4th Jul 2013

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THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

www.kuwaittimes.net

SHAABAN 25, 1434 AH

Morsi overthrown by military ‘coup’

Max 46º Min 31º High Tide 07:25 & 21:25 Low Tide 01:16 & 15:01

Kuwait urges citizens to leave Egypt immediately

CAIRO: Fireworks light the sky as protesters celebrate in Tahrir Square after the Egyptian military announced it was ousting Islamist President Mohamed Morsi yesterday.

(Inset top) An image grab taken from Egyptian state TV shows Egyptian Defence Minister Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi delivering a statement announcing the ousting of Morsi (seen inset below in a file photo). — AP/AFP

CAIRO: The Egyptian army toppled elected Islamist President Mohamed Morsi yesterday after a week of bloodshed that killed nearly 50 people as millions took to the streets to demand an end to his turbulent single year of rule. The announcement, made on state television by Morsi’s own defence minister, armed forces chief General Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, drew a rapturous welcome from the protesters who have camped out on the streets of Cairo for days. Sisi also announced a freezing of the Islamist-drafted constitution and early presidential elections.

Thousands of people immediately took to the streets of the capital to celebrate, cheering, whistling, letting off firecrackers, and honking car horns in joyous scenes.

But Morsi’s office rejected the move as “illegal” and called on Egyptians to peacefully resist the “coup”. A statement published in Morsi’s name on his official Facebook page after Sisi’s speech said the measures announced amounted to “a full military coup” and were “totally rejected”. Morsi, Egypt’s first freely elected president, came under massive pressure in the run-up to Sunday’s anniversary of his maiden year in office, with his opponents accusing him of failing the 2011 revolution by concentrating power in Islamist hands.

The embattled 62-year-old proposed a “consensus government” as a way out of the country’s worst crisis since the 2011 uprising ended three decades of authoritarian rule by Hosni Mubarak. But the United States urged Morsi to “do more” as a military deadline passed for him to meet the demands of the people following a week of bloody unrest during mass protests calling for him to quit. The advice came too late, however, as the army said the head of the Supreme Constitutional Court, Adly Al-Mansour, a previously little known judge, would become the new leader of the Arab world’s most populous country.

Continued on Page 15

Police calm sectarian flare-up No licenses without Lawyer sues mourners of slain Egypt Shiite cleric

traffic chief’s nod

By B Izzak

By Ben Garcia

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti lawyer Duwaim Al-Muwaizri yesterday sued a number of Shiite figures who organized a small gathering late Tuesday to pay tribute to slain Egyptian Shiite cleric Hassan Shahata, claiming that the gathering aimed at stirring sectarian strife in Kuwait. The move came a day after police prevented Sunni and Shiite activists from clashing outside the Ashour husseiniya in Bneid Al-Gar as stones and bottles were hurled in one of the most serious sectarian incidents in the state for a long time. After Shiite activists announced they were holding the gathering late at night, online Sunni activists called for assembling outside the husseiniya in a bid to prevent the Shiite ceremony.

Shahata was killed in Egypt last month along with some of his supporters by angry Sunni residents who blamed him for insulting and humiliating senior companions of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his wife Aisha who are highly revered

by Sunnis. Sunni activists in Kuwait said that eulogizing Shahata is an insult to Sunnis.

Muwaizri said in his lawsuit filed with the public prosecutor that the gathering by Shiites risked a flare-up in sectarian tensions in Kuwait amid turbulent regional developments. No action was immediately ordered by the public prosecutor KUWAIT: Policemen try to separate Shiite and Sunni groups outside the Ashour husContinued on Page 15 seiniya in Bneid Al-Gar late on Tuesday. — Photo by Fouad Al-Shaikh

KUWAIT: The Interior Ministry’s Assistant Undersecretary for Traffic Affairs Maj Gen Abdulfattah Al-Ali issued a decision yesterday to stop the acceptance of applications for driving licenses from non-Kuwaitis (expatriates and bedoons) unless they are approved by his office. The decision number 61/2013 went into effect from July 1, 2013, and allows the undersecretary’s office to inspect every application forwarded by foreigners and stateless residents in order to verify whether they meet the conditions to apply for a driving license. Ali reportedly threatened traffic department officials with retribution if they fail to abide by the new instructions.

According to security sources who spoke to a local daily, the decision came after cases were discovered in which manipulations were found in some departments where licenses were issued to expatriates who do not meet the requirements. A foreign resident in Kuwait must have a university degree, a minimum monthly salary of KD 400 and have been residing in Kuwait for at

Maj Gen Abdulfattah Al-Ali least two years among other conditions to apply for a driving license.

The sources also argued that the new decision does not take away the authority of traffic departments around Kuwait. “The departments’ main role is to issue licenses to Kuwaitis, while issuing licenses to expatriates is the Continued on Page 15

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

LOCAL

Awatef Atiyya Al-Qallaf

Faleh Saad Al-Huwailah

Khaled Al-Yaqout

Mekhled Rashed Al-Azmi

Naser Abdulrahman Al-Rshaid

Saad Mohammed Al-Azmi

Sabah Hameed Ali

Salem Refai Al-Dousary

Saud Mutlaq Al-Subai'e

Sultan Nashmi Al-Thafeeri

Electoral ad between competition and Ramadan drama KUWAIT: Election campaigns are often marked by wide-scale advertisements purposed to reach out to voters and to deliver them electoral messages and programs.

To be effective, advertisements should be objective and logical, avoid exaggeration and observe certain criteria and rules.

Several academicians and specialists said electoral advertisements ought to be subject to regulations and controls in all types of elec-

tions, especially National Assembly polls.

Dr Mahmoud Al-Musawi, a professor of mass communication with Kuwait University, said satellite channels will be overwhelmed by TV shows and dramas during the holy month of Ramada.

The fact that the election will be held in Ramadan will cause some trouble to satellite channels due to commercials, he said.

Viewers are expected to watch more cam-

paigning advertisements than shows and dramas, Al-Musawi pointed out.

Dr Mohammad Al-Haddad, a professor of sociology with Kuwait University, said the election is a thriving business season involving several sectors, including satellite channels.

He stressed the significant role of local satellite channels in responding to this constitutional event and leading the public opinion.

He said some people view channels as tools

and platforms for people and bodies to deliver certain messages that could fail to stick to objectivity and conviction criteria.

Therefore, he called on such channels to review and rectify their approaches out of national responsibility and serious commitment to the positive responsible role in the consolidation and promotion of national unity as well as the embodiment of responsible freedom.

For his part, Yusuf Jawhar, a media figure, said advertisements play a significant role in campaigning by means of delivering messages to voters within a record time.

But, he expected that this time the experiment would be uneasy owing to tight time and the holy of month of Ramadan.

He called on satellite channels to ensure objective advertisements based on logical and effective contents. — KUNA

Al-Mousherji stresses fight against domestic violence KUWAIT: Minister of Justice and Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Shareeda AlMousherji said here yesterday Kuwait is determined to fight all types of domestic violence.

Speaking at a domestic violence event, the minister said the protection of the family and society is enshrined in the Kuwaiti constitution.

Domestic violence includes violence against women and that’s why national efforts should be stepped up to support a national project for backing issues of domestic violence, and to adopt the document of an anti-domestic violence bill, he said.

The minister thanked all state bodies and civil society organizations for remarkably contributing to the formulation of the document of the draft law and for working to establish a domestic violence treatment center. For his part, Secretary-General of the General Secretariat of Awqaf Dr. Abdulmohsen Al-Kharafi underlined the significance of the document to the society which aims to protect domestic violence victims. The document calls for enacting pieces of legislation purposed to protect the targeted group of the project in cooperation with competence agencies and to find appropriate means to protect this group, he added. — KUNA

Should the legal voting age of 21 be lowered or raised?

KUWAIT: While some view that the current legal voting age in Kuwait of 21 is not enough for the development of one’s concept of the right to choose the most suitable candidate, others view that this should be lowered to 18 as is adopted in many other nations.

The political reality in Kuwait, some argue, urges the voter carry a sence of maturity, with enough culture and education to be able to understand the true meaning of the concept of democracy and its role in building the society and achieving development goals.

Decreasing the age to 18, however, does carry its advantages as it will enlarge the pool of voters in a country consisting of a young majority and will offer this important portion of the community the right to express themselves in a more able manner.

“Decreasing the voting age to 18 will expand the size of youthful participation in the elections, and this age is one where the male or female voter reaches enough awareness and is politically opinionated enough to make the right choice,” suggests political sciences professor at Kuwait University’s Faculty of Social Sciences Ibrahim Al-Hadban.

“On the issue of enhancing the concept of elections amid the youth community, this needs increasing educational matter on patriotic affairs like the constitution whereby the youth are educated on their rights and their duties towards the nation and increasing visits to the National Assembly.

“The political scene in Kuwait is predominated by the youth, who form a community of a precise vision and that contribute significantly to the loss and success of candidates,” he added.

Social sciences professor Yaqoub AlKanderi reiterates the notion, as he views

the age of 18 as one when people are introduced to university life and when one’s concepts, ideas and opinions are formed. “ The proportion of this community (youth) is very large (in the Kuwaiti society) and they should be given the right to express their opinions as mature individuals and at an age that qualifies their right to choose - everyone has their own beliefs and independent views,” he opined.

Maryam Al-Nejada, a female voter, remembers her first voting experience well, and says she was swayed by the views of her parents and family at the time.

“My choice was not born out of solemn conviction or preconditioned thought, “ she said.

Fellow male voter, Yousif Al-Mousawi reiterated these experiences. However, as he grow older, he says his “political awareness grew” as did his political involvement, amid his growing attendance of political discussions hosted at social gatherings across the country’s many ‘diwaniyahs’, or meeting places.

Kuwait University political professor Hamid Al-Abdallah also argues against the current legal voting age, describing it as “possibly not enough to form one’s political, intellectual and ideological background.”

He adds, however, that it would be “illogical” to set the bar at the age of 24, which is why increasing public democratic and electoral awareness at a young age is crucial.

This role should be assumed by the government, he argues, as political and social upbringing should be introduced at the intermediate level (which usually begins at the age of 11), thus “increasing one’s awareness in politics, the election process, the importance of the legislative body and the constitution.” —KUNA

KUWAIT: A fire broke out in an open area in Ardiya where chemicals were stored in large quantities for the ministry of public works.

Firemen brought the fire under control before it could spread to neighboring sites. — By Hanan Al-Saadoun

Minister under pressure to hire female prosecutors KUWAIT: Minister of Justice Shareeda Al-Maousherji continues to find himself under pressure to approve a list of candidates nominated by the Supreme Council of Justice to be hired as prosecutors, which contains 22 women who when hired will become the first to assume high judicial posts in Kuwait’s history. In this regard, legal sources familiar with the case indicated that the minister is currently putting the issue on hold under the pretext of “grievances waiting to be referred to the Supreme Judicial Council”.

However, the sources who pre ferred to keep their identity anonymous, noted that the minister is not authorized to prolong the matter after the decree to hire the candidates has

already been approved by the Supreme Judicial Council. Earlier repor ts had suggested that Maousherji, who is also the Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, wants to avoid having his name associated with hiring the first female prosecutors in the conservative country’s history. “It is time for outdated minds that stand between women and their goals to step aside because their actions are causing the state to take several steps backwards,” said former MP Yousuf AlZalzalah in a statement as he prepares for the upcoming parliamentary elections. He warned Maousherji regarding “the repercussions of his strict position” against women, and urged the prime minister to select a “more open-minded minister”. — Al-Rai

Kuwait aids orphans in Albania SARAJEVO: The Kuwaiti Ambassador to Albania Najeeb Abdulrahman Al-Bader has given euro 172,000 from Kuwaitbased Revival of Islamic Heritage Society (RIHS) to orphan projects in Albania.

The Ambassador said yesterday the donation was handed to Abdulsamad Sheeho, President of Al-Irfan Society, at the Embassy’s headquarters in Tirana, during a ceremony attended by the Cultural Attache of the embassy, Faisal Al-Baker.

Furthermore, he said this contribution is aimed at contributing to humanitarian and charitable projects that target needs of orphans in Albania.

These contributions stem from Kuwait’s belief in supporting vulnerable communities and areaimed at easing suffering of disadvantaged people through meeting their necessary needs, he added. Al-Bader praised efforts of Kuwaiti and civil society institutions, including the Ministry of Awqaf, Islamic Affairs, Bait AlZakat (The House of Alms) and charitable organizations that helped in expansion of cultural and social cooperation between the two countries. Sheeho, for his part, expressed gratitude of the Albanian people for the contributions made in support of their country’s cultural and development projects, particularly by the RIHS, which provides care to orphans in Albania. — KUNA

‘Kuwaiti marine environment to remain clean’

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: Authorities are bent on pursuing efforts relentlessly to ensure a clean marine environment of Kuwait, a municipal official affirmed yesterday.

Ahmad Al-Sheridah, the director of public services of Kuwait Municipality, said in a statement the municipality, in coordination with other authorities, would spare no effort to lift any ordnance dumped in the territorial waters, threatening wellbeing of the national marine environment.

Municipal teams, in collaboration with Kuwait Ports Authority, cleaned up Al-

Shemlan harbor, one of a chain of anchorage sites dotting the beaches of Kuwait.

Items, wood and waste dumped by ships and boats were removed from the site, he added.

He urged beach-goers to abstain from leaving behind materials or substances that may contaminate the surrounding.

Kuwait, a coastal country located in the north of the Gulf, is known for attractive beaches and seaside tourist facilities. The country’s relation with the sea dates back to times of the ancestors who lived on pearl-diving, fishing and sea trade. —KUNA

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

LOCAL

News

in brief

MoH registration clerks KUWAIT: The health ministry has ordered the formation of a permanent committee to be headed by assistant undersecretary for planning and quality Dr Waleed Al-Falah to study and develop the skill of clerks working in the medical records and registration departments in various hospitals and clinics. Separately, Kuwaiti dermatologist and the head of MoH’s dermatology department Dr Nawaf Al-Mutairi recently received a special accolade from New Jersey’s Dermatology University for his research on ageing skin and getting a patent for discovering the gene responsible for delaying skin ageing symptoms. He is the first Arab doctor to receive such a reward.

Cheating tactics KUWAIT: Minister of Education Dr Nayef Al-Hajraf stressed cheating tactics were constantly evolving in view of the rapid technological developments worldwide. He added that some Jahra school students excelled in such tactics. Speaking to reporters after a meeting with the undersecretaries council held at the science section center, Hajraf said that during his tours of various testing centers, he found out that some students had been using tiny earpieces, recording pens, smartphones and other “smart” objects especially imported for cheating. He also stressed that all cheating attempts will not be tolerated.

Kuwait drinking water of high quality: Official Call to rationalize consumption KUWAIT: Quality of Kuwait’s drinking water is higher than that of the World Health Organization standards, affirmed a rank ing official yesterday. Assistant Undersecretar y of the Water plants Operation and Maintenance at the M inistr y of Elec tricity and Water, Mohammed Bushehri, said the Ministry conducts quality tests for water at all produc tion stages until they reach consumers to make sure it is free of any impurities.

“We also comply with the international

standards relevant to water quality, “ he said. He, however, admitted that water quality can be changed in rare cases due to transportation and storage problems.

Bushehiri urged all people to make sure that water tankers at home is clean as regularly washed. Meanwhile, he estimated the daily water production at 410430 million imperial gallons. “If we operate all units at its highest capacity, we can produce up to 500 million gallons imperial per day,” Bushehiri said, expecting that the consumption to go up to 460 million

gallons imperial a day this summer. With regard to the new water projects, he disclosed that Al-Zour water desalination plant will start production late this year.

“This station will produce 30 million imperial gallons per day,” he said.

He pointed out the Northern Al-Zour project, the first of its kind to be totally carried out by the private sector, will start operation after three years and will produce nearly 100 imperial gallons per day.

“Furthermore, Khiran Water plant will enter service by the end of 2017, to pro-

duce 125 million imperial gallons,” he said.

Nevertheless, Bushehri underscored the importance of rationalizing water consumption to meet the growing needs.

He estimated the water consumption per person in Kuwait at 550 liters per day. “ This rate is too high, tak ing into account the fact that Kuwait is one of the poorest countries in the world in terms of drinking water resources.”

“Therefore, we need awareness campaigns to persuade people to rationalize their water consumption.” —KUNA

Consumer protection KUWAIT: Informed sources said the commerce and industry ministry will start an awareness campaign next week to implement the consumer protection law through a media campaign before the month of Ramadan. The ministry will activate communications channels with consumers in order to make it easy to file complaints through their website and smartphone app. Sources said the ministry will allocate certain places during Ramadan inside malls to receive complaints or any hikes in prices that may affect the consumer. The move is not only over food supplies available in cooperatives, but to also control shops in malls and keep them from raising prices. This will enable the ministry to safeguard consumers’ rights by having centers in malls.

Awqaf mulls using more treated water for irrigation KUWAIT: In a bid to rationalize the consumption of fresh water provided through the state’s water grid and following the success of using treated water to replace fresh water at Sabeeka Al-Sabah mosque in Hawally, the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs is currently considering extending the project to other big mosques, said Abdullah Al-Mesbah, the conservation department manager at the ministry.

Mesbah said that 55 per cent of the water consumed in mosques for irrigation used to be taken from the public water grid until the water used in some mosques was treated and reused for irrigation.

“The experiment was so successful that we have coordinated with a specialized company to do the same in other mosques,” he said.

Kuwait to focus on solar energy KUWAIT: The Ministry of Electricity and Water is executing solar and renewable energy ventures, the minister affirmed yesterday.

Minister of Electricity and Water and Minister of Public Works Abdulaziz AlIbrahim said the ministry is executing these projects at some ministry sites and at Al-Shegaya zone, indicating at plans to secure up to 15 percent of the resources from solar energy.

There have been ‘headways’ in execution of the renewable energy venture in Al-Abdaliah southwest of the capital, said the minister in a statement as he inspected water reservoirs in Al-Metlaa, also noting name of the company that would win the tender would be publicized in a month.

Moreover, the ministry plans to develop strategic water reserves, he said, revealing that domestic consumption reached, two days ago, up to 405 million imperial gallons, adding that back-up tanks were being built to cope with emergencies.

Also part of the strategy, the ministry is seeking to finish another water storage project in Al-Funaitees by 2014.

On misuse of water, the minister noted that authorities have recently taken punitive action against persons wasting water and warned that those who fail to pay the bills of water and power will be deprived of such utilities. — KUNA

Crackdown continues in Ahmadi farm areas KUWAIT: Ahmadi governorate security men are continuing their inspection campaign against outlaws and violators.

The campaign resulted in the arrest of 146 persons in violation of the law in Al-

Zour and Wafra. A local liquor factory run by an Asian couple was also busted and fifty drums full of liquor and other empty ones were found, in addition to liquor making tools and equipment and 236 bottles of

liquor. All arrestees were sent to concerned authorities.

Meanwhile, the municipality towed away 11 mobile baqalas and four refrigerators from the entrance of animal pens.

Thirty platforms for selling fodder were removed or issued warnings. Ahmadi security said that campaigns shall continue in coordination with all concerned.

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

LOCAL Local Spotlight

In my view

It’s just an ID card!

Govt’s right initiative

By Muna Al-Fuzai

By Labeed Abdal

muna@kuwaittimes.net labeed@kuwaittimes.net

I

t is just an ID and not a ticket to heaven, so why all this fuss around issuing civil identification?

This was my thinking as I was watching a report on TV on a very long queue of people - all expatriates - waiting for their turns to present their documents and official papers to get a civil ID card.

According to this report, this long queue contradicts with the concept of e-government. In fact, I feel the scene of a long queue at any government department is a shame at this time in our lives with all the technology we adopt and accommodate and have easy access to!

Deputy Director General of the Public Authority for Civil Information made a press statement recently stating the reason of congestion witnessed by the commission during this period due to a huge demand by a large number of people to renew their civil cards before they travel for their summer holidays, in addition to the campaigns launched by the Ministry of the Interior that has provoked the expats to adjust their status. The authority has officially issued during the month of June about 300,000 civil IDs to citizens and expatriates - around 10,000 cards daily.

Now we may feel sorry for the heavy work the staff at the authority have to do on a daily basis and why don’t all those people just apply by email or send their scanned documents if we truly want to have an e-government. Besides, I thought all civil ID cards have an expiry date, so how come all those people just suddenly decided to get together at this hot time of the year to fix their cards!

I agree that the inspection campaigns by the MoI may have a hand for those who felt that they have no way out but to correct their status and get an official card to avoid arrest and possible deportation. As far as I know, there are approximately 50 points for handling civil IDs but when it’s time to get your civil ID, you need to go to the headquarters to collect it.

It’s a misconception that going to the headquarters would makes things faster or easier!

I think sometimes people need to know all information because I can’t think all those people simply want to wait in queue for the joy and sake of waiting.

Calling for e-government should not be just to promote technology but an advanced service given to the public to help them carry on with their business easily and efficiently with less time and cost.

kuwait digest

Let us choose right persons

By Sami Al-Nesfi

J

uly 27, 2013 is coming very fast, and the oneman-one-vote decree has made things easy.

The matter needs thinking no more. It is enough to chose one nominee who should not contradict the desire for state development.

Democracy in all countries gives national councils or parliaments that represent the people large authority in running the countries. Therefore, these councils are the reason for the development or retardation of the states. Even if we bring the best and most efficient governments and ministers and officials, their work remains restricted up to the efficiency and honesty of the MPs - if they are good, the country will be good, and if they are corrupt, it will cause the corruption of the other authorities as they are supervisors over them.

Therefore, we call upon voters and for the sake of our country and the future of our children to slow down and double check before taking the decision for whom to vote. We should not elect one whose file is full of corruption cases, and the one whose source of wealth is not known. Some needy people find the one who is ready to pay for electing him a solution to their financial problems. To them we say, if you need their money that bad, take it, but do not vote for them, as no one can observe you while casting your vote except your conscience. The one who pays you to elect him makes himself very clear that he intends to steal and destroy the state, which will harm your children and your future.

In general, let us vote for new blood, and for women, except those who have bad records in speech and action. For the wise persons we say, even if they are of old age, we very much need their wisdom these days, and let us make our upcoming council the council of honesty and the long-awaited dream, and let us surprise observers that we can reject corrupt persons even though we like their appearances and words. It is easy to hear and believe whatever is said to us, and how foolish are we when we elect persons who destroy the state and the future of our children.

Note: Everything indicates that the coming council shall conclude its four years, therefore, let us choose the right persons, so that the state will not be harmed from our wrong choice. — Al-Anbaa

T

kuwait digest

The opposition’s goals

By Dr Wael Al-Hasawi

T

he opposition said in its most recent public statement that the government is to blame for multiple attempts to ‘attack’ the constitution since its inception in 1962, mentioning incidents to support their claims such as passing certain laws in 1963, forging the 1967 parliamentary elections, suspending the parliament in 1976 and 1981, then forming the National Council as a replacement in 1990, as well as parliamentary dissolutions in 1996, 2003, 2008 and 2009 followed by court orders to dissolve two parliaments elected in 2012.

But in this regard we have to ask ourselves this question: How did the national forces react to the supposed governmental tampering with the constitution? The answer is that every time they regrouped and made sure to contest in the elections in a bid to correct the error from inside the parliament instead of leaving the scene to the government as the opposition is doing today.

The opposition’s statement also recognizes the early years of Kuwait’s democratic life as to have featured the most unconstitutional practices by the government such as attempting to forge the elections and dissolving the parliament unconstitutionally twice. In the years following the liberation (1991), the executive authority has only resorted to dissolving the Assembly constitutionally and calling for snap polls. While an unfortunate development to see unfold, it is also important to remember the multitude of problems that forced several parliamentary dissolutions - and many of these happened under public pressure after people grew tired of the high level of conflict between the two authorities.

Meanwhile, the Constitutional Court annulled the two parliaments elected in 2012 because of irregularities in election procedures. While this subject has affected the opposition who controlled a majority in the parliament elected in February of that year, it also affected the almost completely pro-government parliament elected December of last year. This refutes the argument that what happened was a government ploy to alienate the opposition.

The opposition further criticized in its recent statement the current electoral system in which a voter is only eligible to cast one vote in his or her respective constituency where ten members are elected. The opposition claims that this system is ‘undemocratic’ and boosts social disintegration, and accuses the government of adopting it out of ‘lack of faith in the people’s right to participate in power’.

However, the statement ignores the fact that Kuwait never had elections characterized by full democratic features as the opposition suggested, as all electoral

systems in Kuwait’s history promoted social division in one way or another. For example, the four-votesper-voter system that the opposition successfully passed in 2006 does not give citizens the opportunity to select ten candidates within their respective constituencies, nor does it provide fair distribution of areas within the five constituencies by which it divides Kuwait. Moreover, this system lead to an unusual increase in sectarianism, tribalism and bipartisanism - similar to those that resulted from the 10 constituencies and two-votes-per-voter system, as well as the 25 constituencies and two-votes-per-voter system. The single-vote system does not necessarily achieve the desired level of equality, but it limits the control of major blocs at the minority’s expense.

The opposition argues that the constitutional court’s ruling abolishes many guarantees under article 71 of the constitution that prevents the government from abusing power through emergency decrees released during the parliament’s absence.

While this very article has always been a topic of much debate, several constitutional experts agree that the emergency decree to adopt the single-vote system was made through correct channels under the authority of HH the Amir and his assessment of the state of urgency that required its promulgation.

And after the constitutional court upheld the system, does the opposition want the public to ignore the court’s verdict and experts’ opinion and instead believe in a conspiracy theory? Not to mention that the opposition’s demands include crucial constitutional amendments that cannot be made unless with full accord between the government and people.

Boycotting the elections must be a step to achieve a clear and attainable goal.

However, the opposition’s boycotting calls are made without clear ends given. Instead, oppositionists talk about an ‘integrated political and constitutional reform program that ends corruption and autocracy’ without providing details about how they plan to do that outside the parliament. While this program seems very good on paper, what I find a problem to understand is why does the opposition leave the parliament which is the best method to achieve reform given the many constitutional authorities it has, and instead resorts to the street and gather supporters to join protests that could take decades to achieve their goal? As more people sign up for the elections with the hope of reaching the parliament and achieving reform from there, the opposition continues to alienate itself and add to social disintegration by falsely accusing everyone who contests in the elections. —Al-Rai

kuwait digest

The women’s century

By Ahmad Al-Sarraf

N

o century was more tumultuous, more bloody the earth’s population has increased as a result of the and saw more destruction while at the same advancements in medicine and the reduction of wars. time featured advancements in the economic, In the twentieth century, almost everyone in the health and cultural fields than the twentieth century. world have tasted food from a different cuisine than his The world witnessed during that century two world native culture’s. Meanwhile, music took a more promiwars during which tens of millions of people were killed nent role in culture and entertainment throughout the while millions of others were injured or displaced. In whole world. In addition, English took over as a ‘univeraddition, several wars took place between feuding sal language’ given the advancements that the United countries such as the war States of America brought to between Iraq and Iran in which the world in the fields of comThe twentieth century saw huge puter science, medicine and more than a million innocent civilians were killed as a result advancement in medicine with space. of ignorant, bloody regimes.

The past century also saw cures found for tens of diseases Meanwhile, the twentieth a change in the concept of century saw huge advance- which at one point the world wealth. After it was measured ment in medicine with cures thought were incurable. Also, the by property and how many found for tens of diseases twentieth century had more mili- factories a person owned, which at one point the world wealth has become connectthought were incurable. Also, tary coups than any other in human ed to a person’s possession of the twentieth century had history, as well as ‘human coups’ or securities such as stocks and more military coups than any coups against old traditions that bonds. Meanwhile, stocks of other in human history, as well companies that do not have as ‘human coups’ or coups were untouched for centuries. tangible assets like lands and against old traditions that were goods have become the most untouched for centuries. This was helped by advance- valuable and profitable. Such companies are found in ments in education and science that explained many of the fields of electronics, telecommunications and comthe natural phenomena which had remained a mystery puter software. Bill Gates, for example, has become a for a long time. symbol of wealth and generosity despite perhaps not Per capita income increased during the past century owning any property other than the house he lives in. to unprecedented levels, while prosperity was seen in The 20th century is also credited for featuring unprecelarge parts of the world. In the meantime, spending on dented leaps in women’s rights and saw women attain education, accommodation and luxuries increased, so equal rights with their male counterparts in most parts did the number of people who lived in houses they of the world. It is sad to see that this struggle continues owned. The average human age increased by 30 per- in our societies even more than a decade into the 21st cent, and even 50 percent in some places. Meanwhile, century. — Al-Qabas

he move by the government of Kuwait to invest more in youths and appreciate their great contribution to the Kuwaiti nation is a right initiative. Now, we must not only see construction, cement and oil revenues - Kuwait must promote activities for the young, the elderly, the handicapped and more. The focus must be even more in these challenging times when it is not known how the region will look like.

Focusing on the young generation will definitely be better for their health and helping them engage in sports activities is far better than being misguided by some extremists on Facebook or Twitter. The vision of HH the Amir in investing in the youth’s spare time to develop their skills, discover and harness their talents and enrich their knowledge as well as protect them from social ills is very necessary for young locals and even expats.

Indeed, building social responsibility or societal cooperation and countering several rampant problems in the society such as obesity, drugs, smoking etc are great initiatives for the country. Moreover, we must not forget to encourage all young nationals and expats to join in. I am sure there are hundreds of talented young men and woman that do love to give and build for Kuwait.

Without doubt, the outcomes will be great!

Letter to Badrya

Give amnesty to illegal workers badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net Madam, I am happy that someone is here to speak out for the voiceless. The expat community in Kuwait is terribly shocked to hear that the police are arresting illegal residents in Kuwait. While the police are eager to practice their policies, some important facts are neglected and human beings are humiliated and human rights are violated.

Let me bring some points to the authorities about what I feel regarding this checking and deportation.

As an individual I support police who search and arrest illegal workers who have been in Kuwait for a long time without visiting their homeland. There are lots of people who are working here on Article 20 visas while they are supposed to work for their sponsors only. I don’t know about other nationals but a majority of Indians are obtaining Article 20 visas by giving huge amount to brokers (500 KD or more). I know this amount is very small for Kuwaitis, and I am not sure how much the sponsors are getting from this amount. Many middle class people come with a lot of expectations that they can earn lots of money from Kuwait in a short time. But they realize the reality only when they reach here. They are not able to find suitable work, no good salary, accommodation facilities are very poor and below average. Many of them will become mentally frustrated within a few weeks. But still they will remain thinking that their family in India is depending on their small income.

Many are coming here to educate their children and marry off their daughters. In India dowry is very big and a normal man cannot afford to hand their daughters in marriage without having a good amount of money. There are lots of people who have come here and earned a good amount and made their life secure. And I am sure that they will be thankful to Kuwait every time. At the same time there are a number of people who are coming here with criminal backgrounds. They are continuing their atrocious acts of destroying human beings such as making and selling alcohol and drugs, running brothels and so on. I don’t think any man with a heart will ever support such kinds of activities anywhere. These people must be arrested and punished. I have heard that there are a lot of prostitution centers in Jleeb and other parts of Kuwait. If the ongoing checking can clear this dirty business, it will bring good results.

As an expat I have no right to question the policy of Kuwait. Not only that, I am very thankful to the Kuwaiti authorities for all facilities I get in Kuwait. My request to the Kuwaiti authorities is that please give 2 to 3 months’ time to illegal workers to leave this country safely so that they can get all benefits from their sponsors and leave Kuwait with a happy mind. As I have said, above many people who are working here for KD 100 or KD 150 have borrowed money from their coworkers in order to help each other. Any unexpected arrest and deportation will make them more depressed and frustrated as they have to leave Kuwait with empty hands.

And also let me insist that the attitude of Indian embassy and Indian government towards the expat community in Kuwait is condemnable and not appreciated. Kuwait’s ambassador in India has claimed that three months back they informed the Indian embassy in Kuwait and the foreign affairs ministry in India about their policy of deporting illegal workers from Kuwait. Yet the India government remained inactive and did nothing to help their people.

This unexpected arrest and deportation can lead the people to psychological trauma and mental imbalance. Therefore on humanitarian grounds, please grant them a grace period of 2 to 3 months so that they can leave the country safely and securely.

I am a graduate in philosophy, working in a security company with a basic salary of KD 60.

Sajidas J S

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

LOCAL

E-govt, information security under scrutiny in Kuwait Major forum in November

KUWAIT: For the first time in the State of Kuwait, Nouf General Contracting and Trading Co.- Conferencing and Exhibitions dedicates the “E-Government Forum: Recent Trends, Security Risks, and Implementation Challenges” to discuss the trends and challenges that accompany the implementation of e-government programs. The forum will be held from Nov 4 to 6, in collaboration with the Central Agency for Information Technology. The patronage and inauguration of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak AlHamad Al-Sabah represent Kuwait’s political leadership awareness of the role that e-government programs play in improving government services delivered to the public, the information security risks associated with implementing e-government programs, and lastly, the ambition to turn Kuwait into an information based society with the ultimate aim of achieving the vision of His Highness the Amir to turn Kuwait into a global financial and trading center.

The “E-Government Forum: Recent Trends, Security Risks, and Implementation Challenges” focuses on the recent trends and challenges that accompany and surround e-government programs’ implementations. The Forum’s sessions commence on Nov 5 where three main sessions will be held. The first shall discuss the EGovernment - Recent Trends and Benefits where the topics of Trends and Developments in e-Government Programs and Initiatives, Social and Economic Benefits of e-Government Programs and Initiatives, Risks and Challenges of e-Government Programs and Initiatives, and Good Governance is Key to Success shall be discussed. The second session will handle the issue of the

Importance and Challenges in e-Government Program Planning and Management.

During this session, experts shall discuss the issues of the Enterprise Architecture Requirements of eGovernment Initiatives, the Big Challenge of Big Data, and the Security Challenges of Government Cloud Computing. The third session of the day deals with the issue of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Security - A National Responsibility. The topics of this session will focus on the Importance of Information Security Strategies in e-Government Programs, Debate on Information Security in E-GOV Who is Responsible, Role of Qualified HR in encountering Information Security Threats, and lastly the Role of CERTs in E-GOV Programs.

On Nov 6, the Forum continues with three more sessions. The fourth session discusses the Legislation Requirements in the Information Age. The topics of this session discuss the Responsibility of Government Agencies in Setting Electronic Transactions Legislations, Importance of Personal Data Classification and Privacy, Challenges in Government Data Format Unification, and the Role and Importance of Computer Forensics. The topics of the fifth session focus on Strategies for Building Safe Health Care Systems, Strategies for Developing Efficient & Secure Educational Systems, and Strategies of Developing National-Wide Government Intelligence (GI) and Data Warehousing (DW) Systems. The sixth and final session of the Forum addresses the Role of Mobile Devices in E-GOV Programs. This session’s topics attempt to answer the question of How safe is Smart

KCCI mulls strengthening economic ties with visiting Indian delegation KUWAIT: The Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) discussed with a visiting Indian delegation yesterday means to bolster economic and commercial relations between the two friendly countries.

During his meeting with Indian delegation, headed by Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission of India Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy President of the KCCI Khaled Al-Sager said that Kuwait is building a strong economic infrastructure to be an effective partner with world economies, especially the fast-growing ones like India.

He pointed out that the Indian delegation’s visit is meant to explore investment and partnership opportunities in Kuwait as well as to increase trade exchange between the two Asian nations.

Meanwhile, Second Deputy President of the KCCI Abdelwahab AlWazzan said that the Indian delegation’s visit is also a chance for Kuwaiti investors to get acquainted with investment opportunities in India.

He disclosed that Kuwait imports from Indian industrial materials and foodstuff products at total value of $1.5 billion on a yearly basis.

“Indian companies effectively contribute to the implementation of the multi-billion dollars Kuwait’s State Development Plan. Indian companies are particularly active in construction and real estate sector in Kuwait,” he said.

The trade exchange between Kuwait and India amounted to $17.5 billion in the FY 2012-2013. The value of Kuwaiti investments in India has reached $2.5 billion. — KUNA

Phone Accessibility for e-Government, discuss the Information Security Challenges of BYOD, and finally, outline the Strategies of Developing e-Services on Different Various Mobile Devices.

All governments worldwide, are moving fast in implementing their e-government programs, and the government of Kuwait is no exception. Governments are targeting the benefits that accompany transformation into information-based societies, such as advanced economies, improved government services, and enhanced investment opportunities. The Forum also responds to the risks associated with information security challenges. Since E-Government programs have become a strategic development tactic for various governments, NoufEXPO is planning to set the scene to hold a GCC wide e-government summit during 2014. Eng. Magdy Sabry the executive manager in NoufEXPO said that invitations shall be forwarded to regional and global companies and specialists to participate in the Forum proceedings. Invitations will also be forwarded to government information centers in Kuwait and sister e-government organizations in GCC countries. The Scientific Committee formed by the Central Agency for Information Technology is receiving and screening participating researches and papers.

Meanwhile, NoufEXPO is finalizing the logistic arrangements of both the Forum and the accompanying exhibition. NoufEXPO invites all interested specialists, organizations, companies, and institutions to take advantage of this scientific and business venture opportunity where all information centers of all government agencies in Kuwait and the region are invited.

Kuwait becomes WorldSkills member

KUWAIT: Kuwait is now officially a member of “WorldSkills” international youth and training organization, and the accomplishment secured on the sidelines of WorldSkills Leipzig 2013 events “was fruit of a four-year effort on the part of the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training, “ said PAAET Chairman Dr Abdelrazzaq Al-Nafisi, yesterday.

Al-Nafisi said this is the first Kuwaiti participation in WorldSkills competitions, and the 2013 competitions kicked off yesterday and last till July 7. Kuwaitis are competing in eight categories. These include “Graphic Design Technology”, “Mechatronics”, “Welding”, “Mobile Robotics”, “Health and Social Care”, and “Refrigeration and Air Conditioning”, he said. “We are taking part out of belief in importance of nurturing Kuwaiti skill and importance of exchange of technical expertise in all fields, with the best of 67 nations taking part in the events.”

The PAAET official congratulated the Kingdom of Bahrain on securing full membership, and the United Arab Emirates on selection to host WorldSkills 2017. Over its 60 year history, WorldSkills International (formerly known as the “Skill Olympics”) has come to symbolise the pinnacle of excellence in vocational training. Every two years, hundreds of young skilled people, accompanied by their teachers and trainers, gather together from around the world to compete before the public in the skills of their various trades and test themselves against demanding international standards. They represent the best of their peers drawn from regional and national skill competitions held currently in 67 countries/regions. — KUNA

ABK supports Mishref school

KUWAIT: As part of its corporate social responsibility, Al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait was proud to support the Mishref High School for Girls, by sponsoring the graduation ceremony to be held later this month.

Sahar Al-Therban, Public Relations Manager at ABK, stated that, “At ABK we are proud to continually support different seg-

ments of society, and our contribution to Mishref School is another example that confirms the bank’s commitment to social responsibility by supporting youth and their education in Kuwait.” Badriya Sadeq from the school thanked ABK for their generosity in supporting the graduation ceremony, a significant milestone for the girl students.

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

LOCAL

Stepmother charged with murder in child’s death Child rapist in custody KUWAIT: A woman in police custody since the death of her stepdaughter on Sunday was charged with murder after she admitted responsibility for the beatings that resulted in injuries which led to the girl’s death as explained in an autopsy report. A forensic examination on the six-year-old’s body indicated that she suffered brain damage and hydrocephalus as a result of repeated beatings on the head. When faced with the autopsy report on Tuesday, the girl’s stepmother admitted beating her several times in the past. The Moroccan woman had denied physical assault claims after the girl arrived dead at Mubarak Hospital Sunday, but was arrested when she failed to explain the source of bruises found on the victim’s head, neck and back.

Meanwhile, the child’s Jordanian father told police that his wife used to beat his daughter, and had remained silent on this issue until his wife confessed. Further investigations revealed that the girl was also admitted to the hospital two weeks before her death after her stepmother hit her with a serving spoon on her head. Her father had told doctors then that she hit her head after accidently falling on the ground.

Sexual assault A school bus driver was arrested Tuesday for sexually assaulting a disabled child nearly two weeks ago. Investigations had been ongoing ever since the victim’s parents filed a case at the Salmiya police station and a search had been underway for the suspect who disappeared after committing the crime. The

case first came to the attention of the student’s mother when she noticed marks indicating that he was subjected to violence. She immediately called her husband after the mentally challenged kid explained to her what the Asian driver did to him after parking his bus at a remote location. The man was eventually located in Fahaheel and admitted to his crime following his arrest.

‘Revenge’ suspected Investigations are ongoing to identify and arrest suspects who targeted a Saad AlAbdullah house with gunfire on Tuesday. The suspects had already left the scene when police arrived in response to multiple emergency calls around 11:30 am. Crime scene investigators recovered five bullet shells, as well as nine live bullets identical to the ones used. Preliminary investigations indicate that the suspects could be associated with a Kuwaiti man who was arrested two weeks ago.

Emergency landing A private jet made a successful emergency landing at the Kuwait International Airport after encountering technical problems shortly after takeoff from Iraq. Firefighters were put on high alert after the control tower received a request from the pilot of an Iraqi private jet carrying five people to land after discovering an oil leak. The plane landed successfully and underwent maintenance before taking off again. No injuries were reported in the incident.

Phone forgery Jahra detectives are looking to identify and arrest a suspect who used a domestic worker’s identity to buy forty different phone lines and used them to commit illegal activities. The Sri Lankan woman’s employer decided to report the case directly to the Criminal Investigations General Department following several incidents in which his maid was summoned by police for investigations in charges ranging between murder threat and solicitation using cell phones. The Kuwaiti man who lives in Adan added that in every case the maid was released after police came to the conclusion that she was a victim of a forger.

Jahra detectives were assigned with the case shortly after which they discovered forty phone lines registered in the maid’s name which the suspect had made inappropriate calls.

Hoax call A drunk driver was arrested on Salmi Road on Tuesday after he made a fake emergency call to report finding dead bodies in the desert. Police accompanied by crime scene investigators headed to a location described in the emergency call and where the man said he found the bodies of a man, woman and a child by the side of the highway. Police called back the person who made the emergency call after nothing was found. The man gave police his location, to which the officers went and found out that he was heavily intoxicated. He was put under arrest and taken to the proper authorities to face charges.

Zain opens four new branches KUWAIT: Zain, the leading telecommunications company in Kuwait, reinforced its leading position in Kuwait, by opening four new retail branches in Al-Shi’ib Al-Bahri, AlRai, Yarmook Co-op, and Dee’ya Co-op. The latest store openings brings the total number of branches operated by Zain to 76, the most in Kuwait, and in line with the company’s credentials as serving the largest customer base in the country.

The newly opened branches are set to maintain Zain’s high level of customer service and convenience, together with offering the latest in devices, accessories, packages, promotions, and advice.

Mr. Shafeeq Al-Sayed Omar, Zain’s Chief Commercial Officer said: “Zain consistently looks at ways to improve the retail experience for customers and this includes convenience. The opening up of these additional stores is further evidence of our commitment to giving customers what they want right where they are. Through our wide branch network, our customers can benefit from easy access to the variety of

services and products we offer and our expansion strategy has focused on developing branches in densely populated residential and commercial areas.”

Al-Sayed Omar continued: “Our customer base now exceeds 2.4 million customers, and we take our responsibility to stay close and in tune with our user base very seriously. Zain’s successful distribution channel through our own branches as well as authorized dealers, allows us to process customers’ requests and concerns swiftly and efficiently.”

Al-Sayed Omar concluded by emphasizing how proud Zain is of being the market leader in Kuwait and how the company will continue to exceed the expectations of its customer base in appreciation for their loyalty. For more information about Zain’s numerous competitive promotions, customers are advised to visit any of Zain’s 76 branches located across Kuwait, visit the company’s website on www.kw.zain.com, contact its 24 hour call center at 107, or visit the company’s social media channels.

ICM labels Egypt protests as conspiracy against democracy

NBK launches second session of its 2013 Summer Internship Program KUWAIT: The National Bank of Kuwait launched the second session of the 2013 Summer Internship Program. The program is custommade for high school and college students aged between 15 and 20 years.

NBK Summer Internship Program is specially designed for high school and college students as an extension of NBK’s education outreach services. The program demonstrates NBK’s long-stand-

ing social involvement as well as its national commitment towards providing the young generations with the appropriate opportunities to experience first hand how the actual professional banking issues and transaction are handled and processed. The 5-hour daily sessions of twoweek internship featured a mixture of theoretical and practical training dedicated to providing the interns with invaluable knowledge on a vari-

ety of subjects such as; the team work, creative thinking, means of self expression and modern banking work procedure, in addition to helping interns to have greater exposure to daily banking work procedures.

NBK regularly organizes and designs events and packages for the youth of the country to familiarize them with the world of banking and make them responsible citizens.

Kuwait showcases critical feminist experience in theater IRBID, Jordan: The Kuwaiti theater has succeeded in solving numerous social and educational phenomena as it has meaningfully addressed various Arab, regional, Islamic and international topics, Arabic language specialist Dr. Fahad Salem Al-Rashed said yesterday.

At the 14th Conference of Criticism held at Yarmouk University in Irbid, northern Jordan, Al-Rashed discussed the origin of the Kuwaiti theater through tackling the concept of “old” that was presented in one of the plays written by the father of the Kuwaiti playwright Fathiya Hussain Al-Haddad.

In a seminar discussing Kuwaiti theatrical directing and critical reading, Al-Rashed, who is also head of research and publishing unit at the department of culture in the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), highlighted AlHaddad’s father play that revolved around the proverb “old is gold” and was performed at Kaifan Theater in March 1967.

He added that in her father’s script, Fathiya Al-Haddad saw a reflection of the sudden

social openness that has striken the Kuwaiti society in recent years. She described these years as “a sprout of society;” full of signs of immaturity. The immaturity of this society has faded away by 2000 when the first indications of real social growth appeared.

On theatrical directing, Dr. Al-Rashed said “the director plays a key role in the selection of the most significant pillars of any good script, and they are a good script with honest sense of aesthetics and skillful performance.”

Addressing advocates of change and modernity, he said that they “must not abandon our old principles, especially what enriches the Arabic language. He noted “old” is not only “gold” but also a foundation that we build new theories on.” He continued, “We are in urgent need of improvements that build up on what we already.”

Al-Rashed expressed his gratitude to Jordan for hosting the criticism conference, praising the role of the Kuwaiti diplomatic mission and its efforts in exchanging visits. He also lauded efforts in boosting strong ties of

cooperation between the State of Kuwait and Jordan.

From Kuwait, Dr. Laila Al-Basaan is taking part in the conference with her paper entitled “recent trends in contemporary linguistic studies.”

Head of Yarmouk University, Dr. Abdullah Al-Mousa has opened Tuesday the events of the conference titled “reality of contemporary Arab critical studies, “ organized by the Arabic Language Department at the College of Arts in the university with the participation of 50 literary criticism researches from Kuwait, Egypt, Iraq, Libya, Palestine, Yemen, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Sudan and Jordan.

The participants will discuss over three days the aesthetics of the literary text and critical studies in terms of approach, style and the reality of modern critical Arabic studies. They will also tackle recent trends in contemporary linguistic and literary studies.

Yarmouk University’s College of Arts has hosted the first Conference of Criticism in 1987. — KUNA

KUWAIT: A prominent Islamist politician in Kuwait described the ongoing events in Egypt as “a conspiracy targeting democracy and to tarnish the outcomes of the Arab Spring”, accusing some Western and Arab countries “including Gulf nations” of being part of the alleged plot. Islamic Constitutional Movement member Mubarak Al-Duwailah sounded optimistic in the meantime when he spoke about the odds of “the Egyptian legitimacy to survive and for all attempts to bury democracy to fail”. “The Egyptian people do not deserve the disintegration happening in their home

country on sectarian bases, and the exit from that is for the legitimacy to stay strong,” the former MP said.

Though never officially announced, the ICM is widely considered to be the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood in Kuwait, and has voiced support of the Brotherhood-backed Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi on several occasions. “If the opponents of legitimacy succeed in their efforts, this would lead people to lose faith in democracy and public participation through elections,” Duwailah said in statements to Al-Rai daily Tuesday.

Official stresses benefiting from Korean experience SEOUL: Undersecretary for Youth Affairs Sheikha Al-Zain Al-Sabah stressed the importance of benefiting from the South Korean experience in caring for children and youth.

Sheikh Al-Zain was speaking yesterday, post a meeting between a Kuwaiti delegation headed by the Kuwaiti Minister of State for Youth Affairs and the South Korean Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Yoo Jin-ryong for discussion of cooperation in the fields of culture and youth.

The undersecretary said Kuwait is keen on realizing full potential of agreements signed with South Korea and benefiting from its experiences, especially in the field of regulations aiming to help guide youth and encourage them to seek positive paths in life.

She also praised the results of her meeting with the Gender Equality and Family Affairs deputy minister Lee Boksil and with the general secretary of the country’s youth research institute.

The undersecretary particularly

praised South Korean enactment of laws to protect young people from the negative use of technology and violent games.

She also voiced hope to exchange experiences and visits with the Korean side, and take advantage of experiences in the field of youth work.

Al-Zain is in South Korea as part of efforts to boost interaction and exchange between the two nations and she is member in the delegation accompanying the Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud Al-Sabah.

The official noted the Dar Al-Athar AlIslamiya exhibition currently held in South Korea as an important contribution to the overall effort in this area and said such exhibitions offer an opportunity for a closer look and understanding of the culture and tradition of “the other”.

