Anger mounts as Malaysia battles floods

QATAR | Page 4
SPORT | Page 2
INDEX
QATAR
2 – 5, 24
REGION
ARAB WORLD
INTERNATIONAL
6
7, 8
9 – 21
COMMENT
BUSINESS
22, 23
1 – 4, 14 – 16
CLASSIFIED
5 – 13
SPORTS
1 – 12
Qatar has been undertaking wideranging labour market reforms in
order to strengthen existing laws
and improve the living and working
conditions of workers in the country:
“Reforms Highlight Qatar’s Keenness
to Better Labour Standards”. Page 24.
A report on the Indian recruitment
scenario, based on findings of a Gulf
Times journalist who visited Mumbai
and New Delhi recently, will be published on Tuesday, December 30.
Attempt to smuggle 17kg of
marijuana into Qatar foiled
T
he General Authority of Customs (GAC) has foiled an attempt to smuggle 17kg of marijuana into Qatar through the Hamad
International Airport (HIA).
The contraband was found in the
luggage of a passenger, who had arrived
in Doha on a direct flight from an Asian
country.
Khalid Hamad Rashid al-Kaabi, director of the HIA Customs Department,
said Customs officers got suspicious
while a bag carried by the traveller was
being scanned. Accordingly, the bag was
taken for a detailed manual search and
three tightly wrapped packets filled with
marijuana were found among clothes.
Al-Kaabi said Customs officers filed
a report on the incident and handed
over the culprit to the authorities concerned for necessary legal procedures
and further investigation. They also
seized the contraband .
He pointed out that in cases involving the seizure of narcotic substances
from travellers, the department informs the Ministry of Interior’s Drug
Prevention Department immediately
for due legal action and to refer the case
to the Prosecution. Simultaneously,
the GAC follows up with the competent
security department.
Al-Kaabi said the Customs often
thwarts attempts by traffickers to bring
in banned substances such as opium,
cocaine, pills, hashish and others,
hidden in travellers’ luggage. He also
pointed to the skills of Customs officers
in finding out such hidden substances.
“They receive training from security
experts and use sophisticated equipment for their operations.”
According to GAC figures, around
1,500 seizures were made in 2013.
These included 282 seizures of illicit
drugs, 102 of narcotic pills, 17 of alcoholic substances, 80 of tobacco products as well as 162 violations of intellectual property rights, 19 pertaining
to arms and ammunition and 689 commercial fraud.
Other cases pertained to smuggling
of endangered animals, unethical materials and other banned items.
12,449.05
54.73
+23.50
+0.13%
+91.43
+0.74%
-1.11
-1.99%
in
Labour reforms
The contraband was found hidden in a passenger’s luggage.
18,053.71
d
HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin
Hamad al-Thani yesterday received
a telephone call from Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The Emir and the Turkish president
reviewed bilateral relations
between Qatar and Turkey and
ways to enhance them, besides
discussing issues of mutual interest
and regional and international
developments.
NYMEX
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is
bl TA 978
A 1
Q since
Emir gets phone
call from Erdogan
QE
Latest Figures
GULF TIMES
QATAR | Official
DOW JONES
pu
Mesaimeer tunnel
project work on track
Captain Smith
fireworks
leave
India reeling
SUNDAY
Vol. XXXV No. 9585
December 28, 2014
Rabia I 6, 1436 AH
www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals
Anger mounts
as Malaysia
battles floods
AFP
Pengkalan Chepa
R
escuers struggled yesterday to
get help to the tens of thousands
of people affected by Malaysia’s
worst flooding in decades as angry victims accused the government of being
slow in its response.
Malaysians have vented their anger at Prime Minister Najib Razak
after photos went viral on social media showing him playing golf with US
President Barack Obama during the
storms.
The number of people forced to flee
their homes climbed past 120,000 with
weather forecasters warning of no respite for the northeastern states of Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang.
From the air, parts of Kota Bharu, the
state capital of badly-affected Kelantan, resembled a vast, muddy lake, with
row after row of rooftops peeking out of
the murky waters.
Tempers were frayed among people
sheltering at a crowded relief centre
just outside Kota Bharu, with fears the
situation would worsen as it continued
to rain in surrounding areas.
“I am angry with them (the government). We don’t care about their politics. We just want the government to
do what they should do and help us,”
23-year-old Farhana Suhada, who
works for a courier service, told AFP.
Holding on tightly to her six-monthold baby, she said: “For breakfast I
had three biscuits and tea. There’s not
enough water and no food at all for my
baby. I had to buy my own milk.”
Farhana was forced to abandon her
home four days ago after flood waters
rose quickly almost to neck level.
“I have lost everything, including
huge damage to my house and my car
and motorcycle,” said Suhada, who was
among 200 people seeking refuge in a
two-storey school.
The under-fire Najib, meanwhile,
arrived in Kelantan to lead the national
flood response after cutting short his
vacation in Hawaii and was expected to
meet flood victims.
The massive flooding, caused by torrential northeast monsoon rains, has so
far left five people dead.
The region is regularly hit by flooding during the annual monsoon, but
this year’s rains have been unusually
bad.
Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin
Yassin conceded that rescuers were
struggling with power outages and
roads being washed away by the floods.
“I admit the situation is challenging
to the rescue workers and we are trying
our best to make sure that the food arrives to the victims depending on the
flood situation,” he was quoted as saying by the Star newspaper.
Military helicopters and trucks were
seen in the Kota Bharu area, which is
near the border with southern Thailand, but rescue efforts were being
hampered by fast rising waters and
strong currents while roads to hard-hit
areas were impassable.
“The severity and scale of the floods
had taken the authorities completely
by surprise as it was worse than anticipated, overwhelming all disaster management plans and preparations,” Lim
Kit Siang, veteran opposition MP with
the Democratic Action Party said in a
statement Saturday.
Kelantan, one of the worst-affected
areas, is led by the opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) and is one of
the poorest states in the country.
At one relief centre, flood victims
were seen lying on the ground while
children ran around.
The Universiti Sains Malaysia hospital, located in Kota Bharu, was busy
handling flood victims flown in from
nearby areas - including a pregnant
woman from Pasir Mas district where
strong winds and currents have made
rescue operations difficult.
“It’s been three days, but the currents are still very strong and the bad
weather conditions are making it difficult for everyone,” a rescue worker said.
2
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 28, 2014
QATAR
QRC’s disaster management camp
to be held from March 31 to April 9
U
nder the patronage of
HE the Prime Minister
and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser
bin Khalifa al-Thani, Qatar Red
Crescent (QRC) is planning to
hold its Sixth Disaster Management Camp from March 31 to
April 9, 2015, at the Al Khor Marine Scout Camp.
Involving 300 trainees from
both within and outside Qatar, the
camp will be held in co-ordination
with several Qatari institutions
in addition to the International
Federation of Red Cross and Red
Crescent, International Committee of the Red Cross, the United
Nations and the General Secretariat of the Co-operation Council
for the Arab States of the Gulf.
Officials and dignitaries unveil a plaque.
QRC lays foundation stone for
two Lanka housing projects
A
delegation from Qatar
Red Crescent (QRC) has
participated in foundation stone-laying ceremonies
for two housing projects in Mannar district, northern Sri Lanka,
for families displaced by local
armed conflicts.
The project will cost QR3.1mn
($849,315), which has been donated by two Qatari sisters who
opted for anonymity.
QRC was represented by
Ahmed al-Khulaifi, head of Public Relations, in the presence of
Rishad Badiuddin, Sri Lanka’s
Minister of Trade and Commerce,
Hussain Mohamed al-Kubaisi,
first secretary at the Qatari embassy in Sri Lanka, representatives of Sri Lanka Red Cross and
Serendib Foundation for Relief
and Development (SFRD), and local community leaders.
The guests also undertook a
field tour of the project sites before leaving for Colombo.
The first project involves
building 70 family housing units
for 460 people from the poorest families in Kondachi, Musali
division. It also involves constructing and furnishing four
shops, a school and a prayer centre as well as digging two artisan
wells equipped with a 4,000-litre water tank and a solar-powered pump.
The second project involves
building 44 family housing units
for 264 people in the village of
Erukkalampiddy, in addition to
two fully-furnished shops.
The projects will be executed
in partnership with SFRD, which
also conducted a field survey
to identify beneficiaries of the
projects.
Earlier, a QRC assessment
and inspection team visited the
location and selected the housing design based on an already
completed housing project that
proved practical and comfortable for the inhabitants.
The Sri Lankan government
contributed the land plot on
which the houses would be constructed.
Planned to be completed and
handed over in 12 months, the
housing units will be in compliance with international and environmental standards.
The components and material for execution will be bought
from the local market and execution will be done by local
labour. This will create more job
opportunities and improve the
economic conditions of the local community, thereby further
serving the developmental and
humanitarian purposes of the
projects.
“The Disaster Management
Camp is an event that
distinguishes QRC not
only inside Qatar, but
also across the region.
Awaited by many local and
international government
and non-government
organisations, it is the
only Arabic-speaking
specialised training of such
a scale”
Among the partners who
will contribute to the event are
the Permanent Committee for
Emergency, Qatar Scouts and
Guide Association and many
other government and non-government organisations.
This recognition of the camp
is a reflection of the importance
attached by the State to dealing
with natural disasters and international co-operation to face
them and reduce their impact.
Capacity-building is a national
priority under Qatar National
Vision 2030 and the only way to
create a culture of preparedness
and promote important disaster
response tools in the world, according to a statement.
The practical training involves various key aspects.
The next camp has been in the
process of preparation since October. Many public and private
sector bodies and companies were
invited to participate in the event
so as to attract a new genre of volunteers from those institutions to
receive training on how to be prepared for dealing with disasters.
This year, trainees from over
20 Red Crescent societies will
attend the camp in addition to
specialised disaster management trainers and experts.
QRC secretary-general Saleh
bin Ali al-Mohannadi said, “The
Disaster Management Camp
is an event that distinguishes
QRC not only inside Qatar, but
also across the region. Awaited
by many local and international
government and non-govern-
ment organisations, it is the only
Arabic-speaking
specialised
training of such a scale.”
Rashid bin Saad al-Mohannadi, director of the camp, urged
the Qatari society to be more
aware of the importance of disaster preparedness and mobilise
resources to establish a family
and society where the culture of
preparedness is a general behaviour and not mere information.
The programme involves
theoretical and hands-on training. The theoretical part introduces extensive training in disaster management to educate
the trainees on international
standards and concepts, such as
Sphere standards, psychological
support, international humanitarian law, secure access and re-
sorting family links.
The practical part involves
dividing participants into field
teams, including teams for field
assessment & co-ordination,
healthcare, water & sanitation,
food & distribution, sheltering,
registration, logistics and media.
The teams will manage and
run the camp throughout the
training duration. On the last
day, all groups will perform a
disaster simulation scenario
in co-ordination with relevant
partners in Qatar.
QRC successfully organised
five training camps in 2006,
2007, 2012, 2013 and 2014, graduating hundreds of volunteers
who later played an effective role
in responding with QRC to many
disasters in other countries.
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 28, 2014
3
QATAR
Cafeteria penalised for fraud
A cafeteria in the Doha port area has been shut down for two weeks after inspectors from the
Ministry of Economy and Commerce detected commercial fraud there. After monitoring the
cafeteria for some time, the inspectors conducted a raid there and issued a violation report on
finding that the outlet was selling white fish as fresh Hamour. Accordingly, an administrative
decision was taken to close the place for two weeks.
Interior design expo to help meet
demand for high-quality products
T
he IQ Exhibition to be held
in Qatar from February 2
to 4, 2015 will help meet
the growing local demand for
high-quality products and international brands in the construction and furnishing industries,
according to a statement by the
event organisers.
The event, the first Qatar interior design exhibition, will attract interior designers, architects and industry professionals
from Qatar and other Gulf states.
Organisers of the exhibition
have announced findings from
the latest Ventures Middle East
Report on Qatar Building Construction and Interiors Update.
According to the report, the
share of the Qatar construction
sector in the country’s nominal
GDP is likely to increase from
5.5% in 2014 to 6.2% in 2015.
Also, Qatar’s completed construction projects would reach
$9.06bn by the end of the year.
“As the country gears up for
the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the
current focus is on building the
necessary infrastructure... there
is a spillover effect on the building construction sector, too,”
said Ashley Roberts, event director, IQ Exhibition. “This is also
likely to translate into large opportunities for the Qatar interiors and fit-outs market, encompassing internal wood works,
soft and hard furnishings, lighting, partitions, flooring, kitchens and bathroom fittings, which
constitutes approximately 1020% of the average construction
project value.”
John Mibu, research director at
Ventures Middle East, said: “Qatar building contractor awards for
UCQ and QU team up for better healthcare
U
niversity of Calgary in
Qatar (UCQ) and Qatar
University (QU) collaborated on a recently held interprofessional workshop.
The workshop featured key
topics and scenarios aimed at
fostering
inter-professional
education between students in
various healthcare disciplines.
One of the scenarios presented by UCQ nursing instructors
involved a woman bringing her
husband to a hospital’s emergency department. He has Type 1
diabetes and has been taking insulin shots regularly for the past
year. This week, he came down
with a stomach flu and a couple
of days ago stopped taking the
insulin. Now, he is confused and
upset and needs medical care.
A team of 72 nursing and pharmacy students goes to work on
assessing him and prescribing
treatment.
“In their real working lives,
nurses collaborate with other
healthcare professionals in the
delivery of patient care,” explained Roxanne Zeifflie, UCQ
nursing instructor. “During the
workshop, our nursing students
and the pharmacy students go
through all the stages they would
go through, from emergency
room care to hospital admission
to the discharge plan.”
“We believe this is a very effective strategy in teaching students about complex problems,”
said Zohra Hasnani-Samnani,
UCQ nursing instructor.
Understanding what other
healthcare professions have to
offer is important to nursing,
added nursing instructor Merry
Jo Levers. UCQ student Mihi
Chandrarante agreed, saying: “I
know more now about the different roles of pharmacy and nursing students and how we can
work together, and that helps me
in being a better nurse.”
Hebatallah Deghady, teaching assistant at QU, appreciated
the future benefits of bringing
pharmacy students to UCQ for
the inter-professional workshop opportunity. “We don’t
have a nursing school at QU,”
she noted.
“When our pharmacy students go to work, they need
to know more about what the
other professions do. This is
a good chance to learn about
each other and gain new
knowledge.”
QU pharmacy student Fatima
Abdulla added, “The workshop
also gives students new information about patient conditions. And, as some students
are shy, the collaborative setting gives them confidence and
breaks the ice.”
“Throughout the workshop,
students seemed to build confidence and see the value of exchanging information and ideas
between people from different
disciplines,” added HasnaniSamnani.
Dr Kerry Wilbur, associate
professor of Clinical Pharmacy Practice at QU, was encouraged by the exchange be-
tween disciplines and in the
professionalism the students
demonstrated in patient case
assessment.
“Teamwork is essential for
effective patient care and safe
delivery of healthcare. Our students have learned to appreciate
others’ skill sets and what each
can offer to patient care. The patients and the healthcare system
are the ultimate winners in all of
this.”
UCQ nursing instructors who
collaborated on the workshop
were Hasnani-Samnani, Jo Levers, Zeifflie, Diana White, Anne
Ballem and Katie de Leon-Demare.
This is the second year the
interdisciplinary workshop has
taken place.
2014 are expected to hit $14bn, an
increase of over 20% compared to
2013 building contractor awards.
The percentage is expected to increase even higher in 2015 as per
the current projects schedule. All
these will translate to higher interior spending in the next couple
of years.”
The size of the interiors and
“As the country gears up
for the 2022 FIFA World
Cup, the current focus is
on building the necessary
infrastructure... there is
a spillover effect on the
building construction
sector, too”
fit-outs market is estimated to
grow to $637mn in 2014, led by
growth across retail – from $11mn
in 2013 to an expected $90mn
in 2014 - and hospitality - from
$68mn in 2013 to an expected
$167mn in 2014 - and spurred by
the massive increase in population, increased economic activity
and affluence in the run-up to the
World Cup, it is observed.
“The IQ Exhibition offers
something new to the Qatar design and architectural community,” added Roberts. “From the
opportunity to hear from some
of the region’s biggest names in
design and architecture speak
at the free-to-attend IQ Education Series, sponsored by Interface, as well as the must-attend
paid-for Qatar Green Building Council’s LEED-accredited
workshop.”
The full report is available at
http://www.iqexhibition.com/
exhibit/industry-reports-infographics/
Official
Condolences sent to Kuwaiti emir
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 cables to the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah alAhmed al-Jaber al-Sabah condoling the death of Sheikha Sheikha
Salem Ali al-Malek al-Sabah.
Qatar’s envoy presents credentials
President of Turkmenistan Dr Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Rashid
Meredov yesterday received the credentials of Ambassador of
Qatar Khalifa bin Ahmed al-Suwaidi.
The ambassador conveyed the greetings of HH the Emir Sheikh
Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to the Turkmenistan president.
The Turkmenistan president reciprocated the Emir’s greetings and
his wished further prosperity and progress to the State of Qatar.
The president of Turkmenistan and the country’s deputy prime
minister expressed their desire to enhance bilateral relations
between the two countries.
4
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 28, 2014
QATAR
Health centre weekend service to be extended
The Primary Health Care
Corporation (PHCC) has
announced that it will
expand the weekend
service in Mesaimeer Health
Centre from 2nd January,
2015.
The health centre will be
working on Fridays from
4pm to 11pm. On Saturdays,
there will be two shifts with
the morning shift taking
place from 7am to 2pm, and
the evening one from 4pm
to 11pm.
The health centre will
continue with its regular
services from Sunday to
Thursday from 7am to 2pm,
and 4pm to 11pm.
There are also other
expansion plans being
considered in two of the
most busy health centres
in Doha.
Accordingly, there will
be an extension in the
number of working days
in these centres from 5
to 7. However, the plan is
subject to further study and
recruitment of additional
staff which is underway.
File picture of flooding on the Salwa Road underpass in March.
Mesaimeer tunnel project 1st
phase nearing half-way mark
A
bout 40% of works
on the first phase
of the Mesaimeer
tunnel project that will
discharge surface and
groundwater into the sea
has been completed, local Arabic daily Al Sharq
has reported, quoting a
source from the Public
Works Authority (Ashghal).
The current phase of
the project is expected to
be completed in the third
quarter of 2015 and the
entire project by the first
quarter of 2017. The au-
thority has entered into
a contract with a specialised company to execute the project at a cost
of QR440mn, the daily
states.
The Mesaimeer tunnel project includes the
design and construction
of a 9.5km tunnel that is
expected to solve Doha’s
stormwater issues.
The main tunnel will
run along F-Ring Road
from
the
Mesaimeer
roundabout (Woqod petrol station) and reach the
sea to the south of Hamad
International Airport, according to the report.
It could be recalled that
the flooding caused in
parts of Salwa Road following heavy rainfall in
March was attributed to
the lack of an outlet to
dispose of the excess water that had accumulated
in the drainage system as
it was not linked to the final point.
The Mesaimeer tunnel
project, once completed,
would serve as the link and
help avoid such situations.
Meanwhile, some resi-
dents of Al Wukair have
complained of continued
accumulation of groundwater in a residential area,
as reported in Al Sharq.
They said groundwater
started emerging a month
ago in limited quantities
and at irregular intervals,
but it has increased of late
and accumulated near
houses, some of which are
new and yet to be occupied,
according to the daily.
People living in the area
have complained that the
groundwater sometimes
reaches the courtyards
and rooms of their houses, expressing fear that
this may cause damage
to their properties. Further, they point out that
this phenomenon also
poses a health hazard and
causes inconvenience as
it accumulates on parts of
streets and yards, thereby
impeding traffic flow and
pedestrian
movement,
the report further states.
The residents have
urged Al Wakrah Municipality to take suitable action at the earliest, the
report adds.
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 28, 2014
5
QATAR
Al Meera, Ooredoo
ink agreement for
rewards scheme
A
l Meera Consumer Goods
Co has signed a partnership deal with Ooredoo
to provide new rewards for its
customers.
In a ceremony held at the Al
Meera headquarters, Al Meera
deputy CEO Dr Mohamed
Nasser al-Qahtani and Ooredoo Global Services CEO Yousuf Abdulla al-Kubaisi signed
the contract in the presence of
other officials.
The partnership will allow
Al Meera customers to earn and
redeem points under Ooredoo’s
Nojoom loyalty programme
when shopping at Al Meera
branches in Mansoura, Bin Omran, Khalifa South, Hazm Al
Markhiya, Azghawa, Al Merqab,
Wakrah, Airport hypermarket,
Legtaifiya, and Nuaija.
Nojoom Red and Nojoom
Silver members will earn one
Nojoom point for every QR6
while Nojoom Gold members
will earn two Nojoom points for
every QR6.
To earn Nojoom points, members must present their Qatar IDs
along with the bill and registered
number to customer service at
Al Meera. Points will be added to
member’s Nojoom account the
following month.
Members also have the
choice to redeem points for
Al Meera vouchers that can be
used to purchase a variety of
goods from Al Meera stores.
“We believe that our customers are at the forefront of
everything we do. In 10 different stores of Al Meera, customers will be able to earn
and benefit from their points
by exchanging them with Al
Meera groceries and purchase
a range of quality products,”
al-Qahtani said.
Al-Kubaisi said: “Partnerships that reward everyday
activities such as shopping at
National Museum area
civic work to finish soon
W
ork on the development of streets
and infrastructure in the National Museum area would be completed within three months,
local daily Al Arab has reported, quoting a source
from the Public Works
Authority (Ashghal).
A significant portion
of the project has already
been completed, according
to the source. This includes
over 90% of work on communication lines and laying
pipes for recycled sewage
water as well as over 80%
of tunnel-boring work for
infrastructure services, the
daily said.
The source said the project
costs QR69mn. When completed, it would provide an
integrated network of streets
to ensure smooth access in
the area. The streets would
be connected to the neigh-
bouring main road network
as well, according to the
report.
Further, the source said
streets surrounding the National Museum would be redesigned in order to improve
services in the area and provide specific entry and exit
points to and from the museum. These would be located at the intersection of the
Corniche road with Ras Abu
Aboud Street.
Al Meera help us give back to
our customers. Loyalty is not
about spending a lot; Ooredoo says ‘thank you for staying with us’ whether it’s a pint
of milk or a TV, you will be
rewarded.”
Al Meera said it continues to
keep up with the development
and growth of Qatar, guided by
the pillars of Qatar National Vision 2030 on economic, social,
environmental, and human development.
Al Meera’s commitment to
this vision is reflected by its expansion and development plans
to make shopping easy, conven-
Dr Mohamed Nasser al-Qahtani and Yousuf Abdulla al-Kubaisi shaking hands after signing a contract.
ient, and fun for consumers inside and outside Doha, through a
wide range of products that meet
their daily needs.
In 2015, Al Meera will be opening nine new stores in Al Wakrah,
Al Thumama, Al Wajba, Muaith-
er, Al Azizia, Zakhira, Murraikh, and Jeryan Nejaima and a
branch at a rented property in the
Gulf Mall.
Al Meera also said it aims to
finish the construction phase
of its 15 malls by 2015 in Sailiya
Registration for falcon festival
Registration for the sixth Qatar International Festival of Falcons and Hunting 2015 will conclude
tomorrow evening at Katara - the Cultural Village. Mohamed Abdulatif al-Misnad, vice-chairman
of Qatar Society of Al Gannas and deputy head of the festival’s organising committee, said
around 80% of preparations for the event at Sabkhat Marmy in Mesaieed (Sealine area), have
been completed and work is under way to finish all arrangements on time. On conclusion of the
registration process, a schedule would be provided for all competitions of the festival, he added.
North, Rawdat Ekdeem, Umm
Salal, Leabaib 1, Leabaib 2, Bu
Sidra, Al Wakrah 2, Rawdat Aba
El-Herran, Azghawa, Al Khor,
Um Qarn, Rawdat Al Hamama,
Jeryan Junaihat, Al Sailiya, and
Ain Khaled.
31 magazines, dailies
published in Qatar
Thirty-one periodicals - magazines and
newspapers - are currently published
in Qatar, according to data released by
the department of cultural studies and
research at the Ministry of Culture, Arts
and Heritage.
Twenty of these periodicals are newspapers
publishing 5,735 issues a year and 11 are
magazines with 96 issues a year.
The data show that there are five Arabic
dailies, representing 25% of the total
number of newspapers in the country,
and the remaining 15 are published in
foreign languages.
The Arabic dailies publish 1,825 issues
a year, representing 32% of the total
number of issues, with foreign language
newspapers accounting for 3,910 issues.
These papers are published in eight
different languages.
6
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 28, 2014
REGION/ARAB WORLD
Police to quiz
opposition
leaders over
Bahrain rally
Agencies
Manama
B
ahraini police will question key members of the
mainly Shia Muslim opposition movement Al Wefaq
for what it said were “violations” committed during a
pro-democracy rally, state
news agency BNA reported
yesterday.
Al Wefaq said its secretary
general, Sheikh Ali Salman, was
among those being questioned
and that his house had been
heavily surrounded by armed
government troops. The ministry of interior and police were
not immediately available to
comment.
BNA reported that a pre-authorised rally of around 2,000
protesters took place late on Friday on Budaiya Highway, which
links the capital Manama to the
northwestern town of Budaiya.
Organised mainly by Al Wefaq, the protesters gathered under the slogan of “Democracy is
our right”, the movement said.
“Violations occurred during the rally and members of
the organising committee were
consequently summoned. The
Public Prosecution was notified about the situation,” said
the northern governorate police general director in a statement to BNA.
He did not elaborate on what
kind of violations had occurred.
Al Wefaq called the move to
question its leaders “unacceptable” and accused the government trying to dodge a “crisis
with its people”.
Sheikh Salman, 49, was
handed a new four-year term at
Al Wefaq’s general congress on
Friday night, in a meeting held
to comply with a law on associations that led to a three-month
ban on the group.
Following Friday’s demon-
stration, the opposition issued a
statement saying “the government and the current parliament
have no popular mandate”.
In July, the justice ministry
sued Al Wefaq demanding it rectify its “illegal status following
the annulment of four general
assemblies for lack of a quorum
and the non-commitment to
the public and transparency requirements for holding them”.
The Manama administrative
court slapped Al Wefaq with the
ban on October 28 and gave it
three months to hold an assembly to elect its leaders.
The ruling came after Al Wefaq announced it was boycotting
a parliamentary election in November, the first in the kingdom
since authorities quelled Shialed pro-democracy protests in
2011.
Al Wefaq, which withdrew its
lawmakers from parliament in
protest, denounced the vote as
a “farce”.
Sheikh Ali Salman speaks during the Al Wefaq general assembly meeting in Karanah village north of
Manama on Friday.
Protesters shout slogans during a rally against the Houthi insurgency in Sanaa yesterday.
Yemen Shia militia vows
to press on with offensive
AFP
Sanaa
Y
emen’s Ansarullah Shia
militia vowed yesterday to
press ahead with an offensive it launched in September to
consolidate its grip across Yemen,
despite fierce resistance from
Sunni tribes and Al Qaeda.
The country has been rocked by
instability since the Shia fighters,
also known as Houthis, seized control of Sanaa in September.
They have since expanded their
presence in central and western
Yemen, but have met fierce resistance from powerful Sunni tribesmen backed by fighters from Al
Qaeda.
“The Yemeni people is determined to pursue its revolution...
and combat corruption,” Ansarullah chief Abdulmalik al-Houthi said
in a statement published by Yemeni
media.
He said he will also push ahead
with the offensive to “guarantee security” and “put an end to political
tyranny”—repeating slogans used
by the Houthis to justify launching
A girl flashes the V-sign as she takes part in the rally in Sanaa
yesterday.
their campaign in September.
On the streets of central
Sanaa, meanwhile, hundreds of
youths staged a rally demanding that the Houthi militiamen
withdraw from the capital.
The demonstrators marched to
the mayor’s office carrying banners
that read: “No to armed groups”
and “Yes to security and stability”.
On September 21, the Houthis
signed a UN-brokered deal with the
government under which they had
pledged to lay down their arms and
pull out of the city.
They have yet to respect the
terms of the agreement.
In his statement, the Houthi
leader also called on supporters to
“organise better in order to prepare
for any eventuality”, without elaborating.
He also warned of “strict measures” that could be adopted, but
again did not provide any details on
what these might be.
In another development, Ansarullah has told residents in areas it
controls that Saturday will no longer be considered part of the weekend because it is “the rest day of the
Jews”, a militia official said.
The militia official said the new
regulation has entered into force in
the Houthi stronghold of Saada in
the remote north, as well as in the
neighbouring province of Amran.
In the south, meanwhile, two
soldiers were killed yesterday and
four wounded in a roadside bomb
explosion in Hadramout province, a
military source said.
Egypt cuts ‘gay wedding’ jail terms
Agencies
Cairo
A
n Egyptian appeals court
yesterday reduced jail sentences given to eight men
over a gay wedding video that went
viral on the Internet to one year
each, from three years.
Their arrests in September were
part of a series of highly publicised
raids targeting suspected homosexuals in the country.
A lower court convicted them in
November of broadcasting images
that “violated public decency”.
The men were detained after a
video, filmed aboard a Nile riverboat,
showed what prosecutors said was a
gay wedding ceremony, with two men
kissing, exchanging rings and cutting
a cake with their picture on it.
The video received widespread
attention on websites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
The defendants’ families, who
were expecting their acquittal,
screamed and wept on hearing the
new sentences.
“They took away my heart,” said
the mother of one of the defendants
as she slapped her face after the verdict.
Another woman whose brother
was among the defendants screamed
that his “future is finished”.
Defence lawyer Emad Sobhi said
the ruling was “full of loopholes”
and would be appealed.
Homosexuality is not specifically
banned under Egyptian law and the
men were initially accused of debauchery.
That charge was dropped after
an invasive anal exam of the men
showed that they did not have receptive anal sex.
The defence repeatedly denied
that the men were gay, and insisted
that the lower court had caved in to
popular pressure.
One of the defendants told a television talk show prior to their arrest
that the video was recorded during a
birthday party.
The eight men were first charged
in September when a public prosecutor’s statement said that the images were “humiliating, regrettable
and would anger God”, concluding
that they constituted a criminal act.
The new ruling can be appealed
to the Court of Cassation, the country’s highest court.
In the past, Egyptian homosexuals have been jailed on charges
ranging from “scorning religion” to
“sexual practices contrary to Islam”.
In April, a court sentenced four
men accused of homosexuality to up
to eight years in prison.
In another case, 26 men are on
trial for alleged debauchery after
they were arrested at a Cairo public
bathhouse in a night-time raid on
December 7.
Arrests of gay men occasionally
make headlines and the accused are
typically charged with debauchery,
immorality or blasphemy, drawing
criticism from rights groups.
z Prosecutors have referred a
writer to a criminal trial on charges
of showing contempt for Islam in
a tweet allegedly criticising ritual
slaughtering, state-run newspaper
Al Ahram reported online yesterday.
The referral comes in response to
a lawsuit filed by a lawyer against
Fatima Naoot, accusing her of de-
faming Islam in a tweet in October
commenting on Muslims’ annual
slaughtering of animals to mark Eid
al-Adha, according to Al Ahram.
No specific date has been set for
the trial.
Naoot, a poet and a columnist in
independent newspaper Al Masry
Al Youm, denied yesterday she had
meant to lampoon Islam.
“I respect all religions,” she said
on her Facebook page.
“This is the bill footed by those
who carry torches of enlightenment,” she added, commenting on
her trial.
Naoot could be jailed for up to five
years if convicted.
In June, a court upheld a five-year
prison sentence handed down to another writer on charges of showing
contempt for religion in a collection
of short stories.
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 28, 2014
7
ARAB WORLD
Mishal and Davutoglu greet the audience during the annual congress of Turkey’s ruling party in Konya yesterday.
Mishal: Turkey ‘source
of power’ for Muslims
AFP
Ankara
H
amas chief Khalid Mishal yesterday praised Turkey as a
“source of power” for all Muslims in gratitude to Turkey’s leaders for
supporting the Palestinian cause.
“A democratic, stable and developed
Turkey is a source of power for all Muslims,” Mishal said in an address to the
ruling Justice and Development Party
(AKP) annual congress in the conservative central Anatolian city of Konya.
Mishal said a “strong Turkey means
a strong Jerusalem, a strong Palestine”,
voicing hopes to “liberate Palestine
and Jerusalem”, according to the staterun Anatolia news agency.
His brief address was interrupted
repeatedly by cheering crowds in the
hall waving Turkish and Palestinian
flags and chanting: “Allahu Akbar (God
is greatest)” and “Down with Israel!”
The Hamas chief often shows up at
the ruling party’s events. He also attended the AKP’s congress in 2012
when President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
was serving as prime minister.
Current Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, in his speech said Turkey’s
red flag featuring a crescent with a star
was a “symbol of the innocent in the
world”.
“God is witness ... we will make
this red flag a symbol of the innocent.
This red flag will fly side by side with
the flags of Palestine, free Syria and all
other innocents’ flags anywhere in the
world,” he told the congress.
Turkey’s leaders, in particular Erdogan, are known for their angry outbursts at Israel. A staunch supporter
of the Palestinian cause, Erdogan has
often blasted the Jewish state over its
military assaults on the Gaza Strip,
which is ruled by Hamas.
8
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 28, 2014
ARAB WORLD
Islamic State loses ground in Kobane: monitor
AFP
Beirut
T
he Islamic State militant
group has lost ground in
the Syrian border town of
Kobane, where Kurdish fighters
now control more than 60% of
territory, a monitoring group said
yesterday.
The strategically located town
on the border with Turkey has
become a major symbol of resistance against IS, which has seized
large parts of Syria and Iraq,
committing widespread atrocities.
The militants launched a major offensive in mid-September
to try to capture Kobane, and at
one point controlled more than
half of the town, known in Arabic
as Ain al-Arab.
But supported by US-led air
strikes and reinforced by Kurds
from Iraq, “Kurdish forces now
control more than 60% of the
city”, said Rami Abdel Rahman,
director of the Britain-based
Syrian Observatory for Human
Rights.
“IS has even left areas that the
Kurds did not enter for fear of
mines,” he added.
A Kurdish activist from
Kobane, Mustefa Ebdi, said that
Kurdish militia defending the
town had advanced eastwards
on the frontline during the past
week.
IS has withdrawn from the
seized Kurdish militia headquarters in the north of the city,
as well as from southern and
central districts, according to
activists.
“The Kurdish advance is due
largely to the air strikes by the
coalition,” said Ebdi.
“The jihadists are now using
tunnels after failing in their tac-
tics of car bombs and explosive
belts,” he said.
Dozens of IS fighters have carried out suicide bomb attacks in
Kobane in the face of fierce Kurdish resistance.
More than 1,000 people are reported to have been killed in the
battle for the town, most of them
jihadists.
Also yesterday, the Observatory said shortages of food and
medicine caused the deaths of
more than 300 civilians, including about 100 children, in areas
besieged by the Syrian regime in
2014.
The monitoring group said
many of the 313 victims—who
included 34 women—had died
in the flashpoint Eastern Ghouta
region, a rebel stronghold under
army siege for a year and a half.
It denounced the sieges as a
“war crime” and said they violated a Security Council resolu-
tion which calls for the delivery
of aid to regions in need.
An estimated 200,000 people
have been killed in Syria’s nearly
four-year war, and half the population have been forced to flee
their homes.
This month the UN appealed
for $8.4bn to provide emergency aid and longer-term help to
nearly 18mn people in Syria and
across the region hit by the conflict.
Libyan oil
terminal fire
spreads, UN
slams attacks
AFP
Benghazi
M
Men inspect a site hit by what activists said was an air strike by forces loyal to Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad in the Duma neighbourhood of Damascus yesterday.
Syria says ready to talk,
opposition is dismissive
Russia has been trying to
relaunch peace talks that
would include meetings
between delegates of the
regime and the fractured
opposition
Agencies
Damascus/Cairo
S
yria said yesterday it was
willing to participate in
“preliminary
consultations” in Moscow aimed at restarting talks next year to end its
civil war but the Western-backed
opposition dismissed the initiative.
“Syria is ready to participate
in a preliminary and consultative
meeting in Moscow to respond
to the aspirations of Syrians who
are trying to find a solution to the
crisis,” a foreign ministry official
said, quoted by Sana state news
agency.
The decision followed talks
between Syria and Russia about
a possible meeting, the official
said.
“The Syrian Arab Republic has
always been ready for dialogue
with those who believe in its unity, sovereignty and freedom of
choice,” the official added.
Syria’s war began as a prodemocracy revolt, but escalated
into a multi-sided civil war
drawing foreign jihadists after
President Bashar al-Assad’s regime began a massive crackdown
on dissent.
An estimated 200,000 people have been killed, and half the
population have been forced to
flee their homes.
Russia has been trying to relaunch peace talks that would
include meetings between delegates of the regime and the fractured opposition.
The Russian foreign ministry
declined to comment yesterday.
But on Thursday, Moscow said
that it planned to host delega-
tions from the Syrian opposition
in late January, possibly followed
by a visit by regime representatives that could bring the two
sides together for talks.
Assad has said he backs the efforts by his key ally.
However, the head of the
main opposition National Coalition, Hadi al-Bahra, cast doubt
on Russia’s efforts in remarks
he made in Cairo after meeting Egyptian Foreign Minister
Sameh Shoukri.
“There is no clear Russian initiative, only an (informal) invitation to meet and talk in Moscow,”
Bahra told reporters.
He added that his group had
not received any formal invitation to talks in Moscow.
He said, however, that the National Coalition had begun talks
with “other Syrian opposition
groups”, which he did not identify, in Cairo and elsewhere.
During these discussions
“each side presents its views, and
Morocco banned biblical epic
for ‘showing God’: distributor
AFP
Rabat
M
orocco banned biblical
epic Exodus: Gods and
Kings on the flight of
the Jews from ancient Egypt because it “represents God” which
is forbidden under Islam, its distributor said yesterday.
The distributor said it had
received written notice that
Ridley Scott’s blockbuster contained a scene that represents
God in the form of a “child who
gives a revelation to the prophet
Moses”.
Initially, cinema owners were
informed verbally that the film
had been banned, media reports
had said.
“I deplore this censorship,”
distributor Mounia Layadi Benkirane said in a statement to AFP.
Egypt has also banned the
movie, citing “historical inaccuracies”.
Moroccan media on Thursday
reported that cinema managers had been told not to screen
the film, despite its release already having been approved by
the state-run Moroccan Cinema
Centre (MCC).
Hassan Belkady, who runs
Cinema Rif in Casablanca, told
media24 news website that he
had been threatened with the
closure of his business if he ignored the ban.
“They phoned and threatened
they would shut down the theatre if I did not take the film off
the schedule,” Belkady said.
Distributor Benkirane, who
also runs the Colisseum cinema
in Marrakesh, said Exodus has
now been pulled from the schedules.
“The last screening was on
Friday night at 21:30. I respect
the decision of the MCC board,”
she said, but added that she did
not understand why the decision
was taken.
“The child through whom
Moses receives the revelation
in the film at no time says he is
God,” she said, noting that such
a film ban is “very rare” in the
country.
Neither the head of the MCC
nor the communications ministry could be immediately contacted by AFP to comment on
the issue.
Benkirane said the film could
have resulted in 35,000 ticket
sales in Morocco and earned
1.8mn dirhams (nearly 160,000
euros).
Now the buzz caused by the
controversy “will profit only the
pirates who continue to peddle
the film”, she said.
The 3D Exodus: Gods and
Kings, starring Christian Bale
as Moses rising up against
the Pharaoh Ramses, earned
$24.1mn in its debut weekend in
the United States, according to
box office tracker Exhibitor Relations.
I don’t see wide gaps between
these views”, Bahra said.
“There are small differences
concerning the mechanism to
reach a political solution.”
On Wednesday an opposition
figure tolerated by the Syrian regime said that dissidents would
meet in Cairo to discuss ways to
end the war.
“Several opposition groups
and individuals have been in
talks for more than two months,
and we have been in contact with
them to try to reach a joint vision
to solve the crisis,” said Munzer
Khaddam of the National Democratic Body for Democratic
Change.
A “national gathering” is
planned in Cairo, followed by
a second meeting in Moscow,
Khaddam said without giving a
timetable.
Earlier this year the National
Coalition and other opposition
groups met Syrian government
representatives in Geneva.
But the talks collapsed as the
opposition demanded Assad’s
resignation, while the regime
insisted the main focus of the
negotiation should be on fighting
“terrorism”.
Since then, some opposition
figures have suggested that a deal
could see Assad remain in power
for a limited time.
The change in tone reflects
growing concern over advances
by jihadists who have expelled
more moderate opposition rebels
from large areas.
Foreign fighters have flocked
to join Al Qaeda-linked militants
and the Islamic State (IS) group
which led an offensive that seized
large parts of Syria and Iraq,
committing widespread atrocities.
Syrian state news agency
Sana said yesterday the Moscow talks should emphasise a
continued fight against “terrorism”, a term it uses for the
armed opposition.
ore storage tanks were
ablaze yesterday at
one of Libya’s main
oil terminals after a rocket attack by Islamist militiamen,
officials said as the UN denounced attacks on oil installations.
The rocket was fired on
Thursday by militiamen from
Fajr Libya (Libya Dawn), a coalition of Islamist fighters.
One oil tank was hit, said the
region’s security spokesman Ali
al-Hassi, before the fire spread
on Friday to two other full tanks
at Al Sidra terminal.
Yesterday the flames engulfed
another two storage tanks at Al
Sidra, which is in the eastern region known as the “oil crescent”
and home to other key terminals,
he said.
The United Nations Support
Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said
in a statement yesterday that it
“strongly condemns” attacks on
Libya’s oil installations.
“The mission warns of the
environmental and economic
consequences as a result of this
violence and destruction in the
oil crescent area, and urges the
forces on the ground to co-operate in order to allow the fire
crews to extinguish the blaze,”
it said.
Hassi said the national fire department refused to extinguish
the fires, prompting volunteer
firefighters to come forward to
fight the flames with the help of
oil installation guards.
“They are doing their best to
extinguish the fire and are working under difficult conditions,”
Hassi said.
A technician for Waha, the
company responsible for running Al Sidra, said there are 19
storage tanks at the terminal
with a total capacity of 6.2mn
barrels of oil.
The source, who declined to
be named, estimated the amount
of crude lost to the fire so far at
more than 1.6mn barrels.
In its statement, UNSMIL
called attacks on oil installations
a “clear violation” of UN Security Council resolutions on Libya.
“Libyan oil belongs to all the
Libyan people and is the country’s economic lifeline,” it said,
urging all sides to “desist from
any action that endangers this
strategic national asset”.
A car bomb exploded yesterday outside the diplomatic
security building in Tripoli but
caused no casualties, an official said, with the Islamic State
group claiming responsibility.
Colonel
Mubarak
Abu
Dhaheer, who heads the security department in charge
of protecting diplomatic missions, said the blast in central
Tripoli caused some damage to
the building but that no one was
hurt.
“This is a criminal act aimed
at undermining security and
stability and at targeting policemen tasked with guarding
diplomatic missions,” said Abu
Dhaheer.
The Islamic State militant
group said it carried out the
bombing, according to the USbased monitoring group SITE
Intelligence.
“The provincial division of
the Islamic State for Tripoli,
Libya, claimed a car bombing at
the diplomatic security building in the capital, and provided
a photo of the blast,” SITE said.
Fajr Libya seized Tripoli in
August after weeks of deadly fighting with a nationalist
group.
The violence triggered an
exodus of foreigners from the
Libyan capital and prompted
the closure of several embassies, with many relocating to
neighbouring countries.
Abu Dhaheer said police were
investigating the car bombing
and were also looking into a fire
that broke out at the shuttered
Saudi embassy, damaging three
cars.
In November, two car bombs
struck near the shuttered Egyptian and UAE embassies in
Tripoli. Italy is one of the few
countries to keep an embassy
open in the Libyan capital.
Cairo retrial
Laila Soueif (centre), the mother of Alaa Abdel Fattah, attends the retrial of her son and 24 others in a court in Cairo yesterday. The
defendants were sentenced in June to 15 years in prison for holding an unlicensed and violent protest outside the Shura council last
November in protest against military trials of civilians.
