12th Jun 2013

CR IP TI ON BS SU

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

Violence flares as Erdogan cracks down on protests

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Ruthless India reach Champions Trophy semis

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Gulf to act against Hezbollah members Measures to affect iqamas, financial transactions

Nod to set up telecom commission

By B Izzak KUWAIT: The National Assembly yesterday passed three important legislations less than a week before the crucial ruling of the constitutional court. MPs unanimously passed in the first reading a law to establish a Kuwait telecom commission which will supervise the telecommunications sector in the country. The new authority will have powers to organize the mobile and landline phone sector in addition to the Internet.

The Assembly also overwhelmingly passed new amendments to the Kuwait Airways privatization law requiring the government to contribute to the financing of the purchase of new aircraft and to pay its accumulated debt between 2004 and 2012, estimated at over KD 440 million. The new amendments also introduced a new article to the law to allow the government to hold a golden share in the new company. MPs also passed amendments to the housing welfare law to provide unmarried Kuwaiti women or those married to foreigners equal rights with Kuwaiti men regarding housing care. The government did not vote with the law which was passed in the first and second rounds, but to become effective, the government’s acceptance is crucial.

KUWAIT: Protesters set ablaze a defaced picture of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah during a protest in front of the Lebanese Embassy yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Alghanim Motors, Honda celebrate partnership Omar Kutaiba Alghanim, Chief Executive Officer Alghanim Industries, is seen addressing the press conference held before a grand celebration that gathered 2,000 people on Sunday. The event was held on the occasion of celebrating the ‘new and promising’ Omar Kutaiba Alghanim partnership between the two companies. More on the event on Pages 10 and 11.

Max 43º Min 29º High Tide 03:05 & 13:07 Low Tide 07:57 & 20:48

RIYADH: The Gulf Cooperation Council said it will take measures against members of Lebanon’s Hezbollah over the Shiite movement’s military intervention against Syrian rebels. The measures will affect their “residency permits, and financial and commercial transactions,” said a GCC statement issued late Monday, citing a ministerial council decision. The GCC statement urged the Lebanese government to “assume its responsibilities towards the behaviour of Hezbollah and its illegal and inhumane practices in Syria and the region”. The bloc strongly condemned “the flagrant intervention of Hezbollah in Syria” and its “participation in shedding the blood of the Syrian people.”

Fighters from Hezbollah openly spearheaded a 17day assault on the Syrian town of Qusair near the Lebanese border which culminated with its recapture from the rebels last Wednesday. The GCC includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The decision is likely to stir fears among the many Shiite Lebanese who work in the Gulf of being associated with the militant group.

Hezbollah’s popularity surged among Sunni Muslim Arabs in the wake of the 2006 Israeli war on Lebanon, when the Shiite movement put up a strong resistance.

But this popularity plummeted as the Iran-backed party openly said it supported Syrian President Bashar AlAssad in his struggle to survive an uprising that began in March 2011 and morphed into an armed conflict.

Saudi Arabia on Monday condemned Hezbollah’s “flagrant intervention” in Syria. Like many Arab countries, the kingdom has explicitly voiced support to the rebels in Syria. Damascus accuses Riyadh, along with Doha, of arming the rebels. — AFP

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

LOCAL

X-Ray exposure leads to cancer in four Sabah Hospital doctors

KUWAIT: His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received at Seif Palace yesterday Voluntary Work Center Chairperson Sheikha Amthal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and members of “Senyar 7” marine environment campaign. His Highness lauded the members of the campaign for their role in the protection and safe-keep of the marine environment. The meeting was attended by head of the Crown Prince Diwan Sheikh Mubarak Al-Faisal Al-Saud Al-Sabah. —KUNA

KUWAIT: Even as informed sources in the health sector made the revelation that three of the four doctors working with the radiology department in the Al-Sabah health area were afflicted with cancer related disease as a result of excessive exposure to X-rays, and that the fourth doctor was still to be examined, the Ministry of Health refuted the reports authoritatively.

Dr Hana Al-Khawari said that no X-ray equipment is installed or operated without the prior approval of X-ray protection department. Personnel from this department inspect the room before installing the equipment and again verify all parameters after it is installed and operated. The radiation is measured and kept within permissi-

ble limits, besides ensuring that the room remains closed. In the meantime, Minister of Health Dr Mohammad Al-Haifi ordered a fact finding committee headed by Assistant Undersecretary for medical supplies Dr Omar Al-Syid Omer to probe into the claims made by MP Faisal Al-Kandari in which he talked about spurious heart support accessories used for patients who underwent heart surgery at the Mubarak Hospital.

The committee has already started its meetings and begun checking everything concerning heart equipments which AlKandari spoke about and will prepare a report on an urgent basis to be submitted to the minister.

Seven groups vie for expat insurance hospitals project Close contest likely at auction on July 8 KUWAIT: Seven groups applied for the purchase of documents necessary to enter the bidding for a project to establish health insurance hospitals for expatriates in Kuwait, a local daily reported yesterday, quoting sources familiar with the subject.

The sources, who spoke to Al-Qabas on the condition of anonymity, said the seven groups were KIPCO, Agility, National Real Estate Company, Arabi Holding Group, Yiaco Medical Company (KFH Group), Jiblah Holding Company (Al-Sayer Group), and Al-Essa Medical Equipment Company. The groups are set to contest an auction on July 8, in which, it is believed, “coalitions and withdrawals” might happen.

The project to establish hospitals exclusively for

expatriates under a government-supervised medical insurance program is one of the many mega projects included in Kuwait’s 5-year Development Plan. The term mega project is used for those projects that require capital of more than KD100 million. The health insurance hospitals project involves building three hospitals that will provide comprehensive medical services to Kuwait’s expatriate community, as part of the government’s efforts to reduce the pressure on the currently overcrowded public medical facilities.

When strategic investors showed no interest after the project was first put out to tender, the government, represented by the Kuwait Investment

Authority, issued another tender, with new specifications. The project’s budget dropped from KD318 million (for three hospitals with a total bed capacity of 1,600) to KD230 million (for three hospitals with a total bed capacity of 230). Moreover, the new tender was opened to both local and foreign investors, while the earlier one was only for local companies.Despite that, only local companies expressed interest to invest in 26 percent of stocks in the shareholding company that will be established to build the hospitals. The government will own 24 percent of the stocks, and the remaining 50 percent will be offered to the public through an initial public offering.

VIVA extends support to the Amiri Hospital KUWAIT: VIVA, Kuwait’s fastest-growing telecom operator, continues to extend its support to the development of the Kuwait health sector, as it makes a contribution to supply the Amiri Hospital with more than 200 new medical chairs.

The Amiri Hospital Manager Dr Afrah Al-Saraf, paid a visit to the VIVA headquarters and was welcomed by the Chief Executive Officer at VIVA Eng. Salman Al Badran, to express her gratitude and appreciation for this contribution and support.

Chief Executive Officer at VIVA Eng Salman Al-Badran said, “VIVA is committed to making contributions that will help develop the performance of the medical facilities in Kuwait. Such contributions go a long way, and ensure that patients are attended to

and are offered devices that provide comfort. VIVA will continue to find different ways to help enhance the overall health services in Kuwait and work towards a more prosperous one.”

This initiative comes in line with VIVA’s mission to lend a helping hand to Kuwait’s health sector and assist in the development of its facilities, through equipping them with the required devices to offer a more comprehensive service to the patients.

Worthy to note, VIVA recently donated 265 wheelchairs to different health facilities in Kuwait that were in need of this device, through collaboration with the Ministry of Health. VIVA will continue to make valuable contributions that will help develop and better the health services offered to the communities.

Audience during the lecture at DDI

‘Health Effects of Desert Dust Storms’ KUWAIT: Dr Douglas W Dockery, Professor of Environmental Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health presented a lecture titled “Health Effects of Desert Dust Storms” yesterday at Dasman Diabetes Institute.

This lecture was organized in collaboration with Harvard School of Public Health and Dasman Diabetes Institute to further shed light on dust storms in the area. Dr. Dockery reiterated in his lecture “These storms cause economic disruption, and anecdotally are associated with asthma attacks and other exacerbations of respiratory conditions. Episodes of elevated particulate air pollution from urban, industrial, and motor vehicle sources has been consistently shown to be associated with increased numbers of deaths, hospital emergency visits, and admissions.

These effects have been attributed to fine fraction particles (less than 2.5 mm aerodynamic diameter), and not to the larger coarse particles characteristic of resuspended dust as in desert dust storms.

Nevertheless, recent analyses of Saharan

Dr Kazem Behbehani, Director General of DDI and Dr. Douglas Dockery from Harvard dust storms have shown increased cardiovascular and respiratory hospital admissions and mortality. We will review this evidence for health effects and the implications for health systems in Kuwait”.

Dr Kazem Behbehani, Director General of Dasman Diabetes Institute commented on the importance of organizing such lectures, as this is part of its mission statement to promote awareness within the public.

220 arrested in Shuwaikh raids

KUWAIT: Immigration detectives and security forces yesterday launched another inspection campaign at Shuwaikh industrial area. The campaign led by the acting immigration investigation manager, Colonel Najeeb Al-Shatti resulted in the arrest of 220 illegal residents including people with expired residency visas, people working for persons other than their sponsors, marginal laborers and absconding laborers.

KUWAIT: Residency violators being rounded up in the intensified campaign at Shuwaik industrial area yesterday. —Photos by Fouad Al-Shaikh

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

LOCAL

‘Mom’ poses as child’s aunt claims custody KUWAIT: Security media at the Ministry of Interior announced that the six-year-old Asian boy, who was found by some patrol personnel near the cooperative branch at the Al-Sabah Hospital two days back, was handed over to his aunt by authorities at the Shuwaikh police station. Interestingly, when the child was found, there was no report of a missing or a lost child filed by anyone. The ministry said the child’s aunt approached the police station to claim cus-

tody and explained that he was in her custody since his parents had left the country.

However, the security sources suspected the lady’s story who claimed that both the child’s parents had been deported and that he had been living with her ever since.

The detectives suspect that the child was the same lady’s son and that he had been the result of adultery. The lady was referred to relevant authorities for further investigations.

Kuwait parliament launches web archive KUWAIT: The launch of an archive of the National Assembly’s lawmaking accomplishments on its official website was marked by a ceremony attended by the Kuwaiti parliament’s speaker Ali Al-Rashed yesterday.

The link will provide users with a historical insight into the parliament’s legislative role since its establishment in 1963 in addition to the subsequent Preliminary Assembly which lasted for only one year in 1962. “The system is aimed at recapturing information, storing documents and viewing them. It will fill a huge gap and will solve the problem of the lack of information, thus making this informa-

tion easily accessible to the public,” said AlRashed in a speech at the event. “We are making this information accessible to the public after being confined to the parliament’s internal network,” he added. After having attended an e-legislation conference along with HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah a day earlier, Al-Rashed noted that the parliament intends to follow in the footsteps of state bodies, in its implementation of egovernment policies. Additionally, the parliament intends to transform all of its procedures from manual to electronic according to a well thought out strategy, he added.— KUNA

Fire breaks out in Abu Halifa building

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: The operations center received a report a little after midnight about a fire that broke out at an apartment in Abu Halifa area. Mangaf fire center and Mubarak Al-Kabeer, assisted by the technical rescue center, responded to the call. In two minutes, the first group reached the fire site. There was fire on the second floor of a five-storey building, and the size of the apartment in which the fire had broken was about 150 square meters.

The firemen divided themselves into three groups: one was

for rescue and evacuation operations, another for reducing the smoke in the building through airing, while the remaining group was for fighting the fire. A total of 24 people were evacuated.

Children, women and the elderly were taken out of the building through the fire ladder and the building’s stairs.

The fire was soon brought under control. Colonel Waleed AlAnsari, who was present at the site, emphasized the importance of early alert systems (smoke detectors) and fire extinguishers in fighting fire before it spreads and gets out of control.

Politicians release ‘reform, national accord’ initiative 18 leaders set 11 goals for nation

Officials visit injured fireman

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: Acting Director General of Fire Department Brig Khalid Al-Tarkit paid a visit to Sergeant Ali Hajieh at the hospital where he is undergoing treatment after meeting with an accident while fight the fire that broke in Al-Shidadiya University. Al-Tarkit

was accompanied by PR Director Colonel Khalil Al-Amir. Doctors at the hospital told the visitors that the health of Sergeant Hajieh was stable and improving. Earlier, State Minister for Council Affairs and Municipality Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah visited Hajieh immediately after he was hospitalized.

KUWAIT: Eighteen Kuwaiti politicians adopted an initiative for reforms which came after six months of talks during which they met with top state officials and opposition figures, a local newspaper reported yesterday.

In a statement published by Al-Qabas yesterday, the group called for “comprehensive reforms and reinforcement of national accord,” adding that the initiative comes “as an important step at a critical point in Kuwait’s history to emerge from the tunnel of a political turmoil that has been ongoing for two years. The newspaper’s report further indicated that the initiative came “as a result of comprehensive talks with the political leadership, HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, and twelve political forces.”

The statement pointed out 11 goals for the

Group picture of students

NBK welcomes new batch of university students KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) recently launched a new session of its ongoing Training Program for university students.

The Training Program extends over a period of two months and provides practical training covering different aspects of the banking industry. The program offers trainees the knowledge on a variety of subjects such as: teamwork, creative thinking and modern banking, in addition to helping them have greater exposure to daily banking work

procedures.

“NBK’s Training Program is an extension to NBK’s educative initiatives and as part of its corporate social responsibility,” said Emad AlAblani, NBK Deputy General Manager, Human Resources Group.

“Indeed, more than 200 trainees are enrolled annually in this intensive program.”

“This annual program demonstrates NBK’s national commitment towards providing Kuwaiti youth with the appropriate opportunities

to experience how the actual professional banking issues and transactions are handled and processed,” Al-Ablani added.

NBK’s training programs include NBK Academy which aims to train and develop the professional skills of fresh graduates, the Summer Internship Program for high school and college students and the new training Al-Shabab program, that is specially designed to develop the skills of newly recruited diploma holders.

Fingerprint system to curb unlicensed pilgrimage KUWAIT: The Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs is coordinating with authorities in Saudi Arabia to adopt a new mechanism to deal with unlicensed Hajj campaigns by maintaining a database of fingerprints of pilgrims, a local newspaper reported yesterday quoting a ministry insider.

Speaking to Al-Qabas on the condition of anonymity, the source indicated that the Saudi authorities planned to send officers all around the holy sites with devices to scan fingerprints “and determine whether a pilgrim entered Saudi Arabia with a licensed Hajj convoy from the country of residence.”

In recent years, Kuwait had launched efforts to check unlicensed Hajj and Omra campaigns which are often sought by pilgrims looking for cheaper alternatives compared to official agencies.

Unlike licensed campaigns in which the promoter guarantees full services to pilgrims, utilizing the services of unlicensed campaigns often comes with risks that could include failure to find proper accommodation and transport.

Meanwhile, the General Department for Citizenship and Passports announced allocating night shifts to address an influx of

transactions forwarded ahead of the travel season, a local newspaper reported yesterday.

“Night shift employees are going to work on transactions submitted

by Kuwaitis during the morning shift in order to complete them before the travel season,” said Brigadier General Mazen Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah, the General Director of the department. He further told AlRai newspaper that the step was necessary to “overcome staff shortage by increasing the work hours of existing labor forces in order to finalize work as soon as possible.”

— Al-Qabas & Al-Rai

initiative that focused on national unity and political stability as a way to end tensions and push the development process ahead. While it refrained from pointing the finger of blame towards anyone for the political crisis, the initiative demanded cooperation “among the ruling system, the government, the parliament and members of all spectrums of the Kuwaiti society to end the state of division and political turmoil.”

Among those who signed the document were former ministers Abdul-Wahab Al-Haroun, Ahmad Baqer and Dr. Moudhi Al-Hmoud, former Deputy Speaker Abdullah Al-Roumi, former MPs Dr. Hassa Jowhar and Adel Al-Sar’awi, as well as Kuwait University Professor of Constitutional Law Dr. Mohammad Al-Moqatei, and Saleh AlFadhalah who chairs a government bureau to handle the problem of stateless residents. The

initiative further called for respecting ‘the independence of the judiciary’ and accepting court orders, including a Constitutional Court ruling next Sunday on the electoral law.

The Court is to pronounce judgment on challenges filed against elections held last December. The elections were based on an amendment to the electoral law released through an emergency decree during the parliament’s absence. If the court finds the decree that was released by HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Sabah as ultra vires of the statute, it can rule that the elections based on the singlevote system stand nullified. In that case, the parliament would automatically stand dissolved and new elections would have to be held as per the four-votes-per-voter system that has been followed since 2006. — Al-Qabas

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

LOCAL

Kuwait Embassy dinner raises $1.5m for elite Arab women WASHINGTON: Kuwait’s Ambassador to the US Sheikh Salem Al-Sabah and his wife Sheikha Rima Al-Sabah held a gala dinner entitled “Educate and Empower” where $1.5 million was raised to benefit Georgetown University and establish an endowment fund at its Center for Contemporary Arab Studies that will provide graduate studies scholarships to women from the Arab World based on merit and need.

US Secretary of State John Kerry, the Humanitarian Award Recipient, in a speech he delivered at the night-time event, held in cooperation with Kuwait-American Foundation, praised the role the foundation plays for humanitarian causes and effort Kuwait’s Ambassador and his wife exert in this regard. He also hailed Sheikh Salem as a leading diplomatic envoy, as well as the relationship between Washington and his country, noting “we appreciate so enormously the friendship with Kuwait.”

On past visits to Kuwait, Kerry remarked on the “gratitude” Kuwaitis have shown for America. “For the past 20 years, Kuwait “has made certain that it says thank you to America for our relationship and they have done so in a most amazing way through helping and supporting many causes” he noted. “We Americans’ cannot thank you enough for what the Kuwait-America Foundation does,” he affirmed.

The theme of educating and empowering women from the Arab World of this year’s gala dinner is “wonderful and incredibly timely appropriate gesture for helping to provide particularly for women the opportunity for graduate school study here in the US,” according to Kerry.

The US top diplomat reiterated that “this effort is really so important “that women, particularly, would be able to come here, go in to graduate school, build relationships, get a sense of different places and go back to their country and make a difference.”

He stressed that “tonight is so important; this effort to educate is one of the key links of the school with respect on how we are going to manage our way through the many challenges.” “Tonight we’re celebrating the linkage of the private sector who (that) value the connection between a university and the world today, a world that is smaller in so many respects,” he added.

Kerry expressed gratitude to the Ambassador and his wife saying, “thank you for being who you are. We treasure this relationship and are happy to call you friends.”

For his part, Sheikh Salem said in his remarks that “promoting education for Arab women and girls is a cause dear to both (his and his wife) of our hearts and a cause that resonates deeply with the people of Kuwait.”

“If we can support women across the Middle East in sharpening their knowledge

and contributing to their economies they’ll use their strength to lift up their communities as women always do,” he affirmed. The Ambassador added “we’re thrilled to be working with Georgetown University to help equip talented young Arab women with cutting-edge graduate training and give them the tools to make a difference for their communities, our region and our world.”

On the Humanitarian Award recipient, Sheikh Salem affirmed that Kerry “is a builder of bridges, a firm friend of Kuwait.”

“It’s my great honor and personal pleasure to present Secretary of State John Kerry with this humanitarian award for a lifetime spent promoting peace” he remarked.

For her part, Sheikha Rima said in her speech that the amount raised will help “us invest in a new generation of leaders, dynamic young women from across the Arab world, who have already proven their commitment to their communities. Women who want to serve their societies and to build a better world.”

She added that the $1.5 million “downpayment will yield great dividends for many years to come, as the students we support return from Georgetown to their home countries, with new tools and skills and knowledge for driving change.”

Meanwhile, actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, who was the Distinguished Award Recipient, said in her remarks that public service “is not a chore for me but a joy and deep pleasure.”

“It is an honor for me to be recognized around the world and be someone they can put a situation to, not just a name and movie title,” she stressed. She affirmed that “as a woman I vow I will do anything I can to help women education and the life of women around the world.”

“This award is real reminder for me that I have a whole so much more to do, “ she remarked. Along with Secretary Kerry, the event was attended by Secretary of Housing Shaun Donovan, Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman, White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, former senior advisor to President Barack Obama David Axelrod, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, in addition to several congressmen, ambassadors and global corporate CEOs. Over the last eight years, the Kuwait gala dinners have raised nearly $13.5 million for causes ranging from microcredit loans to women in the Middle East, the care of America’s wounded, to establish schools and promote girls’ education in remote regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan, to benefit the fight against climate change in Indonesia and Brazil, to support the fight against malaria in Africa, to fund the Basra Children’s Hospital in Iraq, to build schools for girls in Afghanistan and to assist Iraqi women and children refugees wishing to return home. —KUNA

NASA, US Embassy, Cisco bring digital learning program to Qatar KUWAIT: Cisco, NASA, and the US Embassy in Qatar have joined forces to deliver Qatar’s inaugural NASA Digital Learning Network (DLN) program, a distant learning initiative designed to offer students and educators the opportunity to connect with NASA scientists, engineers and researchers, virtually, without leaving the classroom. Utilizing the power of Cisco TelePresence technology, students, teachers and parents from the Al-Yarmouk Independent School for Boys and the Al Aqsa Independent School for Girls have participated in three NASA Digital Learning Network events. The events took place on February 18th and April 11th and May 23rd 2013.

“The US Embassy, Cisco, and the Al-Yarmouk and Al-Aqsa schools have worked closely together to realize a remarkable joint project that will spark the imaginations of Qatar’s next generation of leaders in the sciences,” Susan L Ziadeh, US Ambassador to Qatar said. “We look forward to identifying further opportunities to partner with Qatari educational institutions and the American business community to promote Qatari innovation

in the STEM fields.” Cisco’s TelePresence solution offers a video experience so intuitive, life-like and natural that it feels as if people are in the same room even when they were many kilometers apart.

What started out as a way to save travel costs and optimize employee time at large companies has evolved into a way of accelerating time to market, expanding access to experts, and transforming how companies do business and how education programs can be delivered.

NASA’s Digital Learning Network, which began in 2003 with three sites, has since expanded to include all 10 NASA field centers. The DLN has reached close to 1 million students and teachers with videoconferences and webcasts that feature NASA-related science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) instruction. With standards-based IP videoconference systems and highspeed Internet connectivity, participants can take advantage of free interactive lessons and professional development events through distance learning technologies.

Over the last three months, the Qatar based stu-

dents and teachers have attended live video conferencing events at Cisco’s Doha headquarters.

NASA experts based in the U.S. chatted with the students in real-time about the ‘Mars Curiosity Rover Mission’, the Solar System and Solar Energy.

The NASA experts also engaged the students in hands-on activities which included a simulation of how NASA scientists communicate with the Mars rover. The program has been an enormous success given Qatar’s interest and investment in STEM education.

“It has only been a couple of years since we deployed the Cisco TelePresence solution in our offices Qatar and yet what we are achieving with this technology is already helping to make a difference to the lives of so many. We are not only helping to extend the reach of technology to even the most underprivileged communities, we are also using the benefits of this collaborative solution to facilitate learning experiences that will help contribute to shaping the next generation of leadership in the Gulf region,” commented Tarek Ghoul, General Manager, Cisco Gulf, Levant and Pakistan.

Kuwait condemns Israeli acts against Palestinians Al-Saeedi lists rights violations at UNHRC GENEVA: The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) should hold Israel accountable for its human rights violations against the Palestinian people, said a Kuwaiti diplomat here yesterday.

In a UNHRC meeting on the Israeli occupation of Arab lands, Advisor at the Kuwaiti permanent delegation to the UN headquarters in Geneva, Saud Al-Saeedi, said that Israel’s actions in the Palestinian occupied territories were a clear

violation of the Geneva fourth convention concerning civilian rights during times of war and occupation. He also indicated that Israel was violating international human rights in the way it treated the Palestinian people, adding that such treatment was clearly aimed at preventing Palestinians from establishing an independent state in the future. The Kuwaiti diplomat also condemned the continuation of Israeli settlements in Palestinian

lands, stressing that UNHRC ongoing calls to Israel to stop these acts were ignored by the government in Tel Aviv.

Al-Saeedi cited the Israeli campaigns against the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories Richard Falk, saying that the UN official’s reports on the situation in Palestinian lands reflected true inhumane acts perpetrated by Israeli settlers against Palestinians.

The tough treatment of Palestinian prisoners within Israeli jails was also a sign of Israel’s unjust attitudes and disregard to human rights, said the Kuwaiti diplomat.

Al-Saeedi stressed Kuwait’s support of the Palestinians right to establish an independent state within the 1967 borders. The meeting today is part of the 23rd session for the UNHRC which began in May 27th and will continue till June 14th. — KUNA

BlackBerry’s Global Creative Director, Alicia Keys speaks.

BlackBerry’s global women’s initiative KUWAIT: BlackBerry ’s Global Women’s Initiative which aims to provide full four-year tuition scholarships to outstanding women globally has officially launched and has begun accepting applications from women in the Middle East who are seeking degrees at accredited colleges and universities, in the program areas of science, technology, engineering, and math.

Unveiled by BlackBerry’s Global Creative Director, Alicia Keys, at

BlackBerry Live, this scholarship program is the first of many steps in BlackBerry’s long-term commitment to engage young women at every step of their education, from high school to University, and as they rise through the workforce.

In addition to providing the full four-year tuition, BlackBerry will also offer mentorship and professional opportunities for each of the scholars who will be selected based on their academic merit and passion

for entering the mobile computing industry.

Application deadline for the program is 12am on June 27, 2013.

Following this, a panel of inspirational and accomplished women, led by Alicia Keys, will choose the applicants from the pool of nominations submitted.

For full information about the program, eligibility requirements, and application process, please visit www.blackberry.com/scholars.

Kuwait officials call for Arab media development TUNIS: Kuwaiti media officials called yesterday for the development of Arab media in TV and radio in order to boost credibility and transparency in reporting. They spoke to KUNA after the opening of union of Arab radio stations here.

Kuwait information ministry assistant undersecretary for commercial sector, and the first vice-president of the executive council of the union, Mohammad Al-Awwash said the executive council affirmed importance of developing journalism via the increase of training programs. He said the development of Arab media was a necessary in order to face growing challenges. Al-Awwash highlighted importance of transparency while reporting so the Arab listener of viewer would not seek other channels.

He said the union was of the Arab countries’ most leading organizations, adding the union has succeeded in attracting ARab and Western expertise “to enriching the common Arab media.”

Al-Awwash said the union has opened membership for private media organiza-

tions, as well as expanding participation of African, European and Asian radio unions.

Kuwait information ministry assistant undersecretary for news and political programs Faisal Al-Mutalaqqem said Kuwait T V and Radio were keen on boosting media relations with the Arab countries.

He also asserted importance of trans-

parency and credibility while writing and reporting news, in order to enable Arab media compete with other media.

Assistant undersecretary for Radio Yusuf Mustafa said the agenda of the union’s executive council included the development of the union’s programs and the Arab media message. Mustafa called for the improving of the professionalism of the Arab journalists. —KUNA

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

LOCAL

Driver hospitalized after suicide bid Police officer held for reckless driving

KUWAIT: Undersecretary of the ministry of Interior General Ghazi Al-Omar received Indian ambassador Satish C Mehta in his office yesterday. In his talks with the ambassador, Al-Omar underlined the deep-rooted relations between Kuwait and India. They also discussed topics of mutual interest.

1.4 tons of expired meat destroyed KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Municipality announced yesterday that it had seized 1.4 tons of expired meat during an inspection campaign in the industrial area of Al-Rai. A penalty was filed by inspectors of the Capital governorate’s food and markets department against a food storehouse for storing the meat that were found frozen and deemed unfit for human consumption, said a statement, adding that the meat would later be disposed of.

Meanwhile, Municipality Director General Ahmad AlSubaih praised the efforts of the department, pledging the body’s commitment to protecting consumers and ensuring the suitability of food being sold and its compatibility with health and hygiene standards. —KUNA

Ahmad Al-Subaih

Ministers inspect university fire site KUWAIT: Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs and Minister of State for Municipal Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah AlSabah, and Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education Dr. Nayef AlHajraf inspected the site of a university facility fire earlier yesterday.

An under-construction building at Sabah Al-Salem University City in Al-Shadadiyah suburb in southeast Kuwait City caught fire.

Speaking to reporters at the fire site, Sheikh Mohammad said seven anti-fire squads, including that of the National Guard, were struggling to quench the conflagration, hoping that it would be put out immediately. On an earlier fire at the same place, the minister said no report was yet issued and the fire was still under investigation. For his part, Al-Hajraf said initial information on the previous fire showed that the fire appeared to be an accident, rather than arson.

The General Fire Department on Sunday handed the site of the previous fire to the site administration, which, in turn, delivered

it to the executing company for the completion of the project, the minister said, adding “but, we were taken aback by today’s fire”. On the earlier fire, the minister said an initial report on the fire would be issued next week, with all findings to be made public in full transparency.

Minister of Commerce and Industry Anas Al-Saleh said his ministry signed a KD 83.8 million contract on Monday to develop the infrastructure of Al-Shadadiyah area for a period of 36 months.

Al-Saleh told KUNA that the layout of land areas in Al-Shadadiyah will be available to those who are serious, adding that his ministry “will not allow trade zones in the industrial zone.” The minister added that the process of reform to industrial cities in Kuwait has begun. Al-Saleh noted that this was the second contract to be signed by the ministry in this fiscal year, after the development of zone 11 in Sabhan area, which signed at the start of this year. —KUNA

Wanted Ethiopian woman arrested

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: The security campaign led by Lt General Al-Jarrah in Al-Farwaniya resulted in the arrest of an Ethiopian maid wanted in a case in which she was convicted of killing her girl friend and was sentenced to life imprisonment.

The arrested Ethiopian woman

66 rounded up A security campaign carried out at the instructions of the Lt General who is also the head of patrols resulted in the arrest of 66 persons found in violation of the residency law and seven persons who were wanted as they were reported as absent. Among the arrested was a person who was in debt and another who had entered Kuwait illegally. Three vehicles were also detained as these were wanted in different cases.

Tanker seized The security personnel caught a sewage tanker driven by an Asian expat which actually belonged to the municipality. The driver had loaded the tanker from Mubarak Al-Kabeer governorate and, accompanied by his son, off loaded it at the dumping area at Al-Wafra. He b o u g h t s o m e l i q u o r f ro m a K o re a n expat and brought it back to Mahboula area where he intended to sell it by using the municipality vehicle. A total of 24 bottles of locally-brewed liquor were confiscated.

KUWAIT: A man was hospitalized with burn injuries after he set himself ablaze at his employer’s house. Paramedics and police responded to an emergency call in which a Kuwaiti man reported that his driver had attempted suicide. The Asian man was rushed to the Babtain Hospital after first dousing the fire. He was admitted to the intensive care unit after being diagnosed with second degree burns.

Preliminary investigations indicated that the man attempted suicide due to financial problems he was going through.

Drunk driving A drunk driver was arrested recently after he came in the way of a visiting minister’s convoy at the Second Ring Road. A

traffic police officer securing the African foreign minister’s route flashed warning signs to an American-made vehicle’s driver after he blocked the convoy’s path. The driver of the offending vehicle was pulled over after he continued to block the dignitary’s route, and was found to be under the influence of alcohol. The man, identified as a stateless resident, was referred to the proper authorities to face charges.

Officer arrested A police officer faces charges after he was arrested recently while driving his sports car recklessly along the Gulf Road.

Traffic police officers pulled over the suspect after he was seen performing dangerous stunts past midnight (wee hours

of Monday). Upon verification of the driver’s identity, police came to know that he was a security officer. He was arrested and taken to the proper authorities to face charges while his car was impounded.

Smuggling bid Customs officials at the Doha Port foiled an attempt to smuggle thousands of counterfeit sunglasses on Monday. The discovery came after customs officials issued orders to investigate a suspicious shipment of sunglasses. A total of 191,000 glasses found in the containers were worth around KD 400,000. Investigations were on to find the supplier who planned to market the goods in Kuwait.

Prisoner charged A prisoner was charged with a felony count after offending HH the Amir in the Central Prison recently. The case was filed at the Sulaibiya police station after the Central Jail’s management said a Lance Corporal officer informed it about the Kuwaiti inmate’s offensive remarks.

Blasphemy Meanwhile, a Syrian man was charged with blasphemy after he made offensive remarks during a security crackdown held recently. According to the police report, the man was heard insulting God seemingly in protest after being told to board a bus carrying residency law violators. The man was held at the Mina Abdullah police station pending trial.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

LOCAL

Local Spotlight

In my view

Expats take it all

Free internet?

Yes, no or maybe

By Labeed Abdal

By Muna Al-Fuzai

labeed@kuwaittimes.net

muna@kuwaittimes.net

M

any debates are currently raging about reaching an international agreement to regulate the internet.

There were two major e-camps in the debate. One was totally against putting any restrictions on internet usage and argued that the issue involved the freedom of expression which must remain untouched. The other camp was happy to even over-regulate this medium and throwing violators in some kind of e-dungeons or shutting them inside some e-lockers.

Such people were happy blocking the internet content en masse as a matter of routine to weed out any opinion, a shared post or daring to interact online or debating any issue that they found unpalatable.

Taking an extreme position and blindly restricting content posed a serious threat to the users in the eworld, a world that has no boundaries.

Any ordinary citizen only desires a certain freedom without worrying about horrifying laws and restrictions. On the other hand, advocates of more openness are indirectly monitoring what people say, choose, like or tap.

They then filter this information to be sold to market giants in bulk where clever corporate interests use it to compete in and dominate the market.

In reality, it is both, a commercial tool as well as an instrument of power. Any corrupt government with a corrupt private sector can wreak damage on the markets by allowing organized fraud, supporting criminal networks that can threaten international peace and security.

We must admit that we live in an age of information explosion. Some sectors are giving their nod for collecting huge amounts of personal data from giant search engines and social media sites run by internet companies. One way or another, the actual users of such bulk data are likely to be those who want to understand the market, sale or purchase patterns. Let us face it: there are no tangible guarantees for internet privacy. Many international courts are headed towards holding that emails or social media accounts were equivalent of a personal wallet and have confirmed that any inspection can only be carried out after a court permit that carries a time limit and is aimed at a specific criminal charge. .

In Kuwait, the latest move by His Highness the Amir Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al-Sabah to support and encourage the e-legislation conference to improve the Information Technology laws was indeed the right step to take. Kuwait needs to cooperate with the advances in the international technological and legal fields as far as research, e-infrastructure and security needs are concerned.

Globally, we must not forget basic e-human rights that must be protected, especially when we look for democracy on the world wide web (www). Our e-identity must be preserved, our freedoms and liberties must be safeguarded and never violated for any reason.

Without any doubt, our personal data must remain a private domain and no one should be allowed to cross the line.

kuwait digest

Co-op society reform

I

kuwait digest

The Kuwaiti jungle

By Ahmad Al-Sarraf

A

jungle is a very suitable place for many who pre- the failed security and naturalization policies that have fer not to abide by any law or order and where been unable over the past sixty years to lead towards survival is for the fittest. Kuwait has turned into a stability for people. The problem of stateless residents, place where the law of the jungle prevails, something for example, has been snowballing since 1965 with no for which I blame the ‘fake religious awakening’ of the solution in sight. Ironically, during this time, Kuwait has been successfully able to past thirty years. to resolve some of Suddenly, we have disThe issue of Corruption needs mediate the most complicated probcovered that there are thousands of people who have to be addressed with more pri- lems between our sister nations. violated their residency permacy than is being accorded And for years, police offimits, and that they can be cers have been involved in easily arrested. We also to the situation in the street. many violations ranging found out that there are hundreds driving their vehi- Therefore, I believe that all the from smuggling fugitives out of the country, assaultcles without licenses, and all ongoing crackdowns will ing detainees in police staof them could have been so tions, being accomplices easily caught. Moreover, we result in zero results. In the with residency violators in suddenly discovered that illegal activity, etc. Despite there are a lot of fugitives end, wasta (connections with all the newspaper reports among us who were nabbed people with influence) and about police’s misdemeanor, with such ease. We also sudinterior minister has ever denly found that crime had bribery is going to allow peo- no done more than punishing become widespread in the officer involved without society, and that there are ple to avoid prosecution, or the investigating the root of this thousands of people who had their visas canceled and ensure that their employees behavior within the ministry itself (which still is home to who had to be deported. In come out of jail and continue many honorable and loyal addition, thousands of workpersonnel). ers were deported after it issuing illegal visas.

I have been the subject of was discovered they were many indirect robberies that working in vital government happened in my neighborhood, and I have all the inforprojects without having a registered employer.

All of that comes as if we have made new discoveries mation that the police may need to follow up on these despite the fact that all of this was happening in front of cases. The problem is that the area’s police station never our eyes for years. I am not against the government’s returns my calls, and I would rather save myself the procedures to enforce the law, but such a chaos was humiliation I am sure will be put through should I ever only allowed because of the corruption prevalent in the think of reporting the incidents at the police station.

We are in dire need for a new security philosophy government corridors. This corruption needs to be addressed with more primacy than is being accorded to and a new ideology. It is illogical to see many stateless the situation in the street. Therefore, I believe that all the young people unable to find a job in a rich country, ongoing crackdowns will result in zero results. In the while others are still waiting to legalize their status for end, wasta (connections with people with influence) half a century. The recent security crackdowns came and bribery is going to allow people to avoid prosecu- thirty years too late, and I am afraid it is only a bubble tion, or ensure that their employees come out of jail and that would burst with the first instance of bribery or wasta that will enable lawbreakers to escape the consecontinue issuing illegal visas.

The state of lawlessness was expected as a result of quences. — Al-Qabas

By Hamad Al-Sarie

T

he National Assembly Council has approved the Cooperative Societies law. As a matter of principle, the government, primarily the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor, has approved the proposed draft, but members of the Cooperatives Union Board have objected to this draft, along with the boards of directors of some cooperative societies.

I have not seen all the provisions of the law, but the most important issue that has emerged is about reducing the number of votes that each voter can cast from three to one.

This was ostensibly aimed at checking factionalism that had marred the previous election.

Bringing in new legislation for cooperative societies will not help rectify the prevalent mismanagement as most of the youth who stand for elections and win the posts in the board of directors are government employees and try to implement whatever decisions they think are best.

The corruption and violations that happen in some cooperative societies are for real, and the issue was raised by the media, following which the ministry did indeed send some of those cases to the public prosecutor. A few boards of directors were also dissolved in case of those cooperative societies where such thefts and violations had taken place.

This is not going to stop.

Many believed, and I am one of them, that the current NA Council will play a big role in bringing forth a new law for cooperative societies because most of its members have no connection with labors unions and cooperative societies unlike the MPs in the earlier house who depended on these groups and yielded to their demands.

The NA Council should have issued a law to privatize these cooperative societies and turn these into shareholding companies, run by those with a majority of shares. It should have ensured that the area residents should be share holders in these societies, and the profit is properly distributed.

In such a scenario, the societies would have become a vehicle for social welfare in the area.

Cooperative societies are currently being run by boards of directors and there is direct interference of government offices in all aspects of their work, be it appointments or leasing of shops. These societies are not being allowed to provide better services to the people in the area.

Developing a sound economic mindset in the running of these facilities but transforming the cooperative societies into shareholding companies will serve the residents of the area more than what these societies have been doing till date. —Al-Anbaa

kuwait digest

The Al-Ali experience

By Hassan Abbas

A

bdulfattah Al-Ali has become a national hero in Al-Ali in the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Oil, the past couple of weeks. Ever since assuming the Ministry of Electricity and Water, the sports sector, his duties as the Undersecretary Assistant for the investments’ sector, and other fields where we Traffic Affairs in the Ministry of Interior, Kuwait has have troubles in? seen a drastic change on We learn that the duty of the roads with instances of a traffic police officer is to We learn that the duty of a control traffic. Maj Gen Alreckless driving going down and more people folAli did not per form any traffic police officer is to lowing the traffic law. What magic; he only remained do we learn from the ‘Al-Ali’ control traffic. Maj Gen Al- committed to his responsiexperience? bilities and the law as per Ali did not perform any We learn that Kuwait has the authority he has as a people who are capable of police officer. In other magic; he only remained per forming their duties words, his reformist efforts committed to his responsi- in the traffic department properly, and all that the country needs to witness bilities and the law as per meant that his predecessors productivity, competency did not remain committed the authority he has as a and control is to put the to their duties properly. right people in the right Therefore, all the accidents, police officer. In other places. deaths, injuries, and violaWe learn that misman- words, his reformist efforts tions are indications to the agement is not something of police officers. in the traffic department weakness Kuwait is destined to suffer We learn that people from, but rather a result of meant that his predecessors respect the law when they deliberate actions of peoit being implemented did not remain committed see ple seeking personal gains correctly. The saying that while putting the fate of Kuwaitis do not respect the to their duties properly. the countr y in corrupt law is unrealistic and the hands. If the right people proof for that is what Maj with competence are handed over management, cor- Gen Al-Ali is doing these days. Everyone respects what ruption will be eliminated in Kuwait, exactly the way traffic police officers are doing. People would longer Maj Gen Al-Ali managed to eliminate reckless driving be looking for wasta (help of people with influence) if and lawlessness on the roads. Can you imagine what the law was enforced objectively and if the people felt would happen if we had someone similar to Maj Gen that they are equal before the law. —Al-Rai

t is really becoming awkward and certainly not laudatory these days to point a finger towards the expatriates, blaming them for the so-called demographic imbalance in Kuwait.

For those who think the expats are the ones behind this skew in the population structure, I need to say that they are completely wrong. It is also unfair to blame those who have been here throughout history and have been partners in building this country’s economy.

In the early days, before oil was discovered in Kuwait, some expats, both Arabs and Indians, used to come to Kuwait for work and exploring new fields of business. At that time, no luxuries beckoned anyone towards Kuwait and people used to come from even countries that happened to be rich and highly advanced when compared to us, like India and Egypt.

They came to live in Kuwait and established their families here. Their businesses struck roots here for more than half a century. Of course, they did benefit financially but they also gave their life, time and efforts so far away from their own homeland. They adopted Kuwait as their new land, a country in the middle of a desert. So, trying to look down upon the same expats now and claiming that we should get rid of them should be a matter of shame for anyone. Those who think expats are the reason for this improper population skew are ignorant of Kuwait’s history and its development over the years; they know not how countries become bigger and stronger.

All decent expats come to Kuwait via sponsors, so when things go wrong we should look for these sponsors who could be individuals or companies. It is the sponsors who should be held accountable and not the victims.

When I hear officials talking against expats, I feel that they are simply unaware of the history of this country or what role the expats have played in the days of yore.

When I see people being slapped with a travel ban on the assumption that they come from certain countries and would commit crimes here in our wonderland, I feel very sorry.

I agree that some companies have misused the laws and the powers vested in them and brought in many expats who were not wanted. These were the expats who either had menial or no jobs, but then they are not the ones who could be held responsible for the demographic imbalance. Now, we are only sending out a rather poor image of Kuwait to the wider world by presenting it as a place where expats are not welcome. I can’t blame them.

I think I need to apologize for all the misleading arguments being hurled around these days in Kuwait against the expats and the fact that they are being made to bear the blame for all the troubles we face.

kuwait digest

The dangers of balkanization

By Dr Shamlan Y Al-Essa

I

t seems that the various projects to balkanize the Arab nation began to take shape in a well thought out fashion.

Following the break-up of Sudan and the separation of its Southern part from the North, the Arab world is witnessing the start of its people being balkanized along sectarian basis in Lebanon, Iraq and Bahrain between Sunni and Shiites.

Today, after the Syrian regime’s forces were able to take control of Al-Qusair, with the help of Hezbollah and Iran after a year long siege and fierce battles ongoing for three weeks, we ask what will be impact of Al-Qusair fall on Lebanon and the Arab region? Is there a chance for peace and stability in the region or will the sectarian wars destroy everyone? The problem now is that the Syrian opposition forces took the war to Lebanon by bombing the Eastern and Northern areas, with rockets raining on the Baablbek City, which indicated that the sectarian war was moving from Syria to Lebanon because of Hezbollah’s interference in Syria and siding with the Syrian regime.

Lebanon, a peaceful and democratic country, has been living under a threat for years because of the sectarianism and the failure of the political elite in finding a national consensus. That is why sectarian fighting had begun in Tripoli and some Southern areas.

Al-Qusair’s events and the escalation of the sectarian war in Syria and now the fact that it is moving to Lebanon led to the call to unify the Salaf factions that had not united so far.

Lebanon’s Sunna who comprise a power that should not be taken lightly, found themselves marginalized and played no active role in the power struggle because they did not have an armed militia, and did not carry weapons as a unified force earlier during the civil war in Lebanon from 1975 to 1990. It was very difficult for the Sunni leaders and their traditional elite in Beirut to control the extreme Sunni organizations entrenched in Tripoli and Akar in Northern Lebanon.

The participation of Iraq’s Hezbollah and the extreme Shiite parties in the Syrian civil war with encouragement from Iran will create new problems in Iraq itself, and will thwart all attempts in which Iraqi parties and political movements are trying to unite the political powers in order to avoid further balkanization of Iraq into tiny states based on sectarian identities forever fighting each other.

The sectarian war spread into the Arab Gulf countries, as Bahrain complained against the increasing Iranian interference in its internal affairs, but there are foreign powers that encouraged some opposition forces not to accept the national dialogue in Bahrain.

Political Islam powers in Kuwait began to stir the sectarian issue in order to create strife and differences within the Kuwaiti society. May Imams called for Jihad in Syria and fighting the Shiites last Friday, which prompted the Awqaf ministry to take action and suspend some preachers. The political Islam powers including Thawabet Al-Umma gathering in Kuwait called for mobilizing the devout in all the Muslim countries to help the Mujahideen in Syria, which is witnessing the worst forms of killing. What the Arab world is witnessing today is a natural result of the failure of the Arab elite in defending the civil state that leads to a notion of citizenry as a principle, thus shunning the affiliations of sects and tribes. —Al-Watan

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

Aref quits Iran vote

Germany begins to count cost as floods surge north

Page 8

Page 9

DUBAI: The Cayan tower, the world’s tallest twisted tower, stands at Dubai’s Marina yesterday. — AFP

Clashes as police storm Taksim Erdogan won’t yield, calls on protesters to withdraw

ISTANBUL: Turkish riot police moved yesterday into the central Istanbul square at the hear t of 10 days of anti- government protests, firing tear gas and water cannon at hundreds of protesters armed with rocks and fireworks. Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan declared he would not yield to the protesters. In a further sign of the effect the crisis has had on financial markets, the central bank said it would intervene if needed to support the lira. “They say the prime minister is rough. So what was going to happen here?

Were we going to kneel down in front of these (people)?” Erdogan said after the action began. “If you call this roughness, I’m sorry, but this Tayyip Erdogan won’t change.”

Police backed by armoured vehicles moved soon after dawn into Taksim Square, site of the initial protest against government construc tion plans 10 days ago which sparked the worst unrest in decades.

Bulldozers cleared barricades, but by early evening hundreds of protesters remained on one side and black smoke from bonfires of

rubbish and plastic mingled with tear gas.

Demonstrators skirmished with police. Tear gas drifted into the lobby of an upmarket hotel, overwhelming some guests who were moved to the basement.

What began as a protest at redevelopment plans for Gezi Park, a leafy corner of the square, has grown into an unprecedented challenge to Erdogan. Victor in three consecutive elections, he says the protests are engineered by vandals, terrorist elements and unnamed foreign forces. His critics say his unyielding talk has made the crisis worse.

“A comprehensive attack against Turkey has been carried out,” Erdogan told a parliamentar y group meeting of the AK Par ty he founded in 2001 and led to power in 2002.

“The increase in interest rates, the fall in the stock markets, the deterioration in the investment environment, the intimidation of investors - the efforts to distort Turkey’s image have been put in place as a systematic project,” he said.

Thousands packed into Gezi Park, now a

ramshackle settlement of tents at the edge of the square; among their number leftists, environmentalists, liberals, students and professionals who see the development plan as symptomatic of overbearing government.

Despite the street protests against Erdogan, he remains unrivalled as a leader in his AK party, in parliament and on the streets. Many protesters call for his resignation, but others say they just want to moderate his exercise of power. One organising group called for a mass protest on the square, where stalemate seemed to prevail. Police were expected to block any attempt to move into the area in the night.

The unrest has knocked investor confidence in a country that has boomed under Erdogan. The lira currency, already suffering from wider market turmoil, fell to its weakest level against its dollar/euro basket since Oct 2011. The cost of insuring Turk ish debt against default rose to its highest in ten months, although it remained far from crisis levels. Western allies have expressed concern

about the troubles in a key NATO ally bordering Syria, Iraq and Iran. Washington has held up Erdogan’s Turkey as an example of an Islamic democracy that could be emulated elsewhere in the Middle East.

The police move came a day af ter Erdogan agreed to meet protest leaders, whose peaceful demonstration two weeks ago spiralled into anti-government protests in cities across the countr y after police crushed it using tear gas and water cannon.

“I invite all demonstrators, all protesters, to see the big picture and the game that is being played,” Erdogan said. “The ones who are sincere should withdraw ... and I expect this from them as their prime minister.” Police removed huge banners hung by protesters from a building overlooking Taksim but the local governor said they had no intention of breaking up a protest on Gezi Park itself. Riot police moved into the park briefly, then withdrew.

Hundreds of protesters, many wearing facemasks and hard hats, gathered on steps

Blasts kill 14 in central Damascus DAMASCUS: Twin suicide bombers targeted a Damascus police station yesterday killing at least 14 people, as the Syrian army launched multiple attacks on rebel positions in the northern province of Aleppo. The blasts wounded more than 30 people, state media and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights watchdog said. They caused widespread damage in the capital’s central Marjeh neighbourhood, with state television broadcasting images of blood and broken glass on the pavement near the scene. “The number of casualties after a twin suicide attack in Marjeh square has risen to 14 dead and 31 injured,” said the channel, updating an earlier toll. “The two suicide explo-

sions took place near a police station,” it said.

The Observatory put the death toll at 15, and said one of the blasts “was caused by a suicide bomb attacker who blew himself up inside the police station”. “A second explosion took place just outside the police station,” the Britain-based group said, without elaborating on the nature of that blast. “The number of casualties is expected to rise because several of the wounded are in critical condition,” added the Observatory, which relies on a network of activists, doctors and lawyers for its reports. The Syrian cabinet denounced the attack, saying “armed terrorist groups and those behind them have failed completely

DAMASCUS: A Syrian man receives medical treatment at a hospital following two explosions in the centre of the capital yesterday. — AFP

because of the victories achieved by our brave army,” state news agency SANA reported.