Minister Salman Al-Humoud Al-Sabah had yesterday inaugurated the exhibition as the Envoy of His Highness the Amir. —KUNA

KUWAIT: A fire broke out in a house under construction in Al-Qurain area yesterday. Fire started in some inflammable materials and due to wind, spread to the nearby areas. Firemen rushed to the area and brought fire under control.

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

Mandela children’s remains exhumed after family rift

Iraq attacks on Shiites kill 123 in three days Page 8

Page 9

VIENNA: Bolivian President Evo Morales waves as he boards his plane prior to leaving Vienna International Airport yesterday. — AFP

Morales jet diverted in Snowden row Bolivia furious over ‘kidnapping’ LA PAZ: Bolivia’s President Evo Morales was heading home yesterday after his plane was searched in Vienna on suspicion of harboring fugitive US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden, prompting outrage from his government and other Latin American leaders. As he prepared to depart Vienna, Morales lashed out at European countries for denying his jet entry into their airspace overnight, dragging his country into the escalating US spying scandal. The ordeal “was like a near 13-hour kidnapping”, he said, adding “I am not a delinquent”.

La Paz meanwhile announced it had lodged a complaint with the United Nations and planned another to the UN Human Rights Commission against the countries that closed their airspace to Morales’s plane.

Bolivian officials accused France, Portugal, Italy and Spain of denying entry to the jet late Tuesday over “unfounded rumors” Snowden was traveling on board. The resulting forced landing in Vienna came just hours after Morales said his country would consider giving political asylum to Snowden if he submitted a request.

Austria’s interior ministry said however that a “voluntary inspection” of the plane by Vienna airport police showed Snowden was not on board. The jet was carrying just five crew and six passengers, it added. “It landed around 9:40 pm (1940 GMT) from Moscow, passports were checked and contrary to rumors that have circulated, Edward Snowden was not on board,” ministry spokesman Karl-Heinz Grundboeck told AFP. France

has admitted it granted Morales’s plane access to its airspace but then withdrew it at the last minute. Portugal said access was never in doubt but a previously granted request to land had been annulled for technical reasons.

Morales’s plane eventually left Vienna yesterday around 0945 GMT after Spain opened its airspace. The journey to Bolivia was expected to take around 15 hours, with refueling stops in the Spanish Canary Islands and northeastern Brazil. Snowden has been stranded in an airport transit zone in the Russian capital since June 23. He is seeking to avoid US espionage charges for revealing a vast surveillance program to collect phone and Internet data. The 30year-old has reportedly applied for asylum in 21 countries, including Austria and Bolivia.

Not only Bolivia but its regional allies Venezuela, Ecuador, Uruguay, Cuba and Nicaragua reacted angrily to the jet incident. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Elias Jaua said, “this is an attack against President Morales’s life”. Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa added on Twitter: “We express our solidarity with Evo and the brave Bolivian people. Our America cannot tolerate so much abuse.” And Uruguay’s foreign ministry, in a statement, condemned the “arbitrary and inexplicable” airspace bans.

Bolivia’s UN envoy Sacha Llorenti told reporters in Geneva the diversion was an “act of aggression” against Bolivia and tantamount to “kidnapping” Morales, while Argentine President Cristina Kirchner tweeted that the inci-

dent was “very humiliating”.

Morales, himself, said France, Italy and Portugal would have to explain themselves. Bolivia will study the possible consequences for these countries’ actions, he added. In La Paz, the presidential palace said protest rallies were already planned outside the embassies of the United States, France, Portugal and Italy. A number of pro-government groups had also planned protests in several cities. Snowden has remained quiet and out of sight of reporters since arriving at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport from Hong Kong. Late Monday, he accused Washington of pressuring foreign leaders to refuse him refuge.

Snowden’s latest major leak about US spying on EU countries has angered many European governments and threatened to derail preparations for delicate talks on a huge free trade deal between Washington and Brussels.

Yesterday, Austrian Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner said Europe’s trust in the United States had been “shattered” by the allegations.

France meanwhile called for a temporary suspension of the trade talks, although Germany said they should go ahead as planned. “This is not about stopping negotiations on the free trade agreement, but it does seem wise to temporarily suspend them, probably for a period of 15 days, to avoid controversy and to give time to obtain the requested information,” Najat Vallaud-Belkacem said after a cabinet session. EU ambassadors are due to discuss the US spy allegations in Brussels today. — AFP

Belgian king to step down BRUSSELS: Belgium’s King Albert II said yesterday he would abdicate and leave the throne to his son on July 21, saying he felt too old to carry out his duties properly. “I realise that

my age and my health are no longer allowing me to carry out my duties as I would like to,” the 79-year-old monarch said in a televised address.

Belgium’s 53-year-old heir apparent,

BRUSSELS: King Albert II of Belgium delivers a speech at the royal palace yesterday. — AFP

Philippe, who studied at Trinity College, Oxford, and Stanford University, has already led Belgian trade delegations to countries such as the United States, China and Thailand. He has four children.

The abdication comes only six months after Queen Beatrix of the neighbouring Netherlands announced she would vacate the Dutch throne in favour of her son Willem Alexander. While the Belgian monarch has no executive powers and plays a largely ceremonial role, he is a rare uniting factor in an otherwise divided country which in recent years has seen more and more powers devolved to regional governments. Albert II, who has three children, ascended to the throne in 1993 when his childless brother Baudouin died. In 1999 Belgian media reported that Albert had fathered a fourth child, a daughter, in an extramarital affair in the 1960s. The palace never acknowledged this. — Reuters

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

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

Army chief Sisi emerges as Egypt’s new strongman CAIRO: Army chief General Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, who is emerging as Egypt’s strongman amid the turmoil sweeping the country, is desperate to end the crisis but without a return to the unpopular military rule of 2011-2012, experts say. The army high command’s dramatic intervention on Monday with a 48-hour ultimatum to Islamist President Mohamed Morsi to reach a deal with his opponents or have one imposed earned Sisi the adulation of protesters camped out on the streets.

But it prompted a call to order from the president, who under the constitution is commander-in-chief and head of the administration in which Sisi serves as defence minister. Morsi opponents in Cairo’s Tahrir Square chanted: “The army and the people, united,” as military helicopters staged a fly-past trailing huge Egyptian flags. But to the president’s supporters, the army’s intervention amounted to a thinly veiled threat to launch a coup and return Egypt to the military rule that governed the transition from Hosni Mubarak’s ouster in February 2011 until Morsi’s accession to power in June last year.

In a statement posted on his official Twitter account on Tuesday, Morsi insisted

on his “constitutional legitimacy” as Egypt’s first elected president. “(He) rejects any attempt to overstep it, calls on the armed forces to withdraw their warning and rejects any dictates, domestic or foreign,” it said. Kamel Al-Sayyed, political scientist at the University of Cairo said that Sisi had made steps towards a political agreement in the past. “General Sisi had already tried to promote a national consensus at the end of last year during the crisis around the new constitution, but met with refusal from the Muslim Brotherhood,” he said.

Politicians and journalists who have met Sisi believe his main preoccupation is rebuilding the army’s reputation, tarnished by its time in control of the country with the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. After the short honeymoon period that followed the fall of Mubarak, the army found itself jeered with slogans such as “Down with the military regime,” similar to those chanted against Mubarak.

Abdullah Al-Sennaoui, journalist at the independent daily Al-Shorouk, who has met Sisi several times, stressed that the general had “clearly been affected by the deterioration of the image and credibility of the army” during its term in power. At

58, Sisi is 20 years younger than his predecessor, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, a veteran of the Arab-Israeli wars and one of Mubarak’s closest allies. When Morsi sidelined Tantawi in Aug 2012 and replaced him with Sisi, there was speculation of a possible alliance between the military and the new Islamist leaders, to which the army had previously been hostile.

Even if he is part of an Islamist-dominated government, General Sisi, who enjoyed a successful career in the top brass before taking up the prestigious post of head of military intelligence, seemed to be a military insider. He has said in the past he is keen on “increasing the efficiency of the armed forces”, seen to be outdated and currently struggling to restore order in the troubled Sinai Peninsula area.

Known to be devout, Sisi was accused of being too close to the Islamists when he was nominated to the post. But like many Egyptian officers, he is also a fervent admirer of the former nationalist president Gamal Abdel Nasser. Born in Cairo in Nov 1954, he graduated from Egypt’s military academy in 1977 with a diploma in military sciences. He also went on for training in Britain in 1992 and in the

United States in 2006. Egypt’s army has close ties to the US military, which provides it with considerable training and equipment. Since the Israeli-Egyptian

CAIRO: A protester holds a poster bearing the portrait of Egyptian Defence Minister Abdelfatah Al-Sisi outside the Republican Guard headquarters yesterday. —AFP

Iraq attacks on Shiites kill 123 in three days Fears country slipping back into all-out war BAGHDAD: Attacks in Iraq killed 14 people yesterday, the latest in a wave of bloodshed mostly targeting Shiites that has left 123 dead in the past three days amid fears the country is slipping back into all-out war. The surge in violence has also wounded more than 320 others, and comes as the country grapples with a pro-

Baghdad, killing seven people and wounding at least 14 others, securit y and medical sources said. Elsewhere, two car bombs in the main northern city of Mosul killed four people, while other attacks around Iraq left three dead. Three militants were also killed in separate incidents. The bloodshed came after a

BAGHDAD: An Iraqi man inspects a burnt out vehicle at the site of a car bomb explosion in the Hurriyah area of eastern Baghdad yesterday following several attacks the previous day. —AFP tracted political stand-off and months of antigovernment protests, with analysts warning the deadlock is unlikely to be resolved at least until general elections due next year. No group has claimed responsibilit y for the killings, but Sunni militants linked to Al-Qaeda often target Shiites, whom they regard as apostates.

In yesterday’s deadliest violence, a bomb went off in the Nahrawan area of southeast

wave of bombings and shootings across Iraq on Tuesday that killed 57 people and unrest on Monday in which 49 others died.

A member of parliament said the situation is unlikely to get any better as Iraq heads next week into the holy fasting month of Ramadan, which has seen in past years an increase in attacks. “Nothing will change,” Hassan Jihad, a Kurdish MP on parliament ’s securit y and defence committee, told AFP. “This month will

not be better because the security forces will carry out the same routine, there will be no change in their activities.” And “they (militants) will continue to show that they are everywhere, that they can reach any place.”

The worst of Tuesday ’s violence struck Baghdad, with at least six car bombs hitting markets and commercial areas in predominantly Shiite neighbourhoods, leaving 42 people dead. Four others were killed in shootings in the capital, while bombs were also set off in the mostly-Shiite southern cities of Basra, Amara and Samawa, as well as the Sunni Arab cities of Abu Ghraib, Kirkuk , Baquba and Mosul. Tuesday’s violence came a day after a series of attacks north of Baghdad left 49 people dead, among them 23 in a suicide bombing at a funeral in a Shiite religious hall.

The United Nations has said that more than 2,500 people were killed in a surge of violence from April through June. Figures compiled by AFP, meanwhile, showed the death toll in that time was more than twice that of the first three months of the year. “This is a very sustained deterioration, which is more concerning than some of the spikes in violence we have seen over recent years,” said John Drake, a Britainbased analyst with risk consultancy AKE Group.

Attacks in recent months have targeted a wide cross-section of Iraqi society-government buildings and security forces were hit by car bombs, mosques were struck by suicide attackers, anti-Qaeda militiamen were shot dead, and Iraqis watching and playing football were killed by blasts. The surge in violence comes amid a protracted political standoff within Iraq’s national unity government.

While political leaders have pledged to resolve the dispute, with Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki meeting his two main rivals last month, no tangible measures have been agreed. Meanwhile, tensions have continued along a swathe of disputed territory in north Iraq, and months of protests among the Sunni Arab community have continued unabated, albeit in smaller numbers since provincial elections earlier this year. —AFP

Rowhani calls for end to meddling in private lives Extended Saudi amnesty hailed RIYADH: Saudi businessmen, expatriates and several countries welcomed a four-month extension to an amnesty for foreign workers with visa violations yesterday, saying it allowed businesses to operate as usual in the world’s top oil exporter. Saudi Arabia has moved to crack down on its large expatriate worker population to try to improve unemployment figures among Saudis and a ban on tolerating workers with visa violations was due to come into force yesterday. But King Abdullah decided on Tuesday to postpone the crackdown until Nov 3 because of requests from foreign embassies and Saudi businessmen, state media reported.

“I was hoping for even one more month extension,” said an Egyptian worker who declined to be named. He like many other people in Saudi Arabia were working for companies which were not their official sponsor.

Others do jobs not listed on their residence permit. “I have transferred my sponsorship but one last procedure remained that I couldn’t finish before the deadline, which is a change of profession ... Thank God we have enough time now,” the worker said. The Labour Ministry said on Tuesday more than 1.6 million people had managed to rectify their status during the amnesty which began in April. Passport officials said 180,000 visa violators had left the country without having to pay fines.

Saudi Arabia has turned a blind eye to minor violations of its strict labour regulations for decades, allowing a flood of cheap imported labour used by both local companies and as domestic workers in private households. The crackdown was intended to open jobs for Saudis in a country with an official unemployment rate of 12 percent. The labour ministry has said that 600,000 Saudis have found work as a result of sweeping labour reforms it introduced last year. —Reuters

DUBAI: President-elect Hassan Rowhani called yesterday for the government and powerful clergy to end interference in the private lives of the Iranian people, free up Internet access and allow state media to be more open about Iran’s problems. Rowhani’s comments began to flesh out his message of moderation at home and better relations abroad that contributed to his surprise election victory last month. His election prompted a huge outpouring of support from Iranians hungry for change after eight years of domestic security crackdowns and international confrontation under hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

“There shouldn’t be any rift or division between the government or the clergy especially at a time when people have pinned their hopes on seeing some sort of change in society,” Rowhani, a mid-ranking cleric, told fellow clergymen in Tehran. “A strong government does not mean a government that interferes and intervenes in all affairs. It is not a government that limits the lives of people. This is not a strong government,” said Rowhani who takes office early next month. “The power of the government lies in improving popular trust and...offering services, decreasing problems, setting the stage for further development of all citizens to help meet the needs of the people and desire for change,” he said in an address aired on state television.

Rowhani is bolstered by his popular mandate and the backing of an alliance of moderates and reformers led by former presidents Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammad Khatami - both sidelined by hardliners under Ahmadinejad. For now the divided hardline conservative camp has given Rowhani a relatively free ride, repeatedly emphasising the high turnout in the election as a victory for the system rather than a defeat for themselves and the status quo. But with a majority in parliament, strong links to the powerful Revolutionary Guards and a grip on the top jobs in state media and the security apparatus, the hardliners could confound Rowhani’s attempts to foster change, especially if they sense their positions are under direct threat.

peace agreement in 1979, Washington has been a major backer of Egypt’s army, currently providing support to the tune of $1.3 billion every year. —AFP

During his election campaign, Rowhani demanded a loosening of the “security atmosphere” and on Wednesday signalled what steps he wanted to see taken.

Filtering of the Internet in Iran, stepped up after social media was used to encourage and coordinate large protests following the disputed 2009 presidential election, had proved ineffective, Rowhani said, fittingly, on Twitter. “Which important piece of news has filtering been able to black out in recent years?” he asked. At the same time, he criticised state broadcaster IRIB for ignoring issues inside Iran.

The state has a monopoly over terrestrial television in Iran and though satellite receivers are banned and foreign news broadcasts are often blocked, many Iranians tune in to US and Europe-based channels beaming news and entertainment into the Islamic Republic. “When IRIB airs the birth of a panda in China but nothing about unpaid workers protesting, it is obvious that the people and youth will ignore it,” Rowhani tweeted.

The key to whether Rowhani will be able to succeed in his vision of a more open society within the Islamic system will be whether he receives the backing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who sits at the top of Iran’s complex hybrid system of clerical rule combined and elements of elected representation. A lifelong insider in postrevolutionary Iran, Rowhani was for years Khamenei’s personal representative on the National Security Council, managing to maintain the trust of the leader even as other moderates fell out of favour and hardliners moved into the ascendant, especially in the early Ahmadinejad years.

But the next president will also have to temper the demands of a population that may want change faster than he can deliver. Facing potential political opposition at home, an economy incapacitated by tough international sanctions over Iran’s nuclear dispute with the West, Rowhani has repeatedly urged patience. “We have a lot of problems facing us. No government in the history of Iran has faced the problems that this government is facing,” Rowhani told the meeting of clerics. “The problems cannot be solved in a matter of days or months.” —Reuters

Abu Qatada to be deported Sunday AMMAN: Radical Islamist cleric Abu Qatada is to be flown from Britain to Jordan on Sunday, after the two governments approved a treaty paving the way for his deportation ending years of litigation, a Jordanian official said yesterday. “Abu Qatada is expected to leave Britain in the early hours of Sunday and should arrive in the morning in Jordan on the same day,” a government official told AFP on condition of anonymity. “He will arrive in Jordan on a military plane, escorted by Jordanian and British guards,” the official said without elaborating.

The radical Palestinian-born cleric has been fighting expulsion to Jordan for years, although his representatives said he had finally reconciled himself to being deported to the kingdom which convicted him in his absence of terror charges in 1999.

Born Omar Mahmud Mohammed Otman in Bethlehem in the now Israeli-occupied West Bank, Abu Qatada has Jordanian nationality because the town was part of Jordan at the time of his birth. In 1999, he was condemned to death in Jordan for conspiracy to carry out terror attacks, including on the American school in Amman, but the sentence was immediately reduced to life imprisonment with hard labour. In 2000, he was sentenced to 15 years for plotting to carry out terror attacks on tourists during the millennium celebrations in Jordan. “We are optimistic. We hope that he will be taken to his home from the airport, directly. It is in nobody’s interest to keep him in jail,” Mohammad Shalabi, a Jordanian Salafist leader better known as Abu Sayyaf, told AFP. “To my knowledge, his family will hire a lawyer for him. We are sure that he had nothing to do with what he was convicted of.

We want him to arrive in Jordan safe and sound.

God willing, he will be declared innocent after a fair and quick trial.”

Detained without charge in Britain in 2002 and held in custody or under tight bail conditions ever since, on the basis of intelligence assessments that he was a spiritual mentor for recruits to Al-Qaeda, Abu Qatada has never been prosecuted for any crime in Britain. His lawyers took his case to European human rights judges who ruled earlier attempts to extradite him illegal on the grounds that evidence might be used against him that had been obtained by torture. The treaty paving the way for his deportation was ratified last month by Jordan’s King Abdullah II and published in the official gazette on Monday. “Upon their return, deportees undergo fair and public trial before a neutral

and independent court, without delay,” said the treaty. “But the court can prevent the media and ordinary people from attending the trial for reasons related to security, conduct and order, or any reasons that would obstruct justice or threaten the lives of involved parties.”

The treaty lays out statutory safeguards against the use of any testimony obtained under duress. “I think Abu Qatada was convinced that he had Jordanian government guarantees that he will not face torture. That is why the deportation deal worked,” Islamist affairs specialist Hassan Abu Hanieh told AFP. “I expect a retrial in the coming three years in line with European standards ensuring a fair trial. Britain is keen on that.”

Abu Qatada The treaty does not specifically refer to Abu Qatada’s case but British Home Secretary Theresa May said in April that it should allay any remaining fears that tainted evidence might be used in any retrial for the 52-year-old cleric. “If the court finds evidence that testimony is obtained under duress or as a result of torture or mistreatment, prosecution will not use the testimony and the court will not accept it,”according to the treaty.

After the Jordanian announcement, Britain reiterated that it wanted to see Abu Qatada on a plane “at the earliest opportunity”. A spokeswoman for the Home Office said she could not comment directly on operational security matters, but said: “Our focus is on seeing Abu Qatada on a plane to Jordan at the earliest opportunity.” A Spanish judge once branded Abu Qatada the right-hand man in Europe of Osama bin Laden, although Abu Qatada denies ever having met the now slain Al-Qaeda leader. —AFP

Turkish court blocks disputed park project ISTANBUL: A Turkish court has cancelled an Istanbul building project backed by Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan which provided the trigger for nationwide anti-government demonstrations last month, a copy of the court decision showed.

Authorities may well appeal against cancellation of plans for a replica Ottomanera barracks on Istanbul’s Taksim Square.

But the ruling marked a victory for a coalition of political forces and a blow for Erdogan, who stood fast against protests and riots he said were stoked by terrorists and looters.

Can Atalay, a lawyer for the Chamber of Architects which brought the lawsuit, said the administrative court ruled in early June at the height of the unrest that the plan violated preservation rules and unacceptably changed the square’s identity. It was not clear why it had only now been released. “This decision applies to all of the work at Taksim Square ... The public-works project that was the basis for the work has been canceled,” Atalay told Reuters.

Erdogan has said he would wait for the judiciary to rule, and any appeals process, before proceeding with Taksim, one of several large projects for Istanbul, including a huge airport, an enormous mosque and a canal to ease Bosphorus traffic. June’s protests and riots began when police used water cannon and tear gas against a relatively small protest over the plans to redevelop Taksim and the adjacent Gezi Park.

The heavy handed police action stirred unprecedented actions against Erdogan, accusing him of an increasingly authoritarian style.

Four people were killed and some

7,500 wounded in the police crackdown, according to the Turkish Medical Association. It largely ended when police cleared a protest camp on the square on June 15. The protests were unprecedented in Erdogan’s rule, which began in 2002 with the election of his AK Party. He has pressed significant reforms in the economy and curtailed the power of a military that had toppled four governments in four decades.

Opponents argue that he has become authoritarian in his rule after three election victories and during the June unrest turned increasingly to the Islamist core of his AK Party faithful. If the country’s top administrative court subsequently rules in favour of the development, Erdogan has still pledged to hold a referendum in Istanbul on the government’s plan. A press adviser at city hall, which drafted the development plan, did not return phone calls seeking comment. Court officials also could not be reached.

“I expect the other side will definitely appeal this decision but in the meantime, they must abide by it and that means removing police from Taksim and allowing citizens to return to Gezi Park,” Atalay told Reuters. Gezi has been shut to the public since June 15 when police stormed the park and pushed out the protesters. Taksim carries enormous symbolic value for many Turks of different political stripes. It was the site of a 1977 May Day massacre that killed up to 40 leftists. For secular Turks, its development in the early days of the republic represent the nation’s founding principles, while devout Muslims have long sought to build a mosque there. —Reuters

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Portugal president calls crisis talks as govt teeters LISBON: Portugal’s president summoned main political parties for crisis talks over the government’s future with markets reeling on fears that a snap election could derail Lisbon’s exit from an international bailout. President Anibal Cavaco Silva’s office said he would meet the leader of the main opposition Socialists later yesterday, the premier today and other parties after that. Under the constitution, he has the power to dissolve parliament and can act to mediate in political crises. His decision came after several media reports said two more ministers from the junior ruling coalition party were ready to quit and follow their CDS-PP party leader Paulo Portas who tendered his resignation as foreign minister on Tuesday.

A day earlier, Finance Minister Vitor Gaspar, the architect of spending cuts and tax hikes required by lenders as a condition of their support, stepped down citing an erosion in support for the bailout. Portas resigned because he objected to the appointment of Treasury Secretary Maria Luis Albuquerque to replace Gaspar. He must now decide whether to pull his party out of the coalition, thereby robbing it of its majority.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, a former Portuguese premier, said Portugal risked damaging its hard-earned financial credibility after two years of closely following its bailout program. “This delicate situation requires a great sense of responsibility from all political forces and leaders,” he said. Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho told the nation late on Tuesday that he did not accept Portas’ resignation and would continue to head the government to ensure political stability and work to overcome the stalemate.

Many commentators called the situation “absurd”.

Passos Coelho has fought tooth and nail to keep his country on a trajectory to exit its Ä78 billion ($102 billion) bailout next year as scheduled, but the measures have

pushed Portugal deeper into its worst economic crisis since the 1970s. The president has the power to dissolve parliament and call new elections but he has indicated that if political parties want to unseat the government they would have to put a motion of no-confidence through parliament.

With no solution imminent, Portugal’s bond and stock prices slumped. The returns investors demand to hold 10-

LISBON: A man looks at daily newspapers with front pages carrying headlines concerning the resignation of Portuguese Foreign Minister and the political crisis in Portugal yesterday. — AFP

Top Russian Islamist calls for attacks on Sochi Games Umarov lifts moratorium on attacks MOSCOW: Russia’s top Islamist leader Doku Umarov called in a video released yesterday for militants to stage attacks against a range of targets that include the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games. The message comes seven months before the international sports event is due to open in the Black Sea resort city, a project President Vladimir Putin personally endorsed to showcase Russia to the world. In the latest challenge to the $50 billion project, Umarov said he is cancelling his previous “moratorium” on attacks and called on jihadists to

located in the immediate proximity of Russia’s North Caucasus - an volatile region that has witnessed two postSoviet wars in Chechnya and daily violence in Dagestan region. Umarov has proclaimed the North Caucasus an Islamist state, calling it the Caucasus Emirate.

Russia’s National Anti-Terrorist Committee responded quickly, saying the authorities focus on the “timely discovery and suppression of various threats, including terrorist ones, to ensure the order and safety of participants and guests” of international

This screen grab taken from undated video posted on July 3, 2013, on the Islamist rebel mouthpiece kavkazcenter.com shows a man identified as Russia’s top Islamist leader Doku Umarov (center) recording his appeal in an undisclosed location. — AFP “exert maximum efforts” to prevent the Games from being held “on the bones of our ancestors”.

“We know that on the bones of our ancestors, on the bones of many, many Muslims who died and are buried on our territory along the Black Sea, today they plan to stage the Olympic Games,” said Umarov, filmed sitting in a wooded area with two other men. “We, as the Mujahedeen, must not allow this to happen by any means possible,” he said, while a bird chirped loudly in the background. Sochi is

sports events. But some analysts said Umarov’s threat was real given the location of the venues - only a few kilometres from the border of Georgia’s breakaway region of Abkhazia, where Russia uncovered an arms cache and arrested militants last year. They are also located just across the Caucasus mountains range from the insurgencies being waged in Russia’s North Caucasus republics. “For a region that is located in the Caucasus it’s very hard to guarantee that nothing will happen,” said Andrei

Soldatov, an analyst who edits the Agentura.ru security website. “These are serious threats,” he said. “Umarov’s message will cost a lot for Russia’s budget,” said Pavel Felgengauer, an analyst who writes for Novaya Gazeta opposition paper. “There will be problems in Sochi.”

In his comments, Umarov appeared to be referring to the deportation of ethnic tribes living in the Sochi area, known as the Circassians, by the 19th century tsarist army, following Russia’s protracted Caucasus War, the campaign to pacify the region. That war ended with a May 1864 parade in Sochi at the site of current development of mountain ski resorts, and Circassians see the Games’ hosting on the 150th year anniversary of their defeat as an insult. They have criticised construction in their ancestral lands.

Following Russia’s victory in the 19th century war, the Circassians were shipped to Muslim countries, notably Turkey. Many today believe this was an act of genocide, due to the huge humanitarian toll.

Circassians in Russia inhabit mostly the North Caucasus regions of Adygea, Kabardino-Balkaria and KarachayevoCherkessia, but some have remained in the northern Sochi. They have put up only mild protests against the Games, unlike the diaspora. In May 2012, Russia said it had foiled Umarov’s attack plot against Sochi and uncovered a cache of weapons in Abkhazia. Putin last month expressed concern that militants “constantly trickle to the Caucasus from Georgian territory” and Russian special forces have crossed the border to attack them. Georgia’s Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili yesterday promised to “assist (Russia) to the fullest extent” in ensuring security of the Olympics.

Umarov is viewed as Moscow’s enemy number one and took responsibility for the 2010 Moscow metro bombings that killed more than 40 and the 2011 Domodedovo airport attack that killed 37. — AFP

Mandela grandson ordered to return family remains MTHATHA, South Africa: A South African court yesterday ordered that the graves of three of Nelson Mandela’s children be immediately returned to his childhood village, following a bitter family quarrel linked to the ailing anti-apartheid hero’s final resting place. The public row comes as the 94-year-old former political prisoner, who became South Africa’s first black president, lies critically ill in what is now his fourth week in hospital. Mandela’s oldest grandson Mandla allegedly had the graves moved from Qunu, Mandela’s childhood home, to Mvezo, about 30 km away, in 2011 without the rest of the family’s consent.

Mandela has expressed his wish to be buried in Qunu, and his daughters want to

year bonds surged to above 8.1 percent for the first time since November and the PSI 20 stock index tanked by 6 percent, led by sharp losses of over 10 percent in bank shares. The crisis hit shortly before inspectors from Lisbon’s creditors - the European Union and International Monetary Fund - arrive to start their next review of the economy on July 15. That might well now be delayed.

Agriculture Minister Assuncao Cristas and Social

have the children’s remains returned so they can be buried together. A judge in the southern city of Mthatha upheld an earlier interim order for Mandla, 39, to return the remains to Qunu by Wednesday afternoon and instructed him to pay all legal costs. Hours afterwards three hearses arrived in Mvezo along with a sheriff who forced open the gates to Mandla’s estate with a pickaxe. Men in white coats were seen walking around, apparently searching for the graves.

Mandla’s legal team lodged a fresh application to have the order rescinded but it was unclear whether the court was considering the appeal. The order was issued in response to a request by more than a dozen relatives of the revered

MVEZO, South Africa: A man breaks open the gate at Mvezo resort after a hearse and police convoy arrived to collect the remains of former South African President Nelson Mandela’s children yesterday. — AFP

leader, including his wife Graca Machel, two of his daughters and several grandchildren. After the decision, several family members present in court stood up and hugged each other. Political analysts said that rivalry over control of the Mandela legacy could be behind the court tussle.

“The legal battles underline broader divisions within the family,” said Daniel Silke, director of the Political Futures Consultancy. “They may well be related to financial gains and the exploitation of the Mandela name,” he added, describing the squabbles as “distasteful”. The family is also seeking criminal charges of grave tampering against Mandla. Previously the grandson has argued that Mandela should be buried at his birthplace Mvezo, where Mandla holds court as clan chief. The disputed remains are of Mandela’s eldest son Thembekile, who died in 1969, his ninemonth-old infant Makaziwe, who died in 1948, and Mandla’s own father Makgatho, who died in 2005. The grandson’s spokesman Freddy Pilusa insisted that Mandla was not opposed in principle to returning the remains to Qunu. “He has never been against repatriation of those remains,” Pilusa told AFP. Mandela, who led the struggle against white-minority rule in South Africa, became president after the country’s first multiracial elections in 1994, following 27 years in apartheid prisons. He retired from public life in 2004. Rather than accept the hereditary title of chief of Mvezo himself, Mandela chose his grandson to take up the post in the Eastern Cape six years ago. Mandla has since overseen changes including a new brick-paved road to the village.—AFP

Security Minister Pedro Mota Soares are likely to be the next to leave the centre-right coalition government. Party officials were not available to comment as the CDS-PP executive commission was in a meeting. The responsibility for the government’s survival is now squarely on the shoulders of Portas. “One thing is certain, the prime minister is going to do everything to stay on, giving all possible concessions to Portas,” said political scientist Antonio Costa Pinto. “Failing that, however, we can hardly avoid an early election.”

Portugal is subject to strict budget conditions imposed by an EU/IMF bailout. It had been hoping to return to normal debt market funding but rows over continued austerity have now thrown this into doubt. “We see early elections as the most likely outcome at this stage, even if we cannot fully rule out support from some CDS MPs and the continuation of the government,” Barclays’ economist Antonio Garcia Pascual said in a note.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch analysts said the combination of surging yields and political uncertainty “reduces the prospects of Portugal regaining full market access in the next year”, leading to expectations of a new bailout being required. That, in turn, could send Portuguese bond yields even higher as a second bailout could involve Greece-style losses forced upon debt holders, the analysts said.

The president is expected to promote a grand coalition government, analysts do not expect the largest opposition party, the moderate centre-left Socialists who lead in opinion polls, to play ball. Still, while opinion polls indicate Socialists will win a snap election, they would fall short of a majority, which would also require CDS support. The only two remaining parties in parliament, the Communists and the Left Bloc have never entered any coalition and are unlikely to do so. — Reuters

Ecuador finds hidden mic at London embassy LONDON: Ecuador has found a hidden microphone inside its London embassy, where WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is living, and will disclose yesterday who controls the device, its foreign minister said.

Ricardo Patino said the microphone was found inside the office of the Ecuadorean ambassador to the United Kingdom, Ana Alban, at the time of a visit to the embassy by Patino to meet with Assange on June 16. Assange lives and works in a different room within the embassy. The Foreign Office in London declined to comment immediately on the allegation and Prime Minister David Cameron’s spokesman said he did not comment on security issues.

Assange has been living inside the embassy for more than a year to avoid extradition to Sweden to face allegations by two women of sexual assault and rape, which he denies. He fears that if sent to Sweden he could be extradited from there to the United States to face potential charges over the release of thousands of confidential US documents on WikiLeaks. “We regret to inform you that in our embassy in London we have found a hidden microphone,” Patino told a news conference in Quito on

Tuesday. Footage of his appearance is available on the website of the Ecuadorean foreign ministry.

“I didn’t denounce this at the time because we didn’t want the theme of our visit to London to be confused with this matter,” said Patino, who met during his time in London with British Foreign Secretary William Hague to discuss Assange. “Furthermore, we first wanted to ascertain with precision what could be the origin of this interception device in the office of our ambassador,” he said. “We are sorry to say so, but this is another instance of a loss of ethics at the international level in relations between governments,” he added.

Ecuador’s protection of Assange has strained relations with Britain. The Foreign Office said after the meeting between Hague and Patino on June 17 that no substantive progress had been made to break the legal and diplomatic deadlock. WikiLeaks used its Twitter account to condemn the hidden microphone.

“Sieging/bugging of Ecuador’s London embassy and the blockading of Morales jet shows that imperial arrogance is the gift that keeps on giving,” the antisecrecy group said. — Reuters

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

Obama favors foreign policy of consultation, negotiation No intervention in Mideast affairs

PRESCOTT: A tour of the burnt area shows the remains of a house destroyed by a wildfire which killed 19 firefighters on Sunday. —AP

Firefighter built, tried to protect Prescott crew PRESCOTT: Eric Marsh built the Granite Mountain Hotshots from nothing - and died trying to protect the crew that friends say constituted his life’s work. A lifelong wild land firefighter, the 43-year-old Marsh founded the Granite Mountain team, the first municipal crew of elite, Hotshot firefighters in the nation. He and all but one of the 19 men who served under him were killed Sunday when a windblown wildfire overcame them north of Phoenix.

As superintendent, Marsh was in charge of ensuring the crew’s safety, friends and colleagues said. It’s the one position on a Hotshot team that calls for caution and prudence as well as confidence and experience.

“You’ve got basically a crew of professional athletes working for you, and they’ll do anything you say. There’s a lot of responsibility that goes with that,” said Marsh’s friend, Patrick Moore, who is superintendent of the Pleasant Valley Hotshots, another Arizona firefighting team. Superintendents are the link between the men battling a raging fire and the planning team back at headquarters. Deputies often make tactical decisions, while the chief aim of the superintendent is to get his men back into their trucks at the end of the day.

“It’s their job to watch, and if the plan isn’t working, it is their job to say we have to do something else. Safety is paramount,” said Fire Management Officer Don Nunley, who supervises a superintendent in the nearby Payson Ranger District. Before they were killed Sunday in the largest loss of firefighter life since Sept. 11, 2001, Marsh and his men deployed their emergency shelters, which are designed to protect them from intense heat in desperate situations. Last year, Marsh let a university news reporter look on as he drilled his rookies on how to use their shelters. At the time, he said, preparation was everything. “If we’re not actually doing it, we’re thinking and planning about it,” he said.

A native of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, Marsh was known for his cool head and “Southern gentleman” demeanor, even in the hairiest of situations. He grew up in picturesque Ashe County, a sparsely populated tourist destination with a population of 27,000 known for its hiking trails and thriving Christmas tree industry. Other teams would rib him about his laid-back manner. “Eric had this deep soothing voice that no matter how amped everyone around him got, he was able to stay real mellow. We’d be like, ‘Out west we have got to move a little faster, talk a little faster, Eric,’” Moore said.

Marsh’s parents, Jane and John Marsh, moved to Arizona five years ago to be closer to their only son and his wife, Kori. His father, a biology teacher, was a former county commissioner. “He was a loving and

caring son, and he was compassionate and concerned about the well being of the crew members,” John Marsh said in an interview Tuesday with The Associated Press. “He was concerned for them, not just in the fire.

They were like his family.” A fifth grade science teacher recalled Marsh as a brilliant student with a passion for the natural sciences. He was a linebacker on his high school football team and later studied biology at Appalachian State University.

Marsh spent most of his professional career fighting wildfires - a rarity for a job that generally draws younger guys who see firefighting as a stepping stone to something else, Prescott Fire Capt. Jeff Knotek said. He started working on forming his own Hotshots team eight years ago, when he worked as part of a municipal fuels management crew in Prescott that focused on clearing overly dense vegetation. The group made the ranks of Hotshots in 2008. While the federal government certifies teams as highly-qualified Hotshots - groups that are often dispatched to the hottest part of a blaze to clear fuels and protect structures Marsh’s group was unique because it operated as part of a city fire department, rather than a state or federal agency. “Eric had to assemble all those elements on his own to get it into shape, so it was a labor of love for him,” Moore said. “It was his vision that got it to that level.”

The Granite Mountain Hotshots are headquartered in a cobalt blue corrugated metal building surrounded with a barbed wire fence. A humble break room is decorated with a still life of pears. It contrasts with the gleaming white firehouse across the street in Prescott, where three fire trucks peek out from behind glass windows. On Tuesday, 13 trucks and cars remained parked in the gravel around the unorthodox headquarters. Families have been coming to retrieve the cars at night. During the off-season, Marsh worked as an instructor, helping to train hundreds of Arizona firefighters. Sedona firefighter Mark Beneitone was one of his many students, and remembered Marsh telling vivid stories - enlivening classes that might otherwise have been a chore because of the litany of rules and procedures involved in fighting wild land fires. “You were sitting at your desk,” he said, “but you were able to picture it. As they mourn their comrades, fire superintendents are also weighing what the unfathomable tragedy means for them - both personally and professionally. Before, the near total destruction of a crew was possible only in theory, said Moore, who spoke from the Nevada border, where he is leading a crew fighting another wildfire. “It definitely changes how you’re viewing your job right now,” he said. “I always took some comfort from having him on our wing.” —AP

Weary SF commuters face third day of transit strike SAN FRANCISCO: Weary San Francisco commuters faced gridlock for a third straight day yesterday as rail workers continued a strike that has caused chaotic commutes and, according to some estimates, millions of dollars in lost worker productivity. Despite renewed talks, the Bay Area Rapid Transit agency and its two largest unions representing train workers failed to reach a labor agreement, setting the table for a third straight day of no train service on the nation’s 5th largest rail system.

Talks resumed Tuesday after political pressure mounted for a settlement. The governor sent two of the state’s top mediators - the chair of the Public Employment Relations Board and the chief of the State Mediation and Conciliation Service - to facilitate further talks. A letter from Democratic state officials said the strike has caused “widespread personal hardship and severe economic disruption,” and it noted they were disappointed “about the lack of productive proposals and counterproposals in the days leading up to the strike.” Commutes in the region were thrown into chaos when the strike began early Monday after talks with management broke down. BART carries passengers from the farthest reaches of San Francisco’s densely populated eastern suburbs to San Francisco International Airport across the bay.

Freeways have choked to a standstill.

Lines for ferry service tripled, boats were crammed to standing-room only and ridership on Caltrain increased. Buses were stuffed with riders who felt fortunate to be on board as many commuters were literally left in the dust when buses zoomed by without as much as a honk or an explanation.

BART, with 44 stations in four counties and 104 miles of lines, handles more than 40 percent of commuters coming from the East Bay to San Francisco, said John Goodwin, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. Transit authorities have made accommodations to help during the strike, including longer carpool lane hours and additional ferries and buses.

BART doubled the number of buses serving West Oakland to 36 on Tuesday.

The striking unions and management reported being far apart on key issues including salary, pensions, health care and safety. The unions, which represent nearly 2,400 train operators, station agents, mechanics, maintenance workers and professional staff, want a 5 percent raise each year over the next three years. BART said union train operators and station agents 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. —AP

WASHINGTON: From Egypt to Syria to Iraq and beyond, the Obama administration is determined to show it will only go so far to help save nations in chaos from themselves. President Barack Obama has long made it clear that he favors a foreign policy of consultation and negotiation, but not intervention, in the persistent and mostly violent upheavals across the Mideast.

And he appears determined not to deviate this week even to help reverse turbulence in Egypt, one of the United States’ most important Arab allies.

US officials say the Obama administration delivered pointed warnings Tuesday to three main players in the latest crisis to grip Egypt as hundreds of thousands of protesters flooded Tahrir Square in Cairo to demand President Mohammed Morsi’s ouster over his hard-line Islamist policies. The powerful Egyptian military appeared poised to overthrow him. The administration stopped short of demanding that Morsi take specific steps, the officials said, and instead offered strong suggestions that are backed by billions of dollars in US aid to ease the tensions.

The US officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the delicate diplomacy that is aimed at soothing the unrest and protecting Egypt’s status as a bulwark of Mideast stability. Yet the warnings were unlikely to placate the protesters gathered at the site of Egypt’s Arab Spring revolution two years ago, many of whom have accused the US of siding with Morsi.

“The United States is only looking after their interests. They will only bet on the winning horse, and the winning horse is always chosen by the people,” an ultraconservative member of the Salafist movement who would only identify himself as Amr, 31, said Tuesday night at Tahrir Square. “At the end of the day it is the people who say that who stays and who goes.” It should come as little surprise that Obama, who is grappling with a recovering economy, a war-weary public at home and diminished US status as a global superpower abroad, would not wade into foreign conflicts. Obama campaigned by promising to end the war in Iraq, which he did in 2011;

he now plans to withdraw most, if not all, US troops from Afghanistan by the end of next year and inevitably will face pitched pleas from Kabul to reconsider as the deadline nears. US polls indicate that two-thirds of Americans have opposed the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. “The burdens of a young century cannot fall on American shoulders alone,” Obama wrote in his 2010 National Security Strategy. “Indeed, our adversaries would like to see America sap our strength by overextending our power.”

Despite pressure from some in Congress and allies abroad, the Obama administration refused until last month to give weapons to Syrian rebels who have been battling for more than two years to overthrow Syrian President Bashar Assad. The arms - a tepid show of guns, ammunition and shoulder-fired anti-tank grenades - only came after US intelligence concluded that Assad had used chemical weapons against his own people.

Other Sunni-dominated Mideast nations, most notably Qatar, have provided heavier weapons to help the rebels beat back Iranian forces and aid that is flowing to Assad’s regime.

An estimated 93,000 people have been killed in the fighting. Rebel commanders have been underwhelmed by the US support, saying they need enough firepower to stop Assad from using chemical weapons again, and to stop his tanks and heavy artillery. The Free Syrian Army, which is made up of some opposition forces, also wants allies to establish a no-fly zone over Syria to prevent Assad’s superior air power from crushing the rebels or killing civilians. The White House is, at best, highly reluctant to create such a territory over which warring aircraft are not allowed to fly.

The US and international allies have enforced them in several military conflicts over the past two decades.

Even American officials say the help to Syria is not enough. The light weapons are “clearly not only insufficient, it’s insulting,” said Sen. John McCain, a leading Republican proponent of taking a bigger military role in Syria. McCain and several other hawkish Republicans also have criticized Obama for withdrawing US forces from Iraq, where violence has dramatically escalated

since their departure 18 months ago. The Obama administration agreed to the longstanding 2011 withdrawal deadline, which was set by the Republican administration of President George W. Bush, after negotiations fell through to keep some US forces in Iraq. But American officials involved in the negotiations have blamed the White House for making only a weak effort to keep troops in the country and being all too happy when the Shiite-led government in Baghdad refused to let them stay.

Despite nearly nine years of war that aimed to stabilize Iraq - during which nearly 4,500 US troops were killed and about $800 billion in taxpayer money was spent - near-daily bombings and other attacks continue. And the White House rarely, if ever, discusses Iraq except to pat itself on the back for leaving. In June alone, 761 Iraqis were killed and nearly 1,800 wounded in terrorrelated violence, the UN envoy in Baghdad said in a statement this week. Comparatively, that’s about twice as many killed in the deadliest month of 2011 before the American troops left, according to data from the British-based Iraq Body Count.

Tamara Cofman Wittes, who served as deputy assistant secretary of state from late 2009 until early this year, said the White House cannot afford to take its eye off the Mideast even as Obama tries to refocus on Asia and Africa. Even so, the administration’s strategy in the Mideast may be a not-so-subtle reminder that the US is no longer willing - or able - to play either world policeman or peacekeeper. “One of the things that many Americans questioned in the wake of the experience of Iraq and Afghanistan is whether the United States in fact can be successful in stabilizing unstable parts of the world,” Wittes, now director of the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institute think tank, said Tuesday. “The Obama administration has set itself the task not only of closing the chapter on a decade defined by two wars and reorienting not only America and its expectations for its role in the world, but reorienting other countries’ expectations for the role America will play,” she said. —AP

Texas House committee approves abortion rules AUSTIN: Texas Republicans voted early yesterday to move forward with new abortion restrictions, after limiting testimony at a public hearing, refusing to consider Democratic amendments and imposing strict security precautions to prevent disruptions from protesting abortion-rights supporters. On a party-line vote, the Republican majority sent the bill to the full Texas House for a vote next week. Gov. Rick Perry is pushing his allies in the Legislature to move quickly after he called lawmakers back for a second special session to pass the bill, which would limit when, where and how women may obtain an abortion in the state.

More than 3,500 people came to the Capitol and registered a position on the bill, and more than 1,100 signed up to testify.

But fewer than 100 people had a chance to express their views because the top Republican on the committee limited testimony to eight hours and refused entreaties to extend it. “We took testimony in the regular session, in the first special. We’ve taken a lot of testimony,” said House State Affairs Chairman Byron Cook, R-Corsicana, in explaining his decision. But Rep. Sylvester Turner, a Houston Democrat and among the state’s more senior lawmakers, asked for more time for testimony.

“The people have the right to come here, and they have the right to be heard,”Turner said. Just before the committee’s vote, Turner tried to offer amendments to the bill, but Cook refused to recognize him or any other Democrat. “You can bring it up on the (House) floor,” Cook said. Turner replied angrily to Cook cutting him off, “You know that’s just wrong!”

When the hearing began, the corridors were filled with equal numbers of bill supporters, wearing blue, and opponents, wearing orange, but as the night wore on the orange T-shirts became the majority. In some cases, bill opponents marched in circles around anti-abortion activists. There were no arrests or violent incidents reported. Local pizza shops delivered hundreds of pizzas and drinks to the crowd, and organizers registered people to vote and collected email lists.

The debate over the abortion restrictions has brought the public to the Capitol like no other issue in at least a decade.

About 700 of the bill’s opponents showed up for a hearing during the first special session, and thousands filled the Capitol on that session’s final day to support Democratic Sen. Wendy Davis’ filibuster.

After that session ended and the bill failed, Perry called the Legislature back, forcing lawmakers to start again from scratch with committee hearings. House Bill 2 would ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, require that the procedure be performed at ambulatory surgical centers, mandate that doctors who perform abortions obtain admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles and that even nonsurgical abortions take place in a surgical center. Only five out of 42 clinics in Texas qualify as ambulatory surgical centers, and they are in major metropolitan areas. Many clinics would need to relocate to meet ventilation requirements and to have the space required for operating rooms and hallways. Similar measures have passed in other states, but many are tied up in court. Mississippi’s only abortion clinic remains open pending a federal lawsuit over the requirement for doctors to have admitting privileges.

Ellen Cooper, the top compliance officer for the Texas Department of State Health Services, was asked if there was any record of complications or deaths in abortion clinics that would suggest the regulations were needed. She replied no.

The Texas Medical Association, the Texas Hospital Associations and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology all oppose the bill. Those who got the chance to testify offered frequently emotional or angry testimony. Some women shared how they felt their abortions were horrible mistakes, while others said their abortions gave them a second chance.

Others cited the Bible in calling for a total ban on the procedure, and some told the lawmakers to stop interfering with their right to decide when or if they have children. “In this country, we’ve forgotten about a big law: ‘Thou shall not kill,’” said Dorothy Richardson, representing the Houston Coalition for Life, in supporting the bill. Gay Caldwell, who opposes the bill, said that protecting a woman’s health meant making sure abortions are legal and safe. “This bill is about women’s lives, and I don’t think you want to play politics with women’s lives,” she said. —AP

SANFORD: George Zimmerman (right) stands with his attorneys, Mark O’Mara (left) and Don West (center) as they watch the jury enter the courtroom on the 17th day of Zimmerman’s trial in Seminole circuit court. —AP

School records at issue in Zimmerman murder trial SANFORD: The judge in the George Zimmerman murder trial will hear arguments from attorneys about whether to allow evidence about a college criminal justice course he took that included course work on Florida’s self-defense law. Judge Debra Nelson will be hearing the arguments from attorneys outside the jury’s presence.

The prosecution said the school records will show that Zimmerman had knowledge of the law, though the neighborhood watch volunteer maintained in an interview with Fox News last year that he didn’t. The interview was played for the jury Tuesday.

Prosecutors also are seeking to introduce a job application Zimmerman made to a police agency in Virginia in 2009 and an application to ride around with Sanford police officers in 2010. Defense attorneys believe the items are irrelevant and will be asking the judge to disallow them. He referred to the prosecution’s efforts to introduce them as “a witch hunt.” The judge said she would rule later in the week.