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 28, 2014
9
AFRICA
Senior Shebaab official surrenders
Zakariya Ahmed’s surrender
would be the second major
blow to Al Shebaab’s
leadership in just a few months
Agencies
Mogadishu
A
top leader of Somalia’s Al
Qaeda-affiliated Shebaab
rebels, intelligence chief
Zakariya Ismail Ahmed Hersi,
has surrendered to government
and African Union forces and
is now in custody, officials said
yesterday.
The militant is the subject of
a $3mn bounty as part of the US
State Department “Rewards for
Justice” programme. Officials
said he surrendered in the Gedo
region, where Somalia borders
Kenya and Ethiopia.
“Zakariya Ahmed was a very
senior person who worked with
Godane,” said regional military
official Jama Muse, referring to
former Shebaab leader Ahmed
Abdi Godane, killed by a US air
strike in September.
“He was in charge of intelligence and finances. He was one
of the senior Al Shebaab commanders who the Americans put
a lot of money on their head,” he
added.
Another Somali military official, Mohamed Osmail, said the
militant was hiding in a house in
the border town in the El-Wak
area, and made contact with government officials in order to hand
himself in.
Another intelligence source
said the surrender was believed
to have been motivated by a series of recent bloody splits and
purges within the group, with
Godane having ruthlessly eliminated many of his rivals and his
successor, Ahmad Umar Abu
Ubaidah, continuing to maintain
strict internal security.
Although presented by the officials as a senior Shebaab operative, it was unclear if Zakariya
A file photo taken on February 17, 2011 shows fighters loyal Al Shebaab group performing military drills at a village in Lower Shabelle region, some 25km outside Mogadishu. A top leader of the group, Zakariya Ismail
Ahmed Hersi, has surrendered to government and African Union forces and is now in custody, officials said yesterday.
Ahmed had still been active within the Shebaab in recent months
or weeks, or if he was among a
large group of commanders who
had already fallen out with Godane prior to his death - some of
whom were killed in a purge.
There was no immediate comment from the Shebaab.
The surrender brings some
welcome good news for Somalia’s
fragile, internationally-backed
government as well as the African Union’s AMISOM force, who
have been facing an almost constant wave of attacks from the
Shebaab despite recent territorial gains in the south and centre
of the Horn of Africa nation.
The Somali government has
also been locked in bitter infighting, with the president this
month falling out with his prime
minister.
According to a Western intel-
ligence source, the surrender
could deliver an “intelligence
bonanza” that could prove highly
damaging to the Al Qaeda-linked
group.
“We’re looking at someone
who, potentially, will bring with
them an encyclopaedic knowledge of the organisation: who
is in charge of what, what their
modus operandi is and so on. It
could fill in a lot of intelligence
gaps,” said the source, who asked
not to be identified.
The source said members of
AMISON or the African Union
force in Somalia, in particular
Kenya, will be urgently trying to
recover actionable intelligence
on Shebaab operations in the
border region, the scene of two
recent massacres on Kenyan soil
carried out by the militants.
The surrender comes two days
after Shebaab militants carried
out another high-profile raid in
the capital Mogadishu, where
they struck AMISOM’s heavilyfortified headquarters and killed
three soldiers and a civilian contractor.
After the attack, the Shebaab
released a statement vowing that
“the mujahideen can and will
strike you anywhere in Somalia.”
“What awaits you will be far
more grievous and bitter than all
preceding attacks. Expect to hear
from us again,” the group said.
State radio website Radio Muqdisho also reported Zakariya
Ahmed’s surrender, describing
him as “the general secretary
of Shebaab’s finance (department.)” It did not give reasons
for his surrender.
But a senior member of Shebaab’s media team said Zakariya
Ahmed left the group two years
ago.
15 suffocate in illegal
mine in DR Congo
Agencies
Kigali
F
ifteen people have suffocated
while digging in an illegal mine
in southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where the problem of
illicit mining is widespread, an official
said yesterday.
The incident occurred on Friday in
Kolwezi in the mineral-rich province
of Katanga, where scores of impoverished illegal miners risk their lives in
search of minerals including copper
and cobalt.
“Fifteen artisanal miners died
yesterday in a tunnel in Kolwezi,”
Mayor Deoda Kapenda said.
“The miners died by suffocation in a
tunnel more than 20m deep. It was not
a landslide.”
The victims also bore burn marks of
unclear origin, he said.
Despite its enormous natural resources, the Democratic Republic of
Congo remains one of the world’s least
developed countries.
In another development, a journalist working for state media was shot
dead on Friday night, and is suspected
to have been targeted because of his
work.
Robert Chamwami Shalubuto was
reportedly having a drink with friends
in Goma, when two men walked up to
his table and shot him in the chest.
Before fleeing, the assailants took
the journalist’s bag, which contained
his identification documents and a
camera.
Tuver Wundi, a member of the
Journalists in Danger (JED) watchdog
organisation, said the group suspects
Chamwami’s death is connected to
his work for Congolese National Radio
and Television.
“We are very shocked by his death
and we call on government to do everything possible to bring his killers to
book,” Wundi said.
Approximately 10 journalists have
been killed in the eastern DRC over the
last 16 years, according to JED.
A file photo taken on July 9, 2010 shows children washing copper at an open-air mine in Kamatanda in the rich mining
province of Katanga, southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Fifteen people have suffocated while digging in
an illegal mine in the country, where the problem of illicit mining is widespread.
Ex-football star defeats president’s son
DPA
Monrovia
A
former football star has defeated the president’s son in
the most high-profile race in
Liberia’s senatorial elections, according to results announced yesterday by the National Election Commission.
George Weah - FIFA’s 1995 Player of
the Year and founder of the Congress
for Democratic Change opposition
party - got 78% of votes in Monrovia’s
Montserrado County.
Robert Sirleaf, the son of President
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, got just under
11% of the 127,238 valid votes.
A total of 139 candidates are competing for 15 seats, in polls that were
postponed for two months because of
the Ebola outbreak that infected more
than 7,800 Liberians, according to the
World Health Organisation.
The senate has 30 seats, with half of
its members’ nine-year seats up for reelection.
The government postponed the
elections twice since October, out of
concern the Ebola virus might spread
during political campaigning events
and in long queues at polling stations.
“The government exaggerates
the story just to cover the recent
attack at the AU base,” the Shebaab official said, referring to this
week’s attack in Mogadishu.
“(Zakariya Ahmed) cannot
have impact on Al Shebaab because he is not a member.”
The US has meanwhile condemned the attack.
“These individuals sacrificed
their lives in an effort to bring
lasting peace and stability to Somalia,” State Department deputy
spokeswoman Marie Harf said in
a statement, referring to the victims.
“The US strongly condemns
the December 25 attack,” she
added.
“We express our deepest condolences to the families of the
military and civilian personnel
who were killed in this cowardly
terrorist act,” she added.
10
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 28, 2014
AMERICA
Another challenging year ahead
Washington’s adversaries
are becoming more adept at
“ambiguous warfare”, using
deniable tactics or proxy
forces
Reuters
New York
F
rom financial crisis in Russia to cyber warfare with
North Korea, 2014 has
generated new flashpoints right
into its final days, setting 2015 up
to be just as turbulent.
Almost all of the major confrontations, such as the battle
with Islamic State militants, the
West’s standoff with Russia over
Ukraine and the fight against
Ebola, will rumble on.
Others could erupt at short
notice.
“Normally after a year like this
you might expect things to calm
down,” said John Bassett, former
senior official with British signals intelligence agency GCHQ
now an associate at Oxford University. “But none of these problems have been resolved and the
drivers of them are not going
away.”
The causes are varied - a global shift of economic power from
the West, new technologies, regional rivalries and anger over
rising wealth gaps.
In June, a report by the Institute for Economics and Peace
showed world peace declining
for the seventh consecutive year
since 2007, reversing a trend of
improvement over decades.
The same group said in November deaths from militant attacks leapt 60% to an all-time
high, primarily in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria,
this at a time when the West’s
ability to respond militarily is
constrained as Washington and
its European allies cut defence
budgets.
While Western policymakers
hope Russia’s economic crisis
Men install one of the 288 sparkling crystal triangles on the Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball in Times Square yesterday. The ball will drop at midnight on New Year’s Eve and will
be watched by millions of people around the world.
will curb Vladimir Putin’s ambitions, others worry it could make
him more unpredictable.
“It’s not necessarily going
to make Russia any better behaved,” says Christopher Harmer, a former US navy pilot now
senior fellow at the Institute for
Study of War.
Nato officials say the alliance
would treat any aggression, even
covert, in Nato member Baltic
states as an act of war.
China is building up its military might. It lays claim to almost all the South China Sea,
believed to be rich in oil and gas.
Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan also
have claims.
In the East China Sea, a string of
islets claimed by both China and
Japan have strained ties severely.
Some officials and analysts
say Western overstretch means a
confrontation in one part of the
world can encourage potential
adversaries elsewhere to try their
luck, a potential factor in North
Korea’s increased assertiveness.
Washington
has
accused
Pyongyang of launching a cyber
attack on Sony Pictures after its
film on the fictional assassination
of leader Kim Jong Un. North Korea has rejected the charge.
“The recent hack on Sony has
highlighted the vulnerability of
the West to the growing threat
posed by cyber attack,” said
Alastair Newton, senior political
analyst at Nomura.
Washington’s adversaries are
becoming more adept at “ambiguous warfare”, using deniable tactics or proxy forces such
as the “little green men” in unmarked uniforms and vehicles
the West says Russia deployed in
Ukraine.
Covert tactics may no longer
be enough to satisfy Israel it can
slow Iran’s nuclear programme.
With a mid-year deadline for a
deal, some analysts believe Israel’s government might launch
a military strike to knock it back.
“If Iran agrees a deal, and that
remains a big “if”, that could
constitute a trigger for such an
event,” said Nigel Inkster, former
deputy chief of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service (MI6)
and now head of transnational
threats at London’s International Institute for Strategic Studies.
He said much would depend
on whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wins
March elections and how hardline a coalition results.
On one threat, most of the
world’s powers are coalescing.
Pushing back Islamic State in
Iraq and Syria is a high priority
for Western states, Gulf powers
and Turkey, Russia and China.
Whether they can bridge differences on the fate of Syria’s
President Bashar al-Assad,
however, remains unclear.
Already some worry the
anti-IS operation initially to
safeguard minority refugees in
northern Iraq is suffering “mission creep” as US elections hove
into view.
More than 1,000 members of
the 82nd Airborne Division will
deploy to Iraq in the New Year to
help train Iraqi forces.
The first months of 2015 will
also be key in tackling a very different foe: Ebola.
A major US military deployment to build treatment centres
in Liberia is credited with helping slow new cases there but the
virus continues to spread in Sierra Leone and Guinea.
“It really is an unusually broad
range of challenges,” said Kathleen Hicks, US Principal Deputy
Secretary of Defence for Policy
from 2012-13 and now with the
Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
Jolie’s Unbroken takes
top Christmas Day spot
Reuters
Los Angeles
D
irector Angelina Jolie’s World
War II drama Unbroken finished first at the Christmas
Day box office in its debut and edged
out another new film for the holiday
season, modern fairy tale musical Into
The Woods, tracking firm Rentrak said
on Friday.
Unbroken, the real-life story of Olympic runner Louis Zamperini’s two
years as a prisoner of war in Japan,
brought in $15.6mn, helping Comcast
Corp.’s Universal film and Jolie’s second directorial effort stand out in the
crowded US and Canada holiday film
offering.
It came in just ahead of the $15.1mn
made by Into The Woods, Walt Disney
Co.’s film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s Broadway musical. Actresses
Emily Blunt and Meryl Streep and the
film itself have received Golden Globe
nominations.
The last of Peter Jackson’s three
Hobbit films, Hobbit: The Battle of
the Five Armies, from Time Warner
Inc.’s Warner Bros, tacked on another
$13.1mn on Christmas Day after winning the box office in its debut last
weekend.
Far down on the list, in 14th place,
was The Interview, the Seth RogenJames Franco farce about North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that sparked
the devastating cyberattack on Sony
Pictures. The raunchy comedy earned
$1.04mn playing in 331 mostly independent theatres after the big movie
chains bowed out due to threats from
hackers.
Sony stitched together a limited release in the theaters and a $5.99 videoon-demand (VOD) rental option on
YouTube, Google Play and other sites.
“I’d be surprised if this wasn’t one
of the biggest VOD events ever,” said
Jeff Bock, a box office analyst at Exhibitor Relations, who thinks Sony could
have charged more.
Until Sony discloses the online revenues, it is hard to know if the studio
will come anywhere near recouping
the $44mn it cost to make the film,
plus the $30mn-$40mn that some
estimate was spent on marketing
the film and its stars, Seth Rogen and
James Franco.
The comedy, steeped in gross-out,
bathroom humor, depicts the travails
of two journalists who get enlisted to
assassinate Kim. It might not be a typ-
Moviegoers pose in a photo booth at a theatre in Richardson City, near Dallas,
Texas, before viewing The Interview on Thursday.
ical Christmas Day release, but it filled
theatres and got lots of laughs.
Sony “got $1mn in sales, that’s a nice
bit of gravy... knowing the main release isn’t happening the way it should
be,” said Gitesh Pandya, editor of boxofficeguru.com.
The theatrical release so far amounts
to less than 10% of the cinemas that had
been planned for a wide release in the
United States and Canada. The film was
expected to gross at least $20mn over
the long holiday weekend if in wide release, according to Boxoffice.com.
The day before Christmas, Sony
Pictures released the movie online
via Google Inc’s YouTube and Google
Play, Microsoft Corp’s Xbox gaming
console and a Sony dedicated website.
Sony is looking for more partners for
digital distribution, though hundreds
of thousands of people have reportedly
downloaded the film from pirate sites.
The controversy gave the film exposure to audiences that might never
have gone to see it otherwise, and
many who showed up on Christmas
Day said they were there to support
free speech.
One of those was David Humdy, 65,
an entertainment industry accountant
who saw the film in Los Angeles and
declared it “silly, entertaining, better
than I thought”.
The extensive press coverage could
also boost the film in overseas markets, where Rogen and Franco are not
yet big stars.
Pandya believes Sony Pictures will
be able to absorb losses easily, as it is
not unusual for a film of such a budget
to fall short.
“It’s hard to find a way that they
recoup it all because they did end up
spending a lot of money on marketing
for a theatrical release that never happened,” he added.
But the fracas forced Sony to explore
more fully a territory looming on the
Hollywood horizon: “day-and-date”
simultaneous VOD and theatrical release. VOD deals tend to give studios a
higher slice of revenue than the 50-50
split they share with US and Canadian
movie theatres.
“If this does really well, obviously,
the tide will keep turning towards online,” said Bock. “It could send ripples
down the line in terms of how Hollywood is going to release its products.”
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 28, 2014
11
AMERICAS
Thousands gather for slain
NY police officer’s funeral
The mayor has a tough job
negotiating the road ahead
Reuters
New York
T
ens of thousands of police
and other mourners filled
a New York City church
and nearby streets for the funeral
yesterday of one of two police
officers shot dead by a man who
said he was avenging the killing
of unarmed black men by police.
Singled out for their uniforms,
the deaths of Rafael Ramos and
his patrol partner Wenjian Liu
have become a nationwide rallying point for police and supporters, beleaguered by months of
street protests accusing police of
racist practices.
“Your husband, and his partner, they were a part of New
York’s finest, and that’s not an
idle phrase,” US vice president
Joe Biden said, addressing Ramos’s widow, Maritza, over his
coffin, bathed in blue light.
“I believe that this great police
force of this incredibly diverse
city can and will show the nation
how to bridge any divide. You’ve
done it before and you will do it
again.”
Police
department
chief
spokesman Stephen Davis said
Ramos’s funeral might prove the
largest in the history of the force.
Streets outside the church were
filled for blocks with neat, quiet
crowds of officers in blue uniform, including force delegations
from Boston, Atlanta, St. Louis
and New Orleans.
The service at Christ Tabernacle Church in Ramos’s Queens
neighbourhood also brought together mayor Bill de Blasio and
the police officers and union
leaders for the first time in public
since an extraordinary confrontation a week ago at the hospital
where Ramos and Liu were pronounced dead.
Hours after Ramos, 40, and
Liu, 32, were slain while sitting in
Police officers carry the casket of slain NYPD officer Rafael Ramos out of Christ Tabernacle Church to his final resting place. Right: Maritza Ramos stands with sons Justin and Jaden holds a folded American Flag
following the funeral for her husband.
their parked patrol car in Brooklyn on Dec. 20, police officers, in
an unusually pointed display of
disgust, turned their backs to the
mayor as he arrived at the hospital.
Marking the most toxic relations in decades between a New
York City mayor and his police
department, union leaders, enraged by his expressions of support for the protests against police practices, said the mayor had
“blood on his hands”.
Yesterday, as de Blasio began
speaking at the funeral, thousands of police officers in at least
one part of the crowd outside all
turned their backs to a large projection screen.
“He had a dream that he would
one day be a police officer,” de
Blasio said of Ramos, who joined
the police department relatively
late in his working life after a career as a school safety officer. “He
couldn’t wait to put on that uniform. He believed in protecting
others and those who are called
to protect others are a special
breed.”
New York governor Andrew
Cuomo spoke about how Liu and
Ramos represented the diversity
of the city’s police department,
which has officers of more than
50 nationalities speaking 64 languages, he said.
The officers’ killer, Ismaaiyl
Brinsley, 28, fatally shot himself
soon after the attack, and had
earlier the same day shot and
wounded his former girlfriend in
Baltimore.
Relatives and close friends of
Ramos recalled him as a man de-
voted to his church and to calling
the people he loved frequently
just to see how they were doing.
“Dad, I’ll miss you with every
fibre of my being,” his son Justin
said at Friday’s memorial service.
A regular face as an usher at
Christ Tabernacle, Ramos was
studying to become a police
chaplain.
Brinsley, who was black, had
written online that he wanted
to kill police officers to avenge
the deaths of Eric Garner and
Michael Brown - unarmed black
men killed by white policemen
in New York and Ferguson, Missouri.
Their deaths and the decisions
not to prosecute the officers responsible ignited nationwide
protests, renewing a debate about
race in America that has drawn in
president Barack Obama.
Giant screens were installed
outside the church for the crowd
that overflowed for blocks. Amid
the thousands of New York police, there were also officers from
across the country, including
from the states of Indiana, California and Georgia.
Hundreds had flown in on Jet
Blue airlines, which offered free
tickets to law enforcement.
A father of biracial children,
De Blasio had told reporters he
counselled his teenage son Dante
to take extra care when dealing
with officers.
Se Blasio steered clear of the
controversy in his remarks.
Ramos’ “memory will live on
in the hearts of his family, his
congregation, his brothers and
sisters of the NYPD, and literally
California gears up to issue
driver’s licences to illegals
Agencies
Los Angeles
W
hile tens of thousands
of immigrants living
in the country illegally are gearing up to apply for
a long-sought driver’s licence
in California starting January 2,
others are being urged to think
twice.
Immigrant advocates say the
vast majority should be able to
get licenced without trouble but
they want anyone who previously
obtained a driver’s licence under
a false name or someone else’s
Social Security number to speak
first with a lawyer, fearing a new
application could trigger a fraud
investigation.
The same applies to immigrants with a prior deportation
order or criminal record because federal immigration officials and law enforcement can
access Department of Motor
Vehicles data during an investigation.
The advice isn’t meant to
frighten immigrants from seeking licences that are meant to
make their lives easier — especially because many already risk
getting ticketed or having their
car impounded simply by driving to work or taking their children to school.
“For the vast majority of people, getting a licence is a good
decision,” said Alison Kamhi,
staff attorney at the Immigrant
Legal Resource Center. “At the
same time, I think it is important people are aware there is
some risk.”
The nation’s most populous
state is preparing to start issuing
driver’s licenses to immigrants
in the country illegally in a bid
to make the roads safer and ease
fears for more than a million
people to get behind the wheel.
California’s programme eclipses
the scope and scale of those approved in nine other states, including Nevada, Colorado and
Illinois.
The state hopes to avoid pitfalls faced elsewhere such as
long wait times and high failure rates on the written test by
hiring more staff, updating test
preparation materials and hosting 180 workshops to tell im-
migrants what they must do to
apply.
California is also requiring all
new licence applicants to have
an appointment and will take
walk-in applicants only at four
newly created offices.
“We felt this would be a more
orderly way of providing service,” said Armando Botello, a
DMV spokesman.
California expects 1.4mn people to apply for the licences —
which include a distinct marking
from those issued to US citizens
and residents — over the next
three years. Officials say they
don’t know if there will be an
initial surge, but the number
of people making license appointments more than doubled
to 379,000 during the first two
weeks immigrants were allowed
to sign up.
Immigrant advocates said
they don’t foresee major problems with the rollout of the programme because the state has
had more than a year to prepare
and an ample budget — $141mn
spanning three years.
In Nevada, about 90% of immigrants failed the required
written test during the first few
weeks a driver authorisation
card was offered this year because they were not prepared. In
Colorado, the state had no startup funding to issue licences this
year and couldn’t keep pace with
demand, leading to months long
waits.
Jonathan Blazer, advocacy and policy counsel for the
American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, said he expects
California to license as many
immigrants in the country illegally as the nine other states,
Washington D C, and Puerto
Rico combined.
“If California is not able to
do this right with the resources
it put into this, other states will
take notice,” Blazer said.
State officials have touted the
licences as a boon to public safety
by getting more drivers trained,
tested and insured. Critics have
voiced security concerns and
questioned the ability of state
officials to verify immigrants’
identities.
Like other applicants, immigrants will need to prove their
identity and residency in the
millions of New Yorkers. We will
not forget,” de Blasio said.
“The job can reward you like
no other but one day might demand from you everything in
return,” police commissioner Bill
Bratton said. “For the Ramos
family today is that day.”
Bratton said the Ramos and
Liu were “assassinated” because
they were police officers.
“We are in a city struggling to
define itself, where people are
searching for what they stand for
and why.”
Bratton said at the service he
promoted the two officers to detectives and named Ramos an
honorary chaplain.
The funeral of the second policeman, Liu, who has family
coming from China, has not yet
been scheduled.
A banner carried over the
Hudson River behind a plane a
few miles from the wake on Friday suggested not everyone was
seeking unity: “De Blasio, Our
Backs Have Turned To You,”
the message read, paid for by an
anonymous group of current and
retired police officers, according
to police blogger John Cardillo.
Marta Mares, who said she
only learned Ramos was her
neighbour after his death, arrived
at the church two hours early.
“We want to support NYPD
officers because now we can see
what danger they are in, especially under Mayor de Blasio,” she
said.
“We love you guys,” a woman
shouted as Bill Bratton, the city’s
police commissioner, headed
into the church.
Former governor
of South Carolina
dies at age 87
state. Those who don’t have a
passport or consular identification card on a pre-approved list
can submit other documents for
review by a DMV investigator to
see if they qualify.
To help applicants prepare,
Mexican consulates and advocacy groups have been hosting driver’s licence preparation
classes for months. Demand
has been high, with more immigrants interested than slots
available to learn the rules of
the road.
Abel Rivera, a 37-year-old
forklift driver, took a class to
brush up on differences between
driving in California and his native Mexico, where he was a truck
driver for more than a decade.
One thing he hadn’t considered
was how to drive on icy roads,
said Rivera, who has an appointment in mid-January.
“The sooner the better, because it will be safer to drive,”
he said, adding that he hopes to
qualify for better insurance coverage and avoid problems like
those faced by his brother when
he was pulled over and had his car
impounded.
Reuters
Carolina
J
ames Edwards, the first
Republican elected governor of South Carolina since
post-Civil War Reconstruction who also served in president Ronald Reagan’s Cabinet,
died on Friday at age 87, his
family said.
Edwards’ election in 1974
marked a key early moment
in South Carolina’s shift away
from the Democratic Party as
part of a broader embrace of
the more conservative Republican Party across the South in
the wake of the US civil rights
movement.
Republicans in South Carolina now control the governor’s mansion as well as both
US Senate seats, and hold
comfortable majorities in the
state House and Senate.
Edwards was limited by
state law to a single four-year
term as governor. He later
served two years as secretary
of energy under Reagan. An
oral surgeon, he went on to be-
Former governor of South
Carolina James B Edwards
come president of the Medical
University of South Carolina.
“Governor Edwards made
an incredible mark on South
Carolina history,” state Republican Party Chairman
Matt Moore said in a statement. “His legacy will live on
through the countless lives he
touched as governor, doctor
and particularly as a man of
faith.”
Edwards died at his home
in South Carolina on Friday
morning of natural causes,
said Ken Wingate, his son-inlaw. He is survived by his wife
Ann, son James Edwards Jr.
and daughter Catharine Wingate.
Sony working to recover from PlayStation hack
Reuters
Boston
S
ony Corp worked for a third day
yesterday to restore services to
its PlayStation video gaming network after disruptions that a hacker
group said it caused in a Christmas Day
attack.
It was Sony’s second high-profile
encounter with hackers this holiday
season following the unprecedented
attack on its Hollywood studio, which
Washington has attributed to the North
Korean government and linked to the
release of the low-brow comedy The
Interview.
The Japanese electronics giant updated a PSN support site yesterday to
show that the PlayStation Network remained offline.
“Our engineers are continuing to
work hard to resolve the network
issues users are experiencing,” it
tweeted shortly after noon New York
Xbox Live and Play Station have more
than 150mn users
time. It also tweeted that service was
“gradually coming back online” but
that it had no estimate as to when the
system would be fully functional.
“Thank you for your patience,” Sony
representatives tweeted in response to
inquiries from customers who could
not log on to the network.
It was unclear how many of the more
than 50mn PSN users around the globe
were affected. Sony representatives
could not be reached for comment
and customer response was mixed to
requests from its Twitter support account to be patient.
One person tweeted: “You keep re-
peating this same line like a parrot.
WHAT exactly is the team doing?”
“That’s okay. We know you’re trying your best,” another said via Twitter.
“We all hate the hackers that did this.”
A hacker activist group known as
Lizard Squad said it was responsible
for the PSN outage as disruptions on
Microsoft’s Xbox network were quickly
fixed. The group has claimed responsibility for previous cyber attacks, including ones on PSN in early December
and August.
The attack in August coincided with
a bomb scare on a commercial jet in
which Lizard Squad tweeted to American Airlines that it heard explosives
were on board a flight carrying an executive with Sony Online Entertainment
from Dallas to San Diego.
Sony has been the victim of some
of the most notorious cyber attacks in
history. Besides the breach at its Hollywood studio, hackers stole data belonging to 77mn PlayStation Network
users in 2011.
12
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 28, 2014
ASEAN
Nearly 500 protest against
China-backed copper mine
AFP
Yangon
AFP
Yangon
A
round 500 people including dozens of Buddhist monks protested
near the Chinese consulate in
Myanmar’s central city of Mandalay yesterday demanding the
closure of a flashpoint copper
mine.
It was the largest protest
since the fatal shooting of a
woman demonstrating against
the Letpadaung mine in the
northwestern town of Monywa
— a Chinese backed venture
dogged by complaints of land
grabbing and environmental
damage.
Khin Win, in her 50s, was
killed last Monday when police
opened fire on protesters trying to stop the mine company
building a fence in territory disputed with local farmers.
The mine —run by Chinese
firm Wanbao as part of a joint
venture with a major local military conglomerate -- has raised
questions about Myanmar’s
reliance on investment from
neighbouring China, which
gave crucial political support to
the former junta.
“We want the truth of what
happened in Letpadaung as
Khin Win was killed. We want
the authorities to take appropriate action,” said Thein Aung
Myint, a protest organiser from
Movement for Democracy Current Force (MDCF).
Small but near-daily protests
against Wanbao have been held
in Yangon and Mandalay.
“We are not against China.
We are neighbours. But we are
worried that relations between
China and Myanmar may be
damaged,” by the mine dispute,
Yangon votes
for first time
in 60 years
R
Buddhist monks attend a protest, demanding the closure of a flashpoint copper mine, near the Chinese consulate in Myanmar’s central city of
Mandalay yesterday.
Thein Aung Myint added.
Mandalay police confirmed
the protest, saying hundreds
were in attendance but no arrests were made.
Keen to prevent the issue
snowballing, Wanbao has recognised the woman’s “senseless death” as “painful and
poignant”, while China’s foreign
ministry on Wednesday also expressed its regret.
The Letpadaung copper mine
has triggered several rounds
of fierce opposition from local
villagers. In November 2012 a
botched police raid using phosphorus on a protest at the mine
left dozens of people, including
monks, with burn injuries.
That crackdown, the harshest
since the end of outright army
rule in 2011, sparked fury in the
Buddhist-majority country.
Earlier this year two Chinese
workers were kidnapped at the
site by activists, though they
were later released unharmed.
A new quasi-civilian government has implemented headline-grabbing reforms in recent
years, including releasing political prisoners and allowing
opposition leader Aung San Suu
Kyi into parliament.
But land disputes and bat-
tles for nation’s rich mineral
resources are posing an increasingly serious challenge.
Wanbao on Monday said Myanmar would receive $140mn a
year in tax from the project.
In July 2013 the country revised the terms of the mine deal
with Wanbao, giving the nation
a share of the profits in an apparent attempt to allay public
anger.
esidents of Myanmar’s
commercial hub Yangon
went to the polls yesterday for the first municipal elections in six decades, with voters
enthusiastic for change even
though many knew little about
the candidates or their policies.
The election is being closely
watched as a test of the country’s democratic credentials
ahead of a landmark nationwide
poll slated for November next
year, despite strict curbs on who
could vote yesterday and the
limited power of the councillors
they were electing.
For many the ballot for the
Yangon City Development Committee, which closed yesterday
afternoon, was the first chance
to vote under the country’s quasi-civilian government, which
replaced outright military rule
in 2011.
It was also a rare opportunity
to have a say over the future of
Myanmar’s biggest city, where
residents grumble about runaway construction and soaring
rents, worsening traffic, poor
sanitation and weak pollution
control.
“It’s very difficult to have big
expectations as this is the first
YCDC election for 60 years,”
Khin Maung Tun, 50, a resident
in Thaketa township told said.
“But we came here to vote and
show our spirit.”
Despite such enthusiasm, local media said turnout was low,
although there were no official
figures immediately available.
Restrictions on who can vote
enfranchised just 400,000 of
the city’s several million residents, while other clauses have
strictly controlled who can
stand for the YCDC.
Just under 300 candidates,
among them businessmen,
retired civil servants and activists, are competing for 115
positions on the committee -although the top posts will remain largely appointed.
Campaigns were muted -- or
non-existent -- in a country
where politicians are unused
to wooing the electorate, although election officials said
the ballot would be transparent, free and fair.
Despite the lack of intimacy
with the candidates’ politics,
many residents appeared determined to vote after years of
repressed democratic aspirations under junta rule.
“I do not know anything
about candidates. I just found
out their names while voting,”
Phone Maw Lynn, a resident in
Sanchaung township said after
voting.
“I hope for some significant change by voting,” he
said without revealing who he
voted for. While yesterday’s
election marked a major step
by the YCDC, which has not
been chosen by popular ballot
since 1949, analysts cautioned
against reading too much into
the vote.
Ahead of the ballot, critics
said the poll was deeply flawed,
citing the rule of just one person per household being allowed to vote, the narrow age
restrictions for candidates and
a ban on political parties from
taking part.
Tourist survivors revisit
tsunami-hit Thai beaches
AFP
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T
en years after the Indian Ocean
tsunami, foreign tourists who
survived the crushing waves
still return to the Thai beaches where
thousands lost loved ones, seeking recovery and solace.
“As soon as I could walk properly,
we came back,” said Steve McQueenie,
a detective for London’s Metropolitan
Police, explaining the powerful urge
to revisit Thailand just six months after the December 26, 2004, disaster to
make sense of the unfathomable.
On Boxing Day this year the
46-year-old Glaswegian again returned, joining hundreds of other
survivors at a candlelight vigil in the
resort hub of Khao Lak, southwest
Thailand, to mark a decade since the
tsunami claimed 220,000 lives across
14 nations.
Memories of the calamity are never
far away for McQueenie and his wife
Nicola, who survived waters that killed
5,395 in Thailand alone -- half of them
foreign holidaymakers celebrating
Christmas.
Sitting before a tranquil Andaman Sea, just a few metres (feet) from
where they had stayed, he recalls the
sudden “huge brown wall of water”
that ripped apart their bungalow and
plunged him underwater.
“When I reached the surface, everything I could see was water. I couldn’t
see any buildings above it, I couldn’t
see inland really, and it just felt we’d
been dropped in the middle of a really
rough ocean.”
Flung further inland by the colossal wave, he kept afloat long enough to
Foreigners holding candles observe a moment of silence as they attend the
memorial ceremony for victims at the Tsunami Memorial on the occasion of the
10th anniversary of the Boxing Day tsunami, in Khao Lak, Phang Nga province in
southern Thailand on Friday.
latch onto a palm tree until the water
retreated.
In spite of a severe leg injury the policeman limped towards the road and
was eventually transported up into the
hills by Thais who feared more waves
would strike. He was reunited hours
later with Nicola. McQueenie’s voice
breaks as he remembers the “selfless”
help of local Thais, aid that spurred
the couple to raise $15,500 for ravaged
communities around Khao Lak once
they returned home.
“There’s always going to be part
of us that kind of belongs here,” McQueenie said. There are other survivors
for whom the disaster is too painful to
revisit, including many residents who
would prefer to focus on the future.
Yet many foreigners share a desire to
return to a place with which they share
a bond forged through tragedy.
Swiss national Raymond Moor returns every year with his wife to remember the dead, especially the Thai
hotel worker who hauled him out of the
water to safety.
The 58-year-old breaks into tears
recounting the moment.
“The Thai people helped us so, so
much. They gave us food, clothes,” says
his wife, picking up where he stopped,
as they visited a memorial in Ban Nam
Khem fishing village north of Khao
Lak, virtually erased by the waves.
Returning to Thailand has helped
the couple reconcile the tragedy and
also allows them to visit the local orphanage they support.
Andy Chaggar survived the tsunami
that killed his girlfriend, Nova Mills,
after the first 10-foot-high wave propelled him out of their beachside bungalow onto a higher storey of a resort
under construction.
The British electronics engineer also
returned to Khao Lak after months of
rehabilitation for his injuries, but this
time as a volunteer to rebuild a decimated village.
Indonesia arrests six for attempting to join IS
Indonesian police yesterday arrested six people attempting
to fly to Syria to join the Islamic State group, officials said, the
latest in a wave of potential sympathisers.
Those arrested at Jakarta’s Soekarno Hatta airport at dawn
included a couple and their 10-year-old child, with police saying they were attempting to travel on fake passports.
The alleged organiser of the trip was also captured after the
arrests.
“They admitted during an investigation that they want to
carry out jihad and be martyrs in defending (IS),” said Jakarta
police spokesman Rikwanto.
“We hope to find out more details from the organiser, including who funded the trip,” he added.
The number of IS supporters embarking from Indonesia
soared to 264 in October from 86 in June, the National
Counter-Terrorism Agency (BNPT) chief Saud Usman Nasution was quoted as saying in the Jakarta Post.
In total, an estimated 514 Indonesians have gone to Syria
and Iraq to fight alongside IS -- around half of them students
or migrant workers based in nearby countries, according to
Nasution.
A large number of people around the world have gravitated towards the radical group, which this year declared a
caliphate spanning territories it captured in Syria and Iraq.
Indonesia has waged a crackdown on terror groups over
the past decade following attacks against Western targets,
including the 2002 Bali bombings -- a campaign that has
been credited with weakening key networks.
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 28, 2014
13
AUSTRALASIA/EAST ASIA
Pyongyang calls Obama ‘monkey’
as it suffers new Internet outage
AFP
Seoul
N
orth Korea called US
President Barack Obama
a “monkey” yesterday after US cinemas released a
comedy about a fictional plot to
kill its leader, as it suffered another in a series of crippling Internet outages that it has blamed
on Washington.
The isolated dictatorship’s
powerful National Defence
Commission (NDC) threatened
“inescapable deadly blows” over
the film and accused the US of
“disturbing the Internet operation” of North Korean media
outlets.
An online blackout earlier
this week triggered speculation
that US authorities may have
launched a cyber-attack in retaliation for the hacking of Sony
Pictures — the studio behind
madcap North Korea comedy
The Interview.
Washington has said the attack on Sony was carried out by
Pyongyang.
It suffered another paralysing
outage yesterday evening which
also affected telecommunication networks in the pariah state,
according to Chinese state-run
Xinhua news agency.
“At Pyongyang time 7:30 pm
(1030 GMT) North Korea’s Internet and mobile 3G network
came to a standstill, and had not
returned to normal as of 9:30
pm,” Xinhua said, adding that its
reporters in the North found the
Internet to be “very unstable”
throughout the day.
Respected cyber security firm
Dyn Research said the Internet
blackout was “country-wide”.
“This time there wasn’t the
hours of routing instability that
presaged the outage like last
time. Although it did flicker back
on for a moment, and go back
down and stay down,” said Doug
Madory, director of Internet
Analysis with Dyn Research.
Chinese officials
reprimanded over
Aids scare tactics
Reuters
Shanghai
P
olice in central China detained five people and four
officials were reprimanded after reports that a construction firm employed HIV/Aids
sufferers to scare residents into
vacating their houses, the state
news agency reported yesterday.
Forced demolitions are a
frequent cause of unrest and
anger in China, with local governments and developers often
accused of using thugs to carry
out demolition orders and of not
paying proper compensation.
The government of Nanyang
in the central province of Henan
had previously confirmed the
team’s existence, but denied
they were hired by the local government.
The four officials, including
three from the Nanyang City
housing bureau, were given dis-
ciplinary warnings for dereliction of duty, Xinhua said.
The case, which has been
widely publicised on social
media, has caused an outcry in
China.
Xinhua reported that the
team of six alleged HIV/Aids
sufferers was recruited by a local company leading a demolition project to get residents to
leave their houses.
The six allegedly brandished
official identity cards identifying them as having HIV/Aids,
set off firecrackers outside the
residents’ houses and shot steel
ball bearings at windows with
slingshots, Xinhua said.
It was not immediately clear
if those arrested were members
of the team or the construction
company that hired them.
Many of Aids/HIV sufferers
in China were infected through
poorly controlled blood infusions at hospitals and by selling
their blood on the black market.
“If an outside force took it
down again, it did it more efficiently than the previous incident.”
The NDC accused Obama
of taking the lead in encouraging cinemas to screen The
Interview on Christmas Day.
Sony had initially cancelled its
release after major US cinema
chains said they would not show
it, following threats by hackers
aimed at cinemagoers.
“Obama always goes reckless in words and deeds like a
monkey in a tropical forest,” a
spokesman for the NDC’s policy
department said in a statement
published by the North’s official
KCNA news agency.
“If the US persists in American-style arrogant, high-handed and gangster-like arbitrary
practices despite (North Korea’s) repeated warnings, the
US should bear in mind that its
failed political affairs will face
inescapable deadly blows,” the
NDC spokesman said.
He
accused
Washington of linking the hacking of
Sony to North Korea “without
clear evidence” and repeated
Pyongyang’s condemnation of
the film, describing it as “a movie for agitating terrorism produced with high-ranking politicians of the US administration
involved”.
The film took in $1mn in its
limited-release opening day,
showing in around 300 mostly
small, independent theatres.
It was also released online for
rental or purchase.
The film, which has been
panned by critics, has become
an unlikely symbol of free
speech thanks to the hacker
threats that nearly scuppered
its release.
The low-brow comedy revolving around the fictional
assassination of North Korean
leader Kim Jong-Un played to
packed cinemas across the US.
A file sharing website reported the film had been il-
legally downloaded more than
750,000 times. Online services for Sony’s PlayStation
and Microsoft’s Xbox gaming
consoles, which had decided
to release the film online, went
down Thursday, apparently attacked by hackers.
Microsoft’s online network
for its Xbox gaming console
was restored to nearly full service Friday but the PlayStation
network remained down.
The NDC spokesman called
again for a joint investigation
into the Sony hack, which has
already been rejected by the
US, while accusing Washington
of “beating air after being hit
hard by others”.
“In actuality, the US, a big
country, started disturbing
the Internet operation of major media of the DPRK (North
Korea), not knowing shame like
children playing a tag,” he said.
From Monday night, websites of the North’s major state
media went dead for hours.
The cause of the outages in
North Korea’s already limited
Internet access has not been
confirmed. The US has refused
to say whether it was involved
in the shutdown.
The North has about 1mn
computers — mainly available
at educational and state institutions — but most lack any
connection to the world wide
web.
All online content and email
are strictly censored or monitored with access to the Internet strictly limited to a handful
of top party cadres, propaganda
officials and expatriates.
KCNA previously compared
Obama to a black “monkey” in
a zoo in May, prompting Washington to condemn the comments as “ugly and disrespectful”.
The North Korean mouthpiece also earlier this year
called South Korean President
Park Geun-Hye a “prostitute”
in thrall to her “pimp” Obama.
Holiday shopping
Beijing jails
six ‘cult’
members in
crackdown
AFP
Beijing
C
hina has jailed six
members of a fringe
religious group known
as “Almighty God” for up to
five years for promoting their
faith, state-media reported
yesterday.
China has cracked down
hard on the group, whose
members believe that Jesus
was reincarnated as a Chinese woman, detaining and
imprisoning thousands since
labelling it a “cult” in the
1990s.
The court in the western
city of Lanzhou said their activities “seriously disturbed
social order and the work of
state agencies”, the official
Xinhua news agency said in a
brief dispatch.
The six members were
found to have held fundraising events and promotional
activities, Xinhua said without giving details.
They were each sentenced
to between three and five
years in jail. The court could
not be reached for comment.
China’s ruling Communist
party is wary of independent organisations, and has
cracked down harshly on
groups it labels “cults”, most
notably the Falungong spiritual movement.
It has detained tens of
thousands of Falungong
members, according to rights
groups, with some saying they have been tortured
for refusing to give up their
beliefs.
CRIME
Taxi collision foils
firebomb attack
in Australia
New Year decorations are displayed at the Nakamise shopping alley approaching Sensoji temple in Tokyo’s Asakusa area yesterday.
Japan has started to prepare for the New Year’s break, one of the biggest holidays of the calendar in the country.
A collision between a taxi and
another car foiled a firebomb
attack in Australia, police in the
southern city of Adelaide said
yesterday. Police said a taxi
driver waved down a patrol car
around 2am (1530 GMT Friday),
saying he feared being assaulted
by the driver of another vehicle
after they’d been involved a
minor collision. Police examined
the other car and found several
Molotov cocktails inside. The
man was charged with possession of items that threaten life
and resisting arrest.
Bondi beach cameras eye more Aussie rescues
AFP
Sydney
A
ustralia’s best known
lifeguard Bruce ‘Hoppo’
Hopkins knows there’s
nothing better than the naked
eye to spot the dangers of the
surf — rip currents and sharks.
But the head lifeguard at Sydney’s most famous beach Bondi
is happy nonetheless that local
authorities have installed cameras to help scan the water, a
move officials believe saves lives.
“You get a report that someone has gone into the water...
you can put the camera on and
get a closer look,” Hopkins tells
AFP from his lookout at the centre of the crowded beach.
“Nothing is going to beat your
eyes -- those of the life guards
from the tower. This is for backup and assistance,” he says of the
cameras which have made it easier to monitor Bondi for a couple
of years and have more recently
been installed at nearby beaches.
Lifeguards patrol Bondi Beach
every day of the year, but the
neighbouring, and sometimes
challenging, beaches of Bronte
and Tamarama are unpatrolled
by paid lifeguards during some
of the southern hemisphere
winter months.
The new cameras at Tamarama, installed a few months
ago, and those at Bronte allow
lifeguards at Bondi to monitor what’s happening at those
beaches in real time.
They can respond to any
emergencies by jumping on a
jetski, often reaching the scene
in just one or two minutes.
Australia’s best known lifeguard Bruce ‘Hoppo’ Hopkins monitoring surfers out in open water at Bondi Beach in Sydney.
“Often you will get a call that
a board rider or someone is in
trouble. You can look at the footage to get a jetski (out there). You
can always zoom in too, on rock
fishermen,” says Hopkins.
In decades past it used to be
that swimming was discouraged
at Sydney beaches due to the
dangers of sharks and stingrays
and for “reasons of decorum”.
