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Japanese players celebrate after winning the final against South Korea in the AFC U23 played at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha yesterday. Japan defeated Korea 3-2. Pic: Salim/The Peninsula

→ See also page 29

Japan win AFC U23

SUNDAY 31 JANUARY 2016 • 21 Rabia II 1437 • Volume 20 • Number 6692 thepeninsulaqatar @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatar

A Turkish gendarme carries the body of a migrant child on a beach in Canakkale’s Bademli district yesterday after about 40 migrants drowned when their boat sank in the Aegean Sea while trying to cross from Turkey to Greece.

40 migrants drown off Turkey Reuters

ANK ARA: Almost 40 people drowned and 75 were rescued after a boat carrying migrants to Greece sank off Turkey’s western coast yes-terday, according to local officials and the Turkish Dogan news agency.

More than one million refugees and migrants arrived in the Euro-pean Union last year and some 3,600 died or went missing, forc-ing the EU to mull suspending its

Schengen open-borders area for up to two years.

The Turkish coast guard was con-tinuing search and rescue efforts where the 17-metre boat carrying at least 120 people sank off the coast of Ayvacik, a town across from the Greek island of Lesvos, the Dogan news agency reported.

“I am afraid the numbers will rise as divers continue the search,” Mehmet Unal Sahin, the mayor of Ayvacik, told the CNNTurk news channel by phone.

“Local people woke up to the

sound of screaming migrants and we have been carrying out rescue work since dawn. We have an 80-kil-ometre-long coast just across from Lesvos, which is very hard to keep under control.”

At least five of those who died were children, Dogan reported, while rescued migrants were hospitalised with hypothermia symptoms. It said the migrants were of Syrian, Afghan and Myanmar origin.

German Chancellor Angela Mer-kel is under mounting pressure to halt the inflow.

Particles, not cold, behind

respiratory diseases

By Fazeena Saleem

The Peninsula

DOHA: Respiratory problems are more during winter not because of low temperatures but due to the presence of small dust particles in air, shows a study conducted by the University of Calgary in Qatar (UCQ).

Large air particles— sand, for example — are common during summer, whereas small air parti-cles are widespread in winter. The former has no significant contribu-tion to the illness.

“The most immediate fact res-idents should be aware of is that small rather than large particles are particularly harmful to their health. Of course, our findings do not imply that being outside during summer sandstorms does not pose any health risk; instead our find-ings suggest that special care should be taken when being outside dur-ing the winter months, even in the absence of sandstorm, as harmful small particles are especially prev-alent then,” Dr Kim Critchley, Dean and Chief Executive Officer of UCQ and the chief examiner of the study, told The Peninsula. “Though large particles may trigger symptoms like coughing, they do not result in cellu-lar damage. Small particles, on the other hand, tend to lead to respira-tory problems. These small particles

are especially prevalent during win-ter months, which may explain why there are more respiratory prob-lems during that time of the year, and less during the observed sum-mer months,” she added.

The study which examined the relationship between weather, air quality and respiratory health has also found that though temperature did not seem to be linked to respi-ratory health, humidity and small air particles do. “We didn’t find a statistically significant relationship between respiratory health and cli-matic variables. While temperature did not seem to be linked to respira-tory health, humidity and small air particles did,” said Critchley.

The study also found that air quality in Qatar is worse during early morning hours — between midnight and 4am – than during the rest of a typical day. However, Dr Critchley said, “We could not find literature that explains why this would be so. Thus, there is a strong case to be made for further investigation into this phenomenon.”

Titled “examining climatic influ-ence on the respiratory health of Qatar residents: A comparative anal-ysis between winter and summer months,” the study is part of UCQ’s Undergraduate Research Experience Program (UREP).

→ Continued on page 5

Cloud computing gaining momentum in QatarBy Sachin Kumar

The Peninsula

DOHA: Cloud computing is gain-ing momentum in Qatar. Microsoft, a major players in Qatar’s software industry, has seen over 70,000 users

for its cloud services in the last two years. “There are currently 70,000 commercial users in Qatar who are using Microsoft cloud services such as Microsoft Office 365, Azure or CRM Online. It is encouraging response given the fact that we launched cloud around two years back in Qatar,” said

Naim Yazbeck, General Manager, Microsoft Qatar.

Cloud computing is a kind of internet-based computing, where shared resources, data and informa-tion are provided to computers and other devices. It is also known as ‘on-demand computing’. Cloud computing

and storage solutions provide users and enterprises with various capabil-ities to store and process their data in third-party data centres. It relies on sharing of resources for coherence and economies of scale.

→ Continued on page 6

New Souq Haraj coming up in Wakrah

The Peninsula

DOHA: A new Souq Haraj that will replace the existing one located in a congested place in Najma area of the city, is expected to be ready for operation in the second half of 2017.

The shopping complex is coming up on a huge space that meas-ures 35,000 square metres. The area is strategically located and is bang opposite Barwa Village in Al Wakrah.

The area is known as Umm Bashar and is close to Hamad International Airport, off Doha-Al Wakrah Road. The new complex will have 324 outlets available for rent with huge parking lots. The car-pet area of a one-door shop will be 60 square meters and monthly rent will be fixed at the rate of QR54 per square metre. The monthly rent of a one-door shop will thus work out to QR3,500.

The complex is being developed with partnership of the government and private sector. The Logistics Committee of the Ministry of Econ-omy and Commerce had floated tenders early in March 2015 to award

the project to a private company.A company had won the bid for

a little over QR206m and it in turn awarded the construction work.

A contracting company is work-ing on the project and currently some 95 percent of excavation work is complete. Souq Haraj in Arabic means a market for used or second-hand goods but in prac-tice it is a place where all household appliances (most of them new are available). These include furniture and furnishing, home décor items, electrical appliances, air-condition-ers, fans, and carpets, among other things. A multi-lane access road will link the upcoming Souq Haraj to F-Ring Road in such a way that vehicles coming from and going to Al Thumama, Abu Hamour and Al Wakrah would not lead to conges-tion near Barwa Village.

The need for a new Souq Haraj was felt as the country’s population has been increasing and there was pressure on the current market in Najma. It is located in a congested area so trucks moving in and out cause traffic snarls especially on Thursdays and Fridays.

Once the excavation work is complete, construction will begin. Construction is expected to start off sooner rather than later.

Information available suggests that work on the project is progress-ing as planned and the construction work would end in time with the market starting operations some-time in the later half of next year.

16 more starve to death in Syria’s MadayaAFP

BEIRUT: At least 16 more peo-ple have died of starvation in the besieged Syrian town of Madaya since an aid convoy entered earlier this month, according to Doctors Without Borders (MSF).

Several dozen more resi-dents of the town are in “danger of death” because of severe mal-nutrition, the humanitarian group warned.

The latest deaths bring the number of people reported to have died of starvation in Madaya to 46 since December, according to MSF.

“MSF has clear medical report-ing for 46 starvation deaths since December 1,” the group said in a statement to AFP.

Complex to be completed next year will have 324 outlets

s

DOHA: Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani received last evening a telephone call from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon during which he extended the invitation to the Emir to attend the Syria Donors’ Conference, to be held in London in February, reports QNA.

The Emir thanked the UN chief for the invitation and confirmed that a high-level delegation from Qatar will take part in the confer-ence. The Emir affirmed Qatar’s keenness to contribute to efforts for providing assistance to Syrian refugees and help alleviate their suffering.

The Emir also emphasised that Qatar will continue to support the Syrian people.

Emir receives phone call from UN chief

Colombia reports

more than

2,000 Zika cases

BOGOTA: Colombia announced yesterday that more than 2,000 pregnant women have been infected with Zika, amid grow-ing concern about the spread of the virus suspected of caus-ing irreversible brain damage in newborns.

The National Health Insti-tute reported that Colombia now has 20,297 cases of Zika infec-tion, including 2,116 in expectant mothers.

The latest numbers, reported in the institute’s epidemiological bulletin, make Colombia the sec-ond most affected country in the region, after Brazil, the epicentre of the outbreak.

Xerox splitting into two as it grapples with

changing market

A Civil Defence team trying to douse the flames as a Mitsubishi Lancer caught fire on Al Shafi Street in Rayyan last evening. No one was injured. Pic: Abdul / The Peninsula

Fire breaks out in car

HOME02 SUNDAY 31 JANUARY 2016

The Peninsula

DOHA: Ooredoo has announced that its 50 percent discount offer for students will now become permanent as the company works to support Qatar’s students this year.

The offer, which sees students access 50 percent off on all Shahry Smart Packs 100, 150 or 250 for 12 months, as well as 50 percent off

all monthly Mobile Internet Packs (excluding unlimited bundles) is available for all univer-sity and college students in the country.

Those under 26 studying in Qatar with a valid university or college card, will now get 50 percent off on Shahry Smart Packs 100, 150 or 250 for 12 months, and 50 percent off on 1GB, 3GB, 6GB and 15GB Mobile Internet Packs for as long as they study.

To qualify for the discount, students need to take their valid university or college student

ID card to Ooredoo shops along with their QID to register. Ooredoo has already signed a major new research agreement to support innovation and development for students of Qatar Univer-sity (QU) and Texas A&M University this year, as part of its vision to support the next gener-ation of leaders.

By making the 50 percent off offer per-manent, the company hopes to give more affordable access to the life-enriching tech-nology of Ooredoo’s Supernet network.

Ooredoo’s 50% discount for students permanent

The Peninsula

DOHA: The Qatar Foundation Annual Research Conference this year has received more than 1,300 abstracts, a record number since the inception of the forum in 2010.

Held under the theme

‘Investing in Research and Innovating for Society,’ ARC 16 has seen an 11 percent increase since last year’s event with submissions from the local and international community comprising 64 percent and 36 percent, respectively, of all abstracts.

Under the patronage of H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson, Qatar Foundation, the conference will take place on March 22 and 23 at Qatar National Convention Centre, and is open for registration.

The Abstract Review Com-mittee scrutinised over 1,300 submissions and the evaluation criteria included research qual-ity, originality, merit, relevance to Qatar and the Grand Chal-lenges as stipulated within the Qatar National Research Strategy

(QNRS) — water, energy, secu-rity and cyber security and healthcare.

More than 600 poster pre-senters along with about 50 oral presenters will have the oppor-tunity to contend for the Best Poster and Research Presenta-tion Awards, respectively.

“Since its inception in 2010, the conference has attracted the world’s foremost scientists and research entities from Qatar and beyond, providing the appro-priate platform to address the most prominent challenges fac-ing not only Qatar’s society but also the global community,” said Dr Nabeel Al Salem, Executive Director, Outreach and Com-munications, Qatar Foundation Research and Development.

“The calibre of abstracts this year is a direct reflection of

the strides Qatar is making in research and national develop-ment initiatives, consistent with efforts undertaken by QF R & D in addressing research priorities identified by the Qatar National Research Strategy,” he added.

The conference will also launch QF’s prestigious Research Project Award and Innova-tion Award to recognise local examples of outstanding and commercially viable innovations.

The conference programme also includes the announcement of successful grant applicants under Qatar National Research Fund’s National Priorities Research Programme.

ARC 2014 attracted over 2,000 delegates where 22 local and international researchers received recognition for their presentations and posters.

Dr Steven Chu, former US secretary of energy; Faisal M Alsuwaidi, President, Research and Development, Qatar Foundation; Dr Hiroaki Kitano, President and CEO, Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc, Japan; and Dr David J Galas, Principal Scientist, Pacific Northwest Diabetes Research Institute, US taking part in the plenary session of ARC’14.

Record 1,300 abstracts submitted for ARC 2016

Registration open for the forum to be held on March 22 and 23 at Qatar National Convention Centre

QNA

DOHA: Doha will host a three-day regional workshop on ‘Waste Statistics in GCC Coun-tries’ starting from today.

Experts in energy and environment statistics at the Statistical Centre for the GCC (GCC-Stat), representatives of key stakeholders responsible for compilation of waste statistics, technicians and expert

statisticians representing national statistical agencies in GCC countries are taking part. The workshop is organised by the Ministry of Development Planning and GCC-Stat. It aims to enhance the understanding of inter-national standards on waste statistics in the GCC statistical system, discuss the require-ments of users to improve and spread out data quality, and promote the exchange of knowledge and cooperation between pro-ducers of waste statistics.

Doha to host workshop on ‘Waste Statistics in GCC’ from today

The Peninsula

DOHA: Qatar Charity (QC) has launched a social media network of its own to support charity work in the country.

QC has signed multiple cooperation agreements with social media activ-ists and some of Qatar’s best stars for the project.

Yousef bin Ahmed Al Kuwari (pictured), CEO, QC, said the idea of creating a social network for the char-ity came from its continuous efforts to follow up with the revolution of infor-matics and technology.

“QC goes beyond conven-tional means of communication and employs the most advanced ones. We aim to reinforce community solidar-ity, highlight efforts of groups of men and women in society and their joint humanitarian and charity work,” said Al Kuwari.

The network for social communica-tion features already established media networks, including TOP-BB network, Ka’bat Al Madyoum (Home of Needy), Fahad Buzwair network, Butirki Qatar Network for Abdullah As-Shamri, Wlaif Qatar network, Where 2 Eat Qatar for Abdul Rahman Al Mahrmuzi, Do alive 7, A’ras Qatar (Qatar’s weddings), and others.

It also includes some figures such as Dr Haya Al M’dadi, Director, Fur-san Center, Dr Ayesh Al Qahtani, some journalists such as Shaqr as-Shahwan, Asmaa Al Hamadi, Adel Abdullah, Eman Al Ka’bi, Jawaher Al Mane’, Kha-leel Al Baloushi, Sa’d Al Ka’bi, a writer at Al Sharq, Ahmed Abdullah and Ahmed Abdul Fattah, a director.

These activists will promote QC’s projects and development programmes through social media platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, What-sApp, YouTube and Instagram, said Ahmed Al Ali, Director, Information Department, and Network Coordina-tor, QC.

The agreements QC has signed with the network members stipulates that QC will identify projects, programmes and activities which will be included in joint cooperation. The members, on the other hand, will be responsible for attracting the attention of the different groups of society.

They will also interact with the audience to bring in support and encourage donors to donate for these projects. They will follow up with implementation and report to their fol-lowers their experiences and what they see in the field. The social media activ-ists will also shed light on certain issues and help find solutions by starting ini-tiatives or programmes adopted by QC.

QC launches social media

network to support its

project in the country

HOME 03 SUNDAY 31 JANUARY 2016

The Peninsula

DOHA: Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) has undertaken a large-scale relief project to help the families displaced or affected by the armed conflict in Libya, with $10m (over QR36.37m) funding from Qatar Devel-opment Fund.

Amid deteriorating economic conditions across Libya, increasing numbers of internally displaced peo-ple (IDPs) and lack of food security threatening 1.4 million lives, QRCS launched a $2m scheme to distrib-ute food aid to 19,500 neediest and most affected families (117,000 peo-ple) in several parts of the country over six months.

This intervention will help meet the food needs of those fami-lies, reduce malnutrition, especially among children, alleviate the psycho-logical impact on vulnerable people like children and women, and lighten the economic burden on the Libyan families.

In cooperation with local part-ners, 8,000 food packages (one per family) were distributed to 48,000 people in cities and districts, including Misurata, Zawiya, Jufra, BaniWalid, Sabratha and Wadi Al Shatii. Another $3.5m scheme was initiated earlier this month to sup-port the failing health sector severely

affected by the armed conflict.Many hospitals and health centres

lack adequate staffing, medications and other supplies and are unable to receive the increasing numbers of patients, with 1.9 million people hav-ing no access to primary healthcare.

To bridge the gap, QRCS is work-ing to secure medications, medical consumables and ambulances to improve primary healthcare services; raise health and personal hygiene awareness to reduce communicable diseases; and build capacity of local

medical workers through technical training.

The first batch of six medical supply containers have reached the Port of Tripoli and will be distrib-uted in the coming few days to the undersupplied hospitals, helping them serve about 20,000 families (120,000 people) in Ubari, Sabha, Murzuk, Jufra, Misurata, Tripoli, Zaw-iya, Sabratha,Zuwarah, Yafran and Al Makhzan.

Throughout this year, QRCS will continue to provide food and

medical aid where it is badly needed and support Libyan families in other aspects like shelter, clean drinking water, health education and personal hygiene.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates that there are 2.4 Libyans in need of help this year, which is dou-ble the 2015 figures.

A UN humanitarian appeals was launched to raise $166m to cover the humanitarian needs of Libyans across the board.

A Qatar Red Crescent Society volunteer hands over a relief package to one of the beneficiaries.

QRCS helps 19,500 Libya familiesQatar Red Crescent Society launches a $2m project to distribute food to 19,500 neediest and most affected families (117,000 people) across Libya over six months

The Peninsula

DOHA: Qatar University (QU) has been ranked sixth in the pilot Times Higher Education (THE) Top 15 Arab World Universities Ranking.

The announcement was made on Thursday on the THE website, nam-ing QU sixth among universities in Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, the UAE, Oman, Jordan, Egypt and Morocco.

The ranking is drawn from data used to compile the THE World Uni-versity Rankings 2015-16.

It was calculated using the same 13 performance indicators as in the overall rankings methodology.

Only institutions in the 22 member states of the Arab League were eligible for inclusion. (https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/top-15-universities-arab-world-announced)

QU Vice-President and Chief Academic Officer Dr Mazen Hasna said, “QU continues to advance in

its regional and international stand-ing through increased focus on research, together with its teaching excellence role. The new rank-ing is an indication of QU quality of faculty members and academic programmes and the solid part-nerships it has built over the years with leading international institu-tions, and highlights the reputation it has built over the years.”

THE World University Rankings Editor, Phil Baty, said: “This top 15 ranking gives us a fascinating insight into the strongest university play-ers in the Arab world, but it is just a snapshot to stimulate wider dis-cussions about the most appropriate metrics for ranking the region’s uni-versities. We are consulting with the sector about the creation of formal, bespoke rankings for the region, using metrics tailored to regional priorities and university missions. This will be one of the main topics of discussion at the Middle East and North Africa Universities Summit in the UAE this week.”

QU ranked sixth among

top 15 Arab universities

The Peninsula

DOHA: The Primary Healthcare Corporation (PHCC) has set up a new section for physiotherapy at health centres for early interven-tion in minor cases.

It has assigned specialists and professionals to diagnose cases and set treatment programmes for patients.

The physiotherapy clinics at health centres will provide services to patients aged between 14 and 70 years. The clinics will function in

two shifts — morning and evening — from Sunday to Thursday.

Dr Thajiya Mubarak Al Badr, Head, Physiotherapy Section, PHCC, said it receives several patients at Al Gharafa, Labeeb, and Abu Backer Siddiq health centres on a daily basis. The clinics have received more than 800 patients so far this month. The scope of services at health cen-tres are different from that provided by Hamad Medical Corporation because PHCC services are based on primary care. There is a plan for expansion of services by opening new clinics at new health centres, Dr Al Badr added.

Physiotherapy sections set up at health

centres for early intervention

HOME04 SUNDAY 31 JANUARY 2016

The Peninsula

DOHA: Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI) and Boeing are again partnering to host the third annual Machine Learning and Data Analyt-ics Symposium.

The important event, which is fast emerging as the premier machine learning and data analytics event in the region, is open to students, researchers and industry experts, and will take place on March 14 and 15 in Doha. It will feature top glo-bal experts discussing applications, recent advances and new solutions in the fields of machine learning and data analytics.

The deadline for full or position papers is February 7. QCRI is one of

the three national research institutes of Hamad Bin Khalifa University.

“We are once again honoured to partner with Boeing on this impor-tant annual event,” said Dr Ahmed

K Elmagarmid, Executive Director, QCRI. We have enjoyed an extraor-dinarily positive response to the symposium in the past two years and look forward to furthering

participants’ understanding of the importance and applicability of data analytics and machine learning throughout our daily lives.

“QCRI and Boeing have worked

diligently to build a strong partner-ship by tapping into what each of us does best — research and application,” he said. “And we are leveraging each other’s expertise and professional

networks to build a robust programme for the symposium,” Dr Elmagarmid added.

With continuing growth of big data in the areas of transportation, security, healthcare, finance, tel-ecommunications and agriculture to name just a few, it has become increasingly vital to efficiently and effectively gather and analyse data not only to gain and maintain a com-petitive advantage, but also to inform decisions that impact society.

The symposium provides oppor-tunity to gain insight into advanced analytics for big data such as machine learning, by engaging with leading experts who will discuss case stud-ies and latest research in the field.

“Data analytics is critical for every industry and with each symposium we find better ways to manage and analyse the data needed to make sound decisions.

“Our partnership with QCRI has allowed talent from around the world to congregate in Doha and share their innovations, expose regional students to experts in the field, and advance Qatar’s research and development objectives,” said Bernard Dunn, Presi-dent, Boeing Middle East, North Africa and Turkey.

The event will serve as a plat-form to exchange new ideas, identify important applications, and discover possible synergies between attendees.

The list of speakers confirmed so far includes: Hugh Durrant-Whyte, Jesse Davis, Chris Jermaine, Claudia Perlich, James Schimert, Cheng Soon Ong, Byron Wallace, Geoff Webb, and Mohammed Zaki.

The QCRI-Boeing event, which is fast emerging as the premier machine learning and data analytics forum in the region, is open to students, researchers and industry experts and will take place on March 14 and 15

QCRI and Boeing to hold symposium in March

Delegates at the previous symposium.

The Peninsula

DOHA: Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) is helping students gain a better understanding of their future employment options by participating in a Career Fair at Education City from Febru-ary 1 to 2.

The annual event at Hamad Bin Khalifa Uni-versity Student Centre is organised by Qatar Foundation (QF) and sponsored by Shell Qatar.

Up to 1,000 attendees will be encouraged to learn about careers in all sectors of Qatar’s thriv-ing economy, including education, energy, finance and business.

“This is a signature event at Education City,” said Dr Everette E Dennis, Dean and CEO, NU-Q.

“Working with our colleagues from our neigh-bouring universities, NU-Q is offering its students and alumni the opportunity to make important contacts in the business world. Several of our graduates have secured employment as a result of

the Career Fair, and I am optimistic that our grad-uates will continue to impress future employers.”

NU-Q’s participation ensures that current stu-dents and alumni have the chance to visit dozens of stands and make connections with staff from premier employers. Younger students seeking internships are also welcome to attend.

“With more than 100 companies participat-ing in the Career Fair, this is an opportunity for students to interact with employers in Doha from a broad spectrum of industries,” said Greg Berg-ida, Director, Student Affairs, NU-Q.

“It’s an eye-opener for some students, who will learn first-hand that there are career options they may not have considered.”

NU-Q alumni have previously secured employment at some of the most prestigious employers, including the Foreign Ministry, Al Jazeera, the Emiri Diwan, Doha Film Institute, Hamad Medical Corporation, Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, Qatar Airways, QF, Qatar Media Corporation, Ras Gas and Total Energy and Petroleum.

NU-Q to attend Career Fair

The Peninsula

DOHA: Carnegie Mellon University Qatar (CMU-Q) welcomed the first wave of accepted students for the Fall 2016 semester.

This marks the first year CMU-Q offered Early Decision, where select students were offered admission before the March 1 deadline.

Ilker Baybars, Dean and CEO, CMU-Q, held a welcome dinner for the students and their families. The keynote speaker was Abdulla Saleh Al-Raisi, CEO, Commercial Bank, whose son graduated from CMU-Q in 2014.

In his welcome address, Al Raisi spoke of his familiarity with the journey. “I speak from personal experience when I say that CMU-Q is one of the finest institutions in the region and world. I know about the journey in detail; how

it will reshape your personalities and charac-ters and enhance your talents and skills, as I witnessed with my son.

“I look forward to discovering how the class of 2020 will go on to help shape the develop-ment of Qatar and the world. I wish you all the best as you begin your future at CMU-Q,” he added.

For details on applying to CMU-Q, please visit: http://www.qatar.cmu.edu/admission

A visitor at the NU-Q stand in a previous Career Fair.

CMU-Q welcomes first wave of students for Fall semester

Abdulla Saleh Al-Raisi, CEO, Commercial Bank, addressing the students.

HOME 05SUNDAY 31 JANUARY 2016

The Peninsula

DOHA: Turkish filmmaker Nuri Bilge Ceylan and Russian filmmaker Alex-sandr Sokurov have been confirmed as Masters for Doha Film Institute’s (DFI) second edition of Qumra from March 4 to 9.

Both join previously announced Qumra Masters Naomi Kawase and Lucrecia Martel for the second edi-tion of the initiative which aims to support the development of emerg-ing filmmakers from Qatar, the region and around the world. Both are mas-ters in world cinema and their films have received the highest accolades at the world’s most prestigious festi-vals, including Berlin Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival and Venice Film Festival.

Fatma Al Remaihi, CEO, DFI, said: “We are proud to welcome Ceylan and Sokurov to Qumra. They have each

created a distinctive body of work and a cinematic legacy for genera-tions to come. They are an inspiration not only to emerging filmmakers whose work will be mentored through Qumra, but to us all.”

Ceylan and Sokurov will par-ticipate in master classes and

one-on-one advisory sessions with participating projects and industry professionals from around the world, with a selection of the Masters’ films to be screened during the event.

Qumra, presented by DFI, was developed under the guidance of Artistic Adviser Elia Suleiman who

participated as a Master in the inau-gural edition.

In addition to representatives from 30 projects from Qatar, the Middle East and North Africa region and around the world whose projects are mentored through the initiative, members of local and regional cre-ative industries are also invited to participate in Qumra, where they will have the opportunity to attend networking events, Qumra Master Classes and daily screenings of films by Qumra Masters and recipients of funding from DFI, followed by ques-tion-and-answer sessions.

Online accreditation is open for local film industry delegates to register. Film and media indus-try professionals can visit www.dohafilminstitute.com to regis-ter their interest and will receive a confirmation of accreditation after February 21. Capacity is limited and applications will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Two top filmmakers to take part as Masters in Qumra

The Peninsula

DOHA: It will be windy and cold today with the weather bureau forecasting that the mercury would drop to as low as six degrees Cel-sius in places like Al Wakrah and Messaieed. In Doha, the nightly tem-perature yesterday fell to 11 degrees, while it was nine degrees in Al Khor and eight in Abu Samra on Qatar-Saudi Arabia border.

In Al Ruwais and Dukhan, the temperatures last night were 14 and 12 degrees.

Day temperatures will vary between 15 and 20 degrees today, with 15 being in Dukhan and 16 in Al Ruwais. In Doha, the day

temperature, according to the weather bureau, will be about 21 degrees today.

The night will also be cold, the bureau warned.

Northwesterly wind from the colder regions of Europe will be moving at speeds initially of eight to 18 knots.

The speed could later increase to 25 knots.

The sea will be rough with northwesterly wind moving at a speed of 18 to 26 knots.

Weather conditions in the seas will be partly cloudy and slightly dusty. Waves could rise up to 11 feet at places in deep sea while near the shores the waves will rise up to four feet.

The Peninsula

DOHA: Sheikh Thani bin Abdullah Foundation for Humanitarian Serv-ices, popularly known by its brief name RAF, has launched an urgent relief drive for Syrian refugees bat-tling savage cold in Lebanon.

Every winter for the past few years since the Syrian crisis began, the harsh weather has had a dev-astating effect on Syrian refugees, especially those in tented settlements in freezing areas of Lebanon.

This year has been no excep-tion, as snow and freezing winds have whipped through the makeshift shelters housing large numbers of dis-placed Syrians.

Tens of thousands of Syrian ref-ugees have been living in tented settlements in mountainous inland areas in the north and south of Leb-anon, and remain battered, exposed to sub-zero temperatures with no or limited resources to fend for themselves.

In its relief operation, RAF is targeting to provide instant help to 30,000 refugees battling the odds in places like Akkar district, Miniyeh (capital of Miniyeh-Daaniyeh district in the north), Bekka Valley, Beirut and other parts.

The drive is costing RAF QR2.25m and the urgent relief items being dis-tributed to the target groups include food, baby food, room heaters, heat-ing oil, warm clothing and medicines.

A rescue and relief team from RAF has moved, tasked with coordinating efforts with local and international relief organisations to distribute urgent materials to the storm-hit Syr-ian refugees in affected places.

Arsal, close to the Syrian border with Lebanon, is worst-hit by sav-age snowstorms and remains cut off from the rest of the world. In sub-zero

temperatures an estimated 100,000 refugees are feared stranded and their tented settlements remain whipped through by snow and freezing wind.

Food, heating materials, medicines and warm clothing are some of the items urgently needed here, RAF said in a statement. Similar conditions

prevail in other areas, including Bekka Valley and there are shortages of not only food but also medicines for children, according to the statement.

RAF begins relief drive for Syrians in Lebanon tents

Some of the beneficiaries leaving a distribution centre after collecting relief materials.

The QR2.25m humanitarian project aims to provide instant succor to 30,000 refugees battling savage cold across Lebanon

Weather Bureau forecasts another windy and cold day

Continued from page 1

Dr Hayam Al Sada of the Pri-ma r y Hea lt h Care Corporation (PHCC) and stu-dents at the UCQ were also involved in the study.

The research team installed a weather sta-tion on top of the campus roof to monitor weather through the day. The station pro-vided information

about temperature, humidity, precipi-tation, wind speed, wind direction and gust averages. The

team also measured air quality through the day using two laser particle counters.

Moreover, medical records of 700 patients with acute respiratory problems, who had been receiving nebulizer therapy at Al Rayyan Health Center during summer (May to September) and winter (November to March) were examined.

“The next stage of our research would be to iden-tify what information about the relationship between climatic variables, air quality and respiratory health res-idents would need to safeguard their health,” she added.

Nuri Bilge Ceylan and Alexsandr Sokurov

Study on respiratory

problems involves

students and PHCC

Dr Kim Critchley, Dean and CEO, UCQ, and Chief Examiner of the study

HOME 06 SUNDAY 31 JANUARY 2016

DOHA: Kuwaiti rider Mohammed Jaffar finished second in the first race and first in the second race at the 6.27km track at Golden Beach Sealine for the fourth and final round of the QMMF Qatar Inter-national Endurocross.

Those two podium victories allowed Jaffar to attain a further 47 points; enough to put him on top of the overall championship series scoring total of 191 points and be crowned the E1 (250cc) Champion of Qatar International Endurocross 2015 – 2016 season.

In the E2 (450cc) category, despite strong competition from Ben Menzies of the UK and Wade Den of South Africa,Emirati Rider Mohammed Al Balooshi managed

DOHA: Crowds at Qatar Motor Show 2016 have been wowed by the many activities on offer at this year’s event. From simulators and parades to com-petitions and games, the activities at Qatar Motor Show 2016 have provided a highly interactive element, helping establish Qatar Motor Show as one of the most dynamic exhibitions on Qatar’s event calendar.

Taking visitors beyond the tradi-tional showroom experience, Qatar Motor Show hosts a wide range of experiential activities for fans and families to enjoy. In addition to providing a hands on exhibition fea-turing a variety of colourful, sleek, exciting and exclusive models at the Doha Exhibition & Conference Cen-tre (DECC), organisers are taking the show onto the streets of Doha with daily parades featuring unique and exciting cars and motorbikes. Taking place around West Bay, residents can enjoy the parades as they pass by and experience some of the excitement of the show.

The show takes place until Mon-day (1 February) and is free of charge for all visitors to attend. Online pre-registration is recommended to gain fast-track entry. Visitors can regis-ter via www.qatarmotorshow.gov.qa.

Outside the DECC, the fanzone brings the world of motion to life,

with daily motorbike stunts and dis-plays from Red Bull athletes Shadi Al Dhaheri and Brian Capper, racing simulators and test driving experi-ences, plus games and competitions from Harley Owners Club and Red Bull.

Speaking about the show, one vis-itor Mosab Abul Khair said: “I’m so pleased to be at Qatar Motor Show. It’s an amazing event. It is one of the annual events the whole commu-nity comes out to attend. This year’s Fanzone in particular is very enter-taining. I’m already looking forward to next year.”

Exhibitors have also been joining the fun. Popular among the attrac-tions is the Evotek F1 simulator. Featuring an active seatbelt, vibra-tional system, sound system, brake pedal feedback, and dynamic on three rotational degrees, the Evotek Sym Club Edition is the ultimate simulator experience, delivering a real-life F1 thrill. Also joining the simulator field, Toyota are offering visitors the chance to experience a virtual test drive of the all new Prius.

Families can enjoy the children’s play zone at the Traffic Department stand, and teenagers aged 12-18 can experience the Students for Road Safety driving simulator, sponsored by Maersk Oil, and the Rakkiz Tis-lam computer simulation programme sponsored by Shell. Big kids can try their hand at manoeuvring a wheel loader and excavator on the safety training simulator by Volvo.

In addition to the assortment of activities on offer, there are compe-titions galore with fans having the chance to win a weekend drive of the new Clio Sport from Renault, and a PlayStation 4 at Commercial Bank. Qatar Motor Show offers visitors a

luxury weekend stay at the Marri-ott Marquis through Qatar Motor Show’s ‘Capture the Moment’ com-petition, priority access to the Evotek Sym and a whole host of goodies from

Qatar Motor Show. For a chance to win, visitors and fans should follow the show via Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snap Chat, or YouTube, and use the official hashtag #QMS2016.

Qatar Motor Show is hosted by Qatar Tourism Authority as part of the strategy to position Qatar as a pre-mium business events destination. Now in its sixth year, the show has

become one of the most anticipated regional consumer and trade shows on Qatar’s annual events calendar.

For details about the event, visit the Qatar Motor Show 2016 website.

Car parades wow visitors at Qatar Motor Show

Visitors at Qatar Motor Show 2016 at the Doha Exhibition & Conference Centre.

Continued from page 1

“Cloud computing is very cost effective and very simple to use. A lot of applications are becoming cloud based. If you do not use cloud you cannot use them. So these applications are pushing you to go cloud based,” said Yazbeck.

According to experts, usage of cloud com-puting will rise sharply and the user base in Qatar is likely to double in next two years. “I expect the cloud usage in Qatar to double in next 18-24 months. This is the business doubling every year,” said Yazbeck. “In tough economy

it will grow even faster because it is the only way to save money,” he added.

Availability of high-capacity networks, low-cost computers and storage devices as well as the widespread adoption of hardware virtualisation and service-oriented architec-ture is leading to growth in cloud computing. Companies can scale up as computing needs increase and then scale down again as demands decrease. “Going forward the cost per users will continue to go down. The reality is that those mega scale data centres will be managed much more cost effective ways which will drive the

cost per user down,” added Yazbeck.Cloud computing has become a highly

demanded service or utility due to the advan-tages of high computing power, cheap cost of services, high performance, scalability, acces-sibility as well as availability.

“Reality is everything will be on cloud, the whole computing will be on cloud. Cloud computing will reduce the maintenance on ICT (Information, Communication, Technol-ogy) in general and will let organistations use this money to use on business growth,” added Yazbeck.

Two days left to experience the region’s largest and most exciting annual exhibition

to retain the title for another season. After fin-ishing second on the first race and winning third position on the second race Al Balooshi was still able to maintain enough points to assure him of the Championship.

In the Quad Category there was an intense battle between Qatari rider Mohammed Abu Issa, Kuwaiti Fahad Al Musallam, and British Paul Holms for the top three places. Paul Hol-mes bagged the victory in the first race closely followed by Fahad Al Musallam in second

position and Qatar’s Mohammed Abu-Issa in the third. The second race was fiercely contested and with a thrilling finish Qatari Mohammed Abu Issa came in first. Despite Abu Issa’s Dakar participation meaning he missed round 3 and the possibility of securing vital points for his championship bid he still managed to attain third in the Championship. However, it was Kuwaiti Fahad Al-Musallam who took the title with Paul Holmes in third.

In the over 40 year old category Finnish

rider Tomi Sarivaara became the 2015/2016 Veteran Champion.

Nasser Khalifa Al Attiyah, QMMF President, was delighted over the participation and the level of competition and riding skill being dem-onstrated. “It is important to focus on the young riders in our country and region and provide a safe arena where our riders can battle against each other and develop their techniques. The level is improving year on year and this shows the strength of our championship.”

Fourth and final round of QMMF Qatar International Endurocross ends

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The Peninsula

DOHA: The Ministry of Economy and Com-merce has caught several outlets selling cattle and their fodder at the livestock market in Doha for breaching some provisions of the consumer protection law (CPL). Nine violations were detected.

The errant outlets were booked for not issuing bills to customers after sales and not announcing prices of animals and fodders offered for sale. Some bills were also seized for having an illegal note “goods once sold will not be returned or exchanged”. It is a clear viola-tion of CPL that allows customers to exchange or return the sold items within a given time-frame.

The violations were caught during a sur-prise inspection drive launched by the Ministry

at outlets at the market. Law No. 8 of 2008 regarding consumer protection specifies severe punishments like temporary closure of an errant outlet and fines ranging from QR3,000 to QR1m, said a release.

The ministry has urged customers to report violations if they come cross, on toll-free number 16001, or send e-mail to info@mec.gov.qa, or post comments on its official Twit-ter account.

Cloud ‘computing very cost effective and simple to use’

Cattle outlets face action over violation of consumer protection law

A Palestinian youth jumps with a sword as he demonstrates his ninja-style skills in the northern Gaza Strip. The youth, who have been receiving martial arts training at local clubs in Gaza for the past two years, decided to form a team to hold regular shows in the hope that the publicity generated will eventually lead them being invited to participate in international contests.

Martial arts training

MIDDLE EAST 07SUNDAY 31 JANUARY 2016

AFP

ANKARA: Turkey yesterday accused Russia of a new violation of its air-space, warning Moscow it would “face consequences” amid the worst relations between the two countries since the end of the Cold War.

The Turkish foreign ministry said a Russian Su-34 plane violated Turk-ish airspace at 0946 GMT on Friday despited repeated warnings from Turkish air radar units in Russian and English.

In November, Turkey, a key Nato member, shot down a Russian fighter jet on the Syrian border, sparking a war of words with Russia which insisted its plane had not violated Turkish airspace.

Russia launched a massive air campaign in Syria in September against rebels fighting to overthrow President Bashar Al Assad, a long-time Moscow ally whom Turkey bitterly opposes.

Ankara on Friday summoned the Russian ambassador to the for-eign ministry to “strongly protest and condemn” the latest alleged airspace violation.

A Russian embassy spokesman declined to comment on the talks between the ambassador and Turk-ish officials.

“We will not comment on the subject of discussions with his col-leagues at the foreign ministry,” spokesman Igor Mityakov told the Russian news agency RIA Novosti.

Nato head Jens Stoltenberg yesterday called on Russia to “act responsibly and to fully respect NATO airspace”.

“Russia must take all neces-sary measures to ensure that such violations do not happen again,” Stoltenberg said in a statement.

“Previous incidents have shown how dangerous such behaviour is”.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Russia would “have to face consequences if it keeps up such violations”.

“Such irresponsible steps do not benefit either the Russian Federation, or Russia-Nato relations, or regional and global peace”, he told reporters at an Istanbul airport before setting off for a Latin America tour.

The Turkish foreign ministry did not specify where the latest violation took place although it is likely to have been close to the Syrian border where Russian troops are operating.

“This violation is a new and con-crete indicator of Russian Federation actions to escalate problems despite clear warnings from our country and Nato,” the ministry added.

Erdogan also said he wanted to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to discuss the crisis

in their relationship, although it was not immediately clear if this request came after the latest violation.

The Turkish strongman has in recent weeks repeatedly, and in vain, called for a meeting with the Rus-sian leader.

“I’ve asked our foreign ministry undersecretary that I want to meet with Putin but our embassy there has informed us here that there’s been no response from (Russia) since then,” said Erdogan.

Relations between Moscow and Ankara are at their lowest ebb in dec-ades, prompted by the November 24 downing of the Russian jet which infuriated Moscow.

Putin has vowed that Turkey will be made to regret the incident, with the Kremlin announcing sanctions including a ban on the import of some foods and a halt on sales of holiday packages, a major blow to Turkish tourism.

The two countries also back opposing sides in Syria’s almost five-year civil war, with Russia the key supporter of the Damascus regime while Turkey argues that the ouster of Assad is essential to solving the Syrian crisis.

Last year Turkey started flights to Syria to bomb Islamic State positions in the war-torn country as part of the international air campaign against the jihadist group.

But Turkish media reported that the Turkish airforce suspended mis-sions of its aircraft over Syria in the aftermath of the downing of the Rus-sian jet to avoid further controversy with Russia.

Stoltenberg yesterday made clear that Nato would stand by Turkey, the second largest military power in the alliance after the United States.

AFP

ALGIERS: Algeria’s parliament is to meet from Wednesday to adopt a draft revision of the constitution limiting the number of presidential terms to two, the presidency said.

A statement said President Abdelaziz Bouteflika signed a decree to that effect on Saturday. The revi-sion would restore the two-term limit which was suppressed in 2008.