Zimmerman, 29, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman has said he shot the 17-year-old Martin in self-defense last year after they got into a fight in a Sanford, Fla., gated community. O’Mara told CNN on Tuesday night that if prosecutors start bringing up Zimmerman’s past, “then it really brings in what Trayvon Martin brings to the table, all of his violent acts that we know about and some of the fighting that he was involved in.” In testimony Tuesday, prosecutors tried to pick apart the statements of a Sanford police detective who was a prosecution witness but gave testimony that legal analysts said helped the defense.

Prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda asked the judge to strike from the record a statement that Detective Chris Serino made Monday in which he said he found Zimmerman’s account of how he got into a fight with Martin to be credible. De la Rionda argued the statement was improper because one witness isn’t allowed to give an opinion on the credibility of another witness. Defense attorney Mark O’Mara argued it was proper because it was Serino’s job to decide whether Zimmerman was telling the truth.

Nelson told jurors to disregard the statement. “This is an improper comment,” the judge said. The initial lack of an arrest by the Sanford police following the death of Martin, an unarmed black teenager, in February 2012 led to protests across the nation and spurred a debate about race and

the laws of self-defense. Zimmerman’s father is white and his mother is from Peru.

Sanford’s police chief was fired months later, and a Florida special prosecutor ultimately charged Zimmerman with second-degree murder.

On Tuesday, prosecutors also questioned Serino about his opinion that Zimmerman didn’t display any ill will or spite to Martin.

Prosecutors must prove there was ill will, spite or a depraved mind by the defendant to get a second-degree murder conviction.

The prosecutor played back a recording of Zimmerman’s call to police to report the teen walking through his gated community.

Zimmerman uses an expletive, refers to “punks” and then says, “These a———-. They always get away.” The detective conceded that Zimmerman’s choice of words could be interpreted as being spiteful. The prosecutor also challenged Serino’s contention that Zimmerman’s story didn’t have any major inconsistencies. The prosecutor played back Zimmerman’s police interview and noted that investigators were asking about small differences in his account. Zimmerman said he spread out the teen’s arms after the shooting. But a photo taken immediately afterward shows Martin’s arms under his body. “Is that inconsistent with the defendant’s statement he spread the arms out?” de la Rionda asked. “That position, yes it is,” Serino said, though he later noted that Zimmerman’s description was consistent with the medical examiner’s report.

Later, in response to Serino’s cross-examination testimony that he’d seen a convenience store video that showed Martin in a hooded sweatshirt, de la Rionda asked, “Are you saying in Seminole County, it’s illegal for someone to wear a hoodie at night?” “No sir.

I’m not,” Serino said. Zimmerman has said he fatally shot Martin because the teenager was banging his head into a concrete sidewalk behind townhomes in the neighborhood.

Zimmerman could get life in prison if convicted. The state argued during its opening statement that Zimmerman profiled Martin from his truck and called a police dispatch number before the altercation. Zimmerman has denied the confrontation had anything to do with race, as Martin’s family and their supporters have claimed. Late in the morning, the prosecution called Mark Osterman, a federal air marshal who described Zimmerman as “the best friend I’ve ever had.”

He testified that he spoke with Zimmerman both the night of and the day after the shooting. —AP

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

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

With law against him, Singapore politician says he’s gay SINGAPORE: This conservative citystate convicted men for homosexual behavior as recently as seven years ago, and the British colonial-era law it used is still on the books. Singapore’s government shows no interest in making a change: The prime minister’s advice has been to just let things be. Opposition official Vincent Wijeysingha isn’t taking that advice. On his Facebook page last week, he became the first Singaporean politician to come out of the closet, and he is advocating for the law to be scrapped.

He told The Associated Press on Monday that although the government resists decriminalizing homosexuality, “society will eventually overtake it on this question.”

“I am entirely convinced the law will eventually be repealed,” said Wijeysingha

(wee -jay-sing-ga), treasurer of the Singapore Democratic Party.

The decades-old law makes “gross indecency” between men punishable by up to two years in prison. It has not been actively enforced in recent years, but 185 men were convicted under the law between 1997 and 2006, according to government data.

Complaints of discrimination based on sexual orientation have become less common in Singapore, a Southeast Asian economic powerhouse of about 5 million. But until a decade ago, government policies barred gays from “sensitive positions” in the civil service and strictly censored gay-related content in movies and TV shows.

Gay rights have grown around the world; more than a dozen countries and 13 US states now allow same-sex mar-

riage. But according to the United Nations, about 75 countries continue to criminalize homosexual behavior; in a few of them, it is punishable by death.

Singapore’s High Court in April rejected a bid by a gay couple to scrap the city-state’s law, ruling that Parliament should be responsible for making any changes. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said earlier this year that these were “not issues that we can settle one way or the other, and it’s really best for us just to leave them be, and just agree to disagree.”

Gay-rights activists said that is unacceptable to a growing number of Singaporeans. They noted that Saturday’s Pink Dot gay advocacy rally drew more than 20,000 people to a Singaporean park, the best showing for the event held yearly since 2009. The ral-

ly played a role in Wijeysingha’s announcement. He had spoken at past forums on gay issues, and associates and friends had known that he is gay, but he confirmed it publicly on his Facebook page by saying “yes, I am going to Pink Dot ... and yes, I am gay.”

“It’s the first time he has said it so explicitly in public,” said Siew Kum Hong, a lawyer and political commentator. “To that extent, it does show that Singapore society is opening up more, since he obviously does not think that it is fatal to his electoral chances.”

Baey Yam Keng, a lawmaker from the ruling People’s Action Party, said that although he is unsure how most Singaporeans feel about homosexuality, “the time will come for Parliament to open up another debate” on decriminalizing it. “There is a lot of stigma still asso-

ciated with homosexuality in Singapore,” Baey said. “Even though more people showed up at this year’s Pink Dot event, including straight people, it’s hard to say if homosexuality is widely acceptable yet in Singapore. But I think it is important for stakeholders and the government to be open and have continuous engagement regarding this issue.”

Baey commended Wijeysingha for being open about his sexuality, saying that “it must have taken a lot of courage to do what he did.”

Wijeysingha said the best response he has received is from young people who have told him that he has given them courage by coming out. But he said he will work on more than gay rights. “My value system is one of equal rights to all,” he said. “Human rights are indivisible.” —AP

North Korea seeks talks with US to ease tensions Quick rebuttal from Seoul

SEOUL: South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin, second from left, and his Australian counterpart Stephen Smith inspect an honor guard during a welcome ceremony at the Defense Ministry in Seoul yesterday. Military cooperation and development between South Korea and Australia are major issues that will be discussed at their meeting. —AP

China war dead could return home from South Korea BEIJING: The remains of hundreds of Chinese soldiers killed in the Korean War may finally return home, 60 years after an armistice ended the fighting.

On a visit to China last week, South Korean President Park Geun-hye offered to send back the remains of about 360 Chinese solders buried in a cemetery outside the city of Paju, a friendly gesture highlighting warming ties between the former combatants. “Families in China must be waiting for their return,” Park told Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong, according to a statement from Park’s office.

Liu promised to pass the message to China’s top leaders, though it’s unclear whether Beijing will accept the offer.

Foreign Ministr y spokeswoman Hua Chunying said yesterday that she didn’t know where China stood on the offer, but added that the issue should be “resolved on the basis of humanitarianism.”

The bodies are buried on a quiet hillside just south of the heavily guarded border with North Korea. Most of the Chinese dead have never been identified. Several hundred North Korean soldiers are also buried at the site because Pyongyang refuses to take back the bodies.

While China remains North Korea’s only real ally, it has also established close ties with the South since the two normalized diplomatic relations in 1992. China has overtaken the US as South Korea’s biggest trading partner, with two-way commerce between the two hitting $215 billion last year. Beijing has never given a precise number for its Korean War dead because it claims Chinese troops had all volunteered

to defend a communist ally from what was portrayed as US aggression. However, estimates of Chinese war dead run as high as 900,000, the bulk of them killed in the final year of the war, when the US and its allies unleashed overwhelming firepower to force an end to the conflict.

With its hundreds of fading white wooden grave markers surrounded by forest and rice paddies, the cemetery has become a popular stop for Chinese tourists visiting Paju, according to Kim Dong-hun, the head of a local group responsible for maintaining the cemetery.

Despite the potential loss of Chinese visitors, Kim said he was “very positive” about Park’s offer. Sorting and repatriating the bodies would likely take some time, and new Chinese and North Korean remains continue to turn up, he said.

The news of Park’s offer has reached Qin Furong, a 64-year-old retired bank employee in the northern city of Jinan, whose father, Qin Changyu, died during a battle along the North-South border and whose remains have never been found.

While there’s a chance he’s buried in Paju’s cemetery, Qin wasn’t getting her hopes too high.

“If his remains can be identified and returned to his hometown, it would bring solace to my mind,” Qin said. “But the problem is that we are not certain if his body is there. It’s a cemetery of nameless soldiers.”

Unless remains can be identified, they may as well remain in South Korea, Qin said. “The South Koreans take good care of the cemetery,” she said. “I will have no objection if the remains stay there.”—AP

China executes Filipina drug trafficker MANILA: China put to death a Filipina drug trafficker yesterday, the Philippine foreign department said, after Beijing ignored Manila’s request to spare her life.

The woman was put to death two days after briefly seeing her family on Monday, foreign department spokesman Raul Hernandez said. She was arrested in 2011.

“It is with profound sadness that we confirm that our Filipina (compatriot) was executed in China this morning,” a sombre Hernandez told a news conference. “ The Department of Foreign Affairs would like to express its deepest sympathy and condolences to the family of the Filipina as they mourn the loss of their loved one,” he added, declining to name the woman at her family’s request.

“The life of every Filipino is valuable and we pray that this is the last time that a tragedy like this befalls any of our countrymen.”

Vice President Jejomar Binay and a spokeswoman for President Benigno Aquino used their messages of condolence to appeal to Filipinos to resist the temptation to serve as drug mules into China.

“It’s not worth it. You are gambling with your life here. There is no amount that is worth your life,” Binay said in a statement.

“However unfortunate, we hope that this will serve as a continuing lesson to our citizens not to allow themselves to be victimised and to fall prey to these (drug) syndicates,” Aquino spokeswoman Abigail Valte said in a statement.

About a tenth of the Philippines’ 100 million people work abroad, many of them under harsh conditions. Drug traffickers

sometimes exploit them into becoming drug mules.

The woman was arrested along with her male cousin for heroin-smuggling in 2011 and both were later sentenced to death.

But the cousin won a two-year reprieve, according to the Philippine government.

The woman was the fifth convicted drug smuggler from the Philippines to be executed by China since March 2011, when two women and a man were put to death for the crime.

A second Filipino was executed in December 2011.

All five executions were carried out despite intense lobbying by the Philippine president to have the sentences commuted to life imprisonment.

On Sunday Binay aborted a planned trip to China to personally deliver Aquino’s appeal to Chinese President Xi Jinping, saying he had been advised by Beijing that it was not the right time to visit.

A total of 213 other Filipinos are in Chinese jails on drug offences, the foreign department said.

Some 28 of them-apart from the woman executed Wednesday-have already been sentenced to death but have been granted two-year reprieves, it said.

The mainly Catholic Philippines abolished the death penalty in 2006, and the 2011 executions of the four Filipino drug smugglers were met with widespread condemnation.

The latest execution comes amid already rocky relations between the two countries, soured by overlapping territorial claims in the South China Sea. — AFP

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Brunei: North Korea’s top diplomat said the US must accept its offer for dialogue without preconditions if it wants to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula. He drew a quick rebuttal from his South Korean counterpart, who said the international community has made clear that Pyongyang must give up its nuclear ambitions if it wants better relations.

The Koreas were among 27 nations at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum in Brunei, where the North’s nuclear weapons program was a key topic, along with other hot-button regional issues such as South China Sea territorial disputes. Asia’s largest security forum includes the US, North Korea and the four other countries involved in long-stalled nuclear talks on ending North Korea’s nuclear ambitions in return for aid. US Secretary of State John Kerry said Monday that the US, South Korea, Japan and China North Korea’s chief ally - were “absolutely united” in their insistence on a denuclearized North Korea. Washington says Pyongyang must move in that direction before it will agree to talks, but North Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun said during the conference Tuesday that it is America that must act.

“The US must positively respond to our sincere and courageous decision (to offer talks) without preconditions if it is truly interested in ending the vicious circle of intensifying tension on the Korean Peninsula and safeguarding peace and stability,” Pak said, according to North Korean delegation official Choe Myong Nam. Pak said that “a touch-and-go situation in which a war can break out anytime is fostered” on the Korean Peninsula, and that US hostility against the North was primarily responsible for that, Choe told reporters. Pak said the US must sign a peace treaty with North Korea to formally end the 1950-53 Korean War and lift sanctions against the country, saying the North Korean nuclear standoff won’t be resolved unless the US changes its tone, according to Choe. The war ended with a cease-fire, not a peace treaty.

Shortly after Choe spoke, South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se told reporters that most diplomats at the forum expressed a “very strong message” to the North Korean delegation that Pyongyang must scrap its nuclear program and refrain from another provocation.

“So they must have listened to

SEOUL: South Korean owners who run factories in the suspended inter-Korean Kaesong Industrial Complex, attend an emergency meeting in Seoul yesterday. The owners demanded the South Korean Unification Ministry to approve a visit to the North Korean border town Kaesong and insisted their government and North Korean authorities resume the operation of the joint industrial complex. — AP this message very, very seriously,” he said. A senior US State Department official said North Korea needed to comply with UN Security Council resolutions on denuclearizing and commit to actions as well as talks. “What is needed are credible and authentic negotiations to eliminate North Korea’s nuclear program,” said the official, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the issue and so spoke anonymously.

After the conference ended Tuesday, a statement by the forum chairman said ministers had reiterated their support for efforts to realize the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula peacefully. It said most ministers had “encouraged” North Korea to honor past disarmament pledges.

North Korea surprisingly offered to talk with the US and rejoin longstalled international nuclear disarmament talks last month after weeks of tension following its February nuclear test. US officials have responded coolly to North Korea’s overtures, and analysts say the impoverished country often raises tensions with provocative behavior then calls for talks in order to win outside concessions.

Kerry stepped up pressure on the North to abandon its atomic ambitions after meeting with his counterparts from China, South Korea and Japan. He emphasized Washington’s common cause with

Beijing, which is North Korea’s longtime ally and main aid provider but has been angered by Pyongyang’s ramping up of tensions. China has supported tightening UN sanctions and cracked down on North Korean banking activity.

“China made clear to me they have made very firm statements and very firm steps that they have taken with respect to the implementation of that policy,” Kerry told reporters. The nuclear disarmament talks have been stalled since North Korea quit the negotiations in 2009 to protest international condemnation over a rocket launch.

Yun’s office said Russia’s foreign minister also expressed his opposition to North Korea possessing nuclear weapons when he met with his South Korean counterpart on Monday. On Tuesday, senior North Korean nuclear strategist and First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan left for Russia. Russia’s Interfax news agency quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov as saying he’ll meet with Kim in Moscow on Thursday to discuss the possibility of resuming the six-party talks. Kim, who served as North Korea’s top nuclear negotiator, visited China last month and Chinese officials said he expressed his country’s intentions to resume the talks during his visit.

Since the ASEAN security forum includes all members of the six-party talks, it has previously been a venue for informal talks to break

stalemates over the nuclear standoff. But there have been no reports that North Korea had similar talks with the US or South Korea in Brunei.

On South China Sea disputes, meanwhile, the forum chairman’s statement said Chinese and Southeast Asian diplomats would meet in China in September to start official consultations on a proposed legally binding “code of conduct” aimed at preventing armed clashes over long-simmering territorial disputes in the area.

The step, however feeble, represented progress toward a longstanding call for China and the 10nation ASEAN bloc to negotiate a nonaggression pact to prevent the disputes from turning violent.

China, Taiwan and four ASEAN member countries - Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam - have overlapping territorial claims over resource -rich islands, islets and reefs and surrounding waters in the busy South China Sea. In a meeting with his Southeast Asian counterparts Monday, Kerry said Washington wanted to see immediate progress on the proposed “code of conduct” between China and the ASEAN bloc to ensure regional stability. Kerry reiterated that it was in the US national interest that the disputes are resolved peacefully and freedom of navigation is ensured in the disputed waters. —AP

China milk antitrust probe may be step towards consolidation HONG KONG: The decision by China’s top economic planner to investigate five leading foreign infant milk companies for suspected antitrust violations may be part of a broader plan to boost consumption of the local product, analysts said yesterday.

Mothers turned away from Chinese milk powder in 2008 when infant formula tainted with the industrial compound melamine killed at least six babies and made thousands sick with kidney stones.

China has since made efforts to crack down on persistent food safety problems that have included chemical-laced pork and infant milk contaminated with cancer-causing agents.

Infant formula makers Nestle SA, Danone, Mead Johnson Nutrition Co and Abbott Laboratories said on Tuesday that they were being investigated by China’s National Development and Reform Commission for possible antitrust violations.

Analysts said the investigation could result in fines and tougher rules governing imports into an infant milk market set to grow to $25 billion by 2017. The firms could face fines ranging from 1 percent to 10 percent of their annual sales, the state-run Xinhua news agency quoted experts as saying.

“It is part of the whole idea of a consolidation

process,” said Renee Tai, a Hong Kong-based analyst at regional brokerage UOB Kay Hian. “It is pointing the same direction of supporting local producers, making it difficult for importers.”

Some Chinese infant formula companies have started forming partnerships with foreign firms to try to boost brand recognition and gain technical know-how.

“Since consumer confidence in the Chinese products is seen as improving, it can be a chance (for Beijing) to test if confidence in local brands can hold its own against the foreign competition,” Linus Yip, chief strategist at First Shanghai Securities.

Foreign brands may also soon have to rely on their Chinese partners if they want greater access to the Chinese market.

The Chinese government has expressed an interest in bringing the supply chain under the control of Chinese firms as part of its goal of reducing the number of local infant formula producers to 10 from more than 200 within two years.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said in June that integration of the milk powder industry was expected to involve 10 large companies with revenues exceeding 2 billion yuan in two years, according to the China Daily. “They have to boost local consumption

before they can proceed with the consolidation more smoothly,” said one retail analyst at a regional brokerage, who was not authorised to speak to the media.

As part of this consolidation, China Mengniu Dairy Co Ltd signed a second takeover deal in a month in June to buy Carlyle-backed Yashili International Holdings Ltd in a deal worth about HK$12.5 billion ($1.6 billion) as part of a plan to expand its milk powder business.

On Wednesday, China’s official Communist Party mouthpiece, the People’s Daily, said foreign and local players were equal before the law but that foreign brands should not raise prices frequently without regard to the law and abuse their competitive advantage.

“From 2008, some foreign milk powder brands have increased their prices by up to 30 percent, nearly double that of local milk powder brands,” said an editorial in the People’s Daily, adding that if local brands raised standards and won trust, they could replace foreign brands as the favourites. Internet commentators on China’s Sina Weibo were not so sure.

“This is practically forcing Chinese children to drink locally made milk,” said one Weibo user.

“It’s really shameful that we can’t produce good milk and now we are preventing others from selling it.” — Reuters

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

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

Bangladesh plans stronger labour reforms after US move DHAKA: Bangladesh plans more sweeping labour law reforms after the United States withdrew trade privileges over a deadly garment factory collapse, officials said yesterday.

Bangladesh expressed outrage last week at President Barack Obama’s decision to cut the country’s duty-free trade privileges over the building collapse in April that killed 1,129 people.

The US said the government had failed to protect the fundamental rights of workers. Bangladeshi officials, desperate to persuade Western retailers to stay put, insisted they had drawn up legislative reforms since the disaster, the country’s worst industrial accident.

However the cabinet led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina this week set up a committee to review the labour laws again, the top civil servant, Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, said.

“The committee will suggest further improvements to the labour laws taking into consideration labour rights, investment, productivity and the views of the importing countries,” said Bhuiyan, the cabinet secretary.

The new committee met on Tuesday in an effort to “review and improve” draft legislation already being debated in parliament, the top labour official said.

“We’re examining the safety-related issues of the labour laws, with special

emphasis on trade union and factory safety,” Labour Secretary Mikail Shipar said.

“The US, the European Union and the International Labour Organisation have expressed concern over safety-related issues,” he said.

Bangladesh is the world’s second largest garment producer after China and the industry is the mainstay of the economy, accounting for 80 percent of the country’s $25 billion annual exports.

Retailers from the US and the EU buy the bulk of the exports.

The government approved draft legislation in May just weeks after the disaster, which underscored appalling safety

standards and working conditions for employees of the country’s 4,500 garment plants.

The reforms were aimed at making it easier to set up unions in garment factories and compensate workers involved in factory accidents.

Activists say only two dozen factoriesall small plants-have allowed their workers to form trade unions. Workers in other factories face sacking or harassment for moving to set up a union.

Local union leaders rejected the reforms at the time, saying they failed to improve rights and entitlements for millions of garment workers, while exportoriented industrial parks were exempt.

The government also set up a panel to raise the minimum wage for garment workers and has shut down about two dozen factories for poor safety conditions.

The US trade privileges had been accorded to Bangladesh under a programme known as the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP), which eliminates tariffs on imports from 127 countries to aid their development.

Although the GSP programme does not cover the garment industry, the move was an embarrassment for the Bangladeshi government which is desperate to convince foreign firms that it is serious about improving safety. —- AFP

US drone attack kills 16 militants in Pakistan ‘Violation of sovereignty’ PESHAWAR: Unmanned US aircraft fired four missiles at a house in northwest Pakistan before dawn yesterday, killing 16 suspected militants, Pakistani intelligence officials said. The drone strike elicited a swift condemnation by the Pakistani government, which released a statement saying the strikes are a violation of its sovereignty. The attack in the Sarai Darpa Khel area of the North Waziristan tribal region also wounded two suspected militants, said the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

The suspected militants who were targeted were believed to be from the Afghan Haqqani network. US officials consider the Haqqani network to be one of the most dangerous militant factions fighting American troops in neighboring Afghanistan. The leadership of the Haqqani network pledges allegiance to Taliban chief Mullah Omar but operates fairly independently.

US drone strikes have become a serious source of tension between Washington and Islamabad. The Pakistani government regularly

denounces the strikes as a violation of the country’s sovereignty, even though senior officials are known to have supported some of the attacks in the past.

“The Government of Pakistan has consistently maintained that drone strikes are counter-productive, entail loss of innocent civilian lives and have human rights and humanitarian implications,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement yesterday.

“These drone strikes have a negative impact on the mutual desire of both countries to forge a cordial and cooperative relationship and to ensure peace and stability in the region,” the ministry said.

US officials rarely provide details publicly about the covert CIA drone program in Pakistan.

The U.S. has urged Pakistan to take military action against the Haqqani network in North Waziristan, but Islamabad has so far refused. The Pakistani army says its forces are stretched too thin fighting domestic Taliban militants in other parts of the tribal region.

But many analysts believe the military is reluctant to anger the Haqqani network because of its historical ties with the group and the belief that it will play an important role in Afghanistan after foreign forces withdraw from the neighboring country.

Elsewhere in northwest Pakistan, militants attacked a police post before dawn Wednesday and killed six policemen, said a local government administrator, Habibullah Khan.

Ten policemen were wounded in the attack about 25 km southeast of the city of Peshawar, said another government official, Feroz Shah.

The post was staffed by both paramilitary police from the Frontier Constabulary force and also by tribal policemen. Khan said policemen retaliated in a gunbattle that lasted several hours and killed several militants.

Pakistani Taliban spokesman Ahsanullah Ahsan claimed responsibility for the attack and denied that any militants were killed. He spoke to The Associated Press by telephone from an undisclosed location.—AP

Pakistan could soon end Afghan war: Kabul

KABUL: Chief of Staff of the Afghan National Army Sher Mohammad Karimi listens at a press conference at the presidential palace in Kabul recently.

Pakistan could end the Afghan war “in weeks” if it were serious about peace, Afghanistan’s army chief said in a BBC interview broadcast yesterday. —AFP

India raid finds trucks packed with cash, diamonds, gold MUMBAI: Indian investigators seized more than 100 bags stuffed with cash, gold and diamond jewellery during a raid on four trucks in Mumbai, marking one of the city’s largest such hauls, reports and officials said yesterday.

Income tax and anti-terror investigators raided the vehicles Monday night at a south Mumbai train station after a tip-off and questioned 45 people accompanying the goods, Director General of Income Tax Swatantra Kumar told reporters.

“Cash amount is about 100 million rupees ($1.7m). Verification and valuation of jewellery is in progress. No further details,” Kumar told AFP. Income tax officials said they thought the cash and jewellery was bound for Gujarat state, north of Mumbai, as part of a “hawala” transaction, the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency reported.

The term “hawala” describes an illegal Indian network used to transfer money

without using the formal banking system. It is popular among ordinary consumers who use it to transfer small amounts, but is also a haven for criminals.

According to PTI the couriers travelled with police escorts, who explained that it was a regular practice for police to accompany private couriers carrying high value goods to prevent banditry.

Deputy commissioner of police Nisar Tamboli told the Mid Day newspaper: “For the last 15 years or so, an escort from a local police station is usually provided to these couriers as they carry big sums of cash and other valuables. This is done to prevent robberies and dacoity. Murders have been committed over this.”

A senior police official told PTI that it is not the police’s responsibility to verify whether the cash and jeweller y were accounted for or not.

The cash and jewellery has not yet been accounted for, officials told PTI. —AFP

KABUL: Pakistan could end the Afghan war “in weeks” if it were serious about peace, and is complicit in US drone strikes despite its denunciations of the anti-militant campaign, Afghanistan’s army chief says.

In a BBC interview broadcast yesterday, Gen Sher Mohammad Karimi laid bare the mistrust between Kabul and Islamabad as US-led troops wind down more than a decade of war against Taliban and other insurgents.

By closing down madrassa schools that serve as incubators of Islamist extremism, Pakistan had “unleashed” the Taliban on Afghanistan today, the chief of staff of the Afghan National Army said.

“Yes, it will be done in weeks,” Karimi said when asked if Pakistan could end the Taliban’s fight against the Kabul government if it wanted.

He said “the Taliban are under their control” and Pakistan could do far more to promote a nascent peace process.

“Now Pakistan is suffering internally from terrorists as much as I do. We can both do together to fight this menace provided that (everyone is) sincere in what they’re doing,” Karimi said in the interview, which was recorded in Kabul on Saturday.

Pakistan was the prime foreign backer of the Taliban’s 1996-2001 government and some of the fundamentalist movement’s top leaders are believed to live in the Pakistani city of Quetta.

In the past decade, Pakistan has seen the emergence of its own Taliban movement that has claimed thousands of lives in a campaign of terror.

The search for a peace deal in Afghanistan is now an urgent priority as 100,000 US-led NATO combat troops prepare to withdraw next year and Afghan forces take on the fight against insurgents.

After weekend talks with Britain’s visiting leader David Cameron, new Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif spoke of his government’s “firm resolve to promote the shared objective of a peaceful and stable Afghanistan”.

But Afghan President Hamid Karzai has long decried what he sees as Pakistani double-dealing designed to bring about a friendly regime in Kabul, and Karimi said this bad faith extended to Sharif ’s objections to US drone strikes in Pakistan’s northwest.

“US has not started drone attacks on their own,” the Afghan army chief said, arguing that Islamabad had “given the lists” of militants it wants taken out.

“The drones are used against those Taliban who are Pakistani Taliban. The drones are never used against Haqqani or Afghan Taliban,” he said, in reference to one of the most feared Afghan insurgent groups. —AFP

PESHAWAR: A Pakistani security official walks on the roof of a bullet-riddled security checkpoint following an overnight attack by armed militants at Jina Kor, 40 km southeast of Peshawar, yesterday. —AFP

Militants kill six Pakistani police PESHAWAR: Dozens of heavily armed militants stormed a checkpoint in a northwestern Pakistani village overnight, killing at least six paramilitary police and wounding seven others, officials said yesterday.

The attack took place at Jina Kor, 40 km southeast of Peshawar and close to the tribal area of Darra Adam Khel, where Taliban militants are active.

More than 50 militants attacked the checkpoint at around midnight and a gunfight lasted for more than an hour, Frontier Constabulary chief Abdul Majeed Marwat said.

“Six of our men embraced martyrdom, while seven others were wounded,” Marwat said. Javed Khan Marwat, deputy commissioner of Peshawar, confirmed the attack and the death toll.

Homegrown insurgents, waging a domestic insurgency for seven years, routinely attack members of Pakistan’s security forces. Much of the violence is concentrated in northwest Pakistan and the tribal areas, which Washington considers a hub for Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants plotting attacks on the West and in Afghanistan. —AFP

AHMADABAD: Indians hold candles as they pray for the victims of Uttarakhand floods, at a temple in Ahmadabad yesterday. The death toll in devastating floods and landslides that struck nearly two weeks ago in northern Indian state of Uttarakhand has exceeded 1,000 and many more people are still missing. —AP

Sri Lanka probes player incident on plane COLOMBO: A Sri Lanka cricketer was at the center of an investigation on Tuesday after attempting to open a cabin door during a flight to London, mistakenly thinking it was the toilet.

Ramith Rambukwella was on board Sunday with the rest of the Sri Lanka ‘A’ squad heading back from its tour of the Caribbean when he tried to open the cabin door, with the aircraft reportedly at 35,000 feet.

According to a report conducted by the team’s manager, Jayantha Seneviratne, fellow passengers pointed out Rambukwella’s mistake and the player was directed to the toilet, before

later apologizing. The incident occurred at around midnight, seven hours into the flight.

The report said Rambukwella, who is the son of a Sri Lankan government minister, made the error “due to dim lights in the cabin.”

Sri Lanka Cricket said in a statement that it was “disappointed to hear of such an incident,” adding: “An inquiry will be conducted based on the manager’s report and disciplinary action will be taken on the player concerned if found guilty.”

The 21-year-old Rambukwella has never played a test, ODI or Twenty20 match for Sri Lanka’s senior team. —AFP

Investigators to examine why Arizona blaze killed 19 PRESCOTT: Shortly before flames engulfed his comrades, the Hotshot firefighters’ lookout radioed his team that the blaze had shifted direction with the wind and that he was fleeing for safety. The harrowing experience of the elite crew’s lone survivor was detailed Tuesday by a Prescott fire official, who also defended his department’s actions in the tragedy that killed 19 firefighters. The deaths raised questions over whether the crew should have been pulled out much earlier and if standard precautions would have made any difference in the face of triple-digit temperatures, erratic winds and tinderbox conditions.

Investigators who arrived from around the US will examine what caused the nation’s biggest loss of firefighters since 9/11.

Violent wind gusts Sunday turned what was believed to be a relatively manageable lightning ignited forest fire in the tiny town of Yarnell into a death trap that left no escape for the team, who had long proved they were willing to work in the hottest parts of blazes. Brendan McDonough was assigned to give a “heads-up on the hillside” for the team on that fateful afternoon. He notified the crew of the changing conditions before leaving his post, said Wade

Ward, a Prescott Fire Department spokesman who relayed McDonough’s story at an afternoon news conference.“He did exactly what he was supposed to,” said Ward, who implored the media to respect McDonough’s privacy and to “leave him alone.” Ward did not address how the 19 others responded after McDonough’s warning or how much time they had to act. “He’s trying to deal with the same things that we’re all trying to deal with, but you can understand how that’s compounded being there on the scene,” Ward said.

The surviving crew member joined the families of the victims at a memorial service in Prescott. More than 3,000 people gathered at a high school football stadium to mourn and remember the fallen during service punctuated by repeated moments of silence.

After one moment of silence, 19 purple balloons - one for each of the fallen firefighters - were released into the air. McDonough and victims’ immediate family members sat in a special seating area that was roped off and security escorted them from the stadium when the event ended. The service marked the first opportunity for many in the Prescott community to gather together since 19 of the men fighting a fire in

nearby Yarnell died in the line of duty.

Official standards say fire crews battling a wildfire should identify escape routes and safe zones and that crews should pay attention to weather forecasts and post lookouts. The US Forest Service adopted the guidelines after 14 firefighters died in 1994 on Colorado’s Storm King Mountain. Investigators uncovered numerous errors in how that blaze was fought. “The reforms after Storm King were collectively intended to prevent that from happening again, which was mass entrapment of an entire Hotshot crew,” said Lloyd Burton, professor of environmental law and policy at the University of Colorado. In the Storm King tragedy, a rapid change in weather sent winds raging, creating 100-foot tongues of flame.

Firefighters were unable to escape, as a wall of fire raced up a hillside. “There are so many striking parallels between this tragedy and what happened on Storm King in 1994, it’s almost haunting,” he said. The Arizona fire was “still burning very hot” Tuesday even though there were not a lot of active flames.

Nearly 600 firefighters were battling the mountain blaze and an 8 percent containment figure announced by officials brought news of the first sign

of progress against the deadly blaze. Since Sunday, containment had stood at zero percent. The fire has burned about 13 square miles. Yavapai County authorities said about 200 homes and other structures were destroyed in Yarnell, a town of about 700 people. Hundreds were evacuated. Fire Cmdr. Clay Templin urged residents to heed evacuation orders, saying “in these extraordinary conditions, we don’t want to have another tragedy in Arizona.”

Complicating efforts were the “exceptionally” dry conditions from drought.

The Hotshot team from Prescott entered the smoky wilderness over the weekend with backpacks, chain saws and other heavy gear to remove brush and trees and deprive the flames of fuel. But the blaze grew from 200 acres to about 2,000 in a matter of hours. Weather reports from around the time of the firefighter deaths show how volatile the wind became. At 4 p.m., the wind was blowing out of the southwest, but one hour later, it had switched to the exact opposite direction and dramatically increased in speed. It was gusting at 22 mph at 4 p.m. but was at 41 mph by 5 p.m. “What limited information we have was there was a gust of wind from the north

that blew the fire back and trapped them,” said Prescott City Councilman Len Scamardo.

Retired smoke jumper Art Morrison, a spokesman for the Arizona State Forestry Division, said it’s essentially a judgment call in picking a safe haven to escape to if the flames suddenly blow toward crews and they have to flee for their lives.

“Whatever they used as a safety zone just didn’t work,” he said of the Prescott team. Dick Mangan, a retired US Forest Service safety official and consultant, said it’s too early to say if the crew or those managing the fire made mistakes. “This just might have been a weather anomaly that nobody saw coming that happened too quickly to respond to,” Mangan said. He said the crew members might have taken too many risks because they were on familiar ground and were trying to protect a community they knew well. “When you’ve got especially structures and residences involved, and you’ve got local resources, there’s a fair amount of social and political pressure, some of it self-generated by the firefighters, who want to do a good job,” Mangan said. “They don’t want to see a community burn down. They want to get in there.”—AP

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THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

ANALYSIS

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Issues

Euro zone survival?

Depends on where you work

By Andy Bruce hree years into an unresolved euro zone crisis, Reuters polls show a marked split on the future depending on whether forecasters are based inside or outside the currency bloc. What sort of institution those who are regularly canvassed work for also appears to be a factor. In last week’s Reuters poll of bond market strategists and economists, the divisions were clear. Asked if government borrowing costs for peripheral euro zone countries such as Spain and Italy would soon head back into the danger zone, only around a quarter of economists working for euro zone-based institutions answered yes.

For non-euro zone respondents, slightly more than half predicted a return to crisis levels in the bloc’s debt markets. It might not take long to find out who is right. Government borrowing costs have spiralled to dangerous levels in Portugal this week, racked by a political crisis that also pushed Spanish and Italian bond yields higher yesterday. Greece is also facing a crisis again, with it being given only a few days by international lenders to deliver on conditions attached to its bailout in order to receive its next tranche of aid.

To some extent, all forecasters are subject to outside pressures - whether they are work for investment banks, governments betting on strong economic growth, or independent research houses seeking a splash with eye-catching predictions. It is a familiar pattern. Last June, when the sovereign debt crisis was reaching fever pitch, Reuters asked economists if the currency union would survive in its current form for the next 12 months. Seventy-nine percent of those working for euro zone-based firms said it would. Outside it, barely half said yes.

“There is uncertainty, and so there is more than the usual subjective judgment that tends to seep into expectations, as past activity figures bring very little clarity about the outlook,” said Lena Komileva, director of consultancy G+ Economics. The same question on the euro zone’s survival appeared in a Reuters poll from January last year. None of the 30 economists working for German and French institutions predicted any sort of break-up. And of the 10 who predicted its failure, seven worked outside the euro zone, including four from Britain, where euroscepticism runs high.

This geographic tilt isn’t limited to the euro zone.

In Nov 2010, the high end of forecasts on the final size of the US Federal Reserve’s second round of bond buys - dubbed QE2 - was driven by the 18 primary bond dealers that do business directly with the Fed. The median estimate for QE2 from the dealers, who would be selling bonds to the central bank at a very good price, was $1 trillion, compared with $600 billion for the wider majority of economists, most of whom did not work for primary dealers.

“There is a bias, but it isn’t just a European one.

How many American banks forecast the imminent demise of the American financial system that they were involved in? Look at how many UK banks predicted the impending UK recession,” said Danny Gabay, economist at Fathom Financial Consulting.

No economist polled by Reuters predicted the UK’s entry into its worst post-war recession in 2008 until it was already there. Investors too can display crowd think. In August, fund managers were asked if European Central Bank President Mario Draghi’s announcement that he would do “whatever it takes” to save the euro changed their view of the crisis and sovereign bonds in the euro zone.

Three-quarters of fund managers based in the euro zone said yes, but fewer than a quarter in the United States and Britain were in agreement. “It isn’t just banks, to be fair,” said Fathom’s Gabay, who points to the need for independent forecasting. “You rarely find oil analysts predicting oil prices will fall, you rarely find equity analysts predicting equity prices will fall, because they’re in the business of selling.” —Reuters

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

For Obama, tricky geometry in Egypt

By Warren Strobel and Phil Stewart ith Egypt and its democratic experiment at a tipping point, US President Barack Obama finds himself trying to nudge the most populous Arab country’s bitterly divided antagonists toward compromise but finds his influence limited. Where Obama and his predecessors once dealt with a single all-powerful figure - ousted strongman President Hosni Mubarak - the White House is now gingerly trying to persuade unpopular, but democratically elected, President Mohamed Morsi and Egypt’s military to strike a political deal, all without alienating millions of Egyptians protesting in the streets.

Egypt’s size and leading position in the Arab world mean its political course will be felt throughout the region, where the United States is already struggling to stem Islamist militants and sectarian strife. But Obama has not forged close ties to Morsi, and has been criticized for what is widely seen as his standoffish approach to Egypt’s attempts to solidify its democracy. Now that Egypt looks to be on the brink of chaos, an immediate challenge for Washington is how to sway the country’s armed forces, which gave Morsi until yesterday to agree on power-sharing with other political forces, warning it would set out its own roadmap for the country’s future if he did not.

A military coup against Morsi and his crumbling government would seriously undermine Obama’s promotion of democracy in the Middle East and could lead to a cutoff in US military aid to Egypt. The United States relied heavily on its ties with Egypt’s top military officers, forged through decades of joint training, military schooling

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in the United States and US military aid, to guide the country to free elections when protesters poured into Cairo’s Tahrir Square in early 2011 demanding Mubarak’s ouster.

The armed forces eventually sided with the protesters, hastening Mubarak’s downfall. The difference this time is that Morsi was democratically elected in a process backed by Washington. US influence with the Egyptian military is greatest on regional security matters, such as Egypt’s peace treaty with Israel. Underlying the importance for Washington of keeping ties to Egypt’s military, Secretary of State John Kerry in May quietly approved $1.3 billion in military assistance, despite the country’s failure to meet democracy standards set by the US Congress.

To do so, Kerry waived a US legal requirement that he certify the Egyptian government “is supporting the transition to civilian government, including holding free and fair elections, implementing policies to protect freedom of expression, association and religion, and due process of law”.

“Nobody should be under the illusion that simply because we give $1.3 billion of weapons and training support to the Egyptian military that we can control them in any way when it comes to internal politics and the internal security situation,” said Brian Katulis at the Center for American Progress, a Washington-based think tank.

Army General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke by telephone this week with Egypt’s army chief of staff, Lieutenant General Sedki Sobhi, a US defense official said. Details of that conversation were not released, and it is unclear whether Dempsey or other top US officials have explicitly warned the Egyptian military against mounting a coup.

Obama, Kerry and other US leaders have not publicly criticized the army’s ultimatum.

Michele Dunne, a former State Department official who served in Egypt and Israel and is now at the Atlantic Council think tank, said the key question is whether the military sweeps Morsi and his government aside entirely and steps in to rule, or stops short of that - perhaps by appointing a civilian figurehead. The US-Egypt military relationship was tested when the army assumed power after Mubarak’s fall, and “if the military takes control, it’s going to be tested again,” she said.

The Obama White House has not been enamored with Morsi, a leader of the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood whom it sees as having failed to form an inclusive, effective government. Obama has not hosted Morsi at the White House, and officials canceled a visit by the Egyptian leader last year after a video from 2010 surfaced in which Morsi described Israelis as “descendants of apes and pigs”.

Obama, wrapping up an Africa tour, called Morsi on Tuesday, according to the White House. “Democracy is about ... ensuring that the voices of all Egyptians are heard and represented by their government, including the many Egyptians demonstrating throughout the country,” a White House statement said. Obama told Morsi that “the current crisis can only be resolved through a political process”.

But amid reports of violence, Morsi showed little sign of compromise, calling on the military to withdraw its ultimatum and saying he would not be dictated to. For Washington, communicating with the Morsi government is becoming more problematic. State Department spokeswoman

Jen Psaki announced Tuesday that Kerry had called Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr, only to be reminded by reporters that Amr had reportedly tendered his resignation - one of a half-dozen or so senior Morsi aides to resign in recent days. It was unclear whether Amr was still in his position when Kerry spoke with him, giving a sense in Washington that the Morsi government is unraveling.

As with the civil war in Syria, Obama has been criticized for what many analysts say is a largely hands-off approach toward post-Mubarak Egypt. Obama administration officials counter that Washington has limited influence on Arab societies struggling to remake themselves, and too overt a US intervention would backfire. In the latest crisis, the United States, seen for decades in the Arab world as a supporter of pro-Western autocrats, has insisted it is not playing favorites.

That has not stopped some among the millions of protesters on Egypt’s city streets from criticizing what they see as Washington’s backing for Morsi. Photos insulting US Ambassador to Egypt Anne Patterson have appeared in the crowds.

Obama told Morsi in their phone conversation “that the United States is committed to the democratic process in Egypt and does not support any single party or group”, the White House said.

Dunne said popular resentment at the United States can be blamed in part on policies toward Egypt and other fragile Arab democracies that she labeled “unimaginative at best”. “We could have done so much more to encourage the transition in Egypt,” she said. “We really have stayed out, stayed on the sidelines, waiting to see what happened.” — Reuters

Bashir plays to hardliners to stem debate

By Ulf Laessing hen Sudan’s President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir returned a few weeks ago from a summit in Ethiopia with his South Sudanese counterpart and former civil war foe, many people here expec ted him to talk of peace. Instead, the 69-year- old ruler donned his officer’s uniform, waved his trademark walking stick and - once again - threatened to cut off South Sudanese oil exports through Sudan, something the northern country’s battered economy can ill afford. The International Criminal Court-indicted leader faces a succession debate at home and his rhetoric was aimed less at the South, an uneasy neighbour since it split from the north in 2011, and more at hard-line Islamists and army officers in his own circles, analysts say.

This weekend, thousands of Sudanese demanded that Bashir step down in the biggest opposition rally for years. But the biggest threat to his rule might come from dissent within the army and Islamists, the backbone of his power since he seized control in a 1989 coup. Nobody in the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) has declared himself a contender, but speculation over who could run the vast African countr y after Bashir has increased since he indicated he might quit before 2015 elections.

Diplomats say Bashir’s family has been asking him to make good on that suggestion following his throat surgery last year.

Officials insist he is completely fit but he has cut down on speeches and public events. Any handover would be complicated by Bashir’s indictment at the ICC for war crimes in Sudan’s Dar fur region, where the government and the Janjaweed militia have been battling rebel groups from the minority non-Arab population since 2003. Analysts say he

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would be anxious to ensure a successor would not turn him over to The Hague to improve relations with the West. “He would want a hardliner as successor to make sure there won’t be any concession with the ICC,” said Magdi El Gizouli, a political analyst and author of the “Still Sudan” blog.

Bashir is no stranger to challenges. In his 24 years in power, he has weathered protests, multiple armed revolts, US trade sanctions, the loss of vital oil to South Sudan and, more recently, a coup attempt by disgruntled officers and Islamists.

While Western powers shun contact with Bashir due to the ICC Darfur charges, they worry his exit might lead to instability in one of Africa’s biggest countries at a time when Islamist militants are fighting French troops in Mali and roam across sub-Saharan borders.

With its porous borders to Chad, Egypt, the Central African Republic and Libya, awash with arms from the 2001 overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi, an unstable Sudan could be a major security headache. Alarm bells rang when unconfirmed reports emerged that some Mali fighters fleeing French troops had arrived in lawless Dar fur in February, despite Sudan’s denial. “No doubt many horrible things happen in Sudan, but a Sudan without Bashir could be chaos,” said a European diplomat. “You could have a link between Islamists here and in Mali.”

NCP officials have played down Bashir’s comments, with several calling on him to run again, fearing his exit might split the party, or indeed the country, which is dominated by three Arab tribes.

Others want him to stay to safeguard their business interests. “We will accept nobody else but you,” Abu Majzoub, a senior NCP official told Bashir during a party meeting two weeks ago. The president himself kept his options open at the

event, declaring in a speech - one of his longest since undergoing surgery - that only a special NCP conference, expected for next year, would decide on the next candidate. But newspaper columnist Mekki El-Mograbi said it was too late to stop a succession debate. Middle-aged NCP cadres have been privately complaining that key positions in the government and state firms have been held for decades by the same old men. They point to senior figures like Oil Minister Awad AlJaz, who is on his second term in that post and has been rotated though various top jobs since the 1989 coup. “Young people inside the NCP think it is time to take over power,” said Mekki, an NCP member. “They want young people present in all government positions.”

Some technocrats close to the NCP also feel the ICC charges stand in the way of better ties with the West as Sudan hopes for investment to realise its mineral and agricultural potential. In a first public rift, senior NCP official Ghazi Salah ad-Din said in April the constitution banned Bashir from running again. The NCP promptly removed him as head of its parliamentary caucus. To keep critics at bay Bashir cannot lose the loyalty of the army, a power broker in a country famous for coups.

By accusing South Sudan of backing Sudanese rebels he is playing to the feelings of hardliners in the army and also radical Islamists for whom the old civil war foe to the south is a natural enemy, analysts and diplomats in Khartoum say.

Some officers were enraged by a rebel attack on central Sudan in April, and dismayed by the army’s struggle to seize back territory. Bashir has since changed the army leadership under the banner of regular retirement, which offered him the chance to promote ambitious young officers and make a new start fighting rebels.

Aly Verjee, senior researcher at the Rift Valley Institute, said Bashir had still the support of many in the army and NCP but the risk was that disgruntled officers might team up with Islamists who feel he has given up the religious values of his 1989 coup. That risk was exposed when authorities unveiled in November a coup plot involving a former spy chief and 12 officers. One of them was a senior Islamist army officer, who is revered as a hero fighting southern “infidels” during the long civil war. “ The question is not whether anti-Bashir sentiment exists, but how deep it runs, how permanent it is, and how many of the leadership are sympathetic to such views,” said Verjee.

The government has been at pains not to give any clues who might succeed Bashir one day. When Japan held an African summit in June it left Sudan to choose its representative as Tokyo could not host Bashir due to the ICC charges.

First Vice President Ali Osman Taha would have been the top-ranking alternative, but Khartoum only sent a state finance minister. “It looked odd to have a junior minister sitting next to several African leaders, but I think they didn’t want to send Taha since he’s seen as a succession candidate,” said a diplomat.

Taha would be the preferred candidate of many Western diplomats who hope his more moderate views might open a new page in relations. But as a former judge and lawyer it remains to be seen whether he would have the backing of the army.

“Bashir might think Taha is too soft and could make concessions with the ICC,” said El Gizouli. Another possible contender is presidential assistant Nafie Ali Nafie, a hardliner with security ties. He has been visiting European countries such as Norway, Sweden or Russia in recent months, which some see as a hint of higher ambitions. — Reuters

NEWS

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

CAIRO: Egyptians celebrate in a teahouse during Defense Minister Gen Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi’s announcement in the capital’s Zamalek district yesterday. — AP

Wary of Morsi, Gulf Egypt protesters erupt in keen to appear neutral joy as army ousts Morsi

DUBAI/RIYADH: Gulf Arab rulers are resisting the temptation to gloat in public about the political woes of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, a group most of them mistrust, for fear of deepening unrest in a country that remains a potential ally in their standoff with Iran.

Officials and analysts said official Gulf Arab silence reflected a longstanding belief among the mainly small, US-allied Sunni Muslim-ruled oil producers that their security is closely linked to that of Egypt, the most populous country in the Arab World, which is also Sunni.

For most of the past 30 years Egypt has been a strategic ally for Gulf Arab states worried about being dominated by the much bigger, Shiite Islamic Republic across the Gulf. Now, with the stakes so high and Egypt’s situation so volatile, the official thinking seems to be that public meddling might only make things worse, analysts say.

Expressions of concern are couched in term of seeking the common good and favouring dialogue. “To have a peaceful and stable Egypt is very important for Saudi and the rest of the Arab world,” said Abdullah Al-Askar, foreign affairs committee chairman at Saudi Arabia’s Shura Council, a body appointed by King Abdullah to advise on policy.

