4th Jun 2013

CR IP TI ON BS SU

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2013

Erdogan defiant as protestors retake streets

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RAJAB 25, 1434 AH

Suspect in British soldier murder blows kisses in dock

Newspapers mulling paywalls for survival

Mourinho brings special magic back to Chelsea

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ex-students, working wives

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7MoI may 10revoke12licenses20of No vehicle impoundments or license revocations in June

Max 43º Min 29º High Tide 08:31 & 21:46 Low Tide 02:10 & 15:25

By Hanan Al-Saadoun conspiracy theories

Give us an alternative

By Badrya Darwish

badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

I

n the past couple of years, we used to talk about enhancing public transportation lightly. The necessity was there but not as much as it is now.

The population in Kuwait was less and we did not have the handicaps of the complexes of expats driving and all the new rules that are pouring now. For the last two months we have been faced with a war against expats from all sides - be it from the Social Affairs and Labour Ministry and the Traffic Department. They met and it is not a coincidence and they came to the conclusion to slowly start decreasing the number of the workforce in Kuwait.

Be it right or wrong, they are going ahead with it.

If you are cracking down on expats and using all kinds of tricks to even strip expats of their driving licences thinking that this is the way to improve traffic on the streets of Kuwait - which in my opinion will not help ease traffic at all - at the end of the day it is your decision not mine. At least what we can demand seriously is to enhance public transportation and to do something about it. Even we Kuwaitis might use it if it is reliable and well-organized.

As you are spending so much efforts planning how to strip expats of their licences, you might as well meet with the right departments and decide how to have efficient and organized public transportation like in any advanced country. Let’s not fly far to the United Kingdom or France for examples.

Just fly to Dubai - a Gulf country with a similar culture and demography. If Dubai can build metros and put efficient buses with air-conditioned bus stops, I think Kuwait can do the same. Organize taxis with professional taxi drivers, secure and safe for women to use on their own because I hear a lot of scary stories from women who take taxis.

People in Kuwait deserve an alternative. After you have exhausted all means of building and making a professional, efficient public transportation network, then go ahead with your schemes to decrease the drivers on the streets.

Have a good day!

HEBRON: Three-day-old Iman and Amani, Palestinian Siamese twin girls from the Breiwesh family, lie on a bed in the newborns unit at the Alia Hospital in this West Bank city yesterday. Their mother received permission from the Israeli government to deliver at Jerusalem’s Hadassah Hospital, but the girls were born with one stomach and two hearts connected in one organ, according to Israeli doctors. The woman was warned

by Palestinian doctors during prenatal checkups that she had Siamese twins but she refused to terminate her pregnancy because of her religious beliefs. The Hebron-based family now hopes Saudi Arabia will take the girls in charge and determine whether an operation would be an option. — AFP

Indian Embassy seeks 6-month grace Expats fear ‘Indians targeted in raids’

By Sajeev K Peter KUWAIT: The Indian Embassy in Kuwait yesterday sought a six-month grace period for residency violators and urged authorities to stop harassment and arrest of people with valid documents. The Indian embassy officials yesterday held talks with officials at the Foreign Ministry and conveyed the embassy’s deepest concern over the continuous harassment and arrests of Indians during the ongoing crackdown against illegal residents in the country.

In his talks with Talal Al-Falah, director of the consular department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Acting Ambassador Vidhu P Nair stated that there was a growing fear among the people that “Indians are specifically targeted” in the campaign. The acting ambassador called on the ministry official to suspend the ongoing raids and grant a grace period of at least six months to residency violators so that they can

either regularize their status or leave the country gracefully.

Nair brought to Falah’s notice that most of the people arrested have become residency violators because they entered the country on visas under Article 20 and moved later to work under Article 18. Secondly, the embassy sought access to information regarding the arrested and deported Indians.

Currently, many arrested Indians remain unaccounted for, igniting anxiety and fear among the residents.

The embassy is kept in the dark regarding the number of Indians being arrested and deported, and on Sunday, hundreds of Indian workers stormed the embassy seeking its help in securing either the release or information of people who were arrested during a recent raid in Bneid Al-Gar. According to reports, more than 500 people were rounded up in these raids.

The Indian Embassy also requested access to meet Indians held in detention and deportation centers so that they can be

floods sweep central Europe Thousands evacuated • Czech capital on alert

119 killed in China poultry plant fire BEIJING: At least 119 people were killed in a fire which swept through a poultry processing plant in northeast China yesterday, local officials said, in what appeared to be the country’s deadliest blaze for 12 years. The fire engulfed the Baoyuan poultry plant in minutes following a blast triggered by a suspected chemical leak, according to workers quoted by various state media outlets. More than 300 employees were in the plant at Dehui in Jilin province at the time and emergency workers were uncertain how many remained trapped inside, Xinhua news agency said.

“As of 4:25 pm, altogether 119 people died,” the Jilin provincial government information office said on Sina Weibo, a service akin to Twitter. The latest post did not say how many were injured, but the local government earlier put the number at at least 54. It is the

KUWAIT: The Interior Ministry ’s Assistant Undersecretary for Traffic Affairs Maj Gen Abdelfattah Al-Ali said the Traffic Department is preparing to revoke driving licenses of expat students who were issued these licenses based on their university studies. This action comes after it was proven that they have completed their studies and are working now. He said licenses of working women who received them based on family visas will also be revoked, adding that this action is legal because driving licenses are contracts issued according to certain conditions, and if these conditions are changed, the ministry will have the right to revoke the licenses.

Ali assured all expats who are afraid to pay their traffic fines to avoid impoundment of their vehicles or revocation of their driving licenses to go ahead and pay up as he has given instructions to allow expats to pay fines without their cars being impounded during the month of June.

Ali said students who have finished their studies and housewives whose family iqamas are changed to work permits must hand over the driving licenses they received earlier. He said they have the right to apply for new driving licenses or exchange the ones they have when they submit proper documents, especially a university degree and a KD 400 minimum salary certificate.

Ali, who was yesterday leading a traffic campaign in Khaitan during which he issued 500 citations and impounded tens of violating cars, said he is about to submit a proposal to Interior Minister Sheikh Ahmad AlHumoud Al-Sabah to amend a ministerial decision to link expat students’ licenses with their study period along with other organizational steps. He said among the proposals is to ban the issue of drivers licenses to certain professions that were previously allowed, such as imams and undertakers.

country’s worst fire for more than a decade, according to listings on internet portal Baidu. On December 25, 2000, a blaze at a shopping centre in Luoyang, in the central province of Henan, killed 309 people.

The Southern Metropolis Daily newspaper said on its Weibo page the fire started in a workshop which had only one open door. Fewer than 30 of up to 300 people working inside escaped the inferno, a worker told the newspaper. “It took less than three minutes for the whole of the workshop to go up in flames,” the worker said. The slaughterhouse gate was locked when the fire broke out but about 100 workers escaped, Xinhua said. The facility had a “complicated interior structure” and narrow exits which were slowing the rescue work, it said.

Continued on Page 15

PRAGUE: Thousands were forced from their homes and at least nine people were killed as floodwaters deluged swathes of Europe yesterday, including the historic centre of the Czech capital Prague. Shops and schools were shut and road and rail transport were disrupted across the Czech Republic, Austria and Germany following torrential rains. The flooding caused chaos at Prague Zoo

where around 1,000 animals were moved to higher ground after the Vltava river burst its banks late Sunday. Zookeepers had to tranquilise tigers and other large animals in a dramatic overnight operation. “It’s a terrifying feeling to experience this all over again,” Petr Velensky, the zoo’s reptile specialist, told AFP, recalling how many animals drowned in a 2002 flood.

Continued on Page 15

GERA, Germany: Residents of flooded areas are evacuated yesterday. — AFP

provided any humanitarian assistance if required. There were media reports that cells in deportation centers are overflowing with people who live in deplorable conditions. The Indian officials also brought to the notice of the ministry officials about the continuous harassment of people traveling in their cars and moving in public places. There have been several instances of people getting their licenses cancelled despite having valid documents just because they travelled with their friends or colleagues, he pointed out.

Nair told Kuwait Times yesterday that the official agreed to look into his requests. “The talks have been quite positive and we hope that a solution can be found soon,” he said. He also informed that the embassy has sought a meeting with the undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior in order to brief him about the growing uneasiness and panic among the Indian community in Kuwait as a result of the continuous raids and arrests.

MP demands details on $4bn loan to Russia

By B Izzak KUWAIT: Islamist MP Ali Al-Omair yesterday asked Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah if Kuwait granted the Russian Federation a $4 billion loan about 10 days ago. Omair asked in his question if the reported loan is true and demanded details on the nature of the loan, its duration and the purpose of granting the loan. He also demanded copies of the reported loan contract and terms and conditions. The lawmaker also inquired if Kuwait’s economic conditions allow it to offer the loan and if Moscow had requested the loan and if it was officially made public.

A similar loan worth $1.5 billion granted by Kuwait to the former Soviet Union during the 199091 Iraqi invasion caused an uproar in Kuwait with former opposition MPs demanding an investigation into how the loan was repaid. Previous assemblies held a number of special debates on that loan and a special parliamentary panel was formed to probe the issue.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly’s financial and economic affairs committee yesterday approved a proposal to raise the children’s allowance for Kuwaitis from KD 50 to KD 75 per month for a maximum of seven children. A number of MPs had proposed that the allowance should be doubled to KD 100 in a bid to help Kuwaiti families Continued on Page 15

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2013

LOCAL

Excelled students receive Amir’s Creativity, Achievement Award

KUWAIT: Under the sponsorship and attendance of HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah a ceremony was held at the Bayan Palace theater to confer creative and high achieving Kuwaiti students of different educational stages with “the Amir’s Creativity and Achievement Award”.

KUWAIT: Under the sponsorship and attendance of HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah a ceremony was held at the Bayan Palace theater to confer creative and high achieving Kuwaiti students of different educational stages with “the Amir’s Creativity and Achievement Award”.

The ceremony was also attended

by His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-

Sabah, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak AlHamad Al-Sabah, Deputy Amir Diwan Minister Sheikh Ali Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah and top state officials. The ceremony commenced with the playing of the national anthem and recitation of the Holy Quran verses.

After that, HH the Amir delivered a speech to congratulate the students on their achievements.

“I am glad to meet my sons and

daughters from different educational stages at their honoring ceremony. I want to congratulate you on your high achievements which were the result of relentless efforts and eagerness to excel in your academic life,” HH the Amir said. HH the Amir urged the students to forge ahead with their outstanding performance to better serve their dear homeland.

“I urge you to focus on the noble goal of acquiring knowledge and

high levels of education to serve your nation.” HH the Amir told the students that Kuwaiti people is pining high hopes on their excellence for the future progress and advancement of their country. HH the Amir expressed appreciation to the important role and great contributions of the teachers and schools administrations in the high achievements of the students.

For his part, Minister of Education

and Minister of Higher Education Dr Nayef Falah Al-Hajraf expressed gratitude for HH the Amir’s sponsorship and attendance of the students honoring ceremony.

“This ceremony shows the high priority given by Your Highness to education and the great support to students,” Minister Al-Hajraf said.

Then, a number of the award-wining students delivered speeches on the occasion. The students cheered HH

Azerbaijan celebrates 95th anniversary of independence

O

n May 28, Azerbaijan celebrated 95th anniversary of its independence. On May 28, 1918 Azerbaijan declared independence and became the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR). The ADR was the first modern parliamentary republic in the Muslim world and Eastern Europe. Among the important accomplishments of the Parliament was extending the right of suffrage to women, making Azerbaijan the first Muslim nation to grant women equal political rights along with men.

Independent Azerbaijan lasted only 23 months until the Bolshevik 11th Soviet Red Army invaded it on April 28, 1920. On October 18, 1991, the Supreme Council of Azerbaijan adopted a Declaration of Independence. But unfortunately it again faced many pressures from the foreign powers. The statehood of the independent Azerbaijan was again faced with danger.

Heydar Aliyev, who returned to power in

such a situation after incessant demand of the people, began the hard work to extricate Azerbaijan from this dangerous situation with his immense political experience and wisdom. Only after the return of Heydar Aliyev to power did Azerbaijan start to recover its economy, agriculture and strengthening the social welfare of the people. Heydar Aliyev will remain in the memory of the Azeri nation as a national hero, a national leader.

In 2003, after the death of this national leader, people only wanted that his policies are continued. That is why the people of Azerbaijan voted for Ilham Aliyev who declared that he will stay true to the policy of Heydar Aliev.

During the last ten years, Azerbaijan has achieved a lot in the economic sphere not only among the regional countries but among all the former Soviet republics. These achievements and reforms in democracy were accepted by the all the world’s states.

In 2011, Azerbaijan was selected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for two years.

Several times, Azerbaijan’s reputation was enhanced when influential financial organizations commented positively about it. According to economic indicators of Azerbaijan, leading international financial institutions have repeatedly raised the ratings of our country.

Currently, Azerbaijan has its own independent policy, a strong economy and army. There are more than 50 political parties, 500 newspapers, and 400 online newspapers in Azerbaijan. Majority of the opposition parties have their own newspapers.

Presidential elections will be held in the autumn of 2013 in Azerbaijan and many of issues will be highlighted during the election campaign. All these issues will find place in different newspapers and news agencies. But we invite all respected journalists to act and write responsibly and not

to publish any material without confirmation from the source and not as was done by the news agency AFP recently. For Azerbaijan, the main problem is occupation of its territories by Armenia for the last 20 years. As a result of this occupation, more than one million citizens left their homelands and became refugees.

The UN Security Council has adopted four resolutions on Armenia’s withdrawal from the Azerbaijani territory, but they have not been enforced till date. But why did AFP publish unconfirmed allegations while remaining silent about the resolutions adopted by UN Security Council, the European Union and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation?

We consider that it is due to their double standards and a preconceived position against Azerbaijan. We hope that in the future, the newspapers in our brotherly and friendly country of Kuwait will not publish such preconceived articles any more.

the Amir attendance of their honoring ceremony and thanked him for his unlimited support for Kuwaiti students at different stages.

The students also vowed to continue their outstanding performance in their academic life and to pay back the state’s great support to them.

Following the speeches, Deputy Amir Diwan Minister Sheikh Ali Al-Jarrah handed the awards to the excelled students. —KUNA

Murdered dentist’s family relieved by court verdict KUWAIT: Family members of the Lebanese dentist who was murdered inside a mall earlier this year expressed relief after the court sentenced the four accused in the case to death, and hoped that the ruling serves as a deterrent for violent behavior in Kuwait. The Criminal Court on Sunday sentenced the man who stabbed the victim inside the Avenues Mall and three other accomplices to death after they were found guilty of premeditated murder. The incident happened following an altercation that began in the parking lot after which the killer followed the victim with a knife in hand. He admitted during investigations that he had purchased the knife from a shop in the same mall. The attacker pleaded guilty to stabbing charges but denied the intent to murder. “The sentence would help extinguish the fire that has been burning in our hearts ever since the crime was committed,” said Sameer Yousuf, father of victim Dr. Jaber Yousuf. He was making the statement to Al-Qabas hours after the ruling was announced. Declaring that “justice has been served,” Yousuf said that he felt relieved that all the suspects were handed the death sentence “because all of them were involved in the crime.” AlQabas also spoke to the victim’s Kuwaiti mother who said that she received the news about the death sentence of her son’s murderers “with tears of joy for successfully avenging the death of my son through legal means.” —Al-Qabas

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2013

LOCAL

KUWAIT: Dr. Mohammed Al-Haifi, Kuwait Minister of Health at the event Sunday evening.—Photos by Joseph Shagra

Dar Al-Shifa, an icon of medical services: Al-Haifi

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: Dar Al-Shifa Hospital is one of the shining beacons and icons of the Kuwaiti medical services system, said Minister of Health Mohammed Al-Haifi, while attending the 50th anniversary celebrations of Dar AlShifa Hospital, held at Marina Hotel’s Sheik ha Salwa Al-Sabah Hall on Sunday evening.

Speaking at the event, Dr. Al-Haifi said Dar Al-Shifa has been a key healthcare partner and provider in Kuwait and in the region for many years. He lauded Dar Al-Shifa for providing five decades of uninterrupted services, adding that such an achievement placed the hospital at the forefront of private hospitals in Kuwait.

“Celebrating the Golden Jubilee Anniversary of Dar Al-Shifa Hospital is a significant milestone and a cherished occasion in which both appreciation and accomplishment embrace each other. There is appreciation and gratitude for the dedicated and visionar y founders who established the mission, values and traditions of a lasting legacy despite the enormous difficulties and challenges they encountered throughout the past five decades,” Al-Haifi noted. Dar Al-Shifa was established in 1963, as a maternity care hospital

in Kuwait City. Then, it grew from strength to strength, adding a wide spectrum of healthcare ser vices, including paediatrics, ENT, internal medicine, orthopaedics, cardiology, surgery, plastic surgery, dermatology, ophthalmology, urology and many more. It was the first privately owned hospital in the country at that time. The hospital moved to a new location — over a much bigger and spacious area in Hawalli - in 2003. Today, the hospital is proud of its expertise, offering high-quality, personalized and specialized medical services to the residents of both Kuwait and neighbouring countries.

“As for the accomplishments that we note with great pride on the 50th anniversary of Dar Al-Shifa Hospital, this private medical facility enjoys a prominent position today as one of the key healthcare par tners and providers in Kuwait and surrounding communities. That is because of the world-class and affordable medical care Dar Al-Shifa offers to patients across the region, as well as the fruitful partnerships it has forged with most medical and scientific institutions headed by the M inistr y of Health in Kuwait,” he added.

Taleb Jeraq, Managing Director of Dar Al-Shifa Hospital, stated that the founding of Dar Al-Shifa Hospital marked the creation of a modern

healthcare system in Kuwait. “Ever since that time, Dar Al-Shifa Hospital has played a significant role in setting the standards for quality healthcare across the entire state of Kuwait. The endeavour has culminated in Dar Al-Shifa being the first hospital to have earned an international accreditation via CCHSA, through which our services were certified to be comparable with the Canadian standards of healthcare in terms of quality and safety. For its sustainable practices, the hospital was also the

Four wanted Egyptians held on murder charges

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

before the exercise.

KUWAIT: Interpol police, a subdivision for criminal investigation, arrested four Egyptian expats wanted in their country on murder charges. A notice by Egyptian Interpol and its missives to the concerned parties in Kuwait resulted in their arrest in a record time. The four were being handed over to their country to face trial there.

Also, Interpol arrested an American woman wanted in several cases in the USA. Necessary action is being taken to send her there to face a trial.

Woman raped A woman from the Philippines reported to the police complaining against a Kuwaiti man who, she claimed, took her to an apartment on the pretext of getting her a job but then raped her. She supplied the police with details about the man’s identity. A case of rape was filed.

80 held Criminal investigation authorities arrested 80 persons for being in violation of the residency law, in addition to 30 persons accused of involvement in prostitution. Criminal investigation personnel participated in several campaigns in all the governorates conducted at different times after full coordination with the detectives’ office. Legal permission was obtained

Woman duped A Kuwaiti woman in her 30s complained to the Maidan Hawally police about two young men who, she said, approached her while she was standing near a restaurant and robbed her of a flash memory device which contained nude pictures of her. They asked her to accompany them to a private apartment if she wanted to get these pictures back. She further claimed that they stole from her KD 700.

Jahra thieves Jahra security men arrested a gang

that specialized in stealing mobiles and other valuable materials from those visiting Aqua Park.

Teen held Security sources revealed that the Director of Jahra security, Lt. General Ibrahim Al-Jarrah, was informed about a teenager from Jahra being involved, and also that he intended to sell off the stolen booty to a mobile selling shop in Jahra. Security men laid a trap for the suspect and arrested him before he could sell four mart phones. He confessed to stealing mobiles and other things by striking exactly when people would take off their clothes and go for a swim, leaving their belongings near the pool. He further confessed to stealing money from the luggage of the swimmers. He was taken to the detectives for further interrogation along with another teenager who, he claimed, was his par tner. They derived benefit from the fact that there were no surveillance cameras at the compound.

Driving dangerously with baby in the lap Traffic issues stern warning

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: It is not rare in Kuwait to see a father driving a vehicle and holding his small child in front of him at the same time, and sometimes letting the child to even hold the steering. Such behavior is completely unacceptable in the West and punishable by traffic laws.

Not only is such a behavior dangerous but is also a violation of the traffic law. “It is not allowed to let an infant less than 13 years of age to sit in the front seat. He should be sitting in the back and have the seatbelt tightened. Of course, it is not allowed to have a child in the driver’s lap while driving as it can be extremely dangerous. This behavior can spell doom for the child’s safety and is punishable with a fine of KD5,” Major Naser Buslaib, head of the Media Department at the Ministry of Interior told the Kuwait Times.

According to him, using baby seats in vehicles is not obligatory. “The traffic law does not force the drivers to place their young children in baby seats while

driving, but doing so is safer for the kids.

The drivers would not be ticketed for this behavior,” added Buslaib.

Pamela, a 39-year-old expat from a western country and a mother of two children born in Kuwait, strongly criticized this behavior. “Small children should always be sitting in the baby seat affixed to the back seat of the vehicle. Many studies showed that this seat saved the life of many children in case of an accident. The child in this seat cannot be jolted out if an accident were to happen. It takes very little effort to have the child in the seat. It hardly takes five minutes to place him in it. Also, the seat is not expensive and you can buy one for about KD 20, so why not have the child safe,” she said.

Pamela never drove with her children unless the children were well secured in their baby seats. “It is true that I never used the baby seats back home in the United States as I didn’t have children at that time. But ever since my children were born, I always placed them in the baby seat. I spent

nine months to bring them into this world and would not endanger their lives as my duty is to protect them. It is extremely important to have a baby seat in the car. Not doing so was akin to let them go swimming unsupervised or walk alone in the street,” she further said.

Not all mothers or parents are that careful and some of them would not mind risking a little. Fatma is a 29-yearold mother who drove with her baby in the car even when he was just two months old. She used to put him in a pocket in front of her as she took the wheel.

“I realize that such behavior was very dangerous for my baby. I also know that it seems crazy, but I did that only twice.

Once when I had to go out and I did not have anybody at home to take us and had to drive. I had not bought the baby seat yet as I had been staying at home only after the delivery for a long time.

Now I have a baby seat now and always place my son in it while driving,” she pointed out.

first to earn the Platinum Qmentum accreditation in the Middle East . In addition to the significant awareness-raising role Dar Al Shifa Hospital has played over the past five decades, as part of its corporate social responsibility towards the community of Kuwait,” Jeraq mentioned.

On the occasion, he promised to relentlessly endeavour to continue the legacy of Dar Al-Shifa Hospital and transform it into the best medication resort and “medical tourism”

destination throughout the region.

The event was attended by various high-ranking government officials, including doctors from the Ministry of Health and private hospitals, along with prominent businessmen, ambassadors and media representatives. A sand artist and oriental music performances entertained the attendees. A documentary about the hospital was also shown, with all people behind the success of the hospital receiving honour and recognition.

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2013

LOCAL In my view

Letters to Badrya

Illegal residents

Labor unions in GCC

badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

By Labeed Abdal

labeed@kuwaittimes.net

T

he UAE’s decision to issue orders for deportation of around 50 migrants for joining a workers’ strike at the Giant Construction Company, even though thousands of other Asian workers had started it and it ended last week, is yet another sign that the work environment in GCC countries needs major reforms.

Undoubtedly, contractors want to meet deadlines to build big projects as per their contractual terms and conditions signed with the government or main contractors from whom they subcontract projects.

If strikes are banned across GCC nations, as is the common practice, and there is no minimum wage standardization and no labor organization,

kuwait digest

When are we going to learn?

Dear Badrya, Thank you for looking through another perspective regarding illegal residents. I have personally known many individuals who had come to Kuwait, only to realize that there was no company or sponsor to back them up. They were just cheated by agencies in their home countries, which have links with the iqama traders.

The aftermath of the current pursuit of illegal residents is having its effect on the legally residing expatriates too.

Many of the skilled workers think that Kuwait is an unfriendly place to work.

Probably the effect of such perception among the skilled workforce might not be big in the immediate future, but it will surely affect the future of this country in a big way. “For every symptom, there is a root cause. Find and address the root cause rather than trying to fix the symptom, as there is no end to the latter.”

The law-makers need to understand that if they need a permanent solution to illegal immigrants, then they should focus their energies to address the root cause causing such symptoms. Probably they should look at visa regulation, cracking down on visa traders, implementing more stringent measures to create job opportunities and reduce unskilled labor and making the country more attractive for skilled workforce.

The UAE is doing that. Why as a great nation Kuwait can’t do the same? We all know that the cost of freedom is responsibility.

Thank you, Best Regards, Noor Mohammad

Further, labor unions must represent the thousands of Asians and other laborers and act to articulate their concerns. They must become their collective voice. No one should be left alone at a time when everyone is working to build financial centers and tax free zones. then it does beg a rather pertinent question: What will those workers do if they are forced to sleep and work on hungry stomachs without pay and no one they can tell their tale of woes to?

If these are low paid workers, then there should be certain automatic minimum benefits for them, like daily meals and accommodation; no one is asking for a first class ticket.

Just as what we have in Kuwait, the UAE authorities must initiate penal procedures against those companies who have experience in the business of construction and are well aware of the nitty-gritty of work. Across all GCC countries, we must move towards reforming the sponsorship system and make the state responsible for the fate of workers.

Moreover, when the state will be a sponsor, it will be more caring and responsible, and it would become possible to work collectively towards other tangible improvements. Further, labor unions must represent the thousands of Asians and other laborers and act to articulate their concerns. They must become their collective voice.

No one should be left alone at a time when everyone is working to build financial centers and tax free zones.

Eventually, these workers must be guaranteed a decent source of living under the umbrella of basic international human rights. It should be possible for everyone to live in a country where every individual can enjoy justice, respect and dignity.

By Abdullatif Al-Duaij

D

espite so many proverbs that focus on the imporShifting the focus from canceling a development projtance of learning from our mistakes, it appears that ect that could have brought social and economic gains, to we have not learnt anything from the one incident the fine that became due as a result of cancelling the deal that cost us more than two billion US dollars. It is sad to is one way of avoiding confronting those responsible for witness what all is happening on the political scene these this great loss. days, especially when it comes to the Dow Chemical deal It also signals a continuation of the same politically case. In all the cases in which we lost something and demagogic approach in which crimes are committed and which attracted attention at the crises are fabricated. We paid national level, these were often the fine because someone had It also signals a continuation of canceled the deal or forced the forgotten with time. But this time, the ‘K-Dow’ case was left the same politically demagogic government to do so, not open, though its course stands because technical experts shifted. Instead of holding approach in which crimes are com- found it necessary to include a accountable those responsible mitted and crises are fabricated. We heavy penalty clause in the for canceling the developmental paid the fine because someone had contract as a ‘guarantee’ that it project, efforts are now on to be executed. target senior officials in the oil canceled the deal or forced the govThis simply is what hapsector who approved the penal- ernment to do so, not because tech- pened, but those who have ty clause in the contract signed nical experts found it necessary to been successful over the past with the US-based company. two decades in fabricating I do believe that many peo- include a heavy penalty clause in crises are trying to convince ple who were involved with the the contract as a ‘guarantee’ that it the public that the main issue K-Dow case were motivated by be executed. pertained to those who incornationalist causes. They were porated the penalty clause in obsessed with protecting public the contract. funds and tackling alleged corruption. While it is clear that We have to learn our lessons. The government should some people were motivated by political or economic start having faith in its employees and technicians trained interests, at the end of the day, it is hard to judge people’s to handle their duties. In the future, the government has intentions or indict those outside the jurisdiction of the to listen to these qualified staff members instead of payPenal Code. Yet, I believe the issue should not take the ing heed to the nonsense spewed by those who claim to route it is currently taking. It is not wise to simply ignore reservoirs of all knowledge and are behind this rather the results, the lessons and the experience we gained in unusual commitment to protect public funds. Most the field, particularly after the fact that it has cost us a lot importantly, the nation building process must go forward. of money and effort. The K-Dow deal could not have And anyone who claims or has proof of theft or any become a major issue were it not for the heightened unlawful profiteering, must wait till the crime actually attention paid to cases related to public funds. In my opin- takes place before they come up with evidence and presion, all claims about protecting public funds and fighting ent it to the proper authorities. This is what must ideally corruption are a result of frustration among the political happen instead of the fanning paranoia about stopping groups following the ‘truce’ they struck with the govern- alleged thefts, as this approach has only resulted in bringment instead of actually defending national causes. ing perfectly good projects to a grinding halt. —Al-Qabas

kuwait digest

Risks of security agreement

By Mustafa Al-Sarraf

A

fter the mankind emerged from the darkness of the ancient times, there come upon us certain articles in the Gulf Cooperation Council security agreement that can well destroy all that we gained as citizens in our quest to attain the best in humane societies, something that we and our forefathers fought to achieve.

Once upon a time, human beings were sold and bought like commodities, and were subjected to maltreatment just like animals. The state dealt with them in brutal ways before public movements led to certain foundational principles of humanity.

Eventually, these principles came to be known as the Universal Bill of Human Rights.

Modern states incorporated these principles into their respective constitutions.

Kuwait, too, did the same by forging a sort of social contract between its people and the rulers. These principles are featured under the second part the Constitution, called the ‘Fundamental Constituents of Kuwaiti Society’.

I urge you to read the articles of the constitution thoroughly, before juxtaposing these with the provisions of the GCC security agreement so that you can realize how the two documents are in conflict.

Once you have read the Kuwaiti constitution, please pay attention to Article 7 which states that “Justice, Liberty, and Equality are the pillars of society; co-operation and mutual help are the firmest bonds between citizens.” Also, Article 8 states that, “The State safeguards the pillars of Society and ensures security, tranquility, and equal opportunities for citizens.”

Further, I also urge you to read Article 31 listed under ‘Part III Public Rights and Duties’, that reads: “No person shall be arrested, detained, searched, or compelled to reside in a specified place, nor shall the residence of any person or his liberty to

choose his place of residence or his liberty of movement be restricted, except in accordance with the provisions of the law.

No person shall be subjected to torture or to degrading treatment.”

If the constitution prohibits the Kuwaiti government from infringing anyone’s freedom without legal justification provided under the constitution, and when the constitution does not allow passing any law that could contradict its goals, then how can we accept regulations formulated outside Kuwaiti borders? How can we accept provisions in GCC security agreement that did not take into consideration the constitutional rights that Kuwaitis are used to?

If some GCC states did accept these regulations, I do not think their people would back such an acceptance if they were to be given a chance to express their opinion in their respective National Assemblies. I cannot imagine that the Kuwaiti people would give anyone any authority to violate their rights, especially when they never gave a similar authority to their own government.

Kuwaitis and their rulers built the modern state run by law and as per a constitution through a long struggle, something that no other sister Gulf state has achieved.

I hope that these states also advance to a level that we have achieved, and once they do, this will bring us closer towards thinking about unity. But allowing a non-Kuwaiti government to force their laws upon us would be considered a coup against our constitutional gains. It will be akin to destroying our social life, marginalize Kuwait’s authority and violation of its sovereignty. The GCC security agreement is being promoted as a call to maintain security, but contains ambiguous articles which hint towards attempts aimed at pushing Kuwait several steps back in its march towards constitutional system of running a government. —Al-Qabas

Dear Ms Badrya, I read your articles regularly and you doing a very good job. Recently I read your article “Not worth the drama scene” and watched the video. I really don’t understand that why Kuwaiti officers treat the residents like this.

Are these illegal residents some kind of terrorists? Have they done something really wrong to Kuwait? I myself was born and brought up in Kuwait. My parents are living in Kuwait for the last 45 years, and we still do not enjoy any rights. Why? Expatriates are not even allowed to study in government schools/colleges. Why? Is this a Muslim country? Even the United States, Canada or any other European countries do not treat their illegal residents like this. It is really a matter of shame for Kuwait. Kuwaiti officials are not even giving a chance to them to prove their innocence and are deporting them without any trail in a court.

I really want to write a lot and also tell my personal stories, but after reading the news in the last few months, watching the videos, and hearing a lot of stories about this, my heart is aching. Why does not the Kuwait government understand that expatriates also love Kuwait and want to live here peacefully?

I hope the government makes a logical decision about every aspect of life related to the expatriates.

God bless Kuwait.

Thank you.

Amir

kuwait digest

America’s oil self-sufficiency

By Dr Shamlan Y Al-Essa

T

he New York Times published on Thursday, May 23, a lengthy article written by specialists and energy companies’ directors Ian Bremmer and Kenneth A Hersh. What interests us in the Arab world in general and the Gulf in particular is the fact that discoveries and modern technologies now allow American companies to produce oil and gas from sand rocks in amounts so huge that these will make the United States the largest oil exporter in 2020 and self-sufficient in energy by 2035.

What do such scientific discoveries mean to the United States, its future and role in the international politics? The availability of oil energy will make the US an exporter of oil instead of importing it, and that means that the demand for oil, with its fluctuating prices, will stabilize.

What does this fact mean to the major oil countries such as Russia, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela? The writers expected these countries to face problems because the rise in oil prices in the past allowed them to increase their leaders’ popularity as the surplus allowed them to support social spending on various projects. But when their customers start coming up with alternative energy sources and discovered new sources, these countries must adapt with the new reality or bear with the consequential results.

The two writers wrote about how the US was the main supplier of the oil energy extracted from Texas after WWII with 63 percent share while other suppliers were the Arab gulf countries and Iran. What interests us in the gulf in what the New York Times wrote is its confirmation that the American policy in the Arab region (Middle East) will change because the US was not ready to sacrifice its men and spend billions of dollars on peace in the Middle East.

Surely, the US will not leave the area completely because it knows that this region is vital for the world economy. Keeping Hormuz Strait open and protecting Israel’s security is very important but a new factor is that the US will not take risks to defend energy sources and consequently its role will shrink gradually while the Chinese influence will increase. China will have an effective and direct role to play in the gulf and North African region, because it will become the largest importer of the gulf oil until 2030 to serve nearly 80 percent of its needs.

Preliminary estimates indicate that China has large amounts of rock oil and gas that could be even more than the US energy sources but Beijing lacks the knowledge and modern technology available to Washington to use this oil now. These facts raise questions about the emerging role of China in the hot and unstable Arab region.

How will the new leaders in Saudi Arabia deal with the regressing role for OPEC because it lost its strong markets?

Will Qatar continue financing the Muslim Brotherhood and the Arab Spring countries? What about the increasing Chinese role in its relations with the UAE, as the UAE will become a center for re-exporting Chinese goods to the rest of the world? Will Iran’s revolution be able to build a new economy? We hope that gulf countries realize what the new changes mentioned in New York Times article mean. Are the Gulf countries ready to reconsider the policy of financial squandering to buy the loyalty of their people by following costly subsidy policies and tell their people about the impending threats on the political, economic and security fronts?

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2013

LOCAL

Man held for kidnapping teenager from Salmiya Six held for alcohol trading

98 bottles of locally brewed liquor seized

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: Security men confiscated 98 bottles of locally brewed liquor at Mahboula, even as the price of locally made bottle reached KD 10 as a result of the security campaigns and amidst fears that promoters could be caught.

A 35-year-old Kuwaiti citizen was found asleep next to a school wall at Sabahiya. After Lt. Talal Rashed Al-Mutairi checked him out, he discovered that the man was under the influence of drugs. A total of 40 drug pills and 3 envelopes containing Heroin were found on

his person.

Ahmadi patrol personnel arrested nine persons wanted in several cases, eight persons wanted for involvement in civil cases and 75 persons found without identification documents or with expired residency permits.

Twenty traffic related citations were handed out while a lone free labourer was arrested.

One stolen vehicle was also recovered.

Meanwhile, Mina Abdullah police arrested 13 persons found as free laborers, 15 persons without identification, five for violating labor law and handed out 14 traffic citations.

KUWAIT: Salmiya police arrested a man accused of kidnapping a teenager with whom he claimed having a previous relationship. A British national accompanied by his daughter approached officers at the Salmiya police station to file a case. The 15-yearold explained that a sports car driver kidnapped her from outside her home, abused her verbally and physically and then dropped her off at a spot in Blajat.

The man was arrested following a car chase that started in Al-Ahmadi and ended in Hawally. Police found drugs from the suspect’s possession following his arrest. The man was taken for investigations during which he claimed he was romantically involved with the girl

at one point and that her family had rejected his marriage proposal once.

The man was being held pending investigations.

able to make after she was kidnapped.

Police are trying to mount a rescue bid based on the signal from the woman’s phone.

Search for maid kidnappers Investigations are on in search for suspects who kidnapped a domestic worker in Al-Riqqa on Sunday. A Kuwaiti man approached the local police to report that his housemaid has been kidnapped. He explained that the Indonesian woman was standing outside his house when a group of men forced her into a car and drove to an unknown place. He became aware of the kidnapping from a brief phone call that the maid was

Bootlegger held Six people were arrested in Jahra for trading in alcohol. The arrests came during a security campaign that was based on information regarding their illegal activity. The first man, an Indian national, was arrested after police found 41 bottles of homebrewed liquor from his car.

The man also carried KD782 as proceeds from sale of alcohol. His compatriots were arrested shortly afterwards including four who were net-

KUWAIT: Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) said fire broke out in one of its electricity stations, causing minor burns to some laborers from subsidiary maintenance companies.

KOC stated in a press release that the fire broke out at around 10:30 am yesterday at an

electricity station in western Kuwait. It pointed out that the fire started from an electrical mesh during a periodic maintenance operation at the station. KOC said the company’s fire center officials rushed immediately to the fire location and the injured were taken to Ahmadi Hospital for

the fire that erupted at the new Kuwait University campus in Shadadiya. Faris added that no injuries were reported in the incident, and the losses were only material.

MP fined KD 3,000

By Hanan Al-Sadoun KUWAIT: A court yesterday passed a decision to fine an incumbent MP KD 3,000 for describing the ongoing demonstrations with a bad name. At the same time, the court also decided to fine the editor-in-chief of a daily newspaper for allowing that particular word to be published.

The Criminal Court yesterday passed a decision terming as innocent a man accused of trying to kill personnel from the Special

Forces by running them over in his car at Sabah Al-Nassar area. The Court also postponed the case about “participation in crowding” in which 11 persons, all bedoons, are accused, until October 27 next.

The Criminal Court sentenced four people to death by hanging in a murder case in which a young doctor was killed in the Avenues mall. Refusing to go easy on any of them, the court ordered that all the four accused deserved the death penalty in the ghastly murder case.

Deportee’s failed escape A man who was being deported managed to escape right on the tarmac while he was being taken in a bus along with other passengers to board the plane. Airport police overpowered the man who put up resistance and arrested him. The man was being deported as his employer had canceled his visa. He jumped out of the bus and tried to run away to escape boarding the plane heading to Dhaka. He was held at the airport and later put on a second plane headed for the Bangladeshi capital.

Fire breaks out in KOC station

Correction Rana Al-Faris, Kuwait University Construction Program Director and Sabah Al-Salem Campus Engineer, said in a statement to Kuwait Times yesterday that investigations are underway to find the reason behind

ted in the Waha district. The detainees were referred to the proper authorities to face charges.

KUWAIT: Fire department officials inspect the construction site of the new Kuwait University campus in “Shdadeyah” yesterday.

treatment. The company said the repairing of the damages caused by the fire is under way, and production will soon resume as before.

The company is opening an investigation to identify the cause of the fire and ensure that such incidents are not repeated. —KUNA

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2013

LOCAL

Ministry looks to collect KD250 million traffic fines Travel ban discussed for unpaid KD80 tickets

KUWAIT: Traffic police check motorists for documents in Khaitan yesterday. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Kuwait Dive Team members removed fishing nets stuck at coral reefs during a recent operation in territorial waters south of the country. The divers used airbags to lift the 150 kilograms nets which had solid objects stuck in them. Operation supervisor Faisal Al-Harban said that the divers freed many marine species that were trapped in the nets.

KUWAIT: The Interior Ministry plans to undertake efforts to collect millions of dinars owed to it as fines for traffic violations committed using rented vehicles and cars owned by companies rather than individuals, a local newspaper reported yesterday quoting a senior ministry official.

“While checking the records pertaining to traffic violations, we have discovered a crime committed against the public funds in the form of KD250 million that companies have failed to pay for years,” Undersecretary Assistant for Traffic Affairs, Major General Abdulfattah Al-Ali, told Al-Rai. He added that one company owed the state KD300,000 in total while another failed to pay a few hundred dinars “despite earning millions annually.”

Insisting that “the state’s right must be honored,” Major General Al-Ali urged the companies who owe the fines to come forward to pay up as the violations were committed using vehicles registered under their names, if they wanted to avoid penalties that include a ban on travel and suspension of commercial transactions at all Interior Ministry departments starting next month. “Under the instructions of the Interior Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Hmoud Al-Sabah, coordination was on with officials at the migration, borders and information technology departments in order to install a software in which the name of a company owner will be blacklisted till all dues are paid,” he explained.

Major General Al-Ali announced a second plan to bring into force an automatic travel ban for civilians, whether citizens or expatriates, if they owed traffic tickets exceeding KD80 in value. He did not provide a specific date as to when the plan may be activated, but indicated that it will be enforceVd when an office is opened at the Kuwait International Airport where passengers can pay their fines and avoid missing flights. — Al-Rai

Group picture of last year’s students

Registration for NBK’s summer internship program continues KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) announced that the registration for the 2013 Summer Internship Program is open till Thursday, 6 June, 2013. The program, specially designed for high school and college students between 15 and 20 years old, will start its first session on 16th of June, 2013.

Online registration is open through nbk.com and through NBK official page on Facebook, on Twitter and Instagram @NBKPage.

The two-week courses of the

Summer Internship Program consist of 5-hour daily sessions and feature a mixture of theoretical and practical training. They provide interns with invaluable knowledge on a variety of subjects such as; teamwork, creative thinking, means of self-expression and modern banking, in addition to helping them to have greater exposure to daily banking work procedures.

NBK’s training programs also include NBK Academy which aims to train and develop the professional

skills of fresh graduates, the Intern training Program for university students and the new training Al Shabab program, that is specially designed to develop the skills of newly recruited diploma holders.

NBK’s training programs come as part of the bank’s commitment to provide training and career opportunities to ambitious young Kuwaitis and support the country’s aim to encourage young Kuwaitis to assume roles in the private sector.

Ambassador pledges Kuwait support to disaster-hit Japan SENDAI: Kuwaiti Ambassador to Japan Abdulrahman AlOtaibi yesterday pledged his country’s continued and much-appreciated support to Japan’s disaster-ravaged northern region.

“The government and people of Kuwait will continue standing by the Japanese people at their time of need as you strive to recover from this disaster,” he assured Governor of Miyagi Prefecture Yoshihiro Murai in Sendai City. “Their meeting was held on the sidelines of a donation ceremony of 16 electronic whiteboards for schools in the largely destroyed coastal cities in Miyagi. The electronic whiteboards were purchased with a relief fund derived from Kuwait’s massive crude oil donation in the wake of the 2011 March quake-tsunami disaster.

“The donations offered by Kuwait in the aftermath of the disaster were just a small token of appreciation to the people of Japan for their historic stances in supporting Kuwait for more than 50 years since its independence,” AlOtaibi told Murai, adding that they will further deepen the long friendship between the two countries.

About 19,000 people are listed as dead or missing in the twin disasters that struck the country’s northern regions along the coastline. Among them, Miyagi Prefecture was hit the hardest with some 11,000 victims and 500,000 damaged or destroyed buildings. The reconstruction work is progressing, but nearly 100,000 survivors are still living in temporary housing.

Miyagi was the first devastated region where the ambassador visited soon after the 2011 catastrophe to show Kuwait’s support and solidarity, and provided soccer balls, school supplies, food and living necessities on behalf of the government and the people of Kuwait.

“The people of Kuwait and the world were amazed with solidarity, determination and discipline of the Japanese people in the face of 2011 crisis. Now, the number of foreign tourists to Japan is increasing, and I think they visit here to see the Japanese people, not only for sightseeing,” the ambassador said. In reply, Murai voiced hope that the Kuwaiti people will visit Miyagi. — KUNA

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2013

Activist given 6 months jail for insulting Morsi

Sentence upped for Swiss tycoon in asbestos trial Page 10

Page 8

ISTANBUL: Protestors set upturned cars on fire in Taksim Square yesterday after days of protests against the Islamic-rooted government. — AFP

Erdogan denies ‘Turkish Spring’ One dead as protests show no sign of abating ISTANBUL: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday rejected talk of a “Turkish Spring”, shrugging off mass protests against his Islamic-rooted government as medics reported the first death in four days of violence. The clashes claimed their first victim on Sunday when a car ploughed into demonstrators occupying a highway in Istanbul, killing leftwing activist Mehmet Ayvalitas, the Union of Turkish Doctors said in a statement. In the capital Ankara, police fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse hundreds of stonethrowing demonstrators, after a string of similar clashes in scores of cities across Turkey since Friday.

The premier, who went ahead with an official visit to Morocco despite facing the biggest challenge against his decade-long rule, has vowed to “stand firm” against the protests. He dismissed the protesters as “vandals”, rejecting talk of a “Turkish Spring” uprising and stressing that he was democratically elected. “Was there a multi-party system in the Arab Spring countries?” Erdogan said in televised comments yesterday.

The unrest began as a local outcry against plans to redevelop Istanbul’s Gezi Park but after a tough police response grew into wider anti-government protests, with demonstrators accusing Erdogan of seeking to impose conservative Islamic reforms on secular Turkey. “ We have had enough of the way Erdogan understands democracy and the way he wants to dictate his rules,” said Ozgur Aksoy, a young engineer demonstrating in Gezi Park near Taksim Square, the epicentre of the protests. “It’s not only about the park here, it is about everything else in the last 10 years.

People are angry, very angry.”

Rights groups and doctors say more than a thousand people have been injured in clashes in Istanbul and 700 in Ankara. The government’s last estimate on Sunday put the figure at 58 civilians and 115 security forces, with clashes in 67 cities. It also said over 1,700 had been arrested across the country, though many have since been released. US Secretary of State John Kerry yesterday voiced concern over “reports of excessive use of force”

by Turkish police and urged all sides to “avoid any provocations or violence”.

Erdogan’s ally President Abdullah Gul meanwhile called for calm and promised protesters their voice had been heard, urging an end to the disturbances. “I am calling on all my citizens to abide by the rules and state their objections and views in a peaceful way, as they have already done,” he said. As demonstrators carrying flags and banners continued to occupy Istanbul’s iconic Taksim Square, where the protest first erupted last week, some 3,000 demonstrators rallied outside the Istanbul offices of Dogus Holding, a leading media group, to criticise the Turkish media coverage of the protests.

They accused mainstream media outlets of failing to properly cover the unrest, saying they were being cowed by the government. As clashes flared at the weekend, some prime-time TV stations aired penguin documentaries and cooking shows instead of reporting on the nationwide protests.

Erdogan himself has lashed out at Twitter, used by many of the protesters, accusing the online messaging service of spreading “lies”. “Society gets terrorised this way,” he told the

Haberturk television channel on Sunday, citing false tweets about attacks against protesters and fatalities.

Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) is traditionally backed by conservative Islamic politicians and voters in Turkey, a secular state peopled mostly by Muslims.

It has won three successive parliamentary elections, but opponents have expressed mounting concern that Turkey is moving toward conservative Islam. Many of the protesters in recent days have called for Erdogan to step down, with some chanting: “”Dictator, resign!... We will resist until we win.” “ This is a movement which is a result of growing frustration and disappointment among secular segments of society who could not influence politics over the last decade,” said Sinan Ulgen, a scholar at the think tank Carnegie Europe. “This is an unprecedented, abrupt and unplanned public movement that has not been manipulated by any political party. It is a big surprise.” Since coming to power in 2002, Erdogan has passed contested reforms on religious education and a recent law curbing the sale of alcohol. In 2004 he backed down on a proposed adultery law.

Shrugging off the rising protests, he pushed ahead yesterday with what he said was a pre-planned four-day official trip to Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. Speaking before his departure, he pointed to elections set for 2014, when observers expect Erdogan to run for president. “My nation will give the necessary response in this election,” he said. “If we are really resorting to anti-democratic practices, our nation will overthrow us.” —AFP

GI on trial in WikiLeaks case FORT MEADE, Maryland: The longawaited trial stemming from the biggest leak of classified information in US history began yesterday, with Bradley Manning accused of feeding troves of secret files to WikiLeaks. In his first statements at the court martial, Manning confirmed he pleads guilty to 10 charges but not the most serious one against him - aiding the enemy which could see him spend the rest of his life in jail. More than three years after he was arrested in Iraq, the babyfaced 25-year-old US army private went before a court martial presided over by Judge Denise Lind at a military base outside Washington, DC. Security was ultra-tight, with a gaggle of US and foreign reporters waiting in line for two hours to get through security checks and into the courtroom, where cell phones and other electronic devices were banned. From Nov 2009 until his arrest in May 2010, Manning allegedly gave WikiLeaks some 700,000 classified military logs from Iraq and Afghanistan and diplomatic cables from across the world. He faces a possible 154-year jail sentence. Manning has offered to plead guilty to several offenses but denies prosecutors’ most serious charge - that he knowingly aided the enemy, chiefly Al-Qaeda.

Manning’s supporters view him as a whistle-blower, and as a steady rain fell outside the base Monday morning around 30 demonstrators waved banners that read “Bradley Manning, hero” and shouted “Free Bradley”. The trial went into recess after Manning confirmed his guilty plea to the 10 charges, said he wanted to be tried by Lind and

FORT MEADE, Maryland: Army Military Police officers guard a door to the courthouse during the first day of the United States vs. Pfc Bradley E Manning trial yesterday. — AFP a not a jury, and signed requests for the darkest corners of the US-led wars witnesses to testify. The government in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as and the defense were to make prelimi- exposing the reasoning behind nary statements, and testimony from American foreign policy decisions. investigators and Manning’s roommate Judge Lind has warned she will not in Iraq were scheduled for later in the allow Manning’s trial to turn into a day. forum on US foreign policy.

The proceedings follow an exhausAmong other leaks, Manning admittive series of preliminary hearings that ted to the “willful transmission” of a outlined the government’s case against video that showed a US combat helicopManning. The government accuses ter shooting at Iraqi civilians in July 2007.

Manning of having endangered nation- Dubbed “collateral murder” by al security by releasing the war logs, WikiLeaks, the video was made public by which included reports of torture and Julian Assange’s organization in April civilian casualties, and the embassy 2010. The soldier also acknowledged cables, which detailed candid and often transmitting a confidential video of a US embarrassing remarks by world leaders air strike on the Afghan village of Granai, and US officials. The soldier’s support- where more than a hundred civilians lost ers argue his actions shone a light in their lives in May 2009.—AFP

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2013

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

Jazeera vies to keep audience despite competition DUBAI: After its coverage of Arab Spring uprisings sent its popularity rocketing, Qatar’s Al-Jazeera is vying to keep its audience despite competition from mushrooming local channels and accusations it supports new Islamist governments. The Doha-based network claims that it remains at the top among Arab news channels, citing compiled results from two surveys done by two polling agencies - Ipsos in 11 Arab countries, and Sigma in 10 others.

“We have decided to publish those results in response to a campaign facing us after the Arab revolutions,” Al-Jazeera directorgeneral, Ahmed bin Jassim Al-Thani, told AFP. “Many sides have attempted to... spread rumours claiming that our level of audience has dropped,” he said.

Critics of the first-ever pan-Arab news channel claim that it has certainly lost

audience in Arab states where Islamists have climbed to power, like Egypt and Tunisia. “Although it remains at the top among Arab channels, the way Al-Jazeera covered developments in the Arab world during the past two years has greatly affected its credibility,” said Egyptian media expert, Yasser Abdel Aziz. In Egypt, AlJazeera “has become involved in the political conflict” because it is “the media instrument of Qatar,” which is backing the Muslim Brotherhood, he said. Al-Jazeera’s chief dismisses accusations of supporting Islamists as “unfounded accusations”, insisting that his channel vies to uphold objectivity at any price.

Founded in 1996 by oil-rich Qatar, AlJazeera became a tribune for opponents of entrenched authoritarian Arab regimes, and boasts of inspiring protests by raising

rights awareness. “The coming to power of democratically-elected governments in Tunisia and Egypt diminishes its role as a channel of the opposition, a matter that built its popularity,” said Arab media specialist at Paris’ Sorbonne university, Mohammed El Oifi. He said Al-Jazeera is now accused by the opposition of supporting new governments formed by Islamists. “This is a real dilemma for the channel whose audience grew (due to it) challenging the (authorities),” he added.

