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pu

Myanmar opposition leader Aung

San Suu Kyi reiterated yesterday
that she would rule the country if
her National League for Democracy
(NLD) wins the November 8 election.
Under the current constitution put
in place by the military, Suu Kyi is
forbidden from becoming president
because her two sons are foreigners.
They are British citizens. If the
NLD wins the election, I will run the
government, Suu Kyi told reporters
outside her residence, where she
spent nearly two decades under
house arrest during military rule.
We have a candidate that is ready
to become the president ... I will be
above the president. Page 7
EUROPE | Aviation

Deal on using satellites

to track flights in sight
Countries are nearing agreement
on using satellites to track flights,
as they strive to prevent a repeat
of the mysterious disappearance
of flight MH370 in March 2014, a
high-level US official said yesterday.
We believe the world is close to a
solution on global flight tracking,
said US ambassador Decker
Anstrom, who heads Washingtons
delegation to a large UN
conference in Geneva on evolving
information and communications
technologies. Representatives of
more than 160 countries are taking
part in the month-long World
Radiocommunications Conference
(WRC-15), which kicked off this
week and is hosted by the UNs
International Telecommunication
Union every four years.

in

Cyclone kills eight in

Yemen coastal province

Suu Kyi aiming to be

above the president

REGION | Weather

ASEAN | Elections

November 6, 2015
Moharram 23, 1437 AH
www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals

British PM
says bomb
more likely
downed jet

In brief

A rare tropical cyclone struck

Yemens arid eastern coastal
province of Hadramout on Tuesday
and killed eight people before
gradually petering out inland,
regional officials said. The storm was
the worst the country had suffered
in decades and came with Yemen
already suffering a humanitarian
crisis after seven months of war
between an Iran-allied militia and
the exiled government backed by an
Arab coalition. Hadramouts capital
Mukalla has been largely run by
Al Qaeda militants since the army
withdrew from the city in April, a
factor that humanitarian officials
said had hampered an effective
response to the cyclone.

he R
is
bl TA 978
A 1
Q since

GULF TIMES

FRIDAY Vol. XXXVI No. 9898

Islamic State group in Sinai seen as

behind attack; Russia, Egypt reject
suggestion bomb was to blame
HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser with the winners of the WISE Awards 2015. The six innovative education projects originate from
Qatar, Argentina, Egypt, Kenya and the USA. The winning projects address education issues linked to literacy, special needs,
access and employment. They were selected for their creative approach to learning and positive impact on society.
PICTURE: AR al-Baker/HHOPL

Call to spend money on

books, schools and pens
By Joey Aguilar
Staff Reporter

orld leaders who are superpowers should spend their

money on books, schools
and pens rather than on tanks, cannons and other weapons of war,
World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) Prize for Education Laureate Dr Sakena Yacoobi urged.
In doing this, they will see a
peaceful world, she stressed, thanking Qatar Foundation for Education,
Science and Community Development (QF) chairperson HH Sheikha
Moza bint Nasser for giving recognition to creativity and innovation on
education.
Dr Yacoobi was speaking at the
closing session of WISE 2015 yesterday in the presence of HH Sheikha
Moza, dignitaries and participants
from different countries.
The WISE Prize for Education Laureate said that world leaders should follow in the footstep of HH Sheikha Moza
for investing heavily on education.
I believe what you are doing in
WISE will help the world. In giving
recognition to education, you will
bring peace and we need peace because many people suffer from war,
conicts, poverty, and health issues,
Dr Yacoobi noted.
She observed that every leader in
every nation should address the root
cause of poverty which is the lack
of education. If every child goes to
school today, there will be no war in
the world.

Established by QF in 2011 to recognise outstanding life-long achievement in any eld of education, the
WISE Prize aims to raise global
awareness of the crucial role of education in all societies, a testament to
QFs commitment to unlocking human potential.
In her speech, Dr Yacoobi said she
studied in the US and returned to Afghanistan to put up learning institutions aimed at educating young girls
in a huge refugee camp.
She founded the Afghan Institute of
Learning (AIL) which provides education, training, and healthcare services to Afghans especially women and
children. She supported underground

WISE Prize for Education Laureate

Dr Sakena Yacoobi addresses the
audience at QNCC yesterday.

home schools for 3,000 girls across

the country when girls schools were
closed by the Taliban.
For 20 years, AIL led by Dr Yacoobi
worked hard in teaching young children and expanded access to quality
education to the most vulnerable of
Afghan society.
We provide schools, health services and other services - and thousands come to us from university,
high school requesting space at our
compound. Why? Because they trust
us. They discuss democracy, politics,
peace, health, she noted.
They discuss all kinds of topics
and they get ideas and critical thinking. Thats the way you transform
people: by giving them a free space
where they can share ideas, creativity and innovation freely, Dr Yacoobi
added.
WISE also announced that the
nomination for the 2016 Awards is
now open until January 15. Applications and nominations can be submitted online on http://www.wiseqatar.org/wise-awards-2016
Introduced by WISE in 2009, the
annual awards identify, celebrate,
and promote innovative projects for
their positive contribution to education and society. It has recognised
42 projects for their innovative,
transformative impact since its inception.
In a press statement, WISE said the
awards highlight initiatives found to
be most creative and effective in nding solutions to education challenges
at any level and in all environments.
Page 2

Reuters
London

ritish Prime Minister David

Cameron said yesterday it was
increasingly likely that a bomb
brought down a Russian airliner over
Egypt with the loss of 224 lives, setting him at odds with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Britain, Ireland, Germany and the
Netherlands have suspended ights
to and from Sharm al-Sheikh, leaving thousands of European tourists
stranded in the Red Sea resort where
the plane took off from. A spokesperson for Cameron later said ights from
the resort destination to Britain would
resume today.
Egypt, which depends on tourism
as a crucial source of revenue, said the
decision to suspend ights was unjustied and should be reversed at once.
It said there was no evidence a bomb
was to blame.
A Sinai-based group affiliated to
Islamic State, the militant group that
has seized swathes of Iraq and Syria,
has claimed responsibility for the
crash, which if conrmed would make
it the rst attack on civil aviation by
the worlds most violent militant organisation.
Moscow, which launched air strikes
against Islamist fighters including Islamic State in Syria more than
a month ago, says it is premature to
reach conclusions that the flight was
attacked.
In a telephone call, Putin told Cameron it was important that assessments of the cause of the crash be
based on information from the official
investigation, Interfax news agency
reported.
Cameron, who hosted Egyptian
President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi yesterday for a previously scheduled visit,
said: We cannot be certain that the
Russian airliner was brought down by
a terrorist bomb, but it looks increasingly likely that that was the case.
His foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, said it was a signicant possibility Islamic State was responsible,
given a range of information, including the claim of responsibility.

Britain said it was working with

airlines and Egyptian authorities to
put in place additional security and
screening measures at the airport to
allow Britons to get home. It hoped
ights bound for Britain could leave
today.
If a bomb brought down the Airbus
A321, that would devastate Egypts
tourism industry, still recovering from
years of political turmoil. Shares in
holiday companies Thomas Cook and
TUI Group fell.
US Representative Michael McCaul,
the Republican chairman of the House
Homeland Security Committee, said
on Fox news that evidence so far indicated an Islamic State attack with an
explosive device in the airplane.
While Egypt has bristled at the suspensions of ights, Sisi said during his
visit to London that he understood
countries concerns about safety. He
said Cairo had been asked 10 months
ago to check security at the airport in
Sharm al-Sheikh.
We understood their concern because they are really interested in the
safety and security of their nationals,
he added.
Dmitry Peskov, Putins spokesman,
said Russian planes were still ying to
and from Sharm al-Sheikh.
Theories about what happened
and the causes of the incident can only
be pronounced by the investigation,
Peskov said.
Egypts civil aviation minister, Hossam Kamal, said investigators so far
had no evidence to support the explosion theory. Russian aviation agency
Rosaviatsia said investigators would
examine whether there was any explosive material on the plane.
Security experts and investigators
have said the plane is unlikely to have
been struck from the outside and Sinai militants are not believed to have
any missiles capable of striking a jet at
30,000ft.
Russias Kogalymavia airline, which
operated the crashed plane, said three
of its four remaining A321 jets had
passed Russian safety checks, while
the fourth would be checked shortly.
At Sharm airport, security appeared
to have been tightened yesterday with
security forces patrolling the terminals and not allowing drivers, tour
agents or others to loiter while awaiting tourist arrivals, a witness said.
Pages 4, 9, 10

Some extreme weather made worse by climate change

AFP
Miami

killer snowstorm in the Himalayas, a scorching heat wave in

Argentina and lashing rainfall in
southern France last year were all made
worse by climate change, international
scientists said yesterday.
But other major events, like Hurricane Gonzalo over Europe and drought
in Brazil were not inuenced by global
warming, according to the peer-reviewed study called Explaining Extreme Events of 2014 from a Climate
Perspective.
The scientic team included 32
research groups from around the
world, analysing 28 different storms,
droughts, res and oods in an effort to
showcase the role of human-driven cli-

mate change and land development on

extreme weather.
Globally, extreme heat is becoming
more common, said Stephanie Herring, report lead editor from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Centers
for Environmental Information.
But with rain and snowfall, scientists
reported a much more mixed result
when it comes to looking for the human
inuence, she told reporters, describing the ndings as pretty evenly split
this year between those that did and did
not nd a signal.
Not all extreme weather events were
included in the research, so the report
does not offer a comprehensive picture
of the worlds extreme weather last year.
Rather, scientists contributed research based on extreme weather
events they were interested in studying,

often but not always in their home nations, Herring said, noting that scientists were not offered funding or incentives by NOAA for their work.
Weather events involving heat were
most likely to have a clear signal that
climate change played a factor, with
such inuence detectable about 95% of
the time, the report found.
Those involving precipitation were
less certain, with human-driven climate change or other land use activities
showing up about 40% of the time.
Climate change is happening. It is
having impacts, said Herring.
Is it having impact uniformly across
the globe in everything that we see and
do? At this point, not in a measurable
way.
For the purposes of the study, human
inuence could include the burning of
fossil fuels which drives global warming,

or the development of land, or changes

to water use that can make droughts,
oods and wildres more devastating.
Among the ndings, tropical cyclones in Hawaii were substantially
more likely because of human-induced
climate change, said the report.
Both climate change and land-use
played a role in the ooding in the
southeastern Canadian prairies, it said.
In southern France, extreme rainfall
in the Cevennes Mountains was three
times more likely than in 1950 due to
climate change.
Extreme heat events in Korea and
China were also linked to humancaused climate change.
The Argentinean heat wave of December 2013 was made ve times more
likely because of human-induced climate change.
When analysing the drought in East

Africa, two studies showed that the situation was made more severe because
of climate change.
Global warming and human inuences are also making oods like the
ones that struck Jakarta last year more
likely, as well as the extreme Himalayan
snowstorm of 2014 that killed more
than 40 people in Nepal.
In Australia, human inuence was
blamed for causing a substantial increase in the likelihood and severity of
heat waves.
Among the events that were not
found to have been inuenced by humans was the extreme 2013-14 winter storm season over much of North
America, which was driven mainly
by natural variability and not human
caused climate change, said the report.
Nor could an all-time record number
of storms over the British Isles, extreme

rains in the United Kingdom, Hurricane

Gonzalo in Europe or drought in northeastern Asia, China and Singapore be
attributed to climate change.
Findings on the Middle East drought
were in conict, with one study showing a role for climate change in Syria,
while another study involving the entire region did not nd a climate change
inuence.
Researchers said they hoped their
work would help inform leaders and
planners who want to protect their
populations against the harms of extreme weather.
Some of these events are climate
surprises, said Marty Hoerling, a report co-editor from NOAAs Earth System Research Laboratory.
And we should be prepared to be
better equipped to deal with such surprises.

Gulf Times
Friday, November 6, 2015

QATAR

Groups attacking schools

must be held accountable
QNA
Doha

HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser at the Education Above All foundation

plenary session at WISE 2015. The session was entitled: Education,
Violence and Armed Conflict From Daunting Challenge to Effective
Response. At the session, Her Highness expressed her outrage at the
lack of accountability for groups and states that attack schools,
students and teachers across the globe. PICTURE: AR Al-Baker/HHOPL

QU showcases
programmes
at WISE 2015
Q

atar Universitys participation in the World

Innovation Summit for
Education (WISE) 2015, which
concluded yesterday at Qatar
National Convention Centre,
drew high visitor interest to its
information lounge at the Meet
Qatar Zone exhibition area.
Exhibiting alongside 10 local
education institutions partnering with WISE, it was an opportunity for QU to showcase
its wealth of programmes and
achievements, and to strengthen
its growing international reputation among the top universities in the world and a key partner in driving forward Qatars
stated ambitions towards excellence in education.
QU representatives were on
hand at the lounge to brief the
large number of local and interna-

tional delegates and other visitors

on the organisations vision and
mission, degree programmes, research, scholarships and academic grants, accreditation, and its
campus facilities and resources.
QU vice-president and chief
academic officer Dr Mazen Hasna expressed delight to have
participated in such an international forum that brought
together leaders, academics, researchers, decisions and policy
makers from around the world to
share experiences and solutions
and get insights on current and
emerging trends in education.
This highlights the organisations role as the countrys rst
national institution of higher
education committed to advancing quality higher education and
research excellence in Qatar and
the region.

H Sheikha Moza bint

Nasser, Chairperson of
Qatar Foundation for
Education, Science and Community Development (QF), has
stressed the need to tackle violence in the world with all possible means, starting with media,
and called for treating victims
not as numbers and statistics,
but rather as human beings who
should be sympathised with.
Speaking yesterday during a plenary session under the
theme Education, Violence
and Armed Conict From
Daunting Challenge to Effective
Response, organised by Education Above All at Qatar National
Convention Centre as part of the
seventh edition of the World Innovation Summit for Education
(WISE), Sheikha Moza expressed
deep anger and outrage at violation of childrens right to education and the targeting of schools,
learners and scholars, stressing
the need to move quickly to prevent such acts.
She called for nding a cure for
violence while stressing the principles of accountability, punishment and reparation, noting that
the global community might be
not interested in questioning culprits, especially if they were from
powerful countries.
Sheikha Moza added that in-

HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser speaking with Qatari schoolchildren at the Learning Labs, as part of WISE 2015. PICTURE: Aisha al-Sada/HHOPL
ternational laws, and laws on
human, childrens and womens
rights will not be implemented

ternational society must be more

practical even if it imposes nancial reparations on offenders

so as to deter them even though

this would be the least way to
achieve justice.

Call for global movement to protect education

A

session at the World Innovation Summit for

Education (WISE) 2015
yesterday highlighted the need
for a multi-stakeholder effort to
protect education and the most
vulnerable citizens of the world
from various attacks and conicts using new and innovative
actions.
The way conicts are being
waged has no sense of humanity,
no limits, and no boundaries,
said Graa Machel, founder of
the Graa Machel Trust and a
panellist of Education Above
All Foundations Education
Violence and Conict from
Daunting Challenge to Effective
Response plenary session.
She was joined by Thomas

Gass, UN assistant secretarygeneral, Policy Coordinator and

Inter-Agency Affairs, Department of Economic and Social
Affairs at UN; Dr Kevin Watkins,
executive director of the Overseas Development Institute;
Jean-Paul Laborde, assistant
secretary-general, executive director of the Counter-Terrorism
Executive Directorate, UN; and
Elizabeth Decrey Warner, executive president, Geneva Call.
Machel stressed the need to
build a movement which at every
level shows very strong outrage at
attacks of all kinds on education.
The discussion explored issues taking place in countries
around the world where educational institutions, educators

QF highlights Young Innovators Programme

he Qatar Foundation for

Education, Science and
Community
Development (QF) showcased its Young
Innovators Programme during
the 7th annual World Innovation
Summit for Education (WISE)
yesterday, highlighting how the
programme is attracting bright
young minds and talent from
around the region.
QF president and senior engineer Saad al-Muhannadi, was
joined by the latest addition
to the Young Innovators Programme, Ahmed Mohamed, the
14-year old clock-making teenager from Texas, US, at a brieng
yesterday.
The Young Innovators Programme is a specially designed
grassroots initiative, which recognises that a nations greatest
asset is its people, al-Muhannadi said.
Qatar Foundation has successfully created an academic
environment that engages students at every stage of their
academic lives. The Young Innovators Programme gives students the opportunity to study
at one of QFs state-of-the-art
secondary schools and partner
universities, and to take advantage of its world-class education
system.
Ahmed Awad Zayed is
14-years-old, and a student
in the Young Innovators Programme. Born and raised in Gaza,
Ahmeds family rst became
aware of his intellect when he
started speaking at nine months
old. After being lmed speaking on the rough conditions of
the war, footage of which went
viral on the Internet, he was
invited to meet HH the Father
Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa

unless the principle of accountability and punishment is to be

established, noting that the in-

and students are targets of conicts, and violence.

We will continue devoting

efforts to this timely
and important matter,
working towards answers
that advance the cause
of quality education for
everyone, everywhere with
no one left behind

Education Above All CEO

Marcio Barbosa said education is
not under attack in a small set of
countries in the Middle East and
Africa contrary to popular belief.
He noted that from 2009 to
2012, more than 30 countries
around the world experienced
attacks on education.

Wherever conict, violence

and insecurity undermines access to, or delivery of, education,
populations become vulnerable.
We need two things accountability for those who carry out
attacks on education and target
students and educators, and to
put an end to impunity.
We will continue devoting
efforts to this timely and important matter, working towards
answers that advance the cause
of quality education for everyone, everywhere with no one left
behind, he added.
The discussion, moderated by
news presenter and journalist
Mishal Husain, centered on the
fact that laws and resolutions to
protect education are in place,

but compliance is lacking.

The recently adopted Sustainable Development Goals provides the objective - education
for all, with a framework for action under development.
Panelists noted that without addressing the root causes
of education insecurity, such as
attacks, society will not be successful in its pursuit of the interlinked development goals.
The panel also agreed to work
for a concerted global movement
among governments, multilateral
institutions, NGOs and civil society to hold accountable those
who attack education and to enforce existing laws that serve to
protect educational institutions,
educators and students.

An institute that changed

the lives of Afghan women
By Joey Aguilar
Staff Reporter

HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser with current students of the Qatar Foundation Young Innovators
Programme at WISE 2015. The programme strives to support exceptional young Arab men and women,
who may not otherwise have the opportunity to develop their talents. Through the provision of
scholarships and mentorship, it encourages gifted youth to reach their full potential. Ahmed Mohamed
(third from right) is the latest student to be admitted to the programme. PICTURE: AR Al-Baker/HHOPL
al-Thani and QF chairperson HH
Sheikha Moza bint Nasser.
Ahmed, in Qatar since 2009,
is currently studying at Qatar
Academy. I like this country a
lot. I also really enjoy my school.
Its a great school, it follows the
International Baccalaureate system. It has opened up a lot of opportunities for me, to improve
my education.
Also part of the Young Innovators Programme is Abdulaziz
al-Marri, a 13-year-old national,
also studying at Qatar Academy.
I have been given many opportunities since I started studying

at Qatar Academy. I have been

able to visit many countries such
as Malaysia, Turkey, and Switzerland.
There are also a number of
distinguished alumni of the
Young Innovators Programme,
including Raji al-Hammori who
was born with a disability that
severely restricts his physical
movement.
He studied at Carnegie Mellon
University in Qatar (CMU-Q),
and is now pursuing a career at
MIT in the US in computing research.
Palestinian Iqbal al-Assaad,

who became the youngest ever

medical graduate from Weill
Cornell Medical College in Qatar
in 2013, is completing her medical residency in Cleveland, US.
To qualify for the Young Innovators Programme, potential
students need to be citizens of
an Arab country, or have at least
one parent originating from an
Arab country. An admissions
committee considers and evaluates all candidates, as well as
monitors the progress of all selected Young Innovators during
the course of their study, providing support as necessary.

istening to the people in

the community, working
and building relationships
with them set off the success of
the Afghan Institute of Learning
(AIL), its founder and 2015 WISE
Prize for Education Laureate Dr
Sakena Yacoobi has said.
Speaking on the concluding
day of WISE 2015, she recalled
the time when they were establishing underground home
schools for Afghan girls at a huge
refugee camp in Afghanistan.
The people trusted us and we
trusted them. If we did not listen
to them and did not work with
them,we would not have reached
our goal, said Dr Yacoobi.
At that time, there were no
classrooms, blackboards, books
and building. From 300 children
who were taught how to read
and write, the number grew to
15,000 in just one year of teaching secretly. She continuously
worked with the teachers and the
news spread quickly attracting a large number of children to
study.
We kept creating school after school and that was the time
when the Taliban banned girls
from going to school, she recounted.
Dr Yacoobi also went to ve
other Afghan provinces to set up
similar schools and their efforts
reached 12mn people who benetted from the programme.
Today the children of Afghanistan have affordable private

HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser with Dr Sakena Yacoobi, winner of the

2015 WISE Prize for Education, at the closing session of the seventh
World Innovation Summit for Education. PICTURE: AR Al-Baker/HHOPL
schools complete with tables and
chairs, computer laboratories,
library, and a beautiful building.
Established in 1995, AILs
teacher training programmes
focus on quality, in-depth education to Afghan teachers in
Pakistan and Afghanistan. Once
teachers are trained in the basics
of teaching, AIL offers workshops to strengthen their teaching skills.
The children are learning, the
people and teachers work. We
recently launched a radio station
which has reached more people,
she said. Part of her future plans
is to set up a television network
and a university for women.
She admitted that Afghanistan still has a lot of problems:
children are being kidnapped,
conicts, and school being
closed, among others.
However, the women of Afghanistan today are no longer

what they were 10 years ago.

They are going to school and
universities, doing business and
travelling a lot, and that is education. Recounting her childhood days, she said her father,
who never had formal education,
was the one who pushed her to
study hard in school.
That time, many children
grew up without their mothers
because many of them would die
while giving birth. You can just
imagine how I felt that time, I
was afraid because it could also
happen to my mother who had
16 pregnancies but only ve of us
made it.
After nishing her degree
and working for sometime, she
brought her parents to the US
and decided to return home to
serve her countrymen.
Education changed my life
and it did change the life of Afghan women, Dr Yacoobi said.

Gulf Times
Friday, November 6, 2015

REGION/ARAB WORLD

11 civilians killed as
Houthis bomb Taez
AFP
Aden

Fighters loyal to Yemens government celebrate after receiving three armoured personnel carriers from the United Arab Emirates
in the southwestern city of Taez yesterday.

Cyclone Chapala left eight dead after crashing into remote southeastern Yemeni countryside
Eight people were killed in
southeastern Yemen by a rare
tropical cyclone that wreaked
havoc in parts of the war-torn
country this week, a local official
said yesterday.
The deaths, five by drowning and three in collapsed
homes, occurred in Hadramawt
province between Tuesday
and early Wednesday, before

Cyclone Chapala eased into

a depression, said Mohamed
al-Amudi of the governorates
technical affairs department.
Forty people were also injured
over the two days, Amudi said.
Around 3,000 families were
displaced during the cyclone,
he said, reporting massive
destruction of the provinces
infrastructure.

Cyclone Chapala weakened

on Wednesday after making
landfall Tuesday in mainland
Yemen, triggering heavy flash
floods after severely striking
the countrys Arabian Sea
island of Socotra. Weather was
back to normal yesterday.
More than 200 people were
injured and dozens of houses
and hamlets severely damaged

Bahrain jails 5 militants, strips citizenship

AFP
Manama

Bahraini court yesterday revoked the citizenship of ve Shias convicted of spying for Iran
and sentenced them to life imprisonment, a judicial source told AFP.
The verdict comes amid escalated
tension between Bahrain and Iran,
as Manama recalled its ambassador
and asked Tehrans envoy to leave last

month claiming interference in its affairs.

It also came a day after Bahrain said
it has uncovered a terrorist organisation linked to Iran and arrested 47 of
its members, foiling imminent attacks
in the Gulf kingdom.
The ve defendants were convicted
of spying for and seeking with Iran
and its agents to carry out hostile acts
against the kingdom, the source said.
They were found guilty of working
with Irans elite Revolutionary Guard

to carry out attacks in Bahrain against

public facilities and banks.
Two of them had received training
in Iran on the manufacture and use of
explosives and rearms in preparation
for carrying out these hostile attacks,
according to the charges.
Three of those convicted, one of
whom is in Iran, are being tried in absentia while the remaining two who
appeared in court yesterday said they
were forced to confess under torture,
the source said.

Relatives and parents of people killed during the 2011 Egyptian revolution shout slogans with a poster of family members
in front of the High Court in Cairo.

Mubarak murder retrial is postponed

AFP
Cairo

gypts top court yesterday began

a retrial of ex-president Hosni
Mubarak over the deaths of protesters during the 2011 uprising that
ousted him, but postponed the hearing
after a brief session.
The Court of Cassation postponed
the retrial to January 21.
In June 2012, a court had convicted
the 87-year-old for the deaths of hundreds of protesters and sentenced him

AFP
Beirut

t least 11 civilians have been killed

in indiscriminate bombing by
rebels of Yemens third city Taez,
as clashes with pro-government forces intensied, a military official said yesterday.
The city in central Yemen has seen
heavy ghting as forces loyal to exiled
President Abd-rabbo Mansour Hadi
clash with Shia Houthi rebels.
The Houthis, and their allies among
renegade troops loyal to ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh, control the outskirts of the city, which remains in loyalist hands. Indiscriminate bombing by
Houthis and Saleh forces targeted residential areas in the centre of Taez late on
Wednesday, a military official said.
Eleven people were killed and at least
22 people were wounded, the official said.
Medics conrmed the death toll, saying that the dead included at least one
woman.
Clashes raged overnight Wednesday
on the outskirts of Taez, military sources
said. Rebels control the main roads leading into the city. Backed by a Saudi-led
coalition that launched air strikes against
the rebels in March, loyalist forces have
been pressing to retake parts of the country seized by the Houthis.
The Houthis, a minority from Yemens
north backed by Iran, seized control of
Yemens capital Sanaa in September last
year and then advanced south, forcing
Hadi to ee to Saudi Arabia as they moved
on the main southern city of Aden.
Backed by coalition strikes, supplies
and troops, loyalist forces launched a major counter-offensive in July, pushing the
rebels out of Aden and four other southern provinces.
Around 5,000 people have been killed
in the conict since March, more than
half of them civilians, according to UN
estimates.

Militants take
town on vital
Syrian road

to life in prison. But that verdict was

appealed and a new trial ordered. On
November 29 last year, the judge in the
case dropped the charges.
The prosecution appealed that ruling, and the Court of Cassation overturned it, ordering the retrial that
commenced yesterday.
The Court of Cassation itself is conducting the retrial and its ruling will
not be subject to appeal.
Mubarak has been held for months
in a military hospital in Cairo due to ill
health, his lawyer Fareed al-Deeb said.
Judge Ahmed Abdel Kawy adjourned

the retrial to take necessary measures

and procedures to move the trial to a
suitable place and bring the defendant.
Deeb told AFP that his client is
serving a three-year sentence handed
down in a separate trial that saw him
convicted of embezzling 125mn Egyptian pounds ($16mn) from funds meant
for the maintenance of presidential
palaces.
Mubarak and his two sons Alaa and
Gamal were all arrested in 2011, months
after the former strongman was toppled
in a popular 18-day uprising.

or washed away when Chapala

hit Socotra, according to Salem
Zaher, mayor of the islands
main district Hadibo. Socotra
is 350km off the Yemeni
mainland.
The UNs Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has cited reports of
three fatalities and 34 injured
in Yemen due to the cyclone.

ilitants yesterday seized

a key town along a vital
road in Syrias central
Hama province, where regime
forces are struggling to gain
ground despite a month of Russian air strikes.
The setback for Damascus
came as France announced it
would deploy an aircraft carrier to boost its ght against the
Islamic State group, which has
seized control of large parts of
Iraq and Syria.
And in an apparent spillover
of Syrias war, ve people were
killed in a suicide attack in a Lebanese town along the border.
Bolstered by the Russian air
campaign launched on September
30, President Bashar al-Assads
forces have been ghting to retake
territory lost to rebels in the countrys brutal four-year war.
But regime troops have so far
failed to score signicant gains
and a militant faction, Jund alAqsa, was yesterday reported to
have seized the last governmentheld town on the main highway
between second city Aleppo to
the north and the city of Hama to
the south.
The militants seized full control
of the town of Morek after a erce
offensive, the Syrian Observatory
for Human Rights, a Britain-based
monitoring group, said.
Director Rami Abdel Rahman
said clashes were still raging in
the south and east of the town,
and that dozens of soldiers had
been killed or wounded.
Jund al-Aqsa boasted of victory on its Twitter account.
A Syrian security source in-

sisted ghting was ongoing and

denied a major setback. Opposition ghters in the area are being
dealt with by the Syrian and Russian air force, the source said.
For the rst time since IS had
cut the road, trucks of fruits
and vegetables arrived in regime
neighbourhoods in Aleppo city,
residents said.
IS has continued advancing its
various parts of Syria, despite the
Russian strikes and more than
a year of air raids targeting the
group by a US-led coalition.
France, which joined coalition
operations in Syria last month
after previously carrying out
strikes in Iraq, said on Thursday
it would deploy its Charles de
Gaulle aircraft carrier to better
ght the militants.
Turkey, which shares an
800km border with northern
Syria, meanwhile said it was
planning to soon launch a military campaign against IS.
We have plans to act militarily against them in the coming
days, Foreign Minister Feridun
Sinirlioglu said.
Turkey has rounded up dozens
of IS suspects in recent weeks in
police raids across the country,
but Sinirlioglu did not specify if
Ankaras action would target IS
militants in Turkey or in Syria.
More than 250,000 people
have been killed in Syrias war,
which began in 2011 and has frequently spilled across the border.
Five people were killed yesterday and six wounded in a suicide
attack at a meeting of Muslim
clerics in the Lebanese border
town of Arsal, a security source
told AFP.
It was not immediately clear
who may have carried out the attack.

Gulf Times
Friday, November 6, 2015

ARAB WORLD

Sharm airport chief promoted after plane crash

Reuters
Cairo

gypt has promoted the

Sharm al-Sheikh airport
chief days after a plane
crash that was claimed by Islamist militants and raised questions
about plane security at the tourist gateway.
Britain said yesterday that
a bomb planted by a group afliated with Islamic State, which
operates in the Sinai Peninsula,
may have been the cause of the
incident which killed 224 people
on the plane that was ying to
Russia.
Egypt has said there was no
evidence a blast brought down
the plane and promoted airport
chief Captain Abdul Wahhab Ali
to take on extra duties at the national airport operator despite
the security questions at Sharm,
a resort popular with British,
Russian and other European holidaymakers seeking winter sun.
Abdul Wahhab Ali was chosen for this post because of his

qualications and capabilities,

national airport operator Adel
Mahjoub said in a statement.
Airport sources said the promotion would come into effect
today and was not connected to
the crash.
Egypts civil aviation minister
Hossam Kamal said his country
adheres to international safety
and security standards and there
was no evidence a blast had
brought down the plane.
Aside from the loss of lives, at
stake is President Abdel Fattah
al-Sisis assertions that he has
brought under control militants
ghting to topple his government, as well as tourism, a vital source of hard currency for
Egypt.
At Sharm al-Sheikh airport,
security appeared to have been
tightened yesterday with security forces patrolling the terminals
and not allowing drivers, tour
agents or others to loiter whilst
awaiting tourist arrivals, a witness said.
But previous security breaches and the timing of the airport

chiefs promotion have raised

some doubts about safety.
A day after Islamic militants
claimed responsibility for downing the Russian plane, two men
snuck through the fence at another Red Sea airport, in the resort of Hurghada, and were arrested before they reached the
runway, a judicial source said.
The source said the youths
were criminals planning a robbery but some local media had
earlier reported that the men had
reached an airplane bound for
Spain.
How did two youths who were
not travelling, without passports,
without visas, with nothing, get
to the airplane? asked Amr Abdelhamid, presenter of a current
affairs programme on private television channel TEN.
In another incident in April,
a donkey was found wandering
around the carpark at Cairo airport and was captured on a video
that went viral, with Egyptians
tweeting sarcastic comments
hashtagged in Arabic how did
the donkey enter the airport?

He thought and thought and

exploited a security loophole,
one person tweeted, mocking
what they said was the official
explanation for the breach, also
carried in newspapers.
Britain said it was working with
airlines and Egyptian authorities
to put in place additional security
and screening measures to allow
thousands of stranded British
holidaymakers to get home.
The Irish aviation authority,
which is taking part in the official
investigation, directed all Irish
airlines on Wednesday not to y
to or from the Sinai Peninsula
until further notice.
Germanys Foreign Ministry
also urged travellers to avoid the
Sinai Peninsula and Deutsche
Lufthansa suspended ights to
the area.
Travellers going from Egyptian
airports are required to put their
luggage through scanners before
check-in and boarding.
Additional security measures
are in place for ights travelling to particular destinations,
notably London, at the request

Egypt to ensure tourists security: Sisi

Egypt is completely ready to
work with its partners to protect
foreign citizens and wants normal
travel to resume as soon as possible, Egyptian President Abdel
Fattah al-Sisi said yesterday.
His remarks came as Britain
pushed for increased airport
security measures in Sharm
el-Sheikh.
We are completely ready to
cooperate with all our friends
to make sure that our airport
provides the safety and security
needed for the people who come
to us, he said at a joint news
conference with British Prime
Minister David Cameron.
We also talked about the
actions needed to make sure that
this will not have any negative
ramifications on the future of

of those authorities, airport security sources said. These may

involve, for instance, passengers
removing their shoes for inspection, the sources said.

tourism in Egypt, he said.

He also expressed hope that in
the soonest time possible, we can
restore the normal movement of
tourists to Egypt.
Sisi said that Sharm el-Sheikh
airport, where British investigators are probing security
measures, had passed a previous
inspection requested by Britain.
Ten months ago we were
asked by our British friends to
send teams to Sharm airport to
make sure that all the security
procedures are (good) enough,
he said, speaking in Arabic
through a translator. They were
happy with that.
Cameron said it was in our
mutual interest to address this
and get back to normal as soon as
possible.

Egyptian intelligence and security agencies also carry out

background checks on anyone
seeking employment at any airport.

Britain had also given Egypt

advanced explosives detection technology to use at Sharm
al-Sheikh airport which were
not even available in Cairo, the
sources said, due to the large
number of British tourists heading to the area.
Asked what extra security
measures could be introduced, a
spokeswoman for British Prime
Minister David Cameron said:
Well be looking at the process
from A to B from when a passenger arrives at Sharm al-Sheikh
airport through to when theyre
getting on a plane right up to
the point of them being on the
plane.
Egyptian and Russian officials
have stressed that it was too early
to draw conclusions about the
cause of the crash.
Despite the cancellations,
ights continue to arrive at
Sharm, said Kamal. He said 23
ights were set to arrive from
Russia yesterday, eight from
Ukraine, three from Italy and two
from Saudi Arabia, in addition to
22 domestic arrivals.

Palestinian shot
dead in W Bank
Reuters
Jerusalem

A mannequin holding a knife and wearing a jacket that reads Stab! is placed outside a clothes shop in Khan Younis, in the
southern Gaza Strip. In Gaza, a clothing store called Hitler 2 has mannequins posed outside holding knives and dressed in T-shirts
with Stab! written across the chests.

sraeli forces yesterday shot dead a

Palestinian in the occupied West
Bank after he ignored calls to halt
and attempted to attack one of the
soldiers at a crowded bus stop, the
military said.
The incident took place near the
West Bank settlement bloc of Gush
Etzion south of Jerusalem, on the
main road to Hebron, which has become the focal point of recent violent
unrest that began more than a month
ago.
More than 30 attacks have taken
place against Israelis in the area since
the start of October, the army said.
(Soldiers) thwarted an attack at
a crowded bus stop at Gush Etzion
junction when a Palestinian armed
with a knife attempted to stab them.
Forces at the scene responded to the
immediate threat and shot the assail-

ant, the army statement said.

A military spokeswoman later said
the Palestinian had died.
Eleven Israelis have been killed
in stabbings, shootings or other attacks. At least 69 Palestinians have
been shot dead by Israeli forces, including 42 who Israel says were attackers. Many were teenagers.
A growing number of visits by religious Jews to the Al Aqsa plaza have
stirred Palestinian allegations that
Israel is violating a long-running
agreement banning non-Muslim
prayer there.
Israel has accused Palestinian ofcials of inciting violence by spreading the allegations, which it says are
false.
Meanwhile, Israel has begun lifting some security measures, removing key roadblocks in annexed east
Jerusalem.
A number of checkpoints and
roadblocks were dismantled in recent
days, a police spokeswoman said,

calling the decision a direct result of

the stabilisation of the security situation, which allows for this more lenient policy.
The decision would allow a return
to normal life, her statement added.
Roadblocks were installed in a
number of locations in east Jerusalem
last month after a wave of Palestinian
stabbing, shooting and car-ramming
attacks against Israelis began on October 1.
The area of Jabel Mukaber, from
where a number of the attackers
came, was largely blocked off by
checkpoints. Some of these have
been removed, the statement said.
Any deterioration in the relative
calm of recent days, however, will
lead the police to use all means at
its disposal against the terrorists who
break the law and order, the statement warned.
It said thousands of police were
ready to respond at short notice.

IS responsible for most Libya killings

AFP
The Hague

slamic State jihadists are killing

more civilians in Libya than the
other warring factions, but all sides
are committing large-scale crimes,
International Criminal Court chief
prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said yesterday.
Of the 37 car and suicide bombings
recorded this year in Libya, 27 have
been attributed to the IS group, Bensouda said in a report to the UN Security Council.
IS ghters are executing Libyans for
perceived activities such as spying,
homosexuality and social activism,
she said.
Violent deaths are on the rise in Libya, where the UN is trying to broker a
deal on a unity government that would

Unity government soon

An agreement on a new unity government for Libya is imminent and could
be finalised before the end of the
month, Libyas envoy to the UN said
yesterday.
The UN has been brokering talks
on the makeup of a new government
to end fighting between the army and
Islamist-backed militias that seized
Tripoli last year.
The formation of a government of
national accord is imminent, perhaps
even before the end of the month,
Ambassador Ibrahim Dabbashi told the
Security Council.

be able to confront the growing threat

from the Islamic State group.
No fewer than 60 people are killed
per month in the north African coun-

try, which has been in turmoil since the

fall of Muammar Gadda in 2011.
IS attacks have hit mostly the southern city of Sirte, but ghting in June
drove out the jihadists from Derna, in
the east.
Executions and other murders of
Libyans attributed to ISIL and its allied organizations have been consistently more highly numbered than those
of other perpetrators, Bensouda said
in her report to the council.
In another indication of the worsening crisis, nearly 450,000 people have
been forced to ee their homes in the
violence over the past year, double the
number of displaced from the previous
year, she said.
Bensouda said the Libya Dawn militia that controls Tripoli and the Libyan
National Army loyal to the internationally recognized government were also
committing large-scale crimes.

Gulf Times
Friday, November 6, 2015

AFRICA

Tanzanias Magufuli is
sworn in as president
AFP
Dar es Salaam

anzanias new President

John Magufuli was sworn
into office yesterday along
with the east African nations
rst female vice-president to
huge cheers from crowds.
Magufulis win in the October
25 poll with over 58% of votes
cemented the long-running
Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM)
partys rm grip on power.
I promise to work to the best
of my ability to deliver our election pledges, Magufuli said
after taking the oath of office.
We are aware of the trust and
enormous responsibility that
you have assigned us ... but with
Gods guidance, peoples co-operation and goodwill our nation
can prosper.
Vice-President Samia Suluhu
Hassan, who comes from Zanzibar, was also sworn in at a stadium in the economic capital Dar
es Salaam, promising to always

strive to give proper and honest

advice to the president.
Elections were largely peaceful, but the opposition said that
the vote was rigged and also
claimed victory, while semi-autonomous Zanzibar which also
voted for its own president annulled polls over irregularities.
We are all the winners because the polls ended peacefully
... we must now stand together
in the broader interest of our
nation, Magufuli added. I also
hope our brother and sisters in
Zanzibar will sooner rather
than later settle their differences amicably.
Outgoing president Jakaya
Kikwete has said he is so happy to be leaving his job after a
decade in power, having stepped
aside after serving his two-term
limit.
Magufuli, 56, a former chemistry teacher, ran on an anticorruption platform, securing a
convincing victory over his closest rival, former prime minister
Edward Lowassa who won 40%.

Magufuli embraces Kikwete (right) during his inauguration ceremony at the Uhuru Stadium in Dar es
Salaam.
Those at the ceremony included African Union (AU)
chairman, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, as well as

regional leaders including Kenyas Uhuru Kenyatta, Ugandas

Yoweri Museveni and Rwandas
Paul Kagame.

Other neighbouring leaders

included Filipe Nyusi of Mozambique and Zambias Edgar
Lungu. South Africas Jacob

Zuma and Ethiopian Prime

Minister Hailemariam Desalegn
were also present.
On the Indian Ocean archipelago of Zanzibar, opposition
supporters said that they were
unhappy that the mainland
had pressed ahead with the
swearing-in ceremony.
Zanzibars electoral commission ruled last week that the
October 25 vote on the islands
where the 500,000 registered
voters also cast ballots for Tanzanias national president
must be carried out again, citing
violations of electoral law.
The annulment came after a
key candidate, Seif Sharif Hamad of the opposition Civic
United Front, declared himself
the winner before the results
were officially announced.
Homemade bombs exploded
in Zanzibar town over the weekend.
No one was wounded, but the
explosions sparked concern on
the islands, whose economy is
dependent on foreign tourists.

Four bodies found in Bujumbura amid wave of political violence

DPA
Kigali

hree people have been

killed by police near the
Burundian capital Bujumbura, where a fourth body
was also found, a human rights

group said yesterday as a wave of

political violence rocked the east
African nation.
The bodies of the three were
discovered yesterday morning
in the capital suburb of Mutakura, said Anschaire Nikoyagize, president of the Burundian
League for Human Rights.

He quoted witnesses as saying

police had red at them late on
Wednesday.
Another body was also discovered in Bujumbura, Nikoyagize added.
Nine gunmen were killed by
security forces between Saturday and Tuesday, police spokes-

man Pierre Nkurikiye said earlier.

Some of the victims had been
beheaded, while others appeared
to have been shot at close range
or tortured, Nikoyagize said.
Burundi has been gripped
by violence since April, when
President Pierre Nkurunziza an-

nounced his intention to seek a

third term in office, despite the
constitutional two-term limit.
Defying violent protests,
Nkurunziza won an election
boycotted by the opposition in
July.
Human rights activists say
about 200 people have been

killed in protests and incidents

since April.
The government plays down
the attacks, attributing them to
armed gangs.
Nkurunziza on Monday gave
civilians ve days to hand in any
illegal weapons or face a police
crackdown.

Senate
debates
reform for
Kagame
3rd term
AFP
Kigali

wandas upper house of

parliament debated yesterday a constitutional
amendment enabling President Paul Kagame to run for a
third consecutive term in 2017
and potentially paving the way
for the strongman to remain in
power till 2034.
Senate president Bernard
Makuza said that the proposals would now be considered by
a senate committee on politics
and good governance, before returning to the upper house for
voting.
Rwandas lower house voted
unanimously to approve cutting presidential terms from the
current seven to ve years, and
maintain a two-term limit.
But an exception was made for
Kagame, who would be allowed
to run for another seven-year
term after his current mandate
ends in 2017.
After those seven years, he
could then potentially run for
another two terms of ve years
each.
Kagame has run Rwanda since
his rebel army ended the 1994
genocide and ousted Hutu extremists.
He won elections in 2003 and
2010 and, under the current law,
is due to step aside in 2017 at the
end of his second term.
But earlier this year, more than
60% of voters signed a petition
calling for constitutional changes to be drafted that would allow
Kagame to stand again.

Gulf Times
Friday, November 6, 2015

AMERICAS

Bush Sr lashes out at

Cheney and Rumsfeld
AFP/DPA/Reuters
Washington

Cheney: became very hardline and very different from the

Dick Cheney Bush Sr knew and
worked with.

Rumsfeld: an arrogant fellow.

ormer president George

H W Bush has reportedly
lashed out at Dick Cheney
and Donald Rumsfeld, two key
gures in his son George W
Bushs presidency, slamming the
former as an iron ass and the
latter as arrogant in Destiny
and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker
Bush, to be released next week.
Bush, president from 19891993, has mostly been silent on
issues regarding his sons presidency and the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan.
But in an upcoming biography,
he has some choice words for the
two men who played a pivotal
role in George Ws 2001-2009
White House.
Former vice-president Cheney
is an iron ass who built his
own empire and had too much
of a hard-line over his son
in convincing him to use military force around the world,
Bush said, according to the New
York Times yesterday, citing the
former presidents biographer
Jon Meacham.

And former defence secretary

Rumsfeld was an arrogant fellow, blind to the opinions of others, who served the president
badly, Bush said.
The 91-year-old Bush senior
is remembered as the president
who led the effort to liberate Kuwait from Iraq and as the father
of German reunication.
But his son, in contrast, is considered one of the least popular
US presidents ever.
Bush knows Cheney well, as
the latter was his secretary of defence during the 1991 Operation
Desert Storm, the US-led military push that liberated Kuwait
from Saddam Hussains Iraqi
army.
However as his sons vicepresident, he just became very
hard-line and very different
from the Dick Cheney I knew and
worked with, Bush said.
The reaction (to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US),
what to do about the Middle
East. Just iron-ass. His seeming
knuckling under to the real hardcharging guys who want to ght
about everything, use force to get
our way in the Middle East, Bush
told Meacham in the book.
He speculated that Cheney

Bush Sr has mostly been silent on issues regarding his

sons presidency and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
He has, however, said that Bush Jr (left) at times used
language that was too bellicose.
was inuenced by his deeply
conservative wife Lynne, whom
Bush described as the eminence
grise (a person who exercises
power or inuence without holding an official position).
On Rumsfeld, Bush is quoted
as saying: I dont like what he
did, and I think it hurt the President, referring to his son.
Ive never been that close to
him anyway. Theres a lack of humility, a lack of seeing what the

86-year-old woman escapes trio of teenaged kidnappers

An 86-year-old Washington state
woman forced into the trunk of her
car and taken to Oregon by a trio of
teenagers managed to escape when
the alleged kidnappers stopped at a
store, authorities said on Wednesday.
Hazel Abel, 86, said she had been
abducted from her home on Monday

evening in the south-central city of

Kennewick, placed in the trunk of her
car, and driven to Oregon, said Kevin
McCary, a spokesman for the Benton
County Sheriff s Office, in Washington.
Once the teens, two boys and a girl
ages 14, 15, and 16, stopped at a store
in Portlands Multnomah County, Abel

managed to unlock the trunk from the

inside and run for help, McCary said.
The teens, also from the Kennewick
area in Washington, were arrested on
Tuesday on suspicion of kidnapping,
possession of a stolen motor vehicle,
unlawful use of a motor vehicle, and
reckless endangerment.

other guy thinks. Hes more kick

ass and take names, take numbers. I think he paid a price for
that. Rumsfeld was an arrogant
fellow, he was quoted as saying
in the biography.
The elder Bush however acknowledged that his son was
responsible for empowering
Cheney and Rumsfeld, and at
times used language that was too
bellicose.
Hot rhetoric is pretty easy to

Suspect arrested
in stabbing of
France train hero
Police in California have arrested
a 28-year-old man in connection
with last months stabbing of US
airman Spencer Stone, who came
to global fame in August when he
helped stop a terrorist attack on a
French train, authorities said.
The Sacramento Police
Department said in a press
release that officers had arrested
James Tran, 28, on suspicion of
attempted murder in connection
with the attack October 8 outside
a nightclub in the California state
capital.
Stone underwent emergency
open-heart surgery after being
stabbed several times in the
chest.
The 23-year-old Air Force staff
sergeant made headlines around
the world August 21 when he and
childhood friends Alek Skarlatos
and Anthony Sadler thwarted
a gun attack on a train from
Amsterdam to Paris.
Aided by a British man and a
French-American man, who was
shot in the attack, the trio tackled
and disarmed Ayoub al-Khazzani,
a 25-year-old Moroccan who had
opened fire on train passengers
armed with a Kalashnikov and a
pistol.
The three Americans and the
British man were awarded
the French Legion of Honour
by French President Francois
Hollande.
The Americans received top US
medals for bravery outside of
combat and met US President
Barack Obama at the White
House.
Sacramento police told local
media the stabbing appeared to
be related to an altercation over
filming with a smartphone, and
that Tran was not believed to
have been aware of Stones public
stature.

University student
shot dead after
attack on campus
Police shot and killed a university
student after he stabbed four
people on Wednesday at the
University of California campus in
the city of Merced, the university
said.
Two of the stabbing victims were
transported to local hospitals
by helicopter, while others were
treated on-site, the university said
in a press release.
University authorities had
originally said five people had
been stabbed, but later revised
the injury toll and detailed that
the wounded included two
students, a staff member and a
contractor.
Merced County Sheriff Vern
Warnke told the local daily
newspaper Merced Sun Star that
the suspect was a male student
in his 20s.
No motive was given for the
stabbings.
Merced is about 210km east of
San Francisco.

get headlines, but it doesnt

necessarily solve the diplomatic
problem, Bush told Meacham,
according to the Times.
Bush specically cited George
Ws 2002 Axis of Evil speech
linking US enemies Iraq, Iran and
North Korea.
You go back to the axis of
evil and these things and I think
that might be historically proved
to be not beneting anything,
Bush said.

Fox News quoted Cheney as

denying his family had inuenced
his views, saying: Its his view,
perhaps, of what happened, but
my family was not conspiring to
somehow turn me into a tougher,
more hardnosed individual. I got
there all by myself.
Bushs spokesman could not
immediately be reached for comment.
Rumsfeld declined to comment on the book, Fox News said.

Canada to let ex-Gitmo

inmate return to France
Reuters
Toronto

ourad Benchellali, a French

national and former Guantanamo Bay prisoner detained by
Canadian police at a Toronto airport on
Monday, will likely be released and allowed to return to France within hours,
his Canadian lawyer said on Wednesday.
The details are being worked out,
but they are willing to allow him to return tonight, Hadayt Nazami said in a
phone interview.
Benchellali would withdraw his request to enter Canada and voluntarily
return to France, Nazami said.
Benchellali was arrested in 2001 at an
Al Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan
and taken into custody by the US Army.
He was an inmate from January 2002
to July 2004 in the detention camp on
the US military base in Guantanamo
Bay, Cuba, where current and former
prisoners have said they were tortured
and otherwise abused.
Benchellali was set to attend a conference in Canada on preventing radicalisation in prisons, but authorities
arrested him because of concerns about
the time he spent in Afghanistan, his
lawyer said.
What they were saying is that he
was in a training camp in Afghanistan in 2001. He was there for just two
months. And regardless of what has
happened since then it makes no difference to them, Nazami said.
The Canadian Border Services
Agency (CBSA)s decision to release
Benchellali was as a surprise to him and
his lawyer because the Frenchman was
expected to have a hearing by a higher
level of Canadas Immigration and Refugee Board, Nazami said.

A file picture taken on May 13 shows

former Guantanamo prisoner
Benchellali.
A CBSA spokesman declined to comment.
For the past two years, Benchellali
has been part of an initiative to stop
young people from joining Islamist
militant groups in Syria, his supporters say.
Toronto-based lmmaker Eileen
Thalenberg said she had invited
Benchellali to Canada to attend the
conference as part of a documentary
she is producing for the Canadian
Broadcasting Corporation.
Thalenberg said she checked with
the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
(RCMP) and received assurances before
bringing Benchellali from France to Iceland and then to Canada, so he would
not y over United States airspace.
I would have never brought him
otherwise, she said.
The RCMP declined to comment, referring queries to the CBSA.
Thalenberg said that Benchellali
sent her a text message from prison on
Wednesday saying: I never thought Id
be in an orange jumpsuit again.
Benchellali was previously stopped
from boarding a ight to Canada in June
because he is still on the US governments no-y list and the plane would
have passed through US airspace.

Another mistrial for cop

who threw Indian man
Reuters
Washington

US judge has declared a second

mistrial when a jury deadlocked
again in the case of an Alabama
police officer accused of throwing an
Indian man to the ground, according to
federal prosecutors.
Eric Parker, 27, was retried on accusations that he used unreasonable force
while working as a Madison, Alabama,
police officer.
During his rst trial in September,
another jury in Huntsville, Alabama,
federal court also deadlocked, resulting
in the rst mistrial.
Parker faced up to 10 years in jail on
a single charge of depriving the Indian
grandfather, then 57, of his civil rights
in a case that drew global attention.
Sureshbhai Patel, who testied in

both trials, was hurt during the February incident captured on videotape.
Parker declined to comment to reporters outside the courthouse, but
his attorney, Robert Tuten, said he was
disappointed that he may have to face a
third trial.
At the time of the incident, Patel had
recently come to the United States and
spoke no English.
He was stopped outside his sons
home during a morning walk by police,
who were responding to a suspicious
person call.
Parker abruptly ipped Patel to the
ground during the encounter, resulting
in injuries from which Patel was not expected to fully recover from, his lawyer
has said.
Madison police released video of the
incident recorded from inside a patrol
vehicle and apologised for Parkers actions.

Gulf Times
Friday, November 6, 2015

ASEAN

Thailand
crackdown
on maa
gures
Reuters
Bangkok

Supporters of Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyis National League for Democracy (NLD) perform during a NLD rally in Yangon yesterday.

Suu Kyi vows to be

above the president
Suu Kyi is confident that she will run
the show once the elections are won
Agencies
Yangon

yanmars opposition leader Aung

San Suu Kyi yesterday declared
she will be above the president
and run the government if her party wins
this weekends landmark election, in deant comments addressing a current ban on
her taking top office.
The former junta-ruled country goes
to the polls on Sunday in elections which
could see the armys decades-long grip on
power substantially loosened.
Suu Kyi has towered over Myanmars
politics after a decades-long struggle for
democracy and her party is expected to
make major gains at Sundays polls if the
vote is free and fair.
Yet under the military-scripted constitution, the 70-year-old is barred from
running for the presidency by a clause believed to have been written specically to
thwart her bid for the countrys top office.
I have said I am going to be above the
president, Suu Kyi said in bullish remarks
to reporters ahead of Sundays vote, which
her National League for Democracy (NLD)
party hopes to sweep.
Asked to elaborate, she cryptically replied: I have already made plans.
I will run the government and we will
have a president who will work in accord-

Aung San Suu Kyi leaves the stage after

addressing a press conference from her
residential compund in Yangon.
ance with the policies of the NLD, she
told reporters gathered on the lawn of her
Yangon home, the same mansion she was
conned to during years of house arrest by
the former generals.
Her path to the presidency is blocked
by a charter clause outlawing those with
foreign-born offspring taking the top
post. Her two sons have British passports -- their late father was a British
academic.
Many hope Sundays election will be

the countrys freest and fairest for a generation but concerns abound in a country
with a long history of the army stiing democracy.
Polls in 1990 swept by the NLD were
ignored by the military, while a 2010 election was boycotted by Suu Kyis opposition over fraud fears.
Reforms by the military since then have
seen a quasi-civilian government take
charge and guide sweeping changes leading to this weekends election.
But the Nobel Peace Prize Winner also
struck a note of caution over the reforms
so far labelling them a veneer, while
questioning the will of election officials to
tackle irregularities.
Asked how vigilant she was to the possibility of poll fraud she said, if suspicions
are raised we will have to make a fuss
about it.
But she added it was important for her
party to run a government of national
reconciliation if the NLD wins.
Suu Kyis comments yesterday are likely
to be seen as both a challenge to the armys
dominance and a rallying cry to her supporters who view her as the fulcrum of
Myanmars democracy struggle.
Aung San Suu Kyi is playing hardball,
Nicholas Farrelly, a Myanmar specialist at
the Australian National University, told
AFP.
She is insistent that a hypothetical
NLD mandate is her personal mandate, he
said, adding she also resents any obstacles to her destiny.

The NLDs main rival is the incumbent

Union Solidarity and Development Party
(USDP) of President and former general
Thein Sein, which is itself stacked with
ex-military cadres.
Myanmars army also retains a 25%
bloc of seats in parliament -- gifted by the
same controversial charter that bans Suu
Kyi.
The NLD need 67% of seats to win an
outright majority and beat down the challenge of any coalition between the USDP
and the army. The USDP need only take
around a third of seats to link up with the
military bloc in parliament.
Army lawmakers essentially have a veto
over major policy, including any changes
to the constitution.
Observers say Suu Kyi could seek her
own alliance with a compromise candidate
for the presidency, which will be decided
after the election in a complex process that
could take several weeks.
Myanmars reform drive since 2011 has
brought new freedoms to the nations
long-suffering people including a general easing of censorship and the release of
many political prisoners.
The government has been rewarded
with the roll back of many Western sanctions presaging a ood of investment.
The United States hinted late Wednesday that more sanctions could be eased if
Sundays poll is judged to be free and fair
specically those barring US trade with
Myanmar business elites with close links
to the army.

Myanmars icon fails to

address Rohingya issue
AFP
Yangon

yanmar
opposition
leader Aung San Suu
Kyi yesterday said it
was important not to exaggerate the plight of the nations
persecuted Rohingya, hundreds
of thousands of whom have been
barred from Sundays landmark
polls.
Suu Kyi has faced international censure for not speaking
out in support of the Rohingya, a
Muslim minority who have been
hardest hit by deadly bouts of
communal violence in Buddhistmajority Myanmar at a time of
surging religious nationalism.
The general elections in the
former junta-run state are being
touted as the fairest in decades,
yet hundreds of thousands of
Rohingya from western Rakhine
state have been disenfranchised.

It is very important that we

should not exaggerate the problems, she told mostly foreign
reporters at a press conference in
Yangon when asked if the group
were victims of genocide.
I am not saying that this is a
small problem, she was quick to
add, saying that if victorious her
party would secure everybody in
the country proper protection
in accordance with the law.
Last week a human rights
clinic at the United States-based
Yale Law School published an
80-page legal analysis claiming
it had found strong evidence
that genocide is being committed
against Rohingya.
The United Nations and other
rights groups who have condemned the treatment of the
community have not used the
term to describe the conditions
in which the Rohingya live.
Some observers say it may be
counterproductive in tinderbox

Rakhine, where international aid

groups have faced hostility from
local Buddhists who accuse them
of bias towards Muslims.
In recent years tens of thousands of Rohingya have ed Rakhine in perilous sea crossings,
usually bound for mostly Muslim
Malaysia in search of better opportunities.
Many were spurred to leave
after violent 2012 clashes in the
state left around 200 people dead
and some 140,000 displaced,
mostly Rohingya.
Myanmars government has
insisted that the group do not
face official persecution, arguing that the majority are illegal
immigrants from Bangladesh,
despite the fact that many have
lived in the country for generations.
In Rakhine, Rohingya face restrictions over employment and
travel with many living in bleak
displacement camps.

Last month Amnesty International said Rohingya faced a

harrowing picture of mob attacks, deaths and disappearances in Rakhine as it warned trafckers would resume their trade
in luring the group out.
The lucrative trafficking industry was laid bare in May when
people-smugglers
abandoned
thousands of migrants at sea after a belated Thai clampdown,
a crisis that eventually forced a
Southeast Asia-wide response.
Suu Kyis comments came as a
special adviser to the United Nations on the prevention of genocide warned of further marginalisation of religious minorities,
in particular Muslim Rohingya.
None of the major parties
including Suu Kyis National
League for Democracy have
elded any Muslim candidates
in Sundays election despite the
minority making up some ve
percent of the population.

hailands
junta
launched yesterday a
crackdown on organised crime, its latest effort to
clean up the country and improve the image of the military government as it struggles to get a sluggish economy
on track.
Prime minister Prayuth
Chan-ocha, ushered in a
clean up Thailand campaign
shortly after he, as army chief,
took power from an elected
government in a 2014 coup,
promising to root out vice and
corruption in government and
society in general.
This time, he said, the junta
was targeting maa-style
crime bosses know as inuential gures.
We want people to be able
to live their lives normally
away from violence and its instigators, including those who
use weapons, said defence
ministry spokesman Colonel
Kongcheep Tantrawanit.
We will use laws that target inuential gures and ask
people to cooperate to help
give the state information, he
said, without giving details.
Prayuth has said he wants
maas eradicated in six
months. His government has
agged the need to suppress
crime, ban weapons and investigate some of Thailands
infamous nightlife venues.
The military sees itself as
the champion of clean government, distinct from venal
civilian politicians and their
business cronies, although
the military itself has long had
extensive interests in various
sectors of the economy.
Numerous
governments,
both civilian and military, have
vowed to tackle crime and social ills though over the years,
invariably with limited success.
The militarys main rival
over a decade of turbulent politics, former populist premier
Thaksin Shinawatra, launched
a tough war on drugs when he
was prime minister in the early
2000s, in which several thousand people were killed.
Organised crime bosses
often have shadowy political
links and the children of some
have entered politics.
Critics said the crackdown
was another cosmetic, quickx campaign at a time when
Southeast Asias secondlargest economy is in the doldrums, with exports and consumption sluggish.
The junta sees a problem
and tries to patch it up quickly, said a Thai social critic,
who declined to be identied
out of fear of repercussions.

This is similar to the trafcking crackdown.

Police launched a crackdown on human trafficking
syndicates in May following
the discovery of mass graves
along the border with Malaysia believed to contain the
bodies of trafficking victims
from Myanmar.
The clampdown triggered
a regional migrant crisis because it prompted criminals
to abandon boats crammed
with thousands of migrants at
sea, rather than risk landing
on Thai shores.
The junta chief yesterday
defended his governments
decision to roll out signicant
farming subsidies, a policy the
generals and their allies excoriated when the civilians they
toppled were in power.

The junta was targeting

mafia-style crime bosses
know as influential
figures
The kingdoms military
rulers have approved at least
$1.3bn in rural subsidies in
recent days, primarily to help
prop up the countrys inuential but struggling rice and
rubber industries.
I admit that we cant give
up on populist schemes but
we have to see how to make
them better, more thorough
and fairer, junta chief and
premier Prayut Chan-O-Cha
told reporters yesterday.
(Our) policies will help the
country better than the populist policy (of the previous
government), he added.
Army chief Prayut seized
power in May 2014, ousting
the democratically elected
government of Yingluck
Shinawatra after months of
street protests, which were
in part fuelled by her administrations popular but economically disastrous rice subsidy scheme.
Thailands long-running
political conict broadly pits
a Bangkok-based middle class
and royalist elite, backed by
parts of the military and judiciary, against rural and
working-class voters loyal to
Yingluck and her also ousted
brother Thaksin.
The army justied the coup
as necessary to restore order and curb what they said
were expensive policies that
favoured Thailands rural
classes but were blighted by
corruption.
The junta has since entangled Yingluck and some
of her key allies in a string of
court cases surrounding her
administrations rice subsidy
scheme and sales allegations they have dismissed as
politically motivated.

Pageant

Miss Malaysia Immaculate Lojuki displays her national costume during the Miss International
beauty pageant in Tokyo yesterday.