Stressing he was speaking in his personal capacity, Askar said that given the anti-government protests’ size, President Mohamed Morsi should be more open to the opposition’s complaints. “I think it’s advisable to give attention to these people and listen to them. He was elected and came to power with the voice of these people,” Askar told Reuters. The only official comments from the Gulf on the situation in Egypt came from Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Al-Sheikh, who appealed to Egyptians to avoid bloodshed, and Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Sabah. “In this period, although we are following the developments and events in Egypt with concern, I want to reiterate our confidence that our Egyptian brothers are capable of overcoming the current situation,” Sheikh Sabah said.

UAE political scientist Abdulkhaleq Abdulla warned of a repeat of the Algerian scenario, where years of violence costing an estimated 150,000 lives followed the army’s cancellation of 1991 elections that Islamists looked set to win. “The divisions in Egypt can ignite a cycle of violence, and if the army comes in, it may even be more violent,” he said. Ebtesam Al-Ketbi, another UAE analyst, said the silence of most Gulf Arab officials did not mean they were not worried over the situation there. “They don’t

want to be accused of taking sides at this stage. The Brotherhood are always ready to accuse the Gulf of financing the unrest,” Ketbi, a political science professor at Emirates University in the United Arab Emirates, said.

“But it is not a secret that there are those in the Gulf who want to see the fall of this model,” she added.

Not all Gulf states are hostile to the Brotherhood.

Qatar was alone among Gulf Arab states in celebrating the 2011 Arab Spring revolt that toppled former president Hosni Mubarak, a foe of Iran and a longtime ally of the hereditary states that sit on nearly a quarter of the world’s oil reserves. Qatar has been a major financier of the Islamist groups around the Arab World, including Egypt’s Brotherhood. “Qatar must be viewing the situation in Egypt with alarm. It has been a backer of the Egyptian government and I see no reason that it will fall back from that,” Salman Shaikh, director of the Brookings Doha Centre, said.

But a change in Qatari leadership last week that saw the emir succeeded by his 33-year-old son Sheikh Tamim has raised questions about a possible shift away from the Brotherhood. Influential Muslim cleric Sheikh Youssef Al-Qaradawi had denied reports that Qatar’s young emir had asked him to leave the country, but the denial has failed to quell rumours of a rift beginning to emerge with the Muslim Brotherhood. There were also unconfirmed reports that Qatar, which has flown hundreds of its citizens home since the protests began, had also recalled its ambassador, fearing for his safety.

“The new Qatari Emir gave mixed messages in his first speech, first saying that Qatar does not take sides and then indicating that he will continue his father’s policy,” UAE commentator Sultan Al-Qassemi said. “But from the way he greeted Qaradawi, kissing him on the shoulder this shows a sign of respect for this man and what he represents,” he added. Unlike Qatar, most Gulf Arab states regretted losing Mubarak, fearing the Brotherhood’s rise would embolden Islamists at home to challenge their long-established tribal monarchies.

The United Arab Emirates has launched a crackdown on Islamists, culminating in the conviction on Tuesday of more than 60 people on charges of plotting to seize power. “For the UAE the stor y is ver y clear. The Brotherhood is now their enemy number one, closely followed by Iran,” said Toby Matthiesen, author of a new book on the impact of the Arab uprisings and sectarianism on Gulf states. — Reuters

Police calm sectarian flare-up Continued from Page 1

on the request by Muwaizri that those responsible should be arrested and interrogated.

In another development, thirty-three new candidates, including one woman, yesterday registered to run in the July 27 election, raising the total number of hopefuls to 293 including five women with just three days for registration to close. Prominent among the new candidates was former MP Mukhled Al-Azemi who said he decided to run after the constitutional court upheld the one-vote amendment to the electoral law in its historical June 16 verdict.

The verdict has become the most talked about issue for the candidates, especially those who boycotted the December election over the amendment and now have

registered to run after the court’s ruling. Azemi was a member of the 2009 Assembly and was among 13 MPs who were questioned by the public prosecution over allegations that he had accepted bribes. The charge was later dropped for lack of evidence.

Meanwhile, more calls were issued yesterday for the opposition to change its mind and take part in the election after the court ruling. Prominent leader of the Salaf Islamists Nazem Al-Mesbah issued a passionate appeal to the opposition to participate in the election, insisting that their participation serves national interests and their boycott would only “open the door of evil”. Mesbah said that calls for reforms by the opposition are supported by many but it is better if these reforms were pressed within the constitutional framework rather than staging protests on the streets.

No licenses without traffic chief’s nod Continued from Page 1

exception,” they said, adding the decision means transferring the exception to the assistant undersecretary’s office so that traffic department officials can focus on their jobs of serving citizens and putting more traffic police officers on the streets.

“Any decision - even if it’s for the safety and organization of traffic regulations in the country - issued suddenly without informing the public in advance will surely create hostility,” said attorney Labeed Abdal, a Kuwaiti columnist. “I advise the good undersecretary to hold a press conference to explain to the people why such a regulation is needed. In this way you send the message correctly to people who will not be angry or surprised,” he added. Abdal agreed that the decision is directed to

ease traffic jams in the country blamed on reckless drivers. “I think the decision is good. Be informed that he (Ali) did not stop it completely - he said he will give a chance, under his ultimate mercy. He did this to avoid license forgery and wasta (influence),” he stressed.

Another Kuwaiti was not very happy about the new decision. “(A driving license) is the right of every human being...why can’t they understand this. This decision is short of saying ‘just terminate all the services of expatriates in Kuwait’. Why are expats here if you cannot provide the facilities they need. I ask the official (Ali) to try at least once to ride in a bus or even wait for a taxi. If he can stay for one minute under the scorching heat of the sun, then OK, cancel the licenses of expats. If not, forget about your decision - it’s inhuman and cannot be accepted,” he fumed.

CAIRO: In their tens of thousands, they cheered, ignited firecrackers and honked horns as soon as the army announced President Mohamed Morsi’s rule was over, ending Egypt’s worst crisis since its 2011 revolt. Camped out in Cairo’s iconic Tahrir Square for a week, the anti-Morsi protesters let loose with an outburst of joy when military chief General Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi brought them the news they all were waiting to hear. As the din rang out for over an hour in Tahrir, epicentre of the Arab Spring uprising that ousted dictator Hosni Mubarak, groups of overjoyed revellers carried members of the security forces on their shoulders as heroes.

Across town near Nasr City, where Morsi’s Islamists had gathered in a counter-demonstration, one celebrator Omar Sherif said: “It’s a new historical moment. We get rid of Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood”. The protesters had been forced to wait anxiously until the announcement at around 9:00 pm (1900 GMT), with the crowd building up slowly as day turned to night. “Egypt, Egypt” and “Leave, Leave,” they chanted outside the defence ministry building, as reports came in that the army was deploying dozens of armoured vehicles near Islamist gatherings elsewhere in the capital.

With broad grins, they sang patriotic songs they have become accustomed to hearing as the same tunes have been pumped out on state television in the weeks leading up to the crisis. “Morsi deserves his end. He was the president of the Muslim Brotherhood, not of Egypt,” said Cairo resident Amr Mohammed, who carried his 40-day-old daughter in his arms as he marched to the Ittihadiya presidential palace. A group of housewives put a table in the street and handed out dates and free cups of water, as celebrations erupted when a television station reported that Morsi had been placed under house arrest. Upon hearing the rumour, one elderly man kneeled down on an Egyptian flag and said “Allahu Akbar” (God is greatest).

That report proved unfounded, but officials did say security forces had imposed a travel ban on Morsi and his top Islamist allies over their alleged involvement in a 2011 prison escape. Abdel Khalek Abo Risha, 56, who came to the protest from Tanta city in the Nile Delta, said: “I only expect Morsi to be toppled. No other options”. Nehal Serry, a woman who helped to organise the refreshments, said: “This is for the sake of Egypt. We are celebrating that we are getting rid of Morsi”.

The gathering in Tahrir dwarfed a rally by the embattled president’s supporters in Nasr City. “Come here O Sisi, Morsi isn’t my president,” the protesters chanted, referring to army chief and defence minister, General Sisi. The powerful military had issued a 48-hour deadline on Monday for Morsi to meet the “people’s demands”, a day after millions of protesters took to the streets across the troubled country calling for him to resign.

“We ousted one dictator and now we’ve ousted a second one. We’ll do it again if necessary, we are experienced now,” said Adal El-Bendary, a 45-year-old public relations employee, sitting at a cafe near Tahrir. “This will be in the minds of the army or any politician in the future - they will not want to face the same destiny as Morsi or Mubarak.” Haisam Haggag, an engineer, said Morsi’s fall was “a victory for the people”. “This is not a coup,” he said. “Look at the people on the streets. The people said this is a revolution.”

Graffiti and posters around the city supported this sentiment. One poster near Tahrir read: “This is the end of Brotherhood colonisation”. Another read: “Day 22 of the revolution,” implying the protests that started on Sunday were an extension of the 18 days of demonstrations it took to push out Mubarak. “He didn’t have the charisma of a head of state. He didn’t believe in our citizens. He didn’t work for the people,” said Amani, a 43-year-old woman with her husband and daughter in Tahrir. — Agencies

Morsi overthrown by military ‘coup’

Continued from Page 1

Opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei, the UN nuclear watchdog chief, and the heads of the Coptic Church and Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam’s highest seat of learning, sat alongside the armed forces chief as he announced Morsi’s overthrow on state television. The choreography was designed to show broad civilian support for the military’s move to topple Morsi, Egypt’s first freely elected leader, dashing the hopes of supporters who had seen his elevation to the presidency after years underground as one of the key achievements of the 2011 revolution.

Morsi’s camp had earlier denounced the army’s intervention as a coup. “For the sake of Egypt and for historical accuracy, let’s call what is happening by its real name: military coup,” Essam Al-Haddad, Morsi’s national security adviser, said in a statement on Facebook. As tension mounted and crowds poured onto the streets to demand Morsi’s resignation, Haddad said: “As I write these lines I am fully aware that these may be the last lines I get to post on this page.”

The Muslim Brotherhood president was at a Republican Guard barracks surrounded by barbed wire, barriers and troops, but it was not clear whether he was under arrest.

The state newspaper Al-Ahram said the military had told Morsi at 7 pm (1700 GMT) that he was no longer head of state. AFP correspondents reported seeing dozens of armoured personnel carriers heading towards Islamist gatherings at Cairo University, Heliopolis and Nasr City.

But in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, the security forces looked on as tens of thousands of anti-Morsi protesters rallied in a demonstration that dwarfed that of the embattled president’s supporters in Nasr City, on the opposite side of town. “Come here O Sisi, Morsi isn’t my president,” the flagwaving protesters chanted in the square, referring to the army chief. The crowd swelled at nightfall, after a scorching day that saw police officers hand out water to the demonstrators in the middle of Tahrir, epicentre of the 2011 uprising that ended three decades of authoritarian rule by Hosni Mubarak. The powerful military had issued a 48-hour deadline on Monday for Morsi to meet the “people’s demands”, a day after millions of protesters took to the streets across the troubled country calling for him to resign. Thousands of people also gathered in Nasr City in a show of support for Morsi, despite an attack that killed 16 of them and injured 200 overnight. That spate of bloodletting took to almost 50 the number of people killed in Egypt since the latest crisis flared a week ago ahead of Sunday’s anniversary of Morsi’s swearing-in.

Kuwait yesterday urged its citizens in Egypt to leave “at the earliest” and warned against travel to the country. “All Kuwaitis present in Egypt must leave at the earliest due to the developments and events in various parts of the country,” the official KUNA news agency cited ambassador

Rasheed Al-Hamad as saying. He also called on Kuwaitis to delay trips to Egypt due to the “unstable situation”. Kuwait becomes the first Arab country to issue a travel warning to Egypt. Thousands of Kuwaiti students are studying at Egyptian universities while tens of thousands of Kuwaiti tourists normally visit Egypt every year.

Opponents accuse Morsi of having betrayed the revolution by concentrating power in Islamist hands and of sending the economy into freefall. His supporters said he inherited many problems, and that he should be allowed to see out his mandate, which had been supposed to run until 2016. In a late night speech on Tuesday, a defiant Morsi said he had been freely elected more than a year ago and intended to carry on his duties. The only alternative was more bloodshed.

Upping the stakes, senior armed forces commanders meeting yesterday swore to defend Egypt with their lives, a source close to the military told AFP. “We swear to God that we will sacrifice our blood for Egypt and its people against all terrorists, extremists and the ignorant,” they declared in an oath led by Sisi, the source said.

Egypt’s press had predicted yesterday would be the day of Morsi’s departure. “Today: Ouster or Resignation,” splashed the state-owned mass circulation Al-Ahram newspaper. “The End,” declared the independent Al-Watan.

Aside from Tahrir, Nasr City and a few other areas, Cairo’s streets were unusually quiet, with many choosing to stay home over fears of more violence. “The Islamists declared war on the rest of the population yesterday. I’m very scared,” said resident Soha Abdelrahman.

All eyes were on the military, after Al-Ahram reported details of the its roadmap for the future. The plan provides for an interim administration, of up to one year, which would include the head of the supreme constitutional court and a senior army figure. The constitution, controversially approved by Morsi’s Islamist allies in December, would be suspended for up to 12 months while a new one was drawn up and put to a referendum, before presidential and parliamentary elections.

Earlier, Morsi’s spokesman said it was better that he die in defence of democracy than be blamed by history. “It is better for a president, who would otherwise be returning Egypt to the days of dictatorship, from which God and the will of the people has saved us, to die standing like a tree,” spokesman Ayman Ali said, “Rather than be condemned by history and future generations for throwing away the hopes of Egyptians for establishing a democratic life.” The official spokesman of the Muslim Brotherhood earlier said supporters were willing to become martyrs to defend Morsi. “There is only one thing we can do: we will stand in between the tanks and the president,” Gehad El-Haddad told Reuters at the movement’s protest encampment in the Cairo suburb that houses many military installations and is near the presidential palace. — Agencies

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

S P ORT S

Dortmund close in on St Etienne’s Aubameyang

Injury forces Trickett to retire from pool

BERLIN: Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund began pre-season training yesterday with Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang set to join from French Cup winners Saint Etienne. “He has been given permission to attend the medical examination. The contract details and the financial plan are still to be clarified but I have no doubt that we will reach an agreement,” said Saint Etienne club president Roland Romeyer.

Dortmund’s director Michael Zorc has been in France since Monday and confirmed they are in talks with the 24-year-old, who scored 19 goals and created 14 assists as Saint Etienne finished fifth in the French league last season. “We are confident it will happen quickly,” Zorc told the Ruhr Nachrichten newspaper. Aubameyang is reported to be set to sign a five-year deal, for a cost of 13 million euros ($16.8m, £11m) and would be Dortmund’s second new signing after Greek defender Sokratis, who cost 9.5 million euros from Werder Bremen. Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp told Sky Sport News: “Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is good, he is a very interesting player, but I can not say more until tomorrow.” — AFP

SYDNEY: Libby Trickett, one of Australia’s most decorated swimmers, has retired due to a wrist injury, Swimming Australia said yesterday. The 28-year-old, who was a member of the women’s gold medal winning 4x100 metres freestyle relay team at last year’s London Olympics, has struggled to return to the pool after suffering the injury eight months ago.

“There will always be a tinge of sadness to leave the sport that I love, but I have wonderful memories and experiences to draw upon in the future,” Trickett said in a statement. “I feel at peace with my decision and most importantly I feel that I am finally ready to take on the next adventure in my life.”

In a career which spanned more than a decade, Trickett won seven Olympic medals at three Games, including four golds, and earned multiple top finishes in world championships and Commonwealth Games. She retired in late 2009 while battling depression but returned to competitive swimming in 2010 to qualify for her third Olympics in London. The swimmer will now pursue a career in the media with Australia’s Network Ten. —Reuters

Shelvey leaves Liverpool LONDON: English midfielder Jonjo Shelvey has joined Swansea City from Liverpool in a transfer costing a reported £5 million ($7.6 million, 5.9 million euros), the English club announced yesterday. The 21-year-old travelled to Swansea yesterday morning and agreed terms on a four-year contract, before successfully completing a medical examination.

“Liverpool Football Club have confirmed Jonjo Shelvey has completed a transfer to Swansea City,” Liverpool said in a statement published on their website. “Everybody at Liverpool FC would like to wish Jonjo all the best for the future.”

Shelvey joined Liverpool from Charlton Athletic for a fee of £1.7 million in May 2010 and went on to make 69 appearances for the five-time European champions, scoring seven goals.

He made his England debut in a 5-0 World Cup qualifying win over San Marino last October.

The cost of Shelvey’s move to Swansea could rise to £6 million, depending on additional performance-related bonus payments. — AFP

NL CAPSULES

Reds down slumping Giants

KANSAS: Johnny Giavotella 9 of the Kansas City Royals turns a double play as Michael Brantley 23 of the Cleveland Indians slides into second during the game at Kauffman Stadium on July 2, 2013. — AFP

CINCINNATI: Homer Bailey threw his second no-hitter in 10 months and the first in the majors this season, pitching the Cincinnati Reds to a 3-0 victory over the slumping San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night.

Bailey (5-6) became the third Reds pitcher with more than one no-hitter, joining Jim Maloney and Johnny Vander Meer - still the only big leaguer to toss two in a row. Bailey beat the Pirates 1-0 in Pittsburgh last Sept.

28 and got another 17 starts later. The last pitcher to throw one no-hitter and then another before anyone else in the majors accomplished the feat was Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, according to STATS. Baseball’s career strikeout king did it for the California Angels on Sept. 28, 1974, against Minnesota, and June 1, 1975, vs Baltimore. Bailey walked Gregor Blanco leading off the seventh, the only Giants batter to reach base. First baseman Joey Votto alertly threw out Blanco as he tried to advance from second to third on a soft one-hopper that otherwise could have become an infield single for Buster Posey. With 27,509 fans on their feet chanting “Homer! Homer!” Bailey finished it off in the ninth. He jumped to glove Brandon Crawford’s high comebacker, struck out Tony Abreu and retired Blanco on a grounder to third baseman Todd Frazier.

AL CAPSULES

Tigers beat Blue Jays TORONTO: Torii Hunter drove in the tiebreaking run with a two-out infield single in the eighth inning and the Detroit Tigers rallied from a 4-0 deficit to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-6 on Tuesday night. Hunter had four singles and Miguel Cabrera hit a three-run home run, his 26th, as the Tigers snapped a three-game losing streak. Colby Rasmus homered and drove in four runs for the Blue Jays, who failed to extend their seven-game home winning streak. Omar Infante singled off Neil Wagner (1-3) to begin the eighth, moving to second on Alex Avila’s sacrifice bunt and taking third on Austin Jackson’s deep fly ball. Hunter followed with a comebacker that bounced off Wagner and rolled to shortstop Jose Reyes, whose throw to first was late. Al Alburquerque (1-1) worked one inning for the win, just the second for Detroit in eight games, and Joaquin Benoit finished in the ninth for his sixth save in as many chances.

WHITE SOX 5, ORIOLES 2 Adam Dunn and Conor Gillaspie homered, John Danks pitched into the eighth inning and Chicago snapped Baltimore’s four-game winning streak. The White Sox ended a fivegame skid and avoided falling a season-high 16 games below .500. Danks (2-5) earned his first win since June 8 against Oakland, pitching seven-plus innings and allowing two runs and six hits while striking out four. Following that win against the Athletics, Danks had been winless in three starts while allowing 13 earned runs. Addison Reed pitched a scoreless ninth for his 22nd save in 26 attempts.

Jason Hammel (7-5) pitched seven innings and gave up five runs and nine hits for the Orioles.

YANKEES 7, TWINS 3 Robinson Cano homered for the third straight game and Phil Hughes gave up one run on six hits in seven innings, lifting New York over Minnesota. Cano followed up a two-homer performance Monday by going 2 for 4 with three RBIs and Alberto Gonzalez had two hits and three RBIs as well for the Yankees. New York has broken out for 17 runs in the first two games of the series to snap a five-game skid. Hughes (4-7) struck out three and walked two, and Mariano Rivera got one out for his 27th save. Samuel Deduno (4-3) gave up three runs on five hits in six innings for the Twins, who lost for the eighth time in 11 games.

MARINERS 9, RANGERS 2 Kendrys Morales homered twice and tied a career high with six RBIs to lead Seattle past Texas. Morales had a solo home run in the first and a three-run shot in the fifth off rookie

Justin Grimm. The switch-hitter added a tworun single in the sixth. Joe Saunders (6-8) won for the first time in eight regular-season starts at Rangers Ballpark. The left-hander allowed two runs - one earned - and struck out five in 6 2-3 innings. Seattle’s Raul Ibanez, who hit 10 homers in June, had a solo shot for his 20th homer of the season. Grimm (7-6) gave up six runs and seven hits in four innings.

RAYS 8, ASTROS 0 David Price pitched three-hit ball for seven innings in his return from the disabled list and Desmond Jennings homered and drove in four runs as Tampa Bay beat Houston. Price (2-4) had missed the last 44 games with a left triceps strain in his first-ever stint on the DL. But he showed no signs of rust, allowing a season-low for hits with 10 strikeouts. Three relievers combined to finish the four-hitter, a night after the Rays two-hit the Astros.

Jennings, who finished with three hits, had a two-run single in the fourth to make it 3-0 and his two-run homer in the sixth pushed the lead to five runs. Erik Bedard (3-4) yielded six hits and four runs with a season-high six walks in 5 1-3 innings.

INDIANS 6, ROYALS 5 Carlos Santana and Asdrubal Cabrera each drove in a pair of runs, and Cleveland took advantage of some wild pitching to beat Kansas City. Mark Reynolds and Jason Giambi also drove in runs for the Indians, who capitalized on eight walks by Royals starter Luis Mendoza and the Royals’ bullpen to win their fifth straight game. Cody Allen (3-0) earned the win in relief for Cleveland, while Chris Perez survived putting two aboard in the ninth for his eighth save of the season. Royals reliever Tim Collins (2-3) walked the only two batters he faced in the seventh, Aaron Crow walked another to load the bases and Santana came through with a go-ahead sacrifice fly.

INTERLEAGUE RED SOX 4, PADRES 1 Brandon Snyder hit a bases-loaded double and John Lackey struck out six over eight strong innings for Boston in a win over slumping San Diego. Lackey (6-5) scattered six hits and walked one while moving above .500 for the first time since late in 2011. The only run Lackey allowed was a solo homer by Jesus Guzman in the seventh. Koji Uehara replaced Lackey in the ninth and struck out two, earning his fifth save for the Red Sox, who improved to 6-1 during a nine-game homestand. San Diego rookie Robbie Erlin (11) threw 93 pitches over 3 2-3 innings before getting pulled after Snyder’s bases-clearing double in the third put Boston up 3-0. — AP

DODGERS 8, ROCKIES 0 Clayton Kershaw tossed a four-hitter for his second shutout of the season and rookie sensation Yasiel Puig had three more hits, including a solo homer, to lead the Dodgers to a win over the Rockies.

The 22-year-old Puig also added a double and a single to raise his average to .443 this season. Kershaw (7-5) kept the Rockies off balance all night, even top hitter Michael Cuddyer, who had his franchise-record 27-game hitting streak halted after going hitless in four plate appearances. Cuddyer flied out to Puig in right to end the game. The hard-throwing Kershaw had eight strikeouts and walked none. He only allowed one runner to get to second all evening. Roy Oswalt (0-3) was roughed up in his first start at Coors Field this season. He allowed five runs and nine hits in five innings.

PHILLIES 3, PIRATES 1 Jonathan Pettibone pitched neatly into the sixth inning, and the Phillies snapped the Pirates’ ninegame winning streak. Phillies slugger Ryan Howard ended an 0-for-22 slump - 12 strikeouts - with an RBI single in a three-run sixth to open the scoring.

Howard and Michael Young each had two hits for Philadelphia, which scored all of its runs against Pirates rookie spot starter Brandon Cumpton (0-1).

Pettibone (4-3) won for the first time since May 14 - a span of nine starts - by limiting Pittsburgh’s offense to Garrett Jones’ homer in the sixth. In 5 2-3 innings, Pettibone gave up three hits.

BREWERS 4, NATIONALS 0 Stephen Strasburg had hitters flailing at curveballs for seven scoreless innings, getting all eight of his strikeouts with the same pitch in a magnificent outing that was wasted when the Brewers scored off the Nationals bullpen. Strasburg put on a gem of performance that dropped his ERA to 2.24 and nearly overshadowed the game’s actual outcome. Once again, the Nationals’ bats abandoned him, and Juan Francisco’s two-run double in the eighth started a scoring spree off Drew Storen (2-2) as the Brewers snapped a six-game losing streak.

Martin Maldonado knocked in Francisco with a warning track fly ball that left fielder Bryce Harper dropped - it was nevertheless ruled a double - and scored on Jeff Bianchi’s groundball single that got through the infield only because Maldonado was trying to steal third with an absurd jump off Storen. The earned runs were the first allowed by Storen in 10 appearances, and they made Jim Henderson (3-2) the winning pitcher. Brewers starter Wily Peralta had his own shutout in the making until he left during the sixth inning with a strained left hamstring. Henderson was one of four relievers who finished the eight-hitter.

BRAVES 11, MARLINS 3 Chris Johnson’s two-run, go-ahead double was the big hit in a four-run sixth inning that helped the Braves to a win over the Marlins. The Braves set a season high with 16 hits and matched their high for runs.

The game was tied at 3 before the Braves opened the sixth with three straight hits off Dan Jennings (0-1), loading the bases. Ryan Webb struck out Dan Uggla and Reed Johnson before Chris Johnson gave Atlanta the lead with his double past first baseman Logan Morrison. Kris Medlen (6-7) gave up three runs and nine hits and two walks in six innings as the NL East leading Braves took their fourth straight win. The Marlins’ three-game winning streak ended.

CINCINNATI: Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Homer Bailey throws to a San Francisco Giants batter in the eighth inning of a baseball game in Cincinnati. Bailey threw a no-hitter as the Reds won 3-0. — AP

MLB results/standings Milwaukee 4, Washington 0; Philadelphia 3, Pittsburgh 1; Detroit 7, Toronto 6; Boston 4, San Diego 1; Atlanta 11, Miami 3; Cincinnati 3, San Francisco 0; NY Mets 9, Arizona 1; Seattle 9, Texas 2; Chicago White Sox 5, Baltimore 2; Cleveland 6, Kansas City 5; NY Yankees 7, Minnesota 3; Tampa Bay 8, Houston 0; LA Dodgers 8, Colorado 0; LA Angels 5, St. Louis 1; Oakland 8, Chicago Cubs 7.

American League National League Eastern Division Eastern Division W L PCT GB Atlanta 49 34 .590 Boston 51 34 .600 Washington 42 41 .506 7 Baltimore 47 37 .560 3.5 Philadelphia 40 44 .476 9.5 Tampa Bay 45 39 .536 5.5 NY Mets 35 45 .438 12.5 NY Yankees 44 39 .530 6 Miami 30 52 .366 18.5 Toronto 41 42 .494 9 Central Division Central Division Pittsburgh 51 31 .622 Cleveland 45 38 .542 St. Louis 49 33 .598 2 Detroit 44 38 .537 0.5 Cincinnati 48 36 .571 4 Kansas City 38 42 .475 5.5 Chicago Cubs 35 46 .432 15.5 Minnesota 36 44 .450 7.5 Milwaukee 33 49 .402 18 Chicago White Sox 33 47 .413 10.5 Western Division Western Division Arizona 42 41 .506 Oakland 49 35 .583 Colorado 41 43 .488 1.5 Texas 48 35 .578 0.5 San Diego 40 44 .476 2.5 LA Angels 40 43 .482 8.5 LA Dodgers 39 43 .476 2.5 Seattle 36 47 .434 12.5 San Francisco 39 44 .470 3 Houston 30 54 .357 19 METS 9, DIAMONDBACKS 1 Jeremy Hefner and the Mets handed Patrick Corbin his first loss, breaking away from the Diamondbacks on a drizzly night and sending the NL West leaders to their season-worst fifth straight defeat. Josh Satin hit an RBI double that put the Mets ahead 2-1 in a seven-

run seventh inning. Hefner (3-6) outpitched Corbin (91) as the Diamondbacks continued a most curious streak - their starting pitchers are 0-11 in 24 games since June 5. Arizona fell to 1-7 on its road trip after two straight losses to begin this four-game visit to Citi Field. — AP

Kiwis unhappy with America’s Cup rules changes SAN FRANCISCO: Emirates Team New Zealand is protesting a change of rules for the America’s Cup, just days away from Sunday’s opening of the challenger trials. Following the death of leading British sailor Andrew Simpson in May, when rival challenger Artemis Racing capsized, there were a slew of safety recommendations brought in, including one regarding the size and location of rudder elevators the winglets on the base of the rudder blades.

Kiwi boss Grant Dalton doesn’t like the rules being changed so close to Sunday’s opening race against Italy’s Luna Rossa, and suggests the changes could help defending champion Oracle Team USA. Dalton went so far as to say that the America’s Cup could become less popular in sailing-mad New Zealand, which held sailing’s biggest prize from 1995-2003, “if these shenanigans keep on going.” Regatta director Iain Murray said the aim of the

rudder change was to minimize the chance of a pitch-pole, which is when the bows submerge and the stern rises out of the water. Emirates Team New Zealand doesn’t think Murray can unilaterally change the rule without the unanimous consent of the competitors. Plus, it says it could lead to gruesome injuries because the rule now allows for the elevators to extend beyond the beam, or the width, of the boats. In short, the New Zealanders say they built their boat under a set a rules that now has been changed, cutting into their competitive advantage.

When the catamarans hit a certain speed, they lift out of the water and ride only on the two rudder elevators and a daggerboard protruding from the bottom of the leeward hull. Known as foiling, it reduces the drag on the boat and increases the speed dramatically and the New Zealand crew has mastered the technique. “We’ve sailed for just

under a year now with absolutely no problems and we’ve got all our engineering correct,” Dalton said Tuesday.

“We’re actually the experts. There is no independent expert. How could there be? We’re the only ones who’ve actually been doing it properly for so long. And we don’t think it’s necessary or safe at all,” Dalton said of the rules change. Dalton said the Kiwis don’t have rudder elevators that match the new rules, “and even if we had them, we wouldn’t dare go out with an untested system and suddenly go racing. Why would you do that? It doesn’t make sense. “Any small adjustment has a waterfall effect somewhere else around the boat,” Dalton said. “Changing the elevators at this stage, where we can’t see any reason at all, will have an effect on something else, and it might just be simply when the guy eventually falls over the side and slides down there ... the elevator cuts him in half.” An

America’s Cup spokesman said boats will be “street legal” whether they use the new rudder configuration or the old one. New Zealand’s protest will be heard on Monday by an international jury.

Asked if the rule change was designed to help Oracle, Dalton said: “I don’t think it has, no. I don’t think that for a second. Is it helping them as a kind of a byproduct? Yes it is.” Oracle Team USA, owned by software billionaire Larry Ellison, recently began two-boat testing. It doesn’t have to race until the opener of the 34th America’s Cup match on Sept. 7 against the winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup for challengers. Dalton said the New Zealand boat complies with Murray’s other 36 safety recommendations, “yet we see the elevator as performance-enhancing for another team and completely unnecessary from a safety point of view.” —AP

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

S P ORT S

China coach’s role - a poisoned chalice

MADRID: Real Madrid’s new player Francisco Roman Alarcon ‘Iscoí gives the thumbs up as he poses during his official presentation at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid yesterday. — AFP

Isco hopes signing for Real will boost WCup chances MADRID: Real Madrid’s first signing of the Carlo Ancelotti era, Isco, said he hoped joining the nine-time European champions would boost his chances of making the Spain squad for next year’s World Cup finals. The Spanish Under-21 playmaker, who was joined from Malaga for some 30 million Euros, completed a medical and signed a five-year contract before being presented in front of around 5000 cheering fans at a sun-soaked Bernabeu yesterday. “It’s a great opportunity that is always in your head, and if I do things well here, I might have an opportunity to be in Brazil,” Isco, who will wear the number 23 shirt, told a news conference. Isco, 21, helped Malaga to a club best fourth-placed finish in La Liga two years ago and to the Champions League quarter-finals last season in their debut campaign.

He caught the eye with a series of impressive performances in the European Under 21-championships in Israel last month, scoring a penalty in Spain’s 4-2 final victory over Italy. The talented midfielder was voted by coaches the ‘revelation player’ of La Liga two years ago and he won the ‘Golden Boy’ trophy as the best Under-21 player in Europe in 2012. He debuted with the Spain’s full national team in a friendly against Uruguay in February and is one of the popular choices to make the step up into Vicente del Bosque’s side after their Confederations Cup final defeat to Brazil last weekend.

Isco was also a target for Manchester City and their new coach Manuel Pellegrini who worked with him at Malaga the last two seasons. “I had offers from other clubs in Europe, but it is impossible to say no to Real Madrid,” Isco added, when asked why he reportedly changed his mind from signing for City to join Real. “I couldn’t let the opportunity pass me by.” Isco will have to fight for a place in the Real starting line up but he was unperturbed. “I have a lot of confidence that I will be able win myself a place here,” he said. “No one will gift me minutes but I hope with hard work I will carve myself a niche.”

There has been much speculation in the local media that Isco is a fan of Real’s arch-rivals Barcelona, fuelled by the fact he has a pet dog called Messi, named after Barca’s World Player of the Year. While he juggled the ball on the pitch at the Bernabeu, fans chanted for him to kiss the Real badge, which he failed to do, and he deftly sidestepped the question in the news conference. “It’s true I have been a Malaga fan, now I am the biggest Madrid fan there is. I will give my all for this shirt,” he said. When asked about his dog, he replied to much laughter: “Yes. But I also had one called (Luis) Figo. It is nothing more than an anecdote.” Former Portugal international Figo played for Barcelona and Real. — Reuters

Barrios accuses China club in contract row BEIJING: Former Borussia Dortmund striker Lucas Barrios has accused Guangzhou Evergrande of failing to pay his full salary in the latest high-profile wage dispute involving a star foreign player in the Chinese Super League.

The Paraguay international is embroiled in a heated contract row with the super-rich club, drawing parallels with former Chelsea star Didier Drogba’s tumultuous exit from Shanghai Shenhua. Barrios angered the league champions and current league leaders when he flew home for a match against Chile which took place in early June and did not return to China until last Friday.

The forward was recently linked with a move back to the Bundesliga with Werder Bremen.

Last month, media reports in Germany and Argentina suggesting Barrios had asked football governing body FIFA to terminate his contract as Evergrande had defaulted on payments drew a furious response from the club. “It was utterly ridiculous. The club made every payment clear and on time,” a club official previously told state news agency Xinhua, adding that neither Barrios nor his agent had contacted the club during the player’s absence.

Evergrande, managed by former Italian Lucas Barrios World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi, have approached FIFA, demanding 25 million euros ($32.5 million) in compensation, Xinhua said. But the 28-year-old has vented his fury against the club in a strongly worded letter seen on his website Wednesday. He said he had suffered “financial loss” and accused the club of “depriving me of a substantial amount of the overall remuneration agreed upon in the contract”. “I will continue my career at another club that is interested in my sports performance,” he added. Evergrande, who could not be reached for comment by AFP, paid a reported $11 million transfer fee last summer to sign Barrios. He has since scored five league goals. Guangzhou Evergrande have poured millions into signing some of the biggest stars playing in Asia, including Argentine Dario Conca and Brazilians Elkeson and Muriqui. It has not previously faced allegations of wage defaults. Chinese media reported last year that Drogba had asked FIFA to nullify his contract with Shenhua after the club reportedly defaulted on payments following a shareholder dispute. Shanghai said the Ivory Coast international’s move to Turkish side Galatasaray in February was a breach of contract.— AFP

BEIJING: China is set to spend millions to replace sacked national football coach Jose Antonio Camacho, but pundits say the team will remain underachievers while business titans run the top clubs and parents refuse to let the sport distract their only children from studying. The former Spain and Real Madrid coach was dismissed last week following a 5-1 defeat at home to a second-string Thailand side, a humiliating result that sparked unruly scenes from spectators and ridicule online from long-suffering Chinese fans.

Camacho was reported to have signed an $8 million-a-year contract, putting him among the world’s top 10 best-paid managers, when he arrived in 2011. It was hoped he would transform the fortunes of the Chinese game, which has failed to improve even as the country emerges as a superpower in many other sports. Near neighbors Japan and South Korea have far smaller populations than China but have excelled at football in recent years, with the South Koreans reaching the World Cup semi-finals in 2002, when China lost all three of their group matches in their only appearance at the finals.

Camacho won only seven of his 20 games, losing 11, leaving an 11th consecutive appearance for China at the 2015 Asian Cup in Australia in the balance.

Italian World Cup winner Marcello Lippi is the favorite to succeed the Spaniard in the long term, but his current employers-Chinese Super League (CSL) side Guangzhou Evergrande-are expected to demand millions in compensation to release him from the reported $37 million two-and-a-half year contract he signed last year.

Other contenders for the job include two Serbians, former national coach Radomir Antic, who has also led both Real Madrid and Barcelona and is the current boss of CSL side Shandong Luneng, and Dragan Okuka, who coaches Jiangsu Sainty. The Chinese Football Association (CFA) is currently locked in compensation talks with Camacho’s lawyers which could result in them paying him more than $9 million, reports say.

But despite the huge outlay needed to entice Lippi as national coach, the government-funded CFA is expected to get their man. “The man that the CFA really wants is Marcello Lippi,” said Rowan Simons, an author and prominent commentator on Chinese football. But he told AFP: “The idea that a good coach can make bad players into a good team at the world level is fanciful at best, although it is the principle that the CFA has followed faithfully for over 50 years.”

Tom Byer, the head technical advisor of the CFA-

HEFEI: China’s former national football coach Jose Antonio Camacho walks out of the stadium after a football friendly match with Thailand in this file photo. China is set to spend millions to replace Camacho after his sacking, but pundits say the team will remain underachievers while business titans run the top clubs and parents refuse to let the sport distract their only children from studying. — AFP administered schools football program, agreed China had too few world-class players and said there were deep-rooted causes behind the issue. Only about 200,000 schoolchildren play organized football at least three times per week, he said, and the priority in China’s intensive education system is for youngsters to achieve academic success at the expense of sports, particularly as most families are prohibited from having more than one child. “With the one-child policy parents look at sport as a distraction to education, which is so important for families,” the American said.

The CFA’s most recent attempt to raise interest in the game saw football superstar David Beckham drafted in as ambassador for the CSL. The recently-retired former England captain-who won the French championship with Paris Saint-Germain in May-is visiting China three times this year and officials hope he can help repair the shattered image of the Chinese game, which has been hit by a series of match-fixing scandals. But many believe it will take more than the occa-

sional sprinkling of Beckham stardust to help the sport recover from its murky past and improve standards.

Wu Celi, one of China’s top football journalists, said systemic problems with the ownership of the country’s top sides and their relationships with local officials created a “bad football environment”. Many top CSL teams are controlled by China’s most powerful business titans, who buy established sides and then relocate them to the city where their company is based before changing the club name.

“The investors buy clubs in the hope of winning favor from local officials, which in turn will make their enterprises more prosperous,” he told AFP. “Football clubs are no longer football clubs, but rather a vehicle to raise the profile of entrepreneurs.” Camacho himself recognized that there was only so much a national team manager could do. “This is an all-round project from the grass roots to the top national side,” he said shortly before his departure. “But I know that football fans will focus more on the result.” — AFP

New Everton manager keen to keep Baines

MUNICH: German midlfielder Mario Goetze poses with his jersey after a press conference upon joining the German 1st division Bundesliga football team Bayern Munich at the team’s headquarter in Munich, southern Germany. — AFP

Pep’s Bayern ready to fight for places Bayern red-faced by Goetze’s T-shirt blunder

BERLIN: New coach Pep Guardiola will take European champions Bayern Munich to their preseason training camp in north Italy today with a fierce fight for places expected, as well as uncertainty over Mario Gomez’s future. Guardiola, 42, took over from predecessor Jupp Heynckes as Bayern coach last week and after 10 days getting to know his squad, the ex-Barcelona boss takes them to Lake Garda for a week ahead of the new season kick-off on August 9.

Under Heynckes, Bayern became the first German club to win the treble of European, league and cup titles but the players will not be resting on their laurels next season. “The competition is as tough as ever,” said Germany winger Thomas Mueller, while director of sport Matthias Sammer said everyone is starting “from scratch” with tempers expected to be frayed. “The team has to deal with the new ideas of a new coach. I expect the players to show a great deal of attention and some sensitivity,” added Sammer.

Sammer also said Bayern will take time to adjust to Guardiola’s ideas as it remains to be seen whether he will stick with the 4-2-3-1 system which won them the treble or a 3-3-3-1 system similar to that which he used at Barcelona. “I expect from the club, when necessary, also a bit of patience,” said Sammer. “Guardiola has shown that he has a good idea about football. That shouldn’t be an excuse, but I have never seen a team go through a process of change which doesn’t take some time.”

Bayern play their first competitive match under Guardiola on July 27 against Borussia Dortmund in the German Super Cup, but two friendly matches are scheduled at Lake Garda against local opposition on Friday and Tuesday. Guardiola is expected to have all bar three of his squad available, those missing will be only Brazil’s Dante and Luiz Gustavo and Javi Martinez of Spain, who are all recovering from the Confederations Cup campaign.Germany striker Mario Gomez will also be there amidst speculation of his imminent departure to Italy ’s Fiorentina and Serie A.

Reports say the 27-year-old has agreed a fouryear contract with Fiorentina but the delay is caused by the clubs failure to agree on a price, with Bayern wanting at least 20 million euros ($26m, £17m) for the striker they paid 35 million euros for in 2009. “Mario sees his future in Italy. We assume that a timely decision will be made,” Gomez’s advisor Uli Ferber told magazine Sport Bild, while Sammer has said no deal has been done. In 115 German league matches, Gomez has scored 75 goals; having made 57 appearances for Germany is eager for first-team football next season before the 2014 World Cup, having lost his place in the Bayern team to Mario Mandzukic.

T-SHIRT BLUNDER Meanwhile, Germany midfielder Mario Goetze got off on the wrong foot with his new employers Bayern Munich when he posed for the cameras at the European Champions in a T-shirt displaying the brand of a rival sponsor. For the last decade, Bayern have a lucrative sponsorship contract with Adidas, which runs until 2020, and the German sportswear giants own a 9.4 percent stake in the Champions League winners, which is worth 77 million euros (US$100m, £65m). Goetze, 21, who has signed from Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund, held his first press conference as a Bayern player on Tuesday, but wore a T-shirt with a huge logo of his private sponsor Nike on the chest, which left Bayern red-faced.

Adidas spokesman Oliver Brueggen has said the company were “unpleasantly surprised” by Goetze’s choice of attire and Bayern were quick to apologize with media director Markus Hoerwick promising “such a thing will never happen again”. “We immediately called Adidas to apologize, the T-shirt passed us by in the general hustle and bustle,” explained Hoerwick. Goetze’s management also contacted Adidas to apologize for the error, while Nike spokesman Olaf Markhoff told Munich daily Abendzeitung that Goetze’s choice of T-shirt was nothing to do with them: “Our influence doesn’t go that far!”. —Agencies

LONDON: New Everton manager Roberto Martinez illustrated his determination to fend off Manchester United’s interest in left-back Leighton Baines yesterday by describing the England international as “an icon”. United manager David Moyes, Martinez’s predecessor at Goodison Park, had an initial bid for Baines rebuffed last week when Everton rejected an offer of £12 million ($18.3 million, 14.1 million euros) for his services.

The English champions are expected to return with an improved bid for the 28-year-old set-piece specialist, but Martinez says Baines is an important part of Everton’s future. “I think Leighton is more than a player; he is an icon,” Martinez told local newspaper the Liverpool Echo.

“He represents a lot about our football club and I am really, really excited about Leighton. This is a big season for him and for us as a club. “When you are the left-back of this football club, and the level that he has been reaching over the last few years consistently, it shows me that he is the best left-back in the country. I can’t wait to start working with him.” Martinez is reportedly close to completing moves for striker Arouna Kone and centre-back Antolin Alcaraz, with whom he worked at previous club Wigan Athletic, and he said that both players would be valuable additions to the Everton squad. “They are players that I know really, really well. I worked with them really closely and they are players that are used to the Premier League and the British game,” Martinez told Everton’s in-house television channel, evertontv.

“You will always get those sorts of situations, but at the moment we are still looking to try to bring the right characters to the football club. “We need to remember that we have a very strong team at the club, but in the same way, we don’t want to close the (transfer) window without feeling stronger than we were when the window opened. “I think we need to bring in three or four new faces-one per unit (goalkeeper, defense, midfield and up front) and make sure we get an extra option or dimension into the squad.”

Martinez met Everton’s players for the first time yesterday as they returned for the start of pre-season training. “The most important aspect is to try to keep the squad together and get every player ready,” he said. “I have been able to speak with the majority of them and as a manager you can’t wait to get to know the players and how they think and where they are physically. “It is important we have a successful preseason because it is a time when you can set certain aspects, which can help us at the start of the season.” — AFP

FIFA again bans Iraq from hosting friendlies BAGHDAD: FIFA yesterday barred Iraq from hosting international football friendlies due to a massive surge in nationwide violence, barely three months after world football’s governing body gave Baghdad the goahead. The Iraqi Football Association (IFA) was informed of the ban in a notification from FIFA, which cited a spike in unrest that has left more than 2,500 dead from April through June and at least 123 killed in the first three days of July alone. “Today, we received a notification from FIFA to stop hosting any friendly matches in stadiums in Iraq at the current time, and until further notice, due to the wave of violence,” said Naim Saddam, an IFA official. “This is regrettable.”

FIFA in March lifted a ban on Iraq hosting international football friendlies and the country promptly staged a match with neighboring Syria in Baghdad’s Shaab stadium just days later, with the national side subsequently facing off with Liberia. The initial friendly had marked a key step in Iraq’s re-emergence on the world stage after decades of conflict and sanctions.

But the country has been hit by a marked increase in violence since, with recent attacks also targeting football pitches and cafes where Iraqis were watching the sport on television. In June alone, more than 60 people were killed in at least 10 bombings targeting pitches and cafes, according to an AFP tally. — AFP

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

S P ORTS

Cavendish secures 24th Tour stage win MARSEILLE: Mark Cavendish’s love affair with the Tour de France continued as the Briton moved closer to the all-time stage-win record with a perfect sprint finish yesterday. The Omega Pharma-Quick Step rider was led out by his team mates in the finale of the 228.5-km fifth stage from Cagnes-surMer and delivered in the home straight to beat Norway ’s Edvald Boasson Hagen and Slovakian Peter Sagan.

Cavendish, who collected his 24th Tour stage win, is now 10 shy of Belgian Eddy Merckx’s record.

Yesterday’s victory was not the hardest as Cavendish, who “changed teams because (he) wanted to do well on the Tour de France,” benefited from a perfectly-oiled team machine. “To be fair today the sprint wasn’t too difficult for me. I didn’t do anything; if I’d have lost today I would have let the guys down,” the Manxman told a news conference. “(Lead-out rider) Gert (Steegmans) went with such speed that I just followed the speed he delivered me at.”

Cavendish, who has shrugged off a bout of bronchitis, also had France’s Sylvain Chavanel and German Tony Martin to thank after both spent long stretches at the front of the peloton to catch the early breakaway riders with just under five kilometers left. “I’m a lot

better but still not 100 percent after being ill last week but you know we had to give everything to try and win.

We put a lot of planning into it,” said Cavendish who, like he did in 2008, 2010 and 2011, had to wait until the fifth stage to win. “We are very happy, we had targeted this stage. A lot of good sprinters won in Marseille and Mark, who loves the history of cycling, wanted to have his name associated with Marseille,” Omega Pharma-Quick Step team manager Patrick Lefevere told reporters.

RESPECT FOR TOUR There is probably more to come for Cavendish but the Briton has too much respect for the Tour to brag about it. “You have to show the Tour de France the respect it deserves,” he said. “Obviously I aim to win a lot of stages each year.” Cavendish moved up to second in the points classification and is now on 76 points with Sagan first on 111. One of the highlights of Cavendish’s week came on Tuesday when he met 84-year-old former French sprinter Andre Darrigade, who won 22 Tour stages between 1953 and 1965. “I really liked the similarities (between us) despite the 60year difference. It made my day yesterday,” said Cavendish.

Australian Simon Gerrans retained the overall leader’s yellow jersey by finishing in the main bunch, which was thrown into chaos when France’s Nacer Bouhanni crashed in the final metres and a host of riders followed.

American Tejay van Garderen, who won the white jersey for the best young rider and had general classification ambitions despite being Cadel Evans’s lieutenant at BMC, hit the deck.

“It was just a stupid crash. I was grabbing a bottle from Steve (Morabito) and then we hit this left corner and people hit the brakes pretty hard and I had one hand on the bars (and) lost control,” Van Garderen told reporters.

“Completely my fault, just a lack of focus, but nothing bad. Just a couple more cuts but no broken bones.”

