30 Aug 2013

Conscription is investment in the future

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Milan face Barca yet again in CL

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FR EE

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Ignoring taboos, Syrian wounded treated in Israel

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NO: 15913- Friday, August 30, 2013

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Local FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

All that glitters

Why should you put your money on gold?

By Ben Garcia

T

hree months ago, the price of this precious yellow metal came down a considerable level in the world market. The reason, according to some analysts, was connected to the improving US economy. The collapse in gold prices from a peak of $1,900 an ounce in August 2011, to under $1,250 at the beginning of July 2013 - represents a vote of confidence in the global economy.

During a downward spiral, customers took advantage of the decline. Although it was short-lived, it was enough for some people to buy and get a pretty discount

on the metal - especially Indians who love and adore gold. “It was a short but really great relief for many Indians who are investing in gold crazily,” said P Pouldas, owner of Plaza Atlas, International Jewelry. He said, the downward trend can also be attributed to the fact that gold in the United States was sold to invest in the stock market and other economic prospects.

“Usually if the economy is improving, the overall attitude of investors is positive to push the trend forward. So, if they have savings in gold, they will sell it and invest it in the market,” he added. But it was

short-lived. Now, the price is climbing rapidly and many blame uncertainty in the Middle East for it. “We are witnessing an upward trend, mainly because of rumors of an impending war,” he said. “At a time like this, people don’t want to invest. They want to hold on to their money until the rumors are confirmed. This will automatically affect our buying and selling,” he explained.

For some Indians like Felomina, the rise in gold price spells bad news. “I love to invest money by buying gold. But the price now is not what it was four months ago. It’s really expensive and not affordable but I will still buy, albeit for a smaller amount, for my daughters,” Felomina admitted she’s been buying gold for herself and for her children. “I have three daughters and the only reason I have been working so hard is for us to save

some money and buy gold for them. I have to invest for them, because it is our custom to decorate our daughters with gold during their wedding, so that they can have a better life,” she said.

Felomina works as a secretary at a private firm in Kuwait City. According to her, six months ago, the Indian government had already implemented a 10 percent tariff on all gold purchases. “If you buy gold now in India, it is far more expensive than what it was six months ago because our government imposed a tax on gold,” said Felomina, who is originally from Kerala but now lives in Goa. Arabs are not that fond of buying gold though they do buy it during holidays like Eid and on other special occasions.

Indians, however, according to Pouldas, will continue to purchase gold regardless of price. “They will continue to buy gold

because the culture demands it. They usually save for the future. During hard times, they can easily go to the bank and get money, so even the poor will make sure they have some gold reserve,” Pouldas added. Prices of gold in Kuwait market are heavily dependent on the international price tags.

On the onset of the global financial crisis, the price of gold has often been portrayed as a barometer of global economic insecurity. Gold has hit a record price of $1,900 an ounce. The price tag though will increase dramatically when the precious metal is turned into ornaments like necklaces, rings, earrings, bangles or armbands where craftsmanship is usually counted as ‘making charges’.

— Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat and Joseph Shagra

Local FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

Conspiracy Theories

Local Spotlight

Expats and the driving license

A nation that can’t disembark properly

By Muna Al-Fuzai

By Badrya Darwish muna@kuwaittimes.net

T

he topic of driving license has been used as a satirical model for corruption even though no fingers are pointed at any specific individuals as suspects. It is quite common to see expats talk about how they want to get a driving license and ask in the same breath if you have wasta to help them. It’s a widely spread idea that unless you have wasta, you shouldn’t trouble yourself trying to get a learner’s permit, forget a driving license.

Recently, Major General Abdulfattah Al-Ali, Assistant Undersecretary for Traffic Affairs at the Ministry of Interior (MoI) revealed to a local daily that the Traffic Department has discovered 40,000 driving licenses have been issued to people who do not meet the criteria to obtain a license. This means that we could have serious killers driving on our roads!

This isn’t a joke and the number is indeed scary! Who are all these people and who was their wasta and more importantly, why? Was there money involved here?

So far, I haven’t seen any efforts to either confirm or deny this. If it is a rumor, it should be clarified and if it is indeed true, then the matter should be thoroughly investigated and the guilty party should be punished. Some sources have revealed that 1,200 licenses which were obtained illegally have already

been withdrawn.

The traffic law is very clear in stating that to get a driving license, expats should hold university degrees, be a resident of Kuwait for two years and must be drawing a monthly income of KD 400. I understand that one of the conditions like holding a college degree is a little too much; a high school degree is sufficient. And in terms of being a resident of Kuwait for two years, why should it be anyone’s business?

In case of a doctor or an engineer who has been in Kuwait for only a year, is it fair to deny him a license only based on this time frame? I support the salary criterion mainly because I don’t want to see people driving junk on the roads and if you don’t have money to fix broken headlights or taillights, should you have a car in the first place?

I think the ministry should revise their decree and consider the different kinds of expats in Kuwait, especially those who really need a car like doctors, engineers teachers and so on.

We should also consider upgrading public transportation and making them more easily accessible. The bus-stops need better shelter from the sun or extreme weather and should be provided with ACs, a direct phone line to the police and surveillance cameras to ensure constant safety and security.

Kuwait’s my business

Who’s buying franchises? Not risk-takers

By John P Hayes

local@kuwaittimes.net

I

t’s no secret that Kuwait loves franchises, but most people probably don’t know that thousands of Kuwaitis would like to own a franchise. In a recent survey of 500 Kuwaitis, the majority said they would like to buy a franchise. What’s holding them back? One business leader told me that Kuwaitis are not risk-takers. Well then, I’ve got some good news. Risk-takers don’t buy franchises!

When I interviewed franchisees for the book, “Franchising: The Inside Story”, I asked them how they felt about taking risks.

At the time, I thought franchisees were entrepreneurs and that entrepreneurs were risk-takers.

And then I got an education!

Franchisees may be (and they may think of themselves as) entrepreneurs, but they do not see themselves as risk-takers.

That explains why they buy franchises.

Risk-takers put everything on the line with little or no assurance of a safety net. When they buy or develop a business they invest their life savings and more (money borrowed from banks, family and friends). For the risk-taker, it’s do or die.

“Isn’t that what franchisees do, too?” you may be asking.

Not really. First of all, if the franchisee selected a franchise company with a good track record, one in which most of the franchisees have succeeded historically, the franchisee’s safety net is the franchisor, or the corporate office. The franchisor is responsible for providing the franchisee with a plan for operating the business, plus training and ongoing support. If a franchisee has a problem, he contacts the franchisor for help, and a good franchisor is responsive and effective.

Franchisees also serve as a safety net for challenged franchisees. A franchisee who can’t figure out how to solve a business issue can always contact other franchisees within the net-

work. “What did you do when you were faced with this problem?” Since franchisees of the same brand, i.e. McDonald’s or Kwik Kopy, or Signarama, etc.) do not compete with each other, they willingly help each other.

Risk-takers do not get the advantage of a safety net. It may be that they don’t want one - the thrill is not in buying or building the business, but in the risk. When risk-takers encounter problems, they don’t think about calling a friend in the same business because they are competitors. Instead, risk-takers try to figure it out on their own, and that often leads to failure.

Of course, there’s still some risk in franchising. “I am a calculated risk-taker,” one prominent franchisee told me. “You can’t be in business without taking some risks, it’s the nature of business ownership. However, you don’t have to be stupid about it. Or throw caution to the wind. You’ve got to realize that there’s a downside to any business opportunity. So you invest cautiously.

You do your homework, and franchising gives you that opportunity. You look around the corner, you think through the pros and cons, and you spend time talking to others who already own a franchise. So, no, I’m not a risk-taker. But I take calculated risks as a franchisee.”

Makes sense to me, and if it makes sense to you, you might think about purchasing a franchise. While we already seem to have plenty of franchises in Kuwait, there are plenty more that make sense for this market.

Dr John P Hayes heads the Business Administration department at GUST where he teaches marketing and leadership. In the past 30 years, Dr. Hayes has advised more than 100 franchise concepts. Got a question for him? Send it to questions@hayesworldwide.com, or via Twitter @drjohnhayes.

badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

I

just came back from London. I had no other option but to fly British Airways because, as all of you know, Kuwait Airways is no longer a competitor to the big airlines. They cannot compete on routes even to the nearest airport, such as Dubai. On this destination, Jazeera and flydubai have grounded Kuwait Airways on the tarmac.

This is not the point of my article today. God bless British captains who really give good briefings to the passengers and provide details when approaching Kuwait airport. Arab airlines rarely do such briefings. Anyway, on that particular flight the captain asked us to be patient for five minutes until the luggage from the halls is cleared, the plane comes to a complete stop and the seatbelt signs are turned off. I think the passengers misheard his briefing.

The minute the plane touched the ground many people jumped off their seats and started opening the overhead lockers to pull out luggage.

They started rushing to the door. This forced the cabin crew to ask everyone to remain seated because the plane has not reached the gate. The crew were warning passengers about the dangers.

They tried to be as diplomatic as they could.

I do not know why everyone wants to rush to the door the minute the plane is on the ground. Is this a race for life? When the doors open everyone will disembark anyways. In my part of the world, unfortunately, waiting does not take place. I was lucky to be sitting in the front - but I decided to get up when everything calmed down. At this point I started contemplating.

I was thinking? If we in the Middle East cannot disembark properly from an airplane, how are we going to compete with the west and build countries and cultures? Don’t we have to learn first how to queue and drop the selfishness? There are queues in life and it does not hurt anyone’s dignity to queue and give people in front of them a chance. It is not a matter of ego. It is ignorance, in my opinion.

Can a nation which cannot disembark properly compete with the West or are we simply consumers of Western goods and services?

Unfortunately, we cannot even imitate the West in the good things, such as waiting patiently in line.

This reminded me of a phrase by the famous politician Golda Meir, (a former Prime Minister of Israel) who said that she would be afraid of the Arabs once she sees them queuing in line. That woman knew what she was talking about. Look at us today. We only have to look at our situation starting from the African Horn, through Syria and Libya, Tunisia, Lebanon and see how developed we are. The only possible conclusion for my article is: A nation that cannot disembark properly from an airplane will not reach far.

Local FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

By Nawara Fattahova

G

oing ‘au naturel’ is the new fad in cosmetics and beautifying product lines. In the Arab world, some countries are known for producing cosmetics from natural sources which are chemical-free. Soaps and skin-care products are made using olive oil, especially in Lebanon. Tripoli Soap, one of the Lebanese-produced soaps and other skincare products have an olive oil base apart from about 300 different handmade products geared to treat different types of skin, body, and hair problems. No chemicals, alcohol, or animal fat is used in their production.

“We offer hydrating, disinfecting, and moisturizing soaps.

They treat freckles, oily skin, pigments, and whiten and unify the color of skin all over the body,” explains Nabeel Hasoon, Manager of Tripoli Soap. According to him, Tripoli Soap also offers treatment oils for skin, body and hair in addition to exfoliating and moisturizing face masks. “Some of these masks should be used for a few minutes while others need to be kept on for an hour or more. Many of them are rich with honey to provide moisture,” he said, adding that in general all of their products are made with olive oil apart from other special ingredients.

Irregular Their hard products have irregular shapes. Customers commented that the company’s products have imperfect shapes and each piece is different from the other. “This is not a defect but because they are handmade, they cannot be made in exactly the same shape. This is not a bar of soap made by a machine,” Hasoon said.

He explained that while some factories have five workers operating the machines, his factory has between 40 to 50 workers producing the olive oil-based cosmetics and soaps. Tripoli has as many as 70 to 80 kinds of oil. For example, one of their items is made of essential oils which is used as perfumed oil after a shower. Another hot-seller is their range of treatment oils for body and hair. Apart from the soaps, they produce body lotions, body creams, face creams, body and face scrubs also. “We include the oils in our different products for all purposes,” he said.

Different products are used for different purposes. Hasoon

Nabeel Hasoon, Manager of Tripoli Soap, is pictured with products made of olive oil. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

says that their products are for different skin problems. “We need to understand the problem to prescribe the right product.

In Kuwait, when women cover their faces, we can’t see their skin type to understand what they need and have to rely on just a verbal description,” he said.

Different skin types need different products he explained, stressing that the products Tripoli sells are custom-tailored for individuals. “We advice the customers to use warm water when using the products to ensure their efficiency because pores open up when there’s heat and absorb the oil better,” he elaborated.

Different products have different methods of treatment. For instance, creamy products could melt if they are left near heat and won’t help the skin and may, instead, dry it further, he explained.

According to him, the process of soap-making takes anywhere between 30 minutes and an hour depending on the quantity. He said that heat is used to make some products but not directly as it may affect the soap’s efficacy. “It’s heated between two layers with water in between, and we mix honey and other ingredients with it,” Hasoon said.

Tripoli Soap is has its roots in tradition and was inherited from Lebanese ancestors and later improvised by the new generation. “‘Ghaar’ soap has been known in Lebanon and other Arab countries for more than 100 years and was used on the body and face, and even to wash clothes. We added more oils and improved it to expand the range and now our brand is so well known that we have customers from other countries interested in our products,” he pointed out.

Apart from Tripoli, they have branches in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and in Lebanon. This has been the first visit to Kuwait to participate in the fair in Mishref. The demand has triggered plans to open a branch in Kuwait. “Many people now demand natural products as they have realized its benefits. We give a warranty on all our products, so if a customer is not satisfied, we offer a full refund,” said Hasoon.

They constantly add new products to their range. “Recently we added wild mint and this plant is only available in the mountains of Lebanon. It treats headaches and joint pains effectively,” he said adding that there are other plants only known in Lebanon such as pine nut, cedar wood, sandal rose and so on.

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Local FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

Conscription - Kuwait investment in future

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: Recently some MPs proposed approving conscription law in Kuwait. This draft was proposed about five years ago, but after the political situation in the Middle East witnessed turbulence, this proposal was highlighted again at the parliament session.

The proposal reinstates mandatory military service in Kuwait after Kuwait’s parliament suspended obligatory military service in 2001.

According to this draft, conscription is necessary for Kuwaiti men aged between 18-35 years of age, who will have to undergo military training and serve in one of the army’s units.

University graduates will have to serve

for nine months minimum, while those without a university degree will serve for a year.

This law will exclude students of courses from the army, Ministry of Interior, National Guards, Fire Department, or volunteers at these institutions. Among the ones who will be excluded from enlistment are single children, the oldest sons and brothers of martyrs. Joining service may be delayed for a year if the man is the sole provider at home for his parents or if his mother is divorced or widowed and is dependent on him.

Similarly, a widower with young children can buy time before starting service.

According to the MPs who proposed this law, their aim is to encour-

age Kuwaitis to help meet the requirements of the defense ministry against possible threats, and also to raise strong youth who can shoulder responsibility. 25-year-old Khalid thinks this law draft should be organized in terms of the age category. “A 25- or 26-year-old man is usually working.

He could be a doctor or teacher and this enlistment could hold him back from progressing in his career and may create a vacuum in these professions. Conscription should be enforced upon graduation from high school between June and September and then for another three months during the next vacation as this is the time when students are free,” he told Kuwait Times.

Kuwait troops participate during the military training in these file photos. —Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

“As a businessman, attending such a course will affect my plans and complicate my work. On the other hand, I will join military service, as it’s my duty towards my country. This service helps the applicants develop their character.

Military service should be improvised to suit modern life better,” added Khalid.

The law may also include single Kuwaiti women between 18 and 30 years of age in activities that suit their nature. “I agree with the idea of Kuwaiti women joining mandatory military service as most armies around the world have women soldiers. It’s necessary as we make up the other half of the community and this service is our national duty. I think there will be better communication between women and men if both are a part of the army. If I was single, I would definitely join,” said Fatma, a 27-year-old married Kuwaiti.

Some Kuwaitis have had a bad experience with the previous conscription service. “If the new system and conditions of the mandatory military service are the same as the old one, then I’m 100 percent against it. It was a waste of time and money. I’m a technician, and I had to serve for two years as a guard at one of the gates, although it had nothing to do with what I had studied. It made no sense because even though a technician’s

position was open in the army, they made me guard the gate,” grumbled Faisal, a 35-year-old Kuwaiti.

“The law should organize this service to let people serve or work in their field. For instance, they should not force a pilot to leave his job to work as a guard at any gate, when there is a shortage in the airline company where he works. In the military, there is a need for pilots and he could serve as a pilot instead of just guarding some gate,” he further said.

Nawaf, a 30-year-old citizen, thinks this is the best time to apply this law.

“The current political situation in the region in not stable and we need to be prepared for all eventualities. If something like the Iraqi invasion happened again, we should at least have basic military knowledge. We are a rich country and don‘t have to scrimp and save here and besides, we are surrounded by three big, strong countries, so we really need mandatory military service. If it was applied, I will definitely go but on the condition that they pay me the same salary I’m getting now. I have financial obligations and it’s not logical for me to leave my job now that pays me KD 2,000 to join service at a KD 200 pay. I also think that women should be allowed to enlist as well since they have a lot of free time which they waste in cafes and restaurants,” he opined.

Kuwait forges ahead with port expansion Results show modest pick-up in freight volumes KUWAIT: Government investments in the transport sector are set to expand capacity at Kuwait’s ports over the next several years. Progress is being made on the new Mubarak Al Kabeer (MAK) port, while other infrastructure projects - including a 36-km causeway that will link Shuwaikh Port with Boubyan Island - are moving ahead.

Transport activity has yet to recover from the global economic downturn, but the latest results show a modest pick-up in freight volumes for the first half of 2013. Tonnage throughput at Shuaiba Port, one of Kuwait’s two main ports, is expected to rise by 4% this year, increasing to an annual growth rate of 5.3% by 2017, with air freight tonnage forecast to increase by 1.8% in 2013, leveling out to 1.4% annual growth by 2017, according to consultancy firm Business Monitor International’s “Kuwait Freight Transport Report Q2 2013”.

Meanwhile, land reclamation has been completed and quay construction is ongoing at the MAK project on Boubyan Island. The original plans for the KD345 million port included 60 berths, but following a dispute with Iraq over the port’s development, this was reduced to 24 berths, with an ini-

tial handling capacity of 2.5m twentyfoot equivalent units per year, although there is capacity for this to be increased at a later stage.

Completion of the first phase of development is expected in 2014.

Global multinational technical and management support company AECOM recently announced that it was awarded a contract to design a new deep-water navigation channel at MAK. The project will include channel dredging, the disposal of dredging material and land reclamation, with local consultancy SQC International contracted to provide technical assistance and environmental data collection. The project is expected to take 11 months to complete, with work to commence in August. Infrastructure developments are also expected to benefit Shuwaikh Port, with a new highway and causeway project set to improve connections between the port and oil fields in the northern part of the country. Early this month a subsidiary of China Communication Construction, CCCC Guangzhou Dredging Company, was awarded a $15 million contract to develop a dredging channel as part of the Sabiya causeway. The project will

involve dredging 5m cu metres of material to create a 7.7-km channel, and will likely reach completion in mid-2014.

The government’s efforts to create a transport hub for the northern Gulf are set to support the development of the local logistics industry. The largest player in the Kuwaiti market, Agility Logistics, announced several high-profile contracts earlier in 2013, including a $190m project to provide supplies to a UN mission in Darfur, and a $9.7 mil-

Kuwait port in Shuwaikh.

lion warehousing deal in Egypt.

Agility’s financial results for the second quarter of this year were promising, with net profits rising by 50% year-onyear to KD11.5 million. Revenues increased by 2% to KD355.2 million, with the greatest growth in the real estate division, which leases industrial space. According to Agility’s senior vice-president, Ali Mikail, the company has turned its attentions away from traditional transport operations.

“In Kuwait, contract logistics is

Agility’s most important revenue generator, which primarily serves the private sector. This has demonstrated a year-on-year growth, but remains a low-profit-margin activity, although there are evolving opportunities amongst Kuwait’s government departments for expansion,” Mikail said. The shift to contract logistics, onsite document management systems and warehousing has provided the sector with new revenue streams post-2008 and has taken prominence since 2010, as new firms have entered the market and customers have become more price-conscious.

As Kuwait moves forward with its transport infrastructure investments, logistics firms are likely to benefit, both in terms of supporting development projects and from the resulting uptick in activity that is expected post-completion. “Infrastructure developments and mega-projects are driving growth all sectors, which naturally creates opportunities for logistics companies,” said Fares Barqawi, the CEO of Posta Plus, a Kuwait-based logistics company. “The trick is to be well placed to take advantage of Kuwait’s strategic location between Iraq, Iran and Saudi Arabia.”

—Oxford Business Group

Local FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

Kuwait, Saudi shelve offshore gas project Dorra - a bone of contention between Kuwait and Iran

KUWAIT: Drugs and syringes confiscated in a raid by Ahmadi security forces.

Kuwaiti tears up husband’s airline ticket, gets beaten KUWAIT: A female citizen told officers at Al-Andalus police station that her husband beat her up after she tore up his airline ticket. She said her husband loves travelling to different countries and she suspected him of indulging in “immoral activities”. She was surprised to find an airline ticket to Thailand and was angered because he didn’t inform her of his travel plans. She tore up his ticket and he beat her up to teach her a lesson.

Haris robbed in Salmiya An Egyptian haris told Salmiya police that a thief broke into his room and made away with KD 630 which he had collected as rent for the month. The haris said that the thief entered his room through the exhaust vent while he was washing cars and added that he isn’t accusing anyone.

Arsonist attacks car An Arab accused a bedoon of deliberately torching his car. He told Maidan Hawally police that while he was smoking a cigarette in the balcony, he noticed a person approaching his car and he rushed downstairs fearing him to be a thief. As soon as he reached the parking spot, he noticed his car was ablaze. The owner caught the arsonist and confiscated his original ID before he managed to free himself and escape.

Kuwaiti girl beats mom Mubarak Al-Kabeer prosecutor listed a Kuwaiti girl on the wanted list for beating her mother following a family dispute. The girl’s mother submitted a medical report stating her injuries.

Drunk citizens break furniture Two citizens suspected of being drunk were arrested by Fahaheel police on two charges of beating and damaging property. A source said an Egyptian called the police when two drunk men entered his cafe and began breaking tables and chairs before attacking and beating up a female customer. — Agencies

Kuwait crude exports to China hits 6-month high TOKYO: Kuwait’s crude oil exports to China in July hit a six-month high of 946,000 tons, equivalent to around 224,000 barrels per day (bpd) and up 52.2 percent from the previous month according to the latest government data. The figure was the highest since January, when Kuwait’s crude shipments to the world’s secondbiggest energy consumer reached 1.09 million tons (258,000 bpd), according to the General Administration of Customs. The shipments fell 14.2 percent on the same year.

China’s overall imports of crude oil in July rose 19.6 percent from a year earlier to a record high of 6.18 million bpd. Saudi Arabia remained country’s top supplier, with its shipments growing 16.1 percent to 1.25 million bpd, followed by Angola with 814,000 bpd - down 0.5 percent. Oman became third, with exports from the country surging 97.7 percent to 780,000 bpd.

China will surpass the US as the biggest crude oil importer by 2017 as its economy continues to grow and as Chinese drivers push up demand for fuel, the state-run China Daily reported last week, citing global energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie.

According to the report, from 2005 to 2020, the amount of oil from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) that China will import is expected to rise from 52 percent to 66 percent within that timeframe. Comparatively, for the US, OPEC crude will fall to 33 percent of US total imports, while Canadian crude will account for 60 percent of US imports, it said. — KUNA

KHOBAR: Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have shelved their project to develop the Dorra offshore gas field after disagreeing over how to share the gas back on land, a senior Kuwaiti energy source said. Dorra has long been a bone of contention between Kuwait and Iran, which also lays claim to part of the field. Kuwait agreed with Riyadh in 2000 to jointly develop the field they desperately need to satisfy their growing gas thirst. Thirteen years on, little progress has been made and it has now been shelved indefinitely.

“The entire project is on hold, the budget is on hold, no new drilling is anticipated for the 2013/2014 budget for Dorra,” said the source. The plan had been to share Dorra’s gas at an offshore facility and pump it down separate pipelines to the project partners. Early last year, Saudi Arabia began pressing for all the gas to be piped first to Khafji, a

town on the Saudi side of the border, before piping Kuwait’s share overland.

A route via Saudi Arabia raises security of supply issues for Kuwait. But the original plan to pump its share direct to a Kuwaiti beach near a big gas fired power plant is also stuck because of land disputes between Kuwaiti energy companies. “The issue between Saudi and Kuwait has not yet been sorted out, nor has the landing point issue within Kuwait been resolved,” the senior energy industry source said. Kuwait Oil Co (KOC) has built a large beach club for employees at the landing site and will not give it up until an alternative location is offered.

“We are now back to square one because there is not enough land for the onshore pipeline that will transport the gas from Saudi Arabia to Kuwait... access to all corridors for the pipelines are blocked.” Kuwati oil and gas officials were

either unable to comment, declined to comment or were unavailable for comment. Saudi Aramco could not immediately comment. Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia plans to raise its gas production capacity to 16 billion cubic feet per day (bcf/d) by 2020.

Kuwait, which relies heavily on imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to meet a summer surge in air conditioning demand, hopes to nearly quadruple its gas output to more than 4 bcf/d by 2030, with 0.5 bcf/d expected to come from Dorra.

Both need to boost gas supplies to reduce domestic oil consumption for power generation and boost exports, which Dorra’s estimated trillion cubic feet of gas and 310 million barrels of oil should help achieve. Failure to develop Dorra will likely force Kuwait to buy more costly LNG on the global market. — Reuters

Municipal elections reflect deep rooted democracy KUWAIT: Participation in the Kuwait Municipal Council elections endorses democracy, which is a deep rooted practice in a country that cherishes an atmosphere of freedom, tolerance and enjoys dominance of rule of law.

Establishment of the first Municipal Council in 1930 constituted the first chance for Kuwaiti citizens to experience of such elections, and it was a turning point in the history of the country.

Kuwait, since its independence in 1961, has witnessed 10 municipal elections. The first vote took place following the independence in June 1964. It performed till May 14 of 1966, and Mohammad Yousef Al-Adsani was elected its chairman. In June of 1972, the second elections took place, and members of the elected municipal council lasted till 1976. Bader AL-Sheikh Yousef Bin Essa was elected as the council chairman, and after his resignation, Al-Adsani took over.

The third elections took place in June 1976 and the new council continued served their term till June 1980. AlAdsani was elected as its head. Fourth municipal elections were held in June of 1980. The elected municipal council lasted till December of 1983, and was also headed by Al-Adsani. The fifth elections, in January of 1984, were marked with the highest number of voters in history of Kuwait’s municipal polls reaching 67.6 percent of the electorate.

The council stayed till August 1986.

Dawoud Musa’d Al-Saleh was the chairman.

The sixth election was in October of 1993, and was the first following the liberation war from the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait that began in 1990. Mohammad Ibrahim Al-Shaye’ was elected as its chairman. On 11th of December 1994, an Amiri Decree was issued to dissolve the Municipal Council because of absence of cooperation and coordina-

tion between its members. The Cabinet issued a decision in January of 1995, forming an advisory committee to suggest broad-lines of a new law for regulating work of Kuwait Municipality.

The committee was headed by the then Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Abdulaziz Al-Dekheel. It revised law number 15 - related to the Kuwait Municipality, and accordingly decided to hold the Municipal Council elections again and for the seventh time on June 6, 1995. Abdulrahman Al-Houti was elected uncontested as its chairman.

The eighth elections were in June 9 of 1999. The council served till July of 2003. Ahmad Al-Adsani was the head. In 2003, the committee of municipal affairs was established to hold the responsibilities of the Municipal Council, headed by engineer Abdulrahman Al-Duaij. In 2005, law number 5 was issued. According to it, the ninth and tenth Municipal Councils

performed with a total of 16 members.

In July of the same year, the ninth elections took place after the mentioned law was amended by the Cabinet.

The Cabinet approved appointing two women among six distinguished figures for the first time in the history of Kuwait as members of the Municipal Council, namely undersecretary of Amiri Diwan for engineering affairs, engineer Fatma Al-Sabah and engineer Fawzeya Al-Bahar.

This council witnessed the electing and voting of women. Engineer Jenan Bushehri participated in the elections in the Fifth Constituency. The tenth municipal elections’ took place in June of 2009. The poll witnessed very low turnout of voters, because it coincided with the parliament elections. Only 20.56 percent of the electorate showed up. The voters’ turn-up was the lowest in history of Kuwait’s municipal elections. — KUNA

SACGC organizes trip to South Korea for outstanding students KUWAIT: Sabah Al-Ahmad Center for Giftedness and Creativity (SACGC), founded by Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences, will organize on September 1 a seven-day cultural tourist trip to South Korea for outstanding high school students as an appreciation for their distinctiveness.

Dr Omar Al-Bannai, the General Manager of the SACGC said that the administration has prepared a schedule full of cultural, tourist and educational events for the students, noting that the center is working to strengthen its role in providing the right environment to take care of its talented and creative members. The trip, which comes as part of the center’s activities and programs,

aims at building a culture of creativity and developing skills of the talented young Kuwaitis.

The program includes visits to the headquarters of the presidential residence of the Republic of South Korea, Gallery of Samsung, entertainment city and the Korean Folk Village that represent Korea’s history in addition to visiting the pottery village. It also includes a visit to the Museum of Science, Seoul Tower, some commercial markets, the Pusan National University, some islands and a number of tourist attractions. The center seeks to create a sense of pride in the community. It also devotes special care for the talented students and to provide the necessary support to them. — KUNA

Local FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

GCC security ‘essential’ to Japan DOHA: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe yesterday said Tokyo is keen on security and stability of the region, particularly the Arab Gulf area, stressing that instability would disrupt oil supplies for Japan. Abe told a news conference that Japan was keen on actively contributing to the regional security. He expressed concern over the reported use of chemical weapons in Ghouta, Syria, on August 21 in which killed hundreds of people.

He said dialogue among the international community was the best mean to address violence and bloodshed in Syria which has killed more than 100,000 people and displaced millions. Abe added that Japan is boosting relations and cooperation with Qatar in energy, education, health and cultural domains.

He commended positive outcome of the economic, investment and political cooperation between the two countries. He said that the two countries have agreed to start negotiations over investments. He commended Qatar for its $100 million contribution to rebuild devastating areas destroyed by the March 2011 tsunami in addition to the natural gas and LPG shipments.

He said that Qatar was Japan’s second largest

LPG provider and third largest crude oil supplier.

Abe praised the solid partnership between Qatar and Japan, noting that Doha was keen on making use of Tokyo’s expertise in education, health and agriculture. Meanwhile, Japan and Qatar expressed in a joint statement their desire to further strengthen comprehensive partnership in security.

They underlined the importance of stability of global energy market and welcome Qatar’s commitment to supplying oil and LNG to Japan in a manner that will be beneficial to both countries.

They also welcomed bilateral agreements over cooperation over a host of spheres, and to participate in infrastructure projects with regard to the Qatar National Vision 2030 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup including construction of stadiums, Doha Metro, desalination and waste water treatment projects. The two sides reiterated importance of cooperation in field of tourism, with Qatar welcoming Japan’s decision to simplify visa procedures for application of ordinary passport holders for Japanese visas, and consideration to the waiver of visas for Japanese and Qatari diplomats, official and special passport holders. — KUNA

GCC news agencies to meet in Kuwait DOHA: Director General of the Qatar News Agency (QNA) Ahmed Saad Al-Buainain said yesterday that the meeting of the Gulf News Agencies in Kuwait would promote the process of joint work among the GCC countries in the fields of media. Al-Buainain said that the meeting of the GCC news agencies due to be held in Kuwait on September 1-4 comes at the kind invitation of the Chairman of the Board and Director General of Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) Sheikh Mubarak Duaij Al-Ibrahim Al-Sabah.

This meeting is aimed at strengthening the concerted efforts of the GCC agencies to support and promote the process of joint work among the GCC countries in the fields of media. He expressed confidence that heads of the GCC news agencies would come up with decisions that will help in the development and improvement of the work of these agencies professionally and to support the human potential workforce.