Gulf Times
Friday, November 6, 2015

AUSTRALASIA/EAST ASIA

Australia
alarmed by
religious
intolerance
AFP
Sydney

ustralia is experiencing an
alarming emergence of
religious intolerance, Attorney-General George Brandis
said yesterday, calling for greater
efforts to counter discrimination, particularly against Muslims and Christians.
Brandis, who spoke at an inaugural Religious Freedom Roundtable, said he was fearful for religious freedom and tolerance in
Australia.
Members of the Islamic community are sometimes the victims of suspicion and hostility
directed against them by those
ignorantly seeking to blame terrorist violence upon Qurranic
teaching, Brandis told the gathering of religious representatives
in Sydney.
Members of Christian faiths
- in particular the Catholic faith
- are routinely the subject of
mockery and insult by prominent
writers and commentators.
It is the work of this roundtable to identify some of the
challenges which this alarming emergence of intolerance of
religious faith... presents, the
nations top law officer added as
he called for the development of
strategies to promote tolerance
and understanding.
Brandis comments came as a
report reecting on the 40th an-

Lantern festival

300 blocked from heading to conflict zones

Counterterrorism authorities
stopped more than 300 people
including minors from leaving
Australia bound for conflict areas
in Iraq and Syria, the customs
agency said in its annual report
yesterday.
From July 2014 to June 2015,
Border Force counterterrorism
teams conducted 133,368 on
the spot assessments of people
booked to fly from Australias
eight international airports and
prevented 336 passengers from
leaving, the report said.
The annual report said authorities had intercepted people of
national security concern and
prevented a number of minors
from travelling to the conflict
areas in Syria and Iraq.

niversary of the Racial Discrimination Act, and which surveyed

Muslim Australians, found they
experienced daily or regular discrimination due to their beliefs.
Many participants in the
public consultations observed a
rise in anti-Muslim sentiments,
reecting increased public attention on terrorism and national
security, said the report released
yesterday by the Australian Human Rights Commission.
Many participants labelled
anti-Muslim discrimination a
daily or regular occurrence, particularly following the Sydney

They include two boys ages 16

and 17 from an elite government
school in Sydney reserved for the
most gifted students, who were
stopped in March from flying to
Turkey.
It was reported that counterterrorism agencies concluded the two
youths had become radicalized
and were seeking to join extremist groups in Syria without their
parents knowledge. They were
not criminally charged and were
released to their parents custody.
The government has revealed
it cancelled 67 passports on
security grounds during the same
12 months, up from 45 the year
before. Another 20 passports
were cancelled over the last three
months.

Lindt cafe siege in December

2014 and heightened concerns
about national security.
The cafe stand-off, where Iranborn gunman and self-styled cleric Man Haron Monis and two hostages were killed, took place amid
growing fears about home-grown
extremists and the movement
of dozens of Australians to the
Middle East to ght with jihadist
groups such as Islamic State.
The report said the current
racial discrimination laws might
not protect Muslim Australians
against ethno-religious or religious vilication.

Underwater attraction

Visitors look at colorful lanterns in the shape of a Korean royal palace on the eve of the Seoul Lantern Festival at Cheonggyecheon
stream in central Seoul. The festival is part of a campaign by South Korea to attract more foreign tourists and runs from today till
November 22.

Seoul protests Kaesong

ban on two nationals
AFP
Seoul

outh Korea has urged North

Korea to withdraw an unacceptable ban imposed on
two South Korean administrators
from entering a joint industrial
complex run by both countries, an
official said yesterday.
The Kaesong industrial estate,
which lies just across the border
in North Korea, is regulated by a
joint committee whose members on the South side - come from the
private sector or are former public
officials.
Two South Korean committee
members were refused entry on
Tuesday at the border, according to Seouls unication ministry
that handles cross-border affairs.
The North said the two would

orth Korea will offer helicopter sightseeing tours of

its capital, Pyongyang, starting from this month,
tourist agencies specialising in trips to the isolated
country told Reuters yesterday.
North Korea does not publish tourist numbers but an estimated 6,000 Westerners visit the country each year, according to tour companies. The vast majority of tourists are
from neighbouring China.
Well swoop around the 105-story Ryugyong Hotel, do
a low y-by of the Taedong River past the Juche tower, and
get a great glimpse of May Day stadium - the worlds largest stadium, Rowan Beard of China-based Young Pioneer
Tours, which was offered the tours by state airline Air Koryo, told Reuters.
Tourists will be able to strap themselves into an ageing Mil Mi-17 - a Soviet-era military transport helicopter
known for its small, porthole-like windows. Western travel
rms are offering the ight as an optional extra, costing
around 180 euros ($195), on trips to North Korea.
The Mi-17 is used by North Koreas military, but has been
chartered by tourists in the past to y from Pyongyang to
provincial towns and cities. Air Koryo is also offering
ights over the capital in an antique Antonov 24 - a 1950s
Soviet propeller passenger plane. The helicopter tour will
also buzz over a vegetable farm and a monument honouring
the ruling Workers Party, said Simon Cockerell of Beijingbased Koryo Tours.
Tourists will be allowed to take photographs during the
ights which will last 30 to 40 minutes, he said.

China summit is rst step to

normalising ties: Taiwans Ma
AFP
Taipei

A diver looks at an underwater display of photographs at an exhibition held

inside an indoor diving pool at Inner Space club in Beijing. The exhibition of 40
underwater photographs was organised to provide an unconventional viewing
experience to visitors through the changes in the senses of hearing, vision and
feeling of gravity while underwater, organizer Feng Yan said.

be denied entry from now on for

opposing the Norths policies (on
Kaesong) and advocating the position of the South Korean government, said a ministry official who
declined to be named.
One of the two was Choi SangChul, a retired ministry official
and current vice chairman of the
committee.
The Unication Ministry said
the South had led a protest with a
senior North Korean official working at the Kaesong complex.
We complained that the entry ban...is unacceptable and was
made unilaterally in a clear violation of jointly-set rules on the
Kaesong complex, said the official.
According to the Souths Yonhap news agency, Choi has been
heavily involved in negotiating
Kaesong wage and tax issues with
the North Korean authorities.

Latest flight of fancy: Soviet-era

helicopter tours over Pyongyang

aiwans president yesterday

defended a historic summit
with China as the rst step to
normalising relations between the
leaders, as opponents wary over a
rapprochement after decades of hostility accused him of selling out the
island.
Ma Ying-jeou will meet with his
Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in
Singapore tomorrow, in a dramatic
recognition of a seven-year period of
warming relations which has raised
fears self-ruled Taiwans security
may be at stake.
Ma said the meeting was to ensure
the future of cross-strait relations
and would also be a chance for Taiwan to come in from the cold internationally, where few countries recognise it as a state.
It will be the rst time leaders from
the two sides, separated by the narrow Taiwan Strait, will have met since
their split at the end of a civil war on
the mainland in 1949, which left Taiwan to forge its own identity as a democracy.
In an address to the nation, Ma
hailed the meeting as being for the
welfare of the next generation.
Both sides of the Strait should
work towards lowering hostility...
This is the rst step towards normalisation of meetings between the leaders, he said.
Taiwan lost its UN seat to China in
1971 and only 22 states formally recognise the island, which has led to
marginalisation on the global stage, a
key point of resentment for Taiwanese.
Taiwan has for quite some time
run into many difficulties participating in international events. We
receive this feedback from the public
frequently, such as from NGOs, said
Ma.
Therefore we will raise this issue... in order to come to some agree-

ment for greater international space

for Taiwan.
But the summit has been slammed
by opponents who say Ma is trying
to inuence presidential elections
in January, which the ruling Beijingfriendly Kuomintang (KMT) is set to
lose.
Both Ma and his party have seen
support plummet partly due to antiChina sentiment in Taiwan as concerns grow over Beijings inuence.
Were angry that Ma is going to
sell out Taiwan, said Hsu Ya-chi,
spokeswoman for the pro-independence Taiwan Solidarity Union, one of
the opposition parties that suspect
some sort of secret deal between Ma
and Xi.
Although nominally rivals, the two
sides have become tightly linked,
with the launch of direct ights, trade
deals and a tourism boom in recent
years as they forged previously unthinkable ties.
But despite the many decades of
operating as a self-ruling economy
with a erce sense of identity, Beijing
considers the island a renegade province awaiting reunication - by force
if necessary.
The summit is not for the next
election, it is for the welfare of the
next generation, said Ma. I feel it is
my duty to build a bridge for the two
sides.
Ma said key ally the US had been
notied of the meeting in advance,
but had played no role in arranging it.
The US, which is committed to defending the island - its former cold
war outpost - against any Chinese
aggression, has given a cautious welcome to the summit which will see
the leaders speak publicly and behind
closed doors before having dinner.
While observers agree the meeting is a landmark moment, there
are questions over why Beijing has
agreed to do it now, having resisted
Mas previous attempts to organise a
face-to-face.
As well as being a public show of
support for the KMT ahead of the

Taiwans President Ma Ying-jeou gestures during a news conference at the

Presidential Office in Taipei yesterday.
elections, it is seen by some as a move
towards solidarity with a US ally at a
time of simmering tension between
Beijing and Washington.
Beijings anger ared after the
guided missile destroyer USS Lassen last week sailed close to articial
islands it has built in the disputed
South China Sea, construction that
has alarmed Chinas neighbours.
Ma came to power in 2008 promising prosperity through better ties
with Beijing.
But many voters feel trade deals
have beneted big business, not ordinary people, and observers say the
KMT risks a backlash over the summit at the presidential elections.
Tsai Ing-wen of the Beijing-scep-

tic Democratic Progressive Party widely tipped to win the presidency

- said the meeting would hurt Taiwans democratic politics.
The people will not allow him
(Ma) to limit Taiwans future purely
for his own political credit, she said.
Ma conrmed there would be no
agreement or joint statement between the two sides, a move analysts
say is designed to assuage the nerves
of the Taiwanese public.
The leaders will give individual
press conferences after the meeting.
To avoid the risk of a protocol
problem over the title president,
they will not use their official titles,
instead addressing each other as
Mister.

Gulf Times
Friday, November 6, 2015

BRITAIN
EVENT

Britains Prince Harry speaks with veterans

during a visit to the Field of Remembrance at
Westminster Abbey in London yesterday.

TRAGEDY

CRIME

FORECAST

LANGUAGE

Sailor dies taking part in

round-the-world yacht race

Asian families targeted in

45mn of jewellery theft

Capitals house price

boom to lag behind UK

Binge-watch is Collins
dictionary word of the year

A British amateur sailor has died after being hit as

he adjusted a sail while competing in a round-theworld yacht race. The death of Andrew Ashman,
49, is the first in the 20-year history of the Clipper
race, in which 12 yachts under the command of
experienced professionals sail around the world
from London. Ashman was adjusting the sail of his
teams boat when he was knocked unconscious
by the mainsheet - a heavy rope - and possibly
the boom. He received medical treatment at the
scene but never regained consciousness, said race
organiser Clipper Ventures. The family of Ashman,
who was a paramedic from Orpington, Kent, have
been informed.

Gangs of thieves stole gold and jewellery worth a

total of 45mn from Asian families last year, police
said yesterday. Scotland Yard issued a warning that
organised criminals were targeting Asian families
for gold jewellery during the Diwali celebrations
which begin next week. The Met revealed that
thieves got away with the multi-million pound
haul last year in hundreds of burglaries, muggings
and snatches across the capital. Police say they
have evidence that organised crime gangs are
increasingly involved in the theft of family gold
around the time of the five-day Hindu Festival of
Lights. In recent years the most targeted areas,
were Croydon, Hounslow, Brent, Barnet and Sutton.

Inflated London house prices will lag behind most

of the country over the next five years, reversing
the trend of the past decade, a forecast predicted
yesterday. Average property values across the
capital currently at just under 500,000 are
expected to rise by just 15.3% by 2020, with
very sluggish growth from 2017, according to
projections from agents Savills. Prices for the UK
as a whole are set to rise by 17%, with the fastest
growth in the South-East, with an average 21.6%
surge. The slowest growth, at around 10%, will be
in affluent areas such as Hammersmith & Fulham,
Islington and Camden, which have had huge rises
that have priced out younger buyers.

The Collins English Dictionary yesterday declared

binge-watch its word of the year saying a tripling
of usage in the past 12 months marks a significant
change in British television-watching habits. The
dictionary defines the noun as to watch a large
number of television programmes, especially all
the shows from one series, in succession. Other
newly popular words on Collins list were swipe,
dadbod, transgender and Corbynomics. We
believe that the increase in usage of binge-watch,
its encapsulation of the concept, and the fact it
sums up a huge change in the way we spend our
leisure time make it a worthy Collins word of the
year, it said.

Protests
staged
as Egypt
president
visits PM

Cameron to
water down
stance on
EU migrants

AFP
London

ampaigners opposed to
Egyptian President Abdel
Fattah al-Sisi yesterday
blocked the entrance to Downing
Street, the London residence of
Prime Minister David Cameron,
ahead of a meeting between the
two leaders.
Around 200 demonstrators
protested against Sisis human
rights record, but they were outnumbered by those proclaiming
support for the Egyptian leader.
Police removed ve anti-Sisi
protesters dressed in white boiler
suits, who lay on the pavement
playing dead while blocking the
gates to Downing Street.
One had Freedom written
on his back and another Human Rights, while another wore
a noose around his neck.
The protesters wore T-shirts
with the four-ngered Rabia
logo, which is associated with
those killed in the crackdown on
the Rabaa al-Adawiya protest
camp in Cairo in 2013.
He took the presidency by the
sword, by killing, said a man who
gave his name as Abu Hamza.
Why are protesters being arrested when its Sisi who should
be arrested? said Anne Alexander of the Egypt Solidarity Initiative
He shouldnt be having lunch
with the prime minister. He
should be in jail.
They were opposed by a group
of around 300 Sisi supporters,
who held placards reading: We
love you Sisi and Welcome Sisi.
Egypt was lost, said
50-year-old restaurant owner
Magdi Khalil. We were going on
the path of Syria and Libya. Sisi
and the army rescued Egypt.
Those (anti-Sisi protesters)
are liars and traitors, added an
Egyptian policeman who declined to be named.
Sisi and Cameron later held
talks on security and the Sinai
plane crash, as concerns mount
it could have been caused by a
bomb.

Prime minister has been

strongly advised by senior
officials that the measure
would be rejected by other
EU leaders
Guardian News and Media
London

Protesters against the visit of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi are corralled back to their pen by
police as they demonstrate outside Downing Street in central London yesterday.

avid Cameron is preparing to water down

plans to ban EU migrants from claiming in-work
benets during their rst four
years in the country after receiving advice that it is incompatible with European law,
pro-EU campaigners have said.
The prime minister has been
strongly advised by senior ofcials on at least two occasions
over the last year that the ban,
once said to be one of his key
demands in renegotiations of
Britains membership of the EU,
would be rejected by other European leaders. On Wednesday
Downing Street said Cameron
remained committed to the proposal, which he rst outlined in
a speech in November last year.
But suspicions that the prime
minister will water down the
measure have been fuelled by
ministers refusal to talk in detail
about the plan in recent weeks.
The BBCs Newsnight programme reported that Sir Jeremy
Heywood, the cabinet secretary,
had advised the prime minister that the ban was incompatible with the EUs core treaties,
which guarantee that EU citizens must not face discrimination. Heywood reportedly advised Cameron that any ban on
in-work benets could not last
more than six months.

Uproar over London

Zoo nightclub plan
London Evening Standard
London

ondon
Zoos
wealthy
neighbours are infuriated by plans they fear will
make the attraction an outdoor
nightclub.
Zoo Enterprises Ltd has applied to Westminster council
for a licence to serve alcohol and hold concerts, sports
events and film screenings till
2am seven days a week for up to
15,000 revellers.
More than 100 people have
objected in writing, saying the
horrendous proposals would
shatter the tranquility of the
neighbourhood around Regents Park and Primrose Hill.
Police and neighbouring
Camden council have also registered concerns. The Met said
the plans would be likely to increase public nuisance and impact on public safety.
The zoo halted its adult-only
late parties in June after a series of outrages involving row-

dy revellers, including a man

pouring drinks on a tiger. Another man reportedly stripped
off and tried to go for a swim in
the penguin pool.
Neighbour Charles Medawar
said: My wife Caroline and I
went to a Zoo Late evening and
found it tawdry and depressing, going on uncivilised. The
main species on show were
young, more or less intoxicated
humans some in animal outfits and many slurping drinks
or fast food.
Businessman Robert Yentob,
twin of BBC executive Alan,
wrote: If this licence is granted it could change the whole
peaceful nature of the park and
its environment.
Channel 4 News producer
Daisy Ayliffe said: I cannot
express strongly enough my
concern at having this huge
nightclub on the doorstep of
my home and my childs nursery.
The danger and damage from
thousands of people drinking all day into the small hours

outside does not bear thinking

about.
Neighbour and Alton Towers
owner Nick Leslau said he was
disturbed that zoo bosses
had made no effort whatsoever to engage with the community beyond the legal minimum. The zoo has suggested
opening a hotline to deal with
any complaints about anti-social behaviour.
Zoo Enterprises handles
merchandising,
concessions
and catering for the Zoological
Society of London and last year
made a 2.3mn profit.
ZSLs communications director Rich Storton said the
current licence already allowed
alcohol to be purchased from
8am till 2am but was bound up
by complicated conditions.
Storton added that the council and police were consulted
before the application was submitted. He insisted there was
no intention to increase the
number of late-night events,
Westminster council is set to
decide on the plans.

A former senior Whitehall ofcial told the Guardian that civil

servants expressed unease about
the proposal at the time of Camerons speech last November
and in the run-up to the general
election when the prime minister included the proposal in his
manifesto.

The PM remains
committed to the proposal
that EU migrants should
live in the UK for four
years before they can
claim in-work benefits
The former official said: A lot
of advice went to the prime minister on that issue. It was made
clear that that was sailing very,
very close to the wind in terms of
the treaty and in terms of negotiability. Downing Street suggested Cameron would mention
the proposal next week when he
sets out his reform plans in writing for the rst time in a letter to
the European council president,
Donald Tusk.
The prime ministers spokesman said: The story about the
advice the cabinet secretary gave
to the PM is not true. The PM remains committed to the proposal that EU migrants should live
in the UK for four years before
they can claim in-work benets.
Thats what he is negotiating.
But the pro-EU campaign expects that Cameron will water
down the measure when his proposals are negotiated in detail by
EU leaders at a summit in December. The former senior ofcial said of the proposed fouryear ban: That is problematic.
The government will be trying
to get a substantial concession in

the area of migrant benets. But

it would be surprising if it turned
out to have four years written on
that. Most people think that is
unworkable.
So the government is nding other ways of getting a concession in an area where there is
some receptivity on the part of
the richer countries. The trick
will be to get something which
doesnt hack off the central Europeans.
Camerons spokesman said:
The prime minister has been
clear on four areas where he
wants change: on sovereignty, on
economic governance, on competitiveness and the welfare and
migration issue. Specically on
welfare, as the PM has said, we
need to tackle abuses of the right
to free movement and deliver
changes that ensure our welfare
system isnt an articial draw for
people to come to Britain.
Boris Johnson has once again
insisted that Cameron must
secure curbs on the EUs free
movement of people. The London mayor told LBC: There
are plenty of businesses, plenty
of agricultural businesses and
all this, who thrive on total free
movement. But the difficulty,
really, is for social services, for
people who have to look after arrivals in this city, in coping with
the inux.
Cameron had hoped to limit
the free movement of people,
but he backed away and instead
focused on the four-year ban on
in-work benets and an outright
ban on out-of-work benets,
after Angela Merkel warned him
that he could not change with
one of the founding principles of
the EU.

Woman grabs and

kisses Prince Charles
AFP
Wellington

Prince Charles reacts after a large bumblebee briefly landed on the

Princes pants and flew away as he handles a native tuatara lizard during
a visit to the Orokonui Eco sanctuary, near Dunedin, New Zealand,
yesterday.

zealous fan kissed Prince

Charles in New Zealand
yesterday, grabbing the
heir to the throne as he went
walkabout in the southern city
of Dunedin.
Security officers scrambled
into action but could not stop
Lesley Hayde from planting
a peck on the princes cheek
then doing the same to his wife
Camilla. Hayde had been waiting outside Dunedin Railway
Station to see the royals and
said she thought a clinch with
Charles would be a good laugh.
When he came out I shouted give us a kiss Charlie, the
69-year-old, originally from
Yorkshire, told reporters.
I couldnt believe it when
he turned around and came towards me and said oh, I dont
know if we should do that and I
just grabbed him and got a kiss.
Then I got a kiss from
Camilla after that and a great big
strong arm was trying to grab
hold of me at the same time.
The grandmother-of-six said

she initially thought security

might lock her up but they soon
realised she was harmless.
It was brilliant, she said,
adding that she got to kiss her
prince and I didnt turn into a
frog. Charles and Camilla are
on a seven-day tour of New Zealand that Prime Minister John
Key said was intended to build
a rapport with Kiwis before he
eventually becomes king.
Earlier Charles was greeted by
a rousing haka from bare-footed
pupils of a Wellington high school
while wife Camilla was welcomed
in song by staff and students at the
national dance and drama centre.
Prince Charles took time to
meet and chat with students at
Tawa College, after being greeted by head boy Joshua Nightingale and head girl Briana Boele
Van Hensbroeke.
The prince was dressed in a suit
made from New Zealand wool to
celebrate the launch of a mobile
wool shed used to teach students
about the natural bre. The local wool in schools programme
is part of the global campaign for
wool education led by the prince,
who is one of Britains most signicant wool growers.

10

Gulf Times
Friday, November 6, 2015

EUROPE

Russians bury rst

Egypt crash victims
AFP
Novgorod, Russia

umb with grief, a young

woman wept and called
for her mother at a funeral in a small village in northwestern Russia for one of the victims
of the plane crash in Egypt.
Several dozen friends and
relatives gathered yesterday at
a cemetery in the small village
of Sitnya to bid farewell to Nina
Lushchenko, one of the 224 people killed in the disaster, at a ceremony bathed in autumn sunlight.
The 60-year-old school dinner lady from the city of Veliky
Novgorod was among the rst
victims of Russias deadliest aviation tragedy to be laid to rest at
ceremonies across Russia, where
hundreds of mourners laid owers and lit candles in memory of
the dead.
Most of those killed when the
Airbus A-321 plane came down in
Egypts restive Sinai Peninsula at
the weekend were tourists from
Saint Petersburg and the surrounding region.
Both London and Washington have said the ight from the

A girl cries during a funeral service for Nina Lushchenko, 60, a victim
of the Russian MetroJet Airbus A321 crash, at a church in Veliky
Novgorod ahead of her burial.
resort of Sharm el-Sheikh to
Saint Petersburg may have been
downed by a bomb.
Shortly after the crash Islamic State (IS) jihadists claimed
they brought down the plane, in
an apparent act of revenge for
Moscows bombing campaign in
Syria.
Russia and Egypt have, however, dismissed the claims.
Lushchenkos friends and relatives said that they wanted to

grieve, not apportion blame.

So far nothing is clear about
why this happened, her husband
Vladimir told AFP at the cemetery. The black boxes have not
been deciphered yet, whats the
use of talking now?
The mourners were also reluctant to be drawn into discussing
whether Russias campaign in
Syria its rst major foreign military foray since the 1979-1989
war in Afghanistan had left

Russians vulnerable to attack.

What do Putins policies have
to do with this? mourner Semyon Gerasimenko said. Is it now
necessary to consult every terrorist so that they do not plant a
bomb and to do what they say?
I dont know who is guilty,
what can I say? They say its a
bomb, Gerasimenko added.
Before the burial, relatives
and friends gathered at an ornate church in Veliky Novgorod,
around 200km south of Saint
Petersburg, for a religious ceremony led by a priest.
Lushchenko was one of 15 people from the Novgorod region
who died in the crash including a one-year-old baby and an
eight-year-old boy.
Russian President Vladimir
Putins spokesman dismissed
claims that a bomb may have
caused the crash as speculation and Egypt has said it had
no evidence pointing to a terror
attack.
Alexander Afanasyev, who was
among the mourners, was also
disinclined to discuss the possible causes of the tragedy.
Theres no need to speak
about politics right now. What
does it have to do with this? the

50-year-old told AFP.

We are grieving and politics
has nothing to do with this, he
said at a separate service held at
the school where Lushchenko
worked.
Lushchenko was among at
least three crash victims laid to
rest across Russia yesterday, with
funerals also taking place in Saint
Petersburg and in the Pskov region of northwestern Russia.
On September 30, Russia
launched a bombing campaign in
Syria, claiming it wanted to rout
Islamic State jihadists but the
West accuses Moscow of being
more focused on propping up the
regime of Bashar al-Assad and on
attacking moderate rebels.
The US and its allies have said
Moscows strikes in Syria are a
mistake.
Analysts had earlier warned
they could cause blowback in the
form of Islamist attacks against
Russians.
Independent military expert
Pavel Felgenhauer suggested that
the Kremlin will keep denying
any likely links to Islamists. But
they wont be able to hush this up
like in Soviet times although this
is very unpleasant for the Kremlin.

Tsipras says
Greece cant
cope with
migrants
Reuters
Lesbos, Greece

reeces prime minister

conceded yesterday that
the country was unable
to cope with the thousands of
migrants arriving daily on its
shores, just days after saying that
he was shamed by Europes handling of the crisis.
Alexis Tsipras was visiting
Lesbos, the Greek island which
has received the bulk of arrivals and where aid groups condemned living conditions for
refugees as dire.
I think we are battling something which is beyond our abilities, and everyone should understand that, he said, on a visit to
a packed migrant registration
centre with Martin Schulz, head
of the European Parliament.
Cash-strapped Greece has
been struggling to handle an inux of hundreds of thousands of
migrants eeing from war and
hardship in the Middle East.
Aid organisations are estimating more than 601,000 have entered Europe through Greece this
year.
With at least 430 people having died this year trying to make
the short sea crossing along

Greeces border with Turkey,

Tsipras said it was imperative
to reach a deal with Ankara to
stem the ow.
About 15,000 refugees and migrants were effectively stranded
on Lesbos yesterday because a
ferry strike had stopped reception centres forwarding arrivals
onto the Greek mainland.
Its an asphyxiating situation, Tsipras said.
International aid agency IRC,
which has a unit on Lesbos, said
that conditions at one main centre were unacceptable and that
Greece had struggled for years to
cope with far fewer migrants.
At Moria, an army camp converted into a migrant centre,
Schulz and Tsipras got a taste of
some of the frustration.
We are here three days. We
are hungry. I have two children,
my children are sick, one man
shouted at Tsipras.
Tsipras patted his arm. We
will do our best.
The United Nations refugee
agency UNHCR launched a new
funding appeal yesterday, saying
that it needed $96.15mn in additional support for Greece and
affected Balkan countries.
Greece has had 5.9mn
($6.4mn) in EU aid so far this
year.

Activists demonstrate during a

visit to the Moria camp in Lesbos
by Greek Prime Minister Alexis
Tsipras and European Parliament
President Martin Schulz.
European Parliament President
Martin Schulz (centre) and Greek
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras
greet a child during their visit
at the Moria camp on the Greek
island of Lesbos.

The UNHCR forecasts up to

5,000 arrivals per day from Turkey between now and February.
With a recent bout of bad
weather, people smugglers have
started offering discounts on
journeys with imsy inatables
and charging more for trips on
boats.
We were unfortunate enough
to see an improvised dinghy as
we were heading in, full of refugees, Tsipras said. Its criminal.
It is imperative that we reach an
agreement with Turkey to stop
the ows by targeting the smugglers.

EU sees 3mn migrants by 2017

AFP
Brussels

hree million migrants eeing war and poverty are

seen entering the EU by
2017 in a development likely to
have a marginal positive impact
on the economy, the European
Commission said yesterday.
In its rst ever assessment of
the economic effect of Europes
biggest migration crisis since
World War II, the Commission
said the inux could boost gross
domestic product by 0.2 to 0.3%.
EU economic commissioner
Pierre Moscovici said that the
weak but positive economic
effect of the migrants could help
offset growing hostility towards
them.
It means you cant say the in-

ux of refugees is likely to have a

negative impact or kicking people out of the labour market,
Moscovici said, unveiling the
Commissions autumn economic
forecast.
That will combat a certain
number of received ideas and
backs the politics of President
(Jean-Claude) Juncker, who has
pushed for the EU to do more to
help them.
The Commission, the executive arm of the 28-nation European Union, said it expected 1mn
migrant arrivals in 2015, soaring
to 1.5mn in 2016 then decreasing
to 500,000 in 2017.
That would represent a 0.4%
European Union population increase once unsuccessful asylum
applications were taken into account, it said.
The new arrivals would give a

short-term boost to growth from

higher government spending on
new asylum seekers, the Commission said.
That would be followed by a
medium-term boost because
of an increase in the number of
workers available provided the
right policies are in place to facilitate access to the labour market,
it said.
Generally, the eurozone economy is to continue its moderate
recovery over the next two years
following the Greek bailout crisis, despite headwinds from the
wider global economy, the Commission said.
Despite a slowdown in China
and emerging markets hampering demand for exports, the
19-country single currency area
is to grow by 1.6% in 2015, 1.8%
in 2016 and 1.9% in 2017, it said.

This file photo taken on September 28 shows an armed PKK

militant aiming his weapon from behind a barricade of concrete
blocks draped with tarps, during clashes with Turkish forces at
Bismil, in Diyarbakir. The PKK said yesterday that it has ended a
unilateral truce it had declared ahead of the weekend election in
Turkey.

PKK ends unilateral

ceasere in Turkey
AFP
Istanbul

urdish rebels in Turkey tore up a unilateral

ceasere yesterday over
a surge in deadly violence following an election that swept
President Recep Tayyip Erdogans party back to power,
fanning fears of a return to allout war.
The announcement from
the Kurdistan Workers Party
(PKK) came after a spate of
deadly clashes and days of
Turkish bombing raids targeting its ghters in southeastern
Turkey and across the border in
northern Iraq.
The unilateral state of inaction has ended due to the
AKP (Justice and Development
Party) governments latest attacks, said a PKK statement
carried by the pro-Kurdish
news agency Firat.
After the election, the AKP
has demonstrated it is going
to be a war government, said
the PKK, considered a terrorist
organisation by Ankara and its
Western allies.
Erdogan vowed on Wednesday that Ankara would press
ahead with its military campaign against the rebels in a
conict that has plagued Turkey for more than three decades.
About 45,000 people have
been killed since the PKK
launched an armed campaign
for greater autonomy in southeastern Turkey in 1984.
Violence ared up in July
between after a deadly bombing against activists in a Kurdish majority town, shattering
a 2013 ceasere reached after
secret talks between Ankara
and jailed PKK leader Abdullah
Ocalan.
The rebels had however said
after the devastating suicide
bombings on a pro-Kurdish
peace rally in Ankara last
month that it would suspend
all attacks, except in self-defence a move seen as aiming
to ease tensions ahead of last
Sundays poll.
Emboldened by its surprise
election triumph, the AKP has
since gone on the offensive
against both the rebels and
other opponents of Erdogan,
including critical media.
As premier, Erdogan rst
introduced pro-Kurdish reforms including cultural and
language rights, and launched
clandestine talks with Ocalan
in 2012.
But on Wednesday, he said

Maa gang that allegedly

preyed on Rome in the dock
AFP
Rome

he alleged ringleaders
of a maa gang whose
criminal
tentacles
reached into almost every department of Romes City Hall
went on trial yesterday, on a
landmark day for Italys battle
against organised crime.
Massimo Carminati, a convicted gangster with a history
of involvement with violent
far-right groups, and 45 others are accused of operating a
maa-style network that used
extortion, fraud and theft to
divert millions of euros destined for public services into
their own pockets.
Carminati and his alleged
right-hand man Salvatore
Buzzi, a convicted murderer,
followed yesterdays opening session in Romes criminal
court by video link from their

prison cells, their presence in

court having been deemed a
security risk.
Subsequent hearings in
a trial scheduled to run until next summer will be held
in the Rebibbia prison on the
outskirts of the capital.
Prosecutors say the racketeering in Rome went on for
years, helped to bring the city
to the brink of nancial collapse and contributed to the
current sorry state of its infrastructure and many of its public services.
Among those on trial are local politicians, businessmen
and officials.
All are implicated in rigging tenders and other corrupt
schemes designed to siphon
off cash destined for everything from garbage recycling
to the reception of newly-arrived refugees.
Hundreds more, including
former mayor Gianni Aleman-

no, have been investigated in a

case dubbed Maa Capitale
by prosecutors.
The scale and nature of the
case make it the most signicant anti-corruption operation in Italy since the clean
hands campaign of the early
1990s led to half the countrys
lawmakers being indicted for
taking bribes.
Much of the trial is expected
to be taken up with arguments
over whether the accused individuals can be said to have constituted a maa-type organisation as dened by legislation
designed to combat more traditional crime syndicates,
such as Sicilys Cosa Nostra,
the Neapolitan Camorra and
Calabrias Ndrangheta.
Carminatis lawyer, Giosue
Naso, said the prosecution
were confusing real maa organisation with the cronyism
and nepotism endemic in Italian society.

Ankara would pursue its military operations against the

PKK.
There will be no break, the
Turkish strongman said in his
rst major policy speech since
the AKP win. We will keep on
ghting until the terrorist organisation buries their weapons under concrete and its
members surrender and leave
the country.
The government has refused
to resurrect peace talks, with
Deputy Prime Minister Yalcin
Akdogan saying on Tuesday
that conditions were not yet
ripe.
Turkish war planes pounded
PKK targets in the southeastern Kurdish-majority town of
Yuksekova on Wednesday, the
army said, the third straight
day of air strikes since the vote.
The military said 31 Kurdish militants were killed in the
raids, but the gures could not
be independently veried.
One Turkish police ofcer was also killed in clashes
with PKK ghters yesterday
in Silvan, another southeastern town, where a curfew was
declared this week, security
sources told AFP.
Another four militants were
killed in clashes with Turkish
security forces in the southeast
this week.
The PKKs executive committee (KCK) has called on the
Kurdish people to step up the
struggle against AKP fascism and vowed to resist every attack targeting the group.
We have always made it
clear that we are ready for a bilateral ceasere, it said.
But its not possible to
maintain a state of in action in
the face of the AKPs current
policies, accusing the party of
failing to display any serious
efforts to settle the Kurdish
question.
The resumption of hostilities in July, and a spate of attacks blamed on jihadists
from the Islamic State group,
were seen as key to the election victory of the AKP, which
campaigned on a message of
strength and security.
In a historic breakthrough in
the June election, the Peoples
Democratic Party (HDP) became the rst movement representing Turkeys estimated
15-20mn Kurds to take up seats
in parliament.
But on Sunday, the HDP lost
about 1mn votes, largely because of the renewed conict,
although it was able to scrape
over the 10% barrier to stay in
parliament.

Romania appoints
new interim PM
Romanias president has
appointed Education Minister
Sorin Campeanu as interim prime
minister to replace Victor Ponta,
who quit following mass antigovernment protests sparked by
a deadly nightclub fire.
Klaus Iohannis named
Campeanu to lead a temporary
administration ahead of talks
with political parties over forming
a new government.
Ponta quit on Wednesday after
a horrific fire at a Bucharest
nightclub left 32 people dead,
prompting tens of thousands of
people to take to the streets.

Lufthansa cabin
crew to strike
Lufthansas main cabin crew
union said a week-long strike
would start today at the German
carrier, after last-minute talks
between staff and management
over early retirement benefits
and pensions broke down.
Friday will be the first day of
the week of strikes, cabin crew
union UFO said in a statement
yesterday.

Gulf Times
Friday, November 6, 2015

11

INDIA

Exit polls split on Bihar outcome

The vote is being viewed
as a referendum on
Modis premiership after
he addressed at least 30
campaign rallies, a departure
from tradition in state
elections, which usually
centre on local issues and
leaders
Agencies
New Delhi

ihars bitterly-contested
staggered elections ended
yesterday evening, with
exit polls sharply split on who
would get to rule the state: the
Bharatiya Janata Party-led alliance led by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi or Chief Minister
Nitish Kumars grand alliance.
While three of the nine surveys
at the end of ve rounds of polling predicted a clear win for the
BJP and another gave an upper
hand to it, ve exit polls forecast
a narrow or clear majority in the
243-member assembly to the
grand alliance.
Despite the exit poll suspense,
leaders of both the BJP and the
Grand Alliance - the Janata DalUnited (JD-U) of Nitish Kumar
and the Rashtriya Janata Dal
(RJD) of Lalu Prasad Yadav claimed they were sure of victory.
We are hopeful of getting a
clear majority, said BJP spokesman Nalin Kohli. Although the
(exit polls) ranges are close, I
wont arrive at any hasty assessment, he said, indicating cautious optimism in the party.
Former chief minister Lalu
Prasad Yadav, however, insisted
that the grand alliance, which
also includes the Congress, was
poised to win 190 seats.
The entire backward community of Bihar has voted for us, he
told reporters in Patna. We salute them for this.
None of the exit polls, however, gave either alliance such a
huge victory as claimed by Yadav.
While Todays Chanakya gave
155 of the 243 seats to the BJP and

its three allies, NewsX-CNX said

the JD-U and its allies would get
135 seats. It forecast a mere 83
seats to the JD-U, the RJD and the
Congress.
In contrast, NewsX said the
BJP and its allies - the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and
the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party
(RLSP) - would win only 95 seats.
Other exit polls predicted a
close outcome.
Any party or combine would
need 122 seats to secure a wafer
thin majority in the 243-member
assembly.
An India Today-Cicero exit
poll predicted a hung assembly, with the BJP-led alliance
winning 120 seats to 117 by the
grand alliance. It gave the BJP
alliance 113-127 seats and the
grand alliance 111-123 seats.
Four to eight seats could go to
other parties.
A Dainik Jagran exit poll said
the BJP-led National Democratic
Alliance (NDA) would get a majority with 130 seats compared to
97 for the grand alliance.
The Times Now-CVoter survey gave 122 seats to the grand alliance and 111 to the NDA.
The ABP News gave the BJP
and its allies 130 seats compared
to 108 to the JD-U-RJD-Congress alliance.
News Nation also gave the
JD-U and its allies an edge, with
120-124 seats, while the BJP and
its allies could get 115-119 seats.
India TV-C Voter also predicted 111 seats to the BJP combine
and 122 to the grand alliance.
Even before the exit polls were
telecast, JD-U spokesman K C
Tyagi said in Patna that the grand
alliance was condent of winning
a stupendous mandate.
Neither Modi nor BJP president Amit Shah - who micromanaged the Bihar election - nor
Nitish Kumar spoke to the media.
Earlier yesterday, nearly 60%
of the 10.5mn electorate turned
out to vote in the last of the 57
constituencies spread across
seven
districts:
Kishangaj,

Voters queue to cast their ballots at a booth in the final stage of state assembly elections in the Bihar village of Thakurganj in Kishanganj district yesterday.
Purnea, Araria, Katihar, Saharasa, Madhepura and Supaul.
Despite widespread apprehensions, the staggered election
passed off peacefully, even in areas considered to be the strongholds of Maoists who had called
for an election boycott.
The voter enthusiasm was evident yesterday too, with tens of
thousands queuing up at polling
booths even before they opened
at 7am. A total of 827 candidates
were in the fray.

Hyderabad MP Asaduddin
Owaisis
Majlis-e-Ittehadul
Muslimeen (MIM) contested
from six constituencies, making
its foray into Bihar.
The vote is being viewed as a
referendum on Modis premiership after he addressed at least
30 campaign rallies, a departure
from tradition in state elections,
which usually centre on local issues and leaders.
His reputation is really on
the line, said N Bhaskara Rao, an

Arundhati Roy, 23 others

return national awards
IANS
Mumbai

n a collective move to draw

the governments attention
to their fears that the countrys robust democracy might
be coming apart, 24 lmmakers
and writers, including Arundhati
Roy, Saeed Mirza and Kundan
Shah, yesterday returned their
national awards.
We return our national
awards and hope that this symbolic gesture urges you to pay
attention to our fears, that the
warp and weft of our robust democracy might be coming apart
in the current atmosphere, read
a statement from the celebrated
names.
The other 21 people include
Virendra Saini, Ranjan Palit,
Tapan Bose, Shriprakash, San-

jay Kak, Pradip Krishan, Tarun

Bhartiya, Amitabh Chakraborty,
Madhusree Dutta, Anwar Jamal,
Ajay Raina, Irene Dhar Malik, P
M Satheesh, Satya Rai Nagpaul,
Manoj Lobo, Raq Ellias, Sudheer Palsane, Vivek Sachidanand, Sudhakar Reddy Yakkanti,
Manoj Nitharwal and Abhimanyu Dange.
These were also among the
190 signatories who wrote to the
government to pay heed to the
reasonable demands of the
students of the Film and Television Institute of India, who ended their strike after a protracted
struggle of four months.
A statement released to the
media yesterday stressed that
this is their way to protest the
governments handling of the
FTII issue.
The 24 signatories pointed out
their disappointment at how

the ruling partys leaders and

supporters abused 12 lmmakers who returned their national
honours earlier and belittled
their gesture.
This has been the consistent
response of the powers that be
towards the writers, academics,
scientists, historians, lmmakers
and artists, who have expressed
their dismay over the increasing
climate of intolerance, the statement read.
As concerned citizens of the
country whose work has been
recognised by the government
of India, they have said that by
returning their honours, they are
not rejecting the recognition
and neither are they belittling
the honour.
We are using the one possibility of making you (the government) pay attention to our plea,
resolve the crisis at FTII, ensure

that our prestigious right to

Freedom of Speech is unambiguously protected, they said.
In an article published in the
Indian Express, The God of Small
Things author Arundhati Roy
said she was returning her 1989
National Award for Best Screenplay to protest ideological viciousness in the country.
She said she was not shocked
by what was happening in the
nation, and termed the lynching
of a man over beef-eating rumour in Dadri in Uttar Pradesh as
a deeper malaise.
These horric murders are
only a symptom of a deeper malaise. Life is hell for the living
too. Whole populations - millions of Dalits, adivasis, Muslims
and Christians - are being forced
to live in terror, unsure of when
and from where the assault will
come, she said.

analyst at the Centre for Media

Studies in New Delhi.
A defeat for the BJP in Indias third-largest state, home
to 104mn people, would dent
his chances of building the parliamentary strength he needs to
push through reforms. His party is in a minority in the upper
house Rajya Sabha.
The Bihar election is seen as
a barometer of many key issues shaping Indian politics;
the changing roles of caste and

religion and the rising aspirations of many Indians.

Modis campaign started with
a message of economic development but, as the race tightened,
shifted to appealing to religious
and caste alliances in a region
where these have been dominant
themes.
He has disappointed some
supporters who voted for him in
the hope that he would accelerate
an economic transformation that
began in the 1990s.

BJP slams Congress and

CPM over intolerance
IANS
New Delhi

n a day 24 lmmakers
and writers - including
Arundhati Roy, Saeed
Mirza and Kundan Shah - announced they would return their
national awards, the Bharatiya
Janata Party blamed the Congress and the Communist Party
of India (Marxist) for misleading the country on the issue of
rising intolerance.
BJP president Amit Shah released a book titled Ideological
Difference to counter the debate
on intolerance and highlight the
partys viewpoint on the current
situation.
The books purpose is to
highlight the other side of the
story. Only one side of the story
was highlighted so far. Now the
truth is coming out. We want the

Urban Development Minister M

Venkaiah Naidu and BJP chief
Amit Shah release the book in
New Delhi yesterday.
general public of India to know
the other view also through this
book, senior BJP leader and federal minister Venkaiah Naidu told
reporters here.
Wrong information was
given. Through this book, we
are releasing facts of what happened earlier and (what is hap-

lleged gangster Chhota

Rajan, arrested on Indonesias resort island of
Bali, was deported and headed to
India yesterday after eluding authorities for years.
The deportation of Rajan,
whose real name is Rajendra
Sadashiv Nikalje, due earlier
this week, was delayed after a
volcanic eruption on a nearby
island forced authorities to
ground all ights from Bali for
two days.
Rajan was transferred amid
heavy police guard from his
holding cell to a military airport
and departed for India late yesterday, hours after the Bali airport reopened for ights.
His plane has just departed,

at around 9pm (1300 GMT), a

police source said.
An official in charge at the airport declined to reveal the ight
route or the exact location where
Rajan will be taken citing safety
precautions for the suspect.
In Mumbai, Additional Chief
Secretary K P Bakshi said at
a press conference the ight
bringing Rajan would land in
New Delhi around 4am today.
In a surprise development, he
said all cases pending against the
maa don will be transferred to
the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) which will now probe
them.
The 55-year-old had been
evading police in several countries for years, with Interpol agging him as a wanted man back in
1995.
He was arrested in Indonesia
earlier this week upon arrival

from Sydney, following a tip-off

from Australian police, who conrmed in September the fugitive
had been living there under another identity.
Rajan was the alleged former
right-hand man of Mumbai
crime kingpin Dawood Ibrahim,
who is suspected of being behind the 1993 bomb blasts in the
city that killed more than 250
people.
Rajan later became Ibrahims
rival, accused of running one of
several underworld outts that
had a grip on Indias nancial
and entertainment capital in the
1980s and 1990s until a police
crackdown.
Among other crimes, police
accused Rajan in 2011 of ordering the murder of a prominent
Mumbai crime reporter, who
was gunned down in a drive-by
shooting the same year.

pening) now, he said.

Political intolerance is the
trait of the Congress Party. We
have seen what respect they give
to their party president. They did
not allow the body of a late party
president to enter the party ofce. Sita Ram Kesri was physically moved from the chair and
removed. Under the CPMs philosophy, intolerance towards the
opponents is known to all. Why
the so-called intellectuals did
not raise their voices earlier and
why are they doing it now, he
asked.
Naidu said that for 60 years,
the Congress and its dependents
were in power at the Centre and
in states. They have an octopuslike presence in most academic
and cultural institutions. The
Left intellectuals had a eld day
since they were the beneciaries
of the patronisation of the Congress, the minister said.

Court rejects plea

against Modi

Chhota Rajan deported,

to arrive in Delhi today
Agencies
Jakarta

His administration has faced

criticism for failing to rein in
hardline Hindu groups that are
campaigning on issues, such as a
ban on eating beef.
This election is critical for
Modis efforts to win control of
parliament so he can pass tax and
labour reforms. The upper house
is selected on the basis of parties
strength in state assemblies.
The millions of votes polled in
the ve rounds from October 12
will be counted on Sunday.

Indonesian police escort Chhota Rajan from Bali police headquarters to Ngurah Rai Airport during his
deportation from Denpasar on Bali island yesterday.

The Gujarat High Court yesterday

dismissed a petition against
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on
charge of breach of electoral code
of conduct in the 2014 Lok Sabha
elections. Modi had addressed an
impromptu press conference and
clicked a selfie with his Bharatiya
Janata Partys (BJP) lotus symbol
after casting vote in Ahmedabad
in the last general elections. The
petition was filed by Aam Aadmi
Party (AAP) worker Nishant
Verma who challenged an order
of Chief Judicial Magistrate of
Ahmedabad Rural Court, S R
Singh, who in May dismissed the
plea on the basis of a closure
report filed by the Ahmedabad
Crime Branch police. Verma
had sought legal action against
Modi, who was then the chief
minister of Gujarat, for alleged
breach of code of conduct. He
said Modi had not only addressed
a press conference on April 30,
a day of voting in the multiphase elections but also took a
selfie with his cell phone while
displaying the BJPs election
symbol after exercising his
franchise.

12

Gulf Times
Friday, November 6, 2015

INDIA
JUDICIARY

SUICIDE

EVENT

HONOUR

DEFENCE

SC extends time for

collegium suggestions

BJP demands probe

into farmers deaths

Mysuru to host Indian

Science Congress in Jan

Top award for santoor

maestro Sharma

India, Russia to hold

joint military exercise

The Supreme Court yesterday extended till

November 13 the time for inviting suggestions
to make the functioning of collegium system
transparent and eligibility criteria based for the
appointment of judges to the higher judiciary. The
court said that all the suggestions should reach the
ministry of law and justice by 5pm on November 13,
which in turn will forward them to senior counsel
Arvind Dattar and Additional Solicitor General
Pinki Anand to collate them. The court, however,
permitted the Bar Council of India to submit its
suggestion to Dattar and Anand till November 14.
The court said the ministry of law and justice will
upload on its website the suggestions.

The Bharatiya Janata Party yesterday blamed

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik responsible
for the death of drought-hit farmers and
demanded a magisterial probe. The government
should write to the Chief Justice of Odisha High
Court to spare an executive magistrate to probe
each and every suicide, senior BJP leader Bijoy
Mohapatra said. Mohapatras reaction came
following reports from district collectors that the
farmers committed suicide due to family disputes,
alcoholism and other reasons, and not due to crop
loss and loan burden. Mohapatra said around 60
farmers have ended their lives due to crop loss
after scanty rainfall this monsoon.

Nobel laureates and eminent scientists will

address the 103rd edition of the Indian Science
Congress (ISC) to be held at the University of
Mysuru (UoM) from January 3 to 7. It is a great
honour, university vice chancellor K S Rangappa
said yesterday. With nearly 20,000 brilliant brains
converging at the Science Congress, I strongly
believe that a roadmap for the indigenous science
and technology will be drawn more specifically
to meet the societal expectation of our country,
Rangappa said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will
inaugurate the ISC, themed this time on Science
and Technology for Indigenous Development in
India.

Santoor maestro Pandit Shivkumar Sharma

has been named selected for this years Aditya
Vikram Birla Kalashikhar Puraskar award for
lifetime achievement in Hindustani music, an
official said in Mumbai yesterday. The Aditya
Vikram Birla Kalakiran Awards will be conferred
on sarangi player Murad Ali Khan, tabla
exponent Satyajit Talwalkar and a special jury
award for shehnai will go to the brothers Sanjeev
Shankar and Ashwani Shankar. Maharashtra
Governor C V Rao will present the awards at
a ceremony tomorrow in the presence of top
dignitaries, including industrialists Rajashree
Birla, Kumarmangalam Birla and Neerja Birla.

Indian and Russian armies will conduct a twoweek INDRA-2015 joint military exercise in
Rajasthans Bikaner district, over 350km from
Jaipur, from tomorrow. A 250 member strong
Russian army contingent will arrive in Bikaner for
the joint exercise to be held from November 7 to
November 20, a defence ministry press release
said. INDRA-2015 is the seventh edition in a series
of bilateral exercises and which will also focus on
ensuring a high degree of physical fitness, tactical
drills, techniques and procedures. The exercise,
which will; be conducted in two phases - combat
conditioning/tactical training and validation - will be
witnessed by senior Indian and Russian generals.

Crop residue
burning can
wreak havoc,
say experts
IANS
Bengaluru

escribing Punjab as a
burning food basket,
two renowned earth
scientists warn that the outow of air pollution arising
from burning crop residues
is not only a threat to South
Asian air quality but also can
modify atmospheric chemistry and climate dynamics globally.
Thick
smoke
aerosol
plumes from the burning may
signicantly affect atmospheric circulation, monsoon
and El Nino-Southern Oscillation systems, precipitation
patterns, glaciology and atmospheric heating over the
Tibetan Plateau, says a report
by Ramesh Singh of the School
of Earth and Environmental
Sciences of Chapman University in California and Dimitris
Kaskaoutis of the School of
Natural Sciences of Shiv Nadar University at Dadri in India.
This creates a climatic
imbalance likely centred over
Punjab, Singh, who was earlier a professor at the Indian
Institute of Technology-Kanpur, said.
Traditionally farmers of
Punjab manually harvested
and ploughed the elds. The
leftover crop residues mixed
with soil provided nutrients
for the next crop a month
later. Mechanised harvesting,
adopted since the late 1980s
to save time and increase the
farmers prots, changed all
that. Now machines cut the
harvest and the stalks are
burned to quickly ready the
elds for the next planting,
Singh said. For more than two
decades, farmers in Punjab, a
region spanning northwestern
India and eastern Pakistan,
have continued the practice of
burning the crop residues.
Each year, during October
and November, this extensive
agricultural burning lasts for
more than three weeks, Singh
said, adding that weather patterns, which are typical of the

post-monsoon months, funnel the smoke to the IndoGangetic Plain.

Health risks stem from the
smoke mixing with industrial pollutants such as diesel
fumes, power plant emissions
and soot to form air highly
concentrated with particulate
matter breathed by close to
900mn people - one-eighth
of the worlds population, the
scientists said, adding that
residue burning has increased
sharply over the past decade.
According to the report, the
only solution for this problem
is to go back to manual harvesting. They admit the remedy may be unpopular since
manual harvesting consumes
more time and cuts down grain
production from a given plot.
Without this step, crop
residue burning in Punjab will
continue its unchecked inuence on weather, climate, and
health of the people in the
Indo-Gangetic Plain, the scientists conclude.
Images released by Nasa
have clearly indicated that
Punjab farmers have resorted
to burning the paddy straw in
a big way this year too, leading to the haze and other environmental and health concerns.
What can we do? We do
not have the time, resources
and equipment to remove the
residue from the harvested
crop. Burning it is the easiest
option for us to prepare our
elds for the next crop early,
farmer Tarsem Singh said,
without any sign of remorse
for what he was doing.
Like him, hundreds of other
farmers across Punjab are doing the same thing, worrying little about the short and
long-term negative fallout of
their burning the stubble.
In recent years, the Punjab
government has warned the
farmers, threatened them with
prosecution and even offered
rewards. But farmers seem to
be in no mood to oblige the
authorities in stopping the
bi-annual exercise of burning
crop residue.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inspects a 3D model of new highway projects at Sonepat in Haryana yesterday. Also seen are Haryana Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki,
Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Minister for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari and the Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways and
Shipping, P Radhakrishnan.

Modi launches three

gold-related schemes
The country has no reason to
be described as poor as it has
20,000 tonnes of gold, says
the prime minister
IANS
New Delhi

n a bid to put some 20,000

tonnes of idle gold to productive use and cut imports
worth $35-$45bn annually, India yesterday launched three
schemes related to the metal,
including domestically minted
coins with the images of Ashok
Chakra and Mahatma Gandhi.
The schemes launched by
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
also included one to convert
jewellery and other similar yellow metal assets with the people into interest-bearing deposits, as also sovereign bonds
with an eight-year tenure but

Malayalam lm to release in
theatres, online on same day
IANS
Kochi

n a pioneering initiative,
National Award winning
Malayalam lm Ottaal,
directed by Jayaraj, will be released online through www.
reelmonk.com, an independent movie platform, on the
same day as its release in cinemas.
Reelmonk.com, created by
Xincoz Labs, is the brainchild
of three 22-year-olds from Kochi - Blaise Crowly, Vivek Paul
and Gautham Vyas, and is promoted by Konglo Ventures.
The lm will hit the theatres today, and it will also be
available on Reelmonk.com for
downloads at prices starting at
Rs180.
Through Reelmonk, producers have started to legally
release Malayalam lms for
foreign audiences. These can

be streamed or downloaded
anywhere anytime within a
few months after the theatre
release. The lms are released
on Reelmonk in full HD quality and can be downloaded to a
laptop or PC or even streamed
to TV via HDMI.
Malayalam movie industry
is rich in diversity of great content. I have noticed great interest for Malayalam movies from
a global community of movie
lovers. Reelmonk.com will
give them the opportunity to
access the Malayalam movies
they love, easily especially with
features like pay per download
and subtitles, said Jayaraj.
Blaise Crowly, CEO of Reelmonk.com, said that till recently, most people were not
ready to pay for something that
was already available through
Torrent network.
But today, there is a market
and producers are recognising
the revenue potential of online

release. The only people who

are adversely affected by us are
the movie pirates, said Crowly.
When we decided to begin Reelmonk.com, we always
pitched it as a platform for
same day release of Malayalam
movies. We have hosted quite a
few amazing movies like Njan
Steve Lopez and Kanyaka Talkies on this platform, but the
dream of same day release has
become a reality with Ottaal,
said Paul, COO of Reelmonk.
com.
Ottaal, an adaptation of
Vanka, a short story by Russian
writer Anton Chekhov, won
two national awards for Best
Screenplay and Best Film on
Environment Conservation/
Preservation and the Kerala
State Film Award for Best Film.
It has been selected for the
Indian Panorama section of
the International Film Festival
of India, to be held in Goa later
this month.

with an exit option after five

years.
Speaking about the schemes
at an event at his official 7, Race
Course Road residence, Modi
said gold is part of the life of every Indian woman. He also said
with India-minted coins people
will no longer have to depend on
foreign sources.
The gold scheme can take
care of womens gold while they
are out on a vacation and are
concerned about where to keep
their gold, he said, adding:
There is a tradition of gold possession in the Indian families.
With this scheme the tradition
will be preserved.
He said goldsmiths, who have
a great bond with people, can
become the biggest agents of the
schemes.
India has no reason to be
described as a poor country, as
it has 20,000 tonnes of gold.

The gold available with the

country should be put to productive use. These schemes
show us the way forward in
achieving this goal.
Ahead of the launch, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), which
will issue the bond scheme,
xed the issue price of gold for
the rst tranche at Rs2,684 per
gram, based on simple average closing price of gold of 999
purity (24 karat) for the week of
October 26-30.
Under the deposit scheme,
gold will be accepted at notified collection and testing centres. Banks will then issue certificates in equivalence of 995
fineness of gold under shortterm (1-3 years), medium (5-7
years) and long-term (12-15
years) schemes.
The interest rate in the medium-term bonds has been xed
at 2.25% and for the long-term

Golden day

bonds is 2.5% for the bonds issued in 2015-16, an official

statement said. These will be on
behalf of the government. The
short-term deposits will be on
banks own accord.
In the bond scheme, the issuing body is the RBI on behalf
of the central government, and
will be denominated in multiples of gram(s) of gold with a
basic unit of 1g. The minimum
investment limit is 2g, with a
maximum of 500g per person
per fiscal year.
The tenure of the bonds - with
an interest rate of 2.75% per annum payable semi-annually will be eight years with an exit
option from the fth year onwards. They can also be traded
in the bourses, and used as collateral for loans.
The gold coins, on the other
hand, will be in a physical form
and will have the national em-

EVM snag hits

Kerala civic polls
IANS
Thiruvananthapuram

A model showcases gold jewellery at a jewellery store to

mark Dhanteras, the first day of the five-day Diwali festival, in
Hyderabad yesterday. On Dhanteras, Hindus traditionally buy
precious metals like gold in the belief it will invoke prosperity.

blem Ashok Chakra engraved

on one side and the image of
Mahatma Gandhi on the other.
Initially, it will be available at
MMTC outlets in denominations of 5 and 10g, apart from a
20g bar.
To begin with, 15,000 coins of
5g, 20,000 coins of 10g and 3,750
bars have been earmarked.
Under the two monetisation
schemes, the government has
permitted designated banks to
sell or lend the accepted gold for
minting India Gold Coins (IGC)
by MMTC, as also to jewellers.
They can also sell it to other designated banks.
According to the World Gold
Council, an estimated 22,00023,000 tonnes of gold is lying
idle with households and institutions in India. The annual
imports amount to around 8501,000 tonnes valued at $35$45bn.

eavy rain and faulty

electronic voting machines (EVMs) played
the spoilsport during voting
yesterday in the second and
the nal phase of Keralas civic
polls.
It rained heavily in Thrissur
and Ernakulam but still people
queued up in good numbers to
vote.
The EVMs developed problems and voting was stopped
in around 300 polling booths
in parts of Thrissur, Malappuram and Palakkad. Authorities were working to resolve
the issues.
I spoke to the SEC (State
Election Commissioner) and
he has promised everything
will be taken care. We have
been told that in around 170
booths, voting has commenced, while in the other

booths it is yet to start again,

said Communist Party of India
(Marxist) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan.
State
Home
Minister
Ramesh Chennithala told reporters that if the SEC asks for
a probe, it will be done.
The director general of
police has told me that they
are prepared to conduct a
probe. The SEC has said that
in case there is a stoppage of
more than three hours, then
a re-poll will be held in such
booths, said Chennithala.
Over 14mn voters were
eligible to decide the political fate of more than 40,000
candidates vying for 12,651
seats in seven districts
- Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad and
Malappuram.
The rst phase of the civic
polls took place on Monday.
The results will be out tomorrow.

Gulf Times
Friday, November 6, 2015

13

LATIN AMERICA
LEGAL

DECISION

ENTERTAINMENT

CRIME

VIOLENCE

Colombia lets same-sex

couples adopt children

Brazil accepts Indonesian

envoy after execution row

Rolling Stones to
tour Latin America

El Salvador murder
rate soars: data

Students, police clash

during anti-graft protest

Colombias highest court has ruled that samesex couples can adopt children, lifting the last
restriction on gays raising kids. Until now, such
adoptions were allowed in this traditionally
Roman Catholic country only if one of the
partners in the couple was already the childs
biological parent. Even that limited right was
established only as recently as February. The
restriction was swept away by the new ruling
at the Constitutional Court by a vote of 6-2
after hours of debate. It said gay couples
can adopt children just as heterosexual
ones can, so long as they meet all the legal
requirements.

Brazils President Dilma Rousseff has accepted the

Indonesian ambassadors credentials after a nearly
nine-month standoff over the Asian countrys
execution of two Brazilian nationals convicted
of drug trafficking. The new ambassador, Toto
Riyanto, had been about to present his credentials
to Rousseff at the presidential palace in February
when the Brazilian leader called off the ceremony
over Indonesias refusal to grant clemency for the
two death row inmates. Brazilian national Marco
Archer was executed by firing squad in January.
His compatriot Rodrigo Gularte, who had been
diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, was
executed in April.

The Rolling Stones yesterday announced they

will tour Latin America after a 10-year absence,
saying they will play dates in Peru, Colombia
and Uruguay for the first time. We love playing
Latin America and are excited about going to
some cities for the first time! The audiences
are among some of the best in the world, they
bring incredible energy! frontman Mick Jagger
said in a press statement. The tour will kick off in
Santiago, Chile, on February 3 and will include
concerts in Brazil and Mexico City as well as Lima
and Bogota. Tickets will go on sale on November
9. The America Latina Ole stadium tour follows
the British bands 2015 North American tour.

The number of murders in El Salvador, already

one of the most dangerous peacetime countries
in the world because of vicious gangs, has soared
nearly 78% so far this year, official figures showed.
Unless theres a miracle, we will end up with more
than 6,000 murders in 2015, said Miguel Fortin,
director of the nations Forensic Medicine Institute
which released the grim toll. So far this year, the
Central American country has recorded 5,614
homicides - far higher than the 3,161 registered
in the first 10 months last year. In October, there
were an average of 21.8 murders each day. For all
of 2014, the final toll in El Salvador was 3,924, for a
population of just 6mn.

Rock-hurling students clashed with riot police

firing tear gas and water cannon in Honduras
capital at a demonstration seeking a UN probe of
alleged government graft. Elsewhere, across the
north of the country, hundreds of demonstrators
backing the same call used burning tires to block
roads. Many of them were from the countrys
Lenca indigenous community. The protests were
inspired by the September resignation and arrest
of the president in neighbouring Guatemala,
Otto Perez, after an UN-backed body there
exposed a corrupt network allegedly involving
politicians taking bribes in exchange for lifting
import duties.

