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COMMENT
BUSINESS
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CLASSIFIED
59
SPORTS
1 12
SPORT | Page 1
Aviation industry
targets 1.5% fuel
efficiency a year
Xavi-less Al
Sadd on edge
ahead of
Mesaimeer
clash
AMERICA | Obituary
Musical maestro
Kurt Masur dies
Kurt Masur, the German conductor
who revitalised the New York
Philharmonic and played a
key role in peaceful protests in
Leipzig that paved the way for
the 1990 reunification of postwar
Germany, died in Greenwich,
Connecticut yesterday at age 88.
Masurs distinguished musical
career saw him rise from an
orchestra coach at a theatre in
communist East Germany to
roles including music director of
the New York Philharmonic and
principal conductor of the London
Philharmonic Orchestra.
EAST ASIA | Pageant
34.55
+50.89
+0.52%
-0.40
-1.14%
in
9,912.92
-339.00
-1.95%
Heavy casualties
in Yemen fighting
Turkey announces
Iraq troop pullout
17,017.00
Star Wars fans raise their lightsabers during Lightsaber Battle LA in Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles on Friday. Star
Wars: The Force Awakens raked in an estimated $120.5mn in its first full day in US and Canadian theatres, setting an industry
record, Disney said yesterday. The movie is likely to become the highest grossing film in an opening weekend, Disney added,
while reporting that it had already made $250mn globally. Page 10
SUNDAY
Beijing on
red alert
AFP
Beijing
Steam rises behind a wall of the Forbidden City, once the home of Chinas
emperors, on a polluted day in Beijing yesterday.
ronmental Protection Bureaus website.
It is the second time the highest
A
Talks on seeking release of
QNA
Doha/Baghdad
he R
is
bl TA 978
A 1
Q since
REGION | Conflict
NYMEX
Opposition
sceptical
over Syria
peace plan
In brief
QE
Latest Figures
GULF TIMES
New Star Wars shines
DOW JONES
pu
BUSINESS | Page 12
Traffic along the Corniche on Friday. Seen in the picture is a vehicle specially
decorated for the occasion. PICTURE: Thajudheen
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 20, 2015
QATAR
Ooredoo Group
selects GoSwiff
as global mobile
payments partner
Executives from public and private organisations in Qatar and the Middle East complete training programme on eMarketing in tourism recently.
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 20, 2015
QATAR
Hamad Hospital Trauma Centre anniversary
Leaders and multidisciplinary staff from across Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) recently gathered to celebrate
the 8th anniversary of the Trauma Centre at Hamad General Hospital (HGH). The participants also attended the 4th
Trauma Multidisciplinary Critical Care Educational Day, which highlights the importance of teamwork among
multi-disciplinary professionals providing care to severely injured patients.
Commercial
Arbitration Law
due in first half
of 2016: Minister
Qatars commercial
arbitration law will be due
in the first half of 2016, HE
Minister of Justice Dr Hassan
Lahdan Saqr al-Mhannadi
said yesterday.
Speaking at the annual
conference of lawyers and
arbitrators, which is taking
place in Doha, the Minister
said that the investment
environment in the GCC will
see many developments.
Minister attends
inauguration of
Kuwaiti stadium
HE Qatars Minister of
Youth and Sports Salah bin
Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali
yesterday participated in
the inauguration of Jaber alAhmed International Stadium,
under the patronage of Emir
of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah alAhmed al-Sabah.
The Minister of Youth and
Sports wished the Kuwaiti
leadership and people further
progress. He expressed his
hope that the new stadium
will host many prominent
sporting events in the future.
His Excellency also extended
his congratulations to
Kuwaits Minister of
Information and Minister of
State for Youth Affairs Sheikh
Salman al-Hamoud al-Sabah.
The 400,000-sq-m stadium
can take up to 60,000
spectators.
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 20, 2015
QATAR
Young boys send a message to Qatar on National Day at the QF Radio booth at Darb Al Saai
tent. Below: Children from the English Modern School participate in the QF Radio activity at
Darb Al Saai tent
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 20, 2015
REGION
Yemen forces
press advance
against rebels
Government forces are
now heading west, toward
the contiguous rebel
strongholds of Amran and
Saada provinces, which lie
immediately to the north of
the capital
AFP
Aden
A woman wears a facemask as she walks in a heavily polluted area in Tehran yesterday.
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 20, 2015
ARAB WORLD
Two hurt
in Israel
stabbing
attack
Bewilderment
after shooting
of Palestinian
teenaged girls
Security camera footage
from the incident on
November 23 appears to
show the two girls in school
uniform chasing a man with
scissors before being shot
AFP
Qalandiya, West Bank
AFP
Jerusalem
Relatives of Hadel Awwad mourn during her funeral in Qalandiya refugee camp on Friday.
The Israeli police dismissed
the criticism.
What does Amnesty understand about split-second decisions that police officers have to
make when there is a terrorist
holding a 30cm knife in front
of their face, just about to cut
their throat? police spokesman
Micky Rosenfeld said.
Each attack is different
and each different scenario is a
split-second reaction, he said
when asked about the November
shooting.
The case has also turned the
spotlight on a series of measures adopted by Israel to quell
assaults, including the demolition of the homes of some attackers and withholding their
bodies.
Some politicians have also
encouraged Israeli Jews to carry
guns at all times.
Critics say many of the suspects could be tasered and arrestedas was done this month
in London when a man stabbed
three people in a train station.
Prominent Palestinian politician Hanan Ashrawi said Israels
reaction to attacks is worsening
the situation.
Israels shoot-to-kill policy
actually creates more resent-
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 20, 2015
ARAB WORLD
Iraq set
to retake
Ramadi:
minister
An offensive in Al
Tameem this month
marked a significant
step in long-delayed
efforts to recapture the
city
AFP
Baghdad
officials. IS ghters attacking from northwest of Ramadi with suicide car bombs
attempted to retake control
of the key Palestine bridge in
recent days but Iraqi forces
still have the upper hand.
The city of Ramadi has
now been fully isolated, and
the Iraqi security forces are
beginning to conduct their
clearing operations, the
coalitions Baghdad-based
spokesman, Colonel Steve
Warren, told reporters on
Friday.
He said that IS had been
using the Euphrates river
that runs through Ramadi to
supply its ghters inside the
city with men and military
equipment.
Control of both sides of
the river banks in key areas
has signicantly reduced the
militant organisations ability to resupply, Warren said.
The defence minister
also said yesterday Iraq has
opened an investigation into
the circumstances that led to
the death of 10 Iraqi soldiers
in a coalition air strike west
of Baghdad.
We lost 10 of our soldiers, Obeidi said, adding
that an investigation into
the incident was opened.
A statement from the Joint
Operations Command on
Friday mentioned that 10 had
been wounded or killed
but Obeidi and another senior military source claried
yesterday that 10 troops were
killed.
According to the joint
command, the incident occurred when two coalition
strikes allowed Iraqi ground
forces to advance rapidly
towards positions held by
IS ghters south of their
stronghold of Fallujah.
A third air strike came
when the two sides were in
close combat, resulting in
casualties to both, it said.
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 20, 2015
AFRICA
Uganda to
start fresh
Burundi
peace talks
Reuters
Kampala
Rwanda President Paul Kagame casts his vote in Rwandas capital Kigali.
ment on Saturday, adding the
party will not give up on the
struggle to make Rwanda a
vibrant democracy.
Some Rwandans said they
had boycotted the vote as the
outcome was already known.
Carina Tertsakian, of Human
Rights Watch (HRW), noted that
Security forces inspect the site of a bomb blast near Makka al-Mukarama Road in the Somali capital
Mogadishu yesterday.
Mohamed Ismail, a nurse at
Madina hospital, said they had
received 21 wounded people,
mostly civilians.
The government is battling to
rebuild Somalia after more than
Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga, left, and militia chief Germain Katanga.
