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Egypt due for another devaluation:

Economists

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Eid shoppers at a shopping mall in Doha yesterday. Buying has surged at shopping centres ahead of Eid-Al-Fitr with families looking for the best bargains. Pic: Kammutty VP/ The Peninsula

Shopping surge

MONDAY 4 JULY 2016 • 29 RAMADAN 1437 • Volume 21 • Number 6847 thepeninsulaqatar @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatar

RAMADAN

TIMING

Today’s Iftar 6 : 31 pmTomorrow’s Imsak 3 : 09 am

119 dead as truck bomb goes off in Baghdad shopping areaAgencies

BAGHDAD: A suicide truck bomb in downtown Baghdad killed 119 people and wounded nearly 200 others who were out shopping and celebrating early yesterday ahead of the holiday marking the end of Ramadan, secu-rity and medical officials said.

The attack, claimed by the Islamic State group, was the dead-liest in months in the Iraqi capital, and came despite a series of recent gains against the extremists, includ-ing the capture of Fallujah, which was believed to have been a source of such attacks.

The bomb went off shortly after midnight in a crowded shopping area in the central Karada district, kill-ing at least 115 people and wounding 187, according to a police official. The dead included at least 15 children, 10 women and six policemen. At least twelve other people were still miss-ing and feared dead.

Karada is a major commercial area lined with clothing and jew-ellery stores, restaurants and cafes, and was packed with shoppers ahead of Wednesday’s Eid Al Fitr holi-day marking the end of Ramadan. Most of the victims were inside a

multi-storey shopping and amuse-ment mall, where dozens burned to death or suffocated, police said.

It was the deadliest attack in Iraq since July 2015 and among the worst single bombings in more than a dec-ade of war and insurgency.

“It was like an earthquake,” said Karim Sami, a 35-year-old street vendor. “I wrapped up my goods and

was heading home when I saw a fire-ball with a thunderous bombing,” the father of three said.

“I was so scared to go back and started to make phone calls to my friends, but none answered.” He said that one of his friends was killed, another was wounded and one was still missing.

→ See also page 6

Entertainment galore during Eid holidays

The Peninsula

DOHA: As the country gears up to celebrate Eid Al Fitr, Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) has announced an array of fun-filled family enter-tainment programmes. QTA’s entertainment package includes lei-sure activities and interactive shows for people of all ages during the hol-idays.

Hot but stable weather has been forecast during the holidays. In a special weather report issued ahead of the Eid holidays, the Meteorology Department said, “The weather will be stable and suitable for all kinds of activities”.

The weather chart, however, cautioned against direct exposure to sunlight during the day.

Temperature is expected to be between 44 °C and 35 °C, with winds expected to be northwesterly – northeasterly light to moderate with speeds between 5 to 15 knots, but would reach up to 22 knots at places on Friday and Saturday.

The QTA yesterday announced 15 locations where Eid Al-Fitr 2016 Festival will take place over five days, beginning on the first day of Eid, which is likely to fall tomorrow or on Wednesday.

QTA with several partners will offer entertainment activities and shows at venues across the coun-try, including at malls, beaches and the Qatar National Theatre. Activities will vary from plays for children, paragliding, horse riding and museum tours.

Activities at shopping malls will be held between 5pm to 10pm including Drummers Parade, Frit-ters, Hungry Chefs, Walkabout Birds, Koka Stilt Walkers and Live Statue.

Special shows will be Alice in Wonderland (City Centre), Sleeping Beauty (Dar Al Salam), The Little Mermaid (Ezdan Mall), Snow White (Lagoona Mall), IftahYaSimsim (Hyatt Plaza) and Dora’s Friendship Fiesta (Al Khor Mall).

While several other shows such as Doctor Bubble, Equilibrium on the Reels, Comedy Show, Tanoura Per-formance, Ardha Traditional Dance, Oriental Dabke and Kids Magi-cian will rotate between the malls. Entrance to all events at malls are free.

→ Continued on page 4

Community events lined up The Peninsula

DOHA: The Public Relations Depart-ment of the Ministry of Interior in collaboration with Community Policing Department will organise ‘Communities Eid Al Fitr 2016 Cele-brations’ on first and second days of Eid Al Fitr on a stage specially built near Asian Town cricket stadium in Doha Industrial Area for Indian, Sri Lankan, Nepalese and Korean com-munities. Celebrations will be held at Al Wakra Sports Club for Bangla-deshi and Pakistani communities on the first day of Eid.

The performances at Asian Town will begin at 5pm and continue until 11pm. Workers will be given a chance

to showcase their talents in singing and dancing on stage. Musical bands will be another attraction at each venue.

Indian community organisa-tions registered under Indian Cultural Center — Sanskriti Qatar, Thirumut-tam, Vishwakalavedi and Bangiya Parishad will be performing dances. Skills Development Center’s team will take part in the event by show-casing Arabic dance and Indian folk dance along with performance by SDC Music Club.

The Sri Lankan Coordination Committee will participate in the celebration by presenting songs, dra-mas, folk dances while the Korean community will put up a Korean DJ music show on the first day of Eid.

The Nepalese community will take part in the celebrations through Non Residents Nepalese Association (NRNA) by performing songs, group dances and putting up folk and tra-ditional shows presented by Khatang Samaj, Magar Samaj, Bishwakarma Samaj and Fewa Cultural Family.

The Eid Cultural Celebration of Pakistani community will be held in the football stadium of Wakra Sports Club from 6pm on the first day of Eid in which famous Paki-stani artistes such as Khalid Malak, Hashmat Sahar, Gul Nawaz, Zardad Bulbul, Khalidah Yasmin, Nadiya Gul, Radmi and Mina Gul will perform.

The Bangladeshi community’s cultural programme will start after Magrib prayers.

Reuters

JERUSALEM: A two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is slipping away, the UN special coordinator for Middle East peace warned yesterday, after both sides shrugged off criticism by interna-tional mediators.

A report released on Friday by the so-called Quartet — United States, European Union, United Nations and Russia — called on Israel to stop its policy of build-ing settlements on occupied land and restricting Palestinian development.

Israeli policy “is steadily erod-ing the viability of the two-state solution,” it said. It also urged the Palestinian Authority to take steps to end incitement to violence against Israelis, condemn “all acts of terrorism” and do more to com-bat them.

DOHA: The Ministry of Endow-ments and Islamic Affairs (Awqaf) has prepared 298 mosques and prayer grounds in the country for the blessed Eid Al Fitr prayer, including 35 mosques and places reserved for women.

The Ministry announced that Eid Al Fitr prayers will be per-formed at 5:03am, reports Qatar News Agency.

Eid prayers at 5.03amActivities include walkabouts and special shows at malls.

The site of the suicide car bomb in the Karrada shopping area of Baghdad yesterday.

New gold jewellery resale

rule worries traders

By Sanaullah Ataullah

The Peninsula

DOHA: The Ministry of Economy and Commerce has issued new sales invoice for gold jewellery shops to protect the rights of customers.

The move is part of the Minis-try’s decision last month to bring in fresh regulation for the sale of gold and jewellery.

Market sources told The Penin-sula the Consumer Protection Department (CPD), which works under the Ministry of Economy and Commerce, met with representatives of gold shops in the country and cir-culated among them a draft copy of the new invoice explaining the fresh regulations.

According to the proposed regu-lations, jewellery shops are expected to consider gemstones used in gold jewellery as gold when custom-ers resell used ornaments. At the meeting, shop owners reportedly expressed concern over this pro-posal. “We received a notice from the CPD to attend a meeting on June 29 to discuss new rules regulating sale of gold”, said a salesman of a

gold shop in Doha.“I attended the meeting with

a dozen other representatives of gold shops. CPD gave us a sample of new sales invoice with full details including date, invoice number, names of the shop and buyer, means of payment, number of items, spec-ifications, trademark, number of pieces, weight, carat, colour, mak-ing charge, total amount paid and seal and signature of the seller”, said the salesman.

A number of other issues related to the sale of gold and jewellery were also discussed at the meeting.

“At the meeting, the CPD officials wanted the shop owners to consider gemstones used in gold jewellery as gold when customers resell old jewellery to gold shops. It is not rea-sonable because we buy gemstones from manufactures at the rate of gold and sell it as it is. But when we sell old jewellery to manufactures and factories they did not count gem-stones as gold”, said a trader who attended the meeting. The shop owners expect the authorities to reconsider the proposal to consider gemstones as gold during the resale.

→ Continued on page 4

Emir congratulates

Belarus President

DOHA: Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani yesterday sent a cable of congratulations to President of Belarus, Alexan-der Lukashenko, on his country’s Independence Day, reports QNA.

Emir condoles

with Saudi KingDOHA: Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani sent yesterday a cable of condolences to the Cus-todian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia on the death of Prince Mansour bin Faisal bin Saud bin Abdulrahman Al Saud, reports QNA.

Deputy Emir H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani also sent a cable of condolences to King Salman. Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani also sent a similar cable to King Salman.

Two-state solution

slipping away:

UN official

DOHA: The Emiri Diwan announced yesterday that Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani will receive well-wishers on the occasion of the blessed Eid-Al- Fitr, at Al Wajba Palace on the first day of Eid, in the following order:

Immediately after the Eid prayer until 6:30am, the Emir will receive Their Excellencies Sheikhs, Ministers, the Speaker of the Advi-sory (Shura) Council, Ministries’ undersecretaries, members of the Shura Council and citizens.

From 6:30am to 6:45am, the Emir will receive Heads of dip-lomatic missions. From 6:45am to 7am, the Emir will receive the Armed Forces and Police officers as well as directors of departments and national institutions. The Emir will also receive immediately after the Asr prayer to 4:15pm Their Excellencies Sheikhs and citizens

Emir to receive

well-wishers on Eid

anoth

HOME02 MONDAY 4 JULY 2016

Belarus President congratulated on Independence Day

DOHA: Deputy Emir H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani yesterday sent a cable of con-gratulations to Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko on his country’s Independence Day.

Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani sent a similar cable to President Lukashenko.

Eid timings of QIB branches DOHA: For customers’ conven-ience, Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB), Qatar’s leading Islamic bank, has announced that The Gate Mall, Dar Al Salam and City Center branches will open its doors from the evening of the second day of Eid as per regular banking hours.

After Eid holidays, all 31 QIB branches will resume work as per regular morning and evening shifts. The branches at the malls will be open from Sat-urday until Thursday from 9am to 2.30pm and 3.30pm to 9pm and on Friday from 4pm to 9pm. QIB e-channels will be available 24/7 through Internet banking, QIB mobile banking application, call centre and over 170 ATMs and cash deposit machines across the country.

The Peninsula

DOHA: Hamad Bin Khalifa Univer-sity’s (HBKU) College of Law and Public Policy held a Ramadan event for students from its Juris Doctor (JD) graduate law programme.

The event aimed to bring students together with leaders from Qatar’s legal community and celebrate the college’s first programme of legal internships being held throughout the summer.

Last year, the JD programme was the first to be launched by the college. It delivers a customised legal curric-ulum that uses innovative methods of instruction focusing on meeting the needs of the Gulf’s most impor-tant industries.

The internships have been organ-ised to offer students the chance to

experience the practice of law and solidify the theoretical understand-ing of legal issues and concepts learnt in the classroom.

“The JD programmer is the first of its kind in the region and fosters innovation and resourcefulness within our students while developing their legal knowledge,” said Profes-sor Clinton Francis, Founding Dean of the college.

“I am grateful to all faculty mem-bers and staff who have been so supportive of such a pioneering pro-gramme and I am proud of what our students have accomplished so far.

“I’m delighted the students are getting the opportunity to enjoy internships at a variety of organisations in Qatar, and am grateful to all of those offering internships.

“Such real-world experience working alongside legal profession-als can enhance their knowledge and build connections that will have a lasting positive benefit for all involved.”

Professor Francis was speaking at a Suhoor gathering hosted by the college which offered an opportunity for the JD students to gather together with local legal stakeholders and discuss the practical aspects of their education. Representatives of Qatar International Court Dispute Resolution Centre, Sultan Al Abdulla & Partners law firm, Ghada M Darwish law firm, Al Sulaiti law

firm and the Supreme Committee for Legacy and Delivery were present.

Ibrahim Al Jabor, a JD student interning at Siemens, said, “I was drawn to the programme because of its academic and practical components that prepare students to successfully enter the market

after they graduate. For me, the degree supplements my long career in engineering projects and contracts.”

The summer internship is part of an undertaking by the college that students’ learning experience be in line with the needs of Qatari

society and involve interaction with the community. Other initi-atives from the JD program include a Legal Leadership Speaker Series, where experts from the country are invited to visit the college to share knowledge and experiences with students.

HBKU law students take on internships

Officials and students at the Suhoor gathering.

HBKU College of Law and Public Policy celebrates the first programme of legal internships of Juris Doctor graduate course.

The Peninsula

DOHA: Sidra Medical and Research Center (Sidra) has announced the appointment of Dr. John Ferguson (pictured) as Chief Medical Officer.

As CMO, Dr. Ferguson will provide critical physician input and counsel

in daily clinical services. He will be involved in overseeing Sidra’s patient and family centric focus via clinical advancements; quality improvement and patient safety; as well as adopt-ing the latest technologies and best practice methodologies to ensure the effective care of patients.

“Dr. Ferguson’s appointment

represents another milestone as we ready for two facilities — our outpatient clinic becoming fully operational by January 2017 and the preparation for the phasing of in-patient services at the main hospital.

“He will play a critical role in incorporating the latest advances in paediatric and maternity services. His

experience and commitment to high-quality healthcare delivery is a great fit with our key mission to provide patients with world-class services in an innovative and ultramodern set-ting,” said Peter Morris, CEO, Sidra.

Dr. Ferguson joins Sidra from Austin Health, a major tertiary hospital in Melbourne, Australia,

which is also the provider of state-wide quaternary services, including liver transplant, spinal services and the Victorian Respiratory Support Service. Prior to Austin Health, Dr. Ferguson was part of an Australian team tasked with developing two new hospitals and three new clinics in Kuwait City.

Dr. Ferguson appointed Chief Medical Officer at Sidra

HOME 03 MONDAY 4 JULY 2016

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker said: “It is our pleasure to offer this vibrant destination to our customers.”

Timings for all

Kahramaa

filling stations

announced

The Peninsula

DOHA: Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kah-ramaa) has announced timings for all its Tanker Filling Stations (TFS) during Eid-al- Fitr holidays.

Customers have been asked to call on 991 in case of emergency as customers service centres will be closed during Eid-al-Fitr holidays.

On the last day of Ramadan and a day before Eid, Sailiyah and Umm Salal Tanker filling Stations will be open from 6am to 12 mid-night while Al- Wakra, Al Khor and Al Shihaniya, filling stations will be operating in two shifts from 6am to 4pm and 6pm to 10pm.

Al Shamal, Al Jumeiliya and Mesaeid stations will be working from 6am to 11am and from 6pm to 10pm. filling station of Al Ghu-wairiya will be closed.

The filling stations at Sailiya and Umm Salal will be open from 2pm and operate round the clock on first Eid Day while Al- Wakra, Al- Khor and Al Shahaniya filling stations will be open from 2pm to 10pm. Other filling stations will be closed on first day of Eid.

On the next day of Eid-ul- Fitr until last day of Eid vacation, Sal-iya and Umm Salal filling stations will be open round the clock while Al Wakra filling station will be functional from 6am to 10pm and other filling stations Al Khor, Al Shihaniya, Al Shamal, Al Jumeiliya and Mesaeid will be functional from 6am to 2pm.

Al Ghuwairiya station will open on July 9 from 6am to 2pm.

Customer services centers will be closed during Eid-al-Fitr holidays. Kahramaa has readied technical teams to tackle emer-gency cases during Eid. Customers can call Kahramaa on 991.

The Peninsula

DOHA: Qatar Airways added another feather into its cap by add-ing tourist favourite Marrakech to its global route map. The airline’s inaugural flight landed at Marra-kech Menara Airport on July 1 and it opened up a world of more than 150 destinations to customers trav-elling from the Moroccan city.

On board flight QR1395 was a Qatar Airways delegation lead by Dr Hugh Dunleavy, the airline’s Chief Commercial Officer, who was greeted by the Marrakech Menara Airport General Manager, Nawal Mounir; Morocco’s Minister of tour-ism, Lahcen Haddad; and the Qatari Counselor to Morocco, Mansour Abdullah Al Sulaiteen.

To celebrate first flight, Qatar Airways hosted an Iftar for VIPs, officials, trade and media, at La Mamounia hotel in Marrakech.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker said: “Marrakech is one of Morocco’s most popular cities for tourists, and it is our pleasure to offer this vibrant destination to our customers, while also opening up seamless connec-tivity to more than 150 cities around the world to those travelling from Morocco, through our hub at Hamad International Airport.

There is immense potential in Marrakech, both in terms of

The Peninsula

DOHA: After concluding its 2016- Ramadan Festival titled: “Human Creation in the Holy Quran”, the Cul-tural Village Foundation-Katara will mark Eid Al-Fitr Festival, with a four-day exclusive programme of fun and excitement from the first day of Eid.

A musical show under the theme of “A Childs’s Dream” will be staged on Kataraesplanade with three-daily performances in Arabic and Eng-lish. The first show will be in Arabic scheduled at 7 pm; while the second in English will begin at 8:30 pm. The third show in Arabic will begin at 9:30 pm. Eid gifts will also be presented to children at 6:45pm and 9:00 pm, and a dazzling display of fireworks will

follow to light up the night sky with brilliant colorful lights.

General Manager of Katara, Dr Khalid Bin Ibrahim Al-Sulaiti, said: “It’s one of Katara’s known traditions now that we culminate our Ramadan Festival with Eid Al-Fitr extravaganza. We strive to offer children and fam-ilies from Qatar and abroad happy moments and special times, as it’s an opportunity for many to accompany

their families and friends at our joyful shows during the Eid holidays”.

He added: “The Cultural Village has become a prominent tourism destination in Qatar, and our hub and services are widely appreci-ated. We promise our guests, from all age groups an unforgettable Eid experience with special shows through full-range family-centric social, cul-tural and artistic programme. That is a

focal message Katara has always been keen to send: We are a platform of love, peace and human co-existence for all”.

Dr. Al-Sulaiti said: “Our exclusive programmes are aimed at attracting wider audiences that add real value to Qatar’s cultural and tourism scene. Our reputation speaks for us and we call upon all to join the KataraEid Fes-tival and enjoy the spectacular shows and stunning displays of fireworks”.

tourist and business travel, and we are pleased to offer the services of the world’s best airline to passengers travelling for all purposes.”

Flight QR 1395 was welcomed by the water salute at Marrakech Menara Airport Qatar Airways will operate flights three times a week from Doha to Marrakech on Wednesday, Friday,

and Sunday via Casablanca. The return flight from Marrakech travels directly non-stop to Doha.

Qatar Airways began its Morocco operations in 2002. Today, custom-ers can fly daily to to Casablanca from Doha. Additionaly through a codeshare partnership with Royal Air Maroc, Qatar Airways offers

customers an opportunity to seam-lessly connect to destinations throughout Morocco, Spain, and north and west Africa, with additional bene-fit of enhanced frequent flyer benefits.

Import and export businesses in Morocco will also benefit from the new service which provides up to 33 tonnes of belly-hold cargo capacity a week.

Qatar Airways delegation lead by Dr Hugh Dunleavy, Chief Commercial Officer greeted by Morocco’s Minister of Tourism, Lahcen Haddad, and the Qatari Counsellor to Morocco, Mansour Abdullah Al Sulaiteen.

Qatar Airways starts flying to Marrakech

Katara to organise four-day events to mark Eid Al-Fitr

Al Mukhtar Contracting & Trading Co hosted an Iftar gathering for its employees at Millennium Hotel, Doha recently.

Al Mukhtar hosts Iftar party for staff

Lulu Exchange Company, the leading worldwide remittance and foreign exchange services provider in Qatar, celebrated its third anniversary at D-Ring Road branch yesterday. Senior management of the company and Lulu Group International and customers were present.

Lulu Exchange marks third anniversary

HOME04 MONDAY 4 JULY 2016

The Peninsula

DOHA: Logic Group of Companies declared 999 winners of its mega raf-fle draw conducted at Logic Mall in Muaither.

The first prize of a Toyota Land Cruiser went to Indian Peer Moham-med, and the second prize of a Toyota Camry to Egyptian Mohammed Asam Soophy.

Other winners received LG Ultra HD TV, Samsung HD TV, 25-gramme gold coin, iPhone, Samsung refriger-ator, LG washing machine, Lenovo laptop, Samsung Galaxy phones, Paz-pot home appliances, including home theatre, washing machine, iron box, watch, torch, emergency light and kettle.

Ali Mohammed J A AL Atab was the Chief Guest at the draw. Logic Group of Companies Managing Direc-tor T V H Useph, Chief Operating

Officer Mohammed Siraj, Group General Manager Shamsudheen, Per-sonal Manager P S Najeeb, division

and outlet managers and staff were present. The Group will announce next offers to mark Eid Al Fitr.

Logic Group names 999 mega draw winners

Officials and other participants at the mega draw.

The Peninsula

DOHA: Wyndham Grand Regency Doha Hotel is offering special packages in cel-ebration of Eid Al Fitr.

Book a room and get a 20 percent discount all our restaurants and spa treat-ments, including a breakfast buffet for two people, access to the fitness centre and swimming pool and free access to the Internet anywhere in the hotel.

The offer is valid from today until July 12 for a limited number of rooms and is subject to availability and conditions apply. It is for all GCC citizens and res-idents only.

The hotel wishes all its guests a happy Eid and a most enjoyable stay. The 246-room hotel offers single, double and suite accommodations.

Rooms feature a harmonious blend of traditional architecture and contemporary design alongside all comforts and ameni-ties to be expected from a five-star hotel.

Special Eid buffet at

Ramada Encore DohaDOHA: Ramada Encore Doha is offering an inspirational Eid dining experience at Hub restaurant.

A specially crafted buffet with a lavish feast of salads, hot and cold Mezzeh, and a wide selection of Arabic sweets is being offered at a promotional price of QR70 per person for lunch buffet and QR80 per per-son for dinner buffet.

Come and share great memories over a scrumptious spread and let our joyful preparations ring in the festive celebra-tions of Eid for you and your loved ones.

The hotel management and team wish you and your family Eid Mubarak.

The hotel is the perfect location for business and leisure 13km from Hamad International Airport.

It is also minutes away from cultural and historical attractions and commer-cial areas.

Wyndham Grand

Regency Doha Hotel

offers Eid packages

The Peninsula

DOHA: The Sohni Dharti Forum of Pakistanis in Qatar organised Sohni Dharti Eid Bazaar in Al Khor on Friday.

It was inaugurated by Arbaab Qaisar, Commer-cial Attaché at the Pakistan Embassy, along with Sohni Dharti committee members.

Sohni Dharti Chairman Rana Anwar Ali said it is the most successful event of the forum.

He announced that the popular Sohni Dharti Mango

festival will be held on July 21 in Al Khor.

The bazzar featured col-ourful stalls for ladies and gents wear, delicious Pakistani sweets and food, hena and tra-ditional jewellery.

Thousands of visitors attended the bazaar. A major attraction was a stall for sweets brought from Pakistan by Takreem.

The stall was owned by Fatima Omar from Takreem.

Pakistani traditional sweets from Rehmat-e-Shereen and Today’s Fashion also featured at the event.

Pakistani forum holds

Sohni Dharti Eid Bazaar

Visitors at the bazaar.

People shopping at a mall ahead of Eid Al Fitr. Pic: Kammutty VP / The Peninsula

Continued from page 1

“The CPD officials told us to hold the next meeting after Eid Al Fitr for further discussion on the issue and come to a decision,” the sources added.

Explaining how the outlets evaluate the resale value of gold jewellery, a trader said: “Ideally, we deduct QR6 for customs duty, QR10 for making charges and about QR15 for our charges per gramme of old gold jewellery. A set of gold jewellery worth QR50,000 has a resale value of QR40,000 if gold prices does not witness a steep fall.”

Continued from page 1

A variety of shows, includ-ing live entertainment at Katara Cultural Village, will start at 7pm and culminate in a firework spectacle at 11.15pm.

A theatrical performance Tar Al Wazir — an Arabic comedy about social issues in Qatar and the GCC — will be held between 6.30pm and 9.30pm at Qatar National Theatre.

Tickets are priced from QR50 to QR500.

Children’s play, The Hunter and the Pirates, will be staged at Al Rayyan Theatre in Souq Waqif between 4.30pm and 6.30pm.

Tickets for the play are

priced from QR30 to QR300.Horse riding at Al Sam-

riya Equestrian Academy will be held from 8.30am to 6pm and tickets for stagecoach ride is priced at QR50.

An Arabian horse tour will cost QR100.

More excitement is prom-ised by Qatar Air Sports Committee at the Sealine beach for people who like aer-ial paragliding and a tour will cost QR250.

Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum will be offer-ing free tours.

Entertainment options will be available at Aqua Park, Al Dosari Zoo and Game Reserve, the Pearl-Qatar and Aspire Zone Foundation.

Eid shows & fun activities lined up

The Peninsula

DOHA: Barwa Bank, Qatar’s most progressive Shari’ah-compliant service provider, has successfully concluded its Ramadan Campaign 2016 ‘#My_Ramadan_Moments’, with its message to highlight the Holy Month’s values and charitable work.

The campaign’s video, which aimed to invite the public to celebrate the sacred month’s values, customs and traditions, managed to garner over 100,000 views on the bank’s Facebook page in record time.

Followers and fans had remark-able contributions that helped in delivering the bank’s message to all segments of society. The bank also launched the sixth edition of its Ramadan Football Tournament and provided QR64,000 to Qatar Char-ity (QC) and Eid Charity as part of its promise to triple the registration fees of the tournament for the benefit of

the needy. The tournament, which saw the participation of 16 teams, concluded with a coronation cere-mony for the QC team, where Talal Ahmed Al Khaja, Chief Group Com-munications Officer at the bank, awarded cash and symbolic prizes to the best performing teams and players and presented financial con-tributions to each both charities. The QC team won the championship title, Ezdan Holding team finished second and Kafood team won the third place prize.