Cuba to
drill for
oil despite
low prices

Top of the world

Mexico court
opens door to
recreational
marijuana use

Reuters
Camarioca

uba plans to drill exploratory deepwater wells in

the Gulf of Mexico by the
end of 2016 or beginning of 2017
despite current low oil prices,
officials from the state oil monopoly said.
Cuba-Petroleo (Cupet) will
drill exploratory wells as deep
as 7,000 meters in waters of up
to 3,000 meters in production
sharing contracts with Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA
and Angolas Sonangol.
We will initiate a drilling
campaign at the end of 2016
or the start of 2017, Osvaldo
Lopez, Cupets head of exploration, said.
The essential goal of the new
drilling campaign is at least two
deep wells. There could be three.
If there is a discovery there certainly will be more than two,
Lopez said.
Experts believe billions of
barrels worth of oil lie beneath
the waters off Cubas northwest
coast, but a host of companies
that have drilled over the years
have come up dry.
Exploration has long been impeded by the US trade embargo
and is further complicated at
times of low oil prices such as
the present.
Crude oil prices have fallen in
half over more than a year and
the most recent forecasts project
them going lower in 2016.
We are working with several
companies interested in studying the possibilities, but the
price of oil makes these processes drag out a bit longer since
companies cut their budgets,
Cupet deputy director Roberto
Suarez said.
Cupet will also decide among
several offers for seismic testing from companies such as
Frances CGG SA and Norways
Spectrum ASA in the next four
to ve months, Suarez said.
The potential of Cubas oil industry has long been a subject of
fascination as a possible source
of funding for its socialist revolution, especially after the collapse of the Soviet bloc.

AFP
Mexico City

Miss Venezuela Edymar Martinez reacts after winning this years Miss International beauty
pageant in Tokyo yesterday. Representatives from 70 countries and regions took part in the
beauty pageant.

Chile aims to double

agricultural exports
Reuters
Santiago

hile is aiming to double its

agricultural and livestock
exports over the next decade to as much as $35bn per year as
it increases investments in dams
and improves access to overseas
markets, Agriculture Minister
Carlos Furche said.
While the Andean countrys
mining sector, the hub of its economy, has seen rms scale back
production and cut jobs due to a
prolonged slump in the copper
price, its agricultural industry has
kept growing.
Chile, the worlds top exporter
of fresh grapes and blueberries,
posted record exports of food, including fruit, livestock, wine and
salmon, of just over $16bn last
year. That was about three times
what it shipped abroad 10 years
ago.
The country also is a key exporter of wine, cherries and walnuts.
Demand for food has no place
to go but grow because the (global)

population continues to expand ...

it is realistic and possible over the
next 10 years to put as our target a
doubling of the value of exports to
between $30bn and $35bn, Furche
said in an interview in Santiago.

It is realistic and possible

over the next 10 years
to put as our target a
doubling of the value of
exports to between $30bn
and $35bn
The minister, who is a member
of the ruling Socialist Party and
trained as an agricultural engineer,
added that the value of agricultural exports could reach $18bn next
year and be as high as $20bn by the
end of this decade.

Those exports, however, are

forecast to fall by between 5% and
8% this year in step with falling
prices for some products.
To achieve its agricultural export goals, Chile is investing up to
$250mn annually to build 10 new
dams and repair others, a move
made urgent by reduced rainfall in
its main farming belt in the central
part of the country.
We cant keep looking at
drought as an emergency, we have
to incorporate this as a structural
reality, Furche said.
He added that irrigation of
about half the countrys 1.2mn
hectares of agricultural land could
be improved by expanding new
technologies that could double the
efficiency of water usage.
Chile is a signatory to the ambitious 12-nation Trans-Pacic
Partnership trade agreement,
which officials say should boost
food exports.
Dairy producers will gain better access to markets in Japan and
Canada, and citrus exporters will
get a better foothold in Japan,
Furche said.

exicos Supreme Court

opened the door to
recreational use of
marijuana in a landmark ruling,
giving a group of activists permission to grow and smoke their
own pot.
Contributing to a growing drug policy debate in Latin
America, the justices voted 4-1
in favour of the four members of
the Mexican Society for Responsible and Tolerant Personal Use,
whose Spanish acronym spells
SMART.
Justice Arturo Zaldivar, who
backed the groups effort, said
the countrys marijuana prohibition is an extreme and disproportionate measure.
The vote allows SMART to
produce and consume its own
pot, but not sell it. The ruling
is expected to prompt other activists to turn to the top court,
which must issue ve similar
rulings to establish a legal precedent.
Outside the court in the capitals historic centre, dozens of
people celebrated the ruling by
smoking joints and dancing to
reggae music.
We won! exclaimed Francisco Torres Landa, a 50-yearold lawyer and SMART member,
pumping his st in the air inside
the chamber.
His group hopes the ruling
will force Congress to consider
legalising marijuana, a move
they say would strip drug cartels of a key source of cash and
therefore reduce the countrys
runaway violence.

Ex-president in court

President Enrique Pena Nieto,

who has opposed the legalisation
of pot, said his government respects and accepts the ruling.
But he told reporters that the
decision is limited in scope to
the four members of SMART and
that it does not mean a broader
legalisation of marijuana.
The ruling, however, opens a
broad debate on how to regulate
the use of marijuana and inhibit
its consumption, he said.
Health Minister Mercedes
Juan Lopez said her ministry will
now have to draft new regulations to ensure that the health of
non-pot smokers and children is
protected.

The ruling, Pena Nieto

said, does not imply in
any way the elimination
of the policy that
the government has
maintained
The government will also have
to look at terms for importing
seeds.
The SMART members themselves - two lawyers, an accountant and a social activist say they do not even plan to grow
and smoke pot.
Rather, the activists want to
force the government and lawmakers to rethink the controversial war on drugs.
This is not for the four of us,
SMART member Torres Landa said adding the goal was to
break the governments marijuana prohibition.
Pena Nieto, who took office in
December 2012, has pressed on
with his predecessors controversial strategy of using troops
to go after cartels.

Extinct amphibians
fossils found in Brazil
AFP
Brasilia

El Salvadors former president Francisco Flores stands,

guarded by police officers from the Reaction Police
Group (GRP) elite unit, inside a court during an initial
hearing in San Salvador yesterday. Flores is facing a
hearing to determine if he will be going on trial for
corruption charges during his presidency, according to
local media.

The ruling, Pena Nieto said,

does not imply in any way the
elimination of the policy that the
government has maintained.
Legalisation has caught on in
other parts of Latin America.
Uruguay has created a regulated market for pot, while
Chiles Congress is debating a
law to legalise its recreational
and medical use.
In the US - the biggest consumer of drugs from Mexico - 23
US states and the capital Washington, D.C. now allow medical
marijuana, and four others plus
the US capital have legalised pot
for recreational use.
The judge who voted against,
Jorge Mario Pardo, argued that
the ruling could not work because it does not address the ban
against obtaining the seeds to
grow marijuana.
Mexico has many problems
to resolve. Its not ready for
this, said Consuelo Mendoza,
president of the National Union
of Parents, who took part in an
anti-marijuana protest outside
the court.
SMART took its case to the
courts in 2013 after the governments health regulator, Cofepris, denied its request for permission to produce and consume
its own marijuana for recreational use.
While Mexicos government
has opposed the legalisation of
drugs, health authorities granted an exception last month for
an eight-year-old girl suffering
from severe epilepsy.
The girl, Grace, took her rst
treatment of a cannabis-based
oil last month, which her parents
hope will reduce the 400 epileptic ts she endures each day.

cientists have discovered

two previously unknown
salamander-like creatures
that lived 278mn years ago in Brazil
that could shed light on how animals respond to climate change,
Britains Natural History Museum
said yesterday.
Fossils of the amphibians were
discovered alongside the oldest reptile skeleton ever found in
South America by an international
team of scientists from the Natural
History Museum, Argentina, Germany and other countries.
The discovery was announced
in a study in the journal Nature.
The nd lls an important
geographic gap in our understanding of the evolution and adaptation of amphibians, a group that
is increasingly under threat today
from environmental change, the
Natural History Museum said in a
statement.
The two species were aquatic
amphibians, named timonya annae and procuhy nazariensis.
Timonya annae was a fanged
creature that reached 40 centi-

metres in length and looked like a

cross between a modern Mexican
salamander and an eel, according
to the research.
Palaeontologist Martha Richter
described the discovery as remarkable as most knowledge of
four-legged vertebrates from the
period is limited to North America
and western Europe, with little
known about what animals lived
in the southern tropics.
Richter, a co-author of the Nature study and fossil vertebrates
collection manager at the Natural
History Museum, said the discovery would improve understanding
on how animals respond to rapid
environmental change, as the fossils pre-date the worst-known
mass extinction.
More than 90% of all the species on Earth went extinct at the
end of the Permian 253mn years
ago, as conditions worldwide became so inhospitable, Richter
said.
The team also found the oldest
reptile bone fossil ever discovered
in South America, a fossil similar
to a lizard-like creature, captorhinus aguti, found in rocks dating from the same time in North
America.

14

Gulf Times
Friday, November 6, 2015

PAKISTAN/AFGHANISTAN

Hopes fade for survivors

of Lahore factory collapse
Pakistani soldiers, policemen
and rescuers pulled out 108
victims from the rubble of
a collapsed factory on the
outskirts of Lahore

Internews
Karachi

AFP
Lahore

opes of nding more survivors in the rubble of a

collapsed Pakistani factory were fading as darkness fell
yesterday, with rescuers warning
the death toll would likely rise as
they dig further down through
the debris.
Soldiers and rescuers in Lahore have pulled 108 people out
of the rubble of the four-storey
factory in Lahore alive, with at
least 20 people conrmed dead,
officials said, carefully cutting
through steel and using cranes
and heavy machinery to lift the
debris.
Almost 24 hours have passed
and there are less chances of life
now, Arshad Zia, head of rescue
services in Punjab province, said
yesterday evening.
Rescuers have only removed
rubble from the top two oors,
he said, adding that more workers were believed to have been on
the bottom oors at the time of
the collapse.
He had not given up hope,
however. Miracles can happen
at any time and thats why we are
moving slowly.
It was unclear how many people were in the building when it
collapsed or how many dead
or alive may still be trapped.
Rescue services spokesman
Jam Sajjad Hussain said earlier
yesterday it was difficult to
give a specic number, but said
workers had told officials that
around 200 people had been inside at the time of the collapse,
including the owner, though that
was unconrmed.
The owner of the factory was
among the dead, said a government official, Mohamed Usman.
Representatives of the factory
management could not imme-

Pakistani soldiers and rescuers search for victims in the rubble of a collapsed factory on the outskirts of Lahore yesterday.
diately be reached for comment.
Officials fear that dozens more
bodies may be found on the lower oors.
Factory employee Mohamed
Navid said yesterday that up to
50 shift workers may have been
sleeping in a part of the building that rescuers had not yet
reached, and that children as
young as 12 had been working in
the factory.
A list of the injured from one of
the three hospitals the wounded
were shifted to, however, showed
three 15-year-olds as the youngest patients listed.
Another employee, 18-yearold Mohamed Irfan, said from
his hospital bed that the workers
were mostly aged between 14
and 25.

The collapse occurred at the

Rajput Polyester polythene bag
factory in the Sundar industrial
estate, around 45km southwest
of Lahores city centre.
The factory may have suffered
structural damage in the October 26 quake which killed almost
400 people across Pakistan and
Afghanistan, Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif said.
I have heard about the earthquake affecting the building, but
according to labourers the owner
continued to build an extension,
he told reporters.
Some of the pillars of the
building had been weakened in
the earthquake, 22-year-old
Navid said, adding that workers
had informed the owner of the
problems.

The building caved in with a

big bang and I fell unconscious
on the ground, he said, adding
that he had regained consciousness after some 15 minutes.

I have heard about the

earthquake affecting the
building, but according
to labourers the owner
continued to build an
extension
I heard people screaming and
shouting for help.
Pakistan has a poor safety
record in the construction and
maintenance of buildings.
At least 24 people died last
year when a mosque collapsed
in the same city, while more
than 200 people lost their lives,

mostly due to collapsed roofs,

following torrential rain and
ooding in 2014.
In 2012, at least 255 workers were killed when a re tore
through a clothing factory in
Karachi, one of the deadliest industrial accidents in Pakistani
history.
Child labour is also commonplace across the country, with
the US Department of Labor estimating some 13 percent of all
10-14 year olds (2.5 million) were
engaged in work in 2014, despite
education being mandatory by
law.
The federal minimum age
for hazardous work is 14, well
below international norms,
though even that law is widely
ignored.

Afghan Taliban breakaway faction challenges new chief

AFP
Kabul

breakaway faction of the

Taliban has appointed
its own leader, in the
rst formal split in the militant
movement under new leader
Mullah Akhtar Mansour, posing
a fresh hurdle to potential peace
talks.
Mullah Mohamed Rasool was
named the leader of the faction
in a mass gathering of dissident
ghters this week in the remote

Indian envoy to
help Pakistani
woman meet
son in Bhopal

southwestern province of Farah,

according to an AFP reporter
who attended the meeting.
It was unclear whether the
new group can rally wide support but its emergence exposes simmering rifts within the
movement since the announcement of longtime leader Mullah
Omars death in late July.
Mansour is not our Amirul-Momineen, Rasool told the
gathering of dozens of ghters in
remote Bakwah district, referring to the respected Islamic title
of commander of the faithful.

We dont accept him as our

leader. He was not elected lawfully in accordance with Shariah
to lead the group, said Rasool,
wearing glasses and a black
turban and anked by heavily
armed ghters.
Splits emerged at the top of the
Taliban following the appointment of Mansour as replacement for Omar, the movements
founding leader whose death was
conrmed this summer.
Many in the movement were
unhappy the death had been
kept secret for two yearsdur-

ing which time annual Eid statements were issued in Omars

name.
Others said the process to
choose Mansour, believed to be
too close to Pakistans shadowy
military establishment, as his
successor was rushed and even
biased.
Among Mansours opponents
were members of Omars family,
though the dead leaders son and
brother recently pledged allegiance to the new chief, according to Taliban officials.
The emergence of the new

group was unlikely to threaten

Mansour, who appears to have
bolstered his position with a
spate of Taliban military successes, including the recent
stunning three-day occupation
of northern Kunduz city.
But analysts warn that it bodes
ill for any potential peace talks,
which have stalled since the announcement of Omars death.
The rise of this hardline
group marks the rst split in the
militant movement since Omars
death, said Waheed Mujhda, an
Afghan analyst.

he Indian high commissioner in Pakistan

has assured the mother
of a Pakistani boy, who is currently living with a charity
organisation in Bhopal, that a
visa to visit her son would be
issued as soon as she arranged
a passport.
The High Commissioner,
TCA Raghavan, met Razia
Sattar, mother of 15-year-old
Ramzan, at a hotel here yesterday after Indian Minister
for External Affairs Sushma
Swaraj tweeted a day earlier
that the cases of Ramzan and
Salman Ahmed, 22, who is living in Karachi, will be resolved
soon.
The two cases emerged soon
after the departure of hearing- and speech-impaired Indian girl Geeta from Karachi to
Delhi.
Razia, 32, said it all began
when her husband left her and
went to Bangladesh in 2004.
Soon after, I got to know
that he married again. He
came back in 2005 and asked
me to allow our two children
elder daughter Zohra and
Ramzan to attend his nieces
wedding in Dhaka. My son
didnt want to go but I insisted so that my children could
meet their fathers family, she
narrated.
But when the children
didnt get back even after a
month she inquired with her
husbands family in Karachi.
They had no idea. I created a
ruckus and soon both the children were back, she said.
Then in 2008, Ramzan,
according to Razia, was kidnapped from outside their
home in Gulshan-i-Iqbal by
his father and taken to Bangladesh again.
My in-laws informed me
about it. Soon, I got a conrmation from my husband that
my son is with him.

But Ramzan couldnt stay

with them either. I am told
that he was helped by a dealer
to cross the border between
Bangladesh and India, and
ended in Bhopal, she added.
Working as a maid for 19
years in Azizabad, it was
her
employers
daughter
who found Ramzans details
through the Internet.
The site she opened belonged to an NGO named
Umeed where they had added
Ramzans personal details,
including his name, age and
names of parents, etc. The
employer then asked me to
speak to the Ansar Burney
Trust who in turn spoke to the
higher officials.
About her meeting with the
Indian high commissioner,
she said, He assured me that
I can go to India and that the
officials here would cooperate with me in the similar way
Pakistan co-operated with India in getting Geeta back. Im
looking forward to meeting
my son and to bring him back
home.

He assured me that I
can go to India and that
the officials here would
cooperate with me in
the similar way Pakistan
co-operated with India in
getting Geeta back
A Pakistani mother and an
Indian father left their son,
Salman Ahmed, in the custody
of his maternal grandmother
who lives in Nagan Chaurangi
area when he was two-yearold.
Now, he wants to go back to
his parents who live in Aligarh,
India.
According to Shagufta Burney, a representative of Ansar Burney Trust, Salmans
two sisters came to Karachi to
meet him but since the family couldnt bring him back
to India, they thought of approaching the higher authorities.

Ghulam Alis concert at Lucknow is on

Pakistani ghazal singer
Ghulam Ali, who on
Wednesday announced
he was cancelling all his
scheduled concerts in India,
will, however, go ahead
with his performance at the
Lucknow Mahotsava later this
month, a top official said on
yesterday.
Lucknow district magistrate
Raj Shekhar told IANS that
the organising committee
members contacted
the singers programme

co-ordinators and they

confirmed that while other
concerts were off, the event in
Lucknow was very much on.
We have confirmation that in
Lucknow, Ghulam Ali will be
coming to perform, he said.
Ghulam Ali was in Lucknow
last month and met Chief
Minister Akhilesh Yadav.
In the city for a concert,
Yadav told the singer that he
was of the view that politics
should not be mixed with
music and culture.

MSF releases grim new details from hospital bombing

AFP
Kabul

edical charity MSF yesterday released grim

new details from a
catastrophic US bombing of an
Afghan hospital, saying staff had
been decapitated and lost their
limbs with some gunned down
from the air.
Last months raid in the
northern city in Kunduz killed at
least 30 people, sparking an avalanche of global condemnation
and forcing the French-founded
charity to close the trauma centre.
The view from inside the
hospital is that this attack was
conducted with a purpose to kill
and destroy, MSF general director Christopher Stokes said in
Kabul while releasing an internal
review of the strike.
But we dont know why. We
dont have the view from the
cockpit, nor what happened
within the US and Afghan military chains of command.
The review described patients burning in their beds,
medical staff that were decapitated and lost their limbs,
and others who were shot from

the air as they ed the burning

hospital.
Three separate investigations
led by the US, Nato and Afghan officials are looking into
the strike, but MSF has labelled
the incident a war crime and demanded an independent probe
by an international fact-nding
commission.
US President Barack Obama
has admitted the strike was a
mistake, but the Pentagon has
offered shifting explanations for
what exactly went wrong.
MSF said the raid by an
American AC-130 gunship,
which occurred after the Talibans brief but bloody capture
of Kunduz, lasted around an
hour despite repeated messages to military officials in Kabul
and Washington that were
listed in the report in chilling
detail.
At 2.56 am an SMS was sent
from MSF in Kabul to Resolute
Support (Nato) insisting that
the airstrikes stop and informing
that we suspected heavy casualties, read the report.
At 2.59 am an SMS reply was
received by MSF in Kabul from
Nato saying Ill do my best,
praying for you all.
Afghan officials have repeat-

edly said that Taliban ghters

had sought shelter in the hospital, in a tacit justication for the
bombing that drew widespread
condemnation.
Some public reports are circulating that the attack on our
hospital could be justied because we were treating Taliban,
said Stokes.
The charitys review acknowledged that approximately
20 Taliban ghters were being
treated in the hospital at the
time of the bombing but insisted
that MSFs no-weapons policy
inside the compound was enforced.
Wounded combatants are
patients under international
law, and must be free from attack and treated without discrimination. Medical staff
should never be punished or
attacked for providing treatment to wounded combatants,
Stokes said.
The airstrike forced the
closure of the trauma centre
in Kunduz, which had been a
lifeline in the war-battered region.
At least 10 patients and 13 staff
are among the 30 dead, MSF
said, warning that the toll could
rise still further.

General Director of Doctors Without Borders, or Medecins Sans Frontiers (MSF), Christopher Stokes (right) speaks as head of Kunduz Incident
Management Team, Michiel Hofman (L) looks on during a press conference in Kabul yesterday.

Gulf Times
Friday, November 6, 2015

15

PHILIPPINES
The best dresser

Probe into
bullet scam
at airport
Agencies
Manila

Miss Philippines Janicel Lubina poses during the evening dress contest during the Miss International beauty pagent in Tokyo yesterday. Miss Philippines was elected as Miss
Best Dresser.

Marcos Jr is willing
to take DNA test
Manila Times
Makati

enator Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr yesterday said he is willing to

undergo a DNA test if it would help
senator Grace Poe nd her biological relatives.
Marcos made the statement after Poe
revealed in a radio interview on Tuesday
that DNA tests done on individuals believed to be her biological relatives did not
match.
I dont see how will that help her but if
that will, why not? Marcos told reporters during the weekly Kapihan sa Senado
news forum.
DNA testing was conducted in a bid to
overturn allegations that Poe is not a natural-born Filipino. Poes citizenship qualication was questioned before the Senate
Electoral Tribunal and the Commission on
Elections.
The test results were meant to be initially presented to the electoral tribunal,
which is hearing a disqualication case
led by radio commentator Rizalito David.
Poe, 47, was found abandoned inside the
Jaro Metropolitan Cathedral in Iloilo province in central Philippines and was eventually adopted by the actor Fernando Poe
Jr. and his actress wife, Susan Roces.
There were rumors that the senator was
the child of the late president Ferdinand
Marcos from an alleged affair with her
aunt, former teen actress Rosemarie So-

nora. Sonora is the younger sister of Susan

Roces.
Both Poe and Marcos have denied the
rumours.
Marcos said he is willing undergo such
test because he is condent it will not
prove anything in relation to Poes biological parents and will just prove that he is the
son of the former president and now Ilocos
Norte representative Imelda Marcos.
What are we expecting to see in the
DNA test? That Im the son of my father
and mother? he said.
When asked what he would do if it
turned out that Poe was his half-sister,
Marcos replied, Welcome to the family.
According to Poe, she appreciates her
fellow senators gesture and that she is
very thankful to him but she does not want
Marcos to be involved in the issue.
Although it is just a gossip and we
joked about it, there are people that are
getting hurt [by the issue] like my cousin,
she said, referring to actress Sheryl Cruz
(Rosemarie Sonoras daughter) who recently expressed her disappointment over
Poes decision to run for higher office.
Poe said she is considering taking a second set of DNA tests with another probably biological relative.
Its just like getting a second opinion,
you can always get a second opinion. So
were open to having a retest, she told
reporters at the Quezon City Sports Club
where a programme formalising her endorsement by the Makabayan bloc was
held.

There is another person that we are

considering but I dont want to expound
on it, she said.
Poe argued that the negative results
of her DNA tests do not mean that she
has lost in the disqualication cases led
against her.
Valenzuela City (Metro Manila) mayor
Rex Gatchalian, the spokesman for the Poe
camp, said they remain condent that the
senator would be able to prove her citizenship.
Senator Grace Poe is a natural-born
Filipino and thats what the law provides.
Her citizenship is not anchored on the result of a DNA test. The DNA test was just
an additional information that we volunteered to submit, he added.
Were condent that our position
would be sustained by the good tribunal
because the law is on her side, Gatchalian
said in a media forum also yesterday.
He claimed that Poes citizenship can
be established by using the 1935 Constitution, which was in force when she was
born in 1968. Gatchalian said that according to the 1935 Constitution, a foundling is
considered a natural-born Filipino if he or
she was found in the Philippines.
Gatchalian, moreover, conrmed that
Poes husband, Neil Llamanzares, is now
taking concrete and proactive steps to
renounce his American citizenship.
He said Llamanzares is a natural-born
Filipino because he was born to two Filipino parents although he was physically
born in the United States.

Lapid faces graft charges

in fertiliser fund case
Manila Times
Makati

enator Manuel Lito Lapid along with

four others will be tried for graft before the Sandiganbayan for their alleged involvement in a multimillion fertiliser fund scam in 2004.
Lapid, a former actor and lm stunt
man, was the outgoing governor of Pampanga when the alleged anomaly took
place.
Also named as respondents were provincial accountant Benjamin Yuzon, provincial treasurer Vergel Yabut and the
alleged suppliers Ma. Victoria AquinoAbubakar and Leolita Aquino, incorporators of Malayan Pacic Trading Corporation (MPTC or Malayan), and Dexter
Alexander Vasquez, proprietor of D.A.
Vasquez Macro-Micro Fertilizer Resources (Vasquez Fertilisers).
The office of the ombudsman, through
its Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP),

charged Lapid and his ve co-accused

with violations of Sections 3 (e) and 3 (g) of
Republic Act (RA) 3019 or the Anti-Graft
and Corrupt Practices Act.
Section 3(e) of RA 3019 prohibits a public official from causing any undue injury
to any party, or giving any private party
unwarranted benets, advantage or preference in the discharge of his official administrative or judicial functions.
Section 3(g) prohibits the act of entering, on behalf of the government, into any
contract or transaction manifestly and
grossly disadvantageous to the government, whether or not the public officer
proted or will prot thereby.
Case records show that the provincial
government of Pampanga purchased 3,880
litres of liquid fertilisers formulated by
Vasquez Fertilizer in May 2004 amounting
to P4.761mn. The fertiliser was distributed
in Pampanga by Malayan.
The ombudsman said the purchased
items were overpriced by as much as
P4.268mn as the fertiliser was sold at

P1,250 per litre when its real value was

only P150 per litre.
According to the ombudsmans office,
the purchase was done without public
bidding as required under RA 9184 or
the Government Procurement Reform
Act.
It said the respondents also violated the
procurement rules by resorting to direct
purchasing despite the availability of a
suitable substitute offered at a much lower
price in the locality.
Assistant special prosecutor Omar Sagadal said the respondents caused undue
injury to the government and give [sic] unwarranted benets, preference and advantage to the private respondents.
The ombudsmans office alleged that it
was Lapidwho at the time was an administration candidate for senatorwho certied that there was no suitable substitute
to MPTCs Macro-Micro Foliar Fertiliser,
which paved the way for the provincial
government to unlawfully resort to the direct purchase agreement.

Manuel Antonio Roxas has formally

withdrawn his candidacy for president in
next years elections.
But the Roxas who personally appeared
yesterday before the clerk of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is just a
namesake of the Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer, Manuel Araneta Mar Roxas
2nd.
Roxas, 67, a resident of 5 Diamond
Street, Quezon City, admitted he is just a
pangggulo or a nuisance and thus decided to withdraw his certicate of candidacy (COC).
He told reporters that his intention in
ling a COC for president was to call attention to the plight of his son who is incarcerated at the National Bilibid Prisons
in Muntinlupa City (Metro Manila).
In the COC that Roxas led on the last
day of the ling period on October 16, he
indicated his nickname as Mar.
Roxas, the LP standard-bearer, has led
a nine-page petition asking the Comelec
to disqualify his namesake and declare him
a nuisance.
Respondent Manuel Antonio Roxas
clearly led his COC for president to create confusion among the voters through
the similarity between his name and that
of petitioner Manuel Araneta Roxas [2nd],
the petition said.
To allow [respondent] to continue with
his candidacy for president would make
a mockery of the upcoming elections for
the 16th President of the Philippines, it
added.

n alleged scam involving planting of bullets in travellers luggage ahead of airport security
checks in the Philippines was
under investigation after the
practice became so widespread the United Nations issued an internal advisory.
Under the scam, bullets are
allegedly dropped in passengers luggage and then found
by security personnel, who
demand a ne or detain and
charge the bags owner with
illegal possession of ammunition.
Staff members are advised
to keep your luggage with you,
lock your luggage, and consider wrapping your luggage as
an extra security measure, the
UN Department of Safety and
Security said this week.
According to government
data, 1,212 travellers have been
caught illegally carrying bullets at Ninoy Aquino International Airport since January,
compared with 1,510 cases for
the whole of 2014.
Filipinos expressed anger
and embarrassment online.
This scam has got to stop,
Twitter user @Aiyamaguchii
posted Thursday. Ridiculous
as hell!
Twitter user @manilyndelarosa cursed before adding,
What a shame. I hate this corrupt country, also yesterday.
Deputy presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte said the
UN warning, echoed by some
countries, was an unfortunate development.
We hope that moving forward with the new measures
that will be implemented,
there will be no need for such
advisories in the future, she
was quoted as saying by news
reports.
The embattled general manager of the nations premier
airport yesterday continued
to insist that there is no syndicate operating at the Ninoy
Aquino International Airport
(NAIA).
Manila International Airport Authority chief Jose Angel
Honradoa former bodyguard
of president Benigno Aquino
3rdin a televised interview
said they have not found anything solid to validate allegations that a syndicate is behind
the bullet-planting extortion
racket that has generated a
restorm against the government.
So far, we dont have evidence indicating that syndicates are working at the
airport, he added. But opportunists, yes.
Honrados TV interview
came a day after his boss,
transportation
secretary
Joseph Emilio Abaya, said the
alleged incidents, which have
since been infamously called
laglag-bala or tanim-bala,
appear to have been blown

out of proportion.
Abaya earlier said initial
investigation showed that no
syndicate is behind the controversy. So far we have not
established any facts to show
syndicates planting [the bullets but] any personnel involved will be pursued.
Abaya and Honrado and the
chiefs of the office of transport
security and the police aviation security group are facing
an administrative complaint
before the office of the ombudsman for allegedly not
lifting a nger to stop the extortion racket at the countrys
airports.

The general manager

of the nations premier
airport continued to insist
that there is no syndicate
operating there
Senator Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr joined mounting calls for Honrados immediate removal for allegedly
allowing the scheme to go on.
He should be red immediately, hes clearly incompetent. He should never have
been put in that job in the rst
place, Marcos told reporters.
If it was up to me he would
never have gotten that job.
Why was he placed there, he
has no experience in running
airports. He doesnt know the
job, he said.
Honrado is a retired military
general who was president
Aquinos security aide when
he was still a candidate in 2010.
It has repeatedly been said
in earlier media reports that
Aquino credits Honrado for
saving his life when the thenPresidential Security Group
captain led a squad that rushed
to his aid when his convoy was
waylaid in the early hours of
the 1989 coup attempt against
his mother, then-president
Corazon Aquino.
If you appoint somebody
to a certain post, you must
be condent that he could do
the job. You dont just name
somebody to just because you
owe him a debt of gratitude.
Repay your debt of gratitude
some other way, not at the expense of the people, Marcos
said.
Malacanang spokesman Edwin Lacierda on also yesterday
berated Marcos for his statement and turned the tables
on the lawmaker by bringing
up the Marcos familys alleged
sins against the people.
Unlike senator Marcos who
continues to deny the abuses
of martial law, corruption,
impunity and human rights
violations that occurred under
the Marcos regime of which he
was a part as a government ofcial, the president recognises
that there is a problem, Lacierda said in a text message to
reporters.
He retorted that the Aquino
administration is taking the
issue seriously, contrary to the
lawmakers assertion.

Typhoon victims

Richel Quiminales, 35, who lost her home during Super Typhoon Haiyan, is pictured outside her home in
a slum in Tacloban, Philippines . The mother of seven is struggling to make a living and is waiting to be
relocated to a safer area.

16

Gulf Times
Friday, November 6, 2015

SRI LANKA/BANGLADESH/NEPAL/MALDIVES

Maldives
VP Adeeb
impeached
by MPs

Trooping home

Reuters
Male

Elephants from the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage return from the river in Pinnawala, about 90kms from the capital Colombo yesterday. The Sri Lankan elephant is listed
as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as the population has declined by at least 50% over the last three generations, with the species
threatened by habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation.

IS claims murder of
policeman in Dhaka
The claims of IS involvement are sure
to create a stir
Agencies
Dhaka

he Islamic State group has claimed

responsibility for the murder this
week of a Bangladesh policeman, as
fears of Islamist violence grow in the moderate Muslim-majority country.
A group of unknown men stabbed a
police officer to death on Wednesday just
outside the capital Dhaka, while another
was badly injured, the second such attack
in less than a month.
Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan
blamed local hardline Islamists, whom
the government also suspects are behind a
series of murders this year of secular bloggers and a publisher of secular books.
But the Islamic Stae group (IS) said its
soldiers of the state in Bangladesh carried out Wednesdays killing, according
to the US-based jihadist monitor group
SITE.
The soldiers of the Caliphate withdrew safely, and unto Allah is all praise and
gratitude, IS said in a statement late on
Wednesday.
In recent weeks, IS has also claimed responsibility for murders of an Italian aid
worker and a Japanese farmer, along with
a blast at the countrys main Shiite shrine
which left two people dead.

If the latest claims are true, it would be

the rst time IS has targeted an arm of the
Bangladesh government.
The government has rejected the jihadist groups previous claims, saying it does
not have any presence in the country.
An Al Qaeda branch has also claimed responsibility for the blogger and publisher
attacks, calling the victims atheists and
blasphemers.
The government has instead blamed
local Islamists, along with the main opposition party and its Islamist ally, for orchestrating the violence to destabilise the
country.
Prime minister Sheikh Hasinas government launched a crackdown on local
Islamist groups after facing Western criticism this year of failing to stop the bloodshed.
Bangladesh yesterday said the United
States has offered support by sharing information in an effort to investigate the
recent killings.
They (US) want to help us by giving information, home minister Asaduzzaman
Khan told reporters at secretariat after a
meeting with William E Todd, principal
deputy assistant secretary for south and
central Asian Affairs, US department of
state.
US ambassador in Dhaka Marcia
Stephens Bloom Bernicat also attended
the meeting.
The minister said they (Bernicat and
Todd) came to convey their condolences

over the recent killings, including that of

policemen, in the country.
He also said the US delegation expressed
satisfaction and thanked the government
for tightening security measures in the
country recently.
When asked about the security alerts
by various countries, he said: They issue
it for the security of their citizens. This is
not unusual.
When asked about the issues discussed
in the meeting William E Todd said: We
talked about a wide range of bilateral programmes.
He said they also discussed broadening
co-operation between the two countries in
countering violent extremism.
Monitoring group SITE said it had
tracked the militant groups web post
claiming the attack.
SITE Intelligence Group had earlier reported that IS claimed the murders of two
foreignersItalian aid worker Cesare Tavella and Japanese national Kunio Hoshi-and the bombings on a Shia gathering in
Old Dhaka.
Once a little known research group,
SITE intelligence surprised many last year
when it published a video showing the
murder of American journalist Steven Joel
Sotloff even before the jihadists did.
According to the UK-based newspaper
The Independent, SITE (Search for International Terrorist Entities) is a US-based
consultancy group that monitors and
tracks the activities of international ter-

Humanitarian crisis
looming in Nepal: US
AFP
Kathmandu

he United States warned yesterday of a looming humanitarian crisis in quakehit Nepal which is facing crippling
shortages of vital supplies as protesters block a key checkpoint bordering
India.
Scores of trucks have been stranded at a crossing in the southern town
of Birgunj for nearly six weeks, cutting off supplies and forcing fuel rationing across the landlocked Himalayan nation.
In a crackdown that dashed hopes
of a compromise between the government and demonstrators, Nepali
security forces on Monday broke up
the blockade for a few hours, sparking violent protests and leading to
the death of an Indian man in police
ring.
In a statement, the US embassy in
Kathmandu said it was deeply con-

cerned by the increasingly volatile

situation along the Nepal-India border, resulting in critical shortages of
fuel, medicine, and foodstuffs.
Lives are at stake, and we are concerned that a humanitarian crisis may
result.
The blockade that began on September 24 has forced international
aid organisations to halt relief operations for tens of thousands of quake
victims just weeks before winter.
The protesters, from Nepals Madhesi ethnic minority, want lawmakers
to change the countrys new constitution which they say will leave them
politically marginalised and underrepresented in parliament.
In the embassy statement, the US
urged all parties to return to the negotiating table, joining Nepals regional ally India in calling for talks to
resolve the crisis.
The constitution, the rst drawn
up by elected representatives, was
meant to cement peace and bolster
Nepals transformation to a demo-

cratic republic after decades of political instability and a 10-year Maoist

insurgency.
But it has resulted in deadly violence with more than 40 people
killed in clashes between police and
protesters. The constitution was introduced in September after Aprils
massive earthquake pushed warring
political parties to reach agreement.
Meanwhile India on Wednesday said
that it was not supporting protests
by Madhesis in Nepal and expressed
concern over spreading of anti-India
sentiments in the country. India also
stressed that it had not imposed any
blockade at the border, stalling supply
of essential goods to Nepal.
Indias position was stated by Indian ambassador Ranjit Rae here in his
meeting with former prime minister
and senior CPN-UML leader Madhav
Kumar Nepal. The Ambassador expressed concern over the spreading of
anti-India sentiments in Nepal, the
Nepalese leaders personal aide Mohan Gautam said.

rorists and the global jihadist network.

The group has ties to both the US government and commercial clients and specialises in monitoring the online activities
of jihadists and issuing warnings to its clients, the newspaper said in an article last
year.
According to a prole of Rita Katz, director and co-founder of the SITE Intelligence Group, she has been studying,
tracking, and analysing international terrorists, the global jihadist network and
terrorism-nancing for over a decade.
A Dhaka court yesterday placed MA
Matin, who was arrested in connection
with the murder of Italian citizen Cesare
Tavella, from Benapole border area along
India, on remand.
Chief metropolitan magistrate Shahriar
Adnan Hossain passed the order when detective branch (DB) inspector Mohamad
Zaher Hossain produced him before the
court.
The court also rejected the bail plea of
Matins lawyer S M Shawkat Hossain. In
the bail petition, Matins lawyer said that
Matin was innocent and he was arrested to
harass him.
He also mentioned that some miscreants picked up Matin in front of his residence on October 20. Later, his family
members led a general diary with Badda
Police Station.
Earlier, detectives arrested suspected
mastermind MA Matin on Wednesday
night as he was trying to leave the country.

arliament in the Maldives impeached the

vice president yesterday over his alleged role in an
explosion on the presidents
speedboat, a day after the government declared a state of
emergency that was internationally condemned.
The decree has deepened
turmoil engulng the Indian
Ocean archipelago following
the blast on president Abdulla
Yameens boat, which the government said was an assassination attempt.
Ahmed Adeeb, who was detained in connection with the
September 28 explosion, was
impeached after 61 members
of the 85-member parliament
voted in favour. The opposition abstained from the vote,
calling it unconstitutional and
politically motivated.
Home minister Umar Naseer said Adeeb would be removed from office and Yameen
can appoint a replacement.
The move came as security
was tightened in the capital
Male, with troops patrolling
the streets.
The United States, rights
groups and the Commonwealth of mostly former British colonies have called on
the Maldives to lift its state of
emergency and end a crackdown on dissidents.
Yameen declared the state
of emergency two days before
a planned protest by the opposition, citing threats to national security after officials
said an explosive device was
discovered near his residence
in Male, as well as stashes of
weapons.
The US Federal Bureau of
Investigation, asked to examine the scene of the boat blast,
said there was no conclusive
evidence that a bomb had exploded, raising doubts over its
cause.
The US State Department
said in a statement issued late
on Wednesday it was deeply
concerned by the state of
emergency.
The United States calls on
the government of Maldives to
restore immediately full constitutional freedoms to its citizens by terminating the state
of emergency, and reiterates
its call for an end to politically
motivated prosecutions and
detentions, it said.
The United States also reiterated its call for the release
of ex-president Mohamed
Nasheed, who was imprisoned
in March on terrorism charges
after a widely criticised trial.
Rights group Amnesty International said the govern-

ment should not use the order

to silence free speech or infringe on other human rights.
Adeeb, 33, is the second vice
president to be impeached in
four months after Yameen removed his predecessor from
office in July.
Security forces in the Maldives capital found an explosive device yesterday, police
said, a day after the president
declared a month-long state
of emergency across the island
nation.
The bomb was found near a
harbour in the western part of
Male, and was defused without causing damage or harm, a
police spokesman said.
It was found as parliament
was set to meet to ratify a decision by president Abdulla
Yameen Abdul Gayoom on
Wednesday to impose the
state of emergency, amidst
rising political tensions.

Ahmed Adeeb was

impeached after 61
members voted in favour
The decision to impose a
state of emergency was made
as a pre-emptive and precautionary action by the government in light of several
signicant security threats
that have emerged in the last
week, minister of foreign affairs Dunya Maumoon said in
a statement.
The measures taken are
to ensure that security forces
are given all possible assistance in their mission to investigate and detain individuals
or groups who seek to create instability or subvert the
democratic institutions of the
country, she said.
The tourism industry was
not affected, and the countrys
airports, transport hubs and
tourist resorts remained secure, she said.
Political tension has been
building in the Maldives since
a September 28 explosion on a
speed boat carrying president
Yameen and his wife, followed
by the arrest of vice president
Ahmed Adheeb.
Several buildings used by
Adheebs associates have
since been searched. The
president claimed that his
deputy was trying to oust him
from office.
Former Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheeds
Maldivian Democratic Party
has planned a protest march
for Friday. The ex-president
is serving a 13-year jail term
after being sentenced earlier
this year.
Nasheed was jailed in March
on terrorism charges in a trial
that the international community says was politically
motivated.

Hasina meets Dutch Queen

Dutch Queen Maxima poses with Sheikh Hasina , the prime minister of Bangladesh, prior to their meeting at
residence Eikenhorst in Wassenaar, on Wednesday.

Gulf Times
Friday, November 6, 2015

17

THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH

The realm of the unseen

T

hroughout history man has

always had a deep attraction
for the supernatural and
the unseen. The existence
of a world parallel to our own has
always fascinated people. This world
is commonly referred to as the spirit
world, and almost every set of people
have some concept of one. With some
people, these spirits are no more than
the souls of dead people or ghosts.
With others, spirits are either the
forces of good or the forces of evil
both battling against one another to
gain inuence over humanity.
However, both of these explanations are more in tune with folk tales
and fantasy. The true explanation of
such a world comes from Islam. Like
every other way, Islam also claims to
explain this realm of the unseen. It is
from this realm that Islam explains
to us about the world of the Jinn.
The Islamic explanation of the Jinn
provides us with so many answers to
modem day mysteries. Without the
knowledge of this world, the Muslims
would become like the non-Muslims
and be running around looking for
any old answer to come their way. So,
who or what are the Jinn?
Existence
The Jinn are beings created with
free will, living on earth in a world
parallel to mankind. The Arabic word
Jinn is from the verb Janna which
means to hide or conceal. Thus, they
are physically invisible from man
as their description suggests. This
invisibility is one of the reasons why
some people have denied their existence. However, (as will be seen) the
effect which the world of the Jinn has
upon our world, is enough to refute
this modem denial of one of Allahs
creation. The origins of the Jinn can
be traced from the Quran and the
Sunnah. Allah says (which means):
Indeed We created man from
dried clay of black smooth mud. And
We created the Jinn before that from
the smokeless ame of re (Surah
Al-Hijr 15:26-27)
Thus the Jinn were created before
man. As for their physical origin, the
Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam)
has conrmed the above verse when
he said: The Angels were created
from light and the Jinn from smokeless re[1]. It is this description of
the Jinn which tells us so much about
them. Because they were created
from re, their nature has generally
been ery and thus their relationship
with man has been built upon this.
Like humans, they too are required to
worship Allah and follow Islam. Their
purpose in life is exactly the same as
ours, as Allah says (which means):
I did not create the Jinn and mankind except to worship Me (Surah
Ad-Dhariyat 51:56)
Jinns can thus be Muslims or
non-Muslims. However, due to their
ery nature the majority of them are
non-Muslims. All these non-Muslim
Jinns form a part of the army of the
most famous Jinn, Iblis the Shaytan[2]. Consequently, these disbelieving Jinns are also called Shaytans
(devils). As for the Jinns who become
Muslims, then the rst of them did
so in the time of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) when a
group of them were amazed by the
recitation of the Quran. Allah orders
the Prophet to tell the people of this
event:
Say (O Muhammad): It has been
revealed to me that a group of Jinn
listened and said; Indeed we have
heard a marvellous Quran. It guides
unto righteousness so we have believed in it, and we will never make
partners with our Lord (Surah AlJinn 72:1-2)
In many aspects of their world, the
Jinn are very similar to us. They eat
and drink, they marry, have children
and they die. The life span however,
is far greater than ours. Like us, they
will also be subject to a Final Reckoning by Allah the Most High. They
will be present with mankind on the
Day of Judgment and will either go to
Paradise or Hell.
Abilities
That which clearly distinguishes
the Jinn from mankind are their
powers and abilities. Allah has given
them these powers as a test for them.
If they oppress others with them,
then they will be held accountable.
By knowing of their powers, we can
often make sense of much of the
mysteries which go on around us.
One of the powers of the Jinn is that
they are able to take on any physical form they like. Thus, they can
appear as humans, animals trees and
anything else.
Over the last few years the interest
in the subject of aliens and UFOs has
become heightened. Programmes
such as the X-les and the Outer
Limits have increased the popularity
of the theory that aliens exist. Thousands of people have sighted strange
looking creatures all over the world.
These sightings, however, have still
not proven substantially that aliens
exist. Rather and it seems more
plausible all the sightings of such
creatures were just Jinns parading in
different forms. So the next time you

the dead, are manipulated by the

Jinn. Are you there Charlie? Speak
to us Charlie!! are the sort of words
spoken by anxious relatives (names
are obviously different!) seeking to
make contact with their loved ones.
And it is when the Jinn starts to talk
and communicate as Charlie, that
the people are truly fooled[14].
One of the biggest manipulations of the Jinn is through visions.
Through these visions the Jinns are
more likely to lead people away from
the worship of Allah than any other
way. When a person sees a vision
in front of his eyes it is something
which is very hard to explain away.
Only by having knowledge of the
world of the Jinn and conviction in
Allah, can a person ght such a trial.
The countless numbers of visions
of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary
over the centuries has been a popular
choice for the devils. It almost seems
as if leading Christians astray is the
most easiest trick for the Jinns! Not
only are Christians fooled by these
visions, but often the Jinns possess
and begin to talk from their voices.
To the Christians this is known as
the tongues of the Angels and thus
a proof for their faith. However, the
amount of unintelligible nonsense
which is heard is a clear proof that
this is in fact the tongues of the devils! For other people, visions of their
parents or relatives are commonplace. By taking on the form of peoples parents, the Jinns can convince
people that the souls of dead people
still mix with the people of the earth.
This is why so many people believe
in ghosts.
The onslaught of satanic visions
has also hit the Muslims. Many
Muslims claim to have seen visions of
the Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu
alaihi wa sallam) and even Allah!
By doing this, Shaytan is able to lead
astray the weak Muslims. Through
such visions, Muslims are often told
that the commands of Islam are not
applicable to them. The Jinns tell
them that Prayer, Fasting, Haj, etc.
are not obligatory for them. It is a
great deception and unfortunately
one which has been very effective.
The extent of satanic visions still
continues to this day.
The world of the Jinn is one which
is both sinister and intriguing. By
knowing of this world we can explain
many of the mysteries and issues
which bother us. By doing this we can
avoid the extremes which the people
have gone to; nothing being more
extreme than worshipping others besides Allah. By learning the Tawheed
of Allah, we defend ourselves from
these hidden allies of Iblis:
Indeed he (Iblis) and his tribe
watch you from a position where you
cannot see them (Surah Al-Araf
7:27)
Maybe, there is a Jinn sitting in the
corner of your room right now, or
even one behind you. If so, then how
will you deal with this creation of
Allah? Learn Islam properly and you
will be able to deal with all of Allahs
creation and not just the Jinn. By
becoming true Muslims and followers
of Islam, the fear of Iblis, Jinns and
anything else will leave us nothing
will touch the Believer unless Allah
wills.

see something that looks like ET, its

most probably just a wicked Jinn trying to scare and confuse you!
The ability to possess and take over
the minds and bodies of other creatures is also a power which the Jinn
have utilised greatly over the centuries. This, however, is something
which has been prohibited to them
as it is a great oppression to possess
another being. Human possession is
something which has always brought
about great attention. But the true
knowledge of this subject is rare
amongst the people.
Over the last four decades the
subject of possession has become
very commercialised. During the
1970s lms such as The Exorcist
and Rosemarys Baby were used to
educate people about possession.
However, because such institutions
(the lm industry) were heavily inuenced by Christianity, knowledge of
the subject was non-existent. Rather
than educate people about Jinn possession, The Exorcist just tended to
scare the living daylights out of us![3]
Only through Islam can we understand such a phenomenon.
We know as Muslims, that Jinns
possess people for many reasons.
Sometimes it is because the Jinn or its
family has been hurt accidentally. It
could be because the Jinn has fallen in
love with the person. However, most
of the time possession occurs because
the Jinn is simply malicious and
wicked. For this reason we have been
told by the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi
wa sallam) not to loiter in those places where the Jinns reside, e.g. graveyards, ruins, deserts, marketplaces,
etc. We have also been commanded
to recite the Quran frequently in our
houses as the Prophet (sallallaahu
alaihi wa sallam) said: Indeed, the
shaytan ees from the house in which
Surah AI-Baqarah (the 2nd chapter of
the Quran) is recited[4].
If a person does become possessed,
then the name of Allah has to be used
in expelling the Jinn. If we look at
the practice of the Prophet and his
companions, we nd many duas
(supplications) to exorcise the Jinn.
All these duas invoke Allah to help
the possessed person. How contrary
this is to many modern-day exorcists.
Many exorcists, Muslim and nonMuslim, often invoke the names of
others besides Allah to exorcise the
Jinn[5]. When the Jinn does leave,
these people believe that their way
was successful. However, this is a
ploy of the Jinn, as it knows that if it
obeys the exorcist, then it has succeeded in making him worship others
besides Allah i.e. commit shirk. The
Jinn often returns when the exorcist leaves, as it knows that nothing
except the words of Allah can stop it
from oppressing others.
It is not only humans which are
possessed, but also animals, trees and
other objects. By doing this, the evil
Jinn hope to make people worship
others besides Allah. The possession
of idols is one way to do this.
The Occult
Through their powers of ying and invisibility, the Jinn are the
chief component in occult activities.
Voodoo, Black magic, Poltergeists,
Witchcraft and Mediums can all be
explained through the world of the
Jinn. Likewise, so can the illusions
and feats of magicians. Because the
Jinn can traverse huge distances
over a matter of seconds, their value
to magicians is great. In return for
helping them in their magic, the Jinns
often ask for the magicians to sell
their souls to them and even to Iblis.
Thus the magicians take the Jinn
and Iblis as lords besides Allah. In
our day, some of the feats performed
by magicians and entertainers are
without doubt from the assistance of
the Jinn. Making the Statue of Liberty
disappear, ying across the Grand
Canyon and retrieving a ship from the
Bermuda Triangle[6], have all been
done by the Jewish magician David
Coppereld.
There is NO way that a man could
do such things without the assistance
of the Jinn. It would not be surprising
therefore, if David Coppereld had
sold his soul to Iblis himself. Because
of their involvement with the Jinn,
and its result in shirk, the Prophet
(sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said:
The prescribed punishment for the
magician is that he be executed by the
sword[7]. Some may argue that this
is barbaric, but if, the likes of David
Coppereld truly had powers, then
they could just put their heads back
on again!!
One of the most frequent activities
associated with the Jinn, is fortunetelling. Before the advent of the
Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam)
fortune-tellers and soothsayers were
widespread. These people would use
their associates from the Jinn to nd
out about the future. The Jinns would
go to the lowest heaven and listen
to the Angels conversing amongst
themselves about events of the Future
which they heard from Allah. The
Jinns would then inform the fortunetellers. This is why before the time
of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa
sallam) many fortune-tellers were

very accurate in their predictions.

However, upon the Prophets arrival
the heavens were guarded intensely
by the Angels, and any Jinn who tried
to listen was attacked by meteors
(shooting stars):
And We have guarded it (the
heavens) from every accursed devil,
except one who is able to snatch
a hearing and he is pursued by a
brightly burning ame (Surah AlHijr 15:18)
The Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa
sallam) also said: They (the Jinn)
would pass the information back
down until it reaches the lips of a magician or fortune-teller Sometimes a
meteor would overtake them before
they could pass it on. If they passed
it on before being struck, they would
add to it a hundred lies[8]. Thus, it
is clear from this as to how fortunetellers get predictions of the future
right. It is also evident as to why they
get so many wrong.
Men like Nostradamus[9] are an
example, as some of his predictions of
the future were correct whilst many
were completely wrong. Unfortunately, the amount of fortune-telling
which occurs amongst the Muslims
is also increasing. By visiting Muslim
lands such as Morocco, one is able to
see as to how much inter Jinn-fortune-teller activity there really is. If
you look up at the sky on a clear night
in Morocco, you will see the heavens
ablaze with shooting stars! A clear
display of the devils being chased
away from the heavens.

Fortune-tellers also operate

through the Qareen. The Qareen
is the Jinn companion which is assigned to every human being. It is
this Jinn which whispers to our base
desires and constantly tries to divert
us from righteousness. The Prophet
(sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said:
Everyone of you has been assigned
a companion from the Jinn. The
companions asked: Even you O
Messenger of Allah? And the Prophet
replied: Even me, except that Allah
has helped me against him and he has
submitted. Now he only tells me to
do good[10]. Because the Qareen
is with a person all his life, it knows
all that has happened to the person from the cradle to the grave. By
making contact with the Qareen, the
fortune-teller is thus able to make
out that it is he who knows about the
person. He looks in his crystal ball or
the palm of a person and proceeds
to amaze him with knowledge which
no one else knows[11]. The severity
of going to a fortune-teller is such
that the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi
wa sallam) said: The prayer of one
who approaches a fortune-teller and
asks him about anything, will not be
accepted for forty days or nights[12]
and: Whosoever approaches a
fortune-teller and believes in what
he says, has disbelieved in what was
revealed to Muhammad[13]
The effects of the Jinn are not just
limited to fortune-tellers. Other
activities such as oujia boards and
seances, which are used to contact

Footnotes
1 Reported by Muslim - Eng. Trans.
Vol. 4, p.1540, No.7134
2 It must be remembered that Iblis
is a Jinn and not an Angel. The concept of the Devil being a fallen Angel
is from Christianity and not Islam.
3 In fact when The Exorcist was
rst shown on cinema, it was so scary
that many people fainted and one
even died!
4 Authentic Reported by Tirmidhee
5 Whilst Christians invoke the
name of Jesus, many Muslims invoke
the name of pious Muslim saints! The
rituals which are conducted by many
Muslims are more akin to voodoo
than the exorcism practised by the
Prophet and his companions!!
6 The ship which was recovered was more than 50 years old. It
subsequently caught alight and was
conveniently destroyed.
7 Authentic Reported by Tirmidhee
8 Reported by Bukhari Eng.
Trans. Vol.7, p.439, No.657
9 Michel de Nostradamus was a
famous French soothsayer of the 16th
century.
10 Reported by Muslim - Eng.
Trans. Vol.4, p.1472, No.6757
11 The classic example of how
fortune-tellers can be wrong is the
case of Diana, Princess of Wales
and Dodi Fayed. Both went to see a
fortune-teller who told Diana that
she would live a long and happy
life. A few weeks later, Diana and
Dodi Fayed were dead. After this the
fortune-tellers ew for cover, as their
evil art showed its decadence.
12 Reported by Muslim Eng.
Trans. Vol.4, p.1211, No.5540
13 Authentic Reported by Ahmed
14 Ouija boards are so misleading,
that people have even managed to get
in touch with the spirit of Jack the
Ripper!!

Ruling on
smoking
Smoking did not exist in the time of the
Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam)
yet we know that Islam forbids all things
that are harmful to the body in general,
along with anything that harms ones
neighbours or wastes money. We put
before you the following evidence
regarding the ruling on smoking so that
you can discern for yourself whether or
not it is halaal (permissible) or haraam
(forbidden).
We do not advocate each individual
making Islamic rulings on their own.
Our aim in taking this approach is to
give the reader an opportunity to reflect
and consider the evidence for themselves, especially if they are smokers,
because nothing is more convincing at
times than ones own rationale.
1. Allah (subhanahu wa taala) states
in Surah Al-Araaf Aayah 157: He has
allowed for them all good and lawful
things [at-tayyibaat] and forbids for
them all evil and unlawful things [alkhabaa-ith]... Smoking is of the harmful
and evil and unlawful things.
2. Allah states in Surah Al-Baqarah
Aayah 195: And do not throw yourselves
into destruction... Smoking causes or
contributes to a host of illnesses such as
throat, mouth and lung cancer, tuberculosis, emphysema, respiratory ailments,
high blood pressure, heart disease, and
the list goes on...
3. Allah states in Surah Al-Israa Aayah
26-27: But spend not wastefully of your
wealth in the manner of a spendthrift.
Verily, the spendthrifts are brothers of
the shayaateen (devils). Smoking is a
waste of money and of the deeds of
Shaitaan (Satan).
4. The Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa
sallam) said in an authentic hadith: Laa
darara wa laa diraar Let there be neither
harm nor reciprocating harm. Smoking
harms the smoker and the one who is
next to him and it is a waste of money.
5. The Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said in a hadith (mutafaqun alaihi)
agreed upon by both Al-Bukhari and
Muslim: Allah hates that you squander
wealth. Smoking is a waste of wealth
that is hated by Allah.
6. The Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said in another hadith (mutafaqun
alaihi): The example of a righteous
companion and the evil companion is
analogous to the seller of perfumes and
the blacksmith... The smoker is an evil
companion who blows fire.
7. The Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said in a third hadith (mutafaqun
alaihi): My entire ummah (nation) is
excused except the mujaahireen (open
public sinner). The smoker is an open
sinner whose sin is inexcusable unless
he abandons his open sinful display.
8. If a person was to burn money we
would say to him or her Are you nuts!
Haraam! So how about the one who
spends hundreds of riyals on smoking?!
9. Is it really a part of good religion or
morals or plain sensitivity and good
taste to disturb and harass people with
your cigarette or pipe smoke and pollute their clean air?! You must know that
polluting the air is as bad as polluting
drinking water. 10. Have you ever asked
yourself if smoking will be put on your
scale of good deeds or the scale of
wrong and evil deeds?!
So what do you think the ruling on
smoking is?
Halaal or haraam?
Brother or Sister Muslim Smoker...
Ask Allah for help and be determined to
quit smoking. Whatever someone drops
for the sake of Allah, He will surely help
him. Be patient and remember that
Allah is with the patient. Make supplication (duaa) to Allah with the utmost
sincerity especially after the adhaan
and the salaat and any other time.
Say: O Allah make it clear to me that
smoking is useless and wrong and give
me the strength to shun it and make it
loathsome and hateful to me, Aameen.
The Islamic Ruling:
Smoking in all its forms [i.e. cigars,
cigarettes, pipes, water pipes, etc.)
is haraam (forbidden) and working
in a factory that produces cigars or
cigarettes and the like is also forbidden
and therefore any earnings from such
work are also haraam and constitute
unlawful provisions. Buying, and selling
cigarettes, cigars, pipes, etc. is also
forbidden as is renting retail space to
someone who will sell cigarettes from
that place is also forbidden (haraam).
All of this is co-operation in sin and
enmity which is expressly forbidden in
the Quran and the authentic sunnah.
All forms of smoking are clearly filth
and the one who is afflicted with it must
struggle to the utmost to rid themselves
of this filthy habit.
The above is a summarisation of the
Islamic ruling related by Shaykh Abdul
Aziz Ibn Abdullah Ibn Abdur-Rahman
Ibn Baz and Shaykh Muhammad AsSaaleh al-Uthaimeen (rahimahullah)
and the Permanent Council of Fiqh in
Saudi Arabia and is agreed upon by the
majority of Islamic scholars worldwide.
A small minority of scholars say that
smoking is allowable while some have
ruled it as detestable. The evidence of
the harmfulness of smoking and the
clear principles of Islam based upon the
absolute proofs within the Quran and
the authentic Sunnah, some of which
was related above, clearly support the
position of tahreem (being haraam) as
the strongest and correct ruling.

18

Gulf Times
Friday, November 6, 2015

COMMENT
Chairman: Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah
Editor-in-Chief : Darwish S Ahmed
Production Editor: Amjad Khan

P.O.Box 2888
Doha, Qatar
editor@gulf-times.com
Telephone 44350478 (news),
44466404 (sport), 44466636 (home delivery)
Fax 44350474

GULF TIMES
Rapprochement or
sell-out? Taiwanese
mistrust China
There is a thin line between rapprochement and
selling out. The rst meeting between the presidents of
China and Taiwan in six decades represents an historic
breakthrough with the potential to reduce tensions
between the two nations.
But there are many Taiwanese who fear that each
step the governments in Taipei and Beijing take
towards each other will increasingly jeopardise their
democracy, freedom and independence.
The announcement of tomorrows planned meeting
between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Taiwanese
President Ma Ying-jeou on neutral ground in
Singapore promptly led to objections in Taipei.
Depose Ma Ying-jeou! and No Ma-Xi meeting!
were the demands issued by Huang Kuo-chang, leader
of the Sunower Student Movement, whose protests
against trade with the mainland reached a peak last
year.
Low economic growth and stagnating wages are
causing many among Taiwans population of 23mn to
doubt whether the rapidly increasing co-operation
between the two sides really has generated the
promised benets.
Mistrust within Taiwans democratic society of the
powerful communist dictatorship on the mainland
remains strong. There continue to be around 1,000
missiles aimed at the island from the mainland less
than 200km away.
Many Taiwanese also mistrust their president, drawn
from the Kuomintang Chinese Nationalist Party,
accusing him of conducting secret diplomacy aimed
at betraying Taiwan to
the communists.
Mas popularity is at
a low. Following two
periods in office, he is
not permitted to stand
again, but his party is in
deep crisis. Elections in
January are predicted
to bring the opposition
Democratic Progressive
Party (DPP) to power.
While the DPP derives its power from the
independence movement and backs greater Taiwanese
self-reliance, the Kuomintang - like the Communist
Party on the mainland - still backs reunication.
Many on the island no longer see themselves as
Chinese, but rather as proud Taiwanese who have
fought for and secured their own democratic system.
They reject the Hong Kong model of one country,
two systems as they fear for their freedoms, based on
experience in the former British colony since it was
returned to China in 1997.
Ma Ying-jeou has long sought a formal meeting with
Xi Jinping. Beijings change of heart in conceding this
honour to him as head of a renegade province of
China could be interpreted as part of a more exible
foreign policy.
It could also be seen as boosting the Kuomintangs
electoral prospects as a guarantor of stable relations.
If the Kuomintang wins, the future is more secure,
and if the DPP is victorious, it is rather insecure, says
Jia Qingguo, a professor at Peking University.
If we can help the Kuomintang to win the election,
this will be advantageous to mainland China, he says.
Nevertheless, the support could backre, if the
Taiwanese electorate decides it does not wish to fall in
line with Beijings wishes and votes instead for the DPP
candidate, Tsai Ing-wen.

