QNA

DOHA French PresidentNicholas Sarkozy has hailed theFrance-Qatar ties, describing itas “long-standing and ideal”,based on partnership in severalareas of mutual interests.

Speaking to Qatar NewsAgency (QNA), the French pres-ident welcomed the upcomingstate visit to France by the EmirHis Highness Sheikh Hamad bin

Khalifa al Thani. In a report ear-lier this month, the KuwaitNews Agency had quoted theFrench Foreign Ministry as say-ing that HH the Emir wasscheduled to pay a three-dayState visit to France later thismonth, the French Foreign

Ministry said on Thursday. Itquoted official sources as sayingthat the HH the Emir would beaccompanied by his wife HHSheikha Mozah bint Nasser alMissned. Sarkozy said the visitexemplified the strong bonds of

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First with the news and what’s behind itSUNDAY JUNE 21, 2009 JUMADA AL-AKHIRAH 28, 1430 VOL. 3 NO. 1021 QR 2

T 2 0 W O R L D S F I N A L TO DAY

WORLDB R I E F S

Affected Countries: 89Total Cases: 44,000

Worldwide deaths: 180

50 militants dead in PakistanPakistani troops backed by jet fightersand artillery have killed about 50 mili-tants in a volatile northwestern tribalregion near Afghanistan border. Pg 11

Truck bomb kills 64 in IraqA truck bomb exploded near a Shiitemosque in northern Iraq followingprayers, killing at least 64 people andwounding nearly 200, police said, mak-ing it the deadliest blast in nearly twomonths. Pg 7

REUTERS

TEHRAN Defeated presiden-tial candidate Mir HosseinMousavi said on Saturday hewas “ready for martyrdom”in leading protests that haveshaken the Islamic Republicand brought warnings ofbloodshed from Iran’ssupreme leader Ayatollah AliKhamenei.

Mousavi also called for anational strike if he is arrest-ed, a witness said. As dark-ness fell, rooftop cries ofAllahu Akbar (God is great-est) sounded out acrossnorthern Tehran, an echo of

tactics used in the 1979Islamic revolution againstthe Shah. In an act fraughtwith symbolic significance, asuicide bomber blew himselfup at the mausoleum of thefather of Iran’s Islamic revo-lution, Ayatollah RuhollahKhomeini, while unrest con-tinued across Tehran in defi-ance of a ban on demonstra-tions. Riot police deployed inforce, firing teargas, usingbatons and water cannon todisperse protesters.Witnesses said 2,000 to 3,000were on the streets, fewerthan the hundreds of thou-sands earlier in the week,

but a clear challenge to thesupreme leader who used aspeech on Friday to endorsedisputed election results.

Mousavi, a product of theIslamic establishment him-self and a former prime min-ister, made clear he wouldnot back down.

“In a public address insouthwestern Tehran,Mousavi said he was readyfor martyrdom and that hewould continue his path,” aMousavi ally, who asked notto be named, told Reuters bytelephone from the Jeyhunstreet in Tehran.

See also pages 6 & 8

REUTERS

LONDON Sri Lanka and Pakistan haveemerged triumphant from the horrorof Lahore last March when gunmenattacked the Sri Lankan team bus tostake a place in Sunday’s Twenty20World Cup final at Lord’s (1400GMT).

Sri Lanka captain KumarSangakkara, one of six players wound-ed in the attack, told reporters onFriday after his team’s semifinal winover West Indies the assault hadreminded his team of their own mor-tality. “I think it is a fitting reward forthe courage of the team in the way theyhave played in this tournament, all theplayers have got through,” he said.”

His Pakistan counterpart YounisKhan, whose team did not play a singleTest last year because of the uncertain-ty at home, sounded a similar noteafter beating South Africa onThursday.

“We are suffering from everything inPakistan. If we can lift the Cup, it willprovide great cheer for the people,”Younis said.

Both sides have exhibited the imag-

ination and technical expertise whichhave made the tournament so memo-rable with the latest form of the gameevolving and changing daily beforenoisy sell-out crowds at Lord’s, theOval and Trent Bridge.

Sri Lanka will start favourites byvirtue of their consistency and

strength in depth. Opener TillekaratneDilshan, the tournament’s top scorer,has played a stream of delightfulstrokes around the wicket, includingthe now renowned scoop shot whichsends the ball flying over his head tothe boundary.

In the field, captain Sangakkara hasthe luxury of an elite bowling trio, whoboth attack and contain, in LasithMalinga ( fast) and MuttiahMuralitharan and Ajantha Mendis(spin).

Pakistan pace bowler Umar Guldestroyed New Zealand with the firstfive-wicket haul in Twenty20 cricket,reverse-swinging the ball wickedly inthe second half of the innings.

Pakistan then beat South Africa inthe semi-finals through a devastatingall-round performance from ShahidAfridi, who returned to his dynamicbest with the bat before showing againjust how potent his quick leg-spin canbe. “Afridi is a guy who can take thegame away from you in a few overs,”said Sangakkara. “But we can’t reallyget caught up in just one player.”

See also pages 33, 39 & 40

Sri Lankan flair vs Pakistani brilliance

ACT OF DEFIANCE Supporters of Iran’s defeated presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousaviprotest, in Tehran on Saturday. (AFP)

Protesters defy Khamenei call

Qatar, France strategicpartners, says Sarkozy

The Emir His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani.

Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkarawith T20 World Cup trophy during apromotional campaign, in Londonrecently. (AFP)

French honour forSheikha Mozah QNA

PARIS The Academy of FineArts of Institute de Francewill hold on Wednesday aspecial ceremony to make HHSheikha Mozah bint Nasser alMissned a permanent mem-ber of the Academy. HHSheikha Mozah’s selectioncomes in recognition of herrole in educational, social andcultural fields and her effortsto bring closer cultures andcivilisations. The renownedFrench educational institu-tion, Institute de France is

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Brisk business at DohaTrade Fair on last day

Weir makes sizzling start;Tiger Woods in trouble

Paul McCartney keepspushing boundaries

Qatar may take biggerPorsche stake

Nation 17 Sports 33Business 25Chill Out 24

Smoking spells trouble for your eyes LANI ROSE R DIZON

DOHA That smoking is a major causeof lung cancer is common knowl-edge. But puffing on cigarettes causesirreversible damage to eyes is whatmany smokers may not be aware of.

According to a top ophthalmologyexpert of the Supreme Council forHealth, 30 percent of cigarette smok-ers do not believe or know that smok-ing is harmful for eyes.

In an interview with Qatar Tribune,Dr Hago El Khalifa, ophthalmologistand PBL Coordinator at the SupremeCouncil of Health’s Public Health

Department here, said that mostQatar residents were only aware ofthe most common diseases caused bysmoking, and oblivious to its harmfuleffects on the eyes.

He said that the harmful effects oftobacco consumption went beyond

certain known diseases such as can-cer of the oral cavity and lungs, toothproblems and gum diseases. “It isalso widely known that smoking may

lead to brain strokes and heart prob-lems. Even passive smoking causesasthma. But eye injuries and eye dis-eases are usually the most unrecog-nised harmful effects of smoking,”added Dr ElKhalifa.

He said smoking was also linked tocataract, glaucoma, corneal abra-sion, allergy-induced conjunctivitis,inflammation of the eyelids andbleeding of the eyes, among others.

Citing a survey conducted at theHamad Medical Corporation in 2008,he said that smoking by women dur-ing pregnancy could have serious

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