This enabled Bouteflika, first elected as president of the oil-rich North African state in 1999 and re-elected in 2004 for another five-year term, to stand again in 2009 and 2014.

The 78-year-old appeared just once during the campaign for the 2014 election, in a wheelchair after suffer-ing a stroke the year before. Public appearances by Bouteflika are rare, and he appears on local television only when foreign dignitaries visit.

Introducing the draft revisions this month, Bouteflika’s chief of staff Ahmed Ouyahia said that in 2008 the president had responded to a call

by the people to remain in office. The announcement of his candidacy in 2014 gave rise to protests organised by the Barakat (“Enough”) movement. The constitutional revision would also boost the status of the Berber dialect Tamazight to official language and also prevent Algerians holding more than one nationality from standing in elections for public office.

This has angered many Alge-rians in France who are citizens of both countries. Also, the presidency confirmed the creation of a new intel-ligence organisation following the dissolution of the powerful Depart-ment of Intelligence and Security.

“The DRS has been dissolved and replaced by three security branches reporting directly to the presidency,” Ouyahia said. Retired general Ath-man Tartag, an ex-security adviser to Bouteflika, is to head the new DSS.

He was named in September as successor to longtime DRS chief General Mohamed Mediene — better known as General Toufik — head of a shadowy intelligence service that many viewed as a “state within a state”.

Turkey accuses Russia of new airspace violationThe Turkish foreign ministry said a Russian Su-34 plane violated Turkish airspace at 0946 GMT on Friday despite repeated warnings from Turkish air radar units in Russian and English

Reuters

AMMAN/GENEVA: A delega-tion from Syria’s main opposition group arrived in Geneva yesterday to assess whether to join Damas-cus government officials in United Nations-brokered peace talks.

The 17-strong team included the head of the Saudi-backed Higher Negotiation Committee (HNC), which includes political and militant oppo-nents of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad in the country’s five-year-old civil war, an opposition spokesper-son said. The HNC has said it wants to discuss humanitarian issues includ-ing a stop to Russian and Syrian government bombing before engag-ing in the peace talks that started on Friday in Geneva.

Russian air strikes on Syria have killed nearly 1,400 civilians since Moscow started its aerial campaign nearly four months ago, the Syr-ian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group, said yesterday.

“We are going to Geneva to put to the test the seriousness of the inter-national community in its promises to the Syrian people and to also test the seriousness of the regime in implementing its humanitarian obli-gations,” Riyad Naasan Agha said.

“We want to show the world our seriousness in moving towards nego-tiations to find a political solution,” he said. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said the Geneva talks must ensure human rights are upheld as participants work towards a politi-cal transition in Syria.

“Humanitarian law must be respected and the objective of a political transition actively pursued to enable the talks to succeed,” Fabius said in a statement sent to Reuters.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister

Gennady Gatilov was quoted by Rus-sian Interfax news agency as saying that no direct talks were expected in Geneva, only proxy talks.

Gatilov, whose country has also objected to the opposition’s compo-sition saying it included groups that it deemed as terrorist, said there were no preconditions for the Syrian talks and that Moscow welcomed the decision by Syrian opposition coor-dinator, Riad Hijab, to take part in talks in Geneva.

The United Nations earlier said the aim would be six months of talks, first seeking a ceasefire, later work-ing toward a political settlement to a war that has killed more than 250,000 people, driven more than 10 million from their homes and drawn in global powers

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag: “Only at the negotiating table will it become clear if both sides are prepared to make painful compromises so that the killing stops and Syrians have a chance of a better future in their own country.”

The HNC’s demands include allowing aid convoys into rebel-held besieged areas where tens of thou-sands are living in dire conditions, Agha said.

Agha said the opposition dele-gation, including HNC head Hijab and chief negotiator Asaad Al Zoubi, would not call for a complete ces-sation of hostilities but would demand an end to “the indiscrimi-nate shelling of markets, hospitals and schools by the regime and its Russian backers”.

Russia and Syria deny targeting civilians, saying they take great care to avoid bombing residential areas.

Separately, the heavy Russian bombing campaign continued una-bated in northern Syria on Saturday

with the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights saying the areas hit included rebel-held villages and towns in the Aleppo countryside near the border with Turkey.

Russian air strikes were also reported by the group in Hama prov-ince and in the eastern province of Deir Al Zor where scores of people were killed in the aerial attacks on Islamic State-controlled towns in the territory that also borders Iraq, according to residents.

At least 40 people, including women and children, were injured when the army shelled a camp where over 3,000 displaced people had taken shelter, according to a rebel spokesperson from the First Coastal Division brigade who spoke from the area along the Turkish border in northwestern Latakia.

Heavy clashes also continued in the Latakia countryside where the Syrian army backed by inten-sive Russian carpet bombing in the rugged mountainous area allowed the government to regain most of the countryside close to the coastal heartland of Assad’s Alawite sect.

In separate comments before heading to Geneva, Zoubi said they would not engage in any negotia-tions before goodwill measures were taken. These had to include a halt to bombing of civilian areas.

“Without concrete steps, Geneva would be futile” he said. He said US Secretary of State John Kerry gave assurances by phone to the HNC’s lead-ership, saying Washington supported a UN-backed political transition period without Assad, a bone of contention among warring parties.

The HNC has also been under pressure from mainstream armed groups represented within it not to give in to Western pressure, with some rebel groups already threat-ening to pull out of the body.

A man holds a placard during a demonstration outside the United Nations Offices in Geneva recently.

Main Syrian oppn team arrives in Geneva as peace talks open

AFP

ANKARA: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan embarks on a major tour of Latin American countries in a bid to expand Ankara’s ties outside its traditional sphere of influence.

His visits to Peru and Ecuador are the first-ever by a Turkish president and the stop in Chile is the first since late president Suleyman Demirel travelled there back in 1995.

Regional and international issues will be on the agenda during talks with the leaders of South America, where Erdogan is also expected to attend business forums to intensify economic links.

Erdogan had already in Febru-ary 2015 visited Cuba, Colombia and Mexico. The Turkish president’s itin-erary will take him to Chile and then Peru before wrapping up his visit in Ecuador, the presidency said, adding that the trip “shows the importance we attach to the countries of Latin America.”

Turkey is seeking to diversify its partners beyond its traditional sphere of influence within the bounds of the former Ottoman Empire in the Middle East and the Balkans, analysts say.

“The visit is part of Turkey’s longer term ambition to expand its presence in Latin America, both to increase Turkish influence globally and also to reach out to new poten-tial trade partners,” said Aaron Stein, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Coun-cil, a US think tank.

With its opening to Latin Amer-ica, Turkey appears to want to forge new alliances in new regions at a time of tricky ties with the United States, the European Union and Russia.

One of Turkey’s major trade part-ners, Russia has imposed sanctions against Ankara after one of its war jets was shot down in November on the border with Syria. Stein said the trip to Latin America aimed at diver-sifying Turkey’s ties.

“It is part of Turkey’s overarching ambition to deepen its relations with a range of actors, independent of its

alliance with the United States and individual EU member countries,” he said. “It is a continuation of a for-eign policy trend put in place in the mid-2000s.”

Turkey’s “multi-vector” foreign policy also covers Africa, which has been the subject of significantly greater interest from Turkey and vis-its by Erdogan in recent years.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, a former foreign minister, is seen as the architect of this policy, pushing for a pivotal role for Turkey in global and not just regional affairs.

This newly-assertive foreign policy by a key Nato member was slammed in some quarters for being “neo-Ottoman” and for drifting away from its Western axis.

Erdogan’s advisor Ibrahim Kalin has attacked such criticism for see-ing the world through the “lenses of a Eurocentric world system”.

“Some even go so far as to see African and Latin American open-ings as diversions or ‘moving away’ from the West,” he wrote in the pro-government Sabah Daily last year.

AFP

SULAIMANIYAH: Thousands of teachers in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region have gone on strike to protest months of unpaid wages, officials said yesterday.

Iraqi Kurdistan has been hit hard by plummeting oil prices and is facing a financial crisis, and many of the regional government’s employees have gone unpaid. “The government did not pay any salary for the teachers of Kurdistan for four months,” said Singar Faeq, the dep-uty head of the Kurdistan Teachers’ Union in Sulaimaniyah province.

The strike was limited to Sulaimaniyah, where Faeq said 50,000 people took part. “The strike will continue until the government responds to our demands to pay our salaries,” said Ari Ahmed, the prin-ciple of a school in Sulaimaniyah.

Shorsh Ghafuri, an official from the Kurdish regional edu-cation ministry, said he could not provide a figure for the strikers, but that there were many.

Algeria parliament to adopt

reform on presidential termsErdogan eyes expanding Turkey influence on Latin America tour

Iraqi Kurd teachers

strike over

unpaid wages

MIDDLE EAST08 SUNDAY 31 JANUARY 2016

AP

BEIRUT: In a Middle East torn apart by war and conflict, fighters are increasingly using food as a weapon. Millions of people across countries like Syria, Yemen and Iraq are gripped by hunger, struggling to survive with little help from the outside world. Children suffer from severe malnu-trition, their parents often having to beg or sell possessions to get basic commodities including water, med-icine and fuel.

The biggest humanitarian catas-trophe by far is Syria, where a ruinous five-year civil war has killed a quarter of a million people and displaced half the population. All sides in the con-flict have used punishing blockades to force submission and surrender from the other side — a tactic that has proved effective particularly for government forces seeking to pacify opposition-held areas around the cap-ital Damascus.

Since October, Russian airstrikes and the start of yet another winter have exacerbated a humanitarian crisis and led to deaths from starva-tion in some places.

Humanitarian teams who recently entered a besieged Syrian town wit-nessed scenes that “haunt the soul,” said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. He accused both the government of President Bashar Al Assad and the rebels fighting to oust him of using

starvation as a weapon, calling it a war crime. In Yemen, the Arab world’s most impoverished nation, nearly half of the country’s 22 provinces are ranked as one step away from fam-ine conditions. Here’s a look at major areas in the Middle East under siege or suffering starvation:

SYRIAThe United Nations estimates

more than 400,000 people are besieged in 15 communities across Syria, roughly half of them in areas controlled by the Islamic State group. In 2014, the UN was able to deliver food to about five percent of people in besieged areas, while today estimates show the organisation is reaching less than one percent.

In 2015, the World Food Pro-gramme was forced to reduce the size of the food rations it provides to families inside Syria by up to 25 per-cent because of a funding shortfall. The agency says it has to raise $25m every week to meet the basic food needs of people affected by the Syr-ian conflict. Some of the hardest hit blockaded areas in Syria are:

MADAYA: A town northeast of Damascus with a population of 40,000. The town has been besieged by government and allied militiamen for months and gained international attention after harrowing pictures emerged showing emaciated chil-dren. Doctors Without Borders says 28 people have died of starvation in Madaya since September. Two convoys of humanitarian aid were delivered to the town last week. Aid workers who entered described seeing skeletal figures; children who could barely talk or walk, and parents who gave their kids sleeping pills to calm their hunger.

FOUAA AND KFARYA: Two Shia villages in the northern province of Idlib with a combined population of around 20,000. The villages have been blockaded by rebels for more than a year. Pro-government fight-ers recently evacuated from the villages describe desperate con-ditions there with scarce food and medicine, saying some residents are eating grass to survive and undergo-ing surgery without anesthesia. Aid convoys entered the villages simul-taneously with the aid to Madaya after months-long negotiations

Hunger grips millions across the region

Syrian refugee children play near their families’ residence at Al Zaatari refugee camp in the Jordanian city of Mafraq, near the border with Syria.

In a Middle East torn apart by war and conflict, fighters are increasingly using food as a weapon. Millions of people across countries like Syria, Yemen and Iraq are gripped by hunger, struggling to survive with little help from outside world

between the government and armed groups.

DEIR EL-ZOUR: An estimated 200,000 people living in govern-ment-held parts of this city in eastern Syria are besieged by the Islamic State group. The UN says most of the resi-dents are women and children facing sharply deteriorating conditions due to the ban on all commercial or humanitarian access, as well as the inability of residents to move outside of the city. While government stocks continue to provide bread, there are severe shortages of food, medicine and basic commodities.

YEMENThe humanitarian situation has

dramatically deteriorated, nearly 300 days after the Saudi-led coalition

began its air campaign aimed at driv-ing Yemen’s Shia rebels from cities under their control. Some 14.4 million Yemenis, more than half of the popu-lation, are food insecure, an increase of 12 percent in the last eight months, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organ-isation said. In late December, the WFP said 7.8 million of Yemen’s 24 million people are in even more dire condition, “facing life-threatening rates of acute malnutrition,” up by more than 3 million in less than a year. It said 10 of the country’s 22 provinces are in “the grip of severe food inse-curity” at the “emergency” level, one step short of famine on the agency’s 5-level scale of food security.

In Taiz, with a population of about 250,000, residents have been going hungry for weeks, the WFP said. The

United Nations humanitarian coor-dinator for Yemen Jamie McGoldrick said recently that basic services in Taiz are scarce, including access to water and fuel. The severe shortage of food, fuel and medicine across Yemen led to an increase in the number of children suffering from malnutrition while the destruction of health facil-ities treating them led to deaths.

IRAQMassive population shifts in Iraq

due to violence has made it more dif-ficult for millions of people to access food, medicine and safe drinking water. More than 3 million Iraqis are displaced within the country by vio-lence and instability. “They’ve lost their livelihoods, their jobs, and hun-ger and the inability to purchase food

is a reality in their everyday life,” said Marwa Awad, with the World Food Programme. In total 8.2 million Iraqis are in need of humanitarian assist-ance: Food, water, shelter or medicine, she said.

Ongoing violence in many of Iraq’s provinces that are also home to people who have been uprooted by conflict is of the greatest concern, Awad said. In Anbar, Ninevah and Salahuddin the price of food has risen by as much as 38 percent in the last month, and in some cases the Iraqi government has had to airlift families out of towns and villages besieged by fighting between Iraqi government forces and Islamic State group fighters. In Ramadi, fam-ilies who had been held by IS fighters as human shields said they survived for days on just rice and flour.

Reuters

CAIRO: Gunmen from Yemen’s Houthi movement detained a local journalist and five activists after a raid on an apartment in the capital Sana’a yester-day, activists said, the latest detention of a reporter in the war-ravaged country.

The gunmen stormed the apartment at dawn and took journalist Nabil Al Sharabi and the activists to an unknown location. The Houthis had fired guns when the men attempted to escape, activists said.

Representatives of the Iran-allied Houthi movement were not immediately reachable for

comment. Human Rights Watch says the Houthis have detained numerous political opposition fig-ures, activists, and journalists.

Fighters loyal to Yemen’s President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi are battling the Houthis and loyal-ists of the country’s former leader in a war that has killed about 6,000 people.

Sharabi, the detained journalist, had worked for local daily Akhbar Al Youm, which the Houthis closed down after taking control of Sana’a in 2014. Hadi fled Sanaa in 2015 after the Houthis seized his presidential palace.

The Yemeni Journalists Syndicate says the Houthis have been holding 12 other jour-nalists for several months af ter accusing them of acting against the movement and of

supporting Hadi’s government. Hadi has man-aged to re-base in Aden, Yemen’s second-largest city, where his government is trying to project authority after its loyalists, backed by Sunni Mus-lim Gulf Arab forces, seized it back from Houthi forces in July.

Last week unidentified gunmen abducted and later released two journalists and a driver working for the Qatari-owned Al Jazeera Arabic TV chan-nel in the southwestern city of Taiz.

Yemen is ranked 168th out of 180 countries in the 2015 Reporters Without Borders press freedom index. The group said last week that at least 17 journalists and media workers were being held hostage in Yemen by armed groups including the Houthis.

Journalist and activists detained in Sana’a

Agencies

UNITED NATIONS: Russia said on Friday that it was opposed to plac-ing a United Nations arms embargo on South Sudan or blacklisting Pres-ident Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar as such moves were not helpful to the implementation of a peace deal agreed by the pair in August.

UN sanctions monitors said in a report that the UN Security Coun-cil should put an arms embargo on South Sudan and sanction the oil-rich country’s rival leaders over atrocities in a two-year civil war.

“(It’s) not conducive, not con-ducive for the peace process,” said Russia’s Deputy UN Ambassador Petr Iliichev, confirming that Kiir and Machar were among several names proposed for targeted sanctions by the UN experts in a confidential annex.

A political dispute between Kiir and Machar, who was once Kiir’s deputy, sparked the civil war. But it has widened and reopened eth-nic fault lines between Kiir’s Dinka and Machar’s Nuer people. More than 10,000 people have been killed.

On a possible UN arms embargo, Iliichev said: “For us it’s a no go, the region is already inundated with arms, so what we need is to control the arms that are there.”

Iliichev said it would be hard to enforce an arms embargo on opposi-tion fighters, putting the government at a disadvantage.

The conflict in South Sudan, whose 2011 secession from Sudan had long enjoyed the support of the United States, has torn apart the world’s youngest country. The UN

experts said some 2.3 million peo-ple have been displaced since war broke out in December 2013, and 3.9 million face severe food shortages.

Kiir and Machar signed a peace deal in August but both sides have consistently broken a ceasefire, while human rights violations have “continued unabated and with full impunity,” the U.N. experts reported.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power said on Thursday that implementation of the peace deal had stalled.

She said the 15-member Secu-rity Council would need to look at whether an arms embargo and tar-geted sanctions could be “a means of stabilizing the situation on the ground or getting the implementa-tion of the agreement back on track.” “The stakes ... could not be higher for the people of South Sudan for us to figure out next steps in a hurry,” she said.

Meanwhile, Sudan and South Sudan’s border will open for the first time since southern secession in 2011, allowing a flow of cheaper goods amid an economic crisis caused by civil war in the world’s newest nation, government offi-cials said.

The move would allow for “bet-ter and cheaper provisions of goods and services” and “promote the rela-tionship between us and Sudan,” South Sudanese presidential spokes-man Ateny Wek Ateny said by phone from Juba, the capital.

Sudan’s state-run news agency, SUNA, reported that President Omar Hassan Al Bashir had ordered the reopening of the border. His govern-ment sealed crossings the same year South Sudan declared independence, accusing Juba of supporting rebels on Sudanese territory.

Smoke billows above the city following Saudi-led airstrikes targeting a neighbourhood in Sana’a yesterday,

Russia opposes South Sudan arms embargo

A child looks at simulation trees decorated with colour lights in a shopping mall to celebrate the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, in Beijing yesterday. The festival, which falls on February 8, will mark the Year of the Monkey.

Philippine President Benigno Aquino (left) and his elder sister Aurora Corazon Aquino-Abellada (second left) talk to visiting Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko before boarding a plane, during their departure at the international airport in Manila yesterday, after their state visit in the country.

Upcoming Lunar New Year

Japan emperor ends Philippine visit

ASIA / PHILIPPINES 09SUNDAY 31 JANUARY 2016

Reuters

WASHINGTON/SHANGHAI: A US Navy destroyer sailed within 12 nau-tical miles of an island claimed by China and two other states in the South China Sea yesterday to counter efforts to limit freedom of naviga-tion, the Pentagon said.

China claims most of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion of world trade is shipped every year. Vietnam, Malaysia, Bru-nei, the Philippines and Taiwan have rival claims.

Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said no ships from Chi-na’s military were in the vicinity of the guided-missile destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur when it passed near Triton Island in the Paracel Islands.

“This operation challenged attempts by the three claimants — China, Taiwan and Vietnam — to restrict navigation rights and freedoms,” Davis said, reflecting

the US position that the crucial sea lane should be treated as interna-tional waters.

The Navy conducted a similar exercise in October in which the guided-missile destroyer Lassen sailed close to one of China’s man-made islands, drawing a rebuke from Beijing.

Davis said the latest operation sought to challenge policies that require prior permission or notifi-cation of transit within territorial seas. He said the United States took no position on competing sover-eignty claims to naturally-formed land features in the South China Sea.

“No claimants were notified prior to the transit, which is con-sistent with our normal process and international law,” Davis said.

The Chinese foreign ministry responded yesterday evening with a statement on its website condemn-ing the action.

“The American warship has violated relevant Chinese laws by entering Chinese territorial waters without prior permission, and the Chinese side has taken relevant measures including monitoring and admonishments,” China’s for-eign ministry said in a statement.

The operation followed calls in Congress for the Obama adminis-tration to follow up on the October operation.

This month, the chairman of the US Senate Armed Services Committee criticised Obama for delaying further freedom of navi-gation patrols.

He said that allowed China to continue to pursue its terri-torial ambitions in the region, including by landing a plane on a manmade island in the Spratly Islands archipelago.

US warship sails near Triton IslandPentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said no ships from China’s military were in the vicinity of the guided-missile destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur when it passed near Triton Island in the Paracel Islands

AFP

HONG KONG: Press freedom further declined in Hong Kong in 2015, driven by growing self-censorship and government interference as Beijing expands its influence over the city’s bois-terous media, a new report said yesterday.

The southern Chinese city prides itself on having relative freedom of expression compared with severely restricted reporting in mainland China, a legacy of Britain’s hando-ver of power in 1997.

“Press freedom in China, Hong Kong and Macau deteriorated further in 2015, as the Commu-nist Party of China used every means at its disposal to control the media,” the International Feder-ation of Journalists’ China Press Freedom Report said.

The report also predicted Chi-na’s ruling Communist Party will use resources to strengthen its influence in the city, which will hold elections for its legislature later in the year and for a new leader in 2017. “As Hong Kong goes to elections next year the party is also using its considerable wealth to consolidate its influence over the region,” it said.

Last year’s report warned of “intervention behind the scenes” at a time when tensions remained high after more than two months of mass protests for fully free lead-ership elections in late 2014.

A British colony until 1997, Hong Kong is ruled under a “one country, two systems” deal that allows it far greater civil liberties than those enjoyed on the Chinese mainland, including freedom of speech and the right to protest.

The report, presented at Hong Kong’s Foreign Correspondents’ Club, also called the outlook in 2016 for the rest of mainland China “even worse”. Chinese authori-ties have detained and harassed reporters, used forced television confessions and other methods in limiting and influencing report-ing, the report said.

AFP

SYDNEY: World Heritage-listed forests whose origins pre-date the age of the dinosaurs are being destroyed by raging Australian bush-fires, with conservationists increasingly fearful they could be lost forever.

Firefighters in Tasmania — a state south of the mainland known for its cooler temper-atures — have been battling bushfires for 18 days, with 95,000 hectares (234,750 acres) of land burnt so far, authorities said on Friday.

While no properties have been destroyed and no one hurt in the infernos — which are so numerous that firefighters from across Aus-tralia and New Zealand have been flown in

to help — parts of western Tasmania’s famed wilderness have been destroyed by the flames.

“The fires in western Tasmania are occur-ring in basically an ecosystem which is a remnant from the geological past, so they are of immense significance scientifically,” David Bowman, professor of environmental change biology at the University of Tasmania, said.

“These systems were once more wide-spread and indeed grew on Antarctica billions of years ago, so they are living fossils... they go back to well before the age of the dinosaurs, they are a tangible connection to Gondwana.”

Gondwana was a land mass that included present-day Africa, South America and Aus-tralia and formed the southern part of an ancient supercontinent called Pangaea.

One of the last expanses of temperate

wilderness in the world, the Tasmanian Wil-derness was entered into the World Heritage list for its significant natural and cultural val-ues in 1982 and covers nearly 20 percent of the island, or 1.4 million hectares.

It includes the Cradle Mountain-Lake Saint Clair National Park and the Walls of Jerusalem National Park, home to popular bushwalking tracks. With the Tasmania Fire Service (TFS) bat-tling more than 70 blazes and access to remote areas difficult, a spokesman said the agency was not able to gauge how much forest had been burnt, although most of the fires are in the west and encompass vast swathes of protected land.

Species under threat include the southern beech forests, also known as nothofagus, the pencil pine — a distant relative of American redwoods — and the king billy pine, Bowman

said. Some species are only found in Tasmania, leading to concerns that if the ancient, slow-growing trees are obliterated by the blazes, they could take many years to regrow, if at all.

Bowman warned that despite the firefight-ing efforts, only soaking rain could end the emergency as the soil of western Tasmania was drying and turning into so-called “brown coals” that burn tree roots.

Light rain now falling on the island has failed to douse the flames, with lightning strikes sparking more blazes, the TFS told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Lightning strikes were “insignificant sources of ignition” just a few decades ago, Bowman said. But three years ago, a major bushfire that destroyed more than 100 homes was also in part sparked by lightning. Bowman

said that from his assessment, the recent blazes in Tasmania, along with a trend of ris-ing temperatures in Australia and across the world, reflected an increase in extreme fire situations that pointed to climate change.

But all may not be lost. James Wood, the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens’ seed bank manager, said last year the organisation had been able to collect thousands of montane conifer seeds. “In these sort of circumstances, the seed bank’s take is that we may lose the ecology but we don’t necessarily have to lose the species so we can preserve them.”

But he warned that while it might be pos-sible to overcome sporadic events, long-term environmental changes — such as those that appeared to be caused by climate change — were harder to protect against.

Reuters

HONG KONG: Chinese police have made their first statement on the fate of one of five missing Hong Kong booksellers, believed by many to have been abducted by mainland agents, acknowledging widespread concerns but offering no fresh information.

Lee Bo, 65, a dual British and Chinese national and owner of a pub-lisher and bookstore specializing in books critical of China’s Commu-nist Party leaders, disappeared from Hong Kong on December 30.

The disappearances have prompted fears that mainland Chi-nese authorities may be using shadowy tactics that erode the “one country, two systems” formula under which Hong Kong has been governed since its return to China from British

rule in 1997. In a rare but brief letter to Hong Kong media on Friday, police in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong offered no fresh informa-tion and did not address their Hong Kong counterparts’ requests for a meeting with Lee, government radio station RTHK reported.

The letter repeated two points earlier released by the Hong Kong police — that Lee had sent a letter stating he went to the mainland on his own accord and that mainland authorities had confirmed to Hong Kong that he was “understood” to be on the mainland, RTHK reported.

“If there is news, we will notify (Hong Kong) in a timely fashion,” it said. The British government is still waiting for responses to its diplo-matic requests for information and access to Lee. Lee’s wife visited him in a mainland guesthouse last week-end. She issued a statement saying he

was healthy and in good spirits, and that he was a witness in an on-going investigation.

The four other booksellers are believed to be still in main-land detention, including Swedish national Gui Min-hai, who disap-peared from the Thai resort town of Pattaya last October.

He surfaced on Chinese state television this month, stating that he had voluntarily turned himself into Chinese authorities last month over a fatal drink driving case more than a decade ago.

As international diplomatic con-cern intensifies, the European Union delivered some of its strong criticism yet of China’s human rights record.

In a statement on its website, the 28-nation bloc’s China delegation called recent televised confessions by detained Chinese and European citizens “unacceptable”.

Hong Kong press

freedoms decline

in 2015: Report

Australia bushfires raze ancient World Heritage-listed forests

Chinese police break silence on

missing Hong Kong bookseller

VIEWS10 SUNDAY 31 JANUARY 2016

By Paulo Prada

Reuters

Last January, long lines formed outside health clinics in Recife, a city in Brazil’s north-east hit hard in recent

years by outbreaks of dengue, a painful tropical disease.

Doctors were on guard because federal health officials and the World Health Organi-sation (WHO) had warned 2015 would be a bad year for dengue and possibly another viral dis-ease, chikungunya, both spread by the same type of mosquito.

But the symptoms of the hundreds of people seeking treatment did not fit dengue. Instead of high fevers and intense muscular aches that dengue is known to cause, patients were running only slight temperatures and com-plaining of joint pain. Many had rashes sooner than with dengue and chikungunya.

“We knew this was some-thing else,” says Carlos Brito, a doctor from Recife who told state and federal health author-ities in January-February last year that they were wrong to classify all the cases as dengue. “But the authorities were slow to believe,” he said.

Kleber Luz, a physician in Natal, a city 300 km up the Atlantic coast, says he gave sim-ilar feedback but got the same response. The two - who were part of a group of doctors dis-cussing the odd symptoms in text messages - grew frustrated with the authorities’ narrow focus. They asked the federal health ministry to broaden its search beyond viruses known in the area.

It took until early May for the health ministry to recognise that the Zika virus had arrived in Brazil and to alert the WHO’s regional arm, the Washing-ton-based Pan American Health Organisation. And it wasn’t until November that a Rio de Janeiro laboratory made a link between the virus and microcephaly,

which can lead to abnormally small brains in developing babies. The WHO has been lam-basted in the past couple of years by scientists, aid organisa-tions, and public health experts for the slow way in which it initially reacted to the Ebola epidemic as it spread across West Africa in 2014. And so far, the hesitant response to the Zika outbreak, which has created the worst global health scare since Ebola, says much about the dif-ficulties that the WHO and other health authorities face in com-bating unexpected public health threats.

On December 1, the WHO cited the lab evidence link-ing Zika to microcephaly in an advisory to its member coun-tries. It will consider on Monday whether to declare an interna-tional emergency.

The WHO said in Geneva on Thursday that Zika in the last few months has spread “explo-sively” to more than 20 other countries in the Americas and could infect as many as 4 mil-lion people.

Whether the health authori-ties in Brazil and the leadership at the WHO have taken too long to get to this point is a subject of debate within the international health community.

The Brazilian government says its response when it was first alerted by the doctors about the unusual symptoms they were seeing was driven by the evidence.

“It was too early,” said Clau-dio Maierovitch, director of the health ministry’s Department of Communicable Disease Sur-veillance. “There are so many other viral possibilities and Zika had never been seen in this hemisphere.”

And he said that when Zika was identified, the authorities’ response was based on knowl-edge of the disease. Previous outbreaks of Zika, a virus first identified in 1947 in Uganda, had occurred in small and scattered rural populations in Africa and Southeast Asia and the symp-toms were relatively benign.

“We based our response on the scientific knowledge avail-able, that Zika caused a mild illness without major complica-tions,” said Maierovitch. “But as soon as we saw that there was an association with microceph-aly, we reacted in record time.”

Critics say that the WHO has been slow to act after the link between Zika and micro-cephaly was made, and should have declared an emergency as soon as that was determined. “My chief criticism is of WHO in Geneva. After being widely

condemned for acting late on Ebola, it is now sitting back with Zika,” said Lawrence O. Gos-tin, a professor of public health law at Georgetown Univer-sity, who has worked with the WHO and written extensively about pandemics and policy. WHO officials say the agen-cy’s response to Zika is driven by science, and they point out that much remains unclear, including the precise nature of any link between Zika and microcephaly.

“In any unfolding cri-sis you’re dealing with a lot of uncertainty,” Bruce Aylward, the WHO’s assistant director-gen-eral, told reporters on Thursday.

Since October, 4,180 cases of microcephaly have been reported in Brazil but only 270 have so far been confirmed, with just six so far linked by the government to Zika. Of the rest, 3,448 are still being inves-tigated through a long process involving clinical research, lab-oratory testing and monitoring of the infants’ development, and 462 were dismissed as not being microcephaly.

Following the spread of the disease is difficult. Many of those who get Zika can recover quickly from only mild symp-toms, and across the Americas, hospitals do not have the clini-cal testing materials to quickly and definitively determine whether a patient is infected. Luz, the Natal doctor, may have been the first person to make a link between the symptoms his patients had shown and Zika.

After poring over scientific literature about a 2013 outbreak in French Polynesia, Luz in early March sent a text to a WhatsApp group for doctors, declaring: “I think it’s Zika.” He compared the symptoms he had seen with those reported in that outbreak.

Soon, several doctors in the same region began collecting blood samples from patients and sent them to various laborato-ries for analysis.

On April 30, a laboratory at the Federal University of Bahia, also in Brazil’s northeast, said

it had identified the presence of Zika in samples from one patient.

The health ministry alerted state governments.

On May 2, it notified PAHO. The notification put a Zika out-break on record at the WHO.

On May 7, PAHO issued an “epidemiological alert” say-ing “public health authorities of Brazil are investigating a pos-sible transmission of the Zika virus.”

But concern remained limited mostly to the conta-giousness of Zika, rather than whether it could be a serious threat. In its alert, PAHO wrote: “Complications (neurological, autoimmune) are rare.”

In late May, Brito received a call from a Recife neurolo-gist who noticed a surge of new patients with symptoms of Guil-lain-Barré, a little-understood autoimmune syndrome that can weaken the muscles and cause paralysis.

Brito interviewed the patients, many of whom said they had previously suffered a light fever, joint pain and rashes. He collected blood samples and by June a laboratory had used genetic testing to find traces of the Zika virus.

“It was real anguish,” Brito said of the patient’s suffering and the wait for official confir-mation of Zika’s presence.

But despite the results, there was no proof to show that it was Zika causing the syndrome. Neither the Brazilian health ministry nor PAHO heightened warnings.

By September, the chat groups among doctors were abuzz over a spike in the number of babies born with microcephaly. Many mothers of affected babies recalled having Zika-type symptoms.

In October, Adriana Melo, an obstetrician in the nearby state of Paraiba, noticed troubling signs in sonograms of a 34-year-old expectant mother.

There were calcium deposits in the developing baby’s brain, a possible sign of viral infec-tion. The cerebellum, the part of the brain crucial for motor con-trol, was shrinking. Melo phoned the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, a public health institute in Rio de Janeiro, and got a lab there to test the patient’s amniotic fluid.

By then, the number of babies born with microceph-aly was surging. The health ministry, now more alarmed, declared a national emergency on November 11 and in public comments mentioned that there were possible ties between the condition and Zika.

Did Brazil and global health agencies fumble Zika response?

The world is grappling with another virus which is giving sleepless nights to the health authorities. Zika. It’s a mosquito-borne disease – spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito -- that is almost undetectably mild in adults but in pregnant women can cause terrible defects, especially brain

damage, in their babies. There is no cure for the disease so far and none in sight, and secondly, it is spreading at an alarming rate. Colombia announced yesterday that more than 2,000 pregnant women in the South American country have been infected with the virus. The number makes Colombia the second most affected country in the region after Brazil, which has reported as many as 1.5 million cases of Zika infection.

Previous epidemics like Ebola were much easier to detect, though hard to get under control, but Zika is a silent virus. Like most mosquito-borne diseases, Zika is considered the disease of the poor because of their lack of access to healthy living conditions like running water, air conditioning and protective netting.

The virus has crossed the Pacific from Africa to South and Central America and threatens to spread north to the USA. Asia and Europe have

so far been unaffected by the fever, but that is no consolation. The history of epidemics shows that it wreaks havoc all over the world – the health sector is thrown into chaos, the travel industry is hit badly as movement of people is restrained and governments struggle with the multiple consequences of the epidemic.

There is no need for panic in this case, but the facts are alarming. The World Health Organization warned this week that the virus is “spreading explosively” in the Americas, with three million to four million cases expected this year. What makes Zika more deadly and devastating

compared to the previous viruses is that it affects newborns. It is believed to be linked to a surge in cases of microcephaly, a dreaded condition in which a baby is born with an abnormally small head and brain. Mothers whose babies are born with this condition are devastated and their lives ruined as there is no cure for the virus. Several governments are advising women to postpone getting pregnant for up to two years, but that is no consolation. Women in poor countries have no control over their pregnancy.

The global health community needs to be on high alert to prevent a spread of the virus before it gets out of control. Poor countries need to be given support and it’s time for coordination between the WHO and the health authorities. One WHO scientist has estimated that there could be three to four million Zika infections in the Americas over the next year.

Zika scare

Quote of the day

Unfortunately, Israeli settlement construction continues. We must not let the two-state solution unravel.

Laurent FabiusFrench Foreign Minister

The global health community needs to be on high alert to prevent a spread of the deadly Zika virus before it gets out of control.

Zika in the last few months has spread “explosively” to more than 20 other countries in the Americas and could infect as many as 4 million people.

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EDITOR IAL

OPINION 11 SUNDAY 31 JANUARY 2016

De Mistura, and the Dashma negotiations

Dr. Saad bin Teflah Al Ajmi

An Israeli heresy and yet the core of their thinking regarding nego-tiation with the Palestinians, especially for Benjamin Netan-

yahu, the Israeli PM, is the oft-repeated phrase ‘let us negotiate “without precondi-tions” ’. Israelis meanwhile are committing acts of war by continuing their confisca-tion of the lands of Palestinians, building settlements on lands they occupied in 1967, and surrounding the Palestinians with the ‘security ‘fence’ or rather a huge wall with caged check points, creating a big prison,first built by the former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Besides this they continue the practice of random deten-tions, refuse to release prisoners already detained without specific accusations, kill Palestinians based on merely alleged suspicions that they attempted to stab Israelis, destroy houses to collectively punish families, and refuse to implement

existing agreements. Not content with this they continue to blockade the Gaza strip, which they bomb whenever they want. They then keep asking Palestini-ans to join them in negotiations without preconditions!

This is the logic of the powerful against a weak opponent, or let us call it logic of someone who wants to legalise the occupation and oppres-sion which has been inflicted by the Israelis on the Palestinians for dec-ades. When the Palestinians refuse to negotiate under such situations they are accused by Netanyahu of being ‘extrem-

ists’ and ‘rejecters of peace. So what kind of peace do they want under detentions, expansion of settlements, confiscations of lands, bombings, besieging and tem-peramental killings?

In similar way Mr Staffan De Mis-tura, the UN envoy to Syria, is asking the conflicting parties in Syria to negotiate in Geneva (III) without preconditions.

The people in Syria are facing death, displacement, collective massacre, and bombings by Syrian and Russian forces, as well as miserable violations to human rights by militias from Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, Chechnya, and ISIS. The human-itarian situation in Syria today is at the mercy of terror practiced by the regime, and affiliated militias on one hand and Da’esh, Al Nusra Front and other terror-ist groups on the other hand. Thus the hope for freedom, peace and stability is steadily diminishing as the roar from aircraft, explosive barrels and revenge crimes are still much louder than the peace discourse. Then De Mistura comes to ask the opposition groups, which are not yet recognised by the regime, to sit for negotiations in Geneva (III) without preconditions.

How can opposition groups come to sit with the regime to negotiate under such situations- while the regime and its allies are not showing any sign of good will, or steps to build confidence such as stop-ping the bombings or releasing any of the hundreds of thousands of prisoners?

In addition, the influential regional and international powers are still not agreed on who will represent the oppo-sition groups in the negotiations.

De Mistura is willing to bring the parties to Geneva (III) without precon-ditions. In other words he wants to mix the opposition with supporters of the

regime, terrorist groups and innocent Syrians.

Ironically, the word ‘Mistura’ in Ital-ian language means “Mixture”!!So does ‘Mr. Mixture’ really want to mix up the papers and dilute the whole issue and maintain the current Syrian crisis without solutions? Or is Mr De Mistura dream-ing, or imitating the Israelis when he is asking different parties to sit down for negotiations without preconditions to bring peace to the people of Syria.

Another ironic aspect is that the

abbreviation of the phrase “without precondition” in Arabic is ‘Dasham’ which means ‘military ground fortifi-cations’ and it may have Persian origins, while in Arabic it means ‘bad person’. So the existence of ‘Dasham’ in the road of peace process will definitely hinder its way forward. What Mr De Mistura wants is negotiations of Dashamah (a small room built randomly) rather than Dasema (smooth and creamy). There-fore there is not much achievement to be awaited from these negotiations.

The abbreviation of the phrase “without precondition” in Arabic is ‘Dasham’ which means ‘military ground fortifications’ and it may have Persian origins, while in Arabic it means ‘bad person’. So the existence of ‘Dasham’ in the road of peace process will definitely hinder its way forward.

De Mistura speaking at the opening ceremony of Syrian Peace Negotiations Geneva III, yesterday.

Bloomberg’s news outlet couldn’t cover him fairly, so I quit

By Kathy Kiely

The Washington Post

On the evening that news of my resignation from Bloomberg Poli-tics broke this week, I

kept an appointment with a Prin-ceton University student who had wanted to interview me for her college thesis, about women in journalism. Her first question: When did I know I wanted to be a journalist?

That was easy. It was the sum-mer of 1976 and I was lucky enough to have landed an internship at my hometown newspaper, the Pitts-burgh Press. My colleagues were hardly the sort that college career counselors would recommend as mentors: Their fashion sense was dubious; their humor ribald. They had messy desks and, often, messy lives. They were not much inter-ested in money or fame - unless it was someone else’s they could turn into a headline.

They were also amazingly resourceful, utterly reliable on deadline and completely allergic to humbug (known in newsrooms by a less polite name). They had never

met an authority they weren’t will-ing to challenge. And while it would have run completely counter to their raffish code to claim they were performing a social good, I secretly thought so. Never in a million years would I have let on, though: I wanted too badly to belong to their proudly unpreten-tious gang.