Seychelles president
scrapes third-term win
AFP
Victoria
10
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 20, 2015
AMERICA
Sanders, DNC reach deal after data breach uproar
Mayor Carey Davis and County Supervisor James Ramos, made the
visit on their way to Hawaii, where
they will spend the holidays.
On Thursday, federal authorities
charged Enrique Marquez with providing material support to Farook
and Malik. Marquez allegedly purchased two ries used in the attack
and had plotted to carry out attacks
with Farook in 2011.
Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey said on
Wednesday that there was no indication that Farook or Malik were
part of an organised cell.
Famed conductor
Kurt Masur dead
Conductor Kurt Masur, who
helped bring a worldwide
reputation to the New York
Philharmonic while seizing on the
power of music on key moments
of history, has died. He was 88.
The New York Philharmonic
announced yesterday the death
of Masur, one of its longestserving music directors who led
the orchestra from 1991 to 2002.
A German born in what is
today Poland, Masur won
wide praise for polishing the
musical bona fides of the New
York Philharmonic and raising
its global profile with 17 tours
around the world including a
first trip to mainland China, now
a key country for the orchestras
overseas activities.
12
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 20, 2015
ASEAN
Jakarta to deploy
150,000 security
staff for celebrations
Reuters
Cilangkap
Rescuers struggle to
reach Indonesian ferry
Reuters
Jakarta
member states, and the difficulty in achieving it illustrates the challenges in taking it a
step further and creating common aviation
regulatory and safety standards, experts say.
Unlike Europe, Asean has no legal or executive body to push through liberalisation
or create regional organisations that oversee
safety and air traffic control.
This is mainly because member countries are reluctant to give up their sovereign
rights, say industry experts.
Given the (different) speed of development in each country, I dont think it will be
done anytime soon and may take at least 20
years to take shape, Chula Sukmanop, director of the Office of Civil Aviation in Thailand, told Reuters.
A lack of consensus among stakeholders
is delaying the process, even as more of the
regions 600mn population take to the skies,
aided by robust growth of low-cost carriers
such as AirAsia and Indonesias privatelyheld Lion Air.
Both airlines have placed record orders
with the main plane makers.
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 20, 2015
13
AUSTRALASIA/EAST ASIA
Crowning glory
Presidential
hopeful apologises
over racist joke
AFP
Seoul
he frontrunner to be
South Koreas next
president has apologised after sparking a public
uproar for jokingly likening
the skin colour of an African
student to coal.
Kim Moo-Sung, the leader
of the countrys ruling conservative Saenuri Party and
the leader in polling ahead of
December 2017 elections, issued the apology in the face of
public criticism over the gaffe.
I failed to realise that
showing friendliness this way
could hurt someones feelings, Kim wrote on his Facebook page on Friday.
I am really sorry and there
is no excuse. I sincerely apologise from the bottom of my
heart.
He made the quip while
delivering coal briquettes to
the needy in Seoul alongside a
group of foreign exchange students earlier on Friday.
The event was part of a
charity programme which
drew around 40 students
Mireia Lalaguna Rozo (centre) of Spain waves after winning the new title at the Miss World Grand Final in Sanya, next to Miss Russia, Sofia Nikitchuk (left) and Miss World
Indonesia, Maria Harfanti in southern Chinas Hainan province yesterday. Contestants from over 110 countries competed in the final of the 65th Miss World competition.
wo US B-52 bombers ew
close to islands in the
ashpoint South China
Sea this month in a serious military provocation, Beijing said
yesterday, as tensions simmer in
the disputed waterway.
China insists it has sovereignty over virtually all of the
resource-rich sea, conicting
with the various claims of several neighbouring nations, and
US activity in the area has provoked Beijings ire several times
in recent months.
In the morning of December
10, two US B-52 bombers entered air space over the Chinese
Murdered
childrens
kin attend
memorial
DPA
Sydney
14
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 20, 2015
BRITAIN/IRELAND
UK premier
cornered on
EU migrants
AFP
London
Cameron: wants to force migrants from EU countries who have jobs in Britain to wait four years before they can claim state benefits.
to Britain in their hundreds of
thousands.
Cameron has made a rod for
his own back with his promise
on benets, said Professor Simon
Hix of the London School of Economics.
He may now have to concede
on that issue in return for a compromise deal.
While Cameron is pushing for
reforms of Britains relationship
with the EU in four areas, it is
the issue of benet payments to
European migrants which is the
most problematic.
He wants to force those migrants from EU countries who
have jobs in Britain to wait four
years before they can claim state
ONE SMOKER.
TWO PATIENTS.
TOBACCO KILLS
Police
warning
over use
of drones
Evening Standard
London
GULF TIMES
Labour peer Lord Janner has died aged 87 after a long illness,
his family confirmed yesterday evening.
Lord Janner, who was made a life peer in the House of Lords
in 1997, had been suffering from dementia and passed away
at his home yesterday.
In a statement, his family said: Lord Janner died peacefully
on Saturday, December 19 after a long illness. He will be
deeply missed.
Sir Mick Davis, chairman of the Jewish Leadership Council,
said: The passing of Greville Janner marks the end of an era
for the Jewish community. Our thoughts and prayers are with
the Janner family at this most difficult time.
The former MP, who represented Leicester North West from
1970 to 1974 and then Leicester West from 1974 to 1997,
had previously been accused of a string of historic sexual
offences.
He faced a total of 22 charges, including 15 counts of indecent
assault, for alleged incidents from the 1960s to the 1980s.
He was ruled unfit to stand trial earlier this month and a trial
of the facts was due to take place in April 2016.
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 20, 2015
15
EUROPE
Videos of interviews
with militants spark
Swiss terror probe
AFP
Warsaw
Reuters/AFP
Zurich
Kaczynski
The conservative-controlled
parliament is also debating a law
that would raise the bar for Constitutional Court rulings, from
a simple majority of judges to a
two-thirds majority.
Kaczynski, who is neither
president nor prime minister
but is widely seen as pulling the
strings in his party, has said he
wants to break up the band of
cronies in the nations highest
judicial body, whom he accuses
of protecting their own interests.
According to a TNS Institute
poll published in the Gazeta
Wyborcza, approval ratings for
the PiS have slid to 27% from
42% at the start of December.
The new governments critics
include Lech Walesa, Polands
Nobel Peace laureate and rst
democratically elected president
since World War II in 1990.
Im beginning to be ashamed
of this democratic choice, said
Walesa on Thursday.
We have to change some
things. They are right on a lot of
points, but not in the way they
are doing it, he added, calling
for an open and democratic
reform process.
If they dont do it like that,
I am warning them, its going to
end in civil war, Walesa said.
Demonstrations also took
place last weekend when 50,000
people marched in Warsaw
against the new ruling party.
16
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 20, 2015
INDIA
Detention of
gang-rape
victims
parents denied
IANS
New Delhi
Vice-President of Congress Party Rahul Gandhi (centre) walks with his mother and party President Sonia Gandhi and officials as they leave Patiala House Court in New Delhi yesterday,
after a court appearance by the pair.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, daughter of main opposition Congress party president Sonia Gandhi, arrives at the
court in New Delhi.
will come out. We are well aware
of the campaign of attacks and
criticism that our political rivals
follow, Sonia Gandhi said at a
press conference following the
hearing.
They are targeting us and
making full use of the state
agencies, she said.
The BJP rejects any suggestion
it is involved in the case, saying
Swamy acted alone and stressing
the courts independence.
The Gandhis were granted bail
on a personal bond of 50,000 rupees ($754) each, their lawyers
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 20, 2015
17
INDIA
Jaitley says
collateral
reasons
delaying GST
IANS
New Delhi
Comedian Innocent t
after chemotherapy
IANS
Kochi
Film promo
Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan (right) and Salman Khan pose with dancers during a promotional event for the Hindi film
Dilwale on the set of a Colors TV Reality Show in Lonavala, some 100kms from Mumbai yesterday.
he dissident Congress
group in Arunachal
Pradesh yesterday said
they will move the Gauhati
High Court, after it kept in
abeyance the governors order to summon the winter
session of the legislative assembly.