Al-Buainain added that this meeting will also support and enhance the process of cooperation among news agencies and member states of the GCC to serve on local, Gulf, Arab and Islamic issues. The participants will discuss several topics related to ways of developing cooperation and news exchange among the GCC agencies, in addition to other matters and proposals raised at previous meetings for approval.

He pointed out that the conferees will also discuss the final visualization of the Qatari news agency of the unified GCC news agencies’ website and logo, besides the proposed logo for the joint account of the GCC news agencies on the social networking site (Twitter), which has been designed by Kuwait News Agency (KUNA). He expressed confidence in the ability of KUNA Chairman Sheikh Mubarak Duaij Al-Sabah in making the meeting a success. — KUNA

DOHA: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (2nd right) and Qatar’s Minister of Energy and Industry Mohammed Saleh Al-Sada (right) attend the Japan-Qatar business forum in Doha on August 28, 2013. — AFP

special team for emergencies Ministry activates emergency power plan KUWAIT: The Ministry of Electricity is on alert as it prepares to cope with any emergency situation and to ensure continuous water and power services to the citizens and residents in Kuwait. The ministry said in a statement yesterday that the ministry officials held a meeting to activate the emergency plan due to current regional instability.

Also, the Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Sheikh Mohammad AlKhalid held a meeting with the undersecretaries to discuss preparations and readiness of Kuwait security to deal with any emergency situation Meanwhile, the Cabinet, during the special session, examined rapid developments witnessed in the region following increasing news report about an imminent military operation in Syria, against the backdrop of the regime’s ‘crime’ of employing chemical arms in AlGhouta in Damascus suburbs last week. This, they Cabinet members said is a criminal act, prohibited by international laws and conventions - and breached humanitarian principles and norms.”

The Cabinet statement was read out by the Minister of State for

Cabinet Affairs and Minister of Health, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, after the session chaired by HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. The Cabinet warned of the prospects of more chemical attacks in Syria and urged the international community to shoulder its moral responsibility.

In another development, the Speaker of Parliament Marzouq Ali Al-Ghanim said he received a call from Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khalid Al-Hamad Al-Sabah asking for a meeting with the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee over the current political developments in the region and the government’s preparations.

Al-Ghanim said he is waiting for an official request for the meeting to call the committee members along with MPs who wish to attend.

When asked about the contradiction with the parliament’s intention to hold an emergency session he said “I have a request from the government to meet with the foreign committee, but as for the emergency session I did not receive anything so far”. — Agencies

Red Crescent sends aid to flood-ravaged Sudan

KUWAIT: Plane loaded with humanitarian relief aid for flood victims in Sudan.— KUNA

KUWAIT: The third plane, laden with humanitarian relief aid for flood victims in Sudan, left yesterday- carrying about ten tons of cargo, said Chairman of the Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) Barjas Al-Barjas in a press statement. “This is part of KRCS’s efforts to respond to Sudan’s appeal for help to cope with the aftermath of devastating floods that have affected the livelihood of thousands of Sudanese,” said Al-Barjas. He commended the airlift of relief aid to Sudan under the auspices of Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah, who had ordered that planes with relief aid could take off from the Abdullah Al-Mubarak air force base. —KUNA

Mideast crisis, vindicates gold ‘safe haven’ status KUWAIT: The sharp rise of gold prices and traders’ rush to convert their assets into gold bullions over the growing tension in Syria, proved again that the precious metal is the most popular “safe haven” for investors in volatile times, experts said. “The growing fears of a military strike against Syria has made investors to rush and offload their stocks to buy gold as they search for a safe haven to their assets away from the growingly volatile capital markets,” precious metals market expert Mohammad Habib said.

“This is very clear in the behavior of traders in European and American capital markets.” The price of the yellow precious metal reached its 12-week high, hitting $1,422 per ounce. “Even hesitant traders, who saw no need to shift to the gold market believing the political tension would not last for much, are now changing their minds due to the fatality of the capital markets in crisis times,” Habib said.

Habib expects the gold prices upward trend to continue in the coming days. “Reports show that the gold prices upward trajecto-

ry would continue at least for the coming days.” He, however, projected the gold market may undergo a price correction movement after that. “The coming resistance point for gold price will be $1,410 per ounce,” he anticipated.

On his part, financial analyst Adnan Al-Dulaimi stated that there are a number of technical factors behind the gold market boom. “We should not forget that the US Federal Reserve’s quantitative easing operations have played a significant role in the rise of gold prices,” Al-Dulaimi said, noting that the sharp decline of the US dollars against other major currencies such as euro and yen have forced many currency speculators to quit the market and resort to the precious metal to save their assets.

Al-Dulaimi added that the geopolitical factor has also become influential on the gold market. “The sudden hikes were triggered by the rapid political development in the Middle East,” Al-Dulaimi told KUNA. He predicted that the gold price continue climb until at least today because of the possibility of the US-led military

intervention against Syria. “If this is the beginning of the crisis, the price of gold will soar to new highs in the following weeks,” he added. Meanwhile, precious metals expert Rakan Al-Otaibi said that there has been a growing purchase pressure from sovereign funds on the gold market since it reached $1,280 per ounce. “For nearly a month, the trading on the yellow metal is growing rapidly,” Al-Otaibi told KUNA. He signaled the “geopolitical situation” as the most important factor on the market.

Al-Otaibi forecasted that the market will face a strong support point when the price of gold reaches $1,425 per ounce. “If it passed this point, prices could go to the levels of $1,550 and $1,600 per ounce till the end of the year,” Al-Otaibi forecasted.

However, he did not rule out a profit-taking movement that could lead to a slight decrease of the gold price to below the level of $1,380 per ounce. “But, this would be a great opportunity for investors to buy because the upward trend is expected to prevail in light of the regional developments.” — KUNA

FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

Intelligence on weapons no sure thing

11

Egyptian police arrest senior Islamist Beltagi

12

Ghosts of Iraq war force Britain to halt Syria strike

15

USS Stout (DDG 55), a guided-missile destroyer, pulls alongside the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) in preparation for a strike group photo exercise. The US Navy has deployed the USS Stout, the fifth destroyer to be deployed to the eastern Mediterranean, a defense official said yesterday as expectations grow of an imminent strike on Syria. — AFP

Assad defiant amid military buildup Kuwait for ‘deterrent’ action • UN seeks time DAMASCUS/KUWAIT: Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad vowed yesterday to defend his country from attack as the United States and Britain laid out their case for punitive military strikes against Damascus over a suspected poisonous gas attack.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon appealed for the West to give peace a chance, saying his inspectors would report back to him by tomorrow on their probe into the alleged use of internationally banned chemical weapons in the attack that horrified the world. The military buildup continued in the Mediterranean as Western powers appeared poised to launch military action against Assad’s regime although US President Barack Obama said he has yet to make a decision.

Kuwait called yesterday for international “deterrent” action against Syria following an alleged chemical attack near Damascus last week. A government statement urged the international community “to assume its moral responsibility towards the crimes committed in Syria and take practical deterrent measures to prevent” new attacks. The statement comes as the United States and Britain laid out their case for punitive military strikes against Damascus over the alleged August 21 chemical attack.

Veto powers The five permanent UN Security Council members was to meet again yesterday to discuss an alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria last week as Western powers consider possible military action against the Syrian government, UN diplomats said.

The delegations of Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States held an inconclusive meeting on Wednesday on a draft Security Council resolution that would authorize “all necessary force” in response to the alleged gas attack.

And Prime Minister David Cameron of chief ally Britain, facing an uphill battle to win parliamentary support for any intervention, said what was at stake was “one of the most abhorrent uses of chemical weapons in a century”. Cameron admitted there was no 100 percent certainty of who was responsible, but the government insisted military action would be allowed under international law as “humanitarian intervention”. Rights groups say several hundred people including children were killed when poisonous gas was unleashed in areas east of Damascus on August 21. The attack, though not the first in Syria where chemical weapons’ use has been alleged, threatens to draw the West into a brutal 29-month conflict which has escalated in the face of deep divisions in the international community.

A Western bombing blitz had appeared imminent earlier this week, but US allies now appear more reluctant to act before hearing the results of the UN probe. Ban said the UN experts-on a third day of inspections of alleged attack sites near Damascus-would leave Syria by tomorrow and report to him immediately.

He appealed to divided powers to work together to head off military action against Syria, where the UN says over 100,000 have been killed and almost three million made homeless since the uprising against Assad first erupted in March 2011. “Diplomacy should be given a chance ... peace (should) be given a chance,” Ban said. With any

US-led missile strike unlikely to have UN Security Council backing, key Damascus allies Russia and Iran again warned against any Western intervention, saying it could set off a wider regional conflict.

The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin-whose government is Syria’s top arms supplier-and German Chancellor Angela Merkel had agreed that the Security Council must study the weapons report and work on finding a diplomatic settlement. Assad remained defiant in the face of the Western threats. “Syria will defend itself in the face of any aggression,” state television cited him as telling a visiting delegation of Yemeni politicians. He vowed that any attack would result in “victory” for the Syrian people. His regime has denied using chemical weapons and blamed “terrorist” rebels.

Fifth Destroyer Meanwhile, the US Navy has deployed a fifth destroyer to the eastern Mediterranean, a defense official told AFP yesterday, as expectations grow of an imminent strike on Syria. The USS Stout, a guided missile destroyer, is “in the Mediterranean, heading and moving east” to relieve the Mahan, said the official, who said both ships might remain in place for the time being. Other destroyers in the region-the Ramage, the Barry and the Gravely-criss-cross the Mediterranean and could launch their Tomahawk missiles toward Syria if so directed by US President Barack Obama. The defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, did not say how long the Mahan would stay in the area before returning to its home port of Norfolk, Virginia, which it left in December 2012. — Agencies

International FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

Intelligence on weapons no sure thing Questions remain over who controls Syria’s chem arms

A Lebanese shepherd walks with his cattle near the Lebanese Israeli border in the southern village of Kfr Kalla, Lebanon yesterday. There are concerns that US military action in Syria would trigger cross border retaliation by the Lebanese militant Hezbollah against US ally Israel. —AP

Damascenes brace for dreaded Western ‘aggression’ DAMASCUS: As Western powers inch closer to launching military action, Syria is tightening security and juggling its military assets, forcing the people of Damascus to ready for the dreaded inevitable. Faced with the likely prospect of a barrage of air strikes, Rana says she feels “deeply concerned.” She has decided to leave her house in the northern neighborhood of Qudsaya for the relative safety of her parents’ home in Mazraa, in the centre of the Syrian capital.

“Staying at home would be dangerous. Together with my husband, I’ll go to my parents’ place for the time being, until things clear up,” she explains. Rana’s house is situated near Mount Qassioun, which features a number of military bases and artillery positions used to shell rebel-controlled suburbs of the city.

Similarly Ayssar, his wife and their two children have packed their bags and departed for Beirut in neighboring Lebanon where his parents have rented a house. Their apartment is located right next to an air force building in Abu Roummane, another likely target of the expected Western air strikes. Lana, a 30-year-old humanitarian worker, said many of her colleagues have taken leave and “plan to travel to Europe”. The United States and its allies accuse the Syrian army of unleashing chemical weapons last week against two rebel-controlled parts of the capital, and are threatening to launch punitive strikes in response.

In Damascus, a stronghold of the regime, residents and the security forces are mobilising amid increasingly palpable tension. The police are out in force, many streets have been shut off to traffic, and public buildings have been fortified with sandbags.

This morning, Ammar says it took him more than three hours to get to work in Damascus from Qtaife, a 50-kilometre (30-mile) journey that normally takes him two hours.

“The roads were packed with people. Soldiers stepped up their controls and inspected all cars. I feel as though I have come a long way,” he says. The army has been preparing for all eventualities should the West launch missiles against Syria, a security official told AFP yesterday.

“We are working, like all the armies of the world, on worst-case scenarios. We are taking measures to protect the country from a strike and preparing the conditions for an adequate response,” said the official. In hospitals, the security forces have become increasingly visible.

At a large public hospital on the outskirts of the capital, workers noticed the presence of eight security agents in battle fatigues on guard outside the building. With the Western action looming, the army has begun to reposition its assets over the past 48 hours in Damascus, as well as the central cities of Hama and Homs.—AFP

WASHINGTON: The intelligence linking Syrian President Bashar Assad or his inner circle to an alleged chemical weapons attack last week that killed at least 100 people is no sure thing, with questions remaining about who controls some of Syria’s chemical weapons stores and doubts about whether Assad ordered the strike, US intelligence officials say. President Barack Obama declared on Wednesday that the Syrian government was responsible, while laying the groundwork for an expected US military strike.

“We have concluded that the Syrian government in fact carried these out,” Obama said in an interview with PBS. “And if that’s so, then there need to be international consequences.” However, multiple US officials used the phrase “not a slam dunk” to describe the intelligence picture. That was a reference to then-CIA Director George Tenet’s insistence in 2002 that US intelligence showing Iraq had weapons of mass destruction was a “slam dunk.” That intelligence turned out to be wrong.

A slam dunk is a basketball term for a certain goal. A report by the Office of the Director for National Intelligence builds a case that Assad’s forces are most likely responsible for the Aug 21 chemical attack, while outlining gaps in the US intelligence picture. Relevant congressional committees were to be briefed on that evidence, US officials and congressional aides said.

A senior US official who read the report said yesterday that despite its caveats, the report assesses with “high confidence” that the regime was responsible for firing a barrage of rockets Aug 21 that hit suburbs east and west of Damascus, filled with a chemical weapon. The humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders has said the strikes killed 355 people.

The complicated intelligence picture raises questions about the White House’s approach to the attack on a rebel-held Damascus suburb. Administration officials said Wednesday that neither the UN Security Council nor allies’ concerns would affect their plans. Intelligence officials say they could not pinpoint the exact locations of Assad’s supplies of chemical weapons, and Assad could have moved them in recent days. That lack of certainty means a possible series of US cruise missile strikes aimed at crippling Assad’s military infrastructure could hit newly hidden supplies of chemical

weapons, accidentally triggering a deadly chemical attack.

Over the past six months, with shifting front lines in the 21/2-year-old civil war and sketchy intelligence coming out of Syria, US and allied spies have lost track of who controls some of the country’s chemical weapons supplies, according to one senior US intelligence official and three other US officials briefed on the intelligence shared by the White House. All spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the Syrian issue publicly.

US satellites have captured images of Syrian troops moving trucks into weapons storage areas and removing materials, but US analysts have not been able to track what was moved or, in some cases, where it was relocated. In addition, an intercept of Syrian military officials discussing the strike was among low-level staff, with no direct evidence tying the attack back to an Assad

Ideally, the White House seeks intelligence that links the attack directly to Assad or someone in his inner circle to rule out the possibility that a rogue element of the military decided to use chemical weapons without Assad’s authorization.

The US has devoted only a few hundred operatives, between intelligence officers and soldiers, to the Syrian mission, with CIA and Pentagon resources already stretched by the counterterrorism missions in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, as well as the continuing missions in Afghanistan and Pakistan, officials said.

The quest for added intelligence to support the White House’s case for a strike against Assad’s military infrastructure delayed the release of the US intelligence community’s report, which had been expected Tuesday. The CIA, the Pentagon and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment, and the

DAMASCUS: A United Nations (UN) arms expert collects samples as they inspect the site where rockets had fallen in Damascus’ eastern Ghouta suburb during an investigation into a suspected chemical weapons strike near the capital.— AFP insider or even a senior Syrian commander, the officials said. So while Secretary of State John Kerry said Monday that links between the attack and the Assad government are “undeniable,” US intelligence officials are not so certain that the suspected chemical attack was carried out on Assad’s orders, or even completely sure it was carried out by government forces, the officials said.

White House did not respond to requests for comment.

Still, many US lawmakers believe there is reasonable certainty Assad’s government was responsible and are pressing the White House to go ahead with an armed response.

Others, both Democrats and Republicans, have expressed serious concern with the expected military strike. — AP

Thousands of Israelis jostle for gas masks

HAIFA: Israelis queue to collect gas mask kits at a distribution center in the Mediterranean coastal city of Haifa, north of Israel, yesterday.—AFP

JERUSALEM: Israeli police say thousands of Israelis are crowding gas-mask distribution facilities, readying for a potential conflict with Syria. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said officers were deployed to maintain order in the northern city of Haifa, where more than 5,000 people jostled in line as they waited for their protective kits yesterday.

A sports arena there was being used as a distribution center to accommodate the crowds. The rising tension and long lines have led to some chaos. Israel’s postal service, which oversees the distribution, said an angry mob forcibly took gas masks from a distribution center in Jerusalem on Wednesday, leading to the site’s indefinite closure. Israel has also called up reservists and deployed missile defense batteries in preparation for a possible Syrian response to an American attack. —AP

International FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

Egyptian police arrest senior Islamist Beltagi

Islamists vow further protests amid crackdown

In this file picture downloaded from the US Royal Navy website, USS Stout (DDG 55), a guided-missile destroyer, transits in the US 6th Fleet area of responsibility during a routine ballistic missile defense deployment. The US Navy has deployed the USS Stout, the fifth destroyer to be deployed to the eastern Mediterranean, a defense official said yesterday.—AFP

Saudi prince’s swipe at tiny Qatar draws riposte DOHA: A US media report quoting the Saudi intelligence chief as mocking Qatar over its small population has drawn a stinging rebuke from Doha, underlining tensions between the two Gulf Arab states over clashing foreign policies. While both are in the Gulf Cooperation Council political-military bloc, Qatar and Saudi Arabia have strong differences with Doha backing Islamists in Arab Spring revolts elsewhere and Riyadh opposing them as a threat to regional stability.

Qatar had taken an especially robust lead in supporting Arab Spring revolutions in Syria, Egypt and Libya before Saudi Arabia earlier this year imposed itself as the main external backer of Syrian rebels fighting to topple President Bashar Al-Assad. The Wall Street Journal reported that Prince Bandar bin Sultan, a veteran Saudi ambassador to Washington who is coordinating Saudi aid to the rebels, had said at a meeting last summer that Qatar was “nothing more than 300 people ... and a TV channel”, quoting a person familiar with the exchange. The “TV channel” is Dohabased pan-Arab satellite network Al-Jazeera.

Qatari Foreign Minister Khaled Al-Attiya shot back in a Twitter message that became an instant sensation in the tiny Gulf Arab state. “One Qatari citizen is worth an entire people and the Qatari people are equal to an entire nation,” he wrote. “This is what we tell our sons, with all respect to the others,” he added.

The Qatari newspaper Al-Sharq said on Sunday the message was retweeted by more than 600 people in the first few hours, after a “hashtag insulting to Qatar (Qatar 300 people and a (TV) channel” spread on social media.— Reuters

Britain sends six Typhoon jets to Cyprus base LONDON: Britain has sent six RAF Typhoon jets to its Akrotiri base in Cyprus in a move to protect British interests as tensions grow over Syria, the Ministry of Defense said yesterday. The jets will not take part in any direct military action, the ministry said, as the British parliament debates a government motion on a possible response to the chemical attack near Damascus last week.

“This is purely a prudent and precautionary measure to ensure the protection of UK interests and the defence of our Sovereign Base Areas at a time of heightened tension in the wider region,” the ministry said. “They are not deploying to take part in any military action against Syria.” British Forces Cyprus confirmed that the six jets had arrived at the Akrotiri base.

“There are Typhoons on the ground at Akrotiri,” a BFC spokesman told AFP. British Prime Minister David Cameron was yesterday facing an uphill struggle to secure parliament’s approval for military intervention in Syria after the main opposition party said it would vote against the motion. —AFP

CAIRO, Qahirah: Egyptian police arrested senior Muslim Brotherhood politician Mohamed Al-Beltagi and a former Islamist government minister yesterday, the interior ministry said.

The firebrand politician was arrested in a village outside Cairo with former labor minister Khaled Al-Azhari, who served in ousted president Mohammed Morsi’s government, the ministry said. Beltagi, who had issued defiant video recordings in hiding, was the latest Brotherhood leader detained in a wide-ranging crackdown on the Islamist movement. A former member of parliament, he became one of the most vociferous opponents of the popularly backed military coup that toppled the Islamist Morsi on July 3. Police had already arrested the Brotherhood’s supreme guide Mohamed Badie and much of the senior leadership.

Badie and his deputies are standing trial on charges of involvement in the murder of protesters who stormed the Brotherhood’s headquarters on June 30. Prosecutors had issued a warrant for Beltagi on charges of inciting violence. Although respected by many Islamist youths, Beltagi was not seen as possessing much influence in the top ranks of the Brotherhood.

He became one of the movement’s chief spokesmen after Morsi’s ouster, and outraged the former president’s opponents when he said militant attacks on security forces in Sinai would end only with Morsi’s restoration. His daughter, Asmaa, was killed on August 14 in a deadly police operation that broke up two Islamist protest camps in Cairo.

Meanwhile, supporters of Egypt’s deposed Islamist president Mohamed Morsi vowed more rallies and called for marches on Friday despite a harsh police crackdown on their movement. Yesterday’s call for fur-

ther protests, as police continue rounding up Islamists, was immediately followed by an interior ministry warning that live ammunition will be used on protesters who attack public institutions.

“We welcome any calls for calm, but we will continue protesting in a peaceful manner,” Salah Gomaa, a member of the AntiCoup Alliance led by Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood, told a news conference. The Islamist coalition has held almost daily rallies following a deadly police operation on August 14 to disperse their two protest camps in Cairo. More than 1,000 people were killed in the operation and ensuing violence, and police have rounded up more than 2,000 Islamists, according to security sources. The interior ministry said in a state-

ment that it would forcefully confront any “attempt to affect the stability of public security.” “In light of calls by wanted leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood for protests on Friday June 30... the interior ministry affirms its forces’ readiness to confront any violation of the law,” it said.

In a statement, the Anti-Coup Alliance called for the release of prisoners and demanded a probe into the violence over the past month. After arresting much of the movement’s leadership, the police have begun rounding up mid-level operatives around the country. The crackdown on the Islamists has severely impacted their ability to muster supporters on the street. Last Friday, only several thousand people heeded their call for marches in Cairo. —AFP

CAIRO: Essam El-Erian (left), vice chairman of the Freedom And Justice party, and on his right, Muslim Brotherhood member Mohamed El-Beltagy attend the first Egyptian parliament session after the revolution that ousted former President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo yesterday.—AP

Lebanon FM warns over Syria strike BEIRUT: International punitive strikes against Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime without a United Nations mandate will pose a “serious threat” to the security and stability across the Middle East, Lebanon’s foreign minister said yesterday.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Adnan Mansour warned that a Western military strike would escalate tensions in Lebanon and may dramatically increase the number of Syrian refugees. Lebanon is a tiny country that shares a porous border with Syria, and has seen cross-border shelling, sectarian clashes and car bombings in recent months related to the civil war raging next door. There are concerns that US military action in Syria may trigger another wave of refugees fleeing across the border into Lebanon - the country of 4.5 million already is already host to nearly 1 million Syrian refugees - and trigger violence across the country. “A limited or extended military strike by one or more countries against Syria is a serious threat to the security and stability of the region,” said Mansour, who is seen as sympathetic to the Assad regime.

“Any military action against any country, particularly an Arab state, which is not rooted in international legitimacy and the (UN) Security Council, is a direct aggression against this state,” he added. Lebanon is

sharply divided between supporters and opponents of Assad’s regime and is split along sectarian lines. Two powerful car bombings in predominantly Shiite areas controlled by the pro-Assad militant group Hezbollah, followed by deadly car bombings earlier this month in the northern city of

BEIRUT: Lebanese Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Beirut yesterday.—AP

Tripoli, a Sunni stronghold, have fueled sectarian tensions in the country, pushing the country to the brink of war itself.

There are also fears that a US strike against Assad would trigger Hezbollah retaliation against US ally Israel, potentially drawing in the Jewish State into a wider conflict.

He warned that Lebanon, in particular, would be affected. “Such an operation will have negative repercussions on Lebanon’s security and stability, as well as from the social and humanitarian perspective,” he added. Mansour said there can be no alternative to end Syria’s 2 1/2 year civil war other than a political solution, adding that a military strike will “complicate” matters.

“We have the experience of Afghanistan and Iraq,’ he said. “Iraq is still suffering from the chaos and instability and lack of security,” he said. Mansour rejected accusations that the Syrian regime was behind the Aug. 21 purported chemical weapons attack near Damascus, that killed hundreds of people, saying there had to be an investigation before accusations are leveled. “The regime cannot be accused in advance,” he said. He added that blaming Syria quickly before an investigation concludes gives the impression of an intent to frame the Syrian government to provide a cover for a military operation. — AP

International FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

Saudi passes kingdom’s first domestic abuse law DUBAI: Saudi Arabia has passed landmark legislation aimed at protecting women, children and domestic workers against domestic abuse, a human rights official said yesterday, in a move aimed at reducing hidden violence against women in the kingdom. The “Protection from Abuse” law is the first of its kind in the ultra-conservative country, which has often faced international criticism for lacking laws that protect women and domestic workers against abuse.

The law, approved during a cabinet meeting on Aug 26, came several months after a local charity launched a nationwide campaign to combat violence against women.Under the 17-article bill, those found guilty of committing psychological or physical abuse could face prison sentences of up to one year and up to 50,000 riyals ($13,300) in fines. “This is a good law that serves major segments of the society in the kingdom, including women, children, domestic workers and non-domestic work-

ers,” Khaled Al-Fakher, secretary general of the National Society for Human Rights, a government-licensed body, told Reuters.

Previously, domestic violence against women, children or domestic workers was treated under a general penal code based on Islamic sharia law. Judges were left to decide according to their understanding of sharia codes, which were seen as permitting mild application of violence against “disobedient” wives and generally treated domestic violence as a private matter.

“We are always in favor of an explicit law that does not need interpretations or personal judgment,” said Fakher, whose organization helped draft the law.

The United Nations urged the kingdom, a US ally which follows the strict Wahhabi school of Islam, to create laws to protect women as early as 2008. The Supreme Judicial Council in 2007 condemned a 19year-old woman to 200 lashes and six months in jail on a charge of having been with a man she was not related to after she

was attacked and gang-raped. She was pardoned by King Abdullah.

The King Khalid Foundation in April launched an unprecedented campaign to raise awareness about violence against women. The campaign’s main poster, which featured a woman wearing a veil that showed one of her eyes blackened, was widely circulated on the Internet.

Underneath the picture, a caption read: “Some things can’t be covered - fighting women’s abuse together.” Fakher said one reason domestic violence was rampant in Saudi Arabia was because tribal traditions prevented women from reporting abuse for fear of social stigma.

“Women think what the community would say about her if she filed a complaint,” he said. There has also been an increase in reports of cases of domestic abuse in which families mistreat their maids, sometimes resulting in them turning on the children of their employers. Rizana Nafeek, a Sri Lankan maid, was beheaded in

the town of Dawadmy, near the capital Riyadh, in January after she was sentenced to death in 2007. She was accused by her employer of killing his infant daughter while she was bottle-feeding.

The law gives those who report abuse the right to remain anonymous, as well as immunity from litigation should abuse fail to be proven in a court. It also urges witnesses to report abuse without having to disclose their identity, which Fakher said is a significant part of the law.

Rights activist Waleed Abu Al-Khair said the new law gives women some independence. “Women were required to bring in a male relative if they showed up at a police station to file a complaint,” Abu Al-Khair said. This will not now be necessary, he said. The law could be a step towards changing current regulations which require women to get approval of male guardians fathers, husbands or sons - to carry out business, apply for jobs or travel outside the country, Abu Al-Khair said. —Reuters

Coptic Christians restrain anger after church attacks Tensions still running high in Minya

BAGHDAD: Family members of Ali Abd Al-Razzaq, 25, who was killed when a parked car bomb hit a coffee shop in the largely Sunni neighborhood of Azamiyah on Wednesday, grieve during his funeral procession in Azamiyah, Baghdad yesterday.—AP

At least 75 dead in Iraq bloodshed BAGHDAD: The toll from a wave of violence in Iraq, including attacks in the capital, rose yesterday to at least 75 killed and over 200 wounded, officials said. The unrest on Wednesday included more than a dozen bombings in the capital, with the deadliest attacks targeting Shiite Muslim neighbourhoods.

It was the latest in surging violence nationwide that has sparked worries Iraq may be sliding back towards the all-out sectarian war that killed tens of thousands in 2006 and 2007. Overall, 71 people were killed in Baghdad and towns just south of the capital, security and medical officials said yesterday, updating a toll from the previous day. Four others died in attacks in north Iraq.

The bloodshed pushed the death toll

from the month’s violence above 600, according to an AFP tally based on reports from security and medical officials. No group immediately claimed responsibility, but Sunni militants linked to Al-Qaeda frequently carry out such coordinated attacks targeting Shiites, whom they regard as apostates. Iraq has seen a marked rise in the level of violence this year, coinciding with demonstrations by the Sunni Arab minority against alleged ill treatment at the hands of the Shiite-led government and security forces. Though diplomats and analysts have urged broad-reaching moves to tackle Sunni frustrations, which they say give militant groups room to recruit and carry out attacks, Prime Minister Nuri AlMaliki has vowed to press on with an antimilitant campaign. — AFP

MINYA: Coptic Christians in the Upper Egyptian city of Minya are managing to restrain their anger despite a wave of devastating attacks on their churches and institutions by enraged Islamists. Tensions are still running high more than two weeks after the attacks in the city some 250 kilometers (155 miles) south of Cairo but there have been no calls for vengeance, nor any fiery rhetoric. “I say to the Islamists who attacked us that we are not afraid of their violence and their desire to exterminate the Copts,” said Botros Fahim Awad Hanna, the archbishop of Minya.

“If we are not hitting back, it is not because we are afraid, but because we are sensible,” he said. Enraged by a bloody crackdown midAugust on protests in support of ousted president Mohamed Morsi in Cairo, Islamists lashed out at Coptic Christians in Minya, accusing them of backing the military that toppled the head of state. The Copts, who account for some 10 million out of Egypt’s population of 80 million, had already suffered persecution in recent years.

But they say they have never such a systematic campaign as this. “We were expecting a violent reaction but not on this scale, which suggests it was well prepared,” the archbishop said. In the greater Minya province, where Christians account for about one-fifth of the five million population, Christians say they have suffered systematic and coordinated violence since mid-August.

According to Human Rights Watch, more than 40 churches have been attacked in Egypt since August 14, when the security forces launched a bloody crackdown against demonstrations demanding the return of Morsi, who was toppled by the military on July 3. The attacks have been concentrated in Minya and Assiut, in central Egypt, where attackers torched 11 and eight churches respectively, the US-based rights group said.

Islamists accused Egypt’s Copts of throwing their weight behind the military coup that removed from power the Muslim Brotherhood, from which Morsi hails. The perception was fuelled by the fact that Coptic Pope Tawadros II appeared with army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi when he spoke on television to announce Morsi’s removal

from office. At the ruins of Saint Moses’ church in Minya, Bassam Youssef, a Copt, despairs at the sight of the rounded building with its clock tower, now ravaged by fire.

“Some 500 extremists attacked the building and set it on fire,” Youssef recalled. “We did not expect such violence,” he added, showing pictures of the church before its destruction.

“Look at this beautiful mosaic that decorated the interior balcony, there’s nothing left and we will need five to six years to rebuild everything.” The centre of Minya is a tangle of shops bearing a mix of Christian and Muslim names, and home to both churches and mosques, some just dozens metres (yards) from each other. Not far from Saint Moses’ church, Um Saleh watched over what is left of the Coptic school, which was also set alight.

“We heard them calling for jihad (holy war) and we rushed out of the area, terrified,” she recalled.

From one of the windows of the school, it is possible to see the scorched dome of the Prince Theodore church. Several metres away, a Coptic orphanage has also been burned.