Not so today, with thousands
visiting Bondi each year to enjoy
the sun, sand and surf with Bondi
lifeguards making 1,500 rescues
per year as a result, dragging in
swimmers, boardriders and rock
fishers as well as recovering the
bodies of suicides.
Hopkins, who has been in
the job for 23 years and who has
become a familiar face on television screens around the world
from the reality television show
Bondi Rescue, says it depends on
the weather how hectic his work
becomes each summer.
Some days the surf is “like a
lake” while at other times a cyclonic swell makes rescues hard
work.
Then there are freak waves
like the one last summer which
prompted a mass rescue when
40 panicked swimmers were
swept out and had to be brought
in at the same time.
In recent weeks two dead
great white sharks have been
found in the nets which are
designed to protect people at
Bondi, a reminder that swimmers and surfers are not alone
in the water.
Drones were recently trialled
to provide a live camera feed of
the water, potentially to check
for any predators, but the idea
is only in the early stages of investigation.
Waverley mayor Sally Betts —
the council under which Bondi
falls —says authorities were inspired in part to use cameras by
the filming of “Bondi Rescue”
but also because they could
help keep beachgoers safe.
The cameras, housed in the
lifeguards’ elevated lookouts,
watch over the beaches and
those monitoring them can angle them around and zoom in to
capture close up images of incidents.
They are used to monitor
swimmers drifting into danger, keep an eye on people who
may be too close to a cliff edge,
and stop thieves from going
through people’s bags on the
beach.
But she says education about
beach dangers was still needed.
“We lost a young Japanese
man last year and it was really
tragic,” she says, explaining
that the man and a friend entered the water at a place where
signs advised them not to due
to an unpredictable sandbar.
They were spotted by lifeguards who rushed to warn
them but the sandbar collapsed
underneath them before they
could get there.
“They managed to save one
but they didn’t save the other,”
Betts says. “We just don’t want
that to happen ever.
“We’ve got hundreds of people in the water and we just
want them to be safe.”
Hopkins says there is on average only one drowning every
seven years, and the day-today business of saving a life is a
“good adrenalin rush”.
“It’s always a satisfying thing
to be able to rescue someone,”
he says.
“They get to live another
day.”
14
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 28, 2014
BRITAIN
Travellers stranded in snow
as blizzards sweep across UK
Roads have been left almost
unpassable by snow
Evening Standard
London
S
now and blizzards that
swept across the country
have brought treacherous
conditions to roads, with many
motorists forced to abandon their
cars after becoming snowed in.
The worst of the snow is over,
according to the Met Office, but it
will be slow to melt in near freezing temperatures and there is a
warning for ice over much of the
UK.
Sleet and snow hit the north of
England, the Midlands and Scotland and nearly all the UK has
been gripped by ice.
Experts said more snow could
hit higher Britain today, but
warned the main threat came
from ice.
Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport and Leeds Bradford International were forced to close last
night as snow was cleared from
the runways, but have now reopened.
More than 100,000 homes
were left with power shortages
as heavy snow wreaked havoc
on electricity cables. A Western Power Distribution spokesman said 36,000 customers were
left without power and another
69,000 had short interruptions
to supplies.
Staff worked through the night
to reconnect customers, but
around 3,000 in the East Midlands were still affected.
The north of England and the
Midlands were the worst affected
by the snowstorms, with 11cm
falling in Leek, Staffordshire.
Nottinghamshire and Bingley,
near Bradford, were hit by flurries
of up to 7cm.
Many drivers became marooned by heavy snow in Sheffield, Chesterfield and the Peak
District.
A spokesman for the RAC said
A double-decker bus travels between snow-covered fields at dusk near the village of Diggle, northern England. Right: An abandoned car and a telephone box stand in snow near Ashbourne, central England yesterday.
drivers in these areas were experiencing “big problems”.
He said: “We are rescuing people who are bogged down in snow
there. That seems to be the biggest area of problems in the UK.
We are seeing higher volumes of
calls than we would usually get
on a Saturday this time of year.
“Some motorists are abandoning their vehicles.”
Drivers took to Twitter to
complain of the long queues and
post pictures of roads blanketed
in heavy snow.
At around 2.30am one driver
said he had been in a queue for
more than four hours.
Declan Pitts posted a picture
of a snowy country road and
wrote: “I’m alive after 3 hours of
crazy snow torn driving across
what seems like the whole of
England.”
A coachload of people travelling from Sheffield to London
had to take refuge in a church
after their bus became stuck in
the snow before leaving the city,
passenger Chloe McIntosh told
the BBC.
She said: “Some people from
the houses nearby have come and
offered us tea. Then they opened
up the church.”
Motorists have been advised to
check routes before embarking
on a journey and to avoid travelling in snow-hit areas if possible.
Four flights into Liverpool
from Malta, Berlin and Bucharest were diverted to Manchester
Airport, while a fifth from the Isle
of Man returned to the island’s
airport, a John Lennon Airport
spokesman said.
Police warned of hazardous
conditions last night, especially
in Staffordshire and Cheshire,
with several roads impassable.
Staffordshire Police tweeted:
“Reports of difficult road conditions across Staffordshire due to
snow, please only travel tonight if
necessary.”
Cheshire Police said: “Roads
around
Delamere/Frodsham
looking quite treacherous due to
weather, please drive with care.”
Leicestershire Police tweeted:
“Snow causing disruption in the
north of the county. Please only
travel if absolutely necessary
and avoid A1 as large vehicles are
stuck.”
The Met Office has issued am-
ber warnings for snow, ice and
wind across much of Britain.
A Met Office spokesman said
another 1cm-2cm of snow could
fall on higher ground in the Pennines, Yorkshire Moors, East of
England and west of England as
wintry showers pass through the
country.
He added: “The worst of the
snow has passed through. There
is quite a bit of ice, especially
over the higher ground in the
north of England.
“Overnight tonight ice is going
to be more of a problem.”
The snow made conditions
difficult for some of yesterday’s
football matches, including in
the West Midlands as West Bromwich Albion lost 3-1 to Manchester City in a game played in a
blizzard at The Hawthorns.
The Met Office had earlier said
there was a 90% chance of severe
cold, ice or snow in parts of England between this afternoon and
New Year’s Eve.
Christmas night was the coldest night of the year so far, with 8.5C (16.7F) recorded at Braemar
in Aberdeenshire.
Temperatures could drop as
low as - 10C (14F) in some places
at the start of next week as the
cloud and wet weather gives way
to clearer skies.
A spokesman for Leeds Bradford International Airport said
four flights into the airport had
to be diverted and two outbound
flights cancelled last night due to
the snow, affecting nearly 1,000
passengers.
The airport reopened at
12.30am, and while there were
some delays early this morning flights are back to normal, a
spokesman said.
A department for transport
spokesman said: “As winter
weather grips some areas of the
country we would advise people intending to travel to check
weather and local conditions before they set out.
“The highways agency and local highway authorities across the
country are working hard to ensure
disruption is kept to a minimum.
“Passengers travelling into or
out of Kings Cross affected by
overrunning engineering work
should check with National Rail
enquiries for service information.”
Shoppers flock to
Oxford Street for
sales bonanza
Evening Standard
London
M
Crowds of passengers queue outside Finsbury Park Station in north London yesterday.
Chaos as trains in and out of
King’s Cross are cancelled
Evening Standard
London
A
ngry train passengers were left stranded in London after services at King’s
Cross ground to a halt.
Trains in and out of the station were cancelled because of overrunning Network Rail
engineering works, with a reduced service
expected to run today.
All East Coast and Thameslink & Great
Northern passengers must start or end their
journey at Finsbury Park in north London,
with at least one change of train, Network
Rail said.
But it appeared Finsbury Park was unable
to cope with the bumper crowds diverted to
the zone two station, as passengers reported
jostling for space on the platform.
The situation came to a head shortly before
11.30am, when National Rail confirmed it was
forced to temporarily close the station “due to
overcrowding”.
Najib Mohamed, 18, from north London,
said he had to make other arrangements after
arriving at King’s Cross this morning expecting a train to take him to work outside of the
capital.
He said: “It is usually very, very busy here,
but not today. I am supposed to be working as
a fundraiser today and getting told where to
go once I get here, but there are no trains so I
think I might just go back to bed.”
Other travellers took to Twitter to vent
their frustration.
Caroline Hannam posted a picture of a
packed Finsbury Park stairwell, writing:
“Happy Xmas everyone. Thank you nationalrailenq. Physio at 11, not likely!”
Another Finsbury Park traveller joked that
rail staff at the station must be auditioning for
a rebooted Beadle’s About - the prank show
that aired in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Rail operators’ advice to defer travel until
today or tomorrow comes as many workers
who travelled to see relatives over the festive
period are expected to use the railways to return to work this week.
East Coast spokesman Paul Emberley said:
“Network Rail has apologised to passengers
for the inevitable delays to their travel plans
on Saturday as a result of the overrunning engineering works.
“East Coast is particularly sorry too for the
inconvenience to its customers as a result, on
what we know is an already very busy travel day
immediately following the Christmas break.”
Network Rail said the work was part of a
£200mn Christmas investment programme,
with most railways expected to return to normal on January 5.
It is one of 300 projects being undertaken
over the holidays at 2,000 sites up and down
the country by 11,000 engineers.
A spokesman said: “What has happened is
really regrettable and unfortunate, but it is a
small part of a massive amount of engineering investment taking place over Christmas.”
The spokesman said 4.5mn passengers use
the railways on a normal day, compared with
2mnover the holidays.
A Department for Transport spokesman said: “It is extremely disappointing
that Network Rail’s engineering works have
overrun and will affect travellers during this
festive season. Passengers will be rightly annoyed.
“This was essential work but passengers
need to be able to plan and rely on Network
Rail meeting its deadlines for having the network back in service.
“The department is in contact with Network Rail to understand what went wrong
and if lessons can be learned for the future.”
Shadow transport secretary Michael Dugher said: “Ministers are responsible for piling
misery on top of misery for those who have to
rely on our railway.
“It was the Government that allowed almost the entire rail network to be shut down
during Boxing Day, one of the busiest bank
holidays of the year.
illions of shoppers hit the high street or
logged on online in the annual Boxing
Day sale spending spree.
Selfridges took more than £2mn in the first
hour of opening its doors while the new West
End Company, which covers the money-spinning
shopping district of Bond Street , Oxford Street
and Regent Street, said that both local and international shoppers would spend over £50mn during the day.
A £1,205 Givenchy Pandora box bag reduced to
£602 was the first item to be bought at Selfridges’
flagship London store where bargain hunters had
been queueing since 10.30pm on Christmas Day.
The store, which deals with up to 250,000 customers in a week, expects 120,000 people to go
through its doors today.
Crowds of up to 150,000 descended on Sheffield’s Meadowhall Centre keen to snap up discounts of up to 70% on items including designer
clothes, lingerie, handbags, watches, jewellery
and electrical goods - with one sports retailer offering up to 90% off.
Meadowhall’s centre director Darren Pearce
described it as “possibly our busiest Boxing Day
to date”, adding : “Many of our team have been
working since 2am to get ready for the influx of
visitors this morning, with Next leading the way
to be the first to open their doors at 6am.”
Managers of the Bluewater shopping centre in
Kent are expecting the bargain hunters who started to queue at 4am to help the centre hit £2mn in
sales for the Christmas period.
Top sellers have included Mulberry handbags, Russell & Bromley leather boots, Children’s
clothing, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One games consoles and GoPro cameras.
Bluewater general manager Robert Goodman
noted that shoppers had taken a “calm and collected” approach to their Boxing Day spending
and were using Click and Collect to pre-plan their
bargain purchases.
Michaela Moore, general manager of Birmingham’s Bullring shopping centre, said they
had prepared to see “in the region of 200,000
customers” pass through the doors today and
“in excess of 170,000 customers” tomorrow.
A spokesman said that more than 1,500 customers queued on St Martin’s Walk into St Martin’s Square for the start of the Next Boxing
Day sale and shoppers began queuing outside
Selfridges at 2.30am.
Bristol shoppers were also out in force at Cabot
Circus, where centre director Stephanie Lacey
predicted that “up to 100,000” bargain hunters
were expected to pop by.
She said: “Since Black Friday, Cabot Circus
has been very busy - it’s been a strong Christmas
shopping season for us.
“Customers are making the most of the Boxing
Day sales and taking advantage of the best bargains.”
Managers of St David’s shopping centre in
Cardiff estimated that more than £2mn would be
spent in the post-Christmas sales across its 180
stores.
John Lewis predicted that its “mobile Christmas” is here to stay as shoppers snapped up deals
on their mobile and tablet devices during Christmas Day.
It accounted for 72% of traffic to johnlewis.com
throughout Christmas Day and it was the store’s
“biggest-ever Christmas Day for orders”.
It also noted strong sales in the first hour of its
online clearance, which began on Christmas Eve
at 5pm.
Interest in shopping dipped between 1pm and
4pm on Christmas Day as people sat down to
enjoy Christmas dinner but sales then peaked at
9-10pm as customers logged on while watching
the much-anticipated Downton Abbey Christmas special.
Steven Madeley, centre director at St David’s,
said: “Black Friday saw Christmas start with a
real bang this year and we’re delighted that St
David’s has been consistently busy throughout
December.
“Unlike the weeks ahead of Christmas where
the focus is on buying for others, Boxing Day
provides a real opportunity for shoppers to treat
themselves.”
Despite the positive outlook from shopkeepers,
retail analyst Springboard suggested the impact
of Black Friday, early December discounting and
the improved convenience of online shopping this
year means there has been a dwindling appeal to
the Boxing Day sales.
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 28, 2014
15
EUROPE
Man who
shot Pope
John ‘pays
homage’
Reuters
Vatican City
T
Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko shakes hands with returning Ukrainian prisoners of war.
Ukrainian president
hails released PoWs
The release of prisoners and energy
supplies may herald progress in talks
AFP
Kiev
U
krainian President Petro Poroshenko yesterday welcomed home as
heroes 145 soldiers freed by proRussian rebels during the largest prisoner
swap of the eight-month separatist war.
The Western-backed leader donned a
black bomber jacket before walking up
with a grin on his face to the back cargo
bay of a transport plane that landed at a
military airport outside Kiev in the dawn
hours.
He shook hands and tightly embraced
the men—some young and others sporting
greying beards—as they trundled down
the steps wearing regular civilian clothes
and knitted skull caps in the searing cold.
“My heart as that of a president and
citizen is brimming with joy that you—as
I had promised—will be able to meet the
New Year with your families and comrades
in arms,” Poroshenko said as the released
men huddled around him on the tarmac.
Ukraine’s badly underfunded army has
been castigated by the public for failing to
stamp out a revolt that has claimed 4,700
lives and threatens to redraw the former
Soviet republic’s borders.
Poroshenko appeared to be addressing
that rebuke by praising the men for “not
breaking or changing and firmly keeping
your military morale, demonstrating the
best qualities of a Ukrainian warrior”.
Ukraine’s allies in Europe hope that
Friday’s exchange will mark a watershed
in a war that seems at a stalemate but still
rages on because of the immense mistrust
between the two sides.
Kiev on Friday freed 222 insurgent
fighters captured near the main rebel
stronghold of Donetsk and its surrounding
regions.
Another four Ukrainian soldiers were
handed over yesterday by insurgents
fighting in the neighbouring breakaway
province of Lugansk.
“We will search for and find everyone
and not leave anyone behind,” Poroshenko
promised.
“The country will fight for each one of
its faithful sons.”
The Minsk negotiations were called to
reinforce a largely ignored peace plan struck
in September that aimed to both stem the
bloodshed and ease the crisis in East-West
relations the conflict has sparked.
The eastern revolt began only weeks
after Russia’s March seizure of Crimea and
appeared to have been staged in reprisal for
the February ouster in Kiev of a Moscowbacked president.
Russia had initially denied parachuting
in its troops to capture the Black Sea
peninsula. But president Vladimir Putin
later awarded medals to soldiers involved
in the Crimean campaign.
Greek ‘don’t want
new adventure’
AFP
Athens
T
he Greek public doesn’t want
a new adventure, prime minister Antonis Samaras warned
yesterday as he sought to stave off a
snap election by urging lawmakers to
choose a new president in a third and
final round of voting.
“The Greek people don’t want early
elections. The Greek people understand where this adventure could
lead,” Samaras said in an interview on
NERIT public television.
“I have done and I am doing everything in my power to avert early elections.”
Lawmakers on Tuesday failed to
choose a successor to president Karolos Papoulias in a second round of voting.
The government’s candidate, EU environment commissioner Stavros Dimas, fell 32 votes short of the required
200 votes, meaning a final vote will be
held on December 29.
If MPs do not rally behind Dimas, the
political stalemate would automatically prompt an early general election.
European Union and International
Monetary Fund officials fear an early
election would be won by the anti-austerity, radical leftist Syriza party and
could undermine Greece’s international bailout and rekindle a eurozone
crisis. Samaras called on MPs from all
parties to “help push the country away
from a new crisis”.
Failure to elect a new president on
Monday would “equal political blackmail”, he said.
In a bid to sway independent MPs,
Samaras last week already offered to
hold elections in 2015, provided that
a president is elected and that tough
talks with the country’s EU-IMF are
concluded first.
But Greek newspapers yesterday
said despite the premier’s last-ditch
efforts, parties were bracing for snap
elections.
Greece recently secured a twomonth extension from its international
creditors to conclude an ongoing fiscal
audit that will determine the release of
some €7bn in loans.
This extension expires in February,
and the finance ministry has warned
that the state will face cash difficulties
from March onwards.
Greece must adhere to its bailout
agreement, German finance minister
Wolfgang Schaeuble said in remarks
published yesterday, two days before
lawmakers in Athens hold the third and
final round of a snap presidential vote.
“New elections change nothing regarding Greek debt,” Schaeuble said
in an interview with German newspaper Bild. “Each new government must
stick to the contractual agreements of
its predecessor.”
And the Kremlin’s rejection of charges
that it was now doing the same in Ukraine’s
separatist east has convinced few Western
nations.
Russia—its economy already under
severe pressure from the plunge in the
value of its oil exports—is also suffering
from increasing heavy US and EU financial
penalties as a result.
The Kremlin fired back at the West by
publishing a revised military doctrine on
Friday that decries the “reinforcement
of Nato’s offensive capacities on Russia’s
borders”.
But Ukraine went on the offensive as
well by cutting all rail and bus links to
Crimea—a decision made citing security
concerns that effectively severed the
peninsula of 2.3mn from the mainland.
The respected editor of Kiev’s
Ukrainska Pravda news site reported that
Poroshenko—whose crisis-hit country is
reeling from rolling power outages—was
putting additional pressure on Crimea
to win urgent energy concessions from
Russia.
And the Kremlin surprised many
yesterday by announcing plans to start
providing Ukraine with up to 1mn of coal
and an undisclosed amount of electricity
at discounted rates every month.
“Considering the critical situation with
(Ukranian) energy supplies, Putin decided
to start these shipments despite the lack
of prepayments,” Kremlin spokesman
Dmitry Peskov told the TASS new agency.
European mediators now hope to use
the swap to propel peace talks in Minsk
that the rebels said yesterday appeared to
be going nowhere.
A final round of negotiations in
Belarus on Friday which was meant to
have been crowned by the signing of
a comprehensive truce deal has been
indefinitely postponed.
The two sides have been trying to save
the peace process by holding periodic
Skype video conference calls and
submitting their proposals for a joint final
statement to the European mediating
team.
But separatist leaders reported little
progress since Friday’s negotiations delay.
“For the moment, there is no clarity
about the next Minsk meeting,” Lugansk
rebel negotiator Vladislav Deynego told
AFP.
The Kremlin did not link Putin’s
“discounted” energy offer to Kiev’s
increasingly punitive approach to the
renegade region of 2.3mn.
But Russia’s public support in
Crimea -- essential in the face of global
condemnation of its March annexation
-- depends heavily on Putin’s ability to
improve living conditions in the longneglected summer resort.
A top Kiev media outlet reported that
Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko had
used the Crimea travel ban as a bargaining
chip in his energy negotiations with the
Kremlin.
he man who tried to kill
former Pope John Paul II
33 years ago showed up
at the Vatican yesterday to put
white roses on his tomb and
said he wanted to meet Pope
Francis.
Mehmet Ali Agca, a Turk,
left John Paul critically injured
after firing several shots in the
failed assassination attempt in
St. Peter’s Square on May 13,
1981.
The former pope forgave
Agca, once a member of a
Turkish far right group known
as the Grey Wolves, and went
to meet him in 1983 in the
Rome prison where he had
been sentenced to life imprisonment for the attack.
Agca called the Italian daily
la Repubblica yesterday to announce he had arrived in the
Vatican, his first visit since the
assassination attempt and exactly 31 years after John Paul
met him in prison.
The visit was confirmed to
Reuters by father Ciro Benedettini, the Vatican’s deputy
spokesman, who said Agca
stood for a few moments in silent meditation over the tomb
in St. Peter’s Basilica before
leaving two bunches of white
roses.
Agca, 56, was pardoned by
Italy in 2000 and extradited to
Turkey where he was imprisoned for the 1979 murder of a
journalist and other crimes. He
was released from jail in 2010.
The attack against John
Paul, who died in 2005, has
remained clouded by unanswered questions over who
may have been behind it. An
Italian investigative parliamentary commission said in
2006 it was “beyond reasonable doubt” that it was masterminded by leaders of the
former Soviet Union.
The Vatican yesterday gave
a cool response to Agca’s request to meet with Pope Francis. “He has put his flowers on
John Paul’s tomb; I think that
is enough,” Vatican spokesman
father Federico Lombardi told
la Repubblica.
Germany ‘needs
immigration’
Reuters
Berlin
G
erman Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said yesterday that
immigration is good for the
country and politicians must
explain better that everyone
stands to gain from it, in response to the rise of a new
movement opposing an influx
of Muslim immigrants.
The number of asylum
seekers in Germany, many
from Syria, has more than
doubled this year to around
200,000, and net immigration is at its highest level in
two decades.
Many Germans are concerned about the related costs
and worry about refugees taking jobs.
The sudden emergence of
grass-roots movement Pegida, or Patriotic Europeans
Against the Islamisation of the
West, which last week held a
17,500-strong anti-immigrant
rally in the eastern city of
Dresden, has forced lawmakers to respond.
“The world is more open
and immigration helps everyone. Just as we used millions
of refugees and expellees after
World War Two to rebuild .. so
we need immigration today,”
Schaeuble told Bild Online
when asked about the popularity of Pegida.
Immigration has shot up the
political agenda in Germany.
Some members of Chancellor
Angela Merkel’s conservative
bloc are worried that they risk
losing support if they do not
respond to peoples’ fears.
Voters have already punished governments in several
other European countries, including Britain and Sweden,
for failing to address the highly
charged issue of immigration.
Bounty for the resorts
Snow fall as vehicles move bumper-to-bumper along the motorway near Albertville, yesterday as they make their way into the Tarentaise valley in the heart
of the French Alps, home to many of the famous French ski resorts.
16
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 28, 2014
INDIA
POLITICS
CELEBRATION
CORRUPTION
TRAGEDY
HONOUR
Four rebel JD-U MLAs
disqualified in Bihar
Actor Anoop Menon
weds long time friend
Police officer held
while taking bribe
8 die in Maharashtra
warehouse fire
Lifetime achievement
award for filmmaker
The membership of four rebel Janata Dal-United
(JD-U) legislators was terminated yesterday for
their anti-party activities, Bihar assembly officials
said. Speaker Uday Narayan Choudhary terminated
the membership of Raju Singh, Poonam Devi
Yadav, Ajit Kumar and Suresh Chanchal under the
provisions of the anti-defection law, the officials
said. Choudhary took the decision on the basis of
a complaint submitted by the ruling party. It was
the second such action taken against rebel JD-U
legislators, who have been challenging the party
leadership since April. In November, Choudhary
terminated the the membership of four rebel JD-U
legislators on the same ground.
Malayalam actor, screen
writer and lyricist Anoop
Menon yesterday got
married to his long time
friend Shema Alexander.
He announced the news
of his wedding through
his facebook page.
Menon was a television
actor before moving on to the big screen in
2002. He has so far acted in 59 films. In 2014
he had five releases. It was Alexander’s second
marriage. Her first husband died following a
heart attack eight years back.
A Haryana police head constable was arrested
yesterday while accepting Rs5,000 as bribe,
police said. Virender Singh was arrested by a
State Vigilance Bureau team. “The accused was
caught ‘red handed’ while accepting money from
complainant Sanjay Saini,” a vigilance department
officer said. Saini had complained to the vigilance
department that Singh was demanding money to
execute a summons to a man against whom he
had filed a complaint. “A court had issued a nonbailable warrant against the man. Saini wanted the
execution of summons but the accused demanded
bribe to do so,” the officer said. The arrest was
made in the presence of an executive magistrate.
At least eight migrant workers were killed
in a major fire that swept through a timber
warehouse in Bhiwandi town near Mumbai
early yesterday. Five people suffocated to death
inside the warehouse. Three others, who had
suffered burns, died in a hospital. According
to police, the blaze was reported at 2am in
the timber goods warehouse in Mankoli. Fire
fighters rescued three injured people, police
said. The cause of the fire was not known but it
was brought under control by daybreak after a
four-hour operation. Among the dead are north
Indian and Nepali migrant workers, but their
identity is yet to be determined.
Veteran Telugu filmmaker K Vishwanath will
receive the lifetime achievement award at
the second edition of the Gulf Andhra Music
Awards (GAMA) in Dubai next year. “This time
we’re going to honour legendary director K
Vishwanath with the lifetime achievement award.
The event will be held on February 6 in Dubai.
The entire Telugu film industry is expected
to come under one roof for this programme,”
Kesari Thirumurthulu, chairman of GAMA, said.
“We plan to release a special souvenir soon
about the awards ceremony,” he said. Last year,
GAMA honoured late Telugu filmmaker Bapu
with the lifetime achievement award.
India asks
Pakistan to
hand over
Dawood
IANS
New Delhi
I
ndia yesterday asked Pakistan to hand over the “country’s most wanted” and 1993
Mumbai blasts mastermind Dawood Ibrahim, while the Congress said it was time for the
government to “walk the talk”
and sought to know what it had
done so far.
“He is the most wanted... India has asked Pakistan to hand
him over... you just wait,” Home
Minister Rajnath Singh told reporters here.
India has made this demand
to Pakistan many times earlier
too but Pakistan had denied his
presence in the country. However, Ibrahim, listed as an international terrorist, has reportedly
been caught on tape by a Western intelligence agency talking to
one of his associates from Pakistan’s Karachi city.
Reacting to the home minister’s statement, Congress leader
Manish Tiwari sought to know
what the government headed
Ibrahim: on the wanted list
by the Bharatiya Janata Party,
which had raised the issue frequently while in the opposition,
had done about getting Ibrahim.
“So what is this government
doing about it? When they were
in the opposition they used to
do lots of chest thumping about
how they would use diplomacy.
How they would explore other
means and mechanisms in order
to bring Dawood Ibrahim...
“If Dawood Ibrahim is indeed
in Karachi then this government
should walk the talk and bring him
to justice,” Tiwari told reporters.
The BJP, however, defended
the government, saying it “was
committed towards the fact that
Dawood is brought back to India.”
“...because of our government’s efforts a joint statement,
by the US and India, regarding
the terrorist was issued during
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the US,” BJP
spokesman Sambit Patra said.
Ibrahim, who is on the wanted list of Interpol for cheating,
criminal conspiracy and organised crime, is reportedly involved in a number of crimes in
India, including for planning the
1993 Mumbai blasts, sport fixing
and others.
The US, believing that Ibrahim maintained close links with
Al Qaeda and other terrorist organisations, had declared him a
“global terrorist” in 2003.
It had also taken the matter to
the UN in an attempt to ensure
freezing of his assets around the
world and a crackdown on his
operations.
Rajini fan makes it to his last show
A cancer-stricken fan of Tamil
superstar Rajinikanth died while
watching a screening of his
hero’s latest film in Coimbatore,
news reports said yesterday.
C Rajendran, 58, who had
never missed a film starring
Rajinikanth, ignored doctor’s
orders and slipped out of home
to watch Lingaa, the Times
of India reported. When the
movie ended and the audience
had left, the theatre’s cleaning
staff found Rajendran sitting
in his chair, dead. “I noticed
him during the interval. He was
having popcorn and a soft drink
and seemed to be enjoying
himself,” Karnan, the manager
of the cinema, was quoted as
saying. “What a wonderful way
to die,” diehard Rajinikanth
fan and school teacher Deepa
Kannan said.
Aam Admi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal greets supporters at an event to raise funds for the Delhi assembly elections, in the capital yesterday. The event ‘Coffee with Arvind
Kejriwal’ gave an opportunity for guests to meet the AAP chief. The offer came with a price tag of Rs20,000 per person. It was not the first time the AAP has organised such
a fund-raising event. Earlier this month, the party came up with the concept a ‘Selfie With Mufflerman’, a reference to Kejriwal who often appears with a muffler.
BJP takes battle against
AAP to the social media
IANS
New Delhi
A
rmed with state-ofthe-art laptops, computers and high-speed
Internet connections, a team
of young IT professionals
supported by hundreds of
volunteers on the ground are
heading the Bharatiya Janata
Party’s ‘war room’ for the
Delhi assembly elections and
working round-the-clock to
counter their arch rivals - the
Aam Aadmi Party.
Set up at the Delhi BJP headquarters at 14, Pandit Pant
Marg earlier this month, the
war room has professionals,
some of whom work part-time
or have taken a sabbatical from
their jobs, to critically analyse
posts, comments and tweets
on Facebook and Twitter that
18,112 Santa Clauses
break Guinness record
By Ashraf Padanna
Thiruvananthapuram
C
atholics in Kerala have set
a world record by organising the largest gathering of Santa Clauses.
Guinness Book of World
Records officials counted 18,112
people dressed like Santa Claus,
gathered in Thrissur.
The event broke the previous
record of 13,000 Santa Clauses
set at the Guildhall Square in
Derry City, Northern Ireland, on
December 9, 2007.
Yesterday’s event saw the
Santa Clauses taking out a procession in the afternoon ending
in a public meeting addressed by
priests and government officials.
“I thank all those who have
participated in this record bid.
They have done everyone in the
city proud,” said Archbishop Mar
Andrews Thazhath of the Catholic Church, its chief organiser.
He, along with city mayor
Rajan Pallan, received the certificate from Guinness World
Record official adjudicator Lucia Sinigagliesi who verified the
numbers.
“This is now the largest gathering of Santa Claus. The record
has been officially amended,” she
announced at the venue while
presenting the certificate.
“The Guinness team with the
help of new technology did the
counting and it was for that barcodes was used for each of the
Santas. There was an application
process that each Santa had to
go through and it came from the
various parishes attached to the
archdiocese,” said Simon Joseph,
an official of the Thrissur archdiocese.
The Archdiocese of Thrissur
was expecting more people to
come as they have distributed
30,000 uniform Santa wraps.
They also spent around Rs7mn
for buying the dress, beard,
shoes and belt for them.
Each of the 230 parishes under
the archdiocese was asked to send
at least 100 Santa lookalikes.
Dressed in uniform, they came
by trains, buses and others modes
of transport to join the pageant.
The procession began at 1pm
from the Sakthan Thampuran
Ground and went around the
city where thousands of the people had gathered to witness the
record-breaking spectacle.
A “citizens’ forum” drawn
from people of all faiths was also
formed to organise the event
with the active support of the
district administration.
Besides the Santas with lighted batons, 20 floats depicting
various socio-cultural events
and bands playing Christmas
music formed the pageantry.
According the 2001 census,
Christians constitute 19% of
Kerala’s 33mn population helping
the state to build its basic health
and education infrastructure.
talk about the BJP, its policies or
leaders.
According to Sumeet Bhasin,
who heads the BJP’s Information Technology (IT) cell under
which the war room has been
set up, the party’s top leadership has specifically asked the
team to be “aggressive” on the
social media.
“War rooms are set up before
every election but this time we
have intensified our efforts and
the results are showing. We
were not this active earlier,”
Bhasin said adding that Prime
Minister Narendra Modi’s interest in technology and social
media acted as a major push.
According to him, the number
of members of the party’s Facebook page rose from around
1.1mn to over 1.3mn in just four
weeks.
In addition, the page has
registered their supremacy in
terms of engagement and reach
in Delhi, much ahead of the
AAP.
“On average the BJP posts
on Facebook are getting over
10,000 likes while the posts
from AAP are liked by around
5,000 people,” he said.
Bhasin credits the achievement to his team of youngsters,
who not only analyse Facebook
posts and tweets, but also scout
for potential volunteers.
“We scan all the comments
on the posts that we make.
Those who have something
thoughtful to add or come with
their own ideas to promote the
party and its policies are then
contacted by our team,” said one
of the team members.
At present, the party has over
a 100 volunteers in Delhi who
cover 52 of the 70 assembly
seats. The number is likely to
rise to around 500 by the time
Religious procession
Delhi goes to polls, Bhasin said.
“The job of the volunteers is
to spread the party’s message to
the masses and help shape their
opinions in our favour,” he said.
However, he clarified that none
of the professionals or volunteers were being paid.
And having conquered Facebook, the team has now
set their eyes on Twitter and
WhatsApp.
“Facebook is our base and all
other mediums like WhatsApp,
Twitter, e-mail, SMS, etc are
like distribution channels. But
having said that, we will start a
similar aggressive campaign on
Twitter starting next week and
a few weeks before the polling
takes place WhatsApp will also
be used to reach out to the people,” said Bhasin.
The party is already using WhatsApp to connect over
15,000 party members through
Chandy meets Bishop
over liquor policy
IANS
Kozhikode, Kerala
K
Sikhs carry the Guru Granth Sahib, their holy book, during
a procession from the Sri Akal Takhat at the Golden Temple
in Amritsar yesterday. The procession took place on the
eve of the 350th birth anniversary of the tenth Sikh Guru
Gobind Singh.
250 groups in Delhi with the top
leadership wherein the members can interact with each other and their leaders.
z A man yesterday threw a
stone at AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal at a public gathering in
New Delhi, a party source said.
The source said the incident
occurred around 6.45pm when
Kejriwal was addressing a gathering in south Delhi’s Deoli area.
However, the stone did not
hit Kejriwal. The suspect was
immediately arrested by police.
Immediately after the incident, Kejriwal tweeted, “One
person threw a stone at me in
deoli jansabha today. BJP so
scared? Resorting to violence?
I wish well for the boy who did
it.”
“We have no bad wishes for
people who hurl shoe and stones
at us, we wish them all the best,”
he tweeted.
erala Chief Minister
Oommen Chandy yesterday said his meeting with Thamarassery Bishop Remigiose Inchananiyil
over the state government’s
new liquor policy went off
well.
Chandy met the head of the
prohibition committee of the
Kerala Catholic Bishop Conference (KCBC) after two ministers criticised the conference
for its adamant stand against
the new liquor policy.
“I am very happy with the
meeting and its outcome. Our
new liquor policy is now going
to be implemented and there
will be no going back. We will
reach total prohibition by reducing the availability of liquor,” Chandy told reporters
here.
On Friday, the KCBC organised a day-long protest, de-
manding the withdrawal of the
liquor policy.
Chandy said: “It was (former
defence minister A K Antony)
who introduced the arrack ban
in 1995. After this the state
government opened retail liquor outlets. It was done with
a purpose because arrack was
a dangerous commodity. With
our new policy, we have a sense
of direction on how total prohibition can be achieved over a
period of time.”
The amended liquor policy
came out last week. According to it, 418 bars that have not
been opened in this fiscal year
can be converted into wine and
beer parlours and it was decided to lift a ban on making all
Sundays dry days.
When the policy was unveiled in August, there was
a huge public outcry as people felt it was not practical
because more than 700 bars
would not be allowed to serve
liquor and Sundays will be
dry days.
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 28, 2014
17
INDIA
Uber broke Indian financial rules, says RBI chief
AFP
New Delhi
R
eserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan
lashed out at Uber, already
under fire over the alleged rape of
a passenger, saying the US taxihailing firm violated the country’s financial regulations by using an overseas payment system.
A row over the highly valued
start-up’s financial transactions
erupted in India earlier this year
after domestic taxi firms complained Uber was not following
the country’s two-step authentication system for e-commerce
credit card payments.
“They (Uber) were using a way
of bypassing our regulations to
conduct transactions overseas
which were in violation” of Indian regulations, the central bank
chief told NDTV.
India will not tolerate such violations “no matter who you are,”
he warned.
“If we are a country that is going to turn a blind eye to a violation of regulation... then we don’t
have rule of law,” Rajan said.
Rajan’s comments come after
Uber ran into fresh controversy
in India earlier this month when
it was banned from operating in
the nation’s capital over the alleged rape of a woman passenger
by one of its drivers.
The driver was formally
charged with rape of the passenger and the case raised new
questions about Uber’s driverscreening procedures.
Uber, which has been engaged
in judicial fights with governments
around the world over safety and
licensing issues, has said it is committed to protecting its passengers
in India and globally.
“If we are a country that
is going to turn a blind
eye to a violation of
regulation... then we don’t
have rule of law”
Minister
accused
in scam
‘to leave
hospital’
“willing to work to try and solve
them,” Rajan added.
Uber users find a cab using
a smartphone app, which uses
GPS to connect the customer
with the nearest taxi driver. The
company, which has said its
market value stands at $40bn,
collects a commission for each
ride.
The firm’s operations in India,
as elsewhere around in the world,
have stirred tensions with local
cab drivers who accuse Uber of
unfair competition, which the
company denies.
Rajan added India is seeking to
W
Gen Dalbir Singh reviews the
volatile situation
IANS
Guwahati
I
A child sleeps as his mother and other villagers take refuge in a makeshift relief camp in following last
weeks massacre, in Samukjuli, Sonitpur of Assam, yesterday.
ndian Army chief Gen Dalbir Singh yesterday reviewed the security situation in Assam in the aftermath
of the massacre of villagers by
Bodo militants, as the security
forces intensified operations
along the international border
with Bhutan.
Also yesterday, the central
government directed the National Investigation Agency
(NIA) to probe the killings.
The army chief said he would
continue to maintain a close
watch on the region.
An army spokesman said
Singh headed to the army base
in Rangia straight from the Guwahati airport and reviewed
the security situation with top
commanders.
He was given an overview
of the current status of operations, including the various
measures taken to improve the
larger security milieu in Assam.
The general reviewed the
deployment of 66 army columns in the disturbed areas,
after the violence unleashed by
Bodo militants left 73 people
dead and rendered over 70,000
homeless in the four districts
of Kokrajhar, Chirang, Sonitpur
and Udalguri.
“He was briefed on the
proactive actions undertaken
by the army along with different agencies to intensify the
pressure against the militant
outfits,” a defence spokesman
said in a statement here.
The army chief interacted
with various commanders in
the field to obtain a first-hand
perspective of the operations,
and also undertook an aerial reconnaissance of the strife-torn
areas.
The army chief expressed
satisfaction over the steps taken at all levels, and asked for
greater synergy with the central
and state intelligence and security agencies, the statement
said.
“The general also took note
of the roadmap being planned
by the army jointly with police and directed his troops
to extend all possible support
to the state administration in
bringing back normalcy, while
at the same time carrying out
relentless operations against
the perpetrators of terror,” it
said.
The army has already intensified operations along the
Assam-Arunachal
Pradesh
inter-state border and along
the international border with
Bhutan in the aftermath of
the massacre by the National
Democratic Front of Bodoland
(NDFB).
Gen Singh on Friday met
Home Minister Rajnath Singh
in New Delhi over the situation.
The central government has
already sent 50 companies of
additional forces including
those from the Sashastra Seema Bal, Indo-Tibetan Border
Police, Central Reserve Police
Force and Border Security Force
to control the situation.
Although there has been no
fresh incident of violence since
Tuesday’s killings, the exodus
of people continued in the districts.
Police sources said the Bhutan border has been sealed and
a special operation might be
launched soon against militants from the northeast hiding
there.
The State Disaster Management Authority said over
A
cold
wave
sweeping
through north India intensified in Uttar Pradesh
yesterday with the return of fog
and icy winds. In most parts of
the state the mercury dipped
further and dense fog resulted in
poor visibility, hitting both rail
and road transport.
The Regional Met Office has
predicted that in some parts of
the state, there could be frost as
well.
The Met Office warned that
the cold wave would intensify in
the coming days.
The coldest place in the state
on Friday was Agra which re-
corded a minimum temperature
of 3.3 degrees Celsius.
More than 20 people are reported to have died due to the extreme weather, taking the toll of
cold related fatalities in the state
to 100.
The worst-hit region is Poorvanchal in eastern Uttar Pradesh
where 16 people have died. New
Delhi too experienced a chilly
day while fog continued to affect
train services.
Visibility dropped to 700m at
8.30am yesterday.
The maximum and minimum
temperatures are likely to hover
around 19 and 4 degrees Celsius
today.
An official of the Northern
Railway said at least 37 trains
were running late while seven
were rescheduled and one was
cancelled.
Dense fog also affected life in
the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana.
The higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh shivered under subzero temperatures.
The minimum temperature in
Shimla was 3 degrees Celsius, an
official of the local meteorological
office said. The state capital, however, has been witnessing sunny
days for the past many days.
Keylong in Lahaul-Spiti district and Kalpa in Kinnaur district recorded minimum temperatures of minus 10.3 and minus
1.8 degrees, respectively.
In Bihar, the intense cold wave
continued unabated with fog
disrupting air and rail traffic.
70,000 people have taken shelter in 77 relief camps in the affected districts.
In New Delhi, the home ministry asked the NIA to take up
the investigation.
The Assam government had
recommended that the investigation be handed over to the
NIA.
“Considering the gravity of
the offences and relevant factors,” the central government
agreed to get these probed by
the NIA.
Meanwhile, the supply of
essential goods from different
parts of India to the northeastern region has been affected due to the violence, officials said.
“Due to the violence, truck
drivers are scared to ply through
Assam from West Bengal and
other parts of the country. Road
blockades in north Bengal also
worsen the situation,” a Tripura
government official said.
“Hundreds
of
vehicles,
mostly
trucks,
remained
stranded as adivasis (tribals)
blocked roads in different areas of Malda district in protest
against the massacre (by Bodo
militants in Assam).”
“We expect that the situation
would improve soon. The state
government’s transport department officials are in touch with
the authorities of other northeastern states,” the official said.
Goods-laden trucks stranded in West Bengal are mostly
bound for Tripura, Mizoram,
southern Assam and parts of
Manipur.
The eight northeastern states
- Assam, Arunachal Pradesh,
Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram,
Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim
- are largely dependent on Punjab, Haryana and other bigger
states for food grains and other
essential commodities.
Woman sets
herself, four
children on fire
Cold wave intensifies in
N India, 20 more die in UP
IANS
Lucknow
establish a new financial framework to keep pace with the country’s burgeoning e-commerce
sector, which features varying
business models, so that it can
flourish in the country.
“We want to encourage that
kind of thing (e-commerce) - we
certainly have to recognise new
technologies as they come and
make adjustments to the fact
they operate in a different fashion,” said Rajan.
“We have some solutions
coming that are without too
much ‘jhanjhat’ (trouble) to solve
them,” Rajan added.
Army chief
visits Assam,
NIA to probe
massacre
IANS
Kolkata
est Bengal Transport
and Sports Minister
Madan Mitra, who was
arrested in the multi-million rupee Saradha scam, is likely to be
discharged from hospital today
as tests done on him have not
revealed anything significant, a
hospital official said.
Mitra, who was arrested on
December 12 by the Central Bureau of Investigation for his alleged complicity in the scam,
was admitted to the government-run SSKM Hospital after
he complained of chest pain on
December 19.
“He was admitted with problems related to cardiology, and
tests done on him so far have not
revealed anything significant.
Therefore, the medical board has
decided not keep him in the hospital any further,” hospital director Pradip Mitra said.
The medical board will review
Mitra’s health after a week.
However, the minister on Friday claimed his chest pain was
“still persisting.”
Congress leader Abdul Mannan has accused Mitra of feigning illness and said the hospital doctors conspired with the
ruling Trinamool Congress to
shield the minister.
“After so many tests, the doctors
are still not aware of what his illness is? There is no doubt that he is
feigning sickness and shamelessly
using the hospital as a five-star hotel. If he continues to use the hospital like this, we will be moving the
court,” Mannan said.