Many on the
island no longer
see themselves
as Chinese, but
rather as proud
Taiwanese

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Yemens curse: civil war,

bombs, and now oods
Yemen is deep in the throes
of a humanitarian crisis,
woefully short on fuel and
water, its medical system
devastated
By Almigdad Mojalli
Sanaa

he last thing Yemenis needed

in the middle of their long
and bitter civil war was a
natural disaster. But now
the most powerful storm in decades,
Cyclone Chapala, has struck the
ill-equipped nation, ooding an Al
Qaeda-controlled port and much of
surrounding Hadhramaut Province.
Thanks to downed communications
systems and the extent of the extreme
weather, aid to those affected in
southern Yemen had barely begun by
dusk on Tuesday and officials were
still assessing the damage.
Cyclone Chapala came barrelling
into the southeastern port city of
Mukalla in the early hours of Tuesday.
While the extremely rare tropical
storm weakened throughout the day,
it still had not cleared enough for aid
efforts to begin in earnest.
One of the reasons youre not
going to see much [relief] at the
moment is the storm is still overhead,

explained Sebastian Rhodes-Stampa,

senior humanitarian officer for the
UNs emergency aid co-ordination
body, OCHA, in Yemen.
Getting aid to those who need it
is complex in Yemen, where a Saudi
Arabia-led coalition began a campaign
of airstrikes in March in a bid to oust
the Houthis from power.
The country is deep in the throes of
a humanitarian crisis, woefully short
on fuel and water, its medical system
devastated.
In the midst of the chaos, Al Qaeda
in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) took
control of Mukalla from government
forces in April.
Reports said that AQAP had
evacuated civilians from areas closest
to the coast in the hours before
the storm, but they could not be
independently veried.
Rhodes-Stampa said OCHA had
stored supplies in Mukalla before the
storm hit and will push in further
convoys when the storm passes.
The World Health Organisation
had also prepared for the cyclone
by distributing trauma kits in
Hadhramaut, as well as petrol for
ambulances and diesel to hospitals
that rely on generators for electricity.
Dr Ali Sareyah, head of the Ministry
of Public Health and Populations
emergency department, said the
government had four emergency
teams ready to y into the affected

areas, but had not yet received

clearance to lift off.
All aid convoys and air traffic must
be co-ordinated with the Saudi-led
coalition, so as to avoid unintended
civilian casualties.
A clear picture of the damage has
still not emerged.
Despite reports of three deaths,
Sareyah said the government couldnt
conrm the casualty count, adding
that there were 11 conrmed injuries.
Phone lines in Mukalla had been
knocked out, making conrmation
difficult.
But Dr Mamdouh Af, the head of
Al-Hajareen Hospital in Mukalla, was
aware of at least one death a young
man who fell off his roof after climbing
on top to seek safety.
OCHA, too, was unable to conrm
the extent of the damage. Before the
storm, it predicted 1.8mn people
would be affected, including more
than 100,000 internally displaced
people and 27,000 refugees and
migrants.
We have reports from Mukalla of
very severe ooding, and locals report
that the water level has risen by about
9m, said Rhodes-Stampa.
From what he could gather, the
situation is pretty grim.
Authorities had a better handle on
the destruction on Socotra, an island
some 350km from the mainland that
was hit over the weekend.

General Abdullah Jumaan, head

of security forces operations room
for the island, said there had been
no deaths but the property damage
is huge. He listed damages to main
roads, and said 117 homes were
destroyed and 612 more severely
damaged. There is no power on the
island, he added.
Socotra local Mohamed Sayed
described the scene: Everyone went
the roofs of their houses to keep
safe, but many of the houses were
destroyed, he said.
The danger from Chapala has not
passed. Yemens dry coastal region
receives, on average, less than 2 inches
of rain each year. The cyclone has
dumped several times that in the span
of a day.
The terrain doesnt absorb water
well, and Rhodes-Stampa said OCHA
was anticipating signicant ooding,
ash ooding and standing water.
This isnt going to be the end of it,
he added.
As the storm whirled in, the World
Health Organisation in Yemen warned
on its Twitter account that in case
of oods and sea surges, risks of
drowning and water and vectorborne disease increase.
In a country where the health
system is deteriorating fast and 8.6mn
Yemenis had no access to healthcare
even before the conict began, this is
cause for serious concern. IRIN

Yemen was already deep in the throes of a humanitarian crisis before the cyclone hit.

Why gender parity matters

By Laura Tyson
and Anu Madgavkar
Berkeley

he high cost of gender

inequality has been
documented extensively. But
a new study by the McKinsey
Global Institute estimates that it is
even higher than previously thought
with far-reaching consequences.
The McKinsey study used 15
indicators including common
measurements of economic equality,
like wages and labour-force
participation rates, as well as metrics
for social, political, and legal equality
to assign gender parity scores to
95 countries, accounting for 97% of
global GDP and 93% of the worlds
women. Countries also received scores
for individual indicators.
Unsurprisingly, high scores on
social indicators correspond with
high scores on economic indicators.
Moreover, higher gender-parity scores
strongly correlate with higher levels of
development, as measured by GDP per
capita and the degree of urbanisation.
The most developed regions of Europe
and North America are closest to gender
parity, while the still-developing region
of South Asia has the furthest to go.
Within regions, however, there are
signicant disparities, owing partly to
differences in political representation
and policy priorities.
One overarching conclusion of
the McKinsey study is that, despite
progress in many parts of the world,
gender inequality remains signicant
and multi-dimensional. Forty of the
countries studied still exhibit high or
very high levels of gender inequality
in most aspects of work especially
labour-force participation rates,

wages, leadership positions, and

unpaid care work as well as in legal
protections, political representation,
and violence against women.
The costs of this inequality are
substantial. If women matched men in
terms of work not only participating
in the labour force at the same rate,
but also working as many hours and
in the same sectors global GDP
could increase by an estimated $28tn,
or 26%, by 2025. That is like adding
another US and China to the world
economy. Closing the gender gap in
labour-force participation would
deliver 54% of those gains; aligning
rates of part-time work would provide
another 23%; and shifting women into
higher-productivity sectors to match
the employment pattern of men would
account for the rest.
Given recent rates of progress, it is
unrealistic to expect full gender parity
in the world of work in the foreseeable
future. But countries could match
gains in the best-performing economy
in their region. That would add up to
$12tn to global GDP by 2025, boosting
GDP by 16% in India and about 10% in
North America and Europe.
To achieve this, the McKinsey
study recommends that governments,
non-prots, and businesses emphasise
progress in four key areas: education,
legal rights, access to nancial and
digital services, and unpaid care
work. As these critical and mutually
reinforcing efforts boosted womens
economic standing, they would
naturally help to improve womens
social position, reected in better health
outcomes, increased physical security,
and greater political representation.
The rst step is improved education
and skills training, which have been
proven to raise female labour-force
participation. Smaller differences in

educational attainment between men

and women are strongly correlated
with higher status for girls and
women, which helps to reduce the
incidence of sex-selective abortions,
child marriage, and violence from
an intimate partner. Women who
enjoy parity in education are more
likely to share unpaid work with
men more equitably, to work in
high-productivity professional and
technical occupations, and to assume
leadership roles.
To reinforce such progress, legal
provisions guaranteeing the rights
of women as full members of society
should be introduced or expanded.
Such provisions have been shown
to increase female labour-force
participation, while improving
outcomes according to several social
indicators, including violence against
women, child marriage, unmet need
for family planning, and education.
Improved access to nancial
services, mobile phones, and
digital technology is also linked to
higher rates of female labour-force
participation, including in leadership
roles, and decreased time spent doing
unpaid care work. And, as it stands,
women spend a lot of time on such
work, accounting for 75% of it, on
average, worldwide.
Unpaid care work which includes
the vital tasks that keep households
functioning, such as looking after
children and the elderly, cooking,
and cleaning obviously amounts
to a major hurdle to more active
participation in the economy. If men
shared such responsibilities more
equitably, businesses adopted more
exible and care-friendly work
schedules, and governments provided
more support for childcare and other
family-care functions, female labour-

force participation rates could rise

signicantly.
It is certainly in the interest of
companies to do more to support
gender equality, which expands the pool
of talent from which they can select
employees and managers. Moreover,
more women mean more insight into
the mentality of female customers. And,
perhaps most important to a company, a
growing body of evidence suggests that
the presence of women in executive and
board positions can increase corporate
returns.
One of the highest barriers to
gender parity, however, may be deeply
held beliefs and attitudes. As AnneMarie Slaughter emphasises in her
recent book, both men and women
undervalue care work relative to paid
work outside the home. Likewise,
surveys indicate that sizeable shares of
men and women worldwide continue
to believe that children suffer when
their mothers work. And numerous
studies document continued implicit
biases against women in hiring and
promotion processes, triggering
growing interest in Silicon Valley
startups that use technology to
mitigate such biases throughout their
human-resources operations.
Clearly, reaching gender parity will
be no easy feat. But it remains vitally
important, both to improve outcomes
for women and girls, and to advance
economic development and prosperity
for all. Project Syndicate
zLaura Tyson, a former chair of the
US Presidents Council of Economic
Advisers, is a professor at the Haas
School of Business at the University
of California, Berkeley, and a senior
adviser at the Rock Creek Group. Anu
Madgavkar is a senior fellow at the
McKinsey Global Institute.

Gulf Times
Friday, November 6, 2015

19

COMMENT

Schools out for Syrian kids

Istanbul alone hosts more
than 330,000 Syrians, but
with international aid mainly
going to those living in the
camps, urban refugees
receive little assistance
By Eleonora Vio
Istanbul

ot so long ago, Syria had an

education system that was
the envy of the Arab world
and was reected in its
90% literacy rate. But education has
become yet another casualty of a civil
war now in its fth year.
Nearly half of the 4mn Syrians
who have ed their country are
living in neighbouring Turkey where
authorities initially welcomed
hundreds of thousands of the refugees
in camps near the Syrian border. Many
have since become tired of camp life
and moved to cities in search of a more
dignied existence.
Istanbul alone hosts more than
330,000 Syrians, according to
2014 gures from Turkeys interior
ministry, but with international aid
mainly going to those living in the
camps, urban refugees receive little
assistance and live in poor conditions
that are worsening as their exile
continues and they are barred from
the formal employment sector. Their
children are paying the highest price
for this enforced limbo.
Earlier this year, in the run-up to
elections, the Turkish government
backtracked on plans to grant
Syrians in the country, who have only
temporary protection status, the right
to work. The government did adopt
legislation aimed at improving their
access to health care and education,
but according to NGOs working on
the ground, the majority of Syrian

Two Syrian children in Tarlabasi neighbourhood, where poor and marginalised Syrian families live together with mostly Kurdish and Roma people.
children still arent in school.
Unfortunately, despite this new
regulation, in Istanbul only 20,000
out of 80,000 [Syrian] children
have access to school and amongst
them less than 30% are enrolled in
free Turkish schools, said Suleiman
Alaaraj, a Syrian staff member of the
Syrian Commission for Education
(SCE), which provides education
services both in Free Syrian Armycontrolled areas of Syria and in Turkey,
with funding from Qatar Charity and
the Islamic Bank.
Some of the Turkish schools
simply dont have space to admit
more children while the language
difference and Syrians lack of the
required documents or information

about enrolment procedures have also

presented barriers.
Karyn Thomas, the founder of Small
Projects Istanbul, an NGO based in
Fatih, a working-class district with
a high number of Syrian residents,
noted that the lack of the right to
work for adults has a direct and strong
impact on their childrens right to
education.
People have no jobs, and when they
do they are underpaid and exploited,
and they cant afford to pay for their
childrens tuition fees, she said. The
result is that many young children
either stay at home looking after their
siblings and household or are forced to
work and beg in the streets to provide
their families with some income.

For the small number of Syrian

children in Istanbul who are admitted
into free Turkish schools that follow
the national curriculum, Alaaraj
acknowledged, its often difficult for
them to keep up with their classmates
because of the language barrier and
only one out of 10 succeed [in end-ofterm exams].
Across the city there are 60 Syrian
schools (officially referred to as
temporary education centres) where
classes are taught in Arabic using a
curriculum created by the opposition
Syrian Interim Government, but
only six of them are free. Some are
located inside mosques and private
or public buildings, but often only for
a limited period of time before being

A carbon price-and-rebate plan

By Pierre-Andr Jouvet
and Christian de Perthuis
Paris

o far, international climate

talks have failed to nd
a mechanism that will
successfully reduce global
greenhouse-gas emissions. The 1997
Kyoto Protocol attempted to use a
system of tradable quotas to establish
a price on carbon-dioxide emissions,
but foundered after the US and several
emerging countries refused to join.
The 2009 Copenhagen Climate
Change Conference introduced a
pledge-and-review process, in which
countries unilaterally decided how
much they would cut. As a result, the
US and several emerging economies
made commitments to reduce emissions
for the rst time. But this system, too,
is badly awed. What it does not do is
resolve the classical free-rider problem
or guarantee reductions in developing
countries. Indeed, some countries may
have been encouraged to do less than
they otherwise would have in order to
maintain a strong negotiating position.
As world leaders meet in Paris from
November 30 to December 11 for the
UN Conference on Climate Change,
they will have a new opportunity
to forge an effective agreement. To
encourage governments to act in
concert, it is essential to work toward

a system of carbon pricing that is both

straightforward and transparent. We
propose a carbon price-and-rebate
mechanism, which simultaneously
sets a price on emissions above a
certain threshold and denes how the
revenues raised should be used.
Studies ahead of the Paris
conference suggest that international
co-operation could allow for rapid
reduction of greenhouse gases.
They also highlight the knock-on
benets that taking quick action on
climate change could have, including
reduction of local pollution, greater
energy and food security, and faster
innovation. To accelerate the move
toward a low-carbon economy, an
international agreement must be
applicable to all countries; include
a common and consistent system
for monitoring, reporting, and
verication; and provide strong
economic incentives at a global scale.
Our price-and-rebate mechanism
is inspired by the bonus/malus
scheme in France, in which buyers of
new cars are taxed or given a bonus
depending on the vehicles CO2
emissions. In our system, a country
exceeding the worldwide average
for per capita emissions would pay
a specied amount on every ton of
CO2 (or its equivalent) above a set
threshold. Countries with lowerthan-average emissions would be
compensated for polluting less.

This system would initially benet

countries with the lowest per capita
emissions, meaning that most of
the funds would ow towards the
least-developed countries. Once it
is fully operational, the price-andrebate mechanism would encourage
all countries to reduce their per capita
emissions, thereby reducing the gap
between payments and rebates.
The ideal carbon price would
depend on the objectives of the
agreement. A price of $1-2 per tonne
would generate $14-28bn, enough
to fund the deployment of the
monitoring, review, and verication
process in developing countries.
The Copenhagen Accord included
a commitment by rich countries to
spend $100bn a year after 2020 to help
underdeveloped countries mitigate
and adapt to climate change. A rate
of $7-$8 per tonne would generate
enough revenue to deliver on this
promise, with the money owing
to countries with low per capita
emissions.
Of that $100bn, a little over $60bn
would come from Western countries
and Japan, and just under $20bn
would come from hydrocarbonexporting countries (Russia and Saudi
Arabia in particular) and high-growth
Asian economies (including China
and Korea). The introduction of a
price-and-rebate system would thus
redistribute funds among countries

in conformity with the principle

of common but differentiated
responsibilities and respective
capabilities.
A price-and-rebate system would
be both efficient and fair. Every citizen
in the world would have the same
right to emit greenhouse gas, and
every country would face the same
incentives at the margin to reduce
emissions.
The main obstacle to be overcome
in establishing such a system will
be to convince donor countries
governments to pay for their carbon
emissions. This cost will be modest
relative to the size of their economies,
and any successful climate-change
agreement will require similar
commitments. If rich countries are
unable to agree to pay even a modest
price for carbon, the talks in Paris will
surely be judged a failure. - Project
Syndicate
zPierre-Andr Jouvet is Professor
of Economics at the University of
Paris-Ouest-Nanterre-la Dfense and
the scientic director of the Climate
Economics Chair at Paris-Dauphine
University. Christian de Perthuis
is Professor of Economics at ParisDauphine University and Head of the
Climate Economics Chair. They are coauthors of the recently published book
Green Capital: A New Perspective on
Growth.

moved somewhere else. SCE provides

the schools with free textbooks, the
content of which have been adapted
by the Free Syrian Army and purged of
what they view as the Syrian regimes
propaganda.
Reema Adadi is a Syrian teacher at
a school located in a small mosque in
Fatih. The problem with this school
is that each class is composed of kids
of different ages, she said, adding that
attendance is sporadic because the
children are often forced to work and
contribute to the familys income.
[There are also] children who
suffer from different traumas and
should be taught by specialised
personnel, she said.
In addition to the Turkish and

Syrian schools, there are several private

schools funded by secular or religious
organisations, which cost between $590
and $690 per child for each academic
year. They are often products of
community-based initiatives associated
with the Syrian opposition in Turkey,
and although they are usually well
managed, some are still not registered
with or recognised by the Turkish
government.
Syrian families with several children
and no regular income may be able to
send one child to school in the bestcase scenario said Alaaraj of SCE. In
the worst one, if perhaps they live far
away from the school and must pay
additional money for transport, they
drop the whole idea.
Alaaraj stressed that Syrian children
not in school are easy prey for the
radical and criminal groups that are
booming across the city.
Small Projects Istanbul runs an
education project aimed at helping
Syrians, particularly single mothers who
are struggling to make ends meet, enrol
their children at Arab-language schools.
We also hold Turkish classes for
them and their children to cope with
their daily lives and integrate into
Turkish society, said Thomas.
With limited funding, she
added, we do what we can and,
unfortunately, its only a drop [in
the ocean] compared to the Syrian
schooling catastrophe we are facing.
To not end up with a whole
generation of young Syrians without
education, and zero prospects for
their future inside or outside their
home country, there is just one
solution, Thomas said. The Turkish
government must give Syrians the
right to work, and therefore a chance
to build a decent life here. Until then,
the international community must
provide them with nancial help, and
bring education back to the top of
Syrians priorities as it used to be
before the war. IRIN

Weather report
Three-day forecast
TODAY

High: 32 C
Low : 26 C
Moderate temperature during the
day and hazy by night

SATURDAY

High: 32 C
Low : 26 C
Sunny

SUNDAY

High: 32 C
Low : 26 C
M Sunny

Fishermens forecast
OFFSHORE DOHA
Wind: NE-SE 05-12 KT
Waves: 2-4 Feet
INSHORE DOHA
Wind: NE-SE 05-06 KT
Waves: 1-2 Feet

Around the region

Abu Dhabi
Baghdad

Dubai
Kuwait City

Manama
Muscat

Riyadh
Tehran

Weather
today
P Cloudy
S T Storms
Sunny
M Sunny
Sunny
Sunny
Sunny
S Showers

Max/min
35/23
24/16
33/24
29/21
31/26
32/24
33/22
16/09

Weather
tomorrow
Sunny
M Sunny
Sunny
I T Storms
Sunny
Sunny
Sunny
S Showers

Max/min
34/22
23/14
32/24
27/19
32/27
32/24
34/20
13/08

Weather
tomorrow
Sunny
Showers
T Storms
S Showers
M Sunny
P Cloudy
T Storms
M Sunny
P Cloudy
M Cloudy
S T Storms
Sunny
Rain
M Sunny
P Cloudy
Sunny
Cloudy
P Cloudy
S T Storms
Rain
S T Storms
S Showers
Cloudy

Max/min
21/12
23/17
30/26
16/12
26/17
23/14
30/24
31/20
26/22
14/09
32/25
34/21
17/09
33/24
04/-1
29/17
17/08
21/13
22/18
13/11
32/27
21/16
18/13

Live issues

Self-tracking pulse, blood and brainwaves

By Jonas-Erik Schmidt/DPA
Cologne

martphones can tell a lot about

their owners, counting their
steps and probing their sleep
rhythm.
One thing the smartphones cannot
do is fend off misbehaving pets. And
that regularly messes up Andreas
Schreibers series of measurements.
I have a dog that really bugs me. It
jumps onto my bed at least ve times
at night, Schreiber said.
That totally confuses Schreibers
smartphone, which is measuring the
movements on the mattress and with
it Schreibers sleep. For those nights,
Schreiber notes Dog was on the bed
- for the data analysis.
Schreiber is very interested in data
which he can collect about himself and not only while at sleep. And he is
not the only one.
He tells the story about his dog at a
meeting of the Quantied Self group
in Cologne.

Self-tracking groups have formed

in cities throughout the world.
Participants exchange what they
have found out about their own
bodies, especially how they did it. The
meetings are a mix of a health seminar
and a technology show.
Measuring oneself is becoming a
bigger trend. Every day developers are
bringing new electronic gadgets onto
the market which can turn everyday
life in numbers and graphics.
One of the majors trends at the IFA
consumer-electronics fair in Berlin
in September was wearables, new
technology items that people wear
on their body and can transfer data to
smartphones.
Wearables are a growing market.
Fitness trackers that measure a
persons pulse or count steps have long
become mainstream. Schreiber and
his Cologne Quantied Self group are
pioneers in self-tracking. They started
when it was still just a niche area.
Back then, I read the number of steps
off the device and entered it manually
into a website, Schreiber recalled.

Today he discusses a headband

which supposedly can measure
brainwaves.
What is the motivation behind this?
There are three aspects: health,
tness and fun. For me, its about
health and fun, Schreiber said.
It all started when he suffered a mild
stroke.
I needed to log my blood pressure
and weight, he said.
Now he is examining himself for
example to see if caffeine is affecting
his blood pressure. He also cofounded a company that develops apps
for that.
Many in the Quantied Self scene
have in common a certain passion
for technology. Chantal Pannacci,
for example, who also comes to the
Cologne meeting, talks about her
wireless scale.
Stefan Selke from the University
of Applied Sciences in Furtwangen,
Germany has written a book on some of
the extremes, including a self-tracker
who implanted sensors into his body
so that his body temperature could

be measured and the heaters in his

house could regulate the temperatures
accordingly in winter time.
Selke warned about dismissing the
entire development as a gimmick.
Our conception of man
becomes extremely mechanical.
This disassembly of the individual
data is practically the same as the
disassembly of a coffee machine into
individual parts, Selke said.
And the illusion that comes with
that is of complete interchangeability
of individual factors.
On top of that, skill is required for
self-optimisation, he warns.
To make an interpretation, you
need to know the context. If you dont
have the context, the data is pointless.
Schreiber has his doctor at the
moment to help him with context.
Schreiber said his doctor is happy
about having all the data at his
appointments.
He can make much better
decisions, Schreiber said. But he
just doesnt want me to dictate to him
what medication I should receive.

Around the world

Athens
Beirut
Bangkok
Berlin
Cairo
Cape Town
Colombo
Dhaka
Hong Kong
Istanbul
Jakarta
Karachi
London
Manila
Moscow
New Delhi
New York
Paris
Sao Paulo
Seoul
Singapore
Sydney
Tokyo

Weather
today
Sunny
Showers
T Storms
P Cloudy
P Cloudy
P Cloudy
T Storms
Sunny
M Cloudy
P Cloudy
S T Storms
Sunny
Showers
P Cloudy
M Sunny
Sunny
M Cloudy
Showers
T Storms
M Cloudy
S T Storms
M Sunny
Clear

Max/min
23/13
22/18
33/26
14/11
24/17
23/14
31/23
31/21
26/22
16/11
33/25
33/22
17/14
33/24
05/-2
31/17
24/16
18/15
22/18
19/08
32/26
27/18
20/11

20

Gulf Times
Friday, November 6, 2015

QATAR

QU joins hands with

Danish university
Q

atar University (QU) and

VIA University Denmark signed yesterday an
agreement aimed at promoting
academic excellence and knowledge-sharing as well as strengthening educational and cultural
ties between the two institutions.
The agreement was signed
by QU president Dr Hassan alDerham and VIA University
president Harald Mikkelsen in
the presence of Danish Minister
of Higher Education and Science Esben Lunde Larsen, Danish ambassador to Qatar Merete
Juhl, QU College of Engineering
dean Dr Rashid Alammari, VIA

University dean of engineering

Dr Lotte Thogersen, Profession
School Denmark president Henrik Larsen and ministerial secretary Sune Aastrup Christiansen,
as well as QU officials, faculty
and staff.
The terms of the agreement
include collaboration in teaching,
research, development opportunities, and faculty and student exchange. The two institutions will
also co-operate in establishing
joint engineering programmes, elearning courses and workshops
on project-based learning in the
eld of engineering.
In partnering with VIA Uni-

versity, QU is bringing together

students, faculty and researchers to exchange experiences and
knowledge that will add value to
their learning and development,
Dr al-Derham said.
The agreement will serve as a
cultural and academic bridge between the two organisations and
strengthen long-held ties between Qatar and Denmark.
It also highlights our stated
mission to build partnerships
with top universities around the
world and advance a culture of
shared knowledge, which will
engender far-reaching benets
for QU and VIA students in terms

of vibrant new experiences and

future professional success.
Mikkelsen said it is great to
see two educational institutions
with such a track record and innovative methods from two
countries so far apart being so
similar in thinking and engaging
in co-operation across borders.
We at VIA are honoured by the
efforts and ambition of QU to
start the co-operation. We hope
for many prosperous years working together.
Dr
Alammari
expressed
pleasure at partnering with VIA
University to promote academic
and research excellence and

Harald Mikkelsen receiving a memento from Dr Hassan al-Derham as Esben Lunde Larsen and
Merete Juhl look on.
engage faculty and students on
lifelong learning and professional development, which will
enhance their skills, knowledge

and capabilities towards success. This shows the ongoing

efforts to foster links with local
and international institutions

and promote higher education

and research in line with the
national priorities towards a
knowledge-based economy.

LuLu hosts Discover America festival in Qatar

L

uLu Hypermarket Group

is hosting the Discover
America food festival for
the rst time in Qatar.
This festival was inaugurated yesterday at LuLu Hypermarket, Al Gharafa, by Ilona
Shtrom, senior commercial officer at the US embassy, and
Theresa Backus Dunn, executive director of the American
Chamber of Commerce, in the
presence of a number of dignitaries and senior executives
from the retail industry.
Michael Henderson, business development and research
director at Choose New Jersey;
Anissa Lahreche, senior commercial specialist at the US
Commercial Service; Ryan El
Zein, commercial specialist;
and Mohamed Althaf, director
of LuLu Group International,

were also present at the inaugural ceremony.

The festival, is being hosted in
order to discover the uniqueness of American food and food
products and promote the same
in the Middle East, the company
said in a statement yesterday.
The aim is to bring the best
of America to Qatar and provide
nationals and expatriates of all
ages with an opportunity to enjoy Americas best food products.
The festival is largely focused on
food as well as the non-food and
health & beauty categories. The
event has been held in Kuwait for
the last three years and been very
successful. This is the rst time
it is being hosted in Qatar, the
statement noted.
Commenting on the Discover
America Week food festival,
Althaf said: We have been im-

Expansion plans in US
As part of its expansion programme, LuLu Group plans to
make a foray into the US market
by setting up a logistics facility for initiating procurement,
consolidation and export of food,
non-food, chilled and frozen
products of US origin, the
company has said in a statement.
Recently, the company has
identified a few projects in New
Jersey and Houston and the necessary spadework is under way.
The facility is expected to
be operational within a couple

Officials and dignitaries at the inaugural ceremony at LuLu Hypermarket, Al Gharafa. PICTURE: Jayaram

porting high-quality US products for more than a decade in

the Qatar region and little over
four decades now at the cor-

of months, the statement

points out.
The facility will also initiate
necessary value addition by date
coding and labelling for different
countries, translation of labels,
halal and other relevant certifications and export on a regular
basis to its supermarkets and
hypermarkets across the GCC
countries.
This centre will also focus on
sourcing goods directly from the
major manufacturers, the statement adds.

porate level. With this festival,

we intend to further promote
US products through our stores
across the region.

The concert in progress.

Tango Nuevo captivates

the audience at Katara
T

he Tango Nuevo concert, staged

at the Katara Opera House on
Wednesday, enthralled a large
audience that included people of different nationalities.
The event was jointly organised by
Katara the Cultural Village and the
embassy of Argentina in Qatar.
The show, titled Emocin, took the
audience on a unique and emotional
experience through the combination of
music, poetry and video images, where
music was the main focus and video
images were used to enhance the experience and support the demonstrative
tension, according to a statement.
Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti,
general manager of Katara, said: This
show is a part of Argentinean event
series hosted by Katara, including celebrations of the Argentinean national
day. Similar events are organised with
the aim of bringing cultures together.
He stressed the importance of such
events in introducing different cultures to the audience.
Meanwhile, Argentinean ambassador Rosana Surbulle said, We are sincerely grateful to Katara for supporting

A section of the audience during the show.

this event. It is the outcome of a close
collaboration between both sides, as
four musicians from Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra are playing the traditional Argentinean music of tango.
During the event, the audience enjoyed a selection of tango, the most
famous music in Latin America, specically in Argentina. Symphonies of
renowned musicians were played during the concert.
The Tango Nuevo concert was initiated with symphonies of Vuelvo Al
Sur, Yo Soy Maria, Fuga Y Mysterio,
Sera Que Estoy Llorando, Oblivion and
Balada Para Un Loco and Escualo by

Astor Piazzolla, along with the music

of Lonely Woman by Ornette Coleman
and La Cumparsita by Gerardo Matos
Rodriguez.
During the second part of the event,
the music of Misirlou by Dick Dale,
Tango O by MAias Alyamani and Milonga Para Sonja by Joris Laenen were
also played and fascinated attendees
of the concert, the statement adds.
The Tango Nuevo Project is a mixture of Milongas and Waltzes, Tango
Nuevo and traditional captivating
melodies from Buenos Aires and Paris,
intertwined with a bit of mystery from
Damascus and Mumbai.

COST CUTS | Page 4

VAGUER CARNEY | Page 11

Toyota 6-mth
profit jumps
to $10.35bn

BoE shows no
urgency on rate
increase signal

Friday, November 6, 2015

Moharram 23, 1437 AH

GULF TIMES

NEW PLAYERS: Page 8

US LNG a game
changer in Asia
as supply is freed
from constraints

BUSINESS
Qatar realty prices seen to
continue strong growth
Q

atars real estate prices

are expected to continue
strong growth although at
a more moderate pace on rapid population growth and higher per capita
GDP, QNB has said in a report.
The Qatar Central Bank real estate
index rose by 18.2% year-on-year in
September 2015 slowing down from
20.2% in August, QNB said in its
Qatar Monthly Monitor. The real
estate price index reached its highest point in September 2015 since its
introduction four years ago, it said.
QNB expects Qatars ongoing investment programme to continue
to attract expatriates, resulting in
overall population growth of 9%
this year.
Qatars population grew by 8.8%
year-on-year in October to reach
2.41mn, driven by the large ramp up
in infrastructure spending.
The male population rose by 9.5%
year-on-year, reaching 1.81mn in
October, while female population
rose by 6.8% year-on-year over the
same period, reaching 0.60mn, it
said.
The report said year-on-year
growth in Qatars bank deposits fell
marginally to 7.1% in September
from7.2% in August.
Public sector deposits contracted
by 13.9% and private sector deposits grew by 12.0%, while non-resident deposits doubled, growing by
120.2%.
We expect deposit growth to
reach 9.5% in 2015 reecting strong
population growth, QNB said.
Asset growth fell to 8.7% in September from 11.8% in August, QNB
said.
Foreign assets grew by 5.5% yearon-year, driven by expansion in
credit (24.5%); while domestic assets grew by 11%, also driven by the
growth in domestic credit (10.7%).
We expect growth in bank assets
to reach 10.5% in 2015, increasingly
driven by project lending and population growth, QNB said.

QNB expects bank lending in Qatar to grow by 10.5% in 2015, increasingly driven by project financing and the expanding population. PICTURE: Nasar TK
Growth in bank loans slowed to
12% year-on-year in September
from 17.3% in August, the monthly
monitor showed.
Loans to the public sector contracted by 6.6% year-on-year, while

lending to the private and foreign

sectors grew strongly by 23.1% and
24.5% respectively
We forecast that bank lending
will grow by 10.5% in 2015, increasingly driven by project lending and

Germany to retest all VW cars

as scandal pushes Berlin to act
Reuters
Berlin
Germany is to retest all Volkswagen car
models to gauge their genuine emissions
levels after new revelations from the
carmaker six weeks into its biggest-ever
corporate scandal pushed the government
to act.
Expressing his irritation with one of Germanys biggest employers, Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt said on Wednesday
that all current models sold under the VW,
Audi, Skoda and Seat brands - with both
diesel and petrol engines - would be tested
for carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide
emissions.
As the crisis deepened, VW said it had
told US and Canadian dealers to stop selling recent models equipped with its 3.0
V6 TDI diesel engine, while the Moodys
agency downgraded the firms credit
rating.
The German governments announcement
followed a VW statement on Tuesday that it
had understated the level of carbon dioxide
emissions in around 800,000 cars sold
mainly in Europe, and consequently their
fuel usage. This means affected vehicles
are more expensive to drive than their buyers had been led to believe.
The revelations added a new dimension
to a crisis that had previously focused on
how Europes biggest carmaker cheated
in US tests on diesel cars for emissions of
nitrogen oxide, which cause smog.
Previously the government had said it

would review only nitrogen dioxide emissions from VW diesel cars.

We all have an interest that everything at
VW is turned over and reviewed, Dobrindt
said, adding that the government wanted
to force the company to pay the extra
car taxes which would be incurred by the
higher CO2 emissions levels.
VW is Europes biggest motor manufacturer, employing over 750,000 people in
Germany, and has been a symbol of the
nations engineering prowess.
However, Dobrindt said the firm had
caused irritation in my ministry and with
me, while Chancellor Angela Merkels
spokesman said it had to take steps to prevent such a case happening again, adding:
VW has a duty to clear this up transparently and comprehensively.
The admission about fuel consumption
is the first that threatens to make a serious dent in VWs sales since the scandal
erupted as it could deter cost-conscious
consumers, analysts said.
Tuesdays revelations, which led to
Volkswagen adding 2bn ($2.2bn) to its expected costs from the scandal, are also the
first time gasoline cars have been drawn
into the crisis.
VW said most of the 800,000 cars affected
had diesel engines such as VWs top-selling
Golf, Audis A3 hatchback and the Skoda
Octavia but two models were gasoline: the
VW Polo and the Audi A1, both with 1.4 litre
engines.
Moodys said it had downgraded Volkswagens credit rating to A3/P-2 with a negative
outlook due to this revelation.

the expanding population, QNB

said.
According to QNB, the overnight
interbank rates rose to 0.9% in September 2015 from 0.8% in August.
The 1-week interbank rate rose

by 18 basis points to 1.02% in

September, the 1-month and the
1-year interbank rate increased by
19 basis points and 1 basis point
to 1.0% and 0.9% respectively, it
said.

HE al-Attiyah: Scholarly presentation.

Al-Attiyah
to speak on
lower crude
price impact
at Doha
symposium
HE the former Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister of Energy and Industry, Abdullah
bin Hamad al-Attiyah will speak at a one-day
academic symposium here tomorrow on
the likely impact of a long-term drop in the
global crude price on exporters.
Al-Attiyahs presentation titled The Price of
Oil: Opec Policies and Reactions will take
place at the Ritz-Carlton at 11am. He was a
former president of Opec.
Organised by the Arab Centre for Research
and Policy Studies (ACRPS), the meeting will
allow policy makers, business leaders and
researchers to discuss consequences of the
decline in energy prices on the future of
oil-exporting nations. The participants represent several countries such as Qatar, Kuwait,
Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Algeria.
Commenting on the significance of the
meeting, Samir Seifan, ACRPS researcher
and event organiser said, The meeting will
provide an opportunity to discuss the task
ahead for oil exporting nations: they will
have to balance shrinking state revenues
from oil with the need to finance economic
development and social protection infrastructures.
The participants include Dr Ibrahim B
Ibrahim , Economic Advisor to HH the Emir;
Mamdouh Salameh, World Bank consultant;
Hassan Aly, dean, School of Public Administration and Development Economics, Doha
Institute for Graduate Studies; Mohamed
al-Shatti, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation
and Khaled al-Khater, administrative director (Research and Monetary Policy) Qatar
Central Bank.

International travel on Mideast

airlines up 9.9% in September
I

nternational air travel on Middle Eastern carriers rose 9.9% in September year-on-year,
shows IATAs latest passenger market analy-

sis.
This, according to IATA, was a slowdown on
August, but it said the near double-digit growth
is still very strong and it is premature to conclude
that growth is slowing.
Major economies in the Middle East, including
Saudi Arabia and the UAE, have seen slowdowns
in non-oil sectors in the second quarter, but the
rates of growth remain robust and this should
help sustain solid expansion in air passenger demand for local carriers, it said.
Global air travel rose 7.3% in September compared to a year ago, the IATA report said.
The mid-year data showed some distortion
from holiday impacts, but the last couple of
months conrmed that the strong demand trend
was continuing, despite some softening in global
economic growth, mostly in emerging markets.
Growth in air travel, particularly the more
price sensitive economy class leisure travel, has
received some support from lower fares. After a
brief moderation in volumes in mid-2015, the
industry expanded throughout the third quarter,
resuming the robust growth trend seen earlier in
the year.
Air travel growth for carriers in major regions
remains robust. Asia Pacic, Europe and North
America recorded gains of 6.8%, 7.1% and 4.1%,
respectively year-on-year.
Despite weakness in trade activity in Emerging
Asia, as well as slower than expected growth in

China, there has been no adverse impact to date

on international RPKs (revenue passenger kilometers ) for Asia Pacic carriers.
Economic recovery in the eurozone and
stronger demand conditions in H2 in the US are
supporting international air travel on carriers in
these regions.
Domestic markets showed considerable variation in performance in September. India continues to record very strong growth, up 13.2%,
largely reecting notable increases in service frequencies as well as ongoing economic strength.
By contrast, air travel in Japan rose just 2% in
September year-on-year, hampered by fragile
economic conditions.

Industry load factors dipped slightly in September, after reaching an all-time high in August.
The decline in seasonally adjusted load factors
resulted from a stronger pick-up in capacity that
outstripped growth in demand. However, levels
are still very high and indicative of the strong demand growth in most regions.
Despite the recent moderation in economic
activity in a number of emerging markets, particularly China, improved conditions in developed economies, combined with the fall in oil
prices since mid-2014, is expected to support
growth in demand for passenger travel throughout the remainder of 2015 and into the New Year,
IATA said.

Gulf Times
Friday, November 6, 2015

BUSINESS

Qatar among few Mena markets to gain in October

Q

atar was among the few

regional markets that
have gained last month
as most Mena (Middle East and
North Africa) markets ended
October mostly in the red, Kuwait Financial Centre (Markaz)
has said in a report.
Besides Qatar (1.2%), Egypt
(3.1%) and Oman (2.4%) also
gained in October.
Kuwaits price index ended
October with a marginal gain
of 0.9%. On the contrary, its
weighted index remained stagnant, Markaz said.
Mena markets ended mostly
in the red during October although global markets made

strong gains in the same period.

Abu Dhabi (-4%) suffered the
most, followed by Saudi Arabia
(-3.8%), Dubai (-2.5%) and Bahrain (-2%). Despite the slight increase in oil prices during October, the overall drop in oil prices
continues to strain the Mena
markets.
The regional markets are also
responding to instability in the
global economy and governments monetary tightening in
response to low oil prices. Saudi
Arabia is contemplating spending cuts and tax increases to
manage its scal decit.
Global equities ended October
with strong gains after a sharp

fall in August and September,

which was fuelled by fears over
the global slowdown, with China
as the epicentre.
Oil prices rose after the US oil
rig count fell for a ninth straight
week, indicating potentially
lower crude output in coming
months in the face of a global
supply glut.
Subdued worries about slowing Chinese growth, proactive
approach of rate cuts by Peoples
Bank of China to stimulate the
economy and investors positive
response to US Federal Reserve
continued lower interest rates
and the European Central Bank
further easing are some of the

key reasons that fueled the rally

of the global equity markets in
October.
Markaz report added that
Mena markets liquidity gained
some momentum in October,
with volume increasing by 12%
and value traded by 14.2%, post
the lulled market activity.
However, Abu Dhabi, Dubai
and Bahrain are a few exceptions where the trading activity declined. The report pointed
out that Emirates Telecom (UAE)
has beneted from its decision
to allow foreign and institutional
investors to own its shares from
Mid-September and has rallied
since then.

Despite the drop of 9% in Q3

prots, it managed to be the top
gainer (7%) in October, followed
by Sabic and NCB (both Saudi),
which gained 4.8% and 4.5% respectively.
First Gulf Bank (-11.5%), National Bank of Abu Dhabi (-8.6%)
and Al Rajhi Bank (-5.9%) were
the top three losers in October.
With the top three losers being
banks, it is evident that banks
in the region are grappling with
margin pressures and liquidity
issues as the oil producing states
face a squeeze on budgets from
lower oil prices.
Saudi Arabias government
is actively pursuing several ini-

tiatives to keep its scal budget

decit in check. Saudi Arabia
is considering raising domestic
fuel prices; the existing system
of subsidies in the kingdom is
blamed for waste and surging
fuel consumption.
Saudi Arabias government
was in talks with local banks to
sell them SR20bn ($5.3bn) of local currency bonds.
According to Markaz, Iran will
officially notify producer group
Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) in
December of its plans to raise
its crude oil output by 500,000
bpd.
Kuwait said there were no calls

Cheap crude oil eats into

Saudi corporate prots
Reuters
Dubai

audi Arabian corporate earnings

shrank during the third quarter
of this year as low oil prices began hurting the wider economy, and are
unlikely to achieve anything more than
modest growth while the energy market languishes.
The slowdown comes at an awkward
time for the worlds top crude exporter,
which has so far made little headway in
attracting more international money to
the bourse since opening it to direct purchases by foreign institutions in June.
Combined net income at 166 listed
companies for which data was available
dropped 14.0% from a year earlier to
27.6bn riyals ($7.4bn) in the July-September quarter, Reuters calculated after the rms nished issuing earnings
statements last week.
As expected, petrochemical producers earnings, a big chunk of the stock
market, fell sharply as cheap oil pushed
down selling prices for their products,
hurting prot margins.
But earnings in some other sectors
such as construction and banking also
shrank or rose only modestly, suggesting cheap oil is now making itself felt
throughout the economy in the form
of tighter monetary conditions and less
generous state spending.
Standard & Poors cut Saudi Arabias
long-term foreign and local currency
sovereign credit rating last Friday, citing a pronounced negative swing
in the governments budget balance.
Riyadh criticised the one notch drop to
A-plus/A-1 as unjustied.
While petrochemical product prices
may have little room to fall further,
pressure on other industries earnings
may grow next year as cheap oil forces
further state spending cuts. Officials
have indicated public sector wage
growth may be curtailed and subsidised

domestic fuel prices raised slightly,

both of which could eat into consumers disposable income.
The result, analysts and fund managers say, is likely to be a protracted
period of slow earnings growth in Saudi
Arabia unless oil prices recover sharply.
Were not going to see the same 5%plus growth next year as we have in the
last three to ve years, said Fahad Alturki, chief economist at Jadwa Investment, an investment bank in Riyadh.
Were looking at 2% to 3% now.
Partly because of low oil prices, investors response to the market opening
in June has been sluggish. Foreigners
now own about 1.1% of Saudi equities through direct and indirect means,
according to exchange data - barely
changed from the level before June.

GWC issues new pricing

mechanism for excess
shares in rights issue

ulf Warehousing Company has said a new

pricing
mechanism
specific to subscribers, who
request excess shares during
GWCs rights issue, has been
established.
This is based on directives issued by the Qatar Financial Market Authority on
October 26 and November 4,
GWC said in a release yesterday.
GWC said, And as the directive has stated the value of
the subscribed shares must be
paid for in addition to the value
of the rights issue, which has
been priced in accordance with
the rights issue pricing mechanism in effect during the rights
issue trading period. This is
the closing price of the share
on the previous day of the subscription with the value of the
price of the rights issue subtracted.
Therefore, if any existing
shareholders (as on October
12) wanted to apply for shares
in excess of their eligible rights
during the subscription period,
they must pay an additional
rate for the rights over the subscription rate of QR38.50. This

additional rate is equivalent

to the companys share price
in the previous day minus the
subscription price.
For example, if an existing
shareholder as on (as on October 12) has 100 shares in the
company, he would be eligible
for 25 rights shares. Should he
attempt to apply for a total of
50 rights shares, he would need
to pay the rate for the 25 shares
to which he is entitled (25 X
QR38.50 = QR962.50) and then
to buy the excess shares above
and beyond his rights, he/she
would have to add the share
price as per the previous days
closing rate minus the subscription price.
In this example, we assume
the closing price for companys
share was QR60 on the previous day, hence, the excess
shares would be priced at: (25
X 38.50) + (25 X (60 38.50)),
which is equal to QR1,500.
Added to the price of the originally entitled 25 shares, the
total would be (QR962.50 +
QR1500) = QR2,462.50.
The period for subscribing
in the rights issue shall commence on November 8 and ends
on November 25, GWC said.

The third-quarter drop in earnings

follows a 10.1% fall for the rst half of
this year.
Combined earnings of the largest
seven petrochemical companies shrank
32.5% in July-September to 5.8bn riyals. That performance was better than
many in the market had feared; the sector anticipated the oil price squeeze by
cutting costs aggressively.
Things got quite murky once oil
prices dropped, but in terms of overall performance, especially the major
companies have performed better than
expected, said V Gowribalan, head of
asset management of Ahli Bank Oman.
But other sectors fared poorly. Profits at the top three telecommunications
rms tumbled 39.1% from a year earlier to 1.9bn riyals, partly because of an

earnings restatement scandal at Etihad

Etisalat.
Earnings at the three big construction and real estate development rms
dropped 15.0% to 286mn riyals. The
government says it is delaying spending
on non-essential building projects
and has been pressing suppliers to cut
costs.
Private consumption has been a
bright spot for the Saudi economy,
but there are signs that growth may be
moderating here too as consumers anticipate tougher times ahead. Earnings
at the kingdoms ve major retail chains
dropped 2.6% to 409mn riyals.
The nine largest Saudi banks saw
their earnings rise 3.9% to 9.8bn riyals.
That was impressive, and some analysts think banks protability will be

supported in coming quarters by their

purchases of relatively high-yielding
bonds that the government began issuing this year to fund a huge budget
decit.
On the other hand, the banks core
business looks likely to slow with
weaker state spending. This process
may already have begun; bank lending
to the private sector grew 7.1% from a
year earlier in September, the lowest
rate since April 2011, the latest central
bank data shows.
Meanwhile, slower prot growth at
the banks corporate customers may
cause loan quality to deteriorate.
Going forward, theyll need to readjust to the new reality, which is increasing systemic risk and diminishing
liquidity, said Gowribalan.

within Opec to change the oil

groups production policy and
that lower output from highcost producers could support
prices in 2016, adding to signs
Opec will keep its strategy of defending market share.
Meanwhile, Opec forecast in
a monthly report that demand
for its oil in 2016 would be much
higher than previously thought
as lower prices curb US shale oil
and other rival supply sources,
reducing a global surplus.
US oil drillers removed some
16 rigs in the week that ended
on October 30, bringing the total
rig count down to 578, the least
since June 2010.

Saudi stocks
slip; real
estate firms
boost Dubai
and Egypt
Reuters
Dubai
Saudi Arabias stock market
fell yesterday after oil prices
slipped again, as real estate
developers boosted the Dubai
and Egyptian bourses.
Brent crude tumbled nearly
4% overnight, to back below
$50 a barrel. This undermined
petrochemical stocks including Saudi Basic Industries,
which lost 1.5%.
Saudi International Petrochemical Co (Sipchem)
dropped 2.9% after saying
it might not pay a dividend
for the second half of 2015,
despite seeing results from
a restructuring intended to
cope with cheap oil.
The Saudi stock index fell 1.1%
to 6,961 points, near technical
support at the August low of
6,921 points.
Saudi Printing and Packaging
Co, a focus of the market as it
soared 59% over the past five
trading days, showed signs of
peaking. It rose in early trade
but heavy selling pushed it
down 10% by the close.
Other Gulf markets performed
better. Dubais index rose
0.7% as real estate blue chips
climbed 2.2%, though trade
was thin.
Abu Dhabis index was almost
flat while Qatar dropped
0.6%, as petrochemical maker
Industries Qatar slid 1.6%.
Egypts index rose 1.2% as
real estate developer Talaat
Mostafa surged 5.9% and
Palm Hills Development
added 6.1%.
Elsewhere in the Gulf, Kuwaits
index edged down 0.1% to
5,771 points; Omans index fell
0.4% to 5,919 points, while
Bahrains index edged down
0.1% to 1,250 points.

Emirates H1 profit jumps 65% as fuel costs plunge

An Emirates plane is seen beside the terminal dedicated for A380 aircraft at the concourse in Dubai International Airport (file). Dubais flagship airline Emirates posted
a 65% surge in first-half net profit yesterday after its decision not to hedge against changes in fuel costs paid off when oil prices plunged. The worlds fourth-largest
carrier of international passengers posted a profit of 3.1bn dirhams ($844mn) for the six months ending September 30, it said in a statement, up from 1.9bn dirhams a
year earlier. Emirates said fuel costs dropped to 28% of operating costs from 38% as fuel prices fell 41% year on year. Some savings were passed on to customers. We
made a calculated decision not to hedge our fuel purchases, which paid off as fuel prices continued to soften, Emirates chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al-Maktoum
said. Airlines use fuel hedging contracts to reduce exposure to potential rises in fuel costs. Without hedging, airlines are exposed to fuel cost fluctuations but can benefit
almost immediately if prices fall. The number of passengers carried by Emirates rose 10% to 25.7mn in the period, while capacity climbed 14% as the airline expanded its
fleet with nine new planes.

Gulf Times
Friday, November 6, 2015

BUSINESS
Iran getting
back in game
already puts
pressure on
oil futures

Turkey bulls
need more
than a poll to
keep the lira
rally going
Bloomberg
Istanbul

he election euphoria that

sent the Turkish lira soaring looks set to evaporate
almost as soon as it materialised.
While options protecting
against a weaker lira cost the
least in ve months, traders
are more pessimistic on Turkeys currency than any of its
European and Middle Eastern
peers except Russias rouble.
Forecasters see it tumbling
more than any currency outside
Latin America by the rst quarter of next year, setting a new
all-time low.
The lira has been rallying
from a record low in September
amid optimism this weeks vote
would end months of political
deadlock. The re-election of the
bloc President Recep Tayyip Erdogan co-founded has boosted
condence, though questions
remain as to how AK Party will
tackle challenges from sluggish
growth to a crippling dependence on foreign inows.
Well need to see some positive action from the AK Party
before foreign investors buy
back into Turkey, said Anders
Faergemann, senior portfolio
manager in London at Pinebridge Investments Europe Ltd,
which oversees $78bn. Any
further upside in the lira
would be curbed by external
risk factors, he said. Were still
not out of the woods.
The lira jumped 3.2% against
the dollar on Monday after Erdogans victory, the biggest advance in seven years.
That pared its 2015 decline
to about 18% and cemented
the currencys advance from a
record-low 3.0752 per dollar on
September 24. That low came
after the presidents party lost
its parliamentary majority in

June and talks to form a coalition fell apart.

Now, with investors wondering how much the AK Partys reelection really changes things
for Turkey, the lira looks like its
headed lower again. It weakened 0.4% to 2.8416 per dollar
3.26pm in Istanbul yesterday.
The median of more than 25
strategist forecasts puts the
exchange rate at 3.1 per dollar
by March 31, down 9% from its
level of about 2.83 on Tuesday.
Only Venezuelas bolivar and the
Argentine and Colombian pesos
are seen falling more among 42
global counterparts tracked by
Bloomberg.
Turkeys large current-account decit makes the lira
particularly susceptible to the
prospect of an interest-rate increase by the Federal Reserve,
said Koon Chow, a currency
strategist at Union Bancaire
Privee in London.
While the lira may stabilise
and hold onto its gains in the
short term, a Fed hike could be
taken more negatively than in
other emerging markets, said
Chow, who predicts a drop to
2.95 per dollar by the rst quarter.
At almost 6% of gross domestic product, Turkey has the largest current-account shortfall
in Europe, the Middle East and
Africa after Ghana and Kenya,
making it vulnerable to capital outows. The gap is forecast to narrow to 5% this year.
Foreign investors already sold
a net $5.5bn of Turkish bonds
this year, the most in at least a
decade, according to the central
bank.
Turkeys economy, which at
$720bn is bigger than the output of Sweden or Switzerland,
will grow 2.8% this year, the
slowest pace since 2012, according to a Bloomberg survey.
Consumer condence is near
the lowest in more than six years

Banque Du
Caire sees
45% rise
in prots
Reuters
Cairo

anque Du Caire, Egypts

third largest state bank,
expects a 40%-45% increase in prots this year following a restructuring, according to its chairman, Mounir El
Zahid.
The banks annual prots
have been increasing since it restructured central departments
in 2011, with annual prots
growing from 44.9mn Egyptian pounds ($5.59mn) in 2011 to
1.268bn pounds in 2014.
This year we are targeting
growth no less than 40%-45%,
El Zahid, who took over the bank
in 2011, said in an interview as
part of the Reuters Middle East
Investment Summit.
He also said his bank was looking to expand in 2016 by adding
8 new branches. It currently has
240 branches and units through-

out the country, with 7500 employees.

Banque Du Caire, which was
established in 1952, has a capital
of 1.6bn Egyptian pounds and
was focusing on micro-nance
as a growth sector, El Zahid said.
We are addressing the segments of society that were not
targeted before through micro nancing which starts from 5,000
pounds, he said, adding that it
controls 48% of the micro-nancing market with a portfolio
of 1.2bn pounds.
(We will) continue expanding
in small and micro-loans during 2016 because they are very
important for the country... The
future of Egypt is in the small
and micro-projects.
Egypts economy has been
struggling since a popular uprising ousted autocrat Hosni Mubarak in 2011, driving tourists
and foreign investors away and
putting a strain on the countrys
foreign reserves.

amid renewed violence between

security forces and autonomyseeking Kurds and bomb attacks
by Islamist militants.
While issues remain, the
lira will strengthen versus the
euro in the medium term because of the clearing of the
political risk premium following AK Partys re-election, said
Gautam Kalani, a strategist at
Deutsche Bank, the worlds second-largest currency trader. He
predicts an advance to 3.02 per
euro, from 3.09 on Tuesday.
The premium on options to
sell the lira versus the dollar over
contracts to buy shrank to 3.3
percentage points Monday, the
smallest gap since May, according to end-of-day prices compiled by Bloomberg. Even so,
only rouble declines cost more
to hedge among its EMEA peers.
The nation imports more than
90% of its oil and has beneted
from sliding commodity prices.
And while a weaker lira would
make Turkeys exports more
competitive, it would also push
up the cost of buying goods
from overseas.
And Turkey has lingering political challenges to face, too.
Erdogan remains a divisive gure and his partys victory may
reignite a debate over controversial constitutional changes
that would place more of the
reins of power into the presidents hands.
Erdogan will feel emboldened by the election victory and
will double down on changing
the constitution to an executive
presidency, said Per Hammarlund, chief emerging-markets
strategist at SEB AB in Stockholm. This will further polarise
the country.
Hammarlund sees the lira
weakening before meeting resistance at 2.9427 to the dollar
in a week or two. The euphoria supporting the lira will
end, he said.

Bloomberg Businessweek
London

A currency exchange shop worker counts stacks of Turkish Lira in the Taksim district of Istanbul (file).
While options protecting against a weaker lira cost the least in five months, traders are more
pessimistic on Turkeys currency than any of its European and Middle Eastern peers except Russias
rouble. Forecasters see it tumbling more than any currency outside Latin America by the first quarter
of next year, setting a new all-time low.

The fate of the oil market in

2016 depends in large part on
a series of oil fields with names
such as Ahwaz, Gachsaran, Bibi
Hakimeh, and Darkhovin. All of
them are pumping crude buried
thousands of feet under the hills
of the Zagros mountain range in
western Iran. Since mid-2012 the
fields have been producing far
below their capacity because
of US and European sanctions
limiting Iranian oil exports.
Now that Tehran has reached a
deal with the Western powers
to resolve the dispute over the
countrys nuclear programme,
Iranian engineers are working
to bring the fields back to full
production.
Immediately after lifting sanctions, its our right to return to
the level of production we historically had, Iran Oil Minister
Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said in
September, weeks before the
first international oil conference
held in years in Tehran.
The countrys return to the oil
market comes as the world
is producing much more oil
than it needs. According to the
International Energy Agency
(IEA), global oil production in
the first half of 2015 averaged
95.7mn bpd, while average daily
consumption came in at only
93.8mn barrels. The difference
of almost 2mn barrels a day
equal to the daily consumption
of Francehas forced traders to
turn supertankers into floating
storage facilities. The Iranians
had to make a similar move
when sanctions hit in 2012, converting their extensive fleet of
crude tankers into giant storage
bins that have spent much of
the past three years anchored
in the Gulf.
More Iranian oil on the
market in 2016 will extend the
oversupply. The impact will
reverberate across the world,
hurting oil-producing countries
such as Russia, Saudi Arabia,
and Venezuela, as well as entrepreneurial shale companies in
North Dakota and Texas, and
major oil companies including
ExxonMobil and Royal Dutch
Shell.
As traders anticipate the return
of Iranian oil, the futures market
is already lowering its expectations for prices next year, with
contracts for December 2016
trading at less than $60 a barrel.
Zanganeh has repeatedly
said Tehran would increase
its production by 1mn bpd
within weeks of the end of the
sanctions, expected to be lifted
sometime during the first half
of 2016.

Political deadlock is hurting the

economy, says Lebanon bank
Reuters
Beirut

t is essential that Lebanons parliament meets soon to pass laws for development loans, debt issuance and
banks, the central bank governor said on
Tuesday, urging politicians to break political deadlock harming the economy.
Lebanon is expected to record zero
growth in 2015 and the central bank currently has no intention to change interest
rates, Governor Riad Salameh told the
Reuters Middle East Investment Summit
in an interview.
Political conict has brought policymaking to a standstill in Lebanon,
which has been without a president for 17
months. Politicians have failed to agree
on even basic decisions such as garbage
disposal, leaving rubbish to accumulate
on Beiruts streets.
Salameh said there were efforts to hold
at least one parliament session soon to
pass legislation for public nances and
the private sector.
It is very important, we hope the
meeting will take place because there are
laws touching on nancing infrastructure and nancing government activity
in foreign currencies, he said.
It is important also from a monetary
point of view that the government funds
itself in foreign currency to cover its liabilities ... and does not revert to the central bank to buy these currencies.
Lebanon, which issued a $1.3bn Eu-

Lebanon is expected to record zero

growth in 2015 and the central bank
currently has no intention to change
interest rates, Governor Riad Salameh
has said.
robond last month, will not be able to
issue new Eurobonds next year unless
parliament can pass a law allowing that,
Salameh said. Lebanons ratio of overall
debt to gross domestic product (GDP) is
around 140%.
The country, which is struggling to
cope with more than a million refugees
from Syrias conict, could also lose millions of dollars of World Bank development loans if parliament fails to approve
them before the end of the year.

The parliament also needs to vote on

banking legislation for trans-border
cash movements, cooperation to ght tax
evasion and amendments to the money
laundering law, all of which will help protect Lebanons relationship with banks
worldwide, Salameh said.
Rivalries in the power-sharing government and parliament have been exacerbated by wider regional conict, leading
to political paralysis throughout most of
2015.
It is hurting the outlook of the country, as you can see. There is a lack of leadership and decisions, which have had an
impact on quality of life and the image of
the country, he said, in reference to the
garbage crisis.
Investment and consumption are
lower, it is impacting trade activity,
which is down by 15% this year, he said,
adding that Lebanons growth rate was
limiting employment, especially for
young people.
The lack of activity from Lebanons institutions hurts condence and therefore hurts the consumption and investment in the country, said Salameh, who
has run the central bank for more than
two decades.
The central bank is widely seen as one
of the most dependable institutions in
Lebanon. It has stepped in to promote
initiatives usually proposed by governments, such as economic stimulus packages, over the past three years.
The programme allows banks to borrow loans from the central bank at 1%

interest for lending to different sectors.

Salameh said Lebanon will compile a
new stimulus package worth up to $1.5bn
in 2016 to help boost credit, which grew
by around 5% this year, lower than the
recent average.
The central bank is keeping interest
rates stable after lowering them at the
start of the year, Salameh said.
We have no intention to increase
rates. On the contrary we will intervene
to maintain rates around this equilibrium point we see today in the market,
he said, adding a decrease would not be
possible unless there was a major change
in the political climate.
Despite the difficulties, Salameh said
Lebanon was not in an economic crisis
because negative growth had been avoided and the monetary position remains
strong.
Given the situation in the Middle
East, Lebanon is showing a lot of resilience, especially on the monetary side.
Bank deposits are up 6% this year and
are expected to reach close to $160bn by
the end of December, he said, citing condence in Lebanons banking sector.
Remittances will be steady at around
$7.5bn this year, or 20% of gross domestic product, despite lower global oil prices which affect Lebanese working in Gulf
oil-producing countries, he said, citing
World Bank estimates.
These remittances are in existence
because there is condence in the banking sector...the Lebanese diaspora is
banking in Lebanon.

Gulf Times
Friday, November 6, 2015

BUSINESS
CORPORATE RESULTS

Toyota six-month net profit jumps to $10.35bn

($83.7mn) from 54.1mn a year earlier. Euronext
said it expected full-year EBITDA margin at around
55%, up from the 45.8% it posted in 2014.
We expected Euronext to exceed consensus
expectations as evidenced by our higher-thanconsensus forecasts, but the size of the beat is both
surprising and pleasing and will lead to further
consensus upgrades, RBC Capital Markets analysts
wrote in a note.
The company said third-party revenue rose 18.4%
to 133mn in the quarter.
Growth came from listings, where revenue was up
50.2% at 19.8mn, driven by continued vigour in
the initial public offering (IPO) market, including
deals such as Altice NVs acquisition of US cable TV
operator Cablevision Systems Corp and large crossborder operations, including LafargeHolcim.
Euronext also got a boost from a 31.4% rise in cashtrading turnover to 49.6mn.
The slowing Chinese economy, speculation around
the September US interest rate decision, commodity collapse and political instability in Brazil as well
as a potential default situation in Greece increased
market volatility, Euronext said.

Singapore Airlines

Toyota yesterday reported a half-year jump in profits even as car sales declined in most regions, as it
moves to cut costs and squeeze more productivity
out of its plants worldwide.
The worlds top automaker said its net profit rose
nearly 12% to 1.258tn ($10.35bn) in the fiscal first
half through September, with a weak yen also helping boost the bottom line.
The Corolla sedan and Prius hybrid makers revenue for the period rose almost 9% from a year ago
to 14.09tn.
Toyota, however, sold slightly fewer cars globally at
4.98mn units, and trimmed its full fiscal year sales
target.
North America stood out as the one key region
where demand was strong, after rivals Honda and
Nissan also cited the giant market as a bright spot
that helped offset a sluggish Japanese market.
Japanese automakers have benefited from healthy
growth seen in the US market with low interest
rates, although the Federal Reserves plans to raise
rates, possibly next month, could dent consumers
appetite for new cars.
Meanwhile, the weaker yen has made them relatively more competitive overseas and inflated the
value of repatriated overseas profits.
Sales have been sluggish in their home market,
however, after a sales tax rise last year dented consumer spending and as younger urban residents
delayed buying a vehicle.
The steady performance in North America is
offsetting stagnant sales in emerging economies
in Asia, especially Indonesia and Thailand, said
Yasuo Imanaka, analyst at Rakuten Securities. The
weak yen is also helping Toyota and other Japanese
automakers generate profits.
Toyota is locked in a neck-and-neck race with
crisis-hit Volkswagen to again claim title of worlds
biggest automakera crown it has held for several
years.
The Japanese firm took a slight lead in the first nine
months of 2015, as its German rival battles a huge
emissions cheating scandal.
Volkswagen is in a serious situationJapanese
automakers can take advantage of the slump by
trying to win VW customers, Imanaka said.
Toyota has been focusing on squeezing out productivity gains and better using existing plantsit put
on hold building new factories for several years.
The company began operating a new Thai plant
in 2013, but then halted investment as the global
car market struggled with oversupply and weak
demand.
In April the company announced it was ending the
construction freeze as it unveiled plans for a $1.0bn
plant in Mexico, while it is overhauling its operations in China, the worlds biggest vehicle market.
The company is also overhauling its production
methods, vowing to slash development costs to try
to offset any downturn in the market.