“May God forgive you despite what you have done,” reads a slogan daubed on the walls of the orphanage, now empty of its young wards. At the headquarters of the Jesuit Brothers’ development association in the town, Father Biman is working to clear the debris after the attacks.

Fire destroyed the library, a nursery and the offices, but spared the nearby church of Saint Mark, which has stood there for 125 years. “I am very angry,” Biman says, before regaining his composure. “I also have compassion for the attackers, who have been brainwashed”. He points to his T-shirt, which has a slogan on it calling to spread love around the world.

Maria Hanaa, an official at the Jesuit association, sees the attacks as a direct result of the community’s antipathy towards Morsi. “We demonstrated against president Morsi and it is the first time we did it, and we paid the price,” she says. “We marched because we felt that we were going to lose the country.

We thought that they were going to bring justice, but we saw that they were only looking for power”. —AFP

International FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

Ignoring taboos, Syria war wounded treated in Israel No wounded Syrians are turned away: Official

BAMAKO: Rescuers evacuate a victim from a flooded area of Bamako following rain on Wednesday. At least 23 people have been killed in flash floods caused by torrential rain in the Malian capital Bamako, a government official said yesterday.—AFP

C African Republic airport closed by refuge seekers BANGUI, Central African Republic: UN officials say the airport in Central African Republic’s capital has been forced to close as thousands seek refuge from violence. The UN refugee agency said that as of yesterday morning between 5,000 and 6,000 people were at the airport, one of the few places secured by regional peacekeepers. The mass arrival has blocked the runway for air traffic, and the UN said flights were being rerouted to Douala, Cameroon.

The French military had blocked access to the airport by yesterday morning though those already inside remained on the tarmac. The chaotic country descended into further turmoil last March when rebels overthrew the president. Since taking over the country, the rebel leadership has struggled to control its fighters on the ground who are accused of killing and raping civilians.

Thousands of people have fled violence in the Central African Republic in recent days, with as many as 6,000 temporarily taking refuge at the Bangui airport, the United Nations said yesterday.

“Over the past 10 days arbitrary arrests, detention, torture, extortion, armed robberies, physical violence, restriction of movement, lootings and attacks on civilians have displaced thousands of people,” the UN’s refugee agency said in a statement.

The abuses in parts of the capital have been carried out by “armed groups,” Babar Baloch, a UN refugee agency spokesman in Geneva told AFP, adding that a lack of security on the ground in Bangui had prevented his colleagues there from determining which forces specifically were responsible.

The exact number of people fleeing the violence in the capital was also unclear, he said, stressing though that “it’s a big number, in the thousands.” A rebel coalition called Seleka seized power in the highly unstable and deeply poor landlocked nation in March, ousting president Francois Bozize but retaining his opposition prime minister, Nicolas Tiangaye and agreeing to an 18-month political transition.

Last week, an operation carried out by fighters of the newly installed regime to disarm diehard Bozize supporters led to at least 11 deaths in Bangui’s northern Boy-Rabe and Boeing districts, hospital sources said. About 35 people were injured.

Boy-Rabe is considered a stronghold of backers of Bozize, who first came to in a 2003 coup and was twice re-elected before the Seleka uprising forced him to flee last March 24. Seleka leader Michel Djotodia was sworn into office as new president on August 18. Djotodia on Wednesday ordered warlords from the Seleka forces to return to their bases and allow police and paramilitary gendarmes to take over, in a bid to restore order after French President Francois Hollande warned earlier this week that the country was on the road to becoming a failed state.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees said Thursday that most of those affected by the latest round of violence came from the Boy-Rabe and Boeing neighbourhoods, adding that most of them had sought refuge in other parts of the capital. Some 5,000 to 6,000 people, many of them women and children, had taken refuge at Bangui International Airport, and were “blocking the runway for air traffic” and causing all flights to be rerouted to Douala in Cameroon, the UN agency said. — Agencies

SAFED, Israel: The quiet hospital ward in northern Israel is a world away from the ravages of Syria’s civil war but scores of wounded Syrians, ignoring long-standing taboos concerning relations with the Jewish state, are receiving treatment here. Fatima, a Syrian woman who ended up in Ziv hospital with her daughter after a blast shattered their legs in their hometown of Daraa, was full of praise for the medical staff. “They care about us and have shown us a lot of respect,” she said. But mindful that Syria and Israel are technically still at war following their 1967 and 1973 conflicts, she was reluctant to be identified, asking that pseudonyms be used both for herself and for her daughter.

“Please do not show our faces,” she asked AFP photographers. The 41-year-old mother of nine, who lost contact with her family after the blast more than a month ago, is one of 73 Syrians who have been treated for their wounds in Israel since early this year. “I was deafened by the explosion,” Fatima told AFP from her bed in the hospital, which perches on a rocky hilltop in the upper Galilee town of Safed. “I was in a daze, and don’t know how I got here or who brought me. I remember people picking me up and helping me, and the next thing I knew, I was in an Israeli hospital.” Fatima was carrying out routine chores when a mortar shell hit her house, wounding her and her daughter “Zahra”.

Doctors described Fatima’s injury as “severe blast trauma, with loss of tissue and bone from her ankle”, while Zahra suffered fractures to both legs. A 15-year-old Syrian girl in the next bed along, also from Daraa, was less fortunate, losing both her legs from wounds sustained in a blast. Tensions have been run-

ning high in Israel, with the Jewish state fearing the fallout from a possible US strike on Syria in response to alleged chemical weapons use could spill across its northern border. Israelis have been scurrying to replace old or missing gas masks despite experts assessing the chances of an attack by the Syrian regime or its Lebanese proxies Hezbollah on Israel as low.

The neighbours have been in a state of mutual hostility since Israel seized 1,200 square kilometres (460 square miles) of the strategic Golan Heights plateau during the 1967 Six-Day War, which it later annexed in

a move never recognized by the international community.

But despite the rise in tension, Dr Calin Shapira, Ziv’s deputy head, says no wounded Syrians arriving at the facility are turned away. “It doesn’t matter where they’re from,” he said. “We take them in and treat them with compassion. It’s important to give medical aid regardless-this is a principle of the medical profession.”

He added that “most of the wounded coming from Syria are just innocent civilians, and haven’t participated in combat. They include many women and children.” —AFP

SAFED: An Israeli doctor tends to a Syrian man, who was wounded in the ongoing violence in Syria, as he lies on a hospital bed during his treatment at Ziv hospital, which perches on a rocky hilltop in the upper Galilee town of Safed yesterday.—AFP

S African snipers hit M23 targets in DR Congo JOHANNESBURG: UN-deployed South African snipers have killed six M23 rebels in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a military union official said yesterday. “We hit targets on at least six occasions with snipers,” said South African Defense Union national secretary Pikkie Greeff. “We got six kills, to put it coarsely.” “In one case the target was 2.2 kilometres (1.4 miles) away,” he added. “On Saturday a South African sniper took out a machine gun post.”

Defence Force spokesman Brigadier General Xolani Mabanga confirmed South Africa forces had engaged rebels, but could not elaborate on the sniper reports. South African soldiers are part of a UN intervention brigade, which has an unprecedented mandate to battle the armed movements long active in eastern Congo. They are fighting the M23 rebel movement, a predominantly ethnic Tutsi force that deserted from the army last year and has been battling the regular army in the Goma area in sporadic clashes that broke a July truce.

Greeff said that on Wednesday Russianmade Mi-24P helicopters belonging to the Ukrainian Air Force also joined the airstrikes on rebel targets around Goma.

And Mabanga told AFP: “Yesterday components comprising Tanzanian and South African companies provided fire support in forms of artillery bombardment and mortar shells together with gunships and airstrikes.” President Jacob Zuma yesterday confirmed three South African soldiers had been injured in the clashes. “Three of our soldiers have been injured in the conflict

since the weekend, largely from shrapnel wounds. None have been seriously wounded.” Mabanga said the injuries were sustained though bombs and exchanges of fire. “One South African soldier suffered a bullet wound on the limb. Later another South African soldier suffered a wound from shrapnel,” he added. South Africa’s Times newspaper quoted an unnamed sol-

dier as saying the UN-backed assault came after the M23 attacked supply lines between Goma and Rwanda.

“Our snipers were specifically targeting rebel command-and-control posts,” the soldier said. “It appears from information coming from the front that the officers were busy planning attacks on DRC and UN bases,” he added.—AFP

Court charges Nigerians for support of terrorism ABUJA: A Nigerian Federal court charged two Nigerians with providing support for acts of terrorism by an Iranian militant cell. Abdullahi Mustapha Berende, Saheed Oluremi Adewumi and a third suspect were arrested in February when Nigeria’s secret police broke up a group backed by “Iranian handlers” who wanted to gather intelligence about locations frequented by Israelis and Americans. The State Security Service at the time said it had arrested the three before they could launch attacks, and identified Berende as the leader of a local Shiite sect in Ilorin. It said another suspect remained at large.

The court on Wednesday charged Berende with traveling to Iran between September 2011 and December 2012 and providing “terrorist training together with others now at large on the use of firearms, explosives and other related weapons,” among the six counts. It said he had agreed to recruit people, including Adewumi, for an Iranian terrorist group. The charge sheet also said Berende knew about terrorist training in Iran and spying in Lagos and “failed to disclose such information to the law enforcement officials.” The court charged that he also received some $30,000 in cash to fund the group’s planned operations. Adewumi was charged on Wednesday with conspiring to commit terrorist acts and providing technological support, including cameras. In February, the secret police said that the group also conducted surveillance on USAID, the US Peace Corps and other targets. The details of whom they spied on were not in the court papers.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed adjourned the proceeding to Sept 17 after the men pleaded not guilty to the six counts. —AP

International FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

Awkward climb-down for Cameron Ghosts of Iraq war force Britain to halt Syria strike

This image made available by Sky News in London yesterday shows Page 4 of an open letter sent by the Speaker of the People’s Assembly in Damascus, Syria, to the Parliamentarians of the House of Commons in London. Syrian officials yesterday took the unusual step of writing to British legislators denying any role in the attack.—AP

Merkel challenger pledges quick policy changes BERLIN: Chancellor Angela Merkel’s center-left challenger is pledging quick policy changes if elected next month, promising yesterday to introduce swiftly a national minimum wage and raise taxes for top earners as he seeks to reverse a daunting poll deficit.

Recent surveys have given the popular Merkel’s conservative bloc a lead of up to 19 percentage points over Peer Steinbrueck’s Social Democrats and suggested that her current center-right coalition can hope to win re-election on Sept 22. But Steinbrueck insisted that “absolutely nothing is decided,” arguing that many voters are undecided and there are millions of former supporters his party can reach out to. He spoke as he presented his priorities for his first 100 days as chancellor - a list heavy on pledges to narrow the gap between haves and have-nots, designed to tackle perceptions that there’s little difference between Germany’s major parties.

“The direction of the compass is that Germany is economically strong because it can be socially fair,” Steinbrueck told reporters. “Each depends on the other.”

Top of the list is a commitment to introduce a mandatory national minimum wage - which Germany, unlike many other countries, lacks - of 8.50 euros ($11.35) per hour. Steinbrueck also wants to increase the income tax rate on people earning above 100,000 euros per year to 49 from 42 percent, cut electricity taxes and crack down on tax evasion. Merkel opposes tax increases, arguing that they would hurt the economy, and argues against a one-size-fits-all minimum wage - preferring sector-by-sector deals between employers and employees.

Steinbrueck also is pledging to scrap a much-criticized new benefit for parents who choose to stay at home and invest the money in day-care facilities, increase pensions for the low-paid and drop rules forcing many children of immigrants to choose between German citizenship and that of their parents.

While Steinbrueck’s 100-day agenda is largely domestic, it includes a pledge to press ahead with a European banking union - a key step to restoring confidence in Europe’s financial system.—AP

LONDON: Prime Minister David Cameron’s plans for an imminent military strike on Syria were in disarray yesterday after a revolt by lawmakers warning him to heed the “lessons of Iraq”.

After imploring the world not to stand idly by over Syria’s suspected use of chemical weapons, Cameron was forced into an awkward climbdown on Wednesday when the opposition Labor party and lawmakers in his own party said they wanted more evidence before voting for military action.

Yesterday, Cameron’s government published legal advice it had been given which it said showed it was legally entitled to take military action against Syria even if the United Nations Security Council blocked such action.It also published intelligence material on last week’s chemical weapons attack in Syria, saying there was no doubt that such an attack had taken place and that it was “highly likely” that the Syrian government had been behind the apparent poison gas attack that had killed hundreds.

Dogging Cameron’s steps is the memory of events a decade ago, when Britain helped the United States to invade Iraq after asserting - wrongly, as it later turned out - that President Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction.

Britain, already embroiled in Afghanistan, was sucked into a second quagmire and lost 179 troops in eight years of war after Iraq descended into savage sectarian conflict. It was the defining moment of Tony Blair’s 1997-2007 premiership, provoking huge protests, divisions within his Labor Party and accusations that his government misled the public by manufacturing the case for war. “We have got to learn the lessons of Iraq because people remember the mistakes that were made in Iraq and I am not willing to make those mistakes again,” said Labor’s current leader Ed Miliband. It was unclear how Cameron’s failure to master domestic British politics could affect US and French plans for a swift cruise missile strike against Syria, which denies using chemical weapons against its citizens, or what the impact would be on Cameron’s standing in Washington.

President Barack Obama has made the case for a limited military strike on Syria,

but some US lawmakers say they have not been properly consulted. Conservative officials were furious at the delay, accusing Miliband of opportunism. “Ed Miliband is playing politics when he should be thinking about the national interest and global security,” a Conservative source told Reuters. “He keeps changing his position, not out of principle but to achieve political advantage,” the source added, saying Cameron wanted to “do the right thing” in the right way.

The potent legacy of Iraq is reflected not only in party politics, but in public opinion surveys. A YouGov poll published yesterday showed opposition to action hardening, with 51 percent of the British public opposing a missile strike on Syria, and just 22 percent in favor of it.

Opponents say Britain has neither the money nor the evidence to justify further military action in the Middle East.

“We do not have a great track record of intervention, there is no appetite for it in the country or really in the House of Commons,” said Andrew Bridgen, a lawmaker from Cameron’s Conservative party who opposes immediate military action.

Domestically, Cameron’s authority looks dented. Part of his problem is that he governs as part of a two-party coalition because his Conservatives lack an

absolute majority in parliament, exposing him to such impromptu revolts.

When the prime minister recalled parliament on Tuesday and cut short his own summer break to deal with the Syrian crisis, his rhetoric indicated he was confident of securing parliamentary support for a vote on military action. But as parliamentarians returned, the tone suddenly changed late on Wednesday: dozens of lawmakers from his own party questioned the evidence of chemical weapons use and warned Cameron he could face defeat unless he toned down his plans.

After hours of negotiations between Cameron’s political managers and the opposition, his office agreed that the United Nations Security Council should see findings from chemical weapons inspectors before it responded militarily and that parliament should hold two votes on military action.

That means that parliament will vote on Thursday on a government motion cautioning President Bashar Al-Assad and authorizing military action in principle only. It will need to vote again to authorize any direct military action, and Labor has tabled an amendment and said it will vote against the government. Syria wrote letters to British lawmakers urging them to avoid reckless action.— Reuters

LONDON: In this image taken from video, Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron (centre) speaks during a debate on Syria, in Britain’s parliament, London yesterday.— AP

‘Putin in underwear’ artist seeks asylum in France SAINT-PETERSBURG: A Russian artist said yesterday he has fled to France and is applying for asylum after police seized his painting of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in women’s underwear. Police on Tuesday raided an exhibition in the northwestern city of Saint Petersburg, which next week hosts the G20 summit, and confiscated works including a painting of Putin in a strappy nightie and Medvedev in a bra and skimpy knickers. The artist, Konstantin Altunin, 45, said by telephone from Paris that he had requested political asylum and was now gathering the necessary documents. “Yesterday I went to the prefecture in Paris... and made this request. I now need to go through the procedure and bring written confirmation of where I am staying,” he said. Altunin said he flew out

of Russia as soon as he heard that the exhibition had been shut down on Tuesday evening and the organizers had been detained by police and questioned into the night. He said that the police had described the exhibition at the newly opened Museum of the Authorities as extremist and he feared criminal charges.

“They have already said directly that my exhibition is extremist-that’s a very serious charge,” he said. The exhibition also included paintings of Lenin and Stalin.

Altunin said he had expected the authorities would view the works with humor and was shocked by their reaction.”They just said ‘We don’t like it’ and sealed up the doors and that was it.

I don’t think there is such backwardness in any other country.” Altunin said he had created the painting of Putin and

Medvedev when they announced in 2011 a job swap with Putin returning to the Kremlin and Medvedev becoming prime minister. “It is absolutely innocent irony,” he said. Police also confiscated a painting of local lawmaker Vitaly Milonov, known for his backing of a controversial law banning the promotion of homosexuality to minors that Putin signed into law this summer. Altunin said the organizers of the exhibition had commissioned him to paint the portrait, which shows Milonov with the rainbow flag of the gay pride movement.

The director of the Museum of the Authorities, Alexander Donskoi, told AFP that Altunin had not yet been charged with any crime.

“He is not charged with anything, but if the authorities confiscated the paintings, they could do anything.” —AFP

International FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

Congress seeks answers from Obama on Syria Americans wary of another war

BETHEL: Cars travel on the rebuilt Vermont Route 107 in Bethel. In what some consider a bit of an engineering marvel, a three-mile section of Route 107 between Bethel and Stockbridge, a major east-west highway that was destroyed by the storm, was rebuilt and reopened in 119 days, a job that normally would have taken two years.— AP

Stats show Americans not that into driving anymore WASHINGTON: Driving in America has stalled, leading researchers to ask: Is the national love affair with the automobile over? After rising for decades, total vehicle use in the US - the collective miles people drive - peaked in August 2007. It then dropped sharply during the Great Recession and has largely plateaued since, even though the economy is recovering and the population growing. Just this week the Federal Highway Administration reported vehicle miles traveled during the first half of 2013 were down slightly, continuing the trend.

Even more telling, the average miles drivers individually rack up peaked in July 2004 at just over 900 per month, said a study

by Transportation Department economists Don Pickrell and David Pace. By July of last year, that had fallen to 820 miles per month, down about 9 percent. Per capita automobile use is now back at the same levels as in the late 1990s.

Until the mid-1990s, driving levels largely tracked economic growth, according to Pickrell and Pace, who said their conclusions are their own and not the government’s. Since then, the economy has grown more rapidly than auto use. Gross domestic product declined for a while during the recession but reversed course in 2009. Auto use has yet to recover.

Meanwhile, the share of people in their teens, 20s and 30s with driver’s licenses has been dropping significantly, suggesting that getting a driver’s license is no longer the teenage rite of passage it once was. Researchers are divided on the reasons behind the trends. One camp says the changes are almost entirely linked to the economy. In a few years, as the economy continues to recover, driving will probably bounce back, they reason. At the same time, they acknowledge there could be long-term structural changes in the economy that would prevent a return to the levels of driving growth seen in the past; it’s just too soon to know. The other camp acknowledges that economic factors are important but says the decline in driving also reflects fundamental changes in the way Americans view the automobile.

For commuters stuck in traffic, getting into a car no longer correlates with fun. It’s also becoming more of a headache to own a car in central cities and downright difficult to park. “The idea that the car means freedom, I think, is over,” said travel behavior analyst Nancy McGuckin. Gone are the days of the car culture as immortalized in songs like “Hot Rod Lincoln,” “Little Deuce Coupe” and “Pink Cadillac.”

“The car as a fetish of masculinity is probably over for certain age groups,” McGuckin said. “I don’t think young men care as much about the car they drive as they use to.”

That’s partly because cars have morphed into computers on wheels that few people dare tinker with, she said. “You can’t open the hood and get to know it the way you used to,” she said.

Lifestyles are also changing. People are doing more of their shopping online. More people are taking public transit than ever before. And biking and walking to work and for recreation are on the rise. Social networking online may also be substituting for some trips.

A study by University of Michigan transportation researcher Michael Sivak found that the decline in teens and young adults with driver’s licenses in the US was mirrored in other wealthy countries with a high proportion of Internet users. — AP

WASHINGTON: Wary of another war, congressional Republicans and Democrats pressed President Barack Obama to explain why the US military should attack Syria and involve Americans in a deadly civil conflict that has roiled the Mideast.

“What is the intended effect of the potential military strikes?” House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, wrote the president on Wednesday as the drumbeat of war grew louder. Exasperated members of the House and Senate said the president has failed to make a case for US military action against Syria despite the administration’s conclusion that the Syrian government carried out a large-scale chemical weapons attack against civilians last week. An exception was Democratic Sen Robert Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who said yesterday that Obama should take some form of action to send a message to Syrian President Bashar Assad and his regime.

The administration signaled Wednesday that it would act against the Syrian government even without the backing of allies or the United Nations in response to the alleged chemical weapons attack outside the Syrian capital of Damascus on Aug 21.

Some lawmakers insisted that Obama, despite his standing as commander in chief, cannot unilaterally order military action against Syria without congressional authorization. The president said in a PBS interview Wednesday that he had not made a decision about how the United States would respond. Menendez, however, said he favors action by Obama and said the president has several options, including missile attacks against critical elements or strikes on regime troops in Damascus.

“It’s beyond Assad and Syria,” Menendez said on CBS “This Morning.” “It’s really a question of whether or not you send an international message that weapons like chemical weapons cannot be used against innocent civilians.” Menendez, D-N J, said he would like to see Obama come before Congress but that Obama does have authority to act without congressional approval: “... the president has, under the War Powers Act, the ability to go ahead if he believes the national security of the United States is at stake,” Menendez said.

In his letter, Boehner underscored that he has been supportive of administration policy to date as Obama has called for Assad to resign and insisted that the use of deadly

chemical weapons would be a gross violation of international norms. Boehner wrote that in light of the administration’s contention that the Syrian government had used chemical weapons against its people, Obama should provide “a clear, unambiguous explanation of how military action which is a means, not a policy - will secure US objectives.”

The administration was planning a teleconference briefing Thursday on Syria for leaders of the House and Senate and national security committees, U.S. officials and congressional aides said. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, complained in a letter to Obama on Tuesday that informal briefings and conversations with administration officials have focused on the general situation in Syria and included no discussions of steps being considered or a comprehensive strategy. Boehner asked Obama to “personally make the case to the American people and Congress for how potential military action will secure American national security interests, preserve American credibility, deter the future use of chemical weapons, and, critically, be a part of our broader policy and strategy.”—AP

Obama offers new gun control steps WASHINGTON: Striving to take action where Congress would not, the Obama administration announced new steps yesterday on gun control, curbing the import of military surplus weapons and proposing to close a little-known loophole that lets felons and others circumvent background checks by registering guns to corporations.

Four months after a gun control drive collapsed spectacularly in the Senate, President Barack Obama added two more executive actions to a list of 23 steps the White House determined Obama could take on his own to reduce gun violence.

With the political world focused on Mideast tensions and looming fiscal battles, the move signaled Obama’s intent to show he hasn’t lost sight of the cause he took up after 20 first graders and six adults were gunned down last year in an elementary school in Newtown, Conn. One new policy will end a government practice that lets military weapons, sold or donated by the US to allies, be reimported into the US by private entities, where some may end up on the streets. The White House said the US has approved 250,000 of those guns to be reimported since 2005; under the new policy, only museums and a few other entities like the government will be eligible to reimport military-grade firearms.

The Obama administration is also proposing a federal rule to stop those who would be ineligible to pass a background check from skirting the law by registering a gun to a corporation or trust. The new rule would require people associated with those entities, like beneficiaries and trustees, to undergo the same type of fingerprintbased background checks as individuals if they want to register guns.

Vice President Joe Biden, Obama’s point-man on gun control after the Newtown tragedy thrust guns into the national spotlight, was set to unveil the new actions Thursday at the White House.

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama is seen with former Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords before speaking in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington about measures to reduce gun violence. Striving to take action where Congress would not, the Obama administration announced new steps yesterday on gun control.—AP The event in the Roosevelt Room will also mark the ceremonial swearing-in for Todd Jones, whose confirmation to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives after six years of political wrangling to fill that position was another of Obama’s post-Newtown priorities. A Senate deal to approve the president’s pending nominations after Democrats threatened to change Senate rules cleared the way for Jones’ confirmation last month. Still out of reach for Obama were the steps that gun control advocates and the administration’s own review say could most effectively combat gun violence in the US, like an assault weapons ban and fewer exceptions for background checks for individual sales.

Only Congress can act on those fronts.

Although Obama and Biden have said the fight is not over, there is scant evidence

that there is more support for gun control legislation than there was in April, when efforts died in the Senate amid staunch opposition from the National Rifle Association and most Republican senators.

“Sooner or later, we are going to get this right,” Obama said that day in the White House Rose Garden, with the families of Newtown victims and former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords - herself a victim of a gunman - at his side. “The memories of these children demand it, and so do the American people,” the president said at the time.

In the months following the Senate vote, Biden has claimed that at a handful of lawmakers who opposed expanded background checks have told him privately they’ve changed their minds and want another chance. But Biden and White House officials have not named any of those lawmakers.—AP

International FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

Pakistan to retry doctor who helped CIA get Laden Afridi’s 33-year jail term overturned

MUMBAI: Indian Hindu devotees form a human pyramid to break the dahi-handi, curd-pot, suspended in the air during celebrations of Janmashtami, which marks the birth of Hindu God Lord Krishna, in Mumbai yesterday.—AFP

Police seek Indian guru on sexual assault claims JAIPUR: Police have given a popular Indian guru a Friday deadline to answer allegations of sexually assaulting a schoolgirl, claims he angrily denounced saying he was “ready to go to prison”.

Police have summoned Asaram Bapu, one of many Indian self-styled “godmen” who attract large numbers of followers, over allegations he abused a teenage girl whose parents are members of his congregation. The whitebearded guru has so far failed to report to a police station in the western city of Jodhpur.

“I’m ready to go to prison, that is also a kind of heaven for me,” an incensed Asaram told reporters yesterday in the central city of Bhopal, saying the claims against him were a political conspiracy. His office has previously rejected the allegations as baseless. The incident allegedly took place on August 15 in Jodhpur, in Rajasthan state, where Asaram was holding a retreat for followers, including the 16-year-old girl and her parents, police said. Asaram allegedly told the parents he needed to meet their daughter alone after being told of concerns she was possessed by evil spirits, police said.

“The girl along with her parents met Asaram in Jodhpur where the accused took them to a hut on the night of August 15,” deputy police commissioner in Jodhpur, Ajay Lamba, told AFP. “He asked her parents to recite some religious Mantras at the entrance gate and took the girl inside his room where he allegedly exploited the girl,” Lamba said. The girl told her parents two days later about the alleged attack and the family travelled to New Delhi to confront him. The guru refused to meet them, prompting them to go to the police, local reports and an unnamed police official said.

“After initial investigation, we issued notice to Asaram to appear before us for interrogation,” the police official said.“He has to appear before us before August 30. A lookout notice was also issued to prevent him from fleeing the country.” Asaram uses only one name, with Bapu an honorific meaning “father”. Asaram has some 350 ashrams in India and overseas, where he teaches yoga, meditation and a spiritual and peaceful existence, according to his website, which also claims his legions of followers consider him a saint. For many Indians, “godmen” play an integral role in daily life, offering a pathway to enlightenment in return for spiritual devotion and donations to their ashrams, temples and charity projects. — AFP

PESHAWAR: A Pakistani judicial official yesterday overturned the 33-year jail term handed down to a doctor who helped the CIA track Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden and ordered a retrial, a lawyer and an official said.

Shakeel Afridi was arrested after US troops killed the terror leader in May 2011 in the town of Abbottabad, where Afridi had set up a fake vaccination program in the hope of obtaining DNA samples to identify the Al-Qaeda leader.

He was convicted in 2012 for treason over alleged ties to militant group Lashkar-e-Islam and not for working for the CIA, for which the court said it did not have jurisdiction. But angry US lawmakers saw the sentence as retaliation for his role in bin Laden’s capture, and last year threatened to freeze millions of dollars in vital aid to Islamabad.

Then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton denounced Afridi’s treatment as “unjust and unwarranted.”

Afridi was also fined 320,000 rupees ($3,500). He was found guilty under the tribal justice system of Khyber district, part of Pakistan’s semi-autonomous tribal belt. The appeal, filed by Afridi’s brother Jamil through lawyers, said the allegations were “false, concocted and without foundation”. Yesterday Afridi’s lawyer told AFP: “The Commissioner of Peshawar has set aside the decision of the Assistant Political Agent of Khyber agency and ordered the retrial.” A government source who was present during the appeal hearing in the office of

Peshawar’s Commissioner confirmed the account.

“The Commissioner after hearing the appeal by Doctor Shakeel Afridi has ordered the retrial,” the official told AFP on condition of anonymity. Samiullah Afridi, the defense lawyer, said he argued that the Assistant Political Agent was not authorized to pass such a long sentence, no proper trial was held and his client was not given an opportunity to defend himself. Afridi was not present in the court during his trial and could not argue in his own defense, officials said after his conviction. Under the tribal system, he would not have had access to a lawyer.

The appeal also said Afridi had “no association” with Lashkar-e-Islam, according to a copy obtained by AFP. Lashkar-e-Islam, led by warlord Mangal Bagh, is widely feared for kidnappings and extortion in the tribal district of Khyber, where Afridi worked for years.

The appeal, filed on June 1, 2012, said Afridi was kidnapped by Lashkar-eIslam in 2008 and ordered to pay one million rupees ($10,660). The tribal court had said that Afridi paid two million rupees to the faction and helped to provide medical assistance to militant commanders in Khyber. The militants have denied any links to Afridi, saying they fined him for overcharging patients, and have threatened to kill him.

Troubled ties between the United States and Pakistan have not recovered

Pakistani surgeon Shakeel Afridi, who was working for the CIA to help find Osama bin Laden, as he attends a malaria control campaign in Khyber tribal district. —AFP since they sank to all-time lows after the killing of bin Laden by US commandos in a raid on his compound.

Pakistan reacted furiously to what it called a violation of its sovereignty over the attack. It insisted it knew nothing about bin Laden’s whereabouts. —AFP

India arrests ‘most-wanted’ militant NEW DELHI: India announced yesterday the arrest of Yasin Bhatkal, one of the nation’s most-wanted men and the alleged co-founder of militant group the Indian Mujahideen, blamed for killing hundreds in a string of attacks. Bhatkal, who is believed to be in his 30s, was arrested near the porous border with Nepal and is in

This photograph of a combination of handout pictures released by Indian police officials shows Indian Mujahideen operative and alleged mastermind of the July 2011 Mumbai serial blasts, Yasin Bhatkal, at a press conference in Mumbai. — AFP

police custody in the northern state of Bihar, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said. “He is being interrogated,” Shinde told reporters in the capital New Delhi. “I cannot disclose which intelligence agencies were involved.”

The banned Indian Mujahideen came to public attention in November 2007 following serial blasts in Uttar Pradesh state.

It is accused of a number of attacks since including in Mumbai, Bangalore, New Delhi and Pune. The group is thought to head a network of home-grown Islamic militant groups which have links to the powerful Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed organizations. Bhatkal was named as a co-conspirator over an attack on the German Bakery restaurant in the western city of Pune in 2010 when a bomb placed in a rucksack killed 17 people including five foreigners.

Reports say Bhatkal was captured on CCTV footage in the restaurant planting the bomb shortly before the blast. His arrest on Wednesday evening is another success for the Indian security forces following the detention earlier this month of alleged top militant Abdul Karim Tunda, who is thought to be a senior member of the LeT. It is not known if the two arrests are linked, but Tunda, who was also arrested near the Nepal border, has been cooperating with police, according to newspaper reports. Former home secretary R.K. Singh said security forces had been working for years to catch Bhatkal, whom he called “one of the most active terrorists in the region”. “I think we have made great

strides in the past year and a half in arresting a number of their (Indian Mujahideen) operatives,” he told the NDTV news channel. “Catching a trained terrorist is very difficult and therefore I feel it is a great success.” Bhatkal, from the southern state of Karnataka, was arrested in 2008 in the city of Kolkata but was able to flee after being granted bail by officers who were unaware of his identity, the Times of India reported.

