27 May 2013

CR IP TI ON BS SU

MONDAY, MAY 27, 2013

Maoist rebels kill 23 in central India ambush

Obama travels to tornado-hit Oklahoma

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RAJAB 17, 1434 AH

Rosberg emulates father with Monaco win

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Neymar announces transfer to Barcelona

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Resignation of oil minister ‘accepted’ Panel calls to scrap Al-Zour power plant contract

Max 44º Min 25º High Tide 01:59 & 12:25 Low Tide 07:08 & 20:07

By B Izzak

BEIRUT: Lebanese security forces inspect the damage after two rockets exploded in Shayyah, a southern suburb of Beirut, yesterday. — AFP

Rockets hit Hezbollah heartland Kuwaitis urged to avoid Lebanon • Bahrain slams ‘terrorist’ Nasrallah BEIRUT: Two rockets exploded in the Hezbollah heartland of Beirut’s Shiite southern suburbs yesterday, wounding four people, hours after the group vowed to fight until victory for Syria’s regime, a Lebanese security source said. “Two Grad rockets hit the southern suburbs of Beirut. One rocket struck a car showroom where four people were wounded and vehicles were damaged,” the source told AFP. It was

the first time the Lebanese capital’s mainly Shiite southern suburbs have been targeted during the twoyear-old conflict in neighbouring Syria, where Hezbollah has thrown its military might into the regime’s fight against rebels seeking to topple President Bashar Al-Assad.

Kuwait yesterday urged its citizens to avoid Lebanon and those already there to leave “as soon as

possible”. “Due to the unstable situation in Lebanon and the expected consequences... a foreign ministry official urged citizens to exercise caution and to abandon travel to Lebanon at present,” the KUNA news agency cited an official statement as saying. The foreign ministry also urged Kuwaitis already in Lebanon to leave “as soon as possible”, the statement said.

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KUWAIT: With just two days before the highly-anticipated debates of two grillings of the oil and interior ministers, it was reported that the resignation of Oil Minister Hani Hussein has been accepted. However, there has been no official comment on the rumours about the resignation, which if true would mean scrapping the grilling filed two weeks ago by three MPs over alleged violations, especially the payment of the $2.2 billion penalty to US’ Dow Chemical. Hussein submitted his resignation to the prime minister along with all Cabinet members two weeks ago after MPs surprised everyone by filing two requests to grill the ministers.

In the meantime, Hussein carried out one of the biggest reshuffle in the oil sector, replacing the chief executive officers of all the eight companies under Kuwait Petroleum Corp. The shakeup also included replacing the chief executive officer of KPC Farouq Al-Zanki, who was replaced by Nezar AlAdasani.

A number of MPs swiftly welcomed the reported resignation but no one confirmed the report. MP Abdullah AlHani Hussein Tameemi said the acceptance of the resignation of the oil minister was “long overdue” but called for following the issue on the payment of Dow penalty in court. He also criticized the minister for undertaking the shakeup in the oil sector and not leaving it to his successor.

MP Saadoun Hammad, one of the three MPs who filed to grill the minister, said the resignation of the oil minister is a “conviction” against him and vowed that the resignation will not stop them from referring the minister to the special tribunal for trying ministers after he squandered millions in public funds. MP Faisal Al-Kandari called on the three grillers to provide all the information they have to the parliamentary committee investigating the Dow issue.

MP Maasouma Al-Mubarak said the minister has escaped the Dow catastrophe, but called on the prime minister to rectify the massive changes in the oil sector and reinstate highly-qualified oil executives removed by the minister. Under Kuwaiti law, when a minister resigns, any grilling against him will not be debated like the grilling against Hussein. The two grillings were due to be debated tomorrow with Hussein’s grilling first. It was not clear whether the government will attend tomorrow’s Assembly session or not.

Continued on Page 15

Gay epic wins Cannes top prize CANNES, France: An audacious lesbian love story featuring hardcore sex, “Blue is the Warmest Colour” by French-Tunisian director Abdellatif Kechiche, won the top prize yesterday at the Cannes Film Festival in a watershed year for gay rights. An all-star jury at cinema’s top showcase led this year by Hollywood director Steven Spielberg crowned the graphically erotic coming-of-age story set in France and clocking in at an epic three hours. In an unusual step, Spielberg awarded the prize to Kechiche and the film’s two stars, Adele Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux, who joined him on stage to cheers and calls

of “bravo” from the ceremony’s audience.

“I should like to dedicate this film to the wonderful youth of France whom I met during the long period while making this film,” he said. “Those young people taught me a lot about the spirit of freedom and living together.” The Tunis-born Kechiche, 52, also hailed the spirit of the Arab Spring as he claimed his gong. “I would also like to dedicate this film to other youth, something which happened not so very long ago, the revolution in Tunisia,” he said. “They also have this aspiration to live free, to express themselves freely and to love in full freedom.”

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CANNES: French-Tunisian director Abdellatif Kechiche poses onstage yesterday with his Palme d’Or for the film ‘La Vie D’Adele’, flanked by French actresses Lea Seydoux (left) and Adele Exarchopoulos during the closing ceremony of the 66th Cannes film festival. — AFP

MoH denies MERS cases in Kuwait Saudi woman dies KUWAIT: The Health Ministry said yesterday that it has not recorded any cases of a deadly SARS-like coronavirus in the country. “The ministry adopts a transparent policy on all matters related to health safety in the country,” said minister Mohammad AlHaifi, who came out to reject rumours of the presence of the disease in Kuwait and called on the disseminators of such rumours to obtain their information from relevant sources. So far, there have been 44 lab-confirmed cases worldwide of the virus, which until now has been known as the novel coronavirus, or nCoV-EMC, but was this week redubbed the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, or MERS. The disease is a cause for intense scrutiny by the ministry, which is committing itself to carrying out coordinative efforts with the GCC Health Ministers’ Council and the World Health Organisation (WHO) on the exchange of information on the disease and its developments, Haifi was quoted as saying in a statement. The ministry has taken all necessary precautions in the event of a critical situation, added the minister.

Meanwhile, an 81-year-old woman who had contracted MERS has died in Saudi Arabia, raising the death toll in the kingdom to 18, the health ministry said in a statement yesterday “An 81-year-old woman who was suffering from kidney failure as well as other chronic illnesses has died” in the eastern Al-Ahsaa region of oil-rich Saudi Arabia after contracting the virus, it said.

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SHARJAH: (From left) Iranian Masoud Mohammed, Qatari Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Thani, Palestinian Raed Zidan and Saudi Raha Muharraq cut a cake upon their arrival from Nepal at Sharjah airport yesterday after they successfully climbed Mount Everest. Muharraq became the first Saudi female and youngest Arab to reach the summit of Mount Everest, while fellow climbers Sheikh Mohammed and Zidan became the first Qatari and Palestinian to reach the mountain’s peak. — AFP

Palestinian public hails local hero of Arab Idol GAZA CITY: Eyes glued to big screens in cafes and restaurants across Gaza and the West Bank, adoring fans cheer on Mohammed Assaf as he sings his way closer to winning this year’s Arab Idol song contest. Since March, the handsome, immaculately dressed 22year-old Gazan’s powerful voice has propelled him every weekend to the ranks of only seven remaining singers in a Beirut-based competition that started out with 27. In Gaza City and Ramallah alike, fans carry banners that urge viewers to text “number 3” to the Arab Idol hotline on their mobile phones, giving Assaf a vote.

As with Pop Idol, the Western equivalent on which it is modelled, Arab Idol

eliminates each week the singer with the fewest votes. Assad made it through again on Saturday night. “He deserves to win,” said Maya, a 19-yearold supporter who watched the show at a cafe in Gaza, smoking a shisha (water pipe) and drinking coffee. “His voice is great and his presence even better; there’s none like him!” “Assaf is competing to raise the profile of Palestine and Gaza. I support him and am proud he’s from here,” she added, smiling.

Assaf, introduced on the program as representing “Palestine”, has featured prominently in the Israeli media and captured not only the popular Continued on Page 15

MONDAY, MAY 27, 2013

LOCAL

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah attends a luncheon held in his honor hosted by Faisal Bander Al-Doweesh yesterday in the attendance of HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al-Sabah.

Amir attends luncheon in his honor KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah attended a luncheon held in his honor hosted by Faisal Bander Al-Doweesh yesterday in the attendance of HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

“Dear compatriots, I am glad to meet you today to continue the tradi-

tion of our ancestors in reaching out to and consulting each other with the aim of strengthening our democratic experience and uphold the principles enshrined by our cherished constitution,” said HH the Amir during the event held at the Al-Doweesh Diwaniya. “What makes me happier, is that these meetings enable me to hear your concerns about our nation, to bol-

ster our national unity, to strengthen our constitutional system and to promote the principles of Shura (consultation) and democracy.”

HH the Amir applauded the Kuwaiti people’s great awareness and prioritizing of national interests.

“I am happy and proud of my compatriots who pursue their nation’s interests, protect them and promote love among its people - who deserve reaching out to, meeting their needs and working for their welfare and safety. “We are pursuing these goals and have the will to achieve them, God willing, “ he said. For his part, Al-Doweesh welcomed both HH the Amir and HH the Crown Prince, expressing gratitude for the acceptance of his invitation.

“On behalf of Al-Farawaniyah Governorate’s residents, I warmly welcome Your Highness’ visit,” Al-Doweesh said. “On this occasion, I want to highlight some of the great achievements of Your Highness since your assumption to power,” he said.

Al-Doweesh, then, listed a number of HH the Amir’s achievements on the internal, regional and international levels. The meeting was also attended by National Assembly Speaker Ali Fahad Al-Rashid, His Highness former premier Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad AlAhmad Al-Sabah and His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber AlMubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. — KUNA

Kuwait - a long standing partner and friend

By Martin Vavra Ambassador of the Czech Republic Fifty years ago, on 27 May 1963, Czechoslovakia entered into diplomatic relations with the State of Kuwait as one of the first countries after the independence of the State of Kuwait in 1961.

Mutual relations between the two countries and their peoples have been always without problems - before 1993 and after when Czechoslovakia was replaced by the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The most visible token of the Czech presence in Kuwait are the water towers constructed mainly by the Czechoslovak companies in the 1970s in partnership with the Kuwaiti investor - the Ministry of Electricity and Water. Crucially important was also a Czechoslovak and Czech military assistance to the State of Kuwait during

the operations against Iraq at the beginning of the 1990s and ten years later. Among the Kuwaitis, the Czech medical services are the most popular and useful.

Be it spa tourism to the Czech Republic for both the treatment and relax, or the valuable presence of the highly qualified Czech medical personnel in Kuwaiti hospitals.

Currently, the center of gravity in bilateral relations lies in economic and trade cooperation. Despite positive trends, there is still room for improvement on both sides.

This was one of the main messages from the President of the Czech Republic who visited the State of Kuwait, accompanied by the business delegation, three years ago.

The last fifty years have been a success story of partnership between two respectful countries. For the next fifty years, let us wish to maintain the existing ties of friendship and make them even stronger wherever possible.

Dive team begins coral recording KUWAIT: The Kuwait Dive Team examined coral reefs at the Kubbar Island recently as it launched operations to observe and document coral reefs located in the south of Kuwait’s territorial waters.

The mission saw three locations being examined along the island’s coral reef, namely on the eastern, northeastern and northwestern sides, according to the team’s environmental projects director Mahmoud Ashkanani.

“Six species of coral belonging to three different families have been detected, including anemone,” he said. He further indicated that 534 sea urchins were found on the eastern side of the island, with an average density of 26.7 per square meter. Moreover, Ashkanani noted that coral reefs’ recovery from the bleaching crisis that started in 2010 was still being hindered by pollution and heavy human presence.

105 more held in crackdown

By Hanna Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: As part of the continuing security campaigns, the capital governorate security head Lt General Tareq Hamada arrested 105 persons at Souq Al-Safafir, Sharq area, Shauq Industrial Area and Mubarakiya. These people were arrested since they either lacked identification papers or their residency permits had expired. Some people on the wanted list were also arrested.

Security authorities said that campaigns will continue around the clock in all areas and called upon the expats to cooperate and not violate the law. They were also advised to carry their identification papers at all times to avoid legal action.

Health insurance Kuwait has failed to make use of more than half a billion dinars collected in the past 12 years from foreigners as health insurance and fees at public medical facilities, a local newspaper reported yesterday quoting sources with knowledge of the subject. As per a law released in 1999, Kuwait started collecting fees from expatriates using public medical services as well as an insurance charge paid every time a residency is renewed. Since then, the government has so far collected at least KD522 million which have not been used because of an article in the constitution that requires a law to utilize public income.

“Neither the Finance Ministry nor the Cabinet has studied how to utilize the funds that have been piling up in the state treasury for years,” said the sources who spoke to AlQabas on the condition of anonymity.

Article 141 of the constitution stipulates that ‘none of the public revenues may be allocated for a specific purpose except by law.’

“Had a study been carried out about how to spend the KD522 million towards improving medical facilities, Kuwait’s health sector would have reached a level of advancement parallel to that of Europe in many medical fields,” the sources argued.

Trio sexually assaults handicapped youth

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: A Kuwaiti woman reported to Al-Adan police station, against three young men. Accusing them of sexually assaulting her handicapped son, she gave their names to the police, who are looking for the three to interrogate them. Her handicapped son, who is 21 years old, said the incident happened near Al-Qusour Cooperative Society, after which a case was filed.

News

in brief

Concerns over BOT amendments KUWAIT: At a time when some lawmakers were trying hard to ensure that certain amendments to the law 7/2008 about the Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) system were passed, the private sector grew very concerned about possible improper and inadequate amendments that might result in haste.

Everybody agreed that the current law was riddled with certain shortcomings that were very discouraging for many investors and had already led private sector companies to refrain from taking up any projects jointly with the government or the public sector. Therefore, concerned parties were demanding to cancel the current law and instead bring in a new one that would encourage private sector participation, protect investors’ rights and provide proper safeguards to ensure that projects turn out to be successful.

Causeway Report KUWAIT: Sources revealed that the parliamentary committee of the NA Council currently investigating the causeway project for the Jaber Bridge will come up with its final report and recommendations by next week. The report will be submitted to the council of ministers for approval, thus clearing the way for the project works to start.

Sources added that the committee has summoned the leaders in the Ministry of Public Works to quiz them about how the project came to be entrusted to the Hyundai Construction Co. The committee was happy with the cooperation it received from the leaders. Sources added that the projects’ cost amounted to KD 738 million, which covered all project related work including the design phase which will take five years. The bridge will be 37 km long.

Gas losses KUWAIT: Sources revealed that the failure to take a decision in the oil sector was costing Kuwait $1.5 billion annually in importing gas for local use, even though Kuwait was rich in gas. Sources said that the northern oil fields have 990 billion cubic feet of gas while the local consumption was 11 billion cubic feet.

They wondered about why Kuwait was importing gas while it has large quantities of gas. It was producing 45 million cubic feet of gas currently, and aims to produce 17 million cubic feet more. Sources said that the problem was with the leaders in the oil sector.

Attempts were on to produce a larger quantity of gas at a lower cost. Kuwait is used to burning the gas, a practice that went on for a long time when it was seen merely as a by-product in oil extraction and production.

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MONDAY, MAY 27, 2013

LOCAL

Traffic policeman caught for traffic violations Drunk Lebanese woman in custody KUWAIT: A traffic police officer was held for investigations after it was found that he had committed numerous traffic violations while using his personal vehicle. According to the police report, officers at a checkpoint on the Gulf Road this past weekend stopped a black SUV with tinted windows and bumper stickers that are not allowed. The driver was identified as a detective in the General Traffic Department. He failed to produce a driver’s license or a valid car registration. The man was taken to the proper authorities for further action and the vehicle was impounded.

Woman caught A woman driver, who was arrest-

ed for driving under the influence, was later found wanted for defaulting on a KD21,000 payment. She was arrested recently in Al-Daiya when traffic patrol officers pulled over an SUV for swerving dangerously on the road. The Lebanese woman was arrested after police discovered she was drunk. They also found that she also had an arrest warrant pending against her. The woman was taken to the area’s police station where she was held pending legal procedures.

Alcohol smuggler Unbeknown to authorities, someone left 18 liquor bottles recently inside the Kuwait International Airport premises, and

police are now trying to identify the suspect. Police reached the arrivals gate where a cleaning worker guided them to the liquor bottles he found. They seized 18 bottles of imported liquor, stashed in two plastic bags. Preliminary investigations indicated that the contraband liquor was likely left by a passenger who arrived from Turkey, and feared prosecution.

Ammo smuggling A man was arrested from the Kuwait International Airport after he was found carrying ammunition in his suitcase, as per a case reported recently. Airport security decided to search the Egyptian passenger’s luggage after a metallic object was

detected. He was arrested and taken to the Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh police station for questioning. The man was headed for Egypt when he was arrested.

Unlicensed weapon Four people were arrested for possessing an unlicensed firearm during an operation carried out by patrol officers in Sabah Al-Nasser recently.

Police grew suspicious of two vehicles carrying four people and intercepted them head on at a location in the area. They put the suspects under arrest after foiling their attempt to escape. A search revealed a gold-plated AK47 and some ammunition. The four were taken to the proper authorities for further action.

Study: Islamic education in Kuwait fails to meet goals KUWAIT: Teaching of Islamic studies in Kuwait’s schools mainly includes making students memorize information rather than utilizing ideas to their benefit, according to the results of a research study published yesterday by a local newspaper.

The study was carried out

by Dr Fawzi Ayoub of the Lebanese University who was assigned by Al-Qabas newspaper to research the problems afflicting education in Kuwait. The study came to the conclusion that an education philosophy to direct religious education in Kuwait was “urgently needed” in order to achieve curricula that can provide knowledge while at the same time avoid sensitivities in this field. According to the study, religious education in Kuwait deals with students

TEC sees delay in executing projects KUWAIT: The CEO of the Touristic Enterprises Co ( TEC), Khaled AlGhanim, stressed that the pace at which the company was executing the projects was a bit slow and does not meet the aspirations of the Kuwaiti visitors.

Speaking on the sidelines of the TEC’s ordinary general assembly held last Thursday to discuss the activities during fiscal year ending December 2012, Al-Ghanim said that the company projects’ were taking a lot of time, effort and funds that may ultimately add to the total cost of construction.

He added that tourism is now a

changed business and any delay in project execution may result in these projects lagging behind. “ For example, we had to change our plans twice while executing the Khairan anchorages project - although it was built according to international specifications - simply because of the delay in obtaining some bureaucratic approvals,” he explained, pointing out that the TEC had executed five projects while others were still gathering dust in municipality offices’ drawers.

“Years ago, we set the company’s short-term goals that were executable over a 12 to 18 months period and

KUWAIT: Khaled Al-Ghanim addresses the meeting.

long-term ones as part of a strategy for the 2011-2015 period,” he added, noting that the strategy had been approved by TEC’s board of directors, Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) and the cabinet.

Financially speaking, Al-Ghanim said that the TEC was doing very well and managed to make a total profit of KD 4.02 million with a net profit rate of KD 297,000. “Some of the projects due to be concluded as part of our five-year strategy will surely enhance the profits in the coming years,” he underlined, noting that TEC was having some new projects’ licenses issued and that construction of the relevant projects would start immediately afterwards.

Commenting on the problems faced by the companies investing alongside the Gulf Road, Al-Ghanim stressed that the cabinet had ordered the formation of a tripartite committee comprising representatives from the Fatwa and Legislation departments, the finance ministry and the TEC to discuss the problem and come up with suitable solutions. “A solution that will satisfy all parties has been reached and it is being reviewed by the cabinet before it comes up with the final suitable decision,” he underlined.

Sakthi Jeya Krithika

Woman delivers baby after criminal attack

By Sunil K Cherian KUWAIT: A baby girl was born to an Indian woman one day after she was brutally attacked by a three-member robbery gang in Salmiya last week.

The woman, Vimala, who was in the final stage of her pregnancy, was walking back to her apartment with her husband Durai Raj after shopping around 8 pm on Thursday, May 16 in Salmiya Block 9.

The assailants, who attacked Vimala also assaulted her husband and tried to steal his wallet. They also snatched the wedding chain from Vimala who was reportedly dragged for over one meter.

Vimala was admitted to Sabah Hospital where she delivered a baby girl, Sakthi Jeya Krithika, next day on Friday (May 17). The police are investigating the case.

as some kind of a “pot to store information” but ignores aspects that can encourage students towards thinking and improving their sense of perceptions. In order to address that, the study recommends that religious education in Kuwait must face several challenges which include accepting the multitude of jurisprudential ideologies, accepting differences in religion, sectarian groups and ideology, as well as adapting the common spaces between Islamic legislation and the bill of human rights. The study also underlines the importance of “linking religious education and reality in order to

increase students’ awareness about extremism, tolerance and freedom.”

Separately, a recent study carried out by a Kuwait University professor indicates that the feeling of patriotism among the students suffers a “significant decline” during their years of study in the KU. Moreover, the study conducted by education teacher Dr. Ali Watfa found that freshmen and sophomore students are more ‘loyal’ towards their countries compared to juniors and seniors, and that female students are generally ‘more patriotic’ compared to their male counterparts.—Al-Qabas

MONDAY, MAY 27, 2013

LOCAL In my view

Letter to Badrya

Deportation today

Postal problems badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

By Labeed Abdal Hi Ms Badriya, I read your article in the Kuwait Times. I may add that I religiously follow your articles since you raise your voice on serious matters. This time, I have fallen victim to the malaise of items being lost en route.

About two months ago, I had ordered four items from the website eBay. These were valuable items but I did not receive any of them. Eventually, I had to ask the senders for a refund. Amazingly, while someone responded by saying that your item was received in Kuwait but still they refunded the amount to me. It becomes very embarrassing asking for a refund every week. I am seriously worried about the postal service in Kuwait that needs to improve drastically.

Thanks, Sana

labeed@kuwaittimes.net

I

have mentioned earlier that I have a personal interest in seeing my country curbing the malaise of illegal residents who are causing trouble to the citizens and the expats. Most of them are a result of mistakes made in the past as visa traders made money and passed on the menace to the society.

Yet, the security raids taking place in Kuwait should not in any way become some kind of a nightmare that sends people to their doctors or emergency clinics at the Mubarak Hospital or the Adan Hospital.

Also, we need not forget that there are many legal residents here who have been in Kuwait for decades and they or their families should not be treated as if they are criminals.

Rather, raids should be intensified against the companies whose doing all this is, and their license must be canceled.

Also, we need not forget that there are many legal residents here who have been in Kuwait for decades and they or their families should not be treated as if they are criminals. Rather, raids should be intensified against the companies whose doing all this is, and their license must be canceled.

All of it is the doing of such companies only as they were propelled by greed and helped these expats to hide from the clutches of the law. Nothing should portray us as if Kuwait has slid back into the dark ages. Even though there would be aberrations happening here and there, yet we hope we will not forget the system of legal redress and guarantees. Kuwait should not start losing good expats just because there are sudden measures being unleashed to get rid of the marginal workers. It will be fair to no one if the administrative moves being initiated now end up mixing the good with the bad.

There are good expats, many of whom are ready even now to apply for a green card for a longer stay and they deserve it. Irrespective of anything else, Kuwait must save its people, be these citizens or expats, and open its doors for just solutions. We need to clear any obstructions in our quest for our rightful destiny.

kuwait digest

Is Angelina Jolie more humane?

By Arwa Al-Waqian

O

scar-winner Angelina Jolie is well-known as Hollywood’s most expensive star. She is a symbol of beauty. Though during her early years in the career, she was known as somewhat bizarre and crazy, she managed to break the stereotyped image of a crazy wealthy movie star several times. I believe that’s why many fans, including me, like her. I do find her a typical model of a human being imbued with a free spirit. She fears no one and does what she wants. She broke yet another stereotype when she was appointed as UN’s Goodwill Ambassador. The wealthiest movie star turned into a human being who does really care about others’ sufferings. She travelled to various countries like Pakistan, Tanzania, Djibouti, Syria and other poverty-stricken third world nations. She adopted a one-year-ld Cambodian boy named Maddox.

She did not settle for this much humanity and continued to travel to remote poverty and destruction-stricken spots where she made generous donations from her own money and, again, she adopted another kid-an Ethiopian girl called Zahra.

Jolie’s donations exceeded ten million dollars and were made to Afghan refugees camps in Pakistan, Doctors Without Borders Organization, World Child Organization, Global AIDS Alliance, the distressed in Darfur, children in Cambodia and many others.

Her humane nature is beyond question because seeking fame was not her motivation; in any case she has more than her share. She is the most famous movie star on Earth who, whilst at the peak of her fame, chose to tend to human causes. She is like a big mother to us all.

She will always be a source to inspire the human within us, the one long neglected and forgotten within our souls. Some of us may discover that human being while others may spend all their lives preoccupied with their own problems.

Finding an American movie star doing so much of charity work, one immediately and spontaneously starts to think about how Arabs fared in this respect. Do we have a role model? Has any celebrity donated as generously and visited areas in distress? We only see and hear the disgusting propaganda and see people keen to appear before the cameras while distributing aid that they did not donate. This is an insult to humane activities.

I cannot recall a single wealthy celebrity who did as Jolie did. Since humanity is deep-rooted within hearts and has no religion or color, it flourishes by coming into contact with miserable people. But we only see human activities in praising charities and NGOs presenting donations. We also see the heads of these establishments keen to attract media coverage, though all that most of them do is hand over a state-funded donation to some woe-befallen body.

Arabs’ thirst and craving for praise seems endless even if we do nothing to earn it and is, in fact, what stands between us and becoming as human as Jolie. She is more humane than us all. She managed to become a shining candle to light others’ path. She is a tender hand tapping the heads of miserable people. I do raise my cap and pen in respect to your kind heart that loves helping others. I know that these words may never reach you but, at least, hope they reach those who focus on media appearances than on truly humane activities. — Al-Jarida

kuwait digest

The will to enforce the law

By Saud Al-Samaka

Dear Madam Badrya Darwish, Greetings from India!

Salam Alaikum.

This is to congratulate you for your wonderful article in the Kuwait Times’ May 24 edition. Bravo Madam!

Thank you for speaking the truth. Indeed, you have the guts to tell it like it is. Somebody tagged your article on my Facebook page.

I worked in Kuwait from 2000 to 2009. Throughout my time there, I, too, had the same questions troubling my mind, which you have raised in your beautiful article.

God bless you.

John Melwyn Correa

W

hen the government announced plans a to fulfill duties and neglecting them.

Lieutenant General Mohammad Al-Bader, the few years ago to remove properties built illegally on state owned land, many head of the government’s team tasked with removthought that such a step was very hard to execute, ing encroachments on state owned properties, and especially when it comes to the government trying head of the General Traffic Department, Major to remove diwaniyas. Some people even questioned General Abdulfattah Al-Ali, have only asked for the the seriousness of the government’s plans knowing law to be enforced, and for everyone to obey the law without any outside that they were likely to come interference. up against citizens refusing They are doing their job to cooperate with orders to Lieutenant General Mohammad in the belief that law remove the diwaniyas. But Al-Bader, the head of the govern- enforcement is necessary to when bulldozers revved up and people saw them in their ment’s team tasked with removing achieve reform, and thereneighborhoods, they went encroachments on state owned fore also determined to attempts by influential and voluntarily demolished properties, and head of the General fight people to stop them from the properties built illegally before these could be lev- Traffic Department, Major General doing their jobs.

The successful cameled to the ground by the Abdulfattah Al-Ali, have only asked paigns carried out by Lt Gen state. for the law to be enforced, and for Al-Bader and Maj Gen Al-Ali A similar situation is seen today regarding the cam- everyone to obey the law without prove that it is possible to solve all of Kuwait’s probpaign being carried out by any outside interference. lems, and what is required the Traffic General is to take that step towards Department against reckless driving and traffic violations, in order to save lives ameliorating the wrongs. In the meantime, people and find solutions to the problem of traffic jams. are definitely going to cooperate with state officials There are people today who question whether the after seeing the improvement as a result of efforts crackdowns would be effective in addressing to enforce the law.

Corruption can be countered, no matter how Kuwait’s traffic woes. Surprisingly, these questions are being raised despite the fact that signs of widespread, as long as there is true will to achieve improvement are already visible and there has been reform. Following the success of Lt Gen Al-Bader’s campaign and that of Maj Gen Al-Ali, there is hope smoother traffic flow.

I believe that nothing is impossible, but the key that Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Thekra Alto ensure that things run smoothly is to find the dif- Rashidi can be successful in her plans to fight visa ference between determination and weakness, traffickers, an issue that so many men in the minresponsibility and irresponsibility, and commitment istry have failed to address. — Al-Qabas

kuwait digest

Take it easy, UAE, we are on the way slowly!

By Hamad Salem Al-Marri

T

he e-government services launched by the expatriates. In this, Sheikh Mohammed considered UAE government via smart mobile phones, the UAE government as a hotel and its users as the facilitating both citizens and expatriates to hotel’s tenants who should be able to enjoy best access these anytime and anywhere, is a giant leap hospitality and quality services at the drop of a hat.

This vision of one leader made the UAE people forward, coming on the heels of similar initiatives in the past that have placed the UAE ahead of all the adore their leadership and defend it as if they were all one big family. For them, the government is but a countries in the region.

This remarkable development has made the UAE guardian that spares no effort in achieving their a global tourist attraction as well as a promising welfare and security.

At a time when the UAE is moving fast-forward to economic power. Although, like many other regional states, the UAE was also in a state of slumber, ensure welfare and development of its people, our thanks to its lethargic bureaucracy, it began to ministries here in Kuwait are still living in the 1980s develop substantially by the mid-1990s and has and it takes a citizen agonizing efforts to get one been posting outstanding development in various single transaction done as he runs from pillar to post, especially when a sinfields ever since. Thanks to gle ministr y ’s different the Almighty and to its young leadership that is This vision of one leader made the departments are located in various areas all around highly competitive and innovative instead of merely imi- UAE people adore their leadership Kuwait.

A citizen often sets out tating, it has become a land- and defend it as if they were all one mark for technical, human big family. For them, the govern- early in the morning but to get stuck in traffic and real estate development ment is but a guardian that spares only congestions. Finally, when among the Arab countries.

Aside from being blessed no effort in achieving their welfare he reaches his destination an hour or more late to with a young leadership that and security. star t his marathon run keenly responds to the feedbetween offices, he is back it receives from the people, another secret behind the UAE’s advancement sometimes told to come back the following day.

Often, he also finds out that the concerned clerk or is the speed and decisiveness in decision-making.

This was why the Dubai governor and UAE pre- official is late for work or is absent. Eventually, it mier, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, takes him days to finish his transaction. Often when gave a two-year grace period to all governmental he is asked to approach another department, it officials to execute the ‘Smart Government’ project. means yet another drive through the city traffic to He promised that those who failed to meet that get that elusive signature before coming back to deadline would have a farewell party awaiting them square one. Although the government here has also launched its e-government project, it is still in at the end of that period.

Having executed the e-government project, Al- its preliminary stages and a lot of work still needs to Maktoum thought of taking advantage of the soft- be done manually in routine.

So, unless and until our officials give due care to ware installed in the smart phones, and worked towards establishing a ‘smart government’ accessi- development issues to ensure welfare of the people, ble through mobile phones. This would facilitate we can only beg the UAE to take it easy so as not to government transactions for both citizens and embarrass us. — Al-Watan

kuwait digest

A sign of awakening?

By Dr. Wael Al-Hasawi

I

n June, senior government officials who will have served at least 30 years in office will have the option to file for retirement before the end of the month, after which the retirement of all such government employees will become mandatory. In May, widespread traffic campaigns resulted in the arrest and deportation of drivers found guilty of serious violations, which led to improvement in the conditions of streets that suffered traffic jams for years.

In May, crackdowns in some residential areas commonly inhabited by labourers resulted in hundreds of arrests for visa and residency-related violations. In May, a major shakeup in the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation saw a reshuffle in which all executives were replaced with new faces.

In May, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor took action against 30 charity foundations found violating the law by collecting donations. In May, the Minister of Education publically criticized the outcomes of the educational process and announced a plan to rejuvenate the curriculums. Meanwhile, HH the Prime Minister criticized the planning methods implemented in Kuwait and spoke before the Supreme Council of Planning about a new approach to address major issues.

In May, Kuwait Airways Chairman Sami Al-Nisf refuted

Can we say that the achievements mentioned above could be a sign that the government is finally making serious efforts to take true steps of reform in the country? There is no doubt that the seriousness shown in addressing these issues proves that the cabinet of Sheikh Jaber AlMubarak Al-Sabah is doing away with the “hesitation” that characterized Kuwaiti cabinets in the past many years and led to the breaking of laws to such an extent that people lost hope of any reform being ever achieved. the allegations of a lawmaker who had raised questions about a deal signed with Airbus. Al-Nisf explained that his company had rejected an offer made by a company owned by the same MP and saved money by negotiating directly with Airbus. In May, the Ministry of Electricity and Water announced the collection of KD207 million in dues from individuals, companies, and senior government officials.

Can we say that the achievements mentioned above could be a sign that the government is finally making serious efforts to take true steps of reform in the country?

There is no doubt that the seriousness shown in addressing these issues proves that the cabinet of Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah is doing away with the “hesitation” that characterized Kuwaiti cabinets in the past many years and led to the breaking of laws to such an extent that people lost hope of any reform being ever achieved.

Of course, we cannot guarantee that all steps taken by the government are meant to achieve reform. I personally believe that terminating the services of highly qualified Kuwaiti employees who have served for 30 years in the public sector will deprive state departments of quality services that they can still give. Instead, I believe sending employees into retirement should take place on a gradual basis and should start with underemployed people.

Meanwhile, the deportation of expatriates on grounds of traffic violations needs to be addressed from a legal standpoint in order to ensure that no wrongdoing is involved in the process. Yet, I applaud the government for taking the initiative and I hope that it stays strong against people who are sure going to try and hinder its efforts for their vested interests. — Al-Rai

MONDAY, MAY 27, 2013

LOCAL

Al-Rajaan: KD1.8bn disbursed for pensioners in 2012/2013

KUWAIT: The seminar in progress at the Regency Hotel on Wednesday night. (Right) Ayman Mattar. —Photos by Joseph Shagra

Xerox seminar spotlights trends in office technology Mideast tour meets Kuwait customers

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: Think about documents. Who does not need or use documents nowadays? From home to banks to schools to the ministries, across oil, gas and every other sector, documents are widely needed and used. Many companies have offered total solutions.

However, there is only one company that can guarantee quality - Xerox. Xerox is a company k nown for being innovative, and having become synonymous with the word photocopy. “For many, Xerox means photocopy, but the Xerox Company is more than just a company manufacturing photocopying machines; it is a total office solution provider,” stated Ayman Mattar, Kuwait-based General Manager for Xerox Company, as he started a free-wheeling conversation with the Kuwait Times recently. Xerox organized a Middle East tour to promote and educate customers about the company. In fact, last Wednesday night, Luke Boatman, Regional Manager for Xerox, and Peter Muir organized a well-attended seminar to help individuals understand rapidly changing technology. “That is exactly why we are here today to educate our valued customers and be able to efficiently deliver information and communicate ideas properly and accurately in order to reduce complications while working in a digital world,” said Mattar.

The seminar was part of the Xerox tour of the Middle East from May 13-24 that also

brought them to Oman, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and concluded in Malta. “It is a marketing initiative by Xerox corporation to engage with customers in a very different format while also be innovative to help our customers wherever they are. Our aim is to reduce inefficiencies and expand the ranges of our products and services,” he noted. Xerox is represented here by Al-Ghanim, a marketing arm which has helped promote Xerox since 1989 in Kuwait.

Mattar said the market share for Xerox Company in the Middle East is very promising, especially when it comes to production and digital business. “We are a leading company, especially in Kuwait and also in the entire region. When you talk about office solutions, there are many players in the Middle East, but we are proud that we are into high end products that are advanced and built to quality standards,” he said.

With regards to competition, Matter said unlike Xerox, other companies cannot develop a technology as advanced as that of Xerox. “We are far ahead in terms of innovation and putting it in the market place. Our company is sustainable, helping community and society as a whole. I think there is no other manufacturing company that offers total office solutions. We promote and educate our customers and teach them how to make money,” he added.

Xerox invented the photocopy machine. “So, Xerox is a very well known brand but we are now more than a photocopy machine. Xerox is

Taiwanese delegation to visit Kuwait KUWAIT: A delegation from the Taiwanese photovoltaic (PV) industry, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan), will visit the Middle East from May 26 to June 6, 2013. The delegation, which will visit Oman, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, will aim to further develop the Middle Eastern market, expand overseas sales and conduct trade diplomacy.

The delegation will consist of 30 members, including representatives of major Taiwanese PV enterprises such as TSMC Solar (TSMC), NexPower (UMC) and Green Energy Technology (Tatung), as well as experts of the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI).

The delegation will call on representatives of decision-making bodies of large-scale power plant construction projects, commercial and industrial associations, large-scale solar energy companies, hydroelectricity companies, and national scientific research institutes. Furthermore, press conferences and networking events will be held to raise the profile of Taiwan’s PV industry in the Middle East and expand business opportunities. Meanwhile, the nine ROC representative offices in the Middle East also assist Taiwanese PV enterprises in conducting business in the region by collecting information about target markets and cultivating business networks.

Recently, changes to the renewable energy subsidy policies of European countries have led to a decline in the European solar energy market. As a result, the industry’s focus has shifted to relatively new markets in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, which possess tremendous growth potential. As the world’s major supplier of oil and gas, the Middle East has long enjoyed great prosperity. Nevertheless, to combat climate change and reduce carbon dioxide levels, Middle Eastern countries have actively invested resources in developing renewable energy. The Middle East enjoys abundant sunshine and is well positioned to develop solar energy. Taiwan is the world’s second largest producer of solar cells. From January 15 to 17, 2013, the Bureau of Energy of the ROC’s Ministry of Economic Affairs for the first time attended the World Future Energy Summit (WFES) in Abu Dhabi and was commended for its participation.

The Bureau set up a special exhibition area, and three Taiwanese companies displayed their photovoltaic devices, attracting a large number of visitors. Taiwan’s Everphoton Energy Corporation, which participated in the event, signed an engineering contract with an Italian company to build a 1MW concentrated photovoltaic power plant. Taking the desert terrain of the Middle East into consideration, where temperatures usually run high, with representatives of upstream, midstream, and downstream manufacturers, including concentrated, thin-film and silicon solar cell companies, the delegation will promote the comprehensive and professional nature of Taiwan’s PV industry. Taiwanese solar cell manufacturers have outstanding cost competitiveness and the quality of their products meets the highest global standards. Taiwan therefore has an excellent opportunity to develop the Middle Eastern market in cooperation with local enterprises.

Furthermore, Oman, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar are member states of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC), while Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar are members of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), with Kuwait on its way to gaining IRENA membership. For three consecutive years since 2011, Taiwan has participated in IRENA as an observer under the title of “Bureau of Energy, Chinese Taipei.”

Taiwan looks forward to establishing cooperation and dialogue with Oman, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar in the area of renewable energy under the IRENA framework.

one of the most innovative machines in the world. The technology has improved. We are a total solution firm, from hardware to software, plus we have the knowhow,” he quipped.

On the question of whether the technology is now easier to use than other office solution providing companies, he said, “We enjoy a reputation that our technology is the friendliest and easiest to use in office tools. The functionality of the equipment is very friendly. To cater to the region, we have equipments which allow Arabic as an option when it comes to languages. Hence, we keep the equipment user friendly, and again, easy to use,” he beamed.

Mattar said Xerox continues to innovate on a daily basis as far as its range of office products and services was concerned. “Xerox is the company that introduced igen. It is a digital printing press which is one of its kind in the world. It was introduced six years ago, but we have succeeded here a lot. igen is now changing the world of printing, setting new trends, and promoting environment and sustainability,” he pointed out. Xerox also cares for environment. It is the way how it does business.

“We have aligned our goals for the environment, health and safety in five key areas to make an impact across our value chain worldwide. These are reducing carbon emissions, promoting paper recycling, eliminating use of toxic materials, minimizing waste, and maintaining a safe workplace,” he added.

Raids on Sulaibiya stores yield 17 tons of cheese sumers. They ensure that these food items meet all health requirements as per municKUWAIT: The Jahra Municipality, at the ipality regulations. The emergency team instructions of its Director Eng Sami Al- head at Jahra Municipality, Ali Al-Quwaidi, Saeedan, carried out an inspection cam- said that 1154 tins of cheese, each weighing 14.5kg, and collecpaign to check out food tively amounting to a stores in the Sulaibiya gross weight of 16.733 area, and ended up confistons were confiscated cating 17 tons of cheese and destroyed. All necesnot fit for human consary legal actions were sumption. The entire stock taken, including handing was destroyed at Jahra out citations for dealing and a declaration to that in unfit food items. He effect was signed apart said consumers’ health from a citation being was top priority for the handed out on account of department. dealing in foodstuff not He told the reporters suitable for human conthat lab tests carried out sumption. on samples of cheese Sami Al-Saeedan said showed that specificathat inspection campaigns Ali Al-Quwaidi tions had changed and were continuing around the clock to cover all food stores and the the stuff had become smelly. Also, the tins central market to end all violations. He had turned rusty, and their contents pointed out that inspectors monitor the seemed foul. He said that the campaigns food items from the time these arrive and will continue in case of all activities contill these are bought by end user con- cerning food items in the governorate.

By Hanan Al-Sadoun

KUWAIT: The Director General of The Public institution for Social Security AlRajaan stated that the amount of what has been disbursed for the pensioners and their beneficiaries during the financial year 2012/2013 alone has amounted about KD1.8 billion (the equivalent of $6.3 billion) for pensions, retirement benefits, death grants, marriage grants, cost of living, the financial support and the latest increase in pensions in applicable with the Council of Ministries Resolution (405/2012).

And the Director General referred in his statement that the institution monthly transfers these dues in advance to the local

banks and deposit them in the pensioners and their beneficiariesí personal accounts which are numbered to 147328. In addition to the shares of some beneficiaries, they are transferred to the Public Authority for Minor Affairs to take over the disbursement process in accordance to the regulations in that regard. He added that with the respect to the previous four years, those dues that were disbursed have reached about KD5.5 billion (in equivalent with $19.3 billion).

Thus, the total of what has been entitled and disbursed in the last five years ending on 31/3/2013 was about KD7.3 billion (in equivalent with $25.6 billion).

Ethiopian maid jumps out of car to escape rapist

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: Security sources said an Ethiopian maid was carried to Al-Jahra Hospital for treatment from injuries caused after she jumped out of a vehicle owned by a Syrian expat. The sources said a citizen reported to them about a car that he saw taking a turn towards the desert of Al-Jahra. After arriving

at the spot, they discovered that an Ethiopian woman had got into the vehicle of a Syrian expat who had offered to drive her to Jahra, where she had to visit one of her relatives. On the way, he kissed her by force - but he wanted more. Therefore, he got into the desert to finish what he intended to do, but the woman threw herself out of the car unexpectedly. A case was filed.

MONDAY, MAY 27, 2013

LOCAL

63% of Kuwait professionals feel they receive less salary 20% expect raise of more than 15% in 2013: Survey

KUWAIT: His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad AlSabah received here yesterday the US Ambassador to Kuwait Matthew Tueller.

The meeting was attended by Prime Minister’s Diwan Undersecretary Sheikha Etimad Khalid Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and Assistant Undersecretary of the Premier’s Diwan Sheikh Khalid Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-Sabah. — KUNA

Al-Bassam makes history at Comedie Francaise in Paris PARIS: In a groundbreaking and historic event here this week, Kuwaiti theatre director, producer, and playwright Sulayman Al-Bassam became the first person ever to stage an Arab play at the worldrenowned and iconic Comedie Francaise in Paris, an achievement that was met with widespread enthusiasm and appreciation by discerning audiences. The play, ‘Ritual for a Metamorphosis’ (Tuquus Al Isharat Wal Tahawulat) by Syrian writer Saadallah Wannus, was presented in French and received thunderous applause, while the actors were called to numerous encores for more than seven minutes at the first of three “premiers” at France’s oldest classical theatre. Al-Bassam’s premiers were attended by high-level officials and diplomats, journalists and critics and members of the cultural elite here.

In addition, the audience at the Comedie Francaise, which has been entertaining the public since 1680, known to be especially difficult, was

Kuwaiti theatre personality Sulayman Al-Bassam easily swayed by Al-Bassam’s lively and gripping production and gave it a rousing welcome to the French stage. “This is a new chapter in the history of French national theatre in that we have one of the oldest theatres in Europe, and the top theatre in France, opening its doors to another culture, to the Arab culture through the optic of Wannus’s text and my direction,” Al-Bassam said after the opening. “I really think it is the political and cultural impact of this event which is important,” the director said in an exclusive interview.

His work, presented in this historical theatre with capacity for over 900 people, addresses various themes of the “human condition” and treats a number of deep questions through “cultural symbolism”, which Al-Bassam stresses “is very important given current events and the backdrop of what is taking place in the Arab world today.”

Characters in the play reflect what is happening today in a number of countries, similarly to the environment set out by Wannus’s work in Damascus in 1860 under Ottoman occupation. “I think it can be summed up as the individual’s fight

for freedom against oppressive systems or occupation,” Al-Bassam mused, when asked what the play sought to portray. Commenting his undertaking here in France, he pointed out that the play included some of “the most prestigious names” from the Comedie Francaise troupe, which performed under his direction. “The performances will carry on and there will be a total of 30 performances this season,” he indicated, noting that “the play will be taken up again in forthcoming seasons...and will be revived the season after next.” The work, due to be presented at the Comedie Francaise until July 11, was also presented in Marseille for seven performances before it came to Paris. And among the audience, the performances attracted leading figures from political, cultural and social circles here. Among them, French Justice Minister Christiane Taubira, who attended alongside Culture Minister Aurelie Filipetti and former culture minister Jack Lang, now President of the Arab World Institute (IMA).

The play has gotten broad TV and other media coverage here - including on national televisionand is being touted as a major event on the cultural calendar. “The event, in terms of its cultural and political importance, is enormous, “ the Kuwaiti playwright affirmed.

“It is one of the most-awaited events in the theatre calendar of the year in France, and the Comedie Francaise has taken an historic step of presenting an Arab author and inviting an Arab director to lead that project. This is really something very significant and unique,” he remarked to KUNA. Al-Bassam, with his own international troupe of actors and artists from different parts of the world, has performed widely across the Arab world and the West over the least 10 years, establishing his reputation as one of the leading voices of contemporary Arab theatre.

In reference to the support he received from Kuwait for this work, he said: “This piece was entirely funded by the French producers. But the support of individuals in the Kuwaiti society has always been very important to me. The Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Mohammed Al-Sabah had the kindness to send an enormous garland to the troupe and me,” he indicated.

Moreover, he said he had received many telegrams of congratulations, including but not exclusively from Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khalid Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and Minister of Education Dr. Nayef Falah Al-Hajraf. He also expressed thanks to Sheikha Hussa Sabah AlSalem Al-Sabah for her continued support of his work. “I also thank the Chairman and Board of Directors of Kuwait Foundation for Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) for the support at an earlier stage in Paris and for facilitating my contacts and working relationship with Science Po,” the elite French institution for political studies, Al-Bassam recalled. —KUNA

PARIS: A scene from the play ‘Ritual for a Metamorphosis’ (Tuquus Al Isharat Wal Tahawulat) during its presentation at Comedie Francaise in Paris.—KUNA

KUWAIT: Bayt.com MENA Salary Survey, conducted by Bayt.com, the a research and consulting organization, has revealed that 63 percent of Kuwait respondents believe that their current salary is lower than that of other companies in their industry, with only 3 percent stating a high level of satisfaction with their current remuneration. Eight in 10 believe that the cost of living will continue to increase.

Respondents A fifth of the survey’s Kuwait respondents (20 percent) have been in their current career path for up to three years. A quarter(26 percent) have spent up to one year with their current employer, while 30 percent have been with them for four-seven years. Four in 10 (39 percent) have one-five people currently reporting to them, and 38 percent oversee six or more employees. The majority of survey respondents are either midway (35 percent) or fairly senior (34 percent) in their position. Most Kuwait respondents have held either one (30 percent) or two (35 percent) jobs in the past five years. The majority claim that they spend on average between one-three years in a job, though 29 percent held a position for at least six years. The preferred pay structure in Kuwait is 100 percent fixed-pay, according to 56 percent, with the more preferable incentives being those that are performance-based (60 percent), or professional training and development courses (41 percent). Commission for business or revenue generated (26 percent) and holiday allowances or foreign trips (26 percent) are also popular.

Current package In terms of their current salary, half of Kuwait respondents (51 percent) receive their basic salary only, while 37 percent receive their basic salary plus benefits. Only 19 percent state that 51-75 percent of their salary package is their basic monthly salary. Additional benefits received from Kuwait companies include personal medical insurance (32 percent), bonuses (30 percent), and personal annual air ticket (24 percent). The majority (56 percent) of Kuwait professionals state medium satisfaction with their current salary, with only 3 percent claiming high satisfaction.

Comparisons, expectations The overwhelming sentiment in Kuwait is that the salaries received by respondents in their current companies are lower than other companies in their industry (according to 63 percent), with 43 percent claiming that they did not receive a raise in 2012. The majority of those who did receive a pay increment were given 1-5 percent (17 percent), but45 percent are unhappy with the amount received.

In 2013, Kuwait respondents are torn with regards to receiving a raise: 26 percent expect to receive up to 15 percent and20 percent expect to receive more than 15 percent, while 30 percent do not expect anything.

Cost of living, savings Half(49 percent) of Kuwait respondents state that their cost of living increased by more than 15 percent in 2012. They believe this is mostly due to increased rents (82 percent), rising food and beverage costs (81 percent), and education (39 percent). Eight out of 10 (77 percent) believe that the cost of living will continue to rise in 2013.

A third (35 percent) of Kuwait respondents save up to 15 percent of their monthly personal income; a third (33 percent) repatriate 15 percent or more. “The results of the 2013 Bayt.com MENA Salary Survey suggest that salaries are not keeping pace with the rising cost of living in Kuwait. This is a general trend across the Middle East that companies must begin to address; in doing so, they will be able to contribute to building employee loyalty and satisfaction, and will have the opportunity to reduce the number of employees looking to change jobs within the next year,” said, Suhail Masri, VP of Sales, Bayt.com. “The Bayt.com MENA Salary Survey is an annual study that reveals the levels of satisfaction and factors effecting as much across the Middle East and North African region. This information is vital for employers and job seekers in the region, in order to gauge individual country situations and make informed, empowered career and life decisions.”

“Drivers of loyalty in particular are areas that employers in the region should consider, in order to slow what would seem to be a very transient workforce. Employees across the

MENA region seem overall dissatisfied with their current packages and the rising cost of living; if the two do not draw closer, then there could be potential economic difficulties in the coming years,” said Sundip Chahal, CEO, YouGov. Perception When asked whether salaries are increasing or decreasing in their country of residence, 31 percent of Kuwait respondents said that they are ‘increasing marginally’, with an additional 22 percent stating they are ‘increasing moderately’, and 21 percent state that they are staying the same. Factors causing salaries in Kuwait to increase are considered to be inflation and the rising cost of living (57 percent), growth in opportunities and economic growth (26 percent), and pay rises in the public sector (20 percent). Reasons for salaries not increasing are seen to be employer-friendly laws (29 percent),poor corporate performance and profitability (27 percent), and the poor economy (24 percent).

Kuwait respondents believe that they enjoy a standard of life that is mostly either on par with or above the standard of other residents in the same generation; 40 percent state that their standard of living is ‘about average’, 27 percent claim to be ‘somewhat better off’, and 15 percent are ‘much better off’.

More than half (57 percent) of respondents intend to look for a better job in the same industry in the next 12 months, while 34 percent will look for a better job in a different industry and 23 percent will look to other Middle Eastern countries for better jobs. This is likely because 18 percent of respondents believe that there is an excess supply of talent in Kuwait.

Drivers of loyalty Loyalty to their current company is mostly driven by the salary Kuwait respondents receive - 51 percent believe that their loyalty is 70-100 percent linked to their remuneration.

Other variables that strongly drive loyalty in Kuwait are opportunities for long-term career progression (36 percent), the respondent’s line manager (34 percent), and colleagues and work environment (32 percent).

Kuwait for amending Arab laws to ensure business feasibility DEAD SEA: The Kuwait Finance Minister called yesterday for amending legislation and laws in Arab countries to ensure benefits for investors and the country hosting enterprises.

Mustafa Al-Shamali, addressing a session of the World Economic Forum (WEF), indicated that he made the call due to some misconceptions and misunderstanding with regard to aid and investment, stressing an enterprise, by definition, is aimed at making proceeds for two parties.

Investment must bring “proceeds for both sides of the equation, for sake of ensuring its success and continuation, otherwise it may be rendered unfeasible, “ stressed AlShamali, clearly indicating at troubles and problems due to confusion in some cases when a state gives grants or seeks to invest for the sake of making profit.

Relevant Arab laws and regulations must be modified to “build a relationship beneficial for both the investor and the country hosting the project,” the Kuwaiti official stated.

Kuwait has been playing a leading role in philanthropic activities worldwide and in the Arab world. Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) has been giving aid and launching humanitarian projects since 1961.

Egyptian Minister of Planning Amr Darraj said that the Egyptian government currently faced enormous problems after the popular uprising that warranted external and internal aid “to face these challenges.” He was clearly alluding to Egypt’s economic ailments, namely soaring unemployment and inflation.

Jin-Yong Cai, Executive Vice President of the International Finance Corporation, prescribed some reme-

dies for the economic crises in the Arab region, calling for “real partnership” between the public and private sectors, encouraging the private sector, and creation of jobs.

An eminent entrepreneur, Samer Khouri, also addressed the session, calling on governments to deal transparently with the private sector and seek to build confidence with it. He also urged for re-examination of business-related legislation, rehabilitation

of the work force, and luring investments. Tunisian Minster of Finance Elias Al-Fekhakh shed light on some of the problems now prevailing in his country, namely people’s demand for social justice. Debates and topics of the three-day forum, due to conclude later today, have focused on regional and international economic and development issues, in shadow of dramatic regional changes and global economic slump.—KUNA

RED SEA: Mustafa Al-Shamali (right) participates in a session of the World Economic Forum (WEF).— KUNA

News

in brief

Diplomatic regulations KUWAIT: The council of ministers will discuss a draft law prepared by the foreign ministry regarding amending some of the articles in the law 21/1966, concerning diplomatic corps in Kuwait’s embassies abroad, sources revealed. The grades and job titles of those working in the ministry are regulated under this law and the amendment will introduce new regulations for promotions and new job titles for diplomatic staff. The new proposed law will also prohibit the diplomatic corps’ employees from issuing any press releases or information, having media meetings or giving interviews without special permission from the administration. It will also ban indulging in any commercial activity while in service. The draft has been already cleared by the ministerial committees of the council of ministers and is expected to be approved by the next session of the council.

GCC radiation Sources at the GCC council revealed that a detailed study was now underway to set up a GCC center to detect radiation levels. The study will cover the minutes recorded by various establishments, financial and administrative requirements as per the references. The sources said that the GCC members will be asked to urgently finalize their national capabilities to detect radiation levels in the environment and exchange information among themselves.

He explained that in order to deal with the issue in view of the variation in environment in the region, the GCC countries require to set up a joint environmental bureau, especially after the earthquakes that recently jolted southern Iran.

A group photo of the graduates with NBK officials

NBK celebrates graduation of second batch of Al-Shabab Training Program KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) celebrated the graduation of the second batch of newly hired young Kuwaitis from the new Shabab Training Program. The program is specially designed to develop the skills of newly recruited diploma holders as part of NBK’s strategy to attract and develop young Kuwaitis.

NBK organized a special ceremony for

the graduation of the newly hired young Kuwaitis. The ceremony was attended by Mazin Al-Nahedh, NBK General Manager, Consumer Banking Group and Emad Al Ablani, NBK Deputy General Manager, Human Resources Group, along with senior leaders from the bank.

Shabab program is the first initiative of its kind in the private sector in Kuwait designed

to develop the skills of diploma holders, and is part of NBK’s strategy to attract young Kuwaitis by offering them a range of career and professional development opportunities. NBK Shabab Training Program extends over a period of two and a half months and is specially tailored to provide trainees with theoretical and practical skills covering the different aspects of the banking industry.

NBK’s training programs include NBK Academy which aims to train and develop the professional skills of fresh graduates, the Summer Internship Program for high school and college students, in addition to professional training and development programs especially designed and provided by world renowned institutions to enhance the skills of the Bank’s young leadership members.