Celgene
Celgene Corp posted its smallest revenue growth
in five quarters due to slower sales of its two key
cancer drugs.
The drugmakers shares fell as much as 6.7% to
$118.61, wiping out $6.77bn from the companys
market value.
Lower-than-expected sales growth of Revlimid and
Abraxane pushed the companys revenue below
the average analyst estimate and profit to just
above expectations.
Celgenes total revenue rose 17.7% to $2.33bn in
the third quarter, but still fell short of the average
analyst estimate of $2.40bn, according to Thomson
Reuters I/B/E/S.
Revlimid sales grew 11.8% to $1.45bn in the quarter
ended September 30, slower than the 15% sales
growth it registered in each of the last four quarters. Revlimid appears to suffer a bit from adverse
seasonality, and possibly also (foreign exchange) in
ex-US geographies, Cowen and Co analysts wrote
in a note.
The drugs international sales rose 3.4% to
$558.3mn, which analysts said were below their
expectations.
Celgene cut its full-year sales forecast for Abraxane
to a range of $950mn-$1.25bn, down from $1.00bn$1.25bn three months ago.
Celgene posted net loss of $34.1mn, or 4 cents per
share in the quarter, compared with a net profit of
$508.5mn, or 61 cents per share, a year earlier.
Net loss for the quarter included $751.8mn in
collaboration costs and $231.6mn in costs related
to the companys acquisition of Receptos Inc announced in July.
New Jersey-based Celgene earned $1.23 per share
in the quarter, excluding items, marginally beating
the average analysts estimate of $1.22 per share.
While the company kept its adjusted profit forecast

for the year unchanged, it also cut its full-year profit

view to $2.02-$2.24 per share from $2.17-$2.46 it
forecast earlier.

Time Inc
Time Inc, the publisher of Sports Illustrated,
People and Time magazine, lowered its full-year
revenue and profit forecast, saying trends in print
advertising and circulation were worse than it had
expected.
The companys shares fell as much as 8.6% in early
trading to a record-low of $17.39.
To cope with a relentless decline in the print
industry, Time Inc has been slashing costs, tapping
revenue sources with higher margins and beefing
up its digital offerings.
The company made two acquisitions last month:
UK-based ICHF Events - to boost its events business; and womens lifestyle website HelloGiggles
- to increase its digital presence.
The company revised its full-year sales forecast to a
5%-6% decline from an earlier view of a 3-6% drop.
It also forecast 2015 adjusted OIBDA, a measure of
profitability, of $440-$470mn, compared with its
prior forecast of $440-$490mn.
Print and other advertising revenue fell 12% to
$319mn, while digital advertising revenue jumped
22% to $79mn in the third quarter ended September 30. Total revenue fell 5.8% to $773mn.
The company, however, reported better-than-expected adjusted profit and revenue as cost-cutting
boosted margins and digital advertising revenue
increased.
Time Inc reported net loss of $913mn, or $8.30
per share, due to a $952mn goodwill impairment
charge related to a fall in its share price and trends
in advertising and circulation revenue.
On an adjusted basis, the company earned 32 cents
per share.
Analysts on average were expecting a profit of 27
cents per share on revenue of $769.3mn, according
to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Time Inc, which also announced a share buyback
of up to $300mn, said operating costs fell 1.4% to
$669mn in the quarter.

Symantec
Symantec Corp, best known for its Norton antivirus
software, reported a quarterly profit above market
estimates yesterday, helped by cost controls as it
focuses on life after the pending sale of its data
management business.
The company also said it would buy back $500mn
of shares, accelerating a plan to return of $2bn
to shareholders from the $8bn sale of its Veritas
business.
The sale of Veritas to a consortium led by Carlyle
Group is on track to close by the end the year,
Symantec said.
The security business seems to be showing signs
of stabilization with some potential for growth,
while now they are finally unloading the Veritas
black cloud off of the Symantec story, FBR Capital
Markets & Co analyst Daniel Ives said.
Mountain View, California-based Symantec, which
has fired two chief executives since 2012, has
lagged the financial performance of many other
software makers in the past year.
I think the biggest opportunity is on enterprise
security, that is where the core growth and biggest
opportunity is, said Ives, who attributed the betterthan-expected profit to tight controls on expenses.
Symantec forecast an adjusted profit of 22-25 cents
per share and revenue of $890mn-$920mn for the
current quarter, excluding Veritas.
Net income fell to $156mn, or 23 cents per share, in
the second quarter ended Oct. 2, from $244mn, or
35 cents per share, a year earlier.
Revenue fell 7.4% to $1.5bn.
Excluding items, the company earned 44 cents per
share.
Analysts on average had expected a profit of 42
cents per share on revenue of $1.50bn.
Up to Wednesdays close of $20.90, Symantec
shares had fallen 18.5% this year.

Duke Energy
Duke Energy Corp, the largest US power company
by generation capacity, cut the top end of its 2015
adjusted earnings forecast, citing a drought and a
slowing economy in Brazil and a strong dollar.
The international business, which spans Brazil,
Argentina and Chile, had earned only half of what
the company had expected through September,
Duke said yesterday.
Adjusted income from international business,
which accounts for about 12% of revenue, fell nearly
14% to $69mn in the quarter ended September 30.
In a bid to cut exposure to unregulated markets at
home and overseas, Duke said last month it would

buy natural gas distributor Piedmont Natural Gas

Co for $4.9bn.
Gas distribution companies offer higher growth
rates than electric utilities and are low-risk because
they are immune to commodity prices, chief executive Lynn Good told Reuters.
The company cut the top end of its adjusted earnings by 10 cents to $4.65 per share, while leaving
the lower end unchanged at $4.55.
On an adjusted basis, Duke earned $1.47 per share
in the quarter ended Sept. 30, lagging the average
analyst estimate of $1.51, according to Thomson
Reuters I/B/E/S.
The companys profit from continuing operations
rose 5.5% to $940mn, or $1.36 per share, in the third
quarter, driven by warmer-than-expected weather
and lower fuel costs.
Total operating revenue rose 1.4% to $6.48bn, but
missed the average analyst estimate of $6.87bn.

Tata Steel
Tata Steel Ltd, Europes second-largest steel
producer, said yesterday it will press ahead with
cost cuts and restructuring to cope with a surge in
cheap Chinese exports to Europe and India, its two
key markets.
Tata, which posted a surprise 22% rise in secondquarter net profit after selling some non-essential
holdings, is trying to revive its struggling British
operation and has cut thousands of jobs since buying Anglo-Dutch Corus in 2007.
We have seen huge pressure on (steel) prices
ongoing and the strong pound has exasperated the
point, Karl-Ulrich Koehler, CEO of Tata Steel in Europe, told reporters. Our focus on cost reductions
and restructuring will have to continue.
Net profit at Tata Steel, a division of a hotels-toautomobiles conglomerate, rose to 15.29bn rupees
($232.9mn) on a consolidated basis in the quarter
ended September 30 from 12.54bn rupees a year
earlier.
Analysts had forecast a net profit of 11.8bn rupees,
according to data compiled by Thomson Reuters.
Tatas profit was boosted by 28bn rupees earned
from the sale of quoted investments during the
quarter, including part of its stake in Tata Motors.
Tata also said the rapid and sharp deterioration
in the British business environment had forced
it to take a non-cash charge in the period which,
together with restructuring charges and other
provisions, totalled 87bn rupees.
China makes nearly half the worlds 1.6bn tonnes of
steel. With growth slowing at home, it is expected
to export a record 100mn tonnes to world markets
this year to help address its spare steel making
capacity.
India imposed a 20% import tax on some steel
products in September to mitigate the damage to
domestic companies.

Generali
Italian insurer Generali said yesterday it was positive on prospects for its business this year after
third-quarter profits fell short of market expectations due to the impact of volatile markets.
Europes third-largest insurer by market value said
net profit in the three months to September fell 18%
to 420mn ($456.12mn), below an analyst poll of
535mn.
It said market turbulence in the quarter had
prompted it to forego the sale of some securities
with lower realised operating gains on the previous
year as well as take asset impairments.
But net profit for the first nine months of the year
was already above the whole of last years, it said.
Generali, under the helmsmanship of CEO Mario
Greco, wrapped up a three-year turnaround plan
last year that involved trimming costs and selling
assets to bolster its balance sheet.
But like its rivals, the Italian insurer has been faced
with weak economic growth in its domestic market
and persistently low interest rates that have eaten
away at investment returns.
Chief finance officer Alberto Minali said he was confident profits this year would be significantly higher
than in 2014, with solid margins in life and non-life
business boosting performance.
Clearly if this also becomes a growing net profit in
the future it will give us room to increase returns
for our shareholders, Minali told reporters.

Euronext
European exchange group Euronext reported a
42 jump in third-quarter core earnings, thanks to
sustained listing activity and strong turnover from
cash trading.
Euronext, which operates exchanges in Paris,
Amsterdam, Brussels, London and Lisbon, said its
third-quarter earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) rose to 77.1mn

Singapore Airlines (SIA) first-half operating profit

jumped 40 on the back of an improvement across
all of its business units and lower fuel costs, it said
yesterday.
The carrier, a benchmark for Asias full-service
airline industry, earned S$240mn ($170mn) in the
six months to September 30, up 40.4% from a year
before, it said in a stock exchange filing.
Without taking into account Tiger Airways, which
only became a subsidiary in October 2014 and
was not included in the previous years figures, SIA
made a profit of S$250mn.
Revenues excluding Tiger declined 4.5% to
S$7.24bn as the flagship SIA-branded business
recorded lower passenger numbers and yields.
That was offset by a 5.7% fall in group expenditure
to S$6.99bn on the back of a S$458mn, or 16.3%,
reduction in net fuel expenditure.
Average jet fuel prices were 41.1% lower than one
year ago, said SIA.
That allowed the company to report a net profit of
S$305mn, up S$179mn from a year before.
SIA was buoyed by its Silkair subsidiary, which
earned S$26mn compared with S$5mn a year
before. Losses at its cargo unit reduced to S$12mn
from S$34mn, and long-haul low-cost subsidiary
Scoots losses halved to $22mn.
Uncertainty in economic conditions persists,
exacerbated by concerns about Chinas slowing
economy, which have led to weakening emergingmarket currencies and volatility in stock markets.
The outlook for both passenger and cargo traffic is
cautious, said the airline.
SIAs business model hinges on using its hub at
Singapores Changi Airport to connect passengers
within Asia and to Europe, Australia and the US.

Munich Re
German reinsurer Munich Re stuck to its full-year
earnings forecast after posting a worse than expected 30% drop in third quarter net profit due to
writedowns on equities and derivatives.
The worlds largest insurer is targeting full year net
profit of at least 3bn ($3.3bn) and has racked up
2.4bn in the first nine months, helped by unusually
low damage claims from natural catastrophes.
However, third-quarter net profit of 520mn was
well below analysts average forecast of 670mn in
a Reuters poll, as volatile financial markets crimped
gains from asset sales and prompted writedowns
on equities and derivatives.
Chief financial officer Joerg Schneider said he was
confident of reaching the groups full year profit
target, despite the setback.
We only need a normal (fourth) quarter, he told a
conference call with journalists.
The first month of the fourth quarter doesnt give
us any indication that it will be worse (than normal)
and thats why we expect to come out slightly
above 3bn, Schneider said.
Reinsurers such as Munich Re, Hannover Re and
Swiss Re act as a financial backstop for insurance
companies, helping them pay for large damage
claims from hurricanes or earthquakes in exchange
for part of the premiums.
We think the full-year 2015 goal is certainly reachable but also not extremely conservative, DZ Bank
analyst Thorsten Wenzel said in a note to clients.
Schneider declined to give an earnings forecast for
2016 but said he expected sideways movement in
insurance markets, with stabilisation in reinsurance
prices and a more mixed picture among insurance
business lines.

Qualcomm
Qualcomm Inc has reported higher-than-expected
quarterly profit and revenue, helped by lower costs
and strong demand for the new version of its Snapdragon mobile chips.
The company, however, forecast first-quarter profit
below analysts expectations, sending its shares
down nearly 4% in extended trading on Wednesday.
Qualcomm, which has been facing fierce competition from Taiwanese and Chinese rivals, said in
July that it planned to slash costs by about $1.4bn
and lay off about 4,500 full-time staff, or 15% of its
workforce.
The companys total costs fell more than 8% to

$4.32bn in the fourth quarter. We are encouraged

by customer reaction to our flagship Snapdragon
820, are on track to deliver on our fiscal 2016 cost
reduction targets, Chief Executive Steve Mollenkopf said in a statement.
Qualcomm was hurt also by customer Samsung
Electronics Co Ltds decision to use an internally
developed processor, instead of the Snapdragon
chips, for its Galaxy S6 smartphones.
Qualcomm forecast a profit of 80-90 cents per
share for the current quarter, well below the
average analyst estimate of $1.08, according to
Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
The net income attributable to Qualcomm fell 44%
to $1.06bn, or 67 cents per share, in the quarter
ended September 27, partly as it took longer than
expected to close new license agreements in China.
Excluding items, Qualcomm earned 91 cents per
share. Revenue fell 18.5% to $5.46bn. Analysts on
average had expected earnings of 86 cents per
share and revenue of $5.21bn.

Chesapeake
Chesapeake Energy Corp cut its 2015 capital budget for the second time this year to cope with low oil
and gas prices and swung to a large quarterly net
loss as the second largest US producer of natural
gas wrote down the value of assets.
US oil and gas producers are slashing budgets,
costs and streamlining operations as a near 60%
drop in global oil prices since June last year saps
profitability.
In response, Chesapeake has so far cut about 15% of
its workforce and suspended its dividend. Now, the
company cut its 2015 capital expenditure target by
$100mn to $3.4bn to $3.9bn. And further reductions
are on the way.
We intend to meaningfully reduce our capital
spending next year, Chesapeake chief executive
Doug Lawler told investors on a conference call.
We are not designing this business around increasing prices.
Chesapeake said on Wednesday it wrote down the
value of some oil and gas assets by $5.42bn, adding
to the $10bn in impairment charges it has already
booked this year.
Excluding the impairment charge and other items,
Chesapeake reported a loss of 5 cents per share,
compared with the loss of 13 cents estimated by
analysts, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Net loss was $4.69bn or $7.08 per share in the third
quarter, compared with a year-ago profit of $169mn
or 26 cents per share a year earlier.
Chesapeake had cash flow from operations of
$219mn in the third quarter, well below the consensus estimate of $369mn, according to analysts at
Simmons & Company International in Houston.

Facebook
Facebook Inc posted surprisingly strong profit
and revenue growth as the worlds largest social
network grew even larger, with a spike in mobile
users and advertising that lifted its stock to an
all-time high.
The company on Wednesday reported audience
numbers that suggest it is poised to take on
mainstream media as an advertising force, helping
investors to overlook Facebooks huge spending on
hiring and building data centers.
Facebook now has 8bn video views per day from
500mn people, compared with 4bn views in April.
And Facebooks website and Instagram photosharing app, which opened up its platform to
all advertisers in the third quarter, account
for more than 1 in 5 minutes spent on mobile
devices in the US, Chief Operating Officer Sheryl
Sandberg said.
In the medium to long run, we believe that were
not competing between Facebook and Instagram.
Were competing with other forms of media,
Sandberg told analysts on a conference call after
the earnings report.
Facebook had 1.55bn monthly active users as of
September 30, up 14% from a year earlier. Of these,
1.39bn used the service on mobile devices.
Growth is happening across the board and were
of course looking for a lot of growth in the future in
emerging markets, Sandberg said in an interview.
Were also pretty focused on helping bring the
next set of people who are not online, online.
Market research firm FactSet StreetAccount had
predicted 1.53bn monthly active users, with 1.36bn
on mobile.
Ad revenue grew 45.4% to $4.30bn, with 78% of
that coming from mobile versus 66% in the yearago quarter.
Facebook did not disclose Instagrams ad sales
figures. But the app is expected to bring in $595mn
in mobile ad revenues this year, research firm
eMarketer said. Its ad revenue is projected to grow
to $2.8bn by 2017.
Facebooks huge $3.0bn spending, up 68% from
the third quarter last year, did not seem to worry
investors or analysts.
Total revenue jumped to $4.50bn in the third
quarter, from $3.20bn a year earlier. Analysts had
expected revenue of $4.37bn, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Net income attributable to stockholders rose to
$891mn, or 31 cents per share, from $802mn, or 30
cents per share.
Excluding items, the Menlo Park, California-based
company earned 57 cents per share, ahead of analysts average estimate of 52 cents per share.

Gulf Times
Friday, November 6, 2015

BUSINESS
SAUDI ARABIA
Company Name

QATAR
Company Name
Zad Holding Co
Widam Food Co
Vodafone Qatar
United Development Co
Salam International Investme
Qatar & Oman Investment Co
Qatar Navigation
Qatar National Cement Co
Qatar National Bank
Qatar Islamic Insurance
Qatar Industrial Manufactur
Qatar International Islamic
Qatari Investors Group
Qatar Islamic Bank
Qatar Gas Transport(Nakilat)
Qatar General Insurance & Re
Qatar German Co For Medical
Qatar Fuel Qsc
Qatar Electricity & Water Co
Qatar Cinema & Film Distrib
Qatar Insurance Co
Ooredoo Qsc
National Leasing
Mazaya Qatar Real Estate Dev
Mesaieed Petrochemical Holdi
Al Meera Consumer Goods Co
Medicare Group
Mannai Corporation Qsc
Masraf Al Rayan
Al Khalij Commercial Bank
Industries Qatar
Islamic Holding Group
Gulf Warehousing Company
Gulf International Services
Ezdan Holding Group
Doha Insurance Co
Doha Bank Qsc
Dlala Holding
Commercial Bank Qsc
Barwa Real Estate Co
Al Khaleej Takaful Group
Aamal Co

Lt Price
91.00
51.90
13.85
24.20
12.57
13.51
99.10
107.30
181.30
73.50
42.50
74.00
44.25
119.80
24.94
57.50
15.93
161.00
212.00
38.00
94.00
76.00
16.70
16.34
20.50
231.60
158.00
98.00
42.35
21.00
119.00
101.00
62.00
60.40
18.97
24.98
49.15
21.60
52.80
44.40
33.25
13.93

% Chg
0.00
-0.38
-1.77
-0.21
-0.40
-0.59
0.71
0.00
-0.38
0.68
-0.23
-0.40
-2.32
-0.50
0.32
3.60
0.95
0.25
-0.28
0.00
0.32
-0.13
-0.30
0.31
-0.77
-0.98
-0.63
-0.31
-0.94
0.00
-1.57
-1.94
0.00
-1.15
-1.20
0.00
-1.70
0.00
0.00
-0.45
0.00
-0.29

Volume
95,491
331,045
112,233
161,037
25,569
16,854
234
57,806
670
9,348
77,377
18,068
34,791
375,627
5,856
16,175
26,721
125,046
22,106
63,666
32,491
738,875
155,100
2,967
6,731
6,864
991,233
3,648
104,249
2,256
508,425
324,696
32,505
43,250
87,458
101,691
75,482

SAUDI ARABIA
Company Name
United Wire Factories Compan
Etihad Etisalat Co
Dar Al Arkan Real Estate Dev
Saudi Hollandi Bank
Rabigh Refining And Petroche
Banque Saudi Fransi
Saudi Enaya Cooperative Insu
Mediterranean & Gulf Insuran
Saudi British Bank
Mohammad Al Mojil Group Co
Red Sea Housing Services Co
Takween Advanced Industries
Sabb Takaful
Saudi Arabian Fertilizer Co
National Gypsum
Saudi Ceramic Co
National Gas & Industrializa
Saudi Pharmaceutical Industr
Thimar
National Industrialization C
Saudi Transport And Investme
Saudi Electricity Co
Saudi Arabia Refineries Co
Arriyadh Development Company
Al-Baha Development & Invest
Saudi Research And Marketing
Aldrees Petroleum And Transp
Saudi Vitrified Clay Pipe Co
Jarir Marketing Co
Arab National Bank
Yanbu National Petrochemical
Arabian Cement
Middle East Specialized Cabl
Al Khaleej Training And Educ
Al Sagr Co-Operative Insuran
Trade Union Cooperative Insu
Arabia Insurance Cooperative
Saudi Chemical Company
Fawaz Abdulaziz Alhokair & C
Bupa Arabia For Cooperative
Wafa Insurance
Jabal Omar Development Co
Saudi Basic Industries Corp
Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Co
Etihad Atheeb Telecommunicat
Co For Cooperative Insurance
National Petrochemical Co
Gulf Union Cooperative Insur
Gulf General Cooperative Ins
Basic Chemical Industries
Saudi Steel Pipe Co
Buruj Cooperative Insurance
Mouwasat Medical Services Co
Southern Province Cement Co
Maadaniyah
Yamama Cement Co
Jazan Development Co
Zamil Industrial Investment
Alujain Corporation (Alco)
Tabuk Agricultural Developme
United Co-Operative Assuranc
Qassim Cement/The
Saudi Advanced Industries
Kingdom Holding Co
Saudi Arabian Amiantit Co
Al Jouf Agriculture Developm
Saudi Industrial Development
Bishah Agriculture
Riyad Bank
The National Agriculture Dev
Halwani Bros Co
Arabian Pipes Co
Eastern Province Cement Co
Al Qassim Agricultural Co
Filing & Packing Materials M
Saudi Cable Co
Tihama Advertising & Public
Saudi Investment Bank/The
Astra Industrial Group
Saudi Public Transport Co
Taiba Holding Co
Saudi Industrial Export Co
Saudi Real Estate Co
Saudia Dairy & Foodstuff Co
National Shipping Co Of/The
Methanol Chemicals Co
Ace Arabia Cooperative Insur
Mobile Telecommunications Co
Saudi Arabian Coop Ins Co
Axa Cooperative Insurance
Alsorayai Group
Weqaya For Takaful Insurance
Bank Albilad
Al-Hassan G.I. Shaker Co
Wataniya Insurance Co
Abdullah Al Othaim Markets
Hail Cement

Lt Price
22.90
28.42
6.43
29.50
14.42
27.57
16.40
25.56
25.90
12.55
22.55
39.48
37.71
80.17
17.11
53.27
23.50
34.55
39.64
12.03
59.44
15.86
41.94
18.83
13.50
26.67
46.91
83.49
156.05
25.36
41.31
47.78
9.36
42.61
28.51
20.92
8.69
56.03
68.00
216.05
14.88
55.77
81.29
8.40
5.45
78.21
21.11
12.69
18.53
22.60
22.30
17.87
116.50
72.25
26.35
34.59
13.94
38.20
17.23
14.46
12.16
72.75
13.10
16.58
10.47
39.62
11.40
69.75
12.66
32.00
75.75
14.33
34.77
13.70
37.90
8.13
32.07
18.04
21.04
19.73
33.39
37.03
21.97
138.21
43.58
8.85
55.45
8.94
18.21
16.20
14.59
19.39
22.63
31.33
63.59
85.92
15.30

% Chg
-1.29
-0.07
-1.68
-1.01
-0.35
-0.51
2.18
-2.26
-1.15
0.00
-0.04
1.31
-1.77
-0.96
0.35
0.02
-0.42
-0.23
-0.63
-1.72
-0.85
-3.06
-0.40
1.51
0.00
9.53
-1.72
-0.12
-1.11
-1.71
-1.55
0.02
-1.16
-0.02
-2.76
-3.28
-2.58
-4.01
-1.82
0.10
4.27
-0.23
-0.95
-1.52
-0.73
-0.82
-1.54
-1.17
-0.27
-1.01
1.36
-0.89
-1.27
-0.77
-0.57
-1.42
3.49
-1.52
-1.54
0.91
-1.14
-0.01
1.79
-2.36
-0.76
0.56
-2.15
0.00
-0.63
0.47
-0.95
5.91
-0.60
2.01
0.42
-0.73
-2.02
-0.33
-0.80
-1.35
-0.63
-0.35
0.92
0.70
0.88
-1.12
0.43
-0.67
-0.16
-0.98
5.19
0.00
1.66
-0.89
-1.13
-2.35
0.00

Volume
168,208
1,535,328
13,551,890
429,566
456,659
102,454
986,233
947,886
95,705
369,981
776,461
1,154,410
192,937
1,486,546
375,133
67,546
97,668
176,443
1,580,715
729,181
2,044,204
263,350
1,828,225
2,215,620
487,888
25,086
66,393
460,311
270,473
226,687
574,074
857,509
541,788
957,632
820,649
240,689
68,077
44,333
3,389,687
361,170
6,069,596
3,614,177
3,958,588
72,534
226,824
198,301
404,104
173,241
489,874
421,185
6,765
17,388
480,673
717,126
1,362,527
251,475
475,617
1,377,467
128,044
29,594
1,291,304
226,332
586,030
139,124
1,552,421
455,322
63,167
18,330
2,706,070
26,961
1,252,960
421,747
656,562
2,198,921
207,250
264,059
2,083,506
78,603
362,088
659,773
49,902
2,073,980
2,111,911
159,973
2,155,462
253,430
563,596
1,258,872
839,859
398,265
107,306
49,071
217,656

Saudi Re For Cooperative Rei

Solidarity Saudi Takaful Co
Amana Cooperative Insurance
Alabdullatif Industrial Inv
Saudi Printing & Packaging C
Sanad Cooperative Insurance
Saudi Paper Manufacturing Co
Alinma Bank
Almarai Co
Falcom Saudi Equity Etf
United International Transpo
Hsbc Amanah Saudi 20 Etf
Saudi International Petroche
Falcom Petrochemical Etf
Saudi United Cooperative Ins
Bank Al-Jazira
Al Rajhi Bank
Samba Financial Group
United Electronics Co
Allied Cooperative Insurance
Malath Cooperative & Reinsur
Alinma Tokio Marine
Arabian Shield Cooperative
Savola
Wafrah For Industry And Deve
Fitaihi Holding Group
Tourism Enterprise Co/ Shams
Sahara Petrochemical Co
Herfy Food Services Co

KUWAIT
Lt Price
7.54
8.27
8.68
30.50
22.50
15.23
18.45
14.49
73.39
25.00
48.84
30.10
16.67
23.50
11.45
17.59
50.76
22.31
47.57
17.78
21.22
16.95
30.09
50.51
24.50
16.87
34.93
11.80
100.93

% Chg
-1.57
-3.16
-3.13
-0.72
-10.00
0.00
2.50
-1.76
-1.90
0.40
-1.73
0.00
-2.57
0.00
-1.89
-0.11
-1.65
-0.45
-1.49
0.00
-2.08
-0.41
-1.92
-1.90
-0.69
-0.53
-1.38
-1.09
-0.07

Volume
756,431
936,485
785,937
7,864
5,571,697
5,365,245
52,829,987
60,287
179,868
37,241
1,519,949
536,916
1,199,096
1,654,337
143,642
355,923
1,272,153
1,110,073
614,448
445,546
161,710
337,019
242,446
219,215
1,732,519
31,742

KUWAIT
Company Name
Securities Group Co
Sultan Center Food Products
Kuwait Foundry Co Sak
Kuwait Financial Centre Sak
Ajial Real Estate Entmt
Gulf Glass Manuf Co -Kscc
Kuwait Finance & Investment
National Industries Co Ksc
Kuwait Real Estate Holding C
Securities House/The
Boubyan Petrochemicals Co
Al Ahli Bank Of Kuwait
Ahli United Bank (Almutahed)
National Bank Of Kuwait
Commercial Bank Of Kuwait
Kuwait International Bank
Gulf Bank
Al-Massaleh Real Estate Co
Al Arabiya Real Estate Co
Kuwait Remal Real Estate Co
Alkout Industrial Projects C
Aayan Real Estate Co Sak
Investors Holding Group Co.K
Al-Mazaya Holding Co
Al-Madar Finance & Invt Co
Gulf Petroleum Investment
Mabanee Co Sakc
City Group
Inovest Co Bsc
Kuwait Gypsum Manufacturing
Al-Deera Holding Co
Alshamel International Hold
Mena Real Estate Co
National Slaughter House
Amar Finance & Leasing Co
United Projects Group Kscc
National Consumer Holding Co
Amwal International Investme
Jeeran Holdings
Equipment Holding Co K.S.C.C
Nafais Holding
Safwan Trading & Contracting
Arkan Al Kuwait Real Estate
Gfh Financial Group Bsc
Energy House Holding Co Kscp
Kuwait Slaughter House Co
Kuwait Co For Process Plant
Al Maidan Dental Clinic Co K
National Ranges Company
Al-Themar Real International
Al Ahleia Insurance Co Sak
Wethaq Takaful Insurance Co
Salbookh Trading Co Kscp
Aqar Real Estate Investments
Hayat Communications
Kuwait Packing Materials Mfg
Soor Fuel Marketing Co Ksc
Alargan International Real
Burgan Co For Well Drilling
Kuwait Resorts Co Kscc
Oula Fuel Marketing Co
Palms Agro Production Co
Ikarus Petroleum Industries
Mubarrad Transport Co
Al Mowasat Health Care Co
Shuaiba Industrial Co
Hits Telecom Holding
First Takaful Insurance Co
Kuwaiti Syrian Holding Co
National Cleaning Company
Eyas For High & Technical Ed
United Real Estate Company
Agility
Kuwait & Middle East Fin Inv
Fujairah Cement Industries
Livestock Transport & Tradng
International Resorts Co
National Industries Grp Hold
Marine Services Co
Warba Insurance Co
Kuwait United Poultry Co
First Dubai Real Estate Deve
Al Arabi Group Holding Co
Kuwait Hotels Sak
Mobile Telecommunications Co
Al Safat Real Estate Co
Tamdeen Real Estate Co Ksc
Al Mudon Intl Real Estate Co
Kuwait Cement Co Ksc
Sharjah Cement & Indus Devel
Kuwait Portland Cement Co
Educational Holding Group
Bahrain Kuwait Insurance
Asiya Capital Investments Co
Kuwait Investment Co
Burgan Bank
Kuwait Projects Co Holdings
Al Madina For Finance And In
Kuwait Insurance Co
Al Masaken Intl Real Estate
Intl Financial Advisors
First Investment Co Kscc
Al Mal Investment Company
Bayan Investment Co Kscc
Egypt Kuwait Holding Co Sae
Coast Investment Development
Privatization Holding Compan
Kuwait Medical Services Co
Injazzat Real State Company
Kuwait Cable Vision Sak
Sanam Real Estate Co Kscc
Ithmaar Bank Bsc
Aviation Lease And Finance C
Arzan Financial Group For Fi
Ajwan Gulf Real Estate Co
Manafae Investment Co Ksc
Kuwait Business Town Real Es
Future Kid Entertainment And
Specialities Group Holding C
Abyaar Real Eastate Developm
Dar Al Thuraya Real Estate C
Al-Dar National Real Estate
Kgl Logistics Company Kscc
Combined Group Contracting
Zima Holding Co Ksc

Lt Price
120.00
72.00
232.00
108.00
182.00
495.00
46.50
208.00
27.50
54.00
550.00
370.00
540.00
830.00
520.00
230.00
265.00
48.50
34.00
41.50
0.00
80.00
29.00
106.00
0.00
54.00
890.00
410.00
58.00
0.00
37.50
0.00
26.00
62.00
0.00
700.00
0.00
0.00
63.00
68.00
162.00
330.00
110.00
42.50
46.50
0.00
206.00
0.00
25.50
90.00
410.00
38.50
87.00
80.00
47.50
390.00
108.00
170.00
99.00
102.00
120.00
0.00
100.00
83.00
0.00
415.00
31.50
65.00
28.00
46.50
310.00
96.00
510.00
31.50
75.00
134.00
34.00
144.00
104.00
110.00
176.00
56.00
84.00
0.00
365.00
0.00
520.00
37.50
375.00
88.00
1,160.00
216.00
0.00
38.50
110.00
400.00
600.00
53.00
300.00
51.00
34.50
66.00
35.00
39.00
190.00
35.00
54.00
22.00
76.00
28.50
42.00
47.00
224.00
42.00
28.00
59.00
41.50
0.00
87.00
31.50
0.00
30.50
79.00
780.00
94.00

% Chg
0.00
-1.37
-0.85
0.00
0.00
0.00
-4.12
0.00
0.00
3.85
1.85
0.00
0.00
1.22
0.00
0.00
-1.85
0.00
0.00
-1.19
0.00
-1.23
0.00
0.00
0.00
-3.57
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
-1.32
0.00
-5.45
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
-4.55
-2.86
3.85
0.00
0.00
-3.41
-2.11
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
-1.04
0.00
-1.82
0.00
-4.81
2.00
7.14
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
3.28
0.00
-1.75
-2.11
0.00
0.00
2.00
-1.56
0.00
-2.90
1.49
1.41
0.00
0.00
0.00
1.82
-1.18
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
-1.28
-1.79
0.00
3.45
0.00
0.00
0.00
-2.82
0.00
1.45
0.00
0.00
0.00
1.89
0.00
1.33
1.79
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
-1.75
0.00
-1.19
0.00
6.10
-1.56
0.00
0.00
3.95
0.00
2.17

Volume
158
86,562
30,000
60,000
1,005
10,012
38,000
2,119
16,500
5,730,019
46,413
8,841
35,490
88,547
250
89,662
26,761
171,895
429,354
812,350
102,997
2,219,139
524,500
4,331,493
25,000
3,110
70,000
68,510
230,250
35,000
571
120,915
1,170,500
54,713
9,750
30,000
4,078,358
4,000
50
1,425,000
6,750
2
11,950
10,100
40,000
216,772
20,554
623,276
1,334,371
300
3,631,966
95,211
18,097
632,914
2,005
1,977,724
8,010
313,500
5,041,892
40,000
2,166
2,391,799
279,385
1,500
4,566
532,509
142,936
995
11,018
6,800
267,510
80,000
1,270,435
144,102
2,998,263
3,645
1,105,664
5,150
5,000
465,204
12,660
23,584
635,000
992,393
49,630
10,642
2,637,700
1,150,250
518,350
665,370
100
4,136,476
88,496
5,000
6,000
3,000
5,133
1,164,752
10,626
10,004
375,010
25,000
2,845,868
150
1,980,000
20,699,482
16,554,472
81,000
1,682,306

Company Name
Qurain Holding Co
Boubyan Intl Industries Hold
Gulf Investment House Ksc
Boubyan Bank K.S.C
Ahli United Bank B.S.C
Osos Holding Group Co
Al-Eid Food Ksc
Qurain Petrochemical Industr
Advanced Technology Co
Ekttitab Holding Co Sak
Kout Food Group Ksc
Real Estate Trade Centers Co
Acico Industries Co Kscc
Kipco Asset Management Co
National Petroleum Services
Alimtiaz Investment Co Kscc
Ras Al Khaimah White Cement
Kuwait Reinsurance Co Ksc
Kuwait & Gulf Link Transport
Human Soft Holding Co Ksc
Automated Systems Co Kscc
Metal & Recycling Co
Gulf Franchising Holding Co
Al-Enmaa Real Estate Co
National Mobile Telecommuni
Al Bareeq Holding Co Kscc
Housing Finance Co Sak
Al Salam Group Holding Co
United Foodstuff Industries
Al Aman Investment Company
Mashaer Holdings Co Ksc
Manazel Holding
Mushrif Trading & Contractin
Tijara And Real Estate Inves
Kuwait Building Materials
Jazeera Airways Co Ksc
Commercial Real Estate Co
Future Communications Co
National International Co
Taameer Real Estate Invest C
Gulf Cement Co
Heavy Engineering And Ship B
Refrigeration Industries & S
National Real Estate Co
Al Safat Energy Holding Comp
Kuwait National Cinema Co
Danah Alsafat Foodstuff Co
Independent Petroleum Group
Kuwait Real Estate Co Ksc
Salhia Real Estate Co Ksc
Gulf Cable & Electrical Ind
Al Nawadi Holding Co Ksc
Kuwait Finance House
Gulf North Africa Holding Co
Hilal Cement Co
Osoul Investment Kscc
Gulf Insurance Group Ksc
Kuwait Food Co (Americana)
Umm Al Qaiwain Cement Indust

OMAN
Lt Price
7.50
36.50
37.00
430.00
212.00
80.00
0.00
188.00
0.00
38.00
580.00
26.50
275.00
102.00
610.00
74.00
102.00
0.00
48.00
940.00
325.00
65.00
100.00
64.00
1,100.00
104.00
33.00
44.00
140.00
63.00
110.00
33.50
70.00
42.50
200.00
475.00
84.00
108.00
65.00
28.50
82.00
142.00
325.00
81.00
14.00
970.00
87.00
265.00
61.00
325.00
410.00
80.00
570.00
34.50
144.00
38.50
600.00
2,260.00
81.00

% Chg
0.00
-1.35
4.23
-1.15
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
7.04
0.00
0.00
-1.79
0.00
-1.61
0.00
-7.27
0.00
-5.88
-5.05
0.00
-7.14
0.00
0.00
5.77
-5.45
-1.49
2.33
0.00
3.28
0.00
-1.47
-2.78
0.00
0.00
1.06
1.20
0.00
0.00
0.00
1.23
0.00
0.00
0.00
3.70
0.00
0.00
0.00
-1.61
1.56
0.00
0.00
1.79
-1.43
0.00
-2.53
0.00
0.00
0.00

Volume
859,500
1,093,400
2,603,713
626,954
28,500
256,022
143,805
5,027,388
4,800
12,501
10
117,835
2,050
3,336,054
13,000
2,560,038
247
5,000
1,000
48,000
24,379
144,830
40,000
2,292,720
6,556,407
30,000
608,005
54,915
524,011
2,099,391
100,000
2
31,039
116,050
46,650
205,020
455,000
199
10,000
19,750
1,562,144
55,100
3,400
404,500
794
13,715
15,000
5,736
170,000
110,128
1,151,145
1
3,477
49
9,127
2,740

OMAN
Company Name
Voltamp Energy Saog
United Power/Energy Co- Pref
United Power Co Saog
United Finance Co
Ubar Hotels & Resorts
Takaful Oman
Taageer Finance
Sweets Of Oman
Sohar Power Co
Sohar Poultry
Smn Power Holding Saog
Shell Oman Marketing - Pref
Shell Oman Marketing
Sharqiyah Desalination Co Sa
Sembcorp Salalah Power & Wat
Salalah Port Services
Salalah Mills Co
Salalah Beach Resort Saog
Sahara Hospitality
Renaissance Services Saog
Raysut Cement Co
Port Service Corporation
Phoenix Power Co Saoc
Packaging Co Ltd
Ooredoo
Ominvest
Oman United Insurance Co
Oman Textile Holding Co Saog
Oman Telecommunications Co
Oman Refreshment Co
Oman Packaging
Oman Orix Leasing Co.
Oman Oil Marketing Company
Oman National Engineering An
Oman Investment & Finance
Oman Intl Marketing
Oman Hotels & Tourism Co
Oman Foods International Soa
Oman Flour Mills
Oman Fisheries Co
Oman Fiber Optics
Oman Europe Foods Industries
Oman Education & Training In
Oman Chromite
Oman Chlorine
Oman Ceramic Com
Oman Cement Co
Oman Cables Industry
Oman Agricultural Dev
Oman & Emirates Inv(Om)50%
Natl Aluminium Products
National Securities
National Real Estate Develop
National Pharmaceutical
National Mineral Water
National Hospitality Institu
National Gas Co
National Finance Co
National Detergent Co Saog
National Biscuit Industries
National Bank Of Oman Saog
Muscat Thread Mills Co
Muscat National Holding
Muscat Gases Company Saog
Muscat Finance
Majan Glass Company
Majan College
Hsbc Bank Oman
Hotels Management Co Interna
Gulf Stone
Gulf Plastic Industries Co
Gulf Mushroom Company
Gulf Investments Services
Gulf Invest. Serv. Pref-Shar
Gulf International Chemicals
Gulf Hotels (Oman) Co Ltd
Global Fin Investment
Galfar Engineering&Contract
Galfar Engineering -Prefer
Financial Services Co.
Financial Corp/The
Dhofar University
Dhofar Tourism
Dhofar Poultry
Dhofar Intl Development
Dhofar Insurance
Dhofar Fisheries & Food Indu
Dhofar Cattlefeed
Dhofar Beverages Co
Construction Materials Ind
Computer Stationery Inds
Bankmuscat Saog
Bank Sohar
Bank Nizwa
Bank Dhofar Saog

Lt Price
0.43
1.00
2.77
0.13
0.13
0.11
0.13
1.34
0.38
0.21
0.76
1.05
2.00
4.59
2.72
0.65
1.49
1.38
2.50
0.17
1.12
0.16
0.15
0.48
0.77
0.50
0.25
0.38
1.63
2.48
0.28
0.14
2.00
0.26
0.19
0.52
0.24
0.48
0.47
0.06
5.26
1.00
0.19
3.64
0.53
0.45
0.45
1.94
1.45
0.11
0.23
0.17
5.00
0.10
0.06
2.05
0.33
0.15
0.70
3.75
0.32
0.13
1.86
0.83
0.14
0.22
0.52
0.12
1.25
0.11
0.39
0.39
0.10
0.12
0.28
10.50
0.10
0.09
0.39
0.17
0.11
1.47
0.49
0.18
0.40
0.21
1.28
0.22
0.26
0.04
0.26
0.54
0.18
0.08
0.24

% Chg
-1.36
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.74
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.59
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
-1.19
-1.19
-1.05
0.31
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
-0.54
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
-1.86
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
-1.39
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
5.66
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
-0.56
1.30
0.00

Volume
5,181
5,956
6,002
86
6,015
2,000
298,975
12,500
62,556
98,000
100,000
479,978
43,456
208,760
20,000
172,300
3,250
20,575
285,145
31,000
9,000
5,000
30,000
565,708
30,000
97,268
123,000
35,000
29,276
1,665,120
123,000
4,796,908
201,004

Company Name
Areej Vegetable Oils
Aloula Co
Al-Omaniya Financial Service
Al-Hassan Engineering Co
Al-Fajar Al-Alamia Co
Al-Anwar Ceramic Tiles Co
Al Suwadi Power
Al Shurooq Inv Ser
Al Sharqiya Invest Holding
Al Maha Petroleum Products M
Al Maha Ceramics Co Saoc
Al Madina Takaful Insurance
Al Madina Investment Co
Al Kamil Power Co
Al Jazerah Services -Pfd
Al Jazeera Steel Products Co
Al Jazeera Services
Al Izz Islamic Bank
Al Buraimi Hotel
Al Batinah Power
Al Batinah Hotels
Al Batinah Dev & Inv
Al Anwar Holdings Saog
Ahli Bank
Acwa Power Barka Saog
Abrasives Manufacturing Co S
Asaffa Foods Saog
0Man Oil Marketing Co-Pref
#N/A Invalid Security
#N/A Invalid Security
#N/A Invalid Security
#N/A Invalid Security
#N/A Invalid Security
#N/A Invalid Security
#N/A Invalid Security

Lt Price
5.51
0.53
0.31
0.09
0.75
0.34
0.21
1.04
0.12
1.96
0.45
0.09
0.06
0.31
0.55
0.18
0.41
0.07
0.88
0.21
1.13
0.10
0.19
0.20
0.81
0.05
0.86
0.25
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00

% Chg
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
-1.40
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
6.67
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
-1.40
0.00
0.00
-1.04
-1.96
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00

Volume
5,000
39,801
11,263
242,343
2,280,502
941,804
483,540
36,459
15,000
823,227
124,122
-

UAE
Company Name
Waha Capital Pjsc
United Insurance Company
United Arab Bank Pjsc
Union National Bank/Abu Dhab
Union Insurance Co
Union Cement Co
Umm Al Qaiwain Cement Indust
Sharjah Islamic Bank
Sharjah Insurance Company
Sharjah Group
Sharjah Cement & Indus Devel
Ras Al-Khaimah National Insu
Ras Al Khaimah White Cement
Ras Al Khaimah Ceramics
Ras Al Khaimah Cement Co Psc
Ras Al Khaima Poultry
Rak Properties
Ooredoo Qsc
Oman & Emirates Inv(Emir)50%
Nbad Oneshare Msci Uae Etf
National Takaful Company
National Marine Dredging Co
National Investor Co/The
National Corp Tourism & Hote
National Bank Of Umm Al Qaiw
National Bank Of Ras Al-Khai
National Bank Of Fujairah
National Bank Of Abu Dhabi
Methaq Takaful Insurance
Manazel Real Estate Pjsc
Invest Bank
Intl Fish Farming Co Pjsc
Insurance House
Gulf Pharmaceutical Industri
Gulf Medical Projects
Gulf Cement Co
Green Crescent Insurance Co
Fujairah Cement Industries
Fujairah Building Industries
Foodco Holding
First Gulf Bank
Finance House
Eshraq Properties Co Pjsc
Emirates Telecom Group Co
Emirates Insurance Co. (Psc)
Emirates Driving Company
Dana Gas
Commercial Bank Internationa
Bank Of Sharjah
Arkan Building Materials Co
Alkhaleej Investment
Aldar Properties Pjsc
Al Wathba National Insurance
Al Khazna Insurance Co
Al Fujairah National Insuran
Al Dhafra Insurance Co. P.S.
Al Buhaira National Insuranc
Al Ain Ahlia Ins. Co.
Agthia Group Pjsc
Abu Dhabi Ship Building Co
Abu Dhabi Natl Co For Buildi
Abu Dhabi National Takaful C
Abu Dhabi National Insurance
Abu Dhabi National Hotels
Abu Dhabi National Energy Co
Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank

Lt Price
2.15
2.00
5.38
5.40
1.20
1.14
1.08
1.52
3.85
1.35
1.01
4.10
1.30
3.50
0.88
1.60
0.55
74.00
1.38
6.26
1.08
4.51
0.72
4.50
3.10
6.65
3.05
8.60
0.82
0.61
2.25
6.95
0.81
2.50
2.50
1.12
0.73
1.35
1.90
4.00
12.15
2.22
0.60
15.20
6.72
5.00
0.45
1.55
1.55
0.83
2.45
2.42
4.50
0.30
300.00
4.80
2.50
60.00
7.80
2.80
0.51
4.73
3.15
2.75
0.47
4.21

% Chg
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
-1.13
0.00
0.00
1.85
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
1.22
0.00
-1.15
-1.20
-1.61
0.00
0.00
0.00
-0.40
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
-1.64
0.00
0.00
0.00
-2.17
0.00
0.00
-2.35
0.00
0.83
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
1.45
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.72

Volume
91,752
171,195
198,929
503,636
140,399
374,205
1,400,529
1,222,831
1,155
1,488,398
24,000
4,179,354
1,808,785
33,228,957
18,000
7,759,087
262,811
20,729
469,000
306,989

BAHRAIN
Company Name
Zain Bahrain Bscc
United Paper Industries Bsc
United Gulf Investment Corp
United Gulf Bank
Trafco Group Bsc
Takaful International Co
Taib Bank -$Us
Seef Properties
Securities & Investment Co
National Hotels Co
National Bank Of Bahrain Bsc
Nass Corp Bsc
Khaleeji Commercial Bank
Ithmaar Bank Bsc
Investcorp Bank -$Us
Inovest Co Bsc
Gulf Monetary Group
Gulf Hotel Group B.S.C
Global Investment House Kpsc
Gfh Financial Group Bsc
Esterad Investment Co B.S.C.
Delmon Poultry Co
Bmmi Bsc
Bmb Investment Bank
Bbk Bsc
Bankmuscat Saog
Banader Hotels Co
Bahrain Tourism Co
Bahrain Telecom Co
Bahrain Ship Repair & Engin
Bahrain National Holding
Bahrain Kuwait Insurance
Bahrain Islamic Bank
Bahrain Flour Mills Co
Bahrain Family Leisure Co
Bahrain Duty Free Complex
Bahrain Commercial Facilitie
Bahrain Cinema Co
Bahrain Car Park Co
Arab Insurance Group(Bsc)-$
Arab Banking Corp Bsc-$Us
Aluminium Bahrain Bsc
Albaraka Banking Group
Al-Salam Bank
Al-Ahlia Insurance Co

Lt Price
0.18
0.00
0.00
0.39
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.20
0.00
0.00
0.70
0.15
0.06
0.15
650.00
0.17
0.00
0.83
0.00
0.17
0.21
0.00
0.86
0.00
0.43
0.00
`
0.00
0.32
0.00
0.42
0.59
0.10
0.00
0.00
0.85
0.70
1.40
0.00
0.42
0.50
0.43
0.62
0.11
0.30

% Chg
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
4.29
0.00
0.00
1.56
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
-1.38
0.00
0.00
0.00

Volume
10,000
12,457,235
210,000
18,170
16,300
3,382,569
105,000
100
37,782
100,000
50,000
200,000
5,000
5,000
25,119
4,000
10,000
102,958
30,000
3,555
50,000
25,000
20,000
109,000
11,752
138,000
22,748

LATEST MARKET CLOSING FIGURES

Gulf Times
Friday, November 6, 2015

BUSINESS
DJIA

WORLD INDICES
Company Name

Apple Inc
Microsoft Corp
Exxon Mobil Corp
General Electric Co
Johnson & Johnson
Jpmorgan Chase & Co
Pfizer Inc
Procter & Gamble Co/The
Walt Disney Co/The
Visa Inc-Class A Shares
Verizon Communications Inc
Wal-Mart Stores Inc
Coca-Cola Co/The
Chevron Corp
Intel Corp
Home Depot Inc
Merck & Co. Inc.
Cisco Systems Inc
Intl Business Machines Corp
Nike Inc -Cl B
Unitedhealth Group Inc
Mcdonalds Corp
Boeing Co/The
3M Co
United Technologies Corp
Goldman Sachs Group Inc
American Express Co
Du Pont (E.I.) De Nemours
Caterpillar Inc
Travelers Cos Inc/The

Lt Price
121.06
54.18
85.09
29.44
101.79
66.14
34.23
76.07
112.51
79.25
46.38
58.70
42.10
95.06
33.83
125.41
54.94
28.38
139.65
131.19
115.36
112.27
147.10
159.01
100.08
191.38
73.83
64.12
73.72
114.13

% Chg
-0.77
-0.41
-1.04
-0.35
-0.15
0.44
0.26
-1.28
-0.65
1.15
0.52
0.57
0.31
-1.77
-0.95
0.02
-1.06
-0.33
-1.40
0.64
0.63
-0.12
-0.74
0.06
-0.25
-0.14
-0.32
-0.23
-1.11
0.04

16,977,235
10,931,072
4,451,552
37,746,183
2,051,976
4,063,608
7,544,659
2,699,158
4,190,157
3,430,906
3,498,564
3,160,906
3,197,061
4,524,904
4,881,116
912,837
3,274,532
5,443,243
1,417,894
864,854
1,283,488
2,201,070
992,053
603,126
749,253
689,381
2,142,314
1,160,566
2,858,553
525,925

FTSE 100
Company Name
Wpp Plc
Wolseley Plc
Wm Morrison Supermarkets
Whitbread Plc
Vodafone Group Plc
United Utilities Group Plc
Unilever Plc
Tui Ag-Di
Travis Perkins Plc
Tesco Plc
Taylor Wimpey Plc
Standard Life Plc
Standard Chartered Plc
St Jamess Place Plc
Sse Plc
Sports Direct International
Smiths Group Plc
Smith & Nephew Plc
Sky Plc
Shire Plc
Severn Trent Plc
Schroders Plc
Sainsbury (J) Plc
Sage Group Plc/The
Sabmiller Plc
Rsa Insurance Group Plc
Royal Mail Plc
Royal Dutch Shell Plc-B Shs
Royal Dutch Shell Plc-A Shs
Royal Bank Of Scotland Group
Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc
Rio Tinto Plc
Relx Plc
Reckitt Benckiser Group Plc
Randgold Resources Ltd
Prudential Plc
Persimmon Plc
Pearson Plc
Old Mutual Plc
Next Plc
National Grid Plc
Mondi Plc
Merlin Entertainment
Meggitt Plc
Marks & Spencer Group Plc
London Stock Exchange Group
Lloyds Banking Group Plc
Legal & General Group Plc
Land Securities Group Plc
Kingfisher Plc
Johnson Matthey Plc
Itv Plc
Intu Properties Plc
Intl Consolidated Airline-Di
Intertek Group Plc
Intercontinental Hotels Grou
Inmarsat Plc
Imperial Tobacco Group Plc
Hsbc Holdings Plc
Hikma Pharmaceuticals Plc
Hargreaves Lansdown Plc
Hammerson Plc
Glencore Plc
Glaxosmithkline Plc
Gkn Plc
G4s Plc
Fresnillo Plc
Experian Plc
Easyjet Plc
Dixons Carphone Plc
Direct Line Insurance Group
Diageo Plc
Crh Plc
Compass Group Plc
Coca-Cola Hbc Ag-Di
Centrica Plc
Carnival Plc
Capita Plc
Burberry Group Plc
Bunzl Plc
Bt Group Plc
British Land Co Plc
British American Tobacco Plc
Bp Plc
Bhp Billiton Plc
Bg Group Plc
Berkeley Group Holdings
Barratt Developments Plc
Barclays Plc
Bae Systems Plc
Babcock Intl Group Plc
Aviva Plc
Astrazeneca Plc
Associated British Foods Plc
Ashtead Group Plc
Arm Holdings Plc
Antofagasta Plc
Anglo American Plc
Admiral Group Plc
Aberdeen Asset Mgmt Plc
3I Group Plc
#N/A!

Lt Price
1,489.00
3,797.00
167.80
4,747.00
217.05
978.00
2,883.00
1,149.00
1,950.00
184.25
184.20
415.80
625.00
949.00
1,536.00
692.00
989.00
1,100.00
1,087.00
4,742.00
2,224.00
3,002.00
274.40
545.00
3,985.50
429.10
438.00
1,722.00
1,714.50
311.40
700.50
2,294.50
1,173.00
6,351.00
4,120.00
1,538.00
1,908.00
849.00
206.90
7,975.00
930.20
1,509.00
409.30
380.30
541.00
2,553.00
72.96
269.10
1,322.00
352.90
2,602.00
254.50
338.60
579.00
2,615.00
2,608.00
976.00
3,504.00
516.30
2,039.00
1,467.00
621.50
121.55
1,381.50
290.30
249.50
724.50
1,116.00
1,771.00
465.20
391.80
1,896.50
1,787.00
1,072.00
1,538.00
228.50
3,540.00
1,295.00
1,388.00
1,871.00
466.85
851.50
3,867.00
390.60
1,031.50
1,030.00
3,165.00
588.50
228.30
437.50
970.50
485.10
4,259.50
3,485.00
1,018.00
1,046.00
516.00
533.60
1,631.00
350.40
500.00
0.00

% Chg
-0.40
-0.60
-5.46
0.13
-0.09
-0.46
0.35
-0.95
-0.15
-2.36
2.16
-0.86
-6.60
-1.09
-0.19
1.10
-2.85
-0.36
0.18
0.70
-0.54
-0.07
-0.94
0.00
-0.31
3.37
0.05
-2.60
-2.42
-4.27
-1.27
-3.21
0.86
0.52
-4.45
-1.91
2.64
-2.13
-2.86
0.19
0.81
0.60
-0.49
0.29
1.12
1.51
-1.21
0.56
1.69
0.77
-1.10
-0.24
0.27
-0.09
-3.04
-0.53
-0.31
-0.31
-0.54
-0.44
0.76
2.05
-3.42
-0.50
-0.58
-1.03
-2.09
-2.45
2.25
0.69
-0.76
0.13
-0.72
0.19
-3.21
-1.51
1.26
0.23
0.95
-0.37
0.28
1.98
0.26
-2.85
-3.55
-2.60
2.36
2.71
-1.74
-2.28
-1.47
-0.82
3.20
1.46
-1.64
-0.29
-4.00
-7.86
-0.12
-3.87
-0.60
0.00

Volume
1,838,442
669,634
7,559,455
249,162
17,862,704
1,106,208
1,841,606
434,225
388,098
13,501,597
16,461,952
1,671,994
9,375,278
1,251,533
1,567,765
753,697
760,889
1,111,240
1,849,401
977,134
382,774
220,650
3,945,214
1,164,381
1,389,366
4,657,070
2,091,756
6,288,647
6,081,858
13,863,332
4,268,386
4,671,728
3,090,906
499,692
355,989
2,063,266
1,522,552
2,176,664
7,069,882
177,966
3,613,370
662,317
483,003
2,610,162
3,765,601
381,775
90,581,187
12,085,866
1,320,437
2,072,566
220,046
4,985,370
1,064,237
4,668,656
324,479
705,331
468,428
1,095,160
14,186,316
335,704
639,531
1,543,887
64,803,469
4,465,374
1,602,036
2,184,627
887,176
1,440,819
1,325,341
1,050,493
3,380,768
2,376,793
2,055,601
1,878,314
303,183
11,765,218
650,501
1,724,948
1,016,379
191,527
8,451,543
3,714,752
1,023,933
21,710,725
7,039,254
7,593,011
423,877
4,519,311
28,428,448
5,235,866
560,358
2,862,953
2,208,142
659,267
1,197,451
2,442,142
2,379,320
9,723,339
439,026
2,626,044
418,862
-

TOKYO
Company Name
East Japan Railway Co
Itochu Corp
Fujifilm Holdings Corp
Yamato Holdings Co Ltd
Chubu Electric Power Co Inc
Mitsubishi Estate Co Ltd
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Toshiba Corp
Shiseido Co Ltd
Shionogi & Co Ltd
Tokyo Gas Co Ltd
Tokyo Electron Ltd
Panasonic Corp
Fujitsu Ltd
Central Japan Railway Co
T&D Holdings Inc
Toyota Motor Corp
Kddi Corp
Nitto Denko Corp

Lt Price
11,510.00
1,517.00
4,882.00
2,293.00
1,779.50
2,514.50
599.00
331.40
2,696.00
5,069.00
590.10
7,524.00
1,392.00
577.20
21,910.00
1,699.00
7,495.00
2,926.00
8,556.00

% Chg
1.05
1.68
1.08
0.95
0.94
0.86
0.47
-3.38
0.95
3.09
0.99
0.91
-1.42
1.67
1.60
3.35
0.52
1.19
1.30

Indices

Volume

Volume
798,000
9,231,900
1,552,000
1,416,500
2,933,700
4,727,000
16,893,000
42,197,000
3,060,700
2,988,600
8,085,000
1,049,600
9,465,500
13,470,000
293,900
6,506,400
6,985,700
3,870,700
1,311,200

Lt Price

Change

Dow Jones Indus. Avg

S&P 500 Index
Nasdaq Composite Index
S&P/Tsx Composite Index
Mexico Bolsa Index
Brazil Bovespa Stock Idx
Ftse 100 Index
Cac 40 Index
Dax Index
Ibex 35 Tr

17,814.06
2,093.71
5,115.68
13,570.00
45,317.54
47,644.16
6,365.59
4,977.84
10,873.40
10,429.70

-53.52
-8.60
-26.80
-91.82
-55.63
-65.94
-47.29
+29.55
+28.16
-43.80

Nikkei 225
Japan Topix
Hang Seng Index
All Ordinaries Indx
Nzx All Index
Bse Sensex 30 Index
Nse S&P Cnx Nifty Index
Straits Times Index
Karachi All Share Index
Jakarta Composite Index

19,116.41
1,555.10
23,051.04
5,247.88
1,171.53
26,304.20
7,955.45
3,023.65
24,067.34
4,577.23

+189.50
+14.67
-2.53
-46.94
+0.51
-248.72
-84.75
-16.83
-16.27
-35.33

TOKYO
Company Name
Rakuten Inc
Kyocera Corp
Nissan Motor Co Ltd
Hitachi Ltd
Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd
Jfe Holdings Inc
Ana Holdings Inc
Mitsubishi Electric Corp
Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Gr
Honda Motor Co Ltd
Fast Retailing Co Ltd
Ms&Ad Insurance Group Holdin
Kubota Corp
Seven & I Holdings Co Ltd
Inpex Corp
Resona Holdings Inc
Asahi Kasei Corp
Kirin Holdings Co Ltd
Marubeni Corp
Mitsubishi Ufj Financial Gro
Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings
Fanuc Corp
Daito Trust Construct Co Ltd
Otsuka Holdings Co Ltd
Oriental Land Co Ltd
Sekisui House Ltd
Secom Co Ltd
Tokio Marine Holdings Inc
Aeon Co Ltd
Mitsui & Co Ltd
Kao Corp
Dai-Ichi Life Insurance
Mazda Motor Corp
Komatsu Ltd
West Japan Railway Co
Murata Manufacturing Co Ltd
Kansai Electric Power Co Inc
Denso Corp
Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Holdin
Daiwa House Industry Co Ltd
Jx Holdings Inc
Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Meta
Suzuki Motor Corp
Nippon Telegraph & Telephone
Ajinomoto Co Inc
Mitsui Fudosan Co Ltd
Ono Pharmaceutical Co Ltd
Daikin Industries Ltd
Bank Of Yokohama Ltd/The
Toray Industries Inc
Astellas Pharma Inc
Bridgestone Corp
Sony Corp
Hoya Corp
Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdin
Japan Tobacco Inc
Osaka Gas Co Ltd
Sumitomo Electric Industries
Daiwa Securities Group Inc
Softbank Group Corp
Mizuho Financial Group Inc
Nomura Holdings Inc
Daiichi Sankyo Co Ltd
Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd
Ntt Docomo Inc
Sumitomo Realty & Developmen
Sumitomo Metal Mining Co Ltd
Orix Corp
Asahi Group Holdings Ltd
Keyence Corp
Nidec Corp
Isuzu Motors Ltd
Unicharm Corp
Shin-Etsu Chemical Co Ltd
Smc Corp
Mitsubishi Corp
Nintendo Co Ltd
Eisai Co Ltd
Sumitomo Corp
Canon Inc
Japan Airlines Co Ltd

Lt Price
1,613.50
5,667.00
1,280.00
712.20
6,033.00
1,876.00
369.40
1,270.00
4,893.00
3,956.00
44,770.00
3,648.00
1,871.00
5,653.00
1,193.50
641.80
732.30
1,663.00
686.20
783.60
768.60
21,565.00
12,680.00
4,090.00
7,461.00
1,930.00
8,065.00
4,817.00
1,793.00
1,512.00
6,093.00
2,221.00
2,410.00
2,017.00
8,051.00
19,120.00
1,494.00
5,659.00
3,860.00
2,990.00
480.10
2,450.00
3,971.00
4,637.00
2,804.00
3,127.00
16,840.00
7,872.00
743.30
1,049.00
1,768.00
4,562.00
3,440.00
5,008.00
476.90
4,442.00
452.10
1,652.50
854.60
6,857.00
248.20
781.80
2,347.50
4,840.00
2,460.00
3,759.00
1,515.00
1,794.00
3,827.00
63,950.00
9,285.00
1,419.00
2,590.00
7,220.00
31,070.00
2,034.50
19,925.00
7,497.00
1,324.50
3,654.00
4,584.00

% Chg
-0.49
1.43
0.59
0.65
1.31
2.18
2.44
1.28
1.85
-1.79
0.95
1.16
0.38
0.05
1.06
1.68
3.00
0.97
-1.86
0.80
3.33
0.09
1.48
0.29
-0.52
1.15
0.59
0.63
1.24
-1.05
-1.65
1.83
-0.68
0.47
0.99
2.60
-0.47
0.62
1.05
-0.76
-2.48
0.84
0.51
3.02
5.53
1.23
-1.12
0.49
1.99
0.62
0.97
1.58
0.09
-0.73
3.25
6.83
0.38
0.67
2.58
0.50
1.39
0.88
-0.23
1.96
1.59
1.16
1.00
1.36
4.28
0.35
1.34
0.11
0.95
1.66
-0.58
-6.20
1.27
1.70
1.61
1.36
0.24

Volume
6,141,400
918,100
16,983,700
25,016,000
2,075,000
3,300,900
21,430,000
6,685,000
5,956,700
5,770,100
482,000
1,303,900
2,700,000
2,531,400
7,635,300
6,947,600
22,319,000
4,342,100
16,214,200
49,814,200
9,900,500
980,500
582,100
1,500,000
1,152,900
3,689,100
789,700
1,914,100
3,057,700
10,421,800
2,458,600
6,926,900
9,281,300
2,460,700
877,300
1,419,500
3,009,600
2,270,800
1,054,500
3,359,900
16,237,600
3,453,900
2,364,300
4,192,300
4,561,000
6,053,000
698,300
1,175,200
3,886,000
3,987,000
7,400,400
2,807,100
4,512,500
2,159,300
17,766,000
7,112,500
7,314,000
2,890,200
11,490,000
8,027,400
132,929,300
15,186,600
3,421,200
6,971,300
5,952,300
3,854,000
2,359,000
5,376,200
2,282,400
233,000
1,210,900
3,657,500
2,667,900
1,004,300
153,900
15,371,000
1,040,900
875,400
5,456,800
3,485,800
1,751,100

SENSEX
Company Name
Zee Entertainment Enterprise
Yes Bank Ltd
Wipro Ltd
Vedanta Ltd
Ultratech Cement Ltd
Tech Mahindra Ltd
Tata Steel Ltd
Tata Power Co Ltd
Tata Motors Ltd
Tata Consultancy Svcs Ltd
Sun Pharmaceutical Indus
State Bank Of India
Reliance Industries Ltd
Punjab National Bank
Power Grid Corp Of India Ltd
Oil & Natural Gas Corp Ltd
Ntpc Ltd
Maruti Suzuki India Ltd
Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd
Lupin Ltd
Larsen & Toubro Ltd
Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd
Itc Ltd
Infosys Ltd
Indusind Bank Ltd
Idea Cellular Ltd
Icici Bank Ltd
Housing Development Finance
Hindustan Unilever Ltd
Hindalco Industries Ltd
Hero Motocorp Ltd
Hdfc Bank Limited
Hcl Technologies Ltd
Grasim Industries Ltd
Gail India Ltd
Dr. Reddys Laboratories
Coal India Ltd
Cipla Ltd
Cairn India Ltd
Bosch Ltd
Bharti Airtel Ltd
Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd
Bharat Heavy Electricals
Bank Of Baroda
Bajaj Auto Ltd
Axis Bank Ltd
Asian Paints Ltd
Ambuja Cements Ltd
Adani Ports And Special Econ
Acc Ltd

Lt Price
406.05
762.00
570.85
94.05
2,834.90
534.95
225.40
68.50
404.00
2,482.65
815.95
233.90
936.60
129.60
130.95
250.65
136.00
4,526.60
1,259.75
1,838.25
1,368.95
650.60
337.15
1,122.90
907.45
139.10
270.05
1,205.85
802.65
81.05
2,638.70
1,079.85
877.50
3,696.85
294.80
4,249.40
337.10
658.05
150.35
19,892.60
336.55
889.00
194.40
159.40
2,414.30
463.80
805.85
208.15
284.10
1,388.75

% Chg
-2.19
-2.78
-0.38
-4.71
-1.97
-1.46
-4.25
-0.15
-0.21
-2.02
-4.29
-2.13
-1.55
-1.14
-0.19
-0.58
0.70
0.13
0.43
-1.02
0.06
-3.31
0.43
-1.22
-0.68
-1.42
-1.21
-1.17
0.21
-0.98
0.67
-0.17
-0.47
-0.02
-1.96
-1.70
2.01
-1.89
-1.80
-1.83
-2.84
0.34
-3.31
-2.48
-1.42
-1.84
0.45
-0.43
-1.85
-1.21

Volume
1,089,598
2,672,029
724,041
9,759,345
356,513
1,203,064
10,310,408
2,342,578
14,240,739
924,444
4,449,127
10,134,348
2,704,987
2,277,968
5,421,981
3,824,887
6,766,711
436,058
958,313
738,510
2,795,027
997,453
4,112,228
1,318,035
1,383,563
3,844,533
10,964,068
2,690,133
636,351
4,827,611
258,462
927,444
1,300,617
33,094
906,523
317,202
4,075,090
2,122,986
1,584,142
25,759
3,403,649
889,306
3,028,944
3,877,757
225,237
9,013,032
1,154,694
1,418,918
2,660,178
150,721

The Adidas logo is pictured in a pop-up store in Berlin. Germanys Adidas, the worlds second-biggest sportswear firm, rose 8.6%
yesterday, having raised its full-year outlook for sales and profits after third-quarter sales growth beat market expectations.