Ajit Kumar Singh, a research fellow at the Institute of Conflict Management in New Delhi, said the Bhatkal’s arrest would be a “big catch” but he also urged caution, saying the Indian police had a history of bungled operations. “The intelligence agencies deserve a huge pat on their backs if they have indeed arrested the right man,” he added. The fact that two alleged senior militants have been arrested near the international border with Nepal shows that the Himalayan country was serving as a “safe haven to them”, he said. Nepal police spokesman Nawa Raj Silwal told AFP that Nepalese police were not involved in the arrest of Bhatkal.

The most recent deadly attack believed to have been mounted by the Indian Mujahideen came in February when twin bombs strapped to bicycles exploded in the city of Hyderabad, killing 16 people and wounding more than 100.

It was also linked to bomb attacks on July 7 at Bodh Gaya, a UNESCO world heritage site revered by Buddhists. The blasts were suspected to have been staged in retaliation for violence against Muslims in Buddhist-majority Myanmar.—AFP

International FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

China asks Philippines’ Aquino to call off visit Apparent snub sequel to diplomatic row

TAIPEI: A staff member of the Criminal Investigation Bureau checks screen captures of child pornography websites after a press conference in Taipei yesterday.

Dozens of local suspects will face prosecution for their alleged role in a notorious international child pornography ring, in the island’s biggest ever police crackdown on such crime, police said yesterday. — AFP

Dozens arrested in Taiwan in child porn crackdown TAIPEI: Police in Taiwan arrested 45 suspects in the island’s biggest ever crackdown on child pornography, officials said yesterday. The clampdown last week targeted more than 50 locations as part of efforts to break up an international child pornography ring, in an operation codenamed “Angel Action”, the Criminal Investigation Bureau said.

All the suspects were released after initial interrogation but would face further questioning by prosecutors, Yang Yuan-ming, deputy commissioner of the bureau, told reporters.

Anyone found guilty of distributing child pornography in Taiwan faces up to three years in jail and a fine of up to Tw$5 million ($165,000). The Taiwan chapter of End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography & Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes (ECPAT) hailed the operation as “a big success”.

The crackdown came after ECPAT Taiwan last year tipped off US authorities about two pornographic websites set up in the United States. The websites have carried child pornography since 2007, with each attracting at least one million paid members, Lee Li-feng, secretary-general of ECPAT Taiwan, said.—AFP

Cambodia ruling party slams opposition rally PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen’s ruling party criticized the opposition’s plan to hold a massive protest against last month’s election results, saying Thursday that a disruptive demonstration was not in the country’s interest. In a rare statement, the Cambodian People’s Party stopped short of asking the opposition to cancel its rally planned for Sept. 7, but implied that protesters would be held responsible for any unrest. Official results from the July 28 polls gave Hun Sen’s party 68 seats in the National Assembly against 55 for the opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party. Opposition leader Sam Rainsy says his party would have won 63 seats if the election had been fair. Rainsy has called for next week’s rally unless an independent committee is formed to investigate alleged irregularities in the election. Rallies since the election have drawn thousands of people and raised fears of political violence, especially since the government has responded by deploying troops and armored vehicles in Phnom Penh, the capital.

Hun Sen, Cambodia’s leader for 28 years, has a reputation of dealing harshly with his opponents.

Sam Rainsy said earlier yesterday that he plans to hold training sessions and rehearsals to show supporters how to hold peaceful protests, since the Cambodian people have little experience with opposition rallies. He said he would call in foreign experts to help with the training.

“We are in the learning process,” Sam Rainsy told reporters.

“We are receiving training and advice from people all over the world who want to help ensure that demonstrations in Cambodia will be peaceful. We will conduct rehearsals. We will assemble people and train them in how to resist violence.” He denied allegations by the Interior Ministry, which recently set a letter to all foreign embassies accusing the opposition of trying to topple the government.—AP

MANILA/BEIJING: China has asked Philippine President Benigno Aquino to call off a visit next week for the opening of a trade fair, Manila said yesterday, in an apparent snub, but Beijing insisted it had never invited him in the first place.

Relations between the two countries have been soured by a bitter territorial dispute in the South China Sea. Claims by an increasingly powerful China over most of the sea have set it directly against US allies Vietnam and the Philippines.

Brunei, Taiwan and Malaysia also claim parts of the waters and China has a separate dispute with Japan in the East China Sea. Manila has filed an arbitration case before the UN International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea, questioning Beijing’s claim as China deploys ships on two disputed shoals in the area.

“The president has decided not to proceed to the China-ASEAN Expo taking into consideration China’s request for the president to visit China at a more conducive time,” Philippine Foreign Ministry spokesman Raul Hernandez said in a text message. “On the part of the Philippines, we will continue to abide by our principled position that bilateral relations can advance despite differences.”

China’s Foreign Ministry, in a statement given to Reuters, said Aquino had not been invited. “China never extended an invitation to the Philippine president,” it said, without elaborating. The expo is an annual trade fair joining China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which the Philippines is a

member. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi appeared to take a swipe at the Philippines when he spoke to reporters after a meeting with Southeast Asian foreign ministers in Beijing earlier in the day.

“As for the dispute of the Spratly Islands, they are not an issue between China and ASEAN,” Wang said. “We do not believe that one individual opinion should replace the common position of all ASEAN countries, nor do we think that one individual (opinion) should compro-

mise the overall interests of the two sides by pursuing their own selfish interests.”

Hernandez told reporters China’s request was conveyed to the Philippine government on Wednesday night, hours after Aquino announced his plan to make a 12hour visit to Nanning on Sept 3 for the expo. Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo will represent the president in the Sept 36 event, where the Philippines is this year’s “country of honor”, Hernandez added. — Reuters

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Defense Ministers (from left) Cambodia’s Tea Banh, China’s Chang Wanquan and India’s Jitendra Singh attend a press conference after the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) defense ministers’ meeting in Bandar Seri Begawan yesterday. — AP

Indonesia court rejects Bali death-row Briton’s appeal JAKARTA: A British grandmother sentenced to death for trafficking drugs worth $2.4 million into the resort island of Bali moved a step nearer the firing squad yesterday after Indonesia’s top court rejected her appeal.

Lindsay Sandiford now only has two more chances to avoid execution, a judicial review of the top court’s decision or a presidential pardon. Death row convicts in Indonesia rarely have their sentences reduced.

The 57-year-old was sentenced to death in January after a large stash of cocaine was found in her suitcase as she arrived on a flight from Bangkok in May last year .

Prosecutors had recommended 15 years’ imprisonment. Police said she was at the centre of a drugs-importing ring involving three other Britons. Sandiford said she was forced to transport the drugs to protect her children whose safety was at stake.

At a closed hearing at the Supreme Court in Jakarta yesterday, a three-judge panel rejected Sandiford’s appeal, said the panel’s chief judge Artidjo Alkostar. “Her appeal has been rejected,” he said in a text message after the closed hearing. “The decision is unanimous.”

He said the judges agreed with the decision taken by the Denpasar district court in Bali, which sentenced her to death, and the island’s high court, which rejected her first appeal. Most people sentenced to death for drugs offences fail to have their sentences

reduced on appeal. They face a long wait in jail before being taken to a remote, undisclosed location at night and executed by firing squad. Some have succeeded, such as Scott Rush, a member of the Australian drug smuggling gang known as the “Bali Nine”. His death sentence was reduced to life after a judicial review by the Supreme

Britain’s Lindsay June Sandiford waiting inside a cell room at a court in Denpasar.—AFP

Court in 2011. And last year President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono pardoned two Indonesians convicted of drug smuggling, reducing their death sentences to life in prison.

Britain has previously raised concerns about Sandiford’s treatment in the island’s notorious Kerobokan jail, alleging in papers submitted to Denpasar district court that officials threatened her with a gun and deprived her of sleep.

When they handed down the death sentence, the Bali court rejected arguments she was transporting the 4.79 kilos (10.6 pounds) of cocaine to protect her children. It noted she had not admitted her crime and ruled she had damaged Indonesia’s hardline stance on drugs as well as Bali’s reputation as a tourism destination. Three other Britons arrested in connection with the case received lighter sentences. Julian Ponder was sentenced in January to six years in jail after being found guilty of possessing 23.04 grams (0.8 ounces) of cocaine with a street value of $6,000, found in the bedroom of his luxury Bali villa.

He was arrested after receiving a package from Sandiford in a police sting mounted after she was caught. Rachel Dougall was sentenced to 12 months for failing to report Sandiford’s crime. Paul Beales received four years for possession of 3.6 grams of hashish but was cleared of drug trafficking. —AFP

Business FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

Gulf markets plunge overstates Syria risk Page 20

Euro-zone, IMF press Greece on asset sale Page 22

GAUHATI: An Indian goldsmith makes jewelry in Gauhati yesterday. Gold prices were a tad softer yesterday after racing up to three-month highs on the back of worries over Syria. — AP

India may buy gold from citizens Desperate remedy to tide over crisis • RBI blames govt MUMBAI: India is considering a radical plan to direct commercial banks to buy gold from ordinary citizens and divert it to precious metal refiners in an attempt to curb imports and take some heat off the plunging currency. A pilot project will be launched soon, a source familiar with the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) plan told Reuters, although the idea was met with some skepticism.

India has the world’s third-largest current account deficit, which is approaching nearly $90 billion, driven in a large part by appetite for gold imports in the world’s biggest consumer of the metal. That has played a major role in driving the rupee to a record low. With 31,000 tones of commercially available gold in the country - worth $1.4 trillion at current prices - diverting even a fraction of that to refiners would sate domestic demand for the metal. India imported 860 tons of gold in 2012.

India’s central bank governor blamed the government yesterday for failing to reduce the current account deficit, which has caused the currency to spiral and left the country vulnerable to an economic crisis. Less than a week before he steps down from the five-year post at the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Duvvuri Subbarao said that pointing to factors outside India did not fully explain the rupee’s rapid depreciation. His comments are likely to antagonize the government, which has sought to portray the falling rupee as a conse-

quence of the global economic downturn and pressure on emerging countries. “We will go astray both in the diagnosis and remedy if we do not acknowledge that the root cause of the problem is domestic structural factors,” he said in prepared remarks for a lecture in the financial capital Mumbai.

“At its root, the problem is that we have been running a current account deficit well above the sustainable level for three years in a row, and possibly for a fourth year this year.”

The RBI will ask the banks to buy back jewelry, bars and coins for rupees. Lenders will have to offer better rates than pawn shops and jewelers to lure sellers. “We will start a pilot project among some banks where we will allow them to buy back gold from individual households,” the source, an official familiar with the central bank’s plan, said. “This will start soon, we have discussed (it) with banks.”

The RBI proposal was a talking point in world gold markets, although prices were reacting more to an easing of concerns that a US-led attack on Syria was imminent. Spot gold prices fell by around 1 percent. The source said banks in the pilot project would be given a regulatory directive to purchase the gold. It will initially be limited to those with big gold portfolios. Several Indian banks already offer a gold deposit scheme that pays out interest.

“I don’t think it is going to work. It has to be more structured, like a gold bond,” said Samiran Chakraborty, chief

economist at Standard Chartered Bank.

That’s exactly what India’s Trade Minister Anand Sharma suggested yesterday. He said the central bank should look into the possibility of monetizing gold holdings, and issuing bonds for privately-held gold was one way to do it.

India’s central bank holds 557.7 tons of gold in its own reserves. However, any talk of using the central bank’s gold to help meet India’s international obligations revives memories of a 1991 balance of payments crisis - when India flew 67 tons of gold to Europe as collateral for a loan to avoid a sovereign debt default. “I have not said there should be any mortgaging of the gold, or auction of the gold, that is incorrect. I have just said the RBI should look into ... how they can benefit the people, particularly with regard to the bonds or the monetization,” Sharma said in response to a question in parliament.

Earlier this week in comments reported in the national media, Sharma said that in a country with 31,000 tons of declared gold “even if 500 tons is monetized at today’s value it takes care of your CAD”, or current account deficit.

Selling the country’s gold reserves may sit badly with Indians, many of whom saw the 1991 sale as a public humiliation. The secret operation was only exposed after a vehicle carrying the first consignment of bullion broke down on its way to the airport from the central bank. — Agencies

Business FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

Gulf markets plunge overstates Syria risk Regional stocks suffer biggest drops in years

JAKARTA: An Indonesian clerk handling stacks of Indonesian rupiah notes at a money changer office in Jakarta. Indonesia’s central bank hiked interest rates for the third time in three monthS on August 28, at an unscheduled meeting after a plunge in the rupiah and stocks. — AFP

Indonesia raises interest rate to 7% JAKARTA: Indonesia’s central bank unexpectedly raised its benchmark interest rate by half a percentage point yesterday to 7 percent, hoping to stem a slide in the local currency and keep the country’s current account deficit at a sustainable level. Bank Indonesia spokesman Difi A Johansyah said the rate hike is expected to strengthen control of inflation and mitigate the risk of further rupiah depreciation.

The rupiah has lost nearly 9 percent against the US dollar so far this year and is at its lowest level in four years. Emerging economies including India, Indonesia and Brazil have suffered an exodus of short-term foreign investment capital, often known as “hot money,” as prospects for developed economies including the US and Europe improve. In Asia, Indonesia and India have been the hardest hit because of weaknesses in their economies such as high inflation and current account deficits that reflect high imports of essentials such as oil. Bank Indonesia also signed a currency swap agreement with the Bank of Japan worth $ 12 billion to take effect on Aug 31, under which the two central banks could borrow from each other’s foreign-exchange reserves. The Indonesian central bank said it has sufficient foreign exchange reserves but the swap arrangement will be an additional backstop to cope with global economic uncertainty and swings in financial markets. — AP

DUBAI: Wealthy Gulf Arab economies are probably not as vulnerable to the effects of a widening of the conflict in Syria as steep falls in their stock markets this week suggest.

A potential US-led military attack against Damascus over a chemical weapons attack last week, which Western governments blame on President Bashar Al-Assad’s government, might prompt Syria or its allies - Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militants - to retaliate against US allies in the Gulf. Such fears triggered a 7.0 percent plunge in Dubai’s stock market on Tuesday, its biggest one-day fall since the emirate’s corporate debt crisis of 2009; the market fell a further 1.3 percent on Wednesday.

Saudi Arabia’s share market, the Arab world’s biggest, is down 5.4 percent this week. Its drop on Tuesday was the largest since late 2011. But it is not clear that any expansion of the Syrian conflict would have much impact on the six rich economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), except in the worst-case scenario of a direct Iranian attack on their oil exports.

Gulf states have strengthened their finances and made contingency plans since a dispute over Iran’s nuclear program flared up three years ago. “Our markets have seen a lot of political events and weathered storms like the Arab Spring, Tunisia, Egypt, the power succession in Saudi Arabia - this is not new,” said Amer Khan, fund manager at Shuaa Asset Management in Dubai. So far, none of these events has been as damaging to the Gulf as people feared, Khan noted. This week’s sharp drop in the stock markets has more to do with the Gulf’s economic success than its vulnerability, he and other analysts argue: big rises early this year set the markets up for a burst of heavy profit taking by local investors.

A limited US-led attack on Syria would not necessarily draw Gulf states deeper into the war; Saudi Arabia and Qatar have

been supporting Syrian rebels financially and militarily for many months without suffering major consequences.

GCC states could become targets of militant violence, or cyber attacks similar to the hacking assault last year on Saudi Arabia’s national oil company Saudi Aramco, which damaged some 30,000 computers and was one of the most destructive cyber strikes ever conducted against a single business.

Such retaliation could be uncomfortable for Gulf governments, but it would not necessarily change the region’s economic outlook. The Gulf’s biggest economies are running huge current account and state budget surpluses, which mean they do not need foreign capital and can ramp up government spending if necessary to sustain confidence when domestic investment flags.

The budget surpluses which Saudi Arabia accumulated over the last three years alone, for example, were together almost as large as its total state spending in 2012. In fact, past geopolitical crises in the Middle East have often ended up enriching Gulf economies, by inflating the value of their oil exports. Partly because of this effect, the economies of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates continued growing during most of the Gulf War of 1990-1991 and the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. Societe Generale estimates that oil prices could surge as high as $150 per barrel, from around $115 now, if the Syrian war affects key producers such as Iraq. If oil supplies were curtailed by a military conflict, the market would rely on extra output from Saudi Arabia, the only member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries with enough spare capacity, Societe Generale said.

Parts of the GCC may also be seen as safe havens if the Syrian war escalates, attracting money and people from countries affected more directly, such as Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan and even Syria itself.

The UAE and Qatar have drawn billions

of dollars of capital flight since the Arab Spring uprisings began in 2011. “I expect UAE and Qatar to continue being safe havens when this is over and one thing that benefits is real estate, equity and physical,” Khan said. For these reasons, five-year Saudi Arabian credit default swaps - used to insure against any Saudi sovereign debt default, and therefore an indicator of geopolitical tensions in the GCC - have barely reacted to rising tension over Syria.

They are up just 4 basis points to 72 bps this week, remaining well below levels of above 100 bps recorded in 2012. This year’s peak of 90 bps, hit in June, was in response to a spike in US Treasury yields, not a political event.

Kuwait and Qatar, which for geographic reasons lack major alternatives to exporting their oil and gas through the Strait, could be hardest hit by shipping disruptions. Their populations are small, though, and they are among the richest Gulf states per capita; they have built huge financial reserves abroad that could cushion the impact of any crisis for months or years.

The assets of Kuwait’s sovereign wealth fund are estimated at around $380 billion, more than twice the country’s economic output in a year. Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund assets are believed to be about $115 billion, nearly two-thirds of output. Such considerations mean stock price falls in the Gulf should be seen mainly as natural volatility in bullish markets, rather than signalling a sharp deterioration in the region’s economic outlook because of geopolitics. Dubai’s market is still up 55 percent since the start of this year, buoyed by a recovery of the real estate industry from its 2009-2010 crash.

John Sfakianakis, chief investment strategist at Saudi investment firm MASIC, said there was concern in the region about Iran’s response to a strike against Syria, but the effect had been magnified in the markets by short-term traders.— Reuters

Ethiopian Airlines set to boost Dreamliner fleet ADDIS ABABA: Ethiopian Airlines will increase its fleet of 787 Boeing Dreamliner airplanes despite the difficulties the aircraft had faced this year, the airline’s CEO said yesterday. “We like the airplane, it is our future, we are going to order more and we are going to enjoy the benefits of this airplane,” Tewolde Gebremariam told reporters. Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner has suffered a series of problems since coming into service, including a global grounding of its fleet this year and a fire on board a parked Ethiopian Airlines flight at London’s Heathrow Airport in July.

Tewolde said Ethiopian Airlines had leased three more Dreamliners, boosting its total 787 fleet to 13. It had received five Dreamliners already, and expected to receive the remaining eight by 2015. The airline plans to order more beyond the 13 aircraft in the pipeline. “If Boeing can produce them then we will add more,” Tewolde said. The airline said that profits were affected by the three-month grounding of the fleet in January, and said it will seek compensa-

tion from Boeing for profits lost. “There is a discussion going on for compensation according to the contract of purchase, and that is still going on,” Tewolde said, adding that the terms of the compensation claim are confidential.

The aircraft that caught fire at Heathrow Airport in July remains under investigation by Britain’s Air Accidents Investigations branch.

The cause of the fire, which caused serious smoke damage to the aircraft-called Queen of Sheba-originated in the battery of Emergency Locator Transmitter near the rear of the aircraft.

The Dreamliner, which makes extensive use of lighter, carbon-based composite materials that reduce fuel consumption, came into service in September 2011. The global grounding order came after lithium-ion batteries overheated on two different jets, though the root cause of the malfunction has not been identified. Ethiopian Airlines is Africa’s fastest-growing carrier, and one of the continent’s largest next to Egypt Air and South African airways.—AFP

MANILA: Filipinos try out an electric screwdriver at an exhibition attended by local and foreign manufacturing companies in Pasay, south of Manila yesterday. The Philippine economy expanded 7.5 percent in the second quarter, still one of Asia’s fastest growing, as robust domestic spending insulated it from weak global demand. —AP

Business FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

India rupee rebounds from record low PM to address parliament on economy

BANGKOK: Thai rubber farmers chant slogans while making their way on a road that they have blocked during a protest in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, 580 kilometers (360 miles) south of Bangkok yesterday.—AP

Thailand rubber farmers protest for better prices NAKHON SI THAMMARAT, Thailand: Hundreds of rubber farmers have blockaded a major road and railway leading to Thailand’s south over the past week to pressure the government to shore up declining rubber prices. Traffic has been interrupted since Friday and railway services were partly shut down this week in Cha-uat district in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, 580 kilometers (360 miles) south of Bangkok.

The farmers called for the government to guarantee the price of rubber to help increase their incomes. Rubber prices in Thailand have continually dropped since peaking in 2011 due to weaker demand in a sluggish global economy.

Police Maj Gen Ronnapong Saikaew said yesterday about 1,000 police officers have been deployed to monitor the situation, but a crackdown on demonstrators was not looming.

In negotiations in Bangkok on Wednesday, representatives of the farmers demanded the government fix a price of 120 baht ($3.70) per kilogram for rubber products but the agriculture ministry made an offer of 80 baht ($2.50) per kilogram.

Thailand is the world’s top producer and exporter of natural rubber which is used in products from condoms to car tires. The government already subsidizes rice growers by paying them above-market prices, a scheme that has accumulated losses of at least $4 billion since its inception two years ago and resulted in Thailand losing its spot as world’s No 1 rice exporter.

“If the government agrees to our prices, all of us here will call off the demonstration immediately,” said Somkid Chaikotchadet, a rubber farmer from Nakhon Si Thammarat. “We have come out to protest because we are really in trouble. I want the government to take care of us villagers.” The demonstrators said groups of rubber farmers from other parts of the country will stage separate rallies on Monday.— AP

MUMBAI: The Indian rupee rebounded yesterday from a record low as the central bank’s action to sell dollars to oil companies provided relief for the currency, albeit one seen unlikely to last unless the government acts to shore up a sagging economy. Policymakers scrambled for solutions to what some economists are now describing as a crisis. These included monetizing the country’s stash of gold and lowering fuel consumption to reduce import demand.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told parliament he was likely to make a statement on the economy on Friday when asked by lawmakers what steps were being considered on the rupee.

Singh’s ruling coalition has been under fire to revive an economy growing at its slowest pace in a decade, narrow a record current account deficit, and shore up government finances - a daunting task ahead of general elections due by May. “I cannot deny that the country is faced with a difficult situation,” Singh said in brief remarks to the upper house of parliament yesterday.

“I don’t deny there are some domestic factors. There are also some international factors arising out of change in US monetary stance,” he said, while noting rising tensions in Syria could have negative implications for oil prices. Although India has also been impacted by global trends mainly fears of Federal Reserve reining in its monetary stimulus and the Syria tensions - few investors believe they are the biggest factors impacting a currency down nearly 19 percent this year.

“It’s a serious crisis of confidence and credibility. We could have managed things better,” said Rahul Bhasin, managing director of Baring Private Equity Partners (India).

In the absence of significant government action so far, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the central bank, has become the country’s main line of defense against the currency. The RBI said late on Wednesday it was providing a special win-

dow with immediate effect to sell dollars to Indian Oil Corp Ltd, Hindustan Petroleum Corp, and Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd. The decision is aimed at removing a major source of dollar demand from the spot market - worth $400 million to $500 million daily - and so reduce downward pressure on the Indian currency.

market currencies stabilized as worries eased that US-led forces would launch an immediate military strike against Syria.

Brazil and Indonesia raised interest rates to stem pressure on their currencies, but similar action is seen as unlikely in India for fear it would undermine an already weak economy.

NEW DELHI: An Indian counts dollar bills at a foreign exchange shop in New Delhi yesterday. The Indian rupee rose to 66.85 against the dollar yesterday after a record low of 68.85 per dollar on Wednesday. —AP The rupee rose as high as 66.85 per dollar shortly after the open, up sharply from a record low of 68.85 per dollar on Wednesday when the currency posted its biggest single-day percentage fall since October 1995. Yesterday’s rupee bounce also boosted shares and bonds, underscoring how movements in domestic markets are increasingly being driven by the beleaguered currency.

India’s main NSE share index rose as much as 2.1 percent while benchmark 10year bond yields fell 15 basis points to 8.81 percent. Sentiment was also helped by a recovery in Asian shares while emerging

Pressure on the government to act is rising as an RBI plan unveiled last month to drain cash from markets has pushed up bond yields, raising borrowing costs.

Meanwhile, surging prices for gold and oil could put more pressure on the current account deficit despite government action to curb India’s two biggest imports.

In the latest suggestion to try to narrow the yawning gap, Indian Trade Minister Anand Sharma said the RBI could monetise its gold reserves to reduce import demand of the precious metal and dollar outflows. He emphasized it was for the central bank to decide. —Reuters

German unemployment shows surprise increase FRANKFURT: German unemployment registered a small unexpected rise in August, as government-sponsored job schemes were wound down, but the labor market remains stable overall, official data showed yesterday. With less than a month to go before the German general elections, the Federal Labour Office calculated that the number of people registered as unemployed in Europe’s top economy increased this month.

But analysts believed the figures were nothing for Chancellor Angela Merkel to worry about in her bid for re-election on September 22. According to the labor office data, the jobless total edged up by 7,000 to 2.943 million in seasonally adjusted terms in August. Analysts had been expecting a drop of around 5,000.

Nevertheless, the unemployment rate-

which measures the proportion of people out of work compared with working population as a whole-was unchanged at 6.8 percent this month in seasonallyadjusted terms, the Federal Labor Office said. The slight increase in the jobless total was “mostly due to fewer job relief measures in labor market policy,” the office said.

“Overall, developments on the labor market can be described as stable.” In raw or unadjusted terms, the German jobless total rose by 31,600 to 2.946 million, while the unadjusted jobless rate was also steady at 6.8 percent, the office calculated. Postbank economist Heinrich Bayer said: “We wouldn’t see the data as any great disappointment. Over the past few months, the jobless number has remained more or less steady, as is reflected in the unchanged jobless rate.”

The labor market was “a lagging economic indicator, which is about six months behind the real economic development. If the economic recovery gathers momentum, then the labor market will gain pace again in the coming months,” Bayer said. “Unemployment is rising a bit because government-sponsored employment programs have been terminated as they are no longer required,” said Berenberg Bank economist Christian Schulz.

“With the euro-zone on the right track to recovery, business and consumer confidence rebounding and with the support from the very accommodative monetary policy of the European Central Bank, investment should make a comeback in Germany, leading to more job creation,” the expert said.

Caroline Newhouse at BNP Paribas

also believed that the German labor market “should benefit from the current recovery in the euro-zone.” The unemployment data “should not threaten Chancellor Angela Merkel a month before the general elections,” said Dimitri Alexopoulos at Natixis, who pointed out that at 6.8 percent, the jobless rate was at its lowest level since unification.

Timo Klein at IHS Global Insight similarly believed that “overall, labour market conditions continue to be much healthier in Germany than in most other countries in Europe, and there has been only a modest dampening effect of the euro-zone debt crisis on employment.

“On balance, unemployment should revert to a modest downward trend during the remainder of 2013,” Klein predicted. —AFP

Business FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

US fast-food workers plan strikes over wages NEW YORK: Fast-food workers across the United States are expected to stage their largest strike to date yesterday in an almost year-long campaign to raise wages in the service sector. Employees of McDonald’s Corp, Wendy’s Restaurants LLC, Burger King Worldwide Inc and others have pledged to walk off their jobs in 50 cities from Boston, Mass, to Alameda, Calif., organizers say. They are expected to be joined by retail employees at stores owned

by Macy’s Inc, Sears Holdings Corp and Dollar Tree Inc in some cities. The strike follows a similar protest last November, when some 200 workers walked off their fast-food jobs in New York City.

Groups in Chicago, Kansas City, Detroit and other cities followed their lead in April and July. The workers want to form unions and bargain higher wages with their employers without facing retaliation from franchisees or their parent companies.

They are demanding $15 an hour, up from $7.25, which is the current federal minimum wage.

The median wage for front-line fast-food workers is $8.94 per hour, according to an analysis of government data by the National Employment Law Project, an advocacy group for lower-wage workers. Virtually all private-sector fast-food jobs are non-union, and organizers say retaliation

against workers who try to organize is common.

Martin Rafanan, a community organizer in St. Louis, Missouri, where the minimum wage is $7.35, said local employees of McDonald’s and Wendy’s were inspired by the Occupy Wall Street movement’s discussions about income inequality. But he added that the main reason for their frustration is financial.

“If you’re paying $7.35 an hour and employing someone for 20, 25 hours a week, which is the average here, they’re bringing home about $10,000 a year. You can’t survive on that.” Rafanan said.

“Unless we can figure out how to make highly profitable companies pay a fair wage to their workers, we’re just going to watch them pull all the blood, sweat, tears and money out of our communities.” The National Restaurant Association, the trade group for US restaurants and fast-food chains, said in a statement that the restaurant industry provides 13 million Americans with jobs and that discussions about wages “should be based on facts.” “Only five percent of restaurant employees earn the minimum wage and those that do are predominantly working part-time and half are teenagers,” said Scott DeFife, the organization’s executive vice president of policy and government affairs. —Reuters

ST LOUIS: Demonstrators fill the Hardees on Chestnut in Downtown St Louis. Yesterday, organizers said thousands of workers are set to stage walkouts in at least 50 cities around the US, part of a push to intensify the spotlight on the wages paid by chains such as McDonald’s, Taco Bell and Wendy’s. —AP

Euro-zone, IMF press Greece on asset sale

ECB to double number of women in top positions

Offshore privatization agency first proposed in 2011

FRANKFURT: The European Central Bank, under fire for being largely a men’s club, plans to double the number of women in its top ranks, it announced in a statement yesterday. At the end of last year the ECB was the target of criticism over its gender policy at the time of a board appointment.

The ECB’s “Executive Board has decided to introduce gender targets with the aim of doubling the share of women in management,” it said in a statement. “By end of 2019, 35 percent of middle management positions ... should be held by women,” the statement said.

It listed the functions affected as heads of division, deputy heads of division, heads of section, senior advisers and advisers-and 28 percent of senior management positions-directors general, deputy directors general, directors and principal advisers. The share of women in middle management positions at present was 17 percent, while women held 14 percent of senior management positions, the ECB said. “In order to reach the gender targets, the ECB is implementing a gender diversity action plan,” it said. The statement was issued after similar comments by executive board member Joerg Asmussen in a newspaper interview earlier.

“Decisive for the success of such a transformation is a change in mentality of the ECB’s current leaders,” Asmussen told the daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung. Only two women have ever sat on the ECB’s decision-making governing council. But the body, which currently has 23 members, is completely male at present. It was for that reason, that the European parliament openly opposed the nomination of Luxembourg’s Yves Mersch to the executive board at the end of last year. — AFP

BRUSSELS: Greece’s international lenders will press Athens next month to transfer state-owned real estate to a holding company managed by the euro-zone to spur flagging privatization efforts, officials said yesterday.

The plan, to be put to the Greek government by the troika of lenders - the IMF, the European Central Bank and the European Commission - in September, will propose creating a Greek-owned holding company outside Greece and run by foreign experts. The plan, first suggested two years ago, reflects growing frustration with Greece, which will probably need further aid and has made scant progress in reforming its public sector and selling assets.