Meanwhile, in Aleppo province, the army launched multiple attacks on rebel positions, including insurgentheld areas of the key Minnigh military airbase, the Observatory said. “Parts of Minnigh military airbase were shelled by regime forces... Rebels are in control of large swathes of the airbase,” the Observatory said. A military source told AFP heavy clashes were raging at the base for a third day, but denied any part of the airport was under rebel control. He said the fighting was not part of a broader campaign that the regime has pledged to launch to retake Aleppo city, large parts of which are in rebel hands, and other parts of the province.

But other areas of Aleppo were under fire, two days after pro-regime media said an army campaign in the province would began within “hours or days”. Regime forces shelled the opposition-controlled villages of Deir Hafer and Al-Bab, and hit the insurgent stronghold of Marea with rockets, the Observatory said. There were unconfirmed reports of a ground-toground missile strike in Aleppo province, the Observatory added. The regime has pledged to focus its attention on Aleppo after winning a strategic victory by retaking the town of Qusair, in the central province of Homs.

Backed by fighters from Lebanon’s powerful Shiite Hezbollah militia - a key Syrian regime ally - the army seized the town near the Lebanese border last week. The militia’s role has raised fears about the growing regionalisation of the conflict in Syria, which began in March 2011. The fighting has spilled over into Lebanon, where seven rockets fired from Syria landed in the Hermel region, a Hezbollah bastion, yesterday. The deteriorating situation in the Golan Heights has prompted Austria to announce it would withdraw its troops from the UN monitoring force on the strategic Syrian plateau, which is partly occupied by Israel.

Yesterday, Austria’s defence ministry said the withdrawal of the country’s 378 troops stationed in the Golan would begin today. The international community, led by Russia and the United States, has been pushing for an international peace conference in Geneva to discuss a political solution to the conflict. But preparations have stalled over which countries will participate, with Iran saying yesterday it had been invited to the conference, despite opposition from some Western countries, including France.

“Ten days ago, we received a verbal invitation to take part in this conference,” Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian told reporters in Moscow, without saying who extended the invitation. — AFP

leading from the square to the park. “Our aim is to remove the signs and pictures on the Ataturk statue and the Ataturk Cultural Centre. We have no other aim,” Istanbul Governor Huseyin Avni Mutlu wrote on Twitter. Police hung a single Turkish flag and picture of the founder of the Turkish secular state, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, from the building. Protesters accuse Erdogan of authoritarian rule and some suspect him of ambitions to replace the secular republic with an Islamic order - something Erdogan denies.

“This movement won’t end here. We’ve started something much bigger than this park ... After this, I don’t think people will go back to being afraid of this government or any government,” said student Sey yit Cikmen, 19, as the crowd chanted “Every place is Taksim, every place resistance.” Police appealed to the protesters not to throw rocks, calling from loudspeakers, “Dear Gezi friends. We are unhappy with this situation.

We don’t want to intervene. We don’t want to harm you. Please withdraw.” —Reuters

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

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

‘Kidnapped’ Iran reformists imprisoned at home DUBAI: Four years after Iranians took to the streets to demonstrate against the results of a presidential election, the authorities are taking no chances this time, keeping opposition leaders confined under house arrest with doors and windows welded shut. When Iran elects a new president on Friday, authorities are determined to prevent a repeat of the street unrest that posed the biggest challenge to the Islamic Republic’s ruling system since its birth in the 1979 revolution. Mirhossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi, who as reformist candidates led the “Green Movement” that disputed the 2009 election result, have not been charged with crimes. But both men, former top officials now in their 70s, are being kept locked indoors, under constant surveillance and with little contact with families who fear for their health.

“This is illegal even according to our laws and regulations,” Karoubi’s son Mohammed Taghi Karoubi said from Britain. “No one has officially taken responsibility for this illegal action.” The government’s firm grip ensures that there is unlikely to be any repeat of the unrest of 2009, when the authorities violently suppressed demonstrations and dozens of people were killed, hundreds wounded and thousands arrested. Since then, with prices rising and unemployment surging because of international economic sanctions imposed over Iran’s nuclear program, public discontent is arguably higher than ever but reformists among the leadership have been sidelined.

The approved slate of candidates is dominated by hardliners, and the winner is expected to be a conservative close to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Mousavi and Karoubi have been under house arrest for more than two years, since calling for a rally in support of protests that swept the Arab world in 2011. Supporters describe their captivity as “kidnapping” by

authorities desperate to block reforms. At rallies and at a funeral for a dissident cleric this month, crowds have shouted for them to be freed.

Sources close to their families have provided Reuters with details of their captivity, painting a picture of an intensely lonely existence with virtually no contact with the outside world and all their activities controlled by security forces. There is no foreseeable end to their detention.

They have never been charged officially with a crime, though hardliners have called for their execution for “sedition”.

Mousavi, 71, is being held at his own home off central Tehran’s Pasteur Street along with his wife, Zahra Rahnavard, 67, a prominent artist, sculptor and academic.

The house, in an area of government buildings not far from Khamenei’s own residence, has been turned into a prison.

Two of the doors are welded shut and authorities keep constant watch over the third door. Cameras were installed all around the house, as well as floodlights and surveillance devices. All door handles inside have been removed so doors will not fully close, denying the couple privacy, said a source close to their daughters.

“The (security forces) team overseeing this kidnapping are rude, foul-mouthed, and violent,” said the source, who described the conditions of their captivity on condition of anonymity. “They have said, ‘They have no religion, and whatever we do to them they deserve it. They are servants of the US and Britain,’” the source said. Reuters was not able to contact the Mousavi family directly and details cannot be independently verified.

Mousavi, an architect, served as Iran’s last prime minister from 1981 until 1989 when the position was abolished under constitutional changes. For the next two decades he was largely out of the public spotlight until he ran in the 2009 election, emerging as the leading candidate for the

reform movement. His wife Rahnavard campaigned for him, breaking new ground in Iranian politics. For the first two months of the couple’s house arrest, security forces moved into the bottom floors of their home and a neighbouring building, said the source. “During this time, they had no newspapers, books, paper, or writing implements,” the source said. “All the windows had been welded shut and these two were imprisoned in a room on the top floor of the house.”

Authorities confiscated personal documents, drawings, sculptures, computers, telephones, radios, social and political texts and documents from Mousavi’s time as prime minister. In those first months, Rahnavard suffered from breathing problems, probably due to a lack of fresh air.

Officials ignored her complaints, the source said, until Mousavi broke a window open with his fist, injuring his hand.

Officials then allowed one window to be opened a bit to let air in.

Rahnavard has lost 17 kg and suffers from arthritis. Mousavi, 71, has lost 12 kg, the source said, and was taken to hospital in August for blocked blood vessels.

Mousavi at one point fell unconscious for two hours within view of a security camera, but despite Rahnavard’s pleas for help, no one came to assist them, the source said. Their family has requested their medical files but authorities have refused.

Some early restrictions on the couple were eventually eased, and they were granted family visits, the source said. But family members still often go months with no news of their welfare.

In the few visits allowed, security forces are present, and they must speak “only about family issues and with loud voices. If voices drop, officials will issue a sharp rebuke. Mousavi and Rahnavard constantly argue with the security forces and say this is how they spend their days,” the source said. “The visits are limited, few in

number, are under security, and stifled, and it’s impossible to find out what’s really going on,” the source said.

Formerly early risers Mousavi and Rahnavard now go to bed late and wake up late. Religious rites like reading the Quran and performing their prayers punctuate their daily routine. They have sometimes been provided with art supplies, and have done some drawings together, the source said. The pair have periodic access to a yard with a garden. They are given no newspapers, magazines, or radio, but can watch state television. The couple is sometimes given access to their library which the source estimated contained 150,000 books.

The other opposition leader, Karoubi, a former speaker of parliament, was first confined to his home in northern Tehran and later moved to a three-story safe house in the capital provided by the Intelligence Ministry. He occupies one floor and the security services occupy the other two, said his son Mohammad Taghi Karoubi. There is no garden and he has no access to fresh air. Karoubi, 75, was taken to hospital in November after showing symptoms including weight loss, dizziness, and nausea, the opposition Sahamnews website reported at the time.

“At the moment his health is in good condition,” his son said. “He is in great spirits.”

He is allowed to watch state television and is provided three state-owned newspapers to read. His requests to read other papers were refused.

Another son, Mohammad Hossein Karoubi, has only been allowed to visit his father once in the last seven months, for the Iranian New Year in March, Mohammad Taghi Karoubi said. Other family members have recently been allowed weekly visits that last 2-3 hours in the presence of security officers. Because of their isolation, Karoubi, Mousavi and Rahnavard have decided to make no com-

ment on Friday’s election. “Under the present situation, his information about various issues in the country in general and the election in particular is so little,” Mohammad Taghi Karoubi said of his father. “Recently he told my brothers: ‘I respect my friends’ decision over the election, but please don’t ask me to say anything because I won’t say anything.’”

Although they refrain from political statements, the opposition leaders still have influence in Iran. Under house arrest, Mousavi has started what amounts to a book club for his followers. In 2011, he compared his captivity with “News of a Kidnapping”, Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s non-fiction book about prisoners held by a Colombian drug cartel. His recommendation made the book an overnight hit in Iran. In 2012, he recommended “The Right to Heresy” by Austrian writer Stefan Zweig, about 16th century theologian Sebastian Castellio, who preached tolerance and opposed Protestant leader John Calvin for executing heretics over religious differences.

Zweig quotes Castellio as writing: “We can live together peacefully only when we control our intolerance. Even though there will always be differences of opinion from time to time, we can at any rate come to general understandings, can love one another, and can enter the bonds of peace, pending the day when we shall attain unity of faith.” The source close to Mousavi’s daughters said he recommended the book to show the parallels with Iran and “a way to analyse the situation and combat it”. Mousavi had the following message for Iran’s authorities, the source said: “You cannot stop the movement which has started, even through severe repression, and it will answer against your will. I will use any opportunity and shout and say what I have to say. Even if just one passerby hears it, they will convey it to others.” —Reuters

Aref quits Iran vote Reformists back moderate Rowhani

TEHRAN: Sole reformist candidate Mohammad Reza Aref pulled out of Iran’s presidential race yesterday as the reformist camp including expresident Mohammad Khatami urged voters to rally around Hassan Rowhani, a moderate. Aref said on his website that Khatami had sent him a letter advising that it “would not be wise” for him to stay in the race for the election on Friday.

Khatami’s intervention came amid growing calls in recent days from within the reformist camp for Aref to quit in favour of Rowhani.

Khatami’s advisory council had already said it was backing Rowhani as the “reformist camp candidate”. However, Aref did not declare his support for any other candidate in the statement announcing his withdrawal. Rowhani had

TEHRAN: Iranian supporters of first vice president and reformist presidential candidate Mohammad Reza Aref hold his portraits during his campaign rally on Monday. —AFP Hours later, Khatami called on voters to support Rowhani. “Due to the duty I have to the country and the fate of the people of Iran I will vote for my esteemed brother Hassan Rowhani,” Khatami said on his website. “I ask all, especially reformists and those who seek the dignity and elevation of the nation,” to come and vote for “Hassan Rowhani in order for their demands to be met.”

been top nuclear negotiator under Khatami and served as a senior security official under the pragmatic former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, whose backing he still enjoys.

“I will follow the paths of Khatami and Rafsanjani,” the media quoted Rowhani as saying on Monday at a rally in the western province of Kurdistan. “I do not approve of the current foreign policy. We should try to have

good (international) interactions to gradually reduce the sanctions and finally remove them,” he added. Rowhani has advocated flexibility in negotiations over Iran’s controversial nuclear drive, which world powers believe is masking an atomic weapons program despite repeated denials by Tehran.

When Rowhani was Iran’s top nuclear negotiator, Tehran agreed to suspend uranium enrichment and to implement snap inspections by the UN atomic watchdog in accordance with the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. Aref is the second of the eight candidates to withdraw. Ex-parliamentary speaker Gholam Ali Haddad Adel, seen as close to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, did so on Monday, saying he was “promoting the chances of a conservative election”.

Rowhani, 64, will now face other major contenders hardline conservative Saeed Jalili, former foreign minister Ali Akbar Velayati and Tehran’s mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf.

Hopefuls Mohsen Rezai and Mohammad Gharazi are trailing in polls. Supporters of Jalili, head of the Supreme National Security Council and tasked with negotiating with world powers, have harshly criticised Rowhani’s approach during his tenure, saying he made too many concessions in return for too little. Rowhani quit his post in 2005 over disagreement with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, as Iran resumed the sensitive uranium enrichment work that it had suspended.

Pro-reformist and moderate newspapers hailed Aref’s withdrawal. The reformist Arman ran the headline “Aref greets Rowhani... the great consensus.” The Etemad newspaper ran its main story as: “Reformist votes Rowhani,” adding that the decision follows weeks of deliberations. Aref’s move has prompted the conservative camp to call for union among the remaining conservative candidates. “In case of division of the vote among the conservatives, then the conservative candidate will be elected with just a few more votes than his reformist rival,” wrote the publisher of the hardline Kayhan newspaper, Hossein Shariatmadari. —AFP

1,000 Iraq Kurd soldiers desert KIRKUK, Iraq: More than 1,000 Kurdish career soldiers in the Iraqi army have deserted and want to be integrated into forces loyal to Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region, officials said yesterday. The move comes after the Kurdish troops disobeyed orders to take part in an operation ordered by the Shiite-led government in Baghdad against a mainly Sunni Arab town. If their request is fulfilled, such a mass defection would deal a heavy blow to Iraq’s stretched armed forces as they grapple with a surge in violence that has sparked fears of renewed sectarian bloodshed.

Two officials said the 1,070 Kurdish members of the Iraqi army’s 16th Brigade mutinied when gunmen took control of a northern town in April, and subsequently declined to attend disciplinary re-training. The soldiers were no longer receiving salaries or rations from the Iraqi army, nor were they following any orders from federal

forces, according to the mayor of the town where they are based. His comments were echoed by the spokesman for the Kurdish ministry responsible for peshmerga forces, the former rebel militia that is now part of Kurdistan’s security forces.

But the officials differed as to whether the soldiers’ request to join the peshmerga had been met. The troops had been assigned to the ethnically-mixed towns of Tuz Khurmatu and Sulaiman Bek, the latter of which briefly fell to gunmen in April.

According to Tuz Mayor Shallal Abdul, they stood accused of refusing to follow orders as Sulaiman Bek, a mostlyArab town, was overrun. As punishment, they were ordered to attend retraining. Three senior Kurdish officers were also replaced with Arabs, Abdul said.

The troops did not follow orders to stay and defend the town against the Sunni Arab gunmen because they did

not want to further raise tensions between Arabs and Kurds in what is a swathe of disputed territory claimed by both the central government and Kurdish authorities. “The forces ... are still deployed to their positions, but they are receiving their salaries and orders from the peshmerga ministry,” Abdul told AFP. Peshmerga ministry spokesman Halkurd Mullah Ali confirmed that the soldiers were not carrying out Baghdad’s orders, and added that Kurdish authorities were providing rations because officials “sympathised with them”. But he denied that the soldiers were receiving either wages or orders from peshmerga commanders.

“We will discuss their situation with the joint security committee (of the Baghdad government and the autonomous Kurdish regional administration),” he said. “If we do not reach an agreement with Baghdad about them, we are ready to integrate them

into peshmerga forces.”

The mass defection comes at a crucial time for Iraq’s security forces, which are dealing with a massive spike in violence, months of protests in Sunni Arab provinces, and fears of spillover from the conflict in neighbouring Syria. “This happens in places where you have a severe division of loyalties,” warned John Drake, an Iraq analyst for risk consultancy firm AKE Group. “These tensions are being driven by ethnic and sectarian identity, so when you have got community identity having more of an impact on your job and your efforts to enforce security, you are not going to be an effective force.” He added that it seemed as though “employees of the government - because that is what they are feel that the situation is out of control, and they are resorting to insubordination. “That would be a worrying sign.

It would indicate a lack of belief in the state.” —AFP

CAIRO: Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi waves to the audience prior to giving a speech during a conference on protecting the country’s water crisis and Ethiopia’s dam project on the Blue on Monday. —AFP

Egypt warns all options open over Ethiopia dam CAIRO: Egypt’s president on Monday hardened his stance against Ethiopia and its construction of a Nile dam, warning that “all options are open” in dealing with the project that threatens to leave Egypt with a dangerous water shortage.

Speaking in a live televised speech before hundreds of supporters, Mohamed Morsi said Egypt is not calling for war, but it is willing to confront any threats to its water security. “If it loses one drop, our blood is the alternative,” he said to a raucous crowd of largely Islamist supporters that erupted into a standing ovation.

Ethiopia’s $4.2 billion hydroelectric dam, which would be Africa’s largest, challenges a colonial-era agreement that had given Egypt and Sudan the lion’s share of rights to Nile water.

Experts estimate that Egypt could lose as much as 20 percent of its Nile water in the three to five years needed for Ethiopia to fill a massive reservoir. “If Egypt is the Nile’s gift, then the Nile is a gift to Egypt,” Morsi said in his opening remarks.

The president’s speech reflected the importance of the Nile River to Egypt. It provides almost all of the fresh water to a country that is otherwise largely parched desert. As much as 85 percent of the Nile’s water comes from Ethiopia.

“We are not calling for war, but we will not allow, at all, threats against our water security,” Morsi said before adding, “all options are open.” Morsi appeared to be using concern about Ethiopia’s megaproject to whip up nationalistic fervor ahead of protests planned against him later this month.

In the conference hall where Morsi delivered his speech, some of his supporters chanted slogans against Israel and accused it of colluding with Ethiopia to harm Egypt. Blaming Israel for Egypt’s problems is common here.

Israel denied any connection to the construction of the dam. Morsi said he would be willing to approach opposition groups in order to unite Egyptians around a common position with regard to the dam. This came after two prominent opposition parties declined an invitation to meet Morsi last week, citing a lack of transparency in dealing with national issues and a failure to listen to them.

“The great Nile is that which all our lives are connected to. The lives of the Egyptians are connected around it ... as one great people,” Morsi told the crowd. Shifting his tone later in the speech, Morsi said that Egypt considers Ethiopia a “friend” and noted he has visited the country twice since taking office. He said his administration is in continuous dialogue with Ethiopia and Sudan to discuss water rights. Earlier in the day, angry Egyptian lawmakers accused Morsi’s premier of doing nothing to prevent Ethiopia from

building the dam. Prime Minister Hesham Kandil had just finished addressing parliament about how the government planned to work diplomatically, legally and technically with Ethiopia over the dam when the session heated up.

Kandil called the dam’s construction an “act of defiance,” but then hurriedly left the chamber despite calls for clarification over how to handle the situation if Ethiopia rejects overtures. “Egypt will turn to a graveyard” if the dam is completed, Egyptian lawmaker Khaled Ouda, a geologist, shouted to parliament. “The prime minister didn’t provide anything.” Abdullah Badr, who leads the ultraconservative Islamist Salafi caucus in parliament, held up a blank notebook after Kandil’s speech and said: “I have been taking notes and the page for solutions is blank.”

“Where are the studies? Where are the solutions?

This is about water security and there are enemies outside and inside - what is the role of the government and what did it do?” he said.

The crisis plays into a wider feeling of malaise in Egypt. A diverse spectrum of the population is growing increasingly impatient with Morsi’s handling of the country’s instability, including a security breakdown and a struggling economy, more than two years after an uprising toppled longtime President Hosni Mubarak. Opposition activists are hoping to harness the frustration of Egyptians into mass protests planned on the anniversary of Morsi’s taking office June 30.

Suggestions last week by some political leaders to aid rebels against the Ethiopian government or even sabotage the dam itself also heightened concerns in Egypt. Ethiopia has demanded an official explanation.

Egypt faces the prospect of its current water shortage worsening when the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is completed. The crisis started last month when Ethiopia diverted the flow of the Blue Nile, one of the Nile’s sources, to make way for the dam - before a 10-member panel of experts from Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia and other countries released a study on the dam’s impact. The move took the Egyptian government by surprise.

Ethiopia’s unilateral action appeared to ignore the 10-nation Nile Basin Initiative, a regional partnership formed in 1999 that seeks to develop the river in a cooperative manner.

Egypt complained that the 10-member panel did not give concrete answers to the impact of the dam, because Ethiopia failed to provide enough updated data to the panel. Ethiopia said the report assured that the dam will not harm Egypt. It was not possible to obtain a copy of the report to independently examine its conclusions. —AP

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

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

Qaeda, Sunni insurgents exploit Iraq’s sectarian woes BAGHDAD: Masked gunmen stopped the bus full of Shiite police officers and families at what looked like an Iraqi army checkpoint on a western desert highway in the Sunni-dominated province of Anbar. Two of the gunmen asked passengers one by one where they were from and then shot 14 dead in their seats, leaving one woman alive with a simple message: “Go back and tell them how we are killing you.” Last week’s bus attack, whose details were recounted by local officials, strengthened fears that Iraq is edging back into sectarian mayhem, with AlQaeda again striking at will in a drive to provoke civil war.

Baghdad has now banned off-duty officials, police and soldiers from using the desert highway without an escort.

More than 70 people were killed on Monday alone when car bombs and attacks hit cities across northern Iraq. One assault on a police base involving suicide bombers, rockets and gunmen killed 40 people, mostly police and soldiers.

Invigorated by Syria’s Sunni-led revolt and fed by Sunni frustrations at home, AlQaeda’s Iraqi wing and other insurgents pose a violent challenge to Baghdad’s

Shiite-led government.

Iraqi officials say that in the desert near Syria men with black jihadi flags are reclaiming their former strongholds to use as staging posts in their deadly campaign. Suicide bombers wearing explosive belts - a signature of Al-Qaeda - are hitting with a frequency not seen in years, implying there is no shortage of recruits ready to sacrifice themselves. Nearly 2,000 people have died in attacks since April, according to UN figures, in the worst spike of bloodshed since ShiiteSunni bloodletting eased five years ago.

Al-Qaeda’s local wing, Islamic State of Iraq, may spearhead the violence, but other Sunni armed groups are also resurgent, including the Naqshbandi army, an expanding network of Saddam Hussein’s outlawed Baath party members and exarmy officers. A few years ago Sunni tribal leaders turned on Al-Qaeda, disgusted by its indiscriminate killings and cadre of foreign fighters, helping U.S. troops defeat the insurgency in Anbar. But with the Americans gone, Iraqi forces no longer have the air cover and intelligence that US forces once supplied.

Iraqi political tensions have also

favoured an Al-Qaeda revival, with Sunni resentment against perceived discrimination by the Shiite-led government fuelling insurgent recruitment. Shiite Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki now accuses some Sunni tribal sheikhs of sheltering AlQaeda militants. “There are those who want to incite sedition by targeting a certain sect,” he said in an interview this week. “Yes, Al-Qaeda has a presence, but the painful thing is some tribes do not cooperate. These gangs are protected by some tribes.”

Al-Qaeda’s revival in Iraq worries Washington, which pulled out its troops at the end of 2011. Shiite leaders in Baghdad also fear that the conflict in Syria may bring to power Sunni Islamists who might encourage Sunni rebels in Iraq.

Iraqi government officials say Shiite militias, which once engaged in tit-for-tat killings with Sunni insurgents, have yet to be drawn into a new cycle of sectarian revenge. Sunni mosques, neighbourhoods and tribal leaders have also been attacked - in some cases perhaps by AlQaeda provocateurs. But some Sunni leaders blame Shiite militias.

Al-Qaeda and other insurgents no

longer control vast areas or towns as in the heyday of their campaign against US troops, and Sunni support for armed rebellion is far from universal. Yet anger among minority Sunnis over perceived slights and abuses has deepened, leading to months of mass protests. After a deadly army raid on a protest camp in the town of Hawija in April, Sunni gunmen appeared in Fallujah, Mosul and other cities and fought street battles with government forces. One Sunni lawmaker, who asked not to be named, said militants were steadily gaining strength.

“They are recruiting now among the protesters, and the government has no response.”

Al-Qaeda fighters use abandoned hamlets in Anbar’s Jazira desert for safe haven and temporary shelter, often with the compliance of local communities, security officials say. “Tribes won’t revolt against them as long as they do not target their people,” said one senior police officer who asked not to be named. “They say protecting soldiers and policemen is not their responsibility, it’s the government’s.”

Apart from Al-Qaeda, which is partly

focused on helping fellow-Sunni militants in Syria, other groups are trying to channel Sunni discontent into armed revolt against Baghdad. In January, Izzat Ibrahim Al-Douri, head of the Baath party and of the Army of the Men of the Naqshbandi Order, formed in 2007 to fight US troops, urged Sunnis to rise against Maliki. The Naqshbandi army plays on Sunni grievances over a law used by Iraq’s Shiite leadership to exclude Baathists and officers of Saddam’s disbanded army from public office. Limited concessions by Maliki have done little to defuse the anger.

Naqshbandi is now extending its influence beyond its traditional base in the northern cities of Kirkuk and Mosul, often in coordination with Al-Qaeda, security officials say. Despite - or perhaps because of - its associations with deposed strongman Saddam, Naqshbandi has some advantages over the Islamist militants linked to global jihad, according to Ramzy Mardini, at the Iraq Institute for Strategic Studies. “(It) is an indigenous movement and better integrated in Iraq’s Sunni landscape than Al-Qaeda in Iraq,” he said. —Reuters

Germany begins to count cost as floods surge north Hungarians breathe sigh of relief as Danube falls

FISCHERDORF, Germany: A helper of the Red Cross sits on a boat in the floodwaters of the river Danube near Deggendorf in southern Germany yesterday. —AFP

BERLIN: Deadly floods forging a path of devastation through central Europe for more than a week bore down on northern Germany yesterday as new estimates emerged on the cost of the damage. Swollen rivers in the German states of Saxony-Anhalt and Schleswig-Holstein posed the biggest threat, after flood waters that left at least 19 people dead across Europe. Europe’s top economic power has published no official figure on the cost of the deluge but a private ratings agency said the figure could surpass Ä12 billion ($16 billion) in Germany alone.

The German Agricultural Association said sodden fields, destroyed crops and damaged equipment brought losses of Ä405 million, according to a preliminary estimate published yesterday. Around 305,000 hectares of fertile farmland were submerged as the floodwaters worked their way north, with Saxony-Anhalt in the centre of the country seeing about one-third of the total damage. Some 9,000 soldiers were deployed in Saxony-Anhalt yesterday to ensure dykes held as around 11,300 people remained stranded in provisional housing.

In Schleswig-Holstein in the north, fears focused on the town of Lauenburg, 40 km southeast of Hamburg, where the Elbe was expected to peak tomorrow. There the river has already reached a level of 9.56 m, more than double the normal. The old quarter of the town had its

Russia would consider asylum for cyber leaker MOSCOW: Russia would consider granting asylum to the American who has exposed top-secret US surveillance programs, if he were to ask for it, President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman said yesterday. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov stopped short of saying Moscow would accept Edward Snowden, but pro-Kremlin lawmakers spoke out in favour of the idea, tapping into a lingering Cold War rivalry with the United States and a vein of antiAmerican sentiment Putin has often encouraged. “Promising Snowden asylum, Moscow takes upon itself the defence of people persecuted for political reasons,” Alexei Pushkov, chairman of the international affairs committee in the lower house of parliament, said on Twitter. “There will be hysteria in the United States. They recognise this as their right alone,” he said.

Putin and other Russian officials have often accused the United States of hypocrisy, saying it tries to impose standards of human rights, freedom and democracy on other nations while falling far short of them itself. “This is an ideological catastrophe for the United States,” Pushkov said, referring to

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during his visit to the new headquarters of “Russia Today” TV channel in Moscow, Russia, yesterday. —AP Snowden’s leaks about National Security Agency surveillance programs.

Snowden, who provided the information for reports that revealed broad monitoring of phone call and Internet

Sudan orders firms to shut South’s oil flow KHARTOUM: Sudan’s oil ministry formally told oil companies yesterday to block the export flow of South Sudanese crude oil, following an order from President Omar AlBashir. Oil Minister Awad Ahmad Al-Jaz presented the written directive in a meeting with senior executives of the GNPOC joint operating company and Petrodar, the ministry said.

It orders them “to stop the process of transportation and exporting South Sudanese oil within 60 days starting from Sunday June 9”, the ministry said.

On Sunday, Khartoum froze nine security and economic pacts with South Sudan, including a deal to restore economically vital oil shipments through the Red Sea export terminal. A day earlier, Bashir had said the oil minister must issue a formal order effective Sunday to close the pipeline.

An expert told AFP 45 days would be required to complete a shutdown without damaging the infrastructure. Despite these moves, Khartoum said it remained committed to good relations if the South’s government ended what it claims is support for rebels on Sudanese soil. Bashir had earlier warned the South over backing rebels, who analysts say humiliated the authorities with

recent attacks. Juba denies supporting insurgents in the north and, in turn, has accused Khartoum of backing rebels on southern territory. South Sudan became independent two years ago under a peace deal that ended a 22-year civil war. It separated with most of Sudan’s 470,000 barrels per day of oil production but the export infrastructure remains under northern control. Until March, when the two countries reached detailed timetables to implement the nine agreements, the two sides had not been able to agree on how much Juba should pay to use the pipeline.

The deals had been held up for months because of Sudan’s concerns that the South was backing rebels. Those concerns have now resurfaced publicly even though the two sides had begun jointly monitoring a demilitarised border buffer zone along with United Nations peacekeepers. Yesterday, the oil minister told the companies that “South Sudan is not serious about implementing the security agreement.” On Sunday, Juba accused Khartoum’s troops of pushing through the buffer zone and into South Sudan. Khartoum in turn said the South had not withdrawn from six areas along the frontier. —AFP

data by the NSA, fled to Hong Kong and has said he hopes that Iceland might grant him asylum.

Putin said the methods revealed by Snowden were widespread and were justified “in the circumstances of the struggle against international terrorism”, but that they must be applied legally and not behind the public’s back. “In Russia, for instance, one cannot listen to a telephone conversation without the proper permission from a court,” Putin told state-run English-language channel RT. He was not asked about the asylum issue.

Snowden is not known to have mentioned the possibility of asylum in Russia, where the government taps the phones of opposition members and keeps close tabs on social networks, but Peskov was quoted in Russian daily Kommersant as saying Moscow was open to such an approach. Asked by Reuters whether Russia would be inclined to grant a request from Snowden, Peskov said: “It is impossible (to say) now. No one has applied yet. If he says: I request (political asylum), then we will consider it.”

Accused by the West of curtailing democracy and civil liberties over 13 years in power, Putin has missed few chances to champion public figures who challenge Western governments, and to portray Washington as an overzealous global policeman. He has pursued warm ties with US foes such as the late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, and this year granted Russian citizenship to Gerard Depardieu after the French actor abandoned his homeland to escape high taxes. In 2010, the Kremlin suggested Wikileaks founder Julian Assange should be nominated for a Nobel prize.

“By tapping telephones and conducting surveillance on the Internet, the US security services have violated the laws of their own country. In this sense Snowden, like Assange, is a rights defender,” member of parliament Pushkov tweeted.

Russia recently began criticising the United States in annual reports on the state of human rights around the world fighting back for the drubbing Russia gets in yearly rights reports by the US State Department. In another pointed intervention, Putin offered on Friday to send Russian troops to the Golan Heights buffer zone between Israel and Syria, after Austria said it would withdraw from a UN peacekeeping force. His proposal went down badly in the West because of Russia’s support for the Syrian government. —Reuters

power cut and some 400 people had to seek higher ground. Downriver the Elbe stabilised as towns and cities remained in a state of alert, particularly in Magdeburg, the capital of Saxony-Anhalt, where more than 20,000 have had to seek emergency shelter.

Hungarians meanwhile breathed a sigh of relief as the level of the Danube continued to fall to 8.45 m yesterday from 8.81 m late Monday. Travel restrictions in Budapest were expected to remain in place for another week but a key bridge linking Hungary to Slovakia reopened to traffic. Prime Minister Viktor Orban said his ministers would begin calculating the cost of the damage and hammering out a reconstruction plan. “We still have a day and a half or two tough days ahead of us,” he said. “That is why we need to focus our efforts and attention at this time.”

Economy Minister Philipp Roesler said yesterday the government would establish an aid fund for stricken residents and businesses using a model established after “worst-in-a-century” floods in 2002. “That was a success,” he told Berlin’s Inforadio, saying the amount of the new fund would be determined after the floods had passed and the cost of the damage had been tallied. Ratings agency Fitch said the latest deluge could be more costly than the 2002 catastrophe, forecasting Ä12 billion in damage in Germany alone, of which up to three billion

euros would be covered by insurance policies. The German Economic Institute (DIW) estimated in the middle of last week that the floods had already done six billion euros in damage. Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is just over three months away from a general election and last week pledged Ä100 million in immediate aid, is to meet Germany’s 16 state leaders tomorrow to discuss recovery efforts.

Meanwhile a staple of the German diet, the potato, looked to be another victim of the flooding as the fruit and vegetable industry association (BOGK) warned that a meagre harvest could drive up prices. “It is not unlikely that there could be a shortage of French fries, dumplings and chips,” BOGK managing director Horst-Peter Karos told the daily Bild. Officials in Bavaria, which experienced the worst of the flooding last week, said the brown waters had wiped out around 60 percent of the vegetable harvest. And in Saxony, where the Elbe burst its banks last week, 30,000 hectares used for grazing and 45,000 hectares of cultivated land were inundated to an extent where “nothing could be saved”, Andreas Jahnel of the region’s agricultural federation said. “The fields were under water for four or five days - everything is rotten,” he said, adding that the only hope was that some of the harvest could be salvaged to produce biogas. —AFP

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

local spotlight

Omar Kutaiba Alghanim delivering his speech during the press conference.

(From right) Hesham El Hawary, Shunichi Uchida, HE Toshihiro Tsujihara, Omar Kutaiba Alghanim and Manabu Nishimae

(From right) Hesham El Hawary, Shunichi Uchida, Omar Kutaiba Alghanim and Manabu Nishimae

K

Omar Kutaiba Alghanim amongst his guests.

uwait has once again hosted one of the most beautiful and ceremonious occasions that were held this summer in the country. Blossoming with glorious promise of economic success anticipating further Kuwait’s commercial progress, the distinctive event itself comprised of rich, entertaining and artistic segments with the highlight of the long awaited evening being a performance from the renowned music artist, Hussain AlJassmi, who moved and dazzled the invitees and crowd of audiences who were present at the event that was held in the Ice Skating Rink on Sunday.

The festive event was organized to mark the grand occasion of Alghanim Industries’ new partnership with the Japanese multinational corporation, Honda.

Alghanim Industries has proudly become the new and exclusive distributor of all Honda products including vehicles, motorcycles and power products in Kuwait for sales and service.

The event’s invitees included a large number of guests including the Japanese ambassador, Toshihiro Tsujihara, members of the Japanese Embassy, high-ranking members from Honda Motors including Manabu Nishimae, the Managing Officer of Honda Motor Co. and the Chief Operating Officer for Honda’s Regional Operations in Europe, CIS, Middle and Near East and Africa, and Shunichi Uchida, Director of Honda Middle East. Omar Kutaiba Alghanim, the Chief Executive Officer of Alghanim Industries, as well as top management members of Kuwaiti corporations and Honda Alghanim who were also present at the event.

Addressing the press conference held before the start of the event, Omar Kutaiba Alghanim, Chief Executive Officer Alghanim Industries, said, “Please join me in welcoming Japanese Ambassador: Toshihiro Tsujihara, Manabu Nishimae, the Managing Officer of Honda Motor Company and Chief Operating Officer for Regional Operations in Europe, CIS, the Middle and Near East and Africa and Schunichi Uchida, Director of Honda Middle East and Hesham El

Hawary, Senior General Manager Honda Middle East. These honourable gentlemen have joined us today to celebrate the new and promising partnership between Honda and Alghanim Motors in this unique and spectacular evening. This partnership is among Alghanim Industries’ most significant milestones.”

He added, “We are looking forward to working closely with Honda in order to market the company’s products for our customers here in Kuwait. Alghanim Industries and Honda have long shared a mutual goal to serve customer needs in Kuwait at the highest international standards. The promising partnership between Honda and Alghanim Industries is based on the values both companies share.

Both are ambitious corporations that stress upon customer centricity as well as diversity, teamwork, meritocracy and respect in the workplace, a professional and empowering environment that considers its employees as its core asset.”

Alghanim further said, “Today, Alghanim Industries continues to grow and succeed. Its new partnership with Honda has given Alghanim Motors the rights to distribute Honda’s products including its automobiles range, power products, marine products and motorcycles. Alghanim Industries will also provide state of the art service centers for the Honda products supported by qualified service engineers and all-new sales showrooms.”

“At the end of the day, our customers lie at the heart of everything we do. Although we at Alghanim Industries are proud and excited about our new partnership with Honda, we know that what might excite us even more is increasing our customers’ satisfaction and developing their lifetime experiences with the products and services we now provide. Our customers are our calling, and it gives us great pleasure to go beyond their needs and wants with our new partnership with Honda,” Alghanim concluded.

On his part, Manabu Nishimae, the Managing Officer of Honda Motor Co. and the Chief Operating Officer for Honda’s Regional Operations in Europe, CIS, Middle and Near East and Africa said, “Since its establishment in 1948, Honda Motor Co. Ltd., has provided products of the highest quality that create new values for our customers. Honda has grown to become the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer and one of the leading automakers. Honda develops, manufactures and markets a wide variety of products ranging from general-purpose engines to motorcycles, to specialty sports cars.

ASIMO gracefully dancing on stage.

The all-new 2013 Honda Accord

ASIMO shakes hands with Shadia Bseiso, the presenter.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

local spotlight

A view of the audience.

Hussain Al-Jassmi captivates the audience with his songs.

And we have earned an outstanding reputation from customers worldwide.”

He added, “In 2012, Honda achieved worldwide sales of 15.5 million units of motorcycle, 4 million units of automobiles and 6.1 million units of power products. In total, we have achieved 25.6 million unit sales in the world. And, under new venture, in order to provide products exceeding expectations and to give you the dream, Honda has been developing the Honda Jet and ASIMO with new robotic technology, who you will meet shortly later.”

On a final note he said, “Alghanim Industries and Honda have long shared a mutual ambition to address the needs of customers in Kuwait by offering product and service at high quality. We are committed to exceed customer satisfaction and the Joy of Buying a Honda product. It is our promise to you.”

The much-anticipated event started with speeches from Honda officials before a traditional Kuwaiti folklore band broke the ice and awed its audience with its entrancing, rhythmic beats and sounds of Kuwait’s past. Kuwaiti tradition was followed by the captivating performance of Japanese taiko drummers who mesmerized the audience with their dominating beat and rhythm. Although culturally different, the two traditional musical performances’ harmoniousness mirrored the equally balanced and harmonious nature of the new partnership between Honda Motors, the epitome of Japanese technology and innovation, and Alghanim Industries, a symbol of admirable success, prideful perseverance and a deeply rich history that spans over eight decades.

ASIMO: Honda’s Robot Visits Kuwait The element of surprise was in the form of ASIMO, the smartest robot in the world that is the culmination of two decades of humanoid robotics research by Honda engineers in Japan. ASIMO was brought to Kuwait to reveal to the audience at the event what the human mind has achieved in the field of technology: a robot that acts just as humans do. ASIMO can run, walk on even slopes and surfaces, turn smoothly, climb stairs and reach for and grasp objects. ASIMO can also comprehend and respond to simple voice commands. ASIMO has the ability to recognize the face of a select group of individuals. Using its camera eyes, ASIMO can map its environment and register stationary objects. ASIMO can also avoid colliding with obstacles as it moves through its environment. As development continues on ASIMO, today Honda demonstrates ASIMO around the world to encourage and inspire young students to explore the infinite universe of science and technology. ASIMO will soon be of help with important tasks such as assisting the elderly or disabled people as well as performing certain tasks that are dangerous to humans including fighting fires or cleaning up toxic spills.

Kuwait Past & Present: In the Eyes of Alghanim Industries Although it was a simple film that was a few minutes long, the content it contained possessed beautiful and pride-filling moments and snapshots of the past and present. The short documentary showcased aged, yellowing photographs of Kuwait’s past and the Gulf country’s hum-

ΩJapanese Taiko drummers leave the audience mesmerized with their drum

With the presence of Hussain Al-Jassmi, rhythmic beats of a traditional Kuwaiti folklore band and the beat of Japanese Taiko drums the audience was enthralled.

ble beginnings before the discovery of black gold that quickly breathed life into Kuwait, bringing about projects and potential of growth, an element that included the birth of Alghanim Industries in the year of 1932. Although small, the ambitious company’s values and vision helped it gain success year after year until it became what it is today: one of the largest regional corporations in the global market.

The short documentary featured different stages of Alghanim Industries including its growth, fruitful expansion and success, the large number of globally renowned brands it represents as well as its growing local, regional and global network of companies that includes 40 countries around the world with the highlight of everything being Alghanim Industries’ recent exclusive distribution agreement with Honda Motors in Kuwait.

Hussain Al-Jassmi: The Man with the Golden Voice Following the exciting performance of the Japanse taiko drummers, an announcer revealed the surprising performance of the night, the beloved music artist, Hussain AlJassmi. With lyrics and harmonious melodies that tugged at his audience’s heartstrings, Al-Jassmi’s performance became one of the grand event’s highlights as his unique and powerful voice and presence filled the air and hearts of his listeners and fans. Always the entertainer, Al- Jassmi’s performance went beyond music as he engaged and interacted with his audience who thus responded to his captivating musical talent and glory.

Honda and Alghanim: A Shared Vision and United Effort Announcing the partnership between Alghanim Industries and Honda Motors concluded a long conversation between the two entities that share the same ambitious vision that is always geared to constant progression and achieving success year after year. The two corporations seemed to suit one another as both occupy leading positions in their respective local market. The admirable similarities that Honda Motors shares with Alghanim Industries instilled a familiar sense of trust that aided that Japanese corporation to grant Alghanim Industries the exclusive right to distribute all of Honda’s products. With that, Alghanim Industries established Alghanim International for the Sale and Purchase of Cars (Alghanim Motors) so as to become the legal and official distributor of Honda’s products in Kuwait including Honda vehicles, motorcycles, power products and marine outboard engines.

The agreement gives Alghanim Motors rights for the distribution and servicing of Honda Automobiles’ range of coupes, sedans, SUVs, CUVs, and minivans. Alghanim Industries will also provide and manage Honda Automobiles facilities in Kuwait, including dedicated service centers, Honda qualified service engineers and new specialist sales outlets.

Hussain Al-Jasmi, the man with the golden voice.

Kuwaiti traditional ‘Arda dance.

Taiko drummers up close.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

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

Mayor to start prepping NYC for warming world NEW YORK: The projections paint an unsettling picture of New York’s future: a city where by the 2050s, 800,000 people could be living in a flood zone that would cover a quarter of the land, with temperatures steadily rising. Facing those new projections of the effects of global warming on America’s biggest city, Mayor Michael Bloomberg was scheduled to talk about what to do about risks that Superstorm Sandy brought into stark relief when it devastated the East Coast last year.

“We have to look ahead and anticipate any and all future threats, not only from

Mayor Michael Bloomberg hurricanes and other coastal storms but also from droughts, heavy downpours and heat waves - many of which are likely to be longer and more intense in the years to come,” an excerpt from the mayor’s planned speech says. Two top Bloomberg aides who oversaw the study underlying the speech, Seth Pinsky and Deputy Mayor Caswell Holloway, wouldn’t hint Monday at what the suggestions would be, what they might cost or how they might be financed. Many key decisions likely will come after Bloomberg’s third and final term ends this year.

Bloomberg said last winter the study would examine the pros and cons of building berms, dunes, levees and other coastprotection structures. But he has historically been cool to the idea of massive sea

walls - and emphatic about not suggesting that people retreat from coastal communities. The recommendations will draw from updated predictions from the New York City Panel on Climate Change, a scientists’ group convened by the city.

The average day could be 4 degrees to nearly 7 degrees Fahrenheit (2 to nearly 4 degrees Celsius) hotter by mid-century, the panel estimates in data Pinsky and Holloway discussed Monday. A once-in-acentury storm would likely spur a surge 5 feet (1.5 meters) or more higher than did Sandy, which sent a record 14-foot (4.2meter) storm tide gushing into lower Manhattan. And with local waters a foot to 2.5 feet (0.76 meters) higher than they are today, 8 percent of the city’s coastline could see flooding just from high tides, the group estimates. Most of that coast is in a relatively undeveloped area near a bay.

City Hall, the state government and others have released warnings over the years about climate risks. The city has required some new developments in flood zones to be elevated and has restored wetlands as natural barriers, among other steps. “Sandy, obviously, increased the urgency of dealing with this and the need to plan and start to take concrete steps,” Holloway said. The new projections echo 2009 estimates from the climate change panel, but the timeframe for some upperend possibilities has moved up from the 2080s to mid-century. “The overall numbers are similar, but we have more compelling evidence now that (a more severe scenario from 2009) is looking like a more realistic possibility now,” due to improved computer models and more evidence that some ice sheets are melting, said Radley Horton, a climate scientist with Columbia University’s Earth Institute and a researcher with the city climate panel.

Scientists have reached a consensus on global warming but still debate how severe the effects will be. Meanwhile, the Federal Emergency Management Agency released revisions Monday to proposed new flood zone maps for the city. About 218,000 people and 35,000 buildings are in the current once-in-100-year flood zone, drawn in the 1980s. The new maps roughly double those numbers, though the revision shifts about 5,800 structures from a subset called the V zone - the area expected to suffer the worst damage - to a less stringent zone. A roughly two-year review is expected before new maps become official. They can affect building regulations and insurance.— AP

US diplomatic security in sex, drugs cover-up?

Memo reports cases of hushed of criminal activity WASHINGTON: A US watchdog has launched an inquiry into claims that diplomatic security officials tried to cover up alleged sex-and-drugs charges against agents and diplomats, an official said Monday. State Department diplomatic security agents are responsible for protecting 275 US embassies as well as the secretary of state-and the bureau last came under fire for the 2012 attack on the US mission in Benghazi, Libya.

Now, in a new blow to the agency’s credibility, a watchdog has called in outside law enforcement officers to investigate its procedures, amid claims it tried to hush up allegations of the use of prostitutes by agents and even an underground drugs ring supplying contractors. An internal memo by the State Department’s Inspector General found eight cases in which inquiries into alleged criminal activity by diplomatic security agents or contractors were influenced or halted, CBS television reported.

They included allegations that security agents protecting ex-secretary of state Hillary Clinton “engaged prostitutes while on official trips in foreign countries,” CBS said, quoting from the memo, a problem the report says was “endemic.” It also revealed details of an alleged

got out and the other women -some of whom relied on walkers and canes- followed with help from each other and a caregiver. “I think that’s what saved us,” she said. “The doors were not closed, so they weren’t locked.” Flames erupted about 15 minutes later, she said, although the women were out by then and had moved into the home. Television news footage showed the limo’s passenger and driver’s compartments completely gutted.

The limo fire on the San MateoHayward Bridge over San Francisco Bay last month spread rapidly, engulfing the luxury car in just a few fleeting moments.

The five women who died were found pressed up against the 3-foot by 1 1/2-

WALNUT CREEK: In this photo, a burned out 2009 Lincoln Town Car limousine sits in a driveway along Skycrest Drive in the Rossmoor community of Walnut Creek, Calif. — AP

WASHINGTON: When the federal government went looking for phone numbers tied to terrorists, it grabbed the records of just about everyone in America. Why every phone number?

“Well, you have to start someplace,” Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told NBC News on Monday. That breadth, that willingness to sweep up enormous information on Americans with no ties to terrorists, is making it hard for the Obama administration to tamp down controversy over a separate program, called PRISM, to monitor Internet traffic.

In short, critics ask, if looking for terrorists means collecting every American’s phone records, how can anyone believe the president when he says Americans aren’t being monitored on the Internet? “These things are very narrowly circumscribed,” Obama said. “They’re very focused.”

The Internet program came to light last week in documents published by The Washington Post and Guardian newspapers. It allows the NSA to reach into the data streams of US companies - Facebook, Yahoo,

foot partition, apparently because smoke and fire kept them from the rear exits of the extended passenger compartment.

Four women and the driver managed to escape. The women were celebrating the wedding of a newlywed friend. The California Highway Patrol has not concluded its investigation of the May 4 fire.Industry experts say the stretch limousine industry is poorly regulated because regulatory agencies lack funds to investigate the many small businesses that modify limousines. US Department of Transportation data shows five people died in three separate stretch limo accidents in 2010, and 21 people died in another three accidents in 2011.

The 2008 Lincoln Town Car that burned Sunday was well-maintained and had 80,000 miles, said Claudius Oliveira, owner of TownCar SF, which operates the limo and two others in the San Francisco Bay area. He said faulty wiring was responsible for the fire and blamed the manufacturer. Typically, stretch limos are either modified by a company that customizes and stretches the vehicle or by whoever bought the limousine directly from the car marker.

The manufacturer modified the car in this case, Oliveira said.

Walnut Creek police Lt. Jay Hill said the vehicle was only licensed to carry eight people. —AP

Police piece together fatal shooting PRESCOTT VALLEY: A 4-year-old boy who was visiting Prescott Valley with his dad grabbed a loaded handgun from a television stand, asked what it was and pulled the trigger, killing the man in what police say was a tragic accident.

Justin Stanfield Thomas, 34, had traveled from Phoenix to a friend’s home on Friday to pick up some of his things from a duplex where he lived until earlier this year, police said. The boy quickly found a .380-caliber semi-automatic handgun, showed it to his dad and fired it, authorities said. “Daddy got blood on him,” the boy later told investigators.

Police Sgt. Brandon Bonney said Monday that it didn’t appear that the tenant - James Williams, 26 - knew Thomas and his son would be visiting or had enough time to secure the weapon before they arrived. No children lived in the house. Bonney said Williams was asleep when Thomas sent him a text message to say he was coming over, but Williams didn’t read it until authorities showed up to investigate the shooting.

Williams is heard in a 911 recording released Monday saying that a man in his

30s was shot in the left side of the chest and was bleeding. One of his unidentified male friends was in the living room at the time and told authorities that he heard the boy say “what is this?” before a shot rang out. Thomas grabbed his chest and said to call 911, then collapsed, police said.

With labored breathing, Williams tells a dispatcher that he wasn’t sure what happened but that he believed it was an accident involving Thomas’ son. “He’s non responsive, he’s breathing, there’s bubbles coming from his mouth,” Williams says. “He looks pretty bad.” Thomas later died at a hospital. The Prescott Daily Courier reported that Thomas was an Army special forces veteran who served in Iraq. His mother told Phoenix television station KNXV that her grandson did not understand what happened and was waiting to play with his dad. A number listed for her in Tampa, Fla., was disconnected.