The bank hosted an Iftar event for Qatar Foundation for Elderly People Care and honoured the elderly. It also held its 2016 Annual Gala ceremony along with a staff Suhoor event to celebrate Ramadan and honour 30 top-notch talents with Business Excel-lence Award. Tribute was also paid to employees who completed five or more years in the Group and recog-nition certificates were awarded to ‘The First Investor’ employees who completed 10 and 15 years.

Barwa Bank concludes Ramadan campaign

Jewellers’ meeting

QSTec workshops

DOHA: QSTec hosted workshops for children, enabling them to build solar lanterns out of recy-cled materials. As part of its Shams Generation programme, the week-long programme took place every evening after Iftar at Katara Cul-tural Village as part of the Katara Ramadan Festival.

RamadanRamadanThoughts Thoughts

Every Muslim is required to pay Zakatul Fitr at the conclusion of the month of Ramadan as a token of

thankfulness to God for having ena-bled him to observe fasts. Its purpose is to purify those who fast from any indecent act or speech and to help the poor and needy.

This view is based upon the hadith which reads: “The Messenger of Allah, (peace be upon him) enjoined Zakatul Fitr on those who fast to shield them from any indecent act or speech, and for the purpose of providing food for the needy. It is accepted as Zakah for

the one who pays it before the Eid prayer, and it is sadaqah for the one who pays it after the prayer.”

Al Qaradawi comments on this hadith by saying that there are two purposes: one is related to the indi-vidual; for completion of his fast and compensation for any shortcom-ings in his acts or speech. The other is related to society; for the spread-ing of love and happiness among its members, particularly the poor and needy, during the day of Eid. It also purifies one’s soul from such short-comings as the adoration of property, and from miserliness. Furthermore, it purifies one’s property from the stain of unlawful earnings. It is also a cure for ailments.

The Prophet (PBUH) said: “It would be better that you treat your patients with charity.” In addition, it provides for the needs of the poor and the indi-gent and relieves them from having to ask others for charity on the day of Eid. The Prophet (PBUH) said: “Fulfil their need on this day (i.e., the day of Eid)”

Zakatul Fitr is incumbent on every free Muslim who possesses one Sa of dates or barley which is not needed as basic food for himself or his family for the duration of one day and night. Every free Muslim must pay Zakatul Fitrfor himself, his wife, children, and servants. This is the opinion of Imam Malik, Al Shafi`i, and Ahmad. Imam Abu Hanifah, however, said that it is only obligatory for one who possesses a nisab (a minimum amount of prop-erty) after fulfilling the costs of his house, servant, horse, and weapon. Al Khattabi explained that Zakatul

Fitr was obligatory for all Muslims, not only those who possess the nisab stat-ing that this is the view of the majority of scholars. He said, “In essence, the rationale behind it was stated to be the purification of one who fasts from any indecent act or speech. And since every Muslim needs this, it is therefore obligatory upon every fasting Muslim, whether rich or poor, who possesses one Sa in excess of his main staple food for the duration of one day and night. This is because so long as the essential rationale is shared by all Muslims, then they also share the same obligation.”

Al Qaradawi also asserts the majority view when he says, “It is a virtuous wisdom of Islam that it

makes this Zakah obligatory not only on the rich, but also upon nearly every Muslim, for you can hardly find a per-son who does not possess one Sa of food above his main staple food for the duration of one day and night. The wisdom behind this obligation, therefore, is to prepare the poor to practice benevolence and feel the dignity and honour of giving in char-ity. Allah described the believers with these words, “Those who spend (freely), whether in prosperity, or in adversity…” Thus if we contemplate on this wisdom, we will not find it strange that the needy pay this Zakah, because it does not cause them to suffer any loss. He will pay only his Zakah and then receive the Zakah of

various people.” Moreover, we have to bear in mind that Zakatul Fitr is oblig-atory for everyone who lives until the sun sets on the last day of Ramadan. This is the point of view of the Shafi`is, Hanbalis, and Malikis. Accordingly, whoever dies before the sun sets on the last day of Ramadan is exempted. Likewise, a person who has a baby on the last day of Ramadan should pay Zakatul Fitr for the baby. The majority of jurists argue that we should not pay Zakatul Fitr for an embryo. But Imam Ahmad holds that Zakatul Fitr is also obligatory for an embryo, because it is permissible to assign property to an embryo by means of a will.

When Zakatul Fitr is due The jurists agree that Zakatul Fitr

is due at the end of Ramadan. They differ, however, about the exact time. Al Thawri, Ishaq, Malik (in one of two reports), and Al Shafi’i (in one of his two opinions), are of the opinion that it is due at the sunset of the night of breaking the fast, for this is when the fast of Ramadan ends. However, Al Layth, the Hanafi school, Al Shafii (in his other opinion), and the second report of Malik say that Zakatul Fitr is due at the start of Fajr (dawn) on the day of Eid because it is an act of wor-ship connected with Eid, so the time of its payment should not be before Eid just as sacrifice on the Eid of Adha. These two different views acquire rel-evance if a baby is born after sunset but before dawn on the day of Eid; the question then is whether Zakatul Fitr is obligatory for the baby or not. In accordance with the first view, it is

not, since the birth took place after the prescribed time, while accord-ing to the second view, it is obligatory because the birth took place within the prescribed space of time

What type of foodThe jurists hold different views

as to the types of food which must be given as Zakatul Fitr. The Hanbali view is that the kinds of food which can be given are five: dates, raisins, wheat, barley, and dry cottage cheese. Imam Ahmad is reported to have said that any kind of staple grain or dates are also permissible, even if the above five types are available. The Malikis and Shafi’ is are of the view that it is permissible to give any kind of food as long as it is the main staple in that par-ticular region or the main food of the person. As for the Hanafis, they per-mit paying the value of Zakatul Fitr in money. Ibn Al Qayyim highlighted these different viewpoints and concluded that the Prophet (PBUH), prescribed Zakatul Fitr as one Sa’ of dates, barley, raisins or dry cottage cheese. These were the main staple kinds of food in Madinah. As for people of other territories, what they should pay is one sa’ of their staple grain, such as corn, rice, etc. But if their main staple food is other than grain, such as milk, meat, fish, etc., then they should pay one Sa of that particular food. This is the opinion of the major-ity of scholars and is the preferred point of view, since it achieves the purpose of fulfilling the needs of the poor on the day of `Eid with the staple food of their region.

Source: islamonline

Zakatul Fitr and its purposeThere are two purposes for Zakatul Fitr: One is related to the individual; for completion of his fast and compensation for any shortcomings in his acts or speech. The other is related to society; for the spreading of love and happiness among its members, particularly the poor and needy, during the day of Eid.

MONDAY 4 JULY 2016 05

HOME / MIDDLE EAST06 MONDAY 4 JULY 2016

AFP

ASHDOD, ISRAEL: A Turkish ship carrying aid for Gaza arrived in Israel yesterday, a week after the two countries agreed to restore ties that soured over a deadly raid on an aid flotilla.

The Lady Leyla container vessel docked at Ashdod port in the after-noon after departing on Friday.

Its contents were to be unloaded, inspected and sent on to the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, hit by three wars with Israel since 2008 and under an Israeli blockade.

The Panama-flagged ship was carrying 11,000 tonnes of supplies including food packages, flour, rice, sugar and toys, the Turkish state-run Anadolu news agency reported.

Turkey had initially pushed for a lifting of Israel’s blockade on Gaza as part of the negotiations to normalise ties, but Israel rejected this.

A compromise was eventually reached allowing Turkey to send aid through Ashdod rather than directly to the Palestinian enclave.

Israel says the blockade is nec-essary to prevent Islamist movement Hamas from receiving materials that could be used for military purposes, but UN officials have called for it to be lifted, citing deteriorating condi-tions in the territory.

Turkey’s ruling Islamic-rooted AKP party has friendly ties with Gaza’s Hamas rulers, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause.

Turkey and Israel were formerly close regional allies, but fell out in 2010 when Israeli commandos killed 10 Turkish activists in a raid on an aid flotilla seeking to run the block-ade on Gaza.

Under the reconciliation deal, Israel will pay $20m in compensa-tion to the families of those killed.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netan-yahu has promoted the economic benefits of restoring ties, with talk of building a pipeline to Turkey to export Israeli gas, and the need to find allies in the turbulent Middle East. The deal received a mixed response in Israel.

There were allegations that it does not do enough to push for the return of four Israelis missing in Gaza — two soldiers who have been declared dead and two civil-ians believed to be alive and held by Hamas. Several relatives and supporters of the soldiers’ families protested against the deal outside Ashdod port yesterday.

Turkish ship with aid to Gaza reaches Israel

Agencies

ISTANBUL: Turkey’s state-run news agency says authorities have detained three new suspects in connection with the attack at Istanbul’s airport that killed at least 44 people.

It said the total number of those detained in relation to the shooting and suicide attack at the airport is now 27. Thirteen sus-pects, including three foreigners, have been referred to Istanbul’s Bakirkoy Court after undergoing medical checks, according to the report.

Three militants armed with assault rifles and suicide bombs stormed Istanbul’s Ataturk Air-port on Tuesday night. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Turkish officials say they believe it was the work of the Islamic State group, which is based in neighboring Syria and Iraq and has operatives in Turkey.

Khamenei: Iran won’t coordinate with US on Syria TEHRAN: Iran will never coor-dinate with the United States in Syria and other regional con-flicts, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in remarks pub-lished on his website yesterday.

“We don’t want such a coordi-nation as their main objective is to stop Iran’s presence in the region,” Khamenei said in a transcript from a speech to university students.

Iran and Russia support Syrian President Bashar Al Assad’s fight against armed rebels and jihad-ists, including those of the Islamic State (IS) group.

Tehran rejects any coordi-nation with the US-led coalition that is also bombing the jihadists in Syria and Iraq.

Khamenei repeated demands for the US to stop interfering in the region and said Washington was still acting aggressively despite last year’s nuclear accord with world powers to end Iran’s isolation.

“Americans are still engaged in hostility against the nation of Iran, be it the Congress or the US administration,” he said.

Iran complains it has not ben-efited from the nuclear deal since it came into force in January, with international banks still fearful of doing business with Tehran due to remaining US sanctions.

AFP

DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) summoned yesterday a senior US diplomat to protest the “abu-sive treatment” of a UAE citizen as it advised citizens to avoid wearing national attire abroad.

The foreign ministry expressed “discontent” to US embassy deputy chief of mission Ethan Goldrich and demanded clarifications over the detention of an Emirati business-man suspected of being a militant.

The 41-year-old, visiting the United States for medical treatment, was wearing a white robe and Arab headdress on Wednesday when he was arrested at a hotel in Cleveland, Ohio after an employee suspected he had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) group, apparently

in a phone call. The foreign ministry said it expressed “discontent over the abusive treatment by the Ohio police of a UAE citizen” as well as the post-ing of a video showing his arrest, which contained “defamation of the UAE national.”

“The UAE cares for the safety of its citizens and, therefore, demands clarifications about this incident,” it said in a statement carried by Wam state news agency. Goldrich “apol-ogised” for the incident, pledging to get clarifications from authorities in the state of Ohio, Wam said.

A video of the incident, posted on Youtube, shows several policemen armed with rifles take down Ahmed Al Menhali, and then handcuff and search him.

“They were brutal with me. They pressed forcefully on my back. I had several injuries and bled from the forceful nature of their arrest,”

Menhali said, quoted in The National daily.

The Emirati foreign ministry, in a statement posted on Twitter, urged citizens “not to wear the national dress during their travel, especially in public areas, to ensure their own safety”.

After confirming that Menhali posed no danger, the policemen let go of the Emirati man, who said he collapsed and needed treatment in hospital. Menhali had been in the United States since April for treat-ment after a brain stroke suffered last year, said Emarat Al Youm, another UAE daily.

Anti-Muslim incidents have spiked in the United States on the back of deadly IS attacks in the West that prompted presumptive Repub-lican presidential nominee Donald Trump to call for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the country.

AFP

BAGHDAD: A weeping Zainab Mus-tafa brought a photo of her husband to the still-smouldering site of a bloody bombing in Baghdad yesterday, seek-ing word of him and their two missing children.

The three had gone out the night before to buy clothes for the upcom-ing holiday marking the end of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ram-adan, and Mustafa has not heard from them since.

The suicide car bombing in the Karrada area, which was claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group and killed at least 119 people, sparked raging fires in nearby buildings, and smoke still rose from charred struc-tures more than 12 hours after the explosion.

“We have looked everywhere; members of my family are looking for them,” said Mustafa.

The street in the Karrada area is littered with rubble, and the search for victims within the burned build-ings could take days.

“The lists of victims I saw included whole families — the father and his sons, the mother and her daughters — whole families were wiped out by this explosion,” a mem-ber of the civil defence forces said.

“We need a number of days to be able to recover the bodies of victims. It is a difficult task,” he said.

Fadhel Salem is missing two of his brothers who were in the fami-ly’s shop.

“I think they are still there inside

the store, but I can’t see anything because of the heavy smoke,” he said.

Five people worked with shovels to try to find their friends at another

shop where the ceiling had collapsed.“I knew all of them; they are all

my friends,” said Sami Kadhim, one of those digging through the remains

of the shop. Kadhim said he brought his friend Mustafa some juice from a nearby vendor moments before the blast, then went home to sleep.

“After the explosion, there was nothing there except fire. I couldn’t see Mustafa because his place” was ablaze, Kadhim said.

Baghdad has been hit by a number of bombings this year, but none nearly as deadly as the Sunday attack, which combined explosives and shrapnel with raging flames.

Identifying all of the victims who are found will also be an enormous challenge.

Civil defence members found a body near where Kadhim was searching, but it was burned beyond recognition and may require DNA testing to be identified.

“It is not possible to know who this body belongs to,” one of them said. A list of victims posted at a nearby hospital listed some as “unknown”. Black banners bearing the names of victims hang from some shops in the area, which has been closed off by security forces.

While dozens died in the bomb-ing and subsequent fires, some made narrow escapes.

“A number jumped off the roofs of buildings despite the height,” sustain-ing injuries including broken feet, said shop owner Sari Mohammed.

And “three people hid inside a refrigerator on the first floor, and after the fire was extinguished, they came out alive,” Mohammed said.

Terrifying scenes at site of deadly Baghdad blast

Turkey detains three more over airport attack

UAE protests US arrest; calls to avoid national dress abroad

The Peninsula

DOHA: Sheikh Thani bin Abdul-lah Foundation for Humanitarian Services (RAF) has rescued 550 Palestinians serving jail term in Al Katiba prison in Gaza for defaulting on loan payments to bring smiles on the faces of their families ahead of Eid Al Fitr.

The initiative was implemented under a QR3.5m ($961,142) social project of the RAF. Loans of 300 prisoners have been paid for their

release. The remaining 250 default-ers were also set free to celebrate Eid with their families. RAF will launch a drive to collect money for the repay-ment of their loans after Eid Al Fitr.

RAF, in cooperation with its local charity partner Jamiyat Tariq Al Hayat” conducted a survey to register the cases of loan defaulting prison-ers in Gaza and their dues. The loan amounts ranges between $1,000 and $15,000, totaling QR3.5m, said a statement.

A press conference was held in jail facility to announce the release of the prisoners.

A defaulter is receiving release paper from a jailer after repayment of his loans by Sheikh Thani bin Abdullah Foundation for Humanitarian Services (RAF).

RAF rescues 550 loan

defaulters from Gaza jail

AFP

CAIRO: Egypt’s human rights council said yesterday that the authorities’ human rights record had not improved, noting a string of enforced disappearances by the police and abuse of prisoners.

The National Council for Human Rights, the country’s official rights watchdog, made the remarks in an annual report.

“The human rights situation in the

country has not changed in spite of the adoption of the new constitution two years ago,” the report said.

It added that the council had raised 266 cases of enforced disap-pearances with the interior ministry, of whom 27 were since revealed to have been released while 143 remained in pretrial detention.

The ministry responded that 44 of the missing people had not been arrested, and may have disappeared for other reasons, including to join militants groups, the council’s report said.

The cases were documented between April 2015 and the end of March this year. “Human rights causes have not yet become a priority for the state,” it said.

Rights groups had accused Egypt of extensive abuses that spiked after the military overthrew Islamist president Mohamed Mursi in 2013, unleashing a bloody crackdown on his followers.

The report also criticised the state for failing to pass effective legislation to curb torture.

T he re p or t note d t h a t

suspicions that security services had abducted Italian student Giulio Regeni, whose mutilated body was found on the side of a road, had been boosted by “the continuation of the phenomenon of torture” in Egypt.

The report did not shed any light on Regeni’s disappearance, which created a diplomatic rift between Egypt and Italy, a close ally. Police have denied involvement.

The council said it had received 296 complaints during 2015.

“Many of the complaints are

related to abuses they are subject to in prisons and other detention facil-ities, most notably torture and other harsh and degrading treatment,” the council said.

The use of torture “continues to be widespread”, particularly in ini-tial detention centres.

Meanwhile, pretrial detention has become “a punishment in itself”.

Initial detention centres are esti-mated to hold more than 300 percent of their capacity, the report said.

Detainees “take turns sleeping because of lack of space”.

Egypt rights watchdog criticises disappearances and torture

Iraqis inspect the damage at the site of a suicide car bombing claimed by the Islamic State group in Baghdad’s central Karrada district.

A compromise was reached allowing Turkey to send aid to Gaza through Ashdod rather than directly to the Palestinian enclave.

IS repels US-backed

forces advancing

on Syria bastionBEIRUT: The Islamic State (IS) group yesterday repelled an advance by US-backed forces on one of its main bastions in north-ern Syria, seizing back territory it had previously lost.

The group said its fighters infil-trated villages and mountains near the IS-held town of Manbij that were seized last month by the Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurd-ish-dominated group aided by US special forces.

Heading to local roots

ASIA / AFRICA 07MONDAY 4 JULY 2016

New Zealand seizes largest cocaine haul

AFP

WELLINGTON: New Zealand police said yesterday they have seized a record $10m worth of cocaine hidden inside a large diamante-encrusted horse head from Mexico.

The largest-ever haul of the drug in New Zealand has been linked to the rebuild of the city of Christchurch, severely damaged in a 2011 earth-quake, and the Australian market.

Detective Superintendent Virginia Le Bas, from the organised crime unit, said they were still working to estab-lish the final destination of the haul.

“This is a significant win for New Zealand,” she said. “This is a great success, we should be proud to have detected it at the earliest of stages.”

The 35-kilogramme (77 pound) shipment had been air-freighted from Mexico to Auckland where it was detected in the bejewelled horse-head statue in May.

Following a six-week investiga-tion, a Mexican and an American were arrested in Auckland over the weekend as they prepared to fly to

Hawaii and another Mexican was detained in Christchurch.

Police believe at least some of the drug was destined for Christchurch which has attracted workers from around the world to get involved in the rebuild over recent years.

Le Bas said some people in

Christchurch were using the drug and the rebuild had created a change in demand for some illicit substances.

Drug researcher Chris Wilkins, from Massey University, told reporters the drug may also have been destined for Australia where demand was high in cities like Sydney and Melbourne.

AFP

LAGOS: Nigerian oil militant group the Niger Delta Avengers yesterday claimed five attacks on the coun-try’s oil and gas infrastructure in a revival of their sabotage campaign after a recent lull.

Since early this year, the Aveng-ers have been bombing pipelines as they fight to win the Niger delta region a bigger share of crude reve-nue and greater political autonomy.

The sabotage is hitting the econ-omy -- the central bank governor has warned a recession is “immi-nent” -- as the country is struggling with lower revenue as a result of the low global price of oil.

In a series of statements posted on Twitter, the Avengers claimed that they bombed the state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Cor-poration (NNPC) crude oil trunk line on Friday, and two Nigerian Petro-leum Development Company trunk lines in Delta state.

Avengers also said that yester-day they bombed two Chevron oil wells in Delta state.

According to a Nigerian state security officer, the yesterday morn-ing explosions in Warri happened simultaneously.

“I just spoke with my men in the area and they confirmed the attack,” the source said, speaking on condi-tion of anonymity.

“Preliminary investigations so far from our men in the field is that dyna-mite was used to blow up the facilities just like in previous attacks.”

Regional leader Eric Omare con-firmed the Friday attack on the NNPC pipeline saying people living in the fishing villages dotting the winding mangrove creeks heard the attacks.

“Yes, I got calls from locals in the area who heard the blast,” Ijaw Youth Council spokesman Omare said.

The attacks break a relative lull in violence and show that the Aveng-ers are still capable of strangling Nigeria’s oil production.

The Avengers, who are believed to be highly skilled former rebels with insider knowledge of the region’s oil and gas infrastructure, have warned against repairing the pipelines until their demands are met.

Singapore to pursue firms over fires despite Indonesian ire

Nigerian oil rebels claim new attacks

AFP

JAKARTA: Singapore is refusing to back down in its pursuit of those responsible for haze-belching forest fires in Southeast Asia last year, despite struggling to bring the perpetrators before the courts and drawing a sharp rebuke from neighbouring Indonesia.

Forest fires are part of an annual dry-season problem in Indonesia, started illegally to quickly and cheaply clear land for cultivation -- particu-larly for palm oil and pulpwood.

But last year’s haze outbreak was among the worst in memory, shroud-ing Malaysia, Singapore, and parts of Thailand in acrid smoke and forcing school closures as pollution reached

hazardous levels and thousands fell sick across the region.

Singapore has served notice to six Indonesian companies it believes may have cleared land by burning but could target others as investigations continue, according to Singapore’s ambassador to Indonesia Anil Kumar Nayar.

“We are going after, to put it

starkly, the bad guys that are causing this problem,” he said in an interview.

However, the city-state’s efforts to punish Indonesian companies under its own anti-haze law have become a flashpoint with Jakarta.

Singapore argues that inter-national rules allow states to take action -- even if harm is being caused by activities outside its jurisdiction

-- but Jakarta has questioned how Singapore could pursue Indonesian citizens for prosecution, especially in the absence of a ratified extradition treaty between the neighbours.

The latest sabre-rattling came after Singapore issued a court war-rant in May to detain a director of an Indonesian company linked to the haze while he was in the city-state.

Afterwards, Indonesia’s Environ-ment Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar said that she would be reviewing her min-istry’s cooperation with Singapore on environmental issues.

“Singapore cannot step further into Indonesia’s legal domain,” Bakar told reporters in June. Her spokesman declined to comment further on the matter when contacted.

A large diamante-encrusted horse head from Mexico from which New Zealand police said they have seized a record $10m worth of cocaine hidden inside.

Three cases of Zika in Guinea-BissauAFP

BISSAU: Guinea-Bissau has recorded three cases of Zika, becoming the second country in West Africa where the dangerous viral disease has been detected, the government said on Sat-urday.

“Three cases of contamination by Zika virus have been confirmed,” a statement quoted Health Minister Domingos Malu as saying.

The cases occurred in the Bijagos archipelago, a group of 88 islands of which 23 are inhabited, Malu told a cabinet meeting on Friday.

The communique gave no fur-ther detail about the three cases, their location or how the disease may have arrived on the Bijagos.

A hospital source said that inves-tigations were underway but the first case may have occurred early last month on Bubaque, one of the Bija-gos islands.

A former Portuguese colony of 1.6 million people, Guinea-Bissau suffers from chronic poverty and instability.

Previously, the only other country in West Africa where Zika had been detected was Cape Verde, an archi-pelago in the Atlantic, where 7,500 cases have been recorded since Octo-ber 2015.

Saturday’s statement said the authorities were taking steps to prevent further spread of the mos-quito-borne virus.

It announced that an anti-Zika commission had been set up, com-prising several ministers under the authority of Prime Minister Baciro Dja.

Zika is benign in most people but has been linked to microceph-aly -- a shrinking of the brain and skull -- in babies, and to rare adult-onset neurological problems such as Guillain-Barre Syndrome, which can result in paralysis and death.

In an outbreak that started last

year, about 1.5 million people have been infected with Zika in Brazil, and more than 1,600 babies born with abnormally small heads and brains.

Zika is primarily spread by the female Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is active mostly in the daytime. The mosquitos must feed on blood in order to lay eggs.

The true extent of the vectors is still unknown. Zika has been detected in many more species of Aedes, along with Anopheles coustani, Manso-nia uniformis, and Culex perfuscus, although this alone does not incrim-inate them as a vector.

In January 2016, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Pre-vention (CDC) issued travel guidance on affected countries, including the use of enhanced precautions, and guidelines for pregnant women including considering postponing travel. Other governments or health agencies also issued similar travel warnings

Detective Superintendent Le Bas says they were still working to establish the final destination of the haul.

Motorists board a ferry heading for Java island from the port of Gilimanuk in Jembrana on the mainly Hindu resort island of Bali, yesterday. Millions of Indonesians, mostly migrant workers, have started heading to their hometowns to celebrate Eid Al Fitr, which marks the end of Holy Month of Ramadan.

VIEWS08 MONDAY 4 JULY 2016

Islamic State militants fleeing their stronghold of Fallujah have struck Baghdad. In the deadliest attack on the capital this year, 120 people died in bombings on a shopping district in the central part of the city which the militants said targeted the Shias. The bombings happened when

families were out on the streets after the breaking of fast late on Saturday evening. The carnage was shocking as it happened in the last days of Ramadan, when the faithful were preparing for Eid Al Fitr. For Iraqis, it will be an Eid of utter distress and mourning.

Suicide bombings are not new to Baghdad, but massacres of this scale are rare and shake the confidence of people in the system. Reports say Baghdad has been struck more than 1,000 times, with the majority of attacks targeting crowded places like markets, shopping strips, religious gatherings and shrines.

The attacks once again expose the frailty of the security system in the country and to some extent the inability of the government to guarantee safety in a crowded city where it is easy for militants to merge with the local population. Security doesn’t come cheap. It involves huge investments in security equipment, manpower and in advanced training. For a country immersed in corruption and reeling under political and economic crises, these are huge challenges and first would require putting the house in order. But that’s a challenge Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi must take up, which can be done only by taking all the sectarian groups into confidence. He had assured the country that he would restore security

to towns and cities and fight corruption. Abadi will have to start a process of political reconciliation with various sectarian groups and beef up security in all over the city.

