1st Jul 2013 by Kuwait Times

CR IP TI ON BS SU

MONDAY, JULY 1, 2013

Kuwait officials seek to allay fears of Indians

Europeans want answers over alleged US bugging

Move over Messi, here come the robots

Rosberg wins but tyre safety debate rages

NO: 15856

Egyptians flood streets to demand Morsi ouster

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www.kuwaittimes.net

SHAABAN 22, 1434 AH

President won’t quit, renews offer to amend constitution

CAIRO: An Egyptian protester waves the national flag as Egyptians gather in Tahrir Square during a demonstration against President Mohamed Morsi yesterday. — AP

Two petitions filed to cancel or defer polls By B Izzak KUWAIT: A petition was filed yesterday to the administrative court demanding that the July 27 election be called off, claiming the Cabinet is illegitimate because it does not have an elected member of the National Assembly, thus making all decisions by the government illegal. A second petition was filed yesterday demanding the election be frozen until Sept 18, when the constitutional court is scheduled to issue its explanation on the ruling it issued on June 16. The administrative court, whose rulings can be challenged, immediately set July 7 to look into the first petition filed by lawyer Adel Abdulhadi who

insisted that the election process will be illegal if it is held under the current scenario. Acting on behalf of a voter, Abdulhadi based his petition on a clause in the constitution stipulating that the Cabinet must include at least one elected member from the Assembly. There can be more than one. In the current Cabinet, Minister of Social Affairs and Labour Thekra AlRasheedi, who was elected to the Assembly on Dec 1, 2012, is the elected MP. But her membership was nullified after the constitutional court nullified the election because of a constitutional violation. Abdulhadi argued that accordingly there is no elected MP in the Cabinet, which makes illegal and Continued on Page 15

Max 48º Min 35º High Tide 05:48 & 18:16 Low Tide 12:20

CAIRO: Hundreds of thousands of Egyptians flooded into the streets on the first anniversary of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi’s inauguration yesterday to demand that he resign in the biggest challenge so far to rule by his Muslim Brotherhood. Waving national flags and chanting “Get out!”, a crowd of more than 200,000 massed on Cairo’s central Tahrir Square. It was the largest demonstration since the 2011 uprising that overthrew Morsi’s predecessor, Hosni Mubarak. “The people want the fall of the regime!” they shouted, echoing the Arab Spring rallying cry that brought down Mubarak - this time yelling it not against an ageing dictator but against the first elected leader in Egypt’s 5,000-year recorded history. While the main protests were peaceful, at least one Morsi supporter was shot dead and 37 people injured in fighting in the town of Beni Suef, south of Cairo, and dozens suffered gunshot wounds during an attack on a Muslim Brotherhood office in Housh Eissa, in the northern Nile Delta. The Brotherhood’s national headquarters in a Cairo suburb also came under attack from militants hurling petrol bombs and rocks and firing shotguns. The liberal opposition National Salvation Front coalition declared victory in what it styled “Revolutionary Communique No. 1” saying the masses had “confirmed the downfall of the regime of Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood”. Organisers called on demonstrators to continue to occupy central squares in every city until Morsi quits. The Tahrir Square crowd roared with approval as an army helicopter hovering overhead dropped Egyptian flags on the protesters. A military source said the move was intended to promote patriotism and was not a gesture of political support. Many demonstrators bellowed their anger at the Brotherhood, which they accuse of hijacking the revolution and using electoral victories to monopolise power and impose Islamic law. Others, including some who said they had voted for Morsi, have been alienated by a deepening economic crisis and worsening personal security, aggravated by a political deadlock over which he has presided. Even some Islamists have disavowed Morsi. Continued on Page 15

Gulf, EU call for Syria talks

MANAMA: High Representative of the European Union Catherine Ashton (front left and on screen) addresses foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council during a joint EU-GCC council meeting yesterday. Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah is seen at right. — AFP

Obama visits Mandela prison ROBBEN ISLAND, South Africa: US President Barack Obama was “deeply humbled” by a visit yesterday to the cell where a now critically ill Nelson Mandela spent years as a prisoner, as he urged a young generation of Africans to take up his hero’s mantle. The US leader lauded Mandela and other anti-apartheid inmates of Robben Island who “refused to yield” in the face of racist white minority rule, as he paid homage to the ailing icon he was unable to see in hospital. Obama, accompanied by his wife Michelle and young daughters Sasha and Malia, visited the bleak lime quarry where 34 anti-apartheid leaders - including Mandela - endured hours of backbreaking work on the rocky outcrop in the Atlantic Ocean. After staring out the barred window of the small damp cell where Mandela spent two thirds of his 27 years in prison, and contracted tuberculosis, Obama took a few minutes to write a note in the visitors book. “On behalf of ROBBEN ISLAND, South Africa: US President Barack Obama our family we’re deeply humbled to stand looks out the window yesterday from the cell where anti- where men of such courage faced down injusapartheid legend Nelson Mandela was once jailed on Robben tice and refused to yield,” he wrote. Continued on Page 15 Island. — AFP

DUBAI: Gulf Arab nations and the European Union pledged yesterday to pool their efforts to help convene a peace conference on Syria, as they wrapped up a oneday ministerial meeting in Bahrain. The gathering attended by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and the foreign ministers of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council also called on Shiite Iran to play “a constructive role” in the Sunni-dominated region. The ministers “reiterated the utmost urgency of finding a political settlement of the Syrian conflict,” said a statement issued at the end of the meeting. They also pledged to “spare no effort in helping to create the appropriate conditions for a successful convening of the peace conference on Syria” which Russia and the United States have been striving to hold in Geneva. The GCC and the EU also took a swipe at Lebanon’s Shiite militant movement Hezbollah which backs the Damascus regime in the 27-month conflict and “condemned” its role “in military operations in Syria”. The statement, however, made no mention of demands by Syria’s armed opposition for weapons to topple the regime of President Bashar Al-Assad. But Saudi Arabia, a key backer of the Syrian opposition along with fellow GCC powerbroker Qatar, insisted the European Union should “immediately” arm the insurgents. Continued on Page 15

Rolling Stones rock Glastonbury PILTON, United Kingdom: The Rolling Stones showed they’ve still got it as they finally took to the stage at Glastonbury with an electric performance that organisers said was the highlight of the British festival’s history. Frontman Mick Jagger, wearing a glittering green jacket, bounded onto the Pyramid Stage on Saturday night with the energy and enthusiasm of a man half his age. “This is great. I want to tell you something - it’s great to be doing this show, doing this festival. You all look amazing,” the 69-yearold told the cheering crowd. He then jokingly added: “After all these years, they finally got around to asking us. Thank you Michael.” He was referring to Michael Eavis, the organiser of Glastonbury who is thought to have been trying to arrange the Stones to play for years. But they have said it never fit with their schedule. Eavis said their

GLASTONBURY, England: Mick Jagger (center) Ronnie Wood (left) Charlie Watts (rear on drums) and Keith Richards of British band the Rolling Stones per form on the Pyramid main stage of the Glastonbury Festival. — AP performance was “the high spot of deliver.” Jagger acknowledged that 43 years of Glastonbury”, telling most of the young audience, which the BBC: “They ﬁnally did it, and it reportedly included 28-year-old was fantastic. My God, did they Continued on Page 15

MONDAY, JULY 1, 2013

LOCAL

Tribes launch preparations to promote candidates 43 candidates submit papers

Abdulaziz Abdullah Al-Duwaish

Abdullatif Abbas Munawer

Saud Al-Ajmi

Hmoud Mubark Al-Azmi

KUWAIT: Fourty three candidates submitted their candidacy papers to the General Department for Elections Affairs at the Ministry of Interior on the fourth day of candidacy registration for the upcoming 14th parliamentary elections, slated for July 27. The candidates are distributed as follows: five candidates for the first constituency; four in the second constituency; seven for the third constituency; 11 in the fourth constituency; and eight for the fifth constituency. Under Kuwait’s electoral laws, parliament hopefuls have ten days to sign up their names for the elections. Kuwait has 435,000 eligible voters who elect a 50-member parliament for a four-year term. Meanwhile, local dailies have started speculating about the tribes’ preparations towards securing the victory of as many tribal candidates as possible in the parliamentary elections scheduled for July 29. According to sources quoted by Al-Rai yesterday, several tribes have started adopting new tactics, following the holding of consultative gatherings, in which each tribe elected three to four candidates to represent the entire tribe, thereby effectively increasing its chances of being represented at the parliament. While a similar scenario was seen in previous elections, the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, indicated that new tactics this time would take into account the geographic distribution of tribe members, so

Jazaa Saad Al-Rajhi as to allow tribesmen to vote for a candidate living in their respective areas. “For example, a citizen living in Fahaheel (fifth constituency) votes for a candidate who lives in the same area and represents the voter’s tribe,” the sources explained. This scenario has been considered very similar to that of more than two decades ago, when an electoral system divided Kuwait into 25 constituencies, heavily improving the election chances of tribal candidates. Meanwhile, Al-Qabas quoted first constituency observers weighing up the chances of Awazem securing one of the constituency’s 10 seats, especially given the tribe’s chief,

Saif Mutlaq Al-Azmi Falah bin Jame’a, was clear about not participating in the by-elections. “At least 10 Awazem candidates are expected to be nominated, which hurts each of their chances when the tribesmen’s votes are scattered”, said the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity as well. They estimated the number of Awazem votes at 7,000, saying that it was enough to guarantee the win of at least two candidates in a constituency that has an average success rate of 2,500 votes. In other news, National Islamic Alliance member Ahmad Lari announced that the Shiite group plans to nominate a member for the deputy speaker’s post if elected, but he

Sanad Naser Al-Srai’a Turki Falah Al-Azmi refused to comment on the possibility of bro- the democratic climate and freedom enjoyed kering a deal involving NIA support to a candi- by the Kuwaiti society, saying that they are date for speaker’s post in exchange of sup- done in fairness and transparency. He called on everyone to adhere to civilized porting their own candidate for the deputy manner during the election, pointing to the speaker. Meanwhile, Undersecretary of the Ministry ministry’s readiness to receive any observaof Interior Lieutenant General Ghazi Al-Omar tions and deal with them seriously. He added that the ministry’s officials are said here that the ministry and its officials would continue to follow up preparations of keen to provide all the services and harness all the electoral process ahead of the National the ministry’s potential for the male and Assembly elections scheduled to be held on female candidates. He pointed out that the goal of the ministry July 27. Al-Omar said during his tour of the elec- is to complete all stages of the electoral tions affairs department of the ministry today process fully and in a civilized manner. that the National Assembly elections reflect

Govt hiring suspended pending elections KUWAIT: Hiring in the public sector has been currently put on hold pending parliamentary elections scheduled for July 29, a local daily reported yesterday, quoting a Civil Ser vice Commission insider. The move was made in an effort to avoid speculations that certain appointments were being made in favor of certain candidates or that there were illegal interventions during the hiring process, said the source who spoke to Al-Rai on the condition of anonymity. The source indicated that the cabinet will discuss during its weekly meeting the requests submitted by a

KUWAIT: The Asian drug trader pictured after his arrest.

Asian held for drug trade By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: Drug enforcement agents arrested an Asian expat for possessing 1.25 kg of heroin. Earlier, information was received about the expat being involved in the drug trade. Immediately, necessary queries were made and the man was kept under constant surveillance. Once the tip off was verified and legal steps were taken, he was approached by an undercover agent who negotiated a deal to purchase 3 grams of heroin from him. Just when the expat was delivering the contraband, he was caught along with some money which he confessed was proceeds from the drug trade. He further confessed to possessing more contraband which was at his home. A police’s search of the house led to the discovery of 1.25 kilogram of Heroin. The suspect and the drugs were sent to the concerned authorities.

number of ministries to fill vacant senior posts, but added that a final decision on the matter will likely be taken after the elections. Senior officials in the public sector, including undersecretaries, supervisors and heads of departments with at least 30 years of experience, had until yesterday (Sunday) to file for retirement and benefit from additional financial privileges, provided as incentives to encourage long-serving officials to retire. Meanwhile, Al-Qabas reported yesterday that Assistant Undersecretary for Organizations and Intellectual Property Affairs of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry

Tawfiq Al-Zayed had filed for retirement last week, after 34 years of service. His decision, confirmed by “senior MCI sources” quoted in the report, means that Al-Zayed is the second top ministry official to retire before the June 30 deadline, after Undersecretary Assistant for Financial and Administrative Affairs Jamal AlShaya. The sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity, indicated that minister Anas Al-Saleh is likely to avoid appointing replacements for the outgoing undersecretaries before the cabinet submits its resignation, as a customary step after the parliamentary elections.

Kuwait, India discuss bilateral relations NEW DELHI: Kuwait’s Ambassador to India Sami Mohammed Al-Sulaiman met here yesterday with Indian Planning Commission Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and discussed economic and trade relations between the two countries. Ahluwalia is scheduled for three-day official visit to Kuwait, starting from today, along with an accompanying economic and trade delegation, during which he is to meet with prominent figures from the Kuwaiti leadership and government, Kuwait embassy said in a statement. His delegation includes senior officials from Ministry of Commerce and Industry of India, the Reserve Bank of India, Investment Management and the Finance Ministry, and state-owned companies. “India looks forward to the possibility to attract Kuwaiti capital, governmental, and private investment in Kuwait, and attract Kuwaitis to India, “ the statement said. Trade volume between Kuwait and India amounts to USD 17 billion as India is the second largest importer of oil in Kuwait. Kuwait is also home to around 650 thousand Indian working in almost all fields. — KUNA

Filipina team arrives in Kuwait to probe sex trade KUWAIT: The all-female investigating team formed by the Philippines Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to probe the alleged “sex-for-flight” scheme as exposed by Rep. Walden Bello, has arrived in Kuwait. The team, composed of DOLE’s Atty. Leah Fortuna, Atty. Rosemarie Duquez of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, and Atty. Edna Yasay of the Department of Foreign Affairs, was welcomed by Kuwait labor attache David Des Dicang, assistant labor attache Florencia Ardivilla and welfare officer Norlita Lugto. They will gather evidence on the allegation that a contractual staff of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office offered distressed OFWs return tickets to the Philippines in exchange for sex. Although Fortuna declined to issue any statement, the three-member panel will immediately get down to business in Kuwait. After Kuwait, the team will fly to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on July 3 to also gather information based on the sexual harassment complaints of three OFWs against assistant labor attache Antonio Villafuerte.

Jaber Ahmad Nouri

News

in brief

Plan to fight graft KUWAIT: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry, represented by Trade Control Department, has prepared an integrated plan for the next five seasons aiming at controling sales outlets in the Kuwaiti market to prevent graft. Assistant Undersecretary for Consumer Affairs at the ministry Abdullah AlAnzi said that emergency teams have actually kicked off the campaign ahead of the holy month of Ramadan. Al-Anzi added that the plan will cover the travel season, the holy month of Ramadan, Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha, end of the holiday and back to school seasons, explaining that these seasons require careful and intense follow-up and monitoring of shops that take advantage of some opportunities for graft. Crescent sighting committee KUWAIT: Minister of Justice and Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Shareeda Al-Muosherji issued a decision yesterday reforming the Ramadan Crescent Sighting Committee. The committee is headed by advisor Yousef Jassim Al-Mutawo’a, deputy president of the court of cassation and membership of Advisers Ishaq Al-Kandari, Meshal Al-Jeraiwei and Adnan Al-Tabtabai. Kuwaiti charity works CAIRO: The Kuwait office for charitable pojects continues its charity works for the 26th consecutive year by holding breakfasting banquets (iftar) on the occasion of the upcoming holy month of Ramadan. The banquets will cover various governorates of Egypt in order to achieve harmony, compassion, communication and social solidarity among the members of the Muslim community. Director of the Kuwaiti office here Ismail Abdullah Al-Kandari told KUNA that the iftar banquets initiative comes within the charitable activities of the Office which is keen to implement during the holy month of Ramadan every year. He added that these iftar banquets are donated by the Kuwaiti Zakat House in addition to Kuwaiti donors.

18 tons of expired food confiscated By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: As per instructions of the General Director of Municipality Eng. Ahmad AlSubaih directing that a focus be kept on the food stores and markets with the advent of

the month of Ramadan, municipality inspectors discovered 18 tons of rice, corn, olives, pickles, ghee and Indian readymade meals, all past their use-by date. The unhygienic food was found in one of the food stores in Sulaibia, director of

imported food stuff items Eng. Istiqlal AlMeslem said. He said municipality inspectors discovered this food stuff in Sulaibia during an inspection campaign. She pointed out that laborers in the store emptied the bags of

rice which proved that these were past their expiry date. The laborers had heaped the rice on a carpet on the ground and were repacking the same in new bags that carried a still valid date. Fans were kept on to keep the insects away.

An emergency team from the Jahra Municipality was called, and it carried out the legal formalities. She said our aim was to protect the consumers from being cheated, and implement the law against the violators.

MONDAY, JULY 1, 2013

LOCAL

281 law violators apprehended in Ahmadi Governorate KUWAIT: The General department for Immigration Investigation in the Ministry of the Interior has apprehended 281 people who are violating the residency law in the country, in a crackdown carried out in the area of Manqaf in Ahmadi Governorate. The Interior Ministry said in a press statement yesterday that this campaign comes as part of several planned campaigns to eliminate all negative phenomena related to violating residency laws. The statement added that the campaign has been carried out under the supervision and guidance of the Interior Ministry’s Assistant Undersecretary for Nationality and Passports Affairs, Maj Gen Sheikh Faisal Al-Nawaf Al-Sabah, who stresses the need

to apply the law to everyone, without exception, to reduce irregularities whatsoever for public interest. It pointed out that the campaign was carried out on the domestic ser vants offices in the governorates of Hawalli, Farwaniya and Ahmadi with the participation of the Department of Public Relations and Moral Guidance as well as Security Media Department. The statement stressed the ministry’s keenness to move forward in launching campaigns to confront security violators of the laws and suspects and rid the society of all forms of crime in accordance with the plans and programs designed to preserve the security and stability of society. —KUNA

KUWAIT: Gen Najib Al-Shatti (third from right) addresses the Indian community members at the Indian Embassy yesterday. (From left to right) B Upadhyay, Gen Talal Marafie, Ambassador Satish C Mehta, Col Adel Hashash (second from right) and Vinod Kumar were also present during the meeting. —Photo by Sajeev K Peter

Kuwait officials seek to allay fears of Indians ‘Traffic rules violators to be deported’ By Sajeev K Peter

from Kuwait over the last few months.

KUWAIT: The officials of the ministry of Interior yesterday addressed the concerns of Indian expatriates in Kuwait over the ongoing crackdown stating that legal residents have no reason to fear. However, the officials ruled out any leniency towards traffic rules violators who will be deported in order to ensure the safety and security of the motorists in the country. Addressing a meeting of the Indian community members convened by the Indian Embassy here yesterday, Assistant Undersecretary Brig Gen Talal Marafie, Assistant Director General, Immigration Investigation Brig Gen Najib AlShatti and Director Public Relations MoI Col Adel Hashash sought to clear many doubts and dispel rumors surrounding the crackdown and the way the raids have been conducted by many police officials. Indian Ambassador Satish C Mehta in his opening remarks said that he is keeping the Indian authorities, especially the External Affairs ministry, briefed on the campaign that has created panic among the expatriates in the country who feel that many of them have been deported on petty or untenable grounds. Ironically, Indian Overseas Minister Vayalar Ravi drew sharp criticism from home and abroad when he made a statement last week that ‘all is well with the Indians in Kuwait.’ India’s External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, however, qualified Ravi’s statement by adding that more than 3,600 Indians have been deported

Instructions Gen Al-Shatti, responding to a query, said clear instructions have been given to all police stations that actions should be initiated against people only after verifying their papers and legal status. He also urged people to carry Civil IDs or valid document to prove their legitimacy when they go out. “There have been some confusion initially regarding the identification of people with valid residency due to the large number of Indians here. There are more than 600,000 Indians in Kuwait majority of whom are working under the Article 18 and 20 ,” Gen Marafie said. “If a person who works under the Article 18 visa and has a dispute with his sponsor, he can approach the Social Affairs Ministry and obtain a temporary visa under the Article 14 until the matter is settled,” Gen Marafie explained. Similarly, domestic workers who have visas under the Article 20 can approach the Domestic Workers Department in the ministry of Interior and obtain a temporary visa until their issues with their sponsors are sorted out, he explained. Col Hashash explained that the ministry is determined on enforcing traffic rules in the country and rid the country of traffic violators by initiating measures such as cancellation of driving licenses and deportation. “Instances of jumping red signals, over-speeding, carrying passengers illegally and driving under the influence of alcohol will be dealt with severely and the violators will be deported,”he clarified. However, people can travel with their family friends and relatives as long as they can establish that they

FM reiterates Kuwait’s support to Iraq sovereignty, stability MANAMA: Kuwait’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah underscored Kuwait’s respect to Iraq and support to its sovereignty and stability. In his speech at the 23rd session of the Gulf Cooperation Council-European Union (GCC-EU) Ministerial Council, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled reiterated Kuwait’s opposition to any attempt to divide Iraq. He urged Iraqis of all political hues and sects to resort to dialogue to iron differences and to retain national unity and stability. Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled also voiced Kuwait’s strong condemnation of bombing attacks that target innocent people and government institutions across Iraq. He shed lights on the recently-reached agreements with Iraq to resolve the outstanding issues, mainly the maintenance of border markers, the return of seized Kuwaiti government archive and properties as well as the return of

Kuwaiti prisoners of war and missing persons. The Kuwaiti top diplomat citied as a clear example of the development in bilateral relations with Iraq, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak AlHamad Al-Sabah’s recent visit to Baghdad which was crowned with hammering out several agreements and memos of understanding for cultural, transport, diplomatic, education and environment cooperation. For her part, Kuwait Ambassador to Brussels Nabilah AlMullah said that Kuwait was keen on referring to the development in relations with Iraq in the final statement of the meeting. She added that the meeting tackled the political developments in Iraq, Syria and different Middle Eastern countries as well as a number of issues relative to GCC-EU economic cooperation. Later, Sheikh Sabah and his accompanying delegation departed Manama after the conclusion of the GCC-EU meeting. —KUNA

Kuwait holds small projects seminar

KUWAIT: Under the supervision of Assistant Undersecretary Lt Gen Mohammad Al-Yousuf AlSabah, and in the presence of Capt Ali Haider Arab and sailor Nawaf Al-Safi, Coast Guards personnel helped tow a yacht that was stuck amid the rocks on Kobbar Island. Earlier, a citizen had called for help to rescue his yacht from the rocks. The man was rescued in the operation. Security media called upon visitors to the sea to remain careful, especially in the rocky areas, and not to go too close to avoid such accidents.

KUWAIT: The Kuwait Small and Medium Enterprises Forum (KSMEF), a non-unionist association that provides support to developmental efforts, especially those related to small and medium projects, announced it will be hosting its second specialized seminar today titled ‘Creative youth: the basis for small and medium enterprises success’. The event is being organized in cooperation with the Arab Planning Institute (API) and under the patronage of Minister of Commerce and Industry Mr. Anas Al-Saleh. In a statement released yesterday, the KSMEF reiterated the importance of support given to innovative ambitions of young men and women in Kuwait, and acknowledged HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah’s continuous support in this regard. Moreover, the KSMEF pointed out that experts have been invited from different countries to share their experiences that would serve as an example for the ambitious youth.

don’t charge money for the transport, he clarified while answering a question. Raids on residences Addressing another concern of the community regarding the police raids on residences of people during late night or early morning hours, Gen Al-Shatti clarified that no policeman is permitted to enter a residence without a search warrant issued by the prosecution. “Police have conducted raids in certain buildings on specific information that illegal activities were going on there,” he added. He also added that residents can ask for the identity cards of the officers in order to ensure the authenticity of them. Several instances have been reported that imposters posing as MoI officials have duped people, stealing money and valuables. Gen Al-Shatti said is no instruction has been issued to police officials to confiscate smartphones of expatriates with internet applications such as Viber, Skype or WhatsApp on them. However, he warned people against using mobile phones while driving. Gen Al-Shatti said he is happy to see that Indians in Kuwait are largely law-abiding and hardworking. “But, we don’t want any illegal residents in the country. The law is equal to all. The ministry has taken legal action against 260 Kuwaitis in 2012 for engaging in visa trading and other illegal activities. Similarly 86 companies have been blacklisted for forging visas last year,” he informed. Col Hashash said they were happy to meet the Indian community members and dispel some of their doubts regarding the ongoing crackdown. The embassy consular B Upadhyay and First Secretary Vinodkumar were also present during the meeting.

MONDAY, JULY 1, 2013

LOCAL

In my view

Morsi’s loss not gain for opposition

Stabilize our labor market

By Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed

By Labeed Abdal

labeed@kuwaittimes.net

here is no need to unnecessarily waste more time on an illness that can be cured with the right medicine. It has become a matter of deep concern to see the various developments happening in the labor market without any clear policy formulation. Opting for the big idea to transform Kuwait into a financial and commercial hub in the region shows that we have taken a wrong exit from the highway. Any country’s development planning should be meant for improving the lot of people living there, as also enhancing the quality of their life along with ensuring that they all have ever more guarantees of peaceful coexistence. For those who have made it good, we wish them well, but we must not forget those who are here to earn their livelihoods, and must share the fruits of economic development with them too. If we are looking towards ushering in some tangible progress for all of Kuwait, then are we not ignoring something? Do you not think that we need to go easy on the foreigners? After all, they also exercised their options to come here, and what is more, Kuwait needs them. It hardly adds to Kuwait’s image that some people here are being accused of human trafficking because they allow foreign workers to enter the country through the visa traders and then the government pushes them out. This will only add to the hordes of illegal immigrants since the same traffickers will bring in more such expats. It all means that we must immediately pull ourselves out of this predicament by cancelling the sponsorship system and instead opt for stabilizing the labor market. Any plans about reducing or increasing the number of workers must be drawn on the basis of a 20 year outlook for future and these should guarantee their rights before, during and after their stay. The notions of human rights, equality before law and human dignity must top our planning if we do not want Kuwait to be seen at the bottom of human rights index internationally.

kuwait digest

The goals of opposition By Dr. Wael Al-Hasawi

tried analyzing the opposition’s point of view in an attempt to understand the differences between them and other political groups which have decided to take part in the upcoming elections. After all, having a certain opinion is not a reason to ignore or ridicule other opinions, but instead it should serve as a motivation to respect different opinions even if we are not convinced by them. I was under the impression that the reason behind the opposition’s rejection of the single-vote decree was the claim that it was unconstitutional, and therefore I thought the Constitutional Court’s ruling would end this debate. However, it turned out that the dispute is a lot deeper than it looked. In an official statement announcing the decision to boycott the upcoming elections, that was signed by 28 of its members, the opposition explained several reasons that prevented it from taking part in what it described as ‘sham elections’. Some of these were: First: The statement indicated that the Constitutional Court ruling on June 16, 2013 came in violation of several constitutional, legal and democratic principles. It further abolished many of the guarantees mentioned in article 71 of the constitution, subsequently giving the government legislative authority during the parliament’s absence, including the authority to make legislations that organize the work of the judicial and legislative authorities.

Second: The statement indicated that the ruling overrode several political facts and democratic principles which included suggesting that the single-vote system has been adopted in many democracies around the world while ignoring its role in increasing social disintegration. Third: The statement pointed out that the political and constitutional crisis in Kuwait was caused by the government’s lack of faith in people’s participation in power as per the Kuwaiti Constitution. Fourth: The statement identified the ongoing events in Kuwait as ‘governmental tampering and attempts to provide legitimacy to these actions.’ It further stated that the upcoming parliament was likely to be “disintegrated” and “lacking the capability to achieve development and reforms.” Fifth: The statement called for an integrated project for constitutional and political reform to fight the forces of corruption, stop the approach of autocracy and boost public participation in power. I do agree with some of the things that the opposition said, especially with regards to the government’s policy of attempting to dilute the parliament’s authority. However, is the current approach of the opposition going to end the government’s move and achieve the goals that the oppositionists seek? Can decades of corruption be ended by a negative political movement? — Al-Rai

kuwait digest kuwait digest

Silk City project By Thaar Al-Rashidi

he governments always make grand promises and the latest of these is the promise about the Silk City which will cost a quarter of a trillion dollar and which it said will be finalized within the next five years. This promise comes notwithstanding the fact that earlier experiences, realistic estimates and the fate of previously promised mega projects belie the government’s claims. Right now, neither the economic infrastructure nor the production capacity is in place to carry such a huge project, nor are the human resources available to execute such a mammoth project in such a short time span. A more important aspect is that while the legislation could be available, the sheer documentation and the myriad complexities of bureaucratic work could well turn out to be the biggest obstacle in executing such a project. The funny part in the entire episode is that the government says it is still waiting for the project to be approved by the next National Assembly Council. In other words, the government is indirectly making a confession that the July 2013 Council deserves the title of being “One-fourth Trillion Dollar Council.” Everyone hopes that such a project is realized, and clearly it would be the largest construction project in the Gulf region. Everyone wants that it be executed within a period of five years. I swear to God that everyone wishes that this dream comes true. But there is a political constraint and it is a pretty realistic one, that the shape of the July 2013 Council may not enable it to pass such a mega project because it may lack the kind of qualification required, particularly since some of the important political groups would not even have participated in the elections. There is no doubting the government’s intentions but, to cite an example, more than ten governments failed to build a University City in ten years. Based on that experience, the government may not be equipped at all to start a trillion dollar project. Another living proof is the fact that in case of the multi-billion dollar growth plan, the government failed to achieve even 1/8th of it in four years and is now talking about executing a trillion dollar project in five years. The country does not have the ability to enable a government to start building castles in the air, unless we want to wake up after five years that all of it was a nightmare, or to see perhaps two or three fires as happened in the case of Sabah Al-Ahmad University City. NOTE1: Fighting corruption, for which the government proclaims it is carrying a banner, should happen first before it thinks of starting this trillion dollar project. NOTE2: A project like this should be handed over totally to the private sector, and the government should only pass an enabling legislation to facilitate building a new Kuwait. —Al-Anbaa

Amusement park or city? By Dr. Ghanim Al-Najjar

n old friend once told me that when he was a minister, the Cabinet issued a decision but soon realized that the very same decision had already been issued a month earlier and, for some reason or another, it had forgotten about it. Just like that, the court ordered dissolution of two parliaments in less than a year because administrative mistakes can only indicate absolute failure when it comes to run the affairs of the state and apathy about the possible consequences. . Such a culture of collective apathy seems to dominate our political community and the government decision making mechanism. The so-called opposition is no exception. It is clearly visible that none of our politicians seems to err, simply because none of them takes responsibility for anything. They all right pose as being always right; they are all Angeles and there seem no demons among them. None of them displayed a virtue by apologizing for the damage already done or for being even a part of it. Is the problem about a citizen having one or four votes? Is it all about the Constitutional Court’s ruling? Is it only the question of details at a time when the real problem lies with the stability of our democratic practices being in tune with sound democratic basis,

and which the powers that be have been rejecting and hindering by all means? The real tragedy is that since February 2012, the so-called opposition has itself indulged in alarming constitutional violations, the most important of which was the bill on executing those convicted of blasphemy and their impulsive support to execute people in reaction to some rejected bad tweets. The government recklessly supported the bill that was finally rejected by HH the Amir. Nobody apologized and some of them still see it as an achievement. The government never felt it was shameful to support a bill that was rejected by the Amir for being in violation of the constitution. There are so many examples of such recklessness. So, is this a state or an amusement park? It might even be worse since the politicians are arrogantly playing with people’s future and destinies. No Constitutional Court rulings will save us if such recklessness continues. To start with, we need to address our failure and admit it. We should focus on respecting the constitution in letter and spirit and have everyone, with the government in the lead, accept that the aim is to gain more freedoms and enhance social justice for everyone, otherwise we are doomed to even more deterioration. — Al-Jarida

kuwait digest

Collection of information By Khalid Al-Tarrah

census has become a process more than the traditional job of counting the number of heads and buildings, and has instead evolved into an advanced scientific field that serves the cause of national security. This has spurred demands that the Central Statistical Bureau should improve its methodology and cover several subjects that it needs to cover in a major way for reasons of national security besides political and social reasons. Doctors working on night shifts at the emergency rooms around Kuwait often come across cases of children who are admitted in a serious condition. These children did not suffer traffic accidents or were injured while playing; instead, they are victims of domestic abuse and in most cases, too intimidated to say anything against their parents. Statistics about such cases are recorded in advanced countries. Unfortunately, the Kuwait’s Central Statistical Bureau ignores these probably because of its traditional work process or simply because it lacks interest. In Kuwait, we do not have analytical statistics about traffic accident casualties, their causes and circumstances. We do not have

accurate statistics about divorce cases and age groups, drug addicts, juveniles in jail and the nature of crimes they committed, the number of students struggling due to slow learning and other reasons, as well as many other critical subjects including those pertaining to social care housing. The social and behavioral indicators must be essential to the work of any statistical bureau because they relate directly to the society and its development, not to mention their security dimension. This does not mean violating the family’s privacy by revealing their data, but it means the decision makers should have access to this data so that they are able to analyze their social and security dimensions. Such information is very important for the government to recognize the nature of challenges it faces and keep up with the rapid changes in the society. Collecting such information as part of its annual census should be part of the government’s interest area and policies. Confidential reports containing these indicators must be referred to the concerned authorities to handle the pressing issues and find best ways to address them. —Al-Qabas

gyptian President Muhammad Morsi now stands at a dangerous tipping point, which many of his supporters recognize. His popularity is waning and many are losing hope in the revolution and the government. The downfall of the Brotherhood, a second revolution and military intervention are just many of the likely scenarios facing Egypt. But despite his bad administration, the downfall of Morsi, and he still has three more years to go, will be a loss to the democratic system in Egypt and will create a new period of chaos. Motives for “rebellion” are correct but the aim is wrong. The downfall of Morsi today will be terrible for the future of Egypt at a time when the country needs to go through a trial and error period and further experimentations so that Egyptians can get a system that will really satisfy them. Up until today, Morsi has not stopped the abuse of power in pursuit of his opponents, whether it is the media or opposition, as was the case under former president Hosni Mubarak. But on the contrary, the pursuit is greater under Morsi! Democracy must not be understood just in terms of having a ballot or majority voting but it has binding entitlements. The judiciary is independent of the presidency, Parliament is independent and the media is free. Morsi “bullied” the judiciary, decided to write a new judicial system and formed a judicial council for which he chose and appointed a public attorney. Apart from an explicit violation, he also wants to abolish the liberal democratic system that brought him and the Muslim Brotherhood to rule. This after the Brotherhood failed to take power in the last 80 years. Today the Brothers want to turn this system into an “Iranian-style democracy” where it is the Ayatollah that becomes the most suitable for presidency and then holds a referendum only for those who supported him. The judiciary is the cornerstone. When Morsi picks the judicial authority, he can also dictate the elections. It is the judiciary that supervises voting and counting; they rule on appeals and electoral violations and validate the results. When Morsi chooses the judiciary, the latter guarantees elections for him and his party. Because of this, the opposition is determined to bring him down by force. When he sacked the public attorney and appointed one of his own, he held the keys to the security apparatuses. This means allowing him to file lawsuits against political opponents and stop the suits that may be filed against him. The public attorney, as well, can go after the opposition. This is what Morsi is doing now, accusing his opponents of tax evasion and insulting the president and even fabricating criminal cases, thus disallowing the opposition from entering the elections and eliminating them. Does this also mean Morsi is obliged to remain silent on the judiciary which accuses him of following in the legacy of the ousted Mubarak? Definitely not. It is the right of the president to reform the judicial system, and to change whoever he wants, including the public attorney. But he is allowed to do this in two respects: Either to leave judiciary reform to the judiciary, or propose a judiciary reform project and give equal rights to all political parties along with the Muslim Brotherhood. This is the current practice of the Turkish Prime Minster Recep Tayyip Erdogan. When he decided to reform the Constitution he brought all competing powers and gave his party the same number of seats as the other main political parties. With a slight shaking, the Morsi throne can be brought down. The opposition should change the behavior of the presidency by pressure, not by overthrowing him. The Egyptian Constitution doesn’t give legitimacy to bringing Morsi down, because bringing down the president is not like withdrawing confidence from a government, or conducting an early poll about early elections.

kuwait digest

We still have a long way! By Dr. Ghanim Al-Najjar

n June 1993, 20 years ago, the International Conference on Human Rights was held in Vienna in which over 7,000 people from various governments and NGOs participated. We had participated under the umbrella of Kuwait Society for Defending War Victims’ Rights, a body that was formed immediately after the liberation and comprised former POWs, their kin, martyrs’ kin and human rights activists. The government refused to recognize the society at that time and actually opposed it. Nevertheless, using their own contacts and at its expense, the society managed to register itself, attended that historic conference and participated in many activities defending the mankind. It was a very significant conference, coming as it did at a turning point in the history of mankind when the cold war was just ending, thus removing a basic obstacle in any serious thinking about largely humanitarian issues. Earlier, the world had been severely divided between the east and the west. The governments’ sessions during the conference witnessed a great deal of controversy about the nature of human rights and whether the world declaration of human rights could be taken as an international reference. The problem was that the debate was more political than intellectual, and did not follow in the footsteps of the 1945 UNESCO committee that had resulted in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a charter universally accepted by all member states. The argument, however, continued about the best roadmap for human rights to become a fact in various countries and communities. Up until 1993, and except for a small center known as the Human Rights Center in Vienna, the UN did not have an executive body to follow up on the human rights issues. The conference witnessed the foundation of a universal organization and appointment of a human rights high commissioner while the US strongly resisted these efforts and insisted that the high commissioner still be remain subject to the UN’s secretary general office instead of the General Assembly, a condition that was eventually conceded but various figures who assumed the exalted position brought their own vision to the office. It has come a long way after 20 years but we still have a longer way to go. —Al-Jarida

MONDAY, JULY 1, 2013

LOCAL

Fire breaks out in Shuaiba By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: A fire broke out in Shuaiba Industrial area where laborers reside, but was brought under control without suffering any casualties. The operations room received a report at 6:47 am yesterday about a fire breaking out where laborers of a company were residing in the industrial area on a premises spread over 7000 square meters. Firefighters from the Shuiba Industrial

Area fire center, Mubarak Al-Kabeer fire center, Ahmadi fire center, Mina Abdulla fire center and the support center responded to the call. They were able to bring the fire under control before it could spread to neighboring places and factories even though high speed winds posed a hazard since the premises was located in an open area. A total of 1500 laborers were evacuated from the premises and no causalities were reported, except for some material loss.

Kuwait’s Central Agency for IT, govt bodies honored Utilizing technology for development DUBAI: Director-General of Kuwait’s Central Agency for Information Technology Abdullateef AlSuraie praised here late Saturday Tatweej Academy for Excellence Awards in the Arab Region for its efforts and appreciation for its honoring the agency with Golden Order of Merit for Leadership award and the honoring of four other Kuwaiti governmental bodies with e-Government Shield awards. This came in a statement by Al-Suraie following a ceremony held Saturday evening by Tatweej and the e-government authority shield contest organization in its fourth session under the auspices and in presence of Hussain Lootah, Director General of Dubai Municipality. Al-Suraie, also head of Kuwait’s governmental bodies’ officials’ delegation, noted that Kuwait’s Central Agency for Information Technology’s accomplishment and that of the websites of the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Commerce and

Industry, Environment Public Authority, and Public Institution for Social Security are unquestionable proof that the governmental bodies are keen on improving their services and websites. This regional recognition emphasizes that Kuwaiti governmental agencies are keen on exerting extra effort to utilize technology for the development of the ministries and governmental institutions, he added. He stressed that Kuwait’s political leadership has been supporting the central agency which seeks to encourage and help all governmental bodies to use technology information, noting that the agency is constantly holding meetings with the governmental agencies’ officials on following the international technical standards and procedures. Responding to a question on whether there will be a shift from e-government to smart government, Al-Suraie said that the preparations have started by launching e-services on smart devices,

and that “the application is available on Android and on the Appstore.”“About 160 services are available now on smart devices, and the programs are downloadable through Kuwait Gate,” he added. The event started with speeches by President of Tatweej Academy Mr. Beyar McKerzel, Dr. Haidar Fraihat, Director of ICT Division, ESCWA at the UN, and Deputy Director for Information and eGovernment at Telecom Regulatory Authority in the UAE, Salem Al-Suwaidi. The fourth session of Tatweej Academy for Excellence Awards in the Arab Region and the egovernment authority shield contest organization were especially set to honor governmental leaderships and ministries of great achievements and initiatives in this field. Appreciation prizes were awarded to the winners of e-Government Shield contest with the participation of official leaderships and diplomatic bodies from the Arab region. —KUNA

Kuwait tightens precautions at embassy in Beirut Kuwait: A Kuwaiti airplane landed at Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airpor t more than a week ago secretly while the Kuwaiti embassy failed to provide the Lebanese foreign ministry with details about the flight. This was reported by AlRai yesterday quoting ‘Lebanese diplomats’ with knowledge of the case. Meanwhile, security sources in Lebanon also familiar with the case told the same newspaper that the flight came simultaneously with steps which saw the Kuwaiti

Protection needed for birds on Kubbar Island KUWAIT: The Committee for Protection of Indigenous Wildlife of the Kuwait Environmental Protection Society (KEPS) called on authorities to provide protection for Tern birds during their breeding season on Kubbar island, calling on the island visitors not to tamper with or get too close to their nests. Head of the Committee Dr Manaf Behbehani said yesterday that some visitors to the island mess with these birds’ nests causing great harm. He noted that Kuwait is a member of the Convention on Biological Diversity, which means it is required to maintain proper conditions for creatures in their indigenous environments, especially during the breeding season. Behbehani also called Kuwait Coast Guard and Environment Public Authority to take urgent measures to prevent Kubbar island visitors from approaching nests of the three types of Tern known to be nesting there. The committee prepared a number of signs for the island goers asking them not to approach the birds and their nests and give them the opportunity to breed. The official noted that the signs and posters will also clearly indicate that the creatures are protected by law and anyone causing harm would be held accountable. Terns are seabirds of the Sternidae family seen in many parts of the world. Usually found near the sea, they are birds of open habitats that typically breed in noisy colonies and lay their eggs on bare ground with little or no nest structure and protection. —KUNA

‘GCC important partner of EU’ BRUSSELS: Catherine Ashton, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, announced here Saturday that she will co-chair the EU-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Ministerial Meeting in Manama. “I am delighted to have the opportunity to co-chair the EU-GCC ministerial meeting, and I look forward to having useful and constructive discussions as was the case in previous years,” she said in a statement. “The GCC is an increasingly important partner, not least because our bilateral trade has increased by 45 percent since 2010 to reach 145 billion euro annually,” she stated. The meeting comes just days after Ashton’s visit to Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, Israel and Palestine. “I look forward to exchanging views with our Gulf partners on the regional situation. We must continue to work together to address regional challenges of common concern, in particular the crisis in Syria. I am convinced of the need to intensify our cooperation in the months and years ahead,” she said. During this 23rd session, Ministers will review the state of play of the EU-GCC relationship. Their discussions will focus on the strategic importance of strengthening ties between the EU and Gulf countries.

The two sides will exchange views on the situation in the region. The catastrophic situation in Syria and the increased sectarian tensions in Lebanon and Iraq as a spill-over of the Syrian crisis will feature prominently in the discussions, noted the statement. It said that the EU will shortly deploy a comprehensive package of assistance, with an additional 400 million euro in humanitarian and non-humanitarian support for Syria and neighboring countries, in particular Lebanon and Jordan. The EU’s objective remains to end the suffering of the Syrian people through a political settlement. The EU fully supports the socalled Geneva II process. The Ministerial meeting will also be an occasion for ministers to exchange views on global issues of common concern such as piracy, counter terrorism, and the promotion of human rights, the rule of law and values of tolerance, it said. The meeting will be attended by representatives of all 27 EU Member States and by Croatia, which joins the EU on July 1. It will be co-chaired by Bahrain’s Foreign Minister, Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa, as GCC Presidency, and will be attended by ministers from all six GCC Member States (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates) as well as by the Secretary-General of the GCC, it added. —KUNA

embassy “remove important documents from its building,” as well as “ask permission from the Lebanese foreign ministry to appoint 36 new members for Kuwait’s diplomatic mission in Beirut.” According to the sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity, Lebanon’s foreign ministry was yet to accept Kuwait’s request “as they find the number of diplomats required too large, given the small size of the Kuwait’s embassy premises.” In the meantime, the sources said that the diplomats were

required to handle the process of evacuating the embassy as soon as possible “should Kuwait withdraw its diplomats and citizens from Lebanon within a specific period of time.” The sources noted, however, that there were no indications that Kuwait planned to carry out any evacuation plans at this juncture, adding that the step was likely a precautionary measure “related to the security condition in Lebanon and the Gulf Cooperation Council’s decision regarding the relationship with Lebanon in the light of the

implications from the Syrian war.” Lebanese quarters quoted in the same report further indicated that several GCC countries were likely to follow in Kuwait’s footsteps by adopting precautionary measures as far as their respective diplomatic missions were concerned. They also pointed out that Kuwait’s step comes “simultaneously with the GCC foreign ministers’ meeting to reach an agreement on procedures regarding Hezbollah members and the organization’s interests in their respective countries.” —Al-Rai

MONDAY, JULY 1, 2013

LOCAL

Drunken driver falls asleep behind steering wheel Man stabs friend in Aqailah KUWAIT: A drunken driver was arrested after he fell asleep behind the steering wheel at a Second Ring Road crossroad recently. Traffic police officers approached a car that failed to move even after the traffic light near Faiha turned green. After finding out that the driver was unconscious, the officers first tried to wake him up by knocking repeatedly on the car’s window, before breaking in to check on his condition. Eventually, an ambulance was called to the scene as the officers failed to wake him up. The man was taken to the hospital where blood tests revealed he was under the influence of alcohol and hashish drugs which caused him to pass out. Charges were pressed against the man who has a warrant for his arrest waiting for him when he is discharged from the hospital. Aqailah fight A man was hospitalized in a critical condition after he was injured in a fight with a friend who was wanted for attempted murder. Police were called to a house in Aqailah where the fight happened. It appeared that a group of friends

used to meet there every weekend but at their most recent gathering, a heated argument escalated into a bloody quarrel between these two rivals. The victim was rushed to the Adan Hospital with multiple stab wounds that required intensive care. Meanwhile, investigations went underway in search of the stabber who, according to those present at the scene, escaped after attacking the victim with a pocketknife. Ex-boyfriend charged Investigations are on in a case in which a woman accused her exboyfriend of theft among other charges pressed at the Qairawan police station. In her statements to officers late Friday night, the Kuwaiti woman explained that the man sent her messages asking to resume their relationship two months after they broke up. She added that he later texted her threats of breaking into her apartment if she continued to spurn him. Eventually, the suspect did break into her apartment in the area, proceeded to assault her before stealing jewelry worth KD7,000 belong-

ing to her, and escaped. She provided information about the man she accused of entering into a dwelling with intent to commit a crime, theft and battery assault. Police are trying to apprehend the accused for questioning. Cashier arrested Criminal investigators closed a case of theft reported by a Kuwait City shop recently after an employee in the same store confessed her role in the crime when confronted with evidence. The store manager had reported that KD,4000 were not to be accounted for in the revenues and did not rule out the possibility of it being an inside job. Based on this, detectives started gathering information and evidence while questioning the employees simultaneously. Eventually, a cashier was arrested after she admitted to stealing the money over a period of two months. The Filipina woman was referred to the proper authorities for further action. Fatal crash A motorist was killed while his companion was injured in an acci-

dent reported at the Wafra Road recently. Police and paramedics rushed to the scene where a Japanese-made vehicle had overturned after losing balance. The driver, an Indian man, was pronounced dead on the scene while a passenger in the same car was rushed to the Adan Hospital for treatment. The body was taken to the forensic department after criminal investigators examined the scene. A case was filed for investigations to determine the circumstances behind the accident. Fugitive nabbed Farwaniya police arrested a man who was wanted because he had not paid phone bills amounting to nearly KD 17,000. The male driver was first taken into custody for an identity check after he told patrol officers that he was a stateless resident and consequently carried no identification. The man was eventually found to be a Kuwaiti citizen. Further examination revealed that he faced several charges pressed by a telecom company demanding unpaid dues. He was referred to the proper authorities for further action.

KUWAIT: A group photograph of the participants.

Kuwaiti Student Raba’a Al-Hajri receives her certificate.

Kuwaiti student participates in DSS Apprenticeship Program

NBK reveals annual social program for Ramadan KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) revealed its annual ‘Doing Good Deeds’ program during the holy month of Ramadan. For more than 20 years, the program comprises a series of activities and events aimed at encouraging community engagement and solidarity and charity in Kuwait. Manal Al-Mattar, NBK Public Relations Executive Manager said “NBK will ramp up its charitable activities, as a good corporate citizen of Kuwait. NBK hopes to encourage a greater sense of community and charity during Ramadan and encourages its customers and staff to participate by ‘doing good deeds’ all month long.” “It is a well rooted tradition that has been carried out by NBK each year in its efforts to continuously have an active role in the Kuwait society. NBK believes in the power of doing good,” added Al-Mattar. NBK Ramadan Social Program includes hosting fast-breaking banquets which have become a tradition observed annually within the “Do Good Deeds in Ramadan” phil-

Manal Al-Mattar anthropic drive initiated by NBK more than 20 years ago. The Iftar banquets will be held near the Grand Mosque. Fast-breaking will also be offered at various mosques and other locations throughout Kuwait. NBK will also distribute Iftar meals via special convoys that will tour the more crowded areas in the country.

NBK staff volunteers have already finalized all necessar y arrangements for Ramadan tents to receive fasting people on the eve of first day of Ramadan. NBK staff volunteers will manage and supervise the fast-breaking banquets. The NBK Ramadan Social Program will also include several visits by NBK’s Public Relations per-

sonnel and NBK staff volunteers to NBK Children’s Hospital and beit Abdullah, in addition to the distribution of Gerge’an throughout NBK’s branch network. NBK Ramadan Social Program will also include daily competitions and valued prizes through the official social media channels of NBK in Facebook & Twitter and Instagram.

