25th Sep 2013

CR IP TI ON BS SU

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

Clashes and attacks kill 25 in Iraq

Kenya Mall siege ‘over’; 5 gunmen dead, 11 arrested

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150 FILS

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www.kuwaittimes.net

THULQADA 19, 1434 AH

Shale oil poses threat to Gulf crude exports

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Venus Williams beats Azarenka, books last 16

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Pakistan quake kills 46, creates new island Tremors rock Dubai, Ahmedabad, New Delhi

Max 41º Min 26º High Tide 02:23 & 16:14 Low Tide 09:38 & 21:35

QUETTA: A major earthquake hit a remote part of western Pakistan yesterday, killing at least 46 people and prompting a new island to rise from the sea just off the country’s southern coast. The United States Geological Survey said the 7.7 magnitude quake struck 145 miles southeast of Dalbandin in Pakistan’s quake-prone province of Baluchistan, which borders Iran. The earthquake was so powerful that it caused the seabed to rise and create a small, mountain-like island about 600 meters off Pakistan’s Gwadar coastline in the Arabian Sea. Officials said the quake, which struck at 4:29 pm (1129 GMT), demolished dozens of houses in Awaran, 350 kilometers southwest of the Baluchistan provincial capital Quetta. Its epicenter was 20 kilometers below ground. The area is sparsely populated and most buildings are mud-built. But the US Geological Survey issued a red alert, warning that heavy casualties were likely based on past data.

Asad Gilani, one of the most senior officials in the Baluchistan administration said that at least 46 people had been confirmed killed and 100 injured in the quake.

“A large number of houses have collapsed in the area and we fear the death toll may rise,” said Rafiq Lassi, police chief for Awaran district. The provincial government declared an emergency in Awaran and the military mobilized medical teams as well as 200 soldiers and paramilitary troops to help with the immediate relief effort.

“We have received reports that many homes in Awaran district have collapsed. We fear many deaths,” Jan Muhammad Baledi, a spokesman for the Continued on Page 15

NEW YORK: US President Barack Obama (left) addresses the UN General Assembly yesterday in New York City. (Inset) President Barack Obama (left) greets Jordan’s King Abdullah II Bin Al Hussein as UN’s Ban Ki-moon (center) gestures during a luncheon at United Nations headquarters. —AP

‘Stop fuelling Syria bloodshed’ Israel bleak as Obama test ‘diplomatic path’ with Iran UNITED NATIONS: US President Barack Obama told the UN General Assembly yesterday that he is ready to test a difficult “diplomatic path” with Iran’s new government despite concerns over its nuclear program. Amid intense speculation that Obama could meet Iranian counterpart Hassan Rowhani here at the assembly, the US leader devoted much of his speech to the UN summit to overtures to the new Tehran leadership.

Rowhani was to speak to the assembly later.

Obama said “Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons” would be a US foreign policy priority and stressed that

“mistrust has deep roots” between the United States and Iran. The United States ended diplomatic relations with Iran in 1980 in the stormy aftermath of the Islamic Revolution. Rivalry has heightened since then, with the United States leading the sanctions drive stemming from western accusations that Iran is trying to develop a nuclear bomb.

“I don’t believe this difficult history can be overcome overnight - the suspicion runs too deep. But I do believe that if we can resolve the issue of Iran’s nuclear program, that can serve as a major step down a long

Kuwait suspends 5 Muslim preachers

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Kuwait’s MPs accord housing ‘top priority’

By B Izzak KUWAIT: An informal meeting attended by 36 lawmakers yesterday decided that the housing crisis in the country, where families wait for as long as 15 years to get a home, must be accorded top priority in the National Assembly’s next term starting late next month. Assembly speaker Marzouk Al-Ghanim said after the meeting that the decision will not become official until after the National Assembly upholds the informal decision taken yesterday when it opens the new term on October 29.

Ghanim said the National Assembly should utilize its legislative and monitoring powers to help in resolving the housing crisis under which more than 107,000 families are on the waiting list for government houses and the number is increasing by around 9,000 new families every year.

Despite repeated promises to resolve the crisis, the government has failed to meet rising demand for houses over a variety of reasons, topped by a lack of enough land for housing - mainly as a result of allocating most of the country’s territory for oil exploration and production. The Assembly’s decision came after conducting a poll which showed that Kuwaitis overwhelmingly want that housing should be given top priority by their elected representatives.

Ghanim said, according the top priority to housing does not mean that MPs could ignore other important issues. He also called on the government to pay greater attention to housing. The speaker said that MPs look forward to provide the government with a new strategy to resolve the problem that includes a roadmap and targets that can be achieved within a defined timetable.

Ghanim said that MPs have demanded more coordination with the government and that there should be a parliamentary committee to tackle the issue of housing.

A number of MPs who attended the meeting however said they were not very optimistic about the government ability and willingness to resolve the problem. The lawmakers urged the government to release more land for housing purposes and also called for breaking the oil company’s monopoly over 80 percent of Kuwait’s territory.

The focus over housing problem came after two youth groups launched two online campaigns to press the government and MPs to accord priority to speed up government plans to build homes for citizens. Nater Bait and Watab Beleejar campaigns have been urging Kuwaiti families waiting their turn for a house to participate in their activities to press the government to accelerate its plans.

Continued on Page 15

road towards a different relationship - one based on mutual interests and mutual respect.” Obama said he had written to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Rowhani saying that the United States was “determined to prevent them from developing a nuclear weapon” but that it did not want “regime change”.

Noting that Rowhani has said Iran will “never” build a nuclear bomb, Obama said there was a basis for “a meaningful agreement.”

Continued on Page 15

AP

Qatar loses clout in Middle East politics Saudi ‘worst on women’s issues’ WASHINGTON: Saudi Arabia tops the list of countries for laws that limit women’s economic potential, while South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa have made the least progress over the last 50 years in improving women’s economic opportunities, a report issued yesterday said. In the last half century, women’s rights worldwide have improved significantly and yet in almost 90 percent of the 143 countries surveyed in the World Bank study, at least one law remains on the books to bar women from certain jobs, opening a bank account, accessing capital or making independent decisions.

Twenty-eight countries make 10 or more legal distinctions between the rights of men and women, and half of these countries are in the Middle East and North Africa, followed by 11 in sub-Saharan Africa, it said. The World Bank report shows that when there is a gender gap in legal rights, fewer women own their businesses and income inequality is greatest, a finding that offers fresh insight on the impact that reducing barriers to women’s economic opportunities could have on reducing world poverty.

“When women and men participate in economic life on an equal footing, they can contribute their energies to building a more cohesive society and more resilient economy,” said World Bank President Jim Yong Kim in releasing the report, Women Business and the Law. Kim has set as a World Bank priority ending extreme poverty by 2030.

Continued on Page 15

DUBAI: Three months after a new Emir stepped in, Qatar’s political clout has shrunk following the ouster of Egypt’s Islamist president and with Riyadh emerging as the Syrian opposition’s main backer, analysts say. Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, the youngest Arab head of state, succeeded his father Sheikh Hamad who abdicated on June 25.

It was a surprise move, especially coming at a time when the energy-rich Gulf state appeared to be at the peak of its political influence in the Arab world. Just

a week later, Egypt’s army ousted president Mohamed Morsi and began a crackdown on his Muslim Brotherhood party and supporters. “The collapse of the power of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt triggered the countdown for the end of Qatar’s influence,” said Antoine Basbous, head of the Paris-based Observatory of Arab Countries.

“This has negatively impacted the Islamists in Tunisia and militias close to the Muslim Brotherhood in Libya,” he said.

Continued on Page 15

DOHA: Skyscrapers tower along the Corniche in the Qatari capital Doha. Three months after a new Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani stepped in, Qatar’s political clout has shrunk following the ouster of Egypt’s Islamist president and with Riyadh emerging as the Syrian opposition’s main backer. — AFP

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

LOCAL

Discussions continue on GCC security agreement

By A Saleh

Premier receives students delegation UNITED NATIONS: His Highness the Prime Minister of Kuwait Sheikh Jaber Mubarak AlHamad Al-Sabah met at the Permanent Mission of the State of Kuwait to the UN President of the National Union of Kuwaiti Students (NUKS)-US Branch Saad Al-Zamel and a host of its senior members.

“Kuwait spares no effort in taking care of its citizens and removing all obstacles facing them in order to prepare them to shoulder their responsibilities in continuing the journey commenced by our forefathers in attaining the dream of a modern country,” HH the prime min-

ister noted during the meeting.

“Out of its keenness, the Government established the Ministry of Youth. The youth are the country’s effective factor and should take the responsibility of construction and development ...,” he added. In this regard, HH the prime minister pointed that the government made an unprecedented step when it assigned senior positions for the youth.

Describing the relation between the executive and legislative branches as “distinguished,” HH Sheikh Jaber said that cooperation between them would positively reflect on the country’s

development plans and executing them in a sound manner.

“Rumors circling recently are of great harm to the interest of the country, and because of it, many development projects were delayed,” HH the prime minister underlined, urging at the same time the youth to shield themselves from rumors. He said that the housing issue was of the Government’s utmost priorities. At the end, HH the prime minister urged students to carry on with their studies to comeback with the knowledge needed to contribute in building the modern country aspired for. — KUNA

KUWAIT: MP Khalil Al-Saleh urged the parliamentary foreign affairs committee not to rush its report on the GCC security agreement until they ensured it matched Kuwait’s constitutional regulations. AlSaleh also told reporters that the agreement would be discussed today and that all security-related bodies should be invited to the meeting, namely the ministers of foreign affairs and interior. He also wondered why it took the government so long to endorse it if it did not contradict the Constitution. “ This treaty includes disastrous articles”, he underlined reminding that until last May when some of its articles were amended, Kuwait was the only GCC country that did not sign the treaty approved in Riyadh in 1994 as some of its articles contradicted Kuwait’s Constitution.

MP Saleh Ashour proposed a bill calling for changing item No. 5 of Article 4 of the Citizenship Law that mandates giving Kuwaiti citizenship only to Muslims to allow granting citizenship to Christians. MP Osama Al-Tahous filed an inquiry asking Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled about Kuwait’s Embassy in Iraq receiving a letter about a Kuwaiti who had been a POW in Iraq since 1990.

He said that the letter allegedly included the man’s address in Kuwait and a medical report. In his inquiry, Al-Tahous asked whether the embassy actually received such a letter and what the embassy’s reaction to it was.

MP Riyadh Al-Adsani called for forming a special committee to investigate

the ‘millions bank deposits’ case in which a number of former lawmakers were accused of receiving millions from the former PM. “How can the bank accounts of some MPs jump overnight to include nine million dinars in balance when some of those MPs couldn’t prove how they got the money?”, he asked, noting that he has a copy of all the documents on this case from the state security department. He also said that the case involved 13 MPs and six MPs from the lot are members of the current parliament.

“How can lawmakers who received such money legislate? Those who paid them will control their performance in the parliament”, he underlined.

MP Adel Al-Kharafi proposed to hold a special conference to discuss traffic congestion problems with participation from Kuwait University, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, MPW, Kuwait municipality and the Interior Ministry.

“Kuwait is witnessing a traffic crisis and strict law enforcement is one of the solutions to this problem,” he said, elaborating that possible solutions also include changing the timings of schools, universities, institutes, hospitals and other establishments to avoid high traffic at the same rush hour. He also said that streets and roads should be widened.

MP Sultan Al-Shemmari urged the Interior Ministry, Ministry of Commerce and the municipality to close down cafes that are close to private residences and include separate lounges for men and women at all the cafes. He said that some cafes in Jahra and other areas have been “posing a threat to family values”.

School refuses to accept ‘learning difficulty’ boy Misleading enrollment procedure

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: With the advent of the new academic year, five-year-old Adam missed his first year at school because of a misleading enrollment procedure followed at one of the American curriculum schools in Kuwait. The child’s parents complained to the Kuwait Times about the application system in the new school which not only made their son lose his scholastic year but are also charging them KD 100 as assessment fees and refusing to return it despite refusing their ward admission at their school.

“My son is suffering from a learning difficulty and doesn’t talk much. We initially suspected that he could be suffering from autism but doctors said that he isn’t an autistic child but has a minor learning difficulty. The last doctor we consulted recommended that we send him to regular school,” Adam’s mother told the Kuwait Times.

Adam’s parents began to search for a suitable school for their son. “We want him to receive the best education possible and opted for this school since it has a reputation for providing a high quality of education. Other schools which refused to accept him didn’t charge us any fees at least. When I contacted this American curricu-

lum school and explained to them about my son, the person in charge said that it won’t be a problem and told me to fill the application online and pay KD 100 as assessment fees. After filling it and mentioning that my son is suffering from speech impediments, they emailed that my registration was complete and even gave me a student’s number for my son,” added the mother.

The application was submitted on August 20, 2013. The appointment date for the assessment was scheduled for September 10. “We were waiting for 20 days for the assessment. And when I asked the staff if there was a possibility my son not to be accepted based on their assessment, she said that they don’t refuse a student after he has registered online. She also told me that some students who were rejected were denied from the beginning before they paid their fees and didn’t receive a student’s number,” she pointed out.

“On the assessment day after the American teacher met Adam for about an hour, she told me that they can’t accept him. She said that he wasn’t interacting even when she showed him a picture of a cat and told him it was a cat. We then went to the Director, who said that he won’t be accepted. They don’t want to teach him

as they want students to be knowledgeable before being accepted at the school,” she further said.

The child missed the academic year and the fee was not refunded. “As we were waiting 20 days for the date of assessment, we didn’t apply at other schools because this school assured us that they would accept him. Now all the schools have closed registration and my son has to stay at home. They also refused to return the KD 100 we paid as fees and told us that it’s nor refundable though the school’s website didn’t mention this fact. I complained at the Consumer Protection Department, who told me that what they did was illegal and said that they will take action against the school and return our money to us,” explained the child’s mother.

The parents are now confused on what to do.

“A known doctor in Jordan told us that our son isn’t autistic but has some learning difficulties.

Schools for students with special needs won’t accept him because he’s normal and regular schools refuse to take him in because he doesn’t talk much. What do we do?”

Kuwait Times contacted the school a couple of times but they refused to comment on the issue.

Traffic responsible for infant’s death: Family KUWAIT: While local authorities denied what a senior official described as ‘baseless rumors’ regarding heavy traffic causing the death of an infant last Sunday, the baby’s family spoke with a local daily Monday and confirmed that the baby has indeed died on the way to the hospital.

Maj Gen Abdulfattah Al-Ali, the Assistant Undersecretary for Traffic Affairs at the Interior Ministry, was quoted Monday as he indicated that emergency operators did not receive a report about a baby dying on the same day the incident reportedly happened. His statements were made in response to comments on social networks which blamed the General

Traffic Department for failing to regulate traffic and allow an ambulance to reach the baby on time. But on Monday, a man who identified himself as the baby’s uncle explained that an ambulance was indeed not called to the house because the baby’s father had rushed him to the hospital instead. “The incident started in the morning when the baby’s mother went to check on him after sending her other children to school, but found him showing signs of suffocation”, Bashar Al-Dawood told Al-Rai. He added that his brother rushed back home after being learning about his son’s condition, then decided to take the 35-day-old to the hospital himself. “He thought that a few minutes trip

from his Rumaithiya house to the Mubarak Hospital is better than waiting for an ambulance to arrive, but did not know that a traffic jam was waiting for him”, he added.

According to Al-Dawood, the baby’s father drove along the Fahaheel Expressway and it took him 50 minutes to reach the hospital. The baby was pronounced dead soon afterwards.

“My brother was so caught up in the moment that making an emergency call did not come to his attention while he was praying for an opening amid the heavy traffic jam”, he said, before urging traffic officials to work on ending the traffic crisis “before it claims more innocent lives”.

Kuwait to host E-Government Forum KUWAIT: Conferencing & Exhibitions (NoufEXPO) is organizing the “EGovernment Forum: Recent Trends, Security Risks, and Implementation Challenges” in the period of Nov 11 13. The Forum shall be held under the patronage of the Prime Minister His Highness Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. It will discuss the trends and challenges that accompany the implementation of e-government programs. The patronage of His Highness reflects Kuwait’s political leadership understanding of the role that the EGovernment program plays in improving government services and the Kuwaiti society altogether, as well as the leadership’s support to CAIT’s efforts in orchestrating the development of this program in coordination with all other government agencies in Kuwait.

Commenting on the convening of this Forum, Magdy Sabry, the Executive Manager at NoufEXPO said, “The E-Government Forum: Recent Trends, Security Risks, and Implementation Challenges focuses on the recent trends and challenges that accompany and surround egovernment program implementations. While the 1st day shall be dedicated to the opening ceremony, the Forum’s sessions commence on the second day where there will be three main sessions. The first shall discuss

the E-Government - Recent Trends and Benefits where the topics of Trends and Developments in eGovernment Programs and Initiatives, Social and Economic

Majdi Sabry Benefits of e-Government Programs and Initiatives, Risks and Challenges of e-Government Programs and Initiatives, and Good Governance is Key to Success shall be discussed.

The second session shall handle the issue of the Importance and Challenges in e-Government Program Planning and Management.

During this session, experts shall discuss the issues of the Enterprise

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

Sabry added that on the third day, the Forum continues with three more sessions. The fourth session discusses the Legislation Requirements in the Information Age. The topics include the Responsibility of Government Agencies in Setting Electronic Transactions Legislations, Importance of Personal Data Classification and Privacy, Challenges in Government Data Format Unification, and the Role and Importance of Computer Forensics. The topics of the fifth session focus on Strategies for Building Safe Health Care Systems, Strategies for Developing Efficient & Secure Educational Systems, and Strategies of Developing National-Wide Government Intelligence (GI) and

Data Warehousing (DW) Systems.

The sixth and final session of the Forum addresses the Role of Mobile Devices in E-GOV Programs. This session’s topics try to answer the question of How safe is Smart Phone Accessibility for e-Government, discuss the Information Security Challenges of BYOD, and lastly, outline the Strategies of Developing eServices on Different Various Mobile Devices. Commenting on the Forum’s preparations, Sabry said that invitations have already been sent to regional and global companies, as well as industry specialists to participate in the Forum proceedings. Due to the overwhelming response, we are now studying and finalizing the participating papers in cooperation with the Forum’s Scientific Committee formed by the Central Agency for Information Technology.

Invitations have also been forwarded to all government information centers and relevant agencies in Kuwait.

We are confident that the Forum will represent an invaluable business opportunity for all participating business ventures through the papers they present, or by introducing their relevant technology solutions at the accompanying exhibition. Sabry concluded by saying “the Scientific Company is still keeping the door open for last minute participations.

RIYADH: Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Oil Mustafa Al-Shimali arrives to attend the 32nd ordinary meeting of the Oil Ministers of Gulf Cooperation Council held in Riyadh yesterday. —AFP

Kuwait can boost oil output to 4 million bpd by 2020 RIYADH: Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Oil Mustafa Al-Shemali said here yesterday his country can increase its oil production up to four million barrels per day by 2020 from 3.2 million bpd at present. Speaking to reporters following the 32nd meeting of the GCC Oil Cooperation committee, he said: “Kuwait is able to reach this quantity (four million bpd) as its current output is 3.2 million bpd.”

On a suggestion for the GCC member states to have single oil prices, the minister said: “This topic requires a deep study. But, there is an agreement on many matters that could lead to almost the same prices.”

On the 32nd meeting of the committee, he said the GCC oil cooperation committee had approved a set of significant resolutions targeting closer cooperation and dealing with regional and international economic groups.

He said the resolutions included continuing meetings with other countries and economic groups on cooperation in energy

security, natural gas technology, market stability, global oil prices and energy trade expansion.

The recommendations made during the first GCC oil media forum, recently held in Kuwait, were approved during the meeting, he added.

He believed that oil media would favorably and effectively contribute to the rectification of some concepts about the GCC member states and the promotion of their role in serving the international community. He emphasized that the GCC oil cooperation committee is keen on supporting all orientations that aim to serve the economic and oil interests of the GCC member states. Regarding the UN framework agreement on climate change and Kyoto protocol, the minister said the GCC countries had reached the final stages of the agreement, expecting the process to be completed during the coming meetings. The minister unveiled Kuwait will host the next meeting of the GCC oil ministers in 2014. — KUNA

Kuwait suspends five preachers KUWAIT: Kuwait has suspended five Friday sermon preachers pending an investigation into their alleged non-compliance with the directives of the endowments ministry.

“The preachers did not comply with the directives from the ministry to avoid references to the political situation in some Arab countries,” Adel Al-Falah, the ministry undersecretary, said. “In addition, using the mosque platforms to engage in political issues and to answer other preachers is a deviation from the charter of the mosques,” the official told local Arabic daily Al Qabas.

Al-Falah said that the ministry rejected bringing political issues and matters into mosques, seen as a place of worship and religious devotion.

“We have over 700 preachers in the country and they all cooperate with us and appreciate the special situation and conditions of the country,” he said. “Those who refuse to commit themselves to our directives do not represent us.”

All preachers and imams have however

been recording their sermons as requested by the ministry.

Kuwait last month said that it would not allow mosques to be used for ideological purposes and to reflect political developments in some Arab countries.

The ousting of the Muslim Brotherhood government in Egypt in summer has galvanised the standoff between supporters and those who opposed the movement.

The presence of sympathisers of the Muslim Brotherhood and its offshoots in the Arabian Gulf countries was seen as a potential security issue, especially as most Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries supported the new government in Cairo.

Saudi Arabia had suspended several preachers for not complying with its directives to avoid any reference in their Friday sermons to the political situation in Arab countries, mainly Egypt and Syria.

The authorities have regularly insisted on the religious character of the weekly sermon for worshippers.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

LOCAL

Yousuf Al-Marzouq Editor-in-Chief of Al-Anba newspaper sent a beautiful bouquet of flowers to the Kuwait Times on the occasion of the newspaper’s 52nd birthday.

Al-Jumeirah Messilah Hotel sent flowers on the occasion of Kuwait Times 52nd anniversary.

Shukri Salman Director for Sales Costa Del Sol Hotel and Natali from Costa Del Sol Hotel presented a cake on the occasion of the newspaper’s 52nd anniversary.

Mazen Injibar Sales Executive Swissbel Hotel and Minoli Wickramaratne from Swissbel Hotel congratulated the Management and staff of the Kuwait Times on the occasion of the newspaper’s birthday yesterday.

Al-Ahli Bank sent a beautifully-organized bouquet of flowers the celebration of Kuwait Times 52nd anniversary.

On behalf of Safir Hotel Walid Zaky Sales Manager Safir Hotel congratulated the Kuwait Times Management and staff with a cake yesterday.

Media Edge sent flowers to the Management of Kuwait Times newspaper on the occasion of the newspaper’s 52nd anniversary.

Ziad Boujaber Director of Sales and Marketing at Marina Hotel congratulated the Kuwait Times team on the occasion of the newspaper’s birthday with a sumptuous cake.

KUWAIT: The Kuwait Times newspaper yesterday celebrated its 52nd anniversary. The management received bouquets and cakes from well-wishers on the happy occasion.

—Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat and Joseph Shagra

(from left) Hani Omar PR Coordinator Sheraton Hotel, Taleb Kanjo Advertising and Marketing Manager Kuwait Times, Amani Shokor PR Manager Sheraton Hotel, and Adnan Abi Hana Sales Manager Sheraton Hotel are pictured in the Kuwait Times office yesterday. The Sheraton team congratulated Kuwait Times on the occasion of the newspaper’s birthday with a cake.

Asdaa PR agency congratulated Kuwait Times with flowers.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

LOCAL In my view

letter to Badrya

Emphasize on road discipline

Plight of expats

Al-Anbaa

By Abdellatif Sharaa

local@kuwaittimes.net

I

t is human nature to always fear or hate change, but once it happens, things seem normal and life goes on as if nothing happened. I am sure that all of us were alarmed, concerned and apprehensive as soon as General Abdulfattah Al-Ali took over as Traffic Department Director and adopted tough measures, strictly implemented the law and took additional administrative action and deported expats for committing “grave” violations.

This coincided with the start of the annual vacation and mass migration of both Kuwaitis and expats to cooler places, or homelands. We saw traffic patrols everywhere and the general himself lead several campaigns to make sure drivers are qualified to be on the streets driving cars in good condition, and yes, many were found in violation of the law, and yes, we noticed a dramatic improvement of the traffic flow in almost all the streets of the country, and yes, people started to learn what the word discipline means.

But... I believe that there is always a “but”... we were really surprised and worried when General Al-Ali himself turned up at several programs and press interviews and first blamed the Education Ministry for not changing school timings, then he blamed the Ministry of Public Works and its projects, along with the government departments for not adjusting timings to ease congestions.

General Al-Ali is right to a great extent, but I believe the Ministry of Public Works projects, will lead to better roads, or so we hope, and will make it easier for us to drive around. As for the “rush hour” timings, there is no way to avoid this phenomenon, as I noticed around the world that the problem is present but varies in severity. It has to do with motorists’ discipline, tolerance and road manners. For example, I was driving on Road 360 from Arlington to Dallas, TX, when I saw cars slowing down and moving to the side, to allow a motorist who was driving the wrong way though I don’t know how he got on the highway in that direction to begin with. But the thing is that no one yelled, no one honked and no one went crazy and in fact helped him move in the right direction. Of course, if the police was around, he would have been ticketed and taken to court, and I am sure that he would have been packed off to a driving school because law is law at the end of the day.

Do I need to say what happens when a traffic light turns green and the car in the front takes 10 seconds to move? We will hear all types of horns and even screams urging him to move as if Doomsday is upon us. Now that things are back to normal on the streets, we see the usual traffic jams and I’m afraid the same old practices are back. I see cars driven in the emergency lanes, shooting gravel on windshields causing them to break or explode, yes, explode!

I see cars speeding over 150 km in the extreme left lane, and after causing a whole lot of confusion, they take the exit 200 meters away without regard to any rules or safety. I see drivers going bumper to bumper with the cars in front of them while forcing them to change lanes without thinking of what could happen if the driver stopped all of a sudden for some reason.

On Fourth Ring Road near Kuwait University, there was a driver who was weaving through cars though it was congested, and despite warnings and advice from other drivers he kept doing it, until he crashed his car into a truck and damaged the front part of his car severely. His excuse was that he had a headache and hadn’t slept in days. Please, General Ali, it is discipline that must be emphasized, and I believe it is 70 percent of the solution. Follow the rules and you will be in fine shape.

In my view

Religion, science, and morals

By Dr Hassan Abbas

By Labeed Abdal

A

new study released by the University of California, Santa Barbara, found that scientists or people whose opinions lean towards science have a better moral compass in general compared to those who are disinterested in science and logic. The study indicates that science can, albeit indirectly, trigger moral behavior more than religion does, contrary to common belief.

Despite many examples that prove this theory, many still disagree with it or the factors upon which this theory is based. The study which primarily focused on the mentality of the American society argues that humans for example need to think in a logical way in order to develop their moral sense and avoid breaking the law. While a religious person mostly follows the teachings of their religion and takes it as the basis of their behavior (even if sometimes that involves committing the most heinous of crimes), we find on the other hand that people more interested in science usually act in a more logical way, and in the process, behave more morally. For example, a person in this case would avoid stealing not because it is against his or her religious beliefs, but because that action is socially unacceptable and can harm them as well as others. The moral behavior in that case was decided by logical thought instead of following certain teachings that do not necessarily ban stealing other people’s property.

When a very religious person avoids committing crime of any sort, there are several factors that could be behind his decision. For example, a religious man would not steal because theft goes against religion, but that action might be justified when the stolen property belongs to an enemy - in which case the same person finds theft to be ‘legitimate’.

Furthermore, religious people’s behavior is mostly often determined by the index of reward and punishment instead of what logic indicates. A person who does not kill because he believes that murder is a terrible crime is not necessarily the same as someone who avoids killing because God prohibits this action. Meanwhile, leaning towards believing in the supernatural reduces strength of logic for a religious person, thus making their judgment less logical compared to a person who is more interested in mathematics and science, for example.

There are also religious people who express very high levels of morality that they can never stray away from unless their beliefs requires it, but the same thing is not found among people interested in science. Good people often try to justify their terrible actions through their beliefs and claim that what they did was ‘God’s will’.

While a religious person mostly follows the teachings of their religion and takes it as the basis of their behavior (even if sometimes that involves committing the most heinous of crimes), we find on the other hand that people more interested in science usually act in a more logical way, and in the process, behave more morally. For example, a person in this case would avoid stealing not because it is against his or her religious beliefs, but because that action is socially unacceptable and can harm them as well as others.

This is a very interesting subject that has always been intrigued me since my adolescence, and certainly needs more studies and discussion than what can ever be featured in a column with limited space. — Al-Qabas

T

he reports which Kuwait presented lately at the UN to highlight local efforts regarding the protection of children’s rights was an important move to establish a link with international organizations to guarantee safety for children in Kuwait and kids all over the world.

Having local organizations to protect children against abuse, maintain their good health and ensure their social and educational rights are currently being recognized and their existing efforts cannot be ignored.

Taking children’s rights into account and introducing development programs for families and addressing relevant matters or needs are essential steps to build future generations. There must be a comprehensive law that covers all aspects like disability, juvenile delinquency, health support, education and so on.

Although, we see a lot happening, we still seek better quality and unstoppable energy and enthusiasm that is not influenced by weather or politics. Furthermore, according to Article (1), the convention on the rights of the child, everyone under 18 years of age has all the rights approved by the UNICEF, regardless of race, religion, capability, opinion or family background.

Governments should ensure that children survive, grow and develop into healthy adults and all organizations concerned with kids should have their best interests at heart.

According to the Constitution of Kuwait Article (9), the family is the cornerstone of society. Its foundation is based on religion, morality, and patriotism. The law also preserves the integrity of the family, strengthens its ties, supports and protects the mother and child. In Article (10), the state cares for the young and protects them from all kinds of exploitation and moral, physical and spiritual neglect.

Without doubt, we are blessed with determined leaders who support all children, citizens and expats and we have good international and local legal structures. All the concerned organizations must focus their effort on rebuilding the country and understand that our children are the future of this country and the world.

This is why the MB fell

By Dr Mubarak Al-Therwa

always right and no isolation of others’ efforts. Islam provides the general principles, sets reference in the word of Allah the Almighty and His Prophet, and gives consideration to people’s customs, habits and circumstances.

But nowadays, understanding Islam and speaking about what is right has become the sole authority for certain parties or individuals. Interpretation of holy script is monopolized, and claims of ‘we are right while everyone else is wrong’ have become dominant. This means that a scholar went beyond preaching and took authority over the nation, and subconsciously claimed infallibility. People should not be judged or accused of violating whatever a certain group believes is right. Doing that is not different than the priestly perception of the Middle Ages.

Spending valuable time in categorizing people is a catastrophic practice that people indulged in during ancient times. Today, we see religious, political and social categorization in the media which reflects a case of ideological and cultural emptiness that many try to fill with nonsensical philosophizing. It is sad to see those who claim scholarship fall into these practices under the pretext of preaching.

The government needs to step in to stop religious and political tampering in the form of categorizing people or accusing them of blasphemy, and is required to rehabilitate enthusiastic youth who practice this. Furthermore, the government must hold accountable those who instigate hatred and violence or encourage mockery of different beliefs, while also work towards retaining the judiciary’s sole authority to pass judgment. — Al-Rai

local@kuwaittimes.net

kuwait digest

Control of religion

I

Children of the world

kuwait digest

kuwait digest

bn Al-Qayyim says in his book I’laam ul Muwaqqi’een ‘an Rabb il ‘Aalameen (Information for Those Who Write on Behalf of the Lord of the Worlds) “... and Allah the Almighty likes justice. In fact, justice is the best ornament a man can wear, especially for those who rule between disputing parties.

The Prophet (PBUH)’s followers seek justice between communities, and no one shall side with a kinsman or a person of the same beliefs, but instead they shall take justice as their guiding light”.

Europe lived a life of ignorance, superstition, murder, imprisonment and torture in the Middle Ages. It went astray for centuries because religion was controlled, religious scholars placed their pride over what is right, and clerics monopolized the process of interpreting holy scripts. People had no right to interpret, discover, invent, or express a bright opinion. Every social category hated the other and accused them of infidelity. Priestly religion became canned, people grew tired of religion, hated it and demanded that their lives be separate from it.

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) came with the message of Islam for all of humanity. The message gave a general perception of God, creation, supernaturalism and the afterlife. At the same time, it encouraged thinking and contemplation, praised scholars and jurists, supported hard work for interpretation and blessed discovery and innovation. The Prophet (PBUH) told his followers “You know better about your own life’s affairs”.

The concept of religion in Islam does not contain authority over people. No control, no special status for preachers, no single party that claims they are

Dear Badrya, I would first like to thank you for your article concerning the majority of citizens or expats in our society. I would like to express my views that this is a big and serious issue and people with low incomes are the biggest victims.

Three quarters of our salaries just goes in paying rent and you can imagine how much we are left with for food and other expenses. We are a small family and everyone is working hard to cover the rent which keeps increasing without notice.

Do you think as young members of the family with such responsibilities, can we think of marriage, starting a family or building a future?

Every day we are overwhelmed by reality and our normal dreams look big. I feel sad thinking about other families who have to borrow money to pay their rents.

There could be a possibility that after a few years we could be living in Africa instead of Japan because in a country like Japan, the income is commensurate with the expenses. But when we are not able to pay basics expenses like rent, I am afraid that the street will be our future home.

By Thaar Al-Rashidi

I

n June 2012, a whole year before the recent June 30 revolution, I wrote an article in Al-Anbaa titled: ‘Take my word... Sami Anan to preside over Egypt’. In that article, I analyzed the whole Egyptian situation without taking any sides. That is why my predictions strangely matched today’s facts. In that article, I said that the Muslim Brotherhood will be classified as a ‘banned group’ and that its members will go back to jail, which already took place.

I also said that the ‘State of Emergency’ would be

Even though I analyzed the situation a year ago, my predictions came true but it’s not because I have supernatural powers or know the unknown.

It was simply because I objectively viewed the whole issue without being affiliated to either side. I only relied on the developments taking place in Egypt and that’s why my anticipations matched real life to a large extent.

revived, the army would have the upper hand and lead the political arena once more - all of which happened. I concluded my article saying that things were dramatically pointing the presidency compass towards General Sami Anan, which can be easily seen nowadays through Anan’s march towards presidency as per a report issued by the Seventh Day newspaper about his activities.

Even though I analyzed the situation a year ago, my predictions came true but it’s not because I have supernatural powers or know the unknown. It was simply because I objectively viewed the whole issue without being affiliated to either side. I only relied on the developments taking place in Egypt and that’s why my anticipations matched real life to a large extent.

I recall how a political analyst interested in Egyptian affairs accused me of going too far with my predictions when I first published my article. He even accused me of not understanding the situation in Egypt and advised me to stick to local affairs and leave Arab affairs to experts like him!

I also remember replying to him that biased political analysis lacked credibility, but because he was up to his ears with being an MB, he viewed things wishfully and that’s why his predictions were not realized and the MB lost power in Egypt because they failed to see simple facts and therefore experienced an unexpected fall. Kuwaiti opposition did not see facts. That is why our opposition is shrinking because they failed to perceive facts - not because our regime is a dictatorial one. That is why they really deserved to fall. — Al-Anba

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

LOCAL

Prison guards held on smuggling charges Man sells car to save diabetic father KUWAIT: Two prison guards were apprehended and questioned on accusations of attempting to smuggle contraband into the Central Jail. The first officer was arrested Sunday night when three memory cards were found hidden in his shoes, while the second one was arrested a few hours later when officers found two cell phones and two additional batteries inside his shoes. The two Lance Corporals are held at the Sulaibiya police station pending legal procedures.

Fatal crash A man was killed in an accident reported late Sunday night on Qurain Highway.

Police and paramedics rushed to the scene where a pedestrian reported that a sports utility vehicle (SUV) lost balance and overturned.

The Kuwaiti driver was pronounced dead on the scene and the body was taken to the forensic department after detectives examined the place. A case was filed for investigations.

Maid arrested A domestic worker was arrested after she fell into a trap set up by her employer who suspected her behavior. In his statements to police, the Kuwaiti man said that he sent his family to their chalet and made his housemaid believe that he was going with them. Instead, he waited outside his house in Ardiya to see if the maid was going to steal a cell-phone, laptop and some watches he had left as a ‘ bait ’. S oon enough, the Ethiopian woman came out of the house holding a plastic bag. She was met by her employer who tried to report her to the police station when he found the valuable items inside the bag.

The man called the police when she aggressively resisted him and they arrested her. The Kuwaiti employer told police that he had set up the trap because he suspected that his maid was waiting for an oppor tunity to rob the house and escape. The woman was taken to relevant authorities for further investigation.

Car theft Search is on for a thief who stole a Kuwaiti man’s car after threatening the carowner’s driver with murder. The incident took place in Jabriya on Monday when the suspect forced the Asian driver out of the vehicle which was stopped in the area. The suspect drove away after being handed the keys at knifepoint. The owner reported the case at the area’s police station as soon as his driver told him what happened. Investigations are ongoing.

Teen driver A teenager was arrested when he drove his own car for a driving license test on Monday. The Kuwaiti man had apparently decided to apply for a license after he turned 18 which is the legal age to drive in Kuwait. He was detained after officers discovered that he drove his own car for the test, and was also given a ticket for using window tints. The young man was held at the General Traffic

Department for further action.

Unilateral decision A man was summoned for investigations after his father accused him of selling his car without his permission, but was later released when it turned out that he did so because his father disobeyed the doctor’s orders to not drive.

The incident was reported at the Ahmadi police station where a senior citizen told officers that his son sold his car without his knowledge.

When summoned for questioning, the young man explained that his father is diabetic and that the doctor recently advised him to quit driving since his health condition left him vulnerable to fainting spells. Despite that, the old man continued using his car mostly to drive to the desert where he keeps his sheep, prompting his son to take a unilateral decision to sell the car. The two left the police station after the charges were dropped.

Opposition eyes Oct 1 seminar KUWAIT: Kuwaiti oppositionists agreed to hold a seminar on October 1, which would mark the first public activity for the political opposition since they boycotted parliamentary elections last July. This was reported

by Al-Rai yesterday quoting sources familiar with a meeting hosted by former MP Waleed Al-Tabtabaei on Sunday night.

The meeting was called by the Nahj Group which forms an umbrella for various oppositionist groups in Kuwait. Speaking to Al-Rai on the condition of anonymity, the sources indi-

cated that leading oppositionist and former parliament speaker Ahmad AlSaadoun was called during the meeting and asked to attend the seminar which will be held under the banner ‘Kuwait under theft’. “Al-Saadoun is expected to participate along with former MPs Khalid Al-Sultan and Dr Jamaan Al-Harbash”, the sources added. According to the sources, the seminar will mainly discuss the government’s spending “which has gone out of control”, while participants are expected to quote government studies which predict a budget deficit in the

future if spending continues at its current rate. The opposition boycotted the elections in protest against a decree released by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah who reduced the number of candidates a citizen can vote for from four to one.

The opposition went on with their boycott even after the Constitutional Court upheld the emergency decree in a key ruling last June, insisting that while the procedures could technically be constitutional, amending the electoral system must not be done outside the parliament’s building.

Education ministry headquarters project nearing completion

KUWAIT: Police arrested a thief who stole the stamp machine from the Jahra government mall on Monday morning. The man is a Jordanian born in 1994, and he told police that there were others with him. It was revealed that he is an ex-convict who is unemployed.

Security officers are working on arresting the three accomplices: a Syrian, Kuwaiti and a bedoon.

— Photo by Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: The Ministry of Public Works revealed yesterday that 69 percent of the new Education Ministry headquarters project has been completed so far.

In a press conference at the project site, Ministry of Public Works Assistant Undersecretar y for Construction Projects Talal Al-Athaina said the KD 67.7 million-worth project is expected to be entirely completed by February 2015, eightmonths later than the scheduled time.

The project execution began on 6 June 2010 and was planned to be finished by 4 June 2014.

He blamed the expected delay on some major causes the forefront of the suspension of work after the huge fire at Kuwait University project. He disclosed that a number of small changes in the design have been made recently.

He noted that the Ministry oversees currently the execution of 89 projects.

For his part, the Project Manager

Abdullateef Abbas said the MOE Headquarters Building, located in the South Surra Government Zone, uses an Arabian Gulf sailing vessel, as its design metaphor. The Dhow concept is manifested as two cur ved, intersecting buildings coming to rest on the new, lush MOE site.

“The project is built on an area of 135,705 square meters to accommodate nearly 3647 employees,” Abbas said.— KUNA

KUWAIT: Narcotics officials arrested a three-member Arab gang with 100 grams of Shabu and 250 Tramadol tablets in Jleeb after they received a tip-off on them.

The trio was caught at home where the drugs were confiscated. They confessed to possessing the drugs with the intention of selling. —Photo by Hanan Al-Saadoun

Kuwait stresses Palestinians’ self-determination GENEVA: The State of Kuwait underlined here yesterday the necessity of respecting the Palestinian people’s selfdetermination right, resolving the problem of Palestinian refugees and establishing an independent Palestinian state on the pre-1967 border with Jerusalem as its capital.

Addressing the 24th session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Counselor with Kuwait’s permanent delegation at the UN Saud Al-Saidi reiterated his country’s full support for the UN secretary-general’s report on progress in the implementation of the UNHRC’s resolution 22/28 on human rights in occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.

He cautioned against the inhuman situation in the West Bank, growing Jewish settlement and the increasing number of Palestinian prisoners, including 236 children and other Israeli violations of international human law.

Al-Saidi also reaffirmed Kuwait’s condemnation of Israel’s repeated violations of Palestinian human rights.

Meanwhile, First Secretary of Kuwait’s permanent delegation at the UN in Geneva Abdullah Al-Jerewi hailed Djibouti’s acceptance of recommendations in a UN review report regarding necessary efforts for providing basic education, equal opportunities and approving UN human rights conventions. Commenting on the UN review report on Djibouti, the Kuwaiti diplomat said: “Kuwait appreciates Djibouti’s genuine efforts to observe and safeguard human rights.” — KUNA

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

LOCAL

Arab-African Summit ‘a new chapter of cooperation’ FM chairs preparatory meeting UNITED NATIONS: Kuwait Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah on Monday chaired the Ministerial Preparatory Coordinating Committee meeting of the 3rd Arab-African Summit, scheduled to be held in Kuwait from Nov 18 to 20. He told the committee that the summit highlights the “importance of the close ties of friendship and cooperation” between the members of the Arab League and of the African Union, and will reaffirm “our commitment in strengthening cooperation on a basis of strong partnership” He was “optimistic that, through your active support, the 3rd Arab-Africa Summit in Kuwait will constitute a new chapter of cooperation between the two regions and an effective tool for the pro-

motion of mutual interests that is based on a more realistic approach.”

He assured the members that Kuwait is making “all necessary efforts,” and allocating time, and resources to make this summit a “great success” for Arab-African Cooperation. “We are looking forward to have the honor of receiving you in Kuwait. “Development and investment,” he added, “play a leading role in economic growth and are key to improving the livelihood and maintaining social stability in our regions.

“We strongly support the view that Arab and African countries should be more focused on enhancing their cooperation in the fields of investment, trade, and development,” he stressed, noting that the summit’s theme is “Partners in Development and investment” in the

spirit of South- South cooperation.

Briefing the members on the ongoing preparations for the summit, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled said invitations to the summit have already been handed out, and the documents, already distributed at the Drafting Team meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in August, include the declaration, agenda and draft resolutions. Some of the documents, he indicated, have been finalized and others are still under consideration by the drafting team.

“We are counting on your support and assistance as members of the Partnership Coordination Committee in finalizing those documents in a timely manner,” he urged, so that the documents will be disseminated to member states by Oct 15.

Sheikh Sabah detailed the schedule of the meetings leading up to the summit, noting that the ministerial meeting will take place on Nov 17, the Heads of State and Government will arrive on Nov 18, and the summit will be held on Nov 19 and 20. As a side event, he indicated, there will be the Arab- Africa Economic Forum, scheduled for Nov 11 and 12, which will bring together experts and leaders from different domains of development, trade and investment to discuss ways and means of moving the ArabAfrica strategic partnership forward.

Its outcome recommendations, he noted, will be presented to the Arab and African leaders at the summit for their consideration and adoption.

In parallel to the preparatory meetings and leading up to the summit,

Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled said a number of cultural events will take place.

He indicated that a number of African and Arabic folkloric bands have been invited to perform in Kuwait “to further contribute to the social cohesion of the two regions.”

He added that so far, folkloric bands from South Africa, Kenya, Gabon, Bahrain, Egypt, and Morocco expressed their desire to perform in Kuwait.

The first Arab-African Summit was held in Egypt in 1977 and the second in Libya in 2010. Sheikh Sabah is in New York accompanying the Prime Minister HH Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad AlSabah who arrived here last Friday to chair the Kuwaiti delegation to the meetings on the margins of the General Assembly’s 68th session. — KUNA

NEST donation campaign for Syrian children in Jordan AMMAN: Kuwait’s NEST group continued yesterday to hand in school supplies to Syrian refugee children in Jordan, providing around 4,500 school bags thus far, said an official.

NEST Coordinator Noor Budai said that the group volunteers distributed the goods in cooperation with Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) and the Kuwaiti Embassy. She indi-

cated that the group’s mission was to provide Syrian children with necessities that would help them during the current school-year. The campaign today is distributing goods at

Irbid governorate. According to Jordanian statistics, there are around 1.2 million Syrian refugees in Jordan since the war began in their country in March 2011. — KUNA

Support for integration of persons with disabilities into society UNITED NATIONS: Individuals with disabilities should play a part in development through full integration into their respective societies, said Kuwait’s Minister of State for Parliament Affairs and Minister of State for Planning Dr. Rola Dashti here late Monday.

Dashti’s statement came during the High Level meeting of the UN General Assembly on Realization of the Millennium Development Goals beyond 2015 and other International

NBK Mega day last year

NBK organizes Mega Draws at the Avenues KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) organizes Mega Draws event to announce the winners of its largest campaigns this year. This huge event will take place on Sept 27 at the Grand Avenue in The Avenues In addition to this festival, NBK organizes a weekend event to reward its

Mazin Saad Al-Nahedh Credit Cardholders with exclusive offers in collaboration with M.H.-Alshaya Co. during the weekend from Thursday 26th September until Saturday 28th September, 2013 at The Avenues where credit cardholders will have a chance to win their purchases back up to KD 500 in the form of NBK Rewards.

“NBK consistently delivers superior value to its customers”, said Mazin Saad

Al-Nahedh NBK General Manager, Consumer Banking Group. “NBK’s Mega Draws event at The Avenues will include four major draws of the largest campaigns NBK launched this year. We are keen to always exceed our customers’ expectations.”

NBK Mega Draws event includes the winner of the KD 250,000 Al-Jawhara quarterly prize and the winner of the astonishing Azimut 40 Flybridge Yacht in its Summer Campaign. The event will also celebrate the last six winners of cash prizes up to KD 10,000 in NBK’s Summer Campaign, and the winner of the Al Shabab 12 months’ student allowance campaign.

NBK Mega Draw event will also offer the crowd chances to win valuable instant prizes and participate in the various activities organized specially for this day. NBK re -launched Al-Jawhara account, by offering customers more chances to win bigger prizes. A KD 5,000 weekly, KD 125,000 monthly and a grand prize of KD 250,000 quarterly draw. During this summer, NBK launched its Summer Campaign offering NBK cardholders a chance to win an astonishing Azimut 40 Flybridge Yacht, being the first bank in Kuwait to give away a yacht as well as up to KD 180,000 in cash prizes.

NBK offers its existing and new Al Shabab customers who transfer their allowance to NBK the chance to win cash 12 months student allowance every month.

Mongolian president hails Amir visit TOKYO: Mongolian President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj has conveyed thanks to His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah for visiting Mongolia and hailed bilateral cooperation between the two countries, official media reported.

President Elbegdorj made the remarks in his recent meeting in Ulaanbaatar with outgoing Kuwaiti Ambassador to Mongolia Mubarak Al-Suhaijan, according to Montsame News Agency.

While showing satisfaction with the effectiveness of projects and programs being co-implemented by the two countries, the president also thanked the ambassador for significantly contributing

to efforts aiming to further MongoliaKuwait relations, it said.

Al-Suhaijan for his part expressed confidence that bilateral relations have improved during his term, recalling that His Highness the Amir had visited Mongolia three times, in 2011, 2012, and yet again in 2013, and that the Mongolian president and foreign minister were also on official visits to Kuwait in 2011 and 2013. The outgoing envoy also noted that the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) granted a soft-loan of KD 6 million to Mongolia in 2010, for constructing a 88km motorway. Al-Suhaijan took post back in 2010 as Kuwait’s first ambassador to Mongolia. — KUNA

Agreed Development Goals for persons with disabilities.

Dashti stressed that the government of Kuwait had worked on measures to bring about integration of persons with disabilities into society. The state of Kuwait was keen on implementing the millennium development goals, she said, adding that including persons with disabilities in plans for development was as important as other factors to achieve such goals.

Providing equal rights for education and job opportunities for persons with disability was part of the integration process, said the Minister, adding that the Kuwaiti parliament issued a law in 2010 which ensured the rights of persons with disabilities.

The Kuwaiti government’s keenness on finding solutions for problems pertaining to this sector of the society showcased the state’s interest in development in general, said Dashti. — KUNA

Al-Sanousi hails UAE initiatives, discusses prize-winning novel DUBAI: A Kuwaiti novelist and recent winner of the sixth International Prize for Arab Fiction (IPAF), popularly referred to as the Arab Booker prize, hailed what he called “prominent and active presence of United Arab Emirates’ institutions on the cultural scene” and the country’s efforts in support of culture and intellectuals in the region.

Novelist Saud Al-Sanousi was speaking on Monday, following the Cultural and Scientific Association’s session entitled “Gulf Experiences in Arab Fiction: ‘Bamboo Stalk’ as an example.”

The session was attended by Federal National Council Speaker Mohammed Ahmed Al-Murr, Cultural and Scientific Association Chairman Sultan Bin Saqr Al-Suwaidi, and Head of Kuwait Cultural Office Dr Saleh Yasseen, along with a host of men of literature and letters, intellectuals, university students, among others.

Al-Sanousi said he was both pleased and proud that such a session be held to discuss his work, and that his work was recognized and awarded the IPAF prize on an earlier occasion in Abu Dhabi.

Head of Kuwait Cultural Office Dr Saleh Yasseen for his part said he had admired the ‘Bamboo Stalk’ as a work of literature and that his admiration was augmented by the deep and rich intellectual discussion on the part of the novelist during the session.

The session had started with the motives behind Al-Sanousi’s choosing to become a novelist. He pointed out three main factors in this regard; active imagination sparked in early childhood through his grandmother’s storytelling, an early passion for reading, and love of writing as both sanctuary and means of self-expression and self-exploration.

He also noted that the desire for freedom, both his and the Other’s, was another passion behind his becoming a writer. Writing the Bamboo Stalk, which discusses the theme of identity. Writing the novel was an attempt to empathize and experience, to whatever degree possible, the negative view the society has of one ‘Other’. He further stressed that he wrote this novel with the belief that pain often serves as inspiration for change.

The main focus of the novel is a child of a mixed-race marriage, between a Kuwaiti man and an Asian woman, and the view society has of him, and in turn how he sees that society based on its treatment of children of Kuwaitis from non-Kuwaiti partners.

“Admittedly, the theme is not new. However, it is this time addressed in a work of art which seeks not to earn sympathy of the readers, but inspire a behavioral change in the audience.

“In fact, I have travelled more than once with the specific purpose of experiencing the feelings of one stamped as an ‘other’ in order to better express what emotions, thoughts, and imaginings such individual might have,” the writer added.

Asked if he thought his prize-winning work means he is now a star, the writer said he does not wish to be one, but rather wants his work to

be duly read and discussed. In another response, Al-Sanousi also noted the novel is open-ended and realistic and is not an attempt on his part to secure a victory for whatever cause, but rather an attempt at offering a realistic view of the theme. The Kuwaiti novelist was asked about the theme of his next work, and he said he is both inspired and intimidated by his choice, which is “our relationship with ‘us’ ourselves rather than with the ‘other’.”

The writer was also asked to comment on the view that fiction was stealing the lights away from poetry on the present literary scene, and he said he actually shares that belief.

Another observation by a member of the audience was that the theme of the “Bamboo Stalk” was already addressed in a well-known and strong Kuwaiti theatrical work; “Dhaa ilDeech” which also discussed confused identity.

To that, Al-Sanousi said he is “not in favor of comparing one work of art and one form of art with another. Though the ideas could be considered somewhat similar, the minute details of the two works and genres are very disparate.”