“It seems the doctors too
have become a part of the Trinamool’s conspiracy to prevent
Mitra from going back to jail and
try to hinder the CBI probe in the
scam,” he added.
The CBI yesterday registered
two more cases against the
Saradha group.
A special CBI Crime Branch
team registered the cases in Kolkata
against the group and its chairman
and managing director Sudipta Sen
on allegations of criminal breach of
trust and cheating.
The cases were referred by Assam for CBI investigation, a CBI
official said.
Uber later migrated to a new
transaction process in India in
conformity with banking regulations.
The third-largest Asian economy is one of the company’s key
markets outside the US and operates in nearly a dozen Indian cities.
The San Francisco-based mobile taxi-booking provider was
not immediately available for
comment on Rajan’s statements.
But the central bank told the
firm it understood the problems
it was facing in setting up a payment process and that it was
People drink tea at a makeshift roadside tea shop in the old quarters of Delhi yesterday. The Indian
capital continues to experience dense fog with the resulting low visibility affecting road, rail and air traffic.
A woman set herself and her
four children on fire in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, apparently
due to financial crisis, police
said yesterday. The tragedy took
place in Kuryawali village on
Friday when the woman had an
argument with her vegetable
vendor husband for not earning
enough to sustain a big family.
She then doused herself and
her four children with kerosene
and immolated herself. All five
died on the spot. The incident
happened when the husband
was not present at home.
Neighbours told the police
that the couple used to quarrel
often on account of monetary
constraints. District police chief
Anant Deo Tiwari said prima
facie the incident appeared to
be the outcome of a financial
crisis and domestic strife but
added that they were questioning the husband to know more.
The bodies have been sent for
postmortem.
18
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 28, 2014
LATIN AMERICA
Thousands protest in Mexico
City over missing students
AFP
Mexico City
S
ome 3,000 people took to
the streets of downtown
Mexico City yesterday,
three months after the disappearance and likely massacre of
43 students.
The students went missing
on September 26, in an apparent
massacre by a police-backed
gang that sparked nationwide
protests and caused a crisis for
President Enrique Pena Nieto.
The latest marches in Mexico
City were led by parents and
other relatives and friends of
the missing, including students
from their teacher training college in southern Guerrero state.
“We want them alive,” protesters chanted, walking behind
gigantic portraits of the missing
students and a huge Mexican
flag whose red and green colors
were replaced by black.
“What does Ayotzinapa
want?” protest leaders called
out, referring to the name of the
students’ school. “Justice! Justice!” the crowd responded.
If all the students are confirmed dead, it would rank
among the worst mass murders
in a drug war that has killed
more than 80,000 people and
left 22,000 others missing since
2006 in Mexico.
Authorities say the aspiring
teachers vanished after ganglinked police attacked their buses in the city of Iguala, allegedly
under orders from the mayor
and his wife in a night of terror
that left six other people dead.
The police then delivered the
young men to members of the
Guerreros Unidos drug gang,
who told investigators they took
them in two trucks to a landfill,
killed them, burned their bodies
and dumped them in a river.
For now, only one of the students has been positively identified from charred remains,
which leaves little hope of finding the 42 others.
On Christmas Eve, the students’ parents had already protested under heavy rains in front
of the Los Pinos presidential
palace.
And in a sign of the violence
that continues to reign in Guerrero state, the body of a priest
was found with a bullet wound
to the head.
Gregorio Lopez Gorostieta was discovered in the Tierra
Caliente region two months
after another priest’s body was
found.
AFP
Bogota
L
Protesters holding the images of the 43 Mexican students who disappeared three months ago in Iguala, during a march in Mexico City
yetserday, demanding justice.
Venezuelan president posts
foreign minister to UN
AFP
Caracas
V
enezuelan
President
Nicolas Maduro announced yesterday that
he was moving Foreign Minister
Rafael Ramirez to serve as his
United Nations envoy.
The move, which sees former
communications minister Delcy Rodriguez appointed new
chief diplomat, was announced
on the eve of Venezuela joining the UN Security Council on
January 1 as a temporary member on a rotating basis, representing Latin America.
Maduro said that in his new
post, Ramirez will have “the
greatest responsibility of defending world peace.”
“From any post, I will fight
with honesty and firmness in
defense of our country,” Ramirez said on Twitter after his appointment.
Ramirez, a 51-year-old en-
gineer by training, had only
served as foreign minister since
September 3. He had previously
headed the oil ministry since
2002 and was president of the
state oil company PDVSA from
2004 through this year.
In November, Ramirez unsuccessfully sought a cut of
2mn barrels of oil in an Opec
meeting to stop a big drop in
the price of oil, which accounts
for 96% of the income of Venezuela, which holds the world’s
largest reserves of crude.
Castros
congratulated:
Maduro, a frequent critic of
the United States, also congratulated the Castro brothers on Cuba’s rapprochement
with Washington, but warned
that the embargo on the island
would remain for a long time.
This month’s historic announcement that the United
States and Cuba were restoring
diplomatic relations after half a
century of hostility undercuts
the stridently anti-American
Delcy Rodriguez appointed
new chief diplomat.
stance Maduro has adopted as
his country slides into a deepening economic crisis.
Venezuela had long found in
its close ally Cuba a comrade in
its anti-American diatribe, but
the dynamic has now changed.
“Much more than good news
is the real possibility that the
United States recognises the
sacred right of Cuba to be free
and sovereign,” Maduro said in
a letter to President Raul Castro
published by Cuban media.
“There is still a long way to
go before Washington will recognise that we are no longer
its backyard, to end the criminal blockade” of Cuba, in force
since 1962, Maduro added.
As part of the agreement, the
United States released three
Cuban agents it had held since
1998 who were part of the socalled Cuba Five, while Havana
released an unidentified spy
and US contractor Alan Gross.
“We celebrate with infinite
joy the completion of the final
release of the Cuban Five, thus
closing one of the many chapters of the United States’ interventionist and criminal policy,”
Maduro wrote.
Castro took over from his ailing brother Fidel in 2006.
Venezuela has been Cuba’s
main political and economic
ally since the late President
Hugo Chavez came to power in
1999.
Argentine president
fractures her ankle
AFP
Buenos Aires
A
rgentine
President
Cristina Kirchner has
been hospitalised after
fracturing her left ankle, an
official said, the latest in a series of physical ailments that
have caused her to cancel public events.
After an accident at home
caused the fracture, the
61-year-old leader was treated
on Friday at a hospital in the
capital before returning to rest
at her home in the southern
Santa Cruz province.
Kirchner had a nearly monthlong absence starting October
30 after she was hospitalised for
a gastrointestinal inflammation
that forced her to miss a G20
meeting in Australia.
That was the third time in
less than a year that Kirchner,
who is in her last year in office,
was sidelined by health issues.
She had to take a break for
several days in October due to
pharyngitis, an inflammation
at the back of the throat.
In July, Kirchner was sidelined for several days by laryngitis, forcing her to cancel a
trip to Paraguay.
A little over a year ago, she
underwent surgery for an
intracranial hematoma, or
bleeding in the brain, which
forced her to stop working for
six weeks.
In early 2012, she underwent surgery to remove her
thyroid after being misdiagnosed with cancer.
The center-left Kirchner
was first elected Argentina’s
first female president in 2007,
and won a second term in 2011.
She succeeded her husband
Nestor Kirchner who died
while in office.
F
or two decades, the parents of a Cuban man convicted of spying for the
United States believed he was
innocent. Now that all signs
suggest he was a double agent
working for Washington, they
say they can only wish him a
happy future.
Rolando Sarraff was sentenced to 25 years for collaborating with the United States
while he worked for Cuba’s
Directorate of Intelligence,
helping the Americans crack
codes that exposed Cuban spies
working in the United States,
according to former US intelligence officials who knew of his
case.
Sarraff, 51, is widely believed
to be the spy that US President Barack Obama spoke of
last week when he announced
an end to five decades of enmity with communist-run
Cuba and a prisoner swap that
accompanied it.
Obama said his “sacrifice
has been known to only a few”
and praised him for providing
information that led to several Cuban spies in the United
States, including the three he
was swapped for. Several current and former US officials
identified that spy as Sarraff,
according to The New York
Times.
“He’s a great son, a
great friend, a great
everything, and if
one day you get to
speak with him I’m
sure that you will
see how cultured
he is”
His parents said they are desperate to hear from their son as
they haven’t spoken with him
since before Obama’s December 17 announcement.
“I always thought that (he
was innocent) but, well, I
don’t have any information,”
his father, also called Rolando
Sarraff, said on Friday from
the front door of the couple’s
simple apartment in an upscale neighborhood of western
Havana.
“Look, the Cuban government hasn’t said anything and
neither has Obama, so there is
an agreement between the two
governments not to say anything, I guess,” the 79-year-old
father said. “The important
thing is that my son be well.”
Neither Washington nor
Havana has said where the spy
has been since his release from
prison.
For years, Sarraff ’s parents
spoke with him on the phone
and visited him regularly in
prison, and they believed
their son’s claim that he
was innocent. A family blog
described him as unjustly
imprisoned.
Then last week he was apparently taken from prison with
no explanation from either the
Cuban or US governments.
His parents said they last
saw him two days before the
joint announcement by Obama
and Cuban President Raul
Castro that they would restore
diplomatic ties and swap prisoners. When they called their
son the following day, they
were told he was no longer
available.
If the United States negotiated Sarraff ’s release, it would
confirm he was a turncoat. It
was unknown if Sarraff had
not contacted his family because US or Cuban officials
told him not to or for his own
reasons.
“Our longing is that he be happy and that he’s well and that he
has a plan for his future, because
no prisoner can have a plan for
his future,” his mother, 76-yearold Odesa Trujillo, said yesterday.
“He has to move forward.”
The parents, both retired
journalists who suffer from
health problems, declined to
talk about how they felt about
their son’s case but his mother defended him as a good
person.
“He’s a great son, a great
friend, a great everything,
and if one day you get to speak
with him I’m sure that you
will see how cultured he is,”
she said.
In the prisoner exchange,
Obama commuted the sentences of three Cuban intelligence
agents while Cuba released the
spy and US aid contractor Alan
Gross. It also committed to
freeing 53 people that the US
government considers political
prisoners, although their identities remain a mystery nine
days later.
eftist FARC rebels released
a Colombian soldier yesterday, nearly a week after
beginning a unilateral ceasefire
aimed at ending Latin America’s
longest-running conflict.
President Juan Manuel Santos hailed the release of Carlos
Becerra Ojeda in a rural area of
southwestern Cauca department
as “another step in the right
direction.”
“We hope that this release
demonstrates an irreversible
decision to end the conflict and
that such events will not happen
again,” he added on Twitter.
The soldier, who had been held
since December 19, was handed
over to a humanitarian commission including representatives
of the International Committee
of the Red Cross (ICRC), as well
as from Cuba and Norway, the
guarantor countries of the peace
talks that guerrillas have held
with the government in Havana
since November 2012.
On Thursday, in announcing
it would release the soldier, the
FARC said he had been slightly
wounded during clashes between the army and the rebels,
but his current condition was
unknown.
The clash left five soldiers
dead and five wounded.
In late November, the FARC
released Army General Ruben
Dario Alzate, whose capture
along with two others had caused
the temporary suspension of the
peace negotiations.
The talks in Havana are taking place despite the lack of
a bilateral ceasefire, with the
Santos government withholding a commitment to a ceasefire
from its side out of concern the
FARC could use such a move to
strengthen militarily.
The long-running conflict,
which has lasted more than half a
century, has killed some 220,000
people and displaced 5.3mn
more.
Panama
Canal
claims
$737mn
in cost
overruns
AFP
Panama City
Parents of Cuban who spied for
US say they only hope he’s well
Reuters
Havana
FARC
rebels free
Colombian
soldier
T
Argentina’s President Cristina Kirchner has fractured her left
ankle and has been ordered by doctors to keep it still, the
government said in a statement yesterday.
Quake hits off Panama’s Pacific coast
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake
struck off Panama’s Pacific
coast yesterday, the US
Geological Survey said, but
there were no immediate
reports of damage.
The USGS said the quake,
initially reported as having
a magnitude of 6.0, was
relatively shallow at a depth
of 6.2 miles (10 km) below the
seabed. It struck in the early
evening 132 miles (213 km)
south of the town of David.
The quake was not felt in the
capital, Panama City.
he consortium expanding the Panama Canal is
making fresh claims for
cost overruns totaling $737mn,
officials said yesterday.
Canal administrator Jorge
Quijano told reporters that the
Panama Canal Authority had received two claims last Tuesday
that “will be evaluated” to determine if there is probable cause.
And in the latest setback for
the behind-schedule, overbudget upgrade, a union representative said excavation work
was on hold after negotiations
broke down between the consortium and workers who have been
on strike since Tuesday.
About 1,000 workers are on
strike, demanding better safety and
treatment. Talks between the two
sides are due to resume tomorrow.
One of the consortium’s latest
claims, for $333mn, is related to the
weight of the gate for the third set of
locks it is building for the canal —
at 55,000 tonnes, compared to the
35,000 tonnes initially planned.
But Quijano pointed to a
clause in the contract according to which the canal authority
would pay up to the value of a
gate weighing 49,000 tonnes.
The second claim, for
$404mn, is due to delays in the
fourth phase of excavation in the
Pacific sector.
The consortium, Grupos Unidos por el Canal, says that the
delay in excavation work may
mean it will not receive water
needed to test the gates.
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 28, 2014
19
PAKISTAN/AFGHANISTAN
Pakistan air strikes, gun battle kill 55 militants
Agencies
Islamabad
A
t least 55 militants were
killed in airstrikes and a
gun battle with ground
forces in Pakistan’s troubled
northwest where the military
launched a major offensive this
year, officials said yesterday.
The army intensified its offensive after the massacre of 150
people in a school in Peshawar
this month, a carnage which Pakistan described as its own “mini
9/11” and a game-changer in the
fight against extremism.
Troops raided a militant hideout late Friday in an area adjoining Orakzai and Khyber tribal
districts — near the Afghan border — where the insurgents had
gathered for a meeting, the military said in a statement.
“An intense battle took place,
in which 16 terrorists were killed
and 20 injured,” it said, adding
that “fleeing terrorists left behind nine dead bodies of their
accomplices”.
Troops arrested two critically
wounded militants while four
soldiers were also wounded in
the battle, the statement said.
Separately, 39 militants, includ-
ing two rebel commanders, were
killed in airstrikes in the northwest late Friday and an ammunition depot was also destroyed,
according to military spokesman
Major General Asim Bajwa.
It was not possible to independently verify the casualties
as media are banned from visiting the far-flung area.
In another incident, police
said they arrested an important
Taliban commander who was
wanted for attacks on police and
was also involved in the killing a
local journalist in northwestern
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The army has been waging a
major offensive against longstanding Taliban and other militant strongholds in the restive
tribal areas on the Afghan border
for the last six months.
“An intense battle took
place, in which 16 terrorists
were killed and 20 injured,”
it said, adding that “fleeing
terrorists left behind
nine dead bodies of their
accomplices”
The offensive gathered momentum after the December 16
attack on an army-run school in
Peshawar which killed 150 peo-
ple, 134 of them children.
The Pakistani military says it
has killed more than 1,700 militants so far in its heavy offensive
in the tribal zone, with 126 soldiers having lost their lives.
Meanwhile, official sources
said that Pakistan’s security
forces have formally cleared
most of Bara region of the Khyber Agency in the federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata)
bordering Afghanistan of militants, setting the stage for the
repatriation of around 100,000
displaced families next week.
The sources said yesterday
that last week, the Civil Secre-
Court issues warrant
for Red Mosque cleric
The controversial cleric of
Red Mosque in Islamabad
had allegedly refused
to condemn the recent
massacre of schoolchildren
by Pakistani Taliban
AFP
Islamabad
A
Pakistani court has issued an arrest warrant for
a hardline Islamic cleric
who suggested the massacre
of school children in country’s
worst ever terror attack was understandable, after he allegedly
threatened people criticising
him.
Maulana Abdul Aziz, the proTaliban cleric and head of the
Red Mosque in capital Islamabad
has been accused of threatening
civil society activists, who this
week staged several demonstrations outside the mosque, a police official and a spokesman for
the mosque said.
The protests were staged to
denounce Aziz, who refused to
condemn the massacre on a television talk-show.
Later Aziz effectively told
worshippers the attack in Peshawar, which left around 150
people dead — mainly children,
was a justifiable reaction to the
army’s “un-Islamic” operation
against militants in the North
Waziristan tribal district.
“O rulers, O people in power,
if you will commit such acts,
there will be a reaction,” he told
Maulana Abdul Aziz
worshippers in a sermon last
week, prompting further protests accusing him of being a
Taliban sympathiser.
“Police have received the
court order and we are trying our
best to implement it,” a police
official in capital Islamabad said,
requesting anonymity as he was
not authorised to talk to media.
Hafiz Ihtesham Ahmed, a
spokesman for the Red Mosque
accused civil society activists of
pressurising police to register a
case against Aziz.
“This case has no grounds, so
we will resist any move to arrest
Maulana Abdul Aziz,” Ahmed
said.
Pakistan has described the
bloody rampage in Peshawar
as its own “mini 9/11”, calling
it a game-changer in the fight
against extremism.
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Paki-
stan (TTP) claimed the assault as
revenge for an ongoing military
offensive against its strongholds
in the tribal northwest.
The Red Mosque, which
stands a stone’s throw from the
parliament buildings in the centre of the capital, was the scene
of a week-long military siege
against radicals which left more
than 100 people dead in 2007.
Earlier this month female
students affiliated with the
Red Mosque issued a video
statement praising the Islamic
State group and calling on it to
avenge the death of Osama bin
Laden.
The women belong to the Jamia Hafsa seminary which in
April named its library in honour
of the slain Al Qaeda leader.
Controversial cleric is not the prayer leader of Red Mosque
Legally speaking, the renowned Lal Masjid [Red Mosques]
in Islamabad has not had a khateeb [prayer leader] since
2004, as the order notifying Abdul Aziz as the khateeb
of the mosque was withdrawn by the Islamabad Capital
Territory (ICT) administration in 2004.
“There has been no notified khateeb in Lal Masjid for
almost 10 years, except for the brief period of less than
a week, when Ashfaq Ahmed was made the khateeb ,”
a senior official of the ICT administration confirmed on
condition of anonymity.
But, Ashfaq, who was posted to Lal Masjid from Bilal
Masjid, was thrashed by students of various seminaries as
soon as he arrived at the mosque to lead Friday prayers
after it was reopened following the army operation in July
2007.
The notification of Aziz as khateeb was withdrawn by the
ICT administration in 2004 after he issued a fatwa against
the army and its operation in Waziristan. This fact was
also acknowledged in a report prepared by the Lal Masjid
Commission, set up following the army operation against
the mosque.
The commission was headed by Justice Shahzado Sheikh
of the Federal Shariat Court.
The report said: “In 2004, the Lal Masjid clergy issued a
fatwa calling on people to join militant resistance against
the army in Waziristan. They declared that those fighting
Pakistani forces were martyrs and urged people not to
give Islamic burials to the soldiers killed fighting the
militants.”
However, despite withdrawing the notification of Aziz as
khateeb, neither has the cleric vacated the governmentowned mosque, nor have authorities tried to enforce their
decision. This situation continued until the events of 2007
started to unfold.
After the government’s bid to appoint Ahmed as prayer
leader of Lal Masjid failed, the mosque was closed again.
“At this point, the students of Jamia Hafsa madrassa
managed by Lal Masjid staged several protests,
even in front of the Supreme Court, demanding the
reopening of the mosque and establishment of a
seminary for girls,” Ehtesham Ahmad, chairman of
the Lal Masjid Shuhada Foundation, said. “Eventually,
the apex court took suo motu notice and ordered the
reopening of the mosque.”
Pakistani man gets 26 years
in jail for hoax bomb threats
AFP
Gardez, Afghanistan
A
Pakistani man was sentenced to 26 years in jail
for making two hoax
calls to police claiming he had
planted bombs in crowded public places, prosecutors said yesterday.
Mohamed Yousuf, who is in
his 30s, made the calls in July in
the central city of Multan, telling
police that he had placed bombs
in a market and a busy children’s
park.
Police, bomb disposal experts
and rescue workers were forced
to rush to the scene at the time
but found nothing.
“Yousuf confessed and was
sentenced to 26 years in jail for
both the bogus calls and fake information,” Ashfaq Malik, Multan’s deputy prosecutor general,
said.
Police said Yousuf used the
SIM card of one of his friends,
whom he wanted to entrap because of business rivalry.
Police in August traced the
SIM card and arrested both Yousuf and his friend.
Judge Sajjad Sheikh announced the verdict in a Multan
anti-terror court on Wednesday
and it was publicised by pros-
On October 3, 2007 the Supreme Court ordered the
Islamabad administration to open Lal Masjid for prayers.
A two-member bench, consisting of Justice Nawaz
Abbasi and Justice Javed Buttar, conducted the suo
motu proceedings.
The court observed that in an Islamic state, a mosque
could not be closed for an indefinite period.
Meanwhile, a former ICT administration official
said the court directed the administration to act in
accordance with the advice of Umme Hasaan, the wife
of Aziz.
“The court observed that Aziz was the khateeb of Lal
Masjid and as long as he was in prison, a way out should
be sought in consultation with Hasaan,” the official said.
The ICT officials, Ehtesham Ahmad and even the
incumbent deputy khateeb of Lal Masjid Aamir Siddique,
corroborate this account.
“When the authorities approached Hasaan, she suggested
that Abdul Ghaffar, the administrator of Jamia Fareedia,
be made the temporary khateeb of while I be appointed
the deputy khateeb,” said Siddique, who is also a nephew
of Aziz.
tariat Fata withdrew the notification, which was issued some
years ago to declare most parts
of Khyber Agency’s Bara tehsil
conflict zone, after the security
forces restored peace there by
eliminating militants.
They said the Fata Disaster
Management Authority had
sought Rs3.5bn from the federal
government for the repatriation
of internally displaced persons
to Khyber Agency.
The repatriation programme
was to begin last week of the current month but it was deferred
due to financial constraints.
An official said the FDMA had
asked the finance division to release the required amount of
money immediately to start repatriation of internally displaced
persons (IDPs) from January
15. He said Rs2.5bn was needed
as cash grant for the IDPs and
Rs800mn for transportation cost.
The official said the authority had planned to pay Rs25,000
cash assistance to each displaced
family, while Rs8,000 would be
paid as transport charges.
“The area is clear and FDMA is
ready to start repatriation of all IDPs
to their homes in Khyber Agency
provided the federal government
transfers money,” the official said.
Rights body alarmed
at govt move to set
up military courts
Internews
Lahore
T
he Human Rights Commission of Pakistan
(HRCP) has expressed
concern over the decision to
set up special courts to be
headed by military officials to
try suspected terrorists.
In a statement Pakistan’s
top human rights watchdog
expressed dismay that all political parties had supported
“this unfortunate decision”
and said it had some concerns
over the move.
The decision, it said, undermines the judiciary and
shows lack of confidence in an
independent and strong judicial system while the superior
judiciary has, several times in
the past, ruled that military
courts are unconstitutional.
Trying civilians in military
courts has always been a controversial issue, it said, adding that the system of ‘speedy
justice’ had never proved to be
fair and often not speedy. The
commission says it also fears
that political dissidents, particularly in Balochistan and
Sindh, may become target of
military courts.
“HRCP believes that the
need instead is to reform and
strengthen the system of investigation and prosecution.
Reforms should include more
scientific methods of investigation, rather than torture and
coercion, as well as witness
protection programmes and
better security for lawyers,
judges and witnesses. The
hasty decision is all the more
questionable as the Supreme
Court itself is attempting to
expedite cases of terrorism,”
it said.
Meanwhile, UN chief Ban
Ki-moon is pressing Pakistan
to end capital punishment and
restore a moratorium on the
death penalty the government
lifted in terror cases following
a Taliban school massacre.
Ban spoke with Pakistani
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
on Thursday to express his
condolences after the slaughter in the northwestern city of
Peshawar last week that left
150 people dead, including 134
children.
However, “while fully recognizing the difficult circumstances, the secretary general
urged the government of Pakistan to stop the executions
of convicts and re-impose
the moratorium on the death
penalty,” Ban’s office said in a
statement.
Sharif promised that “all
legal norms would be respected,” the statement added.
The prime minister ended
the six-year moratorium on
the death penalty, reinstating
it for terrorism-related cases,
in the wake of the deadliest
terror attack in Pakistani history.
Pakistan plans to execute
500 militants in the coming
weeks.
In a related development,
China has lauded Pakistan’s
efforts to establish a national
counter-terrorism plan.
“China is against terrorism in any form. China firmly
supports Pakistan in the implementation of its anti-terrorism strategy in accordance
with its own national situation, and welcomes its national anti-terror plan,” said
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying as quoted
by China news agency Xinhua.
“China will continue to
provide assistance to Pakistan
in its efforts to counter terrorism and safeguard its national
security,” Hua said.
Security beefed up
ecutors yesterday.
Sheikh Saeed, another government prosecutor and a police
official in Multan, confirmed the
verdict.
Pakistan has ramped up its
anti-terror strategy in the wake
of the December 16 slaughter at
an army-run school in Peshawar, where 134 children were
among the victims gunned down
by heavily-armed Taliban militants.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
also said on Thursday that the
country will set up military
courts for terror-related cases,
as part of an ambitious anti-terrorism plan.
Member of religious minority killed
Reuters
Islamabad
G
unmen in eastern Pakistan shot dead a member
of the Ahmadi religious
minority yesterday, an Ahmadi
spokesman said, five days after a Muslim leader denounced
Ahmadis on a popular Pakistani
television talk show.
Luqman Ahad Shehzad was
shot in the back of the head
near Bhiri Shah Rehman village, a small community of Ahmadis in the Gujranwala district, said Saleem ud Din, the
spokesman.
On Monday, Muslim leader
Syed Arif Shah Owaisi appeared
on a popular morning television
show hosted by Pakistani host
Aamir Liaquat Hussain.
“This enemy is a common
enemy and is an enemy of all of
Pakistan. And this enemy is the
sect of Qadiyani,” Owaisi said,
using a derogatory term for Ahmadis.
An Afghan security official stands guard as burqa-clad women pass on a road in Herat, Afghanistan, yesterday. Security has been
intensifiied in Herat city as Afghan president Ashraf Ghani visited the city for the first time after his elections.
20
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 28, 2014
PHILIPPINES
Govt firm on train fare
hike amid protests
By Llanesca T Panti
& Neil Alcober
Manila Times
T
he government yesterday
stood firm on its decision
to increase fare rates of
the Light Rail Transit (LRT) and
Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT) amid
threats by some groups to challenge the increase before the Supreme Court.
Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte maintained
that the fare hike, while a bitter
pill to swallow, is needed to improve the services of the congested train lines.
Bayan Muna has said it will
ask the Supreme Court to stop
the fare adjustment which will
take effect on January 5.
Valte said the government
will only reduce the subsidy
that it has been granting to the
rail lines, since it cannot just do
away with the incentive.
“We have to make it clear that
we are not taking away the subsidy completely. We just want to
reduce it so that (government)
can fund programmes which
would also benefit our people
who are residing outside Metro
Manila,” she said.
“Regarding the prospective
challenge that will be filed by
Bayan (Muna), that will be up to
the court. If we will be asked by
the Supreme Court to respond,
Some groups have challenged the planned increase in train fare.
the government will respond.
We will be ready to respond and
wait for the court’s decision,”
Valte added.
Bayan Muna representatives
Neri Colmenares and Carlos Zarate said they will file a petition
before the Supreme Court to
stop the implementation of the
fare hike.
Under the new fare matrix for
the MRT 3, a ride from North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Pasay City will increase
from P15 to P28, a train ride from
Baclaran to Roosevelt will go up
from P20 to P30 and the cost of
a trip from Recto to Santolan will
be increased from P15 to P25.
The MRT 3 fare hike has not
been received well by the public
because of the glitches that has
marred its operations in recent
months. But Valte said these
concerns will be addressed.
“The DOTC (Department of
Transportation and Communication) is aware of the public
opinion that services should
be improved. They already
identified areas for improvement. The biggest concerns are
safety, buying additional train
coaches and fixing non-functioning escalators,” Valte said.
Also yesterday, a commuters’ group challenged President
Benigno Aquino to a public de-
bate on the MRT-LRT fare hike,
saying Aquino must defend the
government’s decision to raise
train fares.
The Riles Laan sa Sambayanan (Riles) Network dared
Aquino to a face-off on December 29, a week before the
increase takes effect.
“Since he is hell-bent on implementing the move, we dare
President Aquino to a public
debate on the MRT-LRT fare
hike. We dare him to defend the
move before the people who
will be affected most by this
anti-people measure,” Sammy
Malunes, the group’s spokesperson, said.The group said the
debate should take place at the
entrance of the Recto terminal
station of the LRT-2 near the
Isetann mall, at 7am on December 29, or in any place and
at any time that Aquino would
set.
“The arguments being put
forward by the Aquino government to defend the fare hikes
are unreasonable and unacceptable to Filipinos. We believe that the main reason for
the move is to ensure the profits of big capitalists who want
to own the train systems once
these are privatised,” Malunes
said.
He criticised the government’s argument that the fare
hike would stop taxpayers in
the Visayas and Mindanao from
subsidising the transport systems which benefit only the
residents of Metro Manila and
Luzon.
“This is nothing but an excuse for privatisation and should
be rejected. It can be invoked to
privatise any and all government
services. We would also like to
remind the Aquino government
that many contractual workers in Metro Manila come from
the Visayas and Mindanao,”
Malunes added.
He said Aquino has repeatedly tried to increase rail fares
and should by now be ready to
present his arguments in front of
the public.
Getting ready for New Year revelry
Group vows to
assist overseas
workers jailed
in Mideast
By Al Jacinto
Manila Times
A
n association of more
than 100 recruitment
agencies in the Philippines has pledged to help overseas Filipino workers (OFWs),
who are languishing in jails
in the Middle East, by funding trainings for Bangsamoro
diplomats, lawyers and social
workers.
Under the plan, the Alliance
of Recruitment Agencies of
the Philippines (ARAP-OFW
Foundation, Inc) will send the
first batch of the trained officers to Saudi Arabia and the
United Arab Emirates and
augment the workforce of the
Philippine consular and embassy offices there.
Raisonel Datu Magangcong, ARAP-OFW Foundation
president, said the plan is coordinated with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF),
which earlier formed a political party that will participate
in the 2016 elections, about
the plan.
He pointed out that since
the Bangsamoro religious
leaders and professionals, who
are actively engaged in the
diplomatic community, are
highly respected in the Middle East, they may be able to
help and intercede for the affected overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
The ARAP-OFW Foundation claimed that more than
100 Filipinos were sentenced
to death in the Mideast countries while 7,000 others are
on trial.Magangcong said the
ARAP-OFW Foundation has
already urged the national
government to allocate more
funds for the hiring of additional embassy personnel and
consular officers in the Middle
East.
“We now see the fund being offered (by ARAP-OFW
Foundation) as something that
will help support and establish
legal and humanitarian assistance for overseas Filipino
workers in jails,” he also said.
The group will also enter
into a contract with the Bangsamoro leaders for the recruitment and training of Muslim
diplomats, lawyers and social
workers and enter into a memorandum of agreement with
the Technical Education and
Skills Development Authority
(Tesda) for competency standardisation training of embassy
personnel.
It said the partnership aims
to raise competent delivery of
the welfare of OFWs and effective rapport with employers and government of the host
country.
Just last week, both the
ARAP-OFW Foundation and
One Bangsa, whose convener
is Ambassador Alan Balangin,
held a multi-sectoral forum in
Makati City where the Bangsamoro agenda and the welfare
of the OFWs, among other important issues, were tackled.
Also, the MILF-led United
Bangsamoro Justice Party took
the plight of OFWs as among
the issues that it will tackle in
the elections.
Ghazali Jaafar, MILF vice
chairman for political affairs,
already adopted the policy proposal endorsed during the OFW
forum. The proposal cited the
“incapacity of embassy personnel to facilitate cases of Filipino
workers, as well as the lack of
an effective programme that
addresses the psycho-social
health of OFWs, especially in
coping with homesickness and
cultural shock.
Pope’s mediation sought
over detained youths
By Neil A Alcober
Manila Times
T
Workers make firecrackers at a makeshift factory in Bocaue town, Bulacan province, north of Manila yesterday. Firecracker makers in Bulacan province, the pyrotechnic
capital of the Philippines, are in haste to meet the demands for the coming New Year revelry.
he mothers of the two
University of the Philippines (UP) students
abducted in August want Pope
Francis to “intercede in the
quest for freedom” for their
sons.
The Pontiff will visit the
Philippines in January.
Marita Cadanao and Rowena Salonga said their sons,
Guiller Martin Cadanao and
Gerald Salonga, both 23 years
old and new graduates of UP
Pampanga, volunteered as researchers and organiszers of
the Kabataan party-list, as “a
way of giving back to the people,” “to uplift their lives” and
“to make it a worthy place to
settle in the future.”
Guiller and Gerald were gathering data on the displacement
of farmers caused by government projects in Caranglan,
Nueva Ecija, when they were
allegedly abducted by soldiers
from the Army 3rd Infantry Battalion last August 9.
“They were subjected to
mental torture for more than
10 hours before they were
turned over to the police in the
morning of August 10, 2014.
They were subjected to warrantless arrest and were accused of being members of the
New People’s Army (NPA),”
the mothers said in their letter
to the Pope.
“They are now languishing
in jail in San Jose City, Nueva
Ecija, waiting for justice. The
truth is, our children were abducted to instill fear and set
an example to the people that
whoever will fight for equality
and justice will suffer the same
fate,” the mothers added.
Guiller and Gerald are among
the 491 political prisoners under
the Aquino administration. Of
this number, the human rights
group Karapatan documented
220 individuals illegally arrested
and still in detention.
“Aquino seeks to hide the
political nature of arresting and
detaining them, by filing criminal charges against them. This
is borne out of an unjust societal structure that is propped
up by counter-insurgency programmes such as Oplan Bayanihan. We support the political
prisoners’ appeal to Pope Francis to put an end to these structures that breed injustice,” Jigs
Clamor, national co-ordinator
of the Society of Ex-detainees
Against Detention and for Amnesty, said.
Army plan to build base for US military slammed
By Jing Villamente
Manila Times
A
labour group has expressed misgivings to the
plan by the Philippine
military to let American troops
stay at the Ulungan Bay Naval
Base in Palawan and the naval
facilities to be built in Oyster
Bay, also in Palawan, in accordance with the Enhanced Defense Co-operation Agreement
(EDCA).
“Workers find it unacceptable that our hard work to pay
taxes will be used for the sabre-rattling activities of both
the US and Philippine military,”
said Gie Relova, leader of the
socialist group, Bukluran ng
Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP).
Among the contentious features of the EDCA is the provision giving American forces
access and use of designated
areas owned and controlled by
the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), without the US
ever paying rent. “It is our belief that the taxes unjustly deducted from us every pay day is
meant for the nation’s development and will be repaid to us
through public services. In this
case, it seems that the US will
benefit from it more than us,”
Relova said.
“War mongering is not only
unproductive but it places the
nation in the middle of a collision course between warring
imperialist nations. If they
badly want those bases, finance
it out of their paychecks but
not ours,” Relova said.
“It is our belief that the
taxes unjustly deducted
from us every pay day
is meant for the nation’s
development and will
be repaid to us through
public services”
The government has reportedly allotted P500mn from
the Department of Energy to
develop the Ulugan Bay base,
with P313mn earmarked to
improve the pier, harbour and
support facilities at Oyster Bay,
in preparation for the arrival
of the warships recently purchased from South Korean and
Indonesian military contractors.
Relova said the EDCA was not
only unconstitutional because
Defence Secretary Voltaire Gazmin signed the agreement with
his US counterpart, without the
green light from the senate as required by the 1987 Constitution.
It also displayed the government’s shameful bias for US
military interests other than the
interests of its poor countrymen,
he said.
“The recent removal of P710bn government subsidies and
the consequent fare hike of the
Light Rail and Metro Rail Transits could have been avoided, if
only the government placed the
interests of the people as its priority instead of ingratiating the
US State Department” Relova
said.“Spending for national de-
velopment with direct positive
impacts on the poor such as the
sectors of education, housing,
transportation and post-harvest
facilities should be on top of the
list of the government. Failure
to do so, shall further its political isolation from the majority of
our countrymen, he said.
The BMP said that at the start
of 2015, it will launch street rallies to denounce the government’s puppetry and ineptitude
to the clamour for economic and
political reforms.
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 28, 2014
21
SRI LANKA/BANGLADESH/NEPAL
Horse-carts race
Death toll in
Lanka floods
rises to 21
DPA
Colombo
T
Horse-carts race to the finishing line during the Elephant Festival at Sauraha in Chitwan, south of Kathmandu, yesterday. Elephants and mahouts from Chitwan participate
in the Elephant Festival, which involves elephant races, elephants playing an exhibition soccer match and taking part in various other sporting activities. The event will end
on December 30.
PM Hasina talks tough
against maligning Mujib
By Mizan Rahman
Dhaka
I
ssuing a stern warning,
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said those who
are making disparaging remarks
about Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman will not be spared.
“People know the country’s
history very well … ‘kulangars’
(black sheep) are uttering derogatory remarks about Bangabandhu. They won’t be spared.
People will certainly bring them
to justice,” she said.
The premier said this while
holding separate meetings with
leaders of Gopalganj district, and
Tungipara and Kotalipara upazila units of Awami League.
Hasina held the meetings with
the AL leaders at Bangabandhu’s
house after placing a wreath at
the Bangabandhu memorial.
PM’s press secretary Shameem
Chowdhury briefed reporters
after the meetings.
Chowdhury said the prime
minister enquired about the development works of her constituency and talked to local public
representatives apart from the
AL leaders of different levels.
Hasina, also the Awami
League president, directed the
grassroots leaders to hold the
council of the party and its associate bodies as soon as possible.
She said organisational capacity of Awami League will
have to be strengthened further for maintaining the trend
of democracy, constitution and
development.
“Those who want to foil democracy,
constitution
and
development will have to be
resisted,” she said.
The prime minister requested
all, including Awami League
leaders and activists, to remain
vigilant so that the country’s ongoing development trend is not
hindered.
“You’ll have to remain alert
so that the anti-democratic elements who want to grab power
in an unconstitutional way can’t
create any unstable situation in
the country,” she said.
Hasina also urged the grassroots leaders to maintain unity
among them for strengthening
the party.
The ruling party’s student
and youth fronts - Bangladesh
Chattra League and Jubo League
- foiled the planned rally by
BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia at
Gazipur, north of Dhaka, as her
son Tarique Rahman, living in
London, had called Mujib a Razakar (a collaborator of occupation Pakistani army in 1971).
They demanded an apology
from Tarique.
Sheikh Hasina: “Those who want to foil democracy, constitution and
development will have to be resisted.”
he death toll in Sri Lanka rose to 21 yesterday
after a week of heavy
rains caused severe flooding
and landslides, with at least
nine people reported missing
and hundreds of thousands
displaced, officials said.
Flood waters swept through
in the island nation’s North
Central and Eastern Provinces, and landslides were
reported in the central part of
the country, officials from the
Disaster Management Centre
(DMC) said.
On Friday, the number
of those displaced stood at
800,000.
Authorities are searching
for nine people believed to
have been buried following
a landslide in Badulla, some
220km east of the capital,
where at least 10 people were
also killed, DMC officials
said.
President Mahinda Rajapakse visited landslide victims in the Badulla district,
as well as flood victims in the
Anuradhapura district, 180km
northeast of the capital.
Only 86,000 of those
displaced had been moved
into camps or temporary
shelters provided by the
government. The rest are
with friends or relatives,
according to officials in the
affected areas.
“The government has instructed the relevant authorities to take immediate
measures to ensure relief for
the families hit by the bad
weather. So far an estimated
$2.7mn have been disbursed
by the government for relief
measures,” Disaster Management Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said.
Landslide warnings have
been issued to 11 districts and
trains to the central region
have been suspended after
earth mounds and boulders
collapsed on to the track in
several places.
The floods and landslides
have hampered preparations for presidential elections scheduled to be held on
January 8.
Rallies banned
in Bangladesh
IANS
Dhaka
S
ecurity has been tightened
in Gazipur on the outskirts
of Bangladesh capital Dhaka since Friday morning to prevent any untoward incident following the opposition’s decision
to hold a pre-scheduled rally defying a police ban.
The local administration has
imposed a ban on political rallies
in Gazipur district from Friday
in the wake of growing tension
after the ruling and opposition
parties’ announcement of holding rallies at the same venue yesterday, Xinhua reported.
Harun-ur-Rashid, superintendent of Gazipur police, told
journalists that all political activities like rallies, demonstrations and mass gatherings have
been banned in the district.
“We won’t allow political
parties to hold rallies at Bhawal Bodr-E-Alam Government
College ground in Gazipur yesterday (Saturday),” said Nu-
rul Islam, Gazipur’s district
administration chief.
A large number of law enforcers, including police, equipped
with water cannons were deployed at the venue.
Security in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country has also
been reportedly beefed up.
The opposition Bangladesh
Nationalist Party (BNP) has
warned the government of organising more movements if
the opposition was barred from
holding the rally.
BNP spokesman Mirza Fakhrul
Islam Alamgir had earlier in the day
announced that the party’s prescheduled rally yesterday would be
held in Gazipur at any cost.
The BNP yesterday said will
stage demonstrations across
Bangladesh protesting restrictions on its rally in Gazipur on
the outskirts of capital Dhaka.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party
(BNP) spokesman Mirza Fakhrul
Islam Alamgir announced the
countrywide demonstrations at
a press briefing after a meeting
of the party on Friday night.
Boy dies in pipe Internet raises educational
hopes for Bangladeshi children
after rescue
efforts fail
IANS
Dhaka
By Mizan Rahman
Dhaka
N
early 23 hours after
a four-year-old boy
slipped into a deep pipe
of an abandoned water pump at
Shahjahanpur Railway Colony,
volunteer rescuers retrieved his
body yesterday afternoon.
Fire officer Rafiqul Islam said
Jihad was rescued around 3pm
and then sent to Dhaka Medical
College Hospital (DMCH).
Minutes after he was rushed
to the DMCH, doctors said that
the boy is already dead.
Rescuers retrieved Jihad’s
body shortly after fire service
postponed their rescue operation having failed to trace the
boy in the pipe with a sophisticated camera.
Local people and some mechanics created a catcher and
pulled out Jihad’s body from the
bottom of the pipe with it.
Jihad, son of Nasir Uddin of
the railway colony, slipped into
the deep pipe around 4:30pm
on Friday while playing near the
abandoned pump house, said officials at fire service and civil defence (FSCD) control room.
Earlier, the rescuers’ efforts
to detect the position of Jihad
with a sophisticated GoPro
camera 11 hours after his fall
also turned futile as the picture
shown seemed to be of a sack or
clothes.
Rafiqul said they had first tried
to rescue Jihad with the help of a
rope and a sack but in vain. “The
mouth of the pipe is only 16-17inch in diameter. Besides, it was
very difficult to climb up for the
child holding a rope,” he added.
Some food and water were
also dropped into the pipe along
with a torchlight. They were
also constantly providing oxygen into the pipe to keep the boy
alive.
Fire brigade men also lifted a
2-inch pipe along with a pump
having inside the 16-inch pipe
to facilitate the rescue operation.
Meanwhile, the railway authorities suspended an official
for the negligence of duty.
A
charming, yet revolutionary television commercial has been garnering a great deal of attention on
and off the airwaves and changing the way people in Bangladesh think about education,
particularly in poorer, more
rural areas, as local students are
being taught by teachers hundreds of miles away in Dhaka
via the Internet.
The TV commercial was produced by a leading local film
production company called
Half Stop Down for Bangladeshi’s largest mobile carrier
Grameenphone and was based
on the real-life activities of
people in Bangladesh’s southeastern Bandarban hill district,
where the “Online School” has
been established on top of a hill
for underprivileged children.
The
commercial,
being
shown on a number of prominent TV outlets, has been hailed
by viewers as inspiring and revolutionary in as much as how a
piece of technology many in the
modern world take for granted, can be used to educate and
enhance the lives of those for
whom nothing can or is taken
for granted.