The Islamic State is likely to spread its terror in the coming weeks as they come under intense pressure in their strongholds. The IS has lost more than half of the territory they were holding and is likely to be displaced from the remaining areas as the government forces are set to move into Mosul.

The fact that the bombings follow a terrorist attack in Dhaka in which several foreigners were killed, claimed by the Islamic State but denied by the Bangladeshi government, shows that the world has a tough task ahead in fighting terrorism. Home-grown and international terrorism have created a deadly mix which governments are struggling to root out. And these bombings are leading to retaliatory attacks against Muslims. For example, attacks against Muslims have gone up in the US after the Orlando shooting.

Bloodbath in Baghdad

The bombings in Baghdad which killed nearly 120 people show that the fight against IS will be long and tortuous.

Quote of the day

It is impossible for the FBI not to recommend criminal charges against Hillary Clinton. What she did was wrong.

Donald Trump US Republican presidential candidate

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At the weekend, in Lon-don, tens of thousands of Britons teemed onto the streets to protest the

exit of the UK from the European Union. The aim, according to march organisers, was to stop the govern-ment from triggering Article 50, the formal process of political and financial divorce from our former continental partners.

Anger and frustration at the close result of 51.9% to 48.1% in favour of leaving was spiced at the march, with dry humour. Baguettes were waved in the air by younger voters supporting ‘Bremain’.

Slogans chanted including the satisfyingly wry and alliterative ‘Fromage not Farage.’

It usually takes a war to draw such great numbers onto UK streets, such as happened in 2003 against the invasion of Iraq, or a death. This is because this particular outpour-ing of shock, bordering on national grief, reminds us of another event almost two decades ago that sent a shudder down the collective spine - the death of the former Princess of Wales, Diana.

I was in Hyde Park with the crowd, watching her funeral on a hastily erected giant screen. The scenes were nothing like I, as a Londoner, had experienced before. There was a man behind me dressed in a butlers outfit. Maybe he was a butler. People were publicly weep-ing. My fellow countryfolk were shedding tears, wailing, in the open air for others to see. Where were we for heavens sake, Los Angeles?

The whole outpouring of love mixed with grief was just so - American.

There is something of the United States about this vote too. Over there, it takes a monstrous mistake to awake thinking folk from their sugar and CNN intellectual coma. How else could Donald Trump be within arms reach of running for President? In the UK more than half the country is struggling with the growing certainty that we’ve all been really, really, dumb; that we,

the voters, were duped into apathy during the drawn out Brexit cam-paign; that when asked are you voting in or out, instead of the pas-sion now on our streets, many of us could barely raise a wry shrug for a way of life which everyone under forty has taken for granted. Free-dom of movement to Europe - of course we’re British! Want to work in Spain for the summer, move to France (as I did for six years) trade with 27 neighbouring national part-ners - yeah why not?

Having taken all these bonuses as part of our existence for so long, we then marched ourselves lem-ming-like to the cliff’s edge of international oblivion. So, here we are crying again over a loss we collectively have to come to terms with - fast.

Is it possible for a nation to go to sleep fairly sensible one decade and awake in another emotionally retarded? Yet this is what we are looking at when Google crashes with Briton’s, after the event, col-lectively searching the terms ‘What is the EU.’

Then there is Nigel Farage’s taunting of MEP’s in the Euro-pean Parliament earlier this week to choke down. Farage, lampooned the political class of Spain, France, Germany and 24 other states for ‘never having had a real job’ and ‘not living in the real world.’!

The usually bored circular chamber erupted from time to time in a rare show of animation. There were cheers from fellow right wing anti immigration par-ties such as Le Pen’s Front Nationale. For the most part the MEP’s were broadly mocking of the man who can take all the credit he deserves for ‘reshaping Britian’ into the mess it’s currently in.

His brash, unhelpful tirade, made me think of an Iraqi atta-che to the consul in London, who questioned the changing face of British politics back in 2007 when Gordon Brown was briefly Prime Minister. Iraq at the time was being primed for the slow, withdrawal of British troops. The Chilcott enquiry released in a few days will bring those memories into sharp relief. At that time, Brown needed to deal gently with Iraqi leaders to broker an exit that would (don’t laugh) leave the militarily occupied land in a ‘stable condition to move forward.’

The attache speaking to me at the Arab Ambassadors Dinner, was a gifted diplomat, who spoke four languages. He talked about the way in which he had been kept waiting by Prime Minister Brown for well over an hour the day before. This, he pointed out was far from unu-sual when meeting a world leader.

What was not traditional proto-col was for the underling from the Foreign office sent to chat him out the door to know ‘nothing about anything.’

‘The graduate they sent to fob me off- he was…an idiot.’ The highly educated Iraqi representative, a specialist in international relations and political history was rudely walked out the door by a kid sent to appease him as his country shat-tered beneath the military boots and political mismanagement of Britons leaders. A newbie of little to no intellectual caliber ‘spoke no Arabic whatsoever and proceeded to say ‘well these problems in Iraq have been going on for more than a decade.’

A decade, seriously? The consul representative was livid. He missed, he said they way in which the Brit-ish Foreign office and diplomatic corps had a classy touch to their empirical aims- where they could

invade and steal certainly, but at

the same intelligently debate their objectives in the region with more recourse to history than the 1980’s. They had, in short, British good manners.

Farage is not even close to being a political leader of real might. His UKIP party has precisely one mem-ber of parliament. He is mocked in the one place he had a voice, the EU. The former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt said dur-ing the televised debacle: “I am shocked, Mr Farage. You are pre-senting yourself as the defender of the little man, while you have an offshore financial construction.” Verhofstadt then added: “OK, let’s be positive, we are getting rid of the biggest waste of EU budget: your salary.”

What the world witnessed this week in the European parliament during Nigel Farage’s outburst was what a stupid man who has been sacked might do. He took his met-aphorical pants down and wiggled his exposed derriere at those with actual power. The jeers are still ringing in our ears.

With no partners in the regional vicinity who right now love our shattering little union (Scotland and N Ireland voted to Remain), our last hope was perhaps the styl-ish charm of Europe’s diplomats.

Instead, our political parties implode in ego-led power stug-gles. And we, the public, as in the days after Diana’s death, jettison the Dunkirk spirit to huddle tear-fully around screens bemoaning our rulers. Or we gather in public iron-ically waving baguettes in the air.

The writer is a journalist, broad-caster and media consultant: www.laurenbooth.org , Twitter:@LaurenBoothUK

Britain’s battle for its heart and soul

By Lauren Booth

Anger and frustration at the close result of 51.9% to 48.1% in favour of leaving was spiced at the march, with dry humour. Baguettes were waved in the air by younger voters supporting ‘Bremain’.

A man poses for a photograph with his “EU Stay” hat in Parliament Square in London yesterday.

By Philip Bump

The Washington Post

It’s the first thought that enters Vice President Joe Biden’s head every morning, the moment his bedroom

windows at One Observatory Circle grow light from the sun. “What if,” Joe Biden thinks.

“What if I had run?”The race for the Democratic presi-

dential nomination was never supposed to be as close as it ended up. Last spring, Hillary Clinton led her possible oppo-nents by a country mile; by July, 12 months ago, she still led Bernie Sanders by nearly 50 points. But over the sum-mer and into the fall, her lead narrowed, and by the time Biden announced that he wouldn’t run in late October, Clin-ton’s lead over Sanders had been as small as 13 points.

Then Biden made his announce-ment and, as expected, Clinton saw most of the benefit. Why? Because Clinton and Biden shared similar bases of sup-port: Those without college degrees, those earning lower incomes and, most importantly, non-white voters.

Once Biden declined to run, it was fair to assume that was it. For her clear path to the nomination, Biden was now

offering Clinton a ride. But then Sand-ers kept closing.

As voting began, thanks in part to Clinton’s decision not to take the gloves off against Sanders in a number of con-tests, Sanders caught up. By April, the two were nearly tied nationally. It was too late for Sanders to catch Clinton in delegates, but it showed that there was still a big appetite for a non-Clin-ton in the contest.

So: What if? What if Biden had stayed in? What if voting in Iowa and New Hampshire kicked off with Biden joining Clinton and Sanders on the ballot?

Fundamentally, this question is impossible to answer. So much changes and evolves over the course of a cam-paign that it’s hard to simply imagine a realistic counterfactual that incor-porates every possible scenario. Joe Biden has an unfortunate habit of say-ing things he’s not supposed to say, for example, like when he made conde-scending and racially loaded comments about Barack Obama early in the 2008 primary cycle. You can’t account for things like that.

But if Biden had stayed in and not shot himself in the foot, there would clearly have been a shift to the dynam-ics -- especially in one important way: Clinton’s margins of victory (if not her victory itself) were due to her massive advantage with black voters. That’s a voting bloc with which Biden also did well. So: What if?

We can try to answer that ques-tion by looking at how polling last fall looked with and without Biden in the race. The Washington Post and ABC News polled in September and Octo-ber, and we can look at the results of those two polls through two lenses: How support broke down among all three

candidates and how it broke down if we reallocate Biden’s support to vot-ers’ second choices. What’s interesting about these two polls is that they reflect two very different moments in the race. The September poll was a particularly bad one for Clinton, putting her at just over 40 percent -- one of her lowest levels of support of the campaign. By October, she’d rebounded somewhat.

In that September poll, Clinton earned the support of 42 percent of the Democrats and Democratic lean-ers that were surveyed. Take Biden out, though, and her support jumped to 56 percent. Which means that Biden not being in the race gave Clinton a 14-point boost -- and that one-third, 33 per-cent, of her support in a one-on-one contest with Sanders came from peo-ple who would otherwise have backed Biden. For Sanders, the numbers were 24 percent with Biden and 28 percent without -- so 17 percent of his one-on-one support came from Biden.

We can do a similar calculation for all of the demographic groups with large enough sample sizes to be significant. And we can do it for both September and October, to get a sense of how much support Clinton got thanks to possible Biden backers during a bad month and how much she got during a good month.

Let’s now assume that those fig-ures didn’t change much. One of the things we know is that margins of support from demographic groups remained fairly consistent for Clinton and Sanders even as Sanders gained. As he improved, he improved across the board, but the gap between male and female and between white and non-white didn’t change much.

So let’s assume that the percentage of support Biden drew from Clinton

and Sanders was also somewhat con-sistent. This is not necessarily a fair assumption, any more than it was fair to assume that Sanders was D.O.A. once Biden dropped out. But it allows us to revamp the field in light of the best data we do have, from September and October.

Exit polling conducted in primary and caucus states gives us a sense of how demographic groups voted over the course of the Democratic nominating process. We can use exit poll figures to approximate the breakdown of dele-gates won by each candidate, thanks to the Democrats’ relatively simply pro-portional distribution process. There are gaps and flaws in this (including that not every state is included in exit polling), but it at least serves to approx-imate how the candidates would have done against one another.

How? By taking the support Clin-ton and Sanders got in exit polling by gender, race and partisanship -- the three categories that overlap well with our poll data -- and taking out those chunks that would otherwise have gone to Biden. So if we’re basing this esti-mate on the figures from the September poll, one-third of Clinton’s statewide support would be sliced off and put in the Biden pile, along with 17 per-cent of Sanders’s.

We can do that calculation in each demographic category; that is, how many delegates Clinton, Sanders and Biden would have gotten if the poll-ing for whites and non-whites was our guide, or how many each would have gotten if we used the polling for gender. Then, we can do the calculation using the polling from September and Octo-ber, giving Biden bigger and smaller slices of Clinton’s totals, respectively. Doing so gives us two theoretical

outcomes for the Democratic primary (with the actual exit-poll-based results for the sake of comparison).

If Biden had only pulled as much from Clinton and Sanders as he did in October, Clinton would still have won a plurality of the pledged delegates at stake. But if Biden had pulled from the two candidates at the rate he did in September, the contest would would have been much closer.

It’s critical to note that the exit poll figures here don’t include a number of large states in which exit polls weren’t conducted. They don’t include Wash-ington, for example, which Sanders won by a wide margin. They also don’t include New Jersey, Arizona or Cal-ifornia, won by Clinton and which offered a lot of combined delegates. If Clinton and Sanders ended up that close in states with exit polling, once we include Biden, it’s hard to know who might have come out on top. It wouldn’t have been Biden, if these numbers hold, but it might not have been Clinton.

That’s based on September polling, of course. Those September numbers didn’t even last until October, so it’s unfair to assume they would somehow have stuck around until May. Maybe Biden would have surged past Clin-ton. Maybe Sanders and Biden would have allied. Maybe Biden would have undercut Sanders’ support with young people. None of this is captured in our rough calculation. All we can say is that if Biden pulled from Clinton and Sanders as he did in September and if nothing else had changed, then maybe Clinton wouldn’t have won a majority of pledged delegates.

We can put that another way: The answer to the what-if question that no doubt plagues Biden is: Who knows?

OPINION 09 MONDAY 4 JULY 2016

Close election puts Australian leadership in doubt

By Rod Mcguirk

The Washington Post

Australians awoke yesterday to a government plagued in uncer-tainty after a stunningly close national election failed to deliver a

clear victor, raising the prospect of a hung parliament.

The gamble by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to call a rare early election may have failed, with his conservative Liberal Party-led coalition on track to lose a swathe of seats in the House of Representatives — and potentially control of the country.

One day after the election, the race remained too close to call, with mail-in ballots and early votes yet to be counted. Still, Turnbull sounded a confident tone during a speech to supporters early Sun-day morning.

“Based on the advice I have from the party officials, we can have every confi-dence that we will form a coalition majority government in the next parliament,” Turn-bull said.

Parties need to hold at least 76 seats in the 150-seat House of Representatives to form a government. When the count was suspended early Sunday, the Australian Electoral Commission said the center-left opposition Labor Party was leading in 72 seats, Turnbull’s coalition in 66 seats, and minor parties or independents in five

seats. Counting was less clear in another seven seats.

Though the initial count showed Labor ahead, mail-in and early ballots have tradi-tionally favored the conservatives, meaning Turnbull’s party is likely to gain seats once those are factored in. The final tally was not expected to be known until Tuesday.

Opposition leader Bill Shorten did not speculate on a Labor victory but celebrated the strong swing to his party just three years after it was convincingly dumped from power in the last election.

“Whatever happens next week, Mr. Turnbull ... will never again be able to promise the stability which he has com-pletely failed to deliver tonight,” he said in a speech to cheering supporters on Saturday.

Given the close result, just two possi-bilities remain: Turnbull’s coalition will win by the slimmest of margins, or there will be a hung parliament.

Independent lawmaker Andrew Wilkie said Turnbull telephoned him on Sunday morning, apparently because the prime minister was contemplating a hung parliament.

Turnbull called the early election — dubbed a “double dissolution” because both the House and the Senate are dissolved — in a bid to break a legislative deadlock over a bill that would have created a construc-tion industry watchdog. But the result of the election may bring further deadlock: If neither party earns a majority of seats in the House, both Labor and the coalition will be forced to try to forge alliances with independent lawmakers to form a minor-ity government.

Hung parliaments are extremely rare in Australia, with only two since 1940. The most recent was in 2010, when then-Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s ruling Labor Party was forced to secure an alliance with the minor Greens party and three independ-ent lawmakers, including Wilkie, to form a fragile minority government. Three years later, the coalition swept to power after winning 90 seats.

Nick Xenophon, leader of the Nick Xen-ophon Team minor party, would not say on Sunday which side his party’s sole law-maker in the House of Representatives might support in a hung parliament.

“It still looks more likely than not that Malcolm Turnbull will have the numbers — just,” Xenophon, a senator, told Nine Network television.

“But If he doesn’t, then it’s a question of sitting down in good faith with both sides to go through a number of key issues ... that are in the national interest,” he added. These issues included maintaining man-ufacturing and farming jobs in Australia

and reducing problem gambling in the community.

The elections continue an extraor-dinarily volatile period in the nation’s politics, where internal party squabbling and fears over sagging poll ratings have prompted five changes of prime minister in as many years.

Amid the chaos, Labor and the coali-tion each tried to paint themselves as the safer, more stable choice. But selling sta-bility was a tough job for either party, both of which have been marred by infight-ing in recent years. Shorten played a key role in ousting two of Labor’s own prime ministers in the space of three years, and Turnbull himself ousted Abbott less than a year ago. Up until 2007, conservative John Howard served as prime minister for nearly 12 years.

Monash University political expert Nick

Economou said Turnbull’s leadership had been terminally damaged by his decision to call the early election. It involved the longest campaign since 1969 and appeared to have delivered several hard-line social conservatives and right-wingers to the Senate that the moderate prime minis-ter would have difficulty working with if his government survives, Economou said.

“What an amazing amount of political damage Malcolm Turnbull has been able to inflict in a very short period of time as prime minister,” Economou said. “I think his credibility is shot to pieces.”

Opinion polls had predicted a close race, but had largely tipped the govern-ment to win by a narrow margin. Several government ministers blamed the sur-prisingly strong result for Labor on what they dubbed a dishonest campaign that claimed the conservatives were threatening

Australia’s universal health care system known as Medicare.

“Even today people were talking about not being able to afford health care because we were going to get rid of Medicare. It was utter rubbish,” Liberal Party Deputy Leader Julie Bishop told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. “But what do you do when one party relies on a monstrous lie to get elected?”

Two weeks before the election, Shorten ramped up his campaign on health policy by describing the poll as a referendum on the future of Medicare. A Labor govern-ment introduced the government-funded program in 1984 to provide free or subsi-dized health care for all Australian citizens and permanent residents. Labor accused the government of planning to privatize Medicare — a claim Turnbull dismissed as an audacious scare campaign.

The gamble by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to call a rare early election may have failed, with his conservative Liberal Party-led coalition on track to lose a swathe of seats in the House of Representatives — and potentially control of the country.

Nick Xenophon (centre), leader of the Nick Xenophon Team political party, speaks to the press in front of his team candidates Rebekha Sharkie (left), Skye Kakoschke-Moore and Stirling Griff (right) in the Adelaide Hills town of Stirling yesterday.

What would have happened if Joe Biden had run?

Then Biden made his announcement and, as expected, Clinton saw most of the benefit. Why? Because Clinton and Biden shared similar bases of support: Those without college degrees, those earning lower incomes and, most importantly, non-white voters.

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.

Bangkok: Thailand’s 88-year-old king, the world’s longest reigning mon-arch, is recovering after being treated last month for “water on the brain” and narrow-ing of the arteries, the Royal Household Bureau said in a statement yesterday.

King Bhumibol Aduly-adej has been treated for various ailments over the past year in hospital in Bangkok. He was last seen in public on January 11, when he spent several hours visiting his palace in the Thai capital.

Anxiety over the king’s health and the succession has formed the backdrop to over a decade of polit-ical upheaval that has included two coups and sometimes violent street protests.

Thailand’s king

recovering after

heart treatment

ASIA/PHILIPPINES10 MONDAY 4 JULY 2016

China to hold drills in disputed seaAFP

BEIJING: China will hold military drills in the disputed South China Sea, the government said yesterday, ahead of an international tribunal ruling over Beijing’s maritime claims in the resource-rich area.

The drills will be held in waters around the Paracel Islands from July 5 to 11, with other ships prohibited from entering the waters during that time, a short statement by the mari-time safety administration said.

The military exercises come as an international tribunal in The Hague prepares to rule on a case brought by the Philippines challeng-ing China’s claims in the strategic waterway.

Manila lodged the suit against Beijing in early 2013, saying that after 17 years of negotiations it had exhausted all political and diplomatic avenues to settle the dispute.

Beijing, which asserts sovereignty over almost all of the South China Sea despite rival claims from Southeast Asian neighbours, insists that the Permanent Court of Arbitration has

no jurisdiction over the issue and has boycotted the proceedings.

Basing its claims on a vaguely defined “nine-dash” Chinese map dating back to the 1940s, it has rap-idly turned reefs into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes.

Manila contends that the “nine-dash” line has no basis under international law and Beijing has no “historic” claim to the ocean.

Tensions in the South China Sea have alarmed other nations, and most notably the United States which has key defence treaties with many allies in the region, and in a show of strength has sent warships close to some of the Chinese claimed reefs.

But President Xi Jinping said in a speech last week that China will never compromise on sovereignty, and that the country was “not afraid of trouble”.

In an apparent stab at the US, Xi said: “We will not show up at other people’s front doors to flex our mus-cles. That does not show strength or scare anyone.”

The South China Sea disputes involve both island and maritime claims among several sovereign

states within the region, namely Bru-nei, the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of China, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Non-claimants want the South China Sea to remain as international waters, with the United States conducting “freedom of navigation” operations.

The interests of different nations include acquiring fishing areas around the two archipelagos; the potential exploitation of crude oil and natural gas under the waters of various parts of the South China Sea, and the strategic control of important shipping lanes.

In February 2016, President Obama initiated the US-ASEAN Summit at Sunnylands for closer engagement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Territorial disputes in the South China Sea were a major topic, but its joint statement, the “Sunnylands Declaration”, did not name the South China Sea, instead calling for “respect of each nation’s sovereignty and for international law”.

Analysts believe it indicates divi-sions within the group on how to respond to China’s maritime strategy.

Bangladesh denies IS link in cafe attackAFP

DHAKA: Bangladesh said yesterday the attackers who slaughtered 20 hostages at a restaurant in Dhaka were well-educated followers of a homegrown militant outfit who found extremism “fashionable”, denying links to the Islamic State group.

As the country began two days of mourning for victims, details have emerged of how the assailants spared the lives of Muslims while herding foreigners to their deaths.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina vowed to drag Bangladesh back from the brink, warning of a concerted bid to turn one of the world’s most popu-lous nations into a failed state, while her government has continued to deny links between the assault and international jihadist networks.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it

had targeted a gathering of “citizens of crusader states” at the Western-style cafe on Friday night.

But Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said the killers -- six of whom were shot dead in the siege -- were members of the homegrown militant outfit Jamaeytul Mujahdeen Bang-ladesh (JMB), a group banned over a decade ago.

“They have no connections with the Islamic State,” Khan said.

National police chief Shahidul Hoque said that investigators would explore the possibility of “an interna-tional link” but added that “primarily, we suspect they are JMB members”.

The bodies of twenty hostages were found in pools of blood after commandos stormed the Holey Arti-san Bakery cafe to end the standoff, in which two policemen were also shot dead in a fierce gunbattle at its outset.

Six of the gunmen were killed by the commandos in the final stages of

the siege, but one was taken alive and was being interrogated by Bangla-deshi intelligence.

Security officials said most of the victims -- 18 of whom were foreigners -- were slaughtered with sharpened machete-style weapons.

Hasina’s government has pre-viously blamed a string of deadly attacks against religious minorities and foreigners on domestic opponents but the latest will heighten fears that IS’s reach is spreading.

Analysts say that the government is wary of acknowledging that groups such as IS or Al Qaeda have gained a foothold over fears that it will frighten off foreign investors.

But Shahedul Anam Khan, an analyst for the Dhaka-based Daily Star newspaper, said the attack meant the government could no longer plau-sibly deny their presence.

“While one is not sure that these people are organically linked to the

international extremist groups, the government must own up to the real-ity that the footprints of the IS in this country is very real and no amount of denying can alter the fact,” he wrote.

There was mass condemnation of the killing in Dhaka, where flags were being flown at half-mast at govern-ment offices, while prayer services were being held across the country.

Italy was mourning the death of nine citizens in the attack while seven Japanese were also killed.

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe spoke of his “profound anger that so many innocent people have lost their lives in the cruel and nefarious ter-rorism”. Pope Francis also joining the welter of condemnation.

Bangladesh’s main Islamist party has been banned from contesting polls and most of its leaders have been arrested or else executed after recent trials over their role in the 1971 war of independence from Pakistan.

AFP

YANGON: Myanmar’s bitterly-divided Rakhine State saw mass protests yesterday as thousands of Buddhists, including monks, dem-onstrated in a show of opposition to a government edict referring to Muslim communities in the restive province, organisers said.

Anti-Muslim rhetoric has spiked across Myanmar recently, with two mosques torched by Buddhist mobs in just over a week in a country where sectarian violence has left scores dead since 2012.

Home to around one million stateless Rohingya Muslims, Rakhine State has been hardest hit by reli-gious violence that has left tens of thousands of the persecuted minor-ity in fetid displacement camps.

The Rohingya are reviled by Rakhine Buddhists who refuse to recognise any shared rights to the province and instead call them

“Bengalis” -- or illegal immigrants from nearby Bangladesh.

Aung San Suu Kyi’s new govern-ment has sought to defuse the row over the term Rohingya instead ordering officials to refer to “Mus-lim communities in Rakhine”.

But protesters yesterday said that too was unacceptable as it hands Muslims recognition in a Buddhist state.

“We reject the term ‘Muslim communities in Rakhine State’,” Kyawt Sein, protest organiser in Sit-twe said, adding more than 1,000 people, including monks, had joined the rally in the state capital.

Rally-goers there shouted slo-gans including ‘Protect Rakhine State,’ while a protest in the town of Thandwe drew similar numbers.

“Bengalis should be called Ben-galis,” Phoe Thar Lay,a leader of a local Rakhine youth group said, add-ing that 17 townships across Rakhine were participating in protests yester-day afternoon.

Reuters

SYDNEY: Australian police yes-terday said they are considering an investigation into allegations of political skullduggery involv-ing text messages sent to voters as the nation went to the polls on the weekend.

The messages, which appeared on voters’ phones as though they had come from state health insurer Medicare, warned that public health services would be privatised under a Liberal Party-led coalition govern-ment, although the conservative ruling party says it has no such policy.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called the message “an extraordi-nary act of dishonesty” in a speech to party faithful on election night, as counting from Saturday’s poll showed the government was at risk of losing its majority.

“It’s a pretty shameful episode in Australian political history,” he said,

laying the blame on the opposition Labour Party.

The Queensland state branch of Labour told Fairfax Media on Saturday that it had sent the mes-sages, and said they was not meant to appear as though they had been sent by Medicare.

