on 2013, but
it’s not tailing off at the pace the
banks had originally expected,”
Mike Trippitt, an analyst at Numis
Securities Ltd in London, said.
“We’ve still got some meaningful
provisions to come in the fourth
quarter and the first half of 2015.”
Predictions on PPI provisions
for Lloyds range from £300mn
by Investec analyst Ian Gordon
to £622mn from Chintan Joshi at
Nomura International.
Barclays, the UK’s secondlargest bank by assets, could set
aside £291mn, while Royal Bank
of Scotland Group is seen making
a £179mn provision and HSBC
Holdings £140mn, according
to Nomura’s Joshi. With Lloyds,
that’s an estimated total provision
of £1.2bn for the banks.
Lloyds Chief Financial Officer
George Culmer said in October
that the bank would take an additional 600mn-pound provision
for PPI in the fourth quarter if
claims arrived at the same pace
as the previous three months.
Redress for PPI will be “substantially lower” in the middle of
2015, Lloyds said in October, as it
largely completes a review of past
sales and compensation.
The potential cost comes as
Chief Executive Officer Antonio
Horta-Osorio, 51, seeks permission from Britain’s Prudential
Regulation Authority for Lloyds to
pay its first dividend since 2008.
The London-based lender is
scheduled to post full-year earnings on February 27.
Lloyds could report annual
statutory profit for 2014, Deutsche Bank analysts Jason Napier
and David Lock, who have a buy
rating on the shares, wrote in a
note to clients last month. That
would be the first profit since
2009.
“We expect strong capital build
despite another £500mn in PPI
provisions, a charge to which
beleaguered investors have
become somewhat accustomed,”
the analysts wrote. Lloyds could
post a statutory profit of £1.6bn,
up from a loss of £838mn a year
earlier, and announce a 1 pence
dividend, they added.
Lloyds has already set aside
£11.3bn to cover the cost of
compensating customers over
wrongly sold PPI, the most of any
British lender.
ing needs for the next couple of months.
But it faces around €10bn ($11bn) of
debt repayments over the summer.
Clemens Fuest, head of the ZEW institute, said at the Reuters Eurozone
Summit that the chances of Greece
leaving the eurozone had “jumped from
close to zero to at least something like
20%” since the election.
The ECB’s policy-making Governing
Council was due to meet later to discuss
whether to extend emergency funding
for Greek banks, on what conditions and
for how long.
“We outlined to him the main objectives of this government which is to
reform Greece in a way that has never
been tried before and with a determination that was always absent,” Varoufakis
said after his session with Draghi.
“We also stated categorically that the
debt-deflationary cycle in which Greece
finds itself is detrimental to all efforts to
reform Greece. He was good enough to
explain to us his own constraints.”
An ECB source said Draghi had clarified the ECB’s institutional mandate and
“urged the new government to engage
constructively and speedily with the
Eurogroup to ensure continued financial
stability”.
Under ECB rules Athens needs to
be in a bailout programme or actively
negotiating a new one to qualify for
emergency funding. The government’s
ability to issue short-term treasury bills
to refinance itself is also limited by the
bailout agreement.
With the Greek public determined to
cast off the stigma of supervision by a
troika of EU, IMF and ECB inspectors,
and to regain economic sovereignty, the
semantics of any new arrangement may
be crucial.
A source familiar with the Greek position said after the talks with Draghi: “We
are thinking of a bridging programme.
You may not call it a ‘programme’ for
political reasons but perhaps a contract.” The German document demanded that troika oversight continue.
ECB officials in the meeting talked
about the rules on emergency funding
and their desire that the Greeks reach
an interim arrangement with the Eurogroup of eurozone finance ministers,
which next meets on February 16, the
source said.
Varoufakis has so far said Greece will
not extend the bailout programme when
it expires on February 28.
Tsipras won the election promising to
negotiate a debt write-off, reverse some
key reforms and end budget cuts.
Varoufakis has since struck a softer
tone, saying Greece aims to swap its official loans for growth-indexed bonds
and its ECB loans for perpetual interestyielding bonds with no repayment date.
Eurozone officials responded coolly,
noting that the ideas amount to a partial
write-off by other means.
IMF says
not in debt
talks with
Greece
AFP
Washington
The International Monetary
Fund said yesterday it was not
in debt talks with the new antiausterity Greek government,
which wants to renegotiate
its bailout from the IMF and
European Union.
“There is an agreed framework
for dealing with debt in the
current programme. There has
been no discussion with the
authorities on a change in this
framework,” the IMF said in a
brief statement.
The IMF’s European department
chief, Poul Thomsen, who is
charge of the IMF programme
with Greece, had met with
Greek Finance Minister Yanis
Varoufakis over the weekend
“to get acquainted and to
discuss the challenges facing
Greece,” Fund spokeswoman
Angela Gaviria said in an email
to AFP.
She did not provide further
details.
The radical left Syriza party
won a resounding victory in
the January 25 election after
pledging to end the previous
conservative administration’s
policies of austerity.
The Syriza-led government
is pushing to renegotiate the
terms of its massive €240bn
($270bn) bailout from the IMF,
the European Commission and
the European Central Bank.
Varoufakis, in an interview
with Italian newspaper La
Repubblica yesterday, said the
government was proposing that
Greece’s debt owed to the ECB
be repaid in full on the July 20
deadline.
But he said that the debt owed
to national governments and
the IMF could be swapped for
growth-linked bonds.
“We are proposing the other
tranches, to the IMF and other
countries, be substituted with
new bonds at market interest,
which is very low right now,
with a clause: we will start the
entire repayment once Greece’s
economy sees solid growth,”
he said.
Varoufakis said the idea had
already been put to the IMF.
He said he did not see “why
they should not accept an
extension like they always do
in these situations, at least until
the end of the year.”
Greece owes nearly €25bn to
the IMF, according to the global
crisis lender’s website.
The IMF in theory benefits from
its status as a priority lender
which guarantees it will be
reimbursed fully by countries
receiving its financial assistance
and prohibits restructuring of
its debt.
Companies too big to invert would
take brunt of Obama tax plan
Bloomberg
New York
P
resident Barack Obama’s proposal
to tax the offshore profits of US
Corps could encourage all but the
largest companies to follow their cash
hoard overseas, according to business
leaders and tax lawyers.
The plan would levy a one-time tax
of 14% on the $2.1tn US companies have
stockpiled abroad, sidestepping the
Internal Revenue Service. It also calls
for a 19% minimum tax on future foreign earnings. The prospect of those
increased taxes could spur some companies to relinquish their US residency
altogether - either by merging with a
foreign partner in a corporate inversion
or finding a foreign buyer, according to J
Richard Harvey, a former senior official
for the Treasury Department and the IRS.
Tax lawyers said there could even be
a rush to do so to avoid limitations the
administration is also proposing on inversions, in which US companies shift
their addresses overseas to tax-friendly
locations. “They are already looking to
invert under current law, so if you lay
over additional taxes, it seems inevitable
that there will be even more incentive for
them to get out of Dodge,” said Harvey, a
tax professor at Villanova School of Law
in Pennsylvania.
Most of the offshore corporate profits that would be subject to the tax is
controlled by the giants of the technology, finance and pharmaceutical sectors,
whose sheer size makes it difficult to find
The General Electric Co logo is displayed in Houston. Companies like GE, Microsoft
and Citigroup would take a big one-time hit to earnings, even though the rate is less
than half of that levied on domestic income.
a merger or buyout partner. Companies
like General Electric Co, Microsoft Corp
and Citigroup would take a big one-time
hit to earnings, even though the rate is
less than half of that levied on domestic income. Apple, which has reported
keeping $137bn indefinitely invested
offshore, would owe nearly $18bn under
the Obama plan; JPMorgan Chase & Co,
which holds $28.5bn, could expect a tax
bill of $2.5bn.
Though the measure would have an
immediate impact on earnings, the companies could pay the taxes over five years.
Andrew Gray, a JPMorgan spokesman,
declined to comment. Steve Dowling, a
spokesman for Apple, didn’t immediately respond to an e-mail and a phone
call seeking comment. Obama’s corporate
tax plan, which received a cool welcome
from Republicans and business leaders, is
viewed as an opening bid in the negotiation to rewrite the convoluted US corporate tax code, which imposes a top rate of
35% on worldwide income, but only taxes
foreign income when it’s brought home.
The president suggests lowering that top
rate to 28% and to 25% for manufacturers.
US companies have been pushing for
an overhaul for years, saying that it puts
them at a disadvantage compared with
competitors from countries that only tax
domestic income. Others argue that the
US system rewards multinational Corps
with aggressive tax strategies, allowing
them to shift their burden to individual
taxpayers and companies without overseas operations.
The White House proposal also would
bring a drop in profit for the companies
with cash stockpiled overseas because it
would force them to declare the tax bill
immediately as an expense against earnings. Currently, companies can defer declaring a tax expense on overseas profits
until they are brought back to the US and
become subject to federal taxes.
That could be significant for companies like Eli Lilly & Co, which holds
$23.7bn in overseas profits, equal to almost a third of its $79bn market capitalisation. The Obama proposal would
create a one-time tax of as much as
$3.3bn, which would also be reported
as an expense, and is larger than the
company’s entire 2014 net income of
$2.39bn. The final tally would depend in
part on whether credits for foreign taxes
paid could offset part of the US bill. Lauren Zierke, a spokeswoman for Eli Lilly,
declined to comment, and pointed to a
statement from Let’s Invest for Tomorrow America, a coalition of US-based
companies.
The Obama plan would “move the
US further away from the solutions we
need to strengthen our competitiveness abroad and grow our economy here
at home,” said Claire Buchan Parker, a
spokeswoman for the group.
Robert Ricketts, a tax professor at
Texas Tech University in Lubbock, said
many US companies that stockpiled cash
overseas have been motivated by a desire
to manage their earnings rather than to
reduce their taxes. Pushing their potential tax expenses into the future allowed
them to report higher earnings.
Thursday, February 5, 2015
BUSINESS
GULF TIMES
RasGas celebrates major safety achievements in 2014
RasGas has recently celebrated five
major safety milestones in 2014 during
a special ceremony held in Ras Laffan,
the company said in a statement.
RasGas said the milestones included
50mn man hours without a Lost Time
Injury (LTI) at the corporate level, 20mn
man hours without LTI (Operations
Group level), 30mn man hours without
LTI (Operation Projects Department),
18 years without LTI (Shorebase team
of the Offshore Asset), and the safe
shutdowns in 2014.
RasGas CEO Hamad Rashid alMohannadi said, “Each and every one of
these is a remarkable achievement on
their own but together it demonstrates
the unwavering commitment of our
employees to safety as a core value and
as a corporate strategic choice.”
RasGas has established a strong
culture of safety awareness, where
implementing and maintaining a safe
work environment through its safety
strategies, systems and processes, is
inherent in daily work practices. RasGas
employees take personal responsibility
for their own safety and for that of their
colleagues, he added.
During the event, RasGas also
recognised the role played by its
contractors in ensuring safety is a
priority and maintaining a safe work
environment in all RasGas locations.
RasGas CEO Hamad Rashid al-Mohannadi honours chief operations officer Hamad Mubarak
al-Muhannadi during the company’s “safety celebration.”
Ceremonial cutting of cake highlights the RasGas “safety celebration” held in Ras Laffan.
QBIC launches ‘3rd LeanStartup
Programme’ for entrepreneurs
T
he Qatar Business Incubation
Centre (QBIC) will launch the
third wave of its 10-week “LeanStartup Programme” for entrepreneurs
in Qatar on March 9. Applications are
open for candidates until February 22
via www.qbic.qa.
The programme provides entrepreneurs with a real hands-on experience
on how to successfully start a company.
Running twice a year in spring and autumn, the programme was based on
QBIC’s flagship “Lean Methodology.”
Traditionally, entrepreneurs are required to submit a business plan and
feasibility study. QBIC, however, focuses entirely on customer development and producing a prototype. This
approach, according to QBIC, “significantly reduces the cost of product
development and increases the probability of successfully starting a business.”
Over a span of 10 weeks, participants
will be provided action-oriented teaching and coaching sessions on how to
successfully start their businesses. They
will go through unique exercises and local Qatari business cases that QBIC developed for the first time in Qatar.
At the end of the programme, entrepreneurs will have their business ideas
validated with customers, developed a
prototype that customers need, and finish by pitching their new startup businesses to judges and potential investors.
QBIC’s LeanStartup Programme aims
to produce another generation of successful entrepreneurs in Qatar. Out of
54 enrolled startups in the previous two
Al Rayan
Investment
wins ‘Qatar
Asset
Manager
of the Year’
award
D
Would-be entrepreneurs deliberate on business strategies during the programme.
programmes, 19 are successfully running their businesses and generating
QR2mn in revenues in less than a year.
“Being a part of the LeanStartup Programme was an eye-opening experience to me, it changed my life and the
way I think about business; even the
way I look at my startup has changed,”
said QBIC entrepreneur Abdulhameed
Alyousef, co-founder of Rinfo startup,
which will be officially launched next
week.
QBIC entrepreneur Noora BuHelaiqa said, “The best part about the
Doha Bank wins ‘JP Morgan Quality
Recognition Award’ for 2014
Doha Bank has received the “JP Morgan Quality
Recognition Award” for 2014, Doha Bank Group CEO
Dr R Seetharaman announced.
Seetharaman said, “It is a matter of great pride for
Doha Bank to receive the coveted JP Morgan Quality
Recognition Award for 2014 and more so since we
have achieved the ‘Elite Quality Recognition Award’
in both the MT103, as well as the MT202 award categories. On behalf of the entire team at Doha Bank,
I would like to thank JP Morgan for bestowing this
honour upon us.”
Since 1997, the awards have been acknowledging
the consistent, high-quality performance of JP Morgan’s clients’ funds transfer operations management
and staff in addition to recognising their efforts in
achieving best-in-class “Straight Through Processing” (STP) rates.
According to JP Morgan, less than 1% of its total
“funds transfer” clients qualified for a “Quality Recognition Award” in 2014, highlighting Doha Bank’s
“phenomenal success” in exceeding JP Morgan’s
stringent STP performance standards.
The JP Morgan Quality Recognition Award is
divided into two groups, each designated by a Swift
message type (MT) and features two categories
namely, “Quality Recognition Award” and the “Elite
Quality Recognition Award,” which is given to
institutions that demonstrate the highest level of
performance.
Doha Bank qualified for the “Elite Quality Recognition Award” in both the categories with an “exceptional” STP rate of 99.15% for the MT103 Awards
and an STP rate of 99.7% for the MT202 Awards.
“As one of the leading financial services companies
in the Middle East that is always striving for excellence, we are extremely delighted to have secured
high STP rates in both the categories and we look
forward to continue surpassing the expectations of
our clients, partner banks and customers,” Seetharaman said.
Dr R Seetharaman receiving the “JP Morgan Quality Recognition Award” for Doha Bank in the
presence of senior JP Morgan and Doha Bank executives.
Participants join one of the programme activities.
programme is that it enables us to turn
our ideas into reality without having a
business plan, which is extremely motivating because we see tangible results in
a matter of weeks.”
Another QBIC entrepreneur, Mohamed al-Jefairi, added, “Through the
LeanStartup Programme, I was able to
significantly increase revenues. Last
month alone, we generated more revenues than the whole of last year by actively listening to customers. It sounds
simple, but it’s not. It was a great learning experience for me.”
Indian envoy opens office of new
law firm Kochery & Partners
I
ndian Ambassador Sanjiv
Arora has highlighted the
necessity of career professionals from different sectors
upgrading their skills at intervals
so that the society would be benefited. The envoy said this while
inaugurating the new law firm
Kochery & Partners, managed
by Doha legal professional and
rights activist Nizar Kochery.
The Indian ambassador also
recalled the humanitarian services extended by the legal professional to people of different
communities in Qatar.
Arora hoped the QFC licence
will help widen the scope of the
new law firm’s activities to meet
the corporate and other requirements.The law firm is the first
overseas Indian legal office to
get the licence at the Qatar Financial Centre. Besides Arora,
South African Ambassador Saad
Cachalia, Liberian Ambassador
Ibrahim K Nyei and Doha Bank
Group CEO Dr Seetharaman and
former director of Qatar Petroleum Juma Ismail Buanain also
spoke at the occasion.