Bonney said no charges were expected in the case, and that Williams kept the weapon for self-defense. He said Williams was in a back bedroom when Thomas

vowed “any case we would take seriously and we would investigate, and that’s exactly what we’re doing,” but she dismissed the notion that behavior such as using prostitutes was endemic.

“Last year alone, the detail accompanied then-Secretary Clinton to 69 countries with more than 10,000 person-nights spent in hotels abroad. So I’m not going to speak to specific cases... but it is hardly endemic.” Psaki also revealed that, following the recommendation of the Inspector General, “diplomatic security has taken the further step of requesting an additional review by outside, experienced law enforcement officers.”

These would make “expert assessments about our current procedures,” she said. A former investigator with the Inspector General, Aurelia Fedenisn, told CBS: “We also uncovered several allegations of criminal wrongdoing in cases, some of which never became cases.” But members of the diplomatic security bureau told the Inspector General’s investigators to back off, she alleged. “We were very upset. We expect to see influence, but the degree to which that influence existed and how high up it went, was very disturbing,” she said. — AFP

What’s the problem with PRISM?

10 women, many in 90s, escape Calif limo fire SAN FRANCISCO: Ten women - some of them in their 90s - escaped unharmed from a limousine that began smoking and caught fire in Northern California a little more than a month after five nurses were killed while trapped inside a burning limousine on a nearby bridge. The women were celebrating one of their 90th birthdays and were in the vehicle outside the birthday woman’s home where they had gathered shortly after 11 a.m.- when white smoke began coming out of the partition between the driver’s compartment and the passenger compartment, Mary Chapman, one of the passengers, said Monday.

The limousine was idling, but the doors were open. Chapman, 63, said she

“underground drug ring” near the US embassy in Baghdad which was said to supply drugs to contractors working for diplomatic security.

In one case, officials told the inspector general they were told to stop investigating an American ambassador “who held a sensitive diplomatic post and was suspected of patronizing prostitutes in a public park,” CBS reported.

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki on Monday did not deny any of the allegations contained in the CBS report, but refused to go into specifics.

“We take allegations of misconduct seriously and we investigate thoroughly. All cases mentioned in the CBS report were thoroughly investigated or are under investigation,” she insisted to reporters. She dismissed the idea that the State Department would not hand over for prosecution any of its 70,000 staff if they were found to have engaged in criminal activity.

“I can say broadly that the notion that we would not vigorously pursue criminal misconducts in any case is preposterous,” she told reporters. “We’ve put individuals behind bars for criminal behavior. There is record of that.

Ambassadors would be no exception.” Pskai

and his son arrived, and the gun went off within a minute. “He really wasn’t in a position to know they were there or to go and secure his gun,” Bonney said.

“With this person, living by himself, there wasn’t necessarily any legal requirement to keep that weapon locked away.” No one answered the door Monday at the duplex. The case has raised questions about how weapons should be stored in a home even when children aren’t present. Firearms experts say gun owners have a certain responsibility for their weapons but aren’t required to lock them up at all times. Larry Kolontar, owner of Common Sense Firearms Training in Des Moines, Iowa, said the issue isn’t about whether children are present inside the home - it’s about control of your weapon at all times. “If it’s not on you or in a secured location, out of reach and hidden, it needs to be locked up,” said Kolontar, who teaches firearms safety. “This is a very sad, horrible situation, but it’s one of those things that could have been avoided if the owner would have taken a little more responsibility and secured the weapon.” —AP

Microsoft, Google and others - and grab emails, video chats, pictures and more.

Just how much the government seizes is unclear. Clapper says it is narrowly focused on foreign targets, and technology companies say they turn over only information that’s required by court order. But after reading a leaked court document last week that allowed NSA to sweep up millions of American phone records, Trevor Timm of the Electronic Frontier Foundation said, “The question is how broad the orders are they’re giving these companies.”

PRISM was born late in George W Bush’s administration, but its bloodline can be traced to the frenzied aftermath of 9/11. It used to be that, when the federal government wanted to read a foreigner’s Yahoo or Microsoft emails, it needed a judge’s approval. After the attacks, Bush secretly authorized the National Security Agency to get to skip that oversight and read US-based email accounts in real time.

When the New York Times revealed the existence of that pro-

gram, the Bush administration appealed to Congress, saying court approval was too arduous. There were too many emails to monitor.

Getting warrants for each one took too long. “In certain cases, this process of obtaining a court order slows, and in some cases may prevent, the government’s efforts to conduct surveillance of communications that are potentially vital to the national security,” Kenneth Wainstein, then the Justice Department’s top national security prosecutor, testified in 2007.

Sometimes, the government would sweep up Americans’ emails, but not intentionally. “As a matter of due course, if you’re targeting something foreign, you could inadvertently intercept an American,” said Michael McConnell, the director of national intelligence at the time.

Congress agreed. No more warrants.

With that, PRISM was born. Now, the government needs only explain to Congress and a secret court exactly how it intends to collect information like emails, Skype video conferences and Facebook messages. Once the

court approves the collection rules, the government can grab anything it wants. Judging from the documents released by the Post and Guardian, PRISM takes a lot of data and quickly.

An NSA document said PRISM was the eavesdropping program “used most” by the agency.

The law says the government must limit its surveillance to people “reasonably believed to be located outside the United States.” But everything hinges words such as “targeting” and “collecting,” which have unique meanings in the spy world. As the classified court order released last week shows, officials can grab phone logs from everybody and still say they haven’t targeted or collected information on a single American.

Only when an analyst reaches into the archives and looks at the information has something been collected.

Clapper uses a library analogy: The government can fill its shelves with books containing the phone numbers of Americans, who they’re talking to, how long they talk and where they call from. That doesn’t count as collection. — AP

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

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

Korean talks called off High-level dialogue cancelled after discord over delegate

VIENTIANE: In this photo, a Chinese teacher instructs the first class of students the Chinese language in a classroom at the transitional campus for Soochow University in Laos. — AP

China ready to set up first university campuses abroad BEIJING: In the capital of tropical Laos, two dozen students who see their future in trade ties with neighboring China spent their school year attending Mandarin classes in a no-frills, rented room. It’s the start of China’s first, and almost certainly not its last, university campus abroad. “There are a lot of companies in Laos that are from China,” said 19-yearold Palamy Siphandone. She said she chose the Soochow University branch campus after hearing it would offer scholarships to students with high scores.

“If I can speak Chinese, I get more opportunities to work with them,” she said in a telephone interview during a trip to the eastern Chinese city of Suzhou - the home city of Soochow University. Education officials in China are promoting the notion of the country’s universities expanding overseas, tapping new education markets while extending the influence of the rising economic power.

China so far has been on the receiving end of the globalization of education, with Western institutions rushing to China to set up shop. Now it’s stepping out. In addition to the emerging Laos campus, there are plans for what may become one of the world’s largest overseas branch campuses in Malaysia and an agreement by a Chinese university to explore a joint campus with a British university in London.

“The Chinese government and its universities have been very ambitious in the reform and internationalization of Chinese higher education,” said Mary Gallagher, director of the Center of Chinese Studies at University of Michigan. “This is partly about increasing China’s soft power, increasing the number of people who study the Chinese language and are knowledgeable about China from the Chinese perspective.”

Chinese universities historically have offered language lessons in foreign countries but usually to serve the overseas Chinese population. In recent years, the Chinese government has set up Confucius Institutes around the globe to promote Chinese culture and language. But full-fledged campuses that can confer degrees are a new experiment.

China’s Education Ministry declined The Associated Press’ request for an interview on the issue, saying the effort was too nascent to

discuss yet. The Laos branch of Soochow University, based in Vientiane, is now looking to raise money for a full-fledged campus of 5,000 students, university official Chen Mei said. “The national policy wants us to go out, as the internationalization of education comes with the globalization of economy,” she said.

The Lao campus started as part of an economic development zone between Laos and Chinese governments, then continued after the larger project fell through.

China’s Xiamen University, based in eastern Fujian province, announced plans early this year to open a branch in Malaysia by 2015 and have annual enrollment of 10,000 by 2020. In May, China’s Zhejiang University and Imperial College London signed an agreement to explore options for a joint campus, though the scope and funding are still to be spelled out.

Philip G. Altbach, an expert on international higher education at Boston College, warns that Chinese universities might be venturing out too soon. “I think that China’s top universities have sufficient work to do at home that they do not need to expand into the risky and often expensive world of branch campuses outside of China,” Altbach wrote in an e-mail.

“China’s global influence and prestige in higher education is best served by strengthening its universities at home and offering a ‘world class’ education to Chinese students and expanded numbers of overseas students.”

Starting in the 1990s, China - aiming to graduate more college students - began to build new campuses, encourage privatization of higher education and expand enrollment.

The rush has been accompanied with criticism that quality has been overlooked by quantity and that Chinese colleges have failed to prepare their students for the job market, or to deliver a well-rounded education. The changes have helped draw international students, whose numbers in mainland China are growing and topped 290,000 in 2011. China also has encouraged its youth to seek education abroad and has invited foreign universities - especially top institutes - to set up joint programs and branch campuses to help meet the demand for quality education.—AP

KOLKATA: Police officials arrest activists of pro-leftist student organisation as they shout anti-government slogans during a protest against the recent gangrape and murder of a 20-year-old college student in the suburban Barasat area, in Kolkata yesterday. — AFP

Veteran Indian oppn leader back in fold NEW DELHI: India’s Hindu nationalist opposition said yesterday party patriarch LK Advani would return to the fold, a day after he quit in apparent protest at the naming of hardliner Narendra Modi to head the 2014 election campaign. In a shock move, Advani, an 85-year-old stalwart of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and a former deputy prime minister, resigned Monday from all his positions in the party which he helped build into a national force. Advani’s resignation was rejected by the BJP’s parliamentary board amid high drama that followed his decision.

Yesterday, BJP president Rajnath Singh announced that Advani would continue to “guide the party in the national interest”.Singh said he had assured Advani that his concerns about the functioning of the party would be “properly addressed”. Advani “has said that any decision of the party he will accept,” Singh said. Modi’s appointment as campaign manager at a weekend party meeting in the coastal state of Goa is seen as a stepping stone to him being named the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate.

Modi’s elevation came despite resistance from some colleagues who view the chief minister of Gujarat as an electorally divisive figure for failing to stop deadly

anti-Muslim riots in 2002 in his home state. BJP leaders gathered at Advani’s residence to make the announcement that the veteran leader was staying on in the party.

However, Advani was not present at the news conference for what Singh explained were “reasons of common etiquette”. He did not elaborate.In a terse resignation letter, Advani had said he was “finding it difficult to reconcile with either the functioning of the party or the direction in which it is going”. “Most BJP leaders are concerned just with their personal agendas,” he wrote in an oblique reference to controversial right-wing leader Modi. Advani, who built the BJP into the only national opposition to Congress, had snubbed the party conference where Modi was named campaign chairman. Advani’s unhappiness highlighted the difficult road ahead for Modi who will need to win the backing of other senior BJP members as well as the party ’s regional coalition partners to become the party’s candidate for prime minister, analysts say. Analysts also say the dissent could hurt the BJP’s chances of recapturing power despite widespread public anger against the ruling Congress over corruption scandals. The general elections are slated to be held by May of next year. — AFP

SEOUL: The Koreas’ first high-level talks in years have been scrapped because of a stalemate over who will lead each delegation, South Korea said yesterday, a day before they were to begin. The cancellation is a blow to tentative hopes that the rivals were about to improve ties following years of rising hostility. North Korea said it wasn’t sending its officials to Seoul for the two-day meeting that was to begin today because the South had changed the head of its delegation, Kim Hyungsuk, a spokesman for Seoul’s Unification Ministry, told reporters in a briefing. The ministry is in charge of North Korea matters.

There had been hope that the talks on reviving two high-profile economic cooperation projects would allow the countries to move past a relationship marred by recent North Korean threats of nuclear war and South Korean vows of counterstrikes. But the collapse over what’s essentially a protocol matter is testament to the difficulty the countries have in finding common ground. South Korea had originally wanted a minister-level meeting between the top officials responsible for interKorean affairs, but Pyongyang wouldn’t commit to that. The last minister-level meeting between the Koreas occurred in 2007.

When Seoul told Pyongyang yesterday that it was sending a lower-level official than it had initially proposed in preparatory talks, North Korea said it would consider that a “provocation,” Kim said. The cancellation of talks arises partly from misunderstandings that the sides have about who is equivalent to whom in power between their largely different political systems, Koh Yu-hwan, a North Korea scholar at Seoul’s Dongguk University, said.

“The two sides are offended by each other now.

The relations may again undergo a cooling off period before negotiations for further talks resume,” he said. North Korea did not immediately issue its own statement about the canceled talks. The talks were set up in a painstaking 17-hour negotiating session Sunday, but the rivals had set aside the issue of who would lead North Korea’s delegation. Kim said that yesterday, North Korea offered to send a senior official of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea as chief delegate, and Seoul said it would send its vice unification minister as chief delegate.

South Korea had previously proposed sending its unification minister. After it announced the vice minister would go instead, North Korea said it wouldn’t send anyone and that “all responsibility is

entirely on South Korea,” Kim said. He added that Seoul is still open to talks if North Korea reconsiders.

The main goal of the planned talks had been to see if the Koreas could restore economic projects that were born in the “sunshine era,” a 10-year period ending in 2008 when South Korea was ruled by liberal presidents who shipped large quantities of aid to Pyongyang as they sought to improve ties.

The last of those projects, a North Korean factory complex run with North Korean workers and South Korean managers and capital, shut down this spring. North Korea also wanted Seoul to restart an era of rapprochement by commemorating past joint statements on reunification and joint economic cooperation efforts. But Seoul balked at this; it has demanded apologies for past bloodshed before allowing such exchanges.

North Korea’s interest in talks followed its longstanding cycle of alternating between provocative behavior and attempts to seek dialogue in what analysts say are efforts to win outside concessions.

After UN sanctions were strengthened following North Korea’s third nuclear test in February, the country, which is estimated to have a handful of crude nuclear devices, threatened nuclear war and missile strikes against Seoul and Washington.

North Korea has also conducted recent nuclear tests and long-range rocket launches.

Some observers believe Pyongyang was trying to ease ties with Seoul, Tokyo and Beijing as a way to win coveted talks with Washington, which it believes could grant it aid and security guarantees.

South Korean President Park Geun-hye has made trust-building with Pyongyang a hallmark of her nascent rule, even as she vows strong counterstrikes to any North Korean attacks. There was skepticism in Seoul about the talks even before they collapsed. “We cannot be overly hopeful about inter-Korean relations, which reached a new low not long ago,” the conservative Korea JoongAng Daily said in an editorial yesterday. “We have experienced numerous setbacks during past talks with Pyongyang.” —AP

SEOUL: Pictures of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (left top) late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, and members of Unified Progressive Party, South Korean pro-North Korean political party (left bottom) are displayed by conservative groups, which opposes the Koreas’ first high-level meeting yesterday. — AP

Suicide explosion in Kabul kills 17 at Supreme Court KABUL: A suicide car bomber struck outside the Supreme Court in the Afghan capital yesterday, killing at least 17 people and wounding 39 in the second consecutive day of militant attacks in the heart of Kabul.

The Taleban claimed responsibility for the attack, saying their fighter had taken down judges who obey Western powers. President Hamid Karzai condemned the bombing, saying it was another “terrorist act that once again shows the Taleban are serving the enemies of Islam.”

The bombing was the deadliest attack in Kabul since Dec. 6, 2011, when a suicide bomber on foot hit worshippers at a Shiite shrine, killing at least 80 people. Yesterday’s explosion struck as court employees were leaving the building by the back entrance after the day’s work, mostly in buses or private cars, said police officer Jahn Agha.

Police spokesman Hashmat Stanikzai said the bomber drove an SUV and specifically targeted the buses with court workers. Police said all the victims were civilians or court staff. The courthouse is on a busy main road in central Kabul, near the US Embassy. The NATO headquarters is also nearby. Taleban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack, saying in a statement the militants were obliged to attack “cruel judges” who do the bidding of foreign powers. The Taleban and other groups have unleashed a wave of bombings and assassinations around the country, testing the ability of the Afghan security forces to respond with reduced help from international troops, which have begun a withdrawal that will see most foreign troops gone by the end of 2014. The Taleban have said they would go after government workers as part of their spring campaign targeting those serving the “puppet” administration of Karzai. “ The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan was obligated to act against this puppet regime because the people have suffered under the courts,” said Mujahid, referring to

the Taleban by the name they were k nown when they ruled Afghanistan. On Monday, seven Taleban fighters with rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns launched a rare assault on NATO’s operational headquarters at the military section of Kabul’s international airport. All seven militants were k illed and two civilians were wounded in the violence.

The failed attack showed that despite an enormous security blanket around the capital, insurgents can still menace Kabul. Earlier yesterday, the UN in Afghanistan expressed concern over what the mission said was a surge in civilian casualties in the first six months of

the year. Jan Kubis, the UN special representative to Afghanistan, said 3,092 civilians were killed or wounded from January to June. That represented a 24 percent increase in the first six months of 2013, compared to the same period last year, he said.

However, Kubis refused to provide a full breakdown of the dead and wounded, saying those figures would be released in July. That made it unclear if what had increased were the number of dead or the number of wounded. Kubis blamed the increase on the insurgency, saying it was trying to take advantage of the withdrawal of foreign troops in Afghanistan to increase their attacks.

KABUL: Afghan men assist an injured man at the site of a suicide attack yesterday. — AFP

“Because of their campaign, civilian casualties have increased and the situation has worsened,” Kubis said. In 2012, civilian deaths declined to 2,754, a 12 percent decrease from 3,131 in the same period a year earlier. It was the first time in six years that the civilian death toll dropped. Kubis said the insurgency is to blame for 74 percent of all civilians casualties in the first six months and attributed the rise on the militants “continuing disregard” for international laws on civilians in conflict. He said pro-government forces were to blame for 9 percent of the casualties, but did not say who was responsible for the rest. He also said that targeting government officials and civilians was a crime under international law. The Taleban have argued that government officials and workers are legitimate targets. Kubis added that the UN in Afghanistan had publicly and privately sent a message to the Taleban that the mission as “willing to discuss civilian casualties and how to reduce them.” The Taliban, Kubis said, had sent “signals of their willingness to discuss this,” but that a way to establish contact with the group had not yet been worked out.

Another worrying trend, Kubis said, was the targeting of humanitarian groups. On May 29, insurgents attacked a compound housing the International Committee of the Red Cross in eastern Afghanistan and killed one of the group’s Afghan staff. Five days before, six suicide bombers attacked the offices of the U.N.-affiliated International Organization for Migration in K abul. During the attack, three Afghans died before security forces killed the insurgents.

“Any attack on humantarians is an attack on civilians,” Kubis said. In another attack yesterday, two police officers and two truck drivers were killed when insurgents attacked a convoy carrying cargo through the eastern province of Ghazni. Deputy police chief Asadullah Insafi said three insurgents were also killed in the attack. — AP

Musharraf wins $10,000 bail in second case ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s ex military leader Pervez Musharraf was granted bail yesterday in a second case relating to his nine-year rule, bringing closer his possible release after nearly two months of house arrest. The retired general, who returned from four years of self-imposed exile in March, is officially barred from leaving the country and has been detained at his villa on the edge of Islamabad since April 19. Last month, he won bail over charges that he conspired to murder former premier Benazir Bhutto, and yesterday for his dismissal of judges and imposition of emergency rule in 2007.

Musharraf’s lawyer Ilyas Siddiqui told AFP that bail had been posted at one million rupees ($10,000) and that his defence team would seek

bail in a third case dating back to his 1999-2008 rule. Yesterday’s decision is likely to fuel speculation that a deal could be reached to allow Musharraf to leave Pakistan without facing the courts. “The court has accepted his bail application. He has been asked to furnish surety bonds,” said Mohammad Amjad, spokesman for Musharraf’s All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) party which won two seats in last month’s election.

Amjad said the bail order would end Musharraf’s house arrest, although the former leader is also wanted over the 2006 death of a Baluch rebel leader. Aides say a court in the southwestern city of Quetta has issued orders for Musharraf’s arrest over the 2006 death of Akbar

Bugti, but that his team will apply for pre-arrest bail in the final case. They also say they will petition Pakistan’s highest court to have his name removed from the exit control list, which would allow him to leave the country. “He cannot leave the country until the supreme court orders to remove his name from the ECL. Only then he can leave the country,” said Amjad. Arresting a former chief of army staff was an unprecedented move in a country ruled for more than half of its life by the military and was seen by many as a challenge to the armed forces’ power. On Sunday, the Pakistani Taleban issued a fresh threat to assassinate Musharraf, who was a key ally of the United States in the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan and the war against Al-Qaeda. —AFP

15

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

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Issues

Egypt eyes Nile deal with Ethiopia

By Samer Al-Atrush gyptian President Mohamed Morsi is facing heavy pressure to secure a negotiated settlement to a bitter dispute with Ethiopia over the sharing of Nile waters. There has been tough rhetoric from Morsi and other Egyptian officials in recent weeks about Ethiopia’s diversion of a section of the Blue Nile for a dam project. “If a single drop of the Nile is lost, our blood will be the alternative,” Morsi said in a speech on Monday. A government official told AFP Egypt would negotiate a solution to the intensifying dispute. “We are in the midst of negotiations,” said the official, on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the topic. Morsi’s stern tone, he added, was meant to emphasise “that there is a commitment to our rights,” denying that the president had intended to appear bellicose. “For us it is a matter of life or death,” he added.

An Egyptian government report concluded the proposed dam on the Blue Nile could affect the supply of water for irrigation and hydroelectric power generation. Almost a year into his first term of office, Morsi is beleaguered by simmering opposition that has seized on the dam project as a failure of his much touted foreign policy. In the Islamistdominated senate, lawmakers heckled Prime Minister Hisham Qandil in a rowdy session on Monday after he finished a speech in which he warned the dam would affect the country’s principal water source.

In one of his first steps, Morsi had convened a meeting with party leaders, including those from the opposition, calling for a national front to tackle the dam. The meeting, aired live on television, backfired as the politicians, apparently unaware they were on air, proposed supporting Ethiopian rebels or sending agents to sabotage the dam. But some opposition leaders have rallied around the president’s call for unity, saying the dam’s threat requires a national front. “It is not a matter of blame now,” said Amr Mussa, who lost to Morsi in a presidential election last June. “It is much more serious,” said the former foreign minister and head of the Arab League. “The solution must stem from an understanding between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia,” he told AFP. “It is necessary to create the right political environment to reach such an understanding.”

The dam project has been significantly expanded from past Ethiopian plans when Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak, overthrown in a 2011 uprising, was in power. When Mussa was foreign minister, between 1991 and 2001, the project was far more modest, he said. “At the time, there was talk of a dam that was six times smaller, hence... it was six times smaller, therefore six times less threatening,” he said.

Morsi had come to power pledging a new chapter in relations with Nile Basin countries, which felt alienated by Mubarak’s opposition to upstream projects. The Islamist president will try to contain the crisis through talks, said Essam Al-Erian, the senate leader of the Freedom and Justice Party, the Muslim Brotherhood political wing that backed his candidacy. “The choice is of negotiations, and cooperation,” he told AFP. “It will happen.” If talks fail, Egypt could resort to international arbitration, said Hatem Begato, the legal and parliamentary affairs minister. Ethiopia has already begun diverting the Blue Nile some 500 m from its natural course to construct the dam. The Blue Nile joins the White Nile in the Sudanese capital Khartoum to form the Nile, which then flows through Egypt. Egypt says its “historic rights” to the Nile are guaranteed by two treaties from 1929 and 1959 which allow it 87 percent of the Nile’s flow and give it veto power over upstream projects. But a new deal was signed in 2010 by other Nile Basin countries, including Ethiopia, allowing them to work on river projects without Cairo’s prior agreement. — AFP

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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.

Erdogan plays ‘martyr’ card in battle

By Nicolas Cheviron mbattled Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has chosen to portray himself as a martyr battling dark forces as he faces unprecedented protests against his government. It’s a role that served him well in the past but this time round it is more a sign of weakness and panic, analysts said.

On Sunday he held a marathon six rallies of his supporters in three different cities during which he insisted he would stand firm against the “looters” and “extremists” calling for his resignation. Then yesterday hundreds of riot police retook Istanbul’s Taksim Square, the epicentre of the protests, as Erdogan toughened his stance, warning he would show “no more tolerance” for the mass demonstrations against his Islamic-rooted government that have raged for nearly two weeks.

The police action and warning came just hours after the prime minister agreed to hold talks with protest leaders today, his first major concession since the trouble began. Erdogan, who is facing by far his greatest challenge since his AKP party came to power a decade ago, said the protesters were being manipu-

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lated either by the Turkish opposition or mysterious powers such as the “interest rate lobby”. He also drew comparisons between the current unrest and the era when the Turkish army, in its role as guardian of the secular state, intervened repeatedly in the country’s politics. It notably ousted four governments between 1960 and 1997. “Today we are in the same situation as April 27, 2007,” he told supporters Sunday at Ankara airport.

On that date the military publicly condemned plans to have Abdullah Gul, who cofounded the AKP along with Erdogan, run for president as the party’s candidate. Tens of thousands of supporters of the secular principles established by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, seen as the founding father of modern Turkey, took to the streets to protest.

Erdogan’s government was expected, like other administrations before it, to bend to the will of the generals. But instead it stood up to the military and the AKP party went on to win legislative elections just months later, in July 2007.

Gul was elected president in August the same year and remains in the post today.

“Erdogan is pulling up the martyrdom card. It

always worked very well for him in the past,” said Amberin Zaman, an editorialist at the liberal daily newspaper Taraf. “I think he is reverting to that mode of portraying himself as a martyr, as a victim of so-called dark forces who try to undermine him and the country, the dark forces as he paints them who want the return of Turkey to the bad old days.”

But it is unlikely to work this time round, she said. Erdogan has made Turkey’s army, many of whose top generals have been jailed after alleged coup plots against him, much less of a player in the country’s politics. “The paradigm has shifted in Turkey, and largely thanks to him. So in some ways you can say that he is a victim of his own success, the fact that the military have been tamed,” Zaman said. “It is almost comical to characterise the protesters as he does, as agents of so-called foreign and internal powers coalescing to drag Turkey down. The fact that he paints this as the legitimate democratically elected government versus coup plotters, because that’s what he has called them, just doesn’t really hold,” she said.

Cengiz Aktar, a political scientist at

Istanbul’s Bahcesehir University, argued that Erdogan does not understand what is driving the protesters, most of whom are educated, middle-class city dwellers who reject what they see as Erdogan’s growing authoritarianism and the creeping Islamisation of their country. Until recently, those who opposed him were the elite of the secular state who sought to defend their interests against the rising power of the AKP, whose support comes mostly from Turkey’s more conservative Muslims, he noted. Nuray Mert, a politics expert at Istanbul University, said Erdogan is in disarray. “This time he has reacted in an abnormal way. I do not know if we have ever seen anywhere in the world a prime minister holding six rallies in the same day. It is because he feels threatened. With the interest the international media has shown (in the protest movement), he has succumbed to fear about his own imminent end,” she said.

“There is this idea of great Turkish leaders working for the good of Turkey but who are destroyed by internal or external enemies of the country. Clearly Erdogan has this mentality, and that returns as soon as things start going badly,” said Mert. —AFP

Hezb tips Syria balance, polarises Lebanon

By Samia Nakhoul ebanese have long viewed the Hezbollah guerrilla army as a state-within-a-state. But having watched it launch a military adventure in Syria and brutality on the streets of Beirut, they feel ever more hostage to the Islamist group’s regional agenda. Within minutes of a busload of unarmed demonstrators arriving on Sunday at the Iranian embassy in Beirut to protest against Iran and Hezbollah’s military involvement in Syria, Hezbollah enforcers surrounded the building and scattered the crowd with batons and gunfire, leaving one dead.

The small demonstration by an anti-Hezbollah crowd showed that the “Party of God”, armed and financed by Iran, is not prepared to contemplate even the smallest level of threat. Such visibly frayed nerves in Lebanon’s capital follow the Shiite group’s dramatically increased involvement in the two-year-old Syrian civil war, helping troops loyal to President Bashar Al-Assad retake the border town of Qusair.

Hezbollah’s involvement may have transformed the war into a sectarian contest, pitting Assad and his fellow Alawites, an offshoot of Shiite Islam, against mainly Sunni rebels, including Al-Qaeda groups fighting under the banner of the Nusra Front. Western powers and Turkey have also rallied behind the rebels, despite misgivings over Islamist radicals in their ranks, while Russia has armed and diplomatically shielded Assad.

Building on battlefield gains that have swung the momentum towards Assad and Hezbollah, Syrian forces are preparing to retake Aleppo, which could be a decisive point in the war that has killed 80,000 and forced 1.6 million to flee abroad. The move to a northern front comes as Syria’s war is increasingly infecting its neighbours - Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan and Israel - and widening the regional sectarian fault line between Sunni and Shiite Muslims. “Syria has become an open battlefront for regional and international powers. It is an open stage for anyone who wants to fight,” said a politician close to the movement.

For the first time since the start of the uprising in March 2011, an Israeli minister suggested on Monday that Assad “might not just survive but even regain territories” from the rebels, an assessment which reflected the difficulties the West faces in predicting Syria’s fate and weighing intervention. Alarmed by Assad’s advances and Hezbollah’s intervention, Washington might decide later this week on whether to start arming the rebels, a US official said. What has changed is Hezbollah entering the fray on the side of Assad to fight the rebels, while the Nusra Front has made Syria a magnet for foreign Shiite and Sunni fighters.

“Put aside the propaganda that we’re seeing from Hezbollah, the assault that is being prepared around Aleppo is a worry, be it in Washington, Paris or Riyadh,” one Western official said. “We can have all the diplomatic wrangling in the world, but the most important element is the balance of power on the ground. That balance is changing.

You have to weigh the risks,” the official said. “If you arm the rebels, there is a risk (arms) fall into the wrong hands, but if you don’t, then thousands more could get massacred and you’re left with Hezbollah versus Nusra. Which is the worst risk?”

That shift in power makes it less likely that a US and Russian peace conference planned for July to bring the

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rebels and the government to the table can agree a negotiated political transition to remove Assad from power. Such changes in Western policy on Syria, allied to developments on the battlefield, leave Lebanon hanging by a thread. In a country still emerging from the ashes of its own 15-year civil war, the sight of Hezbollah men rejoicing over the fall of Qusair or firing at protesters frightens many Lebanese.

Sunday’s killing of the protester in Beirut added to the list of grievances against Hezbollah among Lebanese, who once revered it as a resistance force above domestic politics. “What we’re seeing is very dangerous: Armed clashes, the weakening of the state, the killing of a protester. It’s low intensity warfare,” said Fawaz Gerges, Professor of Middle Eastern Politics at the London School of Economics.

Lebanese columnist Sarkis Naoum said: “The (Hezbollah) state-within-a state already exists ... This shows that if they (Hezbollah) are challenged, they will go to the streets. They (crushed) the protest so it won’t be repeated elsewhere.”

Angry comments dominated social media, showing a bloodied picture of the slain protester, Hashem Salman, a young Shiite from a bloc opposed to Hezbollah. Displayed alongside were pictures of Hezbollah militiamen charging at the crowd with the caption: “The fascist assault and the peaceful protests.” “Hezbollah has already lost a great deal of ground, not militarily, but if you lose popular support among independents and among the silent majority, you lose. This will haunt them eventually because there was no security threat,” Gerges said.

Hezbollah’s participation in the battle for Qusair is a turning point for the group, set up in Damascus by Iran in 1982 with the aim of fighting Israel after its invasion of Lebanon.

Hezbollah spearheaded the rise of Lebanese Shiites from an underclass to the most powerful faction in the country, forced Israel to end its 20-year occupation of south Lebanon, and formed a military front with Syria and Iran against Israel and the United States. Now many Lebanese see Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s support for Assad against an insurgency dominated by Syria’s Sunni majority as a miscalculation that will drag Lebanon into the Syrian quagmire, exacerbate fighting in Lebanon itself and deepen Sunni-Shiite sectarian rifts in the region.

“The internal divide between Shiite and Sunni Muslims is as deep and as wide as the fault lines between Arabs and Israelis and that statement speaks volumes about the very violent and threatening storms that are brewing in Arab lands,” said Gerges. No matter how this unfolds, Nasrallah’s prestige in the region is shattered. Long revered as the Arab hero who stood up to Israel, and among his own as the man who elevated Shiites to the top of Lebanese politics, he is now being portrayed as the protector of Syrian autocracy and a proxy of Iranian theocracy.

Already on Washington’s terrorism list for attacks against Israeli and US targets, Hezbollah faces new sanctions from Western powers. Arab public opinion has become hostile, seeing the group as an offshoot of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, more responsive to Iranian interests than Lebanese concerns. Gulf Arab states have now pledged sanctions against Hezbollah members working in the Gulf. While Hezbollah says it strives to maintain peace inside Lebanon, its intervention in Syria will add to pressures that threaten to fracture the fragile state and limit its ability to contain the growing threat from Sunni extremist groups.

The danger of Sunni reprisals could force Hezbollah to take greater control on the ground. Its move into Syria could also trigger another war with Israel, which has three times this year bombed what security sources said were convoys of Iranian missiles transiting Syria towards the Lebanese militia. Hezbollah has said it will not be dragged into all-out sectarian war in Lebanon, where it is the most powerful militia. Hezbollah’s adversaries are neither willing nor able to engage it on the streets of Beirut. The danger could come from Al-Qaeda groups in north and south Lebanon, who may retaliate against Hezbollah with suicide attacks, security sources say.

Politically, the war in Syria and rivalry between pro- and anti-Syrian parties have prevented Lebanon from forming a new government. “There is a dangerous power vacuum. The military and Lebanese security forces are overstretched in Tripoli, the eastern Bekaa and elsewhere. In such a situation, Hezbollah has emerged as the dominant force as the power broker and the party that has military muscle, with a power base,” Gerges said. The pro-Hezbollah politician said the party was in no mood to compromise. “Hezbollah has no red line. It will cross any line and take to the streets when it feels it is in danger.” He said politicians could “go to the ends of the earth but they won’t be able to form a government without its approval”. — Reuters

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

S P ORTS

Tebow signs with Patriots NEW YORK: Tim Tebow was handed another chance in the National Football League yesterday when the New England Patriots signed the quarterback to an undisclosed deal. The Patriots did not reveal the terms of the contract but it was expected Tebow would be the team’s third-choice passer, behind starting quarterback Tom Brady and his back-up Ryan Mallett.

Media reports suggested Tebow had signed a two year contract with no guaranteed payments, making the move risk-free for New England.A polarising figure, Tebow’s brief NFL career appeared to be in jeopardy after he was traded by the Denver Broncos then released by the New York Jets in April.

“Anything we do is what we feel is in the best interest of the team,” said Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. “Tim is a talented player that’s smart and works hard, so we’ll see how it goes,” added Belichick who gave short shrift to follow up questions on the player. By joining the Patriots, Tebow, 25, will reunite with his former coach Josh McDaniels, the offensive coordinator at New England. —Reuters

Ferrari back FIA’s handling of Mercedes tyre test PARIS: Ferrari backed Formula One’s governing body yesterday for their handling of a tyre testing controversy involving rivals Mercedes. The International Automobile Federation (FIA) has summoned Mercedes and tyre supplier Pirelli to its international tribunal in Paris on June 20 on charges of breaking the rules by testing in Spain last month.

“We have faith in the FIA,” president Luca di Montezemolo declared at the opening of the new Ferrari museum at the Italian team’s Maranello factory yesterday.

“I do not wish to comment but I note with satisfaction that the federation is following this incident well,” he added in comments reported on the Ferrari website (www.ferrari.com).

“Let’s hope Formula One can maintain its professionalism and we have faith that those who attempt to circumvent the regulations are pursued and prosecuted, or rather more prosecuted than pursued.” The FIA is now run by Jean Todt, the former Ferrari principal who presided over the team’s most successful years with Michael Schumacher winning five championships in a row between 2000 and 2004.

The Mercedes team principal is Ross Brawn, Todt’s former right-hand man as Ferrari technical director up to the end of 2006.—Reuters

Al Ahli coach Flores quits DUBAI: Former Atletico Madrid coach Quique Sanchez Flores is going back to Spain after quitting Al Ahli yesterday to become the latest high-profile departure from the United Arab Emirates’s Pro League. He had been widely expected to sign a new two-year contract, having led Al Ahli to second place in the league this season, but instead announced he would be leaving with immediate effect. “I’m really sad ... but for me two years is my limit so I feel this is the moment to say goodbye,” Flores told a news conference in Dubai.

Flores won the Europa League with Atletico in 2010 before leaving the following year after failing to qualify for the Champions League.

He arrived at Al Ahli in November 2011 and guided the club to fifth place in his first season before finishing runners-up this term, 11 points behind champions Al Ain. Flores also won two domestic knockout competitions, the Etisalat Cup and President’s Cup. “With Quique’s calibre he will always have job offers from Europe ... we tried our best to retain him,” said Al Ahli chairman Abdullah al Naboodah. —Reuters

Rangers, Red Sox advance

CHICAGO: Catcher Ryan Hanigan No. 29 of the Cincinnati Reds (right) waits to tag out Dioner Navarro No. 30 of the Chicago Cubs at home plate on a fielders choice after Darwin Barney hit a ground ball to third during the ninth inning. —AFP

Red tame Cubs in NL CHICAGO: Brandon Phillips hit a grand slam and matched his career high with six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds extended their dominance over the Chicago Cubs with a 6-2 win Monday night at foggy Wrigley Field. Phillips had an RBI single in the first inning, homered off Scott Feldman (5-5) in the third and added a run-scoring groundout in the sixth for his fourth game with six RBIs. Across town, the Chicago White Sox and Toronto Blue Jays were delayed more than an hour because of a dense fog but the Cubs and Reds were never halted. Cincinnati has won 10 straight at Wrigley Field, eight of 10 over the Cubs overall this season and 17 of the teams’ last 20 matchups.

Homer Bailey (4-4) earned his first win since beating the Cubs on May 25. He pitched eight innings and gave up one unearned run and four hits while striking out eight to improve to 7-2 against Chicago, which fell to 7-19 in the NL Central. Chicago has lost six of eight since a five-game winning streak.

DIAMONDBACKS 5, DODGERS 4 In Los Angeles, Willie Bloomquist put Arizona ahead with a two-run infield single off Los Angeles closer Brandon League in a four-run ninth inning.

Diamondbacks closer Heath Bell barely held on for his 12th save as Arizona won its fifth straight against the Dodgers and improved to 6-1 against them this season.

Arizona closed to 3-2 in the ninth on pinch-hitter Jason Kubel’s infield single that scored Martin Prado. Gerardo Parra doubled before League (2-3) walked pinch-hitter Didi Gregorius to load the bases.

Bloomquist hit a sharp grounder that shortstop Nick Punto stopped with a dive behind second base, but he couldn’t hold onto the ball and two runs scored to give the Diamondbacks a 4-3 lead, their first of the game. Peter Moylan gave up an RBI single to Paul Goldschmidt, making it 5-3.

Juan Uribe pulled the Dodgers to 5-4 in the bottom of the ninth with a homer off Bell, who had runners at the corners with none out before escaping. Tony Sipp (3-1) got one out for the win.

Dodgers rookie sensation Yasiel Puig went 3 for 4 while hitting fourth in the lineup after

batting leadoff in his first seven big league games last week. He was named NL player of the week on Monday.

PADRES 7, BRAVES 6 In San Diego, Logan Forsythe homered in his first at-bat of the season, Will Venable added a three-run shot and Jason Marquis won his seventh straight decision to lead San Diego over Atlanta. Both home runs came off rookie Julio Teheran (4-3), who had a no-hitter through 7 2-3 innings in his previous start.

Braves rookie Evan Gattis had a pinch-hit, three-run homer with one out in the ninth off Tim Stauffer to pull the Braves to 7-5. Jason Heyward homered with two outs, his second solo shot of the game. It came off Dale Thayer, who got two outs for his first save.

Forsythe was reinstated from the 60-day disabled list earlier in the day to take the spot of rookie second baseman Jedd Gyorko, who was put on the 15-day DL with a strained groin. Marquis (8-2) held Atlanta to two runs and five hits in 7 2-3 innings.

BREWERS 6, MARLINS 1 In Miami, Yovani Gallardo threw eight scoreless innings and Jonathan Lucroy had four hits as Milwaukee beat Miami for its fourth consecutive victory.

Carlos Gomez had three hits and two RBIs, while Lucroy also drove in a pair of runs.

Rickie Weeks homered among his three hits for the Brewers, who tied a season high with 16 hits despite playing without slugger Ryan Braun after he aggravated his sore right thumb Sunday against Philadelphia.

Gallardo (5-6) won for the second time since April 29 and became the third Brewers pitcher to strike out 1,000 batters, joining Ben Sheets and Teddy Higuera. The right-hander allowed four hits and one walk while striking out four. The Marlins scored on a ninth-inning groundout to avoid the shutout, but have managed no more than one run in 21 of their 63 games. Miami’s record is a major leagueworst 18-45.

Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton went 1 for 4 in his first game since April 29 after missing 36 due to a right hamstring injury. Ricky Nolasco (3-7) allowed a season-high 10 hits and four runs in 5 1-3 inning.—AP

ARLINGTON: Lance Berkman hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the seventh inning as the Texas Rangers beat Cleveland 6-3 Monday night to hand the Indians their eighth straight loss.

Berkman’s homer was his first since May 24 and extended Cleveland’s road losing streak to 12, its longest since a 16-game skid that carried over from 2009 into the second away game of 2010. Robbie Ross (3-1) got the win after striking out the side following a leadoff walk in the seventh. Joe Nathan pitched a perfect ninth for his 20th save. Scott Kazmir (3-4) ended up with the loss even though he was in the dugout when Berkman homered off Nick Hagadone. Carlos Santana had a three-run double in the third inning, but the Indians didn’t get another hit.

RED SOX 10, RAYS 8 In St. Petersburg, Daniel Nava hit a tiebreaking single in the 14th inning as the Red Sox beat the Rays after squandering two late leads in a testy game that included a bench-clearing scrum. Red Sox starter John Lackey hit Matt Joyce in the back with a pitch in the sixth inning.

Joyce, who homered earlier, shouted at the pitcher but was restrained by Boston catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia as players from both teams streamed out of the dugouts.

There was pushing and shoving along the first base line, but it appeared no punches were thrown and the umpires did not eject anyone.

Shane Victorino opened the 14th with a single off Cesar Ramos (1-2), then tagged up and hustled to second when Dustin Pedroia flied out to deep right field. David Ortiz was intentionally walked before Nava singled to center to put the Red Sox ahead. Franklin Morales (2-0) pitched two scoreless innings for the win.

ARLINGTON: Nelson Cruz No. 17 of the Texas Rangers hits a one run double in the seventh inning for Adrian Beltre to score against the Cleveland Indians at Rangers Ballpark. —AFP

ROYALS 3, TIGERS 2 In Kansas City, Jeremy Guthrie pitched impressively into the seventh inning and Salvador Perez hit a two-run triple as Kansas City got its sixth straight victory.

Guthrie (7-3) limited the Tigers to a two-run homer by Miguel Cabrera in 6 1-3 innings in helping the Royals to extend their longest winning streak since they won seven straight in September 2011. He gave up six hits and walked three. Aaron Crow replaced Guthrie after he gave up a single to Avisail Garcia and he hit Andy Dirks with an 0-2 pitch. Crow retired Torii Hunter on a fly to shallow right and struck out Cabrera to end the threat.

Cabrera, who tops the American League with 90 hits and 69 RBIs, hit his 18th home run in the second after Hunter doubled. Doug Fister (5-4), who is 0-3 in five starts since a victory May 14 over Houston, went the distance. He allowed three runs on nine hits.

MLB results/standings

ORIOLES 4, ANGELS 3 In Baltimore, Adam Jones homered and drove in three runs as Baltimore beat Los Angeles in a game marred by rain. The teams played with wet baseballs on a muddy field and endured a delay of more than two hours before the final out was recorded shortly before midnight.

Mike Trout and Josh Hamilton homered for the Angels, who have lost three straight to fall 10 games under .500 (27-37). Jered Weaver (1-2) gave up four runs in 5 2-3 innings. Freddy Garcia (3-3) allowed two runs and six hits over six innings for the Orioles. The 36-year-old righty improved to 17-3 against the Angels, 7-0 since

ABK continues to present ‘Best Player’ prize at Volleyball Championship KUWAIT: Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait is keenly involved in lending support to the youth of Kuwait, and has always taken an enthusiastic interest to participate in several youth activities, with an emphasis on sport under the Bank’s CSR banner “Our Society...Our Responsibility ”.

ABK has therefore conducted the ‘Best Player’ prize as a recognition token for best performing athletes.

ABK presented a prize to the best player at the Al Qadsiya vs Kazma Sporting Clubs final game during the Volleyball Championship. Mr. Zaid Al Kazmi from Al Qadsiya Sporting Club was chosen as the best player.

Ali Al Baghli, Assistant Manager, Public Relations at ABK stated, “We congratulate Zaid Al Kazmi, the winner in the Volleyball championship, whose display of talent and sportsmanship is exemplary!”

the start of the 2005 season. Jim Johnson got three straight outs for his 22nd save.

solo shot in the fourth into the right-center seats off Dallas Keuchel (3-3).

MARINERS 3, ASTROS 2 In Seattle, Hisashi Iwakuma only allowed an unearned run in seven innings as the Mariners sent the Astros to their fifth straight defeat.

Raul Ibanez hit his team-high 12th home run and Michael Morse had an RBI double for Seattle. Iwakuma (7-1) gave up four hits, struck out eight and walked one while reducing his ERA to 1.79, second-lowest in the majors behind Boston right-hander Clay Buchholz (1.71).

Tom Wilhelmsen got three outs for his 16th save in 19 opportunities. Pinch-hitter Carlos Corporan had a two-out RBI single in the ninth before Wilhelmsen retired Matt Dominguez on a foul pop to end it. Ibanez tied the score with his

WHITE SOX 10, BLUE JAYS 6 In Chicago, Adam Dunn had two homers and five RBIs to overcome two home runs and five RBIs by Toronto’s Jose Bautista to give the White Sox a victory in a game delayed 1 hour, 10 minutes by fog. Dunn hit a three-run home run off knuckleballer R.A. Dickey (5-8) in the fourth inning after he hit a solo shot in the third.

The game was played from the second inning on in fog which became so thick in the third inning that fly balls became an adventure. Umpires stopped play in the third and the fog continued to varying degrees even after the break. Reliever Nathan Jones (2-4) got the victory.—AP

Baltimore 4, LA Angels 3; Milwaukee 6, Miami 1; Boston 10, Tampa Bay 8 (14 innings); Texas 6, Cleveland 3; Cincinnati 6, Chicago Cubs 2; Chicago White Sox 10, Toronto 6; Kansas City 3, Detroit 2; Seattle 3, Houston 2; Arizona 5, LA Dodgers 4; San Diego 7, Atlanta 6.

Boston NY Yankees Baltimore Tampa Bay Toronto Detroit Cleveland Kansas City Chicago White Sox Minnesota Texas Oakland Seattle LA Angels Houston

American League Eastern Division W L PCT 40 25 .615 37 26 .587 36 28 .563 34 29 .540 27 36 .429 Central Division 35 27 .565 30 33 .476 29 32 .475 28 34 .452 27 33 .450 Western Division 38 25 .603 38 27 .585 28 37 .431 27 37 .422 22 43 .338

GB 2 3.5 5 12

Atlanta Washington Philadelphia NY Mets Miami

5.5 5.5 7 7

St. Louis Cincinnati Pittsburgh Milwaukee Chicago Cubs

1 11 11.5 17

Arizona San Francisco Colorado San Diego LA Dodgers

National League Eastern Division 39 25 .609 31 31 .500 31 33 .484 23 35 .397 18 45 .286 Central Division 41 22 .651 38 26 .594 37 26 .587 26 37 .413 25 36 .410 Western Division 36 28 .563 33 29 .532 34 30 .531 30 34 .469 27 36 .429

7 8 13 20.5 3.5 4 15 15 2 2 6 8.5

British horse racing seeks to reassure backers after scandals LONDON: British horse racing will not suffer commercial damage from recent doping scandals if it shows it can handle them effectively, the head of the sport’s governing body said yesterday.

But given the very challenging economic environment the sport does need more money from Britain’s bookmakers to sustain the number and quality of races, British Horseracing Authority (BHA) Chief Executive Paul Bittar said.

Britain’s second largest sport after soccer in terms of revenue and spectator numbers, horse racing has been hit by a series of scandals in recent months.

Last month trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni was banned for eight years for doping racehorses. Al Zarooni worked in Newmarket in eastern England, the home of British flat racing, for Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, one of the sport’s biggest financial backers.

Two other Newmarket trainers have since said they treated some of their horses with a medication containing a banned steroid.

The BHA has won plaudits for

dealing promptly with Al Zarooni but the case inevitably raises questions about the extent of doping in the sport.

“I have spoken to a number of major sponsors and other investors in the sport over the last six weeks and for them ultimately it comes down to a confidence in the sport itself,” Bittar told a news conference.

“If they have that confidence then I think their investment is certainly sustainable,” added Bittar, an Australian, who described British horse racing as the best in the world. The sport’s recent problems extend to the riders too: Late last year, British-based Italian jockey Frankie Dettori, one of the most charismatic figures in the sport, was banned for six months after failing a dope test in France. Dettori said he taken cocaine but has now returned to racing.

So far British horse racing has weathered the impact of recession and reduced payments from the betting industr y thanks to an increase in the value of media rights, the BHA and business services group Deloitte said in a report published yesterday.

The sport had a total value to the UK economy of 3.45 billion pounds ($5.36 billion) in 2012, according to the report. That was slightly higher than the figure from 2008, the last time it was calculated. However there are tensions over how much money bookmakers including William Hill and Ladbrokes put into the sport.

Horse racing has long been at the heart of Britain’s big betting industry but funding via an annual levy on racing profits has fallen to some 75 million pounds from over 100 million in the last decade after many bookmakers moved online operations offshore, out of the reach of the British authorities.

“The economics of the sport in Britain are very challenging and our key focus is around ensuring appropriate returns to the sport through all channels of betting,” said Bittar.

The racing industry would like to move away from the annual levy and strike longer-term commercial deals with bookmakers to put on meetings. A 40 million pound agreement with exchange operator Betfair struck last year is a model they are keen to replicate.—Reuters

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

S P ORTS

Satisfied but shaken, Spurs bring NBA Finals home SAN ANTONIO: On a day of rest at the NBA Finals, Tim Duncan had work to do.