Belgian Jurgen van den Broeck, fourth in last year’s race, also crashed, and suffered some bruising, according to his Lotto-Belisol team. Spain’s Alberto Contador and Britain’s Chris Froome, the top two contenders, crossed the finish line unscathed as the top positions in the overall standings remained unchanged. Froome is seventh, three seconds behind Gerrans with Contador in 11th place, nine seconds off the pace. Today’s sixth stage is a 176.5-km ride from Aix-enProvence to Montpellier. — Reuters

MARSEILLE: A combination of pictures made yesterday in Marseille shows (from top left to right) Britain’s Mark Cavendish celebrating after crossing the finish line; France’s Romain Sicard, Japan’s Arashiro Yukiya, Belgium’s Thomas De Gendt, France’s Kevin Reza (hidden) and Kazakhstan’s Alexey Lutsenko (hidden) riding in the breakaway; Overall leader’s yellow jersey Australia’s Simon Gerrans (center) riding in the pack, and Gerrans celebrating his overall leader’s yellow jersey on the podium at the end of the 228.5 km fifth stage of the 100th edition of the Tour de France cycling race yesterday between Cagnes-sur-Mer and Marseille, southern France. — AFP

Rugby - O’Driscoll dropped as Lions make six changes SYDNEY: Brian O’Driscoll has been dropped for the British and Irish Lions third and decisive test against Australia on Saturday, leaving Welsh lock Alun Wyn Jones to captain a powerful and much-changed side. The team features six changes to the starting line-up from the side that lost 1615 to the Wallabies in Melbourne last Saturday, which levelled the three-match series following the Lions’ 23-21 victory in the Brisbane opener. Irish centre O’Driscoll, expected by many to take the captaincy after Sam Warburton suffered a tour-ending hamstring injury, was left out of the matchday squad altogether, bringing a premature end to

NOOSA: British and Irish Lions rugby union player Matt Stevens attends a training session in Noosa, Queensland yesterday. The Lions will play the Australian Wallabies in the deciding rugby test on July 6. — AFP

his 12-year career with the tourists.

The 34-year-old, who was on his fourth Lions tour but still searching for his first test series win, started both previous tests but coach Warren Gatland said he thought Welshman Jamie Roberts offered “something more”.

“Obviously he was pretty disappointed as anyone is disappointed but he appreciated the fact that he was spoken to before the announcement,” Gatland told a news conference in Noosa, Queensland. “It’s the first time any coach has ever had that decision with him in 15 years of rugby so it’s not easy for that to be the first time.

“He’s still going to be very important to us in the next 72 hours in terms of his experience and leadership.” Roberts, who missed the first two tests with a hamstring injury, and Jonathan Davies will instead start in the centres, two of 10 Welshmen in the starting line-up. Toby Faletau comes in at number eight for Ireland’s Jamie Heaslip and Mike Phillips, who played in the first test but was rested for the second because of concerns about his knee, returns at scrumhalf in place of England’s Ben Youngs.

Irishman Sean O’Brien replaces Warburton at openside flanker in the new-look back row, which suggests the Lions will again look to blow the Wallabies away up front rather than play too expansively. Loosehead prop Alex Corbisiero returns in the front row after missing the second test with a calf problem, pushing his England team mate Mako Vunipola, who was heavily penalised at the scrum in Melbourne, back to the bench.

Welshman Richard Hibbard gets the nod over England’s Tom Youngs at hooker for his first test start of the tour with his compatriot Adam Jones again providing the fulcrum at tighthead. Gatland said choosing the team had been difficult and that the “head had ruled over the heart in many selection decisions”. “We’ve had a few players coming back from injury, and for quite a few positions as well, between the first and second tests, they were toss-up positions,” he added.

“It was quite a lively meeting we had with the coaches last night in terms of making the final selection. It was tough, but we’ve come up with a side we think is good enough to do the job on Saturday.” The New Zealander said the team had been picked before Wyn Jones, who played in all three tests on the last Lions tour to South Africa four years ago, was chosen as the best candidate to captain the side. “Hopefully, it was about the way I play and not about the way I lead. It’s as simple as that,” said the 27-year-old lock.

“I played first with an eye on getting in the test selection and to be in the position I am in for the final test is pretty special for me personally, but there’s still a job to do.” With O’Driscoll failing even to make the bench, the power of England’s Manu Tuilagi was preferred to cover the backline, while flanker Justin Tipuric and Scottish lock Richie Gray also get a first chance of tasting test action on the tour. “It all comes down to Saturday,” Gatland added.

“Winner takes all. We know we can leave nothing in the tank and that only a complete performance will get us across the line.”— Reuters

Photo of the day

Competitors perform at the Red Bull Flugtag in Belgrade, Serbia.

—www.redbullcontentpool.com

Tharanga on high as Lanka hammer India KINGSTON: Upul Tharanga plundered the highest individual score in a oneday international (ODI) in the Caribbean as Sri Lanka steamrollered India by 161 runs in the third match of the Tri-Series at Sabina Park on Tuesday. Replying to Sri Lanka’s mammoth 348 for one in their 50 overs, in which Tharanga made an unbeaten 174 and Mahela Jayawardene 107, World Cup and Champions Trophy holders India were dismissed for just 187 in the 45th over. “It was a bad day at the office,” admitted India’s stand-in captain Virat Kohli.

“We took some time to switch on in the field and by then the Sri Lankans were off and away, and even when we batted I don’t think we applied ourselves as well as we should have.” India looked a pale shadow of the side that had gone unbeaten in lifting the Champions Trophy in England just over a week earlier. The dismissal of Kohli, standing in for the injured Mahendra Singh Dhoni, hooking his Sri Lankan counterpart Angelo Mathews to long-leg, virtually ended the match as a contest as India fell to 57 for three in the 16th over.

Earlier Jayawardene played a typically classy innings in compiling his first ODI hundred for two years and his 16th in all in a 213-run opening stand in which he outscored Tharanga. But ultimately it was Tharanga’s day as he timed the ball sweetly and caned the lacklustre Indian bowling to all parts of the ground with dismissive authority.

He brought up his 13th ODI hundred off 124 deliveries with 11 fours and finished with 19 fours and three sixes in his 174 off just 159 balls.

Sri Lanka skipper Angelo Mathews promoted himself to number three to join the run feast and raced to 44 off 29 balls as he and Tharanga plundered an unbroken 135 off the final 11.2 overs. “We really needed this,” said Mathews, who acknowledged that his team was under pressure to get a good result after being beaten comfortably by the West Indies in the tournament-opener last Friday. “Hats off to Mahela and Upul, who really set this up for us and allowed the bowlers to complete the job.”

A disciplined Sri Lankan bowling attack never allowed the Indians a chance to threaten the daunting tar-

KINGSTON: Sri Lanka opening batsman Upul Tharanga plays a shot as India wicket keeper Dinesh Karthik (left) looks on during their Tri-Nation Series cricket match in Kingston, Jamaica. — AP get. Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath was the most successful bowler with three for 37 while Sachithra Senanayake and Lasith Malinga claimed two apiece. Mathews proved the most ecomomical. Sharing the new ball, he conceded only 23 runs off his eight overs, picking up the key

wicket of Kohli. India, bottom of the standings after losing their opening two matches, now need to lift themselves immediately for the second half of the tournament in Trinidad. They face a rematch against a buoyant West Indies side at Queen’s Park Oval tomorrow. — AFP

SCOREBOARD KINGSTON, Jamaica: Scoreboard of the third match of the Celkon Mobile Cup TriNation One-Day International Series between India and Sri Lanka yesterday: Sri Lanka Innings U. Tharanga not out 174 M. Jayawardene c Yadav b Ashwin 107 A. Mathews 44 Extras (1b, 6lb, 16w) 23 Total (1 wicket, 50 overs) 348 Fall of wickets: 1-213 (Jayawardene), Did not bat: K. Perera, K. Sangakkara, D. Chandimal, L. Thirimanne, N. Kulasekara, S. Senanayake, R. Herath, L. Malinga.

Bowling: Ahmed 10-0-68-0 (3w), Yadav 80-65-0 (3w), I. Sharma 9-0-68-0 (1w), Jadeja 9-0-55-0, Ashwin 10-0-66-1 (4w), Kohli 2-09-0, Raina 2-0-10-0 (1w) India Innings R. Sharma c Mathews b Kulasekara S. Dhawan c Tharanga b Herath M. Vijay b Malinga V. Kohli c Malinga b Mathews

5 24 30 2

D. Karthik stpd Sangakkara b Herath 22 S. Raina run out 33 R. Jadeja not out 49 R. Ashwin c Malinga b Senanayake 4 S. Ahmed b Senanayake 0 I. Sharma c wkpr Sangakkara b Herath 2 U. Yadav b Malinga 0 Extras (4lb, 12w) 16 Total (all out, 44.5 overs) 187 Fall of wickets: 1-12 (R. Sharma), 2-52 (Dhawan), 3-57 (Kohli), 4-65 (Vijay), 5-118 (Karthik), 6-142 (Raina), 7153 (Ashwin), 8-153 (Ahmed), 9-166 (I. Sharma), 10-187 (Yadav).

Bowling: Kulasekara 9-0-37-1, Mathews 82-23-1, Senanayake 10-0-46-2 (2w), Herath 10-0-37-3, Malinga 7.5-0-40-2 (1w).

Result: Sri Lanka won by 161 runs.

Man of the match: Upul Tharanga Next match - West Indies vs India - July 5

Cycling: Thomas shrugs off pain to help Sky bid NICE: There can’t be many tougher riders out there than Geraint Thomas, who showed signs that he is putting behind him the pelvis fracture suffered just 72 hours earlier with a combative ride in Tuesday’s team time-trial. Thomas, the two-time Olympic team pursuit gold medalist, suffered the injury in the mass fall that marred the end of stage one, but he grimaced through the pain to complete stage two into Ajaccio before the fracture was even confirmed, and the Welshman was visibly struggling on Monday, when the Tour completed it’s passage through Corsica.

The short 25-kilometre team time-trial around Nice for stage four was much more bearable, even if Thomas admitted that the pain caused by his pelvis made him feel like he had stabbed himself as he helped Team Sky finish in third place, three seconds behind winners Orica-Greenedge. “It was like the Olympic final for me,” said Thomas, one of the stars of Britain’s triumphant showing at the London 2012 Games.

“The start was always going to be the hardest bit for me because it was that real high-power acceleration. Up until today I’ve not been able to go out of the saddle and put any power in with my left leg, but I had an extra-long warm-up and a couple of coffees.”

Nobody in the peloton enjoyed the 145-kilometre ride on Monday that took the peloton up the perennially winding and dipping roads of Corsica’s west coast, but for Thomas the struggle was even greater.

“On a road stage the pain is there the whole time. You have time to think about it, whereas in a time-trial you just go and do it.

“It’s like - not that I do it - if you stab yourself. The pain’s just instant and it’s done rather than somebody giving you a Chinese burn for three hours. “It would have been nice to have been 100 percent fit for here because it’s the type of course that I really like, but that is sport and that’s life.” Sky principal Dave Brailsford and team leader Chris Froome heaped praise on Thomas for his display of bravery, which was key in helping Froome open up a gap on his main rivals in the general classification.

“I think the big story we can talk about today is Geraint Thomas getting through in the way that he did,” said Froome. “He has been in a great deal of pain these last few days so to see him do that lifted all of our spirits knowing that he can go forward from here in the Tour.” “All credit to Geraint,” added Brailsford. “I think he still has to take things day by day, but if you can do what he did today then you’re not in bad nick to be fair.” Meanwhile, despite declaring himself satisfied with the performance, Brailsford insisted there is no time for celebration in the Sky ranks, with the focus firmly on Wednesday’s stage, a long 228-kilometre ride from Cagnes-sur-Mer to Marseille. “No celebrating for us. It’s business as usual. You’ve just got to keep focusing on the process, and you can’t let up.

You’ve got to keep thinking about recovery, and be in the best possible shape,” he said. — AFP

19

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

SPORTS

Tomic troubles aid Bartoli’s Wimbledon dream

LONDON: Marion Bartoli of France returns to Sloane Stephens of the United States during their Womenss singles quarterfinal match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships in Wimbledon. — AP

LONDON: What began as a late-night scuffle between the father of Australian star Bernard Tomic and his son’s hitting partner outside a Madrid hotel, could end with Marion Bartoli winning the Wimbledon title. When John Tomic was accused of attacking Thomas Drouet in the Spanish capital in May, the French coach left the Australian’s camp and began working with Bartoli alongside her father, and full-time coach, Walter. But Bartoli has opted to compete at Wimbledon, where she was runner-up to Venus Williams in 2007, without her father at her side, preferring instead the input of 2006 Wimbledon champion and compatriot, Amelie Mauresmo and Drouet.

“I have known her since we were young but she always surprises me with her mental qualities every day, her seriousness, her professionalism,” said Drouet. “In every match, she puts into practice everything we have done in training. For me she is a great

champion.”Bartoli, the 28-year-old 15th seed, reached her third career Grand Slam semi-final-and second at Wimbledon-with a 6-4, 7-5 win over 20-year-old American, Sloane Stephens on Tuesday. In today’s semi-final, she will face 27-year-old Belgian, Kirsten Flipkens, who will be playing in her maiden last-four at a major.

Mauresmo, the former world number one and the last Frenchwoman to win a Grand Slam title when she triumphed at the All England Club seven years ago, said Bartoli has all the weapons to make Saturday’s final.

“We knew since Monday (after Serena Williams had followed Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka out of the tournament) that the draw was open,” said Mauresmo, who has acted as advisor to Bartoli in recent months.

“There is clearly an opening to get to the final. It’s a crazy tournament.

“Marion is showing a lot of strength. She is the only one of the

semi-finalists not to have dropped a set, she is feeling fresh and she is playing better and better, it’s not looking too bad.” Bartoli’s win over Stephens, however, was not without controversy. She fell foul of the fans on Court One when she demanded that play be stopped when she was leading 5-4, 40-40 with Stephens serving as light rain began to fall.

When they resumed after two and a half hours, Stephens quickly dropped the first set and slipped 2-0 down in the second, losing the first nine points as the crowd, convinced that the Frenchwoman’s complaints over the state of the court had been unjustified, jeered following their lengthy wait. “I don’t get why the crowd was against me,” said Bartoli.

“The courts are slippy even when they are dry but when they are wet they can be dangerous. “I wanted to make sure I didn’t get hurt. I didn’t want to come off for any other reason.”—AFP

Born-again Li vows to use new-found skills LONDON: Li Na confessed she is a convert to serve-and-volley tennis and has vowed to take her new-found skills at the net with her into the US hard court season. The Chinese number one tried out the tactics at Wimbledon and though it did not get her into the semi-finals, the 31-year-old is keen to prove she can mix it with the best of them in the dying art.

The 2011 French Open champion is going to take a month off recuperating after her Wimbledon exploits, freshening up to tackle the run-up ahead of the US Open, which gets under way on August 26. Li was beaten by Agnieszka Radwanska in an epic quarter-final tussle on Tuesday between the highest seeds left standing at Wimbledon.

The Polish fourth seed, beaten by Serena Williams in last year’s final, defeated the sixth seed 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 6-2 in a closely-fought contest on Centre Court. Li saw off seven match points before finally succumbing. Throughout, to counter Radwanska’s trademark drop shots and deft play, she charged into the net 71 times, winning points 48 times in the process and mixing up her regular baseline rhythm. The world number six had worked on the plan with her coach Carlos Rodriguez, who guided Belgian former world number one Justine Henin.

“I’m proud of myself, because at least I was trying to come to the net. I can now use it in important matches. So it’s pretty positive,” the Wuhan right-hander said, looking ahead to the rest of the season.

Li insisted it had been a good

Wimbledon. In reaching the quarterfinals, she had matched her previous best, achieved in 2006 and 2010. In her last two outings at the All England Club, she had been dumped out in the second round. “It was pretty good, really. At least better than the last two years. And also I proved a new thing, proved so many things on the court,” she said.

“Before I never thought I could come to the net so many times.

“So at least now we have a job to do, me and Carlos. We know what we should do for the next step. “Maybe I came to the net much more than in my whole life.

So it’s good proof. “The first time I was feeling, oh, I really can come to the net!

Before I was thinking, no, no, this not my style, I have to stay on the baseline.” Li said she will taking her new style on with her in the North American hard court swing next month. “I think I will try to continue it on the hard courts as well, because I feel the pace now,” she said.

Li said she will have four weeks off before returning at Toronto in the buildup to the next Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows. “I need time for recovery,” she said, adding that she had no interest in seeing who will be the new Wimbledon champion. “I will get out of London as soon as possible. It’s very tough after you lose a match to still pay attention to the tournament. Always after a match I will leave and never see about the tennis,” she said. “Maybe I’ll go shopping. Maybe go somewhere else. Just try relax a little bit.”— AFP

LONDON: Poland’s Jerzy Janowicz celebrates beating Poland’s Lukasz Kubot in their men’s singles quarter-final match on day nine of the 2013 Wimbledon Championships tennis tournament at the All England Club yesterday. Janowicz won 7-5, 6-4, 6-4. —AFP

2020 Olympic bid cities make case to members LAUSANNE: The three cities vying to host the 2020 Olympics are making their pitches to IOC members, hoping to seize the momentum in the final two months before the vote. Yesterday, Istanbul, Madrid and Tokyo were laying out their plans to the general assembly of the International Olympic Committee, the first time they have made presentations directly to the electorate.

Of the IOC’s 100 members, 86 were attending the proceedings. Among those absent were FIFA president and Swiss member Sepp Blatter and Britain’s Princess Anne. It’s a potentially pivotal moment for the cities in the run-up to the Sept. 7 vote in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It was at a similar meeting in 2009 that Rio de Janeiro won over the members in the race for the 2016 Olympics. Up first in the presentations was Istanbul, whose bid has

been shaken by the anti-government protests that swept Turkey last month. Madrid and Tokyo were to follow. The meetings were taking place behind closed doors at the Beaulieu convention center.

Each delegation had 45 minutes to make speeches and show videos, with another 45 minutes allotted for questions and answers. Last week, the IOC released a technical evaluation report on the cities.

The report did not rank or grade the cities, but Tokyo appeared to come out the best overall.

Istanbul is bidding for a fifth time, Madrid is back for a third consecutive time and Tokyo is trying for a second time in a row. Istanbul is inviting the IOC to take the Olympics to a new region, to a predominantly Muslim country for the first time, to a city that connects Asia and Europe. Tokyo claims to be a “safe pair of hands” at a time of global economic

Flipkens warns Bartoli ahead of semi-finals

LONDON: China’s Li Na reacts after losing a point against Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska in their women’s singles quarter-final match on July 2, 2013.

Radwanska won 7-6, 4-6, 6-2. — AFP

LONDON: Kirsten Flipkens has warned Marion Bartoli that she has no intention of letting her fairytale run at Wimbledon come to an end in today’s semi-finals. Flipkens knows she is one of the more unlikely All England Club semi-finalists in recent years, but the Belgian 20th seed is determined to make the most of her first appearance in the last four at a Grand Slam.

This time last year the 2003 junior Wimbledon champion, who suffered several serious injuries as a youngster, was ranked a lowly 262 in the world after blood clots in her left ankle forced her to take several months off. Tuesday’s surprise 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over former champion Petra Kvitova in the last eight secured a semi-final showdown with French 15th seed Bartoli and provided Flipkens with a tangible reward after all her struggles.

“I’ve been through a lot of ups and downs throughout my career. I’ve had so many injuries,” said 27-year-old Flipkens. “I had a really bad back injury when I was the junior champion and all the doctors said my career would have been over normally. “But I’m just the kind of person that doesn’t like to break and I keep on fighting back every time. “Last year I didn’t get into the qualifying of Wimbledon. I was ranked 262; today I’m a semi-finalist in a Grand Slam. “It’s more than a dream. There’s no words. I never expected this to happen in my life.”

Fittingly for a tournament shaped by upsets, Flipkens’ clash with Bartoli, who was beaten by Venus Williams in the 2007 Wimbledon final, is one of two surprising last four match-ups. Bartoli came through a nerve-jangling clash with American 17th seed Sloane Stephens, winning 6-4, 7-5 after a remarkable second set featuring nine breaks in 12 games. But Bartoli fell foul of the

fans on Court One who booed her when she demanded that play be stopped when she was leading 5-4, 40-40 in the first set with Stephens serving as light rain began to fall.

The other semi-final is a fascinating clash of styles between big-serving Sabine Lisicki and shot-making Polish fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska, who lost last year’s final to Serena Williams and moved into the last four again with a 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 6-2 win over Chinese sixth seed Li Na. Lisicki swept into the last four as the German 23rd seed followed her sensational upset of Williams with an emphatic 6-3, 6-3 victory over Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi. The 23-year-old’s previous best Grand Slam run ended in a Wimbledon semi-final defeat to Maria Sharapova in 2011.

Now Lisicki has a chance to finally reach her first Grand Slam final and become the first German woman to feature in the Wimbledon final since Steffi Graf in 1999. She believes the experience of making the last four two years ago will prove invaluable. “I know how it is to be in the semis. I know the different atmosphere. Everything is starting to get empty in the locker room. It is a completely different feeling,” she said. “I’m glad that I had that experience before. I feel much fresher, fitter, better than two years ago. “I just feel like I’m hitting the ball well. I’m moving well. And having had the experience in the past, all that together helps me a lot.”

Lisicki’s big-serving game is perfectly suited to Wimbledon’s fast grass-courts, but Radwanska will pose an especially tough test because she has been playing against the German since they were juniors. “We didn’t play for a couple of years, but it will be good challenge because we know each other since the juniors,” Radwanska said. “Actually we talked about that also not so long ago. —AFP

and political uncertainty. Madrid, despite Spain’s severe financial troubles, boasts that it would spend far less money than the others on infrastructure because 80 percent of its venues are already in place. Istanbul probably had the most at stake yesterday, needing to reassure members in the wake of the unprecedented street demonstrations across Turkey last month that led to a crackdown by the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayypip Erdogan. “Although the games will be seven years ahead, what’s going on (in Turkey) right now is important to the voting of the members,” senior Norwegian IOC member Gerhard Heiberg said.

“There will be many questions, absolutely. This is a good opportunity for Turkey, for Istanbul, to answer the questions and lay it out in the open how they think, what they’re going to do about it.”—AP

Drouet enjoying post-Tomic life LONDON: Thomas Drouet, the former hitting partner of Australian star Bernard Tomic, labeled the player’s father as a “mad, evil manipulator” yesterday. Drouet was left with a broken nose after being allegedly attacked by John Tomic in a late-night brawl in Madrid on May. Tomic senior is now facing a criminal trial to be held in the Spanish capital in October. Drouet has since severed his links with John Tomic who has also been banned from all tournaments, including Wimbledon where the Frenchman has helped steer Marion Bartoli into the singles semi-finals.

“John Tomic is a mad, evil manipulator,” the 30-yearold Drouet said. Finding himself without a job, Drouet pitched up at the French Open in May and approached Walter Bartoli, the father and long-time coach of the French number one who will face Belgium’s Kirsten Flipkens in Thursday’s semi-finals. “I called him and the same evening, Marion sent me a message and the day after that, we started working together. I was happy to have found some normal people. It was a big change for me,” said Drouet.

With Walter Bartoli not at Wimbledon, Drouet has found himself with a major role to play with the 15th seed along with France’s 2006 Wimbledon champion and former world number one, Amelie Mauresmo. “We have known each other since we were children, that makes it easier. But from the start, I have been more than just a hitting partner. They wanted something else, an outside opinion.”

Despite his absence from London, Drouet insists that Bartoli senior is happy with his daughter’s progress as she sets her sights on a second Wimbledon final following her runner-up finish to Venus Williams in 2007. “I don’t give her orders, I am not her boss. We talk a lot.

She’s a very intelligent girl and very human. We take the job seriously but when we are finished, we go to the restaurant and kid around,” added Drouet. It’s a different atmosphere from his days with the Tomic camp where he described his role as a “stooge”.— AFP

Isco hopes signing for Real will boost his WCup chances

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

17

Flipkens warns Bartoli ahead of semi-finals

19

FIFA again bans Iraq from hosting friendlies

Page 17

LONDON: Spectators applaud as they watch Andy Murray of Britain face Fernando Verdasco of Spain in a Men’s singles quarterfinal match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships in Wimbledon yesterday. — AP

Love, marriage, divorce in air at Wimbledon LONDON: Black hearts, messy divorces, mixed doubles blossoming into marriage and a day pass which also ended in a lifetime commitment. At Wimbledon 2013, there are seismic shocks on the courts and love in the air.

Serena Williams started it with some ill-timed comments about the love life of Maria Sharapova. “ There are people who live, breathe and dress tennis. I mean, seriously, give it a rest,” Williams told Rolling Stone magazine, without naming the Russian.

“She begins every interview with ‘I’m so happy. I’m so lucky’-it’s so boring. She’s still not going to be invited to the cool parties.

And, hey, if she wants to be with the guy with a black heart, go for it.” The guy with the black heart was Grigor Dimitrov, the Bulgarian top30 player who is now Sharapova’s boyfriend

but was previously romantically linked with Williams. Sharapova hit back with an icy putdown delivered with the venom usually reserved to fuel one of her howitzer forehands.

“If she wants to talk about something personal, maybe she should talk about her relationship and her boyfriend that was married and is getting a divorce and has kids,” said Sharapova. Williams has reportedly been in a romance with her French coach Patrick Mouratoglou. The spat did little for the Wimbledon campaigns of either Williams, a five-time champion, or Sharapova, the 2004 winner. Williams was knocked out in the fourth round by Sabine Lisicki while Sharapova exited on black Wednesday at the hands of Portuguese qualifier Michelle Larcher

De Brito.

Caught in the middle, Dimitrov, voted by fans as one of the tour’s sexiest men, fared little better, losing in the second round to Slovenian journeyman Grega Zemlja. “You guys tell me what kind of heart I have,” said Dimitrov, in response to Williams’s jibe. “I am here to talk about the slippery courts, how many injuries we had, pull-outs. I don’t think we should be talking about that. I think that’s in the past and that’s getting old.” He was happy, however, to have the glamorous Sharapova looking on and insisted that her presence did not increase the pressure on him.

“I feel even more pumped and happy that she’s there for me. I think that’s what counts the most.” Ukraine’s Sergiy Stakhovsky, the 27-

year-old world number 116, who caused one of the great Wimbledon sensations by knocking out seven-time champion Roger Federer in the second round, already had happy memories of the All England Club. Three years ago, he met his future wife, Anfisa Bulgakova, at the tournament. “At Wimbledon in 2010 my mother called me and said, ‘I have a great girl and she wants to come to Wimbledon to watch if you can get her a ticket’. So I got Anfisa a ticket and she called me to say, ‘I’m at Wimbledon and would like to meet you’,” Stakhovsky told the BBC. Mrs Stakhovsky added: “We just chatted for 10 minutes. That was it but we were both feeling there should be something and we were messaging each other afterwards. “Our first date was in Paris in November 2010 and Sergiy proposed the fol-

lowing January and we got married that September. He’s such a gentleman, he’s very romantic and at the same time very smart and logical. He’s unbelievable.”

Stakhovsky’s Wimbledon campaign was ended in the third round by Austria’s Jurgen Melzer who married Czech player Iveta Benesova last summer, just a year after they won the mixed doubles title in London. “You have to watch out what you say,” said 32-yearold Melzer when asked what drawbacks presented themselves when teaming up on court with your wife. “When we played here the first time we hadn’t been dating and we hadn’t been involved. We were friends. That’s when we won.” For Melzer, good communication is the key to success. “In life and in marriage and on the court,” he said. — AFP

Djokovic to avenge 2010 Berdych loss LONDON: Novak Djokovic tackles Tomas Berdych for a place in the Wimbledon semi-finals yesterday still feeling the raw pain of his defeat to the Czech at the All England Club three years ago. World number one Djokovic was beaten in straight sets in the semi-finals by Berdych in 2010, a defeat which raised serious doubts over whether or not the gifted but unpredictable Serb would ever build on his Australian Open breakthrough of 2008.

He lost that day but has since has gone on to win five more majors including the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open crowns in 2011. “Yes, I had quite a turbulent five, six months of 2010 but the semi-finals of Wimbledon came in the right time for me because I felt that was like a springboard for me,” said Djokovic.

“From that moment on everything started going uphill really.” Not that Djokovic, who boasts a 13-2 winning record against Berdych will be taking anything for granted. “I hadn’t played great at that match against Tomas, but credit to him because he played finals that year, and he beat Roger and myself, played a good match against Rafa in the final. So he knows how to play on grass. That’s the only time we played on this surface.

I’m expecting a difficult match.”

Djokovic will be playing in his 17th successive Grand Slam quarter-final. But with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal both suffering shock early defeats, he is taking nothing for granted against Berdych. “It’s the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam. He’s an established top 5, top 10 player in the world. “But I feel good about myself in this moment. I think I actually play better tennis on grass than I played two years ago when I won this tournament. For now I’m feeling good. I’m No 1 of the world. I have no reason to be concerned about my game.”

Second seed Andy Murray insists he can cope with the burden of shouldering growing expectations that he will finally end the 77-year wait for a British man to win Wimbledon. The world number two has yet to drop a set in his first four matches and looked more at ease than ever in the All England Club spotlight as he prepares for a last eight clash with Spanish left-hander Fernando Verdasco.

Losing to Federer in last year’s Wimbledon final pro-

voked a tearful response from Murray. But, after winning the US Open and an Olympic gold at Wimbledon, the 26-year-old has appeared increasingly in command of his emotions both on and off court. “There’s always pressure coming into this event and it builds with each match,” said Murray as he continues his bid to become his country’s first men’s champion at Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936.

Murray, playing in his sixth successive Grand Slam quarter-final, is the heavy favorite to reach a second successive final. If he gets past Verdasco, against whom he has an 8-1 winning record, then he will face either Jerzy Janowicz or Lukasz Kubot with the two Polish Davis Cup teammates meeting in the other quarter-final in his side of the draw. Spanish fourth seed David Ferrer is in the quarter-finals for the second successive year and faces Argentine eighth seed Juan Martin del Potro. — AFP

LONDON: Novak Djokovic of Serbia reacts after beating Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic in a Men’s singles quarterfinal match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships in Wimbledon, London yesterday. — AP

Sports broadcasts pose moral quandary in Iran TEHRAN: Iran’s volleyball triumph has created a dilemma for the state broadcaster, which is struggling to tailor its coverage of matches, attended by scantily dressed women, to the moral guidelines of the Islamic republic. Competing for the first time in the FIVB Volleyball World League, Iran is seen as the underdog. But sports-mad Iranians have fallen head-over-heels for the game after the unexpected defeat of European hotshots Serbia and Italy.

The away matches against a strong Italy on June 28 and 30 were aired live and watched by millions, but the viewers were treated with two very different broadcasts. During the first match in Sardinia, state television broadcast footage of the crowds, which included women dressed in T-shirts, tank tops and mini skirts, suitable for the Mediterranean heat. Television also showed some female Iranian fans, mingling with men, with Iran flags painted on their faces, and in attire publicly banned in the Islamic republic.

The broadcast, as well as another incident where Colombian pop star sensation Shakira was shown on Iranian TV in a short dress cheering husband and Spain football international Gerard Pique, drew the ire of conservatives, staunch advocates of the regime’s interpretation of Islamic sharia law,

which has been enforced since the 1979 revolution. Women in Iran, regardless of their nationality or religion, are required to cover their hair and body and to avoid heavy make-up and nail polish.

They are also banned from stadiums, and can only attend women-only competitions. Rules dictate Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) must delete or crop out images of women in un-Islamic clothes in movies or news reports.

However, applying those rules to live sporting events, aired with a seven-second delay, has proved to be more challenging.

The ultra-conservative Ya Lessarat weekly yesterday slammed IRIB’s “scandalous” conduct, while outspoken Tehran lawmaker Ali Motahari sharply criticized images that he said did not conform to Islamic rules.

Responding to the criticism, IRIB chief Ezzatollah Zarghami said that boycotting live matches would only compel viewers to turn to satellite channels. “In (live) situations, it is out of our hands. The only solution would be not to broadcast the game at all,” said Zarghami, who is directly appointed by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “If we do that, the viewership will turn to satellite (dishes).” Iran considers hundreds of channels beamed onto its airwaves as part of a “soft war” launched by the

West to corrupt its moral and Islamic values with families, who use the channels as alternatives to the state-controlled television.

Zarghami says he had conferred with clerics who, worried about people tuning over to satellite channels, had advised him to broadcast but under “controlled” conditions. “Parts of the play were cut, and replaced with repeats,” Zarghami said of the second away game against Italy on June 30 which Iran lost. The broadcast of the match was regularly interrupted by replays of points, which led to “viewers glued to the floor watching the game... being irritated by (the censorship),” Zarghami said according to the reformist Shargh daily.

The next away matches, on July 5 and 6, will be against bottom-ranked Cuba, where Zarghami fears the spectators will be dressed even more inappropriately. “The spectators come from different cultures and (are dressed) differently. The situation will be more sensitive due to the heat,” he said. Zarghami added jokingly that he wants to “negotiate with our Cuban cultural counterparts to dress the spectators in tracksuits to resolve this problem.” His remarks come as president-elect Hassan Rowhani, who will take office in August, has expressed willingness to ease restrictions on state television and online censorship. — AFP

Business

US jobs data upbeat, trade deficit widens Page 22 Abu Dhabi to invest in India cash-hungry infrastructure Page 26

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

Merkel hosts jobless summit in shadow of Portugal crisis Page 23 Page 23

Portuguese govt totters, markets reel

QUEZON: Residents go about their daily chores at a poor neighborhood in Quezon city northeast of Manila, Philippines. As the Philippine economy skyrocketed 7.8 percent in the first quarter, outpacing China, the middle class in the Southeast Asian nation that has been held back by widespread poverty, political strife and corruption is for the first time in decades reaping the profits of an economic boom. — AP (See Page 25)

Qatar firms struggle amid construction boom Government to spend billions on infrastructure

DUBAI: Qatar’s real estate developers are struggling even as the country embarks on huge infrastructure building plans - a warning to investors that despite the billions which the Gulf state is throwing around, they won’t necessarily profit. A $7.1 billion state financial support package announced last month for Qatar’s largest listed developer, Barwa Real Estate, and the restructuring of other top developers such as United Development Co and state-owned Qatari Diar, highlight the industry’s weakness.

Barwa and Diar have cut staff and sold assets to manage their debt. Last October Barwa announced plans to sell more assets in Qatar and Egypt to pay down loans. Qatar is competing with Dubai as a regional financial centre, and it does not lack money; its natural gas reserves make it one of the richest countries in the world per capita. But the performance of its real estate industry in the last few years raises questions over whether it has the population size and glamour to become a major market for property developers and investors.

The tiny desert state has a population of about 2 million, only about 250,000 of them local citizens. That is similar to Dubai’s size, but Dubai has the rest of the United Arab Emirates as a hinterland, and so far at least, it is winning the competition to establish itself as a base for professionals who work around the Gulf.

“There’s no incentive for people to stay long in Doha,” said Matthew Green, head of research at real estate consultancy CBRE in Dubai. “Doha clearly needs to build on other components of its tourism, leisure and lifestyle aspects. Currently they don’t have a leisure market, which is its fundamental difference to neighboring Dubai.” Morning flights to Doha from Dubai are packed with

executives and professionals who prefer to live in Dubai and take the hour-long flight to work in the Qatari capital. “I take a flight to Doha on Sunday morning and return on Wednesday. Life is more comfortable in Dubai, and my family will never agree to move to Doha,” said a Dubai-based consultant who did not wish to be identified due to commercial sensitivities.

INFRASTRUCTURE Qatari real estate developers are hoping this will change as Qatar launches plans to spend about $140 billion over the next decade on a rail system, a new airport, a seaport, and hundreds of kilometers of major new roads, in addition to stadiums that will host the 2022 World Cup soccer tournament. These projects are expected to boost Qatar’s population in coming years as engineers, managers and laborers arrive to build them. The government hopes the World Cup will leave Doha established as a major international city.

It is not clear, however, that much of the money being poured into infrastructure building will reach Qatar’s real estate developers; a large amount will go to foreign contractors with the size, expertise and experience to handle the projects. Early last month, for example, Qatar awarded four design and build contracts worth about $8.2 billion for phase one of the Doha Metro. But foreign firms such as Italy’s Impregilo and South Korea’s SK Engineering & Construction dominated the winning consortiums.

Qatar’s Galfar al-Misnad Engineering and Contracting was in a consortium that won one of the contracts, but its share price did

not rise significantly in response and it is now languishing near its level at the end of last year. Shares in Barwa are down 3 percent since the end of 2012. In Dubai, property developers have moved from residential projects into building shopping malls, resorts and entertainment facilities, reducing their exposure to swings in housing prices. In Qatar, this process has not occurred on the same scale.

“Dubai is providing facilities to further develop its tourism sector like water parks, large resort hotels and other entertainment facilities,” said Duncan Gray, director and country manager for Qatar at consultancy Colliers International. “There’s currently a general lack of such facilities in Doha and there is limited evidence so far of efforts in that direction.” Some analysts attribute this to the fact that most major Qatari real estate developers are linked to the state through shareholdings, and may therefore focus more on the government’s agenda than profit- or investordriven projects.

In May, Barwa unveiled plans to build a $5.5 billion island off the coast of Doha that would include luxury villas and a water park. But the project would also be used to anchor cruise ships providing temporary accommodation for the World Cup; this could help to prevent a shortage of accommodation during the tournament, but might do little to ensure a steady stream of income for Barwa or improve the livability of downtown Doha.

Barwa, 45 percent owned by the real estate arm of Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund, has acquired assets in France, Switzerland, Britain and other countries in line with the country’s overseas investment strategy. “The majority of the major real estate proj-

ects in Doha are being driven by government and quasi-private organizations,” said Gray.

UNDERSUPPLIED Some analysts believe Doha’s residential real estate market is fundamentally undersupplied, which should provide opportunities for developers. Colliers thinks residential demand will reach about 242,000 units by 2017; based on government projections and the current construction pipeline, it estimates total supply will be only 138,235 units in that year. Most apartments in Doha are two- and three-bedroom units, with an acute shortage of studio and one-bedroom apartments. As a result, monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment can go as high as 10,000 riyals ($2,740) in a middle-income community. “Right now there’s probably more properties priced for the smaller part of the market than the larger majority,” said Gray. But incentives for developers to fill this gap are limited by rules restricting the purchase of properties by foreigners. There are just three designated freehold zones in Doha where foreigners can buy. This contrasts with Dubai, which has more freehold property zones for foreigners and has established itself as a destination for investors from around the Middle East, despite the crash of its real estate market in 2009-2010. A partial rebound of Dubai property prices this year has helped to attract money that might otherwise have gone to Qatar.

“Opportunities for investors are currently limited in Doha. The market is still relatively young and has as yet not matured in the sense of opportunities - but these will come over time if the economy broadens,” said Gray. — Reuters

Dubai steps up asset sales to cut debt pile Approach of Dubai World maturity also a factor DUBAI: Dubai, facing debt repayments of about $50 billion over the next three years, is finally getting serious about selling off assets to raise money - a key component of its repayment strategy.

Most investors are now confident that the freewheeling emirate will recover from its 2009-2010 crisis, when a property crash nearly forced statelinked companies to default on billions of dollars of debt. But until recently, most of the big companies had not followed through on their plans to sell assets as part of debt restructuring deals with creditors.

This left a question mark over exactly where Dubai Inc would find the money it needed. In the last few weeks, however, several asset sales have been announced and there has been progress towards more - a sign that the emirate is able to make some of the tough commercial decisions required by the restructuring plans. Instability in the global debt markets during this period has blocked any further rally in Dubai debt prices, but they may gain support from news of the asset disposals. “The fact that concrete action is being taken, and being managed with relatively little visible turbulence, is seen as a positive by the investment community,” said Biswajit Dasgupta, head of treasury and trading at Abu Dhabi asset manager Invest AD. “The debt burden will come down as a result of these. But equally, there is a sense of greater discipline going forward in that projects will be subjected to more rigorous scrutiny for commercial viability.”

STRATEGY Dubai’s state-linked conglomerates snapped

up a spectacular array of assets around the world, from stakes in high-profile companies to real estate, before the global financial crisis of 2008 triggered a crash in the emirate’s property market. Many firms restructured their debt by extending maturities while promising full repayment through asset sales. Chief among these was Dubai World, which in a $25 billion restructuring deal signed in March 2011, set a two-tranche repayment schedule with lenders over five and eight years. The plan depends heavily on asset disposals to raise money; it envisioned the conglomerate raising $1.3-$2.3 billion in this way by 2012. That did not happen and until last month, Dubai World had not actually sold any major assets - a source of some worry to its bankers.

Many bankers believed Dubai, hoping to fetch higher prices, was waiting for the global economy to recover further from its crisis before selling assets. This strategy could backfire if the recovery did not materialize.

Some worried that Dubai managers might simply be unwilling to let go of their prize assets, for fear of booking losses on those bought at the top of the market; in that case, their stubbornness could jeopardize the restructuring programs. Others feared Dubai’s partial recovery from its property slump might have lulled it into a false sense of complacency. But since last month, several actions have suggested such fears are misplaced. A unit of Toronto-based investment firm Brookfield Asset Management bought logistics warehouse developer Gazeley from Dubai World subsidiary Economic Zones World (EZW), the Canadian firm said.

Dubai World had purchased Gazeley from Wal-Mart Stores in 2008 for an estimated 300 to 400 million pounds ($453-604 million). The price of the sale to Brookfield was not disclosed, but falls in asset prices since 2008 mean the sale may have occurred at a lower price. Proceeds from the sale of Gazeley are expected to go towards the repayment of a $1.2 billion loan secured by Dubai World affiliate JAFZA in June last year. EZW had pledged up to $300 million for JAFZA from proceeds raised by the Gazeley sale, and the funds will be used to part-repay the bank facility, according to a company prospectus.

Meanwhile Dubai Group, a unit of Dubai Holding which is restructuring $10 billion in debt, sold its credit card business to Abu Dhabi’s First Gulf Bank for $164 million last month. And the Tunisian government said another unit of Dubai Holding was considering a sale of its 35 percent stake in Tunisie Telecom; the unit bought the stake for $2.25 billion in 2006. Dubai Holding has also hired Citigroup to advise on a potential sale of its remaining 26 percent stake in mobile telephone retailer Axiom Telecom, bankers said.

Some bankers think Dubai is acting now because global market volatility since late May, due to signs that US interest rates will rise, has persuaded it to lock in deals for fear of losing opportunities. Others believe that with Dubai World facing a $4.4 billion loan repayment in May 2015, managers have decided they can wait no longer. “What we are seeing is that there is a bit more receptiveness to the idea of selling assets in Dubai,” said a banker who has previously advised Dubai firms on acquisitions. —Reuters

TOKYO: Japan’s motorcycle giant Yamaha Motor president Hiroyuki Yanagi displays a large motorcycle ‘Bolt’ with 950cc V-twin engine, now on sale in the US market, as he announced the company’s mid-term business strategy yesterday. Yamaha will introduce 250 new models in three years for motorcycle, marine and other categories, aiming to reach 2 trillion yen ($20 billion) for net sales in 2017. — AFP

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

BUSINESS

New French business leader talks tough on taxes PARIS: Industrialist Pierre Gattaz became head of the employers federation MEDEF yesterday and immediately called for a massive cut in taxes and charges on businesses. He said the government should cut these costs by 100 billion euros ($129 billion) over five years. “My message is clear,” he told the general assembly of the MEDEF. “We will no longer accept increases in charges, nor of taxes which burden our activities.”

Gattaz, who heads French high-tech components firm Radiall, says he wants to see policies to stimulate the industrial base by boosting exports. “We have everything we need to succeed in France, everything we need to export,” Gattaz said last month as he strolled through workshops at his family owned company which makes electronics parts for industrial

groups worldwide.

“If I can do it, we can do it,” the jovial, round-faced industrialist insisted. His call for a huge boost to France’s flagging competitive position by cutting taxes and social charges comes against a background of gloom over the state of the economy and tensions within the Socialist government over reforms. Gattaz succeeds Laurence Parisot as head of the MEDEF. She was the first woman to head the federation. Gattaz, 53, also has convictions that set him on a potential collision course with the government and trade unions.

Trained as a telecommunications engineer in France and the United States, Gattaz worked at Dassault Electronique and turned around failing companies before joining Radiall, of which his family

owns 87 percent, in the early 1990s. His father, Yvon Gattaz, was head of the CNPF, MEDEF’s predecessor, from 1981-1986.

Gattaz sees German family-owned companies as a model for how to compete in a “virtuous cycle of globalization,” and defends Radiall’s plants in China, India, Mexico and the United States.

It also has five sites in France, but to sell to companies such as Boeing and Apple, he explained: “If I did not have Mexico, I would be dead.” A big question as he takes over at MEDEF is how flexible Gattaz will be in negotiations with so-called social partners, essentially trade unions, as France struggles to reboot its industrial engine. He has expressed strong opposition to France’s 35-hour work week, lower retirement age, higher corporate taxes and public spending. —AFP

PARIS: New French employers’ association Medef president Pierre Gattaz addresses the Medef general meeting after his election in Paris yesterday. —AFP

US jobs data upbeat, trade deficit widens

Gold extends gains LONDON: Gold rose more than one percent yesterday, extending earlier gains as the dollar moved lower and European stocks fell, while investors awaited US employment data for clues over the Fed’s stimulus tapering. Gold posted its biggest ever quarterly loss of almost 23 percent for the April-June period on concerns the US Federal Reserve would end its $85 billion monthly bond purchases.

Yet prices rebounded above $1,200 an ounce, driven by traders covering short positions this week. Spot gold rose 1.2 percent to $1,255.36 an ounce by 1210 GMT. US gold futures for August delivery were up $11.10 at $1,254.70 an ounce. Market sentiment remained guarded as outflows from exchange-traded funds (ETFs) continued and physical demand failed to pick up after prices plumbed a threeyear low of $1,180.71 on Friday.

“Debt crisis in Greece and Portugal, which seem to be back in focus, is weighing on equities and possibly leading to some higher demand for gold, but on the other end we are still seeing outflows from ETFs and that’s negative,” Commerzbank analyst Daniel Briesemann said.

The dollar fell from an earlier five-week peak against a basket of currencies, as investors positioned ahead of a US Independence Day holiday on Thursday and US nonfarm jobs data on Friday that could give clearer clues of the Fed’s monetary easing strategy.

Private employers add 188,000 in June

WASHINGTON: US private employers stepped up hiring in June and new applications for unemployment benefits fell for a second straight week last week, pointing to improving labor market conditions. Private payrolls increased 188,000 last month, the ADP National Employment Report showed. That compared to 134,000 jobs added in May. Economists had expected a gain of 160,000 jobs.

In a separate report, the Labor Department

said initial claims for state unemployment benefits slipped 5,000 to a seasonally adjusted 343,000.

The four-week moving average of new claims, which is considered a better measure of labor market conditions, dipped 750 to 345,500. The reports come ahead of the government’s more comprehensive employment report on Friday.

“This is not really a big game changer, we don’t expect any upside or downside surprise on Friday,” said Sam Bullard, a senior economist at Wells

ATLANTA: Job seekers line up to register to attend a job fair held in Atlanta. —AP

Fargo in Charlotte, North Carolina. “Employment should slowly, gradually build momentum.”

US stock index futures pared losses, while US Treasuries prices rose after the data. The dollar cut losses against the yen. Nonfarm payrolls are expected to have increased 165,000 in June, according to a survey of economists, a touch below May’s tally of 175,000 jobs. That would be higher than the monthly average of 155,800 over the past three months. The unemployment rate is expected to fall a tenth of a percentage point to 7.5 percent.

The employment report could shed fresh clues on the timing of the Federal Reserve’s plan to start scaling back its monetary stimulus. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said last month the US central bank expected to trim its bond purchases later this year and halt the program by mid-2014, as long as the economy progresses as it expects.

In another sign of improving domestic economic conditions, the US trade deficit widened sharply in May, as stronger US demand pulled in more imports, a report from the Commerce Department showed. However, sluggish growth abroad pushed exports lower. The trade gap swelled more than 12 percent to $45.0 billion from a revised $40.1 billion in April, the biggest monthto-month increase in two years.

While the widening of the trade gap could prompt analysts to lower their estimates of second-quarter US growth, the rise in imports points to firming underlying demand in the economy.

Imports rose 1.9 percent to $232.1 billion, the highest since the record level of $234.3 billion set in March 2012. May imports, when adjusted for inflation, were a record $167.2 billion, the department said. —Reuters

UK’s robust data dims case for more stimulus LONDON: Britain’s service sector put in a stellar performance in June, suggesting the economy is recovering faster than expected and dimming talk that new Bank of England Governor Mark Carney may want to push quickly for more monetary stimulus. Adding to the brighter economic news that has dominated Carney’s first week in office were separate surveys showing subdued inflation and rising demand for credit.

As the Bank of England began its first policy meeting under Carney, the Purchasing Managers’ Index for services leapt two points to 56.9, far higher than any econo-

mist had forecast in a poll and its best reading in more than two years. In a sign that the upswing may be sustained, new orders in the service sector rose at the fastest rate since June 2007.

Sterling hit a session high as investors speculated the Bank of England’s next move may be to tighten policy, albeit not imminently, rather than to print more money, as had been widely expected after Carney’s appointment was announced in November. “I’m surprised by how strong it is,” said Brian Hilliard, UK economist at Societe Generale. “The policy point is that it

looks rather difficult for Carney to come in with all guns blazing for more easing.”

Markit said its composite activity index, which includes services, manufacturing and construction, pointed to economic growth of at least 0.5 percent in the second quarter - a rate that would make Britain one of the fastest-growing industrialized economies. George Buckley at Deutsche Bank noted that the composite index was close to the level at which the central bank has in the past tightened policy, at 56.5 compared with an average tightening level of 57.4. —Reuters

“It would be very bad for gold if you get a non-farm payrolls number good enough for the Fed to taper but at the same time not strong enough to see any inflationary pressure coming through,” BofA Merrill Lynch analyst Michael Widmer said. Gold is usually seen as a hedge against inflationary pressures. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said last month the US economy was recovering strongly enough for the bank to begin tapering its stimulus in the next few months, and possibly end the program in mid2014.