Acting as a warehouse for property, it would seek to overcome Greek bureaucracy that has undermined the privatization program, agreed as part of a 240-billion-euro ($320-billion) rescue. It will also ensure that the money raised will help pay off Greece’s debt. “The main point is to maximize the value of state-owned real estate assets in Greece by making them more attractive for investors,” said a spokesman for the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), stressing that the plan had not yet been discussed by euro zone finance ministers. “The benefit of privatization is to generate resources for Greece to help overall development and pay back its own debt faster,” said the spokesman for the

ATHENS: A woman takes part in a rally in central Athens yesterday against the government’s public sector reforms. Greece has pledged to redeploy 12,500 civil servants by the end of September and another 12,500 by the end of the year, in order to receive the next installment of its rescue loans. — AFP

euro zone’s bailout fund.

The idea of transferring assets to a Luxembourg-based holding company was reported by Reuters in 2011, when Finland supported it. Luxembourg attracts multinationals seeking lower corporation tax and is home to other special purpose vehicles. A Greek finance ministry official said the holding company would issue asset-backed bonds to pay down Greek debt.

“It is under discussion to base the holding company in Luxembourg because it would be easier to run it from there. It would be fully controlled by the Greek government,” the official said on condition of anonymity. Under Greece’s bailout agreement, the ESM was supposed to draw up a report on how to raise money from real estate assets currently not included Greece’s privatization plan.

Athens has screened for possible sale 81,000 real estate properties with an estimated value of up to 28 billion euros. Athens will propose by the end of this year a plan to prepare those properties for securitization or direct privatization. But Greek officials have rejected moving control of its state property abroad, saying it would not solve the problems. This time, Greece’s international creditors are eager to try to convince the centreright government of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras as the country’s privatizations struggles.

Athens’ original plan to raise 50 billion euros by 2016 was scaled back to 15 billion euros. Only 5 billion euros have been raised so far and the flagship sale of the country’s gas utility flopped this year when the only bidder pulled out. The credibility of its privatization agency was eroded in August when the government dismissed its chairman for using the private plane of a businessman who had bought a state company. — Reuters

Health FRIDAY, AUSGUST 30, 2013

Scientists grow ‘mini human brains’ from stem cells Cells grown in lab dishes formed cerebral organoids LONDON: Scientists have grown the first mini human brains in a laboratory and say their success could lead to new levels of understanding about the way brains develop and what goes wrong in disorders like schizophrenia and autism. Researchers based in Austria started with human stem cells and created a culture in the lab that allowed them to grow into so-called “cerebral organoids” - or mini brains - that consisted of several distinct brain regions.

It is the first time that scientists have managed to replicate the development of brain tissue in three dimensions. Using the organoids, the scientists were then able to produce a biological model of how a rare brain condition called microcephaly develops suggesting the same technique could in future be used to model disorders like autism or schizophrenia that affect millions of people around the world.

“This study offers the promise of a major new tool for understanding the causes of major developmental disorders of the brain ... as well as testing possible treatments,” said Paul Matthews, a profes-

sor of clinical neuroscience at Imperial College London, who was not involved in the research but was impressed with its results. Zameel Cader, a consultant neurologist at Britain’s John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, described the work as “fascinating and exciting”. He said it extended the possibility of stem cell technologies for understanding brain development and disease mechanisms - and for discovering new drugs.

Although it starts as relatively simple tissue, the human brain swiftly develops into the most complex known natural structure, and scientists are largely in the dark about how that happens. This makes it extremely difficult for researchers to gain an understanding of what might be going wrong in - and therefore how to treat many common disorders of the brain such as depression, schizophrenia and autism.

GROWING STEM CELLS To create their brain tissue, Juergen Knoblich and Madeline

Lancaster at Austria’s Institute of Molecular Biotechnology and fellow researchers at Britain’s Edinburgh University Human Genetics Unit began with human stem cells and grew them with a special combination of nutrients designed to capitalise on the cells’ innate ability to organise into complex organ structures. They grew tissue called neuroectoderm - the layer of cells in the embryo from which all components of the brain and nervous system develop.

Fragments of this tissue were then embedded in a scaffold and put into a spinning bioreactor - a system that circulates oxygen and nutrients to allow them to grow into cerebral organoids.

After a month, the fragments had organized themselves into primitive structures that could be recognized as developing brain regions such as retina, choroid plexus and cerebral cortex, the researchers explained in a telephone briefing. At two months, the organoids reached a maximum size of around 4 millimeters (0.16 inches), they said in a report of their study published in the journal Nature.—Reuters

THEY ARE THE 99!

99 Mystical Noor Stones carry all that is left of the wisdom and knowledge of the lost civilization of Baghdad. But the Noor Stones lie scattered across the globe - now little more than a legend. One man has made it his life’s mission to seek out what was lost.

His name is Dr. Ramzi Razem and he has searched fruitlessly for the Noor Stones all his life. Now, his luck is about to change - the first of the stones have been rediscovered and with them a special type of human who can unlock the gem’s mystical power.

Ramzi brings these gem - bearers together to form a new force for good in the world.

A force known as ... the 99!

THE FASCINATING STORY OF THE 99 After Hadya the Guide substitutes in as the “home team’s” captain, the 99’s first-ever

Visit the99kids.com for free games featuring THE 99!

all-team charity cricket match draws near its end…with the score neck and neck…

THE99FanPage

The 99 ® and all related characters ® and © 2013, Teshkeel Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

www.the99.org

@THE99Comics

THE99Comics

26

Opinion FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

Geopolitical Diary

Syria strike could fuel cyberwar

By Warren Strobel and David Alexander

I

t’s a truism often repeated in the Pentagon and across the US security establishment: In war, the enemy gets a vote. A US-led cruise missile attack on Syria in response to its alleged use of chemical weapons, which seems increasingly likely in the coming days, could provoke reprisals from Damascus and its backers, ranging from retaliatory missile strikes to terrorist attacks and cyberwar, according to government officials and private analysts.

US military commanders are preparing contingency plans for a potential counter-strike by Syria’s military, defense officials said. The officials expressed confidence that the United States and US regional allies such as Israel could deter or neutralize an immediate response from Syrian President Bashar AlAssad.

A European defense official said the purpose of building up large forces near Syria mostly in the form of naval assets - was to deter Assad. “The important thing is to have enough force to control the escalatory response,” said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Even so, “there is no military action without risk, and a punitive strike on Syrian regime forces would carry some. Weapons could hit unintended targets, perhaps killing civilians,” Jeffrey White of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy think tank wrote this week.

“The regime could strike back in unexpected ways against US and allied interests, or it could resort to further (chemical weapons) attacks inside Syria.” Syria and its close regional ally, Iran, both are widely believed to have ballistic missiles capable of reaching Israel and other US allies nearby, such as Turkey and Jordan.

Hezbollah, the Shiite militia backed by Tehran and fighting on Assad’s side in Syria, has tens of thousands of short-range rockets in southern Lebanon, near Israel’s border. Many analysts predict that Syria and its allies will avoid a direct conflict with the United States and opt instead for an “asymmetric response” aimed at Western vulnerabilities - terror or cyber attacks, for example.

Assad also could opt not to respond to a strike, hoping to wait out the US and allied military threat. A US official with experience in the Middle East said that Washington also is concerned that Iran could turn up the heat in Iraq.

So far, resurgent violence by Sunni militants there has not been answered with retaliation from Shiite militias with ties to Tehran.

There are still militias in Iraq “that would respond most likely if the Iranians put pressure on them,” said the official, who is not authorized to comment publicly on the matter. “It’s something that’s of concern, and something that’s on everybody’s minds.”

Short-sighted action The potential for retaliation by Syria or its allies is among the growing concerns in the U.S. Congress and elsewhere about President Barack Obama’s moves toward launching missile strikes against Syria in light of its apparent use of chemical weapons against civilians outside Damascus on Aug. 21.

Some lawmakers and analysts say they worry that Washington could be sucked into Syria’s 2-1/2-year-old civil war - something Obama has long resisted. Others argue that a few volleys of missiles aimed at Syrian military facilities would have little effect, and might even embolden Assad. “It is vital we avoid shortsighted military action that would have little impact on the

long-term trajectory of the conflict. We can’t simply launch a few missiles and hope for the best,” Senator James Inhofe, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said on Wednesday.

How Syria itself will respond will be key,

Brimley, who recently served on Obama’s National Security Council staff. “He probably has the calculation that if the United States becomes decisively engaged that he’s unlikely to survive.” Iran’s military chief of staff, Hassan Firouzabadi, was quoted by a state-run Iranian

Hezbollah, the Shiite militia backed by Tehran and fighting on Assad’s side in Syria, has tens of thousands of short-range rockets in southern Lebanon, near Israel’s border. Many analysts predict that Syria and its allies will avoid a direct conflict with the United States and opt instead for an “asymmetric response” aimed at Western vulnerabilities - terror or cyber attacks, for example. although many analysts expect Assad initially will simply absorb any strikes as long as they do not appear intended to decapitate his government. “I think the calculation will be, ‘Let’s just hunker down, take what we think will be a limited series of strikes and then just live to fight another day,’” said Shawn Brimley of the Center for a New American Security.

“I’d be surprised if Assad tried to respond because that would just further draw the United States into an engagement,” said

news agency on Wednesday as promising that “any attack on Syria would burn down Israel.”

But Iran seems unlikely to directly attack Israel, which almost certainly would deliver a robust military response. And Iran’s newly inaugurated president, Hassan Rouhani, took office promising to improve Tehran’s foreign relations.

Iran could turn to Hezbollah, however, to accomplish its goals. “A Hezbollah attack on Israel is likely, and in fact some are speculating

about yet another Hezbollah-Israeli war in Lebanon,” said Hayat Alvi, a lecturer in Middle East studies at the US Naval War College.

“Iran and Syria can target coalition cyberbased infrastructure and other potential targets,” Alvi added. “They prove to be quite capable in that domain.” A pro-Hezbollah religious leader, Sheikh Afif Nabulsi, warned on Tuesday that a US strike on Syria “would be met by harsh responses against US interests in the region and against Israel directly,” according to Lebanon’s Daily Star newspaper.

Yet Hezbollah’s calculations might be complex too. The group has sent thousands of fighters into Syria to help Assad quash mostly Sunni rebels, stretching its capabilities and sparking apparent attacks against it by Sunnis back in Lebanon.

“Hezbollah may say, ‘Actually, I don’t want to get sucked in further over Assad’s poor decision to use chemical weapons,’” said Matthew Levitt, author of a book on Hezbollah that is due to be released next week. Iran, Syria and Hezbollah “are all inclined to do the asymmetric thing,” Levitt said. Hezbollah’s most likely response, he said, will be to tell operatives already in the field who are planning violent attacks “to speed up.”— Reuters

Two Typhoon aircraft of 29 Squadron based at RAF Coningsby are pictured from underneath as they fly over the Cypriot coastline after taking off from Britain’s Akrotiri military base, in southern Cyprus in the east Mediterranean. Britain has sent six RAF Typhoon jets to its Akrotiri base in a move to protect British interests as tensions grow over Syria, the Ministry of Defense said yesterday. —AFP

FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013 www.kuwaittimes.net

Marina Ripa di Meana arrives for the opening ceremony of the 70th Venice Film Festival and the screening of the movie "Gravity" presented out of competition, on August 28, 2013 at Venice Lido. The Venice film festival kicks off today with the arrival of movie stars on water taxis for a dark line-up flush with fiendish tales of abuse, betrayal and survival. The world's oldest film festival opens with "Gravity", a 3-D sci-fi thriller starring George Clooney and Sandra Bullock as astronauts who are flung into deep space when a debris shower destroys their shuttle.— AFP

Food FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

T

he notion of the do-it-yourself taco bar has many mothers, going back to those cheap feed-the-kids kits that include seasoning mix, taco shells and sauce. But it was the “Roll Your Own” section of the 1997 cookbook “License to Grill” by Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby that won me over to the idea that a taco bar could be creative fun for tailgating or a cocktail party. Schlesinger and Willoughby built their bar around marinated meat and seafood grilled on skewers and served with an abundance of mix-and-match garnishes.

Right now, food trucks are a major taco delivery system - part of a scene that’s as much social as culinary, and revels in cross-cultural experimentation with favors from around the world. Inspired by all that, we’ve taken to making taco fillings and salsas that borrow spicy, sweet and savory ingredients from Mexican, Korean, Indian and Southern cooking traditions. Laying them out buffetstyle with some sides let’s you feed a crowd, while your guests mingle and make a plate.

Set up the bar with the fillings and salsas, baskets of warm corn and flour tortillas wrapped in kitchen towels, and platters of crispy lettuce and cabbage leaves. Include an array of garnishes like lime wedges, pickled onion, sliced jalapeno, scallion and radish, chopped cilantro, sour cream and crumbled Mexican cheese, plus guacamole, chips and several kinds of hot sauce. And let the party begin.

Place on a baking sheet and roast in the oven until soft and lightly browned, approximately 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, saute the garlic and onions with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil until translucent, approximately 3 minutes. Add the tandoori paste and cook for 1 minute.

Whisk in the coconut milk. Then fold in the black beans and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Fold in the roasted sweet potatoes and keep warm until ready to serve.

Per serving: 251 calories (percent of calories from fat, 51), 5 grams protein, 27 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams fiber, 15 grams fat (6 grams saturated), 1 milligram cholesterol, 503 milligrams sodium.

SPICY COCONUT GINGER SALSA 1 jalapeno, stemmed and seeded 1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled 1 cup grated sweetened coconut flakes 1 bunch cilantro, large stems removed In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the jalapeno and ginger until smooth. Add the coconut and cilantro and pulse until roughly chopped and combined.

Per serving: 35 calories (percent of calories from fat, 77), trace protein, 2 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 3 grams fat (2 grams saturated), no cholesterol, 3 milligrams sodium.

SWEET POTATO AND BLACK BEAN TACOS WITH SPICY COCONUT GINGER SALSA Hands on: 10 minutes Total time: 50 minutes Serves: 8 Indian flavors are combined in this vegan-friendly taco. The sweet potatoes and black beans also make a nice side.

4 large sweet potatoes, medium dice 2 tablespoons canola oil 1 teaspoon salt 1 clove garlic, minced 1 Vidalia onion, small dice 4 tablespoons Tandoori paste 1 can unsweetened coconut milk 1 cup cooked black beans or substitute canned Preheat oven to 350.

Toss the diced sweet potatoes in 1 tablespoon of oil and salt.

GEORGIA SHRIMP ADOBO TACOS WITH ROASTED CORN, TOMATO AND VIDALIA ONION SALSA Hands on: 30 minutes Total time: 2 hours, including one hour for marinating the shrimp Serves: 8 Georgia shrimp, sweet corn and Vidalia onions make for a Southern twist to a Baja classic taco.

2 cloves garlic 1\2 cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons oregano, preferably Mexican 3 ounces canned chilies in adobo sauce 1 pound peeled and de-veined Georgia shrimp, cut into 1-inch pieces In the bowl of a food processor, combine garlic, brown sugar, oregano, and the can of chilis and sauce and process until smooth.

In a medium bowl, combine the cut shrimp with the adobo

mixture. Transfer to the refrigerator to marinate for one hour.

Preheat the broiler.

Line a baking sheet with tin foil and spread the shrimp and sauce evenly. Broil for approximately 5 minutes, stirring once until shrimp are opaque and have some charred spots.

Per serving, filling only: 101 calories (percent of calories from fat, 12), 12 grams protein, 7 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 1 gram fat (trace saturated fat), 86 milligrams cholesterol, 87 milligrams sodium.

ROASTED CORN, TOMATO AND ONION SALSA 1 cup corn kernels, either fresh or frozen, Silver Queen preferred 1 Vidalia onion, peeled and roughly chopped 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved 1 tablespoon cumin 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon canola oil Juice of 1 lime 1 cup chopped cilantro salt, to taste for serving Preheat oven to 350.

In a medium bowl, combine corn, onion and cherry tomatoes with cumin salt and canola oil. Transfer to a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes, or until corn is browned.

Transfer to a serving bowl and combine with the lime juice, cilantro and salt to taste.

Per serving: 58 calories (percent of calories from fat, 33), 2 grams protein, 8 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 2 grams fat (trace saturated fat), no cholesterol, 276 milligrams sodium.

KOREAN BBQ BEEF TACOS WITH KIMCHEE SESAME SALSA Hands on: 30 minutes Total time: 45 minutes Serves: 8 This food truck favorite is brightened with a quick Kimchee slaw salsa that can be made even hotter by serving chili flakes on the side.

2 tablespoons sugar 1 scallion, white part only, minced 1 clove garlic, minced 1 cup soy sauce 1 cup sake 2 tablespoons honey 1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, minced scallions, garlic, soy sauce, sake, honey and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through. Add cooked ground beef and keep warm until ready to serve.

Per serving, filling only: 208 calories (percent of calories from fat, 56), 11 grams protein, 10 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 12 grams fat (5 grams saturated), 43 milligrams cholesterol, 1,069 milligrams sodium.

KIMCHEE SESAME SALSA 1 head Napa cabbage, shredded 2 carrots, shredded 1\2 cup sesame oil 1 cup white vinegar 2 tablespoons chili flakes 1 tablespoon salt 2 tablespoons black sesame seeds In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

Per serving: 92 calories (percent of calories from fat, 79), 1 gram protein, 4 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 8 grams fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 825 milligrams sodium. — MCT

Food FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

By Ellise Pierce

T

he other week after dinner, my mom opened her refrigerator door and pulled out a container of blueberry-flavored yogurt instead of her favorite dessert, a miniature Haagen-Dazs ice cream bar. “This is my Noosa!” she exclaimed, then proceeded to eat more than half of the 8-ounce container before putting the rest back for the next day. My 76-year-old mother is crazy for this “Australianstyle” yogurt, which she now buys at her local supermarket. This is a woman who has never eaten much yogurt period - Australian, Greek or otherwise.

Turns out, there’s an international invasion in the yogurt aisle of most mainstream grocery stores. Russian-, Bulgarian-, Icelandic-, Asian-, Australian-, and Greek-style yogurts are popping up next to allAmerican brands like Yoplait and Dannon, all trying to keep up with the growing wave of consumers like my mom, who’ve enthusiastically embraced yogurt as part of their diet.

“In 2003, 18 percent of the US population consumed yogurt at least once in a two-week period,” said Harry Balzer, chief industry analyst for NPD group. “Today that number is 32 percent, up 14 points.

That’s huge.” Curious, I grabbed a grocery cart and went to find out what was going on in the local yogurt world.

I hit the supermarket and found Mom’s Noosa, along with Chobani, Fage and Greek God Greek-style yogurts, Liberte Greek yogurt, and the Muller Greek-style brand, originally made in Germany but now manufactured in the US by Quaker. Muller came in individual size containers and in square ones, too, with caramelized almonds in one and granola in the other, so you can stir these in at the last minute. It’s not all Greek, but a lot of it is.

“It wasn’t until Chobani came along that Greek took hold and became a trend,” says Robert Novotny, specialty foods director at the Central Market Dallas Lovers Lane store. “Greek’s been in fashion the last four to five years, and it’s now towards the end of its life cycle.”

How did this happen? How did the US go from happily buying frothy, whipped Key lime pie-flavored yogurt to the far tangier, less sugary yogurts with hard-to-pronounce names? Most likely, it was boredom. “Americans love novelty,” said Balzer, “but novelty in new versions of what we already know.”

Yogurt’s versatility and portability also makes it desirable to its biggest consumers, women and children. “You can eat it for breakfast, lunch, dessert, and you can get it any way you want,” said Balzer. “It’s one of the easiest foods you can eat - look at the label, there are no cooking instructions.”

That plus the health benefits - yogurt is packed with protein, calcium and often added probiotics, which are good for digestive health made it an easy choice for consumers looking for a change.

Differences in how they’re made But with brands styled after yogurts from Bulgaria to Southeast Asia, how does a customer know what to choose? Here’s a quick primer on what gives yogurts their native accents: All yogurts are made from milk that has been fermented with bacteria cultures. What happens after that is how they differ.

Greek and Icelandic styles are then strained to remove the whey, lactose and natural sugars. This makes them higher in protein and calcium and with fewer carbohydrates.

Kefir is a drinkable yogurt, originally from Eastern Europe.

Asian-style yogurts, like Tarte, are cooked to caramelize the milk’s sugars and have a smooth and creamy texture that’s like a dessert pudding. When active bacteria cultures are added to yogurt, this gives it an additional probiotic benefit, making it great for digestive health.

This kind of yogurt is also easier to digest for those who are lactoseintolerant. As is the newest crop of yogurts, made from sheep’s milk, goat’s milk, soy milk, coconut milk and almond milk. Some are supertangy, whereas others have an almost undetectable tang. Yogurt also can be so thick you can stand your spoon in it, creamy like a pudding, or watery-thin. One is not better than the next. It really depends on what you like and what you’re used to.

I usually buy a store brand of Greek yogurt, which is medium-thick, and add Kefir to this to create a consistency that’s something slightly thicker than a milkshake and less than a pudding. I add my own fruit and honey so I can create a super-chunky, slightly sweet yogurt. I usually also add chia seeds and muesli, so it’s a pretty substantial meal.

Heather Dickie, a local graphic designer, said she tried “at least 10” yogurts before she found her favorite, a blueberry-acai Greek yogurt from Fage, which had just the right taste and texture she was looking for. She eats one every morning for breakfast.

“If it’s too liquidy, I’m not interested. If it’s thick like cottage cheese, I’m not interested. Fage is thick and has body but it isn’t clumpy. Plus, I love blueberries,” she said. I always have full-fat Greek yogurt on hand and buy it in the largest containers available. Besides spooning it into a bowl with fruit, or adding it to smoothies, I use yogurt instead of sour cream and buttermilk for ranch and other dressings, in cakes (in France, yogurt cake is one of the first recipes children learn to make), to make raita, and to marinate chicken or lamb for Indian food.

Turns out I’m in the minority of yogurt buyers. Super-sweet flavors reminiscent of the ‘90s aside, flavored yogurts are still the biggest sellers, with unflavored, plain yogurt at about 10 percent of overall sales nationwide. Most popular are low-fat and zero-fat yogurts. Perhaps to try and tempt more men, there’s a new yogurt called Powerful Yogurt, a protein-amped yogurt in a black plastic container with a bull’s head as its logo and red flames in the background. “Find your inner abs,”

My mom’s right. Noosa Australian-style yogurt is yummy. It’s light, and the flavors don’t taste artificial. The honey-flavored one wasn’t overpowering or too sweet, and I liked it. I loved the passion fruit-flavored yogurt because its taste was unique and the seeds gave it a great crunch. Traderspoint Creamery’s yogurt comes in recyclable or reusable 5-ounce glass jars. I loved the low-fat vanilla. It tasted like a less sweet vanilla pudding, with its yogurty tartness firmly in the background. I’d eat this as a dessert.

Not for everyone, Capretta Goat Yogurt (plain) tastes like a creamy, pourable goat cheese, and would be lovely over a bowl of fresh sliced figs. I preferred this one over some other goat yogurts I tasted for its smooth, almost subtle flavor. I preferred the plain over the strawberry.

The Bulgarian-style yogurt by White Mountain Foods in Austin, Texas, comes in a jar, and it is tart and sour because of the Bulgarian cultures. This yogurt only comes unflavored and isn’t as thick as a

the label reads. I see this and wonder if yogurt is about to jump the shark. Said Balzer, “Anything that grows this fast will peak out.”

Yogurt ‘olympics’ - results of a taste test of international styles I tried two flavors of Asian Tarte yogurt, the original and the green tea and honey, which I liked a lot, despite my preference for unflavored yogurts. The green tea flavor was there, but subtle, and the honey wasn’t too sweet.

Liberte Greek yogurt reminded me of the yogurt that I ate almost daily when I lived in Paris. I liked this one’s velvety texture and light tang. With a bit of vanilla and sugar, this one would make a great frozen yogurt. Siggis is an Icelandic-style yogurt that’s super-thick and creamy - because there’s cream in it. It reminded me of a good-quality sour cream. I’d eat this one on top of a fruit pie.

Greek yogurt. I tasted this and a friend of mine did, too. He loved it. I did not. Which goes to show you: There’s not just one yogurt for everyone. Lucky Layla Farms from Plano, Texas, makes cute 8-ounce drinking yogurts. I tasted the Layla Pure, a medium tangy, no-sugaradded yogurt in blueberry. It had lots of fresh blueberry bits throughout. I’m not a big fan of flavored yogurts (I find many to be too sweet and artificial-tasting), but I’d buy this one by the case. — MCT

Tr a v e l FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

The Navy Pier is the No. 1 tourist attraction in Chicago. It gets 8.6 million visitors a year.

— MCT photos

Stainless steel Cloud Gate dominates Chicago’s shining Millennium Park

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The elliptical Cloud Gate sculpture by London artist Anish Kapoor is affectionately known as The Bean. It is made of stainless steel and is 66 feet long, 33 feet high and 42 feet wide. It dominates Millennium Park.

he Bean is big. The Bean is already one of Chicago’s major landmarks, up there with the Hancock Tower, the Chicago River, the Willis Tower, Navy Pier and, yes, Wrigley Field. In fact, it is Chicago’s No. 2 tourist attraction. It has gotten an estimated 4.5 million visitors a year since it opened in 2004, second only to iconic Navy Pier with 8.6 million. The elliptical Bean, as the stainlesssteel sculpture is known by locals, is the major landmark in the city’s Millennium Park, a $475 million public park that opened in 2004.

It sits where railroad yards and parking lots once stood at the edge of downtown. It has become Chicago’s new front yard. The park has its own greeters, welcome center and gift shop. Officially, the three-story sculpture by London artist Anish Kapoor is known as Cloud Gate. But its kidney-bean shape is why is it is

known simply as The Bean. The public sculpture strikingly reflects and distorts the neighboring skyline and clouds on its gleaming surface.

It cost $23 million and is made from 168 stainless steel plates with no visible seams. It is 66 feet long, 33 feet high and 42 feet wide, weighing 110 tons. It looks like an oversized drop of mercury. Visitors can walk under its 12-foot-high arch and even touch the stainless steel surface. It is whimsical and irresistible. Everyone loves The Bean, on AT&T Plaza, the centerpiece of Millennium Park. The park lies on the south side of the Chicago River, tucked between the downtown area (the Loop) and Lake Michigan.

What Chicago has done with Millennium Park is a major urban renewal effort. From the 1850s to 1997, the land where the park is now was controlled by the Illinois Central Railroad.

Tr a v e l FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

Visionary Chicago leader Daniel Burnham realized that the tract was untouchable in the early 1900s and designed Grant Park around it. By the 1990s, the area was covered with parkland, unsightly tracks and parking lots.

In 1997, Mayor Richard M Dailey unveiled plans for a 16-acre park and outdoor concert venue in the Beaux Arts style of nearby Grant Park. With the involvement of architect Frank Gehry and other partners, the project grew to 24.5 acres. The park also features Crown Fountain. Spanish artist Jaume Plensa created a shallow pool between two 50-foot-high glass-block towers. The black granite reflecting pool fountain and the towers cost $17 million.

The water operates from May to October, cascading down the towers and spouting through nozzles on the front of the towers that show faces of 1,000 Chicagoans.

Concerts are held in the park’s Jay Pritzker Pavilion with its Great Lawn. It has seats in the pavilion for 4,000 and can accommodate 7,000 more on the grass. It features a stainless-steel band shell designed by Gehry. A trellis of curved steel pipes holds the sound system. It is home to the Grant Park Music Festival.

The McDonald’s Cycle Center offers bike rentals at the park’s northeast corner.

Millennium Park has won awards for its accessibility and green design. The park offers greeter tours at 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. daily from May to October. It is a 45-minute free walking tour that looks at the park’s art and architecture. Tours are also offered of the 2.5acre Lurie Garden at the park’s southern end at 11 a.m. Fridays and 10 a.m. Sundays from May to September. It cost $13.2 million to build the garden.

Millennium Park is bordered by Michigan Avenue to the west, Columbus Drive to the east, Randolph Street to the north and Monroe Drive to the south. It is connected via the 925-foot-long BP Pedestrian Bridge and the Nichols Bridgeway to other parts of Grant Park, Lake Michigan, the Lakefront Trail and Navy Pier.

Park hours are 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.

Admission is free. For information, call 312742-1168 or 312-742-2963, or see www.millenniumpark.org. One good way to get an eyeful of Chicago and its skyscrapers is to explore the RiverWalk that runs along the Chicago River. It is 1.3 miles long and growing. You are at the bottom of an urban canyon. The walkway was started in 2001.

You can also cruise the river on boat trips that look at the architecture of the city. It’s impressive even if you don’t care about architectural styles.

Or rent a kayak and paddle the Chicago River. It’s a three-hour tour with Kayak Chicago for $65: 630-336-7245, www.kayakchicago.com. The green river now flows backward from Lake Michigan to the Illinois River, carrying sewage away from the city. Its water quality is far from pristine. It is dyed kelly green on St. Patrick’s Day. Chicago is also known for its world-class museums, shopping, night life, entertainment and more than 6,000 restaurants. It’s an impressive and friendly city with a strong Midwest vibe.

It gets 46 million visitors a year. It is the birthplace of the skyscraper and features public art. It embraces Lake Michigan with its 33 public beaches. Its 550 parks cover 7,500 acres. My personal favorite downtown sight: On the outside of the Chicago Tribune building are bits of rock and artifacts from historical sites around the world. It is unexpected and a little surreal.

You can see pieces of the Taj Mahal, the

Crown Fountain at Millennium Park was designed by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa.

Great Pyramid, the Alamo, Notre Dame de Paris, the Great Wall of China, the Coliseum, Angkor Wat, the Parthenon, Corregidor Island, the Palace of Westminster, Reims Cathedral, Berlin Wall, Mosque of Suleiman the Magnificent and the World Trade Center.

The 150 labeled artifacts are set in the

Lakefront Path that runs 18.5 miles along Lake Michigan. The imposing downtown skyline is never far away. The path goes through city parks and past 31 beaches, playgrounds, picnic areas, statues, marinas, a golf course, ball fields and more. It is the best and most crowded bikeway around Chicago.

One neat way to learn about the city is via Chicago Neighborhood Tours that offer a look at churches and ethnic fare. Chicago is made up of 77 community areas with 120 neighborhoods. You take a guided tour on bus and on foot to neighborhoods like Little Italy, Hyde Park, Historic Bronzeville or Ukrainian Village.

The tours last four hours with a refreshment stop. Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for senior citizens, students and children 8 to 18. Tours depart at 10 am Saturdays yearround from the Chicago Cultural Center at Randolph Street and Michigan Avenue in the Loop. For reservations and more information, call 312-742-1190 or www.chicagoneighborhoodtours.com.

Navy Pier has been a Chicago landmark since 1916. It served as a pilot training base in World War II. The 3,000-foot-long pier reopened in 1995 after a $150 million reconstruction. Today it is an entertainment facility with IMAX theaters, a concert venue, a children’s museum, bars, restaurants and shops.

It can be wall-to-wall people. Among other attractions: Sue is the skeletal Tyrannosaurus rex and the star of the Field Museum of Natural History. The Shedd Aquarium is the best in the Midwest. The Art Institute is stellar.

The Museum of Science and Industry includes a full-sized German submarine in its basement. — MCT

exterior limestone walls of the Gothic-style building at 435 N. Michigan Ave. There’s at least one from all 50 states. The artifacts were reportedly brought back to Chicago as gifts for Col. Robert F. McCormick, the paper’s owner and publisher.

You can walk, run and pedal on the

The Chicago River is one way to see the skyscrapers. You can cruise or paddle. You can walk on its edges on the city’s growing RiverWalk.

HEALTH FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

Thinking of going under the knife?

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back pains or to remove a breast due to cancer. Men can also opt for a breast augmentation procedure known as gynecomastia to reduce and remove ‘male breasts’.

Rhinoplasty: It refers to cosmetic procedures associated with the nose. This is in fact one of the oldest types of cosmetic surgery and still remains one of the most popular.

Liposuction: It is also known as lipoplasty.

This type of cosmetic surgery involves the literal sucking out of extra deposits of fat from various parts of the body.