Kalikho Pul, leader of the
rebel group, who has been
camping in Guwahati along
with some his supporters, said
it was the mismanagement,
nancial mess and corruption
by Chief Minister Nabam Tuki
Reiterating that law and order has broken down in Arunachal Pradesh, Pul said the
governor was in danger even in
a highly secured place like Raj
Bhavan.
He dismissed the Congress
claims that the governor was
working as a BJP agent and had
turned Raj Bhavan into an RSS
office.
He also blamed the Congress
central leadership for failing
to handle the situation, saying they waited for over two
months in New Delhi to meet
the top leadership, including
party president Sonia Gandhi
and vice president Rahul Gandhi but to no avail.
Tweet lands
man in jail
IANS
Patna
18
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 20, 2015
LATIN AMERICA
Argentina receives
Macri-economic
shock treatment
AFP
Buenos Aires
AFP
San Jos
Reuters
Brasilia
Macri greets local residents from a farming sector during a visit yesterday to the city of Curuzu Cuatia in
the province of Corrientes. Argentine farmers are slowly starting to sell their soy and corn stockpiles now
that newly elected president has devalued the currency and needs export dollars to help rev up central
bank reserves left thin by the previous government.
protectionist policies of Macris
predecessor Cristina Kirchner
stied exports.
Exporters welcomed the agriculture reform. Farmers called
them a historic move that could
lead them to sow 30% more
wheat and corn next year.
The free oating of the currency meanwhile is likely to
boost Argentine exports further
by making them cheaper.
By lifting capital controls and
devaluing the currency, the new
administration will have tackled
the most obvious distortion in
Argentinas macro-policy framework, wrote Neil Shearing of research group Capital Economics.
The economic benets, how-
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 20, 2015
19
PAKISTAN/AFGHANISTAN
Dont speak
against India,
Sharif tells
his ministers
IANS
Islamabad
Nawaz Sharif
shma Swaraj also visited Pakistan on December 8 to attend the
when Musharraf came in, Pakistan got the best possible military and civil assistance ever
possible, she remarked.
Khar stated that a civilian-made
constitution - one without any
amendments - had only been applicable in Pakistan twice; once for
four years after 2010, and another
for two years from 1956 to 1958.
Khars term in president Zard-
Weapons seized
FIR against
toddler for
land grab!
IANS
Islamabad
Afghan policemen display Taliban weapons to media in Herat province, west Afghanistan.
Some 120 rounds of Taliban militants weapons were seized by Afghan National Police during
separate operations across Herat over the past couple of months, Herat provincial police chief
Majid Rozi told reporters recently.
to become part of the mainstream cinema, he said, Naseeruddin Shah took him to
20
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 20, 2015
SRI LANKA/BANGLADESH/NEPAL
No free-hold
lands port
city project,
says Lanka
Agencies
Colombo
A man pushes a wheelchair with a disabled man, who is sheltered from the rain with a plastic cover, at Galle Face Green in Colombo yesterday.
Hundreds
of death-row
convicts
languishing
in prisons
By Mizan Rahman
Dhaka
A Nepalese man tightens the binding on his tarpaulin roof in a camp for people displaced by earthquakes
in April and May.
proper homes to live in, said Gita
Shrestha, an earthquake survivor
from Bhaktapur district.
A bill that would establish a
national reconstruction authority has been passed in parlia-
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 20, 2015
21
COMMENT
Migrants stand behind a fence outside a temporary housing facility located in a former Olympic hall in Faliro suburb of Athens.
of domestic policy. In its design and
implementation, it is focused almost
exclusively on immediate measures
and short-term outcomes. The
possibility of future impact is largely
discounted.
Rather than attempting to dissuade
mass migration by encouraging and
supporting fundamental, long-term
economic and political development
in countries that are impoverished
or wracked by civil strife, EU
policymakers tend to intervene after
the fact, with pledges of aid and
emergency resettlement schemes. But,
world - New
York City. The
lesson I learnt
whilst lming
is that theres
more than
meets the eye
to even the
most talkedabout of cities.
New York is
brimming
with secrets.
Hidden
locations,
clandestine clubs and an anything
goes attitude offering unrestricted
access as long as you know who to
ask.
Perhaps no location sums this up
more, than New Yorks Grand Central
Terminal Manhattans iconic
transportation hub. Few know that
hidden nearby, rests a train platform
built exclusively for President Franklin
Delano Roosevelt. It was intentionally
left off of train charts to protect its
secrecy. All the while, it was hidden
Weather report
Three-day forecast
TODAY
High: 26 C
Low : 17 C
Expected poor horizontal visibility at
places at first due to fog
MONDAY
High: 24 C
Low : 17 C
M Sunny
TUESDAY
High: 23 C
Low : 16 C
P Cloudy
Fishermens forecast
OFFSHORE DOHA
Wind: NW 05-15/20 KT
Waves: 2-4/6 Feet
INSHORE DOHA
Wind: NW-NE 03-12 KT
Waves: 1-2/3 Feet
Abu Dhabi
Baghdad
Dubai
Kuwait City
Manama
Muscat
Live issues
Riyadh
Tehran
Weather
today
P Cloudy
Sunny
Sunny
M Cloudy
P Cloudy
Sunny
P Cloudy
P Cloudy
Max/min
27/17
17/05
27/19
18/11
23/19
27/18
27/10
07/00
Weather
tomorrow
P Cloudy
Sunny
P Cloudy
M Sunny
Cloudy
Sunny
P Cloudy
M Sunny
Max/min
27/18
18/04
26/21
19/09
22/17
28/21
19/08
08/-1
Weather
tomorrow
Sunny
Sunny
P Cloudy
Showers
M Sunny
S Showers
S T Storms
Sunny
S Showers
Sunny
T Storms
Sunny
Showers
P Cloudy
Showers
Sunny
M Cloudy
M Sunny
T Storms
P Cloudy
P Cloudy
S Showers
Cloudy
Max/min
17/07
19/12
33/24
11/08
21/10
23/16
33/23
24/13
21/18
12/06
30/23
27/12
14/12
31/23
07/05
21/07
12/10
13/11
27/19
08/-2
32/25
24/18
12/03
Athens
Beirut
Bangkok
Berlin
Cairo
Cape Town
Colombo
Dhaka
Hong Kong
Istanbul
Jakarta
Karachi
London
Manila
Moscow
New Delhi
New York
Paris
Sao Paulo
Seoul
Singapore
Sydney
Tokyo
Weather
today
Sunny
Sunny
P Cloudy
P Cloudy
P Cloudy
Cloudy
S T Storms
Sunny
Showers
Sunny
T Storms
Sunny
P Cloudy
P Cloudy
Cloudy
Sunny
Sunny
M Cloudy
T Storms
M Cloudy
P Cloudy
Sunny
Clear
Max/min
15/07
18/12
33/21
11/08
19/09
27/17
32/23
24/13
18/16
11/05
31/23
28/12
13/08
29/23
02/02
21/07
07/04
14/10
26/19
07/-1
32/25
31/22
10/02
22
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 20, 2015
COMMENT
Chairman: Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah
Editor-in-Chief : Darwish S Ahmed
Production Editor: C P Ravindran
P.O.Box 2888
Doha, Qatar
editor@gulf-times.com
Telephone 44350478 (news),
44466404 (sport), 44466636 (home delivery)
Fax 44350474
GULF TIMES
Budget in line with
sustainable economic
development policies
Qatars continued commitment to sustainable
economic development is well reected on the
State Budget for 2016, which lays emphasis on
infrastructure upgrade and health and education
sectors.
The budget, which was recently endorsed by HH the
Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani through Law
No. 26 of 2015, has set apart a whopping QR90.8bn
for major projects, which is QR3.3bn higher than the
previous scal year.