The text message said: “Time is running out to save Medicare,” according to screenshots published by Fairfax and News Corp.

Labour made the prospect of pri-vatisation of Medicare a key point of attack in its election campaign.

The Australian Federal Police confirmed that the matter had been referred to them.

“This matter is now being evalu-ated and whilst this occurs it would not be appropriate to provide further comment,” the force said in a state-ment yesterday.

A federal election to determine all 226 members of the 45th Par-liament of Australia took place on Saturday, after an extended eight-week official campaign period.

Chinese court

to execute man

over bus blaze

Beijing: A court in northern China yester-day sentenced a man to death for starting a bus fire in January that killed 18 people, the govern-ment said.

Flames engulfed the bus in front of a furniture store in the northern region of Ningxia, the state media has previously reported. Thirty-three people were injured.

The court in regional capital Yinchuan sen-tenced Ma Yongping to death after find-ing him guilty of using an “extremely cruel form of crime”, the Yin-chuan government said on its official microblog recently.

LEFT: A policeman searches a man on the road leading to the Holey Artisan Bakery and the O’Kitchen Restaurant after gunmen attacked, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, yesterday. RIGHT: A man lights a candle at a makeshift memorial, to pay tribute to the victims of the Dhaka restaurant attack.

Myanmar Buddhist monks participate in an anti-Muslim demonstration in Sittwe, Rakhine State, yesterday.

Police examine poll-day

texts as govt cries foul

Restless Myanmar state sees mass demonstrations

Anatolia

ZAMBOANGA CITY: The newly-appointed peace adviser to President Rodrigo Duterte has said he is willing to open talks with a Daesh-affiliated militant group to discuss the release of a Norwegian hostage.

Yesterday, Jesus Dureza said he has told the Abu Sayyaf’s Mua-mmar Askali, alias Abu Rami, that he is ready to talk with anyone from the Abu Sayyaf about the release of Kjartan Sekkingstad.

“I got word from someone in Zamboanga City this morning that one Abu Rami wanted to talk to me directly about the remaining Norwe-gian hostage,” Dureza said.

Sekkingstad was kidnapped from a high end resort in Septem-ber along with Canadians Robert Hall and John Ridsdel, and Filipina hostage, Marites Flor.

Hall and Ridsdel have since been beheaded after ransoms failed to be paid, and Flor freed.

“I told the person that I was ready and willing to talk with any-one for the release of the hostages and save lives provided that it would not be about a ransom. I gave a secure phone number for him to con-tact me. I am still waiting,” he said.

The Abu Sayyaf is demanding $6 million for Sekkingstad ‘s release.

The move comes after Askali called in to DXRZ Radio Mindanao Network and said on Friday that the Abu Sayyaf had opened a line with the government for dialogue.

He warned, however, that the group would execute Sekkingstad if had not heard from the govern-ment by July 9 and added that the group wanted Dureza to negotiate, so he could relay grievances to Duterte.

The spokesman declined to divulge their “concessions” from the government, saying it would only talk to Dureza.

“If they will just disregard us, as soon as possible, we will no longer issue any ultimatum and we will execute him (Sekkingstad),” Askali said in a statement.

He did not mention the fate of seven Indonesians who were kid-napped from a tugboat in the Sulu Sea.

Army Chief Lt Gen Eduardo Ano of Armed Forces of the Philippines said yesterday that he will try to neutralize the Abu Sayyaf within the year.

I am willing to talk with anyone for the release of the hostages provided that it would not be about a ransom: Peace Adviser

Govt opens door to hostage talks with Abu Sayyaf

Canada to set

up solar plants

in BalochistanISLAMABAD: The gov-ernments of Canada and Pakistani province of Balochistan have signed an agreement to set up solar plants of 1,000MW in different parts of the province.

Using its constitu-tional powers devolved to it under the 18th Amendment, the pro-vincial government held direct talks with the Canadian government for investment in the energy sector. According to official sources, Chief Secretary Saifullah Chat-tah signed the agreement with the Canadian offi-cials a few days back in Islamabad.

Under the agreement, a Canadian firm would establish 50MW plant each in different areas of the province to meet the electricity requirement.

27 million

mobile phone

users to be added

KARACHI: At least 27 mil-lion people are likely to be added in Pakistan’s mobile phone users’ base during the next five years, an international report said, making the country among the top 10 around the world in terms sub-scriber growth.

“Of the top 10 markets across the world in terms of subscriber growth over the next five years, six are in Asia Pacific,” said a latest report by London-based Groupe Spéciale Mobile Associa-tion (GSMA), representing 800 mobile operators worldwide.The GSMA intelligence said Indone-sia, Pakistan, Myanmar and Bangladesh will see significant further growth in their subscriber bases over the period.

The mobile phone subscription has already crossed the mark of 130 million in Pakistan.Total 2.5 billion people, 62 per cent of the Asia Pacific’s population, were sub-scribed to mobile services in 2015.

PM to return a

day before EidISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif after permission of his doctors is likely to reach home one day before Eid-Al-Fitr.

Though usually heart patients who undergo open surgery are advised complete rest for at least one and half months, PM Nawaz Sharif will take minimum rest.

PAKISTAN 11MONDAY 4 JULY 2016

AFP

PAKISTAN: Overnight flash floods killed at least 43 people in northern Pakistan, the majority in a remote village that did not receive an evac-uation warning before the waters hit washing away most of the settlement, officials said yesterday.

The heavy monsoon rains began late on Saturday and were concen-trated mainly in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which has been badly affected by flooding in recent years that some sci-entists have linked to climate change.

The worst hit district was Chitral, on the country’s northwest border

with Afghanistan, where the flood waters killed 41 people in the village of Ursoon near the Afghan border, which is home to some 100 families, district mayor Maghfirat Shah said.

Eighty-two homes in the village were affected by the waters, a rescue services statement said, with some of them swept away, along with a mosque and an army post. “Sixteen of the dead were offering prayers in the mosque when it was swept away by the flood,” said Latifur Rehman, a spokesman for the provincial disas-ter management authority.

At least eight of the victims were soldiers, and another eight bod-ies were swept over the border into Afghanistan, senior local official Osama Waraich said.

Rehman said a military-led rescue and relief operation was now under-way, with helicopters being used to reach the affected people and provide them with tents, food and medical aid.

Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation, the charitable wing of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group, were among the first at the scene provid-ing relief.

An AFP reporter in Ursoon said survivors who had lost their homes were waiting for aid under open skies

surrounded by mud and debris where their village once stood.

Nearby villages had received flood warnings from the local author-ities, but Ursoon was not alerted in time, the reporter said.

Separately, two Chinese engineers were killed and five Pakistani workers injured when the heavy rains caused the roof of a construction site to col-lapse at Tarbela Dam, also in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Rehman said.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s office issued a statement expressing his grief and sorrow.

Heavy rains and flash flood claim many victims each year, with poorly built homes across the country, par-ticularly in rural areas, susceptible to

collapse during the annual spring and monsoon rains in July-August

In April rains and landslides killed 127 people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Gilgit-Baltistan region and Paki-stani Kashmir.During the rainy season last summer, torrential down-pours and flooding killed 81 people and affected almost 300,000 across the country.

The worst flooding in recent times occurred in 2010 and covered almost a fifth of the country’s total land mass. Nearly 2,000 people were killed, 20 million affected and huge tracts of prime farmland destroyed.

Rapid deforestation brought about by decades of illegal logging in the country’s north and the growth of

farming along the river Indus in the south is believed to have exacerbated the effects of the annual floods.

Energy-starved Pakistan relies on a multitude of dams and barrages to prevent Himalayan rivers from flood-ing and help meet its power needs, but some academics believe the slowing of rivers due to the structures mean that silt accumulates, decreasing their capacity. A research paper commis-sioned by conservation group WWF and published in 2000 looked at var-ious countries, and warned of similar consequences. It noted the drainage of wetlands as well as deforestation associated with dams led to a loss of natural “sponges” to absorb flood waters during rainy season.

43 people dead in overnight flash floodsThe worst hit district was Chitral where the flood waters killed 41 people in the village of Ursoon near the Afghan border.

Children affected by flooding sit on higher ground in the village of Nagar in Chitral, yesterday.

Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers march during a ceremony at the military base in Herat, yesterday.

Martial celebration

Internews

LAHORE: As rice sowing starts in Punjab province, farmers and the agriculture department hope to meet both acreage (4.4 million acre) and production (3.4 million tonnes) tar-gets due to increasingly favourable weather and market conditions.

The early onset of the monsoon, which has threatened the cotton crop on one hand, has turned cli-matic conditions favourable to the

rice crop in five districts of central Punjab the basmati belt that produces bulk of the variety. The area has been having good showers and is expected to have more up to the end of August.

“Apart from the weather, inter-national price, which has recovered a bit, is also favouring basmati rice,” says Muhammad Ajmal a rice grower.

As compared to $700 per tonne till few weeks back, the world prices have gone over $800 per tonne which should help the farmers, psycho-logically at least at this stage when sowing is getting underway, he says,

adding that in local terms, this jump means Rs10 increase in each kilo-gram. If the recovery trend continues, the farmers may make some money on the rice crop this year, he hopes.

“It is not international price but the behaviour of the exporters that determines the crop,” insists Hamid Malhi, chairman of the Basmati Growers Association.

By $800 per tonne calculations, local price of paddy should not be less than Rs1,750 per maund whereas it has not gone beyond Rs900 to Rs1,200 per maund, he says.

Internews

ISLAMABAD: Residents of the katchi abadi along the Haro River in Hassanabdal have kept their centu-ries-old water-run flour mills known as jandars. The mills are powered by fast-flowing water from the nearby river, which turns the heavy grind-stone to produce flour.

Though there are many machine-run flour mills in the area, residents of Hassanabdal and its surrounding areas prefer to grind their wheat grains in the traditional water-run mills due to a wide-held belief that wheat from jandars is of better quality and tastes better than mass produced flour.

Owners do not charge money for grinding wheat, rather take a share from the ground flour.

“Flour ground in water mills remains safe from insects and other pests for many months. That is why you see so many people waiting with sacks of wheat to be ground,” said a jandar owner Kha-lid Mehmood.

Mehmood has been operating his watermill since he was a young boy and said he will continue with his forefathers’ business.

In reply to a question, he said that while there is a long list of ben-efits of watermill ground flour, the one disadvantage is that the proc-ess is very time consuming.

It takes several hours to grind a kilogramme of wheat, he said. “I have been operating this mill for

a long time and I charge less than what machine-run flour mills do. For grinding 2,000 kilogrammes of flour, we take 50kg of flour,” said Nisar Khan, the owner of another jandar.

He said the mill has been in his family for generations.

Because it does not need elec-tricity to run, people of the area do not have to worry about the short-age of flour when during prolonged hours of load-shedding, said Sha-hid Khan, a local flour mill operator whose family has been in the pro-fession for many decades.

The cost of machine-ground flour increases with increases in the prices of fuel, he said.

“Jandar-produced flour is cheap because the owner only keeps a kg of flour for grinding 5kg,” he said, adding that there were no factors such as fuel to drive the price up.

“Flour from water-run mills tastes better which is why people come from far away to grind their wheat,” said Sadaqat Ali, who had travelled 20 kilometres to the mill.

Another regular customer at the mill, Dr Arshad said flour from the mill does not spoil for month and that the mills also do not harm the environment as it does not require fuel.

The traditional jandars cater to the flour requirements of the local population. Comprising of a small 12x14 foot room and only requir-ing a small capital investment, these mills grind wheat and maize flour in fine and super fine quality in addi-tion to chokar (chaff) and sooji.

Internews

PESHAWAR: The government has started preparations to bring home around 7,000 families who had migrated to Afghanistan when the military operation Zarb-e-Azb was launched in North Waziristan Agency in June 2014.

Kamran Ahmad Afridi, politi-cal agent of North Waziristan, said that efforts are being made to start the return process of the displaced Pakistani families from Afghanistan

in the last week of July or first week of August.

“Initially, the plan was to start bringing them home from July 20, but it was delayed so that the computer-ised national identity cards (CNICs) of these residents of North Waziris-tan could be first verified by Nadra,” he said.

He put at 30,000 to 40,000 the total number of Pakistanis from North Waziristan presently living in Afghan-istan. He said about 30 per cent of them were living in camps and 40 per cent with their relatives while the remaining had gone to Kabul

and other places.Kamran Afridi said return forms have been sent through tribal elders to Afghanistan to be filled up by the dislocated Pakistani families.

He explained that every family has to provide details about the names of their members and CNIC along with their tribe and village.

He added that the identification process would be completed once the CNICs are verified by Nadra while taking care that militants aren’t able to come back along with the returnees.He said some preliminary work was done earlier by asking the

displaced families to provide details of their livestock, vehicles and other assets.

He said a jirga of elders of the sub-tribes that shifted to Afghani-stan was held at the border town of Ghulam Khan in North Waziristan to consult them about the plan to bring them home.According to Kamran Afridi, the Afghanistan-based Paki-stani families would be asked to enter Pakistan at the Ghulam Khan border in batches of 200.

“The government would provide transport to carry the returning Paki-stani families to the Bakkakhel camp

in Frontier Region Bannu. Like the other temporarily displaced persons, they too would be provided the Watan cards for getting compensation,” he said.As the government is planning to send home all the remaining dis-placed families from North Waziristan by November this year, those return-ing from Afghanistan would also be sent to their villages around that time.

The figure of 30,000-40,000 Pakistanis who migrated from North Waziristan at the time of the launching of the operation Zar-e-Azb provided by Pakistani authorities is much below than given by the Afghan

government. At the time, Afghan officials claimed 22,722 Pakistani families totalling 186,711 had shifted to Afghanistan’s Khost and Paktika province from North Waziristan.Paki-stani authorities had later claimed that about 30,000 Pakistanis had returned home from Afghanistan due to the tough conditions across the border.

Some of these families living in the areas bordering Afghanistan had hurriedly left North Waziristan as it was easier to cross the border than reach Bannu due to the rush of peo-ple on the roads and lack of transport.

Govt preparing to bring displaced tribal families home from Afghanistan

Centuries-old flour

mills still in use

Govt aims for high rice production

Four held for

beating three

minorsBENGALURU: Four per-sons were arrested for allegedly severely beat-ing three minor boys for “stealing” money in Ben-galuru Rural district last week, police said yesterday.

“A criminal case has been booked under the Pocso Act against six accused, but only four have been arrested, as two others are abscond-ing,” Superintendent of Police, Bengaluru Rural, Amit Singh told IANS from Hoskote, 30km from here.The arrested are Masthan, Pasha, Zabiulla and Ayub, while Shamsher and Nurulla are still at large.

Sisodia flags off

110 new CATS

ambulancesNEW DELHI: Delhi Dep-uty Chief Minister Manish Sisodia yesterday flagged off a fleet of 110 new Centralised Ambulance Trauma Services (CATS) ambulances equipped with modern gadgets, in a bid to boost emergency services in the city.

Of the fleet, 100 are basic life support ambulances and 10 are advanced life support ambulances equipped with all life saving equip-ment as per guidelines, a Delhi government statement said. “Each ambulance has been pro-vided mobile tablets for easy navigation and to enter the patient’s details enabling advance notice to the hospitals.”

Pappu Yadav held

for instigating

protestersPATNA: Lok Sabha mem-ber Pappu Yadav was yesterday booked in the Bihar capital city in a case of instigating protest-ing students to immolate themselves, police said.

“An FIR was lodged at the Buddha Colony police station by the district administration against Pappu Yadav for instigat-ing students, demanding postponement of Bihar Public Service Com-mission (BPSC) main examinations, to immo-late themselves,” a district police official said.

INDIA12 MONDAY 4 JULY 2016

IANS

CHENNAI: India’s first insurance policy covering public liability to an atomic power plant operator has been issued to Nuclear Power Cor-poration of India Ltd (NPCIL) but the reinstatement of insurance value post a claim will be decided later, industry officials said.

“We recently got the insurance policy covering all our atomic power plants. The total premium came around `100 crore for a risk cover of `1,500 crore,” S. K. Sharma, Chair-man and Managing Director, NPCIL, said. The policy complies with all the provisions of the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act (CLND), said

a known insurance industry official.The central government had

announced in June 2015 the setting up of the `1,500 crore India Nuclear Insurance Pool to be managed by national reinsurer GIC Re.

The insurance policy on behalf of clutch to non-life insurers was issued by the country’s largest non-life insurer New India Assurance Company Ltd. The policy would cover the liability towards public as a consequence of any nuclear accident in the plants covered under the pol-icy and also the right of recourse of NPCIL against equipment suppliers.

Reinstatment clause in an insur-ance policy enables a policyholder to extend the insurance cover to the original limit on payment of pre-mium post a claim.

The GIC Re, four government-owned general insurers and also some private general insurers have provided the capacity to insure the risks of up to `1,000 crore with the balance `500 crore being obtained from the British Nuclear Insurance Pool. The losses or profits in the pool would be shared by the insurers in the ratio of their agreed risk capac-ity. Foreign nuclear plant suppliers were reluctant to sell to India, citing the provisions of the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act 2010 that provides the right of recourse by NPCIL against the vendors under certain circumstances.

NPCIL gets first nuclear liability policyWe recently got the insurance policy covering all our atomic power plants. The total premium came around `100 crore for a risk cover of `1,500 crore: Sharma

Border Security Force (BSF) personnel use a speedboat to patrol along the Teesta River on the border with Bangladesh near the Barun border post, some 80km from Siliguri yesterday, after an attack and seige in the Bangladesh capital Dhaka.

Border vigil

IANS

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Naren-dra Modi is set yesterday to release here a book on Sikh military com-mander Banda Singh Bahadur to mark the 300th anniversary of his martyrdom.

“The Prime Minister will release a book and souvenir on Baba Banda Singh Bahadurji on the occasion,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a series of tweets. Punjab Chief Min-ister Parkash Singh Badal will be part of the programme, the PMO said. “A

recently released commemorative coin on Baba Banda Singh Bahadurji will be presented to the Prime Minis-ter and Chief Minister of Punjab,” said another tweet from the PMO.

Last month, Union Finance Min-ister Arun Jaitley had released a commemorative silver coin to mark the 300th martyrdom day of Banda Singh Bahadur.

Delhi’s Arvind Kejriwal gov-ernment has also been keenly associating itself with the Sikh military commander’s martyr-dom anniversary, recently putting out newspaper advertisements to announce renaming of the Barapulla

flyover after Banda Singh Bahadur.These commemorations and

announcements come months ahead of the assembly elections in Punjab to be held in 2017. Banda Singh Baha-dur is believed to have been born in 1670 in Rajouri, now part of Jammu and Kashmir state. At a young age he became a disciple of Guru Gobind Singh and assembled a force to fight the Mughal Empire. He is credited with establishing Sikh rule in Punjab, starting with the sack in 1709 of the Mughal provincial capital, Samana, now part of Patiala district. He was captured and executed by Mughals in Delhi in 1716.

Muslims eat Iftar meal outside a mosque in Ahmedabad, yesterday.

Breaking the fast

IANS

AGARTALA: At least eight tribal girls from Mizoram were rescued from a car while being trafficked to Gujarat, police said yesterday.

As many as two tribal youths were also arrested in this connec-tion, the police said. “They were rescued from a small vehicle on Sat-urday night while being trafficked to Gujarat via Guwahati,” police inspec-tor Ratanmani Debbarma said.

“During interrogation the girls gave different versions about their journey. Seven of them are the

inmates of refugee camps in Kan-chanpur (in north Tripura) where tribals from Mizoram live. Another teen aged girl is a class nine student from Mizoram,” he said.

Debbarma said that to know the details the police have called the refugee leaders who said they were unaware of the girls’ journey.

“Their parents said they face acute poverty here. They were sending their daughters to Gujarat in search of jobs in beauty parlours. However, the parents could not give corroborative facts and other details. We are investigating the matter,” the police official added.

The girls were aged between 15 and 25 years while the two men are aged between 35 and 40. About 31,300 Reang tribals, who call them-selves ‘Bru’, have been living in seven makeshift camps for the past 19 years in Kanchanpur area adjoining Mizo-ram. They had fled ethnic violence in western Mizoram following the killing of a Mizo forest official at the Dampa Tiger Reserve.

Despite several initiatives by the Mizoram government to bring them back, the refugees have been reluc-tant to go back to their villages unless their demands for food and security are met.

IANS

NEW DELHI: Following this week’s cut in transport fuel prices, the Cen-tre is likely to favour Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) Arvind Subramanian’s view that excise duty on petrol and diesel should not be cut in the future, said a senior official here.

In a paper submitted last month, Subramanian suggested a status quo on excise duties till international oil prices rise to $65 a barrel from their current levels of under $50, said the official of the finance ministry.

The paper argues that any price-rise above $65 a barrel should be borne equally by consumers, who will have to pay higher rates, and the government which will need to cut

excise duty on transport fuels. Amid the recent fluctuation in global crude oil prices, the Indian basket of crude closed trade on Thursday at $47.24 for a barrel of 159 litres, up from its pre-vious day close at $46.80, according to the available data.

State-run Indian Oil Corpora-tion (IOC) cut the price of petrol by 89 paise a litre and of diesel by 49 paise effective from Friday in Delhi,

with corresponding decrease in other states. Petrol per litre now costs `64.76 in Delhi, `67.79 in Kolk-ata, `69.32 in Mumbai, and `64.24 in Chennai. Diesel costs `54.70 in Delhi, `56.89 in Kolkata, `60 in Mumbai, and `56.25 in Chennai.

Making its previous fortnightly revision in fuel prices on June 16, IOC had hiked price of petrol marginally by five paise a litre and of diesel by Rs

1.26, both at Delhi, with correspond-ing increase in other states.

With oil prices in free fall over the entire last year, falling from well over $100 a barrel levels to around $27, the government had hiked excise duty on petrol and diesel nine-fold to garner additional revenues.

In all, it raised excise duty on pet-rol by `11.77 a litre and that on diesel by`13.47.

Oil prices have surged more than 80 per cent on a weaker US dollar from a 12-year low in January.

Subramanian is of the view that taking into account the government’s tighter fiscal position this year after approving implementation of the 7th Central Pay Commission (7CPC) rec-ommendations, it would be unwise to cut excise duty till crude prices climb back to his suggested trigger level.

IANS

NEW DELHI: The BJP yesterday dubbed MIM chief Asaduddin Owai-si’s offer of providing legal aid to five Islamic State suspects arrested in Hyderabad as “betrayal” of the coun-try and said the proposed move will give “oxygen” to terrorists.

However, the Majlis-e-Itte-hadul Muslimeen (MIM) leader and Hyderabad MP hit back and won-dered if the discharge of Sadhvi Pragya Thakur in the Malegaon blast case and not appealing against bail to Aseemanand in the Mecca mosque bomb blast case will not have the same result.

Commenting on Owaisi’s offer, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the Hyderabad MP is “directly or indirectly helping the IS”.

BJP leader Srikant Sharma said: “Helping people involved in acts of

terrorism is a betrayal of the coun-try. On the one hand, you condemn the IS and, on the other, you support those involved in such acts.”

He said the agencies concerned should decide on what all charges the MIM leader could be booked for after his offer of legal help to the IS suspects, arrested from Hyderabad.

The BJP leader also said that Owaisi’s criticism of IS is a “drama” as he does not believe in what he says. Owaisi took to Twitter to hit back at the Bharatiya Janata Party.

“What about discharging Sadhvi, not appealing against bail to Aseem-anand ..., hanging J/khnd..,” tweeted Owaisi in response to BJP’s com-ments. Owaisi was not available for comments.Sources in the MIM, how-ever, said their leader has already defended the decision to provide legal aid to the five youth. “What is wrong in it? Even if I don’t provide legal aid, the court will appoint a lawyer for them,” the MP said.

PM to release book on Banda Singh

Don’t change excise duty on transport fuels: CEA

BJP slams Owaisi

over legal aid issue

IANS

CHANDIGARH: Texts from the holy books of various religions will be incorporated in the curriculum of government schools in Haryana from this month, a minister said yesterday.

The subject of moral education which includes religious texts from

‘Bhagavad Gita’ (Hindu religion), ‘Quran’ (Islam), the ‘Bible’ (Christian-ity) and ‘Guru Granth Sahib’ (Sikhism) will be introduced at a programme to be held in the Kurukshetra Univer-sity auditorium tomorrow.

Haryana Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma said moral education would be introduced as a subject for students from class six to class 12.

“All religions focus on character building. Texts such as Bhagavad Gita, Quran, the Bible and Guru Granth Sahib have been incorporated in the curriculum. Different textbooks would be prescribed for each class,” Sharma said in a statement.

“The state govt prepared the cur-riculum in collaboration with social organisations and educationists.”

Religious texts to be included in curriculum

Eight Mizoram tribal girls rescued

Youngsters play with water during a flash mob called “Water battle” on a hot summer day on the bank of the Dnipro river in Kiev, Ukraine.

Cool-off battle

Belarusian cadets march as they take part in a military parade during celebrations marking Independence Day in Minsk, Belarus, yesterday.

Charged patriotism

Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble urged members to be pragmatic and take an “intergovernmental approach” to solve problems.

EUROPE 13MONDAY 4 JULY 2016

BERLIN: German arms exports almost doubled last year to their highest level since the beginning of this century, a German newspaper said yester-day , citing a report from the Economy Ministry that is due to be pre-sented to the cabinet on Wednesday.

Newspaper Welt am Sonntag said the value of individual approv-als granted for exporting arms was 7.86 billion euros ($8.75 billion) last year compared with €3.97bn worth of arms exports in 2014.

It said the Economy Ministry had pointed to special factors that boosted arms exports such as the approval of four tanker aircraft for Britain worth €1.1bn.

Serbia not to

hold vote on

joining EU

BERLIN: Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic told a German newspa-per that Serbia would not hold a referendum on whether or not to join the European Union, which Belgrade hopes to do in 2020.

Asked by Bild am Son-ntag newspaper about reports Russian President Vladimir Putin is using his influence in Serbia to push for a referendum there on the EU, Vucic said: “I don’t know any-thing about Putin but I know that some Serbian parties are openly calling for that.”