‘Retail banks should rethink their business model’ KUWAIT: Since 2008, most retail banks have faced tough business environment throughout the world. Those who took actions and repositionedthemselves to overcome the challenges have to some degree weathered the storm. However most of them are still facing tough business and regulatory changes. From the business point of view, the weak global economic activities are not helping at all added to this is the low interest rates plus the greater capital requirements, and more competition for customers, Winning banks must treat every dollar as precious and focus on improving performance. The very low short and long term interest rates and the increase in capital requirements plus the continued punishments imposed on some retail banks for regulatory or consumer compliant failures have weighed heavily on their profitability. Faced with those tough environments some retail banks have continued increasing their costs without realizing that they are doing so. Any hope of improvement in the environment they facing have recently evaporated by comments made by some central banks that low rates are here to stay and the further downgrade by the IMF and the World Bank of global economic activities. The low interest rate environment will challenge short-term profits hugely and those executives should pay great attention to this problem. They should try to avoid short-termsolutions to long-term problems. They should study the long-term impact of low interest rates on their business model and position their business to take advantage of it.

Banks that are aware of these challenges should be encouraged by their shareholders and directors to focus on grinding out profits, make sure that the bank is performance orientated and look for new and greater business opportunities around the world. Banks that are relying on local business are doomed. The old way of measuring how successful retail banks were is no longer will be acceptable. Banks will find it very hard to grow return on

Hayder Tawfik assets (ROA) and the more recognized ratio of return on equity (ROE) will stay under tremendous pressure because of the greater capital requirements and other tougher regulations. Facing with these tough environments banks will have to account for every dollar they spend and should look seriously into their cost structure so as to make sure that those precious dollars spent are adding to the bottom line. Just like any other business, retail

banks should greatly focus on having a business model that has clarity and proven success. They should also enhance their sales force and make sure that they selling what customers want. As in any business the success of the business model is in its excellent execution. Some local and regional banks may have to think aboutbuilding alliances to reach the wider customer base. Performances should be measured with the utmost accuracy. It is no longer acceptable that some units can carry on day-to-day business without adding to the overall performance just for the sake of it. Management should show ruthlessness when it comes to measuring performance and actions should be taken instantly. Bank should have the right talent, vigilant processes and efficient technology in place to carry out those above-mentioned successful strategies. All of these support the banks overall strategy. Executives should implement those approaches that puts greater emphasis on success and far less on failure and should be able to explain why. Over investing in one aspect such as technology or spreading out investments across without being able to explain why or not having a clear view will ultimately lead to failure. The message here is Focus, Focus and Focus. Having a successful and new business model require a dynamic culture change. It is the duty of the executives to make sure that their teams understand the changes and why they are implemented. There should be a tradeoff throughout the bank and a clear message relayed to all employees about where and how money will be spent. A bank that is value based and

has employee focused approach spends far less money on technology than say one that relies heavily on Internet banking. Trying to improve customer servicesand restoring confidence by opening new branches, encouraging loyalty, offering discounts on credit cards and lower attrition at the branch level hasn’t worked; more service does not lead to sales. All it does is increase the costs base and lower profits. Banks must balance their investments in service with tangible improvements in frontline sales. Talented staff should be encouraged to focus on revenue generation and less on offering general services. Very high margin products should be offered to those customers who are not cost to the bank. Executives should have the clear capabilities to execute successfully. A flexible and lean methodology should be used to drive the process accurately and swiftly so good quality services and products can be delivered to the customers. Time management is very important for the banking industry when delivering new products. Retail banks have the tendency to copy each other and ending up lowering their profit margins. A bigger capability and wider customer approach can be done by having partners whom not only can increase clients base but that offering more specializedservices and products. This helps in sharing the cost and reducing the risks. More and more banks-both large and small-are looking for partners to build capabilities. These partnerships come in many shapes and sizes.The executives should measure performance on regular basis.

KUWAIT: The Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an entity under the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, and the organiser of Dubai Summer Surprises, drew the awardwinning destination marketing program to a successful close, with the 14 participating students presenting their key learning’s and innovative ideas gleaned from their participation in the highly coveted internship program. The DSS Apprenticeship Program, which has been a successful component of the iconic Dubai Summer Surprises since 2006, welcomed its largest-ever group of winners from 14 markets this year - including the UAE, KSA, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Morocco, and first-time participants from Iraq and Sudan. During the course of the two-week internship, the winning students worked closely with the marketing team responsible for successfully staging DSS, attended workshops, took part in visits to key DSS events and iconic tourism landmarks such as the Burj Khalifa and Ski Dubai, as well as met leading players responsible for building the Destination Dubai brand such as Dubai International Airport, RTA, Dubai SME, Dubai Cares and the MBC Group. The winners met with a number of influential members of Dubai’s government and business communities, drawing their agenda to a close with a chance to meet the Chairman of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, son of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The students also participated in a stimulating series of training sessions delivered by The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management - which hosted the students for the second consecutive year at its stateof-the-art facilities - gaining a glimpse into the working of the city’s hospitality industry, one of the lynchpins of Dubai’s tourism success story. At the end of their internship, the 14 students delivered a series of group

presentations to senior Dubai tourism and marketing officials at The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management. The final presentations required the students to consolidate theoretical learning and practical marketing tactics in a powerful and strategic manner, offering them the opportunity to make a lasting contribution to DFRE’s promotional calendar. This year’s final presentations called on the students to create a new brand platform that would fit in with DFRE’s existing portfolio which includes Dubai Shopping Festival, Dubai Summer Surprises, Modhesh, Ramadan in Dubai and Eid in Dubai. Ibrahim Saleh, DFRE Festivals Coordinator General, expressed her satisfaction at the capabilities of participating students and their enthusiasm saying: “The participants this year were truly exceptional and we were delighted with the quality of the interaction between the students and the DSS team. The students were thoroughly committed to the program and worked hard on all the tasks and assignments presented to them. I am confident they have benefitted greatly from the experience, have gained valuable practical knowledge and have built a great network of contacts that should serve them well in their future careers.” The winning students expressed their appreciation for the stimulating agenda of activities prepared that allowed them a chance to maximize the benefits gleaned from their stay in Dubai. The agenda provided opportunities to gain real-life skills in the professional sphere, share experiences with their peers while strengthening regional ties, as well as enjoy a glimpse into the local culture of the UAE. Since it first began in 2006, the DSS Apprenticeship Program has grown successfully to include its current expansive list of more than 80 participating universities across 14 markets in the Middle East and North Africa. The 2013 edition is the first step in DFRE’s broader strategy to take the DSS Apprenticeship Program global by 2015, when the program will mark its 10th anniversary.

Sheikh Salman to attend Islamic Arts Exhibition SEOUL: His Highness the Amir’s Representative, Minister of Information Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem AlHumoud Al-Sabah arrived here yesterday to participate in the inauguration ceremony of an Islamic arts exhibition, slated for today. In press statements upon his arrival, Sheikh Salman, who doubles as Minister of State for Youth Affairs, underscored that HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah’s sponsorship of the exhibition reflects his great interest in preserving and shedding lights on the Islamic civilization and rich Kuwaiti heritage. He pointed out that a huge number of Islamic artifacts, monuments and manuscripts including The Sabah Collection of Dar Al-Athar Al-Islamiyyah (House of Islamic Antiques) will be displayed in the exhibition. Sheikh Salman stressed the importance of reciprocal visits and participation in cultural events to strengthen relations between people of friendly nations. For her part, Sheikha Hussah Sabah AlSalem Al-Sabah, co-owner of the Sabah Collection and director general of the Dar Al-Athar Al-Islamiyyah (DAI) lauded HH

the Amir’s patronage of the exhibition. She noted that the exhibition will help acquaint Korean people with the great Islamic civilization and Dar Al-Athar AlIslamiyyah and its priceless antiques. Sheikha Hussah said the Seoul exhibition is the third in row after similar events were organized in the Italian city of Milan and Austrian Capital Vienna recently. She pointed out that the event will be held at special hall in the National Museum of Korea and will last till October 20. She added that over 332 diverse artistic items will be displayed in the exhibition. In addition to Sheikha Hussah, Sheikh Salman’s accompanying delegation included Undersecretary of the Ministery of Youth Affairs Sheikh Al-Zain Al-Sabah the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL) Secretary General Ali AlYuha and number of the Dar Al-Athar AlIslamiyyah (DAI) officials. Sheikh Salman and his delegation was received at the airport by Kuwait Ambassador here Metaab Al-Mutwtah, Director-General of the National Museum of Korea Kim Youngna, representatives of Korean Foreign Ministry and several Kuwaiti Embassy staff. — KUNA

MONDAY, JULY 1, 2013

Regime battles to tighten control of central Syria

Chad’s ‘desert fighter’ Habre to face justice

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WASHINGTON: Former CIA and and National Security Agency director Michael Hayden speaks on CBS’s ‘Face the Nation’ with host Bob Schieffer yesterday. Hayden called for more transparency on secret US surveillance program to reassure Americans that their privacy rights are being protected. He said people would be more comfortable with the programs if they knew more about how and why they are carried out. And he defended the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, that approves government requests together records. —AP

EU wants answers over US bugging Germany targeted more than any other EU country BRUSSELS: The European Union, Paris and Berlin angrily demanded answers from the United States on Sunday over allegations Washington had bugged EU offices, the latest spying claim attributed to fugitive leaker Edward Snowden. The report in German weekly Der Spiegel is likely to strain relations between the United States and Europe, shortly after they launched formal negotiations to create what would be the world’s biggest free trade area. EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding warned that the long-awaited negotiations could be affected if the bugging allegations proved true. “We can’t negotiate a large transatlantic market if there is any doubt that our partners are bugging the offices of European negotiators,” Reding said at a meeting in Luxembourg, her spokesperson told AFP. Der Spiegel said its report, which detailed covert surveillance by the US National Security Agency (NSA) on EU diplomatic missions, was based on confidential documents, some of which it had been able to consult via Snowden. “We have immediately been in contact with the US authorities in Washington DC and in Brussels and have confronted them with the press reports, “ the European Commission said in a statement. “They have told us they are checking on the accuracy of the information

released yesterday and will come back to us.” One document, dated Sept 2010 and classed as “strictly confidential”, describes how the NSA kept tabs on the European Union’s mission in Washington, Der Spiegel said. Microphones were installed in the building and the computer network was infiltrated, giving the agency access to emails and internal documents. The EU delegation at the United Nations was subject to similar surveillance, Der Spiegel said, adding that the spying also extended to the 27-member bloc’s Brussels headquarters. It said the leaked documents referred to the Europeans as “targets”, in intelligence activity reminiscent of the Cold War. US Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes refused to be drawn into commenting directly on the allegations in a briefing in Johannesburg on Saturday, but said it was “worth noting” the US was “very close” to EU security services. In a separate report yesterday, Der Spiegel said leaked documents showed that the US secret services targeted Germany more than any other EU country. Citing figures from NSA documents, the magazine said that half a billion forms of communication - phone calls, emails, text messages and Internet chat entries - were monitored in Germany every month. The Spiegel claims are the latest in a

series of allegations about US spying activity revealed by Snowden, a former NSA contractor who is holed up in a Moscow airport transit zone after the United States issued a warrant for his arrest and revoked his passport. European Parliament president Martin Schulz said in a statement he was “deeply worried and shocked” by the reports. “If the allegations prove to be true, it would be an extremely serious matter which will have a severe impact on EU-US relations.” EU powerhouse Germany said the United States must quickly say whether the spying allegations were true or not. “It’s beyond our imagination that our friends in the US consider the Europeans as enemies,” Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger said in a statement. “If the media reports are accurate, it is reminiscent of actions among enemies during the Cold War.” French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Paris had also demanded an explanation from US authorities about the Spiegel reports. If confirmed, he said the spying activities would be “totally unacceptable”. The US authorities issued an arrest warrant this month for Snowden after he revealed details of NSA’s so-called PRISM programme which collects and analyses information from Internet and phone users around the world,

with access to data from Google, Yahoo! and other Internet firms. US officials say the information gathered is vital in the fight against global terrorism but the scale of the program raised deep concerns around the world. Snowden himself remains in political limbo at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport after flying in from Hong Kong last week, unable to fly on without legal travel documents or exit the airport without a Russian visa. Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa said that US Vice President Joe Biden had asked Quito to reject any asylum request from the 30-year-old who is wanted by the United States on charges including espionage. But he said Snowden’s fate was in Russia’s hands as Quito could not process his asylum request until he was on Ecuadoran soil. “We have not sought out this situation,” said Correa, saying it was WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange who recommended he seek asylum in Ecuador. Assange, who is wanted for questioning in Sweden on sexual assault allegations, took refuge at the Ecuadoran embassy in London a year ago to avoid Britain putting him on a plane to Stockholm. French MEP Jean-Luc Melenchon said yesterday that France should grant Snowden asylum and called for a suspension of all trade negotiations with the United States. —AFP

31 dead in Uganda oil tanker blaze KAMPALA: At least 31 people have died in a blaze that engulfed an oil tanker after it was hit by another vehicle in a suburb of the Ugandan capital, police said yesterday. “We can confirm 31 dead and over 10 others seriously injured in the inferno,” Kampala Metropolitan Police commander Andrew Kaweesa told AFP after inspecting the scene of the accident that took place on Saturday night. “Most of the victims were scooping fuel from the tanker after it was hit by a car and fuel spilled out,” Kaweesa said. “People rushed there to take the fuel and in the process fire broke out engulfing the whole area and trapping them,” he added. Charred bodies and limbs - some still scattered and others lined up neatly by rescue workers - covered the scene of the fire in Kampala’s Namungona suburb, an AFP photographer said. Numerous motorbikes some with the petrol tank still on fire - littered the scene. Police said many of the victims appeared to have headed to the scene on motorbike taxis, a common form of transport in Kampala. The accident is the worst of its kind in Uganda since December 2001 when some 90 people perished in similar circumstances in the east of the country, police said. Musa Ecweru, the Ugandan minister for disaster preparedness, described the incident as an avoidable “calamity,” saying it was unfortunate that some people had failed to learn from past mistakes. “We have always told our people to stay away from trucks that involve inflammable products such as petrol,” he said. “We thought they would learn from the lessons of the past.” —Agencies

MONDAY, JULY 1, 2013

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Kurd protesters clash with Turkish forces DIYARBAKIR, Turkey: Kurdish protesters clashed with security forces in Turkey’s southeast yesterday, ahead of demonstrations planned across the country to pressure the government to carry out reforms. The main pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party, the BDP, has called for marches in at least three major cities, to launch a summer of protests against what it sees as a lack of commitment by Ankara to a peace process with Kurdish militants. The Kurdish unrest comes after weeks of unrelated anti-government protests in Istanbul, Ankara and other cities in which four people have died and thousands have been injured. Security forces killed an 18-year-old man and wounded 10 others when they fired on a group protesting against the construction

of a gendarmerie outpost in the Kurdishdominated southeast on Friday. It was the most violent incident since a March ceasefire called by the Kurdistan Workers Party’s (PKK) jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan and threatens to derail the nascent peace process between the rebels and the state. A few hundred protesters burned tyres and closed a main road yesterday near the Cizre district of Sirnak province, which borders both Syria and Iraq. Some threw firebombs at police who responded with water cannon and teargas, security sources said. The separate anti-government unrest to the north has largely died down over the past week, but around 10,000 people marched on Istanbul’s Taksim Square on Saturday. The protest became partly one of solidarity with the Kurds after Friday’s

killing. Yesterday, tens of thousands of antigovernment protesters teamed up with a planned gay pride march in Istanbul. Crowds were stopped by riot police from entering Taksim, the centre of previous protests, but the atmosphere appeared peaceful. Pro-Kurdish marches were expected in the cities of Diyarbakir, Mersin and Adana. Diyarbakir is the main city in the southeast and Mersin and Adana, on the Mediterranean coast, have large Kurdish populations. Turkey’s Kurds have largely stayed away from the anti-government demonstrations which began at the end of May, and Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has tried to reassure them that the unrest will not harm the peace process. The antigovernment protests have emerged as the

biggest public challenge to Erdogan’s 10year rule. He has dismissed protesters as pawns of Turkey’s enemies and has called supporters to back his party in municipal elections next year. PKK militants began withdrawing from Turkish territory to bases in northern Iraq last month as part of a deal between the state and Ocalan, imprisoned on an island south of Istanbul since 1999, to end a conflict that has killed 40,000 people. However, the BDP said the withdrawal was continuing successfully and the process had entered a second stage during which Ankara needed to broaden the rights of Kurds, who make up some 20 percent of the 76 million population. Yesterday’s protests called for a halt to the construction of military outposts in

southeast Turkey, the release of political prisoners, education in Kurdish, lowering of the threshold of 10 percent electoral support required to enter parliament, and the release of Ocalan. The BDP said it had presented to the government a 25-article proposal on which action needed to be taken urgently. Erdogan said the process had still not entered the second stage as only 15 percent of PKK fighters had so far left Turkey. The BDP says at least 80 percent of the militants have either left Turkey or are en route to their bases in northern Iraq. The PKK, designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and European Union, took up arms against the state in 1984 with the aim of carving out a Kurdish state, but subsequently moderated its goal to autonomy. —Reuters

Kerry to return to Mideast after visit yields no deal Settlements, Palestinian prisoners main sticking points TEL AVIV: US Secretary of State John Kerry ended a shuttle diplomacy mission yesterday without an agreement on resuming Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, but said gaps had been narrowed and he would return to the region soon. “I’m pleased to tell you that we have made real progress on this trip. And I believe that with a little more work, the start of final status negotiations could be within reach,” he told a news confer-

promise for reviving direct talks, stalled since late 2010 in a dispute over Jewish settlements on occupied land Palestinians want for a state. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said negotiations cannot resume until Israel halts settlement-building, which most countries deem illegal, in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, areas it captured in a 1967 Middle East war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin

Defence Minister Gilad Erdan, a member of Israel’s security cabinet, told Army Radio. In the West Bank city of Ramallah, Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat said there had been some progress in the three sessions of talks between Kerry and Abbas, and further meetings would be held with US representatives following his departure. The issue of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel - a highly emotional issue

RAMALLAH: US Secretary of State John Kerry (left) meets Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the Palestinian presidential compound upon his arrival in this West Bank city yesterday. —AFP ence before his departure from Tel Aviv’s airport. “We started out with very wide gaps and we have narrowed those considerably,” he said, without elaborating. “We are making progress. That’s what’s important and that’s what will bring me back here.” Over four busy days, Kerry met Israeli and Palestinian leaders repeatedly and separately to try to find a com-

Netanyahu has refused to declare a new moratorium following a partial, 10month construction halt that ended in Sept 2010. Neither side gave any sign they had budged from those positions. “There was an attempt (by Kerry), and to our regret it has been so far unsuccessful. But as the secretary of state said, there is still room for more work and it is possible the formula will be found,” Civil

for Palestinians, who view them as heroes in a struggle for statehood - has also been a sticking point. An Israeli official, who asked not to be identified, said Abbas was seeking the release of long-serving security prisoners as a goodwill gesture. But Netanyahu believed the issue should be addressed only after talks resume, the official added. “Releasing murderers with

blood on their hands carries a very problematic deterrence message for future murderers in the area,” Erdan said. Netanyahu, who met overnight with Kerry for six hours, reiterated at yesterday’s weekly meeting of his cabinet that Israel was prepared to enter into negotiations with the Palestinians “without delay and without preconditions”. But in his remarks, he also pointedly referred to Israel’s security concerns in any future peace deal. For new talks to be held, Abbas has said Netanyahu must recognise the West Bank’s boundary before its capture by Israel as the basis for the border of a future Palestinian state. Israel, seeking to keep major settlements under any peace accord, has rejected those terms and has said its security forces would not be able to defend the pre-1967 frontiers. Erdan, asked if continued impasse could lead to a third Palestinian uprising, said: “I do not think this is the situation. On the other hand, you never know and it is possible a wave of violence could build up.” But he added, “that doesn’t mean we need to take steps that will worsen our position”. Kerry, who has come to the region five times since taking office, said both Netanyahu and Abbas had asked him “to return to the area soon”. “(That is) a sign that they share my cautious optimism,” he added. Kerry is keen to get fresh peacemaking under way before the United Nations General Assembly, which has granted de facto recognition to a Palestinian state, convenes in September. Netanyahu is concerned that the Palestinians, in the absence of direct peace talks, could make further moves at the UN session to get their statehood recognised, circumventing Israel. But Kerry said the pace of his diplomacy was set by the two sides, whom he described as sincere about finding a way forward. “We’re not going to get stuck with artificial deadlines. That’s a big mistake,” he said before flying to Asia. —Reuters

Forces arrest Islamist in Mogadishu MOGADISHU: Somali security forces arrested veteran Islamist leader Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys after he flew in to Mogadishu for talks with government officials, police said yesterday. “There was a big argument that turned into a fist fight between the security forces who arrested Sheikh Aweys and members of the delegation accompanying him who resisted the arrest,” a senior police officer told AFP of the arrest on Saturday. Yusuf Mohamed Siyad, a member of the same Ayr sub-clan as Aweys and who arrived in Mogadishu with him, confirmed the arrest at the capital’s airport. However, the reason for his detention was not immediately clear. Aweys - a former army colonel and a hero of Somalia’s 1977-78 war with Ethiopia - is on both US and UN Security Council terrorism sanctions lists, but no bounty has been placed on his head. Now in his late 70s, Aweys was a top leader of the Islamic Courts Union, a radical group that ruled Somalia in 2006 before being overthrown by Ethiopian troops who stormed Somalia in a US-backed invasion. He had flown into the capital from the autonomous Himan and Heeb region in central Somalia, where he had fled after clashes with top Shabab commander Ahmed Abdi Godane in the southern port town of Barawe earlier this month. He flew to the capital on the understanding he would hold talks with government officials, said Siyad, a general who served briefly as defence minister in the

transitional government before defecting in 2010. “The government has broken its promises and arrested Sheikh Aweys and his delegation, and they also humiliated the government lawmakers who helped him come to Mogadishu and some of them are now in prison with him,” he told reporters. “When they sent us to Adado (the capital of Himan and Heeb), the government promised they would host Sheikh Aweys if we convinced him to come to Mogadishu but things have changed,” he said. The arrest of Aweys came on the same day as an announcement by the Shabab that they had killed two of their own top commanders, one with a $5 million United States bounty on his head. “We have informed their widows of their deaths, as they must now wear the clothes of mourning,” Shabab spokesman Abdulaziz Abu Musab told AFP. The pair killed are two co-founders of the Islamist group, including US-wanted Ibrahim Haji Jama Mead, better known by his nickname Al-Afghani - “the Afghan” - due to his training and fighting with Islamist guerrillas there. Washington offered the $5 million bounty for Afghani, who opposed the command of top Shebab leader Godane. Godane, for whom the US have offered $7 million, earlier this month ordered the arrest of Afghani and at least a dozen other leaders, according to security sources. Shebab gunmen also killed Abdi Hamid Hashi Olhayi, named as another senior commander and co-

founder of the group. Long active mainly in southern and central Somalia, the Shabab have had a string of key towns wrested from their control by a 17,700-strong African Union force, fighting alongside government troops. The Shabab is fractured into multiple rival factions, some based along clan lines and others ideological. Some are more attracted by a nationalist agenda to oust foreign forces from Somalia, while others - including Godane - have more international jihadist ambitions. The deaths show the splits in the long-running insurgency whose aim is to topple the internationally-backed government, but also signal Godane’s efforts to sweep away opposition to his command and cement his more radical leadership. But analysts warn that the divisions among the Shabab do not necessarily dent its strength. Earlier this month the Shabab showed their strength with a brazen daylight attack on a fortified United Nations compound in Mogadishu, with a seven-man suicide commando blasting into the base and starting a gun battle. The complex attack on the UN killed 11 and used tactics already tried in April when the Shabab attacked a Mogadishu court house. “The evolution of the Islamist group appears to be aiming at a future objective where it might not be in charge of the country, but where it could make the country ungovernable,” South Africa’s Institute for Security Studies (ISS) warned earlier this month. —AFP

ALEPPO: Rescuers and neighboors gather at the scene after a rocket slammed into the side of a residential building in this northern city on Saturday. —AFP

Regime battles to tighten control of central Syria AMMAN: President Bashar Al-Assad’s forces pounded Sunni Muslim rebels in the city of Homs with artillery and from the air yesterday, the second day of an offensive to expand loyalist control over Syria’s strategic centre, activists said. They said rebels defending the old centre of Homs and five adjacent Sunni districts had largely repelled a ground attack on Saturday by Assad’s forces but reported fresh clashes and deaths within the city yesterday. The offensive follows steady military gains by Assad’s forces, backed by Lebanese Hezbollah militants, in villages in Homs province and towns close to the Lebanese border. British Foreign Secretary William Hague said Assad must halt his “brutal assault” on Homs. Gulf countries, which back the rebels, urged Lebanon to stop “parties” interfering in the Syria conflict, a reference to Iranian-backed Hezbollah. Opposition sources and diplomats said the loyalist advance had tightened the siege of Homs and secured a main road link to Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon and to army bases in Alawite-held territory near the Syrian coast, the main entry point for Russian arms that have given Assad a key advantage in firepower. At least 100,000 people have been killed since the Syrian revolt against four decades of rule by Assad and his late father erupted in March 2011, making the uprising the bloodiest of the Arab Spring popular revolutions against entrenched autocrats. The Syrian conflict is increasingly pitting Assad’s Alawite minority, backed by Shiite Iran and its Hezbollah ally, against mainly Sunni rebel brigades supported by the Gulf states, Egypt, Turkey and others. Sunni Jihadists, including AlQaeda fighters from Iraq, have also entered the fray. The loyalist advances have alarmed international supporters of the rebels, leading the United States to announce it will step up military support. Saudi Arabia has accelerated deliveries of sophisticated weaponry, Gulf sources say. The Sham News Network opposition monitoring group said fighters belonging to the AlQaeda-linked Nusra Front had killed five loyalist troops in fighting in the Bab Hud district of Old Homs yesterday. Activists said one woman and a child had been killed in an airstrike on the old city, home to hundreds of civilians. Video footage taken by the activists, which could not be immediately verified, showed the two bodies being carried in blankets as well as a man holding a wounded child with a

huge gash in his head. Rebel fighters also fought loyalist forces backed by tanks in the old covered market, which links the old city with Khalidiya, a district inhabited by members of tribes who have been at the forefront of the armed insurgency. “After failing to make any significant advances yesterday, the regime is tr ying to sever the link between Khalidiya and the old city,” Abu Bilal, one of the activists, said from Homs. “We are seeing a sectarian attack on Homs par excellence. The army has taken a back role. Most of the attacking forces are comprised of Alawite militia being directed by Hezbollah.” The Alawites are an offshoot of Shiism Islam that have controlled Syria since the 1960s, when members of the sect took over the army and the security apparatus which underpin the power structure in the mainly Sunni country. Located at a major highway intersection 140 km north of Damascus, Homs is a majority Sunni city. But a large number of Alawites have moved into mostly new and segregated districts in recent decades, drawn by army and security jobs. Lebanese security forces said Hezbollah appeared to be present in the rural areas surrounding Homs but there was no indication that it was fighting in the labyrinth streets of Homs, where it could take heavy casualties. Anwar Abu al-Waleed, an activist, said rebel brigades were prepared to fight a long battle, unlike in Qusair and Tel Kalakh, two towns in rural Homs near the border with Lebanon that fell to loyalist forces in recent weeks. “We are talking about serious urban warfare in Homs. We are not talking about scattered buildings in an isolated town but a large urban area that provides a lot of cover,” he said. Britain’s Hague expressed concern over the escalation of fighting in Homs, saying in a statement: “I call upon the Assad regime to cease its brutal assault on Homs and to allow full humanitarian access to the country.” The Syrian conflict has aggravated neighbouring Lebanon’s own complex sectarian rivalry, triggering fighting between Alawite pro-Assad and Sunni anti-Assad militia in the northern city of Tripoli that has killed dozens. Gulf foreign ministers meeting in Bahrain urged the Lebanese government to “commit to distancing itself from the Syrian crisis and to prevent any Lebanese parties from interfering in (Syria) in order to enable it to confront the brutal attacks and crimes conducted by the regime and its allies.” —Reuters

Sudan ex-PM calls for regime to go OMDURMAN, Sudan: Sudan’s former leader Sadiq Al-Mahdi held an unusual show of force on Saturday, telling thousands of followers that the regime of President Omar Al-Bashir has to go, 24 years after it toppled Mahdi. “From today, we will sign on to the ticket of liberation to have a new regime,” Mahdi told his faithful gathered on a sandy outdoor square in Khartoum’s twin city of Omdurman. “We will do this through peaceful sitins,” said the chief of the opposition Umma Party. “And now we call for the regime to go.” Mahdi, prime minister of a coalition government formed after elections in 1986, was toppled in a bloodless Islamist-backed coup led by Bashir on June 30, 1989. The Umma

leader normally addresses his faithful before the fasting month of Ramadan, which this year begins in about 10 days. But Saturday’s rally was unusually large and comes during an opposition campaign to peacefully unseat the regime which is battling economic difficulties, armed rebellions in parts of the country, and internal dissension. Mahdi is the great grandson of a Muslim religious leader known as the Mahdi whose forces defeated the British at Khartoum in 1885. Saturday’s rally took place across from the Mahdi’s tomb. Policemen in helmets, some carrying shields, stood every few metres along a wall surrounding the field. Riot police trucks and plainclothes security agents were stationed across

from the rally site but did not intervene. Buses parked near the field carried banners identifying the outlying states from where they had come with Mahdi’s partisans. He told them that Bashir’s regime represented “a quarter-century of failure”, and called on the ruling National Congress Party to reform itself. “They found Sudan united and now we are divided,” he said, adding that the nation is in economic “crisis” while war rages in several areas. But in a message to the Sudan Revolutionary Front rebel alliance Mahdi said: “Armed struggle is not the right way to overthrow the regime.” The alliance includes rebels who have been fighting for 10 years in the western Darfur region, as well as insurgents from a two-year war in South

Kordofan and Blue Nile states. “Bashir go, go,” the crowd shouted, between calls of “Allahu akbar” (God is greatest). Mahdi also served as prime minister from 1966-67 and critics say his time has passed. “He’s not serious in changing this regime,” said a youth activist from another opposition party Haq, the New Forces Democratic Movement. He noted that Mahdi’s son, Abdelrahman Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi, is a presidential assistant. “He’s in bed with the government on one side and then he talks all this opposition talk on the other side,” a businessman said of the Umma Party leader. “Well when it comes down to it, he’s not supporting a movement against the regime.” —AFP

OMDURMAN, Sudan: Supporters of former prime minister (1986-1989) and now head of the National Umma Party (NUP), religious leader Sadiq AlMahdi, rally in Khalifa Square in Sudan’s twin capital on Saturday. —AFP

MONDAY, JULY 1, 2013

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

Croatia begins countdown to historic EU entry ZAGREB: Croatia began the countdown yesterday to its entry into the European Union as the bloc’s 28th member, with celebrations planned to mark the historic step despite worries over the parlous state of the economy. “July 1... opens up a completely new perspective, a new world for us,” Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic told parliament on Saturday, denying Croatia would be a burden on the EU. Croatia will become only the second former Yugoslav republic to join the bloc, after Slovenia, following the bloody breakup of the excommunist federation in the 1990s. In a symbolic gesture to celebrate membership, Croatia was to remove the “Customs” sign at a border crossing with Slovenia at midnight yesterday. At the same time, the “EU” sign will be erected at the land border with Serbia, another ex-Yugoslav republic with which the bloc agreed on Friday to open membership talks by Jan 2014. The two events will be broadcast live in a Zagreb square, the main site for celebrations expected to be attended by more than 100 European dignitaries. Heads of state from all six exYugoslav republics were to be among the guests, but the leaders of many EU member states including Britain, France and notably Germany will not be present. German Chancellor Angela Merkel

cited a full workload to excuse herself from the event, but both Croatian media and the opposition labelled her decision a “diplomatic slap”. Yesterday evening, some 700 artists including singers, musicians and dancers were to stage performances. Croatia’s cultural heritage and history of scientific innovation was also to be showcased, including the necktie. The EU anthem, Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy”, was to be played, and then several dignitaries, notably European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and Croatian President Ivo Josipovic, were to address an expected crowd of thousands. The Balkan country has aspired to join the EU club ever since it proclaimed independence from the former Yugoslavia, a move that sparked the bloody 1991-1995 war against rebel Serbs backed by Belgrade. Social Democrat premier Milanovic has dismissed fears the country of 4.2 million would be an economic burden for the bloc. “Why would we be a problem? After we negotiated for years (with Brussels) every detail... we have a stable political system, we have an economic crisis like everyone else, we have a relatively stable banking system,” he said on Saturday. “At the end of the day we are not part of eurozone,” he said, referring

to the crisis-ridden single currency bloc. Milanovic’s centre-left government hopes that EU entry will attract badly needed foreign investment and boost the economy with Ä11.7 billion ($15 billion) of potential financial aid. Croatia will be the first new member since Bulgaria and Romania joined in 2007, but the celebrations are undoubtedly overshadowed by economic worries. The economy has been either in recession or stagnant for the past four years, while the EU itself is struggling with the eurozone debt crisis. EU figures show that Croatia, where unemployment stands at around 20 percent, would be among the bloc’s poorest countries. Its per capita gross domestic product is 39 percent below the EU average, with only Romania and Bulgaria lagging behind. Tough demands made by Brussels in exchange for membership have somewhat dampened Croatian enthusiasm for the EU, with support for membership standing at about 50 percent, according to surveys. “300,000 unemployed. Why... should they celebrate? Does EU have a magic wand to make all problems vanish?” read a comment posted on the government’s Facebook account. Others remain confident that membership will bring real benefits, including 48-year-old Tihana Strmecki. “I’m

Chad’s ‘desert fighter’ Habre to face justice Senegal detains ex-dictator ahead of trial DAKAR: Senegalese authorities detained former Chadian dictator Hissene Habre yesterday, the first step towards a trial on charges of crimes against humanity that is seen by many as a milestone for African justice. The man once dubbed “Africa’s Pinochet” also stands accused of war crimes and torture during his eight years in power in Chad, where rights groups say that some 40,000 people were killed under his rule. “Hissene Habre has been taken into custody as part of the probe,” said a prosecutor with a special court set up in February to try the 70-year-old former leader. One of Habre’s lawyers, El Hadji Diouf, told local radio he had been arrested at his home in Dakar where he lives with

PARIS: A file photo taken on Oct 21, 1989 shows then Chadian President Hissene Habre on an official visit to France. — AFP

his wife and children and taken to an unknown destination. Delayed for years by Senegal where he has lived since being ousted in 1990, Habre’s trial will set a historic precedent as until now African leaders accused of atrocities have only been tried in international courts. Typically dressed in combat fatigues during the years of his rule, Habre earned the nickname “desert fighter” after he seized power in 1982 from former rebel ally Goukouni Weddeye during a long conflict with Libya, which wanted to annex the north of Chad. His regime was marked by fierce repression of his opponents and the targeting of ethnic groups, and in 1990 he fled to Senegal after being ousted by Chad’s now President Idriss Deby Itno. A decade later a group of victims filed charges against him in Senegal, but he has never been brought to trial and former president Abdoulaye Wade repeatedly tried to “get rid of him”. On a visit to Senegal last Thursday as part of his three-nation Africa tour, US President Barack Obama hailed Dakar’s efforts to prosecute the former dictator as a sign of the country’s commitment to justice in Africa. “This is a trial that we have supported and we welcome Senegal’s leadership in undertaking this effort to see that justice is done and in fact we have committed resources in support of their efforts,” said US deputy national security advisor Ben Rhodes. Senegal and the African Union signed an agreement in December to set up the court to try Habre for the offences, allegedly committed between 1982 and 1990. The AU had mandated Senegal to try Habre, now 70, in July 2006, but the country stalled the process for years under Wade. Habre was also wanted for trial in Belgium on war crimes and crimes against humanity charges after three Belgian nationals of Chadian origin filed suit in 2000 for arbitrary arrest, mass murder and torture during his 1982-1990 regime. Senegalese President Macky Sall, Wade’s successor who took office in April 2012, ruled out extraditing Habre to Belgium, which was prepared to try him, vowing to organise a trial in Senegal. In May, lawyers for Habre said they had filed a lawsuit in Senegal to try to prevent the trial from going ahead, saying the west African country had violated his human rights. Under Senegalese law, Habre can be held in custody for a period of 48 hours, renewable once. — AFP

Out of job, Greece state TV staff take over show ATHENS: Since Greece’s government abruptly pulled the plug on state broadcaster ERT, the sprawling TV complex has turned into a unique experiment in self-rule where staff are working for free but with more passion than ever. Under pressure from its international creditors to cut costs and reform the public sector, Greece’s fragile government shut down ERT and made its 2,700 employees redundant overnight. Many will not return when a slimmed-down version of the broadcaster, which the government agreed to following a public outcry, eventually goes back on air. But in the meantime, employees are going it alone and revelling in the spirit of independence and solidarity filling the studios and busy corridors of ERT’s headquarters in suburban Athens. “ There is continuous flow from the

entire team here, and an emotional contribution from all,” Fanis Papathanassiou, an ERT foreign affairs journalist and anchorman said. “Not just journalists but producers, editors, assistants, technicians, makeup staff: everyone is here, helping to put this product on the air,” he told AFP. News bulletins are on at an unchanged pace of five times daily and the intervening hours are filled with guest interviews, documentaries and support concerts by a variety of artists. The building is clean - cleaner than before, staff note - the control room is bustling and staff take turns at the entrance to guard what the government calls an unlawful “occupation” of public property. “We call this operational selfmanagement,” Papathanassiou countered. A committee of journalists over-

ATHENS: ERT journalists and technicians broadcast a news report at the ERT headquarters in Athens on June 28, 2013. — AFP

sees day-to-day business, from assigning shifts, to preparing newscasts and inviting talk show guests. Rogue ERT broadcasts have continued with support from the European Broadcasting Union despite a digital blackout on ERT’s frequencies by the government. “For the past 18 days, we have shown what public radio and television is all about,” said Chryssa Roumeliotis, a political journalist and news presenter. On June 11, police were dispatched to Mount Hymettus above Athens to silence ERT’s signal after the government enacted an emergency law to shut down the company. The conservativeled government of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said it was the only way to reform ERT after successive efforts had been thwarted by the company’s powerful union. “We could not even relocate a technician between ERT buildings,” said government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou, himself a former ERT staffer. The government said ERT had been wastefully run and filled with political appointees for far too long, costing the cash-strapped state Ä300 million a year for paltry viewer ratings. ERT staff retort that Samaras’ own party had managed the latest wave of wasteful spending, including a planned lifestyle show with a celebrity chef on a Ä5,000 salary. “ERT is not comparable to a private station,” said Vasilis Alexopoulos, the custodian of ERT’s cavernous archives vault, which houses film, news footage and photographs dating to 1908. “The purpose of private stations is to turn a profit. ERT’s purpose is... to offer something different. Which private station can afford to play classical music on a 24-hour basis?” he argued.—AFP

ZAGREB: A street scene is reflected in the window of a library with an EU flag on display in downtown Zagreb yesterday. Croatia will join the European Union today. — AP happy... since we’ve been always oriented towards West. We will be a part of Europe and I hope that no one will attack this country ever more,” said the engineer from the central town of Sisak, referring to the 1991-1995 independ-

ence war that claimed 20,000 lives. In addition to agreeing to open accession talks with Serbia, EU leaders also gave the green light last week to preliminary discussions with Kosovo, the first step on the long path to Brussels. — AFP

Putin signs into law ‘gay propaganda’ bill MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into law a bill punishing people for homosexual “propaganda”, an official publication showed yesterday, in a move critics fear will fuel hate crimes. In another controversial step, Putin also signed a bill imposing jail terms and fines on those who offend religious believers, seen as a response to last year’s anti-Putin stunt by the punk band Pussy Riot in a Moscow cathedral. Rights activists and Western governments have criticised both bills as part of an unprecedented crackdown on dissenting voices after Putin returned to the Kremlin last year. The anti-propaganda law introduces fines of up to 5,000 rubles ($156) for citizens who disseminate information aimed at minors “directed at forming nontraditional sexual setup” or which may cause a “distorted understanding” that gay and heterosexual relations are “socially equivalent”, the official publication of the bill showed. Opponents have called the bill homophobic and so vaguely defined that it

would inevitably be used arbitrarily and stir anti-gay sentiment in the country. However, it sailed through parliament and Putin had promised in advance that he would sign it. The fines go up to as much as 200,000 rubles ($6,250) for officials if such “propaganda” is disseminated through the media or Internet. Foreigners will not only be fined but face administrative arrest up to 15 days and eventual deportation, the law says. Organisations face fines of up to one million rubles and a shutdown of their activity for 90 days. Earlier this week Putin denied the law’s anti-gay nature. “We are talking about protecting children from the respective information,” he said. “We ask that (other countries) do not interfere in our regulation,” he added. Russian gay activist Nikolai Alexeyev called the law a “historical mistake” that will be appealed in the European Court of Human Rights. “History will prove that (Putin) made a mistake that the future generations are unlikely to forgive,” he said in a state-

ment published on Gayrussia.ru. The other bill signed into law by Putin targets religious offenders and promises to punish actions “demonstrating disrespect to society and done with the goal of offending the believers’ religious feelings”. The bill imposes fines and jail terms of up to three years for people who insult believers, with the harshest punishment reserved for offensive actions carried out in places of worship. Among the punishments to be meted out for the transgressions are compulsory community service and forced labour. Three female Pussy Riot members were last August convicted of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred for their performance of a “punk prayer” in which they asked the Virgin Mary to “drive Putin out” ahead of his reelection for a third term. Two of the women, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina, are now serving two year sentences in faraway penal colonies, while the third, Yekaterina Samutsevich, was released on appeal with a suspended sentence.—AFP

MONDAY, JULY 1, 2013

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

Gay marriage opponents ask court to intervene A wave of weddings held in San Francisco

GETTYSBURG: Confederate Civil War re-enactors walk with spectators after re-enacting part of a three-day Battle of Gettysburg re-enactment in Pennsylvania. —AFP

As ‘war’ rages, Gettysburg vendors hope to cash in GETTYSBURG: As re-enacted war raged several miles away, tourists strolled a commercial strip of Gettysburg to survey T-shirts, hats and other trinkets to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War’s pivotal battle. More than 200,000 people - including thousands of re-enactors - are expected to visit this small south-central Pennsylvania town through Fourth of July weekend to mark the milestone. And it’s a prime opportunity for vendors to make some money. Sightseers can pick up one of the many incarnations of “150th Anniversary” T-shirts at stores along about a two-block stretch of one of the main drags in town, Steinwehr Avenue, less than a quarter-mile from the Gettysburg National Military Park. One store, in between two shops that promote ghost tours, had “Army of the Potomac” and “Army of Northern Virginia” athletic department shirts among offerings hanging on its porch. A few visitors said they aren’t comfortable with the consumerism in town. “I don’t like the commercialism. I think they can do a lot less of it,” said Richard Gow, 65, of Binghamton, N.Y. Dressed sharply in a gray uniform, Gow was portraying noted Confederate Gen. Lewis Armistead outside the American Civil War Wax Museum. Then Gow - himself a US Army veteran who served during Vietnam - looked toward the battlefield, just down the road. That is where the self-proclaimed Civil War buff, who said his family ties trace back to Confederate Major Gen. John Gordon, said visitors can find what’s really important. “It’s the grounds,” he said reverentially, referring to the fields and hills where up to 10,000 Union and Confederate soldiers died in the Civil War’s pivotal conflict. “It’s an honor to be here.” Federal forces turned away the Confederates during fierce fighting on July 13, 1863, ending with the South’s ill-fated Pickett’s Charge across an open field against Union soldiers. But making money on Gettysburg isn’t new. In fact, profiteers went out to scour the battlefield, after the fighting was over, to search for relics to sell, said Peter Carmichael, professor of history at Gettysburg College. Soon after the war, a brothel was established on Little Round Top, the hill that was the sight of key fighting later made famous in the 1974 Pulitzer Prize- winning novel, “The Killer Angels,” and the 1993 movie “Gettysburg.” That’s long gone, too, with the National Park Service overseeing the land now. “The battlefield in many ways is much less commercialized than it once was,” Carmichael said Saturday. George Lomas, owner of The Regimental Quartermaster store on the busy commercial

strip said he’s been gearing up for this week for months. His business primarily attracts reenactors looking to buy period military jackets, shirts and belts along with bayonets and muskets. Smaller tables near the front door carried 150th anniversary T-shirts and more kitschy items like a pen shaped like a minidrumstick inscribed with “Civil War.” When asked about people who may think Gettysburg is too commercialized, Lomas said, “That happens. That’s business. I don’t think it’s over-commercialized. Of course, I’m prejudiced.” He noted how a stretch of road along the actual battlefield actually became less commercialized. He was referring to the Park Service’s efforts in recent years to rehabilitate major areas of the battlefield to make it better resemble the territory soldiers encountered 150 years ago. One of the changes involved removing a motel that that once stood across the street from a monument for Ohio soldiers. The rehabilitation process grew out of a master plan in 1999 that didn’t set the 150th anniversary as a deadline - though park officials say it was a welcome and timely coincidence. The Killer Angels, written by Michael Shaara, and the Gettysburg movie have been credited with increasing interest in the war in recent decades. Shaara died in 1988. His son, Jeff, himself a bestselling author whose “Gods and Generals” was the 1996 prequel to his father’s classic, was signing books at the wax museum Saturday morning. He said he saw commercialism as a way to help the community pay for the taxes that in turn paid for infrastructure. Shaara said other scenes in and around Gettysburg this anniversary week had to be taken into account, like lines of Boy Scouts eagerly going through the National Park Visitors Center; or dedicated history buffs wearing wool uniforms on a sunny summer afternoon marching in detailed formations to recreate the fighting. “There are a myriad of draws of why people come here. The commercialism? We’re a capitalist society. You’re free to open a store and sell whatever it is you want to sell,” he said. “But to me, it doesn’t destroy what’s here. It’s sort of a necessary part of it.” Many other visitors said modern Gettysburg strikes the appropriate balance between capitalizing on its notoriety and paying reverence to the conflict: No amusement parks, no roller coasters. “This kind of brings history alive,” said Dave Gish, 54, a pastor from Wilton, Conn., who took photos of a re -enactment between Union and Confederate cavalry featuring hundreds of horses. “It’s the kind of thing where this is pretty much what you’re coming for.” —AP

SAN FRANCISCO: A wave of weddings were performed in San Francisco City Hall on the heels of the US Supreme Court’s historic decisions to restore same-sex marriages to California, as defeated backers of the state’s gay marriage ban filed a lastditch effort to halt the ceremonies. Less than 24 hours after California started issuing marriage licenses to same sex couples, lawyers for the Arizona-based Alliance Defending Freedom filed an emergency petition to the high court Saturday asking it to halt the weddings on the grounds that its decision was not yet legally final. They claimed the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals acted prematurely and unfairly on Friday when it allowed gay marriage to resume by lifting a hold that had been placed on same sex unions. The motion was filed as dozens of couples in jeans, shorts, white dresses and the occasional military uniform filled City Hall to obtain marriage licenses. On Friday, 81 same sex couples received marriage licenses. Although a few clerk’s offices around the state stayed open late on Friday, San Francisco, which is holding its annual gay pride celebration this weekend, was the only jurisdiction to hold weekend hours so that same sex couples could take advantage of their newly restored right, Clerk Karen Hong said. A sign posted on the door of the office where a long line of couples waited to fill out applications listed the price for a license, a ceremony or both above the words “Equality=Priceless”. “We really wanted to make this happen,” Hong said, adding that her whole staff and a group of volunteers came into work without having to be asked. “It’s spontaneous, which is great in its own way.” The timing couldn’t have been better for California National Guard Capt. Michael Potoczniak, 38, and his partner of 10 years, Todd Saunders, 47, of El Cerrito. Potoczniak, who joined the Guard after the military’s ban on openly gay service was repealed almost two years ago, was scheduled to fly out yesterday night for a month of basic training in Texas. “I woke up this morning, shook him

awake and said, ‘Let’s go,’” said Potoczniak, who chose to get married in his Army uniform. “It’s something that people need to see because everyone is so used to uniforms at military weddings.” Also waiting to wed Saturday were Scott Kehoe, 34, and his fiancÈ, Aurelien Bricker, 24. After finding out on Facebook that the city was issuing same sex marriage licenses Friday, the San Francisco couple rushed out to Tiffany’s to buy wedding rings. “We were afraid of further legal challenges in the state,” Kehoe said. The Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that Proposition 8’s backers lacked standing to defend the 2008 law because California’s governor and attorney general have declined to defend the ban. Then on Friday, the 9th Circuit appeared to have removed the last obstacle to making same sex matrimony legal again in California when it removed its hold on a lower court’s 2010 order directing state officials to stop enforcing the ban. Within hours, same sex couples were seeking marriage licenses. The two couples who sued to

overturn Proposition 8 were wed in San Francisco and Los Angeles Friday. Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Austin Nimocks said on Saturday that the high court’s consideration of the case isn’t done because his clients still have 22 days to ask the justices to reconsider Wednesday’s 5-4 decision. Under Supreme Court rules, the losing side in a legal dispute has 25 days to request a rehearing. While such requests are almost never granted, the high court said that it wouldn’t finalize its judgment in the case at least until after that waiting period elapsed. The San Francisco-based appeals court had said when it imposed the stay that it would remain in place until the Supreme Court issued its final disposition, according to Nimocks. “Everyone on all sides of the marriage debate should agree that the legal process must be followed,” he said. “On Friday, the 9th Circuit acted contrary to its own order without explanation.” Many legal experts who had anticipated such a last-ditch effort by gay

WOODLAND: Social Security Administration’s main campus in Woodlawn, Maryland. Just like other married couples, same-sex couples are about to find out that federal benefits for being married might not be all they’re cracked up to be. — AP

Is search for Snowden turning into sideshow? Edward Snowden’s continent-jumping, hideand-seek game seems like the stuff of a pulp thriller - a desperate man’s drama played out before a worldwide audience trying to decide if he’s a hero or a villain. But the search for the former National Security Agency contractor who spilled U.S. secrets has become something of a distracting sideshow, some say, overshadowing the important debate over the government’s power to seize the phone and Internet records of millions of Americans to help in the fight against terrorism. “You have to be humble on Day 1 to say, ‘This isn’t about me. This is about the information.’... I don’t think he really anticipated the importance of making sure the focus initially was off him,” says Mike Paul, president of MGP & Associates PR, a crisis management firm in New York. “Not only has he weakened his case, some would go as far as to say he’s gone from hero to zero.” Snowden, he says, can get back on track by “utilizing whatever information he has like big bombs in a campaign,” so the focus returns to the question of spying and not his life on the run. Snowden’s disclosures about US surveillance to The Guardian newspaper and The Washington Post have created an uproar in Washington that shows no signs of fading.