A signicant outlay (QR90.9bn) has been made
for the infrastructure, health and education sectors,
which represents 45.4% of the total expenditure in the
2016 budget.
The allocation to the infrastructure sector totalled
QR50.6bn in the 2016 budget, while education
sector will have QR20.4bn and health QR20.9bn.
Numerous projects have been announced in the
countrys education and health sectors, which is a step
forward in the countrys goal of achieving sustainable
development in realising the Qatar National Vision
2030.
HE the Minister of Finance Ali Sherif al-Emadi
said the State Budget for 2016 demonstrated the
governments keenness on sustainable development.
By providing a signicant outlay for major projects,
the minister said Qatar underscores its commitment to
the implementation of development projects based
on the planned schedule.
The budget for the
next scal year projects
a revenue of QR156bn
and an expenditure
of QR202.5bn. The
gures, however, show
that Qatar might post a
decit of QR46.5bn in
2016, which al-Emadi said would be nanced through
debt instruments in the local and international
markets.
The decline in projected revenues is due to a
reduction in the oil price assumption to $48 a barrel
compared with $65 in the previous scal year.
In early December, benchmark Brent crude briey
dipped below $40 a barrel for the rst time since
February 2009, from $115 a barrel in August 2014.
Qatar emphasised that the main goal during the
preparation of the 2016 budget was to ensure the
completion and implementation of major projects
in key sectors along with projects related to the FIFA
World Cup in 2022. The nance minister asserted
that this policy would help Qatar maintain robust
economic growth.
Meanwhile, Qatars economy is expected to grow
3.7% this year but a pick-up in hydrocarbons is slated
to expand the real growth higher at 4.3% in 2016, then
easing to 3.9% in 2017, according to the Ministry of
Development Planning and Statistics (MDPS).
Although a modest scal decit of 4.8% of gross
domestic product (GDP) is expected in 2016 against
a surplus of 1.7% this year, an expected oil price
recovery and continued spending restraint could see
the decit fall to 3.7% in 2017.
Qatars determination not to source funds either
from the countrys reserves at Qatar Central Bank
or the investments made by the countrys sovereign
wealth fund- QIA is based on sound economics.
Qatar has accumulated strong nancial reserves
at QCB and made signicant investments through
QIA during the period of high oil and gas revenues.
Qatar will maintain and reinvest these reserves and
investments to further enhance the countrys nancial
position, al-Emadi claried.
n Thursday night,
representatives of Yemens
warring parties announced
a deal to immediately allow
aid into the besieged city of Taiz. But
residents say last weeks truce still
hasnt brought them the relief they so
desperately need.
Taiz has seen some of the ercest
ghting since the conict intensied
in March. Many people here started
plotting their escape months ago,
when rumours of a truce rst began
circulating.
Fawaz Ameen, 37, said he had been
waiting anxiously, ready to take his
family out at the rst sign of a lull.
When I heard about a truce I
was very glad as [it] would open the
roads that lead to my [home] village,
he said. But the war hasnt stopped,
and we havent seen a truce yet.
A coalition of 200 aid organisations
inside Taiz released a statement on
Friday morning expressing their
frustration that despite the apparent
progress at the Switzerland peace
talks, they were seeing no practical
changes on the ground.
We want international
organisations that send humanitarian
aid to Taiz [and we want the
international community] to send
observers, the statement said.
It is too soon to really tell what
impact Thursday nights agreement
Qatar has
accumulated
strong financial
reserves at QCB
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Gulf Times
Sunday, December 20, 2015
23
QATAR
Hussain Alfardan
the country has established following the directives of HH the
Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad
al-Thani.
These are in addition to announcing the centres programme through the schools
various communication channels such as social networking sites, e-mail and SMS, the
statement explains.
A series of special workshops on basic skills for students will be organised as
part of the agreement. These
Todays schedule
for HMC hospitals
Most of Hamad Medical
Corporation (HMC) hospitals
will be operating normally today
(Sunday) with the exception of a
few centres.
The following outpatient clinics
will be operating as normal:
Hamad General Hospital, Al Wakra
Hospital, Cuban Hospital, National
Centre for Cancer Care and
Research (NCCCR), Heart Hospital
Rumailah Hospital, Physical
Management and Rehabilitation
(PMR) and geriatrics clinics and
the outpatient clinic at HMCs
psychiatry department.
The outpatient clinics at Womens
Hospital, Al Khor Hospital,
Rumailah Hospital - plastic
surgery, dermatology, and
therapy clinics and HMC Bone
and Joint Centre will remain
closed and appointments will be
rescheduled.
HMCs Patient Contact Centre is
open today from 7am to 10pm
and will contact patients to
reschedule appointments as
needed.
The contact centre will also
continue to make appointment
reminder phone calls and
send text message reminders
to patients. Patients with
any questions about their
appointments can call 4439 5777.
discussion series
Toyota Corolla
models recalled
24
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 20, 2015
QATAR
Philippine School Doha, Philippine International School Qatar, Ideal Indian School, Shantiniketan School and Scholars
International School were the
participants at the venue.
Philippine International School
Qatar won the overall championship while Ideal Indian School and
Philippine School Doha came second and third, respectively.
Wakrah Sports Club hosted the
Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities. More than 15,000 people enjoyed musical shows performed by famous artistes from
Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Students of PEC School, Bang-
number of recreational
and educational programmes were held at The
Pearl-Qatar on Friday evening as
part of the official Qatar National
Day celebrations.
The festivities, which highlighted Qatars culture and heritage, took place across various
locations on the island.
United Development Company, master developer of The
Pearl-Qatar, organised the National Day celebrations that included events and attractions
such as Al Ardha, the traditional
Qatari dance that symbolises national unity and strength.
Three shows were held daily in
an arena adjacent to The PearlQatars car parking area and attracted citizens, residents of the
Foreign banks
charging back
into the Gulf
Blockchain tech
may transform
banking industry
GULF TIMES
BUSINESS
Aviation industrys
immediate goal is to
gain fuel efficiency
by 1.5% a year until
2020: IATA official
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 20, 2015
BUSINESS
Carrefoursa
owners said
to weigh
share sale
for liquidity
Bloomberg
Istanbul
Pedestrians walk past signage for Mizuho Bank displayed outside a branch in Tokyo. Leading the charge by foreign lenders in the Gulf are Japans megabanks: Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), Mizuho
Financial Group and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG).
pricing have probably levelled the playing eld more equally between the local
and international banks, said Simon
Eedle, group regional head of the Middle East at Natixis, noting the market
was much changed from six months
ago.
Leading the charge of foreign lenders are Japans megabanks: Mitsubishi
UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), Mizuho
Financial Group and Sumitomo Mitsui
Financial Group (SMFG).
Flush with the proceeds of their governments Abenomics quantitative
easing programme, all three are hiring
staff and increasing business lines as
they look to deploy funds.
We believe that current market
conditions will create a number of
business opportunities for us if we use
our strengths effectively. said Hidefumi Takeuchi, regional head of the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia
at Mizuho Financial Group.
Japans export credit agencies Japan Bank for International Cooperation
(JBIC) and Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI) - have helped
support the lenders inroads, with Japanese contractors securing big wins in
Gulf infrastructure projects and bring-
A view of a petrochemical complex in Assaluyeh seaport on Irans Gulf coast. Once sanctions against
Irans economy end, the country is planning to target $70bn in investment as part of an effort to
increase production capacity to 180mn metric tonnes a year by 2025 from 60mn currently.
lenders to borrowers, with unprecedented activity in the nancial institutions loan market as the year closes and
banks seek to lock in funding before US
interest rates increase.
The result is only one regional bank
Riyad Bank has a top-six slot in the
year-to-end-November 2015 league
table for Gulf syndicated lending, down
from four in 2014, according to Thomson Reuters data. Japans MUFG and
SMFG secured second and third spots
in the table respectively, while Samba
Financial Group slipped to 23rd from
2nd in 2014.
The trend is set to continue in 2016
as oil remains subdued, restricting the
revenue Gulf governments can place
with local lenders.