After round-the-clock coverage of protests in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, and the rebellion in Libya, Al-Jazeera is now focused on covering the armed revolt against the Syrian regime. And after Damascus banned foreign media from operating freely in Syria, the channel trained local citizen journalists and sent

teams to rebel-held territories. But it is not alone in the field, and faces stiff competition from Saudi-owned pan-Arab channel Al-Arabiya, which also openly supports the Syrian rebellion, after having been more reserved in covering the uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia.

The two channels have reached a “point of convergence” in their coverage of Syria, said Oifi, thanks to Doha and Riyadh both backing the opponents of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad. Both networks, meanwhile, face competition from local television channels that have emerged in countries that saw regime change. In Tunisia, since the fall of former president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, “local channels have been the ones that have most of the audience,” said Tunisian university lecturer Mohammed Larbi Chouikha. “They have

dethroned the Arab networks... because they provide wider coverage of (local) news and, most importantly, enjoy a freedom of expression,” he said.

But that does not mean that Al-Jazeera is losing ground. “It is true that Al-Jazeera is facing stronger competition nowadays in Arab Spring countries, but it remains the reference, mainly when it comes to breaking news,” said Hassen Zargouni, the director of Sigma. Al-Jazeera’s chief is also confident that local competition will not jeopardise the network’s popularity. The emergence of local networks “does not affect the audience of Al-Jazeera, because demand for news has become higher,” said Thani. Al-Jazeera “on the contrary, encourages those new channels and has provided support and training for new channels in Libya, Tunisia and Yemen,” he said. —AFP

New PM says to strive for Palestinian reconciliation Hamdallah to follow in Fayyad’s footsteps RAMALLAH: The newly appointed Palestinian prime minister, respected academic Rami Hamdallah, said yesterday he will strive to continue the work of his predecessor and that he is ready to stand aside for a FatahHamas unity government. A day after being hand-picked by Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, Hamdallah’s appointment was hailed by the United States welcomed by Israelis who described him

agreement between Hamas and Fatah.” News of the nomination was made public late on Sunday on the last day of a deadline to find a successor to Salam Fayyad, who resigned in mid-April following months of tension with Abbas.

“President Abbas has asked me to form a new government, and I have accepted,” Hamdallah told AFP. Under Palestinian law, he now has an initial three weeks to form a

ty government as laid out in a 2011 agreement between Fatah and its political rival, the Islamist Hamas movement.

At a meeting in Cairo on May 14, Fatah, which dominates the Ramallah-based government, and Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, agreed on a three-month deadline for establishing a national unity government and setting a date for elections. Under terms of the as-yet

BURIN: A Palestinian man walks with a shovel through an olive grove set on fire near this West Bank village near Nablus yesterday. Palestinian witnesses said Jewish settlers from Yitzhar settlement set fire to the olive grove, and the blaze ripped through their lands in the northern West Bank, scorching several acres of olive and almonds groves. —AP as a moderate pragmatist. Speaking to the official Voice of Palestine radio, the British-educated independent said he expected to be in office until mid-August, when a unity government is due to be created.

“The new government will be a continuation of the last government, most of the ministers will continue to serve in their positions,” he said, adding his cabinet was “part of the reconciliation efforts”. “I hope that by August 14, president Abbas will form a new government according to the

government, which can then be extended for another two if necessary. Hamdallah, considered close to Abbas’ ruling Fatah faction, is the head of Al-Najah University and secretary general of the Central Elections Commission. The 54-yearold was born in Anabta village near the northern town of Tulkarem and has a doctorate in applied linguistics from Lancaster University in England. His appointment is seen as an interim measure until Abbas can piece together a long-promised uni-

unfulfilled reconciliation agreement, the two sides were to have set up an interim cabinet of technocrats to prepare for elections, after which they would establish a unity government.

But the deal stalled over persistent in-fighting over the make-up of the caretaker cabinet. “Rami Hamdallah is a national patriot and an independent and we hope that he can lead the (new) government for three months to give us an opportunity to form a united gov-

ernment with Hamas,” said Amin Maqbul, head of the Fatah Revolutionary Council. “ The appointment of Hamdallah was necessary before (Fayyad’s term in office) expired on June 2 after we were not able to reach an agreement with Hamas,” he told AFP. “We hope we can reach an agreement with Hamas soon about a unity government.”

US Secretary of State John Kerry, deeply involved in efforts to revive the long-dormant peace process, said it came “at a moment of challenge, which is also an important moment of opportunity”. Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon told a parliamentary committee Hamdallah was an unknown quantity in political terms. “We do not know the new prime minister as a statesman but as a professor and we shall see how things develop,” he said. “It is to be hoped that we shall find ourselves faced with pragmatic people.”

Israeli pundits hailed the choice of Hamdallah. “Israeli officials see Rami Hamdallah as a moderate and a pragmatist who will follow the same political line as his predecessor,” army radio said, calling him someone who “knows how to speak to the West”. “Rami Hamdallah is close to Mahmud Abbas, he won’t overshadow him. He is more of a manager and not really a political leader, whereas Salam Fayyad appeared more and more like a rival to Abbas,” it said.

Unnamed Israeli sources quoted

by Haaretz newspaper said it was unlikely he would be able to shape the political map. “Hamdallah is considered moderate and pragmatic as far as Israel and the peace process goes but it is doubtful that he will have any influence in the foreseeable future,” it said, noting also that he had “developed professional contacts with many Israelis” over the years. But Barak Ravid, the paper’s diplomatic correspondent, said he had taken on a Sisyphean task, assuming overnight “the most ungrateful job in the West Bank”. “His chances of success are so low that some would say agreeing to take the post is akin to taking a suicide mission.” —AFP

Activist given 6 months jail for insulting Morsi CAIRO: An Egyptian opposition youth activist was yesterday sentenced by a Cairo court to six months in prison for insulting President Mohamed Morsi. Ahmed Duma, who was tried for calling Morsi “a criminal and murderer” during a television broadcast, was also ordered to pay a fine of 200 Egyptian pounds. The activist blogger can be released on bail of 5,000 pounds pending a decision by an appeals court. Duma is the first anti-Morsi activist to be sentenced to a jail term, according to human rights groups.

Dozens of Duma supporters gathered outside the courthouse during the hearing, chanting slogans against the president and the powerful Muslim Brotherhood from which he came, an AFP journalist said. His trial took place after a complaint by a member of the president’s Freedom and Justice Party, who said that he felt personally insulted by what Duma had said about Morsi. The official MENA news agency said Duma was accused of spreading “false information and rumours in a television program” and for describing Morsi as a “criminal and murderer who escaped justice”. Duma said his remarks were “political criticism” and were not intended to insult the president, MENA reported.

Morsi, elected in June last year, has been accused of suppressing or seeking to suppress opponents and journalists who criticise him by accusing them of defamation. In April, Morsi ordered the withdrawal of the complaints filed in court by his office against journalists accused of publishing “rumours” about him.

Human rights lawyer Gamal Eid says there were four times more complaints about insults to the president” during the first 200 days of Morsi’s presidency than under the Hosni Mubarak’s entire 30-year rule.

Most such complaints do not come directly from the parties involved but from “citizens”, and the presidency denies being behind any of them, citing the independence of the judiciary. In September a Christian teacher was sentenced to six years in jail for insulting Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and Morsi on Facebook.

Famous television satirist Bassem Youssef has also been targeted for allegedly insulting Islam and the head of state, and was questioned for several hours in March before being released. Youssef’s CAIRO: Egyptian political activist Ahmed Duma reacts as he stands weekly satire program Al-Bernameg (The Show) has spared few behind dock bars during his trial on charges of insulting President public figures of merciless critique. —AFP Mohamed Morsi. —AFP

VIENNA: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General-Director Yukiya Amano attends a press conference as part of the Board of Governors meeting at the UN atomic agency headquarters yesterday. —AFP

IAEA head slams Iran over nuclear probe VIENNA: The head of the UN atomic agency upped the ante with Iran yesterday, saying Tehran may have literally bulldozed a key part of its probe into alleged efforts to develop a nuclear bomb.

Yukiya Amano of the International Atomic Energy Agency said that because of “very extensive” engineering work at the Parchin military base, visiting could now be pointless. “It may no longer be possible to detect anything,” Amano told a news conference at IAEA headquarters in Vienna after previously having said that Iran’s activities would “seriously undermine” its probe. “I wish we had had the opportunity to have access to Parchin much earlier.”

But Amano added: “I still believe it is necessary for us to have access to the site because by visiting the site we can learn a lot of things. Also we should not forget it is not only the site that we have questions (about).” Iranian diggers and dumper trucks moved in after Jan 2012 when the IAEA requested access to Parchin, the watchdog says, following seven years of “virtually no activity”. The work spotted by satellite included the “massive removal of soil, asphalting and possible dismantling of infrastructure,” Amano said.

The IAEA believes Iran constructed a large explosives containment vessel at Parchin in 2000 to conduct experiments that it says would be “strong indicators of possible nuclear weapon development”. Iran has rejected IAEA requests to visit the site and denies ever having worked on developing a nuclear weapon. It says that the IAEA’s allegations are based on faulty intelligence provided by Tehran’s enemies. Iran says the IAEA has no right to demand inspections at Parchin because, it insists, it is a non-nuclear site, and that the agency already visited it twice in 2005.

The allegations on Parchin form part of a major report issued by the IAEA in Nov 2011 summarising information on suspected nuclear weapons research that it had been given, mostly but not only by foreign intelligence agencies. In 10 fruitless meetings since then the IAEA has pressed Iran for access to documents, sites and scientists involved in these alleged activities, which the agency

believes were carried out mostly before 2003 and possibly since.

Amano said yesterday that in these talks, the latest of which took place on May 15, Iran and the IAEA were “going around in circles”. “This is not the right way to address issues of such great importance to the international community, including Iran,” he told a closed-door meeting of the IAEA’s 35-nation board of governors. Iran says the IAEA’s findings are based on faulty intelligence from foreign spy agencies such as the CIA and Israel’s Mossad - intelligence it complains it has not even been allowed to see.

Parallel negotiations between Iran and six world powers - the US, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany - are also stalled following the latest gathering in Almaty, Kazakhstan in early April. This diplomatic track, on hold until after Iran’s June 14 elections, is focused more on Iran’s current activities, which Iran has continued to expand in spite of UN Security Council resolutions calling for a suspension. In particular, and despite of sanctions aimed at preventing such advances, it has boosted its capacity to enrich uranium, which in its highly purified form can be used in a nuclear weapon. Iran says it needs the material for power generation and medical isotopes.

An additional worry is Iran’s progress, outlined in the latest IAEA report on May 22, in building a new reactor at Arak which could in theory provide Iran with plutonium, if the fuel is further processed.

Plutonium is an alternative to highly enriched uranium for a nuclear weapon. North Korea used plutonium in two tests in 2006 and 2009, while a uranium bomb was dropped by the US on Hiroshima, Japan, in 1945. The IAEA board was expected however to refrain from any action over Iran at its board meeting that started yesterday, in part because of Iran’s elections - even though analysts expect no major change in Tehran’s nuclear policy. “If I interpret the tea leaves correctly from the P5+1, the powers will essentially be prepared to kick the can down the road, at least for another few months,” said Mark Hibbs, analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. —AFP

Ruling a blow to Morsi, but status quo remains CAIRO: A court ruling that Egypt’s Islamistdominated legislature is invalid deals a political blow to President Mohamed Morsi but on the ground little will change, analysts say. The Supreme Constitutional Court (SCC) on Sunday ruled that the law governing the elections of the Shura Council was unconstitutional, as were the rules for the selection of the members of a committee that drafted the constitution.

Despite the ruling, the presidency said the Shura Council, which took a legislative role when parliament was dissolved, would maintain its powers until a new lower house is elected later this year.

The SCC decision could however embolden the opposition ahead of mass anti-Morsi protests planned on June 30, when the president marks one year in power. A crippling economic crisis and widespread insecurity since the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak in 2011 have already weighed on the Islamists in power. A petition seeking to withdraw confidence from Morsi, which the organisers claim has garnered several million signatures, has been circulating for several weeks.

While the decision does undermine the Islamists’ legitimacy in state institutions, on the ground the status quo remains. “All sides will find what they want in this ruling,” said political analyst Hassan Nafea, a professor at Cairo University. The opposition will be encouraged by the ruling to continue attacking the Islamists’ grip on power, “but concretely it doesn’t change anything,” Nafea said. Egypt’s independent daily Al-Tahrir summed up the impact of the judgement in its front-page headline : “Everything is invalidated, everything carries on.” Both the upper and lower houses were

elected under the same electoral law, which the SCC last year deemed invalid, prompting the dissolution of parliament. But the presidency said the Shura Council will “maintain its full legislative role” and remain in place until a new house is elected. Before Sunday’s court ruling, the Shura Council was examining several bills contested by the opposition, including a draft law regulating civil society groups in the country, as well as a law on the judiciary at the heart of a row between judges and the ruling Islamists.

Even if the Shura Council is allowed to pass these laws, the ruling adds pressure to its members who are already facing criticism for not being inclusive. As for the constitution, it will remain in place despite the court ruling because it was adopted by a popular referendum, the presidency said. The text, which was criticised by Morsi’s opponents for failing to represent all Egyptians, was adopted by a popular referendum in December marked by low voter turnout.

“The constitution, which the people voted for and was approved by a majority, is the reference that must be applied, defended, protected and respected by all state institutions,” the presidency said in a statement. “Naturally, (the presidency and the ruling Islamists) are not happy with yesterday’s ruling, but at least they got the results on the ground they wanted which is that the Shura Council remains in place, despite its invalidation,” said Emad El-Din Hussein, a columnist for the independent daily Al-Shorouk. “The ruling gave the opposition a strong card, it removed the (Islamists’) political legitimacy, which is likely to worry the Islamists and those in power,” Hussein said. —AFP

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2013

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

Syria revels as protests rock Turkey DAMASCUS: Ankara has openly backed an uprising against the Syrian regime, and now Damascus is getting its own back, giving top media billing and devoting government comment to protests throughout Turkey. With more than a little schadenfreude, Syrian ministers have accused Turkey’s government of “terrorising” its people, and described the days of protests in Istanbul and beyond as a “real Spring”. On Sunday, the foreign ministry of Syria, where at least 94,000 people have been killed since March 2011 according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, even advised citizens to avoid travel to Turkey, because of a “deterioration in the security situation”.

The demonstrations have been breathlessly covered by Syrian state television, which has run breaking news alerts saying protesters are calling for the resignation of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “You have to resign if you really respect democracy. This movement in Turkey is a real Spring,” said one Syrian analyst interviewed on the state Ikhbariya channel addressing Erdogan. “Syria stands with the Turkish people,” he added.

On Saturday, Syrian Information Minister Omran Al-Zohbi also suggested Erdogan should step down. “The demands of the Turkish people do not justify this violence, and if Erdogan is incapable of using non-violent methods, then he should quit,” state television cited Zohbi as saying. “The fact that he suppresses peaceful demonstrations proves that Erdogan is disconnected from reality,” Zohbi said, adding: “The Turkish people do not deserve such savagery.” The following day Zohbi told reporters in Damascus that Turkey should “release all prisoners of conscience in Turkey” adding that there was “no justification for the arrest of this huge number of peaceful demonstrators”.

“Erdogan should respect the will of his people and leave to Doha,” he added.

Qatar along with Turkey has been a key backer of Syria’s uprising.

The pronouncements were a chance for Damascus to turn the tables on Turkey’s government, which has publicly excoriated the Syrian regime for its bloody response to an uprising that began with peaceful demonstrations in March 2011.

Ankara’s stance on the demonstrations,

No S-300s to Syria before ’14: Yaalon JERUSALEM: Russia cannot deliver advanced S-300 anti-aircraft missiles to the Syrian regime before 2014, Israel’s defence minister asserted yesterday. “We are following this matter with concern, but no deliveries have taken place. If they do take place, it will not be before next year,” Moshe Yaalon told the parliamentary committee on foreign affairs and defence, in comments reported by army radio. The minister did not elaborate on how he had arrived at his conclusions on this time frame. On May 28, Yaalon warned that Israel would “know what do to” if Russia fulfilled the delivery of the S-300 system. His words appeared to be a veiled allusion to military action along the lines of Israeli several strikes on Syrian soil earlier this year which targeted weapons from Iran destined for Hezbollah.

Addressing MPs at the committee, Yaalon reiterated that Israel was not interested in becoming embroiled in Syria’s internal conflict, although he outlined four circumstances in which it would take action. “We won’t get involved in the civil war as long as they don’t harm our interests, or if there is an attempt to transfer precise weaponry, especially to Hezbollah, an attempt to take over chemical weapons, or a heating-up of the border with continuing incidents of fire at our territory.”

Last month an Israeli army patrol in the occupied Golan Heights came under fire from

Syrian regime forces over the armistice line.

Israeli troops responded by blasting the Syrian army bunker from which the shooting came. It was the latest of a number of incidents in the Golan in the past few months that have included apparently stray shells and small-arms fire from Syria. On Friday, several Russian media outlets reported that Moscow had not yet delivered the S-300 surface-to-air missiles to Damascus and that the system could not be delivered this year.

The reports contradicted an interview Assad gave last week to Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV in which he implied that Moscow had already delivered some of the promised weaponry. “All the agreements with Russia will be honoured and some already have been recently,” he told the Lebanese station.

Deployment of the S-300 system would likely complicate any further Israeli airstrikes on Syria. On the question of the state of the conflict in Syria, Yaalon said that regime forces now controlled no more than 40 percent of the country, and that rebels had seized “at least four neighbourhoods in Damascus”. He also confirmed Israel had opened a field hospital in the occupied Golan Heights to care for the wounded coming from Syria. “It is a humanitarian gesture. But Israel does not intend to open a refugee camp” for civilians fleeing the fighting, he added. —AFP

Kurdish rebels clash with Turkish army ISTANBUL: Kurdish militants opened fire on Turkish troops in southeast Turkey near the border with Iraq yesterday, wounding one soldier, the military said, the first such incident since the rebels began withdrawing from Turkey under a peace process. There were two bursts of gunfire in Uludere in Sirnak province just after noon (0900 GMT) and a Turkish Cobra attack helicopter was subsequently sent to the area, the Turkish military said in a statement.

Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) guerrillas began leaving Turkish territory in small groups nearly a month ago in a bid to end a conflict which has killed more than 40,000 people in almost 30 years of fighting.

They are withdrawing to Iraqi Kurdistan, where several thousand of their fighters are based, under a plan agreed by jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan and Turkish officials. “A group of terrorists opened fire and, as a result of the shooting, one gendarmerie sergeant was slightly wounded by the one of the stones ricocheting off the ground,” the army said. A spokesman for the PKK, deemed a ter-

rorist group by the United States, the European Union and Turkey, said he had no details of the incident, but warned the army to refrain from “provocative actions”. “I do not believe it will affect the withdrawal,” Roj Welat said, adding that in recent days, Turkey had flown drones and warplanes over PKK positions.

The peace plan is a gamble for Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan who could face a nationalist backlash before elections next year. Opinion polls currently show a high level of public support for the process. However, a wave of violent anti-government protests in Turkey has complicated the government’s efforts to push ahead with reforms which Ocalan and the PKK are demanding before eventual disarmament. Erdogan previously demanded the rebels disarm before leaving but the PKK rejected this, fearing they could come under attack as they did in a previous pullback. The PKK has warned it will retaliate if the Turkish army launches operation against them. —Reuters

and the armed uprising that followed a government crackdown on the protests, has led to a total breakdown in oncewarm ties between Syria and Turkey.

But while Syrian television has carried footage of Turkish demonstrations, referring to Erdogan’s government as “the ruling junta”, no such coverage was devoted to similar protests in Syria. Words like “popular protests”, “peaceful demonstrations” and “revolution”, all used by state media to describe events in Turkey, were never applied to the demonstrations against President Bashar Al-Assad. Instead the uprising has been described as a “foreign plot”, intended to “target” Syria, and rebels are referred to simply as “terrorists” backed by Turkey, the West, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Syrian media even tied the Turkish protests to Qatar, saying a planned mall that helped spark the protests was the project of “Qatari investors and members of Erdogan’s family”. Analysts have insisted that the main issue angering Turkish citizens is Ankara’s stance on Syria, describing the planned mall in Taksim as just “the straw that broke the camel’s back”. The Al-

ANKARA: Protesters shout anti-government slogans during a demonstration yesterday. —AFP Watan daily, which is close to the Syrian government, also joined the analysis of the unfolding protests. “After dozens of statements criticising Syria, the Turkish

prime minister allowed his forces free rein to employ excessive force and barbarism against thousands of peaceful demonstrators,” the paper wrote on Sunday. —AFP

Missile kills 26 as Qusair battle enters third week Main group in oppn National Coalition withdraws DAMASCUS: A missile strike near Syria’s biggest city Aleppo killed 26 people and government warplanes pounded Qusair, a watchdog said yesterday, as a regime offensive to retake the town entered its third week. The missile attack on the village of Kfar Hamra came as forces loyal to President Bashar Al-Assad mounted a separate assault on the rebel-held countryside surrounding the northern city. Assad’s opponents also suffered a political blow when one of the main groups in the National Coalition withdrew from the opposition bloc, amid accusations its leaders were misusing funds and acting in their own interests.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported the surface-to-surface missile attack on Kfar Hamra at around midnight killed 26 people, among them six women and eight children. “Regime forces... are trying to take the village, and then to break the rebel siege of Nubl and Zahra,” two villages north of Aleppo, it added. The attack comes a few days into a Syrian army offensive aimed at advancing on Aazaz, a rebel stronghold 45 km north of Aleppo, the pre-war commercial hub.

Regime forces mounted a fierce onslaught on Qusair, the strategic town near the Lebanese border, and also slightly farther north in Dabaa, the site of a disused military airbase partly under insurgent control. The Observatory - which relies on a network of activists, lawyers and medics for its reports - said there were numerous dead on both sides, without giving any details. An estimated 94,000 people have been killed in Syria since a peaceful protest movement that began in March 2011 quickly became an armed revolt when the regime cracked down hard.

Warplanes bombarded Qusair for the second consecutive day, the Observatory said. Three missiles, also believed to be surface-to-surface, also hit areas of the flashpoint town causing serious damage, the Observatory reported, but it was not known whether there were casualties. The watchdog also reported air strikes on

the Al-Hajar al-Aswad district of southern Damascus itself, where pillars of thick dark smoke barrelled into the sky.

It said clashes between soldiers and rebels were ongoing in the Abasiyeen area outside the capital’s Jubar neighbourhood. It was unable to give a casualty figure.

The Syrian Revolution General

Assad Alawite and Sunni residents clashed, a security source said. Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon, meanwhile, said Russia cannot deliver a shipment of advanced anti-aircraft missiles to Syria before 2014. Assad had hinted last week that his government may already have received a shipment of S300 missiles, but Yaalon rebutted this.

cal discussion” on the issue. Russia is a key ally of the Assad’s regime, which is also backed by Shiite Iran.

On Saturday, UN chief Ban Ki-moon and international aid groups expressed concern about civilians trapped in Qusair, and for between 1,000-1,500 injured residents still in the town of 25,000 people. But on Sunday, Syrian

QUSAIR, Syria: Syrian rebels make bread in this town near the Lebanon border in Homs province on Sunday. —AP Commission said it was withdrawing from the Coalition because it was “taking initiatives far removed from the true revolution and cannot represent the revolution in an authentic way”. The opposition faction, a Syria-wide network of activists, said some Coalition leaders were “more interested in appearing in the media than helping the revolution”.

As fears mount of the conflict spilling over, six people were killed and 38 wounded in 24 hours in Lebanon’s second city Tripoli as pro- and anti-

“We are following this matter with concern, but no deliveries have taken place. If they do take place, it will not be before next year,” he said in remarks reported by army radio.

Yesterday’s fighting in Syria came a day after the regime said it would allow the Red Cross into Qusair only when the fighting there stopped. At the United Nations, diplomats said Russia blocked a draft Security Council declaration expressing “grave concern” about the situation in Qusair. They said Moscow was demanding “wider politi-

Foreign Minister Walid Muallem expressed surprise “given that no one expressed this concern when terrorists took control of the city and the surrounding area”.

Germany, meanwhile, joined France in saying that said the proposed “Geneva 2” peace conference on ending the bloodshed in Syria could be delayed until next month. The international community has pinned its hopes for resolving the conflict peacefully on the US-Russian initiative that had been mooted for June in Geneva. —AFP

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2013

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

Merkel ally to face deputies over drone ‘debacle’ BERLIN: A simmering election-year scandal around German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s defence minister over a botched drone deal threatens to boil over this week when he testifies before lawmakers. The minister, Thomas de Maiziere, is a close confidant of Merkel’s from her conservative Christian Democratic Union and had often been mentioned as a possible successor to the 58-year-old leader. But with less than four months to go until a September general election, De Maiziere, 59, has become entangled in allegations he mismanaged a now-scrapped unmanned surveillance aircraft project with costly consequences.

The Euro Hawk program had already swallowed more than Ä500 million ($651 million) before the defence ministry said on May 14 it would pull the plug.

Officials feared aviation authorities would not certify the Euro Hawk - a ver-

sion of US-based Northrop Grumman’s Global Hawk customised by Europe’s EADS - because it lacks an anti-collision system. The ministry deemed the cost of adding such a system prohibitive.

De Maiziere, who has been attacked for failing to act far earlier, is due tomorrow to present a report to parliament’s defence committee on what the media have dubbed the “drone debacle”. He has been at Merkel’s side since she took power in 2005, serving during her first term as her chief of staff before taking over the defence brief after her re-election in 2009. Long viewed as a safe pair of hands with a particular talent for organisation and administration, De Maiziere had figured on the short list of possible candidates to eventually take over the reins from Merkel.

Commentators said that speculation now looked to be quashed. “De Maiziere could have become chancellor one day

but since the drones crisis, no one is talking about that possibility anymore,” the centre-left daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung wrote yesterday. “The question is simply how De Maiziere will handle his mistakes and whether he can keep his job.” The wasted funds come at a time in which Merkel has been preaching fiscal discipline throughout the eurozone as a means to check the spiralling debt crisis.

De Maiziere will face deputies just days after news weekly Der Spiegel reported that senior defence ministry officials were aware as early as Feb 2012 about the concerns that led to the program’s cancellation last month.

Opposition leaders, who have been struggling to score points during the election campaign against the popular Merkel, leapt on the report. The head of the Social Democrats, Sigmar Gabriel, called De Maiziere’s long silence on the affair “unworthy” of his office, while

Greens’ parliamentar y group chief Juergen Trittin threatened a formal probe.

Last month, Merkel’s spokesman insisted that De Maiziere had her “full confidence”. But in an interview with Der Spiegel published Saturday, Merkel appeared reticent on his crisis management. “The defence minister said he would present a comprehensive report this week about the project from its beginnings more than 10 years ago,” she said when asked about his future in the cabinet.

“I do not wish to preempt that.” De Maiziere had already run into trouble in February when he criticised German soldiers in Afghanistan who complained about a lack of public acknowledgement for their service, saying they appeared to be “addicted” to praise. After a massive uproar, he said he regretted if his remarks had caused offence. — AFP

Thomas de Maiziere

Soldier murder suspect blows kisses in dock Second suspect appears via videolink

TURIN: Relatives of employees who died related to asbestos react at the end of the appeal court trial sentence against Swiss billionaire Stephen Schmidheiny yesterday. — AFP

Sentence upped for Swiss tycoon in asbestos trial TURIN: An Italian appeals court yesterday upheld a conviction for Swiss billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny for causing the death of 3,000 people in an asbestos case that campaigners say sets a key precedent for legal action around the world. The court increased Stephan Schmidheiny’s prison sentence in absentia to 18 years from 16 years when he was first convicted last year and ordered him to pay tens of millions of euros to local authorities and victims’ families. Campaigners immediately hailed the verdict as an important landmark in the fight against asbestos, which is now banned by the European Union but is still widely used in the developing world.

Italy’s National Asbestos Observatory said the sentence “encourages the battle of victims and relatives and honest people for a better world without asbestos and without a thirst for profit”. Bruno Pesce, head of the Association of Families of Asbestos Victims, who was present at the hearing, said the sentence was “a precedent”.

Speaking to news channel Sky Tg 24, another campaigner Nicola Pondrano, said the company’s management had been “not just irresponsible but really criminal because they did not give workers basic information like the fact that asbestos is cancerogenic”. Eternit had caused “a real massacre” in the towns in which it had plants, Pondrano said.

He said he hoped the billionaire would begin paying out compensation “starting tomorrow” and argued that the Italian state could begin contributing if this was not possible. The tycoon is the former owner of Italian company Eternit, which made construction material using asbestos in the 1970s and 1980s, and he was taken to court

by a group of former employees. Referred to by Forbes magazine as the “Bill Gates of Switzerland” for his philanthropy, Schmidheiny was found by the appeals court to have caused “a permanent health and environment catastrophe”.

Prosecutor Raffaele Guariniello said the verdict gave “everyone in Italy and the whole world the right to dream that justice can and must be done”. The case against Belgian baron Jean-Louis Marie Ghislain de Cartier de Marchienne, a major Eternit shareholder who was also being tried in absentia, was dropped because he died last month at the age of 92. The town of Casale Monferrato, one of the worst hit by asbestos-related cases, was awarded Ä30.9 million in damages while the Piedmont region, where the largest Eternit factory was located, was awarded Ä20 million.

The mayor of Casale Monferrato, Giorgio Demezzi, said he was “satisfied with the compensation” which he said would go towards cleaning up contaminated sites in the town. Lawyers for Schmidheiny had argued that he did not have a direct responsibility in the management of Eternit Italy.

Eternit went bankrupt six years before asbestos was banned in Italy in 1992. The first trial began in 2009 after a five-year investigation and is the biggest of its kind against a multinational for asbestos-related deaths. Asbestos, which was banned in Europe in 2005, but is still widely used in the developing world, had been used mainly as building insulation for its sound absorption and resistance to fire, heat and electrical damage. The inhalation of asbestos fibres can cause lung inflammation and cancer, and symptoms can take up to 20 years to manifest after exposure. — AFP

S African union leader shot dead JOHANNESBURG: A union leader was shot dead and another wounded at Lonmin’s Marikana platinum mine in South Africa yesterday amid heightened tensions after deadly strikes at the site last year. Two men chased and shot dead a local shaft leader of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), then seriously wounded the union’s treasurer, an NUM official said, on the same day the labour minister suggested a peacekeeping force to quell violence in the mining sector.

The shootings at the mine near Rustenburg, northwest of Johannesburg, occurred in the same community where police trying to contain a violent strike shot dead at least 34 miners last August in what they claimed was self-defence. Key labour leaders have also been killed amid a fierce battle between the NUM and its rival the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) for members - and bargaining rights - in the world’s top platinum-producing region.

NUM regional coordinator Mxhasi Sithethi said two unknown men had approached the union’s shaft leader as he emerged from a morning meeting and fired at him. “There was no confrontation.

Nothing,” Sithethi said. “He ran back to the office. They followed him and killed him.”

The victim, whose identity has not been released, suffered at least two gunshot wounds to the head. The attackers then shot the union treasurer at least six times

when he confronted them, said Sithethi.

He claimed 13 spent bullet cartridges were found on the scene.

NUM national spokesman Frans Baleni said he “can’t speculate” if the turf war with the AMCU led to the killings. Lonmin confirmed two of its employees had been shot, saying one had been killed while the other was “in a critical condition”. Police also confirmed the shooting, but gave few details. Powerful umbrella union COSATU, which includes the NUM, said “anarchy” in the area had “created a prevailing sense of impunity”. Last month an AMCU regional organiser was shot dead in a tavern, sparking a two-day illegal strike at the mine. Two brothers reportedly linked to the NUM were killed on the same weekend. And last October another NUM leader was shot dead. “No one is being arrested and not a single person has been convicted for any of these murders,” COSATU said.

Lonmin shares fell over four percent on the London stock exchange yesterday to 282.50 pounds. Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant meanwhile proposed a force to contain violence in the mining sector in a meeting with unions. “If there is a need to deploy that peacekeeping force we have to do so in the mining sector as a whole,” she said. The NUM, an ally of South Africa’s ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC), used to be the dominant union in the platinum belt. — AFP

LONDON: One of the men accused of hacking to death a British soldier in London attended court for the first time yesterday, while his co-accused appeared in a separate hearing via videolink from prison. Michael Adebolajo had a bandaged left hand and held up a Holy Quran as he appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court charged with murdering soldier Lee Rigby on May 22. The 28-year-old, who asked to be referred to as Mujaahid Abu Hamza, has also been charged with the attempted murder of two police officers and possession of a firearm.

He and the other suspect, Michael Adebowale, 22, were shot by police at the scene of the brutal daylight attack near an army barracks in Woolwich, southeast London. Both men are Muslim converts of Nigerian descent, and the murder is being investigated by counter-terrorism officers. The men appeared in court as Prime Minister David Cameron chaired a new taskforce on tackling Islamic extremism, but also warned far-right groups against using the murder to demonise Islam.

Adebolajo spent nine days in hospital before being discharged on Friday, and counter-terrorism police charged him over the weekend.

Wearing a white T-shirt and white trousers, he blew a kiss to a man in the public gallery of the court, and they both pointed to the sky. Asked to stand at the end of the short hearing, Adebolajo said: “May I ask why? May I ask why?” When told it is customary to stand, he said: “I want to sit.”

Standing, he asked Deputy Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot: “May I respond to you? You would prefer me not to speak to you. I am only a man. I would like to alleviate the pain if I may?”

He then kissed the Quran and raised his arm into the air. Adebolajo, from Romford in Essex, east of London, was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey central criminal court in London within 48 hours. The other main suspect in the case, Adebowale, later appeared at the Old Bailey via videolink. No application was made for bail during the brief hearing, and a new court date was set for June 28. Adebowale, from Greenwich in southeast London, spent six days in

hospital before being discharged last Tuesday.

He first appeared in court on Thursday charged with murder and possession of a firearm.

An inquest into Rigby’s death heard that he was run over by a car before being attacked by two men armed with a cleaver and a knife, on a quiet suburban street in the middle of the afternoon. Legal restrictions prohibit the reporting of further details of the case. The new taskforce, comprising cabinet ministers, will meet monthly to look at how extremist views can be confronted in schools, universities, prisons and local communities, Cameron’s office said.

“It is as if for some young people there is a conveyor belt to radicalisation that has poisoned their minds with sick and perverted ideas. We need to dismantle this process at every stage,”

the prime minister told the House of Commons.

But Cameron warned against those who tried to use the murder to divide Britain’s communities, after far-right groups the British National Party (BNP) and the English Defence League (EDL) held anti-Muslim rallies in Rigby’s name. “Just as we will not stand for those who pervert Islam to preach extremism, neither will we stand for groups like the English Defence League who try to demonise Islam and stoke up anti-Muslim hatred by bringing disorder and violence to our towns and cities,” he said. Cameron also said that parliament’s intelligence and security committee had been given extra powers to investigate Britain’s spy agencies and try to understand whether the attackers could have been stopped. — AFP

LONDON: In this court artist sketch, suspect Michael Adebolajo kisses the Holy Quran as he appears at Westminster Magistrates Court yesterday. — AP

Defense denies any erotic dinners at Berlusconi villa MILAN: Former Premier Silvio Berlusconi’s defense denied yesterday that there were any erotic escapades at dinners at the media mogul’s villa near Milan and accused the court of bias against the businessman-turned-politician. Nicolo Ghedini said during closing arguments that Berlusconi neither paid for sex with an underage teen, nor exerted pressure on police officials in an effort to cover it up, as charged. The sensational trial is in its final stage, with a verdict expected later this month.

Both Berlusconi and the woman, Karima ElMahroug, who is now 20 and was 17 at the time of the alleged encounters, deny ever having had sex.

Ghedini said most prosecution witnesses who described scenes of sexual excess during the parties were not there between February 2010 and May 2010 when Mahroug, better known as Ruby, attended dinners at the villa. Defense witnesses

described “normal” dinners during which participants chatted about soccer and denied any sexual encounters with the then-premier. “We have 25 witnesses give more or less similar accounts of the evenings,” Ghedini said, adding that prosecutors could not argue that their witnesses were correct while those of the defense who denied having sex with the premier were not reliable.

Ghedini also said the judges hearing the case are “culturally similar” to prosecutors, whom he has accused of waging a politically motivated campaign against Berlusconi with the goal of removing him from politics. “I had the impression during the course of this trial of having caused some annoyance to the judges,” Ghedini said. Berlusconi’s defense has sought to move the sex trial and a tax fraud case to Brescia, another northern Italian city, arguing that Milan magistrates are biased against

Berlusconi. Italy’s high court denied the request.

An appeals court last month upheld a tax fraud conviction against Berlusconi as well as the fouryear sentence and five-year ban on public office.

His team has said it will appeal the conviction to Italy’s highest court.

Neither Berlusconi nor Mahroug have testified at the prostitution trial, but Ghedini asked the court to enter as evidence testimony that she gave in a separate trial of three former Berlusconi aides accused of procuring prostitutes for the now infamous “bunga banga” parties at Berlusconi’s villa. In sworn testimony, Mahroug denied sex with Berlusconi or of witnessing sexually charged scenes. She did say she received envelopes with several thousand euros as gifts every time she attended a party plus an additional ‚Ǩ30,000 ($39,000) to open a beauty salon. —AP

LONDON: Members of the Honourable Artillery Company (HAC), the City of London’s Territorial Army regiment, fire a 62 gun salute at the Tower of London in central London yesterday in honour of the 60th anniversary of the coronation of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II. — AFP

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2013

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

Building of new US-Mexico border crossing stalls TORNILLO: Jesse Grado walks cautiously past a welder whose work throws off a spray of brilliant sparks as construction crews lay slabs of concrete for a bridge over the Rio Grande.

The leader of the project points to an empty void - the point where the six-lane span abruptly ends 30 feet above the river. Beyond the pavement is nothing but miles of Mexican farms, dirt and desert.

By June, this was supposed to be the site of a massive new customs-and-immigration facility that would provide a fourth international border crossing to handle US-bound commercial traffic from Ciudad Juarez, one of North America’s biggest manufacturing hubs.

Planners had hoped the $96 million undertaking would be an economic boon, attracting manufacturing plants and long lines of trucks that currently use two congested crossings between Ciudad Juarez and El Paso.

But nearly two years after a ceremonial groundbreaking, not a shovel of dirt has been moved south of the border. The Mexican government has not allocated any money for its share of the work, so the bridge building is stalled - with no timetable for completion. In the meantime, truckers say they won’t be lured away from the established crossings until this remote farmland draws more indus-

try. That could take years. “To me, it does not make any sense,” said Manuel Sotelo, truck company owner and president of the Ciudad Juarez freight truck association.

“It’s one of those projects made by someone at a desk in Washington.” Truckers hauling cargo from Ciudad Juarez say using the bridge would require them to make an hourlong drive east to the new crossing then spend another hour traveling back to cargo terminals in El Paso, Texas, to unload. So far, the border community of Tornillo has secured no agreements with industry. For now, it offers little but fields of cotton and alfalfa. The scene is similar across the river in the tiny town of Guadalupe, Mexico.

Still, local officials hope that by building the crossing first, commercial traffic will come later. They cite the success at the Santa Teresa port of entry, which was built 20 years ago in New Mexico in a similarly remote area. About 15 years after the crossing opened, a huge industrial park that houses manufacturing giant Foxconn was built a few hundred yards from the inspection stations. It has since attracted more businesses.

“Once the infrastructure is complete, they’ll have to take a fresh look at this,” said Vince Perez, an El Paso County commissioner

representing the district where the bridge is being built. “A port of entry is a once-in-a-lifetime project.” The two farming communities have been pushing for the TornilloGuadalupe international bridge for the last 16 years to replace a 1920s-era wooden bridge.

Once the new span is finished, the federal government plans to transfer customs and immigration personnel to the adjoining 117acre complex.

In July 2011, American and Mexican officials showed up with golden shovels and delivered speeches about the promising future for the surrounding communities. Cesar Duarte, governor of the Mexican state of Chihuahua, pledged that construction would start two months later. The Mexican Department of Transport and Communications blames the delay on national elections that installed new leadership in late 2012. There is still no budget for the Mexican portion of the crossing, which would cost more than $15 million.

“There is not much we can do,” said El Paso County Judge Veronica Escobar, the county’s top administrative official. “We have faith the State Department will continue to advocate for us.” The US State Department, in charge of the American side of the project, acknowledged the delay but referred all other questions to the

Mexican government. Once complete, the bridge will serve the same function as the five other border crossings in the Ciudad Juarez area, which currently process more than 10 million cars, 700,000 trucks and 6 million pedestrians every year. But exactly how much traffic would be diverted to Tornillo is anyone’s guess.

Most Mexican trucking companies are not allowed to venture more than 25 to 50 miles into the US - a rule that requires them to use drop-off points closer to the border. No one knows how long it will take to entice those kinds of cargo terminals to the Tornillo area, or if a federal pilot program allowing Mexican trucks to drive deeper into the US could be expanded. Escobar said she expects many farmers pressed by drought to sell their land to industrial developers. A few “for sale” signs have already popped up around the area. “It’s a matter of time” until businesses move in, she said. But it could be a long time if the Santa Teresa crossing is any indication.

When the port of entry was first inaugurated in 1993 in southeastern New Mexico, the paved road ended abruptly at the Mexican border. Five years passed before the Mexican government paved the 12-mile stretch that led to Ciudad Juarez and another decade before it

landed the industrial park. “We were perceived as Siberia,” said Jerry Pacheco, vice president with the Border Industrial Association, a New Mexico group that helped lure companies to the area. The Chihuahua governor hopes the bridge expansion on the Mexican side will make it an ideal spot for factories.

Until that happens, truckers say they would rather wait in line at the congested crossings than make the long drive from Ciudad Juarez to Tornillo and back up to El Paso. The typical wait time at the existing bridges is two hours.

The new crossing “does not make much sense unless you see it in the very long term,” truck driver Hector Mendoza said while taking a break at a truck terminal in El Paso. Raul Lara concurred, saying the trip to Tornillo could actually cost more and take just as much time.

“I would not go there,” he said. “I’d rather wait it out at the bridge in El Paso than to waste diesel going all the way there.” Neither the location debate nor the construction delay is having much effect on Grado, who oversees the work crews on the US side. They aim to have their part of the project finished on time.

“I wish they (Mexican workers) had started at the same time as us,” he said. “It’s better that way. Now they will have to make it match with ours.” —AP

Ravaging storms move towards US east, south Storm, tornadoes wreak havoc in East Coast

NEW YORK: Immigrants await their turn for green card and citizenship interviews at the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Queens office in the Long Island City neighborhood of the Queens borough. —AFP

US immigration bill pins big hopes on dairy cows WASHINGTON: From the technology and tourism industries to the fruit growers of California, there is something for almost everyone in the sprawling immigration legislation that the U.S. Senate will start debating this month. But for supporters of this controversial bill who are searching for a solid bloc of votes in the Senate, there might be no better way than through a provision embedded in the law that gives dairy farmers better access to foreign labor.

The carefully constructed Senate strategy banks on trying to win over Republican senators representing states scattered throughout the country and where the $35 billion U.S. dairy farm industry contributes heavily to local economies. Backers hope that they will lure these conservative senators maybe more than a dozen of them - to vote for a bill that they otherwise might not support because of what critics consider its “amnesty” for the 11 million illegal immigrants living in the United States.

For example, Wisconsin, Idaho, and Pennsylvania are among the top five dairy-producing states and together there are four Republican senators representing them. “It is a way of giving something to those who may see parts of the bill as undesirable and let them say, ‘At least I’m going to be helping the agriculture industry in my state,’” said former Republican Senator Mel Martinez of Florida, who was a player in a failed, 2007 attempt at passing an immigration bill. “Without it, it goes nowhere,” added Martinez, who now is an executive with JPMorgan Chase & Co. It may seem absurd that the fate of the first major immigration reform effort in 27 years could hinge partially on the country’s 9.2 million lactating cows. But in a deeply divided US Congress where accomplishing anything is difficult, this rare, bipartisan bill is a case study in trade-offs, including the dairy provision. If the gamble pays off in the Senate, supporters hope that the dairy provision might also entice some rural Republicans in the more conservative House of Representatives, where Republicans control the chamber and the battle over immigration will be even tougher.

‘ELBOW DEEP’ The dairy industry has been lobbying for years for easier access to foreign workers, armed with studies designed to demonstrate the economic harm caused by the current system, which allows visas for foreigners to do seasonal work but not for the year-round needs of dairies. The bill approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee would create three-year visas, renewable for another three years.

For a flavor of how important the raging debate over immigration reform is to rural America, one needs to drive only a few hours outside of Washington. Brubaker Farms in south-central Pennsylvania has about 930 cows, mostly Holsteins: those iconic black and white beasts that many consider to be the world’s best milk producers. The Brubaker family has operated the dairy farm on 1,800 acres over the past century, a period that saw the country’s demographics change with more and more young people gravitating to cities.

For those staying in rural areas, fewer Americans now want to work on dairy farms “with their arms past the elbow in a heifer when she’s giving birth at 3 am,” said Craig Regelbrugge, cochairman of the Agriculture Coalition for Immigration Reform, a farm industry group. Tony Brubaker said enactment of immigration legislation would ensure a steady workforce for his operation. “Before I started hiring immigrant workers, it was nearly impossible to keep all positions full,” he said.

By 2009, 62 percent of the nation’s milk supply

came from farms using immigrant labor, almost exclusively from Mexico, according to an industry survey. Even so, for Brubaker and other dairy farmers, hiring immigrant labor can be complicated.

That is because agricultural immigrant visas are mainly aimed at providing short-term work stints of six to 10 months to accommodate farmers needing field hands to help with seasonal crops.

But in dairy operations, where laborers are needed around the clock 365 days a year, the current visa system is clunky at best, Brubaker said. “It takes six months before they’re decent at the job.

And it takes two years before they’re really good at the job,” he said of new employees. In response, the Senate bill would let dairy operators hire foreign workers for three years at a time to milk their cows, tend to sick livestock and do other farm chores.

Across the country in southeastern Idaho, Tony Vander Hulst of Westpoint Farms said that while he is fully staffed with 55 mostly Hispanic workers tending to 5,000 cows, “At times it (the workforce) gets scarce.” For example, he said, when law enforcement officials conducted a sweep of a local market a few years ago, picking up employees of other farms, “That created a scare among the Hispanic community,” making it harder to find workers. For all of US agriculture, at least half of the 1.1 million farm workers are undocumented, according to government estimates.

Republican Senator James Risch of Idaho, asked

by Reuters whether the dairy provision could help capture his vote, said he would not decide based on any single issue. But, expressing the sentiment of several Republican senators interviewed by Reuters, Risch added, “Certainly, that’s an important provision. We also have a robust high-tech industry in Idaho and it’s just as important at the upper end as it is at the lower end” of the labor market to update immigration law. The bill is not being powered solely by prospects of easier access to foreign labor to boost US agricultural and high-tech industries.

Democrats would achieve their long-sought goal of bringing the 11 million undocumented residents “out of the shadows” where they no longer would have to elude law enforcement. Such people could then put more of their energies into finding legal employment, integrating their families into American society and ultimately gaining US citizenship, advocates argue. Meanwhile, Republicans see a chance to begin appealing to growing numbers of Hispanic voters, while also toughening border security with around $6 billion in new investments.

CATTLE AND SHEEP TOO Ranchers who graze cattle and sheep on western range lands also want the agriculture visa system retooled because they face many of the same labor problems as dairy farmers. “The mountain West is in our judgment pretty pivotal” to the Senate successfully passing an immigration bill this year, Regelbrugge said. And so, he hopes, the bill could also put in play senators from Utah and Wyoming, which together have four Republican senators.

And then there is Montana, with two Democratic senators maintaining moderate profiles in their Republican-leaning states. In the free-wheeling Senate debate that begins in about a week, nobody is sure which provisions will stand and which might come under attack and be removed.

“Every aspect of the bill is in jeopardy of potentially being targeted” for change, Regelbrugge fretted. He included the farm worker provision, which some may argue singles out agriculture for more favorable treatment than other industries. —Reuters

PORTLAND: Damaging winds flattened trees and utility poles and knocked out power in parts of northern New England on Sunday, flights were delayed in New York City and a tornado touched down in South Carolina as the East Coast weathered the remnants of violent storms that claimed 13 lives in Oklahoma. Heavy rain, thunderstorms, high winds and hail moved through sections of the Northeast on Sunday afternoon, leaving 30,000 in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine still without power late that night. The National Weather Service issued a rare tornado warning as a line of thunderstorms raced through New Hampshire into western Maine. The weather service said a tornado warning was issued as radar indicated a possible tornado moving from Kingfield, Maine, to Bingham, Maine. The tornado was not immediately confirmed.

In northwestern South Carolina, a tornado knocked a home off its foundation and blew part of the roof off, said Taylor Jones, director of emergency management for Anderson County.

Some trees were blown down and there was heavy rain, but no widespread damage. No injuries were reported. “It was an isolated incident,” Jones said.

The weather service said thunderstorms and winds in excess of 60 mph in Vermont produced 1-inch-diameter hail and knocked down numerous trees and wires. In northern Maine, radar picked up a line of thunderstorms capable of producing quarter-sized hail and winds stronger than 70 mph.

Forecasters warned of tornadoes. The stormy weather in the New York City region shortened the Boston Red SoxNew York Yankees game to 5 1/2 innings and produced backups at major airports. But by early Monday, delays that had been up to three hours had eased to 15 minutes or less at airports on the East Coast, including John F. Kennedy International, La Guardia Airport, Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey, Logan International Airport in Boston and Washington National Airport outside Washington.

Patrick Herb, 34, was traveling from Dulles with his 1- and 3-year-old to his home in Wisconsin, and had his departure time for a connecting flight in Detroit moved back three times. He described the mood at Dulles as “frus-

tration and fatigue.” “The communication is honestly one of the most frustrating parts of travel,” Herb said. “I’m sort of pessimistic it will get off on time.”

In other parts of the South, thunderstorms, high winds and hail rolled through as part of a slow moving cold front. Heavy rains could spawn flash flooding in some areas, the weather service said. In Texas, the Coast Guard

does not for the spotlight of TV but for the scientific aspect,” Jim Samaras said.

“At the end of the day, he wanted to save lives and he gave the ultimate sacrifice for that.”

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin toured damage in El Reno, about 30 miles from Oklahoma City. She said the death toll could rise as emergency workers continue searching flooded areas for miss-

Colene McEntee said. Northeast of St Louis, the town of Roxana, Ill, also saw damage from an EF3 tornado. Weather service meteorologist Jayson Gosselin said it wasn’t clear whether the damage in Missouri and Illinois came from the same twister or separate ones. Five tornadoes struck the Oklahoma City metro area on Friday, the weather service said. Fallin said Sunday that 115

MOORE: Brian Vitsmun sorts through debris at his home that was destroyed by a tornado on in Moore, Oklahoma. —AFP said its crews saved or helped rescue 17 people caught in storms along the Gulf Coast. Lt Matthew J Walter of Coast Guard Sector Houston/Galveston cited “the devastating effects of strong winds and heavy rains” as the reason for three separate boats capsizing.

Meanwhile, residents in Oklahoma cleaned up after the storms there killed 13 people, including three veteran storm chasers. Tim Samaras; his son, Paul Samaras; and Carl Young were killed Friday. The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., said the men were involved in tornado research. Jim Samaras told The Associated Press on Sunday that his brother Tim was motivated by science. “He looked at torna-

ing residents. The state Medical Examiner’s Office spokeswoman Amy Elliott said the death toll had risen to 13 from Friday’s EF3 tornado, which charged down a clogged Interstate 40 in the western suburbs. Among the dead were two children - an infant sucked out of the car with its mother and a 4-year-old boy who along with his family had sought shelter in a drainage ditch.

In Missouri, areas west of St Louis received significant damage from an EF3 tornado Friday that packed estimated winds of 150 mph. In St Charles County, at least 71 homes were heavily damaged and 100 had slight to moderate damage, county spokeswoman

people were injured.

The storms formed out on the prairie west of Oklahoma City, giving residents plenty of advance notice. When told to seek shelter, many ventured out and snarled traffic across the metro area perhaps remembering when a tornado hit Moore on May 20 and killed 24 people. Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Betsy Randolph said roadways quickly became congested with the convergence of rush-hour traffic and fleeing residents. “They had no place to go, and that’s always a bad thing. They were essentially targets just waiting for a tornado to touch down,” Randolph said.

“I’m not sure why people do that sort of stuff, but it is very dangerous.”—AP

3 storm chasers killed by Oklahoma tornado CHICAGO: Three veteran storm chasers were killed while pursuing powerful tornadoes that tore through the US state of Oklahoma, a relative said Sunday. Tim Samaras, his son Paul and their storm-chasing partner Carl Young died Friday in a twister in El Reno, west of Oklahoma City.