The commercial’s protagonist, a young boy called Shekhar, can be seen, school books
in hand, waving good-bye to
his grandmother as he leaves
for school, just a stone’s throw
away from his remote village.
As Shekhar enters the classroom, the viewers can see he is
welcomed by the smiling faces
of his peers.
The twist lies in the fact that
when the students are warmly
greeted “good morning” by
their teacher, it is by way of a
web camera and he is in Dhaka.
As the students see their teacher appear on the screen in front
of them, they reply in unison
“good morning, sir,” as would
be the case at the start of any
regular lesson in school.
The school was founded in
March this year by Jaago Foundation, a local development organisation, in association with
Grameenphone and Agni Systems, a leading local Internet
service providing company.
Teachers from Dhaka instruct
students at the Online School
in Bandarban, some 316kms
southeast of Dhaka, using video
conferencing technology and
with the aid of moderators in
the physical classrooms.
Officials say the school was
established in an effort to offer
quality education for underprivileged children in Bandarban, a remote region, with
mountainous terrain, yet boasting exquisitely beautiful nature
- albeit not conducive to the
regular style of education for
students in the far-flung region.
Within the local community,
there are some 11 ethnic minorities, each with their own language, culture and traditions.
The Jaago Foundation, which
is responsible for providing
physical support in the classrooms and designing the online
curriculums for all the classes,
said the school has nearly 100
students who had, along with
their families, never previously
dreamed that a basic education
would ever be possible for them.
The online school has created an opportunity for children
because their impoverished
parents don’t have to bear the
expenses for their education
and they also don’t have to
commute far from their village
either.
“Considering our financial
situation, thinking about Mukti’s education was a luxury we
just couldn’t afford,schooling
was too expensive. Moreover,
my daughter needed extra care,”
said Afroja Khatun, Mukti’s
mother. “I always wished for a
normal life for my daughter.”
Mukti’s parents then got to
hear about a school in their vicinity where Mukti could get
her education for free.
Many like Mukti’s parents
had completely given up hope
for their children’s education,
but the school helped them to
reevaluate their circumstances,
their children’s potential future successes and the power
of technology to both influence
and empower society for the
better.
In Bangladesh, there is still
an ecumenical gap between
urban and rural education systems, with many in rural areas simply not having access to
technological advances like the
Internet.
“With education as one of
the focus areas of Corporate
Responsibility, we’ve chosen
Online School as a medium to
promote quality education in
remote areas of Bangladesh,”
said Marcus Adaktusson, di-
rector of communications of
Grameenphone Ltd.
“This concept can effectively
cater to the needs of teachers in
rural areas, while maintaining
the same quality of education as
in the schools of Dhaka. By utilizing the innovative use of data
connectivity, Online Schools
are aligned with our ambition
of providing ‘Internet for All’,”
Adaktusson said.
“I thank Grameenphone and
Agni systems Ltd. for their support in our journey of educating disadvantaged children and
equipping them with the tools
for breaking the cycle of poverty,” added Korvi Rakshand, the
founder of the Jaago Foundation.
Grameenphone is providing
financial and technical support
for the initiative, while Agni
Systems built the network connections for the schools for free.
The school, which teaches its
classes in English, now has 81
students aged one to six.
Jaago Foundation has, thus
far, established eight similar
schools, with five of them being online and the other three
offline. It plans to establish 64
schools in as many as 64 districts, representatives from the
foundation told Xinhua.
22
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 28, 2014
COMMENT
Chairman: Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah
Editor-in-Chief : Darwish S Ahmed
Production Editor: C P Ravindran
P.O.Box 2888
Doha, Qatar
[email protected]
Telephone 44350478 (news),
44466404 (sport), 44466636 (home delivery)
Fax 44350474
GULF TIMES
Despite his critics,
Obama presides over
a rising economy
The recovery from the Great Recession appears
to be getting stronger. Alas, politics has dampened
the enthusiasm of some Scrooges, President Barack
Obama’s critics, who can’t take “yes” for an answer.
As one liberal commentator noted, if this were the
second year of a Mitt Romney presidency instead of
the sixth year under President Obama, there would be
parades in the streets and praise for the president from
some of Obama’s perennial critics.
But the facts are the facts. And they’re mostly good.
In November, the Bureau of Labor Statistics
estimated, there were 321,000 jobs created, an
astounding number. Unemployment is down. The
gross domestic product grew at 5%, on an annual
pace, in the third quarter of this year, the biggest
advance since the third quarter of 2003. Consumer and
business spending are up.
And as Americans take off on their holiday travels,
they’ll see lower gas prices.
And by the way:
When the president
was formulating
the Affordable Care
Act, Republicans
predicted
catastrophic
consequences for the economy, with a federal deficit
certain to explode. The deficit is down.
Now millions of Americans have health insurance
through federal exchanges. Should the coverage
continue to increase, medical costs are likely to go
down because fewer people will depend on free care
through emergency rooms, which drives up the costs to
the insured.
The days before the new year find the nation’s
economy in a growing and optimistic mode. This week,
the Dow Jones Industrial Average topped 18,000 for
the first time.
Those presidential critics, some of whom want to
run for president based on Obama’s “failures,” are
scrambling for some way to cast the recovery in a bad
light.
When the recession hit, the product of a reckless
Wall Street and a combination of tax cuts and
deregulation and, yes, bad mortgage loans,
Washington moved toward bailouts and stimulus.
Some conservatives argued, in an echo of the
opponents to Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal, that
the economy would recuperate on its own. Don’t
interfere with the free markets, they said. That
would be socialism.
But President Obama moved ahead. The auto
industry was saved, taxpayers got their money
back and hundreds of thousands of jobs were
preserved.
To be sure, the “recovery” hasn’t been that for
millions of Americans, who saw their jobs go away
during the long, painful downturn. Many have begun
to find jobs, but the majority of those jobs pay less, and
benefits have diminished compared with what they had
before the recession began. And those on the bottom
rungs of the ladder are still there, hampered by a lack
of education and skills.
There remain, however, some things that
government can do to help. With this recovery, it
can invest in putting people back to work through
infrastructure projects such as bridge building and
road improvements and other public works projects.
It can bolster as well its investment, along with the
private sector, in training and education. Let this rising
economic tide lift all boats, not just the yachts of the
wealthy.
The facts are the
facts. And they’re
mostly good
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2014 Gulf Times. All rights reserved
Resilience is the secret
behind China’s growth
Economic development is
a convoluted process, full
of challenges and risks,
successes and failures,
external shocks and
internal volatility
By Zhang Jun
Shanghai
M
any people are profoundly
pessimistic about the
Chinese economy’s
growth prospects, owing
to the emergence of massive debt,
excessive investment, overcapacity,
and so-called “ghost cities” since the
2008 global financial crisis. But these
problems are not new. They have,
in various forms, affected China’s
economy since 1978, and were evident
in East Asia’s other high-performing
economies – Taiwan, South Korea,
and even Japan – during their periods
of rapid growth.
Nonetheless, in the 35 years
since Deng Xiaoping initiated his
programme of “reform and opening
up,” China has recorded 9.7% average
annual growth. And it took only 40
years for South Korea and Taiwan to
complete their transitions from lowto high-income status.
How did these economies manage to
grow so fast for so long and overcome
the serious problems that they faced
along the way? The answer is simple:
resilience.
Economic development is a
convoluted process, full of challenges
and risks, successes and failures,
external shocks and internal volatility.
And adverse effects – such as a
rising debt-to-GDP ratio and excess
capacity – are inevitable.
If a country fails to respond
adequately to new challenges as
they arise, economic growth and
development stall. Many countries
in Latin America and South Asia,
for example, have become mired in
the so-called “middle-income trap,”
because they failed to adjust their
growth models in a timely manner.
East Asia’s economies, by contrast,
consistently adjusted their growth
strategies and engaged in continuous
institutional reform. The aim was
not to tackle the problems they faced
directly, but to induce new, more
efficient activities that would help to
turn debt into assets and maximise use
of the economy’s capacity.
In this sense, East Asia’s
economies have embraced the
process of “creative destruction”
described by the Austrian economist
Joseph Schumpeter, whereby the
economic structure is continually
revolutionised from within. Moreover,
by implementing incremental reforms
that facilitate – and even encourage
– the replacement of old, inefficient
sources of growth with new, more
dynamic ones, they have expedited
this process.
For example, China’s productivity-
enhancing agricultural reforms in the
1980s were spurred partly by growth
in the non-agricultural sector, a
result of policies aimed at stimulating
township and village enterprises.
Similarly, in the 1990s, China
addressed the buildup of bad debt and
unfinished construction projects – the
result of state-owned enterprises’
chronic loss-making and excessive
property investment, respectively –
by implementing institutional reforms
that stimulated growth in more
dynamic sectors, thereby offsetting
the SOEs’ declining return on capital.
Resilience has thus characterised
the interaction between the
government and markets since the
introduction of Deng’s reforms.
Indeed, according to the late
economist Gustav Ranis, the
interactive dynamic of policy and
market institutions was the key to the
success of the East Asian economies.
For example, fiscal decentralisation in
China, spurred by local institutions’
demands for increased autonomy, has
helped to fuel regional competition
and sustain an increasingly marketoriented economic environment.
This interactive dynamic is also
reflected in the formation of industrial
policies. In China, though clusters
of vibrant smaller manufacturers are
flourishing, policymakers have done
relatively little to promote industrial
development and upgrading. This
leaves it up to market institutions
to guide the process, ensuring that
they play a key role in the expanding
industrial sectors.
Another source of resilience in East
Asia are local governments. For starters,
they are responsible for public capital
expenditure, driving the improvement
in China’s physical infrastructure and
yielding reasonable returns for private
investors. This advances the objective
of helping local businesses, particularly
innovative small and medium-size
firms, to grow and thrive. To this end,
local governments are also helping
entrepreneurs gain access to global
production chains. The Zhejiang
and Guangdong provinces have been
particularly successful in this effort –
and, unsurprisingly, rank among China’s
most robust regional economies.
Finally, local governments have
demonstrated a willingness to support
institutional innovation. This allows
for the flexibility needed to address
structural challenges at the local
level, thereby preventing them from
blocking growth.
After three years of slowing growth
and rising debt, China once again finds
itself at a crossroads. Fortunately,
it seems to be choosing the path
of flexibility and adjustment, as it
pursues an ambitious reform plan
that, it is hoped, will enable it to edge
closer to – and eventually cross – the
high-income threshold. - Project
Syndicate
z Zhang Jun is Professor of Economics
and Director of the China Center for
Economic Studies at Fudan University,
Shanghai.
In Unification Town, Liberia young men take on the grim job of burying the dead lost to the Ebola virus currently devastating West Africa.
Taming Sierra Leone’s Ebola spread
IRIN
Freetown
S
ierra Leone is scrambling more
health personnel and deploy
more equipment to curb the
rampant spread of Ebola in
Western Area region which currently
accounts for half the infections in the
country.
Authorities blame dangerous
funeral practices, denial, and failure
to report cases as some of the factors
behind the surge. In the week ending
December 14, Sierra Leone reported
327 new cases, Guinea had 76 in the
same period, while Liberia had eight
(but only over two days), according
to World Health Organisation (WHO)
statistics. Sierra Leone has been
reporting much higher cases of Ebola
compared to its two neighbours.
Thirty-three more ambulances, over
2,000 additional health workers, and
support teams are being recruited, and
three more treatment centres have opened
under the “Operation Western Area
Surge” launched by President Ernest Bai
Koroma on December 17 to help curb the
spread of the virus in the area.
Some 2,500 beds are needed
countrywide. Currently there are
around 600 beds in Ebola treatment
centres. “We can have all the
treatment and holding centres, the
laboratories and ambulances, but we
can only succeed when communities,
families and individuals ensure that
they do not touch the sick or the dead,
and that they report sickness and
death to the authorities,” Koroma said.
“Every individual is as much
responsible to ensure his survival as
the government and its international
partners.”
In addition to ramping up control
measures in Western Area, the
government is also restricting interdistrict travel, and church gatherings,
over the festive season. In the Western
Area, public gatherings in restaurants,
clubs and on the beach have been
banned.
In Sierra Leone’s eastern towns of
Kenema and Kailahun where Ebola
was first reported in May, the virus
has been significantly brought under
control. Sidi Yayah Tunis, spokesman
for the National Ebola Response
Centre (NERC), told IRN they will
apply some of the measures used in
the east to the Western Area.
“The disease started in Kenema
and Kailahun and so what Western
Area is dealing with now, Kenema and
Kailahun has dealt with before. The
only surprising factor is that you would
think Western Area should have more
awareness or be more cautious than
Kenema and Kailahun, considering that
they saw what the two districts went
through,” Tunis said.
“The house-to-house search in
communities to bring cases out reduced
the numbers in Kailahun and Kenema,
and that is exactly what the Western
Area Surge is intended to achieve.”
Tunis pointed out that many
districts are reporting zero or just a
few cases, with only Western Area and
Port Loko seeing higher figures. Port
Loko District now has two treatment
centres and a laboratory, and measures
are also being taken there to get the
sick out into isolation and treatment
centres, he said.
Unlike Guinea and Liberia, Sierra
Leone missed the December 1 target by
the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency
Response to isolate and treat patients.
On December 10, WHO reported
that there was a flare-up of Ebola in
the eastern Kono District near the
border with Guinea. It said medical
teams buried 87 bodies in 11 days,
including a nurse, an ambulance
driver, and a janitor drafted in to
removing bodies “as they piled up at
the only area hospital, ill-equipped to
deal with the dangerous pathogen”.
However, during a recent press
briefing, Information Minister Alpha
Kanu said they were aiming to cut
infection rates across the country to
single digit figures by the end of the
year. He said daily reported cases were
averaging about 40 and that, apart from
Western Area, the country was making
progress in controlling Ebola spread.
“Come end of December we should see
very, very few cases all over,” he said. “I
believe we’ve turned the curve.”
NERC’s Tunis said: “Rapid Response
Teams have been established to respond
to emerging outbreaks in districts and
rural communities and that is what is
happening now in Kono.”
President Koroma also said he had held
meetings with traditional chiefs and other
cultural leaders to urge them to discourage
rituals for dead bodies - a practice blamed
for the continued spread of Ebola among
certain communities.
“We are not yet where we need to
be, and there are still huge challenges.
But our actions have yielded some
progress,” the president said.
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 28, 2014
23
COMMENT
Financing climate safety
The year 2015 will be a
turning point in the effort
to create a global financial
system that contributes to
climate safety rather than
climate ruin
By Jeffrey D. Sachs
New York
T
he purpose of the global
financial system is to allocate
the world’s savings to their
most productive uses. When
the system works properly, these savings are channelled into investments
that raise living standards; when it
malfunctions, as in recent years, savings are channelled into real-estate
bubbles and environmentally harmful
projects, including those that exacerbate human-induced climate change.
The year 2015 will be a turning point
in the effort to create a global financial
system that contributes to climate
safety rather than climate ruin. In July,
the world’s governments will meet
in Addis Ababa to hammer out a new
framework for global finance.
The meeting’s goal will be to
facilitate a financial system that
supports sustainable development,
meaning economic growth that is
socially inclusive and environmentally
sound. Five months later, in Paris, the
world’s governments will sign a new
global agreement to control humaninduced climate change and channel
funds toward climate-safe energy,
building on the progress achieved
earlier this month in negotiations in
Lima, Peru. There, too, finance will
loom large.
The basics are clear. Climate safety
requires that all countries shift their
energy systems away from coal, oil, and
gas, toward wind, solar, geothermal,
and other low-carbon sources. We
should also test the feasibility of largescale carbon capture and sequestration
(CCS), which might enable the safe,
long-term use of at least some fossil
fuels. Instead, the global financial
system has continued to pump
hundreds of billions of dollars per year
into exploring and developing new
fossil-fuel reserves, while directing
very little toward CCS.
Many investments in new fossilfuel reserves will lose money – lots of
it – owing to the recent fall in world
oil prices. And many of the fossilfuel reserves that companies are
currently developing will eventually
be “stranded” (left in the ground) as
part of new global climate policies.
The simple fact is that the world has
far more fossil-fuel resources than can
be safely burned, given the realities of
human-induced climate change.
Though market signals are not yet
very clear, this year’s more successful
investors were those who sold their
fossil-fuel holdings, thereby avoiding
the oil-price crash. Perhaps they
were just lucky this year, but their
divestment decision makes long-term
sense, because it correctly anticipates
the future policy shift away from fossil
fuels and toward low-carbon energy.
Several major pension funds and
foundations in the US and Europe have
recently made the move. They have
wisely heeded the words of the former
CEO of oil giant BP, Lord Browne, who
recently noted that climate change
poses an “existential threat” to the oil
industry.
More governments around the
world are now introducing carbon
pricing to reflect the high social costs
inherent in the continued use of fossil
fuels. Every tonne of carbon dioxide
that is emitted into the atmosphere by
burning coal, oil, or gas adds to longterm global warming, and therefore to
the long-term costs that society will
incur through droughts, floods, heat
waves, extreme storms, and rising sea
levels. While these future costs cannot
be predicted with precision, recent
estimates put the current social cost of
each added tonne of atmospheric CO2
at $10-100, with the US government
using a middle-range estimate of
about $40 per tonne to guide energy
regulation.
Some countries, like Norway and
Sweden, long ago introduced a tax on
CO2 emissions to reflect a social cost of
$100 per tonne, or even higher. Many
private companies, including major oil
firms, have also recently introduced
an internal accounting cost of carbon
emissions to guide their decisions
regarding fossil-fuel investments. Doing
so enables companies to anticipate
the financial consequences of future
government regulations and taxation.
As more countries and companies
introduce carbon pricing, the internal
accounting cost of carbon emissions
will rise, investments in fossil fuels
will become less attractive, and
investments in low-carbon energy
systems will become more appealing.
The market signals of CO2 taxation
(or the cost of CO2 emission permits)
will help investors and money
managers steer clear of new fossilfuel investments. Carbon taxes also
offer governments a crucial source of
revenue for future investment in lowcarbon energy.
With international oil prices
dropping – by a whopping $40 per
barrel since the summer – this is an
ideal moment for governments to
introduce carbon pricing. Rather than
let the consumer price of oil fall by that
amount, governments should put a
carbon tax in place.
Consumers would still come out
ahead. Because each barrel of oil emits
roughly 0.3 tons of CO2, a carbon tax of,
say, $40 per tonne of CO2 implies an oil
tax of just $12 per barrel. And, because
oil prices have declined by more
than triple the tax, consumers would
continue to pay much less than they did
just a few months ago.
Moreover, new revenues from carbon
taxes would be a boon for governments.
High-income countries have promised
to help low-income countries invest
in climate safety, both in terms of lowcarbon energy and resilience against
climate shocks. Specifically, they have
promised $100bn in climate-related
financing per year, starting in 2020, up
from around $25-30bn this year. New
revenues from a CO2 tax would provide
an ideal way to honor that pledge.
The maths is simple. High-income
countries emitted around 18bn tonnes
of CO2 this year – roughly half of all
global emissions. If these countries
earmarked just $2 per tonne of CO2 for
global financing organisations like the
new Green Climate Fund and the regional
development banks, they would transfer
around $36bn per year. By using part of
that money to mobilise private-sector
financing, the full $100bn of climate
financing could be reached.
Both Big Oil and Big Finance
have made major mistakes in recent
years, channeling funds into socially
destructive investments. In 2015, these
two powerful industries, and the world
as a whole, can start to put things right.
We have within our reach the makings
of a new global financial system that
directs savings where they are urgently
needed: sustainable development and
climate safety, for ourselves and for
future generations. - Project Syndicate
zJeffrey D. Sachs is Professor of
Sustainable Development, Professor
of Health Policy and Management,
and Director of the Earth Institute at
Columbia University. He is also Special
Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on
the Millennium Development Goals.
Weather report
Three-day forecast
TODAY
High: 25 C
Low: 15 C
Slight dust and some clouds
MONDAY
High: 28 C
Low : 18 C
P Cloudy
TUESDAY
High: 25 C
Low : 18 C
P Cloudy
Fishermen’s forecast
OFFSHORE DOHA
Wind: NW 05-15/20 KT
Waves: 2-4/6 Feet
INSHORE DOHA
Wind: NW 03-10 KT
Waves: 1-2 Feet
Around the region
Abu Dhabi
Baghdad
Dubai
Kuwait City
Manama
When overfishing is occurring, adding more boats to an existing fishery will actually make the situation worse, not better.
Muscat
Riyadh
Too many boats, not enough fish
By J. Jed Brown, Dalal
Al-Abdulrazzak,
Daniel Pauly and Dirk Zeller
I
n the article by Ramesh Matthew in Gulf Times on December
9, the fish shortage in Qatar was
attributed to the lack of sufficient
numbers of fishing boats and crew to
catch enough fish to supply the local
market. We would like to respectfully
disagree with this claim.
According to FAO data, Qatari
fisheries catch peaked above 17,000
tonnes per year in 2008 and has
declined by over 36 % through
2012, the most recent year for which
landings are available. This decline,
however, is not due to insufficient
fishing effort, i.e., to an insufficient
number of fishing vessels being
deployed. Rather, it is due to too many
fishing vessels having depleted the fish
stocks around Qatar, with the effect
that these stocks cannot produce as
much fish as they did before. Fish
populations can replenish themselves
naturally over time. However, when
there are too many people catching too
many fish then the fish population, or
the weight or number of fish that can
be caught will decline.
When overfishing is occurring,
adding more boats to an existing
fishery will actually make the situation
worse, not better. First, if more boats
are fishing, there is more pressure
on the small number of fish that are
available to be caught, and the fish are
less likely to be able to replenish their
numbers. Also, from an economic
point of view, less income will be
made by each boat if there are less
fish available and more boats. With
more boats, the fishery becomes less
efficient, more fuel is wasted, and more
fishermen are exposed to potential
injury.
When a fishery is just beginning,
adding more vessels can increase
catches. However, when a fishery is
fully developed, adding more vessels
will paradoxically not only reduce
catches, but destroy the livelihood of
those who are already fishing.
One way to have more fish in the
market over the long-term, is to reduce
the number of boats fishing boats in
the short term. Though this can be
economically painful initially, if there
are fewer boats fishing, less fish will
be caught and the fish populations can
rebuild. Once fish numbers are back
to a high (not overfished) level, then
perhaps more boats could be allowed
into the fishery.
A recent study showed that about
12 years after rebuilding begins, the
economic benefits will exceed the cost.
This study also found that on a global
basis, the economic value of rebuilt
fisheries world-wide would increase by
over $67bn a year from current value.
Before suggesting that more boats
should be deployed, one must find
out the status of the fish stocks, i.e.,
perform stock assessments. Stock
assessments allow the fishing effort,
e.g., the number of vessels to be
adjusted to the natural productivity of
given fishing grounds, for all fisheries
of the world.
Stock assessments are thus an
important component of fisheries
management, and we hope that
Qatar and the other Gulf countries
will devote more attention to this
issue. It is the only way to ensure the
sustainability of the fisheries, i.e., the
continuation of their contribution to
the food security Qatar and the other
Gulf countries.
Another problem is that in the Gulf,
many countries lie in close proximity
to one another, and the activities of
one country’s fisheries sector will
impact on an adjacent countries.
Many fish species are migratory and
can swim between the territorial
waters of several countries. So even
if there are restrictions on fishing
in Qatar and there are not similar
restrictions in adjacent countries,
then overfishing will continue in the
Gulf. Therefore, fisheries management
needs to be considered and preferably
implemented on a Gulf-wide basis.
Restoring fisheries wealth to
the Gulf is a much simpler, but
perhaps politically more difficult
way to enhance domestic food
security compared to other
options such as purchasing and
cultivating agricultural land in
foreign countries or developing
domestic intensive food production
systems. The Center for Sustainable
Development is a newly created
centre at Qatar University’s College
of Arts and Sciences that is focused
on addressing pressing issues of
sustainable development of Qatar
and the Gulf region. Researchers
at the Center are embarking on a
collaboration with the University of
British Columbia (UBC), to assess the
status of the fisheries of the Gulf, and
make recommendations as to how to
better manage fisheries.
UBC, which is home to one of the
world’s leading fisheries research
departments, completed an initial
review of the fisheries of the Arabian
Gulf, and found that most Gulf
countries had under-reported
their fishery landings. It’s is our
hope that this effort will establish
new partnerships with relevant
stakeholders and interested parties to
allow for a science-based approach to
restore the fisheries wealth of Qatar
and the Gulf.
z J. Jed Brown is research faculty
in Qatar University’s Center for
Sustainable Development in the
College of Arts and Sciences; Dalal
Al-Abdulrazzak is a Ph.D. candidate;
Daniel Pauly is a professor and
principal investigator for the Sea
Around Us Project; and Dirk Zeller
is a senior research fellow all from
the Fisheries Centre of the University
of British Columbia in Vancouver,
Canada.
Tehran
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24
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 28, 2014
QATAR
Reforms highlight keenness of
Qatar to better labour standards
Q
atar has been undertaking wide-ranging labour
market reforms in order
to strengthen existing laws and
improve the living and working conditions of workers in the
country.
As part of the government’s
ongoing efforts to better the
lot of migrant workers in the
country, the cabinet has given
its green signal for the establishment of a special unit that
would ensure timely disbursement of wages. The unit for
wage protection will be established at the Department of Labour Inspection.
The cabinet has also approved
a draft decision by the labour
minister on a Wage Protection
System (WPS), which made it
compulsory for employers to pay
workers covered by the labour
law through banks. The draft decision included a commitment
by employers to pay workers by
crediting their wages to banks
and financial institutions within
seven days of the due date. All
employers are required to “adjust their situation” in line with
the provisions of the decision.
Violators may be prevented
from acquiring new work permits, via a ministerial decision.
If the employer fails to transfer
wages one month after the due
date, their transactions with the
ministry may be put on hold.
The suspension does not include
ratification of work contracts,
though, and it shall be lifted
when the employer provides
proof for the transfer of outstanding wages.
The draft decision on setting
up a section for wage protection
stipulates that the new unit will
make sure that workers’ payments
are made on time in collaboration
with other state entities.
The recommendations of the
draft decision include the creation of a comprehensive electronic system, which will be
handled by Qatar Central Bank
(QCB). It will be managed jointly
with the Ministry of Interior,
Ministry of Labour and Social
Affairs and financial institutions,
establishments and companies.
The recommendations stipulate the amendment of Articles
1, 66 and 145 of the Labour Law
issued as Law No 14 of 2004.
Last week, HE the Minister
of Labour and Social Affairs Dr
Abdullah bin Saleh Mubarak al-
Major changes under way
z Proposed Wage
Protection System (WPS) in the
final stages of approval
z WPS mandatory for
all companies, whether private,
government or
semi-government
z Cabinet’s green signal for the
establishment of a special unit
to ensure timely disbursement
of wages
z Sponsorship (Kafala) system
to be replaced with a system
based on employment contracts.
z Current exit permit system to
be replaced with an automated
system through the Ministry
of Interior
z Employer will no longer be
financially liable for employees.
Workers at a construction site in Doha. Picture used for illustrative purpose only.
Khulaifi disclosed that the proposed electronic salary transfer
system, whereby all workers in
the country are to be paid via
banks, exchange houses and
other financial institutions, was
in the final stages of approval.
About amendments being
made to other provisions of the
labour law to help strengthen
mechanisms to protect the
rights of foreign workers, the
minister said preparations
were under way to issue those
amendments as well.
“The amendments are to be
issued along with the amended
sponsorship law, which also
covers exit permit rules,” said HE
the Minister.
“These amendments (to the
sponsorship law) are being made
by the Ministry of Interior,” he
clarified.
An extensive database is being developed by the Ministry
of Interior and the Ministry of
Labour and Social Affairs, which
will specify who is to be included
in the Wage Protection System
and who is not.
Banking regulator QCB has
asked all banks to provide account
details of all their customers.
On the other hand, companies
have been asked to provide the
labour ministry with salary details of all their employees.
The WPS will be mandatory for
all companies, whether private,
government or semi-government. Workers would need to be
paid salaries in the first week of
every month through bank transfers. Delays would attract punitive action in the form of fines.
The government has initiated
the new measure to strictly monitor employers and make sure that
no worker is denied his wages and
everybody is paid on time.
The cabinet has also approved
a draft decision by HE the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs
amending some provisions of
Law No 17 of 2005 on defining
the terms and conditions of appropriate housing for workers.
In May this year, Qatar said
it will abolish the sponsorship
(Kafala) system and replace it
with a “system based on employment contracts”.
Announcing the measure, Brig
Mohamed Ahmed al-Atiq, Assistant Director-General of the
General Directorate of Border,
Passports and Expatriate Affairs
at the Ministry of Interior, said
the proposed law would apply to
all expatriates, under company
or personal sponsorship, including domestic workers.
Under the proposed law, the
current exit permit system,
which requires the employer’s
consent for an employee to leave
the country, will be replaced
with an automated system
through the Ministry of Interior.
The Metrash 2 e-government
system will automatically grant
an exit permit to an employee after a 72-hour grace period prior
to departure, according to the
Ministry of Labour .
GULF TIMES
SPECIAL
No-objection
certificates,
which currently regulate the
transfer of employees to a different employer, will also be
replaced with the employment
contract system. If the employment contract is for a fixed term,
the employee may transfer to
another employer at the end of
that term. If the contract is of
an indefinite duration, the employee may transfer to another
employer after five years from
the date of the contract.
The employer will no longer
be financially liable for their employee. Any financial obligations
incurred by the employee while
in Qatar will be governed by the
State’s Civil and Commercial Law.
The penalty for confiscating a
worker’s passport has been raised
from QR10,000 to QR50,000.
The two-year period that a
(Clockwise from above) A number of vegetables are currently available at reasonable rates at the Central Market
Falling prices boost sales of
vegetables at Central Market
F
alling prices of various
types of vegetables at the
Central Market have helped
boost sales, according to vendors.
The reappearance of locally
produced vegetables and favourable weather conditions have led
to an increase in the quantity of
produce displayed and increased
their lifespan, they point out.
For instance, the price of a carton of bananas from the Philippines (15kg) ranged from QR1530 depending on the quality
while the regular retail price at
most major shopping centres was
around QR5 a kg and QR7 a kg at
groceries, it is learnt.
A foam box of eggplants (56kg) was being sold recently for as
low as QR4 and the same applied
to Indian brinjals. A similar quantity of cauliflower cost QR5-6.
A wooden box of high-quality
tomatoes (6-7kg) was being sold
at QR15 and the price was expected to fall further in the near
future. A bag of potatoes (6-7kg)
also cost around QR15, it is found.
“We expect a further drop in
the prices of vegetables, in particular, because large quantities
are coming to the market - those
produced locally as well as imported from neighbouring countries,” said Abdulrahman, sales
officer at a wholesale vegetable
and fruit company at the market.
“Also, wholesale prices at the
source are becoming more reasonable, allowing retailers to sell
at reduced prices.”
Some vendors said some customers were willing to buy vegetables in bigger quantities now.
“When prices are high, people
usually buy small quantities. Now,
due to the falling prices, many
people are buying larger quantities and coming to the market
more frequently. It is good for us,
too. However, prices are not in our
hands and are governed by source
prices. We cannot reduce prices
beyond a certain point,” said an
Indian vendor.
However, prices of products
such as orange, cucumber, pomegranate, mango, zucchini and apple remained relatively high.
worker must spend outside Qatar in case his residence permit is
cancelled is no longer needed in
the awaited law, said Atiq.
However, the amendments
will not contain any rule on
minimum wage as salaries will
be determined according to the
demand and supply situation.
Under the proposed law, a
worker can work day and night
shifts with two separate employers in case both of them agree,
Atiq said.
He added that the contracts
between employers and employees will be guided by a model
contract.
Besides, several organisations
like Qatar Foundation and the
Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) have implemented welfare standards
to guarantee workers’ rights by
curbing
unfair employment
practices.
This is in sharp contrast to the
reports being published from
time to time in the Western media about unfair labour practices
being rampant in Qatar. The
Guardian and The Telegraph, in
particular, continue to carry stories and features that could be
best described as prejudiced in
their approach and propaganda
in their execution.
Sweeping measures are currently being introduced across
Qatar Foundation to ensure the
application of fair employment
principles for all migrant workers engaged in construction and
other service activities. The
central objective of this largescale project is the effective execution of a comprehensive set
of standards that can guarantee
the rights of workers at all stages
of the migration cycle − from the
moment they are recruited until they are repatriated to their
home countries.
The new regulations are based
on a holistic and principled approach that combines Qatari Labour Law and international best
practice. In October last year,
Qatar Foundation signed the Migrant Workers Welfare Charter, a
strong reflection of the organisation’s belief that dignified living and working conditions are
absolutely essential to unlocking
human potential and indispensable to the foundation’s mission
of raising the quality of life for all
workers in Qatar.
This welfare initiative also
marks the establishment of a
fully functional Workers’ Welfare Department, which will ensure that all rules and protocols
are being followed by respective
parties, while pushing for continuous improvement and development.
The Supreme Committee for
Delivery & Legacy has introduced steps to ensure that every
worker gets safe, healthy and
humane working and living conditions. The SC is committed to
Financial obligations to be
governed by Civil and
Commercial Law
z Two-year ban” on re-entry to
be revoked
z Penalty for confiscating
worker’s passport raised from
QR10,000 to QR50,000
z Appropriate housing for
workers
z SC incorporates a set of
principles and standards for
workers’ welfare into all of their
contracts.
z Qatar Foundation introduces
sweeping measures to
guarantee fair employment
practices by contractors
z Strict provisions of
punishment for violators
ensuring the welfare of all workers on its projects.
The SC has developed a robust workers’ welfare strategy
through extensive consultation
with experts and a broad range
of stakeholders committed to
improving the conditions of
workers in Qatar and across the
world. “We continue to engage
with FIFA; the International
Labour Organization; leading
NGOs, including Human Rights
Watch (HRW) and Amnesty International; and with leading
government stakeholders in Qatar, the Middle East and Europe,”
a SC statement says.
Since winning the right to
host the 2022 FIFA World Cup
Qatar, the SC has developed a
set of principles and standards
for workers’ welfare, which are
incorporated into all of their
contracts. The Workers’ Welfare
Charter, which was released in
March 2013, sets out principles
and values that define the work
of the SC. These principles demand that all individuals contributing to the delivery of SC
projects are treated with respect
and dignity, in accordance with
universally accepted principles
of human rights.
The Workers’ Welfare Standards, which were released in
February 2014, are a set of mandatory, contractually-binding
rules that ensure that companies
working on SC projects are operating in line with the principles
and values outlined in the Workers’ Welfare Charter.
LOAN FACTOR | Page 2
NEW MEASURES | Page 15
HSBC sees
Mena bonds
advancing
Japan approves
$29bn stimulus
deal to lift growth
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Rabia I 6, 1436 AH
GULF TIMES
ANNUAL MEET : Page 3
Thailand in
year-end push
for halal trade
BUSINESS
Israeli gas future turns murky
with turnabout by regulator
Bloomberg
Jerusalem/Tel Aviv
E
xecutives and analysts are questioning whether Israel’s energy
industry has a future now that
the antitrust chief has backtracked on
letting a group led by US-based Noble
Energy Inc develop the country’s two
biggest natural gas fields.
Antitrust Commissioner David Gilo
said this week he was reconsidering his
March 14 decision to let the partnership retain its stakes in the Leviathan
and Tamar reserves if it would sell
smaller fields. Gilo said he was considering declaring the consortium a
monopoly, a move that may require the
owners, including Israel’s Delek Group
Ltd, to sell one of the fields.
While Gilo’s move is designed to
protect consumers from potential
price collusion, critics accuse the regulator of jeopardising investment by
changing rules mid-game.
“A new and increasingly likely scenario should be considered: the premature – and tragic – death of the Israeli gas dream,” said Gal Luft, senior
adviser to the Washington, DC-based
US Energy Security Council, in an emailed note.
Israel’s failure “to present a clear vision for the country’s energy sector,
articulate the rights and responsibilities of foreign investors and most importantly set rules and stick to them”
could “leave the gas in the ground,”
Luft said.
Australia’s Woodside Petroleum
Ltd already scrapped an agreement in
June to buy a stake in Leviathan, citing
concerns over the regulatory atmosphere in Israel. After Tamar and Leviathan were discovered, the government
passed new legislature nearly doubling
the taxes on gas and oil profits, and
capping the amount of fuel that could
be exported.
“The actions of the Antitrust Authority are another disturbing example of the uncertain regulatory envi-
Tamar and Leviathan are among the biggest natural gas finds in recent years and have provided Israel
with enough fuel for decades of energy self-sufficiency and export
ronment in Israel,” Noble chairman
Charles Davidson said. “We believe
this is a harmful precedent for Israel to
set and we will vigorously defend our
rights relating to our assets.”
Gilo hasn’t announced a definitive
decision, and any reversal could be
subject to a court hearing, so it’s unclear how things will develop. “There
are many voices pulling in very many
directions because of the different
interests,” said Roni Biron, an analyst
at UBS AG in Herzliya, Israel. “It remains to be seen how all of this will
pan out.”
Tamar and Leviathan are among the
biggest natural gas finds in recent years
and have provided Israel with enough
fuel for decades of energy self-sufficiency and export. Noble is the only
foreign energy company to heavily invest in Israeli gas, despite US Geologi-
cal Survey estimates that the Levant
Basin off the country’s Mediterranean
coast holds about 122tn cubic feet of
gas, about three times what has been
found.
“There is no additional international
player in Israel other than those already active, and there are none on the
horizon,” Gideon Tadmor, chief executive office of Avner Oil Exploration Ltd,
said last week. “This is something the
government must take stock of; how
come it hasn’t managed to leverage
the success of the industry to an international level?” said Tadmor, whose
company is one of Noble’s Israeli partners.
Brenda Shaffer, a professor at the
University of Haifa who specialises in
oil and gas policies, says policy makers
must recognise that Israel’s relatively
small energy market can’t attract the
kind of investment that larger markets
can.
“Globally, expensive natural gas
production projects are encountering
commercial difficulties,” Shaffer said
in an e- mailed note. “Israel is trying
to apply a US-model gas market on a
market the size of 10 US congressional
districts.”
Public rhetoric over the gas issue
has been intensified by cost-of-living
concerns that have become a prominent issue in March 17 parliamentary
elections. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed Eugene Kandel, chairman of the National
Economic Counsel, to examine the implications of Gilo’s move.
Lawmaker Shelly Yachimovich of
the opposition Labor party accused the
Tamar and Leviathan partners of using
scare tactics to avoid regulation that
would benefit Israeli consumers.
“What we have here is a terrible failure of regulation,” Yachimovich said
on Israel’s Channel 2 news, arguing the
government shouldn’t have allowed
a small group of companies to obtain
control of the fields. The gas companies constitute a cartel that is making
excessive profits “off the backs of the
public,” she said.
Amos Hochstein, the US State Department special envoy and coordinator for international energy affairs, said
regulatory uncertainty was discouraging foreign investment.
“If there is regulatory certainty and
legal certainty which leads to contract
sanctity, you will see more interest
here,” Hochstein said in a Bloomberg
interview last week.
Qatar PPI down
13.3% in Q4 on
drop in crude,
LNG prices
The drop in crude oil and liquefied
natural gas (LNG) prices has caused
Qatar’s producer price index (PPI) to
slip 13.3% year-on-year (y-o-y) in the
fourth quarter (Q4) of 2014, according
to official figures.
In its monthly PPI of the industrial
sector for October 2014, the Ministry of
Development Planning and Statistics
(MDPS) has reported on mining, electricity and water, and manufacturing
activities.
Using the average of 2006 prices as
base, the indicator measures the average selling prices received by domestic
producers for their output.
The overall PPI of October 2014 has
decreased 13.3% compared to the same
period in 2013 with the mining group
leading this drop where crude petroleum and natural gas prices tumble by
15.4%.
PPI for the manufacturing group
showed a 4.5% decline in October 2014
compared to the same period last year
due to price fall in major products like
refined petroleum products (7.9%) and
beverages (2.9%).
However, prices for dairy products rose
by 5.2% as well as cement and other
non-metallic products (2.6%), basic metals (1.2%), basic chemicals (0.1%), and
grain mill and other products (0.5%).
For the same period, PPI for electricity
and water showed a 2.3% decrease
resulting from price falls in electricity
(2.6%) and water (1.8%).
PPI of the industrial sector in October
2014 fell 6.4% compared to the previous
month. The mining index, which has a
weight of 77% in the PPI basket, registered a 7.6% decline as crude petroleum
and LNG prices fell by 7.7%.
For the same period, PPI in the manufacturing sector (with a weight of 21%)
slipped 1.7% from combined price falls
seen in refined petroleum products
(3.3%), grain mill and other products
(1.3%), basic metals (0.6%), and beverages (0.2%).
However, price increases were noticed
in basic chemicals (1.3%) and in cement
and other non-metallic products (0.6%).
Between September and October 2014,
the electricity and water group, which
has a weight of 2.0% in the PPI basket,
increased 0.8% due to rise in prices in
electricity (0.4%) and water (1.5%).
Dollar stages historic 2014 rally as all top peers become losers
Bloomberg
New York
T
he dollar hasn’t had this good a year
since the Berlin Wall fell, Taylor Swift
was born and the World Wide Web
was conceived.
The greenback is set to gain against all of
its 31 major counterparts in 2014 for the first
time in data going back to 1989, buoyed by
an improving economy and the Federal Reserve’s plan to raise interest rates next year.
The yen and euro tumbled as Japanese and
European central banks embraced monetary
stimulus to ward off deflation. The rouble
plunged the most among the major currencies amid turmoil in eastern Europe and
plunging oil prices.
“Not one of them is up against the dollar,” Robert Sinche, a strategist at Amherst
Pierpont Securities LLC in Stamford, Connecticut, said on Friday by phone. “We got
a big shift in US interest-rate expectations.”
The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index, which
tracks the currency against 10 major peers,
has risen 11% this year in New York to
1,130.61, set for the biggest annual gain in
data starting in 2004.
The dollar has gained 14% this year to
¥120.31, a third straight annual advance.
It rose 13% to $1.2183 against the euro, the
biggest gain since 2005. The 18-nation
shared currency added 1.3% to ¥146.60.
The rouble plunged 39% versus the dollar this year, followed by drops of 24% by
the Argentine peso and 19% by the Norwegian krone. All other currencies lost at least
1.9% except the Hong Kong dollar, which
is pegged to the greenback and declined
0.08%.
The rouble’s depreciation puts it on
course for the worst year since 1998, when
Russia defaulted on local debt.
Highlighting the risks facing Russia as it
contends with sanctions over the conflict
in Ukraine and slumping oil, Standard &
Poor’s said on December 23 there’s at least a
50% chance it will cut the sovereign’s credit
rating to below investment grade within 90
days. The economy of the world’s largest
energy exporter is set to shrink 1.4% next
year, the average of 46 analyst estimates
compiled by Bloomberg shows.
“As long as oil remains at these levels, the
devaluation risk will persist,” Vadim BitAvragim, a money manager at Kapital Asset
Management LLC in Moscow, said on Friday by e- mail.
Brent, the oil grade traders use to price
Russia’s main export blend, slumped 46%
this year.
The yen has depreciated more than 30%
since Shinzo Abe was elected prime minister in December 2012 on a promise of providing unlimited stimulus to drag the nation
out of two decades of stagnation. He was
re-elected by landslide on December 14 in a
mandate to continue those policies.
The euro fell this year as European Central Bank President Mario Draghi worked
to win consensus for sovereign-bond purchases by the central bank to revive inflation. Policy makers meet on January 22.
In contrast, the Fed ended its bond-buying under the quantitative-easing strategy
in October and Chair Janet Yellen indicated
after a policy meeting on December 17 that
the US central bank was moving toward
raising interest rates next year. The main
rate has been held at zero to 0.25% since
2008.
Yellen, who said after the meeting that
Russia’s currency crisis has had limited effect on the world’s biggest economy, said
“the committee considers it unlikely to begin the normalisation process for at least
the next couple of meetings.”
The Federal Open Market Committee’s
next scheduled decisions are on January 28,
March 18 and April 29.
“Things change quickly, and if they see a
rapid rebound in the credit market and an
acceleration on the payroll side, they want
to have the option to raise rates significantly
by mid- year,” Robert Tipp, chief investment strategist in Newark, New Jersey for
Prudential Financial Inc’s fixed-income
division, said on December 20. “It’s been a
tremendous backdrop for the dollar.”