A petition asking President Barack Obama to pardon Snowden has collected more than 123,000 signatures. But the head of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, meanwhile, has called Snowden’s disclosure of topsecret information “an act of treason.” House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, is among those who’ve called Snowden a “traitor.” The president has dismissed the 30-year-old Snowden as a “hacker” and he had pledged that the US won’t be scrambling military jets to snatch Snowden and return him to the US, where he faces espionage charges. Snowden is possibly holed up in the wing of a Russian airport hotel reserved for travelers in transit who don’t have visas to enter Russia. He might be waiting to hear whether Ecuador, Iceland or another country might grant him asylum. He fled Hong Kong last weekend after being charged with violating American espionage laws. Some say Snowden is losing ground in the battle for public opinion by cloaking his travels in secrecy, creating more interest in his efforts to elude US authorities than his allegations against the government. By disappearing in Russia, he loses “access to rehabilitate himself in the public’s mind,” says William Weaver, a professor at the

Family: American killed in Egypt was a teacher WASHINGTON: The family of an American university student killed in Egypt during violent protests says their son cared passionately about the Middle East and was in the country to teach English to children and to improve his own Arabic. Andrew Pochter, of Maryland, was killed Friday in Alexandria during clashes between government supporters and opponents. His family said in a statement Saturday that he was stabbed by a protester while observing the demonstrations. “He went to Egypt because he cared profoundly about the Middle East. He had studied in the region, loved the culture, and planned to live and work there in the pursuit of peace and understanding,” the statement said. The country has been roiled by ongoing demonstrations between protesters trying to oust President Mohammed Morsi and Islamists seeking to keep him in power. The US State Department has warned Americans against all but essential travel, and households have been stocking up on goods in case the protests drag on. The 21-year-old spent his spring semester studying in Amman, Jordan, as part of the AMIDEAST Education Abroad Program and was teaching in Egypt before returning in the fall to Kenyon College in Ohio. He majored in religious studies, was active in Hillel House the campus center for Jewish life - and was a member of the rugby club and an organizer for the Middle Eastern Students Association, the college said. Meryn Chimes, a New York University student who said she was a friend of Pochter, recalled how he traveled to Morocco between high school and college and sent her excited letters about how much he loved it there. “When he came back, he just had this passion

for the Middle East,” she said. During his travels, she said, he would marvel at everything from the food to the people he encountered at marketplaces to the Colonial architecture of Alexandria. She said he told her how much he loved teaching Egyptian children and how they worked so hard to master English. “He said he hoped they liked him as a teacher, which I’m sure they did,” she said. She said they last spoke a few days ago. “He really wanted to broaden people’s perspective, especially in America. He wanted people to see places the way he saw them,” said Chimes, noting how Pochter had spoken of potentially becoming a reporter. “He saw the world in a way that I don’t think anyone else did, and it was a really beautiful way,” she added. Lucas Pastorfield-Li, a friend from college, said he bonded with Pochter over a shared interest in education and international affairs. He said Pochter was soft-spoken and humble but also a talented musician who would weave international topics - he did a college research project on the Muslim Brotherhood - into freestyle raps. “He had a way of just being way too wise beyond his years. I feel like most of the people in my generation are constantly trying to be heard,” said Pastorfield-Li, 20, adding, “He had an amazing way of just conveying wisdom in such a humble and kind of subtle way.” He said Pochter would have been the “perfect poster boy” for any ad campaign for the college. “It’s not just me right now that this is really affecting,” he said. “He was such an important person to so many people at the school, and Kenyon’s such a small school, someone like Andrew is going to be a celebrity.” —AP

marriage opponents said it was unlikely to succeed because the 9th Circuit has independent authority over its own orders - in this case, its 2010 stay. While the ban’s backers can still ask the Supreme Court for a rehearing, the 25-day waiting period is not binding on lower federal courts, Vikram Amar, a constitutional law professor with the University of California, Davis law school, said. “As a matter of practice, most lower federal courts wait to act,” Amar said. “But there is nothing that limits them from acting sooner. It was within the 9th Circuit’s power to do what it did.” The city, home to both a federal trial court that struck down Proposition 8 as unconstitutional and the 9th Circuit, has been the epicenter of the state’s gay marriage movement since then-Mayor Gavin Newsom ordered his administration in February 2004 to issue licenses to gay couples in defiance of state law. A little more than four years later, the California Supreme Court, which is also based in San Francisco, struck down the state’s one-man, onewoman marriage laws. —AP

HAVANA: Passengers queue to check in for the Aeroflot flight SU150 from Moscow to Havana, at Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow yesterday. NSA leaker Edward Snowden was not on the flight. — AP

University of Texas at El Paso who has written about government secrecy. “You have to keep selling yourself, if you will, and do it in a smart way so people don’t get tired of you. ... His only hope was to hit a grand slam home run with the public and make it stick. For every hour that he’s not doing something like that, he’s in trouble.” Others say Snowden’s personality is irrelevant and doesn’t change his major argument - that US intelligence agencies have lied about the scope of its surveillance of Americans. Gene Healy, a vice president of the libertarian Cato Institute, recently wrote an essay denouncing pundits who’ve labeled Snowden a “grandiose narcissist” and a “total slacker.” He maintains that the former contractor’s revelations are all that matters. “The content of the message is far more important than the character of the messenger,” he wrote in the Washington Examiner. Healy said “the most disturbing” part of Snowden’s disclosures was the massive amounts of data collected on citizens. “The potential abuse of that information represents a grave threat to American liberty and privacy regardless of Snowden’s character and motivations,” he wrote. David Colapinto, general counsel at the National Whistleblowers Center, says it’s not surprising Snowden has become an “easy target’” facing harsh criticism from those at the highest levels of government - people “who have a bigger megaphone than he does.” “The name-calling and whatever may happen in the future - we don’t know what he’s going to do,” he adds. “We don’t know what the government is going to do. ... It’s pretty hard to pull out a crystal ball.” So far, America seems to be divided, according to polls taken in the first days after Snowden’s leak of top-secret documents. Many people initially applauded the former contractor for exposing what they saw as government spying on ordinary Americans. Since then, though, government officials have responded with explanations of the program and congressional testimony attesting to the value of surveillance in thwarting terrorist attacks. In one poll, a June 12-16 national survey by the Pew Research Center and USA Today, 49 percent of those surveyed said the release of classified information about the NSA program serves the public interest, while 44 percent found it harmful. —AP

SF rapid transit talks break down; strike possible OAKLAND: Negotiators for San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit said they planned to show up for contract talks Sunday as union leaders warned workers will likely go on strike, which threatens to cripple the region’s Monday morning commute. Josie Mooney, a negotiator for the Service Employees International Union Local 1021, said there was “a 95 percent chance” that her union and members of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1555 would strike, after contract talks stalled Saturday. “I’m afraid I don’t see a way we will avoid a strike,” she said after union leaders left the negotiating table Saturday, claiming they have met with BART’s management for only 10 minutes in the past 36 hours.

The two unions represent nearly 2,400 train operators, station agents, mechanics, maintenance workers and professional staff. A walkout could derail the more than 400,000 riders who use the nation’s fifth-largest rail system and affect every mode of transportation, clogging highways and bridges throughout the Bay Area. Such a strike could begin Monday after contracts expire at midnight yesterday. BART spokesman Rick Rice said Saturday says that the agency planned to attend talks scheduled for 11 a.m. Sunday and hoped union representatives will be there. “The Bay Area is counting on us to come together and meet reasonably in the middle,” he said in a statement issued late Saturday. “There is

still time. Let’s get it done.” Mooney said earlier that the unions have no plans to meet with BART. Negotiations between BART and the unions had intensified as Sunday night’s deadline loomed. Two state mediators were facilitating the negotiations, with each side seated in separate rooms. As the parties went back to the bargaining table Saturday in Oakland for anticipated around-the-clock sessions, both sides said they were far apart on key sticking points including salary, pensions, health care and safety. The unions want a 5 percent annual raise over the next three years. BART said Saturday that train operators and station agents in the unions average about $71,000 in base salary

and $11,000 in overtime annually. The workers also pay a flat $92 monthly fee for health insurance. Rice said the latest proposal offered a 4- to 8 percent salary raise over the next four years, on top of a 1 percent raise employees were scheduled to receive Monday. The transit agency also said it offered to reduce the contribution employees would have to make to their pensions, and lower the costs of health care premiums they would have to pay. On Friday, the ATU asked California Gov. Jerry Brown to issue a 60-day “cooling off” period if no deal can be reached by Sunday’s deadline, but the SEIU and BART officials have urged Brown not to issue such an order. —AP

MONDAY, JULY 1, 2013

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

24 killed as British PM visits Pakistan Sharif backs British PM on Afghan peace efforts

PESHAWAR: Pakistani security personnel and bystanders are pictured at the site of a bomb attack in Badaber after a car bomb killed 24 people and wounded 28 others. —AFP

Pakistan ‘blasphemy’ girl moves to Canada ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani Christian girl who was arrested for alleged blasphemy last year and forced into hiding for fear of her life has moved to Canada, an activist said yesterday. Rimsha Masih could have faced life in prison if convicted over allegations that she set fire to pages of the Koran in the poor, rundown neighborhood where she lived on the edge of Islamabad. She was arrested last August and spent three weeks on remand in one of Pakistan’s toughest jails in a case that drew widespread international condemnation. She was released on bail and the case against her was quashed in November, but she and her family were forced into hiding, living under government protection in fear of their lives. But a Christian activist in Pakistan said yesterday that Rimsha and her close relatives had moved to Canada. “Rimsha and her family have arrived in Canada,” Sajid Ishaq said. “The Canadian government is supporting them. They are presently doing a foundation course to learn basic English,” he said. Basharat Masih, a Pakistani policeman who said he had been assigned to Rimsha’s protection, also confirmed that they had left. “They are being taken care of by the Canadian government

and attending church services,” he told AFP. Blasphemy is an extremely sensitive issue in Pakistan, where 97 percent of the population are Muslim. Insulting the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) can be punished by death. Even unproven allegations can provoke a violent public response and activists say the legislation is often used to settle personal disputes. Local media said Rimsha was as young as 11, but an official medical report classified her as “uneducated” and 14 years old, but with a mental age younger than her years. Pakistani Christian leaders last year paid tribute to Muslim clerics, members of the media and civil society for highlighting the injustice done to Rimsha. Cleric Hafiz Mohammed Khalid Chishti has been accused of desecrating the holy Quarn and tampering with the evidence against her. In 2011 politicians Salman Taseer and Shahbaz Bhatti were assassinated for demanding that the blasphemy law be reformed. Asia Bibi, a Christian mother of five, remains in prison after being sentenced to death in November 2010 after other women claimed she made derogatory remarks about the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH). —AFP

PESHAWAR: At least 24 people were killed in attacks in northwest Pak istan yesterday as British Prime Minister David Cameron visited the capital and called for tough action against terrorism, officials said. A car bomb aimed at a Pakistani security force convoy killed 17 people and wounded 46 on the outskirts of Peshawar, not far from the semiautonomous tribal belt where Taleban and Al-Qaeda-linked groups have bases. Jamil Shah, spokesman for the governmentrun Lady Reading Hospital in the city, said 17 people were killed and 46 injured. At least four children and one woman were among the dead, and two children and a woman were among those hur t, he added. Police said most of the victims were civilians because the bomb targeting the Frontier Corps (FC) convoy exploded in a bustling market area. “The car bomb was parked in a market packed with the general public. When the FC convoy comprising of three vehicles passed by, the bomb exploded and hit a vehicle in the convoy,” police official Shafiullah Khan told AFP. “But many civilians were killed and wounded in the attack because there was a big rush in the market at the time,” he added. Javed Khan, a local administration official, told reporters that one policeman was also among the dead in Badaber, a flashpoint for violence south of Peshawar. “This is a very sad incident. There have been targeted operations in that area in the last few days and we have arrested many terrorists from that area,” Khan said. Shops and cars were damaged in the attack, an AFP reporter said. Pieces of human

3,000 still missing in India’s flood-hit north DEHRADUN: Some 3,000 people remain missing in India’s flood-ravaged north two weeks after the tragedy, but it is unclear how many of those have been killed, a top state official said yesterday. About 1,000 people, many of them pilgrims and tourists, are confirmed dead after flash floods and landslides caused by torrential monsoon rains hit the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand on

“As per information we have received, 3,000 people are still missing,” state Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna told reporters in the state capital Dehradun. Bahuguna announced that families will receive 500,000 rupees ($8,500) in compensation if their loved ones are still missing after the next 30 days. Some of those initially reported missing may have returned home or continued with their

MUMBAI: Indian air force personnel carry the coffin of their Wing Cmdr Darryl Castelino, victim of a helicopter that crashed during a rescue mission in flood-ravaged northern India, during his funeral procession in Mumbai yesterday.—AP June 15, officials have said. Thousands of soldiers, backed by military helicopters, have wound down rescue efforts after evacuating more than 100,000 people stranded in the state, which was packed with tourists on pilgrimages to remote Hindu temples and shrines.

travels but failed to notify local authorities, officials said. The exact death toll may never be known because some of the bodies may have been washed away or buried under tons of debris, Bahuguna told the Press Trust of India. A state lawmaker said late Saturday the death toll could cross 10,000 but

the figure was rejected as “guesswork” by Bahuguna. A 200-strong team of specialists is scouring the worst-hit temple region of Kedarnath for bodies, which may still be trapped under debris or swept away by floods and landslides, officials said. “Clearing tons of debris lying in the affected areas and extricating decaying bodies which may be lying under them is our topmost priority at the moment,” said state director-general of police Satyavrat Bansal. Rescue workers have recovered bodies in rivers hundreds of kilometres downstream from the flood zone, underscoring the difficulty of finding all those who perished. Raging rivers swept away houses, buildings and even entire villages in the state, known as the “Land of the Gods” for its revered shrines. Medical teams have been deployed to assess the risks to public health after warnings of an outbreak of disease due to contamination from hundreds of bodies found in rivers. Media reported that state officials were warned in advance of heavy rains and possible landslides in the area. A senior meteorologist said he had asked the state government to halt pilgrimages in the area before the June 15 disaster over concerns about the rains. “It is true that on (the) 14th we had started giving warnings of heavy rains,” local chief meteorologist Anand Sharma told television channel NDTV in Dehradun. State Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar said the government had re c e i ve d t h e we a t h e r fo re c a s t s but described the warnings as routine. —AFP

Pakistan’S MQM Chief resigns ISLAMABAD: The founder of the Pakistani political party Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Altaf Hussain has resigned as chief of the party early yesterday morning. Altaf Hussain was living in the UK on exile, serving as the MQM chief ever since its emergence in 1984. Speaking to media from the United Kingdom, he said Scotland Yard had raided his residence some days ago and seized some material, following which he decided to voluntarily step down as party leader on moral grounds. Hussain said that he would not seek legal counsel or a solicitor but would plead his case himself if he were to be produced in court in the Imran Farooq

murder case. Dr. Imran Farooq was one of the founding members of MQM with Altaf Hussain and was also on exile in the UK. Imran Farooq was murdered on his way home from work in London on September 16, 2010. The London Metropolitan police has searched two residential properties in London, conducted several raids, arrested some eight suspects, questioned several people, and scanned through thousands of documents for the Dr. Imran murder case. MQM is the second largest political party of southern Pakistan Sindh Province and the largest party of the economic hub Karachi. The announce-

ment of the MQM chief shocked party workers and supporters. Hussain said that he was voluntarily handing over all authority and responsibilities as party leader to the MQM’s Coordination Committee. He urged his party workers to accept all decisions by the committee in the same manner that they acted upon his directions. Large numbers of party workers and supporters gathered outside the headquarters in Karachi, ‘Nine Zero’ as well as other offices in the country after the news of his stepping down. The workers were chanting slogans to express their solidarity and demanding the chief withdraw his resignation. —-KUNA

flesh, broken glass, lost shoes and vegetables from nearby car ts were flung across the scene, and the seats of damaged cars were stained with blood. It was not immediately clear whether anyone from the paramilitary Frontier Corps had been killed. “So far, we have reports that two Frontier Corps soldiers have been injured. We don’t know about any other losses,” a military official told AFP on condition of anonymity. There was no immediate claim of responsibility but the Pakistani Taleban frequently target security forces as part of a seven-year domestic insurgency that has k illed thousands of Pakistanis. The country is on the frontline of the US-led war against AlQaeda, and terror plots against the West have been hatched in its semi-autonomous tribal belt. Pakistani troops have for years been fighting homegrown militants in the northwest. Speaking in Islamabad, Cameron said the battle against terrorism needed “a tough and uncompromising security response” as well as investment in education and measures to ease poverty. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the attack. “Pakistan has suffered the most in terms of human and financial losses. We are, therefore, resolved to tackle the menace of extremism and terrorism with renewed vigor and close cooperation with our friends,” he said after his talks with the British leader. In the northwestern tribal district of South Waziristan, a roadside bomb killed four people in the main town of Wana, officials said. Pak istan assured visiting Cameron yesterday that it would promote efforts to reach a peace deal in neighboring Afghanistan before NATO’s planned withdrawal.

ISLAMABAD: British Prime Minister David Cameron (left) with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif leave after a joint press conference in Islamabad. —AP Cameron is the first foreign government leader to visit Islamabad since Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif took office in June after winning landmark elections in May. Relations between Kabul and Islamabad are traditionally mired in distrust. The apparent headway made at a summit hosted by Cameron in February has since unraveled in a series of public rows. Cameron flew to Pakistan from Afghanistan, where he joined an international push to revive peace efforts that recently collapsed in ignominy after the insurgents opened an office in

the Qatari capital Doha. “We hope that the UK will continue these efforts to seek sustainable peace and stability in Afghanistan,” Sharif told reporters after talks with Cameron. He supported Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s position that any peace process should be “Afghan-owned and Afghan-led”. “I have assured Prime Minister Cameron of our firm resolve to promote the shared objective of a peaceful and stable Afghanistan, to which the three million Afghan refugees currently living in Pakistan can return with honor and dignity,” said Sharif.

MONDAY, JULY 1, 2013

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

China boosts security in Xinjiang BEIJING: Chinese paramilitary troops began round-theclock patrols yesterday in the country’s northwestern region of Xinjiang following a series of bloody clashes that have killed at least 56 people over the last several months. Police also released new details about a clash Wednesday that authorities said left 35 people dead, including 11 attackers, blaming it on a violent gang of Muslim extremists. The order for the patrols by the People’s Armed Police was issued by the ruling Communist Party’s top law enforcement official, Meng Jianzhu, at an emergency meeting late Saturday in Xinjiang’s regional capital, Urumqi. The action came just days ahead of the July 5 anniversary of a 2009 riot between Xinjiang’s native Uighur people and Han Chinese migrants in the city that left nearly 200 people dead. Troops must patrol in all weather conditions, “raise their visibility, maintain a deterrent threat and strengthen the public’s sense of security,” Meng said, according to a notice posted to the Public Security Ministry’s website. Bordering Central Asia, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Xinjiang (shihn-jeeahng) has long been home to a simmering rebellion against Chinese rule among parts of the Uighur (WEE’-gur) population opposed to large-scale Han Chinese migration and angered by strict communist restrictions on Islam and their Turkic language and cultural institutions. However, recent incidents point to a growing level of violence and the apparently growing influence of radical Islam, in spite of a massive security presence spread across the vast region, which is more than twice the size

of Texas. In Wednesday’s incident, assailants attacked police and government offices in the town of Lukqun in the region’s usually quiet east in one of the bloodiest incidents since the 2009 Urumqi rampage. Authorities searching for suspects have sealed off the area. Other independent reports put the death toll as high as 46. According to a police statement posted on the Xinjiang government’s official website, the attackers belonged to a 17-member extremist Islamic cell formed in January by a man identified by the Chinese pronunciation of his Uighur name, Aihemaitiniyazi Sidike. The statement said the cell regularly listened to recordings promoting violence and terrorism and since mid-June had been raising funds, buying knives and gasoline, and casing various sites in preparation for an attack. On Tuesday, however, authorities captured one of the members, and fearing they would be discovered before they could act, Sidike ordered the gang to assemble before dawn Wednesday and attack, the statement said. It said their 24 victims included 16 Uighurs, eight Han and two women. Police wounded and captured four gang members and seized the last suspect on Sunday following a search. Following that incident, more than 100 knifewielding people mounted motorbikes in an attempt to storm the police station Friday in Karakax county in southern Xinjiang’s Hotan region, where the population is overwhelmingly Uighur. Elsewhere the same day, an armed mob staged an attack in the township of Hanairike, according to the Xinjiang regional government’s news portal. Few details were given about the incidents and

Video plea for kidnapped Philippine filmmakers MANILA: The family of two Philippine Muslim women filmmakers allegedly kidnapped by Islamic extremists in the countr y ’s south have made a heartfelt video plea on YouTube for their release. Nadjoua Bansil, 39, and younger sister Linda, 36, were abducted on the strife-torn island of Jolo on June 22 while working on a movie about its impoverished residents, officials and their friends said. “We implore your help, as fellow Muslims, to release them. They are not your enemies,” the victims’ brother Mohammed Bansil said in the YouTube clip, which was uploaded on Friday. “Have pity on our sisters. They are women. You must have taken them to the mountains and we are worried that they may be going hungry and unable to observe proper hygiene,” he added, as pictures of the two women

were shown. Mohammed told AFP yesterday that they uploaded the three-minute video in the hope of establishing contact with the kidnappers. “We are at the stage of initiating negotiations,” he said. “It’s very difficult. There are a lot of people that we have to go through. They (the kidnappers) have not initiated any contact with us.” He said the family did not know which group was holding the sisters, though military and police authorities in Jolo have blamed Abu Sayyaf. The extremist group was founded with seed money from Al-Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden in the 1990s. The US government has officially designated it a terrorist organization. The YouTube video, in which Mohammed speaks calmly alongside his brother Zackaria, identifies the victims as children of a deceased

Muslim sharia court judge, and ends with the two brothers reciting a prayer. Zackaria said he hoped the kidnappers would free his sisters before Ramadan, the Muslim fasting month which starts in early July. The appeal was addressed to the kidnappers, as well as to other guerrilla groups in the area, local Muslim officials and politicians, and President Benigno Aquino. Abu Sayyaf has been blamed for the worst terror attacks in Philippine history as well as many kidnappings of foreigners and Filipinos, often demanding hefty ransoms. Other Abu Sayyaf factions are believed to be holding hostages, including two European bird watchers. Mohammed Bansil said the family has asked the authorities to be circumspect about releasing information to the public that might lead the sisters to be harmed. —AFP

there was no official word on deaths, injuries or arrests. However, US government-backed Radio Free Asia said at least two Uighurs were killed in the Karakax violence, which it said began after Friday prayers at a local mosque that had been raided the week before by police because its resident Imam had defied strict rules on sermon topics. The violence later spread to the city of Hotan, where groups of young men set fires along a major downtown road. The recent wave of violence began with a deadly clash on April 24 in western Xinjiang that left 21 people dead, including police officers and local government officials. The government said the violence broke out after neighborhood security inspectors uncovered a bombmaking ring that was planning a major attack in the city of Kashgar. In that and other incidents, the attackers were reportedly inspired by jihadist teachings and literature smuggled into the country or downloaded from the Internet. China has accused Uighur activists based overseas of orchestrating the 2009 violence in Urumqi and plotting other incidents, charges the groups have denied, saying they are merely advocating for Uighur civil and religious rights. One overseas group, the Washington, DCbased Uyghur American Association, which uses a different spelling of Uighur, has called for an independent investigation into Wednesday’s incident in Lukqun and questioned the government’s claim that it was an act of terrorism. While the loss of life was “extremely upsetting,” China is worsening tensions by ratcheting up security and treating all Uighurs with hostility, the group’s president, Alim Seytoff, said in a statement. —AP

XINJIANG: Armed police officers form lines in Urumqi, western China’s Xinjiang province following a series of bloody clashes that have killed at least 56 people. —AP

ASEAN pins hopes on North Korea talks Pyongyang’s nuke stance takes center-stage BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Brunei: Southeast Asia’s top diplomats have not abandoned hope that this week’s annual Asian security summit will provide a chance for North Korea and its neighbors to discuss restarting long-dormant disarmament talks on Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program, according to a joint statement released yesterday. The foreign ministers of North Korea and five other nations involved in the now-stalled nuclear disarmament talks are gathering in Brunei for the Association of Southeast Asian Nation Regional Forum. The international standoff over North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear weapons is expected to take center stage, along with other regional issues, including South China Sea territorial disputes. In the last six months, North Korea has launched a long-range rocket and conducted an atomic test in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions banning the regime from nuclear and missile activity. Pyongyang calls the weapons buildup the core of its defense against US aggression, and has vowed to push ahead in constructing the arsenal as long as it feels threatened by the US. Top diplomats from the 10 ASEAN countries urged the six nations involved in past disarmament negotiations - North Korea, South Korea, the US, Japan, Russia and China - to restart the talks. The disarmament-for-aid talks hosted by Beijing have been stalled since 2008. “We emphasized the importance of dialogue aimed at promoting mutual understanding and confidence among

all parties concerned with ensuring peace, security and stability on the Korean Peninsula,” they said in a joint statement. “In this regard, we recommended that the (regional forum), where all six members to the six-party talks are also participants, could contribute to forging a conducive atmosphere for the resumption of the six-party talks.” Still, it’s not clear whether North Korea will hold informal talks with the US or South Korea on the sidelines of the forum. The governments in Seoul and Washington have said they have no immediate plans to meet privately with Pyongyang. In recent weeks, North Korea has proposed restarting the talks that once provided crucial fuel and other aid in exchange for disarmament. But the US and South Korea say North Korea first must demonstrate its sincerity on nuclear disarmament with concrete action. The foreign ministers’ statement also said ASEAN countries support peaceful efforts toward building a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula and the early resumption of six-party talks. North Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun arrived in Brunei yesterday morning. US Secretary of State John Kerry and his counterparts from South Korea and Japan were to hold a trilateral meeting today, according to South Korean officials. The ASEAN Regional Forum has previously provided a chance to use informal, sideline talks to break stalemates over the nuclear issue. In 2011, top nuclear envoys from the two Koreas met on the sidelines of the forum in Bali, Indonesia, and agreed to work

toward a resumption of the six-nation talks. The Koreas’ foreign ministers held sideline talks in 2000, 2004, 2005 and 2007, and top diplomats from Pyongyang and Washington also met privately in 2004 and 2008. Meanwhile, long-raging territorial rifts in the South China Sea remained a thorny issue in Brunei, with the Philippines calling China’s recent deployment of naval and paramilitary ships in two disputed shoals as part of Beijing’s “increasing militarization” of disputed areas that could threaten regional stability. Chinese surveillance ships seized the Scarborough Shoal last year following a tense standoff with Philippine vessels. Then a few weeks ago, China deployed a frigate, surveillance ships and fishing boats to Second Thomas Shoal, which the Philippines says is part of its regular territory, in a move Filipino diplomats feared could be a prelude to a Chinese takeover of the area. “This is a violation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea,” Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario told fellow diplomats, referring to a 2002 accord between China and ASEAN that discourages aggressive moves that can provoke armed confrontations in disputed waters. Southeast Asian nations wanted to turn the 2002 accord into a stronger, legally binding “code of conduct” to prevent the territorial rifts from turning violent, but China has not stated when it would sit down with ASEAN nations to negotiate such a pact. —AP

Philippine storm spares capital but strands many MANILA: A tropical storm shifted and spared the Philippine capital yesterday but stranded thousands of commuters, toppled trees and k nocked out power in outlying provinces. Forecasters had predicted that Tropical Storm Rumbia would hit the densely populated Manila metropolis early yesterday, sparking emergency preparations. Instead it veered away and struck Batangas province, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Manila, then blew away toward the South China Sea, officials said. There were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries from the storm, which packed sustained winds of 65 kilometers (40 miles) per hour and gusts of 80 kph (50 mph). Strong winds and rain pounded on roofs and swayed trees before dawn in the capital of more than 12 million people, then the sun emerged. The government’s disaster-response agency said 1,600 villagers fled their homes in Albay province, southeast of Manila, amid heavy rains, while more than

10,000 commuters were stranded as ferry and cargo boats suspended trips. Several provinces reported power outages and minor landslides.

Rumbia is the seventh storm or typhoon to hit the Philippines this year. An average of 21 strike the country in a year. — AP

MANILA: A Filipino man pushes his tricycle along a flooded street in suburban Navotas, north of Manila, Philippines yesterday after tropical storm Rumbia stranded thousands of commuters, toppled trees and knocked out power in outlying provinces. —AP

Philippines VP cancels China trip to save convict MANILA: The Philippine vice president canceled a trip yesterday to China on which he was to make a final appeal to China’s president to spare the life of a Filipino drug convict facing imminent execution, saying Beijing discouraged him from visiting. Vice President Jejomar Binay said he was notified by the Chinese Foreign Ministry that it would not be “convenient” for him to visit China at this time. Binay had planned to leave Sunday for Beijing to deliver a letter by Philippine President Benigno Aquino III appealing

to his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, to commute the death sentence of the convict, a 35-year-old woman, to life imprisonment. “China has sent word that now would not be a convenient time for me to visit China,” Binay said in a statement, expressing sadness over Beijing’s stance. The Philippine government was not questioning the woman’s conviction, Binay said, adding that he wanted to fly to China to “personally appeal for compassion.” Chinese officials did not immediately respond to Binay’s statement. The woman was scheduled to be exe-

cuted anytime between this past Thursday and Tuesday, and her family was to travel to China for what could be their final meeting, Raul Hernandez, spokesman for the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, said last week. He told reporters that the woman was arrested at the Hangzhou International Airport in January 2011 along with a Filipino man. She traveled as a tourist and was convicted of hiding heroin in her luggage. Her companion was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve.—AP

MONDAY, JULY 1, 2013

ANALYSIS

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Issues

Clashing visions weigh on US drive for Taleban talks By Matthew Green s the United States makes a fresh attempt to start talks with the Taleban, competing visions in Afghanistan and neighbouring Pakistan over what an eventual peace process might look like have emerged as one of the biggest hurdles. Washington’s hopes of negotiating with the insurgents to stabilise Afghanistan before most foreign troops leave by the end of 2014 had appeared to achieve a breakthrough last week when the Taleban opened an office in the Qatari capital Doha. But the process was plunged into uncertainty when Afghan President Hamid Karzai refused to send negotiators to the Gulf state after the Taliban raised a flag at its new premises, infuriating the Afghan government and prompting frantic attempts by US officials to resuscitate the planned dialogue. While global attention has focused on the debacle in Doha, tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan - whose cooperation will be vital to any deal have made the prospects of meaningful progress towards a settlement even less sure. Since the Doha office was opened, Pakistani officials have made a series of comments suggesting that Karzai, who is due to step down at elections in April, 2014, is already irrelevant to what should be wide-ranging talks on Afghanistan’s future. “His expiry date has come,” said a Pakistani government official, who is close to Pakistan’s discussions with the US and other allies on Afghanistan. “The principle is a fundamental overhaul.” Pakistan is in a position to influence the talks because its security forces backed the Taleban’s rise to power in Afghanistan in the mid-1990s and continue to serve as gatekeepers to insurgent commanders living on its territory. While the government official’s view does not reflect the public position of Pakistan, which has pledged to support the Afghan government’s reconciliation drive on the basis of the existing Afghan constitution, it does provide a window into a strand of thinking within Islamabad’s ruling establishment. However, it is unusual for senior officials in the government to discuss Afghan policy in detail. The view that Karzai is a hindrance to talks was reflected in comments made to Reuters by three senior Pakistani officials occupying key positions in the foreign ministry and the army, which holds sway over relations with Afghanistan, in recent months. Karzai was installed as president after USbacked troops overthrew the Taleban government in 2001. “Right now, Karzai is the biggest impediment to the peace process,” a top Pakistani Foreign Ministry official told Reuters in March. “In trying to look like a saviour, he is taking Afghanistan straight to hell.” The thrust of Pakistan’s criticism is that Karzai is too erratic to handle negotiations. Pakistani officials also argue that the most important protagonists for any peace process are the United States, the Taliban, and the Northern Alliance, a group of Afghan ex-warlords who fought the Taleban in the 1990s and now wield significant influence in Kabul. This view was laid out in detail in a front-page story published in Pakistan’s privately owned Express Tribune newspaper after the Taleban office opened, quoting Pakistani military and diplomatic sources as saying Karzai had no place in any deal. The sources described the Afghan president as “unstable” and a “poisonous roadblock”. Afghan officials and commentators suspect that Pakistan’s frustration with Karzai stems from its desire to ensure that any future government in Kabul overturns the Afghan president’s policy of cultivating warmer ties with India, Pakistan’s nuclear rival. They also maintain that Pakistan has backed the Taleban through the 12 years of war against US-backed troops. “We pleaded with Pakistan for peace, but Pakistan’s policy and intentions towards Afghanistan have always been hostile and evil,” said Bashir Bezhan, a Kabul-based political analyst. Washington praised Pakistan last week for helping to nudge insurgents towards the negotiating table in Doha, a contrast with acrimonious exchanges in previous years over allegations that Pakistan continued to covertly support the Taleban. Against this backdrop of suspicions of Pakistan, an attack by the Taleban on the presidential palace in Kabul last Tuesday cast fresh doubt on whether Karzai would be prepared to participate in peace talks. US President Barack Obama later called Karzai and the two agreed on the need for an Afghan-led peace process and to support the presence of the Taleban office in Doha, the White House said. But no date has been set for any negotiations. Pakistan foreign ministry spokesman Aizaz Chaudhry said Islamabad remained committed to supporting reconciliation in Afghanistan. —Reuters

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Snowden’s options appear to narrow By Matt Spetalnick and Lidia Kelly early a month after Edward Snowden exposed top secret US surveillance programs, the former spy agency contractor looks no closer to winning asylum to evade prosecution at home - and his options appear to be narrowing. Stuck in legal limbo in a Moscow airport transit area and facing uncertainty over whether any of the destinations he is said to be contemplating - Ecuador, Venezuela and Cuba - will let him in, Snowden seems to be at the mercy of geopolitical forces beyond his control. Unseen in public since arriving in Moscow last weekend, much remains unclear about Snowden’s overtures to various countries and how they have responded behind the scenes. Russia may no longer have sufficient reason to continue harboring Snowden if, as is widely believed, its intelligence services have already questioned him about the classified documents that he has admitted to taking from the National Security Agency. The leftist government of Ecuador, already sheltering WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at its London embassy, is reviewing Snowden’s asylum request, though officials have sent mixed signals, suggesting the process could drag on for weeks. Venezuela’s new president, Nicolas Maduro, has spoken favorably of granting refuge to Snowden but has taken no action, and he may think twice about risking a setback in tentative steps toward post-Chavez rapprochement with Washington. And even if Ecuador or Venezuela decide to take Snowden, there is no guarantee that communist Cuba, the likely transit point for any flight from Moscow to those South American countries, would let him pass through and further complicate its own thorny relations with the United States. Adding to Snowden’s troubles, the Obama administration, embarrassed by his disclosures on US surveillance programs and his ability to dodge extradition when he fled Hong Kong last Sunday, is bringing heavy pressure to bear on any country that might consider accepting him, diplomats say. “Thus far, he has chosen his destinations carefully,” said Carl Meacham, a foreign policy expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. “His time, even in those countries, however, may be running out.” Another potential complication is

the role of anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks, whose alliance with Snowden further politicizes his case. British legal researcher Sarah Harrison, a top WikiLeaks lieutenant and Assange confidante, escorted Snowden on the flight from Hong Kong to Moscow and is believed to have remained with him. Russia remains the chief focus of the diplomatic scramble, and while President Vladimir Putin has clearly delighted in the chance to tweak Washington, there are questions whether he wants a prolonged saga that threatens deeper damage to already-chilly US-Russia relations. The former NSA contractor’s trek took him

to Moscow because he had little choice of any other route that would keep him relatively safe from his American pursuers, former Russian intelligence officers and political and security analysts said. “He has almost nowhere to go. He does not have much of a choice,” said Fyodor Lukyanov, editor of the journal Russia in Global Affairs and a member of an influential foreign policy council. “Considering that he came out with a serious statement that is seen by the United States as treasonous, he needs to lay out an itinerary through countries where he can feel more or less certain that he will not be handed over.” Despite Putin’s insistence that

Russian intelligence agencies had not been “working with” Snowden, a Russian security service source said they would certainly have interviewed him. US authorities are already operating on a “worst case” assumption that all of the classified material in Snowden’s possession has made its way to one or more adversary intelligence services, US national security sources said. While top US officials have warned of serious damage to national security interests from Snowden’s leaks, Lukyanov suggested that in intelligence terms he was probably not a very valuable prize. “He is not some kind of special agent,” he said.—Reuters

Kerry to confront doubts in Asia By Shaun Tandon Secretary of State John Kerry heads to talks in Asia trying to quash fears that the vaunted US refocus on the region is not serious as he puts a personal priority on peace in the Middle East. Kerry plans to attend Southeast Asian talks in Brunei from today, which has become his unofficial deadline to wrap up his latest Middle East trip in which he is shuttling between Israeli and Palestinian leaders to revive peace talks. Even in Brunei, his focus will not be solely on Asia as he is expected to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on tensions over the Syria war and the mysterious presence in Moscow of US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden. Kerry has visited the Middle East five times in as many months. His second trip to Asia since taking office in February - he earlier went to China, Japan and South Korea - is again part of a larger tour. Kerry dismissed suggestions he was uninterested in Asia, saying that he planned to travel “shortly” to Indonesia and Vietnam and believed in President Barack Obama’s so-called “pivot” of putting more of a focus on Asia. Kerry said that the United States has always been capable of “dealing with more than one crisis in more than one part of the planet at the same time”. “People should not think that, because we are trying to bring peace to an area that has been struggling for 30 years now under the yoke of conflict and dissension, that that means we can’t also pay attention to these other issues,” Kerry told Voice of America during his latest trip. Diplomats and some analysts have voiced concern that the United States is shifting back to older priorities after the departure of Kerry’s predecessor Hillary Clinton, who prided herself on paying attention to Asia. Clinton sought to develop a broader relationship with a rising China and spearheaded US outreach to Myanmar, which has surprised even many critics by embracing democratic reforms in the

past three years. Clinton was the first secretary of state to visit all 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, with her aides arguing that the previous administration of George W. Bush neglected the economically dynamic and mostly US-friendly bloc due to preoccupation with the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. A senior US official acknowledged that Asian nations voiced doubts about the Asia commitment as Clinton left. But he said that at a substantive rather than symbolic level, the United States is stepping up spending on its Asia projects at a time of belt-tightening. The official noted that Obama has welcomed to Washington in recent months the leaders of Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Brunei and - for the first time in half a century - Myanmar. Asian nations that were concerned a few months ago were now asking “more of what we bring to the table than whether we are at the table,” the official told AFP on condition of anonymity. Some observers said it was natural that a new secretary of state would try to be different. Kerry may face fewer risks in delving into the Middle East as, unlike fellow former presidential candidate Clinton, he is virtually certain not to entertain future political ambitions. Walter Lohman, a Southeast Asia specialist at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative US think-tank, said that Asian nations ranked the Obama administration well for engagement but knew that the Middle East “has a way of dominating Americans’ attention”. “There is some wariness of whether Asia is a priority for Kerry or whether he is going to try to make his personal mark elsewhere the Middle East or Europe,” Lohman said. Ernie Bower of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies said that Southeast Asian nations largely welcomed Kerry’s visit on his current tour to India, which has been seeking a bigger role in the region as China rises. But Bower voiced particular concern about the delay of a visit to Indonesia, which Obama and Clinton identified as a priority due to its rapid transition to democracy and moderate form of Islam. —AFP

Brazil protests peak, ball in pols’ court By Anthony Boadle he massive protests that paralyzed Brazil last week appear to have peaked after sending the country’s shaken political establishment a loud message that it needs to change its ways. It’s now up to the politicians to deliver improvements to the country’s deficient public services and more transparent and accountable government demanded by frustrated Brazilians, or the crescendo of angry protests could suddenly return. While smaller protests continue on a daily basis, the number of demonstrators this week was much lower than the one million people who took to the streets a week ago, due to a mix of protest fatigue and achievement of the protesters’ initial aim of drawing attention to their grievances. Tens of thousands may still protest around yesterday’s Confederations Cup final football match between Brazil and Spain in Rio de Janeiro, the locus of violence so far, but the end of the soccer tournament will deprive protesters of a high-profile stage on which to air their grievances. “The streets are saying to the politicians: you have heard our voices, now let’s see what you will do with this,” said Marcos Nobre, a political philosophy professor at the University of Campinas and author of a new e-book on the popular revolt. “The protests have peaked but they are not over. This is a truce as Brazilians wait to see how the political system responds,” Nobre added. Politicians in Brasilia are rushing to clean

up their act to appease the anger directed at them by the protesters. Congress is fast-tracking measures against corruption. One of its members, convicted of embezzling public funds, on Friday became the first federal lawmaker to go to jail in 25 years. But analysts say deeper reforms will be needed to restore public credibility in a political class viewed as self-serving, overpaid and corrupt. The civil unrest, something rarely seen in recent decades in South America’s economic powerhouse, was sparked by a small protest against higher public transportation fares in Sao Paulo. The ensuing police crackdown, which touched a nerve in a country with a history of violent political repression under a military dictatorship that ended in 1985, fanned demonstrations nationwide even after cities agreed to roll back the fare increases. The protests were fueled by widespread frustration with Brazil’s deplorable education, health and transportation services, rising crime and cost of living, as well as over-spending on stadiums that will host next year’s World Cup football tournament. Six people died in the protests, including a young man who fell from an overpass in Belo Horizonte on Wednesday as riot police fired tear gas and rubber bullets into marchers to stop them from reaching a stadium where a Confederations Cup game was underway. The Confederations Cup is a warm-up for the 2014 World Cup, which Brazil will host in 12 cities. The protesters used the Confederations Cup to tell the world that Brazil is not just a land of

soccer and that their priorities are improved education, healthcare and public transportation rather than costly mega-events like the World Cup and the Olympic Games set for 2016 in Rio de Janeiro. The protests took Brazilian politicians by surprise and showed how out of touch they were with an increasingly middle-class nation that is more informed and unwilling to tolerate a political system long plagued by patronage and corruption. The leaderless protests expressed a wide array of demands, but one common target, Nobre said, was “a corrupt political system that does not represent this new democratic political culture that has arisen mainly through social networks.” The protests sent shockwaves through Brazil’s Congress and prompted frenetic activity by lawmakers who have rushed to pass legislation that had been sitting around for years, notably a bill toughening sentences for corruption. “The political class fears the consequences of this popular revolt. Politicians are keenly aware that if we do not change the way we do things we are going to be trampled on in next year’s elections,” Alvaro Dias, leader of the opposition PSDB party in the Senate, told Reuters. “Congress is making up for lost time by rushing through bills.” President Dilma Rousseff has received scant praise for her response, even within her own party, and elections are coming. Brazil’s first female president is expected to run for a second term next year and her popularity had already begun to slip before the protests on

concerns about rising inflation and slow growth in the world’s seventh-largest economy. Rousseff surprised Brazil last Monday by announcing plans to convene a constituent assembly to adopt political reforms. Within less than 24 hours, she had withdrawn the idea in the face of strong criticism even from within her ruling coalition. Her Workers’ Party government is now working with its allies to hold a quick plebiscite this year that will ask Brazilians what political reforms they want, a plan that is seen as overhasty damage control by opposition leaders such as Dias. Even members of her unwieldy 16-party coalition would rather Congress draw up the reforms first and then seek the nation’s approval in a yes-or-no referendum that could be added to the ballot in the general election slated for October 2014. If the response to the protests is unsatisfactory for Brazilians, the protests would reignite, Nobre said. And if they continue into 2014 they could endanger the holding of the 32-nation World Cup - an ideal occasion for new demonstrations - and disrupt campaigns of politicians seeking re-election. Socialist lawmaker Chico Alencar says the survival instinct of Brazil’s politicians has made them react quickly to the loud criticism from the streets, but changes modernizing Brazil’s democratic system will come only if popular pressure continues. “If the protests fizzle out, conservative forces that want to maintain the status quo will regain control of the political agenda,” he said. —Reuters

NEWS

MONDAY, JULY 1, 2013

Saudis jailed for urging protests on Facebook Iran confirms arrest of Slovaks

A Kashmiri villager eats his meal as a dog and a herd of sheep rest near him on the outskirts of Srinagar yesterday. — AP

Obama visits Mandela prison Continued from Page 1 “The world is grateful for the heroes of Robben Island, who remind us that no shackles or cells can match the strength of the human spirit.” Obama later made Mandela the keystone of an address urging students at the University of Cape Town and elsewhere across the vast continent to make a difference. “I took my first step in politics because of South Africa,” he said, recalling his attachment to the anti-apartheid movement in the 1970s as a student in California. Echoing Robert Kennedy’s call for non-violent change that was made in the same wood-panelled hall half a century ago, Obama urged the students to help shape a continent that is moving forward apace. He recounted Kennedy’s electrifying words that June day in 1966. “Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope. And crossing each other from a million different centres of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.” Obama said leaders like Mandela and Kennedy were a challenge to him “but more importantly they stand as a challenge to your generation”. “They tell you that your voice matters, your ideas, your willingness to act on those ideas, your choices can make a difference. If there is any country in the world that shows the power of human beings to affect change, this is the one. You have shown us how a prisoner can become a president.” While Obama acknowledged that Africa is moving forward, he said more work needed to be done. “There is no question that Africa is on the move, but it is not moving fast enough for the child still languishing in poverty... It’s not moving fast enough for the protester who is beaten in Harare, for the woman who is raped in eastern Congo,” he said to a warm reception from the packed auditorium. Obama warned that Africa could only fulfil its rising potential with leaders who serve their people, not tyrants who enrich themselves. In a strident call for democratic change and good governance, Obama used the political legacy of Mandela and South Africa’s emergence from grim years of apartheid as proof that freedom will ultimately prevail. “In too many countries, the actions of thugs and warlords and human traffickers hold back the promise of Africa,” Obama said. “America cannot put a stop to these tragedies alone, and you don’t expect us to. That is a job for Africans. But we can help you and we will help you,” he said, announc-

ing major new US programs to boost electricity and health care. “History shows us that progress is only possible where governments exist to serve their people and not the other way around,” said Obama, in a line that drew loud and prolonged cheers from his audience. Obama’s goal was to inspire a new generation of Africans with the belief that they could ignite political change and the potential of their continent. He slammed leaders who “steal or kill or disenfranchise voters”, saying that the ultimate lesson of South Africa was that such brutal tactics will not work. “So long as parts of Africa continue to be ravaged by war and mayhem, opportunity and democracy cannot take root,” said Obama. “Across the continent, there are places where still, fear often prevails,” Obama said, warning of “senseless terrorism” from Mali to Mogadishu. “From Congo to Sudan, conflicts fester,” Obama said, hitting out at those who argue that American calls for democracy and freedom are “intrusive” or “meddling”. He also condemned the rule of Robert Mugabe in neighbouring Zimbabwe, where he said the “promise of liberation gave way to the corruption of power and the collapse of the economy”. Obama’s warm welcome however was not universal. Riot police fired rubber bullets and stun grenades at around 300 hundred anti-Obama protesters on Saturday in the township of Soweto, once a flashpoint in the anti-apartheid struggle. His tour of Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania is aimed at changing perceptions that he has neglected Africa since his election in 2008, while also countering China’s growing economic influence in the resource-rich continent. Mandela’s illness placed Obama in a tricky political spot, forcing him to balance his desire to push for a new economic relationship with Africa, with the need to properly honour his hero, who has been in intensive care for more than three weeks. On Saturday, Obama and his wife Michelle called Mandela’s wife Graca Machel, and the president then privately visited several daughters and grandchildren of Mandela, to offer support and prayers. But he decided against rolling up in his massive entourage at the Pretoria hospital where the 94-year-old Mandela lies, worried that he would disturb his peace. “I expressed my hope that Madiba draws peace and comfort from the time that he is spending with loved ones,” Obama said in a statement using Mandela’s clan name. Machel said she drew “strength from the support” of the Obama family. Mandela, once branded a terrorist by the United States and Britain, was freed in 1990 and became president after the first fully democratic elections in 1994. — AFP

Gulf, EU call for Syria talks Continued from Page 1 The EU “must immediately implement its decision” to lift an arms embargo on weapons destined for Syria’s opposition, said Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud AlFaisal. This, he said, was essential to oﬀset assistance Damascus received from “Hezbollah and other forces backed by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards who get unlimited supplies of Russian weapons”. The EU decided in May to lift an embargo on Syria’s armed opposition but it will only go into force in August. “The international community must ban the supply of weapons to the Syrian regime and demand that foreign occupation forces withdraw from Syria,” said the Saudi minister. Ashton told the gathering “we need to work harder together to ﬁnd the political solution that will bring peace” to Syria and expressed concern about a spillover of the war into neighbouring Lebanon and Iraq. “We are extremely concerned about the plight of the people and about rising sectarian con-

ﬂicts in Lebanon and Iraq, and we want to do our utmost to try and defuse tension,” she said. On Iran, the GCC - whose members also include Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and the United Arab Emirates and the EU expressed support for diplomatic eﬀorts to end the row over Tehran’s nuclear program. They also urged Iran “to play a constructive role” in the Sunnimajority region where GCC leaders have repeatedly accused the Islamic republic of undermining stability. On the economic front, Ashton said bilateral trade between the EU and the GCC increased by 45 percent since 2010 and was worth Ä145 billion annually ($188 billion). On Saturday, the European Union said the “promotion of human rights” was among issues Ashton would raise at the meeting to review economic ties and regional developments. Human Rights Watch issued statement on the occasion of the meeting urging Ashton to press Bahrain to release 13 opposition activists jailed in the Sunni-ruled but Shiite-majority Gulf state. — AFP

Two petitions filed to cancel or defer polls Continued from Page 1 all its decisions illegitimate. One of the most important decisions the Cabinet recently issued was approving an Amiri decree setting July 27 as the date for parliamentary polls. The lawyer stressed that since the Cabinet’s makeup is illegal, its decisions are illegitimate and if the election is held, it will be challenged in the future and this could lead to nullifying the next Assembly which will be the third to be scrapped since June last year. The administrative court has the power to freeze the election or cancel it altogether, but its verdicts can be challenged before the court of appeals and the supreme court. In the second petition, Jassem Al-Enezi demanded that the court suspend the election until the constitutional court looks into a request ﬁled by him last week asking the court to explain parts of its key ruling issued on June 16 which dissolved the Assembly but upheld the controversial amendment to the electoral law. The constitutional court has set Sept 18 to issue its decision on the request and can

simply decline the request. Enezi said that the election should be frozen until the court has issued the explanation which could impact the election procedures and process. In a related development, speaker of the scrapped Assembly Ali Al-Rashed said that the Cabinet is legal and so are its decisions. He said that the elected MP in the Cabinet now is Rola Dashti, who was elected to the 2009 Assembly and who is now state minister for development and Assembly aﬀairs. Rashed was speaking to reporters after ﬁling his nomination papers to contest elections from the second constituency. As many as 43 new candidates registered yesterday raising the total to 179 candidates after the fourth day of registration. Six more days remain. Among the prominent candidates who registered were former MPs Maasouma Al-Mubarak, Askar Al-Enezi, Adnan Al-Mutawa, Ali Al-Saeed, Hussein Al-Quwaian and Talal AlEnezi. Others included members of the scrapped Assembly like Safa Al-Hashem, Hesham Al-Baghli, Mishari Al-Husseini and Mubarak Al-Orf. Most of the candidates hoped that the next election will lead to political stability after years of political turmoil.