They were the first storm researchers ever killed while chasing tornadoes, media reports said, citing the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center in Norman,

Oklahoma. “They all unfortunately passed away but doing what they LOVED,” the elder Samaras’s brother Jim Samaras said on his Facebook page.

Samaras’s instruments are said to have offered the first-ever glimpse inside a tornado, and his Tactical Weather Instrumented Sampling in Tornadoes Experiment, or TWISTEX, aimed to learn more about the storms in order to help increase the lead time in warnings. “We still don’t know why

EL RENO: An airplane is damaged on the campus of the Canadian Valley Technology Center in El Reno, Okla. A massive tornado roared through the area, causing widespread damage and flooding. —AP

some thunderstorms create tornadoes while others don’t. We’re trying to collect as many observations as possible, both from outside and from the inside,” Samaras told National Geographic in one of his last interviews.

A series of tornadoes battered Oklahoma with high winds, heavy rain and large hail, causing at least 11 fatalities, with some reports saying up to 14 dead, in a state already reeling from a monster twister that claimed two dozen lives last month. Debris from the chasers’ vehicle was strewn about half a mile, Canadian County Undersheriff Chris West said. Only one of the bodies was recovered from the vehicle. The two others were found about a quarter of a mile in either direction. Crews hauled away a badly mangled white truck with its windows smashed and its body crushed and twisted almost beyond recognition.

“Tim was a courageous and brilliant scientist who fearlessly pursued tornadoes and lightning in the field in an effort to better understand these phenomena,” National Geographic executive vice president Terry Garcia said in a statement. The Washingtonbased institution had provided 18 grants to Samaras for his research. It said he developed his interest in twisters after watching the film “The Wizard of Oz” when he was just six years old. The movie begins with a tornado sweeping heroine Dorothy and her dog Toto away to Munchkinland in Oz. “Though we sometimes take it for grant-

ed, Tim’s death is a stark reminder of the risks encountered regularly by the men and women who work for us,” Garcia said.

Samaras developed probes to measure the environment inside tornadoes. Researchers had to place the probes in the path of the storm and then escape before being swept away. He measured the lowest barometric pressure drop ever recorded (100 millibars) at the tornado’s center, saying that was equivalent to “stepping into an elevator and hurtling up 1,000 feet (305 meters) in 10 seconds.” Samaras was also known as a star on the Discovery Channel’s show “Storm Chasers,” which ended last year. His brother Jim Samaras said the storm chaser “looked at tornadoes not for the spotlight of TV, but for the scientific aspect.” “At the end of the day, he wanted to save lives and he gave the ultimate sacrifice for that,” he told The Denver Post. The storm-chaser’s final message on the social media site Twitter warned: “Storms now initiating south of Watonga along triple point. Dangerous day ahead for OK-stay weather savvy!”

Despite the big risks, Samaras was known to be very cautious and to pay attention to safety. “He knew where not to be and in this case the tornado took a clear turn toward them,” Jim Samaras said. Weather Channel anchor and meteorologist Mike Bettes had a close call himself in Oklahoma’s storms, and described them as highly unpredictable. —AFP

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2013

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

Sleep with me, not kids - Chinese against sex abuse BEIJING: Suddenly all kinds of people in China are offering to sleep with the headmaster. The unusual outpouring is in response to a recent spate of sex abuse cases, including that of a school principal who spent the night in a hotel room with four underage girls. Artists, activists, university students and police officers are photographing themselves - some nude and provocatively posed, some angry and menacing with the message: “Principal, get a room with me. Leave the young students alone.”

The online campaign - mixing performance art, satire and outrage - has tapped into public anger over sexual abuse against children. It’s a problem in China partly because of a lack of sex education and partly because Chinese society has become unmoored from traditional strictures after decades of rapid economic change and social change.

Attitudes toward sex have become more lax, especially noticeable among powerful officials, often found to be cavorting with very

young mistresses and prostitutes.

Children are prone to the abuse because they have not been adequately prepared, and can be easily intimidated by teachers and other authority figures. “Schools and parents have failed to instill in our children the sense of rights and to teach them how to protect themselves,” Xiong Bingqi, a deputy director of the Beijing-based education think tank 21st Century Education Research Institute. “If the children know about their rights, know they can call police if they are sexually assaulted and have the assaulters punished, it will sure deter the criminals.”

Recent sex abuse cases against children that have become public should be a wakeup call for Chinese families and schools, Xiong said, noting they may only be a tip of the iceberg. “The students may not know they have been sexually abused,” Xiong said.

“Or if they know, they don’t tell their parents. Sometimes, schools settle those cases

without telling the police.” In a recent survey

by Beijing News, 37.4 percent of the respondents said they do not know how to teach their children to protect themselves from sexual abuse. The national debate on the problem began in early May, when a primary school principal was caught spending a night with four schoolgirls - all under the age of 14 - in a hotel room in southern China’s Hainan province. Chen Zaipeng, the principal, has been fired and charged with rape. Members of the public reacted with astonishment to the high-profile case, and have been reading with fury as at least seven more cases of sexual abuse by school teachers or employees against young girls have come to light over the past three weeks from different parts of China. Some victims were as young as 8.

In the past several years, there have been occasional reports of government officials hiring young girls as prostitutes. The cases are typically handled as prostitution,

even when the girls are underage. Critics have demanded such culprits be prosecuted with the crime of raping children, which can carry harsher punishments. China’s Supreme People’s Court this week vowed to crack down on crimes against children. The Education Ministry has demanded that sex criminals must be “firmly” cleaned out from the teaching staff and that those who help with cover-ups must be prosecuted. And the All-China Women’s Federation has called for severe punishment in all crimes against girls.

The public, however, has found an unconventional way of speaking up. Late last month, Ye Haiyan, a feminist and advocate for the rights of sex workers, went to Chen’s former elementary school to lend support to his alleged victims. There, she held up a large piece of paper offering to “get a room” with Chen and telling him to leave the students alone, and gave a contact number, which was for China’s rights

hotline for women and children. Her offer prompted many others to follow suit. One is Beijing-based poet Wang Zang, who last Wednesday uploaded naked photos of himself with his back scribbled with the offer. In one photo, Wang holds a children’s toy in one hand and a liquor bottle in the other. “I am protesting the frequent criminal acts of school sex abuse against young students,” Wang said. “And I also want to raise the public awareness in protecting the girls.”

Wang said he believes the recent cases are only a small part of the problem because many cases have been covered up by powerful people. Corruption in the education system has put unfit teachers in classrooms, and China’s laws have failed to adequately prosecute sexual crimes against children, Wang said. Sociologist Li Yinhe sees the offers as a public statement. “I think it’s a way for people to express their anger,” she said. “It is also a kind of black humor.” —AP

Taiwanese ex-president attempts suicide in jail Chen attempts to hang himself with towel in bathroom

TAIPEI: This file photo shows former Taiwan president Chen Shui-bian waving as he arrives at the Taiwan High Court in Taipei. Taiwan’s former president Chen Shui-bian has tried to commit suicide in the prison where he is serving a 20-year sentence for corruption, the justice ministry said yesterday. —AFP

TAIPEI: Taiwan’s former president Chen Shui-bian has tried to commit suicide in the prison where he is serving a 20-year sentence for corruption, the justice ministry said yesterday. Chen said the attempt was in protest at being excluded from an amnesty that last week saw charges dropped against hundreds of local politicians and academics accused of misusing government funds, the ministry said in a statement.

Chen attempted to hang himself with a towel in a bathroom at the jail in the central city of Taichung on Sunday night, but was prevented by a guard. The ministry said medical personnel were immediately called to check his condition and no abnormalities were found. Chen was transferred to a prison hospital in Taichung in April from a public hospital in Taipei, where he had spent several months being treated for depression and other health problems.

Doctors have recommended home care for the 62-year-old, who has been diagnosed with severe depression, a nerve disorder and other conditions, according to medical documents released by his office. The justice ministry has said home care is not an option for inmates, and Chen does not qualify for immediate parole on medical grounds because he can receive treatment at the prison hospital.

Chen’s family and supporters have angrily accused the government of President Ma Ying-jeou of the nationalist Kuomintang party (KMT) of making a politically motivated decision to deny him medical parole.

“This event shows that his health has been on the decline,” the former leader’s son Chen Chih-chung said.

“What he needs is medical parole, not treatment in jail.” The island’s

leading opposition Democratic Progressive Party, which Chen once led, repeated its call for Chen to be granted medical parole. Chen was convicted of corruption and moneylaundering relating to his 2000-2008 presidency-charges that he says stem from a vendetta by the current Beijing-friendly government. His own administration promoted the concept of Taiwan’s formal independence from China, a stance that enraged Beijing.

Chen and his family were accused of laundering millions of dollars by sending political donations and secret diplomatic funds abroad, and of taking kickbacks on government contracts. He was sentenced to life in prison in 2009 but the term was later reduced after appeals. Chen first entered the public spotlight when he represented dissident leaders charged with sedition in 1979 after a protest against the KMT’s authoritarian rule turned into a riot. His career as a Taipei city councilor and lawmaker in the 1980s and 1990s was interrupted by a one-year prison term in the mid-1980s on libel charges after he accused a professor of plagiarism.

Chen won the Taipei mayoral race in 1994 to become one of the brightest political stars of the DPP. He then set his sights even higher. During the 2000 presidential election, he proved a master at rallying popular support and securing the youth and blue-collar vote. In 2004 he was narrowly re-elected after he was slightly wounded in an election-eve shooting at the culmination to a bitter campaign. The KMT accused Chen of staging the incident to win popular sympathy, and tried in vain for the courts to annul his election victory.

Chen has always denied the allegation.—AFP

SYDNEY: Australian anti-immigration firebrand Pauline Hanson speaks to the media in Sydney yesterday. —AFP

Divisive Hanson to run in Australian election SYDNEY: Populist politician Pauline Hanson, who once warned Australia was in danger of being swamped by Asians, said yesterday she would run in this year’s national election to protect “the Australian way of life”.

Describing herself as “the redhead you can trust”-seen as a reference to flame haired Prime Minister Julia Gillard-she told reporters Australians were fed up with “selfish, dysfunctional and egotistical” political parties.

“I am actually standing for the next federal election,” Hanson said in Sydney. “The people of Australia deserve a fair go, a government that takes genuine care of our own Australians first, no matter what race, color or creed,” she said. The former leader of the One Nation party said there was much work to be done. She urged a stable government with the “will and determination to control and stamp out the influx of illegal immigrants swamping our shores, the ripping off of our welfare system at the expense of genuine and worthy people, the constant attack on our Australian way of life and poverty in Australia”.

Hanson said she will rejoin One Nation,

which she founded in 1997, and contest a Senate seat in the September 14 vote. “If we are to preserve our heritage and our culture and a decent standard of living... to stand back and do nothing is not the answer,” she said. Hanson said issues of concern were Australian companies closing down, prime agricultural land being sold to foreign owners, and cost-of-living pressures. “We have become one of the most expensive countries in the world to live in and many of our ordinary Australians are struggling,” she said.

Hanson entered national politics in 1996 but after losing her seat at the 1998 election has failed in several endeavors to win re-election.

She shrugged this off yesterday, saying: “I don’t give up easily.” Hanson acknowledged that her re-entry into politics would be noted. “I’ve actually got emails and interest from people around the world who actually say, ‘I wish we had someone like Pauline Hanson over here.’ Not Australians, but other people from other countries,” she said. “That’s why I am very passionate about my country and that’s why I will stand up and fight for our democracy, our way of life and our culture.” —AFP

Seoul warns Pyongyang over returned refugees SEOUL: South Korean President Park Geun-Hye warned North Korea yesterday that it would be held responsible for the safety of nine young asylum seekers forcibly repatriated after their capture in Laos. “What’s most important is to ensure (their) lives and safety, and that they will not receive unfair punishment,” Park told a meeting of senior aides.

“Otherwise, North Korea cannot avoid international criticism and responsibility for their human rights,” she said. The case of the nine escapees has garnered international attention, partly because of their youth and reports suggesting they are all orphans. Confirming their arrest on May 10 for illegal entry, the

Lao foreign ministry said Monday that all nine were aged between 1418.

Two South Korean nationals were detained at the same time for alleged human trafficking and handed over to the South Korean embassy, a ministry statement said. The nine were returned to China on May 27 and then flown back to Pyongyang the next day. Most Nor th Korean refugees begin their escape by crossing into China and then try to make it to third countries-often in Southeast Asia-where they generally seek permission to resettle in South Korea.

The foreign ministry in Seoul has come under fire after it emerged that its embassy in Vientiane had been

SEOUL: A South Korean activist holds a placard showing the purported picture, which was not officially substantiated, of nine North Korean young defectors reading ‘Do not forget these children’, during a solo street protest in Seoul yesterday. —AFP

aware of the refugees’ arrest but had been unable to prevent their return to China.

Describing the repatriation as a “ver y regrettable incident that should have never happened”, Park said her government would seek to ensure that “major defection routes” used by Nor th Korean refugees remain open. Laos had previously been seen as a relatively safe transit point. The United Nations and a number of international human rights groups have also voiced concern over the case. In Geneva, Ruper t Colville, spokesman for the UN high commissioner for human rights, slammed Laos and China for ignoring their “obligations” under international law to prevent refugees being unjustly repatriated.

“We are extremely concerned for the protection of this group, which includes up to five minors, who are at risk of severe punishment and ill treatment,” Colville said. “The situation of returnees to North Korea has been a constant source of concern for many years. They can receive very severe punishment merely because they have left the country,” he said. In Washington, State Depar tment spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the United States was “very concerned” and urged China and Laos to cooperate in the protection of North Korean refugees within their territories.

He also urged North Korea to allow independent monitors immediate access to the group. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un is believed to have tightened border controls since he came to power after the death of his father Kim Jong-Il in December 2011.

Since the end of the Korean War in 1953, some 25,000 North Koreans have escaped-most after a deadly famine in the mid-90s-and settled in the South.

The number of refugees arriving in South Korea plunged more than 40 percent to 1,508 last year. —AFP

North Korea dominates Park’s 100 days in office SEOUL: As presidential baptisms go, being threatened with a pre-emptive nuclear strike within 10 days of taking office is probably about as fiery as it gets. South Korean President Park Geun-Hye will have completed 100 days today-a period dominated by soaring military tensions with North Korea that included Pyongyang’s dire warnings of nuclear armageddon.

Throw in a parliamentary deadlock, highprofile resignations and a sex scandal that tainted the diplomatic highlight of her presidency so far, and it adds up to a heady three months since Park was sworn in as her country’s first woman leader.

The daughter of South Korea’s late military strongman, Park Chung-Hee, the 61year-old Park was elected in December to revitalize an economy seen as running out of steam and ideas after decades of rapid growth. She promised to create millions of jobs, many of them in a new “creative economy” that would shift the focus away from heavy manufacturing and take South Korea to another level by rewarding innovation and entrepreneurship.

For most of the electorate, North Korea was an also-ran campaign issue, but by the time Park was inaugurated on February 25, the North had carried out its third nuclear test and was topping the global news headlines. Tensions on the Korean peninsula surged throughout March and April, fuelled by Pyongyang’s fury at fresh UN sanctions and joint South Korea-US military exercises. While the crisis focused attention on North Korea’s young, inexperienced and little-known leader Kim JongUn, the untested Park also came under close scrutiny.

She had stumbled out of the blocks domestically, as opposition parties

South Korea president Park Geun-Hye responded to plans for a structural government overhaul with a parliamentary roadblock that held up key appointments and left her without a functioning cabinet for weeks. As the stand-off with North Korea intensified, her nominee for defense minister withdrew amid allegations of past wrongdoings, compounding concerns that Park tended to make major appointments and decisions without adequate consultation.

“In terms of personnel management, I’d give her a generous D-minus,” said sociology professor Chun Sangchin of Sogang University. “She flunked it basically.” By the end of March, her polling numbers had fallen significantly, according to monthly tracking surveys carried out by the Seoulbased Asan Institute think-tank. But the still-escalating crisis with North Korea turned things around. During the 2012 election campaign, only eight percent of South Koreans had cited relations with the North as a top issue. By April this year, with Pyongyang issuing daily threats of war, that had changed to 30 percent.

In concert with Washington, Park

refused to offer any concessions to calm Pyongyang down, despite fears that Kim Jong-Un might be willing to tip the situation over the edge. When the North took the drastic step of withdrawing its workers from the Seoul-funded Kaesong joint industrial zone, Park responded by pulling out managers and staff of the South Korean firms there. “She had been struggling out of the gate, but North Korea gave her the chance to look presidential and she really nailed it,” said Karl Friedhoff, programme officer at the Asan Institute’s Public Opinion Studies Center.

“She called the North’s bluff on Kaesong and that resonated very well,” Friedhoff said. A White House keen to demonstrate its solidarity played up her US visit in May that included a summit with President Barack Obama and an address to a joint session of Congress. By the time she returned from Washington, the Asan polls had her popularity rating up at 69 percent, despite a scandal that enveloped her spokesman for allegedly sexually harassing a female intern during the US trip. —AFP

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2013

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

Philippine airport shut down runway accident MANILA: Philippine aviation authorities shut down one of the country’s busiest airports yesterday after a passenger jet overshot the runway when landing during a rainstorm, officials said. The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said Davao International Airport in the south of the country would be closed until Monday evening while authorities removed the Cebu Pacific Airbus A320 plane.

The jet, with 165 people aboard, “veered off to the right of the runway” shortly after landing on Sunday night from Manila, the company said. “All the passengers were safe,” airline spokeswoman Candice Iyog said. “We do not know exactly what caused the

airplane to swerve, but we are cooperating with the accident investigators.”

However Father Joel Tabora, president of the Jesuit-run Ateneo de Davao University, charged that Cebu Pacific had endangered its passengers, including Ateneo faculty and students, during the emergenc y because of alleged incompetence.

“The Cebu Pacific personnel failed to give humane assistance to passengers,” Tabora said in a statement. “No instructions were given, no calming words were spoken.”In a notice to airlines, the civil aviation office said the airport would be closed until Monday evening, when ground crew would likely be able to pull the jet from the

runway. “The nose wheel of the aircraft collapsed, but its two landing gears appear to be in order with its left engine visibly damaged,” it said.

It added that four of the passengers on board had been infants. Cebu Pacific’s Iyog said the airline had cancelled 20 flights for the day, while rival Philippine Airlines (PAL) had cancelled 11. Hundreds of passengers were stuck at the airport as a result of the closure, forcing PAL to offer land transfers to another airpor t four hours away. Davao International Airpor t is the main gateway to Mindanao, the country’s main southern island. It is designed to handle about two million passengers annually.—AFP

DAVAO: A Cebu Pacific Airbus A320 plane sits on the grassy part of the runway of the international airport at Davao city, on the southern island of Mindanao yesterday. — AFP

China, India, Pakistan boost nuclear arsenals China now has 250 nuclear warheads; Pakistan 120 STOCKHOLM: Three of the world’s nuclear powers-China, India and Pak istan-have increased their arsenals over the past year, while the other five have cut their strength or kept it stable, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said yesterday. China now has 250 nuclear warheads against 240 in 2012, while Pakistan has increased its warheads by about 10 to between 100 and 120 and India has also added roughly 10 for a total of 90 to 110, SIPRI said in its annual report.

According to SIPRI, the arms race is all the more disturbing because of what the institute called a “fragile” peace in Asia, characterized by growing tensions since 2008 between India and Pakistan, China and Japan, and the two Koreas, among others. “While states have avoided direct conflict with each other and have stopped supporting insurgent movements on each other’s territory, decades-old suspicions linger and economic integration has not been followed up with political integration,” SIPRI said. Only the two old superpowers have cut their warheads, Russia reducing its number

LAGHMAN: Afghan men offer funeral prayers near the bodies of 7 civilians killed, by a roadside bomb in the Alingar district of Laghman province yesterday. — AP

10 children killed in Afghan suicide attack near school KABUL: A suicide bomb attack targeting NATO and Afghan forces killed two foreign soldiers and 10 children who were heading home after school in eastern Afghanistan yesterday, officials said. One policeman was also killed and 15 other children were wounded in the attack near the school in Paktia province, the latest militant strike to cause civilian casualties in the 12-year war against the US-backed government. “A suicide bomber on a motorbike detonated his explosives in a crowded area outside the school,” Zalmai Uriakhail, the police chief of Paktia said.

“The children had finished their studies and they were heading home.”

Uriakhail said the attack happened in a market in Chamkani district at about 11:00 am after morning lessons. The interior ministry confirmed the attack and said 10 children and a policeman were killed, with 15 children injured. The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said two of its soldiers died in the attack. It did not release their nationalities in line with coalition policy.

“We can confirm there was a vehicleborne improvised explosive device (IED) attack on an ISAF convoy. Two ISAF service members were killed,” a coalition spokesman said. The attack came hours after a roadside bomb killed seven members of a family in Laghman province, also in east Afghanistan. Four women, two children and a man died when their car hit a Taleban-planted IED near the town of Mehtarlam, Sarhadi Zwak, the provincial administration spokesman, said.

The Taleban, who ruled Afghanistan

from 1996-2001, have repeatedly said they do not target civilians in their battle against President Hamid Karzai’s government and foreign troops. But their attacks often kill non-combatants. On Friday the insurgents issued a statement denying involvement in a suicide and gun attack on the International Committee of the Red Cross offices in the eastern city of Jalalabad. The statement repeated the declaration that the Taleban never target civilians.

Spokesmen for the insurgents were not immediately available to comment yesterday’s attacks.

Eastern Afghanistan is a key battleground in the conflict, with many militants using safe havens inside neighboring Pakistan to launch attacks against Afghan and foreign soldiers. For years leaders in Kabul and Islamabad have traded accusations of blame over the Islamist extremists, who cross the porous border with impunity. There are presently around 100,000 international troops fighting the Taleban, with Afghan soldiers and police gradually taking over security responsibilities ahead of the withdrawal of all NATO combat troops next year. The Taleban did claim responsibility for a major attack 10 days ago on central Kabul that left one policeman, two civilians and all four militants dead. The assault targeted a International Organization for Migration compound, but the Taleban said it was a guest house allegedly used

by Afghan and US intelligence staff. The Taleban announced their annual “spring offensive” at the end of April, opening a crucial period as local security forces take the lead in the fight against the insurgents.— AFP

Singapore jails professor in sex-for-grades scandal SINGAPORE: A law professor was sentenced to five months in jail in Singapore yesterday for obtaining sexual favors and gifts from a female student in exchange for better grades.

Former National University of Singapore (NUS) professor Tey Tsun Hang, 42, will also pay a penalty for the gifts he had received, Judge Tan Siong Thye ruled. Tey, who is married with a daughter, was found guilty last Tuesday of six charges of corruption over his relationship with his then-student Darinne Ko in 2010.

Local media reported that she is now 23 and working in a law firm. After the verdict, the NUS announced that it had terminated Tey’s employment. Dressed in a white shirt and black tie, Tey folded his arms and mumbled to himself as the judge read out the grounds for sen-

tencing. He was handcuffed and led away by police officers after the court session ended. Judge Tan said Tey “chose to be corrupt” and “exploited” his student, obtaining sexual favors and receiving gifts that included tailored shirts and a limited-edition pen.

Ko got pregnant during their affair and paid for her own abor tion, the judge said. “The corrupt actions of the accused were premeditated and carried out on several occasions. He clearly and systematically took advantage of his student,” the judge said. “As an educator, he was in a position of trust and responsibility. He belonged to a public body that provided tertiary education to the people of Singapore,” he added. Defense lawyer Peter Low filed an appeal immediately and Tey was granted bail at Sg$150,000 (US$120,000).— AFP

from 10,000 to 8,500, and the United States scaling back from 8,000 to 7,700. The warheads controlled by France stayed at 300, while Britain’s remained at 225, and Israel’s at 80.

SIPRI acknowledged that the figures were to a large extent estimates, as the nuclear powers aren’t equally transparent, China being totally opaque, and Russia gradually becoming less open.

SIPRI does not count North Korea and Iran as nuclear powers yet, as their respective programs are still considered in their early stages.

While the global total of warheads was down, SIPRI said it did not translate into a significantly diminished nuclear threat. “Once again there was little to inspire hope that the nuclear weapon-possessing states are genuinely willing to give up their nuclear arsenals. The long-term modernization programs under way in these states suggest that nuclear weapons are still a marker of international status and power,” said SIPRI Senior Researcher Shannon Kile.

Efforts to reduce arsenals of chemical and biological weapons have also been slow,

according to SIPRI, a long-time advocate of abolishing weapons of mass destruction. The United States and Russia have not destroyed all their chemical weapons in 2012 as promised, and Syria has said it is prepared to use them in the case of foreign attack. SIPRI figures also show that the number of peacekeepers deployed around the world fell by more than 10 percent in 2012, reflecting partly the beginning withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan.

SIPRI noted an increase in recent years in the number of intrastate conflicts that are internationalized, as outside states have supported one side or another. “Such involvement often has the effect of increasing casualty rates and prolonging conflicts,” SIPRI said in its report.

SIPRI’s annual report also contains data already published, including figures showing a decline in global arms spending in 2012 of 0.5 percent, the first drop since 1998. The report also said China has overtaken Britain as the world’s fifth largest arms exporter after the United States, Russia, Germany and France.— AFP

Newspapers consider paywalls for survival BANGKOK: Global newspaper chiefs have some rare good news to share after years of slumping print sales and advertising revenues-readers appear increasingly willing to pay for online news. More than 1,500 newspaper editors and other media figures are meeting in Bangkok this week as papers continue to shed readers-at least in the older marketsand the shift to the Internet draws more “eyeballs” but lower ad rates. Press freedom, journalist safety, the use of new technology and future trends in print and advertising will also be discussed at the four-day annual World Newspaper Congress, which runs until June 5.

The issue of charging readers for web and mobile content looms largest, with editors casting an envious eye at media groups which have successfully implemented “paywalls” after years of giving away news for free. “The general impression was that it would be impossible to reverse the culture of free (online) content... that people will never pay for it,” said Gilles Demptos of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers. “The great news is, that is changing dramatically,” he added, citing the boom in paid-for online subscriptions for the “highquality” journalism of the New York Times and Financial Times.

Last month the New York Times became the second most-read US daily newspaper, with a circulation of over 1 million. The figure was boosted by 325,000 new digital readers who have joined since a paywall was introduced in 2011. For $35 a month subscribers gain unlimited access to the New York Times’ website and mobile apps, while casual visitors to its website can still read 10 articles without charge per month. The paywall trend-either full or “metered”-has tentatively taken off across the world, although many publishers closely guard the numbers of paying subscribers signed up.

Newspapers have few choices as advertisers continue to baulk at spending on a diffuse online audience the sums which editors wantand need-to sustain quality journalism. WANIFRA said newspaper circulation had slumped by 13 per cent in North America over the last five years; nearly 25 percent in western Europe; and 27 percent in eastern Europe. But with Asian print circulation surging nearly 10 percent in that period, more than half the world’s adult population now read a daily newspaper, equating to 2.5 billion in print and more than 600 million in digital form, the study found.

In the US, where print advertising revenue has collapsed by 42 percent since 2008, publishing companies have been bold in embracing paywalls with the nation’s largest-Gannettcharging for access to all of its 80 websites.

“Hundreds of newspapers have taken the premium or fremium or metered route for making money from their online content,” WAN-IFRA president Jacob Mathew told delegates.

“No one knows which of these is the best route, but it’s heartening to note the impact that content paywalls are having on circulation revenues.” While that should be a harbinger of better times ahead, analysts say it is a model that may only buoy top-end titles such as the New York Times, even though just a

BANGKOK: Delegates from various media organizations visit the AFP exhibition displayed at the 65th World Newspaper Congress at a hotel in Bangkok yesterday. More than 1,000 publishers, editors and other figures from the media have gathered for the World Newspaper Congress taking place until tomorrow.— AFP fraction of its unique users now pay for con- stronger relationship with the public we tent. “There are many newspapers that are not serve”, Jarvis said, warning success in doing so very good that are trying to charge and I do will dictate the odds of long-term survival.

But it is not all doom and gloom for news not believe that will work,” said media commentator and blogger Jeff Jarvis, of the City chiefs, with many Asian print markets booming in parallel with their economies and University of New York.

Moreover, the newspaper industry’s “infatu- increasingly literate and aspirational populaation with paywalls” was encouraging it “to tions. “It’s still a growth market driven mainly replicate its old, industrial business models in by China, India and Indonesia,” said Pichai a new, digital reality”, he said, adding the real Chuensuksawadi editor-in-chief of Thailand’s problem remains a lack of “engagement” with Post Publishing, which counts the daily web communities. Those young, tech-savvy Bangkok Post in its stable. In neighboring communities are increasingly receiving their Myanmar, relaxed censorship following the information on reader-driven social news sites end of military rule has transformed the media such as BuzzFeed.com or Reddit, which says sector, with privately owned daily newspapers 70 million people visited its site last month. hitting the streets in April for the first time in Newspapers should prioritize “building a decades.— AFP

India now biggest source of migrants to Australia SYDNEY: India has become the leading source of permanent migrants to Australia for the first time, ahead of China, a government report showed yesterday. Reflecting the growing prominence of Asia to Australia, seven of the top 10 source countries during 2011-2012 were from the region, Australia’s Migration Trends study showed. “Between 1996 and 2011, Australia’s overseas-born population grew by more than 40 percent to reach six million,” said Immigration Minister Brendan O’Connor.

“This was more than double the rate for the Australian-born population and is essential in addressing the demographic challenges of an ageing population. “With the government’s strong emphasis on skilled migration, this sort of growth is also

crucial to ensuring depth in Australia’s labor force.” The number of permanent migrants from India was 29,018 in 2011/12, up 12.7 percent on the previous year.

China was number two as visa places fell from 29,546 to 25,509. During the same time British arrivals rose to 25,273 from 23,931 with the Philippines and South Africa four and five respectively. The report showed that during the past 15 years the number of Indian-born Australian residents increased four-fold while Chineseborn residents tripled. However, Britain remained the main birthplace of migrants, with 1.18 million calling Down Under home from a total population of 23 million. New Zealanders are the second biggest (564,920) followed by China (391,060).— AFP

14

ANALYSIS

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2013

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Issues

Evidence does not support fears of Islam in West

By Jocelyne Cesari hile scholarly work has debunked the idea of incompatibility of Islam with Western values, it has not really changed this dominant perception pervading political discourse and policy making. This notion of incompatibility between Islam and the West has actually intensified in the last 15 years, as the perception of Islam as the external enemy has combined with the fear of Islam within liberal Western democracies. The consequence is that Muslims are now seen by many as an internal and external enemy both in Europe and in the United States.

The persistence of the Islam versus West dichotomy has nothing to do with the quality of academic work, but rather the fact that this work is seldom utilised by political and cultural actors, not to mention media. Yet hope may lie in better understanding the social and cultural reality of Muslims that starkly contradicts the perceived divide namely that Muslims in the West are supportive of Western values and civic integration. In this regard, efforts could be made to familiarise citizens with this reality through different educational and cultural means.

My book Why the West Fears Islam: Exploration of Islam in Western Liberal Democracies (June 2013 by Palgrave McMillan) indicates a persistent predisposition in the West to link Islam to un-civic behaviour and to see assertive Muslims as internal enemies threatening national values and identities as well as external enemies at war with Western civilisation.

Intriguingly, there is no empirical evidence based on behaviours of Muslims in European countries or the United States that supports this fear. Actually, Muslim political practices are not different from their average fellow citizens. My investigation shows that in Europe and in the United States, Muslims express a greater trust in national institutions and democracy than their fellow citizens and that mosque attendance actually facilitates social and political integration.

Still, the construction of Muslims as the enemy within liberal democracies takes place in a preexisting environment influenced by history, adding the dimension of an internal enemy to the enduring feature of the external enemy. Muslims have been seen as “others” to the West since medieval times. More specifically, Western self-definition based on the concepts of progress, nation, rational individual and secularisation was built in opposition to Muslim empires. Europe’s relationship with the Ottoman Empire gradually established the East-West binary that had a decisive impact on world politics since the 19th Century.

In the United States, during the 20th and 21st Centuries, the perception of Islam as the external enemy traces back to the Iranian Hostage Crisis (1979 to 1981) and became more acute after 9/11 when Muslims came to be seen as internal enemies due to the fear of home grown terrorism. Many Muslims in post-WWII Europe have an immigrant background, and are currently estimated to constitute approximately five per cent of the European Union’s 425 million inhabitants. As immigrants, generations came with very low labour skills, unlike most Muslims in the United States who generally possess a high level of education and marketable skills.

Low levels of education and few job opportunities explain poor economic performance of Muslims in Europe.

Muslim immigrant populations across Europe are often concentrated in segregated, urban areas, which are plagued by delinquency, crime and deteriorated living conditions. There is a need across the Atlantic to rebuild national narratives to include Muslims and Islam as part of the memory and culture of the national communities they belong to. This can likely be done if Islam is disconnected from partisan interests and becomes a national cause for political, social and religious actors across the ideological spectrum.

The educational and political efforts of the last five decades to include African Americans into the US national narrative are a good illustration of such a collective effort.

In the case of Islam, it will require a coalition among religious actors from all faiths who can play a decisive role in promoting similarities between Islam and other monotheistic religions. This is a noble political task for the decades to come.

W

NOTE: Dr Jocelyne Cesari is Director of the Islam in the West program at Harvard University and a Senior Research Fellow at the Berkley Centre for Religion, Peace and World Affairs at Georgetown University — CGNews

All articles appearing on these pages are the personal opinion of the writers. Kuwait Times takes no responsibility for views expressed therein. Kuwait Times invites readers to voice their opinions. Please send submissions via email to: opinion@kuwaittimes.net or via snail mail to PO Box 1301 Safat, Kuwait.

The editor reserves the right to edit any submission as necessary.

Islamic banks flourish in secular Turkey

By Steve Dorsey nce a negligible sliver of the banking industry, Islamic financial institutions which keep within Islamic sharia law, are now gaining support in Turkey, a secular republic since its founding in 1923.

Last month the Turkish government - controlled by the conservative Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) - issued banking licenses to two new Islamic banks. The licensing is a move to expand socalled “participation banks” that use Sharia-compliant financial methods, like not charging interest. Islamic banks also avoid investments in products that are not halal (permissible according to sharia law), or involve alcohol or gambling.

The new banks will join four Islamic banks that comprised more than 5% of the Turkish banking sector.

That is leaps and bounds from where the Islamic banks’ piece of the Turkish banking sector was when it emerged in the 1980s.struggling for attention. “It always had a small share,” Atilla Yesilada, an Istanbulbased consultant with Global Source Partners, an economic and political consultancy firm.

The original creation of the Islamic banks in the 1980s was part of an effort to liberalize the country’s economy. Turkish clients initially viewed the banks with skepticism as being linked to the Arab world. The government was also far from supportive of the banks, according to Yesilada. Changes in Turkey’s economy and politics since 2002 when AKP took power, however, have helped the sector to grow. After the 2001

O

Turkish economic crisis, sweeping banking reforms were passed to give the state more control of the private banking sector. The resulting regulations helped open access and credit to Islamic banks, Yesilada said.

They offered an alternative to conventional banks.

Certain investments in participation banks also became insurable under Turkish law.

Economic analysts viewed the changes as a defining moment for Islamic banks. Following the reforms and economic collapse of 2001, Islamic banks’ assets in Turkey increased five times over, Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan said in a speech last September at a financial conference in Malaysia. The growth in market shares follows a 2005 law that helped open the doors to the expansion of par ticipation banks.

Regardless, Yesilada sees the role of the new banks as purely financial. “This is not an ideology matter, this is a business matter,” he said. “As long as money comes in, no one questions if there are any political motivations.”

Indeed, deposits and investments in the Islamic banking institutions continue, so much so that Islamic banks are expected to nearly double their share of the sector in Turkey by 2018, according to a May 2013 report from Kuwait-based Islamic investment research firm KHF Research. The banks have also become popular with those uncomfortable with traditional ones.

“For the Muslims, it is a system in line with their faith, so they feel comfortable engaging in business transactions that do not include speculation and other types of services that the Quran...and sunnah which includes

the sayings and practices of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), have clearly prohibited,” Muhammad Jameel Yusha’u, from the Saudi Arabia-based Islamic Development Bank of which Turkey is a member, told The Media Line.

The banks may also prove attractive to others as well. “For non-Muslims who partake in Islamic banking it fits in with ethical ways of conducting businesses...let alone those who fear running out of business or at worst losing their business and remain indebted by having to still pay the interest incurred,” Yusha’u said. The worldwide economic meltdown in 2008, which led to significant international banking and economic reform worldwide, also brought more depositors to the perceived security and integrity of Islamic banks, according to Yusha’u. In one 18-month period ending in March 2012 Islamic banks in the Gulf region of the Middle East grew at double the rate of conventional banks, according to a report by “The Financial Times.”

Meanwhile, Turkish regulatory and economic officials have begun to steer state investments away from the West. The European Union remains Turkey’s largest trading partner, but government officials have grown increasingly interested in diversifying to emerging markets throughout the Middle East and Africa. That is in line with the lure of Islamic banks as Turkey looks to the East, Yesilada said. That means that what initially put off Turks when Islamic banks emerged in Turkey interest in the Arab world - may be what is now boosting their popularity. — Media Line

EU deal puts onus on Hollande to reform

By Paul Taylor and Mark John Franco-German deal to strengthen the euro zone has ended months of bickering between Paris and Berlin and raised the onus on French President Francois Hollande to embark on potentially explosive social and economic reforms. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Europe’s most powerful politician, made a string of symbolic concessions to France in joint proposals for closer economic policy coordination outlined last week, in return for a clear commitment to reform. She did so because bolstering the stagnant French economy has become a top German priority. “If France weakens further, it endangers the foundations of the euro,” a senior German official said.

Departing from past positions, Merkel accepted a full-time president of the Eurogroup of euro area finance ministers, more frequent summits of euro zone leaders, greater coordination of social and tax policy, a slowdown in the pace of deficit reduction and a commitment to reciprocity in EU external trade.

Furthermore, she cleared the way for the next stage of a European banking union by accepting a “resolution board” that will be empowered to take decisions on restructuring or winding up failed banks, financed by contributions from the banking sector and backstopped by the euro zone’s rescue fund.

And she accepted all this could happen without treaty change and without transferring new powers to the executive European Commission. “The Germans were so worried by the weakness of France that they have revised their strategy and decided they have to help France,” said Jean-Dominique Giuliani, president of the pro-European Robert Schuman Foundation in Paris. “On paper, Merkel made a lot of concessions to France, but by doing so she has given Hollande the face-saving political cover he needs to move ahead with reforms that are extremely sensitive, especially for the left,” he said.

The Socialist president promised to use the extra two-year leeway for reducing France’s budget deficit granted by EU authorities to reform the pension system, welfare benefits and tax breaks in negotiation with unions and employers. Whether a Franco-German deal on Europe will make it easier for Hollande to overcome resistance to entitlement reforms from organised labour, the left and the street remains to be seen.

By ruling out new powers for Brussels or an early drive for European fiscal union that would require a new EU treaty, the conservative Merkel may also have changed tack for domestic reasons ahead of September’s German general election. Berlin officials now acknowledge there is almost as little enthusiasm in Germany as in France for ceding sovereignty over national budgets to the Commission, and no appetite for treaty change among euro zone partners.

Moving forward pragmatically through inter-governmental cooperation is hence more realistic and offers a way to skirt a potential British veto on any treaty amendment as London

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seeks to force a return of EU powers to national capitals. “There is real convergence between France and Germany on the need to give structure to this governance - which is relatively new,” said a diplomatic source in Hollande’s office. Berlin long suspected France of raising the subject only to try and exert influence on the European Central Bank, while Paris suspected Berlin of pushing a federalist agenda, he said.

Merkel’s gesture to Hollande was preceded by a spate of German visitors - including Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, Economics Minister Philipp Roesler and Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann - who delivered the same message: Germany needs a strong France and does not want to lead Europe on its own. Alarm at France’s accelerating loss of economic competitiveness, expressed bluntly in private, finds public expression in statements by German policymakers that they are confident France will make the necessary reforms. As the Germans see it, Hollande understands what reforms are necessary but has to convince a domestic audience that is under the false impression that enough has already been done.

Merkel’s Paris concessions reflect a strong desire to avoid being seen as the sole driver of unpopular austerity policies. In the same vein, Germany has launched bilateral initiatives with Portugal, Spain and Italy to help overcome high youth unemployment. The European Commission, relieved to see the main motor of European integration spring back into life after stalling during Hollande’s first year in office, welcomed the Franco-German paper as giving momentum to its own blueprint for pulling Europe out of crisis. “Many of the ideas mentioned in this contribution from France and Germany indeed reflect existing Commission proposals,” Commission spokeswoman Pia Ahrenkilde-Hansen said.

Brussels was particularly pleased to see Berlin and Paris break a deadlock on a joint banking resolution mechanism ahead of this month’s EU summit, which is due to approve detailed plans for a single European banking supervisor from 2014. Euro zone policymakers see incremental progress towards a banking union as the best way to strengthen the currency area and rebut criticism that Europe has gone back to slow-motion business as usual now that bond market pressure has eased. Ahrenkilde-Hansen was less enthusiastic about the idea of giving the Eurogroup a permanent head and secretariat, which would likely rival the Commission’s own role over time, saying it was the not the first time such proposals had been made.

For Hollande, being seen to stand up to Brussels is a political precondition for pressing ahead with unpopular reforms of pensions, welfare benefits and labour markets, French officials say. That may explain an uncharacteristic outburst in response to the Commission’s economic policy recommendations last week, in which he said the EU executive could not “dictate” to France how it went about reforms. The president faces resistance from within his own Socialist Party at a June 1516 conference, as well as on the hard left from firebrand presi-

dential contender Jean-Luc Melenchon, Communists, Trotskyists and trade unions. He also has to guard against losing more working class votes to the far-right National Front, which advocates dumping the euro, leaving the European Union and closing French borders to immigrants and some imports.

Leftists were angered by his praise for former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s tough welfare reforms in a speech at the Social Democratic Party’s 150th anniversary congress in Leipzig last month. “The Schroeder speech hurt Socialists subconsciously,” said Marie-Noelle Lienemann, a leftwing Socialist critic of European economic policies. “But we are not here to judge Francois Hollande; our job is to apply political pressure so that the president hears us and acts.” —Reuters

NEWS

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2013

A Pakistani folk artist breathes fire as he performs at the Margalla Festival 2013, which began at the Arts and Crafts Village in Islamabad on Sunday. Many renowned artists will perform at the festival, which provides an opportunity for city residents to observe national heritage and culture. — AFP

119 killed in China poultry plant fire Continued from Page 1 The cause was not immediately clear, but state broadcaster CCTV said eyewitnesses had heard a blast and suspected a chemical leak. CCTV also said on its Weibo account that the blaze might have started with an electric spark in the plant. Six hours after the 6:00 am fire broke out it had largely been brought under control, CCTV said, but Xinhua added that firefighters were still working to extinguish it entirely. CCTV showed the plant surrounded by red fire engines, with its roof apparently burnt away to reveal charred black girders.

A dramatic photo taken earlier and posted on a Hong Kong-based online news portal showed dense clouds of black smoke several times higher than the low-rise plant. A bright blaze could be seen inside a row of windows in one part of the processing plant. The image could not be independently verified, although the building looked similar to the one shown by CCTV.

Photos from Xinhua showed charred walls and rooftops at the plant, with a row of fire engines standing by.

The Jilin Baoyuanfeng Poultry Company, which began operations in 2009, employs 1,200 people and produces 67,000 tonnes of chicken products per year, Xinhua said. China News Service said that as of the end of 2010 it had sales of 230 million yuan ($38 million).

Workplace safety standards can be poor in China. Fatal accidents happen regularly at mines and factories, with some blaming lax enforcement of rules. But loss of life is rarely on such a scale as the Jilin fire. A major blaze at a Shanghai apartment building in 2010 left 58 people dead, while a shopping mall fire in Jilin killed 53 people in 2004.

In some cases owners or company officials have been arrested as a result of workplace accidents. No arrests were immediately reported and Xinhua said an investigation into the cause had begun. Company representatives could not be reached for comment. — AFP

Iraq warns Israel on using airspace BAGHDAD: Baghdad has warned Israel that it would respond to any attempts by the Jewish state to use Iraqi airspace for a strike against Iran’s controversial nuclear program, a top Iraqi minister told AFP. The remarks from Hussein Al-Shahristani, deputy prime minister responsible for energy affairs, mark the first time a senior Iraqi official has publicly warned Israel against entering its airspace the most direct route - to hit targets in Iran. Shahristani also said that Iraq had received assurances from Washington that the United States would not use its airspace to attack Iran, which Western powers believe is trying to develop a nuclear weapon. Tehran has repeatedly denied the claim.

“The (Americans) have assured us that they will never violate Iraqi airspace or Iraqi sovereignty by using our airspace to attack any of our neighbours,” Shahristani said in an interview in his office in Baghdad’s heavily-fortified Green Zone. “We have also warned Israel that if they violate Iraqi airspace, they will have to bear the consequences.” The minister said that the issue had been discussed in Iraq’s national security council, and the warning had been passed to Israel “through countries that they have relations with”. Asked how Iraq would react to any such Israeli attempt to target Iran’s nuclear program, Shahristani said: “Obviously, Iraq wouldn’t be disclosing its reaction, to allow Israel to take that into account.”

Western powers led by Washington along with Israel are at loggerheads with Iran over allegations that its nuclear programme is aimed at developing an atomic weapon. Tehran has repeatedly rejected the charges, and in turn accuses its arch-foes Israel and the United States of waging a deadly campaign of sabotage against its disputed nuclear program, which it insists is for peaceful purposes. Israel, the Middle East’s sole if undeclared nuclear-

armed state, has refused to rule out military action against Iran.

Shahristani said a similar policy applied to the use of Iraq’s airspace for any military action in neighbouring Syria, where rebels have fought a bloody civil war against the regime of President Bashar Al-Assad since 2011. Iraq has sought to avoid publicly taking sides between Assad and those opposed to his rule, fearful of a violent spillover of the conflict in Syria, with which it shares a 600-km border.

But Baghdad has been accused by the United States of turning a blind eye to Iranian flights through its airspace carrying military equipment for Assad’s regime.

International powers have imposed biting sanctions on Iran in a bid to force it to cooperate and open up its nuclear program for more invasive investigations, but Shahristani said that because of Iraq’s economic ties with its eastern neighbour, it would only abide by UN sanctions, and not those implemented by Washington and Europe.

He pointed in particular to Iraq’s need for gas imports from Iran in order to fuel its power stations, with the country attempting to rebuild its badly-damaged electricity infrastructure. “Iraq has its own national interest,” he said.

“Power generation is very critical ... and there is no way we can fuel our new power stations, that are being constructed and will be ready before the end of the year, without having gas from Iran. We expect the US, as our ally, to understand the need of the Iraqi people for power generation. If any friend can make the gas available from other sources, by all means, we would be very happy to consider that option. “But, given our geographical location, the only gas available to Iraq is from Iran now, and we have explained this to our American friends.” — AFP

floods sweep central Europe Continued from Page 1

DEHUI, China: Chinese firefighters evacuate an injured worker from the Baoyuan poultry plant that caught fire in northeast China’s Jilin province yesterday. — AFP

MP demands details on $4bn loan to Russia Continued from Page 1 cope with the soaring cost of living. A number of other MPs had even proposed the number of children should not be limited.

Head of the committee MP Youssef Al-Zalzalah said the decision will cost the government a one-off payment of KD 825 million to the Public Institution for Social Security, the pension fund. Zalzalah said the committee also approved amendments to the so-called defaulters fund which provides assistance to Kuwaiti debtors who face difficulty in repaying their loans. He said the panel agreed that banks and financial companies should return to debtors any interest charged above four percent.

In another development, with just two weeks left for the crucial ruling of the constitutional court on the amendment to the electoral law, the opposition stepped up its campaign to warn of the far-reaching consequences of the ruling, especially if the court

upholds the amendment. Last week, about 30 former opposition MPs vowed that they will not contest any future elections on the basis of the amendment that reduced the number of candidates a voter can pick from four to just one.

Former Assembly speaker Ahmad Al-Saadoun yesterday reiterated that he will not contest the election on the basis of the single-vote law, warning that confirming the amendment would amount to abolishing of the constitution and will lead to unmeasured reactions. He said that the issue is not winning a parliamentary seat but it is not acceptable to participate in elections in which its legislation had been prepared by the government to manipulate the outcome.

Former MP Osama Al-Shaheen meanwhile said that upholding the electoral law amendment will give the government a green light to seize the legislative authority from the Assembly. The opposition meanwhile is continuing with a program of rallies and gatherings to shed light over the ruling scheduled to be issued on June 16.

Czech rescue crews were searching for four more people believed to have died in floodwaters that cut power to tens of thousands of households. The heavy rainfall has triggered nightmarish memories of the 2002 floods that killed dozens in the region including 17 in the Czech Republic alone. The Czech government declared a state of emergency Sunday, deploying 2,000 troops in its rescue drive as more than 7,000 people were evacuated from their homes, officials said.

A house collapse claimed two lives south of Prague, while an electrician was killed trying to switch off a transformer as a precaution, and three men drowned in rivers or drains around the country, police said. “You realise here what nature can do. How helpless we really are despite having all our technology,” Prague pensioner Helena Holubova said, watching the water rise from a bridge over the Vltava in central Prague. With Prague’s 14th-century Charles Bridge under threat, a 25-tonne excavator was at work throughout the day Monday to remove debris piling up around the structure.

Nikol Voborilova, a worker at a riverside restaurant in Prague, told AFP: “We are closed for now, we’ve moved the equipment out and we have 30-40 centimetres of water inside.” The river was expected to peak in the capital today. Thousands of households were hit with power outages, while fallen trees snarled rail traffic across western regions of the Czech Republic.

Flooding also deluged neighbouring Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Two people were reported dead

in Austria and another person died in Switzerland. “We’re in shock. We had to leave home in the blink of an eye,” a woman in the eastern German city of Dresden which had been severely damaged in 2002 told the NTV channel. She and her baby spent the night at a community centre, like thousands of others evacuated in the eastern region of Saxony, where rescue efforts by police and soldiers were being hampered by power outages. Some 2,500 people were evacuated from hard-hit Grimma, near Leipzig. Two people were reported missing in Germany. German Chancellor Angela Merkel was due to visit flood-hit regions today.

In Austria, hundreds were evacuated as landslides threatened their homes, mostly around the western city of Salzburg and in the north. Authorities in Austria warned that the Danube and the Inn rivers could surpass levels from 2002, when the country suffered up to Ä7.5 billion ($9.8 billion) in damage. Water levels on the Danube, Inn and Ilz rivers, which meet in the German city of Passau, have already surpassed records from 2002 and 1954. “A lot of people who already had to cope with major flooding in 2002 are refusing to leave their homes,” Passau mayor Juergen Duppen told Germany’s N24 TV channel.

In Hungary, whose capital Budapest is also built on the banks of the Danube, state media quoted Gyorgy Bakondi, head of the National Disaster Authority, as saying that 400 people were work ing on flood defences. He said water levels in the river could reach or even exceed the height seen in the record flooding in 2002. — Agencies

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2013

S P ORTS Atletico sign Baptistao MADRID: Atletico Madrid have moved to fill the gap left by the exit of Colombia striker Radamel Falcao by signing promising Brazilian forward Leo Baptistao from La Liga rivals Rayo Vallecano.

Baptistao, who is 20 years-old and has an Italian passport, has agreed a five-year deal, Atletico said on their website (www.clubatleticodemadrid.com) yesterday.

Baptistao made 28 appearances for Rayo last season, scoring seven goals and helping the modest Madrid-based club finish in eighth place.

Falcao last week sealed a move to ambitious French club Monaco for a reported fee of more than 50 million euros ($65 million). Atletico did not disclose financial details of the deal to sign Baptistao, who is valued at six million euros on transfermarkt.com, a website that tracks soccer transfers. —Reuters

Carter a doubt for opener WELLINGTON: All Blacks flyhalf Dan Carter has cracked a bone in his right hand and is doubtful for the opening test in the three-match series against France next weekend, the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) said yesterday.

The 2012 World Player of the Year sustained the injury playing for the Canterbury Crusaders in their Super Rugby victory over the New South Wales Waratahs at the weekend and a decision on his availability will be made later in the week.

Aaron Cruden is most likely to replace Carter should he be ruled out the test at Eden Park after some fine performances for the Waikato Chiefs this year and Wellington Hurricane Beauden Barrett, a solid place-kicker, also in the squad.

“It’s only a crack, it’s not completely broken, not displaced,” All Blacks coach Steve Hansen told local media. “We’ll see how the swelling goes and make a decision on that late in the week... We’re very fortunate we’ve got people like Crudes and Barrett available.”