Spaniards pay

tribute to subway

crash victims

MADRID: More than 100 people have paid tribute to victims of a fatal sub-way crash in Spanish city of Valencia that killed 43 and injured 47 a decade ago.

Some mourners laid flowers outside the Jesus station where the crash occurred on July 3, 2006.

The 10-anniversary ceremony was an emo-tional one for the families, which had long battled to reverse a decision that governed Valencia at the time to change the name of the station. It has now been changed back to its original name.

German arms

exports on the

rise: Report

Reuters

BERLIN: Senior German politicians are calling for improvements to the European Union, just over a week after Britons voted to leave the bloc.

In a referendum held on June 23, Britain voted 52 to 48 percent in favour of quitting the EU - a decision that caused major losses in global financial markets and raised concerns about the EU’s future prospects.

Finance Minister Wolfgang Schae-uble said the timeframes Brussels usually operates with were too big and politicians there had taken too long to make decisions on the migrant cri-sis last year. He urged members to be pragmatic and take an “intergovern-mental approach” to solve problems whenever this was the case.

Asked if European institutions should be reformed, Schaeuble said that would take too long.

“You soon realise if the

Commission isn’t managing some-thing or if we’re getting bogged down in the (European) Council. And that’s when governments have a responsi-bility,” Schaeuble said in an interview with Welt am Sonntag newspaper.

Asked if he was calling for the European Commission to be weak-ened, Schaeuble said: “Not at all. I’m just saying that it and we need to be more pragmatic and faster.”

He said reforming European insti-tutions or changing European treaties would take too long and denied that he was calling for the Commission’s power to be reduced.

However, German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel called for the ranks of EU Commissioners to be streamlined and for Brussels to reconsider how it allocates its budget.

“A Europe in which 27 Commis-sioners want to prove themselves doesn’t make sense. It would be good to downsize in this respect” he told the newspaper Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung in an interview.

Gabriel, who is also Germany’s vice chancellor, said the EU should reassess if it should still put around 40 percent of funds towards agri-culture while much less money is pumped into research, innovation or education. And European Par-liament President Martin Schulz, a German, wrote in a piece for Frank-furter Allgemeine Zeitung’s Monday edition that the Commission should be turned into “a real European gov-ernment” subject to parliamentary control from the European Parlia-ment and a second chamber made up of representatives of member states.

AFP

MOSCOW: Russian firefighters yes-terday found the remains of a crashed plane that went missing on Friday with ten people on board while putting out wildfires in Siberia.

The tail of the Il-76 emergencies ministry plane was found north of Irkutsk, in the region straddling Rus-sia’s Lake Baikal, where catastrophic fires have been raging for weeks.

Rescuers found eight bodies and

both the data and voice flight recorders at the scene, ministry spokesman Alexei Vagutovich told Interfax news agency.

Investigators were also at the site following Saturday’s launch of a crim-inal probe into the crash.

Earlier, the ministry said ten peo-ple were on board the plane, which stopped making contact early Friday.

Footage from the crash site showed the tail of the transport plane lying on charred ground with the rest of the fuselage apparently completely burned.

A Russian aviation agencies source

said the plane most likely lost con-trol because of interference from hot air from wildfire that it was trying to douse with water.

“It’s possible that hot air from the wildfires got into the engines, the plane lost propulsion and could not gain alti-tude, hit the top of the trees and fell,” the source was quoted as saying.

The plane’s tail was discovered by another firefighter yesterday morning.

Last week another firefighter died on duty in Russia’s far-eastern Kam-chatka region, the regional government revealed.

Reuters

LONDON: Two leading contenders to be the next British prime minister disagreed publicly yesterday on how quickly negotiations should be trig-gered to plan a departure from the European Union.

Interior minister Theresa May, the front-runner who campaigned for a “Remain” vote in the June 23 refer-endum, said Britain needed to have a clear negotiating position and she would not be rushed into starting the formal exit process this year.

Junior energy minister Andrea Leadsom (pictured), who emerged a strong rival to May from the “Leave” camp, struck a more urgent note, say-ing Britain has to “get a grip and make progress”.

Adding to the political turbulence, the vast majority of the main centre-left opposition Labour Party’s lawmakers openly denounced their leader Jer-emy Corbyn as unfit for the job but he has refused to resign, citing grass-roots support.

Five candidates are vying to suc-ceed Cameron as Conservative Party leader and prime minister. The field will be whittled down to two by the party’s lawmakers over the summer, before party members pick the win-ner by September 9.

May has established an early lead, gaining support of more than 100 law-makers, reports said yesterday, four times as many as any other candidate.

But her critics, including rivals Leadsom and Justice Secretary Michael Gove, said the next leader needed to come from the winning “Leave” side of the EU debate.

May, who vowed to honour the vote

when she launched her bid, said Brit-ain needed a leader who could bring the country back together.

“(People) are not looking for a prime minister who is just a Brexit prime min-ister, but a prime minister who can govern the whole country,” she said.

The shock decision to leave the EU has pushed the pound to 30-year lows and raised concerns that the British economy could go into reverse.

Media reports yesterday suggested that some Conservative lawmakers wanted Leadsom and other candi-dates to stand aside so that May could be installed quickly in Downing Street to establish stability and start mak-ing progress towards Brexit.

But May said she did not favour the “coronation” scenario”.

“I think there should be a con-test,” she said.

EU leaders have been putting pres-sure on Britain to trigger article 50 quickly to set the exit process in motion and avoid a prolonged period of uncer-tainty that is also destabilising for the other 27 member states.

Once the article is invoked, the clock starts ticking for an exit deal to

be agreed within two years.“We’ve got to be clear about what

our negotiating stance is before we trigger that article 50, because once we trigger it then all the processes start,” said May.

But former banker Leadsom, who was one of the most passionate advo-cates of Brexit during the referendum campaign, said she would move as quickly as possible.

“It’s about giving certainty to busi-nesses, it’s about saying to the world ‘we’re open for business’,” she told BBC TV. “We need to get on with it, we need to get a grip and make progress.”

Leadsom, who is not well known to many Britons, is eclipsing her senior colleague Gove, whose own campaign is struggling to escape the charges of betrayal towards leading “Leave” cam-paigner Boris Johnson.

Gove withdrew his support for former London mayor Johnson and decided to run against his former ally on Thursday.

The final choice of leader, and Brit-ain’s next prime minister, will come down to a vote of about 150,000 mem-bers of the Conservative Party.

Moscow will

shift troops if

Finland joins

Nato: Putin

AP

MOSCOW: Moscow would reposi-tion its troops if Finland were to join Nato, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

Putin made the comment at a news conference after meeting with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto at the latter’s summer residence in the town of Naantali.

Interest in the prospect of join-ing Nato has been rising in both Finland and neighbouring Sweden in the wake of Russia’s annexation of Crimea and its backing for sep-aratist rebels in eastern Ukraine.

The Finnish and Swedish foreign ministers in May attended a meet-ing of their Nato counterparts, an indication of pursuing stronger ties.

Putin said that “if Finland enters Nato, that means that Finnish sol-diers would have stopped being independent, stopped being sov-ereign in the full sense of this word, they become part of the military infrastructure of Nato, which will in an instant find itself on the bor-ders of Russia.” He noted that most Russian troops are well away from the countries’ border now but asked, in the event of Nato accession, “Do you think we’d still act that way?”

Putin’s visit came as the EU extended sanctions against Rus-sia until February. The sanctions and Russia’s retaliatory ban on food imports from the EU have been a blow to the Finnish economy.

He suggested that there are ways around the problem for Fin-land, saying “Turn to London, they will show you,” a clear reference to the recent referendum supporting Britain leaving the EU.

Niinisto in turn said Russia could get the sanctions removed by implementing terms of the Minsk agreement aimed at ending the con-flict in eastern Ukraine.

Niinisto also said that in their meeting he proposed that all war-planes flying in the Baltic region keep their transponders turned on as a confidence-building meas-ure and Putin said he agreed with the idea.

Reuters

BELGRADE: Serbia is performing a delicate balancing act between its Euro-pean aspirations, partnership with Nato and its centuries-old religious, eth-nic and political alliance with Russia.

Belgrade is being wooed by the West which has sought to bring it into the fold since the fall of Slobo-dan Milosevic in 2000. Serbia is now a European Union membership can-didate and the bloc is its top trade partner and benefactor.

Belgrade is also quietly moving towards Nato despite the reserva-tions of most Serbians but it is wary of damaging its loudly proclaimed friendship with Russia that wants to boost its influence in the region and which is hostile to the military alliance.

“Serbia cannot entirely turn to Nato, it will maintain the maximum level of cooperation with it, without changing its (membership) status,” said Genady Sysoev, Balkan corre-spondent for Russia’s Kommersant newspaper and an expert on Mos-cow’s policy in the region.

“Serbia cannot turn to Russia because ... no Serbian leadership would risk losing Western invest-ment and aid.”

Serbia is one of the few Balkan countries not in the 28-member Nato which is hugely unpopular among Serbs after its 1999 bombing cam-paign to drive Serbian forces out of Kosovo.

Alliance peacekeepers are also still deployed in Kosovo, Serbia’s former southern province, whose independence in 2008 has not been accepted by Belgrade.

Improvements needed in EU: German ministers

Russia finds remains of crashed firefighter plane; no survivors

PM contenders differ on Brexit urgency

Serbia cautiously edges towards Nato

Yesterday’s answer

Yesterday’s answer

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TV LISTINGS

9:00 The Family10:00 News10:30 Inside Story11:00 News11:30 UpFront12:00 News12:30 Witness13:00 NEWSHOUR14:00 News14:30 Inside Story15:00 The Slum16:00 NEWSHOUR17:00 News17:30 Talk To Al Jazeera 18:00 NEWSHOUR19:00 News19:30 Counting the Cost20:00 News20:30 Inside Story21:00 NEWSHOUR22:00 News22:30 The Stream23:00 Lifelines: The

Quest For Global Health

12:30 Ek Tha Raja Ek Thi Rani

13:00 Kumkum Bhagya13:30 Meri Saasu Maa14:00 Jamai Raja14:30 Tashn E Ishq15:00 Vishkanya15:30 Jamai Raja16:00 Rocky & Mayur

Food Xpress16:30 Ek Tha Raja Ek Thi

Rani17:00 Kumkum Bhagya17:30 Vishkanya18:00 Tashn E Ishq18:30 Kaala Teeka19:00 Meri Saasu Maa19:30 Yeh Vadaa Raha20:00 Ek Tha Raja Ek Thi

Rani20:30 Jamai Raja21:00 Kumkum Bhagya21:30 Tashn E Ishq22:00 Vishkanya22:30 Happy New Year

07:00 Meet The Sloths07:25 Animal Maternity

Ward08:15 River Monsters09:10 Treehouse

Masters10:05 Tanked11:00 Too Cute!11:55 Bondi Vet12:50 River Monsters13:45 Gator Boys14:40 Treehouse

Masters15:35 Tanked16:30 Into The Pride17:25 River Monsters18:20 From Pound Pups

To Dog Stars18:45 From Pound Pups

To Dog Stars19:15 Tanked20:10 Into The Pride21:05 Treehouse

Masters22:00 From Pound Pups

12:45 Shake It Up13:10 Shake It Up13:35 Jessie14:00 Jessie14:25 Austin & Ally14:50 Austin & Ally15:15 Disney Mickey

Mouse15:20 Gravity Falls15:45 Miraculous Tales

Of Ladybug And Cat Noir

16:10 Violetta17:00 Backstage17:25 Alex & Co.17:50 Girl Meets World18:15 Liv And Maddie18:40 Best Friends

Whenever19:05 Austin & Ally19:30 Bunk’d19:55 Jessie20:20 Backstage20:45 Good Luck

Charlie

Conceptis Sudoku: Conceptis Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle

based on a 9×9 grid. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in

the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3×3 box

contains the same number only once.

Intruder (2D/Thriller) 12:30, 2:20, 3:00, 4:10, 6:00, 7:30, 7:50, 9:40, 11:30 & 11:50pmNow You See Me 2 (2D/Comedy) 11:30am, 12:30, 1:30, 4:00, 2:00, 4:30, 6:30; 7:00, 7:30, 9:00, 9:30, 11:30, 11:50pm & 12:00 midnightAlbert (2D/Animation) 12:00noon, 1:40, 3:20, 5:00, 6:40 & 8:20pmThe Curse of Sleeping Beauty (2D/Thriller) 12:00noon, 1:50, 3:40, 5:30, 7:20, 9:10 & 11:00pmElvis & Nixon (2D/Comedy) 12:00, 4:00, 8:00 & 12:00midnightRabid Dogs (2D/Action) 2:00, 6:00, 10:00pmMoney Monster (2D/Thriller) 12:00pm, 4:20, 8:40pmThe Nice Guys (2D/Action) 2:00pm, 6:20 & 11:00pmGhosthunters (2D/Horror) 12:00, 2:00, 4:00, 6:00, 8:00, 10:00pm & 12:00midnight.X-Men:Apocalypse (3D IMAX/Action) 12:00, 4:40 & 9:40pmWarcraft (3D IMAX/Action) 12:00pm, 4:50 & 9:20pm

School Bus (2D/Malayalam) 2:30 & 9:00pmIntruder (2D/Thriller) 11:15pmElvis & Nixon (2D/Comedy) 3:00 & 8:30pmThe Curse of Sleeping Beauty (2D/Thriller) 10:00pmRabid Dogs (2D/Action) 11:30pm

Now You See Me: The Second Act (2D/Comedy) 3:00pmGhosthunters (2D/Horror) 8:45 Jackson Durai (Tamil) 10:30pm

Ghosthunters (2D/Horror) 2:30 & 11:00pmIntruder (2D/Thriller) 3:00 & 9:00pmThe Curse of Sleeping Beauty (2D/Thriller) 8:30 & 10:45pmElvis & Nixon (2D/Comedy) 3:00 & 10:00pmRabid Dogs (2D/Action) 11:30pm

Now You See Me: The Second Act (2D/Comedy) 8:30pm

Kammati Paadam (Malayalam) 8:00 & 11:00pm

School Bus (2D/Malayalam) 8:00, 9:00, 11:00 & 12:00 midnightJackson Durai (Tamil) 8:00 & 11:00pm

School Bus (2D/Malayalam) 12:30, 3:00, 9:15 & 11:45pm Jackson Durai (Tamil) 12:00, 2.45, 8.45 & 11:30pm

Rabid Dogs (2D/Action) 12:00, 2:00, 4:00, 8:15, 10:15pm & 12:15am

BREAK TIME14 MONDAY 4 JULY 2016

AMERICAS 17MONDAY 4 JULY 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

Cuban Muslim men eat after fasting at the Abdallah mosque during Ramadan in Havana. The small Muslim community of Cuba celebrates discreetly the end of its Ramadan every year.

Religious fervour

15

AFP

NEW YORK: Mourners gathered in New York yesterday to bid farewell to Elie Wiesel (pictured), the Holocaust survivor and Nobel peace laureate hailed for his life’s work of keeping alive the memory of Jews slaugh-tered during World War II.

Wiesel, who died in New York on Saturday at age 87, was honoured at private services at a synagogue, as tributes poured in from around the world to the man who warned that “to forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time.”

His wife Marion, in a wheelchair, was among those who arrived in a stream of black cars on the Upper East Side neighborhood of Manhattan.

“It was extremely moving, espe-cially when Elie Wiesel’s son and grandson spoke,” film producer and critic Annette Insdorf said after the funeral. “It made very personal the loss of a man with such huge pub-lic stature.”

Beatrice Malovany, wife of Fifth Avenue Synagogue cantor Joseph Malovany, praised the “very digni-fied service.” “They really brought out

the true character of Elie,” she said.“He was an absolutely decent

human being. He respected human-ity. No matter what situation they were in. He respected the soul of the person. He was deeply religious.”

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered top of One World Trade Center lit in blue and white colours of Israeli flag in honour of Wiesel. The Romanian-born Wiesel, a US citizen once known as “world’s leading spokesman on Holocaust,” was best known for his memoir Night detailing his experiences in Nazi death camps.

He won Nobel Peace Prize in 1986, when he was described as hav-ing “made it his life’s work to bear witness to genocide committed by the Nazis during World War II.”

Reuters

NEW YORK: Top lawmakers from both major US political parties said yesterday they trusted the Justice Department to appropriately handle its probe of presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s private email server, after a heavily criticised meeting between Clinton’s husband and the U.S. attorney general.

Republican Senators Lindsey Graham and John McCain said on CBS show Face the Nation that they would respect Attorney General Loretta Lynch’s decision on whether to prosecute Clinton, the likely Dem-ocratic presidential nominee.

Congressman Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence

Committee, also said he respected the process, though he acknowledged Lynch’s private meeting last week at an airport with former president Bill Clinton was unfortunate.

“I think both of them wish their airplanes had never come anywhere near each other,” Schiff said on Face

the Nation, adding that he still had confidence in the DOJ and the Fed-eral Bureau of Investigation to do a thorough investigation of Clinton’s email use.

“If they say they are going to con-duct this investigation by the book, I believe that’s what’s going to happen,” said Schiff, who supports Clinton for the party’s nomination.

Lynch said on Friday that she would accept whatever recommenda-tions the career prosecutors working on the case made about whether to prosecute Clinton.

The lawmakers’ endorsement for the process follows Clinton’s meeting on Saturday with investigators at the FBI’s Washington headquarters, where she answered questions for three and a half hours as part of the probe into use of her private email server.

The FBI is investigating Clinton’s email use and whether laws were bro-ken as a result of a personal email server kept in her Chappaqua, New York, home while she was secretary of state from 2009 to 2013.

Lawmakers and political strat-egists speculated yesterday that the FBI’s interview of Clinton signaled its investigation could be nearing its end. But the FBI offered no informa-tion about the status of the probe or who its targets may be. Clinton has long insisted she is not a target.

Clinton herself said in comments to MSNBC on Saturday that she “was pleased to have the opportunity to assist the department in bringing its review to a conclusion.”

Her rival, presumptive Republi-can nominee Donald Trump, said it was “impossible” for the FBI not to

recommend criminal charges against her. The two have already begun an acrimonious battle ahead of the pres-idential election on November 8.

Democrats are hoping the issue will be resolved before their four-day convention in Philadelphia that begins July 25, which is expected to culmi-nate with Clinton’s nomination for the presidential race.

It is unclear what Democrats would do if Clinton were to be indicted and if any contingency plan exists.

Not all lawmakers said they were confident the Justice Department could maintain impartiality. Tom Cotton, a Republican senator, said on NBC’s Meet the Press yesterday he thought Lynch’s meeting with Bill Clinton “raises questions about politi-cal interference in this investigation.”

The Washington Post

WASHINGTON: The president of Marylanders to Prevent Gun Vio-lence is doing something she has never done before: organising volun-teers to monitor the state’s Handgun Permit Review Board.

The board, which hears appeals from people who have been denied gun permits, is one of at least three in the state that oversee hot-button issues and now have a majority of their members appointed by Governor Larry Hogan, a first-term Republican in a heavily Democratic state.

“We want to make sure peo-ple who got on the board are voting with Maryland laws and not their

personal philosophies,” said group’s president, Jen Pauliukonis, explain-ing why volunteers will take minutes of meetings and record each decision by the board. “We’re doing it because of new appointees and because of our concern that Governor Hogan was trying to weaken our concealed-carry laws through appointments.”

Hogan appointees also hold majority on State Board of Education and the Public Service Commission, which over the next several years are expected to make weighty decisions on such issues as the role of standard-ised testing in schools; expansion of charter schools; wind power; and net metering, a system that allows cus-tomers to offset cost of power drawn from solar panels that are connected to public-utility power grids.

Man injured in

shooting outside

Houston mosque

Reuters

TEXAS: A doctor headed for morn-ing prayers at a Houston mosque was reportedly ambushed by three masked men who shot and wounded him yesterday, a day after a Muslim man was beaten outside a Florida mosque.

The victim of the Texas inci-dent, identified as Dr Arslan Tajammul, an eye specialist, was undergoing surgery and was expected to survive, according to KTRK, an ABC television affiliate.

The doctor was walking to the Madrasah Islamiah mosque when he was ambushed and shot twice. His three attackers fled on foot, KTRK reported. The victim was able to toss his cell phone to some-one at entrance to the mosque on Bintliff Drive and DeMoss Drive , in southwest Houston, and ask them to call 911, the TV station said.

Houston police did not imme-diately respond to a request for information.

The shooting took place a day after a Muslim man was beaten outside a Florida mosque that had been attended by the gunman who killed 49 people at an Orlando club. The victim in that case was punched in the head and face out-side the Fort Pierce Islamic Centre, the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office said. Taylor Anthony Mazzanti, 25, was arrested in the attack and was charged with felony battery, the sheriff’s office said.

No racially motivated com-ments were made to the suspect during the incident, said the sher-iff’s office. The Florida branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, however, said the attacker uttered racially offen-sive comments.

Florida officials

probe fiery crash

that left 5 dead

AP

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA: Authorities were investigating yes-terday what caused a driver of a decades-old school bus to run a flashing red light and collide with a tractor-trailer causing both to burst into flames killing five peo-ple and injuring 25 others.

Speed was not a factor, Wakulla County Sheriff Charlie Creel said about the crash.

“We don’t know what hap-pened to the driver. He might have fallen asleep, he might not have seen the flashing red light,” Creel said. “From what I’ve seen, no there was not a speed factor.”

The driver of the bus, 56-year-old Elie Dupiche was hospitalised in critical condition. A passenger in the semi-truck, 21-year-old Rafael Nieves of Sound Beach, New York, was not injured, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Deputies responded to a grue-some and chaotic scene after the Blue Bird bus from Georgia carry-ing roughly 34 adults and children hit the tractor trailer, then spin-ning around to hit the semi again, authorities said.

Lawmakers confident of fairness in Hillary probeThe lawmakers’ endorsement for the process follows Hillary’s meeting with investigators at the FBI’s Washington headquarters.

Mourners say farewell to Elie Wiesel in New York

AP

MONTPELIER, VERMONT: When James Facos was squeezed into ball turret of a B-17 Flying Fortress, using two 50-caliber machine guns on either side of him to soften up German air defences to let his plane drop its pay-load of bombs, he wasn’t looking to get

into good graces of the French.But when he opened his mail at

his Montpelier, Vermont, home last week, the now 91-year-old Facos found a certificate showing French President Francois Hollande had installed him as a chevalier— a knight — in that country’s Legion of Honour.

His reaction to the news? “Star-tled... I know the value of the medal. It’s one of the highest honours France

has to offer,” he said.The Army Air Corps had

awarded him the Distinguished Fly-ing Cross at 19, but as for this new honour, “I was caught by it,” Facos said. “To be a chevalier— a chev-alier you know is a knight. So I’m recognised as a knight,” he said, a bit of wonder in his voice.

The award was first given by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802.

Maryland governor reshapes

gun & utility boards

WWII air gunner gets France’s top honour

MORNING BREAK16 MONDAY 4 JULY 2016

FAJR

SHOROOK

ZUHR

ASR

MAGHRIB

ISHA

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11.38 am03.01 pm

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HIGH TIDE 03:30 - 17:30LOW TIDE 09:45

Very hot daytime with some clouds and slight

dust to blowing dust at places at times.

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Qatar-Belarus relations take a leap forward

Victor Wanyama: What Tottenham Fans Should Expect From the Kenyan

A deep insight into the Emir’s No. 1 theme

1

2

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AFP

PARIS: Visitors to the Army Museum in Paris are being treated to the rare sight of two taxidermists at work restoring a stuffed horse -- the last one ridden by Napoleon Bonaparte.

“Le Vizir” is a little worse for wear more than 200 years after carrying the emperor to victory against the Prussians and the Russians -- not to mention being stuffed not just once, but twice. “It’s a specimen that has suffered,” was the expert, if under-stated, assessment of taxidermist Yveline Huguet as she worked putty into a crack in Le Vizir’s chest. The white Arabian stallion, a gift to Napo-leon from an Ottoman sultan in 1802, sports a brand on his rump made up of an N topped with a crown.

One of the emperor’s favourites -- recalling great victories at Jena and Eylau -- he accompanied his master to exile in Elba after Napoleon’s first forced abdication in 1814.

By the time Napoleon swept back to power -- for 100 days -- in France the following year after escaping from Elba, Le Vizir was old enough to retire.

So, while Le Vizir also returned to France he was spared the ignominy that awaited Napoleon at Waterloo.

Instead he spent his twilight years in the care of Leon de Chanlaire, an officer of the imperial stables, while Napoleon was banished to the British crown colony of Saint Helena in the

southern Atlantic. Chanlaire had Le Vizir stuffed shortly after the horse died at the ripe old age of 33 in 1826.

But fearing that reprisals against those suspected of ties to Napoleon would extend to the emperor’s horse, Chanlaire sold Le Vizir on to William Clark, an Englishman living in north-ern France.

Chanlaire “had a few relationship problems with the regime of Charles X, because he was very supportive of the empire,” said Gregory Spourdos, the 36-year-old deputy curator of the Army Museum’s modern section.

But Clark too feared associa-tion with the defunct empire, and he arranged for Le Vizir to be smuggled to England in 1839. Clark’s compatriot John Greaves had the stuffing taken out of Le Vizir so that the precious pelt could be packed into a trunk and escape the notice of customs officials.

“By the way, it was on the advice of the English consul,” Spourdos said.

Once safely across the Channel, Le Vizir could be restuffed, and he went on display at the Manchester Natural History Society in 1843.

Today, his mane neatly kept out of the way with hairdressers’ clips and his modesty covered by duct tape, Le Vizir stands stoically on a raised platform as the two taxidermists go about restor-ing him to his former glory.