RIYADH/TEHRAN: Saudi Arabia has sentenced seven activists from its restive Eastern Province to prison terms ranging from five to 10 years for posting messages on Facebook calling for anti-government protests, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said yesterday. The New York-based rights group urged EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and other European officials who were meeting with Gulf counterparts, including Saudi Arabia, in Manama yesterday to condemn the convictions. Eastern Province has seen occasional protests by minority Shiites over the past two years against alleged discrimination and negligence, which the Riyadh government denies. “Sending people off to years in prison for peaceful Facebook posts sends a strong message that there’s no safe way to speak out in Saudi Arabia, even on online social networks,” Joe Stork, HRW’s deputy Middle East director, said in a statement. “If the EU doesn’t raise these cases with Saudi officials this weekend, its silence will look like craven compliance with the rights abuses of an authoritarian state.” Saudi Interior Ministry officials were not immediately available for comment. A Saudi-based human rights campaigner said the activists were all Shiite from Al-Ahsa governorate who had set up Facebook pages to urge people to stage demonstrations. “The sectarian situation in the region made the sentences tough and unreasonable,” he said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Human Rights Watch said the seven men were detained in Sept 2011 and had spent a year and a half in prison before being tried by a special tribunal set up in 2008 to handle terrorism-related cases. The court did not charge the men with directly participating in the protests, HRW said, rather with inciting “protests, illegal gathering, and breaking allegiance with the king”. Saudi Arabia swiftly moved in early 2011 to quell protests by minority Shiites over the deployment of Saudi forces to nearby Bahrain to help crush anti-government demonstrations there. A majority of Bahraini citizens are Shiites. But discontent lingers on with occasional protests in eastern Saudi Arabia, where at least 20 people have been killed by security forces since 2011. On Thursday, thousands of Shiites protested against the kingdom’s ruling Al-Saud family at the funeral of a wanted man shot dead by police, an incident that ended months of relative calm in the province. Separately, Iran yesterday confirmed the arrest of sever-

al Slovaks two days after Bratislava announced that a group of paragliders had been apprehended, reportedly accused of espionage. Tehran did not confirm how many Slovaks had been detained, but Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak said eight Slovaks were under arrest in Iran. “They came to Iran as tourists but behaved inappropriately and had unconventional devices in their possession,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Araqchi told ISNA news agency. “They broke the laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran and were arrested by the relevant authorities.” Araqchi did not say when or where they were detained, but added “an investigation has begun and their case will be referred later to the judiciary”. He also confirmed they had been given consular access. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Saturday that the group detained in Iran “are facing very serious charges” without giving any further details. “It’s a very sensitive case. I can only say that Iranian authorities are talking about very serious charges against our citizens,” he added. Yesterday, his foreign minister said: “I can confirm that eight Slovak citizens have been arrested in Iran”. “The ministry has been taking steps since May 22, when we learned about the arrest,” Lajcak said in remarks broadcast on national public television. “We are in everyday contact with the Iranian foreign ministry. (The) Slovak consul in Tehran has visited the arrested tourists - they are alive and in good health.” The Slovak minister did not reveal any other details, saying it would harm the detainees’ case. “I don’t feel good about the fact that journalists have taken interest in the case. No similar case has ever been solved by newspaper stories,” said Lajcak. “I cannot give you more information because it could harm the prospects of our citizens to be released and safely moved home.” Slovakia’s SME newspaper reported the paragliders had been arrested in Iran “more than three weeks ago for taking pictures of military objects from above”. Another Slovak citizen was arrested in the country last year on allegations of spying for the US Central Intelligence Agency and paraded on state television. The 26-year-old, who used to work as a headhunter in Iran’s telecommunications sector, was released after spending 40 days in solitary confinement. State television said he was accused of contacting Iranian scientists to seek information on “the country’s scientific progress”. — Agencies

Egyptians flood streets to demand Morsi... Continued from Page 1 As the working day ended and 38 Celsius heat eased, throngs of protesters converged on Tahrir Square through the eerily shuttered city centre, while smaller crowds protested in several other locations in the capital. The veteran leaders of Egypt’s secular, liberal and leftwing opposition, including former chief of the UN nuclear watchdog Mohamed ElBaradei and leftist presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabahi, joined protest marches in Cairo. A Reuters journalist said hundreds of thousands of anti-government protesters marched through the Mediterranean port of Alexandria, Egypt’s second city, and a military source reported protests in at least 20 towns around the country. Morsi, an engineering professor propelled from obscurity to power by the Brotherhood, was monitoring events from the heavily guarded Qubba presidential palace, where a presidency spokesman appealed for the demonstrations to remain peaceful. A senior Brotherhood politician, Essam El-Erian, denounced the protests as a “coup attempt”. In a statement on the group’s website, he challenged the opposition to test public opinion in parliamentary elections instead of “simply massing people in violent demonstrations, thuggery or shedding the precious blood of Egyptians”. Security sources said three Brotherhood offices were set on fire by demonstrators in towns in the Nile Delta the latest in more than a week of sporadic violence in which hundreds of people have been hurt and several killed, including an American student. More than 20,000 supporters of Morsi congregated outside a Cairo mosque not far from the main presidential palace, where a much bigger anti-Morsi sit-in swelled from yesterday evening. Interviewed by a British newspaper, Morsi voiced his resolve to ride out what he sees as an undemocratic attack on his electoral legitimacy. He offered to revise the Islamist-inspired constitution, saying clauses on religious authority, which fuelled liberal resentment, were not his choice. He made a similar offer last week, after the head of the army issued a strong call for politicians to compromise. But the opposition dismissed it as too little too late. They hope Morsi will resign in the face of large numbers on the streets. Some Egyptians believe the army may force the president’s hand, if not to quit then at least to make substantial concessions to the opposition. In Cairo, demonstrators stopped to shake hands and

take photographs with soldiers guarding key buildings. At least six high-ranking police officers took to the Tahrir Square podium in support of demonstrators, a Reuters witness said. The armed forces used helicopters to monitor the protests in Cairo and Alexandria and a military source said chief-of-staff and Defence Minister General Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi was following the situation from a special operations room. Morsi and the Brotherhood hope the protests will fizzle as previous outbursts did in December and January. If not, some form of compromise, possibly arbitrated by the army, may be on the cards. Both sides insist they plan no violence but accuse the other - and agents provocateurs from the old regime - of planning it. The US-equipped army shows little sign of wanting power but warned last week it may have to step in if deadlocked politicians let violence slip out of control. US President Barack Obama called for dialogue and warned trouble in the most populous Arab nation could unsettle an already turbulent region. Washington has evacuated non-essential personnel and reinforced security at diplomatic missions. In his interview with Britain’s Guardian newspaper, Morsi repeated accusations that what he sees as entrenched interests from the Mubarak era are plotting to foil his attempt to govern. He dismissed the demands that he give up and resign. If that became the norm, he said, “well, there will be people or opponents opposing the new president too, and a week or a month later, they will ask him to step down”. Liberal leaders say nearly half the voting population - 22 million people - has signed a petition calling for new elections, although there is no obvious challenger to Morsi. Religious authorities have warned of “civil war”. The army insists it will respect the “will of the people”, though the two sides have opposing views of what that means. To the Brotherhood, that means the result of elections. To the opposition, that means the demands of popular protests. Having staged shows of force earlier this month, the Brotherhood did not call on its supporters to go out yesterday. The army, half a million strong and financed by Washington since it backed a peace treaty with Israel three decades ago, says it has deployed to protect key installations. Among these is the Suez Canal. Cities along the waterway vital to global trade are bastions of anti-government sentiment. A bomb killed a protester in Port Said on Friday. A police general was gunned down in Sinai, close to the Israeli border. — Reuters

Rolling Stones rock Glastonbury Continued from Page 1 Prince Harry, probably weren’t born when the band started playing five decades ago. “If this is the first time you’ve ever seen the band, do come again,” he said as he looked out across the fields at Worthy Farm in Somerset, southwest England. Jagger began with the 1968 classic “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” to a backdrop of fireworks, kicking off a set that showcased all the band’s talents and included crowdpleasers from their 1960s and 70s heyday. He prowled and pranced around the stage for two hours, occasionally ceding the limelight to guitarist Keith Richards and former band member Mick Taylor, who each performed showcase tunes. Jagger reportedly prepared for the gig with a rigorous fitness routine, avoided speaking for several days beforehand and studied DVDs of past Glastonbury headline acts. The Stones have been playing a series of North American dates on their “50 and Counting” tour ahead of several British concerts this summer, but Glastonbury is a special kind of pressure. In honour of the occasion, Jagger wrote a brand new song called “Glastonbury Girl” which made reference to festival traditions including the gumboots often worn against the English mud. And he didn’t hold back on the big numbers, donning a black ostrich feather cloak for “Sympathy for the Devil”

as ﬁre burst out of the top of the pyramid and a giant mechanical phoenix atop the stage came to life. “The old black magic still crackles,” wrote a reviewer for the Observer newspaper, while The Times said the set “was a triumph by anyone’s standards”. Fans had claimed their spots up to 12 hours ahead of the show, the highlight of a weekend which included headline per formances by Arctic Monkeys on Friday and Mumford and Sons yesterday night. “It was amazing,” said Kathy Dixon, 26, after the gig culminated with bouncing encores of “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” and “Satisfaction”. “It felt like lots of generations were coming together. It felt very special - almost spiritual.” “They look as young as they were in the sixties,” said 22-year-old Walter Hudson. “The only place you can see their age is in their skin - their energy is the same.” Glastonbury began as a hippie gathering of 1,500 people in 1970, but has become an annual pilgrimage for music fans and celebrities such as supermodel Kate Moss. This year’s event, for which a ticket cost £205 ($300), was attended by 135,000 people, with 58 stages littered across the 900-acre site. The festival, Britain’s most popular celebration of music and performing arts, continues to sell out months in advance even though summer rain storms often transforms it into a mudbath. — AFP

MONDAY, JULY 1, 2013

S P ORT S Lyon sell Martial to Monaco

Nonu gets suspension

Colts safety Lefeged arrested

PARIS: Olympique Lyon blamed France striker Bafetimbi Gomis’s refusal to accept a transfer offer for forcing them to sell exciting youngster Anthony Martial to Monaco for five million euros ($6.5 million) yesterday. Lyon, the only Ligue 1 club listed on the Paris stock exchange, had to sell at least one player by Sunday to be able to report balanced yearly results. “Having not been able to complete the move of any player approached for a transfer by June 30, notably Bafetimbi Gomis, the club considered Monaco’s offer for Anthony Martial,” Lyon said in a statement. “The club completed Anthony Martial’s move for five million euros plus an important share on a future transfer,” they added, again taking aim at Gomis who “has not left yet”. President Jean-Michel Aulas said this week he had agreed with three clubs, including Premier League sides Swansea and Cardiff, over a transfer for Gomis but the player, Lyon’s top scorer last season, had turned them down. Martial, a 17-year-old forward, has played only 50 minutes in three league games so far but has long been tipped for great things following good performances with the youth teams. — Reuters

CANTERBURY: All Blacks and Otago Highlanders centre Ma’a Nonu has been suspended for three weeks after he was sent off for a dangerous tackle during Saturday’s Super Rugby defeat against the Canterbury Crusaders, governing body SANZAR said yesterday. Nonu was red carded by referee Steve Walsh in the 58th minute on Saturday for his tackle on Crusaders winger Tom Marshall. “The tackle was executed poorly and there was no intention to hurt the opponent. Nonu accepted that the tackle was poorly executed by lifting his opponent,” SANZAR judicial officer Jannie Lubbe said in his ruling. “The tackled player was not injured and the incident had no effect on the Crusaders team. A medical report obtained from the Crusaders confirmed that the player involved suffered no injury. “Taking into account the record of the player over a period of more than a decade playing Super Rugby, which is not unblemished, his early plea of guilt and the remorse shown, I have determined to give the player a discount of one week and to suspend the player from all rugby for a period of three weeks.” Highlanders flanker Jarrad Hoeata was sinbinned by referee Steve Walsh in the first half for illegal play while Crusaders hooker Corey Flynn was also sinbinned for a head-high tackle during the feisty game, which the Crusaders won 40-12. The Highlanders are currently placed last and with two rounds of the regular season left, Nonu has played his last Super Rugby match this year. —Reuters

WASHINGTON: Indianapolis Colts safety Joe Lefeged was arrested early Saturday after officers found a semi-automatic pistol in the car he was riding in, police said. Lefeged was a front-seat passenger in a Chevy Camaro that fled a traffic stop for speeding in northeast Washington just after midnight. Officers smelled marijuana in the car and found a plastic bottle of vodka and orange juice in the center console and a semi-automatic pistol under the front passenger seat, police documents show. A receipt and purchase paperwork showed Lefeged bought the gun this year for about $900, police said. Lefeged and another passenger were caught when they tried to run from the car in different directions, police said. The driver ran away and was not immediately caught. Lefeged was being held without bond at D.C. jail on a weapon charge. He faces a preliminary court hearing Tuesday. A lawyer listed as representing him did not return a call seeking comment Saturday afternoon. “We are aware of the reports regarding Joe Lefeged in Washington, D.C. At this time, we will have no further comment on the pending matter until we gain more information,” the Colts said in a statement Saturday. Police say officers stopped the car for speeding and because another passenger in the car was standing completely upright in the backseat. After police repeatedly told the driver to put the car in park, the driver sped off, nearly striking officers who had surrounded the white convertible, police said. —AP

Blue Jays beat Red Sox

NEW YORK: Omar Quintanilla No. 3 of the New York Mets reacts after his sixth inning double as Ian Desmond No. 20 of the Washington Nationals looks on at Citi Field. — AFP

Mets top Nationals NEW YORK: Dillon Gee beat Washington for the third time this season and the New York Mets scored the go-ahead run when third baseman Ryan Zimmerman and shortstop Ian Desmond made errors on the same play to top the Nationals 5-1 Saturday. Daniel Murphy delivered three hits, and first baseman Josh Satin started a pair of double plays for the Mets. The Nationals fell back to .500, losing to the team with the worst home record in the majors. Gee (6-7) limited Washington to one run in six innings, working around six hits and three walks. Taylor Jordan (0-1) lasted 4 1-3 innings in his big league debut. He was promoted from Double-A and gave up three runs, although a pair of errors by Zimmerman helped make two of them unearned. Jordan gave up five hits, walked two, hit a batter and struck out one. BRAVES 11, DIAMONDBACKS 5 In Atlanta, Jason Heyward hit a tying RBI double, and Andrelton Simmons scored the go-ahead run on the same play in a seven-run eighth inning that lifted Atlanta over Arizona. The Braves rallied for their 23rd comeback victory, tops in the National League. Atlanta has won two straight and four of five. The Diamondbacks have lost four of five. Braves starter Tim Hudson extended his winless streak to 10 straight starts, allowing five hits, four runs and four walks with two strikeouts in 5 2-3 innings. David Hernandez (4-5) retired the first batter he faced in the eighth, but pinch-hitter Reed Johnson and Simmons were both hit by pitches before Heyward doubled. The Diamondbacks took a 5-4 lead in the eighth on Miguel Montero’s fifth homer, a solo shot, off Jordan Walden. Walden (3-1) earned the win despite allowing three hits and one run in one inning. ROCKIES 2, GIANTS 1 In Denver, Nolan Arenado hit a game-ending single with two outs in the ninth inning to lift Colorado over San Francisco, which has lost six straight for the first time in three years. Colorado’s Michael Cuddyer singled in the first inning to extend his hitting streak to 26 straight games. Todd Helton was walked by reliever Jeremy Affeldt (1-4) with two outs in the ninth for Colorado’s first runner since the second inning. Josh Rutledge ran for Helton, stole second and scored when Arenado singled up the middle to help the Rockies return to .500 (41-41). Rafael Betancourt (2-3) got the win in his first appearance since May 31. Andres Torres had three hits, and Buster Posey had two hits and an RBI for the defending World Series champion Giants, who last lost six in a row from June 26 to July 2, 2010. Cuddyer’s streak is the longest in Rockies’ history and in the majors this season.

MARLINS 7, PADRES 1 In Miami, Jacob Turner pitched a seven-hitter for his first complete game in 19 career starts, helping Miami beat San Diego. The complete game was the first for the Marlins this year. They had been outscored 203 while losing their first four games to San Diego this season, but the lowest-scoring team in the majors gave Turner a 6-0 lead after four innings. Giancarlo Stanton hit his eighth home run, Jeff Mathis had two RBIs, and Placido Polanco became the 22nd active player to score 1,000 runs. Turner (2-0) struck out seven, walked one and threw 111 pitches, 77 for strikes. The right-hander lowered his ERA to 1.76 in six starts since being recalled from Triple-A. The Marlins (28-51) have the worst record in the majors, but they are 14-10 in June. Eric Stults (6-6) gave up a season-high six runs, five earned, in 3 2-3 innings. The start was his briefest since 2009. The Marlins took a 3-0 lead in the first inning and added three runs in the fourth. PIRATES 2, BREWERS 1 In Pittsburgh, Pedro Alvarez and Garrett Jones homered and Francisco Liriano pitched six strong innings as surging Pittsburgh won its eighth straight game and sent Milwaukee to its fifth straight loss. Alvarez hit his 20th home run with one out in the second inning to extend his hitting streak to 12 games and help the Pirates to their longest winning streak since 2004. Pittsburgh (50-30), which has endured 20 consecutive losing seasons, has the best record in the major leagues. Jones hit his seventh of the season to lead off the fourth inning and increase the Pirates’ lead to 2-0. That was enough for Liriano (7-3), who improved to 4-1 in five home starts. He gave up one run and seven hits in six innings with one walk and six strikeouts. Jason Grilli earned his 27th save in 28 opportunities. Donovan Hand (0-1) allowed both home runs in a solid five-inning performance in his second major league start. DODGERS 4, PHILLIES 3 In Los Angeles, AJ Ellis hit an RBI single in the ninth inning, Hanley Ramirez hit a tapemeasure, three-run homer in the first against Cliff Lee and Los Angeles beat Philadelphia. The Phillies’ Chase Utley homered in his first two career at-bats against Hyun-Jin Ryu. But the Dodgers won for the seventh in eight games, bouncing back from a 16-1 loss Friday that was the franchise’s most lopsided at home since a 19-2 rout by the New York Giants on July 3, 1947 - during Jackie Robinson’s rookie season. Ramirez led off the ninth against rookie Justin De Fratus (2-3) with a single before Matt Kemp took a called third strike. De Fratus walked Andre Ethier before Ellis lined a 2-2 pitch to right, scoring Ramirez. Kenley Jansen (2-3) got the win. —AP

HOUSTON: Jose Bautista hit a pair of long homers over the Green Monster, starting with the 200th of his career and following with a tiebreaking, two-run drive off Junichi Tazawa in the eighth inning that led the Toronto Blue Jays over the Boston Red Sox 6-2 Saturday. After Shane Victorino’s two-run single against Steve Delabar (5-1) tied the score in the seventh, Bautista followed Jose Reyes’ leadoff single in the eighth with a drive off Tazawa (4-3) that went off the base of a light-tower in left-center. Bautista has 18 home runs this season and 21st career multihomer games. Bautista also threw out Victorino at the plate from right field when he tried to score from second on Dustin Pedroia’s sixth-inning single. Boston’s Jarrod Saltalamacchia was out at the plate in the seventh, when pitcher Darren Oliver’s throw home beat him on Jonathan Diaz’s squeeze bunt. INDIANS 4, WHITE SOX 3 In Chicago, Nick Swisher singled in the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning, and Cleveland beat the White Sox for the third time in less than 24 hours. Swisher’s homer in the ninth inning Friday night helped Cleveland secure a sweep of a marathon doubleheader Friday night. This time, Cabrera, Jason Kipnis and Swisher consecutive one-out singles off Jesse Crain (2-3) in the eighth. Crain allowed his first run since April 12. He went 31 outings before Saturday without giving up an earned run. Joe Martinez (1-0), called up from Triple-A Columbus Saturday, earned the victory in his first major league appearance this season. He pitched two innings and held Chicago to two hits and no runs with one strikeout. TWINS 6, ROYALS 2 In Minneapolis, Kyle Gibson pitched six solid innings in his major league debut, and Trevor Plouffe homered to help the Twins beat the Royals. Gibson (1-0) allowed two runs and eight hits, and he struck out five to become the first first-round pick in Twins history to win a start in his major league debut. Wade Davis (4-6) was yanked after giving up another run in the second with no one out. The one inning outing marked Davis’ shortest outing of the season for the Royals, who have lost seven of 10. ANGELS 7, ASTROS 2 In Houston, Joe Blanton pitched seven sharp innings, and Howie Kendrick and Chris Iannetta both homered to give the Angels their fifth straight win. Alberto Callaspo and Erick Aybar drove in two runs apiece in a big fourth inning for Los Angeles. Blanton (2-10) tied season lows with three hits and two runs, pitching six scoreless innings before a tworun home run by Brett Wallace in the seventh. Houston starter Jordan Lyles (4-3) was done in by a four-run fourth inning by the Angels. He allowed five hits, four runs and walked two in four innings for his first loss against Los Angeles in three starts. ORIOLES 11, YANKEES 3 In Baltimore, Chris Davis homered twice to raise his major league-leading total to 30, and Baltimore extended New York’s losing streak to four games. Davis hit a three-run drive in the first inning and added a two-run shot in the sixth, his third multihomer game of the season. The five RBIs gave him 79, second-most in the big leagues and just six short of his career high. Ryan Flaherty also homered for the Orioles, who built a 9-0 lead in the third against David Phelps (5-5). Baltimore will seek to complete a three-game sweep late yesterday. Zach Britton (2-2) limited the offensively challenged, injury-riddled Yankees to one earned run over 5 2-3 innings. RAYS 4, TIGERS 3 In St. Petersburg, Yunel Escobar had an RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning as Tampa Bay rallied to beat Detroit. James Loney had a one-out single off Bruce Rondon (0-1). Pinch-runner Sam Fuld went to second on Wil Myers’ single, and after Luke Scott struck out, both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Escobar won it for the Rays with a line drive that sailed over the head of center fielder Austin Jackson. Scott tied it at 3 on a solo homer with one out in the eighth off Tigers starter Justin Verlander, who allowed three runs, nine hits and four walks over a seasonhigh eight innings. Verlander is winless in his last four starts. Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera went 1 for 4 with a walk, but his major league-leading batting average

BOSTON: Jose Bautista No. 19 of the Toronto Blue Jays hits a double in the 9th inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. — AFP

MLB results/standings NY Mets 5, Washington 1; Toronto 6, Boston 2; Atlanta 11, Arizona 5; St. Louis 7, Oakland 1; Cleveland 4, Chicago White Sox 3; Minnesota 6, Kansas City 2; LA Angels 7, Houston 2; Colorado 2, San Francisco 1; Miami 7, San Diego 1; Baltimore 11, NY Yankees 3; Chicago Cubs 5, Seattle 3 (11 innings); Cincinnati 6, Texas 4 (11 innings); Pittsburgh 2, Milwaukee 1; Tampa Bay 4, Detroit 3 (10 innings); LA Dodgers 4, Philadelphia 3. American League National League Eastern Division Eastern Division W L PCT GB Atlanta 47 34 .580 Boston 49 34 .590 Washington 40 40 .500 6.5 Baltimore 46 36 .561 2.5 Philadelphia 39 43 .476 8.5 NY Yankees 42 38 .525 5.5 NY Mets 33 44 .429 12 Tampa Bay 42 39 .519 6 Miami 28 51 .354 18 Toronto 40 40 .500 7.5 Central Division Central Division Pittsburgh 50 30 .625 Detroit 43 36 .544 St. Louis 49 31 .613 1 Cleveland 43 38 .531 1 Cincinnati 46 35 .568 4.5 Kansas City 37 41 .474 5.5 Chicago Cubs 34 45 .430 15.5 Minnesota 36 41 .468 6 Milwaukee 32 47 .405 17.5 Chicago White Sox 32 46 .410 10.5 Western Division Western Division Arizona 42 38 .525 Texas 47 34 .580 Colorado 41 41 .500 2 Oakland 47 35 .573 0.5 San Diego 40 41 .494 2.5 LA Angels 38 43 .469 9 San Francisco 38 42 .475 4 Seattle 35 46 .432 12 LA Dodgers 37 43 .463 5 Houston 30 51 .370 17 dropped two points to .375. He has a 14-game hitting streak. Cabrera appeared to yell toward the Rays’ dugout after striking out against Fernando Rodney (3-2) in the 10th. The Rays closer, who worked two scoreless innings, threw an in-tight 1-2 pitch that backed him off the plate. INTERLEAGUE CARDINALS 7, ATHLETICS 1 In Oakland, Adam Wainwright pitched a five-hitter to become the NL’s second 11-game winner, Matt Adams had his first two-homer game and the Cardinals beat the Athletics. Wainwright (11-5) tied Washington’s Jordan Zimmerman for most wins in the NL. He struck out eight and walked two in a 112-pitch performance for his fourth complete game this year and 15th of his career. What appeared a pitcher’s duel in the making changed quickly when A’s starter Jarrod Parker left in the fourth inning with tightness in his right hamstring on an unusually hot Bay Area afternoon. Adams hit a three-run homer to highlight a fourrun sixth and a solo shot in the eighth. Jesse Chavez (1-2) was the loser. REDS 6, RANGERS 4 In Arlington, Devin Mesoraco hit a two-run homer in the 11th inning and Cincinnati snapped a threegame losing streak with a win over AL West-leading

Texas. Mesoraco was 0 for 4 with three strikeouts before his 380-foot homer into the left-field seats off Kyle McClellan (0-1), which came right after Todd Frazier was hit by a pitch to start the 11th. Cincinnati had lost six of seven and was coming off consecutive shutout losses before Shin-Soo Choo homered on the first pitch of the game. JJ Hoover (1-5) got the last two outs in the 10th, even after a walk and a hit. Aroldis Chapman worked the 11th for his 20th save in 23 chances. The Reds had also lost five straight interleague games. CUBS 5, MARINERS 3 In Seattle, Alfonso Soriano hit a two-run homer in the 11th inning to lift Chicago. Nate Schierholtz opened the 11th with a drag bunt off Oliver Perez (22). Soriano then connected on a 1-2 pitch over the center-field wall, his ninth. The Mariners had tied the game with two outs in the ninth. Pinch-hitter Henry Blanco earned a oneout walk off Kevin Gregg to start the rally. Michael Saunders ran for him. Nick Franklin moved Saunders to second with a right-side groundout. Endy Chavez, on a 0-for-19 slide entering his at-bat, sliced a single into shallow center, scoring Saunders with the tying run. Carlos Villanueva (2-4) earned the win with one inning of relief. Blake Parker finished the 11th for his first career save. He had been the losing pitcher in Friday’s 5-4 loss in 10 innings.—AP

KSSC holds annual General Assembly By Abdellatif Sharaa KUWAIT: Kuwait Shooting Sport Club General Assembly held its annual meeting Saturday, with its members in attendance. This meeting took place following by unprecedented achievements both technically and administratively, as Kuwait Shooters were outstanding during important events such as the Olympic medal in London by Fuhaid Al-Daihani, and the unanimous choice of Eng. Duaij Al-Otaibi as president of the Arab Shooting Federation and Obaid Al-Osaimi as secretary general. Chairman of the Board of KSSC Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al-Humoud AlSabah opened the meeting with a brief about last year’s achievements, adding that they were a success with HH The Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah’s

Sheikh Salman addresses the General Assembly.

care, HH The Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf AlAhmad, HH The Prime Minister, and the Public Authority for Youth and Sports. Sheikh Salman acknowledged the role of the founders and members of the general assembly who always support the club and shooters. Sheikh Salman said Kuwait’s Shooting Community were honored to meet HH The Amir on the occasion of the achievements, as well as HH The Crown Prince and HH the Prime Minister, following the Olympic medal, the 10th Arab Shooting Championship, and the First International Sporting Championship in Asia. He said visits of major dignitaries to the club continued, as Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Olympic Shooting Complex was placed on the list of landmarks to be visited by senior officials who visit Kuwait.

Secretary General of the Arab and Kuwait Shooting Federations Obaid AlOsaimi presented the Agenda which included the board of directors report for the fiscal year, budget and closing accounts, as well as the proposed budget for 2013-2014. All items were approved unanimously. An extraordinary meeting was held to discuss decreed law no. 26/2012 amending some rules of law 42/1978, as well as to discuss the statutes of the club, all items received unanimous approval. Secretary General Obaid Al-Osaimi thanked the members of the general assembly for continued support and for attending of meetings. He also thanked them for their confidence in the President and board members. He said that extra efforts will be exerted to take the sport of shooting further.

MONDAY, JULY 1, 2013

S P ORT S

Couples in front at Senior Players Championship PITTSBURGH: Fred Couples watched Kenny Perry relentlessly sprint up the leaderboard Saturday in the Senior Players Championship and figured it was time for his putter to start cooperating. Three birdies over the final five holes restored some order as Couples took a step closer to his first victory of the season. The Hall of Famer finished with a 3-under 67 and was at 15-under 195 at rain-soaked and toothless Fox Chapel, two strokes clear of the hard-charging Perry. Couples already has three runner-up finishes this season. He has no plans to make it four. “If I go out and play well, I have a great shot at winning,” Couples said. “I’m certainly not going to be thinking about second place.” It appeared that’s all the rest of the field was playing for after Couples ripped off seven birdies in 11 holes of the second round Friday before a midafternoon downpour halted play for the day. The deluge cooled off Couples a bit. He twoputted from 60 feet on the par-3 third when he returned to the course Saturday morning, then made five straight pars before finishing his round off with a birdie on the par-4 ninth for an 8-under 62. Tying the record for the lowest score ever in a major on the Champions Tour should have provided Couples with some breathing room. Instead, Perry made it close. Perry began the day

as a speck in Couples’ rearview mirror before the Kentucky player made three birdies and an eagle over the final six holes of the second round for a 7under 63. He backed it up six hours later with another flawless 63, using his length off the tee and a new putter to chase down the front running Couples. After a lethargic 71 in the first round left him frustrated, Perry switched putters to one with more loft hoping it would help keep the ball online on the soggy and cleat-marked greens. The decision paid off handsomely as Perry set a tournament record for the lowest score in consecutive rounds. The combined 14-under 126 Perry posted in the second and third rounds is two better than the 128 Jack Nicklaus shot in 1990 when the tournament was held in Dearborn, Mich. Perry joked he was inspired by the Pittsburgh Pirates. He watched from the second row on Friday night as Pittsburgh crushed the Milwaukee Brewers 10-3 to move to 49-30 on the season, the best record in baseball. “It was pretty awesome,” Perry said. So were most of the scores at the rolling course about 10 miles up the Allegheny River from PNC Park. The rain during the week forced officials to allow players to lift, clean and place their golf balls in the fairways. The quick, treacherous test the play-

ers endured during their last visit to Fox Chapel a year ago instead looked like a pitch and putt for longer players like Perry and Couples. “We played ball-in-hand for three days,” Perry said. “You know, you just see the scores go way down when you let the guys get ball in hand.” Duffy Waldorf birdied his final two holes for a 66 to remain in striking distance at 11 under. Firstround leader John Huston briefly tied Couples for the lead but faltered on the back nine, bogeying the last two holes to shoot 68 and finish five shots back of Couples. Mike Goodes had a 65 to match Huston at 10 under. Perry didn’t falter, briefly creating a three-way logjam with Couples and Huston when Perry birdied the 12th and Couples threeputted the 10th green for bogey. The missed opportunity seemed to wake Couples up. Frustrated he wasn’t taking advantage of the soft conditions that led to Perry’s assault on the par-70 layout, Couples birdied Nos. 14 and 15, then capped his round with a splendid pitch from in front of the left bunker on the par-5 18th, allowing him to roll in a birdie. Not bad for a guy who insists he was “outplayed” by Huston for most of the day by Huston before the final five holes. Now Couples heads into Sunday searching for his third major title since joining the Champions Tour in 2010. He won the Senior Players in 2011 at

Westchester Country Club in New York and the Senior British Open last year. He was in position to capture the Regions Tradition earlier this month but fell one shot short in a showdown with points leader David Frost. This time it appears the duel will be with Perry, who is pain-free after dealing with knee problems earlier in the season. Perry, who has undergone surgery on both knees during his career and takes medicine to deal with arthritis in the joints, called his recovery over the last two weeks “a miracle.” He took a cortisone shot in his left knee recently and has had fluid drained out of the joint, freeing him up to walk the course with relative ease. “If you have had a need this long stuck in your knee with a big syringe sucking all that junk out of you, that’s not very pleasant,” Perry said. “But once they do it, immediately it gives you relief. The pressure’s off and you can actually bend your knee, you can actually walk.” Perry will walk alongside Couples on Sunday as Perry looks for the first major title of his 31-year professional career. “You’re going to see still a lot of good scores tomorrow,” Perry said. “So the guys that are near the lead, at the lead are going to have to play a good round of golf. Somebody’s going to have to shoot a good round tomorrow.” — AP

Park heads US Open

KASAOKA: Australia’s Brendan Jones poses with the trophy for photographers after winning the Mizuno Open golf tournament. — AP

Jones wins Mizuno Open KASAOKA: Australia’s Brendan Jones shot a 4-under 68 yesterday to win the Mizuno Open and earn a spot in the field for the British Open. The 38-year-old Jones, who started the final round with a two-stroke lead over South Korea’s Kim Tae-kyung, eagled the par-5 No. 6 at the Setonaikai Golf Club and added five birdies against three bogeys to finish at 19-under 269. Kim finished three strokes back in second after a 69. Jones collected $221,000 for his first win in Japan since winning the Sun Chlorella Classic in July 2012. Makoto Inoue was

third, six strokes off the pace after a 68. With his 13th win on the Japan tour, Jones reached $8.5 million in total earnings to surpass Japanese-American David Ishii as the leading non-Japanese money winner on the tour. “I never imagined I would be able to do something like that,” Jones said. Tetsuji Hiratsuka (68) and Shingo Katayama (72) tied for fourth at 11 under. Japanese rookie Hideki Matsuyama, who has two victories and two runner-up finishes on the tour, missed the cut, a first for him since he turned pro in April. — AP

Kazama and Qadisiya players during a match.

Countdown begins to Futsal tourney KUWAIT: The countdown for the start of Kuwait Mini World Futsal Club Tournament (KMWFCT) has begun, and preparations of participating club intensified, as each one of them is looking forward to win the first title of this first tournament. Technical expectations point to fierce competition between most participating teams due to the high caliber professional players they acquired, with their vast experience in indoor soccer, and the tournament will not be void of surprises as results will depend on the ability of each team to read the opponents as well as their readiness psychologically, morally and physically. Coach Essa Falah said the tournament is considered an important event and a step on the way of spreading indoor soccer in the Arab region in general and in the Gulf in particular. He said matches will be highly competitive due to the presence of specialized international clubs in indoor soccer. He said Qatar’s Al-Sadd team is well known and has a good group of professionals, and will play in a difficult group, which includes Al-Qadisiya. He said he was highly impressed with the efforts of the organizing committee which spares no efforts to ensure the tournament’s

success. Al-Nasser Club coach said the competition will be exciting as all teams believe they can win or at least reach the quarter finals and even further. He said that he is very optimistic the tournament will be a success and Kuwait’s name will be in prominence, and it will prove our ability to organize major events. He said the indoor soccer in Kuwait began to spread after the regional and international successes it made, which took them finally to the World Cup finals. Member of the halls committee in the Football Association Kamel Al-Shimmari said the event makes all Kuwaitis proud due to its importance. He said the best and most successful clubs around the world are participating, and that they will work alongside the organizing committee to add to its success. About the chances of the participating teams, he said Al-Qadisiya is the League’s Champion and has outstanding players, Kazama has the same chances. Al-Sahel’s Coach Ali Daifallah said this event will place Kuwait in an advanced stage and will have a place on the map of international indoor soccer, and will help spread the game as fans will enjoy it.

NEW YORK: South Korean golfer Inbee Park forged to a four-shot lead after the third round of the US Women’s Open at Sebonack Golf Club in New York on Saturday, giving her the chance to win the first three major championships of the year. Park fired a one-under 71 in the third round, the only player in the field to post a sub-par round in red figures in difficult winds, to move to 10-under 206, four shots clear of compatriot I.K. Kim (73) at six-under 210. England’s Jodi Ewart-Shadoff (74) appears the only other legitimate challenger at three-under with Korea’s Ryu So-Yeon (73) and American Angela Stanford (74) the only other players under par, nine off the pace at one-under in a tie for fourth. “The wind was a bit stronger than (Friday), so the conditions were tough.” Park said. “The pin positions were tough, a lot of long irons hitting into the greens. “It was just a very tough day, but I think I battled it really good out there. “I had my tough times in the middle but ended up finishing very good, so I’m happy with that.” The 24-year-old Park is keeping the dream of a grand slam alive having already won the Kraft Nabisco Championship and the LPGA Championship earlier this year. Should she prevail she will not only claim a fourth major but will be just the second LPGA Tour player to win the first three majors in a season. Mildred (Babe) Didrikson Zaharias won all three majors played in 1950, the Titleholders Championship, the Women’s Western Open and the US Women’s Open. “It’s tough not to think about it ... I just try to think that’s not a big deal,” Park told reporters. “If I want to do it so much, it’s just so tough and it puts too much pressure on you. I try to not

SOUTHAMPTON: Inbee Park of South Korea hits the ball during the third round of the 2013 US Women’s Open at Sebonack Golf Club. — AFP think about it so much. I’m just going to try to of men’s golf and prior to that only Bob Jones do the same thing that I did for the last three has won what is considered the grand slam. Jones won the US and British Amateurs and days. It will be a big day, but it’s just a round of golf, and I just try not to think about it so much. I US and British Opens in 1930. While Zaharias just try to concentrate on whatever I’m doing on won every major on offer in 1950, from 19551966 and 1983-2012 the LPGA held four majors the golf course.” Park would be just the fourth woman to win though this year a fifth was added. For a clean sweep the current world number three majors in a calendar year, joining Zaharias, one will also need to win the Women’s British Mickey Wright (1961) and Pat Bradley (1986). Only Ben Hogan (1953) has won the first Open in August followed by the Evian three majors of the year in the professional era Championship in September. — Reuters

Four-way tie for lead BETHESDA: A tumultuous day at the AT&T National ended with a four-way tie for the lead heading into late yesterday’s final round at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland. Roberto Castro chipped in from 80 feet after hitting his approach into the water to save par at the 18th and complete a 71 to join the group at seven-under-par 206 along with Andres Romero of Argentina, and Americans Bill Haas and James Driscoll. Long-hitting Jason Kokrak, who powered a 349-yard drive at 18 on his way to finishing a 70 for 207, one stroke better than Tom Gillis and South Korea’s Charlie Wi. Wi made nine birdies, including seven on the front nine, on his way to a 65. On a long, hot day for many players, who had to come in early on Saturday to finish their weather-interrupted second rounds, there were dramatic swings on the leaderboard at the long, rough-lined layout where numerous pins were placed on the edge of trouble. Haas had nine birdies and only five pars in a three-under 68 that included a triple bogey and three other bogeys. “Certainly, could have been a 6, 7, 8-under day,” said Haas. “But it also could have been a 4, 5, 6over day if I hadn’t putted well.” “You can’t blame being tired, it just was a long day and I didn’t feel it with the golf swing. Luckily when I did hit a good shot, I was able to make a putt.” Jordan Spieth, a 19-year-old who began the round sharing the lead with Castro, took an early two-shot advantage after

opening the round with two birdies to reach nine under par before he slipped back to four under, three strokes off the pace. Romero, who had to finish five holes to complete his second round, made four birdies on the front side in the third round to climb to 10 under par and seize a threestroke lead. But the Argentine double-bogeyed the 11th, where Haas also tripled, and bogeyed the 12th to set up the logjam at the top as player fortunes rose and fell throughout the round. Castro fell from the lead he had shared with Spieth heading into the round as he bogeyed the second hole and doublebogeyed the third. But he worked his way back with four birdies, including ones at 16 and 17, as the leaders faltered to make it a foursome atop the leaderboard going to the final round. Driscoll’s round was relatively dull with five birdies and just two bogeys. He shot 68 and is the only player in the field with three rounds in the 60s. “It’s not perfect golf, but you don’t really have to play per fect golf sometimes,” Driscoll said. “If you’re just patient and putt well and have a good short game. “There is no let-up. Every hole is long and tough. The rough is up. it’s just 18 tough holes out there.” Because of a threat of poor weather on Sunday, players will again go off both tees in groups of three beginning at 8:30 a.m. ET (1230 GMT) with the final groups teeing off two hours later. —Reuters

BETHESDA: Roberto Castro tees off on the fifth hole during the final round of the AT&T National at Congressional Country Club. — AFP

Cheetahs caught in a storm with defeat CAPE TOWN: The Cheetahs’ hopes of reaching the Super Rugby playoffs for the first time in their history suffered a blow when they were defeated 28-3 by a fired-up Stormers’ team on Saturday. The Bloemfontein-based Cheetahs remain sixth in the competition standings, the final playoff position, but now face a nervous final two weeks of the regular season with a number of sides closing in behind them. One of those is the Stormers, whose own playoff hopes had looked grim just a few weeks ago. They have now moved to within four points of the Cheetahs and were delighted with the way they neutralised their opponents’ exciting running backs and disrupted their set-piece ball. “The plan was just to stick to the game we wanted to play and our individual errors were much less than previously,” Stormers stand-in skipper Deon Fourie said. “The Cheetahs rely a lot on their setpieces and I think we did well there.” Fourie was one

of three try-scorers for the home side with Siya Kolisi and Springbok winger Bryan Habana the others. The Stormers’ driving maul has been a feature of their play all season and they used it to good effect to get the only five-pointer of the first half. A relieved Fourie barging over after he opted not to go for goal having being awarded a penalty following 17 phases camped on the Cheetahs line. Flyhalf Riaan Smit had given the visitors the early lead with a penalty but they would prove to be the Cheetahs only points of the match as the Stormers held a 10-3 lead at halftime. Joe Pieterson added two more penalties after the break to boost the hosts’ advantage as they put the squeeze on the Cheetahs attacking play and controlled territory. That dominance began to translate on to the scoreboard when Kolisi scored the Stormers’ second try. His angled run bamboozled the Cheetahs

defence after being fed by scrumhalf Louis Schrueder from close range. The game was then made safe for the Stormers just a few minutes later when a breakaway created a four-on-two attacking situation. Flanker Nizaam Carr looked to have butchered the try when he failed to spread the ball wide, but quick recycling resulted in Habana crossing in the corner. “It’s a very disappointing result, definitely the shocker of the year for us,” Cheetahs captain Adrian Strauss said. “We need to have a hard look at ourselves and then write this one off. The lineouts were good, but scrum time we gave away a lot of penalties. “We are still in the running and we will bounce back. I have full confidence in the guys.” The Cheetahs will be guaranteed four points from a bye in the final week of matches, but will likely need a victory over the Blues next Saturday to secure a playoff spot. — Reuters

MONDAY, JULY 1, 2013

S P ORTS

England to stage inaugural cricket Test Championship LONDON: England and Wales will stage the inaugural World Test Championship in June and July of 2017, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced Saturday following the conclusion of its annual conference in London. The World Test Championship will replace the Champions Trophy, recently won by India this month after they beat hosts England by five runs in the final at Birmingham’s Edgbaston ground. India will stage the second edition of the Test Championship in February/March 2021. “We are delighted to confirm the exciting schedule of events through to 2023,” ICC chief executive David Richardson said in the statement. “The ICC Champions Trophy in England and Wales was highly acclaimed and appreciated by all. “However, the principle of one pinnacle global event for each of the three formats ( Test, One-Day and Twenty20) over a four-year cycle is a good one and, as such, the ICC board has agreed to replace the Champions Trophy with the ICC World Test Championship,” the former South Africa wicketkeeper added. “Now that the ICC World Test Championship has been confirmed, we’ll work on the playing conditions and qualification criteria, and will submit these to the ICC board for approval in due course.” The ICC had planned to stage the first Test Championship in England this year but existing commercial agreements meant it had to stage a one-day international tournament instead, hence the last edition of the Champions Trophy. Saturday’s announcement regarding the World Test Championship was part of a package of global events due to take place between 2015-2023. However, the ICC raised doubts about Bangladesh’s suitability to stage next year’s World Twenty20. “The IDI (ICC Development International) board reviewed an inspection report by the ICC venue consultant on the venues for the ICC World Twenty20 Bangladesh 2014 and expressed its concern regarding the progress of construction and improvements to playing facilities in Cox’s Bazar and Sylhet. “The board noted that a further inspection and report is scheduled for August, after which a final decision will be taken on the venues for the event.” Among the changes to playing conditions agreed this week was a revised policy on when umpires need to

change the ball in an international match. The issue became a hot topic during the Champions Trophy after England were accused by former captain Bob Willis of ball-tampering after the ball was changed by umpires Aleem Dar and Billy Bowden when the hosts were in the field against Sri Lanka at The Oval. Afterwards England one-day coach Ashley Giles insisted the side’s behaviour had been above board while the ICC said nothing in the umpires’ match report warranted further action on their part. Under the new condition there will be a “formal introduction of a two-step process when the umpire believes the condition of the ball has been changed but there is no eye witness to identify which player changed the condition of the ball: i) Replace the ball and give the captain a first and final warning. ii) award a five-run penalty to the batting team, replace the ball (with the batsman to choose) and report the captain under the ICC code of conduct.” The ruling will take effect at the start of October. Meanwhile the ICC also promised to enhance its much criticised anti-corruption and security unit. The subject of corruption in cricket has been back in the headlines following several arrests made during this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL) and, more recently, former Pakistan captain Salman Butt’s belated admission of spot-fixing in England in 2010 — an offence for which he remains banned from cricket. “In the wake of recent events, the ICC and its member boards will further strengthen and tighten our anticorruption codes and other integrity regulations, pertaining to international and domestic events and develop methods for better information sharing across jurisdictions,” Richardson said. In a bid to maintain the primacy of Test cricket, the ICC agreed that all 10 full members play a minimum of 16 Tests in each four-year cycle. The rapid rise of Afghanistan, who’ve starred on the World Twenty20 stage, continued Saturday as they became the ICC’s 37th Associate Member nation, joining the ranks of those countries immediately below Test level. The ICC also announced that a player wishing to revert back from eligibility for a Test nation to his original associate, for example from England to Ireland, will have his re-qualification period cut from four years to two. — AFP

INDIANAPOLIS: Katie Ledecky competes in the women’s 1500m freestyle finals on day 5 of the 2013 USA Swimming Phillips 66 National Championships and World Trials. — AFP

Ledecky breaks Evans’ 1500 freestyle record LOS ANGELES: Katie Ledecky broke Janet Evans’ 25year-old meeting record to claim the women’s 1500 metres freestyle at the US National Championships on Saturday, and becoming the second fastest American of all time in the event. Ledecky finished in 15:47.15 and was ahead of compatriot Kate Ziegler’s 2007 world record of 15:42.54 through 800 metres before backing off, still beating second place getter Chloe Sutton by more than 20 seconds. It was also the fastest time of the year and capped a great meeting, which doubled as selection trials for the Barcelona world championships from July 28-Aug.4, for Ledecky who also won the 400 and 800 freestyle titles. “I was really happy with it,” the 16-year-old told reporters. “It was a swim I was looking forward to all

week. I just wanted to go out with a bang. “I just wanted to swim a controlled swim, feel good and see what I could do and I’m looking forward to seeing what the US can do in Barcelona.” Olympic champion Ryan Lochte claimed the men’s 200 individual medley, also in the fastest time of the year at 1:55.44. Lochte was ahead of world record pace but faded in the back half much to his disappointment. “That’s the story of this meet for me - going out fast and holding on for dear life,” he said. “I have four more weeks until worlds. Hopefully my legs won’t be as tired.” Caitlyn Leverenz won the women’s 200 IM. Nathan Adrian won the men’s 50 freestyle ahead of Anthony Ervin while the evergreen Natalie Coughlin won the women’s 50 to qualify for her sixth world championships team. —Reuters

Photo of the day

Dominik Hernler performs during Red Bull Rising High in Hamburg, Germany.