This would support a rise in interest rates, making gold less attractive. However, the exact timing of the Fed’s move remains unclear. Two senior Fed official said on Tuesday that the bank’s monetary policy to support the economy will likely be warranted for some time to come.

Holdings of the world’s largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund SPDR Gold Trust fell 0.37 percent to 964.69 tonnes on Tuesday, hitting fresh lows since February 2009.

Physical demand for gold has emerged as it did in April, when prices fell the most in 30 years, and premiums remained steady in main Asian markets as refineries prepare to shut for housekeeping during the summer period, traders said.

Silver tracked gold’s gains, up 2.3 percent to $19.80 an ounce. Platinum was unchanged at $1,363.74 an ounce and palladium dropped 0.2 percent to $682 an ounce. —Reuters

Explorer Tullow Oil lifts Kenya resource estimate LONDON: London-listed Tullow Oil lifted its estimate of resources in Kenya and announced a new discovery, moving closer to commercial production of oil in the east African country. Africa-focused Tullow, under pressure to deliver positive drilling news after a disappointing trading update in January, increased its resource estimate for the South Lokichar basin in Kenya after flow tests at its Ngamia and Twiga South wells and a new discovery at the Etuko-1 well. The discoveries in Kenya, along with oil struck in Uganda and gas finds offshore Tanzania and Mozambique, underlines east Africa’s potential to become a major oil and gas producing region in the next five years.

Morgan Stanley analysts said in a note that the increased resource estimate and Etuko discovery “establishes the region as a major new emerging oil province that could shortly surpass Uganda and reach commerciality too.” Tullow’s shares, which

have lost around a fifth of their value the start of the year after a mixed 2012, rose 3 percent, bucking a weaker resources sector.

“Kenya is getting the company back on track to following up basin opening success with basin commercializing success,” Macquarie analyst Mark Wilson said.

Tullow sees a flow rate potential of 5,000 barrels a day based on Ngamia-1 and Twiga-South-1, and estimates there are 250 million barrels of oil in place - a forecast it said could increase further after appraisal.

Tullow is focused on exploration, but makes money producing oil in Ghana. Last year it raised $2.9 billion for more exploration by selling part of its Uganda franchise to Total and China’s CNOOC, bringing top global oil companies into east African oil for the first time. Terms for the commercialization of the Ugandan oil, which Tullow has said is worth $50 billion to the country, have yet to be agreed. —Reuters

EXCHANGE RATES Irani Riyal Irani Riyal

Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Egyptian pounds 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 2.848 4.755 2.867 2.192 2.995 225.570 36.974 3.676 6.601 9.257

.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

0.271 0.273 GCC COUNTRIES 76.484 78.807 744.970 761.790 78.109

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 286.700 Euro 373.280 Sterling Pound 436.360 Canadian dollar 272.530 Turkish lira 148.050 Swiss Franc 302.270 Australian Dollar 261.760 US Dollar Buying 285.550 GOLD 239.000 121.000 63.000

SELL DRAFT 264.43 275.97 306.62 375.10 286.10 441.06 2.94 3.694 4.751 2.190 2.976 2.866 77.96 761.47 40.21 407.18

Rate for Transfer US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

Selling Rate 286.950 275.210 437.525 375.370 302.810 757.065 77.830 78.490 77.115 403.095 40.095 2.187 4.819 2.869 3.672 6.593 701.455 3.880 9.360 4.085 3.145 90.365

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY

UAE Exchange Centre WLL COUNTRY Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro US Dollar Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar

748.000 79.500 76.000

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 39.350 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 40.238 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.338 Tunisian Dinar 172.810 Jordanian Dinar 405.030 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.924 Syrian Lier 3.116 Morocco Dirham 34.131

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

744.04 79.00 76.42

SELL CASH 274.000 282.000 312.000 380.000 284.500 448.500 3.300 3.670 5.050 2.550 3.250 2.900 78.000 753.000 38.800 410.000

British Pound Czech Korune Danish Krone Euro Norwegian Krone Scottish Pound Swedish Krona Swiss Franc Australian Dollar New Zealand Dollar Uganda Shilling Canadian Dollar Colombian Peso US Dollars Bangladesh Taka Cape Vrde Escudo Chinese Yuan Eritrea-Nakfa

SELL CASH Europe 0.4279593 0.0067165 0.0460877 0.3685768 0.0428033 0.4261050 0.0388036 0.2979178 Australasia 0.2538020 0.2155465 0.0001123 America 0.2651640 0.0001455 0.2838500 Asia 0.0036273 0.0031732 0.0456122 0.0165333

SELLDRAFT 0.4369593 0.0187165 0.0510877 0.3760768 0.0480033 0.4336050 0.0438036 0.3049178 0.2658020 0.2255465 0.0001123 0.2741640 0.0001635 0.2860000 0.0036823 0.0034032 0.0506122 0.0196333

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 0.0343150 0.0047582 0.0000238 0.0028588 0.0027922 0.0032638 0.0856349 0.0028686 0.0028495 0.0061512 0.0000730 0.2216917 0.0021477 0.0088695 Arab 0.7521940 0.0381406 0.0128144 0.1454203 0.0000795 0.0001813 0.3978190 1.0000000 0.0001755 0.0219909 0.0012174 0.7318475 0.0779018 0.0757333 0.0465033 0.0019493 0.1721534 0.0764400 0.0012904

Al Mulla Exchange Currency US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar 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) 285.600 375.850 436.850 274.000 4.790 40.160 2.185 3.663 6.595 2.870 760.550 77.800 76.300

0.0000504 0.0374150 0.0048232 0.0000289 0.0038588 0.0029722 0.0034939 0.0926349 0.0030686 0.0028895 0.0066212 0.0000760 0.2276917 0.0021897 0.0094695 0.7606940 0.0401706 0.0193144 0.1472103 0.0000800 0.0002413 0.4053190 1.0000000 0.0001955 0.0459909 0.0018524 0.7428475 0.0786848 0.0763733 0.0470533 0.0021693 0.1781534 0.0778900 0.0013904

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

BUSINESS

Portuguese govt totters, markets reel LISBON: Portuguese Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho’s government tottered close to collapse yesterday after two top ministers quit, pounding financial markets in Lisbon and across Europe.

Markets reacted severely after

Foreign Minister Paulo Portas resigned Tuesday evening, a day after the shock departure of Finance Minister Vitor Gaspar. EU officials told Portugal to take its responsibilities and clarify the situation “as soon as possible”.

LISBON: Portuguese fishmonger Palmira Costa, 64, checks sales while waiting for customers at Lisbon's Ribeira food market, yesterday.

The crisis in recession-wracked Portugal spread fears in world markets of a new wave of instability from the bailed-out nation on the eurozone’s debt-laden peripher y. The yield on benchmark 10-year Portuguese government bonds spiked above eight percent for the first time since November 2012, hitting 8.023 percent before easing a little. It closed the previous day at 6.720 percent. The sharp rise in the bond yield is a warning that the government may have to pay exorbitant rates if it wants to sell newly issued bonds to the financial markets. The Lisbon stock exchange’s key PSI-20 index plunged 6.55 percent to 5,168.20 points in morning trade.

As concern spread, Madrid’s IBEX 35 index slumped 3.15 percent to 7,638.2, London’s FTSE 100 fell 1.64 percent to 6,200.66 points, Frankfurt’s DAX 30 slid 1.93 percent to 7,757.78 points and in Paris the CAC 40 tumbled 1.70 percent to 3,679.03. The euro fell to $1.2923 — hitting a low last recorded on May 29.

That compared with $1.2978 late in New York on Tuesday. Investors were unconvinced by the Portuguese premier’s vow to stay on. “Portugal, under severe economic pressure from a lack of growth, a bloated public sector and more than a

decade on non-growth, most likely will see its government fall inside the next 48 hours, despite assurances from Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho that he will not resign,” Saxo Bank chief economist Steen Jakobsen said. “The coalition is falling, and falling soon,” he said in a report. Jakobsen said he expected a new election to be called with a huge drive against austerity measures. “The big loser this morning is Portugal as a country.

I see Portugal doing a second bailout inside the next six months as the reality of economic non-progress will ultimately weigh higher than the political ability to buy time,” he said.

On Monday, the Portuguese finance minister, architect of the countr y ’s reforms under its European Union-IMF bailout, which has triggered calls for an early election, announced his departure.

The foreign minister declared his resignation the next day, saying he disagreed with the premier’s choice of Treasury Secretary Maria Luis Albuquerque, who has managed the country’s privatization efforts, as the new finance minister. The prime minister said in a televised address that he had not accepted his foreign minister’s resignation and had no intention of leaving himself. “I’m not resigning. I’m not abandoning the coun-

try,” he said. Portugal’s newspapers were withering in their criticism, describing the political crisis as “pathetic”, “absurd”, and “unforgivable”. The government, which came to power in early elections in June 2011, is increasingly isolated. It faced a fourth general strike organized last week by trade unions.

Drastic cuts in spending and tax rises have plunged the country into a deeper recession, and with higher unemployment, than had been expected. BofA Merrill Lynch Global Research said even if early elections were avoided, the risk of snap polls remain high amid strong opposition to the reforms being pushed by the government. At the end of March the Portuguese budget deficit amounted to 10.6 percent of annual output. The target set by creditors, already relaxed twice, is for a deficit of 5.5 percent at the end of the year. Passos Coelho’s government has just two weeks to come up with a program to reform the state before auditors arrive on July 15 to examine progress on reforms for the IMF, EU and European Central Bank. The government has said it expects the economy to contract by 2.3 percent by the end of the year while the unemployment rate has soared to a record 18.2 percent. —AFP

Merkel hosts jobless summit in shadow of Portugal’s crisis EU leaders discuss youth unemployment

BERLIN: A political crisis in Portugal threatened to overshadow a meeting of EU leaders in Berlin yesterday at which Chancellor Angela Merkel had hoped to rebrand herself as a defender of Europe’s jobless in the run-up to a German election. Merkel, whose insistence on spending cuts in return for aid during the euro crisis has made her a target of anger in recession-hit southern

arrived, waving banners with slogans like “Europe’s Youth Needs More Than Merkel’s Hot Air.” “I don’t trust our politicians,” said 31-year-old Spanish protester Rosa Donoso, who has come to Germany looking for work. “They’re just talking, it’s all ‘blah blah blah’.” An estimated 5.6 million young Europeans are unable to find work.

BERLIN: Germany’s chancellor Angela Merkel (center) gestures as she takes her place for the family picture with the head of states and ministers after a conference on promoting youth employment in Europe yesterday. — AFP Europe, is hosting about 20 of her European colleagues to discuss ways to fight youth unemployment.

Critics have accused her of staging the event, from which no concrete decisions are expected, to soften her image as Europe’s leading austerity advocate months before the Sept 22 vote. A few hundred protestors gathered in front of the Chancellery in central Berlin as the leaders

Portugal, whose economy has been devastated by the crisis, is one of worst hit and cast a long shadow over the meeting. Its government appears on the verge of collapse after several top ministers resigned in a row over spending cuts and tax hikes sought by European partners like Germany, the European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund.

Portuguese Prime Minister Pedro Passos

Coelho was scheduled to attend and hold a news conference in Berlin. On the eve of the meeting, Merkel gave an interview with several European newspapers, calling youth unemployment “perhaps the most pressing European problem”. “We Germans have gathered plenty of experience through our own structural reforms since reunification and we want to share these experiences,” Merkel said of the meeting.

BENEVOLENT LEADER European leaders agreed last week to disburse 6 billion euros in EU funds over the next two years for job creation, training and apprenticeships. Merkel has said the goal of the meeting is to discuss “best practices” and decide where the money should go. Leaders ranging from conservatives Mariano Rajoy of Spain and Antonis Samaras of Greece, to leftists Francois Hollande of France and Enrico Letta of Italy will attend.

Merkel is due to hold a news conference with Hollande and top EU officials at 5.15 pm. In Portugal unemployment is at a record 17.7 percent, with 42 percent of young people out of work. In Greece and Spain youth jobless rates are close to 60 percent, fuelling fears of a “lost generation”. David Lizoain, a 30-year-old Spaniard protesting in Berlin, called the summit a “photo opportunity” for Merkel. “She is staging this to look like she is doing something but the amount that’s on the table, 6 billion euros, translates to 1.60 euros per young person in Europe,” he said.

Merkel’s main challenger, Peer Steinbrueck of the Social Democrats (SPD), said the EU had announced many initiatives on unemployment “and now, just a few months before the German election, Mrs Merkel has invited people to a summit on it”. The chancellor’s response was “too late, too fainthearted and too vague”, said the centre-left German candidate. Carsten Nickel, an analyst Teneo Intelligence, said the meeting allowed Merkel to present herself as a “benevolent European leader to her domestic audience”. —Reuters

Euro-zone slump eases Debt crisis returns to haunt progress LONDON: The euro-zone economy looks on track to crawl out of recession in the second half of the year, surveys showed yesterday, just as new strains in the region’s debt crisis put it all at risk. Market’s final Composite Euro-zone Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), a monthly survey of thousands of companies, rose to its highest since March 2012 last month, climbing to 48.7 from May’s 47.7.

This is still below the 50 threshold for growth, but a marked improvement from lows hit last autumn. Overall, the PMIs were consistent with the euro-zone economy shrinking around 0.2 percent through April to June. While this suggested the eurozone’s record-long recession may end soon, a wave of political instability in Portugal and a new bout of worry about Greece were reminders of how easily the debt crisis, dormant for the last 10 months, can reawakened.

The resignation of two senior ministers in Portugal prompted a huge sell-off in the country’s government bonds, sending 10year borrowing costs soaring above 8.1 percent for the first time since November. It also pushed yields in Spain and Italy sharply higher. Greece, meanwhile, has been given just a few by international lenders to deliver on conditions attached to its bailout in order to receive its next tranche of aid.

The PMIs showed German companies managed to eke out negligible growth in June, but the surveys showed the region’s peripheral economies, like Spain and Italy, still suffered a perilous rate of decline which worsened in the case of Italy. “The peripheral economies have a very hard battle on their hands to return to healthy economic growth,” said Jonathan Loynes, chief European economist at Capital Economics.

“Against that background, I don’t think it’s at

all surprising to see political instability in those countries.”

ECB IN FOCUS None of this will be lost on European Central Bank policymakers, who meet on Thursday to set monetary policy. Although economists do not expect them to announce any major changes, any sign of a new flare up in the debt crisis could force the bank into action in the coming months. “This may well mean that the ECB at some point down the line may have to implement its OMT program in order to prevent borrowing costs from continuing to rise,” Loynes said. He was referring to the Outright Monetary Transactions plan to buy the bonds of struggling countries in some circumstances. The announcement of such a plan settled markets without it having to be triggered.

Portugal, however, does not currently meet the OMT criteria for help, adding to the debt market ructions. Even if the euro-zone manages to avoid a major bout of debt jitters and to escape recession in the current quarter, a return to outright growth looks a way off yet. “The concern is that, with Germany barely growing, it remains difficult to identify any real growth drivers,” said Chris Williamson, chief economist at Markit, which compiles the PMIs. He added that any economic expansion was likely to remain subdued until business confidence improves further and unemployment falls from its record euro-era high of 12.2 percent. Although the survey’s jobs index ticked up to 47.4 last month from May’s 47.2, that still suggests the jobless rate is likely to head higher. In non-euro-zone Britain, meanwhile, the services sector grew at the fastest pace in more than two years in June, suggesting a strong rate of economic growth there. —Reuters

Irish unemployment hits three-year low of 13.6% DUBLIN: Ireland’s unemployment rate fell to a threeyear low of 13.6 percent in June, offering some relief to a government desperate to revive an economy that has slipped into recession. Ireland, which hopes to exit its 85 billion euro EU-IMF bailout at the end of the year, needs to boost growth substantially from 0.2 percent last year to keep debt under control and unemployment is seen as a key measure of the economy’s health.

Gross domestic product shrank by 0.6 percent in the first quarter from the previous three months, according to statistics released last week. “This shows slowly but surely the employment situation is getting better and for the domestic economy unemployment is the key number,” said Alan McQuaid, chief economist at Merrion Stockbrokers. “The feeling on the ground is that things have stabilized. It’s not great, but it’s not getting worse.”

The state statistics office said unemployment had fallen to 13.6 percent in June from 13.7 percent a month before, according to an estimate based on the number of people claiming jobless benefit. The rate has not been that low since April 2010. Unemployment benefit claimants fell 2,500 to a seasonally adjusted 422,900 on the month, a number than can be affected by emigration or increased participation in education.

The statistics service does a more comprehensive survey of unemployment on a quarterly basis, which in May put the jobless rate at 13.7 percent. It will release data for the second quarter in August. Economists polled said they expected the number of jobless benefit recipients - which includes part-time, seasonal and casual workers but is not seen as a fully accurate measure of unemployment - to fall to 420,000 by the end of the year. —Reuters

NICOSIA: An employee of Bank of Cyprus (left) cleans inside the bank as a man and woman use the ATM outside of a branch in central Nicosia, Cyprus.

Moody’s Investors Service said that it considers Cyprus to have defaulted after the debt-stricken island country swapped some local bonds for longer-term bonds. —AP

Greece, Portugal, Cyprus risk reawakening euro-zone beast BRUSSELS: A teetering Portuguese government has underlined the threat that the euro-zone debt crisis, in hibernation for almost a year, may be about to reawaken. From Greece to Cyprus, Slovenia to Spain and Italy, and now most pressingly Portugal, where the finance and foreign ministers resigned in the space of two days, a host of problems is stirring after 10 months of relative calm imposed by the European Central Bank.

Portuguese Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho told the nation in an address late on Tuesday that he did not accept the foreign minister’s resignation and would try to go on governing. If his government does end up collapsing, as is now more likely, it will raise immediate questions about Lisbon’s ability to meet the terms of the 78-billion-euro bailout it agreed with the EU and International Monetary Fund in 2011.

Portugal had been held up as an example of a bailout country doing all the right things to get its economy back in shape. That reputation is now harder to sustain and even before this latest crisis, the International Monetary Fund reported last month that Lisbon’s debt position was “very fragile”. Coming soon after the near-collapse of the Greek government, which has been given until Monday to show it can meet the demands of its own EU-IMF bailout, the euro-zone may be on the brink of falling back into full-on crisis.

EU officials have been at pains to talk down any unrest, buoyed by the tranquility in financial markets since European Central Bank President Mario Draghi made good on his pledge last summer to do whatever it takes to protect the euro via a bond-buying program. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has spoken of the worst of the crisis being over, and the economic affairs commissioner, Olli Rehn, has often dismissed “doomsayers” who once predicted the euro would collapse.

But despite the desire to project calm, EU officials quietly acknowledge that all is not well and that any number of problems could throw the region back into turmoil. “There are always issues simmering under the surface,” said an EU diplomat who has been dealing first hand with the crisis since it erupted in Greece in early 2010. “It’s far from over. The immediacy may have ebbed away, but I think we’re all aware that under the surface, there’s still a lot of stuff than can come back to bite us.”

During a meeting of finance officials from the 17 euro countries on Tuesday, there was agreement that the “optimism in the euro-zone is not justified, that we are in worse shape than it seems,” according to one source at the meeting.

The situation in Portugal was a particular concern, said JP Morgan economist Alex White. “The announcement this afternoon that Paulo Portas, the foreign minister, has resigned significantly escalates our near-term concerns,” he said in a note to clients. “At the moment risks appear elevated.”

All that is coming against a backdrop of rising euro-zone borrowing costs once again after the US Federal Reserve’s announcement of an exit strategy from its money-printing program put world markets back into a spin. Portuguese 10year bond yields spiked up to eight percent yesterday with reports of further ministerial resignations throwing the coalition government’s future into peril. Portas has to decide whether to stay in his post or pull his rightist CDS-PP party out of the

coalition, robbing the government of its majority.

Greece, which has resumed talks with its EU and IMF lenders, is every bit as alarming. A privatization process, which was supposed to help cut into Greece’s debt mountain down, has stalled and progress on public sector reform is faltering.

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras has ruled out a fresh round of cuts, his government is seeking to lower its privatization revenue target after failing to sell its natural gas operation and there is a 1 billion euros black hole in the state-run health insurer, so its lenders may demand measures to fill that.

There are some suggestions that the EU and IMF may refuse to pay at least some of the 8.1 billion euros bailout tranche on offer and dribble it out instead in order to focus minds in Athens.

Anything more dramatic would be risky since Greece faces big bond redemptions next month and nobody wants a default. With German elections looming in September, Angela Merkel’s government is determined not to rock the boat beforehand.

CRISIS AWAKENS FROM SLUMBER Spain and Italy, two far larger economies, also major risks, as do banking sector problems in Slovenia, slow reforms in Cyprus and a scandal in Ireland that has shaken confidence. In a note to clients late last month, Italy’s Mediobanca warned that the country would “inevitably end up in an EU bailout request” in the next six months unless borrowing costs could be kept low and the economy found some traction. Prime Minister Enrico Letta, in office only since April, faces instability in his coalition, with former Prime Minister Mario Monti threatening to withdraw support because of the slow pace of desperately needed economic reforms.

While Spain may have avoided a full bailout so far, its banks - which received 40 billion euros from the euro-zone rescue fund in 2012 - face a long road to rehabilitation, as do those in Ireland.

The IMF praised both countries for their efforts last month, but also warned of risks ahead. “There are so many negatives outside of Greece as well.

On the rest of them, we just want them postponed until after the summer,” said one senior euro-zone source. In Ireland, which has performed best of the rescued countries and is expected to emerge from its assistance program later this year, the problems are more of reputation than implementation.

Transcripts of telephone conversations from 2008 have revealed how bankers at Anglo Irish Bank made light of the Irish government’s decision to guarantee their liabilities, a move that ultimately saddled the nation with vast debts. The bankers also ridiculed Germany - the chief underwriter of all the rescue loans in Europe - singing “Deutschland ueber alles” on the tapes, which has infuriated German officials, the very people the Irish government needs to keep happy.

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble described the bankers as contemptuous. While Ireland’s problems are likely to blow over, those in Portugal, Greece and Cyprus, which also has tough bailout conditions to meet, are clear and present, and those in Italy and Spain show few signs of disappearing. EU institutions effectively shut down in August, but that might not prevent a restless summer as the slumbering crisis reawakens agitated. —Reuters

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

BUSINESS

Asian shares tumble as dollar gains, A$ slides Oil rises on worries over Mideast tensions SINGAPORE: The dollar hit a one-month high against a basket of currencies yesterday while Asian shares slid, hit by worries that the days of easy money from the US Federal Reserve are numbered. Asian shares extended their losses after an official survey showed that growth in China’s services sector sagged to its weakest pace in nine months in June, adding to signs of a slowdown in the world’s second-largest economy. Regional shares fell broadly with MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan tumbling 2.2 percent, pulling away from a near two-week high set on Tuesday. Hong Kong shares fell 1.7 percent, while the Shanghai Composite Index slipped 0.9 percent. Australian equities fell 1.9 percent. “It’s been very tough telling clients to start looking at a tradable rebound, it shows everybody is very pessimistic right now,” said Hong Hao, chief strategist at Bank of Communication International Securities. European shares were seen likely to open lower.

Financial spread betters expect Britain’s FTSE 100 to open down 0.6 percent, Germany’s DAX to open down 0.6 percent, and France’s CAC 40 to open down

0.7 percent. Equity investors were quick to take profits in recent gains following a soggy finish on Wall Street on Tuesday. Some positioning ahead of the US Independence Day holiday on Thursday and key US jobs report on Friday was also cited for the market’s cautious demeanor.

The Australian dollar plumbed a fresh three-year low against the greenback with markets interpreting as dovish comments from the head of the Reserve Bank of Australia. The Aussie dollar fell to as low as $0.9068 in late Asian trade, its lowest level since September 2010, after RBA Governor Glenn Stevens said the bank stood ready to help support an economy that faced sub-par economic growth as the mining investment boom peaked.

The falling Aussie, eventually positive for Australia, was squeezing foreign investors on overall Australian assets including equities, said William Keenan, head of equities research at Lonsec in Melbourne. “There seems to be a battle going on between offshore selling and domestic buying. On the day-to-day basis it depends on who has the momentum,” Keenan said,

noting that domestic buyers held a more bullish view while foreign investors were more worried about slower growth in Asia. The US dollar hit a one-month high against a basket of major currencies, staying firm after a recent string of generally solid US economic data supported the view that the Federal Reserve could scale back its monetary stimulus later this year.

The dollar index, which measures the greenback’s value against a basket of major currencies, rose to as high as 83.635, its highest level since late May. Data on Tuesday backed stimulus-tapering expectations, as US new motor vehicle sales in June were on track for their strongest month in more than 5-1/2 years, while factories posted a second straight month of gains in new orders in May. Home prices also posted their biggest annual increase in more than seven years.

Ordinarily these numbers should bolster risk appetite and equities, but investors at this stage appeared to be more worried that the Fed will keep to its mantra of gradually withdrawing stimulus as the economic recovery continues.—Reuters

SYDNEY: A boat leaves Sydney’s Darling Harbor yesterday. Australia’s central bank held the official interest rate steady at 2.75 percent, with an uptick in the economy expected over time and hopes for a further fall in the miningpowered dollar.— AFP

Mideast market slip DUBAI: Most regional markets declined yesterday in thin summer trading, while political tensions spurred foreign investors to sell Egypt’s bourse ahead of a military deadline for defiant President Mohamed Morsi to share power with opponents. Cairo’s benchmark dipped 0.3 percent, slipping off a three-week high and extending 2013 losses to 9 percent.

Bourse data showed that foreign investors were sellers but Egyptians remained net buyers on hopes a military intervention would put an end to the Islamist president’s rule.

Morsi however, has pledged to die for his cause, saying that he was democratically elected and would stay in office to uphold the constitutional order. “Investors panicked following the president’s speech yesterday in which he refused to resign,” said Pharos Holding in a research note. “However, hopes that the deadlock might be resolved sedated investors’ panic.” The index fell as much as 1.7 percent in early trade.

The small decline compared to Tuesday’s rally, when the exchange advanced 1.4 percent, shows a general optimism for a resolution to the country’s political problems, through the help of the army. However, economic concerns linger for longer-term investors. A military coup could further delay economic reforms required to secure a $4.8 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund and leave the country’s finances in trouble. In the Gulf, markets were mixed in lacklustre trade. Saudi Arabia’s benchmark slipped 0.5 percent, off a three-week high, in slight profit-taking.

The banking shares index retreated 0.4 percent and the petrochemical sector lost 0.3

percent. Trading volumes fell to 146.3 million shares, around a third of the busiest day on the bourse this year - June 15. “Even the markets are tired of the political turmoil. The scarce liquidity of summer and approaching Ramadan might be a blessing, preventing sharp declines,” said Firass Yaish, business development manager at One Financial Market. The next major catalyst for the market is expected to be second-quarter results, which are due to start next week.

For the banking sector, analysts expect few surprises, with Riyad Capital forecasting a 5 percent growth in net profit for the sector.

However, an improvement in net interest margins could provide further upside in stock valuations, which have been closing the gap upwards to price targets, it added. Saudi bank shares have slightly outperformed the main benchmark in 2013; the banking index is up 15.2 percent year-to-date, versus an 11.5 percent advance for the main measure. However, shares in the other heavyweight sector, petrochemicals, have lagged by comparison the index is up just 3.9 percent year-to-date on global demand fears.

These have somewhat increased since the United States Federal Reserve announced plans to end its monetary stimulus, but low feedstock prices are seen offsetting some of the downward pressure on demand for petrochemical products. In the United Arab Emirates, Dubai’s measure closed little changed, while Abu Dhabi’s index declined 0.5 percent to trim year-to-date gains to 35.5 percent. Kuwait’s measure rose 0.7 percent, while Oman’s bourse slipped 0.4 percent.

Qatar closed flat.— Reuters

SANAA: A Yemeni vendor selling dates sits in his shop at a market in Sanaa, Yemen yesterday. With the holy month of Ramadan approaching, Muslim residents in Yemen prepare to welcome the holy month. — AP

Oil surges on US oil stock decline, Egypt LONDON: Oil surged yesterday on a sharp decline in crude stockpiles in top consumer the United States and political unrest in Egypt that could destabilize the Middle East and lead to supply disruptions. US crude rose to a 14-month high above $100 a barrel, closing its gap with Brent, after the American Petroleum Institute reported a 9.4 million barrel drop in US crude stocks.

Analysts had expected a draw of 2.3 million barrels. Both benchmarks gained for a third straight day, drawing support from rising tension in the Middle East. Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi rejected an army ultimatum to step down. And protesters in Libya have shut several oilfields.

US oil was up $1.33 at $100.93 per barrel by 1053 GMT, after rising to as high as $102.18 in earlier trade. Brent rose 85 cents to $104.85. “ The oil market is ignoring slightly weaker share prices and the stronger dollar as it has its own, very bullish issues to deal with,” said Tamas Varga, oil analyst at brokers PVM Oil Associates. “These include the crisis in Egypt (and) US stock draws.”

Investors will seek confirmation of the significant decline in US crude inventories later yesterday when the US Energy Information Administration releases its data.

Brent’s premium to West Texas Intermediate crude sank to a low of $3.09, the weakest since December 2010. And the

spread may narrow further on a drop in US inventories. Projects aimed at shifting crude from the over-supplied hub of Cushing, Oklahoma, to refineries in the Gulf Coast will lower transport costs and shrink the price gap between Brent and WTI. Amrita Sen of Energy Aspect sees US crude overtaking Brent, which if it happened would be the first time in nearly three years.

“We expect WTI to go above Brent in the fourth quarter due to the start-up of new pipelines such as Keystone XL South and the tightening of WTI specs,” said Sen, who had predicted the spread would narrow sharply in the third quarter. “I think weaker European margins have weighed on Brent and, of course, very strong US margins supported WTI.” But a slew of weak data from China, which has stoked concern over the demand outlook from the world’s No 2 oil consumer, may keep a lid on prices.

A survey showed that growth in China’s services sector sagged to its weakest pace in nine months in June. This follows reports that showed China’s manufacturing growth plumbed multi-month lows in June as foreign and domestic demand waned. “Recent indicators have pointed to a slowing Chinese economy, driven by softer industrial and export performance, and these should result in lower oil import growth,” said analysts at the National Australian Bank. —Reuters

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

BUSINESS

US judge approves HSBC $1.92 billion settlement HSBC avoids criminal prosecution

TOKYO: Former Olympus president Tsuyoshi Kikukawa enters Tokyo district court yesterday. A Japanese court yesterday handed suspended sentences to three former Olympus executives accused of engineering a massive accounting fraud at the camera and medical equipment maker. —AFP

Ex-Olympus executives avoid jail over Japan loss cover-up TOKYO: A Japanese court yesterday handed suspended sentences to three former Olympus executives accused of engineering a massive accounting fraud at the camera and medical equipment maker. Prosecutors had asked that sacked company president Tsuyoshi Kikukawa be jailed for five years and lesser terms given to ex-vice president Hisashi Mori and auditor Hideo Yamada. The sentences from the Tokyo District Court, ranging from three-years for Kikukawa and Yamada to two-and-a-half years for Mori, carry no immediate jail time.

A court spokesman also confirmed that Olympus itself was fined 700 million yen ($6.9 million) for its role in the affair, which badly damaged Japan’s corporate governance image and turned the company’s first foreign leader into a high-profile whistleblower.

Prosecutors had asked for a one-billion-yen fine against the company, which suffered serious damage to its balance sheet in the wake of the crisis which made headlines around the world. “The accused Tsuyoshi Kikukawa and Hideo Yamada were both sentenced to three years of imprisonment while the accused Hisashi Mori was sentenced to a jail term of two and a half years,” the court spokesman said. “Those sentences will be suspended for five years and four years, respectively.” The men were key figures in a complicated fraud to hide about $1.7 billion in losses using outsized consulting fees and buying unrelated companies. The cover-up was later exposed by Olympus’s chief executive Michael Woodford in late 2011.

The Briton was abruptly sacked after he raised concerns about the firm’s accounting.

The company initially denied wrongdoing. It later admitted to the fraud and sacked

Kikukawa and other executives as Japanese, British and US authorities launched probes into the affair. Olympus subsequently agreed to a reported 10.0 million pound ($15 million) payout to Woodford to settle a wrongful dismissal lawsuit. The three men had already pleaded guilty to charges they falsified the company’s financial results, with Kikukawa in September telling the court he would take “full responsibility” for the crime. The company has already been fined about 192 million yen

by Japan’s Financial Services Agency.

Separately, Japanese authorities have ordered Olympus to pay about 5.0 billion yen in back taxes and penalties related to the cover-up, local media have reported.

Indictments have also been filed against three businessman who were arrested last month on suspicion of illegally receiving money from Olympus in return for helping with the cover-up. Nobumasa Yokoo, 59, a corporate executive, and his associates Taku Hada, 50, and Hiroshi Ono, 51, face charges regarding the overseas transfer of 2.2 billion yen received as a reward for instructing company executives how to conceal the losses, Kyodo news agency said Monday.

Olympus shares plunged in the wake of the scandal, losing about 75 percent of their value as they slipped below 500 yen apiece. The firm announced a major corporate overhaul including a deal with Sony that saw the pair establish a medical equipment joint venture. The business was launched after Sony said it would invest 50 billion yen in Olympus. While it is better known by the public for its cameras, Olympus controls about 70 percent of the lucrative global market for medical endoscopes. Yesterday, the Tokyolisted stock closed at 3,170 yen, down 0.93 percent. —AFP

NEW YORK: A federal judge has approved HSBC Holdings Plc’s record $1.92 billion settlement with federal and state investigators of charges that it flouted rules designed to stop money laundering and thwart transactions with countries under US sanctions. While noting “heavy public criticism” of the settlement, which enabled HSBC to escape criminal prosecution, US District Judge John Gleeson in Brooklyn, New York, called the decision to approve the accord “easy, for it accomplishes a great deal.”

Gleeson ruled on Monday after more than six months of review, rejecting arguments by the US government and HSBC that federal judges lacked “inherent authority” over the approval or implementation of so-called “deferred prosecution agreements.” The settlement, announced Dec 11, 2012, included a $1.256 billion forfeiture and $665 million in civil fines. It resolved charges accusing HSBC of having degenerated into a “preferred financial institution” for Mexican and Colombian drug cartels, money launderers and other wrongdoers through what the US Department of Justice called “stunning failures of oversight.”

HSBC acknowledged compliance lapses, including a failure to maintain an effective antimoney laundering program, and conducting transactions on behalf of customers in Burma, Cuba, Iran, Libya and Sudan, which were all subject to US sanctions. As part of the settlement, HSBC agreed to tie executive bonuses to meeting compliance standards, improve the internal sharing of information, and retain a compliance monitor. The latter role is being filled by Michael Cherkasky, a former prosecutor for the Manhattan district attorney and former chairman of the New York State Commission on Public Integrity.

JUDGE ‘NOT A POTTED PLANT’ HSBC’s $1.92 billion payout was the largest US penalty against a bank, topping a $780 million penalty imposed in 2009 against Swiss bank UBS AG for aiding tax evasion. A spokesman, Rob Sherman, said HSBC has since 2011 taken “extensive” steps to help thwart financial crime. “While we are making good progress, there is much more to do,” he said. A spokeswoman for US Attorney Loretta Lynch in Brooklyn declined to comment.

The deferred prosecution agreement, known as a DPA, lasts for five years, and prosecutors may indict the bank if it violates the terms.

Gleeson said “much of what might have been accomplished by a criminal conviction has been agreed to in the DPA,” whose administration he will super vise. He noted having received requests from the public to reject the agreement because it did not hold HSBC criminally liable.

He also read numerous editorials and columns suggesting, as one put it, that HSBC was “too big to indict.”

Gleeson, nonetheless, said “significant deference” was owed to the Obama administration in deciding not to press an indictment. “A pending federal criminal case is not window dressing. Nor is the court, to borrow a famous phrase, a potted plant,” he wrote. “As long as the government asks the court to keep this criminal case on its docket, the court retains the authority to ensure that the implementation of the DPA remains within the bounds of lawfulness and respects the integrity of this court.” The case is US v HSBC Bank USA NA et al, US District Court, Eastern District of New York, No 12-cr-00763. —Reuters

Boom spreads wealth wider in Philippines MANILA: Just three years ago a new car and an overseas holiday were unthinkable luxuries for J. Ante and her family of six. The insurance company manager’s commissions have soared since then as the Philippines, blighted for a generation by venal and incompetent leaders, has unexpectedly boomed, putting middle class comforts within tantalizing reach of many.

The $250 billion economy surged 7.8 percent in the first quarter of this year, outpacing China, and a middle class stunted by widespread poverty, political strife and corruption is beginning to share in a prosperity captured for decades by a clannish business and political elite. The growing affluence and a burgeoning population have lured many global brands. Students and office workers flock to gleaming outlets opened by Zara, Gap, Forever 21, Starbucks and Japan’s Uniqlo.

New apartment blocks are springing up on almost every corner of metropolitan Manila and other cities, often clustered around malls and office buildings housing outsourcing businesses such as call centers, which are forecast to earn around $25 billion by 2016. Luxury

car maker Rolls Royce said it was flooded with inquiries since it opened its first dealership in Manila two weeks ago. The first car selling for $605,000 went to a popular TV show host, according to newspaper reports. “Last year and this year have been a big leap in terms of my total income,” Ante said. “Times have become better for our family.”

She said three years ago it was difficult to come up with the school fees for her four children. Travel abroad or a new car were impossible, but “they seem more realistic now since my income is growing at a faster rate,” she said. The family holidayed in Hong Kong this year and a vacation in the US and Canada is planned. They hope to afford a family-friendly Toyota Innova this year. Many credit the new vitality to the policies of President Benigno Aquino III, elected in 2010 on promises of eradicating graft and fighting poverty.

He introduced new taxes, reformed the judiciary, and set the country on a path that shows sign of enduring - it has now enjoyed three straight quarters of economic growth above 7 percent. Standard and Poor’s and Fitch Ratings earlier this year upgraded the Philippines’

credit rating to investment grade for the first time. “Disposable income has increased and we see a rising middle class,” said Jose E.B. Antonio, chairman of Century Properties Group that brought in Donald Trump’s sons and Paris Hilton to launch luxury condos in Manila.

Sheila Abay, a real estate agent for the past 10 years, said competition in her industry has become stiffer but she still sells more condominiums these days compared to five or 10 years ago. The bulk of her clients are Filipinos working abroad, who buy property for retirement or investment. Over the last few years, however, she said she has seen a growing number of younger clients mostly aged 25 to 35. Many of them are mid-level managers at outsourcing companies who receive good pay for doing backroom operations for overseas companies.

“Their buying power is bigger,” she said. It adds up to dramatic shift for a country that has perennially lagged most of its Southeast Asian neighbors despite perceived advantages of a relatively free media, democratic elections and widespread use of English - the language of global business. The Philippines is only sixth among 10 Southeast

Asian countries in terms of GDP per head. Compared with Indonesia, which attracted nearly $20 billion in foreign investment last year, the Philippines managed only $2.8 billion, not far from $2.2 billion for Myanmar, a pariah state until recently.

Thailand wooed more than 22 million visitors last year, the Philippines received 4.3 million.

Doubts still linger whether the country can stay on its new course.

President Aquino, in the mold of his late parents - democracy icon and former President Corazon Aquino and anti-dictatorship champion Benigno Aquino Jr. - won the presidency on a reformist platform following two corruption-tainted predecessors. His term ends in 2016.

But in a country where powerful families dominate politics and “name recall” spells votes even for corrupt or incompetent leaders, another wrong turn can reverse recent gains. There is a still a long way to go before the 28 percent of the population who live below the poverty line feel they too are benefiting from the boom that has dotted Manila with cranes and propelled the local stock market to new heights. —AP

Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG Shooting Brake combines elegance, performance KUWAIT: Designed like it is crouching beast ready to attack its prey at full speed, the CLS 63 AMG Shooting Brake is a masterful and visionary coupe by Mercedes-AMG. Available at A R Albisher and Z Alkazemi Co showrooms - the exclusive distributor for Mercedes-Benz in Kuwait - the CLS 63 AMG Shooting Brake caters to an entirely new segment of drivers that appreciate aesthetics combined with powerful high-performance and functionality.

The CLS 63 AMG Shooting Brake blasts from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.3 seconds, hitting a top speed of 250 km/h (electronically limited). Its power is unleached courtesy of the AMG 5.5-litre V8 biturbo engine, harnessing the power of 525 stampeding stallions with a maximum torque of 700 Nm. The AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sports transmission gives a more efficient and dynamic driving experience synonymous with what Mercedes-AMG stands for.

“The CLS 63 AMG Shooting Brake is a highperformance sports vehicle that stands out because of its functionality. Mercedes-Benz has opened the doors to an entirely new market segment; those who appreciate a beautifully designed car that brings together power and dynamism with usability in a new way,” says Michael Ruehle, General Manager, Abdul Rahman Albisher & Zaid Alkazemi Co. “ Ruehle, added: “In essence the CLS 63 AMG Shooting Brake represents an unprecedented version of a sports car with five seats and a large tailgate. It has been specially devised for people looking to differentiate themselves from the mainstream, and who do not wish to compromise on either sportiness or stowage space when it comes to travelling in style. This coupe is a leap forward in what the future of what sports cars could evolve into.”

POWERFUL ENGINE The CLS 63 AMG Shooting Brake is the dynamic top-of-the -range model in the Shooting Brake model series. The combination of AMG RIDE CONTROL sports suspension with electronically controlled damping, electromechanical AMG speed-sensitive sports steering and the optional AMG ceramic high-performance composite brake system is the epitome of superlative driving dynamics.

SPEED-SENSITIVE SPORTS STEERING Electromechanical AMG speed-sensitive spor ts steering features variable power

assistance which responds in accordance with the chosen suspension mode. It also helps to save fuel, as the steering assist function only requires energy when the driver actually moves the steering wheel.

The AMG high-performance braking system provides for the shortest possible braking distances and high fade resistance with ventilated and perforated brake discs, with 21-inch AMG light-alloy wheels and red painted brake calipers on the all-round.

FIVE-DOOR SHOOTING BRAKE In terms of appearance, the CLS 63 AMG Shooting Brake cuts an impressive figure with its athletic lines and its distinctive exterior and interior design. The vehicle’s AMG styling further enhances its elegant and sporty appearance. Surprising yet unequivocally coupÈ, the CLS Shooting Brake’s proportions create a crouched posture, as if the vehicle were poised to make a leap: long bonnet, narrow window profile with frameless side windows, roof sloping dynamically towards the rear and continuing to the tail end of the vehicle. It is

only when taking a second look that it becomes clear that the Shooting Brake actually has five doors and offers more in terms of function.

An extravagant touch is the optional designo wooden luggage compartment floor, which highlights the interior’s hand-crafted character. The American cherry wood is a classic fine wood variety which contrasts effectively with the fumed oak inlaid work and the aluminum rails. This lends the luggage compartment the elegance of a yacht’s wooden deck combined with the fascination of high-tech

and precision workmanship.

No-one likes to have to compromise: even though the focus is not on the practical aspects of the design of the Shooting Brake, the vehicle concept with its unprecedented format still has some trump cards up its sleeve.

With a load volume of between 590 and 1550 liters, the luggage compartment offers plenty of room despite the flat, sporty lines of the roof, and is easy to use thanks to the automatically opening tailgate fitted as standard. A load compartment cover also protects luggage from prying eyes.

The standard air suspension at the rear helps to ensure optimum road holding at all times. For additional flexibility, the rear seat backrests can be folded down from the luggage compartment as standard. The rear seats themselves provide room for three people, with individual outer seats and a third seat in the middle. The three saddle-type head restraints on the rear seats barely affect the view towards the rear, and can be lowered at the touch of a button by the driver. An optional trailer coupling is also available. The model’s standard specification also includes LED High Performance headlamps.

TECHNICAL HIGHLIGHTS More than a dozen driving assistance systems in the CLS 63 AMG Shooting Brake help to prevent traffic accidents or reduce their severity. These include Active Blind Spot Assist and Active Lane Keeping Assist. Both are included as part of the Driving Assistance package Plus, in combination with DISTRONIC PLUS, BAS PLUS and PRE-SAFE Brake. The CLS 63 AMG Shooting Brake is available at the AR Albisher and Z Alkazemi Co.Mercedes-AMG showroom in Shuwaikh now.

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

BUSINESS

Al-Sayer Group celebrates amazing success KUWAIT: Al-Sayer Group of Companies celebrated on Sunday, 30 June 2013, at the head office - KFTZ, the amazing success achieved by all of its companies and departments in implementing and complies with the applicable requirements of the International Quality Management Systems - ISO 9001:2008 and passing all the stages of the external audits performed by the international certification body “Bureau Veritas Company”.

It is worth mentioning that Al-Sayer Group of Companies is not only one of the first companies obtaining the ISO certificate in Kuwait, but also the first Toyota and Lexus distributor in the middle east to achieve such accomplishment which ensures the commitment of the group Top Management towards the management system and the continual improvement and keeping up with the latest international management systems.

Dr Khalid Al Anezi , Senior Manager Corporate Events and Quality Assurance and Customers Complaints and in the same time acts as the Corporate Management Representative of the Quality System , inaugurated the ceremony with a power point presentation explaining the different stages of the implementation of ISO Systems in Al Sayer Group since 1998 until now and how Al Sayer Group managed to maintain the system and comply with it in all different stages since it was first launched in 1987 and though the second version in 1994 and the third one in 2000 until the current version which was issued by the International Organization for Standardization in 2008 .

Dr Khalid Al Anezi also mentioned that Al Sayer Group obtained the award of the H. H. Hamdan Ben Mohamed Ben Rashed Aal Maktoum, Crown Prince Dubai, in November 2012 by Tatweej Academy for Excellence Awards for the Quality of work provided by Al Sayer Group of Companies locally and internationally.

In a speech delivered by Mubarak Naser Al Sayer, Chief Executive Officer and Board Member of Al Sayer Group of Companies, he pointed out to the key meaning of Quality Management System and indicated that it is a contemporary management philosophy targeting Quality of performance in the different companies, departments and sections in general at the different levels of the facility. He also explained that quality is a shared responsibly between the different levels and specializations and the Continual Improvement is the backbone of this philosophy.

The aim of such system is to highlight the constant commitment of the top management to achieve Quality and Continual Improvement, in addition to focus on customers through its rules and regulations by understanding their needs and satisfy them which is the purpose of any organization, small or big, to ensure its survival and achieve sustainable and continues growth and accuracy in accomplishments and actions.

He also added that implementing the Quality Management System and obtaining the ISO certification becomes a demand for any company to maintain its

the Representatives of Bureau Veritas Company Kuwait, who attended the Ceremony and delivered ISO Certificates to the Board Representative Mubarak Al Sayer who presented a trophy to Bureau Veritas Company in recognition of their role in the success and continuation of ISO system in the group since 1998 until now.

This was followed by the speech of the Certification Manager of Bureau Veritas Company Abay Saraya who showed their appreciation to the management of Al Sayer Group for its commitment towards the implemen-

position among the companies in the market in which acquiring such certificates became very important to accomplish Tenders and other kind of Contracts . He extended his gratitude to all general managers and department managers for their efforts in maintaining the Quality of the work and satisfying customers.

He also thanked the ISO team members under the leadership of Dr Khalid Al Anizi, Corporate Management Representative and Nawraz Ibrahim Ajwa - Assistant Manager Quality Assurance. He also thanked

tation of the Quality Requirements and their everlasting support to the ISO team, stressing on the responsibility of Bureau Veritas Company not only ensuring the implementation of the system but also to ensure the availability of Continual Improvement. Trophies were awarded to all departments and companies of the group in addition to Appreciation Certificates to all the ISO team for their efforts in maintaining and implementing the system wishing the attendees continues success and Quality of work.

Wataniya Telecom welcomes Landmark Group to ‘Nojoom’ KUWAIT: Wataniya Telecom has recently announced that Landmark Group is one of the newest additions to its Wataniya Rewards Program “Nojoom”. This partnership stems from Wataniya’s mission to expand and enrich its network of partners as part of the best loyalty program in Kuwait and in an effort to maintain customer satisfaction and meet customer expectations.

In collaboration with Landmark, a large retail company in the region, “Nojoom” members will be able to redeem their points for Landmark vouchers through a simple process. Landmark offers a range of

fashion clothing, home items, and lifestyle products from several brands such as Centrepoint, Home Centre, Max and much more.

Wataniya Telecom proudly expressed its delight regarding the partnership with Landmark and is looking forward to a fruitful cooperation between both companies: “Wataniya’s efforts continue to find new ways to provide members with a wide range of choices on rewards because they deserve to be appreciated and valued for their loyalty and dedication. The partnership with Landmark Group is another distinguished achievement to the program espe-

cially after it has been awarded The Best Loyalty Program in the Middle East by Customer 360 ME last year.” All Wataniya customers can enroll to the Wataniya Rewards Program “Nojoom” for free by sending an SMS with the letter R to 129 or by visiting the website www.wataniya.com/nojoom and start earning points on every service they use.

For more information on Wataniya’s services and products, please visit www.wataniya.com , or follow them on Twitter www.twitter.com/wataniyatelecom , or check latest updates on www.facebook.com/wataniya or get the latest news on Wataniya’s blog www.wataniya.com/blog.

Win a trip to Disneyland Paris with Gulf Bank’s MasterCard KUWAIT: Gulf Bank yesterday announced its summer campaign for its valued MasterCard credit and debit cardholders.