MONDAY, MAY 27, 2013

Israel’s Peres calls for return to peace talks

14 dead in anti-terror Philippine offensive Page 14

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Maoists kill 23 in India ambush ‘It is an attack on democratic values’ RAIPUR: A heavily-armed gang of nearly 300 Maoist rebels killed at least 23 people in an attack on a convoy of local Congress party leaders and supporters in central India, police said yesterday.

The land mine and gun attack on Saturday was the deadliest in three years, and the latest in a long-simmering conflict that pits the insurgents against authorities in the forests of mainly central and eastern India.

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, who rushed to the Chhattisgarh state capital Raipur along with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after the ambush, condemned what she called a “cowardly act” by the Maoists.

“It is not an attack on Congress or its leaders, but an attack on democratic values,” she told Congress party workers after visiting the injured, according to the Press Trust of India news agency.

State Congress chief Nand Kumar Patel, his son Dinesh, and former state home minister Mahendra Karma-who had set up a controversial anti-Maoist group in 2005 — were among those killed in the assault in a remote tribal belt of the state.

“The total number of dead stands at 23. We can also confirm that 32 people are injured, most of them seriously,” state police director-general Ramniwas, who goes by one name, told AFP. Former federal minister Vidya Charan Shukla, 84, who sustained bullet injuries in the attack, was airlifted to New Delhi in “serious” condition for treatment, said Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi after arriving in Raipur late Saturday. The state government has announced a judicial inquiry into the killings. The rebels triggered a land mine before opening fire at the convoy of Congress party workers and leaders who were leaving the area after a political rally, police said. At least five policemen also died in the attack in the Jagdalpur area of Bastar district, 375 kilometres (233 miles) south of Raipur.

“When our cars reached a turning point, the Naxals started firing,” an injured Congress worker told India’s NDTV news network, referring to the rebels also known as Naxalites.

“Two cars were blown up and the firing continued for almost one and a half hours. Some of us lay on the road to save ourselves.”

Premier Singh, who has described the Maoists as the country’s most serious internal security threat, said the ambush should spur the battle against extremists. “Those who have lost their lives in this barbaric attack are martyrs of democracy,” he said after visiting the wounded in hospital Sunday.

“We have to be more determined in fighting Naxal extremism. These lives should not go in vain.” Maoist rebels have been waging a bloody conflict against the authorities since 1967. They demand land and jobs for the poor, and want to establish a communist society by overthrowing what they call India’s “semi-colonial, semi-feudal” form of rule.

The revolt is believed to have cost tens of thousands of lives. In 2009 government forces launched a huge antiMaoist offensive known as “Operation Green Hunt”, but the often poorly-trained police have had to contend with a

Republicans slam new Obama war approach WASHINGTON: Republicans keep slamming President Barack Obama’s push to move the government away from a war footing and refine and recalibrate its counterterrorism strategy. Republican lawmakers like Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina say Obama is projecting weakness at a time when the United States needs to show resolve against terror networks like al-Qaeda.

Graham said yesterday that “at a time when we need resolve the most, we’re sounding retreat.” Obama gave a major speech Thursday in which he said al-Qaida is “on the path to defeat” and signaled that he’s reluctant to commit troops overseas to conflicts like Syria or other countries struggling with instability in the uncertain aftermath of the Arab Spring. He’s also modifying policies on the use of unmanned drone aircraft to try to limit civilian casualties and is redoubling his longstanding - but so far unfulfilled - promise to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where many terrorism suspects are being held without formal charges.

Obama is trying to recast the image of terrorists from enemy warriors to cowardly thugs and move the United States away a state of perpetual war. But Graham said Obama is displaying a “lack of resolve” despite a slew of concerns in the Middle East, including civil war and chemical weapons in Syria and threats to Israel from Syria’s unrest and Iran’s nuclear program.

“We show this lack of resolve, talking about the war being over,” Graham said. “What do you think the Iranians are thinking? At the end of the day, this is the most tonedeaf president I ever could imagine.”

“I see a big difference between the president saying the war’s at an end and whether or not you’ve won the war,” said Republican Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma. “We can claim that it’s at an end, but this war’s going to continue. And we have still tremendous threats out there, that are building, not declining, building, and to not recognize that, I think, is dangerous in the long run and dangerous for the world.” Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Senate Democrat, defended the president, reprising Obama’s theme that maintaining a wartime posture runs the risk of compromising US principles. “If we’re constantly thinking of this as a war, we stand a chance of doing things that compromise our freedoms,” Durbin said.

Obama ally Sen. Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat, said that “having transparency, having rules and engaging other activities other than military to help curb the war on terror - diplomacy, economic sanctions and things like that - is going to be useful as well.— AP

deadly series of attacks.

A rebel assault in April 2010 killed 76 policemen in Chhattisgarh where the Congress party is the main opposition. Three policemen were killed a fortnight ago when Maoists launched an overnight attack on a state-run broadcaster in the troubled state.

And last week a policeman and eight villagers were killed in a shootout between rebels and security forces in Bijapur district of the state.

Eleven policemen were killed in March last year in a landmine blast in the western state of Maharashtra near the border with Chhattisgarh. Critics believe attempts to end the revolt through security offensives are doomed to fail, saying the real solution is better governance and development.

Narendra Modi, senior leader of the main national opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, slammed the attack and called for unity against “naxalism”. “The need of the hour is to stand together as a nation and vow to fight this menace that threatens our democracy,” he said on Twitter.

But Congress workers blocked road traffic and staged protests in Raipur to press for the dismissal of the BJP state government for failing to prevent the attack. —AFP

RAIPUR: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (L) and chairperson of the National Advisory Council, Sonia Gandhi (2L) meet injured survivors of an attack at the Rama Krishna Care Hospital in Raipur, capital of central Chhattisgarh state. — AFP

MONDAY, MAY 27, 2013

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

When Israel hits Syria, military edge for wider war JERUSALEM: When Israeli jets bomb Syria to deny it or its allies “game-changer” weapons, they play according to one core rule: Ensuring the Jewish state maintains the military superiority to swiftly prevail in any war.

On Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s target list are four types of advanced arms, Russian- or Iranian-supplied, whose transfer from Syria to Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas next door would hinder Israel’s strategic options.

Although they outgun Syria, Hezbollah and Iran, the Israelis assume all three allied adversaries may have to be fought at once - an unprecedented scenario complicated by the probable launch of thousands of missiles into the Jewish state.

That, air force chief Major-General Amir Eshel cautioned in an unusually forthright speech last week, meant the Israeli military had to be ready to lash out “with the full spectrum of its might” almost anywhere and at a few hours’ notice.

But Eshel said this capability was challenged by Syria’s acquisition, at a time when President Bashar al-Assad is

fighting a two-year-old rebellion, of “the best Russian air defence systems available”. One such system, the SA-17, was on a convoy bound for Hezbollah when it was hit by Israel warplanes in late January, intelligence sources said. Two other air strikes near Damascus this month destroyed formidable Fateh-110 ground-to-ground missiles flown in from Iran and awaiting transit to Hezbollah.

The other two types of arms Israel says it is monitoring for any sign of handover to Hezbollah are Syria’s chemical warheads and Russian-supplied Yakhount anti-ship missiles, which could repel Israel’s navy and threaten its Mediterranean gas rigs.

Short on land, the Israelis have long relied on their hi-tech warplanes, helicopters and drones to keep any war mainly on enemy turf. But while the air force could best any Middle East adversary one-on-one, it might struggle to keep up far-flung sorties - especially if more-distant Iran were involved.

“Sustaining massive air operations far from home has not been an objective within the Israeli mission set,” said Philip Handleman, an American aviation expert

and author. The most potent Russian air defence system, the long-range S-300, is “on its way” to Syria, Eshel said. He did not say where he got his information but it could indicate that appeals by Netanyahu to Russia to scrap such a deal had not succeeded.

Russia’s foreign minister said on May 13 that it had no new plans to sell an advanced air defence system to Syria but left open the possibility of delivering such systems under an existing contract.

One senior Israeli official quoted Netanyahu as saying privately that the S300 could “turn Israel into a no-fly zone” as well as curb its currently unrestrained Lebanese overflights.

Amos Gilad, an Israeli defence official, said in a radio interview that the S-300, if delivered to Syria, could end up in Iranian hands and thus “threaten the Gulf” - hamstringing any plan for a preemptive attack on Iranian nuclear sites.

Sounding similar warnings about the limits of Israel’s conventional arsenal, Eshel said it would not achieve any “knock-outs” but would have to “prevail in the war within a few days - and that will require massive firepower”.

“The homefront will be hit no matter how much we defend it,” Eshel said. He was referring to some 200,000 missiles and rockets Israel believes are aimed at its interior from Hezbollah, Syria, Iran and Palestinian guerrillas in Gaza.

The Fateh-110 would significantly increase the potency of Hezbollah’s stockpile. Accurate to a few dozen yards (metres) at ranges of 300 km (190 miles), carr ying half-ton warheads and designed to be fuelled up and fired at short notice, they could disrupt the military command and commercial centres of Tel Aviv.

Israel suffered thousands of shorterrange missile strikes during its wars with Hezbollah and in Gaza in 2006 and 20082009. Its firepower also exacted a vastly greater casualty toll in Lebanon and Gaza than it suffered, drawing unfriendly media coverage and diplomatic pressure to relent.

With their regional isolation deepening, the Israelis predict they will have “days” in which to wage another offensive before foreign remonstrations become impossible to resist.

“In modern times, because war is all

the time on television, people see this and can’t take it. There are limits. There is a price you pay,” then-deputy prime minister Dan Meridor said in 2011, remarks echoed recently by Israeli officials and officers.

That the Assad family has never brandished chemical weapons against Israel during its 43 years of rule suggests a parity with the Jewish state’s reputed nuclear arsenal. But such deterrence may not apply, some Israeli experts argue, for non-state actors like Hezbollah or the Islamist militants among the Syrian insurgents fighting to overthrow Assad. Yet Amos Yadlin, the former chief of Israeli military intelligence who now runs the INSS think-tank at Tel Aviv University, parted with the government’s chemical arms fears.

With their lack of a comprehensive military structure, Hezbollah guerrillas are even less likely than Syria to use such weapons, were they to obtain them, he told Reuters. “I am not at all worried by the chemical weaponry. On the operational level, it is not efficient or easy to operate. It is more dangerous for those launching it.” — Reuters

Israel’s Peres calls for return to peace talks Face-to-face meeting between Israeli, Palestinian leaders

ABU DHABI: French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius (C) greets an Emirati student during a brief visit to Abu Dhabi’s Paris-Sorbonne University in the Emirati capital yesterday. Fabius told journalists in Abu Dhabi that France “very strongly condemns” the rocket attacks in Beirut and stressed it was crucial to “avoid the war in Syria becoming a war in Lebanon.” — AFP

John Kerry defends drone programme ADDIS ABABA: US Secretary of State John Kerry yesterday defended America’s use of drones to hunt down wanted terror leaders, saying the pilotless planes are only used against confirmed targets and after much vetting.

“Let me very clear... first of all there have been very few drone strikes in this last year.

Why? Because we have been so successful in rooting out Al-Qaeda in Pakistan,” he told young Ethiopian students.

“Secondly the only people that we fire on are confirmed terrorist targets at the highest levels after a great deal of vetting.”

The drone programme has been one of the most controversial aspects of the US fight against Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.

Top leaders from both networks have been killed as a result of drone fire. Yet the use of drones, mostly sent in covertly without the prior knowledge of other governments, has been sharply criticised particularly in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and the deaths of civilians caught in the crossfire has sparked a groundswell of anger.

But Kerry insisted at an event hosted at the University of Addis Ababa: “I am convinced that we have one of the strictest, most accountable and fairest programmes.”

Each target was carefully monitored and “sometimes it takes a year to build the authority to know that you’re correct,” Kerry said.

“We do not fire when we know there are

children or collateral, we just don’t. We have absolutely not shot at high-level targets when we have seen that there are people there,” Kerry said. The US “preference” was to capture suspects wanted by US agencies, Kerry said, maintaining that Islamic militants did not use the same caution when they attacked American or Western targets.

“I will tell you that the extremists who put bombs in those mosques never engage in the kind of clear discretion we have used in this programme,” he said. But he also maintained that America was not engaged in a war against Islam, and acknowledged that there had been mistakes by the United States.

President Barack Obama said Thursday he had approved strict rules for when the United States can carry out drone strikes against terror suspects abroad, saying lethal force could be used when no other alternatives exist. Kerry also defended the US move to try open talks with the Taliban leadership, saying it was better to try to bring people to the table to resolve issues rather than try to fight it out.

“Years ago people thought the United States should not talk to China because of Mao Zedong,” he told the event, hosted by the BBC, just hours before leaving for Amman.

“People thought we shouldn’t talk to the Vietnamese during that war... but even as we fought them we had discussions in Paris about peace.” — AFP

ADDIS ABABA: US Secretary of State John Kerry, left, meets with South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir in Addis Ababa yesterday. — AP

SOUTHERN SHUNEH: Israel’s president yesterday urged Israeli and Palestinian leaders to overcome differences and resume peace negotiations, saying the sides could not afford “to lose this opportunity.”

President Shimon Peres issued his call ahead of a gathering of Mideast leaders on the sidelines of a World Economic Forum meeting on the shores of the Dead Sea in Jordan. Yesterday’s meeting was expected to include a rare face-toface meeting between Israeli and Palestinian leaders, along with the participation of US Secretary of State John Kerry, who has devoted much of the past two months to restarting longstalled peace talks.

“We shouldn’t lose the opportunity because it will be replaced by a great disappointment,” Peres told reporters in Jordan. “For my experience, I believe it’s possible to overcome it. It doesn’t require too much time.”

Palestinian-Israeli peace talks broke down nearly five years ago, in large part due to disagreements over Israeli settlement construction on occupied territories claimed by the Palestinians. The Palestinians say there is no point in negotiating while Israel continues to build Jewish settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, undermining their quest to set up an independent state. The Palestinians want both areas, captured by Israel in 1967, as parts of a future state.

Kerry, who met with Israeli and Palestinian officials last week during a swing through the region, said both sides must make hard decisions to move toward direct negotiations. Peres, who won the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize for helping forge an interim deal with the Palestinians, sounded upbeat and determined to help in peacemaking with Palestinians.

“It is time for peace,” he said. “I believe this is an important opportunity to (engage), not to waste time, return to negotiations and complete the negotiations with the Palestinians.” He said a peace agreement must be “based on a two state

DEAD SEA: US Secretary of State John Kerry (C) is joined by Israeli President Shimon Peres (L) and Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas at the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa at the King Hussein Convention Centre, at the Dead Sea, yesterday. — AFP solution: an Israeli state, a Palestinian state living as good neighbors cooperating economically and bringing a message to the young generation.” Traditionally an ardent supporter of peace with the Palestinians, Peres holds a ceremonial role in Israel. But his views are highly respected in Israeli society. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has most decision-making powers, holds more hawkish positions than Peres and has given few signs of how he sees a final peace deal with the Palestinians.

Israeli media reported that the president dis-

cussed with Netanyahu some key issues he is expected to raise at yesterday’s forum. Peres has scheduled meetings with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, whose country maintains cordial ties with Israel under a peace treaty signed in 1994, and possibly Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who is also attending the WEF. On his fourth visit to the Middle East since taking office in February, Kerry held talks with Netanyahu and Abbas last week. Jordanian officials said privately he was expected to meet Peres and Abbas while in Jordan. — AP

Jordan seeks to deploy Patriot missiles: Minister AMMAN: Jordan, which shares borders with war-torn Syria, said yesterday it is in talks with “friendly countries” to deploy Patriot missiles on its territory after a similar move by Turkey. “Jordan wishes to deploy Patriot missile batteries in order to boost its defence capabilities and help protect the country,” Information Minister Mohammad Momani told a news conference.

“We are currently at the stage of talks with friendly states,” said Momani, who is also government spokesman, declining to elaborate. A NATO source told AFP last week that four batteries of Patriot missiles have arrived in Turkey as part of a mission by the alliance to protect the Turkish border from any spillover of the conflict in neighbouring Syria.

NATO approved their deployment in December, saying the use of ballistic missiles by the Syrian regime posed a threat to Turkey. Jordan, home to more than 500,000 Syrian refugees, has similar concerns as Turkey.

“We wish and we demand Patriot missiles. We always talk about this because we want to protect ourselves,” Jordan’s Prime Minister Abdullah Nsur told Qatar’s AlSharq newspaper last week.

In April, US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel revealed that some 150 US military specialists have been deployed in Jordan since last year and that he had ordered a US Army headquarters team to bolster the mission, bringing the total American presence to more than 200 troops. Meanwhile, Syria’s foreign minister said yesterday that his government will take part in a peace conference in Geneva, terming it a “good opportunity for a political solution” to the civil war in Syria.

Walid Muallem said during a news conference in Baghdad that he had told his counterpart Hoshyar Zebari and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki of the decision during the previously unannounced visit to Baghdad. Muallem told reporters that President Bashar al-Assad’s regime had agreed “in principle to participate in the international conference which is supposed to be convened in Geneva”. “We think... that the international conference represents a good opportunity for a political solution to the crisis in Syria.” Muallem made the Baghdad visit on the same day Iraqi authorities searched a Syria-bound aircraft that had flown from Moscow through Iranian airspace into Iraq, Nasser Bandar, the head of Iraq’s civil aviation authority, told AFP. No prohibited items were found, Bandar said. — AFP

TEHRAN: An Iranian worker sets a paper cutting machine to cut printed electoral posters of moderate presidential candidate and former top nuclear negotiator, Hassan Rowhani, at a printing house in Tehran yesterday. Iran accused the United States and France of “interference” for criticising it for barring hundreds of would-be candidates in next month’s presidential election. — AFP

Tehran slams US, French criticism TEHRAN: Iran accused the United States and France of “interference” for criticising it for barring hundreds of would-be candidates in next month’s presidential election, media reports said yesterday.

Tehran is “highly sensitive” about comments targeting its internal affairs, Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said. His spokesman Abbas Araqchi added: “Elections in Iran are free and transparent. They are held based on the country’s laws and regulations.”

Their comments came after the news on Tuesday that the Guardians Council, Iran’s unelected electoral watchdog, had cleared just eight male candidates out of 686 registrants to stand in the June 14 election.

French foreign ministry spokesman Philippe Lalliot on Wednesday urged Iran to allow its people to “freely choose” their leaders.

Araqchi advised Paris against “interference in the internal affairs of others and instead focus on their own domestic problems”. He did not elaborate.

US Secretary of State John Kerry slammed the Islamic republic on Friday for disqualifying would-be candidates. “I can-

not think of anyone in the world... who would not be amazed by a process in which an unelected Guardian Council, which is unaccountable to the Iranian people, has disqualified... hundreds of potential candidates according to vague criteria,” Kerry said.

“The lack of transparency makes it highly unlikely that that slate of candidates is either going to represent the broad will of the Iranian people or represent a change.”

Salehi warned US officials against making “unjustified” comments.

“The best advice to American officials is for them to get their information from reliable sources and specialised advisers. They should also be aware of the repercussions of such unjustified comments,” he said.

The June 14 poll is the first since 2009, when allegations of fraud sparked street protests against the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Two key figuresmoderate ex-president Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and divisive Ahmadinejad ally Esfandiar Rahim Mashaiewere among those disqualified. —AFP

MONDAY, MAY 27, 2013

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Pope urges Mafiosi to stop exploitation of others VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis paid tribute to a courageous priest murdered by the Sicilian Mafia as a martyr and urged mobsters yesterday to abandon their evil ways, particularly the exploitation of people in trafficking rackets such as prostitution. Francis issued his call to organized crime members to convert their hearts, a day after the beatification of the Rev. Giuseppe “Pino” Puglisi in Palermo. The Vatican honored Puglisi as a martyr in the ceremony, 20 years after he was slain in the city by mobsters for defiantly preaching against the Mafia in a neighborhood where Cosa Nostra held sway.

Francis told a crowd in St. Peter’s Square that the Mafia killed the Rev. Giuseppe Puglisi because he tried to keep youths from being recruited by mobsters. Beatification is the last formal step before possible sainthood. As part of

the process leading to beatification, church officials considered statements that convicted Mafiosi had given to investigators. The mobsters told authorities that Cosa Nostra bosses had ordered Puglisi’s murder because he had dared defy the Mafia by his preaching and work with young people. Mafia bosses convicted of ordering the slaying and are serving life sentences in prison.

The pope didn’t attend the beatification ceremony, which drew tens of thousands of people to an esplanade near Palermo’s seaside. Instead, he used the traditional Sunday papal appearance to pilgrims, tourists and Romans in St. Peter’s Square to hail Puglisi as a martyr and “an exemplary priest, especially dedicated” to serving young people.

“Educating young people according to the Gospel, he took them away from

organized crime, and thus it (the Mafia) tried to defeat him by killing him,” Francis said. Puglisi was gunned down a few months after Pope John Paul II made a pilgrimage to Sicily and angrily called on mobsters to “convert” their hearts. At the time the island was still shocked by the 1992 bomb blast assassinations by Cosa Nostra, two months apart, of Italy’s top anti-Mafia magistrates.

“I think of the great pain suffered by men, women and even children, exploited by so many mafias,” Francis said. He decried the crime syndicates for “making them do work that makes them slaves, prostitution.” “Behind this exploitation and slavery are the mafias,” the pope said.

Francis, two months into his papacy, has branded human trafficking as one of the most terrible evils plaguing the world. “ They cannot make our brothers

After versary party, AU tackles conflict Tanzania sending 1,280 troops to join UN brigade ADDIS ABABA: African Union leaders met yesterday to tackle ongoing conflicts on the continent, a day after the pan-African bloc threw itself a lavish birthday party celebrating everything positive in its 50 years of existence.

Long-running unrest in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo dominated the start of the two-day AU meeting, as leaders from the Great Lakes region met for the first time since signing an agreement in February aimed at restoring peace in the region.

“A lot of progress has been made... I think we will be able to fix it, the Congo is going to be fixed,” Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete said after the meeting, on the sidelines of the main summit at AU headquarters in the Ethiopian capital.

Tanzania is sending 1,280 troops to join a new United Nations brigade with a mandate to conduct “targeted offensive operations” against rebels in DR Congo’s mineral-rich east. However, UN chief Ban Ki-moon was more hesitant, saying that while progress was being made, promises on paper must be enacted on the ground.

“We will need the test of implementation,” said Ban, who visited the flashpoint Congolese town of Goma last week as part of a regional tour. Leaders are also expected to discuss a proposal to urge the International Criminal Court to back off the trial of Kenya’s leaders on charges of crimes against

humanity. The proposal, agreed by AU foreign ministers on Thursday, would ask the ICC to refer the trials of Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and Vice President William Ruto back to their home country.

The proposal would have no legal impact on ICC proceedings if passed, but would significantly boost Kenyatta’s standing on the continent.

Kenyatta and Ruto, elected in March, both face trial in The Hague for their alleged roles in orchestrating deadly violence after previous elections in 2007. It would be first time the panAfrican body has moved formally against the ICC, even though Kenyatta is the second African leader to face trial after genocide charges were brought against Sudanese President Omar alBashir.

Amnesty International has urged leaders to throw out the proposal it said was a “worrying attempt by the Kenyan authorities to avoid justice”.

The rights group called on the 34 AU members who have signed the ICC’s founding Rome Statute-including Kenya-to “protect the international justice mechanism they have committed to”. Mali is also expected to be discussed at the summit: it is about to receive a UN peacekeeping force to support French soldiers who have been fighting Islamist rebels in the country’s desert north since January.

The agenda will also likely include

Madagascar-in political deadlock since a 2009 coup-as well as war-torn Somalia, where an AU force is battling Islamist insurgents.

Despite optimistic rhetoric at Saturday’s anniversary celebrations praising the spirit of pan-Africanism, the continent and the 54-member bloc is riven with divisions.

Splits revealed by the 2011 conflict in Libya-when members squabbled between those wanting to recognise rebels and those backing leader Moamer Gaddafi-showed its disunity and lack of global clout.

Gaddafi’s death also stripped the AU of a major source of funding.

Leaders will discuss finding backers for the cash-strapped body at the summit meeting opening today.

Africa remains the world’s poorest continent and its most war-prone, but development indicators-including health, education, infant mortality, economic growth and democracyhave improved steadily in the past 50 years. The continent is also home to some of the fastest-growing economies in the world, according to the International Monetary Fund, and has attracted huge amounts of foreign investment in recent years.

Brazil announced Saturday it was cancelling $900 million (700 million euros’) worth of debt in 12 African countries as part of a broader strategy to boost ties. — AFP

Trio in custody over London soldier murder LONDON: Three men were being held in custody yesterday on suspicion of conspiracy to murder the British soldier hacked to death in a London street in an Islamist attack. Two men aged 28 an 24 were arrested at a home in southeast London on Saturday, with police firing a Taser electric stun gun on the older suspect, and on a 21-year-old man they arrested in a street around a mile (1.5 kilometres) from the murder scene.

Britain is dealing with the aftermath of a grisly murder which was the first fatal Islamist terror attack in the kingdom since the 2005 London bombings.

Prime Minister David Cameron is launching a new task force to tackle extremism and radicalisation, his Downing Street office said.

Meanwhile an inter-faith group reported a large spike in anti-Muslim incidents.

Drummer Lee Rigby, 25, who survived a tour of duty

in Afghanistan, was butchered in broad daylight Wednesday outside the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich, southeast London. Michael Adebolajo, 28, and 22-year-old Michael Adebowale remain in a stable condition after being

shot by police at the scene of the killing. They have both been arrested on suspicion of murder and are under armed guard in separate hospitals.

The three men arrested Saturday on suspicion of conspiracy to murder were

This photo taken on November 23, 2010 shows Michael Adebolajo (C) among the nine suspected members of the Al-Shabaab Movement arrested by Kenyan police on November 22 on claims of being Al-Shabaab recruits.

Michael Adebolajo, one of the main suspects in the brutal murder of a soldier in London, was arrested in Kenya more than two years ago for seeking terror training, it emerged yesterday, after police made more arrests. — AFP

all held by detectives from the Counter Terrorism Command supported by specialist firearms officers.

Officers were also searching four residential addresses in southeast London.

Cameron’s new counter-terror task force will include key cabinet ministers and bring in police and security chiefs when needed.

It will focus on radical preachers who target potential recruits in jails, schools, colleges and mosques. It was also to monitor trends in radicalisation and tackle “poisonous narratives”.

Downing Street said the group would seek practical measures rather than getting bogged down in theoretical debates about Britishness and cultural values. Writing in The Sunday Telegraph newspaper, Communities Secretary Eric Pickles urged politicians, judges and the public sector to take a robust line against extremists.

Meanwhile Britain’s intelligence agencies were facing scrutiny following claims that the MI5 domestic security service had tried to recruit one of the two murder suspects. Both men were known to the intelligence services and Adebolajo had links to the banned radical AlMuhajiroun movement, but ministers and security experts have warned of the difficulty in keeping track of everybody with extreme views.

Both were brought up by Nigerian Christians and converted to Islam in their teens, and recently were seen handing out extremist literature in the streets-to the concern of their families. Newsapapers carried pictures of Adebolajo in court in the Kenyan city of Mombasa in November 2010.

The Mail yesterday claimed he had been detained with others on suspicion of planning to fight for a terror group. —AFP

slaves,” Francis said. “Let us pray that these Mafiosi and Mafiose convert to God,” the pope said, using the Italian words to indicate both male and female mobsters. Women have increasingly been playing command roles in Italy’s organized crime world as crackdowns see many of the male mobsters jailed for long terms, and have long helped syndicates by hiding fugitives in their homes and with other assistance.

Puglisi worked in one of Palermo’s poorest and roughest neighborhoods, trying to give hope and options to young people, often recruited by Cosa Nostra for drug pushing, numbers running and other jobs in the mob’s illicit activities.

Francis has repeatedly said his vision of the Catholic church is a “poor church for the poor,” and encouraged clergy to work with people on society’s margins and

avoid having the church turn inwards onto itself.

Investigators say that along with drug trafficking, human trafficking, including in illegal immigrants to work clandestinely in agriculture or factories, and of young people from abroad for prostitution, has become one of the most profitable industries for organized crime.

Francis put his strategy of paying attention to faithful on the periphery into practice Sunday, choosing as his first parish to visit in Rome one so far on the city’s outskirts that he took a helicopter from the Vatican, about 20 kilometers (13 miles) away, to arrive. The pope is also bishop of Rome, and Francis spent much of the pastoral visit conversing casually with children in the front row who were making their first Communion at Mass celebrated by him. — AP

Swiss police arrest dozens at techno parade clashes BERNE: Swiss police said yesterday they had arrested 61 people in clashes at a politically-charged techno parade in Berne, which the authorities said left 21 members of the security forces injured.

Trouble erupted in Berne’s picturesque Old Town in the early hours of yesterday during the unauthorised “Tanz Dich Frei” (Dance Yourself Free) parade. After a standoff between riot police and dozens of masked and hooded “Black Bloc” hardliners, an AFP reporter saw a group attempting to break down temporary barriers protecting parliament. Police responded with tear gas and a water cannon which sent the crowd scattering across the square, as a helicopter circled overhead. Some protesters held their ground, pelting police and the water cannon with bottles, fireworks and flares.

Police put the number of participants in the parade at 10,000, and said the vast majority were peaceful. Braving rain and unseasonably chilly weather, the eclectic crowd had snaked through the Swiss capital among trailers carrying huge speakers that pumped out dance beats.

Hardliners spraypainted and smashed windows of banks, shops and the Swedish embassy, which was on the parade route, before small groups fanned out in the city centre to skirmish with police and target other buildings, looting shops. An initial estimate put the damage at several hundred thousand Swiss francs (euros, dollars), police said. Ambulance workers were called out at least 50 times, mostly due to heavy drinking in the crowd.

Tanz Dich Frei was organised by an anonymous collective which mustered participants on Facebook. In a statement posted on their page Sunday, the organisers lashed out at the authorities, saying many protesters had acted in self-defence and that city officials had conducted a smear campaign. “The state made its intentions clear. The protection of parliament was more important than that of thousands of people,” they said. Ahead of the event, organisers

BERN: Members of the Black bloc are sprayed by a water cannon in front of the Swiss House of Parliament on late Saturday in the center of Switzerland’s capital Bern during the 3rd edition of “Tanz Dich Frei” (Dance Yourself Free) a politically-tinged techno parade and mass unauthorised rally. — AFP had appealed for the violent few to stay away. “It’s a pity the event couldn’t pass off peacefully,” they said yesterday.

The parade, now into its third year, is tolerated grudgingly by city authorities even though the organisers lack a permit. The organisers say that the right to party is just one cause, along with opposition to the gentrification of parts of Berne where the alternative scene used to thrive, which they claim has driven up property prices and created a sanitised city for the rich.

They also push an anti-capitalist message, blasting neoliberal economics and heavyhanded policing. The 2012 edition drew some 20,000 people. Berne’s population is around 126,000. After trouble last year, Berne police were bolstered by forces from other cities. —AFP

MONDAY, MAY 27, 2013

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San Antonio flooding kills 2 over 200 rescued SAN ANTONIO: Two women died after being swept away by floodwaters after weekend rains deluged numerous roads in San Antonio, forcing more than 235 rescues by emergency workers who aided stranded motorists and homeowners at times using inflatable boats.

At least one teenage boy also was reported missing after Saturday’s torrential rains, carried away while trying to cross the swollen Cibolo Creek in the San Antonio suburb of Schertz, authorities said. At the height of Saturday’s torrential downpours, San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro urged residents not to drive as a flash flood warning covered nearly two dozen counties. Nearly 10 inches of rainfall was reported in a matter of hours Saturday at the city’s airport.

The National Weather Service said the flash flood threat would persist until late Sunday morning though mostly cloudy weather with occasional thunderstorms and showers was expected to give way to partly sunny skies later in the day.

The rains left more than 200 residents of the Texas city stranded in cars and homes when water rose unexpectedly up to 4 feet in some spots. Traffic also was snarled, making driving difficult.

“It was pretty crazy,” said Gera Hinojosa, a valet parking cars downtown after the storm. “It was pretty unexpected. We hardly got any warning about it.”

One woman became trapped in her car and climbed to the roof before being swept away in floodwaters, said San

Antonio Fire Department spokesman Christian Bove. Her body was later found against a fence, he said.

Emergency officials also recovered the body of a woman in her 60s who was swept away in her car while firefighters were trying to rescue her. Authorities did not immediately identify the women.

At nightfall, water still was pooling in many ditches and underpasses. Several roadways were closed, including a major highway linking the suburbs and the city.

But even in low-lying neighborhoods along Commerce Street east of downtown San Antonio a faded stretch of clapboard houses and beauty parlors - yards were clear. In the tourist district around the River Walk, the

streets were thick with weekend holiday revelers. While the water in some homes rose 4 feet high, according to Bove, most residents experienced the floods primarily as a major traffic hassle.

Karen Herring, 50, who spent the day volunteering at a fitness contest at the AT&T Center, said participants complained of three-hour drives across town.

In the city, even a municipal bus was swept away, but firefighters on a boat were able to pluck the three passengers and driver to safety, public transit spokeswoman Priscilla Ingle said. Nobody was injured.

The San Antonio International Airport

by Saturday afternoon had recorded 9.87 inches of rain since midnight, causing near-

ly all streams and rivers to experience extraordinary flooding. The highest amount of rainfall recorded since midnight was 15.5 inches at Olmos Creek at Dresden Drive.

The San Antonio River about 20 miles southeast of the city, near Elmendorf, was expected to peak at 62 feet by Sunday morning, well above the flood stage of 35 feet, the National Weather Service said.

The National Weather Service compared the flooding to the storm of October 1998, when 30 inches of rain fell in a two-day period. In that flood, the Guadalupe and San Antonio River basins overflowed, leaving more than 30 people dead, according to the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority. — AP

Huge crowd cheers Argentine president’s 10-year rule ‘This is the government I always dreamed of’

MOORE: Workers from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation clear tornado debris that was piled along a street on Saturday in Moore, Oklahoma. A two-mile wide EF5 tornado touched down in Moore May 20 killing at least 24 people and leaving behind extensive damage to homes and businesses. US President Barack Obama promised federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts. — AFP

Investigators looking at height clearance in US bridge collapse OLYMPIA: The oversize load on a semitrailer truck that struck a Washington state bridge was likely too tall for the lowest point of clearance on the structure, part of which collapsed after the collision, a federal safety official said on Saturday.

Two vehicles behind the truck plunged into the frigid waters of the Skagit River following the collapse of the span of Interstate 5 on Thursday evening between the towns of Mount Vernon and Burlington, about 55 miles (90 km) north of Seattle.

The three occupants of the vehicles were rescued from the river, but activists and federal lawmakers seized on the partial collapse of the steel truss bridge, which was built in 1955, to call for greater investment in the nation’s aging infrastructure.

But Washington state officials have said preliminary indications were that the bridge, which was inspected twice last year, was not structurally deficient and the section fell because of the impact from the truck.

The truck was carrying on its flat bed a large steel, box-like structure built to house drilling equipment, a spokesman for the Washington State Patrol said on Friday.

The truck was permitted by the state to carry a load at a height of 15 feet and 9 inches (4.6 metres), but the lowest point of clearance on the bridge was 14 feet and 6 inches (4.1 metres), National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Deborah Hersman told a news conference on Saturday.

The truck driver has told investigators he repeatedly measured the height of his load at 15 feet, 9 inches, Hersman said. She said the bridge was elliptical in shape, shorter on the sides than in the middle, where the clearance was higher.

Hersman said NTSB investigators planned to measure the load on a flat sur-

face to confirm its height.While the Washington state Department of Transportation gave Alberta, Canada-based Mullen Trucking, the company that employs the trucker, a permit to carry an oversize load at a height of 15 feet, 9 inches, the state does not provide operators with the vertical limit of each bridge along a route, Hersman said.

The permit, a copy of which the state Department of Transportation posted on its website, says the proposed route for an oversize load “does not guarantee height clearances.” A state regulation also posted on the website makes clear the operator is responsible for ensuring the route “is free of overhead obstructions.”

As part of that obligation, the company must send a pilot car through to check clearances along the route, Hersman said.

The driver of a pilot car with a pole measuring at least the height of the oversize load did not radio the trucker to warn about the span, Hersman said.

The truck driver has told investigators that his vehicle and the pilot car were both traveling in the right lane, closer to the shorter side of the bridge, as they crossed the span, she said. At the same time, another commercial vehicle was traveling in the left lane, where the clearance is higher, she said.

The steel structure the truck was carrying was damaged on the top corner nearest the shortest clearance of the bridge, Hersman said. David Postman, spokesman for Washington state Governor Jay Inslee, said that with the incident still under investigation, it was too soon to assess blame.

“The governor has not pointed the finger,” Postman said. Officials with Mullen Trucking could not be reached by phone on Saturday. — Reuters

Search for pilot of NY Angel Flight resumes EPHRATAH: Divers equipped with sonar and rescue workers canvassing the woods will resume their search yesterday for the missing pilot of a volunteer Angel Flight that crashed in upstate New York, killing two people, a town official said.

The search for the third person aboard the twin-engine plane that crashed Friday evening in Ephratah, about an hour west of Albany, ended unsuccessfully on Saturday.

Crews will resume the search Sunday, Town of Ephratah County Board Supervisor Todd Bradt said. Bradt said a piece of the plane was removed from a large pond where much of it was submerged. He said divers are having trouble seeing in the water because “it’s so muddy and murky.”

Wreckage from the crash was dispersed over a large area, with pieces of the plane found as far as five miles away, according to National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Eric Weiss. He said one of the plane’s two engines was recovered outside the pond, but most of the plane is still submerged.

Fulton County Sheriff Thomas Lorey has said the flight’s two passengers were found dead Friday near where the twin-engine plane crashed in a wooded area in Ephratah.

He did not return messages seeking comment Saturday.

Angel Flight is a nonprofit group that arranges free air transportation for sick patients from volunteer pilots. Larry Camerlin, president and founder of Angel Flight Northeast, said the organization was “tremen-

dously saddened” by news of the crash.

The twin-engine Piper PA 34 had departed from Hanscom Field in Bedford, Mass., and was headed to Rome, N.Y., before it crashed just after 5 p.m. Friday, Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said. The NTSB said Saturday the plane did not issue a distress call before losing radar and radio contact.

Officials haven’t yet identified the passengers or pilot. Witnesses described the destruction that started in the air above Ephratah, a sleepy town of about 700 people.

The parking lot of Granny’s Ice Cream Shanty, which is less than a mile from the crash site, was filled with emergency vehicles Saturday morning. Owner Joan Dudley told The Associated Press that she and her employees were among the first at the scene Friday night.

“We were just leaving to get something to eat, and we heard this noise,” Dudley said. “We looked up and saw the plane flipping in the air. Then it fell apart,” she said. “Parts and pieces of it were flying through the sky, and a body fell out.”

They called 911 as they parked their car and ran to the crash site in the rain to see if they could rescue anyone. “Airplane parts were all over the place,” she said. “They were picking them up all over last night.”

Ephratah resident Roger Berry, 75, said he was outside chopping wood when the plane crashed. “When I heard it, I knew something was wrong,” Berry said. “It made one circle and came back around.”— AP

BUENOS AIRES: Argentine President Cristina Fernandez rallied a huge crowd Saturday night celebrating the 10-year government that she and her late husband Nestor Kirchner began in 2003. Her voice breaking, she called it a victorious decade, “won not by a government but by the people.”

This year’s election will determine whether Fernandez has enough votes in congress to undo constitutional term limits and extend her rule beyond 2015. But she suggested Saturday night that she won’t try. She said “I’m not eternal, nor do I want to be.”

Putting human rights violators on trial and pushing to put more of Argentina’s wealth in the hands of its poorest people will continue to be the pillars of this government, she said. “Equality is the grand symbol of this decade and of those to come,” she vowed.

Her opponents took aim at the “decade won” theme, noting that the years of strong economic growth have ended, and saying that if this is what victory looks like, Argentina is in big trouble. Whether the Kirchners’ decade will be remembered for its historic achievements or its missed opportunities depends on whom you talk with in Argentina, where society is bitterly divided over their legacy.

Analysts consulted by The Associated Press said they deserve credit for fostering 7 percent average growth and restoring power to the presidency. Kirchner was inaugurated on May 25, 2003 at a chaotic time; the country was still suffering from its 2001 crisis, and poverty was extreme. The Kirchners began an era of social inclusion, external debt reduction and state intervention that was the exact opposite of the privatization binge and anything-goes capitalism that characterized Argentina in the 1990s.

Ten years later and going it alone after her husband died of a heart attack, Fernandez has intensified her government’s control over the economy and diverted billions of dollars more to subsidizing the poor.

“This is an extraordinarily significant decade in Argentine history,” said philosopher Ricardo Forster, a supporter. The transformations have managed to enrich the social, cultural, political and economic life.”

But Fernandez ’s approval ratings have dropped sharply recently amid rising inflation and crime, corruption allegations involving top appointees and allied businessmen; increasingly heavy-handed economic controls; and efforts to transform the justice system. Critics say the real goal is eliminating challengers to presidential power. “ This decade represents a tremendous missed opportunity, which you can see by looking at what other countries in the region have done with similar possibilities and limitations,”

BUENOS AIRES: Argentina’s President Cristina Fernandez sings the national anthem at a rally outside the government house in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday. Fernandez’s government and supporters are celebrating 10 years since she and her late husband Nestor Kirchner have held office, and the 203rd anniversary of the Argentina’s May Revolution. — AP said sociologist and attorney Roberto Gargarella, a government critic.

Thousands of citizens have joined a series of pot-banging protests in recent months, and the crowd gathering in the Plaza de Mayo to hear Fernandez speak Saturday night was intended to provide a powerful counterpoint. Hundreds of thousands of people were bused in by the “organized and united” network of pro-government groups, and their flags and huge TV screens were installed in nearby streets.

“This is the government I always dreamed of and fought for in the 1970s,” said Paloma Perez Galdos, a 58-year-old bank worker. “It’s time that we have a justice system for everyone, not just for the rich.”

“Social inclusion” under the Kirchners has involved providing billions of dollars in cash welfare payments families with children and people working in the informal economy. The government has raised pensions and minimum wages, and directed vast amounts of government revenue to keep the economy moving.

“Unemployment has gone from 25 percent to 7 percent ten years later ... in an economy that grew as fast as China,” said Ramiro Castineira, an economic analyst with the Econometrica firm.

Castineira and Gargarella disagree on many aspects of the Kirchners’ legacy, but they both say intervening in the government statistics service in 2007 was a critical mistake. Ever since, official annual inflation has refused to budge

over 10 percent, even as Argentine shoppers watch prices double and triple each year. Many other statistics based on consumer prices have become widely disregarded.

“All the numbers on unemployment, poverty, inflation and inequality are falsified,” Gargarella said. “Misrepresenting the numbers was a strong blow to market confidence; that raised the country risk and made it impossible for Argentina to take on foreign debt. That’s why the government turned to expanding the money supply,” Castineira agreed.

Since 2008, the government has sought to capture more of the windfall profits from soy exports. But that alone couldn’t finance the spending, so it printed more money and changed currency and tax rules forcing businesses to keep profits inside Argentina. That dissuaded investors, spurred capital flight and pushed annual inflation to as much 30 percent right now, private analysts say.

Economic instability now threatens to undo much of what the Kirchners accomplished.

“Today it’s clear that Argentina, under the leadership of the Kirchners, has not known how to take advantage of the opportunity that this first decade of the 21st century has represented for Latin America, which is the strongest growth in two centuries of histor y,” political analyst Rosendo Fraga said. “Instead of taking the path of Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Chile and Uruguay, it’s taking that of Venezuela.” — AP

Missouri highway buckles after rail cars hit overpass CHAFFEE: A Missouri highway overpass that partially collapsed when rail cars smashed into one of its support pillars after a cargo train collision was about 15 years old and in good condition but just couldn’t withstand the impact, a sheriff said.

Seven people in two cars on the bridge overpass were injured, none seriously, when two 40foot sections of the overpass crumpled before dawn Saturday.

“You’re driving down the road and the next thing you know the bridge is not there. ... It could have been really bad,” Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter said. He said the bridge, though in good condition, couldn’t withstand the impact of the rail cars.

The collapse occurred after a Union Pacific train struck the side of a Burlington Northern Santa Fe train at a rail intersection, Walter said.

Derailed rail cars then struck columns support-

ing the Highway M overpass, causing it to buckle and partially collapse.

The derailed rail cars were loaded with scrap metal, automobiles and auto parts. The National Transportation Safety Board has begun an investigation into the cause of the cargo train collision near Chaffee, a small town southwest of Cape Girardeau.

The two cars were the only ones atop the overpass at the time, officials said. Five people in the two cars were taken to Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, as were a Union Pacific train conductor and an engineer. All seven were released later Saturday, hospital spokeswoman Felecia Blanton said.

Blanton said she was bracing for the worst, given the dramatic footage posted online from the early news coverage. She said it was “a real blessing” that the injuries were relatively minor, the most serious being a fracture.

ROCKVIEW: Damaged railcars lie on the ground near Rockview, Mo. on Saturday. Authorities said a highway overpass collapsed when rail cars slammed into one of the bridge’s pillars after a cargo train collision. Seven people were injured, though none seriously. — AP

A diesel fire also broke out in one of the locomotives after the collision, but was quickly put out, Walter said. He said a deputy arriving early on the scene pulled the two Union Pacific employees out of the wrecked engine, which became lodged next to the train’s second engine.

The accident came more than a week after a commuter train derailment in Connecticut that injured 70 people and disrupted service for days.

That accident involved a railroad corridor used by tens of thousands of commuters north of New York City.

In Washington state this past week, a bridge collapsed when a truck driver’s load bumped against the steel framework. NTSB board member Robert Sumwalt said while the investigations into both collapses are in the early stages “there is no similarity” between the Missouri accident and the bridge collapse in Washington, which sent two vehicles and three people falling into the chilly water.

He noted that the Missouri bridge was rated “good” after its last inspection in February. “This was not because of any lack of integrity of the bridge in southeast Missouri, but because of a train that derailed and had a bunch of rail cars slamming around,” he said.

The Union Pacific train was carrying primarily automobiles or auto parts from Illinois to Texas, said UP spokeswoman Calli Hite. She said about a dozen UP railcars derailed but there was no immediate estimate on the damages.

BNSF spokesman Andy Williams said about 12 cars on the 75-car BNSF train derailed. The BNSF crew was not hurt. Sumwalt said the NTSB investigation to determine a likely cause will include routine testing of railroad employees for drugs and alcohol, testing of the track and rail signals and examinationof the video footage from the front of the train. Investigators also are expected to scrutinize the bridge’s design, Sumwalt said. — AP

MONDAY, MAY 27, 2013

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Voter registration kicks off for Afghan elections Process will last two months in cities

COLOMBO: A Sri Lankan Buddhist monk is restrained by police during a protest in Colombo yesterday. Some 200 Sri Lankan Buddhists blocked traffic in the Sri Lankan capital to protest after authorities rejected a state funeral for the country’s first ever monk to self-immolate. Bowatte Indaratna, 30, succumbed to his burn injuries on May 25, after calling for an end to cattle slaughter and proselytisation by Christians in the Buddhist majority nation of 20 million. — AFP

Immolation monk’s last rites spark S Lanka protest COLOMBO: About 200 Sri Lankan Buddhists blocked traffic in the capital Colombo yesterday to protest after authorities rejected a state funeral for the country’s first ever monk to self-immolate.

Bowatte Indaratna, 30, succumbed to his burn injures Saturday after calling for an end to cattle slaughter and proselytisation

by Christians in the Buddhist majority nation of 20 million.

“We staged a sit-down demonstration near Temple Trees (the official resident of President Mahinda Rajapakse) demanding a state funeral at Independence Square,” monk Akmeemana Dayaratne told AFP. “But, we did not get it.”

He said they decided to disperse, but vowed to keep up pressure on the government to stop the slaughter of animals and ensure there were no unethical religious conversions. The protesters, including dozens of saffron-robed Buddhist monks, blocked traffic on the main road opposite Rajapakse’s residence, witnesses said.

There was no immediate comment from the government, but police said there were heated arguments with the protesters.

Monk Indaratna died at the National Hospital in Colombo Saturday where he

was rushed after setting himself on fire in front of the highly venerated Temple of the Tooth in the central town of Kandy on Friday.

A local television channel showed dramatic images of the monk using a cigarette lighter to set himself ablaze and bystanders, including police throwing buckets of water to put out the flames.

In a leaflet distributed to devotees outside the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, 72 miles (115 kilometres) east of the capital Colombo, the monk said he was against the slaughter of cattle and .

His unannounced protest came as the country celebrated Wesak, the commemoration of the birth, enlightenment and the death of the Buddha, with two days of holidays. Eating meat is common in Buddhist Sri Lanka, although according to the religion killing animals is a sin.

The monk’s action came amid rising religious tensions after Buddhist extremists campaigned to boycott halal-slaughtered meat as well as other products that carry a halal certificate. More than 110 Tibetan Buddhists have set themselves ablaze since 2009 to protest China’s rule of the Tibetan plateau, rights groups have said. — AFP

KABUL: Afghanistan yesterday started registering new voters for elections next year, a crucial step towards a legitimate government taking over when President Hamid Karzai relinquishes power. Four million names are expected to be added to the electoral roll before polls in April 2014, though many Afghans fear that the date could be delayed due to the threat of attack by the Taliban insurgency.

The presidential race-from which Karzai is barred after serving two terms-is seen as the key test of the success of US-led international military intervention since the Taliban regime fell in 2001. “Today we are happy to have launched the voter registration process,” Fazel Ahmad Manawi, head of the Independent Election Commission (IEC), said at a registration centre in Kabul. “We will implement all the election processes step by step according to the timetable.”

Registration began in 41 centres in all 34 provinces for those who have turned 18, had previously not registered or have lost their voter cards. About 16 million voters are already registered. The process will last two months in the cities and will then move to rural districts and villages, continuing until just before election day. The last presidential elections, held in late 2009, were marred by massive fraud, and another flawed poll would wreck claims that international efforts have helped to establish a functioning state in Afghanistan. In 2009, the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) threw out around one third of votes-about half a million-cast for Karzai, sparking a run-off from which his rival Abdullah Abdullah ultimately withdrew.

The election next year coincides with the withdrawal of the 100,000 NATO combat troops as Afghan security forces take charge of the battle against the Taliban. “We do have concerns about security,” Manawi said. “We will follow the police, if they can go there we can go there too.

HERAT: An Afghan election official assists a woman in her application for a voter registration card at an election registration centre in Herat yesterday. Afghanistan began registering voters yesterday, for elections to be held next year when NATO forces withdraw and leave the mammoth task of security to a tottering government amid growing insurgency. — AFP “We hope Afghan forces provide security for the voter registration centres, so that we have a transparent election.” Karzai has vowed to work to ensure a free and fair election, and interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi told AFP that the army and police would be able to guarantee security. There are no declared candidates and no front-runners in the race to be the next president, with speculation ranging from Karzai’s brother Qayum Karzai to former warlord Atta Mohammed Noor, who is now governor of Balkh province. Nationwide participation in the vote is

also considered essential to give the incoming government legitimacy. In the ethnicallyPashtun southern provinces, where the Talibanled insurgency is most active, voter registration is likely to face major challenges.

“Insecurity and lack of trust will hinder participation in some parts of the country,” Jandad Spinghar, executive director of Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan (FEFA), told AFP. “But more security forces and IEC’s vigorous public awareness programmes can convince people in southern provinces to participate.” —AFP

Pakistan Taleban issue threat to kill Musharraf PESHAWAR: The Pakistani Taleban yesterday issued a fresh threat to assassinate former military ruler Pervez Musharraf, who is currently facing a barrage of legal cases in police custody.

The retired general has been detained in his farmhouse on the edge of the capital Islamabad since April 19 on charges of conspiracy to murder former premier Benazir Bhutto, sacking of judges when he imposed emergency rule in 2007, and the 2006 death of a Baluch

rebel leader. Before his arrival in March, Tehreek-e-Taleban Pakistan (TTP) threatened to kill him for his alliance in the US-led “war on terror ” and attempts to clamp down on militants, when he was in power.

Tehreek-e -Taleban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan yesterday issued a fresh warning in a video message posted on Taleban website Umar Media, saying “Soon we will punish this Satan (devil) to death for his wicked

deed”. Musharraf went to the top of the Taleban hit list after ordering the army in 2007 to storm the Red Mosque in Islamabad, where radicals were holed up. The operation left more than 100 people dead and opened the floodgates to Islamist attacks in Pakistan.

“From Baluchistan to Waziristan, Musharraf threw this country in blood and fire, he is the killer of hundreds of innocent students of Lal Masjid (red Mosque),” Ehsan said. A Pakistani cour t on

Wednesday refused bail to Musharraf over the detention of judges. The ruling came two days after a court granted him bail over the murder of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, who was killed in a gun and bomb attack in 2007.

Taking the former chief of army staff into custody was an unprecedented move in a country ruled for more than half of its life by the military and was seen by many as a challenge to the armed forces’ power. —AFP

MONDAY, MAY 27, 2013

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

14 dead in anti-terror Philippine offensive Assault helicopters hunting down fleeing militants

JAKARTA: An Indonesian shi’ite woman (1st L) is comforted by a Batak Christian congregation member (L-white) as they reveal photos depicting persecutions during a protest held by Solidarity for Victims of Freedom of Religion, Worship and Faith (Sobat KBB) against “the World Statesman” award for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, outside the presidential palace in Jakarta yesterday. — AFP

Bitter election aftermath undermines Malaysian PM KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak may have won this month’s disputed election but he faces a fight for legitimacy that could slow reforms, embolden a strong opposition protest movement and spark a leadership battle.

Already the signs are not good. At a busy intersection across from one of Kuala Lumpur’s fanciest shopping malls, a huge poster of Najib and his deputy has been defaced, a rare display of public disrespect in the Southeast Asian nation.

One of the comments scrawled on the poster poked fun at the unconvincing share of the votes won by Najib’s long-ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition: “47 percent PM.” “If you don’t like it, you can leave,” mocked another, alluding to a comment by Najib’s new home minister that those unhappy with the May 5 poll result - and the electoral system that produced it should pack up and emigrate.

The tense political atmosphere threatens to prolong policy uncertainty that investors hoped the polls would put to rest, as Najib braces for a possible leadership challenge and the opposition mounts a noisy campaign to contest the result.

By securing 60 percent of parliamentary seats with less than 50 percent of the popular vote, the BN’s victory has served to expose starkly the unfairness of a gerrymandered electoral system that is also prone to cheating and bias.

That has galvanised the opposition, led by former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, into holding a series of big rallies as it refuses to accept the result and prepares legal action to challenge the outcome in nearly 30 close-run seats.

Disgruntled Malaysians have submitted more than 220,000 signatures to the White House online petition page, exceeding the number required for a response from President Barack Obama.

In response, divisions have appeared in the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), the main party in the ruling coalition - in power since independence from Britain in 1957. Hardliners have urged a crackdown on dissent and blamed minority ethnic Chinese voters for deserting the ruling coalition. That has raised racial tensions in a country whose ethnic Malay majority dominates politics and enjoys special privileges to offset what its leaders see as its disadvantaged position compared to relatively wealthy ethnic Chinese.

Reformers have urged Najib to press ahead with social and economic reforms to blunt the opposition’s appeal and address the concerns of discontented young and urban voters. That includes many ethnic Malays who voted for the opposition.

“Every day Najib sees angry Malaysians on the Internet. It is not an easy thing to swallow,” said a senior government official who declined to be identified. “There are people in his cabinet asking for a crackdown and there are others asking for him to brandish his reformist side.”

The hardliners appeared to gain ground last week when police used the colonial-era Sedition Act to detain three opposition politicians and activists and charged a student with inciting unrest.

The three arrested were later released after a court rejected the police remand order, but could still face charges. Najib is under pressure from UMNO conservatives

such as Mahathir Mohamad, who served as prime minister for 22 years, to show a tougher side ahead of a leadership election that could be held as early as August. At least until then, planned reforms such as steps to widen Malaysia’s tax base and reduce heavy food and fuel subsidies are likely to stay on hold.

“Najib is not in a very strong position,” Mahathir told reporters in Tokyo on Saturday, saying there was a risk that his majority could be weakened further if some ruling coalition politicians defected to the opposition.

“When you are concerned about that, the focus on development, economy and all that will be affected. That is Najib’s problem.” The opposition has yet to present clear evidence of widespread fraud, but Reuters interviews with 15 polling agents give an indication of why many Malaysians have lost faith in an electoral system that clearly favours the governing coalition.