—www.redbullcontentpool.com

Okagbare upsets sprint favorites BIRMINGHAM: Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare upset favourites Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Carmelita Jeter to win the 200 metres at the Diamond League meeting in Birmingham yesterday. The race had been billed as a clash between Jamaica’s Olympic 100 winner Fraser-Pryce and world sprint champion Jeter of the US but Okagbare finished strongly to win in 22.55. Fraser-Pryce, who plans to run the 100 and 200 at August’s world championships in Moscow, was second in 22.72 with Jeter, competing for first time since suffering a hamstring injury in Shanghai in May, finishing last in 23.36. Jeter declined to talk to waiting reporters but training partner Okagbare did not think the American’s performance was a cause for concern. “She’s fine. You saw her run today so you can tell for yourself,” the Nigerian told reporters. “It’s good she’s come back. “I’m not a good starter so I have more of an advantage on the 200,” added Okagbare, who has yet to decide whether she will attempt a sprint double in Moscow. “With the upcoming world championships, the goal is to stay healthy.” Jamaican Nesta Carter took the men’s 100 in the absence of his better-known compatriots Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake, winning in 9.99. Britain’s James Dasaolu recorded a personal best of 10.03 for second and the ever-green Kim Collins, world champion in 2003, was third (10.06). Meanwhile, world 100 metres champion Yohan Blake has not been ruled out of defending his title in Moscow in August because of injury, his manager Cubie Seegobin said yesterday, knocking down media reports that the Jamaican was to undergo surgery. “There is absolutely no discussions or plans for any surgery and I don’t know where that information is coming from,” an upset Seegobin told Reuters by telephone from Edmonton,

BIRMINGHAM: Britain’s Mo Farah (right) beats Ethiopia’s Yenew Alamirew (left) to the line in the men’s 5000m at the IAAF Diamond League athletics meeting. — AFP Canada. “No decision has been made about Yohan missing the world championships,” he added. “The coach has not yet decided on pulling him from the world championships.” The Jamaica Observer yesterday, quoting an unnamed senior Jamaica athletics official, reported that the sprinter nicknamed “The Beast” would not run in Moscow. Blake, the Olympic double sprint silver medallist in London last year,

sustained the injury at the Utech Classic in Kingston on April 13 and missed the Jamaican trials between June 20 and 23. The 23-year-old won the world 100m title in Daegu, South Korea, in 2011 following the disqualification of compatriot Usain Bolt for a false start. He qualifies to run the 100m in M oscow as defending champion, but will not compete in the 200. The championships run from Aug. 10-18. — Reuters

Golovkin stops Macklin LEDYARD: Undefeated German middleweight Gennady Golovkin stopped English challenger Matthew Macklin in the third round Saturday night to successfully defend his WBA and IBO titles. Golovkin improved to 27-0 with his 24th knockout and 14th in a row, using a left hand to the body to flatten Macklin (29-5) 1:22 into the third. Golovkin dominated the first two rounds, landing several hard combinations. “It was an easy fight for me,” Golovkin said. “I felt great in the ring. He never hurt me. I was very happy with my performance.” Golovkin has made five successful title defenses and hasn’t gone the distance in a fight since June 2008 against Amar Amari in an eight-round bout.

Macklin has lost three of his last four fights. He lost a split decision to Felix Sturm in June 2011 for the WBA super middleweight crown, and dropped another title shot in March 2012 to Sergio Martinez. “He never really let me get started,” Macklin said. “It was a great shot he landed. I tip my hat to him. He’s a great champion. He has plenty of clubbing, solid power, and you can feel the weight of every punch he throws.” There was talk after the bout of a potential fight between Golovkin and Martinez, the WBC middleweight champion. Martinez, however, is nursing knee and hand injuries, and isn’t expected to resume boxing until 2014. “I want to fight again very soon,” Golovkin said. “I want to fight any belt-holder, any champion, and any top fighter, anywhere.” — AP

Mercury rise above Sun UNCASVILLE: Diana Taurasi and DeWanna Bonner scored 19 points each to lead the Phoenix Mercury in an 89-70 victory over the Connecticut Sun on Saturday night. Candice Dupree added 18 points and rookie Brittney Griner had nine points before fouling out as the Mercury (7-4) set a franchise record with their fifth straight road victory and completed a sweep of a three-game road trip for the first time in team history. Australia’s Penny Taylor, who missed more than a year with a knee injury, returned for the Mercury and scored eight points. Tina Charles had 25 points and 11 rebounds to lead Connecticut (2-7), which lost its fourth straight. Charles shot 3 for 18 from the floor, but made was 19 for 24 on free throws - franchise records for both makes and attempts.

SKY 94, SPARKS 82 In Rosemont, Epiphanny Prince scored 21 points and Elena Delle Donna had 20 to lead a balanced offense as Chicago held off a late Los Angeles surge. Sylvia Fowles added 17 points in the first half before leaving with an apparent right ankle injury, Courtney Vandersloot scored12 points and Swin Cash 10 to lead the Sky (7-3). Candace Parker scored 23 points to lead the Sparks (54). Nneka Ogwumike had 13, Alana Beard added 11 and Jantel Lavender 10 as Los Angeles dropped to 0-4 on the road. The Sky, winners of three straight, led 67-62 to open the final quarter and weathered a Sparks comeback that cut the lead to 70-68 on Parker’s layup with 8:00 left. Less than six minutes later, Chicago was up 84-73 following Delle Donne’s driving layup. — AP

MONACO: Gennady Golovkin, of Kazakhstan, reacts in this March 30, 2013 file photo. — AP

MONDAY, JULY 1, 2013

SPORTS

What part of ‘shut ... up’ did A-Rod miss? NEW YORK: The instructions were so simple it makes you wonder what part of “just shut ... up” Alex Rodriguez didn’t understand. Yankees GM Brian Cashman’s directive the other day was calibrated for maximum effect, sure. He knew exactly what he was doing. It’s why he tucked a profanity in the middle. But Cashman also knows better than anyone that for better or worse probably worse, and certainly for the foreseeable future - the ball club and A-Rod are stuck with each other. Bottom line, all he asked for at the moment was a little peace and quiet. Like the majority of Yankee fans and just about everybody else up and down the club’s chain of command, Cashman probably wishes A-Rod would just retire, preferably to a mountain-top retreat. Or else beg for a trade, maybe to Rodriguez’s hometown Marlins, but ideally to a ball club on the other side of world, say Japan

or Korea. But Cashman can’t do a thing about it. Rodriguez has a surgically repaired hip and a legally binding contract. The Yankees desperately need more offense, especially with Mark Teixeira now out for the rest of the season with a bum wrist and Rodriguez’s replacements at third hitting a combined .240, with just four homers and 23 RBIs through Wednesday. If A-Rod comes back after the All-Star break as planned, and manages at age 38 to put up marginally better numbers than those, the job will still be his. That’s assuming that he doesn’t get suspended, despite being tied to a now-shuttered, anti-aging clinic in Miami being investigated for dispensing performance-enhancing drugs. It’s hardly a good solution, but right now it’s the only one. The Yankees are committed to paying Rodriguez him $28 million this year, and $86 million more through 2017.

Dumb as that deal looks now, A-Rod makes it look even dumber every time he calls attention to himself. After benching him through last year’s playoffs, the Yankees told Rodriguez to focus more on baseball in the offseason than celebrity. But ARod couldn’t resist. Barely a week later, he was spied escorting former WWE wrestler and girlfriend-of-themoment Torrie Wilson around Beverly Hills, checking out pricey real estate. Next he opened a Twitter account and added another publicist or two to his already considerable stable. Predictably, trouble soon followed. Rodriguez’ early posts were about things most people already knew, with the occasional exclamation point to make it feel more like real news: “First time facing live pitching today ... Simulated game yesterday - nice to see real game pitching action!” So, presumably, when a team doctor cleared A-Rod to begin playing

real games, he simply treated it as more of the same: “Visit from Dr. Kelly over the weekend, who gave me the best news - the green light to play games again!” Cashman could have reacted by picking up the phone and directing Rodriguez to the appropriate pages in the handbook regarding how injuries are reported. As manager Joe Girardi reminded him after Tuesday night’s game, “It goes through our training staff, our doctors, our GM and then it probably gets to me.” A day later, Rodriguez picked up the phone and spoke with Cashman and team president Randy Levine for 30 minutes. “Everybody is on the same page and we’re all going to communicate and work together to get Alex back as quickly as possible,” Yankees spokesman Jason Zillo said. “They’re all back on track.” Except they weren’t. Instead of letting the whole thing

end there, someone inside A-Rod’s camp told ESPN.com that Rodriguez doesn’t feel the club really wants him back. That’s likely true. But unlike Rodriguez, and unlike all the past attempts to publicly shame their overpriced asset, the Yankees said little. Cashman’s terse “just shut ... up” was revealing for just how annoyed he’s become, but more than that, it was advice that A-Rod do the same. By coincidence, Yankee captain Derek Jeter took another step Thursday in his own long rehabilitation from a broken ankle. Rodriguez has always suffered in the comparison with Jeter, and so it was one more time. Part of the rehab process involves a minor-league assignment, and when reporters asked the date it would begin, all Jeter said was, “As soon as I can get out there, I’ll get out there. We haven’t got that far yet.” Not that hard, is it?—AP

Wimbledon, it feels like good ol’ days

Lucas Pratto

Velez crowned champions MENDOZA: Striker Lucas Pratto scored the winner and goalkeeper Sebastian Sosa saved a penalty as 10-man Velez Sarsfield beat Newell’s Old Boys 1-0 to be crowned grand champions of the Argentine league season. Velez captain Fabian Cubero gave away a penalty and was sent off in the 27th minute but Sosa saved Ignacio Scocco’s penalty to deny Newell’s an equaliser after Pratto’s early goal in Saturday’s match on neutral ground in Mendoza. The title, Velez’s second of the season, has however produced the anomally of two teams that can claim to be Argentine champions at the same time. Velez qualified for the grand final as winners of the “Inicial” championship in December but had a poor “Final”, won by Newell’s this month, in which they finished 14th with 20 points from 19 matches. Newell’s were the best team overall having come second in the Inicial (former Apertura) before winning the Final (ex Clausura) and the Argentine FA said Saturday’s result did not invalidate the titles already obtained in the season. For the past two decades, Argentina has had two champions per season, only introducing a grand final this year, which

prompted Newell’s coach Gerardo Martino to say he had never before taken part in a lopsided title match. “Neither as trainer nor player have I taken part in a deciding match in which the prize for one team was greater than that for the other,” Martino told reporters. Velez won a cash prize worth about $335,000, a place in the 2014 Libertadores Cup and in the Copa Sudamericana, equivalent to the Europa League, later this year. Newell’s place in the Libertadores, South America’s top club competition, next year was already in the bag as “Final” winners. Martino said the most pleasing aspect of the match for him was his team’s performance ahead of their 2013 Libertadores semi-final first leg against Brazil’s Altetico Mineiro at home on Thursday. “I saw again the Newell’s we all love,” Martino, whose side had played poorly in their last league match last weekend with the title already secured, told reporters. “The impression is good so I’m quite calm. I liked the look of the team although we’re left with the taste of defeat.” Victory gave Velez, Libertadores Cup winners in 1994, their 10th league title and fourth since 2009 under coach Ricardo Gareca. Newell’s have six.—Reuters

LONDON: Kimiko Date-Krumm remembers the good ol’ days, when she used to shop in the morning, then go play tennis at night. Those days are over - at least the shopping part. At 42 years young, Date-Krumm is still out there, the oldest of the old in what is turning into quite a renaissance for the aging set this tennis season, and here at Wimbledon this week. “When I was young, even during the tournament, I had energy for the shopping, but now I have no energy for that,” Date-Krumm said on Saturday, shortly after she fell 6-2, 60 to the tournament’s top thirtysomething, Serena Williams. In all, nine of the 32 players remaining for the second week of Wimbledon will be 30 or over, tying the Wimbledon open-era record for the fourth round, last reached in 1975. Not among those nine: 31-year-old Roger Federer, the seven-time champion, who exited early, but upon leaving, said “I still have plans to play for many more years to come.” As of this week, the average age of the top 20 players on the men’s tour is 27 years, 260 days - more than 21/2 years older than it was 10 years ago, according to STATS Inc. And on the women’s tour over the last 10 years, the average age has spiked by almost exactly two years - to 26 years, 213 days. Players such as 31year-old Li Na, 31-year-old Mikhail Youzhny, 31-year-old David Ferrer and 35-year-old Tommy Haas contribute to those numbers. Also on Saturday, Haas defeated 31-year-old Feliciano Lopez in four sets - in another of a handful of matches at the All England Club involving players who were still using Walkmans when they were teenagers. “There’s no doubt that a certain type of training and proper practice and maybe even diet, all put together, can help someone stick around for a while,” said Corrado Barazzutti, a top-10 player in the 1970s who coached Francesca Schiavone when she won the 2010 French Open. Schiavone was less than a month shy of 30 when she took the title in Paris, making her the oldest woman since 1969 to win her first Grand

Kimiko Date-Krumm of Japan plays a shot in this file photo.—AP Slam championship. All of this feels like a different world to Pat Cash, the 1987 Wimbledon champion, who played in the days when the sight of a 37year-old Ilie Nastase or a 39-year-old Jimmy Connors prowling the court wasn’t unheard of but certainly wasn’t as common as it is now. “When I was playing, once you hit 30, the tournament directors wouldn’t look your way if you needed a wild card to get in,” Cash said. “Once I hit 30, they completely ignored me. Now, they’re realizing that these players like (Lleyton) Hewitt and Haas are still drawing cards. So these players can get into tournaments, get practice and their bodies can get toughened up again after injuries more than they could 15 years ago.” Rules that restricted the number of tournaments teenagers could play actually date to the 1990s when tours, especially the women, saw an increasing number of teens Jennifer Capriati, Andrea Jaeger, Martina Hingis - enjoying early success, but finding themselves unable to cope with the physical and emo-

tional strain of getting so good, so fast. The demise of serve-and-volley, along with advances in equipment have gradually turned tennis into a slugger’s affair and helped raise the level of fitness required in the sport. The grinding nature of today’s tennis has, in many ways, created more injuries, but also put an emphasis on finding more ways to avoid them. “A lot of people are smarter over the years about what to do in order to get in better shape,” Haas said. “You have a good team around you. You can do a lot of stuff, also, nutrition-wise.” Williams is Exhibit A on how to extend a career, though she hardly took a traditional route. Different interests and injuries dictated she miss large chunks of time over the years, which might explain how she is feeling fresh and dominating - the oldest woman to reach No. 1, at age 31. But, she concedes, she doesn’t feel the same as when she was 21. “I feel it’s more difficult,” she said. “It takes me longer to get fit. If I take

a couple of weeks off, then I find that I lose my fitness quicker than what I used to. So it takes me a little bit longer to get fully back into shape. That’s the only difficult part.” Oft-injured, oft-recovered, he has risen to 13th in the world on the strength of eight appearances in quarterfinals or better in tournaments this year. At Roland Garros, he became the oldest man since 1971 to reach the quarterfinals, where he fell to Novak Djokovic. On Monday, in the fourth round of Wimbledon, he’ll have a rematch and will try to become the oldest Wimbledon quarterfinalist since 1979. “He’s playing his best tennis ever, feeling so great. So fit,” Djokovic said. Haas simply rolls his eyes whenever he’s asked about his age. Or his injuries. When someone’s been around as long as he has, everything hurts. “If you still have the desire and the will to do well, you have a lot more experience and wisdom probably in your late 20s, early 30s,” Haas said. “So maybe that’s a reason as well.”—AP

Bayern Munich adjust to life under Guardiola Sam Warburton

Warburton major doubt for decider MELBOURNE: British and Irish Lions captain Sam Warburton stayed in Melbourne to have a scan on his injured hamstring yesterday, making him a grave doubt for next weekend’s third test against Australia. The Wales flanker, who will join up with the rest of the squad in Queensland on Monday, was assisted from the field after 68 minutes of the 16-15 defeat to the Wallabies on Saturday night which levelled up the series at 1-1. Warburton gave his best performance of the tour to date in Melbourne to help the Lions win the battle of the breakdown and it was only after he left the field that Australia scored what turned out to be the winning try. “Coming off in a test match like that is devastating,” assistant coach Andy Farrell told reporters in Queensland yesterday. “As a captain, you want to be there for your troops and lead from the front, especially in the dying minutes of the game. “He’s disappointed with that, but he’s in good spirits because we have a big week

ahead of us with a test match to win. He’s gone for a scan and will find out the results later.” The rest of the Lions party flew to Noosa on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast for rest and recuperation on Sunday and will not return to Sydney for Saturday’s decider at the Olympic Stadium until Thursday afternoon. Farrell said the injury to Warburton was the only one suffered by the Lions in Melbourne and that the players already on the injury list, prop Alex Corbisiero (calf) and Jamie Roberts (hamstring), would return to training on Wednesday. Warburton, who was rested from the first two tour matches because of a sore knee, said after Saturday’s match that the injury was a new one for him. “I have a sore hamstring. The normal protocol is to ice it every two hours and then assess it after 24 hours. I haven’t done it before - this is a new injury,” he told reporters. “I will do anything I can to play in that because if we win next weekend it will be in more dramatic fashion than it would have been this week.”—Reuters

BERLIN: Bayern Munich captain Philipp Lahm has said the European champions need time to adjust to life under new coach Pep Guardiola as the Spaniard put the Champions League winners through their paces. Guardiola replaced Jupp Heynckes, who led Bayern to the treble of European, cup and league titles last season, and held public training sessions at Munich’s Allianz Arena, attended by around 17,000 fans. “We need time to get used to Guardiola, but that won’t take long,” Lahm told German daily Bild after the team were also put through fitness testing at Munich’s Olympic Stadium. “We are all paying close attention to what’s happening. “Pre-season is long enough to get used to each other. I am not worried about that.” Guardiola has introduced one rule already: the players must meet for breakfast an hour before training, but Lahm says the new coach has made a good impression. “He is communicating all the time and does a lot of talking. He wants us to understand him as soon as possible. Plenty of things will change,” said Lahm. “I have already experienced a lot of coach swaps, though, so this is nothing out of the ordinary for me. It’s just part of the job.” Guardiola will take Bayern to north Italy for a training camp next week with the new Bundesliga season to begin on August 9. France wing Franck Ribery, who signed a contract extension until 2017 on Friday, has revealed Guardiola has asked him to play in the

play-maker Number 10 role next season. Although Ribery refused to move in from the wing when asked by former Munich coach Louis van Gaal, the 30-year-old hinted he may do so for Guardiola. “He asked me which position I prefer to play and if I could possibly play on the 10,” Ribery told French newspaper L’Equipe. “I answered that I am flexible in attack. He has many ideas.” Ribery has said he hopes Bayern can “win one or two titles in the next few years and defend them” under Guardiola. “You feel straight away what he wants to do. “We will improve both me personally and the team as a whole.” After Bayern broke or equalled 25 Bundesliga records, Guardiola has vowed to continue the success of Munich’s treble-winning season and Ribery said they could be even better. Having spent six months learning German, Guardiola already has a good grasp of the language, which has already given him an advantage over previous foreign Bundesliga coaches, according to Swiss boss Ottmar Hitzfeld. Hitzfeld pointed to the examples of Italy’s Giovanni Trapattoni, who coached Bayern during two stints in the 1990s, and Nevio Scala, who coached Borussia Dortmund for a season between 1997-98. “That he already speaks German, speaks volumes for his character,” said ex-Bayern coach Hitzfeld. “It is also a huge advantage, in order to be able to talk to players directly, but also understand the media. “Others, such as Trapattoni or Scala failed because they

Pep Guardiola did not speak the language.” Guardiola inherits a squad which will be boosted by the signing of Mario Goetze from rivals Borussia Dortmund, but ex-Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann said the Bundesliga will not offer the Spaniard much of a challenge. “Pep impressive talking fluent German (sic). He will inspire German Football. But he will be disappointed that the Bundesliga won’t challenge him,” the former Arsenal goalkeeper wrote on his Twitter account. Lehmann then explained in Bild: “Guardiola will face similar conditions in Bundesliga to Spain. “There are two financially very, very successful teams. The rest are far behind and there won’t be a major challenge from there.” “The only major challenge will come from the Champions League or the Club World Cup.”—AFP

Park heads US Open

MONDAY, JULY 1, 2013

Golovkin stops Macklin

England to stage inaugural cricket Test Championship

Page 18

AJACCIO: The pack climbs towards Vizzavona pass during the second stage of the Tour de France cycling race . — AP

Italy take Confed bronze BRAZIL: Italy took third place at the Confederations Cup yesterday after beating Uruguay 3-2 on penalties, the pair having been locked at 2-2 following extra time in Salvador. Although the eyes of 200 million Brazilians were fixed on an evening final between the hosts and world champions Spain, Italian and Uruguayan fans converged on the northern city for the bronze medal which Italy carried off after skipper Gianluigi Buffon saved spot-kicks from Diego Forlan, Martin Caceres and Walter Gargano. Despite the early afternoon heat both sides turned in an entertaining contest as the Italians, edged out in the semi-finals by Spain - also on penalties - came past rivals who had bowed to the Brazilians in their semi. Alessandro Diamanti looked to have won the game in normal time at the Arena Fonte Nova stadium when he swept in a curling free-kick just inside Uruguay keeper Fernando Muslera’s left-

hand post in the 73rd minute. But Edinson Cavani crashed in a stunning free-kick of his own with 12 minutes remaining of normal time to level at 2-2 as the South Americans fought to end a poor run of six losses in seven bronze medal matches at World Cup, Copa America and Confederations Cup tournaments. The extra half hour could not separate the sides and so the 12-yard test decided the contest. Forlan - who also missed in the semi against Brazil - fluffed the first kick and though Cavani and Luis Suarez netted it was not enough as Alberto Aquilani, Stephan El Shaarawy and Emanuele Giaccherini found the net. In a contest between countries who shared out the first four World Cups Italy, who have since netted two more, drew first blood on 24 minutes when Davide Astori poked in from point blank range after Muslera had deflected another dangerous Diamanti free-kick onto the woodwork. — AFP

Bakelants in yellow AJACCIO: Belgium’s Jan Bakelants of the Radioshack Leopard team won the second stage of the Tour de France yesterday to take the overall race leader’s yellow jersey by a margin of one second. The 27-year-old, making his debut in the race, broke away from the pack and resisted a fightback from the leading members of the peloton to win the 156-kilometre ride across Corsica from Bastia to Ajaccio. Bakelants edged out Slovakia’s Peter Sagan and Poland’s Michal Kwiatkowski to replace Germany’s Marcel Kittel in yellow. “I saw at 500 metres from the line that I still had a decent gap on the pack and I said: ‘Hold this, it’s going to be the nicest day of your life,’” Bakelants told reporters. “Maybe it will be the first and last time in my career that I wear the yellow jersey, but I am overwhelmed,” added the rider who nearly missed out on the Tour because of a succession of injuries, including a knee problem that required surgery. Bakelants, a former winner of the Tour de l’Avenir, also becomes the first Belgian to win a stage in the Tour de France since Jelle Vanendert

in 2011. He now tops the overall standings by a margin of one second from a mass pack of riders, including Australia’s former Tour winner Cadel Evans and this year’s favourite Chris Froome, who punctured a solid stage with a brief attack on the last climb of the day. Froome could have opened up a gap on his main rivals in the general classification if he had continued to push towards the finish line, but instead he opted to slow down on the descent, leaving a group of six riders to fight out the stage win. Spain’s Juan Antonio Flecha and France’s Sylvain Chavanel, who was celebrating his 34th birthday, were in that group but neither could keep up with Bakelants. Kittel sprinted to victory in stage one but was well off the pace on Sunday during a stage that featured a series of tricky climbs, and came in more than 17min 30sec later, although that was still good enough for him to take the green jersey for the best sprinter. “It was not as hard a stage as it maybe looked,” Kittel said. “The yellow jersey was a big help on the climbs, I had goosebumps with people shouting my name. — AFP

AJACCIO: Jan Bakelants of Belgium kisses the overall leader’s yellow jersey. — AP

Rosberg wins British Grand Prix SILVERSTONE: Nico Rosberg won, but his Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton took as many plaudits when he recovered from a massive tyre explosion to finish fourth in a thrilling British Grand Prix at Silverstone yesterday. However, Rosberg’s joy was later put on ice as he was called before the race stewards to explain why he didn’t slow down for the yellow flags between bends three and five over an hour into the race. He emerged smiling after escaping with a reprimand as the stewards could have stripped him of the victory. In a race marred by four tyre failures and two Safety Car interventions, Hamilton lost the lead before fighting back from last place and then led the calls for urgent attention to this year’s controversial problems with the fast-failing low-durability Pirelli tyres. “The safety is the biggest issue, it’s unacceptable...,” said the 28-year-old 2008 world champion. “We had that tyre test (in Spain in May) to improve

the tyre and to have four blowouts is unacceptable. “It’s only when someone gets hurt that someone will be doing something about it. “I think it’s a waste of time talking to the FIA (International Motoring Federation), and if they don’t do anything that says a lot about them.” His former team-mate Jenson Button of McLaren concurred: “There is nothing to be said-everyone can see what happened.” Button, the 2009 world champion but who has never won his home race in 14 years, said that the tyres issue had to be sorted out. “We’ve had ﬁve tyres fail over the last few days, so it’s a big issue and something that needs to be sorted out. “It doesn’t change how you drive, but of course it’s on your mind. Happening at 300 kph, like for Checo (Perez), it’s not right. It’s not just dangerous for the driver in the car, it’s dangerous for all the other cars. “The cars behind get hit by rubber that has met-

SILVERSTONE: Mercedes’ German driver Nico Rosberg celebrates on the podium at the Silverstone circuit after the British Formula One Grand Prix. — AFP

al in it. It’s got to change. I don’t think anything needs to be said. We all know the situation.” As the drivers’ reﬂected on the dangers of Pirelli’s succession of tyre failures in the aftermath of the race, and the controversy that followed Mercedes’ ‘secret’ test with Pirelli last month in Spain, the FIA’s president Frenchman Jean Todt held emergency meetings with the Italian suppliers. Rosberg had words of consolation for Hamilton. “With Lewis, I feel sorry for all the British fans,” said the German, who celebrated his 28th birthday on Thursday. “It would have been great for Lewis. It’s always a massive disappointment, but that’s racing. Sebastian (Vettel) stopped, I won’t lie, I wasn’t disappointed by that one. From then on, it was just a great race.” Rosberg survived huge late pressure from retirement-bound Australian Mark Webber of Red Bull to claim his second win of the season.

It was Mercedes’ first victory in Britain since Stirling Moss won in 1955 at Aintree and Rosberg’s second in three races and third of his career. Rosberg, who won earlier in the season in Monaco, said it was a wonderful moment for him to win a race his Finnish father the 1982 world champion Keke never won. “This a very special day for our team in our home race,” he said. “We are progressing all the time so it’s a very special day for me and the team today.” Webber, who had won this race twice, said he felt happy but also frustrated at just falling short. “It was frustrating, but the boys did a great job,” said the 37-year-old. “There were a lot of issues with the tyres and we were lucky and it was a clean race for us.” Alonso, who cut Vettel’s lead in the title race to 21 points, said the third placed finish was a bonus for him especially with his main rival failing to finish a race for the first time this season. “It was a good race for us. We got lucky to recov-

er some points and it was a good result for us in the end,” said the 31-year-old. The next race is the German Grand Prix next Sunday. Meanwhile, Mark Webber compared yesterday’s racing in a thrilling British Grand Prix to ‘playing Russian roulette’ after he fought back from 15th on lap one to finish a dazzling second for Red Bull at Silverstone. The 36-year-old Australian, who on Thursday announced he would be retiring from Formula One at the end of the season, almost took victory off German Nico Rosberg of Mercedes to mark his final F1 appearance at Silverstone where he was seeking a third victory. “It has been an incredible day. First there was the contact with Romain Grosjean and the wing was damaged. The boys did a great job changing that and then we got into the race,” said the straight-talking Australian, who twice finished third in the world championship. — AFP

SILVERSTONE: Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton races with a blown tyre at the Silverstone circuit. — AFP

Business

Bahrain economic growth accelerates strongly in Q1 Page 22 ECB to reassure markets on ‘exit’ strategy: Analysts Page 23

MONDAY, JULY 1, 2013

The new IS: Refining the Lexus brand

Jazeera Airways reports on May 2013 operational performance

Page 26

Page 25

URUMQI, XinjianG: A trader at his stall in the main bazaar in Urumqi, Xinjiang region. Riots in China’s ethnically divided Xinjiang region left up to 35 people dead, after police opened fire on “knife-wielding mobs”. It was the latest spasm of violence to hit the troubled western region, which is about twice the size of Turkey and is home to around 10 million members of the mostly Muslim Uighur ethnic minority. —AFP

Egypt bourse jumps, Gulf markets mixed Bulls dominate quarter; Kuwait drops DUBAI: Gulf bourses were mixed yesterday and for the month of June but bulls ran ahead in the second quarter, outper forming frontier peers and a poor performance on emerging markets, as attrac tive valuations and strong economic outlook spurred buying. Egypt’s bourse however, rose to a near-three-week high yesterday in very thin trading but posted its third consecutive quarterly loss as bears dominated amid escalating political tensions. Markets in the United Arab Emirates were the strongest gainers for the quarter as a partial recovery in property prices triggered positive sentiment among investors. Government spending plans and a buoyant tourist industr y have added their weight to the healthy economic outlook. Speculative buying also propelled the market ahead of the mid-June announcement by index compiler MSCI that it would upgrade the UAE and

Qatar to emerging market status. Dubai’s index, flat on Sunday, rose 21.5 percent in the second quarter and Abu Dhabi’s benchmark added 0.3 percent to push its quarterly gain to 17.4 percent - its best performance since the third quarter of 2009. “The markets have to correct during the summer and Ramadan but expect a comeback if the global scene is benign,” said Ali Adou, portfolio manager at The National Investor. Strong tourism numbers in Dubai and a potential for the emirate to secure the right to host Expo 2020, along with heavy infrastruc ture investments in Abu Dhabi, underpin a bullish outlook for the UAE, he added. Qatar’s index slipped 0.3 percent yesterday, trimming its quarterly rise to 8.1 percent - but still outperforming the last nine quarters. Investors bought blue-chips that lagged regional peers, which had rallied in the opening half of the year, with sentiment fur ther

buoyed by an MSCI upgrade. In Saudi Arabia, the benchmark slipped 0.1 percent, but closed the quarter up 5.2 percent. Growth concerns for Saudi banks and petrochemical shares have kept the market from matching the rally experienced by other regional exchanges. BY comparison, Morgan Stanley’s emerging market index lost 9.1 percent in the second quarter and its frontier market index ticked up 0.7 percent. In Kuwait, the index dropped 1.8 percent as investors adjusted their portfolios at the end of the quarter, said Fouad Darwish, head of brokerage at Global Investment House. However, the market still rose 15.6 percent in the second quarter, mainly driven by retail investor interest. Elsewhere, foreign investors lifted Egypt’s bourse to a near-three-week high ahead of anti- government protests yesterday but trading volumes were thin as many investors opted to

stay out of the high-risk market. Opponents of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi have planned protests on Sunday to mark the first anniversary of him taking office. Major rallies were not expected before late afternoon and streets in major cities were quiet as the working week resumed. The index climbed 1.4 percent to its highest finish since June 11 but recorded its worst monthly per formance since November 2012. Foreign investors were net buyers, against local and Arab sellers, according to bourse data. Foreign funds often buy Egyptian stocks when political tensions are high, expecting the market to recover in following sessions. But thin volumes suggest very few optimistic bets are being placed. “Investors are shying away with a wait-and-see approach, bearing in mind the risk involved in today’s possible outcome,” said Mohamed Radwan, director of international sales at Pharos Securities. —Reuters

Winds of change as Seychelles embraces green power VICTORIA: On two islands surrounded by deep turquoise water, the blades of eight wind turbines spin, providing a rare source of green energy for the port of Victoria, the Seychelles capital. The popular tourist archipelago far out in the Indian Ocean is almost entirely dependent on imported fossil fuels for power, but is now embracing renewable energy. The new wind farm here, opened in early June and funded by the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, has a total capacity of six megawatts, enough for some 2,000 houses in Mahe, the main island of the Seychelles and home to 70,000 people, around 90 percent of the population of the archipelago. The turbines are the first opened in a plan to provide at least 15 percent of the Seychelles power needs from renewable sources by 2030. “The decision to produce electricity using renewable energy was taken in 2008, after oil prices peaked, to ensure energy security,” said Tony Imaduwa, acting head of the Seychelles’ energy commission. Currently, the islands “are 95 percent dependent on imported oil”, the Indian Ocean Commission, a regional body, and the

European Commission said in a joint statement in early June. Since then, the EU has announced 15 million euros ($20 million) in funding for renewable energy projects in the wider Indian Ocean region, including the Seychelles but also for Mauritius, Comoros and Madagascar. “The IOC countries are highly vulnerable to the effects of soaring oil prices,” the two institutions added. “Yet the region has a large potential for renewable energy (hydro, solar, wind, geothermal) that is underutilised.” Since the Seychelles decided to launch renewable energy generation, it has also revised legislation to break the state’s power monopoly. “Now, companies that produce renewable energy can sell electricity,” added Imaduwa. Reducing dependency on expensive fossil fuels is only one concern, with the Seychelles also keen to boost greener sources of power. Experts warn that the tiny nationthe only one in the world where half the land is a nature reserve-is threatened by changing weather patterns bringing harsher storms and much longer dry spells, and environmentalists are working on projects to help combat the

impact. However, building up a reliable system for production of renewable energy is still far off for the 115-island archipelago, whose economy depends mainly on high-end tourism. “Currently, the Seychelles does not have the financial resources to undertake renewable energy (by themselves), as the equipment is still too expensive,” said Wills Agricole, a senior environment ministry official. “But thanks to the help of several countries, we are currently conducting several projects that should allow us to reduce fossil fuel consumption,” he added. Other green power sources are planned too. Mascareignes Seychelles, a subsidiary of a French company based on the island of Reunion further south in the Indian Ocean, has won a tender to produce energy from waste incineration. Agricole notes that the project, if it materialises, will take several years with many technical details yet to be resolved. But he also points to other projects, including the installation of solar panels on homes on La Digue, the third most populated island of the Seychelles, and whose famous palm-fringed and white sand beaches are one

of the most popular with tourists. “We have just started a pilot project with a South Korean company, KC Cottrell, so that the island is completely self-reliant for power by 2020,” said Agricole. “This project will see a photovoltaic system on almost every house... and gasoline vehicles will even be replaced by electric cars.” By September, La Digue-currently supplied with electricity from a generator located on the neighboring island of Praslin-should be equipped with solar powered streetlights, added Nicolas Hoareau, head of projects at the Seychelles Land Transport Agency. “A Chinese company, ZET Corporation, has made a donation of 200 street lights,” he said. For Andrew Grieser Johns, program coordinator at the United Nations Development Program, the Seychelles’ target of having 15 percent of energy from renewable sources by 2030 “is quite possible to achieve.” The Seychelles hope they can even exceed that with foreign investment. “The figure will certainly be revised upwards-even doubledbecause many foreign companies are investing in this area,” said Agricole. —AFP

Cameron in Kazakhstan on trade mission ASTANA: David Cameron arrived in Kazakhstan yesterday on the first ever trip by a serving British prime minister, hoping to boost trade ties but also promising to raise human rights concerns. The British leader landed in the oil capital of Atyrau on the Caspian Sea, where he was met by President Nursultan Nazarbayev, the Kazakh presidency said. The two leaders discussed prospects for boosting economic and trade cooperation ahead of more talks today in Astana. Cameron is leading a large business delegation to the mineral-rich Central Asian nation and hopes to sign trade deals worth more than £700 million ($1.06 billion, 820 million euros). “We’re in a global race for jobs and investment. This is one of the most rapidly emerging countries in the world,” the prime minister told the BBC in Atyrau. “I have over 30 British businesses with me, we’re hoping to sign over £700 million worth of deals. That will mean jobs back at home, and also investment in this rapidly growing economy.” He said he would be opening a British investment in a major oil field, noting that Kazakhstan would soon be one of the world’s top ten oil producers. Cameron stressed however that “nothing is off the agenda, including human rights” in his talks with Nazarbayev. “We will raise all issues, including human rights-that’s part of our dialogue, and I’ll be signing a strategic partnership with Kazakhstan. I think that’s important,” the prime minister said. “But we need for Britain to get out there and win. We need our businesses to win, we need jobs back at home, we need that growth and investment. “Human Rights Watch has urged Cameron to raise allegations of torture, the imprisonment of government critics and limits imposed on the media and freedoms of expression and religion. “It is essential to convey to the government of Kazakhstan your deep concern about serious and continuing rights violations there and the need for the government to take decisive action to address them,” the group’s UK director David Mepham wrote in an open letter to the prime minister this week. Cameron arrived from Pakistan, where he met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to discuss efforts to reach a peace deal in neighboring Afghanistan before the planned withdrawal of NATO troops. On his way to Islamabad, he stopped off in Afghanistan to visit some of the 7,900 British troops fighting the Taleban. —AFP

MONDAY, JULY 1, 2013

BUSINESS

Bahrain economic growth accelerates strongly in Q1

Production rises at East Ras Qattara concession in Egypt KUWAIT: Kuwait Energy, one of the fastest growing independent oil and gas exploration and production companies in the Middle East, with their main partner, the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC), announced a production increase yesterday at its East Ras Qattara Concession (ERQ), Egypt, in which the Company holds a 49.5 percent interest. Following the completion of drilling of the Shahd South East-06 development well at the ERQ concession, an initial net production rate for the well of 4,800 barrels of oil per day (bopd) was recorded. This increased the average net field production for ERQ to around21,000 bopd. Located in the Western Desert, Egypt, ERQ is the Company’s largest producing oil asset. The concession has two wells under development and 16 producing wells. Mohammad Al-Howqal, Chief Operations Officer of Kuwait Energy, said “We are delighted with the continued success of East Ras Qattara. Following the successful Shahd-3 development well in April and now Shahd South East06, ERQ has become the Company’s largest production asset and with two further development wells being drilled, there is potential for more to come.”

Financial industry growth slows DUBAI: Bahrain’s economic growth accelerated strongly in the first quarter of 2013, helped by a revival of oil output, official data showed yesterday. Gross domestic product, adjusted for inflation, expanded 2.5 percent quarter-onquar ter in Januar y-March, compared to a downwardly revised 0.2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012. On an annual basis, growth quickened to 4.2 percent in the first three months of 2013, the highest rate in a year, from a downwardly revised 2.5 percent in the previous quar ter, the data from the Central Informatics Organization showed. The country of 1.3 million people has based its economic strategy on becoming a regional

financial hub as it lacks much of the petrodollar wealth of its Arab neighbors. But political unrest starting in 2011, in which the government has faced mainly Shiite-led pro-democracy protests, has hit the economy hard and raised pressure on the government to boost spending. Output in the hydrocarbons sector, which accounts for a quarter of Bahrain’s $30 billion economy, grew 1.3 percent in JanuaryMarch from the previous quarter, against a mere 0.4 percent rise in the final three months of 2012. Hydrocarbon output jumped 8.0 percent on an annual basis in the first quarter after falling by the same amount in October-December.

Last year, Bahrain reported a drop in crude oil output from its key Abu Safa field, which it shares with Saudi Arabia and which contributes nearly 67 percent of budget revenue. Growth in Bahrain’s financial industry, which accounts for roughly 16 percent of GDP, slowed to 0.3 percent quarter-on-quarter in January-March from 1.4 percent in the previous three months. In the hospitality sector, which nosedived during the 2011 turmoil, output edged up by 0.5 percent in January-March, after a 0.1 percent rise in the fourth quarter. Analysts polled in April forecast that Bahrain’s GDP growth would ease slightly to 3.3 percent in 2013 from 3.4 percent in 2012. —Reuters

Mohammad Al-Howqal Kuwait Energy holds a 49.5 percent working interest in the East Ras Qattara concession. The remaining working interest is held by Sipetrol, who is also the operator of the concession.

Al-Tijari announces winners of daily draw with Najma Account KUWAIT: Commercial Bank of Kuwait held the Al-Najma Account Daily draw yesterday and it was held under the supervision of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry represented by Abdulaziz Ashkanani. The winners of the Najma Daily Draw are Danah Riyadh Rashed Abdulraheem, Razan Mohammad Farahat, Adham Kamel Sarhan Abdulattef, Sayed Jan Sayed Akbar and Khadeejah Saleh Mnahi Al-Rasheedi all winning KD 7000 each. The Commercial Bank of Kuwait announces the biggest daily draw in Kuwait with the launch of the new Najma account. Customers of the bank can now enjoy a KD 7,000 daily prize which is the highest in the country and another 4 mega prizes during the year worth KD 100,000

each on different occasions: The National Day, Eid Al Fitr, Eid Al Adha and on the 19th of June which is the date of the bank’s establishment. With a minimum balance of KD 500, customers will be eligible for the daily draw provided that the money is in the account one week prior to the daily draw or 2 months prior to the mega draw. In addition, for each KD 25 a customer can get one chance for winning instead of KD 50. Commercial Bank of Kuwait takes this opportunity to congratulate all lucky winners and also extends appreciation to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for their effective supervision of the draws which were conducted in an orderly and organized manner.

Burgan Bank announces winners of Yawmi account SINGAPORE: Private condominiums are pictured along the Kallang river in Singapore. Singapore’s clean and green reputation has taken a hit from Indonesian forest fires and its standing as a corporate and expatriate haven could be hurt if the smog becomes an annual scourge, analysts warn. —AFP

Dana Gas makes new discovery in Egypt DUBAI: Dana Gas has discovered more gas in Egypt’s Nile Delta, which could soon help alleviate domestic fuel shortages, the United Arab Emirates-based company said yesterday. The Begonia-1 discovery well produced 9.4 million cubic feet per day of gas and 133 barrels of condensate, a light oil, during initial test drilling in the Lower Abu Madi Formation. Total evaluated resources for the Lower Abu Madi zone are between 7 billion and 15 billion cubic feet, along with around 100,000 barrels of condensate, Dana Gas said. “The company is pleased to announce another successful well dis-

covery, which will add to our production, cash flow and reserves in Egypt,” Rashid Al-Jarwan, acting Dana Gas chief executive said in a statement. “We look forward to continue our appraisal drilling activities in the months to come.” Egypt has had to slash exports of gas to free up supply for its own power stations as daily blackouts leave homes and businesses sweltering in the hot summer weather and force officials to beg for gas from Qatar. Dana Gas said Begonia-1 and other discoveries it has announced in Egypt over the past year could soon enter commercial production and con-

tribute towards Egypt’s gas supplies, although it did not provide a date. The field will add around 1,600 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) of production, compared with Dana’s average output in Egypt of 33,600 boepd in the first five months of 2013. Separately, the Abu Dhabi-listed company said yesterday it expected to resume production of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from the Khor Mor field in the Kurdistan region of Iraq after repairs to its fire-damaged loading bay are completed in the next few weeks. The company had said in May it expected to resume production from the field in June. —Reuters

KUWAIT: Burgan Bank announced yesterday the names of the five lucky winners of its Yawmi account draw, each taking home a prize of KD 5,000. The lucky winners for the daily draws took home a cash-prize of KD 5000 each, and they are Raafat Radhani Atalla Sulaiman, Mohammed Ahmed Humoud Al Ajlan, Abdulaziz Ibrahim Abdulaziz Al Hasson, Rodoslaw Danial Pelczynski and Faisal Yousef Hadour Al Shammari. With its new and enhanced features, the Yawmi Account has become more convenient, easier, and faster for customers to benefit from. Now, customers will be eligible to enter the draw after 48 hours only from opening the account. Customers are also required to deposit KD 100 or equivalent only to enter the daily draw, and the coupon value to enter the draw stands at KD 10. The newly designed Yawmi account

has been launched to provide a highly innovative offering along with a higher frequency and incentive of winning for everyone. Today, the Yawmi account is a well understood product, where its popularity can be seen from the number of increasing account holders. Burgan Bank encourages everyone to open a Yawmi account and/or increase their deposit to maximize their chances to becoming a daily winner. The more customers deposit, the higher the chances they receive of winning the draw. Opening a Yawmi account is simple, customers are urged to visit their nearest Burgan Bank branch and receive all the details, or simply call the bank’s Call Center at 1804080 where customer service representatives will be delighted to assist with any questions on the Yawmi account or any of the bank’s products and services.

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 2.884 4.822 2.876 2.189 2.989 226.940 36.868 3.666 6.614 9.203

.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 76.284 78.601 743.020 759.800 77.905

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 285.950 Euro 375.740 Sterling Pound 438.930 Canadian dollar 274.420 Turkish lira 148.850 Swiss Franc 305.180 Australian Dollar 264.220 US Dollar Buying 284.750 GOLD 239.000 121.000 63.000

SELL DRAFT 266.23 276.14 307.28 376.26 285.10 439.25 2.94 3.689 4.819 2.191 3.015 2.888 77.85 760.41 40.19 406.61

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 286.050 275.305 437.965 375.500 303.170 757.330 77.860 77.860 78.515 403.235 40.110 2.191 4.809 2.876 3.673 6.609 701.700 3.880 9.365 4.085 3.154 90.395

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

747.600 79.100 76.400

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 39.950 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 40.148 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.335 Tunisian Dinar 174.730 Jordanian Dinar 403.970 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.919 Syrian Lier 3.108 Morocco Dirham 34.123

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

743.00 78.89 76.32

SELL CASH 266.000 275.000 310.000 380.000 287.800 445.000 3.000 3.700 5.110 2.800 3.600 2.990 78.200 760.700 40.200 410.900

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 0.4285400 0.0067217 0.0459301 0.3677080 0.0432066 0.4276840 0.0386906 0.2981847 Australasia 0.2520380 0.2139112 0.0001123 America 0.2651296 0.0001456 0.2839500 Asia 0.0036404 0.0031744 0.0456286 0.0165400

SELLDRAFT 0.4375400 0.0187217 0.0509301 0.3752080 0.0484086 0.4351840 0.0436906 0.3051847 0.2640380 0.2239112 0.0001123 0.2741296 0.0001636 0.2861000 0.0036954 0.0034044 0.0506286 0.0196400

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

0.0000444 0.0343279 0.0047566 0.0000239 0.0028600 0.0028005 0.0032650 0.0856667 0.0028601 0.0028578 0.0061611 0.0000731 0.2217708 0.0021510 0.0088129 Arab 0.7524592 0.0381631 0.0128198 0.1454715 0.0000796 0.0001813 0.3979604 1.0000000 0.0001755 0.0219652 0.0012181 0.7321073 0.0779292 0.0757600 0.0465197 0.0019500 0.1722147 0.0764672 0.0012909

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) 285.750 375.050 437.250 274.000 2.960 4.815 40.170 2.190 3.665 6.610 2.875 760.850 77.850 76.300

0.0000504 0.0374279 0.0048216 0.0000290 0.0038600 0.0029805 0.0034950 0.0926667 0.0030601 0.0028978 0.0066311 0.0000761 0.2277708 0.0021930 0.0094129 0.7609592 0.0401931 0.0193198 0.1472615 0.0000801 0.0002413 0.4054604 1.0000000 0.0001955 0.0459652 0.0018531 0.7431073 0.0787122 0.0764000 0.0470697 0.0021700 0.1782147 0.0779172 0.0013909

MONDAY, JULY 1, 2013

BUSINESS

US quantitative easing priced into FX markets NBK MONEY MARKETS REPORT KUWAIT: For now, it appears that the Quantitative Easing tapering has been well and fully priced in the market. The Euro remains under pressure as interest differential between the US and eurozone continue to widen. Moreover, dovish comments from ECB President Mario Draghi, stating that “easy money will persist in the euro-zone into the distant future” as unemployment remained high and inflation low, pushing the Euro lower against the greenback. The Euro started the week on a positive note, opening at 1.3122. The single currency then rose to 1.3151 against its American counterpart after Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas President Richard Fisher said that “investors should not overreact to the central bank’s plans to reduce the pace of asset purchases”, weakening the demand for the US dollar. The market then reversed its trend, as US data came on the strong side with durable goods up strongly again and house prices impressing markets, pushing the US dollar higher against its major counterparts. The Euro dropped significantly following the release of the US data to a low of 1.2985, aided by dovish comments from Draghi, stating that “accommodative policy will continue for as long as needed” and that the “ECB is ready to act”. The Euro then regained its losses and hiked all the way to 1.3076 after positive German confidence data. The single currency closed the week at 1.3010. Cable opened the week at 1.5418, only to rise against a weakening US dollar, to push the pound to a high of 1.5477. The sterling pound then collapsed against the US dollar, after BoE policy maker David Miles stated that “UK growth remains pretty weak, and that more asset purchases likely to be helpful”. The pound touched a low of 1.5202

on Thursday, after data showed UK disposable income fell to the lowest level in 25 years. Cable closed the week at 1.5212. The Japanese yen continued with its volatile movements against the USD. The JPY opened the week at 97.90, strengthening against a weaker US dollar at the beginning of the week, to touch a high of 96.96 on Tuesday. The Japanese Yen then weakened dramatically, as the US dollar rose to more than a two week high against the yen on Friday, despite upbeat Japanese data, as uncertainty over the future of the Federal Reserve’s stimulus program continued to support the greenback. Adding momentum on the JPY, the Nikkei experienced a solid performance at the end of the week, to hike the JPY to break the 99.00 level, the pairs’ highest level since the 10th of this month. The yen weakened by 218 basis points against the greenback during the week. The Japanese yen closed the week at 99.14. The CHF opened the week at 0.9345, strengthening to a high of 0.9313 against the USD, only to weaken dramatically during the remainder of the week to touch a low of 0.9488. The Swiss franc closed the week at 0.9450. New home sales Sales of new American houses climbed last month to the highest level in almost 5 years, even in the midst of strict borrowing rules, signaling a sustainable strength in the housing market that is fueling economic expansion. Purchases of new houses increased to an annualized pace of 476,000 homes, a rise of 2.1 percent, the highest level since 2008. The figure exceeded all economists’ expectations at 460,000, and beating the previous months’ revised figure of 466,000. The gain in the housing sec-

Samsung launches energy efficient DVM-S A/C System in Kuwait KUWAIT: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, has introduced a new commercial air conditioning system, the DVM-S Desert A/C in Kuwait, which offers the construction industry the most energy efficient and productive A/C unit available. With temperatures in the region often reaching over 50 degree Celsius during the summer months, the HVAC industry plays a crucial role in the construction sector. The region has seen increased demand for sustainable A/C systems as Governments across the Gulf begin to introduce new energy efficiency regulations for developers. The Samsung Air Conditioning DVM-S Desert VRF system, which was showcased at WETEX 2013 in Dubai, has the most advanced technology available adopting a twin variable compressor system and an intercooler of the plate type heat exchanger. The innovative DVM-S system from Samsung has achieved an Institute of Energy and Environment Research (IEER) rating of 27 and is AHRI certified. It boasts a maximum module capacity of 16HP, which offers a 32 percent smaller carbon footprint than conventional models and a maximum capacity of 64HP per unit. This ensures that the Samsung DVMS Desert meets the highest energy efficiency standards available in the industry. “We are in the midst of a ‘green revolution’ in the Middle East; it is not just consumers that are looking

for more sustainable products to help cut their carbon footprints, developers are also looking to introduce green technology to promote greener lifestyles and meet new sustainability standards,” said Robin Kadyan, General Manager of Home Appliances Sales Group at Samsung Gulf Electronics. The Samsung DVM-S Desert is designed to withstand extremely hot weather and harsh operating conditions, continuously operating in temperatures of 54?C. The low side innovative design of its compressor is perfectly suited for high ambient conditions as its internal pressure and temperature is kept low and stable, which maximizes performance and efficiency. “The heating, ventilation and conditioning (HVAC) industry is evolving beyond standard air conditioning units for households and is moving toward providing more sustainable commercial systems,” continued K adyan. “ We are ver y excited to bring this product to market in Kuwait. The increasing rate of business growth, especially within the real estate, construction and manufacturing industries has created a demand for energy efficient Commercial A/C Units such as the DVM-S Desert. We expect that the Samsung DVM-S Desert will be well received in Gulf as developers begin to react to the demand for more sustainable cooling technology,” said Raed Bashir, General Manager of Anadalus Trading Co.