Asked whether he started out with a mindmap to guide him through the composition, he said he simply holds his pen and follows where inspiration leads, with all spontaneity. — KUNA

KUWAIT: A campaign to clean Um Al-Maradem island, organized by the Coast Guard and Kuwait municipality, in progress yesterday.Interior Ministry Assistant Undersecretary for Borders Security Affairs Maj General Mohammad Al-Yousuf Al-Sabah said the campaign comes within the framework of social services by the Interior Ministry and to focus on Kuwaiti islands and protect the environment. — Photos by Hanan Al-Saadoun

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

Egypt warns Hamas of ‘harsh’ response if security threatened

US Navy shooter lied about previous arrest

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KENYA: Kenyan soldiers move in formation, clearing the top floor balcony and interior of Westgate Mall yesterday in Nairobi. Kenyan Defence troops remain inside the Westgate mall, in a standoff with Somali militants after they laid siege to the shopping centre shooting and throwing grenades as they entered. — AFP

Nairobi siege ‘over’; 5 gunmen dead, 11 held Death toll mounts; Bodies still under rubble of collapsed floors NAIROBI: Kenya’s president announced yesterday that “the siege of a Nairobi shopping mall is over”, adding that losses from the attack by Islamist gunmen were ‘immense” with at least 67 people dead. “Kenyan forces have defeated Islamists from Somalia’s Al Shabaab, had shot five of them killed and detained 11 others suspects,” the president said.

It remained unclear after Uhuru Kenyatta addressed the nation on television whether the four-day security operation at the upmarket Westgate centre was completely over, or whether any militants were still at large or hostages unaccounted for.

“We have ashamed and defeated our attackers,” Kenyatta said, adding that bodies were still trapped under rubble following the collapse of part of the building late in the operation.

A fire began on Monday which officials said was started by the gunmen. Sixty-one civilians and six security personnel had been confirmed killed in the four days of bloodshed, Kenyatta said. Five of the attackers were shot dead and 11 suspects were in custody: “Kenya has stared down evil and triumphed,” he said.

The president added that he could not confirm intelligence reports that a British woman and two or three Americans might be involved. Forensic scientists were involved in trying to identify the nationalities of the “terrorists”, he said. “Towards the tail end of the operation, three floors of the Westgate mall collapsed and there are several bodies trapped in the rubble including the terrorists,” he added. The death toll had previously been put by officials at 62.

“These cowards will meet justice as will their accomplices and patrons, wherever they are,” said the president, who

thanked other leaders for support and used his address to both praise the response of the Kenyan people and call for national unity, six months after his election was marked by ethnic tensions. Kenyatta had rejected the militants’ demands that he pull Kenyan troops out of its northern neighbor. As part of an African peacekeeping force in Somalia, Kenyan forces have pushed Al-Qaeda-linked Al Shabaab on to the defensive over the past two years.

Kenyan officials have announced the imminent end of the siege for the past three days - something Al Shabaab spokesmen have mocked in commentaries and in postings on social media. Some hours before Kenyatta spoke, the group said its militants were still holding out with hostages and that there were “countless dead bodies” still inside the complex. “There are countless number of dead bodies still scattered inside the mall, and the Mujahideen are still holding their ground #Westgate,” the group said on its Twitter feed.

“The hostages who were being held by the Mujahideen inside #Westgate are still alive, looking quite disconcerted but, nevertheless, alive.” It described its fighters as “unruffled and strolling around the mall in such sangfroid manner”. In an audio statement posted via Twitter, Al Shabaab spokesman Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage called the militants’ action a “deadly thrust” by “loyal soldiers seeking to rewrite history”. If Kenya failed to pull troops out of Somalia and free Al Shabaab prisoners it should “expect black days”.

The attack has come at a time when several violent Islamist groups from Mali to Algeria, Nigeria to Kenya - tapping into

local grievances but all espousing an anti-Western, antiChristian creed - are striking at state authority and international interests. Earlier yesterday, the Kenyan military said its forces were carrying out “mop up operations” in the building. The Interior Ministry earlier said security forces were in control of the mall and that all the hostages had been released.

Images from closed-circuit television inside the mall during the attack, published in a Kenyan newspaper yesterday, showed two militants, casually dressed and wearing ammunition belts. One held an assault rifle. Al Shabaab confirmed that the two men were part of the group that attacked Westgate.

Kenyan Foreign Minister Amina Mohamed told PBS television in the United States that “two or three Americans” and a British woman were among the militants.

She said the Americans were “young men, about between maybe 18 and 19” years old. She said they were of Somali or Arab origin and had lived in “in Minnesota and one other place”.

Al Shabaab, which said it had been in communication with its members in the mall, dismissed the minister’s comments.

“Those who describe the attackers as Americans and British are people who do not know what is going on in Westgate building,” al Shabaab’s media office told Reuters.

A British security source said it was possible that Samantha Lewthwaite, the widow of Germaine Lindsay, one of the suicide bombers who killed more than 50 people on London’s transport system in 2005, was involved in the Nairobi siege. When asked about reports that Lewthwaite, dubbed the “white widow” by the British media, was directly involved in the attack in

Iraq clashes, attacks kill 25 BAGHDAD: Violence, including fighting between security forces and militants, killed 25 people in Iraq yesterday, as the UN warned that sectarian attacks threaten to force more Iraqis from their homes.

Violence in Iraq has reached a level this year not seen since 2008, when the country was emerging from a brutal sectarian conflict. Militants attacked two police stations and a local official’s house in the towns of Rawa and Aana near the highway to Syria in Anbar province, killing seven police and the official’s brother, officers and doctors said.

Deputy Interior Minister Adnan al-Assadi told journalists a large group of militants had attacked Aana, seeking to take control of security positions. Security forces killed six of the militants, Assadi said, adding that SWAT units were deployed to the area.

Separately, soldiers battled militants in the Hamreen area north of Baghdad, killing four, while two soldiers were killed and nine wounded, officers said. A helicopter pilot was wounded by gunfire in the operation, during which two militants were arrested and weapons seized, army Staff Lieutenant General Abdulamir al-Zaidi told AFP. Two officers said a helicopter had been shot down, but Zaidi insisted that it was able to return to base. Militants, including those linked to Al-Qaeda, frequently target security forces and other government employees, and security forces have carried out major operations against them in recent months. Attacks in Nineveh province in Iraq’s north also killed three people on Tuesday, while violence in Babil province, south of Baghdad, killed two. Meanwhile, the UN Refugee Agency said it was “increasingly concerned about the situation in Iraq, where recent waves of sectarian violence threaten to spark new internal displacement of Iraqis fleeing bombings and other attacks.”

This year, “bombings and rising sectarian tensions have displaced some 5,000 Iraqis, with people mostly fleeing from Baghdad into Anbar and Salaheddin governorates, as well as causing displacement within Diyala and Nineveh gover-

NAJAF: Qasim Ahmed Tahan carries the dead body of his 5-year-old son, Walid, who was killed in a bombing on Monday, before burial in the Shiite holy city of Najaf, 100 miles (160 kilometers) south of Baghdad, Iraq, yesterday. — AP norates,” UNHCR spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said in a killed 73, and two blasts at a Sunni mosque north of Baghdad in which 18 died on Friday. statement.

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said on Monday that attacks There are already “more than 1.13 million internally displaced people... inside Iraq who fled their homes to escape in Iraq aimed to “reignite sectarian strife” and divide the counintense sectarian violence from 2006-2008,” the statement try. And the United Nations warned of the danger of revenge said. The Tuesday violence came after four days of attacks that attacks after the Saturday blasts.

“Retaliation can only bring more violence, and it is the have raised the spectre of a return to the all-out Sunni-Shiite conflict that peaked in 2006-2007 and killed tens of thou- responsibility of all leaders to take strong action not to let violence escalate further,” said Gyorgy Busztin, the UN’s deputy sands of people.

A bombing against Sunni mourners in Baghdad on special representative for Iraq.

Yesterday, the cabinet agreed to allocate an aircraft to Monday killed 15 people, while another at a Sunni funeral the day before killed 12. Those attacks were preceded by bomb- transport people wounded in recent attacks out of the counings targeting Shiite mourners in the capital on Saturday that try for treatment, Maliki’s website said. — AFP

Kenya, the source said: “It is a possibility. But nothing definitive or conclusive yet.”

Lewthwaite is thought to have left Britain several years ago and is wanted in connection with an alleged plot to attack hotels and restaurants in Kenya. US security sources said they were looking into information from Kenya that residents of Western countries, including the United States, may have been among the militants. US President Barack Obama, whose father was born in the east African nation, offered help, saying he believed Kenya - the scene of one of Al-Qaeda’s first major attacks, in 1998, and a neighbor of chaotic Somalia - would continue to be a regional pillar of stability.

Somalia’s prime minister appealed in Geneva on Tuesday for international support to combat Al Shabaab but said a military solution to their insurgency alone was not enough. Abdi Farah Shirdon said: “We still have a difficult journey ahead of us. A military solution alone is not enough, promotion of rule of law, greater regional cooperation and economic stability and provision of public services are all key factors that complement the military effort.” The attack on the mall is the worst such incident in Kenya since Al-Qaeda killed more than 200 people when it bombed the US Embassy in Nairobi in 1998. When fighters from its Somali ideological counterpart stormed the mall on Saturday, they hit a high-profile symbol of Kenya’s economic power. Kenya has sent troops to Somalia as part of an African Union force trying to stabilize the country, which was long without a functioning government, and push back Al Shabaab. — Agencies

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

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

US faces tough challenges to deliver aid in Syria ALEPPO: War had reduced Syria’s largest industrial complex to a ghost town, but displaced residents of nearby Aleppo are now creating a bustling lifestyle amid the abandoned factories and warehouses.

Petrol station attendant Salem describes the industrial zone of Sheikh Najjar as the “New Aleppo,” saying it is home to thousands of people forced out of Syria’s second city by deadly fighting.

“At first it was a ghost town. All the factories were abandoned. But today it is full of life: there are restaurants, gas stations, boutiques and even a barber,” he says.

“We have many clients,” the 22-year-old adds with a grin, before pumping gas into a vehicle carrying seven rebels, likely on their way to the front lines of the 30-month-old war aimed at overthrowing President Bashar al-Assad.

Aleppo is Syria’s commercial hub and Sheikh

Najjar, which opened five years ago, was touted as a huge economic success, with around 6,000 factories that used to churn out everything from textiles to biscuits to medicine.

Most are now shuttered, and residents of Aleppo displaced by the fighting between regime forces and rebels have set up home there as they struggle to survive. The UN refugee agency says the Syrian conflict-which began in March 2011 as a mostly peaceful uprising but has since swelled into a full-fledged civil war-has displaced more than four million people internally while sending another two million fleeing across Syria’s borders.

Salem and his family fled their home near Aleppo’s Al-Kindi hospital six months ago. Ahmad, who also left his home in the city, opened a barber shop four months ago in Sheikh Najjar, offering a shave and a cut for 150 Syrian liras (a little under a dollar).

“At first I wasn’t sure it would work, but now we have more than 100 clients each day,” says Ahmad, who hired an assistant to help him in the shop. Abu Mohammad, 26, is also among the lucky few to have found a job in Sheikh Najjar, working in a textile factory that has remained open.

“I went door to door from one factory to the other and was lucky to find this one. The owner decided to reopen his business and was looking for employees,” he says.

The young man shares his weekly wages of around 4,000 liras with his family and lives in a makeshift dwelling with blanket walls that sway when the wind picks up.

His mother Um Yassin allows that conditions are tough, but says “at least we are not afraid here that a bomb will destroy our home.” “Here at least I sleep nights and I don’t have nightmares,” she says.

Like most families here, they have no electricity

and have to draw water from a nearby well-sometimes making as many as 10 runs a day to meet their needs. Taxi driver Abu Ahmad had initially fled Aleppo for a refugee camp across the border in Turkey before deciding to turn back and join the Sheikh Najjar community.

“Winter (in Turkey) was harsh.. and I saw how many people suffered, so with some friends we decided to come here,” he says. “My family is safe. I have a job. What more can I ask for?” says Abu Ahmad who now makes a living selling food.

Father of four Hazaa Shahud has not been so lucky. There is no work for a bricklayer in Sheikh Najjar and the little money he brought with him is running out.

Like others in the same plight, Shahud relies on handouts of bread and food from Al-Tawhid brigade, a unit linked to the Free Syrian Army, the main Western-backed rebel group. — AFP

Egypt warns Hamas of ‘harsh’ response if security threatened Police raid Islamist stronghold near Cairo

ARBIL: Kurdish Peshmarga remove electoral billboards and posters from the streets of the northern Iraqi city of Arbil, yesterday, four days after Iraq’s Kurds voted in their first election in four years in their autonomous region. — AFP

Iraq Kurds dream of independence ARBIL: Voters in Iraq’s Kurdish region may have had differing views at the ballot box during weekend polls, but there is one dream which unites virtually all of them: an independent state.

Behind that dream, however, Iraqi Kurds and their leaders differ on key issues related to statehood, their future within a unified Iraq, and ties with Kurdish populations in neighbouring countries, all of which are likely to confront the regional parliament as it embarks on a new term.

In particular, voters and the ruling elite appear to disagree on the main upcoming issue: as the three-province autonomous region becomes increasingly economically free of the central government, whether fullfledged independence is in the offing.

“The Kurdish dream of independence is always there, we have a fundamental right to that, but we are hoping that Iraq will succeed as a democratic nation,” said Barham Saleh, a former Kurdish regional prime minister who also spent time as the deputy premier in Iraq’s federal government.

“The issue of identity is very important, it is a very emotional issue,” he continued. “I am proud of my Kurdish heritage and identity. I very much would like to see an Iraqi state that is democratic-genuinely democratic-respectful of individual liberties, that makes us all proud to be Iraqis.

“This Iraq is yet to be realised.” On the streets of regional capital Arbil, however, views towards Baghdad are often much stronger. “My relationship is with Kurds, all Kurds, wherever they are,” said Mohsen Ali, a 57-year-old former fighter with Saleh’s own party of ex-rebels, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan.

Clad in traditional Kurdish garb and sat at a cafe in one of the city’s oldest districts, Ali added: “I want to cut ties with the centre. I want to be free, on our own, not connected to anywhere else.”“We, the Kurds of Syria, the Kurds of Turkey, the Kurds of Iran, the Kurds of Iraq, want ... to be free-one free country.”

Kurds make up significant minority groups in Iraq, Turkey, Syria and Iran but have historically faced hostility from those countries’ governments. In Iraq, in particular, Kurdish rebels battled the Baghdad government for decades and suffered from often-brutal repression, notably during the Anfal campaign and the Halabja chemical attack, which remains the

deadliest gassing of civilians ever.

Since 1991, however, they have largely run their own affairs, and now operate an autonomous region that passes its own laws, has its own security forces, and runs its own visa and foreign investment regimes.

As a result, younger Kurds often have little to do with their Arab countrymen-fewer speak Arabic than older generations, and have the option of exclusively Kurdish satellite television channels and news outlets.

And while much of the Arab-dominated parts of Iraq suffer from regular, and indeed worsening, violence, residents of Kurdistan enjoy relative safety and stability. “We were second-class citizens,” said Mohammed Saleh, an architect who studied at the University of Baghdad until 1979 but, like many of fellow Kurds, expressed a desire for independence.

“The people here do not like to be Iraqi, or feel like real members of the country.” He added: “We have a federal government, but there is no relationship between us and them.”

Statehood would raise alarm in region. But many are not optimistic for independence, noting that an Iraqi Kurdish declaration of statehood would raise alarm in the region, worsening what have largely been improving ties between Arbil and neighbouring states.

“Everyone-everyone-in his heart, or her heart, feels that an independent Kurdistan is our right,” said Asos Hardi, a journalist and analyst based in Sulaimaniyah, the region’s secondbiggest city.

“But ... I think that it would be very hard to imagine that, for example, in the next 10 years we would have an independent Kurdistan.

“I hope that we could build a democratic system in this area and be supportive of other parts of Kurdistan-to the peace process in Turkey, between Kurds and the Turkish state, and support as much as possible the Kurds in Syria and Iran.”

And while many Kurds have expressed strong fraternal links between neighbouring Kurdish populations, one politician pointed to failed moves towards pan-Arab statehood in the 20th century as a guide for Kurds with ambitions for one state.

Laughing while referring to the 22-member Arab League, Abubakr Ali, a senior member of the Kurdistan Islamic Union, said: “Even if there will be independence, there will be four countries. “And then we will have a league!” — AFP

DAMASCUS: In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian citizens gather at the scene of a car bomb explosion in the residential al-Tadhamon neighborhood in Damascus, Syria, yesterday. Syrian state media say a car bomb has exploded in Damascus, killing and wounding a dozen people. Damascus has been hit by a wave of explosions over the past leaving scores of people dead. — AP

CAIRO: Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy has warned Hamas of a “harsh response” if the Palestinian Islamist movement that rules the neighbouring Gaza Strip threatened Egypt’s national security.

The response “will be harsh if we feel that elements within Hamas or other parties are trying to attack Egyptian national security,” Fahmy said in an interview with pan-Arab daily Hayat published Tuesday.

It would include “military and security choices and not options that would cause Palestinian citizens to suffer,” said Fahmy, who is in New York attending the UN General Assembly meeting.

Ties between Cairo and Hamas have deteriorated since the army ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July. Morsi belongs to the Muslim Brotherhood which is affiliated with Hamas.

The Palestinian movement fears that Egypt’s destruction of tunnels used to smuggle goods into Gaza is part of a plan to tighten a blockade of the enclave. The Egyptian army has said the destruction of the tunnels is part of a crackdown against Islamist militants in the Sinai peninsula who have links to extremists in Gaza.

Meanwhile, Fahmy said relations between Cairo and Washington were “troubled” and that he had told his US counterpart, John Kerry, that threats of suspending US aid to Egypt will have no “influence” on the new army-installed author-

ities. Washington is officially reviewing $1.55 billion in annual military and economic aid to Egypt as a result of Morsi’s ouster.

Yesterday, US President Barack Obama warned that continued US support for Egypt depends on its progress back to democracy.

Obama insisted at the annual General Assembly that the United States had “purposely avoided choosing sides” after Morsi was overthrown, but warned that “our support will depend upon Egypt’s progress in pursuing a democratic path.”

Meanwhile, Egyptian security forces raided a village near the Giza Pyramids yesterday hunting for suspects in the brutal killing of 15 policemen last month, the latest move by authorities to assert state control over Islamist strongholds that have resisted state authority since the country’s July 3 coup.

The early morning security sweep of Nahya just west of Cairo comes one day after a court issued a ruling banning the Muslim Brotherhood group, from which ousted President Mohammed Morsi hails, and ordering confiscation of its assets.

Security forces backed by armored vehicles and accompanied by masked commandos conducted house-to-house raids in Nahya searching for suspects alleged to have killed the 15 police officers on Aug. 14 in the adjacent town of Kerdasa and mutilated their bodies. That attack came in retaliation for a violent assault by securi-

ty forces on pro-Morsi protest camps in Cairo that left hundreds dead and sparked days of unrest.

Police stayed out of Kerdasa for over a month after the killings, and residents say Islamists dominated the town. But the military and police went back in last week, sparking a gunbattle in which a senior police officer was shot dead.

Scores of suspects were rounded up. The scenes were reminiscent of the Egyptian government’s battle with an Islamist insurgency in the 1990s, which lasted years and left thousands dead.

Meanwhile, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy told the London-based Al-Hayat daily that Egyptian relations with the US were “turbulent” and the Egyptian public has “unprecedented negative views” toward the United States.

Speaking from New York where he is attending the UN General Assembly, Fahmy said that voices within Egypt are calling for shifting strategic alliances from United States to countries like Russia, but described such calls as “unacceptable.”

The US administration declined to label military’s overthrow of Morsi on July 3 as a coup and argued it was in the US national security interest to keep American support flowing. However, the issue divided both parties in Congress. Some say US aid to Egypt should be cut off. Others contend the $1.5 billion of mostly military aid is critical for US and Israeli security. — Agencies

UN to tackle Central Africa’s ‘forgotten crisis’

JERUSALEM: Evangelical Christian pilgrims from Sweden march during a parade in celebration of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot (Tabernacles) and to express solidarity with Israel, in downtown Jerusalem, yesterday. Thousands of Israelis and Christian Evangelical supporters of the Jewish state marched yesterday during their annual parade marking the Jewish holiday of Sukkot or the Feast of the Tabernacles. — AFP

Hamas, choked by blockade, seeks to avoid Egypt clash GAZA CITY: The Hamas rulers of Gaza, where an Israeli blockade worsened after a friendly government in Cairo was overthrown, is doing all it can to avoid a confrontation with Egypt’s army, experts say. In July, an army coup ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, a close Hamas ally.

During Morsi’s year in power, Cairo had eased up on movement between Egyptian territory and Gaza, which had been more tightly controlled under ex-president Hosni Mubarak and the military regime that temporarily took power after he was toppled.

But after the July coup, the new militaryinstalled authorities started turning the screws again. They have repeatedly closed the Rafah border crossing and destroyed hundreds of tunnels running under the town that Hamas used for years to import fuel, building materials and other goods.

Hamas strongly condemned the Egyptian army after it subsequently drove the Brotherhood underground in a sweeping crackdown, saying it had committed “terrible massacres.” But Hamas has since sought to downplay any tensions. Adnan Abu Amr of Umma University in Gaza, said: “Hamas faces a crisis and strangulation that is forcing it to step back and minimise the chances of a clash with Egypt. (They hope) this will stop any unexpected Egyptian moves,” he said.

The situation “requires that Hamas appear flexible. Standing up to the Egyptian army is not in their interest.” And Hamas officials have made clear that this is their policy. Spokesman Fawzi Barhum insisted in remarks to AFP that “Gaza does not pose a threat to Egypt’s security and will not do so,” urging Egypt to “open Rafah permanently.”

Egypt says it has closed the Rafah crossing for “security reasons” as it seeks to cleanse the

Sinai Peninsula, which borders Gaza, of Islamist militants. Earlier this month, Gaza’s Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniya condemned “attempts to draw the resistance (Hamas) into sideline battles away from the (real) enemy (Israel).” “The government is not steering the people towards fighting Egypt or towards aggression against any state, regardless of the unprecedented pressure and circumstances the Palestinian people are under,” he said.

Political analyst Akram Ataallah said Hamas was “sending a message of detente to the Egyptian army and government-that it does not want a clash, and that the army is the sole authority that geographically controls Hamas’s life.”

In the latest show of force from Egypt, a military court sentenced five Palestinian fishermen to a year each in jail last Wednesday for illegally entering the country’s territorial waters. Hamas is also suffering because Egypt controls who goes in and out through Rafah, Ataallah said.

Under Morsi, Cairo welcomed Hamas’s leadersmany of whom are based in exile, including its Qatar-based head Khaled Meshaal-to discuss security and economic cooperation with senior officials.

No Reason ‘to Struggle Against Egypt’ Mussa Abu Marzuq, head of Hamas’s political office, asked on his public Facebook page this week: “Is there any sensible person who believes that the people of Gaza would label Egypt the enemy when it’s the only one (controlling) their living standards and contact with the outside world?”

Gaza has struggled financially since Egypt destroyed the Rafah tunnels, with a fuel shortage that threatens to shut down its sole power station, the Hamas energy authority says. And the government has announced that it would have to underpay its 40,000 employees for the third month in a row.—AFP

PARIS: The United Nations will turn its attention this week to the violent near-collapse of the Central African Republic, with France leading efforts to restore order and peace to its former colony.

Plunged into chaos since a coalition of rebels and armed movements ousted president Francois Bozize in March, the poor, landlocked nation is threatened with “Somalisation”, in the words of French President Francois Hollande.

Widespread murder, rape and looting by lawless armed groups have for months characterised this “forgotten crisis”, eclipsed by issues such as the Syrian conflict.

Warnings by relief agencies and rights organisations that the CAR is becoming a failed state have been largely falling on deaf ears. Basic infrastructure and services scarcely exist outside the capital Bangui in the southwest, while former rebels, armed movements from neighbouring Chad and Sudan and bandit groups run riot in large tracts of the country.

Some 1.6 million Centrafricans-or a third of the populationneed emergency humanitarian aid and nearly 300,000 are internally displaced or have fled to neighbouring countries, according to UN figures. France, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the European Union will cochair a ministerial meeting on the crisis on Wednesday in New York, to be attended by UN and US officials and representatives of the African Union, neighbouring countries, South Africa and Burundi. The new regime in Bangui will be represented at the UN General Assembly by transitional Prime Minister Nicolas Tiangaye, an opposition veteran who retained his post after the so-called Seleka coalition ousted Bozize.

Guy-Simplice Kodegue, spokesman for Michel Djotodia, the former Seleka chief turned president, told AFP that Tiangaye is expected to ask for a massive injection of aid to help stabilise the country until democratic elections next year.

Djotidia dissolved the Seleka on September 13, but did not disarm the rebels. The transitional authorities and an African military force of 1,500 men deployed by the Economic Community of Central African States (CEAAC) have proved incapable of ending the violence. The African Union took control of the CEEAC force on August 1 and is now trying to build a 3,600-strong International Mission of Support to the CAR (MISCA) but faces logistical and financial difficulties.

In light of the humanitarian crisis, the European Union has boosted its aid to 20 million euros ($27 million) and has offered to help fund MISCA. French authorities have said that troops pledged by Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Congo and Gabon will be sufficient as long as the international community provides logistical and financial support. France, which has 450 men at Bangui airport, has said it is prepared to send 300 more soldiers in an oversight role. But Paris has ruled out direct intervention such as that taken against armed Islamists in Mali earlier this year. “It’s up to Africans to be in the front line, but we’re ready to help,” one official told AFP. Diplomats said France was poised to propose a UN resolution aimed at broadening the powers of the UN office in Bangui while also boosting MISCA’s effectiveness.

This arrangement could lay the groundwork for a full UN peacekeeping mission in the CAR, which French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has said was an “option” but not “an immediate objective”. The idea of placing the country under UN administration has potential appeal to regional leaders who fear spillover from the crisis. They are keeping a wary eye on the current violence, in which the ex-rebels, who are mainly Muslim, are targeting a population that is 80 percent Christian.Several experts warn that the lawless CAR could become a haven for feared foreign rebels such as Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army from Uganda and the Janjaweed militias of Sudan. “Chaos will breed terrorism,” Hollande warned last week. — AFP

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

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

Two charged in mass shooting at Chicago park CHICAGO: Two men have been charged in a mass shooting at a Chicago park that wounded 13 people, including a 3-year-old boy, but neither suspect is believed to have been a triggerman, according to police. Bryon Champ, 21, and Kewane Gatewood, 20, are charged with attempted murder and aggravated battery with a firearm in the shooting Thursday night at Cornell Square Park on Chicago’s southwest side, police said late Monday.

The suspects’ home towns were not revealed.

Authorities have said as many as three people opened fire on a basketball court in the Back of the Yards neighborhood. Among the injured were 3year-old Deonta Howard, who is recovering from surgery after being shot near an ear, along with

two teenagers. Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy said Monday night in a statement that while the men played significant roles in the shooting, neither man was believed to have been a gunman in the incident.

“Chicago Police detectives continue to work tirelessly to solve this case and hold the criminals who committed this senseless act of violence last Thursday night responsible for their actions,” McCarthy said in a statement. “These charges are just the beginning, and this investigation remains ongoing at this time.”

Champ has previous weapons charges. He was convicted in July 2012 on charges of unlawful use of a weapon by a felon and sentenced to Cook

County Jail’s boot camp. Champ is a documented gang member, according to authorities.

“To truly address violence for the long-term we need state and federal laws that keep illegal guns out of our communities and provide real punishment for the criminals who use them,” McCarthy said. He said the shooting highlighted a need for a three-year mandatory minimum sentence for illegal gun possession and truth in sentencing for gun crimes in Illinois. The shooting returned Chicago’s gun violence problem to the nation’s consciousness.

The assailants fired more than a dozen rounds from an assault-style rifle, police have said. They believe the shooting was gang-related, as several

gang members were injured, although it’s not yet clear who the intended target was.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel rode along with police officers late Sunday in particularly violent city neighborhoods. Emanuel has made curbing violence a high priority, allowing the Police Department to spend millions of dollars in overtime to saturate high-crime areas with hundreds of additional officers. Through September 15, police say, they’ve recorded 306 murders and 1,402 shooting incidents this year. That’s down 20 and 22 percent, respectively, from the same period in 2012. Police say overall violent crime is down about 15 percent, according to new figures released Monday. — AP

US Navy shooter lied about previous arrest Tragedy reveals problems with security system

NEW YORK: Dilma Rousseff, President of Brazil, speaks during the 68th Session of the United Nations General Assembly yesterday at UN headquarters in New York. — AFP

Brazil’s Rousseff blasts US spying as ‘meddling’ UNITED NATIONS: Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff yesterday criticized the United States for spying, using the opening speech at the UN General Assembly to announce Brazil would adopt legislation and technology to protect it from illegal interception of communications. Rousseff last week called off a highprofile state visit to the United States scheduled for October over reports that the US National Security Agency had been spying on Brazil and Rousseff’s email.

After opening with diplomatic pleasantries and a condemnation of the shopping mall attack in Kenya, Rousseff launched into a blistering attack on US spying, calling espionage among friendly nations “totally unacceptable.”

“Meddling in such a manner in the lives and affairs of other countries is a breach of international law and, as such, it is an affront to the principles that should otherwise govern relations among countries, especially among

friendly nations,” Rousseff told the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations.

US President Barack Obama was en route to the United Nations while Rousseff spoke.

He then followed Rousseff on the podium as the first and second national leaders to address the General Assembly. Postponing the state visit, which as to have included a dinner at the White House, was a rare and diplomatically severe snub by Brazil. No new date has been set.

The report by Brazil Globo’s news program Fantastico on National Security Agency spying was based on documents that journalist Glenn Greenwald obtained from former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. Greenwald, who lives in Rio de Janeiro, was one of the journalists to first report Snowden’s leaks of classified information on previously secret US telephone and internet surveillance efforts. —Reuters

WASHINGTON: The man who killed 12 people at a Washington military base lied about a previous arrest when he applied for a security clearance in the Navy. The omission was among several gaps in his record that eventually allowed him to work in the secure building, underscoring weaknesses with the clearance process.

Aaron Alexis, a former Navy reservist, also failed to disclose thousands of dollars in debts, according to Navy report released Monday.

Federal investigators dismissed the omissions, and made one of their own - deleting any reference to Alexis’ use of a gun in the 2004 arrest over a parking disagreement.

Alexis, 34, was working as defense contractor and entered the Washington Navy Yard last week with a valid security badge. He was killed in a shootout with police that ended the rampage. The tragedy has revealed a number of problems with the security clearance system, including its focus on whether someone is a treason threat rather than a potential killer.

Defense officials have acknowledged that a lot of red flags were missed in Alexis’ background, allowing him to maintain a secret-level security clearance despite a string of behavioral problems and brushes with the law. Over the past week, they have been struggling to determine what might have been missed, and what changes could be made in order to try and prevent similar violence in the future.

So far, however, the detailed reviews only underscore how subjective the security checks can be and how difficult it is to predict violent behavior based only on minor conduct issues

Twin storms dredge up human errors in Mexico MEXICO CITY: Human nature is sharing the blame with Mother Nature in Mexico for the destruction spawned by twin storms, with critics pointing to shoddy construction, endemic corruption and political wheeling-and-dealing. The country was thrashed last week by a rare tag team of tropical storms on opposite coasts, Manuel and Ingrid, that killed at least 123 people, damaged 72 roads and affected 1.5 million homes to various degrees. A further 63 people are still missing, authorities said in the latest tally late Monday.

The interior minister has estimated the final death toll could reach 200, with some 1.5 million homes affected.

While some experts say there was little Mexico could do against the first double storm assault since 1958, critics argue that the disaster was exacerbated by bad urban planning, poorly designed roads and widespread illegal logging.

“It’s not surprising. We develop in unbuildable areas, we build with garbage and we design without planning,” Jesus Silva-Herzog Marquez, a law professor at the Autonomous

Technological Institute of Mexico, wrote in Reforma newspaper. “Some do business, and others die,” he wrote.

The southwestern state of Guerrero suffered most from wrath of the storms.

Rescuers have been working for days to dig out a village in the mountains northwest of the resort of Acapulco buried in a monstruous landslide that crumbled roads and broke a bridge in half. Authorities on a tour through the region Monday discovered a second “very similar” landslide nearby that left eight dead.

Abel Barrera, director of the Tlachinollan Human Rights Center of the Mountain, said two to three construction companies get all the lucrative contracts from municipalities in the impoverished region.

“These projects are of bad quality.

There is no supervision mechanism to check if they are meeting standards required for mountains,” Barrera told AFP. “The projects are controled by political groups. The builders give money to politicians and so nobody complains or is held accountable,” he said. In Acapulco, some neighborhoods were

Gitmo authorities consider hunger strike wave over WASHINGTON: Guantanamo Bay authorities said on Monday they would no longer issue daily hunger strike updates on detainees, effectively announcing the end of an unprecedented prisoner protest lasting more than six months.

Only 19 of the US military jail’s 164 inmates remained on hunger strike Monday, a number that has held steady since September 11, according to spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Samuel House. Of these, 18 remain on a force feeding list and none are under observation in the hospital according to House, who considers the figures in keeping with numbers from before the protest wave. On July 10, at the height of the protest, 106 prisoners were on hunger strike, with 46 being fed by tube and a handful landing in the hospital, according to figures from authorities.

Since then “the number of hunger strikers has dropped significantly, and we believe today’s numbers represent those who wish to continue to

strike,” House said in the last daily update. “Since 2007, there has been a small number of detainees who have chosen to hunger strike long-term with occasional increases and decreases,” he added.

The strike, which began on February 6 as a spontaneous reaction to a cell sweep in which guards allegedly mishandled copies of the Koran, soon grew into a mass protest against the legal limbo within the walls of the prison, located in Cuba.

Lawyers have argued that the majority of protesters were denouncing their 11-year detainment without charge or trial.

“The men achieved their objectives. They put Guantanamo back on the radar screen,” David Remes, a lawyer for more than a dozen of the prisoners, told AFP on Monday. Last month, two long-held Algerian detainees were returned to their homeland, the first such transfer since US President Barack Obama renewed his pledge to close the controversial jail in May. — AFP

built over mangroves, preventing water from draining into the ocean and flooding much of the city. Many residents fled to the rooftops of inundated homes while crocodiles surfaced in urban areas. The highway linking the port to Mexico City was blocked by landslides and the airport was flooded, stranding tens of thousands of tourists for almost a week until the road reopened last Friday.

Guerrero Governor Angel Aguirre said last week that investments and unregulated housing developments were often the product of “political deals” and “acts of corruption.”

Interior Minister Miguel Angel Osorio Chong acknowledged that the disaster can partly be attributed to “irregular settlements in places where no settlements should have been authorized.”

Luis de la Calle, founder of the public affairs consultancy CMM and a former economy ministry official, said Mexican towns have awarded building permits near waterways for years but corruption is not always the problem.

“In some cases, it’s poverty and in others, it’s corruption. Many times it’s due to the institutional absence of the government,” he told AFP. “There are municipal governments that don’t have the capacity to enforce the law.”

Enrique Santoyo, director general of the TGC engineering firm, said corruption was a problem but that roads were not prepared for such rare storms and that the geology of the earthquakeprone region made them vulnerable.

But he also blamed “weak supervision” of projects. Prior to the storms, President Enrique Pena Nieto unveiled a massive investment plan to modernize Mexico’s infrastructure, but his project now faces $3 billion in road repairs amid an economic slowdown.

The government’s response to the storms has also come under criticism.

Barrera said indigenous populations have been neglected. He said at least 42 people have died but the “magnitude of the tragedy” is difficult to know because some mountain communities are isolated. Osorio Chong insists that the federal government is concerned for all communities but that many are difficult to reach by air or land. A police helicopter flying rescue missions crashed last Friday, killing its five crew members. Aguirre, meanwhile, was under fire over a picture showing him hosting a party with a mariachi band as Manuel approached the coast. On Monday, he appeared in news photos being interviewed with chest-high water in a flooded town. — AFP

Aaron Alexis

that could easily be overlooked.

Navy Secretary Ray Mabus recommended Monday that all police reports not just arrests or convictions - involving an individual must be included when a background check is done.

He also recommended that the Navy enhance its management of sailor evaluations and fitness reports by assigning more senior officers to oversee them.

A review of Alexis’ nearly four-year Navy career was ordered last week by Mabus. The report said that a background document given to the Navy omitted the fact that Alexis had

shot out the tires of another person’s car during the parking dispute. Instead, the report from the Office of Personnel Management said Alexis “deflated” the tires. It was not clear who was at fault for the omission. Officials said they didn’t know whether the summary provided to the Navy was compiled by OPM, or if it was put together by the company that investigated Alexis for his clearance - US Investigations Services, or USIS - and passed on to OPM. According to a senior Navy official, a police repor t on the park ing dispute in Seattle included information about the gun and said Alexis was arrested, charged with malicious mischief and fingerprinted and spent the night in jail. But when he appeared in court the charges were dismissed and he believed the incident was erased from his record. The Navy also released other details about Alexis’ troubled service record, including two efforts by his commander to impose non-judicial punishments for various infractions.

The Navy said Alexis failed to report to work because he was in jail for a disorderly conduct arrest outside a nightclub in September 2008.

His commander ordered the loss of a halfmonth’s pay for two months and a one-rank demotion, but suspended both punishments because it was Alexis’ first offense. He was later arrested for discharging a firearm in his apartment. Navy officials began preparing a lessthan-honorable discharge, but it was never completed because he said the incident was an accident, and no charges were filed.

Several months later he received an honorable discharge from the Navy. — AP

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

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

Sikhs caught in crossfire of France’s battle to stay secular PARIS: France’s Sikh community is ramping up a campaign for the turban to be allowed in state-funded schools amid moves to reinforce a 2004 law banning pupils from wearing religious symbols. The contentious issue pits the cherished French principle of secularity in public life and institutions against the essence of the Sikh religion, which requires followers to keep long hair as a mark of their faith and piety and a turban to cover the tresses, worn as a bun on the top of the head.

France’s Education Minister Vincent Peillon has unveiled a new charter on secularity which must be displayed in government-funded schools explaining in child-friendly language why the Jewish skullcap and the Star of David, the Sikh turban, crucifixes and the Islamic veil are taboo.

But the 30,000-strong Sikh community in France argue that they are the victims of ignorance. They see the recent official emphasis on secularism as being primarily the result of opposition to the Islamic veil and broader tensions with the largest Muslim community in Europe, and say they have been caught in the crossfire. We are currently in talks with (Interior Minister) Manuel Valls to explain our unique situation and to be exempted from this law,” said Kashmir

Singh, a member of the management committee of the largest gurdwara or Sikh temple in France, located in the Paris suburb of Bobigny. “We have also met Manmohan Singh asking him to put pressure on France for justice to be done,” he said, referring to the Indian prime minister who is also Sikh.

Singh added: “Our children are dropping out from school or being expelled for keeping the faith. The cross, the veil and the kippa are not mandatory and are symbols. But the kesh (long hair) and the pagri (turban) are non-negotiable. They are not symbols but a sacred, inherent and intrinsic part of our religion.”

Ten students have been expelled since the law on secularity in schools came into force in 2004, according to official records. But the true number of children affected is much higher since many Sikhs have opted for private schools or home learning rather than give up the turban, said Ranjit Singh, a community spokesman who liaises with the government. “Also many Sikh families are ashamed of the fact that their children have been expelled and do not tell us so there are no complete records,” Kashmir Singh added.

Ranjit Singh was one of the first Sikh boys to be expelled from his lycee, or high school, after the 2004 law. That left deep scars but he has moved on since

and is currently pursuing a doctorate at the prestigious Sorbonne university in Paris. “I opted for the liberal professions because I then decided I would work for myself as I was sceptical about getting a job that would allow me to keep my turban,” he said. Sikhism was founded five centuries ago in the Indian subcontinent and its cornerstones are the principles of equality and fraternity. It was a reaction to the Hindu caste system and the prevailing Islamic perception and treatment of non-believers as “infidels”.

The religion does not seek to proselytise. And its only link with terrorism has been confined to India and Indian targets in the wake of a now defunct separatist movement to carve a Sikh homeland called Khalistan out of the Indian state of Punjab.

The extremist attacks peaked after then Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi controversially ordered the June 1984 storming of Sikhdom’s holiest shrine to flush out separatists holed up inside. That military operation led to Gandhi’s assassination in October of that year by two Sikh bodyguards which sparked a wave of anti-Sikh riots in India and claimed thousands of lives. But Sikh extremism has since died out.

Bikramjit Singh, a suave 27-year-old working as an engineer, was also expelled from his school in 2004.

He argues that the turban symbolised equality — the fundamental pillar of the French Revolution of 1789.

“In medieval times in India only the Muslim aristocracy and officials were allowed to wear turbans, while among the Hindus it was only reserved for the priestly class. Our religion undid all that,” he said.

“In France, they cut off a king’s head to make everyone equal, while we used a turban to make everyone a king,” he said. Another problem for Sikhswho have won landmark legal battles on the turban issue in the United States, Britain and Canada among other countries-is that they are often mistaken for Muslims in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks because of their headgear and beards.

A recent study conducted in the United States by Stanford University and an advocacy group showed that more than two-thirds of Americans could not identify Sikhs by their turbans and most mistook them for Muslims. The situation is the same in France, said Joginder Singh, a middle-aged carpenter and odd-jobs man. “The British have been able to manage and integrate their former subjects far better, while in France they are still struggling to deal with north Africans and Muslims,” he said. “And meanwhile we become the casualties of this mess.” — AFP

Britain’s Miliband woos voters before 2015 poll Labour blames Cameron for slowest recovery in 100 years

VATICAN: In this Saturday, March 23, 2013 photo provided by the Vatican paper L’Osservatore Romano, Pope Francis, left, meets Pope emeritus Benedict XVI in Castel Gandolfo. Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI has emerged from his self-imposed silence inside the Vatican to publish a lengthy letter to one of Italy’s most wellknown atheists. In it, he defends his record on handling sexually abusive priests and discusses everything from evolution to theology to the figure of Jesus Christ. — AP

Ex-pope denies covering up sexual abuse of children VATICAN CITY: Former Pope Benedict has denied that he tried to cover up sexual abuse of children by Roman Catholic priests, in his first direct published comments since he stepped down.

The comments came in an 11-page letter to Italian author and mathematician Piergiorgio Odifreddi, who had written a book about the problems facing the Roman Catholic Church before the pope resigned in February.

“As far as you mentioning the moral abuse of minors by priests, I can only, as you know, acknowledge it with profound consternation. But I never tried to cover up these things,” Benedict, who now has the title Emeritus Pope, said.

Excerpts of Benedict’s pope’s letter were published in the Rome newspaper La Repubblica yesterday with the former pope’s permission.

It was believed to be the first time Benedict has responded to the sexual abuse accusations in the first person, although the Vatican has always said he did much to put an end to sexual abuse of minors by priests and never tried to cover it up. It was also the first time since Benedict resigned on February 28 that anything precise that he has written or said was published, although some people who have

visited him in the Vatican house where he is living out retirement have indirectly reported to outsiders some of his comments to them.

Victims groups have accused Benedict of not doing enough to stop the abuse of children by priests while he was pope and before when he was head of the Vatican’s doctrinal office. They say there is much still to be discovered about how the Church behaved in the past and want more bishops who were aware of abuse to be held responsible.

The Catholic Church’s crisis came to light in Boston in 2002 when media began reporting how cases of abuse were systematically covered up and abusive priests were shuttled from parish to parish instead of being defrocked and handed over to civil authorities.

Since then, the Catholic Church in many countries has set up new guidelines to deal with cases of past abuse, prevent new cases, report abuse to police, and stop potential abusers from entering the priesthood in the first place.

The rest of the letter from Benedict to Odifreddi referred to other aspects of the author’s book, called “Dear Pope, I Am Writing You”, such as the conflict between good and evil. — Reuters

Russia moves punk band member to solitary cell MOSCOW: Russian prison authorities said yesterday they had moved jailed Pussy Riot musician Nadezhda Tolokonnikova to an isolation cell after she launched a hunger strike over what she called death threats and slave labour conditions.

“A decision has been taken to move her to a safe place,” the prison service for the central Mordovia region where the 23-yearold activist is being held in a penal colony said in a statement.

Tolokonnikova declared a hunger strike on Monday, saying in a letter released to the media that prisoners had to work 17hour days sewing uniforms and that she received a death threat from the colony’s deputy governor.

The regional Investigative Committee said it had launched a preliminary probe into her claims. Tolokonnikova, the mother of a young daughter, is half-way through a two-year sentence after being convicted over punk band Pussy Riot’s protest song in a Moscow cathedral last year.

“The convict is in an isolated room,” the prison service said, adding that she was moved because of Tolokonnikova’s claims that “she is being threatened”. Her husband Pyotr Verzilov confirmed the move to AFP. “Yes, she has been moved. She’s in a secure place. It’s not a comfortable place though,” he said.

The prison service insisted that Tolokonnikova’s solitary cell had a “level of comfort (that) meets legal norms”. “She has her personal things, food, books and stationery,” it said.

A prison service spokesman quoted by the Interfax news agency said she was in a “single-person cell with comfortable conditions-measuring seven square metres-with a sleeping area, fridge and toilet”. Staff were

continuing to bring Tolokonnikova food despite her hunger strike, according to the chairman of a Kremlin-linked prisoners’ rights watchdog for Mordovia, Gennady Morozov.

In her letter, Tolokonnikova described harrowing conditions, saying inmates were treated like “slaves” and that a culture of violence saw prison staff encouraging inmates to beat up rulebreakers.

She alleged prisoners were forced to work naked as punishment for sewing slowly and described insanitary conditions, with the women often deprived of weekly showers and having to unblock overflowing toilets themselves.

In the most serious allegation, she said the camp’s deputy governor hinted she would be killed by inmates if she pushed for their rights.

He warned that if the prisoners worked shorter hours, they would be punished for failing to reach production targets and would take revenge on her. “When they find out this happened because of you, then nothing bad will happen to you againbecause nothing bad happens in the afterlife,” Tolokonnikova accused him of saying.

More than 22,000 people have signed an online petition asking the prison service to move Tolokonnikova to another prison colony. “Any of us could be in this girl’s position. Let’s support Nadya and tell our friends about her letter,” Pavel Durov, the founder of VKontakte, Russia’s equivalent to Facebook, wrote on his personal page.

“What she describes must be rooted out.”

The regional prison service has denied Tolokonnikova’s claims, saying prisoners only work an eight-hour day. It said that she made the complaint after being refused a request for privileges. —AFP

BRIGHTON: Britain’s Labour leader Ed Miliband will stake his claim to replace Prime Minister David Cameron at the 2015 election yesterday with an attack on government cuts that he blames for the longest fall in living standards in more than a century.

Miliband will try to improve his disastrous personal poll ratings and convince voters they can trust his opposition party with the economy, accusing Cameron of delaying the recovery from its worst crisis since World War Two. In a speech to Labour’s annual conference, Miliband will cast Cameron’s Conservatives as the party of the rich and say only Labour will help families and small businesses bruised by years of stagnation, public cuts and weak wage growth.

Miliband, who beat his older brother to the leadership in 2010, hopes to silence party critics who want him to give a clearer message and do more to be seen as a future premier.

“We have the slowest recovery in 100 years, 1 million young people looking for work ... the longest fall in living standards since 1870,” he will say. “You’ve made the sacrifices, but you’ve not got the rewards.”

Centre-left Labour, which has a narrow lead over the centre-right Conservatives, lost power in 2010 after its second worst election defeat since 1918. The perception of Miliband is worse. A poll by research company YouGov this month suggested only 3 percent of voters saw Miliband as a natural leader, compared to 14 percent for Cameron, who was also seen as stronger, more decisive and better in a crisis.

If Labour wins the election, one of its first acts will be to stop a planned cut in the rate of corporation tax and use the money to help small companies, he will say.

In words that echo former US president Ronald Reagan’s phrase in his 1980 White House campaign, Miliband will ask voters “are you better off now than you were five years ago?”.

Labour’s economic reputation was shredded by the financial crisis and a period of borrowing and spending that led to a record peacetime budget deficit before their defeat. Labour says it will have “iron discipline”.

Finance chief Ed Balls cast doubt on a planned

BRIGHTON: Britain’s opposition Labour Party leader Ed Miliband delivers his speech on the third day of the Labour party conference in Brighton, southern England, yesterday. — AFP 50 billion pound ($80.16 billion) fast rail link between London and the north on Monday, saying it might be scrapped if costs rise.

Miliband will announce plans to build 1 million new houses by 2020 and offer more free childcare to families squeezed by what he calls a “cost of living crisis”. The Conservatives dismissed the plans as “economic incompetence”, while the Institute of Directors, a business lobby group, said Miliband was “tinkering at the edges”.

Miliband, 43, whose Marxist father escaped the Nazis in Belgium by catching one of the last boats to Britain in 1940, is trying to restore economic credibility and lift his personal ratings at Labour’s meeting in Brighton, southern England.

Supporters say he is a strong figure who united his party after years of feuding, blocked Cameron’s support for military action in Syria and had the courage to stand up to media chiefs such as Rupert Murdoch.

Detractors, however, dismiss him as “Red Ed”, a

left-wing figure who lacks gravitas, struggles to convey his beliefs and whose style alienates voters. Miliband’s message was obscured by coverage of a former Labour adviser’s memoirs that reopened old party feuds and exposed evidence of deceit and spin in its media operation.

One of Miliband’s biggest obstacles is the message from opinion polls that voters have more faith in the Conservatives to run the world’s sixth biggest economy.

Signs of a surprisingly strong recovery have allowed the government to say it has won the argument about how to secure the recovery.

Conservative Business Minister Matthew Hancock said the corporation tax move would cost jobs and the housing plan would lead to more public borrowing.

“This is yet more economic incompetence,” he said. “Tax rises on businesses and the same old Labour policy of more borrowing and more debt would undermine the recovery.” — Reuters

Nigeria’s human rights body probes Abuja raid LAGOS: Nigeria’s human rights commission said yesterday that it was investigating allegations that security agents shot dead eight unarmed squatters last week in the capital Abuja under the guise of fighting Boko Haram insurgents. Doubts have persisted over the official explanation regarding the incident on Friday that also left a number of others wounded, with witnesses saying those shot at were unarmed and not members of Boko Haram.

A security message from the US embassy about what appeared to be the same incident also suggested that those involved may in fact have been squatters. “We have stepped into the matter. Our men visited the scene of the incident on Friday and took information from witnesses and residents,” National Human Rights Commission chairman

Chidi Odinkalu told AFP.”We have to determine if the right to life of the victims has been violated.

The commission will meet within the week to come up with a report,” he said. Nigerian secret police had claimed that Boko Haram extremists opened fire on its operatives on Friday as they searched for weapons purportedly hidden by members of the Islamist group in an area of Abuja where lawmakers live. They said several people were injured and 12 were arrested following a shootout with the extremists during the operation.

But local residents and witnesses said eight people who were squatting in an unfinished building were killed by the security forces. Several people who were wounded said men in military uniforms arrived in the middle of the night and opened fire.

There were unconfirmed allegations in local media that the house belonged to a retired military official.

One witness told AFP that the squatters had been given one week to leave, but that the raid occurred two days later as the dozens of people squatting at the location were asleep. Nigerian security agents have previously been accused of major abuses against civilians, though they have consistently denied the allegations.

Violence linked to Boko Haram’s insurgency has left more than 3,600 dead since 2009, including killings by the security forces. Friday’s incident would have marked the first violence linked to the Islamist group to hit the Nigerian capital in months. — AFP

French appeals court upholds Sarkozy vote funding probe BORDEAUX: A French appeals court ruled yesterday an investigation could proceed into former president Nicolas Sarkozy on accusations he duped L’Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt into donating election campaign funds.

The decision, which could lead to a trial in the long-running scandal, complicates any political comeback by Sarkozy, who has been dogged for years by the “Bettencourt affair” in which he denies any misconduct.

As the conservative voters’ favourite to take on Socialist President Francois Hollande in 2017 after losing to him last year, Sarkozy could suffer if he is tried over allegations of exploiting the mental frailty of France’s richest woman.

“There is more chance of a trial on the horizon for Sarkozy, and as for his eventual return to politics, it’s obviously a lot more complicated for him,” political analyst Christophe Barbier told iTele. “He is no longer master of his own calendar.”

A lawyer for one of the 12 people investigated in the case said the decision would be appealed to the Cour de Cassation, the country’s highest

appeals court. Sarkozy’s lawyers, who did not comment on Tuesday’s decision, have five days to join that appeal.

A final judgment by that court could take many months, but Sarkozy could be called to face trial at any time. Sarkozy was placed under formal investigation in March for “abuse of weakness” of Bettencourt after she was declared in a state of dementia. He was allegedly seeking funds for his 2007 election campaign.