The project, lasting around four weeks, involves repairing tears and cracks, notably a gaping fissure running down one shoulder. The taxidermists will also rehydrate the

mounted beast and give it a good dust-ing. “Whether it’s Napoleon’s horse or another, the work is the same. It’s the historical aspect that’s unique,” Huguet said. “It’s nice to be part of a project like this.” The Army Museum made a crowd-funding appeal to finance Le Vizir’s restoration, easily surpassing its target of ¤15,000 taking in ¤20,534. The extra money will be put towards

the purchase of a climate-control-led glass display case. Le Vizir was finally repatriated in 1868, after the Manchester society had “a few finan-cial difficulties and had to give up the horse,” Spourdos said. By then, “Le Vizir could return to France because it was Napoleon III who reigned... so of course everything linked to Napoleon I was welcome,” he said.

Napoleon’s horse to be restored

Two people restore Vizir, the last horse of Napoleon Bonaparte the Ist, at the Museum of the Army - Musee de l’ Armee at the Hotel des Invalides in Paris, yesterday.

Australian political deadlock puts AAA rating at risk

PAGE | 18 PAGE | 19

Siemens appoints new CFO for

Mideast region

www.thepeninsulaqatar.com

MONDAY 4 JULY 2016 • 29 RAMADAN 1437 @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatarthepeninsulaqatar

By Satish Kanady

The Peninsula

DOHA: Contrary to market expecta-tions that drop in oil prices will help pick up sukuk issuance, the first half of 2016 witnessed a significant drop in the global issuance compared with

the same period in 2015.Despite a significant drop in oil

prices since mid-2014, total sukuk issuance didn’t pick up in 2015 or during the first half of 2016, as was predicted by several market com-mentators. In fact, issuance actually dropped in the first half of 2016 by 12.5 percent from a year ago, S&P Glo-bal Ratings noted yesterday.

“We assume sukuk issuance will remain subdued, with total issuance of $50bn-$55bn in 2016.The complex-ity of sukuk issuance, uncertainty regarding US Federal Reserves’ policy revisions, and government efforts to reduce financing needs in response to weak oil prices have and will continue to weigh on sukuk market activity”, the ratings agency said in its report “Why low oil prices aren’t sending

sukuk issuance skyward”. The S&P Global Ratings expects

oil prices will remain substantially below peak levels and stabilise at $50 per barrel by 2018 and beyond. When prices began to fall, several market commentators predicted a boom in sukuk issuance in 2015 and there-after, arguing that governments in oil-exporting countries would tap the sukuk market to attract funding and maintain their current and capital spending. However, as anticipated, the predicted windfall didn’t materialize, with total issuance actually dropping compared with the last year. The rat-ings agency continues to believe that sukuk issuance will remain muted over the next 6-18 months for sev-eral reasons.

“In our view, issuance in the

second half of 2016 will continue to depend on monetary policy devel-opments and volatility in developed markets as well as the policy actions of sovereigns in core markets- namely GCC countries and Malaysia—in response to lower oil prices. While governments affected by the price drop are looking to spending cuts, taxation, and the privatization of state companies to adjust to the new reality, their financing needs remain significant. Part of these needs will be met by conventional debt mar-kets and, to a much lesser extent, the sukuk market, with the complexity of sukuk issuance remaining a key deterrent to tapping the market.

In response to sinking oil prices, GCC Governments are introduc-ing a mix of spending cuts and

revenue-boosting initiatives to reduce their fiscal deficits and the speed of external asset burning. The reduc-tion of energy subsidies, revaluation and reprioritisation of current and capital spending, discontinuation of projects are among the strategies used by some GCC countries to adjust to the new oil price norm. Additional measures such as tax introduction or partial privatization of state compa-nies are in the pipe.

“The exact deficit financing mix in our assumptions differs by sovereign, but on average, we expect GCC coun-tries to finance their deficits using a mix of their assets and conventional debt/sukuk issuance. We also think that sovereigns will rely more heavily on conventional issuance,” the ratings agency report said.

Sukuk issuance remains weak despite oil dropSukuk issuance dropped in the first half of 2016 by 12.5 percent, S&P Global Ratings noted yesterday.

Commercial Bank names new CEODOHA: The Board of Directors of Commercial Bank yesterday announced the appointment of Joseph Abraham as the new Chief Executive Officer.

Abraham is a seasoned banking professional with experience in both developed and emerging markets. Before joining Commercial Bank, he was CEO of Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) Banking Group Indo-nesia based in Jakarta, a position he served since 2008. Abraham grad-uated with an MBA from Stanford Business School and has worked in Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Ghana, the UK and India in various country and regional banking roles. He succeeds Abdulla Saleh Al Raisi, who has been promoted as Advisor to the Board of Directors.

QE 9,924.47 +39.25 PTS

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FTSE100 6,577.83 +73.50 PTS

BRENT $49.28 +$0.66

A Hertz car rental agency stands in Manhattan in New York City. In an effort to expand its presence in the ride-hailing business, Hertz Global Holdings Inc is expanding a car rental programme to drivers working for Uber Technologies Inc and Lyft Inc. Hertz currently has a network of 8,500 locations across the country.

Hertz expands operations

BUSINESS18 MONDAY 4 JULY 2016

Reuters

LONDON: Facing the prospect of their first UK recession, Brit-ain’s small specialist lenders could struggle to cope with a downturn, especially in the small and medium-sized business sector that is their lifeblood.

The promises of the so-called challenger banks, many just a few years old, to improve customer choice and challenge the dominance of big High Street lenders are look-ing shaky after Britain voted to leave the European Union, some investors and analysts say.

Challenger banks’ ability to take business from lenders HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group, Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland relies on healthy bank funding markets and a buoy-ant UK economy with rising demand for loans.

But as economists slash UK growth forecasts and borrowers and home buyers run for cover, those three factors could be under threat.

The UK could go into recession in the coming year, according to economists and strategists polled by Reuters. Britain last had a reces-sion in 2008-2009, following the

financial crisis.“The outlook for the important

small-to-medium enterprise sec-tor looks likely to be hardest hit and a credit cycle inevitable. We think it’s logical that banks have sold off so dramatically,” Matthew Beesley, head of global equities at Henderson Global Investors said.

Marcus Stuttard, head of the Lon-don Stock Exchange’s AIM board which provides funding for small businesses, told a government com-mittee it was likely “companies will delay making investing decisions and therefore requesting finance” until Britain’s economic future looked more secure.

Financial sector shares fell sharply after the referendum result last Friday. Among challenger banks, shares of Aldermore, OneSavings Bank, Shawbrook and Virgin Money have fallen an average 37 percent. Britain’s four largest banks fell an average of 21 percent in the same period.

The stock price falls of larger rivals, with millions of custom-ers and more dependable revenues from Britain and elsewhere, also offer investors opportunities to buy blue chip stock at rock bottom valuations, detracting from the upstart banks.

“The scale of the share price movements in smaller banks looks alarming, they look like what you associate with liquidity crises or cap-ital shortfalls yet those two concerns are not present,” said Ian Gordon, an analyst at Investec.

Analysts say banks now are much better capitalised than they were before the 2008 financial cri-sis, meaning the focus is more on the implications of a Brexit for the UK economy. Some smaller lenders acknowledge the challenges arising

from Britain leaving the EU, but also put a brave face on their prospects, seeing opportunities at home.

“The challenger banks are almost exclusively UK only and are there-fore insulated from the distractions that will inflict those operating cross border,” Secure Trust Bank Chief Executive Paul Lynam said.

“Some banks may temper their lending appetite whilst they wait for clarity to emerge but in the long run Brexit presents more opportunity than threats to the smaller banks,” he said.

Rishi Khosla, chief executive of OakNorth Bank, a specialist in loans of between $1.3-$19.9m, said two lending opportunities from rivals had come his way since Friday after nervous blue-chip peers pulled out of the deals.

The unlisted bank, which began taking deposits in September and has 160 million pounds in loans, has also seen deposits rise by 20 percent in the days following the vote as savers spread their money around more banks for safety, Kho-sla said.

Virgin Money, one of the largest and most diversified of the challeng-ers, said it felt well placed to manage the uncertainty, pointing to its low-risk lending approach.

The Newcastle-based bank, which provides mortgages, credit cards, current accounts, currency services and pensions to over 3 mil-lion customers, said it was “business as usual” last Friday.

Its shares have fallen 29 percent since last Thursday’s referendum.

The finance ministry’s recent introduction of an 8 percent sur-charge on bank profits over 25 million pounds is also likely to com-pound the outlook for challengers.

Reuters

CAIRO: As Egypt’s foreign currency shortage intensifies and the gap between official and unofficial cur-rency rates widens, economists say another devaluation is inevitable this fiscal year.

Foreign currency inflows have been severely hit in import-depend-ent Egypt after a 2011 uprising drove away tourists and foreign investors, two major sources of hard currency.

The dollar shortage has stifled business activity and hit confidence in the Egyptian economy. Egypt deval-ued the pound by 13 percent in March

in an effort to close the gap between the official and parallel rates but the move failed to boost dollar liquidity or close the gap.

Reserves tumbled from $36bn before the uprising to around $17.5bn in May this year, and foreign currency reserves have been further drained this month as Egypt returned a $1bn deposit to Qatar and paid $720m in fees to the Paris Club.

“The devaluation will have to hap-pen in my view,” said Hany Farahat, economist at CI Capital.

“I think that this is something that would have to happen to preserve the country’s FX resources that are cur-rently declining as we have seen in the net foreign assets,” he added.

In May net foreign assets dropped to negative $9.4bn, down from a sur-plus of $6.1bn in the same month a year earlier, Farahat said.

Egypt’s Central Bank Governor Tarek Amer (pictured) said reserves would reach $25bn by year-end. While reserves have slightly risen since October last year, several bankers said it had become harder to access dollars within the banking system.

In remarks published in local media yesterday, Amer said that since he took up his post in November his focus has been to address stagnation and stimulate the economy while tar-geting a flexible exchange rate that reflects supply and demand.

“As a central bank we had the choice to either keep the pound sta-ble or get the factories working,” Amer was quoted as saying in Al-Mal finan-cial newspaper.

“Personally, I would not be happy if the exchange rate is stable but fac-tories are halted,” he said.

The central bank has been ration-ing its dollar reserves through regular weekly sales, keeping the pound arti-ficially strong at 8.78 per dollar but black market traders said they were selling dollars at a range of 11-11.04 per dollar yesterday, without giving volumes of trade.

Another devaluation could trigger a jump in inflation if it is implemented early this year, economists say, a

major concern in the country of 90 million where millions live hand to mouth.

“There are other sources of inflationary pressures so they will wait until... end of the first quar-ter or early second quarter for the devaluation (to allow) inflationary pressures to be contained,” said Eman Negm, an economist at Prime Holding.

Egypt’s fiscal year starts in July.Annual urban consumer infla-

tion jumped for the second month in May to 12.3 percent from 10.3 percent in April, prompting the central bank to raise interest rates by 100 basis points at its monetary policy meet-ing last month.

Britain’s upstart banks face bumpy ride through Brexit The UK could go into recession in the coming year, according to economists and strategists polled by Reuters.

NBAD and First Gulf Bank agree to mergeReuters

DUBAI: The boards of directors at National Bank of Abu Dhabi and First Gulf Bank have recommended merging the two lenders, a joint statement said yesterday, with the deal expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2017.

The tie-up is one of two signifi-cant consolidation efforts currently underway in the emirate as it reacts to the lower oil price environment: last week, the government ordered the merger of state investment funds Mubadala and International Petro-leum Investment Company.

Retaining the brand name

National Bank of Abu Dhabi, the merger will create one of the largest banks in the Middle East and Africa, with assets of Dhs642bn, a return on equity of 14.1 percent and a market value, as of June 30, of $29.1bn.

“The proposed merger will create a bank with the financial strength, expertise, and global network to support the UAE’s economic ambi-tions at home and drive the country’s growing international business rela-tionships,” the statement said.

The bank merger will be com-pleted via a share swap agreement which would result in shareholders of FGB receiving 1.254 new NBAD shares for every one FGB share they

currently hold. FGB shareholders will control around 52 percent of the combined bank, with the Abu Dhabi government and related entities hold-ing 36.9 percent in total.

Abdulhamid M Saeed, a board member and MD at FGB, has been named chief executive designate for the combined lender, with FGB chair-man Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahayan named as chairman desig-nate. A new board and management will take over once the merger has been completed, while the existing CEOs - Alex Thursby of NBAD and Andre Sayegh of FGB - will continue to run the independent banks up until the merger completes.

Al Tamimi appoints four new partners The Peninsula

DOHA: Al Tamimi & Company, one of the largest law firms in the Middle East region, announced yesterday it appointed four law-yers to its partnership, across four separate offices in the Middle East, which include Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Jordan.

In a statement the law firm said that Samer Al Zuriekat (Litigation, Jordan), Ahmed Jaafir (Corporate Structuring, Qatar), Tarek Shrayh (Litigation, Dubai), and Andrea Tithecott (Corporate Commercial, Abu Dhabi) will be officially join-ing the partnership on July 1, 2016.

The appointments of the new partners will bring the total up to 57 partners, across nine countries and 16 offices through which Al Tamimi& Company operates.

Husam Hourani, Managing Partner at Al Tamimi, said: “I am delighted that we have been able to help our new partners achieve their ambitions this year and I would like to personally congratu-late each of them. It is particularly pleasing that we are promoting four staff from across four sepa-rate offices.”

The Peninsula

DOHA: The German engineering giant Siemens has appointed Alia Al Rifai (pictured) as new Chief Finan-cial Officer (CFO) of the company’s Middle East region, effective July 1.

Al Rifai will assume her new role after two years as Senior Executive Vice President of Finance for the Energy Management Division in the region. The 40-year old executive takes over from Stefan Halberstadt, who will join the Power and Gas Division’s Energy Solutions busi-ness unit as CFO, starting August 1.

Al Rifai, whose career at Siemens spans close to two decades, will lead the company’s financial operations in the region, focusing on strength-ening key growth areas, driving profitability and promoting diver-sity and local value creation. She will be based in the United Arab Emir-ates, home to Siemens Middle East and UAE headquarters in Masdar City. As part of her remit, she will oversee key growth markets in the region, including the UAE, Egypt, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait.

Dietmar Siersdorfer, CEO of Siemens Middle East, said: “We are

delighted to welcome Alia into the position of CFO for the Middle East, a region where Siemens’ presence dates back almost 160 years. With her extensive knowledge of the local market, we are confident Alia will work with our strong teams to steer the company towards further expan-sion and profitability. ”

Commenting on her appoint-ment, Al Rifai said: “The region continues to present exciting oppor-tunities for Siemens across different sectors, with energy efficiency and digitalisation taking center stage in the drive for productivity. I am thrilled to take up my new respon-sibilities and to build on our past achievements.”

Egypt due for another devaluation in 2016/17: Economists

Siemens appoints new CFO for Mideast region

Saudi Arabia’s Q1 economic growth slowest in three yearsReuters

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s economy expanded at its slowest rate in three years during the first quarter of 2016 as low oil prices forced the govern-ment to cut spending and raise costs for industry, official data showed yesterday.

Some analysts said the data pointed to a risk of growth in the world’s top oil exporter slowing to near zero this year, which would be its worst performance since the glo-bal financial crisis of 2009.

Gross domestic product, adjusted for inflation, grew 1.5 percent from a year earlier between January and March, down from a revised growth rate of 1.8 percent in the fourth quarter of 2015, the state statistics office said. It was the slowest growth since 0.3 per-cent in the first quarter of 2013.

The oil sector expanded 5.1 per-cent in the first quarter of this year as the world’s biggest oil exporter increased its production of crude and exported more refined products.

But the non-oil sector shrank 0.7 percent, its worst performance in at least five years. This may be a source

of concern to Saudi policy makers because an ambitious reform plan to help the economy cope with an era of cheap oil, announced last month, assumes rapid growth in non-oil businesses.

Last December, to curb an annual budget deficit of nearly $100bn caused by slumping oil revenues, the government announced cuts in spending and energy subsidies. Offi-cials have said there will be more austerity steps in coming years. “The important thing to remember is that austerity will be a multi-year proc-ess. There will be more measures in the next few years and these will con-tinue to keep growth subdued,” said Monica Malik, chief economist at Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank.

Within the non-oil part of the economy, the private sector grew just 0.2 percent in the first quarter while the government sector shrank 2.6 percent, the official data showed.

The weakness of the non-oil sec-tor was partly due to the fact that the first quarter of 2015 was unusually strong; in January that year, King Salman awarded public employees two months’ extra salary to mark his accession to the throne.

But the fourth-quarter 2015 growth rate of 1.8 percent was revised down sharply from an orig-inal estimate of 3.6 percent. That points to the possibility of a similar revision for the first-quarter figures.

Malik said ADCB was cutting its Saudi GDP growth forecast for the whole of this year to a drop of 0.1 per-cent, from a previous prediction of 0.5 percent growth.

She noted that while private sec-tor and non-oil activity could pick up slightly from the second quarter of this year, partly because there were signs that the government was paying some of its outstanding bills to private firms, oil output was not continuing to rise significantly year-on-year.

If the economy slows excessively, the government still has the option of spending more to stimulate growth; the central bank holds $573bn of net foreign assets, and Riyadh has begun borrowing abroad this year to finance some expenditure. But if it eases up on its austerity programme too much it may increase pressure on the Saudi riyal’s peg against the US dollar, fuel-ling concern among some foreign investors about the long-term sus-tainability of its economy.

BUSINESS 19MONDAY 4 JULY 2016

Reuters

SYDNEY: Australia could be a step closer to losing its vaunted triple A credit rating after a deeply divided electorate left the coun-try in limbo and foreshadowed a hung parliament where no party holds outright power.

The uncertain outcome of Saturday’s federal election heightened fears Australia could be consigned to three years of minority government and paral-ysis on budget reform, a scenario that is expected to cause market jitters today.

“The market doesn’t like uncertainty and the election result has delivered that in spades,” AMP Capital chief economist Shane

Oliver told Reuters, adding a rat-ings downgrade appeared likely.

“It will probably effect the Aussie dollar and I think the share market; we will see a negative knee-jerk reaction tomorrow.”

Australia’s debt levels, while relatively low on a global scale, have been heading in the wrong direction for years. All the most ambitious attempts to right the fiscal ship have been sunk by the ruling coalition government’s lack of power in the upper house Senate.

Rating agencies have been patient with the political process up to now, but there are signs time might be running out.

“Australia should be doing so much better than it is,” Oliver said.

A downgrade would be a political nightmare for whichever party is in power, after successive governments brandished the rat-ing as a badge of honour. Only 10 nations have the top rating from all three of the major agencies.

Losing it would “be a blow to confidence” and could lead to a rash of downgrades for Australian banks and companies, the oppo-sition Labor Party has warned.

In May, Moody’s noted that governments of all stripes were finding it hard to rein in spend-ing, and budget deficits had been repeatedly revised higher.

Treasurer Scott Morri-son’s latest forecast was for net debt to peak at 19.2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) by mid-2018. Yet as recently as

the 2012/13 budget the peak had been projected to be less than 10 percent.

Standard & Poor’s has been conspicuous in its silence since Morrison handed down his 2016/17 budget in May, prompt-ing market speculation that it was considering changing Australia’s outlook to negative, a precursor to a potential downgrade.

The Business Council of Aus-tralia (BCA), which represents the country’s largest businesses, called for a resolution to the polit-ical deadlock as soon as possible.

“While counting of votes is likely to continue for several days, Australians and Australian business can ill-afford gridlock, recriminations or in-fighting,” said Christine Jackman, com-munications director of the BCA.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turn-bull on Sunday stressed that his government continued to rule in caretaker mode and he expected a resolution by the end of the week.

“What we will do is ensure that we work constructively and effectively with all of the mem-bers of the new parliament to

ensure that the we deliver the stability and the leadership that Australians expect,” Turnbull said.

Still, were Australia to slip from the top rankings this might not be the worst time for that to happen.

Central banks around the world are engaged in extraor-dinary stimulus campaigns that have driven borrowing costs to record lows. Many German and Japanese bonds pay less than nothing, with yields out to 10 years and longer in negative territory.

Reuters

DUBAI: Abu Dhabi banking shares climbed on Sunday after the boards of directors of First Gulf Bank and National Bank of Abu Dhabi approved a proposed merger of the banks, aiming to complete it in the first quarter of 2017.

Egypt’s index edged up fol-lowing comments by central bank governor about possible further currency devaluation.

Shares in NBAD jumped 4.0 percent to 10.05 dirhams while FGB gained 2 percent to 12.85 dirhams. They were the market’s two most heavily traded stocks.

The merger would be com-pleted via a share swap which would result in shareholders of FGB receiving 1.254 new NBAD shares for every one FGB share. That ratio

appears to favour NBAD holders, but several analysts said inves-tors’ general optimism towards the merged entity meant selling of FGB shares might remain minor.

“The initial reaction was a cheer because markets like the fact the merger is happening and it’s a mon-umental size,” said one regional banking equity analyst.

In the long run the efficiencies that will be achieved through cost-cutting and reduced competition will be positive not only for the lenders involved but for the sec-tor as a whole, the analyst added.

Jaap Meijer, head of research at Dubai’s Arqaam Capital said synergies should be very “sub-stantial” from a cost reduction, product suite expansions and rev-enue sharing perspective, making the deal attractive for sharehold-ers of both lenders.

Analysts at Arqaam Capital

expect the deal to contribute pos-itively to the earning per share of both banks, with FGB potentially seeing a 15.9 percent rise and NBAD an 11.1 percent increase.

Arqaam also said the swap ratio of 1.254 for 1 still slightly under-valued NBAD and overvalued FGB in the deal and it had reduced its target price for NBAD to 12.50 dirhams from 13.00 but increased it for FGB to 15.64 dirhams from 15.00 dirhams.

But combining the two behe-moth banks will be met with challenges both in terms of merg-ing finances and operations and in combining cultures and differ-ent people.

“There are practical challenges which can only be addressed with a combination of flexible planning and relentless execution. Even then, the benefits can appear later than hoped for,” said David Tusa,

managing director at consultant firm Alvarez & Marsal, adding that often the human capital side gets much less attention than it deserves, and in these cases, “disappoint-ment quickly sets in”.

The deal could spur mergers of other banks including Union National Bank and Abu Dhabi Com-mercial Bank. Shares in UNB surged 5.9 percent and ADCB’s jumped 3.8 percent.

The main index advanced 1.2 percent.

In Dubai, the benchmark was up 0.8 percent with most activ-ity concentrated in second- and third-tier stocks. Islamic insurer Dar Al Takaful jumped 15 percent, it daily limit.

In an interview with three local papers over the weekend Egypt’s central bank governor, Tarek Amer, said there was “no defined target for the Egyptian pound/USD exchange

rate” and strongly alluded to the prospect of further devaluation in the coming future - without setting absolute deadlines - adding that maintaining a fixed exchange rate against the dollar over the last five years was a “mistake that cost the state billions of dollars” and said he is willing to take the necessary measures to correct the currency shortfalls.

Investors reacted positively, with tourist and export related stocks outperforming Cairo’s main index which was up 0.6 percent. Arabia Cotton Ginning, a textile exporter, rose 2.9 percent and Egyp-tian Resort jumped 4.4 percent.

In Doha, the index gained 0.4 percent, lifted by blue chips. Qatar National Bank, currently the larg-est listed lender in the Gulf region, added 1.4 percent. Saudi Arabia’s market is closed throughout this week for Eid Al Fitr holidays.

QE Index 9,924.47 0.40 %

QE Total Return Index 16,057.14 0.40 %

QE Al Rayan Islamic Index 3,830.08 0.20 %

QE All Share Index 2,759.31 0.34 %

QE All Share Banks & Financial Services 2,687.29 0.79 %

QE All Share Industrials 3,029.73 0.26 %

QE All Share Transportation 2,463.58 0.30 %

QE All Share Real Estate 2,503.74 0.61 %

QE All Share Insurance 4,004.76 1.62 %

QE All Share Telecoms 1,099.38 0.04 %

QE All Share Consumer Goods & Services 6,418.62 0.16 %

QE INDICES SUMMARY QATAR STOCK EXCHANGE

QE MARKET SUMMARY COMPARISON

GOLD AND SILVER

WORLD STOCK INDICES

03-07-2016 Today 30-06-2016 Previous dayIndex 9,924.47 9,885.22

Change 39.25 7.47

% 0.40 0.08

YTD% 4.84 5.22

Volume 1,684,795 4,117,149

Value (QAR) 67,239,360.23 149,498,706.88

Trades 1,232 2,545

Up 16 | Down 19| Unchanged 05

GOLD QR154.7788 per grammeSILVER QR2.1419 per gramme

Index Day’s Close Pt Chg % Chg Year High Year LowAll Ordinaries 5221.009 41.359 0.8 5489.8 4762.1

Cac 40 Index/D 4192.48 103.63 2.53 4607.69 3892.46

Dj Indu Average 17409.72 269.48 1.57 18167.6 15370.3

Hang Seng Inde/D 20436.12 263.66 1.31 21794.84 18278.8

Iseq Overall/D 5531.74 85.29 1.57 6791.68 5286.65

Karachi 100 In/D 37786.57 709.94 1.91 39039.67 29785

Nikkei 225 Index 15566.83 243.69 1.59 18951.12 14864.01

S&P 500 Index/D 2036.09 35.55 1.78 2132.82 1810.1

EXCHANGE RATECurrency Buying Selling

US$ QR 3.6305 QR 3.6500

UK QR 4.8059 QR 4.8762

Euro QR 4.0202 QR 4.1016

CA$ QR 2.7948 QR 2.8585

Swiss Fr QR 3.7039 QR 3.7977

Yen QR 0.0351 QR 0.0361

Aus$ QR 2.6987 QR 2.7672

Ind Re QR 0.0533 QR 0.0544

Pak Re QR 0.0345 QR 0.0352

Peso QR 0.0762 QR 0.0787

SL Re QR 0.0246 QR 0.0251

Taka QR 0.0460 QR 0.0470

Nep Re QR 0.0333 QR 0.0340

SA Rand QR 0.2407 QR 0.2455

IANS

ZURICH: With Swiss francs (CHF) 1.2bn held by its cit-izens in Switzerland’s banks, India has slipped to the 75th position, its lowest since the Swiss National Bank began releasing such data in 1997, as per latest figures released earlier this week.

The data for 2015 placed India at 61st place, while it used to be among top 50 countries in terms of hold-ings in Swiss banks till 2007.