Props Tony Woodcock, Owen Franks and Ben Afeaki were also carr ying injuries, the NZRU said, so uncapped Crusaders loosehead Joe Moody has been called into the squad as cover.—Reuters

Cleveland 5, Tampa Bay 0; Minnesota 5, Seattle 4; St. Louis 8, San Francisco 0; Detroit 10, Baltimore 3; Kansas City 4, Texas 1 (10 innings); Milwaukee 4, Philadelphia 3; Oakland 4, Chicago White Sox 3 (10 innings); Colorado 7, LA Dodgers 6 (10 innings); Miami 8, NY Mets 1; Boston 11, NY Yankees 1; Atlanta 2, Washington 1 (10 innings); Arizona 12, Chicago Cubs 4; Cincinnati 2, Pittsburgh 0; St. Louis 7, San Francisco 1; Houston 2, LA Angels 0; San Diego 4, Toronto 3.

GB 2 2.5 3 10.5 0.5 .453 5.5 6.5 2 9.5 10.5 15.5

National League Eastern Division Atlanta 33 22 .600 Washington 28 28 .500 Philadelphia 26 30 .464 NY Mets 22 31 .415 Miami 15 41 .268 Central Division St. Louis 37 18 .673 Cincinnati 35 21 .625 Pittsburgh 34 22 .607 Chicago Cubs 23 31 .426 Milwaukee 21 33 .389 Western Division Arizona 31 24 .564 Colorado 29 27 .518 San Francisco 29 27 .518 San Diego 26 29 .473 LA Dodgers 23 31 .426

5.5 7.5 10 18.5 2.5 3.5 13.5 15.5 2.5 2.5 5 7.5

BALTIMORE: JJ Hardy No. 2 of the Baltimore Orioles takes a swing during a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers. —AFP

Orioles see off Tigers BALTIMORE: Chris Davis hit his major leagueleading 20th homer to ignite a three-run seventh inning, as the Baltimore Orioles got a strong pitching performance from rookie Kevin Gausman in a 4-2 comeback victory over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday. Nate McLouth drove in the go-ahead run for the Orioles, who took two of three from Detroit.

Baltimore also rallied on Friday after trailing by two runs in the ninth. Prince Fielder homered and scored both runs for the Tigers, who have lost five of six. Rick Porcello (2-3) lost for the first time in seven starts since April 20.

Gausman pitched six impressive innings.

He struck out Miguel Cabrera and got the Tigers star to hit into a pair of double plays.

Brian Matusz (2-0) got the win despite giving up a run in the seventh, Darren O’Day worked the eighth and Jim Johnson got three outs for his 18th save.

RED SOX 3, YANKEES 0 In New York, Clay Buchholz allowed two hits in an abbreviated shutout and Boston got home runs from David Ortiz and Jose Iglesias in a victory over New York that was stopped after 51/2 innings because of rain.

Buchholz (8-0) outpitched Hiroki Kuroda and was pulled after the second of three weather delays. Red Sox reliever Andrew Miller was announced into the game and was warming up on the mound when play was abruptly halted again, but Buchholz would be credited with a complete game because Miller never faced a batter, according to official scorer Jordan Sprechman.

Just before that, the game had resumed for all of 4 minutes before heavy rain returned. Boston took two of three at Yankee Stadium for the second time this season and left town with a 21/2-game lead in the AL East over Baltimore. The Yankees fell into a third-place tie with Tampa Bay, three games back. New York has lost seven of eight and nine of 12.

ATHLETICS 2, WHITE SOX 0 In Oakland, Josh Donaldson’s sixth-inning sacrifice fly ended a career-best 28-inning scoreless streak by Chicago starter Chris Sale.

Jarrod Parker (4-6) hung tough in an impressive pitcher’s duel with Sale to win back-to-

DUBAI: Former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has resigned as technical director of Dubai-based Al Nasr to return to club coaching, according to local media reports yesterday.

The 65-year-old Swede was expected to take over from Al Nasr coach Walter Zenga after the former Italy goalkeeper’s contract was terminated on Saturday.

However, Eriksson said he was leaving too, with local media linking him to Chinese Super League Club Guangzhou R&F. “I’m leaving Al Nasr, and Dubai,” Eriksson was quoted as saying by The National newspaper.

“I have done what I set out to do: I looked at football schools, academies and the first team, and I’ve given my advice on everything, such as how to get the best out of the academy and other details.

“So that part of the job is done. Now it’s up to the club to do it or not. But from my side it’s done,” said the Swede who joined the club in January on an 18-month contract. On his future, Eriksson said: “I might also have a possibility to go back into coaching somewhere. You will know that in a couple of days.” Asked if it would take him to China, Eriksson replied: “Maybe, but there are other solutions.”—Reuters

Diamondbacks tame Cubs

MLB results/standings

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT Boston 34 23 .596 31 24 .564 NY Yankees Baltimore 31 25 .554 Tampa Bay 30 25 .545 Toronto 23 33 .411 Central Division Detroit 30 24 .556 30 25 .545 Cleveland Chicago White Sox 24 29 5.5 Minnesota 24 29 .453 Kansas City 23 30 .434 Western Division Texas 34 21 .618 33 24 .579 Oakland LA Angels 25 31 .446 Seattle 24 32 .429 Houston 19 37 .339

Eriksson ends Dubai stint

back starts for the first time this year. The right-hander matched his season high with seven strikeouts in 6 1-3 innings as Oakland won for the ninth time in 11 games. Sale (5-3) lost for the first time in six starts since an April 18 defeat at Toronto. The White Sox (24-30) lost their season-high sixth in a row and matched a season-worst by falling to six games below .500. Sale’s 28-inning stretch without allowing a run was the longest by a White Sox pitcher since Wilson Alvarez went 31 scoreless innings from Sept. 11-27, 1993.

ASTROS 5, ANGELS 4 In Anaheim, Carlos Pena and Carlos Corporan homered against C.J. Wilson and Houston extended its winning streak to a season-high five games.

Jordan Lyles (3-1) allowed two runs and six hits in 5 2-3 innings, struck out five and walked one. The 22-year-old right-hander, who was promoted from Triple-A on May 2, has a 1.90 ERA over his last four starts after giving up eight runs through four innings in a 12-7 loss against Texas. Wilson (4-4) gave up three runs and six hits in 7 1-3 innings with nine strikeouts and no walks.

RANGERS 3, ROYALS 1 In Arlington, Jurickson Profar hit a tiebreaking home run with two outs in the eighth inning. Texas starter Yu Darvish pitched seven shutout innings and left with a 1-0 lead. The 20-year-old Profar connected off JC Gutierrez (0-1) for his second homer, a solo shot that put Texas ahead 2-1. David Murphy added an RBI single later in the inning. Tanner Scheppers (4-0) got two outs in the eighth and Joe Nathan pitched a perfect ninth for his 17th save in 18 chances. Darvish allowed three hits, walked two and struck out six. Alex Gordon doubled in the Kansas City eighth and scored on a grounder to make it 1-all.

TWINS 10, MARINERS 0 In Minneapolis, Scott Diamond pitched six shutout innings and Josh Willingham hit one of Minnesota’s four home runs.

Chris Herrmann hit his first major league homer and Ryan Doumit and Brian Dozier also connected for the Twins. Willingham drove in three runs. — AP

CHICAGO: Patrick Corbin became the major leagues’ first nine -game winner, laboring through six inning Sunday in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ 8-4 win over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday. Corbin (9-0) allowed four runs and six hits, tying the team record for consecutive wins at the start of the season, set by Brandon Webb in 2008. The Diamondbacks are 11-0 in his starts. He hit two batters and walked two in a 33pitch first inning, when he walked Dioner Navarro with the bases loaded. Corbin minimized the damaged by retiring Cody Ransom on an inning-ending flyout to the warning track in center. Brad Ziegler, David Hernandez and Heath Bell combined for hitless relief. Edwin Jackson (18) gave up seven runs - five earned - a seasonhigh 12 hits, three walks and four wild pitches in 5 2-3 innings. Wil Nieves had three hits and two RBIs for Arizona.

Braves 6, Nationals 3 In Atlanta, BJ Upton and Ramiro Pena hit home runs and Paul Maholm won his third straight decision. The Braves won two of three from the Nationals and lead Washington by 6.5 games - the biggest advantage for any firstplace team in the majors.

The Nationals (28-29) fell below .500 for the first time since they were 13-14 on April 30. The Braves are 7-3 against Washington this season.

Ian Desmond hit a homer for Washington in the sixth inning to cut Atlanta’s lead to 4-3.

Freddie Freeman answered with a bases-loaded, two-run double in the bottom of the inning.

Paul Maholm (7-4) allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits in six innings. Craig Kimbrel pitched a perfect ninth for his 17th save.

Washington rookie Nathan Karns (0-1) gave up four runs, three earned, on seven hits in 4 2-3 innings. Karns allowed two homers. He has given up four homers in his two starts.

ROCKIES 7, DODGERS 2 In Denver, Dexter Fowler hit two homers off fill-in starter Matt Magill and Jorge De La Rosa pitched seven effective innings.

It was the second multi-homer game of the season for Fowler. Todd Helton and Michael Cuddyer added solo homers as the Rockies took two of three from Los Angeles.

De La Rosa (7-3) struggled early, but settled down as he allowed six hits and struck out five for his first career win against Los Angeles. He was 0-8 entering the game.

Magill (0-1) was recalled from Triple -A Albuquerque to step in for lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu, who was a late scratch with a bruised left foot.

Magill had a forgettable outing, giving up seven runs - six earned - in six innings. He also allowed four homers and walked nine, before being pulled for a pinch hitter after throwing 110 pitches.

PIRATES 5, REDS 4 In Pittsburgh, Travis Snider hit an RBI single with two outs in the 11th inning. Five Pittsburgh relievers combined for 10 scoreless innings.

Starter Jeanmar Gomez was removed with tightness in his right forearm after giving up four runs in the first. Reds shortstop Zack Cozart made a throwing error on Russell Martin’s one-out grounder in the 11th. After Pedro Alvarez walked, Jordy Mercer flied out before Snider then dropped a single into right-center off Alfredo Simon (4-2).

Garrett Jones tied the game for Pittsburgh with a long two-run homer with two outs in the eighth. Jones’ drive off Jonathan Broxton cleared the right-field stands, reached the Allegheny River on the fly and was estimated at 463 feet.

It was just the second homer to make it into

CHICAGO: Didi Gregorius No. 1 of the Arizona Diamondbacks forces out Darwin Barney No. 15 of the Chicago Cubs during the ninth inning. —AFP the river without bouncing and the first by a Pirates’ hitter. Daryle Ward hit the first on July 6, 2002, while playing for Houston. Justin Wilson (5-0) pitched two innings for the win.

pulled Milwaukee with two runs, and the Brewers had the bases loaded with two outs. But Bastardo got pinch-hitter Martin Maldonado to fly out to center to end the game.

GIANTS 4, CARDINALS 2 In St. Louis, Chad Gaudin picked up a win in his first start in over three years and Brandon Belt broke a tie with a two-run pinch-hit double to help end San Francisco seven-game road losing streak. Gaudin (1-1) went six innings in his first start since Sept. 28, 2009 as a member of the New York Yankees. He allowed four hits and two runs, both coming on a two-run homer by David Freese in the fourth. Gaudin is temporarily replacing Ryan Vogelsong in the rotation.

Vogelsong broke several bones in his right hand May 20. Pinch-hitter Belt slammed the first pitch from reliever Randy Choate into the gap in leftcenter to bring in Brandon Crawford and Gregor Blanco for a 4-2 lead in the seventh inning.

Crawford began the rally with a single off St. Louis rookie Tyler Lyons (2-1). Buster Posey, who entered the game in a 2 for20 skid, had four hits for the Giants.

MARLINS 11, METS 6 In Miami, Marcell Ozuna drove in four runs and Greg Dobbs hit a three-run homer to help the Miami Marlins complete a three-game sweep over New York.

Ed Lucas and Chris Coghlan each had four hits and two RBIs for the Marlins, who tied a season-high with 16 hits and swept the Mets in Miami for the first time since May 28-30, 2004.

It was the first sweep for Miami since taking three from Philadelphia from June 29-July 1, 2012. Ike Davis homered and drove in three runs, and Lucas Duda and Omar Quintanilla also hit homers for New York, which came to Miami on a five-game winning streak including a four-game sweep over the Yankees. Mets starter Matt Harvey had a 1.85 ERA coming into the game, but battled through five innings allowing season-highs in hits (10) and runs (four) in his shortest start of the season. He walked five and struck out two. Still, Harvey left the game with a 6-4 lead and was relieved by Scott Rice (3-4), who issued three consecutive walks with one out in the sixth.

PHILLIES 7, BREWERS 5 In Philadelphia, Domonic Brown homered, tripled and drove in four runs to back up the effective pitching of Cliff Lee. Brown also singled and had a chance for the cycle when he came up in the seventh, but walked. He had three homers and eight RBIs against the Brewers in the weekend series.

Freddy Galvis went 2-for-4 with a triple and an RBI and Jimmy Rollins doubled and had two hits for the Phillies, who snapped a three-game losing streak and improved to 19-6 when scoring more than three runs. Cliff Lee (7-2) was practically unhittable through seven innings, allowing three hits with 11 strikeouts and no walks before running into trouble in the eighth when the Brewers scored four runs. Lee got two outs in the eighth before he was pulled. He gave up three runs and seven hits total.

Jonathan Lucroy hit a three-run triple and Jeff Bianchi went 2-for-4 with an RBI for the Brewers.

Antonio Bastardo earned his first save in three chances with a shaky ninth. Bianchi’s RBI single

INTERLEAGUE BLUE JAYS 7, PADRES 4 In San Diego, Mark DeRosa hit a go-ahead homer into the second deck in left field leading off the 11th inning and Toronto beat San Diego to avoid a three-game sweep.

It was the second extra-inning game of the series. The Padres won Friday night’s game 4-3 in 17 innings. Blue Jays starter Ramon Ortiz left in the third inning after appearing to hurt his right elbow. DeRosa drove a 3-1 pitch from Brad Boxberger (0-1) an estimated 428 feet, his fourth.

It was the first of five straight hits opening the three-run inning. The Blue Jays’ second run that inning came in on third baseman Chase Headley’s throwing error and Jose Bautista hit an RBI double. Casey Janssen (1-0) pitched the 10th for the win. Aaron Loup pitched the 11th for his second save. AP

Hamburg win handball title COLOGNE: HSV Hamburg won their maiden Champions League handball title after a thrilling 30-29 extra-time win over the competition’s eight-time winners Barcelona on Sunday.

The German side came out on top in an absorbing contest with their second upset of the Final Four tournament, having brushed aside compatriots and last season’s winners THW Kiel 39-33 in Saturday’s semi-final. Goalkeeper Johannes Bitter was instrumental in Hamburg’s success with two outstanding saves in the final minute after the competition’s top scorer Hans Lindberg converted a penalty to take his tally to 101 goals.

Roared on by the bulk of 20,000 fans crammed in the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Hamburg battled back from a two-goal halftime deficit and seemed on course to win the tie in regular time after taking a 24-20 lead with six minutes left on the clock.

Led by Belarus left back Siarhei Rutenka, the game’s top scorer with eight goals, Barcelona forced the additional 10 minutes but could not find a way past Bitter after Lindberg rifled in his sixth from the seven-metre line.

Earlier on Sunday, Polish title holders Vive Targi Kielce, who were beaten by Barcelona 28-23 in the other semifinal, edged Kiel 31-30 to finish third in their first Final Four appearance.—Reuters

COLOGNE: Hamburg’s players celebrate with the trophy after winning the EHF Final Four Handball Champions League Final match FC Barcelona and HSV Hamburg. —AFP

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2013

S P ORTS

Pacers, Heat to meet in final Game 7 MIAMI: As the final horn in a Game 6 loss to the Indiana Pacers was sounding, LeBron James walked toward several of his Miami Heat teammates to shake some hands and share a couple of quick words. His message was clear: Get ready for Game 7.

Here comes the ultimate game. To the winner, a trip to the NBA Finals. To the loser, an offseason loaded with regret. It’s that simple now for the champion Heat and the confident Pacers, who meet in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals late yesterday in Miami - a perk the Heat earned by finishing with the league’s best record this season.

“Each and every year there are 30 teams that would love to be a part of this, to have one game to advance to the NBA Finals,” James said. “And there’s two teams that’s in this position. And it’s something that you can’t substitute, this feeling. You can’t substitute the atmosphere that we’re going to be in late yesterday for both teams. We should all cherish this moment.”

When it’s over late yesterday, only one club will be cherishing the outcome. For the Heat, it’s a chance to move into the

finals for the third straight year and keep hope alive of winning a second straight title. For the Pacers, it’s a chance to cap what would surely go into the books as one of the biggest upsets in NBA playoff history, considering that they finished 161/2 games behind the Heat in the regular season.

None of that matters much now. The Pacers have beaten Miami five of nine times this season. They need a sixth, or else it was all for naught.

“It is a closeout game and an elimination game,” Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. “Our approach right now is not if we lose we’re out - our approach is if we win, we get to the finals. And that’s what we’re going for. We’re going to give our best shot and try to win the Eastern Conference championship.”

Monday’s winner will open the NBA Finals on Thursday against San Antonio.

History suggests that the odds are long for the Pacers. Since the NBA went to its current playoff format in 1984, home teams are 16-2 in Game 7’s played in the conference finals or NBA Finals.

Then again, the Pacers were colossal underdogs heading into this series, and if

it wasn’t for a last-second collapse at the end of Game 1, they probably would already be East champs.

“It’s going to be tough in their arena,” Pacers guard Lance Stephenson said.

“We’ve just got to bring it. If we play aggressive like we do at home, we can get the ‘W.’” Indiana headed to Miami with enough luggage for an eight-day trip. If the Pacers win Game 7, they’re headed to San Antonio, with no time to make a return swing through Indianapolis along the way. “We believe we can win the series. We always have,” Vogel said. “We haven’t been perfect this series, but we’re going to need to be near perfect to win a Game 7 there.”

The Pacers had an off-the-court distraction to address Sunday. Center Roy Hibbert apologized and was fined $75,000 by the NBA after using a gay slur in his postgame comments on Saturday, along with a profanity to describe members of the media.

“They were disrespectful and offensive and not a reflection of my personal views,” Hibbert was quoted as saying in the statement released by the team. “I

used a slang term that is not appropriate in any setting, private or public, and the language I used definitely has no place in a public forum, especially over live television.” NBA Commissioner David Stern said the fine was necessary “to reinforce that such offensive comments will not be tolerated.” Vogel said he spoke with Hibbert about the matter Sunday, saying “he obviously made a great mistake.”

On the court, though, Hibbert has had nothing to apologize for, dominating play inside while the Heat are struggling in countless ways.

Dwyane Wade’s sore right knee which has been an issue for about three months now - is not getting better anytime soon, and he’s stopped even wanting to discuss how it’s affecting his game.

Chris Bosh said he needed to get back in the gym Sunday and regain some lost rhythm. Wade is averaging 12 points on 32 percent shooting in his last three games, Bosh just 6.3 points on 24 percent shooting in that same span.

“Just got to come out and play to win,” Wade said. “It’s one game for both teams.”

Said James, when asked about the other two parts of Miami’s Big Three: “I mean,

we can state the obvious. They’re both struggling.” They’re hardly the only Heat players who picked the wrong time of year to go into a slide. Ray Allen is shooting 13 for 46 in this series, Shane Battier is at 2 for 16, and they’re a combined 9 for 39 from 3-point range against the Pacers.

Mike Miller gave the Heat a big second-half boost as they tried to rally from a big deficit in Game 6, and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra suggested that Miller could get some time in the series finale.

“Everything is on the table,” Spoelstra said. One roster tweak the Heat will make late yesterday: Chris Andersen’s onegame suspension for pushing Indiana’s Tyler Hansbrough is now complete, and the Heat backup big man - who is 15 for 15 from the field in the series - will be available for Game 7. So even on the cusp of elimination Sunday, Spoelstra was decidedly upbeat.

He lauded the Pacers and insisted that this series going the distance is a testament to the level of competition. He said the Heat didn’t mind being pushed to the limit, and that his team would look at being in a Game 7 as “a treasure.”—AP

Kuchar wins Memorial

Denis Oswald

Oswald hopeful of more sports in 2020 Olympics BUENOS AIRES: International Olympic Committee (IOC) presidential hopeful Denis Oswald distanced himself from the body’s current leadership yesterday, saying wrestling’s 2020 Olympics exit could have been handled better and that more sports could join the Games.

The Swiss head of the international rowing federation, who as a long-time IOC Executive Board member was part of the decision-making process until 2012, said the IOC’s February exclusion of wrestling from the 2020 Games was not well handled.

The ancient sport, part of all Games since 1896 apart from the 1900 Olympics, would no doubt win back its Games spot after make a three-sport shortlist for inclusion in 2020, Oswald said.

Baseball/softball and squash are the other two shortlisted sports and the IOC will elect one winning sport at its session in Buenos Aires in September. IOC President Rogge said last week the organisation had made no mistake in the controversial affair.

“I am no longer on the Executive Board...but I must say I was very surprised that wrestling was eliminated,” Oswald, bidding against five other candidates for the presidency, told reporters on a telephone conference call from Lausanne.

“The (wrestling) federation maybe did not make the effort but I think there were other ways to warn them because wrestling is a basic sport (of the Games) and I am convinced they will come back.”

“We should consider that (the Olympic programme) with a more creative approach. We could have solved the problems if we had this more creative approach.”

Oswald said that despite an IOC cap of 28 sports he could see more sports joining in the future if existing ones reduced events that were not “universally” popular or the number of athletes.

The IOC started the process of revamping the Games to keep up with a younger audience but could now end up voting back in the same sport it excluded months ago and making no change to the Games programme from the 2020 Olympics onwards.

“What I propose is not to limit strictly at 28 sports but reduce the representation of some sports’ disciplines. Even in major sports there are some disciplines that are not universal,” he said without naming specific sports.

“A review in such a way can reduce events and athletes and make room for other sports,” he said. He rejected an idea for a united world championships of both Olympic and non-Olympic sports as announced by the new head of umbrella body SportAccord.

“I don’t think these proposals are realistic or can be implemented. It is no danger to the Games but it lessens the significance of the Games and we have to defend the position of Games being unique and special.” Oswald said he did not believe violent demonstrations in Turkey were hampering Istanbul’s bid to stage the 2020 Olympics, with Tokyo and Madrid also bidding.

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Turkey’s biggest cities over the weekend and clashed with riot police firing tear gas, leaving hundreds of people injured. The unrest was sparked by protests against government plans to redevelop Istanbul’s Taksim Square, long a rallying point for mass demonstrations, but widened into a broad show of defiance against the Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP).

“It is a protest that can happen in any democratic country. We will see how it develops, how important it is. We are still three months away but for the time being I don’t think it is a threat for the candidature,” he said. —Reuters

Viviani clinches Dauphine stage OYONNAX: Italian Elia Viviani of the Cannondale team outsprinted Belgium’s Gianni Meersman and Tony Gallopin of France to win the second stage of the Criterium du Dauphine after 191km from Chatel to Oyonnax yesterday. Canadian David Veilleux of Europcar, the first stage winner, retained the overall leader’s jersey. It was the 24-yearold Viviani’s first win this season and came after he twice finished second to sprint-king Mark Cavendish at last month’s Giro d’Italia.

With few top sprinters at the hilly, weeklong stage race, which serves as a key buildup to next month’s Tour de France, Viviani imposed himself easily in the sprint finish, helped by the fact the peloton was reduced in size due to the lumpy final 60km, which had removed French champion Nacer Bouhanni and Norwegian counterpart Thor Hushovd from the reckoning.

It was his participation in the Giro that Viviani believes gave him the edge over his rivals. “ The distance was an advantage.

Coming from the Giro, I had more reserves than the others,” said one of the new generation of Italian sprinters, hoping to fill the void left by greats Mario Cipollini and Alessandro Pettachi. “I came to the Dauphine for two rea-

sons, firstly so the team would have a leader as the others are riding the Tour of Switzerland, and also to have the chance of winning, which I had yet to do this season,” added Viviani. “At the Giro I was twice second behind Mark Cavendish, who was in great form. It was difficult to beat him but after the Giro I recovered well and remained concentrated.” On a stage including six categorised climbs, although none too taxing, a four-man breakaway tried their luck but Veilleux’s Europcar team never let them get too far down the road as they worked hard to keep hold of the leader’s jersey.

“My team-mates did a great job, I owe them one. We let a four-man break get away and we managed it well,” said the Canadian, who doesn’t expect to hold onto his lead for more than another 24 hours. “We hope to keep the jersey tomorrow ( Tuesday) but Wednesday’s time-trial, we’ll see.” In the finale, Cofidis team-mates Rudy Molard of France and Estonian Rein Taaramae both had a solo crack for home, as did Juan Antonio Flecha, but none could make it stick on a speedy finish to the stage. Today’s third stage will see the riders tackle a 167km course from Amberieu-en-Bugey to Tarare. — AFP

DUBLIN: Ice-cool Matt Kuchar held off a late challenge from fellow American Kevin Chappell to clinch the Memorial Tournament by two shots on Sunday and become the PGA Tour’s second multiple winner this year. Leading by two going into the final round at Muirfield Village Golf Club, the 34-year-old Kuchar was never caught as he fired a four-underpar 68 in the high-profile event hosted by Jack Nicklaus.

Kuchar birdied all four of the parfives on the heavily tree-lined layout to remain in control and rubberstamped his win by sinking a 20-foot birdie putt at the par-four last for a 12-under total of 276.

Chappell, seeking his first PGA Tour victory, birdied four of the last six holes for a bogey-free 68 and outright second place while five-times champion Tiger Woods ended a forgettable week with a 72, finishing a distant 20 strokes off the pace.

American Kyle Stanley, who briefly cut Kuchar’s lead to one with a sizzling run of four birdies in five holes on the front nine, faded to a 71 for third place at seven under.

Kuchar, however, reigned supreme on perhaps the easiest day for scoring in easing winds after a challenging week at Muirfield Village where strong gusts and lightning-fast greens had posed all sorts of problems for the players.

Having clinched one of the biggest victories of his career at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in February, Kuchar emulated Woods as a multiple champion this season and pocketing the winner’s cheque for $1.116 million.

“It’s a real honor to win this tournament,” Kuchar said to 18-times major champion Nicklaus as he was greeted with a handshake by his long-time idol after walking off the 18th green.

“This is such an amazing feeling,”

Kuchar, who will rise to a career-high fourth in the world rankings late yesterday, later told CBS Sports. “This never gets old.” Kuchar made a fast start to the final round, sinking a 14foot birdie putt at the par-four first to move three strokes clear.

However, he succumbed to the lurking danger on the slick greens

when he recorded a three-putt bogey at the par-three fourth, missing a three-footer to slip back to eight under.

Scott Stallings, who had reeled off five consecutive birdies from the fourth, briefly closed to within a stroke of the lead when he sank a seven-foot birdie putt at the par-four

DUBLIN: Matt Kuchar holds the winner’s trophy after he won the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance at Muirfield Village Golf Club. —AFP

10th. Kuchar countered with twoputt birdies at the par-five fifth and the par-five seventh to regain a threeshot cushion before reaching the turn in two-under 34. At that point, he was one ahead of Stanley, who had birdied the fifth, sixth, eighth and ninth. Kuchar benefited from a twoshot swing at the par-five 11th where he rolled in a 14-footer for birdie to lead by three after Stanley, who ended up under the lip of a fairway bunker off the tee, bogeyed the hole.

With none of his closest challengers applying any sustained pressure, Kuchar increased his advantage to four with another two-putt birdie at the par-five 15th.

Kuchar bogeyed the par-three 16th after his tee shot ran through the fringe into tangly grass from where his chip ended 14 feet beyond the hole and his lead was cut to two when Chappell sank a 20-footer to birdie the 17th.

Though Chappell struck a superb approach to just two feet at the last to set up his fourth birdie of the round, Kuchar matched him when he stunningly sank his attempt from 20 feet. Woods, who began the day 16 strokes off the pace after struggling with his putting over the first three rounds, came badly unstuck with a triple-bogey at the par-three 12th, his third hole of the day.

However, five birdies in his last 13 holes gave himself something to build on as he now prepares for the second major of the year, the June 13-16 US Open at Merion “It wasn’t like it was that far off today,” Woods said after finishing over 296. “It was just one hole that cost me obviously a few shots. “It happens. It happens to us all. I go home next week and practise. It’s just one of those weeks. It happens. This week I obviously didn’t putt well. I had some funky stances.” —Reuters

Webb clinches ShopRite Classic GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP: Winning for the first time in two years on the LPGA Tour didn’t cause Karrie Webb’s eyes to well.

The 38-year-old Hall of Famer cried thinking of her seriously ill 87-year-old grandmother after winning the ShopRite LPGA Classic on Sunday.

Just days earlier, Webb considered returning home to Australia after her parents told her that her grandmother, Marion Webb, was near death.

“She talked to me on the phone and said she didn’t want me to come home, and that I had to win one for her,” Webb said after rallying from a five shots down to post a two-stroke victory over China’s Shanshan Feng in very windy conditions on the Bay Course at the Stockton Seaview Hotel and Golf Club. While she has had occasional good rounds on this course across the bay from the Atlantic City casinos, Webb has never really seriously contended on the final day.

“I was like, this isn’t the one that you tell me that I have to win for you because I was like, ‘I’ve never really even had a shot to win here,’” said Webb, who won for the 39th time on the LPGA Tour, most among active players. “So when I got off to that start, I was like, ‘Oh, my God. ‘ Well, when she started to make a turn for the better,

my dad said, ‘Look, she’s going to make it, so the pressure is off, you know.’ “He felt for me after she told me I had to win it for her. But you know, I was in contention and in the lead today. I was like, ‘Wow, I might actually be able to do this for her.’” Webb won by shooting a spectacular 3under 68, matching the best round of the day.

Her 4-under 209 total tied the highest winning score on the course.

Playing in wind gusting to 25-30 mph, Webb had two birdies, an eagle and a bogey, capping the round with a 5-foot birdie at the par-5 final hole. She also made six par-saving putts of 5-6 feet. “It never gets old. It never gets any easier, either,” said Webb, who won the Australian Ladies Masters in February. “Today was extremely tough, and I’m just glad that I pulled it out. I think coming down I knew I needed to make one birdie, I thought, because I didn’t think I could just par in and feel comfortable, so great birdie on the last.”

Feng led by three shots entering the final round, but struggled in the wind and finished with a 75. She had two double bogeys on the front nine, and gave away the lead with bogeys on 11th and 13th holes.

GALLOWAY: Karrie Webb of Australia holds the championship trophy after winning the ShopRite LPGA Classic. —AFP

Feng, the first Chinese player to win an LPGA Tour event and a major when she captured the LPGA Championship last year, gave credit to Webb. “I would say 68 is a really, really great score for today,” said Feng, who broke in a new set of clubs this week. “I would say actually four over didn’t sound too bad to me. But maybe that’s why I’ve never played well in the British Open. Yet.” The final round played out somewhat like a US Open with the elements, the dried-out fast greens and the fescue-lined fairways wreaking havoc on the 74 players who qualified for the final round.

Webb, who got back into contention with a 69 in the second round, made her move early, rolling in a 25-foot birdie putt on the difficult 420-yard second hole that might have been the toughest on the course with the wind blowing into the players’ faces off Reed’s Bay. She moved into a share of the lead on the par-5 third, rolling in a 6-foot eagle. “I think I knuckle down and focus a lot better when conditions are tough,” Webb said. Feng, who fell into a tie with Webb early, regained the lead with a short birdie at the eighth hole, but her bogeys at Nos. 11 and 13 put Webb 1-up.

Webb’s birdie at No. 18 pushed the margin to two shots. Feng closed within a shot with a short birdie putt at No. 16, but she hit her tee shot in the bunker at the next hole and bogeyed. She needed an eagle at the par-5 final hole but had to settle for par.

Jenny Shin of South Korea, who had four straight birdies on the back nine, finished fourth at even par after a 70. Rookie Chie Arimura, who was tied for the lead on the front nine, finished in a group at 1 over. Despite a final round 74, Michelle Wie had her best showing of the year, finishing in a group at 2 over. “Overall I fought hard, and I’m pretty proud of the way I played this week and I think it’s a good week leading up to a major, so I’m just excited to get over there and play well,” said Wie, who is still looking for her first LPGA Tour win in the United States.

There were only 13 rounds under par on the final day and those with early tee-off times benefited. Cristie Kerr and Paula Creamer matched Webb with 68s, moving them from a tie for 58th to a tie for 13th. Feng will defend her LPGA Championship in Pittsford, NY, next week. —AP

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2013

S P ORTS

Indian cricket’s interim boss vows to clean up NEW DELHI: India’s interim cricket boss promised yesterday to clean up the country ’s national game and restore its “good name” amid a betting scandal that has engulfed the sport.

Speaking to his first news conference a day after the row forced Board Of Control For Cricket In India (BCCI) chief N. Srinivasan to stand down until a probe into the alleged illegal betting is over, Jagmohan Dalmiya said he would make every effort to remove the taint from the game so that “the good name of cricket is retained”.

But Dalmiya, who is a former BCCI president, told reporters he didn’t have “any medicine that you get an instant result”. “We don’t have any such kind of a magic. We will try our best,” the 73-year-old said.

His statements came as controversy continued to enmesh the BCCI with India’s media flaying the body for “shaming the nation” after it allowed Srinivasan to avoid resigning over the betting scandal.

Srinivasan, 68, considered the most power ful man in world cricket because of the Indian game’s financial clout, resisted a mounting clamor to quit Sunday at an emergency meeting but agreed to “step aside” until multiple police investigations end.

He has been in the firing line since his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan, an executive of the lucrative Indian Premier League’s Chennai franchise, was arrested May 24 for allegedly taking part in illegal betting involving

the league.

A Times of India editorial said the game was at “one of the lowest points in Indian cricket history” and was run “by a cosy clique of administrators who have little regard for the game or its image”.

“BCCI bosses must know they are accountable to the Indian cricket fan, who has made the game what it is.

The BCCI has shamed the nation. In its present form, it has lost the moral right to run Indian cricket,” the daily said.

The Indian Express said: “Srinivasan might have stepped out of the frame, but his shadow looms large over the board.” Dalmiya, a former IPL and BCCI chief, said he had powers to fill up vacancies in the board after BCCI joint secretary Sanjay Jagdale and treasurer Ajay Shirke quit late last week to pile pressure on Srinivasan to resign.

He said Jagdale had no intention of withdrawing his resignation but indicated Shirke might reconsider. “I will wait,” he said.

As part of the wave of resignations, IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla at the weekend also announced he was quitting “in the best interest of Indian cricket”.

The arrest of Srinivasan’s son-in-law came after Test paceman Shanthakumaran Sreesanth and two teammates in the IPL’s Rajasthan Royals- Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila-were taken into custody. All the accused deny any wrongdoing.

Police allege the players deliberately bowled badly in exchange for tens of thousands of dollars after striking deals with bookmakers.

Meiyappan is being investigated for allegedly passing information to bookies and placing bets on the IPL. India outlaws gambling on all sports except horse-racing.

Meanwhile, there was more controversy as the agent of Indian cricket captain MS Dhoni admitted yesterday the World Cup winner briefly held a stake in a management company representing several other players in the national side.

Rhiti Sports, a group run by Dhoni’s agent Arun Pandey, issued a statement following a newspaper report alleging a conflict-of-interest between Dhoni’s cricketing and business activities.

Rhiti said on its website it manages Dhoni as well as all-rounders Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja, whose international careers depend in part on the captain who has a large influence on team selection.

Rhiti said it was “greatly aggrieved at the widespread media reports regarding an alleged conflict of interest”. It said Dhoni had ceased to own shares in April after holding an unspecified stake for just over a month.

The shareholding was alleged to involve a 15 percent stake in a frontpage story by The Economic Times yesterday. —AFP

Lions set for full Force of Australian welcome PERTH: The British and Irish Lions kick off their Australian tour in chilly Perth tomorrow against a Western Force side promising a hot reception that will test the toughness of the “big slabs of meat”.

Following a comprehensive eight-try rout over the Barbarians in humid Hong Kong, where the weather offered more problems than the invitational side, the Lions touched down in Perth on Monday to take on Australia’s weakest Super Rugby team.

With skipper Sam Warburton’s knee still an issue and not aided by the long flight from Hong Kong, Brian O’Driscoll will captain a side featuring seven of his Irish international team mates at Subiaco Oval (1000 GMT).

O’Driscoll watched from the stands in Hong Kong as his rival for a test starting place, Jonathan Davies, was one of several Lions who impressed in the 59-8 drubbing leaving the Irishman well aware of the need to hit the ground running. “They set a good standard, it was very, very difficult conditions,” the 2005 Lions skipper told reporters in Perth yesterday. “We have a very strong squad with huge competition for places so you don’t want to have any individual or collective bad performances at this stage. You want to build towards that first test match.” Jonny Sexton starts at flyhalf against the Force and will be looking to build on his scratchy display off the bench in Hong Kong where he missed three kicks.

Leigh Halfpenny’s inclusion at fullback provides goalkicking cover but it is unlikely conversions and penalties will affect the result too much on Wednesday, with the tourists highly expected to run in tries against a side that has won only three of 14 matches in the Southern Hemisphere competition.

The Force have also been shorn of their two Wallabies loose forward Ben McCalman and winger Nick Cummins -

and their plucky defensive line that helped them to surprise victories over the Canterbury Crusaders and the Queensland Reds is sure to busy on Wednesday.

O’Driscoll’s guile aside, it will be huge physicality that the Force will face with Irish wing Tommy Bowe, bruising English centre Manu Tuilagi and powerful Welsh wing George North all looking for tries on their first starts of the tour. The size and strength of Warren Gatland’s 37-man Lions squad led to Australia media labelling them “big slabs of meat” and sparky Force scrumhalf Brett Sheehan was looking forward to a first nibble at the tourists.

“We want it to be an extremely physical game,” Sheehan told reporters in Perth yesterday. “If it gets fiery, well that’s good for us. They are stressing that they want to stay disciplined, there were a few little things that got under their skins.” Sheehan’s remarks were aimed at English flyhalf Owen Farrell, who was guilty of losing his cool in the Hong Kong heat after copping a punch from Saracens team mate Schalk Brits and starts Wednesday’s match on the bench in a side all changed from Saturday.

Warburton is one of only three Lions not to have been named in either of the matchday 23s as he continues to recover from a knee problem, while Irish fullback Rob Kearney is in danger of going home because of a hamstring tear.

Prop Gethin Jenkins is slated for game time against the Reds on Saturday. Gatland has wisely chosen to save his captain for the harsher challenges to follow rather than risk him against an opposition looking to rough up the tourists to aid the Wallabies’ cause in the three tests matches.

“I think any loss is going to be a blow to them,” Force back rower Matt Hodgson said. “So hopefully, if we can’t get the win, we can put in a solid performance and hurt a few of their bodies,” the former Wallaby said. —Reuters

Photo of the day

Artifacts from the project on display at the Red Bull Stratos Project Exhibit at the Space Center in Houston, TX, USA. www.redbullcontentpool.com

Testing times for Dhoni LONDON: A wicket-keeper, aggressive batsman and India’s captain in Test, one-day and Twenty20 cricket, Mahendra Singh Dhoni is a master at juggling various jobs at the same time.

Now, ahead of the Champions Trophy that opens in England and Wales this week, Dhoni has been burdened with another task-defending the alleged sins of his paymasters.

Indian cricket was thrown into chaos last month when three players, including recent Test bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, were arrested for alleged spot-fixing during the glitzy Indian Premier League.

Further trouble mounted Sunday for the country’s powerful cricket chief, Narayanswamy Srinivasan, who stepped aside from his post while a police investigation over his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan’s links to illegal bookmakers remained ongoing.

Meiyappan was accredited as ‘team owner’ of the IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings, owned by Srinivasan’s business venture India Cements, leading to a revolt in the Indian board against their boss.

Dhoni shares a special bond with Srinivasan, not only as captain of India and the Chennai Super Kings, but also as a vice-president of India Cements, an appointment made earlier this year.

As he plots India’s strategy ahead of their Champions Trophy opener against South Africa in Cardiff on Thursday, Dhoni has also been busy fending off questions about the scandal back home.

The unruffled 31-year-old has done a good job of keeping cool till now, but it remains to be seen how long he can maintain his composure.

“When the right time comes, I will answer it,” Dhoni said when bombarded with IPL-related queries at his opening media conference in England last week.

“As of now, I want to keep our side away from everything.” Sourav Ganguly, who took over as India’s captain soon after the match-fixing episode in 2000 that led to the downfall of Mohammad Azharuddin and the late South Africa captain Hansie Cronje, sympathised with Dhoni.

“Dhoni is in a tough position at the moment,” Ganguly was quoted as saying in the Indian media. “I can sympathize with him as everyone wants an explanation from him.

“But it is not his fault that he was picked up by Chennai Super Kings. It is not his fault that Gurunath (Meiyappan) is

Indian Strikers team

Mahendra Singh Dhoni involved in betting.” Dhoni will know that he and his team can restore Indian cricket’s damaged reputation by doing well on the field, starting with the eight-nation Champions Trophy. And he has the credentials to undertake a revival.

Last year, an extraordinary career that began as a railway ticket inspector in his home state of Jharkhand, saw Dhoni hailed by Forbes magazine as the world’s richest cricketer with annual earnings of $26.5 million.

Taking over as captain in 2007 when senior players declined to take part in the inaugural World Twenty20 in South Africa, Dhoni engineered one of India’s most remarkable runs in the sport.

Under him, India won the World Twenty20 in 2007, rose to number one in the Test rankings in 2009 and lifted the 50-over World Cup in 2011, with Dhoni hitting he winning six against Sri Lanka in the Mumbai final.

But two humiliating 4-0 Test whitewashes in England and Australia, followed by a rare home series defeat against England last year, led to calls for Dhoni’s removal from the side altogether.

Dhoni not only retained the captaincy-only due to Srinivasan’s intervention-but also hit back by leading India in a 4-0 rout of Australia in a Test series at home earlier this year. He will now have to show similar dexterity to pull Indian cricket out of a hole again. —AFP

Navelim Youth Centre team

Indian Strikers and Navelim Youth Centre in final Sunil Chhetri to grace final at Al-Qadsyia Stadium

Anasameen — Man of the Match

KUWAIT: Navelim Youth Centre thrashed United Friends Club 5-0 and Indian Strikers edged Goa Maroons 2-0 in semi-finals of KIFF league for the JP D’Mello Trophy organized by Kuwait Indian Football Federation and played last Friday at the MOH Grounds in Shuwaikh.

The final of this prestigious year long tournament played under the auspices of KIFF and officiated by the Indian Football Referees Association will be held at the Qadsyia Stadium on Friday, June 14, 2013 at 6:00pm. The tournament is sponsored by Gulf Cable Electrical Industries Company.

In the first semi-final, Navelim Youth Centre boosted by the presence of playmakers Bernardo Pires and Sanford Cardoz in midfield and backed by the likes of Duarte Ferrao and Alfred Pires in defense have jelled well as the season has progressed and have peaked at the right time making them firm favorites against Indian Strikers FC the first Keralite team to play the final of the KIFF league.

United Friends Club who have featured regularly in the last four had no answer to the

Navelim onslaught with man of the match Simao Gauncar feeding his teammates to score at will.

Sanford scored the first from a goalmouth melee and Bernardo made it 2-0 when he latched on to a sublime pass from Simao to score one of the goals of the tournament.

Bernardo scored again and Cruzedio and Joaquim completed the rout. The match was officiated by Philip Ferrao in the centre and assisted by Francis and Alvaro on the lines.

Franky Sequeira a former KIFF member on a visit to Kuwait gave away the Man of the Match trophy to Simao Gaunkar of NYC. In the second semi-final, former champions Goa Maroons were left ruing the numerous chances missed in the first half by their forwards Joe Gomes and Durvesh as Indian Strikers scored just before half time when their star forward Amasameen struck from a counter attack to send shockwaves in the Maroons camp.

Anthony Adimai and Roy Pathroso playing their hearts out literally took Maroons out of the equation when Anasameen scored again in the 10th minute of the second half from a brilliant

back heel pass by Biju. Goa Maroons missing the presence of Steven Rodrigues, who was out with two yellow cards have only themselves to blame as chance after chance went begging. Young Cleevan D’Cunha, Larry and Roger coming in as second half substitutes failed to make a difference for Goa Maroons and in the end Indian Strikers FC won comfortably. The match was officiated by Sarto Baptista and he was ably assisted by Christopher Fernandes and Vincent Pereira on the lines. Anasameen was declared Man of the Match and received his award from Xavier Furtado the Vice President of AVC Sports and Cultural Association. The finals between Navelim Youth Centre and Indian Strikers promises to be an exciting affair and is expected to be well attended with both teams having tremendous support.

The final will be graced by the ambassador of India to Kuwait Satish C Mehta as the chief guest, Naser Omran Kanan of Gulf Cable Electrical Industries as the guest of honor and flamboyant and popular soccer star and India football team captain Sunil Chettri.

Simao — Man of the Match

19

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2013

SPORTS

Iran takes on Qatar in crucial WCup qualifier DUBAI: Carlos Queiroz and his Iran team came into qualifying for the 2014 World Cup as one of the favorites to advance. Now, with three group matches left, they’re in danger of missing out.

The Iranians will take on 101stranked Qatar at Doha today in what both teams consider a must-win match, with each trailing Uzbekistan and South Korea for one of the two automatic qualifying spots from Group A. On paper, Iran should be favored to win, but nothing can be taken for granted from a team whose injuryplagued attack has scored just two goals in the past five qualifiers.

“It’s a crucial, crucial match for both teams. We are running now out of time,” Queiroz told The Associated Press. “As you know, everybody can be in and everybody can be out. Even Lebanon still has a chance so these final three games are crucial for all the teams.”

Iran captain Javad Nekounam was even more blunt, insisting the match “probably will be one of the most important games of my career” and adding that he was hopeful the team could still reach the World Cup for a fourth time despite a qualification campaign he described as a “very difficult journey.”

Qatar, with only two group matches remaining, can still book a spot for Brazil despite a losing record against Iran. Iran has three victories to Qatar’s one in past World Cup qualifiers, but the teams have drawn the past three qualifiers, including a 2-2 draw that ensured the 2022 World Cup host reached this stage of the competition.

“We are ready for Iran,” Qatar national team director Abdulrahman Al-Mahmoud said on the Qatar Football Association’s website. “It won’t be easy, but with the support of our fans our team can win this match ...The players have a huge responsibility.” The match with Qatar also has

political overtones, since both countries have been flexing their muscle on the regional stage and often have been at odds - most recently over Syria. It is unlikely that Qatar - where political dissent is prohibited- will allow protests to spill into the stadium, but experts say a victory will carry extra weight due to the growing rivalry between the countries.

“As much as people try to say sport is neutral, you can never separate sports and politics,” said Mustafa Alani, an analyst at the Gulf Research Center in Geneva. “Athletes are representing a country. This is, by nature, a political act. The history of sports is full of political backstories: U.S. versus the Soviet Union, Israel being shunned by many Muslim countries and, to add to the list, Iran and its rivals in the Gulf.”

Amir Hosein Hoseini, a spokesman for the Football Federation of Iran, called the match with Qatar “very sensitive” and complained Iranian reporters had not yet been issued

visas. Queiroz and Nekounam insist politics will play no part in the match and that their only concern is winning for the football fans back home. The team hasn’t played in the World Cup since 2006.

“We will play with our heart and soul and give it 100 percent as we have done previously,” said Nekounam, who played seven seasons with Spanish side Osasuna and now plays for the Iranian club Esteghlal.

“We know our people, our nation wants our team to be in the World Cup. This gives us double motivation.”

Queiroz, a former Portugal and Real Madrid manager, said he has “no doubt” the team will reach the World Cup. But he acknowledged it faces plenty of hurdles, including the loss several players to injury including Hadi Aghili, Mahdi Rahmati, Ali Karimi and star midfielder Ashkan Dejagah, who was hurt playing for Fulham.

Several other stars had not yet arrived by the weekend including

Osasuna’s Masoud Shojaei - a problem that has plagued the team throughout the campaign.

“In Asia, there are a lot of circumstances sometimes outside the game that can influence the performance of the players like traveling, the distances, the weather,” Queiroz said.

“We can only bring players 48 hours before a crucial game for the World Cup. Qatar has its team in camp and they are preparing all the players. It is unfair or an unbalanced situation.”

Qatar has injury woes of its own, announcing Monday that star striker Sebastian Soria won’t be available.

“We respect the Iranian team knowing they are better ranked than us,” Qatar coach Fahad Than said. “But football is game of small details and the match on the pitch will tell a different story to the form team. We will miss Sebastian Soria. However, we have quality replacements. Our team is made of players who are ready to work for each other.”—AP

Neymar signs 5-year deal with Barcelona

RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazil’s Neymar (left) is marked by England’s Frank Lampard during their friendly football match at the newly-renovated Mario Filho ‘Maracana’ stadium. —AFP

Brazil scrambles a draw in lukewarm Maracana RIO DE JANEIRO: Five-times world champions Brazil extended their unimpressive run of results on Sunday when they scrambled a 2-2 draw with England in a friendly at the rebuilt and newly re-opened Maracana. The 2014 World Cup hosts produced probably their best 45 minutes since Luiz Felipe Scolari took over as coach last November as they pulled England apart in the first half but failed to score.

The second half was a different story and they needed an 82nd minute equaliser from midfielder Paulinho to rescue them, three minutes after Wayne Rooney gave England a shock lead on their first visit to Brazil since their famous win at the old version of the stadium in 1984.

Fred had put Brazil ahead in the 57th minute and teenage substitute Alex OladeChamberlain pulled England back into the game with a superb goal only five minutes after coming on.

Brazil, whose last match at the old Maracana was a goalless draw against Colombia in a World Cup qualifier in 2008, have drawn four of their six games since 2002 World Cup winner Scolari returned for a second stint.

Their only win was against Bolivia and their only defeat against England at Wembley in February. “In the first half, we were very excellent but the second half was what I don’t like and don’t want. Our team was very open, giving our opponents the chance to dominate the game, play and score their goals,” Scolari told reporters. With Brazil’s preparations for next year’s tournament plagued by delays and political rows, attention was focused as much on the venue as the match itself.

England’s visit marked the end of a long drawn-out, $500-million programme to modernise the arena which will host seven matches at the 2014 World Cup, including the final.

Although the pitch was in good condition, the atmosphere was hugely disappointing, with large parts of the game

watched in near silence, a far cry from the passionate crowds at big domestic games.

The crowd was also fickle, viciously booing Scolari and cries of “donkey, donkey” echoed around the stadium during the second half. “Of course, the crowd expected the team to win, they wanted goals and a victory, but we understood that England are a difficult team to play against,” said Scolari. Brazil opened up the England defence almost at will in the first half, forcing goalkeeper Joe Hart to make a series of brilliant saves.

Neymar, who has struggled against top European sides, this time lived up to his billing as Brazil’s great hope for the future, tormenting the England defence with his running and trickery.

Oscar was also inspired as Brazil created chances almost at will and Hulk added a powerful presence. Fred’s goal, from a rebound after a looping Hernanes shot struck the crossbar, appeared to put Brazil in control but instead England came to life after Oxlade-Chamberlain entered the fray in the 62nd minute.

He equalised within five minutes when he fired in a low shot from the edge of the area after the ball was teed up by Wayne Rooney. England then enjoyed a purple patch, creating several chances, before Rooney collected the ball near the touchline, cut inside and scored with a looping, deflected effort from around 25 metres in the 79th minute. Brazil were heading for their first home defeat since they were beaten by Paraguay in 2002 until Paulinho cleverly hooked in the equaliser.

“Some draws can be labelled victories and some draws can be labelled defeats,” England manager Roy Hodgson told ITV television. “I was disappointed today. We played so well in the second half I thought we might hold on for the win but we were scotched by a wonder strike. We didn’t play anywhere near like we wanted to in the first half and Brazil did, so it was a fair result.” —Reuters

Libya beefs up security for home game in two years TRIPOLI: Police, army patrols and checkpoints will beef up security at Libya’s first home international soccer match in over two years on Friday after FIFA lifted a ban despite violence still plaguing the North African state.

Libya will play the Democratic Republic of Congo in a World Cup qualifier in the capital Tripoli after world soccer’s governing body gave the green light in April for home games following the 2011 war that ousted dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

While life has returned to normal since the chaos of the eight month uprising, security remains precarious in a country still awash with weapons left over from the conflict.

Anwar al-Tashani, president of the Libyan Football Federation, told Reuters the body had for the last two weeks been preparing for the game alongside the Interior Ministry.