What would they think of me now, I wondered? I had quit a job with good pay and a first-class expense account because of how Bloomberg executives restricted the company’s journalists from covering the possibility that the company’s owner, ex-New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, might run for president. Maybe those former heroes of mine would think I was nuts. Or maybe they’d think I lived up to the code by call-ing, er, humbug over being told we had to handle the boss differently from every politician, sometime politician or plutocrat who thinks he or she should run the world.

To give some idea of my perspective on how America’s would-be leaders should be hazed: I still can recite by rote the less-than-reverential cross-examination the Pittsburgh Press politics editor gave one candidate for Pennsylvania governor whose chances he viewed as less than optimal. “Alan, what in the hell - I mean, WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?” he bellowed at the hapless hopeful, seated at a tiny interview table right in the mid-dle of an open newsroom.

Not that I am under any illu-sion about having come up in some golden age of a truly free press: Journalists have always relied on the kindness of wealthy stran-gers. It’s a rare reporter (maybe I.F. Stone?) who hasn’t had a paycheck

signed by a multimillionaire or a multimillion-dollar corporation. But I do think that there was less of a sense of being beholden, and not that long ago.

That’s because we knew our hard work helped to make rich publishers richer. Our stories pro-vided a platform for advertising that drove newspapers’ profit mar-gins to better than 20 percent. That occasionally brought its own set of conflicts: Think about the San Jose Mercury News caving to car advertisers in the early 1990s or, several years later, the Los Ange-les Times’s embarrassment over its unlabeled advertorial for the Staples Center.

Based on my experience in many newsrooms, however, those cases were the exception to the rule. Nor was resisting pressure from big advertisers necessarily as heroic as it looked. Much of the ad revenue at newspapers, in fact, didn’t really come from those big display ads bought by individual companies; it came from sellers of homes, used cars, puppies and kittens. At one point, classified advertising accounted for 30 per-cent of this newspaper’s revenues, former Washington Post manag-ing editor Robert Kaiser pointed out in an essay for the Brookings Institution.

Many, many electrons already have been spilt by people much more knowledgeable than I am, about how that ad revenue has disappeared and about what dig-ital technology and the ability to micro-target has meant for the media’s bottom line.

For those of us on the media’s front line, however, it has meant this: Many of us are now dependent not on the success of the com-panies we work for but on the

largess of patrons who are will-ing to take on media companies as loss-leaders.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos rescued The Washington Post. Bloomberg, who got rich selling data to the financial world, has built one of the few media organ-izations that continues to pay a better-than-living wage. Casino mogul Sheldon Adelson snapped up the Las Vegas Review-Journal, in a transaction the paper had to investigate extensively in order to report the details. Rupert Murdoch controls a global media empire. In my hometown, Richard Mellon Scaife’s estate became caught up in a legal fight over the millions he spent on his Western Pennsyl-vania-based media operations.

This does not necessarily spell doom. For one thing, as years of covering politics has taught me, greatly flawed people can still do great things. The same goes for institutions. For another, nobody’s ever worked for a purely disinter-ested publisher. There’s no such thing. Journalism is never going to be done in a conflict-free zone. Whether the underwriter is a cor-poration or corporate advertisers, a wealthy individual, a nonprofit or a government, everybody’s got an agenda.

But as I have often told jour-nalism students, or members of the public who are curious about (and skeptical of) journalists’ abil-ity to maintain their objectivity and avoid self-censorship: Good journalism is easy. You just need to be willing to bite the hand that feeds you.

That is a whole lot easier to do when you have no dependents and an almost paid-off mortgage. But do we really want our newsrooms staffed only with people like me?

It’s also easier to bite the hand that feeds you when that hand belongs to a faceless company you’re barely aware of because of the fabled (and, increasingly, non-existent) “firewall” between news and business. It’s easier when you’re talking about one revenue source among many corporate accounts. When you are talking about an individual bankroller with a known set of personal pref-erences, business interests and political agenda, the dilemma becomes much more acute.

All the more reason to tackle it. We live in an era in which the globalization of the economy and the consolidation of wealth have created a new elite class of trans-national, extra-territorial citizens whose finances and agen-das are increasingly opaque and hard to regulate. It has created a sense of disentitlement and dis-enfranchisement that has become a driving issue not only in the U.S. presidential election but also in the politics of other nations. If this new elite controls the media watchdogs, it’s only going to deepen the cyn-icism eating away at civic society.

We should tip our hats to megawealthy individuals or organ-izations who, instead of hoarding their vast assets, use them to add to or preserve democracy’s soap-boxes - as Ted Turner did with CNN, or Gannett’s Al Neuharth did with USA Today, or Bezos did rescuing this newspaper or Bloomberg did with his eponymous news serv-ice. But why create or preserve those jobs and then not let people do them the right way? Even if the brave new media moguls are too hard-nosed to see their loss-lead-ers as public trusts, they should understand this: Nothing enhances a media brand like credibility.

All thoughts and views expressed in these columns are those of the writers, not of the newspaper.All correspondence regarding Views and Opinion pages should be mailed to the Editor-in-Chief.

To give some idea of my perspective on how America’s would-be leaders should be hazed: I still can recite by rote the less-than-reverential cross-examination the Pittsburgh Press politics editor gave one candidate for Pennsylvania governor whose chances he viewed as less than optimal. “Alan, what in the hell - I mean, WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?” he bellowed at the hapless hopeful, seated at a tiny interview table right in the middle of an open newsroom.

People watch police destroy confiscated illegal firecrackers in Shenyang, Liaoning province, China, yesterday.

Up in the air

ASIA / AFRICA12 SUNDAY 31 JANUARY 2016

AFP

ADDIS ABABA: UN Secretary-Gen-eral Ban Ki-moon warned African leaders yesterday of the need for action in troubled Burundi at a sum-mit hoping to end armed crises across

the continent. African Union lead-ers face an unprecedented vote on deploying a 5,000-strong peacekeep-ing force despite Burundi’s vehement opposition, but Ban was clear troops were needed to stem violence.

“Leaders who stand by while civilians are slaughtered in their name must be held responsible,” Ban said, adding the crisis in Burundi required the “most serious and urgent com-mitment”. He said the UN backed the AU’s proposal “to deploy human rights observers and to establish a prevention and protection mission” in Burundi.

Talks at the AU Peace and Secu-rity Council, attended by presidents and foreign ministers from across the 54-member bloc, stretched late into Friday night in an attempt to narrow positions before the formal summit began yesterday.

AU commission chief Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma opened the summit by commemorating AU peacekeep-ers killed in “efforts to silence the guns”, amid fierce backroom debate on whether to send a new force to Burundi. Talks on the possible peace-keeping deployment are being held behind closed doors and it is unclear when a vote may be taken.

While the official theme of the African Union (AU) meeting is human rights, leaders are again dealing with a string of crises across the continent during two days of talks at the organi-sation’s headquarters in the Ethiopian capital.

Ban also warned of the need for action amid stalled talks to end war in South Sudan. “Leaders in South Sudan have again failed to meet a deadline to form a transitional government,” Ban said. “Instead of enjoying the

fruits of independence, their people have endured more than two years of unimaginable suffering.”

Neither Burundi’s President Pierre Nkurunziza nor South Sudan Pres-ident Salva Kiir are believed to be attending the summit. “Leaders must protect their people, not themselves,” Ban added.

AU Peace and Security Coun-cil chief Smail Chergui warned “the stakes are indeed high”, but Burundi remained defiant in its opposition to a mission it calls an “invasion force”.

Burundian Foreign Minister Alain Nyamitwe insisted he had the back-ing of other nations. Asked whether he had support of others in opposing the proposed force, Nyamitwe said, “Yes, very strong, you will see.”

Street protests, a failed coup and now a simmering rebellion began when Nkurunziza announced his

intention to run for a controver-sial third term, which he went on to win in July elections. Hundreds have died and at least 230,000 have fled the country in the months since. “We have said that the deployment of this force is not justified,” Nyamitwe said. “We believe that the situation in the country is under control.”

With Nkurunziza unmoved by AU and UN appeals, there have already been moves to water down the pro-posed military force to that of an observer mission. “It is not only Burundi that is resisting this idea... most inter-veners in a country are not welcomed,” Gambian President Yahya Jammeh said.

Jammeh said he would not sup-port a military deployment “without the consent of Burundi”. A two-thirds majority will be required to send the force, named the African Prevention and Protection Mission in Burundi. It

remains unclear who would be will-ing to contribute troops.

“In addition to Burundi’s lobby-ing efforts, many heads of states will be reluctant to set a precedent of AU troop deployment in a country that clearly rejects it,” said Yolande Bouka, of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) think tank.

Chad’s President Idriss Deby also took over as AU chairman, replacing Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe in the one-year ceremonial post. Deby told fellow presidents that conflicts across the continent had to end. “Every-thing that we are doing now will be in vain and without purpose if we allow Africa to go through these perpetual crises: South Sudan, Libya, Somalia, Burundi, the Sahel, the Lake Chad basin,” Deby said. “Through diplo-macy or by force... we must put an end to these tragedies of our time.”

UN backs Burundi force as leaders debate troopsTalks on the possible peacekeeping deployment are being held behind closed doors and it is unclear when a vote may be taken

AFP

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s attor-ney general promised yesterday to cooperate with a Swiss call for help in probing alleged massive corrup-tion that has placed Prime Minister Najib Razak under severe pressure.

Swiss prosecutors on Friday had issued a statement saying they believe around $4bn was stolen from Malaysian state-owned com-panies, including a firm with close links to Najib, and called for Malay-sian assistance in their investigation.

The appeal came just days after Najib’s attorney general, Mohamed Apandi Ali, sparked outrage and allegations of a cover-up by declar-ing Najib committed no wrongdoing in accepting a mysterious $681m payment to his personal bank accounts in 2013. “My office intends to take all possible steps to follow up and collaborate with our Swiss counterparts,” Apandi said in a state-ment quoted by Malaysian media.

Malaysia has been rocked for more than a year by allegations that perhaps billions of dollars had gone missing from complex over-seas transactions involving the Najib-linked company, 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

The scandal hit another gear last July when the $681m payment to Najib, now 62, was revealed.

The revelation fuelled suspicions that the money came from 1MDB, an investment company that has launched a fire sale of assets to pay off billions of dollars in debt.

Najib and 1MDB have denied wrongdoing, but both face accusa-tions from the opposition and other critics of hiding facts.

Since last year, Najib’s gov-ernment has responded to the snowballing scandal by detaining whistle-blowers, shutting down media outlets and websites that reported on the affair, and warning that those who expose anything fur-ther could face prosecution.

He also purged critics in his top ruling circle and fired his attorney

general, who had been investigating the money paid to Najib, replacing him with Apandi.

In September, Swiss author-ities announced they had frozen “tens of millions of dollars” in sus-picious assets in Swiss accounts held by current and former officials from Malaysia and the UAE.

“To date, however, the Malaysian companies concerned have made no comment on the losses they are believed to have incurred,” the pros-ecutors’ statement said Friday.

The request was made as part of criminal proceedings opened last August against two former 1MDB officials and “persons unknown” suspected of bribing foreign offi-cials, misconduct in a public office, money laundering and criminal mis-management, the Swiss said.

Opposition Malaysian lawmaker Tony Pua demanded that Apandi fully cooperate with the Swiss to “remove the perception that (he) was biased” toward Najib, and that Malaysian authorities redouble efforts to probe “Malaysia’s biggest scandal in history.”

Critics, however, allege that key institutions like the Malaysian police, anti-corruption agency and judicial organs are susceptible to pressure from the corruption-prone ruling coalition in power since 1957 and now headed by Najib.

Najib’s own brother Nazir Razak, a powerful banker, summed up the national mood in an Instagram post-ing comparing the raging scandals to “Game of Thrones”, the television series known for its brutal intrigues. “So what lies ahead? The parallels with GoT continue,” said Nazir, who has for months captivated Malay-sians with cryptic postings appearing to question his elder brother’s ethics.

“The future terrifies me: I just can’t see how our institutions can recover, how our political atmos-phere can become less toxic, how our international reputation can be repaired,” he said. Political analysts say Najib remains secure following his recent government purge and due to the ruling coalition’s grip on institutions.

Malaysia pledges to

help Swiss probe as

pressure on PM grows

AFP

COLOMBO: Former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s second son was remanded in custody for two weeks after being arrested yesterday on a charge of money laundering, police and court officials said.

Navy officer Yoshitha Rajapakse, 27, was taken into custody by authorities for questioning about dealings at his private television channel, Carlton Sports Network (CSN), police said.

Yoshitha, a navy lieutenant, was taken before a magistrate court in a suburb of Colombo and remanded, a court official said, adding that four other suspects were also held along with the former

president’s son. Among the four was Nishantha Ranatunga, a younger brother of Sri Lanka’s World Cup winning cricket captain Arjuna Rana-tunga. Nishantha had been the chief executive of the CSN channel that secured broadcasting rights for all cricket matches.

The arrests followed months of investigations into the CSN station, which is accused of illegally using government equipment and vehicles for its daily operations and failing to pay billions of rupees in taxes.

Yoshitha is the closest family member of former president Rajapaksa to be arrested. In April, author-ities arrested Rajapaksa’s younger brother Basil who had been economic development minister under his sibling.

The former leader who was in court along with

his wife and his eldest son Namal, a member of par-liament, accused the new government of leading a witch hunt targeting his family.

“This is an attempt to seek revenge,” Rajapakse told reporters after his son was led away in hand-cuffs. Rajapaksa and his relatives controlled nearly 70 percent of Sri Lanka’s national budget during the former president’s rule that ended in January last year when he was defeated at the polls by his former ally Maithripala Sirisena.

The new president has vowed to investigate allegations that members of Rajapaksa’s family siphoned off billions of dollars from the coun-try during his nearly 10-year rule. Local rights organisations have accused the government of not taking swift action to investigate corruption under Rajapaksa’s rule.

Rajapaksa’s son remanded in custody

Reuters

BEIJING: A new Chinese military outfit will lead the country’s push to enhance its cyber warfare, space security and online espionage capabilities, Chinese military observers and analysts said.

Senior People’s Liberation Army (PLA) offi-cials and other observers have begun to give details of the country’s new Strategic Sup-port Force (SSF), whose establishment was announced at the end of last year as part of a major overhaul of the armed forces.

“It’s going to make them far more effective,” said John Costello, a Washington-based analyst who focuses on China’s cyber capabilities.

“It will most likely increase the sophis-tication of cyber intrusions and cyber reconnaissance over the long term. It will make them a lot more formidable to sustain cyber operations in a contested environment.”

The new outfit will also be charged with assisting civilian government departments with cyber defence, analysts said.

“(China is) facing many hackers on the Internet engaging in illegal activities against our country, for example online attacks against important government facilities, military facilities, and important civilian facil-ities,” Rear Admiral Yin Zhuo, director of the PLA Navy’s Expert Consultation Committee, told the official People’s Daily online.

“So it’s imperative that we’re equipped with defensive strength accordingly.”

Yin, who according to his official

biography is considered an expert on com-munications technology in the military, added that the force would also focus on space assets and global positioning operations.

China’s growing cyber security prowess has been a source of tension in its relationship with the United States, which has repeatedly accused China of sponsoring hackers to steal data from its companies. Beijing vehemently denies it engages in cyber theft, saying China itself is a victim of such attacks.

The Pentagon sees cyber espionage as a top national security concern. A 2014 US indictment accused five Chinese military offic-ers of hacking into American nuclear, metal and solar companies to steal trade secrets.

The indictment singled out Unit 61398 of the People’s Liberation Army, which was “hired” to assemble corporate intelligence.

China called the charges “made up.” In an interview with a regional Chinese newspaper that was re-posted on the state-backed Global Times website, Song Zhongping, a respected Beijing-based military expert, said the SSF was more than a support force, and should be considered a military branch in its own right.

He added the force was comprised of three parts, including one made up of of “hacker troops” for cyber attacks and defence, as well as space and electronic warfare.

The space force will focus on all types of reconnaissance and satellite navigation, Song added. The electronic warfare unit would work on interference with enemy radar and communications.

Speaking about the military reforms on state television at the end of last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping called the support force a

“new-type combat force to maintain national security and an important growth point of the PLA’s combat capabilities”.

The new force could also incorporate civil-ian technology including cloud computing, artificial intelligence and nanotechnology, state media reported this month.

Senior Colonel Shao Yongling, a professor at the PLA Rocket Force Command College in the central province of Hubei, told the offi-cial China Daily that the SSF would serve to reduce duplication of tasks in the military and improve the PLA’s ability to carry out joint operations. “As for the Strategic Support Force, it better coordinates the cooperation between forces on the battlefield and logistic support,” Major General Du Wenlong, PLA Academy of Military Science, told state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV).

Chinese military force to take lead in cyber and space defence

PAKISTAN 13SUNDAY 31 JANUARY 2016

Internews

ISLAMABAD: It has been 10 days since access to YouTube in Pakistan was reopened, but local producers of the content for the popular video-sharing website continue to worry when the axe will fall next and how.

They say they are confused because the agreement between Google and the government of Pakistan, that unblocked YouTube after almost three years, remains a secret and a mystery. Cyber opera-tions require a well-defined process for blocking recalcitrant websites, according to them.

Nighat Dad of the Digital Rights Foundation said that YouTube users only want to ensure transparency in the agreement. “We are worried because it is a very serious issue. We use Google, Gmail and other web-sites. Our data can be handed over to the government anytime,” she said.

“In the past, Google never gave attention and importance to the demands of government of Pakistan,” she said. “But, with the emergence of the local version of YouTube things have changed.

“Our government used to sidestep

the issue by saying the matter was pending in the Supreme Court. The matter is still there but it has signed an agreement with Google,” she said.

Dad wants the agreement to be made public, “because only that will enable us to know the difference between the PK and global versions of the YouTube”.

“Google cannot run its business in other countries, such as Brazil, with-out transparency. Now we will see if it makes all its deals with Pakistan transparent or not,” she said.

Sources privy to the interactions between Google and Islamabad, however, dismissed such worries.

“Google has no special arrange-ments with the Pakistan government; just as it has no special arrange-ments with the government of any of the 88 countries where YouTube is localised.?

Government requests for removal on any Google platform, includ-ing YouTube, are uniformly treated worldwide and reported in Goog-le’s biannual Transparency Report,” asserted the sources.

“Moreover there is formal coun-ter-notification system in place, with Google, for copyright claims and an appeals process for Com-munity Guidelines strikes/violations. Users may try to push back on court order/government requests through other kinds of litigation, but not via YouTube directly,” they said.

Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) had advised Internet service providers in the country in September 2012 to block YouTube as the blasphemous movie “Innocence of Muslims” uploaded on the web-site triggered widespread protests.

Concerns of the critics of that action have not waned even after the unblocking of the website on Janu-ary 18. Now they worry that, under its unpublicised agreement with Google,

the government of Pakistan may not have armed itself with powers to cen-sor the contents put on YouTube.

Producers of the content want the PTA to make public its requests for blocking websites on monthly basis.

“We don’t object to government’s right to block websites, but in all fair-ness we need to know the criteria for taking that action,” said Syed Ahmad, chairman Pakistan Software Houses Association. “After all, a person loses readers and income if his or her blog or website is blocked even for a few days,” he said, suggesting that content producers be made part of the proc-ess of deciding the blocking issue.

“YouTube has been opened recently and in near future there will be many requests from the government to block contents,” he said. “People buy the content and then upload it. Those whose website is closed should have the right to appeal,” he added. “A spe-cial platform is needed to look into all these issues.”

The convener of the Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan (ISPAK) Wahajus Siraj noted that “traffic of YouTube from Paki-stan has doubled since its reopening.”

However, he wanted the PTA to ensure transparency in the process of blocking websites and contents by consulting the public.

A spokesperson for Google, replying to an email, said: “We have clear community guidelines, and when videos violate those rules, we remove them. In addition, where we have launched YouTube locally and we are notified that a video is ille-gal in that country, we may restrict access to it after a thorough review.” “This process is consistent with how we handle requests in all countries where YouTube is localised. Govern-ment requests to remove content will continue to be tracked, and included in our Transparency Report.”

YouTube back, but with vague transparency

AFP

KABUL: An Afghan iteration of the popular “Be Like Bill” Internet meme has gone viral online, with its Face-book posts extolling good Samaritan deeds resonating widely with the war-torn country’s youth.

“Be Like Qodos” has attracted more than 66,000 likes on its Dari Facebook page in over two weeks, a sizeable number in a country where few have access to the Internet.

Qodos, a fictional name for a model Afghan citizen, takes a self-righteous stand on a variety of social ills — from corruption to street har-assment of women.

“Qodos sees a woman driv-ing. Qodos does his own work and does not stare at the woman,” reads one post. “Qodos is a nice person, be like Qodos,” it adds, highlighting the endemic sexual harassment of women.

In another post, it takes a swipe at rampant graft, arguably the sin-gle biggest challenge confronting the troubled country rebuilding itself after decades of war.

“Qodos does not pay or receive bribe. He respects the law. Qodos is smart. Be like Qodos,” it says.

Corruption permeates nearly every public institution in Afghani-stan, hobbling development despite billions of dollars of foreign aid, and fuelling insecurity as alienated Afghans veer towards the Taliban.

“Be like Qodos” touches on other controversial issues such as the growing wave of Afghan migrants undertaking dangerous voyages to Europe in the face of worsening secu-rity and unemployment.

Afghans were the second largest group of migrants arriving in Europe last year — and official pleas have so far failed to stop the exodus.

“Qodos is not considering going to Europe. Qodos is happy living in his country. Qodos is smart. Be like

Qodos,” said a post that received thousands of likes.

The messages, though simple, are drawing widespread praise.

“If we had 10 people like Qodos in the government, Afghanistan would be a prosperous country,” wrote one Facebook user.

Another urged President Ashraf Ghani and other officials in his widely unpopular government to emulate Qodos. The administrator of the Facebook page, who identified him-self as a “young male student”, told AFP he was overwhelmed by the response.

“I have seen this society suffer immensely because of corruption and other social ills,” he said. “This soci-ety needs role models like Qodos.”

But he said he feared making his identity public in case his posts draw any negative repercussions.

Afghanistan’s spy agency last year rounded up journalists sus-pected of running “Kabul Taxi”, a satirical Facebook page that lam-pooned high-profile politicians, warlords and bureaucrats.

The crackdown raised concerns over free speech in Afghanistan, which ranks as low as 122 out of 180 in the World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders.

The agreement between Google and the government of Pakistan, that unblocked YouTube after almost three years, remains a secret and a mystery

A student looks at an Afghan variation of the “Be Like Bill” Internet meme on a Facebook account on her tablet at Kardan University in Kabul yesterday. The text reads “This is Qodos and Qodos does not pay or receive bribe, he respects the law. Qodos is smart. Be like Qodos.”

Afghan version of ‘Be Like Bill’ makes online splash

“Be Like Qodos” has attracted more than 66,000 likes on its Dari Facebook page in over two weeks, a sizeable number in a country where few have access to the Internet

Reuters

KARACHI: One of Pakistan’s most notorious gangsters, the alleged mastermind of a string of murders of local politicians and policemen, was arrested yesterday in the country’s crime-ridden commercial capital of Karachi.

“Lyari gang war leader Uzair Baluch has been arrested on the outskirts of Karachi while entering the city,” the

Rangers paramilitary force said in a statement, with a photo showing him sitting handcuffed in a vehicle.

Baluch’s criminal network controls much of Kara-chi’s teeming Lyari slum. Local media have linked him to more than 20 cases of murder, extortion and terrorism and members of his gang have reportedly played football with the severed heads of his rivals. The arrest of Bal-uch, believed to be about 40 years old, surprised many who had thought he was already in custody after Inter-pol detained him in Dubai in 2014.

Notorious gangster held in Karachi

Internews

PESHAWAR: The heads of govern-ment schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan feel they are being harassed and insulted in the wake of registration of FIRs by police against them for not following the standing operating procedures (SOPs) concerning security arrangements at schools, according to sources.

“It is insulting to register an FIR against a headmaster for none of his crime,” said one of the headmasters. Regarding the SOPs’ implementation, he said that the education department had not released funds to schools for adopting the security measures.

The SOPs framed by the govern-ment for schools after the militant attack on the Army Public School, Peshawar, in December 2014 include construction of the boundary walls, raising height of the existing walls to 10 feet and fixing barbed wire on them.

The SOPs also include deploy-ment of security guards, installation of CCTV cameras, construction of watchtowers, placing barriers in front of the school gate, etc.

Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and Minister for Elementary and Secondary Education Mohammad Atif Khan have been claiming to have released Rs10 billion under the school improvement programme launched soon after the APS attack.

However, a senior official in the education department said that this amount (Rs10 billion) was for the

School heads harassed over securityInternews

ISLAMABAD: It is important to ‘enlist’ Pakistan for defeating terror-ists in Afghanistan, says a senior US general nominated to head US and Nato troops in that country.

A transcript released yester-day also cites Lt Gen John William Nicholson as telling the US Sen-ate Armed Services Committee that Pakistan’s military operations in Fata were “critical to defeating insurgency”. The general appeared before the committee on Thursday for his confirmation hearing and a positive response from both Repub-lican and Democratic lawmakers indicated that he would be promoted to the rank of a four-star general and confirmed.

In a written response to the questions sent to him before the hearing, Gen Nicholson acknowl-edged that Pakistan’s ongoing counter-terrorism operations in Fata had reduced the militants’ ability to use Pakistani territory as a safe haven for terrorism and base of support for the insurgency in Afghanistan.

“Improved coordination between Pakistan and Afghanistan along their shared border remains important to sustaining the momentum of the coalition forces’ counter-terrorism operations and to improve border security,” he added.

Gen Nicholson noted that

Pakistan continued to publicly express a desire for reconcilia-tion talks between the Taliban and Afghanistan but he also stressed the need for consistency in Pakistan’s strategy.

“Pakistan must take persistent action against the Taliban, particu-larly the Haqqani Network,” he said, while noting Pakistan’s pressure on the Taliban combined with its sup-port to the reconciliation process were “mutually reinforcing, and when combined, will help reduce the violence in Afghanistan”.

Asked what was his under-standing of the status of the reconciliation talks between the Afghan government and the Tali-ban, Gen Nicholson said that it was an Afghan-led effort which was recently re-started with a quadri-lateral meeting with Pakistan, the US, and China in mid-January.

He noted that the talks, initi-ated last summer, were stalled in late July with the announcement of Mullah Omar’s death. Since then, the process has stalled as Mullah Man-sour seeks to consolidate power and Afghanistan and Pakistan work on increasing their trust in each other’s intentions, he added.

But the recent quadrilateral talks were “a great leap forward and should result in a roadmap for future talks,” the general said. “I see reconciliation as the path towards a negotiated settlement that brings about the end of conflict in Afghanistan.”

construction of boundary walls, addi-tional classrooms and lavatories and provision of electrification and drink-ing water.

He said that of the several com-ponents of SOPs, only boundary wall was among the school improvement programme and walls of over 80,000 schools had been constructed.

Senior officials at the helm of affairs have verbally directed the headmasters of the 28,000 govern-ment schools to buy CCTV cameras, barbed wire and guns from the school

fund provided by the government for the petty repairs of the classrooms and class consumable items.

The schools having fund for the repairs and class consumable items have implemented the SOPs, while those headmasters who had already utilised that fund on petty repairs prior to the verbal directives couldn’t implement the SOPs, the sources said.

Such headmasters now have been facing registration of FIRs as the education department has not released funds specifically for

implementation of the SOPs. “The headmasters having no funds can only face embarrassment as neither the education department has any intention to release funds immedi-ately nor the police department would allow them to operate schools with-out SOPs,” said a headmaster of the government school.

Police have been registering FIRs against the headmasters under The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sensitive and Vulnerable Establishments and Places (Security) Act, 2015.

Activists of Hazara Students Federation protest for education security in Quetta yesterday.

US general seeks Pakistan’s help to defeat terrorists

INDIA14 SUNDAY 31 JANUARY 2016

Dancers perform during the 2016 Lokrang Fair in Bhopal yesterday. The festival, which runs from January 26 to 30, is part of the Republic Day celebrations and features artistes who showcase customs and traditions.

Pyramid formation

IANS

NEW DELHI: Filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani (pictured), who has taken a satirical look at the country’s medical system, education system and reli-gious superstitions in his movies, says his “voice takes a backseat” when it comes to expressing views on social issues. However, he believes in mak-ing strong statements with his films.

A writer, editor, director and pro-ducer, the man with many talents, Hirani is also particularly careful about his words in the social media age.

“I have to be careful in what I speak because I don’t know how I will be quoted. So, unknowingly my voice takes a backseat because if we speak, people will start thrashing us on social media,” Hirani said while promoting his new production “Saala Khadoos” in an interview here.

In fact, he says that it was a case of being “misquoted” that landed his close associate and “PK” star Aamir Khan in a controversy following his remarks on intolerance in the country.

“I feel he was completely mis-quoted. There was no reason to pick up one sentence from an hour-long speech and quote it. Aamir clearly said how he felt distressed when his

wife said something like that (about leaving India). But he was quoted in a hugely different way.

“Also, when such a statement goes out, the whole nation perceives it in the same manner. Nobody has the time to investigate, go back to the interview and hear what Aamir has said. People pick up what media writes, so somehow I feel that media is hugely responsible for this. I don’t think it was fair on Aamir as he has done good for the nation,” added Hirani, who also worked with Aamir in “3 Idiots”.

It is this reason why Hirani chooses to talk with his films. Whether it’s the “Munnabhai”

franchise, “3 Idiots” or “PK” — his combination of entertainment with a message has invariably pulled in a large audience.

“I prefer to put my opinion through films instead of talking about it. I took bold steps when I made films like ‘Munnabhai MBBS’, ‘Lage Raho Munna Bhai’ and ‘PK’... I will talk about everything through my films,” he said. The National Award winning filmmaker does not feel that his films will change the nation, but he feels it could “change a few individuals for sure”. “If someone watches great cin-ema or reads a great book, they get affected by the thoughts, and that’s how change happens.”

IANS

NEW DELHI: Sugar-sweetened bev-erages account for every one in 200 deaths caused by India’s rising tide of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity, according to a 2015 study.

“Over 80 percent of those deaths happen because sugary drinks are associated with weight gain and dia-betes,” Dariush Mozaffarian, study co-author and dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition, Tufts University in the US, told IndiaSpend.

Another 15 percent of those deaths occur because sugar-sweet-ened beverages are an established cause of heart disease, said Mozaffarian.

Heart disease and diabetes have reached epidemic levels in India, as IndiaSpend has reported, together responsible for 28 percent of all deaths.

Over the last decade, obes-ity has more than doubled among men, and risen one-and-a-half times among women, according to the lat-est National Family Health Survey.

One or two sugary drinks a day — what you might consider “mod-erate” consumption, and hence safe — are enough to cause trouble, according to scientific evidence.

People consuming one to two servings a day are at 26 percent greater risk of developing type-2 diabetes than those consuming no sugar-sweetened beverage or less than a serving a month.

Women consuming two or more

sugary drinks a day had a 35 percent greater risk of developing coronary heart disease than infrequent con-sumers, according to this study.

Men who averaged a can of a sugary beverage per day had a 20 percent higher risk of having a heart attack or dying from a heart attack compared to men who rarely con-sumed sugary drinks.

The Mexican experienceIndia’s battle with excess weight

and lifestyle diseases has turned the focus on high-calorie foods and beverages, and in turn, on taxation — a tool with the potential to lower consumption.

Higher taxes increase prices, which in turn lowers demand. It’s a formula that has worked in Mexico.

A new 10 percent tax on soft drinks, introduced in January 2014 with the objective of lowering con-sumption 10-12 percent, actually lowered overall consumption by 12 percent, or 4.2 litres per per-son by December, a new Mexican study showed. Poorer households witnessed a 17 percent decline in consumption.

A 20 percent tax on sugar-sweetened beverages would cut India’s excess weight and obesity prevalence by three percent over a decade — and the cases of type-2 diabetes by 1.6pc at current con-sumption growth rates — a 2014 study estimated.

That implies India would have 11.2 million fewer cases of obesity and 400,000 fewer cases of type-2 diabetes.

If soft drink consumption were to rise further — as it likely will, in line with the annual average growth of 13 percent since 1998 — the authors of the India study sug-gested that taxation would avert 4.2 percent of prevalent excess weight/obesity and 2.5 percent of type-2 diabetes cases. In India, the weather impacts fizzy drink demand more than higher tax.

In July 2014, the Indian

Sugary drinks causing more deaths: Study

As social media lurks, Hirani likes to tread cautiously

government increased the tax on sugar-sweetened beverages by five percent, hoping to curb consumption.

With that, the tax on sugar-sweetened beverages touched approximately 18 percent, which sounds high but not enough to make a sizeable dent in demand, according to IndiaSpend’s analyses.

Sales of aerated beverages increased 10 percent in 2014, accord-ing to the Indian Beverage Association, a lobby group. This is because “sum-mer had already passed by July 2014, when the tax was increased”, Arvind Varma, secretary-general of the Indian Beverage Association, told IndiaSpend. About 40 percent of the soft-drink industry’s annual sales

occur between April and June.Sales of aerated beverages

declined 10 percent between April and September 2015, “primarily because of the mild summer of 2015, but the additional five percent tax on aer-ated beverages has only served to deepen the impact on the industry”, said Varma.

Coca-Cola, the industry leader, referred to “unseasonal weather” for a “mid single-digit decline” in India sales between April and June 2015, with sales growing four percent between July and September.

Sales of sugar-sweetened fizzy beverages grew nine per-cent in 2014, when the extra tax was imposed, according to Euromonitor

International, a market-intelligence company that projected similar sales growth in 2015. If India’s last five percent tax hike has not served to curtail demand for sugary drinks, it may be time for another round of increases.

“India can expect the consump-tion of sugary beverages to fall in response to taxes that are high enough, because India, like Mexico, has a sur-feit of price-conscious consumers and comparatively lower income levels, consumer segments that are more price-sensitive,” said Barry Popkin, professor of nutrition, University of North Carolina, and co-author of the Mexican study that advocates taxes as a disincentive.

File picture of an employee of Hindustan Coca-Cola Bevarages Ltd stacking a pile of empty bottles and crates at the plant in the village of Nemam, some 40km southwest of Chennai.

Despite being a leading cause of diseases, soft drink consumption likely to rise

Bail denied to three in

IAF officer hit-and-runIANS

KOLKATA: Rejecting their bail pleas, a city court yesterday sent three people including prime accused Sambia Sohrab to judicial custody in the sensational hit-and-run case in Kolkata in which a young Indian Air Force officer was killed on January 13.

City Metropolitan Magistrate Madhumita Basu sent the trio of Sambia Sohrab, Shanu alias Shana-waz Khan and Johnny to judicial custody till February 12.

The court also accepted the police plea of conducting a test iden-tification parade of the three who were presented before the court on the expiry of their police custody.

Pressing for their bail, the coun-sel of the accused pleaded that police have not progressed with the investigation, as such their fur-ther custodial detention was not essential.

The prosecution opposed the bail, contending that the interroga-tion of the accused was essential for

the investigation.After hearing both the parties,

the court remanded them in 14 days judicial custody.

Charged with murder among other sections, Sambia, son of former Rashtriya Janata Dal legis-lator Mohammad Sohrab, driving his car is alleged to have broken through police barricades before fatally knocking down Indian Air Force corporal Abhimanyu Gaud in the morning of January 13 on the Indira Gandhi Sarani, while the officer was supervising the Repub-lic Day parade rehearsal.

While Sambia was arrested on January 16 from the city, his friend Shanawaz Khan, was arrested from Delhi on January 18 and Johnny was nabbed on January 19.

Meanwhile, police continue to hunt for Sambia’s absconding brother Ambia and their father Mohammad Sohrab against whom a lookout notice was issued by a court earlier.

The development comes in the wake of the administration turning down the Indian Air Force’s formal request for a joint probe with the police into the incident.

Cop who killed

rebel ready to

accept any

punishment

IANS

IMPHAL: Thounaojam Herojit, a police commando head consta-ble who has admitted shooting an unarmed former insurgent in a ‘fake encounter’ on July 23, 2009, yesterday said he will accept any punishment given by a court.

He was talking to reporters at the Press Club.

Referring to the news reports that he was missing, Herojit said: “I was not hiding. Some well-wishers were taking care of me.”

However, he did not say how he disappeared from the high-security Imphal airport.

He said it was wrong to kill the unarmed former insurgent, Chungkham Sanjit, and he will regret it till the end. Herojit said he was ready to face any inquiry and trial, and will gladly accept any punishment the court hands over. Meanwhile, the Janata Dal-United and the CPI-ML have joined the chorus in demanding a proper inquiry and deterrent punishment to the guilty to ensure that there are no more ‘fake encounters’ in the state. Reports say at least 1,528 people have been killed in Manipur in alleged staged shootouts.

JD-U state president M Tombi told reporters last evening that in addition to the Central Bureau of Investigation, an agency like the National Investigation Agency should look into the case.

“Following the confessional statement by Thounaojam Hero-jit, now the case has taken a new turn. The whole truth should be unearthed and most drastic pun-ishment given to the guilty ones. If this is not done, there will be more killings in this state,” he said.

Sealed naturopathy

college students

to be admitted

in govt colleges

IANS

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa yesterday said the students of now sealed S V S Medical College of Yoga & Naturopathy and Research Insti-tute in Villupuram will be admitted in government colleges.

In a statement issued here, the AIADMK politician said she has ordered the admission of these students in government colleges so that their future is not affected.

She also said the students of homoeopathy college run by the same trust would also be admitted in government-run homeopathy college after getting the neces-sary permission from the central government.

The bodies of the three girl stu-dents — T Monisha, A Saranya and V Priyanka — were taken out of a well in a farm near the S V S Med-ical College of Yoga in Villupuram district, around 170km from here, on January 23 evening.

Police said the three girl stu-dents ended their lives after the management demanded higher fees even though the college lacked basic facilities.

Nearly four months ago, some students of the college had alleg-edly attempted suicide in front of the Villupuram collectorate.

While police registered a case of suicide, the parents of the girls have alleged they were murdered for protesting against the lack of basic facilities in the college.

Police arrested Vasuki, Sukhi Verma and two others top officials of the college management while the Villupuram district adminis-tration sealed the college.

On the orders of the Madras High Court, a second post mor-tem was conducted on the body of Monisha in a government hos-pital here on a petition filed by her father Tamilarasan.

INDIA 15SUNDAY 31 JANUARY 2016

President Pranab Mukherjee (second left) arrives to pay homage at Rajghat, the memorial of Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, on Martyrs’ Day marking the 68th anniversary of his assassination in New Delhi, yesterday.

Remembering the Mahatma

Three get death penalty for rape and murder

IANS

KOLKATA: Three people convicted for the brutal gang rape and murder of a college student in West Bengal’s Kamduni village were yesterday sen-tenced to death by a court here while three other convicts got life impris-onment.

While the death sentence is sub-ject to confirmation by the Calcutta High Court, the defence counsel said all the six convicts will be moving the high court against the verdict.

The six were convicted on Thurs-day for gang-raping and murdering the 20-year-old girl while she was returning home from college in Kam-duni village of North 24 Parganas district on June 7, 2013.

Observing that the case fell within the ‘rarest of rare’ cases, Addi-tional District and Sessions Judge Sanchita Sarkar pronounced capi-tal punishment for Saiful Ali, Ansar Ali and Amin Ali, who were convicted

of gang rape and murder.Sheikh Emanul Islam, Aminur

Islam and Bhola Naskar, who were convicted for gang rape, criminal conspiracy and causing disappear-ance of evidence, were sentenced to life imprisonment. As soon as news of the three getting death spread, the family of the victim as well as Kamduni villagers broke into tears hailing the verdict. While nine peo-ple were arrested and charged for the crime, the court on Thursday acquit-ted Rafiqul Islam and Nur Ali while the ninth accused Gopal Naskar died while the trial was on.

Even as he cried in joy, the vic-tim’s brother said he will be meeting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee seeking reversal of the acquittal of the two accused.

“We are very happy with the ver-dict but the happiness would have been greater if all the convicts had been awarded death penalty. We are also mulling meeting the chief minster over acquittal of the two accused,” said the brother.

During the hearing for the punishment, the defence counsel contended that the case did not fall under the rarest of rare case and as such did not warrant death penalty.

He cited several Supreme Court judgments arguing that convicts have not been awarded death pen-alty even in cases that were more

more heinous.Pointing to the severe injuries

inflicted on the victim’s private parts, the prosecution pleaded for the death penalty, asserting that the convicts did not show repentance even after being convicted.

Rejecting the defence counsel’s arguments, the judge called out the names of each of the convicts as she pronounced the sentence.

Refusing to comment on the ver-dict, the defence counsel said: “The death penalty is subject to confir-mation by the high court. We will be moving the high court appealing against the verdict against all the six next week.”