Not only was he admittedly awful in Game 2, he had never been so bad on this stage. He shot 3 for 13 from the field for nine points, posting finals career lows in scoring, field goal percentage and field goals made, according to STATS. The three-time finals MVP made only 11 of 32 shots in Miami and knows he must be better if the San Antonio Spurs are going to win their fifth title in five finals appearances.

“Obviously, they’re contested shots, but they’re the shots I feel I can make,” Duncan said after the Heat’s 103-84 victory Sunday. “So whether it be them or me or whatever it may be, I’m going to get back in the gym tomorrow and hopefully come out with a better stroke,” he said. “But I’m getting the shots I want.

I just have to knock them down.”

The teams took Monday off, with the series resuming Tuesday night. The Spurs also will host Game 4 tomorrow and Game 5 on Sunday.

The finals were once as much a part of June as the heat in this city deep in the heart of Texas. San Antonio won four titles in a nine-year span starting in 1999, but hasn’t hosted a game in the NBA’s championship round since the Spurs took a 2-0 lead over LeBron James and Cleveland in 2007.

Here comes James again, needing to win one here - which hasn’t been easy for Miami - and not concerned that the finals’ 2-3-2 format now gives the advantage to the Spurs.

“It doesn’t matter,” he said. “Two best teams in the NBA at this point. Both teams have won and can win on each other’s floor. So it’s not a biggie.”

The Heat are just 3-22 in San Antonio, though they did win this year even while James, Dwyane Wade and Mario Chalmers sat out the late-season meeting. James had no cause for concern after Game 2, which validated his belief that he can depend on his teammates until he gets rolling, as he did late in the third quarter and well into the fourth.

But a little doubt seemed to creep into the Spurs’ Big Three, unusual for a group that has been there, done that.

The Spurs took home-court advantage away from Miami, but no momentum after the reigning champions took them apart Tuesday.

“Not after tonight. I think they regained that,” Duncan said. “Obviously we were glad to win a game here in Game 1. Our goal was to get two. But they got the one tonight. We get to go back home. We got a game here. We have three at home, so we’re excited about that. But if we play like we did tonight, that’s not going to matter.”

Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili have teamed for 99 postseason victories together, second-most in NBA history, and the trio is well aware of how quickly things can change in the playoffs. They changed really quickly in this series, about the time it took James to turn Tiago Splitter’s dunk attempt into a blocked shot and an instant finals highlight. “Of course if you look at the result,

being 1-1, it’s not bad. But you don’t want to play like this in an NBA Finals,” Ginobili said. “You don’t want to give them that much confidence, and you feeling bad about yourself.”

Parker managed only five baskets in 14 attempts while making five turnovers, and Ginobili had three of the Spurs’ 17 turnovers that led to 19 points Sunday, after the team tied a finals low with four turnovers in a Game 1 victory.

The Spurs, like every other team in the NBA, know there’s no way to beat the Heat with that kind of ball handling.

“We have to play better. Definitely have to play better,” Parker said. “You know, we’re playing the defending champs. They’re a great team. We knew they were going to come in and play with a lot more energy and play harder.

That’s what they did tonight.

“So it’s always easy to bounce back after a loss, and now it’s our turn to see how we’re going to handle our loss and how we’re going to respond.”

Big Three against Big Three provided

plenty of buildup to the series, and Ginobili said the Spurs stand little chance of winning if their trio plays poorly.

But James, having seen the Heat not have enough when they were largely just he, Wade and Chris Bosh two years ago, insists his current team is deep enough to do big damage even when it doesn’t come from the big names.

“I think the supporting cast is really why both teams are here,” James said.

“They’ve been making an impact all year long, and they feel like their supporting cast is better. We feel like our supporting cast is better. It’s who goes out and do it each and every night to help seal wins.”

The Spurs are shooting just 41 percent and averaging 88 points in the series, perhaps lucky to not be down 2-0, and realize they needed to be much sharper when they got back home.

“It’s about getting refocused here, playing a much better game, ending quarters better, and hopefully shooting better,” Duncan said. —AP

Lions maul Country boys

Gael Monfils

Monfils beats Raonic on grass in Germany HALLE: Gael Monfils defeated fifthseeded Milos Raonic 6-4, 6-2 Tuesday in the first round of the Gerr y Weber Open. Mirza Basic, a lucky loser playing his first main-draw match on the ATP Tour, stunned seventh-seeded Jerzy Janowicz 7-6 (5), 3-6, 7-6 (5).

The 21-year-old Bosnian reached a match point with a drop volley. He won the match when Janowicz reached another drop shot but sent it back long.

Basic played because Philipp Petzschner withdrew with a shoulder injury.

Monfils broke serve for 2-1 and went up a break at the start of the second set. Raonic put pressure on Monfils in the final game, but Monfils hit a drop shot followed by a lob and served out the match with an ace. Once ranked No. 7, Monfils missed several months in 2012 because of a right-knee injury.

The Frenchman was ranked 119th last month, but moved to No. 67 this week.

Monfils wasted four match points in losing to Tommy Robredo in the third round of the French Open.

“I am just happy to be on cour t, enjoying every second,” said Monfils, who lost in the third round of the French Open. He added that adjusting to grass from clay in Paris was not easy.

“It’s very hard for my movement,” said Monfils, adding that he’d rather lose a point than risk re-injuring his knee. “I am more mature after what I went through last year. I’ve grown up. I try to do simple things.” Raonic has lost both times to Monfils.

In other first-round matches, Tobias Kamke of Germany beat Lukasz Kubot of Poland 6-4, 6-0, and Cedrik-Marcel Stebe of Germany defeated qualifier Jimmy Wang of Taiwan 6-2, 6-4.—AP

Els ready to get major win in 2nd straight year ARDMORE: Give it up, Ernie. No, not the belly putter. At least, not yet. Ernie Els has a claret jug he must return with his reign as British Open champion coming to an end.

“It was great to have it in my possession again,” a smiling Els said. Perhaps another U.S. Open trophy would serve as an adequate replacement.

Els is on the hunt for a third US Open championship and the Big Easy wants to find it at Merion Golf Club this weekend. Els is one of the few dozen or so in the 156player field to play some rounds at Merion.

He played corporate outings in 2004 and 2005 and recalled the tough holes, blind tee shots - and the rain. Lots of rain.

Not much changed when Els returned this week. Rain has absolutely soaked the course and flooded bunkers over the last three days. Els scrapped a practice session on Saturday and Monday’s was cut short because of the downpour that greatly dampened and softened the 6,996-yard (6,397-meter) course, the shortest Open in more than a decade.

“I think it’s not going to bare its teeth the way it should,” Els said. “I know guys were hoping for a firm test.” With softer conditions, Els may as well keep the driver in the bag. Golfers should be able to hit the fairway with a 3-wood or even an iron on some of the par-4s. Once they reach the green, it could be time for Els to anchor up the belly putter.

The 43-year-old Els has about only three more years of majors left where he can still use the belly putter in its current form. The proposed rule change would prohibit golfers at all levels from anchoring a club against their bodies while making a stroke.

Els, who won the British with a longer putter, has been outspoken about his unhappiness over the ban.

“Unfortunately, for guys that have been using it for a very long time, I think it’s very unfair,” he said. “For the future of the game, looking down the road 50 to a hundred years, they probably needed to do this step at some point, I guess. Probably should have done it 30, 40 years ago, but we’re at

this point now and guys are winning a lot of big tournaments, kids are starting to use it, and so that’s what it is.”

Before the rule change was confirmed, he’d already started practicing with a regular putter. “It took a little focus away from what I want to do. And my ball striking for some reason this year hasn’t been as sharp.

So I’ve put a bit more work in on that front the last week. When all aspects start clicking, then you can start thinking about winning. And I feel that time is coming right now.”

Els had been in a lengthy majors drought when he took advantage of Adam Scott’s collapse to win his second British Open last year at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.

His fourth major championship came at a stage in his career when it appeared that his best golf was behind him. He became only the sixth player to win the U.S. Open and British Open twice.

Els, elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011, is up for a third in his 21st Open. It’d be a long time coming - his other two were won in 1994 and 1997. He finished ninth last year at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. “I see a very close race with a lot of players in contention this year, unlike other U.S. Opens,” he said. “It’s going to be bunched. It’s going to be under par, you’ll be seeing quite a few numbers in the red.”

Els, from Johannesburg, has kept close tabs on the worsening health of Nelson Mandela. The anti-apartheid hero and South Africa’s first black president was in serious but stable condition in a Pretoria hospital for the third day on Monday with a recurring lung infection.

Els said he had a great relationship with Mandela, though he hadn’t seen the former leader in several years. “When I won a lot of tournaments in the ‘90s and early part of the 2000s, we spoke a lot on the telephone,” Els said. “He always felt proud of what the sporting athletes out of South Africa did for the country. He always felt very proud of that. Through that instance we had a really nice relationship. “We’re just hoping for the best.”—AP

NEWCASTLE: The British and Irish Lions side maintained their unbeaten start to the tour of Australia by running in 10 tries to overwhelm a willing but outgunned semi-professional Combined Country side 64-0 at Hunter Stadium yesterday.

Wales winger George North confirmed his rich form with two of the tourists’ six first-half tries but captain Brian O’Driscoll and coach Warren Gatland were disappointed that the Irishman’s try was one of only four after the break.

While Gatland said he had been pleased overall with the performance, his brusque manner indicated that he was not so happy with the way the Lions stalled in the second half. “There was some excellent stuff and some average stuff as well,” said the New Zealander, adding that the Lions had come through the match unscathed in terms of injury.

“Just a few turnovers and stuff, the team only had one training session together and there was excellent handling and off-loading and tries as well.” With Gatland planning to play a majority of his test side against the New South Wales Waratahs on Saturday, the Lions had no motivation to go easy on the invitational side, which included a carpenter, plumber and a medical student.

The Lions were superior in every department and Gatland’s disappointment was perhaps that they had failed to challenge their record victory of 116-10 against Western Australia in 2001, when O’Driscoll made his Lions debut. “I think we got a little bit flat, I mean depth-wise,” said the Irishman.

“We tried to kick on in the second half but it just didn’t really happen for us at times. We should have been able to kick on from there but we didn’t.” A handsome Lions victory looked assured from the eighth minute when winger Alex Cuthbert sprinted across the line to open the scoring, to be followed over in the next five minutes by scrumhalf Conor Murray and Stuart Hogg.

Such has been the quality of the

NEWCASTLE: British and Irish Lions captain Brian O’Driscoll (left) is tackled by Combined Country player Dale Ahwang (second right) during their rugby union tour match. —AFP Lions’ place-kicking on the tour, that the failure of Scotland fullback Hogg, playing his first senior game at flyhalf, to convert his own try from in front of the posts was a blot on his copy book. Otherwise, though, he had a solid game at number 10, which will be reassuring for the Lions, who have only Jonny Sexton and Owen Farrell as specialist flyhalves in the squad.

“I thought he played very well,” said Gatland. “I was really pleased with his performance, he kicked and ran well, played nice and flat, it was a really good per formance from him.”

Flanker Justin Tipuric did enough to make it clear that tour captain Sam Warburton would have to fight for the number seven shirt for the three tests against Australia.

Hooker Richard Hibbard, flanker Sean O’Brien and Jonathan Davies after the hooter at the end of the game were the other try-scorers.

The pick of the tries was North’s first, which finished off a brilliant move that ran the length of the pitch after a turnover on their own line. The Lions took 10 minutes after the break to add to their six tries in the first half before O’Driscoll crossed and when Leigh Halfpenny, a halftime replacement for North, converted his own try after 56 minutes, that brought up the half century. Props Alex Corbisiero and Ryan Grant both got playing time after joining the squad over the weekend as replacements for the injured Cian Healy and Gethin Jenkins.

The tourists were so dominant in the set piece, however, that referee Steve Walsh was negotiating with the Lions front row as early as the first half about just how much scrummaging practice they wanted.

The Australians in the 20,071 crowd cheered every decision that went the Combined XV’s way, including the

put-in at the scrums, and their defensive effort in the second half deserved plenty of applause.

Replacement winger Dale Ahwang, a furniture remover, crossed for the Country side in the second half but was called back for a knock-on.

Although they failed to score, the Country team could take some pride in limiting the Lions to fewer points than Super Rugby’s Western Force, who lost 69-17 to the visitors last week.

With four wins from four games, Gatland said he felt the Lions were on the right track heading towards the first of three tests against the Wallabies in Brisbane on June 22.

“Great harmony within the squad, the boys that didn’t play today worked hard, we’re undefeated, so if we can win the next two games and arrive in Brisbane undefeated it will be a good, positive frame of mind to arrive in,” he said.—Reuters

Donald sees major hope at Merion ARDMORE: Luke Donald is hoping that the shortest and tightest US Open course in years will open the door for him to finally win a major tournament.

At just 6,996 yards, Merion Golf Club bucks the trend that has seen major championship courses stretched to well over 7,000 yards in a bid to counter the big hitters. But it does demand accuracy.

And with the heavy rain that has fallen in the area over the last few days, wedge play and pinpoint approach shots will be even more at a premium.

That’s where Donald sees his chances. Not among the longest hitters off the tee, the 35year-old Englishman is renowned for his short

game and putting.

Merion, he believes, could be tailor made for him. “I would like to have seen it firmer. I think wetter, damper conditions bring more of the field in play,” Donald said.

“But certainly I like a course where I’m only hitting five drivers, a course where I’m hitting a lot of wedges in my hands, playing to my strengths, where I feel like from 100 yards in I’m pretty good.

“This course demands a lot of good wedge play. Obviously you’ve still got to do what’s pretty important in US Opens-hit fairways, hit greens. That will be a big key for me if I want to be successful.” Being successful at the US Open and in majors in general is something that for-

ARDMORE: Luke Donald of England hits an approach shot during a practice round prior to the start of the 113th US Open at Merion Golf Club. —AFP

mer world number one Donald has struggled with over the years.

In eight previous US Opens, his best finish is a tie for 12th in 2006. In the last four years, which included a time when he was top ranked in the world, he has gone: missed cut, tie for 47th, tie for 45th and missed cut.

Hardly inspiring statistics and ones that Donald is at pains to explain. “I think in US Opens usually success comes from hitting a lot of fairways and hitting a lot of greens. And I think my game is more from the hole backwards. I’ve always kind of worked that way,” Donald said.

“This year I’ve made a little bit more of a conscious effort to try and change that, to get a little bit more control, to work some things around, spending a little bit more time on the range working on really solidifying a few things.

“And it hasn’t happened yet, but statistics will show I’ve improved in those areas. And I’ll be starting to hit more greens, having more control, more control of my ball flight. And that’s what you need out here to be successful.”

Donald has had a poor 2013 season to date by his own standards. In March, he failed to defend his title at the Tampa Bay Championship and finished in a tie for fourth.

He then missed his first- ever cut in an European Tour event at the Malaysian Open. It was his first missed cut in 119 career European Tour starts.

As the two -time defending champion, Donald then missed the halfway cut at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth after shooting rounds of 78 and 72, missing the cut by four strokes.”

At least this time round at Merion, he will be able to come into the tournament somewhat more under the radar as expectations on him are lower than before, especially when he was ranked number one. “ There’s always more attention, more requests of your time and that takes management and that’s tough,” he admitted.—AFP

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

S P ORTS

After 86 years Blackhawks and Bruins meet for Cup CHICAGO: A Stanley Cup classic 86 years in the making hits the ice as Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks, two of the National Hockey League’s charter clubs, faceoff in a best-of-seven final dripping with nostalgia and mystery.

The first Original Six showdown for Lord Stanley’s famous silver mug since 1979 may harken back to the days before expansion, but despite their rich histories when the series opens on Wednesday in Chicago it will mark the first time the two storied franchises have clashed in a Stanley Cup Final.

“The tradition of the Bruins and the Hawks is special,” Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville told reporters. “I’m sure, the rivalry could return instantly come Game One. “I think it’s good for the league. It’s good for hockey. Two great hockey markets.” Two of America’s great sporting cities, Boston and Chicago have rarely crossed paths at any championship.

In fact, Beantown and the Windy City have only twice before met to decide a title, the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox in the 1918 World Series and the Bears and New England Patriots at the 1986 Super Bowl. The Bruins and Blackhawks, however, are no strangers to Stanley Cup celebrations.

Chicago last hoisted the Cup in 2010 while the Bruins, winners in 2011, would like nothing more than to parade the treasured trophy trough the streets of Boston that were left silent and empty following the Boston Marathon bombings on April 15 that left three people dead and 264 injured.

The Final marks the finish line of a punishing two month playoff marathon and could provide a thrilling climax to a tumultuous season that nearly never was after a bitter labor dispute shortened the schedule to just 48 games.

Memories of the lockout now appear all but forgotten washed away by an intriguing playoff race that has left standing two teams that have not played each other in almost two years.

Both Boston and Chicago enter the Final on impressive rolls, the Blackhawks winners of seven of the last eight games and the Bruins winning nine-of-10, including a stunning sweep of the top seeded

CHICAGO: The Stanley Cup is on display during the 2013 NHL Stanley Cup media day at the United Center. —AFP

Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference final.

But the road to the Cup does not come without a few bumps with each team surviving a seven-game scare, Boston against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the opening round and Chicago against the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference semifinals.

Cornered by the Maple Leafs, down 4-2 with under 90 seconds to play in Game Seven, the Bruins showed their teeth in frightening fashion scoring two late goals and another in overtime to advance.

The Bruins remained in a snarly mood crushing the New York Rangers in five games then mauling Sidney Crosby and the Penguins to get back to the Final for the second time in three years.

Chicago spent the entire campaign atop the West standings setting a record by earning points in each of their first 24 games on way to claiming the Presidents’ Trophy, as the NHL team with the best regular season record.

But like the Bruins, Chicago also needed to pull off a miraculous escape to keep their Cup dreams alive, going down 3-1 to the Red Wings before sweeping the last three games and capping the comeback with a Game Seven overtime winner from defenseman Brent Seabrook.

The Blackhawks then clinched a spot in the Final clinically dispatching the defending champion Los Angeles Kings in five games.

The Final also will be a fascinating clash of styles, with the ‘Big, Bad Bruins’ punishing, hit-anything-that-moves approach against the speedy Blackhawks finesse and puck possession game.

There is no lack of offensive creativity on the Chicago bench with snipers like captain Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, who were among the top five in league scoring during the regular season with 23 goals apiece.

Toews has been mired in a post-season slump with just one goal but Patrick Sharp and unheralded Bryan Bickell have picked up the slack with eight tallies apiece while Kane had a hat-trick in eliminating the Kings.

A solid Chicago defense is anchored by Duncan Keith and Seabrook while netminder Corey Crawford has the best goalsagainst-average in the playoffs.

For all their reputation as a surly team that relies on intimidation, the Bruins lineup also features the playoff’s two leading scorers in David Krejci (nine goals, 21 points) and Nathan Horton (seven goals, 17 points). But stopping goals, not scoring them, has been the foundation of Boston’s playoff success.

The Bruins enter the Final with the postseason’s top ranked defense led by the giant Slovak Zdeno Chara and Finnish netminder Tuukka Rask, who posted two shutouts against the Mighty Penguins.

While the Blackhawks have the marquee names, the Bruins view themselves as a Band of Brothers, typified by fourth liner Gregory Campbell who broke his leg throwing himself in front of a slap shot in Game Three against the Penguins but stayed on the ice to finish his shift.

“That’s the way I feel a team should be, nobody should be on a pedestal,” said Bruins coach Claude Julien. “There’s a lot of guys in there that you could easily put on a pedestal. “Not only are they not put on a pedestal, they don’t want to be put on a pedestal.” —Reuters

Racing legend Cecil dies LONDON: Legendary horse trainer Henry Cecil died on Tuesday aged 70 after a long battle with cancer. Cecil, who was British champion trainer 10 times and trained the winner of the Epsom Derby four times, had a memorable time on the track over the last three seasons with the unbeaten Frankel.

The colt, owned by Saudi prince Khalid Abdullah, won all 14 races - 10 of them Group One races - and just under £3 million (US$4.7 million, 3.5 million euros) in prize money from 2010-12, earning himself the official mantle of the greatest racehorse ever.

However, Cecil, who said that Frankel’s success was what kept him battling, grew more and more frail throughout last year and this season had not been seen on the racecourse for some time.

“It is with great sadness that Warren Place Stables confirms the passing of Sir Henry Cecil earlier this morning,” read a statement from his stables.

Cecil, whose twin brother David also died of cancer, was a much loved character, whose courageous battle with the illness had endeared him further with the public.

Indeed when Frankel ran his final race at

Ascot last October, the suitably named Champion Stakes, the 32,000 capacity crowd gave him three cheers both before and after the race, moving him to tears.

It also completed a remarkable comeback by him after several years during which he had been a shadow of the all-conquering trainer as two broken marriages took their toll and the winners total dwindled. Indeed many thought he might retire altogether and enjoy one of his hobbies, tending his roses at the gardens in Warren Hill.

However, having given up alcohol, the winners started flowing again and it was appropriate the ever loyal Abdullah, who had stood by him while other owners, including Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin alMaktoum, took their patronage away, should be the one to enjoy the greatest moments at the end of his career with Frankel. The tributes flowed for Cecil who, while not the most outgoing of men, had a loyal group of friends. His great training rival Michael Stoute, also champion Flat trainer on 10 occasions, paid Cecil the ultimate tribute by describing him as the best trainer the UK has ever had.—AFP

Photo of the day

Pat Casey performs during Red Bull Framed Reactions at the Westergasfabriek in Amsterdam, Netherlands. ww.redbullcontentpool.com

India down Windies to march into Champions Trophy semis LONDON: World Cup holders India marched into the Champions Trophy semi-finals with an emphatic win over the West Indies yesterday that knocked arch-rivals Pakistan out of the race.

A career-best five-wicket haul by Ravindra Jadeja and a second successive century from Shikhar Dhawan lifted India to an eight-wicket victory at the packed Oval ground on a grim, overcast day in London.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men, backed by some 22,000 largely Indian supporters at the stadium, restricted the West Indies to 233-9 and then batted fluently to surpass the target in 39.1 overs. Left-hander Dhawan followed his 114 in the tournament opener against South Africa with an unbeaten 102, reaching his second oneday hundred by smashing Dwayne Bravo for a six over third man. Dhawan put on 101 for the first wicket with Rohit Sharma (52) and an unbroken 109 for the third with Dinesh Karthik, who made 51 not out.

India’s second successive win in group B ensured them a place in the semi-finals even before their last league match against winless Pakistan in Birmingham on Saturday.

The West Indies and South Africa, who both beat Pakistan, clash in Cardiff on Friday to determine the second semi-finalist from the group.

Left-arm spinner Jadeja, who finished with 5-36, set up the win with three wickets for five runs to reduce the Windies from 103-1 to 109-4 after India won the toss and elected to field. “Overall, it was a very good performance,” Dhoni said. “The West Indies got a great start, they seemed to be heading for 280, but our bowlers did well to restrict them.

“What is pleasing that our young batsmen have accepted the challenge. Dhawan and Rohit were really good. But it has also helped that we have become a very good fielding side.” Dhoni, asked about Saturday’s “dead” rubber against Pakistan, said: “I don’t think the Indian team has ever played a dead game. That match is also important to improve in the areas we want to.”

West Indies opener Johnson Charles smashed 60 off 55 balls, but it was a brilliant unbeaten 56 from 35 balls by former captain Darren Sammy towards the end that boosted the total.

Sammy plundered five boundaries and four sixes to lift his side from 182-9, making all the 35 runs from the last two overs as last man Kemar Roach watched from the non-striker’s end without scoring.

“We just did not have enough runs on the board,” said West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo. “After the start we had, we deserved to get at least 40-50 runs more.

“But the Indians bowled well and stuck to their plans. Sammy was particularly good for us, but we need to work the ball around and improve our strikerate.

“Our next game (against South Africa) is like a final itself. We know it will not be an easy game, but we have the talent to win it.” India won the initial battle by getting rid of danger man Chris Gayle in the fifth over, caught at slip off Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, after he had scored 21 of the first 25 runs.

The West Indies were without wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin, who was handed a two-match ban for claiming a dropped catch during his team’s victory over Pakistan at the Oval on Friday. Sammy replaced Ramdin in the side, while Charles kept wickets.—AFP

LONDON: India’s Shikhar Dhawan celebrates his century (100 Runs) during the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy One Day International (ODI) cricket match between India and West Indies at The Oval. —AFP

SCOREBOARD LONDON: Full scoreboard of the Champions Trophy group B match between India and the West Indies at the Oval yesterday: West Indies C. Gayle c Ashwin b Kumar 21 J. Charles lbw b Jadeja 60 Darren Bravo st Dhoni b Ashwin 35 M. Samuels lbw b Jadeja 1 R. Sarwan c Dhoni b Jadeja 1 Dwayne Bravo c Jadeja b Yadav 25 K. Pollard c Kumar b I. Sharma 22 D. Sammy not out 56 S. Narine c Karthik b Jadeja 2 R. Rampaul b Jadeja 2 K. Roach not out 0 Extras: (b4, lb2, w2)8 Total (for nine wickets, 50 overs) 33 Fall of wickets: 1-25 (Gayle), 2-103 (Charles), 3-105 (Samuels), 4-109 (Sarwan), 5-140 (Darren Bravo), 6-163 (Dwayne Bravo), 7-171 (Pollard), 8-179 (Narine), 9-182 (Rampaul).

Bowling: Kumar 8-0-32-1, Yadav 9-0-54-1 (w1), I. Sharma 10-1-43-1 (w1), Ashwin 92-36-1, Kohli 4-0-26-0, Jadeja 10-2-36-5.

India: R. Sharma c Charles b Narine 52 S. Dhawan not out 102 V. Kohli b Narine 22 D. Karthik not out 51 Extras: (b4, w5) 9 Total (for two wickets, 39.1 overs)236 Fall of wickets: 1-101 (R. Sharma), 2-127 (Kohli).

Bowling: Roach 6-0-47-0 (w1), Rampaul 6-0-28-0, Narine 10-0-49-2, Sammy 4-0-23-0, Dwayne Bravo 5-0-36-0 (w1), Samuels 4-0-17-0 (w1), Gayle 1-0-11-0 (w2), Pollard 3.1-0-21-0.

India won by eight wickets

Champions Trophy table LONDON: Champions Trophy table after yesterday’s match between India and the West Indies at the Oval in London (played, won, lost, tied, no result, points, net run-rate): Group A New Zealand England Australia Sri Lanka

1 1 1 1

1 1 0 0

0 0 1 1

0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0

2 2 0 0

+1.04 +0.96 -0.96 -1.04

Pakistan

2

0

2

0

0

0

-1.10

Semi-finals Jun 19, The Oval: A1 v B2 Jun 20, Cardiff: A2 v B1

Group B India South Africa West Indies

2 2 2

2 1 1

0 1 1

0 0 0

0 0 0

4 2 2

+0.97 +0.41 -0.08

Final Jun 23, Edgbaston Note: Day matches start at 0930GMT, D/N (day/night matches) at 1200GMT

Demare stuns rivals, wins stage

Arnaud Demare in action in this file photo

BUOCHS: Frenchman Arnaud Demare of FDJ was the surprise winner of the fourth stage of the Tour of Switzerland yesterday.

Home hope Mathias Frank kept hold of the leader’s yellow jersey after finishing the 161km stage from Inner tk irchen to Buochs safely in the peloton.

Sprint favourites Peter Sagan, the winner of Monday ’s third stage, and Tom Boonen were boxed in on a 90-degree bend 200-metres from the end and Demare surged through to take the victor y from Australia’s Matthew Goss with American Tyler Farrar in third. “ The whole team did great

work for me even though it wasn’t easy all day long with this hilly route,” said the winner.

“In the last 25km I told myself I needed to recoup (energy) ahead of the sprint, knowing that there was great competition. “I really am very happy to have succeeded against such good sprinters.” A three-man breakaway early in the day had got close to surviving right to the end of the lumpy stage that was made for a sprint finish, but the final escapee, veteran German break specialist Jens Voigt was caught inside the final 5km. He had gone it alone after his companions Olivier Kaisen

and Robert Vrecer fell by the wayside as their maximum lead of just over 4min proved insufficient. Sagan’s Cannondale team and Boonen’s Omega PharmaQuickStep outfit led the chase towards the end of stage, ensuring the escapees were reeled in and trying to set up their punchy finishers.

However, no-one managed to control the run-in to the finish and the 90-degree bend 200m from home helped cause chaos that saw both Sagan and Boonen lose valuable yards as they were squeezed off the racing line and forced to slow down.

Demare timed his burst per-

fectly and took the bend at speed, acting as a slingshot into the final straight. He had understood that the first man into the corner would be at a significant advantage and he charged down the inside line and emerged into the final straight with daylight between himself and the chasers.

Goss had the faster finish and ate into the gap but just ran out of tarmac before he could overhaul the Frenchman. With the favorites and leaders all coming home safely in the bunch, Frank leads Roman Kreuziger by 23sec overall with last year’s winner Rui Da Costa third at 35sec.—AFP

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

SPORTS Preview

Ahmed Musa

Nigeria poised to advance in World Cup JOHANNESBURG: Nigeria could be the first qualifiers for the final round of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers in Africa if they win in Namibia today.

Maximum points for the Super Eagles would give them an unassailable Group F lead if second-place Malawi do not win at home against bottom side Kenya the same day.

Reigning African champions Nigeria enter matchday 5 with eight points, Malawi have six, Namibia four and Kenya two and only the group winners advance to the two-leg play-offs.

Windhoek is the latest stop in a hectic period for the ‘Eagles’, who arrived in south-west Africa after a training camp in Germany, a draw with Mexico in the United States and a World Cup win in Kenya last Wednesday.

After Namibia, they jet across the Atlantic once more to face Tahiti, Uruguay and Spain in the Confederations Cup, with two further fixtures in the World Cup dress-rehearsal if they secure a top-two Group B finish.

The World Cup Group F fixtures were brought forward 72 hours because of the two-week tournament in Brazil, with Africa staging a further 18 matches between Friday and Sunday.

Coach Stephen Keshi gambled on a bold three-man attack against Kenya and succeeded, although Nigeria had to wait 81 minutes before 20-year-old Russiabased Ahmed Musa lobbed the only goal.

The ‘Eagles’ started with nine of the team that defeated Burkina Faso 1-0 in Soweto last February to win the Cup of Nations while injuries ruled out Chelsea midfielder Victor Moses and Turkey-

based striker Ikechukwu Uche.

In came Musa and fellow striker Nnamdi Oduamadi and both played significant roles in a victory that confirmed Nigeria as favourites to make the final 10 of the African qualifying competition.

“The 4-3-3 system in Kenya worked well for us so there is no need to change,” Keshi told reporters in Windhoek. “Our focus is on defeating Namibia and not the Confederations Cup.” Swede Roger Palmgren quit as Namibia coach Monday after saying he and his family received unspecified death threats and assistants Ricardo Mannetti and Ronnie Kanalelo take his place.

Namibia have been hindered by a blunt attack with only one goal in four group games and the continued absence of injured South Africa-based striker Henrico Botes and Rudolf Bester is a blow. Malawi are also battling to score, finding the net just twice in 360 minutes, and the return of teenage striker Gabadinho Mhango after missing a 0-0 home draw against Namibia last week is a timely boost.

Kenya must do without new captain and Celtic midfielder Victor Wanyama, who is injured, while France-based striker and deposed skipper Dennis Oliech was left at home after arriving late in camp.

Having sacked Oliech, ‘Harambee Stars’ coach Adel Amrouche was involved in more drama on arrival in Malawi, initially refusing to drive from Lilongwe to Blantyre because he said the distance was too far and the bus substandard.—AFP

Mourinho: Current Chelsea players must get a chance LONDON: Jose Mourinho’s first task on his return as Chelsea manager is to get to know the players he has inherited and give them all a fair chance to succeed under him, the Portuguese said on Monday.

Since his Stamford Bridge comeback was rubber-stamped last week, there has been a barrage of media speculation on the future of John Terry, Fernando Torres, David Luiz and Juan Mata among others. “I have to start working with the players, even those I’ve already worked with,” Mourinho told reporters after going back to the London club he first managed from 2004 to 2007. “Time changes people, changes players, changes qualities.

“Even that group of five or six boys from my time here before, I need to meet them again. The others? I think I know them because I watch them on TV 20 times every season, minimum, but I don’t know them.

“That’s the first part of this job.

It’s not to arrive and say, ‘Mr Abramovich and members of the board, I need some more money with a lot of zeros, I need to change half the team, move this one and buy that one’,” added Mourinho. “No, I need to work with the players and not commit injustice. I need to give them a chance, be fair with them. After that we’ll have time to make decisions.”

Captain Terry was relegated to fourth-choice centre half last season and while Mourinho offered no guarantees of regular starts, he did say the 32-year-old would remain club skipper.

“John is the club captain,” he said. “I am more than happy with that, so are the fans, so I think he has to be the club captain.”

Mourinho refused to criticise his predecessor, Chelsea’s former

Chelsea football club’s new manager Jose Mourinho interim manager Rafa Benitez, over his handling of Terry or other decisions.

“One of my good qualities - I also have some bad ones - is that I don’t speak about a club when I leave it and when I arrive at one I don’t like to comment on what happened before me,” said the former Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Porto manager.

“For me, not one word about Benitez’s decisions either on John or another player. What I can say is about the future and the future is to meet John in the first week of July and try to get the best out of him. “I know what he can give.

Let’s try to make him a very important player that he couldn’t be last season.” Terry, Frank Lampard, Petr Cech, Ashley Cole, Michael Essien and John Obi Mikel all played under Mourinho in his first stint at Stamford Bridge but the

Portuguese said none of them would be granted special treatment.

“It’s important to tell you, not them because they know, there’s no privileges for them,” said the manager. “They know my nature, they don’t have an advantage in relation to the others.

“We have ambitions to add a couple of new players to improve the squad, increase the competitiveness, but my biggest job at the moment is the all-round improvement of the squad.

“Chelsea have done very well to get some young boys in with great potential, with great ability, with great futures, and I look forward to trying to improve them,” added Mourinho.

“I’m more than happy to follow this philosophy the club has. My area is the football area but more and more you have to be deeply

Lebanese referee jailed for corruption SINGAPORE: Lebanese referee Ali Sabbagh has been sentenced to six months in jail by a Singapore court after pleading guilty to influencing two linesmen to help fix an Asian Football Confederation match. The sentencing yesterday comes two months after the trio was charged with “corruptly receiving gratification in the form of free sexual service,” arranged by Singaporean businessman Eric Ding Si Yang, in an attempted to fix the April 3 match in Singapore. Linesmen Ali Eid, 33, and Abdallah Taleb, 37, were sentenced Monday to three months in jail but were released within hours after the court took into account time already served while waiting for their sentences. Eid and Taleb were expected to leave Singapore late yesterday. All three were apprehended before the April 3 match by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau and were detained at Singapore’s Changi prison.

In delivering his sentence Tuesday, Judge Low Wee Ping told Sabbagh: “You were not only cultivated by Ding, you also in turn went on to cultivate, or included, the coaccused linesmen as potential corrupt international football officials.”

Sabbagh’s sentence was delayed a day as the court needed time to consider a harsher punishment due to his direct contact with Ding, whom he met in Beirut a year ago. The state prosecutor also said Sabbagh was the “most culpable” out of the three football match officials.

“You are a FIFA-accredited international referee with the potential to influence legally or corruptly many international matches,” Judge Lowe said in his sentencing remarks. —AP

Malaga outraged after UEFA ban appeal rejected MADRID: Malaga expressed outrage and cast themselves as “sacrificial lambs” after their appeal against a UEFA ban from continental competition over late payments to creditors was rejected yesterday. The decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) means Qatarowned Malaga, who finished sixth in La Liga last season, cannot take up a place in the Europa League next term and eighthplaced Rayo Vallecano or ninth-placed Sevilla will compete instead.

“Shameful, pathetic, unfair that they treat us completely differently to other teams with a lot more (financial) irregularities and debts,” Malaga’s Spain Under21 playmaker Isco said on his Twitter feed. “Yet again they are taking away what we won on the pitch. Neither the players or the fans deserve this.” Rayo, who have not been awarded a licence to compete in Europe by the Spanish soccer federation (RFEF) due to financial problems of their own, reacted to Malaga’s exclusion by saying they would appeal to CAS to try to reverse the RFEF’s decision.

Otherwise, Sevilla will compete in Europe’s second-tier club competition next term, a tournament they won in 2006 and 2007 when it was called the UEFA Cup. UEFA, which is getting tough on teams that live beyond their means as part of its Financial Fair Play (FFP) initiative, initially banned Malaga for two years in December because of overdue payments to rival clubs and Spanish tax authorities.

That was later reduced to a year after the club “regularised its overdue payables” by a March 31 deadline and they appealed to CAS asking for the UEFA

decision to be annulled or replaced with less severe sanctions.

However, CAS rejected the appeal and ruled Malaga would also have to pay the original fine of 300,000 euros ($395,800).

The Swiss-based court said it would publish the reasons for its decision at an unspecified date. European soccer’s governing body welcomed the ruling on its website (www.uefa.com). “(Malaga) is therefore excluded from the 2013-14 UEFA Europa League and will be replaced by the next best-placed club in the Spanish domestic league, provided this club has been granted a licence and fulfils all the admission criteria,” it added.

Malaga reiterated that they had complied with FFP rules and said they deserved to be able to take up their Europa League place.

“The Spanish soccer federation (RFEF), within the parameters set by UEFA, confirmed on May 14 that Malaga’s application for a UEFA licence had been approved,” the club said on their website (www.malagacf.com).

Vicente Casado, the club’s director general, said Malaga’s finances were in much better shape than some other Spanish clubs and he feared others may fall foul of UEFA rules.

The CAS decision will not affect the Malaga project and there will be some important announcements about the future later this week, he added. “They wanted a scapegoat, a sacrificial lamb, and they found it, I can’t see it any other way,” he told local radio. “We cannot lose our heads in the heat of the moment but it seems this decision was not based in law but was political.”—Reuters

connected with the other areas of a club and I think the club and I have the same kind of vision.”

Mourinho has been involved in a series of on and off the field incidents during his career but he said he returns to Chelsea as a calmer, more mature individual.

“Football is an industry that demands a lot and you learn a lot every day,” he added. “Back in 2000 when I was managing for the first time, I thought I knew everything.

“After 13 years you realise you knew nothing. At 50, I think I’m still very young as a manager and I think I am at the beginning of a new period. “Do I have a different personality? For sure, no, but will I have a different approach and way of looking at things? I’m the same personality, I have the same nature, but a different perspective.”—Reuters

Quebec suspended over turban ban

Maxi Rodriguez

Newell’s crush Union 5-0 BUENOS AIRES: Winger Maxi Rodriguez scored twice as Newell’s Old Boys edged closer to the Argentine league title with a crushing 5-0 home victory over relegated Union in Rosario on Monday.

Newell’s have a three-point lead over River Plate, who beat Independiente 2-1 on Sunday, with two matches to go in the “Final” championship, the second of two in the season.

Newell’s coach Gerardo Martino said getting the win was key in order to regain the momentum from Sunday’s loss to All Boys.

“This is important because we had to recover from the defeat at All Boys.

There’s still a way to go, we must win so as not to give River a chance,” he told

reporters. Third-placed Lanus, three points further back, hoped to keep pace but their match at Estudiantes in La Plata was abandoned at halftime when they were 2-0 down after a fan was killed in a clash with riot police.

Rodriguez put Newell’s ahead after half an hour at their Marcelo Bielsa ground and also netted the fourth in the second half. Striker Ignacio Scocco added the second just before halftime, netting the rebound after goalkeeper had parried his first effort, to take his tally to 11 as the championship’s top scorer.

Defender Gabriel Heinze struck the third at a corner in the 55th minute and substitute Maximiliano Urruti rounded off the rout 10 minutes from time.—Reuters

MONTREAL: The Canadian Soccer Association has suspended its Quebec affiliate over the province’s decision to ban turbans on the football pitch-a move that has angered Sikh groups.

In a statement, the sport’s national governing body said it acted after a June 6 request to the Quebec Soccer Federation to reverse its position on players wearing the head garments was ignored.

Quebec is the only province to institute such a ban on turbans, which are worn by many Canadian Sikhs. A few hundred Sikh players are estimated to be affected by the measure. “The Quebec Soccer Federation’s inaction has forced us to take measures in order to ensure soccer remains accessible to the largest number of Canadians,” Canadian Soccer Association president Victor Montagliani said.

The suspension means that Quebec teams cannot play in inter-provincial tournaments, and matches within Quebec that use a nationally certified referee could be cancelled. Montagliani said the suspension would only be lifted when Quebec agreed to remove the ban.

A week ago, Quebec federation chief Brigitte Frot provoked a public outcry when she was quoted by local media as saying that if Quebec children wanted to wear a turban while playing football, they could “play in their backyards.”

She has cited safety concerns as the reason for the ban. Immigration Minister Jason Kenney called the ban “ridiculous” while opposition Liberal leader Justin Trudeau said in a Twitter message: “Barring kids from playing soccer because they wear a turban is wrong.”

Quebec Premier Pauline Marois however defended the provincial soccer group’s autonomy and right to set “its own rules,” calling the suspension “unacceptable.”

The president of the Montreal Impact soccer club, Joey Saputo, said while he personally disagreed with the ban, he thought the suspension was “exaggerated” and urged both sides to “find some common ground for the good of the sport.”—AFP

Lions maul Country boys

Rangers, Red Sox advance

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

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After 86 years Blackhawks and Bruins meet for Cup

Page 18

MELBOURNE: Matthew McKay (left) of Australia and Amer Deeb of Jordan compete for the ball during their 2014 World Cup football qualifier in Melbourne. — AFP

Australia in Kruse control for Jordan rout MELBOURNE: Exciting young winger Robbie Kruse inspired Australia’s old guard to a thumping 4-0 win over Jordan which put them within sight of next year’s World Cup yesterday.

Germany-based Kruse set up 30-somethings Mark Bresciano and Tim Cahill and then grabbed an eye-catching goal of his own, before veteran skipper Lucas Neill rounded off the scoring with his first ever international goal.

The much-needed win lifted the Socceroos to the second automatic qualifying spot in Group B with one game to go, meaning a home victory over Iraq next week will ensure their ticket to Brazil and their third World Cup in a row.

“Wonderful,” said Kruse, 24, who is headed from Fortuna Dusseldorf to Bayer Leverkusen and Champions League football next season. “To get the win was excellent... it puts us in a good position going into the next game.” He added: “It was fantastic to get four goals, and we could have had a few more.”

Coach Holger Osieck said he felt “pretty sure” Australia now had the momentum to beat Iraq and get to Brazil.

Jordan and Australia had been locked on seven points each before Tuesday’s game. “You can never dream of a score like 4-0 but I think the overall performance was excellent,” he said. But the German warned there would be no celebrations yet, noting: “We have to focus on the next game.”

The opening few minutes, in front of a 43,785 crowd at Melbourne’s Docklands Stadium, were tense but Australia soon threatened when Jordan ‘keeper Amer Shafia denied Brett Holman from inside the box after 14 minutes.

Bresciano blazed the rebound high and wide, but barely a minute later he made no mistake with his second chance of the night, connecting with Kruse’s short cross to stab in from six yards out. Kruse had danced clear of the defence when referee Abdul Malik Bashir played the advantage after a foul on the right touchline. Jordan froze momentarily, allowing Bresciano to claim his 13th goal for his country.

Kruse was the danger man and Khalil Bani Ateyah was booked for bringing down the rampant right winger, before Cahill had a penalty shout turned down when he went over in the box after 26 minutes.

Jordan enjoyed plenty of possession but lacked a cutting edge and were restricted to long-range efforts. Ahmed Hayel picked up a loose ball and fired a fine shot just wide after 27 minutes.

Coach Adnan Hamad had billed it as the biggest match in Jordan’s history as they seek a first ever World Cup berth, but the visitors never looked like repeating their home wins against Japan and the Socceroos earlier in qualifying.

As half-time approached, midfielder Holman was bowled over 25 yards out by Anas Bani Yaseen. Bresciano stepped up again and Shafia did well to hold the low, swerving shot. The second half was nearly all one-way traffic and when Cahill powerfully headed home Kruse’s cross after 60 minutes, the result looked secure.

Jordan tried to push forward but only exposed their defence, and with another flowing break Kruse cut in from the right, nutmegged a defender and drove home after 76 minutes. Eight minutes later, Neill nodded in a close-range header. Jordan need to beat Oman in Amman next Tuesday to have a chance of a play-off place. — AFP

Japan ends Iraq’s WCup bid DOHA: Asian champions Japan finished their World Cup qualifying campaign with a 1-0 win over Iraq in Doha yesterday that ended the West Asian nation’s slim hopes of joining them in Brazil.

Iraq enjoyed plenty of possession and created lots of chances in the searing Qatari heat but could not find a way through and Japan made them pay with an 89th-minute goal on the counter from Shinji Okazaki. The result leaves Japan on 17 points from their eight Group B games with Iraq bottom on five ahead of their eighth and final fixture away to Australia next week.

After losses to Jordan and Bulgaria, Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni was keen to grab a win before the team begin their Confederations Cup campaign against hosts Brazil on Saturday.

“It’s been a while since we’d won so I told the players to finish off with a victory,” the Italian was quoted as saying by Kyodo news agency.

“The heat and wind made things difficult but we did well enough tonight. I think we showed we have been a force to be reckoned with in this group.”

Iraq knew only victory in front of a handful of fans in their temporary home ground in Qatar would be enough to keep

alive their hopes of claiming a top-three finish and a chance of reaching Brazil.

The Japanese, who sealed top spot in the group last week with a point at home to Australia, rested first teamers Keisuke Honda, Ryoichi Maeda and Maya Yoshida for the fixture while skipper Makoto Hasebe was suspended.

Despite the absentees, the Japanese came close to the first goal with striker Mike Havenaar narrowly missing with a glancing header in the 32nd minute and Yasuyuki Konno blazing over a good opportunity from close range four minutes later.

The game was then stopped for the first of two water breaks with the temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) in the country which will host the 2022 World Cup finals.

Iraq, 2007 Asian champions, were better suited to the heat and wrestled control of the match in the second period with captain Younis Mahmoud, who will retire at the end of the campaign, looking dangerous in attack.

Forward Alaa Abdul-Zahra wasted a good chance to give Iraq the lead in the 69th minute after he took advantage of some careless Japanese defending but he fired his shot over the bar. — AFP

QATAR: Japan’s Sakai Hiroki (left) vies for the ball with Iraq’s Ali Rhima during their 2014 FIFA World Cup Asian zone Group B qualifying football match. — AFP

South Korea edge Uzbekistan in vital clash SEOUL: South Korea had a first-half own goal to thank yesterday as they edged Uzbekistan 10 for a vital win which could be enough to put them through to their eighth successive World Cup next year.

Defender Akmal Shorakhmedov was the fall guy when he headed Kim Young-Gwon’s vicious cross into his own net just before halftime, but South Korea showed enough attacking endeavour to deserve their win at Seoul World Cup Stadium.

The Taeguk Warriors, World Cup semi-finalists in 2002, open up a three-point lead over

Uzbekistan at the top of a tight Group A. “I felt this match would come down to a single goal,” said South Korea’s coach Choi KangHee. “We were able to win because our players never lost their concentration.”

Only the top two teams in Asia’s two final qualifying groups win an automatic spot, with the third-placed countries entering a play-off.

Group B winners Japan are the only team to book their ticket to Brazil so far.

After a cagey opening, Anzur Ismailov’s long shot forced a save from South Korea’s Jung Sung-Ryong, and reigning Asian player of the

Lee Keun-Ho was guilty of a terrible miss when he sliced an easy shot wide from close range.

Uzbekistan’s Ulugbek Bakaev drew Korean ‘keeper Jung into action again with a shot but he also passed up a golden chance when he met Server Djeparov’s cross unmarked at the far post, but planted his header high and wide.

After 41 minutes, imposing Korean striker Kim Shin-Wook’s knock-down fell to Lee Myoung-Ju, but Uzbek custodian Ignatiy Nesterov dived low at his feet to deny the debutant midfielder.

However, the Korean pressure told just a

minute later when Kim Young-Gwon’s arcing cross from deep on the right fell to the unfortunate Shorakhmedov, who could only direct it into his own net.

After the break, Timur Kapadze fired over in a strong spell for the visitors but South Korea gradually regained control and had the best chances of the second half.

Hamburger SV striker Son Heung-Min beat two defenders with a slalom run into the box but saw his shot deflected, and from the ensuing corner Kwak Tae-Hwi’s strong header brought a sharp save from Nesterov. — AFP

Iran thrash Lebanon 4-0 TEHRAN: Iran thrashed Lebanon 4-0 in Tehran yesterday to move into second place in Asia qualifying Group A and take control of their World Cup destiny.

Goals by Mohammad Khalatbari, Reza Ghoochannejhad and two from captain Javad Nekonam helped Iran move past Uzbekistan into the automatic qualifying places ahead of their final match away to South Korea next Tuesday.

The Koreans lead the group on 14 points from seven matches with Iran second on 13 and the Uzbeks third on 11 after their 1-0 loss in Seoul earlier yesterday.

The top two sides are guaranteed a place in Brazil with the third placed team also joining them if they can successfully negotiate a playoff against another Asian country and then a South American nation.

The Uzbeks host Qatar in their final game on Tuesday but Iran will be confident of edging them after finally finding their feet in front of goal with a dominant display against bottom side Lebanon.

The home side had only managed three goals in their opening six matches of the group and they seemed set on not adding to that total with some profligate finishing once again in the opening 30 minutes. Ghoochannejhad had a flurry of chances to score but he wasted a free close range header and blasted another snap shot over the bar as Lebanon, already out of qualifying contention, struggled to stem the wave.

Midfielder Khalatbari eventually broke the deadlock in the 39th minute when he skipped through two challenges and slotted home a right foot shot from 12 metres, much to the relief of under-pressure Iran coach Carlos Queiroz on the sidelines.

Full back Khosro Heydari was causing problems for the visitors down the right and his cross set up the second goal in first-half stoppage time for Nekonam, the skipper rising highest to head home.

Iran were quick out of the blocks in the second half with Ghoochannejhad finally finding his range, cutting inside Hassan Daher to finish confidently in the 46th minute.

With the tight qualifying picture in Group A possibly coming down to goal difference, Iran pushed forward but Abbas Hassan in the Lebanon goal produced a number of good saves.