The campaign is being run until 31st August 2013 in partnership with Mastercard Worldwide. This promotion gives customers the opportunity to win one of 14 travel packages to Disneyland Paris which includes flight and a hotel accommodation for three nights for two people or thousands of Gulf Rewards points.

Customers using their MasterCard

credit cards locally will be eligible to enter the draw with 1 chance for every Kuwaiti Dinar spent. In addition to this, customers using their MasterCard credit or debit cards abroad will be eligible to enter the draw with 3 chances for every Kuwaiti Dinar spent. To find out more about Gulf Bank’s latest promotions, customers can visit the Bank’s bilingual website www.egulfbank.com. Customers can also visit one of Gulf Bank’s 56 branches, or call the Customer Contact Center on 1805805 for assistance and guidance.

Turk Telekom, others eye $1 billion pay-TV group Digiturk

Swedish central bank says ‘worst over for economy’ Riksbank leaves repo rate unchanged at 1.0%

STOCKHOLM: Sweden’s central bank kept interest rates on hold yesterday and signaled they would stay there into next year as it sought to underpin a tentative economic recovery without spurring households to add to an already hefty debt burden. Sweden’s economy grew surprisingly strongly in the first quarter, after a slowdown last year as the euro-zone debt crisis curbed exports.

Riksbank Chief Stefan Ingves said the economy was now facing two years of gradual recovery.

“Our assessment is that the worst is over and we are heading towards a normalization,” he told a news conference. But the recovery in the economy dominated by its export industry and blue chips such as truck maker Volvo and telecom gear maker Ericsson is still patchy, as shown by data released just ahead of the Riksbank’s announcement.

Activity in Sweden’s service sector slumped to a four-year-low in June with purchasing managers taking a gloomier view on current business and hiring but at the same time growing more upbeat about business plans six months out, indicating that recovery may be on the horizon even here.

Sweden’s rate decision comes in a week of central bank policy meetings around Europe against a backdrop of market uncertainty as the Federal

Reserve signals a gradual exit from printing money.

While recent data in Sweden has been mixed, gauges such as consumer and overall business confidence have brightened while unemployment has eased slightly. Inflation has remained steady, if far below, the bank’s 2 percent target. “It was what the market had bet almost 100 percent on,” SEB Chief Strategist Johan Javeus said of the rate decision, adding that the rate path suggested the Riksbank would also remain on hold at its next meeting, in early September.

“Credit growth is still a concern for the Riksbank, and while they recognize inflation is expected to remain low for a long time, they also see signs the economy is on the way to recovery.” A Reuters poll of 19 economists showed all but one expecting the Riksbank to keep its key repo rate unchanged. The Riksbank has left rates on hold at recent meetings after cutting three times in 2012 as the euro zone crisis hit. The Swedish crown strengthened against the euro after the news to 8.7030 at 1034 GMT, having traded at around 8.7560 crowns just before the decision, as the market had priced in a marginal chance of a more dovish outcome.

ONE DOVE OUT, ONE IN Swedish household debt has soared to

about 170 percent of disposable income after a decade of booming house prices and, while the rate of growth has moderated to just below 5 percent, it remains a serious concern for Riksbank chief Ingves. He has led a majority that have argued for tighter policy to curb the lending boom amid a bitter struggle on the Riksbank board that last month saw his chief opponent on the board, Lars Svensson, leave in protest. Svensson had argued that the bank should cut rates, saying inflation was well below target but growth remained below par and unemployment high, making a clear case for looser policy.

With a replacement also in for former board member Barbro Wickman-Parak, the July decision was the first for new members Cecilia Skingsley and Martin Floden, the latter surprising the market by immediately breaking ranks with the majority. Floden and deputy governor Karolina Ekholm, a noted policy dove, entered reservations against the rate decision, saying they wanted the repo rate cut to 0.75 percent.

The government and central bank see growth of just over 1 percent this year and more than 2 percent in 2014, better than the outlook for the European Union and euro-zone. —Reuters

ISTANBUL: Turk Telekom, Dogan Holding and Dogus Group are among potential buyers for Turkish digital pay-TV operator Digiturk, in a deal seen worth up to $1 billion, banking sources close to the matter said. NewsCorp and Liberty Global may also be interested in Digiturk, majority owned by Cukurova, they said. State agency the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) in May seized control of Digiturk and dozens of other companies belonging to the troubled Cukurova Group.

US private equity group Providence Equity Partners own 47 percent of Digiturk.

“Turk Telekom is the most interested buyer because they want to give triple play service: Internet, telephone and pay TV,” one source said. A TMSF official told Reuters the agency had given Cukurova time to sell Digiturk after being persuaded that it may get a higher price. He did not say how much time Cukurova was given. NewsCorp, Liberty Global and Turk Telekom all

declined to comment.

Dogan Holding, Cukurova Holding and Dogus Group did not return calls seeking comment. Digiturk’s pay-TV market share was 61.73 percent and D-Smart’s 38.27 percent in the second quarter of 2012 when 4.1 million subscribers produced revenues of 51.8 million Turkish lira ($26.80 million), up 52 percent from the first quarter, according to the latest data from telecoms regulator BTK. Pay-TV households are set to rise 25 percent between 2012-2017, according to IHS Screen Digest data, while revenues are expected to rise 71 percent in the same period. Ali Guven, chief executive of D -Smar t, Dogan Holding’s pay-T V operator, said it was interested buying Digiturk, Hurriyet newspaper reported yesterday. Turkish conglomerate Ciner Group agreed to buy television channel Show TV from Cukurova for $402 million last month. —Reuters

Abu Dhabi to invest $50 billion in India’s cash-hungry infrastructure NEW DELHI: Abu Dhabi has promised to invest $50 billion in India’s cash-hungry infrastructure at a time when growth in Asia’s third-largest economy has sharply slowed, a newspaper reported yesterday.

The pledge by Abu Dhabi was the key factor in pushing New Delhi to approve a bilateral deal to increase flights between the two countries, an Indian official told the Indian Express.”A commitment to invest $50 billion in the infrastructure sector of the country by Abu Dhabi was a key reason for us to agree to the increase,” a senior

government official, who declined to be named, said.

News of the investment comes just months after the International Monetary Fund criticized India for not improving its creaky infrastructure during the period it experienced growth rates close to double figures. The IMF said in February that India would likely see slower growth than expected in 2012/13 at 5.4 percent and pay the price for failing to ensure investment in infrastructure kept pace with economic growth in the previous decade. —AFP

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

technology

New Google phones: Price for simplicity

By Anick Jesdanun NEW YORK: Two new Android phones will look and sound familiar to those who have been paying attention to phones. That’s because these two devices are replicas of Samsung’s Galaxy S4 and HTC’s One, except they lack most of the bells and whistles added to the original models. And that’s a good thing. The modifications Samsung and HTC apply to Google’s Android software are meant to be improvements. But I’ve complained before about how the changes actually make phones more complex to use. The S4 even has an easy mode for first-time smartphone users, an admission that the normal mode is too confounding.

Google worked with both Samsung Electronics Co and HTC Corp. to come out with “Google Play” editions of the hit phones. Instead of customized software from Samsung and HTC, the Google phones run a pure version of Android, just as it was developed by Google.

Google lets any phone maker use its Android operating system for free. To set themselves apart from competitors, phone makers often add their own touches to devices. They rearrange the menu or load additional apps. Wireless carriers also like to add their own apps. Before you know it, phones are bloated with features and apps you don’t want and can’t get rid of.

Consider my experience with the original S4 over the weekend. As I tried to adjust the camera’s flash setting, I inadvertently made some postage stamp icon pop up. That activated the camera’s dual-shot mode, which snaps a shot of you with the front camera to superimpose over whatever you’re shooting with the camera on the back of the phone. I didn’t want that, but I couldn’t figure out how to get rid of it. My friend couldn’t either. So we bagged the shot. Taking photos with a phone is supposed to be fun, not a chore.

With Google’s version of the S4, I get a no-frills camera that is easy to figure out. It lacks gimmicks such as dual shots and the ability to combine several images of motion into a single shot.

It offers about a half-dozen shooting modes, such as night, action and panorama, rather than the dozen or so on the original S4. But a halfdozen is about a half-dozen more than I need and use.

Google’s S4 also lacks the original model’s ability to pause video automatically when you look away from the screen or to scroll down an article when you tilt your head. Those features may sound cool, but they often don’t work properly. The Google version of the S4 also has alarm sounds that I can actually wake up to. Samsung had substituted those sounds with soft, soothing melodies that I end up incorporating into dreams. I’ve overslept a few times as a result.

As for Google’s version of the HTC One, you don’t get a busy home screen filled with news articles and Facebook status updates your phone thinks you want to read. Instead, you get a clean page with few apps. It’s up to you to add the ones you want to see and use. Both Google phones feel spare and minimal, which is great because it makes me feel in control. If I want to constantly know the weather, it’s easy to add a weather widget to the home screen of either phone. But it’s not forced.

The same goes for apps. I get basic functions such as text messaging and the clock and a range of Google services such as Gmail and YouTube. If I want other apps, I can easily tap the Google Play icon to get them. With the original S4, Samsung tries to steer you into its own app store, as well as its own music and video players. You end up with too many ways to do the same things. You might think it takes a lot of work to add the apps you want to Google’s phones, but it actually takes more work to hide or turn off everything you don’t need - that is, if you can at all - with Samsung’s and HTC’s versions.

Now for the bad news: The Google edition of the S4 sells for $649, while Google’s HTC One goes for $599. You can typically get the original models for $100 to $200 through your wireless carrier with a two-year agreement. And unless you’re on T-Mobile, your monthly bill won’t go down just because you pay full price for the phone elsewhere. In addition, both Google phones are compatible only with T-Mobile, AT&T and other carriers that use GSM cellular technology, not the CDMA networks used by Sprint and Verizon Wireless. The Google edition would have been great for Verizon customers who still have unlimited data plans. Verizon no longer lets you stay on that plan if you buy a subsidized phone, so you’d have to pay the full price anyway.

The Google phones are also ideal for people who want the latest Android system that Google has to offer. You’ll be able to update your phone as Google releases new versions of Android.

Normally, phone makers and wireless carriers delay updates by weeks or months, so you can only read about those new Android features.

There are a few useful Samsung and HTC addons that Google does bring to its versions of the phones. Google’s S4 is compatible with Samsung’s S-View flip cover. Using a magnetic sensor, the phone detects when the cover is closed and switches to a special mode that gives you the current time and details about who’s calling through a small window in the cover. You can answer or reject a call without flipping over the cover.

Google’s HTC One, meanwhile, shares the original model’s front-facing speakers, giving you great sound when you’re watching a movie or listening to music. Both models also have cameras with larger sensor pixels for better low-light shots. Our tests show that the HTC One produces low-light images with less distortion than other Android phones, though images aren’t particularly crisp because the resolution is lower.

There are a few things I wish Google would have brought to its phones and to Android in general. In the original S4, the on-screen keyboard has a row of numerals to type in. With the Google S4, you have to hit a button to get another screen with numerals, then toggle back for the letters. The original S4 also has the ability to run two apps side by side in a split window. That’s gone in Google’s S4.

Meanwhile, the original HTC One has the ability to make calls, send texts and take photos by sliding icons from the lock screen. With the Google version, you have to unlock the screen before getting icons to those functions. On both phones, Google also adds one feature I could do without: a 360-degree panorama known as Photo Sphere. Neat as it is, it detracts from what is otherwise a just-the-basics camera. It would have been better as a separate app for those who want it. —AP

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

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

New research boosts search for cure, AIDS meeting told

MALAYSIA: A man sits next to an AIDS advertising board at the International AIDS Society Conference 2013 in Kuala Lumpur Sunday.—AP

Costa Rica issues health alert over dengue SAN JOSE: Costa Rica on Tuesday declared a health alert due to a dengue fever outbreak which has claimed three lives and infected about 12,000 people so far this year, authorities said. Health Minister Daisy Corrales said the infection rate was four times worse than that of 2012. “We have to warn the population so that they do not end up in emergency situations,” she stressed.

Corrales warned that authorities were

concerned that three dengue strains were in circulation heading into the rainy season, a prime time for mosquitoes that transmit the disease. The worst outbreaks of the disease have been in towns on the Pacific coast, popular with sun-and-sand vacationers. In Parrita for example, there have been 525 infections in the past five weeks.

Dengue is caused by a virus transmitted by mosquitoes which breed in standing waterlike puddles or planters—AFP

KUALA LUMPUR: Fresh data from several small trials presented at an AIDS conference yesterday provides encouraging news in the quest for a cure for HIV, scientists said. Giving an update in an eagerly-followed trial, researchers said an HIV-positive infant in Mississippi who was put on a course of antiretroviral drugs within a few days of bir th had remained free of the AIDS virus 15 months after treatment was stopped. In Boston, two HIV-positive men who were given bonemarrow transplants for cancer also had no detectable virus 15 weeks and seven weeks respectively after stopping AIDS drugs, a separate team reported.

Both research projects are at an early stage and should not be taken as a sign that a cure for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV ) is around the corner, researchers cautioned at a world forum of AIDS scientists in Kuala Lumpur. Even so, they said it strengthens the motivation for pursuing the once-unthinkable goal of eradicating HIV or repressing it without daily drugs a condition referred to as a “functional cure” or “functional remission”.

“I don’t actually want to use the cure word in this situation,” said Timothy Henrich, from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, of the bone-marrow study he is co-leading.

“But what I can say is that if these patients are able to stay without detectable HIV for at least a year, maybe a year and a half, after we stop treatment, then the chances of the virus coming back are very small,” he told an AFP correspondent in Paris. Introduced in 1996, the famous cocktail of antiretroviral drugs is a lifeline to millions with HIV. But if the drugs are stopped, the virus rebounds from “reservoirs” among old cells in the

blood stream and body tissue. It then renews its attack on CD4 cells, part of the immune system’s heavy weaponry.

Deborah Persaud, heading the so-called Mississippi Child investigation, said early treatment of newborns appears to offer the best hope of attacking the virus before it gets established in these reservoirs. “Therapy in the first few days of life really curtailed the reservoir formation to the point that (it) was not established in this child and allowed treatment cessation without having the virus rebound,” Persaud, an associate professor of pediatrics at Johns Hopk ins Children’s Center in Baltimore, Mar yland, said by phone. An estimated 34 million people are infected with HIV worldwide, and about 1.8 million die each year. The virus was first

identified in 1981, and until the advent of antiretrovirals was essentially a death sentence, progressively destroying the immune system until the patient succumbed to pneumonia or another opportunistic disease. Three years ago, Nobel-winning French researcher Francoise Barre Sinoussi launched a campaign for a cure-a hope bolstered by the case of a Berlin man whose HIVcount dropped to undetectable levels after a bone-marrow transplant for leukaemia.

In his case, the transplanted cells had a genetic variant, called CCR5 delta-32, which thwarts HIV’s attempts to latch on to the cell’s surface and then penetrate it. The two Boston patients did not have this mutation in their transplants.

But they were kept on antiretrovirals until the donor cells were fully

established in their bodies, and this may have helped, suggested Henrich. In two other studies presented at the International AIDS Society (IAS) conference, French researchers said patients who began treatment as soon as possible after diagnosis had the best chance of shrinking the viral reservoir and reviving their immune system. This backs new treatment guidelines published by the UN World Health Organization and strengthens hopes for a drug-free life for HIV patients, the French National Agency for Research on AIDS (ANRS) said. “Given the large decrease in reservoirs in these two studies, it is possible that functional remission, i.e. prolonged control of the infection without treatment, may in time be achieved in patients treated early,” ANRS chief JeanFrancois Delfraissy said.—AFP

MALAYSIA: A man visits an AIDS exhibition booth at the International AIDS Society Conference 2013.

Some forms of IVF linked to risk of autism, mental disability Treatments designed for male infertility carry higher risk

ALBANY: In this Thursday, June 27, 2013 photo, bottles of Runa energy drinks line a shelf at Dean’s Natural Foods store in NY.—AP

Energy drinks go natural as market buzzes along ALBANY: Energy drinks are busting out of the convenience store cooler and into the health food aisle. As energy drink sales soar like a caffeine-fueled rocket, more drinks are promoting organic ingredients, added juices, natural caffeine and so-called “clean” energy.

A jolt from Rockstar not your speed? There’s the “natural energy drink” Guru, and Steaz Energy, which according to the can is “good for the mind, body and soul.” Or there’s Runa’s energy drink, made from something called Amazonian guayusa leaves. Claims of cleaner caffeine boosts come as energy drinks find themselves under increasing scrutiny, particularly for their effects on children and adolescents. The word “organic” in front of “energy drink” might seem as incompatible as yoga pants with a backward tractor cap, but analysts say that as the market for energy drinks grows, it’s diversifying too.

“I think we’re going to see more beverages that offer energy functionality, but in non-traditional energy drinks,” says John Sicher, publisher of Beverage Digest. Energy drink sales hit $12.6 billion last year, representing a 14 percent jump from 2008, according to market research firm Packaged Facts. While Red Bull, Monster and Rockstar still dominate the US market, part of the recent growth comes from new kinds of products, including diet and natural energy drinks. Even the big players are getting into the act. Campbell Soup Co.’s venerable V8 line of drinks now includes a canned V-Fusion + Energy drink made with juice and green tea. And Starbucks sells fruitflavored Refreshers made with unroasted coffee beans.

“Because retailers are devoting more shelf space to energy drinks, there’s always a battle among the competitors within the sector. So what you’re seeing within the energy drink category is an innovation in products,” says John Lennon, president of Xyience, which makes Xenergy energy drinks. But with growth comes greater scrutiny. Regulators have been increasingly concerned about caffeinated products, particularly energy drinks.

The Food and Drug Administration in April said it would investigate the safety of caffeine added to snacks and gum and its effects on children and adolescents. The FDA said last year it was investigating reports of deaths linked to energy drinks. The federal agency has said they would take action if they could link the deaths to consumption of the drinks, including forcing the companies to take the products off the market.

And San Francisco’s city attorney in May sued Monster Beverage for marketing its energy drinks to children. The lawsuit came after Monster sued City Attorney Dennis Herrera over his demands that the company reduce caffeine levels in its drinks and stop marketing to minors. At least on face value, some of the natural drinks seem to be aiming

for a different audience. Xenergy calls itself the “energy drink of the health club, not the nightclub.” The company expanded its line this year to include energy drinks with tea or lemonade. Ray Jolicoeur, vice-president marketing for Guru, says consumers of his product, which has been available in the United States since 2005, tend to be slightly more mature and educated. The entrepreneurs behind Runa say they are not looking for people who want “head throbbing, punched-in the face energy” like some other brands.

Runa co-founder Dan MacCombie’s energy drink hit the shelves recently around the country. It boasts its caffeine from the guayusa “super leaf” and supposedly provides as much caffeine as coffee with more anti-oxidants than green tea. They join non-traditional energy drinks like Guru and Steaz, which share display space with the likes of aloe juice at Dean’s Natural Foods in Albany. Owner Dean King said the drinks eliminate “ridiculous stuff” like artificial flavors and colors. The kick still comes from caffeine, but some consumers say it’s different.

“You know how most caffeinated products you feel that surge come over you? And then you drop and you feel miserable? This is more of alertness,” says Cheryl Fairweather, a 36year-old vegan and athlete from the Philadelphia area who drinks a daily can of Steaz at 4 am before she trains. “It doesn’t have that overwhelming effect, like you’re on edge,” she says. It’s typical for the caffeine in natural energy drinks to come from organic and natural sources. But in the end, as Roland Griffiths, a professor of behavioral biology at Johns Hopkins University, notes, “caffeine is caffeine.”

“It doesn’t matter whether that compound is synthesized in a laboratory or is synthesized in a plant,” he says. “It’s going to have identical pharmacological, subjective and behavioral effects.” Guru says one 8.4-ounce can has 125 milligrams of “naturally occurring” caffeine. Steaz says a 12-ounce can of its energy drink contains 100 milligrams of caffeine from sustainably sourced ingredients.

Ounce for ounce, that’s in the ballpark of mainstream energy drinks, like Rockstar or Monster, which each deliver 160 milligrams of caffeine per 16-ounce can, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nutrition advocacy group. The natural products generally do not make explicit health claims, opting instead to tout ingredients such as organic guarana or the lack of artificial colors. But Michael Jacobson, the executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, says words like “natural” and “organic” printed on a can make consumers assume the contents are good for you, even if that’s not necessarily so. “It implies that there’s something helpful about them and it’s totally vague,” he says.—AP

LONDON: Couples who have certain types of fertility treatment have a higher chance of having a child with autism or learning difficulties although the overall risk is still extremely small, scientists said on Tuesday. The experts said couples should not consider abandoning or avoiding in-vitro-fertilization (IVF) on the basis of their research findings. The study, conducted by Swedish researchers based in Britain, Sweden and the United States, found children born after IVF treatments for the most severe forms of male infertility were more likely to be diagnosed with autism or an intellectual disability.

But the actual numbers were low - children born after one form of IVF treatment had a 0.136 percent risk of having autism - a developmental disorder characterized by poor communication skills - compared with a 0.029 percent risk for children conceived naturally, they said. “The main message ... is a positive one, suggesting that any risk of these disorders is very low, or absent, in comparison to children conceived naturally,” said Allan Pacey, who was not involved in the research and is a fertility expert at Sheffield University and Chairman of the British Fertility Society.

The study was the largest of its kind and the first to compare all available IVF treatments and the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in children. The researchers analyzed more than 2.5 mil-

lion birth records from 1982 and 2007 and followed up whether children had been diagnosed with autism or intellectual disability - defined as an intelligence quotient (IQ) score below 70 - until 2009. Of the 2.5 million children, just under 31,000, or 1.2 percent, were born following IVF treatment. Standard IVF treatment involves an egg being fertilized with sperm in a laboratory dish, while intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) fertility treatments - now used in about half of cases and often recommended for male fertility problems - involve injecting a single sperm directly into an egg. “When we looked at IVF treatments combined, we found there was no overall increased risk for autism, but a small increased risk of intellectual disability,” said Sven Sandin of King’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry, who co-led the study.

“When we separated the different IVF treatments, we found traditional IVF is safe, but that IVF involving ICSI, which is specifically recommended for paternal infertility, is associated with an increased risk of both intellectual disability and autism in children,” he told a briefing in London.

Rates of autism have been rising rapidly in recent years, to around 1 in 100 children in Europe and as many as 1 in 88 in the United States. Since IVF births are also increasing, some researchers have wondered whether the two might be linked.

But Sandin said that while he could not entirely rule out an effect from IVF, it was certainly not the whole answer to why autism rates are going up.

“This cannot explain the increased rates we’re seeing,” he said. “If it does contribute anything, it’s a very, very, very small fraction.”

The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), found that children born after IVF treatments with ICSI had a 0.093 percent risk of intellectual disability, compared with a base risk of 0.062 percent. Children born after IVF with ICSI using fresh embryos and surgically extracted sperm - rather than sperm ejaculated naturally - had the higher risk of autism.

Avi Reichenberg, who led the study with Sandin at the Institute of Psychiatry and Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, said the results showed a link between some IVF treatments a higher risk of developmental disorders in children, but stressed the study did not identify a cause. “The exact mechanism is unclear, but there are a number of risk factors, from selection of IVF procedures, to multiple embryos, and to preterm birth,” he told reporters. Pacey said doctors and patients should consider preferentially using standard IVF rather than ICSI wherever possible, and also using ejaculated sperm rather than sperm recovered surgically from the testicles.—Reuters

World suffered unprecedented climate extremes in past decade Extremes worsening, greenhouse gas emissions rising NEW YORK: The world suffered unprecedented climate extremes in the decade to 2010, from heatwaves in Europe and droughts in Australia to floods in Pakistan, against a backdrop of global warming, a United Nations report said yesterday. Every year of the decade except 2008 was among the 10 warmest since records began in the 1850s, with 2010 the hottest, according to the study by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The number of daily heat records far outstripped lows.

It said many extremes could be explained by natural variations - freak storms and droughts have

happened throughout history - but that rising emissions of man-made greenhouse gases also played a role. “Rising concentrations of heat-trapping greenhouse gases are changing our climate, with far-reaching implications for our environment and our oceans, which are absorbing both carbon dioxide and heat,” WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarraud said in a statement.

The study said damaging extremes included Hurricane Katrina in the United States in 2005, Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar in 2008, floods in Pakistan in 2010, droughts in the Amazon basin,

INDIA: In this Sept 23, 2005 file photo people stand on roofs as their homes are seen inundated by floodwaters in Vijaywada, about 270 kilometers (169 miles) southeast from Hyderabad. — AP

Australia and East Africa and a retreat of Arctic sea ice. Deaths from extreme events totaled 370,000 people, up 20 percent from the 1990s, the Genevabased WMO said, though the world population also rose sharply over the period, from 5.3 billion in 1990 to 6.9 billion in 2010.

The jump in the death toll was caused mainly by a heatwave in Europe in 2003 which killed 66,000 and a heatwave in Russia in 2010 in which 55,000 people died. However, casualties from storms and droughts fell, partly because of better preparedness for disasters. The study said that 44 percent of nations recorded the highest daily maximum temperature of the past half-century in the decade 2001-10 but only 11 percent reported a new low. It also said that the decade “continued an extended period of accelerating global warming” with average decadal temperatures 0.21 degree Celsius (0.4 F) warmer than 1991-2000, which was in turn 0.14 C warmer than 1981-1990.

Slowing rate of increase?

Other reports have found that the rate of temperature rises has slowed this century. “Global mean surface temperatures have not increased strongly since 1998” despite rising greenhouse gas emissions, according to a draft report by the UN’s panel of climate scientists due for release in September. Some experts say the apparent rise from the 1990s is magnified because a volcanic eruption in the Philippines in 1991 dimmed sunlight and cut temperatures. The WMO also said it was hard to link any individual extreme events to climate change rather than to natural variability.

However, warmer air can hold more moisture, raising risks of downpours - the study said that 2010 was the wettest year since records began. And sea levels have risen about 20 centimeters in the past century, increasing risks of storm surges.—-Reuters

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

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

California judge refuses to block yoga in schools Yoga in school not same as teaching religion SAN DIEGO: A California judge refused on Monday to block the teaching of yoga as part of a public school’s physical fitness program, rejecting parents’ claims that the classes were an unconstitutional promotion of Eastern religions. Judge John Meyer acknowledged that yoga “at its roots is religious” but added that the modern practice of yoga, despite its origins in Hindu philosophy, is deeply engrained in secular US society and “is a distinctly American cultural phenomenon.” He also said the Encinitas Unified School District had developed its own version of yoga that was not religious but distinct and separate from Ashtanga yoga.

“A reasonable student would not objectively perceive that Encinitas School District yoga does advance or promote religion,” he said. While school district officials were pleased by the ruling, the lawyer for the parents said they probably will appeal. “If yoga is a religion and has religious aspects, it doesn’t belong in the public schools,” said Dean Broyles, who represents Stephen and Jennifer Sedlock, whose two children opted out of yoga for physical education. “There is a consistent anti-Christian bias in these cases and a pro-Eastern or strange religion bias.”

Encinitas, about 20 miles north of San Diego, began a pilot yoga program in one of its nine elementary schools in 2011.

About 40 to 45 students - out of the 5,500 in the district - were taken out of the classes by their parents. The Sedlocks filed suit against the district in February, arguing that yoga is inherently religious and asking teaching of the classes be banned.

The parents claimed that children who opted out of the program faced bullying and teasing. Their suit expressed concern that the school district had implemented the program with a $500,000 grant from the Jois Foundation, which promotes Ashtanga yoga.

The case was the latest twist in a broader national clash over the separation of religion from public education that has seen spirited debate on issues ranging from the permissibility of student-led prayer to whether science instructors can teach alternatives to evolution. The plaintiffs objected to eight-limbed tree posters with Sanskrit characters that they said were derived from Hindu beliefs, as well as to the use of the Namaste greeting in class and several yoga poses said to represent worship of Hindu deities.

But by the start of the 2012-2013 school year, the Sanskrit and Namaste

had been eliminated from the program, and poses had been renamed with “kidfriendly” descriptions, poses now called gorilla, turtle, peacock, big toe, telephone and other terms, according to testimony.

The lotus pose, for example, is called criss cross apple sauce in Encinitas schools.

However, the plaintiffs’ expert, professor of religious studies Candy Gunther Brown,

testified that yoga practice indoctrinates Hindu religious practices whether the individual knows it or not.

Brown cited research suggesting yoga practice changes the user’s brain and thoughts, a sort of gateway drug to the occult, Meyer said. The judge did not agree with her, saying, “Dr Brown has an obvious bias and can almost be called

being on a mission against yoga.” School district Superintendent Timothy Baird applauded the ruling, and pointed out that the district had been represented for free by lawyers provided by parents whose kids take yoga in the district. “We always want our parents to be happy and we try to work with our parents on everything we do,” Baird said.—Reuters

Saudi records two new deaths from MERS RIYADH: A Saudi man and a woman have died from the MERS virus, raising the death toll from the SARS-like infection in the kingdom to 36, the health ministry said yesterday. Three others infected with the same virus, two in Eastern Province and one in Riyadh, have been treated, the ministry said on its website. It said 62 people have been infected with the virus in the kingdom so far, down from a previous figure of 66. The ministry did not clarify why it had lowered the number of reported cases of the disease, dubbed Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. It said the latest victims were a 75-year-old man in

the eastern region of Al-Ahsaa, where an outbreak began in a healthcare facility in April, and a 63-year-old woman in Riyadh, but did not say when they had died.

Saudi Arabia recorded its first MERS death in June 2012. The latest deaths bring to 42 the number of people to have died from the virus worldwide to date. The virus is a member of the coronavirus family, which includes the pathogen that causes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). SARS sparked global panic in 2003 after it jumped to humans from animals in Asia and killed some 800 people. Like SARS,

MERS appears to cause a lung infection, with patients suffering from fever, coughing and breathing difficulties. But it differs in that it also causes rapid kidney failure. While most of the cases have been concentrated in Saudi Arabia, the MERS virus has also spread to neighboring Jordan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Cases have also been found in France, Germany, Italy, Tunisia and Britain, although most of these patients had been transferred for care from the Middle East or had travelled to the Middle East and become ill after they returned, the World Health Organisation said.—AFP

W H AT ’ S O N

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

Future Kid extends the festival of outstanding students to July 9th

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

Announcements 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 above-mentioned purpose only.

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8th Expo Pakistan to commence in September he 8th Expo Pakistan will be held from September 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.

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ccording to the request of visitors and delay of receiving success certificates, Future Kid Entertainment and Real Estate “Future Kid” decided to extend the festival of outstanding students from various stages starting from kindergarten to intermediate. This step coincides with the policy of supporting festivals and useful events for all family members and sustaining continuous communication with the public.

Elham Mabrouk , Director of marketing and public relations at the company, said in a press statement, “The celebrations of outstanding students in the future kid sites all over Kuwait attract school students from different grades; kindergarten, primary and intermediary level. The festival includes offers and precious gifts for the participants and contestants in all activities and events. This is

why the company decided to extend the period of the Festival to 9th July.”

Mabrouk praised the success of the festival in various places such as Al-Rai, Kaifan, Salmiya, Selial Al-Jahra, Casper Agency, Cartoon World network. She also honoured the great attendance of all students from different grades and their participation in all activities and events of the festival. She explained that she expects more attendance and participation in all different sites of Future Kid. Mabrouk also thanked all the sponsors of the festival for their efforts to achieve the success of the festival by providing valuable prizes and gifts for all family members. The sponsors include Kout Food Group, Al-Humaidhi from Burger King and Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Skob Con Icecream, Coca-Cola , AlSanabel Sebamed and Boushahri Group.

The Regency welcomes bloggers in true Kuwaiti style with a festive Quraish as it expands its online presence

IMAX IMAX film program Thursday: ** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups Flight of Butterflies 3D 10:30am, 5:30pm, 8:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 11:30am Tornado Alley 3D 12:30pm, 7:30pm, 9:30pm To The Arctic 3D 6:30pm Friday: Fires of Kuwait 2:30pm Tornado Alley 3D 3:30pm, 5:30pm, 8:30pm To The Arctic 3D 4:30pm, 7:30pm Flight of Butterflies 3D 6:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 9:30pm Saturday: ** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups Flight of Butterflies 3D 10:30am, 1:30pm, 8:30pm Tornado Alley 3D 11:30am, 2:30pm, 5:30pm, 7:30pm, 9:30pm To The Arctic 3D 12:30pm, 6:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 3:30pm Journey to Mecca 4:30pm

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taying true to its origins, The Regency proudly hosted a festive Quraish for elite members of Kuwait’s blogosphere in order to underscore its commitment to social media and reach out to a new and increasingly important generation of online journalists and diarists.

Quraish is a very old Kuwaiti custom held at the end of the month of Shaaban. This special gathering is normally held prior to the start of Ramadan, when families begin their month’s fasting during the daylight hours.

On this occasion the hotel’s Silk Road restaurant provid-

ed an exquisite venue for a spectacular seafood buffet.

“Bloggers are the voice of today” stated General Manager, Aurelio Giraudo. “Their continuous support in featuring The Regency on their blogs allows the hotel to remain in the public eye and reach the emerging online audiences here in Kuwait. It’s essential we recognize their good work and maintain strong relations with them and all the other New Media platforms”.

He added: “The Quraish is a way to express our thanks and to celebrate the approach of Ramadan; we hope they enjoy this important and significant gather-

ing and wish them a very blessed Holy Month”.

The Bloggers’ Quraishfollows a stellar spring which saw the hotel’s online profile expand enormously: the hotel’s Instagram followers have now surpassed 1700 people, it’s Facebook followers have reached 13,000 and its Four Square activity attracted over 3,500 clients.

In line with The Regency’sonline initiative, The Regency has also launched a new Facebook competition with over KD2,400 worth of prizes. The Regency can be viewed on Facebook at Regency.Kuwait; and on Twitter and Instagram at TheRegencyQ8.

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

W H AT ’ S O N

Embassy Information EMBASSY OF AUSTRALIA The Australian Embassy Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department. All processing of visas and immigration matters in conducted by The Australian Consulate-General in Dubai. Email: info.ausdxb@vfshelpline.com (VFS) immigration.dubai@dfat.gov.au (Visa Office); Tel: +971 4 355 1958 (VFS) - +971 4 508 7200 (Visa Office); Fax: +971 4 355 0708 (Visa Office). In Kuwait applications can be lodged at the Australian Visa Application Centre 4B 1st Floor, Al-Banwan Building Al-Qibla Area, Ali Al-Salem Street, opposite the Central Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait City, Kuwait.

Working hours and days: 09:30 - 17:30; Sunday Thursday. Or visit their website www.vfs-au-gcccom for more information. Kuwait citizens can apply for tourist visas on-line at www.immi.gov.au/e visa/e676.htm. nnnnnnn

A group photo of the IWG members at yesterday’s lunch held as a gratitude to the wife of the Indonesian ambassador to Kuwait who hosted the Arabic classes for the IWG members at her residence. —Photos by Joseph Shagra

IWG members gather for lunch, express gratitude to the host of the group’s Arabic classes

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embers of the International Women’s Group who have taken an Arabic class this year gathered yesterday for lunch at Ruby Tuesday’s seaside branch. IWG member Narjis Al-Shatti who holds the PR portfolio in the IWG, explained that the lunch is hosted as a gratitude to Efa Adamhar, wife of the Indonesian Ambassador to Kuwait, who hosted the Arabic class for some of the IWG members at her residence. The women had a chance to sample many of Ruby Tuesday’s dishes and to share their travel and summer plans.

The International Women’s Group is a multi-national group of women from more than 50 countries. Recently the group held their last meeting for this year. During the

meeting the newly elected IWG President was announced. Rima Khalidi, wife of the Palestinian Ambassador to Kuwait is IWG’s new president. The network of women in Kuwait has members from all continents and being part of it is “an enriching experience” that provides a glimpse of other cultures.

Al-Shatti explained that the IWG is an all-women multi-national group of women that gather to exchange cultural tips, share knowledge about the different countries they hail from and to make friendships. The members are diplomat’s wives, business women from Kuwait, local entrepreneurs and foreign women.

The IWG Kuwait chapter is a branch of the Denmark-based International

Women’s Association, which has branches worldwide, all of which organize similar programs and activities. Some of the activities in Kuwait include visits to traditional venues, museums and places o interest.

The members of the organization are also entertained by various cultural activities and cross-cultural programs that aim to introduce the different cultures of the organization’s members.

The IWG has a regularly scheduled monthly meeting on the first Sunday of every month. Apart from these meetings they also organize trips to museums and various touristic places around Kuwait. The group’s next meeting will be held on the first Sunday of October.

Efa Adamhar

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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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 SOUTH AFRICA During the holy month of Ramadan, the South African Embassy will be open to the public, Sunday through Thursday from 09:00 am to 14:00 pm. Please note that the Consular Section operation hours will be from 09:30 am to 12:00 pm, Sunday through Thursday. nnnnnnn

(From left) Michel Blackett, wife of the ambassador of Liberia to Kuwait, Luisa Maria Martinez, wife of the ambassador of Cuba to Kuwait, Aysha, wife of the ambassador of Brunei to Kuwait, Punam Shahed, wife of the ambassador of Bangladesh to Kuwait, Mumucho, wife of the ambassador of Myanmar to Kuwait and Sita, wife of the ambassador of Nepal to Kuwait.

(From left) Chelsie Dado, wife of the Charge d’Affaires of the Philippines embassy in Kuwait, Fadilla Haneeth, wife of the ambassador of Afghanistan to Kuwait, Kim, wife of the ambassador of South Korea to Kuwait, Jayalakshmi Wijeratne, wife of the ambassador of Sri Lanka to Kuwait and Lucie Vavrova, wife of the ambassador of the Czech Republic to Kuwait.

Narjis Al-Shatti, IWG member in charge of PR of the group (second right) is presenting the wife of the Indonesian ambassador to Kuwait with a gift. Adel Kayed, Director of Operation Ruby Tuesday (right) and Reyana Mahesh, PR and Marketing Manager Ruby Tuesday (left) are pictured at the function.

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 DS-160, photos must be a .jpg between 600x600 and 1200x1200 pixels, less than 240kb, and cannot be digitally altered); A completed DS-160 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 I-20.

Children born in the US (with very few exceptions) are US citizens and would not be eligible for a visa. Parents may drop off the application packet at Window 2 at the Embassy from 1:00 to 3:00 PM, Monday to Wednesday, excluding holidays. More information is available on the U.S. Embassy website: kuwait.usembassy.gov/child_visas.html nnnnnnn

Kezang Choten, wife of the ambassador of Bhutan to Kuwait (center) with Efa Adamhar, wife of the Indonesian ambassador to Kuwait (right) and Sita, wife of the ambassador of Nepal to Kuwait (left).

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 Narjis Al-Shatti addressing the IWG members yesterday.

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 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

14:20 14:45 15:10 15:35 16:00 16:55 17:45 18:35 19:30 19:55 20:20 20:45 21:10 21:35 22:00 22:25 22:50 23:15 23:40 00:05 00:30 01:00 01:50

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00:30 01:30 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00

09:05 Bargain Hunt 09:50 Antiques Roadshow 10:40 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 11:25 MasterChef Australia 11:50 New Scandinavian Cooking With Claus Meyer 12:15 Come Dine With Me 13:05 Planet Cake 13:30 New Scandinavian Cooking With Claus Meyer 13:55 Bargain Hunt 14:40 Cash In The Attic 15:25 Antiques Roadshow 16:15 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 17:00 Phil Spencer - Secret Agent 17:55 The Good Cook 18:25 Hairy Bikers’ Bake-ation 19:20 New Scandinavian Cooking With Claus Meyer 19:45 Come Dine With Me 20:35 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 21:20 Antiques Roadshow 22:15 Bargain Hunt 23:00 Phil Spencer - Secret Agent 23:55 Cash In The Attic 00:45 Come Dine With Me 01:35 MasterChef Australia 02:00 New Scandinavian Cooking With Claus Meyer 02:25 How Not To Decorate

11:00 Crimes That Shook Britain 12:00 The FBI Files 13:00 Snapped: Women Who Kill 14:00 Snapped: Women Who Kill 14:30 Snapped: Women Who Kill 15:00 Beyond Scared Straight 16:00 Fred Dinenage: Murder Casebook 17:00 Crimes That Shook Britain 18:00 The FBI Files 19:00 The FBI Files 20:00 Snapped: Women Who Kill 21:00 Crimes That Shook Britain 22:00 Private Crimes 22:30 Mobsters 23:30 Paranormal State

Border Security Auction Hunters Auction Kings License To Drill One Man Army Mythbusters Sons Of Guns Deconstruction How It’s Made Auction Hunters Storage Hunters Sons Of Guns Nothing Personal Hellriders Sons Of Guns Nothing Personal

The Gadget Show How Tech Works Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger How Stuff Works Superships Thunder Races Through The Wormhole Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger Oddities Oddities The Gadget Show How Tech Works Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger Oddities Oddities The Gadget Show How Tech Works Weird Connections Space Pioneer Space Pioneer

Dr G: Medical Examiner Ghost Lab Killer Kids Deadly Affairs I Almost Got Away With It Dr G: Medical Examiner Ghost Lab Nightmare Next Door Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Street Patrol Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn 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 On The Case With Paula Zahn I Escaped Death I Almost Got Away With It

Born To Kill Private Crimes My Ghost Story The Haunting Of...

Escaping Evil: My Life In A Cult Crime Stories The FBI Files Snapped: Women Who Kill Snapped: Women Who Kill Beyond Scared Straight Crime Stories Nightmare In Suburbia

03:00 05:00 07:00 PG15 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00 01:30

Once Brothers-PG15 One Angry Juror-PG15 When Love Is Not Enough33 Postcards-PG15 A Thousand Words-PG15 Arthur Christmas-PG Ring Of Deceit-PG15 33 Postcards-PG15 Chronicle-PG15 Our Idiot Brother-PG15 Margaret-18 The Grey-18

07:00 09:00 10:45 13:15 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:15 01:30

Mrs. Miracle-PG15 Arbitrage-PG15 The Great Gatsby-PG The National Tree-PG15 The Game Of Their Lives-PG15 Battle For Terra-PG Like Crazy-PG15 Melancholia-18 The Five Year Engagement-18 Battle For Terra-PG

04:00 Today’s Special-PG15 06:00 Austin Powers In Goldmember-PG15 08:00 Bending The Rules-PG15 10:00 A View From Here-PG15 12:00 Happy Feet Two-PG 14:00 The Three Stooges-PG15 16:00 Bending The Rules-PG15 18:00 Men In Black 3-PG 20:00 Flypaper-18 22:00 Your Sister’s Sister-18 00:00 Dungeons & Dragons: The Book Of Vile Darkness-18 02:00 Men In Black 3-PG

04:00 Lords Of Dogtown-PG15 06:00 Tomorrow, When The War Began-PG15 07:45 Thor-PG15 09:45 X-Men: First Class-PG15 12:00 Enter The Phoenix-PG15 14:00 Thor-PG15 16:00 Justice League: Doom-PG15 18:00 Enter The Phoenix-PG15 20:00 Bunraku-18 22:15 Assassination Games-18 00:00 Open Graves-18 01:45 Bunraku-18

08:00 10:00 12:00 PG15 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00 00:00 02:00

Best In Show-PG15 Falling Star-PG15 Adventures In BabysittingElf-PG Falling Star-PG15 Beware The Gonzo-PG15 The Guard-PG15 Eurotrip-18 Cedar Rapids-18 The Guard-PG15

09:00 Stealing Bess-PG15 11:00 Honey 2-PG15

MELANCHOLIA ON OSN CINEMA 13:00 15:00 16:45 18:45 21:00 23:00 01:00

Would Be Kings-PG15 Stealing Bess-PG15 The Inkwell-PG15 Dreamgirls-PG15 13-PG15 Vampire-PG15 Anonymous-18

01:00 AFL Premiership Highlights 02:00 PGA Tour Highlights 03:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 04:00 NRL Premiership 06:00 Trans World Sport 07:00 Cricket Friends Life T20 10:00 Super League 12:00 Trans World Sport 13:00 Live Cricket Test Match 21:00 PGA European Tour Weekly 21:30 Inside The PGA Tour 22:00 Live PGA Tour

00:00 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 14:00 15:00 15:30 19:30 20:15 23:15

00:00 01:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00

Cricket Test Match Trans World Sport PGA European Tour Weekly Inside The PGA Tour Super Rugby Highlights UK Open Darts PGA Tour Highlights PGA European Tour Weekly Live PGA European Tour Futbol Mundial Live Cricket Friends Life T20 NRL Full Time

Trans World Sport Cricket Friends Life T20 World Cup of Pool World Cup of Pool Golfing World Golfing World

33 POSTCARDS ON OSN MOVIES HD

08:00 08:30 11:30 12:30 13:30 15:30 16:00 17:00 19:00 20:00 21:00

Total Rugby Rugby World Cup World Cup of Pool World Cup of Pool British & Irish Lions Tour Total Rugby Golfing World Rugby League Trans World Sport World Match Racing Tour UK Open Darts

00:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 13:00 13:00 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:30 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00

NHL UFC Countdown Ping Pong World US Bass Fishing NHL WWE Smackdown Ping Pong World US Bass Fishing NHL WWE Bottom Line WWE Vintage Collection Porsche GT 3 Cup Porsche GT 3 Cup Mobil 1 The Grid Mass Participation Motor Sports 2013 Motor Sports 2013 WWE NXT UFC The Ultimate Fighter UFC Countdown UFC Prelims

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 Switched At Birth Fairly Legal Suits The Hollow Crown The Closer Glee Switched At Birth The Hollow Crown

03:00 03:30 04:00 04:30 Leno 05:30 06:00 06:30 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 09:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 Leno 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 Leno 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:30 23:00 23:30 00:30 01:00 01:30 02:00 02:30

Ben And Kate The Simpsons Brothers The Tonight Show With Jay Friends Hope & Faith Arrested Development Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Brothers Friends Ben And Kate Modern Family Parks And Recreation Arrested Development The Tonight Show With Jay Hope & Faith Brothers Friends Arrested Development The Simpsons Parks And Recreation Modern Family The Daily Show The Colbert Report Hope & Faith Late Night With Jimmy Fallon New Girl Family Tools Hot In Cleveland Parks And Recreation The Tonight Show With Jay The Daily Show The Colbert Report The League The League The Office Late Night With Jimmy Fallon The Daily Show The Colbert Report The League The League The Office

13:00 Marchlands 14:00 The Syndicate 15:00 Moving On

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

The Jeremy Kyle Show USA 60 Minute Makeover Emmerdale Coronation Street Coach Trip Come Dine With Me Ireland Foyle’s War At Water’s Edge The Jeremy Kyle Show USA 60 Minute Makeover Emmerdale

05:15 05:35 06:00 06:30 06:45 07:10 07:35 07:55 08:20 08:45 09:05 09:30 09:55 10:15 10:40 11:05 11:25 11:50 12:15 12:35 13:00 13:25 13:45 14:10 14:35 15:00 15:25 15:50 16:10 16:35 17:00 17:20 17:45 18:10 18:30 18:55 19:20 19:40 20:05 20:30 20:50 21:15 21:40 22:00 22:25 22:50 23:10 23:35 00:00 00:20 00:45 01:05 01:30 01:50 02:15 02:35

Brandy & Mr Whiskers Brandy & Mr Whiskers Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Doc McStuffins A.N.T. Farm Dog With A Blog Jessie Jessie Shake It Up Shake It Up Austin And Ally Austin And Ally Good Luck Charlie Good Luck Charlie A.N.T. Farm A.N.T. Farm Jessie Jessie Austin And Ally Austin And Ally Shake It Up Shake It Up A.N.T Farm A.N.T Farm Good Luck Charlie Good Luck Charlie Jessie Jessie Dog With A Blog A.N.T. Farm Austin And Ally That’s So Raven Suite Life On Deck Good Luck Charlie Shake It Up Austin And Ally Jessie A.N.T Farm A.N.T Farm Shake It Up Suite Life On Deck Austin And Ally That’s So Raven Jessie A.N.T Farm Good Luck Charlie Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place Hannah Montana Hannah Montana Brandy & Mr Whiskers Brandy & Mr Whiskers Emperor’s New School Emperor’s New School Replacements Replacements

03:00 Unique Sweets 03:25 Food Wars 03:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 04:15 Unique Eats 04:40 Chopped 05:30 Iron Chef America 06:10 Food Network Challenge 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 Staten Island Cakes 22:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 23:15 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 23:40 Food Wars 00:05 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 00:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 00:55 Unique Eats 01:20 Unique Eats 01:45 Staten Island Cakes

00:00 Trabant Trek 00:30 Trabant Trek 01:00 Off Limits 02:00 Departures 03:00 Globe Trekker 04:00 Inside Luxury Travel - Varun Sharma 05:00 Bizarre Foods America 06:00 Eden Eats 07:00 Globe Trekker 08:00 Departures

09:00 Off Limits 10:00 Bert The Conqueror 10:30 Xtreme Waterparks 11:00 Trip Flip 11:30 Trip Flip 12:00 Eden Eats 13:00 Bizarre Foods America 14:00 International House Hunters 14:30 International House Hunters 15:00 Inside Luxury Travel - Varun Sharma

16:00 Wild Carpathia 17:00 Bert The Conqueror 17:30 Xtreme Waterparks 18:00 Off Limits 19:00 Departures 20:00 Globe Trekker Around The World 21:00 Off Limits 22:00 The Blue Continent 23:00 Inside Luxury Travel - Varun Sharma

Baby boy for Bollywood star Khan amid controversy

B

ollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan became a father for the third time at the end of May, Mumbai officials said yesterday, amid a controversy over whether the actor and his wife had undergone an illegal prenatal sex test. A spokesman at Mumbai’s municipal body said they have received confirmation that a baby boy was born in May in a northern city suburb to Khan, 47, and his wife Gauri.