Under French law, a formal investigation means there is “serious or consistent evidence” pointing to likely implication of a suspect in a crime. It often but not always leads to trial. The public prosecutor handling the case recommended in June that it be dropped for lack of evidence. In France, investigating magistrates can proceed with a formal inquiry over the objections of a prosecutor.

The appeal court’s decision yesterday to proceed with the investigation was announced to reporters outside the court in the southwest city of Bordeaux by Nicolas Huc-Morel, the Bettencourt family lawyer.

It was prompted by a challenge mounted in July by lawyers for Sarkozy and 11 others placed under investigation. They contested a 2011 medical report that determined Bettencourt had been suffering from dementia since 2006.

Lawyers argued the formal inquiry could not be viewed as impartial because one of the doctors involved in the report was a friend of the judge who placed Sarkozy under investigation, JeanMichel Gentil.

“Were the (medical) expertise to have fallen through, it would have weakened the case and the formal investigation could have caved in,” Barbier said. “In short, the main pillar in the Bettencourt case would have collapsed.”

Sarkozy has largely stayed out of the limelight since his defeat to Hollande last year, but has dropped hints this year that he is mulling a re-election bid. Any comeback would hinge on the outcome of the Bettencourt case and a series of other legal cases involving people close to him, including alleged political rigging in an arbitration payout to a high-profile businessman. — Reuters

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

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

Hun Sen renamed Cambodia PM as opposition boycotts Opposition leader to announce party’s next step

WAGAH BORDER POST: Indian activists of the Christian community hold placards as they protest against the Taleban and Pakistan government during a demonstration at the Indian-Pakistan Wagah border post about 35Km from Amritsar yesterday, against attacks on Christians in Pakistan. — AFP

Pakistan’s Christians fear fresh attacks after bombing PESHAWAR: A devastating double suicide attack on a church in northwest Pakistan has triggered fears among the country’s beleaguered Christian community that they will be targeted in a fresh wave of Islamist violence.

The blasts that tore through the congregation at All Saints church in Peshawar after the service on Sunday morning, killing 82 people, are believed to be the deadliest attack ever on Pakistan’s small Christian community.

The country has been wracked by years of Islamist violence and a rising tide of sectarian attacks among Muslims, but before now the biggest concern among Christians has usually been mob violence triggered by blasphemy allegations. Shaloom Nazir, 14, was getting ready for Bible study at the 100-year-old church when the bombers struck just before noon. In an instant he lost his mother, father, sister, brother and uncle. “I was going to sit down in the church for a Bible class when I heard the explosion, so I ran out,” Shaloom Nazir told AFP, his voice choked with grief, his eyes fixed lifelessly on some distant point.

“There were about 300 people lying on the ground. I recognised my mother, I took her in my arms.”It was to no avail-she later died of her injuries. The walls of the courtyard were pockmarked with the ragged metal ball bearings that had been packed into the suicide bombers’ explosive vests to cause maximum carnage. Many Pakistani Christians are the descendants of low-caste ancestors who converted during the days of British rule, and most are poor, relegated to dirty, undesirable jobs. They make up just two percent of Pakistan’s 180 million population and have suffered attacks and riots in recent years over allegations of profaning the Quran or Prophet

Mohammed (PBUH).

Sectarian violence between majority Sunni Muslims and the Shiites, who make up about 20 percent of the population, has risen alarmingly in recent years, but Christians have largely escaped the bloodshed.

Sunday’s carnage has raised fears that this might change. “We have been treated like sinners. We have no lands, we have no factories, we have no business,” said Saleem Haroon, who came to see two wounded cousins at Peshawar’s main Lady Reading hospital.

“It is a new war. Before, the Shias were the target, but now we are the target. They want to create a new battle, a new battleground.” In a corner of a room at the hospital, the blood of some of the victims mingled on the tiled floor with rubbish and dirty water.

“We are just sweepers and still we have been treated like this. Look over there in the washroom,” he said, gesturing angrily at the mess. “If all the Christians die, who will clean it? All the sweepers died yesterday.”

Danish Yunas, 35, a driver who was lucky to escape from the blast with just a leg wound, said Christians and Muslims had got on well in the past, but he feared those days were at an end.

“We had very good relations with the Muslims-there was no tension before that blast, but we fear that this is the beginning of a wave of violence against the Christians,” he told AFP. The Bishop of Peshawar, Humphrey Peters, said he had asked the authorities to review security for Christians but to no avail.

“I am afraid that this is the beginning, it can spread to the rest of Pakistan. We are the soft target. The Christians are the soft target,” he told AFP. —AFP

PHNOM PENH: Long-serving Cambodian strongman Hun Sen began another five-year term as prime minister yesterday, declaring his victory “historic” despite accusations of rigged elections, mass protests and a boycott of parliament by the opposition.

Ruling party lawmakers renamed Hun Sen as prime minister of the Southeast Asian nation in a parliamentary vote that was boycotted by the opposition. Hun Sen, who has ruled virtually unchallenged for nearly three decades, took the oath of office with fellow Cabinet members in front of King Norodom Sihamoni at the Royal Palace later in the day.

The opposition’s 55 elected lawmakers stayed away from parliament’s opening session Monday and again yesterday over allegations the country’s disputed July ballot was marred by fraud, while the ruling Cambodian People’s Party’s 68 lawmakers renamed Hun Sen to his post.

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy said he would announce the party’s next step today but called Hun Sen’s re-appointment a “constitutional coup.” Speaking before the half-empty National Assembly, Hun Sen displayed his characteristic confidence and dismissed allegations of cheating.

“Today is a historic day for Cambodia,” Hun Sen said in his acceptance speech. “The election results are a reflection of the full support we have from the majority of Cambodians.”

The July 28 vote, he added, was a “free, fair, just and transparent election.”

Hun Sen’s party performed unexpectedly weakly in the election, emerging with its poorest results in more than a decade to see its majority wither in the 123-seat National Assembly. The opposition, running on a newly unified slate, meanwhile boosted its number of elected lawmakers to 55 from 29.

The result emboldened the opposition, which has staged several protests that drew tens of thousands of supporters who backed its call for an independent probe of election irregularities. Experts say that a stronger and more vocal opposition could lead Hun Sen to make some changes in the government and small political compromises but it is unlikely to loosen his grip on power.

“This is a huge wake-up call (for Hun Sen’s government) ... and now they all acknowledge that they all need to reform,” said Ou Virak, president of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights. “But the question is, are they able to reform?”

Hun Sen and opposition leader Sam Rainsy

Pakistani investigators in Mumbai over 2008 attacks MUMBAI: Investigators from Islamabad began cross-examining witnesses in Mumbai yesterday over the deadly attacks on the Indian city in 2008, after seven people in Pakistan were charged over the carnage.

Ten heavily-armed men stormed a luxury hotel and other targets in Mumbai nearly five years ago, killing 166 people in the three-day attack, which India blamed on the Pakistanbased Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant group. Pakistan charged seven men in 2009 for involvement in the attacks, but has insisted it needs to gather

more evidence in India before proceeding further.

Members of a judicial commission arrived at a south Mumbai magistrates’ court yesterday morning amid tight security, an AFP photographer at the scene said. The Indian witnesses due to be examined include doctors who conducted autopsies on the gunmen and the chief investigating police officer in the case, the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency reported.

This is the commission’s second visit to India as they were refused crossexamination of the witnesses last time,

PTI said. New Delhi has also accused elements of the Pakistani state notably its Inter-Services Intelligence agency of involvement, which Islamabad denies.

The only gunman to survive the siege, Pakistani-born Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, was tried in Mumbai and hanged late last year for waging war against India, murder and terrorist attacks. Pakistan’s failure to convict anyone over the bloodshed has hampered efforts for a lasting peace agreement between the neighbouring and nuclear-armed rivals. — AFP

NEW DELHI: This combination of images created yesterday, shows convicted Indian prisoners (L/R): Akshay Thakur, Vinay Sharma, Mukesh Singh, Pawan Gupta as they arrive for an appearance at The High Court in New Delhi yesterday. — AFP

Delhi gang-rapists in court as lawyers prepare appeal NEW DELHI: Four men condemned to death for the murder and gangrape of an Indian student were yesterday brought back to court as their lawyers confirmed before judges that they would appeal the sentences.

The convicts were produced before the High Court in New Delhi where a panel of two judges said they would take up the case from Wednesday, the lawyer for one of the men told AFP. “The court will start hearing the background to the case from tomorrow (Wednesday). We will file our appeal shortly,” said Vivek Sharma, the counsel for Pawan Gupta. “ We are keeping our fingers crossed,” Sharma added. The lawyers for the other three convicts-Akshay

Thakur, Vinay Sharma and Mukesh Singh-told the court that they would also appeal the sentencing.

Lawyers had earlier indicated to reporters their intention to appeal but this was the first time that they had confirmed their move in court.

A trial court sentenced the men on September 13 over the gang rape on a bus in Delhi of the 23year-old woman, who died nearly a fortnight later in a Singapore hospital.

The court said that the crime fell into the “rarest of rare category” that justified capital punishment. There had been a huge clamour for the gang to be executed for their attack on December 16, which shocked the nation and triggered a debate on the way women are treated.

The convicts are currently being held at the capital’s high-security Tihar Jail. They were pictured dressed in casual clothes as they entered the court premises escorted by scores of policemen. The fifth suspect in the case, bus driver Ram Singh, died in prison in March in an apparent suicide.

A sixth member of the gang, who was a minor at the time of the assault, was sentenced last month to three years in a reformatory, the maximum penalty allowed under India’s juvenile laws.

India had an unofficial eightyear moratorium on capital punishment until last November when the only surviving gunman from the 2008 Mumbai attacks was executed. — AFP

PHNOM PENH: Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen (right) sits inside the session hall of the National Assembly with lawmakers from his Cambodian People’s Party, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, yesterday. Ruling party lawmakers in Cambodia’s parliament have named Hun Sen prime minister for another five-year term. — AP

have held three rounds of talks this month in an effort to resolve the political deadlock. Hun Sen told reporters yesterday he was ready to talk again - but only if opposition lawmakers take their seats in parliament.

“Before resuming negotiations, you have to first take an oath,” Hun Sen said in comments directed at the opposition, adding that the opposition’s decision not to attend parliament was its own and the legislature’s doors remained open.

He said the ruling party was considering offering several senior posts to the opposition, including vice president of the legislature and that the government “is determined to undertake thorough reforms in all fields.”

Yesterday, Sam Rainsy called the convening of parliament without the opposition - and Hun Sen’s return to power - a violation of the constitution. “They have actually lost the election,” Rainsy told The Associated Press. “They refuse any investigation into irregularities, which means they know that any serious investigation would show they have lost... This is a constitutional coup that we condemn.”

Hun Sen’s power remains rock-solid for now, leaving the next move up to the opposition. Having raised the expectations of their supporters - who showed their faith by coming out in the streets despite the threat of vio-

lent repression - the Cambodia National Rescue Party must decide if their confrontational approach risks bringing diminishing returns. But striking a compromise with Hun Sen’s government could lose them the momentum they gained through their spirited street rallies, said Lao Mong Hay, an independent political analyst.

“The opposition has been riding on the waves of the people” who are not interested in a political compromise, he said, adding that the turnout for the opposition was less an expression of support for their policies and more a “protest against the establishment.”

Cambodians now have aspirations including hopes for social advancement, greater equality, and an end to corruption, land grabbing and deforestation, all of which have not been addressed by Hun Sen’s regime, Lao Mong Hay said. Hun Sen’s past record of dealing harshly with opponents remains another factor. At least one person died and 10 were injured when security forces cracked down on opposition protests earlier this month. And on Sunday, security forces backed by thugs broke up a peaceful opposition protest at a Buddhist temple compound in the capital, wielding stun guns, electric batons and slingshots that left about 10 people injured, said Rupert Abbott of Amnesty International. — AP

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ANALYSIS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

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Issues

A look at Israel, US, Iran hopes

By George Jahn ince taking office last month, Iranian President Hasan Rouhani has signaled his country could be more conciliatory about international fears his country is seeking nuclear arms - something Tehran denies. Progress on the issue remains difficult after more than a decade of growing nuclear tensions because of the wide gap between what Iran seeks from the West and what it is willing to concede as the first steps of any negotiated deal. With Rouhani and President Barack Obama both scheduled to address the UN General Assembly, it is a look at who wants what, and what each may be willing to give in return:

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WHAT IS THE SITUATION? Iran has ruled out any chance of closing down its uranium enrichment program, which the West fears could eventually produce material for nuclear weapons. Iran insists it only seeks reactors for energy, research and isotopes for medical treatments. The two sides have been in a virtual stalemate over the issue since international talks began in 2006 with each side blaming the other for intransigence. The U.S., EU, U.N. and other countries and groups have applied painful sanctions on Iran, leaving the country blocked from global banking systems and with sky high inflation.

WHO ARE THE PLAYERS? The US is negotiating with Iran alongside, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany. Except for Germany, all these nations are permanent UN Security Council members, and the group is called the P5 + 1 Israel has no diplomatic ties with Iran and is not part of negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program.

But it’s involved because it considers an Iran armed with nuclear weapons an existential threat and has threatened possible military attack. While the P5 +1 aims at a picture of unity, there have been some differences on tactics, with Russia and China sometimes pushing through negotiating demands more favorable to Iran.

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT UN? The broad challenges posed by sanctions will shape Rouhani’s agenda at the meetings. Obama is expected to signal his willingness to engage with Tehran if it makes nuclear concessions. Obama’s speech will be closely watched for signs that he may meet later in the day with Rouhani. Even a brief encounter would be significant given that the leaders of the US and Iran haven’t had face-to-face contact in more than 30 years. But the meeting is unlikely to result in either side offering concessions on the nuclear issue.

WHAT DOES IRAN WANT? Iran wants swift relief from international sanctions led by the US and European Union targeting its vital oil exports and limiting its access to global financial networks. Sanctions have been progressively imposed since 2006 in attempts to force it to compromise on its nuclear program. Iran may be ready to agree to limit enrichment to no higher than 5 percent and destroy or convert all enriched uranium above that benchmark as an initial concession. It now is enriching some uranium to nearly 20 percent, which can be turned into weapons-grade uranium much more quickly. Iran sees Israel’s undeclared nuclear arsenal as the biggest threat to the Middle East.

WHAT DOES US WANT? Since the start of international talks on Iran’s nuclear program seven years ago, the United States and its allies have moved from demanding a full stop to all enrichment activities to seeking lesser concessions from Iran. The P5 + 1 group wants Tehran to stop enrichment above 5 percent as an initial step. It also seeks an end to work on a reactor that will produce plutonium because that material can also be used to arm nuclear weapons. It wants a fortified underground facility shut down the UN nuclear agency to have greater powers in monitoring Iran’s nuclear program.

As a first step, the six-nation group is likely to welcome an agreement to either stop enriching above 5 percent or cease work on the reactor. Tehran is unlikely for now to offer to shut down the underground enrichment plant where it now makes 20-percent enriched uranium. Washington faces a policymaking quandary since many believe sanctions may have forced Iran into a bargaining mood. However, some sanctions relief may be offered in return.

AND ISRAEL? Israel wants the US and the broader international community to maintain a “credible” military threat and has rejected the more moderate tone of the Rouhani administration as a smoke screen. President Benjamin Netanyahu is concerned that its allies might be fooled into complacency. In a statement last week, he demanded Iran halt all uranium enrichment; remove all enriched uranium from its territory; close the underground facility where 20 percent uranium is being made, and end construction of the plutonium reactor. Even if Tehran concedes on only one of the demands as an initial step, Netanyahu’s position and indirect influence on the United States’ negotiating stance - would be weakened. — AP

All articles appearing on these pages are the personal opinion of the writers.

Kuwait Times takes no responsibility for views expressed therein. Kuwait Times invites readers to voice their opinions. Please send submissions via email to: opinion@kuwaittimes.net or via snail mail to PO Box 1301 Safat, Kuwait. The editor reserves the right to edit any submission as necessary.

Nairobi mall attack strikes at Africa’s boom image

By Pascal Fletcher hen Islamist fighters from Somalia’s Al-Shabaab group stormed a Nairobi mall at the weekend, they knew they were hitting a high-profile symbol of Kenya’s economic power in booming Africa.

The Israeli-built Westgate mall offering multiple levels of shops, cafes and restaurants epitomized the African consumer bonanza that is drawing foreign investment - from West and East - to one of the world’s fastest growing continents.

Like the Algerian gas plant attacked by Saharan Islamists in January, the beige-colored mall offered a high-impact target for militants to kill dozens and sow panic as they increasingly wage cross-border jihad, challenging Africa and the wider world. From Mali to Algeria, Nigeria to Kenya, violent Islamist groups - tapping into local poverty, conflict, inequality or exclusion but espousing a similar anti-Western, antiChristian creed - are striking at state authority and international interests, both economic and political.

John Campbell, a former US ambassador to Nigeria, said he believed insurgents like those who rebelled in Mali last year, the Nigerian Boko Haram Islamist sect and the Nairobi mall raiders were also partly motivated by anger with what he called “pervasive malgovernance” in Africa.

“This is undoubtedly anti-Western and anti-Christian but it also taps into a lot of deep popular anger against the political economy in which they find themselves, in which a very small group of people are basically raking off the wealth,” he said. Campbell saw a darker side of the “Africa Rising” story, where growing social inequalities and tensions in ostensibly booming nations were being ignored or obscured by positive economic growth numbers that distorted the real picture.

“The statistics aren’t describing the reality,” said Campbell, the Ralph Bunche Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies at the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations. He not-

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ed that the more than 60 victims of the mall attack included members of the Kenyan elite, including a nephew of Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, and foreign expatriates. Mark Rosenberg, Senior Analyst for Africa of the Eurasia Group consultancy, said the Nairobi attack would “increase the risk profile for Africa”.

This was always a “jumpy” barometer, he added, because there was “an unfortunate tendency to treat the continent as one country”.

Nevertheless, he saw no “structural threat” from the African Islamist insurgencies to the growth trend on the continent over the last decade.

Rosenberg noted the Kenyan economy had bounced back strongly from the 1998 bombing by Al-Qaeda’s East Africa cell of the US Embassy in Nairobi which killed more than 200 people.

RELIGIOUS FAULTLINES Al Shabaab spokesmen cited the presence of Kenyan troops fighting them in neighboring Somalia as a motive for the mall raid. However, survivors said some of the attackers had picked victims according to their religion. They “called on all Muslims to leave the shopping center,” Israeli businessman Yariv Kedar wrote in an eyewitness account published by the Tel Aviv daily Yedioth Ahronoth. Other survivors told reporters that those who identified themselves as Muslims were ordered to recite a verse from the Koran, or to name the Prophet Mohammed’s mother. Those who could do so were allowed to go; those who failed the test were killed.

This religious factor is a common denominator of nearly all of the insurgencies and conflicts across the Sahel, northern Nigeria and the Sudans, into east Africa and the Horn of Africa. It follows the historical faultlines of where the mostly Islamized north of the continent meets the predominantly Christian and non-Muslim south below the Sahara. Ambassador Bethuel Kiplagat, founder member and adviser of the Nairobi-based African Peace Forum that researches peace and security issues, saw these militant strains of Islamism multiplying in Africa and across the globe.

NAIROBI: Onlookers are teargassed by police trying to disperse idlers who had milled around a prestigious shopping mall, which is the scene of a siege by Somali Islamists now in its fourth day. — AFP “Something is fermenting in the said it was possible Al Shabaab “sub- into the Twin Towers”, he said, recallworld. There is a religious factor, an contracted” the Nairobi attack to fol- ing al Qaeda’s 9/11 attack.

Nevertheless, the Nairobi raid Islamic factor, but it is not mainstream lowers from Kenya, East Africa or even Islam,” he said. He pointed to a week- further afield. The group is under pres- could encourage other groups to seek end of apparently religious-inspired sure from an offensive by African out such high-profile targets, as was bloodshed that included suicide troops in Somalia, said Aynte, who is apparently the case after militants bombers killing 78 outside a Church director of the regional policy and attacked the Indian city of Mumbai.

“One of the major concerns for CT in Pakistan on Sunday, and continuing security think tank.

Chief of the Kenya Defense Forces (counter terrorism) officials is the violence between Iraqi Shiite and Sunni Muslims that killed 16 the same General Julius Karangi told reporters demonstration effect of this kind of day. “There is a struggle over what the the mall raiders were “a multi national ‘soft target’ attack. Like the 2008 nature of a state should be, religious collection from all over the world” but attacks in Mumbai, terrorist cells are or secular,” said Kiplagat, adding that he offered no details. One survivor learning that they can have strategic universal values of sanctity of life, free- spoke of seeing at least one Somali impact with dramatic terror focused dom and justice were under attack among the attackers, while others on soft targets,” Juan Zarate, a former from these diverse forms of Islamist spoke of seeing people “of Arab White House counter-terrorism advisviolence. “They want to take us back extraction” and there were reports of er said. Eurasia’s Rosenberg said the Nairobi attack would again give a white woman among them. to the 10th or 11th century,” he said.

Campbell said the different prominence to Kenya in Western INTERNATIONAL WAR Although al Qaeda, now without Islamist insurgencies challenging gov- counter-terrorism strategies. This its slain leader Osama bin Laden, has ernments in Africa were diffuse and could also strengthen President not been able to repeat on US soil the did not suggest an organized, central- Kenyatta’s campaign against crimes of Sept 11, 2001 attacks on New York ized network. “There is no cave in humanity charges leveled against him and Washington, experts say “metas- Afghanistan where it’s all being and his deputy by prosecutors at the tasized” Al-Qaeda-inspired or -allied worked through,” he said, referring to International Criminal Court in the groups have been springing up across bin Laden’s old operations base. They Hague. Kenyatta said at the weekend most of the world, including Africa. could still cause damage and may- the threat posed by the mall attackers Abdi Aynte, of the Mogadishu-based hem in Africa, “but it’s much more dif- “is not a Kenyan war”. “This is an interHeritage Institute of Policy Studies, ficult to imagine them flying aircraft national war,” he said. — Reuters

Kenya attack sparks tighter security at malls worldwide

By Ilaina Jonas and Mark Hosenball he deadly attack on a high-end Nairobi shopping mall on Saturday put the safety of malls around the world into the spotlight and could trigger moves to improve security and make it more visible. “They’re obviously going to ramp up security,” said Malachy Kavanagh, a spokesman for the International Council of Shopping Centers, a US-based trade group of mall and shopping center owners, adding that he expected the US government’s Department of Homeland Security to reach out to the heads of corporate security for all American malls following the events in Kenya.

Some of the changes that may be made include bringing in off-duty police officers into the mall, putting more non-uniformed security officers into uniform, and more closely coordinating with local police departments. Islamist militants were holding hostages on Sunday at a shopping mall in Nairobi, where at least 68 people were killed and 175 wounded in an attack by Somalia’s Al Shabaab group. Those killed included Kenyans, Dutch, British and Chinese citizens and diplomats from Canada and Ghana. Some US citizens were wounded, though the final toll is still far from clear.

The Westgate mall has several Israeli-owned outlets and is frequented by prosperous Kenyans and foreign-

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ers. “Shopping centres and retailers will have to spend more money on security,” Irwin Barkan, CEO of African mall developer BGI LLC, said in a phone interview from Ghana where he is based. BGI, based in the US, is developing properties in West Africa. “I hope it doesn’t get to the point where it is like getting into an airport,” Barkan said ahead of a trip to Nairobi for the African Hotel Investment Forum this week.

Kavanagh said that US shoppers have indicated they do not want to go through this type of security line with metal detectors and other security machines. Following the attacks on New York’s World Trade Center and the Pentagon in Washington, DC on Sept 11, 2001, the trade group surveyed mall shoppers about their views on such ideas. “Unless there was an immediate threat, by and large they said ‘no’,” he said.

US counter-terrorism officials and experts have privately expressed worries for years - since even before the Sept 11, 2001 attacks - that US shopping malls and other public spaces, including public transport systems, were vulnerable to attacks. Juan Zarate, a former White House counter-terrorism advisor and author of “ Treasury’s War”, a new book on the subject, told Reuters that one of the major concerns for counter-terrorism officials is that there could be imitators of this type of “soft target” attack.

“Like the 2008 attacks in Mumbai, terrorist cells are learning that they can have strategic impact with dramatic terror focused on soft targets having significant psychological and economic effects,” Zarate said. In November 2008, 10 gunmen went on a three-day killing spree in Mumbai, attacking two luxury hotels, a train station and a Jewish center, among other places in the Indian city.

In the United States, a source at one of the biggest mall owners said that the company is constantly focused on safety and security, not just after events such as the one in Kenya. The source said that shoppers can see some elements of security, while others are not visible. Dan Jasper, a spokesman for Mall of America, a large private mall in Bloomington, Minnesota, said in a statement that “We constantly monitor events and adjust plans accordingly. The safety and security of our guests remains a top priority.”

Westfield America declined comment, saying that it does not comment on security. Australia’s Westfield Group owns nearly 100 shopping centers in Australia, New Zealand, Britain and the United States. Simon Property Group, the largest owner of US mall and outlet centers and owner of outlets in Canada, Malaysia, Japan, Korea and Mexico, also declined to comment. — Reuters

NEWS Pakistan quake kills 46, creates new island Continued from Page 1 Baluchistan government, said on the ARY news channel. “There are not many doctors in the area but we are trying to provide maximum facilities in the affected areas.” Television footage showed collapsed houses, caved-in roofs and people sitting in the open air outside their homes, the rubble of mud and bricks scattered around them. Abdul Qudoos Bizinjo, deputy speaker of Baluchistan’s parliament, told Dunya TV there were reports of “heavy losses” in Awaran. Damage to the mobile phone network was hampering communications in the area, he said. Awaran district has an estimated population of around 300,000, scattered over an area of more than 21,000 square kilometers.

Tremors were felt as far away as the Indian capital and even Dubai in the Gulf, while office workers in the Indian city of Ahmedabad near the border with Pakistan ran out of buildings and into the street in panic. In April a 7.8-magnitude quake centered in southeast Iran, close to the border with Baluchistan, killed 41 people and affected more than 12,000 on the Pakistan side of the

border. The Red Crescent in Tehran reported no damage from the latest quake.

Office workers in Pakistan’s largest city Karachi rushed out of their buildings. “My work table jerked a bit and again and I impulsively rushed outside,” said Noor Jabeen, 28. “It was not so intense but it was terrible,” said Owais Khan, who works for a provincial government office. “Whenever I feel jolts it reminds me of the 2005 earthquake in Kashmir,” said Amjad Ali, 45, an IT official standing in the street. The 7.6 magnitude quake in 2005 centered in Kashmir killed at least 73,000 people and left several million homeless in one of the worst natural disasters to hit Pakistan.

Baluchistan, Pakistan’s largest but least populous province, is believed to have substantial gas and oil reserves, but it is violent and unstable. It is a flashpoint for growing violence against minority Shiite Muslims and has suffered attacks blamed on Taleban militants. It also suffers from an ongoing separatist insurgency which began in 2004 when Baluch rebels rose up to demand a greater share of profits from the province’s mineral resources. — Agencies

‘Stop fuelling Syria bloodshed’ Continued from Page 1 “To succeed, conciliatory words will have to be matched by actions that are transparent and verifiable” on the nuclear program. “The roadblocks may prove to be too great, but I firmly believe the diplomatic path must be tested,” Obama said. “For while the status quo will only deepen Iran’s isolation, Iran’s genuine commitment to go down a different path will be good for the region and the world.”

Syria dominated speeches on the first day of the assembly, however, and Obama said Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad must face “consequences” if he fails to hand over his chemical weapons. Obama insisted the United States is ready to use military force to protect its “core interests” in the Middle East. And he renewed a demand that the UN Security Council pass a “strong” resolution backing a Russia-US plan to destroy Assad’s chemical weapons.

Obama lashed out at doubters who questioned whether Assad carried out the August 21 chemical attack near Damascus, which US intelligence says killed some 1,400 people. He said it was an “insult to human reason” to believe that opposition rebels could have staged the attack. Obama renewed demands that Assad’s departure must be part of any solution to the 30-month old Syrian conflict in which the UN says well over 100,000 people have been killed.

The major powers are negotiating a resolution to back the Russia-US plan. Russia has been resisting western demands that Chapter VII of the UN Charter be used to give the chemical disarmament plan binding force under international law. Russia suspects that the use of Chapter VII would be a first step to seeking approval for military force against Syria, its key ally, diplomats said. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was in the hall to hear Obama’s speech and was to hold talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry later.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on all states to stop sending weapons to Syria. “I appeal to all states to stop fuelling the bloodshed and to end the arms flows to all parties,” Ban said as he opened the annual assembly, which is being attended by more than 130 heads of state and government. Russia is Assad’s key arms provider while Syria accuses Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other Gulf states of arming opposition rebels.

Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff used her speech ahead of Obama to launch a blistering attack on the United States for spying on her country. “The argument that illegal interception of information is allegedly intended to protect nations against terrorism is untenable,” Rousseff told the assembly, though Obama was not present. “Brazil knows how to protect itself,” she added.

Rousseff cancelled a long planned state visit to the United States next month in anger at revelations leaked by fugitive former CIA employee Edward Snowden that the National Security Agency had spied on her email. The spy revelations have “brought anger and repudiation among vast sectors worldwide,” Rousseff said. Obama insisted that while the United States was now reviewing its intelligence gathering, it had proved invaluable in the fight against terrorism.

Meanwhile, Israel has voiced concern over a potential meeting of the US and Iranian presidents, saying Tehran’s conciliatory overtures to world powers masked an acceleration of its disputed nuclear program. An official Israeli assessment said Iran now had centrifuges for quickly turning low-enriched uranium into bomb fuel, putting it on a fast track to atomic arms even if it gave up uranium of mid-level purity which had previously been Israel’s focus.

Israel sees a mortal menace in an Iranian bomb it says could be six months from production and is wary of any let-up in Western pressure, backed by stringent sanctions, for a nuclear rollback by Tehran. Iran denies seeking atomic weapons. Asked if there would be an Obama-Rouhani handshake, Yuval Steinitz, the cabinet minister now representing Israel at the UN forum in New York, said: “I hope not. I don’t know.” “But really the important thing is not just words and appearances. The important thing is the actions. The important thing is the resolutions,” Steinitz told Israel’s Army Radio.

“And I really hope that the whole world, and chiefly among them the United States, will say, ‘Okay, it’s nice to hear the smiles, the new rhetoric, but as long as you don’t change the conduct, and as long as you don’t make a real concession in the nuclear project, the economic sanctions will continue and if there is need, will be joined by a military threat as well.’” Iran has dismissed several UN Security Council resolutions aimed at curbing its nuclear work with bomb-making potential. It has tried to shift scrutiny to Israel’s assumed atomic arsenal. — Agencies

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

Qatar loses clout in Middle East politics Continued from Page 1 The emirate has been extending political and financial support, as well as through its influential Al-Jazeera satellite television, to the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and Tunisia’s Ennahda movement. Qatar was even military involved in Libya’s armed revolt which ousted Muammar Gaddafi.

In the Syrian conflict, Qatar has strongly backed the armedrebellion against President Bashar Al-Assad. “The political influence that Qatar has with the opposition has weakened a lot, and Saudi Arabia now has the upper hand in the Syrian dossier,” said a Syrian opposition figure, asking not to be named. He pointed out that the head of the opposition National Coalition, Ahmed Jarba, elected in July, and interim opposition premier Ahmed Tomeh, selected earlier this month, are both close to Riyadh. Tomeh replaced Ghassan Hitto, Qatar’s candidate who resigned in July after failing to form an opposition governmentin-exile. Qatar continues, however, to provide military aid to Islamist groups in Syria, in coordination with neighboring Turkey, which is also a close ally of the Muslim Brotherhood, according to the Syrian opposition figure. But a Qatari official insisted Doha’s policies have not changed with the stepping down of the former Emir along with his flamboyant premier and foreign minister, Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassem Al-Thani.

“The foreign policies of Qatar have not changed. We do not support the Muslim Brotherhood and are at the same distance from all parties,” said the official requesting anonymity. As for Syria, “it was Qatar that paved the way for the international

community to support the Syrian revolution,” the official added.

But he noted that the new Emir “has clear priorities on the internal level: this includes health, education and youths, and to pursue economic growth while controlling investments abroad.”

Basbous said the new Emir “does not want the impossible dream of the two Hamads”-the former Emir and his premier arguing that “taking leadership of the Arab world through the Muslim Brotherhood and Al-Jazeera channel is beyond the capabilities of Qatar.” However, Qatar remains a strong economic power in the region, thanks to its massive natural gas resources. “Qatar’s profile has been regionally reduced since the Egyptian coup, but it still has economic weight, regionally and internationally,” said Gulf analyst Neil Partrick. The new Emir also seems “more cooperative than his father over trying to avoid support for the most dangerous armed jihadis in Syria,” said Partrick. This “has helped improve relations with Saudi Arabia and may be reducing US suspicion of Qatar.”

In a possible reflection of the new Emir’s priorities, Sheikh Tamim made his first visit abroad since becoming sovereign to Saudi Arabia, and the two countries have announced a border agreement. But Qatar’s relations with Riyadh, Abu Dhabi and Manama are “not good,” said a Gulf official. “The dispute over Egypt is big, and it is very big over political Islam,” he said, as Qatar continues to defend the Muslim Brotherhood while other Gulf monarchies support the new government in Egypt. Some Gulf countries are also “upset over suspected Qatari support for Gulf opposition groups,” the official said, pointing out this is a “red line” for the monarchies. — AFP

Saudi ‘worst on women’s issues’ Continued from Page 1 Empowering women is viewed by development experts as crucial to achieving that goal, since women have the primary responsibility for the family.

Women’s economic inclusion helps lift household incomes, leading to healthier children who are more likely to attend school and who in turn raise themselves from poverty. Countries everywhere have started to remove legal obstacles to women’s economic participation, but the progress has been uneven. In Latin America and the Caribbean, sub-Saharan Africa and East Asia, legal restrictions have been cut in half since 1960, said Augusto LopezClaros, director of global indicators at the World Bank.

But the Middle East region shows the least progress and some countries have gone backwards. Yemen and Egypt have removed from their constitutions bans on gender discrimination. Iran has allowed husbands to prevent their wives from working, placed restrictions on women’s mobility and limited their work in the judicial sector, the report said. Sarah Iqbal, program officer at the World Bank and lead author of the report, said the persistence of legal restrictions remains one of the most discouraging aspects of the report. “We have come a

long way but still have a great way to go,” she said in a news briefing.

About 25 percent of countries surveyed have no laws addressing domestic violence and again the Middle East and North Africa region has the least protections, the report found. Additionally, Algeria and Morocco are the only countries in the region that have laws addressing sexual harassment in the workplace, the report found. Yet advancements worldwide have been made in the past two years. Forty-four countries improved economic opportunities for women between April 2011 and April 2013, the time period the report covers, and no new restrictions were imposed.

Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) and Mali, for instance, no longer allow husbands to unilaterally forbid their wives from working; the Philippines has removed restrictions on night work for women, and Slovakia increased the wages paid women during maternity leave. The 2014 report covers 143 countries and was based on data from April 2011 to April 2013, on an examination of laws, and interviews with country experts in family and labor law. In addition, it looked at how conditions have changed over the past 50 years on two indicators - women’s access to institutions and use of property in 100 countries. — Reuters

Kuwait’s MPs accord housing ‘top priority’ Continued from Page 1 Housing Minister Salem Al-Othaina told a special debate in the National Assembly that the government plans to build 174,000 houses by 2020 as a fundamental solution for the crisis. But many MPs doubted the minister’s plan, saying that the government is bowing to pressure by influential real estate dealers who want to keep prices very high.

The housing crisis originates from the scarcity of land for housing and the high price for land and houses to the extent that the cheapest house in Kuwait is worth close to KD 300,000 ($1 million) making it almost impossible for Kuwaitis to buy their own houses. Kuwaitis depend on the

government which builds houses and distributes them to citizens for interest-free loans payable over 30 years. But the government construction is far too slow to meet rising demand.

In another development, the Criminal Court yesterday acquitted former opposition MP Mussallam Al-Barrak from the charge of defaming and insulting former Assembly Speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi. Khorafi had sued Barrak over press statements that he had accused Khorafi of funding former MP Mohammad Al-Juwaihel who had repeatedly insulted Bedouin tribes and the Kuwaiti political opposition. Barrak denied the charge, saying that the newspaper which published the statements had fabricated the accusations.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

S P ORTS

Bolt signs $10m Puma deal

Haye, Fury fight rescheduled

Walcott to miss qualifiers

LONDON: Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt will earn an estimated $10 million a year in a sponsorship deal with German sportswear company Puma that will take him to the end of his career.

The Jamaican, the highest earner in his sport, will remain with Puma until after the 2016 Olympics when he will seek to add to his six gold medals. Bolt, 27, signed up with Puma as a teenager a decade ago and the renewal of the contract is a fillip for a brand struggling to keep pace with larger rivals Adidas and Nike.

Bolt will be paid $10 million for each of the next three seasons and the same amount if he competes again in 2017 when London hosts the world championships, an industry source said.

Once he retires from competition, he will be paid $4 million per year to act as a Puma ambassador, the source added. Forbes estimated that Bolt was paid $9 million annually under his current deal that expires at the end of the year. “I have always been very happy to be a part of the Puma family, I am proud to represent them and delighted to continue with them for the years ahead,” Bolt said in a statement.—Reuters

LONDON: Former world heavyweight champion David Haye’s postponed fight with Tyson Fury has been rescheduled to Feb. 8 in Manchester, promoters announced yesterday.

The fight between the two Britons had been scheduled for Sept. 28 but had to be called off after Haye cut his left eyebrow in sparring. “News of the date in February is music to my ears,” said Haye, who lost his WBA belt in July 2011 to Ukrainian Vladimir Klitschko.

“I was absolutely devastated this weekend, and felt as though I’d let a lot of people down. But now, with this new date, I couldn’t be happier.”

Haye, who called off his previous planned fight against Germany’s Manuel Charr in June when he suffered a hand injury, defended his decision to spar so close to the fight.

“Sparring eight days before a fight is nothing new or unusual,” he said. “I’ve done this before fights in the past and never had an issue. “These things sometimes happen in training, and to suggest I decided against wearing a head-guard, or that the cut was premeditated, shows a clear lack of knowledge and understanding.” —Reuters

LONDON: Arsenal and England forward Theo Walcott is to undergo “minor” surgery on his abdomen today which will keep him out of action until after next month’s World Cup qualifiers, the Premier League leaders announced yesterday. Walcott’s injury means he will be sidelined from the Wembley fixtures against Montenegro and Poland on October 11 and 15 respectively, with England still to book their place at next year’s World Cup finals in Brazil.

The winger missed Sunday’s win over Stoke City after developing slight damage to his posterior abdominal wall and the club believe Walcott should now undergo what the Arsenal website called a “minor procedure” as this will enable him to start his recovery immediately afterwards. “Theo will be out for a few weeks,” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told the website. “He has developed some damage to his posterior abdominal wall. It’s not a hernia, but it’s a little structural problem in his abdomen.

“He will have the procedure in Germany today and, because it’s so minor, we can begin his rehab immediately.

“We are pleased it’s being dealt with quickly and he shouldn’t miss too many Arsenal matches. But he will miss the forthcoming international matches with England,” the Frenchman added.—AP

Rays and Rangers advance ST. PETERSBURG: James Loney hit a leadoff homer in the ninth as the Tampa Bay Rays rallied to complete a four-game sweep of Baltimore with a 5-4 win on Monday, putting a serious damper in the Orioles’ wild-card playoff hopes in the American League.

The win pushed the Rays a full game ahead of idle Cleveland for the top AL wild card spot.

Baltimore fell five games behind the Indians with six games to go for both teams.

With the bases loaded, two outs and trailing 4-2 in the seventh, Baltimore’s Wil Myers sent a flare behind second base. Second baseman Alexi Casilla, who entered the game in the eighth, made a fully extended diving catch but he collided with Nick Markakis, racing in toward the ball from right field. The ball came loose and two runs scored.

Then, in the ninth, Loney lined a pitch from Tommy Hunter (6-5) down the right field line.

Joel Peralta (3-8) pitched a perfect ninth for the Rays, who have won nine of 12.

CHICAGO: Catcher Russell Martin No. 55 tags out Nate Schierholtz No. 19 of the Chicago Cubs at home plate for the final out after trying to score on a single hit by Ryan Sweeney (not pictured) during the ninth inning. —AFP

Pirates see off Cubs CHICAGO: The Pittsburgh Pirates are headed to the playoffs for the first time in 21 years, clinching at least a National League wild card Monday when they beat the Chicago Cubs 2-1 and the Washington Nationals lost to St. Louis.

It will be Pittsburgh’s first trip to the postseason since Barry Bonds and Jim Leyland led the team to three straight NL East division titles from 1990-92. Bonds then left for San Francisco as a free agent, and the small-budget Pirates piled up 20 consecutive losing seasons - the longest streak in major professional sports.

Starling Marte hit a tiebreaking homer off Kevin Gregg (2-6) in the ninth inning at Wrigley Field, and the Pirates threw out a runner at the plate for the final out. Back in the visitors’ clubhouse, they doused each other in champagne once St. Louis’ 4-3 win over the Nationals went final.

Cincinnati also clinched at least a wildcard berth when it beat the Mets. The Pirates and Reds both trail first-place St. Louis by two games in the NL Central division with five to go. Jason Grili escaped with his 32nd save in 34 chances.

REDS 3, METS 2 In Cincinnati, Shin-Soo Choo drove in the winning run with a single off the wall in the 10th inning as Cincinnati secured a playoff spot after beating New York.

The second-place Reds clinched at least an NL wild card when Washington lost to St. Louis. Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker said there would be no celebration yet, not with a second straight NL Central division title still in play.

Greg Burke (0-3) gave up a one-out single by Devin Mesoraco in the 10th, and Derrick Robinson singled him to third.

Choo followed with his third hit of the game off left-hander Sean Henn. Manny Parra (2-3) allowed one hit in the 10th.

CARDINALS 4, NATIONALS 3 In St. Louis, Carlos Beltran homered and Adam Wainwright earned his 18th win as St. Louis eliminated Washington from playoff contention.

Looking for their first NL Central title since 2009, the Cardinals maintained a twogame lead over Cincinnati and Pittsburgh with five to play.

All three teams are headed to the post-

season. St. Louis secured no worse than a wild card on Sunday. The Nationals won the NL East last season with 98 wins but were eliminated by St. Louis in the division series. One year later, they were knocked out by the Cardinals again.

Beltran’s two-run homer in the fifth off rookie Tanner Roark (7-1) broke a 2-all tie.

Wainwright (18-9) gave up three runs and seven hits over seven-plus innings. He struck out five, giving him a career-high 214 on the season.

BREWERS 5, BRAVES 0 In Atlanta, Marco Estrada pitched twohit ball for seven innings and Milwaukee belted three homers against Atlanta.

The NL East champion Braves are a halfgame ahead of St. Louis for the best record in the National League. Carlos Gomez, Jonathan Lucroy and Aramis Ramirez went deep for the Brewers. Estrada (7-4) threw a career-high 115 pitches. Mike Minor (13-8) allowed eight hits and three runs in seven innings. The left-hander is winless in his last five starts.

MARLINS 4, PHILLIES 0 In Miami, Nathan Eovaldi pitched into the eighth inning to help Miami beat Philadelphia. Justin Ruggiano drew a bases-loaded walk in the first inning and the Marlins scored three runs in the eighth on RBI singles by Donovan Solando and Ed Lucas and a sacrifice fly by Christian Yelich.

Eovaldi (4-6) allowed three hits over 7 23 innings. He struck out five and walked two. Roy Halladay (4-5) left with right arm fatigue after walking two of his first three batters. He threw five strikes in 16 pitches before leaving the game.

PADRES 4, DIAMONDBACKS 1 In San Diego, Eric Stults allowed one run over 6 1-3 innings and Nick Hundley hit a three-run homer to lead San Diego over Arizona. It was the second straight victory for Stults (10-13) after ending a 10-game winless streak. He dropped his first six second-half decisions before winning his previous outing against Pittsburgh.

Huston Street worked the ninth for his 33rd save in 34 chances. Hundley connected off Brandon McCarthy (5-10). The Padres were shut out the previous two games by the Los Angeles Dodgers. —AP

Dream, Mercury advance to WNBA conference finals LOS ANGELES: Brittney Griner hit a turnaround jumper with 4.9 seconds left to lift the Phoenix Mercury to a 78-77 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks in the deciding Game 3 of their WNBA first-round playoff series on Monday.

The Atlanta Dream also advanced to the next round of the playoffs, beating the Washington Mystics 80-72. Phoenix advanced to the Western Conference finals against the Minnesota Lynx, while Atlanta will face the defending WNBA champion Indiana Fever in the Eastern Conference finals.

Candice Dupree scored 22 points, Dewanna Bonner added 19, and Diana Taurasi had 18 points and 10 assists for the

Mercury. Phoenix saw most of its sevenpoint lead evaporate in the third, when Griner picked up her fourth foul and sat the rest of the period. Both teams shot poorly in the fourth quarter, when they each went more than 2 minutes without scoring.

After WNBA Most Valuable Player Candace Parker gave the Sparks a onepoint lead on a layup with 7 seconds to go, Griner responded with the winning basket for the Mercury. Erika de Souza scored 10 of her 18 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Dream, which went on a 15-2 run early in the period to take control of the game. Tiffany Hayes had 18 points and Armintie Herrington added 14 points for Atlanta.—AP

RANGERS 12, ASTROS 0 In Arlington, Alex Rios hit for the cycle and Derek Holland struck out nine in his second shutout of the season as Texas started its final push for a playoff spot.

The Rangers pulled within a game of idle Cleveland for the second AL wild-card berth with six games remaining. Rios finished off the cycle with a triple to right-center field in the sixth inning, and later scored to put Texas up 110. He doubled in the first inning, had an infield single in the third and hit his 18th homer in the fourth. Holland (10-9) got his 10th win in his ninth try since his last victory on Aug. 4. The lefthander won at home for the first time since May 31. Houston starter Jordan Lyles (7-9) gave up seven hits and seven runs with three walks in three innings. The first cycle of Rios’ career was the seventh in Rangers’ history. Adrian Beltre was the last to do it, last Aug. 24 against Seattle.

TWINS 4, TIGERS 3 In Minneapolis, Josmil Pinto hit an RBI single in the 11th inning and Minnesota overcame 12 strikeouts by Justin Verlander.

The Tigers led 3-0 in the eighth, but Jose Veras gave up RBI doubles to Eduardo Escobar and Ryan Doumit. Brian Dozier led off the ninth with a tying homer against previously perfect closer Joaquin Benoit. Dozier opened the 11th with a single off Luke Putkonen (1-2) and advanced on a wild pitch. Pinto punched a single to right field to give manager Ron Gardenhire his 998th career victory.

Verlander gave up six hits and walked three in six shutout innings for the Tigers, whose magic number remained two for clinching the AL Central division title.

WHITE SOX 3, BLUE JAYS 2 In Chicago, Jose Quintana pitched into the eighth inning and rookie Marcus Semien hit his first major league homer to lead Chicago.

Quintana (9-6), who entered the game with the most no-decisions in the American League at 17, allowed two runs and five hits in 7 1-3 innings. Addison Reed pitched the ninth inning to record his 39th save. Toronto starter J.A. Happ (4-7) threw 110 pitches in his five innings, allowing three runs and eight hits. In the second

ST. PETERSBURG: Infielder Ryan Flaherty No. 3 of the Baltimore Orioles throws to second base over sliding infielder Matt Joyce No. 20 of the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. —AFP inning, Semien hit an 0-2 pitch from Happ down struck out eight while giving up five hits and two the line and well over the fence for a 2-0 lead. earned runs in his second start since Aug. 27.

Garrett Richards (7-7) gave up eight hits and The Blue Jays cut the lead in half as catcher JP. Arencibia led off the fifth inning with his 21st seven runs while failing to get out of the fifth homer, but the White Sox got the run back in the inning in his worst start since joining the Angels’ bottom of the inning when Avisail Garcia led off rotation full-time in late July. with a homer to make it 3-1. The Blue Jays closed ROYALS 6, MARINERS 5 the gap to 3-2 on a run-scoring single by Ryan In Seattle, Alex Gordon threw out a runner at Goins in the eighth. the plate in extra innings and scored on Salvador Perez’s two-out double in the 12th to lift the ATHLETICS 10, ANGELS 5 In Anaheim, Jed Lowrie hit a three-run Royals over the Mariners.

Kansas City moved within three games of idle homer and Brandon Moss added a two-run shot Cleveland for the second AL wild card with six as Oakland won its fifth straight.

Tommy Milone pitched into the sixth inning remaining. Texas is a game behind the Indians.

Gordon saved the Royals in the 10th inning, and Seth Smith had an early RBI double for the AL West division champions, who have won 11 when his one-hop throw to Perez from left field of 13. Seven A’s drove in a run as Oakland (94-63) cut down Kyle Seager for an inning-ending doumoved to a season-high 31 games over .500 ble play. Greg Holland walked the first two batwith the major leagues’ second-best record, just ters in the 12th, then retired three straight to end it. Gordon drew a leadoff walk from Lucas behind Boston (95-62).

Howie Kendrick homered and hit a three-run Luetge (1-3) in the top of the 12th and Emilio double for the Angels, who have lost two Bonifacio sacrificed. Eric Hosmer popped out straight after winning 21 of 28. Milone (12-9) before Johnny Giavotella walked.—AP

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

American League Eastern Division W L Boston 95 62 Tampa Bay 87 69 NY Yankees 82 74 Baltimore 81 75 Toronto 71 85 Central Division Detroit 91 66 Cleveland 86 70 Kansas City 83 73 Minnesota 66 90 Chicago White Sox 62 94 Western Division Oakland 94 63 Texas 85 71 LA Angels 76 80 Seattle 68 89 Houston 51 106

PCT .605 .558 .526 .519 .455

GB 7.5 12.5 13.5 23.5

.580 .551 .532 .423 .397

4.5 7.5 24.5 28.5

.599 .545 .487 .433 .325

8.5 17.5 26 43

Atlanta Washington NY Mets Philadelphia Miami St. Louis Cincinnati Pittsburgh Milwaukee Chicago Cubs LA Dodgers Arizona San Diego San Francisco Colorado

National League Eastern Division 92 64 84 73 71 85 71 85 58 99 Central Division 92 65 90 67 90 67 70 86 65 92 Western Division 90 66 79 77 73 83 72 84 71 86

.590 .535 .455 .455 .369

8.5 21 21 34.5

.586 .573 .573 .449 .414

2 2 21.5 27

.577 .506 .468 .462 .452

11 17 18 19.5

Oracle wins again to stay alive in America’s Cup SAN FRANCISCO: Skipper Jimmy Spithill accelerated his 72-foot catamaran off the starting line and steered defending champion Oracle Team USA to its fifth straight win against Emirates Team New Zealand on Monday to stay alive in the America’s Cup. The 34-year-old Spithill and his brain trust of Olympic gold medalists - British tactician Ben Ainslie and Australian strategist Tom Slingsby - kept the Americanbacked boat ahead the whole way around the five-leg course on San Francisco Bay for a 33-second victory. Oracle’s remarkable comeback

from what seemed like certain defeat has closed the Kiwis’ lead to 8-6 and has all of New Zealand on edge. Team New Zealand has been on match point since Wednesday, only to watch Spithill and Oracle’s improved 72-foot catamaran sail ahead in a determined attempt to keep the oldest trophy in international sports in America.

Oracle Team USA, owned by software tycoon Larry Ellison, has won eight races. But it was docked two points for illegally modifying boats in warm-up regattas called the America’s Cup World Series, so it needs three more wins to keep

the Auld Mug. The regatta would be tied if Oracle hadn’t been handed the harshest penalties in the 162-year history of the America’s Cup. Besides being docked two points, Oracle wing sail trimmer Dirk de Ridder was disqualified from the regatta and replaced by 24-year-old Kyle Langford four days before the match started.

Rebounding from the penalties is “not frustrating; it’s actually motivating, to be honest,” Spithill said.

“We feel like we’ve made great progress with the performance of the boat. I think that was evident today in lighter air

SAN FRANCISCO: Oracle Team USA waves to spectators after winning race 16 of the 34th America’s Cup. —AFP

“We can win this Cup. They can take as many races as they want.

But for us, we know we can win this Cup if we win the next few races.”

Because Race 16 was delayed a half-hour due to light wind, Race 17 was postponed until Tuesday. That gives Team New Zealand another day to ponder what they need to do to avoid a collapse.