Leader of Opposition and Com-munist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra said justice was done.

“Delayed, incomplete but justice nevertheless... Battle must continue in Kamduni and everywhere,” Mishra said on Twitter.

The residents of Kamduni, led by Tumpa Koyal and Moushumi Koyal who had formed a forum seeking death penalty for all the accused, hailed the verdict.

Alleging police slackness in the case, the forum members had knocked on the doors of top polit-ical and constitutional authorities including the president, demanding that the trial be expedited.

IANS

HYDERABAD/NEW DELHI: The protest over the suicide of a Dalit research scholar in Univer-sity of Hyderabad intensified with Congress Vice -President Rahul Gandhi (pictured) again join-ing the agitators at the campus and observing a day-long fast yesterday, even as the BJP tar-geted him for “playing politics over dead bodies”.

For more than 12 hours, Gandhi, who had participated in a candlelight vigil after Friday midnight and spent the night on the campus, sat with students, including the four others sus-pended, and Rohith Vemula’s family members, as they held a day-long hunger strike for justice at the protest venue near the Shopping Com-plex. They also marked the birth anniversary of Vemula, who committed suicide two weeks ago.

Dalit ideologue Kancha Ilaiah offered fruit juice to him in the evening to end the fast.

Noting there was “massive discrimina-tion” in universities and other institutions, Gandhi asked the BJP and RSS not to impose their ideas on students and suggested Prime Minister Narendra Modi “look into the possi-bilities of passing a law against discrimination at universities”.

“My main opposition to Modiji and the RSS is that they are trying to crush the spirit of Indian youngsters by imposing one idea from the top. Don’t force one idea on students,” he said.

“Please put your idea in the market place of

ideas and then if students accept that idea, I am fine with it,” he added.

Dozens of other students were also on the day-long hunger strike to press the demand for the resignation of Vice Chancellor P Appa Rao and action against him and others responsible for the suicide.

“I am here today at the request of Rohith’s friends and family, to stand with them in their fight for justice,” tweeted Gandhi, who visited the campus for the second time in less than a week.

“A young life full of dreams and aspirations was cut short.”

Also paying tributes to Mahatma Gandhi on his death anniversary, he also commented that

all owe it “to the memory of Gandhiji and to every single Indian student who dreams of an India free from prejudice and injustice”.

Former Lok Sabha speaker P A Sangma, workers of the Youth Congress, National Stu-dents Union of India (NSUI), students from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) and various universities also joined the mass hunger strike.

Congress’ Telangana unit chief Uttam Kumar Reddy and other party leaders and workers were arrested near the campus when they staged a protest against the Modi government’s inaction in the case.

Police beefed up security on the campus in view of the call given by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) to protest Gandhi’s visit, and for a shutdown of educational insti-tutions across Telangana to protest what it calls the attempts of the Congress leader to play pol-itics over the suicide.

About 50 ABVP workers were arrested shortly after Friday midnight when they tried to stop Gandhi’s convoy at the university’s main gate.

In New Delhi, students belonging to vari-ous groups staged a protest near the RSS office, raising slogans against its “interference” in aca-demic institutions.

Meanwhile, the BJP yesterday asked Rahul Gandhi to “not politicise” the death of the Dalit research scholar, and stop “playing politics on dead bodies”.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra told

reporters in the national capital that it was not a “Dalit versus non-Dalit” issue but a classic case of trying to score political points.

The Congress dismissed the allegations, with spokesman Ajay Maken saying Gandhi was rais-ing his voice for justice, while central minister Bandaru Dattatreya had politicised the issue by writing to the Human Resource Development Ministry to take action against the Dalit students.

Gandhi had visited the campus on January 19, two days after Rohith committed suicide.

The university remained shut since the student committed suicide with Joint Action Committee (JAC) continuing their protest and offering stiff resistance to the attempts by the administration to conduct classes over the last two days.

Interim Vice-Chancellor Vipin Srivastava, who had claimed on Thursday that normalcy will be restored soon, has proceeded on leave and the varsity said the next seniormost profes-sor, A M Periasamy, will perform the duties of the vice-chancellor till further orders.

Srivastava had taken over only a week ago after Appa Rao proceeded on indefinite leave in the wake of students’ demand for his resignation.

However, the students refused to accept Srivastava as he had headed a sub-committee of the executive council which suspended five Dalit students following an alleged clash with a leader of ABVP.

The JAC alleged that he was also involved in a case of suicide of Senthil Kumar, a Dalit research scholar, in 2008.

Rahul joins hunger strikers at Hyderabad University Scam slurs a conspiracy, says UDFIANS

KOCHI: The recent develop-ments in the ‘solar scam’ and the ‘bribery case’ have been part of a conspiracy hatched between the opposition CPI-M and bar owners, Kerala’s Congress-led United Dem-ocratic Front (UDF) said yesterday.

The UDF has recommended to the Oommen Chandy govern-ment to find out the conspirators behind this mudslinging, coali-tion convener P P Thankachen told reporters after a meeting of its constituents.

“The events that have now surfaced clearly indicate that the script of the revelations has been prepared by the CPI-M and the bar owners,” said Thankachen.

The second accused in the solar scam, Saritha Nair, had said in an interview in 2014 that she had been offered bribes by CPI-M leaders for attacking Chief Minis-ter Chandy, he claimed.

While the solar scam, in which a fraudulent solar energy company used its political contacts to dupe people, has embroiled Chandy, the ‘bribery case’ has claimed two UDF ministers, K M Mani and K Babu, both of whom had to resign for allegedly taking bribes.

This month saw fast paced developments in both the scams in a state going to assembly polls in a few months.

On January 23, excise and ports minister K Babu had to resign following an order by a vigilance court in Thrissur to register a first information report (FIR) against him in the bar bribery case.

That order was stayed on Thursday by the Kerala High Court.

On January 28, the vigilance court in Thrissur ordered that an FIR be registered against Chandy and power minister Arayadan Mohammed on the basis of the accusation made by Saritha Nair that she had paid bribe to them.

The order led to the CPI-M-led Left front and BJP demanding the resignation of Chandy and Mohammad, but was also stayed — on Friday — by the Kerala High Court. Nair had said on Wednes-day that she paid Rs19m to Chandy through a person named Thomas Kuruvilla and another Rs4m to Mohammed to strike a deal in the solar panel business.

UDF convener Thankachen said the conspiracy by the CPI-M was evident in the timing of Nair’s charges against the chief minister.

The scam first surfaced close to three years ago and what she was now saying had never been revealed by her before, he said.

Trash politics: Task force

to clean up capitalIANS

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government yesterday said it has formed a task-force as part of special arrangements for picking up garbage that has been piling up across the capital because of a strike by sanitation employees of three civic bodies.

“The PWD (public works depart-ment) has deployed 93 vehicles to clean garbage dumps. We have informed Delhi Police as to which areas these vehicles will be operat-ing in,” Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said.

He said the Delhi High Court had directed police to provide secu-rity, and extra labourers have been deployed with the trucks.

“The municipal corporations of Delhi have failed in their duties, but the Delhi government is cleaning up the capital,” Sisodia said.

“Hopefully by tomorrow (today), the situation will be under control,” he said at a press conference at his home. Sisodia reiterated the charge made earlier by his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government that there was a massive “salary scam” going

in the three municipal bodies that were created after the trifurcation of the erstwhile MCD (Municipal Cor-poration of Delhi).

The mammoth civic body was divided into three agencies — North Delhi Municipal Corporation, South Delhi Municipal Corporation and East Delhi Municipal Corporation.

“We have already given them (the three municipal corpora-tions) their money under non-plan expenditure. Despite this, ‘politics of garbage’ is being practised and a massive salary scam in the munic-ipal corporations has taken place,” Sisodia alleged.

“We have instructed all the PWD teams to continue with the work till garbage is cleared from all the areas, particularly from those where it had been deliberately thrown,” Jain told the media. On Friday night, Jain set up the taskforce to clean the garbage dumped by the protesting civic bod-ies. Over 150,000 employees of the municipal bodies went on a strike on Wednesday over non-payment of their salaries.

The minister said residents of the capital cannot be allowed to suffer due to a political conspiracy hatched by the BJP to keep the city dirty.

Three sentenced to life imprisonment and two acquitted

Journalists and locals wait outside the court that sentenced three to death in Kolkata yesterday.

Firefighters take part in an earthquake drill in Tinglev, Denmark, yesterday.

Earthquake drill

A participant rides behind his dogs during a dog sled festival called “The North Dogs” near Oktyabr village, Belarus, yesterday.

The North Dogs festival

EUROPE16 SUNDAY 31 JANUARY 2016

The German Chancellor said refugees must return home once the war is over

Reuters

NEUBRANDENBURG: German Chan-cellor Angela Merkel yesterday tried to placate the increasingly vocal critics of her open-door policy for refugees, insisting that asylum seekers from Syria and Iraq would go home once the conflicts there had ended.

Merkel, despite appearing increas-ingly isolated over her policy, has resisted pressure from some conserva-tives to cap the influx of refugees, or to close Germany’s borders. A record 1.1 million migrants arrived in Germany

last year.But growing concern about the

country’s ability to cope and worries about crime and security after assaults on women are weighing on support for Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU).

Merkel said that despite efforts to integrate refugees and help them, it was important to stress that they had only been given permission to stay for a limited period of time.

“We need ... to say to people that this is a temporary residential sta-tus and we expect that once there is peace in Syria again, once IS has been defeated in Iraq, that you go back to your home country with the knowl-edge that you have gained,” she said at a meeting of CDU members in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

She said 70 percent of refugees that fled to Germany from the war in the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s had returned to their home countries.

Her remarks come after Horst Seehofer, leader of the CSU,

threatened to take her government to court if his demand to stem the flow of asylum seekers was not met.

Support for the right-wing Alter-native for Germany (AfD) has edged up into double digits. Its leader said in an interview published yesterday that border guards should shoot at refugees to prevent them from illegally enter-ing the country if need be.

Merkel has tried to convince other European countries to take in quotas of refugees, pushed for reception cen-tres to be built on Europe’s external borders, and led an EU campaign to try to convince Turkey to keep refugees from entering the bloc. But progress has been slow.

Germany wants to limit migra-tion from North Africa by declaring Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia “safe countries”, which would end their cit-izens’ chance of being granted asylum.

Merkel said she had spoken to Morocco’s king and that Morocco had said it was prepared to take back peo-ple from that country.

Meanwhile, a German proposal for a continent-wide fuel tax to help

finance the absorption of migrants has won backing from the European com-missioner for the euro, news magazine Spiegel reported yesterday.

Germany’s Finance Minister Wolf-gang Schaeuble had last week floated the idea of introducing a tax on pet-rol in Europe to help cover the costs of tackling the continent’s worst migra-tion crisis since World War II.

“A fuel tax, at a national or Euro-pean level, could be a possible source of financing, especially if you take into account petrol prices are at a histori-cal low,” Valdis Dombrovskis told the magazine.

“I agree with Mr Schaeuble, we need fresh ideas in Europe to deal with the refugee crisis,” said Dombrovskis, who is also the European Commis-sion’s vice president.

Schaeuble’s suggestion triggered a welter of criticism, including from within the ranks of his CDU conserv-ative party. The party’s vice president Julia Kloeckner rejected the plan on grounds it amounted to telling taxpay-ers it was up to them to foot the bill for the influx of refugees.

AFP

STOCKHOLM: Dozens of masked men believed to belong to neo-Nazi gangs carried out a number of assaults on migrants in Stockholm overnight amid rising tension over immigration, Swedish police said yesterday.

Police had beefed up their pres-ence in the city centre, deploying anti-riot and helicopter units after learning that extremists were plan-ning “aggression on unaccompanied migrant minors” in the city on Friday.

“I was passing by and saw a masked group dressed in black... start hitting foreigners. I saw three peo-ple molested,” the Aftonbladet daily quoted one witness as saying.

Police spokesman Towe Hagg said police had not received any complaints of assault but one 46-year-old man was arrested after striking a plain clothed officer.

Three more people were briefly detained for public order offences

and one more faces charges for car-rying a knife. As many as 100 people, their faces covered, had descended in the Sergels Torg pedestrian square, a popular meeting point for young people, including unaccompanied migrants.

Aftonbladet quoted witnesses as saying the masked group targeted “people of foreign appearance” and handed out leaflets urging the inflic-tion of “deserved punishment on children of the North African street.”

Internet site Nordfront, an online forum for the neo-Nazi SMR move-ment, said its “sources” had revealed that around “100 hooligans” from the AIK and Djurgarden football clubs had gathered to “sort out the crim-inals coming in from North Africa.”

The country of 9.8 million is among the European Union states with highest proportion of refugees per capita —Sweden has in recent days said it expects to expel tens of thousands of people over several years as it struggles to cope with the influx.

AFP

THE HAGUE: European police forces yesterday launched a “most wanted” website of 45 notorious criminal sus-pects, including Belgian-born Salah Abdeslam, a key suspect in the Paris attacks.

“The website will share information on high-profile interna-tionally-wanted criminals, convicted of —or suspected of having commit-ted —serious crimes or terrorist acts in Europe,” Europol said.

“This is the first initiative on a pan-European level to jointly present a most wanted list on a common plat-form,” the European police agency added in a statement.

People are encouraged to pro-vide tip-offs —anonymously if they want —at www.eumostwanted.com

The site’s launch comes after sharp criticism of the coordination between European authorities in the wake of the Paris attacks.

According to reports, despite some of the assailants being sought by police they managed to cross into France unnoticed. Abdeslam fled back across the border to Belgium hours after the mass killings, after passing through a police checkpoint.

Europol said the website aimed “at increasing security” across the European Union by having the pub-lic “help police trace Europe’s most wanted fugitives”.

Each of the 28 European Union (EU) members will select a number of key fugitives for the list, which will be regularly updated, the agency added

in the statement. A picture of each of the suspects is prominently dis-played, along with a description of the allegations against them besides a phone number of the police force hunting for them.

Abdeslam, 26, is “responsible for the terrorist attacks that took place in November 2015 in France, and more precisely in Paris,” the website says.

He is described as a “very dan-gerous, armed individual.”

A total of 130 people died in the November 13 attacks on the French capital and an international manhunt is underway for Abdeslam, the invest-gating agencies said.

One woman, Maria Cecilia Ket-tunen, 29, from Finland is on the list. He is accused of “aggravated fraud of significant amount of money” without further details. Similarly, another fugitive is Ernesto Fazzal-ari, 45, wanted by the Italian police as a “key figure of a mafia clan dubbed Avignone-Zagari-Viola” which is “at war with another clan”.

Described as a “ruthless killer,” he is accused of three murders.

Some of the unresolved crimes stretch back years. Romanian “yoga teacher and spiritual mentor” Gre-gorian Bivolaru, 63, is wanted for exploiting children and child por-nography between 2002 and 2004.

“Keeping his victim in a state of servitude, he recruited an under-aged yoga student, for exploitation,” the website says. Available in 17 lan-guages, the website was launched by ENFAST1, a Europe-wide police net-work specialised in hunting down and arresting fugitives with Europol’s help.

Reuters

LONDON: More Britons support the country’s membership of the Euro-pean Union than want to leave the bloc, the latest opinion poll on the issue showed yesterday, even as opposition to membership grew slightly compared with last month’s survey. Other recent opinion polls in Britain have suggested that out of the Britons who have already made up

their minds about EU membership, more people favour leaving the EU than remaining in the bloc.

Fifty-four percent of respondents in the ComRes poll carried out for the Daily Mail newspaper said they would vote to remain in the EU if a refer-endum was held tomorrow, a drop of 2 percentage points from Decem-ber’s survey.

Thirty-six percent said they would vote to leave, up 1 percentage point from last month, while ten percent

were undecided, up 2 percentage points. The survey result comes as Prime Minister David Cameron is pushing for a deal from other EU lead-ers before holding a referendum on Britain’s membership of the bloc.

Cameron was in Brussels on Fri-day, where he said that a proposal to curb European immigration to Brit-ain was “not good enough” but he saw progress on a deal to persuade British voters to back continued EU membership.

Polish senate

approves

Internet

surveillance law

AFP

WARSAW: Poland’s senate approved a controversial amend-ment making it easier for the secret service and police to access Inter-net data, stoking concerns about the state of democracy in the EU member.

The new measure will give the police direct permanent access to a whole host of metadata regard-ing the online activity of Poles. The police will no longer have to ask Internet service providers for access each time.

It is the latest controversial step taken by the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party conservatives since they swept back to power in October after eight years in opposition.

New laws giving the gov-ernment control over Poland’s top court, the prosecutor’s office and public broadcasters have prompted a series of demonstra-tions and harsh criticisms both at home and across Europe.

The EU recently launched an unprecedented probe into whether the Polish government is violat-ing the bloc’s democracy rules and merits punitive measures.

According to the ruling party, Friday’s amendment includes lim-its on how the police can use the Internet data and for how long.

Reuters

BELGRADE: The Serbian prime minister sent a letter to parliament yesterday asking it to dismiss Defence Minister Bratislav Gasic over a sexist remark to a female reporter.

Gasic, who is also a senior offi-cial in Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic’s Serbian Progressive Party, triggered public outrage and pro-tests from journalists last December after remarking to a female reporter.

A government statement said Vucic presented a letter to lawmak-ers seeking Gasic’s dismissal at an

urgent session of parliament ses-sion on next Friday.

“Prime Minister Vucic thanked Gasic for his very good results in terms of combat readiness of the military...and the development of the defence industry, but he believes that words he used could not and should be not used in public,” it said.

Vucic also asked Finance Min-ister Dusan Vujovic to be acting Defence Minister until a new one was appointed.

Gasic’s removal will have little effect on Serbia’s ruling coalition, which faces snap elections this spring, in which the Progressive Party is seen as a front-runner.

Merkel talks tough on refugees Masked gangs attack

migrants in Sweden

European police launch list of 45 criminals on Net

Most Britons back staying in EU but opposition growing: Poll

Serbia PM seeks ouster

of defence minister

EUROPE 17SUNDAY 31 JANUARY 2016

Debutants dance during the ‘SemperOpernball’ 2016 (Semper Opera Ball) in Dresden, Germany, yesterday. The annual event took place for the 11th time this year.

The first performance

People take part in the Family Day, a big rally set at Circo Massimo in Rome, Italy, yesterday. The Family Day was organised to protest against a bill to recognise civil unions, that Italian parliament is currently examining.

Family Day in Rome

Former Prime Minister Felipe Gonzalez, the founding father of modern Socialism in Spain, opposed a deal with Podemos

Bloomberg

MADRID: Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez offered to let all his party’s members have a say on any poten-tial alliances to take power in Spain as he seeks the backing of regional leaders to start negotiations.

A vote would let the member-ship ratify or reject any agreement with other political groups aimed at forming a new government, Sanchez said yesterday in a televised speech to 200 members of the Socialist par-ty’s federal committee. Officially, the leadership is meeting to set a date for its next conference, according to a press officer. But it’s also an oppor-tunity for senior officials unhappy at the prospect of a deal with the anti-austerity party Podemos to throw up road blocks.

“Any agreement that we get will have all possible guarantees so it will be subject to the Federal Committee’s approval as well as a consultation to the members,” Sanchez said in the opening speech of his party’s federal committee. “I won’t be prime minis-ter at any price.”

Former Prime Minister Felipe Gonzalez, the founding father of modern Socialism in Spain, opposed a deal with Podemos in an inter-view with El Pais. Gonzalez, known simply as Felipe to the rank-and-file, urged Sanchez to avoid getting involved with the group because its economic policies are too extreme and its flirtation with Catalan sepa-ratism puts the unity of Spain at risk.

Podemos also is challenging the Socialists’ traditional dominance of the progressive vote.

“Regional leaders won’t let Sanchez reach an agreement at any price,” Federico Santi, a Lon-don-based analyst at Eurasia, said by phone.

Spain’s general election last month produced a deadlock in parliament. Though Acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s People’s Party finished first, it lost its major-ity. The second-place Socialists posted its worst result. Even with the support of Podemos’s 69 lawmak-ers, the Socialists would need other minor parties to abstain to win a confidence vote and pass legislation.

Rajoy declined a January. 22 invitation from King Felipe VI to seek parliament’s support for a second term, saying he didn’t have enough backing. On the same day, Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias said he’s ready to support a Socialist-led adminis-tration. That offer had conditions, as Iglesias demanded control of the most important ministries and chal-lenged Sanchez to confront party dissidents who oppose such a deal.

“The arrogant behavior of Podemos’s leaders, with humilia-tions that reveal their real intentions, shouldn’t be accepted,” Gonzalez told El Pais. “It’s pure Leninism 3.0.”

AFP

PARIS: Thousands of people marched through Paris yesterday to decry the proposed extension of a state of emer-gency imposed after the November Paris attacks.

Braving driving rain and shouting slogans including “state of emergency —police state” the marchers protested loudly against a measure they see as curbing human rights.

Police put participation at 5,000 while organisers said some 20,000 people took part. Several other cities including Toulouse in the south held

smaller-scale marches organised by unions, human rights organisations and other pressure groups.

A further gripe is a government plan to strip convicted French-born terrorists of their citizenship if they have a second nationality.

That proposal has already trig-gered the resignation of Justice Minister Christiane Taubira who stood down in protest over the plan this week after the reforms were pre-sented to parliament.

Parliament is due in the coming days to debate the state of emergency as President Francois Hollande seeks parliamentary approval to extend the current three-month measure, which

expires on February 26.The Senate is to vote on the pro-

posal on February 9, followed by a vote in the National Assembly on Feb-ruary 16. Concern has been growing about the state of emergency, intro-duced after coordinated gun and bomb attacks left 130 dead in Paris on November 13. France’s highest administrative court on Wednesday refused to lift the state of emergency.

The Council of State ruled that the “imminent danger justifying the state of emergency has not disappeared, given the ongoing terrorist threat and the risk of attacks.”

But UN human rights experts last week said the measures placed what

they saw as “excessive and dispro-portionate” restrictions on key rights.

Yesterday’s protesters demanded an end to the state of emergency and the nationality proposal, measures they say “strike at our freedom in the name of hypothetical security.”

Marchers said they fear an open-ended state of emergency.

“Until when? The end of Daesh (Islamic State)? Ten years? Never?” asked one woman, who gave her name as Chris, while another, Camille, said she feared that France is “experiencing a permanent coup d’etat.” A recent poll showed 70 percent of French people back main-taining the state of emergency.

Reuters

FRANKFURT: Europe plans to launch the first part of a new space data highway that will pave the way for faster than ever monitoring of nat-ural disasters such as earthquakes and floods.

The EDRS-A node is the first

building block of the European Data Relay Satellite (EDRS), a “big data” highway costing nearly €500m ($545m) that will harness new laser-based communications technology.

The EDRS will considera-bly improve transmission of large amounts of data, such as pictures and radar images, from satellites in orbit to Earth as they will no longer have to wait for a ground station on Earth

to come into view. EDRS-A, which is to orbit Earth at an altitude of around 36,000km, houses a laser terminal that works essentially like an auton-omous telescope capable of locking on to moving targets on Earth.

It will send data to and from Earth or between satellites at a rate of 1.8 Gigabits per second, which is about equivalent to sending all the data that could be printed in a one-metre long

shelf of books in one second, accord-ing to generally accepted industry measures. The EDRS will relay data on sea ice, oil spills or floods from Europe’s multi-billion euro Coper-nicus Earth observation project to users in Europe, Africa and the Atlan-tic area, but its services will also be available to other paying customers.

The EDRS is a public-private part-nership between the European Space

Agency (ESA) and Airbus Defence and Space

Pairing EDRS-A with the Eutel-sat 9B satellite, which will beam TV images to Europe, cuts down on costs for both satellite operator Eutelsat and the ESA as they share the expenses of the launch and joint systems.

A second satellite, EDRS-C, is to be launched in mid-2017, offi-cials said.

British imperialist

Rhodes statue in

Oxford to stay

AFP

LONDON: A statue at Oxford University of 19th century British imperialist Cecil Rhodes will not be taken down despite protests, the college at the centre of the dispute said, to the fury of campaigners.

“Following careful considera-tion, the college’s governing body has decided that the statue should remain in place,” Oriel College said in a statement.

But it denied newspa-per reports that it feared losing donations worth some £100m (€130m, $140m) if it did take the statue down. Rhodes —a white supremacist like many builders of the British empire —gave his name to the territories of Rhode-sia, now Zimbabwe and Zambia, and founded the De Beers diamond company. The tycoon endowed the Rhodes Scholarship, which has helped non-British students like former US president Bill Clinton and ex-Australian prime minister Tony Abbott study at the prestig-ious university.

Inspired by the “Rhodes Must Fall” campaign which prompted the removal of the University of Cape Town’s Rhodes statue last year, many current students objected to the presence of his statue in the heart of the historic English city.

AFP

PARIS: Thomas Fabius, son of French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, has been charged with for-gery in connection with his passion for gambling, judicial sources said.

He was also named as a “temoin assiste” —an intermediary sta-tus between that of a witness and someone who has been charged —in connection with fraud, tax launder-ing, breach of trust and misuse of assets, with the information con-firmed by a source close to the case.

The 34-year-old son of France’s top diplomat has run into a raft of legal problems over his passion for

gambling, with an investigation into his financial affairs opened in late 2011 following a complaint by French bank Societe Generale.

The bank accused him of writ-ing a forged email while in Morocco, allegedly from his bank adviser, which allowed a Moroccan casino to believe he was about to receive 200,000 euros, a source close to the investigation said.

Investigators have also been looking into his 2012 acquisition of a 3,200-square-foot apartment on Boulevard Saint-Germain, in the heart of Paris, for €7m

But Thomas has always insisted the property was legally purchased, partly through his winnings and partly by means of a bank loan.

Spain Socialist leader woos party on ties

Thousands in Paris decry state of emergency

Spain’s Socialist Party leader Pedro Sanchez (seated in front row centre) presides over the party’s federal committee meeting in Madrid yesterday.

Europe to launch first part of space-based data highway

French foreign minister’s

son charged with forgery

AMERICAS18 SUNDAY 31 JANUARY 2016

Reuters

NEW YORK: The New York Times’s editorial board endorsed Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican John Kasich as they seek to become their parties’ nominees in the US presi-dential election, calling Clinton one of the most “deeply qualified presiden-tial candidates in modern history.”

Clinton, a front-runner facing a strong challenge from Senator Bernie Sanders, and Kasich, who has only dimly registered in the polls, received the endorsements from one of the nation’s largest newspapers two days before voters in Iowa hold the first nominating contest for the November 8 election.

“Mr Sanders does not have the breadth of experience or policy ideas that Mrs Clinton offers,” the board wrote, after praising him for making important points about economic inequality and foreign policy.

The board praised Clinton’s term

as secretary of state from 2009 to 2013, and said she had shown a lifelong commitment to American workers, particularly women. The board criticised her as too quick to propose using military force abroad, but said she still would be a better military leader than her Republican rivals.

The Times editorial board previously endorsed Clinton in 2008, when she ran against Barack Obama. In that endorsement, it also argued that Clinton had more experience and had presented more detailed policy ideas than her rival.

Kasich, the governor of Ohio, was the only candidate in the crowded Republican field the board said it was able to stomach.

“Governor John Kasich of Ohio, though a distinct underdog, is the only plausible choice for Republicans tired of the extremism and inexperience on display in this race,” the board wrote.

It said Kasich had “been capable of compromise and believes in the ability of government to improve lives.” The board said that front-runner Donald Trump did not have experience of international issues or interest in learning about them. It said Ted Cruz would “say anything to win.”

Meanwhile, in a related development, the top secret” material was sent through Hillary Clinton’s private email server during her tenure as secretary of state, it was revealed, just days before voters cast their first ballots in the presidential campaign.

State Department spokesman John Kirby said the emails, which he described as “22 documents covering 37 pages” from seven email chains during Clinton’s tenure as secretary of

state, would therefore not be released publicly.

Another 18 emails, from eight email chains, sent between then secretary Clinton and President Barack Obama will also not be released. But Kirby said those exchanges did not contain classified information.

Although emails previously released by the State Department have been partially redacted due to the nature of the information they contained, this was the first time entire messages were withheld.

The revelation about the top secret emails comes three days before Clinton —the frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination —goes to battle in the Iowa caucus, the first time the public will cast ballots on the long road to Election Day in November.

“These documents were not marked classified at the time they were sent,” Kirby told a news briefing, explaining that the emails had been reviewed prior to public release and found to contain top secret information. “The documents are being upgraded at the request” of US intelligence agencies.

Senator Dianne Feinstein, the vice-chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said that “none” of the email chains originated with Clinton or contained the mandatory markings that are required to accompany classified information when shared.

She described the material as being contained in 22 separate emails. “The only reason to hold secretary Clinton responsible for emails that didn’t originate with her is for political points, and that’s what we’ve seen over the past several months,” Feinstein added.

Reuters

WASHINGTON: The Fox News debate without front-runner Donald Trump attracted the second-smallest audience of the seven such televised encounters among Republicans so far this election cycle.

According to Nielsen data, about 12.5 million people watched the Republican face-off, beating only an earlier debate on the less-promi-nent Fox Business Network.

But the encounter was one of Fox News’s biggest-ever hits and drew more viewers than coverage of a rally

at the same time that was hosted by Trump. The billionaire refused to participate in the debate out of anger that Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly was a moderator.

Last-minute phone calls with Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes failed to resolve their dispute, which broke out just days before next week’s Iowa cau-cuses, the first nominating contest for the November 8 presidential election.

Instead, Trump held his own rally in Iowa at the same time as the debate, which he promoted as a way to raise money for charity. CNN and MSNBC gave his event some coverage, but their combined audience dur-ing that time was about a quarter of

the crowd watching the Fox debate, according to Nielsen data.

On Friday, Trump defended his decision to snub Fox News , one of the most powerful media forces in Republican politics.

“I have a very good relation-ship with Fox , but when somebody doesn’t treat you properly, you’ve got to be tough,” he said at a rally in New Hampshire.

Trump often claims on the cam-paign trail that he is responsible for strong viewership of Republican debates. And he managed to upstage the debate to a certain extent, domi-nating Twitter mentions and Google searches during the event.

Family of slain

Oregon protester

challenges FBI

claim of his death

Reuters

BURNS: As four armed anti-gov-ernment protesters held their ground at a US wildlife refuge in Oregon on Friday, the family of a protester killed by police said he seemed to have been shot in the back with his hands up, although authorities said he was reaching for a gun.

Relatives of Robert “LaVoy” Finicum, 54, a spokesman for the group that seized buildings at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, said he posed no threat and they were not accepting the authorities’ assertion that he was armed.

“LaVoy was not ‘charging’ anyone. He appears to have been shot in the back, with his hands in the air,” the family of the Ari-zona rancher said in a statement through their attorney.

“At this point we will await the outcome of any investigation, but based on the information currently available to us, we do not believe that LaVoy’s shooting death was justified.”

Four armed protesters were holed up on Friday at the remote refuge, 48km from Burns, a small ranching community in the state’s rural southeast. The FBI says it is working “around the clock” to negotiate with the holdouts.

Ammon Bundy, who led the occupation that began on January 2, was arrested along with other protesters including his brother, Ryan. Bundy has issued messages through his attorney urging those who remain at the refuge to stand down, and saying they would con-tinue to fight federal land policy through the courts.

Bundy and his brother Ryan were ordered held without bail pending trial on felony conspiracy charges, a US District Court judge ruled. “There are no conditions I could impose that would ensure safety of the community. I’m wor-ried about him occupying another government building,” US Magis-trate Judge Stacie Beckerman said.

AFP

BOGOTA: Colombia announced yesterday that more than 2,000 preg-nant women in the South American country have been infected with the Zika virus, which is suspected of causing brain damage in newborns.

The National Health Insti-tute reported that Colombia now has 20,297 cases of Zika infection, including 2,116 in pregnant women.

The latest numbers, reported in the institute’s epidemiological bulle-tin, would make Colombia the second most affected country in the region, after Brazil.

Although the mosquito-borne virus’s symptoms are relatively

mild, it is believed to be linked to a surge in cases of microcephaly, a devastating condition in which a baby is born with an abnormally small head and brain.

Microcephaly is an untreatable disease that can cause permanent damage to the child’s motor and cog-nitive development.

The World Health Organisation warned this week that the virus is “spreading explosively” in the Ameri-cas, with three million to four million cases expected this year.

Brazil has reported as many as 1.5 million cases of Zika infection. Since the outbreak was detected there last year, 3,718 cases of microcephaly have been reported, compared to an average 163 cases a year before that.

The National Health Institute

said that 1,050 of Colombia’s Zika infection cases were confirmed by laboratory tests, 17,115 by clinical exams, and 2,132 were suspected cases. Women have been the most affected in Colombia, accounting for 63.6 percent of the cases.

The government expects more than 600,000 people to become infected with the Zika virus in Colombia this year, and projects some 500 cases of microcephaly.

On Tuesday, the Colombian authorities ordered hospitals in lower-lying areas to prepare for the spread of the disease, which is carried by the Aedes aegypti mosquito.

It also recommended that couples delay attempts to become pregnant for six to eight months.

AFP

CARACAS: Yurman Torres is standing in line at the foot of Avila mountain, on the edge of Caracas, to fill a large jug with water, a rare commodity in crisis-hit Venezuela.

The scarcity of water is just one of a long list of headaches for the struggling South American oil giant, but it comes with a particu-larly nasty risk.

As Venezuelans stockpile water in their homes, health officials warn, they risk fueling an expansion of the mosquito population, and with it the transmission of Zika.

“What can we do? We have to come here every day,” said Torres, 36, who fills two jugs every morn-ing before going to work —just one of the daily hoops he jumps through to find the basic necessities in a coun-try reeling from a deep recession and chronic shortages.

Venezuela, which hardly needed another problem to add to its tri-ple-digit inflation and plunging oil revenues, has registered 4,700 sus-pected cases of Zika since the virus, which originated in Africa, began sweeping through Latin America last year.

And the official estimate for the number of cases is probably far too low, according to Julio Castro, a doctor and professor at the tropical medicine institute at Central University of Ven-ezuela. He estimates the real number of cases is at least 250,000.

But since it arrived in Latin America there has been a surge in babies born with microcephaly, or abnormally small heads. Health offi-cials suspect the birth defect is being caused by expecting mothers catch-ing Zika during pregnancy.

And the water crisis increases the risk, said Castro: mosquitoes breed in stagnant water, and the buckets and cisterns Venezuelans are using to ensure their water sup-ply are ideal habitats within which the insects multiply.

“My daughter-in-law woke up

in the morning with what appear to be the symptoms,” said Maryori Magallanes, a 50-year-old teacher, as sanitation workers fumigated her house for mosquitoes.

“I have a niece who’s pregnant. They say there’s a substantial risk. They ought to fumigate constantly.”

The Venezuelan legislature, which the opposition recently wrested from leftist President Nico-las Maduro’s party after 17 years, has passed a motion calling for increased efforts to stem the crisis and warning that the country’s 18 largest reser-voirs are nearing minimum levels.

In Caracas, cistern trucks line up to load water normally used for pub-lic parks and deliver it to parched households.

The government has introduced rationing, blaming late rains.

“Since 2013, the rainfall volume has been 45 percent lower than in previous years,” said Water Minis-ter Ernesto Paiva.

But the problem is more than just a drought, said the former presi-dent of Hidrocapital, the public water management firm for the north of the country, the area hardest hit by the shortages.

Venezuela is home to one of the largest rivers in the Americas, the Orinoco, but has only built two new reservoirs in the past 18 years —not enough to keep up with population growth, he said.

Venezuela “has stopped making the necessary infrastructure invest-ments that would guarantee water supplies,” he said.

Meanwhile, Venezuelans have little choice but to stockpile water at home —one of the biggest problems in the fight against Zika, accord-ing to one of the researchers who first identified the disease in Latin America, Brazilian virologist Gubio Soares.

“There’s no water so people keep containers full of it, which is a breed-ing ground,” he said in Salvador, in northeast Brazil, at the epicenter of the outbreak.

“Most mosquitoes today are reproducing inside the home.”

Hillary and Kasich win NYT endorsement

An owner of a tattoo shop puts more ink in his tattoo gun while tattooing a portrait of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump onto the arm of a client in Seabrook, New Hampshire, yesterday.

Without Trump, Republican debate gets second lowest rating

The newspaper’s board praised Clinton’s term as secretary of state from 2009 to 2013, and said she had shown a lifelong commitment to American workers, particularly women

Brazilian infectologist Antonio Bandeira, who was part of the team of researchers who identified the Zika virus in Brazil, walks in front of the Santa Helena hospital in Bahia, Brazil, yesterday.

Water scarcity gives rise to Zika threat in Venezuela

Colombia has more than 2,000 zika

cases in pregnant women: Officials

AMERICAS 17SUNDAY 31 JANUARY 2016

Father Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani witnessed last evening the arrival of Fath Al Kheir 2 at Katara Cultural village beach. The event was also attended by H H Sheikh Jassem bin Hamad Al Thani, Representative of the Emir. Pic: Qassim/The Peninsula → See also page 26

Ayyayayayayayayyyy

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lays a wreath at a memorial during a visit to the town of La Loche, Saskatchewan yesterday. Four people were killed in a school shooting on January 22.

Tribute to shooting victims

AMERICAS 19

US Secretary of State John Kerry and foreign ministers Stephane Dion of Canada and Claudia Ruiz Massieu of Mexico struck an upbeat tone at their annual get-together

AFP

QUEBEC CITY: The United States and Canada vowed to work together in the fight against the Islamic State, even if Ottawa plans to withdraw its jets from the campaign.

Secretary of State John Kerry and foreign ministers Stephane Dion of Canada and Claudia Ruiz Massieu of Mexico struck an upbeat tone at their annual get-together.

But Dion made it clear that when Canada’s new Liberal prime minister, Justin Trudeau, announces his war plan, his country’s six CF-18 jets will leave Syrian skies.

Dion will now travel to Rome next week to join Kerry and two dozen more leaders from the US-led coa-lition to discuss new ways to work together against the threat.

“Air strikes will continue even if Canada invests its efforts in other areas that are also necessary, and soon we will announce what these efforts will be,” Dion said.

“We will continue our discussion on this in Rome soon.”

Kerry appeared satisfied by Can-ada’s promise, acknowledging its effort in the fight so far and predict-ing a strong future coalition effort.

“And Canada has played an

outsized role really already in many different ways in both the military and the humanitarian component of the counter-Daesh struggle,” Kerry said. “And I am confident that the prime minister and his security team are working on ways to continue the contribution and to continue to make a significant contribution to our efforts.”

The talks also formed part of preparations Trudeau’s state visit to Washington on March 10 as US Pres-ident Barack Obama’s guest.

“I know President Obama is very excited about welcoming Prime Min-ister Trudeau to Washington,” Kerry said. “This is the first official visit of a Canadian head of government in nearly two decades, long overdue and much anticipated.”

The young Canadian leader’s gov-ernment is expected to have more in common with the Democratic admin-istration south of the border than did its Conservative predecessor, but there are points of concern.

Ottawa’s plans to withdraw its warplanes from the US-led coali-tion targeting IS fighters in Syria is a symbolic blow against allied unity in the fight.

And the Liberal government also expects to review the terms of the Trans-Pacific Partnership —a 12-country deal that Kerry and Obama see as key to the US trade agenda in their final year in office —before ratifying it. On the TPP treaty, the American side hopes it will have more success, despite concerns raised by some of the Liberal lawmakers who now form a majority in the Cana-dian parliament.

Canada’s government said on Monday that it would sign the free trade deal next week at a meeting of the 12 partner countries from around the Pacific basin.

But, before the treaty is ratified, the Canadian parliament will want to debate it, and Trade Minister Chrys-tia Freeland has acknowledged that some have concerns.

AFP

CARACAS: Venezuela’s opposition is ramping up efforts to drive Presi-dent Nicolas Maduro from office this year, raising pressure on the social-ist leader in a tense political crisis in the oil-rich nation.

Having rejected Maduro’s bid to seize emergency powers over the crisis-hit economy, the opposition-led legislature revived calls to oust him this week.

“Someone said we should let the government finish its term so it can stew in its own juice. That would be irresponsible,” the oppo-sition speaker of Congress, Henry Ramos Allup, told a gathering of for-eign reporters.

Maduro’s mandate runs until 2019, but the new opposition major-ity in the National Assembly has raised the prospect of his rivals finding constitutional or legislative means to cut his term short.

“I don’t want this to last three more years, going from bad to worse,” Ramos said. “If you can treat an illness before it kills you, then you obviously apply the treatment.”

He reiterated the opposition’s aim to devise, by June at the latest, a legal way to oust Maduro.

“I don’t know if it will happen by the end of this year... but the way things are going, I don’t see him reaching the end of his constitu-tional term.”