“Andheri hospital has informed the BMC health authorities that a boy was born on May 27, 2013,” said Vijay Khabale Patil, a spokesman for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

“The father’s name was Shah Rukh Khan and the mother was Gauri Khan,” he told AFP. The Khans, already parents to a teenage son and daughter, have made no announcements on the matter but it is standard procedure for hospitals to give details of births in the city to the BMC. The baby is widely reported to have been born by surrogacy, an arrangement in which a woman carries the child of another couple. Back in 2011, fellow Bollywood megastar Aamir Khan and his wife also had a baby boy using a surrogate mother.

The news that the birth was as far back as May means the child was born before rumours surfaced in the media that the Khans were expecting a boy, raising suspicions of an illegal sex test on the foetus.

On seeing the reports, the Indian Radiological and Imaging Association wrote to the health officials demanding an investigation. Local media yesterday said the BMC were still investigating the matter, but Patil was unable to confirm this. India bans sex tests because of a preference for sons in the country.

Female foeticide has led to a major population imbalance between the sexes. Khan, star of “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge” (“The Braveheart will get the Bride”) and “My Name Is Khan”, topped the first Forbes India Celebrity 100 list earlier this year with annual estimated earnings of $37.7 million. — AP

14:30 Style Star 15:00 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 16:00 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 17:00 What Would Ryan Lochte Do? 17:30 What Would Ryan Lochte Do? 18:00 E! News 19:00 E!es 20:00 Kourtney And Kim Take Miami 21:00 Married To Jonas 21:30 Fashion Police 22:30 E! News 23:30 Chelsea Lately 00:00 Dirty Soap 00:55 Style Star 01:25 E!es

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

Coastal Kitchen Cash In The Attic Bargain Hunt Daily Cooks Challenge How Not To Decorate Coastal Kitchen Tareq Taylor’s Nordic Cookery Planet Cake Baking Made Easy Phil Spencer - Secret Agent

TOMORROW, WHEN THE WAR BEGAN ON ACTION HD

Classifieds THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

Kuwait SHARQIA-1 WORLD WAR Z (DIG) NO FRI OFFICER DOWN (DIG) WORLD WAR Z (DIG) OFFICER DOWN (DIG) WORLD WAR Z (DIG) OFFICER DOWN (DIG) WORLD WAR Z (DIG) SHARQIA-2 MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (DIG-3D) CINDERELLA (DIG-3D) MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (DIG-3D) WHITE HOUSE DOWN (DIG) WHITE HOUSE DOWN (DIG) WHITE HOUSE DOWN (DIG)

WORLD WAR Z (DIG) WORLD WAR Z (DIG)

10:00 PM 12:15 AM

MAN OF STEEL (DIG) MAN OF STEEL (DIG) MAN OF STEEL (DIG)

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

1:30 PM 3:30 PM 6:00 PM 8:00 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

FANAR-2 THE PURGE (DIG) MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (DIG) MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (DIG) MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG)

1:15 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

AVENUES-3 TATTAH (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) TATTAH (DIG)

12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:30 PM 8:00 PM 10:30 PM 1:00 AM

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

FANAR-3 MAN OF STEEL (DIG) MAN OF STEEL (DIG) MAN OF STEEL (DIG) OFFICER DOWN (DIG) OFFICER DOWN (DIG) OFFICER DOWN (DIG)

12:30 PM 3:15 PM 6:00 PM 8:45 PM 10:45 PM 12:45 AM

MARINA-1 OFFICER DOWN (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) OFFICER DOWN (DIG) OFFICER DOWN (DIG)

360ยบ- 1 THE PURGE (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG)

1:00 PM 3:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:00 PM 9:00 PM 11:00 PM 1:00 AM

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MARINA-2 WORLD WAR Z (DIG) WORLD WAR Z (DIG) MAN OF STEEL (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) WORLD WAR Z (DIG) WORLD WAR Z (DIG)

360ยบ- 2 OFFICER DOWN (DIG) OFFICER DOWN (DIG) OFFICER DOWN (DIG) OFFICER DOWN (DIG) OFFICER DOWN (DIG) OFFICER DOWN (DIG) OFFICER DOWN (DIG)

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360ยบ- 3 WORLD WAR Z (DIG-3D) WORLD WAR Z (DIG) WORLD WAR Z (DIG) WORLD WAR Z (DIG-3D) WORLD WAR Z (DIG)

2:30 PM 5:00 PM 7:30 PM 10:00 PM 12:30 AM

MARINA-3 MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (DIG-3D) CINDERELLA (DIG-3D) MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (DIG-3D) WHITE HOUSE DOWN (DIG) WHITE HOUSE DOWN (DIG) WHITE HOUSE DOWN (DIG)

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 9:45 PM 12:30 AM

AVENUES-1 WORLD WAR Z (DIG) WORLD WAR Z (DIG) WORLD WAR Z (DIG) WORLD WAR Z (DIG) WORLD WAR Z (DIG)

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AVENUES-2 MAN OF STEEL (DIG)

2:15 PM

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SHARQIA-3 THE PURGE (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG)

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MUHALAB-1 OFFICER DOWN (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) OFFICER DOWN (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG) OFFICER DOWN (DIG) THE PURGE (DIG)

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MUHALAB-2 WORLD WAR Z (DIG) WORLD WAR Z (DIG) TATTAH (DIG) WORLD WAR Z (DIG) TATTAH (DIG)

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

MUHALAB-3 CINDERELLA (DIG-3D) WHITE HOUSE DOWN (DIG) MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (DIG-3D) MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (DIG-3D) WHITE HOUSE DOWN (DIG)

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM

FANAR-1 WORLD WAR Z (DIG) WORLD WAR Z (DIG) WORLD WAR Z (DIG) DARK TIDE (DIG)

KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY (04/07/2013) UPTO 1st DAY OF RAMADAN

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

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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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CHANGE OF NAME I, Huzaifa Shabbir Gulamali, holding Passport No. F0010303 wish to change my name to Huzaifa Shabbir Amjawala. (C 4453) 4-7-2013 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:

03:18 04:53 11:52 15:26 18:51 20:23

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

Airlines BBC QTR JZR JZR RJA SAI THY ETH GFA UAE ETD THY FDB RBG KAC JZR JZR JZR GBG KAC MSR QTR THY QTR DHX FDB BAW KAC JZR JZR JZR JZR QTR KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC FDB UAE IRA IZG ABY QTR IRA FDB ETD SYR GFA MEA MSC UAE MSR KAC KAC KAC JZR JZR JZR JZR JZR JZR JZR JZR

Arrival Flights on Thursday 4/7/2013 Flt Route 43 DHAKA 148 DOHA 267 BEIRUT 539 CAIRO 644 AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA 441 LAHORE 764 SABIHA 620 ADDIS ABABA 211 BAHRAIN 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 768 ISTANBUL 67 DUBAI 555 ALEXANDRIA 206 ISLAMABAD 529 ASSIUT 555 ALEXANDRIA 1541 CAIRO 945 YEREVAN 412 MANILA 612 CAIRO 138 DOHA 770 ISTANBUL 6130 DOHA 170 BAHRAIN 69 DUBAI 157 LONDON 362 COLOMBO 561 SOHAG 165 DUBAI 503 LUXOR 241 AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA 6058 ZARAGOZA 332 TRIVANDRUM 352 COCHIN 382 DELHI 284 DHAKA 302 MUMBAI 53 DUBAI 855 DUBAI 605 ISFAHAN 4161 MASHAD 125 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 617 AHWAZ 55 DUBAI 301 ABU DHABI 341 DAMASCUS 213 BAHRAIN 404 BEIRUT 403 ASSIUT 871 DUBAI 610 CAIRO 788 JEDDAH 674 DUBAI 614 BAHRAIN 787 RIYADH 257 BEIRUT 777 JEDDAH 535 CAIRO 269 BEIRUT 177 DUBAI 125 BAHRAIN 189 DUBAI

Time 00:05 00:05 00:20 00:40 00:30 01:30 01:40 01:45 01:55 02:25 02:30 02:50 03:10 03:15 07:25 06:40 06:20 06:25 04:00 06:15 03:15 03:30 04:35 04:50 05:10 05:50 06:30 08:45 12:20 11:35 07:40 12:35 07:50 07:55 08:05 07:30 08:15 07:50 07:45 08:25 08:40 08:45 08:50 09:00 09:10 09:15 09:30 10:10 10:40 10:55 12:40 12:45 13:00 15:00 19:25 19:35 16:15 14:30 17:50 16:10 19:15 17:30 16:25 20:10

OMA FDB ABY MEA AFG MSC MSR MEA FDB RBG KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC THY KNE QTR FDB SVA KNE OMA KNE NIA RJA QTR ETD UAE ABY UAL GFA SVA TAR QTR FDB GFA AXB JAI RBG JZR JZR JZR JZR MSC ALK UAE ETD QTR GFA QTR JAI THY FDB AIC UAL DLH JAI MSR KLM THY

647 61 129 402 415 405 618 406 8057 557 104 176 672 502 562 774 786 546 618 542 118 766 480 140 57 500 472 645 470 251 640 134 303 857 127 982 215 510 327 144 63 219 393 572 553 135 239 513 185 401 229 859 307 136 217 146 576 6512 59 981 981 636 574 614 411 772

MUSCAT DUBAI SHARJAH BEIRUT KABUL SOHAG ALEXANDRIA BEIRUT DUBAI ALEXANDRIA LONDON GENEVA DUBAI BEIRUT AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA RIYADH JEDDAH ALEXANDRIA DOHA CAIRO NEW YORK ISTANBUL TAIF DOHA DUBAI JEDDAH JEDDAH MUSCAT JEDDAH ALEXANDRIA AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA DOHA ABU DHABI DUBAI SHARJAH WASHINGTON DC DULLES BAHRAIN RIYADH TUNIS DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN KOZHIKODE MUMBAI ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA SHARM EL SHEIKH DUBAI ALEXANDRIA COLOMBO DUBAI ABU DHABI DOHA BAHRAIN DOHA COCHIN ISTANBUL DUBAI CHENNAI BAHRAIN FRANKFURT MUMBAI CAIRO AMSTERDAM ISTANBUL

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

Airlines AIC AXB JAI UAL DLH MSR JZR RJA BBC THY SAI THY ETH THY UAE FDB RBG MSR ETD QTR QTR JZR GBG QTR FDB GFA JZR THY KAC JZR BAW FDB JZR JZR KAC KAC ABY KAC IRA IZG UAE QTR FDB QTR IRA ETD KAC KAC SYR GFA KAC KAC MEA JZR JZR KAC JZR JZR JZR MSC MSR THY KNE UAE

Departure Flights on Thursday 4/7/2013 Flt Route 976 GOA/CHENNAI 490 MANGALORE 573 MUMBAI 981 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 637 FRANKFURT 615 CAIRO 502 LUXOR 645 AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA 44 DHAKA 773 ISTANBUL 442 LAHORE 765 ISTANBUL 621 ADDIS ABABA 769 ISTANBUL 854 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 556 ALEXANDRIA 613 CAIRO 306 ABU DHABI 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 560 SOHAG 946 SHARJAH 6131 DOHA 70 DUBAI 212 BAHRAIN 240 AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA 771 ISTANBUL 545 ALEXANDRIA 164 DUBAI 156 LONDON 54 DUBAI 256 BEIRUT 534 CAIRO 561 AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA 671 DUBAI 126 SHARJAH 787 JEDDAH 606 MASHHAD 4162 MASHHAD 856 DUBAI 6058 DOHA 56 DUBAI 133 DOHA 616 AHWAZ 302 ABU DHABI 101 LONDON 501 BEIRUT 342 DAMASCUS 214 BAHRAIN 541 CAIRO 165 ROME 405 BEIRUT 776 JEDDAH 786 RIYADH 785 JEDDAH 176 DUBAI 124 BAHRAIN 268 BEIRUT 406 SOHAG 611 CAIRO 767 ISTANBUL 481 TAIF 872 DUBAI

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

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

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

58 141 673 473 8058 646 617 773 188 471 505 613 252 641 238 512 135 304 538 128 858 216 511 982 184 266 328 558 407 145 64 220 134 283 394 554 571 62 120 331 648 343 351 403 415 404 619 543 171 402 308 230 860 137 301 218 60 205 147 575 554 1540 411 415 528

DUBAI DOHA DUBAI JEDDAH DUBAI MUSCAT DOHA RIYADH DUBAI JEDDAH JEDDAH BAHRAIN ALEXANDRIA AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA SHARM EL SHEIKH DOHA ABU DHABI CAIRO SHARJAH DUBAI BAHRAIN RIYADH BAHRAIN DUBAI BEIRUT TUNIS ALEXANDRIA BEIRUT DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DHAKA KOZHIKODE ALEXANDRIA MUMBAI DUBAI SHARJAH TRIVANDRUM MUSCAT CHENNAI KOCHI BEIRUT JEDDAH ASSIUT ALEXANDRIA CAIRO BAHRAIN ALEXANDRIA ABU DHABI COLOMBO DUBAI DOHA MUMBAI BAHRAIN DUBAI ISLAMABAD DOHA ABU DHABI ALEXANDRIA CAIRO BANGKOK KUALA LUMPUR ASSIUT

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

34

stars CROSSWORD 240

STAR TRACK Aries (March 21-April 19) You may feel blocked or frustrated emotionally by someone or by your own life situation. You might feel that some avenues of support have been cut off or blocked. Do not take these problems personally—all of this will pass quickly—not to worry. Trying to complete projects or make a sale, someone has gotten stressed. You will not be able to help so busy yourself in your own projects. Do not forget that you are very gifted, having great magnetism and warmth and also a keen and powerful mind. You can do anything you want to do in this life, if you can manage to get moving in one direction and keep at it. This evening you will be very busy in putting together just the right date clothes. There are possibilities for a fun date in the evening.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) You are aggressive in the pursuit of gaining insight into all that is new, different and out of the ordinary. You communicate with consummate skill and it is stimulating just being with you. You could be most persuasive with others. A record-breaking sales contract or decision making agreement is in the works. Good, productive conversations happen all day long, with co-workers, friends and neighbors. This is a great time to be with others and to work together. There could not be a better time to be assertive and to move forward in your career decisions. You have all the drive and energy to accomplish what is necessary today. The path is open and clear. This evening . . . Surround yourself with soft colors and good music—relax.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

ACROSS 1. A periodic paperback publication.

4. To break off a military action with an enemy.

12. Payment due by the recipient on delivery.

15. A transuranic element.

16. Germanic barbarian leader who ended the western Roman Empire in 476 and became the first barbarian ruler of Italy (434-493).

17. A sweetened beverage of diluted fruit juice.

18. The compass point that is midway between north and northeast.

19. Flightless birds having flat breastbones lacking a keel for attachment of flight muscles.

20. American professional baseball player who hit more home runs than Babe Ruth (born in 1934).

22. Roman Catholic theologian (1585-1638).

24. Giving advice.

26. A hard blow with a flat object.

28. Of or relating to a seizure or convulsion.

29. A state in New England.

31. (Akkadian) God of wisdom.

32. The sixth month of the civil year.

36. A hot glowing or smouldering fragment of wood or coal left from a fire.

39. A fertile tract in a desert (where the water table approaches the surface).

41. A mound of stones piled up as a memorial or to mark a boundary or path.

42. A stupid foolish person.

45. Explosive consisting of a yellow crystalline compound that is a flammable toxic derivative of toluene.

46. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

48. Widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions for its fragrant flowers and colorful fruits.

50. Letter carrier's shoulder bag.

54. Wild ginger.

56. Surpassing the ordinary especially in size or scale.

59. Capital of the state of Montana.

60. The capital of Croatia.

63. Of or relating to a member of the Buddhist people inhabiting the Mekong river in Laos and Thailand.

65. An intensely radioactive metallic element that occurs in minute amounts in uranium ores.

66. A unit of weight used in some Spanish speaking countries.

67. Small moths whose larvae spin silken tunnels and feed on stored food products.

72. An isogram connecting points having equal barometric pressure at a given time.

74. An ester of adenosine that is converted to ATP for energy storage.

75. An arrangement of objects or people side by side in a line.

76. Italian painter and sculptor and engineer and scientist and architect.

78. Large brownish-green New Zealand parrot.

79. An inflammatory complication of leprosy that results in painful skin lesions on the arms and legs and face.

80. A great raja.

81. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

DOWN 1. Tough Asiatic grass whose culms are used

for ropes and baskets.

2. A former copper coin of Pakistan.

3. Port city in northwestern Belgium and industrial center.

4. Warn in advance or beforehand.

5. A city in southern Turkey on the Seyhan River.

6. (often followed by `of') A large number or amount or extent.

7. Being six more than fifty.

8. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

9. Apathy and inactivity in the practice of virtue (personified as one of the deadly sins).

10. A white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light.

11. Brightly colored venomous but nonaggressive snake of southeastern Asia and Malay peninsula.

12. Joyful religious song celebrating the birth of Christ.

13. Any property detected by the olfactory system.

14. Declare untrue.

21. (Hindu) A manner of sitting (as in the practice of Yoga).

23. Complete and without restriction or qualification.

25. A magnetic tape recorder for recording (and playing back) TV programs.

27. A member of a North American Indian people of southeastern California and northwestern Mexico.

30. (psychoanalysis) An idealized image of someone (usually a parent) formed in childhood.

33. Unpleasantly cool and humid.

34. A member of a North American Indian people living in the Sacramento valley in California.

35. Respiratory disorder characterized by wheezing.

37. Slanting diagonally across the grain of a fabric.

38. An organization of independent states to promote international peace and security.

40. A fixed look with eyes open wide v 1.

43. A colorless odorless gaseous element that give a red glow in a vacuum tube.

44. Not only so, but.

47. Biennial or perennial herbs of north temperate regions.

49. A pale rose-colored variety of the ruby spinel.

51. A deep pulsating type of pain.

52. Perennial herb of North America.

53. Functioning correctly and ready for action.

55. One species.

57. Being nine more than forty.

58. Conqueror of Gaul and master of Italy (100-44 BC).

61. Malicious burning to destroy property.

62. The sound of growling (as made by animals).

64. A drama set to music.

68. A pilgrimage to Mecca.

69. The basic unit of money in Bangladesh.

70. The content of cognition.

71. South American armadillo with three bands of bony plates.

73. (Irish) Mother of the ancient Irish gods.

77. A midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region.

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

This day will bring opportunities for you to respond to two, three or more people in some scenario for solving problems. You would make a good coordinator of events. You are a natural diplomat, always courteous and concerned with the comfort and welfare of others. You stay in the background, but are able to manipulate and bring out cooperation in others every time. You are very motivated when it comes to matters of care and service—taking care of details. You are up for any task that requires careful analysis. There is an urge to salvage everything. You love other people, large and small groups and relationships in general. You may want to enjoy your hobby this evening—leave room for your loved ones as well.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) There is a time to be with your friends this afternoon and to show your appreciation toward others. For now, it’s full speed ahead in the work world. Be wise to take your breaks and get away from the workplace during the noon meal. Stressful situations could cause a switch effect: you may alternate between very conventional behavior and sudden rebellious lapses. At these times, your nonconformity and refusal to go along works against your own best interests—it could be difficult to get ahead. There is an opportunity to show your obvious sense of love and compassion for others today. This is coupled with a real feel for the arts: music, poetry, painting and the like. Also, there is sensitivity for matters of value and of the heart. Love is present.

Leo (July 23-August 22) Today you are able to tackle tasks that require real discipline. You find yourself in a very practical mood; working with, instead of against yourself. You may have some serious or contemplative moments. You can really communicate and convey yourself to others.

You are very career-oriented and your personal reputation and honor are of the utmost importance. You possess a natural sense of organization and practical insight and may excel at managing or supervising others. You love large-scale organization and career or business will always be close to your heart. You have a lot of energy and can sometimes come across as assertive and dominant. Get outside this afternoon and work off some of that energy with a friend—exercise.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) Your sense of duty and the responsibilities you have at this time could cause you to ignore some of your actual ideals—the things about which you have dreamed. A conservative streak sets you against anything that is not realistic. Remember the slow and steady—this will leave time for fun. You have no patience for pie-in-the-sky and things that are not secured. Mysticism, psychic phenomena and the imagination in general intrigue you despite your convictions to the contrary. You could take a vacation from your responsibilities and explore some more imaginative regions. Short trips or some hobby activity will help you to relax and regain some realistic focus. Your creative abilities may help you solve any problem in the work field. Love fills the air tonight.

Word Search

Libra (September 23-October 22) You value stability and security in all things and you possess good business sense. You are, by nature, very domestic and enjoy nice surroundings at work and at home.

Today you may struggle with too many things in your pockets. Perhaps because you don’t trust yourself to take only what you will need for each workday you over pack. Consider taking a briefcase with your essentials and don’t look back. You may become an expert at search and inquiry into the nature of a subject—be it life, scientific research, etc. You have a passion for searching, finding out and communicating, particularly with a work project this afternoon.

Within a short amount of time you will see that a book or project will soon be completed. You are pleased with your progress.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) In-depth discussions and probing conversations find you at your mental best this morning. It seems as though when one conference is over another begins. This huddle of conversation is important to someone you do not know and will make a positive difference when it comes to keeping your facts in order. Your analytical abilities are very good and when you look the group over you will see that this particular person is stepping up to hear what you have to say more than once. If you are up to it, consider having a question and answer time when you have completed one of the conference sessions. Other speakers have ideas and you are interested in learning a few new techniques for yourself.

Pooped this evening, you may listen to a fun radio station.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) There is a sense of emotional coolness or detachment at the personal level, combined with an emphasis on humanitarianism: such is the nature of the cycle you are now entering. It is ideas that count for you now—progress is expected. This feels like a wonderful time of good fortune. Situations seem to be set up just so that you can see which path is the best one to take. Work, relationships and financial difficulties are beginning to heal.

There are plenty of opportunities when you may find yourself able to do almost everything.

Personal struggles and triumphs are what is needed in all of our lives in order to learn what it is we need to do to rise above and succeed at our goals and you have done well. Networking is an important tool.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) CAPRICORN You have a strong love of the law and working things through and you are not put off by problems this day. You may be working with others regarding vocation or career guidance. You can wisely inform and guide in matters requiring work-related decisions. Many find you a generous and loving person. There is a sense of emotional coolness or detachment when you become focused but you have a special affinity with helping others.

Your work has your attention this afternoon and it is ideas that count for you now, more than narrowly personal concerns. You may have little tolerance for people who do not operate at this level. The new and the unusual may grab your attention. It is time to go fishing, hiking, etc.; make your plans.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) Quick answers, great wit and plenty of solutions are just building inside your head—waiting for the opportunity to be helpful. Inventions and breakthroughs are possible. You have ideas about how you could help others, particularly to help where investments are concerned. The new and the unusual are what you yearn for just now and you seek to find the thrill of a story, experience a ride at a park or an adventure in travel. This is where you spend your time planning this afternoon and if you have not decided the particular adventure you want, you might consider taking a class in acting and trying out for a part in a play. This is a great way to learn about yourself and test your abilities. You may also enjoy playful animals this evening—relaxation.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) New ways to communicate or an easy manner will make conversations and interactions go well. You may find yourself more talkative than usual. A dialogue with an older person or someone in authority may take place. You have an unusual ability to motivate other people, especially in group work. Your enthusiasm and drive is catching and this makes you an ideal teacher or group leader, especially with young people. You will want to be aware that you sometimes push too hard. A tremendous drive to succeed, plus some sheer good luck, brings about some real accomplishments now. You have a lot of physical energy this evening and may enjoy some form of outdoor exercise. A romantic involvement will improve a great deal now.

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

Daily SuDoku

Yesterday’s Solution

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

i n f o r m at i o n For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128 GOVERNORATE Sabah Hospital

24812000

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

PHARMACY

ADDRESS

PHONE

Ahmadi

Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy Ibn Al-Nafis Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554 25721264 25380581 25628241

Hawally

Al-Madeena

22418714

Al-Shuhada

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Faiha

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

Kaizen center

25716707

Rawda

22517733

Adaliya

22517144

Al-Jahra

25610011

Khaldiya

24848075

Al-Salmiya

25616368

Kaifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salem

22549134

Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Qadsiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Gar

22531908

Shaab

22518752

Qibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Qibla

22451082

Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

Maidan Hawally

25623444

Bayan

25388462

Mishref

25381200

W Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Ardhiya

24884079

Firdous

24892674

Omariya

24719048

N Khaitan

24710044

Fintas

23900322

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Psychologists /Psychotherapists

Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Khaled Hamadi

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Salem soso

22618787 General Surgeons

Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart Dr. Adnan Ebil

22639939

Dr. Mousa Khadada

22666300

Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

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 Anil Thomas

3729596/3729581

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

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

Neurologists 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

Endocrinologist Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

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

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

lifestyle F a s h i o n

Models present creations by Elie Saab during the Haute Couture Fall-Winter 2013/2014 collection show yesterday in Paris.—AFP

T

he Paris couture shows were yesterday a “royal affair” with Elie Saab’s crown jewelinspired collection while Frank Sorbier’s courtly models looked as if they had stepped out of a Holbein painting. Saab’s shimmering regal gowns came in emerald green, sapphire blue and blood-red like “rubies plucked from a crown”.

Frank Sorbier meanwhile looked to the middle ages after becoming fascinated by portraits of the era. Models paraded at a stately pace through the formal gardens of the Swiss embassy in lace veils, richly embroidered silk jackets and high neck dresses with trains. — AFP Lebanese fashion designer Elie Saab acknowledges the public.

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

lifestyle F a s h i o n

“F

ashion is the only thing that can travel ... from the old world to the new,” proclaimed Karl Lagerfeld.

And on the second day of haute couture shows, Chanel’s showman couturier made his point with aplomb: he delivered the words from the stage of an old, decayed opera house standing next to pop star Rihanna. As ever, the master designer stole the show, with Tuesday’s most impressive couture display. His creations glittered in dramatic contrast with the broken-down theater, recreated inside Paris’ Grand Palais.

Faded grimy curtains, old wooden stalls, and some classic clothing styles mixed alongside futuristic streaks of silver embroideries and cosmic-looking hats. Fashion, it seemed to say, lives in the past and the future.

A similar message ran throughout the day of shows, with Italian designer Giorgio Armani delivering a stylish collection that evoked the sensuality of old Hollywood while still remaining modern. Stephane Rolland, too, cited old masters such as Velazquez as muses for a strong show, but pulled off looks with a modern elegance.

Haute couture itself dates back over 150 years and is steeped in history. But the hurdle for designers is to keep the looks fresh while also keeping the artisan-based method of making clothes alive and relevant.

CHANEL The setting saw Lagerfeld carry off a dark, expressionist-tinged fall-winter 2013 collection, which began with an image of a

BOUCHRA JARRAR The museum of sculptor Antoine Bourdelle was a magnificent backdrop for the sculptural creations conjured up by lauded Moroccan-born designer Bouchra Jarrar. Models in ivory, pink and jet-black wandered among Bourdelles’ private collection of bronze and marble figures, creating a visually dramatic scene. Fabric woven tightly round the neck and held with silver clasps, at times, felt as carved as the marble artwork itself. But the stronger work was found in the three-part silk dresses in pink crepe, black georgette and ivory “charmeuse.” They fluttered by like butterflies.

ARMANI PRIVE Giorgio Armani seemed to strip the body bare in a classic couture collection Tuesday that came with a twist and was entitled simply, “Nude.” The checkered runway in pearly hues of yellow, pink and beige set the mood for the nude-toned musings for fall-winter 2013. The colors recurred on the 52 creations, all of which were constructed with a delicate femininity. The Armani Prive show made its statement in skin-colored fine organzas, lace and tulles, which exposed much skin. At times, the material seemed to simply melt into the models’ flesh. But the show, for the most part, remained relatively classical, and several creations had the refined look of old-school Hollywood glamor. Loose, pleated pants combined with high shoulders in marabou feathers cut a striking 1930s silhouette along with the models’ short wavy hair. One look that had a soft floppy bow tied on the top of high-waisted trousers could have been worn by Katharine Hepburn.

futuristic metropolis beamed onto the old, nostalgic theatre wall. When the models appeared, the contrasts continued: the first chic series of A-line skirt suit-styles were twinned with Grace Jones-style space-age hair. Intergalactic square hats that were attached at the back of the head seemed to float like a geometric halo, in a great anachronism. The 67 very wearable looks had some notable features, such as wide, often shiny, belt bands that strapped across at the hip, and mosaic patterns. Instead of boots, Lagerfeld put legs inside “stocking shoes,” attached up the leg with a garter like lingerie. Jackets sometimes had strong, menswear shoulders which contrasted with tight feminine dress sleeves. And skirts were layered upon skirts to produce different directions of movement.

One fantastic tweed-style gray coat was constructed with one long piece of material, half of which went down, and the other half hooped back up to create a voluminous silhouette. At the end, a creation perfectly showed Lagerfeld’s expressionist mood. A long, black diaphanous silk dress was streaked with shards of fractured and glimmering silver. Was this musing inspired by the dark landscape of legendary filmmaker Fritz Lang? “You know,” Lagerfeld said. “My whole life is a Fritz Lang moment.”

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STEPHANE ROLLAND “Austere, but sensuous,” were the words the program notes used to describe Stephane Rolland’s dark and luxuriant couture display, which continued in the elegant footsteps of last season. Deep midnight blue produced a classy silk crepe jumpsuit with a billowing black satin module that evoked the fuzzy brushstrokes of a painter. Indeed, the Spanish royal court’s master painter Diego Velazquez was one of the inspirations behind this collection. Thirty-three creations saw Rolland using black, flowing capes to get this regal message across, as well as hanging lengths of rippling silks that conjured up the idea of nobility or time-old queenliness through the material’s simple, natural luxury.

Though the collection was not ground-breaking, it confirms that the normally glitzy and glam designer, who’s known for dressing redcarpet celebrities, is moving in a welcome, more elegant direction. — AP

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liver Stone is not shooting a new movie about Hugo Chavez but an “addendum” using outtakes from an old film, an aide said Tuesday, clarifying remarks by the late Venezuelan leader’s successor. The US director and long-time Chavez fan is compiling footage not used in his 2009 documentary “South of the Border” into a follow-up short, to be released on the anniversary of Chavez’s death next March, she told AFP. The late Venezuelan leader’s handpicked successor, President Nicolas Maduro, announced last month that Stone “is making a very beautiful film about our commander Hugo Chavez.

“We are eager for its debut on the big screen in Venezuela,” he said, adding that one of Stone’s producers informed him about the film while on an official trip in Paris. Susie Arons, a spokeswoman, said Tuesday: “Just to clarify, Oliver Stone is not making a feature on Chavez. “He will be putting together footage of Chavez that was not used in his documentary ‘South of the Border,’ for a short addendum to be released on the first anniversary of his death.”It is not clear how the short extra will be distributed, but we will know later in the year,” she added in an email to AFP. Chavez led Venezuela for 14 years until he died on March 5 after a long battle with cancer at the age of 58. A retired army lieutenant colonel, he died five months after being re-elected to a third six-year term in office.

Stone, 66, frequently has praised the outspoken Chavez, whom he interviewed for the 2009 documentary, exploring Chavez’s role in bottom-up change among allied nations in Latin America and the Caribbean. Other leftist leaders interviewed in that film included Bolivia’s Evo Morales and Ecuador’s Rafael Correa. Maduro said that Stone soon will visit Venezuela for the premiere of a film project on “the history of American imperialism.”

The director, who describes his views as “progressive,” is known for politically-angled films that some critics dismiss as tendentious. On his website he calls some of his films “at deep odds with conventional myth.” His movies include “Platoon”-the first in his Vietnam trilogy-”JFK,” “Natural Born Killers,” and “Nixon.” He also directed “W.”-an unflattering portrait of former US president George W. Bush-and box office smashes “Wall Street” and “Scarface.” — AFP

Photo dated May 28, 2010 shows late Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez and US filmmaker Oliver Stone at the Teresa Carreno Theatre for the premiere of the documentary ‘South of the Border’ in Caracas. — AFP

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lec Baldwin would “love” to quit acting and he’s never going to use Twitter again, according to a new interview in Vanity Fair. The former “30 Rock” star’s dream is to be just a regular guy ... some day. “I have one dream in my life and that is that this daughter I’m having - she comes to me about seven or eight years from now, she has a friend, and she’s at her house and she says, ‘Daddy, Susie’s mom says you used to be on TV. Daddy, is that true?’ She has no knowledge of me as a public person. That would be heaven for me.”

When asked if he was going to quit acting, Baldwin said, “I’d love to if I could, yeah. That would be the greatest thing in the world...if I could find something else to do.” As for Twitter, Baldwin credits the late James Gandolfini for his decision.

“I went to Jimmy Gandolfini’s funeral, and when I was there I realized Jimmy Gandolfini didn’t have Twitter,” Baldwin told VF. “Jimmy Gandolfini was so beloved as a person, and he was so admired as an actor, and he didn’t give a fuck about social media. “I really learned a lesson at the funeral,” Baldwin continued. “I said to myself, ‘This is all a waste of time.’

Meaning it’s fun sometimes, but less and less, and less. It’s just another chink in your armor for people to come and kill you.”

The interview also touched on Baldwin’s character in Woody Allen’s upcoming film, “Blue Jasmine,” his affinity for travel alarm clocks and his love of classical music, classic movies and art. — Reuters

Actor Alec Baldwin and Hilaria Baldwin attend ‘The Unavoidable Disappearance Of Tom Durnin’ Opening Night at Laura Pels Theatre in New York City. — AFP

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tealing the moon can be a tough act to follow, as reformed criminal mastermind Gru and the creative team behind the $540-million-grossing 2010 smash “Despicable Me” discovered when it was time to dream up an encore. After all, it was no mean feat to successfully juggle all that lunar lunacy with a delightful companion plot involving a trio of orphaned girls who, in turn, steal Gru’s heart. While the new edition doesn’t quite catch that inspired spark, there’s still plenty to enjoy here courtesy of those zippy visuals and a pitch-perfect voice cast led by the innately animated Steve Carell.

Expect the movie’s minions to once again turn up in droves in what is certain to be a stellar Fourth of July holiday weekend. “Despicable Me 2” finds Carell’s Gru more or less embracing his newly domesticated life after adopting Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier) and little Agnes (Elsie Fisher), even swapping his more nefarious activities for a startup jelly-and-jam-making operation. But he soon finds himself in a stickier situation when he’s dispatched by the top-secret Anti-Villain League to track down the perpetrator of a fresh heist involving a ginormous electromagnet.

Setting up an undercover operation in a mall cupcake shop, Gru is reunited with fresh AVL recruit Lucy Wilde (Kristen Wiig, formerly the proprietor of Miss Hattie’s Home for Girls), with his suspicions set on the gregarious owner of a Mexican restaurant (a terrific Benjamin Bratt), who bears a nagging resemblance to El Macho, a notorious villain believed to have perished while riding a shark into a

This publicity photo released by Fox Searchlight shows Toni Collette, left, and Liam James in a scene from the film, ‘The Way, Way Back.’ — AP

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volcano with 250 pounds of TNT strapped to his chest. It’s those sort of details that lend the “Despicable Me” franchise an irresistible Looney Tunes-style nuttiness - one even more prevalent this time around in the absence of a more substantial plotline.

Still, returning directors Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud and the returning writing team of Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul again maintain the energy at a brisk, buoyant clip, while Carell and the rest of cast add an extra layer of dimension to those expressively drawn characters. Also amusingly returning to the fold is Russell Brand as rickety resident mad scientist Dr Nefario, Steve Coogan as AVL head honcho Silas Ramsbottom and Ken Jeong as Floyd Eagle-san, now the owner of a wig store.

Back again to imbue the production with a pleasing visual and aural snap are production designer Yarrow Cheney and on-a-roll Pharrell Williams, whose springy songs blend nicely with Heitor Pereira’s bright score. Those who foolishly opt to leave at the start of the end credits will be missing out on another entertaining 3D demonstration again led by a handful of those wacky Minions. “Despicable Me 2,” a Universal release, is rated PG for, according to the Motion Picture Association of America, “rude humor and mild action.” Running time: 98 minutes. — AP

This film publicity image released by Universal Pictures shows characters Lucy, voiced by Kristen Wiig, right, and Gru, voiced by Steve Carell in ‘Despicable Me 2.’ — AP

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here’s something inherently formulaic about summer coming-of-age movies. A quirky, awkward and misunderstood kid takes a summer off from regular life and finds a way - at the beach or by the pool - to, well, come of age, often with the help of an equally quirky adult.

Summer ends. Life is changed.

And that’s precisely what happens in “The Way, Way Back,” featuring an expert cast led by Steve Carell, Toni Collette and the terrific Sam Rockwell as that quirky adult.

Luckily, though, the film, written and directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, is done with enough skill and delicacy that its adherence to formula doesn’t matter quite so much. Yes, it could have been a better movie had it taken bolder plot turns.

But that likely won’t diminish the smile on your face - and very possibly the tear on your cheek as you exit this charmer of a film.

About that title: “The Way, Way Back” refers to the back seat in a station wagon that faces out to the road - the way, WAY back seat. Which is where 14-year-old Duncan, played by sensitive newcomer Liam James, sits as he reluctantly heads for a beach vacation with his divorced mom Pam (Collette) and her boyfriend, Trent. The first scene tells you all you need to know about Trent, a very unlikable character played by the very likable Carell. At the wheel next to Duncan’s sleeping mom, he barks a question to the teenager: How would you rate yourself, on a scale of 10? When Duncan hazards a weak “six,” Trent replies that in his view, the boy’s a mere three. How’s that for an aspiring step-dad?

It takes a while for Pam to notice her beau’s shortcomings.

Meantime, Duncan is trying to find a way to pass the time. He grabs a pink girl’s bike from the yard and heads to the Water Wizz water park. There he finds park manager Owen (Rockwell, in the film’s most entertaining performance), a guy he’s met briefly in town. Owen is not too responsible, but full of fun and armed with a wisecrack (and an ‘80s reference) for any occasion.

He gives Duncan a job and sets about removing the boy from

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his shell.

Aiding him is a warm-hearted crew of park workers, including Owen’s love interest (Maya Rudolph, her comic talents mostly wasted here). Faxon and Rash, the director-screenwriters, play park workers as well, and Rash is particularly funny as the forlorn, germophobic salesman at an equipment booth nobody comes to. (Faxon and Rash, both TV actors as well, won an Oscar for co-writing “The Descendants.”) Duncan’s new job gives the boy a sense of purpose and community.

Meanwhile, at the beach, Pam’s trying to make things work.

Carell manages to make Trent interesting even as you hate him, and as for Collette, she’s heartbreaking as a single mom desperate to give her son a stable life. Watch her expressive, elastic face fall as she balances that determination with the recognition that Trent isn’t who she thought he was.

Also noteworthy here: Allison Janney as a neighbor with an absurdly dark tan, a taste for cocktails and a way-too-loose tongue; Amanda Peet and Rob Corddry as Trent’s married, funloving friends; and AnnaSophia Robb as a romantic interest for Duncan. Will Duncan learn about himself as the summer progresses? Will he overcome obstacles to his self-esteem?

Take a guess. Luckily, the ending is less predictable and sappy than it could have been. And actually, “The Way, Way Back” feels something like summer itself: It meanders a bit, it’s a little lacking in structure, but it’s full of small memorable moments - and you’re sad when it’s over. “The Way, Way Back,” a Fox Searchlight release, is rated PG-13 for, according to the Motion Picture Association of America: “thematic elements, language, some sexual content and brief drug material.”

Running time: 103 minutes.

Three stars out of four.-AP

ne brought leading man grace. One brought a little raunch. Together they left New York with the top National High School Musical Theater Awards. Sarah Lynn Marion, from Fullerton, Calif, was named best actress and Taylor Varga from Newtown, Conn, won the best actor crown at the fifth annual “Glee”-like competition for musical teenagers, nicknamed the Jimmy Awards after theater owner James Nederlander. Both top winners receive a $10,000 scholarship award, capping a months-long winnowing process that began with 50,000 students from 1,000 schools and ended at the Minskoff Theatre, the long-term home of “The Lion King.” This year’s contestants came from 20 states.

Marion, a senior at Huntington Beach High School for the Performing Arts, had sung a segment from “Hello, Dolly” earlier in the night and then absolutely nailed the “110 in the Shade” song “Raunchy,” a sexy, needy tune with the appropriate lyric, “Gonna make them other gals turn green.” In her acceptance speech, she thanked her teachers, her parents, her four siblings, her friends and all fellow contestants. “And my first grade teacher who gave me my first role as Jack’s mother in ‘Jack and the Beanstalk,’” she said. In the past few years, she’s also had roles in school productions of “ Thoroughly Modern Millie,” “Damn Yankees” and “Xanadu.”

Varga, who attends Newtown High School, was one of two J Pierrepont Finches from “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” and delivered a touching “Santa Fe” from “Newsies” for his solo. “I’m a little lost for words,” he said, before thanking his family and friends who made the trip from Connecticut. The 62 teens who made it to New York - 31 girls and 31 boys - got a fiveday theatrical boot camp at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, complete with scrambling to learn an opening and closing group number, intense advice on their solo songs, plus a field trip to watch “Annie” on Broadway and dinner at famed theaterdistrict hangout Sardi’s.

All 62 performed snippets of the songs that they had sung at regional competitions as part of seven large medleys and then sev-

en finalists - three boys and four girls - were asked to sing solos. The final winners were picked from the last seven. All had to switch from black dresses for the ladies and dark suits for the men into their character costumes for their medleys and then back again.

Their performances were backed by a ninepiece orchestra. The five runners-up, who each receive $2,500, were: Martha Hellerman from Madison, Wis; Eva Maria Noblezada from Charlotte, NC; Jillian Caillouette from Norwich, Conn; Michael Burrell from Mission Viejo, Calif and Austin Crute from Atlanta.

There was a fair amount of overlapping of roles, with two Belles from “Beauty and the Beast,” two Miss Adelaides from “Guys and Dolls” and a memorable set of five Bakers from “Into the Woods,” who all thrown on stage to duke it out together. The irreverent show “Avenue Q” had two representatives, complete with puppets, and there was a tap dancing Billy Crocker from “Anything Goes” and a gun-toting Annie Oakley in “Annie Get Your Gun.” Shows ranged from “Chicago” to “Sweeney Todd” to “Les Miserables” and “In the Heights.”

Cheers were saved for the director, Van Kaplan, and choreographer, Kiesha Lalama, who managed to makes transitions between characters seamless. At one point, Tevye from “Fiddler on the Roof” sang “If I Were a Rich Man” and then handed it over to the moneygrubbing J. Pierrepont Finches. During their New York visit, the teens were tutored oneon-one by theater pros Leslie Odom Jr, Liz Callaway, Michael McElroy and Telly Leung.

The judges Monday night included Tony-winning director Scott Ellis, Tony nominee Montego Glover and casting professional Bernie Telsey. One judge was overheard summing up the behind-door-process process with one word: “brutal.” The hosts were Laura Osnes and Santino Fontana, who co-star in “Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella.” — AP

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This Sept. 9, 2012 file photo shows actor Pierce Brosnan during a photo shoot to promote the movie ‘Love is All You Need’ at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto. — AP

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ierce Brosnan’s daughter has died from ovarian cancer, his publicist confirms. Charlotte was 41 years old when she passed away in London on June 28, after battling the disease for three years. Brosnan’s first wife Cassandra Harris, Charlotte’s mother, also died from ovarian cancer in 1991. Harris’ mother died from the disease as well.

People.com was first to report the story. In a statement to People, Brosnan said his daughter “fought her cancer with grace and humanity, courage and dignity.” He went on to say “we pray for her and that the cure for this wretched disease will be close at hand soon.” Charlotte is survived by a husband, Alex Smith, 14-year-old daughter, Isabella, and 8-year old son, Lucas. — AP

Photo shows Sarah Lynn Marion, from Fullerton, Calif, performing at the fifth annual National High School Musical Theater Awards at the Minskoff Theatre in New York. — AP

t may be difficult to separate Johnny Depp from his “Pirates” character Jack Sparrow, but the actor recalls a time before the boozy buccaneer became a household name. “The films that I did prior to ‘Pirates,’ ... not everything but a lot of it, was sort of by industry standards, not blockbuster stuff. So I wasn’t ever blockbuster material,” said Depp in a recent interview. But that’s not to say he didn’t have fun during those years. “I’ve been lucky enough to be involved in some very small and different independent films throughout my career and I’ve been able to be involved in, you know, a couple of films that shocked everybody, especially me,” he said.

Since 2003, Depp has played the flamboyant captain in four hugely successful “Pirates of the Caribbean” films, with a fifth installment slated for 2015. At age 50, he is still one the hottest names in Hollywood and about ready to launch another big-budget summer flick, “The Lone Ranger.” “The only thing I can equate it with is luck. There’s no other reason,” he said of his career longevity. “The fact that I was able to survive through that 15 years of just bouncing around doing (indie) movies and now still to end up here is amazing.”

The Golden Globe-winning actor plays the famed Native American character Tonto in the upcoming Disney reboot of “The Lone Ranger,” which is opening Wednesday. He said his children, Lily-Rose, 14, and Jack, 11, can’t wait to see it. “They’re pretty excited about this one,” Depp said while promoting the film in Santa Fe, NM, where part of the movie was filmed. “You know, of course, they thought it was insane when they watched me play Tonto, but now they’re looking forward to this one.” Despite his success, Depp recognizes that life on Hollywood’s A-list can be fleeting.“I certainly wouldn’t expect that it is one

of those things that is going to stick around forever and ever,” he said. “The clock ticks, the time’s up and the next guy steps in or whatever and that’s how it goes.” —AP

File photo shows Johnny Depp attends the world premiere of ‘The Lone Ranger’ at Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, Calif. — AP

Paris fashion is ‘royal affair’

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US singer Carter Scott, center, as “Turandot” plays during a rehearsal of the opera “Turandot” by Giacomo Puccini at the DomStufen open air festival (Domstufen-Festspiele) in front of the Mariendom (Cathedral of Mary) in Erfurt, central Germany. The 70 cathedral steps which run between the magnificent architectural ensemble of the Cathedral of St. Mary and the Church of St Severus are transformed in one of the world’s most beautiful festival stages. The premiere of the opera is scheduled on Thursday. —AP

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Costumers being served by a robot.

rom chickens catapulted across tables to meals dished up with a generous portion of sexual health advice, Bangkok is doing a roaring trade in unusual dining experiences. The Thai capital, renowned as much for its commitment to fun as it is for fiery cuisine, has embraced the odd, amusing and bizarre in a bid to lure customers through the door. In the city suburbs, staff at Ka Tron restaurant delight customers by loading cooked chickens into a catapult and firing them across a stage where they are caught on a spike by a waiter riding a unicycle.

Despite the pressure that comes with live performance, their catch rate is impressive. “We have been going 26 years and we have probably fired hundreds of thousands of chickens, but we have only dropped a few hundred,” said restaurant owner Nattaset Rattanapipob. It may be far from an everyday restaurant job, but the waiters say the trick seems to be working for the punters. “ The way we do things is better,” said waiter Sorasak Pomkalong. Across town a Japanese restaurant has deployed its own gimmick-two large robots wheel up and

Robot holding plates of food to be served to costumers at the Hajime robot restaurant in Bangkok.

—AFP photos

down the tables delivering meals to diners. Once the novelty wears off, customers at Hajime can then order the robots to dance.

But as with all things mechanical, robot waiters come with a risk of malfunction. “During the first few hours of the day if the robot is stuck we have the support teams standing by,” said Pimol Paitaku, marketing manager at Hajime restaurant. “Most of the time though it works.”

And while Thais are serious about their food, people in the City of Angels appear willing to try anything. “They are looking for unique experiences, whether that is something no-one else has eaten or some kind of performance, or something that attracts the eye,” said food blogger Dwight ‘Bkk Fatty’ Turner. “So I think all of those things combined makes Bangkok a very special city to eat in.” — AFP

A waiter on a one wheel bicycle catching with a plate, a flying chicken sent by a catapult at the Ka-tron restaurant in Bangkok.

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ne of China’s rarest stamps sold for HK$6.9 million ($890,000) at auction in Hong Kong, the auctioneers said yesterday. With just 32 recorded copies, the Qing Dynasty “1897 Red Revenue Small One Dollar” stamp is “China’s rarest regularlyissued stamp”, Interasia Auctions said in a press release. The bright red stamp, symbolizing luck and good fortune in Chinese culture, is rare because the characters “Qing Dynasty postal service, one dollar” were considered too small, prompting the printing of a second version.

The stamp was part of a three-day auction of Chinese, Hong Kong and Asian stamps which ended Monday bringing in a total of HK$71.9 million, Interasia said.

“Philately has a special place in Chinese culture, with rare stamps regarded as important cultural icons and treasures, just like art,” auction house director Jeffrey Schneider said in the statement. A pair of rare stamps bearing an accidentally inverted picture of Chinese nationalist leader Sun Yat-sen sold for more than $700,000 in Hong Kong last October.

Mainland Chinese are regular buyers of the top lots at sales of art, jewellery and wine as Hong Kong positions itself as an auction hub for Asia as well as the gateway to China’s vast market. — AFP

This undated handout picture released

by Interasia Auctions Ltd yesterday in Hong Kong shows a Qing Dynasty-era “1897 Red Revenue Small One Dollar” stamp. —AFP