Seetharaman highlighted the
importance of a corporate law
firm in the growing economy
where SMEs are the driving
force and role model behind a
large number of innovations and
Indian Ambassador Sanjiv Arora speaking at the inauguration of
office of the new law firm Kochery & Partners as South African
Ambassador Saad Cachalia (middle), Liberian Ambassador Ibrahim K
Nyei and Nizar Kochery look on. PICTURE: Jayan Orma
contribute to the growth of the
economy. The firm will be able
provide direction on SME growth
and introduce proper corporate
governance mechanisms.
Later Dr Cachalia explained
the relevance of Kochery &
Partners LLP in promoting arbitration as the mode of dispute
resolution.
Representatives of the Qatar
Financial Centre, chief financial
officer and director, (Tax) Sheikh
Salman al-Thani, director (Licensing) Mohamed Yunus Atip
and director, (Business Development) Martin Tidestrom, head
(Client Relationship)
Basma
Nour, Client Relationship executive, Saad Mohamed Aissam
and some prominent community members also attended the
inaugural function.
In his reply Kochery, who is
the firm’s managing partner,
said the QFC Licence opened
up a new space for maintaining
many ties that exist between India and Qatar and in fostering an
even closer relationship.
The new office functions on
the 20th floor of Almana Business Tower along C-Ring Road
in Bin Mahmoud.
oha-based Al Rayan
Investment has won
the “Qatar asset manager of the year” award for
the second consecutive year
during the 2015 Fund Manager Performance Awards held
in Dubai.
“Being recognised as Qatar’s best asset manager two
years in a row is a tremendous honour and we thank
our clients for their continued support. This award is
testimony from our peers in
the investment community
of the strength of our investment philosophy and processes,” said Al Rayan Investment chief investment officer
Haithem Katerji.
Hosted by Mena Fund
Manager Magazine, the event
gathered more than 200
leaders of the regional industry. The awards were judged
by a team of industry experts
within the Mena region.
Al Rayan Investment was
recognised as asset manager
of the year in Qatar based on
a “prudent investment philosophy” and ability to deliver “consistent investment
performance” to its global
investor base.
Director of Asset Management Akber Khan explained
that “A disciplined investment approach and processes combined with real
time risk management and
strong product innovation
have helped Al Rayan’s rapid
growth.
This has helped Al Rayan
Investment establish itself as
a dominant GCC asset manager attracting an increasingly global institutional client
base.”“Being one of the few
asset managers in the region
with expertise in both sukuk
and listed equities enables us
to seize opportunities across
asset classes for the benefit of
all our investors.
The team is delighted to
again receive acknowledgement from industry experts
and remains committed to
targeting strong and consistent returns for investors,”
Khan added.
Al Rayan Investment manages investments in excess of
QR3bn ($800mn), which are
invested in sukuk and GCC
listed equities, including Al
Rayan GCC Fund.
Over the last 24 months,
the fund has delivered a 42%
return while the GCC market
was up 8% (S&P GCC Shariah Index). Subscriptions to
the fund are open to individual and institutional investors of all nationalities living
in or outside Qatar.
Al Rayan Investment is
fully owned by Masraf Al
Rayan, a Shariah-compliant
bank in Qatar.
NBA | Page 8
SPOTLIGHT | Page 9
FOOTBALL | Page 6
Augustin
shines as
Pistons cool
off Miami Heat
McIlroy
and former
agents settle
legal case
Van Gaal
dreams of
Wembley after
replay stroll
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Rabia II 16, 1436 AH
CRICKET
GULF TIMES
SPORT
Steady Misbah,
volatile Afridi key to
Pakistan success
Page 4
Qatar Total Open has six appeal
By Sports Reporter
Doha
T
QTF President Nasser bin Ghanem al-Khelaifi with Guillaume Chalmin, Total E&P Qatar
Managing Director and Group Representative, at yesterday’s press conference.
he presence of six of the top 10 players
at this month’s Qatar Total Open WTA
tournament is “fantastic” news for
tennis fans, President of the Qatar Tennis Federation Nasser bin Ghanem al-Khelaifi
told a press conference yesterday.
“It is fantastic to see six of the world’s top
10 players entered for our tournament which
is in its 13th year. Our defending champion
Simona Halep from Romania has risen up the
rankings from No.10 to No.3 in the world and is
now a real title contender at Grand Slam tournaments,” al-Khelaifi said at the Khalifa Tennis
and Squash Complex.
“We have the current Wimbledon champion,
Petra Kvitova who enters our event as No.4 in
the world while there are others such as former
No.1 Caroline Wozniacki and one of the alltime greats, Venus Williams who will grace our
splendid facility.”
Al-Khelaifi added that every fan will find
somebody to cheer at the tournament because
numerous countries are represented.
“I am pleased to see the strength of the play-
er field improving every year and also the good
response of the public to these top athletes as
well. There are numerous countries represented which means the public will always find
someone to support.
The higher organisng committee deserves
credit for putting together such a wonderful
event which will highlight Doha as a sporting
location to the world.
Tournament title sponsor Total E&P Qatar
explained their history with the tournament
and how much it means to them as an organisation.
“Total was the sponsor of the very first edition of the Qatar Total Open, 14 years ago. Step
by step, we have seen the tournament grow and
become one of the major sporting events in
Qatar, attracting the biggest tennis stars in the
world while shining a grand spotlight on Doha,”
said Guillaume Chalmin, Total E&P Qatar
Managing Director and Group Representative.
“Qatar has no doubt proven its ability to organise such a Grand Slam class tournament.
Total is proud of this partnership and this is a
great satisfaction for us working with QTF.”
The 2015 Qatar Total Open is being held 2328 February with all matches played at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex.
Reigning Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova will
be one of the star attractions of the event.
2
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
SPORT
QMMF QATAR INTERNATIONAL RALLY
Al-Attiyah teams up with
Baumel for 12th Qatar title
‘This is my home event and is always special. Winning here, in front of my home fans and at my home club, is the goal’
By Sports Reporter
Doha
A
n unprecedented 12th victory
in 13 starts at the Qatar International Rally is the target for
top seed Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah at this weekend’s opening round of
the 2015 FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC).
Fresh from leading the prestigious
Dakar Rally from the second stage to
the finish, the defending regional rally champion has teamed up with his
Dakar-winning navigator Matthieu
Baumel for the traditional two-day
MERC opener across the Qatar deserts.
Making the switch from a Mini All4
Racing to his customary special stage
Ford Fiesta RRC should be no problem for a man who has already won 54
regional championship rallies and is
now just six short of the record 60 wins
achieved by Mohamed Ben Sulayem.
“This is my home event and is always
special,” said Nasser. “Winning here, in
front of my home fans and at my home
club, is the goal again, not only to get
the season off to a winning start, but to
put another win in the history books.”
The entry of 15 is small by recent Qatar standards, but the quality is there
for all to see and Abu Dhabi Racing’s
Sheikh Khalid al-Qassimi will be even
more determined to break his Qatar
duck and get the season off to a winning
start after missing out on the regional
title after the Dubai International Rally
last December.
Al-Qassimi and Chris Patterson
are entered in the sole Citroën DS3
on the entry list. Patterson won the
Qatar Rally on five occasions with alAttiyah between 2004 and 2008 and
would love to have another victory
notched on his belt.
Saudi Arabian driver Yazeed al-Rajhi
is chasing a fifth MERC success and a
first in Qatar. The Riyadh driver produced one of the performances of the
recent Dakar Rally before mechanical
issues intervened and cost him a podium finish. He and Michael Orr are
committed to a season of MERC competition and need points on the board if
they are to make a strong challenge for
the title that Orr last won as a co-driver
with al-Qassimi in 2004.
Abdulaziz al-Kuwari has already announced a WRC2 programme for 2015
and teams up with Killian Duffy to
tackle the event he won in 2012 – a success that was the first and only victory
for the Mini S2000 in the Middle East.
The fourth seed was second last year
and pushed al-Attiyah hard on some
stages.
Abdullah al-Kuwari, Khalifa al-Attiyah and Khalid al-Suwaidi bolster the
Qatar challenge in a trio of Ford Fiestas,
with the Irish duo of Enda Sherry and
John Higgins joining local co-driver
Adel Hussein on the entry list.
The State of Kuwait will host round
Qatar’s Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah works on his Ford Fiesta RRC ahead of the Qatar International Rally which kicks off today; (below) Qatar’s Abdulaziz al-Kuwari in action during last year’s event.
two of the series in mid-March and two
teams will tackle the Qatar event. Salah
bin Eidan lines up alongside new Slovenian co-driver Vili Oslaj in a Mitsubishi
Lancer Evolution IX. Competition will
come from Qatar’s Rashid al-Naimi and
his experienced Emirati co-driver Arif
Yousef Mohamed, while Germany’s
Edith Weiss tackles her eighth Qatar
Rally in another Mitsubishi Lancer
alongside her Greek navigator Vicky
Psarakis.
With Iran about to break into FIA
international motor sport with the
running of the Iran Rally in May, two
Tehran Rally Team Subaru Imprezas
complete the field. Mohamed Ghalehbani and Seyedmassood Vahedi replace
Laleh Seddigh and Elahah Karimi in the
lead car and Ali Mesgarha and Vahidreza Vahdatinikzad crew car 16.
ENTRY LIST
1. Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah (QAT)/Mat-
thieu Baumel (FRA) Ford Fiesta RRC
2. Khalid al-Qassimi (ARE)/Chris Patterson (GBR) Citroën DS3 RRC
3. Yazeed al-Rajhi (SAU)/Michael Orr
(GBR) Ford Fiesta RRC
4. Abdulaziz al-Kuwari (QAT)/Killian
Duffy (IRL) Ford Fiesta RRC
5. Abdullah al-Kuwari (QAT)/Enda
Sherry (IRL) Ford Fiesta R5
6. Khalifa al-Attiyah (QAT)/Adel Hussein
(QAT) Ford Fiesta RRC
7. Khalid al-Suwaidi (QAT)/John Higgins
(IRL) Ford Fiesta RRC
8. Salah bin Eidan (KUW)/Vili Oslaj (SLO)
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX
11. Rashid al-Naimi (QAT)/Arif Yousef
Mohammed (ARE) Mitsubishi Lancer
Evo X
14. Mohamed Ghalehbani(IRN)/Seyedmassood Vahedi (IRN) Subaru Impreza
15. Edith Weiss (GER)/Vicky Psarakis
(GRE) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX
16. Ali Mesgarha (IRN)/Vahidreza Vahdatinikzad (IRN) Subaru Impreza
PORSCHE GT3 CUP CHALLENGE MIDDLE EAST
Schmid sets early pace in Round 4 of Porsche GT3 Cup
By Sports Reporter
Doha
A
l Nabooda Racing’s Clemens Schmid
dominated first practice ahead of
Round 4 of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge weekend at Losail International
Circuit in Qatar, posting the fastest lap of the
session.
Once again exciting night conditions have
been introduced by the organisers with series
leader Schmid returning to race on the fast and
furious Losail International Circuit for the second of two back-to-back race rounds in Qatar.
After reaching the half-way mark in the
championship at Losail International Circuit
two weeks ago following three rounds and six
races, Round 4 represents the start of the second half of the season with all the drivers looking forward to the challenge ahead.
In first practice Schmid, winner of both races
at the Losail track in Round 3 was just 0.190
seconds faster than defending champion Zaid
Ashkanani showing exactly how tight the competition is. Despite his pace this morning, the
conditions the drivers will qualify and race in are
set to quite different as the sun sets, cooling the
track, and the lights of Losail are switched on for
an exciting night race.
Speaking after first practice Schmid said:
“It’s only been a few weeks but great as always
to get back out in the car. As you’d expect my
times in first practice were getting progressively
quicker and it was in the last few minutes that I
really found that extra pace. The conditions are
slightly different so we set the car differently to
make the most of them but it’s going to change
again when the sun sets and the lights come on.
It adds an extra dimension to the racing so it’s
going to be a fun weekend.”
As it stands, Ashkanani (134 pts) trails behind
Season 4 champion Schmid (144 pts) but holds
a 16-point lead over the third placed Sheikh
Hasher al-Maktoum of Skydive Dubai Falcons in
the drivers’ Standings. The Qatar Round 4 also
represents a huge opportunity for Skydive Dubai
Falcons which is made up of Sheikh Hasher alMaktoum and Saeed al-Mehairi to build on their
team standings, a table which they currently
lead over Al Nabooda Racing.
Speaking ahead of Round 4 Ashkanani said:
“The temperature of the track will be different
going into this race but we had a good practice
session and are trying new things. As track temperatures will be different it’s hard to know what
the right setup is but having taken part in the last
round I feel pretty confident that we know what
to expect. It’s another important race where
I have to make some points back on Clemens.
Last year the night time conditions made things
a little more interesting so I’ll be as focused as I
can to make the most of any opportunities.”
With Round 5 set to take place at Dubai Autodrome Circuit before a final showdown in
Bahrain which will act as a support race to the
official Bahrain Grand Prix weekend in April, all
the drivers are well aware that they are entering
the crucial part of the season. Every lap, every
qualifying, position and point counts as the race
for the championship heats up starting with Qatar in the coming days.
The region’s leading drivers will line-up in
the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup again as the star attractions at Losail International Circuit for Race
1 Round 4 today (8pm) and tomorrow.
Clemens Schmid of Al Nabooda Racing in action during the first practice of the fourth round of Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East yesterday.
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
3
CRICKET
A GLANCE AT THE WORLD CUP VENUES
The 100,000-seat MCG hosted the 1992 World
Cup final which saw Pakistan beat England.
IN AUSTRALIA
MELBOURNE CRICKET GROUND (MCG)
One of the world’s largest and most famous
sporting venues, the 100,000-seat MCG was
originally built for cricket in 1854 and was the
main stadium for the 1956 Olympics and the
venue for the 1992 World Cup final which saw
Pakistan beat England. Australia played their
first Test against England at the ‘G’ in 1877,
winning by 45 runs, and the hosts’ last victory
there over their arch-rivals brought a test
record crowd of 91,112 on Boxing Day, 2013.
SYDNEY CRICKET GROUND (SCG)
Founded on a swampy reserve for colonial
soldiers to play sports in the mid-19th century,
the Sydney Cricket Ground is the only one of
Australia’s major cricket grounds that regularly
presents wickets offering decent turn for spinners. The SCG was also the first venue to host
a cricket match under lights when Australia
played West Indies in 1978.
is nonetheless beloved of pace and swing
bowlers. An afternoon sea-breeze called the
‘Fremantle Doctor,’ which blows across the
ground, can bring extra pace and movement to
test visiting batsmen. The venue was the backdrop for an infamous clash between Australia
fast bowler Dennis Lillee and Pakistan batsman
Javed Miandad who collided on the pitch. Lillee
was suspended for two matches after kicking
Miandad from behind and the Pakistani raised
his bat above his head as if to strike him.
THE GABBA (Brisbane)
Named after the surrounding suburb Woolloongabba, the Brisbane ground was built in
1896 and generally holds the opening test of a
series in Australia. A somewhat soul-less bowl,
the wicket is usually fast and bouncy and can
be an intimidating place for visiting teams
when packed out with a vociferous crowd. It
was the venue for the first tied Test between
Australian and West Indies in 1960.
IN NEW ZEALAND
EDEN PARK (Auckland)
Originally a drained swamp, it became a sports
ground in 1900. The home of Auckland cricket
since 1910 and Auckland rugby since 1925, it is
also the site of the infamous flour bomb rugby
test between South Africa and New Zealand in
1981. While a multipurpose venue, it hosted the
opening game of the 1992 tournament, it has
become more of a specialised rugby ground
since with the construction of stands for the
2011 rugby World Cup creating a strange configuration for cricket.
The ground has short boundaries behind
square at the northern end and straight down
the ground and captains and bowlers will need
to plan accordingly. Capacity has been reduced
to around 45,000 after the removal of temporary seating following the 2011 rugby World
Cup. Will host three pool games, including the
match between co-hosts Australia and New
Zealand, and one semi-final.
BELLERIVE OVAL (Hobart)
ADELAIDE OVAL
A major redevelopment of the Adelaide Oval has
robbed the ground of its once famous old-world
charm, but it remains an excellent venue to
watch the sport. With short boundaries square
of the wicket, it is a batsman’s paradise. Australia
captain Michael Clarke has long plundered runs
there, and he became the most prolific test
century-scorer at the ground in December when
he struck his seventh ton against India.