New Zealand skipper Dean Barker said the Kiwis remain positive but know they have to improve. “We still wouldn’t trade positions,” Barker said. “We still would rather be on match point than having to win three more. It is definitely a battle. There’s no question the Oracle guys have stepped it up a lot and we need to be able to respond.” Kiwi fans gathered nervously around televisions at yacht clubs, bars and schools to watch Monday’s race, with optimism fading fast. At Shed 10, an events space on Auckland’s waterfront where hundreds have gathered daily to watch the racing, a priest led prayers for a New Zealand win. The state betting agency TAB said it has begun receiving bets on Oracle in the past two days and has slashed the odds on an American victory from 7-1 a week ago to 2-1, while the odds for Team New Zealand are now at 7-4.—AP

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

S P ORTS Khaled Al Mudhaf takes chequered flag for Kuwait in Le Mans Series debut HUNGARORING: The fourth round of the European Le Mans Series took place at the 4.38km European track of Hungaroring, in the penultimate race of the season.

Kuwait stamped the history books in this prestigious endurance Championship for the first time with racing driver Khaled Al Mudhaf. Joining the Belgium based Boutsen Ginion team in the No. 4 OrecaNissan LMP2 car, Khaled joined the team for his debut in the three hour endurance race. “I’m so proud to have completed my first LMP2 endurance race, it wasn’t easy to be honest as the race conditions were really challenging, but I’m so happy to have made this first step to International endurance racing for Kuwait, it’s a historical moment, but I’m trying not to let it overwhelm me,” commented Khaled.

Newcomers Khaled and Alex were informed they would both enjoy their debut in the Oreca /Nissan LMP2 racing as a duo, without their more experienced driver John Hartshorne who unfortunately could not race, so it was down to the two rookies to make the best of the situation.

“Practice went well, we had two twenty minute sessions to get to grips with the car and the demanding circuit layout, the weather was bright sunshine and we were confident, running sixth fastest, only a couple of seconds from the leading car.”

“I completed seven laps in the first practice session and eight in the second session and I was really impressed with the car, I was taking it easy to learn all the controls but at the same time conscious not to get too enthusiastic as it’s a really sensitive car and not one that I’m used to.”

LMP2 class qualifying was on Saturday morning at 10:30am as dark clouds hovered above, the rain was torrential with lots of standing water on track. The session was interrupted by several red flag situations as cars aquaplaned off the circuit.

Alex maintained a steady pace through the session trying to avoid most of the water and didn’t take any chances, qualifying in fifteenth place overall for the race later at 4pm.

“We couldn’t believe the weather had turned so quickly, it was torrential rain dur-

ing qualifying and as Alex took the wheel for the qualifying session I felt a bit relieved it wasn’t me going out in the rain for the first time,” said Khaled.

The Boutsen Ginion team, as did many other teams, opted for wet tyres for Alex’s race start. It proved the right decision, but after a while the track started to dry out a little as the rain subsided and Alex became more comfortable in the car taking it to fourth position.

“I was taking my first stint in the car just as it was getting dark at about 5pm and the track was still wet but beginning to dry out in places so we went with new cut slick intermediate tyres, which in hindsight probably wasn’t the best decision for my first race start in wet weather. We are not allowed in the regulations to use tyre warmers, and I spun off on the first turn out of the pit lane, my heart was pounding as I sat there in the middle of the track but I managed to get going again off the raised kerb, I spun immediately again on the next turn and just touched the wall, it was at that point I thought there is definitely something wrong with the car, then I checked the settings and found I had no traction control, it wasn’t re-set on the driver changeover and so I went tearing out of the pits on cold tyres with no traction control, in the wet, It was like skating on ice. I quickly re-set the traction and the car was back to normal, I was back in the race,” said Khaled after his first stint in the race.

The rain maintained its grip on the race causing many cars to come off track in the slippery conditions as teams swapped continuously between full wets and slicks during the 3 hour race.

Khaled took his last stint in the car at 6:15pm and steadily improved on his lap times he managed to equal his best lap time from the dry practice session, finally taking the chequered flag at 7:00pm in seventh position in class and 16th overall.

“I really want to thank the Boutsen Ginion team for this chance to race in the team, they were really professional and I learned a lot from them. It was a fantastic experience and I am already dreaming of my next race in LMP2,” concluded Khaled.

All eight Audi RS 5 DTM cars in the top ten INGOLSTADT/OSCHERSLEBEN: With a second-place finish at Oschersleben Mike Rockenfeller (Schaeffler Audi RS 5 DTM) has made another big step toward the Champion’s title. Before the last two races at Zandvoort and Hockenheim the driver from Audi Sport Team Phoenix has a 33point advantage over Augusto Far fus (BMW).

70,500 spectators (throughout the weekend) witnessed another flawless race of the leader of the standings and an impressive showing of the entire Audi squad at the venue near Magdeburg. All eight Audi RS 5 DTM cars finished in the top ten and thus in the points - a premiere.

Before the race at Oschersleben, eight drivers still had title chances. Now, only two are left: Rockenfeller and Far fus. The Brazilian was the only rival Rockenfeller had to admit defeat to. “He was extremely strong today,” commented the Audi driver.

“On the option tires I was running relatively fast while things weren’t going quite as

well on standard tires - that’s why I’m particularly pleased with second place and the important points we scored here again.”

Jamie Green in the Red Bull Audi RS 5 DTM of Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline achieved his first podium result as an Audi driver crossing the finish line in third place.

Dieter Gass, Head of DTM at Audi Sport, commented: “All eight Audi RS 5 DTM cars in the points - that’s never happened before. Obviously, we’d have liked to have won the race here as well but, more importantly, Mike Rockenfeller made another big step forward in the Championship. We’re going to continue to work with concentration in order to clinch the title.”

In just two weeks from now, at Zandvoort (Netherlands), the next race will be on the agenda. In the manufacturers’ standings, Audi, after the strong result achieved at Oschersleben, has a score of 267 points, trailing BMW (276) by only nine points and clearly ranking ahead of Mercedes-Benz (237).

Photo of the day

Patrick Friesacher performs during the Red Bull Show Run in Esch.—Luxembourg www.redbull.com

Surf industry hopes parks will expand sport LAGUNA BEACH: Some of surfing’s biggest names aren’t just catching waves. They’re also talking about making them. Surf parks - massive pools with repeating, artificial waves - are the latest buzzword in the surf community, as everyone from top athletes to retailers look for ways to expand the sport, boost sales and create a standardized way to train that could help surfing earn an Olympic pedigree.

“Mother Nature stipulates that surfing only can occur where waves can be born. When man takes his hand to forming the waves, it unlocks the potential of surfing anywhere. And that is the most powerful thing,” said Doug Palladini, president of the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association.

This month, dozens of industry leaders, surfers and investors met in Laguna Beach in Southern California for the first annual Surf Park Summit to spark interest in a business proposition that could breathe life into a sport that struggled during the recession.

About 50 percent of independent, mom-andpop surf retailers - the heart and soul of surf culture - shut down worldwide during the recession and those that survived face an increasingly saturated market that is limited by geography.

Enter the dream surf park, a 2-acre (0.81hectare) wave pool capable of generating anything from tiny beginner ripples to 10-foot (3-meter) barrels every minute, with every wave the same.

Customers would pay by the number of waves to learn the sport or refine their technique and learn new tricks.

The prospect has surf board manufacturers and apparel retailers salivating at the thought of new markets for surf gear and clothing in land-locked places. But parks would also be prime real estate for sponsored surfing competitions that would draw both eyeballs and dollars.

At the summit, speakers tossed out tantalizing what-ifs: A national surfing league, much like the National Basketball Association, with feeder teams and city affiliations. Live, televised surfing competitions staged with predictable waves in a massive surf arena.

Some even believe surf parks could propel the sport into the Olympics, a dream that has so far proven elusive. “Without man-made waves, there will not be Olympic surfing,” said Fernando Aguerre, president of the International Surfing Association. “It’s the ultimate wave-sharing that you can imagine.” Olympics aside, everyday surfers who already live near the beach say even they would use the parks as a supplement to the ocean, to refine their skills on a consistent wave or get in a few rides when the natural surf is bad.

“In a park, you can always get in a perfect position, the wave will always be perfect and you can really work on your surfing,” said Cliff Char, 54,

SAN DIEGO: A surfer rides the machine-made wave at Wavehouse San Diego. Surf parks - massive pools with repeating, artificial waves — are the latest buzzword in the surf community. —AP who’s been surfing 15 years near his hometown of Seal Beach. Detractors, however, worry that in the rush to surf parks, the sport will lose its soul.

Betting on artificial waves, they say, will sanitize and commercialize a pastime the most passionate surfers describe as a solitary, rugged pursuit where athletes and nature commune. They say the sport will lose sight of its culture and history if the next generation learns to rip on chlorinated water.

“The problem is, ‘surf culture’ is about so much more than just riding a wave. It is about having a genuine respect and connection with the ocean,” said Zac Heisey, a surfer and freelance writer who addressed the debate on his blog, In The Name of Surfing.

Others are concerned that the energy required to power waves big enough for surf parks will contribute to global warming.

Momentum around surf parks has been growing since the 1960s, but fewer than a dozen serious parks currently exist in locations from Florida to Malaysia - and cost and wave technology have always been stumbling blocks.

That technology has now advanced enough to make parks economically viable, but operators will need to build near large population centers and make the pool the centerpiece of a larger development to make a profit, said Tom Lochtefeld, owner of Wave Loch, a wave technology company.

Some of the biggest and best-known include Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon in Florida, Wadi

Broncos rout Raiders NEW YORK: Peyton Manning and the highpowered Denver Broncos steamrolled another opponent in their 37-21 rout of the AFC West’s Oakland Raiders on Monday.

Manning fired all three of his touchdown passes in the first half to move the Broncos to a perfect 3-0 start. Denver’s unstoppable quarterback finished with 374 passing yards while feeding all of his key receivers as the Broncos seized a 27-7 lead by halftime.

“I think (Manning has) started up where he left off last year, improved on that,” Broncos coach John Fox told reporters. “ We’ve added some weapons. He’s an incredible player as far as the way he prepares and communicates to his team.”

Oakland’s own quarterback, 24-year-old Terrelle Pryor, played admirably but the Raiders (1-2) were simply no match. Since Manning tied a league record with seven touchdown passes in a season-opening win against Baltimore, Denver have not looked back.

In their latest offensive showcase, Eric Decker had 133 receiving yards, Demaryius Thomas had 10 catches while Wes Welker and Julius Thomas each added touchdown receptions.

“Any inch of mistake that (Manning) sees, he’s going to put the ball there and find that hole,” said Raiders cornerback Mike Jenkins.

Ronnie Hillman added a 1-yard touchdown run for Denver, who won their last 11 regular-season games last year before losing to the Baltimore Ravens in an AFC divi-

sional playoff game.

The Broncos opened the game by scoring on five of their first six drives. Oakland caught their breath and played better in the second half. LaMarr Houson sacked Manning to force a fumble in the third quarter and it led to a drive that ended with Darren McFadden’s 16-yard touchdown pass to Marcel Reece. McFadden added a TD run in the last couple of minutes to create the final margin.—Reuters

Adventure in United Arab Emirates and Wavegarden, a private research and development site tucked away in Spain’s Basque country.

A park that would attract serious surfers would run between $15 million and $25 million to build and need to be at least 2 acres (0.81 hectares) in size to allow surfers to paddle in, Lochtefeld said.

With current technology, the energy price tag for one hour of waves could be up to roughly $500, he said.

Other wave companies have said they can produce waves for $1 a wave, said Matt Reilly, director of operations and marketing at Surf Park Central, which put on the summit.

“It comes in as how you operate a park and that’s a question that hasn’t been answered by anybody,” he said. Despite the challenges, history is filled with examples of extreme, outdoor sports that have been tamed for the masses.

Before chair lifts, ski bums had to hike up mountains to ride down and rock gyms made rockclimbing possible miles from any mountain, said Dan Harmon, a development manager with Select Contracts, which builds and operates leisure and sport projects worldwide.

“They’re places to train, they’re safe, controlled environments that allow people that initial introduction and that is absolutely key,” said Harmon, whose company operates United Arab Emirates’ wave park. “If we can get them in, then we can get them hooked.”—AP

NFL results/standings New England Miami NY Jets Buffalo Cincinnati Baltimore Cleveland Pittsburgh Houston Indianapolis Tennessee Jacksonville Kansas City Denver Oakland San Diego Dallas Philadelphia NY Giants Washington Chicago Detroit Green Bay Minnesota New Orleans Carolina Atlanta Tampa Bay

Peyton Manning

Seattle St. Louis San Francisco Arizona

American Football Conference AFC East W L T OTL PF PA 3 0 0 0 59 34 3 0 0 0 74 53 2 1 0 0 55 50 1 2 0 0 65 73 AFC North 2 1 0 0 75 64 2 1 0 0 71 64 1 2 0 0 47 64 0 3 0 0 42 76 AFC South 2 1 0 0 70 82 2 1 0 0 68 48 2 1 0 1 60 56 0 3 0 0 28 92 AFC West 3 0 0 0 71 34 3 0 0 0 127 71 1 2 0 0 57 67 1 2 0 0 78 81 National Football Conference NFC East 2 1 0 0 83 55 1 2 0 0 79 86 0 3 0 0 54 115 0 3 0 0 67 98 NFC North 3 0 0 0 95 74 2 1 0 0 82 69 1 2 0 0 96 88 0 3 0 0 81 96 NFC South 3 0 0 0 70 38 1 2 0 0 68 36 1 2 0 0 71 74 0 3 0 0 34 57 NFC West 3 0 0 0 86 27 1 2 0 0 58 86 1 2 0 0 44 84 1 2 0 0 56 79

PCT 1.000 1.000 .667 .333 .667 .667 .333 0 .667 .667 .667 0 1.000 1.000 .333 .333 .667 .333 0 0 1.000 .667 .333 0 1.000 .333 .333 0 1.000 .333 .333 .333

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

S P ORTS

Disgraced Johnson no longer running from doping past TORONTO: For 10 awe-inspiring seconds on Sept.

24, 1988, Canadians held their breath then exhaled and exploded in the type of wild chest-thumping celebrations usually reserved for the hockey-mad nation’s greatest victories on the ice.

That evening Canadians from Newfoundland to Victoria had stopped to watch as Ben Johnson rocketed across the finish line, right hand thrust triumphantly into the Seoul sky, to claim the crown of world’s fastest man as he blazed to an Olympic 100 metres gold medal in a stunning 9.79 seconds.

Photographs of the magical moment bear witness to the pure joy attached to an athletic achievement that had pushed the boundaries of human limitations to new frontiers.

A quarter of a century later, however, the grim image that lingers is not one of amazement but of crushing, drug-fuelled betrayal.

Johnson is now a fallen hero at the centre of a cautionary tale about the evils of doping rather than the protagonist of an uplifting story of a shy immigrant with a nervous stutter who shot to glory, fame and fortune. The morning after the race, Canadians continued to bask in the brilliance of Johnson’s Olympic medal with the country’s newspapers proclaiming the moment ‘Pure Gold’.

‘Big Ben’ was athletic royalty, the world sprint king and a great Canadian, held up as a symbol of

Canada’s sporting ambition.

Three days later, in a fall from grace as breathtaking as his rise to superstardom, the pride of Canada had become ‘Jamaican-born’ Ben Johnson, another country’s shame, stripped of his Olympic medal after testing positive for the steroid stanozolol.

Yesterday, Johnson, now a 51-year-old grandfather, returned to South Korea and the scene of his crime as an act of repentance, the newest recruit in the war on performance-enhancing drugs.

Asked recently how he would react if he discovered his grandchildren engaged in doping, Johnson took a diplomatic approach in keeping with his new role as an anti-doping advocate.

“I don’t think they would be involved in it, if I live to see that day,” Johnson told Reuters in a telephone interview from Japan, a stop on his anti-doping world tour. “I think they will go to school and get an education and this campaign I’m trying to do is so kids do not need doping.

“We are trying to do the right thing in life and trying to make sure the young generation doesn’t get involved in it.” It is a long and winding road that has led Johnson back to the place where his world began to crumble. What began with denials was followed quickly by claims of sabotage and conspiracy theories, some of which Johnson has clung to for 25 years. Over the decades an unapologetic Johnson

has been unable to outrun his infamy, retreating into a quiet life in a Toronto suburb, his friends, millions of dollars in endorsements and his prized Ferrari all gone. Once an A-list celebrity, who counted Enzo Ferrari among his many fans, Johnson soon found himself alone. Some of those who played major roles in one of sport’s biggest doping scandals: Johnson’s coach Charlie Francis, Jamie Astaphan, the doctor who allegedly supplied the drugs, his former lawyer, advisor and confident Ed Futerman, have died, leaving the disgraced sprinter alone to face still-unanswered questions.

His Seoul suspension served, Johnson had a second chance to reinvent himself, returning to the Olympic stage at the 1992 Summer Games and reaching the semi-finals, but soon afterwards turned to drugs again and in 1993 was banned for life by world athletics body the IAAF. With no human to race against, Johnson became a circus sideshow running against horses and stock cars. He briefly flirted with a professional football career and later had an unsuccessful tryout with the Inter County Maple Leafs, one of the lowest rungs on the professional baseball ladder.

With nothing left to trade on but his infamy, Johnson became a pitch man for Cheetah energy drink appearing in a television commercial admitting: “I Cheetah all the time”.

The Ben Johnson Clothing Collection failed to find a niche while Johnson carved out a small personal training business that has attracted a few high-profile clients, including Argentine soccer great Diego Maradona and Al-Saadi Gaddafi, the son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi who was hoping to land a spot at an Italian football club.

“So far I’m doing fine,” Johnson said. “I’m still travelling, doing some reality shows, mostly in Japan. “I have some contacts in Europe to do some coaching of professional soccer players so I am doing okay.”

“Everything happens in a life, I’m a man now, much older, much stronger maybe than I was.”

In the quarter-century since Seoul, the sporting world has been rocked by a steady stream of outed drug cheats.

When Australian businessman Jaimie Fuller, chairman of sports compression wear company SKINS and a passionate anti-doping campaigner, needed a face to front his newest initiation ‘Choose the Right Track’ he reached out to Johnson.

“I’ve always looked at Ben as being ‘the guy’,” Fuller told Reuters. “That was a seminal moment in the history of world sport for a number of reasons.

“Ben’s involvement may raise a few eyebrows but after 25 years of dealing with the consequences of his actions as an athlete, he is completely committed to the cause of anti-doping.” — Reuters

Venus upsets Azarenka

Li Na

WTA hail Li as Chinese production line continues SINGAPORE: WTA chief Stacey Allaster hailed Li Na’s rise as a key factor behind the growth of women’s tennis in Asia as the next generation of Chinese players follow in the grand slam winner’s footsteps and make their mark on the game.

Li’s 2011 French Open victory made her the first Asian to win a grand slam singles title and spiked interest in the world’s most populous country, one that is always a prioritised growth market for sports bodies.

Zhang Shuai became the fifth Chinese women to win a WTA title when the wildcard triumphed at the Guangzhou Open on Saturday and Allaster hailed the world number five Li for her continued efforts in building the sport.

“The athlete that will make the greatest impact on the growth of women’s tennis in this decade,” the Canadian told Reuters of Li in an interview in Singapore yesterday.

“You can have a strategy with multithronged pillars but you need the stars and Li is obviously our star here in Asia. “She is obviously taking all those pillars of the business strategy and dialling them up because women’s tennis is getting noticed and she is inspiring the ones that are right behind her. ‘If Li can do it, I can do it’ confidence breeds success.” China’s appetite for tennis seems only growing, with Allaster saying a huge chunk of their fans were coming from the country where the WTA will have eight events next year, up from two in 2008, as other sports continue to struggle to make an impact.

The former tournament director, who assumed the role of CEO and chairman of the WTA in July 2009, said role models were key. “Whether we like it or not the glass ceiling still exists and there are barriers to success for different people around the world,” she said, citing women’s tennis pioneer Billie Jean King as hers.

“The one thing about women’s tennis it is a platform for athletes to be role models to show others in society that they can make it. “I just look at what is happening in the United States right now, there are 10 Americans in the top 100 and I think five or six of them are under the age of 21. That is the Serena and Venus (Williams) impact of

the last decade,” Allaster said.

There are three Chinese players in the top 51 and 10 in the 300 after the rankings were update on Monday following Zhang’s win as she jumped from 112 to 74 following the 24-year-old’s first WTA title.

Zhang, along with Peng Shuai, Zheng Jie and Yan Zi, opted to follow in Li’s footsteps and breakaway from China’s state-run training system in order to have a greater control of her career. Allaster said the WTA had no part in the decision but said the organisation had a history of strong women. “Those decisions are 100 percent of the athletes and we have had no dialogue with them. I think for all our athletes, whatever nation they come from, we want to give them a pathway to success, education is a key part of it,” she said.

“I think 1973, the history of the WTA was about women’s empowerment, strong confident women being successful on their own, so that is who we are and always have been and any day I see one of our athletes be successful on or off the court I tip my hat to them.”

Backed by the confidence of success in China, the WTA have eyes on Singapore and Southeast Asia as the next market for growth as their tournament portfolio in Asia-Pacific continues to increase.

Singapore will host the WTA’s end of season championships for five years from 2014 and the organisation are in the process of setting up an office in the wealthy citystate to help with their plans.

Allaster was cautious about predicting a repeat success of their China venture in a market known for corruption in sports, but said Li Na had meant anything was possible. “Everyone has to be patient, sport development doesn’t happen overnight. Li Na didn’t happen overnight. “We went to China before Li Na had made it, we committed to China in building the foundation of our strategy and in many respects we are doing the same here in Southeast Asia.

“Li came along a lot sooner that we had thought, and I never would have thought we would have a Chinese player with a grand slam in 2011 after we opened an office in 2008.” — Reuters

TOKYO: Venus Williams upset top-seeded Victoria Azarenka 6-2, 6-4 yesterday to advance to the third round of the Pan Pacific Open.

Williams, making her first appearance in the Tokyo tournament since 2009, took advantage of six-double faults by Azarenka, who struggled with her game from the outset at Ariake Colosseum.

Azarenka said after Tuesday’s match that she wasn’t well and hadn’t been able to practice for three days because of her condition.

“She didn’t seem like herself at all,” Williams said. “Hitting the double-faults, I could tell she wasn’t feeling her best. I am not sure what was bothering her but I hope she feels better.”

Azarenka, who lost to Serena Williams in the final of the US Open, broke Williams to make it 4-4 in the second set after trailing 4-2. But Williams came right back in the next game to go up 5-4 ad then served out to win the match in 1 hour, 21 minutes.

“I didn’t sleep at all last night,” Azarenka said. “You can’t play at 20 percent against one of the top players. I’ve been feeling bad for a couple of days and it just got worse today.” In 2011, Williams withdrew before her second-round match at the US Open because of Sjogren’s syndrome, an autoimmune disease and came into the

Tokyo tournament 63rd in the world rankings.

“I’ve had some issues to say the least,” Williams said. “But I like to think that builds character and I’ve got a whole lot of character. I’m getting better every tournament, my serve is better, my back is better, a lot of things are getting better.”

Williams next faces No. 13-seeded Simona Halep of Romania, who defeated Germany’s Andrea Petkovic 7-6 (4), 6-3. In other second-round matches, secondseeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland defeated Canada’s Aleksandra Wozniak 7-6 (5), 6-0. Fourth-seeded Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark overpowered Flavia Pennetta 6-2, 6-3. Svetlana Kuznetsova also advanced by beating third-seeded Sara Errani of Italy 6-4, 6-4. Kuznetsova, a twotime major winner, hit seven aces in the match. The Russian and will next face 15thseeded Sorana Cirstea of Romania. Cirstea beat Japanese wild-card entry Misaki Doi 6-1, 6-2.

Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard defeated ninth-seeded Sloane Stephens of the United States 5-7, 7-6 (7), 6-3. Bouchard will next play sixth-seeded Jelena Jankovic of Serbia, who beat Japan’s Ayumi Morita 6-4, 6-1. Other winners include Samantha Stosur, Ana Ivanovic, Dominika Cibulkova and Madison Keys. — AP

JAPAN: Venus Williams of the US hits a return during her women’s singles second round match against topseeded Victoria Azarenka of Belarus at the Pan Pacific Open tennis tournament. — AFP

Tiger competing against his past ATLANTA: Tiger Woods always has been measured against Jack Nicklaus and his 18 majors, and most recently Sam Snead and his 82 PGA Tour victories. Now he’s being measured against himself and it’s not a fair fight.

The PGA Tour sent out its awards ballot Monday to those players eligible to vote. The winners are to be announced Friday. Woods should be a sure thing for player of the year, provided he is measured against the other four names on the ballot instead of the previous seasons when he won the award.

He won five times this year, and the only tournament that could be classified as a medium-strength field was at Torrey Pines. Woods won two World Golf Championships, at Doral and Firestone.

He won The Players Championship on perhaps his least favorite course on tour.

And he won Bay Hill. The world ranking points he earned from those five wins alone were more than any player has earned all year except for Henrik Stenson.

But he didn’t win a major, the very standard by which Woods measures a great season. And there was nothing particularly memorable about his wins, except that two of them were on a Monday and all of them were on courses where he had won before. In fact, Woods couldn’t even remember where he won. It was a harmless oversight, but no less amusing, when Woods last week at East Lake put himself down for winning Memorial instead of Torrey Pines.

Nice problem to have.

Woods already has won the award 10 times. His record this year is worse than every season he won the award except 2003. So this has been a great season by any other comparison except with himself. Three of the last four winners did not win a major. Luke Donald

won in 2011 with only two victories, one of them at Disney. He also won the money title and the Vardon Trophy, and his win at Disney was one of clutch performances. Needing nothing short of a win to be the first player with money titles on both sides of the Atlantic in the same year, he birdied the first six holes on the back nine and shot 64 to do just that.

Jim Furyk won in 2010 with only three victories and one other significant trophy - the FedEx Cup. Phil Mickelson

would have needed some help for the latter). But they didn’t. One of the more famous sayings in golf is that the scorecard has only a number, not pictures.

These are the numbers: Woods led the league with five wins.

He won the money title by over $2 million. He won the Vardon Trophy for lowest adjusted scoring average.

• Scott won the Masters and The Barclays, which arguably has the strongest field in golf. He finished in the top 5 at two other majors.

Tiger Woods won the Masters that year, but the other majors went to players who weren’t even PGA Tour members at the time (Graeme McDowell, Louis Oosthuizen, Martin Kaymer). Woods won in 2009 with seven wins and a sweep of all the other awards (Vardon, money title).

To be sure, Mickelson and Adam Scott could have made a convincing case by winning the Tour Championship. That would have given either of them three wins, including a major and the FedEx Cup (Mickelson

• Mickelson won the British Open and the Phoenix Open. He was runnerup in the U.S. Open.

Stenson also is on the ballot with two FedEx Cup playoff wins and the trophy itself (along with the $10 million bonus). He finished in the top 3 at two other majors. Two great wins and zero majors don’t cut it. Matt Kuchar is also on the ballot, but only for balance. He had his best year ever with two wins.

That will have to do. Adding pictures to the scorecard is the only thing that

could change the vote.

Mickelson came within in a dimple of 59 in the Phoenix Open. He had the lead on the back nine at Merion and was runner-up at the US Open for the sixth time. He bounced back to win the British Open - the major not even Mickelson thought he could win - with what his peers consider one of the greatest closing rounds in a major. It left him one leg short of the Grand Slam, though winning on a links course already defines him as a complete player even without a US Open.

Scott became the first Aussie in a green jacket and he was leading the British Open on the back nine until making four straight bogeys. He was poised for a run at the Tour Championship until getting sick at the wrong time. Both are great stories. But did they have better years?

Here are a few things to keep in mind. This is a vote of the players, and there’s no telling how they define the award. Best player or best year? Do they have an agenda? Is it a popularity contest? Still baffling is Rickie Fowler winning rookie of the year in 2010 over Rory McIlroy, even though McIlroy won at Quail Hollow, Fowler didn’t win at all and neither reached the Tour Championship.

Is it a sentimental pick for Mickelson, the greatest to have never won player of the year? Is there resentment toward Woods for how he handled the penalty given to him at Conway Farms for his ball moving? The tour won’t release results, only a winner. And it won’t reveal voter turnout. Most of these guys only pay attention to their tee times.

One final thought as it relates to Woods: If his record this year belonged to any other player, would this even be a debate? — AP

Webber slams taxi ride rap as ‘comical’ LONDON: Australian Mark Webber has branded as “comical” the reprimand he was given for hitching a ride on Fernando Alonso’s Ferrari after Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix.

The reprimands for the Red Bull driver and Alonso have been a talking point since the weekend with Webber also collecting a 10 place penalty on the starting grid for next week’s Korean Grand Prix because of two previous offences.

Webber told his 765,000 followers on Twitter yesterday that for the pair “to receive reprimands for our actions after the race it is comical to say the least. Great moment, and fans loved it. “And while I’m at it, contrary to reports, there was no interaction at all with any track officials after we put the fire out.”

The Australian had retired on the last lap at the Marina Bay street circuit after his car ran out of water and the engine caught fire.

He then ran back on the floodlit track to

wave down Alonso’s Ferrari, which other cars had to weave to avoid, on the slowing down lap and ride to the pits on it. Mercedes’s Lewis Hamilton, one of those who took avoiding action, said later he was shocked when he came round the corner.

“If Mark had been walking across where I went then I would have run him over,” said the 2008 world champion. Britain’s Derek Warwick, a former grand prix racer who was one of the stewards in Singapore, said the reprimands were fully justified because of the potential danger posed. “It is not health and safety gone mad,” he told the Daily Telegraph.

“A driver could easily have been hurt. I hope we’re not seen as killjoys.

“I want Formula One to be entertaining. I want it to be a spectacle. I’m a big fan of MotoGP and I wish we in Formula One could get closer to the drivers like they do in MotoGP,” added the British Racing Drivers’

Club president. “We have become a bit sterile in many ways in Formula One. But we cannot put drivers at risk. If it had been done in a safer manner then it might have been viewed differently. You can’t have cars parked in the middle of a corner.”

Webber also posted a picture on his Twitter account (@aussiegrit) of Warwick hitching a ride on the back of Austrian Gerhard Berger’s Ferrari at the 1988 Japanese Grand Prix as well as other photographs of similar incidents over the years.

“Looks like even one of the Singapore stewards has done it...#C’estlavie,” he commented.

Alonso also made light of the incident, posting on Twitter an altered poster for the 2004 movie ‘Taxi’ with his and Webber’s names at the top and their faces super-imposed on driver and passenger in a New York yellow cab. “Ey @AussieGrit! Ready for Hollywood..?,” enquired the Spaniard. —Reuters

SINGAPORE: Red Bull driver Mark Webber of Australia speeds around the corner in this file photo. — AFP

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

S P ORT S

Suarez back for Liverpool to face United in League Cup

Roma lead under pressure as Napoli host Sassuolo Sports Italia. “I am someone who never throws in the towel, and I have to get that message across to the players.”

With Inter v Fiorentina arguably the biggest clash of the midweek games on Thursday, Juventus, Lazio and above all Milan will be looking to capitalise against inferior opposition to move up the table.

Juventus sit fifth only two points adrift of Roma and Napoli and are away to struggling Chievo, while Lazio, a further four points adrift, host struggling Catania looking to make amends for the derby defeat. Milan, meanwhile, face a potential banana skin away to Bologna where the Rossoneri will make the trip without Balotelli, who has been handed a three-match ban.

Against Napoli on Sunday, an unconvincing Milan side produced a much improved performance in the second half but missed the net on several occasions and finished the game in 11th, eight points behind the leaders. Notably, Balotelli missed his first ever penalty in the professional game, his scoring streak ending at 21 when Spanish ‘keeper Pepe Reina saved his effort from the spot just after the hour.

Although Balotelli made amends in injury time, his frustration boiled over after the final whistle when he saw red after being cautioned for dissent.

On Monday he was handed a threegame ban, leaving Milan-who are already missing several key players through injurysorely exposed. Although Bologna are struggling down in 16th, Milan have yet to win away from home this season. — AFP

MILAN: Roma’s bid to tighten their grip on Serie A is likely to be kept in check today when the Italian top flight’s whipping boys Sassuolo visit bona fide title challengers Napoli. Roma finished a disappointing seventh last season but are enjoying some time in the spotlight having won their opening four games, including a 2-0 derby win over Lazio Sunday, under new coach Rudi Garcia.

Despite feeling buoyant ahead of their visit to Sampdoria, Roma’s time in the hot seat may soon be over.

Napoli sit second, also on 12 points, and only failed to retake command of the league later Sunday when an injury-time goal by Mario Balotelli reduced arrears for Milan in a 2-1 win for Napoli at the San Siro. Only a one-goal difference separates the sides but with Inter putting seven unanswered goals past hosts Sassuolo on Sunday, Napoli’s fans will expect nothing less than three points and plenty of goals when the league’s new boys visit the San Paolo on Wednesday.

Napoli will be without Italy midfielder Christian Maggio after it was revealed Monday that he is to undergo knee surgery after picking up a meniscus injury. But his loss is unlikely to affect Napoli’s expected domination of Sassuolo, who are reportedly looking to replace Eusebio Di Francesco as soon as possible.

In the meantime the under-fire coach said he took “full responsibility” for Sunday’s humiliation and expects his team to bounce back. “Inter proved they are a great side, but we just didn’t play up to the standard required for the top flight,” he told Sky

Today’s matches on TV English League Cup Man United v Liverpool Aljazeera Sport HD 1 West Bromwich v Arsenal Aljazeera Sport +3 Italian Calcio League Napoli v Sassuolo Aljazeera Sport HD 9 Sampdoria v AS Roma Aljazeera Sport HD 3 Bologna v AC Milan Aljazeera Sport +2 Chievo v Juventus Aljazeera Sport +1

Spanish League 21:45

Granada v Valencia

22:00

Aljazeera Sport HD 2 Elche CF v Real Madrid

21:00 23:00

Aljazeera Sport HD 2 21:45 21:45 21:45 21:45

AC Ajaccio v Lyonnais

20:00

Aljazeera Sport +3 Valenciennes v Saint-Germain

20:00

Aljazeera Sport HD 5 AS Monaco v Bastia Aljazeera Sport HD 5

22:00

LONDON: Buoyed by Luis Suarez’s return, Liverpool will visit Manchester United in the League Cup today eager to inflict more misery on a team reeling from a brutal derby defeat.

Sunday’s 4-1 loss at Manchester City completed United’s worst start to a season in nine years and prompted renewed scrutiny of new manager David Moyes’s methods.

Since succeeding Alex Ferguson, Moyes has seen his side beaten by Liverpool and City and held to a 0-0 draw by Chelsea, leaving the defending champions five points off the pace in the Premier League.

Another loss to arch rivals Liverpool would only add weight to the steadily creeping doubts about his aptitude for the job, but striker Wayne Rooney believes Wednesday’s game has arrived at just the right time. “We have all grown up, whether it is Manchester, Liverpool or somewhere else, having local derbies,” Rooney told United’s in-house television channel, MUTV. “It is not nice when you lose one. I have been there as a fan and now as a player.

Thankfully we have another massive game against Liverpool.

“It is the ideal game for us. Any game against Liverpool, whether it is a friendly, Capital One Cup or Premier League, is massive. “We have to try and get the victory so we can put this defeat to the back of our minds.”

Rooney appears to have put an unsettled close-season to the back of his mind, scoring four goals in his last three games, and Liverpool will hope that Suarez is able to draw a line beneath his own recent trials and tribulations.

The Uruguayan will be playing in his first official club game since April 21, having now completed a 10-game ban for biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic last season.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers chose an unfortunate turn of phrase when he said the striker was “champing at the bit”, but Suarez’s return falls at a timely juncture after Saturday’s surprise 1-0 loss at home to Southampton.

Suarez tried to force through a move to Arsenal during the close season, even accusing Liverpool of breaking promises made to him, but Rodgers is confident that he will be forgiven by the club’s fans.

Referencing Liverpool’s backing of Suarez

LONDON: Manchester United’s English forward Wayne Rooney (right) and English defender Chris Smalling (left) leave the pitch at the end of the English Premier League football match in this file photo. — AFP

after he was banned for racially abusing United left-back Patrice Evra in 2011, Rodgers said: “This club has given every single player here everything in the time I’ve been here, and none more so than Luis.

“He will show that and demonstrate that in his performances and that is what the players and people want to see. They want to see him with a red shirt on, fighting for the club.

“The great thing about this football club is no matter what a player has done-or supposedly said-the supporters are 150 percent behind every player that pulls on that shirt and they back them to the hilt.

“I am sure that is something we will see and aligned to that will be his commitment, and that will be nothing more than I would expect.

“I have no doubt, having been out, he will be even hungrier but his commitment and fight for the cause will still be the same.”

Rodgers will decide on Tuesday whether or not to hand Suarez a starting berth in the third-round tie at Old Trafford. Both managers are expected to rotate their starting line-ups, with Robin van Persie a candidate to start for the hosts despite missing the loss at City with a groin strain.

Elsewhere today, Arsenal visit West Bromwich Albion, fresh from a 3-1 defeat of Stoke City that sent Arsene Wenger’s side to the top of the Premier League table.

Holders Swansea City, who thrashed Bradford City in last season’s final, visit Birmingham City, while Newcastle United host Leeds United and Stoke travel to thirdtier Tranmere Rovers. — AFP

Betalbatim, Don Bosco and Maroons win Kuwait Goan Association and YRC Rising Stars share spoils in KIFF League

Don Bosco Oratory KUWAIT: The second round of KIFF League 2013/2014 once again saw goals galore with 12 goals being scored in 4 matches that were held on 20th September 2013 at the Al Kazema grounds in Adeliya. The early two matches saw Don Bosco Oratory taking on Kerala Challengers on ground ‘A’ and Real Betalbatim FC clashing with United Goan Strikers on ground ‘B’.

The youthful side of DBO dominated the proceedings and went ahead through Nikhil D’Souza whose first time strike gave Kerala Challengers keeper no chance. The second half star ted on the same note and DBO increased its tally through Lloyd. Kerala Challengers tried in vain to come into the game but DBO defense held firm and emerged victorious 2-0.

Man of the match award was awarded to young Nikhil of DBO for his brilliant display and presented by Raymond D’Sa President of GOA Maroons. RBFC and UGC started on a cautious note and increased the tempo as the game progressed. The midfield dominated the game and defense held firm with goal scoring chances few in the first half.

In the second half RBFC found their rhythm and dominated the proceedings.

UGC defense absorbed the pressure as RBFC strike force upped the tempo and as the game petered towards a stalemate Lawrence Colaco of RBFC found the net to put his team

Memento being awarded to Cruzedio

Goa Maroons ahead and finish the match 1-0.

Lawrence of RBFC was adjudged the Man of the Match and handed over by Rev. Fr. Franco Fernandes, President of Don Bosco Oratory. The late 2 matches were between GOA Maroons and United Friends Club on ground ‘A’ and YRC Rising Stars and Kuwait Goan Association on ground ‘B’.

GOA Maroons started the game on a positive note with an attacking intent and Steven found the net to put GOA Maroons ahead in the first half. In the second half GOA Maroons were all over UFC and scored at will with young Clevan D’Cunha scoring the first hat trick of the season. Ian made it 5-0 in favor of GOA Maroons.

UFC had no answer to the marauding strike force complimented with a supporting midfield of GOA Maroons. Clevan of GOA Maroons was rightly bestowed with Man of the Match award for his classy and youthful exuberance and the award was given by MM Jacob of Kerala.

The match between Rising Stars and KGA was a scrappy affair but attack minded intent on display by both sides.

KGA went ahead through Clifton D’Cruz, but Rising Stars came strongly to equalize through Cheslee. Rising Stars went ahead when KGA defender Inacio misread the flight of the ball and headed backwards into his own net with his onrushing keeper beaten.

Kuwait Goan Association

Real Betalbatim FC KGA increased the pressure to equalize and found the net through Xavier whose powerful shot bulged the nets. Both the teams went for the winner towards the fag end of the game, but had to settle for a draw with the match ending 2-2. KGA goalkeeper Nelvy Rodrigues was awarded the Man of the Match for his brilliant per formance and handed over by Mr. Lawrence Pinto President of YRC Rising Stars.

Man of the match Cleevan of Goa Maroons

The matches were supervised by IFRA officials. In between the breaks KIFF felicitated Mr. Cruzedio Rodrigues for his contribution towards the game in KIFF for more than a decade. The fleet footed striker who played for UFC, Navelim Youth Center and now presently donning colors for DHL FC has the unique distinction of winning 8 highest goal scorer awards over a period of time he played his soccer in KIFF.

Man of the match Nikhil D’Souza of DBO

Rodrigues is leaving Kuwait for good and was presented with a memento by KIFF President Fidelis Fernandes. KIFF also welcomed MM Jacob from Kerala who is on a private visit to Kuwait.

Jacob is a well known soccer personality in India and Kerala having represented the Kerala state team as a player for 8 years from 1974 and captaining the side in 1982 and was awarded GV Raja Gold Medal twice in 1979 & 1981 for being ‘The Best Footballer of Kerala’. He also coached the Kerala state team for Santosh Trophy for 8 years.

He represented Indian Soccer team for various international tournaments for 4 years in Seoul, Bangkok, Middle East, Russia and Hungary from 1976 to 1979. Represented the Central Excise and Customs soccer team for 16 years and also captaining the team for 12 years. Mr. Jacob was introduced to the players playing the second matches of the day.

Man of the Match awards for KIFF League season are sponsored by United Steel Industrial Company.

The match schedule for 27th September 2013 to be played at Al Kazma Grounds is as follows: At 6.45 am Cutorcares United v/s Santos United on Ground ‘A’ and AVC - Kuwait v/s Indian Strikers on Ground ‘B’ At 7.45 am DHL FC v/s FC Sparx on ground ‘A’ and Malabar United v/s Skynet Raiders v/s on Ground ‘B’.

Man of the match Lawrence

Surf industry hopes parks will expand sport

17

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

Suarez back for Liverpool to face United in League Cup

19

Disgraced Johnson no longer running from doping past

Page 18

SPAIN: Barcelona’s Argentinian forward Lionel Messi (second right) vies with (from left) Real Sociedad’s defenders Inigo Martinez, midfielder Sangalli and Javier Ros during the Spanish League football match. —AFP

Neymar strikes as Barca thump Sociedad BARCELONA: Neymar scored his first league goal in Spanish football as Barcelona maintained their 100 percent start to the campaign with a 4-1 win over Real Sociedad at the Camp Nou yesterday.

The Brazilian bundled home Alexis Sanchez’s cross after just five minutes and then expertly teed-up Lionel Messi to plant a diving header past Claudio Bravo three minutes later.

Sergio Busquets added a third before half-time with a sweet strike from 20 yards to register his first goal of the season as the home side produced their best 45 minutes of the season to date.

Alberto De la Bella reduced the arrears for Real Sociedad midway through the second half, but Messi crossed for Marc Bartra to round off the scoring 14 minutes from time as Barca scored four for the third consecutive game.

Amazingly, the visitors had made the brighter start with Haris Seferovic striking the bar from 20 yards inside two minutes.

However, the game was virtually lost for them just six minutes later. Firstly, a horrible defensive mix-up between Liassine Cadamuro and Bravo allowed Neymar to bundle home his first and possibly the easiest goal he will ever score for Barca at the Camp Nou. And three minutes later the Brazilian delivered a perfect left-footed cross from which Messi headed home at the far post.

Bravo had to rush from his line to prevent Neymar scoring his second of the evening moments later as Barca threatened to run riot.

And things went from bad to worse for Real when captain Xabi Prieto had to be replaced by Imanol Agirretxe with a muscular problem that will make him a serious doubt for their Champions League trip to Bayer Leverkusen next week.

It didn’t take the hosts long to register their third of the evening, however, as Messi’s backheel was well saved by Bravo, the Argentine’s follow-up effort somehow hit the bar and post on its way out and Busquets finally fired home the rebound from outside the area.

Barca had an injury blow of their own to deal with as Javier Mascherano came off with a hamstring problem to be replaced by Bartra 10 minutes before the break.

However, the hosts were still in full flow and nearly produced a goal of the season contender as Messi, Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Neymar all combined inside the area before Messi unbelievably failed to connect properly on his left foot to turn Neymar’s cut-back home.

Messi wasn’t having his best night in front of goal as he blasted another glaring opportunity over the bar after accelerating past three defenders at the beginning of the second period.

Real were then given a glimmer of hope when Agirretxe did well to hold off Gerard Pique and square for De la Bella to tap home 26 minutes from time.

However, Barca’s three-goal advantage was restored 12 minutes later when Messi wriggled his way towards the byline and his low cross was guided home by Bartra.

Meanwhile, Gareth Bale will not play for Real Madrid in today’s La Liga match at lowly Elche but should be available for Saturday’s derby at home to Atletico, coach Carlo

Ancelotti said yesterday.

The Wales winger, the world’s most expensive player after this month’s 100-million euro ($135 million) move from Tottenham Hotspur, picked up a minor muscle problem in the warmup before Sunday’s victory against Getafe and was withdrawn from the starting lineup as a precaution.

“Today he trained apart from the rest of the squad and I think he will be ready for Saturday no problem,” Ancelotti told a news conference previewing the Elche game.

“He won’t be available tomorrow but we have time to train with him to prepare him well for Saturday,” added the Italian. “He was a bit sad after the (Getafe) game but he changed quickly because he started to think about Saturday’s match.”

Ancelotti dismissed a reporter’s suggestion Bale had been rushed into action too quickly after his pre-season was disrupted by the drawn-out negotiations over his move to the Spanish capital.

The 24-year-old scored on his debut in the 2-2 draw at Villarreal on Sept. 14 before being substituted after an hour and played the final 30 minutes of last week’s Champions League victory at Galatasaray. “He didn’t have any problems during those games,” Ancelotti said.

“He then picked up a small problem but it’s not a muscle injury because if that were the case he would not have been able to train yesterday and today and he wouldn’t be available for Saturday,” he added. “I don’t know exactly what happened but the best thing is that we didn’t take the risk of playing him (against Getafe) so that he can be available on Saturday.”—Agencies

Spanish League results/standings Barcelona 4 (Neymar 5, Messi 8, Busquets 23, Bartra 76) Real Sociedad 1 (De la Bella 64); Levante 1 (Diawara 36) Valladolid 1 (Javi Guerra 42) Playing later Malaga v Almeria, Atletico Madrid v Osasuna.

Spanish Liga table after yesterday’s early matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points):

Barcelona Atletico Real Madrid Villarreal Espanyol Bilbao Levante Celta Vigo Valencia Sociedad Malaga Betis Granada Valladolid Getafe Almeria Elche Osasuna Rayo Sevilla

6 5 5 5 5 5 6 5 5 6 5 5 5 6 5 5 5 5 5 5

6 5 4 3 3 3 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 0

0 0 1 2 2 0 4 3 0 3 2 2 2 2 1 3 3 0 0 2

0 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 3 2 2 2 2 3 3 2 2 4 4 3

22 16 12 10 9 10 5 7 8 5 7 5 3 4 5 10 4 4 4 6

5 4 5 5 5 9 11 7 10 7 4 5 4 7 10 13 8 10 16 11

18 15 13 11 11 9 7 6 6 6 5 5 5 5 4 3 3 3 3 2

City avenge Wigan loss in League Cup 5-0 rout LONDON: Stevan Jovetic and Jesus Navas scored their first goals for Manchester City who avenged a shock FA Cup final defeat by Wigan Athletic with a 5-0 victory over the Championship side in the English League Cup third round yesterday.

Montenegro striker Jovetic, signed for 25 million pounds from Fiorentina in the close season, scored twice on a night when fellow Premier League heavyweights Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur also eased into the next round of the competition.

Fernando Torres was given a start for Chelsea and scored his side’s first goal in a 2-0 win at League One (third tier) Swindon Town while Jermain Defoe, another player often forced to watch from the bench, made the most of his outing at Aston Villa with a brace as Spurs sauntered to a 4-0 victory.

City’s 1-0 defeat by Wigan at Wembley in May led to manager Roberto Mancini being shown the door with Manuel Pellegrini taking his place at the Etihad Stadium.

Wigan, who were relegated from the Premier League last season, also have a new man in charge in Owen Coyle but never threatened a repeat of their FA Cup heroics.

Edin Dzeko put City ahead after 33 minutes and Jovetic made it 2-0 on the hour. Yaya Toure curled in a free kick for City’s third before Jovetic, who will be hoping to put a dent in England’s World Cup hopes next month, headed his second.

Spain winger Navas wrapped up an easy night for City.

Everton, the only unbeaten team in the Premier League, squandered a lead at Fulham for whom Darren Bent clinched a 2-1 win.

West Ham United beat Cardiff City 3-2 with a late winner coming from Ricardo Vaz Te after Cardiff had battled back from 2-0 down. Sunderland, who sacked manager Paolo di Canio on Saturday after a woeful start to the season, earned some respite with a 2-0 win against third tier Peterborough 2-0.

Hull City and Southampton continued the march of the Premier League sides. Hull beat Huddersfield Town 1-0 and Saints overcame Bristol City 2-0.. Former winners Nottingham Forest went down 2-1 at fellow Championship side Burnley while Leicester City, another side to win the competition, beat Derby County by the same score. — Reuters

SWINDON: Chelsea’s Gary Cahill (left) vies for the ball with Swindon’s Yaser Kasim during the English League Cup soccer match against Swindon Town at the County Ground. — AP

Business WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

Shares edge down; uncertainty sets in Page 24 Fairfax reaches tentative deal to buy BlackBerry Page 25

Shale gas, oil reshape world energy landscape Page 23

Bank of America to pay $2.2 million in discrimination suit Page 24

PARIS: Photo shows the new Air France seats for economicy class at the International French Travel Market (IFTM)-Top Resa fair for travel and tourism professionals. Air France unveiled yesterday its new offer of products and services in the Premium Economy and Economy cabins. —AFP

Shale oil poses threat to Gulf exports Saudi billionaire raises alarm over dependence on oil in the

news

JPMorgan faces a new lawsuit over subprime WASHINGTON: The US justice department is preparing to file a civil lawsuit against banking giant JPMorgan Chase over its handling of “subprime” mortgages after settlement talks broke off, the Wall Street Journal said late Monday. The bank and the justice department broke off attempts to reach a settlement because they failed to agree on the size of a potential fine, the US newspaper reported, citing a person familiar with the matter. A spokesman for the bank declined to comment on the report to AFP. The investigation focuses on the sale of mortgage-backed securities between 2005 and 2007, ahead of the 2008 housing bust. Risky “subprime” mortgages are blamed for the collapse of the housing market, which sparked a financial crisis and plunged the US into a deep recession in 2008.

Saudi ready to cover global oil shortage RIYADH: OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia will compensate for any shortage in global energy markets, its Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi told reporters yesterday. “We are ready to compensate for any shortfall in the oil market,” said Naimi on the sidelines of a meeting with his Gulf counterparts in Riyadh. Naimi said, however, that “the market is good, reserves are excellent, and supplies are adequate and stable.” He did not give figures for the kingdom’s production, which sources in the industry estimate at 10 million barrels per day, but said that “our production capacity is 12.5 million bpd.” The minister’s remarks come as global oil prices retreated on Tuesday with news of recovering output in Iraq and Libya. Officials from Iraq, the second largest producer in oil cartel OPEC, were Monday quoted as saying that the country had restored normal output after completing repair work on a pipeline leak.

Airbus sees fleets doubling by 2032 LONDON: Airbus is predicting that nearly 30,000 new aircraft will have to be built globally in the next 20 years, largely to satisfy demand in emerging markets, particularly China. Unveiling its forecasts through to 2032, the European jet maker said yesterday that air traffic will grow 4.7 percent annually. That will require over 29,200 new passenger and freighter aircraft, of which 10,400 to replace existing planes. Airbus values the new aircraft needs at $4.4 trillion. By 2032, Airbus says the worldwide fleet will double to nearly 36,560. Airbus says there are many factors behind the increase, such as a bigger global middle class, urbanization, migration and tourism. John Leahy, Airbus’ chief operating officer for customers, says that by 2032 Asia Pacific will overtake Europe and North America in terms of traffic.

Kuwait crude price down to $105.94 KUWAIT: The price of Kuwaiti crude oil has dropped 58 cents settling at $105.94 per barrel compared to $106.52 pb on Friday, said Kuwait Petroleum Corporation in a statement yesterday. Oil prices in global markets fluctuated between dropping and rising due to the political tension in the region, the Syrian crisis, and developments in the Iranian nuclear file. Meanwhile, in London Stock Exchange, international crude oil prices slightly increased above $109 per barrel (pb) following positive data related to the Chinese and European economies. Expectations of breakthrough in US-Iranian relations lessen crude price rise, calmed worries of shortage in oil supplies.