A majority said officials of the Election Commission (EC), which is part of the Prime Minister’s Department, did not follow procedures or were ill-equipped to oversee the polls. “Some, not all, officials were not trained enough or did not have the experience to determine what was a spoiled vote,” said a counting agent in the Segamat parliamentary seat in southern Johor state, where the BN candidate won by a slim 1,200 majority with 950 votes deemed as spoiled.

“I cannot speculate on whether it was deliberate but there was quite a bit of incompetence,” said the agent, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the issue. Anwar’s three-party alliance says it has evidence that BN officials bought votes with cash and transported immigrants, who were granted citizenship on shaky grounds, to vote in areas with close races.

While its legal action, due to be filed with courts around the end of May, is unlikely to succeed, it will keep the electoral fraud issue in the spotlight for months ahead. In Selangor state near Kuala Lumpur, a Reuters examination found at least 2,000 voters had identity cards deemed “dubious” by a commission of inquiry in Malaysia’s Borneo island state of Sabah. That commission is investigating long-standing allegations that the ruling coalition handed out citizenship to immigrants for votes.

The government denies the fraud claims, accusing the opposition of being sore losers and of trying to stir up an Arab Spring-style revolt. The EC says it took a tough approach in eradicating possible fraud in the electoral rolls.

“The opposition did not lose because of election rigging, it lost because they did not get the vote,” EC Chairman Abdul Aziz told Reuters. Deep concerns over the integrity of Malaysia’s elections are nothing new. The government has been shaken by huge street rallies in recent years organised by the influential Bersih (clean) movement that has called for sweeping reforms, including a clean-up of the electoral roll and equal access to media. After a violent police response to a 2011 rally, Najib burnished his reform credentials by rolling back some draconian security laws and introducing limited electoral reforms. —Reuters

Three Chinese ships in disputed waters: Japan TOKYO: Three Chinese government ships entered waters around disputed islands controlled by Tokyo yesterday, Japan’s coastguard said.

The Chinese maritime surveillance vessels were spotted inside the 12-nauticalmile zone off the Senkaku islands, which China calls the Diaoyus, in the East China Sea shortly after 10:00 am (0100 GMT), the coastguard said.

Territorial waters extend by a maximum of 12 nautical miles from coastlines under international law.

The move marked the latest in a long line of stand-offs between official ships from both sides as Beijing and Tokyo jostle

over ownership of the strategically important and resource-rich islands.

A long-simmering territorial row that dates back four decades blistered in September when Tokyo nationalised three islands in the chain, in what it said was a mere administrative change of ownership.

The central government’s move was intended to pre-empt a purchase by the Tokyo city government led by nationalist governor Shintaro Ishihara at the time.

Tokyo’s move prompted angry antiJapan demonstrations across China, which has intensified claims to the islands it says should have been “returned” after World War II. —AFP

MANILA: At least 14 Philippine marines and Abu Sayyaf militants were killed in a clash in a new USbacked offensive aimed at rescuing six foreign and Filipino hostages and stopping the al-Qaeda-linked gunmen from staging more kidnappings in the country’s south, a military commander said yesterday.

Seven marines and seven Abu Sayyaf fighters were killed in the gunbattle, which raged for an hour Saturday in a sparsely populated village near coastal Patikul town in Sulu province. Six marines and about 10 gunmen were wounded, marine Col. Jose Cenabre said.

Government troops backed by assault helicopters were hunting down the fleeing militants, who were believed to be led by JulAswan Sawadjaan, an Abu Sayyaf commander accused in the kidnappings of a Jordanian journalist and two European bird watchers who are still being held by the militants.

One of Sawadjaan’s sons and a minor Abu Sayyaf commander are believed to have been killed in the firefight, said Cenabre, who heads security forces in Sulu. He said the marines initially had difficulty returning fire because the dozens of militants took cover near a row of houses.

The firefight was part of a new military offensive that started last week and is aimed at rescuing the three foreign captives, who were abducted last year, along with three Filipinos kidnapped separately by the militants in recent weeks, he said. Although a large number of marines and policemen are

VILLAMOR AIRBASE: Relatives of the seven dead soldiers cry as the flag draped coffins arrived at the Villamor Airbase in Manila yesterday. Fourteen people were killed in the Philippines as troops clashed with a militant group blamed for the country’s deadliest terror attacks, the military said. — AFP involved in the offensive, only small units have been deployed to hunt down the Abu Sayyaf in two jungle encampments in Sulu, Cenabre said without providing details of the operation. US forces were providing intelligence but were not involved in actual combat, he said.

While Abu Sayyaf abductions still occur, they are far fewer today than the massive kidnappings that terrorized Sulu and outlying

provinces in the early 2000s, when the group had many commanders and strong ties with terrorist organizations, including Indonesianbased Jemaah Islamiyah.

US-backed military offensives have crippled the Abu Sayyaf in recent years, but it remains a key security threat. Washington lists the group as a terrorist organization.

Philippine troops and police special forces, meanwhile, killed

one of two gunmen who were trying to extort money Saturday from a restaurant in Sulu’s capital town of Jolo, Cenabre said. Armed with pistols, the two men shot it out with government forces. One was shot in the head and died and the other was captured, Cenabre said.

He said investigators were trying to determine whether the two had ties with the Abu Sayyaf, which is also notorious for extortion. — AP

Japan-India summit aims at nuclear technology talks

DONGLU: Catholics (L) pass portraits (R) of the Virgin Mary at the start of a religious parade from the Catholic cathedral in Donglu, Hebei Province yesterday. Police surrounded a Chinese village to prevent pilgrims from joining a Catholic parade to honour the Virgin Mary, who locals say appeared in the village a century ago. — AFP

Police surround China village for Catholic celebration DONGLU: Police surrounded a Chinese village yesterday to prevent pilgrims from joining a Catholic parade to honour the Virgin Mary, who locals say appeared in the village a century ago.

Authorities placed roadblocks on main roads leading to the small village of Donglu, just a few hours drive from Beijing, where locals-an estimated 90 percent of whom are Catholic-are fiercely devoted to Mary.

“Police don’t let any outsiders into the village during May... it’s been like that for years,” a local believer who identified herself as Maria said, standing by the towering spires of a church which dominates the village’s skyline. Donglu’s Catholics believe that the Virgin Mary appeared in the sky above the village in 1900, terrifying attackers from the anti-foreign Boxer uprising, which also targeted Catholics, into an awestruck retreat.

“More than 100 years ago, everyone felt the power of Mary to protect the village, and each generation has passed on the story,” Maria said.

A police lock-down lasting the entire month of May, when celebrations dedicated to Mary reach their peak, was established in the 1990s, after tens of thousands of pilgrims from China and abroad gathered in the village, locals say.

More than 30,000 Catholics took part in celebrations in the village in 1995, prompting local authorities to mobilise thousands of troops, arrest priests, and demolish a shrine to the Virgin Mar y, according to Catholic activist websites.

AFP reporters-who entered the village through tiny back lanes, before being briefly detained and escorted out by local police-saw officers sitting in blue tents erected as checkpoints on access roads.

Red banners calling on locals to “carry out religious activities in a lawful and orderly manner” flapped in the breeze.

But celebrations dedicated to Mary continued despite the restrictions.

Around 200 Catholics, including young children, gathered outside the village church yesterday for the parade.

Locals waved bright flags while women in yellow silk dresses decorated with crosses climbed aboard a pick-up truck loaded with red drums, and two men held a large picture of Mary and Jesus in front of the crowd.

“The authorities are afraid that we will cause trouble, but the vast majority of Catholics would never cause trouble,” an 81-year- old local surnamed La said.

Parishioners bowed in front of a statue of Mary, which had been covered with roses, before attending morning mass. “We pray for our church,” the congregation said, their call echoing through the building’s gothic arches.

Catholics in the village-which has a population of roughly 10,000 — said miracles continue to occur around the site of Mary’s supposed appearance.

A parishioner passed AFP a photograph of a priest with red-hands holding a Eucharist, which locals claim bled the blood of Jesus during a mass last year.

“You should never rip or damage this picture, it’s a gift from God,” a woman said.

Though China’s government controls on religion have loosened in recent decades, it remains wary of unofficial mass gatherings, fears some attribute to China’s histor y of anti-government religious movements. A Christian convert in the nineteenth century founded the “Taiping Heavenly Kingdom,” gathering millions of followers in an attempt to overthrow the emperor. China in 1999 launched a huge crackdown on the Falun Gong, a spiritual movement which held a mass gathering in Beijing, and was branded as an “evil cult” by the ruling Communist Party.

Police did not directly state why outsiders were unwelcome in Donglu. “ Tourism is not permitted here,” local policeman Guo Lei said, before asking AFP reporters whether they were Catholics.

AFP was told by villagers that the lockdown usually proved successful in deterring potential visitors.

China has repeatedly said that its citizens enjoy freedom of religious belief, but Catholic rights groups have for years reported police repression of “underground” churches, which operate without government approval.

Experts estimate that there are around 12 million Catholics in China, with about half worshiping in state-sanctioned congregations, and the rest belonging to unofficial churches.

Church officials in Donglu said they often met the demands of local officials in order to continue their worship. They said they won a slight increase in freedoms in recent years, though they complained about the blockade.

“In this area, reasonableness doesn’t matter,” one Church official, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisals, said. “ The government does what it wants, regardless of reasonableness, or fairness.” —AFP

TOKYO: Japan and India will work toward an agreement on nuclear energy cooperation during a visit this week by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, as Tokyo tries to boost exports of atomic technology and other infrastructure to help revive the economy.

“I do hope that we can make progress in civil nuclear energy cooperation,” Kyodo News Service quoted Singh as telling reporters in New Delhi on Saturday.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is eager to promote sales of Japanese nuclear technology as part of Japan’s push to expand exports, especially in emerging markets in Asia and the Middle East that offer stronger growth potential than at home, without the political tensions that plague Tokyo’s dealings with mainland China.

Earlier this month, Japan and India signed a set of agreements on economic cooperation and investment, including multibillion-dollar plans for industrial corridors between New Delhi and Mumbai, and between Chennai and Bangalore. The two sides are also expected to discuss closer military ties.

Singh originally had planned his visit for late last year. He postponed it due to a parliamentary election in December that returned Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party to power. The Indian prime minister arrives in Tokyo on Monday and departs Thursday.

Despite both sides’ hopes for closer ties, trade between Japan and India has not yet taken off. Japan’s exports to India fell nearly 5 percent in the fiscal year that ended in March to 842.1 billion yen ($8.25 billion) - one-thirteenth of the amount Japan shipped to China - while imports rose 4.5 percent from a year earlier to 579.1 billion yen ($5.7 billion), according to Japanese figures.

But with India due to invest about $1 trillion in infrastructure in 2012-2017, Singh said he sees an “enormous role” for Japanese industry in helping build up his country’s manufacturing sector. Highlighting that focus, Singh is due to address Japan’s power ful Keidanran business group during his stay in Tokyo, said India’s foreign secretary, Ranjan Mathai.

He said the two sides would also discuss possible exports of Japan’s high-speed rail technology. Japan’s sales to India of nuclear equipment and technology have been hampered by sensitivity in Japan over India’s past atomic tests and refusal to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

India has announced a moratorium on further nuclear testing, but Japan also wants a clearer commitment from New Delhi. The two sides are also working to decide on consequences should India conduct another nuclear test.

Discussions with Japan on nuclear technology are only at the “very preliminary stage,” Mathai said, adding that India hopes to see progress on an agreement later in the year. Japan’s nuclear power plants are mostly stalled at home due to safety concerns following the March 2011 disaster in Fukushima. So big companies like Hitachi Ltd., Toshiba Corp. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries are desperate to offset lost business at home through sales overseas.

It’s a lucrative prospect, given the dozens of nuclear reactors due to be constructed worldwide in coming years. The pro-nuclear Liberal Democrats also contend that Japan should restart reactors closed down for tightened safety checks to help keep the industry internationally competitive.

Japan’s first nuclear export deal since the March 2011 disaster at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant came during a visit by Abe to Turkey, which chose a Japanese-French partnership to build a nuclear reactor on its Black Sea coast. The two sides also signed a nuclear cooperation agreement, as Abe reassured his hosts that Japan has learned from the disaster and is offering technology with the highest safety standards.

During that overseas tour, Abe also signed nuclear agreements with the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. He is also aiming at nuclear exports to Eastern Europe, with local reports saying he plans to visit Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia in June. — AP

14

MONDAY, MAY 27, 2013

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Issues

Sunni grievances drive Iraq unrest

By WG Dunlop feud between Iraqi Sunnis and the Shiite authorities they accuse of marginalising their community is driving a deadly spike in violence, but will stop short of all-out conflict for now, experts say.

Attacks including bombings that ripped through worshippers in mosques and cut down shoppers in markets killed over 430 people in Iraq so far in May, 461 in April and 220 or more every other month this year, according to AFP figures. Crispin Hawes, the Middle East and North Africa director for the Eurasia Group consultancy, said policies of Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki that have politically isolated Iraqi Sunnis are the main factor behind the spike in violence.

The policies and resulting isolation have encouraged both “radicalisation” and passive tolerance of militants among Sunnis, he said. “Pretty much since the last US soldier knocked the dust from his boots as he crossed the border (in late 2011), Maliki has gone after a succession of Sunni Arab politicians,” Hawes said. Maliki made an unsuccessful call on MPs to remove Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al-Mutlak, a Sunni who had said the premier was “worse than Saddam Hussein”, the day that the last US soldiers left.

A day later an arrest warrant was issued for then-vice president Tareq Al-Hashemi, another Sunni. Hashemi fled Iraq and has since been sentenced to death multiple times in absentia for crimes including murder.

Maliki also sought to remove “Sunni Arab officers from the military (and) militarised, increasingly, population centres in western and northwestern Sunni Arab-dominated provinces in Iraq,” Hawes said. “It has been a consistent ratcheting up of pressure on that community that has progressively isolated and restricted their role in Iraqi politics,” he said.

Discontent has been growing among Iraq’s Sunni minority, which ruled the country from its establishment after World War I until US-led forces toppled dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003, bringing the Shiite majority to power. Sunnis say Shiite authorities have marginalised their community and targeted them with unwarranted arrests and spurious terrorism charges.

Still-ongoing demonstrations erupted in Sunni-majority areas of Iraq in late December, and an April 23 security forces raid on a protest site that sparked clashes in which dozens died sent tensions soaring higher.

While the government has made some concessions aimed at placating protesters and Iraqi Sunnis in general, such as freeing prisoners and raising the salaries of Sunni anti-Al-Qaeda fighters, underlying issues have yet to be addressed. John Drake, an Iraq specialist with risk consulting firm AKE Group, also pointed to Sunnis’ feelings of disenfranchisement as the cause of the violence.

“There is an ongoing sense of marginalisation amongst the Sunni community, exacerbated by frustrations over a lack of jobs, development and improvements in standards of living,” Drake said.

This provides increased motivation for Sunni militant groups to strike. Militants “intent on widening their field of influence to include central Iraq and large parts of neighbouring Syria... appear to have increased the pace of their attacks,” said Drake. “If they target the government and security forces they may succeed in gaining sympathy from antagonised Sunni residents,” he said. Sunni militants, including those from Al-Qaeda’s Iraqi front group, carry out frequent attacks.

Shiite militant groups such as Asaib Ahl al-Haq have meanwhile officially made their peace with the government, though some are thought to still be active, albeit more discretely. It is unclear what direction the violence will take, but even the current heightened level of unrest is a far cry from the worst of Iraq’s sectarian war from 2006 to 2008, when tens of thousands of people were killed. Hawes said the rise in violence increases the likelihood of movement toward civil war or the disintegration of Iraq, but he believes an “intensified version of what we have now” to be the more probable outcome.

Maria Fantappie, an Iraq analyst with the International Crisis Group, said that “there will be a situation of continuous local clashes (between) protesters’ armed factions and government-affiliated forces”. But this “violence will remain highly local, however, as the protesters’ armed factions are many, and mostly disconnected from one province to another,” she said.

“Conditions have worsened over recent weeks and the violence is strongly linked to core social divisions in the country,” said Drake. “If the situation deteriorates further, it could certainly resemble a civil war.” — AFP

A

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Hezb takes Syria risk at Iran’s behest ebanon’s Hezbollah has hurled itself into the war in Syria at the behest of its mentor Iran at the risk of damaging its reputation in the Arab world, experts say. The powerful Shiite movement has won widespread support outside Lebanon for standing up to Israel on the battlefield. But its involvement in Syria fighting alongside President Bashar Al-Assad’s troops against rebels has tarnished its reputation in the region, analysts told AFP. “Hezbollah’s participation in the war in Syria stems from an Iranian decision to support the regime until the end through regional actors, starting with Hezbollah,” said Ziad Majed, professor in political sciences and the Middle East at the American University of Paris.

Hezbollah sent almost 1,700 fighters to the central Syrian town of Qusair a week ago to support the regime’s assault on the rebel stronghold. Its chief Hassan Nasrallah had previously justified the organisation’s involvement in Syria by saying they were defending Shiite villages and holy sites. But the offensive on the mostly-Sunni town of Qusair forced the movement to change its argument. “Syria is the rearguard of the resistance (Hezbollah’s fight with Israel), its backbone, and the resistance cannot stay with its arms folded when its rearguard is exposed,” Nasrallah said on Saturday in a speech for the 13th anniversary of Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon. “We are idiots if we do not act,” he added.

Iran has asked Hezbollah to commit itself publicly to the conflict in Syria because its outcome could decide the future of the alliance between the two countries, and even of the region, said Ghassan AlAzzi, professor of political sciences at the Lebanese University. “Hezbollah did it, even though it has affected its reputation in Lebanon and the Arab world,” he added. But there are other reasons behind its military involvement, until now aimed exclusively at Israel.

“The fall of the Assad clan would have deadly consequences for Hezbollah, not only in terms of the free flow of weapons, men and money, but also because it

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would no longer enjoy the total support of the Syrian regime as it has over the past three decades,” Waddah Sharara, sociology professor at the Lebanese University and author of a book on Hezbollah, told AFP. But Majed said it is also a matter of pride for Hezbollah, which wants to be seen as “a key actor in the region and not just in Lebanon”. “It means that it is capable of intervening decisively in operations outside the country,” he said. In his speech on Saturday to mark Israel’s withdrawal for which Hezbollah takes credit, Nasrallah said: “I have always promised you a victory and now I pledge to you a new one.” But it is not clear what the price of this victory would be. Experts agree that Hezbollah’s deployment of fighters to Syria has tarnished its image and, more seriously, aggravated tensions between Sunni and Shiite Muslims inside Lebanon itself.

“Hezbollah’s reputation has suffered not only in the Arab world but also in Lebanon. Gone are the days when polls named Nasrallah as the most popular political leader in the Arab world for his resistance against Israel,” after a 2006 war between Hezbollah and the Jewish state, Azzi said. Majed said that Hezbollah was very conscious of its image in the Arab world until 2011, but since it realised the Syrian regime could fall, it has adopted a new outlook. “It is only concerned about its image among its social base and in the short term, it has not weakened,” he said. “But we still do not know the danger Hezbollah is causing Lebanon by stirring tensions between Sunnis and Shiites,” he added.

The reaction of the Sunni leader and former prime minister Saad Hariri to Nasrallah’s speech was damning. “You have excelled in sectarian incitement as never before. The time of exploiting Palestine, the resistance and national unity is gone. The Lebanese people, as well as the Arab and Islamic peoples, all know this,” he said.—AFP

Africa defence force still a paper tiger

By Pascal Fletcher and Drazen Jorgic website created for Africa’s proposed continental defence force proclaims a lofty mission “to support and keep peace for Africa’s prosperity and a better life for all in the world”. But click on current operations on the African Standby Force site and the response is a dispiriting “page cannot be found”. The force dreamed of half a century ago by the founding fathers of independent Africa still exists only on paper, casting a shadow over the back-slapping at this weekend’s African Union (AU) summit, which is marking 50 years since the foundation of its precursor, the Organisation of African Unity (OAU).

Instead of a muscular rapid-response force to halt genocide, protect civilians in coups or civil wars, and pursue jihadists, drug traffickers and pirates, African peacekeeping remains a hotchpotch, almost entirely externally funded and mixed into UN or foreign missions. “If ever we needed an African standby force, it is now,” said Emmanuel Kwesi Aning, head of research at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre in Accra, Ghana. He pointed to recent coups and conflicts in Guinea Bissau, Mali, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African Republic, jarring plotlines in the narrative of an economically emergent Africa attracting foreign trade and investment.

“If you looked at Mali, the African standby force was more a bystander force,” said South African defence analyst Helmoed Romer Heitman of the slow preparations for a UN-backed African force slated to intervene in late 2013 in Mali, where Islamist rebels had seized control of the northern half of the country. Events overtook the plans. The AU largely watched from the sidelines in January as former colonial power France, at the request of Mali’s government, rushed in troops to drive back an Islamist rebel offensive threatening the southern capital Bamako.

This was not what Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah, had in mind when he called for “a common defence system with African high command” in a speech at the 1963 founding of the OAU. Nkrumah also warned against “hobnobbing with colonialism”. Plans drawn up a decade ago, when the AU replaced the toothless OAU, foresee a 5,000-strong Standby Force, comprising five regional brigades from across Africa, responding within 14 or 30 days to various crisis sce-

A

narios. AU officials say there is no certainty the full force will be up and running by the target date of 2015. “By that time, definitely some of the regional brigades will be fully operational, and if three out of five are fully operational, then that’s a significant result,” AU Commissioner for Peace and Security Ramtane Lamamra told Reuters. “In the meantime ... we believe we need a tool for immediate response to crisis,” he added.

Lamamra said the AU Commission was consulting with member states’ ministers and military chiefs about setting up an interim African rapid-response unit that could go into action while the larger standby force is being put together.

This month, South African President Jacob Zuma pleaded for the creation of the African Standby Force to be speeded up, citing instability in the Central African Republic, the eastern Congo and Mali, “where decisive intervention is needed”.

African troops - from South Africa, Tanzania and Malawi - are headed to eastern Democratic Republic of Congo to take on armed rebels there, but they are wearing United Nations peacekeeping hats, which means UN control and funding.

And while the AU has publicly backed the Mali intervention by France, which is due to hand over most security there to a UNmandated African force, Paris’s military presence in its former colony still rankles with some. “France is a nasty meddler in African politics,” Aning said.

But the question of who should fund a properly trained and equipped continental force is key for Africa, the world’s least developed region. Despite buoyant recent growth, half of the continent’s near 1 billion inhabitants live in poverty.

“Most African countries are so poor, they can’t afford effective security forces,” Heitman said. “So help is needed.” More than 90 percent of the AU’s peace and security efforts are currently funded by external actors such as the European Union and the United States, according to a 2012 report by South Africa’s Centre for Conflict Resolution and the Berlin-based Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.

With UN peacekeeping missions in Congo and in Sudan’s Darfur each costing global taxpayers well over $1 billion a year, the AU’s Lamamra said Africa cannot be expected to bankroll its own peace enforcement. “We are not supposed to do that. The UN Security Council is responsible for international peace and security. What the Africans are doing as a contribution should be recognised and acknowledged,” he added.

But Ghana’s Aning warns the future credibility of the AU is at stake. “I think Africa must fund the largest part of the Africa Standby Force,” he said.

In the absence of this force, the 17,700-strong African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) is being held up as a successful example of internationally backed African peacekeeping, fighting Islamist al Shabaab militants. First deployed in 2007 and comprising troops from Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, Sierra Leone and Djibouti, AMISOM is credited with pushing al Shabaab out of the capital Mogadishu and the centre and south of the Horn of Africa state. “It is the most effective mission in Africa and also the most cost-effective,” Michele Cervone d’Urso, the EU’s special envoy to Somalia, told Reuters at Mogadishu airport, where Ugandan troops guard against suicide bombers.

AMISOM soldiers’ salaries are paid by the EU, while logistics are covered by the UN. The United States, another donor, shares vital intelligence from drone flights. But the Somalia mission has come at a high cost in lives. Around 3,000 AMISOM soldiers have been killed since 2007, according to the UN. In contrast, 3,096 UN peacekeepers have died in global operations since 1948. “There is no doubt that AMISOM has shown a higher tolerance to casualties than most western peacekeeping forces would,” said Matt Bryden, a director of Sahan Research think-tank and former UN-Monitoring Group coordinator for Somalia.

Experts warn, too, that any pan-African force must take care not to become entangled in, or exacerbate, regional rivalries.

“One of the problems with the whole African Standby Force concept, and its regional brigades, is do you use the regional brigade in its region? Because, of course, the countries there all have little bones to pick with each other,” Heitman said. The new UN eastern Congo intervention force does not include troops from neighbouring Rwanda and Uganda, whom UN experts have accused of supporting Congolese rebels. Kigali and Kampala strenuously deny this. As regional leaders congratulated each other on what AU Commission Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma hails as Africa’s “take-off towards peace and prosperity”, some recalled that the continent’s full independence was not a complete reality. “A free and self-sustaining Africa will be a pipedream if we remain beholden to external sources,” South African President Jacob Zuma reminded his peers on Saturday.— Reuters

NEWS

MONDAY, MAY 27, 2013

MOORE, Oklahoma: US President Barack Obama speaks following a tour of the tornado-affected Plaza Towers Elementary School yesterday. — AFP

Obama travels to tornado-hit state MOORE, Oklahoma: US President Barack Obama yesterday offered solace and support to residents of Oklahoma as they rebuild their shattered lives after last week’s monster tornado, which killed 24 people. “When we say that we’ve got your back, I promise you that we keep our word,” Obama declared, as he stood in front of the wreckage of the Plaza Towers Elementary school. In the shadow of the now unrecognizable mountain of twisted metal and wood, where many of the 10 child victims of the storm lost their lives, he praised the local response “from the forecasters who issued the warnings to the first responders who digged through the rubble to the teachers who shielded with their own bodies their students.”

He also praised those who have offered shelter for those whose homes were destroyed. “This is a strong community.

With strong character. There’s no doubt they’re going to bounce back, but they need help,” he said. “Just like any of us would need help if we saw the kind of devastation that we’re seeing here.” Obama was in Oklahoma to view the devastation firsthand and meet with survivors and first responders. He was accompanied through the scene by Governor Mary Fallin, FEMA administrator Craig Fugate, and other local officials.

The tornado was one of the most powerful in years, damaging or destroying 1,200 homes and affecting an estimated 33,000 people, according to a recent update from officials. Initial damages have been estimated at around $2 billion. Speaking to CNN earlier in the day, Governor Fallin said she is seeking help streamlining assistance to her battered state from the Federal Emergency Management

MoH denies MERS cases in Kuwait Continued from Page 1 Saudi Arabia counts by far the most cases, with 30 confirmed infections and 18 fatalities, while cases have also been detected in Jordan, Qatar, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, Britain and France.

In Saudi Arabia most cases have been registered in the kingdom’s east, with the health ministry saying that most of those who died were “elderly people with chronic illnesses”. However, since May 18, no new cases have been registered in Al-Ahsaa while nine people who had been infected have now been cured, the ministry added. The World Health Organisation said on Friday that much uncertainty remained surrounding MERS, stressing that it

aimed to work closely with Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and perhaps other Middle Eastern countries to determine how great the risk is.

Saudi Arabia had announced it would send samples taken from animals possibly infected with a deadly SARSlike virus to the United States for testing in a bid to find the source of disease. The virus is a cousin of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which triggered a scare 10 years ago when it erupted in east Asia, leaping to humans from animal hosts and eventually killing some 800 people.

Like SARS, the new virus appears to cause an infection deep in the lungs, with patients suffering from a temperature, cough and breathing difficulty, but it differs from SARS in that it also causes rapid kidney failure. — Agencies

Palestinian public hails local hero of Arab...

Continued from Page 1 imagination, but also that of prominent West Bank politicians. He has received a personal telephone call from Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, according to news agency WAFA, and has been endorsed on the Facebook page of caretaker premier Salam Fayyad.

Assaf began his musical career singing Palestinian nationalist songs in his hometown of Khan Yunis and aired on Palestinian TV, and his choices of song on Arab Idol retain a political tinge. “Palestine, the north and south, two brothers in an Arab world,” he sang on a recent instalment of the show, as the screaming studio audience held aloft traditional Palestinian headscarves, and a panel of judges that included Arab pop personalities clapped along.

The competition on Arab Idol, which is broadcast from Beirut studios by the Saudi-owned MBC, is stiff. Talented young singers from across the Arab world compete.

Another one still in the running is Abdel Karim Hamdan, a native of Syria’s war-torn city of Aleppo, who likewise sings about his homeland. This year a female Iraqi Kurdish singer, Parwas Hussain, has also made it through the latest round.

Assaf has overcome his own difficulties in making it this far, given the crippling Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip and its rule by the Islamist movement Hamas. “Assaf beat the blockade and societal restrictions,” said Sana, watching from the same Gaza cafe. “Gaza is not all terrorism, death and violence; it has artists who need to realise their potential and just need a bit of freedom to do so.”

The blockade, which Israel imposed in 2006 and tightened after Hamas took over the territory a year later, severely restricts movement of people, goods and finan-

cial aid.

Hamas itself disapproves of what it considers unIslamic shows, such as Arab Idol, but has not officially clamped down on support for Arab Idol or Assaf. His popularity is palpable, with numerous giant posters featuring his image in the Strip. Assaf, who travelled to Lebanon after crossing the Gaza border into Egypt, has remained in Beirut with the other contestants since the competition began. Assaf’s parents are delighted with their son’s rise to stardom, but fear there is no future for his career at home. “The youth in Gaza want to live normally,” said his 50-year-old mother Umm Shadi. “They don’t lack talent or ambition, but they need to break out of their tough circumstances.”

And there was little room for artistic creativity in Gaza, the teacher at a school for refugees added. “Politics trumps everything here.” Jaber Assaf, Mohammed’s 55year-old father, cheered for his son alongside fans in Gaza. But he warned that if Assaf were to pursue his musical career, “he can’t stay in Gaza, because the art scene here is limited.” There are no accredited music institutes in Gaza, and people have to fund themselves to pursue the performing arts. Before competing in Arab Idol, Assaf usually sang at concerts and parties in the Strip but never got paid for it.

Last season’s Arab Idol victor won a Chevrolet sports car and a recording contract with UAE-based Platinum Records. Assaf, born in Misrata in Libya in 1990, started singing aged five after returning to Gaza when his father finished his accountancy work in the North African country. The family home is adorned with photos of the Arab Idol hero. Ashraf, another fan watching the show at a hotel, said: “We live in a closed society, but Assaf shows we can freely showcase our talent.” — AFP

Resignation of oil minister ‘accepted’ Continued from Page 1 In another development, an Assembly committee reviewing two multibillion-dollar projects - the Subbiya Causeway and North Al-Zour power plant - yesterday recommended the scrapping of the Al-Zour plant for breaking several rules but okayed the causeway project. Member of the committee MP Abdulhameed Dashti said the recommendation on the Al-Zour plant was taken after the committee found “flagrant

legal violations” in the contract and unanimously decided to call for scrapping it. In January, the government signed a deal with a consortium led by France’s GDF-Suez, and including Sumitomo Corp of Japan, to build the 1,500 megawatt AlZour gas-fired power and seawater treatment plant - part of plans to diversify the oil-reliant economy. The $2.6 billion Subbiya Causeway is set to be built by South Korea’s Hyundai Engineering and Construction Co, according to a contract signed in November.

Agency (FEMA) following the powerful twister, which ripped through this Oklahoma suburb almost one week ago, injuring 377 people.

“What I need is the ability to get through red tape, the ability to get the FEMA funds in here quickly and to get the services that our citizens need to help them recover through this terrible disaster,” she said. “The debris, as you can see behind me, is huge. It’s not just a couple houses with roofs off,” she said. “This is a massive debris field. It’s not just a couple blocks. It’s miles. It’s 17 miles (27 km) long, almost a mile and a half (2.4 km) wide.”

The town of Moore suffered a similarly powerful tornado in 1999 that killed 41 and another in 2003. A public memorial was to be held later yesterday in the tight-knit community. But Governor Fallin emphasized the communi-

ty was also rallying together to move on. “We’re resilient.

There’s already a big path of debris that’s been moved around. People are gathering their stuff,” she said. “It’s been truly remarkable to see how our people have responded and how strong they are.”

Part of that process has included taking up the threads of ordinary life, including holding scheduled graduations.

Three area high schools held ceremonies Saturday backto-back at a local convention center. “We gather today to celebrate under unique and trying circumstances,” Terry Tamage, a teacher at Westmoore High School, told the crowd. “We are acutely aware of the events of this week.”

He told the crowd to “celebrate the class of 2013 in a way that is joyful but respectful of our seniors and our community.” — AFP

Gay epic wins Cannes top prize Continued from Page 1 The runner-up award, the Grand Prix, went to Joel and Ethan Coen’s “Inside Llewyn Davis” starring Carey Mulligan, Justin Timberlake and newcomer Oscar Isaac in the title role, which delighted audiences with a mix of soulful 1960s folk singing and absurdist humour. The Coens’ film “Barton Fink” won Cannes in 1991 and the brothers last entered the running in 2007 with “No Country for Old Men”. Mexico’s Amat Escalante won the best director prize for the ultra-violent “Heli” about his country’s blood-drenched drug wars. The 34-year-old filmmaker showed a family trapped in a vicious circle of crime and revenge, with torture scenes that left some queasy viewers running for the exits.

French actress Berenice Bejo claimed best actress honours for her role as a harried Parisian mother in Iranian Oscar winner Asghar Farhadi’s patchwork family drama “The Past”. Bejo, who made her name in the hit French silent movie “The Artist”, plays a wife who asks her estranged husband to return from Iran to finalise their divorce. One of the stars of Hollywood’s 1970s golden age, Bruce Dern, took the best actor prize for his performance in Alexander Payne’s “Nebraska”. In the recession-era road movie, the 76-year-old Dern plays an alcoholic

father who believes he has won a million-dollar sweepstake. China’s Jia Zhangke won the best screenplay prize for “A Touch of Sin”, which offered a shocking look at rampant corruption in his country and exploitation of downtrodden citizens, who can only respond with violent rage.

“Blue” emerged as a favourite for the prize immediately after its premiere. It traces lead character Adele’s infatuation with a beautiful blue-haired art student played by rising star Lea Seydoux, while also exploring themes such as class in France and women’s careers.

“Sure to raise eyebrows with its show-stopping scenes of non-simulated female copulation, the film is actually much more than that: it’s a passionate, poignantly handled love story,” a Hollywood Reporter critic said.

“Remarkably, though, the explicit scenes never really feel pornographic, especially since the film isn’t about titillation or arousal.”

The award came on the day of a major demonstration in Paris against a new law making France the 14th country to legalise same-sex marriage. In a year in which gay themes resonated on and off screen, Steven Soderbergh’s made-for-TV biopic of celebrity pianist Liberace and his long-time lover, “Behind the Candelabra”, also drew praise for its A-list stars Michael Douglas and Matt Damon. — AFP

Rockets hit Hezbollah heartland Continued from Page 1 Tens of thousands of Kuwaitis travel to Lebanon every year, mainly in the summer to escape the scorching heat in the state where the mercury hits 50 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, Bahrain’s foreign minister said yesterday the leader of Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah is a “terrorist” who must be stopped. “Terrorist Nasrallah has declared war on his nation,” said Sheikh Khaled Al-Khalifa on his Twitter account. “Stopping him and rescuing Lebanon from his grip is a national and religious duty for all of us,” he said. Sunniruled Bahrain with a Shiite majority has repeatedly described Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation and called to blacklist it. The comments represent a departure from the traditional Arab view of Hezbollah as a main force against Israel and show the widening sectarian divisions in the region over the war in Syria. Bahrain has been battling a Shiite-led protest that began in Feb 2011.

Yesterday’s blasts came just hours after Nasrallah vowed “victory” in Syria. “I say to all the honourable people, to the mujahedeen, to the heroes: I have always promised you a victory and now I pledge to you a new one” in Syria, he said in a speech late Saturday marking the 13th anniversary of Israel’s military withdrawal from Lebanon. “This battle is ours... and I promise you victory,” he said. Nasrallah said Hezbollah would always stand by its ally Assad and his regime, stressing that its own interests were at stake.

Both rockets hit the Al-Shayyah area of Beirut. The security source said the four wounded in the showroom were all Syrian workers. An AFP journalist said the second rocket hit an apartment block and caused widespread damage but no casualties. “This incident is probably related to the conflict in Syria,” the security source said. He said the rockets were fired from Aitat in the Mount Lebanon area, some 13 km southeast of where they hit. The army said it found two abandoned rocket launchers in woods near Aitat.

“The people will not be intimidated by such acts and are

determined to defend the resistance (Hezbollah)... We will prevent all sectarian dissent,” Hezbollah MP Ali Ammar told the group’s Al-Manar television channel. President Michel Sleiman said the attack’s perpetrators were “terrorists and vandals who do not want peace and stability for Lebanon and the Lebanese.”

Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told journalists in Abu Dhabi that France “very strongly condemns” the incident and stressed it was crucial to “avoid the war in Syria becoming a war in Lebanon”. Al-Manar also broadcast live from Al-Shayyah, showing security forces and Interior Minister Marwan Charbel visiting the suburb. “This is an act of sabotage,” Charbel told reporters at the scene, adding that it was too soon to say who launched the attacks.

The fighting in Syria has already spilled over into Lebanon’s second city, the northern port of Tripoli, where 31 people have been killed and 212 wounded in a week of clashes between pro-Assad Alawites and pro-rebel Sunni Muslims. Most of the fighting in Tripoli has been between residents of the Sunni district of Bab el-Tebbaneh and Alawite residents of Jabal Mohsen. The rebels battling the Syrian regime are mainly Sunnis, while Assad belongs to the Alawite sect which is an offshoot of Shiite Islam.

“Syria is the rearguard of the resistance (Hezbollah’s fight with Israel), its backbone, and the resistance cannot stay with its arms folded when its rearguard is exposed,” Nasrallah said in his speech. “We are idiots if we do not act,” added the Hezbollah chief. The intervention of hundreds of Hezbollah fighters has given Assad the upper hand in Qusair, a strategic central town in Syria across the border with Lebanon, that had been in rebel hands.

Syrian forces launched an assault on Qusair on May 19 but are still meeting with fierce resistance from the rebels, as the town provides an important supply line for arms and volunteers from Lebanon. Qusair is a key prize for Assad’s forces because of its location between Damascus and the Alawite Mediterranean coast. — Agencies

MONDAY, MAY 27, 2013

S P ORTS

Hartley to miss Lions tour

Utrecht in Europa league

Focus on Champions Trophy

LONDON: England hooker Dylan Hartley was banned for 11 weeks yesterday following his red card for abusing the referee in Saturday’s English Premiership final defeat of his Northampton club by Leicester, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) said.

Hartley had been due to go to Australia with the British and Irish Lions but will now be replaced in the party, with Ireland’s Rory Best expected to be called up.

Hartley, Northampton’s captain, became the first player to be sent off in a Premiership final after abusing referee Wayne Barnes and calling him a cheat in Saturday’s match at Twickenham. Hartley had maintained that his expletive-filled comments were aimed at Leicester’s Tom Youngs but at a hastilyconvened hearing on Sunday the RFU’s independent disciplinary panel found against the New Zealand-born hooker.

“Calling a referee a cheat is an attack on his integrity and contrary to the core values of rugby and therefore we have taken a serious view and provided a serious sanction,” judge Jeff Blackett, who headed the three-man panel, said in the ruling.

Hartley had already been warned by Barnes for speaking out of turn before the incident at the end of the first half that led to his sending-off. Northampton went on to lose 37-17 to Leicester.—Reuters

ROTTERDAM: Utrecht clinched a Europa League berth yesterday, despite a 2-1 home defeat in the second leg of their Dutch league playoff against Twente Enschede.

Utrecht won 3-2 on aggregate after taking the first leg 2-0. Dusan Tadic opened the scoring for Twente after 34 minutes, coming in from the right wing with a superb long drive in the upper corner of the goal. Two minutes later Nacer Chadli repeated the same move from the left to double the lead.

Utrecht pulled one goal back 20 seconds into the second half as defensive blunders from keeper Sander Boschker and Felipe Gutierrez allowed Edouard Duplan to score into an empty net.

“This is a crown on a fantastic season but it was very tough today as we allowed them back into the match through two fantastic goals they scored,” Utrecht winger Cedric van der Gun told Eredivisie Live TV. “But we set it straight during halftime and were a bit lucky with our goal.”

For Twente the elimination finishes off a disappointing season in which they topped the table for the first 11 rounds but fell apart after the winter break when manager Steve McClaren was sacked.

Twente failed to qualify for European football for the first time since 2005. —Reuters

SYDNEY: The Ashes will be playing at the back of every Australian cricketer’s mind but captain Michael Clarke wants them to focus on the immediate job in hand — the Champions Trophy.

Clarke and his men left for the United Kingdom yesterday, embarking on a long tour starting with next month’s Champions Trophy to be followed by five tests against Ashes rivals England from July 10.

“We know already that if you are not 100 percent focused, you’ve got no chance,” Clarke told reporters at Sydney airport, dwelling on Australia’s chances of a Champions Trophy hat-trick.

“I think you’ll see a really focused one-day outfit in this Champions Trophy tournament.

“Obviously the build-up and the talk is going to be about the Ashes, but for us as a team we’re very focused on the Champions Trophy,” added Clarke, whose team begin their campaign against hosts England on June 8.

England hold the Ashes after a convincing 3-1 away series win in 2010-11 and Australia’s chances of wresting it back do not look especially bright following their recent 4-0 drubbing in India.

Clarke wants his team to do well in the Champions Trophy and carry forward the momentum. “I think the extra motivation if we can have success in this one-day tournament, and drag that confidence and momentum into the first test, I think that will be very handy,” he said.—Reuters

Red Sox dump Indians TWINS 3, TIGERS 2 In Detroit, Joe Mauer homered and had three hits, helping the Twins end a 10-game losing streak with a victory over the Tigers.

The Twins scored all three runs in the first inning. P.J. Walters (1-0) went six innings, allowing two runs and eight hits. Four relievers finished, with Glen Perkins pitching the ninth for his ninth save in 10 chances. Detroit’s Doug Fister (5-2) allowed three runs and eight hits in seven innings.

BOSTON: Pinch-hitter Mike Carp drove in the tying run with an eighth-inning double and then scored on a double by Dustin Pedroia as the Boston Red Sox rallied for a 7-4 victory over the Cleveland Indians in the American League on Saturday.

The Red Sox scored four times off reliever Vinnie Pestano (1-1), who took over with Cleveland leading 4-3 in the eighth.

Junichi Tazawa (4-2) struck out two in a hitless eighth and Andrew Bailey got three outs for his sixth save in seven chances. Boston starter Jon Lester struck out a season-high eight in seven innings.

SAN FRANCISCO: Angel Pagen No. 16 of the San Francisco Giants hits a walk-off inside-the-park home run to beat the Colorado Rockies in ten inning at AT&T Park. —AFP

Giants get past Rockies SAN FRANCISCO: Angel Pagan became the first San Francisco player to end a game with an inside-the-park homer, connecting with a runner aboard in the bottom of the 10th inning Saturday to give the Giants a 65 victory over the Colorado Rockies.

Troy Tulowitzki homered leading off the 10th to put the Rockies ahead 5-4, but Colorado closer Rafael Betancourt (1-2) walked Brandon Crawford to open the bottom half.

Guillermo Quiroz sacrificed before Pagan sent a long drive that hit the base of the oddly angled wall in right-center and bounced high over the head of right fielder Michael Cuddyer. The speedy Pagan raced around the bases and slid home ahead of the relay.

The last major leaguer to hit an insidethe-park home run that ended a game was Rey Sanchez for Tampa Bay on June 11, 2004 - also in a 10-inning victory over Colorado.

It was Betancourts first blown save in 11 chances this season. Carlos Gonzalez homered among his three hits and drove in two runs for the Rockies.

Buster Posey had three hits and scored twice for the Giants, who ended a fourgame losing streak against the Rockies.

Sergio Romo (3-2) gave up Tulowitzkis 10th homer.

REDS 5, CUBS 2 In Cincinnati, Todd Frazier drove in a pair of runs with a sacrifice fly and a single as Cincinnati used another big inning to beat Chicago for its fifth straight victory.

The Reds have won 13 of 16, surging to a season-high 13 games over .500 at 31-18.

Its their best start since 1995, when they reached the National League championship series.

Cincinnati scored four times in the sixth off Travis Wood (4-3), extending its domination of the NL Centrals last-place team.

Chicago has lost a season-high six consecutive games.

Homer Bailey (3-3) gave up a pair of runs in six innings. Aroldis Chapman had a perfect ninth for his 12th save in 14 chances.

PIRATES 5, BREWERS 2 In Milwaukee, Pedro Alvarez hit two home runs, Andrew McCutchen also went deep and Jeff Locke pitched six shutout innings to lead Pittsburgh over Milwaukee.

Neil Walker added a solo home run for the Pirates, who won for a second time in Milwaukee this season. Locke (5-1) gave up three hits and struck out a season-high seven to win his fifth straight decision. He hasnt allowed a run in his last two starts.

Mike Fiers (1-3) gave up four runs and five hits in four innings. Carlos Gomez homered twice for Milwaukee, which hasnt won back-to-back games since April 29-30 at home against Pittsburgh.

BRAVES 6, METS 0 In New York, Light-hitting pitcher Mike Minor homered for his first two RBIs in the majors and struck out 10 as Atlanta posted its second win in a matter of hours, beating New York for its eighth straight victory.

Earlier, Dan Uggla hit a go-ahead single in the 10th inning and the Braves won in the resumption of a game suspended because of rain Friday night after eight innings with the score tied at 5.

Minor (6-2) then pitched 7 1-3 innings of three-hit ball on a blustery night, sending the Mets to their fifth loss in a row.

Minor singled in the third and hit a tworun drive inside the left field foul pole off

Dillon Gee (2-6) that broke a scoreless tie in the fifth and touched off a five-run burst.

The Braves got six straight hits in their surge, including doubles by Justin Upton and Andrelton Simmons. The teams took 42 minutes to complete the resumption, and there was a 36-minute break between games.

Freddie Freeman, who homered Friday night before the rain came, drew a leadoff walk from Brandon Lyon (1-2) in the 10th and took third on a double by Brian McCann. Uggla followed with his tiebreaking single and B.J. Upton later squeezed home pinch-runner Jordan Schafer.

PHILLIES 5, NATIONALS 3 In Washington, Michael Young scored the go-ahead run from first base on a single in the eighth inning, and Domonic Brown homered and hit an RBI double as Philadelphia beat Washington.

Young walked and came home on Delmon Youngs single to the right-field corner, stretching his hand across the plate to beat Bryce Harpers throw and break a 3all tie. Pinch-runner Michael Martinez then scored on Browns double to right-center.

The runs came off Drew Storen (0-1), the latest failure for the Nationals bullpen.

Chad Durbin (1-0) got two outs for the win.

Jeremy Horst pitched out of an eighthinning jam and Jonathan Papelbon earned his ninth save. Brown and Erik Kratz homered on consecutive pitches in the second.

DODGERS 5, CARDINALS 3 In Los Angeles, Adrian Gonzalez homered and drove in three runs and Mark Ellis lined a go-ahead double in the sixth inning as Los Angeles ended St. Louis three-game winning streak.

The last-place Dodgers, who had lost five of seven, blew a two-run lead before Ellis two-out hit off Seth Maness (3-1) scored Carl Crawford from first base to make it 4-3.

Paco Rodriguez (1-2) earned his first major league victory, getting three outs on 10 pitches. Brandon League worked the ninth to earn his 10th save in 12 chances.

PADRES 10, DIAMONDBACKS 4 In Phoenix, Everth Cabrera matched his career high with four RBIs, two coming on his second home run in two nights, as San Diego beat Arizona.

Cabrera fell a triple shy of the cycle, with a single in the first and a two-run double to cap the Padres five-run fourth.

Andrew Cashner (4-2) got the victory, giving up four runs on nine hits in six-plus innings. He also singled in a run, his first RBI of the season. Wade Miley (3-4) got the loss.

Arizonas Eric Chavez drove in three runs with a two-run homer and sacrifice fly.

INTERLEAGUE WHITE SOX 2, MARLINS 1 In Chicago, Conor Gillaspie hit a runscoring single in the ninth inning to score Dewayne Wise, lifting the White Sox to a win over Miami.

Derek Dietrich homered in the top of the ninth to spoil Jake Peavys shutout bid, but in the bottom half, Gillaspie drove in Wise - who had come in as a defensive replacement - to give the White Sox their eighth win in 11 games.

Peavy (6-2) struck out five and allowed six hits in the complete-game effort, his longest outing of the season. Ryan Webb (13) gave up Gillaspies single to take the loss for Miami, which dropped its fourth straight and 11th in the last 13 games. —AP

ORIOLES 6, BLUE JAYS 5 In Toronto, Danny Valencia hit a two-run homer and Adam Jones added a solo shot to help the Orioles beat RA Dickey and the Blue Jays.

The Orioles won for the fourth time in five games following a seasonlong, six-game losing streak.

Valencia connected off Dickey (46) with a second-deck drive in the third inning. Jones chased last year’s National League Cy Young Award winner with an even longer drive in the seventh, his ninth of the year and third in three games.

The Orioles lead the majors with 68 home runs this season, including nine in the past three games. Freddy Garcia (1-2) allowed three runs and nine hits in five innings to win for the first time since Aug. 15, 2012, when he beat Texas while pitching for the New York Yankees.

ANGELS 7, ROYALS 0 In Kansas City, Josh Hamilton and Hank Conger homered to back Billy Buckner’s first major league win since 2009 as the Angels beat the Royals for their seventh straight victory.

The resurgent Angels have outscored opponents 54-18 during their longest winning streak of the season. The slumping Royals have lost 15 of 19, including seven straight at home. They have scored three runs or fewer in 12 of those defeats to drop a season-low four games below .500 at 21-25.

Conger’s shot leading off the sixth inning was the first hit off Jeremy Guthrie (5-3), who dropped his third consecutive outing after going a Royals-record 18 starts in a row without a loss. Buckner (1-0), who hadn’t pitched in the majors since 2010, limited the Royals to two hits over five innings.

YANKEES 4, RAYS 3 In St. Petersburg, Lyle Overbay homered with two outs in the 11th inning as the Yankees rallied late to beat the Rays. Overbay drilled a 1-0 pitch from Josh Lueke (0-2) into the right field seats to give New York the lead.

Ivan Nova (2-1), who made his first relief appearance after returning

ATHLETICS 11, ASTROS 5 In Houston, Josh Donaldson homered and had four hits to power Oakland past Houston. Chris Young added three hits and drove in two runs as the Athletics pounded out a season-high 18 hits. Every Oakland batter drove in at least one run. Donaldson and Brandon Moss hit back-to-back homers for the A’s, who improved to 80 this season against the Astros.

AJ Griffin (5-3) allowed four runs and five hits with seven strikeouts in 5 2-3 innings. He gave up three homers.

Jason Castro and Matt Dominguez each had two home runs for the Astros.

RANGERS 5, MARINERS 2 In Seattle, Nelson Cruz hit his 12th homer of the season and David Murphy drove in three runs as Texas handed Seattle its eighth straight loss.

Derek Holland (4-2) went 6 2-3 innings, striking out a season-high 10, allowing no earned runs and winning for the first time since May 8 after a pair of no decisions.

Murphy’s two-out double in the second gave Texas a 3-0 lead and Cruz added his solo homer - also with two outs - in the fifth inning. Felix Hernandez (5-4) took the loss. —AP

BOSTON: Dustin Pedroia No. 15 of the Boston Red Sox doubles in the go ahead run in the 8th inning against the Cleveland Indians at the plate at Fenway Park. —AFP 11th inning for his 18th straight save to start the season.

The Yankees scored twice in the ninth against struggling Tampa Bay closer Fernando Rodney to pull even at 3.

from a triceps injury, struck out James Loney and got an inning-ending grounder from Matt Joyce with the bases loaded in the 10th.

Mariano Rivera pitched a perfect

MLB results/standings Baltimore 6, Toronto 5; Boston 7, Cleveland 4; LA Angels 7, Kansas City 0; San Francisco 6, Colorado 5 (10 innings); Minnesota 3, Detroit 2; Pittsburgh 5, Milwaukee 2; Cincinnati 5, Chicago Cubs 2; NY Yankees 4, Tampa Bay 3 (11 innings); Atlanta 7, NY Mets 5 (10 innings); Oakland 11, Houston 5; Chicago White Sox 2, Miami 1; LA Dodgers 5, St. Louis 3; Philadelphia 5, Washington 3; Atlanta 6, NY Mets 0; Texas 5, Seattle 2; San Diego 10, Arizona 4.

American League National League Eastern Division Eastern Division W L PCT GB Atlanta 30 18 .625 NY Yankees 30 18 .625 Washington 25 24 .510 5.5 Boston 30 20 .600 1 Philadelphia 24 25 .490 6.5 Baltimore 27 22 .551 3.5 NY Mets 17 29 .370 12 Tampa Bay 24 24 .500 6 Miami 13 36 .265 17.5 Toronto 20 29 .408 10.5 Central Division Detroit 27 20 Cleveland 27 21 Chicago White Sox 23 24 Kansas City 21 25 Minnesota 19 27

Texas Oakland LA Angels Seattle Houston

Western Division 32 17 27 23 22 27 20 29 14 35

.574 .563 .489 .457 .413

.653 .540 .449 .408 .286

0.5 4 5.5 7.5

5.5 10 12 18

St. Louis Cincinnati Pittsburgh Milwaukee Chicago Cubs

Central Division 31 17 31 18 30 19 19 28 18 30

.646 .633 .612 .404 .375

0.5 1.5 11.5 13

Arizona Colorado San Francisco San Diego LA Dodgers

Western Division 27 22 27 22 27 22 22 26 20 27

.551 .551 .551 .458 .426

4.5 6

China retains Sudirman Cup

KUALA LUMPUR: Chinese players celebrate with their trophy during the prize giving ceremony after winning the 2013 Sudirman Cup world mixed team badminton championships against South Korea. —AFP

KUALA LUMPUR: Badminton powerhouse China extended their Sudirman Cup hegemony yesterday, crushing South Korea 3-0 to win their ninth title in 10 final appearances.

The Chinese shuttlers did not drop a single set in the final of the world mixed team championship in Kuala Lumpur against a Korean squad consisting mostly of debutants.

World number two Chen Long won the men’s singles while China also claimed the mixed and men’s doubles rubbers to dash whatever hopes Korea had of repeating their famous 2003 victory over the formidable Chinese.

The world number one mixed doubles pair Xu Chen and Ma Jin trounced Ko Sung-hyun and Kim Ha-na 2113 21-15 to give China the perfect start before Chen stepped on the court to beat Lee Dong-keun 21-15 2110 in 48 minutes and extend the advantage.

Liu Xiaolong then joined forces with Qiu Zihan to beat Ko Sung-hyun and Lee Yong-dae 21-19 21-17 in the men’s doubles to seal China’s fifth straight Sudirman Cup title. —Reuters

MONDAY, MAY 27, 2013

S P ORTS

New scandal hits US college sports program NEWARK: The woman hired to clean up the scandal-scarred athletic program at Rutgers University quit as a volleyball coach 16 years ago after her players submitted a letter complaining she ruled through humiliation, fear and emotional abuse, The Star-Ledger newspaper reported Saturday night on its website. Julie Hermann, hired May 15 as athletic director of the New Jersey university, has promised a restart for the program following the ouster of its men’s basketball coach and the resignation of other officials. The basketball coach was fired last month after practice videos surfaced of him hitting, kicking and taunting his players with anti-gay slurs.

The letter about Hermann was submitted by all 15 team members of Tennessee’s women’s volleyball team, according to The Star-Ledger.

“The mental cruelty that we as a team have suffered is unbearable,” the players

wrote about Hermann. The players said Hermann called them “whores, alcoholics and learning disabled” and they wrote: “It has been unanimously decided that this is an irreconcilable issue.” The players told The Star-Ledger that Hermann absorbed the words and said: “I choose not to coach you guys.”

It’s the latest controversy to hit Rutgers, which was recently was in the spotlight after an unrelated incident in 2010 when a gay student killed himself after his roommate used a webcam to record him kissing another man.