Last time foreign banks held pole
position in Gulf banking, the leading
names included many US and European
banks, but many of those cut services
or, in the case of Royal Bank of Scotland
and Lloyds Banking Group, withdrew
completely after the nancial crisis.
Thats helped clear the way for the
Japanese banks to gain market share so
quickly: they had leading roles as three
of six arrangers on a $5.5bn loan to Qatar.
A vendor inspects Iranian rials at a currency exchange shop in Baghdad. The rial lost about 80% of its
value in the year to late 2012 as a result of sanctions.
change rate to the dollar and another rate that is used in unregulated markets.
The rial lost about 80% of its
value in the year to late 2012 as a
result of sanctions. Since President Hassan Rouhani took office
in August 2013, the central bank
has tightened credit and stabilized the currency.
The central banks role is to
smoothen uctuations of exchange rates, Seif said. But if
we allow the rate to be dened
by the economic realities and
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 20, 2015
BUSINESS
Eastern oil
company to
sign deals
amid UN
peace deal
Bloomberg
Dubai
A general view of the Hariga oil seaport in the city of Tobruk, Libya. Output in the country with Africas largest oil reserves has slumped almost 80% since
Muammar Gaddafi was toppled.
Wintershall Holding GmbH,
which operates eight onshore oil
elds in the eastern Sirte basin, said
it will take time and patience for
Libya to nd stability.
The recent signing of the Libyan
political agreement is an important
step towards restoring peace and
stability for the Libyan people, Stefan Leunig, a spokesman for Wintershall, said in an e-mail.
The company said onshore production has been halted several
times since the summer of 2013 at
the request of Libyas national oil
company. Wintershall was forced
to suspend oil exports from the AsSarah eld last month because the
Zueitina terminal was unable to load
cargoes.
Its still quite a long way before
you can go from an agreement between the two rival governments to
a Libyan industry which gets back to
full capacity, Paul Horsnell, head of
commodities research at Standard
Chartered, said by phone. There are
still splits within the regional governments, there are still insurgent
groups within there as well.
While other attempts to reach a
peace deal have failed, the situation
Algeria to boost 2016 oil output, offer rights amid global glut
Bloomberg
Cairo
Algerias state oil producer Sonatrach
Group plans to raise crude output
by 5% next year and offer energyexploration rights to foreign companies
by the end of March, steps that may
add barrels to an oversupplied global
market.
Algeria, Africas biggest naturalgas producer, is seeking to attract
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 20, 2015
BUSINESS
Source: Bloomberg
Source: Qatar Exchange (QE)
DISCLAIMER
This report expresses the views and opinions of Qatar National Bank Financial Services SPC (QNBFS)
at a given time only. It is not an offer, promotion or recommendation to buy or sell securities or other
investments, nor is it intended to constitute legal, tax, accounting, or financial advice. We therefore strongly
advise potential investors to seek independent professional advice before making any investment decision.
Although the information in this report has been obtained from sources that QNBFS believes to be reliable,
we have not independently verified such information and it may not be accurate or complete. Gulf Times and
QNBFS hereby disclaim any responsibility or any direct or indirect claim resulting from using this report.
10
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 20, 2015
BUSINESS
Russia boosts Asia oil sales as Opec battles to win customers
Reuters
Singapore
Russian oil producers have
strengthened their position in Asia by
supplying nearly a quarter more crude
this year, shifting the balance of power
in one of the few bright spots in the
global market and blunting Opecs highprofile drive to win customers.
Aided by a weak rouble and new
pipelines, Russia has replaced Iran as a
top five supplier to Asia, boosting sales
23% to 1.3mn bpd in the first 11 months
of 2015 from a year ago, according to
data compiled by Reuters based on
trade flows and customs information.
Russias share of the worlds biggest oil
market has risen to 7.3% from 4.7% five
Cranes are seen at a construction site in Beijing. Chinas economic conditions deteriorated across the board in the fourth quarter, according to a private survey from a New
York-based research group that contrasted with recent official indicators that signaled some stabilisation in the countrys slowdown.
ing to the Peoples Daily. Officials typically set the growth target for the coming year at the conference, which lasts a
few days. In contrast to the gloomy Beige
Book report, data on Friday showed Chinas home-price recovery spread to more
smaller cities in November, after Chinese
authorities rolled out easing measures
targeting regions with a surplus of unsold homes.
New- home prices increased in 33 cities
among the 70 cities tracked by the government, compared with 27 in October,
the National Bureau of Statistics said.
The Beige Book report was based on
surveys of more than 2,100 rms across
China and interviews with bankers,
managers and executives. CBB began
the series in mid-2012, when its inaugural survey indicated a pick-up in growth
from early that year, a forecast later
borne out.
Geographically, the three most highprole regions performed the worst,
with Shanghais dismal showing outpacing Guangdongs and Beijings. Every
region weakened on-quarter except for
the Center and West, the report showed.
More concerning than overall growth
weakness was degradation of two components of the economy that were previ-
apans exporters are getting a helping hand from two different central
banks these days.
While Bank of Japan Governor
Haruhiko Kuroda is keeping stimulus
measures owing at home and putting
downward pressure on the yen, US
competitors are set to be burdened by
higher borrowing costs after Federal
Reserve Chair Janet Yellen enacted the
rst US interest rate increase in almost
a decade.
Add to that BoJ data released Thursday showing that companies are continuing to add to their record piles of
cash, and you get an idea of the formidable ability of Japan Inc to compete in
global markets.
Japanese rms are cash rich amid
record low interest rates, and the Feds
move to tighten monetary policy only
increases their competitive edge, according to Nicholas Smith, a Tokyobased strategist at CLSA.
Right now a Japanese corporate
should be able to take on a three-front
battle while juggling eight champagne
bottles and balancing a carrot on its
nose, said Smith. Super-cheap loans
and a super-uidity of money is a huge
unfair advantage. It would be churlish
not to take advantage of it.
Policies implemented by Japans
government have pushed funding costs
to record lows and helped weaken the
yen by 29% since Prime Minister Shinzo Abe came to power in 2012, drawing
the ire of US competitors.
Cash and deposits held by Japanese
companies rose 6.1% from a year earlier to a record 247tn ($2tn) at the end
of September, the BoJ said Thursday.
Thats a third more than in 2006 when
the Fed last raised rates.
The Feds rate hike may also result
in a weaker yen against the dollar, giv-
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 20, 2015
11
BUSINESS
Louis Dreyfus
seeks buyers
for its units
Reuters
London/New York
The logo of Bayer is seen at the Bayer Healthcare subgroup production plant in Wuppertal. Bayer is likely to seek a major life sciences M&A deal in the next few years,
according to banking sources, as its absence from a recent wave of consolidation could undermine its position in markets such as crop protection and animal health.
BUSINESS
GULF TIMES
Bloomberg
London
Musicians perform next to the 25th unit of Boeing 787 Dreamliner received by Qatar Airways and displayed at the Dubai Airshow on November 9, 2015. For 2016, the
International Air Transport Association forecast the airlines fuel bill would fall to $135bn, which represent 20.6% of their total operating costs.
average price of $63.8 a barrel next year,
and $51 a barrel for the Brent crude.
The future price of oil is highly uncertain, with some forecasters expecting $20 per barrel in 2016 while others
expect a rise to $60 per barrel. Certainly, record oil inventories suggest
a signicant rise in 2016 is highly unlikely, but expected stronger economic
growth should pull prices up from cur-
Carney-Yellen
yield spread
shows UK
trailing by
most since 06
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. With Wall Street heading into its usually buoyant year-end
period, continued weakness in oil prices presents a major wildcard that could spoil any holiday cheer for stock investors.
an initial rise, the Feds decision on
Wednesday to raise rates was largely
expected by investors and signalled
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Warriors
get revenge
with late rally
against Bucks
Diack denies
funding
Salls Senegal
presidential bid
FOOTBALL
Leicester, Chelsea
win; Norwich win
imperils Van Gaal
GULF TIMES
SPORT
Page 2
Unfortunately we are missing a few players who have gone to the Olympic team and also some injuries
Al Sadd captain Xavi (left) will miss todays Qatar Stars League clash against Mesaimeer, coach Jesualdo Ferreira (right) announced yesterday.