DUBAI: Shale oil production could pose a threat to exports from the Gulf region, whose energy wealth has given it pivotal role in the global market and a geopolitical importance, experts say. Saudi Arabia is the world’s top oil producer, but is only marginally ahead of the United States, whose output is gaining rapidly thanks in part to development of oil shale reserves.

That could significantly alter Saudi Arabia’s export mix, as the kingdom’s oil accounted for a whopping 16 percent of US imports last year.

Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal has joined in raising the alarm over the kingdom’s dependence on oil exports to generate revenue, warning that the threat from shale oil and gas is “definitely coming”. But medium-term demand is likely to continue, propped up by Asian countries’ hunger for energy, if economic growth keeps its rapid pace. The International Monetary Fund, in a July paper on the kingdom, said that, “over the medium term, Saudi Arabia will retain a central position in the global oil market that will be shaped by both supply and demand factors.” But it warned that the “shale gas revolution in North America” could reduce demand for oil products “going forward”.

Thanks to their ample wealth of energy resources, Gulf Arab nations have enjoyed

a strong political leverage in the Middle East, cemented by multiple aid programs to states and non-state political factions.

Saudi Arabia, in par ticular, has long enjoyed the status of swing producer, being able to raise and lower production and affect market balance and prices. In contrast with the IMF, Kuwaiti energy analyst Kamil Harami sees the harm of shale production coming sooner for oil-producing Gulf Arab nations, along with Iraq, which together sit on around 40 percent of global crude oil reserves. “Gulf countries will be affected in the short term, not only in the medium term,” he said.

The United States is on track to become the world-number-one oil producer by 2017 and a net exporter by 2030, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

“Shale gas production (in the United States) has also affected the petrochemical industries in the Gulf, because the region no longer has the cheapest raw material,” said Harami. Extracting oil and gas from shale rock formations has developed rapidly in the United states, whose recoverable shale oil resources amount to 58 billion barrels, according to the US Energy Information Administration. The EIA ranks US wealth of shale oil second globally after that of Russia, which is around 75 billion barrels.

The United States also sits on 665 trillion cubic feet of technically recoverable

shale gas, EIA says. That makes it the fourth globally, after China, Argentina and Algeria. “Around a third of Qatar’s gas exports used to go to the United States.

This has stopped” due to increased local production, said Harami. In 2010, Qatar celebrated becoming the world’s largest producer of liquefied natural gas, with an annual capacity of 77 million tons. Harami also pointed out the Saudi decision to shelve plans to expand its crude output capacity to 15 million barrels a day (bpd) from 12 million bpd now.

US monthly crude production has pushed past seven million bpd, helped by a surge in shale -based output, while imports dropped below eight million bpd, the EIA said in March. Saudi Arabia exported to the United States around 1.4 million bpd in the first 10 months of 2012, an amount that represented 16 percent of US imports. In contrast, 54 percent of Saudi Arabia’s exports of an average of 7.5 million bpd in 2012 went to Far East nations.

“Demand for Saudi and Gulf oil will likely stay strong in the medium-term from Asian growth,” said Monica Malik, chief economist at EFG-Hermes Emirates investment bank.

But she noted that “the greater reliance on any one region has risks in the event of a downturn.” She added that “shale oil and gas are expensive to produce and are not

economically feasible in the event of the oil price declining below a certain point.”

Harami argued that Gulf producers will end up competing with other exporters losing US markets due to shale production.

He also pointed out that many countries, significantly China, are looking at tapping their own shale energy wealth once the US technology becomes available.

At the same time, Gulf countries face a threat to revenues from home-their rising consumption of energy. “Another oil related risk alongside an increase in global oil supply is the rise in domestic consumption demand,” Malik said. Saudi consumption of energy is growing eight to 10 percent annually, and currently stands at around four million bpd of finished petroleum products, said Harami.

The EIA says Saudi Arabia consumed around 3 million bpd of oil in 2012, or about a quarter of the country’s average total production of 11.6 million bpd of petroleum liquids. “It is terrifying,” said Harami. Prince Alwaleed urged Saudi authorities to develop renewable and nuclear energy in order to cut the local use of oil and gas that are the main exports.

But Harami said Gulf governments should cut subsidies to rationalize consumption, which would be more efficient than investing in the “expensive alternative energy and dangerous nuclear energy”. — AFP

Chrysler reluctantly files for IPO CHICAGO: US automaker Chrysler reluctantly filed papers Monday for an initial public stock offering after Italian parent Fiat failed to reach a deal to purchase the stake of a workers’ trust fund. Sergio Marchionne, who leads both Chrysler and Fiat, had repeatedly said he hoped to avoid an IPO as he seeks full ownership of the third largest US automaker.

But the UAW Retiree Medical Benefits Trustknown as the VEBA Trust-has demanded a stock offering in hopes of getting a better payout. The papers filed Monday may not necessarily result in an actual stock offering if the two sides are able to reach a deal before the shares are sold.

If the stock goes public, it will be the first time Chrysler shares were traded since its failed 1998 merger with Germany’s Daimler Benz. Chrysler said in a statement that the number of shares to be offered, and the price range for them, had yet to be determined.

“The VEBA Trust will receive all of the net proceeds from this offering,” Chrysler said. JP Morgan Securities was chosen as the lead book-running manager of the offering, and no time was set for the offer.

“The Chrysler IPO is a textbook example of the difficulties that can occur when debt is converted into an ownership stake, as it was during Chrysler’s bankruptcy,” said automotive analyst Jack Nerad of Kelly Blue Book.

“The trust is looking for a windfall based on the current expected value of a public-traded Chrysler, but the move may actually harm Chrysler’s future and by extension harm current Chrysler workers.” Chrysler warned in securities filings that the IPO could threaten its relationship with Fiat-and thus its viability.

“Fiat has stated that it believes a publiclytraded Chrysler Group will prevent or delay the full realization of the benefits of the FiatChrysler Alliance,” Chrysler warned prospective buyers. “Fiat has informed us that it is reconsidering the benefits and costs of further expanding its relationship with us and the terms on which Fiat would continue the sharing of technology, vehicle architectures and platforms, distribution networks, production facilities and engineering and management resources.”

Fiat currently holds a 58.5 percent ownership stake in Chrysler, while the VEBA trust holds the remaining 41.5 percent. However, under the terms of a deal reached as part of a 2009 government-funded bankruptcy filing, the VEBA trust is obligated to sell a large portion of that stake directly to Fiat.

The maximum proposed selling price listed in the filings was $100 million, just a fraction of the estimated value of the VEBA trust’s stake. The potential IPO comes as Chrysler’s sales are booming after decades of turbulence and decline. Chrysler’s first big government bailout was in 1979 when legendary chief Lee Iacocca secured a loan guarantee. Like fellow Detroit Three automakers General Motors and Ford, Chrysler shed tens of thousands of workers and scores of US factories in the 1980s and 1990s due to automation, a loss of market share to foreign competitors and the shift to cheaper production in Mexico.

The 1998 merger with Daimler was a colossal failure as the German automaker poured billions into its US partner before finally selling Chrysler to the private equity

BERLIN: A Chrysler 300 sits on the lot of Midstate Motors in Berlin, Vt. — AP group Cerberus in 2007. Cerberus did not ment structure that has fueled 41 consecuhave much chance of success once the 2008 tive months of sales gains in the United financial crisis hit and auto sales collapsed to States. Chrysler’s profits rose 16 percent to levels not seen in decades. Chrysler joined $507 million in the second quarter, with General Motors in seeking billions in aid from global vehicle sales up 10 percent at the US government and then restructuring 643,000. Those profits have been keeping under bankruptcy protection in 2009. Fiat Fiat in the black amidst a deep downturn in was able to win a 20 percent stake in Europe and Marchionne has been steadily Chrysler in exchange for sharing its technol- expanding Fiat’s stake in Chrysler. His goal is to create a global player with the capital and ogy and putting Marchionne at the helm.

Marchionne led a drastic revamp of volume to compete with the likes of Toyota Chrysler’s product offerings and manage- and General Motors. — AFP

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

BUSINESS

Dubai investors place World Expo bets ahead of the vote Speculators betting on firms such as Dubai Investments

NARAYANGANJ: Bangladeshi garment workers shout slogans during a protest in Narayanganj yesterday. — AFP

Protesting Bangladesh workers demand near-tripling of wages ASHULIA: Protesting Bangladesh garment workers complained yesterday they cannot even afford to feed their families as they staged a fourth day of street protests demanding a near-tripling of wages. Police fired tear gas at several thousand workers who blocked major roads near Dhaka’s main airport and at the key industrial hubs of Ashulia and Fatullah outside the capital in the latest demonstrations.

“Some 2,000 workers blocked roads at Ashulia. Industrial police fired tear gas to disperse them,” local police chief Badrul Alam said. The protests, smaller than ones in previous days when up to 200,000 took to the streets, resumed despite a senior government minister’s assurance late Monday of a pay rise for all garment workers by November.

Workers said the current minimum monthly wage of $38 dollars is not enough to cover food, rent, education and other basic family needs.

“I earn 4,000 ($50) taka per month with overtime,” said a female worker protesting at Kuril near the airport. “It does not cover all my expenses. The house rent has gone up, education costs of my kids are rising all the time,” said Hamida Begum, 30. “I can’t send money to my old parents. And there are days we don’t have proper food,” she added. Protests over poor wages, benefits and working conditions are frequent but have gained in intensity since April when a factory complex collapsed, killing more than 1,100 people in one

of the world’s worst industrial disasters.

The government urged protesters to return to work after tens of thousands Monday joined one of the biggest pay-rise demonstrations in years. Scores were injured as angry workers clashed with police, torched factories and attacked a police camp. The government has warned against harming the garment industry, the country’s economic mainstay, after some 300 factories temporarily shut down. Manufacturers estimate tens of millions of dollars in losses as a result of the protests, which started on Saturday.

Unions have demanded a new minimum wage of 8,114 taka ($100) and have threatened to launch non-stop protests in all 4,500 garment factories. Cabinet minister Shahjahan Khan said wages would be raised

by November, a month earlier than the previous deadline, after holding lengthy talks with manufacturers and unions that ended late Monday. “Owners have been requested to implement the new salary structure by November. They have also given their assurance,” he said after the meeting.

But the exact figures are unclear as owners have only agreed to raise salaries by 20 percent, saying a bigger rise would jeopardize their competitive advantage. Low wages have played a key role in making Bangladesh the world’s second-largest garment exporter after China, with apparel shipments accounting for 80 percent of the country’s $27 billion annual exports. —AFP

DUBAI: Shares in Dubai Investments Co, a conglomerate with interests ranging from glass-making to edible oils and Islamic reinsurance, have more than doubled this year. But the rise has little to do with its business in those sectors. Instead, investors are hoping Dubai will win the right to host the World Expo in 2020. Dubai Investments owns Dubai Investments Park, a big mixed-use real estate development next to the proposed Expo location, as well as land nearby.

The Expo may make the company’s real estate holdings a lot more profitable in coming years - if, that is, Dubai gets to host the event. Two months ahead of an international vote which will decide that question, Dubai’s stock speculators are betting on the outcome. But it is by no means clear that the Expo can deliver as much of a boost to share prices as they are anticipating.

“The market has already gone up massively this year, including many of the companies that could benefit from the Expo,” said Ali Adou, portfolio manager at The National Investor, an Abu Dhabi investment firm. “There will be upside going forward, but it will be limited for the short term. In the medium term, you have to position yourself anyway for the new economic growth cycle in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.”

COMPETITION Dubai is competing with Izmir in Turkey, Sao Paulo in Brazil and Yekaterinburg in Russia for the right to host the 2020 world’s fair. A vote of the 166 member states of the Paris-based Bureau International des Expositions is expected to choose between them at an assembly on Nov 2627. Backed by a glitzy public relations campaign and counting on its status as an international hub with close business and transport links to several continents, Dubai may well be the front-runner.

Hosting the six-month Expo could help to justify and accelerate some of the big infrastructure projects which the government of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum plans for coming years. The government cites a report by consultancy Oxford Economics which estimates the event would attract 25 million visitors and create about 277,000 jobs - big numbers for an emirate with a current population of 2.2 million.

Dubai’s Expo site would lie between its Jebel Ali port and its new Al Maktoum International

Airport, where the first passenger terminal is to start operating later this year. Officials have said a planned 5 billion dirham ($1.4 billion) extension of Dubai’s metro system to the airport area will be accelerated if Dubai wins the Expo. The Expo could help to shift more of Dubai’s economic activity to the emirate’s south; currently much of the economy is focused on the financial zone and heavily populated areas further north.

That could boost demand for Dubai Investments’ land holdings as well as its residential and commercial developments in the area. Its shares are up 121 percent year-to-date, outperforming a 67 percent gain by the overall stock market index. Other potential Expo plays include budget carrier Air Arabia , the only listed airline in the United Arab Emirates, which is up 63 percent year-to-date. Construction firm Arabtec and engineering company Drake and Scull could be expected to win some construction work for the Expo.

Port operator DP World, which runs Jebel Ali port, would handle many of the imports of construction materials and machinery for buildings and infrastructure at the 438-hectare Expo site. Its shares, up 36 percent this year, are lagging the stock market because of tough global conditions in the port industry. Giant real estate developer Emaar Properties would benefit from the Expo because of its growing interests in the retail, hotel and tourism sectors, which would serve visitors to Dubai.

BENEFITS It is less clear, however, that Dubai winning the Expo would make much long-term difference to share prices - even the prices of companies that would be directly involved in the project. While infrastructure and jobs created for the Expo would enrich Dubai, and the emirate’s image as a global city would benefit, the visitors themselves would not start arriving for seven years - far beyond the time horizon of most equity investors.

So even if there is a knee-jerk jump in share prices after the Bureau International des Expositions makes its decision in November, it may prove short-lived. Qatar’s stock market rose 16 percent in the four months before it was awarded the right to host the 2022 soccer World Cup at the start of December 2010, and gained as much as 14

percent more in subsequent weeks.

But it then gave up much of those gains and essentially moved sideways for the next two years, as investors realized infrastructure building contracts to prepare for the World Cup would not be awarded immediately, and that the tiny state faced big logistical challenges in staging the event.

Factors other than the Expo, such as Dubai’s efforts to develop its financial centre, attract foreign investment in its service and light industrial sectors, and prevent another boom-and-bust cycle in its real estate market, are likely to have much more of an impact on the emirate’s economy in coming years.

Mohammed Ali Yasin, managing director of Abu Dhabi Financial Services, said a recovery of Dubai’s stock market from the debt crisis of 20082011 would continue even if the emirate didn’t win the Expo - the trend would simply be drawn out over a longer time frame if the bid failed.

“Some of the very optimistic investors will hold positions through the volatility, but if Dubai doesn’t win, we will see heavy selling pressure” in the short term, he said.

VALUATIONS There is also concern that some of Dubai’s smaller Expo-related stocks, which can easily be moved around by retail investors, have already risen to levels where they are fully valued by most measures, making big, further gains difficult.

Dubai Investments, for example, is trading at about 15.6 times last year’s earnings, in line with the whole Dubai market. That level compares with about 13 times for the MSCI Emerging Markets Index.

The history of share prices in Shanghai, which hosted the World Expo in 2010, suggests that if Dubai’s Expo bid is successful, there will be heavy speculation in Expo-related stocks in the year before the event is actually held. But any gains then may also prove temporary. Shanghai International Airport jumped 55 percent in 2009 while Shanghai Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park Development Co, a property developer based near the city’s Expo site, gained 29 percent. By the end of 2010, however, when the 73 million visitors to the Shanghai Expo had gone home, the stock prices of both companies had fallen back to their pre-Expo levels. — Reuters

Cash-for-residency draws fire in Latvia RIGA: A controversial cash-for-residency scheme in EU member Latvia is drawing fire as the post-Soviet republic gears up to join the euro-zone in January. While bankers and property agents claim the law is attracting valuable foreign investment, critics argue it is being used by shady businessmen from the former Soviet Union to enter the EU. They want it scrapped.

Since it took effect in July 2010, nearly 7,000 foreign nationals have received five-year EU residence permits after having shelled out at least 50,000 lats (71,000 euros, $96,000) on property outside Riga, or 100,000 lats in and around the capital. The scheme has drawn nearly 600 million euros of investment, according to a government report published last week. Global consultants Deloitte estimate it will rake in a total of 1.7 billion euros by 2015. The capital injection has been all the more welcome because it helped revive a shattered real estate market as the Baltic nation of three million recovered from the world’s deepest recession.

The vast majority of new residents hail from former Soviet states including Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. Nearly 98 percent of applications are approved. Because Latvia is part of the borderless Schengen zone, critics point out that a Latvian residence permit is effectively a five-year visa to all 26 members of the zone, comprising mostly EU states. That’s the real selling-point for applicants from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), according to Roberts Zile, a member of the European Parliament (MEP) with Latvia’s rightwing National Alliance.

“They are not buying houses, they are buying access to the Schengen area,” Zile said, insisting that with only token

background checks on applicants, the system is wide open to abuse. He points to the case of Alma Shalabayeva, the wife of fugitive Kazakh banker Mukhtar Ablyazov wanted at home in connection with a multi-billion dollar bank fraud. In May, Italian police raided the couple’s house in Rome and deported Shalabayeva and her six-year-old daughter to Kazakhstan. They had been living in Italy on Latvian residency permits. The scheme is also controversial as it is a major turnaround. Bitterness over the Soviet occupation and concern over the large Russian minority that remained after independence in 1991 had led Latvia to keep a tight control over immigration. Zile insists the scheme risks Latvia’s reputation and he is lobbying both the European Parliament and the European Commission to ask Riga to scrap it. But that is an uphill battle because of its powerful backers in politics, business and banking.

INVESTMENT POTENTIAL According to Edgars Sins, chairman of Arco, Latvia’s largest real estate agency, the system saved Latvian businesses and families caught by a huge property bubble bursting in 2008-9 when the global financial crisis tanked the economy. “The popular opinion is that it has been supporting the real estate market, but I would argue this scheme has supported those families and business that are heavily indebted,” Sins told AFP recently in Riga.

“If they didn’t have the opportunity to sell their real estate to foreign investors, their only alternative would be bankruptcy,” he said. Latvia’s Rietumu Bank (Western Bank) specializes in serving foreign investors, proudly advertising its

ability to obtain an “EU Residence Permit” on the Russian-language section of its website.

Board member Renats Lokomets insists the cash injection from wealthy new residents has helped to jump-start the Latvian economy and that there is still plenty of room for growth. “We’ve already seen the economic effect in a developing real estate sector, transport, trade, private jets, yachts,

executive class cars, restaurants and much more,” Lokomets said in a statement. The extra cash is also broadening the financial base of the Latvian baking sector, he added. “I’m sure that if the conditions are right the expatriate business will grow,” he added, warning that any “drastic and ill-considered changes to the immigration law may discourage those who want to invest here and so ruin this positive trend.”— AFP

RIGA: A photo shows the sales office of the Panorama Plaza building site in Latvia’s capital Riga. A controversial cash-forresidency scheme in EU member Latvia is drawing fire as the post-Soviet republic gears up to join the euro-zone in January 2014. — AFP

EXCHANGE RATES Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. ASIAN COUNTRIES Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal Irani Riyal

2.873 4.530 2.679 2.145 2.832 227.120 36.618 3.645 6.556 9.107 0.271 0.273 GCC COUNTRIES

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

75.737 78.037 737.690 754.350 77.346

UAE Exchange Centre WLL COUNTRY Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro US Dollar Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

SELL DRAFT 270.83 279.97 316.08 386.32 283.30 457.28 2.93 3.659 4.516 2.145 2.835 2.685 77.20 754.03 41.10 403.20 736.76 78.23 75.68

SELL CASH 263.000 282.000 311.000 384.000 287.400 443.000 3.000 3.800 5.150 2.700 3.600 2.920 78.000 759.500 41.100 416.200 746.400 79.000 76.300

Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

3.850 8.925 4.050 3.715 86.520

Bahrain Exchange Company CURRENCY

BUY Europe 0.007380 0.448479 0.006674 0.047397 0.377886 0.044000 0.081919 0.008148 0.040739 0.305723 0.142731

0.008380 0.457479 0.018674 0.052397 0.385386 0.049200 0.81919 0.018148 0.045739 0.315223 0.149731

Australasia 0.259058 0.230472

0.270558 0.239972

Canadian Dollar US Dollars US Dollars Mint

America 0.270755 0.279800 0.280300

0.279255 0.284150 0.284150

Bangladesh Taka Chinese Yuan Hong Kong Dollar Indian Rupee Indonesian Rupiah Japanese Yen Kenyan Shilling Korean Won Malaysian Ringgit Nepalese Rupee Pakistan Rupee Philippine Peso

Asia 0.003082 0.044964 0.034530 0.004387 0.000020 0.002792 0.003325 0.000254 0.085338 0.002942 0.002517 0.006413

0.003682 0.048464 0.037280 0.004788 0.000026 0.002972 0.003325 0.000269 0.091338 0.003112 0.002797 0.006693

Belgian Franc British Pound Czech Korune Danish Krone Euro Norwegian Krone Romanian Leu Slovakia Swedish Krona Swiss Franc Turkish Lira

SELL

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash Egyptian Pound - Transfer Yemen Riyal/for 1000 Tunisian Dinar Jordanian Dinar Lebanese Lira/for 1000 Syrian Lier Morocco Dirham

40.950 40.730 1.325 173.850 401.070 1.905 3.085 34.834

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 283.900 Euro 384.970 Sterling Pound 456.510 Canadian dollar 276.980 Turkish lira 142.970 Swiss Franc 312.670 Australian Dollar 268.710 US Dollar Buying 282.700 GOLD 20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

250.000 127.000 66.000

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd Rate for Transfer US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound

Selling Rate 283.650 278.600 456.100 384.530 312.010 750.965 77.205 77.860 76.505 399.850 41.099 2.144 4.538 2.680 3.647 6.561 695.800

Australian Dollar New Zealand Dollar

Sierra Leone Singapore Dollar South African Rand Sri Lankan Rupee Taiwan Thai Baht

0.000069 0.223379 0.022898 0.001890 0.009484 0.008719

Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Iranian Riyal Iraqi Dinar Jordanian Dinar Kuwaiti Dinar Lebanese Pound Moroccan Dirhams Nigerian Naira Omani Riyal Qatar Riyal Saudi Riyal Syrian Pound Tunisian Dinar Turkish Lira UAE Dirhams Yemeni Riyal

Arab 0.746594 0.038148 0.000079 0.000183 0.396209 1.0000000 0.000139 0.022748 0.001203 0.731371 0.077270 0.075070 0.001933 0.169815 0.142731 0.076314 0.001290

0.000075 0.229379 0.031398 0.002470 0.009664 0.009269 0.754594 0.041248 0.000080 0.000243 0.403709 1.0000000 0.000239 0.046748 0.001838 0.737051 0.078483 0.075770 0.002153 0.177815 0.149731 0.077463 0.001370

Al Mulla Exchange Currency US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal

Transfer Rate (Per 1000) 283.400 385.150 456.250 277.550 4.530 41.085 2.144 3.638 6.535 2.680 754.500 77.200 75.700 *Rates are subject to change

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

BUSINESS

Shale gas, oil reshape world energy landscape PARIS: After unleashing an energy revolution in the United States, shale gas and oil are now becoming energy gamechangers worldwide, a break with the past whose ramifications are still unclear.

Thanks to the advent of hydraulic fracturing technology-used to extract oil and gas locked in sedimentary shale rock-the United States is on track to become the world-number-one oil producer by 2017 and a net exporter by 2030, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Besides radically changing the US energy landscape, this “fracking” revolution is also reshaping markets overseas.

Thanks to the sudden abundance of cheap natural gas, American electricity suppliers are shunning domestic coalleading producers to export it at low prices to Europe and Asia. That trend has revived the appeal of coal-fired power plants in Europe and taken a toll on plans to transition toward gas-burning plants, despite the air-pollution concerns

around coal. Energy experts say the United States will also likely begin exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Europe and Asia in the next several years. US authorities have already greenlighted four LNG export terminals. “We anticipate that from around 2016, we are really going to see volumes of LNG coming out of the United States and they are going to change the way that markets connect over the coming decades,” said IEA analyst Tim Gould at a recent conference.

“The United States won’t export a huge amount of gas, because they’ll be looking to keep domestic price levels as low as possible, but eventually there will undoubtedly be more than 10 export terminals geared toward Europe and Asia,” said Jerome Ferrier, head of the International Gas Union. With all its new non-conventional output, the United States is now producing more than seven million barrels of oil per day, returning to the level of 25 years ago, said

Olivier Appert, head of the French institute for oil and new energies (IFPEN).

“The fact that the United States is set to become the top oil producer by 2020, ahead of Saudi Arabia, changes everything,” said Appert. While the size and longevity of the American boom are up for debate, it will redraw the world energy-trade map at least temporarily by making North America less dependant on Middle Eastern oil. China is on track to take the United States’ place as the world’s top oil importer in 2017, its oil bill soaring to $500 billion in 2020, the Wood Mackenzie consultancy calculated last month. The United States’ bill for oil imports is meanwhile set to fall from a peak of $335 billion in 2008 to $160 billion in 2020.

This unexpected turn of events is shaking up the global oil market. At first the world’s top crude producers, Saudi Arabia and Russia, considered the fracking boom “a speculative bubble that was about to burst”, said Appert. “But today

it’s becoming a major problem for them,” to the point that the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries launched a study on the issue in June, he added.

Keen to emulate the American boom, more than a dozen other countries around the world are currently exploring for shale hydrocarbons or moving in that direction.

But environmental fears around fracking-in which a high-pressure mixture of water, sand and chemicals is blasted deep underground to release hydrocarbons trapped between layers of rockmay stop other countries from embracing the shale revolution with the same fervor as the United States. “The United States is atypical because landowners hold the underground rights to their property, and despite all the local protests, they’re encouraged to drill,” said Ferrier of the International Gas Union. “It’s clear that in Poland, Romania, Great Britain, that won’t happen as easily.” Energy-hungry China has the world’s

largest shale-gas reserves, according to preliminary estimates, but recently began exploration returned disappointing initial results. However, “the energy challenges in China are such that the country needs every exploitable resource, and if there’s shale gas there, it will probably be tapped,” said Ferrier.

“The problem will be finding the water for fracking.”

Europe also faces tricky questions on shale gas. The continent depends heavily on Russian gas, with North Sea deposits quickly running out. The European Union has so far failed to adopt a unified gas strategy, but policymakers consider the issue strategically vital. EU Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger said in May that shale gas could be a good bargaining chip in reaching new deals with Russian energy giant Gazprom. “I am sure (that) to have some shale gas option is a good instrument for our longterm negotiations (with) Gazprom and Russia,” he said.—AFP

Oil slips below $108 Iraq boosts oil output after stopping pipeline leak

WASHINGTON: Photo shows the US Capitol in Washington, DC, as US President Barack Obama faces a new congressional gridlock over a payroll tax cut after he signed into law a $1 trillion spending bill, averting a government shutdown. — AFP

US braces for shutdown WASHINGTON: The Obama administration warned US federal agencies yesterday to prepare for a possible government shutdown that could hobble the US economy, as Congress wrangled over a fastapproaching budget deadline. The current fiscal year ends September 30 and Congress remains bitterly split over spending, in particular over President Barack Obama’s landmark health care law. The Republican-led House of Representatives passed a bill last week that would prevent a shutdown at the price of defunding what has become known as “Obamacare.” The president has warned that this is a nonstarter, and now the House and Senate are left with one week to thrash out a compromise. Should they fail, several government agencies will close on October 1, placing hundreds of thousands of non-essential staff on unpaid leave. Agencies are finalizing contingency plans.

The Pentagon said some civilian employees would be ordered to stay home, and Congress would have to ensure retroactive pay for civilians required to come to work. “Military personnel would be paid but maybe not on time,” Pentagon spokesman George Little said. White House senior advisor Dan Pfeiffer sought to lay blame squarely on Republicans, some of whom he accused of caring “more about scoring political points on Obamacare than keeping the government open and our economy moving forward. “ This kind of up-to-the -final-hour brinksmanship is beyond irresponsible,” he said in an email to Obama supporters. The White House’s Office of Management and Budget recently issued a memo on how agencies should plan for a “lapse in appropriations.” The State Department also cautioned employees. Undersecretary for Management Patrick Kennedy fired off an email warning that a lapse could mean “a number of employees may be temporarily furloughed.”

Under a similar threat in 2011, the administration said 800,000 of roughly 2.1 million federal employees and contractors would be affected. The Democratic-led Senate is expected to amend the House’s stopgap bill, which funds government at current levels until December 15, by removing the clause defunding Obamacare. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid set up a test vote for the bill this Wednesday, insisting he would not let Republican “fanatics” hold the government “hostage to their demands.” “We’re not

going to bow to Tea Party anarchists who deny the mere fact that Obamacare is the law,” Reid said.

A handful of Senate Republicans led by upstart Senator Ted Cruz have pledged to try to block Reid, but by Monday their supporters were peeling away. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell will not support Cruz’s blocking tactic nor will number two Senate Republican John Cornyn, their offices said. If Reid gets his way, and he is likely to, the chamber would send the stripped-down legislation back to the House. What Republican House leaders do with it is an open question.

Pfeiffer said he was looking to “reasonable congressional Republicans” to help avoid a government shutdown or worse, a default on US debt, with Congress needing to increase the nation’s legal borrowing limit in coming weeks or face default.

Americans are firmly opposed to shutting down government, polls show, even over an unpopular health law. A CNBC poll showed 59 percent oppose the idea, while 19 percent would support shutting down government rather than funding Obamacare.

PARKS, MUSEUMS SHUTTERED The US government has shut down several times since the mid-1970s, sometimes for as few as three days. The last two shutdowns happened in November and December of 1995, the second lasting 21 days, when Democrat Bill Clinton was president. The battle pitted Clinton against Republican House speaker Newt Gingrich, with the president ultimately vetoing a draft spending bill he considered too austere. At the time, Republicans controlled both chambers of Congress. “Republicans now are in a much weaker position than they were in 1995,” University of Oklahoma history professor Steve Gillon said. “But they’re pursuing the same strategy.”

In 1995, essential services like military operations, air traffic control and border security were uninterrupted, but programs not considered essential were shut down.

Garbage piled up in Washington, and research at the National Institutes of Health ground to a halt. One of the most visible effects was on tourism: all 368 National Park Ser vice sites closed, as did Smithsonian museums, disappointing seven million tourists. When the dust settled, Gingrich was largely blamed for the debacle-though he argues that the compromise resolution led to four straight years of balanced budgets.— AFP

LONDON: Brent crude oil fell below $108 a barrel yesterday, losing more ground after almost a month of falls as geopolitical tension eased and further evidence emerged of rising oil supplies from Libya and Iraq. Brent peaked above $117 a barrel in August on fears the war in Syria would spiral out of control and hit Middle East oil output, but it has slowly retreated since then as the chances of US military intervention and a wider conflict have receded.

Signs of a possible reconciliation between Iran and the West have also calmed geopolitical worries and raised the chance of more Iranian oil sales after years of sanctions that have cut oil exports by more than 1 million barrels per day (bpd). Brent crude for November fell 33 cents to $107.83 per barrel by 1045 GMT, after settling at its lowest close in four sessions on Monday.

November US crude was off 41 cents at $103.18 a barrel, down for a fourth day after touching a sixweek low in the previous session.

“Oil prices are continuing on their downward trajectory,” said Carsten Fritsch, senior commodities and oil analyst at Commerzbank. “ The declining risk premium and rising oil production suggest that further price falls are imminent.” Iran has agreed to talks on its nuclear program with top diplomats from six world powers, including US Secretary of State John Kerry, raising hopes that Tehran’s relations

RIYADH: Photo shows a general view of the 32nd extraordinary meeting of the Oil Ministers of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for the Gulf states held in Saudi capital of Riyadh.—AFP with the United States could thaw.

US officials have also said a meeting is possible this week between President Barack Obama and Iran’s new centrist president, Hassan Rouhani. “Geopolitical tensions are reducing and oil output is rising, so these two factors are driving oil futures to moderate,” IHS analyst Victor Shum said. “The geopolitical tone over Iran has been dialled down. The other

development is progress over Syria’s situation,” he added. The United Nations may back a USRussian plan to rid Syria of chemical arms this week. Syria is not a major oil producer but traders worry any escalation of Middle East violence could disrupt oil flows. Oil supply has, meanwhile, improved as Iraq boosted output from its Rumaila field after plugging a leaking pipeline, although

Iraq asks Kurds to link new pipeline to its network

Mustapha Kawam

Globe Express Services shares best practices, industry insights DUBAI: Globe Express Services, one of the world’s top 100 global logistics providers, has shared the best practices and key industr y insights during the one -day “Leader in Logistics Summit”, which was held at Ritz Carlton Hotel, DIFC in Dubai.

Mustapha Kawam, Managing Director-Gulf States of GES, served as one of the featured speakers of the forum that was attended by senior professionals from the regional logistics industry to discuss strategies to increase productivity and efficiency, overcome challenges and highlight business opportunities in supply chain management.

Mustapha Kawam said, “Today, with the regional logistics sector witnessing robust growth, there needs to be increasing emphasis on linking the regional hubs and ensuring that these hubs are optimally

leveraged. Moreover, factors such as the steady growth of regional economies, the positive impact of projects such as the GCC rail expansion on the logistics sector and the growing adoption of technology are creating new opportunities for the region’s logistics sector.

In line with this we have been making major investments in state-of-the-art infrastructure and boast of the most competent professionals to maintain the highest level of excellence in our services. The Leader in Logistics Summit will serve as an excellent venue for senior logistics professionals to share their expertise and experiences, learn about industry best practices to gain a competitive edge, offer insights on ways to overcome challenges and capitalize on existing opportunities to maximize profitability of the regional logistics sector.”

Emirates eyes bonds DUBAI: Emirates, Dubai’s flagship airline, may issue bonds early next year to help raise $4.5 billion for 21 new plane deliveries in the financial year starting April 2014, a senior company official said yesterday.

Brian Jeffery, senior vice president for corporate treasury at the airline, said an Islamic or conventional bond issue might happen as early as January or February next year if market conditions were feasible.

“We have pretty much the same strategy for the next financial year as this year. It’s

going to be a diversified structure,” Brian Jeffery, senior vice president for corporate treasury at Emirates said in an interview. It has to raise $22 billion over the next four years to finance its aircraft deliveries, an average of $5.5 billion a year. Emirates, one of the world’s fastest-growing airlines, has been diversifying its funding to expand its fleet to compete with regional peers such as Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways.

The airline has witnessed rapid growth as passenger traffic at its home base in Dubai surges on the back of an economic

planned work continued to keep a lid on exports from OPEC’s No 2 producer after Saudi Arabia. Libya is also gradually ramping up output after protests crippled its oil sector. The OPEC producer could reopen its eastern Hariga port this week but there has been no progress opening larger eastern terminals that have been shut for weeks, a senior government official said on Monday. — Reuters

recovery. Dubai has one of the busiest airports in the world with over 32 million passengers passing through it in the first half of 2013, up 17 percent year-on-year.

Emirates is looking at various financing options to raise the money it needs, including bond issues, operating leases, US export credit facilities and financing leases, Jeffrey said. Any bond sale was likely to happen after the airline reports its half-year results in November, he said.

Financing for aircraft deliveries in the current financial year is almost complete,

with the airline securing funds for 21 of 25 aircraft deliveries, Jeffery said. Emirates has sold two bonds this year - a $1 billion sukuk in March and a $750 million bond in January. With the largest fleet of the Airbus A380 superjumbos, the Gulf carrier is attracting more long haul travelers.

Emirates’ President Tim Clark has said the airline plans to replace a large chunk of its Boeing 777 aircraft with the 777X, the new model launched by the planemaker. A new order is expected at the Dubai Air Show in November. —Agencies

DUBAI: Iraq’s central government has asked the autonomous Kurdish region to connect its new oil pipeline with one from Kirkuk to Ceyhan in Turkey in a way that allows Baghdad to measure crude flows, Iraq’s deputy prime minister for energy affairs said yesterday. Kurdistan is expected to complete the new 300,000 barrel per day (bpd) oil pipeline to Turkey in the next few weeks, increasing the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) control over its resources in a dispute with Baghdad.

“We have asked the KRG to connect it to the KirkukCeyhan pipeline before the pumping station so that we can meter exactly how much crude has been pumped,” Hussain Al-Shahristani said, adding that Baghdad had not received any response. Oil is at the heart of a dispute between the Arab-led central government and the ethnic Kurdish-run northern enclave over control of oilfields, territory and crude revenues.

Sales of Kurdish oil via the federal pipeline system have been blocked in the dispute between the two governments, and the two sides are not currently in talks to resolve the row over payments to oil companies working in the region. “No, there has been no discussion with the companies or with the KRG (on oil payments),” Shahristani said on the sidelines of the Gulf Intelligence Energy Markets Forum in Dubai.

The KRG rejection of Baghdad’s claimed authority over the exploration and export of the country’s oil resources last week inspired the provincial council of Nineveh to give its governor the power to sign deals with foreign oil firms.

Shahristani said the predominantly Sunni Muslim governorate in Iraq’s northwest lacked the political weight that had allowed the KRG to push its own oil plans despite disapproval from Baghdad. “They can’t... its even more difficult because at least the KRG has the status, Nineveh cannot do that,” he said.

ExxonMobil, the world’s largest publicly traded energy company, angered Iraq by signing production-sharing contracts with Kurdistan for the exploration and development of six blocks in 2011. Two of those blocks are in areas where Nineveh and Kurdistan both claim jurisdiction. The company is now looking to sell its stake in the West Qurna-1 oil field in southern Iraq.

Shahristani declined to identify the buyers. He said Exxon had made a “serious error” when it negotiated with the KRG, and that Baghdad has asked Exxon to reduce its presence in southern Iraq as a result. “Exxon has decided to scale down, based on our request. We have asked Exxon to scale down on the West Qurna and they have decided to sell,” he said, adding that Exxon would stay on as operator of the field “for the time being.” Upgrades to the Basra Oil Terminal in the Gulf, which Iraq relies on to export most of its oil, are thought to have reduced exports in September. Work at the terminal is expected to continue until the middle of next year, but Iraqi officials say the longer term work will not affect exports.

“The work is going on there but we have the capacity to export more than the quantities available, so we have no problem... There are no bottlenecks as far as exports go,” he said.— Reuters

24

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

US regulator sues 13 banks amid crackdown NEW YORK: The US credit union regulator has filed an anti-trust lawsuit against 13 major international banks as part of the global crackdown in the Libor rate-rigging scandal. The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) said it aims to recover some of the funds lost by five corporate credit unions it supervised and which have since failed, according to a statement posted on the NCUA website Monday.

“We have a responsibility to pursue recoveries through every available avenue against those who caused billions of dollars

in losses to credit unions,” NCUA Board Chairman Debbie Matz said. “Some firms were manipulating international interest rates in a way that cost the five corporates to lose millions of dollars. Just as we are doing in our other suits, we are seeking to hold responsible parties accountable for their actions,” she added. The complaintthat the banks violated both federal and regional anti-trust laws-was filed in a Kansas court, the agency said.

The NCUA noted that around 40 lawsuits have been filed around the world in relation

to rate manipulations at Libor, the London Interbank Offered Rate, a leading benchmark used in financial transactions. So far, three banks-UBS, Royal Bank of Scotland and Barclays-have been fined a total of around $2.5 billion to offset the losses. In addition to these three banks, the NCUA has now filed suit against Societe Generale, UBS and Credit Suisse, as well as JPMorgan Chase, Lloyds Banking Group, WestLB, Raiffensen Bank, Norinchukin Bank, Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ et Banque royale du Canada.

In a separate statement, the regulatory agency announced another lawsuit against Morgan Stanley and eight other international banks for having sold nearly $2.4 billion in “faulty securities” to credit unions.

The NCUA said the lawsuit aimed to recover some of the losses, which caused five corporate credit unions to fail. “We continue to pursue accountability and recovery in the wake of billions of dollars in sales of faulty securities that led to the collapse of several corporate credit unions and handed the industry the costly bill of paying for the loss-

es,” Matz said.

The lawsuit, filed in New York federal court, targets JPMorgan Chase, Credit Suisse, Royal Bank of Scotland, UBS, Goldman Sachs, Wachovia (now Wells Fargo) and Ally Bank. Of the $2.4 billion worth of “toxic” securities, some $416 million were sold by Morgan Stanley, the regulatory agency said. The NCUA noted it has settled similar claims with Citibroup, Deutsche Bank, HSBC and Bank of America, recovering more than $335 million in fines.—AP

NEW YORK: A Bank of America branch is viewed in this file photo in New York’s Times Square. A US judge has ordered Bank of America to pay nearly $2.2 million for discriminating against African-American job seekers, in a case that has been ongoing for nearly two decades. —AFP

Bank of America to pay $2.2 million in discrimination suit WASHINGTON: A US judge has ordered Bank of America to pay nearly $2.2 million for discriminating against African-American job seekers, in a case that has been ongoing for nearly two decades. The judge in North Carolina determined the bank had used “unfair and inconsistent” hiring practices for teller and entry-level clerical and administrative jobs, blocking qualified African-American applicants from getting jobs, the US labor department said in statement Monday. The payout will be shared among more than 1,100 such applicants.

About half the settlement will be shared among just over 1,000 applicants who were rejected for jobs in 1993, and the rest will

go to 113 people who applied between 2002 and 2005.

The bank was also ordered to offer jobs to 10 of the plaintiffs “as positions become available.”

“Wherever doors of opportunity are unfairly closed to workers, we will be there to open them - no matter how long it takes,” said Patricia A Shiu, director of the labor department’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs.” These workers deserve to get the full measure of what is owed to them,” Shiu added. The bank is federally-insured, making it a federal contractor and thus under the authority of the agency, the statement said.— AFP

Shares edge down; uncertainty sets in Currencies hug tight ranges LONDON: A smaller than expected rise in German business sentiment in September and growing uncertainty over the strength of the global economy helped nudge world shares lower yesterday, while major currencies were trapped in tight ranges.

Germany’s Ifo think tank said that its latest reading on business morale showed that the euro-zone’s biggest economy was on a sustainable growth path after weak start to the year, but that any recovery was likely to be modest.

“The further rise in German Ifo business sentiment confirms that the economy is recovering, but we continue to expect growth to be reasonably sluggish,” said Ben May, a European economist at Capital Economics. The euro initially slipped when the Ifo fell short of expectations though soon recovered to be little changed against the dollar at $1.35.

European shares turned negative after the report, trading down 0.1 percent on the day, before edging higher again , while German government bond futures hit a session high, up 33 ticks on the day. The MSCI global index of shares dipped 0.1 percent after MSCI’s broadest index of AsiaPacific shares outside Japan had earlier eased 0.6 percent, taking its cue from a softer Wall Street. One bright spot was shares in iPhone suppliers, burnished by news that Apple Inc sold 9 million new iPhones during their first three days in stores with US stock futures point to a steady start on Wall Street later in the day.

ECB ADDS TO CAUTION The euro was still holding near levels reached on Monday after European Central Bank resident Mario Draghi said he remained ready to inject more liquidity into banking markets if necessary to support the economy. Those remarks added to a sense of caution among investors over the outlook, caution that ECB policymaker Ewald Nowotny added to yesterday by say-

ing any withdrawal of the current level of policy support would have to be implemented extremely carefully. Uncertainty over the economic outlook has grown on both sides of the Atlantic since the US Federal Reser ve last week stunned investors by deciding not to reduce its asset purchases from the current $85 billion monthly pace, sparking a global stock rally. The decision left investors both encouraged that support for the economy would continue for a while longer but also in some doubt over whether they had overestimated the solidity of the US economic recovery. It also heightened fears among some investors that a looming political showdown in Washington over the US government’s budget and its ability to fund itself could have a bigger knock-on effect on the underlying economy than had been expected.

OIL SLIDES In commodity markets, gold steadied around $1,315 an ounce after shedding 3.2 percent in the past three sessions as investors fret over what the Fed will do next. The story was much the same in copper futures which held at $7,227.51, from last week’s peak of $7,368.00. Brent crude oil meanwhile had fallen below $108 a barrel to $107.75 as geopolitical tensions ease slightly ahead of nuclear talks involving Iran and the United States later this week.

Iran has agreed to new talks on its nuclear program with top diplomats from six world powers, including US Secretary of State John Kerry, raising hopes that Tehran’s relations with the United States could thaw. “Geopolitical tensions are reducing and oil output is rising so these two factors are driving oil futures to moderate,” IHS analyst Victor Shum said. US officials have also said a meeting is possible this week between President Barack Obama and Iran’s new centrist president, Hassan Rouhani.—Reuters

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

BUSINESS

Austria’s economic success - not just Red Bull ‘wings’ VIENNA: Slot machine giant Novomatic, mounted cranes market leader Palfinger and bricks behemoth Wienerberger are hardly household names, but they are all highly successful and call the same country home: Austria. Alongside the betterknown energy drinks trailblazer Red Bull or iconic handgun maker Glock, such companies have made this Alpine country, which holds elections on Sunday, an economic success story.

Unemployment is 4.8 percent-close to full employment and the lowest in the European Union-while gross domestic product per capita is the 10th highest on the planet, according to the World Bank.The landlocked euro-zone member of 8.4 million people is neighbors not only with economic giant Germany, with which it shares a common language, but also majority-German-speaking Switzerland, and Italy.

Once the centre of a great empire, it also shares borders with the Czech Republic, Hungar y, Slovak ia and Slovenia, making it a gateway to the

emerging economies of central and eastern Europe.

While the global economy stumbled last year, with the euro-zone-its main trading partner-in recession, Austrian exports still rose 1.5 percent to 124 billion euros ($168 billion). In the first half of 2013 they were up 1.1 percent. It did not escape the sharp global slowdown of 2009 in the wake of the financial crisis, with GDP contracting 3.8 percent, but it bounced back to expand 2.1 percent in 2010 and 2.7 percent in 2011 before slowing to 0.8 percent last year.

Austria’s banks, meanwhile, are less of a success story, with the government forced to nationalize two lenders following the world financial crisis and overly aggressive expansion into eastern and central Europe.

The International Monetary Fund warned in a report this month that Austrian banks’ exposure there amounted to 105 percent of Austrian GDP. By eurozone standards, Austria’s public finances are in solid shape, with the outgoing gov

ernment of Chancellor Werner Faymann projecting a balanced budget in 2016.

But the IMF report noted that reforms were needed in pensions, health care and subsidies, with the country’s generous social security system “complex and costly” and labour taxes “high and distortionary”. Voters though appear less concerned, and Sunday’s election is expected to result in Faymann’s outgoing coalition of centrist parties, which have dominated politics since 1945, winning another term.

This is due not least to Austria’s low unemployment rate, which is thanks to excellent youth training, schemes to find new jobs for workers made redundant and the ease with which firms can hire and fire, said Hedwig Lutz from the WIFO economic institute.

Having Germany as your closest trading partner also helps, Lutz said. “Austria is a small country with a strong exportoriented sector. There are very good connections with neighboring countries, in particular with Germany, and Germany managed the crisis well,” he said.— AFP

VIENNA: A construction worker is seen on a construction site in Vienna. —AFP

Fairfax reaches tentative deal to buy BlackBerry Investors fret about its potential demise

KAICO (Michelin) launches doorstep Michelin service KUWAIT: Kuwait Automotive Imports Co WLL (Al Shaya & Al Sagar) KAICO, the exclusive Michelin distributor in Kuwait for over 62 years, recently introduced a unique Doorstep Michelin service. The high-class performance and reliability of Michelin tyres along with the service offered by Al Shaya & Al Sagar have made Michelin a favorite with quality-conscious motorists in Kuwait. “We are committed to serve our customers with the best solutions in terms of products, sales, services and after-sales services. We truly believe that “Customer is # 1 and Customer is for life” with the pride that “we sell performance, not rubber”, mentioned Ashish Tandon, General Manager of KAICO. Sadiq Ali, Divisional Manager, Tires & Lubes explained that customers can now avail a free check-up and have their tires changed at the comfort of their home or office which means they receive a personal, professional and convenient service. With the state-of-the-art equipped vehicle, the Michelin tire experts will reach you wherever you are and offer you new tire fitting, balancing or puncture repair.

All you need to do is call a Michelin representative on 97862204.

Michelin is a leading global manufacturer of tires for all vehicles for more than 120 years. Globally, the company commands about 15% of market share and is present commercially in more than 170 countries.

Michelin continues to innovate across all product lines with products that meet the demands of consumers. In the Middle East, Michelin has recently introduced its technolo-

gy that allows a truck tire to be more resistant and last up to 15% longer. For passenger cars, Michelin has introduced tires with patented technology, allowing the tire to perform well in all areas - a concept Michelin calls Total Performance.

In Kuwait, as in other parts of the world, the Michelin brand is regarded highly for its quality and performance. Users of Michelin tires consistently rate Michelin as the best and as “worth the price”. Michelin tires available in Kuwait cater to 4 different segments: Sport, Top of the Range, Confort and Small Town Cars. Some of the most popular tires among Kuwait customers include the following: Latitude Tour HP, the high-performance 4x4 tyre that provides greater comfort and lasts 20% longer, Latitude Sport which is the equipment for sport 4x4 vehicles (power, torque, speed), Pilot Sports 3 for sport-oriented vehicles and high-powered saloon, and Primacy HP that is specially designed for Luxury/ comfortable saloon cars.

KAICO was established in 1936 and is jointly owned by Al-Shaya and Al-Sagar families with over 75 years of collective automotive experience in marketing, sales, parts and service and has integrated all its operations to maximize market penetration. KAICO is also the exclusive distributor in Kuwait for numerous other automotive brands including Mazda, Peugeot, Geely, Mobil, BF Goodrich & Apollo Tires, Sherwin Williams Automotive Paints and VR-12. KAICO’s business activities also cover a leasing and tender division and Used Cars.

Greece public sector workers begin strike ATHENS: Greek public sector workers went on strike for the second time in a week yesterday, shutting schools and leaving hospitals with skeleton staff, as inspectors from Greece’s foreign lenders checked whether the country was meeting its bailout targets.

Hiring in the civil service has long been considered driven by political patronage and Greece’s creditors have said they will not dole out any more money unless Athens reforms a state apparatus accused of being spendthrift and corrupt.

From municipal police to teachers, workers began a 48-hour walkout against plans to cut thousands of public sector jobs, and they were also protesting over the killing of an anti-racism rapper by a supporter of the farright Golden Dawn party. ADEDY, the public sector umbrella union which organized the walkout, said government efforts to reduce the 600,000-strong civil service at the behest of the EU and IMF bailing out Greece was “the most merciless plan” to eliminate worker rights.The government has dubbed the plan a “mobility scheme”, meaning workers will have to find work in another department within eight months on a reduced salary, or be laid off. The workers say the government is firing them indiscriminately at a time when Greece in enduring its worst peacetime crisis and record unemployment. Blowing whistles and carrying banners reading, “No to human sacrifices”, thousands of workers marched by the parliament. “Out with the bailouts and the bosses!” they chanted.

“The government must realize they can’t fire people just like that,” said 51-year-old Yiota Papadopoulou, a state high school teacher who worries about losing her job.

“We were hired on merit, we have degrees, we weren’t all hired on favors.” The administrative reform ministry must put a total of 25,000 workers in the mobility pool by the end of the year. It has met an end-September target of 12,500 workers - mostly teachers, school guards and municipal staff, officials at the ministry told reporters.

DEFEND DEMOCRACY The ministry has asked the trio of European Commission, International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank lenders to delay by two or three months an end-December deadline to do the same with the remaining 12,500 employees, the officials said. The latest review by the lenders, who have propped up Greece with over 240 billion euros ($323.82 billion), will decide the size of a third bailout to see it through the crisis and is expected to last at least until the end of next month.

Backed by a vocal anti-bailout opposition which has openly called on citizens to take to the streets to overthrow the government, unions have stepped up protests in recent months. Scores of municipal police dressed in black instead of their traditional green uniforms staged a mock funeral in Athens on Monday and somberly marched behind a hearse across the city centre, carrying wreaths and singing psalms.

The latest labor action also turned into a protest to mark the fatal stabbing of Pavlos Fissas by a self-proclaimed supporter of the Golden Dawn party last week. ADEDY and its private sector union GSEE, which represent about 2.5 million workers, have brought people to the streets repeatedly since the financial crisis erupted in 2009 and plan to stage an anti-fascism rally in Syntagma Square on Wednesday.The main leftist opposition Syriza party urged Greeks to join the rally “to defend democracy, dignity and civilization”. “A massive presence will be the most resounding condemnation of the Golden Dawn murderers of Pavlos Fissas,” Syriza said in a statement.