THE WACA (Perth)
Possibly the least well-appointed of Australia’s
major grounds from a spectator’s perspective, the Perth venue’s fast and bouncy pitch
On the nothern bank of the Derwent river in
Tasmania state capital Hobart, picturesque
Bellerive is a relatively young venue for international cricket, hosting its first one-day match
in 1988 and test the following year. The ground
has been given a major face-lift for the World
Cup and with its new grandstand, now boasts a
capacity of 20,000.
MANUKA OVAL (Canberra)
Built in the Depression era, the boutique Manuka Oval in Australia’s capital Canberra has long
hosted tour matches for visiting sides and held
its first one-day international between South
Africa and Zimbabwe at the 1992 World Cup.
SEDDON PARK (Hamilton)
The boutique-sized ground was designated for
recreational use in 1864 and named after Prime
Minister Richard Seddon in 1906. Hosted its
inaugural first class match during the 1956/57
season and first international match in 1981
before it became a test venue in 1991. A sweeping grass bank around more than half of the
perimeter contributes to a village green-like
atmosphere during test matches for a crowd of
about 10,000. Has been ranked in the top-20
cricket venues in the world.
MCLEAN PARK (Napier)
Originally established in 1910 to serve as a site
for public recreation and as a memorial to 19th
century politician Donald McLean. Essentially a
rectangular rugby ground, but has an embankment at one end complemented by four separately built, but now linked, grandstands forming
a horseshoe around the other three sides to
give a capacity of about 22,000. Short square
boundaries and superb batting pitches often
contribute to big scores in one-day matches.
WELLINGTON REGIONAL STADIUM
Built on rail yards land, the $130 million stadium replaced the windswept and crumbling
Athletic Park as the main venue for rugby in
2000. Due to its oval shape and corrugated
steel cladding, locals quickly nicknamed it ‘The
Cake Tin’. Is a multi-use ground, hosting international limited overs cricket as well as rugby
and soccer matches, open-air concerts and is
the venue for the hugely popular New Zealand
stop on the IRB’s world sevens circuit. Film
maker Peter Jackson also recorded 30,000
fans chanting during a cricket match at the
ground to use as sound effects for his Lord of
the Rings trilogy.
SAXTON OVAL (Nelson)
The smallest World Cup venue with a capacity
of just 5,000, the Oval is part of a wider sports
complex developed by local government to
centralise sports and recreation facilities in the
city. Cricket was first played on the picturesque
ground in 2009 with a T20 match between
Central Districts and Canterbury. The boutique
ground hosted its first one-day international
in January last year when New Zealand played
West Indies, while the World Cup co-hosts
played Sri Lanka there in January. It will host
three pool matches during the tournament.
HAGLEY OVAL (Christchurch)
Local cricket officials were forced to develop
a new international venue after the Feb. 22,
2011 earthquake devastated much of central
Christchurch, including Lancaster Park though
its rectangular shape was becoming less suited
for cricket matches anyway.
The ground on the vast green space of Hagley Park on the western edges of the city was
awarded the opening game before it had been
given planning permission. Opponents then
launched an expensive court case to halt it.
Permission was granted in 2013 and the
9,000-capacity venue hosted its first international match in December when New
Zealand played Sri Lanka in a test - the first
international cricket match in the city since the
earthquake.
It then held its first one-day international in
January between the same sides, with temporary stands to be built taking the capacity to
20,000 for the tournament’s opening match
between the two sides.
UNIVERSITY OVAL (Dunedin)
The picturesque ground near the city’s university hosted its first international match in
2008, though it needed significant upgrades
to the drainage system and wicket block in
its early days. Its expansion has been halted
by a protection order on a historic building at
the northern end of the venue and its capacity is restricted to around 6,000, even with
temporary seating. Was the site of the first use
of cricket’s Decision Review System (DRS) in
a test between New Zealand and Pakistan in
2009. The ground will host three matches in
pool play with Afghanistan and Scotland both
playing two matches each there.
(From left) The Eden Park stadium in Auckland, the Wellington Regional Stadium
and the Adelaide Oval, which will host the India-Pakistan match on Feb 15.
STAYING PUT
BIG SUPPORT
England bowling coach Saker
Coach Lehmann backs Clarke as
denies Queensland move rumours Australia captain at World Cup
theguardian.com
London
Darren Lehmann
with Michael Clarke
D
avid Saker, the England
bowling coach, has strongly
denied that he is about to
leave his role in order to
coach in Australia.
There have been rumours linking
him in particular to the head coach job
at Queensland from which the former
Australia batsman Stuart Law was recently sacked.
Saker is currently on a fishing trip in
Victoria before rejoining the England
squad in Sydney to prepare for the
forthcoming World Cup, but he told
the Guardian: “I have definitely not
been offered any jobs in Australia.”
The 48-year-old replaced Ottis Gibson as England’s bowling coach in 2010,
having previously played state cricket
for Victoria and Tasmania, before
coaching both Victoria and Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League.
His current contract is due to expire
at the end of September. He had previously expressed a desire to extend
that, but the onerous nature of touring with England, and the fact that he
was unable to take some time off that
had been promised previously, has
changed his thinking.
“It is not my intention to carry on
beyond September,” he said. “I will
definitely be moving on then.”
Ideally, he said would like a job in
domestic cricket in England. He is very
much an Anglophile, enjoying living in
the Cotswolds. He has a young family
who are well settled, and a year ago he
took out British citizenship. If a county
job came up then I would probably
have to leave to take that up,” he said.
“I would also have to think about
AFP
Melbourne
A
any jobs in Australia that were offered
to me. But as it stands, no one has
been in contact.
“As it stands I shall be fully focused
on the World Cup and then on helping
England win back the Ashes.
“I don’t know where these rumours
start but I think it is all a case of people
seeing a lot of jobs around in Australia,
trying to put two and two together and
coming up with five.”
He did explain that in order to finish in September, he must give six
months’ notice, which would mean
the end of March and perhaps some
confusion arose from this.
ustralia coach Darren Lehmann has offered his full
support for Michael Clarke to return as captain for
the World Cup after weeks of speculation over the
33-year-old’s career.
Asked if Clarke would be skipper again if fit in time for the
competition which begins later this month, Lehmann said:
“Definitely.”
“He’s ahead of schedule,” to return from hamstring
surgery and chronic back pain, Lehmann added.
Cricket Australia have given Clarke until Australia’s second pool match against Bangladesh on February 21 to prove
his fitness for the World Cup.
But Lehmann suggested that he could resume playing
earlier, saying “fingers crossed he might be”.
“Michael wants to lead his side really well through the
World Cup and win the World Cup,” Lehmann said.
Clarke is set to play for a Cricket Australia XI against
Bangladesh in a one-day practice match on Thursday in
Brisbane but he will be restricted to batting and light fielding. He appeared to move freely in fielding drills and in the
nets yesterday morning as he met his Australia XI teammates, who are mostly youngsters and fringe Sheffield
Shield players.
Clarke was moved on Monday to admit he was ready to
play under the captaincy of young gun Steve Smith.
Amid reports that the team prefers the stand-in skipper
who has had a sensational summer, Clarke insisted his relationship with his teammates was exceptional.
Clarke was forced to bow out after the first Test against
India in December with the serious hamstring injury, and
Smith filled in as captain with great success for the three
remaining Tests.
4
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
CRICKET
FOCUS
Steady Misbah, volatile Afridi key to Pak success
AFP
Dubai
P
akistan one-day skipper Misbahul Haq (left) and predecessor Shahid Afridi play for the same team,
but come from different worlds.
If the unpredictable Pakistanis are to secure a second World Cup in Australia and
New Zealand, they need the two heavyweight talents to forge a united front.
Misbah is conservative, careful; Afridi is
brash, belligerent.
Misbah takes time to settle and plays
with a straight bat, characteristics which
are alien to most fans of the game in Pakistan who have still not forgiven him for
failing to guide the country to victory over
arch-rivals India in the World Twenty20 final in Johannesburg in 2007.
His ill-advised paddle-sweep with just
five runs needed for victory still rankles.
Then at Mohali in the 2011 World Cup
semi-finals, Misbah batted out crucial deliveries before scoring 56 off 76 balls as Pakistan again lost to India.
“If he ever sits in my cab I will ask him why
he bats so slowly,” says bemused Abu Dhabi
taxi driver Kamal Khan during a recent series
in the Gulf, Pakistan’s home-from-home in
recent years. “Misbah is disliked for his slow
batting while Afridi rules hearts because of
his aggressive fours and sixes.”
Afridi tends to throw his bat from the
get-go, seemingly caring little for the nature of the pitch, the strength of the bowler
or the situation of the match.
“Once I went to bat and asked Afridi
about the pitch and he replied: ‘I don’t
know, but I am enjoying it as the ball is
coming onto the bat’,” recalls former captain
Ramiz Raja.
Afridi’s strength is his lusty hitting—he
hit two last-over sixes to help Pakistan pull
off an incredible win over India in last year’s
Asia Cup in Dhaka.
When it comes to captaining the side,
Misbah and Afridi are poles apart. Despite
becoming Pakistan’s most successful Test
captain last year, Misbah is criticized for
being defensive.
“Misbah is overly defensive as captain
while Afridi attacks and is very aggressive,”
former captain Mohamed Yousuf said.
Misbah took over from Afridi as one-day
skipper in 2011.
But when Misbah withdrew from the
third and final one-dayer against Australia
in Abu Dhabi last year over poor batting
form, Afridi grabbed his new opportunity
with both hands.
But Misbah returned with a bang, equalling the fastest Test century off just 56 balls
thus ending speculation that Afridi might
replace him as captain for the World Cup.
Both men will quit one-day cricket after
the World Cup but Misbah will continue to
play Tests while Afridi will continue to enjoy the brasher Twenty20.
WORLD CUP/ EIGHT DAYS TO GO
Contenders saddled
with familiar baggage
Boasting a world class attack, a fearless leader in AB de Villiers and an embarrassment of batting
riches, South Africa have a gilt-edged chance to break their duck in the tournament this time
Reuters
Melbourne
W
ith strong hosts expected
to challenge, a highlyfancied South Africa facing their demons and a
sprawling format certain to generate
criticism, the cricket World Cup’s return to Australia and New Zealand is a
case of deja vu in many ways.
Since the trans-Tasman neighbours
first co-hosted in 1992, the one-day
game’s global showpiece has morphed
into a commercial behemoth and a
television event followed by millions
around the world.
Familiar themes endure, however,
and many of the 14 teams competing
at the February 14-March 29 have arrived in the Antipodes with the same
baggage as World Cups past.
Boasting a world class attack, a
fearless leader in AB de Villiers and
an embarrassment of batting riches,
South Africa have a gilt-edged chance
to break their duck in the tournament.
None of de Villiers’ squad was party
to the semi-final disaster at the 1999
tournament in Britain or their firstround exit in 2003 on home soil.
The “chokers” tag is still irritating,
though, said retired skipper Graeme
Smith. “Unfortunately it’s something
they’ll never get rid of until we go on
and win a tournament,” he said. “We
made some stupid mistakes.”
Australia, far and away the most
successful team at the World Cup
with four titles, failed to make the
knockout phase in 1992 and are under
pressure to win on their home pitches.
In common with the 2011 tournament in the subcontinent, when Ricky
Ponting’s leadership was under con-
stant speculation, the co-hosts have
been distracted by local media reports
of a rift between captain Michael
Clarke, his teammates and the country’s cricket governing body.
Recovering from hamstring surgery, Clarke was given a deadline by
selectors to be fit in time for the team’s
second group match even as pundits
have questioned his place in a batting
lineup already brimming with class.
Reigning champions India also have
no shortage of quality batsmen but
have traditionally struggled on southern hemisphere pitches without penetrative seam bowlers.
Semi-finalists in six out of the 10
World Cups, New Zealand have generally punched above their weight and
are expected to do so again with home
comforts and a possible semi-final in
Auckland.
As with the 2011 tournament, the
10 test-playing nations will be joined
by four Associate teams—Ireland, Afghanistan, United Arab Emirates and
Scotland.
With two groups of seven teams
playing round-robin matches, the
preliminary round meanders for five
weeks until the top four in each group
advance to the quarter-finals starting
on March 18.
Battling
administrative
chaos
and baffling squad selections, twice
champions West Indies may be the
most likely to join either lowly Bangladesh or Zimbabwe in making an
early exit.
With omitted former captain
Dwayne Bravo paying the price for a
contract dispute with the Caribbean
cricket board, 23-year-old all-rounder Jason Holder has the Herculean
task of leading a team of disparate
personalities.
Though the quarter-finalists are
likely to conform to the eight highest
teams in the ICC’s world rankings, the
knockout rounds will at least promise
genuine suspense.
Five of the seven venues to be used
during the knockouts will have dropin wickets, which lack the variation
and carry of the co-hosts’ other traditionally prepared pitches, offering
a more even playing field for the hosts
and visitors alike.
It will be a last hurrah in the format for Sri Lankan stalwarts Kumar
Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene,
and for the latter, a farewell to international cricket altogether.
Organisers expect more than one
million spectators to flock to the
49 games at 14 venues and a television audience of over a billion viewers, cricket’s biggest window to the
world.
Minnows take
heart from
shock-laden
World Cup
AFP
London
T
ake a look at the bowling figures: 8.2-6-7-3. Those were not
the World Cup bowling figures
of Australian leg-spin wizard
Shane Warne or Pakistani fast bowling
great Wasim Akram, but of a one-time
tennis player.
Kenyan left-arm spinner Aasif Karim,
who also represented his country in
the Davis Cup, was 39 when he caught
the eye with those 50 magical deliveries, tying famed Australian batsmen
into knots in Durban in 2003.
He had quit cricket after the 1999
World Cup in England but returned for
the next edition in South Africa, showing what players from non-Test playing
nations were capable of at cricket’s
showpiece event.
Karim’s victims included Australian
captain Ricky Ponting, Darren Lehmann and Brad Hogg. He went wicketless against India in the next game,
which turned out to be his last ODI.
Players from so-called minnows may
quake at the prospect of facing pacemen Dale Steyn and Mitchell Johnson
or bowling to Rohit Sharma and Chris
Gayle. But the giants of the game
should under-estimate the minnows—
represented in Australia and New
Zealand by the likes of Afghanistan,
Scotland and the UAE—at their peril.
Previous World Cups are full of
examples of players from smaller sides
who have enjoyed a rare moment
in the sun such as Canadian John
Davison, Kenyan Maurice Odumbe and
Irish brothers Niall and Kevin O’Brien.
Davison overshadowed batting
greats for a day when he smashed
the then fastest World Cup hundred,
off 67 balls, against the West Indies at
Centurion in 2003. New Zealand were
to suffer next from Davison’s punishing blade as the Canadian hammered
a half-century off just 25 balls against
an attack containing quality pacemen
Shane Bond and Jacob Oram.
Ireland’s part-timers made history
on St Patrick’s Day in 2007 when they
knocked out former champions Pakistan in the first round with a three-wicket win, their stars being paceman Boyd
Rankin (3-32) and Niall O’Brien (72).
In another famous shock, when Kenyan Rajab Ali shared the new ball with
Martin Suji in a 1996 World Cup match
at Pune, two-time champions West
Indies did not expect they would struggle to chase a modest 167-run target.
But Ali rocked the top order with two
wickets, including that of Brian Lara, while
off-spinner Odumbe (3-15) kept pressure
on the middle order as their team pulled
off a sensational 73-run victory.
England were surprised by Zimbabwean chicken farmer Eddo Brandes,
who finished with 4-21 off 10 dream
overs in his team’s nine-run victory in a
1992 World Cup game at Albury.
Zimbabwe had pulled off a major
shock nine years earlier when Duncan
Fletcher (69 not out and 4-42) masterminded Australia’s downfall with a
brilliant all-round show.
Dave Houghton managed to win
two man-of-the-match awards even
in Zimbabwe’s defeats, cracking 84
against Australia at Southampton in
1983 and 142 against New Zealand at
Hyderabad in India in 1987. Four years
ago in Bangalore, Kevin O’Brien hit the
fastest World Cup century off just 50
balls as Ireland stunned England.
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
5
FOOTBALL
SPOTLIGHT
ALLEGATION
Time for Qatar Stars
League to resume
after a long break
‘It is more difficult to come back after a break, especially when you are at the top of
the table. Now we are starting the competition and we’re expecting a difficult game’
Real had a part in
Neymar court case,
suggests Barca pres
Reuters
Barcelona
B
arcelona president Josep
Maria Bartomeu insinuated that bitter enemies
Real Madrid had a part to
play in the Neymar transfer court
case in which he has been called
to give evidence.