In a worsening recession, Vene-zuela has been seized by a political deadlock since the opposition took majority control of the assembly at the start of the month.

A series of tense institutional maneuvers followed as Maduro chipped away at the opposition’s

majority through challenges in the Supreme Court, which his opponents and other critics say he controls.

The opposition in turn blocked Maduro’s plan to decree a state of economic emergency.

Maduro has admitted Venezuela is in a “catastrophic” economic state. He blames it on an economic “war” against his government by capital-ists. He has called on the assembly to approve the decree and help him “navigate this crisis.” But he vowed to resist what he called “neoliberal” pol-icies. If Maduro stays in office with a grip on the economy, Ramos said his successor would inherit a “graveyard.”

Ramos spoke a day after another prominent opposition leader, Hen-rique Capriles, added his powerful voice to calls to oust Maduro.

After weeks of growing tur-bulence, Capriles hardened his previously moderate stance, calling for a referendum or constitutional reform to get rid of the president.

“Either a solution is found here or Venezuelans must consider the way to achieve change,” said Capriles.

“The time has come for a recall referendum or a constitutional amendment.”

Capriles is leader of the Justice First party, one of the main forces in the opposition coalition. He was beaten by Maduro in the 2013 pres-idential election. Voters fed up with economic hardship punished Maduro in elections last month, handing the opposition control of the legislature for the first time in 17 years.

Maduro’s allies managed to deprive the opposition for the time being of the two-thirds legisla-tive supermajority it would need to mount a constitutional reform.

But the opposition MUD coalition has vowed to find some way round the blockage.

5 killed in western

Canada avalanche

MONTREAL: Five snowmobilers were killed on Friday after being buried in an avalanche in Canada’s British Columbia (BC) province, officials said.

The deaths were confirmed by the BC Coroner’s office, which said the accident occurred in the west-ern Canadian hamlet of McBride, some 800km northeast of Van-couver. Officials said that six other people trapped by the avalanche were rescued alive.

Rescuers said the snowmo-bilers had strayed to a part of the area that was off-limits to skiers and other winter sport enthusiasts.

A spokeswoman for the BC Coroners Service, said the site of the disaster “is not a resort” area.

US and Canada to fight IS together Venezuela opposition

ramping up efforts to

oust President Maduro

Light sculptures are reflected in the lotus pool during a photocall to promote the Magical Lantern Festival at Chiswick House Gardens, in west London. The festival, to celebrate Chinese New Year 2016 — the Year of the Monkey — uses more than 50 hand-sculpted lanterns and is set to run from Febuary 3 to March 6, 2016.

Light sculptures

MORNING BREAK20 SUNDAY 31 JANUARY 2016

FAJR

SHOROOK

ZUHR

ASR

MAGHRIB

ISHA

04.59 am06.18 am

11.47 am02.55 pm

05.19 pm06.49 pm

PRAYER TIMINGS

AFP

JAGHORI, AFGHANISTAN: A five-year-old Afghan boy living in an insurgency-prone area has become an online sensation after pictures of him dressed in an improvised Lionel Messi jersey — made out of a plastic bag — went viral.

Murtaza Ahmadi idolises the Argentine soccer star but a jersey of his favourite player is beyond the means of his poor family in rural Ghazni province southwest of Kabul.

His elder brother Homayoun, 15, made him the plastic shirt with

Messi’s named scrawled in marker pen and posted the photos of Murtaza wearing it on Facebook two weeks ago. “Our neighbour had thrown away grocery bags and Murtaza brought me one to make a Messi jer-sey,” Homayoun, a high school student and himself a FC Barcelona fan, said.

Jorge Messi, Lionel’s father, said the footballer was aware of the pho-tos that made waves on social media and “wants to do something” for his young fan. Murtaza, whose father admitted he could not afford to buy him a replica jersey, said he only had a punctured ball to play with in his village in Taliban-infested Ghazni.

“We do not have a football

playground near our house and the only ball I have is punctured,” Mur-tuza said. “I love Messi, he plays really well, and I love the shirt my brother made for me.”

Kicking the deflated football in his snow-covered village, he added: “I want to be like Messi when I grow up.” Mohammad Arif Ahmadi, his father who works as a farmer, said he hopes that his son turns into a great football player one day.

“I want my son to become the Messi of Afghanistan,” he said. “Mur-taza wants to meet Lionel Messi in person one day. He asked me to buy him a jersey but I cannot afford it,” Ahamdi, a father of six, said.

When his photos were first posted, Internet users scrambled to identify the boy and it was initially claimed he was an Iraqi Kurd.

But Murtaza’s uncle Azim Ahmadi, who lives in Australia, revealed to the media that his nephew was the unwit-ting star of the story. His father only learned about Murtaza’s newfound fame from relatives when he recently visited Kabul for medical treatment.

Sport was rarely played under Taliban rule, and the football sta-dium in Kabul was a notorious venue for executions, stonings and mutila-tions. Football and cricket are the two most popular sports in the war-rav-aged country.

Reuters

LOS ANGELES: Hollywood actors will gather to crown the best performances in film and television as a furor over diversity in show business casts a shadow over an awards season usually marked by congratulations and red carpet fashion.

In contrast to the Oscars, where no actors of colour are nominated this year for the movie industry’s highest honours, performers including Idris Elba, Viola Davis, Rami Malek and the cast of hip-hop movie Straight Outta Compton, are in the running for Screen Actors Guild (SAG) honours at a glitzy gala.

Yet the top SAG actor prize is widely expected to go Leonardo DiCaprio for his grueling role as a fur trapper left for dead in The Revenant. A win at

SAG would cement DiCaprio’s chances for his first Oscar in February since actors form the biggest group among voters at the Academy of Motion Pic-ture Arts and Sciences.

The Screen Actors Guild does not pick a best picture winner, but instead rewards acting prow-ess by choosing a best ensemble cast.

Award pundits say The Big Short, a movie about Wall Street malfeasance or Spotlight, about a news-paper’s probe of abuse in the Catholic Church, are likely ensemble winners, with Straight Outta Compton, African child soldier drama Beasts of No Nation, and Hollywood blacklist tale Trumbo rounding out the competition.

British actor Elba, among those snubbed by Oscar voters, has three shots at taking home a SAG statuette - as part of the Beasts ensemble cast, as supporting actor in the movie and for his conflicted police detective in British TV miniseries Luther.

The women’s race, however, is a less diverse affair, with rising star Brie Larson (Room) and Ire-land’s Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn) in a close race for lead movie actress. Cate Blanchett’s wealthy lesbian lover in Carol, Helen Mirren’s elderly Jewish refugee in Woman in Gold and comedian Sarah Silverman’s dark turn in I Smile Back are also nominated.

Television, enjoying a golden age with bold dramas and streaming platforms that bypass traditional advertisers, more closely reflects the country’s ethnic and religious diversity.

Malek, whose Mr. Robot who took home the Golden Globe for best TV drama series two weeks ago, is up against Mad Men star Jon Hamm in the best TV actor category, while Queen Latifah is seen as leading the TV movie field for her role as blues singer Bessie Smith. Davis is favored for her sec-ond SAG award for television drama series How to Get Away with Murder.

AFP

MIAMI: Researchers have for the first time witnessed how a single cell can change and give rise to cancer, raising hopes that scientists may dis-cover a way to stop tumors before they start.

Described on Friday in the jour-nal Science, the study was led by doctors at Boston Children’s Hos-pital and is based on zebrafish that developed melanoma.

When a cell reverted to a stem-cell state and began dividing, it became cancer, researchers found.

The spark for that change was in the crestin gene, which should only be active in embryonic tissue but became inappropriately activated again, resulting in melanoma.

“An important mystery has been why some cells in the body already have mutations seen in cancer, but do not yet fully behave like the cancer,” said first author Charles Kaufman, a postdoctoral fellow in the Zon Labo-ratory at Boston Children’s Hospital.

“We found that the beginning of cancer occurs after activation of an oncogene or loss of a tumor suppres-sor, and involves a change that takes a single cell back to a stem cell state.”

The fish contained a human can-cer mutation known as BRAF V600E, which is found in most benign moles.

The fish were also engineered to have lost the tumor suppressor gene p53, and to have their individual cells light up in fluorescent green if a gene called crestin was turned on.

“Every so often we would see a green spot on a fish,” said co-author Leonard Zon, MD, director of the Stem Cell Research Program at Bos-ton Children’s. “When we followed them, they became tumors 100 per-cent of the time.”

The research team is trying to develop a genetic test that could be given to people with moles that may look suspicious, to see if their cells are behaving in a way that could lead to cancer. Another avenue for study are so-called super-enhancers, which turn on the genetic changes and could potentially be targeted with drugs to stop a mole from becoming cancerous.

The paper “gives us insight as to one of these additional events that can turn a benign lesion with a BRAF V600E mutation into a malig-nant melanoma,” said Craig Devoe, acting chief of the division of hae-matology and oncology at Northwell Health Cancer Institute in Lake Suc-cess, New York.

Afghan boy in plastic Messi jersey becomes Net star

Hollywood actors to choose SAG winners A single cell’s change gives

insight on cancer’s origin

Now, share rides through FacebookNEW YORK: Social networking website Facebook will soon introduce a feature on its Events page that will allow users attending the same event to connect and share rides. A recent patent application from Facebook sug-gests that the social networking giant has interesting plans in store for its Events page. The patent filing specifically details how the site’s Events page could also double as a ride-sharing centre, BGR reported on Friday. The fea-ture will add two sub-listings to the “Going” selection — “Going and driving” and “Going but not driving” — to the existing three basic response options — Going, Not Going and Interested.

The patent also suggests that it could pair up riders based on common interests like music and even based on shared alma maters, the report said. Meanwhile, web tech magazine Engadget said a patent app does not mean the company will actually implement the feature. For now, though, the users will have to rely on hailing an Uber through Messenger feature that it launched on Christmas using which people in the US could use Facebook Messenger to book an Uber cab and simultaneously alert their friends in a chat thread.

Afghan boy and Lionel Messi fan Murtaza Ahmadi, 5, wears a plastic bag jersey as he plays football in Jaghori district of Ghazni province.

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Ezdan Holding announces project in Addis Ababa

The Peninsula

DOHA: Sheikh Dr Khalid bin Thani bin Abdullah Al Thani, Chairman of Ezdan Holding Group, said the Group will intensify its investment plans in Ethiopia.

Sheikh Dr Khalid announced the decision after his meeting with the

Prime Minister of Ethiopia Hailemar-iam Desalegan at the prime minister’s office in Addis Ababa. Sheikh Dr Kha-lid and the accompanying delegation discussed investment opportunities for Qatari investors in various sec-tors in Ethiopia.

Ethiopian prime minister extended all support from his government to Ezdan Holding Group’s proposed lux-ury tourist resort project coming up at an estimated area of 150,000 square metres in the heart of Ethiopian capi-tal Addis Ababa. The meeting focused mainly on ways of cooperation and bolstering bilateral relationships and long lasting strategic bonds in various sectors, especially industry, real estate and health.

Ethiopian Prime Minister hailed

the strong relations between Qatar and Ethiopia at all levels. Sheikh Dr Khalid said Ezdan, in coopera-tion with the Municipality of Addis Ababa,will identify appropriate loca-tion for the project. Ezdan’s proposed project is the first Qatari project to come up in the Ethiopian market.

The resort project features a high-quality technical specifications in terms of facilities and services which will contribute in raising the quality of real estate products available in the Ethiopian market.

On the Qatari Ethiopian relations, Dr Khalid stated the Ethiopian side is tremendously keen to encourage and attract Qatari investments.

→Continued on Page 23Sheikh Dr Khalid bin Thani bin Abdullah Al Thani, Chairman of Ezdan Holding Group, meeting Prime Minister of Ethiopia Hailemariam Desalegan at the prime minister’s office in Addis Ababa.

Sheikh Dr Khalid meets with Ethiopian prime minister

BUSINESS22 SUNDAY 31 JANUARY 2016

Yuan devaluation beneficial for China growth: QNB

The Peninsula

DOHA: A small and controlled deval-uation of Chinese currency could benefit Chinese exports and growth. But this needs to be done without triggering a large devaluation or a currency crisis, QNB noted yesterday.

Financial markets have experi-enced a meltdown since the beginning of the year. The decline impacted all

risky assets, including global equi-ties, emerging markets’ bonds and currencies as well as commodities. Just like August last year, the turmoil was triggered by a devaluation of the Chinese currency, which fell by 1.6 percent against the US dollar in the first week of the year.

Although the yuan has subse-quently stabilised, markets have remained nervous about the uncer-tainty surrounding China’s exchange rate policy. The question is whether the Chinese authorities can manage a gradual devaluation that is beneficial for the economy, or if devaluation will be chaotic with negative economic implications.

QNB’s economic commentary on “China’s currency dilemma”, said a gradual devaluation of the currency could be beneficial for three main reasons. First, it would help export-ers, boosting economic growth. Until

recently, the Chinese yuan was closely linked to the US dollar. Expectations of tighter monetary policy in the US relative to the rest of the world have led to the appreciation of the dol-lar against most currencies. This has pulled up the value of the yuan, leading to its rise against most cur-rencies. On a trade-weighted basis, the yuan has strengthened by 20 per-cent since 2012. This has hurt exports and, in turn, growth.

The Chinese economy’s2015 growth was the slowest in 25 years, with real GDP expanding by only 6.9 percent. A devaluation of the yuan could restore some of the lost com-petitiveness to Chinese exports, and invigorate growth in the future.

Second, a devaluation of the cur-rency could reduce the need to sell foreign currency reserves to support the yuan. Chinese reserves declined by over $100bn in December 2015,

and by a total of $700bn since their mid-2014 peak. This happened as the authorities tried to support the cur-rency in the face of capital flight. And while China still possesses consider-able reserves amounting to USD3.3tn, these could be depleted if capital flight continues at the current rate. Allowing more flexibility in the exchange rate may help preserve China’s reserves.

Third, a more flexible exchange rate would also reflect the new requirements for a more liberalised currency following the International Monetary Fund’s decision to include the yuan in its Special Drawing Rights basket, supporting the goal of the authorities to internationalise the currency.

However, the devaluation of the currency also comes with its own set of risks. Chief among them is the risk of widespread corporate defaults. China has accumulated nearly $1.5tn of foreign-currency debt over the last eight years.

A devaluation of the currency would make servicing this debt more burdensome, which could result in a financial crisis that could bring the economy down. Second, a devalua-tion could be interpreted as a sign of an underlying weakness in the Chi-nese economy.

This could lead to continued turmoil in financial markets with neg-ative repercussions in China and the rest of the world, given China’s size in the global economy, its contribution to the world’s economic growth, its dom-inant role in trade and its importance as a major consumer of commodities.

Finally,a devaluation could delay China’s planned transition towards a more consumer-based economy. A significant weakening of the currency would make imports more expen-sive, reducing the purchasing power of consumers.

The risk-benefit analysis of Chi-na’s devaluation outlined above suggests that a controlled devaluation could benefit Chinese growth. But this needs to be done without triggering a large devaluation. When it comes to the fate of their exchange rate, the Chinese authorities do not have much room for manoeuvre.

Small and controlled devaluation of Chinese currency could benefit Chinese exports and growth

‘Banks should not overreact’By Mohammad Shoeb

The Peninsula

DOHA: Banks and financial institu-tions need to be aware and cautious about the heightened risks against the backdrop of the current economic and financial situations. But at the same time they need not to “over react reck-lessly”, said a Professor at Harvard Business School (HBS) here yesterday.

“Fundamental goals of banks should remain the same. We should take comfort and learn lessons from history because this is not the first time we are facing such a situation when the global economy has been put under this kind of pressure,” said Stuart C Gilson, Steven Fenster Profes-sor of Business Administration at HBS.

Prof Gilson, who is here to lec-ture at a HBS training programme for banking and financial executives from GCC countries, however, noted: “We live in a period of great uncertainty.

The world is experiencing a challenge to investors’ confidence with falling commodity prices, including the fall of oil prices at an unprecedented level. No one knows what is going to hap-pened to oil prices in the near future.”

He said that the current crisis, combined with the unresolved issues in China such as declining industrial production, have caused enormous impact on economies around the world. Gilson was addressing the members of the media with Professor Yaqoub S Y Alrefaei, Director General of the Kuwait-based Institute of Bank-ing Studies (IBS) , which is working with HBS for the seventh year in a row to host the executive education programme. The programme titled: “Leading Strategy Execution in Finan-cial Services”, has returned to Qatar (after 2012) for the second time, and will conclud on February 4.

Alrefaei said that the programme is one of the strategic developmen-tal projects organised by the institute.

“The programme aims to upgrade

the skills of the Kuwait and GCC national workforce, of which execu-tives comprise the key component,” said Alrefaei.

The programme was conducted for the first time in 2010 as an exclu-sive event for the Central Bank of Kuwait and the Kuwaiti banks. After the tremendous success of that first programme and with the Harvard Business School showing interest in taking it to the GCC level, the pro-gramme continued to be run on an annual basis since then, alternately in one of the GCC states.

The number of participants in the programme over the past six years has totaled 259, whereas 52 participants are enrolled for this year’s programne.

Prof Alrefaei said: “Harvard Business School is very selective in conducting custom programmes, especially those beyond its campus in Boston, USA. The school’s desire to continue to work with IBS, Kuwait on these projects is an indication of the success of this collaboration.”

FROM LEFT: Prof Stuart C Gilson, Prof Yaqoub S Y Alrefaei and Desmond Nelson of IBS during a press conference at Sharq Village yesterday. Pic: Kammutty VP/The Peninsula

Reuters

DUBAI: Bahrain plans austerity steps to cut its budget deficit in line with IMF recommendations, its finance minister said yesterday in comments that could help the island kingdom sell its bonds when it returns to inter-

national markets later this year.Bahrain is using the IMF’s assist-

ance to plan economic reforms as low crude prices put heavy pressure on state finances. The kingdom is expected to return to bond markets this year to help finance its budget deficit, which is estimated by the IMF at about 15 percent of gross domestic product this year.

Finance Minister Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa said the IMF’s latest country recommenda-tions “echo Bahrain’s current fiscal action plan.”

“Bahrain’s Government Action Plan, currently underway, includes wide-ranging measures that will ensure the sustainability of Bahrain’s financial resources and development,

benefiting the entire country,” he said in a statement quoted by the official BNA news agency.

On Friday, the IMF urged Bahrain to take “sizeable” steps to reduce its budget deficit, saying it could intro-duce a value-added tax being planned by Gulf states, cut spending on social transfers and freeze public-sector wages.

Sheikh Ahmed said Bahrain aimed to balance its budget “within three budgetary cycles”.

Bahrain drafts its budget plans in two-year periods, implying the king-dom would eliminate its deficit within six years.

Bahrain’s budget plan for 2015 and 2016 envisaged a deficit of about BD1.505bn ($4bn).

The Peninsula

DOHA: Gate To Wellness, a med-ical tourism company, yesterday announced packages with exten-sive services in 2016. These new initiatives will specifically cater to the demands of the local community who wish to seek health and well-ness treatments abroad.

Reem Al Daghma, General Man-ager of Gate To Wellness declared that the company is ready for a big start in 2016. “We are currently working on the preparations for our second women’s trip that’s sched-uled this year to Ananda Spa in the Himalayas. Known to be among the best health centres in India as well as across the world for detox and weight loss, this destination has been chosen after a specialised study to provide high quality services to suit all our participants. Comprising seven nights, this trip will focus on three different programmes, includ-ing the detox process that aims to clean and rejuvenate the body, besides 20 therapeutic massage ses-sions, a health examination & fitness check, which will be followed by

consultation sessions with a health and nutrition specialist. The trip will also include a healthy cooking class and a visit to the famous Rishikesh river,” she said.

“Since the launch of our oper-ations in Doha, we have been successfully coordinating health related tours many countries. These were characterised by discretion and simplicity, thanks to our relationship with more than 60 global hospitals spread over 13 countries around the world. This was achieved by our pos-itive reputation and constant visits to make sure that these medical facil-ities maintain high standards and provide our clients the best available resources and convenience during their health treatments,” she added.

Al Daghma confirmed that “Gate To Wellness” succeeded in sending citizens and residents from Qatar to a number of countries like Germany, Turkey and Switzerland. “Our future plans include creating a data base of the preferred doctors, clinics as well as health and wellness related services in Qatar and to refer our patients to them before and after the treatment. Also, we are working on a future plans to attract patients to Qatar,” she said.

The Peninsula

DOHA: Oryx Rotana hotel has bagged the ‘Booking.com Guest Review Award’ with an average of 8.4 rating. This award is based on a poll of 652 visitors who have stayed at Oryx Rotana and expe-rienced various restaurants and services, besides excellent facili-ties at this hotel, said a statement yesterday.

Booking.com is considered to be one of the most important specialised global platforms in the field of online reservations. Book-ing.com provides the best rate ever while booking rooms, suites and furnished apartments across all levels and independent self-served furnished outlets through its recently launched sister web-site Villas.com.

Lana Jwainat, Cluster Director of Marketing and Communications at Oryx Rotana and Rotana City Center said: “We are delighted to get a rating of 8.4 from Booking.com. We have made a quantum leap in the hospitality business in particular and tourism sector in general, because of the best serv-ices that we have introduced in the market since the kick off our operations 5 years ago. This has elevated the experience of our guests coming from abroad as well as locally.”

“As expected, we achieved outstanding occupancy rates and a continuous growth year after year, since we aimed at providing exceptional hospitality standards from the very beginning. Thanks to our professional team, we were able to make a clear difference in the services provided to guests and visitors,” she added.

Gate To Wellness announces new plans

Oryx Rotana bags

Guest Review

Award from

Booking.com

Gulf Air representatives with the participating agents from Dubai in Moscow.

Gulf Air takes agents to MoscowThe Peninsula

DOHA: Gulf Air, the Kingdom of Bahrain’s national carrier, recently organised a familiarisation trip to Moscow for key Dubai-based travel agencies in recognition of their long-standing support and cooperation.

During the three-day visit, the participating agents, accompanied by Gulf Air representatives, enjoyed tailored itineraries that allowed them to experience Gulf Air’s renowned onboard product and service offer-ing, including the airline’s luxurious Falcon Gold Lounge in Bahrain Inter-national Airport, and visit some of Moscow’s most iconic attractions.

Gulf Air’s Senior Manager Sales, Saad Al Qinni said: “We are delighted to give some of our key trade partners in Dubai the chance to experience the trademark Arabian hospitality that Gulf Air is renowned for: visit-ing one of our newest destinations and enjoying the many products and services that Bahrain’s national car-rier has to offer.”

Bahrain says austerity plans in line with IMF

BUSINESS 23 SUNDAY 31 JANUARY 2016

Qatar market selloff overdone: QIF

By Satish Kanady

The Peninsula

DOHA: The London-listed Qatar Investment Fund (QIF) noted that Qatari market selloff was overdone and the fund remains optimistic on Qatar over the medium term to longer term.

The Qatar-focused fund said it continues to remain overweight on the Qatari banking sector, including financial services at 43.2 percent of its net asset value (NAV) compared to the Qatar Exchange (QE) banking sec-tor weighting of 40.5 percent.

Industrials sector remain QIF’s second largest exposure at 28.0 per-cent in Q4, 2015 compared to 24.6 percent in the previous quarter. The QIF reduced exposure to Industries Qatar, while increasing exposure in Gulf International Services, as the latter stock fell 20.8 percent during the Q4 and valuations started look-ing attractive.

QIF also increased exposure to Qatar Electricity & Water Company, QIF’s quarterly investment report said.

QIF’s weighting in the real estate sector increased from 6.6 percent

in Q3 to 9.0 percent in Q4. Expo-sure to the telecom sector increased to 4.7 percent, following substantial improvement in Ooredoo’s financial performance in Q3.

QIF added exposure to the insurance sector with a 5.1 percent weighting in Qatar Insurance Com-pany (QIC), as valuations started looking attractive. Further, QIF marginally reduced exposure to transportation and consumer goods and services sector.

The Fund’s quarterly investment report noted that Qatari market showed resilience in Q4, compared other GCC markets . In the 18 months to December 31, 2015, Qatar fell 9.2 percent and was the second best per-former after Abu Dhabi , which was down 5.4 percent.

QIF’s Investment adviser believes the Qatar market selloff is overdone

and remains optimistic on Qatar over the medium to longer term because of its superior growth prospects and an expanding non-hydrocarbon sector.

“The liquidity concerns in the Qatari banking system are likely to continue in the near term. However, Qatari banks are expected to slowly overcome these by issuing bonds and as public sector deposits coming back to Qatari banks. The Investment Adviser reassessed valuations in the banking sector and performed its own stress testing on banking mod-els and found that despite liquidity concerns, banking sector valuations appear attractive”, the report noted.

QIF’s NAV per share net of divi-dends fell 14.6 percent in 2015 while Qatar Exchange Index fell 15.1 per-cent. QIF’s NAV before dividends decreased by 7.7 percent in Q4, 2015, while QE was down 9.0 percent. As at

December 31, 2015, QIF shares traded at a 12.7 percent discount to NAV .

QIF’ report noted that Qatar is well positioned to continue to grow as macroeconomic fundamentals remain healthy.

The 2016 budget maintains spending on major projects showing the commitment of Qatari govern-ment to implement its sustainable development programme.

The Qatari equities have already priced in excessive pessimism and relative valuations remain attrac-tive. In addition, the Qatari market is trading at a discount to its histor-ical average.

The QE Index is currently trading at a trailing twelve months P/E ratio of 10.79x as at December 31 2015 vs. its 10-year historical average of 12.63x, a discount of 14.5 percent, thus pro-viding a good entry point to investors.

Qatar Investment Fund remains optimistic on Qatar over the medium term to longer term

Officials at the Al Maysan Heavy Equipment’s SANY customer event in Doha.

The Peninsula

DOHA: Al Maysan Heavy Equipment, held a customer event in Doha. The event is to showcase SANY Mobile and Rough terrain cranes models to contractors, logistics, and rental companies.

Al Maysan Heavy Equipment showed their appreciation by hon-ouring their clients and presenting appreciation awards to long-stand-ing customers.

The event was attended by Mohamed Jaidah, Group Executive Director of Jaidah Group, Ayman Ahmed, Managing Director of Jaidah Equipment, Wang Fengkai General Manager of SANY Middle East, Hazem

Kenawy Service Manager of Al May-san Heavy Equipment, and David Xu Chief Representative of SANY Group in Qatar.

Mohamed Jaidah said, “Jaidah equipment group has a history of long-standing relationships with major international manufacturers, making us perfectly suited for satis-fying the high demand of equipment related to Qatar’s construction boom driven by Qatar National Vision 2030.We are confident that SANY’s qual-ity and our after sales services will ensure that we continue to increase our market share in Qatar”.

Ayman Ahmed said, “We would like to stress on the important role of the after sales service, and want to assure our SANY customers that var-ious new initiatives have been taken

to enhance after sales support to ben-efit our valuable customers and aid future business relations.”

Wang Fengkai General Manager of SANY Middle East added, “SANY is the sixth-largest heavy equipment manufacturer in the world, with a dozen industrial parks in China, plus manufacturing facilities in Bra-zil, Germany, India, Indonesia, and in the United States. The Company has approximately 90,000 employ-ees worldwide.”

After presenting the Mobile and Rough terrain cranes on display, David Xu highlighted the durability of SANY Cranes and the role of after sales service. “Although we offer a wide range of SANY cranes models, they all have two things in common; versatility and practicality.” he said.

Al Maysan Heavy Equipment holds SANY customer event

Boeing wins deal to build new Air Force One presidential jetsReuters

WASHINGTON: Boeing Co has won a contract to start preliminary work on a new fleet of Air Force One pres-idential aircraft based on its 747-8 jumbo jet, the Pentagon said.

The US Air Force awarded Boe-ing an initial contract worth $25.8m to reduce risk and lower the cost of the programme by looking at the tradeoffs between the requirements and design of the new plane, accord-ing to the Pentagon’s daily digest of arms deals.

Details about the total value of the new contract have not been released, but the Air Force has pre-viously said that it had earmarked $1.65bn for two replacement jets.

The Air Force first announced in January 2015 that Boeing’s 747-8 would be used to replace the two current Air Force planes used to transport the US president. Air Force One is one of the most visible sym-bols of the United States.

The Air Force plans to modify the

contract in coming years as the Air Force One programme moves into the engineering and design phase, and later, into production. The Air Force now operates two VC-25s, spe-cially configured Boeing 747-200Bs, which are nearing the end of their planned 30-year life.

In January, Air Force Secre-tary Deborah James said the Air Force One programme would use proven technologies and commer-cially certified equipment to keep the programme affordable.

The Air Force decision was widely expected since the only other suitable four-engine jet is the A380 built by Airbus in Toulouse, France.

The 747-8 is the only four-engine commercial jet Boeing makes, pro-viding an extra margin of flight safety over the more standard twin-engine planes. The four-engine jet is now mostly a cargo workhorse, eclipsed by more fuel-efficient twin-engine jets for passengers.

The double-decker plane entered service in 1970, undergoing a major overhaul in 2012, with new engines and a longer fuselage.

The Peninsula

DOHA: Qatar Exchange (QE) recently joined the United Nations Sustainable Stock Exchanges (SSE) initiative and signed the voluntary commitment to advancing sustain-ability performance, transparency, and governance practices in QE market. The SSE initiative serves as an important platform to explore ways that will help exchanges to work together as well as investors and regulators, policy makers and companies to promote sustainability and responsible investment through a series of work streams and events.

The SSE initiative aims to explore how exchanges can enhance corporate transparency – and ultimately performance – on ESG (environmental, social and corporate governance) issues and encourage sustainable investment.

QE joins

UN’s SSE

initiative

QNB bags top awards from Banker Magazine

The QNB official receiving the awards.

The Peninsula

DOHA: QNB has been recognised for its Best SME Customer Service and Best Managed Advisory Serv-ice in Qatar by the Banker Middle East Magazine.

QNB’s Group Corporate Banking received the Best SME Customer Service award, while its Treasury and Investment Bank-ing Department received the Best Managed Advisory Service award, marking QNB’s outstanding cus-tomer service and performance.

The awards were received as part of the 2015 iteration of The Banker Magazine’s Middle East Qatar Product Awards, which are designed to identify and reward quality and excellence in finan-cial services in the booming Qatari banking sector.

This latest award for QNB tops off what has been a fantastic year for the Bank which has seen it awarded a number of awards throughout the past 12 months as well as having enjoyed continued financial success.

Ezdan Holding

announces project

in Addis Ababa

Continued from page 21

At the meeting, Ezdan Holding Group Chairman underscored the support that Qatar’s private sector receives from the Qatari govern-ment under the wise leadership of H H Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani.

He stressed how the Emir’s vision contributed in creating positive opportunities for Qatari investors aiming to establishing new projects of high economic and social returns in various emerging economic systems.

The meeting was attended by Ethiopian senior officials and Ethiopia’s Ambassador to Doha, Misganu Arga.

The Qatari delegation included Qatar’s Ambassador to Ethiopia,Abdulaziz bin Sultan Al-Rumaihi, Ezdan Holding Group CEO, Ali Al Obaidli, SAK Holding Group CEO Hesham Al Sahtari, Ezdan Holding Group Board Mem-ber Ali Al Hashmi, Medicare Group CEO Khalid Al Emadi, Arab Engi-neering Bureau CEO Ibrahim Jaidah, Ezdan Holding Group’s Chairman Office General Man-agervNusratAli Farooqi, and Ezdan Holding Group’s Director of Corpo-rate Research & Analysis Mahmud Awada.

Sheikh Dr Khalid and his accompanying delegation also held talks with Mayor of Addis Ababa, Diriba Kuma.

Ooredoo to invest $350m in MyanmarReuters

YANGON: Ooredoo is investing more in Myanmar this year in a bid to broaden its appeal, the head of its local unit said, brushing aside suggestions that it would exit one of Southeast Asia’s fastest growing markets.

Ooredoo had focused on pro-viding costly, higher-margin data services in a country that remains largely poor, a strategy its Myan-mar Chief Executive Rene Meza said would now give way to a more “mass market” approach.

Ooredoo is already facing stiff competition from Norway’s Telenor and market leader state-backed Myanma Posts and Telecommuni-cations (MPT).

“We don’t see any slowdown in investment, any slowdown in exe-cuting our strategic initial plans for Myanmar,” Meza said in an inter-view. “Our commitment to continue

investing remains pretty much intact.”

Asked about a potential exit, he said the company had plans to invest $350m this year, on top of the $1.7bn it has invested since start-ing operations in 2014. “I’ll leave the answer to you,” he said.

MPT boasts 18 million custom-ers, while Telenor has 12 million.

In a bid to bridge the gap, Meza said Ooredoo had slashed data prices from 10 kyat ($0.009) per MB to 6 kyat per MB last year and would also expand its distribution network.

“The initial approach when we launched services was not a mass market approach,” said Meza, who took over as CEO last year.

“As you can imagine, it is a fast moving market. One year of delay, in terms of the right commercial execution, basically means the gap that you see in the market today.”

Mobile penetration in Myanmar is just over 60 percent, far lower than other Southeast Asian nations.

The Boeing 747-8 in Everett, Washington.

BUSINESS24 SUNDAY 31 JANUARY 2016

AFP

NEW YORK: The oil market scored modest gains yesterday, ending a turbulent January that drove prices sharply lower amid worries about the global crude oversupply. Speculation

that Russia and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries will meet to discuss oil output cuts to push up prices supported sentiment for a second day, analysts said.

US benchmark West Texas Inter-mediate for delivery in March rose 40 cents to $33.62 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, after advancing almost $3 over the three prior trading sessions.

In London, Brent North Sea for March finished at $34.74, adding 85 cents from Thursday’s settlement and about $2.50 over the week. The oil market managed a second straight week of advances after having sunk to 12-year lows early this month. Despite those gains, WTI finished the month down about nine percent and Brent nearly seven percent. Mike Lynch of Strategic Energy and Economic Research said there was “no strong reason” for Friday’s lift in prices.

“The talk of Russia and OPEC maybe meeting and working out a production cut has made people think we’ve reached a bottom and it’s time to buy back in the market,” Lynch

said. According to Russian news agency reports on Thursday, Energy Minister Alexander Novak said Mos-cow is ready to discuss “coordinating” with OPEC and mutual production cuts of up to five percent.

The news though drew skepticism that such a meeting or agreement would take place. Novak “said they had been approached by Venezuela about a potential meeting but that was the extent of it, while senior OPEC delegates were dismissive,” said Matt Smith of ClipperData.

But Price Futures Group ana-lyst Phil Flynn said the mere talk of a Russia-OPEC meeting was shift-ing sentiment higher. “OPEC summit talk is being denied a little bit,” Flynn said. But in the market there remains “at least a ray of hope they could get together on a production cut. And that hope is just enough to give the mar-ket a boost.”

Meanwhile the number of active oil drilling rigs in the United States fell by 12 this week to 498, compared with 1,223 a year ago. The plunge in the market also was reflected by Chevron.

US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for delivery in March rose 40 cents to $33.62 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, after advancing almost $3 over the three prior trading sessions

Gasoline prices are displayed at an Exxon gas station in Woodbridge, Virginia.

Oil market scores modest gainsNEW YORK: Phillips 66, the larg-est US independent refiner by market value, reported a decline in profit as refining margins nar-rowed.

Net income fell to $650m, or $1.20 a share, from $1.15bn, or $2.05, a year earlier, the Hou-ston-based company said in a statement yesterday.

Excluding one-time items, Phillips 66 earned $710m, or $1.31 per share, in the fourth quarter, 5 cents more than the average of 15 analysts’ estimates. For the year, the company’s net income was $4.23bn.

Refining profits slipped to $410m, from $1bn in the third quarter.

The decrease was largely due to a 35 percent decline in so-called crack spreads, or the difference between the cost of oil and the price of refined prod-ucts, the company said in the statement.

Gasoline spreads slipped to $12.72 a barrel in the fourth quar-ter, from $21.44 in the prior three months.

“Our financial perform-ance in 2015 demonstrates the resiliency of our diversified port-folio in a low commodity price environment,” Chief Executive Officer Greg Garland said in the statement.

The company also said the first segment of the Bayou Bridge pipeline, which will deliver crude to Lake Charles, Louisiana, from Nederland, Texas, is expected to be in operation by the end of the first quarter. Construction for the first segment is under way.

Earlier this month, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc boosted its stake in Phillips 66 to 13 percent after adding shares for seven straight trading days, making the oil refiner the sixth-largest holding in Buffett’s portfolio.

Berkshire had previously disclosed a $4.5bn stake in Phil-lips 66 in August and increased shares again in September. Phil-lips 66 has more than doubled in value since its spin- off from Conoco Phillips in 2012.

Refiners overall have ben-efited from US shale drilling, though the end of a ban on most crude exports may damp mar-gins in the long run as American producers have the option to seek better prices from buyers else-where. Shares rose 1.8 percent to close at $80.14 in New York.

Phillips 66’s

profits down as

refining margins

narrow

Italy with EU to help reduce

banks’ bad loans, says ViscoAFP

WASHINGTON: The International Monetary Fund said yesterday that it had overhauled its lending rules for heavily indebted countries, includ-ing a rule created in 2010 to allow it to aid Greece.

Last week, the IMF abandoned the “systemic exemption” rule which it used to justify giving Greece a massive bailout despite doubts about the sustainability of the country’s sovereign debt.

At the time, the crisis lender decided that a Greek debt restructuring could pose severe negative spillovers on the rest of the eurozone, thus the need for the exemption.

In a report published yesterday, the IMF acknowledged that this con-troversial rule “did not prove reliable in mitigating contagion” and posed “substantial” costs and risks for the IMF and member countries.

In addition, it could encourage creditors to overlend to a country on easier terms because they believe the country would likely receive a public bailout in a crisis, it said.

The measure had stirred criticism, notably from some emerg-ing-market countries that saw it as giving favourable treatment to Euro-pean states, but it was also under fire from US Republican lawmakers who

called for its end. The new rules drop that exemption and focus on a “gray” zone in which a country’s debt has not been deemed sustainable with “high probability” -- one of the IMF’s core lending rules -- and restructur-ing of its sovereign debt is considered too risky.

In this case, the IMF can offer financing on the condition that the country receives in parallel, from public or private creditors, suffi-cient funds to allow it to return to debt sustainability and ensure the

crisis lender will be repaid.The new policy does not “auto-

matically presume” a restructuring of sovereign debt at the outset of aid when debt is in the gray zone.

If the country loses access to financial markets, a “reprofiling” of debt would typically be appro-priate and would give the country more breathing room in adjusting to conditions of the IMF loan.

In cases where debt restructur-ing would be too risky for financial stability, the IMF could lend under

the condition that other public creditors ease their conditions for repayment.

This last measure reflects the current negotiations on the Euro-pean Union’s third bailout for Greece, under which the IMF will only participate financially if the Europeans ease Greece’s debt burden.

Some member states of the 28-nation EU have rejected that option, arguing that European trea-ties prevent them from erasing debt.

LONDON: British bank HSBC said yesterday that its Internet and mobile banking services were fully up and running again after it was hit by a cyber-attack.

“HSBC Internet and mobile banking are now fully recovered. Thanks for your patience and again we apologise for the disruption,” the bank said on Twitter.

HSBC said it had successfully repelled Friday’s attack although customers trying to access their accounts suffered disruptions.

The bank has 17m personal and business customers in Brit-ain but did not say how many were affected. Friday’s disruption came on payday for many Britons and just days ahead of a January 31 deadline for self-employed individuals to pay tax. HSBC said it would waive fees incurred by customers as a result of the incident. A spokesman identi-fied it as a “denial of service attack”, which slows down or disables a network by flooding it with commu-nication requests. HSBC, Europe’s biggest bank, suffered a series of online banking glitches earlier this month but said it was due to a tech-nical problem not a cyber attack.

Bloomberg

BUENOS AIRES: Argentina’s central bank reached terms with seven Wall Street banks for $5bn of loans as the government looks to bolster reserves ahead of talks with holdout creditors next week.

The one-year loan, finalized Fri-day, will be backed by sovereign

bonds, according to an e-mailed state-ment from the central bank. Argentina has been seeking to shore up its cen-tral bank reserves after years of currency controls and policies that discouraged investment and depleted the country’s supply of dollars. Una-ble to tap international bond markets because of a decade-long feud with creditors left over from the nation’s 2001 default, the country’s cash hoard dropped to a nine-year low last

month. Next week, officials will begin settlement talks with holders of some defaulted bonds who won a US court order requiring they be paid in full.

HSBC Holdings Plc, JPMorgan Chase & Co and Banco Santander SA are each providing $1bn in loans, according to three people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified because the information is private. Deutsche Bank AG, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA, Citi-group Inc and UBS Group AG will each provide $500m, the people said. The interest rate is Libor plus 6.15 percent-age points, the people said.