Golden Dawn denies involvement in the killing and says the 45-year-old attacker, who has been charged with murder, was not a member. Golden Dawn is Greece’s third most popular party and, in part, an outgrowth of discontent over state corruption and an economic crisis that has fuelled hostility towards immigrants. — Reuters

TORONTO: BlackBerry’s largest shareholder has reached a tentative agreement to pay $4.7 billion for the troubled smartphone maker, even as many investors fret about its potential demise.

BlackBerry Ltd said Monday that Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd has signed a letter of intent to buy the company for $9 per share in cash and take it private. The tentative deal comes just days after the Canadian company announced plans to lay off 40 percent of its global workforce. The offer price is below what the company had been trading at before the layoff announcement.

Analysts say that although BlackBerry’s hardware business is not worth anything, the company still owns valuable patents. Patents on wireless technologies have exploded in value in recent years, as makers of the iPhone and various Android devices sue each other. Having a strong portfolio of patents allows phone makers to defend themselves and work out deals.

BlackBerry is also strong in having total cash and investments of about $2.6 billion, with no debt.

The BlackBerry deal follows a $7.2 billion offer that Microsoft Corp. made this month for the phones and services business of another troubled phone maker, Nokia Corp Last year, Google Inc paid $12.4 billion for another fallen pioneer, Motorola Mobility, mostly for its patents. The BlackBerry, pioneered in 1999, was once the dominant smartphone for on-the-go business people and other consumers. It could be so addictive that it was nicknamed “the CrackBerry.”

President Barack Obama couldn’t bear to part with his BlackBerry. Oprah Winfrey declared it one of her “favorite things.”

But then came a new generation of competing smartphones, starting with Apple’s iPhone in 2007. The BlackBerry, that game-changing breakthrough in personal connectedness, looked ancient suddenly. Although BlackBerry was once Canada’s most valuable company with a market value of $83 billion in June 2008, the stock has plummeted from more than $140 a share to less than $9, giving it a market value of $4.6 billion, just short of Fairfax’s offer.

BlackBerry shares plunged 17 percent Friday after the company announced a loss of nearly $1 billion and layoffs of 4,500 workers. It gained 9 cents, or 1.1 percent, to $8.82 Monday. Fairfax head Prem Watsa, who owns 10 percent of BlackBerry, stepped down as a board member because of potential conflicts when BlackBerry announced it was considering a sale last month.

Under the deal, the company would no longer be traded publicly once the sale goes through.

“We believe this transaction will open an excit-

WATERLOO: Photo shows a view of the outside of Research in Motion Facility in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. One of BlackBerry’s co-founders has held talks with private equity firms about making a joint bid for the struggling Canadian smartphone maker. — AFP ing new private chapter for BlackBerry its customers, carriers and employees,” Watsa said in a statement.

“We can deliver immediate value to shareholders, while we continue the execution of a long-term strategy in a private company.” Watsa is one of Canada’s best-known investors and is the billionaire founder of Toronto-based Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. BlackBerry founder Mike Lazaridis recruited Watsa to join the company’s board when Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie stepped aside as its co-CEOs in January 2012.

Mike Walkley, an analyst with Canaccord Genuity, said that because Watsa was on the board, he likely has the best information on the value of its patents and other assets. BlackBerry said the general terms of the deal have been approved by its board and a special committee set up to look at options. The company said it will negotiate and execute a definitive transaction agreement with Fairfax by Nov 4. During that time, BlackBerry is entitled to continue to find other buyers, but if BlackBerry backs out of the deal, it would owe Fairfax about $157 million. “The special committee is seeking the best available outcome for the company ’s constituents, including for shareholders,” BlackBerry chairwoman Barbara Stymiest said in a statement. Fairfax said it is seeking financing from Bank of America Merrill Lynch and BMO Capital Markets. The release didn’t identify what other

investors are involved. Walkley believes the preliminary nature of the deal suggests his partners likely want to do due diligence with an option to back out. The announcement made no mention of any penalty should Fairfax back out.

The deal is hardly definitive at this stage, said Eric Kirzner, a professor of finance at the University of Toronto. “There are so many questions about it. It looks clever and it looks like it may set off a flurry of activity, maybe some other white knights are going to come along,” Kirzner said. “Maybe that’s the intent of this, or maybe the intent is for Watsa to acquire the company but I just don’t know.” Watsa is likely to keep current CEO Thorsten Heins in the job should the deal happen. He said in April that he’s a big supporter of Heins and has called his promotion the right decision. He also said he’s excited about the company’s new BlackBerry 10 operating system. This year’s launch of BlackBerry 10 and fancier devices that use it was supposed to rejuvenate the brand and lure customers. But the much-delayed phones have failed to turn the company around. At their peak in the fall of 2009, BlackBerry’s smartphones enjoyed global market share of more than 20 percent, Walkley said. That is now just 1.5 percent. The decline of BlackBerry, formerly known as Research In Motion Ltd., is evoking memories of Nortel, another Canadian tech giant, which ended up declaring bankruptcy in 2009. —AP

Markaz examines trends in GCC bonds & sukuk market KUWAIT: Kuwait Financial Centre ‘Markaz’, in its recent research report titled GCC Bonds & Sukuk Market Survey, has highlighted the trends pertaining to aggregate issuances in the GCC region during H1 2013. $45.5 BILLION ISSUED The aggregate primary issuance of bonds and sukuk in the GCC totaled $45.5 billion in H1 2013, a 4.6% increase from the total amount raised compared to H1 2012. The months of March and April witnessed the highest issuance activity with $10.7 billion raised in March and $10.6 billion raised in April through 42 issuances and 32 issuances respectively GCC CENTRAL BANKS LOCAL ISSUANCES During H1 2013, a total of $21.4 billion was raised through Central Bank Local Issuances (CBLIs), which represents a reduction of 3.4% from its levels during same period of 2012. GCC CLBIs were issued by the Central Bank of Bahrain, the Central Bank of Kuwait, the Central Bank of Oman, and the Central Bank of Qatar. Central Bank of Kuwait raised the highest amount amongst GCC central banks during H1 2013, at $12.3 billion through 34 issuances, despite a 12.7% decline from the amount it raised during the same period of 2012. In continuation to the trend which prevailed in previous years, Central Bank of Kuwait remained the leading issuer of conventional CBLIs, raising 61.6% of total value raised through conventional bonds issued by GCC central banks in H1 2013. By the same token, Central Bank of Bahrain and Central Bank of Qatar remained the only issuers of Sukuk, raising $0.8 million and $0.5 million respectively.

GCC BONDS, SUKUK MARKET The GCC Bonds and Sukuk market includes GCC Sovereign Issuances and GCC Corporate Issuances

and does not include GCC Central Banks Local Issuances. The total value of new issuances in the GCC Bonds and Sukuk market, during H1 2013 was 24.1 million, a 13.0% increase in comparison to the respective period of 2012. This was accompanied by an increase of 25.6% in the number of issuances to 103 new issues.

GEOGRAPHICAL ALLOCATION UAE entities remained the most active issuers raising 50.6% of the total amount raised in H1 2013, through 72 issuances. Saudi Arabian entities raised $7.3 billion through eleven issuances, followed by Qatari entities which raised $3.1 billion through eleven issuances. The Kuwaiti bond market witnessed two new issuances raising KD60 million ($210 million).

SOVEREIGN VS. CORPORATE In continuation to the previous trend, 94.8% of total value ($22.8 billion) raised by new issuances in H1 2013 was raised by corporate entities (including FIs & GREs), through 101 new issuances. UAE corporate entities raised 48% of corporate issuances through 70 new issues, followed by Saudi Arabia corporate entities which raised $7.2 billion. In Kuwait, two corporate bonds, totaling KD60 million ($210 million), were issued by United Real Estate Company.

CONVENTIONAL VS SUKUK The total value raised by conventional new issuances (bonds) in the GCC market increased by 46% during H1 2013 in comparison to the same period last year, reaching $12.5 billion and slightly surpassing the value raised by the Sharia compliant Sukuk, which totaled $11.6 billion.

SECTOR ALLOCATION During H1 2013, the financial services sector was the most active sector raising a total of $11.6 billion

through 80 new issuances, followed by the Power and Utilities sector which raised $3.7 billion through four new issuances.

Maturity Profile During H1 2013, maturities of new issuances ranged from 4 months to 30 years. Issuances with five-year maturity raised the largest amount with 26.3% of the total amount raised. Issuances with one year and less maturity were the most frequently issued with 46.6% of the total number of new issuances.

ISSUE SIZE PROFILE The size of new issuances ranged from $2.0 million to $2.0 billion. Issuances with principal amounts equal to or greater than $1.0 billion raised the largest amount of $9.9 billion, or 41.5% of the total amount raised, through nine new issues. Saudi Arabia’s Sadara Basic Service Company sukuk (SADARA Float 12/15/28 Corp) was the largest issuance in H1 2013, raising a total of SAR7.5 billion ($2.0 billion).

CURRENCY PROFILE The GCC Bonds and Sukuk market, during H1 2013, was dominated by the US Dollar denominated issuances with $17.6 billion raised in the currency, representing 73.3% of the total amount raised, followed by Saudi Riyal denominated issuances raised $3.7 billion, and Swiss Francs denominated issuances which raised $1.1 billion.

RATING: During H1 2013, a total of 32 GCC new issuances were rated by either one or more of the following Rating Agencies: Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s, Fitch, and/or Capital Intelligence.

LISTING: During H1 2013, a total of 35 GCC Bonds and Sukuk were listed on Exchanges. A total of 24 issuances were listed on international exchanges versus 11 bonds listed on regional exchanges.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

BUSINESS

S&P warns of potential rating cut for Batelco Bahrain’s state telco hit by exit of top executives DUBAI: Two more top executives at Bahrain’s Batelco have quit the firm, leaving lower level staff to run the former telecom monopoly as it tries to arrest a sustained profit slump and integrate its largest ever acquisition. The company - formally called Bahrain Telecommunications Co vies domestically with units of Kuwait’s Zain and Saudi Telecom Co (STC) as well as about 10 internet providers on an island of 1.3 million people.

The competition has helped push down Batelco’s net profit in 12 of the past 13 quarters. The low-key summer departures of chief financial officer Marco Regnier and company veteran Peter Kaliaropoulos follow the abrupt resignation of former chief executive Sheikh Mohamed bin Isa al-Khalifa in May. It

appears a three-person committee of board members is now in charge, according to an earlier company statement. Batelco did not respond to several requests from Reuters for comment.

The upheaval has spooked investors - Batelco’s shares slumped to an all-time low last week and the yield on its $650 million bond issued in April has widened by more than a third. “Batelco has recently experienced significant and unexpected changes to its top management,” Standard & Poor’s wrote in a note last week. “This could lead us to reassess our view of the company’s management and governance downward.” Kaliaropoulos left Batelco in June after eight years, his roles having included CEO and chief operating officer.

His resignation was mentioned in the company’s May bond prospectus, but it was not reported by the Bahrain bourse or on the Batelco website. The departure of Regnier in August after 15 months as CFO was reported in an exchange filing. When Sheikh Mohamed quit as CEO, Batelco said Kaliaropoulos would run the company in conjunction with a committee of three unidentified board members. It has not provided any update on its managerial structure following Kaliaropoulos’s departure.

Batelco’s website says five people are part of its executive management, including an internal auditor and general counsel. The departure of senior leaders followed Batelco’s acquisition of Cable &

Wireless Communications’ Monaco and Islands Division for $570 million in April. This put Batelco in about 10 new, disparate markets such as the Channel Islands, Falkland Islands and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.

S&P has warned it could cut the state-controlled telecom operator’s long-term corporate credit rating to junk status. Batelco is currently “BBB-”, the lowest investment grade rating.

“Batelco is suffering a greater loss of market share and reduction in margins than we anticipated owing to ongoing tough market conditions and price competition,” S&P wrote. “Lower earnings are pushing its leverage significantly higher than we previously forecast.” — Reuters

‘Sharjah Roadshow in US’ Sharjah clears way for US investments

Jazeera Airways reports Operational Performance KUWAIT: Jazeera Airways yesterday released its August 2013 Operational Performance Report, which shows a 21% increase in the airline’s flown passengers from August of last year. The August 2013 report, which is based on official figures and statistics from Kuwait’s Directorate General for Civil Aviation (DGCA), shows that the increase was supported by the rise in flown passengers on 11 routes which serve the cities of Dubai, Bahrain, Beirut, Amman, Riyadh, Istanbul, Mashhad and Egypt’s Sharm El Sheikh, Luxor, Assiut and Sohag.

On the Kuwait-Dubai route, Jazeera Airways saw a 55% increase in flown passengers from August last year. The airline grabbed a 14% market share on the route in August 2013. The report also shows a 24% increase in the airline’s flown passengers between Kuwait and Bahrain, and grabbed a 10% market share, a 2% increase in market share from August last year.

On routes serving Beirut and Amman, Jazeera Airways saw a 56% increase in flown passengers on the Kuwait-Beirut route, and a 54% increase in flown passengers on the Kuwait-Amman route from August last year. The airline was the leading

airline serving the Kuwait-Beirut route with a 40% market share, and grabbed a 36% market share on the Kuwait-Amman route.

Jazeera Airways also saw a 33% increase in flown passengers on the route between the popular touristic destination of Istanbul and Kuwait in August 2013. Jazeera Airways’ flown passengers on the Kuwait-Riyadh route increased by 6%, as it grabbed a 13% market share. Its market share on the Kuwait-Jeddah route was 16% in August 2013. The report also shows that the airline was once again the leading airline serving the Egyptian cities of Sharm El Sheikh with a 65% market share, Luxor with a 76% market share, Assiut with a 53% market share and Sohag with a 45% market share. Flown passengers on these routes increased from August last year, with a 50% increase on the Kuwait-Sharm El Sheikh route, a 28% on the Kuwait-Luxor route, a 36% on the KuwaitAssiut route, and a 32% on the KuwaitSohag route. For the rest of its Egyptian routes, Jazeera Airways grabbed a 25% market share on the Kuwait-Cairo route, and a 22% share on the Kuwait-Alexandria route.

As for the Kuwait-Mashhad route, the airline’s flown passengers increased by 62% from August last year.

APICORP net profit jumps 31% to reach $66 million KUWAIT: Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (APICORP), the Multilateral Development Bank owned by the ten member nations of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC), yesterday announced that its net profit for the first half of the year grew 31% to $66 million from $51 million for H1 2012. APICORP’s assets reached $5.12 billion at the end of H1 2013.The government of Kuwait owns a 17% stake in APICORP.

Ahmad Bin Hamad Al Nuaimi

The Multilateral Development Bank also announced that leading global ratings agency Moody’s has affirmed its issuer rating and senior unsecured rating at Aa3 with a stable outlook. The rating affirmation reflects APICORP’s strong capital adequacy position, highquality asset portfolio and strong shareholder support. Moody’s also retained its Prime -1 rating for APICORP’s short-term debt.

Ahmad Bin Hamad Al-Nuaimi, Chief Executive and General Manager of APICORP said, “Our strong profit growth reflects our ability to continuously expand our income streams while ensuring the optimal funding compo-

sition that supports sustainable growth. We will continue to widen our investment and financing horizons by exploring new opportunities with a key focus on growing trade finance activities in the region.

In the fourth quarter of this year, APICORP will be conducting an extensive exercise to develop a new fiveyear strategic plan for 2014-2018 that will further support our mandate of raising capital access and enhancing the financial performance of the Arab energy industry.” APICORP’s investment diversification this year was spearheaded by its first Fund, the APICORP Petroleum Shipping Fund, a landmark US $150 million Fund aimed at leveraging growth opportunities in the petroleum product tanker charter market.

The initiative, which captured significant interest from the shipping industry, was the first fund in the region aimed at a specific vessel category. At the same time, APICORP continued to rapidly grow its trade and structured commodity finance activities, which since 2011 have complemented its historically strong project finance franchise. Trade and structured commodity finance services and loans provided by APICORP over H1 2013 helped finance hydrocarbon transactions involving the world’s largest hydrocarbon commodity traders transacting with Arabbased refiners.

Since its founding in 1975, APICORP has played a vital role in fostering the development of the Arab energy industry. Over the last 37 years, APICORP has invested, as an equity owner, in a total of 22 oil and gas joint venture projects worth in excess of $16 billion.

At the same time, APICORP has participated in direct and syndicated energy finance transactions worth in excess of US$130 billion. APICORP’s aggregate commitments in these transactions, both in equity and debt, are valued in excess of $12 billion.

SHARJAH: The Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) has held the second coordination meeting for the upcoming ‘Sharjah Roadshow in the USA’. Scheduled to take place from 30th of September to the 4th of October, the road show will see over 20 entities and organisations from the Emirate’s public and private sector participating with the aim to promote Sharjah’s investment, business, and cultural offerings.

The meeting was held at Multaqa Al Qasba, during which participants reviewed the road show’s various programmes to take place in Washington DC and New York. Participants were informed about the latest developments in the programme as well as about the direct investment and business meetings scheduled for each participant. In addition to group meetings, and bilateral meetings were scheduled to enable each department, authority, or company from a particular sector conduct a meeting with its US counterpart.

The meeting was attended by representatives from “Shurooq”, the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA), the Sharjah Economic Development Department (SEDD), Sharjah Media Corporation (SMC), Sharjah Media Centre (SMC), the Sharjah Environment and Protected Areas Authority (EPAA), Hamriyah Free Zone Authority (HFZA), the Sharjah Museums Department (SMD), Sharjah Health Authority (SHA), Sharjah Department of Public Works (DPW), Sharjah Tatweer Forum, Crescent Petroleum, Crescent Enterprises, Dana Gas, U.S.A. Regional Trade Center, the American University of Sharjah (AUS), and Sharjah Businesswomen Council.

Organised by “Shurooq” under the slogan ‘Sharjah - Promising Opportunities, Global Horizons the Sharjah Roadshow in the USA’ is in line with its approach to open up new investment channels and highlight the huge infrastructure and attractions offered by Sharjah’s various investment sectors. The move aims to promote the government’s directive to offer all necessary facilities and incentives, provide strong yet flexible legislative framework to meet investment requirements, and develop a solid, safe and investor friendly environment in the emirate of Sharjah.

Speaking on the occasion, HE Marwan bin Jassim Al Sarkal, CEO of Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), said: “We have excellent relations with the USA and already cooperate in a number of areas. US firms and authorities have maintained an active presence in Sharjah over a long period of time.

During this road show, we will introduce Sharjah even more widely and promote its latest investment opportunities. We will seek to renew communication channels with the influential investment players and expand cooperation in various fields to ensure larger and more fruitful cooperation in the short and long term.”

He added: “When we speak about conducting Sharjah’s largest road show to the USA, this super economic power and leading country of business and entrepreneurship, we are well aware of what are we going to do. We have infrastructure that enables us to expand our horizons - Sharjah enjoys a thriving economic growth and is highly ranked in terms of economic competitiveness. The Emirate is ready to offer opportunities to investors and has a diverse and resilient economic climate that is able to regenerate its

sectors and to withstand the usual economic fluctuations.”

Al Sarkal clarified: “Sharjah’s economy saw vibrant activity from 2005 to 2012, increasing from AED40.227 billion to AED88.689. It is expected to exceed the AED100 billion mark by end of 2013, and reach AED113 billion by end of 2014. This dynamic economic performance is supporting more than 45000 small and medium enterprises. Therefore, we are well-positioned, and confident of our competitiveness and ability to attract investors.”

During the meeting, participants were briefed about the institutions and corporations the delegation will meet in the USA. The list included high profile and renowned organizations in business, finance, banking, trading and investment sectors, as “Shurooq” is keen to promote the untapped opportunities available in each economic sector in the Emirate.

The list includes the US Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Arab American Chamber of Commerce, and the U.S UAE Business Council, with all three of these organizations having corporate and individual members. Other entities include the US Export

over an area of 15 square kilometers and serve as the heart of the manufacturing industries in the UAE, accounting for 33% of the country’s total industrial revenues. The industrial sector has 1444 registered firms, making 19% of the annual GDP. Licensed firms enjoy 100% ownership and transfer of funds without taxes or restrictions, exemption from import and export fees, exemption from customs, commercial fees and income tax, and unrestricted labour recruitment at economic costs.

The delegation will highlight the regular events that are held in Sharjah that attract visitors from all over the world, including the Sharjah Lights Festival, the Sharjah International Automobile Show, the Sharjah Biennial, the International Education Show, the Sharjah International Book Fair - one of the world’s top four book fairs - the Sharjah Water Festival, the UIM Formula One Powerboat World Championship, Sharjah Heritage Days, and Steel Fab Sharjah - the regional trade show for metal working, metal manufacturing and steel fabrication industry.

The UAE enjoys excellent relations with the USA in various political, economic and social

Assistance Center (USEAC), the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), Import and Export Bank, Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU), as well as a group of companies and businessmen in the USA. Recent studies conducted by Shurooq showed that Sharjah is a significant contributor to the UAE’s trade activities due to its geographical position, state of the art infrastructure, Sharjah International Airport and major airline companies, free zones, and Sharjah Healthcare City, in addition to being a regional trade hub that has seen a remarkable growth in re-export from AED8.2 billion in 2006 to AED35.3 billion in 2011. Trade exchange revenues grew from AED24.5 in 2006 to AED98 billion in 2011, through steady transactions with leading countries such as India, Japan, China, Iran, USA, Germany, France, Malaysia, UK and South Korea.

Studies conducted by Shurooq have also shown that the economic sector in Sharjah has important components, including the industrial areas, the free zones and the workforce sector.

The emirate has 18 industrial areas that extend

aspects. The bilateral ties are expanding with growing economic, cultural and artistic exchange. The USA Regional Trade Centre was opened in Sharjah in 2012 as part of the efforts to boost bilateral cooperation between Sharjah and the USA. The USARTC will help enhance Sharjah’s position as a regional hub for US investment in the Middle East, attract US companies to the region’s markets and further boost the leading position of Sharjah as a destination of choice for business and investment.

Shurooq was established in 2009 with the aim of achieving social, cultural, environmental and economic development on the basis of Sharjah’s distinct Arab and Islamic identity, and to encourage investment by adopting the best international standards in providing quality services that help attract investors from the region and the world.

Shurooq’s key mission is to provide facilities and incentives to help overcome obstacles facing investment activities in the Emirate, evaluate tourism and investment related infrastructure projects, and lay down the necessary plans to complete such projects.

Hilal Cement, Al Mahaliya RMC revolutionize cement market KUWAIT: Italcementi Group, the parent Company of Hilal Cement and the three ready mix companies (Mahaliya Ready Mix, Kuwait-German Ready Mix and Gulf Ready Mix) yesterday launched the new i.nova system presented in Kuwait at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Matteo Rozzanigo, Country Manager of Hilal Cement and Al Mahaliya RMC Group, Ghaleb Khalil, General Manager of Hilal Cement, and Antonio D’Alessandro, General Manager of Al Mahaliya RMC Group highlight the strategic aspects of the project presented by the entire Group world-wide.

The innovative product offer system running in all the subsidiaries around the world.

The entire range of products developed by the fifth world cement producer, leader in innovation in the construction material sector, is now available on the market with a por tfolio focused on the concept of Performance. It is a user-friendly and easy to read approach. The customer is the hub of a strategy which is no longer founded on the simple supply of a single product, but clearly focused on the ability to offer suitable solutions to satisfy the different requests with different products that guarantee a specific performance.

This is the first time, at a world-wide level, that a company operating in the building materials sector revolutionizes its supply system, making product classification quick and easy using a language that is readily recognized and commonly used at an international level. Each type of cement or concrete is, in fact, grouped according to its performance; this becomes the instrument that guides consumers and helps them choose the best product to suit their individual needs.

Commenting on the launch of the new branding system, Rozzanigo said: “The new branding system i-nova is a new strategic tool to address the challenges of the market with determination and innovation. i.nova revolutionizes the selection process that leads to the purchase of building materials.

Those looking for a product by Italcementi Group are presented with a wide, articulated and complete range that covers all Group sectors, from cement to concrete, from lime to mortar, among which the customer can choose in a simple and intuitive way.

The performance as the Group’s unique selling proposition (USP) hence becomes the core choice criteria. To purchase an Italcementi Group product, you no longer

have to know the name of the product, but simply identify the desired performance. Not just products, but performance to create a new way of building, rich in alternatives compared to traditional products.”

The new branding system i.nova will enhance the perception of the added value that more than ten years of research and innovation have generated in the Italcementi Group products portfolio, among which cements that absorb carbon dioxide, drain water or let light through. The new i.nova branding system has totally redesigned the structure of Hilal Cement and RMC’s product portfolio by dividing products into families of performance.

Therefore, within the next months i.nova’s identity will be realized on all Hilal Cement and RMC packaging, marketing tools and invoices.

With regards to the products currently available in Kuwait, Hilal Cement and RMC have organized their products in four main families: i.work (classic cement and concrete), i.tech (ultra-high performance cement and concrete), i.design (white cement, high decorative and aesthetic ranges) and i.pro (concrete for specific uses).

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

technology

Microsoft’s upgraded Surface tablets aspire to seize market Surface 2 Pro is aimed at business users

PALOALTO: The new Apple iPhone 5C is displayed at an Apple Store. — AFP

Apple’s sales of latest iPhones off to fast start SAN FRANCISCO: Gadget lovers still can’t resist the iPhone’s seductive call, even amid a bevy of enticing lower-priced alternatives that offer similar features. In a Monday announcement, Apple Inc said it sold 9 million units of its top-of-the-line iPhone 5S and less-expensive iPhone 5C during their first three days on sale. That trounced the performance of last year’s model, the iPhone 5, which sold 5 million units in its opening weekend.

The initial sales figures for Apple’s latest iPhone models provided the latest testament to the product’s enduring appeal more than six years after the debut of the first iPhone triggered a mobile computing revolution. The iPhone 5S and 5C’s quick start also surpassed analyst forecasts that predicted Apple would sell somewhere from 6 million to 8 million models during the first weekend. “ The demand for the new iPhones has been incredible,” Apple CEO Tim Cook crowed in a statement. As part of the company’s effort to drum up interest in its most profitable product, Cook made an early-morning appearance at an Apple store in Palo Alto, Calif on Friday when the new iPhones first went on sale.

Monday’s positive news helped generate more interest in Apple’s stock. The shares gained $23.23, or 5 percent, to close at $490.64. Despite that rally, Apple’s stock price remains slightly below where it stood before the Cupertino, Calif company’s Sept 10 unveiling of its latest iPhones. The downturn reflects concerns that the new phones won’t be enough to reverse a slowdown in Apple’s revenue growth that has been brought on by tougher competition from Samsung Electronics and others. Apple’s rivals have been gaining market share by selling less expensive phones running on Google Inc.’s free Android software. Those nagging worries are the main reason that Apple’s market value has sagged by about 30 percent, or $200 billion, since last year’s release of the iPhone 5.

Part of this weekend’s higher iPhone sales volume stemmed from Apple’s decision to make the latest models available on a broader scale than in past years. For instance, this marked the first time that a new iPhone has gone on sale in China at the same time that the product also launched in the US. But the opening sales numbers also served as “a powerful reminder of the strength of (Apple’s) iPhone franchise,” ISI Group analyst Brian Marshall wrote in a Monday research note. In another sign of the intense interest in anything new from Apple, the company also said more than 200 million devices have already switched to its latest mobile operating system. The software, called iOS 7, is the most radical makeover of Apple’s mobile operating system since the iPhone came out in 2007.

Apple released iOS 7 as a free update last Wednesday for iPhone models dating back to 2010, iPads dating back to 2011 and the last iPod Touch that came out last year. The downloads of iOS 7 during the first five days of the software’s release roughly doubled the amount of installations after Apple release iOS 6 last year. Apple could have sold even more iPhones during the opening weekend if the company had been able to deliver more of the 5S model, which sells for $199 with a two-year wireless contract. A new gold-colored model introduced with the 5S line was in extremely short supply, much to the frustration of many shoppers who waited in long lines Friday to buy one.

“We appreciate everyone’s patience and are working hard to build enough new iPhones for everyone,” Cook assured consumers in his Monday statement. Apple didn’t provide individual sales figures for the 5C and 5S, but figures released by a mobile research and marketing firm indicated the more expensive model has been far more popular.

Within the first two days of sales, Localytics found three times more 5S models were being activated than the 5C.—AP

NEW YORK: Microsoft unveiled two new versions of its Surface tablet on Monday, renewing its efforts in mobile computing after the product’s launch a year ago failed to impress consumers. The Surface 2 and Surface 2 Pro have “significant updates, including improvements to processing power and battery life,” Microsoft said at a New York launch event. The changes represent “the revamp we need,” vice president Panos Panay said, as he presented the new tablets to reporters.

The launch is Microsoft’s second stab at gaining ground in the growing tablet market. The Surface, released last year, failed to make a dent in a market dominated by Apple’s iPad and various devices using the Google Android operating system. Microsoft markets the device, which comes with a kickstand and optional keyboard, as a substitute for a tablet with much of the functionality of a personal laptop computer. Yet the device failed to get more than a two percent share of the global tablet market, according to analysts.

Panay said the new device includes Microsoft’s revamped Windows 8.1 system, the popular Outlook program and access to ten times as many apps as the previous version. For US customers, the Surface 2 will start at $449 and the Surface Pro 2 at $899. It will be sold initially in 22 markets, with pre-orders starting Tuesday and sales to be launched October 22.

Surface 2 Pro, aimed at business users, is “the most productive, powerful tablet in the world,” Panay said at the launch in Manhattan. “The point of this product is to work fast. The need of the product is to work all the time.” Panay said Microsoft added about 50 percent more color accuracy, and improved sound with Dolby audio technology for the Surface 2 Pro. It will have the full Microsoft Office suite and will be powered by a fourth-generation Intel “Haswell” processor that boosts both performance and battery life, the company said. Panay said the basic version, Surface 2 is “a very, very powerful opportunity for people.” It uses an Nvidia Tegra 4 processor, which Microsoft said runs more quickly and smoothly than its earlier tablet and increases battery life to up to 10 hours for video playback.

Surface 2 is “slightly thinner and lighter than its predecessor,” according to Microsoft, with an upgraded camera for high-definition video. Early reactions were cautious, with some analysts saying Microsoft has failed to make the device compelling, with only a small price cut for the basic Surface tablet.

“Surface 2 at $449 is better than $499, but not aggressive enough to get people to buy an unproven platform. Plus, (the) keyboard is still extra,” said a tweet from IDC analyst Tom Mainelli. Mainelli added in another tweet: “Surface Pro 2 is dramatically better than v1.

And more storage is key. But pricing is still too high.” Mike Silver, a Gartner analyst, said the new product had some impressive-looking features, such as an improved keyboard.

But Silver said there are still questions about whether the vast increase in applications represents quantity over quality. “They have to be the right apps,” he said. Jack Gold at J Gold Associations said that the improvements were modest, with upgraded chips and cameras. “I don’t see much incentive for people to buy these devices,” Gold said in an email.

“Yes, the devices are cheaper than the iPads, but is that enough reason? They certainly aren’t price competitive with all the new Android tabs set to come out later this year, including those with the same chips.” Sarah Rotman Epps at Forrester Research said Microsoft is making

“needed hardware improvements” with the devices.

“Surface 2 is better positioned to compete with iPad, and Surface Pro 2 attempts to take on MacBook Air as well as competition from Lenovo, Samsung, and HP,” she said, while adding that the company “still has a long road ahead to win over consumers and businesses.”

Microsoft said the new tablets would be initially available in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Britain and the United States on October 22, and in China in early November.

Microsoft shares fell 0.16 percent to $32.74 on the news. The launch comes with Microsoft seeking to reorganize around “devices and services” as the tech landscape becomes more mobile. Chief executive Steve Ballmer has said he will retire within a year. Microsoft has also announced it will acquire the handset division of Nokia to boost its presence in the mobile space. — AFP

NEW YORK: Technology writers try-out the new line-up of second generation Surface tablets on September 23, 2013. — AFP

Boomers’ embrace of devices gives rise to new med-tech age NEW YORK: Jay Alva’s sneakers pounded the treadmill, set to the speed of a brisk walk. Sweat dripped off the 53-year-old as he hit a groove during a recent workout. For almost two decades, the youth soccer and football coach from Eagan, Minn., moved like a man who needed a walker. A degenerative hip condition prevented Alva from running with his players or even doing basic things like tying his shoes.

Brushing off a doctor’s advice that he was “too young,” Alva got artificial hips four years ago.

Now pain-free, he moves with the energy of a man in his 30s, amused at the notion that he wasn’t old enough for such treatment.

“I am living so much better now in my 50s than I did in my 40s,” Alva said. Hundreds of thousands of Americans are receiving medical devices that were once considered nearly exclusive to the elderly. The shift is profoundly changing patient care and expanding the fortunes of the medical-technology industry while amplifying concerns over the safety and oversight of some products. The movement is so dramatic that the futures of major medical device companies such as Medtronic, St Jude Medical and Boston Scientific are increasingly tied to younger groups and the new markets they represent. Middle-age Americans, in particular, are driving this trend as they seek ways to remain physically active. The number of patients ages 45 to 64 who had a hip replacement more than doubled from 2000 to 2010, according to a Star Tribune analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The increase was more pronounced for knee replacements, rising 213 percent.

“This is huge,” said Dr. Robert Hauser, a cardiologist at the Minneapolis Heart Institute who has studied the safety and effectiveness of heart devices for years. “I think it’s a tremendous step forward, but there are issues that need to be dealt with.” Though widely celebrated, some treatments have been shadowed by reports of devices or other medical products faltering defective wires in defibrillators, failing artificial hips and leaky drug pumps, among them.

Patients have suffered complications, severe pain and even death. Every year, 25 to 40 medical devices are recalled for high risk - meaning a patient’s life could be in jeopardy.

Device companies are facing thousands of patient lawsuits challenging the safety of some devices, and federal regulators are under greater pressure to intensify their oversight. At the same time, device makers are spending millions to promote their products to doctors and patients while simultaneously pushing to simplify governmental reviews to quicken their products’ path to market. Doctors and device makers are converting technology to regulate heart rhythms or treat diabetes into new tools for a wider range of ailments, including overactive bladders, anxiety and migraines. The result is a wider range of devices and other medical products being implanted or connected to more nonelderly patients. But this growing use of medical hardware should be tempered by a call for safety, public disclosure and caution, consumer advocates say. “We’re not talking about computers or cars or toasters,” said Lisa McGiffert, director of the Consumers Union’s Safe Patient Project, a group that campaigns for

better medical practices. “We’re talking about things that go inside people’s bodies.”

No area of medicine is seeing more nonelderly patients turn to medical devices than orthopedics. In 2000, one-third of the estimated 157,000 Americans who had hip or knee replacements were younger than 65. Ten years later, the number had nearly tripled to 430,000, meaning almost half of those procedures were performed on these younger patients.

Two contradicting forces are pushing patients toward artificial joints. The rising rate of obesity has led to more cases of deteriorating hips and knees from excess weight. And yet, more Americans are playing sports or exercising in their 30s, 40s and 50s, which puts more wear and tear on their joints. To get active again - and quickly - patients are more willing to consider joint replacement at a younger age than they were a decade ago, said Dr. Daniel Berry, chairman of orthopedic surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

“We’re seeing higher demand,” Berry said of younger patients who want a new hip. “And they are going to use it a lot harder than somebody who is older.” Patients who get a device at a younger age usually must replace it more often. Each replacement means an expensive surgery, possible complications and significant rehabilitation. “You have to find a happy medium,” Berry said. “Think about it like the tires on your car. There’s no point in getting new tires if you’re not driving ... but if you speed up, they wear out faster.”

Medical device companies are working to create joints that are more durable and feel more like the original. Stryker, an international medical device company based in Michigan, had younger customers in mind when it developed hip and knee products that have more natural range in motion, said Joe Cooper, Stryker’s director of global communications.

“Designing implants that return this active and high-demand patient population to their lifestyles and everyday activities is a priority,” he said. TGS Knee Innovations, a startup device company in Plymouth, Minn., created a partialknee replacement system that is designed to be a good option for younger patients facing a knee replacement, said Wesley Johnson, the company’s co-founder. TGS has a relatively “small footprint” in the orthopedic field, but Johnson sees a future filled with youthful patients who want new knees to do more than they did before.

“For orthopedics, that tidal wave is a broader patient population with higher expectations,” he said. Most artificial hips have a life span of 15 to 20 years, depending on how much patients weigh and how hard they push their bodies.

Some companies developed a hip that used allmetal components in the belief it would improve durability. It didn’t necessarily turn out that way. Many patients reported problems that have included loosening of the hip, dislocation and metal particles circulating in the bloodstream. They question whether the US Food and Drug Administration, which has oversight of medical devices, adequately scrutinized the devices before approval.

Terri Wagner-Morley of St. Paul, Minn., had what is commonly referred to as a metal-on-

metal hip _ produced by DePuy Orthopedics Inc - implanted in 2008. Within two years, the hip began “popping.” Soon, the pop turned to pain. Wagner-Morley had the hip removed, but infection prevented doctors from putting in a new one. Plastic “spacers” were implanted instead, and she was bedridden. Last summer, she had a metal and ceramic hip implanted, but a stress fracture during rehabilitation has left the 55-year-old woman limping and angry. She remains disabled and without a job.

“I have had four surgeries now,” WagnerMorley said. “As I get older, I’m probably going to be wheelchair bound. I might have a positive view, but really, I’m pissed off.” In 2010, DePuy recalled the hip that had been implanted in Wagner-Morley. That same year, hospitals, patients and med-tech companies reported 230,000 adverse events involving medical devices. About 30,000 of those incidents resulted in hospitalization, according to an analysis

by DeviceMatters, a company which interprets data on medical devices.

“You’ve got to get this right - or people are going to suffer,” said Hauser, who discovered flaws in the wires of some defibrillators that led to a major recall. Alva said he doesn’t worry about complications or the durability of his new hips. Being able to pace the sideline of his son’s games, ride a bike or refinish his floors overrides such concerns. “When I need (new hips) again, I’m confident the technology will be better,” Alva said. “How can it not be?”

Minnesota’s med-tech giants - Medtronic, St Jude Medical and Boston Scientific - have generated billions in sales in the past 15 years through the development of devices and technology designed to keep the heart beating in aging patients. Now they are expanding those innovations to treat a variety of other ailments, many afflicting patients who haven’t reached their golden years.

Brent Peterson, a former professional hockey player and coach who lives in Nashville, Tenn.,

relies on a small, pacemaker-like gadget to calm his Parkinson’s symptoms by sending a stream of electricity to a spot deep within his brain. The 55-year-old is a special adviser to the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League. He learned that he had Parkinson’s disease more than a decade ago. At one point, he was taking 25 pills a day. When Peterson’s device was implanted in 2011, his hands immediately relaxed, and his movements steadied. “The day they turned it on, I knew I didn’t want to be without it ever again,” he said.

Medical device makers didn’t set out to adapt pacemakers to treat other parts of the body, but it made sense to expand the technology as doctors explored what else could be treated with an electrical pulse, said Martin Gerber, senior research and development director at Medtronic.

Peterson’s device, a Medtronic Activa neurostimulator, can be programmed and adjusted to change as his symptoms evolve. More than 100,000 patients worldwide have received Medtronic’s deep-brain stimulation therapy.

The treatment is part of what is called neuromodulation. Implanted devices are used to send medication or electrical pulses into the brain or to the spine to block pain, relax overactive bladders by targeting nerves near the tailbone or ease chronic migraines at the base of the skull. Researchers are exploring electrical stimulation to treat epilepsy, obsessive-compulsive disorder and severe depression for those who have not responded to medication.

The emerging innovations are expanding the products and profits for medical device makers.

At Fridley, Minn-based Medtronic, the world’s largest medical-technology company, nearly half of its $16 billion in revenues last fiscal year came from treating something other than the heart, its core market. And at St Jude Medical, based in Little Canada, Minn., officials expect sales from the company’s nonheart

MINNESOTA: At his home in Plymouth, Minnesota, Peter Quimby completes the Insanity Workout, a hardcore physical fitness routine one can watch on video. — MCT

rhythm products to surpass the heart rhythm business this year.

Med-tech executives say they are not specifically targeting young patients with these technologies. But they acknowledge these new treatments are attracting younger patients. “It’s a tremendous growth opportunity,” St Jude Medical Executive Vice President John Heinmiller said. “How can we innovate those technologies to attack these expensive epidemic diseases that are out there? We are looking at investments that treat a broad patient population.” Most patients - more than 14,000 estimated in 2010 - who turn to spinal, brain or other stimulation devices are well below retirement age. Of those patients who had a spinal cord stimulator implanted, an estimated 69 percent were younger than 64, with more than 21 percent between the ages of 18 and 44.

Dr Mehul J Desai, director of spine, pain medicine and research at Metro Orthopedics & Sports Therapy in Silver Spring, Md., believes the numbers will continue to climb. “There has been a push by clinicians to think about these therapies earlier on,” he said. Medical device makers invest heavily to promote their devices to doctors, health organizations and patients.

The average marketing budget for companies of various sizes was $14.4 million in 2013, according to a survey of medical device executives by Medical Marketing & Media. Most of those funds will not be spent on consumer education, according to the marketing survey.

Instead, promotional budgets will focus on persuading health care professionals to use a particular brand of device on their patients.

Medtronic’s advertising and promotional spending in 2012 exceeded $128 million, according to Carol Greenhut, president of Schonfeld & Associates, which produces reports on medical device marketing for clients. That same year, Greenhut said, St Jude Medical spent nearly $45 million and Boston Scientific $20 million.

Medtronic and Boston Scientific declined to confirm those figures, offer their own or discuss their marketing strategies. A St. Jude spokeswoman said Schonfeld & Associates’ figure “significantly overestimates our advertising and marketing expenses,” but she declined to provide an alternative. Advocates for more extensive testing say device makers’ promotional emphasis remains on sales, not safety.

“One thing is obvious: They spend a lot more on advertising and lobbying than they spend on testing,” said Diana Zuckerman, president of the National Research Center for Women & Families. But it remains unclear whether corporate marketing is driving the expanded use of medical devices. Certainly, more doctors are willing to consider them before other options have been exhausted.

In many cases, doctors remain hesitant because they simply don’t know how long a device will last and under what conditions, said Joseph Galatowitsch, president of Dymedex, a consulting firm that works with medical technology companies. “The tension is that clinicians want to use these technologies in younger patients,” Galatowitsch said. “But they feel frustrated because they feel forced into weighing the risk versus the benefit.”—MCT

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

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

Infant bed-sharing tied to longer breastfeeding NEW YORK: Sharing the bed with baby may make it easier for mothers to breastfeed for the full time that health experts recommend, suggests a new study. But it could also raise the baby’s risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), researchers caution. “My bottom line,” said study author Dr Fern Hauck from the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville, “is that yes, we now see with more evidence that breastfeeding is supported by bed-sharing, however we don’t recommend it, because the risk of SIDS and sudden death is still there.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants be put to sleep close to their parents - such as in a crib in the same room - though not in the same bed, to reduce the risk of SIDS. About 2,500 babies die from SIDS each year in the United States. But low rates of breastfeeding are also recognized as a problem in the US.

The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding until a baby is six months old, and that mothers continue breastfeeding with the addition of solid foods through age two. Only one in six US babies is breastfed exclusively for six months, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For their report, Hauck and her colleagues looked at data from a large infant feeding study and they focused on about 1,800 mothers who were breastfeeding when their baby was two weeks old.

Women were surveyed 10 times during their infant’s first year, including about whether and when they had stopped breastfeeding. They also reported on whether they were sharing a bed with their baby at seven different time points during the study. About 42 percent of the new mothers were bed-sharing at two weeks and 27 percent were

still doing so at one year.

Among all women, the average duration of any amount of breastfeeding was about seven months. Breastfeeding exclusively lasted just under 10 weeks on average.

The more surveys in which women said they were bed-sharing, the longer those women tended to breastfeed, the researchers reported Monday in JAMA Pediatrics. Of the women who frequently shared the bed with their infants, more than half were still breastfeeding at the end of the year-long study period.

In contrast, among the women who reported never sleeping with their baby, just half were breastfeeding at all at 30 weeks. “You can understand this in terms of convenience for moms,” Hauck told Reuters Health. “The baby is lying in bed with them, they don’t have to get up and get the baby in and out of the crib or bassinet.”

However, women in the study were disproportionately white and well-off and all the babies were born healthy, the team points out in their report, so the findings may not apply to mothers of infants with health problems, for instance. Pete Blair, who studies SIDS at the University of Bristol in the UK, said studies suggest bed-sharing is hazardous in particular situations - such as when parents have been recently drinking alcohol, are smokers or sleep with their infant on a sofa.

In the UK, “bed-sharing is acknowledged as a common infant care practice and the specific circumstances that put infants at risk are highlighted,” Blair, who wasn’t involved in the new research, told Reuters Health in an email. “I think it is important we don’t demonize the parental bed but nor do I think we should be promoting bed-sharing for the sake of it.”

“There’s definitely not full agreement out there among researchers,” Hauck said. “We want to be cautious, and not encourage a behavior which could potentially increase the risk of death.” Dr Debra Weese-Mayer, chief of the Center for Autonomic Medicine in Pediatrics at Ann & Robert H Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, told Reuters Health she worries that in light of the new study, parents may forget the success of the socalled Back to Sleep Campaign, now called Safe to Sleep. The nationwide program, launched in 1994, is credited with a 50 percent drop in SIDS deaths.

“The logical decision is to breast feed and have the baby sleep in the same room with the parent - but on a safe sleep surface and NOT in the same bed,” Weese-Mayer, also a professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, added in an email.—Reuters

Americans say they’re creatures of simple, solo exercise habits

Breastfeeding concerns common among new mothers NEW YORK: During their child’s first two months of life, most new mothers have concerns about breastfeeding that make them consider giving up and switching to formula, according to a new study. Ninety-two percent of mothers surveyed when their baby was three days old were worried about breastfeeding - for example, that they weren’t making enough milk or that the infant wasn’t latching on well.

That proportion fell over time, but the majority of women continued to have reservations about breastfeeding for months after their baby’s birth, researchers report Monday in Pediatrics. “We were surprised by the large number of concerns mothers had, and we were very concerned by how particular concerns were strongly related to giving up with breastfeeding” - such as worries about babies not getting enough nutrition, said Laurie A Nommsen-Rivers, the study’s senior author, from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Dr Lori Feldman-Winter, a pediatrician at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, New Jersey, did not think the findings were surprising. But they are “alarming” in light of all the resources the United States has put into promoting breastfeeding at the hospital level, she told Reuters Health. “My sense is in my gut that the ability for moms to find adequate breastfeeding support in the community is very variable and in many communities nonexistent,” Feldman-Winter, who also chairs the policy committee for the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Breastfeeding, said.

“We’re going to have many women really wanting to breastfeed and encountering difficulties.” The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding - without any formula or solid food - until a baby is six months old, followed by continued breastfeeding with the addition of appropriate foods through age two.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show more than three quarters of US women start breastfeeding and more than half of week-old babies have only had breast milk. Just 16 percent of infants are

exclusively breastfed for six months, however.

For the new study, the researchers surveyed 532 first-time mothers-to-be from one medical center about their plans for breastfeeding, then interviewed them six more times: when their baby was just born and when it was 3, 7, 14, 30 and 60 days old.

During those interviews, women raised 49 unique breastfeeding concerns, a total of 4,179 times. The most common ones included general difficulty with infant feeding at the breast - such as an infant being fussy or refusing to breastfeed - nipple or breast pain and not producing enough milk. Between 20 and 50 percent of mothers stopped breastfeeding altogether or added formula to the mix sooner than they had planned to do when they were pregnant. Of the 354 women who were planning to exclusively breastfeed for at least two months, for example, 166 started giving their babies formula between one and two months. And of 406 women who had planned to at least partially breastfeed for two months, 86 stopped before then. New mothers who expressed concerns at day 3 were three times more likely to start giving formula before two months and nine times more likely to stop breastfeeding altogether, compared to the small group of women who had no concerns.

“It’s a shame that those early problems can be the difference between a baby only getting breast milk for a few days and going on to have a positive breastfeeding relationship for a year or longer,” Nommsen-Rivers told Reuters Health.

“If we are able to provide mothers with adequate support, 95 percent of all breastfeeding problems are reversible.” Although the US has gotten better about promoting breastfeeding in the hospital, she said, there is a “tremendous gap in care” when women are discharged. “It can be very overwhelming, those first few days at home,” NommsenRivers said. She recommended women take time during their pregnancy to find both friends and professional resources in the community where they can turn if they find breastfeeding challenging.—Reuters

NEW YORK: Exercise trends come and go as step aerobics yield to interval training, weight machines are tossed for medicine balls and Pilates falls in and out of fashion.

But when it comes to exercise habits, Americans say they prefer to stick to what’s simple, solo and short. Nearly 75 percent of 1,200 adults, aged 24 to 44, questioned in an online survey about exercise habits said they worked out at least once a week and 77 percent prefer to do it alone. Running was the most popular type of exercise followed by lifting weights and biking/hiking/outdoor activities, according to the survey by the watch company Timex.

“If it’s true, it’s good news for the fitness industry,” said Dr Walter Thompson, who studies exercise trends for the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). Thompson said the survey probably provides a “useful snapshot” into the behaviors of the responding age group.

“Outside that group,” he said, “it’s a little dangerous.” Sixty one percent of people questioned in the poll during the last two weeks of August said they don’t exercise in a gym, and the average American is no early bird. Only 27 percent said they found time to get in a workout during the work day.

Thompson cautions that people tend to exaggerate, at least a little bit. Some 29 percent of those surveyed said they spend between 30 minutes and one hour on their physical activities and 18 percent claim between one and two hours.

“Ask people ‘How much do you weigh? How tall are you? And I’m pretty sure most people will tell

you they’re taller,” he said in an interview. “We know that among the general population about 20 percent exercise regularly, not say they do but do, and about, 80 percent don’t exercise.” ACSM recommends adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio-respiratory exercise per week. As for the 26 percent of those polled who don’t exercise, Gregory Chertok, a sport and exercise psychology consultant for Telos Sport Psychology Coaching in New York, said the reason may be simply that they don’t think they can. “It’s called

the concept of self-efficacy,” he said of the term coined by psychologist Albert Bandura in the 1970s. “When people doubt their ability to accomplish a task, when they don’t feel competent, motivation plummets,” he said.

Conversely, he added, adherence to an exercise routine skyrockets when people consider it nonnegotiable. Chertok said even the anonymous closeness of a gym environment can have a positive effect on the lone exerciser in it.

Studies have shown that peoples’ happiness depends on the happi-

ness of people in physical proximity to them.

“The act of working out near or next to other health-minded gym goers can influence your own desire to be health-minded,” he explained. So how malleable are exercise habits and how can they be changed? “Many experts are jostling with that very question.

While it’s tempting to say people aren’t exercising, people are becoming more educated, more influenced by social media,” he said. “ Things are going to change.

Slowly, over time.”—Reuters

HIV infections plummet since 2001: UN GENEVA: New HIV infections have plummeted by a third overall since 2001 and more than halved among children, the United Nations said Monday. Globally, 2.3 million people contracted the AIDS virus last year-down 33 percent from 2001, while 260,000 children became infected-over a third fewer than in 2009 and 52 percent down from 2001. “The annual number of new HIV infections continues to decline with especially sharp reductions in the number of children newly infected with HIV,” said UNAIDS executive director Michel Sidibe.

Hailing progress in distributing antiretroviral drugs that prevent the transmission of the virus from pregnant women to their unborn children, the UN body said it may be possible to slash new infections among kids by 90 percent in the next two years. In its annual report on the state of the global pandemic, the agency said the drugs had prevented more than 670,000 children contracting the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) which causes AIDS from 2009 to 2012 alone.

In sub-Saharan Africa-home to 90 percent of the world’s 3.3 million infected youngstersthe decline was particularly striking. In Ghana, for instance, 90 percent of pregnant, HIV-posi-

tive women had access to antiretroviral treatment last year, up from just 32 percent three years earlier. As a result, the likelihood of women in the country infecting their unborn children dropped from 31 percent in 2009 to just nine percent last year, said UNAIDS. Increased access to the drug “cocktail” which curtails HIV transmission but does not cure it, has helped reduce the number of AIDS-related deaths among all age groups by 30 percent since they peaked in 2005, the report said. In a foreword to the 269-page report, Sidibe hailed “continued progress towards the global vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDSrelated deaths.” Last year, 1.6 million people died AIDS-related deaths, down from 1.8 million in 2011 and 2.3 million in 2005.