By Sports Reporter
Doha
BOTTOMLINE
Before al-Khelaifi
took control of PSG
in 2011, the Parisians
had endured serious
problems from violent
hooligan groups that
more often fought
amongst themselves
than with those ultras
of rival teams
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 20, 2015
FOOTBALL
EPL
FOCUS
POINTS TABLE
Read as: played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals
against, points
Leicester
17 11 5 1
37 24 38
Arsenal
16 10 3 3 29 13 33
Man City
16 10 2 4 32 17 32
Tottenham
17 7 8 2 28 14 29
Man Utd
17 8 5 4 22 14 29
Crystal Palace
17 9 2 6 23 16 29
Watford
16 7 4 5 18 16 25
West Ham
16 6 6 4 25 21 24
Liverpool
16 6 6 4 20 19 24
Everton
17 5 8 4 31 24 23
Stoke
17 6 5 6 14 16 23
Southampton
17 5 6 6 21 21 21
West Brom
17 5 5 7 17 23 20
Bournemouth
17 5 4 8 22 32 19
Chelsea
17 5 3 9 21 27 18
Norwich
17 4 5 8 20 29 17
Newcastle
16 4 4 8 18 31 16
Swansea
16 3 5 8 15 24 14
Sunderland
17 3 3 11 18 33 12
Aston Villa
16 1 3 12 13 30 6
Manchester Uniteds Memphis Depay (right) vies for the ball with Norwich Citys Martin Olsson
during the English Premier League at Old Trafford in Manchester, yesterday. (AFP)
AFP
London
helseas new interim manager Guus Hiddink saw his team beat Sunderland 3-1
yesterday, while Norwich City won at
Manchester United to imperil their manager Louis van Gaal.
Appointed prior to kick-off in place of the sacked
Jose Mourinho, Hiddink was in the stands at a discontented Stamford Bridge as Chelsea prevailed
through goals from Branislav Ivanovic, Pedro Rodriguez and Oscar.
The match unfurled amid tension, as Chelseas
fans took out their anger over Mourinhos dismissal on their own players, and there was also a bilious
atmosphere at Old Trafford, where Norwich won
2-1. It was Uniteds third straight defeat in all competitions, sending them out of the top four, and
saw Van Gaal assailed with boos from the home
supporters and chants of Jose Mourinho, hes taking your job! from the away end.
Uniteds next home xture is against Chelsea on
December 28 and social media was quickly abuzz
with speculation that Mourinho could nd himself
sitting in Van Gaals seat by then. A world away
from the managerial intrigue, Claudio Ranieri, the
former Chelsea manager, saw his Leicester City
side win 3-2 at Everton to guarantee that they will
top the table on Christmas Day.
Hiddink, 69, has returned to Chelsea in the hope
of pulling off a salvage job similar to the one he
masterminded in 2009, when he led the club to FA
Cup glory after being parachuted in by owner Roman Abramovich.
SPOTLIGHT
New Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink (left) and owner Roman Abramovich watch
Chelseas game against Sunderland. (Reuters)
spell with the club in 2009 when we lifted
the FA Cup, Chelsea said in a statement.
Mr Abramovich and the board believe
that Guus has what it takes to get the best
out of our talented squad.
Well travelled and vastly experienced,
Hiddink began his coaching career with
PSV Eindhoven and led the club to their
rst ever European Cup success in 1988.
He has also managed Fenerbahce, Valencia, Real Madrid, Real Betis and Anzhi
Makhachkala, as well as the national
teams of the Netherlands, twice, South
Korea, Australia, Russia and Turkey.
His most recent role, as Netherlands
Van Gaal
accepts
Man Utd
pressure
AFP
Manchester
anchester
United
manager Louis van
Gaal admitted that
his position was under scrutiny after his sides 2-1
defeat at home to Norwich City
yesterday.
United have lost their last
three matches in all competitions and have gone six games
without victory, while they now
trail Premier League leaders
Leicester City by nine points.
Van Gaal has already taken ak
over the poor quality of Uniteds
play and with Jose Mourinho
now a free agent following his
sacking by Chelsea on Thursday,
the Dutchman admitted that he
was in the spotlight.
Thats the football world,
he said. I know that, my board
knows that, my players know
that. Were not used to that because normally we win, so its a
difficult period. Weve lost three
matches in a row, so its not happening so much for Manchester
United. We cant accept that and
thats why I have to repeat, we
have to stick together and believe
in ourselves.
Ive encountered these circumstances also with other
teams and other staff. The main
thing is that you have to be professional and do the things that
you have to do and work very
hard to come out of this bad period. Asked if he thought that
United would stand by him, he
replied: Its not up to me to say
about that question, but we shall
see.
United dominated the rst
half, but fell behind in the 38th
minute when Cameron Jerome
side-stepped the sliding Ashley Young before driving the
ball through United goalkeeper
David de Gea. Alexander Tettey
made it 2-0 in the 55th minute,
robbing Wayne Rooney on halfway, exchanging passes with
Jerome and toeing the ball home.
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 20, 2015
FOOTBALL
CLUB WORLD CUP FINAL
SPOTLIGHT
Messi trains as
Enrique denies
Barca conspiracy
Oh, give me a break! Look, theres no mystery. We havent hidden him or anything
Mourinho to stay
in London while
job-hunting
AFP
London
Barcelonas player Lionel Messi (L) attends a training session ahead of their Club World Cup final match against Argentine club River Plate in Yokohama, (Reuters)
AFP
Yokohama
River Plate head coach Marcelo Gallardo (C) speaks with his coaches during a training session at the Club World Cup tournament in Yokohama
yesterday. (AFP)
in the event of being taken to
penalties. I really dont know,
he shrugged. Hopefully we can
win the game in regulation time
so it doesnt get to penalties.
Penalties are bad for your heart.
Barca captured the Club World
Cup in 2009 when they beat Argentinas Estudiantes 2-1 and
again in 2011 when they thrashed
Brazils Santos 4-0.
River, known as los millonarios because they are based in
the wealthier northern suburbs
of Buenos Aires and count politicians, business leaders and celebrities among their fans, won
the old Intercontinental Cup in
1986. Its a chance to make history, said Gallardo, whose Copa
Libertadores winners struggled
to beat Japans Sanfrecce Hiroshima 1-0 in midweek but will
be roared on by some 15,000 fans
European champions Barcelona have been thronged by admiring fans and autograph hunters in Japan whenever they have
appeared in public since their arrival this week for the Club
World Cup.
Japanese fans formed long queues to buy official Barcelona
merchandise on the way to the stadium for Thursdays semifinal against Asian champions Guangzhou Evergrande where
most of the crowd were rooting for the Catalans.
On the pitch, team captains took part in the so-called Handshake for Peace, described by FIFA as a gesture of friendship
and respect intended to inspire the world to unite in peace,
solidarity and fair play.
It has all been very amiableand a complete contrast to its
forerunner.
From 1960 to 1979, the Intercontinental Cup, an annual meeting
of the champions of Europe and South America played over two
legs, was a sorry history of intimidation, brawls, violence and
skullduggery.
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has already said it will feel odd
to face River Plate, a team from his native Argentina in the final,
but at least he will not be subjected to the same treatment that
Nestin Combin went through in 1969.
An Argentine playing for Italian side AC Milan, Combin had a less
than friendly reception when they went to Buenos Aires to face
Estudiantes.
His nose and cheekbone were broken when he was elbowed in
the face, and photographs showed him on the ground covered
in blood.
At that point, he was arrested by Argentine police and accused
of dodging his military service before he emigrated. He was
eventually released after spending a night in jail.