“There will be (security) forces, two checkpoints in front of the stadium. The

conditions required by FIFA will be met,” he told Reuters in an interview on Monday at his office, which is close to the “Tripoli Stadium” where the game will be played.

Mohammed Abu Abdila, spokesman for the head of Tripoli security, said there would be “enough” security forces at the game but did not give a number.

“We have been preparing for the game and we have enough men from all the security forces - police, army, emergency forces - there,” he said. “There will be scanners for weapons and guns.”

Armed violence and lawlessness caused in part by militia groups who often do as they please has hobbled governance in wide areas of the oil-producing country.

Last month, armed groups of former rebel fighters besieged two government ministries for two weeks, demanding the enactment of a law that banned anyone who held a senior post under Gaddafi from government. —Reuters

BARCELONA: Neymar completed his move to Barcelona yesterday in a deal that unites the Brazil star with Lionel Messi in a formidable attacking partnership.

Neymar signed a five-year contract with club president Sandro Rosell after choosing Barcelona over Real Madrid in an intense two-year bidding war between the fierce Spanish rivals.

Formalities done, the 21-yearold striker jogged onto the Camp Nou pitch for the first time in his new Barcelona kit bearing the name “Neymar Jr” on the back.

“I am very happy, very moved to be a Barcelona player and fulfill my dream,” Neymar told the tens of thousands of fans who turned out to welcome him.

Neymar quickly made it clear that he knows that he will have to play second fiddle to Messi.

“I want to help the team,” he said. “I have come to add my part so that Lionel Messi continues to be the best player in the world.”

Barcelona vice president Josep Bartomeu said the transfer cost Barcelona 57 million euros ($74 million) to be split among Santos and three other companies that own part of his rights.

Bartomeu said the club had expected to pay about 40 million euros, but that “the interference of other clubs” inflated the price, an allusion to Madrid.

Bartomeu said there is a confidentially agreement that ruled out the release of what percentage each of the four companies will receive, adding that the club would pay out the sum across the next three years. Barcelona’s previous most expensive transfer was for Zlatan Ibrahimovic in 2009, when it paid Inter Milan 45 million euros (then $64 million) plus striker Samuel Eto’o.

Neymar laughed shyly when asked if he was worth the price paid for him. “No, but I am very grateful that Barcelona did what it had to do to complete my childhood, to be with my idols,” he said.

Neymar’s flight from Brazil arrived an hour behind schedule at about 1 pm local time. Decked

SPAIN: Barcelona’s new player Brazilian Neymar da Silva Santos Junior (center) flanked by Barcelona’s president Sandro Rosell (left) and Barcelona’s sports director Andoni Zubizarreta poses with his new jersey during his presentation at Camp Nou stadium. —AFP out in black with sunglasses and a baseball cap, he took a chartered bus straight to Camp Nou and had his first photograph taken in front of the blue-and-burgundy club insignia.

During the traditional thumbs-up welcome shoot Neymar stepped forward and waved over the mob of photographers to the hundreds of fans who had gathered wearing Brazil and Barcelona jerseys and chanting his name. He was then rushed through two medical tests and back to the office to sign the deal. Neymar later told a packed press hall that he had “followed his heart” when he opted to come to Barcelona and play alongside not only Messi, but the rest of Barcelona’s playmakers.

“I’m very excited to have the chance to play with all these great players that I have admired since I was a child: Messi, Xavi (Hernandez), (Andres) Iniesta,” he

said. “It’s a great opportunity for me to learn and evolve.” Even before making it official, Neymar’s new teammates had given him their vote of confidence.

Earlier yesterday, Iniesta said he expects Neymar to become even better when paired in attack with Messi, the four-time world player of the year.

“He is coming to the best possible place for him,” Iniesta said.

“Let him do what he does best, that is enough. It is great news that we can count on him.

Surrounded by the people he will have here, he will get better and better.

“Great players always understand one another. Leo will be make Neymar better, and Neymar will make Leo better.”

Dani Alves recalled the long line of Brazilian forwards who have triumphed at Barcelona, including Romario, Ronaldo,

Rivaldo and Ronaldinho.

“He will give us a Brazilian touch,” countryman Dani Alves said of Neymar. “The others left their mark. I am sure he will, too.”

Neymar flew to the Mediterranean city on a private jet with a small entourage, including his father Neymar Silva Santos, that left Rio de Janeiro after the national side’s 2-2 draw with England on Sunday. He will return to his home country for the upcoming Confederations Cup, which Brazil is hosting in preparation for the 2014 World Cup. Neymar led Santos on its greatest run since Pele stopped playing for the Brazilian club in the 1970s. He helped Santos win the 2010 Brazilian Cup, the 2011 Copa Libertadores and three straight Sao Paulo state championships, becoming the team’s leading scorer in the post-Pele era with 138 goals in 230 matches.—AP

US defeats Germany in friendly WASHINGTON: Clint Dempsey scored twice as the United States held on to beat a belowstrength Germany 4-3 in a friendly on Sunday, giving American coach Juergen Klinsmann victory over his former homeland. Dempsey’s second half double provided the Americans with a commanding 4-1 lead before Germany responded with two late strikes in a seven-goal international at RFK Stadium in Washington DC. “Obviously we are pleased with such an entertaining game as the centennial game,” said Klinsmann, who scored 47 goals in 108 games for his country and coached Germany to the 2006 World Cup semi-finals.

“Overall it was a good performance, we saw a

Clint Dempsey

lot of things we wanted to see. Having a player like Clint Dempsey on your team it is a privilege, he is one of the best players in US soccer history.”

The Americans, celebrating the centenary of the US Soccer Federation, had grabbed the lead in the 13th minute thanks to a powerful volley from Jozy Altidore, his first goal for his country since Nov. 2011. Four minutes later, the advantage was doubled via an appalling error by German keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who somehow allowed a routine back pass from Benedikt Hoewedes slip off his foot into the net.

Germany rebounded strongly after the halftime break, pulling one back in the 51st minute when Heiko Westermann, allowed to get free by Omar Gonzalez, powered in a header from a Max Kruse corner. Two superbly finished goals from Dempsey, the second a beautiful curling effort from 25 yards, gave the US a three-goal lead, to the delight of the 47,359 crowd, before the Germans began to pile on the pressure.

Kruse was given time to turn and shoot on the edge of the area in the 78th minute before Julian Draxler scored three minutes later.

But the US held on for a morale boosting win after their 4-2 loss to Belgium in Cleveland on Wednesday ahead of three World Cup qualifiers, starting with Jamaica in Kingston on Friday.

Germany, without key players from Champions League finalists Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, beat Ecuador 4-2 in Florida on

Wednesday but despite the loss, coach Joachim Loew was pleased with the mini-tour.

“It was worth it in all respects. With main players missing for various reasons I think we chose the right squad, they were very motivated and enthusiastic and if you ask them they would say they learned an awful lot,” said Klinsmann’s former assistant. “For me it was worthwhile because even though you know them as players from the Bundesliga, you don’t know them as human beings and it was really good to get a feel for them, what makes them tick”.—Reuters

Matches on TV (Local Timings)

WC2014 Qualifying - Asia Japan v Australia Al Jazeera Sport +1 Oman v Iraq Al Jazeera Sport +5 Qatar v Iran Al Jazeera Sport +1 Al Jazeera Sport 1 HD Lebanon v South Korea Al Jazeera Sport +5

13:30 16:00 19:15

20:30

Neymar signs 5-year deal with Barcelona

Webb clinches ShopRite Classic

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2013

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Indian cricket’s interim boss vows to clean up

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FRANCE: Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber returns to Serbia’s Novak Djokovic during their French Tennis Open round of sixteen match at the Roland Garros stadium. — AFP

Djokovic, Nadal ease into q-finals PARIS: World number one Novak Djokovic reached his 16th consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final while seven-time champion Rafael Nadal marked his 27th birthday by also reaching the French Open last eight yesterday.

Top seed Djokovic carved out a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 win over 16th seed Philipp Kohlschreiber with the German paying a high price for converting just two of 13 break points.

World number one Djokovic goes on to face German 35year-old Tommy Haas, who became the third oldest man to reach the last-eight with a comfortable 6-1, 6-1, 6-3 win over volatile Russian Mikhail Youzhny. Nadal, bidding to become the first man to win the same Grand Slam title eight times, trounced Japanese 13th seed Kei Nishikori 6-4, 6-1, 6-3.

It was third-seeded Nadal’s 56th win in 57 career matches at Roland Garros. The defending champion next faces Swiss ninth seed Stanislas Wawrinka who reached his first French Open quarter-final, beating French seventh seed Richard Gasquet, 6-7 (5/7), 4-6, 6-4, 7-5, 8-6.

“I needed to earn my victory, and in the end it was good.

I’m really glad to get through, because he’s a good quality opponent and he’s a specialist for this surface,” said Djokovic of Kohlschreiber.

On facing 12th-seeded Haas, against whom he has a 4-3 winning record, the Serb said: “I have a lot of respect for Tommy. He is playing well.” Djokovic, the runner-up to Nadal last year, needs a French Open title to complete a career Grand Slam.

The last time he failed to reach the last-eight of a major was in Paris in 2009 when he lost in the fourth round to Monday’s opponent.

Nadal arrived in Paris having collected six titles in eight finals since his return from a seven-month injury lay-off. But he was sluggish in the first week of a cold and damp Paris, losing the opening set of his first two matches.

Since the weather has improved, so has the Spaniard, seeing off Fabio Fognini in straight sets on Saturday and then comfortably defeating Nishikori, the first Japanese

man in the fourth round since Fumiteru Nakano in 1938.

“It’s a very special moment,” said Nadal, as the crowd welcomed him to Court Philippe Chatrier by singing ‘Happy Birthday’ and repeating it on the match’s conclusion.

“Today I think I played my best match of the tournament.” Nadal was presented with a giant birthday cake and he will be looking for more celebrations on Wednesday in the quarter-finals as he holds a 9-0 career lead over Wawrinka. Haas became the first German in 17 years to reach the quarter-finals and the oldest man to make the last eight at any Grand Slam since Andre Agassi at the 2005 US Open.

Haas had also made history in the third round when he needed a record 13 match points to beat John Isner. “It was a pretty good performance. I was broken in the first game but I got my bearings, got into the groove,” said Haas.

Only Pancho Gonzales, who was over 40 when he made the last eight in 1968, and 39-year-old Istvan Gulyas in 1971, have got this far in the tournament at Haas’s age.

Sharapova, Azarenka ease into last-eight PARIS: Defending champion Maria Sharapova joined third seed Victoria Azarenka in the French Open quarter-finals yesterday as both posted routine fourth-round wins.

Sharapova was all business in seeing off American 17th seed Sloane Stephens 6-4, 6-3 to set up a meeting with Serbian 18th seed Jelena Jankovic, who thrashed US hope Jamie Hampton 60, 6-2, while double Australian Open champion Azarenka swamped 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone 6-3, 6-0.

Sharapova, who in beating Sara Errani in last year’s final became the sixth player in the Open era to complete a full collection of Grand Slams, was rarely troubled by Stephens, Australian Open semifinalist last January, the Floridian 20-year, gifting her a final break by hitting long on match point.

“I knew this was going to be a really hard match so I’m delighted to be in the quarter-final,” said Sharapova, who found the wind made her task a little more challenging than she had hoped.

“We had a few freaky points, a few shanks. But, overall, I was happy with the way I focused most of the match,” said the Russian, who joked her father “thinks I can beat Rafael Nadal on clay.”

Self-critically she added: “This tournament I don’t think I have played, you know, my best level, especially in the first few rounds. I thought I needed to step it up today. Yet it only gets tougher from here.”

Jankovic, who coasted past an outclassed Hampton in 62min, has a 1-7 career record against Sharapova, whom she beat on grass six years ago, and conceded the odds are stacked against her.

“It will be a tough one - I will just try to play my best tennis,” said the 28-year-old. Next up for Azarenka, meanwhile, is a meeting with Russian 12th seed and erstwhile doubles partner Maria Kirilenko

after her win over Schiavone moved her into the last eight for the third time in Paris.

The protagonists notably paired up at the 2011 Australian Open, where they finished runners-up.

Then they were rivals as Azarenka won their London Olympics bronze medal encounter last summer.

Azarenka was delighted with her form, given that the French Open is the only Grand Slam where she has failed to get beyond the quarter-finals having been beaten at the last-eight stage by Dinara Safina in 2009 and by eventual champion Li Na two years later.

“I think it was the most composed and the most consistent match so far,” she said. “The beginning was back and forth. I feel like I didn’t take all of the opportunities but there was kind of a build-up to later on that I was doing the right thing.”

Kirilenko, who had treatment for a sore shoulder, saw off unseeded Bethanie Mattek-Sands of the United States 7-5, 6-4 to reach the last eight at Roland Garros for the first time after recovering from losing the opening three games.

The 26-year-old from Moscow, who broke in the sixth and eighth games to make up for her slow start and then overcame an opening service loss at the start of the second set, has now equalled her best ever Grand Slam showing of runs to the quarters at Wimbledon 2012 and the Australian Open three seasons ago.

Azarenka has a 3-2 winning record against Kirilenko-who won the first two matches of their series although her last triumph was back in 2007.

“Maria, I played her a lot of times. I think the last time we played was the Olympics. She’s definitely improved a lot over the last couple years since she’s a very motivated player (and a) good friend of mine, also,” said Azarenka. — AFP

Former world number two Haas had lost on clay in straight sets to Youzhny in Rome last month. But he was never troubled yesterday, winning 10 games in succession after losing the opener.

Such was Youzhny’s frustration that he smashed his racquet nine times against his courtside chair, sending splinters spiralling into the air at Court Suzanne Lenglen. The violence of his outburst made him an instant YouTube hit even as the match was still being played.

“You try and do all you can to help yourself. I tried it this way, but it doesn’t help really,” said 29-year-old Youzhny.

Wawrinka came through a four hour 16min struggle to beat Gasquet in his sixth career comeback from two sets to love down.

With Roger Federer already into the last-eight, it will be the first time that Switzerland has two men in the Roland Garros quarter-finals. Gasquet was defeated for the 15th time in 16 matches at the fourth round stage of a Grand Slam. — AFP

Mourinho brings special magic back to Chelsea

FRANCE: Russia’s Maria Sharapova celebrates her victory over USA’s Sloane Stephens at the end of their French Tennis Open round of sixteen match at the Roland Garros stadium. — AFP

LONDON: Chelsea excitedly welcomed back fan favorite Jose Mourinho, their ‘Special One’, as manager for the second time on a four-year contract yesterday.

The Portuguese, who left Real Madrid last weekend, won the 2005 and 2006 Premier League titles in his first spell with the west London club but departed in 2007 after falling out with billionaire owner Roman Abramovich.

“I am delighted to welcome Jose back to Chelsea. His continued success, drive and ambition made him the outstanding candidate,” said chief executive Ron Gourlay in a club statement.

“It is our aim to keep the club moving forward to achieve greater success in the future and Jose is our number one choice as we believe he is the right manager to do just that.

“He was and remains a hugely popular figure at the club and everyone here looks forward to working with him again.”

Mourinho grinned broadly as he spoke of his delight at returning to Stamford Bridge.

“Now I can say I am one of you,” he told Chelsea TV as he gave a message to the fans. “I never hide that in football I have two great passions - Inter Milan and Chelsea and Chelsea is more than important for me.

“It was very, very hard to play against Chelsea and I did it only twice,” he said referring to the time he led Inter to victory in a 2010 Champions League first knockout round tie.

“Now I promise the same things I promised in 2004 with this difference to add that I am one of you.” The news of his return

was an open secret long before Mourinho told a Spanish TV soccer show on Sunday that he hoped to take charge at Chelsea by the end of the week.

“I feel the people there love me and in life you have to look for that,” said the 50year-old, who first joined Chelsea in 2004 and ended their 50-year wait for a top flight title as well as winning the FA Cup in 2007 and the League Cup twice.

“Life is beautiful and short and you must look for what you think is best for you,” added Mourinho, who has also enjoyed successful spells as coach of Porto and Inter, winning the Champions League with both.

Mourinho ended his three-year reign at Real Madrid with a 4-2 home La Liga victory over Osasuna at the weekend. He won the Spanish title in 2012 but left after a difficult season with no major trophies.

Mourinho will be accompanied by three staff - Rui Faria, Silvino Louro and Jose Morais - as assistant first team coaches working alongside current first team staff Steve Holland, Christophe Lollichon and Chris Jones.

Chelsea said he will be officially presented at a news conference at Stamford Bridge on Monday, June 10. The news was welcomed by Chelsea fans, pining for his return ever since 2007 despite the club’s success in winning the Champions League under Italian Roberto Di Matteo in 2012.

The November appointment of unpopular former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez as interim coach, in place of the sacked Di Matteo, only increased the clamor for Mourinho. — Reuters

Business

Third Arab Aviation and Media Summit to take place in Oman Page 26 N Korean economy surrenders to foreign currency invasion Page 24

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2013

Germany to help Spain with credit for growth and jobs Page 22

Now is the time to invest in Africa: Abe Page 23

TOKYO: A man checks time as he strolls outside an electronics outlet store in Tokyo, yesterday. —AP

Sick workers pay price for Chinese growth Millions of workers ill with pneumoconiosis SHUANGXI: As China boomed around 200 men set out from Shuangxi’s rural idyll to build its infrastructure and skyscrapers. Now lung disease from dust has killed a quarter of them and 100 more are waiting to die. Back home amid rice paddies and forested hills, Xu Zuoqing walks outside and his face contorts in pain from the effort. As he struggles to breathe, his wife rushes over a stool so he can recuperate.

“It’s like my lungs are being choked. My chest feels so tight,” says the 44-year-old who worked on construction sites for about 15 years, his voice strained at times. “I just wish I could die comfortably... Well, I wish I didn’t have to die.” China’s more than three decades of roaring growth, which propelled it to become the world’s second-largest economy, have been built on a huge supply of cheap migrant labour from the countryside-currently 230 million of them.

But safety standards are poorly enforced and according to experts, millions of those workers are now ill with pneumoconiosis, the incurable lung disease that has crippled Xu. It comes in various forms, from the asbestosis suffered by builders to black lung disease, which affects miners.

Official statistics say China has had 676,541 cases of pneu-

moconiosis, or 90 percent of all work-related illnesses, but campaigners say the actual total could be as high as six million. A fifth of the recorded victims have already died.

Pneumoconiosis often lies undetected for years, so that workers at mines, quarries, factories and construction sites prolong their exposure to dust building up in their lungs, until they find it agonising to work, walk or even breathe.

Poor rural families lose their breadwinner and are left instead with hefty bills for medical care that can only dull the pain at best-the government only covers basic healthcare and companies rarely pay compensation.

“You can delay the progress of the disease through certain drugs and treatments, but... it is basically a death sentence,” said Geoff Crothall, spokesman for the Hong Kongbased advocacy group China Labour Bulletin. “You’re talking about three to four generations affected by the loss of the major breadwinner of the family. And often it’s not just one member of a family. We have many cases of fathers, brothers, uncles, cousins all being affected.”

In Shuangxi, a village of several hundred people in the central province of Hunan, cases of illness are steadily becoming fatalities. There is the mother who lost four of her five sons. The two brothers who died. The one so

wracked by pain that he killed himself with an overdose of medicine last month. Xu’s brother passed away in February, leaving his five- and 12-year-old children to be raised by their grandmother. Xu worries about his own little ones, currently 10 and 12. “I hope they finish school,” he says. “I hope they grow up fast.”

Struggle to cope with medical bills The preferred destination for the men of Shuangxi was the boom town of Shenzhen bordering Hong Kong, where they found work drilling and blasting holes on construction sites, enveloping themselves in swirls of dust with only flimsy face masks for protection. It was not until the late 2000s that the hazards began to emerge-as one by one they grew too weak to work, and the first of the sick died.

But they are among the better-off victims. In 2009 they took the bold step of returning to Shenzhen to demand compensation, holding sit-ins that gained public sympathy. After months of bargaining, many received 70,000 to 130,000 yuan ($11,000 to $21,000, 9,000 to 16,000 euros) from the government while a handful with proper records got up to 290,000 yuan from a workers’ insurance scheme.

ECB chief sees ‘gradual’ recovery

Iraq to lower oil targets BAGHDAD: Iraq is in talks with foreign energy firms to lower long-term oil production targets agreed several years ago because of sagging global crude demand forecasts, the country’s top energy official told AFP. Hussein Al-Shahristani said that Iraq was re-negotiating all of the oil field contracts awarded in 2009 to lower the peak production target and spread output over a longer period of time.

He added that he hoped oil prices stayed above $90 (69 euros) per barrel, after world oil prices fell sharply to around $92 per barrel in recent days. Iraq currently produces about 3.5 million barrels of oil per day (bpd), and had targeted the construction of infrastructure, pipelines and storage facilities that would have allowed it to pump 12 million bpd in 2017. The revised contracts, however, would lower the country’s maximum capacity to nine million bpd.

“We have revised the production plan for all the fields,” Shahristani, the deputy prime minister responsible for energy affairs, said in an interview in his office inside Baghdad’s heavily-fortified Green Zone. “Some of them have already been agreed and finalised, and some of them are in discussion.” He declined to discuss specific fields. Asked if that meant every contract awarded in 2009 was being revised, he replied: “Yes. That’s right. And we may decide in certain cases that we will keep the production that was contracted for, because it will be feasible to maintain that production for a much longer time, based on our new studies.”

Though Iraq could, in that scenario, theoretically pump as much as nine million bpd, Shahristani said that between five and six million bpd “would generate enough revenues to meet our needs.” Iraq awarded several oil fields to foreign energy firms for development in 2009, paying a per-barrel service fee, in a series of public auctions that cemented its role as a key global producer of the future.

Shahristani cited lower-than-expected forecasts for future demand as the reasoning behind Iraq’s decision.

“There doesn’t seem to be great demand in the coming few years,” the former oil minister said. “We thought in Iraq that there is no point at this stage to invest very large sums to develop the fields for a much higher production capacity if we are not going to use that capacity and produce the oil, that we cannot market because there is not sufficient demand for it.”

The International Energy Agency last month fuelled bearish sentiment in the oil market in a report that predicted growing crude oil supply through 2013, led by North America, that would outstrip demand. “The supply shock created by a surge in North American oil production will be as transformative to the market over the next five years as was the rise of Chinese demand over the last 15,” the IEA said.

Shahristani also said that while marginal oil fields around the world required that oil prices stayed above $75 to $80 per barrel-they currently stand at around $92 for a barrel of light sweet crude-Iraq hoped they would stay above $90 per barrel. “Our budget is based on $90,” Shahristani said.

“We wish that the oil price will remain at the level above $90. Otherwise we have to revise our budget. We don’t expect it to fall below $90.”

Iraq, which is almost entirely dependent on oil sales for its income, currently exports about 2.6 million bpd. It is hoping to increase sales sharply in the coming years in order to fund much-needed reconstruction of the country’s dilapidated infrastructure and conflict-battered economy. The International Energy Agency said in October that Iraq stands to gain almost $5.0 trillion in revenue from exporting oil up to 2035, as long as the country invested more than $530 billion on raising its energy output. It added that, according to its projections, Iraq, which has proven reserves of 143.1 billion barrels of oil, would account for 45 percent of growth in global oil supplies this decade. —AFP

Nationwide, only an estimated 10 to 20 percent of pneumoconiosis victims can secure payouts. For most, by the time their illness becomes apparent they have lost any paperwork proving their employment, or the companies have closed, or changed hands, or simply deny liability.

Even for those who succeed, compensation quickly dwindles with daily cocktails of medicines, oxygen machines, injections and emergency hospital stays several times a year all to pay for.

Cao Jieshi has borrowed 40,000 yuan from family and friends to pay his bills. A reed-thin 46-year-old, he tilts his face skyward as if desperate to swallow air, one of many basic tasks that have become unbearable. “Even just bathing, (my wife) has to do it for me,” he says. “I won’t last more than three or four more years.”

Xu Zhihui, 53, is also in the final stages of the disease, and cannot help thinking about the life that might have been. He has lost 15 kilograms (33 pounds) since his working days, and is wracked by a hacking cough, an oversized jacket cloaking his skeletal frame. “Before, making 20,000 to 30,000 a year was easy. Now we spend 20,000 to 30,000 a year at least,” he says hoarsely. “My wife says to me: ‘Such a good-looking guy. Look at what’s become of you’.” —AFP

SHANGHAI: Mario Draghi, President of the European Central Bank (ECB) speaks at an international monetary conference yesterday. —AFP

SHANGHAI: European Central Bank (ECB) chief Mario Draghi said yesterday he expects a gradual recovery in the crisis-hit euro-zone to start later this year despite lingering “vulnerabilities”. “The economic situation in the euro area remains challenging but there are a few signs of a possible stabilisation,” he told an international monetary conference in China’s financial hub of Shanghai.

“Our baseline scenario continues to be one of a very gradual recovery starting in the latter part of this year,” he said in a speech. His remarks came before the ECB holds a key policy meeting later this week to assess options for ways of stimulating the European Union’s recession-ridden economy following a recent cut in interest rates. The debt crisis that has engulfed several euro-zone nations, most notably Greece, has led to speculation of a possible break-up of the monetary union, but Draghi played down the prospect.

“Now the union is more resilient and a more stable union than it was before because the overall conviction is that it’s going to stay,” he said in a question-andanswer session. Draghi said that the ECB would “continue to support macroeconomic performance by ensuring price stability in the euro area”.

Inflation across the euro-zone rose to 1.4 percent in May from 1.2 percent in

April, the first time in months that the reading has increased, official data showed on Friday. Draghi did not directly answer a question on whether the bank was considering quantitative easing to boost the economy, but said the EU had “narrower” options to do this than the United States.

Last month, the ECB cut interest rates in an attempt to stimulate the eurozone’s economy, shaving a quarter of a percentage point off the “refi” rate on its main refinancing operations to 0.50 percent. The ECB has two other key rates-the deposit rate, paid to banks to park excess cash with the ECB, and the marginal lending rate, used as a last resort for banks unable to obtain funding in the wholesale market.

The two effectively act as the floor and ceiling for interest rates in the 17country euro-zone. The ECB has pared back the marginal lending rate by half a point to 1.00 percent, but left the deposit rate unchanged at zero.

Any new cuts would therefore entail a cut in the deposit rate, taking the central bank into previously uncharted territory of negative interest rates. “In calibrating our policy response to future challenges, the ECB will remain deeply committed to our monetary policy framework,” Draghi said in his speech. —AFP

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2013

BUSINESS

Germany to help Spain with credit for growth and jobs

Positive outlook for global stock markets

By Hayder Tawfik

M

Move aimed at easing credit crunch BERLIN: Germany is setting up a loan program for struggling small and medium-sized firms in Spain to boost growth and jobs in the crisis-hit southern European economy, according to a document obtained yesterday. Germany’s state-owned KfW bank will provide about 1 billion euros ($1.3 billion) at low interest rates to its Spanish counterpart, which will be probably able to lend out several times that amount in cheap loans to local firms.

The move is aimed at easing a credit crunch that is afflicting much of southern Europe, where small and medium-sized firms in particular are struggling to access affordable loans that would allow them to expand their business. Top ECB officials and several EU leaders have described the lack of access to credit in heavily indebted countries as one of the most pressing issues to deal with as the continent tries to emerge from recession.

Germany, on the other hand, enjoys a top-notch AAA rating that investors see as a safe haven. It can therefore borrow money at rock-bottom interest rates. The initiative could also be extended to other countries, such as Portugal, that have been hit hard by the 17-nation euro-zone’s debt crisis, German Deputy Finance Minister Steffen Kampeter said in the document obtained by The Associated Press.

Spain, the euro-zone’s fourth-largest economy, is mired in recession, with an unemployment rate of about 27 percent and about one in two young people lacking a job. The German initiative’s design as “bilateral aid with rapid impact” reflects growing impatience in Berlin about the slow progress by the EU in freeing up existing funds to assist hard-hit countries.

The European Central Bank’s benchmark interest rate is currently at a record low 0.5 percent, but banks are not passing on that low rate to companies because their own finances are strained. Firms in economies like Spain, Portugal, Greece and to a lesser extent Italy still struggle to get affordable financing. Even when banks are willing to lend, the interest rates demanded are significantly higher than in, say, economically robust Germany.

The loan facility for Spain foresees Germany’s KfW bank granting its Spanish state-backed counterpart, ICO, a 10-year 800 million euros loan. The total liability including interest rates is estimated at 1 billion euros, according to the finance ministry document. In addition, KfW is in talks to support

MADRID: Jesus, 49-year old (left) and Paco, 50-year old (centre) both from Spain, receive food from a woman as they beg for help on the street. — AP two existing ICO company lending programs with another 100 million euros each. “It must be achieved to rapidly solve companies’ acute financing problems, because then many small and medium-sized firms, who have a solid business model and good growth outlook, will be able to secure their existence and start expanding employment again,” the document read.

The ministry stressed overcoming those firms’ credit shortages is important “because those companies are crucial for safeguarding the existing jobs and the creation of new trainee positions and jobs.”

Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble will brief Parliament’s budget committee on the initiative tomorrow. It was expected to have wide cross-party support, and lawmakers won’t hold a vote since the foreseen amount remains within the framework of

already agreed credit guarantee lines.”It is good news that the government finally actively supports the program countries to overcome the credit crunch,” said Priska Hinz, the opposition Greens’ ranking member on the committee. “One can only hope that this change of heart doesn’t come much too late,” she added. Germany is currently also assisting Portugal, which is in the middle of a recession coupled with high unemployment, to set up a state-owned bank modeled on KfW to prop up lending to the private sector as a first step before possibly also granting it a bilateral loan facility. “The measures are part of an overall strategy that shall foster growth and employment especially of young people in selected (...) euro-zone countries,” Schaeuble’s deputy Kampeter said in his letter to lawmakers dated Friday. — AFP

Turkish markets tumble ISTANBUL: Turkish shares fell 6.67 percent, the lira spiraled to 16-month lows and bond yields jumped yesterday as investors were given their first chance to respond to violent antigovernment protests over the weekend in cities across the country.

Protests, which began last week with a demonstration to save an Istanbul park from development, have widened into a broad show of defiance against the ruling AK Party. Tens of thousands of Turks took to the streets on Sunday and many clashed with riot police in major cities.

The streets were quieter yesterday morning after another night of protests and violence in Istanbul, Ankara and other cities, which have seen police battle protesters with tear gas. Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan called for calm, urging people not to be provoked by demonstrations he

said had been organised by “extremist elements”. His remarks at a news conference did not reassure investors concerned that unrest would go on.

“The risk clearly is that this all just drags on and then the danger is that violence racks up a notch taking this to an entirely different level - further heightening tensions and entrenching positions,” said Timothy Ash, head of emerging markets research at Standard Bank. He said Erdogan’s comments did not seem to show the prime minister adopting a softer line and indicated he would not bow to pressure, which Ash described as “not very encouraging”.

“I would expect the Turkish authorities, particularly the central bank, to be active in re-assuring investors. For the central bank, the problem is that the lira was weak last week on global market concerns,” he said. The impact

of the violent demonstrations on shares was exacerbated by a sell-off in emerging markets in response to signs a US economic recovery could induce the Federal Reserve to scale back its money-printing.

The main Istanbul share index dropped 6.67 percent to 80,253.60 points, having fallen as much as 8 percent. The lira weakened to 1.8920 against the dollar, having earlier hovered around the 1.9 level, its weakest since January 2012. The two-year benchmark bond yield rose to 6.48 percent from 6.07 percent late on Friday. The yield on the 10-year bond yield climbed to 7.12 percent from 6.84 percent.

The volume of trade on the bond market was extremely low, however, with big banks behaving cautiously.

“We can see major banks are not trading bonds. Their bond portfolios

are very large, they don’t want to price such a big movement,” said one senior banker. “The central bank has not yet shown what sort of a step it will take.”

The negative sentiment undermined market optimism generated by a second investment grade rating, which Turkey earned from Moody’s last month. The cost of insuring Turkey’s debt against default rose to two-month highs. Turkey’s five-year credit default swaps rose 12 basis points to 143 bps, according to Markit, their highest since early April, wiping out improvement since May 16 when Moody’s upgraded Turkey to Baa3. Central Bank Governor Erdem Basci said on Friday the bank may implement additional monetary tightening in the short term, after cutting interest rates several times since September to aid growth.— Reuters

ost stock markets around the world are trying to break out and test new historical highs. Last time they tried to break out was just before the financial crisis back in 2008. It is not unusual for stock markets to go up and test new record levels, but this time it is the contradiction between global economic activities and rising stock markets that grabs the attention and heats up the debate.

At present you literally hear economic growth downgrade happening on daily basis but stock markets still heading up. Obviously there is a divorce between stock prices and underlying economic conditions. Expectation for a weaker economic does not bode well for equity investment. It’s only in the US that we’re seeing the glimmerings of a recovery; but even there the data are mixed and the road to recovery rocky.

But why investors are still pouring money into the markets?

The main reason for the divergence between markets and underlying economic conditions is, as everyone knows, the huge rise in global liquidity. Global central banks have been busy supplying cheap money to the financial markets since 2008. The Bank of Japan has now joined the US Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank and the Bank of England in a massive effort to raise asset prices. My conclusion to what they are doing is for sure to raise asset prices but their concern is to make sure that inflation does not turn into deflation and that will be a bigger headache to solve.

The alarming sign is that inflation starts to fall and these central banks may be looking into a black hole. Obviously they do not want to scare investors about this and that is why they are still talking about taming inflation. Bond buying programs by these central banks have led to investment in riskier assets as investors search for yield. Investors have also been borrowing at very low rates of interest to punt on the markets. Indeed, from smart investors point of view,a weak economic fundamentals are positive, because they know that the central banks willmake sure that ultra-loose economic policy will continue and borrowing rates remain low. Added to this the recent shift in the yield curve is another added bounce. Usually a sudden shift in the yield curve causes some correction in bonds and equities and that is what has been happening in the last few weeks. However, at the same time a steeper yield curve should be positive for equities and negative for bonds. Lets hope that we are witnessing the return of the Goldilocks scenario. An improvement in the global economy but slowly and enough not to cause the central banks to change their loose monetary policy plus falling inflation will be just perfect for equity investors.

These ultra easy monetary policies have been with us for sometime but the recent policy change adopted by the bank of Japan and the addition of vast amounts of liquidity by Japan have pushed the markets further up. The bank of Japan’s policy is a bit different from the policies adopted by the Federal Reserve and other central banks. The BOJ’s program is more effective because Japanese households are not leveraged so any extra money pumped into the economy should have immediate effect on consumption. Some have also argued that deleveraging by US households too is almost over and households there have started borrowing again. That too will increase the effectiveness of the monetary easing policies pursued by the US Federal Reserve.Sadly it is not the same case in the euro-zone. The European Central bank has to come up with more effective policies to encourage banks to lend and push politicians to come up with effective measures to stop the rise in unemployment.

For international investors the picture is getting much clearer than last year. Encouraged by the rising markets, they see better prospects in some other places. Therecent talks in Europe of spending billion of Euros in programs to employ the young and hints that austerity measures may be eased have been pounced upon as extra source of economic growth.

Also, the fall in commodity and crude oil prices, together with the crash in gold, has led to a change in investors’sentiment towards those markets that benefit the most from falling oil and commodity prices. Fund managers have been lowering investment exposure to commodities throughout the year. This is another reason for the sell off in most commodities lead by gold. Also the weak economic growth in China will keep a cap on most commodities for the next few months.

As long as the central banks keep supplying the financial market with massive liquidity and inflation is kept under control and we don’t see a big sell off in the bond market then stock markets will carry on trending up. Obviously there will be some corrections from time to time but investors should take advantage of these corrections and add to their global equity investments.

— Hayder Tawfik is the Executive Vice-President of Asset Management, at Dimah Capital.

EXCHANGE RATES 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 Irani Riyal

ASIAN COUNTRIES 2.851 5.068 2.904 2.261 3.176 227.970 36.899 3.673 6.804 9.410 94.221 0.271

.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

0.273

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

GCC COUNTRIES 76.417 78.738 744.320 761.130 78.041

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 40.200 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 40.338 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.337 Tunisian Dinar 175.740 Jordanian Dinar 404.680 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.922 Syrian Lier 3.114 Morocco Dirham 34.061 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 286.450 Euro 374.100 Sterling Pound 438.980 Canadian dollar 277.430 Turkish lira 151.390 Swiss Franc 300.730 US Dollar Buying 285.250 GOLD 263.500 133.500 70.000

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

SELL DRAFT 278.44 280.51 304.66 375.30 285.85 438.20 2.91 3.682 5.058 2.256 3.172 2.905 77.89 760.81 40.31 406.82 743.39 78.94 76.36

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 283.000 283.000 299.000 372.000 288.000 438.500 3.300 3.740 5.400 2.460 3.420 2.985 78.800 763.500 40.500 415.000 748.000 79.500 77.000

British Pound Czech Korune Danish Krone Euro Norwegian Krone Scottish Pound Swedish Krona Swiss Franc Australian Dollar New Zealand Dollar Uganda Shilling Canadian Dollar Colombian Peso US Dollars Bangladesh Taka Cape Vrde Escudo Chinese Yuan Eritrea-Nakfa

BUY Europe 0.4278481 0.0062612 0.0457656 0.3664124 0.0452526 0.4235148 0.0392353 0.2939051

SELL 0.4368481 0.0182612 0.0507656 0.3739124 0.0504526 0.4310418 0.0442353 0.3009051

Australasia 0.2677639 0.2246165 0.0001140

0.2797639 0.2346165 0.0001140

America 0.2713010 0.0001462 0.2850000

0.2803010 0.0001642 0.2871500

Asia 0.0036421 0.0031866 0.0457618 0.0166100

0.0036971 0.0034166 0.0507618 0.0197100

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) 285.900 374.400 436.800 278.050 2.880 5.060 40.330 2.260 3.673 6.765 2.903 761.200 77.900 76.400

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2013

BUSINESS

Euro-zone factory slump eases Asian factories lose momentum in May

YOKOHAMA: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (right) speaks as Ethiopian Prime Minister and African Union Chairperson Hailemariam Desalegn listens during their joint press conference concluding the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) yesterday. —AP

Now is the time to invest in Africa: Abe YOKOHAMA: Africa will be an engine for world growth in coming decades, Japan’s premier said yesterday, wrapping up a meeting that saw Tokyo pledge huge aid as it tries to match China’s growing involvement in the continent. Shinzo Abe said Africa would be at the leading edge of economic expansion and Japan must make a commitment in a way that would benefit both sides.

“Africa will be a growth centre over the next couple of decades until the middle of this century... now is the time for us to invest in Africa,” Abe told a press conference at the end of the three-day Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in Yokohama near the capital. “Japan will not simply bring natural resources from Africa to Japan. We want to realise industrialisation in Africa that will generate employment and growth,” Abe said.

“The type of growth the TICAD recognises is not just figures... it (aims to) achieve high-quality growth by distributing benefits widely and deeply among people in the society,” he said. Despite relatively longstanding connections, Japan’s importance to Africa has slipped behind that of China, whose more aggressive approach has given it five times the trading volume and eight times the direct investment.

Beijing is criticised in some corners for what is sometimes seen as little more than a resources grab, and for not linking investment with demands for improved human rights or more transparent governance in recipient countries. Japanese officials have stressed the need to transform their country’s relationship with Africa from one of donor-recipient to that of business partnership, as Tokyo’s firms seek to tap a burgeoning market.

Even so, Abe opened the TICAD on Saturday with a pledge of 1.4 trillion yen ($14 billion) in aid.

The cash, half of which was to be dedicated to spending on much-needed infrastructure projects, is included in 3.2 trillion yen that Japan’s public and private sectors will invest in Africa over the next five

years. The package will include $1 billion aid to be spent on helping stabilise the Sahel region. Japan is also aiming to double jobs offered by its firms in Africa to 400,000 by the next TICAD in 2018. Africa’s desperate need for roads, rails, ports and power grids dovetails well with Abe’s pledge to treble the value of Japanese infrastructure exports to 30 trillion yen a year by 2020.

The continent’s growing middle class also makes an attractive target for Japan’s firms, whose domestic market is greying and shrinking.

Participants in the five-yearly TICAD yesterday issued the Yokohama Declaration, which picked up the theme of developing Africa’s business potential and moving away from aid. “We will encourage expanded trade, tourism and technology transfer, and assist the development” of small and mid-size local companies, it said.

“We will also support regional integration to expand intra-regional trade and create new opportunities for private-sector development and employment. “Affirming that the private sector is a vital engine of growth, we will support and strengthen the private sector, promote greater private investment, and improve the investment climate and legal and regulatory frameworks.”

Participants at the conference-co-hosted by the African Union, the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme-said they want to improve production for farmers, who make up much of Africa’s economy. An “action plan” adopted yesterday set goals of boosting growth in the agriculture sector by six percent and doubling rice production by 2018 compared to 2008 levels.

China said it hoped Japanese assistance would contribute to Africa’s peace and development. “We also hope Japan can follow through on various commitments it has made so as to deliver real benefits to African people,” said foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei in Beijing. “China has provided selfless help to Africa for a long time and we will continue to do so.” —AFP

AMIENS, France: A worker of the US tyre-maker Goodyear’s plant stands in front of tyres burnt by workers who block the entrance of the site yesterday as a Nanterre court, near Paris, is due to examine the validity of the backup plan of employment (PSE) for the site, which employs 1,173 workers, following an action by the central works council which disputes its validity. —AFP

Pickups, SUVs power US May auto sales WASHINGTON: Pickup trucks and SUVs drove strong gains in auto sales in the US market in May, with the market helped by a rebound in the construction industry, automakers said yesterday. Ford and Chrysler reported double-digit sales growth from May 2012, while the number-one maker, General Motors, racked up a more modest 3.1 percent gain, and 2.5 percent for Japan’s Toyota.

GM sold about 252,900 cars and trucks, with its luxury division, Cadillac, rocketing 39.9 percent from a year earlier at 13,800 units. Sales of sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and pickups grew 12 percent, with the largest models in both categories showing the most strength, GM said. For the first five months of 2013, total sales reached 1,155,503 units, 8.3 percent higher than the same period last year. Ford delivered nearly 246,600 vehicles in May, 14 percent higher than a year earlier, also driven largely by its pickup truck and SUV lines. Pickups were up 30.6 percent from May 2012, with Ford crediting the surge in the construction industry, while Escape SUV sales gained 26.2 percent.

For the first five months of this year, Ford sold 1,026,833 vehicles, 13.9 percent more than the same period a year ago. Chrysler, controlled by Italian giant Fiat, said sales of nearly 166,600 cars and trucks were up 11.0 percent from a year earlier, led by a 22 percent gain in Ram pickups and 21 percent rise in Grand Cherokee sales. Chrysler sales for the

first five months were 751,646, up 9.1 percent from a year earlier. Toyota meanwhile came in with 207,952 cars and trucks sold in May. Manufacturers were generally confident that the sales boom will continue throughout the year. “New vehicle sales are heating up along with the weather, and solid May results coupled with an excellent Memorial Day weekend provide great momentum as we move into the summer selling season,” said Toyota group vice president Bill Fay in a statement. “The five-year high in consumer confidence translated into especially strong retail sales and as the industry leader last month.” But analysts warned that if the Federal Reserve begins to tighten its economic stimulus before the jobs market completely recovers, it could impact auto sales.

“Improving economic fundamentals in May point to more new-car sales growth but warning signs are on the horizon as well,” said Lacey Plache, chief economist at auto industry specialist Edmunds.com. “While rising consumer confidence from increased wealth... should continue to bring car buyers to market, these wealth effects could taper off later this year if the Fed pulls back on its asset-buying programs which have been propping up stock prices and keeping interest rates low,” she said. “What is really needed is a continued and even expanded labor market recovery to give car buyers greater means to make car payments.” —AFP

LONDON/BEIJING: Euro-zone manufacturing contracted again last month, although at a slightly slower pace, while Asian factories lost momentum, underlining the sombre prospects for the world economy in the second quarter.

Figures expected later yesterday from the United States are expected to do little to lift the gloom as the US Institute for Supply Management (ISM) is expected report a slight fall in its main index.

Markit’s Purchasing Managers’ Indexes for Asia and Europe provided early grim reading.

“The global economy remains weak... There’s nothing in the system at the moment, certainly in China, that suggests there is a big pick-up in store just around the corner,” said Victoria Clarke at Investec. The HSBC China PMI fell in May to 49.2, the lowest level since October 2012 and down from April’s 50.4. A reading below 50 suggests a contraction in activity from the previous month, while a reading above that level points to expansion.

For the euro-zone, Markit’s PMI rose to 48.3 from April’s 46.7 but spent its 22nd month below the watershed 50 level that marks contraction.

Still, it was its highest since February 2012 and the first time the downturn has eased in four months. The PMI for Germany, Europe’s largest economy, remained sub-50 but did improve and

it was a similar story in neighbouring France, the bloc’s second biggest economy. Spanish and Italy’s PMIs behaved similarly. British manufacturing, however, expanded at its fastest pace in over a year last month, boosting optimism that the country’s recovery is becoming more broad based. An upward revision to April meant British factories have now expanded for two straight months.

Order fall Growth in Indian factories was close to stalling, with the HSBC PMI slipping to its lowest reading since March 2009, although the index has stayed above 50 for over four years.

However, a factory production sub-index for Asia’s third largest economy showed output was falling for the first time in more than four years as new orders growth slowed to a trickle.

The China survey showed total new orders and new export orders fell in May from April, highlighting weakness in both domestic and overseas demand. China’s HSBC PMI followed a similar government survey released on Saturday, which showed a slight uptick but also pointed to falling orders from exports markets.

The data, plus a fall in the official services PMI, added to evidence that the world’s second-

largest economy is losing further momentum in the second quarter. “We think China’s economic growth will probably continue to slide,” said Zhiwei Zhang, chief China economist at Nomura in Hong Kong.

New export orders also fell in Taiwan, a key producer in the global technology supply chain, while in South Korea, home to big brand names such as Samsung and Hyundai, new export orders growth eased to its weakest pace since January.

“A number of respondents blamed the reduction in demand to a general slowdown in global activity,” HSBC said Taiwan. European firms cut prices for the second month in May - the output price index fell to its lowest since January 2010 but that still failed to push a new orders index above the breakeven mark, suggesting this month’s PMI will see scant improvement.

With the bloc enduring its longest recession the European Central Bank has come under growing pressure to take more action to help bring a quicker end to the downturn. ECB President Mario Draghi has said the central bank was ready to cut interest rates again if the bloc’s economy deteriorates further but a Reuters poll taken last week did not forecast any more policy easing. —Reuters

China output shrinks in May: HSBC BEIJING: China’s manufacturing activity shrank more than first reported in May, HSBC said yesterday, confirming the first contraction in seven months. The British banking giant’s final purchasing managers’ index (PMI) reading for May came in at 49.2, the bank said in a press release, the lowest for eight months and worse than the preliminary 49.6 announced on May 23. A reading below 50 indicates contraction in the sector. The HSBC and central government PMIs are both widely watched indicators of the health of the Chinese economy.

HSBC’s index stood at 50.4 in April and May’s final figure was the worst since the 47.9 recorded in September. The result was in stark

contrast to the Chinese government’s PMI result for May, which came in at 50.8, better than April’s 50.6, the National Bureau of Statistics said Saturday. Qu Hongbin, HSBC chief economist for China, said in the bank’s release that its final PMI “suggests a marginal weakening of manufacturing activities towards the end of May, thanks to deteriorating domestic demand conditions”.

He added: “With persisting external headwinds, Beijing needs to boost domestic demand to avoid a further deceleration of manufacturing output growth and its negative impact on the labour market.” Total new orders declined for the first time since September, with new

export orders falling for the second month in a row, led by a contraction in demand from the United States, some survey respondents said.

Expectations that China’s economy was poised to accelerate in 2013 after showing strength at the end of last year have so far been dashed.

China’s economy, the world’s second largest, expanded 7.8 percent in 2012, its worst result in 13 years. The government in April announced a surprisingly weak economic growth rate of 7.7 percent for the first quarter. The International Monetary Fund last week cut its 2013 growth forecast for China to “around 7.75 percent”, while Beijing in March kept its growth target for 2013 at 7.5 percent, unchanged

from last year.

Shen Jianguang, a Hong Kongbased economist with Mizuho Securities, said lukewarm May data including shipping demand, electricity output and coal inventory-a major source of energy in Chinasuggested economic momentum was slack. “An economic rebound in the second half is not yet guaranteed... An expansionary fiscal policy is very much needed,” he said in a research note, predicting project approvals will pick up in the rest of the year. HSBC’s PMI poll, conducted by financial information service provider Markit and published by the bank, focuses more on smaller enterprises than the government survey. —AFP

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2013

BUSINESS

Gold rebounds on softer dollar LONDON: Gold rose yesterday, partially recovering from the previous session’s slide, as the dollar and European shares fell after poor Chinese economic data and due to uncertainty over how long US stimulus measures will continue. US economic data will remain in focus this week, including May’s ISM manufacturing index later in the day and non-farm payroll figures on Friday, in the approach to the Federal Reserve’s next policy meeting later in June.

The US central bank has said it would keep up its stimulus campaign until economic indicators show continued strengthening. Spot gold rose to a session high of $1,401.40 an ounce and was up 0.8 percent at $1,395.79 by 0958 GMT. The metal dropped 1.9 percent on Friday, the steepest single-day fall since May 17, which helped push the metal to a second straight monthly decline. “ The $1,400 level will be the peg in the ground for gold, as this is a psychological mark, which also generated a lot of options activity

lately, and I would see prices hovering around it in the run-up to the US labour report on Friday,” Standard Bank analyst Walter de Wet said.

US gold futures for August delivery rose 0.2 percent to $1,396.10 an ounce. The dollar index fell 0.4 percent and European shares dropped, mirroring a sell-off in US stocks and after China’s factory activity shrank for the first time in seven months in May. Gold fell more than 6 percent in May largely due to concerns the US Federal Reserve could slow its monthly bond purchases as the U.S. economy showed signs of improvement. But a flurry of disappointing data, including Friday’s report on a decline in US consumer spending, has weakened arguments for curbing the scheme.

The metal was also supported by data showing hedge funds and money managers increased their bullish bets in futures and options for the first time in four weeks in the week to May 28, a

report by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission showed on Friday. “With net gold length is now at its lowest ebb for almost a decade, one could argue that the pace of liquidation is likely to slow,” Deutsche Bank said in a note. Declines in the holdings of SPDR Gold Trust, the largest gold-backed exchange traded fund, have stopped after nearly three weeks.

Holdings rose last Wednesday and have been unchanged since. Physical demand for gold has been strong since a mid-April drop in spot prices.

Premiums in Asia are at or near all-time highs as gold has dropped nearly 17 percent for the year.

Gold demand in India will be as strong as last year in the second half of 2013 due to prospects of good monsoon rains that will boost the income of farmers, the key buyers, the World Gold Council CEO said. Silver rose one percent to $22.43 an ounce, platinum was up 0.4 percent to $1,461.49 an ounce, while palladium was down 0.4 percent at $745.22 an ounce. — Reuters

N Korean economy surrenders to foreign currency invasion CHANGBAI: Chinese currency and dollars are being used more widely than ever in North Korea instead of the country’s own money, a stark illustration of the extent to which the leadership under Kim Jong-un has lost control over the economy. The use of dollars and Chinese yuan, or renminbi, has accelerated since a disastrous revaluation of the North Korean won in 2009 wiped out the savings of millions of people, said experts on the country, defectors and Chinese border traders.

On the black market the won has shed more than 99 percent of its value against the dollar since the revaluation, according to exchange rates tracked by Daily NK, a Seoul-based news and information website about North Korea. North Korea is one of the most closed countries in the world, so it is difficult to determine what impact this could ultimately have on Kim’s regime.

But experts said the growing use of foreign currency is making it increasingly difficult for Pyongyang to implement economic policy, resulting in the creation of a private economy outside the reach of the state that only draconian measures could rein in. For now Pyongyang appeared to be capitulating, rather than trying to stamp out foreign currency use, they said. Estimates of how much hard currency is in circulation vary, but an analyst at the Samsung Economic Research Institute in Seoul put it at $2 billion in an April study, out of an economy worth $21.5 billion, according to some assessments. Pyongyang doesn’t publish economic data. The use of dollars and yuan is now so pervasive there is little Pyongyang can do about it, said Marcus Noland, a North Korea expert at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington.

The government would increasingly have to force people to provide goods and services to the state and get paid in won, added Noland, who closely studies the North Korean economy. “It’s been a tug of war for 20 years where the state would like to get control of the economy, to quash the market and to get everyone to use the North Korean won, but it just doesn’t have the capacity to do any of those things,” he said. “It just makes it harder and harder for them to govern.