India was also lowest ranked among the BRICS coun-tries - Russia was ranked 17th (CHF 17.6bn), China 28th (CHF 7.4bn), Brazil 37th (CHF 4.8bn) and South Africa 60th (CHF 2.2bn). Britain and America were the only two countries that accounted for Swiss bank holding of double-digit percentage share each.

While Britain accounted for the largest chunk at about CHF 350bn, or almost 25 per cent of the total for-eign money with Swiss banks, the US came second with nearly CHF 196bn or about 14 per cent.

The total money held in Swiss banks by all their for-eign clients from across the world fell by nearly 4 per cent, by over 58bn Swiss francs to 1.41 trillion Swiss francs ($1.45 trillion).

India was ranked 75th with CHF 1.2bn, which is not even 0.1 per cent of the total foreign money in Swiss banks.

India was ranked among the top 50 continuously between 1996 and 2007, but started declining thereafter - 55th in 2008, 59th in 2009 and 2010 each, 55th again in 2011, 71st in 2012 and then 58th in 2013.

Pakistan was placed higher at 69th place with CHF 1.5bn, while others ranked higher than India included Mauritius, Kazakhstan, Iran, Chile, Angola, Philippines, Indonesia and Mexico.

Indian-held funds in Switzerland banks fell by 596.42m Swiss francs to 1,217.6m Swiss francs at the end of 2015, marking the second straight year of decline.

Last year also marked the lowest amount of funds held by Indians in the Swiss banks ever since the coun-try started making the data public in 1997.

Total funds held in Swiss banks by Indians directly at the end of 2015 stood at 1,206.71m Swiss francs, which was down from 1,776m Swiss francs the year before.

Further, money held by Indians through fiduciaries or wealth managers was down at 10.89m Swiss francs, from 37.92m Swiss francs at the end of 2014. The total, at the end of 2014, stood at 1,814m Swiss francs.

India falls to 75th rank by money of citizens in Swiss banks

Abu Dhabi banks jump on FGB/NBAD merger details

Australian political deadlock puts AAA rating at risk

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull speaks at a Liberal Party event in Sydney yesterday.

The uncertain outcome of Saturday’s federal election heightened fears Australia could be consigned to three years of minority government and paralysis on budget reform.

BUSINESS VIEWS20 MONDAY 4 JULY 2016

Digital nomads land dream jobs thanks to Estonian startupsAFP

UPWARDLY-MOBILE, tech-savvy young professionals across the globe are swapping their brief-cases and brogues for backpacks and sneakers, setting themselves

up as digital nomads who can operate from wherever their laptops can go.

Jobbatical and Teleport, two recent tech startups, promise to take the guess-work out of digital job hunting on a global scale.

Both hail from tiny tech titan Estonia and are part of a crop of cutting-edge online sites catering to digital nomads, typically young males who work remotely and move around regions like Southeast Asia every few months.

Their creators insist the startups have the potential to shake things up on the global job market, similar to how Estonians previously transformed global communications with Skype and digital international money trans-fers via Transferwise.

Tallinn-based entrepreneur Karoli Hin-driks said she launched Jobbatical two years ago to fill the growing gaps she noticed in

global recruiting. With employment offers from Greece, to Thailand and Costa Rica among others, it takes just a few clicks of the mouse for product or account managers, program-mers and other tech professionals to land a dream job, whether programming in Malay-sia’s tropical paradise of Penang or managing an adventure travel operation in Bali.

Jobbatical targets “adventurous tech, busi-ness, and creative professionals with over five years of working experience,” Hindriks told AFP at the Latitude59 technology conference in Estonia’s capital Tallinn.

She points to “a generational mindset shift” as key to her client base of 70,000 unique users each month across 150 countries. “The Millennial’s view of success isn’t necessarily a house, a well-paying job and a picket fence.

“There’s a huge shift towards defining suc-cess as working in terms of things that one truly believes in, and appreciating experi-ences over material possessions.”

New technologies, less expensive inter-national travel and communications mean that moving around to work is “becoming smoother and cheaper than ever,” she added.

Most Jobbatical offers involve positions that, like sabbaticals, last around 12 months,

creating a revolving client base. The com-pany takes a “success” fee of five percent of the annual salary upon hiring.

Vicente Gracia, a much-travelled 28-year-old business strategist from Chile, has been surfing more than just the Internet since he began using Jobbatical.

Dissatisfied with the terms he was being offered by South American companies, Gra-cia used it to find a job based in Bali. “New generations are looking for more than just a paycheck,” Gracia said via Skype.

A keen surfer, he now enjoys riding the waves on a Bali beach every morning dur-ing a break in his commute to work. “For me, being able to prioritise my career and a healthy lifestyle is crucial.” Insisting that Jobbatical is unique, Hindriks shuns comparisons to online job sites like Monster, insisting that “it’s like comparing Craigslist to Airbnb.”

Describing Jobbatical as a “matchmaker for companies”, Hindriks insists that short-term “jobbaticals” encourage professionals to choose countries off the beaten path—like her own Estonia — that they may not have con-sidered were the positions permanent.

“If you look at the reality, there are no per-manent jobs any more, so in that sense we’re

bringing honesty to the conversation,” she said. Teleport meanwhile takes stock of the per-

sonal preferences and expectations of digital job-seekers and then suggests ideal places for them to live and work. Teleport “scouts”, or local experts, are just a click away to iron out any wrinkles. For a modest fee, they can help with everything from visas to finding the right apartment or the nearest vegan restaurant.

A veteran tech entrepreneur who headed up Skype’s Estonia operations from 2005-12, Teleport CEO Sten Tamkivi insisted his startup goes further than competitors like NomadList, which essentially works like a traditional travel guide.

Tamkivi said that aside from calculating ideal locations based on personal preferences and its “scouts”, its “flock” service also locates the nearest coworking spaces.

Anthony Lapenna, a Frenchman working in New Zealand, is one happy Teleport user. The service meant he could keep his job, but change hemispheres, shifting from Paris to Auckland, New Zealand, where he continues his role as a software engineer. “I wanted to go to an English-speaking country in order to improve my English, plus I was kind of sick of the big city of Paris,” he said.

By Sujata Rao

Reuters

GLOBAL investors bought real estate, added to cash holdings and cut equity allocations to the low-

est in at least five years as last month’s shock Brexit vote added to an already toxic mix of sluggish world growth and volatile markets.

The monthly Reuters survey of 44 fund managers and chief investment officers in the United States, Europe, Japan and Britain was conducted between June 15-29, straddling the June 23 referendum in which Britons voted to leave the European Union.

The verdict, which drove ster-ling to 31-year lows and wiped $2 trillion off world stocks, heralds intense political and economic uncertainty for the UK, with likely repercussions for the euro zone as well as the rest of the world.

Close to two-thirds of poll responses were received after the vote, but many of those who responded beforehand said they had positioned defensively, given the uncertainties already roiling world markets.

This includes the looming US presidential election which could bring victory for Republican Donald Trump - an outcome that two-thirds of those who responded to a special question said would have negative consequences.

Allocations to cash stood at 6.8 percent on average, having risen every month since February and the highest since last June, the sur-vey showed. In almost every region, investors dumped shares, with the average global holding at 45 per-cent, the lowest since before May 2011 at least and down from nearly 50 at the end of last year.

European funds’ equity allo-cations hit the lowest in over four years. “We expect a risk-off attitude in financial markets to continue as investors digest the potential impact of Brexit and as geopolitical risks remain high,” said Matteo Ger-mano, global head of multi-asset investments at Pioneer Investment.

Germano predicted a knock-on hit to commodity prices, while gold and US Treasuries benefited. On equities, European and UK-focused stocks warranted caution, he said, adding: “With increased geopolit-ical risk in Europe, the US dollar should behave as a safe haven.”

Year-to-date, eurozone and UK stocks have lost some 10 percent and U.S. equities are just 2 per-cent in the black - a consequence also of stubbornly weak economic growth, US rate rise expectations and fears of a sharp slowdown in

China. However, many investors noted that equity markets world-wide were already starting to claw back Brexit-fuelled losses.

“Unquestionably, we have seen an extraordinary amount of money withdrawn from the global equity markets on Brexit worries,” Peter Lowman, CIO at Investment Quo-rum, a UK wealth manager. But it was not “a Lehman moment”, he said. Portfolios at HFM Columbus Asset Management were positioned cautiously, its investment director Rob Pemberton said, citing “more global concerns - global growth, Fed monetary policy, China.”

Property as an asset class was also in demand, its weight rising to 2.9 percent, also the highest in at least five years. Bond alloca-tions rose slightly to 38.1 percent.

The full impact of Brexit is likely still ahead, as there is little certainty over when proceedings will formally begin to divorce the country from the EU, and how long they could take. But even in the run-up to Brexit, investors were fretting about another potential speed bump - U.S. elections and the possibility of a Trump win.

Many say his proposals for reshaping the trade and diplo-matic ties of the world’s largest economy, his anti-immigration rhetoric and questions about Treasury obligations create as much market uncertainty as the Brexit issue.

Asked how a Trump presidency could impact U.S. and global equi-ties, two-thirds of those who replied saw it as negative. Some also cited fears that a Trump win on the heels of Brexit could encourage popu-list parties across Europe.

A Trump win would “increase the geopolitical risk at a worldwide level”, said Nadege Dufosse, head of asset allocation at Candriam.

One consequence of the Brexit jitters is the fresh slump in bond yields, with over $11 trillion in gov-ernment bonds now yielding less than zero, and German 10-year yields falling into negative terri-tory earlier in the month.

German yield falls below the European Central Bank’s deposit rate will exacerbate the acute scarcity of bonds eligible for the ECB’s asset purchase programme. That could pressure it to cut inter-est rates further to accommodate these bonds. But just a quarter of the June survey participants who answered a special question on the subject thought the ECB would run out of bonds to buy. “Markets have indeed been pricing in the pos-sibility that the ECB would come up against practical limits on its purchases of government bonds by 2017,” said Andrew Milligan at Standard Life Investments.

In Brexit month, investors

dumped shares and

fled for safety of cash

US shale oil’s Achilles heel shows signs of mending

By Ernest Scheyder and Terry Wade Reuters

SINCE the beginning of the US fracking revolution, oil produc-ers have struggled with a vexing problem: after an initial burst, crude output from new shale wells falls much faster than from

conventional wells.However, those well decline rates have

been slowing across the United States over the past few years, according to data anal-ysis provided exclusively to Reuters.

The trend, if sustained, would help amel-iorate the industry’s most glaring weakness

and cement its importance for worldwide production in years to come. It also helps explain shale drillers’ resil-ience throughout the oil market’s two-year slump.

While shale oil produc-tion revolutionized the oil industry over the past dec-ade, bringing abundance of global oil supplies, high costs and rapid production declines have been its Achil-les heel. That is beginning to change thanks to tech-nological innovation and producers’ focusing less on maximizing output and more on improving effi-ciency and productivity.

According to data com-piled and analyzed by oilfield analytics firm NavPort for Reuters, output from the

average new well in the Permian Basin of West Texas, the top U.S. oilfield, declined 18 percent from peak production through the fourth month of its life in 2015. That is much slower than the 31 percent drop seen for the same time frame in 2012 and the 28 percent decline in 2013, when the oil price crash started.

The change was even more dramatic in North Dakota’s Bakken shale, where four-month decline rates for new wells fell to 16 percent in 2015 from almost 31 percent in 2012.

A slower decline means producers need to drill fewer new wells to sustain output, said Mukul Sharma, professor of petroleum engineering at the University of Texas at Austin.

“You can have cash flow without hav-ing to expend a lot of capital.” The recent decline rates mark a dramatic improve-ment from first-year 90 percent declines in the early years of the shale boom that made some investors question the sector’s long-run viability.

There are no 2016 figures yet, but oil executives expect the trend to continue this year and beyond. Scott Sheffield, chief executive of Pioneer Natural Resources Co, a top Permian producer, credited improved fracking techniques for helping stabilize production, which shareholders rewarded by lifting Pioneer’s shares up about 9 per-cent over the past year.

“We’re exposing more of the reservoir and breaking it up so we don’t get as sharp a decline,” Sheffield told a recent energy conference. Slower declines also reflect producers’ more conservative approach to operating wells. In the early years of the hydraulic fracturing boom, high crude prices encouraged operators to boost initial

production as much as possible.To do this, they would let wells flow fast

by keeping pressure low on the ground’s surface. About seven years ago, however, some shale operators in Louisiana found this ultimately hurt production later on by causing rock fractures to shut.

Now, many operators maintain sur-face pressures higher, which limits initial flow rates and slows a well’s decline rate.

“Conventional wisdom has shifted,” said John Lee, a professor of petroleum engi-neering at Texas A&M University.

Sharma of the University of Texas said that while shale well decline rates remained far above a 10 percent first-year decline a conventional well might experience, they marked a radical improvement compared with early years of hydraulic fracturing.

Harold Hamm’s Continental Resources Inc, for example, has told investors its new wells in Oklahoma’s SCOOP region are now producing 40 percent more oil six months into their lives than as recently as last year.

Today’s production techniques use larger volumes of sand and pressurized fluids to frack more spots along longer well bores, to extract more oil from the wells.

Pioneer fracks its wells every 15 feet today compared to every 60 feet in 2013. It costs extra $500,000 per well to do so, but its wells produce two-thirds more oil than just three years ago, boosting prof-itability, Pioneer said. To be sure, not all producers are seeing slower decline rates and the newer, more stable shale wells make up only a fraction of all producing U.S. oil wells, so their impact on overall domestic output is for now limited.

The Eagle Ford shale in southern Texas has seen decline rates slightly increase, for example, according to NavPort data.

Output from the average new well in the Permian Basin of West Texas, the top U.S. oilfield, declined 18 percent from peak production through the fourth month of its life in 2015.

Entrepreneurs insist the startups have the potential to shake things up on the global job market, similar to how Estonians previously transformed global communications with Skype and digital international money transfers via Transferwise.

A pumpjack brings oil to the surface in the Monterey Shale, California.

Bale and Ronaldo will put friendship aside

PAGE | 22 PAGE | 24

MONDAY 4 JULY 2016 • 29 RAMADAN 1437

www.thepeninsulaqatar.com

@peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatarthepeninsulaqatar

Dominant France crush hapless Iceland to reach semi-finals

UEFA says new convention can avoid repeatof violenceReuters

PARIS: Russia was among 14 countries which signed a con-vention between the Council of Europe and European soc-cer body UEFA yesterday, aimed at stopping a repeat of fan vio-lence which has marred Euro 2016.

UEFA said the con-vention would include a better exchange of intelligence between police forces to warn countries hosting matches of potential troublemakers.

The Euro 2016 tournament being played in France has seen a return of football hooligan-ism which had been largely absent from recent interna-tional competitions.

The worst incidents hap-pened in Marseille before and after the match between Eng-land and Russia where clashes lasted several days.

“I’m sure that in the future we can use the intelligence of various police forces,” said Michael van Praag, head of UEFA’s Stadia and Security committee.

“That has not been working 100 percent until now and this is the reason why we have this convention.

“I am sure in the future when this exchange of infor-mation between countries and police forces will go on, problems like the one we had in Marseille and in many competitions in Europe will belong in the past,” the Dutch-man told reporters. Van Praag said that “we can and must do more” to avert hooliganism and described the Council of Europe convention as a “sig-nificant step” forward.

However, he rejected a suggestion that tournament organisers should change venues and kickoff times for matches which were consid-ered high risk.

“The authorities were very well prepared to organise this match but nobody expected this (violence) to happen on such a level,” he said.

“We knew for months in advance that this match had to be played in Marseille and there were no signals whatsoever that the game would be disturbed in the way it was.”

France, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Lithuania, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Neth-erlands, Portugal, Russia, Switzerland, Macedonia and Ukraine were the countries who signed yesterday.

AFP

PARIS: Olivier Giroud scored two goals and set up another as the Euro 2016 hosts France thrashed Iceland 5-2 yesterday to set up a semi-final clash against world champions Ger-many.

Giroud fired France ahead after just 12 minutes at a rain-drenched Stade de France with Paul Pogba then heading in his first goal of the tourna-ment to double the hosts’ lead.

Dimitri Payet struck two min-utes before half-time to put France in complete control and Antoine Griez-mann raced clear to add a fourth to round out France’s first-half blitz.

Iceland, who beat England 2-1 to reach the last eight, put on another never-say-die performance. Kolbeinn Sigthorsson and Birkir Bjarnason grabbed second-half consolation goals either side of Giroud’s second but Iceland were overpowerd by France’s domination.

Didier Deschamps’ men will take on Germany in Marseille on Thursday for a place in the final, while Iceland will return home as heroes after a remarkable run in their first appear-ance at a major tournament.

“Germany are the best team, there is no doubt about that, even if Italy gave them a few scares. But we are there in the final four,” said Deschamps.

Iceland, who had never beaten France in 11 attempts, kept faith with the side that shocked England, making European Championship history as the first team to name an unchanged line-up for their first five matches

Samuel Umtiti became the first French outfield player to make his international debut during a major finals since 1966 as the Barce-lona-bound defender replaced the suspended Adil Rami.

Moussa Sissoko filled in for N’Golo Kante, who was also serving a one-match ban, on the right side of midfield as Deschamps stuck with the 4-2-3-1 that helped France fight back to beat the Republic of Ireland

in the last 16. Sluggish starts had been a hallmark of France matches in the tournament, but the hosts quickly seized control at the Stade de France with Hannes Halldorsson smother-ing Payet’s early effort at the second attempt.

It took less than a quarter hour for France to make the break-through though. Giroud raced onto Blaise Matuidi’s floated ball over the defence and drilled through the legs of Halldorsson.

Iceland, who fought back in style against England after conceding an early opener in their last 16 tie, could not replicate a similar response and fell further behind on 20 minutes.

Antoine Griezmann’s right-wing corner found a leaping Pogba who towered above Jon Dadi Bodvarsson to power in his first goal of the Euro-pean Championship.

Jon Dadi Bodvarsson skied over after Aron Gunnarsson’s long throw caused trouble inside the French pen-alty area, but Les Bleus had wrapped

up their place in the last four by half-time.

After Giroud knocked down a looping cross to Griezmann, the Atletico Madrid striker teed up Payet whose low drive whistled into the far corner two minutes before the break.

Griezmann tucked away France’s fourth on the stroke of the interval, running onto Giroud’s pass and lifting a deft chip over Halldorsson to move clear in the race for the Golden Boot with his fourth goal. Sigthorsson, who netted Iceland’s winner against England, scored for the second game running after poking in Gylfi Sigurds-son’s cross on 56 minutes.

But France replied with Giroud beating Halldorsson to a Payet free-kick, and the Arsenal striker was withdrawn immediately having been booked earlier in the competition.

Iceland were rewarded for their perseverence though as they grabbed a second goal when Bjarnason headed in Ari Skulason’s cross on 84 minutes.

Hosts end Vikings’ dream run with 5-2 rout to book Germany showdown

Iceland players applaud the fans at the end of their Euro 2016 match against France in which they lost by 5-2 score line.

Serena grabs 300th Slam win, Kyrgios

set up Murray duel

France’s midfielder Paul Pogba heads their second goal against Iceland during the Euro 2016 quarter-final match played at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, near Paris yesterday.

More than 381m viewers for Euro and Copa AmericaThe Peninsula

DOHA: The global research agency Voicecom that is specialised in the field of research and statistics revealed its statistics of the viewer-ship number during the UEFA Euro 2016 and Copa America. Accord-ing to Voicecom the statistics shows that beIN SPORTS channels had more than 381 million of viewership during the month of June in the Middle East and North Africa region.

The statistics also focused on the big numbers of the viewership for the top matches that happened during the UEFA Euro 2016. As for the

number of viewers for Copa Amer-ica the statistics shows that only two matches got more than 15 million viewership.

beIN channels devoted all their efforts to provide an outstanding cov-erage for the big two sporting events, UEFA Euro 2016 and Copa America.

beIN has arranged a number of 50 studios with the best present-ers, analysts and pundits to give the fans the exclusive news and inter-views that happening during the tournaments.

beIN channels also sent more than 17 correspondent to different cities across France and America to give the viewers the latest statements from the top players and coaches.

SPORT22 MONDAY 4 JULY 2016

Serena grabs 300th Slam win as Kyrgios sets up Murray duel

AFP

LONDON: Serena Williams needed just 51 minutes to clinch the 300th Grand Slam win of her career yester-day as the defending champion made the Wimbledon last 16.

The 34-year-old American brushed aside Germany’s world number 43 Annika Beck 6-3, 6-0 on the back of 25 winners and seven aces and goes on to face long-time Russian rival Svetlana Kuznetsova.

“I thought it was good. I still want to get out to a little bit of a faster start but I was really focused and calm,” said Williams, who is just six wins short of Martina Navratilova’s Open era record of 306 Slam wins.

Williams has now won 82 matches at Wimbledon as she remains on course to equal Steffi Graf’s Open era record of 22 Grand Slam titles with her seventh Wimbledon crown.

Williams took the starring role as play was held on the middle yesterday for only the fourth time in Wimbledon history, and the first time since 2004, as organisers tried to clear the back-log caused by days of rain.

Nick Kyrgios, the Australian 15th seed, booked a last-16 clash with world number two Andy Murray after beating Feliciano Lopez 6-3, 6-7 (2/7), 6-3, 6-4 in another tie held over from Saturday at one set all.

Murray, the 2013 champion, is the top seed left in the draw after world number one Novak Djokovic was knocked out by Sam Querrey on Saturday.

“I definitely have the tools to beat Andy, but saying that, he’s probably one of the best players in the world and he’s probably the favourite at the moment since Novak is out,” Kyrgios said.

Fans who managed to secure tick-ets for yesterday’s extra day of play got their money’s worth on Court Two, where Jo-Wilfried Tsonga downed US marathon man John Isner 6-7 (3/7), 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2, 19-17.

French 12th seed Tsonga, a semi-finalist in 2011 and 2012, saved a match point in the 32nd game of the final set.

The last set alone lasted more

than two hours. Isner, the 18th seed, famously won the longest tennis match ever played when he beat another Frenchman, Nicolas Mahut, 70-68 in the final set at Wimbledon in the first round in 2010.

That five-setter, stretched over three days, lasted 11 hours and five minutes.

Tsonga goes on to face fellow Frenchman Richard Gasquet for a spot in the quarter-finals.

Unseeded Czech left-hander Jiri Vesely, who beat Djokovic in Monte Carlo in April, made the fourth round of a Slam for the first time by beat-ing Portuguese 31st seed Joao Sousa 6-2, 6-2, 7-5.

He will meet compatriot and 10th seed Tomas Berdych, the 2010

runner-up, who edged German teen-ager Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1.

Two-time Grand Slam champion Kuznetsova reached the Wimbledon fourth round for the first time since 2008 despite becoming involved in a row with the umpire over coaching.

The 31-year-old 13th seed battled back from 2-5 down in the final set to defeat US 18th seed Sloane Stephens 6-7 (1/7), 6-2, 8-6.

But the Russian was hit with a code violation for coaching early in

the final set which prompted a bit-ter exchange with umpire Marijana Veljovic.

“I’m just doing my job,” said the official.

“Well, you’re not doing it very well,” responded Kuznetsova, the 2004 US Open champion and 2009 French Open winner.

Russian 21st seed Anastasia Pav-lyuchenkova made the last 16 of a Slam for the first time since the 2011 US Open by seeing off Swiss 11th seed Timea Bacsinszky 6-3, 6-2. Pavly-uchenkova will face US 27th seed Coco Vandeweghe, who knocked out sixth-seeded Italian Roberta Vinci 6-3, 6-4. Vandeweghe is one of the in-form players on grass this year, winning at ‘s-Hertogenbosch and

making the semi-finals in Birming-ham. Russia’s Elena Vesnina made the fourth round for the first time in seven years by ending the run of US quali-fier Julia Boserup, the world number 225, in straight sets, 7-5, 7-5.

Vesnina will face doubles part-ner and close friend Ekaterina Makarova, who was a bridesmaid at her wedding last year, for a spot in the quarter-finals.

French 32nd seed Lucas Pouille saw off former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro 6-7 (7/4), 7-6 (8/6), 7-5, 6-1 in a tie held over from Saturday.

Pouille next faces Australian 19th seed Bernard Tomic in what will be his first appearance in the last 16 at a major.

Australia’s Nick Kyrgios reacts during his third-round match against Spain’s Feliciano Lopez on sixth day of Wimbledon at The All England Lawn Tennis Club, yesterday. INSET: US player Serena Williams serves to Germany’s Annika Beck during their third-round match.