EU warns US spying claims could hit free trade talks BRUSSELS: EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding yesterday warned that landmark negotiations with the United States to create a vast free trade zone could be affected if media reports that Washington had bugged EU premises proved true. “There should be no spying between partners. We can’t negotiate a large transatlantic market if there is any doubt that our partners are bugging the offices of European negotiators,” Reding said at a meeting with EU citizens in Luxembourg, according to her spokesperson. European Union countries have responded with dismay to a repor t in German weekly Der Spiegel this weekend which detailed covert surveillance by the US National Security Agency (NSA) on EU diplomatic missions in the United States and in Brussels. Der Spiegel said its claims are based on confidential NSA documents, some of which it said it had been able to consult via fugitive leaker Edward Snowden. One document, dated September 2010 and classed as “strictly confidential”, describes how the NSA kept tabs on the EU’s mission in

Washington, Der Spiegel said. Microphones were installed in the building and the computer network was infiltrated, giving the agency access to emails and internal documents. The EU delegation at the United Nations was subject to similar surveillance, Der Spiegel said, adding that the spying also extended to the 27-member bloc’s Brussels headquarters. The allegations have put a strain on EU-US ties less than two weeks after they launched long-awaited formal negotiations to create the world’s biggest free trade zone. Trade in goods between the United States and the 27-country EU last year was worth some 500 billion euros ($670 billion), with another 280 billion euros in services and trillions in investment flows. The EU says establishing a Free Trade Agreement would add about 119 billion euros annually to the EU economy, and 95 billion euros for the United States. The first round of talks aimed at creating jobs and boosting the fragile global economy is expected to take place in Washington next month. — AFP

tor is attributed to the higher demand, as consumers who have held long enough on purchases, started buying again after a slight rise in borrowing costs. Unemployment claims Fewer Americans filed for first-time claims for unemployment last week, indicating that companies are keeping their employees by slowing the pace of firings, as the economic outlook in US

improves. The number of Americans filing applications for unemployment benefits fell by 9,000 to 346,000. The figure came higher than the expected 345,000. As dismissals slow, this could boost a pick-up in hiring, as employers are more confident that demand will be sustained while consumers grow more optimistic. A less volatile measure than the weekly figures, the four-week moving average, dropped to 345,750 last week from 348,500.

Consumer confidence High US consumer sentiment fell less than forecasted in June, from a near 6-year high in May, as Americans became more optimistic and upbeat about the economic conditions. The University of Michigan consumer sentiment index only dropped to 84.1, from 84.5 in May, the highest level since July 2007. The figure came better than the expected 83.0. The sentiment among US consumers’ slight drop was due to a pickup in the

housing market, and gains in the labor market, which spurred confidence in Americans towards the outlook of the economy. Europe German labor market lost 12,000 jobs last month. The unemployment change surprised the European markets as the forecast was set at a gain of 8,000. While the unemployment rate is still unchanged at 6.8 percent, the labor

market signals disturbance and volatility in Europe’s power horse, Germany. German Business confidence increased for the second time in June, amidst signs that Europe’s largest economy is gaining traction and gathering pace, even as the Euro area struggles to emerge from recession. The Ifo Institute’s business climate index climbed to 105.9 this month, the second gain since February, from 105.7 in May. A measure of executive expectations jumped to 102.5 from 101.6, while on the other hand a measure of business conditions fell to 109.4 from 110.0. German retail sales German retail sales unexpectedly climbed in May, adding signs that the economy has gained traction on the continents biggest economy. Retail sales rose by 0.8 percent from April, when it slipped 0.1 percent. The drop took the market by surprise, as economists forecasted an increase of only 0.4 percent. Britain’s consumer confidence rose to its highest level in more than 2-years in June, as the British economy endures a positive outlook, which pushed Britons to spend more compared to recent past years. The consumer confidence index, measured by Gfk NOP Ltd, rose to -21, from -22, the best reading since May 2011. While the economy is showing signs of strength after resuming growth in the first quarter, Bank of England Governor Mervyn King stated that a recovery “is in sight”, although “it is too weak to be satisfactory”. Kuwait Kuwaiti dinar at 0.28545 The USDKWD opened at 0.28545 yesterday morning.

ECB to reassure markets on ‘exit’ strategy: Analysts Draghi to quell rate hike fears FRANKFURT: The European Central Bank’s main challenge at its monthly policy meeting next week will be to persuade markets that it has no plans in the foreseeable future to start raising interest rates, analysts said. Financial markets have been spooked by the announcement earlier this month that the US Federal Reserve is preparing to phase out its bond-buying or socalled “quantitative easing” program, bringing the prolonged period of loose monetary policy to an end. In response, sovereigns yields have risen across the euro area and financial conditions have generally tightened, albeit not dramatically. It was enough, however, to persuade ECB officials to publicly proclaim that the period of low interest rates is not going to come to an end on this side of the Atlantic. Central banks in the industrialised world have been keeping interest rates at all-time lows, thereby lending money cheaply, in a bid to stimulate the ailing economy. The overall economic outlook for the 17 countries that share the euro “still warrants an accommodative stance and an exit is still distant,” ECB chief Mario Draghi told a congress in Berlin last week. And another top ECB official, executive board member Benoit Coeure, said: “At the current juncture, there should be no doubts that our ‘exit’ is distant and our monetary policy is and will remain accommodative.” ECB watchers are therefore convinced that while no new policy moves are on the cards at the bank’s governing council meeting

on Thursday, Draghi will be at pains to rule out any reversal in interest rates in the foreseeable future. “With the news that the US Fed is set to taper its QE program hitting euro-zone financial markets, president Draghi should provide

needed shot in the arm. But analysts are divided whether that will mean further cuts in interest rates, particularly as that would involve one of the ECB’s key rates, the deposit rate, entering into negative territory. The deposit rate has been

FRANKFURT: Mario Draghi, President of the European Central Bank, ECB address a press conference following the meeting of the Governing Council in Frankfurt am Main, central Germany. —AFP reassurance about ongoing ECB policy support,” said Capital Economics economist Jennifer McKeown. “While we do not expect policy changes this month, Draghi is likely to confirm that the ECB is considering various conventional and unconventional policy options,” she said. At its June meeting, the ECB held its key rate unchanged at a current record low of 0.5 percent and Draghi insisted at the time that the bank stood “ready to act to given the euro-zone economy a much-

held at zero percent since last year and taking into negative territorywhere the ECB would actually charge banks to park their cash with it-could have unintended consequences, analysts say. “Given the upbeat survey data since the meeting ... it is hard to see the council cutting rates,” s a i d R B S e co n o m i s t R i c h a rd Barwell. “We remain of the view that a cut in the deposit rate into n e g a t i ve te r r i to r y i s h i g h l y unlikely. The most likely form of guidance is a statement that exit

is ‘very distant’,” Barwell argued. McKeown at Capital Economics disagreed. “We still the that the bank’s next move will be to reduce both the main refinancing and deposit rates to 0.25 percent and minus 0.25 percent respectively,” she said. “On the assumption that the economy fails to show convincing signs of recovery in the meantime, we are pencilling this move in for September.” Draghi has said in the past that the ECB is technically ready to mitigate any unintended consequences of negative deposit rates, even if it is not yet clear exactly how it will do so. UniCredit economist Marco Valli said he expected “all interest rates to remain unchanged, and no announcement of further unconventional measures.” Since its last meeting, growth news has been positive, both with respect to soft and hard data, the economist noted. “What the ECB will probably do is to use verbal intervention to ‘talk down’ eurozone yields, emphasising that the Fed and the ECB’s monetary policy runs on two different tracks,” Valli said. “We expect Draghi to reaffirm that the ECB’s monetary stance will remain accommodative for as long as needed, with the exit still far away. “If yields do not fall back from recent highs and financial conditions do not ease in the next few weeks, the ECB will probably decide to respond with a quarterpoint cut in the refi rate,” he concluded. — AFP

Qualitynet wins award at Insights Middle East Call Center Awards KUWAIT: Qualitynet, Kuwait’s No 1 total solutions provider announced that its Call Center Manager Ahmad Salloum has been awarded the ‘Middle East Helpdesk Manager of the Year 2013’. The award which is presented by INSIGHTS-ME, a

Dubai based authority on evaluating Customer Services and Call Center Support, is an award presented annually since 2007. The company expressed its honor and pride in Salloum’s achievement. Salloum who has a Bachelor’s in IT and was among the very first people to have joined the Qualitynet family back in 1999, has been consistent in performance excellence and professional achievements. Since joining, he has worked his way up through several positions before being appointed the Call Center Manager. The knowledge and experience he gained through working in several positions in the customer management and call center service, has prepared and helped him in achieving this prestigious award - one that many companies and establishments have been competing for since the launch of these awards in 2007. Salloum’s achievement also represents Qualitynet’s excellent Call Center & Support Service and its continuous attempts to enhance customer experiences, after-sales services and overall customer satisfaction, which places the company at a whole new level ahead of other companies in its domain. Commenting on this occasion, Engr Waleed Al-Qallaf, CEO of Qualitynet said “We are proud to have won this award, which reflects the

Engr Waleed Al-Qallaf, CEO of Qualitynet invaluable quality and commitment put in by each member of the Qualitynet family. We believe in investing in Human Resources, whose efforts are what ultimately drive the brand forward”. He also added that the company’s success in all spheres of operations is the result of having invested in the right people and in the combined effort of those experts, who strive to achieve the level of importance the company places on quality service.

MONDAY, JULY 1, 2013

BUSINESS

FASTtelco successfully launches Wi-Fi services in Olympia Mall KUWAIT: FASTtelco, the leading internet service provider in the state Kuwait specialized in providing innovative internet and data communications solutions, announced that it has successfully competed the launch of its Wi-Fi

Abdulwahab Al-Nakib

service in Olympia Mall, in an effort to comply with its vision to offer advanced internet based communications services in the region and affirm its leading position in the internet and data communication market in Kuwait. FASTtelco considers the installation of the Wi-Fi services in Olympia Mall as an important stage of its strategic business plans and public responsibility; It has set its goals to cover all key locations in Kuwait, especially the important commercial centers, to improve the quality and diversity of the services available in these locations Abdulwahab Ahmad Al-Nakib, Chairman and Managing Director of Al-Deera Holding, and CEO of FASTtelco, said that, in addition to its strategic location, the installation of FASTtelco’s Wi-Fi network in Olympia Mall was carried out due to its immense popularity

among the vast number of visitors. Al-Nakib proudly added, “FASTtelco has successfully installed its innovative Wi-Fi services in the more than 70 locations throughout the State of Kuwait to enable users more coverage and better convenience” Additionally, executives from Olympia Mall, for their part, stated that the Wi-Fi services recently launched in Olympia mall shaped an added value for the customers in the mall in terms of convenience, and better services and will improve the overall footfall of the mall It is no wonder, that FAST telcoalways strives to provide its clients with a wide array of services that exceed their expectations and specifically tailored to meet their needs through its innovative internet services, its world class infrastructure, and last but not least, its cutting edge communications technology.

MANAGUA: Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega (right) speaks alongside his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro during a Petrocaribe summit in Managua on Saturday. —AFP

Petrocaribe summit launches special zone MANAGUA: Caribbean-Venezuelan oil alliance Petrocaribe has announced plans for a special economic zone, following a summit in Nicaragua with heads of state and representatives from 19 countries. Venezuela president Nicolas Maduro on Saturday cheered the summit’s accords, which he said will build “a powerful economic zone.” The group proposed to expedite the process with five immediate actions, including signing an agreement with Venezuelan airline Conviasa to facilitate air communication via Caracas. Under another measure, Venezuela will facilitate maritime trade by providing ships. Other topics covered for the special economic zone were tourism and fair trade, as well as social issues including health and education. Economics must go hand in hand with social improvements, Maduro said, explaining the approach aims to create a “poverty-free zone” with Petrocaribe funds. Venezuela’s proposal, accepted by all member countries, called for investment

in literacy and other education programs to ensure access for all. Bolivian President Evo Morales-attending as a special guest, since his country is not a Petrocaribe member-proposed the economic zone also be extended to countries in the Americas’ Bolivarian Alliance, or ALBA. His proposal found support from Nicaragua, Cuba and Venezuela. Petrocaribe was founded in 2005 and includes 18 Caribbean nations and Venezuela, representing a combined population of 85 million people and most of whose economies rely largely on agriculture and tourism. According to official statistics, the 18 countries receive 3.5 percent of Venezuela’s state-owned oil company ’s exports. The alliance agreements allow for these countries to pay a portion of their oil bill in very lowinterest installments, and the rest in trade, mainly food and livestock. In the case of Cuba, part of their payment comes in the form of 30,000 doctors serving in Venezuela. — AFP

Russia hopes to rally gas producer group on prices MOSCOW/DUBAI: Russia is hoping to rally a loose grouping of gas producers at a meeting yesterday to support a price link to more expensive oil and keep gas prices high in the face of a boom in US shale gas production. Senior officials from the 13 member Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) including the leaders of Qatar, Venezuela, Algeria and Iran will join President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin two years after holding their first summit in Qatar. Gas producers formed the group over a decade ago with a vague ambition of improving cooperation. Suggestions by some members that GECF should mimic the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) by controlling supplies was a worry for gas importers in December 2008, when they last met in Moscow. Those fears have since evaporated as a surge in US shale gas production has helped create a glut on the global market, driving down prices on both sides of the Atlantic. Millions of tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) produced by Qatar from plants built to supply the United States flooded into Europe from late 2009 through early 2011, hitting Russia’s gas export business. GECF leaders proved powerless to prevent prices from falling until March 2011, when a tsunami smashed into Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant. Gas demand and sales prices in Asia have surged since Fukushima, and emerging demand for LNG in Latin America has also reduced the amount flooding into Europe, Gazprom’s biggest export market. “The organization has done little that anybody can see over the past year,” Jonathan Stern, director of the gas program at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, said. Stern cited institute research saying it was unlikely to “act as an kind of OPEC-type organization and that only a couple of its members sought such a role. I maintain that view.” Hindering cooperative action are the simmering tensions between Russia and some Gulf Arab producers over Putin’s defense of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad. Also several GECF members are big gas consumers themselves, which may make them less willing to push up prices. At a Kremlin briefing on Friday, Leonid Bokhanovsky, the GECF’s Russian chairman, was vague on prospects for output coordination but said all producers were interested in maintaining the link to oil. “We have several axes consolidating the interests of gas producers above all the tie between gas prices and the oil product basket,” Bokhanovsky said. “ The second component, which we believe stabilizes gas markets and

reduces the level of volatility on gas markets, is long-term contracts. There is full consensus of gas-producing countries on those two preconditions, and we hope they will be further confirmed during the summit.” Russian gas expor t monopoly Gazprom says the indexing of gas to oil prices is needed in term contracts to fund pipelines that cost billions of dollars to build. But Qatar, which has invested tens of billions of dollars in plants to chill gas to liquid, is less firmly attached to oil indexation, because it has the flexibility to ship LNG to the highest bidder anywhere in the world. Gazprom received a major blow on Thursday when a court ruled it had to include market pricing in the rates it charges German utility RWE, a major client. The case further erodes Gazprom’s market power in Europe, its biggest market, already hit by the region’s falling demand and increased competition from LNG. Norway’s Statoil, its chief European rival, now sells over half its pipeline gas at spot prices. Nor way and the Netherlands have observer status at the GECF. The GECF says it members control 80 percent of world gas production and 70 percent of LNG production. But only Russia, which sells most of its gas via pipeline, and Qatar, which exports mostly by ship, are major suppliers on the world stage - and they have taken opposing sides in the Syrian civil war. Iran, in past years the most vocal proponent along with Venezuela that the GECF should control prices, is a net importer of gas despite holding the world’s largest reserves. Iran’s energy minister, Rostam Qasemi, told a pre-summit meeting in Moscow on Saturday that he hoped the group could become an influential player in the global market, the ministry’s news website reported. But the export capacity of many of the GECF members has remained stagnant over the last two years, while competition from major new suppliers is emerging in East Africa, Australia and the United States. Venezuela exports no gas and has become increasingly reliant on imports from Colombia. North African members Algeria, Libya and Egypt have all faced gas export problems over the last two years. The United Arab Emirates has imported more gas than it exported over the last five years and is planning to build another LNG import terminal to satisfy its own needs, while fellow Arab LNG exporter Oman’s gas thirst is squeezing exports, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). — Reuters

MONDAY, JULY 1, 2013

BUSINESS

KUWAIT: Mubarak Naser Al-Sayer with Toyota officials during the launch of all-new Lexus IS. —Photos by Joseph Shagra

The new IS: Refining the Lexus brand

KUWAIT: Lexus yesterday introduced the allnew Lexus IS model range in the region to demonstrate a fresh direction for Lexus sedans, emphasizing “emotional” design and improved performance that delivers real pleasure at the wheel in all driving scenarios, not to mention the perks of the most advanced technologies and the thrill of F Sport. According to Nobuyuki Negishi, Chief Representative of Middle East & North Africa Representative Office, Toyota Motor Corporation, “With its contemporary and elegant design, advanced driving dynamics and innovative technology, the new IS range marks the entry of a distinctive and premium sports sedan to provide a truly responsive vehicle which is a natural extension of its driver. The pursuit of perfection has earned us a reputation for amazing technical excellence, not to mention superior service and a new standard of luxury. Beyond the rational, however, we now aim for amazing emotion to make the Lexus IS a fun to drive car. So the Lexus IS represents much more than a car-it’s an emotional experience and that is what the IS exemplifies by bringing our customers joy as part of a fulfilling and sophisticated lifestyle.” Refined design Dynamic outside The new IS looks fast and powerful, even standing still. From the front, the unique, trademark spindle grille is elegant but aggressive and powerful. From the side, the lines of the car flow smoothly from the door sill up to the tail-lights in the rear which are angled down and out, with the rear spoiler now integrated into the trunk

lid’s trailing edge. This car is definitely sportier. The L shaped LED daytime running lights are positioned just underneath the headlamp cluster drawing the eye to the side and rearwards in a subtle but sophisticated way. This is 3 dimensional design at its best-from any angle, the aerodynamic lines of the New IS suggest speed and agility. Elegant inside Drivers will love the interior, with its exciting cockpit-like design. The multiway adjustable front seats are supportive and secure. The dash-

Putting the Fun in “Fun to Drive” Says Junichi Furuyama, IS chief engineer: “We specifically made driving pleasure the major premise behind all aspects of performance. “ What does that mean? The engineers really did their thing to ensure “fun to drive”. For example, new laser welding and adhesive bonding techniques were used to increase body rigidity. New sub frame and cowl side braces improve handling and steering. The revised front suspension has a 20 percent increase in sway rigidity while the multilink sus-

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More dramatic design

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More dynamic “fun to drive” experience

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More advanced Technology

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More F SPORT

board has an operation zone and a display zone, reducing visual clutter and allowing drivers better situational awareness and control. The cabin’s contemporary lighting, premium materials, and other features suggest the highest quality and luxury. The longer wheelbase increases rear seat space and luggage capacity. All in all: sporty, ergonomic, comfortable - and elegant.

pension provides better grip and control. The new electric power steering system offers a more authentic road feel, with better feedback. All these technical improvements add up to one thing - the New IS handles better under all conditions, accelerating, cornering, and in the fast lane. At the wheel, you feel every move really is your move. The car is a true extension of its driver.

Choice of engines The IS 350 offers s a 3.5 liter V6 with D4-S direct and port fuel injection. The 3.5 liter engine produces 312 hp @ 6,400rpm, 38.5kgm/4800rpm torque. The IS 250 is powered by a smooth 2.5 liter V6 providing 204 hp @ 6,400rpm and 25.5kg-m/4800rpm torque. Transmission The eight-speed, Sport Direct Shift (SPDS) automatic transmission features paddle shifters and the G-force Artificial Intelligence (G-AI) SHIFT, which automatically selects the optimum gear and downshift pattern in response to G force. Sound generator The sound generator introduces a distinctly sporty engine sound when you accelerate in the mid-to-high rpm ranges. Drive mode select A new Drive Mode Select system features up to four driving modes. The Normal Mode offers relaxing driving performance within the city and on the highway. The Eco Mode offers controlled driving performance for optimum fuel economy while the Sport/Sport S Mode offers a sporty driving feeling and excellent acceleration performance. Advanced technology A unique and very stylish Electrostatic Temperature Control Switch enables quick, intuitive operation of air conditioning. The

Electro Multi Vision Navigation (EMVN) system with Remote Touch Interface (RTI) features Speed Limit Display & Route Trace R e g i s t r a t i o n a s we l l a s Q R Co d e fo r Destination which converts the destination information into QR (Quick Response) code that can be read by a smartphone or similar device . F SPORT F SPORT redefines the concept of the modern luxury sport sedan. It’s exclusive spindle grille is eye-catchingly bolder. The bottom corners of the front bumpers feature aerodynamic intakes that not only look great but enhance brake cooling. The unique 18-inch wheels’ Yspoke design recalls the LFA. On board, the meter cluster is also inspired by the LFA. Interior trim detailing includes an F SPORT steering wheel and shift knob, and aluminum pedals and scuff plates with the Lexus logo. Both the front and rear suspension systems and the Electric Power Steering (EPS) are exclusively tuned. Optional Variable Gear Ratio Steering (VGRS) controls steering angle in accordance with vehicle speed and driver operation to realize better control at all speeds and improve driving feel during lane-changing and navigating winding roads. An additional driving mode, SPORT S+ (IS350 F Sport only), uses an Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS) system and refines the power train, so the driver can fine tune the ride for even more fun when driving. In a word, F Sport is world class cool!

MONDAY, JULY 1, 2013

BUSINESS

Easa Al-Yousifi and Sons Group Co rolls out MSI GT7O/GT6O gaming laptops in Kuwait New platform’s 10 major design characteristics The unique design, record-shattering performance, and innovative gaming experience of MSI’s gaming laptops are steadily winning over extreme garners around the world. This year, MSI rolled out its latest GT7O2OC/20D and GT6O2OC/20D gaming competition laptops featuring Intel’s latest 4th generation Core i7 quad-core processor. Designed specifically with serious garners in mind, they boast 10 major special characteristics and became the benchmark for the industry in 2012. MSI continues to lead the industry in terms of system processing and performance and their machines stand head and shoulders above the plethora of challengers in competition gaming. High-performance gaming notebooks are becoming increasingly impressive in every way and are very popular with consumers. To ensure that garners can immerse themselves into gaming whenever and wherever the urge hits them, it is becoming increasingly common for garners to own both a desktop and a laptop for gaming. The overall design and performance of MSI gaming notebooks is winning over more and more serious garners. MSI, which has worked with many gaming teams in all types of activities and competitions, including worldrenowned FNATIC. Patrik, under whose leadership the team has won over a dozen first places in CS world gaming competitions, points out on a regular basis, “The superior gaming experience, performance, and durability of MSI gaming notebook computers have made them our team’s only choice, because you can really depend on them when the bullets start flying. In fact, not only are they great for gaming, they are the ideal choice for multimedia, too. No matter where we go in the world to compete or take part in activities, our laptops can be up and ready and we can be practicing in HD in no time at all. One major reason FNATIC has done so well as a team is our MSI machines.”

Intel’s 4th generation Corei7 processing platform boasts enhanced processing performance and bus system architecture which is 5 percent to 15 percent more powerful than the previous generation, so MSI’s gaming laptops can reach new levels of performance. The 4th generation Intel Core i7 processors also enhances the internal HD4600 display function a great deal, boosting 2D graphics processing and 3D drawing performances by an average of 30 percent, while reducing power consumption and extending battery life. In addition, it enhances program coding and encoding for more effective encryption of commercial BIOS and software. In addition to packing Intel’s latest generation processor, these mean machines boast ten major user-oriented innovations. These include elements designed exclusively by MSl, including Super RAID 2fasteststorage system, Matrix Display multi-display output, Cooler Boost 2, system performance boosting NOS, and a Steel Series competition keyboard. Other features include the all-new Nvidia Ge Force GTX 780M1770M discrete graphics cards, Killer Double Shot technology for online gaming, and to enhance sound, internal headset amplifier with Audio Boost, a Dyn audio sound system, and Sound Blaster Cinema. ‘MSI’s new generation Super RAID 2 employs three SSDs with mSATA interface, kicking up access speeds from 1000MB/s to as much as 1500MB/s three times faster than high performance single SSD notebooks produced by other brands, and more than 15 times faster than conventional laptops packing 750GB hard drives with 7200RPM. It is best design in the industry for booting up and handling files. It also includes a 750GB 7200 RPM hard drive to give you all the space you need for saving and backing up. GT Series gaming laptops might look small on

the outside, but they are built for speed, performance, and storage capacity. The GT Series features MSI’s Matrix Display multidisplay output with three built-in I/O display interfaces, including the latest Mini Display Port 1.2, HDMI 1.4, and traditional D-Sub. Mini DisplayPorti .2 and HDMI I .4both feature AV sync output to handle 4K*2KUltra HDTV, while the DSub interface supports the highest Full HD picture output and can be used with older overhead projectors. With three output interfaces and the notebook’s own screen, GT Series NBs offer the most choices in terms of 4 displays and the best screen resolution and performance in the industry. MSI’s new Gen. Cooler Boost 2 offers better cooling performance using a surround thermal solution between the CPU and the display’s cooling modules, so heat quickly dissipates through the vent that is cooler at any given time, enhancing cooling performance by more than 15 percent over the previous generation. Fan and temperature control performance have also been improved so that temperatures are reduced much more quickly and with 25 percent less noise. The best thermal solution on the market, it supports up to Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition and NVIDIA GTX78OM’s top level graphics for a better user experience in the form of more power, lower temperature and less noise. Recently developed by MSI, NOS is an automatic system combined with hybrid power design that works with Intel’sCPU Boost, NVIDIA’s GPU Boost, the powerful new generation Cooler Boost 2 to throttle up overall system and game performance by over 10 percent. Even if power usage exceeds the upper limits of the adapter supply, it can provide up to 220W to power the boost functions by rerouting power from the battery. In much the same way that a racecar driver employs an NOS(Nitrous Oxide Systems) instantaneous acceleration system, NOS instantly

revs up performance for a more exhilarating experience. When designing its GT gaming series, MSI worked with world leader in competition gaming peripherals Steel Series to incorporate a competition gaming keyboard with adjustable multihued backlighting. Keyboard feedback and durability were also greatly enhanced and the Windows Start key was relocated to the right side of the keyboard to prevent gamers from hitting it accidently when gaming. the keyboard comes with five backlighting scenariosnormal, gaming, wave, breathing, and dual color, as well as variable zone lighting and seven types of light changes, which together offer over 100 possible lighting combos. Depressing the Gaming Mode hotkey switches on the LED backlighting on the left side of the keyboard while keeping the rest of The top-of-the-line new gen NVIDIA Ge Force GTX78OM/770M display card provides gaming performance at “the speed of light” and with incredible resolution. It boasts more than 15 percent better performance on 3D Mark 11 standard tests over similar level gaming computers of the previous generation, like theGTX68OM and GTX675M. The lightning-fast anti-aliasing provides crisper, smoother graphics on all 3D games, giving you a superior extreme gaming experience on top-end gaming platforms. NVIDIA Ge Force GTX78OMI77OM boasts ideal gaming compatibility with NVIDIA graphics and MSI’s own PhysX technology for more realistic and dynamic gaming and better interactive environments. It is the only choice for garners who want to play Full HO games and at the highest settings. MSI’s top-of-the-line GT Series of gaming notebooks packs Killer Double Shot, a feature designed with garners in mind, combining Killer Ethernet and WiFi for twice the firepower. The Kilter Double Shot adapter provides serious garners with an outstanding online gaming experience with lower latency

Jazeera Airways reports on May 2013 operational performance Ranked #1 in on-time performance in ME in May 2013 by FlightStats KUWAIT: Jazeera Airways released its May 2013 Operational Performance Report showing a 7 percent increase in number of flown passengers from the same month last year. The increase was led by significant passenger pick-up on routes serving Dubai, Beirut, Amman, Jeddah, Cairo, Sharm El Sheikh, Assiut and Sohag. The May report, which presents market share figures based on official statistics from Kuwait’s Directorate General for Civil Aviation (DGCA), also showed that Jazeera Airways had a continued lead in on-time performance (OTP) against all other airlines in the Middle East during

the month with a performance of 96 percent, as ranked by the independent US-based OTP tracker, FlightStats. For the second month in a row, Jazeera Airways was the leading airline to serve the Kuwait-Amman route in May 2013, of which it grabbed a 50 percent market share and saw a 38 percent increase in flown passengers in comparison to the same month last year. The airline saw a 19 percent increase in flown passengers on the Kuwait-Dubai route in comparison to the same month last year, and grabbed a consistent 15 percent market share in May 2013 on the route.

On the Kuwait-Beirut route, the airline grabbed a 42 percent market share, an 11 percent increase in market share from the same month last year, supported by a 31 percent increase in flown passengers in comparison to the same month last year. On routes serving destinations in Saudi Arabia, Jazeera Airways saw a 49 percent increase in flown passengers on the Kuwait-Jeddah route as compared to the same month last year. The airline closed the month with a 19 percent market share on the Kuwait-Jeddah route, reflecting an increase of 6 percent from the same month last year. As for the Kuwait-Riyadh route, the airline’s second route in Saudi Arabia, the airline saw a 2 percent increase in market share from the same month last year, and closed the month with a 13 percent market share. On routes between Kuwait and Egypt, Jazeera Airways was once again the leading airline serving popular tourist and expat destinations of Sharm El Sheikh, Assiut, Luxor, and Sohag with a 55 percent, 54 percent, 70 percent and 44 percent market share respectively. The airline saw an

increase of 19 percent in flown passengers on the Kuwait-Sharm El Sheikh route as compared to the same period last year, a 22 percent increase on the KuwaitAssiut route, and a 12 percent increase on the Kuwait-Sohag route. The airline also saw a 6 percent increase in flown passengers on the Kuwait-Cairo route in May

2013 compared to same month last year, and grabbed a 26 percent market share on the route. The report also showed that Jazeera Airways had a 57 percent increase in flown passengers on the Kuwait-Istanbul route during the month of May 2013 as compared to the same month last year.

(ping). The Advanced Stream Detect automatically classifies and prioritizes data streams, greatly enhancing data stream flow and reducing lag time. In addition to boosting online gaming performance, this feature enhances video viewing on You tube or other websites with Full HO videos and downloads them in less than half the time. This is a wonderful little tool for both online gaming and watching videos. MSI’s Audio Boost enhances sound quality and comes with AMP (Audio Power Amplifier), a program designed to greatly enhance headphone performance and amperage in medium to high-end competition gaming and HIFi headsets and enhancing wrap around sound. All sound jacks are gold plated, because gold is the best conductive material known to man and does not oxidize. Christened “gold flash audio jacks,” they increase transmission efficiency and reduce noise, so that GT Series laptops reproduce each acoustic detail crisply, cleanly, faithfully. All MSI gaming laptops this year feature upgraded Sound Blaster Cinema wrap around sound, making the already cutting-edge Sound By Dynaudlo 2.1 channel sound system, even better with optimized software solutions in particular for wrap around sound, human voices, virtual bass, and low quality audio sources. Sound Blaster Cinema and MSI’s superior sound system complement each other exceptionally well. In addition to pushing the envelope in terms of notebook computer performance, MSI continues to work in cooperation with well known gaming teams around the world, including FNATIC from Europe and teams from Asia. MSI actively participates in a variety of gaming activities to increase name exposure, to improve on product functions, and to enhance user experience. What’s more, for its new platform, this year, MSI set up the Dragoon Army website and forum for MSI gaming laptop users and competition garners around the world.

Omega brand ambassador Ziyi named Chevalier Actress and OMEGA brand ambassador Zhang Ziyi has been named a Chevalier in the The Ordre des Arts et des Letters (Order of Arts and Letters) by the French government. The purpose of the Order of Arts and Letters is the recognition of significant contributions to the arts, literature or the advancement of these fields. When she accepted her honour on Thursday at the French Embassy in Beijing, Zhang Ziyi was wearing an OMEGA Ladymatic. The exquisite timepiece perfectly complemented the medal, which Ziyi wore proudly at the presentation ceremony.

MONDAY, JULY 1, 2013

technology

Move over Messi, here come the robots

HANOVER: In this picture, taken Saturday June 29, a demonstrator protests with a poster against NSA in Hanover, Germany. Germany’s top justice official says reports that US intelligence bugged European Union offices remind her of “the methods used by enemies during the Cold War.”—AP

US bugged EU offices, computer networks BERLIN: The United States has bugged European Union offices and gained access to EU internal computer networks, according to secret documents cited in a German magazine on Saturday, the latest in a series of exposures of alleged US spy programmes. Der Spiegel quoted from a September 2010 “top secret” US National Security Agency (NSA) document that it said fugitive former NSA contractor Edward Snowden had taken with him, and the weekly’s journalists had seen in part. The document outlines how the NSA bugged offices and spied on EU internal computer networks in Washington and at the United Nations, not only listening to conversations and phone calls but also gaining access to documents and emails. The document explicitly called the EU a “target”. A spokesman for the Office of the US Director of National Intelligence had no comment on the Der Spiegel story. Martin Schulz, the president of the European Parliament, said that if the report was correct, it would have a “severe impact” on relations between the EU and the United States. “On behalf of the European Parliament, I demand full clarification and require further information speedily from the US authorities with regard to these allegations,” he said in an emailed statement. Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn told Der Spiegel: “If these reports are true, it’s disgusting. “The

United States would be better off monitoring its secret services rather than its allies. We must get a guarantee from the very highest level now that this stops immediately.” Snowden’s disclosures in foreign media about US surveillance programmes have ignited a political furore in the United States and abroad over the balance between privacy rights and national security. According to Der Spiegel, the NSA also targeted telecommunications at the Justus Lipsius building in Brussels, home to the European Council, the collective of EU national governments. Without citing sources, the magazine reported that more than five years ago security officers at the EU had noticed several missed calls and traced them to NSA offices within the NATO compound in Brussels. Each EU member state has rooms in Justus Lipsius with phone and internet connections, which ministers can use. Snowden, a US citizen, fled the United States to Hong Kong in May, a few weeks before the publication in the Guardian and the Washington Post of details he provided about secret US government surveillance of internet and phone traffic. Snowden, 30, has been holed up in a Moscow airport transit area since last weekend. The leftist government of Ecuador is reviewing his request for asylum.—Reuters

EINDHOVEN: With the score tied 1-1, it’s gone to a penalty shootout in a tense soccer match between teams from Israel and Australia. As the Australian goalkeeper in his red jersey braces for the shot, the Israeli striker pauses. Then he breaks into a dance instead of kicking the ball. Perhaps he can be forgiven: He’s a robot, after all. Welcome to the RoboCup, where more than a thousand soccer-playing robots from forty countries have descended on the Dutch technology Mecca of Eindhoven this week with one goal in mind: beat the humans. Eventually. The tournament’s mission is to defeat the human World Cup winners by 2050 - creating technology along the way that will have applications far beyond the realm of sport. To achieve the goal, organizers have created multiple competition classes - including small robots, large robots, humanoid robots and even virtual robots - with plans to merge their techniques into a single squad of all-star androids capable of one day winning a man vs. machine matchup. For now, Lionel Messi doesn’t need to look over his shoulder. Humanoid robots have difficulty keeping their balance, and the largest - human height move more like, well, robots than world-class athletes. “To be honest, I think a 3-year-old could win against any of the humanoid teams,” says Marcell Missura of the University of Bonn, whose NimbRO team won the “teen” humanoid class in Mexico City last year. NimbRO’s 3-foot (120 centimeter) striker sports a shock of white hair and a flashy pink bandanna as it towers above a Japanese opponent in one match. That’s because the Japanese player doesn’t have a head, just a prong with a camera mounted on top. The NimbRO striker shuffles over to the ball where it lies near one sideline, centers itself carefully, and then raises its head to gauge the placement of the goal. It then shifts its weight to one foot, draws back the other foot and kicks. GOAAAAAAL! The shot is not powerful, but it’s spot on, and it leaves the opposing keeper flat-footed. “It’s starting to look like soccer,” Missura says hopefully. Missura says his robot’s outfit, which also includes a pair of shorts that hang clumsily from its robotic hips, actually hinders its performance, leading to overheating. But making the bots look human is part of his task. “If they’re ugly they will not be accepted by people,” he said. “Plus it is a little fun.” While the humanoid robots have a long way to go, it’s a different story when robots are allowed to be robots that is, with wheels, joints that can pivot 360

EINDHOVEN: Robots in the ‘standard platform’ division prepare for kickoff at a match held during the RoboCup championships. Around 300 teams from 40 countries are competing this week in the RoboCup championships. The competition has the long-term goal of building a team of androids good enough to beat the human World Cup team by 2050.—AP degrees and a wide array of sensors. The smallest robots, each about the size and shape of a birthday cake, swarm across their field, weaving around like piranhas. These bots play with a golf ball they tick into the goal so powerfully it’s difficult to see it happen. As in all the divisions, once a game starts, there’s no human interference - except for substitutions, when humans are allowed to remove a bot that has broken down, and when referees eject a player for fouling an opponent. The mid-size robot competition - which some fans refer to as “the R2-D2 league” - most resembles real soccer, played on a 60 foot (18 meter) long court. Majid Gholipour, leader of teams from Iran’s Qazvin Open University, says his mid-size bots, which are shaped like buoys, have a top speed of around 14 mph (22 kph). The bots use different kicks for passing and shooting, and they communicate their position to each other via wireless Internet connections. The University of Eindhoven’s “Tech United” is favored to repeat as mid-size winner. But the Iranians were runners-up in 2012, and Gholipour

says his robots’ strategy is becoming more complex. “If they are losing, they go on the attack,” he says. “If they are winning, everybody goes to defense. Like Italians.” Both the Dutch team and the Iranian team confide that they’ve got a secret weapon this year: “path planning,” where the ball is passed toward open space as a robot scoots to intercept it. But arguably the most enjoyable matches to watch are in the “standard platform” division, where all contestants use the same small humanoid robot, manufactured by Aldebaran Robotics. These are built with a stylish white design that includes glowing eyes that can change color to signal ‘emotion.’ In this league, the challenge is purely in the software: the best computer code wins. Many teams play looking like they’re drunk. When programmers push the limits on speed, the bots tend to fall down even more often than human professionals do. But watching the bots stand back up, rotating their knees forward and pushing up off of one hand, it’s possible to envision them running and jumping someday. Unlike with human players, there are no prima donnas among the robots. Each plays every position equally wall, and they shift roles seamlessly. —AP

Traffic cameras bring Ohio village to a stop ELMWOOD PLACE: This little village had a big problem. Each day, thousands of cars - sometimes as many as 18,000 - rolled along Elmwood Place’s streets, crossing the third-of-a-mile town to get to neighboring Cincinnati or major employers in bustling suburbs or heavily traveled Interstate 75. Many zipped by Elmwood Place’s modest homes and small businesses at speeds well above the 25 mph limit. Bedeviled by tight budgets, the police force was undermanned. The situation, villagers feared, was dangerous. Then the cameras were turned on, and all hell broke loose. Like hundreds of other US communities big and small, Elmwood Place hired an outside company to install cameras to record traffic violations and mail out citations. In the first month after the cameras began operating, late last year, 6,600 tickets went out - more than triple the village’s population. Before some unsuspecting drivers realized it, they had racked up multiple $105 citations they would learn about when their mail arrived weeks later. Some 70 parishioners, or more than half the congregation at Our Lady of Lavang Catholic Community Church, were ticketed on one Sunday last September. Soon, there was a Facebook page promoting a boycott of the village, a petition drive against cameras, and a lawsuit against the village that threatened to wreck Elmwood Place financially. Four council members resigned. And an atmosphere of distrust and uneasiness hung over a village that traced its roots back to the 19th century, before traffic cameras or even automotive traffic. “I think Elmwood Place tried to do something, but maybe not in the right way,” said Catherine Jones, who brought a chair and small table out of her namesake Southern-style restaurant on a recent afternoon and sat in the sun as she read her Bible and wrote out notes about the verses. Just last year, she recalled, a pedestrian was hit and killed a couple blocks from her restaurant, near an elementary school. So she understood that something had to be done. But now she is among many small business owners worried that the cameras have given the village a speed-trap stigma. Few things will rile citizens quicker than getting tickets in the mail, along with photos of their vehicles under a red light. The letters usually inform them they will not be assessed traffic violation “points”; nor will their insurance company be contacted. But they must pay up, or face a collection agency and damage to their credit ratings. Supporters of camera enforcement say they stretch law enforcement resources, and they usually result in safer driving and thus save lives. Opponents see cameras giving governments a way to grab more money from taxpayer pockets, putting local policing in the hands of remote, for-profit companies, and taking society another step toward an Orwellian state of constant surveillance for misbehavior. In Arizona, where two large photo enforcement companies are based, red-light and speed enforcement cameras have been a matter of contention for years. Gov. Jan Brewer scuttled a state program that put speed-enforcement cameras on freeways and interstates in 2010 when a contract expired; efforts to ban the devices used by many cities and towns are a yearly fixture in the Legislature. In February, San Diego followed Los Angeles and Pasadena in dropping traffic camera citations; the mayor said they bred disrespect for the law because residents believed they were meant to make money, not reduce accidents. Legislation to require communities to get state permits before installing traffic cameras stalled this year in Iowa, while a group called Stop Big Brother has been trying to head off cameras in Iowa City. There are 12 states that ban speed cameras, and nine prohibit red-light cameras. Yet despite the critics and complaints, camera use is growing overall. The New York state legislature this month approved installing speed cameras in New York

City school zones. Communities with traffic cameras, or automated enforcement, have increased more than fivefold across the country in less than a decade, with redlight cameras in 530 municipalities and speeding cameras in 125, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. “There is Zeitgeist in the country right now on privacy concerns, concerns about intrusion; we understand that,” said Jonathan Adkins of the Governors Highway Safety Association, which promotes safety nationally through state-level efforts. That group and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, an Arlington, Va.-based nonprofit organization funded by auto insurers, say studies show cameras result in a reduction of fatal crashes caused by red light-running, and in reduced speeding in pedestriansensitive areas such as school zones. “What we’ve seen from the field is red light cameras and safety cameras are both important tools in the safety tool box,” Adkins said, adding that they should complement, not replace, law enforcement and should be focused on safety, not boosting budgets. Holly Calhoun doesn’t believe they were about safety in her hardscrabble village. “Elmwood was just doing it because they needed money,” said the manager of Elmwood Quick Mart, which offers phone cards, lottery tickets and Mexican food, and advertises its willingness to accept food stamps. “People couldn’t afford those tickets,” Calhoun said. “They can barely afford to pay their bills. It was pretty sad.” Settled by German farmers and laborers who came up from Appalachian Kentucky, Elmwood Place was incorporated in 1890. Like many “inner-ring” American suburbs, it hit its peak many decades ago. Older residents recall bucolic times of moonlit concerts and tire swings hanging from backyard trees. But outsourcing of blue-collar work made life tougher for many residents, and the village’s incomes and housing values fell well below statewide averages. Housing stock deteriorated to the point where you can buy a two-bedroom fixer-upper for less than $60,000. When William Peskin joined the police force in 1998, there were nine officers. Now the police chief is the only full-time law enforcement officer left. He said concerns grew after accidents around the elementary school; village officials looked into traffic cameras and became convinced that they were the most practical way to make the village safer. Cameras at the village limits and in the school zone dramatically curtailed speeding once citations started going out, Peskin said. From 20,000 speeders clocked in a two-week trial period last summer, the number soon

ELMWOOD PLACE: In this Thursday, April 11, 2013 photo, Holly Calhoun stands across the street from a tower of speed cameras located near the Elmwood Quick Stop she manages. Calhoun doesn’t believe the speed cameras installed in the village were about safety.—AP dropped to a quarter of that. Former county prosecutor Mike Allen filed a lawsuit against the town. Among the plaintiffs: the Rev. Chau Pham, who said church attendance dropped by a third after that Sunday when so many congregants - including him - were ticketed; David Downs, owner of St. Bernard Polishing for 25 years, who said long-time customers had vowed to shop elsewhere because they had been ticketed; and a Habitat for Humanity worker who was cited four times. “Elmwood Place is engaging in nothing more than a high-tech game of three-card monte,” Judge Robert P. Ruehlman wrote March 7 in a colorful opinion that has heartened camera foes across the country. “It is a scam that the motorists can’t win.”The judge said the village was on pace to assess $2 million in six months (the village’s annual budget is $1.3 million). Maryland-based Optotraffic, owner and operator of the photo enforcement system in return for 40 percent of revenue, had already reaped $500,000 in about four months. Used words such as “scheme,” “sham,” “stacked,” and “total disregard for due process,” Ruehlman declared the village’s photo-enforcement ordinance invalid and unenforceable. Elmwood Place is appealing, and believes it has the law on its side. “It’s unfortunate that the judge doesn’t see it as a safety issue,” Peskin said. Ohio courts have upheld camera enforcement in some of the state’s biggest cities as a legitimate exercise of local government power; the Ohio Supreme Court heard arguments in 2008 on the city of Akron’s speeding cameras and approved them.—AP

OHIO: This Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013 file photo shows a pair of traffic cameras aimed on Vine Street, in Elmwood Place. The village was on pace to assess $2 million in traffic fines in six months until a lawsuit brought a ruling from a judge forcing the village to stop using the cameras. The village is appealing the ruling.—AP

MONDAY, JULY 1, 2013

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

ASEAN urges Indonesia to ratify haze pact BRUNEI: Southeast Asian nations urged Indonesia yesterday quickly to ratify a treaty aimed at preventing fires in its giant rainforests that regularly inflict choking smog on its neighbors. Thick grey smoke from the fires on Sumatra island sent air pollution to record levels in neighboring Singapore and Malaysia this month, forcing people to wear face masks and schools to close. The crisis prompted the two nations to raise the problem at the annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations foreign ministers’ meeting in Brunei yesterday Indonesia is the largest member of the 10-nation bloc. “We... stressed the importance for regional countries to uphold their inter-

national obligations and work together to tackle the transboundary haze pollution problem,” the foreign ministers said in a joint communique. They “called upon ASEAN member states that have not yet ratified and operationalised the (treaty) to do so expeditiously”. Indonesia is the only member which has still not ratified an ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution brokered in 2002. The treaty aims to stop cross-border smog pollution caused by forest fires by requiring parties to prevent burning, monitor prevention efforts, exchange information on the problem and provide mutual help. It also binds signatories to “respond promptly ” to

requests for information sought by another country affected by the smoke and to take steps to implement their obligations under the treaty. Indonesia, a freewheeling democracy since the fall of strongman Suharto in 1998, has blamed its parliament for the long delay. The government had sought legislators’ approval to ratify the haze agreement but the proposal was rejected in 2008. Indonesia Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said the treaty had been resubmitted to the current legislature, although no timeline for ratification was given. Environmental group Greenpeace International, however, said Indonesia was reluctant to ratify the treaty because

it would affect the expansion plans of palm oil companies in the country. The Sumatra fires have been largely blamed on palm oil firms using the illegal but cheap method of burning vast tracts of rainforests and peat lands to clear them for planting. Indonesia is the world’s top producer of palm oil, which is used for many everyday items such as soap and biscuits. Some of the world’s most biodiverse rainforests cover vast areas of Sumatra and other parts of the sprawling Indonesian archipelago. But environmental campaigners warn these forests are being cleared at a disastrous rate to make way for palm oil plantations, as well as for mining and logging.