Nobody wants what they’re selling.”

Secret video In the Chinese town of Changbai in Jilin province, just across the border from the hardscrabble North Korean city of Hyesan, one Chinese trader said North Korean officials he dealt with wanted yuan more than anything else, even food.

The yuan they earned from doing business quickly gets circulated into Hyesan, a city of roughly 190,000 people whose industry-based economy has slumped since the 1990s.

“The only thing they want is foreign currency,” said the trader, who sells products including medicine and tea in Changbai. He declined to be identified because he did not want to jeopardise his business or endanger his North Korean partners. In April, Daily NK posted video it said was shot secretly in February at an open-air market in Hyesan. The shaky footage showed vendors openly quoting prices in yuan for products like gloves and jackets, and one accepting payment in yuan.

Pyongyang has waged periodic campaigns to try to stop the use of foreign currency but with no success. North Korea made circulating foreign currency a crime punishable by death in September 2012, the Paris-based International Federation for Human Rights said in a report last month.

Another group, Human Rights Watch, recently interviewed more than 90 defec-

tors who had fled North Korea in the past two years about punishment they had received for economic crimes. None said they were penalised for using or holding hard currency.

Nevertheless, ordinary North Koreans are very careful. “I have heard multiple stories of people hiding foreign money under the floorboards in the house, or burying it up the hill in the woods out back,” said one person in northeastern China who has lived in Pyongyang and regularly interacts with North Koreans.

“Nobody puts it in the bank because nobody trusts the government.”

The worthless won Faith in the North Korean won crumbled when Kim’s father, Kim Jong-il, ordered the sudden revaluation of the currency in November 2009. The government chopped two zeroes off banknotes and limited the amount of old money that could be exchanged for new cash.

The move, seen as an attack on private market activity at the time, spurred a rush to hold hard currency.

It also quickened inflation and according to South Korea’s spy agency, sparked rare civil unrest in one of the world’s most entrenched authoritarian states after North Koreans realised the won was not a safe store of value. The government is widely believed to have executed the economic official who oversaw the revaluation. Dollars have circulated in North Korea for decades, partly because of the cash siphoned off from official foreign trade. The rise in the use of yuan is a more recent phenomenon and reflects a surge in trade and smuggling between North Korea and China along their 1,400 km (875 mile) land border, where a lot of the currency changes hands. Official trade with China is worth $6 billion annually. Black market rates illustrate how far the won has fallen since the revaluation.

It has plunged from 30 to one dollar to about 8,500, according to exchange rates tracked by Daily NK. The current official exchange rate is about 130 won per dollar. Daily NK has sources in North Korea who report every fortnight on rates in Hyesan, the city of Sinuiju opposite the Chinese border city of Dandong and also the capital Pyongyang. In border areas some 90 percent of transactions occur in hard currency, said Christopher Green, Daily NK’s manager of international affairs. Elsewhere, foreign cash accounts for 50 to 80 percent transactions in private markets, he estimated.

Informal economy exceeds formal - expert North Koreans increasingly did not refer to prices in won, Dong Yong-Sueng, senior fellow at the Samsung Economic Research Institute in Seoul, wrote in the April study on the use of foreign currency in the country. Prices were marked in dollars for beer, university preparation courses and apartments, Dong wrote. South Korea’s central bank estimated foreign currency in circulation at $1 billion in 2000. Dong reckoned $2 billion in foreign cash was now sloshing around the economy. Around half was in dollars, 40 percent in yuan and 10 percent in euros, he told Reuters. Dollars seeped into the market because trading firms exploited government quotas for exports and imports, making profits when prices diverged from those set by the state, Dong said. It was not possible to estimate the amount of North Korean won in circulation, Dong added. He said the North Korean informal economy was now bigger than the formal, state-led economy. “Without foreign exchange, the economy would stop functioning,” Dong said. US officials have previously accused North Korea of making extremely high-quality counterfeit $100 notes. — Reuters

GMC customer wins KD 10,000 grand prize KUWAIT: Mohammed Saleh and Reza Yousuf Behbehani Company, the authorized dealers of GMC Vehicles in Kuwait announced one of the Grand Prize Winners of their Golden Jubilee Anniversar y Promotion this month.

Jassim Abdallah Abdel Rehman Mohammad won a KD 10,000 cash prize upon buying the GMC Yukon model year 2013.

Earlier this month, Behbehani launched a special promotion to commemorate its 50th anniversary whereby customers would get up to KD 1,500 cash back upon purchase of any of the GMC vehicles in addition to an opportunity to win several cash prizes up to KD 10,000.

“It is a special occasion for all of us at Behbehani to announce the first winner of the grand prize and we extend our heartiest congratulations to Jassim Abdallah Abdel Rehman Mohammad and all our esteemed customers who have benefitted from this mega promotion in celebration of our 50th anniversary. We are glad to mention that all our customers have gone back with several cash prizes during this period” said Adel

Behbehani, Director of Sales at Mohammed Saleh and Reza Yousuf Behbehani Company.

“We believe our customers are the key to our success and we strive to provide them the maximum value in terms of our products, services and promotions. We invite all our customers to benefit from our special offer as the promotion is going to continue until the end of June and all our customers will win handsome cash prizes throughout this promotion.

We are looking forward to make many such announcements during the period “ he further added.

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2013

BUSINESS

Warba Bank launches Qardh Hasan financing facility KUWAIT: Warba Bank, the most recently opened Islamic bank in Kuwait, announced the introduction of the sharia compliant Qardh Hasan product in the local market, free of profit payments or administration expenses. The new produc t is available to Kuwaiti nationals and GCC residents working in both the public and private sectors who transfer their salaries to Warba Bank.

Speaking about the new product, Chief Retail Banking Officer at Warba Bank, Adnan Salman AlSalem, said: “The new product is in line with the bank’s commit-

ment to provide the local market with innovative banking products that comply with Islamic sharia principles. The Qardh Hasan produc t suppor ts the needs of the bank’s customers and helps them to face the increasing demands of life. The new product, which is profit-free finance available as per the bank’s terms and conditions, will also play a role in suppor ting society and promoting economic growth.” Al-Salem added: “ The Qardh Al Hasan finance is provided through pre-paid cards that are issued for free for the first

year. This product also enables the customer to open an investment saving account to transfer their salary at no additional fee.

Customers above the age of 21 will be able to benefit from all the advantages that are offered

by Warba Bank as per credit terms and conditions.”

Al-Salem continued: “Warba Bank provides this product to the holders of ‘Safwa’ cards, as well as regular ATM cards, and to all those who transfer their salaries to the bank. The bank adheres fully to Islamic sharia principles to meet the needs and require-

ments of customers, enabling them to manage their finances easily and at their convenience.

This initiative comes from the bank’s commitment to share the customers’ burdens and provide them with a service that lessens their responsibilities.”

The personal finance products provided by the bank can be availed via a quick and easy application process. Warba Bank’s “Murabaha” finance product is in line with Islamic sharia principles and enables customers to make monthly payment installments up to a tenure of 15 years. Warba

Bank provides a range of modern consumer and housing finance services at competitive rates and supported by outstanding levels of customer service.

Warba Bank’s credit cards are fully sharia compliant and incur no interest, regardless of their type (Classic, Gold, and Platinum). In addition, the cards offer distinctive contemporary designs and the highest international standards of security.

Warba Bank does all this as it is focused solely on the comfort and peace of mind of its customers.

Adnan Al-Salem

British manufacturing sees 2-month growth Manufacturing set to contribute to UK recovery in Q2

HONG KONG: This picture shows high rise buildings in Hong Kong. New government data underlined the housing crisis in Hong Kong where it estimated more than 170,000 people live in subdivided flats in Hong Kong, doubling official figures from 2012.— AFP

Small-scale living is new trend in US SEATTLE: Aaron McConnell doesn’t mind sharing a kitchen with seven neighbors.

He’s fine in living quarters with just enough room for a twin bed, a corner desk and little else. Closets? Forget about it - he stores his clothing and other possessions on shelves and hooks. McConnell’s small-scale home life is part of a hot trend in US real estate micro apartments. “I like living in a community,” he says. “It’s kind of fun, very social.”

It’s also affordable for McConnell, 28, who pays $737 a month for his apartment in Seattle as he embarks on a career in civil engineering.

Tiny apartments like McConnell’s are cropping up in major cities around the country to meet the demand of people who are short on cash but determined to live in areas with otherwise pricey rents.

Micros, also known as “hostel-style” apartments, usually offer less than 200 square feet including private bathrooms, and they typically come furnished, sometimes with built-in beds and other amenities to save space.

Most feature a group kitchen that may be shared among eight units, although units in McConnell’s complex are equipped with microwave ovens and small refrigerators. They also include Internet connections and utilities in the price of the rent.

There are no elevators. Few come with parking, but McConnell has a street parking pass for his neighborhood that is close to Seattle University and several of the city’s major hospitals. What micro apartments lack in space they often make up for in proximity to prime locations.

McConnell’s is situated near Seattle’s lively Pike-Pine Corridor, an area rich in restaurants, bars and shops. In Seattle, rents for micro apartments range from about $500 to $1,000, while a one-bedroom apartment rental in Seattle averaged $1,223 this spring, according to Mike Scott of Dupre + Scott Apartment Advisors Inc. MICRO DENSITY Not everyone is in favor of the trend.

Residents of some conventional homes and apartments near McConnell’s worry that micro sprawl could overcrowd their neighborhood infrastructure, adding to traffic congestion and making already scarce parking even harder to find. “These are like boarding houses on steroids,” said Carl Winter, founder of the group Reasonable Density Seattle and a resident of the neighborhood. “I’m living the nightmare.”

Micro developments have drawn criticism for not facing the same level of design and environmental review that a newly constructed conventional apartment undergoes because a single-dwelling is defined as a unit that includes its own kitchen. “We did a calculation and there are 19 micro apartments going in on 12 sites well within 1 square mile” in his neighborhood, Winter said. “Our big issue is they are not being subjected to the same regulatory process as everyone else.” Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn is on record in support of micro apartments, as is City Council member Richard Conlin. “The private market is building affordable housing for people who want it,” Conlin said. “Fundamentally, this is a good thing.”

Young people starting out, service workers and retirees on limited incomes all need affordable housing, Conlin and other supporters said. Forty-one micro housing projects have come through the Seattle Department of Planning and Development since 2006, spokeswoman Cyndi Wilder said. Of those, 28 received permits and 13 are under examination. The planning department is aware of the debate over the review process for micro apartment build-

ings, she said, and the Seattle City Council “is going through an information-gathering process.”

A SECOND HOME? In San Francisco, some see the potential for micro apartments to become the domain of high-paid, high-tech suburbanites who keep them for the occasional night in the city, a kind of new-age pied-aterre, as opposed to serving as real homes for working-class residents. “If they are going to be used for high-tech workers, they will end up having a gentrification effect and push rents up,” said Ted Gullicksen, director of the San Francisco Tenants Union. Otherwise, his organization has no objections, he said. Gullicksen described micro apartments as ideal for college students, who have trouble finding an affordable place to live in the city. “If they ended up being used for student housing, that would be a good thing,” he said. New York City is experimenting with micro apartments, with the backing of Mayor Mike Bloomberg. Last year, Bloomberg, along with the Department of Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Mathew M. Wambua, launched the adAPT NYC Competition, a pilot program to develop a rental building composed of micro-units, according to Bloomberg’s website.

The winner of the competition proposed 55 units ranging from 250 to 370 square feet (23 to 34 square metres), made of prefab modules. The building is scheduled for completion in Manhattan by September 2015, and will include a rooftop garden, lounges, a deck, laundry, bike storage, a cafe and fitness room. In Boston, Mayor Thomas Menino is also a supporter of the tiny apartments, saying the city must create more housing for workers and seniors, and that micro apartments fit the bill.

Matthew Gardner, a Seattle land use economist and chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Washington Center for Real Estate Research, said he is not surprised by the rush to build micro apartments in the past year or so, at least in his city. The economy is doing better and rents are rising, he said. “Land is at a premium here,” he said. “So where do (local) service workers live? They want to be close to where they work but can’t afford the current price of apartments, which have gone up dramatically in last few years. The introduction of this hostel-type product could meet a lot of unsatisfied demand.”

Jim Potter, chairman of Kauri Investments, said the micros he builds, including the Emerald 10 complex where McConnell lives, provide a housing option for a group of hard-working people and retirees largely overlooked by most developers. “Nobody else is producing something at this moderately priced range,” he said. “You get a brand new building with a new bathroom. You get Internet access and it’s fully furnished. In general, our buildings are on major bus lines and/or light rail.”

Potter has worked with other developers to build six micro apartment complexes in Seattle, with several more planned. He also is working on projects in Portland, Oregon; San Francisco and in New Jersey.

“This product has legs on it,” Potter said. “It is a national phenomenon and Seattle is ahead of the pack.” The average stay in Potter’s micro apartments is one year, and the residents’ average age is about 33, he said. Most have incomes below $35,000 a year and do not own a car. As for McConnell, he plans to stay in his micro apartment until January, when he’s getting married. “Then I’ll see where life takes us,” he said.— Reuters

LONDON: A strong rise in new orders helped British manufacturing grow at its fastest pace in over a year last month, a survey showed yesterday, and revised data for April meant UK factories have now had a two-month expansion. Weak lending data from the Bank of England, however, highlighted the ongoing challenges facing the economy.

Banks and building societies taking advantage of the Bank’s Funding for Lending Scheme cut lending by 300 million pounds ($455 million) in the first three months of the year, leaving the central bank hoping for a pick-up later in 2013. But economists said the strong manufacturing data made it increasingly unlikely that policymakers would return to their previous approach of large-scale bond purchases, either at BoE Governor Mervyn King’s last rate-setting meeting this week or once Mark Carney succeeds him on July 1.

The Markit/CIPS Purchasing Managers’ Index rose to a 14-month high of 51.3 in May, and April’s figure was revised up to above the 50-mark that divides growth from contraction. “This reduces the likelihood of more quantitative easing, at least in the immediate term. I think this is part of a positive trend,” said George Buckley, UK economist at Deutsche Bank.

Factory output contracted 0.3 percent in the

first three months of 2013 and has been a drag on growth for much of the past year, but May’s figures offered a positive outlook, with orders rising at their fastest pace in more than two years. “Signs that the manufacturing sector is recovering will add further weight to the Bank of England’s decision to wait and see before adding to its accommodative policy stance,” said Markit economist Rob Dobson.

The Bank of England is widely expected to refrain from action at its June policy meeting on Thursday, and a Reuters poll last week showed that economists believed the chance of more asset purchases this year had fallen below 50 percent.

Britain’s economy grew by 0.3 percent in the first three months of 2013 - stronger than most economists expected - but the recovery is fragile and there is an ongoing political debate about how far it is hampered by government austerity measures. In a speech hosted by Thomson Reuters earlier yesterday, the opposition Labour Party’s finance spokesman, Ed Balls, said it would have to cut some welfare benefits if it returns to power after an election in 2015.

Lacklustre lending The central bank bought large sums of govern-

ment bonds between March 2009 and October 2012, but has more recently focused on measures such as the Funding for Lending Scheme to boost the flow of credit to households and businesses.

However, figures yesterday showed that banks and building societies taking part in the scheme had reduced lending by some 1.79 billion pounds since July last year, despite drawing down 16.45 billion pounds from the scheme.

The figures are broadly consistent with Friday’s BoE data for the banking sector as a whole in April.

Most of the fall in lending is due to three of the country’s largest lenders - Santander and statecontrolled Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group - cutting net lending by billions of pounds as they run down excessive loans made before the financial crisis.

Barclays and the mutually-owned Nationwide Building Society increased lending by the most.

Last month the FLS was changed to give banks a greater incentive to lend to small businesses, and Paul Fisher, the BoE policymaker in charge of the scheme, said he expected the situation to improve later in the year.

“The plans of the FLS participants suggest that net lending volumes will pick up gradually through the remainder of 2013,” he said. —Reuters

IRS woes up with report of conference spending WASHINGTON: The Internal Revenue Service, already under fire after officials disclosed that the agency targeted conservative groups, faces increased scrutiny because of an inspector general’s report that it spent about $50 million to hold at least 220 conferences for employees between 2010 and 2012. The report by the Treasury Department’s inspector general about conference spending is set to be released today. The department issued a statement Sunday saying the administration “has already taken aggressive and dramatic action to reduce conference spending.”

The White House and the agency were on the defensive before the report on conference spending. Agency officials and the Obama administration have said the targeting of conservative groups was inappropriate, but the political tempest is showing no signs of ebbing. Three congressional committees are investigating, a Justice Department criminal investigation is under way, President Barack Obama has replaced the IRS’ acting commissioner and two other top officials have stepped aside.

The chairman of one of those committees, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., also released excerpts of congressional investigators’ interviews with employees of the IRS office in Cincinnati. Issa said the interviews indicated the employees were directed by Washington to subject tea party and other conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status to tough

scrutiny. The closest the excerpts came to direct evidence that Washington had ordered the screening was one employee saying that “all my direction” came from an official who the excerpt said was in Washington. The top Democrat on that panel, Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, said none of the employees interviewed have so far identified any IRS officials in Washington as ordering that targeting. The conference spending included $4 million for an August 2010 gathering in Anaheim, Calif, for which the agency did not negotiate lower room rates, even though that is standard government practice, according to a statement by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

Instead, some of the 2,600 attendees received benefits, including baseball tickets and stays in presidential suites that normally cost $1,500 to $3,500 per night. In addition, 15 outside speakers were paid a total of $135,000 in fees, with one paid $17,000 to talk about “leadership through art,” the House committee said.

IRS spokeswoman Michelle Eldridge said Sunday that spending on large agency conferences with 50 or more participants fell from $37.6 million in the 2010 budget year to $4.9 million in 2012. The government’s fiscal year begins Oct 1 the previous calendar year.

On Friday, the new acting commissioner, Danny Werfel, released a statement on the forthcoming

report criticizing the Anaheim meeting.

“This conference is an unfortunate vestige from a prior era,” Werfel said. “While there were legitimate reasons for holding the meeting, many of the expenses associated with it were inappropriate and should not have occurred.” On the topic of targeting conservative groups, Issa’s committee also released excerpts from interviews congressional investigators conducted last week with two IRS employees from the agency’s Cincinnati office. The excerpts omitted the names of those interviewed and provided no specifics about individuals in Washington who may have been involved.

One of the IRS employees said in an excerpt that they were told by a supervisor that the need to collect the reports came from Washington, and said that in early 2010 the Cincinnati office had sent copies of seven of the cases to Washington. One of the workers also expressed skepticism that the Cincinnati office originated the screening without direction from Washington, according to the excerpts.

Appearing Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Issa said this conflicted with White House comments that have referred to misconduct by IRS workers in Cincinnati. Issa said, “This is a problem that was coordinated in all likelihood right out of Washington headquarters and we’re getting to proving it.”— AP

Fed indecision weighs on markets LONDON: Uncertainty over the US Federal Reserve’s course of action ahead of a run of major economic news kept investors on edge yesterday on the first trading day of the month. Turkish shares were faring worst as investors took fright after three days of anti-government protests. Over the past few weeks, sentiment in the markets has largely swung to the tune of the US economic data - when the numbers have been strong, stocks have taken a hit as investors worried that the Fed might start to reduce the amount of financial assets it is buying every month. The Fed has been spending $85 billion a month buying bonds to push down interest rates in the hope of boosting the US economy. The new money generated by the policy has helped shore up markets over the past few years despite a patchy global recovery.

“With ongoing fears over the implications of stimulus withdrawal from the Fed plus the fact we have the usual start-of-month economic readings to look forward to in the coming days, there’s plenty of scope for further volatility,” said Mike McCudden, head of derivatives at Interactive Investor. In Europe, the FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was down 0.4 percent at 6,556 while Germany’s DAX fell 0.7 percent to 8,291. The CAC-40 in France was 0.6 percent lower at 3,926.

Turkey’s main stock market posted the biggest fall amid protests against the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The Borsa

Istanbul 100 Index was down 6.7 percent as investors worried about the destabilizing effect of the demonstrations on the economy. Wall Street was poised for a steady opening following big falls late Friday - Dow futures and the broader S&P 500 futures were 0.3 percent lower.

The focus later will likely be on the monthly US manufacturing survey from the Institute for Supply Management. The survey kick starts a swathe of US data that culminates on Friday with the monthly nonfarm payrolls report for May. By the end of the week, the Fed will have a lot more fresh information to decide its next course of action. “All the Fed can do is

sit and wait for economic data to arrive, and then make its decision,” said Chris Beauchamp, market analyst at IG. “Like us, they just have to wait and see.”

It’s also a big week in Europe, with the European Central Bank and the Bank of England announcing their latest policy decisions on Thursday.

Particular interest will be on the ECB and what, if any, measures it decides to take to improve the fortunes of the ailing euro-zone economy. New figures released yesterday suggested the euro-zone may be stabilizing somewhat. The monthly manufacturing purchasing managers’ index from financial information company Markit

HERAT: An Afghan shoe maker works in a street yesterday.

Trying to recover from 30 years of conflict that destroyed institutions and infrastructure, Afghanistan remains one of the poorest countries in the world. — AFP

rose to 48.3 points in May from the initial estimate of 47.8 - the upward revision takes the index nearer to the 50 threshold between expansion and contraction. The survey helped shore up the euro, which was trading 0.3 percent at $1.3030.

Earlier in Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 index plummeted 3.7 percent to close at 13,261.82, as optimism over the country’s economic outlook continued to wane - the index has been particularly volatile over the past couple of weeks. Part of that volatility has been due to the yen’s appreciation from lows - the yen is often in demand at times of market turmoil.

The higher yen makes the country’s exports potentially more expensive and that can depress growth. The yen has spent most of this year on the retreat in the aftermath of the Bank of Japan’s big monetary stimulus. The dollar was 0.2 percent lower at 100.33 yen. Elsewhere, South Korea’s Kospi fell 0.6 percent to 1,989.57. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 0.5 percent to 22,282.19 and Shanghai’s main index dropped 0.1 percent to 2,406.70 after mixed Chinese economic numbers.

Though the official manufacturing PMI rose to 50.8 in May from 50.6 the previous month, an equivalent survey from HSBC fell to 49.2 from 50.4. “So technically China exhibited growth and contraction at the same time,” said Gary Jenkins, managing director of Swordfish Research. “You pays your money and you takes your choice.” Oil prices were fairly static, with the benchmark New York rate up 10 cents at $92.07 a barrel. —AP

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2013

BUSINESS

Third Arab Aviation and Media Summit to take place in Oman Summit will assess impact of aviation on economic growth

Jason Soss and Ghaith Al-Ghaith sign the hotel partnership agreement.

flydubai and stay with new hotel offering KUWAIT: flydubai has launched a new hotel offering allowing passengers to plan their entire holiday through flydubai.com. The move comes as flydubai celebrates its fourth anniversary and offers a wide range of accommodation options both within its network and beyond through an exclusive partnership with Tourico Holidays.

Along with everyday affordable rates, flydubai will also have regular special offers on resorts and attractions. flydubai CEO Ghaith Al-Ghaith said: “This is a very exciting time for flydubai. We have listened to our customers, many of whom have asked if they can book hotels and other travelrelated services along with their flights, we are pleased to now offer this service through our partnership with Tourico Holidays. We constantly strive to offer our passengers more and thanks to the addition of these travel packages, everything can be booked easily and conveniently at flydubai.com.”

In addition to hotels, customers can also book cruises, transfers and tickets to thousands of attractions around the world. Partner hotels include Accor Hotels Starwood Hotels and Resorts, InterContinental Hotel Group, Hilton Worldwide and Best Western. Attractions vary from city tours and desert safaris in the UAE through to entry tickets to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

Jason Soss, President - Global Business Development Travel Holdings, Inc., the parent company of Tourico Holidays said: “As one of the leading global travel wholesalers, we are delighted to bring our extensive portfolio to flydubai’s passengers.

Whether they are looking for a back packing hotel in Istanbul or five-star luxury in the Maldives, with more than 36,000 hotels, cruises, vacation packages and attractions in over 4,500 destinations, we have something for every budget. We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with flydubai.”

Offering hotel packages is the latest in a number of value-added initiatives launched by flydubai over the past three years. Other services include; car rental and travel insurance. Most recently, the airline launched visa facilitation for passengers travelling to Azerbaijan. Russia and Ukraine to complement the service offered to customers travelling to the UAE. flydubai operates a simple model in which fares include the price of the seat, all taxes and hand baggage in addition to one small laptop bag or handbag. Once on board, passengers can choose from a range of optional extras, including in-flight entertainment packages or select from the varied menu of refreshments and Duty Free items.

SHARJAH: The Third edition of the Arab Aviation and Media Summit will be held under the patronage of Her Excellency The Undersecretary Maitha bint Saif bin Majid Al-Mahrouqi, Ministry of Tourism, Sultanate of Oman, from June 25-27, 2013, in Salalah, Sultanate of Oman.

Organized by Air Arabia in partnership with Oman’s Ministry of Tourism, Airbus, CNBC Arabia and CFM, the Arab Aviation and Media Summit 2013 is themed, ‘Aviation and Tourism: Enabler of Economic Growth.’In addition to assessing the impact of aviation and tourism on regional economic growth, the Summit in its third year will focus on discussing and debating the challenges and opportunities faced by the industry in the wider Arab world.

The two-day event will be featuring high profile panel of speakers and a wide network of editors and media representatives from across the Arab world together debating Arab Aviation and Tourism.

Maitha Al-Mahrouqi, Under-Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Oman, said: “The Sultanate of Oman offers a lot when it comes to Travel and Tourism. Hosting the 2013 Arab Aviation & Media Summit in Salalah is a great example to the commitment we place in developing the tourism sector in our country. We are glad to join hands with our fellow partners and together bring one of the remarkable Summitsthat will serve as a timely platform for dialogue and the exchange of ideas between two important stakeholders - industry participants and media.”

This year’s Summit will bring together an array of international and regional industry experts, as well as media representatives from across the region to

exchange ideas and strategies to address the challenges faced by the sector. Last year, the event drew more than 150 participants that took place in Sharjah.

Adel A Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia, said: “The Arab world’s aviation and tourism industry has over the years demonstrated its significance to the economic growth. Underscored by job creation and bilateral trade, the sector will continue to be regarded as a catalyst for economic activities in the decades to come, however, the industry still with-

Rupee plunge may blunt ‘India Shining’

By Adeeb Ahamed

ABK presents first Daily Interest Account KUWAIT: Al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait (ABK) brings you the first account where interest is earned on a daily basis, enabling the customer to save and grow his money consistently. With regards to the account Stewart Lockie, General Manager, Retail Banking mentioned, “At ABK we design products that will encourage our customers to save and invest their money well.

Our new Daily Interest Account is the first of its kind in Kuwait, where interest is earned every day, and simply adds on to the present amount in the account. Besides, the customer enjoys flexibility, as he can withdraw from and deposit into the account freely without any restrictions. The great news is that the percentage you earn as interest increases as your savings grow.” Lockie further stated, “Our customers can open an account with KD 100 or with the equivalent amount using the dollar, pound or euro, provided you are minimum 21 years old.”

Qualitynet launches latest service - QCall KUWAIT: Qualitynet, Kuwait’s No. 1 Total Solutions Provider has launched its campaign announcing its new ‘QCall’ service. The QCall service, which bears the slogan “Take your landline number everywhere you go”, is the latest among Qualitynet’s Value-Added services, which the company has worked hard on developing and bringing to the Kuwait market.

Essa Kooheji, GM - Consumer Services, Qualitynet said “this innovative service is dedicated for the residential sector, helping them get a landline number easily and conveniently within a few minutes.

Customers should have an Internet line, to get the QCall service. The service gives customers not only the luxury of speaking for free via their landline; they also enjoy the flexibility of using this number over smart phones anywhere”. He stated that the service’s smart phone application is now available for all smart phone users, be it for iOS, Android, OVI, Windows and Blackberry users.

Kooheji added that Qualitynet is constantly introducing lifestyle changing services with the latest in

communication & information technology. “We aim to provide innovative services that not only enhance lifestyle options, but also help our customers save time, effort and money. All our annual Internet subscribers can now enjoy a free 3-month trial for QCall, and experience first-hand the benefits of this brand new service”.

Essa Kooheji

hold many great opportunities for growth. We are confident that, by joining hands with Oman’s Ministry of Tourism, Airbus and fellow partners, the Summit is uniquely positioned to meet the most pressing needs, in addition to capture future opportunities in this key sector”.

This year, the Summit is eyeing increased regional and international participation through showcasing the rapid growth and development that the aviation and tourism sector is experiencing in Oman, the region and the wider Arab world.

Al-Safeer honors companies for making Dubai global business tourism centre DUBAI: Individuals and organisations who have contributed to Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing’s (DTCM) work in driving MICE growth were yesterday thanked for their efforts and requested to continue to work together to drive even more MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) activity to the city.

In his address at the annual Al-Safeer recognition event, highlighting the importance of bringing congresses and other international events to the Emirate, Helal Saeed Almarri, the Director General of DTCM,noted the importance of the sector in achieving 20 million visitors per year by 2020 and trebling the economic contribution that tourism makes to the Emirate’s GDP. Helal Saeed Almarri stated: “One of the pillars of our strategy for 2020 is to make Dubai the preferred location for the world to do business. The MICE visitor is crucial to this and we intend to maintain our position as the MICE capital of the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia region. Critical to this is increasing coordination with MICE stakeholders in the city and making Dubai a dynamic hub for major conventions.”

Thanking the audience for their partnership to date, Almarri continued: “The work that you have done already demonstrates the power of a collective effort.” The Al-Safeer Annual Recognition Event was established to recognise partners who have made a demonstrable contribution to the growth of the MICE sector in Dubai, working closely with the Dubai Convention and Events Bureau (DCEB), a division of DTCM. Almarri noted that in this, the third edition of the event, the number of award recipients had doubled since the inaugural edition, with 22 ambassadors, organisations and special contributors to the industry, receiving trophies and certificates.

As Helal Saeed Almarri outlined:”Each recipient has been selected because they have shown excep-

tional vision; demonstrated outstanding leadership; or tirelessly advocated Dubai’s outstanding reputation for business tourism andcapabilities in hosting major business events.”

In addition to helping to bid for and host MICE events, many of the Al-Safeer honourees have been part of the overall marketing of Dubai as a business destination,showcasing Dubai’s destination credentials to a global audience. Attended by senior representatives from trade associations, government departments, charities, councils, the Al-Safeer Recognition Event shone light on the extraordinary efforts which have taken place in the last year to further Dubai’s position as one of the world’s leading MICE destinations.

The event itself began with a breakfast and networking session, followed by a video outlining the 2020 Vision for Tourism, and the Director General’s Speech which thanked and commendedthe award recipients for their various contributions to Dubai’s emergence as a business and leisure tourism hub.

After a Dubai Expo 2020 Presentation, the award ceremony began, with awards to: Emirates Neuroscience Society, Emirates Rheumatology Society, Dubai Sport Council, Family Business Network - GCC Chapter, American University in Dubai, Dubai Police, Dubai Health Authority, UAE Supreme National Blood Transfusion Committee, Dubai Foundation for Women and Children, Dubai Healthcare City, Tennis Emirates, Society for Petroleum Engineers - Middle East and North Africa Office, Emirates Nephrology Society, Society of Engineers, Dubai Women Establishment, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers - UAE Section, General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs, Dubai Health Authority, Emirates Medical Association, Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid AlMaktoum Award for Medical Sciences; and Dubai World Trade Centre. A special award was also posthumously given to Dr Ali Al-Numairy.

India is the largest recipient of remittances in the world. $70 billion with the rupee plunging by around two percent in just a week; this is good news for the non-resident Indian (NRI) community, who are in the habit of remitting money to India regularly. Now they get more value for the same dollar amount or any other currency for that matter. At its lowest in the past eight months or so, it brings a smile to all the Indian expatriates across the globe. But what about the overall Indian economy?

It is a cause of concern for policy makers, experts, investors, businessmen and even the common man. The depreciating rupee raises the price of imports. India mainly imports crude oil, fertilizers and gold. This, in turn, has a domino effect on cost of living and inflation. So why exactly does a currency depreciate? The value of a currency depends on several factors. (1) The demand and supply (2) The relative inflation of trading parties.

The main reason causing the rupee to fall is the immense strength of the Dollar Index, which has touched its three-year high level of 84.30. The record setting performance of US equities and the improvement in the labor market has made Americans more optimistic about the outlook for the US economy, thereby spurring greater hopes of QE tapering.

The rupee is also feeling the pinch of the recession in the euro-zone. The euro, which was seen holding the key level of 1.30, has dropped lower to 1.29 levels on the back of deterioration in the local economic data. For the past month, investors have been selling euros and buying dollars on the premise that the Euro zone is in a recession; and the ECB is considering more stimulus at a time when the Fed is considering less.

The country with high exports will be happier with a depreciating currency; the same does not apply for India.

India, on the other hand, does not enjoy this luxury, mainly because of increasing demand for oil, which constitutes a major portion of its import basket. The other worry is the gold imports. India is one of the major Importer of gold. India devours 850 tons of gold every year. A large part of the import bill is driven by other resources as well. The facts show that fertilizer imports surged by 30 percent in the last two years and coal imports have doubled.

Will the rupee still drop? Has it bottomed out? The medium term rupee will strengthen, because we see the real green shoots in the Indian economy and the inflation being teamed by the reserve bank of India, so it is good time to send money back home.

Adeeb Ahamed

What is the Farm Bill and why does it cost $100bn a year?

WASHINGTON: The Senate is considering a massive, fiveyear farm bill this week that would set policy for farm subsidies and food stamps. Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about the nearly $100 billion-a-year bill: Q: What is the farm bill?

A: It’s a wide-ranging bill, usually written every five years, that outlines government farm subsidies and pays for the country’s nutrition programs, including food stamps. It also sets dollar levels for the Agriculture Department and subsidizes farmers and rural communities for a multitude of things - from protecting environmentally sensitive land to international food aid to rural communications services.

Q: How much does it cost?

A: The Congressional Budget Office estimates that farm and nutrition programs will cost almost a trillion dollars over

the next 10 years. Broken down by year, the farm bill passed by the Senate Agriculture Committee in May would cost almost $96 billion annually and a similar version passed out of the House Agriculture Committee would cost $94 billion annually.

Q: Why so much money? Where does most of that money go?

A: Almost 80 percent of the money will go to food stamps for the needy - now called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Around 15 percent of the money is designated for farm subsidies and crop insurance subsidies. The rest would go to conservation, rural development, renewable energy and other farm programs.

Q: Why do food stamps cost so much?

A: SNAP has more than doubled in cost since 2008 due

to the economic downturn, fluctuating food prices and eligibility requirements loosened in the 2009 economic stimulus bill. In 2012, 46.6 million people used the program at a cost of $78.4 billion.

Q: Why are food stamps in the farm bill?

A: The Agriculture Department oversees the food stamp program, and several decades ago lawmakers combined nutrition programs with agricultural supports in the farm bill to gain urban votes. While food stamps have generally helped the farm bill move through Congress, this year conservatives are giving it greater scrutiny.

Q: Is money for food stamps cut in the bill?

A: The Senate bill would cut about $400 million a year from the SNAP program, or about 0.5 percent. The House bill would cut a little more than 3 percent, or about $2 billion a

year, and also change the way people qualify for the program. The House legislation would achieve some of the cuts by partially eliminating what is called categorical eligibility, or giving people automatic food stamp benefits when they sign up for certain other programs. Both bills also would save dollars by ending a practice in some states of giving low-income people as little as $1 dollar a year in home heating assistance, even when they don’t have heating bills, in order to make them eligible for increased food stamp benefits.

Q: What about farm subsidy cuts?

A: The bill would eliminate subsidies called direct payments, which cost about $5 billion a year and are paid to farmers whether they farm or not. But it uses some of those savings to create new farm subsidies and expand crop insurance.

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2013

technology

Europe set for record space launch Europe’s ISS cargo programme PARIS: The European Space Agency’s Albert Einstein cargo craft, set for launch tomorrow, is the fourth and penultimate in a series of hitech lifeline vessels bringing supplies and critical altitude boosts to the International Space Station.

Europe’s Automated Transfer Vehicles (ATVs), blasted into space by ESA’s Ariane rocket, are the biggest cargo carriers to the ISS since the retirement of the US space shuttle in 2011.

ESA sends an ATV to the orbiting outpost about once every 17 months with around six tonnes of cargo-much of it fuel needed to boost the ISS, which is constantly falling towards Earth due to atmospheric resistance.

Named in honor of the father of relativity theory, the Albert Einstein follows the hi-tech trail of three others since 2008 that also carried the names of science gurus-the Jules Verne, the Johannes Kepler and the Edoardo Amaldi.

It will be followed next year by the last in the ATV series-the George Lamaitre named for the father of the Big Bang theory of the Universe’s creation.

At 20.2 tonnes, the ATV-4 is the heaviest yet launched and will bring a record 2.5 tonnes of dry cargo to the six-member space station crew.

ATV-1: Jules Verne (2008) The first in the series carried a total load of 4.5 tonnes consisting of 3.4 tonnes of fluid and 1.1 tonnes of dry supplies. The payload heavily favored propulsion fuel, including enough reserves in case of unforeseen problems with this first-ever ATV docking to the ISS. The Jules Verne had no late load-that part of the cargo nowadays reserved for lastminute requests and perishables whose packing poses great technical difficulties once the capsule is perched vertically on top of the Ariane rocket that will propel it into space.

The loading hatch is right on the vessel’s nose-about 10 storeys high.

ATV-2: Johannes Keppler (2011) This vessel holds the record for the largest boost given to the ISS by an ATV — 40 kilometres in a single push. It also holds the record for the heaviest cargo ever delivered to the outpost-over seven tonnes, though the ATV-4 will have more dry cargo.

The Johannes Keppler took 1.6 tonnes of dry supplies and 5.4 tonnes of fluid cargo, and a big supply of fuel that was used for the special orbital boost.

This was the last ATV not to bring water to the ISS-a task until this point performed by the US space shuttles which had also been responsible for boosting the space station’s altitude.

ATV-3: Edoardo Amaldi (2012) The third ATV carried 4.3 tonnes of fluid cargo and 2.2 tonnes of dry supplies. As the technology and confidence grew with each successive mission, the ATVs started favoring a balance of more cargo and less backup fuel.

ATV-4: Albert Einstein (2013) Will carry 4.1 tones of fluid and 2.5 tonnes of dry cargo — 6.6 tonnes in total. It boasts the most complex flight software ever developed by ESA-a million lines of code.

It has the biggest-ever late cargo load, exceeding its nearest rival by more than 218 kg thanks to a new device that can lower an operator deep into the hull to load the holding racks, aided by a mechanical arm that can hold bags weighing as much as 75 kg each.

The Albert Einstein has the largest-ever assortment of goods taken into space, some 1,400 individual items. The launch of ATV-5, the George Lemaitre, next year, will not mean the end of ESA’s ATV programme. The European agency will supply ATV-derived hardware for NASA’s Orion spacecraft being designed to take humans to the Moon and beyond, and scheduled for a test flight in 2017. This will be the first collaboration between ESA and NASA on a crew transport vehicle. —AFP

TAIWAN: Young Liu (left) Foxconn general manager of innovating Dial System Business Group (iDSBG), speaks next to Li Gong (right) SVP of Moile Devices, President of Asia Operations and CEO of MozillaTaiwan, during a press conference ahead of the opening of the Computex trade fair in Taipei. —AFP

Taiwan’s Hon Hai in tie-up with Mozilla TAIPEI: Taiwan’s tech giant Hon Hai Precision yesterday announced plans to develop devices and software using Mozilla’s Firefox operating system, in an attempt to diversify its existing manufacturing services. For the purpose, Hon Hai said it plans to recruit up to 1,000 technicians before year-end.

They will be assigned to a software park in the southern city of Kaohsiung, Young Liu, general manager of Foxconn’s innovation digital system business group, told reporters.

Hon Hai, the parent company of Foxconn, has been trying to diversify its business from purely providing manufacturing services for brand names whose margins are low amid stiff competition.

“Today’s agreement is in line with Hon Hai’s development guideline of ‘Eight screens, one network, and one cloud’,” Liu said, referring to screens for cellphones, tablets and televisions as well as the Internet business and cloud computing.

Under the agreement, Hon Hai will work

with Mozilla to promote the non-profit organisation’s Firefox operating system.

Liu said Hon Hai plans to produce five devices running on Firefox but declined to give details. But he said it would not compete with its existing clients by launching its own brand.

Firefox is based on HTML5 and is being developed by Mozilla as an open web mobile operating system. “Technically, HTML5 is already the most advanced, but still it is not good enough,” Liu said.

“In the long run, we hope the open platform will become another option for clients aside from Android and Apple’s iOS,” Liu said.

Foxconn is the world’s largest computer component manufacturer and assembles products for Apple-including the iPhone-plus Sony and Nokia.

The group employs about one million workers in China, roughly half of them based in its main facility in Shenzhen bordering Hong Kong. —AFP

KAZAKHSTAN: Russia’s Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft blasts off from the Russian leased Kazakh Baikonur cosmodrome early on May 29, 2013. A Russian rocket carrying an international crew of US astronaut Karen Nyberg, Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin and European Space Agency (ESA) Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano blasted off to the International Space Station (ISS). —AFP PARIS: Nearly 40 years ago, European countries worried by US and Soviet dominance of space gave the green light to the first Ariane rocket, a wee launcher capable of hoisting a satellite payload of just 1.8 tonnes-the equivalent mass of two small cars.

Tomorrow, the fifth and mightiest generation of Arianes is set to take a whopping 20.2 tonnes into orbit, a cargo craft the size of a double-decker bus and a record for Europe, proud engineers say.

The payload is the fourth cargo delivery by the European Space Agency (ESA) to the International Space Station (ISS), bringing food, water, oxygen, scientific experiments and special treats to the orbiting crew.

An Ariane 5 ES is scheduled to blast off from ESA’s base at Kourou in French Guiana at 6:52 pm (2152 GMT) tomorrow, taking aloft an Automated Transfer Vehicle (AT V ), a robot space truck dubbed the Albert Einstein. The cargo craft will carry almost seven tonnes of dry and fluid cargo for its five-month mission.

About an hour after liftoff, somewhere over New Zealand, the ATV, some 10 metres (33 feet) long, will detach from the rocket’s upper stage and then deploy its four energy-generating solar panels and navigate autonomously, guided by starlight, to the space station.

into higher orbit with its onboard engines.

This is necessary because the ISS is in a low Earth orbit and encounters atmospheric resistance which causes it to fall towards our planet at a rate of about 100m (300 feet) per day.

ATVs can also push the ISS out of the way of oncoming space debris. ESA is contracted to provide five ATVs as its contribution to the ISS, a USled international collaboration. The three previous missions have performed flawlessly, muting criticism of the billion-euro ($1.3-billion) development cost. The Albert Einstein will carry 800 kg (1,760 pounds) of propellant to be pumped into the ISS itself, as well as more than 500 kilos (1,100 pounds) of water and 100 kilos of oxygen, according to Astrium.

And it will bring a scientific experiment designed to test the behaviour of emulsions-a mixture of liquids that do not blend, like mayonnaise-in weightless conditions.

The ATV’s pressurised cabin will provide welcome extra space for the ISS crew-Americans Chris Cassidy and Karen Nyberg, Russians Fyodor Yurchikhin, Pavel Vinogradov and Alexander Misurkin, and Italian Luca Parmitano.

After completing its mission, the ATV-4 will undock from the ISS filled with about six tonnes of garbage and human waste, and burn up over the Pacific. —AFP

It will dock with the ISS on July 15 at an altitude of about 400 kilometres (250 miles) above the planet. “By then it has a velocity of 28,000 kilometres (18,000 miles) per hour, and has to fly to a destination (the docking mechanism) about 60 cm (23 inches) in width,” said Bart Reijnen, head of orbital systems at the Astrium space company which built the lifeline craft.

“It has to fly there fully autonomously and dock with this target of 60 cm with a precision of six cm (2.4 inches). That is something that might be difficult to imagine.”

The craft has enough fuel to make three docking attempts if something were to go wrong during the final approach, said Jean-Michel Bois, ATV operations manager in Toulouse, France, from where the vessel’s flight path will be monitored.

In the case of a failed attempt, the ATV would retreat from the ISS and go into a different orbit, returning two days later to try again.

This has never happened, said Bois, adding: “I cross my fingers.” The Albert Einstein will boast the largest assortment of goods yet delivered to the ISS-a total of 1,400 individual items that include everything from pyjamas and toothbrushes to peanut butter, lasagne and tiramisu for its six astronauts. Apart from several months’ worth of food, the craft carries 4.8 tonnes of fuel needed to dock with the ISS and give it a boost

Xerox combats counterfeit supplies and parts, offers simple ways to validate authenticity DUBAI: Continuing efforts to protect customers from counterfeit consumables and products, Xerox recently conducted raids in China and Dubai and introduced a new program to help detect imitations.

The raids resulted in the seizure of more than 55,000 boxes of counterfeit consumables and parts for numerous Xerox products - merchandise slated for distribution in the United States, Germany, Netherlands, Turkey, Russia, Brazil, and South America. According to The Imaging Supplies Coalition, the estimated impact of counterfeiting in the imaging supplies industry is more than $3 billion annually worldwide. As a member of the Coalition, Xerox works with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to combat illegal activities in this industry.

“Counterfeit production is not just an OEM issue. It impacts governments, resellers and customers due to lost taxes and investments in poorly made products,” said Dan Smith, Head of Integrated Marketing for the Middle East and Africa region of Xerox’s Developing Markets Operations. “Purchasers who think they are cutting cost with counterfeit items are instead jeopardizing the safety of their equipment and the quality of printed materials.”

ucts and supplies is to validate their authenticity.

This can be easily done by registering them with Xerox’s new loyalty program, Genuine Xerox Rewards. The validation process is just one feature of this program which lets customers redeem points for Xerox equipment or retail merchandise when buying authentic Xerox solid ink and toner.

ucts. For example, Xerox products have a holographic security label with a unique serial number and barcode. If labels are tampered with or removed, buyers should take notice and are encouraged to inform Xerox of the purchasing source.

Another way buyers can avoid counterfeit prod-

Ways to avoid counterfeit products Buyers should look for authentication labels as one way to safeguard against counterfeit prod-

Bid to boost region’s Information and Communications Tech (ICT) Skills Base DUBAI: EMC recently announced the first batch of graduating students from the EMC Academic Alliance program with Middlesex University Dubai in the UAE. 45 students successfully completed the University’s Cloud Infrastructure and Services course and are now on their way to achieving advanced certification in Cloud Infrastructure and Services Associate Certification (EMCCIS).

The first in the series of courses to be offered to students of the University under the EMC Academic Alliance programme, ‘Cloud Infrastructure and Services’ is an open course aimed at educating students on the key considerations in migrating business applications and technologies to the cloud, as well as on various IT service models and an in-depth exploration of the benefits of virtualization technology.

The course, applicable to all IT professionals, is designed to familiarize students with the knowledge and skill-sets they may need in order to manage rapidly expanding roles in IT organizations that are now responsible for deploying the latest technologies and

models to drive operational efficiency and greater business agility.

Offered to both Undergraduate and Postgraduate IT students at the University’s Dubai Knowledge Village campus since October 2012, the course provided 40 hours of content covering technology essentials in several key areas, including servers, storage, networking, applications, and databases.

The CIS course also takes students through the potential for genuine business impact from investing in these technologies, helping them garner a wider context to technology services in the enterprise.

The graduating students were honored at an event titled the ‘MDX Cloud Talk’, which brought together students and faculty of the program along with representatives from EMC, to highlight the importance of industry-academia collaboration. The collaboration’s main objective is to supplement higher education IT curricula by providing marketrelevant courses that highlight current solutions and best practices while promoting research into the transforming IT landscape.

Established as part of an agreement between TECOM Investments, a diversified conglomerate and a member of Dubai Holding, and EMC, the EMC Academic Alliance program at Middlesex University aims to contribute to the development of the local information and communications technology (ICT) industry through the creation of a more agile regional skills base. As part of its investment, EMC provided the materials and faculty training on relevant curriculum courses at no cost to the university.

The EMC Academic Alliance Program is designed to prepare future IT professionals for successful careers in the constantly changing ICT industry. It has educated more than 175,000 students since its inception in 2006 and is active within 1,100+ colleges and universities across 60+ participating countries.

Middlesex University Dubai Quote: Dr. Fehmida Hussain, Senior Lecturer, School of Science and Technology,

Middlesex University Dubai “Middlesex University Dubai’s academic alliance with EMC is an exemplar of the need for industryacademia collaboration to create the next generation of professionals that will drive tomorrow’s knowledge based economy.

The Cloud Infrastructure and Services course was offered to both undergraduate and postgraduate students at the Middlesex University Dubai in October 2012. Today, 45 students have successfully completed this training and are now well on their way to achieving the higher certification. I am honored to have worked with EMC to provide our students the opportunity to keep pace with emerging trends in the ICT industry and look forward to strengthening this alliance and working together to create the best IT professionals for the region and across the globe.”

EMC Quote: Wael El Nadi, Senior Director, Global Services Organization, Turkey, Africa, and Middle East, at EMC “We congratulate the

first Cloud and Infrastructure Services graduates at Middlesex University Dubai. These 45 students are now equipped with the right skills and capabilities to successfully understand transformational technologies such as virtualization and cloud. We are proud that, through this association with the EMC Academic Alliance, EMC has become one of the pioneers in offering open, vendor-agnostic cloud and data science training and certifications to address the ever-growing need for skilled ICT professionals. We now look forward to extending our relationship with Middlesex University Dubai by introducing more courses aimed at helping today’s students develop the skills they need to become the next generation of IT leaders.”

Additional Resources: Learn more about the EMC Academic Alliance ● Read about the Middlesex University Dubai ● Connect with EMC via Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Linked In and ECN ●

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2013

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

India battles tainted drugs factory tag NEW DELHI: India, known as the “pharmacy to the world”, defended yesterday its lucrative generic drug industry as safe and tightly regulated, after the nation’s biggest drug firm pleaded guilty last month to US charges of making adulterated medicines.

The government also charged that “isolated reports” of spurious drugs found in global markets allegedly from India represented “desperate attempts” by other countries to hurt the strength of the fast-growing Indian pharmaceutical industr y.

India’s “pharmaceutical sector is a highly regulated one and exports are heavily guided by various regulatory regimes of the importing countries”, the government said in a statement.

India’s drug exports totalled $14.6 billion in the financial year to March 31, marking growth of nearly 11 percent from the previous year. The statement came after New Delhi-based Ranbaxy Laboratories, India’s largest drug company by sales, pleaded guilty to US criminal charges of making adulterated medicines and agreed to a $500 million settlement.

The fraud, investigated over eight years by US authorities, was exposed by a whistle-blowing ex-employee who said Ranbaxy created “a complicated trail of falsified records and dangerous manufacturing practices”.

India has built a reputation as the “pharmacy to the world” for its production of life-saving generic versions of medicines for poor nations that

cost a fraction of brand names.

But analysts have warned that Indian drugmakers may find it tough winning new contracts in their main US market, with the case involving Ranbaxy raising questions about the safety and quality of Indian-made drugs. The government’s statement came as one of India’s leading generics makers, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, and Japan-based Fujifilm Corp said they had called off “by mutual agreement” plans for a joint venture to make generic drugs.

They gave no reason for the decision to abandon the plan for the Japanese market formulated two years ago.

But their anouncement said Fujifilm, a unit of Fujifilm Holdings,

was realigning its long-term pharmaceutical growth strategy. It said the two companies would continue to explore pharmaceutical partnership possibilities.

Generic drug firms in India have been a major supplier of copycat medicines to treat diseases such as cancer, TB and AIDS for those who cannot afford costlier branded drugs.

The country “has proven international quality standard capabilities”, the Indian government said.

India enjoys “a unique position of low-cost manufacturing and the highest quality medicine, the best of both the worlds”, the statement added. It invited global importers to visit Indian factories to “satisfy themselves of the quality of production of drugs”.

India said its drug regulator regularly meets his global counterparts to ensure the nation meets international manufacturing standards. Japanese drug company Daiichi Sankyo, which bought Ranbaxy in 2008, has alleged the firm’s former owners hid vital information about the US regulatory inquiries at the time of the $4.6 billion purchase. The charges have been denied by the billionaire Singh family that used to control Ranbaxy as “baseless”.