ORDER OF PLAYCentre Court (1:00pm/1200 GMT)Roger Federer (SUI x3) vs Steve John-

son (USA)

Serena Williams (USA x1) vs Svetlana

Kuznetsova (RUS x13)

Nick Kyrgios (AUS x15) vs Andy Murray

(GBR x2)

Court One (1:00pm/1200 GMT)Simona Halep (ROM x5) vs Madison

Keys (USA x9)

Venus Williams (USA x8) vs Carla Suarez

Navarro (ESP x12)

Richard Gasquet (FRA x7) vs Jo-Wilfried

Tsonga (FRA x12)

Court Two (11:30am/1030 GMT)Misaki Doi (JPN) vs Angelique Kerber

(GER x4)

Marin Cilic (CRO x9) vs Kei Nishikori (JPN

x5)

David Goffin (BEL x11) vs Milos Raonic

(CAN x6)

Court Three (11:30am/1030 GMT)Agnieszka Radwanska (POL x3) vs

Dominika Cibulkova (SVK x19)

Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) vs Elena

Vesnina (RUS)

Jiri Vesely (CZE) vs Tomas Berdych (CZE

x10)

Court 12 (matches after 11:30am/1030 GMT doubles match)

Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) vs Lucie

Safarova (CZE x28)

Bernard Tomic (AUS x19) vs Lucas

Pouille (FRA x32)

Court 18 (11:30am/1030 GMT)Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS x21) vs

Coco Vandeweghe (USA x27)

Sam Querrey (USA x28) vs Nicolas

Mahut (FRA)

WOMEN’S LAST 16 LINE-UP

Serena Williams (USA x1) vs sSvetlana

Kuznetsova (RUS x13)

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS x21) vs

Coco Vandeweghe (USA x27)

Agnieszka Radwanska (POL x3) vs

Dominika Cibulkova (SVK x19)

Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) vs Elena

Vesnina (RUS)

Simona Halep (ROM x5) vs Madison

Keys (USA x9)

Misaki Doi (JPN) vs Anna-Lena Fried-

sam (GER x4)

Venus Williams (USA x8) vs Carla Suarez

Navarro (ESP x12)

Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) vs Lucie

Safarova (CZE x28)

MEN’S LAST 16 LINE-UPSam Querrey (USA x28) vs Nicolas

Mahut (FRA)

David Goffin (BEL x11) vs Milos Raonic

(CAN x6)

Roger Federer (SUI x3) vs Steve John-

son (USA)

Marin Cilic (CRO x9) vs Kei Nishikori (JPN

x5)

Jiri Vesely (CZE) vs Tomas Berdych (CZE

x10)

Bernard Tomic (AUS x19) vs Lucas

Pouille (FRA x32)

Richard Gasquet (FRA x7) vs Jo-Wilfried

Tsonga (FRA x12)

Nick Kyrgios (AUS x15) vs Andy Mur-

ray (GBR x

WIMBLEDON ENTERS LAST 16 STAGE

Title-favourite thrashes Annika Beck as Aussie 15th seed downs Feliciano Lopez

Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee poses with the trophy after winning the 100th French Golf Open at Le Golf National in Guyancourt, near Paris yesterday. Thongchai went into final round with a two-stroke lead and a fantastic three-under-par 68 helped him easily hold off the chasing pack on 11 under par. Rory McIlroy had to settle for third place.

Thongchai lifts French Open trophy Sagan wins stage to ride into yellow AFP

CHERBOURG: World champion Peter Sagan took the race leader’s yellow jersey after timing his attack to per-fection to win the second stage of the Tour de France yesterday.

Belgian Jasper Stuyven had spent almost the entire 183km stage from Saint-Lo to Cherbourg in the lead but was agonisingly caught in the final kilometre.

Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe took second with Spain’s Alejandro Valverde third.

Reigning champion Chris Froome came home safely in 10th but one of his main overall contenders, Alberto Contador, lost 47sec after crashing for the second day in a row.

The 33-year-old Spaniard injured his right side in Saturday’s crash and fell on it again early in yesterday’s stage.

When the race reached its tough uphill finale, Contador simply couldn’t keep pace as his team’s worst fears turned into reality.

After his crash yesterday, Tinkoff sports director Sean Yates said: “We’re confident that he won’t lose too much time in the uphill finish today.”

But things were even worse for Australian Richie Porte, another with

overall aspirations, who punctured in the last 5km and lost a minute more than Contador. For Sagan it was his fifth Tour stage victory but first since 2013.

His sprint finish was too strong for Alaphilippe, who had gone past Sagan around 300 metres from home but then could not hold on as the Slovak

came storming back past him. The heartbreak was worse for Stuyven, who had attacked alongside German Paul Voss, Norway’s Vegard Breen and Cesare Benedetti of Italy right from the start of the stage.

The former world junior cham-pion ditched his breakaway companions 8.5km from the end of

the race on a short climb but after more than 182km in front, the Belgian 24-year-old tired badly towards the end and was gobbled up by a charg-ing peloton.

The four-man breakaway had looked set to go all the way at one point as the peloton laboured in launching its chase.

They opened up a 5min 30sec advantage after just 20km and took that up to almost 7min at one point.

They still had 5min as the race entered the final 40km and Stuyven was a couple of minutes ahead with 12km left, which wasn’t enough.

Once the chase began, with Sagan’s Tinkoff team and the BMC squad of Belgian Greg Van Avermaet coming to the fore, the pace became relentless, with dozens of riders straggling out the back long before the pack reached the tough final 3km.

In winning, Sagan relieved Brit-on’s Mark Cavendish, who won Saturday’s opening stage, not only of the yellow jersey but also the green points jersey. Stuyven’s only conso-lation was taking possession of the polkadot king of the mountains jer-sey off breakaway companion Voss.

Alaphilippe is now second overall to Sagan at 8sec with Valverde third at 10sec. Froome is fifth at 14sec, two places ahead of principle rival Nairo Quintana, who is on the same time.

Slovakia’s Peter Sagan (right) crosses the finish line ahead of France’s Julian Alaphilippe at the end of the 183km second stage of the 103rd edition of the Tour de France cycling race between Saint-Lo and Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, Normandy, yesterday.

SPORT 23MONDAY 4 JULY 2016

Hamilton survives Rosberg battering to win

AFP

SPIELBERG, AUSTRIA: Lewis Hamil-ton emerged from a last-lap battering by his Mercedes team-mate Nico Ros-berg and misguided post-race boos from disgruntled fans with a dra-matic victory in yesterday’s Austrian Grand Prix.

The 46th win of Hamilton’s career ended Rosberg’s dream of a hat-trick of triumphs in the Styrian Alps and cut his advantage in the title race to 11 points, just a week before defend-ing champion Hamilton’s home British Grand Prix.

The feuding pair -- Rosberg now has 153 points to Hamilton’s 142 -- collided at Turn Two where Rosberg drove into the Briton’s car and forced him off the track, and then touched again as Hamilton rejoined before passing to go on and claim victory.

The German Rosberg, his car damaged and debris falling onto the circuit, limped home to finish fourth after starting the final lap as leader.

Talented Dutch teenager Max Ver-stappen claimed his second career podium in second place for Red Bull ahead of third-placed Kimi Raikko-nen of Ferrari.

The Finn’s team-mate, four-time champion Sebastian Vettel, was forced to retire after 27 of the 71 laps while leading when, on his 29th birthday, the right rear tyre of his car exploded.

“What an incredible race,” said Hamilton. “It was so tough. Apart from this (the crowd reaction), I love it here. I don’t know what that’s about.

It’s not my problem. It’s their problem.” Some in the Austrian crowd booed when Hamilton appeared and spoke on the victors’ podium after the race -- clearly unaware that close study of video replays of the collision showed that Rosberg was the driver to blame.

The 31-year-old German, who started from seventh on the grid and gobbled up places thanks to a favour-able strategy from the Mercedes team, led the race from the restart, after 32 laps, following Vettel’s blowout.

As Rosberg went into the final lap, however, with Hamilton closing on him, he was struggling with debris and damage, and a brake problem.

“Nico made a mistake into Turn One, so I had an opportunity into Turn Two,” said Hamilton. “I left a lot of room on the inside for him and he locked up and went into me. He had a problem with his brakes.”

Detailed examination of the inci-dent showed that Rosberg failed to turn his steering wheel to avoid a collision and had, apparently, driven Hamilton off the circuit.

A deflated Rosberg blamed Hamil-ton, just the latest bad blood between the duo.

“I am just gutted at not winning. I led the race into the last lap. It was pretty intense,” he said.

“I went a bit deep into the cor-ner, but that’s fine because I’m on the inside -- I dictate. I was very surprised that Lewis turned in and caused a collision.

“We were battling, I was strug-gling a little bit with my brakes because they got a bit hot, my tyres were degrading so that gave Lewis a chance.

“Nevertheless, I was confident I could defend and bring it home. I had the inside position, a strong position... Very gutted. It’s unbelievable, this sport sometimes.”

The race stewards immediately launched an investigation and called Rosberg to explain his part in the col-lision and for continuing to race when

his car was badly damaged.Tetchy and frustrated Mercedes

team chief Toto Wolff was angry when asked about the incident.

“Brainless,” he said. “It doesn’t need a comment. We were marginal on brakes, if not to say completely over, but we couldn’t tell the drivers.

“So Nico had a brake-by-wire failure on the last straight and he defended very hard. Seeing both cars colliding is upsetting.”

Non-executive team chairman Niki Lauda added: “I guess that Nico had a brake problem when he came into that corner. Therefore

he went long. Lewis was pushed to the outside, but why then after-wards, they hit each other? I don’t understand it.

“The first issue was the brake problem, but then they hit each other. This, I think, was Nico’s fault. But I have to look at it again.”

A grumpy Rosberg finished fourth ahead of Australian Daniel Ricciardo in the second Red Bull, with Jenson Button of McLaren in a stirring sixth.

Frenchman Romain Grosjean of Haas and Spaniard Carlos Sainz of Toro Rosso were seventh and eighth.

Talented Dutch teenager Max Verstappen finishesin second place

Mercedes AMG Petronas driver Lewis Hamilton (second right) celebrates victory on the podium ahead of Infiniti Red Bull’s driver Max Verstappen (left) and Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen (right) with Chief strategist AMG Mercedes Team James Vowles (second left after the Formula One Grand Prix of Austria at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria, yesterday. Hamilton won the race ahead of Verstappen (second) and Ferrari’s Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen (third).

Jamaica’s McLeod on track for Rio greatnessAFP

KINGSTON, JAMAICA: Jamaican star Omar McLeod qualified for his first Olympic Games on Saturday after winning the men’s 110m hur-dles on the third day of the Jamaican Olympic track and field trials.

The 22-year-old McLeod clocked a 13.01 seconds at the National Sta-dium track. That was the second fastest time in the world in 2016.

McLeod, the IAAF World Indoor 60m champion, now owns the top five fastest times in the world this year, and pleged to go even faster when he gets to the Rio Summer Games which begin August 5.

“We are working on the last part of the race,” he said. “It’s com-ing along and I am very impressed with how I am finishing.

“I am feeling really strong com-ing off the sixth hurdle so we just need to go back to the drawing board and work on the start. When we put the two parts together, greatness awaits.”

Deuce Carter was second and also qualified for the Olympics while Commonwealth Games champion Andrew Riley was third but could miss out on the trip to Rio as he is yet

to reach the qualifying mark.World number three Hansle Parchment, who missed the championships with an injury, could take the third spot if he can prove his fitness.

Meanwhile, a scintillating final day beckons with both the men’s and women’s 200m final and the wom-en’s 400m.

Yohan Blake and Elaine Thomp-son, the 100m champions on Friday, are both on course for the sprint doubles.

Blake won his 200m semi-final in a season’s best 20.29 seconds, beating Everton Clarke (20.45) and Rasheed Dwyer (20.46).

He said he is looking forward to the challenge.

“I am working my way back. I just want to earn my spot. I am strong enough to do the double as training is going very well. This was a pretty easy run and I am looking forward to tomorrow.”

Julian Forte, who was disqual-ified in the 100m, was the fastest qualifier winning his heat in 20.21 seconds while Nickel Ashmeade and World and Olympic medallist War-ren Weir also advanced to the finals.

Thompson, who won the 100m on Friday, set up a rematch with Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Veronica Campbell-Brown.

Omar McLeod celebrates victory in the finals of the 110-metre hurdles at 13.01 seconds during the National Senior Championships at National Stadium in Kingston Jamaica on Saturday.

Phelps books third Rio berth with 100m fly victory

Michael Phelps during the men’s 100m butterfly finals in the US Olympic swimming team trials at CenturyLink Center on Saturday.

AFP

OMAHA, UNITED STATES: Michael Phelps rallied for a victory in the 100m butterfly at the US Olympic swimming trials on Saturday to give himself a shot at a fourth straight gold in the event in Rio de Janeiro.

Phelps, fourth at the turn, came off the wall strong and powered home to win in 51.00sec, edging Tom Shields who punched his ticket to the Rio Olympics in 51.20.

Phelps never threatened his world record of 49.82, set in 2009 at the tail end of the bodysuit era.

But he got the job done in booking a third individual event in Rio, where he’ll become the first US man to swim in a fifth Olympic Games.

“I don’t know if it’s totally sunk in,” the 31-year-old said, adding he was “a hair” choked up at the thought he raced for the last time in front of

home fans. “You all got to see my last race ever on American soil,” he said.

Phelps said he was conscious of that milestone as the race approached, and coach Bob Bow-man asked him what his game plan was.

“I said, ‘I don’t want to lose my last race on American soil,’” Phelps said. “So that was kind of in my head.”

Phelps, who won the 100m fly at the 2004, 2008 and 2012 Olympics, is now second in the world rankings behind the 50.86 of Hungarian Las-zlo Cseh.

“You know, 51.0 is OK, but it’s going to take more than that to win a gold medal,” said Phelps, who counts 18 golds among his record tally of 22 Olympic medals.

Although he thought he produced a “terrible finish” with too long a glide into the wall, Phelps found reasons for optimism.

“My legs are feeling better,”

said Phelps, who admitted he was exhausted after a 200m medley win on Friday followed by a third-place finish in his 100m fly semi-final that left him sixth overall going into Sat-urday’s final and swimming out in lane seven.

“I have a lot of emotion here with Boomer and with the family here,” said Phelps, whose fiancee Nichole Johnson has brought their two-month-old son to the arena to see him swim this week. “There is a lot going on, but I’m happy that we did everything that we wanted to do. I made three events and (have the) possibility for relays, and we’ll see what happens.

Maya DiRado won the women’s 200m backstroke in 2:06.90, book-ing a third Rio event after victories in the 200m and 400m medleys.

Missy Franklin, who set a world record in winning gold in London, clawed her way into a Rio berth with a runner-up finish.

Cheruiyot eyes

double Olympic

swansong

AFP

NAIROBI: Kenya’s former world 5000m and 10000m champion Vivian Cheruiyot will attempt another Olympic double at Rio in her final fling before retiring from the track.

The 32-year old won both her specialities at the Kenyan Olympic trials in Eldoret, and said she was keen to make up for her failure to win in London four years.

“My form is slowly picking up very well and I am feeling better than last year,” Cheruiyot told AFP.

“I am seeing something which is going to be good in my life because I am going to both the 5000m/10000m in Rio.”

Cheruiyot won a 5000m sil-ver and a 10000m bronze in 2012, and she will once again have to contend with the challenge of the returning Ethiopian three-time Olympic 10000m champion, Tirunesh Dibaba and her new-comer compatriot, Almaz Ayana in Rio.

But the Kenyan said she will not be thinking about the Ethiopi-ans when she lines for the 10000m on August 12 and the 5000m a week later.

“I am not going to Rio because of Tirunesh Dibaba or Ayana. I am going there as Vivian and a proud Kenyan to run for my country.”

Cheruiyot, who plans to move to the marathon after her track retirement will not be the only Kenyan to attempt a double at the Rio games.

The 800m world indoor bronze medal l ist Margaret Nyairera Wambui is expected contest both the 400m and 800m after she was selected for both events.

The Kenya team will hold a five-week high altitude res-idential training at the Kip Keino training centre in Eldoret before their departure for Rio de janeiro.

Austrian GP Results and Standings1. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes-AMG) 1hr 27min 38.107sec (average: 210.203

km/h), 2. Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull) at 5.719, 3. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN/Ferrari)

6.024, 4. Nico Rosberg (GER/Mercedes-AMG) 16.710, 5. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/Red

Bull) 30.981, 6. Jenson Button (GBR/McLaren-Honda) 37.706, 7. Romain Grosjean

(FRA/Haas) 44.668, 8. Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP/Toro Rosso) 47.400, 9. Valtteri Bottas

(FIN/Williams) at 1 lap, 10. Pascal Wehrlein (GER/Manor) 1 lap, 11. Esteban Gutier-

rez (MEX/Haas) 1, 12. Jolyon Palmer (GBR/Renault) 1, 13. Felipe Nasr (BRA/Sauber)

1, 14. Kevin Magnussen (DEN/Renault) 1, 15. Marcus Ericsson (SWE/Sauber) 1, 16.

Rio Haryanto (INA/Manor) 1, 17. Sergio Perez (MEX/Force India) at 2 laps, 18. Fern-

ando Alonso (ESP/McLaren-Honda) 7, 19. Nico Hülkenberg (GER/Force India) 7, 20.

Felipe Massa (BRA/Williams) at 8 laps

OVERALL STANDINGS

Drivers

1. Nico Rosberg (GER) 153 pts 2. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) 142 3. Sebastian Vettel

(GER) 96 4. Kimi Räikkönen (FIN) 96 5. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) 88 6. Max Verstap-

pen (NED) 72 7. Valtteri Bottas (FIN) 54 8. Sergio Pérez (MEX) 39 9. Felipe Massa

(BRA) 38 10. Romain Grosjean (FRA) 28 11. Daniil Kvyat (RUS) 22 12. Carlos Sainz

Jr (ESP) 22 13. Nico Hülkenberg (GER) 20 14. Fernando Alonso (ESP) 18 15. Jenson

Button (GBR) 13 16. Kevin Magnussen (DEN) 6 17. Pascal Wehrlein (GER) 1 18. Stof-

fel Vandoorne (BEL) 1

CONSTRUCTORS

1. Mercedes-AMG 295 pts 2. Ferrari 192 3. Red Bull 168 4. Williams 92 5. Force

India 59 6. Toro Rosso 36

24 MONDAY 4 JULY 2016

Bale and Ronaldo will put friendship aside: Coleman

Germany hail penalty victory against bogey team ItalyReuters

BORDEAUX: Germany’s players hailed their first victory against Italy in a major tournament as an excep-tional moment in their history as they reached the Euro 2016 semi-finals by beating their old rivals 6-5 on pen-alties.

But the eventful shoot- out, with seven players failing to convert their

kicks, left pundits dismayed with some saying it was the worst set of penalties ever seen at a major finals.

“I can still speak,” said breath-less Germany keeper Manuel Neuer, who saved two spot kicks as the world champions won 6-5 on penalties after a dull 1-1 draw over 120 minutes.

“Well we have finally succeeded against Italy and now we’ve done it in a knockout game. It was real drama. I have never seen anything like it before. As a goalkeeper it is

something I will always remember.”Mats Hummels, who scored in

the shootout, said the game had been intense with Germany sitting too far back after they opened the scoring through Mesut Ozil in the 65th minute.

“After 1-0 we had thought we could have won it but for a short amount of time we lost our security,” he said. “We were always afraid one situation could change the match.”

That was the case as Jerome Boat-eng handled and Italy’s Leonardo

Bonucci scored from the spot to level in the 78th.

Italy coach Antonio Conte said he was disappointed to go out despite his defensively-minded team showing lit-tle adventure in the final third of the pitch during the match.

“The lads gave everything. We had a very strong team. I can’t find the words. We were beaten by Germany on penalties and that hurts,” he said.

“I regret that we didn’t make the penalties. Everyone fought hard,

everyone. I don’t think we could have done any more. We gave everything we had.”

However, the game will probably be remembered for some of the poor-est spot kicks ever taken in a shootout.

“Some of those penalties were the worst I’ve ever seen, and the run ups, what were they about?,” said former England striker Alan Shearer.

Former France captain Thierry Henry was particularly scathing about Italy’s Graziano Pelle, who told

the keeper he was going to dink the ball and missed the target altogether.

“Obviously I’m happy about this,” said relieved Germany coach Joachim Loew. “The tournament isn’t over. It’s going to continue for us now.

“We’ve practised penalties a lot. It’s tough on the nerves to run from midfield to take the shots. The youngsters really did a great job for us tonight (on the penalties),” he said.

Germany will face the winner of yesterday’s match .

AFP

DINARD: There will be no love lost between Real Madrid team-mates Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo when Wales face Por-tugal in Wednesday’s Euro 2016 semi-final, Welsh manager Chris Coleman said yesterday.

The clash between 26-year-old Bale, the tournament’s joint-top scorer with three goals, and Portuguese superstar Ron-aldo, 31, will be the intriguing subplot to the game in Lyon.

While Coleman said that the game will be decided by sev-eral factors, he knows that the Wales number 11 and Portugal number seven will be the centre of attention.

“They’re two of the best play-ers on the planet. They know each other very well, but I don’t suppose there will be any love lost on the evening between both teams, not just Gareth and Cristiano,” he said.

“Both teams know what’s at stake, so any fr iendship will have to wait until after the game. It’s us against them.”

Wales’s superb 3-1 win over Bel-gium in Lille on Friday took them into a major tournament semi-final for the first time.

Their chances of reach-ing the final may hinge on their capacity to prevent Ronaldo causing damage, but Coleman believes that Portugal will be equally anx-ious about facing Bale.

“In this game, it’s not like I need to pull my defenders aside and say: ‘This team we’re playing, they’ve got a guy up front and his name’s Cristiano Ronaldo and he does this, that and the other.’ Because they already know,” he said.

“But we never did that with (Belgium’s) Eden Hazard. We know about them, we know where the dangers are. I could work my defenders for the next month, drilling them about Cris-tiano Ronaldo.

“He still has the capacity to do something special, unstoppable.”

“Of course that’s a danger.”“But we’ve got one of them as

well in our team, so it balances itself out.”

Ronaldo makes no secret of his attachment to the FIFA Bal-lon d’Or, which he has won three times, but Coleman does not believe that the trophy is a source of motivation for Bale.

“I don’t think that is in Gareth’s head,” Coleman told a press conference at Wales’s media centre in Dinard, north-west France.

“Of course he’s a human being. Thoughts will run through his mind, but he’ll be thinking about how we perform in the next game and nothing beyond that.

“His focus will be on the next opponent and challenge and what he needs to do. That will be in his

thinking more than any-thing else.”

They re two of the best play-ers on the planet. They knoweach other very well, but I don’t suppose there will be any love lost on the eveningbetween both teams, not just Gareth and Cristiano,” he said.

“Both teamsknow what’s at stake, so anyfriendship will hhave to wait unt lil after the game. It’s us against them.”

Wales’s superb 3-1 win over Bel-gium in Lille on Fridayy took them into a major tournament semi-final for the first time.

Their chances of reach-ing the final may hinge on their capacity to prevent Ronaldocausing damage, but Coleman bbebelililieveveses tt thhahattt PPoPo trtrtugug lalal will be equally anx-ious about facingBale.

opponent and challenge and what he needs to do. That will be in his

thinking more than any-thing else.”

The two Real Madrid superstars will be the centre of attention as Wales and Portugallock horns in Euro semi-final

Wales’ forward Gareth Bale in action during their Euro 2016 quarter-final football match against Belgium on Friday. LEFT: Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo gestures after scoring a goal against Hungary in their Euro 2016 group F football match on June 22, 2016. Wales face Portugal in Wednesday’s Euro 2016 semi-final.

Germany’s Gomez out, Khedira, Schweinsteiger doubtful AFP

EVIAN: Germany’s Mario Gomez has been ruled out of the rest of Euro 2016 through injury while Sami Khedira and captain Bas-tian Schweinsteiger are doubtful for Thursday’s semi-final, the Ger-man Football Federation (DFB) said yesterday.

Gomez underwent a scan on Sunday that showed the striker suffered a torn thigh muscle in the quarter-final victory over Italy and he can play no further part in the tournament, the DFB said.

Juventus midfielder Khedira has a partially torn groin muscle and Manchester United’s Schwein-steiger sprained a knee ligament in the penalty shootout win over the Italians on Saturday.

“It is currently in doubt whether Schweinsteiger and Khedira will be able to take any part on Thursday in Marseille or in a possible final in Saint Denis on Sunday,” the DFB said in a statement.

Both are receiving intensive medical treatment.

“It’s very bitter when important players are ruled out in the deci-sive phase of a tournament,” said Germany’s coach Joachim Loew.

“I am especially sorry for Mario. He put in some good per-formances at these Euros and has helped the team, not only with his goals.

“For us, it means we have to accept the new situation and find solutions, which we will do.

“The quality of the team is high and I have full trust in all the play-ers -- we’ll be ready on Thursday and we’re looking forward to the semi-finals.”

Loew has options to replace Gomez with World Cup-winning goalscorer Mario Goetze, who was left on the bench against Italy, while midfielder Thomas Mueller can also play as a striker.

Khedira and Schweinsteiger will be harder to replace should they fail to be fit for Thursday’s semi. Joshua Kimmich, who was deployed as a wing-back against Italy, can partner Real Madrid’s Toni Kroos in midfield.

Should Loew’s options be fur-ther depleted by injury, Borussia Dortmund’s 20-year-old mid-fielder Julian Weigl is a promising talent for the future, but a risk at this level.

The world champions are already without defender Mats Hummels for the semi-final as he is suspended after picking up his second yellow card of the tourna-ment against Italy.

Loew took a chance on Sch-weinsteiger at these European Championships finals as his skip-per had not started a game since January and tore the medial liga-ment in his right knee in March.

He has been used off the bench in four of Germany’s five games in France, but landed awkwardly after replacing Khedira in the first half against Italy.

No regrets for teary Buffon as Italy exitAFP

BORDEAUX: Tears rolled down the cheeks of Gianluigi Buf-fon (pictured) but the legendary Italy ‘keeper said there were “no regrets” despite the Azzurri missing a golden chance to beat Germany to a Euro 2016 semi-final spot on Saturday.

“The tears are for my dis-appointment. It was a magical experience that revived some-thing in all of us and our fans, but it’s come to an end,” an emotional Buffon told media after Germa-ny’s 6-5 penalty shoot-out win in Bordeaux.

After their quarter-final fin-ished 1-1 in regulation time and neither team scored in extra-time, Italy’s bid to put two forgettable World Cup campaigns behind only unravelled at a dramatic penalty shootout.

Italy spurned the chance to clinch their last four spot when Graziano Pelle hit a pitiful effort wide of the post as the Germans misfired.

That, and other misses, proved costly for Italy later on, as the pen-alty shootout went to a total of 18 kicks. After Manchester United defender Matteo Darmian saw his shot saved by Manuel Neuer, Jonas Hector stepped up to beat Buffon and send World Cup holders Ger-many into a semi-final against France or Iceland, who play on Sunday.

It was Antonio Conte’s last game as coach ahead of his move to Premier League giants Chelsea.

But Juventus goalkeeper Buffon, 38, indicated the defeat would not hasten his international retirement.

“Personally, I’m fine. I still get fired up by these games and I feel that I’ve still got something to give to this squad,” said Buffon, who believes there is also a big future for Italy’s young team.

“I’m happy and proud to have worked alongside this squad. They (Germany) deserved victory more than us, but this game will serve the lads well.”