Singapore Foreign Minister K. Shanmugam voiced satisfaction at progress on the haze issue at the talks. The ASEAN statement “focuses on the importance of putting out the fires, it focuses on the importance of monitoring, verifying to prevent recurrence in the future”, he told reporters. “It gives a framework for us to move ahead.” However Greenpeace’s chief Indonesia forest campaigner, Bustar Maital, said ASEAN must widen its focus to prevent the rapid rate of deforestation in Indonesia and across the region, rather than simply focus on the fires. “Deforestation is the main driver of the forest fires,” he told AFP.—AFP

More C-sections are now done closer to due date ATLANTA: Not only has the nation’s high level of C-sections finally stopped rising, but more of the operations are taking place closer to the mother’s due date, a new government report found. Figures released Thursday show what appears to be a significant shift in when pregnant women have cesarean sections. Experts called the change great news - apparent evidence that doctors and women have absorbed warnings about the risks of C-sections and the importance of waiting to deliver until the baby is full-term. “People are getting the message,” said Dr Barbara Stoll, an Emory University specialist in the care of newborns. A C-section is major surgery with risks of infection and, in very rare cases, death. Recovery time is longer than with a vaginal delivery. And the babies can be more likely to have breathing difficulties and other medical problems. For decades, the operations were done in only a small fraction of births, usually only when a fetus was in danger. In 1970, the US rate was 5% of all births. By 2009, about a third of births were C-sections. Experts say many factors drove the rate up, including the convenience of scheduling deliveries. But that rate has at least stopped rising for two years. The overall rate was again about 33% in 2011, the latest year

available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Thursday’s report focused on preliminary data for that year’s single-child deliveries, which are about 96% f all births. The trend there was similar to the overall numbers: The C-section rate has held steady at 31% since 2009, after rising for a dozen straight years. The report found very little change in C-sections through 37 weeks of gestation between 2009 and 2011. But at 38 weeks there were fewer: the rate fell 5%, to 32%. And at 39 weeks, it rose 4%, to 34% of births. The rate at 40 weeks held steady at 25%. A full-term pregnancy is 39 to 40 weeks. The changes occurred across the board, for all major racial and ethnic groups and for all ages of mothers. CDC health statistician Michelle Osterman said they had hoped to figure out from the report why the overall rates had leveled off, but it didn’t provide any answers. Health officials want to push the rate down to a goal of 15%. Still, the shift to later C-sections is great news, said Dr George Macones, head of obstetrics and gynecology at Washington University in St Louis. “The important thing is babies born before 39 weeks have more complications than babies born at 39 weeks and beyond,” Macones said.—AP

YEMEN: A girl looks on as another receives an oral polio vaccine during an anti-polio campaign in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, yesterday.—AFP

WHO: Treat people with HIV early to stop spread LONDON: Young children and certain other people with the AIDS virus should be started on medicines as soon as they are diagnosed, the World Health Organization says in new guidelines that also recommend earlier treatment for adults. The advice will have the most impact in Africa, where nearly 70 percent of people with HIV live. Many rich countries already advocate early treatment. WHO’s new guidelines were released yesterday at the International AIDS Society meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. About 34 million people worldwide have HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. HIV attacks key infection-fighting cells of the immune system known as T-cells. When that count drops to 200, people are considered to have AIDS. In the past, WHO recommended countries start treating people with HIV when their T-cell count fell to 350; a normal count is between 500 and 1,600. The new recommendations say to treat earlier, when the T-cell count hits 500. In addition to children under 5. WHO says several other groups should also get AIDS drugs as soon as they’re diagnosed with HIV: pregnant and breast-feeding women, people whose partners are uninfected and those who also have tuberculosis or hepatitis B. The new guidelines mean an additional 9 million people in developing countries will now be eligible for treatment. At the moment, only about 60 percent of people who need the life-saving drugs are getting them. “WHO has recognized that time is the most important commodity when it comes to battling the HIV epidemic,” said Sharonann Lynch, HIV policy adviser at Doctors Without Borders, which contributed to the new guidelines. She said that while the costs for rolling out this treatment might be expensive, the strategy would ultimately result in fewer HIV infections and deaths in the future. “It’s pay now or pay later,” she said. The new guidelines also mean the total global spending on AIDS - about $23 billion a year - will rise by about 10 percent, according to Gottfried Hirnschall, director of WHO’s HIV department. Given the ongoing financial crisis, it’s unclear how willing donors will be to pitch in for even more AIDS treatments. Hirnschall said the cheapest course of the drugs costs $127 per person every year under

programs that have negotiated prices for poor countries, but the price can be much higher elsewhere. WHO’s recommended treatment is a single pill that combines three powerful drugs taken once daily. In the US, officials recommend that everyone who has HIV should be on treatment but say there is only “moderate” evidence for starting therapy when the immune system is still working normally. WHO’s new guidelines are based largely on recent studies suggesting people with HIV who start treatment before their immune systems weaken live longer. The case of a U.S. baby girl with HIV who was treated aggressively within 30 hours of being born suggests very early treatment could prevent the virus from ever getting a foothold. Earlier this year, doctors announced the little girl from Mississippi was apparently cured after stopping medication for about a year with no signs of infection. Several studies have also hinted that starting therapy early dramatically cuts down the chances an infected person will pass on the virus to a sexual partner. If all countries start treating people with HIV in line with the new recommendations, WHO estimates 3 million lives could be saved and 3.5 million new infections could be avoided in the next decade. But convincing people to take a lifelong regimen of drugs that come with side effects including liver problems and severe skin reactions, will be challenging. “These drugs are not like sweeties,” said Dr. Sarah Fidler, an HIV expert at Imperial College London who is leading a trial in Africa studying issues including the effectiveness of immediate treatment for people with HIV. She had no role in the WHO guidelines. Studies in Africa have shown varying compliance rates from 50 percent to more than 90 percent, similar to elsewhere in the world. If patients aren’t taking their medicines at least 70 percent of the time, that could also lead to drug resistance. Fidler said that while the WHO guidelines were a step in the right direction, implementing them would not be easy. “For people struggling with other issues like poverty, taking pills for a disease that isn’t making them sick yet might not seem like the most important thing in the world,” she said. “This is not going to be as simple as just giving drugs to everybody.”—AP

VIRGINIA: Richard Norris ties a fishing fly at his home in Hillsville.—AP photos

Richard Norris, right, shows friend Andrew Kahle, left, how to load line into a fly fishing rod at Norris’ home in Hillsville.

Face transplant patient celebrates life in public ‘When I look in the mirror, I see Richard Norris’ BALTIMORE: In the 15 years between a shotgun blast that ravaged the bottom half of Richard Norris’ face and the face transplant that ended a hermit-like life for him, the man from rural southwest Virginia faced cruelty from strangers, fought addiction and contemplated suicide. But even if he could go back in time, he’s not sure he would erase the accident that left him severely disfigured. “Those 10 years of hell I lived through, it has given me such a wealth of knowledge,” Norris recently told The Associated Press, one of only two news outlets granted interviews since his transplant last year. “It’s unreal. It has put some of the best people in my life.” Now, at 38, he’s starting a new life: taking online classes in pursuit of a degree in information systems and contemplating a foundation to help defray future transplant patients’ everyday expenses during treatment. He also has been working with a photojournalist who just completed a book about his journey, titled “The Two Faces of Richard.” He hopes his story sends a message of hope to people in similar situations and encourages empathy in others. “I’ve heard all kinds of remarks,” he said. “A lot of them were really horrible.” After the 1997 accident at his home, Norris had no teeth, no nose and only part of his tongue. He was still able to taste but could not smell. When he went out in public, usually at night, he hid behind a hat and mask. Norris had dozens of surgeries to repair his face, but eventually reached the limits of what conventional surgery could do for him, said Dr Eduardo Rodriguez, who performed some of those operations

and later led the surgical team that performed Norris’ face transplant. Some parts of the anatomy, such as eyelids and lips, are just too complex to recreate, he noted. “You can create a semblance of something, but I can guarantee you it’s not normal by any means.” Just weeks after Norris was told by another doctor that there was little else that could be done for him, Rodriguez presented him with another option: a transplant. The doctor, who is head of plastic surgery at the University of Maryland Medical Center’s R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, had been following advancements in the face transplant field for years. An Office of Naval Research grant for the purpose of helping wounded warriors made it possible for him and his team to attempt their first face transplant, an operation that previously had been performed by only two other centers in the United States. The world’s first partial face transplant was performed in France in 2005 on a woman who was mauled by her dog. Of the 27 other transplants that have followed, four recipients have died, and the survivors face a lifetime of immunosuppressant drugs, which can take a toll on their health. Unlike most organ transplant recipients, who need their surgeries to live, face transplant patients are risking death to eliminate a non-life threatening condition, noted Dr Mark Ehrenreich, the psychiatric consultant to Norris’ transplant team. Rodriguez says patients are well aware of the situation. “If you talk to these patients, they will tell you it is worth the risk,” he said. The team carefully lays out all of the

dangers for patients: Norris’ mother, Sandra, remembers Rodriguez saying there was a 50-50 chance her son would survive the surgery. “We looked at Richard and we told him we loved him the way he was and it didn’t matter to us, but it was his life,” she said. “That was what he wanted to do and we supported him.” Norris said he is humbled by the gift he received from the family of 21-year-old Joshua Aversano, who died after being struck by a minivan while crossing the street. The Maryland family, which agreed to donate his organs, declined to be interviewed by the AP. In a statement, the family said, “We are grateful Joshua’s legacy continues through the lives of the individuals he was able to save with gifts of organ and tissue donation.” Norris said he speaks to the family regularly and keeps them updated on his life and health. Norris’ 36hour transplant operation is still considered the most extensive ever conducted because it included transplantation of the teeth, upper and lower jaw, a portion of the tongue and all of the tissue from the scalp to the base of the neck, Rodriguez said. “The real main limitation ... is that patients are dependent on medication for life,” he said. The immunosuppressant medications carr y risks for the patients, who don’t know how long the transplant will last. Rodriguez said if all goes well, a transplanted face could last 20 to 30 years. For Norris, who makes daily visual checks, the risk of rejection is never far from his mind. “Every day I wake up with that fear: Is this the day? The day I’m going to go into a state of rejection that is going to be so bad that the doctors can’t

change it?”But he said he can’t let himself worry about it too much, and he knows that he’s in good hands. Norris has come far in the past 15 months, learning how to eat and talk again and adjusting each time his face gains more feeling. He continues with therapy, travels to Baltimore from his home in Hillsville, Va, regularly to see doctors, and still takes pain and immunosuppressant medications. He says his faith in God has carried him through it all; that he has maintained a sense of humor and remained the same person inside. And he agrees with doctors, who dismiss a commonly held belief that face transplant patients are likely to experience an identity crisis. “When I look in the mirror, I see Richard Norris,” he said remembering the immediate connection he felt with his new face. The bigger issue for Norris is being able to appear in public again. Facial disfigurement tends not to engender sympathy, leaving patients feeling shunned, Ehrenreich noted. “Unfortunately, with severe facial disfigurement, people recoil and make comments they would never make to someone in a wheelchair,” he said. The transplant marks “such a significant improvement, that they’re welcome to be in public.” Since his surgery, Norris says the gawking has disappeared. “When I was disfigured, just walking the sidewalk, I was surprised that more people didn’t walk into telephone poles or break their necks to stare at me,” he said. “Now ... there’s no one paying attention. Unless they know me personally, they don’t know I am a face transplant patient. That right there is the goal we had.”—AP

AIDS experts urge Asia to stop discrimination

JOHANNESBURG: File photo shows Christinah Motsoahae has blood taken for testing at the US sponsored “Right to Care”, Themba Lethu, HIV/AIDS Clinic, at the Helen Joseph hospital.—AP

KUALA LUMPUR: AIDS experts yesterday called for a more open debate on the global pandemic in Asia, where they say discrimination still fuels the spread of HIV. Francoise Barre-Sinoussi, president of the International AIDS Society (IAS), said many people infected with the HIV virus still did not receive early treatment due to discrimination, despite its benefits and the overall optimism over scientific advancements. “Many Asian countries experienced concentrated epidemics, and there is an immense need to address key affected populations, which are still left behind in many countries,” she said opening IAS’s conference in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur. “We all know that stigma and discrimination are still amongst the key barriers,” she added. Adeeba Kamarulzaman, AIDS researcher at Malaysia’s Universiti Malaya, said those affected by the disease and needing help included gay men, sex workers and transgendered people. “Malaysia and indeed huge parts of Asia has a long way to go to match the scientific gains of the past few years with on-the-ground programs,” she said. Michel

Kazatchkine, the UN’s special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, said the region should also decriminalise drug use, making it easier for users to get clean needles and other help to prevent infections with HIV. “I don’t see in Asia at this time a big momentum towards an open debate (on this)... but what I see are political opportunities,” he told a discussion on drug policy and public health on the sidelines of the conference. “It is time for open and honest debate. It is time to destigmatise,” he said. According to UNAIDS, 34 million people globally were living with HIV in 2011. That year, 2.5 million people became newly infected, around 10 percent of which was probably caused by drug use. Many Asian countries have tough anti-drug laws, including death sentences for convicted drug traffickers. Drug users and other marginalized groups, such as gay and transgendered people, also face social stigma. This year marks the first time the biennial scientific international conference has been held in Asia. In total, the global pandemic has claimed 30 million lives.—AFP

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

MONDAY, JULY 1, 2013

Singapore’s clean image sullied by Indonesian smog SINGAPORE: Singapore’s clean and green reputation has taken a hit from Indonesian forest fires and its standing as a corporate and expatriate haven could be hurt if the smog becomes an annual scourge, analysts warn. Singapore has long been a destination of choice for thousands of foreign companies and expat families drawn by its gleaming infrastructure, topnotch healthcare and education, and lush green environs that offer a high quality of living. But its image took a heavy beating in the third week of June after palls of smoke from slash-and-burn agricultural fires on the nearby

Indonesian island of Sumatra pushed levels of haze to record highs, shrouding the city in acrid smog. Favorable winds, thunderstorms and cloud-seeding by Indonesia over Sumatra have dissipated the smog, but Singapore officials warn that severe air pollution could return any time during the June-September dry season. If the smog becomes an annual crisis, some multinational companies may consider relocating offices, key operations and expatriate families out of Singapore, analysts warn. “The long-term reputation of Singapore as a clean-environmental place to live in is at risk if the

SINGAPORE: Pedestrians cross at a traffic junction in Singapore.—AFP

problem gets worse every year and no solution is in sight,” said Jonathan Galaviz, managing director of US-based business consultancy Galaviz and Company, which specializes in Asia. “I know what it’s like,” said Galaviz, who was an exchange student in Singapore in 1997 when similar blazes resulted in weeks of choking smog across vast swathes of Southeast Asia and billions of dollars in economic losses for the region. Many expatriate families living in Singapore were already overseas on summer holidays as smog levels started to rise in mid-June. Air pollution also reached harmful levels in neighboring Malaysia. Expatriates who stayed in Singapore were hardly comforted by the chatter on online forums, where some members wondered whether their governments would evacuate them as the smog hit unhealthy levels. Some families, desperate for a respite, fled to neighboring countries on short breaks. If smog becomes a prolonged or recurring problem, Singapore’s tourism industry, which accounts for 6.0 percent of the city-state’s GDP, could suffer badly. International arrivals, currently averaging 40,000 a day, could fall, economists say. During the SARS epidemic in 2003 that grounded air travel during peak periods of the flu-like virus, Singapore’s daily arrivals of around 20,000 at that time plunged to 5,000-6,000 a day in

the first quarter, said regional economist Song Seng Wun of Malaysian bank CIMB. At the height of the current haze crisis, several outdoor tourist attractions shut down while some visitors left Singapore earlier than planned. An international conference on reducing the threat of nuclear weapons was cancelled. More troublingly, observers warn that if the problem escalates there could be a gradual exodus of foreign companies that have set up offices or regional headquarters in Singapore. Initially, companies might consider “temporarily” relocating key operations should the haze persist for weeks, said Rajiv Biswas, chief Asia Pacific economist at research firm IHS Global Insight. “However, if the haze escalates to hazardous levels for a protracted period, to the extent that a state of emergency is declared for an extended time, firms may consider shifting some essential operations to other international hubs,” Biswas told AFP. The problem could tarnish the “long-term perceptions of Singapore as a safe, clean environment for expatriates to locate their families compared to other leading global business hubs and financial centers”, he added. But Delphine Granger, a 40-year-old French-British housewife and a mother of two young girls, is unfazed by such dire predictions. She said Singapore offered far better prospects as an expatriate haven than many other Asian

capitals that are beset by natural disasters, political turmoil and traffic gridlock. “Singapore is well ahead of other cities,” Granger, who has been based in the city for nine months, told AFP. Observers point out that rivals Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing are burdened by chronic air pollution. Bangkok, the gateway to the Indochinese region, is periodically hit by floods and political unrest, as is Manila, which is fast emerging as a global outsourcing hub. “I don’t think (Singapore’s) image is tarnished. There are no natural disasters here. It’s not an earthquake zone, it’s not a volcano zone. This is a man-made disaster,” Granger said. Meanwhile, Singapore appears keen to step up pressure on Indonesia as it struggles to contain slash-and-burn farming in its rainforests that generates vast plumes of smoke during the dry season. “We need to put in place a permanent solution to prevent this problem from recurring annually,” Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said after Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono apologized to Singapore and Malaysia for the haze crisis. The smog issue was discussed over the weekend at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations annual foreign ministers’ meeting in Brunei, where Indonesia said the forest fires had been greatly reduced and vowed to sustain its efforts to address the problem.—AFP

MONDAY, JULY 1, 2013

W H AT ’ S O N

‘Creative Generation 2013’ competition comes to a successful end

SEND US YOUR INSTAGRAM PICS

hat’s more fun than clicking a beautiful picture? Sharing it with others! Let other people see the way you see Kuwait - through your lens. Friday Times will feature snapshots of Kuwait through Instagram feeds. If you want to share your Instagram photos, email us at instagram@kuwaittimes.net

Announcements Issue of online visa by Indian embassy oreigners requiring visas for India need to apply it online from 16th June 2013. Applicants may log on to the Public portal at www.indianvisaonline.gov.in. After successful online submission, the hard copy, so generated, has to be signed by the applicant and submitted with supporting documents in accordance with the type of visa along with the applicable fee in cash at any of the two outsource centres at Sharq or Fahaheel. It is essential that applicants ﬁll in their personal details as exactly available in their passports. Mismatch of any of the personal details would lead to non-acceptance of the application. Fees once paid are non-refundable. All children would have to obtain separate visa on their respective passports.

Indian Embassy sets up helpline he Indian Embassy in Kuwait has set up helpline in order to assist Indian expatriates in registering any complaint regarding the government’s ongoing campaign to stamp out illegal residents from the country. The embassy said in press release yesterday that it amended its previous statement and stated if there is any complaint, the same could be conveyed at the following (as amended): Operations Department, Ministry of Interior, Kuwait. Fax: 22435580, Tel: 24768146/25200334. It said the embassy has been in regular contact with local authorities regarding the ongoing checking of expatriates. The embassy has also conveyed to them the concerns, fears and apprehensions of the community in this regard. The authorities in Kuwait have conveyed that strict instructions have been issued to ensure that there is no harassment or improper treatment of expatriates by those undertaking checking. “The embassy would like to request Indian expatriates to ensure that they abide by all local laws, rules and regulations regarding residency, trafﬁc and other matters,” the release read. It would be prudent to always carry the Civil ID and other relevant documents such as driving license, etc. In case an Indian expatriate encounters any improper treatment during checking, it may be conveyed immediately with full details and contact particulars to the embassy at the following phone number 67623639. These contact details are exclusively for the abovementioned purpose only.

8th Expo Pakistan to commence in September he 8th Expo Pakistan will be held from Sept 26 to 29 in Karachi. Held annually, Expo Pakistan is the biggest trade fair in the country showcasing the largest collection of Pakistan’s export merchandise and services. Foreign Exhibitors also use the event to launch their products. Expo Pakistan 2012 was visited by delegates from 52 countries and generated a business of over $ 518 million. A 16 member delegation from Kuwait including reputable companies like Al-Yasra Foods also took part in the last exhibition. Expo Pakistan 2013 is being held under the auspices of the Trade Development Authority Pakistan. Details about the event can be viewed www.expopakisan.gov.pk. Further information and details of sponsorship can be obtained from the oﬃce of Commercial Secretary, Pakistan Embassy, Jabriya (25356594) during oﬃce hours.

The Embassy of Russia he Embassy of Russia has launched its oﬃcial page on Facebook social network which can be found by following address: http://www.facebook.com/RussianEmbassyKu wait All necessary information about Russia, bilateral relations between Russia and Kuwait and information for those who are going to apply visa can be found there. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. We’ll be happy to help you.

artoon Network Arabic provides children entertainment at the highest level with fun and interactive activities while also encouraging creativity and imagination with an educational aim. The competition, which recently took place for the second year, is designed to promote creativity and interactive activities among school children in an educational and fun way, was held in schools across the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar for students aged 4 to 12. The initiative encouraged children to indulge in their imagination by creating their own stories using Cartoon Network characters and will be judged based on 3 age brackets; 4 to 6, 7 to 9 and 10 to 12.

Students, parents and teachers across the region took part in highlighting the theme ‘Safety’ and the importance of incorporating it into their everyday life. Creative Generation was a great success ﬁlled with positive feedback from students, parents and schools; regionally, Cartoon Network Arabic visited 81 schools, engaged with 62,500 students and gathered more than 13,000 entries. In Kuwait, the competition reached 10 schoolsengaging with more than 8,000 students and gatheringmore than1,000 entries. “The focus of Safety as a theme for children is a great idea. This competition deﬁnitely raised awareness on the importance of safety in a child’s day to day life. The children look forward to next year’s competition,” com-

mented EvonTadross, a teacher at Al Safar School in Kuwait. “We were delighted by the number of colourful and creative entries that were generated from the competition and the number of students that were engaged”, said Tal Hewitt, Vice President and General Manager Turkey,Middle East and Africa. “This year we built on the importance of Safety which is very important in any child’s life. At Cartoon Network we educate children and engage with them in their activities. Providing children with a platform to learn, have fun and enjoy themselves is our goal.”

Hariri appointed DHL Express country manager

HL, the world’s leading logistics company, has appointed Saudi national Omar Hariri as the Country Manager for DHL Express in Kuwait, overseeing the strategic development of one of DHL Express’ key markets in the MENA region. Hariri Joined DHL in 2004 as territory manager for Dammam in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and held various positions in Saudi including key accounts manager, area sales manager for the Eastern Province and national sales manager for the entire country, giving him a unique perspective into various aspects of working in the Kingdom. In 2010, Hariri joined the SAF

group as COO where he was responsible for the overall operations of the group and its subsidiaries. “I am very happy to be back at DHL as the country manager for Kuwait. Kuwait is a very interesting market and a vital connector to many countries in the region. My main focus and priority will be to use my experience in logistics to grow DHL’s business in the State and reinforce our local and regional reputation of being the market leader,” he stated. DHL Express MENA CEO, Nour Suliman recognized the importance of the Kuwaiti market and his faith in Hariri, “Kuwait is a very important market for DHL in the region and I

have the utmost faith that Hariri has the capability to drive the company further and grow the business. The demand for reliable logistics services is in constant rise and has increased greatly within the past years, and I believe that Hariri has what it takes to deliver on our promise of Excellence.” Hariri holds a Bachelor degree in business administration and is also an expert golfer, having played as part of the Saudi National Golf team and has taken part in various golfing championships including the European Tour and the Volvo world championship in 2012 where he came in at second place.

Greetings

ohammad Sharaa has competed part one of “CMA” course and is getting ready for part two. He will set for an exam next October that will allow him to start part two. Mohammad’s parents, brothers, sisters and uncles congratulated him.

Caricaturist Johnarts Kalabhavan presents a caricature of cine director Joshy Mathew during a recent function in Jleeb.

Kala (Art) Kuwait farewell to Koikalath

IMAX IMAX film program Monday: ** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups Flight of Butterflies 3D 10:30am, 8:30pm Tornado Alley 3D 11:30am, 5:30pm, 7:30pm To The Arctic 3D 12:30pm, 9:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 6:30pm Tuesday: ** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups Tornado Alley 3D 10:30am, 6:30pm, 8:30pm Flight of Butterflies 3D 11:30am, 9:30pm To The Arctic 3D 12:30pm, 7:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 5:30pm

heikh Antar Al-Ruwaini received congratulations for completing a book on interpretations of the Holy Quran.

Kala (Art) Kuwait organized a function to bid farewell to the well known socio-cultural activist in Kuwait, George Koikalath, who is leaving Kuwait after 38 years of service.

MONDAY, JULY 1, 2013

W H AT ’ S O N

Embassy Information

Ramadan promotion gets underway at Lu&Lu Hypermarket

u&Lu Hypermarket, the largest retail operator in the region and the lifestyle shopping destination of choice for many, is celebrating the Holy month of Ramadan with a major promotion on various items. This year’s celebratory festivities are part of the hypermarket chain’s initiative

to always be a part of the social and cultural fabric of the country and to join in its celebrations. The hypermarket also continuously aims to bring the best of the world to their customers through providing the right products in the right place at the right time. Many oﬀers related to Ramadan are

running in all Lu&Lu hypermarkets at present and many more are set to come during Holy Month. In addition to special oﬀers on fruits and vegetables, there would be special counters for hot food with ready-to-carry Iftar items. The management of Lu&Lu Hypermarket takes this opportunity to

thank all its patrons, and to extend best wishes and greetings of Ramadan Kareem to the government and people of Kuwait on the imminent Holy month of Ramadan.

Yusuf A Alghanim concludes ‘Free check-up Campaign’

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

EMBASSY OF CANADA he 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, U.A.E. 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 will be closed on Monday July 1st 2013, for Canada Day, and will resume its duties on Tuesday 2 July 2013. 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.

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usuf A. Alghanim and Sons service centers have always taken great pride in delivering premium service and unique promotions to their customers. Once again Yusuf A. Alghanim celebrates the success of another special campaign that oﬀered a free check-up to all Chevrolet vehicles in Kuwait. The car owners received detailed and accurate report of their car status, thus giving them the complete peace of mind to enjoy driving their car throughout the summer months. As the exclusive dealer for Chevrolet and Cadillac, Yusuf A. Alghanim takes great care in meticulous service and quality workmanship. The oﬀer included a thorough assessment of the vehicle AC system, engine, electronics, mechanical, brakes and tires and overall

parts. The service advisors then personally assessed the findings, before they met the customers for a faceto-face explanation regarding the status of their vehicle. Over and beyond that, the customers were also offered special prices for repairing or replacing vehicle spare parts at the Yusuf A. Alghanim service centers. In addition to the free check-up offer which took place from June 2 until June 23, Yusuf A. Alghanim also turned this promotion into a rewarding opportunity for its customers. All customers were automatically enrolled into a draw to win valuable prizes: KD 750 for the first winner, KD 500 for the second winner and KD 250 for the third winner. The draw was carried out under the supervision of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce representatives and attended by the Yusuf

A. Alghanim senior management, staff from the service center and a large crowd of customers. The offer received remarkable success at all service centers, in Shuwaikh and Fahaheel, where customers got special prices and discounts on spare parts and labor work in case they decided to get a maintenance job for their cars as per the reports issued. Yusuf A. Alghanim service centers provide the best service with the highest global standards, thanks to the decades of experience, proficiency of the most professional technicians, the most advanced technologies to repair parts, and the usage of genuine spare parts that are all ensuring a pleasant and safe driving experience to all Chevrolet and Cadillac customers.

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

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Mangaf based drama activist Babu Chakkola organized a function where 25 drama artists were honored among many dignitaries.

Joy C Raphael’s book gets rave previews

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 khuboos (Arabic bread) as the main food 3 times a day; agents in 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 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 today. “I started writing this book in 2010”, said Joy C Raphael on his second book, published by Turtle Books, an imprint of Zen Publication, 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 kilometer 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 laborers 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.

EMBASSY OF 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 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

MONDAY, JULY 1, 2013

TV PROGRAMS

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 Chilean Miners Rescue One Man Army Mythbusters Sons Of Guns Deconstruction How It’s Made Auction Hunters Storage Hunters Gold Divers Alaska: The Last Frontier Flying Wild Alaska Gold Divers Alaska: The Last Frontier

14:20 14:45 15:10 16:00 16:55 17:45 18:35 19:30 20:20 21:10 21:35 22:00 22:50 23:40 00:05 00:30 01:00 01:50

Kitchen Chemistry Kitchen Chemistry X-Machines How Stuff Works Superships Thunder Races Through The Wormhole X-Machines Mega World The Gadget Show How Tech Works X-Machines Mega World The Gadget Show How Tech Works Weird Connections The Science Of Star Wars The Science Of Star Wars

14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 00:00 01:00 02:00

C.S.I. Miami Glee Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show C.S.I. Miami Parenthood Covert Affairs Once Upon A Time Banshee The Closer Glee Banshee Once Upon A Time

03:00 Guys With Kids 03:30 1600 Penn 04:00 Brothers 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Two And A Half Men 06:00 Hope & Faith 06:30 Arrested Development 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Brothers 08:30 Two And A Half Men 09:00 Guys With Kids 09:30 Hot In Cleveland 10:00 2 Broke Girls 10:30 Arrested Development 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 Hope & Faith 12:30 Brothers 13:00 Two And A Half Men 13:30 Arrested Development 14:00 1600 Penn 14:30 2 Broke Girls 15:00 Hot In Cleveland 15:30 The Daily Show 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 Hope & Faith 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Breaking In 18:30 Breaking In 19:00 Hot In Cleveland 19:30 Parks And Recreation 20:00 Don’t Trust The B In Apartment 23 20:30 30 Rock 21:00 The Daily Show Global Edition

21:30 The Colbert Report Global Edition 22:00 Family Guy 22:30 Louie 23:00 Girls 23:30 Girls 00:00 30 Rock 00:30 The Daily Show Global Edition 01:00 The Colbert Report Global Edition 01:30 Family Guy 02:00 Louie 02:30 Girls

05:15 A Kind Of Magic 05:35 A Kind Of Magic 06:00 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 06:30 Doc McStuffins 06:45 A.N.T. Farm 07:10 A.N.T. Farm 07:35 Jessie 07:55 Jessie 08:20 Shake It Up 08:45 Shake It Up 09:05 Austin And Ally 09:30 Austin And Ally 09:55 Good Luck Charlie 10:15 Good Luck Charlie: The Road Trip Movie 11:25 Jessie 11:50 Jessie 12:15 Austin And Ally 12:35 Austin And Ally 13:00 Shake It Up 13:25 Shake It Up 13:45 A.N.T. Farm 14:10 Dog With A Blog 14:35 Good Luck Charlie 15:00 Good Luck Charlie 15:25 Jessie 15:50 Jessie 16:10 Shake It Up 16:35 A.N.T. Farm 17:00 Austin And Ally 17:20 That’s So Raven 17:45 Suite Life On Deck 18:10 Good Luck Charlie 18:30 Shake It Up 18:55 Shake It Up 19:20 Jessie 19:40 Jessie 20:05 A.N.T. Farm 20:30 Shake It Up 20:50 Suite Life On Deck 21:15 Austin And Ally 21:40 That’s So Raven 22:00 Jessie 22:25 A.N.T Farm 22:50 Good Luck Charlie 23:10 Wizards Of Waverly Place 23:35 Wizards Of Waverly Place 00:00 Hannah Montana Forever 00:20 Hannah Montana Forever 00:45 Brandy & Mr Whiskers 01:05 Brandy & Mr Whiskers 01:30 Emperor’s New School 01:50 Emperor’s New School 02:15 Replacements 02:35 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 E!es 20:00 Married To Jonas 20:30 Married To Jonas 21:00 Playing With Fire 22:00 Playing With Fire 23:00 E!es 00:00 Dirty Soap 00:55 Style Star 01:25 THS

03:50 Vacation Vacation Vacation 04:15 Bargain Hunt 05:00 James Martin’s Champagne

05:25 Antiques Roadshow 06:15 Cash In The Attic 07:00 Food Poker 07:45 Phil Spencer - Secret Agent 08:35 Bargain Hunt 09:20 Antiques Roadshow 10:15 Gok’s Fashion Fix 11:00 Celebrity MasterChef 11:50 Vacation Vacation Vacation 12:15 Come Dine With Me 13:05 Bargain Hunt 13:50 Cash In The Attic 14:35 Antiques Roadshow 15:30 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 17:00 Phil Spencer - Secret Agent 17:55 Tareq Taylor’s Nordic Cookery 18:25 Planet Cake 18:55 Food Poker 19:40 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 Food Poker 01:30 Come Dine With Me 02:25 Cash In The Attic

03:25 Unique Eats 03:50 Food Crafters 04:15 United Tastes Of America 04:40 Chopped 05:30 Iron Chef America 06:10 Unwrapped 06:35 Unwrapped 07:00 Unwrapped 07:25 Unwrapped 07:50 Andy Bates American Street Feasts 08:15 Unique Sweets 08:40 Red, Hot And Yummy 09:05 Barefoot Contessa 09:30 Amazing Wedding Cakes 10:20 Extra Virgin 10:45 Kid In A Candy Store 11:10 Charly’s Cake Angels 11:35 Unique Sweets 12:00 The Next Iron Chef 12:50 Red, Hot And Yummy 13:15 Barefoot Contessa 13:40 Barefoot Contessa 14:05 Tyler’s Ultimate 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 - Back To Basics 17:00 Red, Hot And Yummy 17:25 Reza’s African Kitchen 17:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 18:15 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 18:40 Guy’s Big Bite 19:05 Charly’s Cake Angels 19:30 Amazing Wedding Cakes 20:20 Chopped 21:10 Chopped 22:00 Red, Hot And Yummy 22:25 Red, Hot And Yummy 22:50 Andy Bates Street Feasts 23:15 Andy Bates American Street Feasts 23:40 Food Wars 00:05 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 00:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 00:55 Unique Eats 01:20 Unique Eats 01:45 Red, Hot And Yummy

03:00 03:45 04:10 04:35 05:00 05:25 06:15 07:00 07:50 08:15 08:40 09:05 09:30

On The Case With Paula Zahn Deadly Women: Face To Face Deadly Women: Face To Face Deadly Women: Face To Face Deadly Women: Face To Face Dr G: Medical Examiner Disappeared Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Street Patrol Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry? On The Case With Paula Zahn

10:20 11:10 12:00 12:50 13:15 13:40 14:30 15:20 15:45 16:10 17:00 17:50 18:40 19:30 20:20 21:10 22:00 22:25 22:50 23:40

13:00 Street 14:30 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 20:30 21:00 23:00

03:00 PG15 05:15 07:00 09:00 11:15 PG15 13:15 15:00 16:45 19:00 21:00 23:00 01:00

Solved Disappeared Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Street Patrol Extreme Forensics On The Case With Paula Zahn Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry? Disappeared Solved Extreme Forensics On The Case With Paula Zahn Dr G: Medical Examiner Nightmare Next Door Couples Who Kill I Was Murdered I Was Murdered Blood Relatives I Almost Got Away With It

The Road To Coronation Property Match Murdoch Mysteries The Jonathan Ross Show 60 Minute Makeover Emmerdale Coronation Street Coach Trip Come Dine With Me Ireland Lewis Above Suspicion

Certain Prey-PG15 Teen Spirit-PG15 The Bourne Legacy-PG15 Why Did I Get Married Too?The Wishing Well-PG15 Perfect Plan-PG15 The Bourne Legacy-PG15 Dark Shadows-PG15 Rabbit Hole-PG15 Project X-18 On The Inside-PG15

04:00 Alpha And Omega-PG 06:00 StreetDance 2-PG15 08:00 Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax-PG 10:00 The American President-PG15 12:00 People Like Us-PG15 14:00 The Scorpion King 3: Battle For Redemption-PG15 16:00 Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax-PG 18:00 Big Miracle-PG 20:00 Butter-18 22:00 Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter-18 00:00 The Scorpion King 3: Battle For Redemption-PG15 02:00 Big Miracle-PG

04:00 The Speed Of Thought-PG15 06:00 Mission To Mars-PG15 08:00 Aeon Flux-PG15 10:00 Green Lantern-PG15 12:00 Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome-PG15 14:00 Aeon Flux-PG15 16:00 Jackie Chan’s Who Am I?-PG15 18:00 Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome-PG15 20:00 Beneath The Darkness-PG15 22:00 Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown-18 00:00 13 Assassins-18 02:30 Beneath The Darkness-PG15

08:00 Police Academy 7: Mission To Moscow-PG15 10:00 My Dog’s Christmas Miracle 12:00 Mr. Destiny-PG 14:00 Wild Wild West-PG15 16:00 My Dog’s Christmas MiraclePG15 18:00 Jumping The Broom-PG15 20:00 Mash-PG15 22:00 Grassroots-PG15 00:00 Casino Jack-18 02:00 Mash-PG15

09:00 An Inconvenient Truth-PG 11:00 Take Shelter-PG15 13:00 Terms Of Endearment-PG15 15:15 An Inconvenient Truth-PG 17:00 Too Late To Say GoodbyePG15 19:00 The Wild Hunt-PG15 21:00 The Memory Keeper’s Daughter-PG15

JOYFUL NOISE ON OSN CINEMA

07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 11:00 14:00 16:30 17:30 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00

Golfing World Futbol Mundial ICC Cricket 360 World Cup of Pool World Cup of Pool Rugby World Cup AFL Premiership Golfing World Futbol Mundial World Cup of Pool World Cup of Pool Super Rugby Highlights Rugby World Cup

07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 13:00 14:00 14:30 15:30 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 22:00 23:00

WWE Bottom Line WWE Experience Ping Pong World US Bass Fishing NHL Mass Participation Motor Sports 2013 Motor Sports 2013 WWE Smackdown Mobil 1 The Grid Porsche GT 3 Cup Porsche GT 3 Cup UFC UFC Countdown UFC Unleashed

Why Did I Get Married Too?-

07:00 A Dog Named Duke-PG15 09:00 Love Will Keep Us Together 11:00 Hidden Crimes-PG15 13:00 Adventures Of Sharkboy And Lavagirl-PG 15:00 Joyful Noise-PG15 17:00 My Afternoons With Margueritte-PG15 18:45 A Separation-PG15 21:00 Bel Ami-18 23:00 Chloe-R 01:00 My Afternoons With

07:00 10:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 21:00 21:45

23:30 ICC Cricket 360

Rugby World Cup Sevens NRL Premiership Futbol Mundial ICC Cricket 360 Live Cricket Test Match ICC Cricket 360 Live Super League

OSN SPORT 2 03:00 NRL Premiership 05:00 NRL Premiership 07:00 PGA Tour 12:00 Live NRL Premiership 14:00 Champions Tour 17:00 AFL Premiership Highlights 18:00 PGA Tour Highlights 19:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 20:00 Futbol Mundial 20:30 Live Cricket Friends Life T20

03:00 Globe Trekker 04:00 Inside Luxury Travel - Varun Sharma 05:00 Bizarre Foods America 07:00 Globe Trekker 08:00 Departures 09:00 Off Limits 10:00 Bert The Conqueror 10:30 Insane Coasters Wars 11:00 Trip Flip 11:30 Trip Flip 12:00 Eden Eats 13:00 Bizarre Foods America 14:00 International House Hunters 15:00 Inside Luxury Travel - Varun Sharma 16:00 Globe Trekker 17:00 Bert The Conqueror 17:30 Insane Coasters Wars 18:00 Off Limits

WHY DID I GET MARRIED TOO? ON OSN MOVIES HD

After Earth a disappointing sci-fi tal Review:

umanity’s home planet hardly merits the namecheck in “After Earth,” M Night Shyamalan’s sci-fi survival tale whose shipwreck action could (with the exception of a scene where our hero scrawls a crude map over Lascaux-like cave paintings) take place on any old life-supporting globe in the cosmos. The disappointingly generic film, which strands a father and son (Will and Jaden Smith) on Earth a thousand years after a planet-wide evacuation, will leave genre audiences pining for the more Terra-centric conceits of “Oblivion,” not to mention countless other future-set films that find novelty in making familiar surroundings threatening. Will Smith’s presence, not just as co-star but as originator of the story, seems likely to carry box office receipts beyond the benchmark of Shyamalan’s previous picture, the wretched “The Last Airbender,” but those hoping for a franchise should navigate elsewhere. Plans for such a franchise seem to be afoot, with filmmakers reportedly having written “1,000 years of back story” for these two characters and their society. They must be saving an awful lot for comic-book and videogame spinoffs, though, as the film squeezes its millennium-long setup into a few short moments of voiceover introduction. We learn that, having ruined our environment, humans decamped en masse to Nova Prime, which would have been a nice place if not for the monsters that had been bred to kill humans. (By whom? Buy the comic book, kid.) Those beasts, Ursa, are blind, but can smell the pheromones humans release when afraid. When a member of the United Ranger Corps, the elder Smith’s Cypher Raige, found himself able to suppress his fear, he was suddenly invisible to the monsters. Harnessing this “ghosting” technique, he became a hero in the still-raging war. What we don’t learn in the too-quick intro is how all humankind came to speak in the same accent, most reminiscent perhaps of New Zealand’s-one that suits none of the cast very well, and makes Jaden Smith’s voiceover hard to follow. The script also fails to explain why future warriors, whose technology allows for a “cutlass” whose two ends morph into any type of blade the user requires, choose not to use guns or lasers against the mighty Ursa. One assumes it’s because somebody saw Darth Maul and thought his doubletrouble light saber looked cool. In any event, Cypher Raige comes home between long campaigns to find his son Kitai unsettled, struggling to live up to his legacy. He decides to take the boy along on an interstellar voyage, but the ship is thrown off course by a gravitational storm and must

land on the nearest planet. A crash landing on Earth leaves three survivors: the Raiges and the Ursa specimen they’d been transporting for use in training aspiring ghost-ers. With both legs badly broken, Cypher must coach Kitai via cameraphone as he makes a 100kilometer trek, dodging the freed Ursa and Earth’s own predators, to find the chunk of wreckage that can save their lives. This is the first Shyamalan-directed film on which he’s not the sole screenwriter, and in fact it takes a while to discern any trace of the filmmaker’s personality in a screenplay credited to him and “Book of Eli” scribe Gary Whitta. The script hits its action beats competently as Kitai copes with marauding animals and dwindling supplies, and works best when the teen is in motion. But Shyamalan is of little help to the actor when Kitai faces internal challenges: Smith’s performance, all furrowed brow and worried eyes, gives us no reason to believe Kitai is made of the same tough stuff as his father. Will Smith, meanwhile, is as hobbled as his character: Forced to sit in a chair, slowly bleeding to death as he impotently observes his son’s various perils, Cypher is a man of action who can’t act; Smith is a charisma-powered performer made to hide his charm behind a stern military demeanor. (When Kitai enters his first dangerous standoff, faraway Dad offers a stoic non sequitur: “Recognize your power: This will be your creation.”) Shyamalan would have to try hard to make another film as bad as “Airbender”; “After Earth’s” missteps in conception and execution are more akin to the headscratching choices that kept “The Happening” from fulfilling its doomsday-flick potential. Who let that herd of fake-looking bison roam Earth’s grasslands, and who lit the critical scene, set on a tree stump amid roaring waterfalls, that was obviously shot on a soundstage? On a planet that now freezes every night, how do the flora of tropical rainforests survive? What seasoned soldier would send his son on a deadly four-day mission with a backpack the size of a bicycle seat? The film’s resolution, predictable to any viewer, feels oddly impersonal for a father/son bonding tale both dreamed up and enacted by a father for the son following in his footsteps. Whatever the faults of 2006’s “The Pursuit of Happiness,” that film employed the bond between the two Smiths much more effectively. One wonders if it might be wise to wait a while before the next pairing - letting Jaden Smith, like Kitai Raige, come into his own before asking him to share a screen meaningfully with one of Hollywood’s biggest personalities. “After Earth,” a Sony/Columbia release, is rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence and some disturbing images. Running time: 100 minutes. — AP

Classifieds MONDAY, JULY 1, 2013

Kuwait

KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (27/06/2013 TO 03/07/2013) SHARQIA-1 WORLD WAR Z (DIG) MAN OF STEEL (DIG) WORLD WAR Z (DIG) WORLD WAR Z (DIG) MAN OF STEEL (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

1:30 PM 4:00 PM 7:00 PM 9:30 PM 12:05 AM

SHARQIA-2 WHITE HOUSE DOWN (DIG) MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (DIG-3D) MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (DIG-3D) WHITE HOUSE DOWN (DIG) WHITE HOUSE DOWN (DIG) WHITE HOUSE DOWN (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 10:00 PM 12:45 AM

SHARQIA-3 THE PURGE (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

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MUHALAB-1 MAN OF STEEL (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) MAN OF STEEL (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) MUHALAB-2 WORLD WAR Z (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) WORLD WAR Z (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) WORLD WAR Z (DIG) MUHALAB-3 MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (DIG-3D) MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (DIG-3D) MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (DIG-3D) WHITE HOUSE DOWN (DIG) WHITE HOUSE DOWN (DIG) FANAR-1 DARK TIDE (DIG) WORLD WAR Z (DIG) WORLD WAR Z (DIG) DARK TIDE (DIG)

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FANAR-2 MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (DIG) MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED FANAR-3 MAN OF STEEL (DIG) MAN OF STEEL (DIG) LAY THE FAVORITE (DIG) MAN OF STEEL (DIG) LAY THE FAVORITE (DIG) MAN OF STEEL (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED MARINA-1 THE PURGE (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

1:15 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 11:30 PM 1:15 AM

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MARINA-2 MAN OF STEEL (DIG) WHITE HOUSE DOWN (DIG) WORLD WAR Z (DIG) WORLD WAR Z (DIG) WORLD WAR Z (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED MARINA-3 MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (DIG-3D) MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (DIG-3D) MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (DIG-3D) WHITE HOUSE DOWN (DIG) WHITE HOUSE DOWN (DIG) WHITE HOUSE DOWN (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED AVENUES-1 DARK TIDE (DIG) DARK TIDE (DIG)

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2:30 PM 4:45 PM

DARK TIDE (DIG) DARK TIDE (DIG) DARK TIDE (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

7:00 PM 9:15 PM 11:30 PM

AVENUES-2 MAN OF STEEL (DIG) MAN OF STEEL (DIG) MAN OF STEEL (DIG) MAN OF STEEL (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED AVENUES-3 TATTAH (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED 360º- 1 THE PURGE (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

WORLD WAR Z (DIG-3D) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

2:15 PM 5:15 PM 8:15 PM 11:15 PM

AL-KOUT.2 WHITE HOUSE DOWN (DIG) WHITE HOUSE DOWN (DIG) WHITE HOUSE DOWN (DIG) WHITE HOUSE DOWN (DIG) WHITE HOUSE DOWN (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

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AL-KOUT.3 THE PURGE (DIG) MAN OF STEEL (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) MAN OF STEEL (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

1:45 PM 3:45 PM 6:30 PM 8:15 PM 11:00 PM 1:00 AM

BAIRAQ-1 WHITE HOUSE DOWN (DIG) WHITE HOUSE DOWN (DIG) WHITE HOUSE DOWN (DIG) WHITE HOUSE DOWN (DIG) WHITE HOUSE DOWN (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

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BAIRAQ-2 MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (DIG) WORLD WAR Z (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) SCENARIO (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) WORLD WAR Z (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

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BAIRAQ-3 MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (DIG) MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (DIG) MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

1:45 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

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PLAZA MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (DIG) MAN OF STEEL (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) BALUPU (DIG) (TELUGU) FRIBALUPU (DIG) (TELUGU) FRI+SAT+MON

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360º- 2 WHITE HOUSE DOWN (DIG) WHITE HOUSE DOWN (DIG) WHITE HOUSE DOWN (DIG) WHITE HOUSE DOWN (DIG) WHITE HOUSE DOWN (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

12:45 PM 3:30 PM 6:15 PM 9:00 PM 11:45 PM

360º- 3 WORLD WAR Z (DIG-3D) WORLD WAR Z (DIG) WORLD WAR Z (DIG) WORLD WAR Z (DIG-3D) WORLD WAR Z (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED AL-KOUT.1 MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (DIG-3D) MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (DIG-3D) MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (DIG-3D) WORLD WAR Z (DIG-3D) WORLD WAR Z (DIG-3D)

12:45 AM

FOR SALE Mitsubishi Galant, model 2013, excellent condition, 10,500 km, registration up to end of 2015, price KD 3,150/-. Contact: 97487330. (C 4452) 1-7-2013

Prayer timings Fajr: Shorook Duhr: Asr: Maghrib: Isha:

03:16 04:51 11:51 15:25 18:51 20:24

112

Al-Madena Police Station

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

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

Airlines QTR JZR JZR RJA THY ETH GFA AFG UAE ETD THY FDB RJA JZR JZR RBG KAC KAC RBG MSR QTR THY DHX FDB BAW JZR JZR JZR JZR JZR KAC KAC KAC KAC FDB UAE ABY QTR FDB ETD IRA GFA IRC MEA MSC UAE MSR KNE JZR JZR JZR JZR JZR AXB MSC ALK UAE ETD QTR