Press officials for Citigroup, Santander, JPMorgan and HSBC declined to comment on the loan. Officials at BBVA, Deutsche Bank, UBS and Argentina’s Finance Min-istry didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment. The central bank declined to comment beyond its statement.

Finance Secretary Luis Caputo will meet debt mediator Daniel Pol-lack February 1 and February 2 in New York to begin the process of opening negotiations with the holdout credi-tors, according to a ministry official. After bolstering reserves, Argentine authorities will have more bargain-ing power in the talks, according to Hernan Yellati, the head of research and strategy at BancTrust & Co. “This is a good way of raising confidence

and increasing reserves so that the government can negotiate with the holdouts without an urgency that might put Argentina in a situation where they need to accept worse terms,” Yellati said from Miami. “It’s a positive first step.”

Argentina’s reserves rose by $4.8bn Friday to $30bn, the highest since October 2, according to a central bank statement a few hours after the deal was finalized Friday.In his first month in office, President Mauricio Macri has undone policies put in place by his predecessors that throttled for-eign investment, moving to remove currency controls and being talks with the holdout creditors. In an interview with Bloomberg at the World Eco-nomic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Macri said he aims for a “realistic, rea-sonable settlement” with the holdouts. “We want to finish all our conflicts of the past,” he said.

The holdouts, who are trying to limit the nation’s ability to raise money offshore to pressure Argen-tina to comply with a court order to repay their defaulted debt, sub-poenaed HSBC in late December for information on Argentina’s efforts to raise cash, according to a person familiar with the matter. US District Judge Thomas Griesa has prohibited Argentina from paying future over-seas creditors before settling with the holdouts.

IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde speaks at the IMF headquarters in Washington on Wednesday.

IMF reforms rules for indebted countries

Bloomberg

MILAN: Italy’s deal with the European Commission on state guarantees for banks’ bad loans will help lenders in the country reduce their stock of deteriorated debt, even though market reaction to the agree-ment has shown skepticism, Bank of Italy Governor Ignazio Visco said yesterday.

The guarantee mechanism “will prove useful for facilitating the divestment of bad debts,” Visco, who sits on the European Central Bank Governing Council, said in a speech at the annual Assiom-Forex conference in Turin.

“There has been mixed market reaction to the announcement of the agreement; a detailed analysis of its terms and effects will improve its reception.”

The European Commission agreed earlier this week on a plan to help Italian banks offload bad debts, ending months of negotiations on how to ease the burden on the nation’s lenders without breaching European rules. Banks will be able to bundle their bad loans into securi-ties for sale, while purchasing a state guarantee for the least-risky portion to make the debt more appealing to investors.

The reduction of the stock of

bad loans will take time, according to Visco, who said large volumes of bad debt “depresses market assess-ments of banks, makes bank funding costlier, and generates high capital requirements.”

Bad loans held by Italian banks, which have been hit by record-low interest rates and a struggling econ-omy, reached a high of 201bn euros ($218bn) in November, while includ-ing doubtful debt they hit 360bn euros.

Loan-loss provisions as a share of gross operating profit declined to 57 percent at the end of September from 70 percent a year earlier, with a coverage ratio at 45 percent, in line with the European average, the cen-tral banker said.

Italian banking shares have lost 23 percent this year, compared with a 15 percent decline in the Stoxx 600 Banks Index, on concerns about their credit quality.

The slump continued even after Italy reached the agreement with the EU on the guarantee mechanism.

The volatility in Italian banks share trading reflects the interna-tional situation as well as concerns over asset quality, in part related to the “alarmist interpretation of a sim-ple request for information by the ECB,” Visco said.

Italian banks are “well capital-ized” and profitability has started to improve.

HSBC back

online after

cyber attack

Argentina to borrow $5bn from Wall Street banks

A view of the headquarters of Argentina’s Central Bank in Buenos Aires.

BUSINESS 25 SUNDAY 31 JANUARY 2016

Reuters

NEW YORK: Stock market inves-tors who spent January swayed by oil prices, economic weakness in China and central bank speculation may continue to do that next week, even though it should be a dramatic one for earnings reports and economic data.

Fourth-quarter 2015 earnings reports coming from Internet leader Alphabet and ExxonMobil, an old-economy company hit by falling oil prices, will spotlight the yin and yang of Corporate America.

If shares of Alphabet, Google’s parent, rally in response to the strong results that are expected, it could dis-place Apple as the biggest company in the world. That would be ironic and a confirmation of the move away from traditional companies to new tech

ones: Apple unseated Exxon when it climbed to the top of the list in 2011.

So far, the earnings report-ing season has painted a bifurcated picture of corporate health: social media behemoth Facebook reported fourth-quarter revenues more than 50 percent higher than those of the same quarter a year earlier, while oil major Chevron reported its first quar-terly loss in more than 13 years.

As they have for several years running, companies are generally beating expectations on earnings but doing so via cost cuts and buybacks; the number of companies surprising analysts with better-than-expected sales figures is far smaller.

Perhaps because of that, investors have muted their response to earn-ings reports a bit while they ramp up trades based on more global events, such as Chinese economic reports or oil price declines and increases.

Though investors continue to bid up stocks of companies that beat expectations and sell those that fail, the spread between their perform-ance has narrowed, said Jonathan Golub, chief equity strategist at RBC Capital Markets in New York.

Its stock has moved on average 5.5 percent (sometimes up, some-times down) following its previous eight quarterly results. With a mar-ket capitalization near $517bn, such a move higher would catapult it over Apple’s $536bn. The compa-ny’s numbers are expected to shine. “For the past two quarters Alphabet

has delivered strong results beating analysts’ estimates,” said Peter Gar-nry, head of equity strategy at Saxo Bank in Copenhagen. “Facebook’s blowout fourth-quarter results point to strong mobile and video numbers for Google.”

Other companies reporting earn-ings next week include Aetna , Pfizer, Merck, Anadarko, ConocoPhillips, Occidental Petroleum and General

Motors. On the economic front, the all-important US employment report expected Friday will close a week that includes key data on factory activity and construction spending, car sales, services sector growth and inflation.

The numbers come after data showed US economic growth slowed sharply in the fourth quarter with gross domestic product up at a 0.7 percent annual rate. “Manufacturing

is clearly weak, segments of manu-facturing are in a recession, so the one thing that continues to keep our head above water on a GDP basis is the consumer,” said Don Ellenberger, head of multi-sector strategies at Fed-erated Investors in Pittsburgh. “Any sense of weakness in the payroll number or any of the employment statistics we get next week would really be a cause for concern.”

If shares of Alphabet, Google’s parent, rally in response to the strong results that are expected, it could displace Apple as the biggest company in the world

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in New York City.

Oil price sways stock market investors Bloomberg

TAIPEI: Taiwan’s government bond yields tumbled to a record after the central bank was said to have lowered the overnight guid-ing rate, adding to expectations it will cut the benchmark rate when it next meets in March.

The monetary authority reduced the rate on overnight funds to 0.2 percent from 0.23 per-cent, according to people familiar with the matter. A report showed Friday the economy shrank in the fourth quarter as exports slumped, adding to the urgency of fur-ther easing. Money-market rates also climbed in the past week as demand for cash rose before the Lunar New Year holiday beginning February 8.

“This lowers short-term rates and further strengthens expec-tations that the central bank will cut rates in March,” said Edward Chang, a bond trader at Tai-pei Fubon Commercial Bank Co. “Money market rates had been relatively tight recently because a long holiday is coming up.”

The yield on Taiwan’s 2025 bonds dropped six basis points to 0.911 percent as of 10:23am local time after earlier declining to 0.908 percent, an intra day record for benchmark 10- year notes, Tai-pei Exchange prices show. The five-year yield plummeted eight basis points to 0.52 percent, also touching a record. Saturday was an extra working day in Taiwan to make up for an added day off for the Lunar New Year holiday next month.

While the overnight rate is usually lowered in conjunction with policy-rate cuts, the central bank also reduced the overnight rate in August before cutting the benchmark rate in September. The one-day certificates of deposit are sold by the central bank daily to adjust cash supply and the rates and volumes aren’t released publicly.

The local economy shrank 0.28 percent in the three months through December from a year earlier, marking the second straight quarter of contraction.

Taiwan’s dollar rose 0.5 per-cent to NT$33.449, according to prices from Taipei Forex Inc. It typically gains in the morning to make up for ground lost dur-ing intervention toward the close on the previous day. The currency jumped the most since November on Friday as stock inflows surged after the Bank of Japan unexpect-edly boosted its stimulus.

Taiwan bond

yields plunge

to record

Bloomberg

DALLAS: American Airlines Group Inc reported record profits even as it said the opportunities to raise ticket prices will be limited this year due to continuing US fare wars and a strong dollar that’s damping demand abroad.

The world’s largest airline ben-efited from a 50 percent drop in the average spot price of jet fuel in the fourth quarter, helping it beat profit estimates.

Yet the inability to raise fares means it will take until 2017 for a key revenue yardstick to post year-over-year gains, American President Scott Kirby said Friday on a conference call. His previous forecast was for an improvement later this year in revenue collected for each seat flown a mile. Fares move in tandem with oil prices, Kirby said, which are near 12-year lows.

“When oil prices go up, you’ll see fares start to go up,” Kirby said.

Shares reversed losses in ear-lier trading to advance 2.2 percent to $38.99 at the close in New York. That trailed the 3.4 percent gain in the Bloomberg US Airlines Index.

American is bullish on its outlook, and will continue buy-ing back stock at the current low price, Chief Executive Officer Doug Parker said. The airline repur-chased $1.1bn last quarter, or 25.6m shares.

The airline’s adjusted profit of $2 a share exceeded the $1.97 average of 15 analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Fourth-quarter sales dropped 5.2 percent to $9.63bn, the airline said in a statement Friday.

That fell short of the $9.65bn

average estimate. The carrier doesn’t expect “meaningful” changes in pricing in the Dal-las market, even as significant capacity additions last year by discounters Southwest Airlines Co and Spirit Airlines Inc slow down, Kirby said. Fare wars also have affected industry pricing in Chicago, Houston and Orlando, Florida. American first vowed last May not to lose passengers to deeply discounted fares.

“American intends to always compete aggressively on price,” Kirby said Friday.

The world’s largest airline ben-efited more than rivals from the fall in jet-fuel prices because it didn’t lock in rates in advance. That practice, known as hedging, forced carriers including Delta Air Lines Inc.and Southwest to pay above market rates for fuel.

American’s adjusted profit advanced to $1.29bn from $1.1bn a year earlier.

The latest figure excluded a $3bn noncash benefit related to the reversal of a tax valuation allow-ance, a $592m charge to write off Venezuelan currency held by the airline and $450m of merger-related costs.

The Brazilian currency has plummeted 35 percent against the dollar in the last year amid a recession, and Kirby said economic slowing there and in Venezuela hasn’t bottomed out.

American is the largest US carrier to Latin America, and pre-viously trimmed capacity to both countries.

“We’ve been in Brazil for a long time,” Kirby said. “We’re not going to just abandon the country over a rough patch we expect to eventu-ally improve. It’s going to be rough for a while.”

American Airlines fares to

stay low for rest of 2016

An American Airlines plane takes off at Reagan National Airport in Washington.

Bloomberg

NEW YORK: Apollo Global Manage-ment LLC’s list of potential leveraged buyouts disappeared this month as the debt market stalled, co-founder Josh Harris said.

“The financing markets are shut-ting down,” Harris said Friday at the Wharton Private Equity & Venture Capital Conference in Philadelphia. “We had a huge pipeline going into the holiday period.

We were on the verge of signing these deals. The market shut down. Our entire private equity pipeline dried up.”

Widespread stress in high-yield bond and loan markets have slammed investors and are increasingly punish-ing companies seeking to issue debt, especially to finance acquisitions.

Selling riskier corporate loans has become so challenging that in the last quarter of 2015, banks were forced to boost yields on more than $23bn of loans because of waning demand, up from $11.7bn in the previous three months, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

“Banks have been suffering severe indigestion over high- yield loans to which they were committed,” Erik Gordon, a professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, said after Harris spoke. “It will be a while before their appetite for new loans reappears.”

Apollo, which manages $162bn in credit and private equity holdings, is increasing its investment in distressed debt for the first time in “a long time,” said Harris, one of the New York-based firm’s three billionaire founders. In addition to traditional LBOs, Apollo has historically built debt positions

in companies that it expects to strug-gle and be restructured, after which it hopes to emerge with an owner-ship stake. Its most profitable deal, an investment in chemicals maker Lyon-dellBasell Industries NV, was done that way, yielding $10bn in profit.

“We’re slowing down our clas-sic private equity but we’re speeding up in our distress-for-control busi-ness,” Harris said. “There’s a buying opportunity here, but we’re going to be cautious about how we leg into it.”

With crude prices still low, Apollo also sees oil producers as an invest-ment opportunity -- “albeit not one for the faint of heart,” said Harris. Oil will rise to $60 a barrel in one to three years, he said, when supply eventually contracts, but the coming year will be very difficult for energy companies.” Oil has pared its decline this year to about 9 percent after plunging to a 12-year low.

Apollo’s entire private equity

pipeline dries up, says Harris

Bloomberg

LAGOS: Nigeria’s President Muham-madu Buhari stood firm in rejecting calls to devalue the currency of Afri-ca’s top oil producer, saying that he wouldn’t “kill the naira.”

Letting the currency fall would only result in higher inflation and cause hardship for poor- and mid-dle-class Nigerians, Buhari said, according to an e-mailed statement from his spokesman Garba Shehu on Thursday.

“President Buhari said that pro-ponents of devaluation will have to work much harder to convince him that ordinary Nigerians will gain anything from it,” Shehu said. “The president added that he had no inten-tion of bringing further hardship on the country’s poor who, he said, have suffered enough already.”

The central bank of Africa’s largest economy has pegged the naira at 197-199 per dollar since March to stem its slide amid a rout in oil prices. The policy has led to a shortage of foreign- exchange and been widely criticized by inves-tors and businesses, who blame the restrictions for exacerbating the country’s economic slump. Growth was 3 percent last year, the slow-est pace since 1999, according to the

International Monetary Fund. Three-month naira forwards strength-ened 3.3 percent to 226.57 per dollar on Thursday, the highest since December 22. The black mar-ket rate has plunged as Nigerians have become desperate for foreign currency, falling to a record low of 306 per dollar this week.

Buhari was speaking at a meet-ing on Wednesday with Nigerians in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, according

to Shehu. Nigeria’s Monetary Pol-icy Committee resisted pressure to devalue the currency on Tues-day. Central bank Governor Godwin Emefiele gave no hint that curbs on imports and foreign-exchange trad-ing would be lifted.

Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun said in an interview last week that the central bank was “completely independent.” Buhari “has been influencing the central bank, we see

a situation where as commander-in-chief, whatever he wants to be implemented is what is done,” said Mike Nwanolue, a currency analyst at Lagos-based Greenwich Trust Group Ltd. Keeping the naira artificially inflated “is not good for a country that needs inflows and also intends to raise Eurobonds.” Nigeria’s govern-ment plans to sell as much as $1bn of dollar bonds to help fund a record budget deficit this year.

Buhari rejects devaluation, ‘won’t kill’ naira

Naira, currency of Nigeria.

BUSINESS26 SUNDAY 31 JANUARY 2016

Bloomberg

NEW YORK: Xerox Corp is rewind-ing the clock, splitting off a services business it acquired a little more than five years ago — the latest tech giant taking drastic action to cope with a rapidly changing marketplace.

By year-end, Xerox said in a state-ment, it will separate into two publicly traded entities: an $11bn document technology company based around the namesake copier and scanner hard-ware; and a $7bn provider of services to government and industries such as health care and transportation.

Investor Carl Icahn, who holds more than 8 percent of the company and has said he would push for oper-ational changes, will select three directors on the services company’s board, according to a separate state-ment. That business will also seek an external candidate to be chief execu-tive officer. The shares rose 5.6 percent to $9.75 at the close in New York. Nor-walk, Connecticut-based Xerox has fallen 8.3 percent this year.

“Short-term Xerox should get some boost,” Anurag Rana, an analyst with Bloomberg Intelligence, said. “The long-term value for these companies will

be how it redefines its services in a cloud-first and mobile-first world. Xerox is not known to be at the fore-front of those movements.”

Moody’s Investors Service said Xerox’s corporate debt ratings are on review for a possible downgrade, reflecting the view that the split will result in two smaller companies with less business diversity and profitability than the current combined business.

The board decided that the doc-ument and service operations had little overlap and require different capital structures and operating mod-els, according to Xerox. Breaking the businesses up would simplify the deci-sion-making process on what areas to focus on and invest in.

“Technology will be high cash return to shareholders,” CEO Ursula Burns said in an interview on Friday with “Bloomberg Go.” Document tech-nology will likely return 50 percent of free cash flow to shareholders, which is in line with what Xerox currently does, she said. “Services will be more about investing and globalising the business.”

Burns emphasised that Xerox made the decision to split before talking with Icahn. When the 79-year-old billion-aire took a stake in Xerox in November, he said he intended to speak with executives and the board to improve

operational performance and pur-sue strategic alternatives. Xerox was then already in the midst of a broad- based review of structural options for the company’s business portfolio and capital allocation.

Icahn “will have governance input into the services business and will not be engaged with the services busi-ness or the current Xerox business at all,” Burns said, adding that Icahn had no input in the strategic review. “We came out in a place that’s strong for the business, and it happened to align with what Mr Icahn wanted as well,” she said.

Along with the split, Xerox is plan-ning to cut costs over the next three years that will result in $2.4bn in sav-ings across the two companies, of which $700m is expected for 2016.

Less than 1 percent to 2 percent of the workforce will be impacted by the split, Burns said. The overall employee number will shrink, though, in line with previous years, because “every year, it becomes possible to do more with less,” she said. “Every year Xerox has to drive automation, innovation and to drive productivity in its workforce.”

Xerox reported fourth-quarter rev-enue of $4.7bn, in line with the average

analyst estimate. Profit, excluding some items, was 32 cents a share, beating the average analyst estimate of 28 cents.

Xerox acquired Affiliated Com-puter Services in 2010 for $6.2bn, to help the company build its technology services and supplement its declining hardware operations. The deal allowed Xerox to expand into markets including managing and automating electronic payments for governments, processing claims for insurers and even operat-ing parking lot pay stations. Last year, Xerox sold its IT outsourcing business to Atos SE for $966m. Burns said at the time the divestiture would allow the

company to focus on building out the two other services.

The service operations from ACS “is not the sexy business people made it out to be 10 years ago,” Rana said. “Lately, there’s been pricing pressure,” as clients want to use more automa-tion and cut costs.

Xerox reported full-year revenue of $18bn. Sales from services, which includes business process and docu-ment outsourcing, fell 4.7 percent to $10.1bn. Document technology rev-enue dropped 12 percent to $7.4bn.

ACS reported $6.5bn in sales and $349.9m in net income for the year ended June 30, 2009, the last full year before being acquired. At that time, about 40 percent of the company’s rev-enue came from providing the business process outsourcing and and IT services to government clients, which included servicing student loans for the US fed-eral government.

ACS was then also the only serv-icer for the portion of federal loans originated by the government, about one-fourth of the volume. After the Education Department switched to orig-inating loans itself in July 2010 instead of using private lenders, competitors took away ACS’ dominant position, and the company no longer services new loans.

Xerox splitting into two as it grapples with changing market

Xerox Corporation Chairman and CEO Ursula Burns (left) and Billionaire activist-investor Carl Icahn.

Microsoft quarterly profit slips

AFP

SAN FRANCISCO: Microsoft shares rallied after the tech colossus reported earnings that surpassed Wall Street expectations with a winning shift into the Internet cloud.

Microsoft made a profit of $5bn on $23.8bn in revenue in the final three months of last year, it said, propel-ling the company’s shares about seven percent when the earnings figures hit,

before giving up some of the ground.Shares were up more than three

percent to $53.91 in after-market trade, with analysts rejecting the notion that the technology veteran was somehow past its sell-by date.

“It was a strong holiday season for Microsoft highlighted by Surface and Xbox,” said chief operating officer Kevin Turner, referring to the com-pany’s tablet computer family and popular gaming console.

“Our commercial business executed well as our sales teams and partners helped customers realise the value of Microsoft’s cloud technologies.”

NPD Group analyst Stephen Baker said that “People who think Micro-soft is sliding into irrelevancy really need to re-evaluate how they see the company. “They are a software-first company in a world that is increas-ingly about software.”

The analyst credited Microsoft with having a “nice mix” of businesses and

reasoned that while consumer prod-ucts get a lot of attention, legions of people use productivity software or services on the job and off.

Cloud computing lets people use the Internet to tap into processing or data storage capacity at huge data centres.

Software offered as a service in the Internet cloud has been a key aspect of Microsoft’s effort to adapt to a shift away from packaged software on which the US company was built.

Microsoft quarterly profit was down overall, but still better than forecasts.

Revenue from Microsoft Azure, which challenges cloud king Amazon Web Services, more than doubled while its overall “Intelligent Cloud” unit grew five percent to $6.3bn, according to the earnings report. “Businesses every-where are using the Microsoft Cloud as their digital platform to drive their ambitious transformation agendas,” said Microsoft Chief Executive Satya Nadella (pictured). “The enterprise

cloud opportunity is massive.”Nadella also revealed that Micro-

soft’s recently released Windows 10 operating software now powers more than 200 million devices in the fastest adoption rate ever seen by the company.

Microsoft began rolling out Win-dows 10 last year, aiming to revive the tech giant’s fortunes. The new operating system aims to be seamless across tra-ditional computers and mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones.

Windows remains the dominant PC platform but Microsoft has lagged rivals Apple and Google to power mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones.

Microsoft also sees the promise of some of its other offerings such as its Bing Internet search engine and the Windows Store for apps, games and other digital content. Surface tablet computers were a bright spot for Micro-soft, with revenue increasing 29 percent on the back of the launch of Surface

Pro 4 and Surface Book, according to the earnings report.

The number of people using Xbox Live online service for digital content and video game play climbed 30 per-cent to a record high 48 million.

Microsoft has long specialised in software for getting tasks accomplished and there is a lot of money to be made in the cloud, according to the analyst Baker. “People dont understand them,” Baker said of Microsoft.

“They are not the same company

they were a few years ago.”Microsoft earlier this month

announced that it will put a billion dol-lars’ worth of cloud computing power in the hands of non-profit groups and university researchers free of charge.

A philanthropic arm of the US software giant will make the dona-tion during the coming three years to 70,000 non-profit groups and research-ers, Nadella said, while attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Microsoft made a profit of $5bn on $23.8bn in revenue in the final three months of last year

Captain Craig Bomben (left) holds his son Luca Bomben as he returns from piloting a Boeing 737 MAX on a flight test at Boeing Field in Seattle yesterday.

Boeing 737 MAX jet completes debut flight

Airbus Group SE’s revamped A320neo. The new 737 is coming online as Boe-ing counts on a series of record-setting increases for single-aisle production to counteract revenue lost from pro-duction cuts to the 777 and 747 jets, its highest-priced commercial aircraft.

The Max already is Boeing’s all-time best-seller, with 3,072 orders. It’s the latest model in the narrow-body family that is the planemaker’s larg-est source of profit, and arguably its most valuable asset. The total back-log of unfilled 737 orders is valued at about $200bn.

One measure of the Max’s impor-tance: The company’s shares took their worst plunge since 2001 on Wednesday,

following the surprise disclosure that 737 deliveries will dip this year as Boe-ing builds its first dozen Max models. Boeing rose 1.8 percent to $120.13 at the close Friday in New York. “This is what generates the cash flow that allows Boeing to develop a lot of other stuff, including 777s and 787 Dream-liners,” said George Ferguson, senior air-transport analyst with Bloomberg Intelligence. “It’s hugely important.”

Ferguson estimates that the 737 accounted for almost one- quarter of Boeing’s $23.6bn in sales during the fourth quarter of 2015 and about one-third of the planemaker’s operating profit. It is the largest contributor to Boeing’s profit, followed by the 777,

the largest twin-engine model. The Max bears a similar profile to the first 737, which entered service in 1968, although with a longer wingspan and distinctive V-shaped winglets to shave fuel consumption. The new jet should burn about 14 percent less fuel than the current version, while operating at the same 99.7 percent operating reliability.

Although first flights of new models only happen once or twice a decade, the focus on the Max is muted in com-parison with Boeing’s last such debut: the 787 Dreamliner in December 2009. The first carbon-composite jetliner grabbed the public’s attention for its cutting-edge technology and produc-tion snarls that made it years late.

Bloomberg

SEATTLE: Boeing Co’s newest 737 jet-liner gunned its engines and headed into rain-streaked skies, with profit and pride riding on its wings.

The aerospace company’s for-tunes depend on a smooth market debut for the 737 Max next year with initial customer Southwest Airlines Co. The maiden flight took place days ahead of schedule, a contrast to Boe-ing’s delay-plagued 787 Dreamliner.

Workers and customers in rain ponchos and hats bearing the 737’s signature teal colour scheme were on hand for the takeoff of the plane, christened “The Spirit of Renton,” a reference to the Seattle suburb where Boeing has made single-aisle air-craft since the 1950s.

“It is an emotional experience,” Keith Leverkuhn, a Boeing vice-pres-ident and general manager of the 737 Max programme, said after the plane was airborne. “Someone said these things are like comet sightings. They don’t happen very often and when they do, it’s very, very special.”

The latest version of the half-century-old jet took off at 9:46 am outside Seattle and flew laps over western Washington, before land-ing at 12:32 pm. Three other planes under construction also will be used for flight tests this year.

The first flight is the culmination of years of effort for Boeing workers and a heart-pounding moment for executives who have pledged to air-lines that the single-aisle jet will meet performance and deadline targets.

Any missteps in the Max’s devel-opment could be costly to Boeing as it tries to cut into the sales lead held by

Low demand brings down

Al Khaleej Sugar’s

operating capacity to 70%

Reuters

DUBAI: Dubai’s Al Khaleej Sugar Refinery, the world’s biggest port-based refinery, said yesterday it was operating at only 70 percent of its capacity due to slow physical demand for white sugar despite high white premiums.

“There is no real physical off-take, the physical off-take is very slow,” Jamal al-Ghurair, managing director of the refinery said in an interview ahead of the Dubai Sugar Conference.

The whites-over-raws premium is a measure of refining profitability with levels over $100 per tonne seen as very attractive margins.

The whites-over-raws premium traded above $110 per tonne in the global market on Monday for the first time since August, driven by strong import demand by China, the world’s top sugar buyer. However, Ghurair said high premiums were a reflec-tion of a “paper squeeze” not physical demand.

“There’s no real buyer, its just a paper squeeze ... it is a paper manip-ulation,” he said. He expects white premiums have reached their peak and will probably go down in the sum-mer. “We will probably see them at $80 to $100 a tonne in 2016,” he said.

The Al Khaleej refinery has a capacity of 7,000 tonnes a day but is being underutilised as export pros-pects are weak.

“We are entering 2016 with more

uncertainty than certainty,” he said.A number of refineries came

onstream in the Middle East in recent years in Yemen, Bahrian and Iraq with more capacity in Oman and Saudi Arabia due to come onstream in the next few years. Iraq, once a top export destination for the refinery, is now producing most of its white sugar locally after the Babylon-based Eti-had sugar refinery came onstream in 2015.

Ghurair said Al Khaleej was only exporting 20 percent of what it used to export in the past to Iraq. “We are exporting very little to Iraq,” he said.

Al Khaleej exported 500,000 tonnes of white sugar to Iraq in 2014.

Iraq said in December it would stop imports of refined sugar for a gov-ernment food distribution programme, as the country’s own production rises.

Ghurair also said Al Khaleej was well-stocked with Brazilian raw sugar and had enough to last until the third quarter of 2016, but declined to give an exact figure. “When the market picks up I will be ready but we need some signs or orders to do more,” he said.

No new investments are being planned whether regionally or abroad and no maintenance plans were scheduled for 2016. “The best thing to be in sugar now is passive, not to do any active investments,” he said.

Ghurair also ruled out plans for any takeovers or consolidation with regional refiners. “There is no advan-tage to it,” he said, adding that around 40 percent of refining capacity in the region was not being used.

BUSINESS VIEWS 27SUNDAY 31 JANUARY 2016

Tale of two economies as Americans thrive, companies diveBy Rich Miller and Victoria Stilwell Bloomberg

Call it a tale of two US economies. Consumer spending grew last year by the most since 2005, in spite of a slight slackening in the fourth quar-

ter. Nonresidential business investment, meanwhile, rose at its slowest pace since 2010 as oil and gas companies sharply cur-tailed spending.

The key theme for the economy “is the stark contrast between the fortunes of the household and business sectors,” and how that plays out going forward, said Stephen Stanley, chief economist at Amherst Pierpont Securities LLC in New York.

Will the strength in consumer outlays encourage companies to step up spend-ing and keep on hiring? Or will businesses, battered by slow global growth and a ris-ing dollar, turn more risk averse and start to prune payrolls, undermining household spending in the process?

For now, most economists are betting that the American consumer will come out

on top and the economy will avoid a reces-sion. Some though are trimming their 2016 growth forecasts as slumping stock and cor-porate-bond markets make companies even less willing to expand.

“We still have a fairly solid picture in terms of domestic demand, which is mostly consumer spending, housing, and fixed investment that’s not related to energy, which is doing OK,” said Nariman Behravesh, chief economist at IHS Inc in Lexington, Massa-chusetts. “Those are the sources of strength in the US and that’s close to 90 percent of the US economy.”

Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Presi-dent Robert Kaplan also said an economic slump over the next year was “unlikely.” The strength of the consumer and the delever-aging of household balance sheets gave him “confidence” that the economy won’t slow enough to slip into a recession, he said.

Gross domestic product climbed 2.4 per-cent last year, matching the performance of 2014. The complexion of growth though changed, with consumer spending advanc-ing 3.1 percent, while business outlays on structures such as factories, oil rigs and shop-ping centers dropped 1.5 percent. That same

dichotomy was evident in the fourth quarter, as personal consumption expenditures rose while business investment in equipment and structures dropped for the first time since the third quarter of 2012. GDP increased 0.7 percent after a 2 percent advance in the third quarter.

Households are still benefiting from solid labor market improvement as well as a decline in gasoline prices and higher home values. Those tailwinds have helped buttress spending in the face of a January slump in stock prices.

Consumer confidence eased in Janu-ary, with the University of Michigan’s final sentiment index dropping to 92 from 92.6 in December. Falling equity values and weakness in overseas economies were “spontaneously” mentioned by one of three households with incomes in the top third of the earnings ladder, the most since 1997-1998 financial crisis in Asia, a report showed Fri-day. Alternate measures, including one from the Conference Board and the Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index, previously showed households remain upbeat.

American companies, meanwhile, continue to face challenges posed by the

strengthening dollar, which both makes their goods more expensive to sell to foreign customers while imported products become cheaper for US consumers. That’s been exac-erbated by concerns that global growth is slowing, led by emerging-market econo-mies such as China.

A plunge in oil markets has caused energy companies to slash investment. For all of last year, outlays for structures used in mining and to extract oil and gas plunged 35 per-cent, the most since 1986.

The next key reading in the tug of war between corporate caution and consumer confidence comes on February 5 with the release of the monthly jobs figures. Payrolls are projected to have risen by 190,000 this month after an outsized 292,000 increase in December. “Job growth is going to slow. The 290,000 and plus that we got in December is not sustainable, particularly given the issues that businesses are facing,” said Ryan Sweet, a senior economist at Moody’s Analytics Inc. in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

Still, talk that the US is headed into reces-sion seems misguided, he said. “The US economy ended 2015 with a thud, but it is premature to panic.”

By Victoria Stilwell

Bloomberg

The US economy expanded at a slower pace in the fourth quarter as households tem-

pered spending and businesses cut back on capital investment and adjusted inventories.

Gross domestic product rose at a 0.7 percent annualised rate in the three months ended in December after a 2 percent gain in the third quarter, Commerce Department figures showed. The advance was in line with the Bloomberg survey median fore-cast of 0.8 percent.

Growth has downshifted as producers contend with slow-ing markets abroad, the negative effect on exports from a stronger dollar and plunging oil prices that have caused drilling firms to retrench. Consumers, enjoy-ing the fruits of a robust labour market and cheaper fuel bills, will have to pick up the slack if growth is expected to get back on track.

“The economy perhaps isn’t quite as strong as we thought it was — there’s clearly some very weak spots, but there’s a solid foundation to growth,” said Nariman Behravesh, chief econ-omist at IHS Inc in Lexington, Massachusetts , who is the best forecaster of GDP over the past two years according to data com-piled by Bloomberg. Even after the fourth-quarter slowdown, “the stars are aligned for consumer spending to return.”

Economists’ projections for GDP, the value of all goods and services produced, ranged from a 0.2 percent decline to a 1.7 percent increase. The Commerce Depart-ment’s estimate is the first of three for the quarter, with the other releases scheduled for February and March when more informa-tion becomes available.

GDP expanded 2.4 percent for a second straight year, led by the biggest gain in consumer spending in a decade. The economy got off to a rocky start in 2015, partly due to bad winter weather and a West Coast port workers dispute, before rebounding in the second quarter.

Growth moderated in the ensuing months as companies worked down bloated stockpiles and continued to battle weak exports markets. The report showed household purchases rose at a 2.2 percent annual-ised pace in the fourth quarter, compared with a 3 percent rate in the previous period. Personal consumption added 1.46 percent-age points to growth. Final sales to domestic purchasers, or GDP excluding trade and inventories, climbed at an inflation-adjusted

1.6 percent annualised rate in the fourth quarter, compared with a 2.9 percent pace in the previous three months.

A pickup in household pur-chases will be needed to help the economy fight through the nega-tive effects of the global slowdown and the rout in commodities that’s diminishing investment.

While businesses are strug-gling, American households have plenty of ammunition to assist the economy. Last year, after-tax income adjusted for inflation climbed 3.5 percent, the most since 2006, the Commerce Department’s report showed.

Consumer confidence levels have held in, powered by solid gains in the job market and low inflation. So far, households are looking beyond the recent vola-tility in the stock market.

Gasoline prices are still low, which gives households some room to improve spending in the first quarter. The average cost of a gallon of regular gasoline fell 13 percent in the final three months of last year and has slipped another 8.7 percent to $1.82 in the year through Jan. 27.

Weak global demand, com-bined with the plunge in oil prices, has led to cutbacks at some com-panies. Business investment decreased at a 1.8 percent annu-alized rate, the first drop since the third quarter of 2012 and com-pared with a 2.6 percent pace in the third quarter. Corporate spending on equipment fell at a 2.5 percent pace after 9.9 percent.

Fourth-quarter spending on structures retreated at a 5.3 per-cent rate, led by a 38.7 percent annualised decrease in mining and oil and gas well drilling rigs , after a slump of 7.2 percent in the previous three months. For all of last year, outlays for structures used in mining and to extract oil and gas plunged 35 percent, the most since 1986.

Business inventories in the fourth quarter subtracted 0.45 percentage point from growth after a 0.71 percentage point drag in the previous three months, the Commerce report showed.

Looking ahead, “it looks like inventories are in a better bal-ance now,” said Michael Feroli, chief US economist at JPMorgan Chase & Co in New York. Still, “the number one headwind for growth is foreign trade,” Feroli said. “The strength of the dollar and the weakness in global growth con-tinued to hurt exporters.”

The trade deficit widened to $566.5bn, shaving 0.47 percent-age point from GDP growth last quarter. Trade has subtracted from GDP in four of the last five quarters.

US economic growth cools as consumers temper spending

GM pitches new strategy to skeptical investors

By Joseph White and Paul Lienert

Reuters

General Motors Co executives used to boast about how frequently the company redesigned cars and trucks. Now, the automaker wants to double the lifespan of

vehicle platforms as part of a broader effort to slash and redirect capital spending, GM executives said.

Starting with the new Chevrolet Cruze compact, the basic underpinnings of vehi-cle lines could last a dozen years or more, GM President Dan Ammann said.

The move underscores the balancing act the automaker faces in tackling conflict-ing challenges as the growth of auto sales in the US and China slows. GM and its rivals face increasing pressure to prove they can keep core product lines fresh, meet stricter

emissions and safety standards, and forge a future in ride-shar-ing and autonomous vehicles — all while returning more cash to shareholders.

Over the next sev-eral years, the company will undertake the most extensive overhaul of its vehicle development process in decades, GM executives said.

The goal is to design its global fleet of vehi-cles with just a few basic building blocks, spread-ing the engineering and research costs for a given lineup of cars and

SUVs over millions more vehicles.A single platform, underpinning mul-

tiple models, might stay largely same for more than a decade, GM executives said. Global product development chief Mark Reuss said the company aims for up to 2.5 million sales a year from a variety of mod-els built on the same platform as the Cruze compact, including the mechanically simi-lar European Opel Astra. Exterior styling will change more often, with updates of sheet metal or plastic skins — so-called “top hats” in GM parlance. The automaker also plans to freshen electronic features with software updates delivered over the internet.

The move to fewer and long-lasting plat-forms poses multiple risks.

GM could end up with platforms that are technologically outdated, analysts cautioned, or not appealing to diverse customers in dif-ferent global markets. Further, most of GM’s rivals are also moving to slash the number of different vehicle platforms they use.

“The advantage could be short-lived,” said Jeff Schuster, senior vice president at LMC Automotive, a forecasting company.

Making the company leaner will also require increased spending in the short term.

GM said it plans to initially increase cap-ital spending to about $9bn a year through 2019, up from $7bn a year in 2014. For the period 2016 through 2019, capital spending will rise to between 5 percent and 5.5 per-cent of revenue, up from 4.4 percent in 2014.

After that, Ammann said, capital spend-ing will fall closer to 2014 levels as a share of revenue, with much of it directed to new priorities. Spending less on dies and welding machines will allow for more investment in developing autonomous vehicles, delivering services through high-speed internet con-nections in cars, and new businesses such as ride sharing, executives said.

GM earlier this month invested $500m in

Over the next several years, the company will undertake the most extensive overhaul of its vehicle development process in decades

American companies, meanwhile, continue to face challenges posed by the strengthening dollar, which both makes their goods more expensive to sell to foreign customers while imported products become cheaper for US consumers

Goal is to design its global fleet with just a few basic building blocks, spreading the engineering and research costs for a given lineup of cars and SUVs over millions more vehicles

ride-hailing company Lyft, and last week it said it was launching car-sharing ventures under the new brand, Maven. On Thursday, GM grouped all its autonomous and electric vehicle engineering under one executive in a move to speed development of those technologies.

The short-term increase in capital spending will pay for projects such as a $1.4bn overhaul of the Arlington, Texas factory that builds GM’s cash cows — large sport utility vehicles such as the Cadillac Escalade.

The increased spending makes it crit-ical for GM Chief Executive Mary Barra to deliver the promised savings over the long term. The company has largely failed over the past three decades to execute previous plans to control engineering costs.

General Motors CEO Mary Barra talks about the new 2016 Chevy Cruze vehicle during an event in Detroit, Michigan.

BUSINESS28 SUNDAY 31 JANUARY 2016

NAME IN THE MARKET: SYNDICATED LENDING

TOP TWEETS BLOGS AND VIEWS

BACK TO BUSINESS

Market Talk

sightHedge funds thought the yen worked out, but not

US hits out at EU tax probe

Bloomberg

NEW YORK: Hedge funds that thought a stronger yen was their ticket to big gains under-estimated just how quickly the Bank of Japan would prove them wrong.

Speculators boosted wagers on yen strength to the highest since 2012 this week, just days before the central bank’s mon-etary policy decision sent the currency tumbling Friday by the most in a year. Japan’s cur-rency slid against all of its 16 major peers, and erased this year’s gains versus the dollar.

Money managers sought to piggyback on a stream of cash flowing into haven currencies, including the yen, amid concern that a slowdown in China would damp global economic growth. The currency had rallied 1.2 percent this month before BoJ Governor Haruhiko Kuroda on Friday called time on that spurt, announcing a negative deposit rate that none of 42 econo-mists surveyed by Bloomberg predicted.

“Kuroda’s a big fan of sur-prises, and here he is again,” said Sireen Harajli, a currency strat-egist at Mizuho Bank Ltd. in New York. “The market positioning was very long yen, and that def-initely didn’t help the situation.”

The yen fell 2 percent this week to 121.14 per dollar in New York. The currency is down 0.8 percent from December 31.

The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index, which tracks the green-back versus 10 peers and was little changed from a week earlier, added 1.6 percent in Jan-uary. The euro has slipped 0.3 percent this year.

Hedge funds and other large speculators lifted net bets on the yen to 50,026 contracts in the week ending January 26, from 37,653 a week earlier. That’s the highest since February 2012, Commodity Futures Trading Commission data show. Inves-tors had been betting against the yen until early January, when positioning switched from being net short to net long.