The greenback will extend gains against
most major currencies in 2015, according to
a Bloomberg survey of strategists. Argentina’s peso is forecast to lead declines, tumbling 29%, followed by almost 6% drops
by the New Zealand dollar and Denmark’s
krone. The yen and euro are predicted to
weaken at least 3%. Yellen is “really trying
to say there’s a lot of volatility out there,
but it’s not having a dramatic impact on the
outlook of US,” Kevin Hebner, a foreign-exchange strategist at JPMorgan Chase & Co,
said by phone on December 19. The process
of the market adjusting to the Fed’s raterise projections “is going to get the dollar
appreciating, especially against the euro
and yen.” Pages: 2, 16
An eagle tops the Federal Reserve building’s facade in Washington. The greenback is set to gain against all of
its 31 major counterparts in 2014, buoyed by an improving economy and the Federal Reserve’s plan to raise
interest rates next year.
2
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 28, 2014
BUSINESS
Carry trade
fades as
lira gets
trounced
by dollar
Bloomberg
Istanbul
A branch of the National Bank of Abu Dhabi stands on the corniche in Abu Dhabi. NBAD ranked second for syndicated lending and fifth for bonds this year, according to Bloomberg data.
HSBC sees Mena bonds gaining
on loans as oil slump curbs cash
Bloomberg
Dubai
M
iddle East and North African bond sales are set to gain
ground on syndicated loans
next year as the deepest oil slump since
the global financial crisis reduces the
available cash for lending.
“Bank liquidity may be affected by
oil prices,” Mustafa Aziz Ata, the head
of debt-capital markets for the Middle
East and North Africa at HSBC Holdings, the biggest arranger of bond sales
and syndicated loans in the region in
2014 according to data compiled by
Bloomberg, said in a phone interview
from Dubai on December 17. “If we have
a flat overall financing market in the region next year, I would expect bonds to
have a 50% share at least.” With more
than half of Opec’s 12 members located
in the region, the 48% decline in crude
since peaking in June will erode government revenue and cash at banks. Investors including Ashmore Group have said
they expect to see an increase in Islamic
debt issuance among Gulf Cooperation
Council nations next year to help compensate for the collapse in oil income.
Syndicated loans from the UAE to
Morocco will account for almost 60%
of the $96bn raised in debt markets this
year, with bonds making up the rest,
according to data compiled by Bloomberg. That’s up from 52% in 2013, and
45% a year earlier. Tighter bank liquidity may boost costs for loans, another
possible headwind, said Andy Cairns,
head of debt origination and distribution at National Bank of Abu Dhabi.
As the lending market’s price advantage erodes, “I expect a greater proportion of regional financing to come
in bond and sukuk format as we move
more towards parity” between loan and
bond volumes, said Cairns at NBAD,
ranked second for syndicated lending
and fifth for bonds this year, Bloomberg
data show.
Crude prices averaging above $110 a
barrel in 2011 and 2012 have contributed to a 10% increase in bank deposits in the 12 months through October
in the UAE. Deposits climbed 16% at
Saudi Arabian commercial banks in the
period. Surplus cash this year pushed
banks to lend aggressively and allowed
borrowers to bargain for lower pricing,
Ata said. Banks also agreed to provide
loans with longer maturities, he said.
Syndicated lending in the Mena re-
gion climbed 8% in 2014 to $57bn while
bond sales dropped 20%, according to
data compiled by Bloomberg. The sixnation GCC countries account for a
third of the world’s proven oil reserves.
Brent crude dropped to $60.24 a
barrel on December 24. Governments
in the GCC need oil prices to average about $80 a barrel to balance their
budgets, according to International
Monetary Fund estimates.
Even as oil prices decline, banks in
the GCC will benefit from continued
economic growth and public sector
spending in 2015 due to strong wealth
buffers, Moody’s Investors Service said
in a report on December 5. Improved
consumer and business activity, particularly in the UAE and Saudi Arabia,
will also support GCC lending growth
at an average of about 10% in 2015, the
Iraq crude exports rise in
December to hit record
Reuters
London
I
raq’s oil exports are rising in
December towards a record
high, according to loading
data and industry sources, as
Opec’s second-largest producer pumps more despite oil prices trading near a five-year low.
The increase will add to ample supplies and may worry
other members of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries unable to
expand exports and suffering a
drop in oil income after a near
50% drop in prices since June.
Exports from Iraq’s southern
terminals have averaged at least
2.60mn bpd, according to shipping data for the first 23 days
of December tracked by Reuters. Two industry sources who
monitor the exports had similar
estimates.
“This is looking very strong
- massive volumes,” said an industry source, who saw southern flows rise as high as 2.80mn
bpd for part of the month.
The southern oilfields produce the bulk of Iraq’s oil and
the terminals are its main out-
let to world markets. Located
far from the parts of the country controlled by Islamic State,
they have kept pumping despite
the unrest.
In addition, flows of Kirkuk
crude out of the Turkish port
of Ceyhan have returned in December, after Baghdad reached
a deal with the Kurdistan Regional Government.
Exports from Iraq’s
southern terminals have
averaged at least 2.60mn
bpd
Iraq’s State Oil Marketing
Organisation, or SOMO, has
been exporting about 180,000
bpd of Kirkuk so far in December, two industry sources said.
The oil is being exported in a
Kurdish pipe to Ceyhan as an
older line has been repeatedly
attacked.
“It is all going through the
Kurdish line now,” said a trade
source with a company that
buys Iraqi crude. “The old
Kirkuk pipeline is not usable.”
That brings pipeline exports
of Iraq’s main crudes to around
2.78mn bpd - close to the
2.80mn bpd record high posted
in February, just before flows
from Iraq’s Kirkuk fields along
a pipeline running to Ceyhan
were halted by a bomb attack.
Northern exports may be
higher if crude produced in
the Kurdistan region and being shipped to Ceyhan is included, the sources said. Exact
figures are not available, but
one source said total shipments
from northern Iraq were now at
least 300,000 bpd.
The southern export rate is
in line with comments from the
head of SOMO, Falah Alamri,
who said on December 21 he expected at least 2.60mn bpd. If
sustained, December’s southern exports will exceed May’s
2.58mn bpd, which was the
highest since at least 2003.
Iraq aims to push exports
even higher in 2015. Oil Minister Adel Abdel Mehdi said in
November he expected shipments to rise next year to an
average of 3.2mn bpd, including
Kurdistan. The plan has caused
unease for other Opec members
and entrenched the reluctance
of some to cut their own supply,
according to comments from oil
ministers and Opec delegates
made during Opec’s November
27 meeting.
Iraq, however, has argued it
should be exempt from Opec
supply restraint as it is recovering from years of sanctions
and war. It has been expanding
production in the south since
Western companies signed
service contracts with Baghdad
in 2010.
Smooth progress is not guaranteed. Iraq has missed its
targets to expand supplies in
the past and exports are often
disrupted by bad weather and
technical problems, as well as
by unrest.
Northern exports of Kirkuk
crude had been shut since
March since the bomb attack,
keeping total Iraqi exports below their potential for much
of 2014. Still, Kurdistan began
independently exporting crude
to Ceyhan in May, angering
Baghdad which claimed sole
authority to ship oil from the
country.
rating company estimates. Saudi Arabia and Qatar plan more than $700bn
of spending on infrastructure and industry over seven years.
Oman’s Central Bank governor Hamud Sangur al-Zadjali said in October the country may sell 200mn rials
($519mn) of Islamic bonds next year, its
debut sukuk sale. The Qatari government, Saudi Basic Industries Corp and
the emirate of Dubai have bonds maturing next year and may issue again to
help repayments.
Next year, banks will have less incentive to lend “aggressively” as their
liquidity will begin to get hurt and
they “tend to get conservative if they
start feeling that risk is rising,” Abdul
Kadir Hussain, chief executive officer
at Mashreq Capital Ltd said by phone
from Dubai on December 16.
Just when lira carry traders
thought they had 2014 in the
bag, along came the dollar.
Borrowing dollars to buy lira
debt earned 5.8% this year
through last month, the fourthbiggest return in 23 emerging
markets tracked by Bloomberg. By today, the gains had
shrunk to 2% as a 4.2% slump
in Turkey’s currency against the
greenback this month ate into
profits from holding the nation’s
bonds.
Like most riskier emerging-market assets, the lira is suffering as
the strengthening US economy
pushes the Federal Reserve
toward raising interest rates in
2015, what would be the first
increase in nine years. Turkey’s
currency has underperformed
peers in December as the biggest current-account deficit in
the developing world leaves it
vulnerable to capital outflows.
“This was the year of the dollar,”
Murat Yardimci, the head of
trading at ING Bank AS in Istanbul, said by e-mail December 24.
“We are long on Turkish bonds
with a foreign-currency hedge
for 2015. After June, we expect
the debt to perform relatively
well, but the dollar” will reach
new records versus the lira, he
said.
December’s decline in the lira
compares with a 3.2% retreat in
an index of emerging-market
currencies, while the Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index climbed
1.8%. The lira weakened to a
record 2.4146 per dollar on
December 16.
Turkish two-year note yields
fell 222 basis points this year to
7.88% on Friday.
Consumer-price growth accelerated to 9.15% in November, resisting an almost 50%
decline in the cost of crude
since June.
Falling commodity prices, oil
in particular, will support a
decelerating inflation trend in
the first half of 2015, the central
bank said after its decision to
keep the benchmark rate on
hold at 8.25% on December 24.
“Inflation will be very decisive”
for carry-trade returns next
year, Evren Kirikoglu, a strategist at Akbank TAS in Istanbul,
said by e-mail on December 24.
Slowing inflation would help
support the lira even as the
central bank reduces interest
rates, he said.
The euro may displace the dollar as the favoured currency for
funding the carry trade as the
European Central Bank steps up
bond buying and the greenback continues to strengthen,
according to Erkin Isik, an
Istanbul-based strategist at Turk
Economi Bankasi AS.
Maaden said to seek $3.2bn refinancing
A unit of Saudi Arabian Mining Co has approached banks to seek the refinancing of $3.2bn of debt,
according to four people with knowledge of the matter, Bloomberg reported. The company hired
Verus Partners, a boutique investment firm established by ex-Citigroup bankers, to advise on the
2008 loan used to fund a phosphates project, the people said, asking not to be identified as the
plans aren’t public. Maaden, as the mining company is known, plans to extend the length of the
debt and remove some covenants, three of the people said. Lenders have been asked to give price
expectations and suggest options for replacing bank and export credit agency loans with new bank
loans and sukuk, the people said.
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 28, 2014
3
BUSINESS
Thailand: The year-end push for halal business
By Arno Maierbrugger
Gulf Times Correspondent
Bangkok
A
Dahlan: Seeing great potential in finished halal products containing
vegetables, fruits and seafood.
new annual conference
featuring Thailand’s most
prominent halal protagonists is aiming at strengthening
the country’s role in the global
halal market: The first Thailand
Halal Assembly, to be held from
December 28 to 30 in Bangkok,
is expected to welcome some
5,000 delegates from all over the
world, including from member
nations of the Organisation of
Islamic Countries. It will stage
exhibitions, conferences and
workshops focusing on standards of halal products and services made in Thailand and their
potential in the rapidly growing
international halal market.
The event is jointly organised
Audi to invest
$29bn through
2019 to chase
BMW’s top spot
Bloomberg
Berlin
A
udi will spend €24bn ($29bn) to develop technology and expand production, boosting its five-year investment plan by €2bn as it chases BMW for
the top spot in luxury-car sales.
About €16.8bn, or 70% of the total, is earmarked for new models like the Q1 subcompact sport-utility vehicle, the Ingolstadt,
Germany-based unit of Volkswagen AG said
yesterday in a statement. Audi expects to sell
a record of more than 1.7mn autos this year.
“We are making large investments in the
innovative areas of electric mobility, connectivity and lightweight construction,”
chief executive officer Rupert Stadler said in
the statement. The brand intends to increase
its lineup to 60 models by 2020 from 50.
Audi, the No 2 in global luxury-car sales,
aims to surpass BMW AG’s namesake brand
in deliveries by the end of the decade. The
race tightened this year.
BMW outsold Audi by just 42,600 cars in
the first 11 months of 2014 compared with
54,600 a year earlier. Audi’s budget is part
of Volkswagen’s €85.6bn investment programme to beat Toyota Motor Corp in global
auto-industry sales.
Audi plans to spend the equivalent of
€4.8bn a year, an increase from the previous
rolling five-year plan that called for investing €4.4bn annually on new vehicles and
by the Halal Science Center of
Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University, one of Thailand’s most
renowned scientific halal institutions, as well as the Central
Islamic Council of Thailand and
the Halal Standard Institute of
Thailand. The country’s Prime
Minister Prayut Chan-Ocha will
give a welcome address, signalling the importance of the event
for the Thai export industry.
The conference will not only
be on halal food, but on the
wider halal market including
halal tourism and other Shariahcompliant services, as well as on
halal marketing and certification. The event will also see the
introduction of a new brand,
Thailand Diamond Halal, under which all halal products and
services sourced in Thailand will
be marketed and exported in the
future, the organisers say.
With the new brand, Thailand
wants to boost its halal exports
locally, regionally and globally.
Apart from addressing around
6mn Muslims living in Thailand,
the branding concept wants
to tap the potential of the tenmember bloc of the Association
of Southeast Asian Nations, or
Asean, and the upcoming Asean
Economic Community to be
launched at the end of 2015 that
will bring with it trade liberalisation and a 650mn-people
Asean consumer market, of
which around 46% are Muslims, namely in Indonesia (with
some 210mn Muslim consumers
alone) and Malaysia.
Furthermore, Thailand also
wants to intensify halal trade
with the Middle East, particularly Gulf Co-operation Council
countries, to where it seeks to
export more “quality products”,
including halal health food and
beverages, cosmetics and other
value-added goods. The halal
trade potential with the Middle
East is considerable given the
fact that demand for imported
halal products has been growing
steadily there as most halal food
today is produced by major global food exporters such as Thailand and only to a small extent in
the Middle East.
One of the most engaged protagonists to establish a Thai halal
brand is Prof Dr Winai Dahlan,
founding director of the Bangkok-based Halal Science Center.
“We have invited senior executives from all over the world,
including the Organisation of
Islamic Countries, to share their
experiences and knowledge,
and become better acquainted
with more than 120,000 Thaimade halal products and serv-
Rouble’s decline
may spell further
trouble, says QNB
C
Audi, which already outsells BMW in
China and Europe, is aiming to catch
up in the US
expanding production capacity. “Despite
the growth in total investment, we will keep
a watchful eye on the upcoming challenges
and exercise the required cost discipline,”
chief financial officer Axel Strotbek said.
Audi, which already outsells BMW in China and Europe, is aiming to catch up in the
US. In November, it unveiled the Prologue
concept car in Los Angeles to showcase a
more aggressive design. The company also
plans an electric crossover for the US in 2017
to challenge Tesla Motors Inc and is building
a factory in Mexico that will start building
the Q5 SUV in 2016 for America.
BMW is seeking to fend off Audi and
Mercedes-Benz, which also covets the top
spot, with its own expansion, adding cars
like the $44,700 X4 coupe-like SUV and the
$135,700 i8 plug-in hybrid sports car.
ices, which will now be known as
Thailand Diamond Halal,” Dahlan said.
As for halal food, Dahlan sees
the greatest potential in finished
products containing vegetables,
fruits and seafood. In terms of
halal services, halal tourism gets
big attention. Visitors from the
UAE, Qatar and Kuwait already
comprise the highest spending
category of visitors to Thailand,
and the tourism industry wants
to expand its offers not just in
leisure tourism, but also in medical tourism, business travel, as
well as meeting and event tourism. One session at the conference will be devoted specifically
to halal tourism and hospitality
and halal medical tourism, and
certified services in those sectors will all be under the umbrella of the new Thailand Diamond
Halal brand in the future.
apital flight from developing
economies has accelerated,
most spectacularly from
Russia. A toxic mix of falling oil
prices and international sanctions
has unnerved investors and led to a
collapse in the Russian rouble and
equity markets in mid-December,
the QNB Group has said in a report .
Measures introduced by the Russian authorities and flatter oil prices
have been enough to calm markets
for now. However, it is likely that the
crisis will escalate further. There are
a number of commodity producing
countries that are also facing potential crises, such as Brazil, Nigeria,
and Venezuela.
There is also a risk of crossborder contagion as investors flee
from risky markets as has occurred
in the case of Russia, Ukraine, and
such Eastern European countries as
Hungary.
Oil prices have fallen around
48% since June leading to a steady
deterioration in the outlook for a
number of oil-exporting countries,
with Russia occupying most of the
headlines.
The Russian rouble weakened as
falling oil prices negatively impacted the current account. Hydrocarbons accounted for 69% of export
revenue in 2013 while the current
account surplus is narrow (1.6% of
GDP in 2013).
Meanwhile, tensions in Ukraine
and the steady tightening of US and
EU sanctions against Russian banks,
corporations, and individuals eroded their ability to raise external financing.
The combined effect of oil price
declines and sanctions unnerved
investors leading to capital flight. As
a result, Russia fell into a currency
crisis and the rouble crashed 37% in
one day on December 16.
The weakening of the rouble has
had a negative impact on the economy and Russian companies – a
recession is expected next year and
equity markets have experienced a
sharp selloff, QNB said.
Moreover, servicing the external
debt of Russian banks and corporations (which totals around $700bn
or 33% of GDP) has been made
tougher with the rouble depreciation, causing a drag on the economy
and raising concerns about defaults.
While a weaker currency can normally boost export competitiveness,
this is not the case when the main
export commodity is oil where the
price is determined internationally.
All these factors weighed heavily on
the rouble and equity markets. Since
June, Russia’s equity index – adjusted for the weaker rouble – fell 41%.
The authorities have responded
with a number of measures and the
rouble and equity markets have recovered – the US dollar adjusted
equity index is up 20% since the
trough, QNB said.
In October, the Central Bank of
Russia (CBR) intervened heavily
in foreign exchange markets to try
and keep the exchange rate within
its target range. The CBR stopped
intervening in early November and
allowed the currency to float freely.
Visa, MasterCard halt
Crimea service as US
toughens sanctions
Visa Inc and MasterCard Inc, the world’s biggest
payments networks, halted services to Crimea after
the US escalated sanctions in response to Russia’s
annexation of the peninsula and its activities in Ukraine,
Bloomberg reported.
The card firms are responding to an executive order from
the Obama administration last week, according to e-mails
from the companies’ Russian press offices.
“Visa is now prohibited from offering Visa-branded
products and services to Crimea,” the company said.
“This means that we can no longer support cardissuing and merchant/ATM acquiring services in
Crimea.”
Visa and MasterCard are caught in the middle of an
international dispute sparked by Russian President
Vladimir Putin’s move to annex Crimea from Ukraine.
The firms stopped processing payments at four Russian
banks in response to US sanctions earlier this year. Russia
then passed a law creating its own national payment
system and imposing rules for foreign firms that include
fines for denying services.
However, it resumed interventions in December as the currency
collapsed. The CBR also hiked interest rates by 100 basis points to 10.5%
on December 12 and followed up
with another more dramatic overnight increase of 650 basis points
on December 16. Unfortunately, this
was not enough to stop the rouble
collapsing 37% on the same day.
After the collapse, the Russian
authorities announced further stabilisation measures, the report said.
The CBR announced an $18bn
recapitalisation plan for the banking system and the government imposed new duties on the export of
grains to ease domestic price pressures. Furthermore, Chinese officials signalled on December 21 that
they would be willing to expand a
$24bn currency swap with Russia
that was originally agreed in October.
Finally, on December 23, the government introduced “soft” capital
controls limiting the foreign exchange assets that Russian stateowned exporters could hold. Equity
markets and the rouble in Russia
recovered following these measures
as fears of further collapse receded.
Russia is not the only country
facing difficulties and there is a risk
that crises could emerge elsewhere.
In Nigeria, the naira has weakened
10% since June and the stock market
is down 29%.
In Venezuela, the black-market
exchange rate has weakened around
40%, inflation is more than 60%,
international reserves are low and
the country is running out of basic
goods. In Brazil, the dollar adjusted
equity index has fallen 22% since
June on lower oil and commodity
prices and due to political uncertainty around the recent elections.
The rouble’s collapse had an impact across developing economies,
raising concerns about cross-border contagion. The worst-hit were
Eastern European countries such as
Ukraine and Hungary, QNB said.
Additionally, Bulgarian, Czech,
Polish, and Romanian equity markets have all fallen by 15% or more
since June. These countries have
been dragged down by the deteriorating political situation in Russia
and Ukraine and were particularly
severely impacted by the collapse
of the rouble in December. There
appears to be some risk of financial contagion from a balance of
payments crisis in Russia to other
countries in Eastern Europe.
In summary, oil prices remain low
at around $60 per barrel, compared
with a peak of $115 in June. Oil prices
are not expected to recover to $100
levels in the next five years. Therefore, Russia, Nigeria and Venezuela
all remain at risk of crisis. This could
lead to contagion, weaker currencies, and slower growth in a number
of developing economies.
However, Qatar is unlikely to suffer from contagion as it has been
resilient, so far. Although, its equity market has been hit by lower
oil prices, it is still around 5% higher
compared with the end of June,
QNB said.
4
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 28, 2014
BUSINESS
PBoC mulls easing liquidity needs at banks
Reuters
Beijing
T
he People’s Bank of China
(PBoC) is weighing changing
rules governing how loan-todeposit ratios are calculated at banks,
a move that would boost liquidity conditions, sources with direct knowledge
told Reuters.
The banking-sector sources said the
PBoC, during a meeting with domestic financial institutions, revealed it
is planning to include savings held by
banks for non-deposit-taking financial institutions into banks’ deposits,
which will expand the base for calculating loan-to-deposit ratios.
Under the current rules, Chinese
banks are allowed to lend up to 75% of
their deposits.
According to the sources, 24 major
financial institutions were told at the
meeting that even if interbank deposits
are included in the base, they may not
need to set aside additional reserves,
leaving more liquidity available for
lending and investment.
The move is seen as another attempt
to reinvigorate productive business
investment without resorting to an
across-the-board cut to reserve requirement ratios (RRR).
A 50-basis-point cut to the RRR
is estimated to pour 2.4tn yuan
($386.65bn) into the system after taking into account the money-multiplying effect of fresh lending on the net
money supply.
However, sources said that the possible policy change had been a subject
of debate within the central bank and
as of last week had not been formally
approved by the top leaders.
The PBoC did not answer phone
calls requesting comment.
Chinese stock markets, which had
pulled back from recent peaks hit
earlier in the week, rallied sharply on
Thursday and Friday after rumours of
the meeting began circulating in local
media. The CSI300 bank index rose
more than 10% in just two days.
“After the news (by local media),
market players lowered their expectation of a reserve requirement ratio cut,
which is widely seen to be not effec-
tive to help the real economy,” said Du
Changchun, analyst at Northeast Securities in Shanghai.
The news comes after sources told
Reuters the PBoC had already effectively loosened enforcement of standing LDR rules to allow more capital to
flow into the system in late October,
prompted by a raft of concerns including looming deflationary pressure and
sliding industrial activity.
However, that loosening was followed by a massive, heavily leveraged
rally in Chinese stock market, without
any noticeable impact on lending or
short-term money rates.
This is bad news for reformers,
economists say, as it suggests that previous easing measures have once again
flowed primarily into speculative ventures, as they did during China’s stimulus package in 2009, widely blamed
for producing asset bubbles and bad
debt.
“Overall confidence in the national
economy has worsened and loan demand has declined to record lows,”
wrote Oliver Barron at NSBO in a research note.
The People’s Bank of China headquarters in Beijing. The PBoC is weighing changing rules governing how loan-to-deposit
ratios are calculated at banks, a move that would boost liquidity conditions.
China’s November
industrial profits
suffer sharpest
fall in 27 months
Reuters
Shanghai
C
hinese
industrial
profits
dropped
4.2% in November to 676.12bn yuan
($108.85bn), official data
showed yesterday, the biggest annual decline since
August 2012 as the economy hit major unexpected
headwinds in the second
half.
Despite last month’s
drop, profits for JanuaryNovember
were
5.3%
higher than in the first 11
months of 2013, according
to the National Bureau of
Statistics (NBS) data.
The NBS attributed November’s profit drop to
declining sales and a longrunning slide in producer
pricing power.
“Increasing price falls
shrank the space for profit,” the agency said.
It said the impact of
prices for coal, oil and basic materials falling to their
lowest levels in years “was
extremely clear”.
As the NBS analysis suggested, the net slide in industrial profits was driven
primarily by weakness in
coal mining, and oil and gas
industries, where November profits tumbled from a
year earlier by 44.4% and
13.2% respectively.
Oil, coking coal and nuclear fuel processing industries saw their profits
slide by 34.2%, according
to the data.
On the upside, Chinese
technology industries saw
profits grow sharply last
month. Telecommunications firms saw a 20.7%
increase, electronics and
machinery grew 15.1% and
automobile manufacturers
enjoyed a 16.7% gain.
“This suggests that on
the one hand, in the context of weak investment
demand, stable consumption demand provided a
certain degree of support;
on the other hand, promoting industry restructuring is having a positive
effect on efficiency,” the
NBS analysis said.
However, the unbalanced nature of the performance highlights a
quandary regulators face.
They want to restructure
the Chinese economy away
from credit- and energyintensive heavy industries
toward lightweight technology products and services, yet they must also
avoid causing a crisis in the
financial system.
If Beijing allows mass
closures among its sagging erstwhile industrial
champions in the name of
economic transformation,
it also risks forcing a wave
of bad loans onto bank balance sheets.
That would make banks
even more reluctant to
lend to the next-generation companies which
authorities want them to
support.
Economists are debating whether the monetary
easing steps taken in recent
months - including late
November’s surprise interest rate cut - can prove effective in a context where
many companies are seeking fresh capital primarily
to roll over existing debt
amid weak customer demand, while China’s most
successful firms remain reluctant to borrow.
Current money policy is ‘appropriate’,
says China central bank official
The head of China’s central
bank’s research department
told a forum in Beijing on
Friday that China’s current
monetary policy is appropriate but that liquidity
management is increasingly
important in the face of
high funding costs.
The remarks by the People’s Bank of China (PBoC)
research bureau head Lu Lei
were reported in the official
Securities Times newspaper.
“On the one hand, we can
see the difficulties in fundraising in the real economy,
being both difficult and expensive,” he was quoted as
saying. “On the other hand,
we see high costs for offbalance sheet financing at
a large number of banking
institutions; these are two
sides of the same coin.”
He said next year could
see more policy adjustments
to reduce funding costs,
buttressed by the creation
of new financial products
and services. The comments
follow the PBoC’s surprise
cut in its benchmark lending rates in November,
accompanied by moves to
inject cash into the system
through new short- and
medium-term instruments.
Sources say the PBoC has
also told financial institutions it will further ease
loan-to-deposit ratio requirements, having already
relaxed their enforcement
in October, freeing up more
liquidity by unlocking existing cash held by banks and
in theory increasing their
propensity to lend.
The preference for more
targeted instruments and
easing is seen as less risky
than a system-wide cut in
the bank reserve requirement ratios (RRR), which
could pour as much as 2.4tn
yuan of fresh cash into the
system after accounting
for the money-multiplying
effect of fresh lending.
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 28, 2014
14
BUSINESS
T
he Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE)
Index gained 1,267.40 points,
or 11.33%, during the week, to
close at 12,449.05 points. Market capitalisation increased by 9.8% to reach
QR679.3bn compared to QR618.6bn
at the end of the previous week. Of
the 43 listed companies, 42 ended
the week higher, while 1 fell. Barwa
Real Estate Company (BRES) was the
best performing stock for the week,
with a gain of 33.2% on 19.5mn shares
traded; the stock is up 58.7% year-todate (YTD). On the other hand, Islamic
Holding Group (IHGS) was the worst
performing with a decline of 26.3% on
2.7mn shares traded; the stock is still
up 134.6% YTD.
International oil prices stabilised and
traded in a relatively narrow band during the week. This allowed investors
to go long on the equity market and
the QSE’s benchmark index closed in
the positive territory during the week.
BRES, Ezdan Holding Group (ERES) and
Masraf Al Rayan (MARK) were the biggest contributors to the weekly index
gain. BRES contributed 154.0 points
to the index’s weekly gain of 1,267.4
points. ERES contributed 134.7. MARK
was the third biggest contributor at
129.5 points. Furthermore, all the 20
stocks in the QSE index closed in the
positive territory during the week.
Trading value during the week increased by 28.4% to reach QR4.5bn vs
QR3.5bn in the prior week. The banks
and financial services sector led the
trading value during the week, accounting for 33.2% of the total equity
trading value. The real estate sector
was the second biggest contributor to
the overall trading value, accounting
for 31.2% of the total. BRES was the top
value traded stock during the week
with total of QR850.4mn.
Trading volume increased by 25.6%
to reach 103.1mn shares vs 82.1mn in
the prior week. The number of transactions rose by 16.9% to reach 43,097
versus 36,876 in the prior week. The
real estate sector led the trading volume, accounting for 49.3%, followed
by the banks and financial services
sector, which accounted for 19.7%
of the overall trading volume. BRES
was also the top volume traded stock
during the week with total of 19.5mn
shares.
Foreign institutions turned bullish the week with a net buying of
QR266.6mn vs net selling of QR219.0mn
in the prior week. Qatari institutions
remained bullish with a net buying of
QR62.7mn vs net buying of QR142.2mn
the week before. Foreign retail investors turned bullish for the week with
a net buying of QR49.1mn vs net selling of QR86.7mn in the prior week.
Qatari retail investors turned bearish
with a net selling of QR378.8mn vs
net purchases of QR163.4mn the week
before.
Thus far in 2014, the QSE has already
witnessed net foreign portfolio investment inflow of $2.5bn.
QSE Index and Volume
Weekly Market Report
Source: Qatar Exchange (QE)
Weekly Index Performance
Source: Qatar Exchange (QE)
Source: Bloomberg
Source: Qatar Exchange (QE)
DISCLAIMER
This report expresses the views and opinions of Qatar National Bank Financial Services SPC (“QNBFS”)
at a given time only. It is not an offer, promotion or recommendation to buy or sell securities or other
investments, nor is it intended to constitute legal, tax, accounting, or financial advice. We therefore strongly
advise potential investors to seek independent professional advice before making any investment decision.
Although the information in this report has been obtained from sources that QNBFS believes to be reliable,
we have not independently verified such information and it may not be accurate or complete. Gulf Times and
QNBFS hereby disclaim any responsibility or any direct or indirect claim resulting from using this report.
Qatar Stock Exchange
Top Five Gainers
Top Five Decliners
Most Active Shares by Value (QR Million)
Most Active Shares by Volume (Million)
Investor Trading Percentage to Total Value Traded
Net Traded Value by Nationality (QR Million)
Source: Bloomberg
Technical analysis of the QSE index
T
he QSE index bounced off the strong
long-term uptrend line and gained
11.33% from for the week. The general
sentiment is still positive given the relative
stability of oil prices. The good news is that
this bounce was accompanied by higher
volumes, suggesting further increase in
the level of the Index is possible. The appar-
ent price pattern is a broadening triangle,
which implies more volatility; no specific
direction on the short-term is noticed. Indicators are mostly on the neutral side. The
next expected resistance levels are placed
at 13,000 and 13,700. It is imperative for the
Index to stay above the 10,900 level to be
on the healthy side of the trend.
Definitions of key terms used in technical analysis
C
andlestick chart – A candlestick
chart is a price chart that displays
the high, low, open, and close for a
security. The ‘body’ of the chart is portion
between the open and close price, while
the high and low intraday movements
form the ‘shadow’. The candlestick may
represent any time frame. We use a oneday candlestick chart (every candlestick
represents one trading day) in our analysis.
Doji candlestick pattern – A Doji candlestick is formed when a security’s open and
close are practically equal. The pattern
indicates indecisiveness, and based on
preceding price actions and future confirmation, may indicate a bullish or bearish
trend reversal.
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 28, 2014
15
BUSINESS
Japan govt approves $29bn fiscal stimulus package
Bloomberg
Tokyo
J
apan’s government approved a
¥3.5tn ($29bn) fiscal stimulus
package to boost the economy after
April’s sales tax hike caused consumption to slump.
The measures include shopping
vouchers, subsidised heating fuel for
the poor and low interest loans for
small businesses hurt by rising input
costs, and will boost gross domestic
product by 0.7%, the government estimates.
The spending will be paid for with
tax revenue and unspent funds and
won’t need new bond issuance, EconAbe: Focus on overall growth.
omy Minister Akira Amari said yes-
terday in Tokyo. Unexpected falls in
output and retail sales in November
underscore the continued weakness in
the economy.
With little sign of a rebound in domestic demand, getting growth back
on a recovery track is a priority for
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
“This will support private consumption and boost regional economies,
so that the virtuous economic cycle
spreads to all corners of the nation,”
Abe said in Tokyo after the decision.
About ¥1.7tn will be spent on public works in areas damaged by natural
disasters and to improve disaster preparedness, with ¥600bn for revitalizing regional economies and ¥1.2tn to
support people and small businesses
hurt by the current economic situa-
tion, according to documents released
by the Cabinet Office. The package is
part of an extra budget for the fiscal year
through March which will be adopted
by the cabinet on January 9, Finance
Minister Taro Aso said in Tokyo yesterday. The budget then needs to be approved by parliament, which is controlled by the ruling coalition.
Abe last month delayed the planned
further hike in the sales tax by 18
months after data showed the economy fell into recession.
GDP shrank an annualised 1.9% last
quarter, more than initially estimated,
after a 6.7% contraction in the three
months from April, when the levy was
raised for the first time since 1997.
The postponement fuelled concern
about the government’s effort to rein in
the world’s heaviest debt and prompt-
ed Moody’s Investors Service to cut
its credit rating on Japan. “Coupled
with the delay of the sales tax hike, the
package will be large enough to stimulate consumption,” Hidenori Suezawa,
a financial-market and fiscal analyst at
SMBC Nikko Securities in Tokyo, said
before the announcement. “Rising tax
revenue will be of some help in reining in debt but the government’s fiscal
policies are making it harder to consolidate their finances.”
The Bank of Japan expanded its already unprecedented monetary easing
in October, aiming to pre-empt any
risk of a delay in ending Japan’s “deflationary mindset.”
A decline in demand following the
tax increase and a drop in oil prices
put downward pressure on prices, the
bank said.
Abe: Focus on overall growth.
BoJ chief urges corporates
to make more investments
Bloomberg
Tokyo
B
ank of Japan (BoJ) chief Haruhiko
Kuroda called on Japan Inc to deploy its cash and invest more on
facilities and workers, saying “the rule
book for business will be rewritten” as
the economy emerges from deflation.
“This is a great chance,” Kuroda said
in a speech at the Tokyo headquarters
of the Keidanren, Japan’s biggest business lobby. “Firms that are able to get
ahead of a change in the environment
promptly and to adapt to the economy
in an expanding equilibrium will become the winners of the competition
and enjoy prosperity in the new era.”
The remarks underscore Kuroda’s
bid to get companies to buy into efforts
by the central bank and Abe administration to shake Japan out of two decades of stagnation. While profits are
soaring with a weaker yen, companies
are hoarding record cash, cutting capital expenditure, and failing to boost
wages quick enough to keep up with
rising living costs.
“Kuroda is working very hard to
convince companies to help revive the
economy,” said Maiko Noguchi, an
economist at Daiwa Securities Co and a
former BoJ official.
“Kuroda offered an optimistic outlook on the economy – that was more
like his determination to make that
happen than an outlook.”
The Topix index of shares fell for the
first time in five sessions, losing 0.3%
as the yen rose. The Japanese currency
advanced 0.3% against the dollar. The
10-year government bond yield slid to
its lowest level ever, as the BoJ scoops
up debt.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe formed a
new Cabinet following his election win
on December 14, retaining key economy- related ministers as he presses
ahead with reflationary policies known
as Abenomics.
The victory gave him the chance to
become the nation’s longest-serving
premier in four decades.
Kuroda, handpicked by Abe almost
two years ago to spearhead the fight
against deflation, led a decision on October 31 to expand already-unprecedented monetary stimulus, which gives
the BoJ leeway to buy from the market
every new bond issued by the finance
ministry.
AFP
Tokyo
T
Kuroda: Working hard to convince companies to help revive the economy.
The yen has lost about 29% against
the dollar since Abe took office in December 2012, helping drive up earnings
of big exporters including Toyota Motor Corp which forecasts a record profit
for the year through March.
Companies’ cash and deposits
climbed to a record ¥233tn ($1.9tn) at
the end of September, having increased
every quarter for the past six years, according to the central bank.
Wages have failed to keep up with
inflation that’s been driven by the BoJ’s
easing and a sales-tax increase in April.
Consumer prices rose 2.9% in October
from a year earlier, while cash earnings
were up 0.2%.
Kuroda’s remarks echoed a speech
last month in Nagoya, where he urged
business leaders to use profits more
productively, saying hoarding cash
will become costly as deflation ends.
Companies could boost investment in
facilities and jobs, taking advantage of
the weaker yen, he said.
Falling consumer prices in the years
of stagnation made holding cash a viable option for companies seeking
safety and real returns on capital. Now,
with the central bank suppressing borrowing costs, the calculus is going to
change, according to Kuroda.
The BoJ’s easing has helped to drive
the gap between the return on real assets and on financial assets to historical
highs, according to Deutsche Securi-
ties Inc economists led by Mikihiro
Matsuoka in Tokyo. “The incentive for
companies and households to draw
down financial assets and purchase
real assets is rising,” the Deutsche Securities economists wrote in a research
note.
Yields on Japanese 10-year government bonds tumbled to a record low
last week, following yields on other
maturities down to unprecedented levels. The finance ministry sold ¥2.5tn
of two-year notes at average yield of
-0.0030% at an auction, the first time
it has secured a negative rate on debt of
that maturity.
Consumer prices excluding fresh
food rose 2.7% in November from a year
earlier, according to a Bloomberg News
survey of economists, slowing from a
2.9% increase in October.
Stripping out the effects of an April
sales-tax increase, core inflation is
forecast to be 0.7 – less than half the
BoJ’s 2% target.
Abe last month postponed the second step of a two-stage plan to double
a sales tax to 10%, after an increase
in April hurt consumer and business
spending, triggering Japan’s fourth recession since 2008.
The 18-month delay fuelled concern
about the government’s effort to rein in
the world’s heaviest debt and prompted
Moody’s Investors Service to cut its
credit rating on Japan.
Bank tellers serve as dementia care givers in Japan
Bloomberg
Tokyo
They would enter the bank and ask
for their cash. Yuriko Asahara, behind
the counter, would check where they
would stash it - in the side pocket of a
handbag or perhaps deep down in a
shoulder bag.
Asahara wasn’t spying. She knew she’d
have to remind them within an hour or
two. Many of her clients suffered from
dementia, and over two decades the
bank manager became a self-taught
expert in the disease.
Globally, an estimated 44.4mn people
suffer from dementia and the figure is
projected to triple to 135.5mn in 2050
as the population ages, Alzheimer’s
Disease International estimates.
Nowhere is the problem more acute
than in Japan, where an estimated
8mn people have dementia or show
signs of developing it. By 2060, 40% of
Japanese will be over 65, up from 24%
today, according to National Institute
of Population and Social Security
Research.
Upbeat
Tokyo
investors
head into
last days
of 2014
“At first I didn’t understand why they
would lose things so many times in a
day and I got frustrated,” said Asahara,
a former branch manager at Japan
Post Holdings Co, the country’s biggest
holder of bank deposits. “Gradually, I
learned to look them in the eyes and
to be sensitive about what could be
occupying their minds.”
The Japanese government, faced
with record debt, is raising premiums
and reducing access to state-funded
nursing homes. With about 520,000
elderly on waiting lists for placement,
many spend their days wandering in
shopping malls and making trips to
their banks to check their savings.
Companies are encouraging workers
like Asahara, 64, who retired this year,
to help forgetful elderly navigate their
stores.
The push stems partly from a sense
of civic duty. It’s also a realisation that
helping seniors is good for business.
The market for goods and services
purchased by seniors reached ¥100tn
($830bn) in 2012, according to NLI
Research Institute in Tokyo.
Corps targeting elderly business is part
a nationwide phenomenon to reckon
with a graying Japan. About 5.4mn
people, from apartment managers
to bank employees, retailers and even
children, have taken a governmentfunded course to learn about dementia
and how best to behave with people who
show signs of the disease.
Aeon Co’s programme, which began
in 2007, has trained about 10% of the
retailer’s 400,000 employees. Clerks
who once scolded customers for opening
food packages and for eating without
paying are learning to show more
empathy, said Haruko Kanamaru, general
manager of social affairs at Aeon.
The focus on seniors is “a large portion
of our business strategy,” Kanamaru
said. “We are improving services
handling troubled elderly customers.”
Japan’s government-backed
training programme has inspired
the UK to pursue a similar tack, said
Jeremy Hughes, chief executive of
Alzheimer’s Society, a London-based
charity group. Although a leader in
dementia treatment, the UK began an
educational program called “dementia
friends” only last year, aiming for 1mn
people by 2015. While the US has no
national plan to educate citizens,
some communities are running local
programmes. In Watertown, Wisconsin,
the “Dementia Friendly Campaign”
started last year gives free educational
session to residents and business
owners. In Minnesota, a state-wide
advocacy group,
Act on Alzheimer’s, created toolkits
to guide communities to become
dementia friendly.
Many developed countries’ leaders
have pledged to combat dementia,
emphasizing community-based care. In
December last year, the Group of Eight
nations set a goal of finding a cure for
dementia or a way of modifying the
disease’s course by 2025.
“There’s an understanding that we
shouldn’t lock people up,” said Marc
Wortmann, executive director at
Alzheimer’s Disease International.
Instead, communities should “try
to integrate them and keep them in
societies.”
More than a dozen customers needed
extensive assistance at Asahara’s bank
branch, the former manager said.
She and five colleagues learned to be
patient and to listen.
They spent hours helping those clients
find lost passbooks, reset PINs for
ATMs, and understand their utility bills.
Many elderly clients were obsessed
with money, Asahara said. One woman,
now in her 80s, constantly lost track of
withdrawals from the time Asahara took
the job 20 years ago.
When the national programme, called
Dementia Support Caravan, began in
2005, apartment managers were the
first to join.
They were dealing with tenants who
complained about elderly neighbours
banging the wrong doors, failing to
sort bins, stealing newspapers and
rubbing human waste on communal
walls, said Hiroko Sugawara, who runs
the programme. Now demand is rising
across corporate Japan.
“Companies are proactive because
they are desperate to learn ways to
respond,” Sugawara said.
The branch Asahara oversaw is in the
heart of Nagabusa, outside of Tokyo
city centre and representative of many
of the country’s suburban, ageing cities.
okyo stocks ended slightly
higher Friday after a quiet
week with many investors
away for the Christmas holidays,
but market watchers were upbeat as the Nikkei sits at multiyear highs.
The Tokyo Stock Exchange is
open for business tomorrow and
Tuesday before shutting until
January 5, the first trading day of
2015.
Analysts pointed to strong
performances on Wall Street,
falling oil prices, an expected
Japanese government stimulus
package, and the latest round
of Bank of Japan monetary easing which sharply weakened the
yen, boosting shares of Japanese
exporters.
While Japan’s economic recovery stumbled after a sales tax
rise in April, there are positive
signs on the horizon, said Shigeo
Sugawara, senior investment officer at Sompo Japan Nipponkoa
Asset Management,
“The virtuous cycle of improving corporate earnings,
wage rises, and stronger spending is starting,” he said.
“It’s just the pace and the
strength (that) is underwhelming,” he told Dow Jones Newswires.
Hiroichi Nishi, general manager of the equity division at
SMBC Nikko Securities, also
predicted healthy gains in 2015,
saying that “I’m anticipating
stocks to rebound after they
struggled for some time”.
On Friday, the Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange
edged up 0.06%, or 10.21 points,
to finish at 17,818.96, logging a
weekly gain of 1.12%.
The Nikkei is up more than
nine% this year.
The broader Topix index of all
first-section shares rose 0.44%,
or 6.24 points, on Friday to end
at 1,427.50. It added 1.27% over
the week.