“We have done nothing wrong
and we will keep saying the
truth. The signing of Neymar
took place using the most prestigious lawyers,” Bartomeu told
Spanish television.
“Other clubs wanted to sign
Neymar paying more money but
they didn’t manage it and they
didn’t like that. Someone now
has overstepped the line.
“I’m not saying Madrid are
behind this but Neymar’s father
told me that there were two offers: Barca and Madrid. Madrid
wanted to buy him and were
ready to pay more for him.
“A year ago Neymar was playing well and then all this fuss
suddenly came up. Maybe somebody doesn’t like him. Now again
he is playing well and there is another judicial process.”
Bartomeu also suggested that
there is a political campaign
against the club over its prominent role in Catalan nationalism.
“A year ago we allowed the
Camp Nou to be used for the
Liberty Concert, we play with
the colours of the Senyera (the
Catalan flag) ... maybe that isn’t
liked,” he said.
“I can see a sport and politics
issue but we are going to keep
going as we are and reach the end
which is my role. We are paying a
political price.”
Bartomeu will be questioned
on Feb. 13 over whether Barcelona and their directors defrauded
the Spanish tax office of 2.8 million euros ($3.21 million) during
the 2014 tax year.
Barcelona initially claimed
that the cost of the Neymar
transfer from Santos ahead of
last season was 57.1 million euros
($65.41 million) but the case was
taken to court by a fan seeking
transparency over the deal.
Former president Sandro
Rosell resigned in January, 2014,
after a judge decided to investigate and call him to testify.
Bartomeu, having replaced
Rosell, gave a breakdown of the
cost of the Neymar transfer
which revealed that it amounted
to 86.2 million euros ($98.75 million) with the inclusion of payments to the player and his family.
Judge Pablo Ruz feels there is
sufficient argument to investigate a claim that tax was not paid
on an outstanding installment of
the transfer that took place at the
start of Bartomeu’s presidency in
January last year.
Bartomeu’s pending court appearance is the latest incident
in a troubled year for him at the
helm of the club.
The boardroom crisis in the
aftermath of a transfer ban for
two windows over the signing
of foreign under-18 players led
him to bring forward presidential elections to the end of this
season.
SAD DEMISE
File picture of Al Sadd head
coach Hussein Ammota.
By Sports Reporter
Doha
A
fter a long break of almost 50
days, the Qatar Stars League
(QSL) kicks off again today.
With many players coming in
and others going out, the teams will need
to find their rhythm real quick because
this is the business end of the season.
And kicking off proceedings will be the
joint table toppers Al Sadd who will take
on Al Wakrah. Who are currently languishing in 11th place in the rankings.
“It is more difficult to come back after a break especially when you are at the
top of the table. Now we are starting the
competition and we are expecting a very
difficult game,” said Sadd coach Hussein
Ammouta during the pre-match press
conference yesterday.
The changes in the team line-up are a
cause of worry for Ammota. “Unfortunately the players who left us are more
important than those who came in. We
lost two players (Rodrigo Tabata and
Hamid Ismael), who were ready and performed well for us. And we have Tahir
Zakaria who came back from Al Arabi but
he’s not ready to play immediately. And
Mouriqui isn’t ready either. So I think
that our team lost good players compared
to other teams. We are weaker than before,” said Ammota.
But he insisted that his team would
never give up on the title and that it will
his team’s bench strength that will have to
put on a strong show. “Despite the difficult
circumstances I will fight for the title. We
do not have quality for substitutions on
our bench. But I will be looking to train the
players mentally and their vast experience
should help the team during this period. In
25 days we will play 7 games. This is a very
difficult period for us since we will have to
play so many games with just 11-13 players.
So in this period the bench becomes even
more important.”
The positive news for Sadd is that
their star striker Khalfan Ibrahim is back
and ready for action. “Khalfan is ready
QSL fixtures today
16:45
Al Sadd vs Al Wakrah
Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium
19:15
Al Khor vs Al Ahli
Al Khor Stadium
19:15
Al Sailiya vs Qatar
Abdullah bin Khalifah Stadium
after he came back from the national
camp. He took just three days break and
played against Al Rayyan in the Qatar Gas
League too,” said Ammota.
Ammota’s counterpart, Al Wakrah
coach Nouredin Zekri however is bigger
trouble. His team is currently 11th in the
standings and Zekri has been brought in
to keep the team afloat this season after
the club sacked Tunisian Maher Kenzari
in October last year.
“We hope that we will start our competition with a strong result. We have
been preparing for one month. We have
been preparing for all the 11 games and
not just this game. Al Sadd have good
quality players. But we have been preparing ourselves to take a positive result
against the leader. We know everything
about them and so we hope to have a good
result,” said Zekri yesterday.
“I came to Wakrah to build this team.
The first target is to stay in the first league
this season. And the long term target is to
prepare the team for the next year to be
more competitive. We have big ambitions
here. To be realistic, I am resolving problems until now and trying to take a place
in the middle of the table come the end of
the season,” he added.
And Zekri wasn’t too worried that
their first match after the break would
be against the League’s top team. “Both
teams are under pressure and of course
we will try to manage this pressure.
Only on the field will we be able to make
out who is the big team and who is the
smaller one. We are confident because
we have had good performances against
big teams,” said the Algerian.
AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS
Spotlight on ref as hosts target final
AFP
Malabo, Equatorial Guinea
G
abon referee Eric Otogo
will be in the spotlight
today as Africa Cup of
Nations hosts Equatorial Guinea and Ghana meet in
a semi-final after disgraceful
scenes in a weekend match involving the hosts.
On Saturday, a dubious penalty decision in the dying minutes
by Mauritian referee Rajindraparsad Seechurn turned the tide
in favour of Equatorial Guinea
against Tunisia.
Javier Balboa converted the
harshly awarded spot-kick and
he scored again in extra-time to
give the host nation a shock 2-1
victory.
After the game, riot police had
to protect the match officials
from furious Tunisian players.
Otogo, 38, who has officiated
two matches at this tournament,
will be expected to redeem the
organisers’ credibility with his
performance in Malabo.
Javier Balboa of Equatorial Guinea celebrates after scoring against
Tunisia in their quarter-final of the 2015 African Cup of Nations.
Ghana coach Avram Grant
admitted there have been a
couple of bad refereeing calls
at the tournament, but preferred to focus on preparing
his team.
“If the referee will do two,
three (mistakes), I cannot control (it). I can control only our
performance,” said the former
Chelsea manager.
“I think the referees until
now—except (for) one or two
games—have been good.
“And I am sure everyone will
be watching this and everybody
who needs to take care of this
will do their job.”
This will be Ghana’s fifth
consecutive semi-final, while
the Nzalang Nacional (national
thunder) are in the last four for
the first time.
If the host nation’s passage
to the semi-final was controversial, the Black Stars’ qualification was most convincing as
they dumped Guinea 3-0.
Four-time winners Ghana
have improved since an opening-match 2-1 loss to Senegal
by beating Algeria, South Africa
and Guinea.
However, they are sweating on
the fitness of inspirational skipper
Asamoah Gyan, who is nursing
a hip injury after a collision with
Guinea goalkeeper Naby Yattara.
England-based striker Kwesi
Appiah, who scored against
Guinea, could replace Gyan.
Equatorial Guinea are unhappy having to move to Malabo for
the game from their fortress in
Bata, where they have not lost an
international game.
Three years ago, it was in Malabo that they were thumped 3-0
by the Ivory Coast in the quarter-finals.
Javier Balboa will again be
the source of inspiration for the
team. He has stood out with his
maturity and class.
Goalkeeper Felipe Ovono, who
features in the semi-professional Equatoguinean league, has
also caught the eye and is one of
the reasons his country are still
in this tournament.
“It will be difficult to win the
Cup of Nations, but I pray to still
win it,” said Argentine coach Esteban Becker, who led Equatorial Guinea to the 2012 African
women’s title.
“We like the challenge, we are
hungry to win.
German football
mourns death of
great coach Lattek
Borussia Dortmund’s then coach Udo Lattek.
DPA
Dusseldorf
G
erman coaching great
Udo Lattek, who lifted
silverware with Bayern
Munich, Moenchengladbach and Barcelona, has died
at the age of 80, several of his
former clubs said yesterday.
“The news of Udo Lattek’s
death has deeply moved us,” Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said in a club statement.
“Udo Lattek was one of the
most successful German football
coaches, and he was one of the
great domestic and international
sports personalities for decades.
We lose one of the great men at
FC Bayern, a personal mentor
and a friend.”
Lattek was suffering from Parkinson’s disease and living in a
nursing home in Cologne. The
Cologne club said he died on
Sunday.
Lattek won 15 titles in his illustrious coaching career between
1965 and 2000, including a German record eight Bundesliga titles
and the 1974 European cup with
Munich, the 1979 UEFA Cup with
Moenchengladbach and 1982 Cup
Winners’ Cup with Barca.
“I owe everything to football,”
Lattek, who worked as a newspaper columnist and TV pundit after his retirement as coach until
2011, once said.
Born January 16, 1935, in
Bosemb, East Prussia, Lattek enjoyed a modest playing career as
a striker which he ended 1965 at
Osnabrueck.
He then became Germany’s
most successful and legendary
coaches over the following decades - starting with a place on
Helmut Schoen’s staff for the
national team which reached the
1966 World Cup final.
Lattek coached the famous
Munich team boasting Franz
Beckenbauer, Sepp Maier and
Gerd Mueller between 1970 and
1975, and returned for another
term 1983-1987 - winning six
Bundesliga titles, three German
cups and the 1974 European title
overall with the top club.
“He was like a 12th player. I
never really considered him a
coach but rather a mate,” Meier
told Kicker sports magazine last
month.
Rummenigge said Wednesday:
“His name is closely linked with
Bayern Munich’s rise in the successful 1970s.”
Lattek then led Munich’s big
1970s rivals Moenchengladbach
to back-to-back Bundesliga glory 1976 and 1977, apart from the
UEFA Cup win at the end of his
five seasons there 1975-1979.
“His name will forever be
linked with Borussia’s success
in the late 70s. Our condolences
to his relatives,” Moenchengladbach managing director Stephan
Schippers said in a club statement.
Lattek was at Barca 1981-1983,
in charge of a team featuring
compatriot Bernd Schuster and
from 1982 onwards Diego Maradona.
“Udo Lattek was an outstanding cioach and a great personality, he has left huge foot prints
as a coach at Barcelona,” Munich
coach Pep Guardiola, a former
Barca player and coach, said.
The coach also had two terms
in Dortmund, a six-month stint
at Schalke and was Cologne
sports director 1987-1991.
“German football not only
loses one of its most successful
coaches but also one of its biggest characters. He will nevfer be
forgotten here in Cologne,” Cologne president Werner Spinner
said in a statement.
6
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2014
FOOTBALL
SPOTLIGHT
FOCUS
Van Gaal dreams
of Wembley after
replay stroll
‘But it is always difficult against a defensive team. We could have done better’
Manchester United’s striker James Wilson celebrates
scoring their third goal during the FA Cup fourth round
replay match against Cambridge United at Old Trafford in
Manchester on Tuesday. United won 3-0. (AFP)
‘Insecure’ Roma
desperate for
Cagliari win: Garcia
AFP
Rome
R
udi Garcia has called for
an end to the ‘feelings
of insecurity’ that have
enveloped his Roma
side as they suffered another domestic blow by crashing out of
the Italian Cup to Fiorentina.
Roma spurned a host of firsthalf chances before falling to a
second-half brace by German
international Mario Gomez as La
Viola secured a 2-0 quarter-final
win on Tuesday and a last-four
meeting with Juventus.
For Roma, who have now
registered only two wins in two
months, it’s back to challenging Juventus domestically and
turning their focus on the last
32 of the Europa League having
crashed out of the Champions
League to Manchester City in
December.
Roma sit seven points behind
Serie A leaders and champions
Juventus, whose bid for a fourth
consecutive title looks rock solid, and will look to qualify for the
last 16 in Europe when they face
Feyenoord over two legs later
this month.
Garcia has called for a win at
Cagliari this weekend to help restore confidence in a side which
has struggled in the absence of
Ivorian international Gervinho
and several other key players
through injury.
“We have several issues with
the team right now so it’s normal
to have some feelings of insecurity,” he said after Tuesday’s defeat. “We don’t have a problem
in defence, it’s more of a problem
of our general defending attitude
especially right now as our attack has been shorn of certain
elements.
“We need a result at Cagliari
to get luck back on our side.”
Gervinho has been on Africa
Cup of Nations duty, Daniele De
Rossi is still sidelined and fellow midfielders Juan Iturbe and
Kevin Strootman are out for
potentially lengthy spells with
knee/ankle and knee injuries respectively.
Gervinho, as well as compatriot and fellow striker Seydou
Doumbia, who was signed from
CSKA Moscow last week, are
set to feature for Ivory Coast in
Wednesday’s semi-final against
the Democratic Republic of
Congo.
De Rossi is on his way back
and Garcia is praying Iturbe’s
knee/ankle injury, suffered in
last week’s 1-1 draw with Empoli, does not leave the Argentinian
sidelined for too long.
“We’re waiting on the two Africans to return and De Rossi as
well. Hopefully Iturbe’s injury
won’t keep him out for too long,”
added Garcia.
Roma travel to Sardinia on
Sunday, but striker Victor Ibarbo—who moved to Roma from
Cagliari on a six-month loan
deal last week—will play no part.
The Colombian made his
Roma debut on Tuesday when
he replaced Francesco Totti on
73 minutes, only to suffer a calf
injury.
Despite his setback, and the
fact Garcia brought him in to
play wide in attack, the Colombian international said he can’t
wait to play alongside a “myth”
like Totti.
“I’m here to try and win and
will give everything for this
club,” said Ibarbo at his official
presentation yesterday.
“It’s a dream for every player
to play in a big team and to play
alongside a myth like Totti.... I
have to enjoy this experience as
much as possible.”
West Ham fined over
Sakho CAN no-show
AFP
London
M
anchester
United
manager Louis van
Gaal reiterated his
determination
to
win a trophy in his debut season
after his side beat Cambridge
United in the FA Cup fourth
round.
United prevailed 3-0 in Tuesday’s replay against fourthtier Cambridge at Old Trafford
thanks to goals from Juan Mata,
Marcos Rojo and James Wilson,
setting up a fifth-round trip to
third-tier Preston North End.
With rivals such as Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham
Hotspur having exited the competition at this stage, United are
now favourites to end an 11-year
wait to lift the world’s most famous domestic cup competition.
But Van Gaal admits the
visit to Deepdale in two weeks
will be testing, especially after
Preston’s impressive 3-1 replay
victory away at cup specialists
Sheffield United.
“Every club in the FA Cup
wants to win; we also,” said Van
Gaal.
“We have to beat Preston and
that will not be easy. They won
away against a cup fighter like
Sheffield United, so it will be
difficult for us to win in Preston
North End.
“I heard from (assistant manager) Ryan (Giggs) they (Sheffield
United) are very good cup fighters and Preston beat them 3-1. So
Preston is not a piece of cake.”
Reflecting on his side’s performance against a team who
are currently 79 places below
United in the English league
system, the Dutchman added:
“I don’t think we played a very
good match.
“But it is always difficult
against a defensive team. We
could have done better, but I am
pleased with the result.
“Cambridge have played very
well; a very organised team and
with the mentality that was
superb. The fans were fantastic from Cambridge United. We
have done what we had to.”
Money for Money
He added: “I prefer to play
against lower teams because the
possibility to survive is higher.
The FA Cup is a title and I am
living for titles as a coach, but it
is always difficult.
“It is even sometimes more
difficult to win against a lower
team than a big team. That is
good, but that is also what football is. It is what we all like, that
not always the better team is
winning.
“We have a real chance now.
Why? We are the highest quali-
fied team in the FA Cup, so people are maybe betting on us. I
am not allowed to. I give you a
tip.”
Cambridge might have taken
a sensational lead, with forward
Tom Elliott missing a glorious
one-on-one opening by hitting
a post inside the first minute
before Mata and Rojo gave United a two-goal half-time advantage.
Although he failed to get his
name on the scoresheet, Belgian
international Marouane Fellaini
impressed in a role as a striker
alongside Robin van Persie,
playing a part in the two firsthalf goals.
“Now with Fellaini, we have
always also an attacking player through the air,” said Van
Gaal.
“We could also score through
the air, not only along the floor,
and that was our game plan and
he has confirmed it again.