The 49-year-old Hermann, who is set to take over the Rutgers’ program June 17, told The Star-Ledger she didn’t remember the letter. The newspaper said when it was read to her by phone Wednesday, she replied, “Wow.” Hermann, the first woman to head Rutgers’ athletic program, is set to replace Tim Pernetti, who quit last month after

Rutgers’ problems started in December when Rice was suspended three games and fined $75,000 by the school after a video of his conduct at practices was given to Pernetti by Eric Murdock, a former assistant coach. The video showed numerous clips of Rice firing basketballs at players, hitting them in the back, legs, feet and shoulders. It also showed him grabbing players by their jerseys and yanking them around the court.

Rice can also be heard yelling obscenities and using anti-gay slurs.

The controversy went public in April when ESPN aired the videos and Rutgers President Robert Barchi admitted he didn’t view the video in the fall. Rice was fired and Pernetti, assistant coach Jimmy Martelli and interim senior vice president and university counsel John Wolf resigned.

After a series of interviews with many of the former Tennessee players about Hermann, The Star-Ledger said: “Their

the firing of basketball coach Mike Rice.

She is one of three female athletic directors at the 124 schools that make up the top tier of U.S. college football.

Rutgers will join the most lucrative conference in the country, the Big Ten Conference in 2014, which means millions in additional revenue from TV contracts and more national exposure.

“No one on the coaching staff doesn’t believe that we need to be an open book, that we will no longer have any practice, anywhere at any time, that anybody couldn’t walk into and be pleased about what’s going on in that environment. It is a new day. It is already fixed,” Hermann said at her introductory news conference.

At that news conference, Hermann was questioned about a 1997 jury verdict that awarded $150,000 to a former Tennessee assistant coach who said Hermann fired her because she became pregnant.

accounts depict a coach who thought nothing of demeaning them, who would ridicule and laugh at them over their weight and their performances, sometimes forcing players to do 100 sideline push-ups during games, who punished them after losses by making them wear their workout clothes inside out in public or not allowing them to shower or eat, and who pitted them against one another, cutting down particular players with the whole team watching, and through gossip. “Several women said playing for Hermann had driven them into depression and counseling, and that her conduct had sullied the experience of playing Division I volleyball.”

The Star-Ledger asked Hermann about the players’ lingering grievances. “I never heard any of this, never name-calling them or anything like that whatsoever,” she told the newspaper. “None of this is familiar to me.” —AP

Froch wins decision over Kessler LONDON: Carl Froch won a unanimous decision over Mikkel Kessler in a super middleweight title unification bout on Saturday night, avenging his first career defeat and adding the WBA championship to his IBF belt.

Fighting in front of a partisan crowd at the sold-out O2 Arena, Froch (47-2, 35 KOs) started quickly and survived several spots of trouble to hold off Kessler (30-3), who beat the Englishman in a thrilling decision in April 2010.

The rematch also was highly entertaining, with Froch appearing to hurt Kessler with a series of right hands in the eighth round. The Danish fighter stormed back in the 11th round with several rocking shots, but Froch replied with a punishing 12thround performance, getting close to stopping Kessler.

“You’ve got to have a game plan, but I didn’t get hit with too many shots in there,” Froch said. “Kessler got hit with too many himself, and that was the big difference.”

All three judges favored the 35-year-old Froch, scoring it 115-113, 116-112 and 118110. “(Kessler) is a good counterpuncher,” Froch said. “The main difference was, in the first fight, I was backing up. I was letting him dictate the pace. I was letting him push me back.

“I was meeting him as he came (in the rematch), and I was being aggressive with the jab. I was looking him in the eye, and

letting him know. When he was going to come forward, I was going to meet him with punches. I was discouraging him and putting him on his back foot.”

The 34-year-old Kessler had won four straight fights, including his victory over Froch for the WBC 168-pound belt. He has won just once outside Denmark since June 2005, going 1-3.

Kessler landed more than 55 percent of his punches, beating Froch in accuracy, but never mounted consistent momentum outside a few middle rounds. Froch dictated the pace until Kessler went for a knockout in the 11th round, but Froch responded with a dominant final round.

Froch and Kessler are among the top contenders in a division widely thought to be ruled by Andre Ward, the unbeaten US Olympic champion who beat both men during the Super Six tournament a few years ago. Ward attended Saturday’s fight as a commentator for American television and said he would be open to a rematch with Froch.

“I actually watched (video of ) Andre Ward against Kessler, dare I say, yesterday and today,” Froch said. “Stepping in and closing the range once he threw the jab. ... I have been working on a long jab.”

Froch has won three straight bouts since losing to Ward in December 2011, also beating Lucian Bute and Yusaf Mack in his native Nottingham. —AP

MEMPHIS: Zach Randolph No. 50 of the Memphis Grizzlies goes up for the ball against Matt Bonner No. 15 and Tim Duncan No. 21 of the San Antonio Spurs during Game Three of the Western Conference Finals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs. —AFP

Spurs stop Grizzlies in OT

LONDON: Carl Froch of Britain (left) fights against Mikkel Kessler of Denmark during their super-middleweight world title unification boxing match at O2 Arena. —AP

MEMPHIS: The San Antonio Spurs rallied from an 18-point deficit to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 10493 in overtime on Saturday and move a win away from the NBA Finals.

The Spurs grabbed a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference finals and now have won five straight this postseason. With the memory of blowing a 20 lead a year ago in the West finals to Oklahoma City, when they lost the next four, the Spurs shook off their sloppy play early and pushed the young Grizzlies to the edge of elimination in the first West final played in Memphis.

San Antonio, which didn’t lead this game until the opening minute of the fourth quarter, can wrap up the series today in Memphis and get back to the finals for the first time since their last title in 2007.

The Spurs hit eight of their 10 shots in over-

time, with Tim Duncan scoring seven of his 24 points. Tony Parker had five of his 26 in overtime, and even Tiago Splitter, playing with four fouls, scored six in the extra five minutes to finish with 11.

Mike Conley led Memphis with 20 points. Marc Gasol had 16 points and 14 rebounds, Zach Randolph added 14 and 15, and Quincy Pondexter had 15 points. But the Grizzlies, who thrived at the free throw line in knocking off No. 1 seed Oklahoma City in the semifinals, got there only 18 times and made only 10. The Grizzlies last led 85-84 with 1:04 left in regulation on a 15-footer by Gasol. After that, they managed only to tie it up twice, the last on a layup by Randolph with 4:28 left in overtime. Duncan scored and knocked down the free throw with 4:10 remaining to put the Spurs ahead to stay.

Kuchar leads at Colonial FORT WORTH: Matt Kuchar finished a long Saturday at Colonial exhausted and still a stroke in front. “This morning feels like a day ago,” Kuchar said. “It’s hard to believe it’s the same day.”

After making a 12-foot birdie putt at the par-3 16th hole, the same place where his day began at 7:13 a.m. to finish the suspended second round, Kuchar had two nifty par-savers to finish a 1-under 69 in the third round. He was at 11-under 199, one ahead of Graham DeLaet, Boo Weekley, Chris Stroud and Matt Every.

When the second round was suspended Friday night because of an approaching storm, Kuchar had just hit his tee shot at the par-3 16th. He resumed there early Saturday with a two-putt from about 40 feet. That was part of three quick pars to keep his one-stroke lead after two rounds, then he played in the final group that finished just after 5 p.m.

Kuchar made his go-ahead stroke in the third round at No. 16 - after falling behind by as many as two strokes before his approach shot at the 379yard 17th landed in a greenside bunker. He blasted to 13 feet and saved par before hooking his tee shot at No. 18 into the left rough. He found more tall grass near the green with his second shot before pitching inside 3 feet.

“To not give away a stroke and maintain a one-shot lead is a good position to be in. Everybody has got to come get me,” Kuchar said. “Not only a bunch of players, but a bunch of good players up there. ... I’m looking forward to having the lead and seeing if I can maintain it, and my goal will be to grow the lead.” Weekly, even with problems maintaining

focus in his left eye, and Every shot third-round 66s. Stroud had a 67 and DeLaet, playing with Kuchar, had three back-nine bogeys before a birdie at No. 18 for a 69.

Ranked No. 13 in the world - the highest in the field - Kuchar started the third round with a birdie at the easy par-5 first hole. At the 458-yard third hole, his 8-foot birdie attempt rolled over the cup without falling, ending his streak of 34 consecutive made putts under 10 feet this week at Hogan’s Alley. Kuchar missed another short one, a 5-foot par putt after blasting out of a greenside bunker at the seventh hole. He then missed the green on at the par-3 eighth and bogeyed again, putting him 9 under and two strokes behind DeLaet, the 31-year-old Canadian looking for his

first PGA Tour victory.

“I felt like they were easy up-anddowns,” Kuchar said. “I was glad to bounce back.” DeLaet was at 12 under after he and Kuchar both had birdies at the par-5 11th hole before his bogeys at Nos. 13, 14 and 17. Kuchar won the WGC-Accenture Match Play in February, and will try Sunday to join Tiger Woods as the only multiple winners on the PGA Tour this season.

Kuchar is a five-time winner, but never has won twice in the same season.

There could be a lot of competition in the final round at Colonial, where 12 players are within three strokes of the lead. That dozen includes defending champion Zach Johnson, who also won in 2010, at 202. Johnson shot 68, his 18th time under par his last 19 rounds at Hogan’s Alley. The lone

FORT WORTH: Franklin Corpening lines up a putt on the 18th green during the final round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. —AFP

exception being his closing 72 last year that included a two-stroke penalty.

Five-time winner Ben Hogan is the only player to win Colonial more than twice.

“Certainly the confidence of playing well here is something I’m going to try to lean on,” Johnson said. Weekley, who has won twice but not since 2008, had gotten to 10 under during his second round Friday when he made consecutive birdies after making his turn.

But he had a late four-hole stretch with a double bogey and two bogeys. He was back at 10 under Saturday with consecutive birdies at Nos. 11 and 12, and was still there after an up-anddown finish.

“When we got done playing (Friday), I went out to the range and practiced a little bit and focused back on what we are here to do , and that’s win and play the best we can,” Weekley said.

There was a bogey at the 14th when he missed the fairway with his tee shot and the green with his approach, but he made a 6-foot birdie at No. 15. He missed a 5-foot par chance at No. 16, but finished with a birdie after his approach inside 3 feet at the closing hole.

After having problems reading greens in recent tournaments, Weekley this week went to doctor to have his left eye checked. But he still hasn’t found out what the problem is.

“I get like a real bad twitch when I’m trying to focus on something, especially staring down on the ball,” Weekley said. “It’s happened, I’d say probably 15-20 times so far this week.”

Even with that problem, he’s still got a chance to win. —AP

The Spurs dominated the Grizzlies in the paint, outscoring Memphis 58-42 to offset their 17 turnovers, which the Grizzlies turned into 25 points. After the Grizzlies outscored San Antonio in the first quarter, the Spurs outscored them in each of the final three periods and overtime, where they had an 18-7 edge to put away the win.

Memphis, which had a lead for only 90 seconds in San Antonio, opened up with its trademark grit and grind defense, forcing eight turnovers in the first quarter to grab an 18-point lead. The Spurs quit turning the ball over and whittled away that lead to set up a thrilling fourth quarter in which the teams swapped the lead 11 times with 10 ties - all in the final 17 minutes. The Grizzlies lost for the first time at home this postseason and just their second time since Feb. 8. —AP

Moreno leaves pack behind PARADISE ISLAND: Paola Moreno is blocking out everything about this strange week except for the next shot. She wound up with another bogey-free round on the shortened course Saturday and took the lead into the final round of the Bahamas LPGA Classic.

Moreno made a couple of 25-foot birdie putts and added two more birdies for a 4under 41. The Colombian had a one-shot lead over Lindsey Wright, who made seven birdies for a 7-under 38.

“I am just focused on what I can control right now,” said Moreno, who was at 9-under 81. “The only thing that matters right now is the first tee shot on No. 1 - or No. 10, whatever hole we’re playing tomorrow. And I’m just excited to be there.”

Cristie Kerr did enough to at least get in range. She was among 10 players within three shots of the lead, though they have six fewer holes to make up ground.

Because of severe flooding earlier in the week on the Ocean Club course, the LPGA Tour is using the holes available. In this case, it’s a 12-hole course that starts on the back nine at No. 10, jumps over to the front nine for four holes that are out of order, heads over to a stretch on the back nine and finishes along the ocean at No. 8. The final round now goes from a par 45 to a par 47.

The par-5 18th hole is in good enough shape to be playing as the closing hole, giving this inaugural event at least some semblance of normality. It will replace No. 4, which also is a par 5 but has been played as a par 3 because of a bunker caved in by the rain.

The best thing Moreno achieved on a sunfilled Saturday - at least as far as the tournament was concerned - was finishing.

It was critical for all the players to finish two rounds (24 holes) going into the final round or it would have been unlikely to complete 36 holes by Sunday to make this official. The LPGA Tour was determined to play an official event

for Pure Silk and the Bahamas Tourism Ministry, the two title sponsors of this new tournament.

Stacy Lewis, the world No. 2 player, was trying to get close to the leaders and isn’t sure she did enough. Two late birdies gave her a 3-under 42, though she was five shots behind. That feels like a larger deficit given the shortened course.

“It’s strange,” Lewis said. “By the time you get into a rhythm, the round is over. You can make a lot of birdies. You just have to get off to a good start.” Wright proved that, using a simple approach similar to Moreno. The Australian didn’t realize she finished her round with six straight 3s on her jumbled scorecard. She could name the holes where she made her seven birdies until calling her caddie over for help.

She just knows she played some pretty good golf.

“I didn’t know what was going on,” Wright said. “I just play. That’s probably how we should do it all the time.” Inbee Park played a game that didn’t resemble the No. 1 player in the world, at least not the closing holes. She played the last four holes in 8 over.

It started when she was left of the 14th green (the ninth hole) when she went to play a chip and her caddie realized he left the club on an adjacent par 3. She barely reached the green and made bogey. Then, she fanned her tee shot on the par-3 second (No. 10) some 30 yards right of the green. It really turned ugly on the next par 3, with a lake that should not have come into play with a back pin. Park hit 4-iron twice into the water, coming up some 40 yards short of the flag. She finally made quintuplebogey 8.

Park finished with a fairway metal that she snap-hooked into the ocean. The Ocean Club appears to have nearly recovered, though a few holes aren’t suitable to play. And because there is no cut this week - the LPGA Tour felt that would be unfair after only 24 holes - the decision was to keep it at 12 holes to make sure everyone finished. —AP

MONDAY, MAY 27, 2013

S P ORTS

Scandal engulfs Indian cricket, web of players NEW DELHI: It wasn’t a typical photo opportunity for Indian cricketer Shanthakumaran Sreesanth as he stood outside a New Delhi court in a pair of faded jeans and a dark blue full-sleeve tee-shirt.

Flanked by two policemen and his face covered with a black cloth, one of the most recognisable sportsmen in India kept his head bowed as newspaper photographers clicked away.

The slim, 30-year old, who can hurl the ball at speeds of up to 145 km per hour (90 mph) at opposing batsmen, was arrested ten days ago, police said, for receiving 4 million rupees ($71,000) from bookies for underperforming in a match in the multibillion dollar Indian Premier League (IPL), the sport’s richest tournament. He and two other players were provisionally charged with cheating, fraud and breach of trust.

In a statement to media through his lawyer, Sreesanth denied any wrongdoing and said he was confident he would be proven innocent “and my honour and dignity will be vindicated and restored”. The two other players and 11 bookies, who are also in custody, have not commented on the allegations. The Indian cricket board (BCCI), which runs the IPL, has set up its own inquiry into the scandal. The BCCI and the IPL did not return calls from Reuters for comment on the case, but N. Srinivasan, the BCCI president, told reporters after the arrests: “Three players have allegedly indulged in something.

“We do not believe that the whole of IPL is wrong. Actually, we are very grateful to the public who filled the stadiums (even) after this news came out.”

On Friday, Srinivasan’s son-in-law, Gurunath Meiyappan, was also arrested by police probing illegal betting in the IPL. Meiyappan, who is among the management of one of the teams in the tournament, remains in custody and unreachable for comment. His team is playing in the final of this year’s IPL. “We’ve come to the conclusion that there is evidence of his involvement in this offence that we are investigating...” joint commissioner of Mumbai Police Himanshu Roy told reporters after the arrest.

Srinivasan, Meiyappan’s father-in-law, told local television the law would take its course. “Whatever he has to defend, I’m sure he would defend adequately,” he said.

Cricket, the “gentleman’s game” of the British Empire nations, has been hit by a series of gambling-related scandals in international matches in recent years and several players have been convicted of throwing games. But Sreesanth’s case is the first time allegations of “fixing” in the IPL are being heard in a court of law, despite a huge, illegal betting industry that has grown up around the tournament. Local media has estimated wagers on IPL games reached $427 million in 2009, although gambling on sport remains illegal in India, except for horse-racing.

Srinivasan says the BCCI “cannot police and control every bookie in town - We do not have the resources.” “Cricket is a gentleman’s game. We will put in place all measures to the maximum extent possible to monitor players’ behaviour ... so that such things do not recur,” he said.

Bets are laid on results, but also on the total number of runs scored in matches, the number of “no-balls” or foul deliveries by bowlers, and the number of runs scored per six-delivery “over”. Enormous sums of money can be won if players can be bribed or coerced to manipulate outcomes.

“I’m not shocked at what has happened.

I’m shocked so little came out,” Rahul Mehra, a lawyer who has filed cases against the BCCI and other sports associations in India seeking more transparency in their operations, told Reuters.

In the IPL’s two-month season, nine franchises play each other in a shortened threehour version of the game, with cheerleaders, blanket television coverage and celebrity owners including India’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan.

Players are bought for millions of dollars at auctions - in 2011, Indian national team star Gautam Gambhir was engaged at $2.4 million by one of the franchises. And in cricket-mad India, the first 16 of this year’s fixtures attracted 140 million TV viewers.

For decades, cricket was a sleepy, laidback pastime, but the shorter, televisionfriendly forms of the sport have brought an influx of money, especially in India.

Experts on cricket say the large sums at stake and easy access to cricketers by bookies are clouding the future of the game.

Also, the absence of any law to deal specifically with fixing in sport is a problem. Law Minister Kapil Sibal has said the charges of cheating and fraud, being used by police against Sreesanth and the others, do not “adequately deal” with the offence.

Sreesanth and the others were arrested after police tapped telephone conversations between two of the cricketers and the bookies. New Delhi’s police commissioner says the case has put a rare spotlight on the nexus between players, bookmakers and the underworld in India.

The three players are accused of “spotfixing”, which refers to the manipulation by players of specific moments within a match, for example how a ball is bowled, and not the result itself.

Police said the taped conversations revealed details of spot-fixing plans, the signals players would make to the bookies and the amount of money they would get in return. They allege Sreesanth and the two other players agreed to take money from bookmakers to concede a certain number of runs in an over, a set of six balls bowled during a match.

Police alleged that Sreesanth tucked a towel into his waistband during one game to signal to the bookie, giving him enough

time to take bets before he resumed bowling.

The spot-fixing did not always go smoothly, Delhi police chief Neeraj Kumar said. Of the other two arrested cricketers, one, Ajit Chandila, is alleged to have had to return 2 million rupees ($36,000) to the bookie he had struck a deal with, Kumar said. Despite conceding the pre-determined number of runs, he forgot to signal to the bookie that he was about to do it, the police chief said.

In another match, the third cricketer in custody, Ankeet Chavan, rotated his wristband to give the go-ahead to the bookies to take bets and was paid 6 million rupees ($110,000) in return, Kumar said.

Chavan’s lawyer Rajiv Dwivedi told Reuters his client was innocent and was being falsely implicated. Chandila’s lawyer could not be reached despite repeated phone calls.

The Indian cricket board employs the International Cricket Council’s AntiCorruption and Security Unit (ACSU) to oversee the IPL games, including monitoring teams at their hotels and in the stadium where the match is being played to make sure they are not approached by bookies.

The ACSU however has no power to arrest any player and if it spots any wrongdoing in the IPL, it would have to report to the BCCI. “This incident emphasises the threats all players face and need for the anti-corruption units of the International Cricket Council and its members to work even closer with the various law enforcement agencies around the world who have the necessary investigatory authority and resources,” ACSU chief YP Singh said in a statement.

The IPL tournament takes place in April and May. For players from modest backgrounds, it means two months of city-hopping and luxurious living in five-star hotels as media stars. At the end of the tournament, they return to their home states, where they earn much less playing for state teams.

“IPL is paying them so much and I’m happy for that. But easy money on offer is making them vulnerable,” Madan Lal, a member of the Indian team that won the 1983 World Cup, told Reuters, referring to the temptations for players to fall in with the bookies.

Some former and current cricketers say a few players could be enticed into illegal money-making ventures because they are unsure if they will be selected the following season and want to cash in on their current status.

“We want to weed out these elements,” said Rajeev Shukla, a government minister and chairman of the IPL’s governing council.

“After all, so much money is being paid to these players and if they are (still) doing it, it’s the height of greed,” he said in a recent television interview. —Reuters

ITALY: Italian cyclist Vincenzo Nibali holds his trophy as he celebrates victory on the podium at the end of the 96th Giro d’Italia race. —AFP

Nibali secures Giro title BRESCIA: Italian Vincenzo Nibali secured his maiden Giro d’Italia title yesterday as Britain’s Mark Cavendish took his fifth stage win on the 21st and final leg into Brescia.

Nibali, of the Astana team, finished the weather-hit 96th edition with a 4min 43sec lead on Colombian Rigoberto Uran of Team Sky with Australian Cadel Evans of BMC finishing third at 5:52.

After negotiating the final stage successfully, an emotional Nibali said: “I’ve achieved one of my lifetime dreams. I can’t believe it. It’s unbelievable.”

It was Nibali’s first victory on the three-week Italian race, in which he finished third in 2010 and runner-up in 2011. Last year, he finished third overall on the Tour de France, won by Britain’s Bradley Wiggins. Nibali succeeds Canadian Ryder Hesjedal as winner of the race’s ‘maglia rosa’ (pink jersey) after the Garmin rider, followed by an ailing Wiggins, dropped out before the final week due to illness.

The 28-year-old Nibali is the first Sicilian to win the race and is the first Italian winner since Michele Scarponi, who was handed the 2011 title following Spaniard Alberto Contador’s disqualification for doping offences.

Nibali took possession of the pink jersey after the stage eight time trial won

by Britain’s Alex Dowsett and despite a strong challenge from Evans he took a massive step towards overall victory with his victory in Thursday’s 18th stage, a 20.6 km uphill time trial. It took his lead over Evans, the 2011 Tour de France champion, to over four minutes.

After the first of two consecutive days in the Dolomites mountains was cancelled on Friday due to snow and subzero temperatures at high altitude, Nibali capped his campaign with a second stage win of this year’s race atop the Tre Cime di Lavaredo climb on Saturday, when Evans dropped to third.

Cavendish, meanwhile, finished a triumphant campaign in style by dominat-

ing a hectic sprint for the finish on a tight circuit to take his victory tally on the race to 15.

The Isle of Man rider came into the race expected to dominate most of the five sprint finishes, especially in the absence of a number of top rivals.

He won the opening stage in Naples and stage six, 12, 13 and 21. “I’m delighted, really happy,” Cavendish said in Italian. The Omega-Pharma team sprinter, who also has 23 stage wins on the Tour de France and three from the Tour of Spain, also secured the race’s red jersey for the points competition.

Colombian Carlos Betancur, meanwhile, secured the race’s white jersey for the best-placed rider aged 25 or under.

The AG2R rider took possession of the jersey from Poland’s Rafal Majka after his fourth place finish on Saturday’s epic 20th stage, when the peloton was forced to ride through snow blizzards. Betancur finished in fifth place overall with a 41sec lead on Saxo Bank rider Majka. —AFP

Photo of the day

Koko Mitsua performs during the Rip Curl Gromsearch at Bells Beach, VIC, Australia.

—www.redbullcontentpool.com

Swann strikes before Cook piles on agony LEEDS: Graeme Swann took four wickets as England established a commanding position on the third day of the second Test against New Zealand at Headingley yesterday.

At the close, England were 116 for one in their second innings-a lead of 296 runs-after Swann starred in New Zealand’s second straight batting collapse.

England captain Alastair Cook, who opted against enforcing the follow-on, was 88 not out and Jonathan Trott 11 not out.

Earlier, fast bowler Steven Finn took the first three New Zealand wickets to fall before Swann followed up with four for 42 in nine overs.

Swann, England’s premier spin bowler and likely to be a key figure in the defence of the Ashes starting in July, missed the recent tour of New Zealand because of an elbow injury and this was only his second Test since surgery on the troublesome joint.

Thanks mainly to Finn and Swann’s efforts, New Zealand slumped to 174 all out on the stroke of tea in reply to England’s first innings 354, which included Joe Root’s maiden Test hundred.

That left the tourists 180 runs behind, with New Zealand needing to be within 150 of England’s first innings to deny Cook the follow-on choice after Friday’s first day washout.

New Zealand’s total may not have been as bad as their second innings 68 in England’s 170-run win in the first of this two-match series at Lord’s last week, but it was again well short of what was required.

Unlike Lord’s, where they were 29 for six at one stage, New Zealand made a reasonable start with the bat Sunday to be 55 without loss. But then Peter Fulton, trying to turn Finn legside, got a leading edge and was caught and bowled.

Then a superb over to Hamish Rutherford, the other opening batsman, saw Finn beat the left-hander three times in a row outside off-stump.

Rutherford did not heed the warnings and a loose drive saw him edge Finn to Ian Bell in the gully for 27.

Ross Taylor fell for six after playing on to a fast Finn delivery that cramped him for room. And 72 for three became 79 for four when Swann struck with his sixth ball yesterday to bowl Dean Brownlie for two, a sharp off-break beating the batsman between bat and pad.

Martin Guptill managed just one before he fell in similar fashion to Brownlie, with Swann turning the ball out of the rough created by New Zealand’s left-arm seamers.

Two balls later, Kane Williamson (13) was lbw to Swann on an England review. New Zealand were 122 for nine before a last-wicket stand of 52 between Neil Wagner (27) and Trent Boult, who hit Swann for three sixes in

LEEDS: England’s captain Alastair Cook plays a shot bowled by New Zealand’s Kane Williamson on the third day of the second Test match. —AP his 24 not out, boosted the total.

Left-hander Cook set about justifying his decision to bat again with a 63ball fifty including nine fours. But at the other end there was a different game going as Nick Compton, under threat of losing his Test place, continued to struggle for runs .

Compton contributed just seven to a first-wicket partnership of 72 before he was caught at short leg by Rutherford off part-time spinner

Williamson. His exit meant that in five Test innings since his back-to-back hundreds in New Zealand in March, Compton-grandson of England batting great Denis-had managed a mere 54 runs in a shade over six hours at the crease.

Left-arm quick Boult, who took five first innings wickets, bowled just two overs when England batted again yesterday after aggravating a side strain.—AFP

SCOREBOARD LEEDS, United Kingdom: Scoreboard at stumps on the third day of the second Test between England and New Zealand at Headingley yesterday: T. Southee lbw b Broad 19 England 1st Innings (overnight: 337-7) D. Bracewell c Bell b Swann 1 A. Cook c Brownlie b Bracewell 34 N. Wagner b Anderson 27 N. Compton c Brownlie b Southee 1 T. Boult not out 24 J. Trott c McCullum b Wagner 28 Extras (lb5, w1) 6 I. Bell c McCullum b Williamson 30 Total (all out, 43.4 overs, 211 mins)174 J. Root c McCullum b Boult 104 Fall of wickets: 1-55 (Fulton), 2-62 J. Bairstow c McCullum b Boult 64 (Rutherford), 3-72 ( Taylor), 4-79 M. Prior c Taylor b Southee 39 (Brownlie), 5-81 (Guptill), 6-82 S. Broad c McCullum b Boult 0 (Williamson), 7-119 (Southee), 8-122 G. Swann not out 26 (Bracewell), 9-122 (McCullum), 10-174 S. Finn b Boult 6 (Wagner) J. Anderson c and b Boult 0 Bowling: Anderson 7.4-2-34-1; Broad 15Extras (b9, lb7, w5, nb1) 22 2-57-2 (1w); Finn 12-3-36-3; Swann Total (all out, 99 overs, 449 mins) 354 Fall of wickets: 1-11 (Compton), 2-67 9-1-42-4.

(Trott), 3-67 (Cook), 4-146 (Bell), 5-270 England 2nd Innings 88 (Root), 6-279 (Bairstow), 7-286 (Broad), 8- A. Cook not out 345 (Prior), 9-354 (Finn), 10-354 Compton c Rutherford b Williamson 7 J. Trott not out 11 (Anderson) 10 Bowling: Boult 22-4-57-5 (2w); Southee Extras (b8, lb1, w1) Total (1 wkt, 41 overs, 176 mins) 116 26-6-76-2 (2w); Wagner 23-4-73-1 (1nb, 1w); Bracewell 19-3-83-1; Fall of wickets: 1-72 (Compton) To bat: I Bell, J Root, J Bairstow, M Prior, S Williamson 9-0-49-1.

Broad, G Swann, S Finn, J New Zealand 1st Innings Anderson P. Fulton c and b Finn 28 Bowling: Boult 2-1-2-0; Southee 9-3-30H. Rutherford c Bell b Finn 27 0; Wagner 9-2-31-0; Williamson K. Williamson lbw b Swann 13 15-4-32-1; Bracewell 6-3-12-0 (1w); R. Taylor b Finn 6 Match position: England lead by 296 D. Brownlie b Swann 2 runs with nine second innings wickets M. Guptill b Swann 1 standing.

B. McCullum c Prior b Broad 20

Serena buries Paris misery Federer cruises PARIS: Serena Williams buried the ghosts of her 2012 Roland Garros horror show to storm into the French Open second round yesterday as Roger Federer enjoyed an untroubled start to his 54th consecutive Grand Slam.

The 31-year-old Williams, bidding for a 16th Grand Slam title, suffered her worst defeat at a major in Paris 12 months ago when she was dumped out of the first round by Frenchwoman Virginie Razzano.

But on Sunday, Williams extended her current winning streak to 25, the best of her career, with a 6-0, 6-1 demolition of Georgia’s Anna Tatishvili, the world number 80.

It took Williams just 51 minutes to complete victory on a chilly Court Philippe Chatrier, where the temperature hovered

just above the 10-degree mark, firing 27 aces to her opponent’s four.

Williams, who won over the usual hardfaced Paris crowd by delivering an on-court television interview in French, admitted that the French Open is a tournament which has caused her the most problems.

“It hasn’t been working out for me. I just think I may have gotten nervous in the past or may have basically choked a few matches away,” she said.

“Some matches I just lost because maybe I wasn’t intense enough or maybe I didn’t do enough work before I got here to the tournament.”

Williams next faces France’s Caroline Garcia who, as a raw 17-year-old, was a set up and 4-1 to the good against Maria Sharapova in 2011 before slipping to defeat.

Federer, the 2009 champion and hunting an 18th major, saw off Spanish qualifier Pablo Carreno-Busta, the world number 166, 6-2, 6-2, 6-3.

The 21-year-old Spaniard had started the year at 654 before winning seven Futures events and claiming an astonishing record of 53 wins in 57 matches on the circuit’s third tier.

But Federer, playing in his 15th Roland Garros, was too strong, building the foundation for victory with a break in the opening game of all three sets.

The Swiss star, who bitterly attacked organisers for forcing him to play on a Sunday when the tournament extended its programme in 2006, said he was now happy to have the extra day’s rest that the early start affords. —AFP

MONDAY, MAY 27, 2013

S P ORT S

Bayern eye domination after Champions League glory LONDON: Despite the upheaval of a coaching change and hints at buying another main striker, Bayern Munich believe they can dominate European soccer for years to come after triumphing in the Champions League on Saturday.

Arjen Robben’s 89th minute goal sealed a 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund in the first all-German final in Europe’s top club competition and wiped away bitter Bayern memories of showpiece defeats in 2010 and 2012.

The Bundesliga champions can complete a German treble in the German Cup final against VfB Stuttgart next Saturday and such is the strength of their overall setup, further success is fully expected in the next few seasons.

Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes, 68, is retiring at the end of the season having become only the fourth manager to have lifted the European Cup with two different clubs having also won with Real Madrid in 1998. He gives way to ultra successful former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola and with Dortmund’s Germany midfielder Mario Goetze already signed up for next term and their striker Robert Lewandowski also eyed, Bayern’s confidence can only skyrocket. “Bayern will have to prove that they can continue to achieve these things but it is quite possible a new era might have begun for Bayern Munich,” Heynckes told a news conference.

A year ago, the Bavarians were distraught after losing the final to Chelsea

from a winning position on their home ground but after weathering an early Dortmund storm at Wembley, their experience shone though.

“We didn’t resign ourselves to our fate (after the Chelsea defeat),” Heynckes said. “We upped the ante and tried even harder. You have seen the result.”

Bayern may not be as youthful as Dortmund, leaving Guardiola and the board with work ahead of them to renew the squad, but a generation of top players including Robben, Franck Ribery, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Philipp Lahm have now finally won the ultimate club prize.

“The team is in the right age group and we’ve got rosy times in front of us.

We want to win the treble and as far as

I’m concerned this can keep going next year too,” right back Lahm said.

Bayern, winners of five European Cups dating back to their 1970s domination when they won three straight titles, have also achieved renewed success despite changing their main central striker almost every season.

Luca Toni, Ivica Olic and Mario Gomez have all been eased out, although Gomez is still at the club, and incumbent Mario Mandzukic will be nervously looking over his shoulder despite an excellent first season and the 60th minute opener on Saturday.

The Croatian will be well aware of Lewandowski’s attributes and if the Pole does head to Bayern, the competition for places will only make them an even

scarier prospect. For Dortmund, losing the final and possibly two of their best players to much richer rivals Bayern cannot take away the feeling of pride after they wowed the Champions League this season with a series of exciting attacking displays. Their ability to regenerate after selling key players after their Bundesliga titles in 2011 and 2012 means they too, could remain a force as Germany looks to supplant Spain and England as Europe’s best league. Dortmund’s madcap coach Juergen Klopp, whose side levelled on 68 minutes thorough an Ilkay Guendogan penalty, was impressed with his side’s energetic display. “Yes the quality struck me and I’m sure next season we’ll have more quality,” he said.—Reuters

Barca bet on Neymar to ease Messi dependence

MONACO: Mercedes’ German driver Nico Rosberg celebrates winning the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix at the Circuit de Monaco in Monte Carlo. —AFP

Rosberg wins crash-marred GP MONACO: Nico Rosberg kept his cool amid the chaos to win the crash-marred Monaco Grand Prix yesterday and give Mercedes its first victory of the season, as well as emulate his father’s victory from 30 years ago.

The German driver began from pole position for the third straight GP, but he had to restart three times after the race was held up by a safety car, a red flag and the safety car again.

“Today the team gave me a great car and it’s fantastic to see how we’ve managed to improve in a short space of time,” Rosberg said.

“Massive thanks to the team, we’ve really improved from Barcelona.”

Rosberg finished ahead of championship leader Sebastian Vettel and his Red Bull teammate Mark Webber. Lewis Hamilton finished fourth after starting from second. “We shouldn’t get too carried away,” Rosberg said.

“We still have a bit of an issue with race pace.”

The red flag came out with about 30 laps to go when Williams driver Pastor Maldonado was nudged into the wall by Marussia’s Max Chilton.

Earlier, Ferrari’s Felipe Massa crashed and the safety car came out a second time when Frenchman Romain Grosjean smashed his Lotus into Daniel Ricciardo’s Toro Rosso. The 27year-old Rosberg danced on the bonnet of his car before jumping off to hug team members.

In 1983, the former world champion Keke Rosberg took the checkered flag in Formula One’s showcase race.

“It’s special, but honestly that’s not what I was thinking of when I was crossing the finish line,” Rosberg said. “It was such a special race, in the last races we had pole postion but (dropped) back so much. “ Rosberg won his other career GP from pole at the China GP last year and his previous best result this season was fourth in Malaysia, even though he started the last two from the front of the grid. They were useful points for three-time defending champion Vettel, who extended his lead at the top of the standings to 21 points over Kimi Raikkonen and 29 over Fernando Alonso, who failed to repeat his Spanish GP win from two weeks ago and could only manage seventh place. Raikkonen finished way down in 10th after being barged by McLaren’s Sergio Perez late on.

“Overall I’m very happy and pleased with the result,” said Vettel, who started from third on the grid. “We know how difficult it is to overtake here.”

Rosberg’s driving was slick, but the crashes will dominate the headlines as Monaco again confirmed it is one of the most difficult tracks in F1. Chilton lost control and moved across into Maldonado on his side, sending the Venezuelan off the wall and into the crash bar-

riers. Chilton’s teammate Jules Bianchi was dragged into the crash but no driver was hurt.

Massa, meanwhile, ploughed into the wall and slid across the track in a carbon-copy of his crash in Saturday’s third practice. He sat with his head in his hands and his neck in a brace as he received some medical treatment a short time later. It was eventful off the track, too. A little more than one hour before the race, Red Bull launched an official protest against Mercedes. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner demanded clarity as to why Mercedes was allowed to conduct in-season tire testing following the Spanish GP. Rosberg refused to answer questions about the issue in the postrace press conference.

Early on, Frenchman Charles Pic’s race ended when he had to bank his Caterham onto the side of the track and quickly clamber out as flames started shooting up from the rear right of the car. He was unhurt. With fears over Pirelli’s fast-degrading tires prominent in all five previous races this season, the overall pace was slower than usual.

“I was a bit surprised by the slow pace of the opening laps,” Vettel said. “You expect to see two arrows in front of you, but you saw two boats going for a cruise.”

Hamilton had just pitted for new tires on lap 30 when Massa crashed. As a result, when the safety car first came out, it was cruel on Hamilton, who then dropped behind Vettel and Webber - last year’s winner - and into fourth place when the race re-started.

“For us, we knew it was a little bit against us starting on the second row,” Webber said. “It was nice to get (overtake) Lewis.” It meant Rosberg no longer had Hamilton to protect him from Vettel, but he reacted well at the restart. “Very well done Nico, a fantastic job,” Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn said. “With all the incidents going on, you judged it perfectly.”

Hamilton tried to squeeze past Webber; Alonso was locked in a fierce scrap with Raikkonen, and Perez overtook Button again as mini-battles raged everywhere before the red flag came out on lap 46.

The stewards gave Chilton a drive-through penalty for the incident, which left Maldonado angry. “I didn’t expect Chilton to cross my line,” he said. “It is very dangerous and a very quick corner on the track.” The race was halted for the third time as Grosjean - who had already crashed in qualifying and in practice - lost control coming out of the tunnel. There was still time for another incident when Perez tried for the second time to get past Raikkonen on the inside as debris came off both cars. Perez failed to finish.—AP

MADRID: Barcelona announced yesterday morning that after a transfer saga lasting some 18 months they have finally landed Brazilian international Neymar from Santos on a five-year deal that is expected to cost the Catalan club around 50 million euros ($65m, £43m).

The 21-year-old was always expected to come to Barca when he eventually left his homeland, but rather than wait till his contract expired with the Brazilian club next year, the Spanish champions have sped up the operation as they try to rejuvenate a tired squad that suffered the club’s worst ever defeat in European competition when they were hammered 7-0 by eventual Champions League winners Bayern Munich in this year’s semi-finals.

Even at his tender age, Neymar has already shown glimpses of his brilliance on the big stage with 20 goals in 32 international appearances, whilst his incredible return of 156 goals in 256 games for Santos at such a young age has seen him inevitably compared to Pele.

However, it is the potential to combine with another of the alltime greats that Barca are interested in as they look for someone to ease the goalscoring and creative burden on Lionel Messi.

Barca’s reliance on Messi was particularly exposed in this season’s Champions League when the Argentine was called into action whilst clearly carrying a hamstring injury to get them across the line against Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals.

Messi ended up playing only 75 minutes of the 180 in that tie. The period he was on the pitch Barca won 2-0, the time he was on the sidelines they lost 3-1.

Worse was to come for the Catalans, though, in the humiliation at the hands of Bayern. Again a hobbling Messi was forced into

Brazilian forward Neymar action in the first-leg as the Germans romped to a 4-0 victory, and with the four-time World Player of the Year consigned to the bench for the return, a Barca side devoid of creation and belief were again picked off 3-0.

In the two years Barca have won the Champions League in Messi’s stellar era, he has had significant support in the goalscoring charts.

In 2008/09 Samuel Eto’o and Thierry Henry combined for 62 goals to Messi’s 38. And in 2010/11, Pedro and David Villa contributed 55 to the Argentine’s 53.

Over the past two season Messi has reached the barely fathomable figure of 123 goals, whilst Cesc Fabregas comes closest with just 28.

Questions still remain over how

players’ minds as they made a bright start.

An early corner was cleared by Charlie Mulgrew only as far as Kevin Thomson, who teed up Tom Taiwo for a shot that just cleared the bar.

Celtic goalkeeper Fraser Forster then made a superb reflex save to deny Eoin Doyle’s header after the Irishman connected with Ryan McGivern’s cross from the left into the six-yard box. Their early good work came undone, however, when Hooper fired Celtic in front.

Alan Maybury fluffed his clearance from Mikel Lustig’s cross and Stokes capitalised to swing a ball over to the back post where Hooper snuck in between Paul Hanlon and McGivern to volley past Ben Williams from a tight angle.

An excellent pass from Kris Commons then picked out Ledley on his own in the box and only a superb block from keeper Williams denied the Welshman’s effort.

Hibs failed to heed that warning and Celtic doubled their advantage when Stokes and Hooper expertly combined again.

Commons fed Stokes down the left wing and he swung a cross to the back post where Hooper again got in the middle of Hanlon and McGivern to send an angled header into the bottom left-hand corner.—AFP

threat and allow him to combine with Messi, but also allow the ever adventurous Jordi Alba to surge forward on the overlap.

And, arguably most importantly of all, despite questions over how their egos may collide, Neymar’s acquisition seems to have the green light from Messi.

“He is a great player, makes the difference and is very good in one against one situations,” he told reporters earlier this week.

“For us I suppose it would be a marvellous addition. He is a type of player that offers very different individual solutions to the rest.”

It is that variety that the bosses at the Camp Nou are hoping will reignite the spark in an attack that has faded into a one-man show over the past two years.—AFP

Historic wins for Ashour, Massaro

Celtic clinch Scottish Cup GLASGOW: Gary Hooper’s brace helped Celtic clinch the double as the Hoops swept to a 3-0 win over Hibernian in the Scottish Cup final at Hampden Park yesterday.

Hooper struck twice in the first half and Joe Ledley’s late strike completed a recordextending 36th Scottish Cup triumph for Celtic and their first league and cup double since 2007.

Hibernian had been desperate to make amends for last season’s final thrashing by arch rivals Hearts. But Hooper volleyed Celtic in front in the eighth minute from a Anthony Stokes cross before the same pair combined in the 31st minute for the English striker to head home his second. Welsh midfielder Ledley bagged the third in the 80th minute as Hibernian’s 111-year wait to win the Scottish Cup continues.

Celtic were without the suspended Victor Wanyama and Beram Kayal, but boss Neil Lennon welcomed back winger James Forrest from injury, while top-scorer Leigh Griffiths passed a late fitness test for Hibs. The absence of Hibs captain James McPake, who missed out with a back injury, meant there were only four survivors from the side who were humiliated in that 5-1 defeat against Hearts in the previous final. However, the memory of that painful loss didn’t seem to dwell on the Hibs

Neymar will adapt to the European game. His effectiveness has been tempered in big Copa Libertadores and international fixtures when forced to play in reduced spaces, something which Barca are faced with on a weekly basis as they have to weave themselves through the parked bus in front of the opposition’s goal.

And there are also concerns over the Brazilian’s reliance on drawing soft free-kicks that tend to be given in the striker’s favor in his homeland.

However, unlike some other big money Barca signings in recent seasons such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Fabregas, Neymar fits into the current Barca style and formation.

His ability to cut in from the left side will not only pose a goal

Ramy Ashour in action in this file photo

HULL: Ramy Ashour broke a 47-year jinx when he became the first Egyptian player since 1966 to capture the British Open title, winning a sparkling and unpredictable final against Gregory Gaultier, the former champion from France.

Ashour’s 7-11, 11-4, 11-7, 11-8 win followed his recapture of the world title at Doha in December and the world number one ranking earlier that year, and underlines him as the undisputed best player in the world.

Earlier in the women’s final, world number one Nicol David suffered her most surprising defeat in four years when she lost her British Open title with a second successive loss against England’s Laura Massaro. David was beaten 11-4, 3-11, 12-10, 11-7 by the tenacious and loudly supported world number two, who thus repeated her win over the Malaysian in Kuala Lumpur earlier this year.

The men’s championship match saw Gaultier deliver a fine performance, leading 7-5 in the third game and by 7-6 in the fourth. But when it mattered most, Ashour usually came up with something unstoppable and often something unorthodox.

Ashour made two dedications for his long-awaited triumph. One was to his compatriot Assem Allam, the multimillionaire sponsor who rescued the British Open from oblivion two years ago, and who described the new champion’s remarkable movement as “like a bellydancer’s.”

“I had a lot of hard times back home and I am really proud that I have accomplished this,” Ashour said.

“There was a lot of negative energy around me.

“There have been a lot of hard times. This is one of the happiest times of my life, if not the happiest, because I have experienced waking up in the morning each day with such a heavy heart and heavy spirit.” Ashour began as though he might fail to make up for the long Egyptian wait since Abdelfattah Aboutaleb won it in 1966.

He let slip a 5-2 lead with four errors, encouraging Gaultier to pick up the pace and cut some sharp, neat drops for winners in some nimble front court exchanges.

However Ashour’s focus appeared to improve in the second game, and a sequence of brilliant winners carried him to 7-3 and created an impetus which could not be stopped.

“I did what I could and I think my level was very good,” concluded Gaultier. “But when Ramy is like this he is very hard to stop.”

Earlier, Massaro, the world number two became the first home female player to win the British Open since 1991. It was a shock defeat for David and the first in a major event since her British Open loss to Ireland’s Madeline Perry in 2009, raising the question of how much longer the 29-year-old will hold on to top spot.

“She was playing very well.

Sometimes things don’t go your way and all these girls are getting stronger,” said David.

The third game was a dogfight, which David looked likely to win when she earned herself three successive game points. But Massaro saved the first with a fierce boast, angled off the forehand side wall, and the second with a tight wall-clinging backhand drive.

When she reached game ball there was a traffic problem near the front which prompted the referee to award a let, only for Massaro to make an appeal to the video review system and get the decision overturned. The resulting penalty point got her the game 12-10 and changed the psychology of the match. Massaro’s win made her the first home female winner of the famous title since 1991, a statistic which apparently caught her by surprise. “I can’t believe that, but that just shows how hard it is to win it,” she said. “It wasn’t till I got to 8-4 in the fourth game that I started to think I might have a big enough lead to win it.”—AFP

Froch wins decision over Kessler

MONDAY, MAY 27, 2013

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Swann strikes before Cook piles on agony

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Scandal engulfs Indian cricket, web of players

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ROME: Lazio players pose with the Italian Cup trophy at the end of the final soccer match between AS Roma and Lazio, at Rome’s Olympic stadium. — AP

Lazio oust Roma to lift Italian Cup ROME: Lazio beat bitter city rivals Roma 1-0 to win the Italian Cup yesterday and qualify for next season’s Europa League.

In the first ever cup final between the Roman neighbors — which saw some 2,000 police deployed for the occasion — there was more riding on the outcome than simple silverware.

Both clubs had finished outside the European places in Serie A but Senad Lulic’s goal 20 minutes from time means the blue half of the city will enjoy European trips next season.

Roma end the campaign empty-handed and out of Europe for a second year in succession, a setback for their US owners.

Serbian star Lulic converted the only goal from a cross by Antonio Candreva which Roma keeper Bogdan Lobont could only flap at to send

the blue “curva” of the stadium into raptures as the Biancocelesti moved to secure their sixth Coppa Italia.

Legendary Roma skipper Francesco Totti, 20 years with the club, had hoped to be his side’s talisman but drew a blank for the giallorosso, suffering misfortune as his freekick moments after the goal came back off the crossbar and rebounded into the grateful hands of Lazio keeper Federico Marchetti.

Sunday’s match was short on refinement with eight bookings and lacking the technique served up 24 hours earlier in the Champions League final between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

The first half saw a welter of petty fouls and it was only after 35 minutes that a real chance of

note emerged with Lobont making a smart save from a close-range Miroslav Klose header. Roma tried gamely to respond with Totti, in the thick of things. But as it was they were left to rue an earlier miss by US hope Michael Bradley, who snatched at a shot on 11 minutes and missed the target.

Meanwhile, several Lazio players have received messages by telephone threatening their safety if they fail to lose the Italian Cup final, according to the club’s media manager Stefano De Martino.

The match has been placed under high security following violent incidents which marred their last league derby barely two months ago.

De Martino told a press conference the club had “reported the threats to the authorities” but that

there had been “no developments since”. Roma finished sixth in Serie A when the league finished last week, with Lazio in seventh. Although neither side qualified for the Europa League, victory on Sunday offers a spot in next season’s competition.

Meanwhile, Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has defended the departure of coach Walter Mazzarri, claiming that you “need two people to make a marriage”.

Mazzarri is set to join Inter Milan next season after the Nerazzurri fired Andrea Stramaccioni on Friday, with president Massimo Moratti saying he’d chosen the Napoli boss to replace him.

After spending four successful years in Naples, Mazzarri had said he wanted a new challenge and De Laurentiis admitted he couldn’t

Sociedad held by Real in six-goal thriller MADRID: Real Sociedad’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in a decade were dealt a blow as they could only manage a 3-3 draw at home to Real Madrid yesterday.

Gonzalo Higuain and Jose Maria Callejon had given Jose Mourinho’s men a 2-0 lead in his penultimate match in charge before a spirited fightback from Sociedad saw them level matters through Xabi Prieto and Antoine Griezmann.

Sami Khedira then put Madrid back in front 10 minutes from time, but Prieto struck again in stoppage time to at least give Sociedad a share of the spoils.

The Basques now trail Valencia by two points with just one game to play after Roberto Soldado’s solitary goal was enough to earn them a 1-0 win over Granada.

Elsewhere, Barcelona kept up their charge towards 100 points with a 2-0 win at Espanyol thanks to goals in either half from Alexis Sanchez and Pedro.

And all three relegation places will go down to the final day with Deportivo la Coruna, Real Zaragoza, Celta Vigo and Mallorca all still fighting to avoid the drop.

Madrid were without the injured Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos and Xabi Alonso in San Sebastian, but they were gifted the perfect start on six minutes when Mikel Gonzalez gifted possession to Higuain and he strolled through to slot home his 15th league goal of the season.

Imanol Agirretxe should have levelled moments later when he nipped in ahead of Ricardo Carvalho but spooned his attempted chip past Diego Lopez well over the bar.

Sociedad were then denied by a wonder save from Diego Lopez as he somehow turned Griezmann’s header from pointblank range behind for a corner and Griezmann and Agirretxe somehow combined not to score between them just before the break as the former prodded the ball out of the reach of Agirretxe on the stretch when his teammate would have had a simple tap in at the back post.

The home side were then stunned when Madrid doubled their lead on 57 minutes when a wonderful teasing cross from Kaka

was flicked in by Callejon.

However, Sociedad were given a lifeline just seven minutes later though when Khedira handled inside his own area and Prieto, who scored a hat-trick in Sociedad’s 4-3 defeat to Madrid earlier in the season, comfortably slotted the ball into the bottom corner from the resulting penalty.

Griezmann then did finally get the goal his performance deserved when he prodded home Carlos Martinez’s fine low cross 12 minutes from time.

Amazingly Madrid were immediately back in front when Mesut Ozil released Khedira to dink a neat finish over the advancing Claudio Bravo.

But there was on final twist as Preito struck again to give Sociedad hope of still claiming the fourth and final Champions League spot next weekend.

Champions Barcelona meanwhile enjoyed a much easier afternoon at neighbours Espanyol as they cruised to a 2-0 win to move within three points of Madrid’s record 100 point tally from last season.

The visitors went after 14 minutes thanks to a wonderful individual goal from Alexis Sanchez as he played a one-two with David Villa and cut inside before placing a rightfooted shot into the far corner.

Cesc Fabregas then hit the post as the visitors continued to boss things and David Villa should have sealed the three points when he somehow fired wide just after the restart.

However, after Mubarak Wakaso had been sent-off for Espanyol, Pedro did make the game safe with a neat volleyed finish five minutes from time.

At the bottom Celta managed to keep themselves alive with a comfortable 2-0 win at Valladolid thanks to goals from Gustavo Cabral and Iago Aspas.

They are now level with Zaragoza who lost 4-0 at Real Betis on 34 points with Deportivo, who were also defeated 3-1 at Malaga, currently safe on 35 points.

And Mallorca also kept themselves alive for another weekend as they drew 0-0 at Atletico Madrid, however the Islanders are now bottom on 33 points. — AFP

CORNELLA: Barcelona’s midfielder Cesc Fabregas kicks the ball during the Spanish League football match against Espanyol. — AFP

Spanish League results/standings Getafe 1 (Rafa 48) Rayo Vallecano 2 (Dominguez 53, Castro 89-og); Valencia 1 (Soldado 59) Granada 0;Osasuna 2 (Punal 62, Cejudo 78) Sevilla 1 (Negredo 49); Real Sociedad 3 (Prieto 64-pen, 90, Griezmann 77)Real Madrid 3 (Higuain 6, Callejon 57, Khedira 79); Malaga 3 (Saviola 45, Baptista 64, Isco 80) Deportivo la Coruna 1 (Salomao 75); Espanyol 0 Barcelona 2 (Sanchez 14, Pedro 85); Valladolid 0 Celta Vigo 2 (Cabral 28, Aspas 55-pen); Atletico Madrid 0 Mallorca 0;; Real Betis 4 (Castro 1, Pabon 16, 70, Molina 50) Real Zaragoza 0; Athletic Bilbao 0 Levante 1 (Juanlu 90).

Spanish League table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Barcelona 37 31 4 2 111 39 97 Levante 37 12 9 16 39 56 45 Real Madrid 37 25 7 5 99 40 82 Espanyol 37 11 11 15 43 51 44 Atletico 37 22 7 8 62 30 73 Bilbao 37 12 8 17 42 63 44 Valencia 37 19 8 10 64 50 65 Valladolid 37 11 10 16 47 54 43 Sociedad 37 17 12 8 69 49 63 Granada 37 10 9 18 35 54 39 Malaga 37 16 9 12 52 46 57 Osasuna 37 10 9 18 31 46 39 Real Betis 37 16 7 14 56 55 55 Deportivo 37 8 11 18 47 69 35 Rayo 37 16 4 17 48 64 52 Celta Vigo 37 9 7 21 36 52 34 Sevilla 37 13 8 16 54 51 47 Zaragoza 37 9 7 21 36 59 34 Getafe 37 13 8 16 43 55 47 Mallorca 37 8 9 20 39 70 33

keep hold of the popular coach.

“The Walter Mazzarri years at Napoli were happy ones, but you need two people to make a marriage,” De Laurentiis, a film-maker, told Radio 24.

“Mazzarri is a great coach and a very nice man. I hope he succeeds, just as he did in Naples.” Mazzarri led Napoli into the Champions League twice in his four season in charge and this year they finished second in Serie A, their highest position since the Diego Maradona era in the early 1990s.

Chelsea interim manager Rafael Benitez is widely tipped to take over from Mazzarri, although De Laurentiis has yet to announce his arrival despite letting it be known that the Spaniard would be the new coach. — AFP

City down Chelsea in friendly NEW YORK: French midfielder Samir Nasri scored twice as Manchester City defeated Chelsea 5-3 on Saturday in a crowd-pleasing friendly at Major League Baseball’s Yankee Stadium.

In addition to Nasri’s double, Gareth Barry James Milner and Edin Dzeko scored to give Manchester City a second victory over Chelsea in three days despite a second-half double from Ramires and a free-kick goal by Juan Mata.

The English Premiership rivals followed up their seven-goal clash in St.Louis on Thursday-in which City erased a three-goal deficit to win 4-3 — with another free-wheeling contest. Barry opened the scoring in the second minute after a wayward pass from Chelsea’s Oscar, whose ill-judged pass attempt gave the ball to Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero in front of Chelsea’s goal.

Aguero, celebrating a one-year contract extension announced earlier in the day, couldn’t take advantage.

But he forced Chelsea keeper Hilario into a save, giving Barry room to tap home.

The quick goal warmed up the crowd of 39,462 on a chilly night at the home of baseball’s New York Yankees.