Earlier Friday, the market
largely shrugged off a barrage of
fresh Japanese data that provided further evidence of slowdown
in the world’s number three
economy.
Japan’s industrial output
suffered a surprise drop in November, turning down after two
months of rises.
Meanwhile, Japanese core inflation rate continued to slow
in November, dealing another
challenged to Tokyo and the
Japanese central bank’s battle to
conquer years of deflation.
European and US stocks markets were closed Thursday for
the Christmas holiday, while
financial markets in Hong Kong
and Australia were among those
in Asia-Pacific closed on Friday.
In Friday Tokyo stocks trade,
Honda fell 1.12% to 3,620 yen
after media reports said the automaker would likely put off the
January launch of a luxury sedan
due to additional safety system
checks.
Honda is among the automakers hardest hit by the recall of
millions of vehicles over defective airbags, made by auto parts
giant Takata, which have been
linked to at least five deaths.
Sunday, December 28, 2014
BUSINESS
GULF TIMES
Soaring dollar set to boost
US debt auctions’ demand
Bloomberg
New York
W
hen it comes to the ability
of the US government to finance itself in the bond market, this year will go down as one of the
best on record - and dealers say 2015
will be no different.
The smallest budget deficit since
2008, a soaring dollar and yields on
Treasuries that are higher than more
than a dozen other developed nations
in Europe and Asia will probably combine to bolster demand at US debt auctions. That’s even after the Federal Reserve ended its bond buying in October.
“There’s global demand for highyielding, high-quality assets and the
only one that’s in the game is the US
bond,” Thomas Tucci, the head of
Treasury trading at CIBC World Markets Corp, said.
While the US economy is poised to
grow at the fastest rate in a decade and
employers are adding the most jobs
since 1999, the lack of inflation and
concern over the strength of growth
globally is spurring the biggest returns
in Treasuries since 2011. Wall Street
forecasters, who cut their estimates for
how much yields will rise for 11 straight
months, now say there’s little chance
they will reach 3% before the end of
2015 – the same level where yields
started this year.
At US debt auctions in 2014, investors submitted bids for $6.3tn of interest-bearing Treasuries, or 3 times the
amount sold. Since 1994, the bid-tocover ratio this year has been exceeded
only twice - in 2011 and 2012. Before
the financial crisis, the high was 2.65
times.
Record demand has helped finance
US government spending and deficits,
enabling the economy recover from its
worst contraction since the Great Depression. Since 2008, the market for
US debt has more than doubled to a
record $12.4tn.
Treasuries of all maturities have
gained 6.1% this year, the most since
2011, according to index data compiled
by Bloomberg. That’s pushed down
yields on the 10-year note, the benchmark for trillions of dollars of securities worldwide, 0.86 percentage point
to 2.17% as of 8:53am in London.
At the start the year, forecasters pro-
A money changer counts US dollar bills at a currency exchange in Manila. A soaring dollar and yields on Treasuries that are
higher than more than a dozen other developed nations in Europe and Asia will probably combine to bolster demand at US
debt auctions.
jected 10-year yields rising to 3.44% on
expectations the Fed’s stimulus would
boost the economy and allow the central bank to move toward ending its sixyear-long policy of holding interest
rates close to zero. Instead, lacklustre
US wage growth, turmoil in the Middle East and Russia and the spectre of
deflation in Europe prompted investors
to pour into Treasuries.
The auctions have taken on added
importance as primary dealers, which
are obligated to bid at such sales, reduced the cash they commit to facilitate transactions.
Investors bought a record 58% of
Treasuries at auctions this year, while
dealers purchased less than any other
year since the government began releasing the data in 2003. Average daily
trading has fallen to 4.1% of the total
outstanding, from 13.1% a decade ago,
according to Fed and Treasury data
compiled by Bloomberg.
“It’s gotten to the point where the
market depth, the liquidity that dealers
can provide has been reduced, even for
Treasuries,” Michael Lorizio, a senior
trader at Manulife Asset Management,
said.
The amount of bonds sold at auction
to fund US spending is decreasing as
faster economic growth boosts tax receipts and shrinks the deficit, which is
set to narrow further in 2015.
The Congressional Budget Office
estimates the shortfall will decrease
to $469bn in the year ending Sept.
30 from $483bn last fiscal year. That
would be the smallest funding gap in
seven years. The deficit has declined in
four of the past five years since peaking
at $1.4tn in 2009.
“The net supply isn’t that big,” William O’Donnell, the head US government bond strategist at RBS Securities,
said.
RBS, a primary dealer, estimates net
supply of $625bn in 2015, versus a projected $767bn this year.
For JP Morgan Asset Management’s
Priscilla Hancock, a stronger US economy also means higher interest rates,
which will damp investor appetite for
Treasuries.
The economy will expand 3% in 2015
after growing 2.3% this year, based on
the latest Bloomberg survey. Employers have added 228,000 jobs per month
in 2014, the fastest pace in 15 years.
While the almost 50% plunge in oil futures since June pushed down consumer prices in November by the most in
six years, lower fuel costs will prove to
be a boon for consumers and ultimately
spur inflation, she said.
“That drop in the cost of oil should
be stimulative,” Hancock, the global
fixed-income strategist at JP Morgan
Asset, which manages $1.5tn, said.
“Once the Fed starts to raise rates,
which we believe will be in the middle
of the year, the market will bring forward its expectations,” she said.
Fed Chair Janet Yellen, who downplayed oil’s influence on long-term
inflation after the central bank’s policy
meeting on December 17, suggested a
“patient” approach to rates may translate into an increase by the middle of
2015.
Traders are less certain that inflation will pick up any time soon, meaning Treasuries will probably remain in
demand, according to Margaret Kerins,
the Chicago-based head of fixed- income strategy at Bank of Montreal, a
primary dealer.
The Fed’s preferred measure of inflation has failed to reach its 2% goal for
30 straight months.
Based on yields of Treasuries due in
January 2016, the bond market is now
warning that deflation may emerge.
Investors’ outlook for cost-of-living
increases, which approached 2% in
March, has since tumbled and turned
negative last week for the first time
since 2009.
Foreign investors will have an “easier
time buying into lower-than-expected
inflation,” which preserves the value of
fixed income, Kerins said.
Overseas demand may temper any
jump in US borrowing costs as the dollar strengthens and central banks in
Europe and Japan step up stimulus to
support their flagging economies.
The greenback, which has appreciated 13.5% against the yen and 12.4%
against the euro this year, is poised to
gain 4.5% and 3.6% against the respective currencies in 2015, surveys compiled by Bloomberg show. A stronger
dollar boosts the value of US assets for
foreigners.
Yields on 10-year Treasuries are
higher than notes from 17 other developed nations, including Italy, Hong
Kong and the UK. In the euro area,
where inflation reached a five-year low
in November, German bund yields fell
to a record 0.59% this month and the
least relative to the US since 1999.
That suggests the new year may be
just as bullish as 2014 was for Treasuries, Krishna Memani, the New
York-based chief investment officer at
OppenheimerFunds, which oversees
$79.1bn of fixed-income assets, said.
“All the things that have been helping the Treasury market will be very
much in place in 2015,” he said.
US-based stock funds attract record $36.5bn inflows
Reuters
New York
Investors in US-based funds poured
$36.5bn into stock funds in the latest
weekly period, marking the biggest
inflows on record as US stocks surged
to record highs, data from Thomson
Reuters Lipper service showed on
Friday.
The massive cash commitments for
the week ended December 24 were the
biggest since Lipper’s records began
in 1992. Investors pledged entirely
to funds that specialise in US stocks,
which attracted $39bn, while funds that
invest in non-US shares posted $2.5bn
in outflows.
The demand came from both retail
and institutional investors, with stock
mutual funds attracting $12.8bn and
stock exchange-traded funds attracting
$23.7bn. Mutual funds are commonly
purchased by retail investors, while
ETFs are thought to represent the
behaviour of institutional investors.
The inflows into stock mutual funds
were the biggest since March 2000,
while the inflows into stock ETFs were
the biggest since March 2008. The
overall inflows into stock funds follows
$17.9bn in withdrawals the prior week,
which were the biggest since February.
Funds that specialise in energy stocks
attracted $1.5bn, their biggest inflows
since September 2008, while funds
that specialize in Japanese stocks
posted $1.5bn in outflows, their biggest
on record.
Taxable bond funds attracted $6.1bn,
their biggest inflows in seven weeks
but just a fraction of the inflows into
riskier stock funds. Funds that hold
investment-grade corporate bonds
attracted $2.6bn after posting $80mn
in outflows the prior week, which
marked their first outflows since June.
Funds that specialise in emerging
market shares posted $990mn in
outflows, their biggest withdrawals in
10 weeks.
Low-risk money market funds,
meanwhile, attracted $17bn, their
biggest inflows in three weeks.
The inflows into stock funds came as
the benchmark S&P 500 stock index
rallied 3.4% and hit record closing highs
on an unexpectedly strong report on
US economic growth and on the back
of reassuring comments by the Federal
Reserve on monetary policy. Year-end
buying also boosted US shares.
The Dow hit record closing highs and
ended above 18,000 for the first time
over the period.
The Commerce Department’s 5% final
estimate of US third-quarter economic
growth, released December 23,
indicated the quickest pace in over a
decade.
“That took a lot of people by surprise,
and translating that through the
markets, it ought to make you a lot
more positive on the equity side,” said
Jack Rivkin, chief investment officer at
Altegris in La Jolla, California.
He also said investors have favoured
stocks heading into the year-end,
given the recent upward momentum
in US shares. “You want that portfolio
at the end of the year to look like you
knew what you were doing for the
whole quarter, and that’s pushing more
money into stocks.”
The S&P 500, which has risen about
13% this year, has risen about 6% in the
fourth quarter.
The inflows into energy stock funds
came as brent oil prices rebounded
5% on December 19 in a recovery
from near a 5-1/2-year low as investors
squared books ahead of the end of the
year, following a six-month slide.
The record outflows from Japanese
stock funds, meanwhile, came despite
Japan’s recommitment to its massive
economic stimulus campaign pushed
Asian stocks to their best day in 15
months.
Russia grain
exports
revive as
informal
curbs ease
Reuters
Moscow
R
ussian grain exports have
picked up again after the
decision to impose official export duties reduced the
informal curbs that had all but
stopped sales abroad, SovEcon
agriculture consultancy said
yesterday.
Russia, the world’s fourth
largest wheat exporter, introduced informal grain export
controls last week to try and cool
domestic wheat prices as exports hit record levels thanks to
the slump in the rouble.
Russia’s main wheat buyers are Turkey, Iran and Egypt,
which is very vulnerable to any
disruptions in supply.
Officials in Moscow have assured Egypt that deals to import
120,000 tonnes of wheat for
delivery in January will be met,
the state Al-Ahram newspaper
quoted Egypt’s supplies minister, Khaled Hanafi, as saying on
Friday.
The informal Russian export controls – tougher quality
monitoring by safety watchdog
Rosselkhoznadzor and limits
on railway loadings – had all
but stopped exports, according to a non-state farm lobby
group.
The informal measures were
then followed by a government
decision to introduce duty on
wheat exports from February 1
until June 30, 2015.
“Since the clarity over the
duty, market players have reported a decline in the informal
barriers on exports,” SovEcon
said in a note.
“Rosselkhoznadzor has started to give certificates and vessels
with grain have started leaving the Azov and the Black Sea
ports.”
A Rosselkhoznadzor spokesman said, however, that the
tougher quality monitoring
would remain in place.
According to the watchdog,
the tougher checks did not affect
exports anyway.
Two trade sources said some
vessels were leaving Black Sea
deep-water ports, but shallowwater ports in the Azov Sea
were still mostly closed, unofficially.
State-controlled
Russian
Railways also called off its controls on grain loadings on Friday,
but said it planned to raise its
tariffs for such supplies by 13.4%
from Jan. 24.
The Russian domestic grain
market has also revived in the
past few days after stalling when
the informal curbs were introduced, SovEcon said.
The price of third-class
wheat fell 200 rouble to 11,125
roubles ($206) per tonne in
the European part of Russia at
the end of this week, SovEcon
said.
The price, though, is still too
high for the government which
is ready to pay 10,100 roubles a
tonne as part of its stock replenishment programme.
Plunge in oil prices clouds Wall St outlook for coming year
Reuters
New York
T
The Wall Street was generally calmer in 2014 than in previous years, but that
doesn’t mean the stock market was devoid of drama.
he Wall Street was generally
calmer in 2014 than in previous
years, but that doesn’t mean the
stock market was devoid of drama.
Big selloffs in biotechnology and
social media stocks had strategists
predicting doom in the spring, and the
plunge in oil prices has clouded the
outlook for the coming year.
It was a year when Cynk Technology,
a development-stage company with
no revenue, was briefly worth $6bn,
and when a long-forgotten closed-end
fund focused on Cuba – the Herzfeld
Caribbean Basin Fund – saw more
trading in one day in December than it
had in six years.
With that in mind, Reuters asked
Wall Street strategists a few questions
on odd things to watch for in 2015.
Shares of Apple, the most valuable
publicly traded US company, will finish higher for a sixth straight year.
With a current market value of about
$663bn, if one were to pick a company
that would be the first to hit $1tn in
value, Apple’s a safe choice – but not
next year, investors said. The iWatch,
its latest product, may not be enough
to propel the stock further.
“I don’t really see this company as
having another blockbuster category
of products.
The watch doesn’t feel like a great
idea. I’m kind of out of the Apple mystique thing,” said Kim Forrest, vice
president and senior analyst at Fort
Pitt Capital Group in Pittsburgh.
With its gains on Friday, the Nasdaq Composite Index sits just about
200 points shy of the vaunted 5,000
level, which it has not seen in nearly 15
years – and its all-time intraday high
of 5,132.52 reached on March 10, 2000,
isn’t far off.
“I think Nasdaq will test and probably achieve higher highs than we did in
2000 because I think we’re in a secular
bull market that has another eight to
10 years left to run,” said Jeffrey Saut,
managing director at Raymond James
& Associates.
For the Nasdaq to hit 5,000, it would
take a gain of 4%. And to get to that
all-time high, it would take about a 7%
increase.
Whether that’s warranted is something over which investors disagree.
“What we need now is for fundamentals like revenue and earnings to catch
up with current valuations,” said Jack
Ablin, chief investment officer at BMO
Private Bank in Chicago.
After a series of market-crippling
operational glitches in recent years,
found everywhere from Nasdaq to options markets, investors are bracing for
more such events.
This year, a gold-mining exchangetraded fund, Market Vectors Gold
Miners ETF, dove 10% in the waning
seconds of trading one day in early December.
Earlier in the year, high-frequency
trading firm Virtu Financial canceled
an initial public offering after the release of Michael Lewis’ book “Flash
Boys” brought negative publicity to
computerised trading.
None of these incidents were as
damaging as the May 2010 “flash
crash.” The most notable in 2014 came
out of the bond market in mid-October, when 10-year Treasuries yields
crashed more than 0.3 percentage
point without warning.
“There definitely will be an event.
At least one, probably more,” said
Joe Saluzzi, co-manager of trading
at Themis Trading in Chatham, New
Jersey. “Investors want a lower cost.
In return for the lower costs they
think they’re getting there are also
risks, and the risks usually involve
technology. Lots of times they leave
black eyes.”
“Whenever you have all these systems talking to each other problems
happen. They’re tested robustly but
not for every boundary condition,” said
Forrest of Fort Pitt Capital.
Investors worry that biotech stocks
will have a tougher start to the year
after pharmacy benefits manager Express Scripts dealt a blow to Gilead
Sciences on December 22 when it
dropped coverage of Gilead’s hepatitis
C treatment.
Biotechs were all over the place in
2014. They were at the forefront of the
selloff in momentum favourites in the
spring, and hit another rough patch in
December on the Gilead news.
“I think biotech is pretty expensive
as an asset class,” said Raymond James’
Saut. “But over the next three to five
years the big breakthroughs are going
to come from the biotech complex. I
don’t know about a pullback but I think
there are better places to be.”
CRICKET | Page 3
YACHTING | Page 7
Pak spinner
Ajmal pulls out
of World Cup
Wild Oats XI
lead Sydney to
Hobart race
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Rabia I 6, 1436 AH
FOOTBALL
GULF TIMES
SPORT
Terry is all gold
for Chelsea
and Mourinho
Page 4
HANDBALL
Qatar 2015 official song to have
fusion of 24 global musicians
‘Music has a way of crossing geographical boundaries and the collaboration
between various regional artists for this song will strengthen its mission to engage
everyone. It will also make them feel like they are part of a global community’
By Sports Reporter
Doha
T
he Qatar 2015 Organising
Committee has launched a
unique project that brings
together 24 musicians and
artists from around the world to create the Official Song of the 24th Men’s
Handball World Championship.
With the Championship set to take
place in fewer than 30 days, excitement is growing among the global
community of handball fans. This
initiative truly embraces the international spirit of the event by collaborating with renowned artists from each
of the participating countries. Using
music as a platform, the song helps
spread a message of unity and encourages support for the sport of handball.
Fahad al-Kubaisi, a prominent Qatari singer, has been chosen to represent the host nation of Qatar. The official song will also feature the Qatar
Philharmonic Orchestra and the Siwar choir, Qatar’s leading youth choir
which was established by Al Jazeera
Children’s Channel (JCC). Siwar aims
to support talented Arab children by
encouraging them to join the choir and
training them to sing professionally.
Expressing his enthusiasm about
the official song, al-Kubaisi said: “I
am extremely honoured to have been
given the opportunity to represent
my country Qatar, the proud host nation of the 24th Men’s Handball World
Championship. It has been a truly enriching experience to work on this and
the official song definitely holds up to
its purpose of bridging barriers in addition to enhancing communication
Fahad al-Kubaisi will represent the
host nation in the official song of the
Qatar 2015 World Championship.
with countries and creating sense of
unity and togetherness.”
Mani
Hoffman,
representing
France, added: “Music has a way of
crossing geographical boundaries
and the collaboration between various regional artists for this song will
strengthen its mission to engage everyone. It will also make them feel like
they are part of a global community.”
The song has been launched along
with a music video featuring all the
international artists that have participated in this project. There is also a
special documentary being produced,
showing the “making of” the official
song and including a few interviews.
Other confirmed artists include
Belarus’ Alexander Rybak, Slovenia’s
Alya, Egypt’s Carmen Suleiman, Austria’s Charlee, Macedonia’s Daniel Kajmakoski, Argentina’s Daniela Herrero,
Russian singer Nyusha lends her voice to the song.
Czech’s Ewa Farna, Denmark’s Fallulah,
Chile’s Francisca Valenzuela, Tunisia’s
Hasan Karbech, Iceland’s Jon Jonsson,
Croatia’s Lana Jurcevic, Brazil’s Lucas
Silveira, Bosnia’s Marija Sestic, Russia’s
Nyusha, Germany’s Oceana, Sweden’s
Ola, Spain’s Pablo Lopez, Poland’s Rafal Brzozowski, Iran’s Shahab Tiam,
Algeria’s Amine Djemmal and Saudi
Arabia’s Jaber al-Kaser.
Lyrics of the Official Song have been
provided by Amir Teima and Shady
Ahmed, and music composed by Sveinung S Nygaard.
One of the main objectives of the
Qatar 2015 Organising Committee is
to boost the prestige of handball. The
song will play a significant role in that,
promoting the Championship and its
message of unity through sport to a
global audience.
Participating artists have also
helped to raise awareness about Education Above All (EAA) and its programme ‘Educate A Child’, that will be
supported by the 24th Men’s Handball
World Championship.
Proceeds from ticket sales of the
championship will help to further
the efforts of EAA’s programme and
several artists have also pledged their
support through an online campaign.
The song’s music and lyrics reflect
the pride, the passion that people feel
in supporting their national team. It
will engage audiences at the championship to sing and cheer for their
teams during the matches (To watch
the video of the Qatar 2015 Official
Song visit: http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=h7n2If4n-W0).
The 24th Men's Handball World
Championship will take place in Doha
from January 15 to February 1, 2015.
Algeria's Amine Babylone (left), Tunisia's Hasan Kharbech and
Carmen Suleiman from Egypt (right) are among the 24 artists
and musicians who will feature in the song, the lyrics of which
have been provided by Amir Teima and Shady Ahmed, and music
composed by Sveinung S Nygaard.
SING ALONG... With renowned artists from each of the 24 participating countries helping in the making of the official song,
Qatar 2015 organisers hope to spread the message of unity and encourage support for the sport of handball through music.
The official song will also feature the Qatar Philharmonic
Orchestra and the Siwar choir, Qatar’s leading youth choir.
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 28, 2014
2
CRICKET
THIRD TEST
Captain Smith fireworks
leave India reeling in 3rd Test
Smith has accumulated 567 runs in the series for three times out at an average of 189
Australian batsman Steve Smith pulls on his
way to an imperious 192 off 305 balls against
India during the second day of the third Test at
Melbourne Cricket Ground yesterday. (AFP)
AFP
Melbourne
S
teve Smith put Australia in command of
the third Test with a memorable innings
to leave India with a massive task to stay
alive in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Melbourne yesterday.
Smith blasted an imperious 192 off 305 balls
with 15 fours and two sixes to spearhead Australia to a formidable 530 and then took a diving catch to have the tourists at 108 for one at
the close on the second day and trailing by 422
runs. India’s first task was to avoid the followon target of 331 while the Australians, leading
the four-match series 2-0, will be pressing for
victory over the final three days.
Murali Vijay passed fifty for the fourth time
in the series and was unbeaten on 55 with
Cheteshwar Pujara not out 25 after Smith
swooped to take a catch low off the ground at
second slip to dismiss Shikhar Dhawan for 28 off
Ryan Harris.
It could have been better for Australia but
wicketkeeper Brad Haddin dropped Pujara on 12
SCORECARD
AUSTRALIA I INNINGS
(OVERNIGHT 259 FOR 5)
C. Rogers c Dhoni b Shami
57
D. Warner c Dhawan b Yadav
0
S. Watson lbw b Ashwin
52
S. Smith b Yadav
192
S. Marsh c Dhoni b Shami
32
J. Burns c Dhoni b Yadav
13
B. Haddin c Dhoni b Shami
55
M. Johnson stp Dhoni b Ashwin
28
R. Harris lbw Ashwin
74
N. Lyon b Shami
11
J. Hazlewood not out
0
Extras (b1, lb9, w1, nb5)
16
Total (all out, 142.3 overs)
530
Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Warner), 2-115 (Rogers), 3-115
off the bowling of Josh Hazlewood.
Smith dominated day two with his highest
Test score and was the last wicket to fall when he
went after a big shot with fielders on the boundary in pursuit of a double century. It was his
(Watson), 4-184 (Marsh), 5-216 (Burns), 6-326 (Haddin), 7-376 (Johnson), 8-482 (Harris), 9-530 (Lyon),
10-530 (Smith)
Bowling: I. Sharma 32-7-104-0 (5nb), Yadav 32.33-130-3, Shami 29-4-138-4 (1w), Ashwin 44-9-134-3,
Vijay 5-0-14-0
INDIA I INNINGS
M. Vijay not out
55
S. Dhawan c Smith b Harris
28
C. Pujara not out
25
Total (1 wicket; 37 overs)
108
Fall of wickets: 1-55 (Dhawan)
Bowling: Johnson 9-3-24-0, Harris 7-3-19-1, Hazlewood 9-4-19-0, Watson 4-0-14-0, Lyon 8-0-32-0
India trail by 422 runs with 9 wickets remaining
third century of the series, his fifth for the year
and was replete with all his quirky shotmaking
to leave India skipper MS Dhoni at a loss as to
how to contain him.
“I feel pretty good at the crease. Everything
FOCUS
Australia’s Clarke unlikely to
make start of World Cup
from surgeons that the hamstring tendon he
had repaired was otherwise in sound condition.
With Clarke likely to miss the first part of
the World Cup, Bailey is well placed to lead,
though Smith has mounted a compelling
case, bashing three centuries in consecutive
matches against India and also dominating
South Africa’s world class attack in the ODI
series.
Reuters
Melbourne
A
ustralia captain Michael Clarke
doubts he will be fit for the start
of the World Cup in February but
hopes to be back at some stage during the tournament. Clarke had surgery on
his injured hamstring after straining it for a
fourth time in as many months during the
first Test against India in Adelaide.
Clarke came out of the surgery feeling
positive but conceded yesterday he would
struggle to be fit for Australia’s opening
match against England on Feb. 14. “I’m really
confident that the way things are progressing at the moment, that if I continue ticking the boxes, I’ll be a really good chance for
the World Cup,” Clarke told host broadcaster
Channel Nine.
“I think I’ll certainly be fit and available for
the majority of the World Cup. I’m hoping
the selectors will give me the opportunity (to
come back).”
Steven Smith has been leading the Test side
in Clarke’s absence while George Bailey led the
one-day international team during the recent
series victory at home against South Africa.
After hurting his hamstring in Adelaide, a distraught Clarke told reporters he had to face the
possibility that he might never play again.
He has since rowed back on those comments and remains determined to take back
the reins. Clarke said he put his reaction in
Adelaide down to being “extremely emotional” and he had since been given confidence
AUSTRALIA’S MARSH TO MISS FINAL
TEST AGAINST INDIA
Australia all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has
been ruled out of the fourth and final Test
against India after aggravating a hamstring
injury. Marsh strained his hamstring during the second Test in Brisbane and was
sidelined for the ongoing third test in Melbourne.
“Mitchell Marsh had scans on his injured
hamstring this morning after reporting some
soreness yesterday. The scans confirm that
he has suffered a setback in his rehab and will
not be available for the Sydney Test match,”
team physio Alex Kountouris said in a statement.
Kountouris said the team’s focus would be
to get Marsh fit for the one-day international
tri-series against England and India which
starts Jan. 12. Debutant batsman Joe Burns
replaced Marsh in the team for the third Test.
is working for me at the moment which is nice
and the most pleasing thing is that we’ve got 530
runs on the board and that’s a very good first innings total for us,” Smith said.
“It was pretty fun to be honest. It was nice to
be able to play a few shots there at the end and
try and get the total up as high as we could.”
Smith bettered his previous highest score of
162 not out in the first Adelaide Test by dancing
down the wicket to plonk spinner Ravi Ashwin
high into the stands with a mighty six. The new
skipper was aided by lusty knocks from Haddin
(55), Mitchell Johnson (28) and Ryan Harris (74)
as Australia took apart the Indian attack.
As a double century beckoned for Smith,
Dhoni placed all his fielders close to the ropes
in damage limitation but in the end the Aussie
skipper threw away his wicket going for a big
heave off Umesh Yadav only to be bowled.
Smith has now accumulated 567 runs in the
series for three times out at an average of 189.
“We looked to get them out pretty early this
morning. Unfortunately, Smith batted really
well and they got a (few) too many runs for our
liking,” Ashwin said.
“But if you look at the overall game, the score
is pretty par for this wicket. It seems slow and
pretty flat as well. We’ll take 1-108 and we’d like
to pile on the runs tomorrow,” while adding with
a smile: “We’ll make 650 and try to put them
back in.”
Paceman Harris brought up his highest Test
score with a six off Ashwin and then was out
next ball leg before wicket for 74 off 88 balls.
He put on 106 runs for the eighth wicket with
Smith and looked unruffled against the nonplussed Indian bowlers.
Nathan Lyon was out going for a big heave off
Mohammed Shami for 11 with another 48 runs
added off 38 balls. Australia lost two wickets in
the morning session but added 130 runs to their
overnight score of 259 for five.
Haddin played himself back into form after
a run of 15 innings without a fifty, reaching his
18th Test half-century and his highest score for
almost a year with his 55. The veteran wicketkeeper tried to leave a Shami delivery but got a
bottom edge and was caught behind.
Haddin put on 110 runs for the sixth wicket
with Smith, while Johnson hit a breezy 28 off 37
balls with five fours before he was stumped off
Ashwin shortly before lunch.
India will continue to use short-ball tactic
Melbourne: India bowler Ravichandran Ashwin defended
his team’s continual use of the
short ball to Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin, even
though it was not working.
Haddin got a barrage of
short-pitched bowling from
India’s pacemen, despite having a perceived weakness of
knicking off to the keeper to
the ball outside off-stump.
The veteran keeper, who
was under pressure for his
place due to a lack of runs,
found a way to deal with the
short ball, and infact score
runs off it. He scored 26 runs
off 35 short balls bowled to
him. Ashwin, however said
Haddin was not comfortable
at crease.
“Did he seem comfortable? Okay. If you say so.
We really thought he had a
genuine weakness over there.
We continue to think he has a
weakness over there. We will
continue to target him in the
next Test match as well. We will
continue to target him next innings as well. He doesn’t quite
look that comfortable. That’s
the idea behind them.”
The tourists did not learn
from the previous Test, in Brisbane, where they gave Mitchell
Johnson some short-pitched
bowling and were pelted all
around the Gabba.
Ashwin is positive that India
can do something in the next
few days to still get a favourable result in the match and
stay in the series.
He said: “They got a bit too
many runs for our liking. But
if you look overall, the score is
pretty par. The wicket seems
slow and it is pretty flat. We’ll
take 110 for 1 and we’ll like to
pile on the runs tomorrow. I am
not the one to basically look
and comment at this game. But
if you ask me, I will say only
one thing: we’ll make 650 and
try and put them back in.”
Indian wicket-keeper MS Dhoni (left) stumps Australian batsman Mitchell Johnson off the bowling
of Ravichandran Ashwin in Melbourne yesterday. (EPA)
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 28, 2014
3
CRICKET
FIRST TEST
Sri Lanka fight for survival
against New Zealand
Hosts four-pronged pace attack led by Trent Boult dismisses Sri Lanka for 138 inside 43 overs
AFP
Christchurch
N
ew Zealand had the scent of
victory after only the second
day of the first Test against Sri
Lanka yesterday after a scintillating bowling spell forced the tourists to follow on 303 runs in arrears.
After New Zealand posted 441 in their
first innings at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, a four-pronged pace attack led by
Trent Boult dismissed Sri Lanka for 138
inside 43 overs.
“That first innings was something
special. It just seemed to happen
against a quality side so it was brilliant,”
New Zealand’s chief destroyer Boult
said after returning figures of three for
25 off 11 overs.
Sri Lanka made a more solid start to
their second innings, reaching 84 without loss at stumps, but with three days
remaining they were still 219 runs in arrears and Boult believed the signs were
good for New Zealand. “It’s a great opportunity to win a Test match in New
Zealand,” the left-arm quick said.
He described the pitch as “inconsistent” with the amount of assistance it
gave but said if the New Zealand bowlers kept the pressure on “then I think
we’re going to be successful”.
New Zealand had resumed the second day at 429-7 and lost their last
three wickets for a cheap 12 runs in 32
balls as their innings folded for 441.
The quick end signalled that the bowlers had found how to exploit the greentinged surface and 13 wickets fell in two
sessions after the batsmen led by New
Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum’s
195 had dominated the first day.
In a pre-lunch onslaught Boult
ripped through Sri Lanka’s top order
starting with the removal of Dimuth
Karunaratne for nought with his fourth
delivery to bring up his 100th Test dismissal. He followed with the wickets
of Kaushal Silva for four and Sri Lanka
dangerman Kumar Sangakarra for six.
Sangakkara was six runs short of becoming only the fifth player to reach
12,000 Test runs when he was beaten
by a late swinging Boult delivery that
caught an outside edge and was snapped
up by Tim Southee at third slip.
Southee split the webbing between
the thumb and forefinger of his left
hand securing the catch and required
five stitches. But the injury did not affect his right-arm deliveries and after
a tight but fruitless opening spell he
joined the action after lunch, claiming
Lahiru Thirimanne (24) and Niroshan
Dickwella (two) in the space of four
balls.
Neil Wagner chimed in with the
wickets of Prasanna Jayawardene, Angelo Mathews and Tharindu Kaushal
before Jimmy Neesham mopped up
the tail with the wickets of Dhammika
Prasad and Suranga Lakmal.
Amid the carnage, only Mathews carried the fight to New Zealand as he raced
from 40 to his 19th half-century with a
four and six off successive deliveries
from Wagner.
New Zealand bowler Trent Boult (centre) celebrates taking 100 Test wickets during day two of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Christchurch at Hagley Park Oval. (AFP)
SCORECARD
NEW ZEALAND I INNINGS
(OVERNIGHT 429-7)
M. Craig not out
12
T. Southee c Thirimanne b Mathews
0
N. Wagner c Kaushal b Lakmal
4
T. Boult c Jayawardene b Lakmal
0
Extras (lb4, w2, nb7)
13
Total (all out, 85.5 overs)
441
Fall of wickets: 1-37 (Rutherford), 2-60
(Latham), 3-88 (Taylor), 4-214 (Williamson), 5-367 (McCullum), 6-420 (Neesham),
7-429 (Watling), 8-431 (Southee), 9-440
(Wagner), 10-441 (Boult)
Bowling: Lakmal 19.5-3-90-3 (2nb),
Eranga 18-1-82-1, Mathews 12-2-39-3,
Prasad 12-2-62-1 (2w), Kaushal 22-0-159-1
(5nb), Thirimanne 2-0-5-0
SRI LANKA I INNINGS
D. Karunaratne lbw Boult
0
K. Silva lbw Boult
4
K. Sangakkara c Southee b Boult
6
L. Thirimanne c Craig b Southee
24
A. Mathews c Latham b Wagner
50
N. Dickwella c McCullum b Southee
2
P. Jayawardene c Williamson b Wagner 10
D. Prasad c McCullum b Neesham
18
T. Kaushal c Williamson b Wagner
6
S. Eranga not out
10
S. Lakmal c McCullum b Neesham
2
Extras (lb3, w2, nb1)
6
Total (all out, 42.4 overs)
138
Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Karunaratne), 2-8
(Silva), 3-15 (Sangakkara), 4-58
(Thirimanne), 5-60 (Dickwella), 6-88
(Jayawardene), 7-105 (Mathews), 8-118
(Kaushal), 9-128 (Prasad), 10-138 (Lakmal)
Bowling: Boult 114-25-3 (1w), Southee
12-4-17-2, Neesham 6.4-1-28-2 (1w),
Wagner 11-0-60-3 (1nb), Craig 2-0-5-0
SRI LANKA II INNINGS
D. Karunaratne not out
49
K. Silva not out
33
Extras (1lb, 1nb)
2
Total (0 wickets, 35 overs)
84
Bowling: Boult 7-2-16-0, Southee 7-2-11-0,
Wagner 11-1-37-0 (1nb), Craig 7-2-12-0,
Neesham 2-1-4-0, McCullum 1-0-3-0
Sri Lanka trail by 219 runs with
10 second wickets remaining
But his belligerence was to prove his
downfall when he charged at Wagner a
third time and skied a top edge to Tom
Latham at third man. In addition to
Boult’s impressive figures, Wagner took
three for 60, Southee two for 17 and
Neesham two for 28.
In their second innings Karunaratne
was not out 49 at stumps with Silva on
33, with Karunaratne receiving a life
when he was dropped on 10 by substitute Cole McConchie off Boult’s
bowling.
New Zealand’s first innings folded
tamely with only Mark Craig, not out
12, offering token resistance as Mathews
and Lakmal removed Southee and Boult
without scoring. Lakmal also removed
Wagner for four to finish with three for
90 while the more economical Mathews
took three for 39.
Pakistan’s
Ajmal
withdraws
from
World Cup
Karachi: Ace Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal announced
he will not feature in next
year’s World Cup after he
failed to completely correct
his bowling action which
led to his suspension three
months ago, an official said
yesterday.
The 37-year-old Ajmal
appeared before a Pakistan
Cricket Board (PCB) committee yesterday before taking
the decision. “Ajmal has taken
this decision all by himself
as he has not been able to
completely correct his action
and he will hold a press conference in a couple of days to
announce his decision,” PCB
chairman Shaharyar Khan
told media.
Ajmal’s bowling action was
reported during the Galle
Test in Sri Lanka in August.
His action was found illegal
on a bio-mechanic assessment a month later which
led to his suspension. “The remedial work on his action will
take some time so we are not
sending him for an unofficial
test,” said Khan.
Under the International
Cricket Council (ICC) rules all
bowlers are allowed to bend
their elbow by 15 degrees
beyond which the action is
deemed illegal. The suspended bowlers need to remodel
their action after which they
undergo reassessment to get
clearance.
Ajmal did remedial work
under former Pakistan spinner Saqlain Mushtaq who
also advised him to take
some more time. Mohammad Akram, head coach at
Pakistan’s national cricket
academy, said Ajmal has
taken an honest decision.
“Ajmal wants to play as
world number one bowler
and not someone who wants
to hide for his action,” Akram
told AFP. “Saqlain advised
him to concentrate on cricket
after the World Cup which he
has accepted and withdrew
from the World Cup,” said
Akram.
Pakistan face another race
against time on all-rounder
Mohammad Hafeez whose
action was also reported last
month. PCB has decided to
send Hafeez to Chennai, India
for unofficial tests before
applying for reassessment
with the ICC. Ajmal’s absence
will badly hamper Pakistan’s
chances in the World Cup to
be held in Australia and New
Zealand in February-March
next year.
SECOND TEST
Persistent rain dampens South Africa’s chances
AFP
Port Elizabeth
F
af du Plessis completed his fourth Test
century and was dismissed immediately afterwards on a rain-hit second day
of the second Test between South
Africa and the West Indies at St George’s Park
yesterday.
Only half an hour’s play was possible in Port
Elizabeth, during which six overs were bowled
and South Africa moved from their overnight
270 for two to 289 for three. “It was a very frustrating day,” said Du Plessis after play was finally
called off more than four-and-a-half hours after the stoppage. We had a very good day one
and were exactly where we wanted to be.”
With more rain predicted for today, Du Plessis
admitted it might be difficult for South Africa to
force a series-clinching win to follow their victory by an innings and 220 runs in the first Test
in Centurion. “We will just have to do what we
plan to do a lot quicker. We’ve got a very good
bowling armoury but on the St George’s Park
wicket it does take a bit longer.”
Du Plessis, on 99 overnight, flicked Jerome
Taylor’s first ball of the day for four runs to raise
his century off 229 balls. He hit 13 fours and two
sixes. But he was out to the next ball, a perfect
outswinger which found such a faint edge that
umpire Paul Reiffel remained unmoved as wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin and the bowler celebrated.
The West Indians sought a review and Reiffel
SCORECARD
SOUTH AFRICA I INNINGS
(OVERNIGHT 270-2)
A. Petersen c Johnson b Gabriel
17
D. Elgar c Ramdin b Peters
121
F. du Plessis c Ramdin b Taylor
103
H. Amla not out
23
A. de Villiers not out
9
Extras (lb4, nb7, w5)
16
Total (3 wkts, 94 overs)
289
Fall of wickets: 1-47 (Petersen), 2-226 (Elgar),
3-274 (Du Plessis)
Bowling: Taylor 22-4-74-1 (2nb, 1w), Peters 156-44-1, Holder 16-5-34-0 (1nb), Gabriel 15-0-52-1
(3nb), Benn 25-3-81-0 (1nb), Samuels 1-1-0-0
was forced to change his decision when ‘Snicko’
revealed the tiniest of scratches off the bat. It
was the first wicket of the series for Taylor.
AB de Villiers joined captain Hashim Amla
and hit two handsome drives for four off Jason
Holder. He was on nine not out and Amla was
unbeaten on 23.
West Indian opening batsman Kraigg
Brathwaite said patience would be the key when
the tourists eventually batted.
He said the West Indian players had been encouraged by the way they bowled on the first day
but wanted to get on the field to make up for the
chances they had missed during a 179-run second wicket partnership between Du Plessis and
Dean Elgar.
South Africa’s Faf du Plessis celebrates after
scoring a hundred during the second Test against
West Indies at S.George Park in Port Elizabeth. (AFP)
Saeed Ajmal
PAKISTAN REPLACE
MOIN AS MANAGER
Pakistan appointed retired
top military officer Naveed
Cheema as manager for next
year’s cricket World Cup,
replacing former captain
Moin Khan.
Sixty-year-old Cheema, a
retired brigadier who also
held the manager’s post from
2011 to 2013, is currently serving as chief secretary of Punjab province. The Pakistan
Cricket Board (PCB) said Moin
had to step aside as he also
held the post of chief selector
and such a dual role was not
allowed.
Moin would “stay on as
chief selector as part of the
squad for the ICC World Cup
2015”, the PCB said in a press
release. Cheema would also
serve as team manager for
two one-day internationals in
New Zealand on January 31
and February 3, held ahead of
the World Cup running from
February 14 to March 29 in
Australia and New Zealand.
PCB chairman Shaharyar
Khan praised Moin’s services
and greeted his decision to
continue as chief selector.
Moin said he accepted that
he could not stay on in two
positions.
4
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 28, 2014
FOOTBALL
EPL
SPOTLIGHT
Coach Pellegrini
wants points, not
City milestones
‘I just continue trying to add points, because it’ll be a close fight for the title this year’
AFP
London
M
anchester
City
manager Manuel
Pellegrini
has
downplayed
the
significance of his side standing
on the brink of a club-record
10-game winning run ahead of
today’s game against Burnley.
City’s 3-1 Boxing Day success
at West Bromwich Albion in the
Premier League stretched their
streak of victories to nine in a
row in all competitions, leaving them on the verge of history
ahead of Burnley’ visit.
Pellegrini conceded that the
statistic was news to him, but
said that it was points, rather
than records, that are his primary focus as his second-placed
side look to keep the pressure on
leaders Chelsea.
“I wasn’t aware of that. I don’t
worry about records,” the Chilean said. “I just continue trying
to add points, because it’ll be a
close fight for the title this year.
“And we want to keep the title.
Burnley have good players, but
if you think that this is an easy
game, then we’ll have problems.
We’ll play against them as we
would any other team.”
The gap between City and
Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea remains three points after both
sides claimed victories on Friday.
Fernando, Yaya Toure—from
the penalty spot—and David
Silva were on the score-sheet
as Pellegrini’s side provided an
emphatic response to Chelsea’s
2-0 victory over West Ham earlier in the day.
They had been gifted the initiative early on by a poor West
Brom side and, such was their
dominance, they already had
the game won by the time heavy
snow made for hazardous playing conditions in the second
half.
What has been particularly
impressive about City of late is
that they are sweeping aside all
before them without a recognised striker.
Midfielder James Milner
again led City’s front-line in the
absence of the injured Sergio
Aguero and Edin Dzeko, with
the fit-again Stevan Jovetic only
ready to be named among the
substitutes.
Irvine under scrutiny
Pellegrini added: “We scored
three goals again, even though
we never had a striker. That’s
not easy.
“When it was 3-0 it was
important to avoid injuries.
David Silva has a lot of skill
inside the box, so we have options with him and other players, too.
“I’m not thinking about
Chelsea at the moment. We
need to win our games, we have
to play against Burnley at home
and there are 20 games to finish
the title.
“The title is never finished
in December. I am sure the race
for the title is not just between
two teams; there’ll be others involved also.
“How many other teams? I
don’t know. (Manchester) United carry on winning. Anyone
who can reach 86 points can win
the title.
“It’s a very important month,
and a key week. We have to play
for nine points.
“It’s not the week that’ll decide the Premier League, but it’s
important to be top of the table
as soon as we can. That’ll be an
advantage for the second half of
the season.”
Alan Irvine’s West Brom, who
scored a late consolation via
Brown Ideye, have won only one
of their last eight games, leaving
the club just two points above
the relegation zone.
Asked if he feared for his future,
Irvine replied: “The chairman will
make a decision as far as that’s concerned. I can’t control it.
“Can I be confident about it?
No, not necessarily, because I
don’t know what the thinking
is. All I can do is keep working
hard.”
Terry’s all
gold for
Chelsea and
Mourinho
Reuters
London
F
ormer England captain
John Terry is performing
as well in central defence
as he was a decade ago,
according to Chelsea manager
Jose Mourinho.
Terry scored for the second
time in five days when his firsthalf goal, the 61st of his club career, paved the way for Premier
League leaders Chelsea to beat
London rivals West Ham United
2-0 on Friday.
Just as pleasingly for Mourinho, the 34-year-old gave a masterclass in the art of defending as
he subdued West Ham’s in-form
striker Andy Carroll.
“He is full of confidence,”
Mourinho told reporters after
Chelsea kept up their 100 percent home record in the league
this season to stay three points
clear at the top.