Reports of the match allege that Milan players had hot coffee
poured over them as they entered the field and that Estudiantes
players kicked balls at them while they trained.
Television footage certainly show an extraordinary sequence of
late tackles, punches, wild kicks and fights.
Estudiantes goalkeeer Alberto Poletti later spent 30 days in
prison for his involvement and was banned from football for
seven years.
In an interview in 2005, he told the Spanish newspaper As that
the team were under pressure from the military government.
They wanted us to win because there were rebellions by the
workers, strikes and they wanted to put a lid on this... We were
young, I was 23 years old..., he said, denying rumours that his
team mates also stuck needles into their opponents.
Two years earlier, Argentinas Racing Club and Scotlands Celtic
had been involved in what became known as the battle of Montevideo after their two-leg tie went to a playoff in the Uruguayan
capital.
Amid yet more wild scenes, six players were sent off, one of
whom refused to go and managed to play until the end amid the
confusion.
Celtic defender Tommy Gemmell said in a documentary that he
deliberately kneed a Racing player in the genitals behind the
referees back after the player concerned had spat in the faces
of all the Celtic forwards.
In 1972, Johan Cruyff scored a brilliant individual goal for Ajax
away to Independiente, only to be put out of the game by a vicious tackle before the half hour.
The Dutch were so angry about the tackling that they threatened to abandon the match at halftime and, although they went
to on to win 4-1 on aggregate, declined to take part the following
year after retaining the European Cup.
A series of further withdrawals by Liverpool and Nottingham
Forest in subsequent years led to a change of format, with a
single one-off match in Tokyo from 1980 which turned out to be
considerably calmer.
FIFA become involved in 2000 by organising a Club World Cup
with the champions of other continents. Financial problems
meant the competition was not held again until 2005 and since
then it has taken place annually.
Yet, it had all begun so promisingly, with Pele leading Santos to
an 8-4 aggregate win over Benfica in 1962.
His performance in the second leg in Lisbon, when he scored
a hat-trick in a 5-2 win, is regarded as one of the best of his
extraordinary career. S
antos display has never since been matched in either the Intercontinental Cup, or its successor.
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 20, 2015
FOOTBALL
BUNDESLIGA
LIGUE 1
AFP
Paris
AFP
Munich
ayern Munich opened an eightpoint lead in the Bundesliga yesterday with a 1-0 win at struggling Hanover as the Bavarians
wait to learn whether Pep Guardiola will
leave at the end of the season.
Guardiolas contract as head coach
expires in June and the club say an announcement on the 44-year-olds future
plans will be made today when the German league begins the month-long winter break.
Daily newspaper Bild insist Guardiola
will leave in May and claim Bayern have
already made a verbal agreement for Carlo Ancelotti to take over.
Regardless of who will coach them next
season, Bayern nish 2015 eight points
clear after Thomas Mueller converted a
40th minute penalty for his 14th league
goal of the season when Hanover captain
Christian Schulz conceded the spot-kick
after the ball hit his arm.
It was clear that Hanover werent going to give any points away, so were delighted to get the win, Mueller told Sky.
But after sealing Bayerns 15th win in 17
league games, Mueller said Guardiola
Ibrahimovic
wondergoal
as PSG break
points record
aris Saint-Germain go
into the winter break
with a Ligue 1 record
points haul of 51 after a
3-0 away win at Caen lit up by
a thrilling Zlatan Ibrahimovic
strike yesterday.
Already 1-0 up from an early
Angel di Maria goal Ibrahimovic
produced a stunning 25-yard
snap-shot which ew into the
top corner of the Caen goal on 36
minutes.
As the stadium rose to acclaim
the giant Swede for the simple
power and precision of his splitsecond effort, even the beaten
keeper was left smiling.
The win lifted PSG to a massive 20 points clear of Angers, in
action today at Saint-Etienne.
It also extends the star-studded Qatar-backed clubs unbeaten record in the league to 28
games since March.
Summer-signing Di Maria
rounded off the scoring with his
sixth Ligue 1 goal since joining
from Manchester United, making it 3-0 as he rounded off a
slick team effort on 50 minutes.
Caen keeper Remy Vercou-
RESULTS
Hamburg 0 Augsburg 1 (Moravek 76)
Eintracht Frankfurt 2 (Meier 31, Aigner 48)
Werder Bremen 1 (Pizarro 29)
Cologne 2 (Zoller 83, Modeste 90)
Borussia Dortmund 1 (Sokratis 18)
Hanover 96 0 Bayern Munich 1
(Mueller 40-pen)
Ingolstadt 0 Bayer Leverkusen 1
(Hernandez 73)
POINTS TABLE
Read as: played, won, drawn, lost, goals for,
goals against, points
Bayern Munich 17 15 1 1 46 8
46
B Dortmund
17 12 2 3 47 23 38
Hertha Berlin
B Leverkusen
Schalke 04
VfL Wolfsburg
Mgladbach
Mainz 05
Cologne
Hamburg
Ingolstadt 04
Augsburg
Darmstadt 98
E Frankfurt
Werder Bremen
Hannover 96
Hoffenheim
VfB Stuttgart
FOCUS
16
17
17
16
16
16
17
17
17
17
16
17
17
17
17
16
9
8
8
7
8
7
6
6
5
5
4
4
4
4
2
3
2
3
3
5
2
3
6
4
5
4
6
5
3
2
7
3
5
6
6
4
6
6
5
7
7
8
6
8
10
11
8
10
24
25
23
25
31
23
18
19
11
21
15
21
17
18
17
19
18
20
23
18
28
21
21
23
18
26
23
28
32
29
25
36
29
27
27
26
26
24
24
22
20
19
18
17
15
14
13
12
LA LIGA
Michel Platini
any of the details of their defence used to
justify the payments, however. FIFAs ethics
commission would not comment on Platinis
decision to release his statement.
A source close to FIFAs temporary leadership said it is not the investigators job to be
impartial. But neither is Mr Platini impartial.
AFP
Madrid
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 20, 2015
CRICKET
SPOTLIGHT
REPORT
how many times I have to say it. Thats my goal and the
T20 World Cup is definitely on my radar. I just have to come
out here and perform well for the Sydney Sixers and enjoying bowling in the BBL.
Lyon will also have to battle for his spot in the squad for the
March 8-April 3 World T20 against spin-bowling all-rounder
Glenn Maxwell and Ashton Agar, who forced his way into
the one-day team on the tour of England this year.
A former groundsman at Adelaide Oval, Lyon surpassed
Hugh Trumbles 141 test wickets in June to become Australias most prolific off-spinner and now has 175 to his name.
He said he felt confident he could thrive with red ball, white
ball or pink ball. It doesnt faze me what game Im playing in,
I just want to do well for the team Im playing for and get the
right result.
FOCUS
Chameera produces
career-best return
as Kiwis struggle
We havent batted the way we would have liked and the way we should have
Dushmantha Chameera of Sri Lanka walks off
the field with teammates after taking five wickets
during day two of the Test against New Zealand at
Seddon Park in Hamilton yesterday. (AFP)
Yuvraj, Nehra in
T20 squad, Raina
left out of ODIs for
Australia tour
IANS
New Delhi
YUVRAJ SINGH
Reuters
Hamilton
aceman
Dushmantha
Chameera took careerbest gures with aggressive short-pitched
bowling to give Sri Lanka a slight
advantage at the close of play
on the second day of the second Test against New Zealand at
Seddon Park in Hamilton yesterday.
Doug Bracewell was unbeaten
on 30 with Neil Wagner dismissed for 17 with two balls remaining in the days play as the
hosts nished on 232 for nine, 60
by Kithuruwan Vithanage at
gully off Suranga Lakmal just after he and Bracewell had reduced
the decit to under 100 runs.
Chameera, however, returned
for the nal 40 minutes of play
and got his fourth wicket when
Tim Southee became the third
batsman to fall into Angelo
Mathews leg-side trap.