“We could have scored more,
I think. In the second half we
played a bit more forward, I believe. We created more chances.
Robin van Persie had four opportunities and could have
scored more.”
Cambridge could not match
the dizzying heights of their
first meeting with United, a 0-0
draw at the Abbey Stadium, but
the £1 million ($1.5 million, 1.3
million euros) in funds generated by the replay was a huge
consolation for losing manager
Richard Money.
“It means we can be safe and
stable financially,” said Money.
“We are not going to have a
spending spree in the summer
and have one massive effort to
be promoted. We need to grow.
“We need a new stadium and
a new training ground or new
facilities at the training ground.
That is what the cup run will do
for us.”
West Ham United were fined 100,000 Swiss francs ($108,100,
94,600 euros) yesterday after playing Senegal striker Diafra Sakho
in an FA Cup match despite him pulling out of the Africa Cup of
Nations (CAN).
Sakho was called up to Senegal’s CAN squad in December but
pulled out before the tournament began on January 17 due to a
back injury.
However, since then he turned out for the Hammers in an FA Cup
fourth round match on January 25 -- scoring the winner in a 1-0 success over Bristol City.
Two days later Senegal were eliminated from the continental
showpiece when coming third behind Ghana and Algeria in a tough
qualifying group. Senegal then complained to FIFA, who opened
disciplinary proceedings. As well as West Ham being fined, both the
club and player received reprimands.
FIFA’s rules say a player cannot appear for his club if he is supposed
to be on international duty.
“The FIFA disciplinary committee has found the club and the player
to have violated... the regulations in relation to the match played by
Sakho on 25 January. The club has been fined 100,000 Swiss francs
and issued with a reprimand, while the player has been sanctioned
with a reprimand,” said FIFA’s statement.
SUGGESTION
Beckham’s Miami team could play at university
AFP
Miamii
D
avid Beckham’s dreams of
seeing his new Miami team
gracing a state-of-the-art stadium in a prestigious downtown location seemed further away than
ever Tuesday after local authorities suggested the club temporarily play at a university.
A year after Beckham announced
plans for a new Major League Soccer
franchise, the former Manchester United star has been repeatedly frustrated
in his attempts to secure a home for
his as-yet unnamed team, ahead of the
club’s debut season, originally slated for
2017. Miami-Dade County commissioners want Mayor Carlos Gimenez to
strike a compromise to house the new
team at Florida International University
(FIU) in the city in the short term, while
negotiations take place to find a more
permanent location.
“It would assist the efforts to identify
and develop a permanent location for a
soccer stadium facility if a Major League
Soccer franchise based in Miami-Dade
County began playing professional
matches as soon as possible because it
would likely increase public support for
the franchise and begin building a committed local fan base,” said a commissioners resolution.
Tadd Schwartz, a Miami Beckham
United spokesman, said: “Things are
progressing in Miami and we are very
much on track in our plans.
“David Beckham is very positive
about the future of the club and he continues to enjoy incredible support from
the people in Miami.
“Careful consideration will be given
to FIU when we address the opportunities for a temporary facility.”
Neisen Kasdin, an attorney for the
Beckham group in Miami, added: “We
still remain in the process of identifying
a permanent stadium site and that is the
priority at this time.”
Beckham and his investors want the
team to play at a 20,000-seat waterfront stadium but they have faced opposition from local interest groups. The
FIU Stadium has a 20,000 capacity.
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
7
SPORT
FORMULA 1
FOCUS
Former Sainsbury
boss linked to
Marussia F1 bid
Raikkonen fast again
in a Ferrari; Hamilton
adds laps despite spin T
Reuters
London
he stricken Marussia Formula One team
are set to come out of
administration,
with
former Sainsbury’s boss Justin
King linked yesterday to a rescue
bid that could put them back on
the starting grid next month.
Administrators FRP Advisory
said in a statement that Marussia planned to come out of administration on February 19 via
a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) agreed by creditors.
“It is envisaged that, prior to
the commencement of the first
race of the 2015 season, investment into the business will be
made upon the Company exiting
from administration,” said Geoff
Rowley, joint administrator.
A CVA is a restructuring process agreed with creditors and
Rowley said it would allow “a
turnaround of the business and
the creation of a longer term viable solution for the team”.
No details were given about
the investors.
However, Sky News television’s City Editor Mark Kleinman
reported that King, who stepped
down as Sainsbury’s chief executive last year, was part of a consortium bidding for the team.
King’s son Jordan was British
F3 champion in 2013 and is due
to step up to Formula One’s GP2
feeder series this season.
Ferrari duo of Vettel and Raikkonen have shown good pace in Jerez
The group was also said to include Marussia’s former principal John Booth and chief executive Graeme Lowdon.
Kleinman quoted an unnamed
source as saying the plan was “to
revive a high-quality British racing ethic and brand-name.”
Marussia, whose Formula One
entry is under the name of Manor
Grand Prix Racing Ltd, went into
administration last October after
being overwhelmed by debts.
Despite having the smallest
budget of any team, they scored
two points in Monaco with French
driver Jules Bianchi and finished
ninth in the championship—a
placing that brings significant
prize money and revenues.
Bianchi was critically injured
in a Japanese Grand Prix crash in
October and remains in hospital,
with Marussia missing the last
three races of 2014.
Hopes of reviving the team were
raised last month after an auction
of their cars and trackside equipment was postponed to allow talks
with a potential investor.
Marussia were one of two teams
that folded in 2014, with tail-end
rivals Caterham missing two races
but returning for the finale.
Rowley said negotiations had
taken place with various parties
since October to try and secure
the team’s survival.
“We can confirm that negotiations continue towards a longer
term viable solution for the business and participation of a team
in the 2015 season,” he added.
ATHLETICS
Russia will continue
fight with doping:
sports minister
Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen drives on the fourth day of the Formula One pre-season tests in Jerez yesterday. (AFP)
DPA
Jerez, Spain
K
imi Raikkonen posted another
fast time for Ferrari on the final day of the first Formula One
pre-season test yesterday, while
world champion Lewis Hamilton was piling up more mileage for Mercedes despite
a spin.
Hamilton had completed another 52
laps for the constructors’ champions just
over four hours into the session, as his
spin after 44 laps did not damage the car.
Raikkonen led the times with 1 minute
22.537 from Toro Rosso’s Dutch teenager
Max Verstappen (1:22.817), who had driven a day-leading 62 laps. Hamilton’s best
time was 1:23.633.
Ferrari have shown good pace in Jerez
with their new driver, four-time world
champion Sebastian Vettel, topping the
timesheets Sunday and Monday, and
Raikkonen second Tuesday.
Mercedes had some minor hiccups
in previous days apart from Hamilton’s
spin, but the Briton and his German
team-mate have collected a lot of important data for the team Jerez as Rosberg to-
talled 308 laps on his two days and Hamilton was adding to the 91 from Monday.
Mercedes dominated the past season,
winning 16 of the 19 races, 11 of them
from Hamilton who beat Rosberg for the
world title.
Former champions Red Bull had Daniil
Kvyat stop on the track which according
to the team was likely an Energy Recovery System problem, but the Russian was
soon back driving.
McLaren also overcame a brief problem as ex-champion Jenson Button continued.
Eight teams are at the first of three
rounds of pre-season action which ends
on Wednesday. Two further rounds of
testing are scheduled for later in the
month in Barcelona.
Not present in Jerez are Force India
who insist they will be on the grid for
the March 15 season opener in Australia.
However they will likely not have the new
car ready for the second round of testing.
Also present in Australia could be Marussia who according to a statement from
administrators Wednesday are to come
out of administration on February amid
fresh investment for “a longer term viable solution.”
AFP
Moscow
Force India likely to use old car at first
Barcelona test
London: Force India’s 2015
Formula One car now looks
unlikely to make its track
debut until this month’s final
pre-season test in Barcelona
little more than two weeks
before the first race in
Australia.
“It’s looking likely that the
new car, the VJM08, will
not be ready in time to
make its debut at the first Barcelona
test session,” a team spokesman said
yesterday.
“Everybody is still pushing hard to try
and make it happen, but it’s more likely
to appear at the final Barcelona test. So,
we are making plans to run the 2014
car at the first Barcelona test.”
Force India, with Mexican Sergio Perez
and Germany’s Nico Hulkenberg, have
been absent altogether from the opening pre-season test in Jerez, southern
Spain, that finished on
Wednesday.
The team have dismissed
continuing speculation that
the Silverstone-based team,
run and co-owned by Indian
drinks tycoon Vijay Mallya
(pictured), have been unable to test due to financial
problems.
They said last month that
the car would not be ready in time for
Jerez, due to production delays, but
had planned to run the 2014 car there.
That decision was then shelved because they said learning opportunities
were limited, even though other teams
have emphasised the importance of
putting mileage on the new cars in the
limited amount of testing time available
before Melbourne. The first Barcelona
test is scheduled for Feb 19-22 with the
second from Feb 26 to March 1.
S
ports minister Vitaly
Mutko said yesterday
that Russia’s top authorities will continue the
battle with doping that resulted
in a series of recent scandals involving the country’s top athletes.
“Russia has always been and
will always be the country which
seriously and consistently battles
with doping,” the Allsport news
agency quoted Mutko as saying.
“In the last four years we’ve
done a great amount of work in
this sphere including the country’s legislation changes and
creation of the country’s antidoping agency RUSADA.
“We’ve appropriated huge
funds for the battle with doping and we’re set to continue. In
the near future we will launch
an educational programme for
schoolchildren to inform them
about the hazardous effects of
doping from an early age.”
The minister added that he
believed that the series of bans
against top athletes for doping
has come to an end.
“There’s a list of top athletes
who are under IAAF (International Athletics Federation) suspicion of dope cheating,” the
minister said. “We’ve done our
part of the work: banned all of
our suspects. It was very upsetting to ban our top athletes but
we had no other choice. Now
we’re waiting for the other countries’ action in this direction.”
Last month Olympic steeplechase champion Yulia Zaripova
and three Olympic champions
in walking—Sergei Kirdyapkin, Olga Kaniskina and Valery
Borchin—were all banned by RUSADA for having abnormal indexes of haematological profiles
in their biological passports.
Russian heptathlete Tatiana
Chernova, the London Olympics
bronze medallist, and 2011 world
champion in the 50km walk Sergei Bakulin, were also suspended
along with Vladimir Kanaikin,
who was banned for life for a
repeat offence having served a
two-year ban in 2008-10.
BOXING
Zou aims to put China on world map
“Zou is the engine behind all of this activity in
China,” said Arum. “He’s the poster boy.”
AFP
Los Angeles
D
ouble Olympic champion flyweight
Zou Shiming has vowed to put China
on the global boxing map by winning
his first professional world title in
Macau next month.
The 2008 and 2012 Olympic gold medallist
was a three-time world champion in a glorious
amateur career, but he believes that if he beats
the undefeated Thai Amnat Ruenroeng in March
he would finally bring Chinese boxing to the
world’s attention.
“I swore to fulfil my dreams to become a professional fighter, to achieve world titles and to
bring China into the worldwide boxing family,”
Zou told AFP in an interview in Los Angeles.
Zou is currently training for the fight at legendary trainer Freddie Roach’s Wildcard gym in
the US city.
The boxer denied that fanatical support in
his homeland—where up to 300 million are expected to watch the clash for the International
Boxing Federation belt—was heaping pressure
on him.
“The pressure doesn’t come from my home
country, but comes from myself and that made
me enter the pro ring in my thirties,” said the
In this February 22, 2014 picture, Zou Shiming (right) of China competes against Yokthong Kokietgym
of Thailand in their flyweight bout in Macau. (AFP)
33-year-old who is from Guizhou province in
southwestern China.
Veteran promoter Bob Arum has dubbed Zou
“the poster boy” for the rise of Chinese professional boxing, where it was banned under Mao
Zedong for being too Western and too violent.
SUPERSTAR STATUS
Zou is quickly assuming superstar status following a cameo appearance in the latest “Transformers” movie and after starring in advertisements for Beats headphones with NBA icon
LeBron James and tennis legend Serena Williams.
His soaring popularity back home will hit
the stratosphere should he win at the Venetian
Macau casino in the southern Chinese gambling
hub on March 7.
In just two years since Zou’s first professional
fight at the Venetian’s Cotai Arena, the venue
has become the home of boxing in Asia.
It has hosted all of Zou’s six professional
fights and two world title cards featuring the
Filipino eight-weight world champion Manny
Pacquiao, regarded by many as the best poundfor-pound fighter of the past 15 years.
Zou’s last outing in November—second on the
bill to Pacquia’s demolition of Chris Algieri—
saw him go 12 rounds for the first time and
batter another experienced Thai, Kwanpichit
Onesongchaigym, in a runaway points victory.
Zou (6-0, 1 KO) expects a much tougher battle
against Amnat (14-0, 5 KOs) who is making his
third defence of the IBF flyweight title.
The pair fought three times in their amateur
careers with Zou winning the last two encounters.
“He is as determined as me to win this fight.
He is a tough fighter, and the professional experience should give him a bit of an advantage,”
said softly-spoken Zou.
FEARLESS FIGHTER
“I have fought Amnat three times and I am familiar with his fighting style. However he turned
professional years earlier than me. This should
bring me new challenges.”
The one downside of Zou’s victory over
Kwanpichit was a nasty gash over his left eye,
which has delayed the world title fight by a
month to give him time to heal.
“The eye-problem has been fixed,” said Zou.
“As a boxer, you will always taste blood. Cuts
and injuries are common. If they scare you, you
will never become a good fighter.”
Zou says his ultimate dream is to make it big
in the United States and fight in Las Vegas for a
world title.
“Las Vegas is always the big stage that all professional boxers dream of,” he said.
“At the moment I only focused on March 7.
I am not going to hang up my gloves no matter what result. I will try hard to make different
kinds of breakthroughs. Let’s say fighting in Las
Vegas is one of them.”
8
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
SPORT
NBA
SPOTLIGHT
Augustin shines
with 25 points as
Pistons cool Heat
NFL suspends
Browns WR Gordon
for at least one year
‘He is just consistent, solid, makes great decisions and can shoot very well’
Josh Gordon
DPA
Los Angeles
By Nate Ulrich
Akron Beacon Journal
D
B
J Augustin is making the most
of his latest opportunity.
Augustin had 25 points with
a season-high 13 assists Tuesday and the Detroit Pistons withstood a
34-point effort by Chris Bosh for a 108-91
victory over the visiting Miami Heat.
Augustin became the Pistons starting
point guard after Brandon Jennings went
down January 24 with a season-ending
full Achilles tendon tear.
In the last five games, Augustin has
stepped in to average 21.8 points on 52 per
cent field goal shooting with nine assists
in 35.8 minutes per game.
“We’re all good players,” Augustin explained. “When you get a chance to get
more minutes and get a rhythm obviously
you’re going to get better.”
Teammate Greg Monroe said the Pistons continue to fire on all cylinders with
the speedy Augustin running the show.
“He is just consistent, solid, makes
great decisions and can shoot very well,”
Monroe said of the sixth-year NBA veteran. “He is steady and sometimes that is
all you need is someone who is consistent
and does the job every night. He was our
MVP tonight.”
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope netted 18
points while Andre Drummond added 14
with as many rebounds for the Pistons
(19-30) winners of two straight following
a four-game slide.
Playing without All-Star guard
Dwyane Wade (right hamstring strain)
for the third straight game, Miami held an
early 11-8 advantage.
But the Pistons went on a 25-1 periodending burst behind seven points apiece
from Augustin and Caldwell-Pope to take
a commanding 33-12 cushion after one.
“The last seven minutes of the first
quarter were as good as we’ve played all
year,” Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said.
“That’s really where the game was decided, because after that it was a pretty even
game.”Detroit led 53-39 at the break but
Bosh went off the third quarter. The AllStar big man hit all nine shots en route
to 21 points though Augustin countered
with 14 of his own.
“Chris got hot,” said Monroe after a
12-point, nine-rebound outing. “Anybody with his talent level once they get
going they’re hard to stop.”
The Pistons carried an 85-67 bulge into
the final frame and motored home with
the lopsided win.
zGolden State Warriors 123, Sacramento Kings 99: Stephen Curry had 23
points with nine assists, and the leaguebest Warriors (38-8) opened up a 21-point
halftime cushion to sweep the four-game
series from the hosting Kings for the second straight season.