Most common areas for liposuction are the stomach, thighs, arms, and buttocks. When diet and exercise do not help to shed excess

here are cosmetic surgeries for nearly every body part, and thanks to the latest advancements in technology and surgical procedures, there are new and improved methods every year. Some common types of cosmetic and advanced cosmetic surgery include:

For complaints such as acne scars, crow’s feet and wrinkles, skin treatments such as chemical peels and laser resurfacing can help.

Blepharoplasty: A facelift is usually performed in combination with a blepharoplasty.

This surgery removes fatty deposits and excess skin around the upper and lower eyelids and reduces the signs of aging. In rare cases where droopy eyelids may interfere with normal vision, blepharoplasty may even be covered by insurance.

procedures performed to correct abnormalities in the structure of the body caused by diseases or ailments. There are generally medical ramifications to these types of advanced cosmetic surgeries.

There is no end to the amount of cosmetic surgery procedures a person can have done.

To prevent being carried away with changing your appearance totally, it is important to consult with a board-certified surgeon. Such a person will have the required training and experience to guide you about the cosmetic surgery suited to you. ?

BENEFITS Due to the diverse range of surgeries available, cosmetic surgery has become more popular than ever before. As a result, new surgical techniques and advancements lead to lesser side effects and complications, and a greater number of satisfied customers. Some of the benefits of cosmetic surgery include: An increase in self-esteem and confidence Balanced and proportionate features A slimmer, more sculpted figure Reduction or removal of signs of aging such as crow’s feet, wrinkles and fine lines Smoother and softer skin owing to procedures such as chemical peels and dermabrasion Positive changes to one’s personality However, it must be emphasized that cosmetic surgery like any other type of surgical procedure comes with its own set of risks and complications. While medical advancements have lessened these risks considerably, there is still a small chance that things may go wrong. Choosing a board-certified and experienced surgeon is one way of minimizing the risks of cosmetic procedure. Cutting corners and opting for cheap deals for your surgery should not even be an alternative. Always check your doctor’s credentials and ask for references from past patients. Be in the know and do your research before you opt for any type of procedure. Make sure that you are in good health before your cosmetic surgery, so that you minimize any health risks and complications. ?

People choose rhinoplasty to change the appearance of their nose and complement other facial features or to treat ailments such as chronic difficulty in breathing. Problems such as a large nose, a bump on the nose, a wide nose or broad nostrils can be altered to suit one’s liking with a rhinoplasty.

Breast augmentation: Breast augmentation is done to improve a woman’s looks, by either increasing or reducing the size and shape of her breasts. Women seek to increase the size of their breasts in order to heighten their sex appeal and thereby gain more confidence. Breast reduction surgery is also done in order to reduce the breast size and remedy

fat and obtain leaner bodies, people opt for liposuction.

Tummy tuck: A tummy tuck or abdominoplasty can be performed in conjunction with a liposuction or on its own. One may opt for a tummy tuck to reduce a protruding tummy and remove stretch marks post childbirth.

Face lift: Refers to a number of cosmetic surgery procedures used to improve the quality of a person’s facial features or reduce the effects of aging. A facelift will make firm and tighten the skin and reduce problems such as saggy jowls and double chin. What a facelift does not do, is change the texture of the skin.

Wrinkle removal: Cosmetic surgery uses a number of different procedures to remove wrinkles and lessen the effects of aging. Fat implants and botox injections are the most popular treatments for wrinkle removal today.

Pectoral implants: This type of cosmetic surgery is gaining popularity among the modern-day men. This surgery saves men from going through the rigor of heavy workouts, and instantly gives them that buffed, muscled chest.

Advanced cosmetic surgery: It also refers to reconstructive plastic surgery. These are

RISKS During your initial consultations with the doctor, you should be apprised of the following risks of cosmetic surgery: Infection Blood clots Risks of anesthesia such as shock, allergic reactions, cardiac arrest, respiratory failure, and death Excessive bleeding Internal bleeding Tissue damage and tissue death Pneumonia Numbness or lack of sensation Delayed healing process and recovery Paralysis Nerve damage Damage to internal organs Permanent scarring Dissatisfaction with surgery results Need for second surgery Depending on a person’s expectations of the surgery there are also risks in terms of emotional and mental health. Surgery will not change your life, and if this is your vision, then you are sure to feel disappointed and dejected. Counseling both before and after your surgery can help you deal with any kind of drastic post surgery change.

— www.home-remedies-for-you.com

Lifestyle FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

New Piaf biography debunks myths A

new biography of Edith Piaf debunks several myths about the doyenne of post-war French music, including claims she was born on the streets, suffered from blindness and helped prisoners during World War II. “Piaf, a French Myth”, which hits the

bookstands this week, draws on scores of unpublished letters written by Piaf to her confidant, poet Jacques Bourgeat, among other personal papers and correspondence. Author Robert Belleret said painstaking research had shown that several falsehoods about the “little sparrow” were perpetuated by her and her entourage.

The aim was to “feed the myth” of Piaf, said Belleret, a former journalist at France’s Le Monde newspaper who has

moved house in 1942 to an area close to the Gestapo headquarters in Germanoccupied Paris. The singer, who died nearly 50 years ago, was a prolific songwriter who wrote the lyrics to some of France’s best-known songs, including “La Vie En Rose” and “Je Ne Regrette Rien”.

But Belleret says her letters were poorly written, with spelling and grammatical mistakes. A 2007 French biographical film about her life, directed by Olivier Dahan and titled “La Vie En Rose”, earned

Edith Piaf

Picture dated 30 December 1960 of French singer Edith Piaf with songwriter Charles Dumont in Paris. — AFP photos

Picture dated September 27, 1962 of French singer Edith Piaf performing on stage in Paris.

also written an acclaimed biography of French singer Leo Ferre. Belleret’s book shows that Piaf, who was born Edith Gassion, did not come into the world on the streets as widely claimed but at a hospital in the 20th arrondissement of Paris on December 15, 1915. While one biographer said she was cured of childhood blindness after a pilgrimage and Piaf spoke of a miraculous healing, the new book says she did not suffer from keratitis, a condition that inflames the corneas, between the ages of three and seven.

Piaf’s childhood was difficult, with her mother-a singer-abandoning her. She was brought up by her grandmothers but was not weaned on red wine as was widely reported. Belleret also says the iconic singer had no political conscience and dismisses her claim that she passed on fake papers to prisoners in German camps during World War II. Rather, she

the actress Marion Cotillard an Oscar for her portrayal of Piaf. A great quality was her ability to spot talent, Belleret said.

Piaf launched the careers of international stars such as Yves Montand, Charles Aznavour and Georges Moustaki. — AFP

Picture dated 30 December 1960 of French singer Edith Piaf performing on stage at the Olympia during a show in Paris.

Undated file picture showing French singer Edith Piaf, born in Paris on December 19, 1915.

Lifestyle FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

Mumford & Sons perform at Forest Hills reopening

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umford & Sons were in the tennis spirit at the reopening of the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium in Queens. The Grammy-winning British rockers performed a sold-out concert Wednesday for 16,000 fans at the stadium’s West Side Tennis Club, which hosted the US Open until 1978. Near the end of

Mumford & Sons band members, from left, Ben Lovett, Marcus Mumford, Country Winston and Ted Dwane perform on Wednesday at the West Side Tennis Club in the Forest Hills neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York. —AP

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rare exhibition of sketches from Leonardo da Vinci’s diaries went on display in Venice yesterday, providing a unique insight into the genius of a Renaissance man who spanned art and science. The exhibition is less about the famous paintings or amazing inventions of the famous old master and more about the inner workings of his mind and the constant curiosity he showed in the world around him.

“Leonardo da Vinci: The Universal Man” runs until December 1 in the canalside Galleria dell’Academia museum and contains works from the gallery’s own archives, as well as collections around the world. The sketches were done between 1478 and 1516 and include the iconic “Vitruvian Man”, an anatomical drawing on the proportions of the human body based on the writings of the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius.

“The drawings are displayed in

Mumford & Sons band member Marcus Mumford performs.

such a way that both sides can be seen, which is very rare,” the curator of the exhibition, Annalisa Perissa, told AFP. The examination of Leonardo’s private diaries feels like an intimate journey into the creative mind of one of history’s most interesting artists. The architect, botanist, scientist, writer, sculptor, philosopher, engineer, inventor, musician, poet and urban planner can be seen jumping from one idea to the next in multiple sketches and annotations.

His tiny drawings, some of them in charcoal, others engraved, include distorted human faces, different types of flowers and elaborate geometrical forms. “Twenty-five of the drawings have not been displayed since 1980.

This is a unique chance to admire them all together,” Perissa said. The creative process of the grand master can also be seen in the preparatory sketches for his famous “The Last Supper”, which are preserved in spe-

Picture shows a Christ drawn by Leonardo da Vinci in Venice. —AFP photos

their set, the foursome played tennis onstage using a racket at times, and a guitar and banjo at others. They also threw balls to fans in the crowd. Mumford & Sons played the first concert at the 90-year-old stadium, where acts from Jimi Hendrix to the Beatles to the Rolling Stones performed. It was the first show at the historic venue in more than 20 years.

Mumford & Sons electrified the crowd even when it rained lightly - playing the wellknown rock hits “Little Lion Man,” “I Will Wait” and “The Cave” as well as other songs from their two multiplatinum albums. “Yes, Forest Hills, Queens, New York. We just can’t believe you all came. This is amazing,” keyboardist Ben Lovett said. “We were like, ‘Are you sure you can invite 17,000 people to a tennis court? It hasn’t happened in a long time.”

The venue’s prime ended when the Open moved 3 miles (5 kilometers) away to Flushing Meadows, and its days as a music venue where Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra and Bob Dylan also performed - faded amid complaints from neighbors about noise, crowds and cars

cial chambers and cannot be shown again for at least five years.

There are also around a dozen sketches for “The Battle of Anghiari”, a famous fresco that has been lost but is believed by some art historians to be preserved hidden behind a wall in Florence’s Palazzo Vecchio. The exhibition is divided up into themes, with the first section dedicated to botany as a sort of first taste of the artist’s rich imagination.

Another section is devoted to Leonardo’s musings on the possibility of building a tank-centuries before any such contraption was actually used in war. “Because it only has sketches, you might think this would be a less interesting exhibition,” said Giovanna Damiani, an official from Venice Museums. “But in fact it goes much further because it lets us analyse and read the creative process of the artist, the extraordinary genius of Leonardo,” she said. —AFP

A woman looks at a drawing byLeonardo da Vinci.

parking on residential streets. The streets were packed Wednesday as thousands headed into the stadium, with police officers guiding cars and people on the streets. Mumford & Sons and the crowd were loud, but not unruly during the two-hour show.

The band played their folk-rock tunes with ease, and at times slowed things down as red orange lights shined and small light bulb hung in the air. They boys were like mad scientists during “Dustbowl Dance” - singer Marcus Mumford was now on the drums and he kicked it out of his way as he headed to the front of the stage to finish singing the song. Lovett - on the piano - matched his energy, throwing things around and earning cheers from the crowd.

When singing “Winter Winds,” Mumford even forgot some of the words, and shouted an expletive as the crowd roared and sang it for him. “We’re really proud we’re here to revitalize this venue,” Mumford said before singing the closer, “The Cave.” Mumford & Sons’ sophomore album, “Babel,” won the Grammy Award for album of the year this year. —AP

A drawing by Leonardo da Vinci.

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talian director Emma Dante says her debut film “A Street in Palermo,” a modern-day Sicilian twist on a Western duel, is a story of gridlock which “shows where we are today.” In the film, Dante’s character, a frustrated middle-aged lesbian, comes to a stalemate with a stubborn grieving widow when the cars they are driving come grill-to-grill on a narrow backstreet in a poor Palermo neighborhood. Both women refuse to back up as the drama unfolds around them. Dante said the women’s stalemate can be likened to Italy, stuck for years in an economic crisis. “It is a particular moment in our history,” Dante noted. “A Street in Palermo,” which premiered Thursday, is among 20 films competing for the Golden Lion. —AP

(From left) Italian actor Carmine Maringola, Italian actress Elena Cotta, Italian director Emma Dante and Italian actress Alba Rohrwacher pose during the photocall of Via Castellana Bandiera presented in competition at the 70th Venice Film Festival yesterday at Venice Lido. —AFP

Lifestyle FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

Review

Matt Damon defends Ben Affleck Batman casting

M This image released by Starpix shows members of One Direction, from left, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, and Liam Payne at the premiere of the film “One Direction: This Is Us,” at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York on Monday. —AP

Spurlock in wrong direction with 1D doc

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he 1980s had New Kids on the Block; the ‘90s had the Backstreet Boys; and now boy bands are resurgent again with British group-ofthe-moment One Direction, currently a chart-topping global pop phenom. While hardly a very incisive look at the band or its five individual singers - who are barely old enough to even have personal histories Morgan Spurlock’s documentary “One Direction: This Is Us” should score big with kids.

London-based One Direction flashed onto the international music scene in 2010, following the members’ appearances on British TV’s “The X Factor.” Response to the group among young female fans was strong particularly on social media - prompting the band to sign with Simon Cowell’s Syco recording label, launching a 2011 UK concert tour and garnering a Columbia Records contract for their first studio album, the precedent-setting “Up All Night,” which was followed by a North American tour.

Marking Spurlock’s first concert doc, “This Is Us” picks up with 1D’s 2012-13 world tour, covering more than 100 shows in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia, culminating with a sold-out, four-night stand at LA’s Staples Center earlier in August. Now mostly pushing into their 20s, bandmembers Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles, Liam Payne and Zayn Malik revel in their globe-trotting stardom, often performing back-to-back shows for legions of shrieking teen girls, their chaperones and even the occasional male concertgoer.

This might be a Spurlock documentary, but counter to his usual approach, the filmmaker doesn’t make a single appearance. Shooting the band and their concerts in a variety of formats over six months at a series of international venues, Spurlock only wrapped up in June with 1D’s Mexico City show. If the film’s production schedule, driven by the practically nonstop concert dates, seems rushed, it doesn’t particularly show.

Throughout the film, live 3D performance footage alternates with scenes of “the lads” cutting up backstage, huddling in their tour bus, dodging fervent fans or making promotional appearances.

Overall, Spurlock plays things incredibly safely compared to his usual irreverent, hang-loose style. The concert scenes represent fairly standard fare, with 3D visual effects adding a touch of hyper-reality. Individual interviews with the singers create a more intimate vibe, with discussions ranging from their musical influences to expressions of homesickness and awe at their rapid rise to popularity. All reportedly from working-class backgrounds (Irish lad Horan is the only non-Brit in the bunch), the bandmates remain humble, often expressing gratitude to their fans, crew and most of all their mums, who pop up in the movie with unnerving frequency. The filmmakers’ intent to depict them as “normal guys” mostly succeeds, primarily due to their not inconsiderable charm. Scenes featuring their predominantly teen female fans are limited to crowd shots and brief sound bites, while any footage revealing smoking, partying or romance has been studiously excluded. The band’s songs are crafted by a rotating roster of outside songwriters with plenty of emphasis on romance or cheeky antics, and often sung with alternating lead vocals or in close harmony by the group. Onstage performance choreography is fairly basic and not always entirely in sync. Although Horan appears to be the only one playing an instrument on tour, the kids’ singing is consistently engaging as they repeatedly strive to deliver for their young audience-whether performing one of their numerous pop anthems (powered by a four-piece backing band that’s mostly neglected in the film), catchy covers (Blondie’s “One Way or Another”), or sweet ballads accompanied by Horan’s acoustic guitar and plenty of sing-along participation from the concert crowds.

While repeated comparisons throughout the film to The Beatles are clearly misplaced both creatively and stylistically, One Direction’s meteoric rise to fame is certainly a characteristic they share with the Fab Four, although their staying power might not be quite the equal of their fellow Brits. —AP

att Damon has a message to comic book fans who are distraught over the surprise casting of his “Good Will Hunting” pal Ben Affleck as Batman. Relax, he’s got this one covered. “I think it will be great. It will be terrific. I know there are a lot of people grousing on the internet. I just think it’s kind of funny,” Damon told the Times of India. “You know, he’s not playing King Lear. It’s Batman! Certainly within his skill set.”

Affleck’s decision to follow the Bat signal and team up with Henry Cavill in a big screen blockbuster that will find Bruce Wayne’s alter-ego sharing the screen with Superman has set off a wave of online protests. More than 80,000 have signed a petition on

Change.org asking for the role to be recast while others have taken to social media platforms like Twitter to voice their displeasure.

Although Damon expressed enthusiasm for Affleck’s casting, he indicated that the part pales in comparison to his recent work.

“If anybody saw ‘Argo’ or ‘The Town,’ and all the work he’s been doing lately, it’s way more nuanced and interesting and way more difficult than Batman!” Damon said. “Batman just sits there with his cowl over his head and whispers in a kinda gruff voice at people.”

He’s also ruling out a reunion that would find the 42-year old Damon playing a certain boy wonder. “I am a little older than Ben,” Damon said. “I never saw Robin as older than Batman.” —Reuters

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck

Justin Bieber stopped for traffic offense, again

J

ustin Bieber was stopped for running a stop sign and driving without a license Wednesday, in the Canadian teen sensation’s latest run-in with traffic police, a spokesman said.

The 19-year-old was pulled over while driving his white Ferrari at 4:30 am near his home in Calabasas, northwest of Los Angeles, said LA County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Steve Whitmore. “I don’t know how many times he’s been stopped out there driving, but he has a history,” Whitmore said, referring to Bieber’s growing list of brushes with the law.

In June, Los Angeles police investigated an inciJustin Bieber dent in which a

car driven by Bieber hit a paparazzo, but not to press charges. The previous month he made headlines after neighbors in his exclusive Calabasas neighborhood-where neighbors include the family of late pop icon Michael Jacksonaccused him of driving recklessly through the area. Bieber, a Canadian by birth, bought his Calabasas home in June, according to celebrity news website TMZ. New California residents are required to get a driving license in the western US state within 10 days of moving here.

“If someone has a residence in other state or country, he or she can have a license from that state or country as well as one from California,” said Whitmore.

“But it was within the authority of the deputy who stopped him to issue him a citation for driving without a valid California license if he wanted and the deputy did just that.” A friend who was following in another car took the wheel of Bieber’s car and drove him home, the spokesman added.—AFP

Timberlake defends Cyrus: ‘It was the VMAs, what did you guys expect?’

J

ustin Timberlake defended Miley Cyrus’ MTV Video Music Awards performance to Jim Douglas of Fresh 102.7 in New York City Tuesday. “She’s young, she’s letting everyone know she’s growing up,” Timberlake said. Sunday’s Video Vanguard recipient also pointed to the venue as an important factor in this conversation, saying, “It was the VMAs, what did you guys expect?”

Timberlake continued, “It’s not like she did it at the Grammys. Let her do her thing.” Cyrus’ twerk-heavy, racy performance is certainly not the first controversial one in MTV VMA history. Timberlake went old school for his first example, and then even referenced his own ex, Britney Spears in another. “Madonna, wedding suit, humping the stage,” The ‘NSYNC frontman rifled off. “Britney, strip tease.”

As for JT, he likes Miley and her performance. Although his favorite moment had little to do with her - in more ways than one: “My favorite part of

JustinTimberlake performs onstage during the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards at the Barclays Center. —AFP the Miley Cyrus thing was the Smith family reaction,” Timberlake said in the radio interview. “I was late to the game on that. I was just shown that this morning, so it’s fresh in my mind.” No one

had the heart - or the knowledge - to tell the “Suit and Tie” singer that the viral reaction photo of Will Smith and family was actually during Lady Gaga’s opening performance. —Reuters

Lifestyle FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

Nastja Verdnik, a 26-year-old journalism graduate, poses in Maribor, in front of the country’s first bakery for dogs she opened.—AFP photos

Jobless journalist opens Slovenia’s first dog bakery

W

ho would have thought the answer to unemployment in the city worst hit by Slovenia’s economic crisis could be meat, mint and peanut butter-flavored snacks for pooches. But that’s just what happened for Nastja Verdnik, a 26year-old journalism graduate who has opened the Balkan country’s first bakery for dogs. “I used to make biscuits for my dog, but never dreamt of making a career out of it,” Verdnik told AFP in her tiny shop in the northern city of Maribor, where she sells homemade biscuits, muffins and cakes, including for dogs with allergies.

After graduating from Ljubljana University last year, her hunt for a job in journalism led nowhere. She had already made biscuits for friends’ dogs and even sold small quantities to a local pet shop.

“I saw at the employment office a program for promoting entrepreneurship among young people,” she said, so put forth the idea for a dog bakery and got immediately backing . “Hov Hov”Slovenian for “woof woof”-was born. “There are more dogs registered in Slovenia than children under nine. And owners, before getting a dog, know they will have the financial resources to keep it,” said Verdnik. Her confidence was boosted by research showing during a dog’s lifetime, owners can spend the equivalent of the price of a car on their pet.

Dog biscuits are crisis-resistant Since she opened in June, her business-strategically located at the entrance to Maribor’s main park, a favorite playground for dogs-has not stopped growing. “In September I will open a new shop in the capital, Ljubljana, and later might do it also abroad,” she said, with eyes on neighboring Croatia or Austria. Once a major industrial centre, Maribor has struggled more than the rest of Slovenia with the economic crisis. Unemployment in June was 18.1 percent, compared with 12.6 percent in Ljubljana. Anger over rampant corruption in city hall also prompted violent demonstrations last winter.

But dog biscuits have proven remarkably crisis-resistant, with people in and around Maribor willing to go the extra mile to indulge their pets. “We are not from this neighborhood, we live on the outskirts of Maribor, but we care about the quality of our dogs’ food and we also like buying them home-made biscuits,” Vera, the owner of two greyhounds, told AFP. Hov Hov’s selection ranges from the classic beef, lamb, venison, turkey and tuna to banana, peanut butter and even mint-flavored biscuits to fight bad breath.

The snacks cost three to four euros ($4-5.50) for a 150-gram (5.3-ounce) package and are available in gluten-free and no-egg

Thai village under siege from marauding monkeys

I

n one Thai village homes are raided, property is pinched and locals are attacked by dastardly gangs operating beyond the law-but the perpetrators are monkeys, not men. “They creep into my house when they see me sleeping, they go into the kitchen and take cooking oil, sugar and even the medicines that I hide in a cabinet,” said Chaluay Khamkajit, after years battling with pesky primates who are thought to have been drawn into Khlong Charoen Wai village by habitat loss. “They took my snacks, I can buy new ones, but the medicines are important to me,” the 72-year-old said, as she and her husband demonstrated a variety of anti-monkey devices including a homemade lock for the fridge and the more direct deterrent of a sling-shot.

Around 150 households in the shrimp farming community in Chachoengsao province on the east coast, 80 kilometers (50 miles) from Bangkok, have suffered raids by so-called “sea monkeys”-long-tailed macaques-for about a decade. An increasing number of shrimp farms, coupled with the associated deforestation, is thought to be behind a surge in monkeys venturing into built-up areas. “They could find food easily in the past but when there is less forest, they have to find food in people’s houses,” said village headman Chatree Kaencharoen, expressing frustration at some villagers who give food to the incorrigible creatures.

“Sometimes, a few hundred monkeys come at once-especially at dawn and dusk when it is cooler. They know it is time to be fed,” he said. Conservation group WWF said people have encroached on the monkeys’ habitat not the other way around.

“People have moved closer to nature, that is why there is an increased chance of interaction between human and animals,” WWF Thailand director Petch Manopawitr told AFP. “Macaques can adjust their behavior quite well-they learn in similar ways as humans-and when they know that they can find food in a village, they come.”

‘We cannot stop them’ The spread of villages into formerly dense jungle has caused other clashes between people and beasts in Thailand. And WWF say the problem is accelerating. In a recent report, the conservation group said demand for farmland could strip the Greater Mekong region-Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam-of a third of its remaining forest cover over the next two decades without swift government action. Between 1973 — the first point of available data-and 2009, Thailand lost some 43 percent of its natural woodland, the WWF said, although it praised the country for its network of national parks.

Khlong Charoen Wai’s monkeys spend their days hanging out on the narrow bamboo bridges that meander across the coastal swampland at the edge of the village. Mothers lounge with babies slung across their chests, while others leap between nearby mangrove trees. They tend to flee when approached.

But when nobody seems to be looking, they climb onto roofs, leaving trails of muddy footprints as they stalk into homes through any openings they can find.

Residents have been forced to seal their houses with nets, lock their windows despite the tropical heat, and secure their property the best they can. “They pushed over a 21-inch television, which fell and smashed. They even stole a rice cooker, managed to open it and scooped out the rice to eat,” said Chatree. Local authorities tried to curb the monkey raids-even attempting to sterilize the intruders. But that effort was on too small a scale according to deputy village head Tawin Songcharoen. “We cannot stop them,” he told AFP. — AFP

versions. She makes all shapes and sizes-bones being a favoriteand will even make special birthday cakes. “I only use healthy ingredients as I would for my own pets,” said Verdnik, who gets advice from a veterinarian friend and adds no artificial ingredients.

And it’s not just the canines who are eating Hov Hov’s biscuits, as some of their owners confess to nibbling the vegetarian treats, said Verdnik.

“This is our second visit: now we have returned with a list of orders for our neighbors and friends,” said Marija, the owner of a German shepherd. Keeping up supplies means baking at home an average of five kilograms (11 pounds) of biscuits each day. To cope with increasing demand, Verdnik plans to rent a kitchen and probably hire one or two helpers in September. “Two hands aren’t enough any longer,” she said. She has not totally ruled out journalism. But if she did ever find a job, she would only use her skills “to write about pets, pet-food and related issues”, she said. — AFP

Lifestyle FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

Christine Bollinger designs a Nemo fish sculpture with pumpkins during the preparations for the autumn exhibition ‘Glowing pumpkins ocean’ (Leuchtender Ozean) at the horticultural exhibition ‘ega’ in Erfurt, central Germany, yesterday. Gardeners create different sculptures with more than 20,000 pumpkins. The exhibition starts on Sept 1, 2013 and lasts until Oct 31, 2013. — AP photos

Children run around a sea horse sculpture designed with pumpkins.

R

ome’s MAXXI art museum said yesterday it wanted a bigger role on the world stage with the appointment of its new Chinese-born artistic director Hou Hanru. The contemporary art and architecture museum, housed in a building designed by renowned architect Zaha Hadid, has been plagued with financial troubles. But museum director Giorgia Melandri said it was reducing its dependence on public subsidies and managing to allocate more resources to core activities.

“Hanru will help us occupy a bigger place on the international map,” Melandri said at a joint press conference with Hou, an international art curator. Hou said he hoped “this institution can provide an example of how creativity can change the world. “We should not see a museum like this as a replica or an extension of something in New York but as a chance to come up with new ideas,” he said. Hou moved to Paris from China in 1990 and has worked as a director of exhibitions at the San Francisco Art

A man shoots photos of a blue whale sculpture designed with pumpkins.

Institute, a consultant at the Guggenheim in New York and a codirector of the first World Biennale Forum.

He will take up his four-year contract in December. Melandri said the museum urgently needs public funds of around six million euros ($8 million) just for yearly running costs and is hoping to raise the same amount in donations, sponsorships and ticket sales. She said around 60 percent of its budget was currently public funds and she was hoping to reduce this proportion to 50 percent over the next three years. Italy has seen steep cuts in culture budgets in recent years in a series of austerity programs aimed at reducing its heaving public debt, although the current government has promised to increase funding.—AFP The new artistic director of the Rome’s MAXXI art museum, China’s Hou Hanru, poses for photographers before a press conference in Rome yesterday. — AFP

FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

Kuwait

SHARQIA-1 KILLING SEASON (DIG) THE SMURFS 2 (DIG) JOBS (DIG) KILLING SEASON (DIG) JOBS (DIG) KILLING SEASON (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED SHARQIA-2 THE SMURFS 2 (DIG-3D) DESPICABLE ME 2 (DIG-3D) NO THU THE SMURFS 2 (DIG) NO THU Special Show “THE SMURFS 2 (DIG)” THU THE CONJURING (DIG) THE CONJURING (DIG) THE CONJURING (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED SHARQIA-3 THE CONJURING (DIG) THE CONJURING (DIG) Special Show “THE SMURFS 2 (DIG)” THU CHENNAI EXPRESS (DIG) (HINDI) NO THU THE WOLVERINE (DIG) THE WOLVERINE (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED MUHALAB-1 JOBS (DIG) RED 2 (DIG) CHENNAI EXPRESS (DIG) (HINDI) JOBS (DIG) MUHALAB-2 KILLING SEASON (DIG) FRI THE CONJURING (DIG) THE CONJURING (DIG) KILLING SEASON (DIG) THE CONJURING (DIG) THE CONJURING (DIG)

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MATRIMONIAL

CHANGE OF NAME

KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY THE CONJURING THE CONJURING NO SUN+TUE+WED

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I, Crusian Edison holder of Indian Passport No. E 6572487, shall henceforth be known as C. Joseph Edison.

(C 4493) 28-8-2013 I, Bhaskar Hungarkatha of Indian Passport No. G 0638528 hereby wish to change my name to JOHN B. D’ALMEIDA. (C 4491) 27-8-2013 I, Hareesha, Indian Passport No. E 6534426, have changed my name to Hareesha Rama Moolya.

(C 4489) I, Muruganandham Asokan, Indian Passport No. E6570385, have changed my name to Sam Ashok M. Anand. (C 4490) 25-8-2013

Proposals invited for a fair Keralite Marthomite girl (24 yrs, 159 cm) hailing from an aristocratic family and just completed M.Sc nursing in paediatrics, from parents of Godfearing boys with equivalent qualifications preferably employed in Kuwait, Gulf/India. Email: georgethomaskollad@yahoo.com (C 4494) 28-7-2013 Nair girl from Quilon district, 34 years, 153 cm, M.Sc Biotechnology, PhD, now working as scientist at Trivandrum, seeks alliance from well educated, employed youth from India/abroad (Keralite only).

Contact email: pillaisurendran56@yahoo.com (C 4492) 27-8-2013

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

04:02 05:24 11:49 15:23 18:13 19:33

Hospitals Sabah Hospital Amiri Hospital Maternity Hospital Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital Chest Hospital Farwaniya Hospital Adan Hospital Ibn Sina Hospital Al-Razi Hospital Physiotherapy Hospital

24812000 22450005 24843100 25312700 24849400 24892010 23940620 24840300 24846000 24874330/9

Clinics Rabiya Rawdha Adailiya Khaldiya Khaifan Shamiya Shuwaikh Abdullah Salim Al-Nuzha Industrial Shuwaikh Al-Qadisiya Dasmah Bneid Al-Ghar Al-Shaab Al-Kibla Ayoun Al-Kibla Mirqab Sharq Salmiya Jabriya Maidan Hawally Bayan

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PETS FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

Should you have kids?

C

Authors say think twice

heryl and Ellis Levinson believe they made a very grown-up decision not to have kids. It was early on in their 28year relationship when the San Jose, Calif, couple conceived their emotional choice.

While Cheryl, a psychotherapist, had never yearned to give birth, Ellis, who worked in entertainment and journalism and now has a consumer blog, had once dreamed of having his own offspring.

Yet, as they matured together, they began to observe the risks of bringing children into the world - everything from dangers to the children themselves to the risks to a planet already burgeoning with overpopulation, suffering exhaustion of its natural resources and tainted by climate change and pollution.

“There are now almost 7 billion humans in the world, going to 9 billion in 40 years and increasing by 40 percent by the turn of the century,” Ellis says. “The threat to human survival cannot be understated - water depletion, air pollution, disappearance of the wild.

And when you’re creating a new person, you’re rolling the dice for the child as well there’s mental illness, abuse, drugs, incarceration, poverty - it’s not always this TV commercial happy family. It’s an incredible gamble.”