New Zealand had been well
placed at 61-0 at lunch and proceeded to take 20 runs from the
rst two overs after the break before their innings fell apart.
Chameera, the quickest bowler in the match, had conceded 13
runs in his rst over after lunch,
but then tightened up consid-
SCOREBOARD
Sri Lanka 1st innings (overnight 264-7)
D. Karunaratne c Watling b Southee..........12
K. Mendis c Watling b Southee .....................31
U. Jayasundera run out Santner/Watling26
D. Chandimal c Watling b Bracewell .........47
A. Mathews c Latham b Southee ................77
M. Siriwardana c Taylor b Boult ...................62
K. Vithanage c McCullum b Boult .................0
R. Herath run out (Williamson) ...................... 4
D. Chameera c McCullum b Bracewell ....... 4
S. Lakmal c Williamson b Wagner ................ 4
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 20, 2015
SPORT
QATAR BASKETBALL LEAGUE
SPOTLIGHT
Rembert shines as
Khor shock Arabi
with late rally
We should have won the match but we were too complacent towards the final stages
By Sports Reporter
Doha
Wakrahs Cage Jr Calvin Earl (L) is guarded by Gharafas Adako Emmanuel Osaro (R) during their Qatar Basketball League match yesterday.
GOLF
LINDSAY RENOLDS
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 20, 2015
SPORT
NBA
Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors drives to the basket against the Milwaukee Bucks at ORACLE Arena on December 18, 2015 in Oakland, California.
which had won its previous four games.
Indiana Pacers 104, Brooklyn Nets 97:
Paul George scored 23 points, Jordan
Hill had 10 of his 14 in the nal quarter
along with 11 rebounds off the bench,
and the Pacers won their third in a
row after clipping the visiting Nets (718) led by Jarrett Jacks game-high 26
points.
Toronto Raptors 108, Miami Heat 94:
DeMar DeRozan scored 30 points, Kyle
Lowry had 21 and the visiting Raptors
used a domininant 58-39 second half
to beat the Heat.
New York Knicks 107, Philadelphia 76ers
97: Arron Afflalo scored 22 points, reserve Derrick Williams added 17, and
Results
Indiana ................ 104
Orlando ...............102
New York ...........107
Atlanta ................. 109
Toronto ............... 108
Detroit....................147
Minnesota ..........99
San Antonio .....115
Dallas ....................... 97
Utah .......................... 97
Phoenix .............. 104
Golden State....121
Brooklyn ...................97
Portland.................... 94
Philadelphia ..........97
Boston....................... 101
Miami .......................... 94
Chicago 144 (4 OT)
Sacramento ..........95
LA Clippers ......... 107
Memphis ................. 88
Denver ....................... 88
New Orleans ....... 88
Milwaukee.............. 112
NHL
ANALYSIS
MCT
San Antonio
Results
Bruins ................ 6
Panthers ..........2
Lightning ........3
Canucks...........4
Sharks ................2
Rangers ...........2
Penguins .........2
Hurricanes ...0
Capitals .............5
Red Wings .....3
Senators ......... 4
Jets ........................5
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 20, 2015
SPORT
SPOTLIGHT
FOCUS
File picture of Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrating a play during their game against the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center.
MCT
Los Angeles
BOTTOMLINE
St. Louis Rams wide receiver Tavon Austin (R) runs the ball in for a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 20, 2015
SPORT
SPOTLIGHT
IN SHORT
Cavaliers LeBron James #23 crashes into the stands in pursuit of a loose ball during the second half against the Oklahoma City Thunder. (Below) Golfer Jason Days wife Ellie.
AFP
Washington
after
being
knocked onto
the oor by
the NBA superstar while
sitting beside
her husband
along
the
sideline.
On Friday
afternoon, Ellie Day posted
a statement on her Twitter account that
said KingJames we good! and marveled
at the attention as it detailed how being
tackled felt.
Wow!! Its official. More mesages
from getting plowed over by Lebron than
Jason winning a major. HA, she tweeted.
First of all, I am okay!! I am incredibly
sore and exhausted. Being tackled by that
large man I would compare to a minor car
accident. My head and neck hit pretty
hard so it was really scary. My whole body
BOTTOMLINE
ormer
international
athletics
federation
(IAAF) head Lamine
Diack denies having
given money to finance Macky
Salls successful bid to become
the president of Senegal, his
lawyers said in a statement to
Reuters yesterday.
Le Monde newspaper reported
on Friday that Diack told French
police he asked Valentin Balakhnichev, then-president of the
Russian track and eld federation, for 1.5 million euros ($1.6
million) to nance political opposition in Senegal in 2011.
Diack has been placed under
formal investigation in France
on suspicion of corruption and
money laundering following a
complaint from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) last
month, allegations his family
called excessive and insignicant.
10
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 20, 2015
SPORT
SPOTLIGHT
By Satya Rath
Al Ain (UAE)
Qatar Stars and Pakistan Stars pose after their T20 cricket match at the Asian Town Stadium on Friday. Qatar Stars won by 10 runs.
Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation and its president Nasser Khalifa al-Attiyah celebrated
the Qatar National Day at the Islamic Museum at Corniche, with Soul Riders, Oryx Riders, Soul
Jeepers and Qatar Riders, on Friday.
Gulf Times
Sunday, December 20, 2015
11
SPORT
SPOTLIGHT
By Sports Reporter
Doha
at Aspire Academy, said: Were delighted to have welcomed Aspire Academys Fellows from all around the world
back to Qatar, including from Europe,
Asia, the Americas and elsewhere. All the
sessions were insightful and thoughtprovoking and were condent participants will benet from fresh thinking
and innovation in relation to developing
their training methodologies. Through
this programme and the involvement of
SQUASH
SPORT
GULF TIMES
CYCLING
It was very hard for me and the team. But finally, we won the Tour of Zubarah. It is really a big achievement for us
RESULTS AND STANDINGS
By Sports Reporter
Doha
unisian rider Meher Hasnaoui of Skydive Dubai Team emerged overall winner of the Tour of Zubarah as Eugen
Wacker of KCP Kuwait Cycling Project
won the 119.86km-long third stage at Zubarah
yesterday.
Kyrgyzstans
Wacker
clocked
2hrs:45mins:08secs to outsprint Naser Rezavi
of PKY Pisghaman Giant Team and Hasnaoui
for the stage.
The 26-year-old Hasnaoui braved a strong
head-wind to post his maiden win.
I was second in the general classication until yesterday. I like the windy conditions and Im
lucky that we had the conditions which help me.
Im delighted with the win, Hasnaoui said.
It was very hard for me and the team. But
nally, we won the Tour of Zubarah. It is really
a big achievement for us. Well come back next
Stage three
1 Eugen Wacker, Kuwait Cycling
Project
2 Naser Rezavi, Pisghaman Giant
Team
3 Meher Hasnaoui, Skydive Dubai
4 Mohammadesmaeil Chachi
Raghmi, Pisghaman Giant Team
5 Jos Manuel Gutierrez Revuelta,
Kuwait Cycling Project
General individual classification
1 Meher Hasnaoui, 9:15:21
2 Eugen Wacker, 9:15:36 +0:15
3 Naser Rezavi 9:15:41 +0:20
4 Mohammadesmaeil Chachi
BOTTOMLINE
World chess champion Magnus Carlsen (third from left) poses with officials ahead of the Qatar Masters Open chess tournament.
Qatar for the rst time, he has been here
previously on two occasions. He camped
in Doha for two weeks on his way to the
last World Chess Championship.
Talking about the tournament, QCF
secretary and tournament director Mohamad al-Medaikhi said: The idea of
organising the tournament is to spread
(2,683), who is also the world No.1, Indias Koneru Humpy (Elo 2,583), the
worlds second highest-rated woman,
and Russias former world champion
Alexandra Kosteniuk (Elo 2,542) can
cause big upsets.
GM Mohamed al-Sayed (Elo 2,520)
and International Master Husain Aziz