Eurozone shares buoyed by Adidas

and SocGen; commodity stocks dip
Reuters
Milan/London

urozone shares rose yesterday, helped by solid earnings in

Germany and France, although
commodity-related stocks were hit by
a stronger dollar.
The eurozones blue-chip Euro
STOXX 50 rose 0.2% to 3,447.49
points, cutting gains in afternoon trade
as Wall Street turned lower.
Germanys DAX and Frances CAC
were the regions outperformers,
boosted by some well-received earnings reports.
French bank Societe Generale gained
4% after its third-quarter income rose
2.4% as growth at its retail network
and lower risk provisions helped offset
weakness in investment banking.
The results were much better received that those of rival Credit Agricole, which slumped 8.2%.
Germanys Adidas, the worlds second-biggest sportswear rm, rose 8.6%,
having raised its full-year outlook for
sales and prots after third-quarter sales
growth beat market expectations.

Brand Adidas has seen a turnaround with new initiatives and products. It is back to gaining market share
even in the US, said Kelper Cheuvreux
analyst Jurgen Kolb.
Vestas Wind Systems rose more than
5% after reporting a stronger-thanexpected third-quarter operating
prot before special items and raising
its 2015 prot outlook.
Overall, however, earnings were
mixed. In Europe, about 60% of companies have reported results so far, and
about half have met or beaten analysts
earnings predictions, according to
Thomson Reuters StarMine data.
We nd that investors have differentiated more between winners and
losers during the Q3 reporting season
compared to recent quarters, said JP
Morgan analyst Emmanuel Cau.
The stock prices of the companies
beating estimates have been strongly
rewarded on the day, while the stocks
missing estimates have underperformed signicantly.
Adecco, the worlds biggest staffing group, slumped 10.6% after posting a surprise half billion euro net loss
in the third quarter due to a 740mn

HONG KONG

HONG KONG

Company Name
Aluminum Corp Of China Ltd-H
Bank Of East Asia
Bank Of China Ltd-H
Bank Of Communications Co-H
Belle International Holdings
Boc Hong Kong Holdings Ltd
Cathay Pacific Airways
Ck Hutchison Holdings Ltd
China Coal Energy Co-H
China Construction Bank-H
China Life Insurance Co-H
China Merchants Hldgs Intl
China Mobile Ltd
China Overseas Land & Invest
China Petroleum & Chemical-H
China Resources Beer Holdin
China Resources Land Ltd
China Resources Power Holdin
China Shenhua Energy Co-H
China Unicom Hong Kong Ltd
Citic Ltd
Clp Holdings Ltd
Cnooc Ltd
Cosco Pacific Ltd
Esprit Holdings Ltd
Fih Mobile Ltd
Hang Lung Properties Ltd
Hang Seng Bank Ltd
Henderson Land Development

($804mn) impairment of goodwill.

Brenntag, the worlds largest chemicals distributor, fell 7.3% after cutting
its full-year core prot guidance, citing
difficult macroeconomic conditions.
The pan-European FTSEurorst
300 index, denominated in euros, was
down 0.4% at 1,495.00, pulled down
by the translation effects on pounddenominated stocks of a sharp drop in
sterling.
Even as sterling weakened, Britains
commodity-heavy FTSE 100 index
underperformed, falling 0.8%.
The European mining index fell 3.3%
as metal prices came under pressure
from a rally in the dollar. Copper hit
its lowest level in a month after Federal
Reserve Chair Janet Yellen pointed to a
possible December interest rate hike.
We are seeing a rotation out of
commodity-related sectors, driven by
a stronger dollar on prospects of a US
rate hike, said Gerhard Schwarz, head
of equity strategy at Baader Bank in
Munich.
A stronger US currency generally makes dollar-priced commodities
costlier for holders of other currencies
and hits metals demand.

Lt Price
2.50
29.15
3.65
5.77
7.57
25.40
15.42
104.80
3.61
5.72
28.90
26.25
95.25
26.70
5.67
14.60
22.15
17.18
13.44
10.12
14.62
67.30
9.20
10.03
8.82
3.66
18.88
143.40
50.15

% Chg
-3.85
-0.85
0.55
0.17
0.26
-0.20
0.52
-0.95
-0.55
-0.17
0.87
-1.50
0.26
-0.56
-0.35
-0.54
-1.34
0.70
-1.61
5.97
0.00
-0.74
-0.54
0.00
3.64
-1.35
-1.26
-1.04
0.00

Volume
23,276,691
1,313,930
257,847,300
25,374,465
14,658,612
8,045,913
1,736,879
4,235,506
20,722,000
222,658,467
46,491,713
2,451,281
13,394,304
18,519,712
65,108,564
4,260,580
8,823,277
5,047,146
22,468,018
141,579,592
22,287,050
1,951,439
66,531,401
6,802,073
7,207,898
2,461,866
1,468,773
2,818,337

Company Name
Hong Kong & China Gas
Hong Kong Exchanges & Clear
Hsbc Holdings Plc
Hutchison Whampoa Ltd
Ind & Comm Bk Of China-H
Li & Fung Ltd
Mtr Corp
New World Development
Petrochina Co Ltd-H
Ping An Insurance Group Co-H
Power Assets Holdings Ltd
Sino Land Co
Sun Hung Kai Properties
Swire Pacific Ltd - Cl A
Tencent Holdings Ltd
Wharf Holdings Ltd

Lt Price
15.84
209.80
61.95
0.00
4.97
6.23
35.55
8.22
6.19
45.40
76.10
11.72
100.70
89.50
152.30
47.90

% Chg
-1.12
0.29
1.89
0.00
-0.20
-1.27
-0.97
-0.60
-0.80
2.83
-0.39
-2.66
0.00
-0.22
-0.46
-0.62

Volume
6,663,622
6,823,428
19,249,024
162,828,554
22,312,632
1,776,739
17,082,281
58,588,682
78,603,408
2,753,801
5,797,734
4,646,811
1,505,913
15,731,517
2,333,835

GCC INDICES
Indices
Doha Securities Market
Saudi Tadawul
Kuwait Stocks Exchange
Bahrain Stock Exchage
Oman Stock Market
Abudhabi Stock Market
Dubai Financial Market

Lt Price
11,439.30
6,961.23
5,770.78
1,250.48
5,918.61
4,262.80
3,450.89

Change
-72.87
-74.23
-4.08
-0.71
-22.97
-0.83
+24.15

Information contained herein is believed to be reliable and had been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. The
accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed. This publication is for providing information only and is not intended
as an offer or solicitation for a purchase or sale of any of the financial instruments mentioned. Gulf Times and Doha Bank
or any of their employees shall not be held accountable and will not accept any losses or liabilities for actions based on
this data.

CURRENCIES
DOLLAR

QATAR RIYAL

SAUDI RIYAL

UAE DIRHAMS

BAHRAINI
DINAR

KUWAITI
DINAR

Gulf Times
Friday, November 6, 2015

BUSINESS

LNG from US a game changer in Asia

as supply is freed from constraints
While suppliers usually restrict the
places to which the supercooled fuel can
be delivered and dont allow buyers to
re-sell cargoes, US LNG is free from such
destination clauses
Bloomberg
Singapore
When the first cargoes of liquefied natural gas
from the US sail next year for the global market,
theyll offer at least one incentive that may lure
customers away from rivals.
While suppliers usually restrict the places to
which the supercooled fuel can be delivered
and dont allow buyers to re-sell cargoes, US
LNG is free from such destination clauses,
according to an official at a unit of Japans
Tokyo Gas Co. Whats more, the cost of
most American shipments will be linked to
the natural gas benchmark at Henry Hub,
Louisiana, potentially making them cheaper
than deliveries tied to crude prices, according
to Cheniere Energy Inc, the company scheduled
to ship the first US cargo in January.
Tokyo Gas predicts the supplies from US will be
a game changer as cargoes free of destination
clauses would offer more flexibility for buyers,
Kunio Nohata, an executive at a unit of the
Japanese company, said at the recent Gastech
Conference and Exhibition in Singapore.
Permitting customers to re-sell shipments
may encourage buyers, sellers and traders to
compete in a market similar to crude oils.
Henry Hub has stayed lower and its back low
and its here to stay at a low rate, which I think
people will take into account when they look
at the competitiveness of US LNG, Andrew
Walker, vice president of LNG strategy at
Chenieres marketing unit, said on October 29.
Cheniere estimates the break-even price for
its supplies from the Gulf Coast delivered to
Asia would be $7.70 per million British thermal
units to $8.40 per million Btu, according to an
October presentation on its website. Thats lower
than shipments from other regions including
Northwest Australia, where the break-even price
is as much as $16, according to the company.
US natural gas futures for delivery to Henry
Hub have plunged 38% over the past twelve
months. Spot LNG for delivery to Northeast
Asia was at $7.10 through the week ended
October 26, down 30% this year, according to
data compiled from New York- based Energy
Intelligence Group.
We have more expectation with flexibility, said
Nohata, the president and CEO of Tokyo Gas

A man looks at his smartphone while standing across from a liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker berthed at Tokyo Electric Power Cos (Tepco) Futtsu gas-fired thermal power plant in Futtsu, Chiba
Prefecture, Japan. The cost of most American LNG shipments will be linked to the natural gas benchmark at Henry Hub, Louisiana, potentially making them cheaper than deliveries tied to crude
prices, according to Cheniere Energy Inc, the company scheduled to ship the first US LNG cargo in January.
Engineering Solutions. In order to realise the
demand, we need a competitive price.
The share of US LNG in Tokyo Gas future
purchases will probably rise to as much as
30% by around 2020, compared with about
12%-13% currently contracted, Nohata said. The

Japanese company currently has deals to buy

1.9mn metric tonnes a year of supply from the
US, he said.
US gas supplies boosted by the nations shale
boom are poised to deluge global markets amid
a global glut thats dragged down prices. Theyll

compete with cargoes from Australia to Qatar

for market share as producers add a record
amount of capacity next year while buyers in
Asia demand more say in contract negotiations.
While prices are low, the delta between the
landing prices in Europe and Asia compared

to Henry Hub are still big enough for the

cargoes to be sold more economically and
competitively in the region, Amos Hochstein,
special envoy and coordinator for international
energy affairs at the US Department of State,
said in an interview last month in Singapore.

Its a buyers market as new supplies flow from US, Australia

By Ben Sharples
Bloomberg Businessweek
Next year, on a remote island off Australias western coast, the worlds most
expensive liquefied natural gas export
terminal will start shipping cargoes
into a market that has changed vastly
since 2009, when the project was approved. Chevrons $54bn Gorgon LNG
facility, initially budgeted at $31bn, was
supposed to have begun operations in
2014. Labour disputes have delayed it,
and lower LNG prices have potentially
reduced its profitability.
LNG producers no longer have the
bargaining power they once did.
Weakening demand in Asia combined
with an increase in LNG supply is
giving the worlds biggest buyers not
only cheaper gas but also more say
on how contracts are designed. The
buyers have the upper hand, says
Neil Beveridge, an analyst at Sanford C
Bernstein.
LNG suppliers have historically been
able to lock customers into 20-year
contracts, with clauses that restrict
the resale of gas. In Japan, the worlds
largest LNG market, two of the countrys
largest utilities have teamed up to gain
leverage and demand more flexibility.
Jera, a joint venture of Tokyo Electric
Power and Chubu Electric Power, says
it will no longer sign contracts that give

producers control over the destination

of the product.
If buyers succeed in negotiating better
terms, the LNG market could become
more like the one for crude oil, where
producers, suppliers, and traders all
compete for profits through constant
buying and selling. That would require

a fully functioning spot market, where

supplies are traded for immediate delivery, a development thats still a decade
away, Beveridge says.
By then, Australia could be the worlds
top LNG exporter. For the first time in
eight years, exports from Qatar shrank in
2014. Qatar still provides about a third of

the worlds LNG, but customers are also

lining up for new supplies from Australia
and the US.
Gorgon will join three other LNG megaprojects that have been completed
recently along Australias east coast and
will tap the countrys vast gas deposits. In the US five LNG projects under

construction will export cheap natural

gas unlocked by the shale boom. The
first will begin exports in 2016. Over the
next decade the US is likely to become a
net exporter of natural gas and compete
with Australia to be the worlds leading
LNG supplier.
After these projects come online, it may

be a while before any others are built.

LNG is the last of those sectors where
were seeing a wave of new projects
hit the market, says Daniel Hynes, a
commodity strategist at Australia & New
Zealand Banking Group. Its coming at a
time when demand is weakening across
the board. Its clearly a tough market.

Gulf Times
Friday, November 6, 2015

BUSINESS
China
Oct data
expected
to show
economy
steadying
Reuters
Beijing

deluge of Chinese data

due in coming weeks
could show tentative
signs of stabilisation in the
worlds second-largest economy
with growth remaining uneven
across the country.
Industrial output may have
expanded at a slightly faster
pace in October while exports
and imports likely declined
at a slower rate, a Reuters poll
showed, which would represent
a long-awaited welcome pickup
in demand.
Underscoring an uneven
growth path, investment is seen
weakening to multi-year lows in
October while producer prices
likely continued to decline and
bank lending may have cooled
from a surge in September.
However, the mixed data is
unlikely to dissuade economists
who have called for Beijing to
roll out more support, including
both easing and scal stimulus,
in coming months keep growth
on keel. UBS economists, for
example, expect the numbers to
show real economic activity remaining sluggish, necessitating
further policy support.
We see unabated policy support in the coming months, as the
real activity has remained sluggish and the downward pressures
persist, the UBS economists said
in a research note.
To shore up growth, Beijing
has rolled out a urry of support
steps since last year, including
slashing interest rates six times
since November 2014 and lowering the amount of cash that
banks must hold as reserves four
times this year.
However, the lack of end-user
demand combined with produce
price deation have combined to
dissuade many business owners from further investment. As
a result, while the cost of existing debt burdens has declined,
helping keep businesses from
sinking, the easing has yet to
translate into recharged growth
momentum.
Beijing has also boosted
spending on infrastructure and
eased curbs on the ailing property sector as part of attempts
to avoid a hard landing, but the
government has admitted publicly that it has yet to nd a new
growth engine to replace dependence on investment intensive manufacturing and exports.
Chinese President Xi Jinping
said on Tuesday that China
can maintain annual economic
growth of at least 6.5% over the
next ve years.
The Reuters poll showed that
xed-asset investment a key
economic driver is forecast
to have grown 10.2% in the rst
10 months of 2015 from a year
earlier. Through the rst nine
months, the increase was 10.3%,
the slowest pace since 2000.
In a sign of subdued domestic
and external demand, exports in
October likely fell 3% from a year
ago, compared with a fall of 3.7%
in September, while imports
were seen falling 16%, easing
from a 20.4% drop in September.

Indonesias economy picks

up on higher govt spending
Reuters
Jakarta

igher government spending helped Indonesias struggling economy grow slightly

faster in the third-quarter, but not enough
to show a real turnaround has begun.
Southeast Asias largest economy expanded
4.73% in July-September from a year earlier, the
statistics bureau said yesterday.
That was faster than 4.67% in the previous
quarter the slowest in six years but below a
Reuters poll median of 4.79%.
Up but not running was the headline on the
data assessment by Wellian Wiranto, economist at
OCBC in Singapore.
President Joko Widodos administration deployed 50.9tn rupiah ($3.75bn) of capital spending in the third quarter. Investment grew the most
since early 2014.
But household consumption, Indonesias main
driver of growth, decelerated slightly, while export
revenue fell and mining shrank.
Public spending is ramping up, but is not
reaching the economy fast enough to boost
growth, said Wai Ho Leong, Barclays economist
in Singapore. A lift in sentiment from a rate cut
would help.
Bank Indonesia has a policy meeting on November 17. The data left economists divided on
whether it will cut the benchmark rate, at 7.50%
since February, to boost growth.
Some say reduced ination augers for a cut,
but others say continued fragility of the rupiah
blocks it.
I assign a 50-50 probability to a November rate
cut and if they dont do it then, I think theyll do
it in December, said ING Asia chief economist
Tim Condon.
According to Reuters calculations, Indonesia
needs a 5.9% annual expansion in the fourth quarter to get full-year growth near 5%, as sought by
Widodo. He has a 5.3 growth target for 2016.
Rising poverty and unemployment are piling
pressure on Widodo. Official numbers published
Thursday put the August jobless rate at 6.18%,
compared with Februarys 5.81%.

Construction workers build a new office in Jakarta. Indonesias struggling economy grew 4.73% in July-September from a year earlier, the statistics bureau
said yesterday.
Widodo emphasized social programmes in his
2014 campaign and pledged to lift growth to an average 7% annually during his ve-year term.
In an attempt to improve Indonesias investment climate and boost sagging growth, Widodo

in September began rolling out stimulus measures.

The recent urry of reforms, which includes
measures to boost foreign investment, marks a
welcome shift away from protectionism and is
another step in the right direction, said Gareth

Leather, Asia economist for consultancy Capital

Economics.
Still, changes to the business environment will
take time to have an effect on the real economy,
he added.

VW vehicles exceeded emission rules: India

Bloomberg
New Delhi

ndia sought a response from

Volkswagen after probes into four
car models showed diesel-fuel
emissions exceeding permissible limits, and variations in results between
on-road tests and those done in laboratories.
Investigations into the Jetta, Vento,
Polo and Audi A4 marques showed signicant variations and about 314,000
vehicles are potentially affected, Ambuj Sharma, an additional secretary
in Indias Heavy Industries Ministry,
said in an interview in Mumbai. If cars
have defeat devices that cheat tests,
the matter would become criminal,
he said.
Emissions exceeding Indias Bharat
Stage IV standards were detected, and
VW has 30 days to reply to the ndings, Sharma said. The notice adds to
Volkswagens woes after the automaker
admitted in September to cheating US
pollution tests for years with illegal
software, prompting a plunge in its
shares and a leadership change.
Indias standards for controlling
pollution from exhaust fumes lag behind those in Europe by several years.
The company said yesterday it will
present its results on the diesel-engine
emissions issue by the end of November, and that its co-operating fully
with the Indian government.
Volkswagen said this week that it
found faulty emission readings for the
rst time in gasoline-powered vehicles,

Bloomberg
Beijing

Investigations into Volkswagens Jetta, Vento, Polo and Audi A4 marques showed diesel-fuel emissions exceeding permissible
limits, and variations in results between on-road tests and those done in laboratories.
widening a scandal that so far had centred on diesel engines. Volkswagens
India unit sold 23,224 units in the coun-

try in the six months through September, giving it a 1.7% share of the market
and ranking it eighth in Asias third-

biggest auto market, according to data

from the Society of Indian Automobile
Manufacturers.

BoJ needs to adapt QQE for a long struggle to raise wages

Reuters
Tokyo

Kuroda: Tightening job market will boost wages.

Regulator to
investigate
ompetition
claims against
Alibaba

he Bank of Japans former

top economist said it should
modify its stimulus programme to suit a protracted battle
against deation because companies will take much longer than expected to substantially raise wages.
The BoJ held off on expanding its
quantitative and qualitative easing (QQE) programme last week
even as it cut its rosy ination forecasts, clinging to the hope a tightening job market will boost wages
and help accelerate price growth.
But Hideo Hayakawa, well-versed
in the banks economic analysis
and policy drafting, said companies were unlikely to raise basic
wages next year any more than this
years feeble 0.6% increase, given

the murky economic outlook. The

boost to ination from a weak yen,
which has pushed up imported
food and grocery prices, will also
peak by around the middle of next
year, keeping ination distant
from the BoJs 2% target for years
to come, he added.
QQE is a programme typically
designed to run for a short period
of time. It was initially a success,
shocking markets with a huge blow
of stimulus, said Hayakawa, now
a senior analyst at the Fujitsu Research Institute think tank.
With wages taking so long to
rise and its tool kit nearly empty,
the BoJ should shift to a policy
designed for a prolonged ght
to boost ination, he told Reuters
yesterday.
Slow progress in structural reforms to boost Japans growth
potential has made companies

hesitant to invest in wages and

capital goods, Hayakawa said. Labour unions, which had prioritised protecting jobs over winning
wage hikes during 15 years of deation, are slow in changing that
approach. It was only after strong
pressure by premier Shinzo Abes
government that companies reluctantly agreed to a meagre rise in
basic wages.
The jobless rate has fallen to
3.4% and the ratio of job offers to
applicants has hit a two-decade
high, though most are for temporary workers unaffected by wage
hike negotiations. A labour ministry survey released on Wednesday showed the ratio of temporary
workers in Japans total workforce
reached 40% for the rst time on
record.
Nearly 40% of rms that replied
said they are increasing temporary

hiring to cut costs, suggesting that

it will take time for tightening job
markets to lead to higher wages.
Under QQE, the BoJ buys up
roughly the same volume of government bonds as are issued each
month to expand base money at
an annual pace of 80tn ($659bn).
But ination has ground to a halt,
and some of BoJ governor Haruhiko
Kurodas fellow policymakers warn
that maintaining let alone expanding the current rate of bond buying
to encourage ination could dry
up liquidity and distort markets.
Hayakawa, who is still inuential
among incumbent policymakers,
said the BoJ should revert to a policy of targeting interest rates. That
would relieve the BoJ from accelerating bond buying and allow it
to maintain very accommodative
monetary conditions just by keeping rates at zero, he said.

Chinas commerce regulator

will investigate accusations by
JD.com Inc that rival Alibaba
Group Holding is unfairly pressuring merchants to shun
competing platforms, JD said,
ratcheting up a battle between
the nations two biggest online
retailers.
The State Administration for
Industry & Commerce has accepted JDs request to look into
Alibabas attempts to lock in
merchants ahead of the crucial
Singles Day promotion next
week, JD said in an online post
yesterday. Chinas second-largest Web retailer has accused its
larger rival of forcing merchants
to choose between the two,
which it said hampers competition and violates regulations.
The agency has directed its
branch in the eastern province
of Zhejiang, where Alibaba is
based, to investigate further
and handle the complaint
as needed, JD said. Alibaba
declined to comment in an
e-mailed statement. A call to the
SAICs market department went
unanswered.
Singles Day on November
11 has morphed into Chinas
biggest excuse to shop, when ecommerce operators flood the
Internet with bargains to drive
a shopping binge that dwarfs
the US Black Friday and Cyber
Monday events. It has become
a crucial contest between the
countrys biggest e-commerce
companies.
Both firms expend major
resources and effort to secure
merchant partners for the
promotion. Alibaba alone has
invested $4.6bn for a stake in
a brick-and-mortar domestic
retailer, in part to challenge JDs
strength in consumer electronics. Alibaba, which started
Singles Day in 2009, began
replicating its success overseas
last year, seeing sales spikes led
by Russia. Last year more than
57.1bn yuan ($9bn) of transactions were conducted through
its platform during the promotion, more than the combined
total of all US merchants on
Cyber Monday.
The company has a checkered history with the regulator.

10

Gulf Times
Friday, November 6, 2015

BUSINESS
While China growth slows, cash-hungry firms steer Asia IPOs into fast lane
Reuters
Hong Kong
As the world absorbs life with a
slowing Chinese economy, business is
brisk for one group Asias bankers,
handling a burst of stock listings by
mainland firms that need funds now
and are resigned to their shares being
worth less than before.
Though initial public offering
valuations may be cheaper, the pace
of deals is accelerating. A Reuters
review of upcoming deals showed
an estimated $17bn for IPOs due for
the last two months of the year in
Asia, with a near-doubling of Hong
Kong deals after China growth jitters

cast a third-quarter pall. Helped

by Japan Posts $12bn privatisation
the countrys biggest in 30 years
Asias fourth-quarter IPO tally
could be $36bn. That would make
it the regions best three months
since fourth-quarter 2010s record
$76.2bn when China was in full flight,
according to Thomson Reuters data.
Everything is being marketed in
the context of slower growth in
China, said Mille Cheng, co-head of
Asia Pacific Equity Capital Markets
at Morgan Stanley in Hong Kong.
Investors want to use capital, but
remain cautious.
The rebound in deals has provided
a much-needed reprieve for feestarved bankers after the third-

quarter drought. Underwriting of

IPOs and other equity deals account
for about half of investment banks
revenue in Asia, compared with 20%
in the US and 19% in Europe, making
it critical for their operations.
But bankers caution they expect
deals in the pipeline for early 2016
will reflect valuations staying low
even for solid firms with decent
prospects a consequence of the
new reality of a slower-growth China.
Hong Kongs Hang Seng index
remains 19% below a high for the
year reached in late April. Sentiment
has improved, but were not seeing a
complete recovery yet, said Morgan
Stanleys Cheng, it has to be the right
story and the right valuation.

While South Korea, Australia

and Thailand are set to remain
comparatively steady IPO markets
through the end of the year, the
fourth-quarter has already seen
meaty Hong Kong deals from
China Reinsurance and Huarong
Asset Management mainland
companies that want to raise funds
for expansion. Last weekend, China
International Capital Corp, the
countrys oldest domestic investment
bank, raised $811mn in Hong Kong
IPO at the top of a marketing range
that was set modestly to lure after the
company made initial pitches on the
deal to investors.
While investors are willing to buy,
fund managers have been discerning

about their bets, driving hard

bargains even for strong brand
names and consumer plays that
are better placed to tide over the
economic slowdown as cinema
equipment maker IMAX China
Holding found to its cost last month.
IMAX China raised $248mn in an
Hong Kong IPO where shares had
to be priced near the bottom of a
marketing range, representing a
2015 price-to-earnings multiple of 24
compared with a sector median of 32,
according to Thomson Reuters data.
With mainland Chinas own IPO
market frozen since July after
regulators tightened scrutiny of new
listings to limit supply of new stocks,
smaller markets such as Thailand

Takata loses $330mn

in m-cap in two days
Shares fall 25% to lowest in more
than 6 years; Mazda to stop fitting
inflators using ammonium nitrate;
Mitsubishi Motors, Subaru may drop
Takata inflators; firm to announce
interim financial results today
Reuters
Tokyo

hares in Japans Takata Corp

slumped by a quarter yesterday as
more automakers considered no
longer using its air bag inators, casting
further doubt on the future of the parts
supplier at the centre of a global recall
crisis.
A day after Takatas biggest customer,
Honda Motor, said it would stop tting its
cars with the companys airbag inators,
Mazda Motor Corp said it would drop
Takata inators containing ammonium
nitrate from its new cars.
Japanese automakers Mitsubishi Motors Corp and Subaru-maker Fuji Heavy
Industries also said they were thinking
about switching away from Takatas inators.
Airbag parts contributed 38% of Takatas total sales last year. The company reports its rst-half results today.
US regulators say Takatas inators
use a chemical propellant they suspect
causes the air bag to explode with too
much force, spraying metal shards into
the car. The inators have been linked to
eight deaths, all in Honda cars, and have

Chinese
chipmaker
to raise
$13bn to
bankroll
plants
Bloomberg
Beijing
A Chinese chip-making affiliate
of Tsinghua Unigroup plans to
raise as much as 80bn yuan
($12.6bn) in a private placement
of shares to fund a new semiconductor plant, the latest in a
series of deals intended to build
the state-backed group into a
technology powerhouse.
Tongfang Guoxin Electronics Co will sell 2.96bn shares
at 27.04 yuan each to eight
companies and employees, the
company said in a filing to the
Shenzhen Stock Exchange yesterday. Of the proceeds, 60bn
yuan will go towards a memory
chip plant. Its shares closed
at 32.69 yuan in Shenzhen on
October 9, before they were
suspended from trading, giving
it a market capitalization of
19.8bn yuan, data compiled by
Bloomberg show.
Unigroup, the business arm
of Chinas famed Tsinghua University that announced plans in
September to buy a $3.8bn stake
in US storage maker Western
Digital Corp, is emerging as one
of the industrys most acquisitive
companies. The company is
among those helping fulfill the
countrys ambitions of building
domestic capabilities to wean
itself off a reliance on foreign
technology. If the Western Digital deal is completed, it would
be Chinas biggest acquisition in
the technology sector.

led to the recall of more than 40mn cars

worldwide.
We will not use Takata airbag inators
which contain ammonium nitrate in our
new cars, Akira Marumoto, Executive
Vice President of Mazda, Japans fourthlargest automaker, told reporters.
Earlier, Fuji Heavy CEO Yasuyuki
Yoshinaga said: Were thinking of not
using Takatas inators for future cars.
He said Subaru may also look elsewhere
for the inators it needs to x cars under
recall as it was taking Takata too long to
supply them.
Shares in Takata slumped 25%, or
by their daily limit of 300 to close
at a 6-1/2-year low. In two days, some
$330mn has been wiped from the companys market value.
The founding Takada family owns
about 60% of Takata, while Honda holds
1.2%.
A Toyota Motor Corp executive said
on Thursday the company continued to
investigate Takatas airbag inators and
remained committed to using higher
quality components. He did not elaborate.
On Wednesday, Nissan Motor Co said
it would defer to US regulators on actions
related to Takata.
Takata said on Wednesday it would pay
a $70mn ne imposed by the US National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) in instalments, and phase out
as ordered by NHTSA the use of potentially volatile ammonium nitrate as a
propellant in its air bag inators.

Takata chief executive and president Shigehisa Takada bows as he leaves a news
conference in Tokyo. Shares in the company yesterday slumped 25%, or by their
daily limit of 300 to close at a 6-1/2-year low.

and India are also reaping increased

activity. Star Petroleum Refining
plans a $500mn deal in Bangkok,
while an up-to-$465mn offering is
due from Indian budget airline IndiGo
in November.
Hong Kong, though, provides the
mainstay. Upcoming deals include an
up-to-$1.3bn listing by snack maker
Dali Foods Group and a $2bn IPO by
China Energy Engineering Corp.
Market performance has improved
since the lows over the summer and
companies are taking advantage of
that to get deals done rather than
waiting for further improvement,
said Jonathan Penkin, head of growth
markets equity capital markets at
Goldman Sachs.

Sensex falls to ve-week

low; rupee weakens again
Bloomberg
Mumbai

ndian stocks dropped the

most in ve weeks low as investors await the results of a
key state election. Vedanta, the
largest copper producer, fell to a
one- month low, while Tata Steel
slipped for a fth day before its
earnings. Ashok Leyland tumbled
the most in more than two months
after its prot missed estimates.
Bharti Airtel, the largest mobilephone operator, decreased the
most in two weeks.
The S&P BSE Sensex lost 0.9%
to 26,304.20, its lowest close
since October 1. The drop was the
steepest since September 28. The
gauge has fallen in eight of the past
nine sessions as results at some
of the biggest companies missed
forecasts and investor attention
turned to Bihar state elections,
which concluded yesterday. The
polls are crucial for Prime Minister
Narendra Modis efforts to control
the upper house of parliament,
where opposition parties have
blocked economic proposals.
The market is not very optimistic of the chances of the
ruling National Democratic Alliance and thats why we are
seeing some selling pressure,
K Subramanyam, co-head of
equity advisory at Altamount
Capital Management Pvt., said
by phone in Mumbai. Even if
the NDA doesnt win, the extent
of the defeat matters a lot. If its
just a few seats here and there,
the market might digest it. But if
its a landslide for the other side,
then it will be serious. He is ad-

vising investors to buy shares of

entertainment, media companies, breweries, software exporters and state-run banks.
Sales at Sensex rms that have
posted September-quarter results so far have declined 12%
even as net incomes have risen
2.4%, data compiled by Bloomberg show. Thirteen of the 19 index members that have reported
earnings have matched or beaten
estimates, data compiled by
Bloomberg show.
Earnings were not expected
to be great this quarter, Subramanyam said. We are focusing
on management commentary
and taking cues from there rather
than looking at just the numbers.
Vedanta tumbled 4.7% to its lowest since October 8. Ashok Leyland plunged 5.9%, paring this
years rally to 69%. The truckmaker posted prot of Rs2.87bn,
missing the estimated Rs3.34bn.
Bharti Airtel tumbled 2.8%.
International investors sold
a net $57mn of Indian stocks on
November 3, reducing this years
inow to $4.3bn, the secondhighest among eight Asian markets tracked by Bloomberg, after
Taiwan. The Sensex has fallen
4.4% this year and trades at 15.4
times projected earnings, versus
the MSCI Emerging Markets Indexs multiple of 11.5.
The rupee weakened 0.4%
to 65.7450 a dollar in Mumbai,
prices from local banks compiled by Bloomberg show. It
touched 65.7750 earlier, the lowest level since September 30.
The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index, which tracks the greenback
against 10 peers, was up 0.1%.

Asia markets defy negative Wall St lead

AFP
Tokyo

ajor Asian markets mostly shrugged off

a negative lead from Wall Street yesterday, with Shanghai performing especially strongly and Japan Post shares soaring again
in Tokyo.
The benchmark Shanghai Composite index
closed at a 10-week high, extending gains from the
previous day when the market rallied more than
4% on hopes for economic reforms.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo
Stock Exchange closed 1% up, while the Hang
Seng Index in Hong Kong was at at the nish.
Chinas ruling Communist Party issued guidelines for its 2016-2020 development plan on
Tuesday, including calling for liberalisation in its
capital markets and foreign exchange regime, following a high-level meeting last week.
The government has successfully clamped
down on short selling, said Francis Cheung, a
senior strategist at brokerage CLSA in Hong Kong,
told Bloomberg News.
So it is easier for (the) market to go up, especially with anticipation that China will cut rates
and do more stimulus.
Wall Street had dropped Wednesday after Federal Reserve chief Janet Yellen kept the possibility of an increase to US interest rates in December
on the table.
In Tokyo, Japan Post stocks skyrocketed for a
second day, as investors scrambled to get their
hands on one of Japans best-known companies,
with its insurance unit especially in demand.
Toyota said yesterday its half-year net prot
jumped 12% as it moves to cut costs and raise productivity, but troubled conglomerate Toshiba was
expected to announce a huge operating loss for the
six months to September.
Crisis-hit airbag supplier Takata continued its
downward spiral in Tokyo, with its share price
plummeting 25% to 889 ($7.32) at the close to a
fresh low for this year.
Theres very little chance for Takata to survive, Amir Anvarzadeh, Singapore-based global
head of Japan equity sales at BGC Capital Partners,
told Bloomberg.
Its a safety equipment maker killing people
and lying about their issue.
Australias S&P/ASX 200 Index closed down
0.94%, dragged down by banking and mining
stocks, while Seouls benchmark KOSPI index

Traders at the Shanghai Stock Exchange. The benchmark index closed yesterday at a 10-week high, extending gains from the previous day when the market
rallied more than 4% on hopes for economic reforms.
declined 0.16% on concerns of the possible Fed
rate hike.
The US dollar continued to strengthen yesterday after Yellens comments that if the economy
was performing well and, if conditions warrant, a rate hike in December would be a live
possibility.

After days of gains for emerging market currencies, the Malaysian ringgit, Chinese yuan, Thai
baht, South Korean won and Indonesian rupiah
were all down against the greenback.
The yen changed hands at 121.64 to the dollar
around 0825 GMT, slightly down from 121.55 in
late US trade.

The euro rose slightly against the US currency,

fetching 1.0878 from 1.0865, and was at 132.33 yen
from 132.06 yen.
In oil markets, US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for delivery in December was trading
12 cents higher at $46.44 and Brent crude for December was up 25 cents at $48.83 a barrel.

Gulf Times
Friday, November 6, 2015

11

BUSINESS
Eurozone
recovery
struggling,
forecast
shows

Bank of England shows

no sign of rate increase

DPA
Brussels

Reuters
London

he eurozone economy will

grow at a reduced rate of
1.8% next year, according
to forecasts published by the European Commission yesterday,
which warn of risks to the blocs
recovery lying ahead.
The euro currency bloc has
struggled to rev up its economic
engine after emerging from recession in 2013, while ination
is hovering around zero and unemployment is only gradually
falling. Europes migration crisis
has also strained the blocs cashstrapped governments.
Low oil prices, a relatively
weak euro and a monetary stimulus plan from the European
Central Bank (ECB) have helped
produce a resilient and widespread but slow economic
recovery, the commission said as
it released its autumn forecasts.
The risks weighing on
growth have clearly increased,
EU Economy Commissioner
Pierre Moscovici said, making
reference to a slowdown in China and other emerging markets,
a decline in global trade and persisting geopolitical tensions.
Speaking at Milan University,
ECB chief Mario Draghi hinted
that the bank may approve more
stimulus at its next governing
council meeting on December 3.
If its current action is not
deemed sufficient to counter the
global economic slowdown, we
will evaluate ways to intensify
it, Draghi said.
The European Unions executive issued an improved 2015
growth projection of 1.6% for
the 19-member eurozone but
lowered its 2016 forecast by
0.1%. The larger, 28-member
EU is expected to grow by 1.9%
this year and 2% in 2016.
The commission urged countries to use the current temporary tailwinds to improve public nances, boost investment
and reform their economies.
The autumn forecasts show
that four eurozone economies
still have decits exceeding the
EU-recommended level of 3% of
gross domestic product (GDP),
while three quarters of them are
set to overshoot the debt limit of
60% of GDP.
France and Spain - two of the
eurozones four largest economies - are both set to miss decit
reduction goals set by the commission unless they take action.
Paris is expected to post a
decit of 3.8% this year, 3.4%
in 2016 and 3.3% the year after.
That means it would miss its
2017 deadline to comply with the
EU limit, having already been
granted three reprieves.
However, the French Finance
Ministry noted that it plans additional savings measures for
2017, aimed at bringing its decit in line.
On current projections, Madrid is also expected to miss its
target of bringing the decit below 3% by 2016, despite previous
warnings, with 4.7% projected
for 2015 and 3.6 the year after.
Countries can be ned 0.2%
of their GDP for non-compliance, although the EU has never
used this power against a eurozone budget offender.

he Bank of England gave no sign that it

was preparing for a rate rise soon, saying
yesterday that Britains near-zero inflation would pick up only slowly even if borrowing
costs stay on hold throughout next year.
Governor Mark Carney, who had previously
said a decision on whether to raise rates would
come into sharper focus around the end of this
year, was vaguer this time, saying simply that
the BoE would move when the time was right.
Sterling fell sharply after the BoEs announcement, which surprised investors who had expected a clearer signal that a rate hike was approaching and contrasted it with the tone of the
US Federal Reserve. Its chair Janet Yellen said on
Wednesday that a US rate rise was a prospect for
December.
Only one BoE policymaker, Ian McCafferty,
voted to raise interest rates this month, as most
economists had expected. The other Monetary
Policy Committee members opted to keep them
at a record-low 0.5%, where they have been
since March 2009.
Carney, asked by a reporter if he regretted saying a rate decision would become clearer around
the turn of the year, said: Absolutely not.
He said the prospect of a rate increase was still
growing and surveys showed about two-thirds
of households expect that rates will start to go
up at some point over the next 12 months.
Given forecasts, that is a reasonable expectation, he said, before stressing there remained
a risk of a deeper global economic slowdown
hitting Britains economy.
Well take our decisions at the right time, he
said.
Britain grew faster than any other big developed nation last year and is still on course to be
around the top of the pack in 2015, even as the
BoE trimmed its near-term growth forecasts.
At the same time, inflation remains stuck below zero, pushed down by a plunge in prices of
energy and other imported goods which the BoE
said was now likely to keep inflation below 1%
until the middle of next year.
In another sign that it was relaxed about
keeping its stimulus for the economy in place,
the Bank said it would keep on reinvesting the
proceeds from the 375bn ($571bn) of government bonds that it bought during the crisis until
it had raised interest rates to around 2%.
That might not happen until the end of the

Bank of England governor Mark Carney speaks during an inflation report news conference in London. The bank gave no sign that it was in any more of a
hurry to raise interest rates yesterday, predicting near-zero inflation would pick up only slowly even if borrowing costs stay on hold all of next year.
decade, according to the Banks latest forecasts.
The BoE message surprised many investors
who had started to price in a rate move earlier
than in recent weeks.
Sterling fell more than a cent against the dollar and government bond yields dropped sharply.
The MPC is not at all clear on when rates
should begin to rise. But that point is unlikely to
be over the next few months, Investec economist Philip Shaw said.
Financial markets have been betting on a rate
hike further out than most economists, and in
recent days most money was on a first rate increase at the end of 2016.

The BoE used recent market forecasts of no

move until 2017 as its working assumption for
its new outlook. It predicted that inflation, currently below zero, would nudge above its 2%
target in two years time on a so-called modal
projection basis.
This was only a fraction higher than its August forecast, which had been based on rates
rising in the middle of next year.
Economists had previously said they expected
a first interest rate rise by the BoE in the second
quarter of 2016, according to the average forecast in a Reuters poll.
The slow pick-up in inflation comes despite
relatively robust growth forecasts.

Growth, as measured on a modal basis, is seen

at 2.7% this year, 2.5% in 2016 and 2.7% in 2017,
only a whisker weaker over the three-year period than the Bank predicted in August and above
most economists expectations.
But Carneys warning on a slowdown in
emerging markets may in part reflect the concerns of BoE chief economist Andy Haldane who
recently warned that Chinas sharp stock market falls could prove the start of a third act of the
global financial crisis which started in 2008.
Minutes of the MPCs discussion this month
showed there was a wide spread of views
about the outlook for growth, inflation and the
impact of the slowdown in emerging markets.

German industry orders plunge unexpectedly

Reuters
Berlin

A gas turbine at the Siemens manufacturing plant in Berlin. German factories received 2.4% fewer
bookings from abroad, driven by a 6.7% slide in demand from eurozone countries, while domestic
orders fell by 0.6% in September.

erman industrial orders

dropped unexpectedly in
September due mainly to
weaker foreign demand, in a sign
that Europes biggest economy
may lose steam at the end of this
year.
Contracts for Made in Germany goods were down by 1.7%
on the month, the economy
ministry said yesterday. It is the
rst time since the summer of
2011 that orders have dropped
for three consecutive months
and compares with a Reuters
consensus forecast for a rise of
1%.
German factories received
2.4% fewer bookings from
abroad, driven by a 6.7% slide
in demand from eurozone countries, while domestic orders fell
by 0.6%. Bookings from outside the currency bloc inched up
0.7%.
ING Bank economist Carsten

Brzeski said the data signalled

that a dip over the summer
might have been more than a
vacation-driven breather.
The fact that new orders
have dropped for three consecutive months suggests that our
positive take on the German industry got some scratches, he
said, adding that the emissions
scandal engulng carmaker
Volkswagen had not yet shown
up in the data.
The only bright spot was
slightly higher demand from
non-eurozone countries, suggesting that the slowdown in
China was having only a limited
impact on German industry, he
added.
In the less volatile threemonth comparison, factory orders fell 2.8% on the quarter in
the July-September period, with
domestic demand inching up
0.3%, bookings from eurozone
countries rising 0.9% and orders
from countries outside the currency bloc plunging 8.6%.
Overall, industrial orders

are currently in a weak phase,

mainly due to slow demand from
non-eurozone states, the ministry said. It added, however,
that business morale remained
good with demand from domestic and eurozone customers still
pointing upwards.
The data comes after the BGA
wholesalers and exporters body
last week raised its forecast for
export growth for 2015, saying
demand from Europe and the US
would offset weaker emerging
markets and any negative impact from the VW scandal.
Fitting into this picture, premium carmaker BMW on Tuesday reported a surprise rise in
third-quarter operating income as strong sales in highermargin core European markets
outweighed weak demand in
China.
The German government expects strong private consumption and higher state spending
on refugees to drive growth in
Europes largest economy by
1.7% this year and by 1.8% next.

Beset by regulation, bankers fear more pain ahead

Reuters
London

ven as world leaders prepare to

endorse new banking rules to
draw a line under the nancial
crisis, many bankers see no end in sight
to the painful demands on an industry
that became the focus of public and political anger.
More than six years after the 200809 crisis, the Group of 20 economies is
this month set to approve the last major
piece of regulation designed to avoid a
repeat of the bank collapses that led to
massive taxpayer bailouts in the US and
Europe.
The reform, which requires the biggest banks to hold a substantial layer of
bonds that can be converted into equity
if the lender hits trouble, follows the
introduction of rules known as Basel

III that increased the amount of capital banks must hold, as well as curbs on
bonuses, risk-taking and trading.
Regulators say the G20 summit represents a milestone that will allow them
to shift focus away from rule-making,
to implementation.
But bankers are not calling the turn
yet.
Many say another wave of capital demands is coming down the tracks from
precisely that review and standardisation phase.
We are now looking at capital increases that are signicant across the
industry - potentially larger than earlier capital rule changes that were specically designed to increase capital
levels, said Wilson Ervin, vice-chairman in Credit Suisses executive office.
The drive to keep up close bank supervision was illustrated on Thursday
when regulators said Europes lenders

would be tested to measure their nancial resilience next year, although there
will be no minimum capital hurdle. It
came a day after the European Central
Banks chief supervisor said some still
faced a signicant credit risk.
G20 leaders, meeting in Turkey on
November 15-16, are due to endorse the
reform that requires the worlds 30 biggest banks including HSBC, Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan to
hold bonds that can be bailed in.
But Ervin said a separate review of
banks trading books, coupled with
how the bail-in bonds plan is structured, means the 30 top banks face having to collectively issue $1tn more of the
bonds than they originally thought.
Banks also say they need to increase
capital due to moves by the Basel Committee and other regulators to standardise how the riskiness of loans is calculated.

Several other senior bankers have

voiced concern that there is no end in
sight to the rising regulatory burden.
Compliance with the new requirements will come at a signicant additional cost, UBS CEO Sergio Ermotti
said on Tuesday after cutting protability targets.
Regulation and the macroeconomic
environment have changed materially.
So we need to adjust both our actions
and our expectations accordingly, he
said.
Some bankers are so concerned they
have dubbed the implementation process over the coming years as Basel IV.
Any prospect of more capital demands could set the scene for a renewed
battle between banks and policymakers
over how best to pull off the balancing
act of reining in lenders to ensure they
are not too big to fail, while freeing
them to lend more to boost sputtering

economies. Regulators say talk of Basel IV is scaremongering.

Theres not an appetite to layer on
more and more, William Coen, secretary general of the Basel Committee
group of regulators, told Reuters last
week, though he acknowledged selected banks could face higher requirements.
We work quite a bit with the industry so really there shouldnt be any surprises. We have done a good job at telegraphing the level of capital, he said.
Regulators have also said there appears to be waning political support
in some countries for more reforms,
but they are unequivocal on one thing
- there is no going back to the lighttouch regulation seen before the crisis.
Lets be cautious about the siren
voices of nancial self interest that
were partly responsible for luring us on
the rocks in the rst place, Paul Fisher,

deputy head of the Bank of Englands

Prudential Regulation Authority, said
in September.
Regulators have waged a twopronged attack on banks to improve
their capital strength, requiring rms
to increase the amount they hold in reserve for when trouble hits, and making
sure capital quality improves so it can
genuinely absorb losses.
Royal Bank of Scotland, the biggest casualty of the crisis after needing
46bn ($71bn) of British taxpayer cash,
illustrates the regulatory shift.
At the end of 2007, its core capital
represented 4.5% of its assets on a riskadjusted basis (RWAs). Now it holds
common equity - which is far higher
quality capital than the old measure of 16.2%.
The worlds top 100 banks all now
hold common equity above the new
minimum requirement of 7% of RWAs.

Friday, November 6, 2015

BUSINESS

GULF TIMES

Review of banks could spell trouble for US energy firms

Reuters
New York
A recent US regulatory review could
force banks to scale back loans to
energy companies whose revenues
have been hit hard by falling oil prices,
and could force more oil drillers into
bankruptcy, analysts said.
In the coming weeks, banking
regulators including the Federal
Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance
Corp, and the Office of the Comptroller
of the Currency are due to release the
results of their regular look at banks
loan books known as the shared

US jobless
claims
rise to
8-month
high
Reuters
Washington

ew US applications for
unemployment benets
last week recorded their
largest increase in eight months,
but remained at levels consistent with a fairly healthy labour
market.
Other data yesterday showed
a surprise rise in productivity in
the third quarter after a drop in
self-employment led to overall
hours worked falling for the rst
time in six years, restraining labour-related production costs.
Initial claims for state unemployment benets increased
16,000 to a seasonally adjusted
276,000 for the week ended Oct.
31, the Labor Department said.
It was the largest weekly increase since late February.
Still, last week marked the
35th straight week that claims
were below the 300,000 threshold normally associated with a
strong jobs market. Claims had
hovered near 42-year lows for
much of October.
There is no evidence that
there has been a pickup in involuntary job separations and we
continue to expect an increase
of 200,000 in private payrolls
in October, said John Ryding,
chief economist at RDQ Economics in New York.
The four-week moving average of claims, considered a better measure of labour market
trends as it strips out week-toweek volatility, rose 3,500 to
262,750 last week.
Last weeks claims report has
no bearing on the October employment report due for release
on Friday. According to a Reuters survey of economists, nonfarm payrolls rose 180,000 in
October, well above the average
gain of 139,000 jobs for August
and September. The unemployment rate is forecast at 5.1%.
Solid payroll gains in October
could seal the case for a December interest rate increase from
the Federal Reserve.
The claims report showed the
number of people still receiving
benets after an initial week of
aid increased 17,000 to 2.16mn
in the week ended Oct. 24. The
four-week moving average of
continuing claims, however, fell
to the lowest level since November 2000.
The trend in continuing
claims suggests more long-term
unemployed are nding work,
consistent with a low jobless
rate.
The dollar was little changed
against a basket of currencies,
while price for US Treasuries
fell. Stocks on Wall Street were
trading lower.
In a second report, the Labor
Department said productivity,
which measures hourly output
per worker, increased at a 1.6 %
annual rate after advancing at
an upwardly revised 3.5% rate in
the second quarter.
Manufacturing productivity
grew at its fastest pace in four
years, led by the durable goods
sector. Economists had expected productivity to contract at a
0.2% rate in the July-September quarter after expanding at
a previously reported 3.3% pace
in the second quarter.
Despite the surprise rise in
the third quarter, the trend in
productivity remained weak.
Productivity increased only
0.4% from the same period last
year

national credit review. The review

was previously annual but is shifting to
twice a year starting in 2016.
With oil prices having plunged 60%
from their peak in June 2014, revenues
for energy companies have fallen,
giving them less money to pay interest
on loans. Hedging contracts bought
many lenders time by bolstering their
cash flow but those contracts are
maturing.
Lenders will likely have to tighten the
screws by scaling back credit lines or
refusing to renew loans coming due. At
least some borrowers will struggle to
repay their obligations, and will have to
reorganize, or go under, analysts said.

Energy companies are running for

cover when it comes to cash flow,
and banks know it. Lenders have
been guarding themselves from the
declining creditworthiness of the
companies, and that will continue, said
Mike Holland, who oversees more than
$4bn of assets at Holland & Co in New
York.
In September the OCC met with
banks including Wells Fargo Corp and
JPMorgan Chase & Co to discuss the
impact of falling commodity prices on
outstanding loans. The banks declined
to comment.
Until recently, as long as companies
kept paying interest, many lenders

were willing to look the other way

as revenue fell. Banks relaxed loan
conditions known as covenants that,
for example, required the company to
generate a certain level of operating
income relative to interest payment
requirements.
The lenders want to avoid being the
cause of a companys bankruptcy
filing, said Doug Getten, a Houstonbased partner at law firm Paul Hastings
who focuses on corporate finance,
adding that banks dont want to have to
take over the companies and manage
them.
In 2014, according to the shared
credit report for that year, regulators

looked at about $788.6bn of loans to

commodities companies, or about 25%
of the loans that regulators looked at
overall.
Bankers say they want to continue
extending credit where they can.
Companies that have done the right
thing and continue to do the right thing
I think are going to continue to get
some rope from their banks, said Rich
Gould, managing director and head of
energy credit and risk management at
Wells Fargo, speaking at a conference
in Houston last month. He was
discussing banks in general, and not his
own in particular.
At least 10 companies have taken

advantage of that flexibility,

government filings show.
This week, Goodrich Petroleum said
lenders had revised its $75mn credit
facility, allowing it greater flexibility
through 2017.
Earlier, companies such as Halcon
Resources Corp, with assets in North
Dakota and Texas, had seen their
covenants relaxed. Some, like EV
Energy Partners, even saw their
borrowing bases rise, in their case by
25% to $625mn, in tandem with looser
covenants. The news may be bad for
some energy companies but banks say
they have set aside enough money to
cover credit losses on the loans.

Tech, banking, farming among

US winners in TPP agreement
Bloomberg
Washington

S
technology
companies,
banks and farmers are among
the biggest beneficiaries of
falling tariffs that are part of the trade
deal designed to liberate commerce
among 12 Pacific Rim nations, according to a text of the agreement released
yesterday.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership,
which will affect almost 40% of the
global economy, maintains protection
for a handful of politically sensitive
US industries by keeping existing tariffs in place for as long as 30 years for
pickup trucks and 13 years for some
types of footwear.
The text released yesterday, after
negotiations wrapped up last month,
includes thousands of tariffs that affect a broad variety of US-made products from Harley Davidson motorcycles sold in Malaysia, to toilet seats
shipped to Vietnam to General Electric Co turbines.
We do see pretty widespread benefits across the economy, US Trade
Representative Michael Froman said
in an interview.
Release of the TPP text starts the
clock ticking for ratification by the 12
Pacific Rim nations involved. In the
US, that means a 90-day notice to
Congress and at least a 60- day public
review period before a vote by lawmakers, which probably will come no
sooner than March. With the publication, supporters and critics now have
fodder for their arguments.
The Trans-Pacific pact is the biggest trade deal the US has negotiated
since the North American Free Trade
Agreement and stands as a significant
achievement for President Barack
Obama, who has been working to reassert US influence in the Pacific region. Although China is not among
the signatories, the accord reflects
one of the main points of friction between the worlds two biggest economies by requiring the participating
countries to outlaw theft of trade
secrets, explicitly including thefts
through computer hacking. After
massive breaches of commercial and
government databases in recent years,
US trade officials say they hope the
rules will not only deter hacking from
within the 12 TPP countries, but also
set an international precedent that
becomes a norm in agreements with
other nations countries, eventually
including China.
The trade deal is a central part of
Obamas strategy for balancing Chinas expanding economic influence
and will bolster his diplomatic position when he travels to Asia less than
two weeks for meetings with regional
leaders. Along with Canada, Mexico
and Chile, the other countries joining
with the US are Australia, New Zealand Brunei, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam.
Froman and the rest of the admin-

A fruit farmer stands near grape vines at a fruit farm in Fuefuki, Japan. The impact of the Trans-Pacific Partnership pact will be greatest in Japan, Malaysia and Vietnam
because the US already has free-trade agreements with most of the countries and the others have such small economies that more trade isnt likely to boost the bottom
lines of US companies.
istration now must try to win over
Democrats who are wary of the impact
on US jobs and Republicans who are
reluctant to back a Democratic White
House in an election year.
Obamas toughest task may be lobbying members of his party.
Only 28 of 188 Democrats in the
House voted to give the president
fast-track negotiating authority to
push the trade talks along. Former
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,
the Democrat frontrunner to succeed
Obama, has announced her objections
to the TPP after having called it central to the US pivot toward Asia while
she served in the administration.
Froman plans to sell the deal to Congress and trade sceptics by arguing
that if the US doesnt ratify the agreement, it will lose out on more trade in
the future because Asian countries,
including China, are negotiating freetrade pacts with each other that could
put the US at a disadvantage.
If we dont get TPP, then were
just going to see a smaller and smaller
market share, he said. Its not like
were going to maintain a status quo.
Were going to lose out in these markets. The TPP will eventually lower
all tariffs among its member countries

on all goods to zero. Eighty per cent

of imports the US from the 11 other
countries are already brought in without tariffs, and goods subject to tariffs
are hit with a levy that averages 1.4%.
The deal also addresses regulations
and practices known as non-tariff
trade barriers, which are ways countries protect industries.
Trade officials said the administration hasnt completed an analysis of
the economic impact. They pointed
to research by the non-partisan Peter
G Peterson Institute for International
Economics, a pro-trade research organisation, that estimates the TPP
would add $77bn to the US economy
annually by 2025. Thats second to the
$105bn Japan would gain, according to
the analysis.
Critics, such as the consumer group
Public Citizen, said the agreement
will make it easier to send jobs overseas and increase income inequality in
the US by driving down wages of lowskilled employees who will face more
competition from those paid far less
in Vietnam and Malaysia.
At agricultural machinery maker
Deere & Co, spokesman Ken Golden
said the trade agreement would open
new markets to domestic agricultural

producers who buy Deere equipment

and reduce tariffs imposed on products it manufactures at facilities in the
US, Mexico and New Zealand.
Thirty-eight per cent of Deeres
2014 revenue of $36bn came from
sales outside the US and Canada,
Golden said. The company doesnt
break down exports further, he said.
General Electric and Caterpillar Inc
are likely to be big winners as trade
barriers drop for sales of heavy machinery such as construction equipment, power generation equipment
and large vehicles, particularly in
countries such as Vietnam and Malaysia that dont already have free-trade
agreements with the US, according to
Caroline Freund, a senior fellow at the
Peterson Institute.
A lot of countries have big infrastructure projects going on right now
and the US is well equipped to take
advantage of these preferences, Freund said. Each country has thousands
of tariffs with duties ranging from
zero to the double digits depending
on whether there are domestic producers to protect and how much a
country depends on imports of certain products. The impact of the pact
will be greatest in Japan, Malaysia and

Vietnam because the US already has

free-trade agreements with most of
the countries and the others have such
small economies that more trade isnt
likely to boost the bottom lines of US
companies.
Tariffs wont fade away all at once.
Vietnam imposes a 70% tariff on cars
it imports from the US That would
stay in place for three years and then
begin dropping to zero over the following decade. In Malaysia, tariffs of
25% on road rollers, 20% on pile drivers and 10% on bulldozers will fall to
zero over several years.
The thousands of pages of TPP text
also address barriers to trade that are
less obvious than tariffs.
Countries protect markets through
regulation, with US trade officials
pointing to Asian nations that keep
US cosmetics at bay by requiring eye
shadow to be inspected as if it were a
pharmaceutical.
The agreement standardizes rules
of origin for products made in any
TPP country, as the North American
Free Trade Agreement did for the US,
Canada and Mexico, meaning that
a product made in any of the member countries is treated as a domestic
product for trade purposes.