India has long alleged complaints about the quality of its generic medicines originate with brand-name rivals unhappy about growing use of cheaper knock-off drugs, as developed nations fight soaring health care costs. — AFP

FDA considers lifting safety bar on Avandia Drug may not be as risky as thought

PARIS: French patient Florian Lopes, 22, holds a tree branch with his new bionic hand at the readaptation centre of Coubert, southeast of Paris yesterday. Lopes lost three fingers in an accident at the end of 2011 and was the first French patient to receive this type of artificial limb, worth 42,000 euros, already used in Scotland or the US. — AFP

WASHINGTON: A former blockbuster diabetes pill which was subjected to major safety restrictions in 2010 may not be as risky as once thought, according to the latest analysis of the much-debated GlaxoSmithKline drug. The Food and Drug Administration is reviewing a new interpretation of the key study of Avandia’s heart attack risks, which suggests the drug is as safe as older diabetes drugs. At a highly unusual meeting this week, the FDA will ask a panel of experts to vote on a range of options for the drug, including lifting restrictions that limit which patients can get a prescription.

The positive safety review from Duke University researchers is the latest twist in a years-long debate over Avandia, which has divided medical experts, cost Glaxo billions of dollars and possibly resulted in an unknown number of patient heart attacks.

First approved in 1999, Avandia became the top-selling diabetes pill in the world by 2006 with sales of $3.4 billion. But prescriptions plummeted the following year after an analysis of dozens of studies suggested Avandia could raise the risk of heart attack.

For three years the FDA struggled to answer a seemingly simple question: Does Avandia increase the risk of heart attacks? A definitive answer has never been reached, in par t because patients with diabetes are already predisposed to hear t attacks. That makes it extremely difficult to tell which heart problems are drug-related and which are simply a result of the underlying disease.

Finally in 2010 the FDA decided to restrict the drug’s use to all but the rarest of cases.

Regulators in Europe banned the drug outright.

The FDA’s safety restrictions will get a second

Longer tamoxifen use reduces breast cancer recurrence CHICAGO: Breast cancer is less likely to recur if women previously treated for the disease take the drug tamoxifen for 10 years, instead of the recommended five years, according to a British study.

The study was a component of a larger international trial, for which similar results were announced last year. “I think it’s huge because it’s the second trial to show a benefit for 10 years versus five years,” said Dr. Sandra Swain, medical director of the Cancer Institute at Washington Hospital Center and president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, or ASCO. “It is important not only in the U.S., but for the world. It is a very inexpensive drug.”

Tamoxifen, available as a low-cost generic, has long been used for younger, premenopausal, women with early-stage breast cancer that responds to estrogen.

Most start taking the estrogen-blocking drug immediately after completing their initial surgery or chemotherapy.

Around 70 percent of breast cancers are estrogen-receptor positive, meaning they are fueled by the hormone.

ASCO guidelines now call for women at increased risk of breast cancer to take tamoxifen for five years. For postmenopausal women, the guidelines say raloxifene, an estrogen receptor modulator sold by Eli Lilly under the brand name Evista, may also be considered.

The latest findings, presented at the annual ASCO meeting in Chicago this weekend, found that side effects increased with longer tamoxifen use, but concluded that overall benefits outweigh those risks. Researchers estimated that, compared with taking no tamoxifen, 10 years of the drug reduces breast cancer death rates by a third in the first 10 years and by half after that.

“Until now, there have been doubts whether continuing tamoxifen beyond five years is worthwhile,” said lead study

author Richard Gray, professor of medical statistics at the University of Oxford.

Between 1991 and 2005, 6,953 women in the United Kingdom who had been taking tamoxifen for five years were randomly assigned to continue treatment or to stop immediately.

Breast cancer recurred in 16.7 percent of the 10-year group, compared with 19.3 percent in the five -year group.

Longer treatment also reduced the risk of dying from breast cancer. The women who continued tamoxifen treatment had a 25 percent lower recurrence rate and a 23 percent lower breast cancer mortality rate than the women who had been allocated to stop after only five years.

The results were called “practice changing for premenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer,” by Dr. Sylvia Adams, associate professor New York University School of Medicine.

In the United States, postmenopausal women at high risk of breast cancer are usually offered drugs in a newer class known as aromatase inhibitors, such as Arimidex, sold by AstraZeneca.

“For premenopausal women the standard of care will likely include 10 years of tamoxifen,” Dr Adams said. “For women who enter menopause during that period, AIs are still an option. Tamoxifen will also be an option.” Rare but serious side effects of tamoxifen include increased risk of endometrial cancer (cancer of the lining of the uterus), blood clots and stroke.

The British researchers said they observed no excess incidence of stroke with 10 years of tamoxifen therapy, although the endometrial cancer risk was higher. They estimated that for every endometrial cancer death that occurs as a side effect of long-term tamoxifen, 30 deaths from breast cancer would be prevented. — Reuters

BioMarin’s cancer drug success prompts launch of pivotal trial NEW YORK: An experimental cancer drug from BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc has proven to be effective in treating patients with breast or ovarian cancers caused by mutation in the BRCA gene that repairs damaged DNA, early data show. The drug, BMN673, is part of a new class known as PARP inhibitors. PARP, or poly ADP ribose polymerase, is an enzyme used by the body to repair broken DNA that can also be used by cancer cells to survive. By blocking PARP, drugmakers hope to prevent cancer cells from spreading.

Mutations in the BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 genes, which normally function by interacting with damaged DNA to help repair it, can increase a woman’s risk of breast cancer 60 percent to 80 percent. The mutations are also associated with a higher risk of ovarian cancer.

BioMarin, which makes drugs for rare diseases, said it plans to begin a pivotal trial in patients with metastatic breast cancer in the fourth quarter of this year. The data, pre-

sented at a meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, showed that 11 out of 25 evaluated ovarian cancer patients had tumor shrinkage of at least 30 percent. A health benefit was observed in 82 percent of those patients, the company said.

In the 18 BRCA breast cancer patients, seven had tumor shrinkage and 12 patients had a clinical benefit. All signs of the cancer disappeared in one patient. Patients whose cancer is because of defects in the BRCAgene “have no targeted treatment options ...

PARP inhibitors offer that potential in BRCArelated cancers,” Johann de Bono, professor of experimental cancer medicine at the Institute of Cancer Research in London, said in a statement.

The researchers said BMN673 was generally well-tolerated. Up to 20 percent of patients with chronic dosing experienced a decrease in the ability of bone marrow to produce blood cells. Fatigue, nausea and hair loss were observed in 20 percent to 30 percent of patients. —Reuters

DUESSELDORF: A bee collects pollen on a blossom in Duesseldorf, western Germany, yesterday.—AFP

look at a meeting this Wednesday and Thursday prompted by a new analysis of the lone study designed to assess Avandia’s hear t risks.

Known as RECORD, the study followed 4,400 patients and tracked rates of heart attack, hospitalization and death for six years. The results were first reported in 2009 and medical experts have been debating their legitimacy ever since.

At the last Avandia panel meeting in 2010, FDA leadership generally backed RECORD’s findings that Avandia appeared as safe as other standard diabetes drugs. But FDA staff scientists said the study was unreliable because of underreported heart attacks and other design flaws. Because of that disagreement the FDA asked Glaxo to obtain an independent analysis by an outside party.

The new analysis by the Duke Clinical Research Institute generally supports Glaxo’s original findings. In documents posted Monday, an FDA review of Duke’s analysis states: “These results show no statistically significant evidence to suggest an increased cardiovascular risk.” Despite that assessment, the FDA documents state that the agency “has not reached any final updated conclusions” on the heart safety of Avandia. The FDA will seek advice from two panels comprised of outside experts in diabetes and drug safety. The panelists will be asked to vote on four options for Avandia: • Removing the drug’s safety restrictions • Leaving the safety restrictions in place •Modifying the safety restrictions • Withdrawing the drug from the market entirely At the last FDA meeting on Avandia in 2010, the panelists voted 21 to 12 to leave Avandia on the market. The group’s recommendations are not binding and are only one part of the government’s decision-making process.

US shares of GlaxoSmithKline PLC rose 13 cents to $51.90 in morning trading Monday.

They traded as high as $54 last Tuesday and are up almost 25 percent from their 52-week low of $41.68 last November. —AP

Obama urges greater openness in dealing with mental illness WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama said yesterday that Americans need to become more open about mental health issues so that people struggling with problems are not ashamed to seek help.

More than 60 percent of Americans with mental illness do not receive treatment, many of them because they are embarrassed or afraid of being ostracized, Obama said, speaking at a White House conference on mental health. “We wouldn’t accept it if only 40 percent of Americans with cancers got treatment,” Obama said. “So why should we accept it when it comes to mental health?”

Obama promised to start a “national conversation” on mental health after the shooting deaths of 20 children and six adults at a Connecticut school last year, although he did not mention the tragedy in his remarks yesterday.

The massacre at the elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, on Dec. 14 raised awareness of mental health issues, although little is known about the state of mind of the shooter, 20-year-old Adam Lanza, who committed suicide. Lanza, who has been described as socially awkward and reclusive, also killed his mother.

“Without us knowing if and what Adam Lanza had, we certainly know that something bad was going on, and that Adam Lanza wasn’t getting the attention that he needed,” said Harold Koplewicz, president of the Child Mind Institute, a psychiatric treatment and research center in New York City, in an interview. The conference at the White House is one of the less controversial tasks for Obama on his politically tough to-do list to address gun violence in America.

His proposals for new restrictions on guns have stalled in Congress, foiled by a tough fight from the power ful National R ifle Association and other groups defending Americans’ constitutional rights to own guns.

But there are signs of bipartisan interest in Congress in taking steps to deal with the lack of access for mental health ser vices and trained professionals in the field, said Koplewicz, whose opinions have been sought out by Republicans on Capitol Hill.

“Sometimes it takes these terrible national tragedies that capture us, that hit us in the pit

of our stomach, and we say to ourselves: ‘It’s a wake -up call. Enough. We just have to do something,’” said Koplewicz.

Mental illness is common in America. As many as one in five children suffer from a disorder, the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention has said. People with mental illnesses statistically are far more likely to be the victims of violence than the perpetrators, and the vast majority of gun violence in America is not linked to people with mental problems.

“I want to be absolutely clear the overwhelming majority of people who suffer from mental illnesses are not violent,” Obama said.

Yet many Americans fear people with mental illness, part of the hurdle for treatment, said actor Glenn Close, who spoke at the White House about the battles waged by her sister and nephew to recover from mental illnesses. “ The truth is, that stigma has hardly budged,” said Close, who has worked to

reduce stereotypes. Treatment for mental illness is most effective when started early, but Obama said only about half of children with mental health problems receive treatment.

The health care reform law will expand insurance coverage for treatment of mental illnesses for about 60 million Americans when it is fully implemented, he said.

“We need to see it that men and women who would never hesitate to go see a doctor if they had a broken arm or came down with the flu, that they have that same attitude when it comes to their mental health,” Obama said.

The problem is particularly acute for veterans struggling with brain injuries and posttraumatic stress. Obama said 22 veterans a day commit suicide. “We’ve got to do a better job than that, of preventing these ... all-too-often silent tragedies,” he said, noting the administration will hold mental health summits at veterans’ health care centers across the country in coming weeks. — Reuters

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, listen as Janelle Montano, a mental health survivor and public speaker with Active Minds, speaks at the opening of the National Conference on Mental Health yesterday.—AP

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2013

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

Sumatran elephants found dead, poisoning suspected JAKARTA: Two critically endangered Sumatran elephants were found dead in an Indonesian national park and it is believed they were poisoned, the WWF environmental group said yesterday. It takes to three the number of the elephants found dead in Tesso Nilo National Park on Sumatra island in the last month. The carcasses of a male aged around five and a young female were found on Friday about a kilometre (0.6 miles) apart, said WWF spokeswoman Syamsidar, who goes by one name. “We believe that the elephants were poisoned as the carcasses were quite close to each other,” she said, adding that autopsies needed to be conducted before the cause of death could be confirmed.

A Sumatran elephant was discovered dead in the park early last month, also from suspected poisoning, she added.

Fifteen Sumatran elephants were found dead last year in Riau province, where the national park is located, with around half them found to have been poisoned, Syamsidar said.

Fewer than 3,000 Sumatran elephants remain in the wild, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Rampant expansion of palm oil and paper plantations and the mining industry have destroyed nearly 70 percent of the elephant’s forest habitat over 25 years, according to the WWF, and the animals have been targeted by poachers.

In January 14 Borneo pygmy elephants were found dead of suspected poisoning in the Malaysian state of Sabah.

Three-month-old orphaned calf Joe made headlines around the world when he was pictured trying to rouse his dead mother. — AFP

HONG KONG: A ketamine abuser walking towards buildings at the Shek Kwu Chau residential treatment centre on an isolated island of the Hong Kong territory. Hidden away from the prying eyes of crowded Hong Kong, in school toilets, karaoke bars and public parks, young people are snorting a powerful and addictive drug, ketamine. — AFP

Survey: Urban Indians grow concerned about pollution NEW DELHI: India’s cities are becoming more polluted and unhealthy, according to a new survey published yesterday showing growing concern about the impact of high economic growth on the environment. The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) research group based in New Delhi questioned 4,039 people living in India’s six biggest cities about their perceptions, opinions and awareness of the environment and green issues over the last five years.

“Air quality in these six cities has become worse in the last five years or seen no change,” the survey said.

“Surface water quality seemed to have deteriorated in all cities apart from Mumbai (no change). Five cities saw a fall in ground water availability (excluding Chennai) and the number of trees, birds and animals saw a decline in all six cities.”

The survey said respondents from Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi and Hyderabad claimed a worsening of waste management in their city, while respondents from Kolkata and Mumbai saw an improvement.

The survey also showed Indians were increasingly conscious of the

need to reduce pollution and that governments, industry and others should strike a balance between protecting the environment and development, said TERI’s Ligia Noronha.

“It (the environment) will be a very important election issue. Why? Because it’s beginning to hurt people at various levels, (for example) if you look at water quality and availability (and) the sheer quality of air,” Noronha told a press conference.

“They want the environment to be looked after.” Asia’s third largest economy is undergoing rapid development and an urban shift as rural people flock to the cities in search of work and a better quality of life, putting a range of pressures on the environment.

India has the worst air quality in the world, beating even its neighbor China, according to a survey in 2012 conducted by Yale and Columbia universities in the United States. Eighty percent of the nation’s sewage is untreated and flows directly into rivers, polluting the main sources of drinking water, a study by an environmental watchdog showed in March this year.— -AFP

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 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

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Jamie Oliver and Philips join forces to bring the ultimate kitchen helper

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uwait, X-cite by Alghanim Electronics stores - Jamie Oliver, the world-renowned chef, and Philips, the electronics giant, have joined forces to launch the revolutionary Philips HomeCooker. The new product is specially designed to offer an innovative approach to home cooking and is a comprehensive tool to meet families’ daily cooking needs.

The Philips Home Cooker is a first-ofits-kind, multi-functional device that prepares and cooks food on its own. It chops, stirs, steams, fries and sautÈs, and can be left cooking unattended.

Commenting on the new addition to the Philips family, Ozlem Fidanci, Vice President and General Manager, Philips Consumer Lifestyle, Middle East, Turkey and Africa, said, “Philips is proud to team up with Jamie Oliver, who is an icon in authentic home cooking, to produce this unprecedented product. The Home Cooker caters to the needs of every busy

family.” She added,” Our new addition brings out the chefs in all food lovers, who are keen on cooking their own food and making the tastiest dishes.”

The new Home Cooker is matchless in its ability to perform multiple cooking functions like stirring, cutting, cooking, melting, stewing, boiling, steaming, frying and sautÈing. Thanks to the new technology Auto Stir, the device is equipped with a unique stirring arm that stirs food automatically. Other smart features are the Perfect Temp and Quick Set timer, which allow users to control the heat to perfection and set up cooking times up to 99 minutes, without having to stand at the stove endlessly.

“We all know it can be a struggle to get fresh, homemade food on the table every day, especially for busy parents who have to juggle so much. It’s often a real tradeoff between spending time with the family and getting fresh food on the table,” explained Jamie Oliver. “The beauty of the Philips Home Cooker is that it removes this dilemma - you can now do both! Whether you’re a beginner cook or a more experienced chef, the Home Cooker takes the pressure off in the kitchen. Because it stirs itself you don’t have to stand over a stove but you can still invest all that love and creativity into your meal.”

In addition, the Home Cooker has its own Cutting tower for chopping directly into its stainless steel pot, at any point

during cooking. Its 5-in-1 Direct Cut feature allows users to slice, shred or cut Julienne vegetables, cheese and meat without picking up a knife.

Considered to bring a revolution in home-cooking, users can now choose the ingredients, pop them in and let the Home Cooker cook mouthwatering meals. On top, it switches off when meals are ready, which gives the time to engage in other activities around the house. The Philips Home Cooker, comes with an exclusive cook book of delicious and bespoke Home Cooker recipes developed by Jamie Oliver to help create

a variety of dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner to wow the family or impress guests.

Philips has teamed up with Jamie Oliver to also offer top-of-the-range, performance led cooking tools including a hand blender, food processor, blender and steamer. The kitchen tools are simple from the outside but powerful on the inside. Equipped with a powerful motor, sharpest titanium coated knives and made with sturdy glass elements, the range makes for the perfect helping tools and a must have in every woman’s kitchen.

Dhaval Bathia presented with IKFS honorary award

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any, many happy returns of the day to Shaikh Faiz. Best wishes from father Shaikh Anwar Basha, mother Sajida Begum, brothers Parvez, Ashraf, Ayaan, uncle Shaikh Aslam Basha, Omar (Haji), aunty Tabasum Begum and grandfather Mohd, Khasim, Chan Basha grandmother Khatunbee, Nasirun and Khader Basha, Abida, Arshad, Asif, Munawar Basha, Famida, Mubashir, Thamanna, Mohd Rafi, Ayesha, Anisa, Anisa and near and dear ones from Kuwait and India.

IMAX

IMAX film program 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 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

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ndo-Kuwait Friendship Society, a nonprofit socio-cultural friendship NRI association known to Indian Embassy in Kuwait honored the visiting patron of IKFS Dhaval Bathia by hosting a dinner reception at Echo Restaurant - Farwaniya.

Plaque of IKFS Honorary Award was delivered by Sulaiman Khalid from Amiri Diwan - Govt of Kuwait and Muzammil Malik, IKFS patron.

IKFS program started with the recitation of some verses from Holy Quran by Sayid Mudassir Nasir, 2nd year BBA student of Kola Lumpur University, Malaysia who is on a short visit to Kuwait. IKFS General Secretary, AKS Abdul Nasir, welcomed the guests and described about the past community activities of IKFS advocate: Sayid Mohamed Nizar, Vice President, in his inaugural speech said that IKFS team is very much honored and delighted to see Dhaval, on face to face who is known as “one of the genius think-tank of the world”. Dhaval Bathia, the Chief Guest of the event was introduced to the audience along with Sulaiman Khalid the Guest of Honor by President Dr Ghalib Al-Mashoor. AlMashoor added that Sulaiman Khalid ‘s father was the advisor to former Kuwaiti ruler His Highness Late Sheikh Jaber Ahmed Al-Sabah and IKFS members are delighted to have these wonderful personalities on IKFS dais.

Engineer Mohamed Omar, represent-

ing Sri Lankan IT Institution EXPERTEXON - as a mobile application developer introduced cross platform on mobile application development on Apple, Android, Blackberry and Windows mobile for the first time in Kuwait. Omar spoke of about the benefits of learning web-designing programs as well as mobile phone applications. He added that the short term course can be learned by students while continuing their studies in schools and colleges. One of the IKFS educational wing member Sumayya who studies in 10th class at Indian Public School, (Salmiya) was granted IKFS sponsorship for the short term web-design certified course. Omar and his institution in Kuwait endorsed the free enrolment form for the nominee of IKFS as a gesture towards long term educational goals of the IKFS for their members’ school going children.

IKFS chief patron and Advisor Muzammil Malik, a philanthropist and Industrialist who employs more than 3000 Indians around the world, as well as IKFS nominee for Padmashri Award delivered felicitation speech. Sayid Nasir Thangal, IKFS Patron, Chairman of Kuwait Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre, and Kuwait Kerala Sunni Muslim Council, (a 7,000 strong member Indian Association) and the Board member of Indian Community School also delivered complimentary speech and thanked IKFS for

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Notes: All films are in Arabic. For English, headsets are available upon request.

“Fires of Kuwait” is in English. Arabic headsets are available upon request.

Film schedule is subject to changes without notice.

Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

expressed gratitude to the IKFS executives for arranging such a wonderful reception and honoring him with the plaque. He also declared that he himself become one of the patrons of IKFS, and would like to conduct a special mind technique - termed as a free gift - a course for the children of IKFS members during his next visit to Kuwait. The Board Director of Grand Hyper Market Ayyub Kecheri kindly consented sponsoring the event for Bathia’s next visit on behalf of IKFS K Natarajan, Secretary expressed vote of thanks and the event was wound up followed by spacious dinner.

Pakistan Sunshine School student makes school proud

Saturday: ** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups Flight of Butterflies 3D 10:30am, 1:30pm, 8:30pm Tornado Alley 3D11:30am, 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

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arranging such a wonderful event by bringing world famous Dhaval Bathia.

Dhaval Bathia, international trainer and author of several books made a brief 30 minutes presentation to the children of IKFS family who participated in the event with “mind blowing and brain storming lessons and techniques”.

Children were on queue to get their autograph signed by Bathia after the event. Children enjoyed with Bathia’s short cut puzzles solutions and training of getting knowledge for their birth dates as well as currencies available in their pockets. Bathia in his reply speech

ASSE bags prestigious KNPC C&MD award

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SSE Kuwait chapter have been awarded the prestigious KNPC C&MD award under the category: Social Group/Institution and local community. This is the first time ASSE Kuwait chapter has been recognized with an award by Kuwait Ccompany. This award reflects the recognition of our Chapters efforts and hard work in commitment to

advancement of HSE. We are sure that these recognition and honors will certainly boost up the morale and energy level of upcoming EC members of ASSE Kuwait Chapter and helps a great deal in focusing our strength to carry out the activities with more vigor and passion.

We thank KNPC management for acknowledging our efforts.

clean environment is good for health. We need to keep our surroundings clean for the betterment of our society, the basic thing is to motivate the encourage people to keep the environment clean and healthy. We have to teach ourselves as well as our youngsters because they are our future.

To make our kids aware, Kuwait Times planned an open art competition for students.

Each student was provided with a special recyclable sheet of paper to draw on it. The theme of the art was “Keep Kuwait Beautiful and Green”. The duration of competition was from March 5 till April 18, 2013.

The prize distribution ceremony was held on May 6, 2013 at Crowne Plaza Hotel. Student of Pakistan Sunshine School, Shahad Mustafa of Class III got the fifth prize, which is a matter of pride for the school. This young talented artist has raised the name of the school.

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2013

W H AT ’ S O N

College of Petroleum and Engineering hosts ceremony

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. nnnnnnn

The College of Petroleum and Engineering at the Kuwait University held a ceremony to reward outstanding students for the academic year 2012-013, attended by the faculty’s dean Dr Husain Al-Khayyat and other KU staff.

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

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.

KNES excels with Injaz

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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

EMBASSY OF SOUTH KOREA

Recently Injaz selected our school again to film our Year 11 students simulating business activities. Students were interviewed along with the Director Madame Chantal Al-Gharabally to produce a film which will be in Kuwait and outside in many othercountries in the world.

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.

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2013

TV PROGRAMS 01:00 American Horror Story 02:00 The Americans 14:35 15:05 15:30 16:00 16:55 17:50 18:45 19:40 20:05 20:35 21:00 21:30 22:25 23:20 00:15 01:10

Border Security Auction Hunters Auction Kings Ultimate Survival Gold Rush Mythbusters Sons Of Guns How Stuff Works How It’s Made Auction Hunters Storage Hunters Dual Survival Yukon Men: Last Chance Moonshiners Dual Survival Yukon Men: Last Chance

14:50 15:45 16:40 17:35 18:00 18:25 19:20 20:10 21:05 22:00 22:55 23:50 00:45 01:10 01:35

Reign Of The Dinosaurs Animal Armageddon HMS Ark Royal Chasing Classic Cars Chasing Classic Cars Surviving Extreme Weather Treasures Decoded Hell On High Water Trashopolis Treasures Decoded Zero Hour LA: City Of Demons Chasing Classic Cars Chasing Classic Cars Treasures Decoded

14:20 14:45 15:10 16:00 16:55 17:45 18:35 19:00 19:30 20:20 21:10 21:35 22:00 22:50 23:40 00:05 00:30 01:00 01:50

Food Factory Food Factory Scrapheap Challenge Future Weapons Engineered Voyage Dans L’espace-Temps The Gadget Show The Tech Show Unchained Reaction Prototype This Food Factory Food Factory Unchained Reaction Colony Food Factory Food Factory Sci-Fi Science Prototype This Colony

14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 20:30 21:00 22:00 22:30 23:00 00:00 00:30 01:00 02:00

American Pickers American Pickers American Pickers American Pickers American Pickers Soviet Storm: WWII In The East Pawn Stars Storage Wars Ancient Aliens Storage Wars Storage Wars American Pickers Pawn Stars Storage Wars Ancient Aliens Storage Wars

14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 00:00

The Finder Kyle XY Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Finder Royal Pains House Of Cards The Americans American Horror Story Breaking Bad Kyle XY

03:00 Samantha Who? 03:30 Malibu Country 04:00 Seinfeld 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Hope & Faith 06:00 All Of Us 06:30 Brothers 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Seinfeld 08:30 Hope & Faith 09:00 Samantha Who? 09:30 Hot In Cleveland 10:00 Parks And Recreation 10:30 Brothers 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 All Of Us 12:30 Seinfeld 13:00 Hope & Faith 13:30 Brothers 14:00 Malibu Country 14:30 Parks And Recreation 15:00 Hot In Cleveland 15:30 The Daily Show Global Edition 16:00 The Colbert Report Global Edition 16:30 All Of Us 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Last Man Standing 18:30 Raising Hope 19:00 Hot In Cleveland 19:30 Men At Work 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 The New Normal 22:30 Out There 23:00 Brickleberry 23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 The New Normal 02:00 Out There 02:30 Brickleberry

05:15 05:35 06:00 06:25 06:45 07:10 07:35 07:55 08:20 08:45 09:05 09:30 09:55 10:15 10:40 11:05 11:25 11:50 12:15 12:35 13:00 13:25 13:45 14:10 14:35 15:00 15:25 15:50 16:10 16:35 17:00 17:20 17:45 18:10 18:30 18:55 19:20 19:40 20:05 20:30 20:50 21:15

Brandy & Mr Whiskers Brandy & Mr Whiskers Prankstars Suite Life On Deck Shake It Up A.N.T Farm Jessie Good Luck Charlie Good Luck Charlie Doc McStuffins Mickey Mouse Clubhouse A.N.T. Farm A.N.T. Farm Jessie Jessie Good Luck Charlie Good Luck Charlie Good Luck Charlie Shake It Up Shake It Up Austin And Ally A.N.T. Farm Jessie Shake It Up Gravity Falls Good Luck Charlie Good Luck Charlie Jessie Shake It Up A.N.T Farm Austin And Ally Gravity Falls Suite Life On Deck Good Luck Charlie That’s So Raven Austin And Ally Jessie Gravity Falls A.N.T. Farm Good Luck Charlie Suite Life On Deck Austin And Ally

21:40 22:00 22:25 22:50 23:10 23:35 00:00 00:20 00:45 01:05 01:30 01:50 02:15 02:35

That’s So Raven Shake It Up A.N.T. Farm Austin And Ally Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place Hannah Montana Hannah Montana Brandy & Mr Whiskers Brandy & Mr Whiskers Emperor’s New School Emperor’s New School Replacements Replacements

14:30 Style Star 15:00 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 16:00 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 17:00 Ice Loves Coco 17:30 Ice Loves Coco 18:00 Married To Jonas 18:30 Married To Jonas 19:00 THS 20:00 Chasing The Saturdays 20:30 Kourtney And Kim Take Miami 21:30 Playing With Fire 22:30 Fashion Police 23:30 Chelsea Lately 00:00 Scouted 00:55 Style Star 01:25 THS

03:05 Mitch And Matt’s Big Fish 03:30 Gok’s Clothes Roadshow 04:15 Bargain Hunt 05:00 House Swap 05:45 Cash In The Attic 06:30 Mitch And Matt’s Big Fish 07:00 Food & Drink 07:30 Baking Mad With Eric Lanlard 07:55 Phil Spencer - Secret Agent 08:45 Bargain Hunt 09:30 Antiques Roadshow 10:20 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 11:05 MasterChef Australia 11:55 Come Dine With Me 12:45 Food & Drink 13:10 Food Poker 13:55 Bargain Hunt 14:40 Cash In The Attic 15:25 Antiques Roadshow 16:15 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 17:00 Phil Spencer - Secret Agent 17:55 The Roux Legacy 18:30 Nigel Slater’s Simple Cooking 18:55 The Hairy Bikers USA 19:20 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 19:45 Come Dine With Me 20:35 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 21:20 Antiques Roadshow 22:15 Bargain Hunt 23:00 Phil Spencer - Secret Agent 23:55 Food Poker 00:40 Come Dine With Me 01:30 MasterChef Australia 02:20 Cash In The Attic

03:00 03:25 03:50 04:15 04:40 05:30 06:10 07:00 07:25 07:50 08:15 08:40 09:05 09:30 11:10 11:35

Andy Bates Street Feasts Food Wars Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Unique Eats Chopped Iron Chef America Food Network Challenge Guy’s Big Bite Guy‘s Big Bite Andy Bates Street Feasts Unique Sweets United Tastes Of America Barefoot Contessa The Next Food Network Star Charly’s Cake Angels Unique Sweets

12:00 Amazing Wedding Cakes 12:50 Have Cake, Will Travel 13:15 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 13:40 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 14:05 Food Wars 14:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 14:55 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 15:20 Guy’s Big Bite 15:45 Chopped 16:35 Barefoot Contessa 17:00 Barefoot Contessa 17:25 Food Wars 17:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 18:15 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 18:40 Charly’s Cake Angels 19:05 Unique Sweets 19:30 Amazing Wedding Cakes 20:20 Chopped 21:10 Chopped 22:00 Food Wars 22:25 Food Wars 22:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 23:15 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 23:40 Food Wars 00:05 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 00:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 00:55 Unwrapped 01:20 Unwrapped 01:45 Food Wars

03:00 Ceremony-PG15 05:00 Web Of Lies-PG15 07:00 Love Will Keep Us TogetherPG15 09:00 Puss In Boots-PG 10:45 Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close-PG 13:00 One Angry Juror-PG15 15:00 Mandie And The Secret Tunnel-PG 17:00 Puss In Boots-PG 19:00 The Girl-PG15 21:00 This Means War-PG15 23:00 Margaret-18 01:30 The People vs George LucasPG15

07:15 09:00 11:00 13:15 PG15 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00 01:00

Highlights 10:00 AFL Premiership Highlights 11:00 ITU World Triathlon 13:30 Top 14 16:00 Super Rugby 18:00 Super Rugby Highlights 19:00 AFL Premiership Highlights 20:00 UFC The Ultimate Fighter 22:00 WWE Smackdown

00:00 02:00 03:30 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 10:30 11:30 12:30 13:00 14:00 16:30 19:00 20:00 22:30

Top 14 Golfing World ICC Cricket 360 World Pool Masters World Cup Of Pool Trans World Sport Golfing World Top 14 World Pool Masters World Cup Of Pool Top 14 Highlights Golfing World AFL Premiership ITU World Triathlon Series Golfing World Champions Tour Marathon

00:00 02:00 02:30 03:30 04:00 05:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:30 18:30

NHL Mass Participation Motor Sports 2013 Mobil 1 The Grid UIM Powerboat Champs NHL WWE NXT WWE Bottom Line Ping Pong World US Bass Fishing NHL European Le Mans Series UIM Powerboat Champs Motor Sports 2013 Mass Participation Ping Pong World US Bass Fishing NHL

BUTTER ON OSN PREMIERE

Ties That Bind-PG15 Joyful Noise-PG15 We Bought A Zoo-PG Ike: Countdown To D-Day-

1940s “A Star Is Born”

The Game Of Their Lives-PG15 Warbirds-PG15 The Hot Potato-PG15 Locked In-18 Chloe-R Warbirds-PG15

1942 April 24, 1943 Barbara Joan Streisand’s father, a high Streisand is school English teacher, dies born in and family Brooklyn, falls onto N.Y., to Jewish parents Diana hard times and Emanuel Streisand; the pair already have a son named Mother Sheldon remarries Louis Kind

1950s “As Time Goes By” 1952 Attends Bais Yakov School

04:00 Damsels In Distress-PG15 06:00 A Better Life-PG15 08:00 A Monster In Paris-PG 10:00 Austin Powers In Goldmember-PG15 12:00 Damsels In Distress-PG15 14:00 Today’s Special-PG15 16:00 A Monster In Paris-PG 18:00 The Amazing Spider-ManPG15 20:15 Butter-18 22:00 Arena-18 00:00 Today’s Special-PG15 02:00 The Amazing Spider-ManPG15

Streisand’s half-sister, Rosalind, is born.

Attends Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn and begins traveling to New York City for 1959 acting classes.

Graduates at the age of 16, fourth in her class.

1960s “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows” 1960 Moves to New York City Embarks on a career 1961 as a cabaret singer Makes her Changes name from TV debut on Barbara to Barbra “The Jack Paar Show”

1963 Releases first album, “The Barbra Streisand Album” which wins two Grammy Awards Marries fellow actor Elliott Gould

04:30 Barricade-PG15 06:00 And Soon The Darkness-PG15 08:00 The Dragon Chronicles: Fire & Ice-PG15 10:00 Deadly Hope-PG15 12:00 True Justice: Vengeance Is Mine-PG15 14:00 The Dragon Chronicles: Fire & Ice-PG15 16:00 Boiler Room-PG15 18:00 True Justice: Vengeance Is Mine-PG15 20:00 A Dangerous Man-18 22:00 Sudden Death-PG15 00:00 The Untouchables-PG15 02:00 A Dangerous Man-18

08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00 00:00 02:00

in Brooklyn and sings in the school choir.

1962 Signs with Columbia Records Makes Broadway debut in “I Can Get It for You Wholesale” winning the New York Drama Critics Award and receives a Tony nomination for her performance

1964 1965 Stars in the “My Name is Barbra” is the first of several CBS television special and receives five Emmys

Broadway musical “Funny Girl” Appears on the cover of

1966 “Time” and “Life” magazines

t was 50 years ago when then 20-year-old Barbra Streisand hit the charts for the first time with what was aptly named “The Barbra Streisand Album.” Half a century later, the multifaceted star has become an icon, a testament to the power of chutzpah, candor and commitment. Mix passion, boldness and originality — with a dash of perfectionism and a hint of that quintessential “Funny Girl” spirit — and you get Streisand, a singer/actress/ director/film-producer/writer and, above all, woman, whose achievements transcend time and the masses.

Mr. Popper’s Penguins-PG It Could Happen To You-PG The Decoy Bride-PG15 Monte Carlo-PG15 It Could Happen To You-PG The First Wives Club-PG Bad Teacher-18 Girl Walks Into A Bar-PG15 Caddyshack-18 Bad Teacher-18

— Karen Mawdsley, McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

Gives 1968 birth to Jason Wins Academy Award and Emanuel Golden Globe for performance Gould in film version “Funny Girl”

1970s “Don’t Rain On My Parade” 1972 Starts her own production company, Barwood Films

1971 Divorces Elliott Gould

Through the 70s Streisand wins three AGVA Georgie 1973 Awards, one People’s Choice Award, three Grammys, four “The Way Henrietta World Film Favorite We Were” awards, one Academy Award (from the and two Golden Globe Awards movie of the same name) 1977 is Streisand’s first No. 1 single; she continues to have a string of “Evergreen” hits including: “You Don’t Bring from the movie Me Flowers” with Neil Diamond, “A Star Is “No More Tears (Enough is Born” wins Enough)” with Donna Summer Academy Award for Best and “The Main Event” Original Song

1980s “All the Things You Are” 1980 Through the 80s wins one “Guilty” is released, Streisand’s best-selling album written and produced by Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees

AGVA Georgie Award, two People’s Choice Awards, one Grammy Award, two Golden Globe Awards

1983

00:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 01:00 PGA Tour 07:00 Super League 09:00 NRL Premiership 11:00 Trans World Sport 12:00 British & Irish Lions 14:00 Super Rugby Highlights 15:00 PGA Tour Highlights 16:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 17:00 Super League 19:00 NRL Premiership 21:00 NRL Full Time 21:30 Futbol Mundial 22:00 Trans World Sport 23:00 PGA Tour Highlights

MARGARET ON OSN MOVIES HD

00:00 02:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00

NRL Premiership Super League Trans World Sport Super Rugby Highlights AFL Premiership Highlights Super Rugby Highlights PGA Tour Highlights PGA European Tour

arbara Joan Streisand started as an underdog in Brooklyn. Her birth father died when she was 16 months old. Her mom said she was too thin. Her stepdad said she was ugly. Her mother wanted her to become a secretary — to resist, she grew her fingernails long — but the highly driven youngster wanted to become a singer.

At 18, she won a talent contest at a Greenwich Village club, where she developed a gay following (and dropped the middle “a” from her name to make it more distinctive).

The boys loved the young woman with the imperfect face, unloving family and throbbingly emotional voice. The buzz brought Broadway impresarios and songwriters such as Harold Arlen and Cole Porter to check her out.

She signed with Columbia Records in 1962 and snared the Grammy for album of the year for her debut, “The Barbra Streisand Album.” A year later, at 21, she became

an overnight sensation in the Broadway musical “Funny Girl.” It told the story of burlesque queen Fanny Brice, a comedienne with prominent Yiddish flavor in an era of ethnic humor. Right away, this role endeared Streisand, who never hid her religion, her ethnic nose or her Brooklyn accent, to Jewish people.

Like the Beatles, she had an amazing run of success in the 1960s, releasing 13 albums in seven years, and being awarded a Tony as Broadway's star of the decade. She grabbed an Oscar in 1968 as best actress for her first film, “Funny Girl.” Star turns in the comedy “The Owl and the Pussycat” and the movie version of “Hello Dolly” followed. She also had top-rated TV specials — including a '67 concert at Central Park where she developed her

famous stage fright after forgetting the words to a few songs.

In 1969 she got her feet wet in politics, performing at a rally/fundraiser for New York Mayor John Lindsay, a Republican seeking his second term. But she became a staunch supporter of the Democrats, starting with George McGovern's 1972 presidential bid and perhaps peaking as the most famous FOB (Friend of Bill Clinton) who stayed at the White House.

She may have finally conquered her stage fright, but Streisand won't find it so easy to shake her reputation as a control freak. Call her meticulous — or call her the B-word — but she is known in Hollywood as a megalomaniac.

Christopher Andersen's recent book “Barbra: The Way She Is” paints Streisand as fiercely insistent upon creative control over all her projects, often clashing with directors and fellow actors and demanding more close-up shots of herself. “She was downright rude,” an assistant director on “Funny Girl” told Andersen.

Many of these iconic images of Streisand converged in the 1983 film “Yentl,” for which she became the first woman since the silent-movie era to write, direct, produce and star in a film. The reality check: How plausible was it for a 41-year-old to play a teen girl who dresses like a boy in order to study at a Jewish school?

After 1996’s “The Mirror Has Two Faces” — her third and last picture as a director — she took a pause from active filming, until returning to the silver screen as the sex therapist mother in Ben Stiller’s “Fockers” films (2004 and a sequel in 2010). And this past fall she had a starring role in “Guilt Trip,” a mother/son road trip movie, co-starring Seth Rogen.

As for that impossibly famous voice, since the late 1960s she has shied away from performing concerts, conducting only a few extended tours — 1994, 2006 and the current Barbra Live tour that started in the fall in North America and continues in Europe and the Middle East in June.

Yes, she is a diva’s diva.

— Jon Bream, Star Tribune, Minneapolis D R AW I N G B Y J E N N I F E R P R I T C H A R D / M C T

Makes directorial debut with “Yentl” garnering five Academy Award nominations, two Golden Globe Awards (Best Director and Best Picture) plus a Top 10 soundtrack

1990s “Come Rain or Come Shine” 1992 Awarded Grammy Legend Award

1994

1991 Directs “Prince of Tides,” receiving seven Academy Award nominations and a nomination from the Directors Guild of America

Returned to 1996 the concert stage after Directs “The 27-years: tour Mirror Has generates Two Faces” over $10 million for charity Awarded Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award

1998

Marries actor James Brolin

2000s “You’re the Top” 2000 Wins Golden 2006 Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award Inducted into Grammy Hall of for Lifetime Fame Achievement “Meet the Fockers” is released

2010s “Happy Days Are Here Again” 2012 “Barbra Live” is her sixth concert tour

2013 “The Barbra Streisand Album” turns 50

Sources: barbrastreisand.com, music.yahoo.com, afi.com, biography.com G R A P H I C B Y K A R E N M AW D S L E Y A N D J E N N I F E R P R I T C H A R D / M C T

Classifieds TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2013

Kuwait NO SUN+ TUE+WED

SHARQIA-1 FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) SARA 3 AL AHEBA (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) SARA 3 AL AHEBA (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

1:30 PM 4:00 PM 6:30 PM 8:00 PM 10:00 PM 11:30 PM

SHARQIA-2 DINO TIME (DIG-3D) EPIC (DIG-3D) EPIC (DIG-3D) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:45 PM 7:00 PM 9:30 PM 12:05 AM

SHARQIA-3 THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED MUHALAB-1 HUMMINGBIRD (DIG) FRI EPIC (DIG) THU+SAT+MON HUMMINGBIRD (DIG) EPIC (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) HUMMINGBIRD (DIG) MUHALAB-2 THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) MUHALAB-3 FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) DINO TIME (DIG-3D) THU IDDARAMMAYILATHO (TELUGU) FRI+SAT FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) NO THU+FRI+SAT IDDARAMMAYILATHO (TELUGU) THU FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) NO THU FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FANAR-1 FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) SARA 3 AL AHEBA (DIG) SARA 3 AL AHEBA (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED FANAR-2 THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) HUMMINGBIRD (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) HUMMINGBIRD (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG)

KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (30/05/2013 TO 05/06/2013)

2:15 PM 4:15 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:45 PM 12:45 AM

FANAR-3 ABDUCTED (DIG) 12:45 PM YEH JAWANI HAI DEEWANI (DIG) (HINDI) 2:45 PM YEH JAWANI HAI DEEWANI (DIG) (HINDI) 5:45 PM AT ANY PRICE (DIG) 8:45 PM ABDUCTED (DIG) 10:45 PM ABDUCTED (DIG) 12:45 AM NO SUN+ TUE+WED MARINA-1 FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) HUMMINGBIRD (DIG) SARA 3 AL AHEBA (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) HUMMINGBIRD (DIG) HUMMINGBIRD (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:45 PM 6:45 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

MARINA-2 SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:15 PM 7:45 PM 10:15 PM 12:45 AM

MARINA-3 EPIC (DIG-3D) EPIC (DIG-3D) EPIC (DIG-3D) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:00 PM 12:05 AM

AVENUES-1 ABDUCTED (DIG) ABDUCTED (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) ABDUCTED (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) ABDUCTED (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

AVENUES-2 AT ANY PRICE (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

2:30 PM 4:45 PM 7:00 PM 9:15 PM 11:30 PM

AVENUES-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

12:45 PM 3:30 PM 6:15 PM 9:00 PM 11:45 PM

360º- 1 THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

1:30 PM 1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 9:45 PM 1:45 PM 4:00 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:15 PM 2:00 PM 4:30 PM 4:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 7:30 PM 10:00 PM 12:45 PM 3:15 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 9:30 PM 11:30 PM

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

360º- 2 ABDUCTED (DIG) ABDUCTED (DIG)

12:45 PM 3:00 PM

ABDUCTED (DIG) ABDUCTED (DIG) ABDUCTED (DIG) ABDUCTED (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

360º- 3 DINO TIME (DIG-3D) DINO TIME (DIG-3D) DINO TIME (DIG-3D) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

12:45 PM 2:45 PM 4:45 PM 6:45 PM 9:00 PM 11:15 PM 1:15 AM

AL-KOUT.1 EPIC (DIG-3D) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) EPIC (DIG-3D) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:15 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

AL-KOUT.2 SARA 3 AL AHEBA (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) SARA 3 AL AHEBA (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

12:45 PM 2:30 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 9:15 PM 11:45 PM

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

1:45 PM 4:30 PM 7:00 PM 9:30 PM 12:15 AM

BAIRAQ-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

1:30 PM 4:15 PM 7:00 PM 9:45 PM 12:30 AM

BAIRAQ-2 EPIC (DIG) EPIC (DIG) EPIC (DIG) EPIC (DIG) HUMMINGBIRD (DIG) HUMMINGBIRD (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 9:30 PM 11:30 PM

BAIRAQ-3 THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

1:15 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

FOR SALE

CHANGE OF NAME

Fully furnished flat for sale in Burj Behbehani building opposite to Salmiya Garden. Big hall, 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, big kitchen. Swimming pool, Gym facility, underground parking and round the clock security available.

Contact: 50701181. (C 4432) 1-6-2013

PLAZA IDDARAMMAYILATHO (DIG) (TELUGU) 3:30 PM FRI+SAT+MON IDDARAMMAYILATHO (DIG) (TELUGU) 6:30 PM IDDARAMMAYILATHO (DIG) (TELUGU) 9:30 PM THU+FRI+SAT FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) 9:30 PM

Doctor owned cars - Toyota Yaris 2009 (hatchback) and Nissan Murano (2006), low mileage, going cheap and well maintained. Contact: 97202594. (C 4429) 30-5-2013

I, Murtaza Rehmat Ali Tamatiya, have changed my name from Murtaza to Murtaza Rehmat Ali Tamatiya.

(C 4431) 1-6-2013

Prayer timings Fajr: Shorook Duhr: Asr: Maghrib: Isha:

03:14 04:48 11:46 15:21 18:44 20:15

112

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines BBC QTR JZR PIA THY ETH GFA UAE ETD FDB RJA RBG MSR OMA KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC JZR QTR THY DHX FDB BAW FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC JZR JZR JZR UAE ABY QTR FDB IRA ETD GFA MEA TMA UAE MSR THY QTR FDB SVA

Flt 43 148 539 239 764 620 211 853 305 67 642 555 612 643 332 416 412 206 302 352 503 138 770 170 69 157 53 562 514 546 284 165 561 325 855 125 132 55 605 301 213 404 213 871 610 766 140 57 500

Arrival Flights on Tuesday 4/6/2013 Route DHAKA DOHA CAIRO SIALKOT SABIHA ADDIS ABABA BAHRAIN DUBAI ABU DHABI DUBAI AMMAN ALEXANDRIA CAIRO MUSCAT TRIVANDRUM JAKARTA MANILA ISLAMABAD MUMBAI COCHIN LUXOR DOHA ISTANBUL BAHRAIN DUBAI LONDON DUBAI AMMAN TEHRAN ALEXANDRIA DHAKA DUBAI SOHAG NAJAF DUBAI SHARJAH DOHA DUBAI ISFAHAN ABU DHABI BAHRAIN BEIRUT BEIRUT DUBAI CAIRO ISTANBUL DOHA DUBAI JEDDAH

Time 00:05 00:05 00:40 01:05 01:40 01:45 01:55 02:25 02:30 03:10 03:10 03:15 03:15 03:20 07:55 06:35 06:15 07:25 07:50 08:05 07:40 03:30 04:35 05:10 05:50 06:30 07:45 14:40 13:40 14:15 8:15 11:35 12:00 16:15 08:25 08:50 09:00 09:15 09:20 09:30 10:40 10:55 12:00 12:45 13:00 13:10 13:45 13:50 14:30

KNE RJA QTR UAE ETD QTR GFA QTR JAI FDB AIC UAL DLH JAI MSR THY KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC JZR JZR JZR JZR JZR SYR ETD UAE ABY SVA GFA UAL QTR FDB GFA AXB JAI RBG OMA FDB ABY MEA IRA MSR KLM ALK

472 640 134 859 307 136 217 146 576 59 981 981 636 574 614 772 104 166 742 542 678 786 674 618 774 239 135 177 777 185 341 303 857 127 510 215 982 144 63 219 393 572 553 647 61 129 402 619 618 415 229

JEDDAH AMMAN DOHA DUBAI ABU DHABI DOHA BAHRAIN DOHA COCHIN DUBAI AHMEDABAD BAHRAIN FRANKFURT MUMBAI CAIRO ISTANBUL LONDON PARIS DAMMAM CAIRO MUSCAT JEDDAH DUBAI DOHA RIYADH AMMAN BAHRAIN DUBAI JEDDAH DUBAI DAMASCUS ABU DHABI DUBAI SHARJAH RIYADH BAHRAIN WASHINGTON DC DULLES DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN KOZHIKODE MUMBAI ALEXANDRIA MUSCAT DUBAI SHARJAH BEIRUT LAR ALEXANDRIA AMSTERDAM COLOMBO

14:35 15:55 16:15 21:15 21:30 21:35 21:45 22:00 22:05 22:20 22:25 22:40 23:10 23:20 23:30 23:45 18:45 18:40 19:30 18:15 19:35 18:30 19:25 19:10 19:25 22:30 23:00 17:30 17:50 22:40 17:35 16:35 16:55 17:10 17:20 17:20 17:25 18:25 18:55 19:05 19:15 19:35 19:40 20:00 20:00 20:05 20:15 20:20 20:30 21:05 21:10

Airlines AIC AXB PIA JAI UAL DLH MSR KLM JZR BBC PIA THY THY ETH UAE FDB RBG MSR OMA ETD QTR QTR JZR FDB RJA GFA THY KAC JZR BAW FDB KAC KAC ABY UAE FDB QTR ETD IRA KAC KAC GFA KAC KAC MEA JZR KAC KAC JZR JZR TMA MSR THY

Departure Flights on Tuesday 4/6/2013 Flt Route 976 GOA/CHENNAI 490 MANGALORE 206 LAHORE 573 MUMBAI 981 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 637 FRANKFURT 615 CAIRO 411 AMSTERDAM 502 LUXOR 44 DHAKA 240 SIALKOT 773 ISTANBUL 765 ISTANBUL 621 ADDIS ABABA 854 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 556 ALEXANDRIA 613 CAIRO 644 MUSCAT 306 ABU DHABI 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 560 SOHAG 70 DUBAI 643 AMMAN 212 BAHRAIN 771 ISTANBUL 545 ALEXANDRIA 164 DUBAI 156 LONDON 54 DUBAI 513 IMAM KHOMEINI 561 AMMAN 126 SHARJAH 856 DUBAI 56 DUBAI 133 DOHA 302 ABU DHABI 604 ISFAHAN 101 LONDON 415D BANGKOK 214 BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN” 541 CAIRO 165 ROME 405 BEIRUT 776 JEDDAH 677 MUSCAT 785 JEDDAH 324 AL NAJAF 176 DUBAI 223 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 767 ISTANBUL

Time 00:05 00:15 00:15 00:20 00:25 00:30 00:30 00:55 01:30 01:30 02:20 02:20 02:40 02:45 03:45 03:50 03:55 04:15 04:20 04:20 04:25 05:15 05:35 06:30 06:35 07:00 07:10 07:20 07:25 08:25 08:25 09:15 09:25 09:30 09:50 09:55 10:00 10:15 10:20 10:25 11:00 11:25 11:30 11:45 11:55 12:25 13:00 13:00 13:00 13:20 13:45 14:00 14:10

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

UAE FDB QTR KAC KNE SVA KAC KAC KAC RJA JZR QTR ETD JZR ABY UAE SVA GFA JZR SYR UAL JZR QTR FDB GFA JZR KAC AXB RBG JAI FDB ABY OMA KAC KAC MEA IRA MSR DHX KLM ETD ALK UAE KAC QTR KAC GFA FDB KAC QTR JAI JZR KAC JZR

872 58 141 673 473 501 617 773 741 641 238 135 304 538 128 858 511 216 184 342 982 266 145 64 220 134 283 394 554 571 62 120 648 343 351 403 618 607 171 415 308 230 860 381 137 301 218 60 205 147 575 554 411 528

DUBAI DUBAI DOHA DUBAI JEDDAH JEDDAH DOHA RIYADH DAMMAM AMMAN AMMAN DOHA ABU DHABI CAIRO SHARJAH DUBAI RIYADH BAHRAIN DUBAI DAMASCUS BAHRAIN BEIRUT DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DHAKA KOZHIKODE ALEXANDRIA MUMBAI DUBAI SHARJAH MUSCAT CHENNAI KOCHI BEIRUT LAR LUXOR BAHRAIN DAMMAM ABU DHABI COLOMBO DUBAI DELHI DOHA MUMBAI BAHRAIN DUBAI ISLAMABAD DOHA KOCHI ALEXANDRIA BANGKOK ASSIUT

14:15 14:30 14:55 15:05 15:30 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 18:35 18:40 18:40 19:25 19:35 19:50 20:05 20:15 20:15 20:20 20:35 20:40 20:45 20:55 20:55 21:05 21:15 21:20 21:30 21:50 22:05 22:15 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:45 23:00 23:00 23:05 23:05 23:20 23:40 23:55

34

stars CROSSWORD 210

STAR TRACK Aries (March 21-April 19) You are a heavyweight thinker and serious student, always ready to work an idea through, reducing it to what is essential. You do a lot to fulfill the popular stereotype of how a genius might behave. There may be a sustained interest today in communication, computers, electronics and all that is electrical. You could be an excellent teacher in areas requiring discipline and organization. You value order and place a high premium on hard work and effort. You like to get down to the bare bones of a matter; to what is essential.