But Hassan was left motionless as Nekonam rounded off the scoring in the 86th minute when he fired home a long range effort to wrap up the scoring. — Reuters

Berlin defends ECB bond plan, casts doubt on court’s power Page 22

Business

Hard times for Iran middle class battling US sanctions Page 23

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

Strike leads protest of EU air travel plan

Turkish economy depends on political stability Page 24

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LONDON: Protestors march through the streets of central London yesterday during demonstrations against the G8 Summit. —AFP

Police scuffle with anti-G8 UK protesters Financial, energy, defence, mining firms among targets LONDON: Police scuffled with scores of antiG8 demonstrators in central London and surrounded a building where protest organisers were meeting yesterday before a summit of world leaders in Britain next week. Isolated scuffles broke out when police moved in to arrest individuals as a main group of around 30 to 50 activists, mostly dressed in black, banged on drums and blew whistles as they ran through the capital.

The demonstrators were staging a “Carnival Against Capitalism” across London to start a week of action before Britain hosts the meeting of the Group of Eight leading industrialised nations at a golf resort in Northern Ireland. Some of the world’s biggest hedge funds, private equity firms and banks have warned their staff to take precautions in the

event of disruption after similar protests in recent years led to violent clashes with police, vandalism and buildings being temporarily occupied.

Police descended on premises just off Regent Street, one of London’s best known shopping areas, in the fashionable Soho district, where the StopG8 group had been meeting before the demonstration. More than 100 officers in riot uniforms formed a cordon, trapping the gathering protesters in a tight area around Beak Street as police helicopters hovered above and reinforcements waited in vans.

London’s Metropolitan Police said it had a search warrant for the address. “People inside the property...are free to leave but will be searched,” the police said on Twitter. Activists, some with their faces covered, waved black,

green and red flags as they marched through Oxford Street. They carried banners saying “No borders, no prisons, no capitalism” and “One Common Struggle”.

There were skirmishes around Oxford Street, with television footage showing police dragging one protester to the ground.

Reuters witnesses saw at least five people arrested near Piccadilly Circus. “Humanity is spiralling towards extinction,” said one protester, who identified himself only as Silvester. “We are facing the biggest crisis ever. We oppose governments and corporations. And the G8 is emblematic of all that.”

Map of targets Last month, StopG8 issued a map of 100 potential targets for people to “show their

anger”, identifying offices of financial organisations such as banks, hedge funds, defence manufacturer BAE Systems and mining and energy companies including ArcelorMittal and BP. The list includes hedge funds Man Group and Paulson, private equity firm Blackstone, banks such as Citi and Barclays and embassies including those of Saudi Arabia and the United States.

The group, which describes itself as an openly anti-capitalist network “made up of autonomous groups and individuals”, had refused to cooperate with police, meaning it was not clear how many people would attend during the course of the day, or where they would focus their attentions. One banker working for an international firm with offices in central London said the staff had received

Indians in Kuwait cash in on rupee’s record plunge Volume rises despite fear among expats

By Sajeev K Peter KUWAIT: Despite the lingering fear and uneasiness among the expatriate population in Kuwait, Indians crowded foreign exchange centers across the country yesterday to cash in on the unprecedented plunge of the Indian rupee as the currency plummeted to an all-time low of 59 against the US dollar.

A Kuwaiti dinar fetched 207.468 rupees yesterday, a record low for the Indian currency while a dollar traded for almost 59 rupees at one point though it softened subsequently to hover around 58.978 following reports that two Indian banks have intervened in the forex market to check the freefall of the currency.

Analysts point out that the partially convertible rupee plummeted against the greenback because dealers sought refuge in the dollar following reports on India’s dismal economic growth and promising US data.

“A large number of expats are cashing in on the record plunge in the rupee’s value. Though the number is not rising considerably, the volume is definitely,” Pancily Varkey, the country head, UAE Exchange Centre, told the Kuwait Times. According to Varkey, the volume of remittances to India has registered a 10 to 15 percent growth in June over the previous month. “Especially, high net worth customers are taking advantage of the market situation,” he pointed out.

Money market specialists and foreign exchange traders forecast that the rupee could hit an all-time low of 60 against the dollar soon if the central bank fails to intervene in the market effectively. According to reports from India two leading public banks, the Union Bank of India and the State Bank of India, sold the US dollar to arrest the fall of the rupee that gained marginally to 58.20, but fell back to 58.38 later.

Lulu Exchange General Manager K N S Das

MUMBAI: In this photograph, an employee counts Indian rupee notes at a bank in Mumbai. —AFP said there is an increase in flow of money to India now. “There is surely a rise in the volume being remitted, but not as much as we witnessed in last June during the rupee plunge.

According to many exchange company officials in Kuwait, the ongoing campaign against the illegal residents have seriously affected the industry creating panic and nervousness among the people. “People do not feel very comfortable to move around these days. Definitely, the situation has affected the industry. But the rupee’s record depreciation has prompted many to send home money now,” said an executive with an exchange company in Mirqab who did not want to be named. Analysts however do not anticipate any major intervention from India’s

central bank RBI, though the government has initiated measures to attract more foreign direct investments (FDIs) into the country. Also a proposed mega deal by Unilever worth $3 billion may help prop up the beleaguered rupee, they point out. Varkey however remained skeptic about the impact of any government measure to stem the rupee tide. “There is not enough clarity about the government policies and measures. In fact this ambiguity is keeping foreign funds at bay,” he argued.

“The rupee will remain volatile at least in the medium term as the RBI is unable to rein in the runaway inflation in the country. If the trend continues, it may even plunge to the level of 63,” added Das.

an email indicating some 500 people would attend the protest.

One hedge fund, which asked not to be identified, said it had advised its staff to be especially alert to the protests. “We’re clearly aware of it,” it said. “Our guidance is to be careful and don’t draw attention to yourself as obviously being a hedge fund manager. We’re not expecting a riot on our doorstep.” Recent demonstrations against the British government’s austerity measures have been marred by rioting anarchists, while many Britons angered by bank bailouts and bonuses during tough economic times blame the financial sector. In 2009, police made more than 100 arrests after protests by tens of thousands of people to coincide with a G20 economic summit in London turned violent. — Reuters

India rupee skids to fresh lifetime low against dollar MUMBAI: India’s rupee hit a new lifetime low against the dollar yesterday as the government said authorities would take “action as warranted” to stem the fall.

The rupee has been hit by speculation that the US Federal Reserve will cut back on asset purchases which have fuelled flows into emerging markets and as well as by growing concern about India’s economic weakness. “A large part of the rupee’s fall is due to dollar strength,” the finance ministry’s chief economic adviser Raghuram Rajan told reporters in New Delhi, adding that there was “no sense of panic”.

Emerging market currencies across the world have been hit by dollar strength triggered by a robust US jobs report. Rajan added authorities “will take action as warranted” to curb the rupee’s fall. He said the central Reserve Bank of India (RBI), stock market officials and the government were “keenly following what is happening”. Traders said the RBI was believed to have intervened in foreign exchange markets yesterday, selling a small number of dollars for rupees to lift the Indian currency off its record low of 58.98 rupees to the greenback.

The RBI was suspected to have “intervened at around the 58.97 level by selling dollars”, a private bank dealer, asking not to be named, told AFP. After the reported RBI move, the Indian currency recovered by about a fifth of a rupee to 58.62 rupees to the dollar. The latest bout of weakness has taken the currency well below its previous lifetime low of 57.32 rupees hit on June 28 last year.

The RBI has a policy of not commenting on movements in the foreign exchange market and of intervening only to curb volatility. “This is a sentiment-driven phase for the market,” the dealer told AFP, adding the rupee could trim its losses and recover to 58.0 levels in coming days. Analysts say the bank

cannot intervene heavily to buttress the currency as it must retain enough foreign reserves for imports. It only has sufficient reserves for seven months of imports-the lowest cover in 13 years.

The rupee’s fall is the latest blow to Asia’s third-largest economy, which has been beset by sharply slower growth, worsening public finances and political turmoil.

The weaker currency makes imports costlier, especially of foreign oil on which India heavily relies, and will stoke already high consumer inflation. India is also already contending with a bloated current account deficit-the broadest measure of trade. The finance ministry’s Rajan said he believed the rupee was “oversold” and would recover some of its weakness in coming days.

“We expect to see a resumption of equity inflows as the realisation dawns (abroad) that Indian assets are quite cheap,” he said. “We have gone beyond what is warranted by (economic) fundamentals,” he added. He said the government was committed to narrowing the current account deficit , which ballooned to 4.89 percent of gross domestic product last year from 4.2 percent the previous year, and this “includes restoring conditions for investment and growth”.

Rajan said he would soon announce proposals to increase foreign direct investment (FDI) caps to boost currency inflows but would not say in which areas of the economy.

Last year, the Congress government opened the retail, aviation and other sectors to greater FDI in a bid to spur an economy growing at just five percent a decade low. Rajan said government steps to curb gold purchases, one of the biggest contributors to the current account deficit, had already reduced consumption of the precious metal by more than three-fold. — AFP

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

BUSINESS

Gold slides to 3-week low over BoJ LONDON: Gold fell 1 percent yesterday to a near three-week low after the Bank of Japan opted not to extend its stimulus programme, stoking speculation that the era of ultra-loose global monetary policy is coming to an end. Gold had already been hurt by talk the US Federal Reserve may be set to taper its monetary easing sooner than expected, after Standard & Poor’s revised up its US sovereign credit outlook on Monday and a US payrolls report last week beat forecasts.

Successive rounds of stimulus measures around the world have boosted gold prices to record highs in recent years by keeping up pressure on interest rates while stoking

inflation fears. Speculation they may be set to end is now pressuring the metal. Spot gold was down 1.1 percent at $1,371.11 an ounce at 0923 GMT, while US gold futures for August delivery were down $15.20 an ounce at $1,370.80.

“The market is coming around to the view that the Fed will taper quantitative easing,” Credit Agricole analyst Robin Bhar said.

“The fact that the economy seems to be creating jobs, as we saw with the payrolls report on Friday, makes Fed tapering more likely than not.” He added, “The Bank of Japan’s reluctance to further stimulate is just another reason to at least be cautious on gold.”

Concerns that the era of plentiful mone-

tary stimulus is on the wane knocked European shares 0.9 percent lower and hit peripheral euro zone bond prices. The dollar fell a quarter of a percent against the euro.Dealers in Singapore said gold demand had eased after a jump in April, which followed the biggest two-day fall in gold prices in 30 years. Gold bars and coins were therefore easier to obtain, they said.

Gold ETF reports inflow The world’s largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, New York’s SPDR Gold Trust, reported its largest inflow in over a month on Monday, of 2.7 tonnes. Its holdings still remained near four-year lows, how-

ever, down 340 tonnes this year.

Among other precious metals, silver was down 1 percent at $21.69 an ounce, spot platinum was down 1.1 percent at $1,485.99 an ounce and spot palladium was down 1.3 percent at $757.72 an ounce. Platinum producer Lonmin and South Africa’s Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) were in talks yesterday to avert a strike, a union official said.

AMCU wants to be recognised as the majority union at Lonmin as it now represents over 70 percent of the workforce at the world’s third-largest producer of the precious metal and has threatened to down tools at the mine this week if talks fail. Swiss

Berlin defends ECB bond plan, casts doubt on court’s power

OPEC sees room for its over-target oil output LONDON: OPEC predicted world oil demand will grow more quickly in the rest of 2013 and indicated the group can keep pumping more oil than the ouptut target it retained at a May 31 meeting without oversupplying the market.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries in a monthly report forecast world oil demand would expand by 900,000 barrels per day (bpd) in the second half, up from 700,000 bpd in the first six months of 2013. “The second half of the year is expected to see higher demand,” said the report by OPEC’s economists. “In terms of demand growth, the expected global economic recovery in the second half of this year could also add more barrels to seasonally higher global consumption.”

With oil prices near the group’s preferred level of $100 a barrel, OPEC at a May 31 meeting agreed to retain its output target at 30 million bpd, leaving the door open for informal supply tweaks by top exporter Saudi Arabia depending on demand.

OPEC has been pumping above the target and in May. Supply rose by 106,000 bpd to 30.57 million bpd, according to sec-

Merkel, Schaeuble and Bundesbank back ECB action KARLSRUHE: Germany ’s finance minister defended the European Central Bank’s bondbuying scheme against charges it violates German law and questioned whether the country ’s top court had the power to rule on a scheme many credit with saving the euro-zone.

The comments by Wolfgang Schaeuble and a separate statement by the president of Germany’s Constitutional Court at the start of a two-day hearing on the ECB’s bond plan raised the prospect of the case being referred to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in Luxembourg.

likely to give a green light to the OMT, though the German court could attach recommendations if it did refer the case.

Making the case for the German government, Schaeuble said at the hearing: “I find it hard to imagine that German courts would decide directly on the legality of the ECB’s actions”. If they did so, he said, there was a risk that courts in all 17 euro-zone member states would try to weigh in, giving the ECB contradictory legal orders. “The German government sees no signs that the measures taken by the ECB so far violate

KARLSRUHE: A member of the action group “Direct Democracy” demonstrates prior to hearings on the European Central Bank’s controversial OMT bond purchase programme in front of the German Constitutional Court in Germany yesterday. —AFP More than 35,000 Germans filed complaints against the ECB’s programme to buy up the debt of stricken southern euro-zone members, claiming it violates the central bank’s mandate for price stability and amounts to illegal back-door financing of governments. But although the ECB is based in Frankfurt, it is bound by European Union law, raising questions about whether the Karlsruhe-based court has jurisdiction over it.

In his introductory remarks, court president Andreas Vosskuhle said this was “the most difficult legal question” facing the eight red-robed judges, whose rulings on euro-zone bailouts have been closely watched by financial markets since the bloc’s crisis broke out over three years ago. Legal experts believe the ECJ is much more

its mandate,” Schaeuble said. The judges are not expected to reach a final ruling until after German parliamentary elections in September.

“Whatever it takes” ECB President Mario Draghi, who unveiled the programme dubbed Outright Monetary Transactions (OMT) last year as fears of a catastrophic euro breakup flared, has called it “probably the most successful monetary policy measure undertaken in recent time”. The crisis has subsided significantly since Draghi promised to do whatever it takes to save the euro last July, before unveiling details of the bond scheme two months later.

Even though the ECB has not bought a single

bank UBS said while platinum had been at its cheapest compared with palladium in more than a decade recently, supply threats in South Africa had more scope to drive platinum higher.

“In spite of their apparent preference for palladium this year, investors are also wary of supply risks in platinum that could easily result in sharp price spikes, especially in the next few months,” it said. “Market participants are keeping a close eye on headlines from South Africa. Tensions are increasing.

Given the more acute upside risks to platinum in the near term, palladium’s relative strength versus platinum should not be taken for granted.” —Reuters

bond of any distressed euro-zone government, yields on 10-year Spanish bonds have fallen from 7.6 to 4.6 percent, while their Italian equivalents have dipped from 6.6 to 4.3 percent.

Despite this, Jens Weidmann, head of the Bundesbank and a member of the ECB’s governing council, is testifying against OMT at the hearing.

He believes the programme is tantamount to printing money to finance struggling euro states. This is seen as taboo by many in Germany, where fears of inflation still run deep nearly a century after runaway prices under the Weimar Republic devastated the economy, helping the Nazis rise to power. In a rare public clash, Weidmann was due to face off against another German, Joerg Asmussen, who was making the case for the ECB. Only a few years apart in age, both studied at Bonn University and worked closely together in formulating Berlin’s response to the 2008/9 global financial crisis. Asmussen was Schaeuble’s top deputy at the time and Weidmann an economic adviser to Merkel.

Bailout fatigue Vosskuhle began the hearing by saying the success of OMT would play “no role” in the court’s view of its constitutionality. The court cannot revoke the ECB scheme but, in considering whether it violates the German parliament’s sovereign right to control the budget, it could challenge aspects of the programme, such as its “unlimited” nature.

Even that could wreck the effectiveness of the OMT, which has worked largely by giving investors the confidence to buy bonds, safe in the knowledge that the ECB would intervene on the secondary market if any government were at serious risk of defaulting. Speaking at an industry conference in Berlin, Chancellor Angela Merkel said the ECB had acted appropriately to stabilise the euro and stressed the importance of the euro-zone’s permanent rescue mechanism, on which the court still has to deliver a final verdict.

The complaints against the OMT reflect fatigue in Europe’s largest economy at funding the lion’s share of successive sovereign bailouts. About 20 members of the new antieuro “Alternative for Germany” party demonstrated outside the court. In earlier rulings the court has approved euro-zone bailout schemes while insisting the German parliament be consulted more fully. For plaintiffs like Peter Gauweiler, on the eurosceptic fringe of Merkel’s conser vatives, this is not clear enough. “A ‘yes, but’ does not help anymore. A clear ‘no’ is what is needed,” his lawyer Dietrich Murswiek told the court. —Reuters

ondary sources cited by the report, led by Saudi Arabia which typically pumps more in summer to meet domestic air conditioning demand. Still, the report said that output rate was broadly in line with OPEC’s estimate of the average demand for its crude in the second half of 30.47 million bpd - meaning most of the surplus will be absorbed rather than head into inventories.

“Overall, existing fundamentals portray a market with ample supply, which is further reflected in comfortable crude oil stock levels,” the report said.

OPEC reiterated its familiar warning of downside risks to the demand outlook from weak economic growth. For 2013 as a whole, it forecast world oil use would grow by 780,000 bpd, slightly lower than 790,000 bpd previously expected. The report is the first of this month’s three prominent oil supply and demand forecasts to emerge. The US government’s Energy Information Administration - at present more bullish on demand growth than OPEC with a forecast of 890,000 bpd issues its report later on yesterday. The International Energy Agency’s monthly update is due today. —Reuters

Saudi airports agency picks banks for huge riyal sukuk DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s state airports operator has picked three banks to arrange the second tranche of its local Islamic bond programme, banking sources said yesterday, with a sale seen matching the firm’s recordbreaking $4 billion debut sukuk in 2012. The General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA), which oversees the air industry in the Kingdom, has chosen HSBC Holdings’ Saudi Arabian unit and the investment banking arm of state-owned National Commercial Bank to manage the riyal-denominated transaction, four banking sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in infrastructure projects and revamping many of its airports to cater for growing passenger traffic, including through a planned 27 billion riyal ($7.2 billion) development of Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz Airport. Standard Chartered will also be involved in the transaction, having pitched jointly with NCB Capital, but will hold a more junior role than the other two banks, two of the sources said.

The deal will be the first local currency Saudi debt issue that Standard Chartered has

been involved in, they added. A sale could take place before the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, due to begin around July 9, two of the sources said, although one of the others said it may be delayed until after the summer. GACA didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The sukuk is expected to draw significant demand from Saudi investors as it will be backed by a guarantee from the country’s Ministry of Finance. Given that the kingdom doesn’t issue sovereign debt, this is the closest that investors can get to holding government paper. The last sukuk, a 15 billion riyals ten-year government-guaranteed deal priced in January 2012, was the country’s largest ever local currency bond and attracted orders from investors worth 3.5-times the final amount. “They are planning to raise the same amount and they could very easily do it,” said one of the banking sources. HSBC Saudi Arabia arranged the maiden sukuk on its own. The kingdom’s finance minister said in December that bonds would be issued in 2013 to fund construction at airports in Jeddah and Riyadh. —Reuters

EXCHANGE RATES Malaysian ringgit Irani Riyal Irani Riyal

Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Egyptian pounds US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian dollars Danish Kroner Swedish Kroner Australian dlr Hong Kong dlr Singapore dlr Japanese yen Indian Rs/KD Sri Lanka rupee Pakistan rupee Bangladesh taka UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi Riyal/KD Omani riyals Philippine Peso

.2770000 .4310000 .3680000 .3020000 .2780000 .2940000 .0040000 .0020000 .0771240 .7513970 .3930000 .0720000 .7366120 .0370000 CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES .2841000 .4338920 .3707360 .3043390 .2795430 .0497330 .0443660 .2963730 .0365940 .2291130 .0029600 .0000000 .0000000 .0000000 .0000000 .0773800 .7538810 .0000000 .0757800 .7382100 .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

ASIAN COUNTRIES 2.901 4.870 2.886 2.231 3.049 226.790 36.693 3.652 6.590 9.227

.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

Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

94.271 0.271 0.273 GCC COUNTRIES 75.990 78.290 740.160 756.880 77.605

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 284.850 Euro 379.140 Sterling Pound 445.220 Canadian dollar 280.640 Turkish lira 149.830 Swiss Franc 306.620 Australian Dollar 269.330 US Dollar Buying 283.650 GOLD 265.000 134.000 70.000

SELL DRAFT 275.96 283.06 313.19 382.40 285.40 448.60 3.04 3.676 4.990 2.240 3.132 2.890 77.77 759.61 40.24 406.18

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

Selling Rate 284.900 282.585 444.595 377.550 304.360 754.280 77.545 78.200 75.935 401.615 40.120 2.247 4.943 2.888 3.658 6.793 698.875 3.895 9.385 4.070 3.195 91.110

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY

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

748.000 79.500 77.000

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 39.950 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 40.068 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.329 Tunisian Dinar 175.830 Jordanian Dinar 402.420 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.912 Syrian Lier 3.096 Morocco Dirham 34.444

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

742.22 78.81 76.24

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

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

SELL CASH Europe 0.4368423 0.0063873 0.0466506 0.3729195 0.0454174 0.4198043 0.0393156 0.3005376 Australasia 0.2582376 0.2167627 0.0001130 America 0.2725376 0.0001448 0.2825000 Asia 0.0036100 0.0031575 0.0454297 0.0164433

SELLDRAFT 0.4456423 0.0183873 0.0516506 0.3804195 0.0506174 0.4273043 0.0443156 0.3075376 0.2702376 0.2267627 0.0001130 0.2815376 0.0001628 0.2846500 0.0036650 0.0033875 0.0504297 0.0195433

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 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

0.0000442 0.0341291 0.0047940 0.0000240 0.0028429 0.0028106 0.0032972 0.0854936 0.0028929 0.0028606 0.0061505 0.0000727 0.2220541 0.0021974 0.0088407 Arab 0.7486136 0.0380578 0.0127803 0.1447280 0.0000792 0.0001731 0.3959095 1.0000000 0.0001746 0.0221794 0.0012088 0.7283396 0.0775310 0.0753733 0.0452820 0.0027515 0.1740405 0.0760724 0.0012840

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) 285.400 377.050 442.350 277.550 2.925 5.030 40.245 2.256 3.677 6.768 2.902 760.050 77.800 76.250

0.0000502 0.0372291 0.0048580 0.0000291 0.0038429 0.0029906 0.0035272 0.0924936 0.0030929 0.0029006 0.0066205 0.0000757 0.2280541 0.0022394 0.0094407 0.7571136 0.0400878 0.0192803 0.1465180 0.0000797 0.0002331 0.4034095 1.0000000 0.0001946 0.0461794 0.0018438 0.7393396 0.0783140 0.0760133 0.0468320 0.0029715 0.1800405 0.0775224 0.0013840

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

BUSINESS

Hard times for Iran middle class battling US sanctions Devaluation of rial pushes prices of imported products high

MARIGNANE: Passengers check flight information at Marseille-Provence Airport, in Marignane, southern France yesterday. —AFP

Strike leads protest of EU air travel plan PARIS: Air traffic controllers in France kicked off a series of strikes against a European plan to overhaul their industry, forcing the country’s main airports to cut their flight timetables in half yesterday. The Civil Aviation Authority said some 1,800 flights were cancelled at Charles de Gaulle, Orly, Beauvais, Lyon, Nice, Marseille, Toulouse and Bordeaux airports.

The strike was called to protest against a European Union plan to centralize control of the continent’s air space to eliminate duplication of work across the bloc’s 27 countries. Unions fear the plan will cost jobs and reduce pay for air traffic controllers. They have called more strikes in

other countries throughout the EU on Wednesday.

EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas yesterday called for a speedy implementation of the centralization plan as the current system’s inefficiencies are costing airlines and customers some 5 billion euros ($6.6 billion) annually.

French Transport Minister Frederic Cuvillier said that France and Berlin are seeking a postponement of the plan. He said that he and his German colleague, Peter Ramsauer, asked the European Transport commissioner to formally “delay this type of liberalization” at the European summit at the end of June. — AP

China’s MA60 planes in spotlight over safety YANGON: China’s high-flying aviation ambitions suffered a setback yesterday as Myanmar grounded several planes made by the Asian powerhouse and Indonesia ordered special checks on its fleet following a series of safety scares. An MA60 turboprop airliner with 52 people on board crash-landed at an airpor t in eastern Indonesia on Monday, leaving two passengers with minor injuries and forcing stateowned carrier Merpati to write off the plane.

On the same day an MA60 operated by Myanma Airways and carrying about 60 people skidded off a runway at a domestic airport in southern Myanmar, although nobody was hurt. It was the second such incident in less than a month involving one of three MA60s owned by Myanma Airways. “I think the accidents happened because of system failure. We will check all the systems. That’s why we stopped the operation of the planes,” Tin Naing Tun, director general of Myanmar ’s Civil Aviation Department, told AFP. “The systems also showed warnings before,” he added. The Chinese maker of the plane, AVIC Xi’an Aircraft Industry Company, could not be reached for comment yesterday. China is fighting for a bigger share of the multi-billion dollar global aviation market. The communist nation is developing the ARJ-21 regional jetliner and the 168-seat C919 plane in the hope of competing with Boeing and Airbus.

Its turboprop-powered airliners have a chequered record. In May 2011 an MA60 operated by Merpati crashed in West Papua province, killing 25 people.

Following that accident, Indonesian authorities banned the plane from landing at three airports with difficult approaches.

After the latest incident on Monday, Indonesia’s transport ministry said it would carry out a “special audit”-the term given

to checks carried out following serious accidents-on the MA60s.

The process would take up to three months, ministry spokesman Bambang Ervan told AFP. “We will investigate how maintenance work was carried out, the availability of spare parts, crew training, and all matters related to operations,” Ervan said. Merpati is the only Indonesian carrier which currently uses the Chinesemade planes, with eight in operation and five more undergoing routine maintenance work, according to airline spokesman Herry Saptanto.

“We have no plans to ground our planes because of yesterday’s incident,” he added.

“Our MA60 aircraft have been certified by Chinese and Indonesian aviation authorities. We will continue to fly them.” Dudi Sudibyo, senior editor at Indonesian aviation magazine Angkasa, noted however that MA60 planes were not certified safe

by US or EU aviation authorities.

“Merpati was too hasty in purchasing the aircraft,” he told AFP. Sudibyo said the airline’s pilot training, maintenance procedures and stock of spare parts should be investigated. “They should have grounded the MA60 for a week or two while the investigations are ongoing.” Other operators of the plane include Lao Airlines, Philippines’ Zest Air ways and several Chinese carriers.

Following the 2011 accident, there were calls by Indonesian lawmakers to ban the planes altogether. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono ordered a review into the controversial $220 million deal to buy the MA60s amid allegations of kickbacks and concerns about the planes’ airworthiness. A special audit carried out after the 2011 accident found the pilot was not familiar with operating the plane, and did not find any problems with the aircraft, according to Ervan. — AFP

China, LatAm leads gains in tourists WASHINGTON: Tourists from China and Latin America swarmed to the United States last year, while fewer Europeans came, according to a government report released Monday. A record 67.0 million international visitors clocked into the world’s biggest economy in 2012, up by 4.3 million from the prior year, the US Commerce Department said.

It also was a record-breaking year for international travel and tourism spending, which surged 10 percent to $168.1 billion. As usual, visitors from Canada and Mexico accounted for the lion’s share of the total. Aside from those, Japanese tourists accounted for the largest number of overseas tourists — 3.7 million-nearly 14 percent up from a year earlier.

But China had by far the strongest growth, up a whopping 35.3 percent at 1.5 million. Latin American countries had the second-biggest gains, with Colombia, Argentina and Venezuela roughly up around 20.0 percent and Brazil almost 19 percent. Recessionmired Europe was the only region among the top 20 countries of origin showing declines.

British visitors strongly outnumbered other European tourists at 3.8 million, but the number was down 1.9 percent. Spain slumped 13.3 percent, followed by Italy (-6.8 percent), Ireland

(-4.3 percent), France (-3.2 percent) and the Netherlands (-1.5 percent). Visitors from Canada and Mexico flocked into their North American neighbor in record numbers. Canadian tourists were up 6.4 percent to 22.7 million, followed by Mexico’s 14.5 million, up 7.5 percent.

“Increasing international visitors helps grow our economy and create more jobs,” said Francisco Sanchez, undersecretary of Commerce for international trade, in a statement. Sanchez said the banner results showed that President Barack Obama’s strategy was working as the administration continued to focus its efforts “to make America more welcoming to visitors from all around the world.”

The goal is to attract 100 million international visitors, and snare $250 billion in spending, annually by the end of 2021. The Commerce Department forecast 4.0 percent annual growth through 2018. For 2013, 69.6 million foreign travelers are expected to visit the United States. Spain was the only one of the top 40 visitor origin countries expected to show a decline during the next six years. China was projected to lead growth, soaring a total 229 percent over the period, followed by Saudi Arabia (+191 percent), Russia (+79 percent) and Brazil (+66 percent). —AFP

TEHRAN: Like many middle class Iranians, 55-year-old Maryam has seen the bright future she once envisioned for her family thwarted by the country’s economic pains. Leaning over an elegantly framed photo of her four children, Maryam bemoans the missed opportunities and financial woes that have put an end to her plans. “Sometimes even thinking about the future is painful. So I just occupy myself with making the manteau,” she said of her in-house tailor shop, where along with her 30-yearold daughter she makes Islamicapproved clothes for women that cover most of the body.

Until a few years ago, Maryam, who has raised her children alone, could make ends meet with a government pension of about 310 euros ($409) awarded to her after her husband died in the 1980s war with Iraq.

But she has had to find a new cash flow, like many other middle class households struggling to adapt to rising prices.

Maryam says she is fed up with broken promises from statesmen who have failed to shore up the ailing economy against international sanctions over Iran’s nuclear programme and government mismanagement of its oil income. “Until a few years ago, I could afford certain luxuries, like travel. We were able to save money. We could upgrade our car, for example,” she said. “But now they are long-gone dreams.”

Iran’s currency, the rial, has lost more than two-thirds of its value against the dollar since early 2012 when the United States and the European Union announced new sanctions against Iran’s oil exports and access to the global banking system. The devaluation of the rial, coupled with difficulties in repatriating petrodollars, has pushed prices of imported products through the roof, forcing many buyers to turn to

Iranian-made alternatives.

Although authorities have hailed this particular effect of the sanctions as a means to promote domestic products, the implications are not limited to luxury goods. Many Iranians have had to cut back on imported necessities, including medicine. “Life is getting more and more difficult. I wish I had a better-paid job so that I could relieve part of the burden on my mother’s shoulders,” said Sara, Maryam’s daughter, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disease that requires drugs to keep it under control.

Sara says her medicines eat up a large portion of the family income,

as the price of the imported drugs she needs has quadrupled in the past year. “The domestic-made medicines either do not exist or are not as effective,” she said. The government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has failed to curb soaring inflation, which according to official data, tops 30 percent. Critics believe the real figure is much higher. The “mismanagement” of the administration, in the words of critics and even supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has also contributed to unemployment, estimated to be in the double-digits.

Ahmadinejad, feeling the pressure from within the ruling establish-

QOM: An Iranian-Syrian man sells breads and pizza in the religious Shiite city of Qom.— AFP

ment, has on many occasions vowed to bolster the economy ever since taking office in 2005. But his failure has left little choice for the seven candidates approved by the hardline electoral watchdog to contest the June 14 presidential election but to focus their campaigns on promises of reviving the economy.

Mohammad Gharazi, a long-shot moderate candidate, has done little campaigning, but he has repeatedly stated his intention to establish an “anti-inflation government”. Others, including seasoned diplomat Ali Akbar Velayati, link the economic difficulties to Iran’s strained relations with the international community, in particular over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. However many Iranianssuffocated by sanctions and economic worries-see little hope of a speedy recovery.

Unconcerned about Iran’s disputed nuclear programme, Maryam’s 34year-old son, Saman, says: “We are looking for a better president who can offer better and more practical economical solutions. “But I know cleaning up this mess and returning to how it was before will take ages,” said Saman, who holds an MA degree in mining engineering and still lives with his mother.

He envies his wealthy friends “who are off doing PHD studies abroad, while I have to sweat blood every day to help my family make ends meet.” He voted for Ahmadinejad in 2009, when the disputed re-election sparked massive street protests that were crushed by the government. Now, Saman is critical of the president. “His wrong economic policies at a time when sanctions were biting only made our lives more difficult,” he said, referring to a controversial subsidy reform scheme that led to increases in the price of many energy products, including gasoline. — AFP

Greece plays down privatisation blow ATHENS: Greece played down yesterday the impact of the collapse of a major privatisation sale on the country’s finances, saying it would not spark new budget cuts and tax rises to meet debt-rescue conditions. But the European Commission said that the failure of the process, which blows a hole in budgeting, was an issue.

“Certain jokes have been heard that new measures will be taken because of (this) entanglement,” Prime Minister Antonis Samaras told reporters just as EU-IMF auditors review progress on reforms.

Samaras was referring to the privatisation of Greece’s gas distributor DEPA, which fell through on Monday after Russian giant Gazprom pulled out of the bidding process.

The setback could cause a shortfall of at least 700 million euros ($912 million) in the 2.6 billion Greece needs raise this year under the terms of its EU-IMF fiscal bailout. It came as a mission from the so-called troika of creditors-the EU, IMF and the European Central Bank-began a scheduled audit of Greek reforms and fiscal performance that will determine the payment of the next instalment of rescue funding under bailout agreements.

The spokesman for EU Economic Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn said that the failure of the sale would “clearly be discussed” during the audit.

“The Greek authorities will now have to assess what has happened...and how best to address it...right now our message is that we would like (the process) to resume as soon as possible,” spokesman

Simon O’ Connor told reporters in Brussels.

A Greek government source earlier said it was “practically impossible” to find a buyer for DEPA this year. Greek media had earlier raised the prospect of additional budget cuts this year to make up the expected shortfall from the sale failure. The Athens stock exchange was shedding 4.46 percent of its value yesterday. It had registered a 4.69-percent drop on Monday. Gazprom said on Monday that it was worried by mounting unpaid bills owed to DEPA by independent electricity producers and industry.

“We did not receive adequate guarantees that DEPA’s financial situation will not deteriorate until the deal is concluded,” said Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov. “The takeover procedure could last another year after the end of the tender,” he added. “The company is already burdened with unpaid customer bills.” But there are also strong signs that the European Union had reservations about the sale as Gazprom is a key gas supplier to Greece. EU gas market reforms bars suppliers from also running a country’s gas distribution system.

Progress with reforms Fellow Russian firm Sintez likewise held back bidding on DEPA subsidiary DESFA, the Greek gas transmission system operator. Samaras insisted yesterday that the privatisation glitch had nothing to do with Greece. “The tender for both companies was carried out under all the rules,” the PM said.

The Russian pullout poured cold water on a positive period for Greece when it was building up praise from international officials for its progress on enacting austerity and structural reforms.

The head of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, said last week that Greece had achieved “massive, unprecedented fiscal consolidation” and the global lender even went as far as admitting planning errors in Greece’s first bailout deal. And Jeroen Dijsselbloem, head of the Eurogroup of euro-zone finance ministers, has offered hope that further debt relief for Greece could be discussed next year if Athens stays on track with its recovery programme. The latest creditor audit will determine the release of an instalment of 3.3 billion euros ($4.3 billion) of loans approved in May. The troika is looking to see what progress Greece has made in overhauling its state administration and liberalising its energy sector, while Athens is requesting a cut in sales tax to capitalise on the tourism season.

However, the troika itself is labouring under some tension after the IMF pointed to errors in the first bailout, and the European Commission angrily disagreed. In return for two EU-IMF bailouts, Greece has pledged to raise 9.5 billion euros ($12.4 billion) in asset sales by 2016, a target that was originally 50 billion euros. The privatisation drive has had a slow start and revenue goals have been repeatedly scaled back since it began in 2010.—AFP

Hungary economic ‘fairy tale’ comes true, or so it seems BUDAPEST: When Hungary’s economy minister predicted a year ago an economic “fairy tale” for Hungary in 2013, few believed him. But recent data from the central European country show he might have been right. Figures out last week confirmed that the noneuro-zone EU member emerged from recession in the first quarter, notching up growth of 0.7 percent, leading several analysts to hike their forecasts for the year.

The contrasted with dismal growth figures from fellow European emerging economies like Poland

and the Czech Republic, where output slumped 1.1 percent in the quarter as exports to the euro-zone slumped. While Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s comments that Hungary’s growth rate could be the highest in the region as soon as 2014 “may be just politicking and prove too optimistic ... Orban has strong arguments to back his statement,” BNP Paribas economists said in a recent note.

Hungarian inflation tumbled in April to 1.7 percent, the lowest since 1974, allowing the central bank

PARIS: This photo shows the tails of a Boeing 777, the Airbus A380 and A340 at the Paris Air Show. Global demand for aircraft in the next 20 years will be even stronger than estimated so far, pulled by demand in the Asia-Pacific region and from low-cost carriers, US manufacturer Boeing said yesterday. — AFP

to cut its main interest rate for the 10th month running in May, further helping its economy. Further good news is that the European Commission has proposed removing Hungary from special fiscal monitoring in recognition of Budapest cutting its deficit to levels only dreamed about in much of the euro-zone.

Brussels has been keeping a close eye on Hungary’s public finances ever since the country joined the European Union in 2004, and being let off the hook will mean that it can look forward to EU regional funding. Part of the reason for Hungary’s economic rebound has been Orban’s “non-orthodox” policies, some of which have put more money in people’s pockets, giving a fillip to consumer spending, and have eased inflation.

A drop in industrial output, meanwhile, has been attenuated by good news in the auto sector. “The Hungarian economy has the good fortune to have factories of high-end carmakers like Audi and Mercedes, because these brands have been less affected by the crisis,” said Zoltan Arokszallasi, analyst at Erste Bank. The question however is whether this recent good performance is sustainable, or whether the positive effects from Orban’s policies will be a good thing in the longer term.

Hungary’s credit rating remains rated at “junk” by all the main agencies, meanwhile.”To have strong and sustainable growth we need to have a turnaround in direct foreign investment,” said Zoltan Torok, economist at Raiffeisen Bank. These vital investments-testament to foreign companies’ confidence, or lack of it, in a country’s prospects-slumped 8.7 percent in the first quarter, according to rating agency Moody’s, with many firms spooked by Orban’s policies.

Moreover, faster economic growth-which may falter, depending on Europe’s overall performance-may push up inflation again, potentially stopping the central bank further lowering interest rates, experts say.

Banks, too, remain reluctant to lend money to small businesses and have been hit by special taxes. A new central bank effort to boost lending “is good but not enough,” said Raiffeisen’s Torok. — AFP

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

BUSINESS

Russian city awaits potash boom but outlook fragile BEREZNIKI: At first sight, Berezniki looks a typically bland provincial Russian outpost with its decrepit housing blocks and factory chimneys.

But the city in the Perm region of the Urals sits on a vast and hugely valuable secret-one of the world’s biggest deposits of potash, a mineral that is now coveted across the world as a fertiliser for food crops. Berezniki, 1,200 kilometres (750 miles) east of Moscow, sits on the Verkhnekamsk deposit, which was discovered in 1925 and which was developed after World War II. Its proven reserves represent some 34.5 percent of the world’s total and the deposit is the second biggest in the world after those in

Saskatchewan in Canada, according to the US Geological Survey. A veritable army of miners march up and down the kilometres of passages that have already been carved out 450 metres (1,500 feet) underground. Their machines work day and night to mine the pink coloured rock where the mineral is contained. This is then taken to the surface by conveyors to extract the precious mineral. Once turned into powder or crystalised as granules, potash is used as a fertiliser to help crops grow and increase their immunity to disease.

The demand for potash is growing exponentially at a time when the world’s population is

exploding and the need for cereal crops among fast-growing emerging economies such as China growing sharply. But despite the boom, the outlook for the industry has become considerably more complicated in recent years.

The main players in the potash industry need to be constantly aware of the need for a balanced strategy to satisfy demand while not resorting to over-production which could result in a serious price fall. The Russian potash giant Uralkali which owns five mines in the region and employs 11,800 people had to reduce its production at the end of 2012. The reason was poor weather conditions for agriculture and also macro-economic uncertainty

which made farmers reduce their fertiliser purchases.

There were also delays in the signature of contracts with China and India, two major emerging market clients but also tough negotiators. The prices of potash jumped after the food supply crisis of 2007-2008, prompting India and China to look for alternative fertilisers. As a result, potash prices slumped by 10 percent in 2012. However Uralkali has now launched the construction of a new mine called Ust-Yayvinsky just outside Berezniki. In a huge forest, works are underway to dig the new pits.

This new site, which is expected to reach a

depth of 520 metres, is planned to take over from another mine which is closing down. It is due to be commissioned in 2020 and reach full capacity in 2025. Uralkali, the largest potash company in the world by production and capacity, also has a license for another bloc called Polovodovsky, due to be commissioned in 2021.

Meanwhile the existing Solikamsk mines outside Berezniki are being expanded and will reach their new full capacity by 2019. The construction of new mines should according to the group increase its capacity to 19 million tonnes by 2021 from 13 million tonnes currently, although this figure leaves some analysts sceptical. —AFP

BEREZNIKI: A picture shows employees working at the Uralkali, Russian potash fertilizer company, in the Urals city of Berezniki, more than 1,200 kilometers east of Moscow. —AFP

Turkish economy depends on political stability LONDON: The escalation in the clashes between Turkey’s government and protesters could hurt one of the world’s recent economic success stories, spelling uncertainty for a country that has become a source of growth and stability in a region hit by recession and unrest. At first, the 12-day protests, which were sparked by plans to bulldoze and redevelop a park in central Istanbul but have widened to incorporate concerns over the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, were largely peaceful and limited in size and scope. They weren’t very different from the Occupy Wall Street protests in New York.

However, clashes between riot police and the demonstrators yesterday have heightened tensions and raised fears that a key regional power could be destabilized. Water cannon and tear gas were used against the hundreds of protestors in Taksim Square, Instanbul, many of whom have fled into a nearby park. Here’s a look at the Turkish economy and the risks it faces.

How big is Turkey’s economy?

Turkey’s economy has grown quickly in recent years. Annual gross domestic product in the country of about 75 million people is around $800 billion, putting it on a par with wealthy countries like Switzerland or the Netherlands. Its neighbors, by contrast, are almost all in the midst of economic turmoil.

Greece and Cyprus have been embroiled in Europe’s debt crisis and fallen into deep recessions, while many of its neighbors to the east - Iraq, Syria and Georgia - have seen their economies shattered by war and popular uprisings. Though impacted by the developments around its borders, Turkey has managed to blaze a trail. Following an economic crisis at the turn of the millennium, the country has seen its economy grow at a little over 5 percent a year. In 2010 and 2011, when much of the global economy was trying to recover from recession, Turkey was growing by over 8 percent, more or less the same rate as China, the world’s secondlargest economy. Turkey’s economic performance has enhanced its political profile in the world. As a member of the Group of 20 leading industrial and emerging countries, it has a voice in discussions on the world’s biggest issues. Though annual growth slowed to 2.6 percent in 2012, the International Monetary Fund has projected that growth should accelerate to around 3.5 percent this year and 3.75 percent next. It credited the improvement to recovering demand for its exports and to an increase in capital flows that it can use for investment.

Figures yesterday showed that the Turkish economy was in relatively good health in the period preceding the protests - the economy grew by 3 percent year-on-year in the first quarter from 1.4 percent in the previous three-month period. The increase was also higher than expected - the consensus in the markets was for a more modest 2.3 percent rise. What has impressed many analysts over the past 10 years is the broad nature of Turkey’s economic development. The industrial and services sectors have expanded alongside tourism. Inflation, which had been high for decades, hitting 90 percent as recently as 1999, has come under control.

The IMF predicts a fall in inflation to 6.6 percent this year from 8.9 percent in 2012.

How have investors reacted to the unrest?

Not well. Markets fell sharply during the first days of protest and government clampdown and have remained volatile since, suggesting the international investment community is on edge. Despite gains yesterday in the wake of the growth figures, the main stock index is still down around 10 percent this

month, while the national currency, the lira, has dropped about 6 percent against the dollar, to about 53 cents per lira. The interest rates on government bonds have risen sharply, indicating foreign investors are more worried about lending money to the Turkish government. The benchmark 10-year yield has risen from 6.2 percent to 7.3 percent.

Because economic growth and inflation are relatively high - helping to erode public debt - the government is expected to be able to keep borrowing at these rates. That means it’s unlikely to need to call on the IMF for a bailout, like neighboring Greece. But it is nevertheless a bad sign for a country whose economic growth has depended heavily on investment from beyond its borders.

What are the risks to the economy?

The biggest threat is that political turmoil scares foreign investors into pulling their money out of the country. One of the reasons Turkey has become such an attractive place for investors is the relative political stability the country has enjoyed over the past decade or so. Erdogan’s government has been in power since 2003. Turkey has launched a series of massive infrastructure projects, such as a huge new airport outside Istanbul, a third bridge across the Bosporus straight that divides Istanbul, and oil pipelines that cross the country. To pay for these works, the government and major corporations have been issuing bonds that investors in the US and Europe have been eager to buy because they potentially yield better returns than many of their financial assets back home. Political turmoil increases the risk that such investments might not be repaid. Some investors could opt to pull their money out and place it in a more stable country. “The risk now is that a renewed period of political uncertainty dents confidence and causes investment flows to reverse,” said Neil Shearing, chief emerging markets economist at Capital Economics. Although some have made comparisons between the Turkish protests and the Arab Spring uprisings that have toppled governments in several Mideast countries, the similarities are in fact few. The government was voted in democratically and still enjoys strong support. So there is no immediate risk of the same kind of violent uprising.

“The demonstrations have not been on the scale that would bring about the kind of economic dislocation that has occurred in parts of the Arab world in recent years,” said Paul Rawkins, a senior director at Fitch Ratings. A marked increase in the unrest could also deter tourism. About 37.7 million visited Turkey in 2012, making it a top 10 destination globally. Tourists are not cancelling any trips so far, mainly because the protesters are not targeting visitors and the main sites palaces, markets and beaches - are still accessible. But any sign that the protests are becoming a more violent and widespread confrontation would likely have an impact.

What to watch out for?

Besides a nasty turn in the protests, a particularly big risk factor for the Turkish economy, like other emerging economies, could come from beyond its shores - the US Federal Reserve. Experts say that the Fed’s policy of stimulating the economy with a bond-buying program has lowered returns for assets like US Treasuries and encouraged investors to look for higher returns in other markets, like Turkey. Moody’s vice president Sarah Carlson said the protests come “at an inopportune time” for Turkey if the Fed does reduce the amount of new money it is creating as part of its monetary policy. The Turkish government would hope to have solved its political standoff by then. —AP

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

BUSINESS

Obama names Furman as new White House chief economist Furman to replace Alan Krueger

BUJUMBURA: A photo shows women selling fruits and vegetables on a street in Bujumbura, Burundi, after the main market was razed to the ground during an inferno four months prior. —AFP

Burundi’s economy: Up in smoke after market fire BUJUMBURA: The main market in Burundi’s capital was once the heart of the country, a bustling and crowded business zone that drove the national economy. Four months after Bujumbura’s key covered market was razed to the ground by a sweeping fire, the impact is still being keenly felt in impoverished central African country with tax revenues down by a fifth. Most of the traders lost their livelihoods in the fierce blaze that also consumed storage facilities, and now are struggling.

Widow and mother-of-eight Marguerite used to sell rice, beans, and palm oil in a stall in the market, living life “with dignity”. Now she barely manages to feed her family, renting a room without water, electricity or toilets for 12,000 Burundian francs a month (seven dollars, six euros) in a poor neighbourhood of Bujumbura. “When the market was burned, I lost everything,” the 32-year old said.

“It is as if my life had stopped. I found myself helpless, four of my children were in private school and had to stop studying, I had to beg for food.”

Officially, some 7,000 traders were working in the market, but as many as three times that were working informally, experts say. All, or almost all traders were ruined by the January 27 fire, which raged for hours and police believe was caused by arson, as they were not insured, said Audace Bizabishaka, who heads a trader support association.

For Burundi’s economy, already on its knees after a brutal 1993-2006 civil war and struggling amid the global economic crisis, the fire was an enormous blow. “The fire in the market was devastating, and now we have begun to see its effects on the economy,” said finance ministry spokesman Desire Musharitse. “State revenue dropped by 20 percent in the three months that followed.”

One former finance minister, speaking on condition of anonymity, explained the impact of the fire is being felt across the country as many regional traders bought their supplies at the market. The loss was “a huge blow to an economy already in crisis,” said the former minister.

An economy on life support So far traders not received aid the government had promised, according to Bizabishaka. His association estimates that nearly 100,000 people were directly affected by the fire, a massive impact on the small nation. Bujumbura has some 600,000 inhabitants, the country in total about 8 million

people. Now on many crossroads in the capital, dozens of former traders left without income squat on the pavement begging those walking past for help.

The sorry sight is a “reflection of what is happening in this country in crisis, it is confused and adrift,” said Faustin Ndikumana, head of civil society group Parcem, which is working for good governance. The crisis “is sparing no sector of national life.” Even before the fire, Burundi’s economy was massively dependent on foreign aid and suffering from the repercussions of the global economic crisis.

In November 2012, the international community pledged $2.6 billion (2 billion euros) in aid to Burundi for 2013. “Nothing has (yet) been released”, said Finance Minister Tabu Abdallah Manirakiza. “The crisis... we live it every day.” Half of the national budget for Burundi-ranked among the three poorest countries in the world with a GDP per capita of $250 according to the World Bank-is provided by foreign aid.

Falling tax revenues following the fire have deepened the problem. In 2012, according to official figures, Burundi’s economy grew by 4.5 percent, with growth of 4.9 percent expected for this year. But the country is lagging behind compared to its neighbours while inflation-expected to hit 9 percent this year according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) — eats into the growth.

The crisis is not only hitting shops, transport and real estate, but also banks. Two months after the fire, one of the leading financial houses, Interbank Burundi, said that deposits have slumped by nearly a half. In the lakeshore port of Bujumbura, most warehouses are empty. In desperation, the finance minister has called on the international community to fulfil its promises of aid.

But civil society groups argue that Burundiranked among the most corrupt nations in the world-also suffers from a problem of leadership.

“Why, despite the many development plans... is Burundi going backwards instead of forward?” asked Faustin Ndikumana. “It’s simple, this country has a problem of leadership at every level.” Gabriel Rufyiri, president of an association fighting graft, agrees, saying that while it is true “donor nations are in crisis...beyond that, it is governance that is the cause”, denouncing widespread corruption and a lack of capacity among leaders. —AFP

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama nominated longtime adviser Jason Furman to be his new chief economist on Monday, elevating a former campaign aide and Clinton administration official to oversee an agency with wide influence over US economic policy. Furman will replace economist Alan Krueger as chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers (CEA).