“It’s very unfortunate for investors,” said Adam Patti, the Rye, New York-based chief executive officer of IndexIQ, New York Life Insurance Co.’s exchange-traded-fund unit. “The yen has been rallying and people thought that it was about time we saw the yen gain some strength.” IndexIQ has just under $1.8bn of assets in its funds, including in strategies that seek to hedge currency risk.

Policy divergence is back in the spotlight as a result, with speculation mounting that the BoJ’s measure will accel-erate easing by other central banks that would benefit from a weaker currency, sparking another round of competitive devaluations. European Central Bank President Mario Draghi last week promised to “recon-sider” monetary policy in March.

The Federal Reserve may feel the reverberations of BoJ action via a stronger dollar. US policy makers kept their inter-est-rate target unchanged this week.

Lowering rates “provides the BoJ with more bullets because now they can push against a strong yen by pushing negative deposit rates further,” Atha-nasios Vamvakidis, head of Group- of-10 currency strat-egy at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in London, said.

AFP

BRUSSELS: The United States has attacked high-profile EU tax probes into American compa-nies as unfair and encroaching on the US government’s right to tax them, the Financial Times reported Saturday.

The European Commis-sion has cracked down hard on companies, including US icons such as Apple, Starbucks and Amazon, who worked out arrangements with EU mem-ber states allowing them to slash their tax bills.

EU Competition Commis-sioner Magrethe Vestager has made a point of testing these “tax rulings,” which are legal in themselves, to see if they breach strict bloc competition rules by giving some companies an advantage over their rivals.

The FT said Robert Stack, a US Treasury official, met EU

competition officials in Brussels on Friday to express Washing-ton’s concerns.

“We are concerned that the EU Commission appears to be disproportionately targeting US companies,” Stack was quoted as saying.

Stack’s visit came just one day after the Commission launched plans to stamp out tax avoidance by multi-national corporations.

“The days are numbered for companies that aggressively reduce their tax bills,” EU Eco-nomics Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said.

The key proposal is that a company should report its profit country by country, rather than as now be allowed to shift earnings around into lower tax jurisdictions.

The plans were unveiled amid a storm of protest at a British government agreement for Internet giant Google to pay £130 million ($185 million, 170 million euros) in back taxes.

Capital Comment

There will be “exceptional opportunities” to make money in 2016 because of divergent monetary policies and as four years of low market volatility comes to an end

Alan Howard, British Hedge Fund Manager, Co-founder of Brevan Howard

Bloomberg

There’s been endless spec-ulation in recent weeks about whether the US, and the whole world for that matter, are about to sink

into recession. Underpinning much of the angst is an unprecedented $29 trillion corporate bond binge that has left many companies more indebted than ever.

Whether this debt overhang proves to be a catalyst for recession or not, one thing is clear in talk-ing to credit-market observers: It’s a problem that won’t go away any time soon.

Strains are emerging in just about every corner of the global credit market. Credit-rating down-grades account for the biggest chunk of ratings actions since 2009; corpo-rate leverage is at a 12-year high; and perhaps most worrisome, growing numbers of companies -- one third globally -- are failing to generate high enough returns on investments to cover their cost of funding. Pooled together into a single snapshot, the data points show how the seven-year-old global growth model based on cheap credit from central banks is running out of steam.

“We’ve never been in a cycle quite like this,” said Bonnie Baha, a money manager at DoubleLine Capital in Los Angeles, which oversees more than $80 billion. “It’s setting up for an unhappy turn.”

While not as pronounced as the rout in global equity markets, losses are beginning to pile up in the bond market too. The average spread over benchmark government yields for highly rated debt has widened to 1.84 percentage points, the most in three years, from 1.18 percentage points in March, according to Bank of Amer-ica Merrill Lynch indexes. Investors lost 0.2 percent on global corporate bonds in 2015, snapping a string of annual gains that averaged 7.9 per-cent over the previous six years, the data show.

Debt at global companies rated by Standard & Poor’s reached three times earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization in

2015, the highest in data going back to 2003 and up from 2.8 times last year, according to the ratings com-pany. Total debt at listed companies in China, the world’s second-largest economy, has climbed to the highest level in three years, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Worsening debt profiles con-tributed to S&P downgrading 863 corporate issuers last year, the most since 2009. More than a third of com-modity and energy companies have ratings with negative outlooks or are on credit watch with negative impli-cations, S&P said. Almost 6 percent of U.S. corporate bonds were down-graded through the third quarter, the largest proportion since 2009, according to Fitch Ratings. Ameri-can, speculative-grade companies experienced downgrades totaling $94 billion compared to upgrades of $89 billion in the first nine months of 2015, Fitch said in a November report.

Much of the cheap credit accu-mulated by companies was spent on a $3.8 trillion M&A binge, and to fund share buybacks and dividend payments. While that tends to push up share prices in the short term, bond investors would rather see that money spent on strengthening the business in the long term.

“It’s an indication we’re in a dif-ferent climate of expansion, rather than prudence, that targets share-holders and leverage,” Jeroen van den Broek, head of developed-markets

credit strategy and research at ING Bank NV in Amsterdam, said. “It’s detrimental to credit holders.”

That said, the US has borne the brunt of the downgrades and China’s slowdown has been mostly felt in the commodities sector, indicating the impact on the global economy may be limited. Investment-grade firms have accumulated record amounts of cash, which will insulate them from market turbulence, according to a report from Citigroup Inc. this month.

“There are hairline cracks but it doesn’t mean it’s going to lead to cataclysmic global conditions in the credit markets,” said Suki Mann, a former head of European credit strat-egy at UBS Group AG “Leverage is higher but it’s only a problem if you can’t service your obligation and the ability of investment-grade compa-nies to service obligations is at a very good level.”

At about 3 percent, overall bor-rowing costs for companies around the world remain below the average of 4.5 in the preceding two decades even as spreads have widened.

Still, for many in the market, the combination of high leverage levels and a sluggish global economy is a big concern. Growth across the world will be dragged down this year as China’s slowdown prolongs the com-modity slump and recessions endure in Brazil and Russia, according to the World Bank. It lowered its forecast for 2016 growth this month.

The $29 trillion corporate debt can spark a recession

Worsening debt profiles contributed to S&P downgrading 863 corporate issuers last year, the most since 2009. More than a third of commodity and energy companies have ratings with negative outlooks

IMF @IMFNews

IIF @IIF

Anatole Kaletsky @

Kaletsky

Dealogic @Dealogic

ModestMoney

Private Equity Beat

Lagarde announces to Executive Board approval of historic reforms--doubles resources, gives greater voice to EMs

#Brazil assets in the EM portfolio of global mutual fund and ETF investors declined to 5.4%

stockmarket panic: China, oil, US recession- or reflexivity? Nothing to fear in the markets but fear itself

No #IPOs listed in the US this month. 8 IPOs were #withdrawn, the most in January since 12 in 2008

2016 has already proven to

be a turbulent year in terms

of market movements and

Forex trading. However, this

may indeed be only the tip

of the proverbial iceberg

Spanish midmarket firms

have had their most active

year since the financial crisis

as domestic investors return

to the market

Djokovic expects a fierce battle against Murray

PAGE | 33 PAGE | 34

SUNDAY 31 JANUARY 2016 • 21 Rabia II 1437

www.thepeninsulaqatar.com

@peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatarthepeninsulaqatar

Asano double sinks South Korea as Japan clinch AFC U23 title in Doha

The Peninsula

DOHA: Substitute Takuma Asano came off the bench to score twice and earn Japan a dramatic come-from-behind 3-2 win over Korea Republic in the final of the AFC U23 Championship at Abdullah bin Kha-lifa Stadium yesterday.

Kwon Chang-hoon and Jin Seong-uk gave Korea Republic a two-goal cushion by the second minute of the second half, but Asano’s introduction in the 60th minute turned the game in Japan’s favour with the Sanfrecce Hiroshima striker scoring either side of a goal by Shinya Yajima to seal the Japanese fight back.

The Koreans took the lead when Sim Sang-min’s cross from the Korean left was headed back across goal by Jin Seong-uk and Kwon Chang-hoon’s weak volley was

deflected past Kushibiki via Takuya Iwanami’s left knee.

The Koreans double their lead when Jin beat Kushibiki with a low effort to his left.

The Koreans were cruising until the introduction of striker Asano with 30 minutes to go turned the game in Japan’s favour.

Within seven minutes of com-ing on for Ryota Oshima, Asano had halved the deficit, clipping home a fine first-time effort as he latched on to Yajima’s perfectly weighted ball

from midfield. Seconds later, the Jap-anese were level and this time it was Yajima who was celebrating as his bullet header following Naomichi Ueda’s cross flew into the top cor-ner, leaving Korean goalkeeper Kim Dong-jun rooted to the spot.

And with nine minutes remain-ing, Asano completed an unlikely comeback when the Korean defence dithered to allow Asano to spin past the last defender and meet Shoya Nakajima’s through ball before slot-ting beyond Kim Dong-jun.

Makoto Teguramori’s side registers a come-from-behind 3-2 win to clinch the continental title

Young Qataris heading in the right direction: SanchezThe Peninsula

DOHA: Coach Felix Sanchez believes Qatar’s heartbreaking 2-1 defeat by Iraq’s in the third-place playoff at the AFC U23 Championship can provide a building block for the future despite the tournament hosts missing out on qualification for the Olympic Games.

Ahmed Alaa’s 27th minute goal, his sixth of the campaign, looked to have been enough to send Qatar through to Rio de Janeiro only for Mohanad Abdulraheem to equal-ise for Shahad Abdulghani’s Iraq with four minutes of normal time remaining.

And with substitute Aymen Hus-sein heading home four minutes into

the second period of extra-time, Qatar missed out on a third appear-ance at the Olympic Games and first since 1992.

“I think the players put all their effort into all to the tournament, but unfortunately we couldn’t get our target. I think, in general, they made one step forward but we need to learn from our mistakes,” said Sanchez, who guided Qatar to victory at the 2014 AFC U-19 Championship.

“Hopefully in the future with experience in this tournament in the things we didn’t do well, I think there were good moments in all the games, and we’ll try to do better in the future.

“I think that in the first half we had many chances, we couldn’t score the second goal and it wasn’t like that

in the second half. They were more direct because they have physically strong players, it’s easy to talk about substitutes but all the players did good work. We were very happy with the 23 who were here.”

Qatar had won Group A with a 100% record after beating China, Iran and Syria, but after beating DPR Korea 2-1 in the quarter-finals, Sanchez’s side missed out on a place in the final and qualification for the Olympic Games after suffering a 3-1 defeat by Korea Republic in the semi-finals.

“Today maybe it’s hard to see pos-itive things, but I think we will have some positives, and some negatives. We are the youngest team in the tour-nament and it makes it more difficult to

reach the later stages,” added Sanchez.“We can congratulate all of our

opponents, but we don’t feel we were weaker or worse than them. We played to win, but the small details make the difference and we will try to learn from that.”

Qatar have already secured qual-ification for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup and final round of qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup with a number of Sanchez’s side having featured under national team coach Jose Dan-iel Carreno.

“I think the coach of the first team had the opportunity to see a lot of young players during the last three weeks during the tournament and any player he needs will be happy to join,” said Sanchez.

Japan captain Wataru Endo and team-mates celebrate with the AFC U23 trophy at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha yesterday. Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa presented the trophy in the presence of Saoud Al Mohannadi, Vice-President of Qatar Football Association. Japan defeated South Korea 3-2 to win the championship. Right: Japan’s Takuma Asano (right) scores a goal past the South Korean goalkeeper. Pictures by Salim M/The Peninsula

AFC President congratulates Rio bound teams

The Peninsula

DOHA: Asian Football Confed-eration President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa offered his congratulations to the three teams which booked a place at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the AFC U23 Championship in Qatar.

“I would like to congratulate Japan, Korea Republic and Iraq for their brilliant performances at the AFC U23 Championship and for qualifying for the Olym-pic Games. Representing Asia is a privilege and a responsibility and I am sure these teams will make the continent proud.

“The quality of play with high-paced matches and some spectacular goals at the U23 tour-nament in Qatar showed again the promise of Asian success on the international stage. We can expect more proud moments for Asian football in Rio, and beyond.”

Iraq became the third and final Asian team to book a place at the Rio Olympic Games on Friday after they finished third at the AFC U23 Championship r.

Friday’s play-off encounter for third and fourth place saw Iraq secure a 2-1 victory over Qatar.

Japan and Korea Republic had earlier secured their Olympic tick-ets by reaching the final of the AFC U23 tournament. Japan went on to win the AFC U23 title.

Players of South Korea and Japan locked in an aerial battle for ball possession during the AFC U23 Championship final in Doha yesterday.

Qatar coach Felix Sanchez giving instructions to his players during the AFC U23 third-place match against Iraq on Friday.

Qatar’s Ahmed Alaa, receiving the Top Goal Scorer Award from AFC President Shaikh Salman in Doha yesterday. Ahmed scored six goals during the championship.

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Spieth remains in contention at Singapore Open

SPORT30 SUNDAY 31 JANUARY 2016

Al Rayyan crush hapless Al Arabi in QBL game

The Peninsula

DOHA: James Dominic Davon scored 23 points as Al Rayyan hammered hapless Al Arabi 105-65 in their Qatar Basketball League game yesterday.

Davon also managed 8 assists as Al Rayyan sailed to their win at Al Gharafa Indoor Hall.

Mohammed Al Sayed scored 26 points to go along with his 5 assists as Al Rayyan dominated play in all the four quarters.

Abdelrahman Abdelhaleem scored 13 points in the one-sided clash. Tanguy Ngombo, Yaseen Musa, Alexander Immanuel all scored 12 points each to help Al Rayyan reach their 100-mark.

For Al Arabi, Temi Soyebo pro-duced one of his best games, scoring 26 points and managing 4 assists. Todd O’Brien scored 21 points to sup-port Soyebo in the lop-sided game. None of the other players managed to reach double figures with the third-best scorer was Khalid Al Nasr (6 points).

Meanwhile, in an evenly con-tested battle which took place last afternoon, Al Ahli went down fighting to Qatar Sports Club after scores lev-eled at 75 at the end of four quarters. The game was stretched to overtime where Qatar cagers made the out of it to overcome Al Ahli 93-82.

It was Al Ahli who took an early lead and they maintained the same for almost quarters with the scores reading at 62-53 in favour of Al Ahli with one quarter remaining. How-ever, a fierce fight-back from Qatar SC, aided by Jefferson Consteveous who added a magnificent toll of 46 points to their side saw the scores level at 75 at full time. The winners were quick enough to add 18 more to their tally of points during the extra time while Al Ahli was only able to score seven.

Consteveous also made use-ful contributions, managing nine rebounds and nine assists. Malcolm Anthony White scored 20 points and was involved in two assists and 14 rebounds. For Al Ahli, Rice Darius Lashaun added 37 points, managing 12 rebounds and two assists

TODAY’S FIXTURES5:30pm Al Wakrah vs Al Gharafa

7:30pm El Jaish vs Al Sadd

Qatar Rugby Sevens League ready to kick-off The Peninsula

DOHA: Eight teams will be seen in action in the first-ever Qatar Rugby 7’s League which takes off from Febru-ary 6 at Aspire Zone, officials of Qatar Rugby Federation (QRF) informed yes-terday.

The League, the premier competi-tion of the country, will end on April 9,

and is supported by the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) and sanctioned by Asian Rugby Football Union (ARFU).

The new initiative of QRF follows the success at the Dubai and the Qatar National Day Rugby Sevens.

The new annual competition will act as a bridge between senior domes-tic players and national level players and also aims to serve as an incen-tive for Doha clubs to further engage new players, supporters, volunteers

and sponsors, officials of QRF said. The initiative has been brought about by the commitment of the Doha reg-istered rugby clubs and Yousef Al Kuwari, President of the QRF.

“Rugby Union is entering a new era of opportunity, as the world focuses its attention on the admis-sion of Rugby Sevens into the Rio 2016 Olympics. QRF aims to take advantage of this exciting period by supporting the growth of the game and providing

Qatar players opportunities to par-ticipate, develop and excel in Rugby Union,” Al Kuwari said yesterday.

“The recent 2015 World Rugby Cup was the most successful on record and has increased the profile of the sport tenfold. QRF wishes to build on this framework and improve its estab-lished participation base, help grow Qatar Rugby to the next level and take it to a new domestic and global audi-ence. In the coming years Qatar Rugby

hopes to develop this competition and others to further improve the qual-ity of Rugby and help embrace more players from clubs from all over the region” said the President.

Teams are already in high spir-its about the championship league which starts at Aspire’s Warm Up Track, according to QRF.

“We hope the Qatar rugby community will come down and support their favorite team and this

wonderful sport that we admire so much. We have an bonanza evening in store with premier grade rugby,” Al Kuwari said. The eight teams will play against each other for the right to call themselves Qatar’s 2016 Rugby 7’s Champions.

The championship spans over eight weeks and includes preliminary rounds with each team playing each other twice– counted as 6 home and 7 away – and a finals series.

The top riders are seen during the prize distribution ceremony of the H H The Emir Sword Endurance Ride held yesterday. The event was staged by Qatar Endurance Committee. Hamad Towaim Al Marri guided Queops De Varneuil to the top spot. Antall De Jalima, with Saeed Hamad Saeed Juma in the saddle, finished second. Khalid Sanad Ali Al Nuaimi guided Gimel Z Regula to third spot. The event saw 73 riders vying for honours. RIGHT: Riders in action during the 120km endurance ride.

H H The Emir Sword Endurance Ride

Messi, Suarez edge Barca past nine-man Atletico AFP

BARCELONA: Barcelona took con-trol of the La Liga title race as goals from Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez inspired a come from behind 2-1 win against nine-man Atletico Madrid yesterday.

Koke handed the visitors a deserved early lead, but Barca turned the game thanks to two goals in eight minutes before the break through Messi and Suarez.

Atletico’s hopes of salvaging a point were then ruined as Filipe Luis and Diego Godin were sent-off for rash challenges either side of half-time.

Victory takes Barca three points clear of Atletico at the top of the table - having also played a game less - and seven points clear of third-placed Real Madrid, who host Espanyol today.

The clash between La Liga’s top two pitted Europe’s most feared attack against its strongest defence, but it was Atletico who started on the front foot.

Saul Niguez’s dipping effort was brilliantly turned over by Claudio Bravo after just two minutes.

However, another Niguez burst provided the opening goal eight minutes later when his cross from the right just evaded Antoine Griez-mann and was slotted home at the far post by Koke.

The European champions had been outplayed by Malaga and Ath-letic Bilbao in the first-half of their previous two games before react-ing after the break, but they clicked into gear in the final 15 minutes of

the first-half to turn the game on its head.

Suarez fired a warning shot that Jan Oblak got down well to save at his near post.

However, the Slovenian’s 483-minute run without conceding was ended when Jordi Alba showed great composure to pull a low cross into Messi’s path to smash home.

Atletico were then caught uncharacteristically flat-footed as Dani Alves’s long ball over the top picked out Suarez, who showed great strength to hold off compa-triot Jose Maria Gimenez, before slotting between Oblak’s legs.

The game looked over as a con-test a minute before the break when Luis was sent-off for high, studs-up, challenge on Messi inside the Bar-celona half.

Atletico’s resistance was undone by their own stupidity again 25 min-utes from time, though, as Godin lunged in on Suarez and was rightly shown a second yellow card.

Barca then rubbed salt into the visitors’ wounds by introduc-ing former Atletico midfielder Arda Turan for Ivan Rakitic and the Turk-ish international was inches away from his first goal since swapping the Spanish capital for the Camp Nou when his shot flew just wide of the far post.

And a horrible day for Diego Simeone’s men was rounded off when Fernandez had to be stretch-ered from the field with what looked like a serious knee injury 15 min-utes from time.

SPANISH LA LIGA

Barcelona’s Luis Suarez celebrates

after scoring a goal against Atletico Madrid in their

Spanish La Liga BBVA match played at

Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona yesterday.

Al Arabi’s Todd Edward O’brien is about to score a basket during their Qatar Basketball League game against Al Rayyan, played at Al Gharafa Sports Club court yesterday. However, the final scores read 105-65 in favour of Al Rayyan.

QATAR BASKETBALL LEAGUEConsteveous added

46 points as Qatar Sports Club outplays Al Ahli 93-82

Al Rayyan’s James Devon attempts to score a basket with three Al Arabi players in defence.

SPORT 31 SUNDAY 31 JANUARY 2016

Van Gaal toasts United’s FA Cup success

AFP

DERBY, UNITED KINGDOM: Under-fire Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal looked forward to the “expensive” gift given to him by executive vice-chairman Ed Wood-ward after his side reached the FA Cup last 16.

Van Gaal conceded that his job was on the line prior to Friday’s fourth-round tie at second-tier Derby County, but goals from Wayne Rooney, Daley Blind and Juan Mata gave the visitors a 3-1 win.

United have won only four of their last 14 games, and were booed off after last weekend’s 1-0 home defeat by Southampton, but Van Gaal said that Woodward and the club’s other decision-makers had not lost faith in him.

Van Gaal was in belligerent mood in his post-match press conference at the iPro Stadium and took issue with

a question about whether his team had played with more freedom than usual against Derby.

“I cannot answer this question because you know already your answer,” said the 64-year-old, who earlier this week described press speculation about his future as “awful and horrible”.

“Your question is only to say tomorrow, ‘They had more freedom.’ They didn’t have more freedom. They have always freedom from me.

“You want to write that, OK, but don’t ask me rhetorical questions. I’m not pleased with how you are twist-ing my words.”

Anthony Martial was Unit-ed’s stand-out player, claiming two assists, but Van Gaal was not entirely satisfied with the French forward’s display.

“I think the first 20 minutes he was very bad,” he said.

“Maybe you have noticed that, because everybody is saying, ‘Fan-tastic play, man of the match.’ But you have to play 90 minutes good.

“But I have said that already to him, otherwise I could not say that to you. But after that first 20 min-utes, he was fantastic.”

Rooney broke the deadlock in

the 18th minute, bending a glorious shot into the top-right corner from the left-hand apex of the area, only for George Thorne to burst through and equalise eight minutes before the break.

But centre-back Blind equalised in the 65th minute with an assured finish from Jesse Lingard’s right-wing cross and Mata made the game safe from Martial’s cut-back with seven minutes remaining.

Van Gaal admitted that his team had been suffering a “lack of confi-dence” after the loss to Southampton, which left them fifth in the Premier League, but felt they had played “with a lot of confidence and a lot of cohe-sion” against Derby.

“They want to fight for each other,” he added.

“That is very nice to see for a manager.”

Derby manager Paul Clement, whose side are fifth in the Champi-onship, had no complaints about the outcome of the game.

“I don’t think we were unlucky. Manchester United deserved to win the game,” said the former Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid coach.

“For a team that’s supposed to be in disarray and lacking confidence, they played well.

“But I was proud of the effort of the players. They worked from the first whistle to the last.”

Chelsea’s Hiddink

hopes for FA Cup

bounce

AFP

MILTON KEYNES, UNITED KINGDOM: Chelsea’s dismal Pre-mier League title defence means the FA Cup now carries even greater significance as interim manager Guus Hiddink attempts to avoid a trophy-free end to the season.

Hiddink’s side travel to strug-gling second-tier side Milton Keynes Dons in the competition’s fourth round today and hav-ing finally struck a decent vein of form, they will be expected to progress comfortably.

With next month’s Champi-ons League last 16 game against Paris Saint-Germain looming, the FA does not represent the Stam-ford Bridge club’s last chance of silverware.

But it is probably their most realistic chance of salvaging a tro-phy from a calamitous campaign and Hiddink is keen to repeat his success of 2009, when he led the club to FA Cup success against Everton.

“It’s not just for me,” he said. “I think a club like Chelsea must always go for a title.

“The targets in the past were the Premier League, the Cham-pions League and the FA Cup. We aim the group for targets. The FA Cup is a target.”

Hiddink has overseen a marked improvement in form since being asked to take charge until the end of the season follow-ing Jose Mourinho’s dismissal in December.

Chelsea remain in the bottom half of the league table, but a run of seven games without defeat under the Dutchman -- culminating in last weekend’s 1-0 victory at Arse-nal -- has transformed the mood at the club.

Hiddink believes a cup run can only help his team’s efforts to improve their standing in the league.

“Every win helps, even in training, where we play to win,” he said. “The attitude now is there to give everything in every duel, as a team and as individuals. It will help, of course.

“I don’t want to say that (the cup is more important) because we’d be neglecting the beauty of the Premier League, but the next step is about Sunday.

“I don’t want to disrespect the Premier League, but that’s after Sunday.”

Eden Hazard is in line to make his first appearance for four weeks after recovering from a groin prob-lem, but Loic Remy is expected to be missing from the squad with a groin injury.

Alexandre Pato has only just completed his loan move from Corinthians, while Radamel Fal-cao remains injured, leaving Diego Costa as Chelsea’s only available senior striker.

Diamond League should ban dopers like we do: London Marathon chiefAFP

LONDON: Any athlete convicted of a serious doping offence should be banned from the Diamond League, following the “zero tolerance” approach of the London Marathon, the race’s chief executive said.

City marathons have, like the rest of athletics, been hit hard by doping in recent years.

Russian Liliya Shobukhova, who won the London race in 2010 and was runner-up in 2011, has since been banned for doping and turned whistle-blower to help expose the extent of the problem in her country.

Kenyan Rita Jeptoo, a three times Boston marathon winner who was in line to scoop $500,000 as the world marathon majors’ overall champion in 2014, has also been banned after

testing positive. The London Mar-athon does not allow any athlete convicted of a serious doping offence to take part in the race and, although life bans are not applicable across the sport, the race’s organisers said oth-ers should follow their lead.

“You can’t ban them (drug cheats) for life under WADA rules but where you have a choice, then make a posi-tive choice to support clean athletes,” London Marathon chief executive Nick Bitel said in an interview at the race launch on Friday.

“I think that where you have an invitational event, like the London Marathon, other big city marathons, or the Diamond League, then you can make a stand.

“Organisers should be asking themselves, ‘Why do I want to have a drugs cheat, sometimes repeatedly, in my event?’

“We’ve taken the view that we don’t want them and it’s difficult to understand why people would have multiple drugs cheats at their events.”

The Diamond League, the main circuit for athletics outside the major championships, is made up of a series of invitational events and organisers are free to exclude anyone they like.

Former Olympic 100 metres world champion Justin Gatlin, who has twice been banned for dop-ing, has routinely raced in Diamond League meetings, along with many other time-served doping offenders.

That does not happen in big-city marathons and Bitel said his organ-isation was also determined to get back the $500,00 prize money and appearance fees paid to Shobukhova.

“We will spend whatever money it takes to pursue her and get the money back, even if it makes no

commercial sense,” Bitel said. “We want to ensure that person is not benefiting and, in terms of the future,

we want to send a very clear message that doped athletes will be pursued.”

Race director Hugh Brasher, son of race founder Chris, said the London Marathon had taken steps to keep a tighter control on prize money.

“Any payment over $50,000 is put in an escrow account and paid over a five year period,” he said. “We brought that in 12 months ago - biological passports take time to catch someone.”

London Marathon organisers have not always seen eye-to-eye with the sport’s governing body and were frustrated that the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) seemed to lag behind in testing for blood doping, especially as the race has the biggest “private” testing operation in any sport.

However, despite the succession of scandals that have dogged the IAAF over the last year, Bitel and

Brasher said they had faith that its president Sebastian Coe (pictured) was the right man to put the sport back on the road to redemption.

“They are still the governing body of our sport and in Seb they have the best chance of coming to a resolution that we want,” said Bitel.

“They are not there yet but we are trying to improve the situation with them and the work we are doing together is already having an effect and transforming the testing landscape in endurance running.

“The scandal is absolutely appalling but there is a wider story to tell.”

Brasher highlighted the fact the race, which started in 1981 with about 7,000 runners, will celebrate its millionth finisher in April when some 37,000 will complete the 26.2 mile course.

Manchester United’s Dutch manager Louis van Gaal (centre) shakes hands with an official following the FA Cup fourth round match against Derby County at Pride Park Stadium in Derby on Friday.Manchester United won the match 3-1.

FA CUP RESULTSDerby County 1 (Thorne 37)

Manchester United 3 (Rooney 16, Blind

65, Mata 83)

Goals from Rooney, Blind and Mata give the visitors a 3-1 victory over Derby County

Rodriguez needs to defend more: ZidaneAFP

MADRID: Real Madrid forward James Rodriguez is set to start against Espanyol in today’s La Liga clash with Gareth Bale injured but coach Zine-dine Zidane wants him to do more defensive work.

It has been a disappointing sea-son for Rodriguez after an impressive debut campaign in which he estab-lished himself as an important component of the side, scoring 17 goals.

He did not have a good relation-ship with former coach Rafa Benitez stemming from his decision to take a full holiday after the Copa America and not report back early for pre-sea-son training.

Rodriguez’s season has also been affected by injury which has caused him to miss 11 games and he has received negative press over his reported enjoyment of the Madrid nightlife.

He also failed to stop for police after speeding on his way to train-ing early this year.

The arrival of Zidane did not bring an immediate turnaround in fortune for Rodriguez with the Frenchman preferring Isco in mid-field, and he made it clear from the start that he aimed to continue with Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Bale in attack.

A calf injury for Bale opened the door for Rodriguez and although he failed to shine in the draw against Real Betis, he is the likely option to start against Espanyol.

“He is a very good player and has a lot of talent but along with this he has to do his work in defence like all the players,” Zidane told a news con-ference yesterday.

“We will make a decision on whether James starts tomorrow. Gareth is doing well physically and

is recovering so next week he should be with the squad.” After winning his first two games in charge with the team scoring 10 goals in the process, Zidane suffered his first setback when Real drew 1-1 at Betis last weekend.

It left them third in La Liga, four points behind leaders

Barcelona, who also have a game in hand.

“It is true it was a blow for us to drop two points and we deserved more than a point from the game but in football you need to take the chances that you make,” the French-man said.

Argentine Pizzi named new Chile coach

AFP

SANTIAGO: Chile named Argen-tine ex-striker Juan Antonio Pizzi as their new national football coach on Friday after his com-patriot Jorge Sampaoli quit in acrimony.

The Chilean football associ-ation ANFP said in a statement it struck a deal to hire Pizzi until the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

He was until now coach of Leon de Mexico and will take up the Chile job next week.

Pizzi also holds Spanish nationality, having played for Bar-celona and Valencia.

“We are very satisfied with the arrival of Juan Antonio Pizzi. He is a professional who inspires great confidence. He has a proven career record,” said ANFP presi-dent Arturo Salah in the statement.

The ANFP added that he “is the right person to safeguard and con-tinue the work of the Chile national team and to maintain its competi-tiveness of recent years.”

Sampaoli quit this month, six months after leading the country to its first Copa America title.

He led a golden generation of Chile stars such as Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez and Arturo Vidal of Bay-ern Munich.

Real Madrid’s French coach, Zinedine Zidane (right), looks on at his players during the team’s training session held at Valdebebas Sports City in Madrid, Spain, yesterday.

SPORT32 SUNDAY 31 JANUARY 2016

Watson to captain Australia as Khawaja in for final T20

AFP

SYDNEY: In-form batsman Usman Khawaja was yesterday brought into Australia’s squad for the final Twenty20 match against India, with Shane Watson to captain in place of injured skipper Aaron Finch.

Finch injured his left hamstring in Friday night’s match which India won by 27 runs, giving the tourists an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-game series.

Cricket Australia said Finch will miss the third and final Twenty20 in Sydney today but the full extent of his injury was not yet known.

“With Finch sidelined, Usman Khawaja has stepped into the squad for Sunday’s game and has also been drafted in to the one-day interna-tional squad for the tour of New Zealand,” Cricket Australia said in a statement.

Khawaja’s omission from the one-day squad to play across the Tasman had earlier caused contro-versy given the batsman’s red-hot form.

Acting head coach Michael Di Venuto said Khawaja, who hit 70 off 40 deliveries in the recent final of

the domestic T20 competition, “thor-oughly deserves” his opportunity in the short form of the game.

He admitted that India had been too strong for Australia in the Twen-ty20s, saying the home side had been “getting completely outplayed in all three departments... bat, ball and the field”. India won the first match of the series at Adelaide Oval on Tuesday by 37 runs when Australia were unable to overhaul the 188 total.

Di Venuto said the hosts had started well in their run chase in the second game on Friday, with Finch scoring 74 off 48 balls before he was run out.

But it was not enough to get Aus-tralia a win after India made 184 for three and then followed up with a strong spin attack.

He said Finch was still waiting on the results of scans.

“Hopefully for Finchy it’s not too bad and we can see him recover and be fully fit for the World Cup,” said Di Venuto, who has stepped into Darren Lehmann’s role while the head coach recovers from deep vein thrombosis.

Finch said the injury was “hugely frustrating”.

“I am hoping it will not keep me out for a lengthy period of time, especially with an ICC World Twenty20 on the horizon, but I will be guided by the specialists,” he said.

Shane Watson said it would be an honour to captain the side in Finch’s absence today, despite the fact that the circumstances were “far from ideal”.

“We may have lost the series but there is a great deal to play for with the ICC World Twenty20 coming up,” said 34-year-old all-rounder Watson.

The hosts earlier clinched the one-day series 4-1 with India managing a victory in the final game.

CRICKET: INDIA IN AUSTRALIAAll-rounder replaces

injured Finch as India go in today’s final game with an unassailable 2-0 lead

Shane Watson of Australia reacts after dismissing Shikhar Dhawan (not pictured) during the first Twenty20 against India at the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide last Tuesday.

A file picture taken on April 2, 2012 shows Sri Lanka coach Graham Ford chatting with Kumar Sangakkara (left) during a training session ahead of the second Test match against England in Colombo.

McCullum to play final ODI series pending fitness Reuters

WELLINGTON: New Zealand cap-tain Brendon McCullum has been named to lead his country in his final one-day series against Aus-tralia next month, providing he can prove his fitness.

The 34-year-old is expected to play New Zealand’s third and final one-day international against Paki-stan in Auckland today, as he makes his way back from a back injury he sustained last month against Sri Lanka.

“I’ve had a good couple of hits (in the nets),” McCullum told reporters in Auckland yesterday.

“It’s probably not 100 percent but there’s a bit of stiffness so hopefully I’ll be fine for tomorrow.”

Tom Latham was named as cover for McCullum, who will retire after the second Test against Aus-tralia in Christchurch next month.

Top order batsman Ross Taylor (side) and bowlers Tim Southee (foot) and Mitchell McClenaghan (eye) were not considered for the three-match one day series against Australia that starts next Wednesday due to injury.

“This is a pinnacle event for us and we will look to get our best side

out on the park each time we play,” New Zealand coach Mike Hesson said yesterday.

“We’ve been lucky enough to use a big squad over the summer and although were missing a few key players, we have guys who can step in and we know are up to the task.”

Australia, who flew to New Zea-land yesterday, would be without coach Darren Lehmann for the one-day series as he recovers from deep vein thrombosis that has restricted his travel.

“We are still awaiting medical advice on when Darren is able to return to work,” Cricket Australia high performance manager Pat Howard said.

“As he is not available for the ODI component of the New Zealand tour we have decided to remain with the current management team that will see Michael Di Venuto serve as act-ing head coach.”

New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum in action during the first ODI against Sri Lanka in Christchurch in this December 2015 file photo.

SL rehire Ford to defend World T20 titleAFP

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s cricket board confirmed it would rehire Graham Ford as head coach to help the national team defend its World Twenty20 title in India, after his Eng-lish club announced his departure.

The 55-year-old South African previously coached Sri Lanka from 2012 until 2014 before taking over the reins at English county championship title-holder Surrey.

“The new board of Sri Lanka Cricket head-hunted Ford to be the new head coach and prepare the team for the World T20,” a SLC official said “His term will be for 45 months start-ing Monday (tomorrow).”

The contract period would also cover the 2019 World Cup hosted by England and Wales.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) declined to give further details of the contract.

Local officials said he would start by preparing the team to defend the World T20 title, with its recent poor form leading it to fall to second posi-tion in the T20 rankings, after the West Indies.

The World T20 will be held at sta-diums throughout India from March 8, with the final to be played at the historic Eden Gardens in Kolkata on April 3. Sri Lanka has also been hit by the retirement of cricketing stars such as Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara.

Ford worked with Sangakkara at Surrey and last season guided the club to the county championship sec-ond division title.

“As the national team continues its transition following high-profile retirements, Ford’s reputation for being good with young players was

among the reasons for the new Exec-utive Committee to secure him for the job,” the board said in a statement.

Ford’s main task would be to rebuild the national team, the board said.

It added that his hiring was part of a “plan towards restoring Sri Lanka Cricket back to its glory days.” Since winning the 1996 Cricket World Cup, Sri Lanka has made it to the finals twice but failed to win.

Surrey said it was unhappy to lose Ford.

“We are extremely disappointed to be losing Graham Ford, who has not just been an outstanding head coach but has played an integral role in the progress that we have achieved over the last two years,” Surrey direc-tor of cricket Alec Stewart told the club’s official website.

“He has worked tirelessly with the players and his efforts can be seen in

their individual performances and the team’s results, culminating in promo-tion back to the first division,” Stewart said.

“Sri Lanka’s new cricket man-agement earlier this month decided to step up its search for a new head coach, with the job temporarily held by interim coach Jerome Jayaratne, who replaced Marvan Atapattu.

Jayaratne, 49, the head of coach-ing at SLC, was appointed for the West Indies Series in October and Novem-ber 2015 and extended to cover Sri Lanka’s tour of New Zealand.

Jayaratne’s appointment came after Atapattu quit before his contract was due to expire following India’s 2-1 win of a Test series in Colombo in September.

Since 2010, Trevor Bayliss, Stu-art Law, Rumesh Ratnayake, Geoff Marsh and Ford have also had peri-ods as Sri Lanka coach.

Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla at risk

of losing World T20 matches

Reuters

MUMBAI: New Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla ground is in danger of losing its World Twenty20 fixtures after the Indian cricket board (BCCI) moved a match against Sri Lanka away from the venue due to administra-tive lapses.

The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) failed to get the requisite clearances from vari-ous civic authorities in order to host the February 12 T20 match between India and Sri Lanka, forcing the BCCI to transfer the contest to Ranchi.

BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur said the DDCA needed to procure all the necessary clearances by today if

they were to continue as the hosts of the March 8-April 3 tournament.

“As far as the World Cup is con-cerned, the World Cup management committee has met today and has also discussed the issue of DDCA,” Thakur said.

“They have given a deadline of January 31 (today), five o’ clock, to come out with the required NOCs (no-objection certificates) so that they can continue as a host of the World Cup matches.

“If they are unable to do so by 31st evening, then the BCCI will shift those matches to the seven other remaining venues.”

Delhi is scheduled to host four matches in the tournament, includ-ing a semi-final on March 30.

Suspended Narine included in Windies squadReuters

TRINIDAD: West Indies have taken a gamble by naming Sunil Narine in their squad for the World Twent20 tournament in March as the off-spinner is currently suspended from bowling in international cricket due to an illegal action.

The 27-year-old was reported to the International Cricket Coun-cil (ICC) during a one-day series in Sri Lanka last November and was later sanctioned after an independ-ent assessment found his elbow extended beyond the maximum limit of 15 degrees. Considered an asset to the side, Narine was also ini-tially selected for last year’s 50-over World Cup but later withdrawn, and

has been working on his action in a desperate attempt to get it cleared in time for the World Twenty20 in India.

All-rounder Darren Sammy will lead the world’s top-ranked T20 side, which includes 11 players from the contingent that won the last World Cup in Sri Lanka four years ago.

The 15-man squad will assemble in the United Arab Emirates for a pre-paratory camp between February 22 and March 6, and will travel to India on March 7 for the tournament.

SQUADDarren Sammy (captain), Samuel Badree,

Sulieman Benn, Darren Bravo, Dwayne

Bravo, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Jason

Holder, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard,

Denesh Ramdin, Andre Russell, Marlon

Samuels, Lendl Simmons, Jerome Taylor

West Indies have West Indies have taken a gamble taken a gamble

by including by including banned Sunil banned Sunil

Narine in squad.Narine in squad.

SQUAD Brendon McCullum (captain), Corey Anderson,

Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell, Grant Elliott, Mar-

tin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham*, Adam

Milne, Colin Munro, Henry Nicholls, Luke Ron-

chi, Mitchell Santner, Kane Williamson

SQUADShane Watson (captain), Cameron Bancroft,

Scott Boland, Cameron Boyce, James Faulkner,

Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Chris

Lynn, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Shaun Tait,

Andrew Tye.