US refineries start to return from maintenance

By John Kemp, Reuters
London
Total stocks of crude oil and refined products in
commercial storage across the US dropped for the
second week running last week, the first back-toback fall since May, according to the US Energy
Information Administration (EIA).
More than 1.4mn barrels per day (bpd) of refinery
capacity is still offline for routine maintenance
and upgrades after the end of the summer driving
season.
Turnarounds have contributed to the
accumulation of crude inventories but resulted
in a big draw down in stocks of refined products
including gasoline and distillate fuel oil.
Stocks of crude rose by 2.8mn barrels in the week
ending on Oct. 30, and have increased in each

of the last six weeks, by a total of almost 29mn

barrels.
Crude stocks are now nearly 103mn barrels, about
27%, higher than they were at the same point last
year (Weekly Petroleum Status Report published
on November 4).
But the stock of refined fuels has fallen for seven
consecutive weeks by a total of 25mn barrels, or
about 500,000 bpd.
Gasoline stocks have fallen more than 8mn barrels
over the last four weeks while distillate stocks
have been down for seven consecutive weeks by
a total of more than 13mn barrels.
At the end of the summer there were widespread
predictions that the US was headed for a glut of
refined products once the driving season finished.
But the threatened oversupply has not
materialised as refineries have successfully
matched runs with lower seasonal demand.

The total surplus of refined products over prioryear levels has remained steady at around 95mn
barrels since August.
The increase in product stocks is concentrated
in propane (22mn barrels) and distillate fuel
oil (21mn barrels) with smaller rises in finished
gasoline (14mn barrels) and gasoline blending
components (13mn barrels).
Proportionately, the surplus is much larger in
propane, where stocks are up 28%, and distillates,
up 18%, than gasoline, up just 6%, and blending
components, up 7%.
The result has been a big counter-seasonal shift in
the relative prices of distillates and gasoline.
With winter approaching, distillates, would
normally command a premium of around 36 cents
per gallon, $15 per barrel, over gasoline, and the
premium would normally rise through year-end
and into January.

However, this year the premium has been falling

and shrunk to just a third of its normal level,
around 12 cents per gallon.
US refineries have passed the half-way point of
the maintenance season. Crude processing has
already increased by more than 350,000 bpd over
the last three weeks.
Runs are likely to rise by a further 500,000 to
900,000 bpd over the course of November and
December based on prior experience.
Increased processing should limit any further
increase in crude oil stocks before the year-end
while stabilising gasoline inventories. The main
challenge for refiners will be marketing surplus
propane and middle distillates.
US propane exports have been increasing rapidly
and competing in markets much further afield
than was the case in the past, according to the
EIA.

To Advertise here
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CRICKET | Page 2

TENNIS | Page 8

Pakistan
thump
England for
series win

Isner topples
Federer;
Djokovic
keeps winning

Friday, November 6, 2015

Moharram 23, 1437 AH

MOTOGP

GULF TIMES

CAS rejects Rossis

appeal, to start last in
Valencia decider

SPORT

Page 5

QATAR CLASSIC SQUASH

El Sherbini ends defending

champion Davids reign
Egyptian to meet Englands Massaro in final; defending champion Elshorbagy will take on Gaultier in mens title clash
By Satya Rath
Doha

ne has been the reigning queen on the

senior circuit for close to a decade
now; the other, after making waves
on the junior circle, is already being touted as the next big thing in the womens
game. And if the pupils win over the legend in
yesterdays Qatar Classic semi-nals is any indication, shes denitely on her way to scale the
peak, sooner than later.
Nicol David and 20-year-old Nour El Sherbini had met ve times before since yesterdays
clash, dating back to 2011 World Championships, and barring that close and one-off defeat
in the 2014 Worlds semis, the 32-year-old David has always held sway over her much younger
opponent from Egypt.
The Malaysian had been particularly invincible in Doha, having won the Qatar Classic
as many as ve times, including three in a row
from 2006-08, besides three semi-nal appearances, including this year. Yesterday, at
the Khalifa Tennis & Squash Complex, before
a largely partisan crowd, El Sherbini ended defending champion Davids reign in ve pulsating games to make her rst nal here, where she
will face English veteran and world No. 3 Laura
Massaro in todays grand nale.
The attractive Egyptian was the rst out of
the blocks, mixing up some ne length with
well-crafted drops to take the opening game
11-6 in just seven minutes. David, who seemed
to have lost some of her rhythm by the relentless pace of El Sherbini, used all her experience
to ght back and take the next two games 10-12,
11-5. But it was the reigning world junior champion all the way after that as she took the next
two 11-4, 11-9 to pump her sts in joy as the
crowd roared in unison.
While both the players had their share of
winners, it was the large volume of Davids unforced errors that had a big say in the matchs
outcome. I still cant believe I won, said a
gasping El Sherbini, who collapsed on the oor
after the energy-sapping 60-minute clash.
She is a legend, shes one of my idols. There
will never be someone like her again. I kept telling myself to keep pushing and keep attacking
until the end and to just give everything today.
Its amazing to be in the nal, Im really happy
and hopefully it will be a good match against
Laura tomorrow.
The 20-year-old also credited the mostly
pro-Egyptian crowd in the stands who kept
cheering her throughout. It felt like Im playing in Egypt, not Qatar. That support really

Egyptian number sixth seed Nour El Sherbini (right) is ecstatic after coming through an epic five-game-thriller to beat defending champion Nicol David in the semi-final of the Qatar Classic.
egged me on. But its not over yet, I have anoter
big match coming up, but this win denitely has
boosted my condence.
A gracious David was all praise for the rising
star. I had my chances but I think she played
too well. I made some errors at crucial moments
and she took full advantage of those mistakes.
Its nice to see so many young talents coming up
and it augurs well for the game, said the Malaysian. The other womens semi-nal played
earlier was an anti-climax, as Englands Massaro needed just 20 minutes to dismiss Omneya
Abdel Kawy of Egypt to make what will be her
second World Series nal on the trot after last
months US Open in Philadelphia where she
won the title.
Yeah, it was too short, as I was expecting
to be on court for at least 40-50 minutes. Perhaps she was a little tired after that ve-gamer
against Joshna yesterday as she made a lot of

unforced errors and wasnt at her best, said the

World No. 3, who could top the world rankings
if she wins the title here.
Kawy, while praising her opponent, said it
was one of the worst semi-nals she had ever
played. If theres has to be a worse match I
have ever played, this has to be the one. She
played great, all credit to her, but I dont what
happened to my game today. It happens sometimes... It was her day today. Good luck to her,
the 30-year-old Egyptian, who ended the challenge of Indias Joshna Chinappa in the quarternals, said.
It will be a repeat of last months US Open
semi-nal in what promises to be an enticing
mens title duel, where defending champion
Mohamed Elshorbagy will meet 2011 champion
Gregory Gaultier. The in-form Frenchman won
that match and Elshorbagy will surely be looking for revenge.

Gaultier came through 3-1 in an entertaining and hard-hitting 59-minute clash against
Mazen Hesham, another rising youngster from
Egypt, ghting back admirably after losing
the opening game. This is after his epic vegame escape, after being two games down, in
Wednesday nights quarter-nal against another talented youngster from Egypt, Karim
Abdel Gawad.
Elshorbagy earlier continued his love affair
with Doha by making his fourth straight nal
in Qatar since 2012. The world No. 1 from Egypt
had too many tricks up his sleeves for Australian qualier Ryan Cuskelly, who nally saw his
giant-killing run end in a 7-11, 4-11, 9-11 defeat
that lasted just 35 minutes.
The Aussie held his own, albeit briey, at
the start of the match, but once Shorbagy got
into his groove it was virtually one-way traffic.
Cuskelly staged a late comeback in the third,

but it was too little too late by then.

Its great for me to get to nal without dropping a game, said the 24-year-old Elshorbagy.
I will be fresh for tomorrow. Its the fourth year
in a row that Ive made it to the nal here on my
favourite court and I cant wait to play the title
clash tomorrow.
RESULTS (ALL SEMI-FINALS)
Women: 4-Laura Massaro (ENG) bt 5-Omneya
Abdel Kawy (EGY) 3-0 (11-7, 11-4, 11-6); 6-Nour El
Sherbini (EGY) bt 2-Nicol David (MAS) 3-2
(11-6, 10-12, 5-11, 11-4, 11-9)
Men: 1-Mohamed Elshorbagy (EGY) bt Q-Ryan
Cuskelly (AUS) 3-0 (11-7, 11-4, 11-9); 2-Gregory
Gaultier (FRA) bt Mazen Hesham (EGY)
3-1 (4-11, 12-10, 11-9, 14-12)
FINALS (6PM TODAY)
4-Laura Massaro (ENG) vs 6-Nour El Sherbini (EGY)
Followed By: 1-Mohamed Elshorbagy (EGY) vs
2-Gregory Gaultier (FRA)

QATARS AL-ATTIYAH WINS SUPER SPECIAL STAGE AT OMAN RALLY

Muscat: Qatars Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah and
French co-driver Matthieu Baumel laid down
the gauntlet to their rivals by posting the fastest time on the opening 2.5km timed super special of the 23rd Oman International Rally, which
was staged near the Oman Automobile Association (OAA) in Muscat yesterday afternoon.
The pair carded a time of 2min 18sec in their
Ford Fiesta RRC and that was 2.8 seconds
quicker than Abu Dhabi Racings Sheikh Khalid
al-Qassimi, driving a Citron DS3 RRC. Qatars
Abdulaziz a-Kuwari and British navigator Marshall Clarke were third.
Saif al-Harthy and Salim al-Abry was the
highest-placed Omani crew in seventh overall,
while Kuwaiti Salah Bin Eidan and his Slovenian
co-driver Vili Oslaj led the Group N category in
fourth place. Cars tackled the stage in reverse
order, although it was a disappointing start
for Abu Dhabi Racings Mansoor Bel Helai. The
Citron DS3 R3T driver dropped two minutes on
the stage and slipped to the foot of the leader
board.
Fifteen of the original 20 entries were
flagged away from the start at the Oman Automobile Association by Nasser Khalifa al-Attiyah,
president of the QMMF and FIA vice-president

Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah

in action.

Mena. The event is unique in regional rallying

history in that, with the exception of Omanbased Lebanese driver Tony Georgiou in 1992,
no local driver has ever won the event.
Abu Dhabi Racings Saeed Bintowq suffered a

scare when his Citron DS3 R3T suffered engine

issues on the return from scrutineering. But
PH Sport team mechanics worked to replace
the power plant and the Emirati was able to
continue.

Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah is looking forward

to the weekend immensely: The stages here
are fantastic. They are some of the best in the
world, they are technical and demand a lot from
the driver. Im here to win and I want to equal
Mohammed Ben Sulayems record of 60 wins.
We saw many spectators, even on the recce.
They have a huge understanding and knowledge of rallying. It is in their culture.
I am trying to win here as well, said Abdulaziz al-Kuwari. This is different to the other
rounds of the championship. We had some
rain before the event, but the organisers have
done an excellent job in repairing the roads and
removing the big rocks.
There will be six special stages today, starting with the first of two runs through the Rusayl
stage from 09.58hrs. Attention then switches
to stages at Misfah and Saal from 10.26hrs and
10.59hrs and the three are repeated in the afternoon at 13.27hrs, 13.55hrs and 14.27hrs after a
service stop and regroup at the OAA. The event
is due to finish on tomorrow afternoon.
POSITIONS AFTER SS1
1. Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah (QAT)/Matthieu Baumel
(FRA) Ford Fiesta RRC 2min 18.0sec
2. Khalid al-Qassimi (ARE)/Chris Patterson (GBR)

Citron DS3 RRC 2min 20.8sec

3. Abdulaziz al-Kuwari (QAT)/Marshall Clarke (GBR)
Ford Fiesta RRC 2min 22.2sec
4. Salah bin Eidan (KWT)/Vili Oslaj (SVN) Mitsubishi
Lancer Evo X 2min 28.2sec
5. Khalid al-Suwaidi (QAT)/Giovanni Bernacchini
(ITA) Ford Fiesta RRC 2min 32.3sec
6. Rashid al-Naimi (QAT)/Nicola Arena (ITA) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X 2min 34.9sec
7. Saif al-Harthy (OMN)/Salim al-Abry (OMN) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X 2min 41.0sec
8. Saeed Bintowq (ARE)/Allan Harryman (GBR)
Citron DS3 R3T 2min 41.7sec
9. Zakariya Said Ahmed (OMN)/Saif al-Hinai (OMN)
Subaru Impreza 2min 43.4sec
10. Khalid al-Minji (OMN)/Saif al-Aisri (OMN) Subaru
Impreza 2min 43.5sec
11. Meshari al-Thefiri (KWT)/Taha Soomar (OMN)
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X 2min 43.9sec
12. Zakariya al-Ofi (OMN)/Ammar al-Balushi (OMN)
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX 2min 44.3sec
13. Qassim al-Zadali (OMN)/Nooh al-Raisi (OMN)
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII 2min 53.5sec
14. Hamid al-Qasmi (OMN)/Mohammed al-Mazroi
(OMN) Mitsubishi Evo VIII 2min 57.3sec
15. Mansoor Bel Helai (ARE)/Khalid al-Kendi (ARE)
Citron DS3 R3T 4min 54.9sec

Gulf Times
Friday, November 6, 2015

CRICKET
SPOTLIGHT

FOCUS

Rising Pakistan
thump England for
2-0 series win

Pak captain Misbah

looks forward to
bigger challenges

England, set 284 to win, were always on the back foot on a turning pitch as only
skipper Alastair Cook showed some resistance, scoring 63 with four boundaries

Pakistans Yasir Shah celebrates with Misbah-ul-Haq (L) after taking

the wicket of Englands Joe Root (not pictured).

AFP
Sharjah

Pakistani players pose with the trophy as they celebrate their series win against England in Sharjah yesterday.
AFP
Sharjah

pin trio of Shoaib Malik, Yasir

Shah and Zulqar Babar shared
nine wickets between them to
help Pakistan beat England by a
big 127-run margin in the third and nal
Test in Sharjah yesterday.
Shah nished with 4-44, Malikplaying his last Testtook 3-26 and Babar
grabbed 2-31 to bundle England out for
156 soon after lunch on the fth and nal
day for a 2-0 series win at Sharjah stadium.
England, set 284 to win, were always
on the back foot on a turning pitch as
only skipper Alastair Cook showed some
resistance during his 241-minute ght,
scoring 63 with four boundaries.
It was Malik who gave Pakistan the
prized wicket of Cook, stumped by wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed, to nish with
seven wickets in the match.
Shah had Ben Stokes stumped in the
next over for 12 to spark celebrations in
the eld as Pakistan players embraced
each other.
The victory lifts Pakistan to an equal
highest ever number two in the ICC (International Cricket Council) Test rank-

ings, a spot which they previously attained only for a few days in August 2006.
Pakistan won the second Test by 178
runs in Dubai.
Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq attributed teamwork for the win.
We nally managed to win and credit
to England for ghting well, said Misbah, who praised man-of-the-series
Shah.
If you look back at the series everyone
contributed, especially Shah, who won
us both the games and was outstanding,
said Misbah.
Shah nished with 15 wickets in two
matches after missing the rst through
injury. Misbah said he will take time before making a decision on retirement.
I will think (about retiring from Tests)
because our next series is seven months
away so I will decide whether I want to
continue or not.
Alastair Cooks team fought well
throughout the three Tests and was unlucky not to win the rst Test in Abu
Dhabi, forced into a draw due to bad light
with just 24 needed for victory.
England are now pushed to sixth from
their pre-series third in the Test rankings.
Cook said playing Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates was always tough.

SCORECARD
Pakistan 1st innings 234 (Misbah-ulHaq 71; J. Anderson 4-17)
England 1st innings 306 (J. Taylor 76;
Shoaib Malik 4-33, Yasir Shah 3-99)
Pakistan 2nd innings 355 (Mohammad Hafeez 151, Asad Shafiq 46; S.
Broad 3-44)
England 2nd innings (overnight 46-2)
Moeen Ali lbw b Malik...........................22
A. Cook st Ahmed b Malik ...................63
I. Bell b Malik................................................0
J. Root lbw b Shah.....................................6
J. Taylor c Younis b Babar ..................... 2
J. Bairstow lbw b Shah ............................0
S. Patel lbw b Babar..................................0
Adil Rashid b Rahat ................................22
S. Broad c Malik b Shah ....................... 20
B. Stokes st Ahmed b Shah ..................12
J. Anderson not out..................................0
Extras: (b7, nb1, w1) ..................................9
Total: (all out; 60.3 overs) ............. 156
Fall of wickets: 1-34 (Ali), 2-34 (Bell),
3-48 (Root), 4-57 (Taylor), 5-58
(Bairstow), 6-59 (Patel), 7-108 (Rashid),
8-138 (Broad), 9-150 (Cook)
Bowling: Rahat 5-1-23-1, Riaz 5-0-25-0
(1nb), Babar 18-5-31-2, Malik 15-4-26-3,
Shah 17.3-2-44-4
Result: Pakistan win by 127 runs.

We competed really well in all three

of the games but at critical moments we
couldnt dominate Pakistan, said Cook.
Had we grabbed our chances on the
fourth day it would have been different.
England were in danger of losing the
match before lunch but Adil Rashid (22)
helped add 49 for the seventh wicket
with Cook to delay Pakistans win.
Cook punched paceman Rahat Ali for
a single to reach his 46th half-century in
Tests.
When the nal day began England
were rocked right at the start, losing four
wickets in the space of 31 balls after resuming at 46-2.
Shah trapped Joe Root in the second over with a delivery that kept low
and caught the batsman in front of the
stumps before he had added to his overnight score of six.
James Taylor survived nine deliveries
to score two before Babar spun one across
his bat for Younis Khan to take the edge
in the slip. In the next over, Shah trapped
Jonny Bairstow leg-before for nought.
It became 59-6 when Samit Patel was
leg-before in Babars next over, leaving
England in fear of being bowled out for
their lowest total of 72 against Pakistan
when they crumbled in Abu Dhabi in
2012.

akistans Test captain

Misbah-ul-Haq looked
forward to his teams
bigger challenges ahead
after thumping England 2-0 in
the three-match series in Sharjah yesterday, saying wins on
away tours matter.
The series win lifted Pakistan
to number two in the Test rankings but Misbah said it will be
how they perform on away tours
which will make his team greater.
I think our biggest challenge
is to play abroad so we have to
get ready for that and prepare for
that, said Misbah of Pakistans
tours to England in July next year
followed by visits to New Zealand and Australia.
Misbah said his team needed
to prepare for the four Test tour
of England as of now.
We have achieved a big and
satisfying win against England
but we have to forget that and
from now on really prepare for
the tough challenges as we have
to plan differently on tours, said
Misbah, who remains undecided
over his own Test future.
There has been a lot of talk
on that, said Misbah who had
hinted retiring from Test cricket
after the England series. Obviously I have some time to think
about that, at the moment not
sure about that.
Lets see, we have enough
time for the next series and I
can just rethink and plan what
I am going to do in the next two
three months, said Misbah, who
admitted it will be tough to mo-

tivate himself after only playing

one format.
Obviously the hunger is
there. I love the game and want to
play it. The one thing that is difcult is when you are not playing
any competitive cricket for six to
eight months and suddenly you
come and play against top players, that is the period where you
need to motivate yourself, if you
do then its good.
Misbah admitted England proved
tough opponents, coming close to
an upset win in the rst Test and delaying Pakistans wins in the last two
Tests until the fth day.
I think as far as the win is
concerned this is great because
England is one of the top teams
and the way they have been playing after winning the Ashes and
they put up good ght in all three
Tests, so its satisfying to win.
Pakistan, defending a 284-run
target, needed eight wickets on
Thursday morning. They grabbed
four inside the rst hour before
Alastair Cook (62) and Adil Rashid
(22) put on a valiant 49-run stand
for the seventh wicket.
Leg-spinner Yasir Shah (444) and Shoaib Malik (3-26) dismissed England for 156 to give
Pakistan a 127-run win.
Obviously we were very condent of the win, said Misbah.
Because the manner in which
our bowlers bowled yesterday
and the pitch was spinning but
we were also aware that England
team has good players and their
depth in the batting.
We got our rewards by taking four early wickets at the start
and then spinners dis the trick.
Credit to Yasir, Malik and all other bowlers.

Younis back in Pakistan ODiI squad

Sharjah: Pakistan yesterday
recalled senior batsman Younis
Khan in the 16-man squad for
the one-day series against England starting later this month,
despite reservations over his
current form.
The 37-year-old batsman was
discarded from the one-day
team after a poor tour of New
Zealand and 2015 World Cup in
April, where he managed just
77 runs in six matches.
But chief selector Haroon Rasheed said Pakistan would need

his batting experience during

the four-match series.
Obviously his current Test
form is good and we need a
senior batsman to stabilise our
middle order batting, Rasheed
told AFP.
Squad: Azhar Ali (captain),
Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed
Shehzad, Younis Khan, Shoaib
Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Yasir
Shah, Wahab Riaz, Zafar Gohar,
Mohammad Irfan, Rahat Ali,
Anwar Ali, Amir Yamin, Bilal Asif.

BOTTOMLINE

Cook admits England second best to Pakistan

AFP
Sharjah

lastair Cook admitted his

Ashes winning England team
was second best to Pakistan
as they lost the three-match
series 2-0 following defeat in Sharjah
yesterday.
Chasing a daunting 284-run target,
England were bowled out for 156 on a
weary fth day pitch, with leg-spinner
Yasir Shah taking 4-44 and Shoaib Malik nishing with 3-26.
It is a really tough tour, said Cook,
who top-scored with 63 in the second
innings.
Our record here is second to best.
For everything in the last 15 days with
our commitment and desire to do well
in really testing conditions, we could
not achieve it.
Cook rued missed chances, dropping
Pakistan opener Mohammad Hafeez

Alastair Cook and teammates look dejected after losing the Test series to Pakistan.

twice during his 151 and Asad Shaq on

29 on Wednesday, which allowed Pakistan to score 355 in the second knock.
The bottom line is that we were
quite good enough with the bat to repel
the Pakistan bowlers at crucial times
and then in the eld we slipped some
tough half chances yesterday when the
game was still very much alive.
We were there but we were not quite
good enough to put Pakistan under
enough pressure to grab the opportunity.
Cook admitted England did not have
quality spinners as compared to Pakistan.
It is clear that we havent got world
class spinners, that is very obvious to
see. That does not mean they cant develop into, said Cook whose spinners
Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid nished
with nine and eight wickets respectively.
Contrastingly, Pakistans leg-spinner Yasir Shah grabbed 15 in two Tests,

Malik 11 and Zulqar Babar nine.

Cook said England won a series in India three years ago with Graeme Swann
and Monty Panser as two quality spinners in their ranks.
A lot of it is a bit of luck as when we
went to India in 2012 with two of the
best spinners in the world at the top of
their game we won a series, said Cook
of Englands 2-1 win.
We know and ECB (England and
Wales Cricket Board) knows that there
is an issue of not developing spinners at
the moment.
Moeen is quickest with 50 wickets,
he has really done a good job as a back
up spinner.
The 2-0 loss slid England to sixth
in the Test rankings, something Cook
doesnt worry about.
I think the rankings are hard. Do
they lie? I dont know, they do probably
when it is such close points between
third and sixth or seventh. Let us not
worry about rankings.

Gulf Times
Friday, November 6, 2015

CRICKET
REPORT

SPOTLIGHT

Warner, Khawaja
hit tons as Aussies
batter Black Caps

Elgar grabs 4-22

as India fall in
their own spin trap

With Warner plundering 163 runs off 224 balls, the Australians pounded the ragged Black
Caps to go to stumps at 389 for twotheir highest first-day score at the Brisbane ground
SCORECARD

AFP
Brisbane

Australia 1st innings

J. Burns c Watling b Southee 71
D. Warner c Taylor b Neesham 163
U. Khawaja not out 102
S. Smith not out 41
Extras (6lb, 3w, 3nb) 12
Total (2 wickets; 88 overs) 389
Fall of wickets: 1-161 (Burns), 2-311
(Warner)
To bat: A. Voges, M. Marsh, P.
Nevill, M. Johnson, M. Starc, J.
Hazlewood, N. Lyon.
Bowling: Southee 19-5-63-1
(1nb), Boult 19-2-90-0, Bracewell
18-2-79-0 (1nb, 1w), Craig 21-3-96-0,
Neesham 7-1-36-1 (2w, 1nb), Williamson 4-0-19-0
Toss: Australia
Umpires: Nigel Llong (ENG)
Richard Illingworth (ENG)
TV umpire: Sundaram Ravi (IND)
Match referee: Roshan Mahanama (SRI)

avid Warner backed up

his feisty words with
runs as he hit his 13th
Test century and Usman Khawaja claimed his maiden
ton as Australia took an iron grip
on day one of the rst Test against
New Zealand yesterday.
The outspoken Warner, who
had derided the Kiwis as Mr. Nice
Guys and vowed an aggressive
approach, lived up to his promise with his second-highest Test
score against an underwhelming
New Zealand attack at the Gabba.
With Warner plundering 163
runs off 224 balls, the Australians
pounded the ragged Black Caps
to go to stumps at 389 for two
their highest rst-day score at the
Brisbane ground.
Khawaja also cashed in, reaching his rst Test century just before the close and nishing the
day unbeaten on 102 with skipper
Steve Smith not out on 41.
Along the way Smith raised
1,000 Test runs in the calendar
year as Australia eased doubts
about their new-look side after a
host of retirements at the start of
the three-match series.
We knew if we could grind
away and bring their strike bowlers back itd make it a lot easier at
the end of the day and I think the
scoreboard reects how well we
actually played, Warner said.
With each individual we built
big partnerships. I think its always important as an opening
batsman just to come out here and
do a good job.
Warner was nally out to one
of his few false strokes of the day,
but it took Ross Taylors marvellous one-handed catch above his
head at slip to snare the prized
wicket off James Neesham.
The irrepressible left-hander
smashed 22 fours and one six for
his second-highest Test score, after his 180 against India in Perth
almost three years ago.
Only four Australian openersMatt Hayden (30), Mark
Taylor (19), Justin Langer (16)
and Michael Slater (14) -- have
amassed more Test centuries than
Warners 13.
Warner shared in two mammoth stands with Joe Burns (161)
and Khawaja (150) to have the
Australians in full ow at a ground
where they have not lost a Test
match since 1988.
Pakistan-born Khawaja deposited a huge down payment on
a regular Test spot with a silky
hundred after a stop-start career
in his previous nine Tests since
making his debut against England
in Sydney in 2011.
The stylish Khawaja kept the
runs owing with his maiden Test
ton off 123 balls after new opener
Burns had shared in a substantial
opening stand with Warner to
overpower the Black Caps on the
opening day of the series.

It was a bold statement from

Smiths unfamiliar Australian
team, after the post-Ashes departures of former skipper Michael
Clarke along with stalwarts Shane
Watson, Chris Rogers, Brad Haddin and Ryan Harris.
Burns and Khawaja tted seamlessly into the revamped Australian batting line-up, providing
prolic support for the freewheeling Warner.
The Australians scored briskly
against the unthreatening bowling and shoddy elding, clocking up their 300 at almost a run a
minute.
It was a deating opening day
for Brendon McCullums Black
Caps, who are looking for their
rst series win in Australia for 30
years.
Obviously, its a tough day of
cricket. Two very good innings
that hurt us, Kiwi wicketkeeper
BJ Watling said.
Were obviously not in the ideal situation. If we hang in there for
long enough, and take this game
deep, well see where it goes.
Burns completed his third consecutive Test half-century before
he edged Tim Southee to Watling
for 71.
Burns, opening the innings after batting at number six in his
previous two Test appearances
against India last home season,
made the most of his opportunity
after being bypassed by selectors
for this years Ashes series in England.
He batted for 183 minutes and
hit 12 fours in his solid 120-ball
knock. Skipper McCullum tinkered with some exotic eld placements, even placing eight men
on the off-side for Warner at one
stage facing Southee, but to no
avail.
Warner survived a review for
leg before wicket off Bracewell
on 39 after replays showed the
ball pitching outside leg stump,
and shortly after he smashed
Bracewell straight over the sight
screen for six.

South Africas Dean Elgar (R) is watched by umpire Kumar Dhamasena

as he delivers a ball during play on the first day of the first Test match
between India and South Africa at The Punjab Cricket Association
Stadium in Mohali yesterday.
AFP
Mohali

ean Elgar was the unlikely bowling hero for

South Africa as the
tourists skittled India
for 201 on the opening day of the
rst Test in Mohali yesterday.
The part-time left-arm spinner, who had managed just six
wickets in 17 previous Tests,
grabbed four for 22 runs on the
dry, dusty pitch which he later
described as not being good for
cricket.
South Africa were themselves
reduced to 9-2 in reply before
ending an eventful days play on
28 without further loss at the I.S.
Bindra stadium.
Off-spinner
Ravichandran
Ashwin claimed Stiaan van Zyl
leg-before for ve and left-arm
slow bowler Ravindra Jadeja
bowled Faf du Plessis for no score
with his second delivery.
Elgar (13 not out) and skipper Hashim Amla (nine not out)
warded off the immediate threat
from the Indian spinners to ensure there were no further setbacks for the tourists.
Opener Murali Vijay was the
lone top-order Indian batsman
to offer resistance, making 75 before he was sixth out, leg-before
while trying to sweep off-spinner Simon Harmer.
India were reduced to 154-7
before Jadeja (38) and Ashwin (20
not out) lifted the total with a 42run stand for the eighth wicket.
Elgar slammed the wicket as
one that teams would usually
encounter on the fourth day of a
Test despite recording his bestever Test gures.
It is not a good cricket pitch
but it is wicket that will produce
a result either way, he said. We
sorted of expected it to play like
that but we didnt expect it to
crumble the way it already has.
It was right up there with
the hardest ever Test cricket Ive

played. Lets hope that it can

backre (on India) and turn out
to be a great victory for us.
Indian batting coach Sanjay
Bangar said his teams total of 201
was not inadequate on what he
said was a challenging pitch.
I am not saying it is a good
wicket or a bad wicket, but it is
a challenging wicket where runmaking is not so easy, said Bangar.
It may look that we have only
201 on the board but it is worth
much more than that in these
conditions.
South Africa, the number one
Test side, claimed three wickets
in the morning session after India won the toss and gained the
advantage of batting rst on a
pitch that is expected to deteriorate further.
The rst wicket fell before
a run had been scored when
Shikhar Dhawan hung his bat out
to a swinging ball from Vernon
Philander and edged a catch to
Amla at rst slip.
Cheteshwar Pujara and Vijay
retrieved the situation with a 63run partnership for the second
wicket when Elgar stepped up
with the ball and, an over later,
with a low catch to make it 65-3.
Elgar trapped Pujara leg-before for 31 with his fourth delivery when he was summoned by
Amla to bowl the 22nd over.
Four balls later, Elgar dived in
the covers to remove Indian captain Virat Kohli for one on his
27th birthdayalso giving debutant fast bowler Kagiso Rabada
his rst Test wicket.
India, who went to lunch at
82-3, were set back once again by
Elgar who took two wickets off
successive deliveries spread over
two overs to reduce the hosts to
102-5.
Both Ajinkya Rahane (15)
and Wriddhiman Saha (0) were
snapped up by Amla in the slips,
but Ravindra Jadeja denied Elgar
a hat-trick by defending the next
ball.

MOHALI SCORECARD

Australian batsman Usman Khawaja celebrates his maiden Test century during the first Test
match against New Zealand in Brisbane yesterday.

India 1st innings:

M. Vijay lbw b Harmer 75
S. Dhawan c Amla b Philander 0
C. Pujara lbw b Elgar 31
V. Kohli c Elgar b Rabada 1
A. Rahane c Amla b Elgar 15
W. Saha c Amla b Elgar 0
R. Jadeja lbw b Philander 38
A. Mishra c Steyn b Elgar 6
R. Ashwin not out 20
U. Yadav b Tahir 5
V. Aaron b Tahir 0
Extras: (b6, lb1, nb3) 10
Total (all out, 68 overs) 201
Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Dhawan),
2-63 (Pujara), 3-65 (Kohli), 4-102
(Rahane), 5-102 (Saha), 6-140 (Vijay), 7-154 (Mishra), 8-196 (Jadeja),

9-201 (Yadav), 10-201 (Aaron).

Bowling: Steyn 11-3-30-0, Philander 15-5-38-2, Harmer 14-1-51-1,
Rabada 10-0-30-1 (nb3), Elgar 8-122-4, Tahir 10-3-23-2.
South Africa 1st innings:
D. Elgar not out 13
S. van Zyl lbw b Ashwin 5
F. du Plessis b Jadeja 0
H. Amla not out 9
Extras: (lb1) 1
Total (for two wickets, 20 overs)
28
Fall of wickets: 1-9 (van Zyl), 2-9
(du Plessis).
Bowling: Ashwin 7-3-4-1, Yadav
3-1-5-0, Aaron 3-1-4-0, Jadeja 5-0-7-1,
Mishra 2-0-7-0.

BOTTOMLINE

Khawaja pinching himself after emotional ton

AFP
Brisbane

ustralias Usman Khawaja was

pinching himself yesterday
after he nally broke through
for an emotional rst Test
centuryan achievement he craved so
much he once dreamed of it and woke
up feeling unhappy.
Pakistan-born Khawaja, 28, who
came to Australia as a young child from
Pakistan, put the gloss on a dominating
day with an unbeaten 102 in an imposing rst-day total of 389 for two in the
rst Test against New Zealand.
Dashing opener David Warner set
the platform with his second-highest

Australian batsmen David Warner (R) and teammate Usman Khawaja take a run
in Brisbane yesterday.

Test score of 163, but it was the stylish

Khawaja who added the icing with his
maiden Test hundred off just 123 balls
to put the home side in a powerful position.
Khawaja was recalled to the Australian team in the wake of several highprole retirements including skipper
Michael Clarke and Shane Watson after
a stop-start career in his nine previous
Tests back to his 2011 debut.
But any doubts about Khawajas
place in the Australian team were put to
rest with his elegant knock of 10 fours
and two sixes to justify his place at
number three.
It was an emotional Khawaja who ran
away from the pitch to raise his bat into
the air in triumph and was hugged by

his batting partner and captain Steve

Smith nearing stumps.
It was just elation, the biggest
amount of emotional relief. Ive wanted
to get a Test hundred for Australia my
whole life, Khawaja said.
There were times over the last
three or four years (I thought) it might
not happen, but when it did happen
the build up of a lot of emotions came
out because its what I always dreamt
about.
I physically actually dreamt about it
once then I woke up and it was a horrible day. Im glad it came into fruition,
hopefully I dont wake up in the next
ve minutes.
Vice-captain Warner, whose 13th
Test century laid the foundations for

Australias record rst-day total at the

Gabba, paid tribute to a player he has
known since childhood.
I couldnt be any more prouder, as a
childhood friend growing up with him
I know how much it means to him,
Warner said.
But it means a lot to his family.
Credit to them as well.
Hes had a bit of adversity there
with his knee (injury) and coming back,
really working hard to get back into this
team.
Now I think it shows hes cemented
his spot there and credit to him the way
he played. The runs owed easily for
Khawaja at his adopted Gabba ground
after leaving New South Wales to play
with Queensland in 2012.

Gulf Times
Friday, November 6, 2015

GOLF
WGC-HSBC CHAMPIONS

FOCUS

Grace leads WGC

in Shanghai,
McIlroy guts it out
Irishman was bedridden for two days following a bout of food poisoning
Reuters
Shanghai

outh African Branden Grace shot

a sparkling nine-under-par 63 to
take a one-shot lead in the opening round of the WGC-HSBC
Champions yesterday while Rory McIlroy
overcame a bout of food poisoning to nish the day ve strokes back.
The world number three had been bedridden for two days and missed out on
practice rounds at the Sheshan Golf Club
in Shanghai, and while he did not look
back to full health he still carded a fourunder 68 to sit in a tie for 16th.
It was a score matched by world
number two Jordan Spieth, defending
champion Bubba Watson and South African major winners Charl Schwartzel and
Louis Oosthuizen in an opening round
delayed 30 minutes because of heavy fog.
When the fog lifted it was Grace who
saw the hole clearest, the 27-year-old
from Pretoria rolling in a short birdie putt
on his last, the ninth, to sign for a 63 and
break out of a four-way tie at the top of
the leaderboard.
Grace took advantage of the soft conditions following heavy rain on Wednesday
evening to re some pinpoint irons in his
bogey-free round at the $8.5mn event,
which Watson won with an 11-under total
last year.
American Kevin Kisner, Australian
Steven Bowditch and Dane Thorbjorn
Olesen all red 64s to sit one back of the
world number 22.
American Dustin Johnson, chasing his
second WGC title of the year after his Cadillac Championship win in March, produced another dazzling display of long
hitting before nishing with a sevenunder 65.
The 2013 champion was also inches
away from a hole-in-one at the 197-yard
fourth.
Seven-under was good enough for
a share of fth alongside compatriot
Patrick Reed and Englands Danny Willett, who is second in the European Tours
Race to Dubai standings behind McIlroy with two events remaining after this
week.
McIlroys participation had been in
doubt due to his illness but he loaded up
with antibiotics and painkillers before
producing a six-birdie effort.
The round could have been even better but for a double bogey six on his sixth
hole and a cold putter.
Double major winner Spieth scrambled
well in his 68, his rst outing since last
months Presidents Cup win, overcoming
a lost ball at the par three 17th following a
wild tee shot.
I hit one or two stray shots but that
back nine, two-under the last three, was
fantastic. I stole a couple there and Im
pleased with four-under, the Masters
and US Open champion said.
LEADING FIRST ROUND SCORES
63 - Branden Grace (RSA)
64 - Thorbjorn Olesen (DEN), Steven Bow-

AFP
Shanghai

hinas young rising star

Li Haotong (pictured)
once again showed he
has the temperament
and the talent to compete with
the worlds best as he shot a sixunder par 66 at the WGC-HSBC
Champions yesterday.
It left the 20-year-old in sole
possession of eighth place in the
world-class 78-man eld after a
rst round in which he thrilled
large galleries of local fans at
Sheshan International Golf Club
in Shanghai.
Li is three strokes behind
leader Branden Grace, but an impressive two shots clear of some
of golfs biggest stars in Jordan
Spieth, Rory McIlroy and Bubba
Watson, who have won eight majors between them.
Actually, today, before, my
feeling wasnt that good, so I
dont know why, but today I
played very well. Its very exciting, he told AFP after his opening round in the $8.5 million
event.
Li has endured a busy time
lately, playing consecutive weeks
in Macau, Hong Kong and Turkey after spending most of the
summer struggling for form on
the US PGAs second-tier Web.
com Tour.

But he nally demonstrated

some of his prodigious ability at
last weeks Turkish Airlines Open
where he nished seven-under
par in a share of 26th place.
The big-hitting youngster also
clearly enjoyed Thursday being
able to re into greens that had
been softened by two days of rain.
The greens were way softer
than (when I played here) before
so this helped a lot. Today, my
irons were pretty good, giving me
a lot of putts under 10 foot. Also,
I made a lot of putts. Very lucky,
he added.
He rst rose to prominence
at another European Tour event
on Chinese soil, the Shenzhen
International in April this year,
when as a 19-year-old he outshone double Masters champion
Watson with whom he played
three rounds.
He was eventually pipped to
the title by Thailands Kiradechn
Aphibarnrat in a play-off.
His home club is Shanghais
nearby Lake Malaren, the venue
for next weeks BMW Masters,
and Li enjoyed some vociferous
support as he bounced back from
a bogey at the rst hole to card
eight birdies.
Im getting more comfortable
(with the crowds), he said.
I played three rounds with
Bubba in Shenzhen, so that
helped me become more comfortable.

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays a shot during the WGC-HSBC Champions golf tournament in Shanghai yesterday. (AFP)
ditch (AUS), Kevin Kisner (USA)
65 - Dustin Johnson (USA), Danny Willett
(ENG), Patrick Reed (USA)
66 - Li Haotong (CHN)
67 - Tommy Fleetwood (ENG), Trevor
Fisher Jnr (RSA), Russell Knox (SCO), Harris English (USA), Thomas Pieters (BEL),
Paul Casey (ENG), Zhang Xinjun (CHN)
68 - Charl Schwartzel (RSA), Hunter
Mahan (USA), Chris Wood (ENG), Richard
T Lee (CAN), Scott Hend (AUS), Louis
Oosthuizen (RSA), Soren Kjeldsen (DEN),
Jordan Spieth (USA), Bubba Watson (USA),
Daniel Berger (USA), Rory McIlroy (NIR),
Rickie Fowler (USA), Sergio Garcia (ESP),
Daniel Summerhays (USA), Matthew
Fitzpatrick (ENG)
69 - S.S.P. Chawrasia (IND), James Morrison (ENG), Martin Kaymer (GER), Ross
Fisher (ENG), Marc Leishman (AUS),
Emiliano Grillo (ARG), Wu Ashun (CHN),
An Byeong-Hun (KOR), Gary Woodland
(USA), Kiradech Aphibarnrat (THA), Henrik Stenson (SWE)

Mickelson splits with swing coach

Harmon

South Africas Branden Grace leads after round one with a nine-under 63. (AFP)

BOTTOMLINE

Scott brushes off caddie Williams slave furore

AFP
Shanghai

ormer Masters champion Adam

Scott (pictured) yesterday
brushed aside questions about his
caddie Steve Williams who said
he felt like a slave to Tiger Woods in his
controversial autobiography published
this week. Williams parted with Woods in
2011 after helping him win all but one of
his 14 major titles.
He then teamed up with Scott, but
since last year has been semi-retired with
an agreement to work for 10 events a year
with the Australian.
The caddie, once ranked as New Zealands richest sportsman while he worked
for Woods, wrote in the book released
Monday that he also felt tainted by the sex
scandal involving the golng superstar.
I havent read it, Scott said of the
book after he shot a poor opening 75 to be
12 shots off the lead in the WGC-HSBC
Champions in Shanghai yesterday. Must
be in the mail still.
Williams was carrying Scotts bag at
last weeks CIMB Classic in Malaysia

Local boy Li
shines among
the WGC stars

but is absent from Shanghai this week,

a venue in which the New Zealander has
created a furore in the past.
Four years ago at the Caddie of the
Year awards which are held annually
at the Sheshan venue, he whipped up a
storm.

Immediately after Scott won the

Bridgestone Invitational in the US in
2011, Williams claimed on TV it was the
best win Ive ever had, despite winning
13 majors with Woods.
Asked on stage at the Shanghai caddie
awards later in the year why he had said

that, he replied it was because he wanted

to shove it up Woods black arsehole.
He later apologised, but the animosity he clearly has for his former employer
surfaced again with publication of the
book this week.
The New Zealander claims he was
hounded by the media after Woods sex
scandal hit the headlines in 2009, but was
still determined to stick by his friend.
For months on end, my life was absolutely miserable, he says in Out of the
Rough, written with journalist Michael
Donaldson.
Another part of the book says: One
thing that really pissed me off was how
he would ippantly toss a club in the general direction of the bag, expecting me to
go over and pick it up. I felt uneasy about
bending down to pick up his discarded
clubit was like I was his slave.
Scott stuck by Williams after the outburst four years ago, going on to win the US
Masters in 2013 and rising to world number
one in 2014. It looks like he will again.
I dont know exactly whats in the
book. As I said, I havent read it, added
Scott. I think everyone knows probably
what to expect.

Los Angeles: Phil Mickelson and swing coach Butch

Harmon announced on
Wednesday they have decided
to part ways after an eight-year
partnership that brought two
majors among 12 PGA Tour
victories.
Mickelson, 45, has slipped to
25th in the world after back-toback winless seasons.
He said in a statement
released to golf.com that he
had improved a great deal
after working with one of the
sports greatest teachers but
that he was looking for a fresh
approach.
Ive learned a great deal from
him in our eight years together.
Its just that at the moment I
need to hear new ideas from
a different perspective, said
Mickelson, who last recorded
a victory at the 2013 British
Open.
Mickelson linked up with Harmon in 2007 and notched up 12
PGA victories including the 2010
Masters and the 2013 Open.

The change comes after two

consecutive winless seasons,
the longest drought of a professional career that includes
42 PGA Tour wins.
Mickelson said Harmon
deserved a place among the
greats of the game.
Butch is one of the great
teachers in the history of the
game, and I believe he deserves to be in the World Golf
Hall of Fame, he said.
The 72-year-old Harmon,
who has coached some of
golfs biggest names including Tiger Woods and currently has the likes of Dustin
Johnson and Rickie Fowler
on his books, said there
were no hard feelings about
the split.
Helping him win the Open
Championship in 2013 was one
of the pinnacles of my career,
Harmon said in the statement.
I see nothing wrong with him
seeking advice from another
source. Were great friends and
always will be.

Gulf Times
Friday, November 6, 2015

MOTORSPORT
MOTOGP

Haas would have signed Magnussen

if Grosjean said no

CAS rejects Rossis

appeal, to start last
in Valencia decider
Rossi leads Spanish rival Lorenzo by seven points ahead of the Valencia finale
Reuters
London

talian great Valentino Rossi goes

into Sundays MotoGP title decider
in Valencia with his hopes of a 10th
world championship hanging by a
thread after a court ruled he must start in
last place.
The 36-year-old, who has won seven
of his titles in the top category and is
battling against Yamaha team mate Jorge
Lorenzo for another, had sought a stay
of execution for the penalty pending an
appeal hearing.
However, the Lausanne-based Court
of Arbitration for Sport said in a statement it had dismissed Rossis application
and upheld a stewards decision from last
months Malaysian Grand Prix.
Valentino Rossi will commence the
next (and last) event of the season...from
the last grid position, it said.
The CAS added, though, that the arbitration procedure remained in progress
and a nal decision had yet to be made on
the merits of the case.
Rossi leads Spanish rival Lorenzo by
seven points, with 25 for a win, ahead
of a nale that has been overshadowed
by controversy since the last round in
Malaysia.
The row kicked off, literally according
to Rossis accusers, when the Italian tangled with Hondas outgoing double world
champion Marc Marquez at Sepang.
The young Spaniard has said Rossi
used his leg to make him crash, an allegation the Italian has denied while suggesting Marquez was trying to sabotage his
championship bid and help Lorenzo.
Race stewards allowed Rossi to keep
his third-place result in Malaysia but
handed him three penalty points which,
added to an earlier one, triggered an
automatic demotion for Valencia.
The sanction has divided the sport,
fuelled national rivalries and led to
nger-pointing in both directions.
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi
called Rossi to express his support while
Spanish counterpart Mariano Rajoy took
to Twitter to back Marquez. Yamaha
have taken up the cudgels against Honda.
Spanish media have compared Rossis
actions to those of Italian defender
Mauro Tassotti who elbowed Spains
Luis Enrique in the face in an infamous
incident in the quarter-nals of the 1994
soccer World Cup.
On the other side, Marquez led a
legal complaint after he and his family
were allegedly insulted and physically
attacked by Italian television reporters at
their home near Barcelona.
Hundreds of thousands have also
signed an online petition calling on
MotoGP organisers to drop the Valencia
penalty.
Such has been the atmosphere that the
International Motorcycling Federation
(FIM) and promoters DORNA cancelled
Thursdays pre-race news conference
and summoned riders to address the
situation.
The recent events ... have had a damaging effect on the staging of our competitions and poisoned the atmosphere

London: The new Haas Formula

One team would have offered
former McLaren reserve Kevin
Magnussen (pictured) a race seat
for 2016 if Frenchman Romain
Grosjean had not accepted it, owner
Gene Haas said on Wednesday.
We talked to Magnussen, who was
a very good candidate, the American told the Formula1.com website.
He was very well respected by the
McLaren team.
In fact if Romain had declined we
would have taken Magnussen as the
primary seat.
Magnussen, 23, raced for McLaren
in 2014 and was reserve this season.
He was told on his birthday last
month that the team had no place
for him.
The Dane now looks sure to leave
Formula One, with tailenders Manor
the only team still to confirm drivers
for 2016.
Ferrari-powered Haas, the first U.S.
owned team since 1986, are making
their debut next season with Grosjean and Mexican Esteban Gutierrez.

FOCUS

QSBK, Qatar Challenge

ready for another
exciting round
By Sports Reporter
Doha

he third round of Qatar

Superbike Championship will take place this
weekend, today and tomorrow at Losail International
Circuit.
The previous round threw up an
exciting battle between defending
champion Alex Cudlin and Mishal
al-Naimi; this weekend the battle
is expected to continue.
Cudlin is feeling really good on
the bike this season and said he is
very motivated to ght again for
the victory.
Im really looking forward to
round three. Obviously its important we keep our momentum
going after winning the rst 4
races of the season. Round 2 was
a real battle with Mishal and I
was happy to win. I hope round 3
will be just as spectacular for the
spectators, the Australian said.
I have felt really good on the
bike so far this season. Im motivated, t and have a bike Im
comfortable with so this gives
me a wealth of condence. I cant
wait to get out on track on Friday.
Hopefully the conditions are good
and the racing is great. Best of luck
to all the competitors and thanks
to QMMF for having me again.

around the sport, said FIM president

Vito Ippolito.
I express the hope that ... in Valencia
the riders will ght it out on the track
and in a way that fully respects the spirit
of fair play.
Lorenzos Italian sponsor quits
after Rossi furore
Rome: An Italian watch company that
sponsors Spanish rider Jorge Lorenzo
is to quit MotoGP as a result of a bitter
controversy that has hit the title hopes of

Yamaha team mate Valentino Rossi.

Italian Rossi leads championship rival
Lorenzo by seven points ahead of Sundays nale in Valencia but has been sent
to the back of the grid after clashing with
Spaniard Marc Marquez in Malaysia.
Lorenzo has most to gain from Rossis
penalty and submitted a written statement to the Court of Arbitration for
Sport that ruled on Thursday against the
Italians appeal for a stay of execution.
The controversy has caused huge ruc-

tions in Spain and Italy, where Rossi is

one of the most popular and high prole
sportsmen.
Watch company Sector No Limits said
in a statement that its brand values had
always been sportsmanship, challenge,
healthy competition and integrity.
The rm added that it had decided to
leave MotoGP at the end of the season
because it could not identify with the
events of recent weeks in the world
championship.

Al-Naimi, who nished second in the previous round, said

he was focussed and motivated to
ght for the two wins this weekend.
For sure this weekend there
will be a nice battle with Alex and
Nasser (al-Malki) and I will push
very hard to be in front and take
the win, the Qatari said.
Cudlin leads the championship with 100 points, while alNaimi is second with 80 and
al-Malki third with 61. Saeed alSulaiti is in fourth position with
50 points.
In the Qatar Supersport
Championship, Saudi Arabian
rider Abdul Aziz bin Ladin leads
the standings with 100 points,
followed by Fahad al-Sowaidi of
Qatar with 80 points and Saudi
Arabias Ahmed al-Muyini with
64 points.
Qatar Challenge defending
champion Mark Holroyd said
he is very excited going into the
second round of the season today. I really want to start the
second round of the championship. All the preparations are
going well and my car is ready
for another exciting battle
with the others. I would like to
thank my sponsor Ooredoo and
QMMF for the support and this
exciting championship, Holroyd said.

Alex Cudlin (left) and Mishal al-Naimi in action during the QSBK race at
the Losail International Circuit on October 17, 2015.

FIA Women Cross Country Selection

Red Bull Car Park Drifting today at Losail circuit

One of the participants of the FIA Women Cross Country Selection attempts to get out a rally car stuck in sand
during a practical session on day three of the five day programme in Sealine. The 18 participants of the programme,
being hosted by the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation, were also trained for safety in dunes and working on
mechanical hits among other things.

QMMF president and FIA vice president Nasser Khalifa al-Attiyah with Lebanese rally driver Abdo Feghali ahead of
the Red Bull Car Park Drifting Championship, which will run today at the Losail International Circuit. The event, which
returns after a break of five years, will run from 19:30 to 22:00 and a total of 25 drivers will show their drifting abilities,
with the winner joining the best drifters on November 20 in Dubai. The event is open to public with free entrance.

Gulf Times
Friday, November 6, 2015

SPORT
NBA

Curry shoots Warriors

past Clippers in big clash
Barnes ignited the comeback with 10 straight points, including a pair of 3-pointers. Curry then buried consecutive triples
DPA
Los Angeles

he NBA Champion Golden State

Warriors were given their stiffest test of the young season and
remained perfect.
Reigning league MVP Stephen Curry
red in 31 points, including 13 straight in
the nal quarter, rallying the Warriors to
a thrilling 112-108 home-court victory
over the previously unbeaten LA Clippers on Wednesday night.
When we really needed him most, he
stepped up for us, interim head coach
Luke Walton said of Curry. Hes a winner, and he showed why hes MVP of the
league right now.
Harrison Barnes had 17 points, Klay
Thompson added 16 for Golden State (50), who stormed back from a 10-point
fourth quarter decit for a 21st consecutive victory at Oracle Arena.
They kept their poise out there, theyre
battle tested and responded beautifully in
the fourth quarter, Walton added.
Foul-plagued Chris Paul had 24 points
and nine assists while Blake Griffin netted 23 for the Clippers (4-1) who have lost
18 of the last 20 outings to their Western
Conference foes.
We had a lot of mistakes during the
game, thats the difference between us
and them, Clippers coach Doc Rivers
said. It was a heck of a basketball game.
Ill take this game all day.
The Warriors had blown out their rst
four opponents by an average of 25 points
but fell behind 10 early in the nal frame
before rallying.
We dont really get concerned, Warriors forward Draymond Green said. We
can cover 10 points in a couple of minutes.
Barnes ignited the comeback with
10 straight points, including a pair of
3-pointers. Curry then buried consecutive triples, to give the Warriors a 103-99
lead with 4:37 left.
The Clippers fought back to take their
last lead at 106-105 on a DeAndre Jordan
free throw with 1:17 to play.
Curry, however, splashed his seventh
triple of the game to put the Warriors
ahead for good. He added two free throws
but a Paul layup cut it to 110-108 before
Thompson sank two free throws with 13.3
seconds left to seal the win.
It was good for us to feel a little bit of
adversity against a good team like that,
Curry said. Were not going to blow everybody out this year. We answered the
bell.
Elsewhere:
Washington Wizards 102, San Antonio Spurs 99: Bradley Beal buried the
game-winning triple with three-tenths
of a second left to cap a 25-point effort,
and John Wall added 17 with 13 assists,

lifting the Wizards (3-2) over the visiting

Spurs. Kawhi Leonard had 23 points for
San Antonio (3-2) who have dropped the
last two meetings in the series after taking
the previous 17.
zIndiana Pacers 100, Boston Celtics 98: Paul George had 26 points with
10 rebounds, and Monta Ellis hit the tiebreaking free throws with 13.7 seconds
left, helping the Pacers (2-3) edge beat the
visiting Celtics. Isaiah Thomas led Boston
(1-3) with 27 points.
zAtlanta Hawks 101, Brooklyn Nets 87:
Al Horford tallied 21 points, Germanys
Dennis Schroder added 20, and the hosting Hawks (5-1) won their fth in a row
while dropping the Nets to 0-5 despite a
season-high 27 points by Brook Lopez.
zCleveland Cavaliers 96, New York
Knicks 86: LeBron James scored 11 of his
23 points in the fourth quarter, Mo Williams added 22, and the Cavs (4-1) rallied
past the visiting Knicks for their fourth
straight win. Carmelo Anthony collected
17 and 12 rebounds for New York (2-3)
which was outscored 58-40 in the second
half.
zHouston Rockets 119, Orlando Magic
114 (OT): James Harden scored seven of
his 28 points in overtime, Dwight Howard
added 23 with 14 rebounds as the Rockets
(2-3) beat the visiting Magic (1-4) despite
a 29-point effort from Frenchman Evan
Fournier.
zMilwaukee Bucks 91, Philadelphia
76ers 87: Khris Middleton scored 21
points, including a key triple with 48 seconds remaining, Greg Monroe added 18,
and the hosting Bucks (2-3) welcomed
back Jabari Parker while dropping the
Sixers to 0-6.
The second overall pick in the 2014
NBA draft, Parker scored just two points
on 1-of-6 shooting in his season-debut
since tearing his ACL on Dec. 15. Rookie
Jahlil Okafor topped Philadelphia with 21
points.
zToronto Raptors 103, Oklahoma City
Thunder 98: DeMar DeRozan scored 28
points, Jonas Valanciunas had 17 with 12
rebounds, and the unbeaten Raptors (5-0)
rallied from eight down midway through
the nal frame to beat the Thunder.
Kevin Durant red in 27 points and Russell Westbrook addd 22 with 16 assists for
hosting Oklahoma (3-2), who were outscored 30-17 in the fourth frame.
zPhoenix Suns 118, Sacramento Kings
97: Eric Bledsoe scored 19 points, Brandon Knight had all 17 in the second half
and the Suns (3-2) crushed the visiting
Kings (1-4), playing without All-Star
centre DeMarcus Cousins for the second
straight game because of a strained right
Achilles tendon.
zPortland Trail Blazers 108, Utah Jazz
92: Damian Lillard dropped in 35 points,
C.J. McCollum added 27 and the visiting
Trail Blazers (3-2) drummed the Jazz (22).

Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors

reacts after making a three-point basket
against the Los Angeles Clippers at ORACLE
Arena in Oakland, California, on Wednesday.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward

LeBron James (23) dunks in
the fourth quarter against
the New York Knicks at
Quicken Loans Arena on
Wednesday.

Jon Leuer of the Phoenix

Suns attempts a shot
against the Sacramento
Kings during the second
half of the NBA game at
Talking Stick Resort Arena
in Phoenix on Wednesday.

NHL

Penguins hang on to beat Canucks in first game of Western swing

game Western Canada trip.
David Perron got his rst goal in 24 games
to end an 0-for-28 shooting funk. Crosby
scored on the power play for his second goal
in 12 games.
For much of the night, though, it looked
like another stellar performance from Fleury,
who entered the game 6-1 with a 1.29 goalsagainst average over his past seven starts.
Fehrs goal gave the Penguins a three-goal
lead, but the Canucks jumped back in it with
goals by Henrik Sedin and Jannik Hansen late
in the third.
We just really sat back there, Crosby said.
Weve got to nd a way to control the play a
little bit more when teams start to press like
that.The Penguins held on because of the
cushion built by their special teams.
Their penalty killed has erased 17 straight
and 27 of 28, but their power play provided an
unexpected boost with Crosbys tally.
It followed a blown penalty-shot call for
Perron. The goal sequence started when Phil
Kessel gathered a rebound, shifted to the
point and ung a shot toward the net. Crosby
jumped in front and backhanded the puck past
Miller.
Really nice pass from Phil there, Crosby
said. I saw that they cheated up on (Evgeni
Malkin). Left me down there. I missed one
that (Kris Letang) gave me earlier. I tried to
stop this one to make a play. Nice pass from
him.After getting swept in the season series
against Vancouver last season, failing to score
a goal in either game, the Penguins improved
to 5-2-0 in their last seven games against the
Canucks.Theyve won four of their last six
here.

By Jason Mackey
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

ric Fehr isnt on pace for a 40-goal season.

Hes actually headed for 70 if this
continues.
Maybe all of them short-handed, too.
Fehr scored his second short-handed goal
in as many games after making his Penguins
debut Saturday to provide critical breathing
room during Wednesdays 3-2 win over the
Canucks at Rogers Arena.
Signed as a free agent July 28, Fehr missed
the rst 10 games of the season following offseason elbow surgery.
It appears as though hes making up for lost
time.
Having played on the power play before in
the past, its difficult when the penalty killers keep coming after you, Fehr said. Thats
what weve tried to do: chase them up ice and
force them to move pucks.
Were not expecting to score every night,
but we want to make them make good plays
and force the pucks out of their hands.
Yet Fehr has scored every night.
In the process, he became only the 13th
player in franchise history to begin his Penguins career with goals in multiple games.
Its the rst time a Penguin had shorthanded goals in consecutive games since Ryan
Malone in 2006.
Fehrs goal came on an individual rush that
started below his own blue line and ended
with a wrist shot from 14 feet that beat Canucks goaltender Ryan Miller at 10 minutes, 12
seconds of the third period.
Pretty one, Sidney Crosby said. That was
a nice individual effort.
Fleury stopped 18 of 20 shots as the Penguins won their fth straight game and eighth
in their past nine. It was the opener of a three-

Ondrej Pavelec of the Winnipeg Jets makes a save against the Toronto Maple Leafs during their NHL game on Wednesday.

RESULTS
Winnipeg
St. Louis
Pittsburgh
ANAHEIM

4
6
3
3

TORONTO 2
CHICAGO 5 (OT)
VANCOUVER 2
Florida 2 (SO)

Gulf Times
Friday, November 6, 2015

SPORT
OBITUARY

Graveney, elegant batsman

who thrilled the crowds
Graveney represented England in 79 Tests and played county cricket for Gloucestershire and Worcestershire
By David Frith
The Guardian

f all the poetic images ventured to

describe the cricketer Tom Graveney,
who has died aged 88, none surpasses
Alan Rosss perception of his batting
as yacht-like, beautiful in calm seas, yet at the
mercy of every change of weather. Tall, slim
of shoulder and gifted with rare elegance, he
seemed to belong naturally at the batting crease.
Indeed, his relaxed countryman image caused
the dour England captain Len Hutton to nurse
reservations about him. For his part, the affable Graveney was convinced that Hutton had no
trust in any cricketer with rosy cheeks.
First chosen for England in 1951 against South
Africa, Graveney went on to play in 79 Tests, the
last in 1969. Yet only occasionally, despite some
striking performances, was he an automatic
choice. Partly this was down to Huttons early
misgivings, but it was also due to Graveneys
frustrating inability to consistently project
himself as a rock solid presence at international
level. The grace and ease with which he batted
perhaps enhanced this impression, though the
sheer breadth of his achievements - including
more than 100 rst class hundreds belied it.
Born in Riding Mill, Northumberland,
Graveney was six when his father died, and he
was 11 when his mother took him and his elder
brother, Ken, to live in Bristol. Thereafter Tom
was to be regarded as a West Country man, enrolling at Bristol grammar school.
Ken, who played for Gloucestershire either
side of a long absence with a back injury, and
once took all 10 wickets against Derbyshire, saw
second world war service, landing in Normandy
on D-day. Tom joined the Gloucestershire regiment in 1945 for two years, serving in Egypt and
batting on concrete pitches, before returning to
secure a contract with the county club. On his
Gloucestershire debut in 1948 his batsmanship
was instantly perceived as high class.
On his rst overseas tour for England (195152) Graveney stroked 175 in a Bombay Test, and
in the memorable summer of 1953, against Australia, he was part of a celebrated Ashes winning
side. But a 92 in Trinidad was his main offering
in the classic 1953-54 England tour of the Caribbean, and the following winter he was selected
only twice in the winning series in Australia.
At least triumph came at the end of the tour
when he composed a century in the fth Test
at Sydney, his only 100 against the Aussies.
Pink-faced and perspiring profusely at a drinks
break when he had scored 86, upon resumption
Graveney stroked Keith Miller for four fours in
the next over. Later he chalked up his only Test
wicket when Colin McDonald nicked a legbreak to Godfrey Evans.
There was a short time when Graveney found
himself opening the innings for England, not a
preferred position. But when the 1956 Australians arrived he was moving back down the order,
short of runs, and without a guaranteed place in
the Test team. He was not chosen for the 195657 tour of South Africa even though he had just
made 2,397 runs (49.93) in the summer, which
remained his richest return.
Restored to the England team in 1957, he followed a duck against West Indies at Lords with
258 at Trent Bridge, which was to be his highest
rst-class score, and in Englands third innings
victory of that series he made 164 at The Oval
in the nal Test. However, some more forgetta-

Tom Graveney batting for Worcestershire

against Kent at Canterbury in 1970.
Alan Knott is the wicketkeeper.

ble Test matches followed, including during one

of Englands worst-ever series in Australia in
1958-59, and there were no Tests for him in 1959.
All the while Graveney was pleasing crowds
across the land as he gathered runs for his
county, which he captained in 1959 and 1960.
Then came a fall-out with the county hierarchy,
Graveney being unceremoniously stripped of
the captaincy as a perceived cure for the general
problems facing the club.
In 1961, with emotions running high, espe-

cially among Gloucestershire members, he began a new career with Worcestershire, which
he was to serve for 10 summers, the last three as
captain. His achievement of playing more than
200 rst-class matches for two counties remains unmatched.
By the time of his move to Worcestershire,
Graveneys Test career had seemed to be over
until he was recalled in 1962, just before his
35th birthday. He showed his gratitude with 97
against Pakistan at Edgbaston, 153 at Lords, and
114 at Trent Bridge, but did little in the middle order for England in Australia in the turgid
1962-63 series, and a further period of international exclusion followed.
Then he was surprisingly recalled for the
1966 home series against West Indies. It was a
popular and dramatic comeback: he returned in
style with 96 at Lords and 109 at Trent Bridge
in the third Test.
England took a pounding that summer, but
in the nal encounter at The Oval Graveney was
again at his lyrical best, making 165 and sharing an amazing eighth-wicket stand of 217 with
John Murray (112). When Ken Higgs and John
Snow put on an unlikely 128 for the 10th wicket,
lifting the total to 527, England were on their
way to a consolation victory by an innings under
Brian Closes bulldog leadership.
Next summer saw another beguiling performance by Graveney, 151 at Lords against Indias trio of master spin bowlers, Erapalli Pras-

anna, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar and Bishan Bedi.