They’re not saying don’t have kids, Ellis adds. “We love kids,” he says. “It’s just that many people don’t give procreation the deep deliberation it deserves. Maybe have one child, but two? Three? “So, we’re saying, think about it. Then think again.” The Levinsons recently published, “Enough of Us: Why We Should Think Twice Before Making Children” (iUniverse), a book that advocates for being “childfree” amid what the authors view as a society that encourages procreation through family and religious pressures and even tax benefits. They say Western culture has elevated the parent-child unit to “lofty and honored heights,” while casting off the childfree household as less than a true family unit. And they want to initiate a national discussion on the issue.Many couples, and particularly women who choose not to have offspring preferring the term “childfree” to “childless” say they’ve experienced this kind of disdain.

When Gail Watts, of Hayward, Calif first got married 15 years ago, she was bombarded with questions about when she and her husband planned to have babies.

“I would get so frustrated when people would challenge me as to why I was choosing not to have children. No one would ever question my husband, who had made the same choice. Apparently, it was OK for him, but people would be confused and even angry that I, as a woman, didn’t (choose to have kids).”

Lauren Sandler agrees. She’s the author of “One and Only” (Simon & Schuster), which seeks to dispel the notion that only children are dysfunctional and maladjusted brats.

“There’s this ridiculous mythology that if you don’t have kids, you must be selfish, and that if you have only one, it’s a terrible thing you’re doing to your child,” says Sandler, who has one 5-year-old daughter and was an only child herself.

As someone who doesn’t list her maternal identity first in her life but also values outside friendships, romance and career, Sandler finds she frequently has to explain her choice of family size. “No one ever has to defend or give

Mike Barlia and Kara Harpham-Barlia are both veterinarians in Berkeley, California.

They chose not to have children and consider their pets as their kids. — MCT

philosophical reasons for two or three kids. Of course, more than three, you’re marked as a breeder,” she jokes. “You just can’t win.”

When asked if they have children, the Levinsons usually try to keep it light, while clearly indicating their childfree existence is intentional. They’ll say, “I hope not!” or, “We’ve spent thousands of dollars on contraception.” Cheryl often says that she has chosen to be a mother of dogs.

Sandler views society’s push to have children in evolutionary terms — originally for the survival of the species, then as a workforce in an agrarian society. When the Industrial Revolution came along, children suddenly began to cost instead of earn, she says.

“Then the women’s movement happened, but we didn’t really come to terms with what women’s freedom looked like, and how much society had changed,” Sandler says. “So we kept telling this story that humans needed to have kids and that adult women could only have value if they were mothers.

“And today there’s more and more obsession with babies and motherhood than ever, with blogs and stores and books,” she says.

“We’re in a very pro-baby generation.”

Kara Harpham-Barlia and her husband, Mike Barlia, of Oakland, Calif., are both 39, and each has a veterinary practice. They’re mem-

bers of a global Childfree By Choice listserve.

Harpham-Barlia says her eyes were opened early on to the immense work and responsibility of having kids.

“When I was a teenager, my parents decided to have more babies, so I really got to see how much work it was, how much it cost,” she says. “I wasn’t committed to being childfree at that point, but it really made me think about it.” For her husband, it was never a difficult decision. “I enjoy being an uncle and watching my niece grow up,” he says. “I feel incredibly fortunate to be married to my best friend and have the opportunity to travel and spend time together. I work with an amazing group of people in a career that I find very satisfying and rewarding. I honestly do not feel anything is missing from my life that would somehow be fulfilled by having a child.”

The Levinsons realize the target audience for their book is made up of those who are already carefully pondering childbirth. To reach a broader base, they hope to start a national discussion on the way government policies and businesses favor larger families, and they want to encourage adoption of children who already exist.

“We need to rethink the reasons for having offspring,” Ellis says. “I can’t think of any reasons that are not selfish — a little immortality for yourself, trying to salvage a bad mar-

riage, living your own unfulfilled dreams, maybe having someone to care for you when you’re old.

“Cheryl and I have asked dozens of people why they have kids and they most often say, ‘That’s a good question. It’s just a thing people do.’ But that’s not a very good reason, either,” he says.

Erica Smith, 27, of San Jose, is wrestling with the decision to have or have not, and — either way — she wants it to be an informed, researched, confident move.

In talking with friends, family and co-workers at her hair salon — those with kids and those without — Smith has come to realize bearing offspring is not for everybody, and it’s not necessarily the next step for her.

“There are so many issues,” she says. “My parents are pressing me to have a kid. I think that’s a big reason people have kids, is for other people. Kids are expensive, especially in the Bay Area, with the right education, clothing, food, music lessons. And a lot of people go into it without the money to take care of them. Everything you do affects them. If depression runs in your family, you might be dealing with that with a teenager.”

Smith says she may decide to have kids but wants to go into the decision with her eyes open. “I don’t want to have babies just to have babies.” — MCT

Stars

FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

Aries (March 21-April 19) Sympathy and understanding are emotional qualities that take on greater importance now. It's wisdom and not knowledge that counts most. This is a good time to be patient and tread a little lightly when it comes to indulgence and overextending yourself. Improved solutions, insights and approaches make this afternoon productive. Your approach to any problem is original and you could discover new ways of doing things that make working conditions quite pleasant. Submit a new proposal on paper to the proper person in authority now--satisfaction all around is possible. Communications in computers and the whole electronic revolution are a perfect career choice for you at this time.

Breakthroughs in your career could open up now.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Hurrying through the day may not be a wise choice if you plan to drive. Plan your arrivals early and if you must arrive late, then do so--do not try to make up for time in a vehicle. Announce ahead of time the possibility of your late arrival. You may find yourself lecturing, entertaining or teaching today. You have a great love of the written and spoken word and ideas in all their flavors--this is what you like to work with best. Your enthusiasm for the intellect and the world of ideas makes it easy for you to communicate these things to others. You would be a good teacher. You have no trouble putting your feelings into words and what you say always carries a lot of content. You could just as well choose to entertain. A legal dispute is solvable.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Everything seems to be working well at this time. You may find that the patience you put forth with others pays off--especially when you see the positive responses. Where others may have failed, you can be most persuasive. Others are listening and the situation is a natural for self-expression and lends itself to your particular thoughts. This is a great time to be with others and to work together. You earn the trust of others and you are tolerant with the faults of your co-worker. Your management abilities are in high focus. There are ideas within your grasp for solutions or inventions. Figuring things out, spotting the fly in the ointment, separating the sheep from the goats is of significant importance. There is a lot of mental busywork today.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) Today is one of those days for group interaction. The energies tend to be more in land sale or purchase and perhaps new ways to gain customers through land. Others value you for your ability to make practical decisions. You could be most persuasive at this time. Some people stay away from you when they do not want to be called upon for certain jobs because you are most convincing. Animals or an unusual hobby involving pets will most likely amuse you this evening. Perhaps it is just a visit to the pet store. More than likely, we will hear about some new animal training techniques from you. You work to open people's minds to new ideas regarding the caretaking and training of animals and will probably help a pet adjust to a new family.

Leo (July 23-August 22) This is a good day to solve problems and make important decisions. You will find a way around almost any obstacle and are in control and able to guide yourself with ease. You have a natural psychological ability, in particular when working with the public. You can handle emotional and personal issues that are vulnerable--where angels fear to tread. People sense this about you and trust you with sensitive matters and questions of personal identity. One secret to your special success comes when you are focused on all the details. This ability to focus can be used as an indicator for the result of your endeavors. This may be a good time to reassess and plan. This evening you will enjoy some group play with family members.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) This workday will move along quite smoothly. You may be working on some legal matters, shuffling papers, etc. Your fine verbal skills and a natural sense of justice make legal work your expertise.

Working with laws, natural or manufactured, amounts to a real talent.

Any improvements or corrections to your working style or organizational skills can be worked on now. Your love life is particularly good and passion is high. If you are not married, this may be a consideration now.

Expanding your family is another consideration worth your time. Close personal ties are of the utmost important to you. Harmony is what you strive to achieve. Love is always good medicine for the soul. Enjoy walking with your sweetheart this evening.

Libra (September 23-October 22) Since you are so enchanting, you might work your charm to bring about fair play this day. There always seems to be one in the office that seems to resent the status of others. You could be the go-between when it comes to truthful conversations and actions that will set examples.

We all like to be able to see where we can be helpful but in this case, just being you and quietly setting the example is your magic. You tend to win friends and influence people . . . Perhaps because you are a good listener.

There may also be an opportunity to help a difficult client, patient or shopper this afternoon. You enjoy working with your mind and your sharp perceptions make solutions easy. You always bring an unexpected twist or insight to whatever you find.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Although this is a good workday, you may find yourself distracted by many conversations with co-workers about some thrilling experience--and then there is competition for the most thrilling. Someone may have just gotten a pilot's license or someone may have flown a glider or had a first-time water ski experience. Whatever the case, there are many fun conversations--you can expect the positive energy and chatter to continue. Your powers of perception are particularly sharp at this time and you would do well to work out the details of any work projects or plans this afternoon. The energy of uplifting and fun conversations continues tonight as you communicate with family members about your co-workers' vacations.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) You are independent and value freedom and nonconformity. You like a good challenge and working out new solutions, particularly today as you come across some discrepancy in a financial report. Your career will be anything but ordinary. You bring a lot of mental skill and understanding to whatever you do and could teach or help others to take a more independent approach to their lives or careers. In your personal time you may pursue electronics, computers or some other technical interest. You could find an increase in finances as you seek to repair and sell products that would have been trashed. Be careful with some grandiose idea. You are fond of grand schemes, verbalization and the like; these ideas do not often boil down to real solutions.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) If you are not listening carefully today, you could be missing an important piece of information. This is a period of great mental activity.

In-depth conversations will make for important note-taking situations so that you can concentrate on the tone and write down the information.

Intellectualism, the exchange of ideas and the idea of being smart as a fox are some of the things that have a special appeal and importance. Any changes you want to see in the workplace, however, may have to wait until the end of next month. You love a social life and friends and relationships play a major role in your makeup. Realizing that your personal life has been on hold lately, you may find yourself discussing weekend plans with your loved one.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) Put your mind to work and take care of any details that you may have, for mental discipline should come easily. However, do not push your energies--it could be easy to overdo, strain and explode or at the very least, try the patience of others. This seems to be a very lucky day for making plans or decisions and finding your way through just about any problem you may discover. Good advice from a guide or older person may be likely--a good day. Diet, exercise and work are topics that may be discussed quite frequently during the lunch hour. You like new and different ideas on good health and may enjoy what others are doing to maintain their stamina. There is a chance to understand those around you and enjoy some special time.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) Today has the makings of an easy, calm day. Life should be running in a smooth manner. Ideas and interaction with authority figures or older people may be in the forecast but you have basically set this day's work so that your work runs smoothly. Working with rather than against the flow should be easy to do. It's easy to see what you care about and where you place your values. Your sense of appreciation is sharpened and in high focus. This afternoon you may find that you are looking forward to helping someone move. Thinking about security and building roots in life may bring your thoughts around to the subject of real estate or home and family planning. This evening may be a good time to purchase goods for the weekend. Horoscopes august 2013

COUNTRY CODES 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 Republic 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 Somalia 00252 South Africa 0027 South Korea 0082 Spain 0034 Sri Lanka 0094 Sudan 00249 Suriname 00597 Swaziland 00268 Sweden 0046 Switzerland 0041 Syria 00963 Taiwan 00886 Tanzania 00255 Thailand 0066 Toga 00228 Tonga 00676 Tokelau 00690 Trinidad 001868 Tunisia 00216 Turkey 0090 Tuvalu 00688 Uganda 00256 Ukraine 00380 United Arab Emirates00976

L e i s u re

FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

Word Search

Yesterdayʼs Solution

C R O S S W O R D 2 9 5

ACROSS 1. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

5. Having or producing or covered with scurf.

11. Tear down so as to make flat with the ground.

15. A knife used as a weapon.

16. A rosid dicot genus that includes moon carrots.

17. Type genus of the Alcidae comprising solely the razorbill.

18. An informal term for a father.

19. Annual to perennial herbs of the Mediterranean region.

20. Moth having nonfunctional mouthparts as adults.

21. (in writing) See below.

23. A hormone produced by the anterior pituitary gland that stimulates the adrenal cortex.

25. An outlying farm building for storing grain or animal feed and housing farm animals.

26. West Indian tree having racemes of fragrant white flowers and yielding a durable timber and resinous juice.

28. Ctenophore having tentacles only in the immature stage.

30. A primeval personification of air and breath.

31. The basic unit of money in Malaysia.

35. A bachelor's degree in naval science.

37. Striped hyena of southeast Africa that feeds chiefly on insects.

41. The residue that remains when something is burned.

42. A message that seems to convey no meaning.

44. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind.

46. Before noon.

47. A unit of pressure.

48. In the same place (used when citing a reference).

50. A member of an agricultural people in southeastern India.

53. Act in concert or unite in a common purpose or belief.

54. A public promotion of some product or service.

55. A Russian prison camp for political prisoners.

58. An antidepressant drug that acts by blocking the reuptake of serotonin so that more serotonin is available to act on receptors in the brain.

61. Attempting to get personal recognition for yourself (especially by unacceptable means).

65. Any of a number of fishes of the family Carangidae.

67. A colorless and odorless inert gas.

69. An associate degree in applied science.

73. Belonging to or on behalf of a specified person (especially yourself).

74. (computer science) A computer that is running software that allows users to leave messages and access information of general interest.

75. Eurasian perennial herb having pale pink flowers and curved pods.

76. Electronic equipment that provides visual images of varying electrical quantities.

77. How long something has existed.

78. Capable of being graded (for quality or rank or size etc.).

79. An unabridged dictionary constructed on historical principles.

3. A flask that holds spirits.

4. Evergreen Indian shrub with vivid yellow flowers whose bark is used in tanning.

5. The compass point midway between south and southeast.

6. An emotional response that has been acquired by conditioning.

7. Occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure.

8. Reconnaissance (by shortening).

9. Thin wafer-like bread of Scandinavia.

10. A Loloish language.

11. A motley assortment of things.

12. Primitive chlorophyll-containing mainly aquatic eukaryotic organisms lacking true stems and roots and leaves.

13. A mark left by the healing of injured tissue.

14. Earn on some commercial or business transaction.

22. At right angles to the length of a ship or airplane.

24. Precipitation of ice pellets when there are strong rising air currents.

27. (Irish) Mother of the ancient Irish gods.

29. A proinflammatory cytokine that is produced by white blood cells (monocytes and macrophages).

32. Spanish architect who was a leading exponent of art nouveau in Europe (18521926).

33. A small island.

34. The subject matter of a conversation or discussion.

36. A member of a people who have no permanent home but move about according to the seasons.

38. A reproach for some lapse or misdeed.

39. A doctor's degree in dental surgery.

40. A homeless child especially one forsaken or orphaned.

43. Not subjected to an aging process.

45. A servile or fawning dependant.

49. British general in the American Revolution who captured Fort Ticonderoga but lost the battle of Saratoga in 1777 (1722-1792).

51. A partially opened flower.

52. American prizefighter who won the world heavyweight championship three times (born in 1942).

56. Any of various spiny trees or shrubs of the genus Acacia.

57. A semiautomatic rifle.

59. Living quarters reserved for wives and concubines and female relatives in a Muslim household.

60. Out of fashion.

62. Small tropical American tree bearing edible plumlike fruit.

63. (British) A former administrative district of England.

64. French biochemist who (with Francois Jacob) explained how genes are activated and suggested the existence of messenger RNA (1910-1976).

66. Open-heart surgery in which the rib cage is opened and a section of a blood vessel is grafted from the aorta to the coronary artery to bypass the blocked section of the coronary artery and improve the blood supply to the heart.

68. An indistinct shapeless form.

70. White crystalline compound used as a food additive to enhance flavor.

71. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

72. A city in the European part of Russia.

Yesterdayʼs Solution

DOWN 1. Savory jelly based on fish or meat stock used as a mold for meats or vegetables.

2. A republic in West Africa on the Gulf of Guinea.

Daily SuDoku

Yesterday’s Solution

Sports FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

Dodgers blank Cubs LOS ANGELES: Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Yasiel Puig was pulled by manager Don Mattingly after four innings following a pair of early episodes, and Los Angeles beat the Chicago Cubs 4-0 Wednesday.

Puig didn’t slide into second base to try to break up a double play in the first inning, then slammed his bat after striking out in the third.

The Cuban newcomer is hitting .346. Puig met with Mattingly and general manager Ned Colletti behind closed doors after the game.

Ricky Nolasco (11-9) pitched eight innings of three-hit ball. He struck out 11 and won his sixth straight start in August. Hanley Ramirez and Andre Ethier homered as the first-place Dodgers earned their 21st victory in August, tying the Los Angeles record for most wins in a calendar month. Edwin Jackson (7-14) took the loss.

PIRATES 7, BREWERS 1 In Pittsburgh, Marlon Byrd celebrated his arrival in Pittsburgh with a three-run homer and the Pirates beat Milwaukee.

Byrd, acquired along with catcher John Buck from the New York Mets on Tuesday, hit his 22nd homer of the season into the bushes in center field in the seventh inning as Pittsburgh ended a three-game losing streak. Charlie Morton (6-3) scattered five hits over 6 2-3 innings.

Tom Gorzelanny (3-6) yielded four runs on nine hits in 5 1-3 innings.

REDS 10, CARDINALS 0 In St. Louis, Jay Bruce homered and drove in five runs as Cincinnati tagged Adam Wainwright, leading Homer Bailey and the Reds over St. Louis to avoid a three-game sweep.

The Reds came out swinging against the NL Central leaders a few hours after Brandon Phillips’ expletive-filled tirade at a newspaper reporter who commented on the star’s sagging on-base percentage.

Bailey (9-10) capped a six-run first against Wainwright (15-8) with the Reds’ sixth hit and his first RBI of the season. Bailey gave up five hits in 7 1-3 innings, striking out seven in his fourth straight win.

Wainwright matched a career worst by giving up nine runs and lasted two innings for his shortest outing of the year. Phillips singled and scored in his first two at-bats.

BRAVES 3, INDIANS 2 In Atlanta, Chris Johnson singled to left with two outs in the ninth inning for his first career walk-off hit and the Atlanta Braves won again at home, beating Cleveland.

Jordan Schafer drove in Atlanta’s first two runs, then scored the winner after reaching on an infield single and stealing his second base of the night. Freddie Freeman was intentionally walked before Johnson lined a 2-2 pitch to left off Joe Smith (5-2). The Braves improved to 46-18 at Turner Field, the best home record in the majors.

Mike Aviles homered and drove in both Cleveland runs. Craig Kimbrel (3-2) earned the win with a perfect ninth.

PHILLIES 6, METS 2 In New York, Cole Hamels pitched seven strong innings and handed himself some much-needed run support, sending the Philadelphia Phillies past the New York Mets.

Carlos Ruiz homered and the Phillies overcame a couple of mental mistakes by shortstop Jimmy Rollins to win for only the third time in 17 road games. Hamels hit a two-run single to help Philadelphia improve to 8-5 under interim manager Ryne Sandberg.

Daisuke Matsuzaka (0-2) labored through 4 1-3 innings on Japanese Heritage Night in his second start for the new-look Mets, who have dropped six of seven. Hindered by the fifth-worst run support in the majors this season, Hamels (6-13) worked around nine hits and improved to 2-0 with a 2.00 ERA in six August starts.

NATIONALS 4, MARLINS 3 In Washington, Ian Desmond had three hits, including the goahead RBI single in the seventh inning, and the Washington Nationals kept pace on the fringes of the playoff race with a rain-delayed win over Miami. Desmond also scored a run and stole a base, and Jayson Werth homered for the Nationals, who have won seven of eight. Drew Storen (4-2), the fourth of six Nationals pitchers, worked out of a seventh-inning jam and got the win on a night when starter Stephen Strasburg was done after two innings because of a 72-minute rain delay. Strasburg had promising stuff: He got his six outs on 22 pitches with no hits allowed. Tyler Clippard worked the eighth, and Rafael Soriano the ninth for his 35th save. Mike Dunn (3-4) took the loss.

ROCKIES 5, GIANTS 4 In Denver, Jhoulys Chacin did not allow a hit for 6 2-3 innings and hustled for a crucial RBI to help the Colorado Rockies beat San Francisco. Chacin (13-7) tied a season high with nine strikeouts.

Brandon Crawford’s single to center field was the only hit Chacin allowed in seven innings. He also yielded an unearned run. Madison Bumgarner (11-9) left in the sixth.

PADRES 5, DIAMONDBACKS 1 In Phoenix, Will Venable homered and drove in three runs, Robbie Erlin pitched six effective innings in his return to the majors and the San Diego Padres avoided a three-game sweep with a win over Arizona. Venable drove in the first of the Padres’ two runs off Wade Miley (9-9) in the first inning and gave them a cushion with a two-run homer in the eighth. He’s hitting .390 with eight homers in August and has an eight-game hitting streak. —AP

BOSTON: Mike Carp No. 37 of the Boston Red Sox singles in the in the go-ahead run 8th inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. — AFP

Red Sox roll past Orioles BOSTON: Pinch hitter Mike Carp’s bloop single to left in the eighth dropped just beyond the glove of Baltimore third baseman Manny Machado, scoring Jarrod Saltalamacchia from second with the tiebreaking run and lifting the Boston Red Sox to a 4-3 win over the Orioles on Wednesday night.

Shane Victorino drove in a run for Boston with an RBI single after collecting a career-best seven RBIs and hitting two homers in a 13-2 win on Tuesday night.

Craig Breslow (4-2) got two outs to earn the win and Koji Uehara got his 14th save with a perfect ninth for the AL East-leading Red Sox, who won their fourth straight.

Chris Davis hit his major league-leading 47th homer and added an RBI double for Baltimore, which lost for the sixth time in its last eight games.

Saltalamacchia hit a two-out double high off the left-field wall against Tommy Hunter (3-3) and Stephen Drew was walked intentionally before Carp’s bloop fell just past the glove off Machado in short left field.

RANGERS 12, MARINERS 4 In Seattle, Leonys Martin homered and drove in a career-high four runs and Texas roughed up Felix Hernandez in a win over Seattle. The AL West-leading Rangers tagged Hernandez (12-8) for nine runs and 11 hits in three-plus innings. The former AL Cy Young winner’s ERA climbed from 2.63 to 2.97.

Martin Perez (8-3) limited the Mariners to two runs and five hits in six innings. The rookie won his fifth straight decision.

Adrian Beltre, who hit his 28th homer, and Elvis Andrus each got three of the Rangers’ 17 hits. Mitch Moreland also homered as every Texas starter got a hit except for Alex Rios.

ATHLETICS 14, TIGERS 4 In Detroit, Brandon Moss homered twice and drove in six runs to lead Oakland over Detroit. Moss has three home runs in his past two games for the A’s, who had a season-high 21 hits and have won the first three games of the four-game series by a combined score of 28-13.

Josh Donaldson had three hits and drove in two runs, and Eric Sogard had two RBIs for Oakland. Torii Hunter homered for the AL Central-leading Tigers. Oakland starter Daniel Straily (7-7) got his first win since July 9. He allowed a run and eight hits over six innings, walking two and striking out four. Doug Fister (11-7) gave up seven runs and 13 hits in five innings for the Tigers.

BLUE JAYS 7, YANKEES 2 In Toronto, Edwin Encarnacion hit a two-run home run, rookie Todd Redmond snapped a seven-start winless streak and Toronto

beat New York. The Blue Jays took two out of three from the Yankees after losing 12 of their first 13 meetings this season.

They’re 3-3 against New York at home and 0-10 on the road.

Redmond (2-2) left to a standing ovation after striking out Alfonso Soriano and Alex Rodriguez to begin the sixth inning. He allowed two runs and three hits, walked four and struck out seven for his first victory since beating Minnesota on July 7. New York’s Hiroki Kuroda (11-10) gave up seven runs for the second straight outing.

RAYS 4, ANGELS 1 In St. Petersburg, Chris Archer pitched seven strong innings, David DeJesus scored twice and Tampa Bay ended Los Angeles’ four-game winning streak.

Archer (8-5) allowed one run and five hits while striking out five. For the fifth time in his last 10 starts, the rookie right-hander did not walk a batter. Archer breezed through the first six innings, scattering three singles and facing 20 batters, only two over the minimum. Fernando Rodney pitched the ninth, striking out two for his 31st save. Garrett Richards (4-6) gave up four runs on seven hits and three walks in 3 1-3 innings.

ROYALS 8, TWINS 1 In Minneapolis, Salvador Perez had four hits and two home runs, Danny Duffy pitched 6 2-3 shutout innings and Kansas City beat Minnesota. Perez hit two-run shots in the fourth and eighth innings as the Royals won their fourth straight. Duffy (2-0) allowed five hits and struck out seven in his third start for Kansas City since having elbow surgery last June. The Twins struck out 10 times and set the club record for strikeouts in a season with 31 games to go.

Minnesota batters have fanned 1,127 times, breaking the previous mark of 1,121 set in 1997. Andrew Albers (2-2) allowed three runs, two earned, on six hits in seven innings for Minnesota.

WHITE SOX 6, ASTROS 1 In Chicago, Chris Sale struck out 12 over eight-plus dominant innings and Avisail Garcia hit a three-run homer to lead Chicago to a win over Houston.

Garcia finished with three hits for the White Sox, who have won 10 of their last 12 games. Sale (10-12) bounced back from an embarrassing start tonight against Texas in which he allowed a career-worst four home runs. Against Houston, he gave up only one run on four hits.

Sale had his 22 2-3 scoreless innings streak snapped when Chris Carter hit a two-out solo shot in the seventh to tie the game 1-1. It was Carter’s 26th of the season. Jeff Keppinger broke the tie in the seventh with a sacrifice fly off Lucas Harrell (6-15). — AP

Sports FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

CHUNGJU: New Zealand’s women’s quadruple sculls team members (from left) Sarah Gray, Georgia Perry, Genevieve Armstrong and Erin-Monique Shelton, take part in the World Rowing Championships. — AP

Murray and Bond reach pairs final CHUNGJU: Eric Murray and Hamish Bond of New Zealand advanced to the final of the men’s pairs event at the rowing world championships yesterday.

Murray and Hamish, seeking their fourth consecutive world title, finished three seconds ahead of the French duo of Germain Chardin and Dorian Mortelette in yesterday’s semifinals. Rogier Blink and Mitchel Steenman of the Netherlands finished third to qualify for Saturday’s final.

Wojciech Gutorski and Jaroslaw Godek of Poland won the other semifinal in men’s pairs, followed by Marco Di Costanzo and Matteo Castaldo of Italy. Alexander Sigurbjonsson Benet and Pau Vela Maggi of Spain were third.

In the women’s semifinals, Helen Glover and Polly Swann of Britain won to remain unbeaten this season, finishing ahead of Taylor Goetzinger and Meghan Musnicki of the United States. New Zealand pair Kayla

Pratt and Rebecca Scown finished third. Pairs from Romania, the Netherlands and South Africa advanced in the other semifinal.

In other events, Michaela Taupe-Traer of Austria led from start to finish in the women’s single sculls semifinals. Aikaterini Nikolaidou of Greece was second, with Alena Kryvasheyenka of Belarus third.

Ruth Walczak of Britain, 2011 world champion Fabiana Belgrame of Brazil and Ursula Grobler of South Africa also reached the final.

Jeremie Azou of France finished first in the men’s single sculls semifinals, finishing ahead of defending champion Henrik Stephansen of Denmark and Peter Galambos of Hungary.

Olympic champion Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand was forced to pull out of the semifinals after aggravating a rib injury in the quarterfinals.

Pedro Fraga of Portugal, Jonathan Koch of Germany and Michael Schmid of Switzerland qualified from the other semifinal. — AP

Stade Francais to inaugurate new stadium PARIS: Stade Francais will inaugurate a refurnished Jean-Bouin stadium when they take on Biarritz in Top 14 action today. Stade president Thomas Savare called the home stadium in west Paris a “fundamental element” for the club, which has played at the cross-city Charlety stadium during the reconstruction. “Without Jean-Bouin, I would absolutely not have taken over Stade Francais,” said Savare. “It’s impossible to envisage having a club in the Top 14 without a modern working arena, especially in Paris.”

The rejigged stadium will be able to seat 20,000, with Savare aiming for an average gate of 13,500. The president also hopes that on-field performances will improve, with his target a spot in the end-of-season play-offs.

“It’s tough, probably even more than last year, because it’s a very competitive championships, but possible,” Savare

said. “We’ve had a more ambitious recruitment than in recent seasons and the goal is to stabilise the squad.”

Stade will have Morne Steyn available for the visit of Biarritz, one of five of South Africa’s Rugby Championship squad to have been released to play for French clubs this weekend.

Among the four others is winger Bryan Habana, the 2007 Rugby World Cup winner who is all set to make his Top 14 debut at Grenoble.

Habana is the latest big-name signing for Mourad Boudjellal’s Toulon, who romped to European Cup victory last season but went down to Castres in the Top 14 final.

“Toulon is a new challenge, a new environment, it’s exciting,” Habana said of his move to the Mediterranean club.

Toulon put fellow big spenders Racing-Metro, bolstered by British and Irish Lions signings Johnny Sexton, Dan

Lydiate and Jamie Roberts, to the sword last week in a runaway 41-14 victory.

Racing will look to rebound at home against newly-promoted Oyonnax.

Saturday’s plum fixture sees Clermont take on Toulouse, the latter already in the midst of a front-row injury crisis with the season only two games old.

“The story goes on. Last year we had the same problems in the same positions,” said Toulouse president JeanRene Bouscatel.

In their convincing 40-3 victory over Bayonne last weekend, props Vasil Kakovin (ruptured knee ligaments) and Antoine Guillamon (hand fracture), and hooker Jaba Bregvadze (back) all went off injured and all will be out for a long while. That leaves forwards coach William Servat likely to be summoned to change out of his tracksuit, as he was last season after injuries to South African Gary Botha and Bregvadze, as

well as the suspension of Christopher Tolofua.

Reinforcements will also come in the shape of Springbok duo Chiliboy Ralepelle and Gurthro Steenkamp, although the former will not be available as he recovers from a back injury.

Clermont’s Kiwi coach Vern Cotter said it was imperative that his team bounce back from a shock 30-19 defeat

by Oyonnax. “We’re still at the start of the season,” Cotter said. “Some things worked, other less so.

“We have to analyse and advance.”

Clermont will play six games in September, including three in eight days, and Cotter called on the squad to come together. “Toulouse are ahead of us. We’ve got a week to catch up.”

Elsewhere, champions Castres travel to Bordeaux-Begles, Bayonne host Perpignan, and Montpellier entertain Brive. — AFP

Sports FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

Could Alabama be in for a big surprise?

NEW YORK: There’s not a lot to like about it, maybe because it seems so inevitable and Nick Saban always seems so crabby. Root for Alabama to win a third straight national title in football? Please, let’s just get it done and move on to 2014 when Saban will still be crabby but at least the BCS will be no more. Yes, Saban is a great coach and he recruits great players. It’s a tough combination to beat, and the reason Alabama has won two straight national championships and three out of the last four. It’s why Las Vegas handicappers are giving this year’s squad the highest power rating of any college team ever, and why all but two voters in The Associated Press Top 25 poll made the Crimson Tide No. 1 to begin the season.

Joyless, maybe. Efficient, yes. Ruthless, surely. But what if things aren’t exactly what they seem for a team that could easily run the table? Here’s a look at how it just might play out: VIRGINIA TECH: The season begins in Atlanta, for reasons known only to ESPN. It’s officially the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game because 382 postseason bowls with even dumber names are apparently not enough in college football. Expect to see commercials with cows parachuting into stadiums, and expect AJ McCarron to put up enough points on the board in the first half to easily cover the 19-

point spread in this one. That will leave the second half wide open for plenty of gratuitous shots of McCarron’s girlfriend, Katherine Webb, in the stands.