Krueger is returning to his post as a professor at Princeton University, from which he has been on leave. Furman, a father of two who holds a Ph.D in economics from Harvard University, helped create the economic stimulus package that dominated Obama’s first year in office and also advised on the formulation of the president’s signature healthcare reform act, tax policy, and budget talks with U.S. lawmakers. “When the stakes are highest, there’s no one I’d rather turn to for straightforward, unvarnished advice,” Obama said of Furman during a ceremony at the White House, speaking to an audience of top advisers, other economists and family members.

“He’s worked tirelessly on just about every major economic challenge of the past four and a half years, from averting a second depression, to fighting for tax cuts that help millions of working families make ends meet, to creating new incentives for businesses to hire, to reducing our deficits in a balanced way that benefits the middle class,” Obama said.

The president further filled out his economics

advisory panel by naming high-profile University of Michigan labor economist Betsey Stevenson as a member of the three-person council. Stevenson is a former chief economist at the Department of Labor who has drawn attention for her work on the economics of the family. Furman served as special assistant to President Bill Clinton at the National Economic Council from 1999-2000 and also did a stint at the World Bank. He has advised Obama since his 2008 presidential campaign.

“He is brilliant, works harder than anyone I know, and is incredibly influential - both inside the White House and with Congress,” said Christina Romer, an economics professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and a former chair of the CEA under Obama. “He is a somewhat unusual candidate for CEA chair, but for the current environment, he is perfect. He will absolutely be influential and will ensure that the careful economic analysis CEA can provide is front and center in policy discussions.”

‘Rockonomics’ Furman’s policy background contrasts with the academic background that many of his predecessors in the job have had. His appointment could signal a stronger role for the CEA within the administration. Furman is currently assistant to the president for economic policy and principal deputy director of the White House National Economic Council (NEC), which is run by Gene

Swiss-US tax spat goes to wire after senate setback ZURICH: A Swiss government plan to protect the country’s banks from US criminal charges has been thrown into doubt by a Swiss parliamentary committee’s rejection of the proposed bill on Tuesday. Lawmakers are deeply divided over the plan to allow Swiss banks, suspected of helping wealthy Americans hide their money, to disclose data to US prosecutors to help settle investigations into tax evasion. Switzerland’s upper house of parliament is set to vote on the draft law, designed to solve the issue without overturning Swiss banking secrecy laws, on Wednesday followed by the lower chamber next week, a schedule aimed at meeting a US ultimatum. If the draft law succeeds, Swiss banks then have 120 days to hand over the internal information to US authorities.

Possible outcomes include the following: Both parliament chambers pass deal Amid fevered last-minute haggling in Bern, potential concessions could still help swing the bill in parliament, even after the committee recommendation to vote it down. This would pave the way for Swiss banks to disclose their US dealings, including names of bank staff and third parties such as accountants and tax lawyers who helped Americans evade taxes. This in turn should enable potentially dozens of banks to reach their own deals with the United States, including on fines which sources have said might amount to $10 billion in total.

Parliament stalemate If the bill passes Switzerland’s upper chamber despite the committee’s advice to vote it down, it is set to face even stiffer opposition in the lower house. Should one chamber approve the draft law and the other reject it, the bill would enter a potentially lengthy mediation process to reconcile the two stances, effectively killing the deal given the US ultimatum.

Government enacts US deal without parliament The Swiss government is desperate to get parliamentary approval for the deal it hammered out in years of negotiations, but could eventually take matters into its own hands and approve the agreement with an executive order, although circumventing a hostile parliament is seen as a risky gamble. The Swiss government has so far refused to use emergency law to settle the matter as it did in the case of UBS in 2009 to end the threat of indictment of the country’s largest bank.

UBS, which admitted it had helped wealthy Americans cheat on their taxes, paid a $780 million fine and handed over more than 4,000 client names as part of its settlement. Any deal could still be held up or even knocked down by Swiss courts if bank clients, staff or third parties such as tax lawyers and custodians follow through on threatened legal action.

Government grants data on case-by-case basis Even without parliament’s backing, the Swiss government could still grant banks individual approval to hand over data. Swiss data protection authorities have signalled their willingness to backstop such a handover, provided the involved parties are forewarned that their names will be made known to US authorities.

TOKYO: Pedestrians walk in front of a share prices board on a window of a securities firm yesterday. —AFP

BoJ stands pat on policy, says economy ‘picking up’ TOKYO: The Bank of Japan said yesterday the economy was “picking up” and held off ramping up April’s huge stimulus scheme, but warned of possible headwinds caused by uncertainty in Europe and the United States. The announcement came a day after fresh data showed the world’s third-largest economy grew faster than expected in the first quarter, but it sent the yen rallying and stocks tumbling as investors were left disappointed. “Japan’s economy has been picking up,” the bank said, while capital spending by the nation’s firms “appears to have stopped weakening”.

In April, new leadership at the BoJ-handpicked

by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe-vowed to hit a twopercent inflation target within two years, jack up asset purchases including government bonds, and double the money supply. The ambitious target, a key part of the “Abenomics” plan to stoke the deflation-plagued economy, is aimed at reversing years of falling prices that have crimped private spending and business investment.

Yesterday, the bank repeated its determination to press on with aggressive monetary easing for “as long as it is necessary”. It added that a board member’s proposal to push back the inflation target’s timeframe had been voted down, pointing to a possible erosion in confidence over the plan.

Although Japan remains mired in deflation, BoJ chief Haruhiko Kuroda pointed out that the

new-look bank’s plan is just two months old. “In terms of the development of the real economy, we are on track,” he told a press briefing yesterday. Revised data on Monday showed that Japan’s annualised growth came in at 4.1 percent in January-March, up from a preliminary reading of 3.5 percent and suggesting Abe’s strategy, which includes huge government spending, is bearing fruit.

Consumer confidence improved in May over the previous month, while a government survey yesterday showed a jump in confidence among large Japanese firms in the second quarter as hopes grow that the yen’s tumble, which makes Japanese products more competitive abroad, will help exports rebound.

However, BoJ policymakers said there was still a “high degree of uncertainty” caused by the sovereign debt troubles in key export market Europe and the pace of a recovery in the US economy.

Mixed US economic data has fuelled speculation the US Federal Reserve will hold off cutting back on its $85 billion-a-month bond-buying programme, known was quantitative easing, that is aimed at stoking the world’s largest economy. The BoJ decision, which comes after the European Central Bank and Bank of England held steady after policy meetings last week, sent investors running. —AFP

Sperling, and was an economist in the Clinton administration. When former NEC head Larry Summers left the administration at the end of 2010, Furman was considered a possible replacement, but the post went to Sperling.

The CEA advises the president on domestic and international economic policy based on data and economic research. The chairman is a cabinet member and requires Senate confirmation.

Obama urged the Senate to confirm Furman quickly. The president also poked some fun at Krueger for his interest in the economics of rock and roll music. “Now that Alan has some free time, he can return to another burning passion of his ‘Rockonomics,’” he said.

“This is something that Alan actually cares about - seriously, on Wednesday he’s giving a speech at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He’s got a T-shirt under his suit with a big tongue sticking out,” Obama said, prompting Krueger to unbutton his jacket and feign a move to undress in the White House state dining room. “Don’t show it,” Obama urged, prompting laughter and applause from the audience. And while Krueger may have an interest in popular music, the other economist the president named to serve on the CEA - the University of Michigan’s Stevenson - has demonstrated a strong grasp of popular media. Stevenson has amassed more than 12,000 followers on Twitter with a stream of pithy remarks and is a frequent commentator on television, radio, and in print. —Reuters

Swiss banks hand over data illegally Swiss banks could take their fate into their own hands and disclose data to U.S. officials in violation of secrecy and data protection laws in Switzerland. This option was rejected by UBS before it settled in 2009 and would undermine any government-backed resolution.

Deal fails, banks risk indictment If the draft law fails in both Swiss chambers of parliament and a way is not find to meet US demands, the Swiss government has warned the United States could indict another bank, a move which is seen as the death knell for any business. In January, Wegelin & Co, Switzerland’s oldest private bank, said it would shut its doors following a US indictment on charges of helping wealthy Americans evade taxes through secret accounts. Wegelin later pleaded guilty, admitted wrong-doing and paid $58 million to US authorities. —Reuters

TOKYO: Customers wait the opening of a shop of Japan’s mobile carrier SoftBank yesterday. —AP

Japan’s SoftBank raises Sprint offer to $21.6bn TOKYO: Japan’s SoftBank said yesterday it is raising its bid for US firm Sprint Nextel to $21.6 billion, the latest twist in a high-stakes bid to trump a rival offer and grab a chunk of the lucrative US mobile market. SoftBank said it would raise its original bid by $1.5 billion, just two weeks before Sprint shareholders vote on the proposed takeover of the USbased wireless carrier.

A joint SoftBank-Sprint statement yesterday encouraged Sprint investors to vote for the deal at the June 25 meeting, saying a rival $25.5 billion bid from US satellite communications firm Dish Network was “not reasonably likely to lead to a superior offer”. In April SoftBank chief Masayoshi Son painted his deal as superior to the Dish bid, saying his firm had more experience in debt-financed takeovers and SoftBank’s bid could be consummated one year earlier than its rival.

The proposed takeover would see already heavily indebted SoftBank taking on even more debts. The Sprint shareholder meeting was originally scheduled for June 12, but the joint release announced it had been delayed.

Toshihiko Matsuno, a strategist at SMBC Friend Securities, said SoftBank had little choice but to sweeten its offer in the face of the Dish bid. “It underlines SoftBank’s determination to buy Sprint,” Matsuno said. But delaying the shareholders’ meeting “could indicate in many cases that more time is needed to resolve outstanding issues”, he added. The new SoftBank bid would see it control 78 percent of Sprint, the third largest US mobile carrier, up from 70 percent originally.

“We have decided to change part of the contents of the deal through negotiations with Sprint in the wake of a counter-proposal of takeover by Dish Network Corporation,” SoftBank said. Under the revised deal, SoftBank would offer Sprint shareholders

$16.6 billion in cash compared with $12.1 billion previously, but the complicated deal would reduce the amount of capital that the US firm would receive. SoftBank’s Tokyo-listed shares jumped 1.26 percent shortly after the announcement, but the shares finished down 0.36 percent to 5,500 yen as the broader market dipped 1.45 percent.

Last month US national security officials approved SoftBank’s planned takeover, in what would be the biggest overseas acquisition by a Japanese firm. Under the agreement, any merger must see the appointment of an independent member to the Sprint board of directors to serve as security director. The security director, who must be approved by US authorities, will oversee national security matters and serve as a point of contact for US agencies.

The agreement also requires that US agencies will have a one-time authority to demand Sprint remove and decommission equipment as part of Sprint’s proposed takeover of the broadband firm Clearwire, a transaction separate from the SoftBankSprint deal. The US Department of Justice in January urged regulators to delay the proposed SoftBank-Sprint takeover until the national security ramifications had been evaluated.

Since then, the rival bid for Sprint emerged from Dish, which has said the tie-up with SoftBank would pose national security risks. SoftBank, known in Japan for its quirky television commercials starring a talking snow-white dog and American actors including Tommy Lee Jones, is widely seen as Japan’s most dynamic wireless carrier and has benefited from growing demand at home for Apple’s iPhone. It was the only Japanese mobile firm to offer the popular smartphone until rival KDDI, the country’s second-largest operator, started selling it. —AFP

Saab parent’s $3 billion lawsuit vs GM dismissed DETROIT: Dutch sports car maker Spyker NV’s $3 billion lawsuit accusing General Motors Co of trying to bankrupt Swedish automaker Saab was dismissed by a US federal judge on Monday who said the US automaker had the right to block the sale of a company using its technology. Spyker sued GM in August 2012, seeking damages and accusing the US automaker of trying to stop a deal with Zhejiang Youngman Lotus Automobile Co and eliminate a potential rival in the growing Chinese market.

“General Motors had a contractual right to approve or disapprove the proposed transaction,” US District Court Judge Gershwin Drain said in a hearing in Detroit. “The court is going to grant the motion to dismiss the matter.” Drain said the deal Spyker had reached when it purchased Saab, giving GM the right to stop change of ownership, “is clear, unambiguous and absolute.” He added that GM’s statements voicing its opposition to Saab’s

deal with Youngman were not made with malice or to intentionally harm Saab. “We are pleased with the court’s decision to dismiss the case, which we believe was the appropriate result,” GM spokesman Dave Roman said in an email. Spyker Chief Executive Victor Muller, who attended the hearing, declined to say whether he would appeal the decision. “We will be awaiting the written order and then we will assess,” he told Reuters.

Drain said he would file a more detailed explanation of his ruling later. Last fall, GM rejected claims that it deliberately bankrupted the Swedish company by blocking a deal with Youngman. The US automaker has said the lawsuit was without merit and it had the legal right to approve Saab’s transaction. Saab, one of Sweden’s best-known brands, stopped production in May 2011 when it could no longer pay suppliers and employees. It went bust in December 2011, less than two years after GM sold it to Spyker.

GM bought half of Saab - which had been making cars since 1947 and built a small, loyal following - in 1990 and the rest 10 years later. It decided to sell the brand in 2009 after the financial crisis and came close to closing it before Spyker bought Saab in January 2010. Despite its well-known name, Saab was a niche player whose future had been questioned by analysts.

Saab was profitable in only one of the 19 years it was owned by GM, executives with the Detroit automaker have said.

Youngman pulled out of a potential deal to buy Saab in late 2011 and the company then filed for bankruptcy.

A consortium called National Electric Vehicle Sweden AB (NEVS) last autumn closed a deal to buy most of Saab’s assets for an undisclosed sum.

NEVS has said it aims to build its first electric car for the Chinese market based on Saab vehicle platforms at the start of 2014. —Reuters

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

BUSINESS

Fitch Upgrades Gulf Bank’s Viability Rating to ‘bb-’, affirms IDR at ‘A+’

Omar K Alghanim

KUWAIT: Gulf Bank announced yesterday that Fitch Ratings, one of the world’s leading international credit rating agencies, has upgraded the bank’s Viability Ratings to ‘bb-’ from ‘b+’.

The Bank’s other ratings have been affirmed at Long-term Issuer Default (IDR) ‘A+’, Short-term IDR ‘F1’, Support Rating ‘1’ and Support Rating Floor ‘A+’. The Outlook on the Long-term IDR is Stable.

Gulf Bank’s Viability Ratings upgrade reflects the Bank’s sustained improvement in asset quality and capitalisation since 2009, while Fitch’s affirmation of Long- and Short-Term IDRs, Support Rating and Support Rating Floor, reflect Gulf Bank’s systemic importance as the third-largest Bank by overall assets in the Kuwaiti market.

Omar K Alghanim, Gulf Bank’s Chairman, said: “Today’s credit ratings upgrade underlines Gulf Bank’s progress and reflects our consis-

tent financial performance and clear objective to generate growth across our core corporate banking and consumer businesses. The bank maintains a cautiously optimistic outlook for the coming period, with anticipated improvement in Kuwait’s general economic situation and the expected execution of several vital projects provided for in the strategic plan.”

Gulf Bank recently posted a net profit of KD 7.9 million for the first quarter of 2013, against KD 7.4 million for the same period last year. As of end of March 2013, the bank’s total assets were KD 4,966 million, deposits stood at KD 4,178 million and total shareholders’ equity was KD 460 million. This year, bank’s long-term credit rating was upgraded from BBB to BBB+ with a positive outlook by Standard & Poor’s (S&P) in March. This was followed by an upgrade in outlook from “Stable” to “Positive” from Moody’s Investors Service.

Proteges Third Generation officially launched in Kuwait KUWAIT: Proteges - the mentorship program that provides young people with opportunities to learn life and leadership skills was officially launched at a press conference at The Chairman’s Club in Burgan Bank Tower. Members of the Proteges program were joined by executives from KIPCO Group - the program’s main sponsor.

Speakers at the press conference included program manager, Shamlan Al-Bahar, program mentor Rana Al-Khaled and Abeer Al-Omar, Corporate Communications Manager at KIPCO. During the conference, Al-Bahar explained the origin and objectives of Proteges: “Proteges was developed because we wanted to provide Kuwait’s future generations with the life and leadership skills they need to help society and lead our country. Our objective is to seek out gifted young people and give them an opportunity to shine like the stars we hope they will become. By taking part in a short but concentrated series of lectures and training courses, these young people will hopefully learn things that will change their lives forever. So, we are here today to officially launch the Third Generation of the Proteges program: the UK Edition. We encourage all young people

between the ages of 16 to 24 to find out more about the program and register as soon as they can.”

Rana Al-Khaled, a mentor in the Proteges Program, spoke about how it works: “ The Proteges curriculum is designed to reinforce morals, enhance social and life skills and develop self awareness. It also focuses on improving critical thinking and creativity. This is achieved through workshops, projects, debates, guest speakers and a stop to the United Kingdom for specialized courses. The UK element of the program Is being hosted by Kings College in London, which is one of the top 30 universities in the world”. Commenting as the main sponsor, Abeer Al-Omar said that KIPCO Group was committed to developing its partnership with the Proteges program: “KIPCO Group has a long track record of successful corporate social responsibility initiatives and so we are very pleased to be the main partner the latest Proteges program. As we say, this program is being powered by KIPCO, because all our core companies are taking part in one way or another. For example, The American University of Kuwait is providing its campus for the registration process and will

host the Kuwait-based training sessions. Our regional TV operator, OSN, is providing prime air time during Ramadan for a television commercial which will publicize Proteges to a huge audience” The press conference was attended by graduates from previous programs, program mentors, the program’s Board of Trustees and representatives of KIPCO Group companies who are sponsoring the program. These companies are Burgan Bank, KAMCO, United Real Estate, Qurain Petrochemical Industries Company, Gulf Insurance Group, United Networks, Kuwait Hotels Company and the American University of Kuwait. These companies were joined by the platinum sponsors Abyat, Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive Company, and Al-Anba Newspaper and the bronze sponsor, IFA Consulting Services.

Al-Bahar expressed his gratitude to all the sponsors for their support. Registration for the Proteges Third Generation is now open for all young people aged between 16 and 24. The program will start in the second week of August and continue for four weeks. The application deadline for The Proteges, Generation 3 is June 20,2013. Applications can be submitted online through www.theproteges.org.

KUWAIT: The speakers at the official press conference are pictured. —Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Shale gas powering petrochemical gain HOUSTON: The US petrochemical industry, in trouble just a few years ago, is making a spectacular comeback thanks to the boom in shale gas, shaking up the industry worldwide and spreading some discomfort through Asia and Europe.

“It’s pretty simple, there’s just so much feedstock that needs to find a home,” Chuck Carr, a petrochemical analyst at IHS, said in Texas, the capital of the US industry.

“So everybody’s saying: hurry up to build something, because at that natural gas price, it’s just pure value.” The surge in gas production has pushed gas prices in the United States down since 2009, while oil prices have doubled since then. The low price for gas as a fuel is already helping a comeback in US industry-natural gas sells for one third the price in Europe and one fifth that in Asia.

But that makes it even more a boon for the petrochemical industry, where gas is a core raw material for producing plastics and other basic industrial products. In 2008, none of the members of the American Chemistry Council foresaw investing any more in the country. Now, in the wake of the shale gas boom, the ACC lists 110 new investment projects for the US, worth some $77 billion.

Just in the past two months, 13 projects have been announced. If all come to fruition, the ACC sees 46,000 new direct jobs, plus another 200,000 for subcontractors, in a sector that employs 800,000, compared with 1.1 million in 1981.

“I’ve been working for the chemical industry for almost 20 years now and it’s always been a story of moderating production,” said Martha Moore, an ACC economist.

“Now we’re in a renaissance. Chemicals are at the forefront, but there’s a rebirth of manufacturing in the United States. It’s a very exciting time to be in the industry.” “Not a miracle” for Europe At the start of the boom, drillers mainly produced essentially methane gas. But faced with lower profitability, they began to focus on producing oil from shale and “wet gas”, natural gas containing the feedstocks that petrochemical plants value more: butane, propane and especially ethane.

Those are extremely useful as substitutes for naptha, a component of oil often used as feedstock in chemicals plants-but now much more expensive. Ethane costs today some one third the price of naptha. The natural gas feedstock is transformed into polyethylene, polypropylene, butadiene, the base products for the global plastics and chemicals industry. And, after a decade of offshoring the industry, companies now are stepping up their production of those products inside the United States. Existing plants are working at full capacity; plants that were shut down are being started back up again; and others are boosting capacity, industry officials say. —AFP

From left to right: Dominick Keenaghan, President of INSIGHTS; Samia Barj, Etihad Airways’ Al Ain Contact Centre Manager and Justin Warby, Etihad Airways’ Vice President Direct Sales.

Etihad Airways’ Al-Ain Contact Centre honoured KUWAIT: Etihad Airways’ Al-Ain Contact Centre received the award for “Best Facilities” at the INSIGHTS Middle East Call Centre Awards, held June 4, 2013, in Dubai.

This is the second consecutive year the contact centre has received the honour.

Peter Baumgartner, the airline’s Chief Commercial Officer, said: “Once again, our Al-Ain Contact Centre has proven to be an exceptional facility and we are extremely proud of this team’s accomplishments. As a result of a comprehensive performance management framework and a dynamic training strategy, the contact centre continues to meet and exceed its targets and service levels, proving once again the remarkable talent of our Emirati workforce.”

Etihad Airways’ Al-Ain Contact Centre was established as part of the airline’s Emiratisation Program. Recognising the need to create job opportunities for the women of Al-Ain, the airline elected to open a contact centre there, creating an environment where national womencould develop their careers while sustaining a balance between home and work. The centre officially opened in March 2011, with a

mission “to deliver a consolidated multi-lingual contact centre that maximises every revenue opportunity while delivering inspirational experiences with warmth and respect.” Today, the centre is fully staffed by 200 Emirati women, including four quality management executives, 13 team leaders and two performance managers.

“Having national employees at strategic customer touch points across the organisation is one of the best ways for Etihad Airways to present its unique brand proposition to the world,” Baumgartner said. “We remain committed to supporting and developing Emirati talent in our contact centres and across every department and division of the airline.”

The Al-Ain Contact Centre is open 12 hours a day, seven days a week, handling over 800,000 calls per year in state-of-theart purpose built premises on the campus of Abu Dhabi University.

Etihad Airways has three other contact centres located in Abu Dhabi, Mumbai and Manchester. In 2012, the four contact centres handled approximately 2.6 million calls, assisting guests in 36 markets, serving 15 languages.

Al-Tijari launches ‘Win Your Dream Car from Al-Tijari’ KUWAIT: Commercial Bank of Kuwait announced the launch of its promotional campaign for its credit and prepaid card holders. The new campaign provides CBK card holders the chance to win one of Audi’s three luxurious cars the bank allocated for this campaign, namely Audi A5, Audi A7 and Audi R8 Coupe. When using their credit or prepaid cards, customers automatically become eligible to enter the draw for such fabulous prizes. Every time the customer spends KD 10 using his credit or prepaid card locally, he will get one chance to enter the Draw and his chances can double when spending KD 10 using his credit or prepaid card outside Kuwait. The more customers use their cards for shopping or cash withdrawals, the more chances they will get to enter the draws.

Commenting on this campaign, Paul Daoud, Acting Head- Retail Banking Division said “We are pleased to launch this new campaign, which will continue from the beginning of June until the end of

November 2013, for CBK credit and prepaid card holders. With this campaign, all customers intending to travel in summer or those having plans to travel during feasts - “ Fitr or Adha Eid” will get good chances to enter the “Draws” and win one of luxurious car”. Paul Daoud went on saying that “CBK credit cards are the safest way for shopping and payments noting that customer do not need to carry large amounts of cash money and emphasizing that CBK chip embedded cards that require customers to enter their “PIN” when using for shopping or cash withdrawals provide further security and safety against fraud and forgery. Daoud explained that CBK customers can use their prepaid cards to withdraw from any ATMs locally or internationally without cash withdrawal charges being debited to their accounts and this is regarded as an added value and privilege for CBK prepaid card holders. Daoud concluded by inviting CBK and non-CBK customers to apply for credit and prepaid card and enjoy a host of privileges and benefits.

Celebrate DSS promotion at Arabian Center DUBAI: From 7th June till 7th July, 2013, Arabian Center in partnership with the DSMG (Dubai Shopping Malls Group Secretariat) will have raffle draw promotions giving DSS shoppers the chance to win a BMW car and grand exciting prizes. Customers who shop for AED 200 or more at Arabian Center will enter into a draw to win 8 BMW cars and AED 1 Million in cash and gift vouchers. The weekly raffle draw will have 4 winners per week where 2 winners stand a chance to win AED 100,000 each and the other 2 winners a BMW car each.

During this month, shoppers will also be surprised and delighted by the incredible offers and entertainment line-

up at Arabian Center. The mall extends the offer at Lu&lu Hypermarket where one can avail this last chance to get 100 percent cash back on the total purchase.

This unique offer will give you an opportunity to shop at no cost at all!

Furthermore the mall is making this DSS even more special for its shoppers by organizing free kids arts and crafts and free ride on the Arabian Express.

Arabian Center will also organize Anti Drug day in collaboration with Dubai Police which will stress on the educational sessions along with activities and entertainment programs like Police dog show, Yola dance, Horses show, Football tricks, Q & A with a lot of gifts and prizes,

Cars show, Comedian show, Sports show, and other entertainment and educational shows. There will also be a police parade in the mall to mark the Anti-Drug day. This program is to help the society at large. Arabian Center is making this DSS special for you by also organizing a Pet Zoo area where there is a separate enclosure to feature more than 40 different kinds of animals. This will be located at First Floor, Morning Court and one can benefit the chance to view different types of snakes, lizards, arachnids, mammals, rodents, birds, fish, turtle and tortoise. The entry ticket for the same is free and it is for everybody’s viewing.

“The summer months draw large numbers of families and children from within the UAE and other GCC countries to shopping malls in Dubai. Bearing this in mind, we endeavor to ensure that the shopping experience at Arabian Center is a rewarding one with the grand promotions and exciting line-up of events and activities certain to keep shoppers coming back for more. We have devised entertainment programs like arts and crafts for kids and ride at Arabian Express which will let the families have a fun time and also organized Anti-Drug Day so that we can educate and inform our shoppers about the abuse of drugs.” said Tim Jones, COO, Arabian Center.

Working mothers urged to drop guilt LONDON: Children whose mothers work during their early years do as well at school as those with stay-at-home mothers, debunking a common parenting myth that has piled guilt onto career women, according to research released yesterday. An analysis of six studies looking at 40,000 children over the last 40 years found there was no link between mothers continuing their careers and children achieving less at school or misbehaving. Studies had shown that children born to career mothers in the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s did not perform as well, with their literacy and numeracy skills about two percent lower.

But the latest research by Heather Joshi of the University of London’s Centre for Longitudinal Studies found children born since the mid-1990s whose mothers worked during their early years fared just as well as those whose mothers did not.

She said this “generational change” was triggered by better maternity leave and greater availability of childcare that was something only rich families could afford in the 1980s with other children making do with informal, less structured care. “There has traditionally been a concern that the employment of mothers comes at the expense of child development,” said Joshi who presented her findings to a

meeting of policy-makers and academics organised by the Campaign for Social Science. “But as the percentage of mothers in work has gone up, any impact on children has diminished.” Joshi said the most important factor that triggered this change in Britain was the Labour government’s investment in childcare in the mid-1990s. The research was welcomed by parenting groups who said it would help end the emotional baggage that mothers faced when deciding whether or not to return to work and should encourage them to continue their careers.

Women make up 46 percent of the workforce in Britain but account for just a third of management roles. “This research suggests changes in maternity leave and greater availability of childcare and the consequent increase in maternal employment have played a big role in enabling parents to balance work and family,” Fiona Weir, chief executive of the singleparent charity Gingerbread, told Reuters. “A lack of family-friendly jobs and the shortage of affordable childcare are still making it difficult for single parents, in particular, to balance work and family ... with one in five single parents who work full-time and one in four working part-time bringing their children up in poverty.” —Reuters

SYDNEY: A man feeds Seagulls at the Circular Quay in Sydney Harbour yesterday. The Reserve Bank of Australia last month cut its official cash rate to a record low 2.75 percent, seeking to reduce the economy’s reliance on the mining and energy sectors and stoke activity in weaker sectors such as home building and retail spending. —AFP

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

technology

In Asia, dissidents worry US may share Prism data

LOS ANGELES: A frame from Dead Rising 3, exclusively for Xbox One, is seen under the Xbox One logo, at the Microsoft Xbox E3 2013 Media Briefing in Los Angeles. The press conference precedes the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) which takes place in Los Angeles. —AFP

Microsoft prices Xbox at $499 for November launch LOS ANGELES: Microsoft Corp said on Monday its new Xbox One console would launch in November at $499 in the United States, higher than most gamers had expected.

The price is greater than its current console, the Xbox 360, but it includes a Kinect motion sensor for hands-free game playing. Microsoft announced the Xbox One in May as the latest move in its rivalry with Nintendo Co Ltd and Sony Corp in the $65 billion a year video game business.

At a glitzy event at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, Microsoft said the console will be sold in 21 countries, including the United Kingdom at 429 pounds.

The announcement of the pricing was met with some groans from the audience,

mostly hard-core gaming enthusiasts, who had hoped for a cheaper price tag.

The 8 gigabyte Xbox One is priced higher than Nintendo’s new Wii U 8GB model at $300. Sony may detail pricing of its new PlayStation 4 at a presentation at E3 later on Monday.

Microsoft also announced exclusive game titles coming to the new console, including an Xbox edition of ‘Minecraft’ and a new ‘Halo’ game, which will be released in 2014. Yusuf Mehdi, an executive at Microsoft’s interactive entertainment unit, did not set any sales targets for the new Xbox, even though its existing console is currently the best selling in the United States market. “We have nothing new to announce other than the price,” said Mehdi in an interview.—Reuters

The desktop gets a makeover SAN FRANCISCO: Apple Inc, known for its bold experiments with computer design, has come up with a radically reimagined Mac Pro that departs from the venerable, boxy design of the typical desktop personal computer tower.

The company on Monday offered a sneak peek at a top-of-the-line computer destined for store shelves later this year: a sleek cylindrical chassis that, according to Apple, packs several times the processing power of its predecessors but stands just shy of 10 inches.

The new Mac Pro, with a yet-to-bedetermined sales date and price, again features an Intel Xeon microprocessor used mainly in high-end computer servers - and a full-length cover that slides upward to reveal its innards.

It will be assembled in the United States, marketing chief Phil Schiller told an audience of thousands at the opening of Apple’s annual developers’ conference in San Francisco on Monday. Other executives later outlined a number of new features in redesigned mobile software for iPhones and iPads due this fall, and talked about an “iTunes Radio” musicstreaming service.

“Can’t innovate anymore, my ass,” remarked Schiller, addressing public criticism from industry analysts and investors that Apple’s famed innovation prowess had died along with its legendary cofounder Steve Jobs in 2011.

“This is a machine unlike anything we’ve ever made.” The personal computer has looked largely the same for decades — an oblong case that houses components like memory and graphics cards and processors in orderly rows, interspersed with thickets of messy wiring.

The box itself has shrunk over the years

but the concept essentially remains the same.

The previewed Mac Pro, in contrast, bristles with miniature circuit boards ordered in sections around the circumference of its round case, broken up by a front panel for external connections.

Reminiscent of a thimble or fat cigar, the company claims it offers a glimpse into “the future of the Pro desktop.” “There has been some criticism of Apple that their products of late have been fairly evolutionary, sort of incremental adjustments as you move from generation to generation. This was clearly a very big step forward in this particular platform,” said Robert Brunner, founder of design consultancy company Ammunition Group and a former head of design at Apple.

Brunner, whose company does not currently work with Apple, said older Mac Pros were bulky and threw off a lot of heat, and could benefit from a redesign.

The new machine features what Apple calls a “unified thermal core” that spreads heat equally across its processors - typically the hottest parts of a PC. The Mac Pro is Apple’s costliest computer, employed primarily for graphics-intensive tasks such as video-editing and design. The current, top-of-the-line version today sells for as much as $3,799.

Apple was lauded for the novel look of the first, pastel-colored iMacs in the late 1990s, which proved popular with consumers.

“A glass block cylinder is not a new thing; it’s been done in all kind of products,” Brunner added. “But when you look at how development and engineering could put that sophisticated a computer in that small cylindrical form, that’s pretty huge.”—Reuters

SINGAPORE/BEIJING: Dissident and opposition groups in Asia, including those supported by the United States, are voicing concern over reports that Washington may have monitored and collected their conversations and e-mails.

Some of these groups include legitimate political parties, others are dissidents given U.S. assistance. But they are worried that data collected by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the FBI from US Web giants like Google Inc, Facebook Inc and Yahoo inc could some day be used against them.

“We share a lot of sensitive data, election-related data, using Google Docs,” said Ong Kian Ming, a member of parliament for Malaysia’s opposition Democratic Action Party.

“That’s definitely something we are concerned about because we don’t know what kind of messages are being tracked and who these messages would be given to.”

Under Prime Minister Najib Razak, who won a second term last month, Malaysia has strengthened economic and security ties with the United States that had occasionally been strained in the past. A Malaysian government spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment but Najib has said in the past that he is committed to internet freedom.

In a factsheet issued in Washington last week, the US government said it can only target someone for internet surveillance if “there is an appropriate, and documented foreign intelligence purpose” for collection. Those purposes include countering terrorism, weapons proliferation and cyber threats, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said in a statement after Edward Snowden, a contractor working for the National Security Agency, revealed the government’s top-secret internet surveillance programme. There was no word whether US agencies were sharing such gathered information with allied governments but British and US newspapers have suggested that the NSA has handed over information on Britons gathered under Prism, the name of the eavesdropping programme.

In Singapore, where authorities keep a close eye on opposition groups and political commentary, some people use encryption programs to avoid surveillance.

“If you are concerned about electronic eavesdropping, you can use pidgin IM - it has an encryption module for instant messaging,” said Donaldson Tan, editor of socio-political website New Asia Republic. “ There is also Tor client for online anonymity,” he said, referring to two popular free software programs developed by volunteer programmers to guard against network surveillance.

Asked if he was concerned whether the U.S. government would share surveillance information with Singapore authorities, given the friendly ties between the two countries, Tan said: “The U.S. is really hard to read”. A Singapore government spokesman did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Several people in the region said the reports of government access to e-mails and phone calls were not surprising.

“This latest revelation, if true, is really no more than putting proof to suspicion,” said Howard Lee, a blogger who often writes about political and social issues in Singapore.

“As citizens of democracies, our response should not be fear, but a concerted voice to demand accountability and transparency. I believe this is the current aim of civil society groups in Singapore.”

One nation where dissidents are relatively unconcerned about the snooping revelations is China, where government critics view Washington as an ally and domestic Internet servers as subservient to Beijing. “I’ve never considered abandoning Twitter, YouTube, Google, Gmail or Gchat,” said Hu Jia, a prominent Chinese dissident, who has to use a VPN to get round China’s ban on Twitter, YouTube and Facebook. VPN or Virtual Private

Network software allows users to bypass Internet restrictions. “These are the only weapons we have to get our message out and the only safe way to do so. The US would never monitor us. They are using it to fight terrorism. It’s totally different to what the Chinese government does to listen in on us,” he said by telephone.

“Using Chinese sites like Weibo or (online messaging service) QQ is like opening a direct line to the Ministry of Public Security,” said Hu, noting that few Chinese dissidents had access to foreign sites like Twitter. Tibetan activists opposed to Chinese rule in their homeland are similarly unconcerned, since they do not see Washington and Beijing exchanging information any time soon.

“I don’t see that happening anytime in the near future with all the other cyber-related issues both countries have,” said Lobsang Sither, who works for the Tibetan Action Institute, which focuses on teaching Tibetan exiles how to take advantage of digital communications and non-violent resistance.

Sither, who is based in the Indian town of Dharamsala, said the snooping revelations will however make him redouble emphasis on using encryption technology whenever he talks about or communicates sensitive information.—Reuters

FORT MEADE: The National Security Agency (NSA) headquarters at Fort Meade, Maryland, as seen from the air, in this January 29, 2010 file photo. US spies are secretly tapping into servers of nine Internet giants including Apple, Facebook, Microsoft and Google in a vast anti-terror sweep targeting foreigners, reports said on June 7, 2013. —AFP

New Apple mobile software will sport anti-theft feature

SAN FRANCISCO: Apple’s Eddy Cue, Apple senior vice president of internet software and services, introduces the new iRadio at a keynote address during the 2013 Apple WWDC at the Moscone Center. Apple introduced a new mobile operatng system iOS 7, hardware upgrades and a new operating system OS X Mavericks during the keynote address. —AFP

SAN FRANCISCO: Smartphone thieves are set to have a harder time after Apple Inc introduces an “activation lock” feature in its new mobile software, a move that comes amid pressure from authorities and consumers for companies to do more to stem a tide of smartphone theft.

The new feature, available with the launch of iOS 7 in the fall, will require a legitimate owner’s ID and password before an iPhone can be wiped clean or re-activated after being remotely erased, Apple executives said in a brief outline at company’s annual developers conference.

New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon plan to meet with representatives of Apple, Google Inc’s Motorola Mobility, Samsung Electronics and Microsoft Corp to discuss theft prevention on Thursday.

Both prosecutors have criticized the cellphone industry for what they say is

a perceived unwillingness to solve an escalating problem. About half of San Francisco robberies last year involved stolen mobile devices, Gascon has said.

A recent study found that lost and stolen cellphones cost consumers some $30 billion in 2012, his office has said. Some companies have measures in place to reunite smartphones with their rightful owners. Apple has Find My iPhone, which allows a user to track a missing device on a map and remotely lock it or erase data. “‘Apple Picking’ is a huge epidemic in the United States. We are appreciative of the gesture made by Apple to address smartphone theft. We reserve judgment on the activation lock feature until we can understand its actual functionality,” Schneiderman and Gascon said in a joint Monday statement.

“We look forward to having a substantive conversation with Apple and other manufacturers at our smartphone summit on Thursday.”—Reuters

Kaspersky Lab announces commitment to B2B, B2C partners at Regional Partner Conference DUBAI: Kaspersky Lab, a leading developer of secure content management solutions, recently hosted its first ever Regional Partner Conference at the spectacular Banyan Tree Al Wadi Resort in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE. The two day event held from the 6th of May till the 8th of May, brought together over 60 top management partners from across the Middle East, West Asia, Africa and Levant region to celebrate the company’s achievements in the year past and outline its focus for the future. Partners, came together with representatives from Kaspersky Lab Middle East to highlight the company’s strategic direction and roadmap for the year forward in addition to sharing best practices and ideas to garner further revenue growth.

A well established leader in the antivirus and B2C business segment, Kaspersky Lab is now making marked investments in partner development through training and education to help partners tap into the tremendously successful, yet vastly competitive B2B market. In line with the company’s heightened focus on the B2B market segment Kaspersky Lab also announced the launch of an all new partner program at the conference, introducing partners to new sales models and revenue opportunities to grow their own business while actively expanding Kaspersky Lab’s customer base across the region. A key part of this program is the ability for partners to up skill their employees to be able to

service customers across a variety of enterprises based on their unique needs and challenges.

Founded on Kaspersky Lab’s portfolio of award winning security solutions designed to counter the challenges posed by changing threat landscape, the

program encompasses a variety of recently launched solutions including Kaspersky Lab’s flagship corporate security platform, Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Business. The solution, launched in February 2013, is designed to simplify IT security management and

ensure advanced protection for business of all sizes through powerful combination of deep protection, efficiency, and seamless manageability.

Commenting on the occasion, Tarek Kuzbari, Managing Director, and Kaspersky Lab Middle East said, “Our

Kaspersky Lab Middle East Team with B2B and B2C partners at Regional Partner Conference

partners remain a core part of our business strategy and successes, representing not just the brand but the strength of Kaspersky Lab solutions across the vast Middle East and Africa market. It is through their commitment and diligence that customers have come to recognize Kaspersky Lab as a trusted security brand that offers comprehensive, all round security. In a show of gratitude, we remain ever more committed to our partners and work to help them enhance their business success, this new partner program is a step in that very direction. In the last few months, we have launched new products and training centers to help our partners enhance their topline revenues and diversify their own skill sets. As we celebrate the success of the year past, we now embark on a new journey armed with a strong network of trusted channel partners, with a portfolio of new products and services to make the Internet a safer place for both enterprises and individuals.”

Following the success of this Regional Partner Conference, Kaspersky Lab also announced that this event will now be an annual affair, aimed at bringing the company together with distributors and resellers from across the region to strengthen the relationship between Kaspersky Lab and its trusted channel partners. The event will also give the company the opportunity to collaboratively strategize to meet the needs of the diverse markets across the Middle East, West Asia, Africa and Levant.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

Radiology department meets international best practices KUWAIT: As part of Dar Al-Shifa hospital’s long term commitment to offer the best health care services available, the hospital spares no effort in investing in its medical staff and the newest technologies to meet the highest international standards. Dar AlShifa hospital is proud to announce that its Consultant Radiologist Dr Ravi Mathai received the Fellowship of the Royal College of Radiologists (FRCR), which the highest academic degree is awarded by the Royal College of Radiologists in the UK. Through his capabilities, wealth of experience in his field, and the new FRCR received, the hospital is looking forward to continued success of its Diagnostic Imaging Center capabilities.

Micheal, 3 week-old Sumatra elephant, stands under his mother Mayang in a breeding program at Bali’s Safari and Marine Park in Giayar, Bali, Indonesia yesterday. An environmental group says 129 critically endangered elephants have died on Indonesia’s Sumatra island in less than a decade, many from poisoning or shooting, highlighting the country’s weak enforcement of laws against poaching.—AP

Endangered elephant killings rising in Indonesia JAKARTA: Poisoning or shooting killed many of the 129 critically endangered elephants that have died on Indonesia’s Sumatra island in less than a decade, highlighting weak enforcement of laws against poaching, an environmental group says. WWF Indonesia said killings of Sumatran elephants are on the rise, with 29 either shot or poisoned last year, including 14 in Aceh province. The group said Tuesday that no one has been convicted or jailed in the deaths that were counted in Riau province since 2004.

The report came three days after two dead Sumatran elephants were found near a paper plantation in Riau, allegedly poisoned by poachers. Another elephant was killed last month near Tesso Nilo national park and its tusks were hacked off. An autopsy found a plastic detergent wrapper in its belly filled with poison.

The group said 59 percent of the dead elephants were definitely poisoned, 13 percent were suspected to have been poisoned, and 5 percent were killed by gunshots. Others died from illness or other causes, or the reason for their death was unknown. The International Union for Conservation of Nature listed the animals as “critically endangered” after their numbers dropped to between 2,400 and 2,800 from an estimated 5,000 in 1985. Environmentalists say the ele-

phants could be extinct within three decades unless they are protected. The decline is largely due to destruction of their habitat. Forests across Sumatra are being logged for timber, palm oil, and pulp and paper. Sumatra has some of the most significant populations of Asian elephants outside of India and Sri Lanka and is also home to tigers, orangutans and rhinos.

“Effective action on the ground should be taken immediately to protect Sumatran elephants from extinction, especially in Riau,” the report said. There are about 300 elephants left in Riau, which is part of Sumatra island.

Achmad Saeroji, head of the government conservation agency in Riau, denied the allegation of lax law enforcement, saying at least eight cases have been handled by authorities recently.

“We always investigate every case of elephants found dead,” he said. “But it is hard to capture the perpetrators, either because of late reports or the fear of people to report the poachers, who work in a network.” Indonesia’s elephants sometimes venture into populated areas searching for food. They destroy crops or attack humans, making them unpopular with villagers. Some are shot or poisoned with cyanide-laced fruit, while others are killed by poachers for their ivory.—AP

Raising the bar in the Diagnostic Imaging Center Radiology is a medical specialty that employs the use of various imaging modalities like x rays, ultrasound, CT scan and MRI scans for the diagnosis of various medical diseases. Dr Mathai explained his view on the newest happenings and technologies available at the radiology department claiming, “We are continually incorporating cutting edge imaging and reporting technologies in our department; recently, we have successfully installed the Radiology Information System (RIS) and PACS and have “gone live” thereby enabling a filmless department with complete digitalization of all radiology investigations.

We also have an ongoing accreditation process from the American College of Radiology in Computed Tomography (CT) and we have hosted the first multi-disciplinary scientific symposium “Meeting of the Minds”. Attendees at the symposium included professional doctors specializing in the

fields of interventional radiology, technology, neurology, neurosurgery, ophthalmology, as well as other unique medical specialties. Moreover, a number of keynote international and local speakers shared their experience and knowledge on neuroscience, neuroradiology, interventional and diagnostic radiology and the latest developments across these fields.”

Keeping abreast of the latest industry trends Along with the latest technologies and healthcare services available, is the importance of the hospital’s adherence of international standards, namely through its professional workforce. The newest FRCR fellowship received by Dr Mathai is contributing to the huge success taking place at the radiology and diagnostic imaging center at Dar AlShifa Hospital. “ The three-part exam is focused on subjects relating to the broad field of diagnostic radiology, and tests the entire range of radiological modalities from plain X-rays to CT and MRI, while also assisting to prepare radiologists as professional consultants in diagnostic radiology,” noted Dr Mathai. “Radiologists with the FRCR fellowship conform to the highest level of competency set by the Royal College of Radiologists in the UK, and hence, receiving the FRCR degree endorses a radiologist’s expertise and validates his high level of knowledge in the field,” Dr Mathai added.

cent in another study. Arena’s studies showed that patients taking Belviq, known generically as lorcaserin, lost just 3 percent to 3.7 percent of their weight over a year. About 47 percent of patients without diabetes lost at least 5 percent of their weight or more, which was enough to meet FDA standards for effectiveness.

The FDA said patients should stop taking Belviq after three months if they fail to lose 5 percent of their body weight. Patients are unlikely to see any significant weight loss by staying on the drug, the agency said. Side effects with the drug include depression, migraine and memory lapses. Belviq is designed to stimulate serotonin receptors in the brain linked with feelings of satiety, leading patients to feel full. The drug will face an uphill battle in the US market for weight loss treatments. Analysts have generally been disappointed with Qsymia sales, despite that drug’s superior results. Qsymia sales have fallen short in part because of limited insurance coverage and high out-of-pocket expenses for patients with coverage.

Qsymia also has only been available through mail order, but Vivus said last month the FDA will allow some retail pharmacy distribution. The company expects to announce more on that in the third quarter. Vivus said batches from the initial production of Qsymia had a shelf life of 24 months, and the company is applying to the Food and Drug Administration to extend that to 36 months for current and future production. Shares of Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc., based in San Diego, fell 15 cents or 1.7 percent, to $8.51.—AP

Contributed by Dr Ravi Mathai, Consultant Radiology at Dar Al-Shifa Hospital, and a recipient of the Fellowship of the Royal College of Radiologists, the highest academic degree awarded by the Royal College of Radiologists in the UK.

Future of the Diagnostic Imaging Center Implementing updated Radiology best practices improves patient care and patient satisfaction. Working together with a team of professionals at Dar Al-Shifa Hospital, Dr Mathai states that he is looking forward to

Dr Ravi Mathai

First double-leg transplant patient has limbs amputated MADRID: The world’s first double-leg transplant patient has had both limbs amputated after an unrelated illness forced him to stop taking anti-rejection drugs, the Spanish hospital that carried out the operation said yesterday. “The patient who had two legs transplanted at the Hospital La Fe in 2011 had to undergo an operation to amputate the two extremities,” said a statement issued by the hospital in Valencia, eastern Spain. The patient, who con-

tracted an unrelated illness, had the two limbs amputated about a year and a half after the milestone transplant, it said. He had to stop taking immunosuppressant drugs required to prevent his body rejecting the transplant because the medicine was complicating the treatment of the illness he contracted, the hospital said. “In these cases the protocol is that, if the transplanted organ is not a vital organ, it should be removed from the patient so as to

Weight loss drug Belviq gets overdue US launch WASHINGTON: Arena Pharmaceuticals says its weight loss drug Belviq will be available to US patients beginning next week, nearly a year after the drug was officially approved by federal regulators.

The Food and Drug Administration approved Belviq last June for adults who are obese or who are overweight and have at least one serious medical condition, such as diabetes or high cholesterol.

At the time, Belviq was the first new drug approved by the FDA for long-term weight loss in more than a decade.

Despite only achieving modest weight loss in clinical studies, the drug was safe enough to win the FDA’s endorsement, amid calls from doctors for new weightloss treatments The drug’s launch was delayed for months by logistical hurdles, including classification by the Drug Enforcement Administration. According to the drug’s label, Belviq will be classified as a Schedule IV controlled substance, which means it has a low potential for abuse. A small segment of patients in company studies reported experiencing euphoria and hallucinations. Arena Pharmaceuticals and partner Eisai Co said Friday the drug will be available beginning yesterday. Under an agreement between the companies, Arena will manufacture and supply the drug from its facility in Switzerland and Eisai will market the drug in the US. Because of the delays to its launch, Belviq actually arrives on the market 10 months after competitor Vivus’ Qsymia, which launched in September. Studies have shown that Qsymia produces more weight loss than Belviq. Patients taking Qsymia for a year lost 6.7 percent of their body weight in one study and 8.9 per-

the department’s expansion in the near future and the introduction of new technologies across the diagnostic imaging center, along with empowering and involving patients with physicians in the whole process.

SPAIN: This file pictured dated July 12, 2011 shows Spanish surgeaon Pedro Cavadas giving a press conference at La Fe Hospital in Valencia.—AP

allow treatment of the illness that is more serious and urgent.” The patient had not given authority for the release of information about his current treatment, the hospital said.

Renowned surgeon Pedro Cavadas led the team that carried out the original 10-hour transplant operation, which was completed on July 10, 2011.

The double leg surgery was touted as a world first. The patient, a man in his 20s at the time of the operation, had had both legs amputated above the knee after a traffic accident.

The height of the amputation prevented him from using a prosthesis, meaning that he would have been consigned to a wheelchair with “zero” chance of walking again, the transplant surgeon said at the time. In October 2008, Cavadas carried out the first double arm transplant in Spain and the second in the world, and in August 2009 he performed Spain’s first face transplant.