SPORT 33SUNDAY 31 JANUARY 2016

Cavs’ ‘big three’ overwhelm Pistons in their own Palace

Agencies

MICHIGAN: Kevin Love erupted for 29 points, LeBron James reached the 26,000 career point mark and the Cleveland Cavaliers downed the Detroit Pistons 114-106 at The Pal-ace on Friday.

Love, who was passed over by the Eastern Conference coaches as an All-Star reserve, enjoyed his sec-ond-highest scoring game this season. Cleveland’s power forward scored 34 against Orlando on November 23.

James became the youngest player ever to reach 26,000-point mark when he made two free throws during the third quarter. The All-Star small forward became the 17th player in league history to hit that milestone.

He finished with 20 points, nine rebounds and a team-high eight assists.

Point guard Kyrie Irving sup-plied 28 points for the Cavaliers (33-12), who are 3-1 since Tyronn Lue replaced David Blatt as head coach.

Dallas jumped out to an 18-point lead in the second quarter and was never really challenged by Brooklyn.

The Nets tried to make a game of it with a brief run in the second quar-ter to get to halftime down 51-39 and then came out hustling in the third quarter to get to 58-51 with 5:04 to go. But they headed into the fourth

quarter trailing by 16 points.Chandler Parsons led Dallas with

19 points, 10 rebounds and three assists. Zaza Pachulia posted his 22nd double-double of the season with 16 points and 12 rebounds in his return from missing three games with a sore Achilles.

Kevin Durant and Russell West-brook combined for 59 points to lead Oklahoma City over Houston.

Durant scored 33 points on 11-of-18 shooting from the field and had 12 rebounds and three assists. Westbrook picked up his sixth triple-double of the season with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists.

Enes Kanter came off the bench to contribute 22 points and 10 rebounds.

James Harden led the Rockets with 33 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.

Dwyane Wade scored 21 points, including the go-ahead jumper with 45 seconds left, as Miami wrapped up a five-game road trip.

Chris Bosh finished with 20 points, Luol Deng had 16 and Amar’e Stoudemire and Goran Dragic each added 12. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 28 points, four rebounds and six assists. Milwaukee also got 24 points from Greg Monroe.

NFL to host first ever Women’s Summit Reuters

SAN FRANCISCO: The National Football League will host its first-ever NFL Women’s Summit next week in San Francisco ahead of the Super Bowl to discuss the role sports have played in the lives of past and present female leaders.

Confirmed participants include NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, women’s world number one tennis player Serena Williams, Sweden’s former world number one golfer Annika Sorenstam and former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

The February 4-5 summit, called

“In the Huddle to Advance Women in Sport”, will focus on the benefits of participating in organized sports and the positive character and val-ues learned on the field of play.

“There is increasing recogni-tion that sports participation helps develop leadership, teamwork and other skills that promote success throughout one’s life and career,” the NFL said in a statement.

“The NFL Women’s Summit will highlight that playing sports in the teenage years develops the charac-ter and values that last a lifetime.”

The Carolina Panthers will play the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50 on February 7 in Santa Clara, California.

World number one Spieth remains

in contention at Singapore Open

James becomes youngest player to reach 26,000-point mark as Cavaliers post 114-106 win

Kevin Love (right) of the Cleveland Cavaliers tries to get a second half shot off past Anthony Tolliver of the Detroit Pistons at the Palace of Auburn Hills on Friday in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Cleveland won the game 114-106.

NBA RESULTSBoston 113 Orlando 94

Cleveland 114 Detroit 106

NY Knicks 102 Phoenix 84

Oklahoma City 116 Houston 108

Miami 107 Milwaukee 103

Dallas 91 Brooklyn 79

Utah 103 Minnesota 90

Portland 109 Charlotte 91

LA Clippers 105 LA Lakers 93

Concussions jumped to 32 percent last season AFP

NEW YORK: Concussions are a worsening problem for the NFL after league injury statistics released on Friday showed a 32 percent jump in the serious head injuries this past season.

Data revealed on Friday showed total concussions suffered in pre-season and regular season NFL games jumped from 206 in 2014 to 271 in 2015, with tighter concussion protocols requiring players to be examined if their status is in doubt.

In regular season games and practices alone, there were 190 con-cussions documented, a 35 percent leap from 2014.

The news comes 10 days ahead of Super Bowl 50, when the Den-ver Broncos and Carolina Panthers will meet for the NFL crown in the league’s annual championship spectacle.

The NFL toughened its

concussion protocols and imposed stiffer penalties for blows to the head after there were 261 concus-sions reported in 2012.

But while the number had dipped for the prior two campaigns, this past season’s numbers show plenty of work remains to be done to pro-tect players from head trauma.

A total of 92 concussions occurred due to contact with another helmet, one more than in 2012 when such impacts led to the rules crack-down and tougher medical standards to force players out of games until they were deemed medically fit by a doctor.

There were 29 concussions attributed to contact with the play-ing surface, the most in the past four seasons, and 23 due to being hit by the shoulder of an opponent.

Knee injuries were up last sea-son, with 56 anterior cruciate ligament injuries up from 49 last season and 170 medial collateral ligament injuries, up from 139 the season before.

NBA HIGHLIGHTS

AFP

SINGAPORE: World number one Jordan Spieth stayed in the hunt for the SMBC Singapore Open title yes-terday after narrowing the gap to leader Song Young-Han of South Korea before fading light halted play.

The American had two more holes to complete and trailed Song by three strokes at the Sentosa Golf Club when the horn sounded for the remaining flights to return to the clubhouse.

Three other players are also hot on the heels of the South Korean in the $1.0 million tournament.

China’s Liang Wen-Chong trails by a stroke, and Japan’s Shintaro Kobayashi and South African Keith Horne by two.

The last flight that included Song completed only 13 holes, and a total of 15 players will return to the Serapong Course on Sunday morn-ing to resume play before the start of the final round.

Spieth, 22, had a mixed day, play-ing the remaining 12 holes that were carried over from Friday after play was halted due to inclement weather.

The Texan finished the round with three birdies and two bogeys.

“The bogey did hurt on the last,” said the US Open and Masters champion before heading for the penultimate round.

Spieth is playing without regular caddie Michael Greller, who is recov-ering from an ankle injury sustained at the Hyundai Tournament of Cham-pions in Hawaii earlier this month.

His agent, Jay Danzi, is standing in as Greller’s replacement.

Spieth’s erratic form continued in round three.

Despite two birdies in the first nine, he struggled to find the fair-way from the tees, hit the bunker four times and failed to make par on the fifth hole.

Although he was hit by another bogey in the home stretch, Speith’s

form kicked in. His drives found their mark and the short game found the putts, hitting another birdie on the 12th hole. Song failed to make any headway, after putting in an out-standing round the previous day, with

bogeys in the fifth and 11th holes can-celling out the two birdies he shot on the third and fourth.

But he remains hopeful of snatch-ing a first career win today despite the chasing pack.

“I have had many second place finishes in Japan and Korea but I do not think that will affect me (mentally) tomorrow,” said the 24-year-old.

GOLF: SINGAPORE OPEN

Current world number one Jordan Spieth of the USA lines up his putt at the third hole during the third round of the SMBC Singapore Open held at the Serapong Golf course in Singapore yesterday.

British teen Hull moves joint top at Ocean Club Reuters

PARADISE ISLAND: British teen-ager Charley Hull coped well with gusting winds as she moved into a three-way tie for the lead after Friday’s second round in the sea-son-opening Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic at Paradise Island.

The 19-year-old English-woman, who has yet to win her first LPGA title, birdied three of her last eight holes to card a three-under-par 70 on a sun-kissed day at the picturesque Ocean Club Golf Course.

Hull, whose only victory on her home Ladies European Tour came at the 2014 Lalla Meryem Cup, posted an eight-under total of 138 to finish level with Ameri-can Megan Khang (68) and Japan’s Haru Nomura (70).

Defending champion Kim Sei-young, who won last year’s title in a three-way playoff, carded a 68 to share fourth place at seven under with fellow South Korean Kwak Min-seo (70), Swede Anna Nor-dqvist (69) and Scotland’s Catriona Matthew (71).

“I’m just staying in there,” Hull told Golf Channel about the chal-lenge of trying to keep momentum in Friday’s shifting breezes. “It’s very windy out there and you know you’re going to hit some bad shots and it’s going to drift off in the wind. Hull, who was first introduced to golf at the age of two and left school at 13 to be home schooled while she also com-peted in amateur tournaments, has always enjoyed testing her game in strong winds.

“It does give me an advantage because I’ve grown up playing in windy conditions for the British amateurs,” she smiled.

Hull, who has twice competed for Europe against the United States in the Solheim Cup team competition, has recorded five top-10s on the LPGA Tour, her best finish a tie for third at the 2014 Air-bus LPGA Classic.

Youthful trio shares LPGA Bahamas lead AFP

WASHINGTON: American teen Megan Khang fired a five-under par 68 on Friday to grab a share of the LPGA Pure Silk Bahamas lead alongside Japan’s Horu Nomura and England’s Charley Hull at Paradise Island.

Nomura and Hull, both part of a seven-way tie for the overnight lead, signed for 70s to reach eight-under 138 on a day when winds gusted up to 30 mph (48 Km/h).

“I’ve never played the golf course with that wind before. It was a completely opposite direc-tion,” Hull said. “So it was good fun to play in that direction ... just got to keep patient out there.

“I enjoyed it, I thought it was fun,” she said.

Khang, 18 and playing her first event as an LPGA tour member, is the youngest member of a youthful lead-ing trio. Hull is 19 and Nomura 23.

Nomura’s three-under effort included six birdies and three bogeys, while Hull notched four birdies and one bogey. Defending champion Kim Sei-Young climbed

up the leaderboard with a 68, lead-ing a group on 139 that also included Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist (69), South Korean Kwak Min-Seo (70) and Scot-land’s Catriona Matthew (71). Kim said she had felt the pressure of defending on Thursday, when she fired a two-under 71.

“I tried to keep calm and last night I talked to my mom and she told me, ‘Sei-Young, calm down,’” Kim said, adding the advice was “a little help”.

She also took some practi-cal steps on the practice green. “I changed my stroke timing slower and that’s better,” said Kim, who had needed 27 putts on Friday compared to 34 on Thursday. “Slower follow through - that worked today.”

While youth ruled at the top of the leaderboard, 38-year-old Cris-tie Kerr made waves, too, matching the tournament record with an eight-under par 65.

After an opening 77 she jumped from tied for 95th to tied for 13th.

“Yeah, after yesterday it wasn’t looking good. A very difficult day and I just came out and did it,” said Kerr, whose round included an eagle at the par-five 18th, seven birdies and a bogey.

Megan Khang plays her second shot on the ninth hole during the second round of the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic.

SPORT34 SUNDAY 31 JANUARY 2016

Reuters

MELBOURNE: Novak Djokovic isexpecting a fierce battle with anold friend and familiar protagonist when he makes a bid for history in the Australian Open final againstAndy Murray today.

Born a week apart 28 years ago, Djokovic and Murray have contested three previous finals at the Melbourne Park with the Ser-bian emerging triumphant on each occasion.

The world number one is a strong favourite to prevail once again todayand equal Roy Emerson’s record of six Australian Open titles.

“I’m expecting a battle with Andy,as it always is, he said.as it always is,” he said.

“Very physically demanding match. Lots of rallies, exchanges.It’s no secret we know how we play against each other.

“It’s two games that are verymuch alike, so it’s basically who’sgoing to outplay who from the baseline.”

Djokovic said he thought how both players’ serve held up would be an important factor but so wouldbe how they handled the “emotions of the greatness of that occasion of playing for the grand slam title”.

That has been an area of clear advantage for the Serbian in their three previous meetings in Austral-ian Open finals and he has also had a hex over Murray in 10 of their last11 meetings.

World number two Murray alsolost to Roger Federer in the 2010final and is looking to become the first man to lose four finals at agrand slam before finally winningthe title.

The Scot had to come through afour-hour, five-setter against MilosRaonic on Friday but the extra day’s rest that Djokovic enjoyed after hissemi final against Federer has not semi-final against Federer has not

fbeen a winning advantage in five of the last eight finals.

Murray knows that statistics suchas which finalist played their last fourmatch first is unlikely to have toomuch bearing on a contest between two supremely fit athletes.

“I have a very good shot on Sun-day if I play my best tennis. I needto do it for long enough to have achance. I’m aware of that,” he said.

“I don’t think many people are expecting me to win on Sunday. I have to just believe in myself, have a solid game plan, and hopefully exe-cute it and play well.

“It’s one tennis match. Doesn’t matter what’s happened in the pastreally. It’s about what happens onSunday. There’s no reason it’s not possible for me to win.”

Tournament organisers will behoping Murray’s wife Kim does not go into labour with the couple’s first child overnight, a scenario that Murray has said would result in him jumping on a plane back to Britain. That would give Djokovic his sixth title by default but the 10-times grand slam champion would clearly pre-fer to earn it.

“It’s a possibility for me to makehistory, which is of course another great imperative for me for tomor-row s match, he said. row’s match,” he said.

Djokovic expects a fierce battle against Murray in today’s final The world number one has an unbeaten record against the Briton but the latter says past does not count

FIVE SLAM FINALS BETWEEN

DJOKOVIC AND MURRAY

2011 Australian Open

In their first Grand Slam final, Djokovic put Murray to the sword and established himself as the man who would break the duopoly of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. The Serb claimed his second Grand Slam final 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 against a flat-footed Murray, who appeared drained by his four-set semi-final against David Ferrer.

“Djokovic not only broke the Nadal-Federer stran-glehold on the game’s major trophies, the 23-year-old Ser-bian made a compelling case to be admitted to their elite company,” said the Sydney Morning Herald.

2012 US Open

Murray broke through for his first Grand Slam title and it took some doing, as he edged Djokovic over nearly five hours before finally winning it 7-6 (12/10), 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, 6-2. Murray, buoyed by his London Olympics gold medal earlier that year, snapped a sequence of eight straight five-set wins by Djokovic.

“If I had lost this one from two sets up, that would have been a tough one to take,” said the Scot.

2013 Australian Open

Djokovic underlined his physical superiority as he recovered from a set down to win 6-7 (2/7), 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, 6-2 and become the first man in the Open era to win three Australian Open titles in a row. Again the match was a dogfight as the first two sets alone ran for well over two hours.

One crucial moment came at 2-2 in the second-set tie-breaker, when Murray stopped in the middle of a second serve to catch a white feather as it floated to the ground - and then double-faulted, giving Djokovic an open-ing that he bolted through. “I thought it was a good idea to move (the feather),” Murray said “Maybe it wasn’t because I obviously double-faulted. No, you know, at this level it can come down to just a few points here or there.”

2013 Wimbledon

Murray beat Djokovic in straight sets for the only time in their Grand Slam history, 6-4, 7-5, 6-4, to become the first British man to win Wim-bledon since Fred Perry in 1936.

“I know what it’s like los-ing in a Wimbledon final and I know what it’s like win-ning one, and it’s a lot better winning. The hard work is worth it,” Murray said. Djok-ovic explained his below-par performance by saying he was exhausted from his five-set semi-final against Juan Mar-tin del Potro.

2015 Australian Open

Djokovic’s powers of endurance were again a talk-ing point as he overcame a “physical crisis” and recov-ered from a set down to beat Murray in another thriller 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 6-0. Djokovic looked wobbly and was gasping for breath in the third set before he came roar-ing back to win 12 of the last 13 games.

“You could see that I had a crisis end of the second, beginning of the third,” said Djokovic, who denied he was indulging in theatrics to throw Murray off his game.

“I just felt very exhausted and I needed some time to regroup and recharge and get back on track. That’s what I’ve done.”

Past defeats mean nothing, says determined Murray

Britain’s Andy Murray serves during a practice session on the eve of his final match against Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, at the Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park, Australia yesterday.

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic gestures during a practice session on the eve of his Australian Open Men’s Singles final.

Jamie Murray and Soares grab Australian Open doubles titleReuters

MELBOURNE: Britain’s Jamie Murray gained an early claim to bragging rights over younger brother Andy when he combined with Brazil’s Bruno Soares to win the Australian Open men’s dou-bles title yesterday.

Murray and Soares beat Can-ada’s Daniel Nestor and Czech Radek Stepanek 2-6 6-4 7-5 in the final that followed Angelique Kerber beating Serena Williams for the women’s’ title.

Andy Murray, who turned up for the trophy presentation, will meet five-times champion Novak Djokovic in the men’s singles final today. “Andy you should be in bed. I don’t know why you’re here taking photos but we’ll be there supporting

you,” a tearful Murray said in a courtside interview.

It was the first grand slam title for the Briton and his Bra-zilian partner, in their first major tournament together.

The Murrays are also the first brothers to make the men’s sin-gles and doubles finals at the same grand slam in the Open era.

Murray actually held a cham-pionship point while serving at 5-4 in the deciding set but blew the opportunity, though the Canadian and Czech pairing were unable to consolidate.

Soares then gave them a 40-0 advantage in the 12th game and held on to clinch the title two points later.

“We had them on the ropes for a bit in the second set but they came through and that’s why they’re grand slam champions,” Nestor said.

Jamie Murray of Britain (left) and Bruno Soares of Brazil pose for photographs with the winners’ trophy after their doubles final match against Daniel Nestor of Canada and Radek Stepanek of Czech Republic at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia yesterday.

TENNIS: AUSTRALIAN OPEN MEN’S SINGLES FINAL

AUSTRALIAN OPEN RESULTS

WOMEN’S SINGLES

FINAL

Angelique Kerber (GER x7) bt Serena

Williams (USA x1) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4

MEN’S DOUBLES

FINAL

Jamie Murray (GBR)/Bruno Soares

(BRA x7) bt Daniel Nestor (CAN)/

Radek Stepanek (CZE) 2-6, 6-4, 7-5

ORDER OF PLAYMIXED DOUBLES - FINAL

Rod Laver Arena

Elena Vesnina (RUS)/Bruno Soares

(BRA) vs Coco Vandeweghe (USA)/

Horia Tecau (ROU) -

MEN’S SINGLES - FINAL

Novak Djokovic (SER) vs

Andy Murray (GBR)

AFP

MELBOURNE: Andy Murray said his past disappointments would have no bearing on today’s title match against Novak Djokovic as he looks to end a run of four near-misses by finally winning the Australian Open.

Murray admitted he was the firm underdog against five-time champion Djokovic, who has beaten him three times in the Melbourne Park final in 2011, 2013 and 2015. Murray also lost to Roger Federer in 2010.

The world number two has ridden a roller coaster at this year’s tournament, distracted by his wife’s pregnancy and the col-lapse of his father-in-law Nigel Sears at Rod Laver Arena, which prompted him to consider pull-ing out.

Despite the difficulties, and his string of disappointments in the Melbourne final, the Scot said he believes in his chances of stopping Djokovic claiming a record-equalling sixth Austral-ian Open win.

“I don’t think many people are expecting me to win on Sun-day,” Murray said. “I have to just

believe in myself, have a solid game plan, and hopefully exe-cute it and play well.

“But the previous disappoint-ments, it’s one tennis match. Doesn’t matter what’s happened in the past really. It’s about what happens on Sunday.”

While Murray is attempt-ing to become the first man in the post-1968 Open era to win the Australian Open after losing four finals, Djokovic has been sweeping all before him. Murray is focusing on what he has to do to deny Djokovic, who is seeking an 11th Grand Slam title to draw level with tennis greats Rod Laver and Bjorn Borg on the all-time list.

Murray, bidding to become the first British man to win the Australian Open since Fred Perry in 1934, knows he can match the dazzling Djokovic, it’s whether he can keep it up for long enough.

“Last year here is a good match for me to look at because the tennis, in my opinion, wasn’t miles apart. It was a very close match for three sets,” he said.

“The most important thing for me is to sustain my level for long enough, not just for one set here or there, a few games here or there.

SPORT 35SUNDAY 31 JANUARY 2016

Kerber stuns Serena in Australian Open final

AFP

MELBOURNE: A tearful Angelique Kerber stunned an errant Serena Williams to win the Australian Open yesterday and thwart the American top seed’s bid to equal Steffi Graf’s Open-era record of 22 Grand Slam titles.

In a huge upset, the seventh seed toppled the 34-year-old 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 to win her maiden major title and become the first German Grand Slam champion since Graf at the 1999 French Open.

Williams, the world number one and defending champion, had won all six previous Melbourne Park finals she had played and had also triumphed in her last eight Grand Slam deciders.

But Kerber, inspired by a good luck message from Graf, knew all the pressure was on her opponent and she mercilessly exploited her weaknesses in a thriller at Rod Laver Arena.

“My whole life I was working really hard and now I’m here and I can say I’m a Grand Slam champion, so it sounds really crazy,” she said, choking back tears.

“The best two weeks of my life and career. I had goose bumps here on the centre court when I was playing.”

The left-handed German, whose win will see her move up from world number six to two, has had an empha-sis on consistency in Melbourne, patiently building control of the point as rallies develop.

It worked well with the 28-year-old, who had never beaten a world number one before, dropping just one

set en route to the final, in the opening round to Miskai Doi when she saved a match point. Williams had been in imperious form all tournament, but too many errors cost her dearly against an opponent she had beaten five times before and lost only once.

“I was actually really happy for her. She’s been around a really long

time,” said Williams. “I think I did the best I could today. You know, would I give myself an A? No. But today this is what I could produce .

“Maybe tomorrow I could pro-duce something different. But that’s all I can go off.”

The imposing American was the overwhelming favourite, having won

three of the four Grand Slam titles last year, but said she was only human.

“I mean, every time I walk in this (press conference) room, everyone expects me to win every single match, every single day of my life,” she told her post-match press conference.

“As much as I would like to be a robot, I’m not.”

The German faced the powerful Williams serve first up, and failed to win a point against it, reinforcing expectations that the top seed would take control.

But Kerber began finding her range and against the odds broke to go 2-1 in front.

An out-of-sorts Williams was hitting too many errors, but holding for 2-3 seemed to temporarily flip a switch in the American who broke back.

But the mistakes piled up and Ker-ber broke again as she dictated the baseline points.

Twenty-three unforced errors from Williams to the German’s three told the story of the first set, which Kerber wrapped up in 39 minutes.

Rattled, Williams cleaned up her act in the second set and it went with serve until the fourth game when two Kerber double faults helped Williams to a 3-1 lead.

She took it into a deciding third set having made only five errors, in stark contrast to her wayward first set.

But it was Kerber who grabbed a decisive break in the third set as she reeled off a brilliant passing shot on her way to a 2-0 lead.

It went with serve until a titanic sixth game, when Williams saved four break points but couldn’t save a fifth as she looped a forehand long.

It spelled the end of the road as Kerber held her nerve to win her first Grand Slam and collapsed to the floor in delight when Williams put another volley long.

Angelique Kerber of Germany poses with the trophy after defeating Serena Williams of the United States in women’s final match at the Australian Open in Melbourne, yesterday.

Winner Angelique Kerber of Germany (right) celebrates with Serena Williams of the US after their final match at the Australian Open in Melbourne, yesterday.

TENNIS: AUSTRALIAN OPEN WOMEN’S SINGLES FINALGerman topples

the overwhelming favourite 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 to win her maiden Grand Slam title

AUSTRALIAN OPEN CHAMPIONS

2016 - Angelique Kerber (GER)

2015 - Serena Williams (USA)

2014 - Li Na (CHN)

2013 - Victoria Azarenka (BLR)

2012 - Victoria Azarenka (BLR)

2011 - Kim Clijsters (BEL)

2010 - Serena Williams (USA)

2009 - Serena Williams (USA)

2008 - Maria Sharapova (RUS)

2007 - Serena Williams (USA)

2006 - Amelie Mauresmo (FRA)

2005 - Serena Williams (USA)

2004 - Justine Henin (BEL)

2003 - Serena Williams (USA)

2002 - Jennifer Capriati (USA)

2001 - Jennifer Capriati (USA)

2000 - Lindsay Davenport (USA)

KERBER’S PATH TO FINALAngelique Kerber (GER x7)

First Round: bt Misaki Doi (JPN)

6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (8/6), 6-3

Second Round: bt Alexandra

Dulgheru (ROM) 6-2, 6-4

Third Round: bt Madison

Brengle (USA) 6-1, 6-3

Fourth Round: bt Annika

Beck (GER) 6-4, 6-0

Quarter-final: bt Victoria

Azarenka (BLR x14) 6-3, 7-5

Semi-final: bt Johanna

Konta (GBR) 7-5, 6-2

Final: bt Serena

Williams (USA x1) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4

FINAL STATSFollowing are some key stats from Angel-

ique Kerber’s 6-4 3-6 6-4 victory over

Serena Williams in the Australian Open

final yesterday:

Angelique Kerber (GER x7) bt Serena Wil-

liams (USA x1) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4

Time: 2hr 08min

Williams - Kerber

7 Aces 5

6 Double Faults 3

47 Winners 25

46 Unforced Errors 13

4/8 Break Point Conversions 5/9

85 Total Points Won 91

‘I’m not a robot’, says Serena after shock defeat to KerberAFP

MELBOURNE: Serena Williams yes-terday said she wasn’t a “robot” and couldn’t win every match she played after slumping to a shock defeat in the Australian Open final against Germa-ny’s Angelique Kerber.

The world number one and top seed was overwhelming favourite to win her 22nd Grand Slam title at Melbourne Park, but an error-strewn performance handed the German a stunning 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 victory.

It stopped Williams matching Steffi Graf’s Open-era record of 22 Grand Slam titles, which will now have to wait at least until the French Open in June.

The 34-year-old, who had won all six of her previous Melbourne Park finals, was the defending champion and won three Grand Slam titles last year. But she said she was not infallible.

“It’s interesting. I mean, every time I walk in this room, everyone expects me to win every single match, every single day of my life,” she said at her post-match press conference.

“As much as I would like to be a robot, I’m not. I try to. But, you know, I do the best that I can.

“I try to win every single time I step out there, every single point, but realistically I can’t do it. Maybe some-one else can, but I wasn’t able to do it.” Williams’ tilt at another title was ultimately undone by 46 unforced errors to Kerber’s 13.

Twenty-three of them came in the opening set as she uncharacter-istically sprayed balls wide and long, while missing almost half of her shots from the net.

“I was missing a lot off the ground, coming to the net. She kept hitting some great shots actually every time I came in,” Williams said.

“I think I kept picking the wrong shots coming into it. But, honestly, it’s something to learn from, just to try to get better.” While her mistakes helped

Kerber, the German also played some scintillating tennis off the baseline and Williams paid tribute to her never-say-die attitude in pressing so hard for her first ever Grand Slam title at the age of 28.

“I was actually really happy for her. She’s been around a really long time. We’ve had a number of matches. I’ve beaten her a lot,” said Williams, who had a 5-1 record against Kerber before the Melbourne final.

“She played so well today. She had an attitude that I think a lot of people can learn from: just to always stay positive and to never give up.

“I was really inspired by that. If I couldn’t win, I’m happy she did.”

Williams made clear during the tournament she was trying not to think about Graf’s record, but she denied that nerves about equalling the milestone played a part in her defeat.

“Once it got started, it was so intense from the beginning till the end that I didn’t really have time to be nervous,” she said. “No, I didn’t think about the record at all. I think more or less I thought just about winning this match. It wasn’t necessarily the record for me.”

Serena Williams of the US reacts as she plays against Germany’s Angelique Kerber during their women’s singles final of the 2016 Australian Open in Melbourne yesterday.

Angelique Kerber of Germany reacts after her victory over Serena Williams of the US in their women’s singles final at the Australian Open in Melbourne, yesterday.

Kerber’s ‘dream’ comes

true with Melbourne winReuters

MELBOURNE: Angelique Ker-ber said her dreams came true in just over two hours on Rod Laver Arena yesterday when she upset defending champion Ser-ena Williams 6-4 3-6 6-4 to win the Australian Open.

The 28-year-old was a rank outsider in her maiden Grand Slam final but stunned the six-times Melbourne champion with an inspired performance to become the first German grand slam winner since Steffi Graf at Roland Garros in 1999.

“My dream came true tonight,” the emotional sev-enth seed said at the on-court presentation.

“My whole life I’ve been working really hard and now I’m here. Now I can say I’m a Grand Slam champion and it sounds really crazy.

“I think sometimes I am really not easy but I have the best family and the best team in the world ... To all of you guys, all of my fans around the world, thank you.”

Kerber also spared a thought for the vanquished champion, who had never lost a Melbourne final and had been hoping to match Graf’s open era record of 22 Grand Slam singles titles. “You are really an inspiration for so many people, so many young tennis players,” Kerber said.

“You are a great champion, you are an unbelievable great person so congrats for every-thing you did already.”

While yesterday was Ker-ber’s first Grand Slam final, Williams was playing in her 25th and, with a beaming smile, she accepted defeat gracefully.

“Angie, congratulations,” the 34-year-old American said.

“You did so well. You really deserved it. You played the best in the tournament. I’m so happy for you and I really hope you enjoy this moment.”

Kerber, who saved a match point in the first round against Misaki Doi, became the first woman to save a match point during the tournament before going on to win the title since Williams did it in 2003 in her semi-final against Kim Clijsters.

She was also the first woman to win the title after being knocked out in the initial round the previous year since Kerry Melville Reid in 1977.

“It’s been such an up and down two weeks, I was match point down in the first round and had one foot in the plane to Germany,” she said.

36 SUNDAY 31 JANUARY 2016

Grace completes grand double at DGC

By Rizwan Rehmat

The Peninsula

DOHA: Paul Lawrie’s loss was Branden Grace’s gain.

Overnight leader Lawrie yester-day imploded in the final round at the $2.5m Qatar Masters where defending champion Grace remained steady to nail his second Mother of Pearl Trophy at the Doha Golf Club (DGC).

Two-time champion Lawrie carded double bogeys on holes 8 and 14 and went down the leaderboard with another four sluggish bogeys to lose the advantage he had enjoyed over the last two rounds.

Lawrie - champion in 1999 and 2012 - finished with a sorry card of 6 over par 78 as the Scotsman quickly disappeared from the top golfers’ list at DGC.

On the contrary, Grace fired a 69 for an overall card of 14 under par 274 to claim the top prize of $416,660 at a windswept DGC where Spain’s Rafa Cabrera-Bello and Denmark’s Thor-bjorn Olesen shared the second spot with overall scores of 12 under par 276.

Welshman Bradley Dredge (69) produced a late surge to share the third spot with overall scores of 11 under par 277.

English pair Andrew Johnston (70) and Lee Slattery (70) shared the fourth spot with Dredge.

Former champion Sergio Garcia of Spain fired a round of 70 to fin-ish 8 under par 280 and was tied for the seventh spot with a group of five other golfers that included title favourite and joint round one leader Louis Oosthuizen (71) of South Africa.

Grace yesterday stuttered with a bogey on the 452-yard hole 5 but the 27-year-old South African recovered with on holes 1, 6, 10 and 18.

With Lawrie no longer a threat, Grace missed a birdie putt on hole 17.

The stockily-built South Afri-can could barely find the words to describe his feelings.

“I’m pretty much at a loss for words. It’s a big thing to come to a

week defending. You’ve got a lot more pressure and a lot more things going on that week,” Grace said.

“But to get the first proper defence under the belt is something great and something I’ve been dreaming of.

“There’s no better place to do it than Qatar. This is really one of my biggest wins to date last year and I think this is just going to push it up even higher,” Grace said.

Grace said his battle with Cabrera-Bello and Olesen was intense with the title actually decided on the last hole.

“Well, 16 I thought was a key hole. I knew Thorbjorn, he was play-ing well. He was hitting some great shots. He also didn’t miss a lot of shots the whole day,” Grace recalled.

“It’s a really tough grind out there. 16, he hit a great tee shot. When he said -- I think he said “get close,” and that was pretty much a little deja vu there when he said it, me saying it last year.

“When he said that, I thought he had a good chance. I thought he was over, with no applause and I knew anything long was a tough up-and-down.

“(I) tried to give myself a chance and I didn’t. And when he missed that putt, then I knew, okay, now it’s just trying to hold on and have a decent finish.

“17 is not one of those holes where you can really attack the pin. It’s so tucked left. The wind howling off the left, it’s really hard to actually hit it close. I actually hit a great shot there, which I thought I made a birdie actu-ally. I hit a great putt which didn’t go in.

“I knew there was quite a bit of guys. Rafa was up there. He’s a long hitter. He can definitely reach that 18th in two. Just fortunate for me that the birdie was enough.

“I didn’t really hear a big crowd for Rafa so I had to take it on. A 3-iron is not the easiest club in the bag to hit, and I just flushed it straight at the middle of the green and that took care of the rest,” Grace said.

Olesen had just two birdies - on holes 4 and 18 - but got bogged down by a bogey on 8 to finish his final round with a card of 71 for an overall score of 12 under par 276.

The Danish said he was pleased with his performance in Qatar.

“If you take it the start of the week, tied second is pretty good,” Olesen said.

“Obviously I had a lot of chances today but nothing really went in. I missed that short putt on 10 which hurt a lot. I never really got the pace on the greens.

“(I) had a few good lines but then

they were short. When I got it to the hole, it was not a good line. So it was just a little off there around the greens,” he said.

Cabrera-Bello, who was tied for the second with Olesen, finished his final round with three-back-to-back birdies for a card of 70 for overall score of 12 under par 276.

The Spaniard fired a birdie on the first hole but lost ground with a dou-ble bogey on hole 8.

“Yes, I started good today. Made a bad mistake on 8, and then it was hard to get birdies. I had a very strong fin-ish and obviously very pleased with the result,” Cabrera-Bello said.

“No, it’s just a tough day,” Cabrera-Bello said when asked about the

double bogey on hole 8. “It was com-mon to make mistakes. Many of the guys out there were also making mis-takes, so I told myself that there was still a lot to play for,” he said.

Garcia, winner in 2014, said it was a grind at DGC this week.

“Really happy with the first two days. Quite disappointed with the last two,” Garcia said after carding a 70 yesterday.

“I didn’t feel like I played well enough -- well at all, pretty much, on the last two days. It’s a bit of a shame because I felt really, really comfort-able the first two days. I felt like I hit the ball really well, but the way I hit the ball on the weekend, it didn’t feel that great,” he said.

South African wins Mother of Pearl Trophy for the second successive year as Cabrera-Bello and Olesen share the second spot

QATAR MASTERS SCORES

274 Branden Grace (RSA)

70-67-68-69

276 Thorbjorn Olesen (DEN) 67-69-

69-71, Rafael Cabrera-Bello

(ESP) 67-68-71-70

277 Lee Slattery (ENG) 69-69-69-

70, Andrew Johnston (ENG)

66-69-72-70, Bradley Dredge

(WAL) 71-67-70-69

280 Richard Bland (ENG) 72-69-67-

72, Tommy Fleetwood (ENG)

67-69-70-74, Sergio García

(ESP) 70-66-74-70, George

Coetzee (RSA) 67-70-73-70,

Louis Oosthuizen (RSA) 65-73-

71-71, Ricardo Gouveia (POR)

67-71-70-72

281 Joost Luiten (NED) 70-67-

74-70, Johan Carlsson (SWE)

69-67-72-73, Pablo Larrazábal

(ESP) 65-72-72-72, Bernd

Wiesberger (AUT) 68-70-

70-73, Mikko Ilonen (FIN)

71-68-71-71, Grégory Bourdy

(FRA) 67-68-72-74, Paul

Lawrie (SCO) 67-66-70-78

282 Robert Rock (ENG) 68-70-

71-73, Thongchai Jaidee

(THA) 68-72-71-71, Benjamin

Hébert (FRA) 71-70-71-70,

Jorge Campillo (ESP) 69-68-

73-72, Soren Kjeldsen (DEN)

70-69-75-68

283 Alejandro Cañizares (ESP)

73-67-73-70, Nicolas Colsaerts

(BEL) 66-68-77-72

284 Grégory Havret (FRA) 71-67-

70-76, Roope Kakko (FIN)

69-71-72-72, Ernie Els (RSA)

68-70-72-74, Marcel Siem

(GER) 69-71-75-69

It was brutal conditions out there, says the championThe Peninsula

DOHA: South Africa’s Branden Grace yesterday admitted strong winds made life difficult for the players at the Doha Gold Club (DGC) but the defending champion said he was pleased to have won his second title at $2.5m Qatar Masters.

Grace finished the final round with a 69 for an overall card of 14 under par 274 at a windswept DGC. Spain’s Rafa Cabrera-Bello and Thorbjorn Olesen were tied for the second spot.

A quick Q and A with the Qatar Masters champion:

Question: Your first successful title defence, 7th European Tour win. How does it feel?

Branden Grace: It’s great. I’m pretty much at a loss for words. It’s a big thing to come to a week defending. You’ve got a lot more pressure and a lot more things going on that week. But to get the first proper defence under the belt is something great and some-thing I’ve been dreaming of. You know, there’s no better place to do it than Qatar. This is really one of my biggest wins to date last year, and I think this is just going to push it up even higher.

Q: It looked today like it was kind of a strategy going perfectly to plan, yes?

Grace: I just told myself, if I play-ing the same type of golf that I played yesterday, I should be there or

thereabouts. It’s brutal conditions out there. You can’t really force things to happen. You just need to stay patient and let it happen. I did that really well

yesterday and it worked to my advan-tage and did the same today.

Q: With the form you had coming into this week, you must have felt like

this was on the horizon pretty close.Grace: Yeah, it was. I’ve played

some really good golf. Everything has just happened. The patience wasn’t there the last couple of weeks. I felt things last week progressed well in the right direction and I thought I had a good chance, and pushed a little bit too hard, went after a couple of shots I shouldn’t have and those things cost me two bogeys on the back nine on Sunday. This week, I think it played a little bit into my hands with the weather. I enjoy tough conditions. I’m a grinder, and you know, the patience was a big key. I really had to grind it out and let it happen, and when I had the opportunity of making a birdie, I had to take it. That was the big key today.

Q. This tournament has a great list of champions but you’re the first one to appear on it twice that row. How does that make you feel?

Grace: Oh, it’s great. I’ll say this, I’m definitely coming back.It’s awe-some. Like you said, there’s some great names, there’s a lot of big names on the trophy. I feel privileged to be able to get my name on there in a row twice, and that’s great. Great feel-ing, my first defence that I’ve done properly. I’ve had a couple of tour-naments but none of them’s worked out. This is special. It’s definitely get-ting myself over another hurdle. It’s all a big learning curve as your career goes on. I’ve learned a lot this week

for myself, learned patience, and I’ve learned what it takes now to defend a title. And not just that; to win a title again. It happened two years ago, or last year, but it feels long gone. So it’s great to be in the winner’s circle again.

Q. What’s been the toughest part, winning it for the first time here or defending?

Grace: Both were so different. The first one was obviously, I was never really there. I fell behind early in the day last year on Saturday, and the guys, Marc Warren and the guys, made some birdies and I was behind and chasing the pack. And then I just had that miraculous finish, eagle, par, birdie, and the rest was history. Today was a grind. Weather conditions like these, it’s just tough. It’s tough men-tally. It’s tough physically. And even though -- the thing is when you start going after things, that’s when it back-fires, and I think that’s why this one was almost more special than last year. You really had to stick to your guns, stick to the game plan. I had the game plan. I just wanted to play the same type of golf that I played yes-terday and it worked out and it was enough at the end.

Q. What’s your thoughts now of moving inside the Top-10 in the World Rankings for the first time?

Grace: Yeah, well, I know for a fact I’m not going to get there after this win. I’m knocking. I’m very close. You know what, that comes with it. Golf works in

a way if you can take care of tourna-ments and try and compete and try to win or finish at the top, you’ll move up in the World Rankings eventually. Top-10 has been a long-time goal for me. So you know, if I can get in there, then that’s great. I believe it’s going to happen, whether it’s maybe after this week or after the next tournament I play. I’ve given myself the chance of getting that, and I feel that the type of golf that I’m playing at the moment, that it’s not far off. I’m excited to head over to the States and hopefully can do it over there.

Q. How confident are you ahead of -- after today, ahead of Augusta?

Grace: You know, majors are obvi-ously a big goal for any golfer, any guy that gets in there, it’s a chance to win a major. I feel with the things that I’ve learned in the previous couple, I had some good finishes, and I feel my game is in good shape that I can get there. The majors, pretty much the same as this week. You need a bit -- there’s a bit of luck involved. You need to get the luck that goes your way with the draw, etc. There’s one or two putts that’s clutch with makes it, or one or two swings which can turn every-thing around. That was the case at the US Open for me on the 16th, but I’ve learned from that. You know, hope-fully, if I get into that position again next time around, that I’ve learned enough to know that I should do maybe that one thing different.

Grace celebrates winning the Qatar Masters.

Branden Grace of South Africa poses with the Qatar Masters trophy at the Doha Golf Club yesterday. Spain’s Rafa Cabrera-Bello and Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen shared the second spot. Right: Cabrera-Bello in action at the $2.5m European Tour event.