The report showed that 9.7 million people in low- and middle-income countries, the bulk of those infected, had access to HIV drugs last year, compared to only 1.3 million seven years earlier. While the hike is impressive, it falls short of a UN target announced two years ago to reach 15 million people by 2015. And it represents only 34 percent of the 28.3 million people who need the drugs, under new guidelines released by the World Health

Organisation in June. The increased access to treatment also means that more people are living with HIV, according to UNAIDS. Some 35.3 million people were living with the virus last year-about 70 percent of them in sub-Saharan Africa-up from 30 million in 2001. Sidibe insisted the 2015 target for global access to antiretrovirals remained in sight, but stressed the world must “have the vision and commitment to ensure no one is left behind”. Obviously, this will put a strain on world purse strings. UNAIDS said international donor contributions to combating HIV had remained flat since the global financial crisis erupted in 2008, and individual countries were increasingly picking up the tab to beat HIV at home. Last year, nations accounted for 53 percent of the $18.9 billion (14 billion euros) set aside to fight the virus.

The UN has set a target of $22-24 billion by 2015. Earlier this year, Sidibe insisted the investment would pay off, pointing out that “fewer deaths, less sickness” takes a burden off the healthcare system, allowing HIV-positive people to work and contribute to the economy for longer. “If we do not pay now, we will pay later, we’ll pay forever,” he said. —AFP

China launches juice probe after rotten fruit report

JALALABAD: Afghan children suffering from severe malnutrition receive treatment at a public hospital yesterday. A study on the situation of nutrition in Afghanistan showed that over six percent of children under the age of five suffer from acute malnutrition (low ratio of weight to height) and 45-60 percent of children in the same age group suffer from chronic malnutrition.—AFP

SHANGHAI: China’s food safety watchdog has launched an investigation into local juice makers after a media report said they used rotten fruit to make their products. The probe includes two branches of the country’s sector leader, China Huiyuan Juice Group Ltd. Farmers in several Chinese provinces sold rotten fruit to distributors, which was then bought by canned fruit producers and juice manufacturers to cut costs, the 21st Century Business Herald said in the report on Monday. “ We take this very seriously and have urgently deployed food safety teams in Anhui, Jiangsu, Shandong and other provinces to immediately open an investigation,” the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) said in a statement on their website, seen by Reuters yesterday.

Food safety is a serious topic in China where scandals from milk laced with industrial chemicals to recycled “gutter oil” for cooking have left many consumers wary. A recent Pew Research report said almost four in 10 Chinese people felt that food safety was a “very big problem”. Huiyuan, once an acquisition target for The Coca-Cola Co, said that after an initial probe there was no evidence that the company had used rotten fruit to make its juice, according to a statement on its website.

The CFDA added Huiyuan’s Shandong unit had not produced any juice since the end of last year, while it had not yet found any rotten fruit on site at the company’s Beijing branch. It added that there was as yet no evidence of rotten fruit at the Anhui unit of

China Haisheng Juice Holdings Co Ltd or at the Jiangsu unit of Yantai North Andre Juice Co Ltd. China’s poor food safety record has hurt global firms such as KFC parent Yum Brands Inc, while local milk powder makers have struggled to shrug off a deadly melamine scandal in 2008 which led to the deaths of at least six babies. Melamine, which is used in plastics production among other things, was added to milk formula to fraudulently boost protein levels. To deal with food security, China has expanded a pilot system that tracks the movement of meat and vegetables to the supermarket shelf. Shares in Huiyuan were up 3 percent at midday, rebounding after falling to a three-week low in trading on Monday.—Reuters

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

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

Balkans gold rush prompts pollution fears BUCHAREST: Plans by mining companies to dig for gold in Romania and Greece have triggered massive opposition, with academics and environmentalists stressing that risks far outweigh benefits for the Balkan nations. In Romania, Canadian firms Gabriel Resources and Eldorado Gold as well as Kazakhstan’s SAT & Company hope to start digging in 2016. In Greece, Eldorado Gold has similar plans for two sites in the Halkidiki peninsula. While the companies promise thousands of jobs and billions of dollars of investment in the two capitalstarved economies, analysts and opponents stress the mines will leave deep scars on the picturesque regions, drive tourists away and spell the end of the local communities.

“Unlike other industries, the mining sector does not create many jobs, and indeed very few horizontally,” economist Razvan Orasanu told AFP. “For comparison’s sake, four steel companies employing 5,000 people went bankrupt in Romania this summer and the government did nothing to prevent it,” he added. Gabriel Resources, which owns an 80-percent stake in the Rosia Montana Gold Corporation (RMGC), looks set to open Europe’s biggest open-cast gold mine in the Transylvanian village of Rosia Montana.

With no previous experience in mining, the company plans to extract 300 tonnes of gold using 12,000 tonnes of cyanide a year.

It also promises a shower of benefits for Romania’s economy, including 2,300 jobs in the construction phase and up to 900 during the 16 years the mine operates.

Projects don’t ‘solve the region’s social and economic problems’ But four mountains will be levelled and environmentalists and archeologists warn against major pollution risks and irreversible damage to unique Roman-era mining galleries. “The mine is not a solution for long-term development and does not solve the region’s social and economic problems,” said the Romanian Academy, the country’s top scientific body.

The Academy listed 21 arguments against the mine, including the risks of earthquakes triggered by blasts and of leaks from the dam holding cyanide-laced waste from processing.

“This project is too sensitive for a country like Romania, where public institutions are not prepared to deal with potential ecological disasters,” economist Cristian Grosu told AFP. Gabriel Resources’ plan was met with sporadic resistance over the past years. But a draft law adopted last month by the centre-left government allowing it

ROMANIA: This photo shows a general view of communist era gold exploratation of Carnic in Rosia Montana village.

to circumvent legislation was the catalyst for unprecedented protests. Thousands of people look set to continue their movement until the project is spiked by parliament, which may not hold a vote until November. In Greece too, plans by Eldorado Gold to dig on two sites close to Aristotle’s birthplace have sparked massive protests which have occasionally turned violent.

The company says it will invest $1 billion by 2016, the biggest private investment pledge on the table for crisis-hit Greece.

And it promises to employ up to 4,200 people in a country where unemployment stands at 27 percent. But local residents, environmentalists and the leftist opposition have taken up arms against the project, denouncing ecological risks in a region famous for its historical sites and sunny beaches. The Canadian group is also involved in an open-cast gold mine project in western Romania, at Certej.

The company last year obtained an environmental permit but had to suspend its activities after the Environment Ministry challenged the document in court, claiming it violated local and European legislation. After campaigning against cyanidebased mining ahead of the December 2012 elections, the government reversed course in July and included both Rosia Montana and Certej in a list of “strategic investment

projects”. But it was too late to block the lawsuit against Eldorado Gold. “We have no choice but to wait for the court’s ruling,” said Nicolae Stanca, manager of Eldorado Gold’s Romanian subsidiary, adding the company fully complied with legislation.

Eldorado plans to extract 50 tonnes of gold over 16 years and promises 800 jobs and benefits worth $3.5 billion for Romania.

‘We do not want to see a repeat of the 2000 disaster’ If residents of Certej, Rosia Montana or Halkidiki can only imagine what an ecological disaster would mean for their communities, people of the northern Romanian city of Baia Mare experienced one 13 years ago. In January 2000, a tailings dam burst and 100,000 cubic meters of cyanide-tainted water flowed into a nearby river. The spill which seriously contaminated the Danube was described as the biggest ecological catastrophe after Chernobyl.

The polluter, Australian company Esmeralda, has since gone bankrupt and the ore processing plant was closed. But Romaltyn, a firm jointly owned by SAT & Co and Fribourg Investments plans, to reopen the plant. “We have invested millions of dollars in modern technology, built a water processing plant and consolidated the dam,” said Romaltyn manager Sergiu Chirca.

ROMANIA: (FILES) This photo shows a general view of Rosia Montana village, 430 kms west from Bucharest.—AFP photos

He said the company would invest a total of $70 million over five years and employ 200 people, hoping to extract 5 tons of gold from 8.5 million tons of mineral waste. But their plans have met with adamant opposition from the local authori-

ties which are seeking to cancel their licence. “We do not want to see a repeat of the 2000 disaster,” mayor Catalin Chereches told AFP. “We are talking about people’s lives here and this matters more than anything else.”—AFP

Britain urges gyms to provide needles for steroid users LONDON: Gyms should provide needles for people who inject steroids and tanning drugs to reduce the risk of them contracting blood-borne viruses such as hepatitis and HIV, British health authorities said yesterday. They also urged needle and syringe programs normally targeted at heroin users to look at how to reach out to people who inject dermal fillers such as collagen or Botox.

About 70,000 people injected anabolic steroids in England and Wales in the past year, according to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), a government body which provides guidance on health services. A study of 395 injectors published last week found that one in 18 had been exposed to hepatitis C, one in 11 had been exposed to hepatitis B and

one in 65 has HIV. NICE has now put new guidance out for consultation urging the establishment of needle and syringe programs in gyms.

“Anyone who injects drugs is at risk of HIV and other blood-borne viruses, regardless of their substance of choice,” said Dr Vivian Hope, an expert at Public Health England. “Our recent research suggests that levels of HIV and hepatitis infection among men using image and per formance enhancing drugs have increased since the 1990s.” She urged “easy access for those who inject image and performance enhancing drugs to voluntary confidential testing services for HIV and hepatitis, as well as to appropriate sterile injecting equipment through needle and syringe programs”.—AFP

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

W H AT ’ S O N

Announcements A photowalk in Kuwait on Oct 5th photowalk is more like a social photography event where photographers gather in a spot, take photos for an hour or two then maybe meet up at a restaurant after that. Scott Kelby’s worldwide photowalk never took place in Kuwait until now.

Kuwait’s photowalk will be held on October 5th at Souk Al-Mubarakiya at 10am. There are some prizes to be won like a Canon 70D and Adobe Creative Cloud Membership. So far there are 700 registered photowalks with 8700+ photographers. The prizes are for the worldwide event, not just Kuwait. Kuwait Mapping Meet-Up will be held on September 2 at 5:30 pm in Coffee Bean (Mahboula, Coastal Road).

The event is for anyone interested in maps, spatial analysis or surveying in Kuwait. For more information, contact Wil at 9722-5615.

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Science and Engineering 2013-14 contest begins Kuwait’s Science and Engineering 2013-14 contest organized by the Scientific Club has begun. The contest is organized by the Kuwait Scientific Club in cooperation with the Education Ministry and in support of Kuwait Establishment for the Advancement of Science. This is the second year of the contest as the first year proved to be highly successful.

PGA organizes first girls coaching course

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he Premier Goal Academy in association with Everton FC, sponsored by Porsche Centre Kuwait, Behbehani Motors Company is organising first girls coaching course of the new season at Bayan Block 7, next to Abdullah Al-Rujaib High School. Under the expert guidance of former Arsenal Ladies star player, Coach Carly, the girls aged 12 and

above can look forward to an action packed year ahead. The coaching will develop individual techniques and skills, preparing the squad for regular fixtures and participation in tournaments. All levels of ability from absolute beginner to experienced team player are catered for and everyone is welcome to attend trial sessions.

International Student Network holds education fair in Kuwait

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n Thursday, September 26, 2013, the International Student Network (ISN) will return to Kuwait for an educational fair at the Regency Hotel from 6-9 pm. The fair will include representatives from 14 US colleges and universities to talk about their schools and answer questions from students and their parents about educational opportunities in the United States. The three-hour educational fair is organized by ISN in conjunction with the US Embassy.

The following universities plan to attend the event: Rider University, Goshen College, National University, Oklahoma City University, Saint Joseph’s University, The American University of Rome, Full Sail University, University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee, Adelphi University, Illinois Institute of Technology, Living Arts College, University of Central Missouri, Drury University, Drexel University. Education USA advisers will be present at the fair to address students’ questions about higher education in the US and the admissions process. In addition, US Embassy Consular Officers will answer questions about the student visa process. Additional information about the fair can be found at http://www.studentlane.com/en_us/. For more information about studying in the United States please visit http://www.educationusa.state.gov/.

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

These contact details are exclusively for the abovementioned purpose only.

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Adoor NRI Forum holds general meeting door NRI Forum- Kuwait Chapter is the sole body of Adoor NRIs in Kuwait, conducting the grand general meeting on September 27, Friday at 6:30 pm. The venue will be United Indian School Auditorium, Abbassiya. The non-resident Indians in Kuwait from the jurisdiction of Adoor municipality and panchayats of Pallickal, Erathu, Kadampanadu, Ezhamkulam, Enadimangalam and Enathu of Kerala are eligible to be members of Adoor NRI Forum Kuwait Chapter. The organizers are whole heartedly welcoming those working in Kuwait from the above mentioned municipality and panchayaths to the General meeting. Transport arrangements are made from different parts of Kuwait.

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ICPF Annual Camp

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he much awaited ICPF camp will take place on 15th, 16th and 17th of October 2013 at National Evangelical Church of Kuwait, Kuwait City. This event is organized by ICPF (Inter Collegiate Prayer Fellowship) Kuwait Chapter. You will have lot of interesting programs like inspiring music sessions, games, fun time, interest groups, career guidance, character building etc. This year you will have the privilege to have the resource persons like Bro Josh Mathew (USA) and Bro Sunny Daniel (Hyderabad).

Transportation will be provided from all parts of Kuwait. Food and refreshments will also be provided.

What to do in Kuwait ?

Visit the Sadu House Al-Sadu Society is dedicated to preserving, documenting and promoting the rich and diverse textile heritage of the Kuwaiti Bedouin, from the nomadic weaving of the desert to the urban weaving of the town. Sadu is a traditional Bedouin art that involves weaving geometric designs on dyed and colored wool that is spun by hand to create magnificent carpets, rugs, and Bedouin tent screens. Inside the Sadu House, visitors have the opportunity to see Bedouin women weaving. Sadu House is located near the National Museum. It is considered to be the center of Bedouin art aiming at presenting Kuwait’s roots and protecting Bedouin crafts from eradication.

Address: Arabian Gulf Street, Next to the National Museum of Kuwait, Kuwait City Opening Hours: Saturdays to Thursdays: Mornings from 08 am to 1 pm. Evenings from 4 pm to 8 pm.

Contact: 22432395 E-mail: info@alsadu.org.kw Website: www.alsadu.org.kw

On September 1, the Russian School which is adjacent to the Russian Embassy in Kuwait, started the new academic year and welcomed old and new students.

Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

SEND US YOUR INSTAGRAM PICS

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

View Boushahri Gallery The Boushahri Art Gallery was established in 1982 by Jawad Boushahri, the Chairman of the Boushahri group who is also an acclaimed Kuwaiti sculptor. It is one of the oldest private art galleries in the Middle East. This long established gallery showcases contemporary regional work. In order to create an awareness toward art in Kuwait as a community service, the Boushahri Art Gallery educates, supports and sponsors local and international artists, displaying their paintings, potteries, ceramic portraitures, designs, photographers, sculptures and much more. To encourage the Art lovers and educate society, Boushahri Art Gallery offers many courses, seminars and lectures about Art. Address: Salmiya, Baghdad St., Building Number: 36, in front of Al- Laheeb Mosque Opening Hours: 10 am to 1 pm and 5 pm to 9 pm. The museum is closed on Friday and Thursday afternoons.

Contact: 25621119/99770607 Website: www.boushahrigroup.com/client/PhotoandArt.aspx

Take a break at Al-Khiran Resort The Al-Khiran resort is a relaxing “get-away” from the mayhem of stressful city life. The resort provides a soothing tranquil environment that includes beautiful green lawns, wide, well-defined roads, ample parking spaces, and clean well-maintained beaches. It has many chalets that are beautifully furnished and air-conditioned. The resort also offers a variety of other facilities such as football and basketball courts, luxurious restaurants, yacht clubs, an amusement park for children, electronic computer arcade and the ‘Duza’ ballroom. The resort also provides variety in food as it includes a fast-food counter, and a counter that offers seafood, Italian and oriental food.

Address: Gulf Street, Al-Khiran district Contact: 23951122 E-mail: mailbox@khiranresort.com Website: www.khiranresort.com Stop at the Tareq Rajab Museum The Tareq Rajab Museum houses an anthology of over thirty thousand items collected over the last fifty years, of which approximately ten thousand are on permanent display. Tareq Sayed Rajab was the first Kuwaiti to be sent abroad to study art and archaeology and his collection includes Islamic arts, ceramic, gold and silver jewelry, English manuscripts, metal and glass works, old English costumes, and musical instruments. His personal collection includes over thirty thousand Islamic treasures that were gathered over the years. The Museum is divided into two parts: in Area A, calligraphy, manuscripts, ceramics, metalwork, glass, jade, wood and stone carvings are exhibited.

Area B contains objects such as costumes, textiles, jewellery and musical instruments produced in the Islamic world.

Address: Jabriya, near the intersection of the Fifth Ring Motorway and the Abdulaziz Bin Abdilrahman al-Saud Expressway (Fahaheel Expressway); Street 5; Block12; House 16 Opening Hours: Weekdays from 9 am to 12 pm; Evenings: From 4 pm to 7 pm; Fridays: From 9 am to 12 pm.

Contact: 25317358/25354916 Website: www.trmkt.com

W H AT ’ S O N

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

Embassy Information EMBASSY OF ARGENTINE

For the Argentinean citizens who had not already enlisted in the embassy’s electoral register, and taking in consideration the elections which was held on Sunday 11/08/2013, it is necessary to justify they no vote by presence at our embassy which located in (Mishref - Block 6 - Street 42 - Villa 57) and should present the DNI and/or the Argentinean Passport. The Embassy of the Argentine Republic in the State of Kuwait avails itself of this opportunity to renew the assurances of its highest consideration. nnnnnnn

Sabah Al-Ahmad Center for Giftedness and Creativity holds meeting for parents

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he Sabah Al-Ahmad Center for Giftedness and Creativity organized a meeting for parents of outstanding elementary school students who were selected to join the ‘Giftedness and Creativity’ program.

General Supervisor of the program Barrak Al-Barrak said that 30 students out of 3,000 were selected after they passed individual and group tests with distinguished scores.

EMBASSY OF AUSTRALIA The Embassy of Australia has announced that Kuwait citizens can apply for and receive visit visas in 10 working days through www.immi.gov.au. All other processing of visas and Immigration matters are handled by the Australian Visa Application Centre located in Al Banwan Building, 4B, 1st Floor, Al Qibla Area, Ali Al Salem Street, Kuwait City. Visit. www.vfs-au-gcc.com for more info. The Embassy of Australia does not have a visa or immigration department. All processing of visas and immigration matters is conducted by the Australian Consulate-General in Dubai. Email: Info.ausdxb@vfshelpline.com ( VIS), immigration.dubai@dfat.gov.au (Visa Office), Tel: +971 4 205 5900 (VFS), Fax: + 971 4 355 0708 (Visa Office). Notary and passport services are available by appointment. Appointments can be made by calling the Embassy on 22322422. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF CANADA The Embassy of Canada in Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department. All processing of visa and immigration matters including enquiries is conducted by the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Individuals who are interested in working, studying, visiting or immigrating to Canada should contact the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, website: www.UAE.gc.ca or www.goingtocanada.gc.ca, E-mail: abdbi-imenquiry@international.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakei St, Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is open from 07:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday. The reception is open from 07:30 to 12:30. Consular services for Canadian citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00, Sunday through Wednesday. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF GREECE The Embassy of Greece in Kuwait has the pleasure to announce that visa applications must be submitted to Schengen Visa Application Centre (VFS office) located at 12th floor, Al-Naser Tower, Fahad Al-Salem Street, Al-Qibla area, Kuwait City, (Parking at Souk Watia). For information please call 22281046 from 08:30 to 17:00 (Sunday to Thursday). Working hours: Submission from 08:30 to 15:30. Passport collection from 16:00 to 17:00. For visa applications please visit the following website www.mfa.gr/kuwait. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF UKRAINE The Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Kuwait would like to inform that submission of the documents for tourist visa is temporary closed (from August 26 till September 26). Within the above-mentioned period, the visa will be issued only in the case of emergency. In the case of planning travel to Ukraine, please apply for visa before August 20. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF US The US Embassy in Kuwait has new procedures for obtaining appointments and picking up passports after visa issuance.

Beginning August 9, 2013, we now provide an online visa appointment system, live call center, and in-person pick-up facilities in Kuwait. Please monitor our website and social media for additional information. This new system offers more flexibility for travelers to the US and to meet the increase in demand for visa appointments.

The general application steps on the new visa appointment system are: 1. Go to www.ustraveldocs.com/kw (if this is the first time on ustraveldocs.com, you will need to create a profile to login).

2. Please complete your DS-160 Online Visa Application which is available at ceac.state.gov/genNIV. 3. Please print and take your deposit slip to any Burgan Bank location to pay your visa application fee.

4. Schedule an appointment for your visa interview online at www.ustraveldocs.com/kw or by phone through the Call Center (at +9652227-1673).

5. If you need to change or cancel your appointment, please do so 24 hours beforehand, as a courtesy to other applicants. For more information, please visit the US Embassy website kuwait.usembassy.gov - as it is the best source of information regarding these changes. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF VATICAN The Apostolic Nunciature Embassy of the Holy See, Vatican in Kuwait has moved to a new location in Kuwait City. Please find below the new address: Yarmouk, Block 1, Street 2, Villa No: 1. P.O.Box 29724, Safat 13158, Kuwait.

Tel: 965 25337767, Fax: 965 25342066. Email: nuntiuskuwait@gmail.com.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

TV PROGRAMS

00:30 Hillbilly Handfishin’ 01:20 Top Hooker 02:10 River Monsters: Untold Stories 03:00 Mythbusters 03:50 Border Security - Series 6 Specials 04:15 Auction Hunters 04:40 Auction Kings 05:05 How Do They Do It? 05:30 How It’s Made 06:00 Sons Of Guns 07:00 Mythbusters 07:50 Yukon Men 08:40 American Chopper: Senior vs Junior 09:30 Border Security - Series 6 Specials 09:55 Auction Hunters 10:20 Auction Kings 10:45 How Do They Do It? 11:10 How It’s Made 11:35 Hillbilly Handfishin’ 12:25 Top Hooker 13:15 River Monsters: Untold Stories 14:05 Border Security - Series 6 Specials 14:30 Auction Hunters 14:55 Auction Kings 15:20 Finding Bigfoot 16:10 American Chopper: Senior vs Junior 17:00 Ultimate Survival 17:50 Dirty Jobs 18:40 Mythbusters 19:30 Sons Of Guns 20:20 Auction Hunters 20:45 Auction Kings 21:10 How Do They Do It? 21:35 How It’s Made 22:00 Ben Earl: Trick Artist 22:50 The Big Brain Theory 23:40 Mythbusters

00:05 Tech Toys 360 00:30 Sci-Fi Science 01:00 NASA’s Greatest Missions 01:50 Scrapheap Challenge 02:45 Scrapheap Challenge 03:35 Unchained Reaction 04:25 Engineered 05:15 The Gadget Show 05:40 Tech Toys 360 06:05 NASA’s Greatest Missions 07:00 Alien Mysteries 07:50 Stephen Hawking’s Grand Design 08:40 The Gadget Show 09:05 Tech Toys 360 09:30 Eco-Tech 10:20 Engineered 11:15 Scrapheap Challenge 12:05 NASA’s Greatest Missions 13:00 Stephen Hawking’s Grand Design 13:50 Sci-Fi Science 14:20 The Gadget Show 14:45 Tech Toys 360 15:10 Alien Mysteries 16:00 Finding Bigfoot 16:55 Engineered 17:45 Scrapheap Challenge 18:35 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 19:30 Scanning The Skies 20:20 Sci-Trek 21:10 The Gadget Show 21:35 Tech Toys 360 22:00 Scanning The Skies 22:50 Sci-Trek 23:40 The Gadget Show

00:30 01:20 02:10 02:35 03:00 03:45 04:30 05:20 06:10

Dr G: Medical Examiner Psychic Witness Dates From Hell Dates From Hell Deadly Women I Almost Got Away With It Dr G: Medical Examiner Psychic Witness Nightmare Next Door

07:00 07:50 08:15 08:40 09:05 09:30 10:20 11:10 12:00 12:50 13:15 13:40 14:30 15:20 15:45 16:10 17:00 17:50 18:40 19:30 20:20 21:10 22:00 22:50 23:15 23:40

Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Street Patrol Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn Solved Disappeared Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Street Patrol Forensic Detectives On The Case With Paula Zahn Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

Disappeared Solved Forensic Detectives On The Case With Paula Zahn Dr G: Medical Examiner Nightmare Next Door Couples Who Kill LA: City Of Demons I Was Murdered I Was Murdered I Almost Got Away With It

00:00 00:20 00:45 01:05 01:30 01:50 02:15 02:35 03:00 03:20 03:45 04:05 04:30 04:50 05:15 05:35 06:00 06:25 06:45 07:10 07:35 07:55 08:20 08:45 09:05 Pirates 09:30 09:55 10:15 10:40 11:05 11:25 11:50 12:15 12:35 13:00 13:25 13:45 14:10 15:50 16:10 17:00 17:20 17:45 18:10 18:30 18:55 19:20 20:05 20:30 20:50 21:15 21:40 22:00 22:25 22:50 23:10 23:35

Hannah Montana Forever Hannah Montana Forever Brandy & Mr Whiskers Brandy & Mr Whiskers Emperor’s New School Emperor’s New School The Replacements The Replacements Brandy & Mr Whiskers Brandy & Mr Whiskers Emperor’s New School Emperor’s New School The Replacements The Replacements Brandy & Mr Whiskers Brandy & Mr Whiskers Austin And Ally Austin And Ally A.N.T. Farm A.N.T. Farm Jessie Good Luck Charlie Sofia The First Doc McStuffins Jake And The Neverland A.N.T. Farm A.N.T. Farm Jessie Jessie Good Luck Charlie Good Luck Charlie Good Luck Charlie Shake It Up Shake It Up Austin And Ally Austin And Ally Austin And Ally Let It Shine Jessie Violetta A.N.T. Farm Austin And Ally Gravity Falls Shake It Up That’s So Raven A.N.T. Farm Violetta Jessie My Babysitter’s A Vampire Austin And Ally Austin And Ally That’s So Raven Jessie A.N.T. Farm Good Luck Charlie Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place

06:00 Kid vs Kat 06:10 Iron Man Armored Adventures 06:35 Kickin’ It 07:00 Max Steel 07:25 Phineas And Ferb 07:50 Slugterra 08:15 Pair Of Kings 08:40 Kickin It 09:05 Kickin It

09:30 Lab Rats 09:55 Lab Rats 10:20 Pair Of Kings 10:45 Kick Buttowski 11:10 Mr. Young 11:35 Slugterra 12:00 Kickin It 12:25 Max Steel 12:50 I’m In The Band 13:15 Lab Rats 13:40 Almost Naked Animals 14:05 Phineas And Ferb 14:15 Phineas And Ferb 14:30 Kickin It 14:55 Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja 15:20 Slugterra 15:45 Ultimate Spider-Man 16:10 Ultimate Spider-Man 16:35 Crash & Bernstein 17:00 Lab Rats 17:30 Kickin It 18:00 Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja 18:10 Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja 18:25 Phineas And Ferb 18:35 Phineas And Ferb 18:50 Phineas And Ferb 19:00 Phineas And Ferb 19:15 Slugterra 19:40 Crash & Bernstein 20:05 Ultimate Spider-Man 20:30 Max Steel 20:55 Pair Of Kings 21:20 Rated A For Awesome 21:45 Kick Buttowski 22:10 Mr. Young 22:35 Scaredy Squirrel 23:00 Programmes Start At 6:00am KSA

00:30 01:20 02:10 02:35 03:00 03:45 04:30 05:20 06:10 07:00 07:50 08:15 08:40 09:05 09:30 10:20 11:10 12:00 12:50 13:15 13:40 14:30 15:20 15:45 16:10 17:00 17:50 18:40 19:30 20:20 21:10 22:00 22:50 23:15 23:40

Dr G: Medical Examiner Psychic Witness Dates From Hell Dates From Hell Deadly Women I Almost Got Away With It Dr G: Medical Examiner Psychic Witness Nightmare Next Door Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Street Patrol Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn Solved Disappeared Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Street Patrol Forensic Detectives On The Case With Paula Zahn Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

Disappeared Solved Forensic Detectives On The Case With Paula Zahn Dr G: Medical Examiner Nightmare Next Door Couples Who Kill LA: City Of Demons I Was Murdered I Was Murdered I Almost Got Away With It

00:30 The Daily Show 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 Louie 02:00 It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia 02:30 The League 03:30 Raising Hope 04:00 Seinfeld 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 All Of Us 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Seinfeld 08:30 All Of Us 09:30 Two And A Half Men 10:00 Arrested Development 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:30 Seinfeld 13:00 All Of Us

14:00 Raising Hope 14:30 Two And A Half Men 15:00 Arrested Development 15:30 The Daily Show 16:00 The Colbert Report 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Family Tools 19:30 Hot In Cleveland 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Louie 22:30 It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia 23:00 The League 23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 12:30 14:00 15:00 16:30 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

24 Homeland Breaking Bad The Americans Once Upon A Time 24 Switched At Birth Fairly Legal Homeland Coronation Street Fairly Legal 24 Coronation Street Fairly Legal Warehouse 13 Bones Castle Justified The Americans

00:00 01:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 07:00 07:30 09:00 10:00 10:30 12:00 13:00 14:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

House Of Cards Good Morning America Nip/Tuck Treme Good Morning America Emmerdale Coronation Street Body Of Proof Emmerdale Coronation Street Drop Dead Diva House Of Cards Live Good Morning America Drop Dead Diva Body Of Proof House Of Cards Drop Dead Diva Body Of Proof House Of Cards Treme Nip/Tuck

00:00 01:45 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:15 12:00 14:15 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

Special Ops Bunraku Silent House Ice Road Terror Courageous Blackthorn Jurassic Park Source Code Blackthorn Rewind Source Code Dead Man Running

02:00 04:00 06:00 08:15 10:00 12:15 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

Silent House-PG15 Ice Road Terror-PG15 Courageous-PG15 Blackthorn-PG15 Jurassic Park-PG15 Source Code-PG15 Blackthorn-PG15 Rewind-PG15 Source Code-PG15 Dead Man Running-PG15 Wrong Side Of Town-18

00:00 How To Make Love To A Woman-18 02:00 Stakeout-PG15 04:00 Love Birds-PG15 06:00 Ernest Scared Stupid-PG15 08:00 Today’s Special-PG15 10:00 Turner & Hooch-PG15 12:00 Love Birds-PG15 14:00 Kung Fu Panda 2-PG 16:00 Turner & Hooch-PG15 18:00 A Heartbeat Away-PG15 20:00 Calendar Girls-PG15 22:00 How To Make Love To A Woman-18

01:30 03:15 05:15 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:15 PG15 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

My Own Love Song-PG15 Reign Over Me-PG15 Dead Lines-PG15 Arbitrage-PG15 My Own Love Song-PG15 The Terminal-PG15 And Soon The DarknessSaving Grace B. Jones-PG15 Shadow Dancer-PG15 Now Is Good-PG15 Powder Blue-18 W.E.-PG15

01:00 Hara-Kiri: Death Of A Samurai-18 03:15 Little Birds-PG15 05:00 Freedom Writers-PG15 07:00 Love Finds A Home-PG15 09:00 Frozen-PG15 11:00 A Fall From Grace-PG15 13:00 Taken Back: Finding HaleyPG15 15:00 Me And You-PG15 17:00 A Fall From Grace-PG15 19:00 Ondine-PG15 21:00 The Lincoln Lawyer-PG15 23:00 Dreaming Of Joseph Lees-18

SOURCE CODE ON OSN MOVIES ACTION

01:30 03:15 05:15 07:15 09:00 PG 11:00

Black Forest-PG15 Ring Of Deceit-PG15 Hey Arnold! The Movie-PG Five-PG15 The Pirates! Band Of MisfitsJoyful Noise-PG15

TODAYʼS SPECIAL ON OSN MOVIES COMEDY HD 13:00 15:00 17:00 PG 19:00 21:00 23:00 PG15

Stealing Paradise-PG15 Dolphin Tale-PG The Pirates! Band Of MisfitsPeople Like Us-PG15 Paranormal Activity 3-18 Behind The Candelabria-

01:15 Tony Hawk: Boom Boom Sabotage 02:45 Everyone’s Hero 04:15 Back To The Sea 06:00 Tony Hawk: Boom Boom Sabotage 08:00 Princess Sydney: The Three Gold Coins 10:00 Beethoven 11:30 Journey 2: The Mysterious Island 13:15 The Nimbols: Part I 14:30 The Nimbols: Part II 16:00 Elf 18:00 Beethoven 20:00 Puss In Boots 22:00 Princess Sydney: The Three Gold Coins 23:15 Elf

04:30 AFL Premiership 07:00 Cricket Champions League Twenty20 10:00 Cricket Champions League Twenty20 13:00 European Challenge Tour 14:00 Rugby Union Currie Cup 16:00 Top 14 18:00 AFL Premiership Highlights 19:00 PGA Tour Highlights 20:00 NRL Full Time 20:30 Futbol Mundial 21:00 ICC Cricket 360 21:30 Cricket Champions League Twenty20

00:00 AFL Premiership 02:30 Top 14 Highlights

03:00 NRL Full Time 03:30 Futbol Mundial 04:00 World Cup of Pool 05:00 World Cup of Pool 06:00 Golfing World 07:00 Golfing World 08:00 World Cup of Pool 09:00 World Cup of Pool 10:00 Asian Tour Highlights 11:00 Sydney Darts Masters 15:00 European Senior Tour Highlights 16:00 Top 14 Highlights 16:30 Golfing World 17:30 World Cup of Pool 18:30 World Cup of Pool 19:30 ITU World Triathlon Series 22:00 Top 14 Highlights 22:30 Rugby Union Currie Cup

02:30 03:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 15:30 16:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 21:00

Mobil 1 The Grid NHL European Le Mans Series WWE Vintage Collection WWE NXT Ping Pong World US Bass Fishing NHL WWE SmackDown WWE This Week Porsche GT 3 Cup Challenge ITU World Triathlon Series Mobil 1 The Grid Porsche GT 3 Cup Challenge Porsche GT 3 Cup Challenge European Le Mans Series UFC

01:00 Tim Richmond: To The LimitPG15 02:00 Frankenweenie-PG 03:30 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey-PG 06:30 Valentina-FAM 08:00 Gnomeo & Juliet-PG 09:30 The Makeover-PG15 11:15 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey-PG 14:15 Larry Crowne-PG15 16:00 Gnomeo & Juliet-PG 18:00 Damsels In Distress-PG15 20:00 Chronicle-PG15 22:00 The Inbetweeners-18

00:00 This Week In WWE 00:30 Cricket Champions League Twenty20 03:30 ICC Cricket 360 04:00 European Challenge Tour Golf Highlights 05:00 PGA Tour Highlights 06:00 AFL Premiership Highlights 07:00 Trans World Sport 08:00 European Senior Tour Highlights 09:00 Top 14 11:00 AFL Premiership Highlights 12:00 NRL Full Time 12:30 Futbol Mundial 13:00 ICC Cricket 360 13:30 Live Cricket Champions League Twenty20 16:30 NRL Full Time 17:00 Futbol Mundial 17:30 Live Cricket Champions League Twenty20 20:30 PGA European Tour Weekly 21:00 Inside The PGA Tour 21:30 Trans World Sport 22:30 NRL Full Time 23:00 Futbol Mundial 23:30 Super League

00:30 01:00 01:30 02:30 03:30

NRL Full Time Futbol Mundial European Challenge Tour Trans World Sport AFL Premiership Highlights

Parisian cat cafe offers ‘purr therapy’ to animal-lovers

C

ustomers braving the rush at Paris’s newest cafe to order their coffees and croissants, are now able to enjoy them in the company of a dozen resident cats. The “Cafe des Chats” in the heart of the capital’s chic Marais district is home to a dozen felines who weave in between the tables or curl up on armchairs as diners tuck in.

The establishment is aimed at Parisians unable to keep pets in cramped city-centre apartments and though the idea may seem eccentric, cafe manager Margaux Gandelon says the potential health benefits of “purr therapy” are real. “Purring produces vibrations which relieve arthritis and rheumatism, which lower your blood pressure and your heartbeat,” Gandelon said.

This month’s opening weekend saw queues snaking along the pavement and bookings taken from now

until November. Some 300 potential customers had to be turned away.

Gandelon says animal welfare is paramount and customers are prohibited from subjecting the cats to undue stress. She is prepared to evict any customers who fail to play by the rules although she admits she is more lenient with the animal residents: “Cats are cats,” she said.

The animals themselves are abandoned and stray cats adopted from pet rescue centers. Among them is Habby who suffers from feline dwar fism with a stunted tail and unusually short paws. Despite two years spent with foster families the sweet-tempered tabby was never adopted but has now settled down to cafe life. Visiting the cafe out of curiosity, business student Florian Laboureau described it as a “great concept”, but admitted he is more of a dog person.-Reuters

Classifieds WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

Kuwait SHARQIA-1 PRISONERS (DIG) PRISONERS (DIG) PRISONERS (DIG) PRISONERS (DIG) GETAWAY (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED SHARQIA-2 PLANES (DIG-3D) BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG-3D) PLANES (DIG-3D) BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG-3D) GETAWAY (DIG) GETAWAY (DIG) SHARQIA-3 MALAVITA (THE FAMILY)(DIG) 2 GUNS (DIG) THE COLONY (DIG) MALAVITA (THE FAMILY)(DIG) MALAVITA (THE FAMILY)(DIG) MALAVITA (THE FAMILY)(DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 4:00 PM 7:00 PM 10:00 PM 1:00 AM

TOM & JIMMY (DIG)(ARABIC) THE COLONY (DIG) YOU’RE NEXT (DIG) TOM & JIMMY (DIG)(ARABIC) 2 GUNS (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 2:45 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 9:30 PM 11:30 PM

MARINA-1 PRISONERS (DIG) MALAVITA (THE FAMILY)(DIG) TOM & JIMMY (DIG)(ARABIC) THE COLONY (DIG) YOU’RE NEXT (DIG) MALAVITA (THE FAMILY)(DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

MARINA-2 PRISONERS (DIG) MALAVITA (THE FAMILY)(DIG) PRISONERS (DIG) MALAVITA (THE FAMILY)(DIG) PRISONERS (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

MUHALAB-1 MALAVITA (THE FAMILY)(DIG) RIDDICK (DIG) MALAVITA (THE FAMILY)(DIG) THE COLONY (DIG) MALAVITA (THE FAMILY)(DIG)

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:30 PM

MUHALAB-2 BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG) PRISONERS (DIG) PRISONERS (DIG) PRISONERS (DIG)

1:00 PM 3:15 PM 6:15 PM 9:15 PM

MUHALAB-3 PLANES (DIG-3D) PLANES (DIG) BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG-3D) GETAWAY (DIG) GETAWAY (DIG)

1:45 PM 3:45 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:00 PM

FANAR-1 BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG) MALAVITA (THE FAMILY)(DIG) BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG) RIDDICK (DIG) BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG) BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 9:30 PM 11:45 PM

FANAR-2 PRISONERS (DIG) PRISONERS (DIG) PRISONERS (DIG) PRISONERS (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

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

FANAR-3 2 GUNS (DIG)

KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (19/09/2013 TO 25/09/2013)

12:45 PM

MARINA-3 BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG-3D) PLANES (DIG-3D) PLANES (DIG-3D) BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG-3D) GETAWAY (DIG) GETAWAY (DIG) GETAWAY (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED AVENUES-1 THE COLONY (DIG) THE COLONY (DIG) THE COLONY (DIG) WISH YOU WERE HERE (DIG) THE COLONY (DIG) THE COLONY (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED AVENUES-2 2 GUNS (DIG) YOU’RE NEXT (DIG) 2 GUNS (DIG) YOU’RE NEXT (DIG) 2 GUNS (DIG)

3:15 PM 5:30 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

12:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:00 PM 12:05 AM

1:45 PM 4:45 PM 7:15 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:00 PM 9:15 PM 11:15 PM 1:15 AM

1:00 PM 3:15 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

2:15 PM 4:30 PM 6:45 PM 9:00 PM 11:15 PM

AVENUES-3 BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG-3D) BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG-3D) BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG) BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG-3D) BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG-3D) BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:15 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

360º- 1 MALAVITA (THE FAMILY)(DIG) 12:45 PM MALAVITA (THE FAMILY)(DIG) 3:00 PM MALAVITA (THE FAMILY)(DIG) 5:15 PM

MALAVITA (THE FAMILY)(DIG) 7:30 PM MALAVITA (THE FAMILY)(DIG) 9:45 PM MALAVITA (THE FAMILY)(DIG) 12:05 AM NO SUN+TUE+WED 360º- 2 THE COLONY (DIG) THE COLONY (DIG) WE’RE THE MILLERS (DIG) THE COLONY (DIG) THE COLONY (DIG) THE COLONY (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:15 PM 6:30 PM 8:45 PM 11:00 PM 1:15 AM

360º- 3 2 GUNS (DIG) 2 GUNS (DIG) ONE DIRECTION: THIS IS US 2 GUNS (DIG) 2 GUNS (DIG) PRISONERS (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:15 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

AL-KOUT.1 PLANES (DIG-3D) PLANES (DIG) GETAWAY (DIG) BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG-3D) GETAWAY (DIG) GETAWAY (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 3:45 PM 5:45 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:05 AM

AL-KOUT.2 THE COLONY (DIG) MALAVITA (THE FAMILY)(DIG) THE COLONY (DIG) MALAVITA (THE FAMILY)(DIG) YOU’RE NEXT (DIG) MALAVITA (THE FAMILY)(DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

AL-KOUT.3 PRISONERS (DIG) PRISONERS (DIG) PRISONERS (DIG) PRISONERS (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED AL-KOUT.4 BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG) 2 GUNS (DIG) BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG) TOM & JIMMY (DIG)(ARABIC) RIDDICK (DIG) 2 GUNS (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED BAIRAQ-1 PLANES (DIG-3D) PLANES (DIG-3D) BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG-3D) PLANES (DIG-3D) GETAWAY (DIG)

CHANGE OF NAME I, Byju Kandankulangara Vaylil holder of Indian Passport # H3127996 hereby change my name to Faiju Kandankulangara Vayalil. (C 4517) I, Shakeel Abbas Pawashkar holder of Indian Passport No. F8317333 hereby change my name to Shakeel Abbas Pawashkar Al Refaei. (C 4518) 25-9-2013

2:30 PM 5:30 PM 8:30 PM 11:30 PM

I, Zainamol Noordeen Mytheen Kunju, holder of Indian Passport No. K2085439, hereby change my name to Zaina Nooruddin Mohiddin Kunju. (C 4516) 24-9-2013

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 9:30 PM 11:45 PM

I, Ameer Shahib Hassip Sheriph S/O Amir Sharif, date of brith 15.06.1969, Passport No: H0114576, hereby change my name to Asif Sharif Amir Sharif.

(C 4512) 22-9-2013

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:45 PM 8:45 PM

I, Subramaniyan S/O Kaathan, holder of Indian

Passport No: G9654545 converted to Islam do hereby change my name to Ahmed Omar Hashem.

(C 4511) 21-9-2013 SITUATION WANTED English and Arabic speaking Indian housemaid available for work in Salwa / Mishref. Contact: 67780245.

(C 4514) 23-9-2013

MATRIMONIAL Orthodox Christian parents from Mavelikara/ Aleppey Dist, settled in USA seek suitable alliance for their daughter, 29 years/165 cm, born and brought up in Kuwait and did MBBS in India. She is very humble, loving, God fearing, family oriented, currently living with her parents in Houston and working in a Doctors Clinic. Looking for professionally qualified, nondrinking, non-smoking, God fearing, family oriented, loving and caring boy,

who is willing to relocate/ settle in USA. If interested please forward your complete bio data with photograph to email: bejonima@yahoo.com, varghesege-

C.A. working in Kuwait/GCC are preferred. Email: sunnythengummoottil@gmail.com (C 4513) 22-9-2013

orge12@hotmail.com

lost

24-9-2013 Proposals are invited for a Christian, 28 years old, 154cm, fair, B.Sc nurse, working in Kerala from parents of suitable boys. Contact: anitkoshy@gmail.com (C 4510) Inviting marriage proposals for RCSC girl, 27 years old, B.E. working in Kuwait as Engineer, invites proposals from RCSC boys, Engineers/

Original policy document No. 633002905-3 of Sajjad Haider Chohan of State Life Insurance Cooperation of Pakistan Gulf Zone is reported to have been lost.

Anyone find the same or claiming any interest in it should communicate with Manager Kuwait State Life Office. Tel: 22452208.

(C 4515) 23-9-2013

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

Airlines QTR KAC JZR JZR FDB THY ETH GFA UAE ETD FDB MSR OMA QTR THY DHX FDB 0KAC KAC KAC JZR JZR BAW FDB IRM KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY IRM FDB QTR IRA ETD QTR UAE TGZ GFA MEA IAW MSC IRM TMA KNE UAE JZR JZR MSR THY CLX KNE IYE QTR FDB

Arrival Flights on Wednesday 25/9/2013 Flt Route 148 DOHA 504 BEIRUT 267 BEIRUT 539 CAIRO 8063 DUBAI 764 SABIHA 620 ADDIS ABABA 211 BAHRAIN 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI-INTL 67 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 643 MUSCAT 138 DOHA 770 ISTANBUL 170 BAHRAIN 69 DUBAI 412 MANILA 206 ISLAMABAD 352 COCHIN 555 ALEXANDRIA 529 ASYUT 157 LONDON 53 DUBAI 1186 TEHRAN 302 MUMBAI 382 DELHI 344 CHENNAI 284 DHAKA 855 DUBAI 125 SHARJAH 1186 TEHRAN 55 DUBAI 132 DOHA 603 SHIRAZ 301 ABU DHABI-INTL 6130 DOHA 4987 DUBAI 1553 BATUMI 213 BAHRAIN 404 BEIRUT 157 BAGHDAD 403 ASYUT 1188 MASHAD 213 BEIRUT 470 JEDDAH 871 DUBAI 165 DUBAI 561 SOHAG 610 CAIRO 766 ISTANBUL 792 LUXEMBOURG 480 TAIF 826 SANAA 140 DOHA 57 DUBAI

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

IRC MSR SVA JAV KAC RJA QTR JZR JZR JZR JZR JZR ETD UAE ABY SVA GFA KNE NIA QTR RBG FDB GFA MSC MSR JAI FDB OMA ABY ETD MEA AXB KLM ALK UAE KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC QTR ETD GFA JAI FDB AIC JZR JZR JZR DLH JAI MSR THY

6692 575 500 621 502 640 134 787 777 177 357 535 303 857 127 510 215 462 251 144 553 63 219 405 606 572 61 647 129 933 402 489 417 229 859 790 166 102 788 774 786 542 674 538 618 136 307 217 576 59 975 185 239 135 636 574 614 772

MASHAD SHARM EL SHEIKH JEDDAH AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA BEIRUT AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA DOHA RIYADH JEDDAH DUBAI MASHAD CAIRO ABU DHABI-INTL DUBAI SHARJAH RIYADH BAHRAIN MEDINAH ALEXANDRIA DOHA ALEXANDRIA DUBAI BAHRAIN SOHAG LUXOR MUMBAI DUBAI MUSCAT SHARJAH ABU DHABI-INTL BEIRUT COCHIN AMSTERDAM COLOMBO DUBAI MEDINAH PARIS NEW YORK JEDDAH RIYADH JEDDAH CAIRO DUBAI SOHAG DOHA DOHA ABU DHABI-INTL BAHRAIN COCHIN DUBAI CHENNAI DUBAI AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA BAHRAIN FRANKFURT MUMBAI CAIRO ISTANBUL

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

Airlines AIC JAI UAL DLH MSR FDB THY THY ETH UAE FDB MSR OMA ETD QTR QTR JZR FDB GFA THY JZR BAW FDB IRM JZR KAC ABY KAC KAC KAC UAE FDB KAC ETD QTR IRA IRM UAE JZR QTR GFA KAC TGZ MEA IAW KAC JZR KAC MSC JZR KAC IRM KNE JZR TMA MSR THY

Departure Flights on Wednesday 25/9/2013 Flt Route 982 AHMEDABAD 573 MUMBAI 981 WASHINGTON 637 FRANKFURT 615 CAIRO 8064 DUBAI 773 ISTANBUL-ATATURK 765 ISTANBUL-SABIHA 621 ADDIS ABABA 854 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 613 CAIRO 644 MUSCAT 306 ABU DHABI 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 560 SOHAG 70 DUBAI 212 BAHRAIN 771 ISTANBUL-ATATURK 164 DUBAI 156 LONDON 54 DUBAI 1187 TEHRAN 534 CAIRO 789 MADINAH 126 SHARJAH 787 JEDDAH 537 SOHAG 501 BEIRUT 856 DUBAI 56 DUBAI 117 NEW YORK 302 ABU DHABI 133 DOHA 602 SHIRAZ 1187 TEHRAN 4987 BEIRUT 356 MASHHAD 6131 DOHA 214 BAHRAIN 541 CAIRO 1554 BATUMI 405 BEIRUT 158 AL NAJAF 175 FRANKFURT 776 JEDDAH 103 LONDON 406 SOHAG 786 RIYADH 785 JEDDAH 1189 MASHHAD 461 MADINAH 176 DUBAI 223 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 767 ISTANBUL-ATATURK

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

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

KNE UAE FDB IYE CLX QTR IRC MSR KAC KAC SVA KAC JAV RJA JZR QTR ETD JZR ABY UAE SVA GFA JZR JZR KNE NIA RBG QTR FDB GFA JZR KAC MSC MSR JAI FDB ABY KAC KAC OMA KAC MEA DHX KLM ETD ETD ALK UAE KAC KAC QTR GFA FDB KAC JAI JZR KAC JZR

481 872 58 827 792 141 6693 576 673 617 503 773 622 641 238 135 304 538 128 858 511 216 184 266 471 252 554 145 64 220 134 283 404 619 571 62 120 331 361 648 351 403 171 417 934 308 230 860 381 301 137 218 60 205 575 554 415 528

TAIF DUBAI DUBAI RIYAN MUKALLA GIALAM DOHA MASHHAD SHARM EL SHEIKH DUBAI DOHA MADINAH RIYADH AMMAN AMMAN AMMAN DOHA ABU DHABI CAIRO SHARJAH DUBAI RIYADH BAHRAIN DUBAI BEIRUT JEDDAH ALEXANDRIA ALEXANDRIA DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DHAKA ASYUT ALEXANDRIA MUMBAI DUBAI SHARJAH TRIVANDRUM COLOMBO MUSCAT KOCHI BEIRUT BAHRAIN DAMMAM SHARJAH ABU DHABI COLOMBO DUBAI DELHI MUMBAI DOHA BAHRAIN DUBAI ISLAMABAD ABU DHABI ALEXANDRIA KUALA LUMPUR ASYUT

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

34

s ta rs CROSSWORD 321

STAR TRACK Aries (March 21-April 19) ARIES Your intuition is strong and can guide you accurately in making decisions.

You will find most of your day will focus on answering questions or finding someone who can answer questions. As the natural manager or leader of people, you know the magic is in knowing how to eliminate the slowdowns so as to create a pleasant workplace as well as a department or business than can continuously grow and improve.

There is a possibility of new types of equipment that would call for some knowledgeable guide or teacher. You may be considering the family this evening as you ask for suggestions on what everyone would like to do this coming weekend. Camping creative arts boating help with home works hopping you’re the greatest!

Taurus (April 20-May 20) A round table or group discussion today can become heated or there is a possibility that much is accomplished. As you may be included in this discussion, suggest a “speaker stick” like some groups do so that each person has a turn at speaking. This way there are no interruptions and each person could be limited to no more than five minutes. Many find that some forethought will have to go into the conversation so that all can be said in five minutes. If they don’t finish, they could get a turn again later. At the end, if no decision is made, a vote could be had so that the chairman, group or leader can announce the results. Movies, books and all forms of escape could prove enjoyable this evening. Creative projects can also be a channel into a relaxed time.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

ACROSS 1. A diagrammatic representation of the earth's surface (or part of it).

4. Paper that has been made translucent and waterproof by soaking in oil.

12. The syllable naming the first (tonic) note of any major scale in solmization.

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

16. City in central Iran.

17. Any of various primates with short tails or no tail at all.

18. The prejudice that members of one race are intrinsically superior to members of other races.

19. A unit of elastance equal to the reciprocal of a farad.

20. Goddess of the dead and queen of the underworld.

21. A constellation in the southern hemisphere near Telescopium and Norma.

26. An anxiety disorder associated with serious traumatic events and characterized by such symptoms as guilt about surviving or reliving the trauma in dreams or numbness and lack of involvement with reality or recurrent thoughts and images.

28. The ninth month of the Moslem calendar.

32. (Old Testament) The minister of the Persian emperor who hated the Jews and was hanged for plotting to massacre them.