On Tuesday the Yankees were announced as co-owners, along with Manchester City, of Major League Soccer’s newest club-the New York City Football Club, which is to begin play in 2015. Nasri doubled the lead in the 26th, taking a pass from Spain’s David Silva and smoothly lofting the ball over Hilario.

Pressure by Chelsea paid off a minute into the second half when Ramires controlled a long pass by David Luiz and slotted it past substitute goalkeeper Richard Wright to make it 2-1. City responded through Milner, who after an exchange with Edin Dzeko fired into the far corner to build the lead to 3-1 in the 55th.

Chelsea closed the gap again, Ramires converting his second goal of the match from a Torres cross in the 69th.

Nasri re-established city’s two-goal cushion in the 73rd, working his way through the Chelsea defence to lift the ball over substitute keeper Petr Cech for 4-2.

With nine minutes left, Chelsea again pulled within one when substitute Mata’s free kick found the net off the underside of the crossbar. But Manchester City weren’t finished, and Dzeko’s fired in the last goal of the night from 20 yards out. — AFP

Business

Jordan’s Arab Bank sees double digit profit rise Page 22 Chinese property prices on the rise

MONDAY, MAY 27, 2013

Page 23 New Mercedes E 63 AMG shakes Kuwait

Markets speculate on end of QE

Page 23

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AMMAN: Jordan’s Queen Rania (left) speaks during a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa on the shores of the Dead Sea, yesterday. —AP (See Page 22)

KSE in biggest gain in 4 yrs Gulf markets witness mixed results DUBAI: Kuwait bourse halted two sessions of losses and recorded its largest one-day gain in more than four years as retail traders buy into small-caps, while other regional markets were mixed. The index rose 2.1 percent to hit a fresh four-year high and making its biggest daily climb since April 2009. Small-cap stocks dominated trade, a sign of heavy retail activity. A sharp early-year rally backed by hopes that a calmer political backdrop will help economic recovery in the oilexporting Gulf state, shows renewed retail trader interest in a market that slumped to an eight-year low in 2012.

“Despite the volatile performance, positive sentiments and optimism overwhelm the market complemented by unprecedented traded values averaging in excess of 100 million dinars ($348.86 million),” said Fouad Darwish, head of brokerage at Global Investment House. Market profits are

being invested back into the equities, with improving company earnings supporting. Investor expect the government to finally move ahead with delayed infrastructure projects, which were part of a 30 billion dinar ($108 billion) economic development plan announced in late 2010.

Gulf Finance House jumped 9.6 percent, the most active stock on the index. Mid-cap Ithmaar Bank followed, rising 1.4 percent. Elsewhere, the UAE markets extended declines as the correction deepens on profit-taking after mounting an early-year surge. Dubai’s index fell 1.1 percent, down for a fourth in last five sessions since its 42month peak.

Emaar Properties and Dubai Islamic Bank dropped 1.6 and 2.5 percent respectively, the main drags on the market. Abu Dhabi’s lenders weighed on the index ; it sheds 1 percent. First Gulf Bank and Abu Dhabi Commercial

Bank lost 3.1 and 2.8 percent respectively.

“We are in a correction trend in the UAE and we need it,” said Sebastien Henin, por tfolio manager at The National Investor, adding that the overbought market condition was getting risky. “It’s still a bull market and if the prices come down a bit more, I wouldn’t be surprised to see investors buying again.” In Doha, Barwa Real Estate rose 2 percent to hit an 11-week high. The developer said it would announce several new projects this week at Cityscape Qatar as the country heads into an infrastructure boom in preparation to host Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022.

The stock is recovering from a fouryear low it hit last month on local retail and institutional investors buying. “It’s Cityscape season here and real estate is in focus,” said Ahmed Shehada, head of trading at Qatar

National Bank Financial Ser vices.

“Other than United Development, Barwa is the only other listed stallion and was lagging the move on other index movers.”

Shares in UDCD slipped 0.6 percent, trimming 2013 gains to 20 percent; the stock is still significantly outperforming the main benchmark’s 8.7 percent year-to-date rise. The index climbed 0.4 percent to its highest close since January 2011.

Elsewhere, Saudi Arabia’s measure shed 0.2 percent in slow trade, declining for a second session since hitting a one-year high. Trading was also thin in Egypt, where the main benchmark retreated 0.8 percent as foreign investors sold shares. National Societe Generale Bank gained 1.8 percent, buck ing the market trend af ter authorities said taxes will be refunded yesterday from Qatar National Bank’s acquisition deal. — Reuters

Turkey fears being ignored by EU ANKARA: Frustrated with the slow progress of its bid to join the EU, the rash of free trade pacts Brussels is negotiating that leave Turkey out in the cold has Ankara threatening to tear up its customs union agreement. Analysts warn that such free trade deals that exclude Turkey are getting to be a big headache and pose a serious obstacle to Ankara’s ambition to jump from the world’s 17th to 10th largest economy in a decade. Economy Minister Zafer Caglayan readily admits the nearly twodecade old customs union has helped the country’s economy grow, but fears the new free trade deals will be a burden. The EU has been negotiating comprehensive free trade agreements, or FTAs, with third countries around the world, opening up the exchange of goods and services in a bid to boost economic growth and job creation.

The problem for Turkey, is that under the terms of its 1995 customs union agreement, a third country which concludes a trade pact with Brussels automatically gains access to Turkish markets, while Turkey cannot utilise the same advantages the EU secured for its exports. “Let’s dump the customs union in a trash bin and instead conclude a free trade agreement” with the European Union, Caglayan fumed in a televised interview Thursday.

He argued it was no longer in Turkey’s interest to sustain the agreement. “In its current form, the customs union is far from a free market and free trade,” the minister fumed. A lot is at

stake for Ankara as trade with the 27member EU absorbed nearly 40 percent of Turkey’s $152.5 billion in exports last year, according to national statistics.

Turkish frustration is also driven by the sharp slow down in the economy, which grew by 2.2 percent in 2012, from over 8 percent the two previous years.

The customs union was initially viewed here as an instrument to accomplish Turkey’s decades-old ambition to join the EU. However as membership talks have dragged on for a number reasons, including over the issue of divided Cyprus and stiff opposition from some member states to a predominantly Muslim country joining the bloc, Turkey has felt “left out in the cold,” said Mustafa Kutlay, an analyst at Ankara-based USAK think tank.

The EU has negotiated FTAs with Mexico and South Korea, and to the dismay of Ankara, the EU and United States are on the cusp on launching talks on what would become the world’s largest free trade deal. “ The EU’s free trade deals, especially with Mexico and South Korea, have turned out to be very disadvantageous for Turkey,” said Sarp Kalkan, economic policy analyst at the Ankarabased TEPAV think tank.

“Both are Turkey’s rivals producing similar goods,” he told AFP. Kutlay warned that “the EU’s free trade deals are going to bring more risks for the Turkish economy in the future.” A frustrated Turkey is pressing for involvement in the trade negotiations between Europe and the United States. It was one of the top

issues discussed in Washington during a meeting between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Barack Obama on May 16.

“We have been working on trade regulations with the United States before the European Union reached an agreement with them” on opening FTA talks, a Turkish diplomat told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Despite the concerns, analysts agree that the customs union has benefited Turkey in the long run and transformed it into an industrial power. “It has played a very positive role in Turkey’s industrialisation. Before 1995, Turkey’s trade was

quite limited,” Kalkan said. Turkey ’s exports have risen seven-fold since 1995, and now account for nearly a third of economic output.

European Union Council President Herman Van Rompuy tried this past week to reassure Turkey on a EU-US FTA deal. “For Turkey, since you are part of the customs union with the EU, this trade deal will have important consequences too,” he said Thursday during an official visit to Ankara. “That’s why the European Union is looking into the best way to keep Turkey involved in the process. In the end it will benefit all,” he said. — AFP

ISTANBUL: Turkish and European Union flags fly together as people walk under them at Taksim Square. — AFP

Arab spring nations face delayed recovery AMMAN: Arab spring countries face rising social tensions that could thwart an early economic recovery from over two years of political turmoil that has worsened fiscal pressures and threatens macroeconomic stability, a senior IMF official said on Saturday. Masood Ahmed, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Director for the Middle East and North Africa, said oil importers Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Jordan faced the double shocks of high energy and food import bills and the impact of a global economic downturn along with growing popular disaffection since the wave of Arab revolts over two years ago.

“The big challenge this year is to manage the expectation of an increasingly impatient population to undertake the measures that will stabilise the economy and would begin to lay the foundations of an economic transformation that would generate more job creating and inclusive growth,” Ahmed said.

“Those political transitions are turning to be more prolonged and in some cases more contentious and unemployment is higher and social unrest is rising,” Ahmed told Reuters in an interview on the sidelines of a World Economic Forum (WEF) conference on the Middle East and North Africa. Ahmed said the plight of these countries hit by protests was worsened by extra spending on food and energy subsidies that forced governments to draw on foreign reserves and expand domestic borrowing at high interest rates that raised public debt. Political turmoil was hurting much needed private investments in the meantime, the IMF official said.

“In a number of these countries, private confidence has not yet taken hold so the recovery such as it was in 2012 was driven by continued government spending rather than a recovery in private activity,” Ahmed added. Two years of higher spending on wages and food and fuel subsidies will push budget deficit deficits even higher to an average eight percent in 2013. In Egypt, for example the budget deficit was expected to rise to between 10 to 12 percent of GDP this year, the IMF official said. “The cost of that is that budget deficits have begun to rise and in some cases have risen to levels that are progressively unsustainable,” Ahmed said.

Egypt’s foreign exchange reserves have slumped since the revolution that toppled president Hosni Mubarak in 2011 due to falling revenues from tourism and foreign investment. Jordan’s foreign reserves had also fallen sharply but have since recovered this year with an infusion of Gulf Arab capital.

Growth levels that are forecast to average around three percent this year for oil importing countries were insufficient to absorb more job entrants in a region with traditionally high unemployment that has increased since the wave of unrest that swept the region since 2011. “Already young people are suffering unemployment levels of close to 30 percent and in last two years there have been further increase in some countries,” the IMF official added.

Governments had to grapple sooner than later with the politically sensitive subsidies that topped $240 billion in 2011 for the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region and accounted for about one half of global energy subsidies.

This was equivalent to about 8.5 percent of regional GDP, IMF figures show.

Universal energy subsidies were benefiting the top 30 percent income bracket among consumers and although Morocco, Jordan and Tunisia had begun to move towards targeted subsidies, more was needed to help reduce hefty subsidies that diverted much needed funds to spur growth. “In the middle of political and social transition, it is even more difficult to undertake necessary reforms to reduce budget imbalances or try to take action to protect your reserves but the option of postponing these actions much longer really is not there for many countries,” the IMF official said. “The margin for maneuver is much more limited and today their cushions have been used up a lot and today they find they have the ability to borrow more from domestic markets constrained and their reserves positions are such they really cannot afford to let reserves run down much further,” Ahmed said. Lifting fuel subsidies had triggered civil unrest in Jordan last November and some analysts say the government’s move to raise prices of heavily subsidised electricity in June under an IMF standby deal was fraught with risks. — Reuters

MONDAY, MAY 27, 2013

BUSINESS

Jordan’s Arab Bank sees double digit profit rise

Weekly Commodities update

Weak Chinese data creates bumpy road

Bank COO says profits grow despite regional turmoil DEAD SEA: Jordan’s Arab Bank , the country’s largest lender, said it expects double digit profitability in 2013 as much lower provisions and steady growth in net operating income improves the bank’s bottom line. Chief Operating Officer Nemeh Al-Sabbagh cited a 7 percent growth in net operating income of the bank in the first quarter, and said that the “full impact of the bank’s improved performance in 2013 would show in the second half.”

Arab Bank, which has a $45.6 billion balance sheet spread across 30 countries and five continents, has seen a slowdown in profit growth in recent years as it puts aside provisions to cover

non-performing loans by businesses reeling from the global downturn.

The bank, one of several major regional and international banks exposed to the debt ridden Saudi conglomerates Saad and Algosaibi, had now fully set aside provisions for their exposure in the troubled firms, Sabbagh told Reuters yesterday.

Speaking on the sidelines of a World Economic Forum ( WEF) conference on the Middle East and North Africa, Sabbagh said that 2013 provisions would be much lower than the $432 million set aside last year and $452 million in the previous year. He said the wave of political

unrest across the region since 2011 would continue to affect business, but a diversified portfolio helped reduce risks.

“We expect the pace of growth to be relatively good despite the economic conditions and turbulence in the region,” Sabbagh said. “In some countries we are doing very well and the only country we are really affected is Syria, but Syria is very small as a size,” he added. Arab Bank’s subsidiary in Syria was one of several foreign banks still operating in the violence torn country. Arab Bank, one of the Middle East’s largest financial institutions, owns 40 percent of Saudi Arabia’s Arab National Bank ANB. — Reuters

Should Quantitative Easing be reversed?

By Hayder Tawfik

L

ast week’s sell off in global stock markets was attributed to comments made by Ben Bernanke and some week economic data from China. I think there was some truth in that but lets not forget that the seven percent correction in the Japanese stock market happened after a 70 percent rally over the last six months. Indeed very impressive. The correction was way overdue.

Stock market volatility cannot be attributed to comments or week economic data alone. The comments

by Ben Bernanke, Federal Reserve chairman, highlighted that asset purchases related to quantitative easing might be tapered with earlier than expected gave investors the excuse to take profits. The dilemma for Ben Bernanke and other central bankers is how can they stop quantitative easing when global inflation is falling and the risk of deflation is rising.

Quantitative easing has worked very well for banks but not for consumers.

Banks have been given billions of dollars in cheap money and they made billions in profits by just buying government bonds rather injecting the cheap money back into the economy. Just looking at the money supply figures has proved this. Those who have been arguing that zero interest ratesare very loose and could threaten economic growth and trigger global inflation have been completely wrong. Zero interest rate can be tight too if money supply collapses. This is the situation we are experiencing now.

So with fiscal policy exhausted surely the burden must fall on monetary policy.

The European Central bank has much tougher job on hand than the Federal Reserve. The ECB’s slow reaction to the financial crisis back in 2008 and its continues stubbornness in facing the Eurozone’s economic crisis has lead to very weak economic growth and risingunemployment throughout the bloc.

Added to all of these are the risk of falling inflation and the threat of deflation. The Eurozone obviously needs very

loose monetary policy. The broad money supply is stagnant and deposits have turned negative even in Germany. In countries like Italy and Spain real money supply is contracting at an alarming pace. Yet it is not too late for the ECB to take action. Charging banks for depositing their cash is one way to make sure that bank starts lending again to consumers and small business. This is just a hope. The ECB is running out of excuses. Inflation is no longer a threat and the Euro is more stable than last year.

Quantitative easing has lead to a surge in asset prices but the results have been very small. While long term interest rates have fallen sharply and stock markets rallied, the economic activities have been very week. Countries have been busy with devaluing their currencies in the hope of encouraging exports but this is seems like fools game. Talks or a comment about removing the monetary support at this stage is a grave mistake.

Central banks not only should be worried about the risk of very weak economic activity but also about deflation. It seems to me that central banks have cornered themselves and the only way out is to continue printing money and making sure that those cheap money finds their way into consumerspockets.

I think central banks will get more aggressive with their easy monetary policy and credit expansion and this will ultimately result in a surge in economic growth and accelerated fall in unemployment. Also, they would prefer a rallying stock market that can do wonders for improving economic sentiment and consumers’ confidence. If the current small improvement in the economic activities and the rally in the stock markets get into trouble then investors can be reassured that the central banks will simply intervene with more aggressive monetary policies or other forms of credit expansion until they see a self sustaining economic recovery.

— Hayder Tawfik is the Executive Vice President of Asset Management, at Dimah Capital

BERLIN: German Chancellor Angela Merkel (left) and China’s Prime Minister Li Keqiang review the honour guard at the chancellery yesterday. — AFP

Merkel to host Li for export power summit BERLIN: China’s Premier Li Keqiang held talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel yesterday as the close economic partners seek to weather a brewing trade spat between Beijing and the EU and forge deeper ties. The new premier’s three-day visit to Germany, by far China’s biggest European trading partner, indicates Beijing’s wish to continue its special partnership with Europe’s biggest economy, analysts say.

After visiting Switzerland to ink an accord paving the way for a landmark free trade deal with the Alpine nation, Germany is the only stop among EU member states on Li’s maiden foreign tour, which last week also took in India and Pakistan. Li, in a speech to business and financial leaders in Switzerland on Friday, slammed the EU for plans to probe China’s telecom products and impose taxes on its solar panels, Chinese state media reported Saturday.

Cited by Xinhua news agency, Li said the planned measures would “not only cause serious damage to related industries, enterprises and employment in China, but will also hurt the personal interests of users and consumers in Europe.” Merkel will greet Li with military honours at her Berlin chancellery and afterwards hold talks set to cover the “whole breadth of our very intensive relations”, including trade, her spokesman said.

“We must try for Europe and China to find ways for amicable agreements, fair agreements on these (trade) issues which both sides can live with,” Steffen Seibert told a regular government news conference Friday. The German-Chinese trade relationship is an “almost perfect symbiosis”, based on mutual need but is set to change, according to Germany expert Hans Kundnani, of the European Council on Foreign Relations. While German motor vehicles and auto parts, machinery and electrical goods find a vast export market in the world’s secondlargest economy, China needs technology from Germany.

German exports to China amounted to 66.6 billion euros ($86 billion) last year, according to official German data. “German manufacturers are increasingly going to be squeezed, I think, by competition from China, and you are starting to see that already,” the London-based expert said. —AFP

C

ommodity markets had to deal with several pieces of news and events this past week. Of these the most important were the weaker than expected Manufacturing PMI from China, the mini crash in the Japanese stock index together with comments from Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the US Federal Reserve about continued asset purchasing. Cyclical commodities, such as energy and industrial metals which rely on growth to spur demand fell after the manufacturing data from China pointed towards continued weakness. This once again brought about talk of whether the super cycle that commodity markets have witnessed in recent years and which primarily was driven by rising demand from growth in emerging economies, especially China, was coming to an end. The dollar reached the highest level since July 2010 against a basket of currencies and this also created some headwinds.

Precious metals scrape bottom The year has so far shown negative returns for both the Dow Jones-UBS and S&P Goldman Sachs index. These are two of the world’s most followed indices by investors seeking passively managed exposure to the asset class. All sectors are showing a negative return with the odd one out being the energy sector in the DJ-UBS index which can be explained by a relatively large exposure in natural gas, the top performer both this past week and year to date. Precious metals scrape the bottom this week as weakness in silver - down one-quarter and gold down 17 percent - more than off-set better performances in platinum and especially palladium.

Precious metals survived an early scare last Monday when silver dropped by 10 percent in a matter of minutes before rallying to end the day higher.

Such levels of daily volatility can be expected as the tug of war between buyers and sellers continues to escalate with traders currently very uncertain about where markets are headed from here. Overall, both metals managed some small gains as the mini-crash in Japan Thursday and soothing words from Ben Bernanke the day before triggered some buying interest in both metals.

Supply issues in corn, wheat and soybeans The agriculture sector saw very different performances between crops and soft commodities. All three key crops soybeans, wheat and corn - rose as supplies left over from the drought-plagued 2012 harvest continue to dwindle, especially triggered by strong US export sales. New supply from the coming crop season will not be available for another few months leaving a major price gap between the cost of what buyers pay for prompt delivery compared with delivery

later this year. Examples of this are in soybeans and corn where the new crops are trading at 17 percent and 19 percent discounts respectively to current old crop prices.

Oil - high inventory levels Oil markets are currently well supplied with inventory levels in the US near the highest level since 1931 as domestic production continues to rise while Chinese demand is showing signs of not growing by the amount initially anticipated. These developments combined with the continued recession in Europe have despite the risk of a geopolitical event kept the price of oil, both WTI and Brent Crude, near the lower end of their current ranges - especially Brent Crude which remains the global benchmark for a large proportion of physical oil transactions. WTI crude oil’s discount to Brent crude oil has seen a sharp reduction during the past months but with inventory withdrawals from Cushing, the delivery point for W TI Crude oil, slowing over the past couple of weeks a further tightening much below $7.5 per barrel seems unlikely at this stage.

Global growth concerns should help contain the price of Brent Crude near the lower end of its current range with the chance that further weakness could see it trade back down below $99 per barrel before finding support. Resistance above 105 has now been confirmed on a couple of occasions during the past month leaving room for the upside limited at this stage.

Gold - outlook remains negative Gold and silver markets took some comfort from Ben Bernanke’s comment that it would be a major concern to pull back from quantitative easing too early and that more progress in job creation had to be seen before such a pullback from asset purchasing could be considered. The mini-crash in the Japanese Nikkei on Thursday, however short-lived, also created a sense of flight to safety lending both markets some support. Up against this the continued reductions of gold held in exchange traded products, especially by institutional investors, remains a concern and reduces the upside potential.

Together with this we have seen hedge funds build up the largest short position on record. Although this shows the current negative approach to gold among many of these investors it could also have a significant positive impact on prices if the outlook turns more favourable as short covering will follow.

For the outlook to turn more positive the double bottom on the charts, which is currently in the making, needs to be confirmed. For that to happen traders using technical analysis would want to see the price climb back above $1,430 per ounce which represents a 61.8 percent retracement of the recent sell-off.

EXCHANGE RATES Irani Riyal Irani Riyal

Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Egyptian pounds

.2770000 .4310000 .3680000 .3020000 .2780000 .2940000 .0040000 .0020000 .0771240 .7513970 .3930000 .0720000 .7366120 .0370000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2841000 GB Pound/KD .4338920 Euro .3707360 Swiss francs .3043390 Canadian dollars .2795430 Danish Kroner .0497330 Swedish Kroner .0443660 Australian dlr .2963730 Hong Kong dlr .0365940 Singapore dlr .2291130 Japanese yen .0029600 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 Pakistan rupee .0000000 Bangladesh taka .0000000 UAE dirhams .0773800 Bahraini dinars .7538810 Jordanian dinar .0000000 Saudi Riyal/KD .0757800 Omani riyals .7382100 Philippine Peso .0000000

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Malaysian ringgit

ASIAN COUNTRIES 2.837 5.168 2.918 2.272 3.286 229.200 37.017 3.679 6.906 9.580 94.221

.2880000 .4470000 .3760000 .3170000 .2920000 .3020000 .0069000 .0035000 .0778990 .7589480 .4110000 .0770000 .7440150 .0440000 .2862000 .4370990 .3734770 .3065880 .2816100 .0501010 .0446940 .2985640 .0368650 .2308060 .0028810 .0052870 .0022880 .0029190 .0036810 .0779520 .7594530 .4048090 .0763400 .7436660 .0069870

0.271 0.273

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

GCC COUNTRIES 76.657 78.986 746.650 763.520 78.276

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 40.200 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 40.438 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.341 Tunisian Dinar 174.200 Jordanian Dinar 405.950 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.929 Syrian Lier 3.123 Morocco Dirham 34.006 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 287.350 Euro 374.560 Sterling Pound 437.580 Canadian dollar 281.270 Turkish lira 158.750 Swiss Franc 302.000 US Dollar Buying 286.150 GOLD 298.000 150.000 77.500

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

SELL DRAFT 285.82 284.05 300.81 372.76 286.40 440.36 2.86 3.689 5.186 2.268 3.258 2.910 78.04 762.27 40.40 407.61 744.82 79.09 76.50

Selling Rate 286.750 282.465 436.890 370.980 295.860 759.185 78.050 78.710 76.430 404.225 40.419 2.269 5.174 2.908 3.680 6.954 703.420 3.795 9.710 4.095 3.330 94.935

Bahrain Exchange Company CURRENCY

UAE Exchange Centre WLL COUNTRY Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro US Dollar Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

Rate for Transfer US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

SELL CASH 283.000 282.000 299.500 372.000 287.500 439.500 3.300 3.720 5.380 2.460 3.400 2.960 78.700 762.000 40.000 410.000 748.000 79.500 77.000

British Pound Czech Korune Danish Krone Euro Norwegian Krone Scottish Pound Swedish Krona Swiss Franc

BUY Europe 0.4278481 0.0062612 0.0457656 0.3664124 0.0452526 0.4235148 0.0392353 0.2939051

SELL

Australian Dollar New Zealand Dollar Uganda Shilling

Australasia 0.2677639 0.2246165 0.0001140

0.2797639 0.2346165 0.0001140

Canadian Dollar Colombian Peso US Dollars

America 0.2713010 0.0001462 0.2850000

0.2803010 0.0001642 0.2871500

Bangladesh Taka Cape Vrde Escudo Chinese Yuan Eritrea-Nakfa

Asia 0.0036421 0.0031866 0.0457618 0.0166100

0.0036971 0.0034166 0.0507618 0.0197100

0.4368481 0.0182612 0.0507656 0.3739124 0.0504526 0.4310418 0.0442353 0.3009051

Guinea Franc Hg Kong Dollar Indian Rupee Indonesian Rupiah Jamaican Dollars Japanese Yen Kenyan Shilling Malaysian Ringgit Nepalese Rupee Pakistan Rupee Philippine Peso Sierra Leone Singapore Dollar Sri Lankan Rupee Thai Baht

0.0000446 0.0344513 0.0051002 0.0000244 0.0028724 0.0027581 0.0033556 0.0896040 0.0030879 0.0028905 0.0064572 0.0000733 0.2231395 0.0022314 0.0092030

0.0000506 0.0375513 0.0051642 0.0000295 0.0038724 0.0029381 0.0035856 0.0966040 0.0032879 0.0029305 0.0069272 0.0000763 0.2291395 0.0022734 0.0098030

Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Ethiopeanbirr Ghanaian Cedi Iranian Riyal Iraqi Dinar Jordanian Dinar Kuwaiti Dinar Lebanese Pound Moroccan Dirhams Nigerian Naira Omani Riyal Qatar Riyal Saudi Riyal Sudanese Pounds Syrian Pound Tunisian Dinar UAE Dirhams Yemeni Riyal

Arab 0.7552440 0.0384730 0.0129538 0.1460100 0.0000799 0.0001765 0.3994455 1.0000000 0.0001762 0.0219552 0.0012248 0.7348357 0.0782176 0.0760400 0.0466918 0.0027765 0.1723211 0.0767591 0.0012958

0.7637440 0.0405030 0.0194538 0.1478000 0.0000804 0.0002365 0.4069455 1.0000000 0.0001962 0.0459552 0.0018598 0.7458357 0.0790006 0.0766800 0.0472418 0.0029965 0.1783211 0.0782031 0.0013958

Al Mulla Exchange Currency US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal *Rates are subject to change

Transfer Rate (Per 1000) 286.600 373.000 435.800 279.700 2.875 5.160 40.430 2.268 3.672 6.890 2.912 762.200 78.000 76.500

MONDAY, MAY 27, 2013

BUSINESS

Markets speculate on end of QE For the past several weeks, speculation has risen over the possibility that the Federal Reserve may begin to wind down the current Quantitative Easing policy. Federal Reserve Chairman, Ben Bernanke, testified on Wednesday commenting on the recent changes and improvements in the US economy.

Bernanke surprised the markets, stating that ending the program prematurely would endanger a recovery hampered by high unemployment and government spending cuts. Moreover, the Fed Chairman hinted that the first reduction in QE purchases could occur as early as September. Bernanke’s comments caused some turbulence in the FX market towards the end of the week.

The euro started the week on a positive note, opening at 1.2840, following Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis President James Bullard statement, saying, “Policy makers should keep buying bonds as the best available option to boost growth”. The single currency then rose to 1.2934 against its American counterpart.

The euro continued its climb against the dollar, as Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke told Congress that tightening policy too soon would endanger the recovery. The market then reversed its trend, as further comments from Bernanke pushed the dollar higher against all major currencies, as he said the central bank might taper monthly bond purchases at its next few meetings, giving more room the US economy to grow. The euro dropped significantly following Bernanke’s comments to a low of 1.2821. The Euro then regained its losses and hiked all the way back to 1.2993 after positive German confidence data. The single currency closed the week at 1.2932.

Cable opened the week at 1.5170, only to rise following a report that showed that home prices rose to a record, adding signs that the economy is improving, pushing the Pound to a high of 1.5281. The pound then collapsed against the dollar, after a report showed that UK inflation slowed more than forecasted. The pound touched a low of 1.5014 on Thursday, and closed the week at 1.5127. The yen ended its 2week losing streak against the dollar. The JPY opened the week at 103.20, weakening against a stronger dollar throughout the week, to touch a low of 103.74 on Wednesday. The yen then strengthened dramatically, triggering orders in the market following Bernanke’s comments. Adding pressure on the JPY, the Nikkei experienced a 7 percent drop on Thursday, following bad economic data from China. The yen gained 307 basis points against the greenback, touching a high of 100.67, breaking major support levels. The yen closed the week at 101.31. The Swiss franc strengthened against the dollar on Wednesday. The CHF opened the week at 0.9729, strengthening to a low of 0.9590 against the dollar on Friday. The Swiss franc closed the week at 0.9615.

New/existing home sales Sales of previously owned American houses climbed last month to the highest level in more than

NBK WEEKLY MONEY MARKET REPORT 3-years, even in the midst of strict borrowing rules.

Purchases of existing houses increased to 4.97 million homes, the highest level since November 2009. The figure came less than the forecasted 4.99 million, but still managed to beat the previous months’ figure of 4.92 million. The gain in the housing sector is attributed to near record low borrowing costs.

The low borrowing costs and job gains attracted more buyers into the market. New home sales in the US have also climbed in April to the second highest level in almost five years. New home purchases rose 2.3 percent to 454,000 homes, beating expectation by 29,000 homes, and over performing March’s figure of 417,000.

Bernanke Testifies The Federal Reserve Chairman, Ben Bernanke, defended the central bank’s record stimulus program, stating that ending the program prematurely would endanger a recovery hampered by high unemployment and government spending cuts. Chairman Bernanke said, “A premature tightening of monetary policy could lead interest rates to rise temporarily but would also carry a substantial risk of slowing or ending the economic recovery and causing inflation to fall further”. Bernanke mentioned the economic costs of the elevated employment rate, which stands at 7.5 percent, even after four years following the deepest recession since the Great Depression, adding that the Federal Reserve easing program is providing “significant benefits to the American economy”. After Bernanke said that the Fed “could take a step down in the pace of purchases in the next few meetings”, the Fed Chairman added that the Central bank is “trying to make an assessment of whether or not we have seen real and sustainable progress in the labor market outlook”.

Bernanke stated that if the Fed “continued to see improvement and have confidence that it is going to be sustained”, the central bank then “could take a step down in the pace of purchases”. The FOMC meeting minutes mentioned that a “ number” of officials were

gradually frustrates his friends even more. In these situations where “Youssef’s way” is shown, viewers will see the corresponding Ford technology as the better solution, or the “Ford way.” Viewers are challenged by “How far can Ford technology take you?”, as they clearly see “the Ford way vs. Youssef way.”

“We’re very excited to launch this unique advertising and marketing campaign across the GCC,” said Paul

Anderson, Marketing director at Ford Middle East. “The Youssef commercials are humorous while clearly highlighting the Ford technology in a fresh way. We are confident that this campaign will engage the

younger audiences and will help us create buzz around the breadth of high-tech products Ford currently offers in its lineup, as well as the industry leading innovations that the Ford brand is making available to the masses.” Additionally, this campaign marks the first time Ford has integrated vehicle/technology and parts and service messaging in one single, comprehensive brand campaign. One of the five commercials highlights the state-of-the-art Ford service facilities and the professional after-sales support that Ford dealerships provide around the region, through factory-trained technicians and genuine Ford and Motorcraft parts.

Fans can follow the progress of the Youssef campaign across multiple platforms including, TV and online during this first phase of the campaign. Ford will launch a second phase with extensive digital, mobile and social outreach later this summer. The new Ford brand campaign has been developed by Team Detroit in the United States and Y&R Dubai.

Japan’s ANA resumes Dreamliner flights TOKYO: Japan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA), the single biggest operator of Boeing’s flagship 787, said it put its Dreamliner fleet back into service yesterday following a four-month suspension due to battery problems.

One of ANA’s high-tech planes arrived safely at Haneda in Tokyo on time from Sapporo in Hokkaido as a relief service with some 220 passengers aboard, the firm and airoprt officials said.

I t was ANA’s first commercial flight of Dreamliners since the planes were grounded worldwide after two separate incidents on Japanese-owned planes involving overheating of the lithium-ion batter y packs in Januar y. “ We have implemented full-scale preparations with some 200 test flights,” ANA vice president Hiroyuki Ito was quoted by Jiji Press as saying in Sapporo’s ShinChitose airport ahead of the depar-

United Kingdom No expansion for stimulus The Bank of England members voted to keep the asset purchase program at GBP 375 billion this month.

The BoE Governor, Mervyn King, was defeated for a fourth month in his bid to expand stimulus as the majority of officials cautioned against the danger of fueling inflation expectations. According to the minutes, the majority said that “there was tentative evidence that measures of medium-term inflation expectations were becoming more sensitive to short-term

Unemployment claims Fewer Americans than forecasted filed for first-time claims for unemployment last week, indicating that companies are keeping their employees and the labor market is sustaining recent gains. The number of Americans filing applications for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell by 23,000 to 340,000. The figure came lower than the expected 345,000. As dismissals slow, this could boost a pick-up in hiring while the economy battles to overcome the federal budget cuts that are expected to curb the expansion. A less volatile measure than the weekly figures, the four-week moving average, dropped to 339,500 last week from 340,000.

Ford launches new ME brand campaign DUBAI: Ford Middle East yesterday launched a regional integrated advertising and communications campaign highlighting Ford’s various smart technologies and the brand’s leadership within the industry. The campaign uses a fun and engaging young Arab character, Youssef, and his friends to highlight the latest Ford models and demonstrate unique Ford technologies such as Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) with Cross Traffic Alert, EcoBoost, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keeping System, and Foot-Activated Liftgate.

In the new campaign, Youssef stands out from his friends by his quirkiness. Always trying to help his friends out, unfortunately Youssef never gets it quite right and, even though his friends like him and appreciate his enthusiasm, they are often slightly frustrated with him. In the series of five commercials, Youssef and his friends are introduced in various situations where Youssef attempts to assist the driver in his own unique way, but unfortunately he doesn’t quite succeed and

willing to reduce bond buying as early as the next meeting in June, if economic reports show “evidence of sufficiently strong and sustained growth”.

Commenting on the labor market, as it showed some improvement, Bernanke said that “high rates of unemployment and underemployment are extraordinarily costly”. Adding, “not only do they impose hardships on the affected individuals and their families, they also damage the productive potential of the economy as a whole by eroding workers’ skills and by preventing many young people from gaining workplace skills and experience in the first place”. Fed officials have left the benchmark lending rate near zero since December 2008 and have expanded the balance sheet to USD

ter, after contracting 0.7% in the last quarter of 2012, as an abnormally long winter damped construction and investments.

ture. “We will continue to make our efforts so that people can use the flights comfortably,” Ito said. A passenger on the flight told Tokyo Broadcasting System Television at the airport: “To be honest, I feel a sense of unease but I want to believe in ANA.” Last week ANA announced plans to resume the flights earlier than its originally planned date of June 1 as the airline completed safety tests.

ANA plans to restar t regular flights at home and overseas, including services connecting Tokyo and major cities such as Beijing, Frankfurt, San Jose and Taipei. After months of investigations, US authorities in April formally approved Boeing’s battery fix and Japanese regulators followed suit.

In mid-May ANA said a modified Dreamliner had experienced a fault in an electrical panel earlier in the

month. But it insisted the glitch was too “minor” to affect the restart of services by the fuel-saving lightweight planes. ANA operates around a third of the 50 787s that Boeing has delivered, more than half of which have now been put back into service.

Last Monday United Airlines resumed Boeing 787 Dreamliner flights with a service from the airline’s hub in Houston, Texas, to Chicago. Ethiopian Airlines was the first to resume service, in late April, and Air India, which owns six Boeing 787s, also restarted flights last week.

ANA began testing its Dreamliner fleet at the end of April, with a twohour flight from Haneda Airport that had ANA chairman Shinichiro Ito and Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Ray Conner aboard as part of a push to reassure Japan’s consumers the plane was safe. — AFP

3.35 trillion compared with USD 879 billion on May 2007, with quantitative easing.

Europe German manufacturing German manufacturing index rose more than forecasted this month, signaling hope that the euro-zone is pulling out from its record long recession. The Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index rose to 49.0 in May, exceeding estimates of 48.6. The figure rose from April’s number of 48.1. A reading above 50 indicates growth, and below 50, contraction.

German Ifo business climate German Business confidence increased for the first time in three months, adding signs that Europe’s largest economy is gaining traction and gathering pace. The Ifo Institute’s business climate index climbed to 105.7 this month, the first gain since February, from 104.4 in April, equivalent to the forecast of May. Europe’s largest economy grew 0.1% in the first quar-

news in inflation” and that “financial markets were not expecting further asset purchases at this meeting and might, at the margin, reassess the committee’s tolerance of elevated inflation should additional stimulus be injected”. The nine members of the MPC voted to keep the benchmark interest rate at a record low of 0.5 percent.

Commodities Oil West Texas Intermediate dropped last week, having its biggest weekly drop in more than a month amid signs of rising US oil inventories and a global economic slowdown. WTI crude slid as much as 5 percent in the week, touching a high of 97.11 on Monday, only to fall for the rest of the week to a low of 92.21.

Kuwait Kuwaiti dinar at 0.28595 The USDKD opened at 0.28595 yesterday morning.

Chinese property prices on the rise KCIC WEEKLY ANALYSIS ON ASIA China’s property prices increased in April by almost 5 percent compared to the previous year, its fastest pace in more than two years. The rising trend has been ongoing for more than 6 months, and has led to fears that efforts by the government to curb what many consider a bubble in real estate are not being successful. The demand-driven increase in housing prices is in part unavoidable given the rate at which urbanization is taking place in China. But other factors not related to fundamentals are also behind this trend. China lacks alternative assets to channel the vast savings of Chinese households. Controlled interest rates force banks to offer low remuneration for deposits. Tight capital controls make it difficult for residents to invest in foreign bonds, and foreign and domestic equities. Real estate is one of the only few alternatives that Chinese have to park their savings without losing purchase power. Real estate inflation is relatively harmless when driven by fundamentals such as rising income or urbanization processes.

However, if the driver for prices is speculation, the risk of a strong correction is higher. Authorities are trying to avoid such a collapse in real estate prices as it would deprive local governments of their main source of revenue and would hurt the savings of households, causing a downturn of the economy. Since 2010, Chinese authorities have introduced multiple regulations in order to cool down the market, so far unsuccessfully. The lat-

est set of measures was announced in March; a 20 percent tax on capital gains made on home sales. However sales picked up as investors rushed to avoid the regulation, driving house prices higher.

The indicator is made up by calculating the property prices of each of the top 70 medium and large Chinese cities, and then averaging them by weight. It shows that housing inflation bottomed in May last year, and has been trending upwards since then, according to China’s National Bureau of Statistics. In April, real estate prices grew on average 4.9 percent year-onyear. Furthermore, this is occurring amongst residential (both new and second-hand) and commercial properties. This is also happening across China: 68 out of the 70 largest cities witnessed last month a rise in newly built property prices (residential and commercial), and 64 out of 70 cities’ second-hand home prices increased in April. Second-hand homes are the most susceptible to speculation, which explains why they are the first to see their prices rise or fall at the start of each cycle. The rise in Chinese property prices is taking place all over China, across all type of property, and at an accelerating rate. In particular, one of the largest increases was in Beijing, where house prices grew 10.3 percent year-on-year in April.

Chinese authorities are facing a complex situation: the combination of an overheated real estate sector and an economy that is decelerating. To handle this apparent contradiction

they are trying to tighten housing transactions while easing the rest of credit in the economy. But it is not an easy combination: in the first four months of 2013, total credit grew 64.7 percent year-on-year, but a large portion flowed into the real estate sector in spite of curbs. The low success of property restrictions is partly explained by the role of local governments. In spite of being requested to control prices, local governments are ignoring the instructions because they financially depend on property sales revenues, which explains why most of them have not yet implemented the capital tax. However, aware of the repercussions, some are using alternative methods to stabilize the property boom: Shanghai for instance ordered banks to halt loans for third homes; also, along with Beijing, they limited the number of properties for single residents to one.

The real fix for the real estate market would involve liberalizing the financial system, as it would remove the pressure to absorb most of the Chinese savings away from the housing sector.

Other measures that should be taken include the establishment of social security system and unemployment benefits, which would reduce the need for residents to save. Those measures are already at the top of the new leadership’s agenda, and are expected to take place in the medium run. Fixing the structural housing issue is the key to ensure China’s future successful development.

A cabin attendant serves to passengers on a Boeing 787 plane of the All Nippon Airways during its flight from New Chitose Airport, near Sapporo, northern Japan, to Haneda Airport yesterday. — AP

MONDAY, MAY 27, 2013

BUSINESS

Test drive a Chevrolet Traverse and win a trip to Dubai KUWAIT: Yusuf A. Alghanim & Sons Automotive, the exclusive distributor of Chevrolet vehicles in Kuwait, is presenting an exclusive offer that coincides with the travel season this summer. The promotion offers customers a chance to own the new 2013 Traverse and their first three installments will be free Customers can also simply test drive the new 2013 Traverse and a have a chance to win a trip to Dubai for two. The limited time offer is available at all Chevrolet Yusuf A. Alghanim & Sons Automotive’ s showrooms.

The new 2013 Traverse is renowned for its popularity in Kuwait. The practical and spacious vehicle has always been the prime choice for drivers whom appreciate a solid, powerful drive that is equipped with state of the art safety and technological features.

Rethought, reshaped and redesigned, the 2013 Traverse provides its owner with a

new exterior design and impressive engineering developments. While its lean, sculpted lines and dramatic accents reveal a more artistic and smooth exterior, the 2013 Traverse’s interior is richer, more aesthetically pleasing and provides a wide range of technological and entertainment tools.

Staying true to its dynamic and comprehensive appeal, the 2013 Traverse’s powerful performance is complemented with standard-setting safety features. Apart from its emphasis on creating a serene and luxurious interior design that include stunning stitching and wood trim, General Motors was also committed to enhancing the 2013 Traverse’s exterior starting with the front grill, headlights and smooth, seamless lines that greatly beautify and enhance the hood and backdoor. Comfortably seating eight passengers, the interior is equipped with Chevy’s MyLink infotainment system that

provides 6.5 inches of touch screen interface for all entertainment needs. Apart from allowing one to access MP3 files, iPods, iPads and more, the MyLink system seamlessly integrates a smartphone’s capabilities into the vehicle via USB or Bluetooth.

The new Traverse’s wide range of features make it the vehicle of choice for many individuals including being one of the most popular family cars that is up for any type of outing be it safely transporting children to and from school or simply providing its owner with the convenience needed to perform daily errands and tasks. The new Traverse’s large trunk area measured at 116.3 square feet furthers its family-friendly interior that is both spacious and comfortable for up to eight passengers.

The 2013 Chevrolet Traverse is designed to help avoid crashes and protect the driver and his/her passengers in the event of a

collision. From the StabiliTrak Electronic Stability Control System, to the six standard air bags, the 2013 Chevrolet Traverse has covered every area when it comes to providing a safe journey on every road and in every type of terrain especially with its 5star safety rating. Staying true to its grounded nature, the 2013 Traverse provides car owners a competitive advantage when it comes to the vehicle’s fuel efficiency; the all-new 4-wheel drive that holds up to eight people has a 3.6-liter, direct-injected V6 engine that reaches up to 281 hp and standard 6-speed automatic transmission that provides smooth shifting and effortless, quiet acceleration while contributing to impressive highway fuel economy.

The joy of owning the new 2013 is augmented by Yusuf Ahmed Alghanim & Sons Automotive’s excellent customer service, quality maintenance options and competi-

tive prices on spare parts, all of which is provided by a team of professional and skilled team members and technicians. An element that further enhances customers’ peace of mind is Yusuf A. Alghanim & Sons Automotive’s service center that is distinguished by its continuous and successful efforts in providing the highest quality of services that have set an international standard. The largest in the world, the service center is equipped with a large variety of the most advanced equipment operated by a team of skilled professionals and effective consultants who ensure timely service. If you are a fan of the Traverse, take advantage of this limited time offer by visiting the nearest Yusuf Ahmed Alghanim & Sons Automotive’s showroom to benefit from having the first three months of installments for free plus the chance to win an exciting trip for two to Dubai.

Kerala Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan inaugurates the 91st world class showroom of Malabar Gold & Diamonds in Thiruvalla as BJP State Vice President Prathapachandra Varma, KPCC Secretary Mannar Abdul Latheef, Malabar Group Chairman, Co chairman, Group Executive Directors and others look on.

Countdown begins for VIVA’s Lamborghini Gallardo draw KUWAIT: VIVA, Kuwait’s fastest-growing telecom operator, has announced that it will hold the postpaid draw to win a Lamborghini Gallardo at the Avenues Mall - Dome 2 on Thursday, May 30, 2013 at 7 pm. The draw will be held under the supervision of a Ministry of Commerce representative. One lucky winner will get to drive away in one of the world’s most desirable sports-cars, a brand new 2013 Lamborghini Gallardo.

The draw is open to all VIVA postpaid customers, who will need to ‘opt-in’ to enter, either by texting ‘GO’ to ‘535’ in a free SMS, by calling 102 on their mobile, or by visiting any of VIVA’s 14 branches located around Kuwait. Customers will earn a point for every KD1 spent on bill payment and each point will count as one entry into the draw. The more points accumulated by a customer, the more

chances they will have of winning.

Customers with postpaid contracts who have opted into the draw will automatically accumulate points immediately until draw entries close on 28 May 2013.

Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Badran, VIVA’s Chief Executive Officer said: “We are very pleased with the excitement this campaign has created among our customers. It has proven to be one of the most successful yet, and we hope to continue to surprise customers with many more initiatives as the year goes on.” “We invite all VIVA customers and the wider Kuwaiti public to join us at the Avenues Mall for the anticipated draw event where we will announce the winner of this rare and fabulous sports car.” VIVA is committed to providing its customers with the very best products and services in Kuwait, including the most exciting offers and promotions.

LISBON: Demonstrators hold a giant banner reading in Portuguese “Government, Troika out!” during a protest against the government’s austerity policies near Belem Presidential palace.— AFP

Nissan launches ‘Beat the Heat’ summer campaign KUWAIT: Abdulmohsen Abdulaziz AlBabtain Co - launched its summer checkup campaign “Beat The Heat” for Nissan’s cars model 2009 and before from the May 6 to June 6, 2013, which will include 13 free check points, free anti- bacterial treatment for A/C and 10 percent discount on labor and 25 percent on the spare parts.

Nissan Al-Babtain is always keen to maintain a strong relationship with its clients by providing them with continuous support and that it tends to cement this relationship in order to maintain and develop customer loyalty being an important pillar of the company’s success. The summer checkup campaign will be carried out by factory-trained technicians who will be using NISSAN Genuine parts.

In addition, Nissan Al-Babtain after-sales network of eight service centers and 13 spare parts outlets located throughout Kuwait to ensure convenient access to Nissan’s renowned customer service representatives and automotive technicians.

There are two main showrooms in Al-Rai and Ahmadi.

It is worthy to mention that Nissan is eager to offer its customers with continuous offers, added value service and promotions to meet their aspirations, demands and to maintain their Nissan in a good condition. Nissan Al-Babtain always recommends its clients to use Nissan genuine parts and regularly check up their Nissan in Nissan’s service centers. The attention given to the customer’s car at the service center and the Genuine Nissan Parts installed will always ensure that the customer’s car will always run at its best.

Nissan provides a wide range of models to suit various commercial and personal driving needs. Nissan’s robust range of LCVs can provide solutions for the issues facing transportation in today’s business world.

For those wishing to experience the Nissan SHIFT from the ordinary, Nissan provides the full range, from sleek coupes to rugged SUV’s.

MONDAY, MAY 27, 2013

BUSINESS

Japan unveils major aid, loan deal for Myanmar Japan pledges $498.5m in new loans

CALIFORNIA: The new restaurant Bibigo is catching the eyes of customers during the lunch rush in the Westwood community in Los Angeles. Bibigo is a new Korean restaurant chain that has opened in Westwood where customers can order take out or eat in meals.— MCT

S Korea trade deal produces bleak first-year result for US WASHINGTON: More than a year after it took effect, a highly touted trade deal with South Korea has failed to produce as expected for the US: Exports are down, imports are up and the trade deficit with the Asian economic powerhouse has ballooned. In Washington state, where global trade is now linked to 2 of every 5 jobs, trade backers are happy: Exports of aircraft and parts to Korea rose by more than 75 percent last year, and Koreans are gobbling up more of the state’s prized cherries and apples.

But across the nation, the picture looks far bleaker. Overall, US exports to Korea from March 2012 to this February fell to $42 billion, a 6 percent decline from the previous oneyear period, according to the Office of the US Trade Representative. During the same time, Korean imports increased by 4 percent. The US trade deficit with Korea went from $13.2 billion at the end of 2011 to nearly $16.6 billion at the end of last year, according to the US Census Bureau.

Boosters of the pact say it’s way too soon to know how it will pan out. “To judge it after a year and say it’s a success or failure is a little bit premature, certainly,” said Eric Schinfeld, the president of the Washington Council on International Trade, in Seattle. The deal with South Korea is one of three free-trade agreements, along with Colombia and Panama, that Congress passed in 2011 at the urging of President Barack Obama. The Korean deal, by far the largest and offering US businesses the most potential in selling more goods overseas, took effect on March 15 of last year.

On Capitol Hill, some are sounding alarms.

Sen Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., raised the issue before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee earlier this month during a confirmation hearing for ExportImport Bank President Fred Hochberg. She told Hochberg that his job is to increase exports and reduce the trade deficit.

“Just based on the math, something is not working very well for the United States on the Korea free-trade agreement, and it seems to be working at cross-purposes with what it is that you’re trying to accomplish,” she told Hochberg. Warren based her thoughts on her own analysis, looking at data from February 2012 through March of this year, concluding that exports to Korea fell by 5 percent, imports increased by 17 percent and the trade deficit rose “by a staggering 170 percent.”

Opponents hope that unhappiness with the early results of the Korean trade deal will lead more members of Congress to look skeptically at free-trade proposals, making it more difficult for Obama to win approval for his Trans-Pacific Partnership. That proposed pact, which is being negotiated by 11 nations, would seek to expand trade throughout the Pacific Rim. It promises to be the largest trade deal Congress has ever considered.

“It’s critical that Congress take note of that and demand changes,” said Arthur Stamoulis, the executive director of the Citizens Trade Campaign, a coalition of environmental, farm and consumer groups that’s a leading oppo-

nent of the Korea and Pacific Rim trade pacts.

Noting that the Obama administration has been busy touting the South Korea deal, most recently during a visit to Washington, DC, by South Korean President Park Geun-hye two weeks ago, Stamoulis said backers of the pact should take a hard look at the statistics.

“I think folks in the Obama administration either aren’t looking at the numbers or they’re intentionally misleading folks,” he said.

“Because the data is clear: This is a pact that has undercut the president’s goals for export growth and job creation.” In response, Schinfeld said rising imports weren’t necessarily bad and didn’t provide evidence that a trade deal wasn’t working. Instead, he said, they can merely reflect the fact that consumer demand is increasing and Americans are buying more products.

Assistant US Trade Representative Carol Guthrie cited a handful of American industries that had particularly strong growth in exports to Korea last year, including passenger vehicles (48 percent), pharmaceutical drugs (29 percent), fresh fruits (46 percent), tree nuts (38 percent), and wine (57 percent). She said that much of the decline in exports to Korea came because of a drop in just one product: corn.

She noted that corn exports were down across the globe due to a major drought last year in corn-growing regions of the United States.

And she said that macroeconomic effects could have a big role in shaping trade statistics. “If a country is experiencing tough economic times and low growth, that is going to result in lower demand, lower consumption and lower imports,” she said. “And Korea experienced much slower-than-normal economic growth in 2012.” Jeffrey Bergstrand, a professor of finance and an expert on international trade at Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business, said Japan was still fighting a recession and that economic growth in China had slowed.

“That weighs heavily upon the Korean economy,” he said. Income fluctuations can greatly affect trade statistics in a single year, he said, and it’s impossible to know how wellpositioned firms were to take advantage of the new agreement. He estimated that it takes 10 to 15 years to fully understand the benefits of a new trade pact. “It’s almost ridiculous to look after one year at the impact. It’s not revealing of the long-term impacts and benefits of these agreements,” Bergstrand said. At a news conference with the Korean president on May 7, Obama said the historic trade agreement already had yielded benefits for both countries, predicting that it ultimately would boost US exports by $10 billion, though he didn’t give a timeline. He said US businesses were exporting more manufactured goods, services and agricultural products to Korea, and he highlighted the performance of US automakers. In Washington state, often called the nation’s most trade-dependent state, the value of exports to Korea rose from $3.26 billion in 2011 to $3.38 billion last year, an increase of less than 4 percent. —MCT

Pain from bond yield rise manageable: BOJ TOKYO: Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said the country’s financial institutions have sufficient buffers against losses they may incur from rises in bond yields, as long as the market moves are driven by prospects of an economic recovery. The central bank will also be vigilant to any signs of overheating of asset prices or excessive risktaking by financial institutions, the BOJ chief said, adding that there were no signs of that now. “Japan’s financial system as a whole seems to possess sufficient resilience against such shocks as a rise in interest rates and deterioration in economic conditions,” Kuroda told a seminar involving academics yesterday. The BOJ unleashed the world’s most intense burst of stimulus last month, promising to inject $1.4 trillion into the economy in less than two years via massive asset purchases to meet its pledge of achieving 2 percent inflation in roughly two years.

But the central bank’s huge bond purchases have jolted bond markets and sent the 10-year yield to its highest in a year last week, casting a cloud over the effectiveness of its easing that attempts to push down borrowing costs. Declines in bond prices, and a resulting rise in yields, hurts the value of Japanese banks’ huge bond holdings and boosts the cost of funding the country’s massive public debt.

Kuroda said estimates by the BOJ in April showed a rise in interest rates by around 1-3 percentage points would not cause major concerns over Japan’s financial system, as long as the rise is accompanied by improvements in the economy. That is because the economic recovery would lead to increased

lending and help improve banks’ earnings, he said. But Japanese banks will take a hit if the rise in interest rates is not accompanied by improvements in the economy and is driven by heightened concern over Japan’s fiscal state, Kuroda said, calling on the government to keep up efforts to curb the country’s huge debt. “The BOJ made a clear commitment to achieve its price target. I’d like to call on the government to map out a clear plan to restore Japan’s fiscal health and a growth strategy - and most importantly, ask that they be implemented,” he said.

The BOJ will also be mindful of any signs of overheating in asset prices and take “appropriate action” if financial imbalances emerge, Kuroda said, suggesting that the BOJ will seek to unwind its ultra-loose policy if the flood of money it is pumping causes an unwelcome asset price bubble.

“There is no sign at this point of excessively bullish expectations in asset markets or in the activities of financial institutions,” he added, stressing that current economic conditions do not warrant any tightening of monetary policy in the forseeable future. The aggressive monetary stimulus launched by Kuroda, which is meant to vanquish 15 years of entrenched deflation by expanding the supply of money at an annual pace of 60 trillion($593 billion) to 70 trillion yen, has sent stocks soaring to 5-1/2-year highs. But the mood soured in the past week after subdued Chinese factory data and expectations that the US Federal Reserve may unwind its stimulus hit global shares. Tokyo’s Nikkei average suffered its worst one-day loss in two years on Thursday. — Reuters

NAYPYIDAW: Japan yesterday announced a development aid and loan pack age for Myanmar worth hundreds of millions of dollars as it boosts trade ties with the fast-changing nation seen as a key regional emerging market.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has pledged “all possible assistance” to kick-start Myanmar’s long-neglected economy, agreed the plans in talks with reformist President Thein Sein in the capital Naypyidaw, according to a joint statement released by Japan’s foreign ministry. “...in laying a new foundation for taking the relationship between Japan and Myanmar to a higher level and establishing a lasting, friendly and cooperative relationship, Japan and Myanmar will work together,” it said, before outlining areas of cooperation. Abe’s visit, the first visit by a Japanese premier since 1977, heralds a further improvement in already warm relations between Japan and Myanmar, as political reforms and the removal of most Western sanctions spur investment in the former pariah state.

As part of the new deals, the Japanese premier pledged up to 51 billion yen ($498.5 million) in new loans to Myanmar. This covers countr ywide infrastructure development, including road, electricity and water supplies; power station maintenance; and development

of the Thilawa special economic zone near Yangon, a project agreed by both countries in December.