And the question continued to reverberate: how
could the selectors have overlooked him so often? He toured the Caribbean early in 1968,
making 118 in Trinidad in the opening Test, but
managed only one 50 thereafter in a series that
was snatched 1-0 by England.
During an ill-tempered Jamaica Test, seriously disturbed by crowd rioting, he gave in to
frustration by tossing his bat 30 yards after his
freakish dismissal when caught by midwicket
via short legs body. It was a highly unusual
move for such a good-natured man.
The 1968 Ashes summer found him still in
the middle order, and he made 96 at Edgbaston,
then at Headingley he captained England (for
the only time) when Colin Cowdrey was injured.
A draw secured the Ashes for Australia.
At the age of 41 Graveney undertook a further
tour of Pakistan in 1969, playing three Tests
against a background of fearful public and political disturbances that eventually led to abandonment of the tour.
He scored 105 in a large stand with Colin Milburn in that truncated series, and three months
later he hit 75 against West Indies at Old Trafford in a winning cause, but was then suspended
for having played in a benet match on the rest
day. It was a teeth-gnashing way to end a superb
international career.
Graveneys Test career over 18 years had
brought him 4,882 runs at an average of 44.38,

with 11 hundreds. Now into his 40s, he squeezed

in a couple of further summers with Worcestershire, raising his impressive rst-class output to
47,793 runs at 44.92, with 122 hundreds (seven
of them 200 or more).
At the end of his career, in late 1970, he signed
up as a player-coach for Queensland in Australia, playing four matches for the state in the
Sheffield Shield. But his stay there was shortlived after he crossed swords with the dictatorial
Clem Jones, a local Labor politician who controlled the states cricket and much else.
Thereafter he ran a pub in Cheltenham, pursued his love of golf, did some somewhat bland
television commentary, promoted articial
pitches, and was enlisted as an international
match referee, an appointment terminated after exception was taken to remarks he made
about Pakistan (theyve been cheating us for
37 years). His terms as president of Worcestershire (1994-98) and the MCC (2005) afforded him great joy, as did being appointed
OBE (1968). The service of his nephew, David
Graveney, as Englands chief selector was a further source of pride to a man whose own career
had been buffeted by selectorial inconsistency.
His wife, Jackie (nee Brookman), whom he
married in 1952 died in 2013; Ken died last
month. He is survived by a son, Tim, and daughter, Becky.
Thomas William Graveney, cricketer,
born 16 June 1927; died 3 November 2015

FOCUS

Susie quits after admitting F1 dream isnt going to happen

By Paul Weaver
The Guardian

he retirement of Susie Wolff will

bring a smug told you so smile
to the chauvinists in the Formula
One paddock, where she badly
wanted to be a star with Williams. Sexism
abounds in racing, where rather too many
people will tell you women make better pit
girls than drivers.
There were plenty of smiles at Silverstone in July when, before the British
Grand Prix, Sir Stirling Moss talked about
his green and black scrapbooks. Green
ones are for racing, black ones are for
crumpet, he said, grinning. Two years
ago Moss argued women did not have the
mental aptitude to compete in motorsport. Moss is 86 but many younger men
subscribe to his views.
Wolff deserves better than this, for the
32-year-old was very good. And there
were traces of bitterness in her departing
words, when she said she did not expect
to see a female driver on the F1 grid in the
near future.
The paddock opinion, stripped of the
machismo, was she was not quite good
enough and ultimately she was not quite
young enough. Formula One drivers make
their debuts in their early to mid 20s and,
increasingly, in their teens, not in their
early 30s. Her time had passed.
Her retirement comes at a time when

women are less physically disadvantaged

than they once were. Formula One drivers
are built like jockeys but (like jockeys) they
are mostly very strong; Lewis Hamilton is
a smallish man but it is difficult to shake
hands without wincing in pain. Driving
an F1 car at 200mph requires less brute
strength than it once did, even though
many drivers are reluctant to admit it.
Other observations about why there
have been so few women in F1 (only ve)
are likely to get you into Moss-like trouble. It has been argued women are less innately aggressive and more risk-averse.
Insurance companies, who charge cheaper premiums because women have fewer
serious accidents, would seem to agree.
But there are always exceptions. Five
women have entered at least one grand
prix, although only two have qualied and
started a race. The Italian Lella Lombardi
made 17 entries and 12 starts. She was
sixth in the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix. The
real reason why so few make it to F1 is that
so few want to among aspiring drivers
the number of girls is small.
Wolff said: At 13, the dream and the
goal became Formula One. I got so close.
I wanted and fought very hard to make it
on to that starting grid but the events at
the start of this year and the environment
in F1 the way it is, it isnt going to happen.
My progression into Formula One
came to represent so much more than a
driver simply trying to reach the pinnacle of the sport. It was also the hope that

nally there may again be a female on the

starting grid. I rode the wave, was energised by all the support and fought hard.
There were those who wanted it to happen. Those who didnt.
I can only tell you, I gave it my all. Do
I think F1 is ready for a competitive female racing driver who can perform at the
highest level? Yes. Do I think it is achievable as a woman? Most denitely. Do I
think it will happen soon? Sadly no.
We have two issues: not enough young
girls starting in karting and no clear role
model. Sometimes you just have to see it
to believe it. My gut feeling tells me it is
time to move on.
Wolff, who is married to the Mercedes
motorsport director, Toto Wolff, became
the rst woman to take part in a Formula
One race weekend in more than two decades in rst practice at last years British
Grand Prix. She also took part in practice
for the German Grand Prix last year as
well as sessions in Spain this season and
again at Silverstone.
She competed in Formula Renault, Formula Three and the German DTM series
before entering F1. She was appointed
Williams development driver in 2012 and
was promoted to test driver this season.
Her hopes of becoming the rst woman to start a race since Lombardi in 1976
looked remote, though, when Williams
signed Adrian Sutil after Valtteri Bottas
was injured in qualifying for the seasons
opening grand prix in Australia.

Susie Wolff said

events at the start
of this year and the
environment in F1
had made her realise
she was never going
to race for Williams.

Gulf Times
Friday, November 6, 2015

SPORT
PARIS TENNIS MASTERS

FOCUS

Isner topples Federer;

Djokovic keeps winning
Murray sets up a quarters clash with Gasquet after pounding Goffin

WADA inquiry says

Russian athletes
blackmailed over
doping: Report
AFP
Paris

ussian athletics chiefs

and the sons of the
former world body
president Lamine Diack
blackmailed athletes suspected
of doping to let them keep competing, according to a secret
World Anti-Doping Agency inquiry quoted by the Mediapart
news website yesterday.
Mediapart said it had seen a
report by a WADA independent commission which is due
to be made public next Monday. French police on Tuesday
charged former International
Association of Athletics Federations president Diack with corruption over suspicions he took
bribes for covering up doping
cases. Mediapart said six Russian athletes, including top marathon runner Lilya Shobukhova,
were the targets of blackmail attempts by Russian athletics federation officials.
It quoted the WADA report
as saying Shobukhova, who had
her ban reduced after giving
evidence to IAAF investigators,
handed over $569,000 between
2012 and 2014 to a Russian coach
Alexey Melnikov, who acted as an
intermediary. The report added that Diacks two sons, Pape

USAs John Isner hits forehand

during his win over Switzerlands
Roger Federer at the ATP Paris
Masters yesterday. (AFP)

Massata Diack and Khalil Diack,

were alleged to have asked for
$500,000 from Turkeys 1500m
womens Olympic champion
Asli Cakir Alptekin in November
2012, but she refused.
Alptekin was suspended in
April 2013 for abnormal blood
samples and is now serving an
eight-year ban and been stripped
of her London Olympics and European titles. The WADA report
says that the Diack family used a
Singapore-based company Black
Tidings for money transfers.
The report said Lamine Diack was told several times about
the activities of his sons but did
nothing. The 82-year-old Diack
was charged by French nancial investigators on Tuesday of
corruption, money laundering
and conspiracy. A source close to
the investigation said Diack was
suspected of taking money from
Russian athletes.
His legal advisor, Habib Cisse,
and the IAAFs former antidoping doctor, Gabriel Dolle,
have also been charged with
corruption. Pape Massata Diack
resigned as an IAAF marketing
executive in December last year
after he was named in reports as
having sought bribes. Valentin
Balakhnishev, former president
of the Russian athletics federation, also stood down as IAAF
treasurer, over the allegations.

Russian Bespalova banned

four years for doping

Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic defeated

Gilles Simon 6-3, 7-5 to record his 19th
straight win and reach the quarter-nals.
It was far from being the world number
ones most commanding performance of
late as he struggled with his serve, but it
meant he has not dropped a set since the
US Open nal against Roger Federer in
early September.
He has now won 26 sets in a row, taking
him past his own previous best of 24 sets
which he achieved in early 2014.
The Serb, who has won three of the four
Grand Slam titles and ve of the eight
Masters 1000 series titles so far contested
this year, dropped serve ve times against
the wily Frenchman, four coming in the
second set. But on each occasion he immediately struck back to prevent Simon
from gathering any momentum.
The third round tie was at its best at
the start of the second set, which opened
with seven straight breaks of serve before
Djokovic nally held to get the breathing
space he needed. Remarkably, he failed
to serve out for the match at 5-4 up, but
then ran off the next two games to extend
his unbeaten run.
Djokovic will next play the winner of
the tie between Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and

AFP
Paris

ig-serving American John Isner

stunned Roger Federer to reach
the quarter-nals of the Paris
Masters yesterday. Isner won 7-6
(7/3), 3-6, 7-6 (7/5) for just his second career win over the Swiss legend.
Federer, who won the tournament for
the only time in 2011, dropped an opening set tie-break 7/3 before battling back
with three games in a row to win the
second 6-3. The deciding set again saw
serves on top with Federer failing to convert a rare break point at 3-3.
He then twice served successfully to
stay in the match to force another tiebreak. Isner took a 4-1 lead after Federer
netted an overhead backhand smash and
a backhand into the net from the 17-time
major tournament winner handed the giant American four match points.
He converted the last of those for the
biggest upset so far in the tournament.
Isner will play David Ferrer for a seminal spot after the Spanish eighth seed
outlasted Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria 6-7
(4/7), 6-1, 6-4 in another third round tie.

Tomas Berdych for a place in the seminals of a tournament he has won three
times previously, including the last two
years. The 10-time major tournament
winner said his struggles on serve had
been frustrating.
I can assure you, losing four service
games in a set, I dont think that has happened, you know, to me, he said. Im
not a serve specialist, but I think I have
a solid serve and it hasnt happened for a
long time.
It wasnt pleasant, but I knew that I
have a good return. I was feeling the ball
very well from the back of the court. So
that kind of was a positive to that, knowing that I can break him most of the time.
That was the kind of mindset.
In earlier action, British second seed
Andy Murray set up a quarter-nal
clash with Richard Gasquet of France by
pounding Belgiums David Goffin 6-1,
6-0 in just 53 minutes. T
he match had extra signicance in that
the two will lead their respective countries at the Davis Cup nal in Ghent from
November 27-29.
The Paris match was played on indoor
hardcourt over best of three sets, while
the Davis Cup nal will be on clay over

best of ve, so both players agreed that

it would be wrong to jump to too many
conclusions. But Murray certainly won
some psychological points in what was
just the second career meeting between
the two men.
It was good for me to get the chance
to play him before the Davis Cup and
see his game and the speed of his shots
and where he maybe makes some mistakes from and things that he likes to do,
Murray said. Obviously with the result,
thats a positive. I mean, mentally for me
its a positive win.
Gasquets win over Kei Nishikori came
when the Japanese star abandoned due
to back pain while trailing 7-6 (7/3), 4-1.
The Frenchman, whose best showing in
Paris Masters was a run into the seminals in 2007, said that Murray would
present the toughest of challenges.
Hes one of the best players in the
world. Hes extremely difficult to beat
every time because he makes few unforced errors, he said.
He returns everything. He feels the
game extremely well. Hes one of the
best competitors on the tour. Hes really
tough. He hits hard on both sides. He runs
a lot. He has no weaknesses.

Moscow: Russian hammer

thrower Maria Bespalova, 29,
who competed at the London
Olympics in 2012 and won the
gold medal in the 2008 European Cup, has been banned for
four years for doping offences.
The punishment was handed
out by the Russian Athletics
Federation (VFLA) after it
received documents from the
International Association of
Athletics Federations (IAAF),
the VFLA said in a statement
yesterday. Four other Russian
athletes have also been punished for doping offences.
Vlas Bredikhin, a middledistance runner, and Yaroslav
Kholopov, who competes
over 400 metres, were given
four-year suspensions. Maria
Konovalova, a double Russian
5,000 metres champion, was
handed a two-year ban while
Evgeny Nushtaev, a 50km and
10km walker, will not be able to
compete for six months.
Meanwhile, World athletics chief Sebastian Coe has
promised to do everything in
my power to ensure doping is
rooted out from the sport.

His comments came in an

interview with the Daily Telegraph conducted before Lamine Diack, Coes predecessor as
president of the International
Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) was charged by
French police on Wednesday
with corruption over suspicions
he took bribes to cover up doping cases.
I will do everything in my
power so that a kid going to
Haringey Athletics Club (in
north London) tonight can
be confident they can devote
more than half their young
lives to this sport in the certain
knowledge that the guys they
are lining up alongside are not
cheating, Coe said..
The crowds have to know
that what they are watching is
genuine. Parents have got to
know that they are encouraging their children to go into a
sport where they will not be
harmed. We will not shy away
from this.
Coe, a double Olympic 1500
metres champion, said his
preferred option of life bans for
dope cheats was impractical.

GLOBAL CHAMPIONS TOUR

My plan is to keep relaxed, stay focused: Bengtsson

By Sports Reporter
Doha

he 2015 Championship contender, Rolf-Goran Bengtsson,

has spoken about his ambition
to win the Longines Global
Champions Tour crown in just over a
weeks time in Doha.
In an interview, the highly respected
Olympic silver medallist and European
Champion spoke of his extraordinary
stallion Casall ASK, and looks ahead to
the groundbreaking new team-based
Global Champions League, which will
take place every Friday of the regular
Tour events next year.
Rolf will be locked in an electrifying
three-way battle with reigning Tour
Champion and World No1 Scott Brash
and Portugals Luciana Diniz at the
nal showdown of the 2015 Longines
Global Champions Tour season, which
takes place next week at the magnicent Al Shaqab, a member of Qatar
Foundation, in Doha.
Only 10 points separate Scott, Luciana and Rolf at the top of the overall
ranking and the nal outcome will be
decided on November 14th.
Heading into the nal LGCT event
in Doha, from 12th to 14th November,
Rolf is feeling positive about returning
to the sensational venue in the Middle
East: I feel good. My focus is the same,
no matter what position Im in, and
my priority is always to go and do the

very best we can. Yes, I have a chance,

but I know as well that it will be very
very tough as the Global Champions
Tour always has the very top riders in
the world. Scott and Luciana are great
competitors, they are two of the best,
and I know they wont make it easy!
But I know the venue, Casall knows the
venue and we have won there before.
So my plan is always to keep relaxed, stay focused, and just do the
best you can in the situation you are
in. I was very close twice before, where
I came runner up in the Tour Championship, so its something I would like to
tick off my list. If not this year, then Ill
be back and will try again. One thing is
for sure, Casall and I will be giving it
our all in Doha!
The Swedish champion athlete and
his formidable 16-year-old stallion
Casall ASK are recognised as one of the
most successful partnerships in the
sport and this year the combination
has won the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix in London and
Rome and scooped podium places in
Hamburg and Cannes. And at the Tour
event in Valkenswaard he won the special team competition with Dutch star
Harrie Smolders. Next week Rolf will
face the battle for the Tour title and already has his sights on the revolutionary new team competitions next year.
Speaking about the forthcoming
new Global Champions League and
Longines Global Champions Tour, Rolf
said: Of course Im looking forward

Rolf-Goran Bengtsson is an
Olympic silver medallist
and European Champion.

to come in next years GCT again and

we are also looking forward to having
the new formula here with the team
competition. I think its a very exciting
formula to have different riders to work
together, stick together, and really focus that they are a team. I think for the
outside world this is also an important
thing to show and it looks like a very

interesting future.
What Jan [Tops] has done for
showjumping is really something special and what he has achieved so far is
just incredible. I think what makes him
so good is that he is always looking forwards and how everything is progressing and evolving.
Teams will consist of a squad of ve

riders - a maximum of two riders from

the Top 30 and one under 25 years of
age - two of whom will be selected to
compete in each team competition.
The overall Global Champions League
ranking will be based on each teams
points earned at every League event
through the 2016 season. The new format will add a thrilling new dimension

for fans and audiences worldwide.

Rolf praised the strong focus on the
high quality of equine welfare at each
Tour event, including the exceptional
24-hour high-tech veterinary facilities
at every venue: All the Global Champions Tour shows are really taking care
of everything; we have very good stables, we have good footing in the rings.
We are on a super high level, we have
our own grooms who are very experienced in taking care of the horses, and
there is also a mobile team of vets following the shows of the Global Champions Tour all the way around. If something should happen with the horses,
then there is always somebody there
looking after the horses, really taking
care of them and seeing that they have
it as good as possible.
On his relationship with his champion stallion Rolf said: Casall is 16 years
old now, and his happiness and welfare
is our top priority. Ive been lucky - Ive
never had a partnership with a horse
for the length of time Ive had with
him, and he just loves what he does.
Its important you dont overdo
the shows; so we plan his schedule carefully, and make sure we keep
him fresh and on form. For example, at the Global Champions Tour I
will do a smaller 1,45m class on rst
day, then give him a day of rest, then
take part in big class. He comes away
super happy with himself, he feels
strong and brave and he wants to do
it. Its important that he is happy,

Gulf Times
Friday, November 6, 2015

FOOTBALL
SPOTLIGHT

FOCUS

Benzema put under

formal inquiry over
French sex tape
The Real Madrid striker was placed under formal judicial investigation in connection
with an alleged attempt to blackmail fellow French international Mathieu Valbuena

Adidas CEO says

FIFA scandal not
damaging its brand
Reuters
Berlin

he corruption scandal
engulng soccers world
governing body FIFA is
not tarnishing the image of its long-standing sponsor
Adidas, the chief executive of the
German sportswear company
said yesterday.
Adidas said its sales of soccer products rose 19 percent in
the third quarter, helped by the
launch of new ACE and X
soccer boots and kits for new
partners Manchester United and
Italian champions Juventus.
The image for our products
have never been better so I am
denitely convinced that the
consumers clearly differentiates
between us as a company and
the brand and whats going on
in FIFA, Herbert Hainer told a
conference call for journalists.
Adidas has provided the World
Cup match ball since 1970 and
extended its partnership with
FIFA until 2030 two years ago.
The company faced criticism
last month after declining to join
other major sponsors and demand the immediate departure
of FIFA President Sepp Blatter

after Swiss authorities opened a

criminal investigation into him.
Hainer said Adidas had called
for FIFA reform even before last
years World Cup in Brazil and
said he had condence in the ethics committee to make FIFA more
transparent, adding that Adidas
was in constant dialogue with
FIFA and the committee.
Hainer said Adidas was not
part of a scandal involving a
payment to FIFA by the German Football Association (DFB),
but added he expected the DFB,
which Adidas sponsors, to do all
it could to clear up the matter.
Police and tax investigators
raided the headquarters of the
DFB on Tuesday to investigate
suspected tax evasion linked to
the hosting of the 2006 World
Cup in Germany.
At the heart of the investigation is a 6.7 million euro payment
from the DFB to FIFA that Der
Spiegel magazine said was a return on a loan from the then Adidas CEO Robert Louis-Dreyfus
to help buy votes for Germanys
World Cup bid in 2000.
This doesnt have anything to
do with Adidas as Dreyfus gave
money when he had already left
the company. It was his private
money, Hainer said.

INVESTIGATION

DFB seem set for

board meeting over
2006 WC payment
DPA
Berlin

T
Real Madrids French striker Karim Benzema leaves the court house in Versailles, near Paris, yesterday.
Reuters
Paris

rench Real Madrid striker Karim

Benzema was placed under formal judicial investigation yesterday in connection with an alleged
attempt to blackmail fellow French soccer international Mathieu Valbuena using a sex video.
A statement from the public prosecutor in Versailles west of Paris said the inquiry covered alleged offences that can
carry a prison sentence of ve years and a
ne of 75,000 euros ($81,525).
His lawyer, Sylvain Cormier said
that Benzema was totally innocent.
He played no part, I repeat no part, in
any blackmail or attempted blackmail,
Cormier told reporters.
Cormier added that the nub of the affair was a conversation in which Benzema offered Valbuena a bit of friendly
judicious advice and what was said had
nothing to do with blackmail.

The prosecutors move, which in

Frances justice system does not necessarily mean he will end up being tried,
but does mean investigators believe they
have serious grounds for pursuing the
matter with him, exposes Benzema to a
period of doubt ahead of a European nations soccer contest, which France hosts
next year.
CISSE QUESTIONED TOO
Investigators, who questioned former
Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse among
others in the same case in mid-October
without subsequently placing him under
formal investigation, are trying to identify who was behind the alleged extortion
attempt.
The affair involved phone-recorded
sex footage that could prove embarrassing for Valbuena, according to sources
close to the inquiry. Benzemas name
came up during phone taps in relation
to the inquiry opened last July, police
sources say.
The inquiry cites suspicion of com-

plicity in extortion. The prosecutor also

ordered Benzema to not make contact
with others linked to the affair.
Three other men had been placed under
investigation and another person close to
Benzema was being questioned by a judge,
a source close to the inquiry said.
The investigation could make life difficult for France coach Didier Deschamps,
who may wish to call up both Olympique
Lyonnais forward Valbuena and striker Benzema to play for hosts France in
months ahead and in the June 10-July 10
Euro 2016.
Deschamps left the two out of the
France squad called up for friendlies
against Germany and England on Nov. 13
and 17.
He said Benzema was in any case injured and that Valbuena would be shaken
by the whole affair, adding: Ive decided
to give him a breather for the two dates.
He refused to be drawn on the longterm implications at a news conference
scheduled long before Thursdays news
of the judicial investigation.

I suppose you have a lot of questions

not related to football, I will not answer
them, he said.
Valbuena posted a photo on Thursday
of Benzema and himself on his Facebook
page. He posted a photo of himself and
Djibril Cisse when Cisse was questioned
on Oct. 13.
Valbuena may be summoned soon
to give his version of events, notably a
phone conversation with Benzema on
Oct. 5 that is at the heart of the matter,
according to lawyer Cormier.
The imbroglio is not Benzemas rst
brush with justice.
He and Bayern Munich forwards
Franck Ribery were acquitted by a court
in January 2014 of charges that they solicited the services of an underage prostitute, the now fashion model Zahia Dehar,
when she was aged 16 and 17.
A fan of ultra-fast road cars, Benzema
was also banned from driving for eight
months in 2013 and ned 18,000 euros
after he was clocked at almost twice the
speed limit in Spain.

BOTTOMLINE

Ronaldo tired of comparisons with

Messi, says not a fake person
Reuters
Madrid

ristiano Ronaldo is tired

of comparisons with Lionel Messi and appreciates that some people
must dislike his personality or
the ways he sees football.
Speaking ahead of the release
of his personal portrait lm Ronaldo, the FIFA World Player of
the Year told Reuters TV that he
is not a fake person.
I have my style, he has his
style, his own style, he said of
Messi, his great personal rival.
We have to respect that people compare all the time. And
it is normal, we are compared
since we are babies, I dont mean
me and Messi but all the persons
in school. Who is more clever,
who is more fast, its normal, its
part of the life.

Real Madrids Cristiano Ronaldo.

It does not surprise me any

more but some times it makes
me tired because its always same
thing and they still repeat and
repeat, one year, another year,
every year.
Critics say the Portugal forwards celebrations sometimes
have an air of arrogance about
them.
Ronaldo is never shy to show
his rippling muscles or make
deant gestures after scoring.
He startled the audience at this
years World Player of the Year
award by bellowing Sim (yes)
into the microphone after he was
announced as the winner.
Asked why people may dislike
him, Ronaldo said: Maybe the
way I am, my personality, the
way I see football. Im not a fake
person. Its normal, its part of
the business. No one can control
that,
Ronaldos lm, due to be re-

leased on Nov 9, depicts the

striker as a family man and
shows how he lives on the pitch
and inside his luxury house in
the neighbourhood of La Finca
in the outskirts of Madrid.
In a separate interview with
the BBC, Ronaldo described
himself as unbelievable on the
pitch.
I dont need to say Im in the
history of football, Im a legend.
The numbers say everything, he
said. I have to say to be in my
shoes is not easy. But Im not
complaining. I just want to say
that. I feel happy. All this happens because of a reason. The
reason is Im unbelievable inside
the pitch.
This is why the people have
so much interest on me. So its
as simple as that. Im good, Im
happy, Im motivated all the
time. Im very professional and I
want to carry on like that.

he German football federation DFB appears to

plan an extraordinary
board meeting in the
wake of tax evasion investigations against its president Wolfgang Niersbach and two former
top officials around a 2006
World Cup payment to the ruling body FIFA.
Erwin Bugar, head of the regional federation in the state of
Saxony-Anhalt, told MDR radio
on Thursday there are signals
that such a meeting is now being
considered.
Tax authorities on Tuesday
searched the DFB headquarters as well as the homes of
Niersbach, his predecessor Theo
Zwanziger and former DFB general secretary Horst R Schmidt
in connection with a payment
made in 2005 by the World Cup
organizing committee to FIFA
of 6.7 million euros (7.4 million
dollars).
The investigations are on
suspicion of tax evasion in a
particularly severe case.
The
Sueddeutsche
Zeitung (SZ) newspaper reported

late Wednesday that it was

Niersbach who signed the tax
return from the DFB, led in late
2007, shortly after becoming
DFB general secretary.
The amount, transferred in
April 2005, was declared as operating expenses for the World
Cup as it was to fund an opening gala. However, the gala
never took place and it has since
transpired the money was used
to repay, through FIFA, former
Adidas chief executive Robert
Louis-Dreyfus.
Louis-Dreyfus, from his private funds, had supplied a similar sum which was also paid to
FIFA in 2002. The official explanation given by Niersbach is
that this payment unlocked additional FIFA funding but there
are allegations it was part of a
slush fund used to buy votes
on FIFAs executive committee
which awarded the tournament
to Germany.
Niersbach, 64, is yet to comment in public after the raids
and is under growing pressure to
resign.
But Bugar was among those
who voiced support for the
president who has been in office
since 2012, because he is ready
to thoroughly clear up the case.

AGREEMENT

Palestine-Saudi
WC qualifier to be
played in Jordan
AFP
Zurich

alestines football association yesterday said it

had reluctantly agreed
to play upcoming World
Cup qualifying matches against
Saudi Arabia and Malaysia at
neutral venues, with the games
set for Jordan.
The association however is
also requesting a postponement
of the match against Saudi Arabia set for November 9 to allow
it more time to organise, association head Jibril Rajoub told
reporters.
FIFA on Wednesday ordered
Palestine to play the matches at
neutral venues because of security fears.
I spoke to (Jordans) Prince
Ali over the last two days and we
will play the two matches in Jordan, Rajoub said. We will ask to
postpone the match (with Saudi
Arabia) for logistical reasons.
The Palestine-Malaysia match
is scheduled for November 12.
Saudi Arabia said on Tuesday
they had decided not to play the

disputed qualier in Ramallah.

The teams played in Jeddah
in June in the rst of their two
scheduled Asia zone World Cup
qualiers, with the Saudis winning 3-2.
That match was originally
supposed to be played in Palestine, but Saudi Arabia had
refused to travel to the Israelioccupied West Bank, citing undened exceptional circumstances.
The return leg was then set
for October 13, again in the West
Bank, but Saudi Arabia on September 23 demanded that it be
played at a neutral ground.
That demand was accepted by
the FIFA World Cup organising
committee, but the Palestinian
federation refused to accept the
decision, saying it set a dangerous precedent.
Many Arab national teams
refuse to play in the West Bank,
saying it normalises Israels
occupation of Palestinian territory.
Israel controls all access to the
Palestinian territories, and Saudi
Arabia has no diplomatic relations with Israel.

10

Gulf Times
Friday, November 6, 2015

FOOTBALL
SPOTLIGHT

ANALYSIS

Bayern Munich
rout exposes
Arsenals frailties
You cannot give a team so much width and not expect them to create so many
chances. Against the top teams, you cannot have one weakness

Arsenal players react after their UEFA Champions League Group F match against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany.
AFP
Munich

rsenals 5-1 thrashing by Bayern

Munich reected the extent of
their current injury problems,
but it also emphasised the underlying vulnerability that continues to
undermine Arsene Wengers team.
Defenders Hector Bellerin and Laurent Koscielny were the latest players to
succumb to injury, meaning that Arsenal were missing 10 senior players for
Wednesdays game at the Allianz Arena.
But for a side nurturing Premier
League title aspirations, it was a humiliating lossArsenals joint-heaviest in
the Champions Leagueand left their
hopes of reaching the last 16 dangling by
a thread.
They came on the pitch just like, Beat
us, said unimpressed former Arsenal
midelder Emmanuel Petit. No character, no passion on the pitch.
The British press did not mince their
words on Thursday either, with Mullereda play on the name of two-goal Bayern forward Thomas Mullerthe head-

line of choice on several back pages.

While acknowledging Bayerns clear
superiority, the verdicts were all the more
damning because Arsenals recent form
has sparked hope that this may be the
season that they end their 11-year wait
for a league title.
A run of ve straight wins, including a
ruthless 3-0 defeat of Manchester United, has left Arsenal level on 25 points with
leaders Manchester City after 11 games.
With Chelsea atlining and United enduring a chronic goal shortage, Arsenal
are widely seen as Citys most credible
rivals, but it is often a case of one step
forward, two steps back.
Arsenal can outclass United and beat
Bayern 2-0, in the reverse xture, but
also lose to Olympiakos and Dinamo Zagreb and crash out of the League Cup after a 3-0 defeat at second-tier Sheffield
Wednesday.
It is a paradox that means that, in spite
of their nascent title ambitions, they
have now lost six times at this stage of
the season, across all competitions, for
the rst time since 1991.
Arsenal badly missed Bellerin and Koscielny in Munich, with Koscielnys dep-

uty Gabriel at fault for the opening goal

and stand-in right-back Mathieu Debuchy repeatedly embarrassed by Kingsley Coman and Douglas Costa.
WEAK LINKS
Wenger admitted that Arsenal had been
extremely poor defensively.
He added: The funny thing was that
when we went forward every time we
looked like we could create chances, but
with a defensive performance like that
you are going nowhere.
Any team would be weakened by such
an injury glut, but it remains a peculiar
quirk of Arsenals that they seem unable
to conceal their own weaknesses, be it
exposing themselves to counter-attacks
by ooding forward in cavalier fashion
or, as against Bayern, not doing enough
to protect their vulnerability at the back.
Arsenals full-backs had little or
no protection and that is where all the
chances came from, said former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson, analysing the match for BBC radio.
You cannot give a team so much
width and not expect them to create so
many chances. Against the top teams,

you cannot have one weakness. They will

keep exposing it.
With Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Aaron Ramsey and Theo Walcott also currently sidelined, Arsenals right ank has
been decimated ahead of Sundays north
London derby against in-form Tottenham Hotspur.
Beyond that, their nal two Group F
games, both of which they must win to
stand any chance of reaching the knockout phase, loom on the horizon.
They host Zagreb on November 24
and then play away to Olympiakos in Piraeuswhere Arsenal have lost on their
three previous visitson December 9.
As last months victory over Bayern
proved, they are all matches that Arsenal
are capable of winning, but equally, there
are no guarantees about which incarnation of Wengers team will show up.
You might get the Arsenal you got
against Bayern Munich at the Emirates,
said former Arsenal striker Ian Wright on
BT Sport.
Its up to Arsenal to beat Olympiakos
in Olympiakos (Piraeus), which theyve
not done. Its not easy, but you dont
know what Arsenal youre going to get.

Arsenal werent at
races in Munich,
says Wenger
AFP
Munich

rsene Wenger slammed

Arsenals extremely
poor defensive display at Bayern Munich
as their record 5-1 defeat left
them with just a slender chance
of progressing in the Champions
League.
Thomas Mueller scored twice
on Wednesday while Robert
Lewandowski, David Alaba and
Arjen Robben were also on target as Pep Guardiolas Bayern
emphatically avenged their 2-0
defeat at the Emirates Stadium a
fortnight ago.
This was Arsenals joint heaviest away defeat in Europe, equalling the 4-0 drubbing at AC
Milan in the last 16 in February
2012.
France striker Olivier Giroud
scored Arsenals consolation goal
with 20 minutes left, but with
two games to go, Arsenal have
only a mathematical chance of
reaching the knock-out phase
after Dinamo Zagrebs 2-1 defeat
at Olympiakos.
The Gunners have three points
along with Dinamo, while Olympiakos and Bayern both have nine
with the Germans top of Group F
on goal difference.
It means Arsenal must win
their nal two matches at home
to Zagreb and away to Olympiakos, plus hope Bayern beat the
Greek side at the Allianz Arena in
a fortnight to progress.
You have to give credit to
Bayern for their quality, but we
made life easy for them and we
were extremely poor defensively.
We werent at the races, admitted Wenger.
We did well going forward,
we created chances, but with a
defensive display like that, you
are going nowhere.
Wenger baulked when asked
if that was the worst defensive
display he has witnessed since
taking over as Arsenal coach in
1996.
My memory isnt good
enough to tell you if that is the
worse defensive performance in
19 years and it wont stay in my
memory as anything positive,
said the 66-year-old.

Group E
Barcelona (ESP) 3 (Neymar
30-pen, 83, Suarez 60) BATE
Borisov (BLR) 0
Roma (ITA) 3 (Salah 2
Dzeko 29, Pjanic 81-pen) Bayer
Leverkusen (GER) 2 (Mehmedi
46, Hernandez 51)
Group F
Bayern Munich (GER) 5
(Lewandowski 10, Mueller
29, 89, Alaba 44, Robben 55)
Arsenal (ENG) 1 (Giroud 69)
Olympiakos (GRE) 2 (Pardo 65,
90) Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) 1
(Hodzic 21)

Maccabi Tel Aviv (ISR) 1 (Zehavy 75-pen) FC Porto 3 (Tello

19, Andr 49, Layun 72)

Emotional Mourinho salutes fans

AFP
Kiev

ose Mourinho paid an

emotional tribute to
Chelseas loyal fans as the
beleaguered Blues boss
savoured the dramatic 2-1 win
over Dynamo Kiev that earned
him a stay of execution.
Mourinho has been under
siege from critics who claim his
sides woeful run has left him on
the verge of the sack.
And with Chelseas defence of
the Premier League title in tatters amid rumours of a dressing
room mutiny against his leadership, Mourinho looked a dead
man walking when Dynamos
Aleksandar Dragovic cancelled
out his earlier own goal in the
closing stages on Wednesdays
Champions League tie.
But Brazil winger Willian
came to Mourinhos rescue when
he unleashed his latest fabulous
free-kick in the 83rd minute to
secure a vital victory that put
Chelseas bid to reach the last

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho.

16 back in their own hands with
two Group G xtures remaining.
Willians wonder strike was
greeted with unrestrained glee
in the Stamford Bridge stands as
the Chelsea supporters who had
spent the entire match chanting
Stand up for the Special One
and singing Mourinhos name
over and over were rewarded for
their faith in the 52-year-old.

This is my moment. When

I came back to this club and we
played the rst match against
Hull, the way the stadium welcomed me was amazing, but it is
not comparable to today, Mourinho said.
This comes at a moment
when the results are not good
and you (the media) are asking
for my head.

The fans read newspapers,

they watch TV, they listen to
pundits, commentators opinions, they read blogs and its
quite unbelievable what they
tried to say today.
They tried to say, we want
you here and probably they also
want to say to all of you we want
him, let him work.
Its a fantastic feeling. To
support the manager shows respect and passion for the club.
Its amazing.
With Chelsea this is my moment. The club has to be very
proud of their fans.
I dont have another way to
thank them other than to give
everything, which I have always
done and always will do.
Although Chelsea were still
well short of the dominant form
that made them Premier League
champions just six months ago,
Mourinho has to be grateful for
small mercies after their second
win in nine games.
For once his players didnt
fold under duress and the Chelsea chief took heart from the way

they refused to settle for a draw

which would have pushed him
closer to an unwanted exit.
It was acceptable to draw but
the team showed it wanted to
win and emerged from a negative
moment, Mourinho said.
From a mental point of view
it was important. When the negative moment arrived in the past
the team feels it too much.
Today was the perfect situation. We conceded with 15 minutes left and the team emerged.
We wanted to win and felt condent to do that.
I spoke a lot with the players.
When the difficult moment arrives, face the difficult moment,
dont crumble. And they did.
They were fantastic.
Chelsea are now up to second in the group and Mourinho
challenged them to catch leaders
Porto by winning their nal two
matches.
Now we can still nish rst
in the group. That is not the
most important thing, which is
to qualify, but we can still nish
rst, he added.

We still have a chance to

qualify. Olympiakos have to win
here and we have to beat Zagreb
at home, then beat Olympiakos
away.
Its a small chance but it is a
real one and we have to give our
all to have a chance of qualifying.
I think we have to realise with
that kind of performance like today, our chances are very minimal.
The Gunners have to pick
themselves up now for Sundays
north London derby at home to
Tottenham Hotspur with Arsenal second in the Premier League
table.
We have to put focus on the
Premier League and put in a better performance on Sunday,
added Wenger.
We cant be too negative, but
at the same time we have to face
reality.
Thats top level sport. We
have to be strong enough to accept our performance was not
good enough and accept that
we have not become a bad team
overnight.
Having had a lengthy injury
list in Munich, Wenger proved he
had not lost his sense of humour
by quipping they had picked up
no new knocks, apart from in a
few heads.
Bayern can do Arsenal a huge
favour by beating Olympiakos in
two weeks time and Guardiola
said his side will be going all out
to defeat the Greeks as they target nishing rst.
Arsenal can be sure that we
will be going out to beat Olympiakos to do our best to be rst in
the group, said Guardiola.

Champions League results & tables

Group G

BOTTOMLINE

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

Chelsea (ENG) 2 (Dragovic 34og, Willian 83) Dynamo Kiev

(UKR) 1 (Dragovic 78)
Group H
Lyon (FRA) 0 Zenit St Petersburg (RUS) 2 (Dzyuba 25, 57)
Gent (BEL) 1 (Kums 49-pen)
Valencia (ESP) 0
Played Tuesday
Group A
Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR) 4
(Gladkiy 29, Srna 48-pen,
Eduardo 55, Alex Teixeira 73)
Malmo (SWE) 0
Real Madrid (ESP) 1 (Nacho 35)
Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) 0
Group B
Manchester United (ENG) 1
(Rooney 79) CSKA Moscow
(RUS) 0
PSV Eindhoven (NED) 2 (Locadia 56, De Jong 86) Wolfsburg
(GER) 0
Group C
Astana (KAZ) 0 Atletico Madrid (ESP) 0
Benfica (POR) 2 (Jonas 52,
Luisao 67) Galatasaray (TUR) 1

(Podolski 58)
Group D
Borussia Moenchengladbach
(GER) 1 (Johnson 18) Juventus
(ITA) 1 (Lichtsteiner 44)
Sevilla (ESP) 1 (Tremoulinas
25) Manchester City (ENG) 3
(Sterling 8, Fernandinho 11,
Bony 36)
TABLES (P, W, D, L, goals for,
goals against, points)
Group A
Real Madrid
4 3 1 0 7 0 10
PSG
421151 7
Shakhtar
410348 3
Malm
410318 3
Group B
Man United
PSV
VfL Wolfsburg
CSKA Moscow

4211547
4202666
4202446
4112454

Group C
Benfica
Atletico Madrid
Galatasaray
Astana

4301749
4211727
4112574
4022282

Group D
Manchester City
Juventus
Sevilla
Mgladbach

4301859
4220528
4103573
4022262

Group E
Barcelona
Roma
Leverkusen
BATE

4 3 1 0 8 2 10
4 1 2 1 10 10 5
4 1 1 2 11 10 4
4 1 0 3 4 11 3

Group F
Bayern Munich 4 3 0 1 13 3 9
Olympiakos
4301 6 69
Dinamo Zagreb 4 1 0 3 3 9 3
Arsenal
4 1 0 3 6 10 3
Group G
FC Porto
4 3 1 0 9 4 10
Chelsea
42117 3 7
Dynamo Kiev
41215 4 5
Maccabi Tel Aviv 4 0 0 4 1 11 0
Group H
Zenit
Valencia
Ghent
Lyon

4 4 0 0 10 4 12
4202 55 6
4112 45 4
4013 27 1

Gulf Times
Friday, November 6, 2015

11

FOOTBALL
SPOTLIGHT

FOCUS

Injury-hit Barca
and Real warm up
for El Clasico
Barcelona and Real Madrid want to shrug off injury worries and warm up for their
November 21 Clasico by beating Villarreal and Sevilla

Barcelonas coach Luis Enrique reacts during the match against AS Roma in their Champions League Group E match at the Olympic stadium in Rome, Italy.
DPA
Madrid

arcelona and Real Madrid have

their minds on the November
21 Clasico in the Spanish capital
but rst come another league
round and an international break.
The twin giants are neck and neck atop
La Liga, taking 24 points apiece into Sunday dates with Villarreal and Sevilla respectively. But both also have to deal with
untimely injury problems.
Barcas latest injury victim is Ivan Rakitic, who pulled a muscle in his right leg
in Wednesdays 3-0 Champions League
win over BATE Borisov.
Coach Luis Enrique appeared to be
planning a 4-4-2 formation for the Madrid trip, with just Luis Suarez and Neymar upeld in the most likely absence of
injured Lionel Messi.

Now Rakitics mishap has put his plans

in jeopardy.
Luckily for Luis Enrique, Suarez and
Neymar are in such formidable form that
Messi is hardly being missed - at least
by the fans who have seen the pair have
scored 17 of the 20 goals, according to
UEFA, since Messi limped off with a knee
injury in September.
I, for one, am certainly missing Leo,
Neymar said after scoring twice against
BATE. What has happened is that Luis
and I are both in good form and scoring
freely. But of course we miss Leo - he is
the best player in the world, after all.
The other good news for Luis Enrique
is the return to tness of captain Andres
Iniesta, who said I am pleased with my
return, my sensations are positive.
Villarreal are fth, four points behind
Barca and Real. Coach Marcelino Garcia is
planning to eld a reserve-packed team in the
Europa League Thursday at Dynamo Minsk.

Real go to Seville without injury victims Dani Carvajal, Marcelo, James Rodriguez and Karim Benzema - though
Gareth Bale might be t.
To add intrigue to injury, Benzema was
reportedly arrested in France Wednesday
for his alleged role in the murky affair
of the possible blackmailing of France
team-mate Mathieu Valbuena.
Youngster Jese will again stand in for
Benzema.
Sevilla, who have injury problems of
their own, are 11th in La Liga - and struggling in the Champions League after
Tuesdays 3-1 defeat at home to Manchester City. It is true that dont seem
to be in good form, but there is never a
good time to visit Sevilla, to be honest,
Real captain - and former Sevilla product
- Sergio Ramos said.
Also on Sunday, fourth-placed Atletico Madrid welcome Sporting Gijon, and
Athletic Bilbao host Espanyol.

Saturdays big game sees third-placed

Celta Vigo at home to troubled Valencia,
who are seventh.
Valencias woes continued Wednesday with a 1-0 Champions League loss
at Gent. Defeat in Vigo could be the
final nail in the coffin of coach Nuno
Espirito, whose feud with striker Avaro Negredo has been dragging on for a
month now.
Negredo will return to the team when
I consider it appropriate, not a moment
sooner nor later, the deant Nuno said.
Saturdays other matches are Levante
v Deportivo Coruna, Eibar v Getafe, Rayo
Vallecano v Granada and Malaga v Real
Betis, with Las Palmas v Real Sociedad
scheduled for Friday.
A defeat at Las Palmas could spell the
end of David Moyes 12-month spell at
Sociedad. His troubled team is fth bottom, just three points above Las Palmas,
Granada and Levante.

Roma boss laments

lack of finishing
AFP
Rome

oma coach Rudi Garcia

has lamented his sides
difficulty in nishing off
opponents as he contemplates a tough trip to face
champions Barcelona that could
decide the Italians Champions
League fate.
Winless after three opening
Group E games, Roma needed a
late penalty as they beat Bayer
Leverkusen 3-2 to revive their
hopes of reaching the last 16 for
the rst time since 2010.
Roma dominated the rst half
but their fans were put through the
ringer before Bosnian midelder
Miralem Pjanic scored a tense 81st
minute spot-kick to secure all
three points for the hosts.
Romas rst win in the group
moved them up to second place
on ve points, ve behind leaders Barcelona, one ahead of
Leverkusen and two ahead of
BATE Borisov.
However Garcia said his sides
failure to kill off Leverkusen in
the rst half could have proved
costly. Their next game is away
to Barcelona in three weeks.
We should have gone in for
the half-time break at least three
or four goals ahead, said the
Frenchman.
By the 50th minute we realised how costly those errors
were. There was a ve-minute
blackout at the start of the second half in which we lost all the
intensity and concentration wed
had in the rst.
It will serve as a lesson for us
but thankfully we come through
unscathed.
With Roma needing a win
to have any realistic chance of
reaching the knockout phase,
Mohamed
Salahs
secondminute strike settled early nerves
at the Stadio Olimpico after he
ran on to Edin Dzekos throughball to bundle past visiting
keeper Bernd Leno.
Roma doubled their lead before the half-hour when Dzeko
hit only his second goal for the
Giallorossi and his rst in the
Champions League since November 2013.
Afterwards, the Bosnian
whose only previous goal for
Roma came in a 2-1 win over Serie A champions Juventus on Au-

AS Roma coach Rudi Garcia.

gust 30 admitted it was time to
reverse his own sorry trend.
Im a striker and people expect you to score goals. Thats my
job. I denitely have to do better
in the future, he said.
Roma were cruising and
should have added third and
fourth goals when Egyptian
winger Salah was twice set free
down the right ank, only to
fumble his nal touches when
both Dzeko and Gervinho were in
scoring positions.
Two weeks after the sides
dramatic 4-4 draw at the BayArena, Roma were stunned in
ve second-half minutes when
Admir Mehmedi and Javier Hernandez capitalised on spectacular defensive lapses to pull Roger
Schmidts visitors level six minutes after the restart.
Roma were shaky for the remainder of the second half but
were handed a lifeline when
Leverkusen captain Omer Toprak
saw red late on for pushing Salah
into the net as he was about to
pull the trigger at the far post.
Russian referee Sergei Karasev
pointed to the spot and Pjanic
stepped up to beat Leno for a 3-2
lead nine minutes from the nal
whistle.
Pjanic said: We should have
wrapped this match in the opening half. We had so many opportunities on the counter-attack
that we didnt capitalise on.
Coach Garcia was relieved but
Roma risk losing second place to
Leverkusen if the Germans win
against BATE Borisov in three
weeks time and Roma fail to beat
Barcelona.
Next were going to Barcelona and it will be a really difficult
game. If you look at the table,
perhaps a draw or a defeat wont
change much, he said.

PREMIER LEAGUE

Baptism of fire for

new Villa manager
Garde against City

BOTTOMLINE

Striker Neymar enjoying the

spotlight in Messis absence
AFP
Barcelona

razilian striker Neymar

said he is in the form
of his life after netting twice as Barcelona
eased past BATE Borisov 3-0
in the Champions League on
Wednesday.
Neymar also set up Barcas
other goal on the night for Luis
Suarez as the defending champions moved to within a point of
sealing their place in the last 16.
Suarez and Neymar have now
combined for 18 of Barcas last
21 goals since four-time World
Player of the Year Lionel Messi
suffered knee ligament damage
nearly six weeks ago.
Barca remain hopeful Messi
could be t to face Real Madrid
in just over two weeks time.
But Neymar admitted he is enjoying sharing the responsibility
of leading the Catalans along with
Suarez in Messis absence.

FC Barcelonas Brazilian forward Neymar looks back during the

UEFA Champions League group E against BATE.
It is clear we miss Messi, but
I am in the form of my life and
I hope to continue like this, he
told beIN Sports.

Neymar opened the scoring

from the penalty spot before
teeing up Suarez to double the
advantage on the hour mark.

The Uruguayan then returned

the favour as his unselsh pass
presented Neymar with an open
goal for his second of the night
and 11th of the season seven
minutes from time. Half the
goal belongs to Suarez. He is a
star and in great form.
The South American duos
hot streak of late has wiped away
early season fears of Barcas lack
of killer instinct in front of goal.
However, coach Luis Enrique
insisted he never doubted his
star forward line would come
good.
We never doubted we would
get our killer touch back given
the prole of the players we have
up front, he said.
Given their quality and the
chances the team creates, it was
never in doubt.
Victory extends Barcas advantage at the top of Group E as
they lead second-placed Roma
by ve points with two games
remaining.
The Italians visit the Camp

Nou in three weeks time and

Barca may not even need a point
to qualify if Bayer Leverkusen
fail to win away at BATE.
Our intention is to win the
group, added Enrique.
We are playing against Roma
and we will try to win the game
as Barca do in every match.
The one setback of the
evening for the hosts was another injury to a midfield player as Ivan Rakitic hobbled off
after 20 minutes.
Tests revealed a minor tear in
his right calf which will keep him
out of Sundays clash at home to
Villarreal.
However, Enrique refused to
hazard a guess as to whether the
Croatian would be t to face Madrid.
We are waiting on news from
the doctors, but he will denitely
miss the next game.
The only thing that is concerning me at the moment is
Villarreal. That is the only game
I am thinking about.

Aston Villa manager Remi Garde during a press conference.

DPA
London

ew Aston Villa manager

Remi Garde will get
something of a baptism of re on Sunday
when he takes charge of his team
for the rst time against Premier
League leaders Manchester City.
City will arrive at bottom side
Villa on a high having sealed
their place in the knockout stages of the Champions League with
two rounds remaining.
Manuel Pellegrinis side have
won ve of their past six matches
with Villa and seven out of eight
games in all competitions while
Villa have lost seven Premier
League games on the spin.
It was a run that cost Tim
Sherwood his job but former Arsenal player and Lyon manager
Garde believes there is talent in
his new squad.
I am quite condent because
there are some very good players
in the team, Garde said in an interview with Villas official website. The team is unfortunate at
the moment, I think. Hopefully
we can pull together and improve
the level.
I have some ideas, of course,
because I have watched a lot of
the games they have played since

the start of the season.

I just want to work hard - and
the players to have more condence in themselves, in their
team-mates, in the team, in the
club because I think when you
start losing you are getting low in
condence.
But I think the current level
of the table doesnt reect the
level of the team.

I think we must continue

with the same personality
as this and work the same
in Europe and the Premier
League, he said on
Tuesday night
City changed their system in
midweek with great success as
they won 3-1 away to Sevilla and
manager Manuel Pellegrini will
ask for more of the same.
I think we must continue
with the same personality as this
and work the same in Europe and
the Premier League, he said on
Tuesday night.
I dont divide the competitions. I have a team and I want to
play as we did in Seville.
Arsenal, trailing City only on
goal difference at the top, will
be hoping to put a 5-1 thrashing
by Bayern Munich out of their
minds when they play local rivals
Tottenham at the Emirates.

Friday, November 6, 2015

SPORT

GULF TIMES
HORSE RACING

Al Hareth makes a winning

return in Ain Khaled Cup

'Last week, I wasnt happy because I hate to see this horse lose''
By Mikhil Bhat
Doha

fter starting the season with a

fourth-place nish last week,
Al Hareth produced a ne
run at the Qatar Racing and
Equestrian Clubs turf to win the Ain
Khaled Cup, yesterdays feature race.
Al Hareth, owned by Mishal bin
Ali al-Attiyah and trained by Jassim al-Ghazali, won the Local Thoroughbred Conditions race for horses
four-year-old or older ahead of Umm
Qarn-owned Yasmeen and Al Mazrooah, owned by Dr Mohamed Rashid
al-Ardhi al-Marri.
In the process, the bay colt, helmed
by Alberto Sanna yesterday, crossed
a million Qatari Riyals in total prize
money.
Last week, I wasnt happy because
I hate to see this horse lose, al-Ghazali
told Gulf Times after Al Hareth took his
12th win in 15 starts yesterday. But
this week he is back to being his best
and thats great.
The Seas Legacy colt made a quick
start off Gate 7 for the six furlong race
and settled in at second place behind
Marco Monterisos mount Al Mazrooah with Alban de Mieulle-trained
lly Yasmeen in tow. Al Hareth and
Yasmeen went past Al Mazrooah with
a furlong to go and the former surged
ahead for a two length win.
In the rst race of the day, Qatar
Falcon, owned by Rashid Mubarak Aljafali al-Naimi, shed his maiden status
with Italian jockey Pier Convertino at
the helm in the Thoroughbred Maiden
Plate yesterday.
The three-year-old colt, trained by
Majed Seifeddine, nished ahead of
Osama Omar al-Dhafeas Silent Thunder and Abdulhadi Mana al-Hajris
Franchisco in the Class 6 conditions
race.
In the Local Thoroughbred Handicap race for horses rated between 75
and 95, Footprintinthesand (Darren
Williams astride) made an impressive
run to beat Zahrah and Absher.
The Ahmed Kobeissi-trained bay
colt made a slow start off Gate 3 but
was soon in the lead and never during
the 2000m race looked in danger of
giving it away to either of his two competitors.
Al Bateel, owned by Sheail bin Khalifa al-Kuwari, gave Jassim al-Ghazali
his rst win of the day with a ne run
in the 1200m Local Purebred Arabian
race for three-year-olds.
With Stephan Ladjadj in charge, the
Hatteen colt settled in the middle off
Gate 9 but progressed his way up in the
order with a sustained run on the outside. On to the home straight, Ladjadj
pressed the button and Al Bateel surged
ahead into the lead leaving stablemate
Al Mansab (Harry Bentley up) one and
a half lengths behind at the post.
Skate ran to his third straight win

Alberto Sanna rides Al Hareth to victory in the Ain Khaled Cup at the QREC yesterday.

Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club chairman Sheikh Mohamed bin Faleh al-Thani (sixth from right), general manager Nasser Sherida al-Kaabi (fourth from right), Racing
manager Abdullah Rashid al-Kubaisi (right) with the winners of the Ain Khaled Cup yesterday. Al Hareth, owned by Mishal bin Ali al-Attiyah and trained by
Jassim al-Ghazali (third from right), won the event with jockey Alberto Sanna (fourth from left) at the helm. PICTURES: Juhaim
in four starts at the QREC Turf when
the Abdulhadi Mana al-Hajri-owned
Gelding won a race for three-year-old

Thoroughbreds only.
Marco Monterisos mount made a
slow start off Gate 1 but stayed on the

inside making a frontward movement

as the 1400m race progressed. A furlong and a half from the nish, the Ver-

glas colt (Dam: Strut) surged forward

to take a win over Bronze Maquette and
the top-rated Beach Samba (96).

Al-Ghazali-trained
Al
Dallah,
owned by Sheail bin Khalifa al-Kuwari,
won the Thoroughbreds Class 1 race
for two-year-old llies pipping Secret
Tale by a length.
This was the second straight win
for the Footstepsinthesand lly, halfsister of Footprintinthesand, winner
of Local Thoroughbred Handicap earlier in the day. Ladjadj, who was at the
helm yesterday, had guided Al Dallah
to her rst victory a week ago at the
QREC turf.
Umm Qarn duo Rasheed and Ibn
Ibn Djel Bon ensured an exciting nish to the Purebred Arabian race for
three-year-olds with Rasheed pipping
his half-brother from Amer by half a
length to win the QAR100,000 event.
The two debutants left Majd Al Arab
colt Majdan four lengths behind in
third.
The Alban de Mieulle charges stayed
in the top ve next to the rails, before
jockey J. Baptiste Hamel moved Rasheed on the outside with two furlongs to
go. Even as Gaeton Faucon led the race
on his mount Ibn Ibn Djel Bon, Hamel
got his colt just galloping past his stable mate for a ne win.
RESULTS
1st Race: 1. Qatar Falcon (Pier Convertino); 2. Silent Thunder (Stephan Ladjadj); 3. Franchisco (Marco Monteriso);
4. Tayish (J. Baptiste Hamel). Won by:
Sh Hd, Sh Hd, . Time: 1:56.47. Owner:
Rashid Mubarak Aljafali al-Naimi.
Trainer: Majed Seifeddine.
2nd Race: 1. Footprintinthesand
(Darren Williams); 2. Zahrah (Gaeton
Faucon); 3. Absher (Marco Monteriso).
Won by: 3, 3 . Time: 2:04.34. Owner:
Mohamed Kazim al-Ansari & Sons.
Trainer: Ahmed Kobeissi.
3rd Race: 1. Al Bateel (Stephan Ladjadj);
2. Al Mansab (Harry Bentley); 3. Ostorah
Dukhan (Gaetan Faucon); 4. Sanayed
(Alberto Sanna). Won by: 1 , 2 , 1 .
Time: 1:32.94. Owner: Sheail bin Khalifa
al-Kuwari. Trainer: Jassim al-Ghazali.
4th Race: 1. Skate (Marco Monteriso);
2. Bronze Maquette (J Marcialis); 3.
Beach Samba (Gaeton Faucon); 4.
Intenser (Marvin Suerland). Won by: ,
1 , . Time: 1:21.82. Owner: Abdulhadi
Mana al-Hajri. Trainer: S Ibido.
5th Race: 1. Al Dallah (Stephan Ladjadj); 2. Secret Tale (Darren Williams);
3. Angel Of The Night (Alberto Sanna);
4. Reem Seattle (Evert Pheiffer). Won
by: 1, 8, 27. Time: 1:23.71. Owner: Sheail
bin Khalifa al-Kuwari. Trainer: Jassim
al-Ghazali.
6th Race: 1. Rasheed (J Baptiste
Hamel); 2. Ibn Ibn Djel Bon (Gaetan
Faucon); 3. Majdan (Pier Convertino);
4. Almuheet (Adrie de Vries). Won by:
, 4, 1 . Time: 1:30.88. Owner: Umm
Qarn. Trainer: Alban de Mieulle.
7th Race: 1. Al Hareth (Alberto Sanna);
2. Yasmeen (Gaetan Faucon); 3. Al
Mazrooah (Marco Monteriso); 4. Al
Mansoor (JP Guillambert). Won by:
2, 1 , 5. Time: 1:09.97. Owner: Mishal
bin Ali al-Attiyah. Trainer: Jassim alGhazali.

FOOTBALL/QSL

Umm Salal add to Lekhwiya woes, Al Arabi win

By Sports Reporter
Doha

efending champions Lekhwiya seem

to have fallen into a rut of sorts after
suffering their fourth defeat in the
Qatar Stars League yesterday.
This time it was Umm Salal who proved to
be their tormentors, the Orange Fortress scoring right at the start of the second half through
Yannick Sagbo to record a 1-0 win.
The result was remarkable because in the
previous 10 encounters between the two teams,
Umm Salal had never won.
For Lekhwiya, however, it was another day
they will want to forget, a missed penalty from
forward Youssef Msakni completing their misery.
Lekhwiya dominated the match and had several scoring chances but couldnt nd a way
through. Umm Salal, on the other hand, struggled to rustle up any noteworthy chances.
Lekhwiya started brightly and had early
chances. Ali Af had his shot saved by Salal
keeper Baba Malick in the 11th minute. Two
minutes later it was Umm Salal who had a
chance denied when Claude Amin safely caught
Ismael Mardanis shot.
Then right at the start of the second half,
Sagbo received a cross from Rami Fayez, he
turned past the defender and red it into the
goal.
Lekhwiya then upped their game and started
mounting attack after attack but their usual

Lekhwiya's Ismael Mohamed and Umm Salal's Andranik Samarain battle for the ball during their
QSL clash yesterday.
clinical nishing deserted them at crucial moments.
Then in the 73rd minute Lekhwiya were
awarded a penalty when Jawad Ahnash brought

down Msakni. But Tunisian Msakni missed

from the spot, and to add salt to their wounds,
Ahmed Nasser was given a second yellow for
his foul on Sagbo right at the end of the match.

Meanwhile, Al Arabi pulled off a 2-1 victory

over a gritty Al Kharaitiyat side at home yesterday. A brace from striker Paulinho helped Arabi
secure three points and get back to winning
ways.
Kharaitiyat defender Domingos will be left
kicking himself after being the main culprit behind his team conceding both the goals.
Despite Al Arabi being stronger on paper, it
was an evenly-contested match with both sides
even possession of the ball. Both teams also had
roughly the same amount of shots on goal.
The rst goal of the match came in the 28th
minute when Paulinho converted from the
spot. Sergio Junior red in a shot which ended
up hitting the hand of Domingos and with just
the Kharaitiyat defenders hand preventing the
goal, the referee had no hesitation in pointing
to the spot.
Kharaitiyat pulled one back in the 58th
minute through Yahia Kebe. Mohammed
Alyazidi delivered a great cross into the box and
the striker sent in a powerful header to the far
corner of the goal. In the 66th minute Kebe put
the ball in the back of the net but he was ruled
offside, but the replay showed the decision to
incorrect.
Domingos then committed his second glaring mistake of the match. Arabis Ali Jassemi
red in a cross from the right ank and the Brazilian defender scuffed his clearance. The ball
fell kindly to Paulinho who made no mistake
giving his team the lead in the 81st minute.
Kharaitiyat had a couple chances to get an
equalizer as they went all out on the attack.

Action from the Al Arabi-Al Kharaitiyat match

yesterday. PICTURES: Noushad T
Domingos himself had a chance in the 84th
minute but his header went straight to the Al
Arabi keeper.
With this win Arabi have climbed to third in
the rankings while Kharaitiyat are now ninth.
Al Rayyan top the table with 21 points from
seven matches, while El Jaish are second with
17. Today, Al Khor play Qatar Sports Club, Al
Rayyan meet Al Wakrah and Al Gharafa clash
with Al Sadd.