36. A promontory in northern Morocco opposite the Rock of Gibraltar.

37. The elementary stages of any subject (usually plural).

40. Fudge made with brown sugar and butter and milk and nuts.

42. A person who enjoys reading.

43. An artificial language that is a revision and simplification of Esperanto.

44. The branch of engineering science that studies the uses of electricity and the equipment for power generation and distribution and the control of machines and communication.

45. 1,000,000,000 periods per second.

46. A doctor's degree in religion.

47. A strong emotion.

48. (used with singular count nouns) Colloquial for `not a' or `not one' or `never a'.

50. A radioactive element of the actinide series.

54. Half the width of an em.

55. A person active in party politics.

62. A unit of absorbed ionizing radiation equal to 100 ergs per gram of irradiated material.

63. The capital and largest city of Zambia.

67. Traditional code of the Japanese samurai which stressed courage and loyalty and self-discipline and simple living.

71. Fermented alcoholic beverage similar to but heavier than beer.

72. In a straight unbroken line of descent from parent to child.

75. A device (trade name Aqua-Lung) that lets divers breathe under water.

76. (Babylonian) The sky god.

77. Pertaining to filberts or hazelnuts.

79. A rapid escape (as by criminals).

80. A boy or man.

81. A town in southeastern New Mexico on the Pecos River near the Mexican border.

82. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

DOWN 1. God of death.

2. Any culture medium that uses agar as the gelling agent.

3. Large burrowing rodent of South and Central America.

4. A kiln for drying hops.

5. A belief (or system of beliefs) accepted as authoritative by some group or school.

6. A long-playing phonograph record.

7. A city in Veneto.

8. (Old Testament) In Judeo-Christian mythology.

9. A flourish added after or under your signature (originally to protect against forgery).

10. Order by virtue of superior authority.

11. The airforce of Great Britain.

12. Tropical woody herb with showy yellow flowers and flat pods.

13. An organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on a common policy for the sale of petroleum.

14. Goddess of the dead and queen of the underworld.

22. The capital and largest city of Yemen.

23. A city in southern Turkey on the Seyhan River.

24. Herb of the Pacific islands grown throughout the tropics for its edible root and in temperate areas as an ornamental for its large glossy leaves.

25. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group.

27. Wearing footgear.

29. A port city in southwestern Iran.

30. Of lesser importance or stature or rank.

31. Small European freshwater fish with a slender bluish-green body.

33. Genus of sticky herbs with yellow flowers open in morning or evening but closed in bright light.

34. Sour or bitter in taste.

35. A constitutional monarchy in northern Europe on the western side of the Scandinavian Peninsula.

38. A fluorocarbon with chlorine.

39. A machine-readable version of a standard dictionary.

41. A collection of objects laid on top of each other.

49. Not only so, but.

51. A public official who investigates by inquest any death not due to natural causes.

52. A New England state.

53. Ratio of the hypotenuse to the opposite side.

56. A white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily.

57. A state in the Rocky Mountains.

58. The United Nations agency concerned with the interests of labor.

59. Deserving a curse.

60. A person who makes deceitful pretenses.

61. Of a pale purple color.

64. Scale-like structure between the base of the wing and the halter of a two-winged fly.

65. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.

66. Small terrestrial lizard of warm regions of the Old World.

68. The inner and longer of the two bones of the human forearm.

69. A distinguished female operatic singer.

70. Loose or flaccid body fat.

73. An extension at the end and at right angles to the main building.

74. Thickening of tissue in the motor tracts of the lateral columns and anterior horns of the spinal cord.

78. A silvery soft waxy metallic element of the alkali metal group.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

Professional as well as life’s problems are manageable at this time. The key words here are “as well as.” it is your attitude and response to difficult situations that make a positive difference. The research and the steps you take to complete a project are revered. This afternoon a co-worker friend has good news to share with you. A business project that you have been working on is now putty in your hands. You can make the rules and end the game with this project. It is unusual to have two projects end close together and this will be a good reason for some sort of celebration. You will have saved your co-workers from much worry. Large animals bring you a different amusement this evening. You may decide to make a contribution for them.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) There is a certain amount of transition taking place now. You may find yourself uninterested in sidetracks—what is not essential. You can really tune into how you want to solve certain problems and you gain the interest of higher-ups who can create a better financial package for you. This could be an essential time—depending upon what your age is currently—you may reach new highs of determination and accomplishment. There will be great discipline and concentration. You work hard but you will not always have to work so hard. Tonight is for friends and enjoying the social involvement they bring. There is a need for change but the time is not tonight. For now, balance in your personal life and work is most important.

Leo (July 23-August 22) Sometimes you just have to make bold moves in order to get your meaning across to someone. This does not mean you will be rude; it does mean that you are willing to follow through with whatever your intentions are. Working in a job you like and living in a family you enjoy is kind of like creating a work of art. You must stand back occasionally and make sure the whole picture is in balance and is pleasing to the spirit. You could find yourself pursuing more spiritual directions or finding someone who can guide you how you might achieve your inner dreams and ideals. Your path is toward cooperation and union with others, even at the expense of the practical and selfish. It is good to occasionally congratulate yourself and your support team.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) You may be making definite moves to add to your friendship list today. A friend at work is certainly someone you would like to have around you more often. That rich feeling happens when you have good friendships, not just acquaintances, but really good friends. You may enjoy eccentric or unconventional friends and groups with some kind of humanitarian flavor will appeal. You have very original ideas when it comes to community, making the communal dreams into a reality. Perhaps you can lead a community project to plant or trim trees in several neighborhoods. Your burning zeal for the ideal world and your need to be part of a group of like-minded souls are major factors in your makeup now. You learn and grow when you help others.

Word Search

Libra (September 23-October 22) You have very simple needs regarding home and surroundings. Some might find you careful. It may be difficult for you to send down roots, build a home base and feel secure. You like to travel and as long as the necessities are in one place, you are a happy camper. You can work, travel and have a place to crash from time to time. If you work or if you play, whatever you do just now magically returns to you in abundance . . .

Invest. Today is a good time for you to find some good investments. Relationships are satisfying and you spend quite a lot of time in the study of relationship success. When you settle, you want to be successful. Harmony and beauty are deeply satisfying—the lack of them can be unsettling.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) This is as good a time as any to take stock and see where you may need to make appointments, seek advice or any other number of helpful things that are in the annual routine. How long has it been since you and the people in your immediate family have had your annual checkup, eye exams, dental cleanings, etc sometimes these things are left until the end of the year but as you can see, you are already communicating about winter vacations or gifts to purchase and there are plenty of financial needs without the checkups. Now is a good time so make appointments. Your professional life is moving along smoothly, fortunately at a better pace than earlier this year and you are grateful.

Tonight is a good time to bring home the dinner, perhaps some baked chicken.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Faith, optimism and a yearning to explore all kinds of new horizons are some of the focal points in your life at this time. Travel, education and other ways to stretch your horizons open new doors of opportunity. Religious, philosophical and cultural matters are likely to have special appeal; transmitting ideas on a broader scale brings growth. Your emotions and feelings could reach heights that are close to ecstatic. It is easy for you to find the proper motivation to fulfill your ideals or make your dreams into reality. Your support system becomes more secure—family and home. You are able to dispense with some of the surplus and develop what is most basic and true in your environment. You encourage better support. A new job opportunity is available.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) Accept your financial situation for what it is just now—it will get better. A part-time job would be good if everybody on the home front can support your activities for the next six months. Debts or other drains on your resources will soon diminish. The extra work will also bring about some relief in this next year when it is usually so hard to pay back the holiday debts. Your thoughts today may center on future wishes and goals but tomorrow they will focus on a child’s wishes and goals and you will want to be able to help that person meet those goals. Make a goal list and have your mate make a goal list. In a week or so, get the lists out and talk them over with each other; there is always room for growth. For this afternoon, offer your services to a senior.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) Creative thinking is the best way to approach a business problem today.

There are answers to problems and the answers may not always be found by the usual process. You can set the pace and others will follow. Any obstacle that you find, you can turn into a path of achievement. To eliminate stress and accomplish what is truly needed, eliminate projects that are going nowhere. There is talk among your friends about returning to continuing education classes at a local junior college and, after consideration, you may decide to do the same. If you check with your boss, you may find that the business for which you work will help you financially to either complete your education or to learn more about business techniques that would help in your profession.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) Your key word today is responsibility—trustworthiness. You are a genius at bringing out others and getting them to do things for themselves or for you—a born strategist. You like to discuss and communicate, usually at a psychological and very personal level. Careful—some may find you a bit too intense. Your love of the spiritual and the eternal is clear to all who meet you. You could find yourself involved in long conversations while visiting with friends this afternoon. You love to solve the problems of the world, at least in words and images—when you tell it, all are enchanted. You may enjoy a favorite hobby this evening. Tonight is a good time to work on improving your finances. All that is needed is a budget, a little time and some dedication.

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

Daily SuDoku

Yesterday’s Solution

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

i n f o r m at i o n For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128 GOVERNORATE Sabah Hospital

24812000

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

PHARMACY

ADDRESS

PHONE

Ahmadi

Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy Ibn Al-Nafis Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554 25721264 25380581 25628241

Hawally

Al-Madeena

22418714

Al-Shuhada

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Faiha

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

Kaizen center

25716707

Rawda

22517733

Adaliya

22517144

Al-Jahra

25610011

Khaldiya

24848075

Al-Salmiya

25616368

Kaifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salem

22549134

Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Qadsiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Gar

22531908

Shaab

22518752

Qibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Qibla

22451082

Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

Maidan Hawally

25623444

Bayan

25388462

Mishref

25381200

W Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Ardhiya

24884079

Firdous

24892674

Omariya

24719048

N Khaitan

24710044

Fintas

23900322

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Psychologists /Psychotherapists

Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Khaled Hamadi

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Endocrinologist

25665898 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar

22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof

25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare

23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew

24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

25655535

Dentists

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

22618787

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

General Surgeons Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart Dr. Adnan Ebil Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

22666300 25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

Neurologists

22639939

Dr. Mousa Khadada

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

3729596/3729581

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri

25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

25345875

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Kaizen center 25716707

25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888 Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab

25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

22666288

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi

Dr Anil Thomas

Dr. Salem soso

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah

25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart DR.Mohammes Akkad

24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

2611555-2622555

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Afghanistan 0093 Albania 00355 Algeria 00213 Andorra 00376 Angola 00244 Anguilla 001264 Antiga 001268 Argentina 0054 Armenia 00374 Australia 0061 Austria 0043 Bahamas 001242 Bahrain 00973 Bangladesh 00880 Barbados 001246 Belarus 00375 Belgium 0032 Belize 00501 Benin 00229 Bermuda 001441 Bhutan 00975 Bolivia 00591 Bosnia 00387 Botswana 00267 Brazil 0055 Brunei 00673 Bulgaria 00359 Burkina 00226 Burundi 00257 Cambodia 00855 Cameroon 00237 Canada 001 Cape Verde 00238 Cayman Islands 001345 Central African 00236 Chad 00235 Chile 0056 China 0086 Colombia 0057 Comoros 00269 Congo 00242 Cook Islands 00682 Costa Rica 00506 Croatia 00385 Cuba 0053 Cyprus 00357 Cyprus (Northern) 0090392 Czech Republic 00420 Denmark 0045 Diego Garcia 00246 Djibouti 00253 Dominica 001767 Dominican Republic 001809 Ecuador 00593 Egypt 0020 El Salvador 00503 England (UK) 0044 Equatorial Guinea 00240 Eritrea 00291 Estonia 00372 Ethiopia 00251 Falkland Islands 00500 Faroe Islands 00298 Fiji 00679 Finland 00358 France 0033 French Guiana 00594 French Polynesia 00689 Gabon 00241 Gambia 00220 Georgia 00995 Germany 0049 Ghana 00233 Gibraltar 00350 Greece 0030 Greenland 00299 Grenada 001473 Guadeloupe 00590 Guam 001671 Guatemala 00502 Guinea 00224 Guyana 00592 Haiti 00509 Holland (Netherlands) 0031 Honduras 00504 Hong Kong 00852 Hungary 0036 Ibiza (Spain) 0034 Iceland 00354 India 0091 Indian Ocean 00873 Indonesia 0062

Iran 0098 Iraq 00964 Ireland 00353 Italy 0039 Ivory Coast 00225 Jamaica 001876 Japan 0081 Jordan 00962 Kazakhstan 007 Kenya 00254 Kiribati 00686 Kuwait 00965 Kyrgyzstan 00996 Laos 00856 Latvia 00371 Lebanon 00961 Liberia 00231 Libya 00218 Lithuania 00370 Luxembourg 00352 Macau 00853 Macedonia 00389 Madagascar 00261 Majorca 0034 Malawi 00265 Malaysia 0060 Maldives 00960 Mali 00223 Malta 00356 Marshall Islands 00692 Martinique 00596 Mauritania 00222 Mauritius 00230 Mayotte 00269 Mexico 0052 Micronesia 00691 Moldova 00373 Monaco 00377 Mongolia 00976 Montserrat 001664 Morocco 00212 Mozambique 00258 Myanmar (Burma) 0095 Namibia 00264 Nepal 00977 Netherlands (Holland) 0031 Netherlands Antilles 00599 New Caledonia 00687 New Zealand 0064 Nicaragua 00505 Nigar 00227 Nigeria 00234 Niue 00683 Norfolk Island 00672 Northern Ireland (UK) 0044 North Korea 00850 Norway 0047 Oman 00968 Pakistan 0092 Palau 00680 Panama 00507 Papua New Guinea 00675 Paraguay 00595 Peru 0051 Philippines 0063 Poland 0048 Portugal 00351 Puerto Rico 001787 Qatar 00974 Romania 0040 Russian Federation 007 Rwanda 00250 Saint Helena 00290 Saint Kitts 001869 Saint Lucia 001758 Saint Pierre 00508 Saint Vincent 001784 Samoa US 00684 Samoa West 00685 San Marino 00378 Sao Tone 00239 Saudi Arabia 00966 Scotland (UK) 0044 Senegal 00221 Seychelles 00284 Sierra Leone 00232 Singapore 0065 Slovakia 00421 Slovenia 00386 Solomon Islands 00677

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

lifestyle M U S I C

&

M O V I E S

Radcliffe as Mercury? Another casting rumor bites the dust

‘H

arr y Potter ” star Daniel Radcliffe as flamboyant Queen singer Freddie Mercury? Don’t count on it, as another rumor hailing from UK papers bites the dust. There’s no truth to media reports originating from the Daily Star that Radcliffe is poised to play the late singer, an individual with knowledge of Radcliffe’s plans told TheWrap - noting that the surviving members of Queen haven’t even reached out to gauge his interest.

Sacha Baron Cohen was previously set to play Mercury, though he left the project earlier this year on the heels of creative differences with the band. It’s unclear whether the chosen actor will be required to sing or whether Mercury’s actual voice will be used in the film, though Radcliffe

certainly has the dramatic chops to tackle the challenging role of Mercury.

The 24-year-old actor has earned strong notices for his portrayal of gay beat poet Allen Ginsberg in “Kill Your Darlings,” which hits theaters Oct 16. He also used his singing voice on Broadway in “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.”

Director Stephen Frears and Tom Hooper have circled the Peter Morgan-scripted movie in recent months, though the band has yet to approve a filmmaker. Queen Films is producing the movie with Graham King and Tim Headington of GK Films, as well as Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal. The band aims to make a family-friendly film rather than a gritty adult drama. — Reuters

Daniel Radcliffe

‘The Blacklist’

premiere preview: Five things to know

N

BC’s newest crime drama, “The Blacklist,” centers around a fugitive kingpin (James Spader) who inexplicably turns himself in to the FBI and then, in a twisted turn of events, offers his services and intelligence to help the FBI take down a “blacklist” of high-profile criminals. The catch? He will only speak to new agent Elizabeth Keen (Megan Boone). The fast-paced, psychological drama explores the minds of criminals and the complicated, veiled relationship between its characters in a way that will enthrall audiences.

In case you aren’t convinced yet, here are five more reasons to watch: 1) NBC splurged. With explosions, gunshots, and well-staged sets, “The Blacklist” looks more like a featurelength cinematic experience than a 45-minute crime drama. The stunts are on par with those in action movies, with impressive stunts and a convincingly harrowing bomb-diffusing scene.

“I don’t leave sets without blood all over my hair and face fake blood,” Boone told reporters in a press call. “Every week, I leave set having to get rid of some kind of fake wound. I participate a lot physically in the show ... it is very vestal and it is a very physical role.” Audiences will feel like they should be watching this on the big screen.

2) Raymond Reddington makes audiences squirm. The biggest star in the show, Spader (“The Office”), shines as infamous criminal Raymond “Red” Reddington, a role that will simultaneously intrigue audiences and make their skin crawl. The first scene shows Reddington giving himself up into FBI custody - and this is not the strangest move he makes throughout the episode.

“There is something incredibly fun about thinking like a criminal,” said executive producer and showrunner John Eisendrath. “is a very specific character. And that to me is part of the reason the show - I hope - will be a success, is that he’s someone that you can love, love to hate, be intrigued by and always leave you guessing.” His obsession with newbie profiler Elizabeth Keen, with whom he has seemingly no connection, drags her into a complicated moil of bomb threats, misinformation, and hidden identities that keeps the show charging forward.

3) Carefully crafted plot twists will keep you on your toes. The inherent shadiness of Reddington keeps audiences leery of the choices made by the FBI based on his information. However, the (often violent) plot twists come out of nowhere - perhaps the biggest one being Reddington’s overall role in the show.

“I do think that one of the sort of great things about the premise of the show is that baked into it is the delivery of a good episodic story,” said Eisendrath. “Hopefully, the audience will get a chance to enjoy some of or all of the characters who we like to portray as existing in our world, but being smart enough, clever enough, devious enough to

have avoided detection by the FBI.” 4) Rookie agent Elizabeth Keen is feisty, complex, and strong. Boone (“Law & Order: LA”) is no newcomer to crime dramas, but her doe-eyed innocence adds a new level to the character of Elizabeth Keen, Quantico graduate and hopeful adoptive parent.

“We did look pretty far and wide for the character of Liz. But when Megan came in it was one of those auditions where right away, we were like ‘There is something specific

about her,’” said Eisendrath. “For me anyway, what it was in her audition was that I felt like there was a darkness that she could access.” Boone juxtaposes the two roles of domestic housewife and gung-ho FBI special agent with relative ease, and portrays the emotional gravity of the episode’s events in a very believable manner. The end of the pilot sees a very different Elizabeth than the beginning.

5) Tom Keen (Ryan Eggold) is more than he seems. Eggold (“90210 ) co-stars as Elizabeth Keen’s easygoing husband Tom. However, one of the first things that Raymond Reddington alludes to when talking to Elizabeth is the secrets her husband might be keeping from her. Keep an eye out for shadiness with this character. “The Blacklist” premieres September 23 at 10/9c on NBC. — Reuters

In this photo American indie pop band ‘FUN’walk the red carpet at the MGM Grand Hotel during the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas. —AP

F

un. guitarist Jack Antonoff says cowriting with Taylor Swift helped him become a better musician. Antonoff co-wrote Swift’s song, “Sweeter Than Fiction,” which will appear or the upcoming “One Chance” soundtrack; the film is about “Britain’s Got Talent” winner Paul Potts.

“She’s just like the most incredible writer and singer and performer,” Antonoff said in a recent interview. “She feels completely unaffected by all the stuff happening around her, so working with her was like the most amazing experience. ... It made me better at what I do just watching her process.”

Antonoff, 29, added that he and the country-pop princess decided to work together after he told her about a song he was writing that featured the snare drum.

He added that the collaboration worked so well because there was “no label involved, no one put us together.” Fun. is still riding high - and on tour - off the success of its platinum-selling sophomore album, which launched the hits “Some Nights” and “We Are Young” last year.

The latter track won the Grammy for record of the year and helped the trio win

Breaking Bad

Comedy Series award went to Julia Louis-Dreyfus for her brilliant portrayal of Vice President Selena Meyer in the new OSN hit show, ‘Veep’, whose second season is currently airing on OSN First Comedy HD. ‘Breaking Bad’, currently showing same time as the US on OSN with its season finale on 1st October, won the Emmy for Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Anna Gunn), as well as the Outstanding Drama Series award, while Bobby Cannavale of Boardwalk Empire took the award for Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. Outstanding Variety Series was scooped by ‘The Colbert Report’ while the Outstanding Animated Programme award went to ‘South Park’. Jeff Daniels scooped the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series’ for his portrayal of Will MacAvoy in ‘The Newsroom’; while Claire Danes, who plays Carrie Mathison on

‘Homeland’, was awarded the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. The highly anticipated premier of ‘Homeland S3’ is on 1st October exclusively on OSN at the same time as the US. OSN is the only broadcaster in the region showcasing the latest and biggest award-winning series at the same time as the US so viewers watch it

first. Of the record-breaking 238 nominations across 75 categories, over 50 shows are telecast only on OSN in the region. In total, OSN favourites scooped a total of 46 awards dominating this years Emmy’s.

The number of OSN shows nominated and winning awards at this year’s Emmy’s once again reinforces the choice and variety of the premium and awardwinning content OSN brings exclusively for viewers across the region.

best new artist. Antonoff co-wrote the entire album with band mates Nate Ruess and Andrew Dost. He said songwriting outside of the band is helping the group. “I’m doing a lot of other stuff with other people. I did some stuff with Christina Perri and I’m working with some other people that I’m not allowed to say yet,” he said. “The more I can do that the more I kind of constantly refall in love with all the elements of what I do, so I think it’s really good for me, it’s good for my band.”

Antonoff also co-wrote Sara Bareilles’ “Brave,” which became a Top 40 hit after music fans said Katy Perry’s “Roar” sounded like the piano tune. “I hear what everyone else hears,” Antonoff said with a laugh of the comparisons. “I hear the similarities. But at the end of the day, you know, I think Katy Perry releasing ‘Roar’ put a big spotlight on ‘Brave’ also, so if we can find ourselves in a situation where two great songs are present in the public then that’s great.”

Bareilles recently said she doesn’t feel like Perry ripped off her song. “I don’t think the songs sound the same, but I think there’s a lot in their production that feels similar,” Antonoff added. “It’s cool if Katy

Perry was anyway inspired by ‘Brave’ - that’s awesome.” Fun. performed Friday as part of the iHeartRadio music festival in Las Vegas.

The group sang its own hits and then joined Queen onstage, along with Adam Lambert.

“I wouldn’t play guitar if there was no Brian May. We wouldn’t be a band if it wasn’t for Queen,” Antonoff said. “It was one of the most incredible experiences.”

The pop-rock group’s “Most Nights” tour wraps Oct 13 in Mexico City at the Corona Capital Festival. Antonoff said they’ll likely head back in the studio to record the followup to “Some Nights” in March and he’s happy with how his band has dealt with their massive success. “I’m still alive, I’m still in a relationship, I haven’t (messed) everything up yet, but it’s not easy,” said Antonoff, who is dating “Girls” actress and creator Lena Dunham. “It’s tough to be away - it’s that simple. You miss things. A year ago it was real (messed) up, it was hard. There was no way you can learn how to be in that schedule and be under those kinds of pressures.”“I think that we went through a lot and I think we got through it,” he said of group. “And none of us turned to drugs or none of us ended as shady people.” — AP

Indian Bollywood actress Sheen Shahabadi poses during a promotional launch for the forthcoming Hindi film ‘Raqt - Ek Rishta’ directed by Shiva, Adi Irani in Mumbai. — AFP

26 exclusive OSN shows make headlines at the Emmys A

DUBAI: 26 primetime shows that air exclusively on OSN, the leading pay-TV network in the region, scooped the maximum number of accolades at the star-studded 65th annual Primetime Emmy Awards. Broadcast live to subscribers on OSN First HD to audiences across the MENA region, the awards saluted the excellence of some of the silver screen’s most celebrated talent.

Hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, renowned for his role as Barney Stinson in ‘How I Met Your Mother’, the annual awards brought the crËme-de-la-crËme of television fame together. Modern Family took home gold for Best Comedy Series for the fourth consecutive year, as well as Best Directing in a Comedy Series while Tony Hale of ‘Veep’, won the award for Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

The Outstanding Lead Actress in a

Antonoff of fun.talks Swift, Bareilles collabs

After Emmys slip, ‘Homeland’ turns to new season to regain footing

fter Claire Danes claimed her second straight Emmy for best actress in a drama on Sunday night, she mused that her role as the brilliant bipolar CIA agent Carrie Mathison in “Homeland” was a “good gig” that she hopes “lasts a while.” The third season of “Homeland,” however, has its challenges after a second season that underwhelmed critics. Notwithstanding Danes’ repeat win, Sunday served up a reminder of the pressure on the Showtime counterterrorism thriller to regain its footing.

After winning six Emmys last year for its freshman season including the trifecta of top awards - best drama series, and best actor and actress in a drama - “Homeland” walked away this year with just two trophies out of 11 nominations. The first season of “Homeland,” adapted from an Israeli series, captured viewers with its complex characters and plots that resonated with the real terrorism fears among the US public. Even US President Barack Obama declared himself to be a fan.

But the second season saw a backlash against what many critics viewed as improbable plot twists around Carrie and Brody, the rescued POW turned al Qaeda agent played

by British actor Damian Lewis. As season three kicks off next Sunday, it doesn’t help that many TV eyes will be fixed that day on the final episode of “Breaking Bad,” the gritty AMC show that snatched the best drama Emmy and the attention from “Homeland.”

Last year’s season finale managed to claw back some of the credibility that was gradually lost over the 12 episodes of season two.

The show ended with the bombing of CIA headquarters that killed 200 and Brody, now a congressman and double-agent for the CIA, forced to run as fingers point at him, ripping apart his plans with Carrie to begin a life together. Season three starts with an erratic Carrie off her medication but with a zeal to get to the bottom of the bombing with her boss and confidant, acting CIA Director Saul Berenson played by Mandy Patinkin. Both are struggling in the aftermath. The creators

behind “Homeland” seem to be aware of the pressure to turn the show around, but they defend their storytelling instincts and their ratings. “I obviously wish the backlash had never happened,” co-creator Alex Gansa told the summer meeting of the Television Critics Association. “But it didn’t really influence ... the way we rolled out season two or season three. The show built an audience all through season two.”

He and co-creator Howard Gordon, who

it is unclear how he will emerge back into the world. “TV audiences are so literate now,” Lewis told the television critics’ meeting.

“They’re so good at guessing plot and what’s going to happen next and all the different permutations. But it’s the timing of (the) story which is the one thing that these guys (the show’s writers) have left to them, in their power.” At Sunday’s Emmys, Danes said she felt fortunate to have such a challenging role, telling reporters backstage: “I hope it lasts a

worked together on the counterterrorism precursor “24,” said that in writing the third season, they were influenced by the congressional investigation into the Sept 11, 2012, attack on the US diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya. Season three will explore the cost that being an intelligence officer exacts on people and the institution of the CIA. “That is an agency that couldn’t even protect itself,” Gansa said. “How should it be expected to protect the country?”

while because it remains so compelling to me, personally and creatively.” According to Showtime, the premium cable channel owned by CBS Corp that won its first best drama Emmy with “Homeland,” the show ended its second season with its highest ratings ever, over 7-1/2 million viewers.

After viewing the first episodes, critics seem willing to give “Homeland” the benefit of the doubt. “These latest episodes represent a tentative first step toward seeing whether the show can re-ascend to those heights or, conversely, plummet into an abyss of implausibility,” wrote Variety TV columnist Brian Lowry. “Like so much else pertaining to ‘Homeland,’ at this point, it could go either way.” —Reuters

Where’s brody, who’s brody?

But the storyline that may keep viewers coming back in season three is the fate of the complex character that is Brody. Lewis doesn’t even appear in the first two episodes and

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

LIFESTYLE M U S I C

& M O V I E S

Kings of Leon return refreshed, recharged he Kings of Leon are having a great time.

Problem is, no one really believes them. A very public meltdown in Dallas in 2011 led to some acrimonious tweets, the cancellation of 26 concert dates and a bunch of negative buzz that’s persisted a surprisingly long time. Since then, band members have played dozens of shows without incident, put down roots, married a few supermodels, had children and recorded an album.

They’ve moved on, and they’re patiently waiting for their story to update. “I think because of what happened in Dallas that was very much on the surface,” bassist Jared Followill said. “And people were like, ‘Wow, man, those guys are really not getting along,’ and people think, ‘Man, they really hated each other during that time.’

People should know that we have always hated each other. That was not any more than usual.

That was just more in the press.” “That was tweeted about,” guitarist Matthew Followill said, and everyone in the room is laughing at the joke.

The abrupt ending to the Dallas show and the resulting fallout was just a passing storm for the brothers Followill - Nathan, Caleb and Jared and their cousin Matthew. A little bit of rock ‘n’ roll excess crossed with high heat, general exhaustion and ragged emotion flashing across the sky. Everything was fine two days later. “We

T

Bertrand Cantat

French rocker’s comeback after murder gets off to unhappy start t was the day that was supposed to mark Bertrand Cantat’s comeback, years after the rocker killed his famous actress girlfriend in an incident that shocked France.

But producers of his new band Detroit were forced to bring forward the launch of their album after they realised the date initially chosen-November 25 — is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. “In order not to stoke controversy and to stay within a strictly musical context, Olivier Caillart (head of the band’s record label Barclay) has decided to bring forward the launch of Detroit’s album ‘Horizons’ to November 18,” the label said in a statement.

The former frontman of top French rock group Noir Desir-which officially disbanded

I

in 2010 — was sentenced to eight years in jail in 2004 for the murder of Marie Trintignant, a famous French actress.

Trintignant suffered severe brain damage after the pair had a fight in a hotel in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, and later died of her injuries. Cantat was released on parole in 2007. Since then, he has very gradually returned to music, though always as a guest of other singers on stage or in albums.

On Monday, Barclay had announced that the much-anticipated launch of the album of Cantat’s new band Detroit would take place on November 25. But the Twittersphere was quick to point out that the date coincided with the United Nations’ global day to raise awareness about violence against women. — AFP

Deneuve, Almodovar

rench diva Catherine Deneuve and Spanish Oscar-winning filmmaker Pedro Almodovar will pick up honorary prizes at the European Film Awards in December in Berlin, organizers said yesterday. Deneuve, 69, the icy blonde actress from classics such as “Belle de Jour ” by Luis Bunuel and Roman Polanski’s “Repulsion” will receive a lifetime achievement award for her work in more than 100 pictures, the European Film Academy said on its website.

“Be it as the mysterious beauty, the bourgeois housewife or a bisexual vampire, Catherine Deneuve has... given unforgettable moments to the world of cinema,” the Academy said. Deneueve won her first Cesar, France’s top film prize, for 1980’s “ The Last Metro” by Francois Truffaut, and an Oscar nomination for her 1992 role in “Indochine” by Regis Wargnier. Almodovar, 63, will pick up the award for European achievement

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in world cinema, the Academy said.

After coming of age as an artist under the nascent Spanish democracy with Super-8 filmmaking and work in independent theatre, Almodovar scored an international breakthrough with “ Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown” in 1988. The 1990 black comedy “Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down” starring Antonio Banderas also became a global arthouse hit.

He scooped an Academy Award in 2002 for best original screenplay for “Talk to Her” about two men caring for comatose women.

“Pedro Almodovar has won virtually every award there is and his films have played an important role in shaping the way we see not only Spain but also European cinema itself,” the Academy said. The prizes will be presented at a gala ceremony in the German capital on December 7. — AFP

‘Downton Abbey’ season 4:

The British reviews are in ownton Abbey” returned to British TV screens Sunday for the premiere of the drama’s fourth season. Considering how season 3 left off, with the sudden automobile accident of Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens) picking up where the show left off promised to be a doozy. According to most reviews, episode one delivered on that guarantee. Those us in the United States will have to wait a few more months to draw our own conclusions, but in the interim, this is what our friends from across the pond are saying: Serena Davies of The Telegraph called the Downton Abbey series 4, episode 1 “a glowing success.” She praised the performance of Michelle Dockery as mourning widow Lady Mary: “Here she was back to her frigid best, all hooded eye-lids, chiseled profile, cadaverous frame shrouded in jet black silks: a beautiful raven.” But it was not just Dockery who made a splash in the comeback episode, Maggie Smith and Penelope Wilton held their own as well, Davies said.

Sam Wollaston of The Guardian mostly wanted to know what happened to the dog in the opening credits. When it came to the episode itself, Wollaston, who did not appreciate the episode nearly as much as other critics, was in

‘D

the negative minority. He wrote, “It’s not the most auspicious of openers to the new season of the posh soap. There’s a dustiness and a mustiness about the place, a sense of same-old, sameold. Downton Drabbey. Even Dame Maggie’s withering one-liners aren’t as sharp as they once were. Dan Stevens’s absence leaves an unfilled hole, just as Jessica Brown Findlay’s did before.”

Tom Sykes of The Daily Beast called the return on British Screens “a rather wonderful return to form.” He added, “What this opening episode really succeeded at was taking Downton back from an over reliance on massive, melodramatic plot points - car crashes, deaths, murders and so on - to the compelling minutiae of aristocratic British life of the period both above and below stairs.” Caroline Frost of The Huffington Post UK cites “doom and delight” in the series four opener. She says that in the premiere, “writer Julian Fellowes’ pen has made a cracking return to form.” Owen Jones of The Independent says, “The first installment of Downton’s fourth season justifies its status as an iconic British drama.” Jones touts the “beautifully shot backdrop” and music, which “gives a constant sense of drama, even when nothing much is happening.” Season 4 of “Downton Abbey” premieres in the US on PBS Jan 5, 2014. — Reuters

Petraglia asked. “I think that’s where they were ordering from. Things were coming in and you’d be like, ‘They still make these things?’” Caleb Followill brought in 10 songs he’d been working on alone at home, something of a change in the band’s formula. And Petraglia combed through old work tapes, finding bits and pieces he’d bring to the band’s attention, like the “Use Somebody” era sound sketch that turned into “Beautiful War.” “The whole thing was chill actually for those guys,” Petraglia said. “I felt like, let’s get back in

Photo shows members of Kings of Leon, from left, Jared Followill, Caleb Followill, Nathan Followill and Matthew Followill posing in Nashville, Tenn. — AP

to pick up European Film Awards

A combo of pictures shows French actress Catherine Deneuve on March 19, 2011 and Spanish film director Pedro Almodovaron December 2, 2006. — AFP

this week’s Global Citizen Festival in New York’s Central Park and next month’s Austin City Limits Festival. And bouncy new single “Supersoaker” is in the top 10 on Billboard’s alternative rock songs list. The vibe is much different than that of 2010’s “Come Around Sundown.” “Bull” starts a new chapter in the band’s narrative. They rushed into “Sundown” in the aftermath of worldwide hits “Use Somebody” and “Sex on Fire.” That sudden popularity caused a surprising backlash with their original fan base, which was fervent but small. “Sundown” was recorded as the

This CD cover image released by RCA shows ‘Mechanical Bull,’ the latest release by Kings of Leon. — AP fight like brothers, then we hug and make up like brothers,” lead singer Caleb Followill said.

“It’s just how it goes.” “And the beauty of it is you can fight as a band or bandmates,” drummer Nathan Followill said, “but you make up as brothers or cousins.”

“It’s just a long, long, slow kiss, dry, closemouthed,” Caleb Followill said. “No seriously, we hate Jared and Matt. We can’t stand them.” And everyone in the room is laughing again. It’s been like this a lot lately, and the Followills hope “Mechanical Bull” serves as a palette cleanser.

They’ve played about 50 shows since Dallas without incident, including a string of wellreceived festival headlining dates that includes

Followills were trying to sort out what direction they wanted to go, and the album sounds stressed and tired because of it. “We went somewhere in the middle,” Jared Followill said. “They say strike while the iron’s hot, and we definitely struck while the iron was hot, but we kind of struck with a wooden hammer, you know? We kind of just didn’t go all out.”

They took much of a year off, disconnected from the rock ‘n’ roll grind, and slowly worked their way back into music. They remodeled an old industrial paint warehouse into a recording studio and worked in their own space for the first time. “Once you start thinking about how much it costs to record a guitar solo, you’re already in the wrong head-space,” Caleb Followill said. The lead singer was most enthralled with the new building. “There are times if you don’t want to you don’t have to leave, you know?” he said. “I stayed here pretty late most nights.” They took months rather than weeks to make the record. Practical jokes punctuated by the sound of fireworks and good times threatened to take over at one point.

“You know on the back of the comic books when we were kids where you could order any kind of joke trick?” longtime producer Angelo

there and be a rock ‘n’ roll band and get back to it. Things had gotten so big with the band, it was a chance to scale down, get in the clubhouse and kind of have fun and make a rock ‘n’ roll record.” At the same time, they were falling into a stable pattern at home. Off the road for long stretches, everyone who wasn’t married settled down. Everyone has at least one child now except Jared, the band’s youngest member.

They also started their own record label, Serpents & Snakes, using it to sign friends; started fine food, wine and spirits festival Music City Eats that debuted over the weekend; and have generally blended into the environs in a way they didn’t before. They started the new rock ‘n’ roll renaissance in Nashville, but were never really around to enjoy it.

“It’s so funny, my wife, we’ve been married four years now, and this past year was the first time I got a chance to be a husband and just be normal, go on double dates and get to be a dad, and I think this past year I’ve planted more roots in one year than I have in the previous nine or 10 because I’ve been home so much,” Nathan Followill said. “Nashville’s great. I love hipsterwatching at Whole Foods. One of my favorite things to do on the weekends.” — AP

China’s richest man aims to rival Hollywood n ambitious studio complex built by China’s richest man will be a major boost for the country’s film industry but experts say it needs more than sprawling grounds to rival Hollywood. Global Alisters Nicole Kidman, Leonardo DiCaprio and Catherine Zeta-Jones showed up on Sunday for the lavish event to showcase plans for the Oriental Movie Metropolis, set to span 376 hectares, in the eastern port city of Qingdao. The 50 billion yuan ($8.3 billion) complex will house 20 studios that will turn out 100 films a year, including 30 foreign productions.

Backing the project is China’s richest person, Wang Jianlin, whose conglomerate Wanda last year acquired US cinema chain AMC Entertainment to become the world’s largest cinema operator. “I think it’s exciting to see Wanda build these facilities. But it takes much more than hard assets and facilities to do good movies,” said Robert Cain, who has done business in China since 1987 and is now a partner in a film co-production company. “There is a huge gap in the skills which remain between China’s film industry and Hollywood.”

While Beijing is aware of the importance of using its “soft power” overseas, the state tightly controls the film industry and cuts any subject matter that might be politically sensitive. Rarely do domestic movies attract an international audience-and even Chinese moviegoers have shown lukewarm interest in local offerings. Although a quota of just 34 foreign films can be shown in the country each year, these made up more than half of Chinese box office sales last year.

However, the first half of 2013 showed a reversal.

Ticket sales for Chinese films more than doubled those of the same period the year before, surpassing foreign films for the first time in five years. At the end of June the Chinese movie “Tiny Times”, which depicted the daily life of wealthy Chinese youth, defied expectations by overtaking Hollywood blockbuster “Man of Steel”.

But its international success remains in question.

Chinese movies deserve attention if only because the number of moviegoers is so large, said Hawk Koch, a former president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which runs the Oscar awards.

“Given the box office in China, the fact that China is going to become the number one box office in the world, we have to pay attention,” he said. But to merit more critical attention, he added, the sector needs “more personal movies that touch people”.

“China is kind of known for kung fu movies and action movies, and I think that, in order to be known seriously in the world, they would have to make more intimate movies,” he said. The US film industry would be a huge star to try to outshine, he warned.

“I don’t know if anyone will ever compete with Hollywood, because that’s been the centre for so

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Actor Ewan McGregor attends a red carpet event for the Wanda ‘Oriental Movie Metropolis’, billed as China’s answer to Hollywood, in the Eastern port city of Qingdao. — AP many years.” In an effort to grow, some Chinese studios have partnered with foreign counterparts in coproductions, as was the case in the Robert Downey Jr blockbuster “Iron Man 3”. The Chinese firm Dreams of Dragon Pictures took part in producing the internationally successful “Cloud Atlas”, starring Tom Hanks and Halle Berry.

The Movie Metropolis complex is set to begin

operations in 2016 and will also feature a 3,000-seat theatre and a shopping centre with seven hotels.

Wanda’s business interests include retailing and commercial property. Oscar-winning actor Christoph Waltz, who attended the glitzy unveiling, displayed a wait-and-see attitude. “Chinese Hollywood? Seems like there is a contradiction in terms,” he said. “Give them a chance.” — AFP

Lindsay Lohan’s mom due in NY court on DWI charge indsay Lohan’s mother is due in a suburban New York court to answer drunken driving charges.

State police say 50-year-old Dina Lohan was stopped earlier this month for allegedly speeding on a Long Island parkway. A breath test showed the mother of the troubled film actress had a blood-alcohol level that was more than double New York’s legal limit of 0.08 percent.

She was issued tickets for

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DWI and speeding and ordered to appear in court yesterday. Dina Lohan’s lawyer says his client is a firsttime offender and he expected she would be treated fairly by the court.

The arrest comes just months after her daughter completed her latest stint in rehab. Lindsay Lohan was spotted by photographers at her mother’s Merrick, Long Island, home following Dina Lohan’s arrest. — AP

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

lifestyle F e a t u r e s

An Alpine Estates hair on hide ottoman that puts a modern spin on Old West furniture.

The Colburn coffee table from Arhaus, which is reminiscent of turn of the century steamer trunks.

Rivets are an old school fastener now finding new favor as an edgy, interesting decor trim.

Right at home: Furniture makers nail It I

The Portsmouth chair, a deconstructed upholstered chair evoking the structure of old sailing vessels, with nailhead trimmed upholstery.

Alex Sable chair, which evokes the lounge furniture of the 1930s with an interesting twist - leather and burlap are combined, and trimmed with nailheads.

f you lived in a comfortable home in 17th century France or 19th century England, your chairs might well have been embellished with nail-head trim. It was a clever, decorative way for craftsmen to secure materials to upholstered furniture. Another old fastener, the rivet, also was commonplace in manufacturing and shipbuilding centuries ago. Now, both nailheads and rivets are having a moment in contemporary dÈcor. On some pieces, they reinforce traditional elegance. On others, they offer an urban, edgier aesthetic. “We’re seeing nail-head trim - this 400-year-old detail - in lots of new applications, creating bold looks,” says Seattle interior designer Timothy De Clue.

Lisa Ferguson, an interior designer in Toronto, trimmed a pair of armless coral chairs with a decorative, antique-brass nail-head design along the skirt.

She says both brass and warm satin detailing evoke classic glamour.

“It almost always gives the perception of a more luxurious piece, while adding texture,” Ferguson says.

But be mindful of inexpensive trims if you want a luxe look, she adds. “Attention to detail and craftsmanship is what differentiates the good from the best. Pay special attention to the scale and spacing of the nail heads in relation to the piece of furniture, and always go for metal individual heads over rows of plastic if it is in your budget,” she says.

Ballard Designs has a selection of tufted and untufted headboards that you can customize in different fabrics and then finish with brass or silver nail heads.

Homegoods has some little slipper chairs in fun colors like peony pink, lime green and rich purple, embellished with silvery trim. The trim also edges a svelte bench - covered in a green, white and black classic pattern - perched on sleek black legs. All the pieces have a Palm Beach house vibe.

Designer Jonathan Adler is also a fan of the nail.

His Channing screen, named after Bette Davis’ character in the movie “All About Eve,” is a white lacquered room divider studded with polished nickel nail heads.

He also plays with the motif in an irreverent tabletop

confection: a clear acrylic obelisk filled with construction nails. “Nail heads hit just the right note for today.

They’re the perfect combo of twinkly glamour and edgy attitude,” Adler says.

Nail-head trim works well with textured materials; Jayson Home’s Bretton shelf unit is covered in burlap and trimmed in brass nails. Arhaus has a series of interesting chairs that combine recycled leather seats with backs upholstered in woven fabric; the materials meet at a nail-head border.

The Portsmouth chair and settee incorporate the deconstructed trend in furniture with a more refined, finished look. Exposed framing along the backs and woven, grain-sack-textured upholstery are accented with nail trim. The Alpine Estates ottoman is part of a collection of pieces that put a contemporary spin on

western style with cowhide, nail-head and wood trim.

Or evoke the early days of ship travel with the Colburn steamer trunk, crafted of chestnut leather and set with antique brass nail heads. Jayson Home also plays off the vintage industrial vibe in today’s decor with rivet detailing on distressed-iron and steel side tables, reminiscent of turn-of-the-century or shipboard tables.

The retailer’s Warp and Weft accent tables, made of riveted, recycled woven aluminum, reference World War II aircraft. There is a series of Ludlam pendant lighting fixtures here, too, crafted of caged iron slats and hammered rivets. — AP

Ludlam pendant lamps, with its cage of riveted metal that gives the lighting fixture an industrial look.

Warp side table, crafted of woven, riveted strips of aluminum giving it an edgy, contemporary look with a vintage airplane vibe.

Adler’s acrylic obelisk filled with nails, an irreverent twist on the decorative element.

Safat Home launches its autumn offers

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n 15th September 2013, Safat Home launched its exciting new autumn collection. Brand-new collections have been revealed at both the Al-Rai and Shuwaikh showrooms, where great value can be found across all categories. From furniture and accessories, sanitary and tiles, to windows, doors and superb Italian-made kitchens, anything you might need for the home is now available at Safat Home.

If you are looking for great value sofa sets at great autumn value prices, there are many styles and colours to choose from. A new Scandinavian-inspired line has been introduced that features sleek, minimalist design. This “less is more” look is very trendy in design these days. Leather sofas are a popular, timeless classic that match many styles of dÈcor. At Safat Home, classic leather sofa sets with a modern twist feature highly along with Ashley Manor, a British manufacturer of high-quality furniture for more than 20 years.

As the heat subsides and summer comes to an end, Safat Home has revealed its brand- new outdoor furniture sets. Not only are there a wide variety of new furniture styles but also outdoor accessories to accompany these sets. An amazing, colourful selection of plates, place mats, decorative accessories and life-like artificial plants can all be found in-store.

As the wedding season approaches, Safat Home has revealed an extensive new line of bridal and reception collections by

Modern sofas

Corner sofas

Turkish brands “Home Sweet Home” and “Pepper Home.” Brand-new mattresses made in Kuwait are now also available for purchase. New playful and exciting children’s selections from Safat Kids and Cilek will capture the hearts of youngsters with their fun, stylish ranges.

For home renovation or new projects, the Shuwaikh showroom now offers a wide variety of doors and windows, floor tiles, affordable kitchens as well as high-end Italian kitchens. If you need help streamlining your home’s design, Safat Home has recently launched its own in-house ‘Design Centre’, where a team of professionals can guide you through the complete process from design to execution. Safat Home encourages all to visit the stores to enjoy the exciting new products now available.

Dining set

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

lifestyle F a s h i o n

Catwalk with a view on first day of Paris fashion P

aris fashion week yesterday got off to a charmingly chaotic start with a rooftop catwalk show at which fashionistas played ‘spot the model’. Fashion watchers who trekked up the eight flights to the top of Paris’s famed Galeries Lafayette department store were rewarded with clear views of the Eiffel Tower on a sunny September day. But the models at Franco-Cambodian designer Christine Phung’s first ever show were almost impossible to glimpse as they walked in a path hastily cleared among the milling crowd before being moved to an even less visible corner of the roof terrace.

“It was a lovely spot to hold a fashion show-and there was a great view of Paris-but unfortunately most people couldn’t see anything (of the collection),” lifestyle blogger Marino Vizza told AFP. Brought up in France by a Cambodian father and French mother, Phung’s dual heritage is reflected in her use of printed silks. Her spring/summer 2014 “Liquid Dilusion” collection featured a delicate palette of metallic grey, silver, white and ecru as well as black and ultramarine. Looks inspired by “the possibilities of water” included billowing silk trousers teamed with a sheer halter neck top and pleated dresses and skirts.

Of around 10 looks in the collection, one was worn by a black model and two by Asian models. The number of black models on the Paris catwalks can be expected to come under scrutiny this week following a blistering attack on the fashion world by models Naomi Campbell and Iman and model-turned-activist Bethann Hardison. The trio earlier this month named a string of fashion houses who had used just “one or no models of color” in recent collections and called for urgent action. Yesterday was the first of nine days of women’s ready-to-wear Paris fashion due to wrap up on October 2.— AFP

Moon Young Hee

Pascal Millet

G r o u n d Ze r o

Radcliffe as Mercury?

Another casting rumor bites the dust

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

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Miss World 2013 contestants clap during a fashion show on the catwalk in Nusa Dua on Indonesia’s resort island of Bali yesterday. The Miss World finals on September 28 have been moved to Bali where it opened on September 8, after Indonesia eventually bowed to pressure following series of protest by Islamic hardliners against the Miss World beauty pageant. — AFP

Mary Pickford film found in NH barn is restored

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arpenter Peter Massie has come across some interesting finds over the years antique bottles, old newspapers stuffed in walls. But his biggest discovery of all is the only known copy of a 1911 Mary Pickford movie that marked a turning point in the silent film star’s career. The Library of Congress is funding a project to restore the film, titled “Their First Misunderstanding,” and it will be shown next month at Keene State College, where a retired professor has overseen the restoration.

The film is the first one Pickford wrote and the first for which she was given credit in the advertising materials. Before that, movie studios didn’t want actors to become household names because they’d demand more money, said Pickford scholar Christel Schmidt, editor of “Mary Pickford: Queen of the Movies.” Massie, who discovered the film along with six other vintage reels in a New Hampshire barn he was tearing down in 2006, is looking forward to seeing it.

“This is the coolest thing I’ve ever found on any job,” he said. “It’s pretty fantastic, that’s what I think. They were seconds away from going into a Dumpster.” The property where Massie found the films apparently used to be a summer camp for boys, and the movies were probably shown to entertain the campers, said

This image provided by Keene State College shows frames of a 1911 movie with actress Mary Pickford. — AP

Larry Benaquist, who founded the film program at Keene State. Massie donated the films to the college, and Benaquist led the effort to identify and restore them.

Pickford, known as “America’s Sweetheart,” was one of Hollywood’s earliest stars. She was a co-founder of the United Artists film studio and helped establish the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She retired from acting in 1933 and died in 1979. The 10-minute comedy-drama stars Pickford and her first husband, Owen Moore, as newlyweds having their first argument. The first minute or so was destroyed, but the rest was in remarkably good condition, Benaquist said.

He quickly determined that one of the reels was a lost 1913 silent film about Abraham Lincoln. But it took longer to identify the Pickford film because the 35 mm celluloid had stuck to itself. Once a lab was able to separate the layers, Benaquist reached out to Schmidt.”I was really stunned, because a lot of those early films, you just figure they’re gone,” Schmidt said Monday. “For that one to turn up was really exciting.” Pickford had been known only as “Little Mary,” “The Girl with the Curls” and “The Biograph” girl, after her former studio, but that changed after “Their First Misunderstanding,” Benaquist said. “Now she was an actor with clout, and I think she used that to great advantage,” he said.

One clip of the restored film shows Pickford bounding into the room and confronting her husband about an invitation from someone she doesn’t particularly like. “You see the whole range of emotions in that clip - playful, annoyed, loving and worried,” Schmidt said.

Massie, who also rescued an old projector from the barn in the town of Nelson, said the owner had told him he could keep whatever he found. Not realizing the nitrate film was highly flammable, he kept the reels in his truck for a while - while he smoked cigarettes - and later stored them near his woodstove at home.

“Then I found out I could’ve exploded,” he said. Ninety percent of the movies made before 1930 are gone, Benaquist said. “So, the odds are if you find a stack of films, you might find something that hasn’t been around,” he said. “With this stack of films, it was like striking gold. It was just amazing. So I’ve learned never to say no when someone calls me up and says, ‘Hey, I’ve got some old films in my attic, do you want to come look?’” “I always go,” he said.

“Always.” — AP

US honors Ray Charles with limited-edition stamp

T

he US Postal Service is planning to add soul singer Ray Charles to its “Music Icons Forever” stamp series.

Postal officials say the agency is releasing a stamp featuring the Albany, Ga, native on Monday along with one of the artist’s previously unreleased songs. Charles was a singer and songwriter who pioneered the soul and rhythm-and-blues genres. He died in 2004.

Events are being planned in Atlanta and Los Angeles to celebrate Charles’ inclusion in the series. R&B singer Ashanti and the Morehouse College Glee Club are scheduled to perform at the Atlanta school’s Ray Charles Performing Arts Center. And Chaka Khan is headlining an event at the Grammy Museum. The US Postal Service honors music legends each year by featuring them on limitededition stamps. — AP In this undated photo provided by the The US Postal Service, a new Postal Service stamp honoring musician Ray Charles is shown.

A stamp featuring musician Ray Charles is unveiled as singers Ashanti and Kenny Rogers, center left and right, stand on stage during the event at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Monday. — AP photos