Japan also confirmed it would forgive 176.1 billion ($1.74 billion) of Myanmar’s debts-the final portion of the 300 billion yen ($3.4 billion) that Tokyo pledged in April 2012 to cancel. The move was contingent on further reforms. “In support of the development of Myanmar and having implemented its arrears clearance operation with Myanmar, the Government of Japan decided to provide new yen loans as well as grant assistance,” the statement said.

Japan also announced an aid package worth up to 2.4 billion yen ($23 million) for water management in Yangon and a scholarship programme for young administrators overseeing the country’s social and economic development. On Saturday Abe visited the Thilawa project-a 2,400 hectare (6,000 acre) site which will include a port and industrial park-as part of efforts to promote Japanese firms and his country’s infrastructure-building expertise.

A memorandum of understanding was also signed for the project between nine Myanmar companies and three from Japan-including Mitsubishi-according to the state-backed newspaper the New Light of Myanmar. Abe is accompanied by a 40-strong delegation of

bosses from some of Japan’s top companies, including Mitsubishi, Mitsui and infrastructure firms Taisei and JGC. “Japan’s investments in Burma are truly extraordinary, and I think have taken many by surprise,” said Myanmar economics expert Sean Turnell before the announcement, using the country’s former name. He said its investment push into Myanmar was both economic and geopolitical, with “rivalry with China” also driving policy.

Turnell said Japan had become the “dominant player” in Myanmar, with China facing flak from communities concerned over the environmental and social impact of several major infrastructure projects. “China has been blind-sided, I think, and has a great hole of unpopularity to climb out of. The West is interested, but much of their money remains hovering nervously above the table as yet,” he said.

Unlike its Western allies, Japan maintained trade ties and dialogue with Myanmar during junta rule, which ended in 2011, saying a hard line could push it closer to Beijing. Abe follows in the footsteps of other world leaders who have flocked to the country since it was welcomed back to the international community after Thein Sein’s nominally civilian government was installed two years ago. — AFP

When nothing but a Lamborghini will do MIAMI: Nothing quite impresses an out-of-town client like whisking him around town in a flashy Ferrari, sleek Lamborghini or other hot luxury car.

So when real estate broker Patricia Delinois picked up client Robert Kiger to show him multimillion dollar properties on Fisher Island, near Miami, she rented a black Rolls-Royce Phantom for the ride. “It was fantastic,” said Kiger, who lives in Wellington, Fla., and owns two Elegante Polo stores. “I felt like a king.”

Celebrities, music moguls, wealthy Russian and Brazilian tourists, business people, athletes and other car enthusiasts are increasingly topping off their Miami experience by slipping behind the wheel of a luxury or exotic car - rented by the day, week or month. “Our VIP clients love it,” said Delinois, broker-owner of Century 21 Premier Elite Realty, who rents the cars from Lou La Vie, in Miami. “What we are trying to create is a fun, trendy, different experience that they will get only in Miami.”

South Florida has long been a leading market for sales of luxury and exotic cars, with the area’s dealers ranking at or near the top in their industry, nationwide. And now that love affair is extending to rentals - with less of a commitment required.

Without a doubt, the luxury car rental market is revving up. New showrooms are opening, more high-end cars are being added to firms’ fleets, and the once mostly seasonal business is becoming busy year-round, fueled in large part by wealthy foreign tourists.

Despite barriers such as the high cost of inventory - a single car can cost $400,000) - astronomical business insurance rates costing up to hundreds of thousands of dollars annually, and the occasional need to bail speed-happy customers out of jail, Miami-area companies report revenues are up by as much as 33 percent year-over-year.

“You can’t drive a Ferrari convertible through the streets of Brazil,” said Lou La Vie co-owner and President John Temerian. “So people are coming here to enjoy themselves. And how synonymous is a convertible with Miami Beach?” For rates generally starting at below $300 and reaching as high as $2,500 or more per day, companies like Lou La Vie will hand over the keys to luxury and exotic cars, including Porsches, Bentleys and Lamborghinis.

Jamie Foxx is a regular whenever he visits Miami, Temerian said, often choosing a red Ferrari.

Spanish soccer star Karim Benzema recently rented a Lamborghini for a week. The rapper T.I. opted for an Escalade with a chauffeur a few weeks ago, and actor Leonardo DiCaprio rented a Bentley about a year and a half ago, both from Carefree Lifestyle in South Beach, said co-owner and President Anthony R. Marotta. “This season, starting in December, was the busiest season we’ve had in 10 years,” Marotta said, citing revenue from cars, as well as homes, yachts and other luxury items. Politicians and royal families need fancy wheels, too. Prestige Luxury Rentals in Miami recently rented two Range Rovers to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg for his security detail and for himself.

And a few months ago, a Saudi prince wanted 200 Escalades for his family and friends, after flying in on a private Boeing 747, said Roc Collado, business development manager for Prestige Luxury Rentals. To fill the order, local companies partnered together, and came up with 70 Escalades, 70 Mercedes and a few dozen Range Rovers.

“The recession didn’t really affect the clientele we have renting the vehicles,” Collado said. “The money just kind of moves around - at one point it is a lot of Russians, then a lot of Brazilians. The money doesn’t disappear; it just moves. Right now, it’s the Russians, Brazilians and Venezuelans.” In fact, tourists of every ilk are driving luxury rental car companies’ revenue, and perhaps nowhere more so than in South Florida.

“Anywhere where there is heavy tourist traffic is where you will see luxury travel rental companies,” said Sharon Faulkner, executive director of the American Car Rental Association, based in Albany, NY. The concentration of luxury car rentals, she said, is in Florida, California, Las Vegas, and, for the less sporty vehicles, New York.

“It just follows that since the economy is getting better, so is the demand for luxury items,” Faulkner said. “The consumer can’t afford to own it, but can still afford to rent it.” Even Hertz is getting in on the game. The company has been slowly adding highend vehicles into its fleet in the past year, said spokeswoman Paula Rivera. The cars are only available at select destinations. “When you see a major

company like Hertz growing that part of their market, it would say the demand is there,” Faulkner said.

In Miami, Hertz now offers about a dozen luxury cars, including a Lamborghini Gallardo, Ferrari F430, Mercedes Benz SLS AMG GT and Aston Martin Vantage. Just in the past two months, it has added several Porsches: a 911 Carrera, Boxster, Panamera, Cayenne and Cayenne Turbo. “We have seen solid demand for our high-end cars, and we’ve been very pleased with how customers have been receiving them,” Rivera said. “During peak season, it is common for us to hit capacity for reservations. And when there are cars available that haven’t been rented ahead of time, they are quickly snatched up at the counter.”

Hertz’s luxury rentals range from about $250 to $1,500 a day, plus insurance, taxes and airport fees, she said. “A lot of folks will say they don’t have these types of cars where they are from, so it makes it even more appealing,” Rivera added. Lou La Vie, which has operated since 2010, expanded last month with a new retail showroom in Miami.

With the economy improving and demand for luxury and exotic cars rising, the timing was right, said Temerian, who has seen a 20 percent increase in demand in sports and exotic car rental just in the past six months. With white walls lined with art for sale by Leonardo Hidalgo, Lou La Vie’s showroom is filled with shiny luxury and exotic cars, like a red Ferrari 458 Spider, which retails for about $400,000, said Temerian, 28, whose family has been in the

town from California or Brazil. Once it was a Ferrari 430 Spider convertible, another time it was a RollsRoyce. “A happy investor is a liberal investor,” said Cunningham, who lives in Jupiter, Fla. Walk by Carefree Lifestyle’s South Beach offices, where Rolls-Royces, Bentleys, Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Maseratis are parked side-byside, and you’ll likely see tourists standing next to the cars, using them as the backdrops for photos.

“We’ve become a tourist attraction,” said Marotta, 40, who moved here from New York in 2000 and started the business the following year with his brother Gary, 48, with one car and one limousine.

In a matter of months after opening, they realized there was demand for other services to complete the Miami lifestyle experience, and began providing waterfront mansions, yachts, bodyguards and chefs, along with exotic cars. Today, the company generates $5 million a year in revenue from car rentals alone, and has offices in Beverly Hills and New York, in addition to Miami Beach, which remains its headquarters and largest operation, generating more than half the company’s revenue. Marotta expects to open offices in more cities within the next 18 months, including Las Vegas. “The luxury market is booming in every aspect,” he said.

Carefree Lifestyle has a fleet of 40 luxury and exotic cars it owns, worth more than $5 million, including Range Rovers, BMWs, Mercedes Benzes, Porsches, Corvettes and Escalades at the “low end,” and Maseratis, Bentleys, Rolls-Royces, Ferrarris,

MIAMI: John Temerian, pictured is president of Lou La Vie luxury car rentals at 1444 Biscayne Blvd in Miami, Florida. —MCT luxury car business since the 1960s. His grandfather owned an exotic car dealership in Springfield, Mass., and his father was a mechanic for exotic cars in Lake Park, Fla. In all, Lou La Vie (French slang for “Rent the Life,”) has a fleet of 20 cars worth $3 million, all of which it owns and insures. “There are a massive amount of companies that don’t own their vehicles and don’t have insurance,” Temerian said. Other models in Lou La Vie’s fleet include a Nissan GTR, which he said can go from zero to 60 in 2.9 seconds; a Lamborghini LP560; a Porsche Panamera GTS and a Range Rover Supercharged.

Daily rates range from $299 a day to $2,850 a day; from $2,093 to $18,500 weekly; and $6,279 to $50,000 monthly. Many of the company’s clients are foreign nationals, as well as athletes, celebrities, and music industry people, who are here for business or pleasure. “It’s not just renting a car; it’s tailoring it to people’s lifestyles,” Temerian said. Once, a client with a second home on one of the Sunset Islands in Miami Beach rented a blue Lamborghini for three days - and only drove it five miles.

“He just wanted the car to sit in the driveway while he was here,” Temerian said. The cars have been used in music videos, as well. “I don’t think there’s a place in the world like Miami, and what better place to have a beautiful convertible?”

Temerian said. “It goes back to the days of ‘Miami Vice.’ It has a very long history.” Dennis Cunningham, chief executive of Juno Beach, Fla.based BidABuilder.com, rents luxury cars from Lou La Vie when his private equity investors come to

Lamborghinis, and an Audi R8 at “the high end,” Marotta said. Rental prices range from $249 a day for a BMW 3-series or a Corvette convertible to $2,500 a day for a Rolls-Royce or Ferrari.

The most popular are Ferraris and Lamborghinis. “It grabs the eye,” he said. The majority of Carefree Lifestyle’s car rental clients are vacationers, and during the last couple of years, Marotta said he has seen an influx of foreign tourists, particularly Russians and Brazilians.

“There’s almost no low season anymore,” he said.

“There’s so much money coming in and out.”

That cash has led to a shadier side of the business: brokers who rent out cars that don’t belong to them.

One such exotic car rental broker, Raimundo Modia, who owned Lifestyle Luxury Rentals, was found shot to death in a Florida warehouse in December 2011. The killing came after he reported that customers had run off with a 2007 Lamborghini Murcielago, a new Audi R8 and a 2011 Porsche Panamera. Marotta has had crooked customers himself. “We’ve had every type of problem stolen cars, stolen credit cards,” he said.

To take precautions lending out a car worth as much as $400,000, Marotta said his company checks credit, asks for two forms of identification, car insurance and a security deposit. Once in the driver’s seat, luxury car renters in Miami have run into trouble with the law, too. Collado, of Prestige Luxury Rentals, has had to bail out foreign customers, often Russians, who were unfamiliar with the laws of the road. —MCT

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MONDAY, MAY 27, 2013

BUSINESS

Zain Kuwait appoints new Chief Technology Officer KUWAIT: Zain, the leading telecommunications company in Kuwait, announced yesterday that it has appointed Nabeel Mohamed as Chief Technology Officer.

With over 20 years service in Zain Group in various senior roles over the years, Mohamed has played a significant role over the years to build, modernize, and develop Zain Kuwait’s network as well as numerous other Zain operated networks across the Middle East and North Africa.

Nabeel Mohamed

Prior to joining Zain Kuwait, Mr. Mohamed was Director of Networks in Zain Group, a role he held since 2005 contributing to the many achievements of the information technology department for the entire Group.

Omar Al-Omar, Zain Kuwait’s Chief Executive Officer said: “We are confident that Nabeel Mohamed’s appointment will enhance the operational efficiency of our modern 4G LTE nationwide network, and further cement our drive for technology leadership in Kuwait. Nabeel is an expert in the field possessing excellent knowledge of network technology services, and we look forward to benefiting from his deep and broad insights. “ Mohammed holds several academic qualifications, having acquired a degree in Electronics Engineering from the Colorado Tech. He also holds a Master’s certificate in Project Management from George Washington University, and a General Management Program (GMP 6) qualification from Harvard Business School.

FASTtelco moves to Al-Salhiya Complex KUWAIT: FASTtelco, the leading internet service provider in Kuwait, specializing in providing innovative internet and data communications solutions, announced moving its offices from Bitak Tower to AlSalhiya Complex ,8th entrance, 5th floor, to cope and accommodate the increasing number of FASTtelco’s team members and company development.

On his part Fahid Rashed Vice President of Human Resources at FASTtelco, said that “I would like to thank and appreciate all the efforts paid by FASTtelco and Al-Salhiya Complex teams and for the tremendous work achieved within a short period of time”, pointing out that this move was a result of the increase in the staff number who achieved great outcomes during the previous and this ongoing.

Rashed added that “this move reflects the attention that FASTtelco pays for human resources which are considered the backbone of the services provided”.

Moreover, it conveys our eagerness to develop the team’s performance and the overall morale in general.

Rashed concluded “ FASTtelco always seeks to offer added value services and innovative solutions in the internet and communications technology through its advanced network , solid infrastructure and its experience in this field, where it always design and implement plans that leaded to more advancement.

As a result, the company priority is to provide an integrated team that enjoys high capabilities in order to maintain its pioneer position”.

Al-Tijari announces Najma winners KUWAIT: Commercial Bank of Kuwait held the Al Najma Account Daily draw yesterday.

The draw was held under the supervision of the Ministry of Commerce & Industry represented by Abdulaziz Ashkanani. The winners of the Najma Daily Draw who get KD 7,000 are: Hassan Abdulkareem Ali Hussain, Fatma Fadhel Abass Al-Ghadhban, Waleed Yousef Ali Ashkanani, Ghaneemah Ebrahim Baizar, and Afzal Rahman Fazlur Rahman.

The Commercial Bank of Kuwait announces the biggest daily draw in Kuwait with the launch of the new Najma account. Customers of the bank can now enjoy a KD 7,000 daily prize which is the highest in the country and another 4 mega prizes during the year worth KD 100,000

each on different occasions: The National Day, Eid Al-Fitr, Eid Al-Adha and on June 19 which is the date of the bankís establishment.

With a minimum balance of KD 500, customers will be eligible for the daily draw provided that the money is in the account one week prior to the daily draw or two months prior to the mega draw. In addition, for each KD 25 a customer can get one chance for winning instead of KD 50.

Commercial Bank of Kuwait takes this opportunity to congratulate all lucky winners and also extends appreciation to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for their effective supervision of the draws which were conducted in an orderly and organized manner.

New Mercedes E 63 AMG shakes Kuwait E 63 AMG available as powerful S-Model KUWAIT: Just five days since unveiling the new E-Class, AR Albisher and Z Alkazemi Co - the exclusive distributor for Mercedes-Benz in Kuwait - has launched the all-new 5.5-litre V8 biturbo engine E 63 AMG, now available as customized model variants to offer Kuwaiti Mercedes-AMG customers greater scope for individuality than ever before.

Mercedes-AMG continues to champion performance, dynamism and efficiency: the new E 63 AMG is now available as a particularly powerful S-Model with an output of 585 hp, 800 Newton metres of torque and featuring a newly developed performance-oriented AMG 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system. The AMG 5.5-litre V8 biturbo engine continues to be the absolute pinnacle of efficiency: the combination of high performance and low fuel consumption remains unrivalled by any other competitor in the segment worldwide.

The permanent all-wheel drive is also optionally available for the standard E 63 AMG - on which the V8 engine has been upgraded from 525 hp to 557 hp, with 720 Nm of torque. With this range, Mercedes-AMG is premiering highperformance passenger car models with an allwheel-drive system geared to driving dynamics.

Acceleration to 100 km/h from a standing start in 3.6 seconds provides the E 63 AMG SModel with a comfortable lead over the entire competition; the top speed stands at 250 km/h (electronically limited). In addition to the increase in output, this is also attributable in no small part to the performance-oriented AMG 4MATIC all-wheel drive with a power distribution ratio of 33 to 67 per cent (front/rear axle). Perfect traction during acceleration effectively avoids slip-induced losses. The new E 63 AMG presents a more powerful character and a more dynamic appearance than all its predecessors: the new AMG design philosophy is immediately apparent at first glance, with the new “twin blade” radiator grille and the new “A-wing” in the AMG front

apron defining the exclusive look. The E 63 AMG’s appeal is also boosted by substantially enhanced value for money: Kuwaiti customers now receive more performance and driving dynamics and a broader scope of standard equipment and appointments.

Speaking on the Kuwaiti arrival of the powerful new E 63 AMG, Abdul Rahman Albisher & Zaid Alkazemi Co General Manager, Michael Ruehle, said: “Driving Performance’ encapsulates the philosophy pursued at Mercedes-AMG. The new model variants of the E 63 AMG clearly demonstrate how we are now offering our customers in Kuwait even more individuality. The S-

Model in particular represents the most attractive proposition in the segment, boasting substantially enhanced value for money. With the highest power and torque ratings in the segment, the new performance-oriented AMG 4MATIC all-wheel drive, the new design and substantially more standard equipment and appointments are the outstanding strengths of these new high-performance executive saloons from Affalterbach.” The new E 63 AMG MY 2014 and is available in the AR Albisher and Z Alkazemi Co Mercedes-AMG showroom in Shuwaikh. The E 63 AMG 4-Matic S-Model will be available from September 2013 onwards.

Jazeera Airways to take delivery of new Airbus A320 aircraft in June KUWAIT: Jazeera Airways Group yesterday announced it will take delivery of a brand new Airbus A320 aircraft from the manufacturer’s A320 facility in Toulouse, France early next month, bringing the total number of its fleet to 13 aircraft.

The company has already taken delivery of 12 Airbus A320s since 2005 out of an order of 15 aircraft of the same type. The company ’s remaining two aircraft are scheduled for delivery in Q4 of 2013 and 2014. The Airbus A320 is the world’s bestselling aircraft. There are over 5,500 A320 aircraft in operation by airlines across the world and over 3,900 aircraft scheduled for delivery over the coming years. The A320 single-aisle jetliner family is the world’s most eco-efficient single-aisle product line.

It is used in a full range of services from very short-haul airline routes to intercontinental segments.

Jazeera Airways Group is a Kuwait Stock Exchange-listed company with a fleet of 12 fully-owned Airbus A320s, distributed between its airline business, Jazeera Airways (six aircraft), and its fully-owned leasing-arm Sahaab Aircraft Leasing (six air-

craft). Sahaab has assets placed with Virgin America, Sri Lankan Airlines, Nasair and Jazeera Airways.

Jazeera Airways operates its six fullyowned Airbus A320s with a two-class cabin comprising a Business Class and an Economy Class. Business Class travelers get both an upgraded experience and exclusivity, starting with exclusive check-in lines, business lounge access, up to 60 kilograms in free baggage allowance, and an exclusive on-board cabin. The airline’s Economy Class offers travelers free baggage allowance of 40 kilograms and free onboard meals with a changing menu every month.

Jazeera Airways is based in Kuwait and serves 19 popular destinations in the Middle East from Kuwait comprising highdemand business, leisure, family, and weekend destinations such as Dubai, Bahrain, Beirut, Alexandria, Amman, Istanbul, Sharm El Sheikh, Assiut, Luxor, Mashhad, Sohag, Jeddah, Riyadh, Cairo and Al Najaf. Jazeera Airways is an IATA-member airline and operates one of the youngest Airbus A320 fleets in the Middle East.

81% believe regulatory environment supports business growth in MENA ERNST & YOUNG SURVEY DUBAI: According to Ernst & Young’s 8th Bi-annual Capital Confidence Barometer, conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), 81 percent of senior executives in the MENA region believe that the current regulatory environment provides support for business growth. The barometer gauges corporate confidence in the economic outlook, and it identifies boardroom trends and practices in the way companies manage their capital agenda. Survey respondents comprised of senior executives including C-suite executives at major corporations across the region.

Positive expectations for global and MENA economy growth The study also showed that business confidence across MENA was broad based, with respondents positive on global economic growth, corporate earnings and employment levels, and significantly more positive on credit availability and improvement in short-term market stability since the last survey in October 2012.

Sentiment was also broadly positive for growth across MENA, with 90 percent of respondents expecting the local economy to grow in the next 12 months and half of all companies surveyed 50 percent believing that

growth will exceed 3 percent over the next 12 months. The appetite for acquisitions globally and particularly in MENA is more positive than six months ago and is driven by the increase in number and quality of opportunities. Globally, 29 percent of the respondents expect to pursue acquisitions in the next 12 months compared to 46 percent in MENA. Phil Gandier, MENA Head of Transaction Advisory Services, Ernst & Young, said: “There is a clear positive sentiment amongst respondents in MENA on regional economic growth, particularly in regard to corporate earnings growth and short term economic stability.

The favorable regulatory environment and improving confidence across the region could be possible drivers of the increased appetite for acquisitions and will hopefully encourage companies to create more jobs and to further grow their businesses.” 90 percent of respondents in Saudi Arabia believed that the global economy was improving or stable and 97 percent were confident in economic growth in Saudi Arabia.

Local confidence in economic indicators such as corporate earnings, employment growth, shortterm market stability and credit avail-

ability all improved over the past six months. With regards to employment, 75 percent of Saudi respondents expect their companies to create jobs or hire talent in the next 12 months.

In the UAE, the outlook for future growth in the country has improved dramatically with 64 percent of UAE respondents believing that the local economy continues to improve, and 36 percent believing it to be stable.

Additionally, UAE respondents are also increasingly confident in improvements in employment growth, corporate earnings, equity valuations and stock market outlook.

However, perceptions of the local Egyptian economy weakened over the past six months with 40 percent of respondents expressing confidence in the economy growing compared to 88 percent in October 2012.

Confidence in the local Qatari economy also decreased over the last six months, with the number of respondents who believe the local economy is slowing down rising to 20 percent compared to 10 percent in Oct 12.

Preference for cash transactions in MENA MENA respondents indicated they had high cash liquidity, with 53 percent stating that they will use

cash as the primary source to fund deals in the next 12 months (compared to 29 percent in Oct 2012). In addition, only 16 percent of MENA respondents plan to to use debt as the primary source of deal financing over the next 12 months compared to 60 percent six months ago.

The majority view credit availability as stable or improving by 47 percent and 40 percent, respectively.

For companies with excess cash, organic growth remains the top preference with 54 percent which is an increase from 43 percent last October. Respondents also stated that their top two drivers for organic growth strategy were increasing research and development/product introductions and more rigorous focus on their of core products.

“With the significant increased appetite for acquisitions in the MENA region coupled with the high number of respondents indicating the ability to finance with cash, we may see the MENA markets capitalizing on these opportunities. It is encouraging to see that the MENA countries have the resources and confidence to help boost performance in their local transaction markets and now might be the right time for them to invest and focus on growth,” concluded Phil.

MONDAY, MAY 27, 2013

technology

Videogame console icon turns mobile play guru SAN FRANCISCO: Videogame industry legend Peter Molyneux says the time is right for people to play God on smartphones. The former Lionhead Studio chief and Microsoft Game Studios executive has teamed with Japan-based DeNA to get his latest project - GODUS on the array of mobile devices powered

by Android or Apple software. “There is something incredible happening on these devices,” Molyneux said while hefting a smartphone in one hand. “This is where the home of gaming should really exist.”

Molyneux, whose background in the computer game industry stretches back to the early 1980s, left Microsoft Studios last year and founded startup 22Cans.

He revealed his latest project, which 22Cans is building and DeNA will distribute, the same week that Microsoft unveiled a new Xbox One console designed to be at the heart of home

enter tainment in the Internet Age. “When I decided to leave Microsoft and come to this space, the first thing I had to do is think in a completely different way,” Molyneux said of the shift to play on smartphones and tablets. “Console games are the equivalent of making films, whereas mobile is much more like television soap operas,” he continued.

“In one you design for a defined time spent sitting, while in the other you design to keep the person coming back to see what happens next.”

GODUS puts a mobile Internet spin on a genre pioneered by Molyneux decades ago. Players can shape and mold their in-game worlds with brushes, taps or strokes of touchscreens. “At the heart of the genre is the ability of people to create and engage with their own unique world; being able to feel like this world is yours and that what you do in this world has amazing

effects,” Molyneux said. The more players get inhabitants to believe in themselves, the more powerful they become.

GODUS also allows players to direct their wrath in the form of tornadoes, earthquakes or volcanic eruptions at the followers of rival deities in battles for dominion, according to Molyneux.

“You can take some of your precious followers into these battles; that is more edge-of-the-seat stuff,” he said. Victory is rewarded with more followers or personalized gifts, such as additional powers or in-world items.

When GODUS is released later this year, it will be free to play, with revenue based on in-game sales of virtual items or abilities. Molyneux praised mobile devices for the intimac y of touchscreens and rapid-fire innovation compared to years-long cycles for generations of videogame console hardware that put space between players and tel-

evision screens. “I would give up the big screen forever as long as I could keep touch,” Molyneux said as he sculpted landscape in GODUS with light strokes of his smartphone screen. “It destroys this barrier between the audience and the gaming experience.”

Microsoft and Sony are set to release new-generation videogame consoles later this year. Nintendo launched a Wii U console last year that featured a tablet-style second screen, but sales have been dismal. “Seven years it has taken us to get to the next Xbox and PlayStation, but in that time every three months there is a revision of this technology,” Molyneux said of the smartphone in his hand. “This device is creating millions of new consumers enjoying games every day, and that is why the opportunities are massive.”

Molyneux said that veteran game industry giants understand the poten-

tial of mobile games but equated the firms to “supertankers” that take a while to change direction and remain anchored in the practice of selling game software disks. “ They all, Microsoft included, mistakenly thought that mobile games were just another iteration of Facebook games,” Molyneux said. “These games are more than that.”

Mobile games are on the verge of becoming hobbies, with people playing for free but investing in items, accessories or experiences that expand on their passions, according to the videogame wizard. “Mobile is about designing a game around engagement instead of spectacle,” said DeNA West chief Clive Downie. “You are designing something that has to engage people every day versus a packaged entity for a $60 price,” he continued. “That is something the Activisions and the Electronic Arts of the world don’t have.” — AFP

US four-star general in eye of cyber storm Keith Alexander heads both NSA and Cyber Command

High-tech industry big immigration bill winner WASHINGTON: More than any other group, the high-tech industry got big wins in an immigration bill approved by the Senate Judiciar y Committee last week, thanks to a concerted lobbying effort, an ideally positioned Senate ally and relatively weak opposition. The result amounted to a bonanza for the industry: unlimited green cards for foreigners with certain advanced US degrees and a huge increase in visas for highly skilled foreign workers. And thanks to the intervention of Sen Orrin Hatch, the industry succeeded in greatly curtailing controls sought by Sen Dick Durbin aimed at protecting US workers.

In exchange, Hatch voted for the bill when it passed the committee, helping boost its bipar tisan momentum as it heads to the Senate floor next month. For Durbin and his allies in organized labor, winning Hatch’s support was a bitter victory. “There was an agreement with the tech industr y and Sen Hatch said he wanted more, and that was what it took to get his vote,” Durbin said in an interview. The tech industr y “really used Senator Hatch’s vote to improve their position in the bill. I understand that,” Durbin said. “But I think in fairness now, I hope the industry is satisfied and they will not push this any further.” Hatch countered: “Look, these are companies looking to contribute to the American economy in a way that benefits American workers and American-trained foreign workers.”

Even before the Judiciary Committee took up the bill, industry had seen key pieces of its wish list granted. The legislation written by four Democratic and four Republican senators awards a permanent resident green card to any foreigner with a job offer in the US and an advanced degree in science, technology, engineering or math from a US school. It also raised the limit on the H-1B visas that go to highly skilled immigrants from 65,000 a year to as many as 180,000. But the increase in H-1B visas was accompanied by new requirements aimed at ensuring American workers get the first shot at jobs. High-tech industry leaders say they never agreed to those provisions; Durbin insists they did.

Once the bill language became public last month and tech industry officials began absorbing the details, they turned their attention to the next front in the battle: the Senate Judiciary Committee.

They found their champion in Hatch, whose state is an increasingly significant high-tech employer. Fortuitously, he had maximum leverage. Viewed as the one Republican swing vote on the committee, he was cour ted by the senators who wrote it, Durbin and Sen Chuck Schumer among them. Even as the tech industry remained largely supportive of the legislation in public, its lobbyists began working behind the scenes with Hatch’s office on a series of amendments he would introduce in the committee to undo key provisions Durbin had pressed for. The industry objected to using the unemployment rate in determining how much the number of H-1B visas could increase. One Hatch amendment would have taken the jobless rate out of the equation.

A provision that required tech companies to offer a job to an equally qualified US citizen over an H-1B holder was seen as unworkable by industry. Hatch sought to limit that requirement to companies most dependent on H-1B visas, thereby excluding many major US companies. The bill sought to bar companies from displacing a US worker within 90 days of fil-

ing an application for an H-1B visa. Hatch also sought to limit that requirement to heavy H-1B hirers.

Durbin objec ted to the changes.

Unions, which had been largely quiet on high-tech issues while focusing on other priorities including a pathway to citizenship and a separate visa program allowing lower-skilled workers into the US, also spoke up in opposition. But the AFL-CIO’s opposition never was seen as a serious concern by senators or aides involved.

They were confident that labor would not pull its support for a bill offering citizenship to millions over a provision affecting relatively few union workers.

Ana Avendano, assistant to the AFLCIO president for immigration and community action, acknowledged that the union’s strong support for a path to citizenship hampered its leverage on other issues. “ We have not veered from our commitment to the path to citizenship.

But we are equally committed to other parts of this bill, and it makes our fight for our priorities more difficult,” she said.

“Tech was extremely fortunate that they found an ally on the committee that could open up a deal that had been sealed.”

There was little opposition from other fronts. The companies that are the heaviest H-1B users - and would therefore face the brunt of the restrictions under Hatch’s proposals - include technology companies based in India that have scant lobbying presence or constituency in Congress.

An organization representing US engineers and tech workers, IEEE-USA, has little clout compared with companies like Microsoft and Facebook.

As the Judiciar y Committee began wading through amendments to the bill, Hatch was negotiating with Schumer over his amendments. Schumer wanted Hatch’s vote for the bill without alienating Durbin. Last Tuesday morning, the committee’s final day working on the bill, word went out: There was a deal. When the details emerged, Hatch had won much of what he wanted. The unemployment rate would no longer be a factor in how high the H-1B visa cap could go up, as long as it was not 4.5 percent or above for the highly skilled professions in question. Only those companies most heavily dependent on H-1B visas would have to offer jobs to qualified US citizens first, although the definition of an H-1Bdependent company was tweaked to make it slightly narrower. And the provision barring displacement of US workers within 90 days was also limited in much the way Hatch sought.

The committee approved the changes, with Durbin voting “yes,” though only after making clear his discomfort with the outcome. The AFL-CIO refused to sign off on the deal, but remained supportive of the overall bill. The tech industry pledged its support for the bill, and promised not to seek additional changes, according to Scott Corley, executive direc tor of Compete America, which represents hightech companies including Google, Intel and Microsoft. In the aftermath, Durbin and labor officials accused the tech industry of taking advantage of Hatch’s position on the committee in order to reopen a done deal, to the detriment of US workers. But Corley insisted that the tech industry never had agreed to the restrictions in the original bill and was only trying to ensure the H-1B program would be workable for an industry that’s good for American workers and the US economy. —AP

WASHINGTON: Depending on your point of view, US General Keith Alexander is either an Army four-star trying to stave off a cyber Pearl Harbor attack, or an overreaching spy chief who wants to eavesdrop on the private emails of every American. Alexander, 61, has headed the National Security Agency since 2005, making him the longest-serving chief in the history of an intelligence unit so secretive that it was dubbed “No Such Agency”. Alexander also runs US Cyber Command, which he helped to create in 2010 to oversee the country’s offensive and defensive operations in cyberspace.

The dual role means Alexander has more knowledge about cyber threats than any other US official, since the NSA already protects the most sensitive US data, extracts intelligence from foreign networks and uses wiretaps to track suspected terrorists. But it also puts the general at the center of an intense debate over how much power the government should have to spy on private citizens in the name of protecting national security. “He’s lasted as long as he has because he’s focused and he’s persistent. I’ve never heard him yell,” said retired four-star general Michael Hayden, who was Alexander’s predecessor at the NSA. “He doesn’t spread himself too thin. He decides what’s important and puts his personal energy into those things.”

Raised near Syracuse, New York, Alexander graduated from West Point, the Army ’s elite training academy, in 1974. He had planned to serve in the military for just five years but got hooked on the work when he served in Germany as an intelligence officer, monitoring what he once described as “sensitive issues on the border of East Germany and Czechoslovakia”.

After Germany, Alexander held a series of increasingly senior intelligence jobs and spent the first Gulf War as a senior Army intelligence officer in Saudi Arabia. Over the years, he also earned four master’s degrees, in electronic war fare, physics, business and national security studies.

In 2005, after two years as the Army ’s top intelligence officer, Alexander replaced Hayden at the helm of the NSA, where he continued to run a warrantless surveillance program initiated after the Sept 11, 2001, hijacking attacks.

The program, which bypassed a federal court that authorizes domestic wiretapping, was first revealed late in 2005, sparking lawsuits, congressional hearings, leak investigations and a furor that still dogs the agency - and Alexander.

Against this backdrop, his push to expand the NSA’s role in domestic cybersecurity has drawn criticism from privacy advocates, and sometimes put Alexander at odds with the White House and the Department of Homeland Security, according to current and former officials.

Alexander had wanted the NSA to control a government security program to aid non-military companies against cyber threats, but others at DHS insisted on civilian control of the project, and they ultimately prevailed, the officials said.

Jane Holl Lute, who stepped down this month as the No. 2 at DHS, said she has had intense conversations with Alexander about the roles of their two agencies in improving cyber security. She declined to detail any differences of opinion, but said they were all judgment calls and she respected the general.

“He pushed up his hill, and I pushed up mine, and what we came to was essentially two sides of the same hill,” Lute said. “We didn’t always call balls and strikes the same way. That does not mean he wasn’t trying to get it right,” she said. “I would challenge anyone who would question his integrity.”

Alexander, who told Reuters he plans to retire in the first half of 2014, has presided over one of the busiest times in the NSA’s 61-year history, from tracking the cellphone calls that helped pinpoint Osama bin Laden to drawing national attention to cybersecurity. He played a key role in shaping a series of recent cyber policy orders from the Obama administration. More controversial has been the NSA’s construction of a $1.2 billion data

the NSA’s work, including the Justice Department, White House and Congress. “Either all of them are complicit in us doing this or the allegations are absolute baloney.

It’s the latter,” he said.

He told Reuters the center was built in Utah instead of Maryland, where the NSA is based, to take advantage of cheaper electricity.

“I’m not a brain surgeon,” he said.

“But you can tr y to put power where it’s expensive, Maryland, or you can put it (where there is) really cheap power.” According to Alexander, the NSA has its hands full keeping tabs on potential terrorists, and does not have the bandwidth to read the 420 billion emails generated by Americans each day - even though some foreign governments were trying to do that. “The great irony is we’re the only ones not spying on the American people,” he quipped.

Alexander has tried to make the NSA appear more transparent, crisscrossing the country to talk about cyber issues. He likes to pepper his speeches with jokes, once blaming his late arrival at a Washington event on a “distributed denial of service” hacking attack on city street lights. A gadget lover, Alexander is known to roll up his sleeves to become versant with the latest security technologies. On one flight, he and his aide-de-camp

oppressive government ... and he stands up in front of a thousand people, many of whom probably have hacked networks over the years,” said Henry, recalling that Alexander had ditched his decorated uniform for jeans and a black Tshirt. “He is just trying to connect, talking about coordination, collaboration.”

Alexander has asked the Pentagon to give Cyber Command the same elevated status as other major military commands, but it is not yet clear if that request will be granted. Ira Winkler, president of the Information Systems Security Association, said Alexander’s leadership of both NSA and Cyber Command is an advantage but also a complication. “He’s stuck in a bad position. He basically has to defend US cyberspace which requires securing commercial websites and infrastructure, but no one wants him to have access to those networks, since he’s also in charge of NSA,” Winkler said.

Alexander said he feels strongly that whoever succeeds him should continue to wear the two hats, but not everyone agrees. “How much can you consolidate before it gets so huge that one person can’t manage it,” said Harry Raduege, a retired Air Force general and former director of the Defense Information Systems Agency, which oversees

FT MEADE, Maryland: Lt Gen Keith Alexander, director of the National Security Agency, (left) and Threat Operations Center director, William P Marshall greet President George W Bush during his visit to the NSA in this Jan 25, 2006 file photo. — MCT center in Utah, which has fanned concerns about the agency ’s expansive eavesdropping capabilities.

NSA whistleblower William Binney, a former senior cryptomathematician, last year accused the agency of building the Utah facility to collect data on virtually every American, including private emails, cellphone calls and Google searches. Alexander told the Reuters Cybersecurity Summit that such claims about the Utah project are completely false. He rattled off a long list of agencies that oversee

learned “BackTrack”, a Linux-based product that helps people test their network security. Aides say the general often scores over 1 million points on the “Bejeweled Blitz” online puzzle game.

Alexander’s biggest strength is his ability to reach out to a wide range of audiences, said Shawn Henry, former FBI executive assistant director. He cites a speech Alexander gave at the Defcon hackers conference last year, an appearance that would have been unheard of a few years ago. “Here’s a guy who is seen as a symbol of

military IT systems. “It’s an awful lot for somebody at the top of those organizations to deal with.”

Still, Raduege, now with the consulting firm Deloitte, said he expects the Pentagon to elevate Cyber Command to a full unified command before the general’s retirement next year. “There’s no one in a better position to know the depth, magnitude and broadbased nature of today’s increasing and evolving cyber threats,” said Raduege. “When Keith Alexander talks about cyber attacks, we should all listen.” — Reuters

Wind power blows into Africa CAPE TOWN: Giant turbines churning in the wind are a rare sight in Africa - but that will not be the case for long. Until now the meagre amounts of investment in African wind energy have predominantly come from governments and foreign donors. But this is changing fast, say experts.

Private investors smell profit in beefing-up the continent’s over-stretched power grids and swarms of new wind turbines are soon expected to emerge. If all plans on the table come to fruition, capacity will increase tenfold. “When you look at the on-going and planned projects, you see actually over 50 percent of the projects being sponsored by the private sector,” said African Development Bank economist Emelly Mutambatsere.

Today wind makes up one percent of electricity production, or just 1.1 gigawatts. But an additional

10.5 gigawatts is in the pipeline. According to an African Development Bank study of 76 wind projects, two thirds are pending. Liberalisation of electricity markets has helped prise open the sluice gates for investment. “The state still plays a big role in a lot of the countries,” Mutambatsere told AFP. “But a number of countries have liberalised to some extent.”

North Africa - including Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco - have led the way. But sub-Saharan Africa is catching up. This year saw the first large commercial wind farm in the region come on line, a 52 megawatt project in Ethiopia. Further south, the continent’s heaviest carbon emitter South Africa is a striking example of the sector’s growth. The coalrich nation - gunning for an extra 18 gigawatts of capacity from renewables such as wind - has

opened power production projects to private bidders for the first time.

The first bidding round of 28 projects drew $5 billion in investments, according to the energy ministry. “There’s a huge boom going on in South Africa in wind and renewables,” said South African Wind Energy Association CEO Johan van den Berg.

“South Africa previously had eight operative wind towers or turbines and there’s about 250 under construction at the moment.” Last year, investment in South African renewable energy increased in excess of 20,000 percent, he said. Meanwhile in Kenya the $815 million, 300 megawatt Lake Turkana Wind Power Project is hoping to break ground in November. With wind flow of 11.8 m per second the project is “a dream” according to chairman Carlo van Wageningen. —AFP

MONDAY, MAY 27, 2013

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

Longhorn ancestry spans globe, centuries PONTOTOC: A first-of-its-kind genetic analysis of Texas Longhorns shows the cattle breed - as much a state symbol as the Alamo and cowboys - shares a diverse ancestry that spans the globe and mirrors the spirit and self-sufficiency of the quintessential Texan. The Longhorn’s roots are traced back thousands of years to far-off places such as the Middle East and Asia, with the animal’s direct descendants crossing the Atlantic with Christopher Columbus.

They grew longer horns to protect against their New World predators and even rebounded from a post-Civil War beef demand that decimated herds.

The study’s authors say the genetic influences helped create a hardy breed of cattle that is independent and well adapted to the land. “I think Texans admire a lot of the characteristics they see in Texas Longhorns because it’s some of the same characteristics humans had to have to thrive in Texas,” says David Hillis, a University of Texas biologist and geneticist involved in the yearslong study of the Longhorn genome. Hillis and one of his doctoral students, Emily Jane McTavish, joined researchers from the University of Missouri-Columbia for the study, which was published earlier this year in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

They examined some 48,000 genetic markers on DNA from 58 cattle breeds, confirming the Longhorns of today are

direct descendants of Spanish cattle brought by Columbus to Hispaniola on his second voyage to the New World in 1493. Other Spanish colonists brought the descendants of those cattle to Mexico in 1521, where the animals flourished. Some became wild and migrated over the next centuries to present-day Texas. In the Lone Star State, they became targets of the big cattle drives of the late 1800s - memorialized in countless Hollywood westerns - in which they were rounded up to feed a growing demand in the eastern US for beef and tallow, an essential ingredient in candles.

Today, the cattle are carefully managed by ranchers like Hillis, who has about 50 at his Texas Hill Country ranch.

Longhorns, some weighing as much as a ton, graze on whatever the rocky ground and minimal rain allow to grow. On the range, the Longhorns are surprisingly adept at maneuvering among trees and branches. “Longhorns are very alert, very intelligent,” Hillis said. “They’re very good at watching what’s going on around them.”

DNA evidence reviewed in the study traces Longhorns back thousands of years to cattle in the Middle East, India and Pakistan. The Middle Eastern animals were brought to Europe while the India-Pakistan cattle spread through Asia. Both wound up in Africa, which became a “kind of mixing ground” where they adapted to a hot, dry climate and built up resistance to disease, Hillis said.

“Longhorns are unusual in being an ancient breed,” he said. “ There’s not many of those left in the world.” The new research shows 15 percent of the genetic makeup of Longhorns reflects the IndiaAfrica influence. It’s possible Moors brought African cattle with them during their invasion of Spain from the eighth to the 13th centuries, or that cattle were directly imported from Africa to the nearby Canary Islands, where Columbus likely put them aboard his ships.

“We’re still actually trying to track that down,” Hillis said. “That’s probably the most interesting ... and that they don’t seem to have influences from other recent European breeds.” McTavish became involved after starting salamander-focused graduate work at the University of Texas. Her Longhorn project - “a lot more interesting than salamanders,” she laughs - began in 2009.

“One of the neat things to me is that we know cattle strongly are selected by breeders for traits,” she said. “And despite the impact of all that selection, Longhorns still have a very strong signal of geography.”

The distinctive long horns are a relatively recent evolutionary development, due to natural selection and a need to survive in the rugged Southwest where coyotes, wolves and mountain lions were predators. “The ones that had the long horns were better able to defend their calves and were able to survive the best,” Hillis said. Horns now typically can

TEXAS: David Hillis, a University of Texas geneticist and biologist, stands at his Double Helix Ranch near Pontotoc. —AP be 70 inches long from tip to tip, nearly a couple feet longer than horns on cattle mere decades ago. That’s the result of ranchers selectively breeding cattle with the best physical characteristics.

Historically, management of the Longhorn in Texas wasn’t always a consideration. The cattle drives depleted herds by the turn of the 20th century. In 1927, the federal government - later joined by Texas - began working to preserve Longhorns. By the 1960s, when the Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America was founded and the breed became registered, only about 1,500

head of genuine Longhorns existed.

Today, the Fort Worth-based association estimates there are several hundred thousand Longhorns, and the breed has become a favorite for consumers willing to pay a premium for low-fat beef from grass-fed animals.

“The animals are very lean by nature of their evolution,” says Debbie Davis, whose family raises Longhorns in Bandera County about 75 miles northwest of San Antonio and belongs to the Cattlemen’s Texas Longhorn Conservancy, which contributed to the study. —AP

Scientists cast doubt on Alzheimer’s cancer drug study WASHINGTON: Four separate teams of scientists have said they were unable to replicate a highly publicized study that last year touted a cancer drug’s success against Alzheimer’s disease in mice. “We wanted to repeat the study to see if we could build on it, and we couldn’t,” said David Borchelt, a professor of neuroscience at the University of Florida, noting that “it was important to publish the fact.” “Maybe there should be some caution going forward in regard to patients,” he added.

The high profile 2012 study in the US journal Science found that mice treated with bexarotene became rapidly smarter and the plaque in their brains that was causing Alzheimer’s started to disappear within hours. The drug was believed to work by boosting levels of a protein, Apolipoprotein E (ApoE), that helps clear amyloid plaque buildup in the brain, a key hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease.

“We were shocked and amazed,” lead author Gary Landreth, a professor in the Department of Neurosciences at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Ohio, told AFP when the study was published in February 2012. “Things like this had never, ever been seen before,” he said. But a key part of science is being able to replicate the findings of any research, and international researchers reported in four separate papers in Science’s May 24 edition that they had failed to do so.

Other researchers who published their attempts were Bart De Strooper, director of the VIB Center for the Biology of Disease in

Belgium, and Sangram Sisodia, director of the Center for Molecular Neurobiology at the University of Chicago. The scientists said their studies showed no effect on the plaque levels in three different populations of lab mice treated with bexarotene. A fourth group of researchers said they observed mental gains in the mice but could not confirm they were achieved by the mechanism initially reported, said co-author Iliya Lefterov, associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.

“While we were able to verify that the mice quickly regained their lost cognitive skills and confirmed the decrease in amyloid beta peptides in the interstitial fluid that surrounds brain cells, we did not find any evidence that the drug cleared the plaques from their brains.” The findings should also serve as a warning for doctors not to prescribe bexarotene as an off-label treatment for Alzheimer’s, researchers said. The drug, also known as Targretin, was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 1999 for treating a type of skin cancer known as refractory cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

“Anecdotally, we have all heard that physicians are treating their Alzheimer’s patients with bexarotene, a cancer drug with severe side effects,” said Robert Vassar, professor of cell and molecular biology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “This practice should be ended immediately, given the failure of three independent research groups to replicate the plaque-lowering effects of bexarotene.” —AFP

Slovenian flyer completes eco-friendly Arctic voyage LJUBLJANA: Slovenian adventurer and environmentalist Matevz Lenarcic yesterday became the first person to fly an ultra-light plane from Europe to America and back over the North Pole, as he landed in Ljubljana after an epic voyage. “I’ve had more trouble than I had expected, and that prolonged the expedition but what matters is that me and the plane have arrived safely,” the 54-year-old told a crowd of well-wishers. But his month-long journey was not all plain sailing. The trained biologist had to make an unscheduled stop in Saint-Nazaire, northwestern France, due to weather conditions and an Irish airport did not have the type of fuel required for his aircraft.

But after a two-day wait in France waiting for favorable weather conditions, Lenarcic took off from Saint-Nazaire earlier yesterday and finally landed in Ljubljana from where he had departed on April 22.

“I’ve had many unexpected events. That is why this trip has taken 14 days longer than initially planned,” Lenarcic said Thursday on arrival at Saint-Nazaire. The plane was

equipped to measure air pollution over the North Pole-a hot-spot for global warmingand Lenarcic said all measurements had gone as planned.

While flying over the Arctic, an important indicator of global weather changes, Lenarcic was surprised to notice that “temperatures on the actual North Pole were much higher than in surrounding areas.” An accomplished aerial photographer, Lenarcic took pictures and measured levels of black carbon and light-absorbing particles over the Arctic at a height of 3,000-4,000 meters (9,80013,000 feet), an altitude rarely explored by scientists. These particles-mostly the product of burning coal and other fossil fuelsabsorb light from the Sun and thus play a role in the complex equation of global warming. The 15,600-kilometre (9,700-mile) scheme was initiated last year after Lenarcic succeeded in circling the world in the same aircraft, a Pipistrel Virus SW914, which weighs just 290 kilogrammes (640 pounds) unladen. —AFP

NORTHERN SENEGAL: This picture shows the ruins of houses destroyed by the rise of the sea level.

NORTHERN SENEGAL: A tree debris are pictured.

Climate change drowning the ‘Venice of Africa’ Senegal: Ameth Diagne was asleep when the first waves lapped at his back door, the lukewarm, salty water seeping into his bedroom an impassive portent of the final days of his 650-year-old fishing community. He had kept his two wives and many of his 16 children with him long after the neighbors had fled, in the vain hope that his once-bustling, tenacious west African village could survive the remorseless advance of the Atlantic Ocean. “My house used to be two kilometers (1.2 miles) from the sea. I could grow things here because there was fresh water which came from the river,” Diagne said, surveying a stretch of wet sand and rubble which, until last year, had been his living room.

Doun Babe Dieye, settled by the Normans in 1364, was the first casualty among many districts of the Senegalese city of St Louis, the former colonial capital of French west Africa which, little-bylittle, is disappearing underwater. Diagne, 52, and his 760 neighbors had made their living from the precious mullet, sardines, bonga and tilapia which populated the mangroves but have left since the salt water of the Atlantic began encroaching into the Senegal River. “It was a beautiful village with lots of greenery everywhere,” recalled Diagne, a fisherman since leaving Koranic school at the age of 12, and the last to leave when the sea claimed his village of around 40 houses last year.

“I’m sad that I had to go because I lived on fishing. Life was simpler. Now I cannot teach my children what my ancestors taught me-knowledge of the sea, fishing, fauna and flora,” said Diagne, one of the lucky ones who had enough money to build a new house further inland. An archipelago in the mouth of the Senegal River often referred to as the “Venice of Africa”, St Louis is anchored precariously between the fast-flowing currents of the swollen waterway and the fearsome breakers of the Atlantic.

Named after Louis XIV, in 1659 it became the first French settlement of l’Afrique-Occidentale, trading in slaves and gum arabic. A four-hour car journey from Dakar through baobabs and palm trees, the UNESCO World Heritage site remains a major pull for well-heeled Westerners who come to sample its rich colonial heritage. Women in grimy dresses and headscarves swap jokes and sip tea in its 19th century courtyards while weatherbeaten men lean against the disintegrating plasterwork of 1920s Art-Deco houses and watch the world go by.

The economy has declined since the shift of rule to Dakar but there is still a vibrant fishing economy and the pungent tang of drying Nile perch spread on nets by the river is unmistakable.

In 2008, Alioune Badiane of the United Nations’ UN-Habitat agency designated St Louis as “the city most threatened by rising sea levels in the whole of Africa”, citing climate change and a failed 2003 canal project as the cause. The city is plagued by flooding during the rainy season when the river overflows and scientists say climate change is exacerbating the problem with increasingly heavy rain and a rise in the sea level.

Turning misfortune into opportunity Thanks to large scale urbanization, two-thirds of the 250,000 residents are exposed to floods, with 70 percent of households in the poorest areas having no regular waste collection and less than a tenth having sewer connections. “If things keep going the way they are the whole city of St Louis will have to be moved, but it’s a possibility we do not want to contemplate,” the mayor, Amadou Abiboulaye Dieye, said in an Open University film he made on the city.

The heart of the old colonial city is protected from the rolling waves of the ocean by the Langue de Barbarie, a slender, 17-kilometre spit of sand which is home to 80,000 people, a popula-

tion density found nowhere else in Africa. In 2003, heavy rain in the drainage basin of the Senegal River alarmed the authorities who feared the water would rise above critical levels and so dug a new outlet for the river water across the spit. The channel was about 100 meters (328 feet) in length and 4 meters wide but grew rapidly in the first days as the sea flooded into the river mouth and continued to widen to more than 2 kilometers across today.

Within a year the beach at Doun Baba Dieye, situated opposite the new river mouth, had eroded rapidly, causing Diagne and his neighbors to fear the worst. “All the villages that were in front of the channel, such as Doun Baba Dieye, have suffered the effects of an intense erosion because these villages were protected from the sea by the Langue de Barbarie,” Boubou Aldiouma Sy, a geography lecturer at St Louis’ Gaston Berger University, told AFP. “Today, the village of Doun Baba Dieye has completely disappeared and villages to the south are progressively more threatened as the breach is migrating south.”

In a few weeks the rains will come again, bringing more flooding, sewage, disease and misery. With each storm season more worrying than the last, experts like Sy believe St Louis has to live up to the comparisons with Venice and emulate the Italian city’s success in turning water to its advantage. “St Louis can choose to do the same, at the same time solving some of their most urgent water-related problems-managing the drainage problem and reducing the flood risk,” a 2011 report for UN Habitat said. “If water is approached as an opportunity instead of an enemy that needs to be combatted, then St Louis can make a strong statement to the world, similar to what the Venetians did a long time ago: use the water dimension as a unique selling point and fully integrate it in short and long term urban planning.” —AFP

Republicans see ‘Obamacare’ debacle as key to 2014

SLOVENIA: Slovenian pilot, biologist, photographer, and adventurer Matevz Lenarcic sits in his plane after returning from a flight over the North Pole with an ultralight aircraft, yesterday, at the airport in Brnik. —AFP photos

WASHINGTON: If Republicans were writing a movie script for next year’s congressional elections, the working title might be “2014: Apocalypse of Obamacare.” The plot: The rollout of President Barack Obama’s health care law turns into such a disaster that enraged voters rebuke him by rewarding the GOP with undisputed control of Congress. But there’s a risk for Republicans if they’re wrong and the Affordable Care Act works reasonably well, particularly in states that have embraced it. Republicans might be seen as obstinately standing in the way of progress. The law already has been a political prop in two election seasons, but next year will be different.

Voters will have a real program to judge, working or dysfunctional. Will affordable health care finally be a reality for millions of uninsured working people? Or will premiums skyrocket as the heavy hand of government upends already fragile

insurance markets for small businesses and individuals? “The end of this movie has not been written,” said Robert Blendon, a Harvard professor who tracks public opinion on health care. He says next year’s movie actually will be a documentary: what happens in states that fully put the law in place and those that resist - “a message of reality.”

One of the most prominent doomsayers is Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who predicts “Obamacare” probably will be the biggest issue of 2014 and “an albatross around the neck of every Democrat who voted for it.”

“This thing can’t possibly work,” says McConnell. “It will be a huge disaster in 2014.” Counting on that, House Republicans are busy framing an election narrative, voting to repeal the health law and trying to link it to the scandal over the Internal Revenue Service’s targeting of tea party groups. It could help excite the

conservative base. But Democratic pollster Celinda Lake doubts reality will follow the GOP script. Next year, “we won’t have to worry about the mythology laid out by the right wing about Obamacare: death panels and dramatic cuts to Medicare,” she said.

Sen Patty Murray, D-Wash., said uninsured people in her state will have over 200 coverage options to choose from. “We have been hearing the fear, but in states like mine, people are seeing the reality,” she said.

In just about five months, people without access to coverage through their jobs can start shopping for subsidized private insurance in new state markets. The actual benefits begin Jan. 1. But because of continuing opposition to the law from many Republican governors and state legislators, the federal government will be running the insurance markets in more than half the states. Another major element of the law, the expansion of Medicaid to serve more low-

income people, also has run into problems. With many legislative sessions over or winding down, it looks like fewer than half the states may accept the expansion. That means millions of low-income people are likely to remain uninsured, at least initially.

Other early indicators of how well the health care rollout might fare are mixed. In a dozen or so states that have started releasing details of their new insurance markets, there’s robust insurer interest in participating, according to the market research firm Avalere Health. That’s a good signal for competition.

There still are concerns about a spike in premiums for people who already buy their own coverage, particularly the young and healthy. That could happen for several reasons.