“I see my John of 2004, 2005
and 2006, I don’t see any difference. The only difference is seeing his twins when they go to the
training ground, they had only
just been born in that period but
now they are running around
and kicking balls.
“John is playing so good but I
always say the same, when the
team is playing so well it’s easy
for individuals,” the Portuguese
added.
Mourinho, who led Chelsea to
the league title in 2005 and 2006
and returned for a second stint
in charge 18 months ago, said the
upbeat mood at Stamford Bridge
was in stark contrast to the atmosphere that characterised the
end of his time with previous
club Real Madrid.
“Our results are good and the
players are happy,” he explained.
“I’m happy as a coach because
the team is playing well.
“I’m happy as a guy because I
love my players. It’s important to
feel happy with the people that
surround me, it’s something I
missed for a while.”
Chelsea, who are also through
to the Champions League last
16 and League Cup semi-finals,
narrowly missed out on the Premier League title last season but
Mourinho believes there is a big
difference in his side now.
“We are a much better team
when we have the ball,” he
added. “Last year we were very
strong defensively and very well
organised but we lacked a bit of
creativity when we had the ball.
“The challenge this year was
to bring that creativity and dynamic without losing the defensive qualities of the team.”
Chelsea John Terry celebrates a goal
against West Ham at Stamford Bridge in
London on Thursday. (EPA)
FOCUS
Carrick targets title for surging Man United
AFP
London
M
anchester United midfielder Michael Carrick
believes the club should
be aiming for a record-extending 21st English title rather than
settling for a Champions League spot.
A comfortable 3-1 home win over
Newcastle on Friday was United’s seventh in eight matches and left them ten
points behind Premier League leaders
Chelsea with Manchester neighbours
City seven ahead.
“We’re continuing to look up and
will continue to try to catch them
(City and Chelsea),” the midfielder
told United’s website ahead of today’s
game against Tottenham.
“We’re not satisfied with third. It’s
obviously an improvement and we’re
getting better but we want to keep
looking up.”
After failing to reach Europe’s
showpiece tournament last season
under David Moyes and then caretaker manager Ryan Giggs, after the
Scot was sacked, a top four finish is the
minimum target for United.
Carrick’s return from an ankle injury at the start of November sparked
United’s surge of form and the Old
Trafford giants have dropped just two
points since the England international
came back.
Former manager Alex Ferguson
went as far at to describe the 33-yearold as “the best English player in the
game”.
Carrick countered by saying that
new manager Louis van Gaal is benefiting from his squad of potent attacking weapons.
On Boxing Day van Gaal fielded an
enviable attacking quartet of Wayne
Rooney, Radamel Falcao, Juan Mata
and Robin van Persie.
“That’s four world-class players
you’re talking about there,” Carrick
said.
“Going in to a game with those lads
in your team gives us a real threat and a
lot of confidence knowing we can create chances and score goals. Against
Newcastle they clicked nicely and
hopefully in the weeks coming up we’ll
see something similar.”
“We can improve and we are im-
proving every match. That’s the most
important thing,” said the Dutchman.
“It’s a process not for one day, but
for a year.”
Carrick, who played for Spurs for
two years before signing for United,
thinks he and his teammates must not
dwell on punishing schedule as they
head to White Hart Lane just 43 hours
after disposing of Newcastle.
“Going to Tottenham is always a
tough game and to go there two days
after this match at 12 noon makes it
very tough,” he said.
“But we have to get ourselves ready
for that and it’s the same for them as
well. It’s a game we look forward to
and we go there confident.”
British record signing Angel di Maria is a big doubt because of a pelvis injury he suffered in training on Christmas Eve.
Marouane Fellaini and Adnan Januzaj are out through illness. Daley Blind
(knee) and Marcos Rojo (thigh) are
unavailable, but Luke Shaw took part
in a post-match training session on
Boxing Day and could feature for the
first time since November 22, when he
injured his ankle against Arsenal.
Manchester United’s English striker Wayne Rooney (L) celebrates scoring their first goal as Manchester United’s English
midfielder Michael Carrick (2R) congratulates Manchester United’s Colombian striker Radamel Falcao (2L) during the English
Premier League match at Old Trafford in Manchester. (AFP)
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 28, 2014
5
SPORT
SPOTLIGHT
Japan coach Aguirre denies match-fixing
Reuters
Tokyo
J
apan
coach
Javier
Aguirre denied yesterday any involvement in
match-fixing in Spain
and called for calm from the
team’s supporters during their
Asian Cup defence. The Mexican
was among 41 people named by
Spain’s anti-corruption prosecutor in court this month following a probe into Real Zaragoza’s
2-1 win at Levante on the final
day of the 2010-11 campaign.
The victory ensured Zaragoza,
coached by Aguirre, avoided relegation.
The Japan Football Association has sent a delegation to
Spain to conduct a probe into
the case but said Aguirre will remain in charge for next month’s
Asian Cup in Australia. Speaking through a translator, Aguirre
said he believed Spanish soccer
was clean and the investigation would not impact Japan’s
preparations for the tournament. “I worked in Spain for
12 years and I have never done
anything unethical or unprofessional,” Aguirre told reporters at
the JFA’s headquarters in Tokyo
yesterday. “I would like to tell
our supporters to stay calm during this investigation. We need
their support to take the Asian
Cup title. I will be concentrating
and preparing for the Japan team
to win the Asian Cup.”
The 56-year-old Aguirre replaced Italian Alberto Zacch-
eroni, who stepped down after
Japan were eliminated in the first
round of this year’s World Cup in
Brazil. The prosecutor in Spain
alleges the Levante players were
paid a total of 965,000 euros to
deliberately lose the game.
“I will be cooperating with
the Spanish authorities and
seeing this case through to the
end,” Aguirre added. Defending champions Japan open their
tournament against Palestine
on Jan. 12 and also have Iraq and
Jordan in their group.
FOCUS
DECISION
Hibs dent Rangers
title hopes with
home hammering
Warnock
sacked by
Palace after
dismal run
‘I think the best team won and I don’t have any excuses at all’
P
AFP
Glasgow
JASON CUMMINGS
H
ibernian secured their
biggest victory over
Rangers since 1912 as a
turbulent week for the
Glasgow giants ended in a 4-0
thrashing yesterday.
In a week where manager Ally
McCoist was placed on gardening leave and serious concerns
were raised about the running of
the club at a stormy AGM, it was
hoped the focus would revert
back to the Ibrox club’s challenge
for the Scottish Championship
title at Easter Road.
However, caretaker manager Kenny McDowall’s reign
as Rangers boss got off to a disastrous start when David Gray
fired home a superb eighth
minute opener followed four
minutes later by a Jason Cummings strike.
There was to be no second half
comeback for Rangers with Scott
Robertson and Liam Craig compounding their misery as Hibernian ran riot.
The defeat, Rangers’ fifth in
just 17 matches, all but ends their
hopes of beating Hearts to the
one automatic promotion spot
back to the Premiership, with the
Jambos able to open up a 15 point
lead at the top of the table if they
defeat Livingston.
“I’m hugely disappointed,
especially for our support who
were here today. Obviously finding yourself 2-0 down after 12
minutes isn’t an ideal start,” a
clearly despondent McDowall
said. “I think the best team won
and I don’t have any excuses at
all.”
Hibernian, who had a shaky
start to the season under new
manager Alan Stubbs, have
now completed the double over
Rangers following their 3-1 win
at Ibrox in September to close to
within four points of the Gers in
second place.
“From the beginning to the
end, it probably doesn’t get
much better than that. I feel the
lads have just produced a com-
plete performance,” Hibs boss
Stubbs said.
“We dominated in every area
of the field and the players deserve all the credit. The way we
played today was outstanding,
we scored some brilliant goals.”
McDowall opted to make no
changes to the Rangers side that
defeated Livingston last week
while Hibs manager Stubbs
kept faith with the same players
who had won their previous two
matches.
Any hopes McDowall harboured of getting his Gers reign
off to a perfect start took a dent
almost immediately as his side
conceded two goals in four minutes.
The first came from Gray, who
collected the ball wide right and,
as the Gers defence stood off
him, he smacked a sensational
20 yard strike into the top corner past the helpless Steve Simonsen.
Rangers had barely regrouped
when Hibs added another
through Cummings. Keeper Simonsen was caught in no man’s
land when Craig knocked Scott
Allan’s excellent cross-field pass
back across goal and Cummings
bundled the ball home with a
queue of Hibs’ players waiting
to finish. Cummings then tested
Simonsen with a stinging shot
that the keeper could only palm
away as Hibs bossed proceedings. It took Rangers until the
37th minute to have their effort on goal with Lee McCulloch
sending his header from a Steven
Smith corner widely over the
bar.
In a rare foray forward Lee
Wallace managed to swing a decent delivery from the left into
the box but Miller powered a
header wide under pressure.
Reuters
London
remier League strugglers Crystal Palace
ended manager Neil
Warnock’s brief second spell in charge yesterday
following a dismal run of one
win in 12 games, the club said
in a statement.
A 3-1 home defeat by Southampton on Friday left Palace in
the relegation zone, third from
bottom on 15 points from 18
games. Warnock, appointed
in August, is the first Premier
League manager to lose his
job this season. “Crystal Palace Football Club can today
confirm that Neil Warnock
has been relieved of his duties and is no longer first-team
manager,” Palace said on their
website (www.cpfc.co.uk).
“The club would like to put
on record its thanks to Neil for
all his hard work and energy
over the past four months.”
The London club have lost
three and drawn three of their
last six games, their last win
coming against Liverpool on
November 23. Palace make
the trip across London to
face Queens Park Rangers today with Keith Millen taking
charge as caretaker manager.
Warnock, 66, returned to
Selhurst Park after Tony Pulis, who had steered them to
an 11th-place finish against
the odds last season, departed
two days before the start of the
current campaign.
Warnock left Palace in 2010
after they went into administration, joining Queens Park
Rangers and taking them into
the Premier League before being sacked eight months later,
in January 2012.
The following month he was
appointed manager of Leeds
United, only to be fired just
over a year later. Warnock has
managed 13 clubs, starting in
non-League football almost 35
years ago.
Rangers tried to respond in
the second with Liam Fontaine
clearing a Nicky Law strike off
the line but an Allan-inspired
Hibs soon killed off their hopes.
The midfielder’s sublime pass
slipped in Robertson who curled
a shot beyond Simonsen in the
63rd minute.
Allan was again the architect
in the 70th minute as he burst
forward down the inside right
channel and chipped a beautiful ball across goal for Craig who
sent a measured volley low into
the bottom right-hand corner of
the net.
CONCERN
Wenger facing up to Frenchman Giroud blow
AFP
London
A
rsene Wenger admits
losing Oliver Giroud
once again is a body blow
to Arsenal’s Champions
League push.
Giroud is facing three games
out after his red card in the 2-1
Boxing Day win against QPR.
The Frenchman was sent off for
a headbutt on Nedum Onuoha and
his lack of discipline will see him
first sit out today’s London derby
at West Ham. Having made a major impact since his return from
ankle surgery that sidelined him
for three months, Giroud’s absence is the last thing the Arsenal
manager needs at this pivotal stage
of the season. “Olivier touched
him (Onuoha) and he should not
have done it,” said Wenger. “He
knows he made a mistake and I
know him well enough to think
that he will not do it again. “He
told me he was pushed in the back
and projected against the ‘keeper.
Maybe the injury he had played on
his mind and he was scared to be
injured again. Usually he is a guy
in control of his response. “You
never need that - that’s for sure.
In my job you have to deal with it
with the strengths and sometimes
the mistakes of people.” Wenger
might have celebrated his 400th
Premier League win in charge of
Arsenal but he won’t be raising a
glass to Giroud.
The striker’s physicality will be
missed at Upton Park, especially
with the aerial bombardment
West Ham put teams under with
Andy Carroll in their ranks.
Much will rest on the shoulders
of Alexis Sanchez, who scored and
then created Tomas Rosicky’s goal
in another man-of-the-match
showing. “Sanchez has shown his
ability to create chances and his
commitment to the side, which
has made such a difference for us
this season,” said Wenger.
Detached
“He is a guy full of confidence
and playing with some real style.”
Despite the win, Arsenal are still 15
points behind leaders Chelsea and
Wenger added: “We find ourselves
detached from the teams above
us at the moment, with a bit of
ground to make up.
“We can’t get too carried
away with trying to make up that
ground at the moment, just to
concentrate on what we’re doing. “I don’t give importance to
the table at the moment. There’s
20 games to go. It’s very tight and
it’s down to consistency now. We
know every game now is down to
consistency and reproducing the
performances.” After a recordequalling nine straight away defeats in the Premier League, QPR
will be thankful to return to home
soil when they face another London derby in Crystal Palace today.
Harry Redknapp will go headto-head with Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock, the man who
helped QPR win promotion in
2011 but was sacked just months
later. “He did a great job, didn’t
he, at QPR?,” said Redknapp. “You
can only do with what you have
got. “If you can go out and buy the
best players you will have the best
teams. If you have a small budget
it’s a different game. “But I think
Palace are a good side and he is
doing a good job now.”
6
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 28, 2014
SPORT
SPOTLIGHT
EPL clubs gets little rest over
busy holiday weekend
‘Our opponents will think that as well, but let’s just put the performances in and capitalise on it. The consistency is what will matter’
Chelsea players observe one minute silence to commemorate
World War One victims during their English Premier League
match against West Ham United at Stamford Bridge in London
on Friday. (EPA)
DPA
London
T
here will be little rest for
the weary when the Premier League’s busy holiday schedule reaches its
high point this weekend.
Nine games will be played
today, just two days after the
popular Boxing Day programme.
It’s the shortest break in a period
where teams play three games in
six days that truly test a squad.
“It’s the period that is very
important,” Arsenal manager
Arsene Wenger said ahead of Friday’s 2-1 win over QPR.
“There are three games in a
very short period of time and we
can make points.
“Our opponents will think
that as well, but let’s just put the
performances in and capitalise
on it. The consistency in that
period is what will matter.”
Three games today feature
teams in the hunt for a top-four
finish and a place in the Champions League.
Manchester United, currently
third, visit seventh-place Tottenham and West Ham host Arsenal in a meeting of the fifth and
sixth-placed clubs.
The highlight of the day,
though, will be in Southampton,
where the fourth-place Saints
welcome leaders Chelsea.
Chelsea hold a three-point
lead over defending champions
Manchester City after both were
easy Boxing Day victors. The
Blues beat West Ham 2-0, while
City won 3-1 in the snow at West
Brom. Southampton, meanwhile, beat Crystal Palace 3-1 to
jump over West Ham into fourth.
It was their second straight victory after a five-match winless
run and manager Ronald Koeman is ready for the challenge of
playing the leaders.
“For everybody Chelsea are
the biggest test,” Koeman said.
“In my opinion they are the best
team in the Premier League until
now, but we believe in ourselves
and it will be a great game.”
Manchester City should have
it easier than Chelsea as they
host Burnley, who are 19th.
City scored all three goals
FOCUS
against West Brom in the first
half before battling the elements after the intermission. It
was their seventh straight league
win and ninth consecutive victory overall and was once again
accomplished without a recognised striker due to injuries.
“It shows our strength of
depth to win with so many missing,” midfielder James Milner
said. “Chelsea go about their
business, we just take care of
ours and make sure we get the
points which we did today.”
The race for the top four isn’t
the only close one in the table.
Things are just as tight at the
bottom with six teams currently
in the relegation fight.
Four of them meet Sunday as
Leicester take on Hull and QPR
host Crystal Palace.
Leicester sit last with 10
points, five behind Burnley and
Crystal Palace above them.
However, manager Nigel Pearson isn’t ready to throw in the
towel, even with his team winless in 13. “We will keep going,”
he said after Friday’s 2-1 loss to
Tottenham. “You can never sub-
mit to the negativity from external avenues.
“At the moment we are finding life very tough because the
margins are so tight. That is the
harsh realities of the Premier
League. To stay here we have to
up our level and resilience and I
have every faith in the players to
do that.”
Sunderland are away to Aston
Villa, Stoke play West Brom, and
Newcastle host Everton in Sunday’s other games, while Liverpool host Swansea tomorrow to
wrap up the weekend fixtures.
TURKISH SUPER LEAGUE
Rampant Ronaldo looking to
improve on outstanding 2014
Reuters
Madrid
N
ot content with four titles in 2014, including his second
Champions League, prolific Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo is determined to make next year an even
bigger success.
Ronaldo netted 51 goals in 47 appearances last season, setting a
record of 17 goals for one edition of Europe’s elite club competition,
as Real secured a record-extending 10th continental crown and the
King’s Cup. The Portugal captain continued where he left off in
2014-15 as the world’s richest club by income claimed the European
Super Cup and Club World Cup and he has amassed an incredible 32
goals in 25 games in all competitions.
His haul of 25 in 14 La Liga matches is a Spanish record and he
looks set to smash the biggest total for a season in Spain’s top flight
of 50 scored by Lionel Messi in 2011-12.
“It would be a dream if 2015 was like 2014 or even better,” Ronaldo said in an interview published in sports daily As yesterday.
“It is possible to do it because Madrid is always a candidate to win
the competitions it is playing in,” added the 29-year-old.
“We have a team spirit that can help us win the most titles possible and we will fight to the death to get them.”
Ronaldo attributed much of Real’s recent success to the arrival of
coach Carlo Ancelotti, who replaced the divisive Jose Mourinho at
the end of the 2012-13 season.
Italian Ancelotti immediately ended Real’s 12-year wait for their
10th European title and using the club’s millions has built a formidable side that is top of La Liga and one of the favourites to repeat
their Champions League success this term.
“The coach has a lot of importance,” Ronaldo told As.
“He is a great trainer and a great person and we are all delighted
with him. “Together we are a united family which will try to improve on the successes of 2014.”
Ronaldo will find out whether he has won a third FIFA World
Player of the Year award, and his second in a row, on Jan. 12 when
he is up against Argentina captain Messi and Germany goalkeeper
Manuel Neuer.
Galatasaray’s Umut Bulut (L) vies for the ball with Genclerbirligi’s Radosav Petrovic (R) during the
Turkish Super League match in Ankara on December 26. The match ends in 1-1 draw. (AFP)
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 28, 2014
7
SPORT
YACHTING
FOCUS
Wild Oats XI lead
Sydney to Hobart
‘It makes the race more intense for both of us to have a boat nearby’
Aussie O’Connor
leaves Toulon to
pursue World
Cup dream
AFP
Sydney
Australian yacht
Wild Oats XI sails
in the Sydney to
Hobart yacht race.
(AFP)
AFP
Sydney
W
ild Oats XI was
leading the Sydney to Hobart fleet
down Australia’s
east coast yesterday ahead of
rival Comanche, with fellow supermaxi Perpetual Loyal out of
the race.
The Cruising Yacht Club of
Australia said after 24 hours
of racing, record- holder Wild
Oats XI was ahead of the 100foot
American
newcomer
Comanche, while Perpetual
Loyal had retired from the gruelling 628 nautical mile endurance test with hull damage.
The retirement whittles the
117-strong starting fleet down
to 109.
A
ustralia back James
O’Connor says he
leaves Toulon after
today’s Top 14 clash
against Stade Francais after
‘a great six months’ with the
French champions.
The 24-year-old is heading
home to join Queensland Reds
in a bid to boost his chances of
being selected for the Wallabies’
2015 World Cup squad.
“I’ve picked up so many things
from my time here,” he said on
Saturday.
“I’ve learnt a great deal from
this team. Playing with top players gives you confidence.
“There’s a real culture of winning here, I’m sure the boys are
going to win the Top 14 and the
European Champions Cup.”
Explaining his decision to return home he added: “I’m going
back to Australia in the hope of
fulfilling a dream: to play in the
World Cup.
“I will do everything to earn my
selection, first of all in the Super
15, then with the national team.”
“We’re not exactly sure what
happened, we were coming off
some big waves, but we also
could have hit something during
the night when we were falling
off these waves,” said Perpetual
Loyal crewman Tom Slingsby.
Perpetual Loyal, one of five
100-foot supermaxis in the
race, is the most high-profile retirement so far, with seven other
smaller boats suffering broken
rudders, sail or hull damage in
the tough opening night.
Brindabella, a former line
honours winner, was among
them, pulling out after she
started taking on excess water due to damage to her rudder bearings. The choppy seas
mean hopes of breaking the
race record, set by Wild Oats XI
in 2012 of one day, 18 hours, 23
minutes and 12 seconds, have
faded with the leaders behind
record-breaking pace.
The brand-new, cutting-edge
Comanche, owned by American
technology entrepreneur Jim
Clark, flew out of Sydney Harbour at the start on Friday with
seven-time line honours winner
Wild Oats XI hard on its heels.
But as the boats turned south
on the way to the Hobart finish
line they encountered choppy
seas, prompting the fleet to
spread out as they tried to avoid
the worst of the weather.
‘More intense’
By morning the winds had
eased, giving an advantage to
the slim-line Wild Oats XI,
which broke away from the
wider-bodied Comanche to be
about 20 nautical miles ahead
by late Saturday afternoon.
Comanche navigator Stan Honey said he was pleased the boats
had kept each other within sight
for the first day of the race.
“It makes the race more intense for both of us to have a
boat nearby,” he said.
“Last night we had some fairly big seas and so it was pretty
sloppy—and in a wide boat like
this, it flaps around a bit so that
was a bit of a challenge,” he said.
“But it wasn’t that windy and so
we had a reasonable night.”
More than 25 nautical miles
behind Comanche is fellow supermaxi Rio 100, followed by
Alive and the fifth supermaxi
Ragamuffin 100, which said it
had slowed down overnight
to protect the boat from the
rough seas. Ragamuffin’s sailing master David Witt said he
believed the winds would pick
O’Connor was dropped by
Australia in September 2013 in
the wake of an incident at Perth
airport that reportedly saw him
escorted from the premises for
arguing with airline staff.
The then Australia coach
Ewen McKenzie declared that
O’Connor would have to “modify (his) behaviour” if he wanted
to resurrect his international career.
The player noted: “I didn’t
leave on good terms. I’ve got
things to prove to my country.”
O’Connor has turned out 10
times for Toulon, scoring four
tries with a total of 59 points.
Reflecting on his Top 14
spell he said: “I’ve grown
up. I’ve really developed my
game, especially in attack, in
learning how to make good
decisions. I understand rugby
better now.”
He quits Toulon meanwhile
with fond memories of his half
year in France.
“I love the way of life in France,
the culture and their style of living suits me perfectly.
“I reckon it’s the ideal place
for me to better express myself
both on and off the pitch.”
up for his vessel and ensure it
made the mouth of the Derwent
River heading into Hobart at the
same time as the race leaders,
who were in a different weather
patch and could suffer from a
lack of wind.
“We believe the leaders are
going to run into a hole and
stop,” he said.
The Sydney to Hobart is a
famously unforgiving race that
takes crews down Australia’s
southeast coast, across the Bass
Strait and up the Derwent River.
The yachts in the Sydney to
Hobart are not only racing for
line honours, but the handicap
award, which takes into account
the dimensions of each boat, its
age and other factors. Each year
the race attracts boats ranging
in size from 30-footers (9 metres) to 100-foot supermaxis.
SPOTLIGHT
Sweet Caroline interruption proves awkward for McIlroy
Reuters
Dublin
R
ory McIlroy, the world’s number
one golfer, experienced an awkward moment when he went to
watch Ulster take on Connacht
in a rugby match on Friday.
The Ulster supporter was in the middle of a television interview with the
BBC when the Neil Diamond song ‘Sweet
Caroline’ was played over the public address system at halftime.
McIlroy responded by smiling sheepishly, looking down at the ground and exclaiming “Oh dear”.
The Northern Irishman broke off his
engagement to former world number one
tennis player Caroline Wozniacki in May,
the same week as he won the BMW PGA
Championship at Wentworth.
McIlroy went on to score a rare title hat-trick later in the season, reeling off three straight victories in the
British Open at Royal Liverpool, the
WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in
Ohio and the U.S. PGA Championship
in Kentucky.
The 25-year-old is having some time
off before returning to competitive golf in
the new year.
“I’m in my off-season so I can enjoy
myself, enjoy my Christmas dinner and
have a few drinks,” said McIlroy with a big
grin.
McIlroy will only have to win the US
Open to follow Woods as the only player
ever to hold all four major titles at the
same time. Except it will be another Ulsterman, his great friend and Ryder Cup
partner Graeme McDowell, who will win
his second US Open. Northern Ireland
will not know whether to party or commiserate, so will do both with equal success.
And with Woods finishing third at his
national championship, the build-up to
the 144th Open will be one of the most
hyped in memory.
Rory McIlroy with Caroline Wozniacki.
8
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 28, 2014
SPORT
NBA
Struggling
Devils fire
coach DeBoer
Dudley a perfect 10,
Bucks blast Hawks
New Jersey: The struggling
National Hockey League
team New Jersey Devils fired
head coach Peter DeBoer on
Friday. The Devils (12-17-7) are
seventh in the Metropolitan
Division with 31 points. DeBoer was in his fourth season
as New Jersey’s coach.
Scott Stevens and Adam
Oates were announced as cocoaches of the yesterday, one
day after DeBoer was fired.
Assistant coach Dave Barr
was also dismissed, general
manager Lou Lamoriello said.
Lamoriello will be behind
the bench with Stevens and
Oates for a short period
of time. Stevens, a Hall of
Fame defenseman who won
three Stanley Cups as Devils
captain, will oversee the
defense. Oates will oversee
the forwards.
General manager Lou Lamoriello did not comment on
the reasons behind the move
or a possible replacement for
DeBoer. The Devils play the
New York Rangers at Madison
Square Garden on Saturday.
DeBoer took the Devils to
the Stanley Cup Final in 2012,
but they have not made the
playoffs since.
In their final game before
the Christmas break, the
Devils lost 2-1 in a shootout to
the Carolina Hurricanes, the
last-place team in the Eastern
Conference. New Jersey is
2-5-3 in its past 10 games. The
Devils are 28th in the NHL
in goals-per-game (2.11) this
season after finishing 27th
last season (2.40).
Last season, New Jersey
was sixth in the division with
88 points and finished five
points out of the final Eastern
Conference wild-card spot.
The Devils were 0-13 in the
shootout.
The high-flying Hawks had won five in a row and 14 of their previous 15 contests
FLAMES RECALL
DEFENSEMAN POTTER
The Calgary Flames recalled
defenseman Corey Potter
from the Adirondack Flames
of the American Hockey
League, the team announced.
In 123 career NHL games, he
has eight goals and 24 assists.
Meanwhile, The Columbus
Blue Jackets added center
Sean Collins to the roster on
emergency recall from the
American Hockey League’s
Springfield Falcons. Collins,
25, has appeared in two
games with Columbus this
season and has no points. In
13 career NHL games, Collins
has no goals and one assist.
Anthony Davis of New Orleans Pelicans drives the ball past Tiago Splitter of San Antonio Spurs at Smoothie King Center on Friday in New Orleans, Louisiana. (AFP)
DPA
Los Angeles
J
ared Dudley was perfect and the
Atlanta Hawks couldn’t find the
basket. Dudley knocked down all
10 shots, including four triples
en route to a season-high 24 points Friday, and the visiting Milwaukee Bucks
cooled off the red-hot Hawks 107-77.
“I had a lot of wide-open good looks,
I made them, and my teammates kept
looking for me.” Dudley said. “I don’t
know if I’ll ever shoot that again but it
was good to be able to say I did it.” “I
can’t say it was a perfect game because
as a coach you want more out of your
players,” Bucks leader Jason Kidd said.
“But it was as close to a no-hitter as you
can get.”
The high-flying Hawks had won five in
a row and 14 of their previous 15 contests.
But they played their worst game of the
season and were blasted off the court by
the Bucks whose 15th victory matched
their entire win total of last season. “Defensively, we got after it,” Dudley said.
Brandon Knight chipped in with 16
points and Zaza Paculia added all 14 of
his in the second half in Milwaukee’s
(15-15) beat-down. Paul Millsap collected 22 points and 11 rebounds for
Atlanta (21-8) which shot a frosty 41 per
cent and committed 23 turnovers leading to 30 Milwaukee points.
“You’ve got to give Milwaukee a lot of
credit tonight. They shot the ball really
well, and did a lot of different things,”
Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said.
“We have to do things better defensively and we obviously didn’t have a good
night offensively.”
ELSEWHERE:
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS 97,
SAN ANTONIO SPURS 90
Anthony Davis collected 22 points, 12
rebounds and five blocks, Ryan Anderson also netted 22 and the host Pelicans
(15-14) sent the suddenly-slumping
Spurs to their sixth loss in the last seven
games. Tim Duncan and Corey Joseph
netted 20 points apiece for the reigning
champs (18-13), playing without starters Tony Parker (left hamstring strain)
and Kawhi Leonard (hand injury).
HOUSTON ROCKETS 117,
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES 111 (OT)
League top scorer James Harden had 32
points with 10 assists, Josh Smith netted 21 with eight rebounds in his Houston debut, and the visiting Rockets (217) tamed the Grizzlies to leap-frog atop
the Southwest Division. Spaniard Marc
Gasol tallied 29 points for Memphis (218) which suffered a season-high fourth
straight loss.
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS 98,
ORLANDO MAGIC 89
LeBron James had 29 points and outscored Orlando 15-14 in the fourth
quarter, as the visiting Cavaliers (1811) - minus starting guard Kyrie Irving
(bruised knee) - beat the Magic (11-21).
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER 98,
CHARLOTTE HORNETS 75
Russell Westbrook poured in 29 points,
and the Thunder (15-16) halted the
visiting Hornets’ (10-20) season-high
four-game winning streak.
DALLAS MAVERICKS 102,
LA LAKERS 98
Rajon Rondo tossed in a season-high 21
points, while German juggernaut Dirk
Nowitzki added 14 to pass Elvin Hayes
for eighth place (27,322) on the NBA alltime scoring list as the Mavericks (2110) edged the visiting Lakers.
Carlos Boozer scored 18 for the Lakers (9-21), who rested sore-bodied Kobe
Bryant for the third straight game.
DENVER NUGGETS 106,
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES 102
Kenneth Faried had 26 points with a career-best 25 rebounds, and the Nuggets
(13-17) sent the visiting T-Wolves (5-22)
to their seventh straight loss.
PHOENIX SUNS 115,
SACRAMENTO KINGS 106
Marcus Morris made a career-high
six triples en route to 20 points, Isaiah
Thomas added nine of his 17 in the final
frame against his former team, and the
visiting Suns (17-14) won their fifth in a
row while sending the Kings (12-17) to a
seventh loss in eight games.
BROOKLYN NETS 109,
BOSTON CELTICS 107
Jarrett Jack scored a season-high 27
points, including the tie-breaking
jumper with 28 seconds left, and the
visiting Nets (13-15) beat the Celtics
(10-17) for their third straight win when
Jared Sullinger’s potential game-tying
jumper rimmed out at the buzzer
DETROIT PISTONS 119,
INDIANA PACERS 109
Andre Drummond scored 20 points,
Greg Monroe added 19 with 15 rebounds, and the Pistons (6-23) motored
past the visiting Pacers (10-20) to snap
a four-game slide.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS 114,
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS 93
Damian Lillard scored an astonishing 19 of his 28 points in the second
half, Wesley Matthews drained seven
triples en route to 25, and the Trail Blazers (24-7) routed the visiting Sixers
(4-24) for their seventh win in the last
eight games.
Peter DeBoer
NFL
Chiefs quarterback Smith out with lacerated spleen
Reuters
Kansas City
K
ansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex
Smith has a lacerated spleen and will
miss today’s regular-season finale
against the San Diego Chargers, the
NFL team said on Friday.
San Diego can make the playoffs with a victory in the game at Kansas City, who have slim
post-season hopes depending on other results.
Smith was hit in the abdomen in last week’s loss
to the Pittsburgh Steelers and tests revealed the
laceration.
“They pushed me to get checked out and I got
the call that I had the laceration on there and it
was enlarged,” Smith, who had practiced earlier
in the week, told reporters. Chase Daniel will
start for the Chiefs. The backup’s only previous
NFL start came against the Chargers last year, a
game San Diego won to make the playoffs. The
playoff-bound Arizona Cardinals also will be
using backup Ryan Lindley again in their game
against the San Francisco 49ers.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith
Lindley, who became the Cardinals starter
after Drew Stanton was injured, was ineffective
in a 35-6 loss to Seattle last week. Arizona can
win the NFC West with a win at the San Francisco 49ers and a loss by the Seattle Seahawks,
who are at home to the St. Louis Rams. Seattle
will claim the title if they beat St. Louis and Arizona loses.
Three other division crowns are up for grabs
on Sunday, the final day of the NFL regular
season. Either the Cincinnati Bengals or Pittsburgh Steelers will win the AFC North in their
showdown at Pittsburgh. The NFC North title
will go to the winner of the game between the
Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers while the
NFC South will go to the winner of the Carolina
Panthers-Atlanta Falcons game.
Meanwhile, San Diego Chargers running back
Ryan Mathews has also been ruled out for today’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs with
a sprained ankle. Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen is listed as doubtful with injuries to his
shoulder and ankle. The Chargers need to win
Sunday’s game to get into the playoffs.
In more injury updates, Arizona Cardinals
quarterback Drew Stanton may be lost for the
rest of the season after the team reportedly discovered an infection this week which required
arthroscopic surgery.
Cardinal coach Bruce Arians said earlier he
hoped Stanton would be ready for the playoffs after missing the final two regular-season
games with a sprained knee. The Cardinals (114) have already clinched an NFC playoff spot.
Cleveland Browns head coach Mike Pettine
said Connor Shaw will be the Browns starting quarterback Sunday against the Baltimore
Ravens. CBSSports.com reported Shaw signed
a contract, allowing the Browns to elevate
him from the practice squad. Brian Hoyer has
missed the entire week of practice with shoulder and biceps injuries, and Johnny Manziel is
on injured reserve with a hamstring injury.
The Carolina Panthers will start running back
Jonathan Stewart with DeAngelo Williams listed as probable for Sunday’s NFC South showdown against the Atlanta Falcons. Williams has
missed the last three games while dealing with
a broken bone in his hand. Falcons running back
Steven Jackson will miss the game.
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 28, 2014
9
SPORT
SPOTLIGHT
SUFFERING, WORRY AND HOPE:
SCHUMACHER’S GREATEST AND
DIFFICULT BATTLE CONTINUES
The fate of Formula One legend
Michael Schumacher has gripped
world for almost a year following
his tragic skiing accident.
In this picture taken on January 14, 2005, Michael Schumacher
slides during a slalom race in the winter resort of Madonna
di Campiglio, in the Dolomites area, northern Italy. The
seven-time F1 world champion suffered severe brain injuries
in a horrific ski accident on December 29, 2013. (AFP)
DPA
Berlin
J
ust as in previous years, he wanted to
spend a few days skiing to celebrate the
new year and his birthday with friends.
But a fall at the Meribel ski resort changed
the life of Michael Schumacher and his loved
ones in the most dramatic fashion.
Even a year after the tragic accident on December 29, 2013, it remains unclear whether
Schumacher will ever recover enough to lead
any semblance of a normal life. “It is not possible to give any kind of reliable prognosis,” Schumacher’s manager Sabine Kehm said recently.
“It simply isn’t possible in this situation.”
Schumacher hit his head on a rock while
skiing and spent the next days in a critical
condition in a Grenoble hospital, followed
by months in an induced coma.
The father of two’s helmet was destroyed as a
result of the crash and the seriousness of Schumacher’s condition only became apparent the
following day when he was brought to the University Clinic Hospital in Grenoble.
The expressions on the faces of the doctors
treating Schumacher spoke volumes. His condition was described as “extremely critical” as the
world learned that the seven-time world champion had sustained multiple brain injuries.
Schumacher’s fight for life unleashed deep
emotions worldwide with regular television
programming regularly interrupted to give updates on his condition. The media circus that
developed around Schumacher’s fight for life
led wife Corinna to issue a written statement a
week later, calling for the driver’s medical team
and family to be left in peace so they could deal
with the situation.
Schumacher was still fighting for his life on
January 3, 2014, when he celebrated his 45th
birthday, with the tragedy casting a shadow over
the start of tests for the new F1 season.
“We are praying, wishing and hoping that a
miracle takes place so that he wakes up the same
person he once was,” said compatriot and friend
Sebastian Vettel at the end of January.
Over 10 months later, on the 20th anniversary
of Schumacher claiming his first F1 title, Vettel
was on hand to present the Millennium-BAMBI
award to Schumacher’s wife in recognition of
the driver’s excellent services and for inspiring
his countrymen. “It’s my friendship with him
that makes me so happy and proud, but also so
sad,” said Vettel. “I had so wished that we would
be able to give you this award personally.”
Schumacher’s legion of fans are still writing letters as well as sending get well wishes on
Twitter and Facebook. The sport of Formula 1
is also still thinking of the man who enjoyed 91
race wins in a stellar career.
When Lewis Hamilton secured this year’s
drivers’ championship in Abu Dhabi, Daimler
boss Dieter Zetsche remembered the German
legend when looking back on a memorable season for his team. “We should not forget the contribution Michael made to this success,” he said.
Schumacher drove for Mercedes for three
years from 2010 to 2013, offering his vast experience just as he done previously done for the
Ferrari research team.
In a uniquely successful career, Schumacher
secured 68 pole positions on his way to seven
world championship crowns. He suffered his
worst racing accident in 1999, when he broke
his leg at Silverstone. Schumacher also suffered neck injuries in a motorcyle accident in
Cartagena 10 years later, forcing him to call off
a comeback with Ferrari as a replacement driver
for the injured Felipe Massa.
It remains unclear whether Schumacher will
ever recover significantly enough to live a relatively normal life, never mind get behind the
wheel of a racing car. The 45-year-old spent
months in an induced coma until it was announced on June 16 that he had regained conciousness. Schumacher has continued his rehabilitation at home since September and his
family have made clear from the beginning that
no details will be revealed about his condition.
“However, he has a long and difficult road in
front of him,” manager Kehm revealed at the
time. She also confirmed recently that virtually all of Schumacher’s sponsors have remained
loyal to the driver, even a year after his tragic
accident. “Our concept was always to work together personally on a partnership and friendship level,” Kehm told dpa. “This togetherness is
showing itself now.”
LIFE CHANGED BY A FALL: SCHUMACHER’S TRAGIC YEAR
Michael Schumacher was left fighting
for his life following a skiing accident on
December 29, 2013. The motor racing
legend spent months in an induced coma
but, even a year on, it remains unclear to
what level Schumacher will ever recover.
December 29, 2013, at around 11:00am:
Schumacher skis just a few metres off the
marked piste and over a rock. He loses
control, falls and hits his head on a second
rock. A mountain rescue team comes to his
aid and he can still talk but is confused. His
helmet is smashed.
Approximately 12:50 pm: Schumacher is
airlifted to the University Clinic in Grenoble.
His injuries are too serious for him to be
treated in Moutiers where he was initially
brought to by helicopter. Schumacher
immediately undergoes an emergency
operation with the public still unaware that
he has been involved in an accident.
Early afternoon: French media outlets are
the first to report on Schumacher’s skiing
accident. Schumacher’s manager Sabine
Kehm will only confirm that the former racing driver suffered a head injury following
a fall in the French Alps, adding that he had
been brought to hospital and was being
professionally cared for.
Afternoon: Schumacher’s family arrive in
Grenoble and the public is still unware of
the seriousness of the injuries sustained
by Schumacher, who is fighting for his
life.
December 30, 2013: Schumacher’s condition is described as extremely critical. He
has sustained serious brain injuries and
undergoes a second emergency operation
that night when a blood clot is removed
from the left side of his brain.
December 30, 2013: The medical team
treating Schumacher state that they have
things somewhat better under control
but that the father of two’s life remains in
danger.
January 1, 2014: Schumacher remains in a
stable but critical condition.
January 3, 2014: Over 100 Ferrari fans
make a pilgrimage to Grenoble to express
support for their idol on his 45th birthday.
Schumacher’s family expresses its appreciation for this overwhelming display of
affection.
January 7, 2014: Schumacher’s wife
Corinna calls on the world media to move
away from the hospital area and leave the
six-time world champion’s medical team
and family in peace.
January 8, 2014: Crash investigators
state that Schumacher was not travelling
with excessive speed when the accident
occurred but that investigations are still
ongoing. Footage taken from a camera
on Schumacher’s helmet is also being
analysed.
January 30, 2014: Schumacher’s manager
Kehm confirms that the process of slowly
bringing him out of his induced coma will
begin shortly and could take a long time.
February 17, 2014: French prosecutors
conclude their investigation and state that
there is no evidence of third-party liability
or any criminal behaviour.
April 4, 2014: Schumacher shows moments of consciousness.
June 16, 2014: Schumacher’s management
team announce that he is no longer in a
coma and will be moved from Grenoble to
a rehabilitation clinic in Lausanne.
June 23, 2014: Kehm confirms that
Schumacher’s medical records have
been stolen.
August 6, 2014: The person allegedly
responsible for the theft of Schumacher’s
medical records - a high-ranking official with
the Swiss air rescue service - if found dead in
a Zurich prison cell a day after his arrest.
September 9, 2014: Schumacher’s management team announce that Schumacher’s rehabilitation will continue at his home.
November 13, 2104: On the 20th anniversary of his first Formula One title,
Schumacher is awarded the MillenniumBAMBI award in recognition of his excellent
services and for inspiring his countrymen.
Manager Kehm and Schumacher’s longtime racing manager Ross Brawn collect
the award on his behalf.
November 23, 2014: Kehm says in a television interview that Schumacher has made
progress considering the seriousness of his
injuries. However, she is unable to predict
how successful Schumacher’s rehabilitation will be. “It simply isn’t possible to say in
this situation,” she says.
10
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 28, 2014
SPORT
QATAR EXXONMOBIL OPEN BALL
KIDS GEAR UP FOR THE ACTION
El Jaish rout Al Khor 107-78,
Rayyan down Al Sadd 77-63
in Qatar Basketball League
Defending champion Rafael Nadal of Spain poses with ball kids at the 2014 event. Nadal will be the key attraction at the 2015 Qatar Exxonmobil Open, starting Jan 5.
The ball kids at the 2015 Qatar
ExxonMobil Open have been
training hard for 16 weeks in
preparation for the tournament,
to be played at the Khalifa Tennis
Complex from January 5.
Several of the kids from the 80
selected, all aged between 12 and
16 years, play tennis regularly.
However, many take on the job of
being a ballkid to the best players
in the world because they love
watching the game and being part
of a special event.
Ball kids organisor Mervat
Bahgat has been putting the girls
and boys from 15 different nations
through their training schedule in
2014. In fact, she’s been overseeing the ball kids in Qatar for 14
years now.
Asked why she keeps taking her
time out from work to be involved
with the ball kids, she says: “I
love it. I see the kids growing and
become young adults in front of
me, they become part of my life.
Working for the tournament is
great and working with some of
the world’s biggest stars is a fantastic part of my life too.”
YASSEEN MOUSSA, SALEEM ABDULLA ENTHRALL KIDS AT BASKETBALL FEST
Basketball kids in Doha got a chance to meet Qatar basketball team players Yasseen Moussa (world number 8) and Mohamed ‘Big
Mo’ Seleem Abdulla (world number 14), members of the Qatar 3x3 world champion side, at a basketball fest yesterday. Much to the
joy of the children, Moussa and Abdulla showed up during the regular fest at the Gharafa Stadium and signed autographs and chatted
with the youngsters. Qatar Olympic Committee secretary general and Qatar Basketball Federation president HE Sheikh Saoud bin
Abdulrahman al-Thani and other senior officials of the QBF was also present on the occasion. PICTURES: Nasar TK
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 28, 2014
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Sunday, December 28, 2014
GULF TIMES
SPORT
Qatar warm up for Asian
Cup with 3-0 rout of Estonia
Action from the friendly match between Qatar and Estonia played at Lekhwiya Stadium yesterday. Mohamed Muntari, Abdulkarim Hasan Fadlalla and Ismael Mohamed scored a goal each as Qatar won 3-0 PICTURES: Noushad Thekkayil
FIRST BATCH OF BASKETBALL COACHES GRADUATE FROM QATAR OLYMPIC ACADEMY
The first batch of basketball coaches, who graduated from the Qatar Olympic Academy yesterday, pose with officials and dignitaries at the Al Gharafa Club lounge. Some 110 male and female participants were part of the training programme.