Whatever is most practical is best and you appreciate things that are durable and long lasting.

You love truth, philosophy, law, etc. You make a conscious decision to guide yourself in positive directions.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Someone important or in authority may put a damper on your desires today. It may be time to reassess your thinking and either change your ideas or find others to back you. It is important to find work that does not deny your goals, or otherwise dissatisfaction and disappointment reign. Advice from a trusted friend is in order to help coordinate your job life. You would make a great investigator, either through research or undercover work—it makes no difference. Your ability to get to the point is all but phenomenal. You may help a community project later this afternoon by signing a petition or asking others to sign a petition.

This evening would be a good time to draw a diagram of an idea you have for a new invention.

You are clearheaded with fascinating ideas.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

ACROSS 1. A federal agency established to regulate the release of new foods and health-related products.

4. Coelenterate genus of order Madreporaria, including staghorn corals.

12. Piece of solid food for dipping in a liquid.

15. A workplace for the conduct of scientific research.

16. The upper part of a column that supports the entablature.

17. An accountant certified by the state.

18. (Irish) Mother of the ancient Irish gods.

19. Small gnawing animals.

20. A former agency (from 1946 to 1974) that was responsible for research into atomic energy and its peacetime uses in the United States.

21. Aspirin coated with a substance capable of neutralizing acid (trade name Bufferin).

23. A public promotion of some product or service.

25. One who attacks the reputation of another by slander or libel.

27. A state in north central United States.

29. Small terrestrial lizard of warm regions of the Old World.

34. Talk or behave amorously, without serious intentions.

36. Type genus of the Sulidae.

38. A member of the Pueblo people living in northern New Mexico.

39. Characterized by or producing sound of great volume or intensity.

40. A book of the New Testament.

42. A river that rises in northeastern Turkey (near the source of the Euphrates) and flows generally eastward through Armenia to the Caspian Sea. 43. A sweetened beverage of diluted fruit juice.

45. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind.

47. A fatal disease of cattle that affects the central nervous system.

48. Related to or infested with of transmitting parasitic worms especially filaria.

52. Inhabitant of the island of Cebu.

54. Cheap showy jewelry or ornament or clothing.

55. A parliamentary monarchy in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.

58. Includes some plants usually placed in e.g. genus Dicksonia.

59. Port city on southern Honshu on Osaka Bay. 63. A mountain peak in the Andes in Bolivia (21,391 feet high).

66. Not restrained or controlled.

68. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism.

69. The basic unit of electric current adopted under the System International d'Unites.

71. A river in northeastern Brazil that flows generally northward to the Atlantic Ocean.

72. (Polynesian) An alcoholic drink made from the aromatic roots of the kava shrub.

74. A river in the east central United States.

76. A local computer network for communication between computers.

77. (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.

78. A feeling of anger caused by being offended.

79. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

DOWN 1. Loose or flaccid body fat.

2. (Irish) Mother of the Tuatha De Danann.

3. At or near or toward the stern of a ship or tail of an airplane.

4. An area of ground used for some particular purpose (such as building or farming).

5. Comprises true vertebrates and animals having a notochord.

6. An intensely radioactive metallic element that occurs in minute amounts in uranium ores.

7. (of mines and mining) Worked from the exposed surface.

8. A piece of jewelry that is pinned onto the wearer's garment.

9. Essential oil or perfume obtained from flowers.

10. Scottish philosopher of common sense who opposed the ideas of David Hume (1710-1796).

11. A constellation in the southern hemisphere near Telescopium and Norma.

12. A mark left by the healing of injured tissue.

13. An organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on a common policy for the sale of petroleum.

14. Large burrowing rodent of South and Central America.

22. Intentional deception resulting in injury to another person.

24. The large trunk artery that carries blood from the left ventricle of the heart to branch arteries.

26. A white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light.

28. Any fern of the genus Doodia having pinnate fronds with sharply dentate pinnae.

30. A percussion instrument consisting of a pair of hollow pieces of wood or bone (usually held between the thumb and fingers) that are made to click together (as by Spanish dancers) in rhythm with the dance.

31. Found along western Atlantic coast.

32. Any of various perennial South American plants of the genus Loasa having stinging hairs and showy white or yellow or reddish-orange flowers.

33. A city in western Germany.

35. Suppress or crush completely.

37. North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean.

41. An independent agency of the United States government responsible for collecting and coordinating intelligence and counterintelligence activities abroad in the national interest.

44. Any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc..

46. Speak out against.

49. Type genus of the Alcidae comprising solely the razorbill.

50. A mountain peak in the Andes in Bolivia (20,870 feet high).

51. Flower arrangement consisting of a circular band of foliage or flowers for ornamental purposes.

53. An oil port in southern Iraq.

56. The feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally.

57. A republic on the Isthmus of Panama.

60. A promontory in northern Morocco opposite the Rock of Gibraltar.

61. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.

62. A city in southern Turkey on the Seyhan River.

64. By bad luck.

65. An island in Indonesia south of Borneo.

67. A steep rugged rock or cliff.

70. (Australian and New Zealand) A disparaging term for English immigrants to Australia or New Zealand.

73. A soft yellow malleable ductile (trivalent and univalent) metallic element.

75. A metallic element of the rare earth group.

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2013

This may not be the best time for a new job or job change. You may lack coordination and have feelings of inadequacy—fortunately, this seems to be temporary. Your emotions may have led you astray; however, with a little time, you should be able to put in for a job change within your own company. You would be wise to give a positive reason for the request of change. Perhaps you are ready to learn new skills or perhaps you are ready for a change and would like to see what is available. It is important to find work that helps you to express your talents. You would make a good manager if that is something you would like. You might stop by a used bookstore this afternoon to find some movies or magazines or perhaps a favorite author to read.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) There is an emphasis on communication, expression of ideas and the connection between things, places and people today. What goes on in your mind is your allimportant motivation. You tend toward mental pursuits and admire intelligence. A reward system would be good. Creative visualization and consistent meditation will give you the insight into the answers you may need. Your general sense of concern for everything makes you valuable when anything needs doing. Given only a few facts, you are able to take in a situation and come up with a real picture of what is happening—globally or locally. You will find plenty of opportunities to involve yourself in what interests you this evening—creative art, technical equipment, music, etc.

Leo (July 23-August 22) There are many opportunities to accomplish much today. You seem to take in a lot of energy from the activities that happen around you at this time. The pace of your life picks up speed. With the wind at your back, it should be smooth sailing for whatever you set out to do. You are powerfully motivated, perhaps even driven to achieve the desired results of your actions. You have a very analytical bent and your mind excels at making practical decisions. Your ideas run deeper than superficial issues. For instance, you have an interest in market trends and business psychology. You are likely to meet and enjoy the antics of others that have the same hobby or talents that you enjoy. Corroborate with your mate when making future social plans.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) Before the day begins, try your hand at a new hairstyle or choice in clothing. A splash of color may help to give you a lift—or perhaps it is a little extra attention you seek. Your outgoing nature and your extremely skillful ways of handling other people make you a natural for working with or for the public. Today is a good day for being expressive. You would make an excellent teacher or coach and helping others to make career decisions is a skill you enjoy using. These are also the things you should consider when making those career decisions for yourself. If you become bored this afternoon, it would be a good time to get out the old bicycle and go for a ride. Repair work and perhaps some maintenance chores at home may hold your attention later this evening.

Word Search

Libra (September 23-October 22) This is a great time to be with others and to work together. You may be sought after as just the person for a particular job. However, be aware that even though there is a lot of energy available for disciplined work—you could push too hard and may even break something or become irritable. This is the best time you will have to make progress, push forward and rise to distinction. It will be hard for you to do wrong, for all the cycles are working in your favor. This is also a time when you may find the right mate or you take on a new role in the community. You will receive recognition for your hard work. Friends and a social life are in order and, in general, an easy and untroubled life. This is a good time to be social and to be recognized, etc.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) This may be a very superficial day. It may not be possible for you to penetrate to anything remotely meaningful or moving at this time. Work as usual may be the best road to take for this day. This afternoon brings a very different story. A new person comes to your attention that has some wonderful information for your consideration.

Some form of entertainment has come to town and perhaps a new profession for you. There are tickets to the circus and in a bookstore you may decide to attend an author’s presentation about his new book. He also answers some interesting questions that you have about the process of writing. This evening you sit down to write and before you know it you have several chapters written. You have lots to say.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Others value you for your ability to make practical decisions in most every area of life. You may write or become interested in an article that includes the transportation industry. You have a natural sense of what the public wants at this time and can lend good advice. Clear decisions affecting others could be made from your discoveries.

Perhaps passing your ideas on to others will give you a sense of organization and provide an opportunity for some new ideas to develop. You are very gifted, having great magnetism and warmth and a keen and powerful mind. You may find it more convenient to neglect your mental, conceptual and organizational abilities this evening in favor of your social agility and animal warmth. Romance is possible now.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) CAPRICORN Independence, as well as anything unusual or different, is valued. You may enjoy getting away from routine and doing something completely different for a change. You appear more amiable and sophisticated than usual. Now is a good time to make that special date or apply for a particular job or salary increase. Career choices, the obvious path that is opening up for you, may grate against your own sense of freedom and independence.

Success and security at the expense of originality may be too great a price to pay. Some middle road could be found. You could feel loving and warm to those around you. You are appreciative of your own life and self. Be cautious in sports or risky activities now through the last day of this month.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) You will find that today is a great time to be with others and to work together. You may be sought after as the right person for a particular job. New business opportunities open up for you. Do not hesitate or you will miss the boat. Communicate your intentions clearly. You could find that you are appreciated or valued for your feelings or your ability to act and get things done. You may find you are more independent, confident and a little self-centered these days. You are learning to love attention and somehow manage to gravitate to the center of almost any group or happening. Others accept you— they sense you are a leader and admire your accomplishments. You could be teaching or perhaps entertaining, if you wish.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) You are able to manage and discover how to work with the energy of others. The word for the day is accomplishment. If there is a job, you can do it. As an amazing worker, you pour yourself into any task of the day with absolute determination. You have a great desire and drive to be thorough and responsible—down to the smallest details. You seem to know what is essential and what is not. You will love the routine that your work brings into your life now. There is a tendency to be too strict with yourself— ease up a bit this afternoon. Take a little trip, or get outside for a while. You may be sought after for your advice and counsel regarding very personal and emotional issues. You will be able to be understanding and handle any tough matter.

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

Daily SuDoku

Yesterday’s Solution

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 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

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36

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2013

lifest yle G o s s i p

he ‘Arrested Development’ star, who split from the ‘Parks and Recreation’ actress last September after nine years of marriage and shares custody of their two sons, Archie, four, and Abel, two, admits he initially found it difficult to move on but he is happy with his life now. The 43-year-old actor told Details magazine: “If going to the gym obsessively for eight, nine months was my way of dealing, then let that be my worst problem. Life is challenging, and I’d say that

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there’s no guidebook-but there’s about a million guidebooks out there. All people have been doing since the dawn of time is trying to figure out how to live this life and be happy. I’m no different. “I’m 43, and I’ve found my happiness - which is my kids.” Will, who was also married to ‘The Artist’ actress Penelope Ann Miller for a year until 1995, insists he still believes in love but isn’t ready to start dating again. He said: “Certainly. I do. I do. I’m not officially dating. I don’t

know what you do. Do you put out an announcement in the trades? I’M DATING! It all seems very scary to me, to be honest. So I’m kind of keeping pretty close counsel right now.”

he model and TV presenter - who has four children, Leni, eight, Henry, seven, Johan, six, and Lou, three - celebrated the milestone with a hat-themed bash at her home in Los Angeles on Saturday and was thrilled with the personalized gift, presented in a framed box.

Sharing pictures of her party and favorite gift on Twitter, Heidi wrote: “I’m 40! Look what I got from my 4 beautiful children. Thanks everyone for all the wishes, flowers, balloons and gifts.”

The German model also posed for pictures with her friends, all of who are wearing different hats, holding a number of hat-shaped cakes. The ‘America’s Got Talent’ judge, who is well known for her love of dressing up and costume parties, previously revealed she was really “excited” about turning 40 and wearing “crazy” headwear at her party. She said: “I’m excited. My friend is actually throwing a party for me and it’s going to be a hat party. “I can’t wait! We’ll be having burgers, ice cream, fries, chocolate. All the usual stuff. “Everyone has to show up in hat. So it’s all girlfriends of mine and everyone has to wear a crazy hat. So we’re all going to sit around with some hats on, which I think is fun.” Heidi also admitted she isn’t concerned with getting older, choosing to embrace the fact she’s “still here” enjoying life.

T

he ‘Easy A’ actress, who was arrested at her building in Manhattan on May 23 and later charged with attempted evidence tampering, reckless endangerment and marijuana possession, was allegedly kicked out of the apartment block last Tuesday. A source told InTouch Weekly magazine: “At 9 pm on Tuesday, movers showed up and removed Amanda’s belongings from her apartment. “Even before her arrest, residents had constant complaints about the smell of marijuana coming from her apartment. She had also cursed out residents and the doormen, and the smell of pot from her apartment was really annoying people.” The 27-year-old actress’s neighbors recently complained that sharing their building with her was “like living with Linda Blair in ‘The Exorcist,’ the 1973 horror film, claiming she often looked “completely out of it” and talked to herself. One neighbor previously said: “She stares you out in the elevator. Residents are terrified to be alone with her. She knocked on one woman’s door, and when it opened, she screamed ‘You’re ugly,’ and ran away. Amanda always seems to be alone, muttering to herself and looking completely out of it.”

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he couple, who are also preparing to tie the knot later this year, jetted to New Orleans, Louisiana, to watch the ‘How To Make It In America’ star marry tattoo artist Scott Campbell.

A source told UsMagazine.com that other pals including Lake’s ‘What Happens In Vegas’ co-star Cameron Diaz, Eva Longoria, Josh Hartnett, Kate Bosworth and Alicia Silverstone also flew in from Los Angeles to attend the nuptials. The ceremony took place at the Marigny Opera House, which features 40 foot high arched ceilings, stained glass windows, and mottled plaster walls. Guests cheered as the 34year-old actress and her beau, who got engaged in March 2012, exchanged vows before riding off to their reception together on a motorcycle. A source said: “Lake wore a white tiered dress, sleeveless with a high beaded neck and V-cut back. She was wearing a veil and carrying a crimson red rose bouquet.”

Their celebrity guests have been making the most of their trip to New Orleans by taking in the local sites.

T he divorced couple, whose relationship has soured again after they briefly called a truce and had dinner together on Wednesday in Hollywood, reportedly got their daughter Lindsay’s permission to appear together on a new TV show called ‘The Test’ on Thursday, a conflict-resolution talk show due to air this autumn which uses lie detector and DNA tests to solve problems, and were well paid to take part. A source told gossip website TMZ.com that the 26-year-old actress’s mother received $50,000 to film the show. Michael was also allegedly paid to take part but his fee hasn’t been disclosed. The insider said that Dina used the money to settle her debts from the family’s Long Island home, which has been on the brink of foreclosure for months. Dina and Michael’s brief reconciliation ended during filming for the show on Thursday.

The warring exes both accused one another of lying about their past infidelities and blamed each other for who is responsible for Lindsay’s wild ways. Michael allegedly took two lie detector tests, but Dina refused to take any.

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he ‘Locked Out Of Heaven’ hitmaker’s 55year-old mother Bernadette Hernandez passed away at the Queens Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii on Saturday after being rushed there in a critical condition on Friday night. Bernadette, who immigrated from the Philippines to work as a hula dancer, was origi-

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nally reported to have had a massive heart attack but sources have told gossip website TMZ.com that she died from a brain aneurysm. The 27year-old Grammy-winner has been very open about his love for his mother in the past and even wrote a song called ‘I Love You Mom’ about her, in which he refers to her as a “superstar” and

“my favorite girl.” Bruno, whose real name is Peter Gene Hernandez, also has Bernadette’s name tattooed on his shoulder. Family friend Anita Sojot previously said that the family were gathering to be at Bernadette’s bedside, suggesting that her condition was serious.

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2013

lifestyle

Chris Brown performs at the Hot 97 Summer Jam XX on Sunday, June 2, 2013 in East Rutherford, NJ. — AP photos

N

ew York City radio station Hot 97 celebrated its 20th annual Summer Jam concert with young rappers who are dominating the charts, a respected veteran hip-hop group and a slew of surprises. Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, Mariah Carey and Lil Kim were among the guest stars of Sunday’s Summer Jam XX at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ Kendrick Lamar, 2 Chainz, A$AP Rocky and French Montana performed sets that electrified the excited crowd. Wu-Tang Clan hit the stage and were solid, though the energy of the audience - filled with a good number of twentysomethings - dwindled throughout the set. Here’s a breakdown of the highlights from Summer XX, which also featured Chris Brown, Miguel, Wale, Fabolous and Joe Budden.

SURPRISE: IT’S WEEZY F BABY AND RICKY ROZAY No offense to French Montana, but Summer Jam XX would have been disappointing if the rapper closed the five-hour concert alone. Thankfully, he brought out Rick Ross - and then to the largest roar the audience gave Sunday night - there came Lil Wayne. They performed the addictive hit, “Pop That,” as the crowd sang along and jumped up and down. Bringing out a special guest (or guests) was the night’s theme: Minaj earned cheers when she helped 2 Chainz on “I Luv Dem Strippers” and “Beez In the Trap,” Fabolous brought out fellow Brooklynite Lil Kim and R&B singer Miguel had J. Cole and Mariah Carey help him with his set.

A$AP Rocky, 24, said he’s a big fan of 90’s hip-hop, namedropping acts like Wu-Tang Clan, N W A, UGK and Three 6 Mafia as favorites.

But he wasn’t all talk: quickly after he talked about his rap heros, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony joined him onstage.

Nicki Minaj performs at the Hot 97 Summer Jam XX.

HIP-HOP’S NEW CLASS TAKE OVER Hot 97 was celebrating 20 years of Summer Jam, but rappers in their twenties dominated the annual concert. Hip-hop’s new class, including Kendrick Lamar, A$AP Rocky, French Montana and 2 Chainz (he’s 35, but appeals to a younger audience), kept the crowd of thousands on their feet, performing back-to-back jams

Lil’ Kim (left) and Lil Wayne (right) perform at the Hot 97 Summer Jam XX.

that have controlled urban radio in the last year.

Lamar, who is the critical darling of the bunch, was the best of the youngsters: He was cool onstage as he rapped songs from his near-platinum major label debut, “good kid, m.A.A.d city,” including “Poetic Justice” and “(Expletive), Don’t Kill My Vibe.” He left out “Swimming Pools (Drank),” though that song would have been appropriate since the audience was drenched after it rained - several times - at the MetLife Stadium.

2 Chainz entered the stage rapping his verse from Kanye West’s “Mercy,” and he followed that with a number of radio hits, including “I’m Different,” “Birthday Song” and “No Lie.” A$AP Rocky was wild onstage, and rap’s new class showed the brotherly love when he was joined by Lamar and 2 Chainz for “(Expletive) Problems.”

THAT WAS A LITTLE AWKWARD Nicki Minaj is obviously confident - not many people wear multi-colored wigs like she does. But on Sunday, things were just a little awkward for the rapper, and for a couple reasons. Last year Minaj backed out of headlining Summer Jam after Hot 97’s Peter Rosenberg dissed the rapper and her dance-pop hit, “Starships.”

Minaj debuted in 2009 deeply rooted in rap, but later she began to sing on her songs and found success with electronic-based tunes and collaborations with David Guetta.

But the 30-year-old returned to the Summer Jam stage - for mere minutes with 2 Chainz - in a curly blonde wig and blue jeans.

She exchanged words - they seemed cordial - with Rosenberg onstage after performing. Minaj also performed on a stage where her enemies were also present: Her fellow and former “American Idol” judge, Mariah Carey, was in the building, as was Lil Kim, who feuded with Minaj when the rapper came on the music scene.

Who’s got backstage video?

showed no signs of slowing down with a set that felt both fresh and nostalgic. Too bad the crowd didn’t think so. The young audience grew excited during small parts of the rap group’s set, and Ghostface Killah, Method Man, RZA, Raekwon and the other members seemed to notice. “All we ask is that the energy we give to you, give it back to us,” Method Man told the crowd. “I think New York forgot about us a little, man,” RZA said later. Despite the some of the crowd’s disinterest in the veteran group, they blazed the stage, performing jams like “Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing ta (Expletive) Wit,” “Da Mystery of Chessboxin’” and “C.R.E.A.M.” Kids, do your rap research.

HIP-HOP’S COUSIN: THE R&B TREATS Summer Jam is a rapper’s show, but R&B held its own, thanks to Miguel and Chris Brown. Miguel was silky, performing hits like “Sure Thing,” “How Many Drinks” and “Adorn” - all as the crowd sang along. He earned more points when he brought out diva Mariah Carey to sing her new single, “Beautiful,” where he is featured. Brown, who has rapped on some of his songs, was bold when he hit the stage: He started with the European-flavored “Beautiful People,” where he was backed with futuristic dancers and Auto-Tune. The crowd didn’t fist pump, but they were pumped. Brown was quick on his feet when performing “Fine China” and slowed things down for “Don’t Judge Me.” And while he first wore a Yankees jersey, he took it off to sing - wait for it - his R&B hit “Strip.”— AP

TOO YOUNG TO APPRECIATE? Wu-Tang Clan, who also celebrated 20 years in music Sunday,

Review

R

ichard Greenberg’s new musical, “Far From Heaven” is actually pretty close to heavenly. Tightly staged by Michael Greif at Playwrights Horizons, it’s smart, sophisticated and a perfect vehicle for Kelli O’Hara’s soaring voice and endearing stage presence. Based on the 2002 movie written and directed by Todd Haynes, the transporting, potent show has an elegant diversity of music by Scott Frankel. Thoughtful lyrics by Michael Korie sensitively express the characters’ turbulent inner emotions, and the score is beautifully performed by the entire cast. It opened Sunday.

Greif’s depiction of a superficially perfect suburban American family coming apart in 1957 hums with undercurrents of secrecy, prejudice and sexism. A dark aura of repressed sensuality alternates with scenes of suburban placidity. Furtive pick-up scenes or moody vignettes about racial unease and prejudice give way to hopeful domestic tableaus.

Greif and his design team have created a fluid, visually compelling production, enhanced by Catherine Zuber’s gorgeous costumes. Interspersing songs with crisp dialogue that is often sung-through, Greenberg and Greif accurately depict the artificial tenor of the times. The worlds of blacks and whites were quite separate in 1950s America, and it was difficult to be a homosexual when that subject was not even discussed.

A luminous O’Hara leads the picture-perfect, lilting opening number, “Autumn in Connecticut,” as housewife Cathy Whitaker

happily sings about her wonderful life and the beauty all around her. In subtle contrast, her African-American housekeeper/nanny, Sybil (a skillful performance by Quincy Tyler Bernstine) trudges back and forth across the stage as she performs her job.

Stephen Pasquale is perfectly cast as Cathy’s husband Frank, a handsome, privileged, white-collar executive who’s secretly homosexual and miserable. While Cathy tries lovingly to cope with his drinking problem and then his “illness” after she discovers his secret, Pasquale blazes with hidden anguish, until he bursts out in Frank’s passionate confession, “I Never Knew,” about the wonders of being truly in love for the first time.

Trouble deepens when Cathy begins an innocent friendship with her new AfricanAmerican gardener, Raymond, (a touching, restrained performance by Isaiah Johnson).

With quiet dignity, Johnson appears both respectful and masterful, especially when Raymond is around white people who act like he’s invisible. Johnson and O’Hara share several lovely duets, their voices warmly combining although their bodies may not whenever they sing their rueful theme song, “The Only One.” O’Hara subtly conveys Cathy’s increasing inner turmoil as she learns that her so-called friends are all too ready to spread nasty gossip about her. O’Hara’s performance is replete with delicate expressions and perfectly-timed gestures, as Cathy firmly tries to maintain a plucky, cheerful demeanor. Her homey scenes with

S

inger-actress Pia Zadora has been arrested on suspicion of domestic battery and coercion after a disturbance at her Las Vegas home. The 61-year-old Zadora was booked Saturday into a detention center and released after posting $4,000 bail. She was arrested about 11 am, some six hours after police responded to a disturbance call at her home. Police declined to release the name of the victim and other details, saying further information would be released Monday. Zadora has been married to her

her children (lively portrayals by Jake Lucas and Julianna Rigoglioso) lend an air of normalcy to her increasingly discordant life.

The orchestra, led by musical director Lawrence Yurman, creates a rich sound. Quiet, introspective numbers are mixed with fizzy, funny ones, like “Marital Bliss” a cocktail-fueled discussion by women about how often they have sex. A would-be romantic vacation in Miami features a wonderful, Latin-tinged nightclub dance number, as closeted gay men exchange longing glances during the song, “Wandering Eyes”.

It’s a little surprising who defies conformity and who broken-heartedly retreats from possible happiness. Inevitably, Cathy recaps everything she’s might lose if she divorces Frank, when her “vows to love and honor and obey/are swept away” in the poignant “Tuesdays, Thursdays.” In the bittersweet ballad “A Picture In Your Mind” reluctantly parting lovers sing, “though I may be far away/we’ll never say goodbye.” Bright rear projections and atmospheric lighting supplement Allen Moyer’s versatile rolling scaffolding, with stairs and platforms that smartly denote many locations. Difficult emotional journeys are beautifully rendered in “Far From Heaven,” and the musical is profoundly effective. — AP

third husband, Las Vegas police detective Michael Jeffries, since 2005. The couple met after Zadora contacted police to report a stalking incident. After working as a child actress on Broadway, she appeared in various movies. When her film career failed to take off, she became a singer of popular standards. — AP

Filipina singer Charice Pempengco performing during the launching of her first album in Makati, financial district of Manila. — AFP

P

hilippine pop star Charice has announced she is a lesbian, ending weeks of speculation in the local press following a drastic image change where she ditched her teen starlet look and adopted a more edgy style. The 21-year-old star who initially found fame through YouTube and gained international recognition through appearances on the American show Glee, disclosed her sexual orientation to “The Buzz”, a local showbiz talkshow.

“Yes, I am a tomboy,” Charice said Sunday, when asked if she was gay. “Now, I feel free. I can go out of the house without fear and be certain that I’m not stepping on anybody’s toes.” “To those who can accept me, thank you very much,” she said tearfully. In the interview Charice also said she was estranged from her mother, who raised her single-handedly and began her career by entering her in singing competitions when she was young. Her revelation received positive feedback and expressions of support in the mainly Catholic, socially conservative country with many taking to social media to praise the diminutive singer.

“Dear @OfficialCharice have you any idea how many young people you inspired today?

More power, blessings and love to you!,” tweeted Tony award-winning actress and singer Leah Salonga (@MsLeaSalonga), a fellow Filipina international star. “So Charice is out of the closet. Did that take her talent away? Did it change her voice? NO. Same talented person, just happier,” added local celebrity Bubbles Paraiso (@bubblesparaiso) on the social media website. Charice’s decision to come out also received praise overseas. “So proud of you!”

tweeted American celebrity blogger Perez Hilton. “You are opening doors and hearts and minds with your bravery and honesty! Leading by example! BIG HUG!” Born Charice Pempengco, but more popularly known by her first name, the 21-year-old has a significant following both in the Philippines and the United States, appearing on major US television programmes such as the Ellen DeGeneres Show and the Oprah Winfrey Show, and playing the character Sunshine Corazon in Glee. She has also toured internationally with award-winning American composer David Foster, and her first international studio album released in 2010 broke into the top 10 of the Billboard 200, in a first for any Asian solo singer.

Charice has been in the spotlight in the local press lately after she dramatically revamped her image-from a long-haired girl singing love songs to a more masculine look complete with short, dyed hair. Photos of her holding hands with an unidentified young woman had also circulated on local Internet fan sites. Recognizing that her decision to come out could upset some of her fans she said in the interview: “I am proud of who I am. I love myself, that is why I am doing this. “To my fans who I know are disappointed-I know some of you will turn your back on me too-sorry. You know I am sincere. From the bottom of my heart, sorry.”— AFP

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2013

lifestyle T r a v e l

Beach-ready customers at the Byron shopping area on Jonson Street, Byron Bay’s main drag.

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y face flushed cherry red and my sweat-soaked sundress clung to my body. I stood, elated, on a wooden platform at the summit of Mt Warning, a jagged peak in the Gondwana rain forest. The mountain, in the far northeastern corner of New South Wales, Australia, bears witness to the first flicker of sunlight on the continent.

By the time I reached it, however, the sun was setting and fog had crept in. Dappled twilight pierced the mist, affording glimpses of the vast subtropical valley below, and the buzz of cicadas filled the air. This dreamscape was just one stop in a series of excursions I had arranged to take from the relaxed beach town of Byron Bay during a nine-day stay in mid-December. My friend Jordan Lee had grown up in the area and offered to take me to many of the places he remembered loving as a boy.

The Fresh Deli Board with prosciutto, sopressa, hummus, feta cheese, olives eggplant and roasted red peppers is served at Byron Fresh Cafe in Byron Bay, Australia.

Australia’s North Coast is a prehistoric-looking wonderland of soaring mountains, staggering waterfalls and epic white-sand beaches. Byron Bay acts as its spiritual center and is the ideal base for exploring the surrounding terrain.

Nightcap National Park’s Minyon Falls and Mt Warning make for excellent day trips, as do the small towns that dot the rugged landscape, including the Channon, Chillingham and Lismore.

Europeans arrived in Byron Bay in 1770 when Capt.

James Cook anchored here and named Cape Byron after Royal Navy officer John Byron, grandfather of the poet Lord Byron. In 1973, the nearby village of Nimbin hosted the Aquarius Festival - think Woodstock Down Under - and the resulting influx of flower children put down permanent roots.

These days the subculture still favors those who believe in the healing power of crystals and the holistic benefits of yoga therapy and ayurvedic medicine. As such, the small town, which has a population of nearly 5,000, has become a prominent destination for boho backpackers, dredlocked surfers and free-spirited drifters from around the country and the world. It also hosts the popular Byron Bay Bluesfest and the Byron Bay writers and film festivals.

Jordan and I divided our time between lounging on the beach and driving in a small rental car to various points of interest. We started each morning with coffee. Yes, that’s a no-brainer, but Australia enjoys worldwide acclaim for its delicious coffee drinks, and Byron Bay is no exception. A great place to grab a cup is the Top Shop, which is popular with locals and serves a heart-stopping flat white. It is specific to Australia and resembles a latte, but with a bit more coffee. It’s exceptionally creamy and goes down like liquid dessert. Add a flaky croissant and you’re good until lunch.

Sufficiently caffeinated, we hit the road for the hourand-a-half drive northwest to Nightcap National Park and a hike to Minyon Falls. The park is in a stunning rain forest that evolved from the erosion of the extinct Tweed volcano, which forms the largest caldera in the Southern Hemisphere. Jagged gray-black rocks jut from the ground; towering oak trees, their thick trunks wrapped tight with vines, provide a canopy against the sun; and electric-green moss blankets nearly every surface like a living carpet.

The hike to Minyon Falls, an impressive 330-foot waterfall that crashes down the side of a sheer, serrated cliff, is a fairly easy one (especially compared with the harrowing 2.7-mile round-trip trek up Mt. Warning). We clambered over craggy rocks and hopped small streams of ice-cold water to arrive at the base of the falls. During our visit, the waterfall was not flowing because of a drought, which disappointed Jordan. But I could imagine the scope of the falls from the size of the cliff and vowed to return.

It was late by the time we returned to Byron Bay, and we were tired. Restaurants in town tend to close early, so we opted to get meat pies from a little take-out shop called Byron Hot Bread Kitchen. Eating a meat pie or two is a must in Australia. These savory offerings are about the size of a bread plate and consist of a crisp, golden crust stuffed with all manner of fillings, including rich lamb and mint, spicy curry chicken, tender steak and cheese and more.

We took the pies back to our hotel, an easygoing hideaway called Byron Beach Resort, and devoured them on our patio, which looked out on the ocean across the street.

After dinner we put on our bathing suits and strolled to the beach for a night swim. The sky was a thing of beauty: a black velvet curtain poked with a million pinpricks of starlight.

All the while the circular sweep of concentrated light from the famous Cape Byron lighthouse reminded us not to drift too far out to sea. The country’s most powerful lighthouse was built in 1901 on the cape, the easternmost point of mainland Australia. It’s among Byron Bay’s most visited tourist sites and is a good place for whale watching.

We swam each morning in the rough blue-gray sea before driving on picturesque back roads to several small villages, including Nimbin, Lismore, Mullumbimby and

A room at the Byron Beach Resort across the street from the beach in Byron Bay, Australia.

— MCT photos

Jordan Lee stands on the edge of a platform on the summit of Mount Warning, which bears witness to the first rays of sunshine on the Australian continent.

Billinudgel. Each took an hour or less to reach, and each had its own personality and usually a small pub where we would stop for a cold beer and a snack. If Byron Bay is the hippie heart of New South Wales, Nimbin is that heart’s aorta, pumping out all things cannabis-related.

Smoke shops in frontier-style wooden buildings painted in a rainbow of colors dot nearly every corner, and there is even a hemp museum. (Marijuana is illegal in Australia, but Nimbin is known for its tolerance.) The pub at the Nimbin Hotel has a breezy back patio where we watched an old woman, her gray hair swept in a sloppy bun at the nape of her neck, strum a guitar for a few friends. I don’t recall the words of the song she sang - I believe it was her own composition - but the beautiful sound of her voice summed up the feel of the land, the sea and the sky in this rare and solitary pocket of Earth. — MCT

A variety of savory meat pies are for sale at the casual take-out counter of Byron Hot Bread Kitchen in Byron Bay, Australia.

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2013

lifestyle

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anye West can pass down that leather skirt to his future child: He and Kim Kardashian are expecting a daughter. The big reveal of the baby’s sex came Sunday night on Kardashian’s E! reality show, “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.” Kardashian said she was excited to be having a girl and added, “Who doesn’t want a girl?”

She added that that’s what Kanye wanted as well. The couple didn’t let on about what the baby would be

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West attend The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute benefit celebrating ‘PUNK: Chaos to Couture’ in this file photo. — AP

before Sunday’s show aired, with Kardashian saying that they were buying all-white clothes for the baby so people wouldn’t guess the baby’s gender. Kardashian is due to give birth to the couple’s first child sometime this summer. — AP

‘After Earth’ underachieves at box office

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n what may go down as the biggest box-office upset of the year, the man who has arguably been considered Hollywood’s No 1 star couldn’t manage even a secondplace finish. “After Earth,” the $135 million sci-fi flick costarring Will Smith and his son Jaden, had an apocalyptic debut of $27 million, according to an estimate from distributor Sony Pictures. That result left the film behind “Fast & Furious 6,” which was No. 1 again with $34.5 million in ticket sales during its second weekend in theaters. The picture has now grossed a huge $170.4 million domestically.

But the Smiths also lost out to “Now You See Me,” a crime caper set in the world of magic, with an ensemble cast including Isla Fisher, Jesse Eisenberg and Morgan Freeman. Heading into the weekend, pre-release audience surveys indicated the picture would collect just $17 million in its opening weekend. Instead, it launched with a far more respectable $28.1 million.

“After Earth,” however, underperformed. Sony expected its film would open with between $35 million and $40 million, even though industry tracking suggested a lighter debut of around $33 million. Unfortunately for the studio, both predictions ended up being too high. The movie marks the worst debut in a decade for the elder Smith, with the exception of “Seven Pounds,” his much more modestly budgeted 2008 drama that started off with $14.9 million. Smith, 44, has long been one of the movie business’ most reliable box-office draws, his name helping to turn summer releases such as “Men in Black 3” and “Hancock” into blockbusters.

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audiences may have cooled to “The Hangover Part III,” but the finale in Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures’ raunchy comedy franchise looks hotter than ever overseas. Todd Phillips’ R-rated threequel generated an impressive $82 million from 54 markets over the weekend, surpassing the totals of “Hangover II” in every region. That raised its overall international total to $110 million and, with $88 million from North America so far, its worldwide total stands at $198 million.

Universal’s “Fast & Furious 6” wasn’t far behind, with $75 million from 62 markets - just a 49 percent drop from its opening weekend abroad - and has now taken in $310 million overseas. Combined with the US estimated gross of $170.4 million,

Gumatj Aboriginal elder and lead singer for the Australian band Yothu Yindi, Mandawuy Yunupingu. — AP photos

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unupingu, lead singer of Australian rock band Yothu Yindi, which mixed traditional Aboriginal music and modern rock, has died at the age of 56 after battling kidney disease. Best known for their 1991 hit “Treaty”, Yothu Yindi were strong advocates of reconciliation between white and Aboriginal Australians and helped put the issue on Australia’s national stage. The album “Tribal Voice” hit number three on the Billboard top world music albums chart in 1992.

At the height of their fame, Yothu Yindi toured at home and internationally with acts including Midnight Oil, Neil Young and Carlos Santana, and played at the Sydney 2000 Olympics closing ceremony. “We have lost a uniquely tal-

But even though “After Earth” was billed as a film starring Will Smith, it featured more of Jaden, who at 14 has yet to establish clout with moviegoers. Not helping matters were the film’s terrible reviews: The movie scored a measly 12 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Those who saw the picture this weekend didn’t hate it as much as critics did, assigning “After Earth” an average grade of B, according to market research firm CinemaScore. The film attracted a substantially older crowd, as 60 percent of opening-weekend moviegoers were older than 25.

SO WHAT WENT WRONG? “I don’t have the answer to that, because Will Smith is incredibly loved,” said Rory Bruer, Sony’s distribution president. “The thing is, that love comes from throughout the world. He’s certainly one of the biggest movie stars in the world, if not the biggest one.” Indeed, Smith has long appealed to international audiences. Of the nine films he’s appeared in over the last decade, just two turned in stronger sales domestically than abroad. However, the movie launched only in South Korea this weekend, so a true indication of how well it will perform overseas won’t come until later in the month.

“We’re going to have a chance to show ourselves very quickly, because 60 foreign markets launch next week and we feel good about our international prospects,” Bruer said. “It has to do well overseas, certainly. But I do think we’ll reach our goals.” “Now You See Me,” about a group of magicians who rob banks and distribute their bounty to audiences, would likely have been in trouble if its opening were in line with industry projections. The film was not inexpensive, costing Lionsgate’s Summit Entertainment about $75 million to produce.

Fortunately for Summit, the film attracted a broader crowd than tracking anticipated. The movie appealed in nearly equal measure to females and males and drew a wide age range of moviegoers, 52 percent of whom were younger than 30. The opening-weekend crowd gave the movie a CinemaScore of A-minus. In recent years, films about magic have sputtered at the box office. In March, “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone,” starring Steve Carell as an outlandish Las Vegas stage performer, flopped with just $22.5 million. Edward Norton suffered a similar fate with his 2006 period drama “The Illusionist,” which collected just $39.9 million.—MCT

the worldwide total is $480.6 million. “Star Trek Into Darkness” sailed to strong $25 million in its debut in China, and wound up with $37 million from overseas this weekend. Its international gross is now $147 million, well past the $127 million that “Star Trek” managed in 2009, with several key territories still to open including Japan, Brazil, France, Italy and Spain.

The film played in 43 markets. Fox’s animated family film “Epic” delivered $28.5 million from 56 markets, lifting its international total to $86 million and its worldwide gross to $151 million. Russia was the top territory at nearly $8 million.

“Hangover Part III” did best in Germany, where it took in $15 million. That’s the biggest opening of the year there and the biggest opening ever for a US comedy.

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merican singer Bob Dylan may soon be awarded France’s highest distinction, the Legion d’Honneur, after his nomination was reportedly first tossed out over his marijuana use and opposition to the Vietnam War. The green light given by the Legion d’Honneur’s council means France’s minister of culture may soon decorate Dylan - a symbol of 1960s counterculture - with the five-

Legendary American singer, songwriter, poet, artist and actor, Bob Dylan

Russia ($9.3 million), Italy ($7.6 million) and France ($6.6 million) were also strong and it remained No. 1 in the UK for the second week with $4.5 million. “The Hangover Part III” took in nearly $16 million in North America this weekend, after debuting to $64 million over the long Memorial Day weekend, well below the $85 million that “Hangover II” managed over a comparable period. Warner Bros. also saw a strong holdover performance from “The Great Gatsby,” which brought in roughly $23 million from 55 territories to raise its international total to $120 million and its worldwide gross to $248 million after four weeks. — Reuters

In this file photo, Mandawuy Yunupingu (right) plays with Peter Maffay and a didgeridooplayer. World-renowned musician Mandawuy Yunupingu died Sunday night June 2, 2013, at his home in a tiny Outback Aboriginal settlement in the Northern Territory. He was 56.

ented musician, a passionate advocate for Aboriginal people and a truly great friend,” Prime Minister Julia Gillard said.

Former Midnight Oil singer Peter Garrett, now Australia’s minister for schools education, said Yunupingu was a beacon for his people, who took his music from a remote corner of Australia to the cities of Europe and the United States. “He sang about reconciliation, he always aimed to serve his people. His legacy is immeasurable, but the loss is great.” Yunupingu was the first Indigenous Australian from Arnhem Land, largely aboriginal homelands east of the northern city of Darwin, to earn a university degree.

pointed star of the top “Chevalier” order.

He would join the ranks of singers such as Britain’s Paul McCartney and France’s Charles Aznavour to be so honored. The 17-member council determines whether nominations put forward by government ministers conform to the institution’s principles. Its grand chancellor, Jean-Louis Georgelin, confirmed it had approved Dylan’s nomination.

In a letter to the daily Le Monde published on Sunday, Georgelin called the singer-songwriter an “exceptional artist” known in the United States and internationally as a “tremendous singer and great poet”. Satirical weekly Le Canard Enchaine reported in May that Georgelin had rejected Dylan’s nomination on the basis of his opposition to the war in Vietnam, where France was a former colonial power, and his presumed pot smoking.

Georgelin acknowledged to Le Monde that he had originally thrown out the nomination and cited what he called a “controversy” but did not elaborate further.

The culture ministry did not immediately return a call seeking comment. Dylan’s ballads like “Blowing in the Wind” became anthems of the civil rights and anti-war movement in the United States, while the musical innovation and cynical lyrics of “Like a Rolling Stone” established him as a counterculture icon. Culture Minister Aurelie Filipetti had nominated Dylan - who in 1990 was given a lower rank of the award - for the highest “Chevalier” distinction. The singer was awarded the top civilian honor in the United States, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, in May 2012. — Reuters

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A former school teacher, Yunupingu used his band’s success to promote indigenous causes and to promote education, music and culture in Arnhem Land. He was named the 1992 Australian of the Year for his work in music and education. Yothu Yindi, means “child and mother” in the Yolngu dialect, referring to the kinship of their homelands on the north-east coast of Australia’s Northern Territory. Australia’s Aborigines have a life expectancy 17 years less than white Australians, dying in their late 50s, largely due to heart, kidney, diabetes and respiratory diseases.— Reuters

n June 10, 2013, the curtains will rise on the highlyanticipated hour-long season three finale of ‘Game of Thrones,’ exclusively on OSN, the leading Pay-TV network in the Middle East and North Africa. The eight-time Emmy award-winning show, ‘Game of Thrones’ season finale is guaranteed to deliver the ultimate in television excitement, leaving audiences on the edge of their seats with its spectacular cliffhanger. Based on George R R Martin’s epic novel, A Storm of Swords, season three’s finale will tie up all of the loose ends from A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings, before setting the scene for its successor, A Feast for Crows, leaving viewers hungry for more. Audiences can catch the season finale on June 10, at 22:00 KSA, exclusively on OSN First HD, in what can only be described as the television spectacle of a lifetime.

Kim Kardashian reveals she is having baby girl

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TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2013

Photo shows a ‘Crooked Coop’ in Clinton, Washington that is reminiscent of a fairy tale house of Dr Seuss. Designer chicken coops are becoming a new kind of yard art and many poultry raisers are being upfront about it-using the outbuildings as extensions of their homes. A chicken coop can be anything from technical to aesthetic to wacky as long as it functions well for the birds. — AP

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US actress and humanitarian campaigner Angelina Jolie poses with her US actor and fiance Brad Pitt as she arrives for the UK premiere of Brad Pitt’s latest film ‘World War Z’ in Leicester Square in central London. — AFP

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Michael Douglas

eteran Hollywood star Michael Douglas blamed the cancerous tumor which developed in his throat three years ago on his sex life, in an interview published in yesterday’s Guardian newspaper. The 68-year-old actor, who is starring as flamboyant entertainer Liberace in latest movie “Behind The Candelabra” said the cancer was not a result of hard drinking and heavy smoking, and was instead caused by a sexually transmitted disease.

“Without wanting to get too specific, this particular cancer is caused by HPV (human papillomavirus), which actually comes about from cunnilingus,” he explained. “I did worry if the stress caused by my son’s incarceration didn’t help trigger it. But yeah, it’s a sexually transmitted disease that causes cancer.

“And if you have it, cunnilingus is also the best cure for it,” he added. His son Cameron is serving a 10-year prison sentence for drug possession and dealing. The two-time Oscar winner revealed in 2010 that he was battling with stage-four cancer, but beat the disease thanks to a grueling program of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. “I have to check in regularly-now it’s every six months-but I’m more than two years clear,” he said. “And with this kind of cancer, 95 percent of the time it doesn’t come back.”

Research studies from Malmo University’s Faculty of Odontology and in The New England Journal of Medicine both suggest a correlation between oral sex and throat cancer. HPV infection is also the cause of 99 percent of cases of cervical cancer, according to studies cited by Britain’s National Health Service (NHS). Douglas’ wife, Oscar-winner Catherine Zeta-Jones, in April received further treatment for bipolar disorder. The Welsh actress, 43, won an Academy Award in 2003 for her supporting role in “Chicago” and has appeared in films such as “Traffic” and “Ocean’s Twelve.”— AFP

rad Pitt and Angelina Jolie stepped out together Sunday at the premiere of zombie thriller “World War Z” - Jolie’s first public appearance since announcing last month that she had undergone a double mastectomy. The couple said they had been moved by the outpouring of public support that followed Jolie’s disclosure.

Jolie told reporters she felt great, and had “been very happy to see the discussion about women’s health expanded” by her announcement. “And after losing my mom to these issues, I’m very grateful for it, and I’ve been very moved by the kind of support from people,” she said.

Jolie revealed last month in an op-ed piece for The New York Times that she had had her breasts removed after discovering she has an inherited genetic mutation that puts her at high risk of breast and ovarian cancer.

Jolie’s mother Marcheline Bertrand died from

By Sajeev K Peter

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hey stood up and clapped as the last frame of the Malayalm film ‘Black Forest’ faded off the screen at Cannes. Some walked up to its director Joshy Mathew to shake hands with him. The small but eminent crowd included celebrities like Mark Patterson from Australia, film critics and a host of movie buffs. Indian filmmaker Joshy’s latest movie ‘Black Forest’ evoked keen interest at Cannes with its powerful message and distinct style. “It was a rewarding experience for me to attend the world’s most prestigious celluloid fest as an IFFK delegate from India,” Joshy told Kuwait Times in an interview.

“Many of the movies such as ‘Le Passe’ or ‘Stranger by the Lake’ shown in Cannes International Film Festival go beyond our imaginations and thoughts. They attempt to look at complex human relationships and emotions in different ways,” he said, sharing his experiences in Cannes.

Joshy’s latest movie ‘Black Forest’ may not be one of those typical nature movies, but it is a visual narrative. Here you see the nature’s resplendence in its grandeur. Shot in the unspoiled jungles of the Western Ghats of Kerala, it unfolds the myths and mysteries of the forest.

“I used to travel a lot through the thick forests of Kerala, often accompanied by cameraman Venu or other friends. To my dismay, I realized that the forest you see today is not the forest you saw a few years ago. Trees would have disappeared, streams would have dried up and animals would have become extinct. This shocking depletion of the flora and fauna of the forest haunted me for a long,” Joshy explained the rationale behind choosing the subject.

NATURE The story of ‘Black Forest’ revolves around a tribal boy Panchan and two city-bred kids Milli and Mittu. It tells the gripping tale of their journey through the myriad mysteries of the forest in search of Panchan’s missing father that culminates in agony. Joshy spoke about the painstaking efforts he and his crew took to shoot the movie. The climax of the movie was shot in Ramakkalmedu, a hilltop 1,300ft above the sea level. “Black Forest’ was the first Malayalam movie ever shot at 1,300ft altitude,” Joshy added.

“When celebrated actor Di Caprio visited Ramakkalmedu, he wrote in the visitors’ diary, “Don’t spoil this area. I have never seen such fantastic scenery in my life before”. The movie brought many accolades for Joshy and his team including the India government’s National Award and Kerala government’s citation in addition to other international honors.

“Through ‘Black Forest,’ I wanted to give a serious reminder to the new generation. As a filmmaker, it is my way of communicating to the world. The message is

ovarian cancer at 56, and the actress’ aunt died of breast cancer last month. The 37-year-old actress revealed that, beginning in February, she underwent three surgeries which she succeeded in keeping secret from the public - in which her breasts were removed, and later replaced by implants. She said the procedure had reduced her chance of developing breast cancer from 87 percent to under 5 percent.

On Sunday the couple walked a black, rather than red, carpet at the world premiere of “World War Z,” which stars Pitt as a United Nations employee battling to save the world from a zombie apocalypse. The pair wore complementary black outfits as they signed autographs for fans in Leicester Square. Pitt said Jolie’s mastectomy and subsequent revelation had been “a very moving experience” for the couple, who have six children.

“I have such respect for her,” Pitt said. “The fact

passed though the young generation from the perspective of children,” he said. Joshy entered the film field as an assistant to legendary Malayalam director Padmarajan in 1985 starting with ‘Peruvazhiyambalam.’

“Padmarajan had been my mentor and co-traveler until his death. I have worked with him for many of his works. His death created a vacuum in me,” Joshy recalled.

Joshy’s debut film ‘Nakshathra Koodaram’, released in 1993, bagged Critics Award. This was followed by movies such as ‘Oru Kadankatha Pole’ (1993), ‘Rajadhani’ (1994) and ‘Man of the Match’ (1996). After ‘Man of the Match’ Joshy took a break from filmmaking for 12 years. In 2009, Joshy broke his silence with his path-breaking film ‘Pathaam Nilayile Theevandy’ (Train on the 10th Floor).

The movie scripted by Dennis Joseph and produced by Somu Mathew bagged famed FIPRESCI Award. In 2010, he directed ‘Upadesiyude Makan.’

THEATRE A well-known theatre director, Joshi is also a member of Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi (KSNA), an institution that promotes Kerala’s traditional theatre and music.

He established a theatre institute for children called ‘Navyug Children’s Theatre and Movie Village.’ “In fact, it revived children’s theatre movement in Kerala. At the children’s theatre festival, several new and old theatre groups staged productions including plays from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Delhi. Many unknown theatre groups came back to life with this,” Joshy said.

‘Gurukripa,’ a children’s play written by Joshy’s father late Pala K M Mathew and directed by Joshy was a trendsetter. The script, based on ‘Balakanda’ from the

that she would not be frightened of this, what she would have to go through to do this, to take this specter away from our family and ensure that she would be there longer for our family, and the kids ... I get very emotional about it. “I did not expect what a tipping point, how much it would mean for others to hear her stories, others that might be wrestling with the same things,” he added. Rock band Muse performed an outdoor concert Sunday for the premiere of the shot-inBritain film, which producers hope will be a summer blockbuster. — AP

Indian filmmaker Joshy Mathew.

—Photo by Sajeev K Peter Ramayana, was presented on seven to eight stages with audience moving from the first to the eighth along with the progression of the play. A new film institute named after former Indian president Dr K R Narayan will be established soon in Kottayam with Kerala chief minister as it chairman and Joshy as vice chairman. “The cinema is changing with the times. Filmmakers like John Abraham, Padmarajan and Bharatan have made new generation films during their time,” Joshy said. “I try to keep a hidden message in my films that is conveyed to the audience without their realization,” Joshy said.

A scene from the film Black Forest.