The health care law forbids insurers to deny coverage to sick people, and it limits what older adults can be charged. —AP

MONDAY, MAY 27, 2013

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

Revellers brave cold to fight AIDS at Vienna ball VIENNA: Former US President Bill Clinton, singer Elton John and actor Hilary Swank joined thousands of costumed revelers on Saturday at Europe’s biggest AIDS charity event, Vienna’s Life Ball.

Dressed in skimpy costumes for the ball’s 1,001 Nights theme, or simply in extravagant drag, partygoers braved unseasonally chilly temperatures of 8 degrees Celsius (46 degrees Fahrenheit) for the outdoor party.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, addressing the gathering in a video message, urged the world not to let up in the fight against AIDS, which has

AUSTRIA: Indian actress and UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador Aishwarya Rai Bachchan delivers a speech during the opening ceremony.

killed 30 million people since the auto-immune disease was first recognized at the start of the 1980s. “A generation free of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is now in sight,” he told the crowd in the gardens of Vienna’s City Hall. “But unless we intensify our response, a million children could get HIV by 2015.”

The annual ball, now in its 21st year, has grown from a small gay-community event to a society fixture, attracting celebrity guests from around the world. Highlights included a Scheherazade-themed ballet, a fashion show by Italian designer Roberto

Cavalli and a performance by singer Adam Lambert.

Those guests wearing costumes judged by the organizers’ “style police” to be exceptional could win half-price admission to the Vienna ball, for which tickets cost up to 3,000 euros. The event raised over 2 million euros ($2.6 million) last year, much of it donated to the Clinton Health Access Initiative to reduce HIV infection among babies in Africa. Africa accounts for more than two-thirds of the world’s cases of HIV, with 1.8 million new HIV infections and 1.2 million people dying of AIDS-related illnesses in 2011, according to the United Nations. —Reuters

AUSTRIA: Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli, center, walks with a group of models on stage during the opening ceremony.

AUSTRIA: Former US President Bill Clinton delivers a speech, right, next to Gery Keszler, left, organizer and founder of the Life Ball and British musician Elton John during the opening ceremony of the 21st Life Ball in front of city hall in Vienna on Saturday. —AP photos

MONDAY, MAY 27, 2013

W H AT ’ S O N

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hat’s more fun than clicking a beautiful picture? Sharing it with others! Let other people see the way you see Kuwait - through your lens. Friday Times will feature snapshots of Kuwait through Instagram feeds. If you want to share your Instagram photos, email us at instagram@kuwaittimes.net

Announcements Legal awareness camp ichar Bharathi Kuwait in association with the Indian Lawyers Forum will hold a ‘Legal Awareness Camp’ on May 31 at the United Indian School from 10am to 1230pm. The program will be inaugurated by Adv Labeed Abdal who will also will join our experts panel. The participating lawyers from Indian Lawyers Forum are Adv. Thomas Panicker, Adv Sumod MK, Adv Mohammed Basheer, Adv Thomas Stephen.

The function will be organized in three sessions, as follows. Subject presentation by the Lawyers Panel, on the following topics: Creating expatriate awareness on basic Kuwait Labor/Civil/Criminal Laws. And creating expatriate awareness on basic Indian Civil/Criminal Laws.

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Classical music at AUK he Department of Music and Drama is hosting a demonstration/ masterclass with the German classical guitarist Friedemann at the American University of Kuwait (AUK), 28 May 3 pm, Liberal Arts Building, room 205. Wuttke is a gifted performer, having played with major ensembles and orchestras. Besides various concerts in Germany, he has toured in the United States and South East Asia, as well as several European metropolises. This, his first visit to the Gulf region, has been realized with the support of the German Embassy in Kuwait, in cooperation with the Dar al Athar al Islamiyyah. The AUK performance is free and open to the public.

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AIP shaam-e ghazal he Association of Indian Professionals (AIP), Kuwait, forthcoming event has been scheduled for the evening of May 25, 2013 at 6 pm at the auditorium of Indian Community Senior School, Salmiya and is titled as AIP Shaam-e-Ghazal. We have invited Raghuram Krishnan, a Ghazal singer from Cochin, India to make this evening more melodious and vibrant. He will be supported by few local musicians also.

Ambassador of India, Satish C. Mehta will be the Chief Guest. Admission is by invitation and children below 10 years of age will not be allowed.

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IMAX

Marina Hotel Kuwait hosts Mediterranean Gala Dinner for Chaine des Rotisseurs

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arina Hotel Kuwait hosted the members of the international gastronomic association Chaine des Rotisseurs to a uniquely-themed Mediterranean Gala Dinner at the Atlantis restaurant. The event brought together professional members who appreciate and share a mutual interest in cuisine, and fine dining. The dinner was held in the presence of a number of dignitaries including the Ambassadors of Germany, Spain, Netherlands and Lebanon.

Nabil Hammoud, General Manager, of the hotel welcomed the ChaÓne members and dignitaries. The evening commenced with an authentic menu consisting of flavorsome delicacies. He said “It is indeed an honour once again to host the

Chaine des Rotisseurs at Marina Hotel, as we see in this event a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences with partners in the field.”

This year Marina Hotel adopted the Mediterranean theme, where the ChaÓne des Rotisseurs members were treated to an evening of exquisite gourmet fare with a menu created and presented by Executive Chef Maher Assad and the team from Marina Hotel.

Guests enjoyed the gourmet evening while listening to the music which added to the lovely Atlantis atmosphere. Chaine des Rotisseurs is one of the world’s oldest gastronomic society which is organized regularly to strengthen the relationship among all prestigious members in the region.

McDonald’s gives Kuwait a reason to share

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cDonald’s Kuwait announced the launch of the brand new Share Box, giving customers across the Kuwait a reason to share. With three delicious Share Boxes to choose from, in Chicken, Beef or Bites, families and friends can now enjoy a selection of McDonald’s favourites, all in one box.

George Khawam, Marketing Director- said: “The McDonald’s Share Box is a brand new concept and proposition for our customers in Kuwait, and indeed throughout the wider GCC. McDonald’s has always been a family restaurant, and the Share Box truly embodies the idea of coming together as a family, or as a group of friends to share a meal and an experience together. It’s about giving our customers more opportunities to share in a simple, enjoyable, affordable way, and we feel the Share Box truly delivers on this.”

The McDonald’s Share Box offers a little something for everyone. Chicken lovers can enjoy the Chicken Share Box, offering a delicious collection of two Chicken

Big Macs, two Spicy McChickens, nine pieces of McNuggets, two Large Fries and four medium drinks.

Beef fans may opt for the Beef Share Box, which offers two Big Macs, two McRoyales, nine pieces of McNuggets, two Large Fries and four medium drinks.

Those looking for a little variety will enjoy the Bites Share Box that packs a punch with eight pieces of McWings, eight pieces of Spicy Chicken Strips, nine pieces of McNuggets, two Large Fries and four medium drinks. McDonald’s Share Box is available today across Kuwait. McDonald’s is committed to serving the very best, and will not compromise on food quality. All products served at all McDonald’s restaurants in the Middle East are Halal, inspected and approved by local authorities and Halal officers at the countries of export and customs officials at the port of entry. Meat used in McDonald’s restaurants can be traced back to a trusted supplier that shares its dedication to the highest quality standards.

IMAX film program

Premier Goal Academy triumphant

Monday: ** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups Flight of Butterflies 3D 10:30am, 8:30pm Tornado Alley 3D11:30am, 5:30pm, 7:30pm To The Arctic 3D 12:30pm, 9:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 6:30pm Tuesday: ** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups Tornado Alley 3D10:30am, 6:30pm, 8:30pm Flight of Butterflies 3D 11:30am, 9:30pm To The Arctic 3D 12:30pm, 7:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 5:30pm Wednesday: ** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups To The Arctic 3D 10:30am Tornado Alley 3D11:30am, 6:30pm, 9:30pm Flight of Butterflies 3D 12:30pm, 7:30pm Journey to Mecca 5:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 8:30pm

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he Premier Goal Academy in association with Everton FC and under the Patronage of the British Ambassador returned triumphant from the International Friendship Tournament in Dubai held recently. Sponsored by Porsche Centre Kuwait, Behbehani Motors Company, PGA participated with four teams in the Under 9s/10s/11s and 14s age groups with over 50 players and

Thursday: ** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups Flight of Butterflies 3D 10:30am, 5:30pm, 8:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 11:30am Tornado Alley 3D 12:30pm, 7:30pm, 9:30pm To The Arctic 3D 6:30pm Friday: Fires of Kuwait 2:30pm Tornado Alley 3D3:30pm, 5:30pm, 8:30pm To The Arctic 3D 4:30pm, 7:30pm Flight of Butterflies 3D 6:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 9:30pm

coaches travelling.

All the teams performed particularly well and a thoroughly successful and enjoyable tournament was capped by the Under 11 team winning the Plate Trophy Final. The PGA Everton summer coaching course is now underway at Bayan Block 7, next to Abdullah Al-Rujaib High School taking place each evening from 5.30-8.30pm.

Saturday: ** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups Flight of Butterflies 3D 10:30am, 1:30pm, 8:30pm Tornado Alley 3D 11:30am, 2:30pm, 5:30pm, 7:30pm, 9:30pm To The Arctic 3D 12:30pm, 6:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 3:30pm Journey to Mecca 4:30pm

Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

The Faculty of Engineering and Petroleum at the Kuwait University held a ceremony recently to honor ideal employees for the college for the year 2012/2013.

It was attended by senior faculty staff including Dean Dr Husain Al-Khaiyyat.

Prathibha Kuwait, a forum for Malayalam writers in Kuwait releases the May 2013 issue of its little magazine Nila in Fahaheel. Hari Paravoor, VT Rajan, Satheesan Payyannur, Jawahar, Abdul Latheef Neeleswaram Praveen Krishna, Rajan Chunakkara and Riyaz gave felicitation speeches.

MONDAY, MAY 27, 2013

W H AT ’ S O N

GUST releases ‘Excelsior 2013’

Embassy Information EMBASSY OF AUSTRALIA The Australian Embassy Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department.

All processing of visas and immigration matters in conducted by The Australian Consulate-General in Dubai. Email: info.ausdxb@vfshelpline.com (VFS) immigration.dubai@dfat.gov.au (Visa Office); Tel: +971 4 355 1958 (VFS) - +971 4 508 7200 (Visa Office); Fax: +971 4 355 0708 (Visa Office). In Kuwait applications can be lodged at the Australian Visa Application Centre 4B 1st Floor, Al-Banwan Building Al-Qibla Area, Ali Al-Salem Street, opposite the Central Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait City, Kuwait. Working hours and days: 09:30 - 17:30; Sunday - Thursday. Or visit their website www.vfs-au-gcc-com for more information. Kuwait citizens can apply for tourist visas on-line at www.immi.gov.au/e visa/e676.htm.

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UST released its annual publication Excelsior 2013, Volume 7, in the A M Al-Refai Library on Thursday, May 16, 2013.The event was officially opened by Dr Robert Cook, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dr Ghassan Aouad, the new Vice President for Academic Affairs; it was organized by the A M Al-Refai Library in coordination with the Excelsior Committee members.

Dr.Lee Caldwell, Dean for College of Business Administration, Dr. Kameleddine Benameur, Assistant Dean for College of Business Administration, Excelsior members and contributors, GUST faculty and staff were also present at the event.

Dr Robert thanked the attendees of the event and the Excelsior Editorial Board and Committee members. Dr Cook specially thanked Shobhita Kohli and Amani Gaber for their efforts in produc-

ing Excelsior 2013. He also thanked Ahmad Ali for developing the design of the Excelsior cover page, and lastly he congratulated the contributors for their exceptional works and wished the team future success. Adding further he said Dr Ghassan Aouad his successor would in future be responsible for Excelsior. Dr Kameleddine Benameur made a short speech in appreciation of Dr. Robert Cook and on behalf of the Excelsior Committee.

Dr Benameur said the team was grateful to Dr. Cook for his unending support and contributions to GUST in general.

Excelsior is publication developed at GUST publication and released annually.

It is distributed widely on campus, while a limited number of copies are distributed off campus as well. The publication represents the vision of GUST faculty, students, and staff whilst indicating that

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they belong to the same cohesive institution. Excelsior aims to enhance the

University’s attempt in supporting its creativity and innovation.

EMBASSY OF CANADA The Embassy of Canada in Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department. All processing of visa and immigration matters including enquiries is conducted by the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Individuals who are interested in working, studying, visiting or immigrating to Canada should contact the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, website: www.UAE.gc.ca or www.goingtocanada.gc.ca, E-mail: abdbi-imenquiry@international.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakei St, Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is open from 07:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday. The reception is open from 07:30 to 12:30. Consular services for Canadian citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00, Sunday through Wednesday. nnnnnnn

Al-Jahra Copthorne Hotel & Resort wins MENA Travel Awards 2013

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l-Jahra Copthorne Hotel & Resort won the esteemed MENA Travel Awards 2013 for Best 4- Star Leisure Hotel (Silver Award). The MENA Travel Awards Gala took place on May 8, 2013, during Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai, UAE and was witnessed by more than 800 top notch of the industry.

Dani Mounir Saleh, General Manager of Al Jahra Copthorne Hotel & Resort commented: “Everybody is rejoicing especially, it was the first Regional Award for the Hotel. Despite the challenge of our location as most of the time, there is sandstorm, still, our guests, appreciated our efforts in making their stay as great as possible, These award inspires me and the Whole Team to strive hard and continuously live by our promise, You are the Centre of our World, “ Al-Jahra Copthorne Hotel & Resort is A Member of Millennium

Hotels and Resorts. The Hotel is the only International Hotel Chain in Northern Kuwait and is part of a 450,000 square- meter landmark. The development that truly makes the town of Al Jahra a destination of choice for business or leisure travellers. Steps

away from high-end shopping malls, a variety of standalone restaurants, an amusement park and a man-made lake.

This hotel delights guests with a range of modern facilities, temperature-controlled outdoor pool, 24-hour security and personalized service with a smile.

Gulfmart to launch 19th branch in Khaitan today

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ulfmart, the fastest growing retail chain in Kuwait will further expand its reach today (May 27) through the launch of their 19th branch, which is also their second in Khaitan.

The soft launch is scheduled for 9.30 am after which it will be open to the public and the official inauguration by Preethi Mehta, the wife of Satish Mehta, the Indian Ambassador to Kuwait, is set for 7pm amidst loyal customers, well-wishers and top Gulfmart management.

The new branch is dressed in the brand’s refreshing green hues - an image that was adopted late last year as part of Gulfmart’s reinvigorated, dynamic facade that is based on its underlying policy of fresh product.

Speaking on the opening of the new branch, Arif Sheikh, Director of Gulfmart Group, said, “We are extremely thankful

to all our customers who have patronized Gulfmart over the years. By opening our 19th branch in Khaitan, we are meeting the long-standing demand by customers in this area for easy access to quality products at affordable prices.”

With eighteen other branches spread across residential areas in Kuwait, Gulfmart is now in the enviable position of providing value offerings to customers all over Kuwait.

“With the opening of yet another outlet, one that is over 10,000 square feet, Gulfmart expresses its continued commitment to its patrons and its gratitude for their continued support and cooperation over the years,” said Dr Remesh T A, Country Head of Gulfmart.

The retailer has plans for several more outlets in the coming months in different size formats to suit the needs

of customers in different areas across Kuwait, proposing to take the total Gulfmart branches to 25 by end of 2013.

Dr Remesh said, “In the immediate future, the 20th branch - the third in Fahaheel - of 30,000 sq ft will be inaugurated in June. The next outlet in the pipeline will be the third in Hawally.”

The management team at Gulfmart expresses the view that the new branch in Khaitan is in response to clearly defined needs of customers in the area, and that the mini-supermarket format would prove to be as successful as the other outlets opened in various locations. Gulfmart continues to presenting customers in niche residential areas with enormous value through wide selection, competitive prices and excellent service, along with great offers and superb promotions.

EMBASSY OF CYPRUS In its capacity as EU Local Presidency in the State of Kuwait, the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus, on behalf of the Member States of the EU and associated States participating in the Schengen cooperation, would like to announce that as from 2nd October 2012 all Schengen States’ Consulates in Kuwait will use the Visa Information System (VIS). The VIS is a central database for the exchange of data on shortstay (up to three months) visas between Schengen States. The main objectives of the VIS are to facilitate visa application procedures and checks at external border as well as to enhance security. The VIS will contain all the Schengen visa applications lodged by an applicant over five years and the decisions taken by any Schengen State’s consulate. This will allow applicants to establish more easily the lawful use of previous visas and their bona fide status. For the purpose of the VIS, applicants will be required to provide their biometric data (fingerprints and digital photos) when applying for a Schengen visa. It is a simple and discreet procedure that only takes a few minutes. Biometric data, along with the data provided in the Schengen visa application form, will be recorded in the VIS central database. Therefore, as from 2nd October 2012, first-time applicants will have to appear in person when lodging the application, in order to provide their fingerprints. For subsequent applications within 5 years the fingerprints can be copied from the previous application file in the VIS. The Cypriot Presidency would like to assure the people of Kuwait and all its permanent citizens that the Member States and associated States participating in the Schengen cooperation, have taken all necessary technical measures to facilitate the rapid examination and the efficient processing of visa applications and to ensure a quick and discreet procedure for the implementation of the new VIS. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF ITALY The Board of the Kuwait Italian Business Group (KIBG), will unveil the KIBG website on 28 May 2013. The event starts at 18:00 with registration and socialization and includes a welcome address at 19:00 by the Ambassador of Italy to Kuwait followed by the formal presentation of the KIBG website. The event will end at 20.00. Event Location Italian Embassy Jabriya Block 9 Street 1 Villa 84. Valet service will be provided . No mobiles nor equivalent devices are allowed in the Embassy. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY GREECE The Embassy of Greece in Kuwait has the pleasure to announce that visa applications must be submitted to Schengen Visa Application Centre (VFS office) located at 12th floor, Al-Naser Tower, Fahad Al-Salem Street, AlQibla area, Kuwait City, (Parking at Souk Watia). For information please call 22281046 from 08:30 to 17:00 (Sunday to Thursday). Working hours: Submission from 08:30 to 15:30. Passport collection from 16:00 to 17:00. For visa applications please visit the following website www.mfa.gr/kuwait. nnnnnnn

JW Marriott launches annual ‘Lobster Festival’ at Terrace Grill steakhouse

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or the 7th consecutive year, JW Marriott Hotel Kuwait City celebrated the launch of its muchawaited Lobster Wonders Festival at the famous Terrace Grill steakhouse.

Joseph D’Costa, Executive Chef at the JW Marriott hotel, is working with the culinary team to prepare the anticipated dishes for this popular annual promotion.

A variety of main course dishes showcase the lobster in many delicious forms - including barbeque spiced lobster, Thermidor lobster, grilled lobster, newburg style

gratinated lobster, Canadian lobster, pan fried lobster medallions and much more, prepared in the magnificent “show kitchen” - a noteworthy feature that the restaurant is famous for. Guests can also enjoy an atmosphere of live jazz and retro band entertainment from Saturdays to Thursdays in the backdrop of a soothing fountain with the signature Terrace Grill ambience.

George Aoun noted, “Prepared by our team of internationally acclaimed chefs, it is our pleasure to once

again offer the finest selection of exotic lobsters freshly sourced and prepared to suit everyone’s gourmet seafood tastes.”

The promotion is available every day for lunch from 12:30 pm to 3 pm and from 7 pm to 11 pm for dinner.

Marriott’s Executive Card program, a dining privilege card at JW Marriott that offers generous discounts and promotions on restaurants and cafes for a whole year which is open for application.

EMBASSY OF SOUTH KOREA The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Kuwait will organize 2013 K-POP Contest on Thursday, June 6, 2013 at 6:00 pm. The aim of the contest is to provide an opportunity to the participants to showcase their exciting talents to the audience. Everyone is encouraged to participate in the contest. Application forms can be downloaded from the Embassy’s website: http://kwt.mofa.go.kr (Select English from the menu at the top of the page then Bilateral Relations) or visit the “Korean Culture Diwaniya” Facebook Group. Interested applicants must send their application forms to Kuwait@mofa.go.kr by 24 May 2013.

MONDAY, MAY 27, 2013

TV PROGRAMS

00:45 Into The Dragon’s Lair 01:35 Animal Cops Philadelphia 02:25 Roaring With Pride 03:15 Wildest Africa 04:05 Biggest And Baddest 04:55 Animal Cops Philadelphia 05:45 Wildest Islands 06:35 Wildlife SOS 07:00 The Really Wild Show 07:25 My Cat From Hell 08:15 Dogs 101 09:10 Panda Adventures With Nigel Marven 10:05 Wildwives Of Savannah Lane 11:00 Animal Cops Phoenix 11:55 Shamwari: A Wild Life 12:20 Wildlife SOS 12:50 Clinically Wild: Alaska 13:15 Clinically Wild: Alaska 13:45 Animal Precinct 14:40 Wildwives Of Savannah Lane 15:30 Echo And The Elephants Of Amboseli 16:00 The Really Wild Show 16:30 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 17:25 Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild 17:50 Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild 18:20 Trophy Cats 19:15 Escape To Chimp Eden 19:40 Bondi Vet 20:10 Shamwari: A Wild Life 20:35 Echo And The Elephants Of Amboseli 21:05 Wildwives Of Savannah Lane

00:20 Cash In The Attic 01:05 Gok’s Fashion Fix 01:50 Design Rules 02:15 Daily Cooks Challenge 02:45 Daily Cooks Challenge 03:15 Celebrity MasterChef 04:05 Vacation Vacation Vacation 04:30 Bargain Hunt: Famous Finds 05:15 Design Rules 05:40 Antiques Roadshow 06:30 Daily Cooks Challenge 07:00 Design Rules 07:25 Cash In The Attic 08:10 Homes Under The Hammer 09:05 Bargain Hunt 09:50 Antiques Roadshow 10:40 Gok’s Fashion Fix 11:30 Celebrity MasterChef 12:25 Come Dine With Me 13:15 Bargain Hunt: Famous Finds 14:00 Cash In The Attic 14:45 Antiques Roadshow 15:40 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Specials 17:00 Homes Under The Hammer 17:55 Food And Drink 18:25 Baking Mad With Eric Lanlard 18:50 Food Poker 19:40 Come Dine With Me 20:35 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

00:15 00:45 01:30 01:55 02:20 02:45 03:00 03:20 03:45 04:10 04:35 05:00 05:25 06:00 06:25 06:50 07:15 07:40 08:05 08:30 08:55 09:20

Duck Dodgers Wacky Races What’s New Scooby-Doo? What’s New Scooby-Doo? The Flintstones Tom & Jerry Tales What’s New Scooby-Doo? Taz-Mania The Looney Tunes Show Tom & Jerry Tales Johnny Bravo Bananas In Pyjamas Jelly Jamm Ha Ha Hairies Bananas In Pyjamas Lazytown Krypto: The Super Dog Baby Looney Tunes Gerald McBoing Boing Cartoonito Tales Ha Ha Hairies Lazytown

09:45 10:10 10:35 11:00 11:25 11:50 12:15 12:40 13:00 13:25 13:50 14:20 14:45 15:10 15:35 16:00 16:25 16:50 17:15 17:40 18:05 18:30 18:55 19:20 19:45 20:10 20:35 21:00

Baby Looney Tunes Krypto: The Super Dog Cartoonito Tales Jelly Jamm Gerald McBoing Boing Lazytown Baby Looney Tunes Jelly Jamm Tom & Jerry Kids A Pup Named Scooby-Doo Moomins Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries The Looney Tunes Show The 13 Ghosts Of Scooby-Doo Taz-Mania Tiny Toon Adventures Moomins Tom And Jerry Tales What’s New Scooby Doo The Looney Tunes Show The Garfield Show Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries The 13 Ghosts Of Scooby-Doo Tom And Jerry Tales What’s New Scooby Doo Tiny Toon Adventures Puppy In My Pocket What’s New Scooby-Doo?

00:30 Grim Adventures Of...

01:20 Johnny Test 02:10 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 02:35 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 03:00 The Amazing World Of Gumball 03:25 Regular Show 03:50 Ben 10: Omniverse 04:15 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 04:40 Powerpuff Girls 05:05 Evil Con Carne 05:30 Cow & Chicken 06:00 Casper’s Scare School 06:30 Angelo Rules 07:00 Dreamworks Dragons Riders Of Berk 07:25 Johnny Test 07:45 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 08:10 Evil Con Carne 08:55 Adventure Time 09:45 Regular Show 10:35 Angelo Rules 11:25 Ben 10: Alien Force 11:50 Ben 10: Alien Force 12:15 Hero 108 12:40 Hero 108 13:05 Mucha Lucha !

13:30 Angelo Rules 14:20 Evil Con Carne 15:10 The Amazing World Of Gumball 15:35 Adventure Time 16:00 Regular Show 16:30 Johnny Test 17:00 Ben 10: Omniverse 17:25 Dreamworks Dragons Riders Of Berk 17:50 Gormiti New 18:15 Young Justice 18:40 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 19:05 Total Drama Island 19:30 Total Drama Island 19:55 Mucha Lucha !

20:20 Ben 10: Omniverse 20:45 The Amazing World Of Gumball 21:10 Adventure Time 21:35 Regular Show 22:00 Ben 10 22:25 Ben 10 22:50 Mucha Lucha !

00:00 01:00 01:30 02:00 03:00 Face 04:00 05:00 05:30

Bloodwork Private Crimes Private Crimes Evil Up Close Haunted Encounters: Face To Bloodwork Private Crimes Private Crimes

06:00 06:30 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 15:00

Crime Town USA Crime Town USA Cold Case Files The FBI Files Crime Stories Crime Stories Crimes That Shook Britain Psychic Detectives Curious & Unusual Deaths Stalker Vanished With Beth Holloway The First 48

00:40 Inside The Gangsters’ Code 01:35 Inside The Gangsters’ Code 02:30 Inside The Gangsters’ Code 03:25 Inside The Gangsters’ Code 04:20 Heroes Of Hell’s Highway 05:15 Heroes Of Hell’s Highway 06:05 Heroes Of Hell’s Highway 07:00 Mythbusters 07:50 Soul Food Family 08:45 Gold Rush 09:40 Border Security - Series 6 Specials 10:05 Auction Hunters 10:30 Auction Kings 10:55 How Machines Work 11:25 How It’s Made 11:50 Wheeler Dealers 12:45 Wheeler Dealers: Trading Up 13:40 Fifth Gear 14:35 Border Security - Series 6 Specials 15:05 Auction Hunters 15:30 Auction Kings 16:00 Robson Green’s Extreme Fishing Challenge 16:55 Gold Rush 17:50 Mythbusters 18:45 Sons Of Guns 19:40 How Stuff Works 20:05 How It’s Made 20:35 Auction Hunters 21:00 Storage Hunters 21:30 Gold Divers: Under The Ice 22:25 Alaska: The Last Frontier

00:05 00:30 01:00 01:50 02:45 03:35 04:25 05:15 05:40 06:05 06:30 07:00 07:50 08:15 08:40 09:05 09:30 10:25 11:20 12:10 13:00 13:25 13:50 14:20 14:45 15:10 16:00 16:55 17:45 18:35 19:30 20:20

00:45 02:30 04:20 07:00 07:50 08:45 09:35 10:30

How Tech Works Sci-Fi Science What’s That About?

Future Weapons Future Weapons Future Weapons Future Weapons The Gadget Show How Tech Works James May’s 20th Century James May’s 20th Century X-Machines Things That Move Things That Move The Gadget Show How Tech Works Scrapheap Challenge What’s That About?

Superships Meteorite Men Things That Move Things That Move Sci-Fi Science The Gadget Show How Tech Works X-Machines Scrapheap Challenge Future Weapons Engineered Meteorite Men Under New York Things That Move

Final 24 Bone Detectives Timewatch Prehistoric Chasing Classic Cars Circus Treasure Quest Great Battles

THE BRITISH & IRISH LIONS TOUR TO AUSTRALIA LIVE AND EXCLUSIVE ON OSN FROM JUNE 1ST

DUBAI: This June, OSN brings viewers in the Middle East and North Africa unprecedented live and exclusive coverage of The British and Irish Lions Tour to Australia 2013 in stunning high definition on OSN Sports 1 HD. The historic 125th year Anniversary Lions Tour, comprising of the best players from Wales, Ireland, England and Scotland, will kick off exclusively on OSN Sports 1 HD with the first match against the Barbarians in Hong Kong on June 1, 2013.

OSN will then follow the Lions through the rest of their tour in Australia, where they will play six games against provincial and Super Rugby teams, in addition to three test matches against Australia, culminating with the third and final test against the Qantas Wallabies in Sydney on July 6.

Covering every match of the tour, OSN’s award winning team will bring viewers coverage of the Tour matches from the OSN Rugby Studios in Dubai Media City and for the 3 test matches the team will be in Australia pitch side at the stadiums, taking viewers even closer to the action. This marks the first time a regional broadcaster will broadcast live from inside a rugby stadium Andy Warkman, Vice President Sports and Production at OSN said: “OSN was the first to bring rugby to the region and we are marking another significant statement with OSN’s first live broadcast from inside a rugby stadium, further reinforcing our on-going commitment to the game and our viewers.

We look forward to sharing the electric atmosphere of the tour as we take this excit-

ing step for the sport in the Middle East.”

One of Britain’s leading sports presenters Jim Rosenthal will take the reins as anchor of OSN’s HD coverage. Joining Jim at the OSN Rugby Studios will be Lions Legends Jeremy Guscott and Scott Gibbs, the British and Irish Lions centre pairing from the victorious 1997 tour of South Africa, the last time the Lions have won a series.

The trio will then proceed to Australia, where they will be joined by Australian Rugby World Cup winner Michael Lynagh, who has the enviable track-record of 72 caps for Australia. Another World Cup winner Steve Thompson will be OSN’s roving reporter bringing viewers the atmosphere between Australian and Lions fans outside and inside the stadium.

“We are proud of our world class award winning team who will share their in-depth knowledge, passion and excitement of the games with our viewers. The British & Irish Lions tour is part of OSN’s commitment to showcase the very best high quality live sport and to grow the sport of rugby across the region; Lions Tours are special and it’s going to be an exciting five weeks on OSN,” added Warkman.

Join OSN for the live and exclusive coverage of ‘The British & Irish Lions Tour to Australia 2013,’ from Hong Kong and Australia exclusively on OSN SPORTS 1 HD from June 1. Viewers can also enjoy the games anytime, anywhere on OSN Play via the live streaming OSN Sports 1 channel.

Join the conversation using #OSNRugby and get full schedule details at osn.com/Lions.

10:55 11:20 12:10 13:05 13:55 14:50 15:45 16:40 17:05 17:35 18:00 18:25 19:20 20:10 21:05 22:00 22:55 23:50

Great Battles Survivorman Alaska’s Great Race Timewatch Bone Detectives Daredevils Prehistoric Great Battles Great Battles Chasing Classic Cars Chasing Classic Cars Survivorman Reign Of The Dinosaurs Hell On High Water Timewatch Reign Of The Dinosaurs Final 24 FBI Case Files

00:00 Chelsea Lately 00:30 Opening Act 01:25 E! Investigates 03:15 E! Investigates 04:10 E!es 05:05 Extreme Close-Up 05:30 Extreme Close-Up 06:00 THS 07:50 Style Star 08:20 E! News 09:15 Married To Jonas 09:45 Married To Jonas 10:15 THS 11:10 E!es 12:05 Playing With Fire 13:05 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 14:05 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 15:00 Style Star 15:30 THS 16:30 Extreme Close-Up 17:00 Fashion Police 18:00 E! News 19:00 E!es 20:00 Ice Loves Coco 20:30 Ice Loves Coco 21:00 Chasing The Saturdays 21:30 Chasing The Saturdays 22:00 Kourtney And Kim Take Miami 23:00 E!es 23:30 E!es

00:05 00:30 00:55 01:20 01:45 02:35 03:25 03:50 04:15 04:40 05:30 06:10 06:35 07:00 07:25 07:50 08:15 08:40 09:05 09:30 10:20 10:45 11:10 11:35 12:00 12:50 13:15 Basics 13:40 Basics 14:05 14:30 14:55 15:20 15:45 16:35 17:00 17:25 17:50 18:15 18:40 19:05 19:30 20:20 21:10 22:00 22:25 22:50 Feasts 23:15 23:40

00:30 01:20 02:05 02:55 03:45 04:30 05:20 06:10 07:00 07:50 08:15 08:40 09:05 09:30 10:20 11:10 12:00 12:50 13:15 13:40 14:30 15:20 15:45 16:10 17:00 17:50 18:40 19:30 20:20 21:10 22:00 22:50 23:40

Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Food Wars Food Wars Unwrapped Iron Chef America Iron Chef America Unique Eats Food Crafters United Tastes Of America Chopped Iron Chef America Unwrapped Unwrapped Guy’s Big Bite Guy’s Big Bite Reza, Spice Prince Of India Unique Sweets Kid In A Candy Store Barefoot Contessa Food Network Star Extra Virgin Extra Virgin Cooking For Real Food Crafters Ultimate Recipe Showdown Grill It! With Bobby Flay Barefoot Contessa - Back To Barefoot Contessa - Back To Food Wars Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Guy’s Big Bite Chopped Barefoot Contessa Barefoot Contessa Food Wars Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Guy’s Big Bite Reza, Spice Prince Of India Chopped Chopped Amazing Wedding Cakes Reza’s African Kitchen Reza’s African Kitchen Andy Bates American Street Andy Bates Street Feasts Food Wars

The Haunted Dr G: Medical Examiner Blood Relatives Couples Who Kill Scorned: Crimes Of Passion The Haunted Dr G: Medical Examiner Disappeared Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Street Patrol Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn Murder Shift Disappeared Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Street Patrol Forensic Detectives On The Case With Paula Zahn Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

Disappeared Undercover: Double Life Forensic Detectives On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared Nightmare Next Door Couples Who Kill Deadly Sins Blood Relatives I Almost Got Away With It

01:15 Cadillac Man 02:55 Boxcar Bertha 04:25 Eye Of The Needle 06:15 A Rage In Harlem 08:05 Bound For Glory 10:30 Twelve Angry Men 12:25 Johnny Be Good 13:50 The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course 15:20 Billion Dollar Brain 17:10 The Wilby Conspiracy 18:55 The Tempest 20:25 Fires Within 22:00 Born To Win 23:30 Mgm’s Big Screen 23:45 Firestarter

00:15 Market Values 00:45 Living With The Amish 01:40 Into The Drink 02:05 Into The Drink 02:35 Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled 03:30 Travel Oz 03:55 Deadliest Journeys 04:25 A World Apart 05:20 Long Way Down 06:15 Graham’s World 06:40 My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita 07:10 Market Values 07:35 Market Values 08:05 Living With The Amish 09:00 Into The Drink 09:25 Into The Drink 09:55 Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled 10:50 Travel Oz 11:15 Deadliest Journeys 11:45 A World Apart 12:40 Travel Oz 13:05 Travel Oz 13:35 Gone to save the planet 14:00 My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita 14:30 Market Values 14:55 Market Values 15:25 Living With The Amish 16:20 Into The Drink 16:45 Into The Drink 17:15 Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled 18:10 Travel Oz 18:35 Deadliest Journeys 19:05 A World Apart 20:00 Market Values 20:30 Market Values 21:00 Gone to save the planet 21:30 My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita 22:00 Long Way Down 22:55 Graham’s World 23:20 My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita 23:50 Earth Tripping

IP MAN 2 ON OSN MOVIES ACTON 00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Doomsday Preppers Situation Critical Blowdown Banged Up Abroad Naked Science Shark Men Banged Up Abroad Alaska State Troopers Doomsday Preppers Situation Critical Blowdown Banged Up Abroad Naked Science Shark Men Banged Up Abroad Alaska State Troopers Doomsday Preppers Situation Critical Mega Breakdown Trapped The Known Universe Dangerous Encounters Trapped Alaska State Troopers

00:00 Ultimate Animal Countdown 01:00 Speed Kills 01:55 Monster Fish 02:50 Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr 03:45 Built For The Kill 5 04:40 World’s Deadliest Animals 05:35 Triumph of Life 06:30 Monster Fish 07:25 Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr 08:20 Built For The Kill 5 09:15 Fish Warrior 10:10 Moray Eels: Alien Empire 11:05 World’s Weirdest 12:00 I, Predator 13:00 Monster Fish 14:00 Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr 15:00 Built For The Kill 5 16:00 Fish Warrior 17:00 Ninja Shrimp 18:00 World’s Weirdest 19:00 Monster Fish 20:00 Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr 21:00 Built For The Kill 5 22:00 Fish Warrior 23:00 Ninja Shrimp

09:30 Two And A Half Men 10:00 The Office 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 Arrested Development 12:30 Seinfeld 13:00 Hope & Faith 14:00 1600 Penn 14:30 The Office 15:00 Two And A Half Men 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 Arrested Development 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:30 Malibu Country 20:00 Don’t Trust The B In Apartment 23 20:30 Brickleberry 21:00 The Daily Show Global Edition 21:30 The Colbert Report Global Edition 22:00 Family Guy 22:30 Louie 23:00 Girls 23:30 Enlightened

00:00 02:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 08:30 11:00 12:00 13:00 13:30 14:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00

24 Good Morning America Good Morning America 24 Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show 24 Emmerdale Coronation Street Live Good Morning America Awake The Ellen DeGeneres Show Emmerdale Coronation Street 24 C.S.I. Miami The Carrie Diaries

00:00 The Keeper-18 02:00 Meskada-PG15 04:00 True Justice: Angel Of Death 06:00 Tomorrow, When The War Began-PG15 08:00 True Justice: Blood Alley-PG15 10:00 Do No Harm-PG15 12:00 Ip Man 2-PG15 14:00 True Justice: Blood Alley-PG15 16:00 Killer Mountain-PG15 18:00 Ip Man 2-PG15 20:00 Three Kings-18 22:00 The Silence Of The Lambs-18

00:00 01:00 02:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00

Eureka Scandal Grimm Necessary Roughness Grimm Eureka Emmerdale Coronation Street The Finder Scandal Burn Notice Necessary Roughness Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Eureka Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Finder Alphas Top Gear (US) Once Upon A Time

01:00 Footloose-PG15 03:00 Hidden Crimes-PG15 05:00 The National Tree-PG15 07:00 Underground: The Julian Assange Story-PG15 09:00 Footloose-PG15 11:00 Blackthorn-PG15 13:00 The Decoy Bride-PG15 15:00 Winx-FAM 17:00 Larry Crowne-PG15 19:00 Jane Eyre-PG15 21:00 One Day-18 23:00 Project X-18

00:00 Alien 02:00 The Keeper 04:00 Meskada 06:00 True Justice: Angel Of Death 08:00 Tomorrow, When The War Began 10:00 True Justice: Blood Alley 12:00 Do No Harm 14:00 Ip Man 2 16:00 True Justice: Blood Alley 18:00 Killer Mountain 20:00 Ip Man 2 22:00 Three Kings

00:00 The Cleveland Show 00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 Saturday Night Live 02:30 The Ricky Gervais Show 03:00 Guys With Kids 03:30 1600 Penn 04:00 Seinfeld 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Hope & Faith 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Seinfeld 08:30 Hope & Faith 09:00 Guys With Kids

00:00 Tucker And Dale vs Evil-18 02:00 Grassroots-PG15 04:00 Ernest Scared Stupid-PG15 06:00 Snow Day-PG 08:00 Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach-PG15 10:00 3 Holiday Tails-PG 12:00 Ernest Scared Stupid-PG15 14:00 Falling Star-PG15 16:00 3 Holiday Tails-PG 18:00 Men In Black II-PG 20:00 30 Minutes Or Less-18 22:00 Tucker And Dale vs Evil-18

01:00 The Preacher’s Wife-PG15 03:15 Broken-PG15 05:00 7 Days In Havana-PG15 07:15 Virtual Lies-PG15 09:00 B-Girl-PG15 11:00 The Preacher’s Wife-PG15 13:15 Henry’s Crime-PG15 15:15 George Harrison: Living In The Material World-PG15 19:00 The Company Men-PG15 21:00 Mad Bastards-PG15 23:15 S. Darko-PG15

01:00 Toast-PG15 03:00 A Better Life-PG15 05:00 Crisis Point-PG15 07:00 A Fall From Grace-PG15 09:00 Water For Elephants-PG15 11:00 Big Miracle-PG 13:00 Bobby Jones: Stroke Of Genius 15:15 Kung Fu Panda 2-PG 17:00 Water For Elephants-PG15 19:00 Joyful Noise-PG15 21:00 Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows-PG15 23:15 Shark Night-PG15

01:15 Queen Of The Swallows 02:45 Quest For A Heart 04:15 Mandie And The Secret Tunnel 06:00 Judy Moody And The Not Bummer Summer 08:00 Emilie Jolie 10:00 Happy Feet Two 11:45 Winner & The Golden Child: Part II 13:15 Battle For Terra 14:45 Quest For A Heart 16:15 Winner & The Golden Child: Part II 18:00 Happy Feet Two 20:00 Dragon Hunters 22:00 Battle For Terra 23:30 Winner & The Golden Child: Part II

00:00 Burden Of Evil-PG15 02:00 HappythankyoumorepleasePG15 04:00 Green Lantern: Emerald Knights-PG15 06:00 Valentina-FAM 08:00 Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol-PG15 10:15 Flower Girl-PG15 12:00 Happythankyoumoreplease14:00 Alpha And Omega-PG 15:45 Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol-PG15 18:00 Mary & Martha-PG15 20:00 Seeking Justice-PG15 22:00 Your Sister’s Sister-18

00:30 01:00 08:00 13:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Futbol Mundial Test Cricket PGA Tour Live Test Cricket AFL Premiership Highlights PGA Tour Highlights PGA European Tour Highlights

01:00 06:30 07:00 08:30 10:00 11:30 12:00 14:00 17:30 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 23:00

PGA European Tour Futbol Mundial Super League Super League Super League Futbol Mundial Live NRL Premiership Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters Futbol Mundial PGA Tour Highlights PGA European Tour Highlights Super Rugby Highlights NRL Premiership AFL Premiership Highlights

00:00 01:30 03:00 04:30 07:00 08:00 08:30

Super League Super League Super League Pro 12 Golfing World Top 14 Highlights AFL Premiership

11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 16:30 18:30 19:00 20:00 20:30

World Pool Masters World Cup Of Pool Golfing World AFL Premiership NRL Premiership Top 14 Highlights Trans World Sport ICC Cricket 360 Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters

01:00 02:00 04:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 13:00 13:30 14:30 15:30 17:30 18:00 19:00 21:00

UFC Countdown UFC Prelims UFC WWE Bottom Line WWE Experience Ping Pong World US Bass Fishing NHL Mass Participation Ironman Mass Participation Ironman European Le Mans Series WWE SmackDown Mobil 1 The Grid US Bass Fishing UFC Prelims UFC

00:05 00:30 03:00 04:15 05:30 07:00 Shots 08:15 09:30 Shots 10:45 12:00 13:15 14:30 15:45 17:00 18:15 19:30 20:45 22:00 Shots 23:15 23:40

Excalibur’s Deer City USA Elk Chronicles Excalibur’s Deer City USA Elk Chronicles Bow Madness Shooting USA’s Impossible

01:35 03:30 05:10 07:00 07:30 09:20 11:15 14:20 16:00 17:35 21:10 22:00

Stihl’s Reel In The Outdoors Shooting USA’s Impossible Legends Of Rod & Reel Outdoors In The Heartland Bill Dance Saltwater Legends Of Rod & Reel Outdoors In The Heartland Bill Dance Saltwater Legends Of Rod & Reel Outdoors In The Heartland Bill Dance Saltwater Shooting USA’s Impossible Stihl’s Reel In The Outdoors Stihl’s Reel In The Outdoors

Cool Hand Luke Dark Of The Sun Little Women-FAM TCM Presents Under The...-U Guns For San Sebastian-PG Rhapsody-FAM Doctor Zhivago-PG Casablanca-FAM Jailhouse Rock-PG Gone With The Wind-PG Ride Him, Cowboy-FAM Cheyenne Autumn-FAM

00:00 Big Rich Texas 01:00 Fashion Police 01:55 Empire Girls: Julissa And Adrienne 02:50 Empire Girls: Julissa And Adrienne 03:45 Videofashion Daily 04:40 Videofashion Specials 05:10 Videofashion News 05:35 Videofashion Collections 06:05 Open House 06:30 Open House 07:00 Videofashion News 07:30 Videofashion News 08:00 Videofashion Daily 09:00 Open House 09:30 Dress My Nest 10:00 Built 10:55 Tia And Tamera 11:55 Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane 12:50 Videofashion Specials 13:20 Videofashion Collections 13:50 Chicagolicious 14:45 How Do I Look?

15:40 How Do I Look?

16:35 Giuliana & Bill 17:30 Giuliana & Bill 18:25 Tia And Tamera 19:25 Tia And Tamera 20:20 Kimora: House Of Fab 21:15 Kimora: House Of Fab 22:10 Built

Classifieds MONDAY, MAY 27, 2013

Kuwait SHARQIA-1 PHANTOM (DIG) PHANTOM (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) PHANTOM (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:00 PM :00 PM :00 PM 9:00 PM 11:00 PM 1:00 AM

SHARQIA-2 FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) DINO TIME (DIG-3D) THE GREAT GATSBY (DIG-3D) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:45 PM 10:15 PM 12:45 AM

SHARQIA-3 THE CALL (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:45 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

MUHALAB-1 THE GREAT GATSBY (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG)

1:30 PM 4:15 PM 6:15 PM 8:15 PM 10:15 PM

MUHALAB-2 SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) PHANTOM (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG)

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 4:45 PM 7:00 PM 9:15 PM

MUHALAB-3 DINO TIME (DIG-3D) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) DINO TIME (DIG-3D) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG)

12:45 PM 2:45 PM 5:15 PM 7:15 PM 9:45 PM

FANAR-1 SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) THE CALL (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

FANAR-2 PHANTOM (DIG) IRON MAN 3 (DIG) PHANTOM (DIG) IRON MAN 3 (DIG) PHANTOM (DIG) IRON MAN 3 (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:30 PM 6:00 PM 8:00 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

FANAR-3 STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

1:15 PM 4:00 PM 6:00 PM 8:45 PM 10:45 PM 12:45 AM

KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (23/05/2013 TO 29/05/2013) MARINA-1 PHANTOM (DIG) PHANTOM (DIG) STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG) PHANTOM (DIG) STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG) PHANTOM (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 7:15 PM 9:15 PM 12:05 AM

MARINA-2 FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:30 AM

MARINA-3 DINO TIME (DIG-3D) DINO TIME (DIG-3D) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) THE GREAT GATSBY (DIG-3D) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:30 PM 10:15 PM 12:15 AM

AVENUES-1 FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

AVENUES-3 SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

360º- 3 DINO TIME (DIG-3D)

AL-KOUT.1 IRON MAN 3 (DIG-3D) 1:00 PM DINO TIME (DIG-3D) 3:30 PM DINO TIME (DIG-3D) 5:15 PM STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG-3D) 7:00 PM STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG-3D) 9:45 PM IRON MAN 3 (DIG-3D) 12:30 AM NO SUN+ TUE+WED 12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:45 PM 8:45 PM 11:00 PM 1:00 AM

AL-KOUT.3 FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

2:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:45 PM 10:15 PM 12:45 AM

1:00 PM 3:45 PM 6:30 PM 9:15 PM 12:05 AM

BAIRAQ-1 DINO TIME (DIG-3D) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) DINO TIME (DIG-3D) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 5:00 PM 7:00 PM 9:45 PM 12:30 AM

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

BAIRAQ-2 AT ANY PRICE (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) THE GREAT GATSBY (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:45 PM 11:00 PM 1:00 AM

BAIRAQ-3 THE CALL (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) THE CALL (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:30 PM 11:45 PM

360º- 1 FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) 12:30 PM FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) 3:30 PM FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) 6:00 PM FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) 8:45 PM NO THU Special Show“FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG)” 8:45 PM THU FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) 11:30 PM NO SUN+ TUE+WED 360º- 2 STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG) STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG) STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG) STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG) PHANTOM (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

4:15 PM 6:15 PM 8:15 PM 10:15 PM 12:15 AM

AL-KOUT.2 AT ANY PRICE (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

12:45 PM 3:30 PM 6:15 PM 9:00 PM 11:45 PM

AVENUES-2 STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG) STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG) STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG) STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG) STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

DINO TIME (DIG-3D) DINO TIME (DIG-3D) DINO TIME (DIG-3D) DINO TIME (DIG-3D) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:45 PM 7:30 PM 10:15 PM 1:00 AM

PLAZA FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG)

5:45 PM 8:15 PM 10:45 PM

LAILA IRON MAN 3 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG)

5:30 PM 8:00 PM 10:30 PM

AJIAL.1 LADIES & GENTLEMAN (DIG) LADIES & GENTLEMAN (DIG))

6:30 PM 9:30 PM

2:15 PM

CHANGE OF NAME I, Moidin Kunhi Badiyar Husan, S/o Husan Kunhi Urmene Moidin holder of Indian Passport No. F4932532 have changed my name to Mohammed Mohideen for all purposes.

(C 4427) 26-5-2013

No: 15821

112 Prayer timings Fajr: Shorook Duhr: Asr: Maghrib: Isha:

03:18 04:50 11:45 15:20 18:40 20:10

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines QTR JZR THY ETH GFA JZR AFG UAE ETD FDB RBG MSR QTR THY DHX FDB BAW FDB UAE ABY QTR KAC KAC KAC JZR FDB ETD GFA IRC MEA MSC UAE MSR THY QTR FDB MPH SVA KNE OMA RJA KAC KAC KAC KAC JZR JZR JZR

Arrival Flights on Monday 27/5/2013 Flt Route 148 DOHA 267 BEIRUT 764 SABIHA 620 ADDIS ABABA 211 BAHRAIN 539 CAIRO 416 JEDDAH 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 67 DUBAI 555 ALEXANDRIA 612 CAIRO 138 DOHA 770 ISTANBUL 170 BAHRAIN 69 DUBAI 157 LONDON 53 DUBAI 855 DUBAI 125 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 412 MANILA 302 MUMBAI 206 ISLAMABAD 503 LUXOR 55 DUBAI 301 ABU DHABI 213 BAHRAIN 6521 LAMERD 404 BEIRUT 403 ASSIUT 871 DUBAI 610 CAIRO 766 ISTANBUL 140 DOHA 57 DUBAI 93 AMSTERDAM 500 JEDDAH 472 JEDDAH 645 MUSCAT 640 AMMAN 546 ALEXANDRIA 284 DHAKA 352 COCHIN 344 CHENNAI 165 DUBAI 561 SOHAG 239 AMMAN

Time 00:15 00:20 01:40 01:45 01:55 00:40 02:15 02:25 02:30 03:10 03:15 03:15 03:30 04:35 05:10 05:50 06:30 07:45 08:25 08:50 09:00 06:15 07:50 07:25 07:40 09:15 09:30 10:40 10:50 10:55 11:35 12:45 13:00 13:10 13:45 13:50 13:55 14:30 14:35 14:40 15:55 14:15 12:05 9:55 9:35 11:35 12:00 22:30

QTR ETD UAE ABY SVA GFA UAL NIA QTR FDB GFA MSC JAI FDB OMA ABY MEA MSR AXB MSC ALK UAE ETD QTR GFA QTR JAI FDB AIC UAL TAR DLH PIA JAI KLM THY TMA KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC JZR JZR JZR JZR JZR

134 303 857 127 510 215 982 251 144 63 219 405 572 61 647 129 402 618 489 401 229 859 307 136 217 146 576 59 975 981 327 636 205 574 411 772 213 786 104 774 542 118 674 618 742 535 177 777 135 185

DOHA ABU DHABI DUBAI SHARJAH RIYADH BAHRAIN WASHINGTON DC DULLES ALEXANDRIA DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN SOHAG MUMBAI DUBAI MUSCAT SHARJAH BEIRUT ALEXANDRIA COCHIN ALEXANDRIA COLOMBO DUBAI ABU DHABI DOHA BAHRAIN DOHA COCHIN DUBAI CHENNAI BAHRAIN TUNIS FRANKFURT LAHORE MUMBAI AMSTERDAM ISTANBUL BEIRUT JEDDAH LONDON RIYADH CAIRO NEW YORK DUBAI DOHA DAMMAM CAIRO DUBAI JEDDAH BAHRAIN DUBAI

16:15 16:35 16:55 17:10 17:20 17:20 17:25 18:00 18:25 18:55 19:05 19:15 19:35 20:00 20:00 20:05 20:15 20:30 20:35 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:30 21:35 21:45 22:00 22:05 22:20 22:25 22:40 22:55 23:10 23:15 23:20 23:40 23:45 23:10 18:30 18:45 19:25 18:15 16:00 19:25 19:10 19:30 16:10 17:30 17:50 23:00 22:40

Airlines AIC JAI UAL DLH PIA JZR THY THY ETH AFG UAE FDB RBG MSR ETD QTR QTR JZR FDB GFA THY KAC JZR KAC BAW FDB JZR ABY UAE FDB QTR ETD GFA KAC KAC IRC MEA JZR KAC MSC KAC JZR MSR THY UAE FDB

Departure Flights on Monday 27/5/2013 Flt Route 982 AHMEDABAD 573 MUMBAI 981 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 637 FRANKFURT 206 PESHAWAR 502 LUXOR 773 ISTANBUL 765 ISTANBUL 621 ADDIS ABABA 416 KABUL 854 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 556 ALEXANDRIA 613 CAIRO 306 ABU DHABI 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 560 SOHAG 70 DUBAI 212 BAHRAIN 771 ISTANBUL 545 ALEXANDRIA 164 DUBAI 415D KUALA LUMPUR 156 LONDON 54 DUBAI 534 CAIRO 126 SHARJAH 856 DUBAI 56 DUBAI 133 DOHA 302 ABU DHABI 214 BAHRAIN 541 CAIRO 165 ROME 6522 LAMERD 405 BEIRUT 776 JEDDAH 103 LONDON 406 SOHAG 785 JEDDAH 176 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 767 ISTANBUL 872 DUBAI 58 DUBAI

Time 00:05 00:20 00:25 00:30 00:55 01:30 02:20 02:40 02:45 03:15 03:45 03:50 03:55 04:15 04:20 04:25 05:15 05:35 06:30 07:00 07:10 07:20 07:25 07:30 08:25 08:25 09:10 09:30 09:50 09:55 10:00 10:15 11:25 11:30 11:45 11:50 11:55 12:25 12:30 12:35 13:00 13:20 14:00 14:10 14:15 14:30

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

QTR KAC MPH KNE OMA SVA KAC KAC KAC RJA JZR QTR ETD JZR ABY UAE SVA GFA JZR JZR UAL NIA QTR FDB GFA JZR MSC JAI FDB ABY KAC OMA KAC MEA MSR DHX MSC ETD ALK UAE QTR KAC GFA KAC FDB QTR JAI TAR KAC

141 673 93 473 646 501 617 773 741 641 238 135 304 538 128 858 511 216 184 266 982 252 145 64 220 134 404 571 62 120 331 648 351 403 619 171 402 308 230 860 137 301 218 205 60 147 575 328 283

DOHA DUBAI AL MAKTOUM JEDDAH MUSCAT JEDDAH DOHA RIYADH DAMMAM AMMAN AMMAN DOHA ABU DHABI CAIRO SHARJAH DUBAI RIYADH BAHRAIN DUBAI BEIRUT BAHRAIN ALEXANDRIA DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN BAHRAIN ASSIUT MUMBAI DUBAI SHARJAH TRIVANDRUM MUSCAT KOCHI BEIRUT ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN ALEXANDRIA ABU DHABI COLOMBO DUBAI DOHA MUMBAI BAHRAIN ISLAMABAD DUBAI DOHA KOCHI DUBAI DHAKA

14:55 15:05 15:25 15:30 15:40 15:45 15:45 16:00 16:30 16:55 17:05 17:20 17:20 17:40 17:50 18:15 18:20 18:20 18:30 18:40 18:40 19:00 19:25 19:35 19:50 20:05 20:15 20:35 20:40 20:45 20:50 20:55 21:05 21:15 21:30 21:50 22:05 22:15 22:20 22:25 22:35 22:40 22:45 23:00 23:00 23:05 23:05 23:45 23:45

34

MONDAY, MAY 27, 2013

stars CROSSWORD 202

STAR TRACK Aries (March 21-April 19) Business can be conducted successfully. You could be most persuasive with others and successful in talking yourself through the best sales day ever! This afternoon you may decide to seek out a new friend or do some fun activity with a neighbor or relative that you have not seen for a long time. A new person may unexpectedly enter your life. You are in tune with your convictions and beliefs and don’t mind expressing them to others. A loved one, who feels as you do about life and life circumstances, may be helpful in working with you to find new paths to success. Return the favor and you will have a friend for life. Take advantage of some social opportunities this evening and enjoy the evening fun.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Sweep away any doubts your have today—they can only cause you to move slowly. Time is on your side, but not enough to waste with doubts. This is a much more favorable time than you think! A time that is good for involving yourself with research and statistics. Reporting, clerking and story writing are all possible—probably not at one time. You could guide others through your writing. Considering your romantic enthusiasm, a story of a romantic kind could see a successful result. You will do almost anything to fulfill your leadership or destiny roles. You know how to get things done and you will work tirelessly today to achieve your dreams. Perhaps research or study will soon become a part of your professional progress.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

ACROSS 1. Electronic warfare undertaken under direct control of an operational commander to locate sources of radiated electromagnetic energy for the purpose of immediate threat recognition.