DeMarcus Cousins topped Sacramento
(17-30) with 26 points and 11 rebounds
while Rudy Gay netted 20.
zPortland Trail Blazers 103, Utah Jazz
102: Damian Lillard scored 25 points,
LaMarcus Aldridge had 22 with 11 rebounds, and the Trail Blazers trimmed the
visiting Jazz to stop a three-game slide.
Portland (33-16) got a lift from centre
Robin Lopez, who returned
with 11 points and six rebounds after
missing 23 games with broken right hand
Gordon Hayward led Utah (17-31) with
27 points.
Portland led by nine with 3 minutes 26
left but nearly blew it. Three-pointers by
rowns general manager
Ray Farmer said he believes Josh Gordon’s
NFL career is on life
support and questions whether
the former All-Pro wide receiver
will use his latest suspension to
resuscitate it.
Gordon has officially been banished from the NFL for a minimum of one year after violating its
substance-abuse policy again, the
league announced Tuesday. Once
the league formally announces a
suspension like it did with Gordon, there is no longer an opportunity for the player to appeal.
“Josh Gordon of the Cleveland
Browns has been suspended without pay for at least one year for
violating the NFL Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse,” a
statement attributed to a league
spokesman read. “Gordon’s suspension begins immediately.”
The news about Gordon is another punch to the gut for the
Browns and their fans during a
young, but turbulent offseason.
On Monday, quarterback Johnny Manziel’s camp revealed he
checked into a treatment facility
Jan. 28.
The Browns have not cut ties
with Gordon. They don’t need to
pay him while he’s suspended (his
base salary for the 2015 season was
$1,068,406), so the organization
wouldn’t be hurt financially by exercising patience and seeing what
happens.
Farmer, though, released a stern
statement conveying skepticism
about whether Gordon will ever
make a comeback.
“As we have conveyed, we are
disappointed to once again be at
this point with Josh,” Farmer said
in the statement. “Throughout his
career we have tried to assist him
in getting support like we would
with any member of our organization. Unfortunately our efforts
have not resonated with him. It is
evident that Josh needs to make
some substantial strides to live
up to the positive culture we are
trying to build this football team
upon.
“Our hope is that this suspension affords Josh the opportunity
to gain some clarity in determining what he wants to accomplish
moving forward and if he wants
SKIING
Detroit Pistons guard D.J. Augustin (14) is defended by Miami Heat guard Norris Cole (30) and forward Chris Andersen (11)
during the fourth quarter of their NBA game at The Palace of Auburn Hills on Tuesday. Pistons beat the Heat 108-91.
PICTURE: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Hayward and Joe Ingles around a layup
by Lillard at the other end drew Utah to
within 101-99 with 9.9 seconds left.
After Aldridge made two free throws,
Trey Burke buried another triple for
Utah, making it a one-point game. Lillard
missed his first free throw and the second
intentionally as Portland held on.
zPhiladelphia 76ers 105, Denver Nuggets 98: Hollis Thompson scored 19 of his
career-high 23 points in the opening half,
Michael Carter-Williams added 15, 12 assists and eight rebounds, as the lowly Sixers (11-39) held off the reeling Nuggets.
Italy’s Danilo Gallinari dropped in a
season-high 22 points to pace visiting
Denver (19-30), which made a push after
trailing by 28 in the third quarter before
suffering a third straight loss and 10 of the
last 11.
zBoston Celtics 108, New York Knicks
97: Avery Bradley scored 26 points, Jared
Sullinger added 22 with nine rebounds,
and the visiting Celtics (17-30) beat the
lethargic Knicks to stop a three-game
skid.
Carmelo Anthony netted 21 points
for New York (10-39), which dropped
back into the Eastern Conference basement.
BASEBALL
Betances says NY Yankees will welcome A-Rod
By Erik Boland
Newsday
T
he questions surrounding Alex Rodriguez
this spring are endless.
Among the most asked
is how he’ll be received in the
Yankees’ clubhouse after serving a one-season suspension for
his involvement with PEDs and
Biogenesis.
Dellin Betances, for one, says
it won’t be an issue.
“We welcome him with open
arms,” Betances said Tuesday night in Manhattan before
he was to be honoured at the
35th annual Thurman Munson
awards dinner to benefit AHRC
a career in the National Football
League. We will have no further
comment on Josh as he will not
be permitted in our facility for the
duration of his suspension.”
If Gordon does want a career
in the NFL, he must eradicate a
pattern of failed drug and alcohol
tests. This is the third time he has
been suspended for violating the
league’s substance-abuse policy.
Gordon, 23, won’t play for the
Browns in 2015 and he might
never play for them again, even
though he won’t be scheduled for
restricted free agency until after
the 2016 season and unrestricted
free agency following the 2017
season. He’ll be eligible to apply
for reinstatement with Commissioner Roger Goodell on Feb. 3,
2016, provided he complies with
his substance-abuse program
by passing tests throughout the
year.
In the meantime, the Browns
must move forward as if Gordon
doesn’t exist. Citing an unnamed
NFL source, Yahoo reported the
team would pursue an impact
wide receiver through the draft,
free agency or a trade this offseason. The league’s leader with
1,646 receiving yards in 2013,
Gordon “no longer factors into any
plans,” the source told Yahoo.
In an open letter published last
week on Medium.com, Gordon
explained his most recent violation occurred when he consumed
alcohol Jan. 2 while flying to Las
Vegas on a private jet with former
Browns wide receivers coach Mike
McDaniel and several teammates.
Because Gordon pleaded guilty
to driving while impaired early on
the morning of July 5 in Raleigh,
N.C., alcohol testing became part
of his substance-abuse program
mandated by the league. But in
the letter, he insisted he thought
the alcohol testing would only be
conducted during the regular season. The Browns played their final
game Dec. 28.
“During the flight, I had two
beers and two drinks,” Gordon,
who maintains he’s neither a drug
addict nor an alcohol, wrote in the
letter. “It was the first time I had
consumed so much as a drop of
alcohol since July 4, 2014, the day
of the DWI. Anyone who knows
me knows that I am not much of
a drinker. Even calling me a social
drinker would be an exaggeration, but at that moment, on that
flight, I made a choice. The wrong
choice, as it turned out.” (MCT)
New York City Foundation. “We
just want everyone to contribute the way they can contribute
to help us get back to the playoffs. That’s the key for us this
year.”
Betances’ feelings on A-Rod
are not surprising. For all of
Rodriguez’s public and private
missteps in recent years, he is,
by and large, considered a good
teammate and a mentor, especially by young Hispanic players.
“He’s a great guy and I’m
looking forward to playing with
him,” Betances said.
How much A-Rod plays this
season is very much in question, which is not the case with
Betances. The 26-year-old’s
precise role, however, is.
With the departure of David
Robertson to the White Sox
— “It was a bit surprising,”
Betances said — the closer’s job
is open. All indications point
to it going to either Betances,
one of the AL’s most dominant
relievers last season, or lefthander Andrew Miller, signed
to a four-year, $36-million deal.
“I haven’t put too much mind
into (closing),” said Betances,
who was 5-0 with a 1.40 ERA in
70 appearances, striking out 135
in 90 innings. “There’s people
that always mention it. For me,
I’m just going to try and do the
same thing. Whether it’s the
seventh, eighth or ninth, I’m
just going to try and take the
same approach I did last year
and not make too big a deal if I
do get that job.”
Last summer, the 6-8
Betances credited part of his
breakout season to the three
weeks he spent the previous
January in Bonao in the Dominican Republic at Fausto “Chiqui” Mejia’s baseball academy.
Mejia and pitcher Joel Peralta,
now a Dodger, helped Betances
refine his curveball, his best
pitch last season, and establish
a plan of attack for every hitter.
“I’m looking forward to this
upcoming season,” said Betances, who again worked with Mejia
and Peralta in Bonao this winter. “I put in a lot of work this
offseason to be ready.(MCT)
Fenninger dashes
Vonn’s hopes to win
super-G title
AFP
Beaver Creek, Colorado
A
ustria’s Anna Fenninger silenced the American crowd who had
come hoping their star
Lindsey Vonn would give them
a winning start to the ski world
championships on Tuesday as
she added the super-G world title to her Olympic crown.
Fenninger, who took full advantage of an injured Vonn to win the
World Cup Overall title last season,
charged down the Raptors course
in 1min 10.29 sec topping an earlier
run by defending champion Tina
Maze, who clocked 1:10.32.
Vonn, who is in the midst of a
remarkable comeback after two
knee operations and elads the
World Cup super-G standings,
finished third in 1:10.44.
Blowing snow and windy conditions forced organizers to push
back the start time for the race.
They also moved the starting
gate lower down the mountain
which is located in the Colorado
ski resort of Beaver Creek.
Vonn, who last month broke the
record for most career World Cup
wins and now has 64 to her name,
set the tone early on with a blistering run from the 18th starting position but her joy was short-lived as
Maze then produced an even better
performance to take the lead.
Vonn, whose boyfriend golf
legend Tiger Woods had a tooth
knocked out when he watched
her break the World Cup victories
landmark, at least will take happier
memories away from this super-G
than the one at the world championships two years ago where she
suffered serious injuries in a crash.
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
9
SPORT
Has Tiger’s
glory faded?
By David Wharton
Los Angeles Times
T
here was only so much
that Tiger Woods could
bear to watch.
As his tee shot drifted farther and farther right, he
dropped his head and let his
arms fall to his side.
Barely two hours into the latest chapter of a storied but recently troubled career, Woods
had sent yet another drive wide
of the fairway, setting up yet another bogey on his way to missing the cut at last week’s Phoenix Open.
There wasn’t much to say afterward.
“Just keep fighting,” he said.
“Just keep grinding each and
every shot.” The former No. 1
player — one of the greatest ever
— comes to Torrey Pines this
week as a man seeking redemption.
Still reeling from a string of
injuries and a tabloid scandal, he
is rebuilding the strength in his
surgically repaired back while
trying to revamp his swing and
recapture the dominance he
once held over this game. Looming on the horizon — as always
— is Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18
career majors, which seems less
attainable with every year.
“Just seems like he needs
more repetitions,” said Jordan Spieth, a rising star on the
PGA Tour who played alongside
Woods in Arizona. “Obviously a
little rust for him there.”
Woods is 39 now, and seven
years have gone by since he
limped to a nearly mythic victory at Torrey Pines, overcoming a badly injured knee and a
feisty Rocco Mediate to win the
2008 U.S. Open in a playoff. This
week’s tournament, the Farmers
Insurance Open, is not a major.
Though he has 14 tour victories since then, none of them
majors, he hasn’t really seemed
the same.
Knee surgery kept him off the
course for a while and then came
scandal, as the revelation of numerous extramarital affairs led
to divorce and reported treatment for sex addiction. That
pretty much wiped out his 2010
and 2011 seasons.
Five victories vaulted him to
No. 1 in 2013, but a chronically
sore back brought last season
to a sudden halt. Woods left
the tour in spring to undergo
a microdiscectomy _ a spinal
surgery in which a small piece
of bone is removed to allow the
nerve to heal. He attempted a
brief return before retreating to
heal and practice.
Much of the offseason was
spent looking at videotape from
his entire career back to juniors.
In late August, he split from
swing coach Sean Foley and
hired Chris Como to help recapture his glory years.
“I’m so much more shallow
now than I used to be,” Woods
said of his reconstructed swing.
“It’s hard sometimes.”
Still, his game seemed to be
making progress at the Hero
World Challenge, the charity
tournament he hosts each December.
“Looked like the club was going through a lot freer,” veteran
Steve Stricker said. “Looked like
it was on a better path.”
And things were looking up as
Woods headed into his season
debut last week.
The crowds in Phoenix — always large and boisterous, often
fuelled by plentiful amounts of
alcohol — cheered as he stepped
onto the first tee in a bright magenta shirt and black pants for
Thursday’s first round.
Homes border the first few
holes at TPC Scottsdale and
residents hung “Welcome back”
signs from patio railings and
balconies.
“It was fantastic,” Woods
said. But the enthusiasm shifted
as Woods launched one tee shot
after another into the dirt and
NHL
Schwartz’s OT goal gives
Blues win over Tampa
Agencies
New York
J
aden Schwartz scored
1:16 into overtime to
give the St. Louis Blues a
win over the Tampa Bay
Lightning, extending their winning streak to six games.
The win allowed the Blues
(33-13-4) to tie a franchise
record by getting at least one
point in 12 consecutive games,
having gone 11-0-1 over that
stretch.
The goalies were the stars of
the night in the matchup between the top two goal-scoring
teams in the league.
Brian Elliott stopped 30 of 31
Tampa Bay shots in regulation
while Ben Bishop had 16 saves
for the Lightning (32-15-5).
Predators 4, Maple Leafs 3
The Nashville Predators
broke a team record with their
ninth straight home win in a
triumph over the Toronto Maple
Leafs.
Mike Fisher had a goal and
two assists for Nashville (33-116), who improved to 20-2-1 at
home.
Toronto (22-26-4) suffered
their 10th straight loss to tie a
team record shared by the 1967
Maple Leafs, who won the franchise’s last Stanley Cup.
Ducks 5, Hurricanes 4
The Anaheim Ducks surmounted penalty trouble and
a two-goal deficit to topple the
Ottawa Senators right wing
Curtis Lazar (27) scores goal
during the second period
against New Jersey Devils
on Tuesday.
Carolina Hurricanes in overtime.
Anaheim (33-12-6) were
down 4-2 in the third period
where Devante Smith-Pelly and
Corey Perry tallied to tie it. Perry found Ryan Getzlaf for a onetimer 45 seconds into overtime,
completing the Ducks’ rally.
The Hurricanes fell to 17-267.
Wild 3, Blackhawks 0
Mikko Koivu, Mikael Granlund and Jason Zucker all
scored, and goalie Devan Dubnyk had 24 saves for his third
shutout since joining the team
as the Wild won their fourth in
a row.
Chicago got 40 saves from
goalie Corey Crawford, but
could not muster any offense
and lost their second in a row.
The Blackhawks (31-18-2)
have now gone more than 126
minutes without a goal, after
they were blanked 2-0 in San
Jose on Saturday.
Minnesota fell to 24-20-6.
Panthers 4, Islanders 2
Jimmy Hayes scored two
goals, including the game-win-
ner 2:10 into the third period, as
the Florida Panthers edged the
New York Islanders.
Devils 2, Senators 1
Mike Cammalleri recorded
his league-leading seventh
game-winning goal of the season in the New Jersey Devils win
over the Ottawa Senators.
The
32-year-old
center
snapped a 1-1 tie early in the
third period to provide the Devils (20-22-9) with their sixth
win in the last 10 games.
Center Curtis Lazar scored
for Ottawa (20-20-9).
cactus outside the fairway. A
wayward drive on No. 9 elicited
that slumping body language.
Even worse, his short chips
skidded and wobbled like the
stuff of weekend hackers.
Television commentators described him as having the “yips.”
Golf Channel analyst Brandel
Chamblee called it “the worst I
have ever seen a tour pro around
the greens.”
By mid-afternoon, exuberant cheers from the gallery had
morphed into something of a
more sympathetic nature.
His old brilliance showed
in brief glimmers. On No. 13,
Woods hit a drive down the middle, bounced an approach shot
onto the green and sunk an eagle
putt. A subsequent birdie pulled
him back to two over for the day.
“Look how far I’m hitting it,”
he said, adding: “I just need tournament rounds like this where I
can fight, fight through it, turn
it around, grind through it and
make adjustments on the fly.”
NFL scores
touchdown
with Bach
but no place
in Games
Beaver Creek, Colorado:
IOC president Thomas Bach
enjoyed his first taste of American football after attending
Sunday’s Super Bowl in Arizona but warned on Tuesday
not to expect NFL players in
the Olympics anytime soon.
New England’s heart-stopping
win over Seattle was certainly
a strong advertisement for the
sport but Bach cannot envision it being in the Olympic
program anytime soon despite
efforts to get it recognised
by forming an international
federation.
“The sport was great with the
real drama until the very end
and to feel the atmosphere
in Arizona there around the
stadium was really a good
experience,” said Bach, who
was attending the opening
race of the alpine ski world
championships.
“This does not mean that tomorrow you could put American football on the program
because one of the conditions
is that sport must have a broad
international representation.
“It is a very American sport, on
the international scale it is not
yet there to be considered for
the Olympic role.” Like many
sports looking to join the
Olympics, football is dreaming big and took its first step
toward that goal by forming
the International Federation
of American Football in 1998.
There are now 64 American
football federations worldwide.