For the double leg transplant, more than 50 personnel were involved including surgeons, nurses, anaesthetists and transplant coordinators. Surgeons had to connect nerves, blood vessels, muscles, tendons and bone structure. But the patient was obliged to take immunosuppressant drugs for the rest of his life. Spain has become a world leader in organ donation since it set up a network of transplant coordinators in 1989 at all hospitals to closely monitor emergency wards and identify potential donors. “The Spanish transplant program is a model because of the altruism and solidarity shown by donors,” the Hospital La Fe said.—AFP

MERS coronavirus has potentialto cause pandemic UN health agency issues new guidance on pandemic risks GENEVA: The World Health Organisation on Monday urged health workers around the world to be on the alert for symptoms of the deadly Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS), which has the potential to circle the globe and cause a pandemic. The United Nations agency, which issued new, long-awaited guidance to countries on influenza pandemics, said the world was also in the same “alert phase” for two human strains of bird flu - H5N1, which emerged a decade ago, and H7N9, first detected in China in March.

“We are trying to find out as much as we can and we are concerned about these (three) viruses,” Andrew Harper, WHO special adviser for health security and environment, told a news briefing on its new scale for pandemic risk.

The interim guidance, to be finalized later this year, incorporates lessons from the 2009/2010 pandemic of H1N1 swine flu, which caused an estimated 200,000 deaths, roughly in line with annual seasonal flu. Having been adjusted to include the notion of severity when assessing risk, the new scale has just four phases against six previously and is intended to give countries more flexibility in judging local risks.

“International concern about these infections is high, because it is possible for this virus to move around the world. There have been now several examples where the virus has moved from one country to another through travellers,” the WHO said of MERS, which causes coughing, fever and pneumonia. Travellers have carried the

virus to Britain, France, Germany and Italy. Infected people have also been found in Jordan, Qatar, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates.

“Consequently, all countries in the world need to ensure that their healthcare workers are aware of the virus and the disease it can cause and that, when unexplained cases of pneumonia are identified, MERS-CoV should be considered.” MERS-coronavirus, a distant relative of SARS that emerged in Saudi Arabia last year, has been confirmed in 55 people worldwide, killing 31 of them. Forty cases occurred in Saudi Arabia, many in a hospital in the eastern province of Al-Ahsa.

“The overall number of cases is limited but the virus causes death in about 60 percent of patients,” the WHO said, reporting on a week-long mission

of international experts to Saudi Arabia that ended on Sunday. “So far, about 75 percent of the cases in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have been in men and most have occurred in people with one or more major chronic conditions.”

But the source of the MERS virus remained unknown, it said. Clusters of cases have occurred in families and health facilities, indicating a limited capacity to spread among people in close contact with an infected person, it said. All countries in the Middle East should urgently intensify disease surveillance to detect any MERS infections, it said. The WHO has not yet drawn up advice for travelers ahead of the annual haj pilgrimage in October, which draws millions of Muslims to Saudi Arabia.—Reuters

FDA finds fungus in drugs from Tennessee pharmacy WASHINGTON: Federal health officials say they have found bacteria and fungus in drug vials from a Tennessee specialty pharmacy that recalled all of its injectable medicines last month. The Food and Drug Administration said in an online posting Friday that it identified the growths in two unopened vials of a steroid injection distributed by the Main Street Family Pharmacy, a compounding pharmacy in Newbern, Tenn. The agency said it is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to iden-

tify the exact species of fungus and bacteria.

State and federal officials began investigating the pharmacy last month after seven patients in North Carolina and Illinois reported skin abscesses after being injected with methylprednisolone acetate, a steroid used to treat inflammation, joint pain and respiratory issues.

The same steroid was involved in a deadly fungal meningitis outbreak last year that has killed 58 people and sickened more than 740 others. The FDA

said it is not aware of any cases of meningitis associated with Main Street Family Pharmacy’s products.

Last month the pharmacy recalled its entire stock of sterile products manufactured after Dec 6, 2012. A spokesman for the Main Street Family Pharmacy said its owners are aware of the FDA’s findings.

“In addition to the recall, our efforts have also included comprehensive, aggressive outreach to everyone who could be affected. We continue to fully cooperate with state boards of health and pharma-

cies, the FDA and CDC to protect patients and resolve any lingering concerns,” said spokesman Joe Grillo, in a statement.

The company’s steroid was shipped to medical facilities in 13 states: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Kentucky, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. The Main Street Family Pharmacy’s license was placed on three-year probation in March and its owners were fined $25,600 after

a pair of inspections found various problems at the facility.

According to a consent order, the 2011 inspection found out-of-date medications on the pharmacy’s shelves that were being used in drug manufacturing.

It also found a technician who had been working without proper registration for more than four years. When inspectors returned in November 2012 they found 109 out-of-date or deteriorated medications on the shelves, as well as other problems.—AP

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

US to allow morning-after pill for girls of any age WASHINGTON: The Obama administration said Monday it would comply with a judge’s order to allow women and girls of any age to purchase emergenc y contraception, ending its efforts to restrict the drug’s availability. The reversal on the politically sensitive issue means that anyone, including young girls, will soon be able to purchase the popular Plan B One-Step

morning-after pill over the counter, without a prescription. President Barack Obama’s administration had fought against US District Court Judge Edward Korman’s order seeking to make the drug more widely available after a more than decade-long court fight, warning of health and social dangers.

I n a letter to US Distric t Judge

WASHINGTON: This undated file photo provided by Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc, shows a package of Plan B One-Step, an emergency contraceptive.

—AP photos

Edward Korman, US attorneys said the Food and Drug Administration was dropping its appeal. “To comply with the order, FDA has asked the manufacturer of Plan B One-Step (PBOS) to submit a supplemental application seeking approval of the one-pill product to be made available OTC without any such restrictions,” the agency said in a statement. “Once FDA receives that supplemental application, the FDA intends to approve it promptly.”

Levonorgestrel-based emergenc y contraception contains the same active ingredients as birth control pills but at higher doses, and may prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 hours after unprotected intercourse.

The Center for Reproductive Rights, which brought the latest lawsuit, hailed the FDA’s “significant step forward” but criticized the administration for “unjustifiably” preventing generic, more affordable brands of emergency contraception to be made widely available. “We are pleased that women should soon be able to buy Plan B One-Step without the arbitrary restrictions that kept it locked behind the pharmacy counter when they needed it most urgently,” the center’s president and CEO Nancy Northrup said in a statement.

“But we will continue to fight for fair treatment for women who want

and need more affordable options.” In April, the FDA approved Plan B OneStep for girls aged 15 and up-reducing the age restriction by two years. But the move only applied to one brand of emergenc y contraception, and required that it be security-tagged to avoid theft and only sold over the counter in stores that have a pharmacy. It followed an order by Korman for

the government to make levonorgestrel-based emergency contraception available without prescription or point of sale restriction. Korman had slammed Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius’s decision overruling the FDA to require teens under 17 to obtain a prescription as “politically motivated” and “scientifically unjustified.” — AFP

WASHINGTON: Pharmacist Simon Gorelikov holds a generic emergency contraceptive, also called the morning-after pill, at the Health First Pharmacy in Boston.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

W H AT ’ S O N

ACK victorious in ‘PetroBowl’ competition SEND US YOUR INSTAGRAM PICS

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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

Indian author exposes perils of Asian expats

By Sunil Cherian

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n Indian laborer who signs a paper that says half the salary he was promised by the recruiting agent in Mumbai; malfunctioning air conditioner in a broken down accommodation facility where laborers have khubz (Arabic bread) as the main food 3 times a day; agents in Joy C Raphael Asian countries, especially in India, Pakistan, and the Philippines who sell job visas and help people in the network to make a fortune; laborers who are recruited for some jobs and who end up in remote farms; expats who have broken laws in a mutiny; expats killed by expats and more such stories constitute ‘Slaves’, a book in English by Muscat-based author Joy C Raphael. The true tales book, arguably the first of its kind by an Indian author, with stories of debauchery, degradation, and the dreadful conditions faced by thousands of expats, especially in Saudi Arabia, will be released on July 1.

“I started writing this book in 2010”, said Joy C Raphael on his second book, published by Turtle Books, an imprint of Zen Publications, Mumbai.

Raphael said he would go in search of humane stories only to be shocked by the inhuman features of the real stories the ‘victims’ would tell him.

The new book reminisces his 14 years of life in Riyadh where he worked at a newspaper there.

“Slaves is a series of stories and anecdotes, some from personal experience”, said the author. “No, it’s not a one-sided, victimizing narration of the poor class”, the author said. “Slaves has at least one positive story. Some funny ones too”.

The 160-page Slaves has many haunting, heartaching stories that will make the readers change their views on the world. In one mind-churning episode, Raphael illustrates an incident as if lifted from 18th century. ‘At Sahra, the vehicle entered the sandy unpaved road that snaked towards Hasha’, the author describes the journey of 3 Keralites to their workplace which, against their expectation, is a vegetable farm. The journey continues: the bus bumped over stones and holes for more than a kilometre and stopped in front of three solid brick and wooden structures that looked like sheds. The sprawling green of a vegetable farm could be seen on three sides of the brick structures.

Raphael shocks us more by introducing Awad, the ‘boss’ at the farm with a bunch of minions carrying whips. The shed does not have electricity, but a few oil lamps. Nights of sleeplessness and days of servitude continue until the labourers escape from the fenced farm.

Raphael writes with a detached passion. He does not want to inform, educate or entertain.

These 18 stories unearth unrecorded accounts of our time that is marred by perils of extreme experiences. Raphael’s stranger than fiction tales stand tall as lighthouses in the desert where many get lost and disillusioned.

Announcement The Meat Co Kuwait launches weekly Jazz Nights he Meat Co Kuwait will be bringing more than outstanding steak to the table with the launch of their new weekly jazz nights.

Starting Wednesday 12 June, The Meat Co Jazz Nights will be treating its customers to the smooth sounds of the Kuwait Jazz Trio, who will be entertaining the crowd with their extensive repertoire of tunes, including the works of Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, Hoagy Carmichael, Billy Strayhorn and George Gershwin. Kuwait’s premier jazz band will be performing every Wednesday from 8pm at The Meat Co, Kuwait - using the traditional jazz trio instruments of piano, bass and drums -thrilling the audience with the best of international jazz late into the evening.

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Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

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tudents from the Australian College of Kuwait (ACK) - School of Engineering - were the big winners of the first “PetroBowl” competition organized by The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) on the 21st of May at the Crown Plaza hotel. PetroBowl is a fastpaced quiz competition whereby students from competing schools are challenged to answer both technical and

non-technical questions associated with the oil and gas industry. The panel of judges was comprised of distinguished members from the Kuwait Oil Company (KOC), Halliburton and SPE. Both ACK and Kuwait University (KU) were represented by eight candidates each to compete in this challenging competition. Bringing together academic institutions and businesses with a

focus on the oil and gas sector, Dr Reza Taheri - Head of Petroleum Engineering Department at ACK - described the event as an academic motivator for young future petroleum engineers that “helps increasing students’ awareness about the professional outcomes of quality academic programs”.

The PetroBowl competition has grown in size and popularity internationally

since its debut in 2002 will be hosted annually in Kuwait starting this year. By winning this prestigious competition, the ACK team qualified for the second round and will be sponsored by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) to travel to Qatar and compete with other winning teams from different Middle Eastern universities.

ICSK Junior holds impressive investiture ceremony

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he Investiture ceremony of the newly elected Junior Senate was held on 21st May 2013 at the school auditorium in ICSK Junior Branch. Vijay Karayil, Secretary to the Board of Trustees graced the occasion along with the Parent Advisory Council members.

During the first week of May, the ICSK Junior campus was abuzz with flurry of activities. One could get a glimpse of India during the election in the school. There

were some life sized posters, high-pitched campaigning and an unprecedented number of nominations. The voting was held on 8th May in a free and fair manner and the results were announced on the same day.

During the investiture ceremony the Senate members were smartly dressed with their sashes and were eagerly waiting to receive their badges. The Principal incharge. Gayatri Ravindran welcomed the gathering and said that the Senate members should formally take up

their responsibilities from the moment onwards. Oath was administered by the Principal In-charge to the newly elect Senate who marched on to the stage and took their oaths smartly. They received their badges from the guests. The chief guest addressed them as leaders who should be humble and take up their duty with dedication and loyality. Ajay George, PAC member congratulated the winners. The vote of thanks was given by Diya Ajay, President, Junior Senate.

W H AT ’ S O N

‘Go Healthy’ menus by Movenpick Hotels & Resorts

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

Embassy Information EMBASSY OF AUSTRALIA The Australian Embassy Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department. All processing of visas and immigration matters in conducted by The Australian Consulate-General in Dubai. Email: info.ausdxb@vfshelpline.com (VFS) immigration.dubai@dfat.gov.au (Visa Office); Tel: +971 4 355 1958 (VFS) - +971 4 508 7200 (Visa Office); Fax: +971 4 355 0708 (Visa Office). In Kuwait applications can be lodged at the Australian Visa Application Centre 4B 1st Floor, Al-Banwan Building Al-Qibla Area, Ali Al-Salem Street, opposite the Central Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait City, Kuwait.

Working hours and days: 09:30 - 17:30; Sunday Thursday. Or visit their website www.vfs-au-gcccom for more information. Kuwait citizens can apply for tourist visas on-line at www.immi.gov.au/e visa/e676.htm. nnnnnnn

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ovenpick Hotels & Resorts in the Middle East has launched an exciting, new ‘Go Healthy’ initiative to produce tasty, nutritious dishes that are not only good for guests but also good for the planet.

‘Go Healthy’ menus are being created in all 26 Movenpick Hotels & Resorts across the Middle East offering guests a wide range of meal choices featuring healthy ingredients.

But delicious food is just part of the bigger ‘Go Healthy’ picture. The use of local produce, the sourcing of seasonal ingredients, working with quality local suppliers and environmental awareness are key to every menu. “Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do at M?venpick Hotels & Resorts and our ‘Go Healthy’ program underlines this philosophy taking a holistic approach to food choices from every source to every table in every hotel,” said Peter Drescher, Vice President of Food and Beverage for Movenpick Hotels & Resorts in the

Middle East and Asia.

“Supporting quality local suppliers helps the community and using local seasonal produce reduces the need to rely on imports which benefits the environment.”

Good sustainable practice also underpins every culinary choice. At all Movenpick properties in Dubai, endangered species of king fish and hammour are no longer available, while in Movenpick hotels in Doha prawns are off the menu during the June to August breeding season.

A commitment to sustainability may beat the heart of every Movenpick hotel and resort, but each ‘Go Healthy’ dish is as distinctive as the restaurant in which it is served. * At Movenpick Resort & Spa Tala Bay Aqaba everything from bread, milk and vegetables to fruit, eggs and spices is locally sourced with all the ‘Go Healthy’ ingredients for the hotel’s popular ‘Assorted Arabic Mezze’ bought from

nearby markets. * At the Movenpick Hotel Doha at least 40 percent of menu ingredients are sourced locally, with grouper served with rocket leaves and pomegranate essence a popular ‘Go Healthy’ dish. * 90 percent of vegetables and seasonal fruits are sourced locally at the Movenpick Resort & Spa Dead Sea with local honey proving to be a particular guest favorite. * At the Movenpick Hotel Beirut more than 75 percent of ingredients are sourced from nearby suppliers and game meat dishes are ‘Go Healthy’ classics. * At Movenpick Hotels & Residences Bur Dubai butter and cream are never used in dishes. Fatty proteins such as duck are off the menu and the cornerstones of the hotel’s ‘Go Healthy’ menu are chicken and turkey, lean cuts of beef, and other ‘fat burning’ ingredients known to have health benefits such as green tea, yoghurt, whole grain cereal

and sardines. * At the Movenpick Resort Petra chefs have introduced homemade potato sambusek and only use seasonal fruits and vegetables. The hotel’s olive oil is produced in nearby Wadi Mousa. * At the Movenpick Hotel & Resort Yanbu in Saudi Arabia chefs buy traditional ‘sayadia fish’, mint, dates and lamb direct from nearby markets with the hotel’s date cakes proving hugely popular.

“Our ‘Go Healthy’ concept builds on Movenpick Hotels & Resorts’ reputation for quality food and culinary excellence,” said Peter. “Eating good food should make you feel good in every way.”

To celebrate the launch of the new Go Healthy menu, one lucky Facebook fan will be wining a 3-night stay at M?venpick Resort & Spa Dead Sea, Jordan.

KNES 2013 summer concert and year 6 graduation

Kuwait National English School in Hawally celebrated the graduation of class 2013 Year 6 students who have successfully completed their Primary education and will be moving into the Secondary Department over the next academic year. Year 4 and Year 5 students were also performing and it was obvious that Kuwait National English School students not only achieve excellent academic results, but also have great talents! It was indeed a successful evening which all parents from Kuwait National English School, having their child in upper Primary, enjoyed and highly appreciated!!

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-im-enquiry@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 US Parents of Kuwaiti citizen children may drop off their sons’ and daughters’ visa applications - completely free of an interview or a trip inside the Embassy. The children must be under 14 years of age, and additional requirements do apply, but the service means parents will no longer have to schedule individual appointments for their children, nor come inside the Embassy (unless they are applying for themselves). The service is only available for children holding Kuwaiti passports. To take advantage, parents must drop off the following documents: Child Visa Drop-off cover sheet, available on the Embassy website (http://kuwait.usembassy.gov/child_visas.htm) - Child’s passport; The Child’s previous passport, if it contains a valid US visa; 5x5cm photo of child with eyes open (if uploaded into DS160, photos must be a .jpg between 600x600 and 1200x1200 pixels, less than 240kb, and cannot be digitally altered); A completed DS160 form; Visa Fee Receipt from Burgan Bank; A copy of the valid visa of at least one parent. If one parent will not travel, provide a visa copy for the traveling parent, and a passport copy from the non-traveling parent with a letter stating no objection to the child’s travel. - For children of students (F2): a copy of the child’s I20.

Children born in the US (with very few exceptions) are US citizens and would not be eligible for a visa. Parents may drop off the application packet at Window 2 at the Embassy from 1:00 to 3:00 PM, Monday to Wednesday, excluding holidays. More information is available on the U.S. Embassy website: kuwait.usembassy.gov/child_visas.html 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 VATICAN The Apostolic Nunciature Embassy of the Holy See, Vatican in Kuwait presents its compliments to Kuwait Times Newspaper, and has the honor to inform the same that the Apostolic Nunciature has moved to a new location in Kuwait City. Please find below the new address: Yarmouk, Block 1, Street 2, Villa No: 1. P.O.Box 29724, Safat 13158, Kuwait. Tel: 965 25337767, Fax: 965 25342066.

Email: nuntiuskuwait@gmail.com

TV PROGRAMS 01:00 The Client List 02:00 Castle 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 Jesse James Outlaw Garage Yukon Men Mythbusters Sons Of Guns How Does It Work How It’s Made Auction Hunters Storage Hunters Unchained Reaction James May’s Man Lab Mythbusters Unchained Reaction James May’s Man Lab

14:50 15:45 16:40 17:35 18:00 18:25 18:50 19:20 20:10 21:05 22:00 22:55 23:50 00:45 01:10 01:35

The Real Sherlock Holmes Animal Armageddon HMS Ark Royal Mystery Cars Mystery Cars Hero Factor Hero Factor Combat Countdown Tattoo Hunter Out Of Egypt Combat Countdown Death Machines Most Evil Mystery Cars Mystery Cars Combat Countdown

14:20 Food Factory 14:45 Food Factory 15:10 Scrapheap Challenge 16:00 Nextworld 16:55 Robotica 17:45 Race To Mars 18:35 The Gadget Show 19:00 The Tech Show 19:30 Fire In The Sky: A Daily Planet Special 20:20 How The Universe Works 21:10 Food Factory 21:35 Food Factory 22:00 Fire In The Sky: A Daily Planet Special 22:50 Colony 23:40 Food Factory 00:05 Food Factory 00:30 How Do They Do It? 01:00 How The Universe Works 01:50 Colony

14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 20:30 21:00 22:00 23:00 00:00 00:30 01:00 02:00

14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 00:00

Ancient Aliens Ancient Aliens Ancient Aliens Ancient Aliens Ancient Aliens WWII: Secret Army Pawn Stars Storage Wars Ancient Aliens Ancient Aliens Soviet Storm: WWII In The East Pawn Stars Storage Wars Ancient Aliens Ancient Aliens

C.S.I. Kyle XY Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show C.S.I. Touch Bones Castle The Client List Greek Kyle XY

03:00 Last Man Standing 03:30 Raising Hope 04:00 Seinfeld 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Hope & Faith 06:00 All Of Us 06:30 Til Death 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Seinfeld 08:30 Hope & Faith 09:00 Last Man Standing 09:30 Hot In Cleveland 10:00 Men At Work 10:30 Til Death 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 All Of Us 12:30 Seinfeld 13:00 Hope & Faith 13:30 Til Death 14:00 Raising Hope 14:30 Men At Work 15:00 Hot In Cleveland 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 All Of Us 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Ben And Kate 18:30 The Simpsons 19:00 Modern Family 19:30 The Mindy Project 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Weeds 22:30 It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia 23:00 The Ricky Gervais Show 23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 Weeds 02:00 It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia 02:30 The Ricky Gervais Show

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 Suite Life On Deck Gravity Falls 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 E! News 19:00 Fashion Police 20:00 E!es 21:00 Kourtney And Kim Take Miami 22:00 E! News Special: Country Music Festival 22:30 E! News 23:30 Chelsea Lately 00:00 Dirty Soap 00:55 Style Star 01:25 E!es

03:05 Coastal Kitchen 03:30 Food Poker 04:15 Bargain Hunt 05:00 House Swap 05:45 Cash In The Attic 06:30 Coastal Kitchen 07:00 Food Poker 07:45 Home Cooking Made Easy 08:10 Phil Spencer - Secret Agent 09:00 Bargain Hunt 09:45 Antiques Roadshow 10:40 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 11:20 MasterChef Australia 12:05 Come Dine With Me 12:55 The Roux Legacy 13:30 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 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 Planet Cake 18:25 Food & Drink 18:55 Baking Mad With Eric Lanlard 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 10:20 10:45

Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 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 Extra Virgin Kid In A Candy Store

11:10 Charly’s Cake Angels 11:35 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 Charly’s Cake Angels 22:30 Charly’s Cake Angels 22:55 Unique Sweets 23:15 Unique Sweets 23:40 Food Wars 00:05 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 00:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 00:55 Unwrapped 01:20 Unwrapped 01:45 Charly’s Cake Angels

03:00 The Artist-PG 05:00 A Fall From Grace-PG15 07:00 Page Eight-PG15 09:00 We Bought A Zoo-PG 11:15 A Better Life-PG15 13:00 33 Postcards-PG15 15:00 A View From Here-PG15 16:45 We Bought A Zoo-PG 19:00 The Odd Life Of Timothy Green-PG 21:00 Flypaper-PG15 23:00 Contraband-18 01:00 The Company Men-PG15

07:00 09:00 11:00 PG 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00 01:15

Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2-PG Dangerous Flowers-PG15 The Wild Thornberrys MovieArrietty-FAM The Stool Pigeon-PG15 The Wishing Well-PG15 Wrath Of The Titans-PG15 One Day-18 Bridesmaids-18 The Wishing Well-PG15

04:00 The Pirates! Band Of MisfitsPG 06:00 The Hairy Tooth Fairy 2-PG 08:00 Puss In Boots-PG 10:00 Another Harvest Moon-PG15 12:00 Big Miracle-PG 14:00 Burden Of Evil-PG15 16:00 Puss In Boots-PG 18:00 Mary & Martha-PG15 19:45 Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol-PG15 22:00 Comes A Bright Day-PG15 00:00 Another Harvest Moon-PG15 02:00 Burden Of Evil-PG15

04:00 Blackthorn-PG15 06:00 Transformers: Dark Of The Moon-PG15 09:00 Go Fast-PG15 11:00 Secret Window-PG15 13:15 Thor-PG15 15:30 Go Fast-PG15 17:30 Secret Window-PG15 19:30 Beneath The Darkness-PG15 21:45 The Keeper-18 23:30 End Of Days-18 01:45 Beneath The Darkness-PG15

08:00 I Think I Do-PG15 10:00 Ernest Goes To Jail-PG15 12:00 Just Crazy Enough-PG15 14:00 The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom-PG 16:00 Ernest Goes To Jail-PG15 18:00 Problem Child-PG 20:00 Casino Jack-18 22:00 A Few Best Men-18 00:00 The Hangover 2-18 02:00 Casino Jack-18

10:00 11:30 13:15 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:15 01:30

Love Finds A Home-PG15 TT: Closer To The Edge-PG15 According To Greta-PG15 Love Finds A Home-PG15 Certain Prey-PG15 Route Irish-PG15 Final Analysis-18 Mahler On The Couch-18 The Butcher Boy-PG15

00:00 PGA Tour Highlights 01:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 02:00 AFL Highlights 03:00 UK Open Darts 07:00 British & Irish Lions 10:00 Super Rugby Highlights 11:00 Champions Tour 13:00 Champions Tour Highlights 14:00 Golf The Challenge Series 14:30 Live ATP Tennis 16:30 Live ATP Tennis 18:30 Live ATP Tennis 20:30 Live ATP Tennis 22:30 British & Irish Lions

CONTRABAND ON OSN MOVIES HD

00:30 02:00 03:30 05:00 06:30 07:00 08:30 10:00 11:30 13:00 16:00

ATP Tennis ATP Tennis ATP Tennis ATP Tennis NRL Full Time ATP Tennis ATP Tennis ATP Tennis ATP Tennis British and Irish Lions Tour UK Open Darts

20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:30 23:00 23:30

NRL Full Time European Tour Weekly Inside The PGA Tour Trans World Sport Golf The Challenge Series NRL Full Time PGA Tour Highlights

00:00 02:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 08:30 10:30 11:30 12:30 13:30 14:30 15:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00 22:30

Super League International Rugby Union World Pool Masters World Cup Of Pool Trans World Sport Golfing World Futbol Mundial NRL Premiership World Pool Masters World Cup Of Pool Golfing World Trans World Sport Futbol Mundial Champions Tour Highlights International Rugby Union Live Nations Cup Live Nations Cup Inside The PGA Tour UK Open Darts

01:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:30 19:00 22:00 23:00

NHL UFC The Ultimate Fighter UFC Countdown NHL WWE Vintage Collection WWE NXT Ping Pong World US Bass Fishing NHL WWE Smackdown Mass Participation UIM Powerboat Champs UIM Aquabike Champs Mass Participation WWE Vintage Collection Mobil 1 The Grid UFC UFC The Ultimate Fighter UFC Countdown

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

WRATH OF THE TITANS ON OSN CINEMA

Classifieds WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

MATRIMONIAL Inviting marriage proposal for Tamil Christian girl age 30, working in Kuwait, qualifications B.P.T + M Sc (UK).

Contact Email: proposal.groom2013@gmail.com (C 4441)

12-6-2013

Airlines QTR JZR JZR QTR THY ETH UAE GFA UAE ETD FDB RJA MSR OMA KAC KAC KAC KAC JZR JZR JZR QTR THY DHX FDB BAW FDB KAC KAC KAC JZR JZR JZR UAE ABY QTR IRM FDB IRA ETD GFA MEA IAW MSC IRM KNE UAE MSR THY CLX OMA ABY ETD MEA AXB KLM ALK UAE ETD QTR GFA QTR KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC JZR JZR JZR JZR JZR JZR JZR JZR KNE IYE QTR FDB IRC MSR SVA RJA QTR ETD UAE ABY UAL SVA GFA KNE NIA QTR FDB GFA MSC MSR JAI FDB JAI FDB AIC UAL DLH JAI MSR THY JZR JZR JZR

Arrival Flights on Wednesday 12/6/2013 Flt Route 148 DOHA 267 BEIRUT 539 CAIRO 6130 DOHA 764 SABIHA 620 ADDIS ABABA 4965 DUBAI 211 BAHRAIN 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 67 DUBAI 642 AMMAN 612 CAIRO 643 MUSCAT 382 DELHI 412 MANILA 302 MUMBAI 206 ISLAMABAD 555 ALEXANDRIA 1541 CAIRO 529 ASSIUT 138 DOHA 770 ISTANBUL 170 BAHRAIN 69 DUBAI 157 LONDON 53 DUBAI 352 COCHIN 284 DHAKA 344 CHENNAI 1543 CAIRO 165 DUBAI 561 SOHAG 855 DUBAI 125 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 1186 TEHRAN 55 DUBAI 603 SHIRAZ 301 ABU DHABI 213 BAHRAIN 404 BEIRUT 157 BAGHDAD 403 ASSIUT 1188 MASHAD 470 JEDDAH 871 DUBAI 610 CAIRO 766 ISTANBUL 792 LUXEMBOURG 647 MUSCAT 129 SHARJAH 933 ABU DHABI 402 BEIRUT 489 COCHIN 417 AMSTERDAM 229 COLOMBO 859 DUBAI 307 ABU DHABI 136 DOHA 217 BAHRAIN 146 DOHA 166 PARIS 674 DUBAI 786 JEDDAH 790 MEDINAH 542 CAIRO 672 DUBAI 102 NEW YORK 774 RIYADH 618 DOHA 788 JEDDAH 538 SHARM EL SHEIKH 177 DUBAI 787 RIYADH 257 BEIRUT 357 MASHAD 777 JEDDAH 189 DUBAI 535 CAIRO 481 SABIHA 480 TAIF 826 SANAA 140 DOHA 57 DUBAI 6692 MASHAD 575 SHARM EL SHEIKH 500 JEDDAH 640 AMMAN 134 DOHA 303 ABU DHABI 857 DUBAI 127 SHARJAH 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 510 RIYADH 215 BAHRAIN 462 MEDINAH 251 ALEXANDRIA 144 DOHA 63 DUBAI 219 BAHRAIN 405 SOHAG 606 LUXOR 572 MUMBAI 61 DUBAI 576 COCHIN 59 DUBAI 975 CHENNAI 981 BAHRAIN 636 FRANKFURT 574 MUMBAI 614 CAIRO 772 ISTANBUL 185 DUBAI 239 AMMAN 135 BAHRAIN

Time 00:05 00:20 00:40 00:25 01:40 01:45 02:55 01:55 02:25 02:30 03:10 03:10 03:15 03:20 07:30 06:15 07:50 07:25 06:20 06:25 06:40 03:30 04:35 05:10 05:50 06:30 07:45 08:05 08:15 08:20 08:20 11:35 12:00 08:25 08:50 09:00 09:10 09:15 09:25 09:30 10:40 10:55 11:00 11:20 11:45 12:15 12:45 13:00 13:10 13:15 20:00 20:05 20:05 20:15 20:35 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:30 21:35 21:45 22:00 18:40 19:25 18:30 13:55 18:15 13:40 19:35 19:25 19:10 15:00 15:50 17:30 16:15 14:30 16:50 17:50 20:10 16:10 20:10 13:20 13:30 13:45 13:50 14:00 14:15 14:30 15:55 16:15 16:35 16:55 17:10 17:15 17:20 17:20 17:45 18:00 18:25 18:55 19:05 19:20 19:30 19:35 20:00 22:05 22:20 22:25 22:40 23:10 23:20 23:30 23:45 22:40 22:30 23:00

Airlines AIC JAI UAL DLH MSR JZR QTR THY THY ETH UAE FDB MSR OMA ETD QTR QTR UAE JZR FDB RJA GFA THY JZR KAC BAW FDB JZR KAC JZR KAC KAC ABY KAC UAE FDB QTR ETD IRA IRM JZR GFA KAC MEA IAW KAC MSC JZR JZR KAC JZR KAC IRM KNE JZR MSR THY KNE UAE FDB IYE CLX QTR IRC MSR KAC KAC SVA KAC JZR RJA JZR QTR ETD JZR ABY UAE SVA GFA UAL JZR JZR KNE NIA QTR FDB GFA JZR KAC MSC MSR JAI FDB ABY KAC KAC OMA KAC MEA DHX KLM ETD ETD ALK UAE KAC QTR KAC GFA FDB KAC QTR JAI JZR JZR KAC JZR

Departure Flights on Wednesday 12/6/2013 Flt Route 982 AHMEDABAD 573 MUMBAI 981 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 637 FRANKFURT 615 CAIRO 1542 CAIRO 6131 DOHA 773 ISTANBUL 765 ISTANBUL 621 ADDIS ABABA 854 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 613 CAIRO 644 MUSCAT 306 ABU DHABI 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 4965 DUBAI 560 SOHAG 70 DUBAI 643 AMMAN 212 BAHRAIN 771 ISTANBUL 164 DUBAI 537 SHARM EL SHEIKH 156 LONDON 54 DUBAI 256 BEIRUT 117 NEW YORK 534 CAIRO 789 MADINAH 671 DUBAI 126 SHARJAH 787 JEDDAH 856 DUBAI 56 DUBAI 133 DOHA 302 ABU DHABI 602 SHIRAZ 1187 IMAM KHOMEINI 356 MASHHAD 214 BAHRAIN 541 CAIRO 405 BEIRUT 158 AL NAJAF 175 FRANKFURT 406 SOHAG 776 JEDDAH 480 ISTANBUL 103 LONDON 786 RIYADH 785 JEDDAH 1189 MASHHAD 461 MADINAH 176 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 767 ISTANBUL 481 TAIF 872 DUBAI 58 DUBAI 827 RIYAN MUKALLA 792 GIALAM 141 DOHA 6693 MASHHAD 576 SHARM EL SHEIKH 673 DUBAI 617 DOHA 503 MADINAH 773 RIYADH 188 DUBAI 641 AMMAN 238 AMMAN 135 DOHA 304 ABU DHABI 538 CAIRO 128 SHARJAH 858 DUBAI 511 RIYADH 216 BAHRAIN 982 BAHRAIN 184 DUBAI 266 BEIRUT 471 JEDDAH 252 ALEXANDRIA 145 DOHA 64 DUBAI 220 BAHRAIN 134 BAHRAIN 283 DHAKA 404 ASSIUT 619 ALEXANDRIA 571 MUMBAI 62 DUBAI 120 SHARJAH 361 COLOMBO 331 TRIVANDRUM 648 MUSCAT 351 KOCHI 403 BEIRUT 171 BAHRAIN 417 DAMMAM 934 SHARJAH 308 ABU DHABI 230 COLOMBO 860 DUBAI 381 DELHI 137 DOHA 301 MUMBAI 218 BAHRAIN 60 DUBAI 205 ISLAMABAD 147 DOHA 575 ABU DHABI 554 ALEXANDRIA 1540 CAIRO 415 KUALA LUMPUR 528 ASSIUT

Time 00:05 00:20 00:25 00:30 00:30 01:20 01:55 02:20 02:40 02:45 03:45 03:50 04:15 04:20 04:20 04:25 05:15 05:30 05:35 06:30 06:35 07:00 07:10 07:25 08:00 08:25 08:25 08:50 09:05 09:10 09:15 09:25 09:30 09:35 09:50 09:55 10:00 10:15 10:25 10:30 11:00 11:25 11:30 11:55 12:00 12:10 12:20 12:25 12:30 12:30 12:50 13:00 13:10 13:10 13:20 14:00 14:10 14:10 14:15 14:30 14:30 14:45 14:55 15:00 15:00 15:05 15:45 15:45 16:00 16:00 16:55 17:05 17:20 17:20 17:40 17:50 18:15 18:20 18:20 18:30 18:30 18:40 18:40 19:00 19:25 19:35 19:50 20:05 20:15 20:20 20:30 20:35 20:40 20:45 20:50 20:50 20:55 21:05 21:15 21:50 22:05 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 23:25 23:50 23:55

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

a C-A/C building. Rent KD 55/-. Contact: 99076372.

(C 4439) 10-6-2013 Sharing accommodation now available near big Jamiya, Bahrain Street, Salmiya (Gadeer Clinic building). Contact: 66792392/ 69664598. (C 4436)

Inviting marriage proposal for Kerala Christian boy, age 29/ ht - 176cm, from Trichur district working as an Accountant in a reputed company in Kuwait.

Contact: Email: sanjayantony42@gmail.com (C 4440) 11-6-2013

Prayer timings Fajr:

03:13

Shorook

04:48

Duhr:

11:48

Asr:

15:22

Maghrib:

18:48

Isha:

20:20

Al-Madena Police Station

FOR SALE Mitsubishi Lancer GT 2012, red color, sunroof, Camera, CD, (full option), 7,500km, Price KD 3,250/-. Contact: 50994848. (C 4438) 10-6-2013 Toyota Yaris model 2008, red color, alloy rim fog lamp, R bumper sensor, CD, very excellent original condition, installment possible, cash price KD 1,950/-, negotiable. Contact: 99105286.

(C 4433) 8-6-2013

22434064

Al-Murqab Police Station

22435865

Al-Daiya Police Station

22544200

Al-Fayha’a Police Station

22547133

Al-Qadissiya Police Station

22515277

Al-Nugra Police Station

22616662

Al-Salmiya Police Station

25714406

Al-Dasma Police Station

22530801

No: 15837

CHANGE OF NAME I, Pallath Halid, Passport No. F8706312, P.O. Vakkad, Malappuram (dt.) Tirur, Kerala, India have changed my name from Pallath Halid to Khalid Pallath. (C 4437) 10-6-2013 ACCOMMODATION Sharing accommodation available in Farwaniya near Garden for a Filipina lady in

Kuwait SHARQIA-1 AFTER EARTH (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) AFTER EARTH (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) AFTER EARTH (DIG) AFTER EARTH (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

1:30 PM 1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

SHARQIA-2 EPIC (DIG-3D) TATTAH (DIG) EPIC (DIG-3D) TATTAH (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 9:45 PM 12:15 AM

SHARQIA-3 NOW YOU SEE ME (DIG) DISCONNECT (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) DISCONNECT (DIG) NOW YOU SEE ME (DIG) DISCONNECT (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:00 PM 10:00 PM 12:30 AM

MUHALAB-1 EPIC (DIG) EPIC (DIG) DISCONNECT (DIG) DISCONNECT (DIG) DISCONNECT (DIG)

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:15 PM

MUHALAB-2 NOW YOU SEE ME (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) AFTER EARTH (DIG) NOW YOU SEE ME (DIG) AFTER EARTH (DIG)

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 9:45 PM

MUHALAB-3 TATTAH (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) TATTAH (DIG)

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:15 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM

FANAR-1 NOW YOU SEE ME (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) NOW YOU SEE ME (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) NOW YOU SEE ME (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 10:00 PM 12:30 AM

FANAR-2 AFTER EARTH (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) AFTER EARTH (DIG) AFTER EARTH (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) AFTER EARTH (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 5:45 PM 7:45 PM 10:15 PM 12:15 AM

FANAR-3 YEH JAWANI HAI DEEWANI12:30 PM DISCONNECT (DIG) 3:30 PM DISCONNECT (DIG) 5:30 PM

KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (06/06/2013 TO 12/06/2013)

YAMLA PAGLA DEEWANA 2 (HINDI) (DIG) 7:30 PM DISCONNECT (DIG) 10:30 PM DISCONNECT (DIG) 12:45 AM NO SUN+ TUE+WED

DISCONNECT (DIG) DISCONNECT (DIG) DISCONNECT (DIG)

9:00 PM 11:15 PM 1:15 AM

360º 3 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)

1:45 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:45 PM 1:00 AM

AL-KOUT.1 AFTER EARTH (DIG) EPIC (DIG-3D) AFTER EARTH (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) AFTER EARTH (DIG) AFTER EARTH (DIG)

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

AL-KOUT.2 TATTAH (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) TATTAH (DIG)

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:00 PM 7:30 PM 10:00 PM 12:45 AM

AL-KOUT.3 FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) NOW YOU SEE ME (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) NOW YOU SEE ME (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) NOW YOU SEE ME (DIG)

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 1:00 AM

MARINA-1 DISCONNECT (DIG) DISCONNECT (DIG) NOW YOU SEE ME (DIG) DISCONNECT (DIG) NOW YOU SEE ME (DIG) DISCONNECT (DIG) NOW YOU SEE ME (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:45 PM 8:45 PM 11:00 PM 1:00 AM

MARINA-2 AFTER EARTH (DIG) AFTER EARTH (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) AFTER EARTH (DIG) AFTER EARTH (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:30 PM 8:00 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

MARINA-3 TATTAH (DIG) EPIC (DIG-3D) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:30 AM

AVENUES-1 NOW YOU SEE ME (DIG) NOW YOU SEE ME (DIG) NOW YOU SEE ME (DIG) NOW YOU SEE ME (DIG) NOW YOU SEE ME (DIG) NOW YOU SEE ME (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

1:45 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:45 PM 1:00 AM

BAIRAQ-1 EPIC (DIG-3D) EPIC (DIG-3D) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG)

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:45 PM 11:30 PM

1:30 PM 4:00 PM 6:30 PM 9:00 PM 11:30 PM

BAIRAQ-2 TATTAH (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) TATTAH (DIG)

12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:30 PM 8:00 PM 10:30 PM 1:00 AM

1:45 PM 4:30 PM 7:15 PM 10:00 PM 12:45 AM

BAIRAQ-3 AFTER EARTH (DIG) AFTER EARTH (DIG) AFTER EARTH (DIG) DISCONNECT (DIG) AFTER EARTH (DIG) AFTER EARTH (DIG)

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

PLAZA TATTAH (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) TATTAH (DIG)

5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:30 PM

LAILA FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) AFTER EARTH (DIG)

6:00 PM 8:30 PM 10:45 PM

AJIAL.1 IDDARAMMAYILATHO (DIG) IDDARAMMAYILATHO (DIG)

6:45 PM 9:45 PM

AVENUES-2 TATTAH (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED 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 360º 1 AFTER EARTH (DIG) AFTER EARTH (DIG) AFTER EARTH (DIG) AFTER EARTH (DIG) AFTER EARTH (DIG) AFTER EARTH (DIG)

1:00 PM 3:15 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

360º 2 DISCONNECT (DIG) DISCONNECT (DIG) DISCONNECT (DIG)

2:15 PM 4:30 PM 6:45 PM

34

stars CROSSWORD 218

STAR TRACK Aries (March 21-April 19) You are interested in helping others today. Teaching or helping others to be more original when it comes to words or thoughts is a good thing. Your eyehand coordination is excellent and your laserlike mind makes conversations fast-paced and illuminating. You can be very funny in your conversations today. There are many practical ideas available to you, especially related to your job or skills. You are always coming up with new ideas to manage things better and make things work. You have a strong concern for life, equality, gentleness and acceptance. You love community projects and group work of any kind and may find yourself in meetings this evening with discussions that concern the beautification of your neighborhood. Aim high!

Taurus (April 20-May 20) You could be most persuasive with others and eloquent in speech and communication. The initiative is yours and you will find positive results will develop from your actions. This is a day to take risks and dare to be a little unconventional.

There are new insights, inventions and an independent point of view. Your career could open up by taking the road less traveled, or by daring to be the oddball. Growth and success could be tied to your possessions or to the way you respond to the various ideas and impulses operating in your life now. This may mean the connection you have with your teachers, partners, hobbies or the competitions that you enter. Your day ends with the most positive of attitudes.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

ACROSS 1. A dark-skinned member of a race of people living in Australia when Europeans arrived.

4. Usually tropical slender-bodied longlegged moth whose larvae are crop pests.

11. Not only so, but.

15. A rapid escape (as by criminals).

16. Ascending to a level markedly higher than the usual.

17. Beyond what is natural.

18. A master's degree in business.

19. The time at which something begins.

20. United States neoclassical architect (18471909).

21. Expose one's body to the sun.

23. A heavy brittle metallic element of the platinum group.

25. An officer who acts as military assistant to a more senior officer.

26. Ash-colored or anemic looking from illness or emotion.

27. A piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred.

28. Pretentious or silly talk or writing.

31. The seventh month of the Moslem calendar.

32. A very light brown.

36. A Buddhist who has attained nirvana.

38. An official prosecutor for a judicial district.

39. Fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter deposited in the Carboniferous period.

40. A genus of Strigidae.

41. A highly unstable radioactive element (the heaviest of the halogen series).

45. Of flax, hemp, or jute, so as to promote loosening of the fibers form the woody tissue.

46. Area around the altar of a church for the clergy and choir.

47. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

49. The largest Greek island in the Mediterranean.

51. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

52. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.

54. A set of questions or exercises evaluating skill or knowledge.

55. An indehiscent fruit derived from a single ovary having one or many seeds within a fleshy wall or pericarp.

58. According to the Old Testament he was a pagan king of Israel and husband of Jezebel (9th century BC).

60. A member of the Siouan people formerly living in the Missouri river valley in NE Nebraska.

62. A sensation (as of a cold breeze or bright light) that precedes the onset of certain disorders such as a migraine attack or epileptic seizure.

64. Russian writer of stories and novels and plays (1818-1883).

67. An edge tool for cutting grass.

71. (Sumerian) Consort of Dumuzi (Tammuz).

73. Port city that is the capital and largest city of Latvia.

74. Treated with contempt.

77. A resource.

78. Of or relating to near the ear.

79. An area of ground used for some particu-

lar purpose (such as building or farming).

80. A self-funded retirement plan that allows you to contribute a limited yearly sum toward your retirement.

DOWN 1. Voluntary contributions to aid the poor.

2. Used as a Hindi courtesy title.

3. A strategically located monarchy on the southern and eastern coasts of the Arabian Peninsula.

4. Either of two muscles of the abdomen and pelvis that flex the trunk and rotate the thigh.

5. A young person (especially a young man or boy).

6. On the contrary.

7. All the weapons and equipment that a country has.

8. A statement that deviates from or perverts the truth.

9. The Palestinian uprising (beginning in 1987) against the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

10. 1/10 gram.

11. A member of the Mayan people of the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico.

12. (Sumerian) Water god and god of wisdom.

13. Harsh or corrosive in tone.

14. (sport) Used of your own ground.

22. The dialect of Malay used as the national language of the Republic of Indonesia or of Malaysia.

24. The capital of Morocco.

29. Nicaraguan statesman (born in 1945).

30. A shrub or tree of the genus Rhus (usually limited to the non-poisonous members of the genus).

33. Type genus of the Corixidae.

34. Desert shrub of Syria and Arabia having small white flowers.

35. In or of the month preceding the present one.

37. A slight amount or degree of difference.

42. Flightless New Zealand birds similar to gallinules.

43. A small cake leavened with yeast.

44. A state in northwestern North America.

48. Manner of acting or conducting yourself.

50. A race between teams.

53. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

56. High quality grape brandy distilled in the Cognac district of France.

57. A primeval personification of air and breath.

59. A covered passageway.

61. Squash bugs.

63. A member of a Turkic people of Uzbekistan and neighboring areas.

65. Any division of quantity accepted as a standard of measurement or exchange.

66. East Indian cereal grass whose seed yield a somewhat bitter flour, a staple in the Orient.

68. Of or relating to or characteristic of Thailand of its people.

69. A person who is entitled by law or by the terms of a will to inherit the estate of another.

70. Tropical starchy tuberous root.

72. (Irish) Mother of the ancient Irish gods.

75. Being ten more than one hundred ninety.

76. A rare heavy polyvalent metallic element that resembles manganese chemically and is used in some alloys.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

You may find yourself having a difference of opinion with others today. You could be going against tradition if you become too independent for group approval. This could actually slow your progress. You could have difficulty getting your ideas across to others, sometimes feeling inadequate in matters that require logic or the use of your mental powers. You may have doubts about those who talk too much and seem long on ideas.

You may lack flexibility, managing a foot-in-the-mouth when you least need it. Give your ideas time to set in so that others will see the best ways in which to carry on a project. Take the observer point of view and watch things develop for the rest of this day. You may find you made a positive difference.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) Throwing caution to the wind, you could ignore whatever responsibilities you have today, and pursue a particular objective. Your animal-like instincts come in handy when it comes to big business. You are where the action is most intense. Your mind will get through the unimportant and move straight to the bottom line. Some may even respect your tenacity and it becomes exciting to be near you. Mental discipline and patience are keynote as you take on a new project or a new customer this afternoon. Tonight is for anything creative or whatever may give you an opportunity at self-expression through arts, theater, sports or with children. You enjoy hobbies but unless you have gobs of money, it is time to fine-tune your choices.

Leo (July 23-August 22) This is a very lucky day for making plans or decisions and finding your way through just about any problem you may discover. You will be feeling successful and able to cope with whatever comes across your path today. Good advice from a guide or older person may be forthcoming. You are very fortunate in being able to grow and progress throughout your life without major difficulties. You can always find the resources you require plus the necessary instruction on how to use the resources. Your love of job and practical skills makes you a fine manager and business person. You bring a great deal of love to your work. Your mind is full of practical ideas, especially related to your job or skills. Tonight you have new ideas in how to manage your time.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) Today you will likely be working in a team type of process. The group you are in will accomplish quite a lot as everyone works together and is agreeable. You know just what to do for your part of the contributions and can act without haste and emotion. You are respected for your talents as well as your capable actions. You may be asked to set your work aside later today in order to help teach a new employee the details about some new project. An influential person may take notice of your special talents. You are feeling unusually good and could write about the things you see around you today. This evening you will find that romance is possible.

Word Search

Libra (September 23-October 22) You may find yourself having emotional differences with someone at work today. A report with facts may help you to prove your point without having to spend time in argument. Having these facts to back up your ideas will gain you much. You are at your most practical when it comes to dealing and working with others and you enjoy having problems to solve. You know just what to do and you can act without haste and emotion. You also enjoy a good break time, especially at the noon hour when you can get outside to walk and think about things outside of work. You are one to enjoy life and embrace all the differences that life has to offer. If you are shopping tonight, make out a list before you go into the stores—it will help you save.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) A rebellious streak could affect your career now—careful. Your sense of independence may tend to kick over the apple cart and upset everything. Your progress and success will be fruitful as you slow yourself and take whatever faces you today, one step at a time. Your own devotion to the dreams and ideals you stand for these days will be achieved. Working with groups in a spirit of cooperation and communion is a natural. You come up with new solutions or inventions today and others will follow your lead. A closed mind believes the future and the present will be the same and your mind is certainly open and understanding of others. There is a chance to have a special time with someone you love this evening. This is a time of learning and achievements.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) There is an emphasis on communication, expression of ideas and the connections that unite. Something new has your attention today and this could mean a new boss as much as it could mean a new piece of equipment or even a new job. A new system of working may put you in the leadership role and you know people are watching.

You will succeed at whatever you take on so relax . . . Don’t be so hard on yourself; move forward one step at a time. You will perform correctly and others will understand exactly what you are communicating. Later today, you could find yourself at a basketball, baseball or hockey game . . . Yelling your lungs out! Here you will likely find a special friend with whom you have a lot in common.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) CAPRICORN

You or someone close to you finds mistakes today. Some people say that people are not really trying unless they discover mistakes from time to time. You have an innate love of the law and working through things. You are not discouraged by problems and obstacles—you may look forward to solving them. You have the ability to work with others, particularly regarding vocation or career guidance. You can direct and guide others in matters that are work-related decisions and may find yourself doing so often today. This could be a particularly lucky day. Look into ways that you could put aside some income for future investment purposes.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) You are a terrific businessperson and you exhibit your ability to get past the surface of things and separate the things that have real worth. Ideas are in the air. Tap into that universal mind through some quiet meditation during a break time. Your presence in a group situation today has a very decided effect. Others may feel that nothing is a secret from you.