TEXAS A&M: A year to remember and two weeks to prepare for the SEC interloper that ruined Bama’s perfect season last year. This game couldn’t come quick enough on Alabama’s schedule, even if it has to travel to College Station to take on the Aggies in the game of the, you pick ‘em (month, season, decade). Johnny Football is off suspension for this one for some reason and he shreds the Tide defense on way to a 35-7 halftime lead that has Saban looking as if he ate some bad shellfish on the sidelines. But Manziel is caught selling his game jersey at halftime to a wealthy booster, and Alabama comes back to win 38-35.

ROLL TIDE ROLL: It’s the middle of the season and the Tide does roll. Names like Arkansas, Tennessee and LSU look good on the schedule, but Saban knows better. “How dare they challenge me with their primitive skills,” he crows, channeling his inner Mike Tyson.

CHATTANOOGA: The Mocs travel to Tuscaloosa for this one, trying to avoid a letdown after back-to-back big games against Wofford and Samford. They do a bit of sightseeing on the trip, and make sure they pat the

9-foot-tall statue of Saban outside BryantDenny Stadium for good luck. With a game against erstwhile rival Auburn the next week, Saban rests his regulars and suits up a collection of walk-ons along with the entire trombone section from the band. They win 62-3, but a scowling Saban kicks them all off the team for dishonoring both Alabama football and Bear Bryant by not covering the 73-point spread set by Vegas oddsmakers.

SOUTH CAROLINA: Alabama is still undefeated heading into in SEC title game, and with Manziel now suspended for the next two years for operating a superstore selling signed apparel, the Heisman is now a two-man race between McCarron and South Carolina’s Jadeveon Clowney. The Ol’ Ball Coach has a few tricks up his sleeve for the big game, but Clowney disappears like one of Manti Te’o’s girlfriends in the second half and Alabama punches a ticket to its third straight BCS title game. Saban celebrates by smiling, but only once.

STANFORD: Yes, Stanford. The place where Google was invented and the only school with a tree for a mascot. Takes so many brains to get in there that most football players don’t even try and go play in the SEC instead. But in this, the most glorious football season in the history of academia, Stanford has beaten everyone and earned a spot in the

BCS title game. Saban and his assistants spend the holidays watching game film 20 hours a day and are confident they have a plan to win.

But Stanford pulls a fast one, putting in a brand new playbook that takes the entire squad only two days to memorize. Saban watches hopelessly as the Cardinal run plays he has never seen before, then is forced to watch as Stanford players dance with the tree at midfield to celebrate their national title.

Meanwhile, the bookies in Vegas close up shop. Because even they won’t give odds of that happening.-AP Ethiopia’s new 800 metres world champion Mohammed Aman has inevitably been faced with questions about the absence of world record holder Rudisha who has a knee injury. Aman could finish only sixth in the Olympic final when Rudisha smashed his world record in what was essentially not a race but a two-lap time trial against the clock for the tall Kenyan.

“I am very sad for him because injuries are very hard on athletes,” said Aman, who is no slouch himself and the only man to have beaten Rudisha since 2009.

“I am very sorry for him, but I don’t do sport for Rudisha, I do it for me. I didn’t say that because Rudisha is not involved, that the gold is for me. I didn’t say that because there are some very strong athletes here.” — Reuters

Champion Murray races to victory, Venus sent packing

NEW YORK: Jie Zheng of China celebrates a point against Venus Williams of the United States of America during their womanís singles second round match at the US Open. — AFP

Karlovic sends Blake into retirement NEW YORK: Former world number four James Blake’s tennis career came to an emotional end after 14 years yesterday at the US Open with a standing ovation after a first-round loss to Ivo Karlovic. “That ovation makes me realize everything I did, every bit of hard work was worth it,” Blake said.

The 33-year-old American, who announced Monday this would be his farewell event, had fallen to 100th in the rankings and was far from the level that saw him reach the last eight on the Flushing Meadows hardcourts in 2005 and 2006.

But having defied the odds by overcoming scoliosis as a child and Zoster, a condition that attacked his hearing and eyesight and nearly paralyzed his face, Blake called it quits on his own terms before homeland fans who inspired him.

“I don’t know when it’s going to hit me,” Blake told the crowd at Louis Armstrong Stadium after the 79th-ranked Croatian beat him 6-7 (2/7), 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/2).

“It’s after midnight and you stayed to watch. I’m never going to have this again in my life and I need to appreicate every single one of you for being here. It will never be forgotten. I’ll take in every memory I’ve ever had here.”

The former Harlem youth who snuck into such US Open night sessions became an inspiration for younger African-American players. “It has been a long road. I’m at the same venue but I’m not the same person,” Blake said. “I got up to four in the world. I did everything I could.”

Blake began his match Wednesday on the 50th anniversary of the famed “I Have a Dream” speech by Martin Luther Knig Jr., a landmark US civil rights moment. —AFP

NEW YORK: Defending champion Andy Murray put on a US Open late Wednesday night special, taking out his frustrations with the chaos-causing rain and event schedulers but two-time winner Venus Williams slipped to defeat.

Third-seeded Murray, who snapped Britain’s 76-year wait for a men’s Grand Slam champion when he triumphed in New York last year, needed just 98 minutes to get past 33-year-old Frenchman Michael Llodra, 6-2, 6-4, 6-3. But his match only got underway at 9:55 p.m. (0155GMT) — the third-latest start for a US Open night session-after a four-hour rain suspension earlier in the day.

That delay was compounded when 2009 champion Juan Martin del Potro and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez battled out a fourhour, 13-minute dogfight on the same Arthur Ashe Stadium, which the Argentine sixth seed won 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 7-6 (9/7).

“I think playing at that time for your first round is not ideal,” said Murray, who hit 34 winners against just five unforced errors to book a match with Argentina’s Leonardo Mayer for a place in the last 32.

“It’s not whether it’s me, it’s anyone. Just because I won last year, it’s nothing to do with that. It’s just more for the guys that have to play this evening, and you have guys that have two days off between matches.”

Amongst Murray’s leading rivals for the title, Rafael Nadal completed his first round match on Monday, 48 hours earlier, while top seed Novak Djokovic and five-time winner Roger Federer both wrapped up their openers on Tuesday. Del Potro and Garcia-Lopez had provided the earlier spice for the Murray headliner when they exchanged angry words over the number of injury timeouts that the Spaniard was taking.

“I just asked about the medical timeout because I didn’t know how many or how long. He explained to me then the chair umpire also, and that’s it,” said Del Potro diplomatically.

Del Potro, beaten by Djokovic in the longest Wimbledon semi-final of all time last month, goes on to face 2001 champion Lleyton Hewitt, who saw off Brian Baker 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. Williams, the US Open champion in 2000 and 2001 and a seven-time Grand Slam singles title winner, went down in a

NEW YORK: Andy Murray of Great Britain tosses the ball in the air to serve during his men’s singles first round match against Michael Llodra of France on Day Three of the 2013 US Open. — AFP three-hour, second-round clash to tenacious Chinese player Zheng Jie. Two-time major semi-finalist Zheng advanced to a third round clash against Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro by outlasting the American 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (7/5) in a victory she called “unbelievable.”

At three hours and two minutes, it was the joint fifth-longest women’s singles match in US Open history. “I didn’t realize the clock was at three hours until the end. I was like, Wow, this is a marathon,” said 33-year-old Williams. As a result of Wednesday’s downpours, organizers postponed eight women’s second-round singles matches and 20 doubles matches until Thursday.

One of those held over was the secondround clash between reigning women’s champion Serena Williams, chasing a fifth US Open title, and Galina Voskoboeva of Kazakhstan.

The rain meant that some matches that started at 11 a.m. were being completed as darkness fell with Indian qualifier Somdev Devvarman defeating Lukas Lacko of Slovakia, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 in a tie spread out over eight hours.

Agnieszka Radwanska and Li Na managed

to beat the rain to reach the third round.

Third-seeded Radwanska defeated Spanish world number 103 Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor, 6-0, 7-5 while Li, the Chinese fifth seed, beat 100th-ranked Swede Sofia Arvidsson 6-2, 6-2.

Radwanska, who has never got beyond the fourth round, next plays Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Li, playing in her 30th Grand Slam and a New York quarterfinalist in 2009, will next face 30th seed Laura Robson in a rematch of their clash 12 months ago, which the British player won.

Robson defeated France’s Caroline Garcia 6-4, 7-6 (7/5) to book her third round slot.

Amongst men’s seeds heading for the exit were Italian 16th seed Fabio Fognini, who lost 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 to Rajeev Ram of the United States.

Jurgen Melzer, the 29th-seeded Austrian, who captured the Winston-Salem title at the weekend, slumped 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) to Russia’s Evgeny Donskoy while Alex Bogomolov of Russia sent French 24th seed Benoit Paire packing with a 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (7/5) win. Croatian qualifier Ivo Karlovic placed America’s James Blake into retirement with a 6-7 (2/7), 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/2) win. —AFP

Sports FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

Preview

Bayern and Chelsea all set for grudge match

Kenwyne Jones

Ameobi brothers save Newcastle LONDON: Brothers Shola and Sammy Ameobi left it late to score the goals that saw Premier League Newcastle to a 2-0 League Cup second-round win at Morecambe on Wednesday.

It was a first win of the season for Magpies manager Alan Pardew, whose side set up a home tie with Leeds. Everton had to come from behind to see off lower league Stevenage 2-1.

Luke Freeman put the visitors ahead in the 36th minute before on-loan Barcelona prospect Gerard Deulofeu managed to equalise on the stroke of half-time, but the Toffees were unable to stop the match going to extra-time.

Marouane Fellaini’s goal five minutes from the end of extra time saw Everton to victory-manager Roberto Martinez’s first win at Goodison Park. Elsewhere Kenwyne Jones’s scored a hat-trick as Stoke saw off third tier League One side Walsall 31, Aston Villa defeated Rotherham 3-0 thanks to goals from Andreas Weimann, Christian Benteke and Fabian Delph.

Meanwhile goals from Nicky Maynard and Rudy Gestede saw 2012 finalists Cardiff to a 2-0 win at Accrington. — AFP

PRAGUE: Champions League winners Bayern Munich and Europa League holders Chelsea meet in the European Super Cup today with the usually relaxed atmosphere surrounding the match spiced up as there are several scores to be settled.

Bayern still feel they should have won the Champions League a year earlier only to be beaten by Chelsea on penalties-even worse for the Germans was it came at their stadium, the Allianz Arena.

Chelsea’s manager at the time Roberto di Matteo is no longer there - he was sacked only a few months later and his replacement Rafael Benitez salvaged something from the season in landing the Europa League. The present incumbent Jose Mourinho - Benitez’ spell as caretaker manager ended at the end of last season will be eager to put one over Bayern’s coach Pep Guardiola, his nemesis from his days in Spain.

Barcelona under Guardiola outshone Mourinho’s Real Madrid, and the latter’s largely unhappy reign there came to an end at the end of last season.

That left the self-anointed ‘Special One’ needing to prove he has not lost his touch at delivering trophies, and where better to start than by beating his old rival in the process.

Guardiola for his part took a year out stepping aside after Real ended Barcelona’s reign as champions in 2012 and returned refreshed to take over a Bayern side that last season under Jupp Heynckes became the first German club to win the domestic double and the Champions League.

Guardiola, though, can deliver something that Bayern coaches have not managed and win the Super Cup after the club failed to do so on three previous occasions.

“It’s a unique chance for us players to win this trophy,” said Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. “It’s a final, and a match

Bayern Munich’s Spanish head coach Pep Guardiola reacts in this file photo. — AFP against the Europa League winners, and ing a 4-1-4-1 system which meant the that’s Chelsea. “We still have something to defensive midfield partnership of Bastian clear with them, and take revenge, so Schweinsteiger and Javi Martinez, arguably hopefully we can win in Prague.” Mourinho the strongest in Europe last season, was for his part has never lifted the Super Cup split up.

While Bayern have garnered 10 points but if he succeeds this time round it will give Chelsea their second Super Cup, with from their first four league games, they are yet to put in a truly convincing disthe club having previously won it in 1998.

Mourinho, who has restored John Terry play under Guardiola’s new system, to the starting line-up after he lost his auto- despite enjoying more than 75% possesmatic first-choice status under Benitez, has sion in some games. Schweinsteiger, who pointed to the pressure Guardiola is under faces a race to be fit after spraining his to at least match last season’s historic right ankle in Tuesday’s 1-1 league draw at Freiburg, has been used as the single achievements.

“The team of Jupp Heynckes was the holding midfielder, but the new system strongest team in Europe last season, for means gaps often appear between sure. And this season they are the same defence and midfield.

With playmaker Thiago Alcantara, who team, with three new players, all of them good, with a new manager, also good,” he cost Bayern 25 million euros from said. “Normally they have to be better this Barcelona last month, out injured, season than they were in the previous Guardiola is likely to start with Mario Goetze and Toni Kroos in the central midseason.”

Guardiola has made many changes field roles flanked by wingers Arjen since he came in, most notably by impos- Robben and Franck Ribery. — AFP

Bayern paired with City, stiff test awaits Arsenal Barcelona, Milan face off in Champions League PARIS: Reigning European champions Bayern Munich were paired with Manchester City for this season’s Champions League group stage, while the draw was particularly unkind for Arsenal and Celtic. The draw, made in Monaco yesterday evening, threw up several mouthwatering ties as well as bringing together plenty familiar foes.

Under Pep Guardiola, Bayern are looking to become the first club to retain the European Cup in the Champions League era. They were drawn in Group D along with Manchester City, the Premier League giants who previously faced the Bavarians in the 2011-12 competition. On that occasion, City finished bottom of their section while Bayern went all the way to the final, and Roberto Mancini’s side also failed to progress from their group last season.

This time, though, City are expected to pose a greater threat under Chilean coach Manuel Pellegrini, who has taken

Villarreal and Malaga to the latter stages in the past and came up against Guardiola’s Barcelona when in charge of Real Madrid in 2009-10. Those two clubs are likely to fight it out for first place in a group that also contains Russian champions CSKA Moscow and Czech club Viktoria Plzen. The draw was even kinder to 2012 European champions Chelsea.

The Blues will face Bundesliga club Schalke, 1986 European Cup winners Steaua Bucharest and FC Basel, who lost to Chelsea in the Europa League semifinals last season, in Group E. David Moyes, though, will not be taking the opposition lightly in what will be his first Champions League campaign at the helm of Manchester United. The English champions will be favorites to qualify for the last 16 from Group A but they must still face Ukraine’s Shakhtar Donetsk, Spanish outfit Real Sociedad and Bayer Leverkusen. The German side

beat United in the 2002 semi-finals and are now coached by former Liverpool defender Sami Hyypia.

Arsenal came off the worst of all, the English contenders in a Group F that contains last season’s runners-up Borussia Dortmund, Marseille and Napoli. The Gunners faced Dortmund and Marseille in the group stage two seasons ago, but will be especially wary of Napoli, whose coach Rafael Benitez is a specialist at this level and who, in Gonzalo Higuain, boast a striker that might have joined Arsenal earlier this summer. Group H is bustling with history, as Barcelona, AC Milan, Ajax and Celtic - with 16 European Cups between them - come together.

This will be third consecutive season in which Barca and Milan have met but, remarkably, the Catalans and Ajax - united by their links to Johan Cruyff have never faced each other in a competitive game. Celtic beat Barcelona in last sea-

son’s competition but their manager Neil Lennon knows the size of task that lies before the Scottish champions. “I think it’s the best and the worst draw we could’ve got,” Lennon told Sky Sports News. “In terms of glamour I don’t think it comes any better than Barca, Milan and Ajax, but in terms of football it doesn’t come any harder.”

Elsewhere, Real Madrid face Juventus, Galatasaray and FC Copenhagen in Group B. As a result, new Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti will come up against the Serie A champions, whom he coached between 1999 and 2001. Paris Saint-Germain will expect to advance from Group C, which also contains Benfica, Olympiakos of Greece and Belgian champions Anderlecht, while Porto, Atletico Madrid, Zenit St Petersburg and Austria Vienna meet in Group G. The opening round of group games will be played on September 17 and 18. — AFP

Sports FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

PSG’s slow start coincides with Ibrahimovic’s drought PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain’s slow start in the French league coincides with Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s goal drought. Ibrahimovic was the French league’s top scorer when PSG won the championship last season, with a career-high 30 goals, and the whole team was built around him under former coach Carlo Ancelotti. But he has yet to score so far and PSG has labored to two scrappy draws and a hard-fought win last weekend at Nantes under coach Laurent Blanc. “I hope it’s the first of a long series of wins,” Blanc said. “In key moments of games we’re not doing what we should be doing or we don’t have the lucidity to do so.”

The big spenders are in eighth place and four points behind leader Marseille heading into a match against newly-promoted Guingamp tomorrow.

Marseille will be looking for its fourth straight win when it hosts second-place Monaco on Sunday. In PSG’s opening match, it scraped a point against 10-man Montpellier and then needed a late goal to salvage a point at home against Ajaccio before grinding out a 2-1 victory

at Nantes, despite fielding four players each costing more than 40 million euros ($52.5 million).

Hardly the kind of form that is going to send a message across Europe that PSG is going to become - as it hopes - a Champions League contender.

“I don’t think the players are at their best yet, physically,” Blanc said. “Every match should bring us closer to the level of physical fitness we need. It will come, that’s for sure.” Part of PSG’s problem may be that it’s no longer just about Ibrahimovic.

PSG signed Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani to a five-year contract for 64 million euros ($84 million) in the fifth most expensive transfer in history. But the potentially mouthwatering partnership has yet to click. “We have to find the balance,” Blanc said. “We can’t play with all the attacking players we have in our squad. It’s down to us to find the right system and there is also competition for places.” Playing two of the best strikers in the world together sounds easy, and Cavani has made a decent start with two

goals. But Blanc has yet to find the best way to play them together.

Ibrahimovic is a center forward who likes to drop back into a provider’s role, meaning that he moves into the space that Cavani needs to make his runs from deep or from off the flanks.

Blanc would ideally like Ibrahimovic to stay more central, but he showed last season that on the football field he more or less does what and goes where he wants. Marseille does not have PSG’s riches but it has a level of teamwork and understanding that PSG craves. Coach Elie Baup did well on limited resources to secure a second-place finish last season and the team has picked up where it left off. Striker Andre-Pierre Gignac - once so portly that he was nicknamed “Big Mac Gignac” and mocked by fans for his love of junk food - looks fitter than in the past and has scored in every game so far.

Marseille has scored six goals and conceded one, showing that the defense, and particularly goalkeeper Steve Mandanda, are in fine form.

Meanwhile, Lyon needs to bounce

back from its Champions League setback with a win at Evian. Lyon lost at Real Sociedad 2-0 on Wednesday and 4-0 on aggregate, failing to make the group stage of the competition it used to qualify for so easily.

Lyon needs the money and failure to qualify will doubtless impact on the remaining few days of the transfer window. President Jean-Michel Aulas is desperate to sell striker Bafetimbi Gomis with Premier League club Newcastle eager to sign him - but the striker refuses to go and has been banished from the first team.

After selling striker Lisandro Lopez, Lyon played against Sociedad without a recognized center forward and the situation bordered on the absurd with Gomis tweeting during the match that he was having dinner with his girlfriend in a restaurant. Also Saturday, it’s: Bastia vs.

Toulouse; Lorient vs. Valenciennes; Reims vs. Nantes; Rennes vs. Lille; and Sochaux vs. Ajaccio. Saint-Etienne hosts Bordeaux and Nice faces Montpellier in Sunday’s other games. — AP

Barca win Super Cup

Stefan Kiessling

Bundesliga rivals seek advantage Bayern slip BERLIN: Bayern Munich’s rivals hope to capitalize on the defending champion’s first slip of the season in the Bundesliga. With an eye on today’s European Super Cup against Chelsea in Monaco, Bayern rested several regulars in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw at home against Freiburg, dropping its first points in four games. Bayer Leverkusen can take advantage if it maintains its winning start at Schalke tomorrow, while Borussia Dortmund can do likewise at Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.

Such is the top three’s strength compared to the rest that any dropped points could prove significant. Bayern only dropped points five times last season. Mainz will be hoping to maintain its surprising 100 percent record at Hannover on Saturday. Leverkusen has made arguably the most impressive start - well-organized in defense and dangerous up front, where Stefan Kiessling and Sidney Sam have five goals between them.

Schalke has conceded nine and has only one point from three games. “We won’t get far with scaredy-cat football. We have to talk less and deliver more,” Schalke midfielder Julian Draxler said.

The pressure on Schalke coach Jens Keller alleviated slightly on Tuesday, when his side won 3-2 at Greek side PAOK Thessaloniki to advance to the Champions League 4-3 on aggregate.

“It’s an important successful experience for the team and I think that they will take something positive from it for the coming games,” Keller said. Defenders Benedikt Hoewedes and Christian Fuchs are both suspended after being sent off in the 2-1 loss at Hannover last weekend, meaning Germany left back Dennis Aogo is likely to start following his switch Wednesday from Hamburger SV. Dortmund labored to beat Werder Bremen 1-0 last weekend and faces a Frankfurt side relieved after beating promoted Eintracht Braunschweig for its first points of the season last week. Unbeaten Hertha Berlin hopes to continue its best start to a Bundesliga season at Wolfsburg on Saturday. “Wolfsburg are the best quality opponents up to now,” Hertha coach Jos Luhukay said. —AP

BARCELONA: Lionel Messi missed a late penalty attempt before Barcelona clinched the Spanish Super Cup despite being held to a 0-0 draw by 10-man Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.

Messi had a chance to put the result beyond doubt in 89th but fired his penalty kick off the crossbar to finish a forgettable night for the Argentina star. Barcelona eventually claimed the trophy on away goals following the 1-1 draw in the opening leg last week.

Atletico’s disciplined defense stifled a Barcelona’s attack featuring Neymar making his first starting appearance for his new club. And the visitors enjoyed the best scoring opportunities - other than Messi’s penalty attempt - but weren’t able to get the critical goal, mainly because of Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes.

Atletico’s chances were hurt in the 81st when Filipe Luis was given a red card for apparently hitting Dani Alves. The scoreless draw meant Neymar’s first-leg goal was the difference.

“I’m happy with the title. Whenever there is a title in play what counts is winning it,” Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino said. “But as far as the team goes, I want to see more. Above all in these types of games, we need to find more precision and the ability to create more spaces.”

Messi was back for Barcelona after missing one game due to a left thigh injury sustained in the opening Super Cup match last week. But the four-time world player of the year was not his usual dynamic self, lacking his spark and finishing touch. He uncharacteristically scuffed a close-range shot off a pass from Sergio Busquets to start his off night.

Martino gave Neymar his first start in his fourth official game for Barcelona since his €57-million move from Santos in June.

Messi and Neymar had only previously been on the pitch together for seven minutes because Martino said he wanted to ease the 21-year-old Brazil striker into his new team. But those eager to see the two together were disappointed. While Messi

SPAIN: Barcelona football players celebrate their victory at the end of the Spanish Super Cup second leg football match against Atletico Madrid at the Camp Nou stadium. — AFP was below par, Neymar wasn’t able to exploit his speed and dribbling against Atletico’s physical defense.

“I think that individually they both played well,” Martino said of the pair. “It’s true they didn’t find one another or combine much. With Neymar playing on the left and Messi tending to move out to the right, they are far away. But I don’t doubt they will find each other.”

Barcelona may have increased its record of Spanish Super Cups contested between the league and Copa del Rey champions to 11, but its performance over both legs only raised questions of its transition under Martino since July.

Atletico, meanwhile, kept building on its good start to the Spanish league and its preparations for a return to the Champions League.

“We played both games very well,” said Atletico coach Diego Simeone, who guided his team to the Copa last May. “We had more chances than they did. I am very proud of my players because we were competitive across both legs with Barcelona, which is the best team in the world.” Atletico’s plan to relinquish the

ball and look to hit on the break worked in the first half. Diego Costa produced Atletico’s first chance on goal in the 35th when he passed for David Villa to set up Jorge “Koke” Resurreccion, only for the young midfielder to weakly shoot into the Valdes’ arms.

Atletico missed another chance to go ahead in the 42nd when Arda Turan drew an excellent save from Valdes. Needing to score to offset Barcelona’s away-goal advantage, Atletico dictated the pace early in the second half and shifted the action to Barcelona’s area. Valdes was called upon to make another one-armed save to keep out Villa’s curling effort in the 56th.

Martino sent Pedro Rodriguez on in the 65th to lift his team, and even though Neymar wasted Dani Alves’ cross minutes later, the Spanish champions regained control.

Barcelona was further helped when Filipe Luis was sent off, and Pedro appeared to have given Messi the opportunity to ensure the trophy when he earned a foul in the box from Miranda. But Messi struck his spot kick off the woodwork to the shock of the home fans. — AP

Sports FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

Napoli’s ‘3 Tenors’ lead title charge ROME: For Napoli, it’s down to the last of the “Three Tenors” to revive the glory of Diego Maradona’s former club. And so far, through only one round, Marek Hamsik looks up to the task.

Hamsik scored twice when Napoli opened with a 3-0 win over Bologna last weekend as the southern squad showed it could be the biggest threat toward derailing Juventus’ attempt at a third consecutive title. Napoli’s only Serie A championships came with Maradona leading the way in 1987 and 1990. Along with Ezequiel Lavezzi and Edinson Cavani, Hamsik was once one third of Napoli’s feared “Three Tenors” attack. But Lavezzi left for Paris Saint-Germain a year ago, Cavani followed this past offseason and now only Hamsik is left.

“I feel at home here,” Hamsik said. “I get along well with the fans, I like the city and I don’t have any desire to change.” Fortunately for Hamsik, recent months have brought more changes than simply teammates departing. When Walter Mazzarri, Napoli’s coach for the past four seasons, departed for Inter Milan, former Valencia, Liverpool and Chelsea manager Rafa Benitez was hired as a replacement.

And Gonzalo Higuain, the Argentina international who scored more than 100 goals over the past seven seasons at Real Madrid, was brought in to join Hamsik in attack.

Another striker from Madrid, Jose Maria Callejon, also joined Napoli and scored the first goal against Bologna. With Cavani sold for 64 million euros ($85 million), the raid on Madrid also included Spain international Raul Albiol, who replaced captain Paolo Cannavaro at the heart of Napoli’s defense against Bologna.

Napoli finished second to Juventus last season, nine points behind, and believes it can close the gap this campaign. “Juventus remains the title favorite but we’re focused on our season. We want to win something this year,” Hamsik said. Benitez has coached in Italy before, at Inter for the first half of the 2010-11 season, and his style represents a sharp change from Mazzarri’s three-man defense and focus on the counterattack. “We play more with the ball more now and I’m positioned further forward than last season,” Hamsik said. Benitez likes to have a group of five or six midfielders and forwards who can attack the goal at any time.

“Any result is possible,” Benitez said. “Of course we’re only at the start and it’s going to be a long road full of surprises but the groundwork is there to do well.” Next up for Napoli is a visit to Chievo Verona on Saturday, with Higuain expected to play despite requiring eight stitches to his face after cutting himself on rocks during an errant dive off the island of Capri on Monday.

In tomorrow’s other match, Juventus hosts Lazio in a rematch of the Super Cup that Juve won 4-0 two weeks ago. Juventus opened Serie A with a 1-0 win at Sampdoria, with Carlos Tevez scoring in his Italian league debut. On Sunday, AC Milan attempts to bounce back from its stunning 2-1 loss to promoted Hellas Verona when it hosts Cagliari.

Milan allowed two headed goals from Luca Toni last weekend but looked to have improved in Wednesday’s 3-0 win over PSV Eindhoven to qualify for the Champions League. —AP

Ukraine plays Russian anthem for champion KIEV: The Ukrainian organisers of the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Kiev were left red-faced yesterday after mistakenly playing the Russian national anthem to celebrate the victory of a Ukrainian gymnast.

Ukrainian Ganna Rizatdinova, who won gold in the individual hoop in the first day of competition Wednesday, started to sing the words to the anthem on top of the podium when she realised that that music was that of the anthem of Russia, not Ukraine. A brief confused smile on the athlete’s face was replaced by indignation as the hall of the Kiev Palace of Sports erupted with the jeers and catcalls of disgruntled Ukrainians.

Championship organisers switched on the right track a few seconds later and the Ukrainian anthem was played out at full volume. Ukrainian state TV said it had been planned to use the Russian anthem for the winner of the individual ball competition, which a Russian athlete had won.

“I was so upset and even a little bit offended... Moreover, it was at home. What’s going on?” an indignant Rizatdinova was quoted by media as saying. “People are not accustomed to the victories of Ukraine. “I can explain this situation only in such a way. All the gold is usually taken by the Russians and their flag is raised much more often.”

Ukrainian nationalists regard the music to the Russian national anthem with particular disdain as they associate it with Sovietera-oppression. After a different tune was used following the fall of the USSR, President Vladimir Putin when he came to power decreed that Russia’s national anthem should use the same music as the Soviet national anthem. — AFP

Photo of the day

Competitor performs at the Red Bull Olabillop in Bergen, Norway

— www.redbull.com

Barcelona, Real face questions about form BARCELONA: Barcelona and Real Madrid both face matches against tough Spanish league rivals on Sunday after a pair of lackluster performances.

Barcelona visits Valencia after winning the Spanish Super Cup on Wednesday despite being outplayed by Atletico Madrid in a 0-0 home draw in which Lionel Messi missed a late penalty. Madrid has pulled out two uninspiring wins by a one-goal margin to start the season and hosts an Athletic Bilbao side that has also proved perfect through the opening two rounds.

Also, Real Sociedad hosts Atletico Madrid in a meeting of Spain’s other two Champions League sides.

Barcelona started the season with a 7-0 thrashing of Levante. But since then it has had a 1-0 win at Malaga and two draws with Atletico that have raised doubts about its form under new coach Gerardo Martino. Not even new signing Neymar playing all 90 minutes could help Barcelona break through Atletico’s disciplined defense Wednesday.

“We have to improve the circulation of the ball, be faster, try to find more spaces so we can score,” Barcelona defender Gerard Pique said. “We will do it. Our attitude is good. Against Valencia we have to show our best version to take the three points.”

Questions of Messi’s fitness have yet to go away either. The Argentina forward has already sustained two minor muscle injuries in recent weeks after missing several games at the end of last season due to a hamstring pull.

Messi played the entire game against Atletico, but was lacking his usual spark and deadly finishing touch.

Valencia coach Miroslav Djukic scolded

his players after last week’s bad loss at Espanyol. It will be interesting to see if they respond with an energized effort at home on Sunday or if this is the beginning of a split between the squad and staff.

Valencia bolstered its humdrum attack by signing striker Dorlan Pabon this week. Madrid hosts Bilbao amid two ongoing sagas that are coming to a head. For several days, Madrid has been expected to complete a blockbuster deal with Tottenham to secure the transfer of Wales forward Gareth Bale.

The transfer window closes on Monday night. The other major distraction is Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti’s decision to keep Diego Lopez as a starter and Spain captain Iker Casillas as the team’s backup. That move was first made by

former coach Jose Mourinho last season and has been a target for criticism by Madrid fans and the Spanish media ever since. Bilbao manager Ernesto Valverde has helped the Basque team tighten up its defense from last season when under Marcelo Bielsa it was shredded again and again by rivals.

It will have to keep Cristiano Ronaldo in check with the Portugal forward eager to score his first Madrid goal of the campaign.

Sociedad earned a spot in the group stage of the Champions League by beating Lyon 2-0 Wednesday to eliminate the French side 4-0 on aggregate.

Carlos Vela scored both goals for Sociedad in the second leg, giving the forward four goals in as many games this season. —AP

Barcelona’s Argentinian forward Lionel Messi

FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

Barca win Super Cup Page 46

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MONACO: French player Franck Ribery poses with his ‘UEFA Best Player in Europe 2012/2013 Award’ just after receiving it, yesterday. —AFP

Barca, Milan face off in Champions League PAGE 45