But his second round quickly
disintegrated into a string of
bogeys and double-bogeys on
the first nine holes. Woods was
on the way to his worst round
as a pro, needing 82 shots to get
through Friday.
That led to a pair of unlucky
13s _ he finished 13 over par and
missed the cut for only the 13th
time in his career.
“We all have days like this,”
he said. “Unfortunately, mine
was in a public forum, in a public setting.” By the start of this
week, Woods had slipped to
56th in the world rankings, his
lowest position in more than
three years. On more than one
occasion, he has said that girlfriend Lindsey Vonn — who has
come back from multiple knee
surgeries to resume winning
on the World Cup ski circuit
— has taught him about resilience. Asked what he would do
between Phoenix and Torrey
Pines, he offered a predictable
response.
“Practice each and every day,”
he said. “Just work on it.”
If nothing else, he will be returning to a pleasantly familiar
setting.
Starting with a victory at the
1991 Junior World Championships, Woods has won nine
times at the course by the sea.
His latest victory in 2013 gave
him a seventh Farmers Insurance Open title. Not that he
sounds entirely confident this
time around.
Patience was a recurring
theme for him in Phoenix. He
talked about making comebacks
before, most recently winning
player-of-the-year honors in
2013.
“You’ve got to keep things in
perspective,” he said, quickly
adding, “Sometimes it’s difficult
to do that.” There was no mention of the four majors needed to
tie Nicklaus’ record. In this latest chapter of the Tiger Woods
saga, that would be looking
much too far ahead. (MCT).
SPOTLIGHT
McIlroy and
former agents
settle legal case
Reuters
Dublin
W
orld
number
one golfer Rory
McIlroy has settled his legal dispute with his former management company, the two sides
said yesterday, avoiding a potential eight weeks in court.
The world’s media had descended on the Irish High
Court on the quays of Dublin’s
River Liffey in anticipation of
seeing the four-times major
winner take the stand in a case
that he took time away from
the golf course to prepare for
last year.
McIlroy arrived at court on
Tuesday to a scrum of some
30 photographers but was not
present yesterday when his
lawyer, Paul Gallagher, returned following a number of
deferrals a day earlier to say
the matter had been resolved.
McIlroy was suing his
former team over the “unconscionable” contract he signed
with them, while Horizon
Sports Management countersued on the grounds that he
owed them millions of dollars
in commission on contracts up
to 2017.
British media reported that
McIlroy settled the dispute for
“well over $20 million” plus
costs.
“The legal dispute between
Rory McIlroy and Horizon
Sports Management has been
settled to the satisfaction of
both parties who wish each
other well for the future,”
McIlroy and Horizon said in a
joint statement after informing the court.
“The parties will be making
no further comment.”
Judge Brian Cregan congratulated the parties for settling what he said would be a
long case if it went ahead and
wished Horizon success in
their sports agency and McIlroy every success in his career.
The 25-year-old Northern
Irishman terminated his contract with Dublin-based Horizon in September 2013 to form
his own company.
After signing a number of
lucrative sponsorship agreements, including a deal with
Nike in early 2013 worth a
guaranteed $100 million over
five years, McIlroy decided
that his relationship with Horizon was no longer in his best
interests.
10
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
SPORT
SPOTLIGHT
RUGBY
QOC Sports Village
opens ahead of
National Sport Day
Sports Village focuses on healthy living with activities for every age
Qatar Olympic Commitee (QOC) Deputy Secretary General Meshael al-Khalifa cuts the ceremonial ribbon to formally open the Sports Village as QOC Director of Sports Affairs
Khalil al-Jabir and other officials lend him a hand.
By Sports Reporter
Doha
T
he festivities around Qatar’s biggest ever National Sport Day have
begun with the opening of the exciting Sports Village, near Doha’s
main post office.
Qatar Olympic Commitee (QOC) Deputy
Secretary General Meshael al-Khalifa, Director of Sports Affairs Khalil al-Jabir, upand-coming athlete Mariam Farid, young
boxers Abdelrahman al-Sinawi and Ahmed
Abdelmajeed and last year’s BeFit programme winner Emad Asad attended the
opening of the Village.
The Sports Village will be open from 3pm
to 10pm daily from now through to the end
of National Sport Day on the 10th of February, with over 13 National Federations offering free activities and entertainment for
every age and fitness level.
Boasting an unrivalled schedule of free
sporting events across the country, National Sport Day aims to give the people of Qatar an opportunity to kick start a future of
healthy living with the Sports Village acting
as a main hub in Doha. Ensuring the whole
of Qatar can celebrate sport together in a
festival atmosphere, the Village will allow
everyone to see and learn basic skills in numerous fun-filled sports including handball, basketball, shooting, table-tennis and
football while providing fun and games for
all the family.
With Qatar hosting a multitude of
sports events over the next several years,
QOC media head Sheikh Hamad bin Abdulaziz al-Thani (2nd left), athlete Mariam Farid
speak to the media at the Sports Village yesterday.
including the World Boxing Championship and International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athletics World Championships in October, the public will have the
chance to come down, learn more about
these sports and try them out. There will
also be a focus on healthy eating and gen-
eral wellness as this year’s winner of the
BeFit Program is announced.
Sheikh Hamad bin Abdulaziz al-Thani,
Head of Media at the QOC, said: “The
celebrations for National Sport Day have
officially begun and we are immensely
excited. The Qatar Olympic Committee
Sports Village is bigger and better than
ever with entertainment and exciting
sporting activities for everyone. Our aim
is to introduce as many people as possible
to a whole range of sports with demonstrations and skill sessions. This way we
hope to get all of Qatar trying new sports,
meeting new people and taking steps towards leading an active and healthy lifestyle.”
Boxer Abdelrahman al-Sinawi, said: “It
has been amazing to come down the Sports
Village today and to see all the sports that
are on offer. I hope to be one of the best boxers in the world one day and I cannot wait to
see the World Boxing Championships firsthand in Doha in October.
Athlete Mariam Farid, member of the
Qatar National Athletics team, said:
“National Sport Day, and the QOC’s
Sports Village in particular, is a great opportunity for women and girls to give
sports a try. There could be some very
talented girls out there who haven’t yet
fulfilled their potential and this is their
chance to discover new sports. Even if
professional sports are not of interest to
you, participating in sports regularly is a
fun-filled way to maintain a healthy lifestyle and Qatar offers so many opportunities to do so all year round, not just on
National Sport Day.”
Featuring the traditional Al Shawahef
Rowing Championship and the legendary
sport walk, as well as the biggest ever line
up of free events, 2015 is set to be the largest and most widely celebrated day of sport
ever witnessed in the country.
England hope
hymn practice
leads to Wales win
AFP
London
E
ngland have taken the
unusual step of training to the sound of
hymns being blasted
out over loud speakers in a
bid to get used to the atmosphere awaiting them at Cardiff ’s Millennium Stadium for
their Six Nations opener with
Wales tomorrow.
On their last visit to the
Welsh capital two years ago,
England saw dreams of what
would have been their first
Grand Slam in a decade disappear with a thumping 30-3
defeat by Wales, with a packed
Millennium Stadium crowd of
some 74,500 contributing to
the fevered environment in
which the rout took place.
England’s side for tomorrow is set to feature only five
survivors from that match
in the starting XV and coach
Stuart Lancaster has left no
stone unturned at the squad’s
training base in Bagshot,
south of London, to make sure
his team are not caught cold
again.
“It’s just a way of trying to
replicate for the players who
have not been there examples
of the type of sound and how
it reverberates around the
stadium,” Lancaster said after unveiling his matchday 23
yesterday.
“It also shows you how
clear your communication has
to be because often you can’t
hear yourself due to the intensity of the occasion.”
He added: “It replicates
that and gives the players a
little chance to prepare during
training.
“We haven’t done it all
week because we don’t have
the eardrums for that.”
While some might regard
such preparation as excessive,
Wales assistant coach Rob
Howley said it was a sensible
move by England.
“At a lot of stadiums in the
world it’s sometimes difficult
in terms of the line-out calls
and the communication between half-backs,” Howley
said.
“They (England) experienced that in 2013, and preparation for any international
side is very meticulous,” the
former Wales and British and
Irish Lions scrum-half added.
“They have looked back and
learnt from that experience.”
“Likewise, we had the experience at Twickenham a
few years ago when they had
music blaring on one side of
the pitch, and we found it difficult in the warm-up prior to
the game.
“It’s about learning from
those experiences and they
are trying to make sure it
doesn’t happen again.”
Wales coach Warren Gatland has said he would like
the Millennium Stadium’s retractable roof to be closed, a
move that would suit the running game of the Welsh backs.
But it is England who will
determine whether the roof
is open or closed and, with
Lancaster’s men looking to
take Wales on up front, it is
likely Friday’s match will be
exposed to the elements.
“We have a decision to
make by the close of play on
Wednesday, so we’ll wait for
the latest weather forecast,”
said Lancaster.
“But it looks like it’s set fair
and, if it is, then we want it
open.”
FOCUS
Kockott handed
first start for France
against Scotland
Reuters
Paris
S
outh African-born Rory
Kockott was handed
his first start for France
when he was named at
scrumhalf in the team to face
Scotland in their Six Nations
opener at the Stade de France
on Saturday.
Castres Olympique’s Kockott, who won his first three
caps last November against
Fiji, Australia and Argentina,
is deputising for Sebastien
Tillous-Bordes, who was ruled
out of the clash with an injury.
The 28-year-old will pair
up with usual flyhalf Camille
Lopez to form manager
Philippe Saint-Andre’s 14th
starting halfback combination since the former France
international took over from
Marc Lievremont after the 2011
World Cup.
“It’s logical (to choose Kockott) given our organisation in
November. Rory has been able
to work on his combinations
with Camille Lopez these past
two weeks,” Saint-Andre told
reporters.
Flanker Loann Goujon will
be Saint-Andre’s 80th player to
feature for France if he comes
off the bench.
With Alexandre Dumoulin ruled out through injury,
Mathieu Bastareau will start at
outside centre alongside Wesley Fofana.
Scott Spedding was named
at fullback despite the return
of Brice Dulin, who is back in
the squad after an arm injury.
Dulin had already missed the
November test with a stress
fracture.
Rabah Slimani will start at
prop as the experienced Nicolas Mas did not even make the
bench although Uini Atonio
did.
BOTTOMLINE
Al Kass International Cup ready for kick-off
By Sports Reporter
Doha
C
oaches from some of the
world’s finest football
academies gathered in
Doha yesterday ahead of
the first matches of the 2015 Al
Kass International Cup.
With the tournament set
to kick off today, team officials from clubs including Paris
Saint-Germain, Juventus, Arsenal and Real Madrid met at Le
Cigale hotel for a final technical
meeting ahead of the opening
matches.
During the hour-long conference, organisers welcomed this
year’s participating teams to Qatar and gave them a full briefing
on the competition’s history and
regulations.
This year 12 teams will compete in the 10-day tournament,
with all games played according
to FIFA regulations.
Tournament Director Hamad
al-Mannai spoke of his hopes for
the fourth edition of the cup.
“Since this competition’s
founding in 2012, the quality of
football and level of talent on
display has improved with each
year,” he said.
“Given the exceptional calibre of teams competing this year,
I am confident that the standards
will rise yet again and further cement this tournament’s status
as one of the world’s very best
youth football competitions.”
During the conference it was
revealed that the stakes will be
higher than ever in 2015, with
a record cash prize of $75,000
awarded to the tournament
champions, as well as a trophy
and gold medals for the victorious side’s players.
Additionally, cash prizes will
also be available for standout individual performances, including an award for best goalkeeper
and Most Valuable Player for
each game.
Matches will be played on the
pitches of the Aspire Zone and
will be open to the public, who
will get the chance to see the
next generation of global footballing superstars up close.
Today the action gets underway at 4.30pm with the inaugural game between Arsenal
and Vissel Kobe of Japan. This
Group A game will be followed
at 6.35pm by a mouth-watering
contest between last year’s tournament winners Aspire International and German newcomers
Schalke 04. Rounding off the
day will then be a highly anticipated clash between Italian giants AC Milan and Argentinian
outfit River Plate, kicking off at
8.40pm.
Team officials and organisers pictured at yesterday’s technical meeting ahead of the Al Kass International Cup.
Gulf Times
Thursday, February 5, 2015
11
SPORT
CYCLING/ LADIES TOUR OF QATAR
Ellen van Dijk snatches
overall lead after Stage 2
‘We were hoping for wind, we know we have a better chance in those conditions.
They said there was not going to be enough wind today, but there was’
By Yash Mudgal
Doha
F
ormer champion Ellen van Dijk of
Boels Dolmans claimed stage two
at Madinat Al Shamal to take the
overall lead in the Ladies Tour of
Qatar on a windy day.
The former world time-trial champion
Van Dijk made the winning move in the final kilometre as she forced her way clear
of the winning six-woman group to win
by three seconds.
Trixi Worrack of Velocio-SRAM swept
to second spot, just ahead of Van Dijk’s
teammate Lizzi Armitstead. Chloe Hosking and Elisa Longo Borghini of Wiggle
Honda and Emma Johansson of OricaAIS rounded out the lead group, which
finished almost two minutes clear of the
peloton and will surely decide the final
overall victory amongst them.
In an impressive move with the finish line still over 400m away, Van Dijk
jumped from the tiring group as Hosking
and Longo Borghini hesitated and by the
time Johansson reacted it was too late.
Armitstead dutifully marked any inclination of a counter attack, leaving Van Dijk
with a three-second buffer as she crossed
the finish line.
Yesterday’s close was in complete contrast to the first stage, which ended in a
bunch sprint in sunny conditions.
“We were hoping for wind today, we
know we have a better chance in those
conditions,” said the 27-yeard-old Van
Dijk, who won the tour in 2011.
“They said there was not going to be
enough wind today, but there was,” the
Dutch rider added after her second stage
win on the tour.
The sextet took advantage of the windy
conditions and changes in direction in the
finale to move clear and they had a lead of
one minute with 20 kilometres remaining,
an advantage which nearly doubled on the
run-in to the line.
Van Dijk won Ronde van Vlaanderen
and Boels Ladies Tour last year and now
stands four seconds clear of Armitstead
on general classification, with Worrack
and Hosking each a further three seconds
behind.
The favourites made the best of the
wind to power off from Al Zubara Fort—
the traditional start venue ever since the
first ladies tour—and Van Dijk was in the
16-woman front group that formed with
the help of crosswinds in the opening
10km.
“I was shocked that it worked,” said Armitstead. “We realised the group was too
big—we spoke together, and said that we
would attack and give it full on the crosswind section.”
Armitstead, who added that she feared
three repeats of yesterday’s ‘terrible race’,
sits second overall, just four seconds behind her teammate.
Overnight leader Annalisa Cucinotta
conceded her leader’s jersey in the opening 10km of the 112.5km stage which is the
longest one.
It was a perfect day for the Boels-Dolmans team and its director Danny Stam
agreed on that.
“In the beginning Ellen and Lizzie were
in a 16-rider break, but it became perfect
when six riders remained in front and they
were both there,” said Stam.
“Then we could play the game. Ellen
would try to get away and Lizzie was waiting for the sprint. At 700m, Ellen tried for
a last time and she succeeded. A great day
and a great starting point before the start
of stage three. But there are still two days
ahead of us, with a battle for the seconds.
We are not there yet.”
Sharon Laws of Team Bigla abandoned
the tour before it started yesterday from
the sandy outskirts of Al Zubarah’s fort
due to a broken collarbone resulting from
a crash in stage one.
The silver jersey for points classification also switched shoulders and goes to
Trixi Worrack while Italian Beatrice Bartelloni claimed the pearl white jersey for
the best young rider.
Today’s 93.5km stage three will run
from Souq Waqif to Al Khor Corniche.