Family, home and security seems just about ideal. Your family life has gone through some big improvements lately and may continue to improve. You are creative when it comes to partnerships or lovers; you seem to establish unusual and different relationships. You reflect and celebrate the positive things in your life and in the family. You may find a love relationship deepens now.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) This is a time of good fortune. Good surprises are plentiful. Situations are almost perfect and it is easy to see which path is the one to take. The challenge comes when you work to keep your concentration strong. Continual discovery, persistent search and persistent change and transformation keep you on the move and growing. You are able to penetrate and get to the very heart of things. Research into when, what and where you really want to make your changes may be beneficial. A break from work, perhaps out-ofdoors, may be worth telling about later today. A one-on-one with a bird or some other animal makes life most appealing. You may enjoy a good movie or book or feel like escaping from day-to-day realities for a while.

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

Daily SuDoku

Yesterday’s Solution

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

i n f o r m at i o n For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128 GOVERNORATE Sabah Hospital

24812000

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

PHARMACY

ADDRESS

PHONE

Ahmadi

Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy Ibn Al-Nafis Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554 25721264 25380581 25628241

Hawally

Al-Madeena

22418714

Al-Shuhada

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Faiha

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

Kaizen center

25716707

Rawda

22517733

Adaliya

22517144

Al-Jahra

25610011

Khaldiya

24848075

Al-Salmiya

25616368

Kaifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salem

22549134

Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Qadsiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Gar

22531908

Shaab

22518752

Qibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Qibla

22451082

Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

Maidan Hawally

25623444

Bayan

25388462

Mishref

25381200

W Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Ardhiya

24884079

Firdous

24892674

Omariya

24719048

N Khaitan

24710044

Fintas

23900322

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Psychologists /Psychotherapists

Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Khaled Hamadi

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Endocrinologist

25665898 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar

22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof

25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare

23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew

24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

25655535

Dentists

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

22618787

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

General Surgeons Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart Dr. Adnan Ebil Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

22666300 25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

Neurologists

22639939

Dr. Mousa Khadada

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

3729596/3729581

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri

25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

25345875

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Kaizen center 25716707

25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888 Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab

25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

22666288

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi

Dr Anil Thomas

Dr. Salem soso

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah

25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart DR.Mohammes Akkad

24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

2611555-2622555

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Afghanistan 0093 Albania 00355 Algeria 00213 Andorra 00376 Angola 00244 Anguilla 001264 Antiga 001268 Argentina 0054 Armenia 00374 Australia 0061 Austria 0043 Bahamas 001242 Bahrain 00973 Bangladesh 00880 Barbados 001246 Belarus 00375 Belgium 0032 Belize 00501 Benin 00229 Bermuda 001441 Bhutan 00975 Bolivia 00591 Bosnia 00387 Botswana 00267 Brazil 0055 Brunei 00673 Bulgaria 00359 Burkina 00226 Burundi 00257 Cambodia 00855 Cameroon 00237 Canada 001 Cape Verde 00238 Cayman Islands 001345 Central African 00236 Chad 00235 Chile 0056 China 0086 Colombia 0057 Comoros 00269 Congo 00242 Cook Islands 00682 Costa Rica 00506 Croatia 00385 Cuba 0053 Cyprus 00357 Cyprus (Northern) 0090392 Czech Republic 00420 Denmark 0045 Diego Garcia 00246 Djibouti 00253 Dominica 001767 Dominican Republic 001809 Ecuador 00593 Egypt 0020 El Salvador 00503 England (UK) 0044 Equatorial Guinea 00240 Eritrea 00291 Estonia 00372 Ethiopia 00251 Falkland Islands 00500 Faroe Islands 00298 Fiji 00679 Finland 00358 France 0033 French Guiana 00594 French Polynesia 00689 Gabon 00241 Gambia 00220 Georgia 00995 Germany 0049 Ghana 00233 Gibraltar 00350 Greece 0030 Greenland 00299 Grenada 001473 Guadeloupe 00590 Guam 001671 Guatemala 00502 Guinea 00224 Guyana 00592 Haiti 00509 Holland (Netherlands) 0031 Honduras 00504 Hong Kong 00852 Hungary 0036 Ibiza (Spain) 0034 Iceland 00354 India 0091 Indian Ocean 00873 Indonesia 0062

Iran 0098 Iraq 00964 Ireland 00353 Italy 0039 Ivory Coast 00225 Jamaica 001876 Japan 0081 Jordan 00962 Kazakhstan 007 Kenya 00254 Kiribati 00686 Kuwait 00965 Kyrgyzstan 00996 Laos 00856 Latvia 00371 Lebanon 00961 Liberia 00231 Libya 00218 Lithuania 00370 Luxembourg 00352 Macau 00853 Macedonia 00389 Madagascar 00261 Majorca 0034 Malawi 00265 Malaysia 0060 Maldives 00960 Mali 00223 Malta 00356 Marshall Islands 00692 Martinique 00596 Mauritania 00222 Mauritius 00230 Mayotte 00269 Mexico 0052 Micronesia 00691 Moldova 00373 Monaco 00377 Mongolia 00976 Montserrat 001664 Morocco 00212 Mozambique 00258 Myanmar (Burma) 0095 Namibia 00264 Nepal 00977 Netherlands (Holland) 0031 Netherlands Antilles 00599 New Caledonia 00687 New Zealand 0064 Nicaragua 00505 Nigar 00227 Nigeria 00234 Niue 00683 Norfolk Island 00672 Northern Ireland (UK) 0044 North Korea 00850 Norway 0047 Oman 00968 Pakistan 0092 Palau 00680 Panama 00507 Papua New Guinea 00675 Paraguay 00595 Peru 0051 Philippines 0063 Poland 0048 Portugal 00351 Puerto Rico 001787 Qatar 00974 Romania 0040 Russian Federation 007 Rwanda 00250 Saint Helena 00290 Saint Kitts 001869 Saint Lucia 001758 Saint Pierre 00508 Saint Vincent 001784 Samoa US 00684 Samoa West 00685 San Marino 00378 Sao Tone 00239 Saudi Arabia 00966 Scotland (UK) 0044 Senegal 00221 Seychelles 00284 Sierra Leone 00232 Singapore 0065 Slovakia 00421 Slovenia 00386 Solomon Islands 00677

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

lifestyle G o s s i p

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eidi Klum doesn’t have a “high maintenance” beauty regime.

While fans of the supermodel may expect her bathroom cabinet to be stocked with lots of luxury moisturizers and makeup, the German beauty reveals she prefers to use just a few triedand-tested products. She said: “I don’t like a lot of fuss. I look like I’m high maintenance, but if you look in my bathroom, I don’t have 10,000 products. “I’m very easy - if I like it and it works, I stick with it.”

The 40-year-old star also admits she isn’t concerned with having the most expensive beauty products and uses many budget-friendly items, including Clear Scalp shampoo and conditioner, Mario Badescu’s buttermilk moisturizer, and one of her absolute musthaves, Sally Hansen’s Airbrush Legs self-tanner. She told Us Weekly: “It works really well! I use it all the time. I apply it every time I when

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ohn Galliano is preparing for his first television interview since his infamous 2011 racism scandal. The designer was dismissed as creative director of Dior after he was seen hurling anti-Semitic abuse at customers in a Paris bar while intoxicated, but is now hoping to rebuild his fashion career and his reputation after months of silence. The hour-long interview with US talk show host Charlie Rose will be filmed today and the air date is yet to be confirmed. Liz Rosenberg, Galliano’s publicist told WWD: “Charlie Rose has a very close relationship with Oscar. Oscar had been talking to John about the possibility of doing an interview with Charlie. It seemed like a good platform for John to get his story across.” The interview was brokered by Oscar de la Renta, who is a close friend of Galianno’s and has openly supported him. The infamous designer broke his silence regarding the scandal in an interview with Vanity Fair last week. He said: “When everyone came over to tell me that I had done these terrible things, I was walking round and round and round not really knowing what had gone down. “My assistant told me about the video. When I saw it, I threw up. The feeling was like I was about to take a step out onto the street and a bus or truck whooshed past me and the blood was drained from my legs.”

I’m wearing something short.” As well as her beauty regime, Heidi credits her youthful looks to exercising on a daily basis. She previously explained: “My schedule is always really hectic so I try to incorporate exercise into my everyday routine as much as possible.

“Having been in the fashion industry for many years it is important for me to stay in shape, plus with my busy schedule it helps me to stay energised throughout the day. “And like any woman, I want to feel attractive and confident so I can wear hot dresses and heels and always be date night ready.”

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ennifer Aniston has built a chicken coop in her Bel Air mansion. The ‘Friends’ actress has reportedly poured over $6 million into remodelling the lavish Los Angeles home she purchased for herself and fiance Justin Theroux last year, and it seems the couple will move in a few feathered friends as Jennifer has installed a lavish hen house on the grounds. According to planning permission files obtained by RadarOnline.com, the couple have spared no expense on a chicken coop, which will be located behind their guest house and boasts a “luxurious wooden deck”. The 44-year-old beauty previously revealed her love of the farmyard animals. She said: “They’re very social animals and they like it when you visit them with a cup of coffee in your hand.

According to my groundskeeper, they love pasta.” Jennifer’s chicken house is just one of many glamorous features at the 8,500-square-foot home, which she paid a cool $21 million for in 2012. The mansion also has its own private vineyard, indoor gym, library, gourmet kitchen, a dining room overlooking an opulent outdoor water feature, and a master bedroom complete with its own walk-in closet and bathroom. Meanwhile, it was recently reported the ‘Horrible Actresses’ star was “freaking out” about her dream home not being compete in time for nuptials to Justin, 41, later this year as the couple had hoped to have their wedding take place at the palatial pad. A source said: “Jennifer is totally freaking out about the wedding. The ceremony is supposed to happen at the new house, but she is becoming more and more convinced that none of the preparations will be finished in time and the event will be a disaster. “It’s a total nightmare. There’s still tons to do, and the wedding is coming fast. They’ve put more than $6 million into remodelling, and it still isn’t done.”

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ormer ‘American Idol’ boss Nigel Lythgoe has hinted Simon Cowell should return to the show. Simon was one of the original panel members of the show when it launched in 2002, alongside Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul, but left to front rival show ‘The X Factor’ in 2011. Nigel told E! online: “That little team, Randy, Paula and Simon, again are the template for judges forever now.” When it was suggested that TV network Fox - who have seen ratings for the show drop in recent years, despite high profile celebrity judges including Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj - could lure the original judges back on the show Nigel said “maybe they should!” Nigel has recently been fired as Executive Producer of the show, and although he is not taking the decision personally, admits it hurt. He continued: “Of course, and I’m saddened from that point of view. I suppose both Ken [Warwick] and myself, we created the production that then went worldwide and certainly created the results show, which was never in anybody’s thoughts, until we came to America. “And it feels like that’s the template for many other reality shows now. So then to be asked to leave, it’s then like, ‘Oh wow.’”

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alvin Harris has bought a £4.5million home in California. The superstar DJ splashed out on a pricey love nest in Hollywood Hills last week, and has wasted no time in extending an open invitation to his new girlfriend Rita Ora, reportedly saying she is welcome “any time”. An insider told heat magazine: “[Rita]’s over in LA a lot for work, so they’ll be spending a lot of time together.” The four-bedroom modern build boasts a stunning infinity pool for the music producer to relax in before enjoying a barbecue feast cooked on his huge outdoor fire pit. The sleek abode also comes with its very own guest house, complete with two bedrooms and a cinema room - perfect for having Calvin’s Alist pals over to stay. The ‘Sweet Nothing’ hitmaker will be rubbing shoulders with new neighbors Halle Berry and Russell Brand. Calvin’s bold move into the property market comes after his 22-year-old girlfriend recently bought a new house for her parents, which she says has made her feel more grown up. Rita said last month: “I signed the contract to buy my mum and dad their first house yesterday, so now I’m officially a homeowner, like a proper adult.”

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randi Glanville has fired her assistant for losing her dog. The ‘Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ star is blaming her 23-year-old former associate after her beloved Chihuahua, Chica, was snatched from her home in Los Angeles during an alleged break-in last week, while she was in Palm Springs, California. The assistant - who has asked not to be named - told TMZ.com: “I no longer work for Brandi. She texted me [last Saturday] saying that I didn’t do my job by losing the dog.” The personal helper claims the 40-year-old star still owes her for two weeks work, totalling up to more than $1,000. However, Brandi seems unsympathetic towards her former worker, saying: “I did what I had to do. If I can’t trust her with my dogs, how can I trust her with my kids?” The blonde beauty - who has sons Mason, nine, and Jake, five, with her former husband Eddie Cibrian - has offered a generous $10,000 reward if her brown pooch is found, but in the meantime has welcomed a new dog named Chico into her home whilst the search for Chica continues. She wrote on Twitter on Sunday: “We have a new family member until Chica comes back to us. His name is Chico. (sic)”

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

lifestyle

Cambodian Buddhist monks bless flowers for two 10th century statues upon their arrival at Phnom Penh International Airport. — AFP

A head of a 10th century statue is seen in a box upon its arrival at Phnom Penh International Airport yesterday. — AP

Cambodia to welcome looted statues’ return from US

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wo 10th-century Cambodian stone statues displayed for nearly two decades at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art were being returned to their homeland yesterday in a high-profile case of allegedly looted artifacts. The voluntary repatriation of the paired “Kneeling Attendants” statues by one of America’s foremost cultural institutions is seen as setting a precedent for the restoration of artworks to their places of origin, from which they were often removed in hazy circumstances.

It comes as the Cambodian government is asking other museums to return similar objects. At the government’s request, US authorities have begun legal action against Sotheby’s auction house to try to force the handover of a contested piece. Cambodian officials and Buddhist monks have planned a welcome home ceremony for the life-size sandstone statues at the country’s international airport.

Culture Ministry official Hab Tuoch said the statues are important examples of Cambodia’s heritage and show the prosperity of the Angkor era, when Cambodian culture domi-

A worker packs pairs of shoes in boxes at the factory.

nated the region. They come from the Koh Ker temple in Siem Reap province, which is home to the famed Angkor Wat temples. Officials say they were stolen from the temple in the 1970s. The museum said the statues were given to the museum in pieces by different donors between 1987 and 1992.

The Metropolitan Museum announced in May it was returning the statues after researchers discovered new evidence indicating that they had been illegally exported under Cambodian law. “The museum is committed to applying rigorous provenance standards not only to new acquisitions, but to the study of works long in its collections in an ongoing effort to learn as much as possible about ownership history,” museum director Thomas P. Campbell said in a May 3 statement. “In returning the statues, the museum is acting to strengthen the good relationship it has long maintained with scholarly institutions and colleagues in Cambodia and to foster and celebrate continued cooperation and dialogue between us.”

A 1993 Cambodian law prohibited the removal of cultural artifacts without government permission. Pieces provably tak-

en after that date have stronger legal standing to compel their new owners abroad to return them. But there is also general agreement in the art world that pieces were acquired illegitimately if they were exported without clear and valid documentation after 1970 - the year of a United Nations cultural agreement targeting trafficking in illicit antiquities.

Largely due to the social and political disruptions of war, widespread looting of Cambodia’s ancient temples took place in the 1970s through the 1990s, with many items smuggled through Thailand. In April, the US attorney’s office in Manhattan filed court papers seeking to compel Sotheby’s to forfeit a 5-foot (1.5 meter)-tall sandstone statue so that it could be returned to Cambodia. US authorities acted at the request of Cambodia.

The statue came from the same Koh Ker temple as the Kneeling Attendants. It was consigned by a private collector to Sotheby’s in 2010, according to court papers. In February, Sotheby’s identified the seller as a European collector who purchased the work from a London dealer in 1975.

Drawings of moccasins prototypes are displayed on the desk of a technician at the workshop.

The sculpture of a mythical warrior in an elaborate headdress has been estimated by Sotheby’s to be worth $2 million to $3 million at auction. The statue is of “extraordinary value” to the Cambodian people and “a triumph of creativity and innovation,” papers filed by the U.S. attorney’s office said.

Sotheby’s has said it would defend against the action and disputed federal prosecutors’ allegation that the sculpture was illegally imported into the US. The statue was to be auctioned on March 24, 2011, but Sotheby’s voluntarily withdrew it from auction a day before the sale after a Cambodian official sent a letter asking it to do so. — AP

Snakeskins are displayed in a workshop.

Tod s shoes turns from Italy to C

ustom-made shoe moulds hanging in a sun-filled workshop are the secret behind the success of luxury Italian shoemaker Tod’s, which is flourishing despite a recession-hit economy. Harrison Ford, Princess Caroline of Monaco and Brad Pitt-as well as countless of the newly rich in places like Brazil and China-are among the wealthy foreign clients that are boosting sales. The craftsmanship and management may still be homegrown but the company-like many in the Italian luxury sector-has been forced to give up on its domestic market, at least for now.

Sales in Italy last year fell by 26.7 percent last year and went up by 55 percent in China. “Forget” about sales in Italy “for this year and a good few years after that,” the shoe maker’s dapper billionaire owner, Diego Della Valle, told shareholders at the latest annual meeting. Tod’s managed to ring in a net profit of 145.5 million euros ($188.6 million) last yeara 7.4-percent increase on 2011 — despite the context of austerity and recession at home, where the economy has now been shrinking for two years.

Sales were 963.1 million euros in 2012. Tod’s is headquartered in a minimalist complex surrounded by olive trees in the Marche region in central Italy. A father-and-son team, 51year-old Daniele and 21-year-old Matteo, are among the 900 workers at the plant. “It’s important to be able to pass on these skills,” Daniele said in one of the workshops, filled with the smell of glue and leather. The company, which employs a total of 3,000 people worldwide, was founded in 1978 and has become famous for its mocassins with rubber pebble soles.

It produces around 2.5 million pairs a year-retailing from around 300 euros ($397) each. “It’s like a bank here,” said Toni Ripani, 66, who manages the rich stock of leathers and skins,

A crocodile skin is checked in a workshop. as he handled two rare blue crocodile skins. Tod’s shoes are usually made with between 25 and 30 components, but that can range up to 70 for a particularly sophisticated model.

Each new model is tried out by two employees. One of them, 39-year-old Roberto, said that his working motto is: “Work with passion while paying attention to the details.”

Detail is something of an obsession at Tod’s-which has exactly 133 rubber pebbles on each sole, a signature touch for the group. The company had an underwhelming start. Its first collection was a flop but it gained fame after the flamboyant late boss of auto giant Fiat, Gianni Agnelli, wore a pair in a television interview. Its collections are now shown

on Milan’s catwalks. The headquarters looks more like an art gallery than a factory — 40,000 square meters (430,600 square feet) filled with paintings and designer furniture like a staircase by Israeli Ron Arad. On a more practical level, it has a gym and a creche. While its business model may be all about exports, the company is also looking for homegrown talent. It has a program offering 30 six-month apprenticeships for unemployed young Italians-a way of ensuring the future of the brand. — AFP

A worker sews moccasins.

Prada profits driven by love for leather

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Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli attends his fashion show on late evening on June 10, 2013, in the Montenegrin coastal town of Budva. — AFP

talian luxury fashion brand Prada posted a 13.5-percent growth in net income for the first quarter yesterday, driven by lively sales in leather goods which compensated for a slump in footwear. “In an international economic environment that remains extremely volatile and uncertain, the Prada Group has recorded another highly positive quarter,” Patrizio Bertelli, owner and chairman of the Prada brand, said in a statement.

The company said net profit rose from 127.1 million euros ($168.7 million) in the first quarter of 2012 to 138.2 million in the first quarter of 2013. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) amounted to 240.8 million euros, a 20.4-percent increase on a 12-month comparison, it said.

“Revenues from sales of leather goods again grew strongly with a 29 percent increase and reached almost 70 percent of consolidated net revenues for the quarter,” Prada said.

“Meanwhile, apparel and footwear, more exposed to the

wholesale channel, recorded revenue decreases of 5.1 percent and 12.2 percent respectively,” it said. The Asia Pacific market grew by 23.1 percent and the Americas increased 23 percent, while the European market remained broadly unchanged at 1.3 percent growth at constant exchange rates.

“In 2013, we will again concentrate on the international expansion of our retail network but without moving away from tight control over costs and working capital, also in order to safeguard our cash flow generation,” Bertelli said. — AFP

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

lifestyle M u s i c

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Handout pictures show dancers performing in the ballet ‘Les Noces’ by Stravinsky at the theatre stage in the city of Perm.

— AFP photos

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behind one of Russia’s best ballet schools that exists to this day.

Though Perm has fast risen to musical sublimity in Russia, its cultural future is uncertain. Currentzis was appointed in 2011 as part of a drive by the former Perm region governor Oleg Chirkunov known as the “Perm cultural revolution” to turn the city into an international cultural hub, drawing inspiration from Spain’s Bilbao. But since Chirkunov resigned in 2012, many of the city’s more ambitious projects for urban regeneration have fallen by the wayside under new governor Viktor Basargin, a former federal minister.

According to its general director Marc de Mauny, the theatre is now facing tricky and potentially fateful negotiations with the region for a budget in line with its ambitions. “The Perm ‘cultural revolution’ bubble more or less burst,” de Mauny told AFP. He said that while the theatre’s budget doubled after Currentzis arrived and it is seeking more funds from private sponsorship, “it is hard to produce what we want with what we have”. “The question is whether we will be able to maintain the level we have set in the first two seasons,” he said, revealing the theatre has had to cancel and postpone several planned new productions. But optimistic Currentzis, who likes to speak of his orchestra “working without a clock, without time”, is single-minded in his quest to bring his audiences a unique musical experience. “Work is work and life is life. For us, we do not have work. Music is our life,” he said. — AFP

n a provincial music institute a thousand kilometers from Moscow, deep in Russia’s Urals, a conductor and his orchestra rehearse as the spring light floods through the windows and the local trams rumble by. But despite the far-flung location in the city of Perm, these musicians are no provincial journeymen.

They are the Greek Teodor Currentzis, 41, one of the world’s mostly highly-regarded conductors, and his Musica Aeterna band of Russian and European musicians.

Their presence in a region known in Russia as a backwater complete with a notorious network of Soviet-era prison camps is part of one of the most audacious cultural projects in postSoviet Russia. “Think of a monster opening its jaws.

Graaaah!”Currentzis tells his orchestra as he explains a passage from Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring”, obsessively clicking his fingers and stamping his feet. With his shoulder-length hair and sporting a stud in his ear, Currentzis has the air more of a rock musician than a conductor. He inspires his musicians by referring to techno music, Russian folk dances-anything but musical theory. “I am here as I want to create a micro climate for real creation.

This is something that is very difficult to do in a capital city,” Currentzis told AFP in an interview during Perm’s recent annual Diaghilev festival which he lead.

Just two years after Currentzis arrived with his orchestra in 2011, the Perm Theatre picked up more nominations and prizes at Russia’s top Golden Mask arts awards in 2013 than either the Bolshoi or the Mariinsky in Saint Petersburg. Its biggest hits have included a new production of Mozart’s “Marriage of Figaro” and the ballet “Les Noces” by Stravinsky in the Russian premiere of the choreography by Jiri Kylian. “We have our own peace here.

We are not involved in the crazy life of the capital. We have time to create a handmade product and not a factory product,” Currentzis said. “I say to people in Moscow - if you want to listen to high quality music then you can come here to Perm.”

This CD cover image released by Eagle Rock Entertainment shows ‘Finding the Sacred Heart: Live in Philly 1986,’ by Dio. — AP photos

‘Rainbow Live in Munich 1977,’by Ronnie James Dio.

This CD cover image released by Niji Entertainment shows ‘Magica,’ by Dio.

hree years after his death, Ronnie James Dio remains one of heavy metal’s most popular and enduring vocalists, and the stream of posthumous album releases shows no signs of slowing. Three albums and two videos have been released in recent weeks, spanning his career from the frontman for Rainbow in the 1970s through his successful solo career.

“Rainbow Live In Munich 1977” (Eagle Rock) features a full concert from Rainbow at its best. Led by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, the band rips into the incendiary concert opener “Kill The King,” then settles into an extended groove on “Mistreated,” which features intricate and delicate interplay between Blackmore’s Fender Strat and Dio’s voice. “Catch The Rainbow” showcases Dio’s multi-octave range, quiet and tender here, and raw and rising there.

“Finding The Sacred Heart: Live in Philly 1986” (Eagle Rock)

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finds Dio, his post-Black Sabbath solo band, at the height of its popularity. The 1986 show at the Philadelphia Spectrum showcases Dio’s flair for showmanship, including his artful blending of hits into live medleys - “The Last In Line” segues into “Children Of the Sea” and “Holy Diver” before returning to the original track.

But it is his signature track, “Heaven And Hell,” recorded with Black Sabbath, that forever defines Dio as a singer and songwriter, with its vivid imagery, dramatic pacing and soaring vocals. Both those releases are available on CD, DVD and Blu-ray.

“Magica: Deluxe Edition” (Niji Entertainment) is a re-release of Dio’s 2000 concept album about a planet of wizards and magicians that was overrun by evil, requiring an epic battle to save the few remaining souls there. It’s one of his more obscure and poorer-selling albums, but it serves as a window into one of Dio’s true passions: The imaginative realms of fancy, particularly

medieval and other-worldly realms and of course, the eternal contrast and contest between good and evil that has marked all of Dio’s work from its earliest days.

The re-release includes a bonus disc of Dio narrating the story of “Magica,” some extra tracks elaborating on characters from it and previously unreleased live cuts from the “Magica” tour.

Other releases include a pair of albums put out in the months after Dio’s May 2010 death: “At Donington UK: Live 1983 & 1987” and “Neon Nights: 30 Year of Haven & Hell,” a live album from his final tour in 2009 with Black Sabbath. — AP

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Genre films, and especially horror films, work best as counterprogramming. “The Purge” offered something different than the superheroes and sequels that dominate the summer, but the market wouldn’t support a genre film every week. Contributing to the big debut for “The Purge” was pent-up demand on the part of horror fans. Nothing has been aimed their way since “Evil Dead” in early April.

Not everyone wants to make a horror film, which is the genre that most lends itself to commercial success-i.e. connecting with young adults-done on the cheap. You wouldn’t want to see a $3 million “Les Miserables.” Terror and fear are often intimate emotions, and can be portrayed with passion and intensity without a ton of special effects or exotic locales in horror movies. You can

make a terrific $2 million movie, and even earn critical acclaim and Oscar nominations like “Beasts of the Southern Wild” did last year, but still make just $12 million.Not every movie will have such a clear and high concept 12 hours of lawlessness - that is visceral, easily grasped and thought-provoking. You saw the effect of that with the massive social media “The Purge” generated in the last days prior to its release - much of it organic, rather than studio-driven.

Not everyone can assemble a marketable cast like Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey and Max Burkholder, and a director like James DeMonaco who are willing to work for scale in return for a cut of the back-end. With his incredible track record, “The Purge” producer Jason Blum certainly can. He turned the

ith the $3 million “The Purge” taking in $36 million - or 12 times its production budget - in its first three days at the box office, you may be wondering why every studio isn’t releasing micro-budgeted thrillers in hopes of hitting the box office jackpot. Swiping, er, re-spinning, great ideas is an art form in Hollywood, so why wouldn’t we expect to see a slew of similar projects soon. The short answer: It’s not that easy, or else everybody would be doing it. After all, movies with $3 million production budgets get made all the time - mainly art films - but broad box office success is rarely their goal and almost never their reality. Here’s a number of good reasons you won’t be seeing anything quite like “The Purge” at the box office anytime soon:

‘Beautiful things must be rare’ Currentzis rails against the modern classical music industry which he says is ruined by too many concerts, robotic musicians and political demands imposed by capitals. “Conductors destroyed musicians. And of course the conservatoires. Music is to do with the more metaphysical part of ourselves, not the technical, pragmatic side,” he said. He said there should be fewer concerts, but that they should be special. “I think the beautiful things must be rare. If the world was full of diamonds scattered around the street, nobody would pick up the diamonds.”

Currentzis describes himself and his musicians as “19th-century romantics”. Rather than any conductor, he instead cites his inspirations as the Greek 20th-century poet Miltos Sachtouris as well as TS Eliot and Ezra Pound.

Perm’s provinciality is something of a standing joke among Russians-in Chekhov’s play “Three Sisters”, the female protagonists spend most of their time yearning to get out of the region and go to Moscow. But its musical theatre traces its history back to the 1870s when it was built with donations from wealthy businessmen who included the grandfather of the great ballet impresario Sergei Diaghilev, who lived in Perm until his midteens. By a twist of fate, the Mariinsky (then known as Kirov) ballet company was evacuated to Perm from Saint Petersburg during World War II and spent four seasons in the city, leaving

usic City has snared another star: Ed Sheeran. The British singer-songwriter turned pop star says he moved to Nashville in February, settling just outside of town in a rural area. Sheeran said he wanted to live somewhere that incorporates a lot of music, has a lot of countryside and a relaxed atmosphere - and isn’t filled with rude people. “And Nashville is full of very, very nice people,” the 22-year-old said.

Always home to most of country music’s top stars, figures from the pop and rock world have also fallen for the city’s charms. Jack White and The Black Keys moved to Nashville in the last few years. Sheryl Crow calls it home now. And Sheeran can hang out with good friend Taylor Swift.

Like those artists, Sheeran feels comfortable walking the streets. Unlike Los Angeles and New York, Nashville doesn’t have paparazzi on the lookout for celebs, and most folks in town can have lunch in a public restaurant and be left alone. “I don’t think people really care in Nashville,” Sheeran said. “Even if they knew who you were, I don’t think they’d care. They’d just be like, ‘Eh.’” Sheeran said his new home reminds him of Framlingham, a rural area in England where he grew up before moving to London. And “The A Team” singer said settling in the US made sense, given his growing popularity here.

He recently performed at the Grammy Awards with Elton John, released a video with Swift for her song “Everything Has Changed” and was at the CMT Music Awards last week to introduce Lady Antebellum. “I love America,” Sheeran said on the CMT red carpet. “I’ve been here for a long time, though. So I’d like to get back to England at some point. I’ve been in America since early January 2012 mostly. I’d say 90 percent in America since January 2012. Long time.” — AP

File photo shows British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran at the 2013 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. — AP

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court in India remanded the boyfriend of the late Bollywood actress Jiah Khan in custody yesterday over accusations that his behavior had helped drive her to commit suicide. Suraj Pancholi, a 22-year-old aspiring actor, was brought before a court in Mumbai after police arrested him on Monday for “abetment to commit suicide”, a week after his girlfriend’s body was discovered at her home. Additional Police Commissioner Vishwas Nangre-Patil told AFP that the charge was based on the contents of a suicide note found at Khan’s Mumbai and from a statement by her mother.

Pancholi was remanded in custody by the court until June 13. Khan, who made her debut starring opposite acting legend Amitabh Bachchan, was found dead in an apparent suicide on June 3. The 25-year-old’s parents found a suicide note in her wallet which reports said contained details of her troubled relationship with Pancholi.

Khan, born in New York before moving to London and then Mumbai, made her Bollywood debut in 2007 with the controversial film “Nishabd” (No words), playing a teenager in love with her best friend’s much older father, played by Bachchan.

The movie won attention because of its provocative storyline and Khan was praised for her bold acting. Khan, who changed her name from Nafisa Khan, went on to star alongside actor Aamir Khan in “Ghajini”, a box-office hit.

India’s film industry reacted with shock and sadness to her death, with superstar Aamir Khan saying he was “deeply pained”. Pancholi has been taking acting lessons and was set to make his own film debut, having signed to feature in the Salman Khan movie “Hero”. He has previously worked as an assistant director. — AFP

Indian actor Suraj Pancholi, boyfriend of the late Bollywood film actress Jiah Khan, sits inside a police vehicle on his way to a court in Mumbai yesterday, on suspicion of abetting her suicide after her family found a letter in her room. — AFP

$15,000 found-footage film “Paranormal Activity” into one of the most profitable movies of all time when it took in $193 million in 2009. His Blumhouse Productions was also behind “Insidious,” which was made for $1.5 million and grossed $97 million worldwide in 2011, and 2012’s $3 million “Sinister,” which has brought in $77 million.Not every film will have the muscle and millions of Universal’s marketing team behind it.

They pushed all the right buttons and maxed out the impact of the creepy concept. —Reuters

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These film publicity images released by Warner Bros.

Pictures show Henry Cavill as Superman in ‘Man of Steel.’—AP photos

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t has been a black eye to Hollywood that throughout this, the unending and increasingly repetitive age of the superhero blockbuster, the comics’ most iconic son has eluded its grasp like a bird or, if you will, a plane. New hopes of boxoffice riches and franchise serials rests on Zac Snyder’s 3-D “Man of Steel,” the latest attempt to put Superman back into flight. But Snyder’s joyless film, laden as if composed of the stuff of its hero’s metallic nickname, has nothing soaring about it. Flying men in capes is grave business in Snyder’s solemn Superman. “Man of Steel,” an origin tale of the DC Comics hero, goes more than two hours before the slightest joke or smirk.

This is not your Superman of red tights, phone booth changes, or fortresses of solitude, but one of Christ imagery, Krypton politics and spaceships. Who would want to have fun at the movies anyway, when you could instead be taught a lesson about identity from a guy who can shoot laser beams out of his eyes? “Man of Steel” opens with the pains of childbirth, as Lara Lor-Van (Ayelet Zurer) and husband Jor-El (Russell Crowe) see the birth of Kal-El, the first naturally born child in years on Krypton. The planet - a giant bronze ball of pewter, as far as I can tell - is in apocalyptic tumult (the disaster film has gone intergalactic), and General Zod (Michael

Shannon) attempts to take over power, fighting in bulky costumes with Jor-El. His coup is thwarted (though not before killing Jor-El, who continues on in the film in an Obi-Wan-like presence), and he and his followers are locked away, frozen until Krypton’s implosion frees them. Baby Kal-El has been rocketed away with Krypton’s precious Codex, an energy-radiating skull. KalEl rockets to Earth, setting up not a Midwest reprieve to the lengthy Krypton fallout, but a flash-forward to more explosions. Our next glimpse of Kal-El is as a young adult Clark Kent (the beefy Brit Henry Cavill) aboard a fishing vessel on stormy seas, where he - shirtless and aflame - saves the crew of a burning oil rig.

At this point, your Codex may be spinning. Working from a script by “Blade” scribe David S. Goyer and a story by Goyer and “Dark Knight” director Christopher Nolan, Snyder has clearly sought to avoid some of the expected plotlines and rhythms of the familiar Superman tale. There’s a constant urge to push the story to greater scale - a desperate propulsion that will surely excite some fans but tire others. The film hops back and forth from Clark’s grown-up life and his Smallville, Kansas, upbringing with Jonathan (Kevin Costner) and Martha Kent (Diane Lane). Costner, back among the corn stalks, makes the

strongest impression of the cast as a severe father urging Kent to hide his gifts.

We’re meanwhile introduced to Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Lois Lane (Amy Adams), fresh off a stint embedded with the military for the Daily Planet. Adams, as she usually does, helps animate the film, as she plunges into a bulldog investigating of Clark and spars with her editor (Laurence Fishburne).

Snyder brings to the film a sure hand for overly dramatic compositions that take after comic strip panels. He has a clearly sincere reverence for the source material (originally created in 1938 by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster). He’s a filmmaker who, even with his last film, the abysmal “Sucker Punch,” seems to precisely make the movie he intended.

Eager fans will likely thrall to the film’s many overlong action set pieces, as Superman battles with Zod and his minions. There’s little creativity to the fight sequences, though, which plow across countless building facades. But Snyder doesn’t have the material or the inclination to make “Man of Steel” as thought-provoking as Nolan’s “Dark Knight” trilogy.

Superman wrestles with his allegiance to humans or his home planet, but the quandaries of a super powered man betwixt worlds doesn’t have any real resonance. The gravity that cloaks “Man of Steel” is merely an en vogue costume. While

Snyder has succeeded in turning out a Superman that isn’t silly (not a small feat) and will likely lay enough of a bedrock for further sequels, it’s a missed opportunity - particularly with a bright cast of Shannon, Adams and Lane - for a more fun-loving spirit.

Cavill’s performance is less memorable for his introspective brooding than for his six-pack (a fetish for Snyder, the director of “300”). He’s handsome and capable, but one can’t help missing Christopher Reeve’s twinkle. At least he smiled. The awkward acrobatics to modernize “Man of Steel” are most evident with its new explanation of Superman’s shield. The “S,” we are told, doesn’t stand for Superman, but is a Krypton glyph meaning hope. But if “S” doesn’t stand for “Superman,” “Man of Steel” is the one with the identity issues - not to mention a spelling problem. “Man of Steel,” a Warner Bros. release, is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence, action and destruction, and for some language. Running time: 144 minutes. Two stars out of four. — AP

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umford & Sons bassist Ted Dwane has a blood clot on his brain that will require surgery. The Grammy Award-winning folk-rock group postponed concerts yesterday in Dallastoday in The Woodlands in Texas and tomorrow in New Orleans. A statement on its website said there are no plans to postpone or cancel any other appearances on the current tour.

Mumford & Sons has a headlining gig Saturday at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, Tenn.

The statement says Dwane hasn’t felt well for a few days and went to the hospital Monday for emergency treatment. Scans revealed the blood clot on the surface of his brain, requiring surgery. The band is being assured that he will recover quickly. — AP

This June 7, 2013 file photo shows actress Anna Kendrick at an appearance at the ‘HeartRadio Theater in New York.

— AP photos

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hey say it’s not over till the fat lady sings - and that means Fat Amy isn’t ready to put down her microphone.

The movie “Pitch Perfect,” which was released in September and grossed $65 million domestically, is also a success on the music charts, where the film’s soundtrack has peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and has sold more than 713,961 units so far, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The film stars Rebel Wilson (Fat Amy) and Anna Kendrick (Beca) as members of the all-girl a cappella group, The Barden Bellas, who are battling other a cappella groups in a national competition.

Kendrick’s rendition of the folk-pop tune “Cups” is helping push the soundtrack to musical heights: The song has sold one million tracks and currently sits at No. 27 on the Hot 100 chart. “It’s totally surprising,” the perky, red-haired 27-year-old said. “I always figured soundtrack sales would be a part of a movie that has so much music in it ... but I had no idea we’d be into summer of the next year and people would still be talking about the album (and) buying the album.” The gold-selling “Pitch Perfect: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack” was released the week the film hit theaters. Kendrick, an Oscarnominated actress, was in New York last week to receive a

File photo shows actors Rebel Wilson, left, and Anna Kendrick, from the film “Pitch Perfect”, posing in West Hollywood, Calif.

platinum plaque for “Cups,” which is also a viral hit thanks to the cup routine she performed in the film, in the song’s music video - which has 17 million views - and others imitating it in their own videos and posts online.

“We were like, ‘OK, it’s a cute song. Let’s ask our audience what they think about it.’ And it was enormous. It was enormous,” said Sharon Dastur, program director for New York City’s top station, Z100 (100.3 FM), where the song is on rotation. “Cups” was originally just 76 seconds long, but Kendrick re-recorded a version that is just over 2 minutes and it appears on a second soundtrack from the film dubbed “More from Pitch Perfect,” which was released last week. “It wasn’t already planned,” said Mike Knobloch, the president of film music and publishing at Universal Pictures, of the new album. “There were just some things we couldn’t get cleared or include more for business reasons initially. Once we saw there was such a demand for it, we were able to go back and release more music from the film.”

The albums feature mash-ups and covers of songs like Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone,” Rihanna’s “S&M” and La Roux’s “Bulletproof.” The success of the soundtrack comes at a time when album sales are low and for soundtracks, gold and

File photo shows Ted Dwane of the English folk rock band Mumford & Sons, performing at the Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden, NJ. — AP

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anye West says his new album is all about giving. The multiplatinum rapper held a listening for “Yeezus” late Monday in New York City, where Beyonce was one of the few hundred attendees. West says his sixth effort will showcase his growth over the last two years and that “he had to learn about giving.” Adds West: “I feel like I know who I am.”

“Yeezus” is out June 18. It has a dark, moody vibe that expands beyond his last two solo efforts, 2010’s “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” and 2008’s “808s & Heartbreak.” It’s also a departure from his first three albums, which featured a plethora of radio hits. West turned 36 on Saturday. He and girlfriend Kim Kardashian are expecting their first child. — AP

platinum plaques are rare. “Universal was looking for partners and there were other companies that looked at this movie and passed on the soundtrack opportunity,” said Bruce Resnikoff, the president and CEO of Universal Music Enterprises, the label that released the soundtrack. “We were fortunate enough to have people who saw it and believed it.” Resnikoff said the reason for the soundtrack’s winning moment is because its audience includes teenagers who are constantly listening, streaming and buying music online.

“This was an album that was completely launched through a digital medium,” he said. “I do think some of the same things that have hurt the soundtrack business - the digital marketplace - were essential in creating the bigger opportunities here.” Harvey Mason Jr, the Grammy-winning producer and songwriter behind hits for Chris Brown and Beyonce, said music fans enjoy new renditions of popular songs, which is evident in the success of tunes from shows like “Glee,” “American Idol” and “The Voice.”—AP

Kanye West arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute gala benefit, celebrating Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada, in New York. — AP

ed Dawn” star Josh Peck is in talks to join Al- Pacino in Dan Fogelman’s directorial debut “Imagine,” TheWrap has learned. Based on a true story, “Imagine” finds Pacino playing an aging musician who is prompted by an old letter from John Lennon to give up his rockstar lifestyle and reconnect with the son (Bobby Cannavale) he has never met. The all-star supporting cast includes Jennifer Garner as Pacino’s daughter-in-law, Annette Bening as his love interest and Michael Caine as his longtime manager.

Peck is making a deal to play a hotel valet who Pacino encourages to go after the girl of his dreams. Denise DiNovi, who produced the Fogelman-scripted comedy “Crazy, Stupid, Love,” is producing with Jessie Nelson (“I Am Sam”) and Nimitt Mankad. Shivani Rawat will executive produce the film, which is designed to appeal to older audiences.

Mankad and Rawat’s Inimitable Pictures is independently financing “Imagine” through a film fund backed by 5-Hour Energy founder Manoj Bhargava. Production will begin in the coming weeks in Los Angeles. WME Global is repping US rights, while Mister Smith Entertainment is handling foreign sales. Peck has grown up since his breakout role on the hit Nickelodeon series “Drake & Josh.” In addition to voicing one of the animated leads in the “Ice Age” series, he starred in Jonathan Levine’s “The Wackness” and recently played Chris Hemsworth’s brother in “Red Dawn.” Peck will soon be seen in James Franco’s “Bukowski” and the dance movie “Battle of the Year” with Josh Holloway and Chris Brown. He’s repped by UTA. — Reuters

Cambodia to welcome looted statues’ return from US

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

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DJ Amelia ‘Foxtrot’ Raley doesn’t need computers, speakers or even electricity for her events. She uses two antique phonographs to turn back the clock with vintage tunes. — MCT photos

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melia “Foxtrot” Raley isn’t a typical Austin DJ. She has no laptop, speakers or need for an electrical outlet. Instead, Raley lugs two 1900s-era phonographs and a crate of vintage records to her gigs and literally cranks out the nostalgic tunes of yesteryear. At a recent Austin, Texas, Mini Maker Faire event, Raley’s old-timey DJ set lured a group of wide-eyed children around her booth. “This record player is more than 100 years old,” Raley told the curious faces. She hand-cranked the phonograph’s small lever like manually rolling down a car window and dropped a thick needle that landed in the grooves of her old 78 revolutions per minute record. Then, out of the phonograph’s big horn boomed the sweet 1917 tune “My Fox Trot Girl” by the era’s famous saxophone ensemble the Six Brown Brothers.

Some of the taller kids poked their small heads in the horn for an irresistible peek inside a machine unlike anything they’d seen before. “It’s louder than I thought,” one of them said. The shorter kids tiptoed just enough to stick their hands in the bell.

Almost immediately they smiled when they felt the vibrations of the music buzzing through their fingers. Raley launched the Austin Phonograph Company last summer after her friend Devaki Knowles suggested she DJ at her outdoor wedding ceremony. A fellow lover of all things vintage, Knowles threw a laid-back old-fashioned wedding and loved the idea of the atmospheric songs of the past as part of her big day. The park didn’t allow amplified music, so Raley’s no-electricity-required phonographs turned out to be a perfect solution.

Knowles, a photographer with Fun Loving Photos, met Raley through a monthly vintage party series that Raley helped organize at Swan Dive. “I knew she had great taste,” Knowles

said. “From the tablecloths she uses to the hairstyle she wears, it’s genuine and very Austin.” Guests were so receptive to the authentic phonograph idea that Raley decided to launch a business that’s now taken her across the Texas Hill Country for weddings and private events.

Raley doesn’t just look the part she lives a vintage-inspired lifestyle. Raley’s been fascinated with the 1920s and 30s since she was a teenager. One of the first things she did when she got an AOL dial-up Internet account was search for “flappers.”

Today, she owns Sweet Ritual, an old-fashioned ice cream parlor in Austin’s historic Hyde Park neighborhood. She enjoys researching and reading about the era, and signs her emails with “compiled by electric stenographer.” She has collected old valentines, sheet music and vintage clothes for years.

“It made sense to collect the music, too,” she says. “I’ve been enamored by these outside horn machines (another term for phonographs) for a while.” In 2008, Raley purchased her first phonograph. It was a reproduction, but it fueled her passion for the machines with its rich sound and elegant shape. Raley has owned a progression of phonographs throughout the years, even funding the purchase of one through a successful Kickstarter campaign. Most phonographs in good condition start at about $2,500. Raley plays two vintage 1902 and 1907 models and also owns a smaller one that’s built into a suitcase.

Raley purchased the two bigger phonographs through a dealer at the Marburger Farm Antique Show in Round Top, Texas.

At Raley’s DJ events, guests can listen to anything from 1920s hot jazz to Texas swing, with records spanning from 1915 to about 1938. Sometimes you can find Raley perusing the record selection at local shops or on eBay, and other times record collectors contact her. Unlike the 78s most people are familiar with, Raley’s 78s only play one song per side and are made out of shellac, so they weigh a little more than vinyl.

Thick, sharp needles last for one record before having to be tossed. That means Raley usually buys a couple thousand needles at a time on eBay. A small compartment on Raley’s phonograph stores old needles headed for the trash.

When she shows up as the live entertainment at a wedding or art gallery opening, she says regular DJs are often taken aback. “Oh, gosh, you’re the real deal,” she remembers one DJ saying. But Raley doesn’t call herself a DJ to other DJs. “No matter how many times people ask me, I still can’t scratch the record,” she says. Without the ability to mix, Raley says she has a little less creative input as far as the music she plays. She calls

what she does DJing so people can understand and relate, but she considers her live entertainment more of a performance.

As vintage-inspired television shows such as “Boardwalk Empire” and movies such as “The Great Gatsby” seep into popular culture, the music and the fashions of the early 1900s have become hip. But although the trend has helped Austinites embrace her hand-cranked phonographs, Raley says she’ll still be writing letters on her old typewriter and cranking the tunes on her 110-year-old phonograph long after it fades. — MCT

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etween pots of glue and scraps of cotton, Bahjat Majeed sits cross-legged in his tiny workshop, putting the final touches on a pair of handmade shoes traditionally crafted in his hometown of Halabja. The meticulously-crafted “klash”, which trace their roots back several hundred years, remain a key feature of Kurdish culture even as the threeprovince autonomous region in north Iraq has seen breakneck economic development. The shoes feature soles made of cotton fabrics and cow hide, and upper vamps that are made with knitted wool thread, and are usually worn by men on special occasions such as the Kurdish New Year celebrations of Nowruz.

“I have been doing this for 15 years,” Majeed, 34, says proudly. “I cannot think of a better job. I make a traditional symbol of Kurdish culture. This is wonderful.” Klash are made in one of three colors-white, red or blue-or some combination of the three, and do not differentiate between the left and right foot.

The shoes are known in particular for their sturdiness. They are produced by artisans in the town of Halabja, which lies in a mountainous region near the Iranian border and some 250 kilometers (155 miles) northeast of Baghdad.

The town, however, is sadly more famous as the site of what is thought to have been the worst ever gas attack targeting civilians. In March 1988, as Iraq’s eight-year war with Iran was coming to an end, Kurdish peshmerga rebels, with Tehran’s backing, took over the farming community of Halabja near the border with the Islamic republic. Now-executed dictator Saddam Hussein’s forces bombed the area, forcing the rebels to retreat into the surrounding hills, leaving their families behind. Iraqi jets then swooped over the small town and for five hours sprayed it with nerve agents.

Kurdish men sit on the ground as they make local-style shoes known as ‘Klash’ worn by men as part of their traditional garb, in the town of Halabja, 300 kms (190 miles) northeast of Baghdad. — AFP photos An estimated 5,000 people were killed, mostly women and children. But historically Halabja and the surrounding area have been known for the klash. And Majeed is an expert in making these handmade shoes. He deftly passes cotton threads between his toes before connecting them to small machines that wrap them together, helping form, in this case, what will become the sole of the shoe. A few metres from Majeed’s studio, Akram Mustafa tries to convince passing customers to pick up a new pair of klash, showcasing various varieties that sell for between 40,000 and 75,000 Iraqi dinars (between $33 and $62).

It was by chance that Mustafa became fascinated with the traditional Kurdish footwear, when he began selling them on

the side of the road while unemployed 16 years ago. Since then, his “love” for the shoes has constantly grown. “I love these shoes even though they do not bring in much money,” he says.

The klash originates from the Hawraman region of Kurdistan, a mountainous area that straddles western and northeast Iraq.

Residents of the area speak Hawrami, one of five Kurdish dialects. Agriculture forms the lion’s share of the local economy, and provides the raw materials for the klash. The footwear is believed-according to legend-to have first been worn by Zoroaster, the founder of the eponymous religion. And while modern-day Kurds typically reserve the klash for ceremonial occasions, shoemakers in Halabja say they also receive strong business from overseas, year-round.

“Throughout the year, we receive orders from abroad, or from Kurds who want to gift these shoes to their friends who live overseas,” says Abu Baqr, who runs a store selling klash in the town. And, he adds, the footwear also inspires feelings of Kurdish nationalism. “Some people here are proud that their shoes are made from imported material, but the klash is Kurdish and nothing else,” Abu Baqr says. “It is not an imitation.” — AFP