Arrival Flights on Monday 1/7/2013 Flt Route 148 DOHA 267 BEIRUT 539 CAIRO 644 AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA 764 SABIHA 620 ADDIS ABABA 211 BAHRAIN 416 JEDDAH 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 768 ISTANBUL 67 DUBAI 642 AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA 529 ASSIUT 555 ALEXANDRIA 557 ALEXANDRIA 412 MANILA 206 ISLAMABAD 555 ALEXANDRIA 612 CAIRO 138 DOHA 770 ISTANBUL 170 BAHRAIN 69 DUBAI 157 LONDON 561 SOHAG 503 LUXOR 165 DUBAI 1543 CAIRO 241 AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA 302 MUMBAI 284 DHAKA 352 COCHIN 344 CHENNAI 53 DUBAI 855 DUBAI 125 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 55 DUBAI 301 ABU DHABI 3407 MASHAD 213 BAHRAIN 6521 LAMERD 404 BEIRUT 403 ASSIUT 871 DUBAI 610 CAIRO 480 TAIF 177 DUBAI 777 JEDDAH 189 DUBAI 257 BEIRUT 535 CAIRO 489 COCHIN 401 ALEXANDRIA 229 COLOMBO 859 DUBAI 307 ABU DHABI 136 DOHA

Time 00:05 00:20 00:40 00:30 01:40 01:45 01:55 02:15 02:25 02:30 02:50 03:10 03:10 06:40 06:20 06:25 06:15 07:25 03:15 03:15 03:30 04:35 05:10 05:50 06:30 12:00 07:40 11:35 08:20 12:35 07:50 08:15 09:55 09:35 07:45 08:25 08:50 09:00 09:15 09:30 10:35 10:40 10:50 10:55 11:35 12:45 13:00 13:20 17:30 17:50 20:10 14:30 16:10 20:35 21:00 21:10 21:15 21:30 21:35

GFA QTR JAI FDB FDB FDB MEA KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC QTR QTR FDB MPH SVA KNE OMA RJA QTR ETD UAE ABY UAL GFA SVA NIA QTR FDB GFA MSC JAI FDB OMA ABY MEA MSR JZR JZR JZR FDB AIC UAL TAR DLH PIA JAI MSR KLM THY

217 146 576 8053 8057 8053 406 542 118 672 788 104 546 774 804 786 742 674 618 6130 140 57 93 500 472 645 640 134 303 857 127 982 215 510 251 144 63 219 405 572 61 647 129 402 618 239 185 135 59 975 981 327 636 205 574 614 411 772

BAHRAIN DOHA COCHIN DUBAI DUBAI DUBAI BEIRUT CAIRO NEW YORK DUBAI JEDDAH LONDON ALEXANDRIA RIYADH CAIRO JEDDAH DAMMAM DUBAI DOHA DOHA DOHA DUBAI AMSTERDAM JEDDAH JEDDAH MUSCAT AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA DOHA ABU DHABI DUBAI SHARJAH WASHINGTON DC DULLES BAHRAIN RIYADH ALEXANDRIA DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN SOHAG MUMBAI DUBAI MUSCAT SHARJAH BEIRUT ALEXANDRIA AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA DUBAI BAHRAIN DUBAI CHENNAI BAHRAIN TUNIS FRANKFURT LAHORE MUMBAI CAIRO AMSTERDAM ISTANBUL

21:45 22:00 22:05 21:30 14:50 15:10 18:20 18:15 16:00 13:40 15:00 18:45 14:15 19:25 16:40 18:30 19:30 19:25 19:10 14:00 13:45 13:50 13:55 14:30 14:35 14:40 15:55 16:15 16:35 16:55 17:10 17:15 17:20 17:20 18:00 18:25 18:55 19:05 19:15 19:35 20:00 20:00 20:05 20:15 20:30 22:30 22:40 23:00 22:20 22:25 22:40 22:55 23:10 23:15 23:20 23:30 23:40 23:45

Airlines AIC JAI UAL DLH MSR PIA JZR JZR RJA THY THY ETH AFG THY UAE FDB RBG MSR ETD QTR QTR JZR FDB RJA GFA RBG JZR THY KAC JZR BAW FDB JZR JZR KAC ABY KAC UAE FDB QTR KAC ETD GFA KAC IRA KAC IRC MEA JZR KAC MSC KAC JZR MSR KNE UAE

Departure Flights on Monday 1/7/2013 Flt Route 982 AHMEDABAD 573 MUMBAI 981 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 637 FRANKFURT 615 CAIRO 206 PESHAWAR 1542 CAIRO 502 LUXOR 645 AMMAN 773 ISTANBUL 765 ISTANBUL 621 ADDIS ABABA 416 KABUL 769 ISTANBUL 854 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 556 ALEXANDRIA 613 CAIRO 306 ABU DHABI 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 560 SOHAG 70 DUBAI 643 AMMAN 212 BAHRAIN 558 ALEXANDRIA 240 AMMAN 771 ISTANBUL 545 ALEXANDRIA 164 DUBAI 156 LONDON 54 DUBAI 256 BEIRUT 534 CAIRO 671 DUBAI 126 SHARJAH 787 JEDDAH 856 DUBAI 56 DUBAI 133 DOHA 803 CAIRO 302 ABU DHABI 214 BAHRAIN 541 CAIRO 3406 MASHHAD 165 ROME 6522 LAMERD 405 BEIRUT 776 JEDDAH 103 LONDON 406 SOHAG 785 JEDDAH 176 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 481 TAIF 872 DUBAI

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Time 00:05 00:20 00:25 00:30 00:30 00:55 01:20 01:30 01:30 02:20 02:40 02:45 03:15 03:40 03:45 03:50 03:55 04:15 04:20 04:25 05:15 05:35 06:30 06:35 07:00 07:05 07:10 07:10 07:20 07:25 08:25 08:25 08:50 09:10 09:25 09:30 09:35 09:50 09:55 10:00 10:05 10:15 11:25 11:30 11:35 11:45 11:50 11:55 12:25 12:30 12:35 13:00 13:20 14:00 14:10 14:15

FDB QTR KAC MPH KNE QTR FDB OMA SVA KAC FDB JZR KAC KAC RJA JZR QTR ETD JZR ABY UAE GFA SVA UAL JZR JZR NIA MEA QTR FDB GFA JZR KAC MSC JAI FDB ABY KAC OMA KAC MEA MSR DHX MSC FDB ETD ALK UAE QTR KAC GFA FDB KAC QTR JAI JZR JZR KAC TAR

58 141 673 93 473 6131 8058 646 501 617 8054 188 773 741 641 238 135 304 538 128 858 216 511 982 184 266 252 407 145 64 220 134 283 404 571 62 120 331 648 351 403 619 171 402 8054 308 230 860 137 301 218 60 205 147 575 554 1540 411 328

DUBAI DOHA DUBAI AL MAKTOUM JEDDAH DOHA DUBAI MUSCAT JEDDAH DOHA DUBAI DUBAI RIYADH DAMMAM AMMAN AMMAN DOHA ABU DHABI CAIRO SHARJAH DUBAI BAHRAIN RIYADH BAHRAIN DUBAI BEIRUT ALEXANDRIA BEIRUT DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DHAKA ASSIUT MUMBAI DUBAI SHARJAH TRIVANDRUM MUSCAT KOCHI BEIRUT ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN ALEXANDRIA DUBAI ABU DHABI COLOMBO DUBAI DOHA MUMBAI BAHRAIN DUBAI ISLAMABAD DOHA ABU DHABI ALEXANDRIA CAIRO BANGKOK DUBAI

14:30 14:55 15:05 15:25 15:30 15:30 15:35 15:40 15:45 15:45 15:50 16:00 16:00 16:30 16:55 17:05 17:20 17:20 17:40 17:50 18:15 18:20 18:20 18:30 18:30 18:40 19:00 19:20 19:25 19:35 19:50 20:05 20:15 20:15 20:35 20:40 20:45 20:50 20:55 21:05 21:15 21:30 21:50 22:00 22:10 22:15 22:20 22:25 22:35 22:40 22:45 23:00 23:00 23:05 23:05 23:20 23:25 23:40 23:45

stars CROSSWORD 237

STAR TRACK Aries (March 21-April 19) Your burning enthusiasm for the ideal world and your need to be part of a group of like-minded souls are major factors in your makeup. You learn and grow through your efforts to help others and to make your inner vision into a reality. This could be a time when everything around you and your living situation, seems to be in flux and even turmoil. You may feel opposed and challenged by others. There is an opportunity now to create what is needed to change some activity or state of being from negative to positive. Working through problems acted out with others could be hard to avoid. You have a high degree of motivation and ability to understand and be understood. Good for you, others could benefit from your positive attitude.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) You benefit from investigative insights—getting to the heart of a matter. This could be a very good day for all sorts of projects. You will also find your way through just about any problem you may discover. You feel more personal and direct and find that you waste less time with your schedule. You feel successful and able to cope with whatever comes your way. Good advice from a guide or older person may be available. Much is accomplished today. Others may find you especially witty this afternoon. Combined efforts with others will bring insights and breakthroughs. This afternoon there is much passion for some life changes you want to make, possibly some transformation with talent. This evening you enjoy music and dancing.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

ACROSS 1. (informal) Roused to anger. 4. A Bantu language spoken by the Chaga people in northern Tanzania. 11. Ditch dug as a fortification and usually filled with water. 15. United States musician (born in Japan) who married John Lennon and collaborated with him on recordings (born in 1933). 16. United States film actress who appeared in many films with Spencer Tracy (born in 1909). 17. (Akkadian) Father of the gods and consort of Tiamat. 18. A yellow quartz. 20. Raccoon-like omnivorous mammal of Mexico and the southwestern United States having a long bushy tail with black and white rings. 21. An official language of the Republic of South Africa. 24. The imperial dynasty of China from 1122 to 221 BC. 25. Lower in esteem. 28. Type genus of the Amiidae. 30. A cut of pork ribs with much of the meat trimmed off. 33. Soreness and warmth caused by friction. 37. A board game in which players try to move their pieces into their opponent's bases. 38. A particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography). 40. (British) Your grandmother. 41. The sign language used in the United States. 42. An official prosecutor for a judicial district. 44. Made of packed earth or gravel. 47. A learner who is enrolled in an educational institution. 52. A family of birds of the order Coraciiformes. 53. A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (trade name Lodine). 54. (Greek mythology) Greek god of war. 56. A chronic inflammatory collagen disease affecting connective tissue (skin or joints). 57. A metric unit of length equal to one hundredth of a meter. 59. East Indian tree bearing a profusion of intense vermilion velvet-textured blooms and yielding a yellow dye. 62. A Powhatan Indian woman (the daughter of Powhatan) who befriended the English at Jamestown and is said to have saved Captain John Smith's life (1595-1617). 67. Offering fun and gaiety. 68. Take in solid food. 71. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth. 72. A medium for oil-paints. 74. Botswanan statesman who was the first president of Botswana (1921-1980). 75. A colloid in a more solid form than a sol. 76. State of being husband and wife. 78. A mature blood cell that contains hemoglobin to carry oxygen to the bodily tissues. 79. An agency of the United Nations affiliated with the World Bank. 80. Large arboreal boa of tropical South America. 81. The syllable naming the fifth (dominant) note of any musical scale in solmization. DOWN 1. United States feminist and suffragist (17931880). 2. Small buffalo of the Celebes having small straight horns.

3. Amino acid that is formed in the liver and converted into dopamine in the brain. 4. One thousand periods per second. 5. That is to say. 6. An index of the cost of all goods and services to a typical consumer. 7. A hemoprotein composed of globin and heme that gives red blood cells their characteristic color. 8. 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. 9. A contorted facial expression. 10. A communist state in Indochina on the South China Sea. 11. Brittle flat bread eaten at Passover. 12. Large elliptical brightly colored deep-sea fish of Atlantic and Pacific and Mediterranean. 13. A genus of European owls. 14. A member of a Dravidian people living on the southwestern coast of India. 19. Fear resulting from the awareness of danger. 22. The sense organ for hearing and equilibrium. 23. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables. 26. Covered with beads of liquid. 27. A complete metric system of units of measurement for scientists. 29. Being nine more than ninety. 31. A person authorized to conduct religious worship. 32. Make a more or less disguised reference to. 34. A heavy block of iron or steel on which hot metals are shaped by hammering. 35. Foul with waste matter. 36. Spin or twist together so as to form a cord. 39. Softly bright or radiant. 43. Type genus of the Anatidae. 45. (British) A linear measure of 16.5 feet. 46. A statistical method for making simultaneous comparisons between two or more means. 48. A public dance hall for dancing to recorded popular music. 49. A brittle silver-white metalloid element that is related to selenium and sulfur. 50. Living quarters reserved for wives and concubines and female relatives in a Muslim household. 51. A language spoken by the Atakapa people of the Gulf coast of Louisiana and Texas. 55. A bachelor's degree in religion. 58. Informal terms for a mother. 60. Australian shrubs and small trees with evergreen usually spiny leaves and dense clusters of showy flowers. 61. Wheelwork consisting of a connected set of rotating gears by which force is transmitted or motion or torque is changed. 63. In bed. 64. The basic unit of money in Western Samoa. 65. English actor noted for his portrayals of Shakespeare's great tragic characters (17891833). 66. A city in northern India. 69. A platform raised above the surrounding level to give prominence to the person on it. 70. Measuring instrument for indicating speed of rotation. 73. Electrical conduction through a gas in an applied electric field. 77. A ductile silvery-white ductile ferromagnetic trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group.

MONDAY, JULY 1, 2013

There could be challenges at this time, but they may prove to be rewarding and it is almost as though you are the one that set up the challenge. This could mean you compete with others well and like to set up challenges that would cause all involved to watch carefully for ways to bring in new customers or find mistakes or beef up the sales quota. You are able to answer questions and direct people into some advance thinking. This does not happen every day, but often enough. You will find it is thinking like yours that keeps your company or your department or just you aware and moving ahead of the group. You love the heat of a challenge and can convince even the weakest to join in the race. You motivate and encourage all. You glow in the aftereffect.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) You have an enchanting way of working and communicating with others, especially with music and the arts. You may find that you are happiest if you can secure a position in some art or historical site. You may want to continue your education in hopes of working with a museum or in doing research with historic digs in your own country. Hidden treasures are possible and the anticipation is the thrill of it all. One of the ways to find out who is conducting an adventure or how to find a mission is by checking out some of the camping equipment companies. New paths to world or personal unity are a major interest and you have a very practical sense of how to make your dreams real. Financial tensions are less today. This evening is a good time to plan.

Leo (July 23-August 22) You will have opportunities now to improve your earning potential and family security soon. This may mean you have heard of a new job opening or it could be you have found a way to create work for yourself, perhaps part-time. This urge to increase your income and to express yourself, propels you into many interesting situations. Friends or family may attempt to sway your decision. Considering that this new work may be part-time, you can stick by what you need to do. Do not overextend your energies. You may enjoy some form of physical and creative expression this evening—sports, theatrics, arts and crafts—whatever creates the opportunity to enjoy those closest to you now. A romantic relationship is enjoyed this evening.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) You are never happier than when fully engaged in some sort of teamwork. This could mean some long-term project in your neighborhood is about to end or a presentation of some product will go to the public today. Whatever the case, all is powerful and successful. You will find today a very busy, decision-making, organizational, as well as teamwork sort of day. You will tend to respond to others quite often. You can always put your ideas into words and describe or analyze situations for yourself and others. Your mind and caring attitude are what people find attractive in you. At home this afternoon there are plenty of things to keep you busy. You may even find that a neighbor needs more of your attention. Later there will be time to rest.

Word Search

Libra (September 23-October 22) Always going beyond the usual routine, you enjoy reading or involving yourself in whatever is new, exciting and spicy; you are happy when caught up in the variety and complexity of life. If you are not able to excel and expand in the workplace, you will probably date or marry someone that enjoys thinking outside the box, so to speak. Education, advertising and travel could play a part in this. You are fond of law, philosophy and religion. You enjoy deliberation and have a very methodical mind. Able to develop sound logic and good arguments, you are practical, and seldom vague. You manage to end up in the limelight this afternoon with much support from your co-workers. You are expressive of your ideas and enjoy justsuppose conversations.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) This is a time to take risks and dare to be a little unconventional. You have new insights and although you are not particularly inventive, there are new ideas leading to some technical operation. This may mean that you have created some new computer software that solves a computer problem people have had lately. This afternoon, a cycle of nostalgia and domesticity begins—emphasizing the family, home, relatives and real estate. This is a great time to reflect and understand your own life choices and to make future plans. Your emotions and feelings may be very clear. You enjoy serving and guiding someone younger than you in matters of importance this evening. You are in control and what you say matters.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Your very organized self tends to hide behind duties and responsibilities. This no-nonsense approach manages to push aside many opportunities for others to reach out to you and get close. You could resist getting personal and may avoid touchy subjects. Fortunately, this is only temporary and you will have a better understanding of goals and environment issues soon enough. Nothing slows you from your project and you will find your enthusiasm is strong and ongoing. By the end of the day, you will be proud of the results. A new type of creative environment calls your name this evening and you may enjoy sculpting clay, painting pictures or learning a new musical instrument. This may be something you could really enjoy.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) CAPRICORN How you manage difficulties, find diplomatic solutions or come up with the right approach is just where your talents are at this time. Your outward charm and ability to be all things to all people is most central to your personality. This ability to solve problems, to counsel and put others at ease may be the key to meeting and coming to know you. Your mind cuts right through all the window dressing and gets right down to the quick. You might consider some legal profession, perhaps as law enforcement officer, a lawyer or a guard. This evening is a good time for solving puzzles or mysteries and thinking about the future. If you are a detective, today is the day you discover the answer to some mystery. Later— follow your hunches regarding money.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) Emotional security is on your mind and bringing home the bacon has never been as important as it is now. Your ideas may not agree with the direction your career is taking, however. The price of success could mean that the ideas and methods of communication you are happy with become ignored or set aside. A part-time job in doing something you really like could eventually replace your regular job; it is worth the contemplation. You will find easy answers to finding that perfect part-time job as you list roadblocks and work to remove them. You may find a business of your own will benefit you best. A slow move toward this direction is best as you will become more encouraged and focused. Relations with family and friends are positive this evening.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) YAs a natural peacemaker, sometimes you try to avoid all harsh and crude actions. With direct drive, you always head straight to the heart of a matter. You are candid, even blunt or brusque in manner at times. You will tend to get much accomplished for others today, however. Continued hard work around your home may be a bit much just now. There are no bells or whistles needed with you and what others see is what they get. You enjoy simple living and could enjoy making your living out-of-doors. Invite a friend or family member to enjoy the out-of-doors with you this afternoon—perhaps some outdoor sports or cooking on the grill. Emotional security, a sense of belonging and nurturing are issues that are felt instinctively now.

Yesterday’s Solution

Daily SuDoku

Yesterday’s Solution

MONDAY, JULY 1, 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

MONDAY, JULY 1, 2013

LIFESTYLE G o s s i p

Humes living in

‘bubble’ since baby’s birth

Cowell snubs Cole’s birthday invite

imon Cowell has allegedly snubbed Cheryl Cole’s 30th birthday party. The music mogul is said to have turned down the singer’s invitation to join her in Los Angeles for her £50,000 birthday bash, which she hoped would be the perfect opportunity to quash their longstanding feud. A source told the Sunday People newspaper: “She sent an invitation to Simon as she genuinely wanted him there. “He’s been a big part of her life and, despite their falling out, she sees him as an old friend who she was very close to once. She was hoping he’d make it so is a little disappointed he won’t be there. “She has put all their differences aside and moved on in her life. The party is going to be one of the most memorable occasions and she carefully chose who she invited. Unfortunately though Simon wasn’t able to make it.” The pair famously fell out when Simon dropped the singer as judge on ‘The X Factor’ USA, replacing her

with Nicole Scherzinger, and Cheryl subsequently refused to rejoin the British version of the show. The Girls Aloud beauty isn’t the only star to have been angered by Simon of late, since it has also been reported new ‘X Factor’ USA mentor Kelly Rowland has been offended by his behavior. An insider told the Daily Star newspaper: “He snapped at her when she made a joke about him being late and she didn’t appreciate that at all.” The TV tycoon allegedly drinks up to 20 cups of coffee a day, which is said to be making him ever “nastier” than usual. The source added: “He guzzles it like water and all that caffeine is making him more hyper and nastier than ever.”

ochelle Humes has been living in a “bubble” since giving birth. The Saturdays singer and her husband Marvin have been blissfully happy since welcoming their baby daughter Alaia-Mai on May 20, and think the tiny tot is a dream child because she hardly disturbs them during the night. Speaking for the first time since giving birth, Rochelle told the Sunday Mirror’s Notebook magazine: “It’s going well, she only wakes up once in the night so great so far...We’ve been living in a bubble.” The 23-year-old star and her JLS partner have been squabbling over which one of them Alai-Mai looks the most like. Rochelle added: “She’s amazing. I don’t know who she’s more like, she looks like my baby pictures but everyone says me and Marvin look similar anyway - she looks like his brother actually!” The ‘Gentleman’ hitmaker isn’t in a rush to lose her baby weight and is more concerned with getting to grips with motherhood than her own looks. She explained: “Now it’s strange trying to fit into the clothes I used to wear. I haven’t lost all the weight - I’m not in a rush, it’s like whatever. I’m more worried about the baby than myself and what I look like.” The singer also touched upon her romance with Marvin, saying their wedding last summer was one of the best days of her life. She joked: “I said to Marvin, ‘I wish I could get married again’ and he’s like ‘Who to?’ and I’m like, ‘To you!’ I just want to go through the day again.”

Timberlake, Biel ready for kids

ustin Timberlake and Jessica Biel are planning to have kids soon. The ‘Mirrors’ hitmaker and his actress spouse - who tied the knot in October 2012 - are reportedly hoping to start a family this year, however, Jessica is said to be worried about the toll pregnancy will take on her sexy body. A source told America’s Star magazine: “Now that they’re married and Justin has made it clear he is devoted to Jess, there is no reason not to start a family. However, she knows her body will take a hit. A lot of her roles are based on sex appeal so she is definitely nervous but she wants this. She’s 100 per cent focused on making it happen.” Justin, 32, previously admitted he was in no rush to have children and would leave it up to “fate”. He said: “I’m not against the idea at all, but I think I still have some time ahead of me. Let’s leave it to fate.” The devoted husband also credited his 31-year-old wife with giving him “stability” in his life. He gushed: “She’s brought me stability and an inner force. The most important thing for me is that we’re able to communicate so well and talk about absolutely everything. It’s beautiful to have that kind of closeness and understanding.”

Julianne Moore: Carrie character is terrifying

ulianne Moore says her character in ‘Carrie’ is “terrifying”. The Oscar-nominated actress tackles the role of Margaret White - the titular telekinetic teenager’s God-fearing mother - in the remake of the classic horror film and says her take on the character is just as scary as Piper Laurie’s incarnation in the 1976 version. She told SFX magazine: “It’s impossible not to be scary as this character. She is terrifying. I think any time you encounter a parent being cruel it’s terrifying and that’s the bottom line. If you think about being a child or an adolescent, you are relatively powerless.” The actress reveals she saw the original film - directed by Brian de Palma - in cinemas when she was just 14 and cried. She said: “In 1976, I was 14 years old and I remember going to the theatre. There was a huge line in the parking lot that wrapped all the way around. Then everybody coming out of the showing before us was white. We were all wondering, ‘Oh my God! What can it be? Why is it so scary?’ “And then you spend the whole movie crying and it’s emotional, but you’re thinking it’s not very scary until you get to the end. I think it’s a seminal movie for all of us about adolescence.” —Bang Showbiz

Mick Jagger to wed for the third time

ir Mick Jagger may walk down the aisle for the third time. The Rolling Stones frontman - who performed to record-breaking crowds at Glastonbury festival on Saturday night, is allegedly feeling the pressure to wed his designer girlfriend L’Wren Scott, who he has been dating for 12 years. A source told The Sun newspaper: “She’s been on Mick’s case non-stop. What he liked about her at first ... was she absolutely didn’t try to tie him down. She’s a stylist, designer and has a jewellery and perfume range. Mick loved the fact she was totally independent.” It appears Mick - who was previously married to former models Bianca De Macia and Jerry Hall - could be seriously contemplating making L’Wren his next wife because he feels he can trust the statuesque American star implicitly. The band insider added: “He likes having someone around he can trust.” With L’Wren by his side, the 69-year-old rock star jetted out to Worthy Farm in Somerset by private helicopter to play the Stones’ first ever gig in Glastonbury’s 43-year history, which was watched by around 200,000 fans. The pair stayed in a luxury £3,000 yurt ahead of his headline set, which came with a king-size bed, mirrors and candles. Mick was also treated to his own

Jenner: Kim Kardashian will be ‘best mum ever’

Lohan says wild days are over

indsay Lohan says her wild days are behind her. The ‘Mean Gilrs’ actress is due to complete her 90-day of court-ordered rehabilitation on July 31 - which is part of a plea deal she struck to avoid jail after lying to police officers about driving in a car accident last year - and has told friends she is changing her ways. A source told the US issue of OK! magazine: “She’s 100 per cent determined to never go to rehab or get arrested again. She’s serious this time and she’s finally taking direction. She gets up at 7am, she’s never late to the group meetings and she’s the first one in the van when they go to AA meetings. “She’s still smoking but the techs tell patients not to try quit two addictions at once. She has also been told to stay away from dating for a year and she’s up for it.” The 26year-old star transferred to the Cliffside rehab facility in Malibu, California, earlier this month after checking out of the Betty Ford Clinic. Lindsay’s father Michael Lohan recently claimed the new location was “better” for his daughter. He said: “Cliffside is better for her than Bett. She has more freedom, it’s more personalized, and the treatment is better for her.”

rody Jenner is sure Kim Kardashian will be the “best mum ever”. The reality TV star - who gave birth to daughter North West, her first child with rapper Kanye West, earlier this month - will embrace motherhood with great ease because she has experience taking care of her sister’s two children, Mason, three, and 11-month-old Penelope, according to her stepbrother. He said: “Kim is a doting auntie to Kourtney’s children and her sister let her experience being around children before she became a parent herself as she knows how useful it is. I’ve no doubt Kim will be the best mum ever.” And 29-year-old Brody - whose father Bruce Jenner is married to Kim’s mother, Kris - is looking forward to babysitting his new niece should his stepsister need him. He told Closer magazine: “I would be more than happy to do whatever Kim wants, but I think her mum has everything under control.” Brody also defended his sibling’s weight gain during her pregnancy after the 32-year-old beauty was criticised for packing on the pounds while expecting baby North. He added: “I feel for Kim, she’s super wealthy, but money isn’t everything. She wants happiness. Everyone should lay off because she’s incredible. “Kim was feeling nervous about the birth and she’s been under so much stress. I believe that stress had a big impact on the body. I was praying to God that this baby was going to be healthy.”

MONDAY, JULY 1, 2013

LIFESTYLE T R A V E L

Barnacle geese gather by a small cafe by the Toolonlahti Bay in Helsinki, Finland. — AP photos

People cool off on a hot summer day in Esplanade Park.

Helsinki 5 free things to see and do in

Young girls observe the Suomenlinna Fortress from the ferry that runs between Market Square and the Fortress in Helsinki.

, Finland

elsinki is known as an international capital of design and Finland is one of the eurozone’s wealthiest nations. But despite that upscale reputation, the city offers a wealth of experiences that are light on the wallet. In summer, glorious sun-filled days draw picnickers to every available last patch of grass. The city also has a timeless maritime character, with its location on the Baltic Sea offering views of the bay filled with boats and dozens of tiny islands. There’s a cosmopolitan side to Helsinki too, with striking architecture and street art as far as the eye can see. Here are a few adventures to be had for free.

Park Avenue You know summer has arrived in Helsinki when trendy young urbanites blanket every corner of Esplanadi Park and set up picnics. Known locally as Espa, the charmingly small park lives up to its short name. Sandwiched between parallel streets that are lined with cafes and shops think of home-grown design brands like Marimekko and iittala - it’s also the hot spot for a number of free outdoor concerts and one of the most vibrant parts of town. For a different kind of adrenaline rush, head over to the hillside amusement park of Linnanmaki, where the observation deck of a 173-foot (53-meter) tower offers a panoramic view of the city. Admission to the park, tower and even some (though not all) of the rides are free of charge. For complete serenity, try the manicured botanical gardens at Kaisaniemi

Park, where hundreds of exotic plants populate the greenhouses that are maintained by the University of Helsinki. King of the castle Though the grounds are as lavish as any royal residence, there are no castles on Suomenlinna Fortress, a star-shaped bastion built in the 1700s atop a cluster of six islands. Today, the only invaders of this UNESCO World Heritage site are visitors who explore the church, theater, craft galleries, and half a dozen onsite museums. One museum is an entire submarine! There’s no entry fee to the island, though if you lack a boat of your own, there’s a small cost for the ferry ride over. The particularly adventurous can even stay the night at the fortress’s own hostel - not free, but potentially priceless. By the sea The parks that envelop Toolonlahti Bay showcase the exotic plants of the Winter Garden, the quiet splendor of the Finnish National Opera House and the vastness of the Olympic Stadium, built when the country hosted the Summer Games in 1952. At the end of boulevards leading from the park next to the bay, locals bring their competitive spirit to the beach volleyball tournaments at the man-made and ever-popular Hietaniemi Beach. Window shopping Nestled in the heart of the city, and steps away from iconic spots like Helsinki Cathedral

A man waves from a mobile sauna by the Market Square. and Senate Square, the fashion-forward Kluuvi shopping center showcases trendy items that aren’t available anywhere else in the country. During summer months, the open-air flea market at Hietalahti offers a more bohemian feel and a glimpse of the everyday objects that are desired by many Finns. But if there’s only time for a single excursion, the place to go is the century-old Hakaniemi Market Hall, where 70 shops offer an endless array of knickknacks, such as local delicacies (reindeer meat and blinis), alpaca jackets and other regional specialties from the northern Lapland to the north, and toys and other crafts that have been handmade from local fir.

People walking from the Hakaniemi Market Hall. Steaming And finally, no visit to the country is complete without basking in a sauna, where an extra burst of heat is felt every time a shot of water is ladled onto piping hot stones. Saunas are source of national pride and most private homes have them.

Many hotels and hostels have them too, so in all likelihood, you’ll have access to one as part of your overnight lodging. There’s also a new public facility called Kulttuurisauna that was built as a result of Helsinki hosting the 2012 World Design Festival, but admission is 15 euros or about $20. — AP

First trip or a return visit, elegant Victoria is a charmer By Craig Sailor here are few water arrivals in the Northwest more exhilarating than Victoria’s Inner Harbour. The venerable Empress Hotel commands attention front and center with the stately BC Parliament Buildings to her left. Water taxis, yachts and seaplanes all jockey for position in the small harbor, along with the two main daily water transports from Washington: The MV Coho out of Port Angeles and the Victoria Clipper from Seattle. I recently took a day trip to Victoria to see what I could pack in-without packing a bag.

MV Coho It doesn’t make sense to take your car if you are just staying in Victoria’s city center. Both the Coho (a car and passenger ferry) and the Clipper (foot travelers only) drop passengers off at the Inner Harbour. Most tourist stops are a short walk from there. For my trip, I chose the 341-foot Coho ferry that crosses the Strait of Juan de Fuca in 90 minutes. Why not Seattle-based Victoria Clipper? Sure, the drive to Seattle is much shorter but a same-day, round-trip purchase will set you back $149 compared to $34 on the Coho. It’s a 2 hour sailing to Victoria on the Clipper. That’s five hours on a boat round-trip compared to only three on the Coho. I allowed myself 2 hours to get to Port Angeles from Tacoma for the 12:45 pm sailing. There’s parking right across the ferry terminal for $10. I found a lot, two blocks away, for $6 a day. I’ve never had any auto break-ins but avoid bringing anything to Port Angeles you aren’t planning to take to Victoria. The 1959 Coho harkens back to the days of private ferries. It might look like it’s from the 1950s, but the company keeps the Coho painted and well-maintained. I couldn’t find a spot of rust on it. The ship has tables and single seating along with a coffee shop.

version of the Canadian national dish of gravy-smothered French fries came with miso clam gravy topped with shrimp and smoked tuna belly bacon bits. It was a hearty dish, but the salt level made it almost inedible near the end. More to my liking was the tacone-a tortilla filled with fish, slaw, and lemon-pickled onions. Murchie’s From Chinese to cutting edge, there is no lack of tea shops in Victoria. But I always head to British-centric Murchie’s. This is Victoria, after all. The old-fashioned shop is full of tea cups, accessories and an inexhaustible variety of loose-leaf teas and tea bags. I brought home a “Royal Teas” combo. It contains Murchie’s produced Diamond Jubilee, Golden Jubilee, Prince Charles and Queen Victoria blends. My British grandmother would have approved. You can sample teas in the store-perfect to wash down an item from their dessert counter.

Craigdarroch castle A 45-minute uphill walk from downtown will take you to a small hill with a very large home built on it. And from there, you keep climbing. Four stories later, you’ll find yourself on top of Craigdarroch Castle. Pronounced “Craig-Derek” (Gaelic for “Rocky Oak Place”), it was built by coal baron Robert Dunsmuir.

Fan tan alley/Cafe bliss I’d never heard of Fan Tan Alley when I first stumbled upon it several years ago. I felt like I had entered a secret Harry Potter world, but in Shanghai instead of London. The narrow alley can only fit three abreast. Small shops selling Asian wares and fashion open off the alley along with mysterious unmarked doors. Nowhere else in the city is so much diversity packed into such a small space. On my recent visit, a yellow-and-red-robed monk passed me in the gathering shadows. Around the corner from Fan Tan, I came across Cafe Bliss, an organic juice bar and “live food” restaurant. It’s a bright and personality-filled spot. Each chair has its own name: glowing, spirited, beautiful. Parched, I ordered a half-litre of Dew Drop juice (apple, cucumber, lime and mint) to go. “Do you know about the jar deposit?” the woman behind the counter asked me. “We don’t use paper cups here.” I imagined trying to

Fairmont Empress Hotel There’s no avoiding the Empress. The grande dame of Victoria takes a commanding spot at the foot of the Inner Harbour. All other buildings bow and scrape before it. You don’t need to spend the night to take a gander through its lobbies, shops, bars and ornate dining rooms. The small, overpriced rooms aren’t worth the money, but if you have $59.95 to spare, you can have its famous high tea service. Mutlitiered plates of precious pastries and triangular sandwiches-with the crusts cut off, of course-will arrive with tea on fine China. The attentive service is fit for a queen-or empress. Red fish blue fish There’s a lot of buzz around this seafood-centric wharfside eatery built out of repurposed shipping containers. When I arrived in the afternoon, 33 people stood in line. The extensive menu offers an inventive and slightly Hispanic take on fresh seafood: tacones, cod dogs, fish and chips, fried oysters and chowder. I started with a cup of Caesar-style gazpacho. The cold shrimp-topped soup was a blast of tomato flavor-and salt. The salt theme continued with a half order of seafood poutine. This

explain to a customs agent why I was bringing a Mason jar filled with greenish fluid back to the US I switched to the dinein option. The restaurant serves a variety of vegan food options, including a portobello burger with cashew “cream cheese” and avocado pizza with cashew “sour cream”.

The Fairmont Empress Hotel takes the commanding position in Victoriaís Inner Harbour.

A water taxi transports people across Victoria’s Inner Harbour as the Fairmont Empress Hotel rises in the background.

Shoppers walk through Chinatown’s Fan Tan Alley. —MCT photos If you have more time Beacon Hill Park: This park packs a lot into its 200 acres. It has both natural and manicured areas with lawns, gardens, ponds, playgrounds and a children’s farm. Take Douglas Street south from the Inner Harbour. Breakwater: From Beacon Hill Park, you can walk northwest along the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Eventually, you’ll reach a breakwater that forms the entrance to the Inner Harbour. Expansive views look south to Washington and the Olympics and north to the harbor where, on my visit, three huge cruise ships were tied up. The water is so clear, I watched a sea lion repeatedly swim through a school of apparently tasty fish. Royal BC Museum: This natural and human history museum has extensive First Peoples’ displays. The museum also contains one of my favorite historical displays in the Northwest: a recreated 1890s old town.

He was the wealthiest man in British Columbia when he erected his mansion in 1887. He died before its 1890 completion. The home is now run by a not-for-profit and is open to the public. Including balconies and the basement, the mansion boasts 26,000 square feet. But despite its size, the mansion is very polite, very restrained-very Canadian. There’s plenty of stained glass and wood paneling, but rooms are modest in size. Hearst Castle it’s not. Craigdarroch Castle gives a good impression of what life would have been like in the namesake city of the Victorian Era. Rooms are full of period furnishings and historical displays. Views cover the city and stretch to the Olympic Peninsula.

Beyond Victoria With Victoria as Vancouver Island’s largest city and a natural gateway for US visitors, it might be easy to forget that the island stretches about 285 miles to the north. Mountains, rivers, forests and a stunning coastline could keep a visitor busy for days or even weeks. Note: Schedule is through Sept 22 ID requirements: A US passport or enhanced Washington state driver license are two of the most common. Go to getyouhome.gov for a full list of valid documents. Regular driver licenses and birth certificates are no longer valid for international travel. — MCT

lifestyle

MONDAY, JULY 1, 2013

F A S H I O N

T-shirt store starts new fashion trend in Benghazi

rowsing through the racks of printed T-shirts and scarves, a handful of shoppers inspect the latest designs in what has become one of the mostpopular clothing stores in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi. One of them, Ali, a student, holds up a T-shirt printed with a popular Libyan expression “Grab what is new before it becomes old”, one of the many catchphrases that adorn the designs in Boza, a small shop in an upmarket neighbourhood. “I always bought clothes with English writing on them but now for the first time, I am buying a Tshirt with Arabic print,” he said. “I am so happy.” Ali is one of the hundreds of Libyans who have flocked to Boza since it opened a few months ago, eager to get their hands on designs that have become a talking point among the youth in Benghazi’s popular coffee shops. Its name meaning “stylish”, the store - the first of its kind in Libya according to its owners - sells T-shirts, bags, head

and neck scarves printed with “Made in Libya”, “Walk like a Libyan” or a jumble of letters spelling out Benghazi. Some T-shirts are printed with “I love Cyrenaica”, referring to Libya’s eastern province where calls for more regional autonomy have heightened since Muammar Gaddafi’s ouster in 2011. Benghazi was the cradle of the Libyan revolt and discontent has mounted over continued neglect from Tripoli. Easterners say their oil-rich region was starved of cash under Gaddafi. Other colourful T-shirts carry portraits of King Idris, whom Gaddafi ousted in his 1969 coup. “Our designs have political messages, it is difficult to separate daily life from politics,” Ahmed Benmussa, a 32-year old oil engineer and Boza coowner, said. “We take inspiration from Libyan heritage because we have a rich culture. Reviving history is

one of our aims.” Some of the T-shirts tackle the serious issues plaguing post-war Libya - the mass of weapons on its streets and the armed militias which have hobbled governance. “Better the devil you know” reads the message on one T-shirt accompanied by the drawing of a knife. “Some of the messages are critical, perhaps in a more humorous way,” Benmussa said. “This is how we express ourselves, unlike those who actually use weapons.” Personalized designs The shop itself is a mix between old and new. An old record player lies idle in the middle of the store while a large television screen beams Boza’s latest designs. Importing blank T-shirts and scarves from Turkey, its designers use a small printing machine to decorate the clothes and accessories. Customers can also personalize goods or propose new designs on a “suggestion wall” in the store.

Boza’s T-shirts, which sell for around 50 Libyan dinars ($40), are popular among Benghazi’s youth who say the designs allow them to express themselves - a still relatively new freedom after Gaddafi’s 42-year iron-fisted rule. “This is a great way in which you can express yourself in a modern and fashionable manner,” Alaa al-Baba, a 24-year old engineer, said. “It would be great if everybody could do that.” Boza’s owners use social media site Facebook to promote the store, both at home and abroad, posting pictures of the owners’ friends wearing designs around town like professional models. “We have sent T-shirts to customers in Saudi Arabia, Germany, the United Kingdom, Indonesia, United States, Qatar, Ireland, France, Egypt and Spain,” Benmussa said. Capitalizing on Boza’s success in Benghazi, plans are now under way to open a branch in the capital. “There will be a Boza in Tripoli in coming days,” he said. — Reuters

Hermes brings bohemian back to Left Bank H

ermes delivered what it called a “bohemian soul” collection Saturday, nestled among historic stone colonnades on Paris’ arty Left Bank. Never one to follow trends, menswear designer Veronique Nichanian follows her own nose and, with this, delivered yet another strong collection that was distinctly her own. Luxurious materials, such as metis lambskin, printed silks and extrafine cashmere, came alongside ensembles matched with a real eye for style. A pale blue knit cardigan on bare skin would be twinned effortlessly with a silk neck scarf. Sandals, open shirts with tromp l’oeil prints, drawstring trousers, loose jackets and a one-piece gray jumpsuit all came together to give this collection a distinctly relaxed feel. It was perhaps helped by the insouciant swagger of several models who seemed to stroll rather than strut, with a hand casually placed in their pocket. The show proved again why Hermes has blossomed into the success story it is today. But the real soul of Hermes menswear is the colors. Cool pale blue and deep ocean blue, silvery steel and nickel gray - set against emeralds, whites and burnt siennas. One color the program notes call “cloud” just goes to show the mood the house is trying to evoke. — AP

NYC’s Met replaces metal admission button

This undated photograph provided by the Metropolitan Museum of Art shows ‘Dress’, made of the museum’s admission buttons by Ji Eon Kang, a gift to the museum by Richard Martin. —AP

ew York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art is doing away with the tiny metal buttons that serve as its admission ticket. Starting today, the button will be replaced with a paper ticket with detachable sticker. Museum officials say it has become too expensive to produce the buttons. They were introduced in 1971. The buttons came in 16 different colors and featured the letter “M.” The color was changed daily. The change comes around the time the Met is switching to a sevenday week. It has been closed Mondays. — AP

Models wear creations by French fashion designer Veronique Nichanian as part of Hermes men’s fashion Spring-Summer 2014 collection, presented Saturday in Paris. —AP/AFP photos

MONDAY, JULY 1, 2013

lifestyle F A S H I O N

Models display outfits designed by Indonesian designer Syahreza Muslim during the Jakarta Muslim Fashion Week yesterday. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;AP/AFP photos

Jakarta Muslim Fashion Week

Hermes brings bohemian back to Left Bank

MONDAY, JULY 1, 2013

A woman makes her way past a wall painted depicting Jamaican culture in downtown Kingston on June 29, 2013. — AFP

Uzupis:A funky artists

republic in Lithuania s

he cozy artists’ quarter of Uzupis in the Lithuanian capital has all the trappings of a republic with a twist: a light-hearted national holiday, a poetic president and a whimsical constitution in 18 languages. Set off from the rest of Vilnius by the shallow Vilnia river and linked by seven small bridges, the Republic of Uzupis-which means “beyond the river” in Lithuanian-fascinates locals and tourists alike. Artist studios cluster at the foot of the sloped district, peppered with vibrant graffiti and a mishmash of renovated brick buildings and tumbledown shacks. Its president, filmmaker Romas Lileikis, says people often wonder what his exact responsibilities are. “When I’m asked the question, I answer without hesitation: the president is in charge of the wind that flutters the flag,” he has said. The sovereignty is clearly symbolic with the national anthem, flag, government and ambassadors all part of an aesthetic and intellectual exercise worthy of performance art. Vilnius’s answer to Montmartre in Paris or Freetown Christiania in Copenhagen, the colorful, picturesque quarter was set up 17 years ago by a handful of artists as a Utopian dream. They wanted to carve out a nook of novelty in the city, built upon freedom of expression. “We had to express our values, meaning write them down in a constitution,” Lileikis told AFP at a coffee shop along the river. Their tongue-in-cheek manifesto was unveiled on April 1, 2001 — since feted annually on April Fools’ Day as

A coffee table perches on a rooftop of the house of the Republic of Uzupis (‘beyond the river’), the artists’ quarter in Vilnius, Lithuania.— AFP

the national holiday-with a first version in Lithuanian, then translated into 17 languages including French, Georgian, Gaelic and Yiddish. The constitution’s 41 articles range from the earnest to the playful: “Everyone is responsible for their freedom”; “Everyone has the right to celebrate or not celebrate their birthday”; and “Everyone has the right to die, but this is not an obligation.” The text ends with three injunctions: “Do not defeat,” “Do not fight back,” and “Do not surrender.” A weekly farmers’ market, the city’s sole French bakery and a

host of neighborhood traditions make it one of the capital’s most welcoming and lively areas. For St Patrick’s Day, residents colour the river green. On Easter Monday, they enjoy a communal outdoor breakfast. “Here, everyone knows everyone else and says hi. People are constantly in a good mood,” said Vejas, an Uzupis high school student always at the ready to help the republic. Wearing a fluorescent yellow vest marked “Uzupis customs”, he stamped the passport of visiting Estonian President

Toomas Hendrik Ilves last month with the republic’s symbol: a wide-open hand. But this funky neighborhood has not always been so friendly. “Twenty years ago, when I moved here, it was a district of bandits,” Lileikis said. “On the main street someone had scrawled ‘street of death’.” Once seedy, the neighborhood has sprung back to life with boutique shops popping up beside an artist’s squat on the river banks near the Academy of Arts. The artist studios in disrepair have given way to new buildings unveiled in April, now home to 16 artists in residence as well as local art and souvenir shops. “New houses are being built, new residents are moving here and they’re driving away the thugs and the thieves,” street musician Nikodemas, a well-known face around Uzupis, told AFP. “As for the tourists, you can always avoid them by taking the side streets,” he added, suitcase stowed as always on his bicycle rack. Artists aside, the neighborhood is home to a relatively wealthy crowd of businessmen, lawyers, architects, journalists and the like. The Vilnius mayor is also a resident. But despite the renovation work and clean-up, “the ambiance hasn’t become sterile,” said Solveiga Gutaute, project coordinator for the artist’s residence. “We’re actually surprised,” she added. “I’ve lived in other Vilnius neighborhoods where the houses are like little boxes,” built during the Soviet era, with no curves in sight, unlike the winding alleys in Uzupis. “There are still no angles here.” — AFP

As 10,000 watch, opera giants battle to draw

t’s a question that has long prompted heated arguments among devoted opera fans: Who was the greater composer, Richard Wagner or Giuseppe Verdi? Both were born exactly 200 years ago, and so in this year of their bicentennials, the Bavarian State Opera decided to settle the question once and for all. Sort of. Even though the two men never met in real life, they came face to face on Friday night in the form of giant puppets wearing boxing gloves, cheered on by a crowd estimated by police at nearly 10,000 spectators in Max Joseph Platz next to the National Theater. The puppets - Verdi in top hat and

Wagner wearing a beret - were the centerpieces of an extravaganza featuring more than three dozen aerial acrobats, fireworks, a chorus line and two wind orchestras and two brass bands totaling about 240 musicians. The show was one of a series of free events being organized in the square as part of the annual Munich Opera Festival, which runs to the end of July. It was staged by La Fura dels Baus, a maverick theatrical troupe from Barcelona that has also created opera productions for the company. After introductory music by local composer Moritz Eggert, the puppets, who had

marched through town followed by crowds of admirers, launched into a heated debate over who was superior. Wagner claimed the intellectual advantage, while Verdi insisted that people responded more to the emotion in his melodies. The hour-long performance then became a back-and-forth contest of greatest hits, the puppets all the while changing colors from purple to red to green to yellow. At one point, the “Entrance of the Guests” from Wagner’s “Tannhaeuser” was rudely interrupted by the “Triumphal March” from “Aida.” And Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries” was similarly obliterated by

the “Dies Irae” from Verdi’s “Requiem.” During the “Wedding March” from “Lohengrin,” Wagner sprouted a bridal veil and a bouquet of flowers. When the band played “Va Pensiero,” the famous chorus of Hebrew slaves from Verdi’s “Nabucco,” many in the crowd sang along to words flashed on a giant screen. At the end, the voice of Euterpe, muse of musical art and poetry, announced that the contest was a tie and proposed transplanting Verdi’s heart into Wagner and Wagner’s brain into Verdi. Perhaps disappointingly, the two puppets never came to actual blows. — AP

In this picture provided by the Bavarian State Opera Munich (Bayerische Staatsoper), actors perform with huge puppets during an open air event in front of the Munich opera, southern Germany, on Friday. — AP

Stylist warned Jackson manager singer might die

Handout photo provided by AEG, pop star Michael Jackson rehearses at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. — AP

ichael Jackson’s longtime stylist told jurors Friday that she tried to warn the singer’s manager that concert promoter AEG Live LLC would look responsible if the singer died because of numerous signs his health was declining. Hair and makeup artist Karen Faye testified about two emails she sent to Jackson’s manager Frank Dileo within the five days before the singer’s death that his health was deteriorating. In one of the messages, Faye warned Dileo that he and AEG Live CEO Randy Phillips might become “villains” or “financial victims” if Jackson were to die while preparing or performing a series of comeback shows called “This Is It.” Faye said she struck a dire tone in the messages because she felt that earlier concerns about Jackson’s health had been ignored. Faye sent the warning that Jackson may die in a message on June 20, 2009 - five days before the singer died of an overdose of the anesthetic propofol. Two days later, on June 22, she sent the warning about Dileo, Phillips and tour director Kenny Ortega being held financially responsible for the entertainer’s demise. “I don’t think you, Kenny, or Randy deserve becoming the villains, or the financial victims,” her email states. She wrote that the message was “between you and me alone.” She told jurors she was concerned the men “could be responsible for that in some way. Just kind of like where we are right now,” she said, referencing Katherine Jackson’s ongoing civil case against AEG Live. Ortega was initially sued by Jackson’s mother, but was dismissed from the case. Faye’s emails described Jackson as emaciated, paranoid and unable to perform. She told jurors Friday that while the singer’s performances dramatically improved in his final two rehearsals, she was still not convinced he would be able to perform the 50-concert schedule of “This Is It,” let alone its premiere. Katherine Jackson claims AEG executives missed signs about the singer’s health and failed to properly investigate the doctor convicted of administering a fatal dose of the anesthetic propofol. AEG denies it hired Conrad Murray, the former physician convicted of giving Jackson an overdose of the anesthetic propofol. The company also denies it pushed Jackson to rehearse. Faye told jurors that she was never pressured by AEG executives Randy Phillips or Paul Gongaware to get Jackson to rehearse. The stylist testified earlier in the trial that she overheard Gongaware tell Jackson’s assistant to get him out of a locked bathroom and to a rehearsal. Gongaware denies that conversation ever happened. — AP