Results (After Stage 2)
OVERALL STANDINGS
1 Ellen Van Dijk (Ned) Boels Dolmans
Cycling Team 2:39:21
2 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Velocio-SRAM
0:00:03
3 Elisabeth Armitstead (GBr) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team
4 Chloe Hosking (Aus) Wiggle Honda
5 Emma Johansson (Swe) Orica – AIS
6 Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Wiggle Honda
0:00:09
7 Jolien D’hoore (Bel) Wiggle Honda
0:01:57
8 Valentina Scandolara (Ita) Orica – AIS
9 Amy Pieters (Ned) Team Liv-Plantur
10 Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Velocio-SRAM
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
1 Ellen Van Dijk (Ned) Boels Dolmans
Cycling Team 5:07:47
2 Elisabeth Armitstead (GBr) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team 0:00:04
3 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Velocio-SRAM
0:00:07
4 Chloe Hosking (Aus) Wiggle Honda
5 Emma Johansson (Swe) Orica-AIS
0:00:10
6 Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Wiggle Honda
0:00:27
7 Marta Tagliaferro (Ita) Ale Cipollini
0:02:01
8 Jolien D’hoore (Bel) Wiggle Honda
0:02:07
9 Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Velocio-SRAM
10 Gracie Elvin (Aus) Orica – AIS
THE STAGE
1 Ellen Van Dijk (Ned) Boels Dolmans
Cycling Team 15pts
2 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Velocio-SRAM 12
3 Elisabeth Armitstead (GBr) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team 9
4 Chloe Hosking (Aus) Wiggle Honda 7
5 Emma Johansson (Swe) Orica – AIS 6
6 Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Wiggle Honda 5
7 Jolien D’hoore (Bel) Wiggle Honda 4
8 Valentina Scandolara (Ita) Orica – AIS 3
9 Amy Pieters (Ned) Team Liv-Plantur 2
10 Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Velocio-SRAM 1
SPRINT ONE
1 Chloe Hosking (Aus) Wiggle Honda 3pts
2 Marta Tagliaferro (Ita) Ale Cipollini 2
|3 Emma Johansson (Swe) Orica – AIS 1
SPRINT TWO
1 Elisabeth Armitstead (GBr) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team 3pts
2 Emma Johansson (Swe) Orica-AIS 2
3 Chloe Hosking (Aus) Wiggle Honda 1
TEAM CLASSIFICATION
1 Wiggle Honda 15:26:00
2 Orica-AIS 0:01:56
3 Boels Dolmans Cycling Team 0:09:03
4 Velocio–Sram 0:11:00
5 Ale Cipollini 0:13:05
Dutch cyclist Ellen
van Dijk celebrates
after crossing the
finish line yesterday.
PICTURES: Jayaram
Ellen, who took the yellow jersey, with Belgian cycling legend Eddy Merckx. (Right) Italian Beatrice Bartelloni was adjudged the ‘best young rider’ and took the pearl white jersey.
QATAR CUP
Spirit of Qatar, Victory take pole positions
By Sports Reporter
Doha
D
ubai’s Victory Team and
Spirit of Qatar 20 claimed
pole positions in the SuperCat Lite/Super Stock and
SuperCat classes on the opening day of
the inaugural UIM-sanctioned Qatar
Cup in Doha Bay yesterday.
In near-perfect race conditions,
multiple UIM Class One World Powerboat Champions, Arif Saif Al-Zafeen
and Nadir bin Hendi, overcame a yellow card in Victory S-3 to post the
fastest lap in the opening pole position
session to top the times with an impressive tour of 2min 56.5sec.
They were the class of the offshore SuperCat Lite field and that time was comfortably quicker than the 3min 23.1sec
lap carded by runners-up, Robert Nunziato and Dan Lawrence, in The Hulk.
Team Abu Dhabi’s Faleh Al-Mansoori and Rashed Al-Tayer qualified in
third of the eight SuperCat Lite boats.
Mohammed and Nasser Al-Nasser
were fifth in Spirit of Qatar 94 in the
first event of its kind to be organised
by the Qatar Marine Sports Federation
(QMSF), in collaboration with Offshore Powerboat Grand Prix (OPGP).
Ali Al-Neama and Billy Moore
topped the timings in Spirit of Qatar
20 in the SuperCat class. The Doha
driver carded a time of 3min 00.9sec to
claim pole position from Jay Cooke and
Randy Sweers in Racing for Cancer/
Fast Boats 33.
Pole Positions for the C1, C2 and
C225 categories were determined by a
draw organised by race officials in the
pit area.
Grant Bruggeman and Gary Ballough
opted to raise their outboard engines
after the morning’s test session on the
demanding Gulf course and qualified
fourth in a time of 3min 28.6sec in the
SuperCat Lite category.
American racer Joe Sgro and QMSF
president Sheikh Hassan bi Jabor Al-
Thani’s esteemed British throttleman
Steve Curtis celebrated their birthdays in Doha before the Qatar Cup and
teamed up with the Outerlimits 43 boat
in the SuperVee class.
They ran hard together with Brett
Furshman and Billy Glueck in Twisted
Metal during the morning’s test session in their 43-foot boat, which is
powered by twin 975hp engines, and
went on to set the quickest SuperVee
time in the pole qualifier.
Jay Price made a welcome return to
Doha Bay to partner Paul Boudreaux in
Thorndon/Ragin Cajun 57 in the SuperCat class.
“We only had chance to carry out a
small test in Louisiana with the boat
before we shipped it to Doha, so today
was the first real chance to give it a go,”
said the New Orleans man, who won
the 2008 UIM F1 H20 world title with
the Qatar Team. He qualified in fifth.
The morning timetable was filled
by boats carrying out initial testing on
both the inshore and offshore courses,
before the larger boats carried out their
pole position qualifying on the 4.9Nm
offshore course. This will feature a race
start lap of 6.2Nm and a proposed penalty lap of 3.3Nm if required.
The competitive action gets underway today with the first of the two sets
of races. Inshore action takes centre
stage from 09.00hrs on the shorter
2.2Nm course, with the C2 hulls preceding C1 and C225 boats on to the
Doha Bay course.
Afternoon action will be dominated
by the Offshore boats: SuperCat Lite
race craft take to the water at 15.00hrs
and are followed by the SuperVee and
SuperCat entrants at 16.00hrs.
Pole Positions
SuperCat Lite/Super Stock
1. Nadir Bin Hendi (ARE)/Arif
Saif Al-Zafeen (ARE) Victory S-3
2min 56.5sec
2. Robert Nunziato (USA)/Dan
Lawrence (USA) The Hulk S-1
3min 23.1sec
3. Faleh Al-Mansoori (ARE)/Rashed
Al-Tayer (ARE) Team Abu Dhabi 5
3min 28.6sec
4. Grant Bruggeman (USA)/Gary Ballough (USA) Smart Marine/Auto Mart
S-110 3min 28.6sec
5. Mohamed Al-Nasser (QAT)/Nasser
Al-Nasser (QAT) Spirit of Qatar 94
3min 30.0sec
6. Tanner Lewis (USA)/Ryan Beckley (USA) Peters & May Racing S-111
3min 34.8sec
7. Lynn Wagemann (USA)/Jay Muller
(USA) Wicked Performance Marine S-33
3min 44.6sec
8. Allen Christy (USA)/Lee Austin (USA)
LA Marine S-12 4min 00.8sec
SuperVee
1. Joe Sgro (USA)/Steve Curtis (GBR) Outerlimits 43
3min 05.5sec
2. Brett Furshman (USA)/Billy
Glueck (USA) Twisted Metal 30
3min 08.2sec
SuperCat
1. Ali Al-Neama (QAT)/Billy Moore (USA)
Spirit of Qatar 20 3min 00.9sec
2. Jay Cooke (USA)/Randy Sweers
(USA) Racing for Cancer/Fast Boats 33
3min 02.5sec
3. George Stancombe (USA)/Michael
Stancombe (USA) Peppers/Peters &
May 2 3min 10.4sec
4. Wayne Valder (NZL)/Chris Hanley
(NZL) Pro Floors Racing
51 3min 11.7sec
5. Paul Boudreaux (USA)/Jay Price
(USA) Thorndon/Ragin Cajun 57
3min 26.3sec
6. Dan Lawrence (USA)/Ron Roman
(USA) Motley Crew 00 DNS
Today’s timetable
09.00-09.45: Inshore race 1 (C2)
10.00-10.45: Inshore race 1 (C1)
12.00-13.00: Pole Position (Class 3-225)
15.00-15.45: Offshore Race 1
(SuperCat Lite)
16.00-16.45: Offshore Race 1
(SuperVee and SuperCat)
Thursday, February 5, 2015
SPORT
GULF TIMES
HORSE RACING
Ningara wins Khor Al Adaid Cup,
City Zen triumphs in Zekreet Cup
the third spot, ahead of the Collect Art.
HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al-Thani
owner Arraab (Amer-Cath) completed a hat trick
while annexing the seven furlongs Pure Arabian
Condition race. Bentley had Arraab race in mid
bunch for most part of journey, bidding his time
to make the move. Once the field straightened for
the home turn, Bentley goaded Arraan through an
opening along the rails and went past the others to
win by a neck from Wahchey.
In the day’s opener, Ibrahm Saeed al-Malki’s
Al Naif Alpha broke through the maiden ranks
with a fluent victory in the Local Thoroughbred
Maiden Plate. Coming from way off the pace, Al
Naif Alpha came with a ground devouring run
in the final 100 metres and went past the front
runners to win by over a length.
By Chris Hoover
Doha
J
assim al-Ghazali trained Ningara (Singspiel-Garanciere) recorded a thrilling
win over Elkhart in the Khor Al Adaid
Cup, a Group III race for Thoroughbreds,
which featured the races at the Qatar Racing and
Equestrian Club yesterday. In form jockey Harry
Bentley did a tidy job on the Singspiel progeny
as he held his nerves together and managed to
get the better of Elkhart and Bal De France who
had shaped to win with a furlong left in the race.
Trainer Ghazali with five winners and jockey
Bentley with three hogged the day’s limelight.
Goldenrod settled to lead as the field set out
for the 2,100 metres trip followed by Anticipated, while Bal De France Upholland were in close
attendance. Goldenrod and Anticipated brought
the field into the straight and they were not inclined to give up easily as the duo fought on
resolutely but with 300 metres left in the race,
they looked vulnerable. Meanwhile, Elhkhart,
Bal De France and Ningara came along to dispute for the lead. Though Ningara was making a
comeback after a eight month break, the Ghazali
trainee displayed a brilliant turn of foot which
ensured a half length victory. Having made a
winning return, Ningara is capabe of an encore
when saddled next.
“It was brilliant to see Ningara make a winning
comeback after such a long break. He is a brilliant horse and I am delighted with this victory. I
am also happy for owner Sheikh Mohammed bin
Mishal bin Hamad al-Thani who was here to witness the race,” trainer Ghazali told the Gulf Times.
Ghazali who led in five winners for the day
was delighted with the victory of City Zen in the
Zekreet Cup. “I am very happy with the victory
of City Zen in the Zekreet Cup which I have won
many times. I also took the top five places in this
race. It was simply amazing to do so. I am looking forward to the Qatar Gold Sword day and
hope to do well.”
“It was a sensible enough pace and I sat back
and looked for my options. Ningara was travelling well but did not have a lot of room. Swinging off the home bend, Ningara picked up very
well for me and luckily enough I found a few
gaps. Once he got the opening, Ningara was un-
QREC chairman HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Faleh al-Thani (fourth from right) is seen with the winners of the Khor Al Adaid Cup at the Qatar Racing and
Equestrian Club yesterday. Injaaz Stud’s Sheikh Mohammed bin Mishal bin Hamad al-Thani (fifth from right) received the trophy after Ningara had won
the event. PICTURES: Juhaim
stoppable and went on win quite well. It was a
bit of a concern to me that Ningara was coming
back after a long layoff and looking at his form
I thought he would be struggling. But the layoff
seems to have done him good as he has come
back in brilliant form. I think he can go on and
improve further,” jockey Bentley explained.
A brilliant turn of foot in the straight enabled
Zohair Moghsen saddled Rossa Corsa to assert
his superiority over his 14 rivals in the Wadi Al
Sail Cup, a Thoroughbred Handicap for horses
rated 85 and above. Despite being eased up in the
final stages of the race, the free-striding Rosso
Corsa crossed the winning post three lengths
clear of the others.
City Zen (Baltic King-Queen Cobra), sporting
the colours of Sheil bin Khalifa al-Kuwari rose
to the occasion in a splendid manner and fought
off a determined bid from stable mate Botanica
and Fast to clinch the Zekreet Cup, a Thoroughbred Conditions race for Fillies and Mares.
Harry’s Dancer darted into the lead soon on
start with Glossy Posse keeping company with
the front runner. Once they turned for home, Botanica ridden by Harry Bentley, quickened well to
establish a handy lead. Meanwhile, Richard Mullen alighted City Zen to the task on hand. The
response was immediate and the Ghazali trainee
quickly pounced on her stable mate in the shadow
of the winning post to win by half a length. Inci-
dentally trainer Ghazali dominated the race with
five of his wards taking the first five places.
Mohanad al-Yaqout schooled AJS Al Rayyan
put up a gritty show to deny hard ridden Bint
Al Akaber a victory in the Pure Arabian Maiden Plate. Going for it from the start, Al Rayyan
(Tadgh O’Shea up) held the upper hand right
through the race. He entered the homestretch
with a slender lead and had his work cut out
as Bint Al Akaber, Ba’sil and Rasi were all too
close for comfort. Bint Al Akaber (Adrie de
Vries astride) was the one to raise hopes as she
inched closer with every stride. The duo battled it out in the final furlong and Tadgh O’Shea
astride Al Rayyan deserves credit for keeping his
mount going all through and ward off the serious challenge of the runner-up. Ba’sil finished
on strongly to take the third place ahead of Rasi.
Rassan produced a superlative run to humble
Al Khattaf and Mouwash in the straight to win
the Pure Arabian Graduation Plate in a thrilling
finish. Mouwash had just taken over the running
and had hardly set sights on the winning post
when Rassan came crushing down on the front
runner. The Jassim al-Ghazali trainee streaked
ahead in no time and later held of the late bid of
Al Khattaf, who finished with a rush but had to
settle for second place ahead of Mouwash. Jockey Harry Bentley was astride the winner.
Injaaz Stud’s My Sharona, which had finished
QREC chairman HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Faleh
al-Thani (right) presents the Wadi Al Sail Cup to
Mubarak Saeed Aljafai al-Naimi after Rosso Corsa
won the event at the QREC yesterday.
seventh to Pay Freeze in her previous outing, responded well to jockey Gaeran Faucon’s urgings
in the final furlong to win the Thoroughbred
Conditions race, run over six furlongs. My Sharona was racing a close third, all the way from the
start, while Hamza and stable mate Trinityelitedotcom made the running in front. Entering the
straight, My Sharona was asked for an effort and
the six year old grey mare picked up momentum
and shot to the front. Court Life threw a challenge but could only finish second. Hamza took
RESULTS:
1st race: Al Naif Alpha (Gary Carter) 1, Ammon
2, Gaza VI 3, Sattam 4. Won by: 1 ¼, ½, ½. Time:
1:14.82. Owned and trained by: Ibrahm Saeed
al-Malki.
2nd race: AJS Al Rayyan (Tadgh O’Shea) 1, Bint
Al Akaber 2, Ba’sil 3, Rasi 4. Won by: Nk, Nk, ½.
Time: 1:32.09. Trained by: Mohanad al-Yaqout.
Owned by: Al Jeryan Stud
3rd race: Rassan (Harry Bentley) 1, Al Khattaf 2,
Mouwash 3, Bambino Du Pouy 4. Won by: Hd, ¾.
1 ½. Time: 1:18.76. Trained by: Jassim al-Ghazali.
Owned by: Jassim bin Ali al-Attiya
4th race: My Sharona (Gaetan Faucon) 1, Court
Life 2, Hamza 3, Collect Art 4. Won by: Nk, 1 ½,
Nk. Time: 1:10.60. Trained by: Jassim al-Ghazali.
Owned by: Injaaz Stud
5th race: Arraab (Harry Bentley) 1, Wahchey 2,
Harir 3, Mutazz 4. Won by: Nk, 1 ¾, 1. Time: 1:31.02.
Trained by: Jassim al-Ghazali. Owned by: HH
Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al-Thani
6th race: City Zen (Richard Mullen) 1, Boatnica 2,
Fast 3, Abeer 4. Won by: ½, Hd, 2 ½. Time: 1:23.28.
Trained by: Jassim al-Ghazali. Owned by: Sheail
bin Khalifa al-Kuwari
7th race: Rossa Corsa (Alberto Sanna) 1, Peter
Mac 2, Hearts Of Stone 3, Mister Ryan 4. Won by:
3, ½, Shd. Time: 1:22.48. Trained by: Zohair Moghsen. Owned by: Mubarak Saeed Aljafai al-Naimi
8th race: Ningara (Harry Bentley) 1, Elkhart 2,
Bal De France 3, Upholland 4. Won by: ½, Hd,
½. Time: 2:11.35. Trained by: Jassim al-Ghazali.
Owned by: Injaaz Stud

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