4. Aromatic seeds used as seasoning like cinnamon and cloves especially in pickles and barbecue sauces.

12. The part of the nervous system of vertebrates that controls involuntary actions of the smooth muscles and heart and glands.

15. A strong solution of sodium or potassium hydroxide.

16. Order of mammals having few or no teeth including.

17. Resinlike substance secreted by certain lac insects.

18. Chief deity of Zoroastrianism.

20. Relating to or having the characteristics of bees.

21. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

22. Having sections or patches colored differently and usually brightly.

23. A family of languages spoken in southern Africa.

25. Containing salt.

28. Either extremity of something that has length.

29. Wild or seedling sweet cherry used as stock for grafting.

30. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

34. Lower in esteem.

38. To fix or set securely or deeply.

39. An advanced law degree.

42. The capital and largest city of Japan.

43. A custom among some peoples whereby the husband of a pregnant wife is put to bed at the time of bearing the child.

48. The condition of having no arms.

50. A master's degree in library science.

51. A state in New England.

52. An official prosecutor for a judicial district.

53. An official language of the Republic of South Africa.

55. Located at or near the back of an animal.

56. A river that rises in northern Colombia and flows generally eastward to the Orinoco in central Venezuela.

60. An anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions.

62. An island in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Africa.

68. A silvery malleable metallic element that resists corrosion.

69. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

72. Small ornamental ladies' bag for small articles.

74. A member of a people native to the Philippines chiefly inhabiting central Luzon around and including Manila.

76. The network in the reticular formation that serves an alerting or arousal function.

77. City in southwestern Colombia in a rich agricultural area.

78. Stain (furniture) black to make it look like ebony.

79. Black-and-white short-necked web-footed diving bird of northern seas.

DOWN 1. Type genus of the Elopidae.

2. An Asian republic in the Middle East at the east end of the Mediterranean.

3. A city in western Lithuania on the Baltic Sea.

4. French postimpressionist painter who influenced modern art (especially cubism) by stressing the structural components latent in nature (1839-1906).

5. (of eggs) No longer edible.

6. A rare heavy polyvalent metallic element that resembles manganese chemically and is used in some alloys.

7. A nucleic acid consisting of large molecules shaped like a double helix.

8. A nucleotide derived from adenosine that occurs in muscle tissue.

9. South American plant cultivated for its large fragrant trumpet-shaped flowers.

10. A resident of Utah.

11. The mansion of the lord of the manor.

12. By bad luck.

13. Kamarupan languages spoken in northeastern India and western Burma.

14. The act of scanning.

19. True firs.

24. Severe diabetes mellitus with an early onset.

26. American novelist (1909-1955).

27. A small ball with a hole through the middle.

31. In bed.

32. Wish harm upon.

33. Regarded with deep or rapturous love (especially as if for a god).

35. An indistinct shapeless form.

36. An Asian river between China and Russia.

37. 100 lwei equal 1 kwanza.

40. Hormone secreted by the posterior pituitary gland (trade name Pitressin) and also by nerve endings in the hypothalamus.

41. Any of numerous local fertility and nature deities worshipped by ancient Semitic peoples.

44. The capital and largest city of Liechtenstein.

45. Any of various spiny trees or shrubs of the genus Acacia.

46. (Islam) The man who leads prayers in a mosque.

47. A bin that holds rubbish until it is collected.

49. Essential oil or perfume obtained from flowers.

54. The branch of computer science that deal with writing computer programs that can solve problems creatively.

57. An Indian side dish of yogurt and chopped cucumbers and spices.

58. Declare invalid.

59. Make less active or intense.

61. A condensed but memorable saying embodying some important fact of experience that is taken as true by many people.

63. An Arabic speaking person who lives in Arabia or North Africa.

64. A body of poetry that conveys the traditions of a society by treating some epic theme.

65. A three-tone Chadic language.

66. (Old Testament) The eldest son of Isaac who would have inherited the Covenant that God made with Abraham and that Abraham passed on to Isaac.

67. A piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments.

70. The first month of the year.

71. American prizefighter who won the world heavyweight championship three times (born in 1942).

73. Being one more than one.

75. Functioning correctly and ready for action.

You and your work could come under scrutiny today. You are ready for any review you might have—don’t worry. You also have a knack of charming anyone to your way of thinking. Go slow and think things through before trying to convince a higher-up of your work techniques. Work, achievement and ambition are the things that mean a lot to you now. Find some time to think and study, for you have a real appreciation for ideas and thoughts. This is a good time to complete any unfinished business—the longer you wait, the faster things can go wrong. Much can be accomplished now. During this time, when your confidence and energies are high, it is best to carefully carve out a balance between work, play and family with a maintenance program.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) Your energies are high and your best efforts—applied to any project—will be successful. Your communicative abilities are accented and it is an excellent time to sway others to your way of thinking. Be careful in taking a technical argument to extremes and in trying to find a logical reason for every event that occurs—especially the actions of a loved one. You are perceived as so intense at times that your presence in a group has a very decided effect. You may have a political influence with someone or you might handle other people’s money—perhaps an investment opportunity will be available soon. You have great insight into the way things work and you volunteer to be helpful this afternoon, particularly in group situations.

Leo (July 23-August 22) Use your knowledge as well as your instincts to help make an important decision. Don’t second-guess a gut feeling. You could be most persuasive with others and eloquent in speech. You can demonstrate great understanding and sensitivity to the needs of others just now and are in a good position to lead or relate to groups and society in general. Get outside for a while during the noon hour—perhaps visiting a bookstore. Read something funny, merge your sense of humor into the afternoon and life will not seem so black and white.

Focus will be easier to come by when pressures are relaxed. Create fun this afternoon. Parental advice is vital. Listen to the voice of experience this evening. Soon it could be you talking to your kids.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) You may spend quite a bit of time thinking of ways in which to improve finances. The desire for monetary success is considerable and you may decide a part-time job is in order for a short while. You may have a pet project you will want to tend to today. This pet project can bring a sense of well-being into your life now. Change may seem to be the only way to stop those feelings of monotony. Your emotions could come into play while talking with loved ones this afternoon. Try to keep a measure of objectivity at this time. Your interest in religion and philosophy can be used when helping a friend. A social affair this evening will create an opportunity for you to network. Bring fresh flowers for the host. You make a new friend this evening.

Word Search

Libra (September 23-October 22) Although your day flows easily enough, your mood may be pensive.

Cleaning up your special work area and organizing your thoughts may take up much of the day. There is involvement in projection, promotion and publication of ideas among friends and family. A round table discussion may produce creative ideas for future group activities. You may be moving in and organizing a creative idea for profit. There are serious attitudes toward affairs of business. Plan to finalize matters with the help of a lawyer and everyone will be happy. You find yourself feeling more private and in a stay-at-home mood this evening. A short trip or an evening dinner out is a temptation in which the whole family may enjoy participating. Enjoy your loved ones.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Story writing, whether it actually is a story to be published or one just developing will get a big boost today. Ideas are easy and writing will flow like a waterfall. Perhaps a new business plan is the object of the writing; whatever the case, much can be accomplished along these lines. You could be most persuasive with others and persuasive in your communication. The situation is a natural for self-expression and lends itself to your particular ideas and thoughts. Catching up on neighborhood gossip and visiting with friends can be enjoyed this afternoon. You are practical, realistic and stable in your feelings—any frustrations with another can be easily solved, particularly through a compromise. A good conversation with those you love is possible.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) You are ambitious and ready to accomplish whatever is put in front of you today. Completing any ongoing job will bring you a great deal of satisfaction. As problems arise, you are ready and willing to tackle them. Any professional advice that you think you might need could be successfully taken into account. You will find this one of your better times for working with groups. Your management and directional abilities are in high focus.

Your productiveness thrives at this time. Use your self-expression freely, particularly in any writing tasks that you perform. Although your thoughts could be focused mostly on achievements, do not forget one or two loved ones that need your undivided attention this evening. Hug someone you love today.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) CAPRICORN There is an abundance of creative interest in which projects will be successful. There could be mistakes in mathematical problems however—check your work carefully. Inventiveness and creative ventures could be lucrative. You will be attentive to your loved ones but you may seem to have other things on your mind as well. Be easy on your nervous system and involve yourself in some fun activity that includes only your best friend or loved one. Perhaps a movie or dinner at a restaurant would be satisfying. You have an urge for social life but again, your mind may not be focused on what others are talking about. A busy day today and one possibly tomorrow will have many demands on your ability to think quickly.

Retire early this evening.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) You may tend to scatter your attention just now. There is much to do in many avenues of your life and it may be difficult to know just where to begin. It would be good to make out a list, follow it and not rush ahead of schedule. Giving each item all of your attention—one thing at a time. Family outings or some sports activity with your friends is probably going to be on your mind much of the afternoon. You may be thinking of putting in some new grass, a tree, some flowers, etc. Whatever activity is planned, you will want to invite as much help as possible so you can get the work done all at once. You may even decide to name parts of the project after each helper. You may enjoy a nap later this afternoon. This evening is invigorating.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) You could be known as the best team player at work. You and your siblings are well known to be good at sports. Today is about enjoying the company of your family, friends or a few co-workers. You tend to be good at lending a helping hand for and with others.

You feel a love of duty and a determination to be the best you can be. A casual ball game or board game is fun and team activities draw you close to the people with whom you enjoy keeping company. There is a harmony between your emotions and rational action. Your strong personal magnetism and effervescent personality may gain you much positive attention. You inspire many with your positive attitude. This afternoon you may find yourself making a list for future get-togethers.

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

Daily SuDoku

Yesterday’s Solution

MONDAY, MAY 27, 2013

i n f o r m at i o n For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128 GOVERNORATE Sabah Hospital

24812000

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

PHARMACY

ADDRESS

PHONE

Ahmadi

Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy Ibn Al-Nafis Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554 25721264 25380581 25628241

Hawally

Al-Madeena

22418714

Al-Shuhada

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Faiha

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

Kaizen center

25716707

Rawda

22517733

Adaliya

22517144

Al-Jahra

25610011

Khaldiya

24848075

Al-Salmiya

25616368

Kaifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salem

22549134

Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Qadsiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Gar

22531908

Shaab

22518752

Qibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Qibla

22451082

Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

Maidan Hawally

25623444

Bayan

25388462

Mishref

25381200

W Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Ardhiya

24884079

Firdous

24892674

Omariya

24719048

N Khaitan

24710044

Fintas

23900322

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Psychologists /Psychotherapists

Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Khaled Hamadi

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Endocrinologist

25665898 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar

22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof

25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare

23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew

24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

25655535

Dentists

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

22618787

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

General Surgeons Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart Dr. Adnan Ebil Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

22666300 25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

Neurologists

22639939

Dr. Mousa Khadada

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

3729596/3729581

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri

25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

25345875

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Kaizen center 25716707

25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888 Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab

25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

22666288

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi

Dr Anil Thomas

Dr. Salem soso

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah

25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart DR.Mohammes Akkad

24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

2611555-2622555

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Afghanistan 0093 Albania 00355 Algeria 00213 Andorra 00376 Angola 00244 Anguilla 001264 Antiga 001268 Argentina 0054 Armenia 00374 Australia 0061 Austria 0043 Bahamas 001242 Bahrain 00973 Bangladesh 00880 Barbados 001246 Belarus 00375 Belgium 0032 Belize 00501 Benin 00229 Bermuda 001441 Bhutan 00975 Bolivia 00591 Bosnia 00387 Botswana 00267 Brazil 0055 Brunei 00673 Bulgaria 00359 Burkina 00226 Burundi 00257 Cambodia 00855 Cameroon 00237 Canada 001 Cape Verde 00238 Cayman Islands 001345 Central African 00236 Chad 00235 Chile 0056 China 0086 Colombia 0057 Comoros 00269 Congo 00242 Cook Islands 00682 Costa Rica 00506 Croatia 00385 Cuba 0053 Cyprus 00357 Cyprus (Northern) 0090392 Czech Republic 00420 Denmark 0045 Diego Garcia 00246 Djibouti 00253 Dominica 001767 Dominican Republic 001809 Ecuador 00593 Egypt 0020 El Salvador 00503 England (UK) 0044 Equatorial Guinea 00240 Eritrea 00291 Estonia 00372 Ethiopia 00251 Falkland Islands 00500 Faroe Islands 00298 Fiji 00679 Finland 00358 France 0033 French Guiana 00594 French Polynesia 00689 Gabon 00241 Gambia 00220 Georgia 00995 Germany 0049 Ghana 00233 Gibraltar 00350 Greece 0030 Greenland 00299 Grenada 001473 Guadeloupe 00590 Guam 001671 Guatemala 00502 Guinea 00224 Guyana 00592 Haiti 00509 Holland (Netherlands) 0031 Honduras 00504 Hong Kong 00852 Hungary 0036 Ibiza (Spain) 0034 Iceland 00354 India 0091 Indian Ocean 00873 Indonesia 0062

Iran 0098 Iraq 00964 Ireland 00353 Italy 0039 Ivory Coast 00225 Jamaica 001876 Japan 0081 Jordan 00962 Kazakhstan 007 Kenya 00254 Kiribati 00686 Kuwait 00965 Kyrgyzstan 00996 Laos 00856 Latvia 00371 Lebanon 00961 Liberia 00231 Libya 00218 Lithuania 00370 Luxembourg 00352 Macau 00853 Macedonia 00389 Madagascar 00261 Majorca 0034 Malawi 00265 Malaysia 0060 Maldives 00960 Mali 00223 Malta 00356 Marshall Islands 00692 Martinique 00596 Mauritania 00222 Mauritius 00230 Mayotte 00269 Mexico 0052 Micronesia 00691 Moldova 00373 Monaco 00377 Mongolia 00976 Montserrat 001664 Morocco 00212 Mozambique 00258 Myanmar (Burma) 0095 Namibia 00264 Nepal 00977 Netherlands (Holland) 0031 Netherlands Antilles 00599 New Caledonia 00687 New Zealand 0064 Nicaragua 00505 Nigar 00227 Nigeria 00234 Niue 00683 Norfolk Island 00672 Northern Ireland (UK) 0044 North Korea 00850 Norway 0047 Oman 00968 Pakistan 0092 Palau 00680 Panama 00507 Papua New Guinea 00675 Paraguay 00595 Peru 0051 Philippines 0063 Poland 0048 Portugal 00351 Puerto Rico 001787 Qatar 00974 Romania 0040 Russian Federation 007 Rwanda 00250 Saint Helena 00290 Saint Kitts 001869 Saint Lucia 001758 Saint Pierre 00508 Saint Vincent 001784 Samoa US 00684 Samoa West 00685 San Marino 00378 Sao Tone 00239 Saudi Arabia 00966 Scotland (UK) 0044 Senegal 00221 Seychelles 00284 Sierra Leone 00232 Singapore 0065 Slovakia 00421 Slovenia 00386 Solomon Islands 00677

36

MONDAY, MAY 27, 2013

LIFESTYLE G o s s i p

Jolie’s aunt dying of cancer

A

Mark Owen quits smoking

M

ark Owen has been an “emotional wreck” since he quit smoking. The Take That singer gave up nicotine at the beginning of the year and admitted he is turning to “chocolate” to fill the gap. He told The Sun on Sunday newspaper: “I stopped smoking on my 41st birthday, in January, and I’ve been an emotional wreck ever since. “I’ve been a little bit on the edge, it’s been four months. Chocolate has taken over from that.” The ‘Shine’ pop star admitted he hasn’t noticed any “benefits” thus far, although he

revealed he is “definitely” pleased he stopped drinking alcohol. He said: “I can’t say I’ve had any benefits [from quitting smoking] yet but the drinking, definitely massive benefits - waking up in the morning and not carrying a bottle of wine inside you. “It’s been three years - I’m glad I stopped.” Mark will release ‘The Art of Doing Nothing’ - his fourth solo album - in June and explained it has been a nice way to stay “sociable” without going out drinking. He added: “The nicest thing has been getting a lot of creative people

involved. “Because I don’t go out any more and drink, it’s just a way to bring people round and still have that sociable feeling. “If I’m being really selfish about the whole thing it’s about having company. They tell me all their stories of the week - it’s a little bit like visiting your gran.”

ngelina Jolie’s aunt is in a coma dying of cancer. The actress recently revealed she had undergone a double mastectomy after she was identified as carrying the BRCA1 cancer gene, which gave her an 87 per cent chance of developing breast cancer and a 50 per cent risk of getting ovarian cancer. Now, her uncle Ronald has told of how his wife Debbie, 61, collapsed on Wednesday and was surrounded by her family last night. He told the Sunday People newspaper: “She had a seizure and we took her to hospital.

“They have turned off the life support and her family is all here holding her hand. This is the love of my life ... My wife is hanging in there. “It’s just a matter of hours. She’s a fighter. I have reached out to Angelina to tell her what’s going on ... [Debbie is] in a coma. It’s breast cancer but I think it has spread everywhere.” While the star has praised her mother - who passed away in 2007 after being diagnosed eight year earlier - it is reported Debbie’s brother Raleigh died of cancer two years later, while Angelina’s grandmother Lois Bertrand and great-grandmother Virginia Gouwens were also tragically claimed by the disease. Debbie was said to be “very supportive” of her nieces decision to have both her breasts removed, and a source close to the family claimed she would have taken similar measures if she’d known early enough. The insider said: “Angelina was very close to Deb and she did everything she could do to help her. “Deb was very supportive of Angelina’s decision to have preventative surgery. “If she had known before what she found out too late, she would have had a double mastectomy as well as her ovaries removed.” Angelina has children Maddox, 11, Pax, nine, Zahara, eight, Shiloh, six, and four-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne with fiance Brad Pitt, and has previously revealed they were one of the reasons she had the surgery.

Brown and Tran are living together

C

hris Brown and Karrueche Tran are reportedly living together. The 24-year-old rapper - who recently split from his on/off girlfriend Rihanna, who he is still on probation for beating in 2009 - had dumped the model for the ‘Stay’ hitmaker in October but it looks like they could be back together. The pair have been spotted getting close in public recently - including at the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas - and now gossip site TMZ has reported they are living together. A source has told how they “hooked up” earlier this month just before Chris’ 24th birthday, and Karrueche has been staying at his home ever since. Although it is said she has kept her own apartment, the site revealed she has moved most of her belongings to his Hollywood Hills house.

Rihanna is apparently heartbroken with news Chris is spending time with his ex-girlfriend. An insider previously said: “Pals have told Rihanna not to get upset about Chris and Karrueche. They think the best revenge would be living well and looking good, but so far Rihanna’s answer has been to party the pain away. “It’s understandable that she’d want to escape her feelings on this but she’s taking it way too far. Everyone around her wants her to get some help they’re genuinely worried about her. “She’s not in a good place and looks like she’s self-destructing. Her friends are really worried about her and think she needs to take time out to detox and refocus.”

Gomez drove away with fans

S

elena Gomez once “got into trouble” after driving away with four of her fans. The ‘Come and Get It’ singer was greeted by some of her young supporters at an airport, but she panicked when paparazzi arrived so “took off” with the group. She admitted: “I got in trouble one time I had like 12 paparazzi and they were at the airport and I put my head down because I don’t really like them that much and there were about four of my fans so when I got in the car I grabbed the four girls and put them in the car with me and just took off.” Selena - who has an on/off relationship with Justin Bieber - is always astonished by the dedication of her fans. She added: “It blows my mind. I have the sweetest most compassionate fans.” Selena loves spending time with her friend Taylor Swift - who has dated stars including Harry Styles, Jake Gyllenhaal and John Mayer and knows her pal will always support her when she has a problem. She said: “I love Taylor, she’s the best. I just love her because she’s so cool, she just normal down to earth, awesome defiantly the girl you want to call if you’re going through heart ache.”

Jepsen

humiliated brother

Galifianakis to produce honey

C

arley Rae Jepsen likes to humiliate her brother. The ‘Call Me Maybe’ singer has a fun-loving relationship with her sibling and once almost ruined his love life by telling him he had snot up his nose in front of his new girlfriend. She said: “I did a cruel thing to my brother once. He was a dating a new girl for the first time and we were all on a day trip when I noticed he had a bogey in his nose. “I tried to get his attention cos I didn’t want him to be embarrassed in front of his new girlfriend, but he didn’t get the hint and was like, ‘Carly, what do you want?’ “So I finally said, ‘Fine! You have a bogey in your nose!’ He was mortified.” The 27-year-old star is far from perfect herself, confessing she is one of the messiest people she knows, much to her boyfriend Matthew Koma’s disgust.

Carly told Top of the Pops magazine: “Generally, I’m in a big mess. My pet peeve is not being able to find things, but it’s kind of my own fault. It makes it so frustrating cos I have no one else to blame but myself! “My boyfriend is quite tidy so he won’t let me be too much of a pig for too long!”

Z Hawn’s beauty secret is rest

T

he 67-year-old actress says the key to looking good is taking the time to relax and find “peace”. She said: “A rested face is a beautiful face. However you can, find your place of rest and peace.” However, Goldie - who has been with long-term partner Kurt Russell for over 30 years - also admitted she isn’t completely against people going under the knife to preserve their looks. Asked how she feels about cosmetic surgery, she said: “It’s very, very personal, you just have to do what makes you feel good.” Goldie has previously admitted she never used to buy “fancy” clothes, much to the disappointment of her daughter Kate Hudson. Goldie said: “She [Kate] was always her own stylist.

If she picked and chose through my closet it was completely out of curiosity... I was not a buyer of fancy clothes, Katie will tell you.

I think she remembers a few fancy things I got her, but she created her own style.” Kate added: “We weren’t a big clothes-buying family, except for back to school. We were more of an active family, dance and sports; going shopping was really a treat when it happened.”

ach Galifianakis is planning to make his own honey. The ‘Hangover Part III’ star - who portrays hapless Alan Garner in the movie franchise - feels more of a “man” since moving to the countryside and is excited about a new venture he is planning for his farm. He said: “I live on a farm in North Carolina and I bought bees. Soon I’m gonna start making my own honey.

“It’s a place where I can be a man.”

However, Zach - whose ‘Hangover’ alterego acquires a giraffe in the latest installment of the franchise - insists farmyard living can be quite boring because he doesn’t even own a TV, and while he joked he would love to ride around on bears all day, he passes the time by getting physical with sticks. The 43-year-old star quipped to Nuts magazine: “If I see a black bear, one of the things I like to do is creep up to it, get on its back and ride it around. “We have a couple of giraffes, but they don’t get along with the dinosaurs. Ha. No, seriously there’s nothing to do. No TV. No cell phone. We just sit around and hit each other with sticks.” —Bangshowbiz

37

MONDAY, MAY 27, 2013

LIFESTYLE F e a t u r e s

Best quotes from the Cannes Film Festival S

ome of the movie world’s best known and most influential actors, writers and directors have been on the French Riviera for the past 11 days for the 66th Cannes Film Festival. Here is a selection of some of the most memorable quotes from the

“It’s so 19th century” Tilda Swinton as a centuries-old vampire in “Only Lovers Left Alive” by Jim Jarmusch on hunting and killing humans for blood.

That’s right out of order” British newspaper film critic Peter Bradshaw, referring to the graphic violence in Mexican

From left, actor John Hurt, actor Slimane Dazi, actress Tilda Swinton, actor Tom Hiddleston and director Jim Jarmusch stand at the top of the stairs as they arrive for the screening of Only Lovers Left Alive at the 66th international film festival, in Cannes, southern France, Saturday. —AP film fest: “You’re all welcome to look, but you can’t unring that bell” Matt Damon’s warning to film crew before he disrobed for scenes in bed with Michael Douglas in Steven Soderbergh’s flamboyant Liberace biopic “Behind the Candelabra” in which he plays the entertainer’s lover Scott Thorson.

“I’m absolutely taking a break. I don’t know how extended it’s going to be... it’s been a good run” Director and screenwriter Steven Soderbergh, who earlier said he was going to retire, on his plans for the future.

film “Heli. Bradshaw was a member of the jury that awarded the ironic Palm Dog prize for best canine performance to a blind poodle in “Behind the Candelabra”.

“The film is going to be seen in China. I got the authorization before coming to Cannes, which is good news for me. The version that will be presented in China is the one you have just seen” Jia Zhangke, director of “A Touch of Sin” (Tian Zhu Ding), a tale of corruption, exploitation and greed in modern China, when asked if his film would be censored for domestic viewers.

“He died, you know. When I arrived here, and he wasn’t here, I knew something was wrong” Comedian Jerry Lewis, 87, referring to his former showbiz partner Dean Martin, tries to make out that he’s gone dotty.

“Had I given in to living in the (Hollywood) system, I don’t know that I would be here right now” Hollywood veteran and Sundance Film Festival founder Robert Redford on how to keep going in the movie business “There were many cats... and they were difficult” Ethan Coen on the ginger moggies he and Joel Coen used for two cat roles in “Inside Llewyn Davis”.

“Remarks clumsy and misunderstood. Obviously, I wasn’t talking about women generally, just about the characters in my film”“Young and Beautiful” director Francois Ozon after telling a Hollywood Reporter journalist it was a fantasy of many women to be a prostitute and adding, “Everybody knows that. Well, maybe not Americans.”

“I’m sure he had his reasons” Kristin Scott Thomas as Ryan Gosling’s mother Crystal in the blood drenched “Only God Forgives” after being told that his brother, her favorite son, had raped and killed a 16-year-old girl “I just take the camera out into the country and point it at things and say, ‘this is what I find’. This is a report back to my home planet” “Nebraska” director Alexander Payne on what he called his modern “depression era” film.

“Where were we?”... “You were calling me a careerist and I was calling you a loser” Carey Mulligan as the bad-tempered Jean to Oscar Isaac as struggling folk singer Llewyn Davis in the Coen brothers’“Inside Llewyn Davis”. —AFP

Films in running for Cannes festival Palme d’Or

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wenty films are in competition for this year’s Palme d’Or which will be awarded at the Cannes Film Festival closing ceremony late yesterday. Here are the films chosen to compete before the jury, headed by US director Steven Spielberg, with English titles where supplied by festival organizers: ● “Un Chateau en Italie” (“A Castle in Italy”), Valeria BruniTedeschi ● “Inside Llewyn Davis”, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen ● “Michael Kohlhaas”, Arnaud Despallieres ● “Jimmy P. (Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian)”, Arnaud Desplechin ● “Heli”, Amat Escalante ● “Le Passe” (“The Past”), Asghar Farhadi ● “The Immigrant”, James Gray

● “Grigris”, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun ● “Tian Zhu Ding” (“A Touch of Sin”), Jia Zhangke ● “Soshite Chichi Ni Naru” (“Like Father, Like Son”), Hirokazu Kore-Eda * “La Vie d’Adele - Chapitre 1&2” (“Blue is the Warmest Color”), Abdellatif Kechiche ● “Wara No Tate” (“Shield of Straw”), Takashi Miike ● “Jeune et Jolie” (“Young and Beautiful”), Francois Ozon ● “Nebraska”, Alexander Payne ● “La Venus a la Forrure” (“Venus in Fur”), Roman Polanski ● “Behind the Candelabra”, Steven Soderbergh ● “La Grande Bellezza” (“The Great Beauty”), Paolo Sorrentino ● “Borgman”, Alex van Warmerdam ● “Only God Forgives”, Nicolas Winding Refn

Tunisian director Abdellatif Kechiche poses with French actress Lea Seydoux (4thR), French actress Adele Exarchopoulos and the cast of his movie, on May 23, 2013 before the screening of the film “Blue is the Warmest Color” (La Vie d’Adele - Chapitre 1 & 2) presented in Competition at the 66th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes. —AFP

Cannes film festival draws to a close with cliffhanger ending

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he 2013 Cannes festival wraps up with a cliffhanger ending on Sunday, with uncertainty surrounding which film will be declared best picture after a 12-day frenzy of premieres, celebrities, rain and dramatic jewellery thefts. Twenty films packed with violence and emotional anguish are vying at the world’s biggest cinema showcase for the Palme d’Or, one of the most coveted film awards after the Oscars.

Frontrunners include French director Abdellatif Kechiche’s love story “La Vie d’Adele” (Blue is the Warmest Color) with its graphic hot scenes, and “Inside Llewyn Davis” about a struggling New York folk singer by the American Coen brothers. Also on the short list are “La Grande Bellezza” (The Great Beauty) from Italy’s Paolo Sorrentino, a magical ode to the decadence of Rome, and “Le Passe” (The Past), a tension-filled domestic drama

by Iranian director Asghar Farhadi.

Choosing the winner of the top prize and other awards is a jury led by US filmmaker Steven Spielberg with Australian actress Nicole Kidman and Oscar-winning director Ang Lee. “It’s been a good year at Cannes despite the terrible weather but it is harder than usual to predict the winner as there is no one stand-out film,” critic Jay Weissberg from trade publication Variety told Reuters.

“La Vie d’Adele had everyone buzzing but its hot scenes could be too intimate for this jury. You are never quite sure what the jury will decide.” The jury members have mixed

and mingled on the red carpet on Cannes’ palm-lined waterfront with Alist stars from around the globe since the festival opened with Australian director Baz Luhrmann’s lavish “The Great Gatsby” starring Leonardo DiCaprio. The 66th Cannes festival got off to a violent start with a brutal torture scene in Mexican drama “Heli” and with China’s “Tian Zhu Ding” (A Touch of Sin) by Jia Zhangke, but the blood-letting in “Only God Forgives”

by Denmark’s Nicolas Winding Refn sharply divided critics.

Stars out in force As usual at Cannes, sex was a key theme in many films, with French director Francois Ozon’s “Jeune & Jolie” (Young & Beautiful) focused on a 17year-old prostitute and celebrated director Roman Polanski’s “La Venus a la Fourrure” (Venus in Fur) exploring a sexual power play between a writer and actress.

US filmmaker Steven Soderbergh’s “Behind the Candelabra” about the flamboyant pianist Liberace and his gay lover, played by Michael Douglas and Matt Damon, struggled to find funding in Hollywood but made it to the screen financed by Time Warner’s HBO cable network. Family anguish filled Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-Eda’s “Soshite Chichi Ni Naru” (Like Father, Like Son) about two boys swapped at birth while his contemporary, Takashi Miike, took on violence in police thriller “Wara No Tate” (Shield of Straw).

The Netherlands had its first film in

the main competition with the menacing and surreal “Borgman” by Alex Van Warmerdam while one African film, “Grigris” by Chadian MahamatSaleh Haroun, was selected to join the field. While cinephiles soaked up the varied selection on offer, celebrities galore descended on Cannes, the film industry’s top marketplace where up to 40,000 film professionals buy, sell and fund films. They posed before the flash bulbs to promote their latest movies and build support for new projects.

“Hunger Games” actors Jennifer Lawrence and Liam Hemsworth, David Hasselhoff, Jackie Chan and Keanu Reeves were among the actors in town to promote upcoming films.

Stars including Sharon Stone, Janet Jackson, and Shirley Bassey jetted in for the festival’s most glitzy party, the amfAR AIDS charity gala, where three guests paid 3 million euros ($4 million) to go on a trip into space with DiCaprio.

With stars out in force so was security, but they still failed to stop two jewellery thefts worthy of a Hollywood movie. A diamond necklace worth $2.6 million disappeared during a star-studded party held by Swiss jeweller De Grisogono while gems worth $1.4 million were stolen from Chopard jewellers when a safe was hacked out of the wall of a hotel room. —Reuters

A century on, Stravinsky’s ‘Rite’ still summons the caveman

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Bossini introduces Disney’s ‘Winnie the Pooh’ collection

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iscover the vibrant world of Disney as Bossini introduces ‘Winnie the Pooh’ children’s apparel across its stores. Bringing to life the various characters from the animated series, the collection offers children a range of fun, bright and cheerful clothing. Boys can select from a variety of t-shirts, shirts and jeans while girls can look forward to frocks, dresses and tees, making the collection suitable for

themed parties, picnics, family outings, etc!

The range aims to spread Winnie the Pooh’s timeless message of friendship, imagination and adventure to children everywhere. The collection is available at Bossini - Hawally (AlOthman Centre), Fahaheel (Ajial Mall), Farwaniya (Mugathir Complex), Qurtuba Co-op, Khaldiya Co-op and at all Centrepoint- Bossini stores.

hundred years ago this week, the premiere of Russian emigre composer Igor Stravinsky’s pounding, pagan, pulsating “The Rite of Spring” caused a near riot in Paris and changed the face of modern music. It still makes conductors’ hair stand on end. “I have to admit that when we come to the moment just before the last dance, and the bass clarinet goes down, my blood pressure is up, I have this sort of adrenaline surge,” Finnish conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen told Reuters recently in London.

“It’s an old caveman reaction - now you have to be prepared to leap even higher than ever before because the sabre-toothed tiger is just behind you and I love it,” he said of facing the piece’s finale, with its tricky, irregular and shifting rhythms. On Wednesday night a sold-out audience at the Theatre des Champs-Elysees, where on May 29, 1913, Marcel Proust, Pablo Picasso, Gertrude Stein, Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy attended perhaps the most notorious premiere in the history of music - Giacomo Puccini called it “sheer cacophony” - will get a chance to relive that thrilling night.

The 100th anniversary of the short work by the then little-known, bespectacled and clerkish composer, who somehow distilled man’s primitive nature in a raucous and earthy half hour of music that concludes with a virgin’s dance to the death, will get a double dose of the Rite. Valery Gergiev will lead the Mariinsky Ballet and Orchestra in a 1987 reconstruction of Russian dancer Vaslav Nijinsky’s 1913 original choreography by ballet historians Millicent Hodson and Kenneth Archer. That will be followed by a new version by Berlin-based choreographer Sasha Waltz.

Stravinsky’s music “conceals some ancient force, it’s as if it’s filled with the power of the Earth”, Waltz said in conjunction with the premiere of her ballet earlier this month by the Mariinsky in St. Petersburg, in comments on the website of the Russkiy Mir cultural and educational foundation. Stravinsky’s changing time signatures and use of dissonance in the Rite set the tone of music for the rest of the century.

Wednesday’s event will be a tout-Paris affair, with critics, luminaries of the cultural world and French officialdom in attendance, but the Rite is not a piece that needs dusting off or a stamp of approval. Its appeal is visceral and immediate. “The miracle of that piece is the eternal youth of it. It’s so fresh, it still kicks ass,” said Salonen, who has recorded the Rite at least three times and will play it at the Theatre des Champs-Elysees in early June. “How

many 100-year-old pieces do that?”

Or, as Alan Gilbert, the music director of the New York Philharmonic, told Reuters in an interview recently in Dresden, after getting rave reviews for his Rite earlier this year: “It’s a very dirty piece in every way and should be shocking.”

‘Succes De Scandale’ To this day, there is lively debate about what happened a century ago in the theatre, a short walk from the Eiffel Tower. Did a Parisian claque, incensed at the choreography of impresario Serge

Igor Stravinsky Diaghilev’s Russian lead dancer and lover Nijinsky, arrive bloody-minded and armed with vegetables?

Did Stravinsky’s pounding, pagan music inflame passions?

Stravinsky himself described Nijinsky’s fauxprimitive, peasant-garbed corps de ballet as looking like “a group of knock-kneed and long-braided Lolitas jumping up and down”, but he also said Nijinsky’s choreography was all the piece needed.

Following the uproar, the ballet was performed only half a dozen times, but the music was played to noisy audiences in Paris, more respectful ones in London and Russia, and by the 1920s was a hit in the United States and, later, the world.

“It was ‘horrible music’, terrifying; you might frighten your children with it, but very few people had heard it, so I think that helped its reputation to expand before the music arrived,” Stephen Walsh, author of a two-volume biography of Stravinsky, said in a telephone interview. —Reuters

MONDAY, MAY 27, 2013

lifestyle T r a v e l

The tavern at the Farnsworth House in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, has a case filled with memorabilia from the movie, Gettysburg. —MCT photos

Create a battle plan to visit Gettysburg

during 150th anniversary weeks

By Diane W Stoneback

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n July 1863, the 2,400 residents of Gettysburg had little time to prepare for 170,000 Confederate and Union soldiers who advanced on the town. The soldiers clashed in a three-day battle that would paint its streets and pastoral farmlands crimson in the bloodiest encounter of the Civil War. Today, the town of 8,000 braces for another invasion of as many as 70,000 Americans on July 1, 2 and 3 and a predicted 200,000 during the 150th observance of the Battle of Gettysburg June 28 to July 7. Officials and residents are working hard to be ready for the onslaught.

A sampling of the blow-your-hat-off experiences for Civil War fans brave enough to advance on Gettysburg during this special time: climbing the cupola where Gen. John Buford plotted his strategy while monitoring Confederates advancing on the town, seeing the official casting of President Abraham Lincoln’s face, viewing 3,550 luminaria on soldiers’ graves, joining thousands of visitors in a walkthe-battlefield special observance of Pickett’s Charge, and watching two major re-enactments involving 10,000 men.

Major events include: A commemorative ceremony on June 30 called “Gettysburg: New Birth of Freedom.” ● The openings of a “Treasures of the Civil War” exhibit, the Spangler Farm Civil War Field Hospital site and the new Seminary Ridge Museum. ● The Blue-Gray Alliance Re-enactment June 29 and 30 at the Bushey Farm, and the 150th Anniversary Gettysburg National Civil War Battle Re-enactment July 4-7 at the Redding Farm.

In addition, there are many smaller, more personal The Rupp House in downtown Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, was in the middle of the fight- events that will bring the battle and its aftermath into focus. These include the Songs and Stories of a Civil War ing when the battle spread into the town’s streets.

Hospital, in Gettysburg’s Christ Church June 29 and July 6, and Confederates Take the Shriver House, on July 6.

So anyone considering a visit needs an organized battle plan. Map out your plan of attack, using two handbooks.

Visitors to the Gettysburg National Military Park often pose The first, the 72-page Gettysburg 150th Anniversary with this statue of Abraham Lincoln that sits outside the Visitor Commemorative Events Guide, details programming by Center and Museum. the Gettysburg National Military Park and its partner organization, the Gettysburg Foundation. It will be available at the Visitor Center and other locations in the park.

The second, from the Gettysburg Convention & Visitors Bureau, will be allinclusive, covering town and county events including the two major re-enactments, a new downtown Gettysburg Independence Day parade and Cashtown’s three-day observance of Lee’s Approach to Gettysburg. It also will cover satellite parking, shuttle routes for the 10-day observance, restroom locations and places to eat.

The printed version will be available at the Convention & Visitors Bureau office and its tourist information tents in town and at satellite parking locations. Although printThe brick wall of the Farnsworth House Inn was hit by many Civil War bullets, like those used at Gettysburg, were large and made of soft lead, which did maximum daming isn’t scheduled until bullets during the Battle of Gettysburg. Today, it’s a restauage when they struck. mid-June, you can downrant and tavern. load a complete, calendar●

MONDAY, MAY 27, 2013

lifestyle T r a v e l style listing of all the 200-plus events for the 10-day observance at http://www.gettysburgcivilwar150.com. Click on “events.”

Reading the guides’ information will serve as a printed version of reveille. It’s your wakeup call to the challenges to be faced when deciding which events to attend. “Don’t arrive without a room, if you intend to stay overnight,” says Carl Whitehill, Gettysburg Convention & Visitors bureau spokesman.

Most hotels in Gettysburg already are booked. “The best way to connect with available hotels is to call us at 800-337-5015,” Whitehall says. “We’re keeping a list, so visitors won’t have to make so many calls.” He reported some vacancies in Adams County in early May, but many visitors will wind up in York, Dauphin and Cumberland counties, or even in nearby Maryland.

Day-trippers shouldn’t have any worries, Whitehill says. Approach Gettysburg via routes 15 or 30 and you’ll encounter electronic signs directing you to satellite parking lots. “Leave your car behind and take free transportation into Gettysburg,” Whitehill advises. “At the intown depot, you can board trolleys for most of the commemoration’s key observances.”

You will need your car, however, if you’re planning to attend one of the major re-enactments staged on the Bushey or Redding farms.

Ample parking will be available on designated farm fields. Could potential visitors become overwhelmed by so many things to do during the 150th commemoration? “I can’t say I’ve worried about that,” says Cindy Small, spokeswoman for the Gettysburg Foundation, which stages events in conjunction with the national military park.

“We have focused on providing all of the information we could about all of our events, so individuals and families can customize their experience, based on their interests,” Small says. “If they use our guide to do their homework, they’ll know what they want to do when they arrive.”

Besides daily park events for the 10-day observance, the guide also provides maps of park traffic patterns and shuttle routes that will change daily July 1-4, and information about the park’s Visitor Center and other special locations including The George Spangler House, Rupp House and David Wills House.

“We put pressure on ourselves to make this year very special,” says Katie Lawhon, spokeswoman for the national military park. “We’ve added many new ranger programs so there will be plenty for everyone to do.” The expanded programming means visitors will spread out to many sites on the 5,000-acre battlefield.

The huge re-enactments are expected to be the biggest draws, Whitehill says.

Here are more details on some of the other events: ● Ceremony: Make plans to attend the “Gettysburg: A New Birth of Freedom” ceremony, which starts 7:30 pm June 30.

Highlights: country music star Trace Adkins singing the national anthem, keynote speech by Civil War historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, and a Voices of History reading

of eyewitness accounts by soldiers and citizens swept into the battle.

Presented in a natural amphitheater on the battlefield, the dramatic setting includes views of Widow Leister’s Farmhouse and Barn, which served as Gen. George Meade’s headquarters, and Big and Little Roundtop. The evening’s finale invites visitors to join a procession from

and do amputations and walk the grounds where injured soldiers recuperated” (outdoors and with little shelter, after the barn was full), Small says. “Two hundred died and were buried on the farm.” ● New museum: The new Seminary Ridge Museum will stage preview events June 29 and 30, before its July 1 grand opening,

A monument to artillerymen provides quiet testimony to the soldiers who fought at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. the amphitheater to the Soldiers National Cemetery to see thousands of luminaries commemorating the Union soldiers who lost their lives in the battle. ● Exhibit: The new “Treasures of the Civil War” exhibit at the Visitor Center museum spotlights 13 leaders of the era, including Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses Grant, Meade, John Reynolds, George Pickett, Alexander Webb, William Tecumseh Sherman, George Custer, John Mosby, Frederick Douglas and Clara Barton.

It includes 94 personal artifacts.

Besides the casting of Lincoln’s face, a few of the other treasures include a lock of Lee’s hair and the mane of his favorite horse, Traveller; Grant’s sword celebrating his victory at Vicksburg; Pickett’s spur; Meade’s slouch hat and frock coat worn at Gettysburg, and Barton’s hair brush.

“These belongings help tell great stories about these people and help visitors make personal connections with them,” Small says. ● Field hospital site: Spangler Farm, used as a field hospital for 1,900 men during the battle. Although seeing it is free, all visitors must procure a ticket and ride a special park service shuttle to the house and barn.

Open 9 am to 6 pm July 4, and 11 am to 3 pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays on a few summer weekends, the farm is still undergoing restoration.

“You’ll see the barn where Army surgeons set up their operating tables to treat wounds

moral and spiritual debates of the era.

But these major events are only the beginning of the opportunity to explore the engagements and human side of this heartwrenching battle that led Lincoln to write his Gettysburg Address and marked a turning point in the war that continued for an additional two years.

bring to life the eyewitness accounts of the soldiers and civilians at 7:30 pm July 2-4.

The Gettysburg Foundation also has created a sunset bus tour of the battlefield and another that focuses on some of the 400 major works of sculpture placed in the military park to honor the men who fought and died at Gettysburg.

Re-enactors from the 9th Pennsylvania Reserves talk around the campfire during their recent encampment near the Pennsylvania Memorial.

But one of the most anticipated special events involving visitors will be the Pickett’s Charge Commemorative March.

At 3 pm July 3, the time and day of Pickett’s Charge 150 years earlier, visitors will be asked to join park rangers to walk the Confederate battle line or stay where the Union Army’s battle line awaited them. When the two groups meet at a stone wall, taps will echo over the battlefield.

Lawhon stresses, “This is not a re-creation.

We could never re-create the tragedy and horrors of Pickett’s Charge, which was the last encounter of the battle. Nor would we want to. But walking the ground, listening to taps and envisioning what happened here will be unforgettable.” —MCT

Members of the 9th Pennsylvania Reserves move away from observers to fire their guns on a Gettysburg battlefield. exactly 150 years after it was engulfed in the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg.

Located in the former Schmucker Hall at the Lutheran Theological Seminary on Seminary Ridge, it offers in-depth looks at the first day’s battle, Civil War medicine and

Among the many programs presented by park rangers, there are overview hikes, key moments covering events at a specific time and day of battle, living history camps and programs and special evening Voices of Battle programs presented by living historians who

Museum starts night tours of signs from T

A tourist takes a photo while visiting at the Neon Museum in Las Vegas on Friday. (above, below) —AP photos

Vegas past

he junked signs that attracted throngs to old Las Vegas have for years gathered dust in a neon boneyard just a few miles from the sleek megacasinos on the Strip. This Memorial Day holiday weekend, the hulking metal come-ons are once again glinting and shimmering at night.

The Neon Museum, where Sin City’s most iconic signs go to retire, has begun aiming more than 100 multicolored spotlights on its outdoor collection of 150 signs.

It’s also extending hours for nighttime tours, and a handful of signs have been fully restored with new bulbs.

Since October, visitors have been able to meander past the Silver Slipper, Aladdin’s lamp, the Stardust marquee and dozens of other signs saved from the wrecking ball.

But the museum closed at 5:30 p.m., meaning that tourists had to squint through the desert sun to glimpse the old guardians of this nighttime city.

For the first time Friday, visitors were able to behold the fully restored signs in all their luminescent glory. The dozens of other markers were bathed in customdesigned spotlights, like true Vegas showgirls. “The skyline of Las Vegas is a nighttime skyline,” said executive director Danielle Kelly, moments before the first afterhours tour came through.

“We stand among the architecture of this city. The notable architecture of this city is its signage. And their illumination is when they came alive,” Kelly said. In a town known for detonating buildings that are beyond their prime, Las Vegas’ Neon Museum stands apart in its zeal for salvaging the blinking, glowing memories of the past.

Kelly says time has transformed the signs from commercial emissaries into objects of art. The hour-long guided tours bend through the artfully cluttered 1.5-acre (0.6-hectare) lot. The excursion offers an alternative to the mega-mall homogeny along the desert metropolis’ revamped main drag.

Worn by the beating sun and twisted by desert winds, most of the marquees have lost their flash, some of their bulbs and much of their paint. They tilt toward each

other like tombstones in an ancient cemetery. But taken together, they tell a story about the town’s glitziest days.

There’s the nouveau graveyard’s oldest sign: a green and white 1930s relic that marked a restaurant where Hoover Dam construction workers bought fried chicken and bootleg whiskey. One of the signs with working bulbs - a vintage arrow pointing lovebirds to “Marriage Information” alludes to the town’s role as the nation’s elopement, and divorce, capital.

And the giant marquee that once sat astride the Stardust casino - featuring a space-age, deep-red font and cascade of stylized diamonds- recalls Nevada’s embrace of its role as a test site for nuclear weapons. While only four of the kitschy relics are illuminated, the spotlights play up each sign’s attributes and create a feel of pulsating energy.

On Friday, the flashing red lights and blue and purple shadows - along with the errant stray cat - gave the attraction the surreal, slightly creepy feel of a shuttered theme park.

The museum plans to turn on a few more signs, but facilities director Sam Reza said full wattage would be too dazzling.

“The purpose of the museum is never to have all of the signs fully illumined. We wanted to keep them in the state that they were taken down. To have all of these signs fully lighted up would be overwhelming,” she said.

Funding is also a factor; it can cost $100,000 to bring back a single sign. Art lovers founded the museum in 1996 in a sandy lot outside downtown Las Vegas a few miles north of the Strip as a way to rescue old signs when buildings were demolished or remodeled. In 2012, curators had the bright idea to open it to the public and began working on a plan to light up the night once again.

Casino bosses began abandoning curlicues of neon in the desert several decades ago, beginning with Steve Wynn’s remodel of the Golden Nugget. Today, major hotel-casinos are built to advertise themselves. The facades and exterior entertainment do the heavy lifting, from the glossy, brown obelisk that is the Wynn Las

Vegas, to the fountains that dance outside the Bellagio, to the condensed New York City skyline that frames New York New York.

When signs do crop up, neon has all but surrendered to computerized LED signs.

But most visitors still feel a connection to the town’s glittery glory. Most anyone can visualize Vegas Vic, with his checked shirt, perpetually lit cigarette and extended thumb, in their mind’s eye.

Sandra Chervinsky, who snapped dozens of pictures during the Neon Museum’s inaugural twilight tour, demonstrated her love of vintage Vegas signage by getting full-color tattoo of the iconic “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign on her calf. “When I saw the night tours, I was like, ‘I got to do it,’” said Chervinsky, of Montreal. “The light is so perfect, and you’re surrounded by all these different eras.”

The new tours will run every half hour through 10 p.m., leaving visitors enough time to catch a late show or hit up one of the town’s 24-hour bars before heading hotelward. With the changes and expanded tour capacity, the museum hopes to welcome more than 50,000 visitors this year. The lot can feel a bit macabre in this youth and novelty-obsessed town, but Kelly said the museum’s latest iteration shows that the signs have become key players in a new kind of escapist vision.

“It’s not a graveyard,” Kelly said. “The signs haven’t died. They’re just in a new space.

And they perform a new function. It’s still a fantasy they’re selling: the idea of a place.” —AP

Cannes film festival draws to a close with cliffhanger ending

MONDAY, MAY 27, 2013

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In this picture, made available yesterday, fireworks illuminate the sky above Frankfurt, Germany Saturday to mark the end of skyscraper festival there. At left the Maintower, in center the Commerzbank building. —AP

Top 10 best spots to get an

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t’s always great to experience a new location in a unique way. For those bold travelers who enjoy testing exhilarating stunts, rides, and thrills, the members and editors of VirtualTourist.com (www.virtualtourist.com) compiled a list of the “Top 10 Best Spots to Get an Adrenaline Rush.”

1. Paraglide above the Lauterbrunnen Valley, Switzerland Multiple VirtualTourist members suggested getting a thrill while on the road by seeing your location from up above-way up above! In Switzerland, one VT member departed Interlaken, which is already quite high at 1,870 feet (570 meters), by van and drove up to the

adrenaline rush

village of Beatenburg at 4,400 ft. (1,320 m).

Taking off from a meadow high above Interlaken, paragliding provides thrills and unparalleled views of Lake Brienz, Lake Thun, and the town below. For those who are even more adventurous, you can paraglide from the top of Schilthorn, which is 9744 ft. (2,970 m) high and was featured in a James Bond film.

2. White water rafting in Africa Multiple VirtualTourist members suggested whitewater rafting in different areas of Africa for an extreme thrill. One popular spot is on the Zambezi, just downriver from Victoria Falls along the border of Zimbabwe. This area has Grade 5/V white-rapids and the best time to

being a spectator to this event is an adrenaline rush!

4. Zip lining in Costa Rica The jungles and animals of Costa Rica are a thrill in themselves, but the vantage point and excitement of a zip line takes the entire experience to another level. A zip line, becoming more and more popular in tropical resorts, combines a series of cables and platforms at different heights that allow visitors to travel through the rainforest canopy and over rivers and water features safely. While they are a total adrenalin rush, they also serve as a unique way to see ecology, botany, and animals up close in the wild. Zip lines are increasingly popular and can be found throughout Costa Rica; some of the best areas to find them are Monteverde, Arenal, and Manuel Antonio.

5. Surfing Tavarua Island, Fiji For those who want their adrenaline on the water, few spots in the world are as remote and filled with guaranteed great waves like Fiji. Tavarua Island, a heart-shaped spot located off the Western coast of Fiji near Momi, is an island resort encircled by coral reefs and the unique wave breaks that accompany them. You’ll need to take a boat out to some of them, but then you’re set for the ride of your life. The fantastic surf spots near Tavarua include the notorious Cloudbreak and Restaurants, a 200-300 yard ride right off the island.

A photo shows Ledge Urban Bungy jumping. —MCT photos attempt them is from July to January. Another member suggested the rapids along the Nile River near Jinja, Uganda-also Grade 5 whitewater rapids-and although she said she will probably never do them again, it was an experience of a lifetime!

A photo shows bungee jumping at the Macau Tower, China.

3. Running with the bulls-Pamplona, Spain A national tradition that became an international sensation, the Running with the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain, is an once-in-a-lifetime thrill that many adrenaline junkies include on their bucket lists. Popularized by Ernest Hemingway’s novel “The Sun Also Rises,” the Running of the Bulls occurs during the San Fermin Festival, which runs each year from July 6-14, celebrating San Fermin, the patron saint of Navarra. The actual “Running of the Bulls” occurs every morning of the week and serves a distinct purpose-the bulls must get from outside the city to the bullring. Just

8. Trekking to Mount Everest Base Camp near Kathmandu, Nepal One of the most popular adrenaline treks among VirtualTourist members is the trip to Mount Everest Base Camp. While making it to Everest Base Camp definitely requires some training and planning beforehand, few experiences can top the view from the Nepalese side, which is at an altitude of 17,598 ft. (5,364 m).

Some travelers also consider trekking the Annapurna Circuit, and members of VirtualTourist can advise you about whether or not you should trek on your own, with a guide or porter, or with an organized group. Each of these means a different experience and pace.

9. Ledge jumping in Queenstown, New Zealand New Zealand has long been a hot spot for adrenaline junkies and extreme sports enthusiasts. A great spot for both is Queenstown, New Zealand, where visitors can experience the Ledge Urban Bungy.

After taking the Skyline Gondola to the top of Bob’s Peak, you can luge down concrete tracks, hike the mountain-top trails, or jump from the Ledge Urban Bungy. Be warned, it has a “runway,” so you gain a bit of speed, and the unique harness allows jumpers to do

flips, twists and other such stunts. At 1,312 ft (400m) above Queenstown, this activity is not for the faint at heart!

10. Rappelling in St George, Utah A few of our previous suggestions will have you attached to a rope, but none probably as risky as rappelling and canyoneering in St George, Utah. Rappelling is best described as controlled descent down a rock face using a rope, commonly seen on the cover of Patagonia catalogs, and a favorite of daredevils all over Utah. St George is conveniently located in the middle of many amazing rock formations areas including Zion National Park, Snow Canyon State Park, and slot canyons, making this the area where “canyoneering,” or hiking, climbing and rappelling in narrow slot canyons, was born. St George is a playground for adrenaline junkies with outstanding mountain biking, ATV trails and an abundance of rock climbing. —MCT

6. Bungee jumping at the Macau Tower, China Most bungees are built into gorges or natural settings, so how about jumping off a manmade structure into a booming metropolis harbor beneath you? This is just the case at the Macau Tower, the world’s second highest bungee jump, dropping 765 feet (233 meters) from a platform around the tower. The views are incredible, but also terrifying. You’re dropping a few feet from a steel tower with cars driving beneath you and it’s enough to terrify even the most confident daredevil. If you get up there and aren’t ready to jump, the tower has other offerings. They provide skywalks so you can walk the perimeter of the tower on the rim, but with a harness and without needing a leap of faith. They also offer a Tower Climb. Although it doesn’t involve jumping, it’s even higher than the bungee. Climbers do a 328 ft. (100 m) ascent to the tower’s summit at 1,108 ft. (338 m).

7. Heli-skiing in Valdez, Alaska Many of us think skiing is risky enough as is, but if you’d like to turn up the volume heli-skiing is becoming more popular than ever. One spot growing in popularity is Valdez, Alaska, which is incredibly vertical. Local organizers promise six runs a day and rollover runs (if you only get to five runs one day, you can ski seven runs the next day).

A photo shows travel editor high above the Lauterbrunnen Valley in Switzerland.